1901 
453 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Coraell Reading Course. 
Edited by John Craig, Professor of Uni¬ 
versity Extension, and Editor Fanners' 
Reading Course, Cornell Unimexsity, 
Ithaca, N. Y. 
ORCHARD COVER CROPS. 
The subject of orchard cover crops has 
excited a good deal of interest this year, 
and perhaps fruit growers are paying 
more attention to that question than 
ever before. I have been very anxious 
to obtain the cooperation of interested 
fruit growers throughout the country in 
testing a number of cover crop plants. 
With this object in view I have sent the 
following circular to a number of lead¬ 
ing orchardists. It has met with a very 
gratifying response, and I feel certain 
that by the beginning of next season we 
shall have collected a considerable 
amount of valuable data. The circular 
Is inserted here, not so much for the 
purpose of suggesting that we shall be 
glad to extend our experiments, but to 
encourage growers to try the series of 
experiments for themselves. 
How to preserve a proper balance of the 
elements of fertility in an orchard soil Is 
one of the most important subjects claim¬ 
ing the fruit growers’ attention at the 
present time. Much can be accomplished 
by the judicious u.so of cover crops. The 
plants which are used for the purpose 
may be divided into two classes. This 
division is based on their power to collect 
nitrogen on the one hand, or consume it 
only, on the other. The legumes—clovers, 
peas and beans—collect and store up at¬ 
mospheric nitrogen in excess of the 
amount they consume; while rye, buck¬ 
wheat, oats and rape do not, so far as is 
known, consume more than is suiliclent to 
enable them to perform their life func¬ 
tions. The legumes are therefore the rich¬ 
est green manures. Aside from the ma- 
nurlal value of the legumes—especially the 
clovers—their deep-rooting habit Improved 
the physical condition of the soil to an 
Important degree. 
Experiments Suggested.— Plow or har¬ 
row the orchard early, and keep the soil 
in a perfect state of tillage up to the 
middle of July. If it has been plowed in 
Sjjrlng the surface should be thoroughly 
lined by frequent harrowlngs. Surface 
tillage is required, not deep cultivation. 
Sow cover crop between July 15 and Au¬ 
gust 1. 
I’lot 1. Cow peas drilled or broadcast at 
the rate of V/z bushel per acre. If the soil 
Is dry drilling is preferable; If reasonably 
moist broadcasting and rolling will answer. 
Plot 2. Cow peas V/z bushel. Red clover 
six pounds per acre. Cow peas drilled, 
clover broadcast and then rolled. 
Plot 3. Hairy vetch (Vida villosa) 1% 
bushel per acre, drilled. 
Plot 4. Alfalfa 12 pounds per acre; Red 
clover eight pounds mixed and broadcast 
together and rolled. 
Plot 5. Crimson clover 20 pounds per 
acre, broadcast and rolled. 
General. Remarks. —Each plot should 
contain not less than one-tenth of an acre, 
and may be as much larger as convenience 
and inclination dictate. If your trees are 
making satisfactory growth, they may not 
need the nitrogen furnished by the above 
crops. But a croi> of some kind should 
cover the ground In Winter. Rape or rye 
may be sown as late as September 1 with 
fair results. Careful notes should be 
made. These should cover such points as 
time of seeding, date of appearance of 
young plants, character of growth, kind 
of cover afforded, height of plants when 
touched by frost, effect of frost, and 
tlnally how the various plants wintered. 
Adveksk Experience. —A letter re¬ 
ceived a day or two ago suggests that 
cover crops should be used with certain 
limitations. This man (a peach grower 
in the central part of the State) writes 
me that last season he cultivated his 
orchard thoroughly during the fore part 
of the season, and then on one-half of it 
broadcast Early Essex rape. Tne sea¬ 
son was excessively dry. The rape did 
fairly well under the circumstances. It 
was pastured with sheep in the Autumn. 
The other part was cultivated till mid¬ 
summer or a little later. The orchard 
site is dry and gravelly. Now comes the 
curious part of it. This year over 30 
per cent of the peach trees on the part 
of the orchard sown to rape are dead, 
and five or 10 per cent in a sickly condi¬ 
tion, while those on the clean, uncropped 
ground are in fair condition. This would 
look like a clear case against the cover 
crop, and it is possible that there Is a 
reasonable explanation based on the 
moisture question. Last sea8on,as staied, 
was exceedingly dry; the trees needed 
all the moisture there was; the rape 
proved a too successful competitor, and 
the vitality of the trees was so lowered 
by the time Winter arrived that they 
were unable to withstand the usual low 
temperature. In this case a cover crop 
should have been planted in such a way 
as to admit of cultivation. If cow peas 
had been put in, for instance, drilled in 
rows far enough apart to admit of the 
passage of a horse cultivator, we could 
have had our cover crop and saved our 
moisture as well. A little lesson of this 
kind is important. 
Weeds ; Bushel Crate. 
I send you some weeds that I wish to 
have Identified. Nos. 1 and 2 are bad 
weeds. Can you give the size of a crate 
that will hold Just a bushel level full of 
anything that has to be rounded up In 
measuring, such as potatoes, apples, etc.? 
That Is, how many cubic inches in such a 
bushel? H. L. J. 
The plants received are three more or 
loss common farm weeds. Curiously 
enough two of these specimens are 
tramps from Europe, and these are the 
two worst. No. 1 is mayweed, which 
botanists call Anthemis Cotula. It is an 
annual and bears an ox-eye daisy-like 
flower and is fonder of moist and wet- 
tish places than dry land. No. 3 is a 
member of the Mint tribe. It is known 
to farmers by the name of dead nettle, 
while botanists glorify by the name 
Lamium amplexicaule. This is also a 
tramp from across the water, and is a 
biennial. It, like the mayweed, prefers 
moist land to dry land. No. 3 belongs 
to the Crowfoot tribe. It Is recognized 
generally by the name of Bristly crow¬ 
foot (Ranunculus). There is only one 
remedy for this class of weeds, and that 
is hoed crops and good cultivation. The 
first two weeds are not eaten by domes¬ 
tic animals; neither is the last one, 
which is a sort of waste dryish land 
plant. If good cultivation with a prop¬ 
er rotation of crops is given, no trouble 
will be experienced. 
One bushel contains 2,160.42 cubic 
inches dry measure. For instance, a 
box 17x14x9 inches will contain approxi¬ 
mately one bushel. In Connecticut and 
Kansas the heap bushel contains 2,564 
cubic inches. In New Jersey, Pennsyl¬ 
vania, Nebraska, Tennessee, Missouri 
and Washington it contains 2,150.42 
cubic inches. 
HORSE SHOE FARM NOTES. 
Saturday night, June 2, after aupper, I 
took a hoe and went over my fields, mak¬ 
ing little channels to let the surplus 
water out of the holes, and turn the 
temporary streams off from the potatoes 
and grain. “Never saw so much water in 
these fields,” I grumbled, as wearily 1 
plodded home through the mud at 8.30 P. 
M. The stars were shining, and I hoped 
for better weather. Only a sullen, occa¬ 
sional roar In the far west Indicated there 
might bo a clearing shower before a 
change. No corn planted, beets unsown, 
weeds getting ahead of the newly-set 
strawberries; 1 do not see how things 
could bo much worse, were the moody 
reflections of a cross, tired man, as I pre¬ 
pared for bed, at 9.15 P. M. In 16 minutes 
more It was raining; hall was beating 
against the house, and the flashes of 
lightning drove the household from their 
beds to the sitting room, except myself. 1 
always have felt safer in bed; was tired 
and had seen all the rain I wanted to. 
All at once 1 heard, away up on a hill, 
the steady roar of what I thought was 
wind, and as It came closer, there was 
something unusual about It which made 
me shiver down Into bed and think: “When 
It strikes, the house will go!” A second 
more and It was past the house. I jumped 
from bod, half dressed, ran down stairs, 
lit a lantern, opened the door, and the 
storm was over. The wind did not blow, 
and but very little water was coming 
down. At 9.45 P. M. It was starlight again. 
Hearing a noise In the cellar we found 
the Hood had broken In the southwest 
windows and filled that end of the cellar 
with dirt and stone. The Incubator, In 
which the chicks were Just hatching, 
lacked just an Inch of being filled through 
the ventilator. The stone carried across 
the cellar blocked the back door, which is 
luckily on the level of the floor, and we 
had to cut a hole out of the bottom from 
the outside to let the water out. At 1 A. 
M. we had enough water out, so we could 
start the lamp again. But little water 
came Into the house, because the stone 
and mud banked up on the porch, stopping 
the crack under the door and turning the 
water to one side. In the morning we 
found two enormous ditches the whole 
length of the hillside, and probably 600 
loads of stone deposited In the road, yard 
and field. Crops were torn out, covered 
over and ruined to such an extent, we 
seemed to be wearing colored glasses of 
blue. Stones too large to lift, holes nine 
feet deep, trees uprooted and a half acre 
covered with stone, all done In 15 minutes, 
attest the power of the forces of nature. 
Sunday was a day long to be remem¬ 
bered, and the peril seemed to grow, the 
more I looked It over. Man can accom¬ 
plish much, but his efforts are puny be¬ 
side rushing water. Monday 1 worked so 
hard I had no time to worry, and with a 
kind neighbor’s help we drew 45 two-horse 
loads of stone and mud from In front of 
the door. What a blessing labor we so 
often grumble at, may be. I was heavy 
hearted, but slept in spite of the mind 
cloud which hung over me, thanks to the 
work. A friend came to see the ruins and 
remarked: “A thousand dollars will not 
make this good, but I would pay it and 
agree to wheel It all away in a wheel¬ 
barrow If I could have my wife back 
again.” After he had gone I grew 
ashamed of my hard feelings over my little 
misfortune, and a spirit of thankfulness 
came over me that we were all spared to 
plan and build over the ruin together. 
The second cloud was burst by sympathy 
for another, and as the sun shone the 
grass looked green again. The dirt drawn 
from the yard covered an unsightly stone 
pile along the road side, and when seeded 
will be easily mowed with a machine. 1 
have wanted to cover them for three years, 
but could not get time. The stone and 
gravel In the cellar, after removing the 
mud, will make a splendid foundation for 
a cement floor, and It’s all In there for 
me. The road commissioner has agreed to 
set a stone crusher in the meadow and use 
iho debris for road making. Already the 
effort to overcome the effect of the forces 
of nature Is creating a new Interest In 
making things better than before. We 
have many stones and are sometimes both¬ 
ered for a place to put them, but a place 
is provided now In the two big ditches 
that will last for several years. 
There wore 100 chicks In the Incubator 
when I waded to It Monday. Things 
might be worse. A hen turkey with 15 
three-day-old chicks sat In the henyard 
and faced the storm. The overflow from 
the main torrent nearly engulfed her; but 
she hugged the ground the tighter and 
faced the danger to protect her young. 
In the morning she was half burled with 
mud and had to make considerable effort 
to get loose. Only two chicks were dead, 
and they had been smothered by her suc¬ 
cessful effort to keep out the water; an 
example of pluck and affection worthy of 
notice. She did all she could, and would 
have given her life to preserve her young. 
My father came over and said: “Here is 
some cash to aid In getting things In shape 
again. You will need It more now than 
later.” Fathers and turkeys think more 
of their children than they show or get 
credit for. sometimes, and I write of this 
only to remind parents that they should 
not wait for a cloudburst to wake them 
up to the fact that loving words and stray 
dollars will do the children more good 
now than when they do not need them. 
C. E. CHAPMAN. 
Beautiful Strawberries in 1902 
Wo can furnish you with 
. pot-grown Strawberry Plants 
that will boar a full crop oi 
StK ^ gn fruit next yoar. Celery and 
WWf Cabbage Plants. Pull line of 
~ b’rult and Ornamental Stock. 
Write at once for our Summer 
and Autumn catalogue. It 
explains all. Fruit packages 
of all kinds for sale at low 
prices. T. J. DWYER & SON, 
Orange County Nurseries, Box 1, Cornwall, N. Y. 
ni UlIXQ—Tomato, Cabbage, Sweet Potato, 
■ Lilli I V Popper and Celery. Price-list free 
CALEB BOGUS & SON, Cheswold. Del. 
100,000 
POTTED STRAWBERRY 
PLANTS. I.lst free. 
T. C. KEVITT, Athenia, N. J. 
SUCCEED WHERE 
Largest Nursery. OTHERS FAIL. 
Fruit Boo* Free. Result of 76 years* experience. 
STARK BROS.. Louisiana, Mo.; Dansvillo, N.Y. 
,'■'Inseng Stock for Sale. My own growing. Orders 
booked now fordollvorySeptemberl. Send stamp 
for catalogue. GKO. M0IX1ETT. .lohnstown, Pa. 
Transplanted Celery Plants- Ing to set, write 
Frank Shearer & Son. Hlnghamton, N. Y., 
for prices on stocky transplanted plants. 
We llnd that whenever a man falls to pay for a 
scale that It takes the prolli on about Wve more to 
make up the loss. Therefore we can make more 
money to sell two scales at lees price than six at full 
price. Jones Of Binghamton. Binghamton, N. Y., will 
tell you all about It and Jones he pays the freight. 
s—Parties Intend- 
CELERY 
PLANTS ONLY *1.00 per 1,000; 
one million ready July flrsi. lOO 
Strawberry Slants, In pots, for $t.W/. 
8LAYMAKER & SON, Dover Del. 
CELERY PLANTS. 
Grown by the acre, on line Irrigated land. Extra 
large root development. Large stocky plants. 
Shl|)ped safely to all parts of the United States and 
Canada. White Plume, Golden Self-Blanching and 
Giant Paschal. Price: 5(10, 76c.; 1.000,11.25 ; 5,000, $.5. 
WILSON BROS. & CO., Tecumsoh, Mich. 
Celery and Cabbage Plants for Sale 
Leading varieties, carefully packed with moss In 
baskets, f. o. b. here. 250 plants at (iOc.; .'>00 for OOc.; 
1,000 for $1.50. Special price on quantities over (1,000. 
Cash with order. Plants ready 15th to 20th of June. 
WOODLAND FARM, Canastota, Madison Co., N. Y 
CABBAGE PLANTS 
Leading varieties, 76c. per 1,000. Shipped safely any¬ 
where. A. B. KATKAMIER, Maoedon, N. Y. 
Home-Grown Crimson Clover Seed. 
Choice Japanese Buckwheat. Seed Wheat and Win¬ 
ter Oats. J. E. HOLLAND, Milford, Del, 
NEW CRIMSON CLOVER SEED 
My own growing. Ready July 1. Orders booked 
now. Sample and price sent for approval before 
shipment. Cow Peas. Soja Beans. Circular free. 
E. G. PACKARD, Seedsman, Dover, Del. 
— 
aPAGE.|:j 
NO USE LOOKING 
for Page Poultry Fence In hardware stores, they 
don't keep It. See our agent, or write us about It. 
PAGE IVOVKN WIRE FENCE CO., ADRIAN, 31ICU. 
Best Pulley 
On Earth. 
AMERICAN CORN AND FODDER 
SHOCK COMPRESSOR 
HOLDS while you tie. 
rKT Does not out 
I the rope. Strong, 
Simple, Durable. 
lo-oay. ^ J ^ 
dreenubars, IiuL. 
LAND DRAIN TILE 
(Car-loads or leas). 
Sizes, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 
G-lnch. 
WILLIAM T.LEGGETT& CO. 
1026 Liberty Avenue, 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 
RUBEROID 
POULTRY-HOUSE 
ROOFING 
As a water-proof covering for Poultry. 
I Houses, RUBEROID has no equal. Keeps I 
the houses cool during the warm weather, 
and warm In Winter, and the chicks dry and | 
I comfortable. The sun cannot melt It. 
THE STANDARD PAINT CO., 
lOO William Street, 
NEW YORK. 
SLUG SHOT 
Kills 
Cabbage and Other Worms 
in the garden safely and cheaply. 
SOLD BY SEED DEALERS. 
For Pamphlet address 
It. Hammuncl, FlshklH-on-llud»on, New York. 
LEAN’S skLHARROWS g LAND ROLLERS 
I Bpik. Toolk U.rrow, 
I P ' MT " e 
Spring 
Twotk Harrow. 
Lean harrows make fat harvests. They do more work and do It 
mure oUlciently than any other harrow. They tear up the groand, 
smooth it for sowiug, harrow in the seed, kill tho weeds after the 
crop comes up. 'The teeth are adjusted to eult any condition 
■ th 9 .oil. By a touch of a lever they are instantly cleared 
, , , u> trash without stopping the team. The^ 
most substantial and finest finished farm Implements 
made to-day. Made entirely of steel, light and dur¬ 
able. Both the spiked tooth and spring tooth h arrow 
will save enoug.'i in a yoar to pay for itself. 
If you want a land Holler that will 
$ave ilipriMina tingle$ea»on, yet a^ 
Jioderick Lean Steel Land Holler. 
Head for llluiitrated catalogue to-day. 
RODERICK LEAN MFG. CO. MANSFIELD.OHIO 
