THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
357 
1901 
The Cornell Reading Conrse. 
Edited by John Crakf, Professor of Uni¬ 
versity Extension, and Editor Fanners' 
Reading Course, Cornell University, 
Ithaca, N. Y. 
Grape Queries. 
1 , What about Campbell’s Elarly grape? 
2. How do nurserymen propagate grapes? 
3 . What tree would you advise growing 
for grape posts? J. h. l. 
Benton Harbor, Mich. 
1. Campbell’s Early is, I believe, a 
valuable grape. It is a fair grower, the 
fruit is of good quality, and, so far as 
we know, the blossom is fertile. I be¬ 
lieve it will, to some extent, replace 
Moore’s Early. McPike is a seedling 
of Worden. It is larger in fruit than its 
parent, about as vigorous a grower, and, 
so far as I have been able to observe, a 
satisfactory bearer. It is earlier than 
Worden. 2. Commercial grape growers 
make their cuttings in the Fall. They 
usually cut all wood to three eyes. The 
cuttings are bunched, butts all at one 
end, into bundles containing 100 cuttings 
each. These bundles are pitted in the 
ground, butts up, in the Fall. The pits 
are protected from frost with manure 
and soil. In Spring the covering is 
taken off, with the exception of two 
inches of soil, which is raked smooth 
like a seed bed. ’Fhe sun warms the sur¬ 
face soil and induces callusing. When 
this takes place, the cuttings are set out. 
3. I am of the opinion that you could 
grow Catalpa very satisfactorily at Ben¬ 
ton Harbor, and perhaps more quickly 
than any other timber for the purpose 
you desire it. You can buy seedlings 
from western nurserymen quite cheap¬ 
ly. The trees should be planted closely, 
-1x4 or 5x5 feet apart, so that they will 
run uj straight. By using this tree you 
ought to be able to get grape posts in 
six or seven years on cultivated ground. 
Apple Orchard; Choosing Varieties. 
I am thinking of setting out about five 
acres of apple trees this Spring, but have 
not decided upon the varieties. What 
varieties do you advise to set out? Do 
you consider it a good plan to set all to 
one variety; or, is it better to mix them 
in with others on account of more perfect 
fertilization of the flower? c. a. s. 
Batavia, N. Y. 
The variety question is a difficult one. 
A man must settle it largely for himself. 
There are two general types of varieties, 
and perhaps two types of fruit growers. 
There is the fruit which is standard. 
This variety must be hardy, productive, 
carry well, fairly attractive in appear¬ 
ance, but the quality need not be nigh. 
This is the general market or commer¬ 
cial type of fruit. In apples we see ex¬ 
amples of it in Baldwin, Greening and 
Ben Davis. These fruits are staples, go 
to the general market, and there is al¬ 
ways a more or less regular demand. 
The other type of fruit is that in which 
quality and handsome appearance are 
the predominant characters. As a rule 
these fruits are more difficult to grow. 
If they were not, every one would grow 
them. In apples we might say that Mc¬ 
Intosh, Newtown Pippin and Sutton 
Beauty were examples of this second 
class. Now, if a man wants to grow 
fruit for a high-grade market this is the 
type of fruit he should plant, but he 
ought not to plant those varieties, so 
particular in their requirements, and so 
susceptible to the attacks of enemies, 
unless he is prepared to give them all 
the care they need. My own inclination 
would be to sei out an orchard of Bald¬ 
win and Spy and top-graft these wholly 
or partly with such other varieties as I 
cared to include. My collection would 
take in McIntosh, Ontario, Rome Beauty, 
Sutton Beauty, King and probably New¬ 
town Pippin, the last for experiment. 1 
would not plant in blocks. Most varie¬ 
ties of apples are at least partially self- 
fertile, but all varieties are benefited by 
interpollination, which may be secured 
by planting two rows of another and so 
on through the orchard. Some attention 
should be given to the blooming period 
of each. For instance, Spy is notably 
late, while Astrachan and Duchess are 
among the earliest to blossom. A laic 
and an early variety should not be 
planted in contiguous rows. Cornell Ex¬ 
periment Station has issued a bulletin 
on the pollination of fruit trees, which 
may be had on application. 
Seeding with Clover Expensive. 
I am living on a hill farm, 106 acres, and 
have felt the dry Summers very much. 
Can we afford to pay the present prices 
for clover seed and only receive benefit 
from it for one or two years? a. b. m. 
Coventryville, N. Y. 
It does look like wasting money—just 
on the face of it—to purchase expensive 
clover seed, get a poor catch and then 
have it last only two yeai's. Unfortu¬ 
nately we can’t change the habit of the 
plant. It is a biennial, and goes out 
naturally at the end of the second year. 
Usually a certain amount of self-seeding 
takes place, and sometimes a few plants 
live over till the third year, so that it 
does not disappear entirely if we give it 
a chance to flower and form seed. 
Clover costs from 12 to 16 cents a pound 
at the present time. This means that it 
costs us approximately $1.50 per acre for 
seed. When a man has 15 or 20 acres to 
seed down it amounts to quite a sum; 
still, I don’t think that there is any 
cheaper form of manure than that se¬ 
cured by investing $1.50 in clover seed. 
The catch must be a very poor one in¬ 
deed that will return you less than this 
amount in humus and nitrogen, 'the 
fact of the matter is we northern farm¬ 
ers can’t get along without it. We need 
it in balancing up our cattle ration; we 
should have it in our pasture, and as a 
soil restorative it is all powerful. Clover 
first by all means, chemicals if we must. 
Tm ConnoGiiout Farm Hands. 
Hard Links.— I notice a recent article 
entitled ‘‘Wanted, an Ideal Farm Hand,” 
in The K. N.-Y. i would say, “Wanted 
Un Connecticut), an ideal farmer.” A New 
York man went to work for a Connecticut 
farmer. He was to have his house rent, 
wood and $25 a month. After he had been 
there a short time the farmer refused him 
the wood, refused to pay him his wages, 
and told him he thought he ought to pay 
his employer for the privilege of working 
for him! There were 17 head of stock to 
be watered twice a day; the water had to 
be brought from the brook, quite a distance 
from the barn in a barrel, and carried by 
the pailful to the creatures; cornstalks, 
cut with a hand cutter, three times a day 
into a trough, watered down; apple pomace 
fed three times a day from silo; some 
grain was fed. All barn work had to be 
done, besides milking eight cows. He was 
up at half-past four in the morning, and 
worked until half-past eight or nine in 
the evening. Just time enough to eat his 
meals; had no time to cut even his fire¬ 
wood; plenty of odd jobs outside of the 
barn. He was so disgusted that if he had 
not married a Connecticut girl he would 
have made a run for York State. 
E. H. K. 
R. N.-Y.—Prom the time of Jacob, and 
even before, farmers have been glad to toil 
for ‘‘the fai’m girl.” 
An Expert Talks.— I have read the 
article on page 267, ‘‘Wanted, an Ideal 
Farm Hand,” with much interest, as I do 
all that is printed in The R. N.-Y. I am 
a farm hand myself. I think our friend, 
Michigan Parmer, wants too much for the 
wages. Of course, I am not acquainted 
with the scale of wages in Michigan. 
There is great difference in farm hands, 
also in employers. To some farm hands 
a small raise in wages will be appreciated, 
and the amount more work they will do 
will justify the raise. I have worked on 
a farm for others more or less for 10 years, 
except one year I rented for myself, but 
owing to my wife’s health and climatic 
conditions, had to give it up. I have al¬ 
ways had a few dollars per month more 
than others. I can always find good places 
to work. At present I am getting $35 per 
month, house rent, garden, milk. etc. I 
have been here over a year. I always go 
on with the work as if it were my own. 
One fault with help is they never try to 
please those they are working for. I have 
had some such help. Perhaps you will 
say: ‘‘Why don’t you work for yourself?” 
I intend to as soon as circumstances will 
permit. Many a young man working for 
others gets discouraged, and don’t care, 
for he may have to eat at a table alone, 
sleep on soap boxes and straw (as I have 
done), get up at 3.30, 4 and 4.30 A. M., and 
work until 7 or 7.30 P. iM., and later, and 
on Sundays will have some pigpen to clean 
and lepair, or calfpen to clean out, and 
such odd jobs. Is there any wonder that 
farm hands don't care and soldier? I 
once worked for a man who, when I hired 
out, said; “I want a man to work, not to 
soldier.” That was one of the best places 
I ever worked. Farmers must have sys¬ 
tem and a lime for work and a time for 
rest. u. H. 
Some Ohio Motes. 
Why did you not advise—page 311—that 
Connecticut man to sow beardless barley 
for hay? It is in every way superior to 
oats, millet, or any other annual grass or 
grain. The Clark method? Well, I don’t 
know; we disked and disked, dragged and 
dragged, harrowed and harrowed last July, 
August and September, on a two-acre 
stubble plot, then we sowed the seed. In 
early April we disked the bare land over 
again, and drilled in 1% bushel of beard¬ 
less barley per acre. “Ideal conditions all 
around” just fits the case; these conditions 
were absent last Fall and Winter. I think 
it was George Scott who told me of an 
editor of a farm paper who spent a day or 
two with him about two years ago. George 
said that this editor spoke about some hog¬ 
pens he had seen in Ohio, and the editor 
said these pens each contained as much 
fertility as a great many 10-acre fields in 
New Jersey. We are certainly wasteful of 
manures on our rich lands. 
Second paragraph, page 312: As the As¬ 
sistant Secretary of Agriculture is a warm 
personal friend 1 think I will write him to 
send me a new pipe; 1 lost mine to-day. 
Of all humbugs the sending out of seed 
labeled “selected variety” is the worst. I 
want to do my own selecting. Yes, sir, a 
hen will make lots of eggs out of cow 
peas. The best laying flock I saw in the 
past Fall and Winter had access to half 
an acre of cow peas which were left on the 
ground. c. D. LYON. 
FOR OLD AGE 
To the old, as to babies, the 
even balance of health is more 
important than anything else 
in the world. The possible 
health, in age, is not high and 
strong; it is only even. 
There is no end, but death, 
to the trouble that comes of its 
loss. It ought to be watched 
like a baby’s. 
Scott’s emulsion of cod-liver 
oil for very old and very young 
—in different ways—is the food 
to secure this even health. 
We'll send you a little to try, if you like. 
SCOTT & BOWNE, 409 Pearl street, New York. 
Down a Little for June. 
The demand for Silver and Partridite Wyandotte 
Bgg.s at Beaver Hill Farm has been heavy. We have 
returned dozens of orders that we could not till at 
our regular prices, per sitting for Silver and $5 per 
sitting for Partridge Eggs. 
In response to numerous requests for lower rates 
later in the season, we have decided to name 
The Following Low Prices for June: 
Silver Wyandotte Eggs, $2 per sitting; 3 sittings, 
Partridge Wyandotte Eggs, $3 per sitting; 3 sittings, $8 
Orders for eggs at these special prices will be tilled 
in the order received. 
A majority of our famous prize winners the past 
season were hatched in .June. Handsome booklet, free 
A few Breeders of both varieties for sale in June. 
A good time now to get one of our fine Collie Pups. 
Beaver Hill Farm, Beaver, Fa. W.D.POoLe.SupL 
'P GGS for hatching, 6 cents each. Flr.st-class stock. 
^ Rhode Island Reds, Brahmas, Hambnrgs and 
Hocks. W. Sherman, 25 Boulevard, Middletown, H. 1. 
Olauchartl’s White L.eg:horn 8 .—The leading 
^ strain of heavy layers. Eggs for hatching from 
Quest stock, lll.clr.free. U. J.Blauchard,Groton,N.Y. 
H. H. Mohr, Quakertown, Pa., breeds 
all varieties thoroughbred P. Hocks, Wyandottes, 
Brahmas, Leghorns, Langshans, Cochins, Mlnorcas, 
Hamburgs. Eggs, 15, $1; 40, $2. Catalogue. 
B uff and BAHHBD Plymouth Hocks. 
UFF Cochins, Hose-Comb Brown Leghorns. 
E XTHA-FINE Cockerels and Pullets for Sale. 
GGS in Season. Satisfaction guaranteed. 
Catalogue free. J. L. HEHMAN, Le Moyne, Ohio. 
EGGS 
from choice heavy laying 8 . C. 
White Leghorns, Silver Wyan¬ 
dottes and Buff P. Hocks. $1 Ud 
per 15; $2 per 30. Safe arrival and good fertility guar¬ 
anteed. T. D. GOODWIN, Columbia Station, Ohio. 
—Fertility guaranteed. By the sitting 
or hundred. 23 varieties of prize-win¬ 
ning land and water fowls. Big Cata¬ 
logue free. Our guarantee means something. 
PINE THEE FAHM, Box T, Jamesburg, N. J. 
DHOOKSIDE’S WHITE WYANDOTTES please 
every one because they are carefully bred for 
business as well as fancy. Eggs that hatch from the 
choicest matings, $2.00 per 13. Almost their equals 
for business, $1.00 per 13, $5.00 per 100. 
J. E. STEVENSON, Columbus, N. J. 
INCUBATOR EGGS 
from purebred White Wyandottes, $3 per 100. 
SILAS DEAN, Oak Hill, N. Y. 
^ 5 —Hatch guaranteed. Barred Hocks, 
White Hocks, Black Minorcus, In¬ 
dian Games, Buff Cochins, White Wyandottes, Pekin 
Ducks, $2 per 15, each variety. 'Winners in Madison 
Square and Orange Shows, 1901. Eggs from my own 
Breeding Yards. Orders tilled promptly WHITE OAK 
HIDGB POULTHY YARDS, Bast Orange, N, J. 
INCUBATORS 
From SS.OO Up. 
BBOODEHS FBOM $3.80 UP. 
Free Catalogue. 
Ii. A. BAITTAt Llgonler, Ind. 
Death to Lice 
on Hens and Chicks 
64-pBge Book FHEE. 
\ D. J. LAMBERT, Box 307, Apponaug, B. I. 
“FUMA 
V4kills Prairie Dogs, 
' Woodchucks, Gophers 
and Grain Insects. 
“The wheels of the 
Gods grind slow but 
exceeding small.” Bo the weevil, but you can stop 
.Mlrgnnd ..puijj BiSlllpllllle”.KSS 
BDWABD K. TAYLOR, Penn Yan, N. Y. 
leather 
Quarter 
Top 
Buggy, 
$ 34-50 
BUGGIES 
$3A-50 
Good Road Wagons, $24 
Montgomery Ward & Co., Chicago 
WHAT YOU WANT 
pTHE ROST 
is a wire fence that will last for years without any 
further worry or bother, and at a reasonable cost 
If you will write for our catalogue, we believe we 
can interest you. 
THE FROST WIRE FENCE CO., Cleveland, Ohio. 
ALONG THE ROAD 
PAGE 13 wire 58-inch Highway Fence is giving 
splendid satisfaction. It’s so NEAT and STRONG. 
PAGE WOVEN WIRE FENCECO., AOKIAN, .tllCH. 
Farm Blacksmithing. 
An illustrated book writ¬ 
ten expressly for farmers. 
It tells all about making 
and tempering steel tools, 
making clialus, hooks, 
rings, clevises, bolts, etc., 
etc. Filing saws, spliciug 
rope, shoeing horses. 
Price 60c., doth bonnd, 
by mail post-paid. Address 
J. M. DREW, 
St. Anthony Park, Minn. 
RUBEROID 
■X'ZZ£3 
POULTRY-HOUSE 
ROOFING 
As a water-proof covering for Poultry-1 
j Houses, HUBEHOtl) has no equal. Keeps 
toe houses cool during the warm weather, 
and warm in Winter, and the chicks dry and [ 
I comfortable. The sun cannot melt it. 
THE STAMDARD PAINT 00., 
lOO 'WiUlam Street, 
NEW YORK. 
BINDER TWINE 
It affords us great pleasure to quote prices for our famous and well-known grades of binder twine as follows: 
Pure White Sisal, 8c per lb. Standard, 8c per lb. Manila, 9^c per lb. 
These prices are tor any quantity not less than a 50-pouud bale, free on board cars Chicago, and are not subject to 
discount. TEH.MS:—Cush to uecompuuy order. 
The above twines arc our anexeelled ‘‘S.M YTII” BRAN' D, pronounced by all who have heretofore used tliem 
to be the best in the world. They are prepared with special care from first quality selected hemp, every bull being 
separately tested for evenness and tensile strength and insect prepared before being allowed to |mss e.xaminatlon, 
hence It Is absolutely perfect. Is reputed the very best binder twine in the market and we believe it to be 
worth 2c per pound more than any other binder twine in the market. 
WF nil ARANTFF "'**■ customers against any ehunge In our price and if we go lower, you will be refunded 
XV UVHrHII I (he difference in price. We treat all our customers alike and the early buyer is affoi-ded as 
much protection as the late one. 
QAMPI F^ FRFF We guarantee our twine, every pound of it, and we will refund your money instantly and 
OMUIrLCO riiEfci without a question if it fails to come up to our representation eitlier in quality or count, but 
if you prefer to see samples before ordering, then write to us and we will send samples by return mail so that you 
can see and test it. 
JOHN M. SMYTH CO. 7 6 T - -Ti ^ ~ d"87 -289 W. MADISON ST. CHICAGO, ILL. 
