564 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
August 17 
Jarmers Club. 
[Every query must be accompanied by 
the name and address of the writer to In¬ 
sure attention. Before asking a question, 
please see whether It Is not answered in 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few 
questions at one time. Put questions on a 
separate piece of paper.] 
Blighted Corn Fodder. 
S. D. 11., Prather, /Md.—The corn in this 
locality has been blighted by the sun and 
hot winds, and will not produce grain. 
Will the fodder possess the same amount 
of feeding value as usual if harvested and 
shredded in good condition? 
Ans.—N o, the fodder will not be as 
useful for feeding as that which grows 
naturally. We consider such fodder 
damaged at least 25 per cent. Still, if 
shredded or cut, it is well worth saving. 
When to Fertilize Grass. 
J. T. B., Beverly, TV. To.—When is the best 
time to apply commercial fertilizers on 
meadows, soon after mowing or early in 
Spring? 
Ans. —Probably the best way to fertil¬ 
ize grass would be to apply the potash 
and phosphoric acid during late Sum¬ 
mer and Pall—after mowing—and the 
nitrogen in the form of nitrate of soda 
in the 'Spring. On level ground we 
would prefer Fall to Spring if all the 
fertilizer were to be used at once. 
The Value of "Water Paints.” 
M. R. M., Jamestoum, N. Y. —Can The R. 
N.-y. give us any reliable, unbiased 
opinion, based on personal experience, of 
the so-called “water paints?” Are they 
equal to the oil and lead paints for out¬ 
side work? Do they preserve the boards? 
Are they lasting, and do they look well, 
or like colored kalsomlne and its many 
successors? How is it applied? Is the 
cost much less than ordinary paint? We 
have a number of outbuildings needing 
paint, and we wish to have the work done 
as cheaply as it can be well done. 
Ans. —We would like to have readers 
who have tried these paints give a fair 
statement of their experience. There is 
considerable call for such information. 
Carolina Poplar from Seed. 
E. P., Amityville, N. Y. —I wish to sow 
some Carolina poplar seed. When is the 
best time, in Fall or Spring, and how am 
I to treat the seeds? 
Ans. —^Seeds of the Carolina poplar 
and other varieties of poplars, cotton¬ 
wood, etc., should be sown as soon as 
ripe, and lightly raked into the soil. 
I'he Carolina poplar Is generally propa¬ 
gated by cuttings of ripe wood cut in 
the Fall or Spring, and firmly planted 
five or six inches apart in rows wide 
enough to admit horse culture. The 
cuttings may be made about 10 inches 
long and set with one or two buds out 
of the ground. 
Lucretia Dewberry. 
R. G. 8., Springfield, Mass. —We have Just 
fruited the Lucretia dewberry and are 
very much pleased with it. We would like 
full particulars, if obtainable, as to its 
origin. 
Ans. —Reference to the origin of the 
Lucretia dewberry was made on page 
550 last week. It is related that the 
original plant was found by a soldier 
during the Civil War near Beverly, W. 
Va., who afterward acquired it by 
marrying the owner of the plantation. 
Plants were later sent to Ohio, and fell 
into the hands of B. F. Albaugh, Cov¬ 
ington, O., who named and introduced 
it to commerce. The true variety is 
most excellent, but there are many 
spurious forms of it in cultivation. 
Hollow-Stemmed Celery. 
J. H, P., Willimantic, Conn. —We experi¬ 
ence much loss from celery growing with 
hollow stems. Is the cause in the variety 
or manner of cultivation? 
Ans. —Hollow heart or stem in celery 
seems to be a defect in nutrition, and 
prevails more extensively on light than 
heavy soils. It is favored by dry wea¬ 
ther, lack of available fertility and at¬ 
tacks of grubs or other causes injuring 
the rootlets. It is to a certain extent a 
hereditary defect, and plants raised 
from the best seeds are rarely affected. 
The dwarf varieties are less affected 
than the taller kinds. Use strong plants. 
set about at surface level on good soil, 
well enriched with old manure, and with 
proper cultivation the trouble should di¬ 
minish. 
Suitable Soils for Differing Crops. 
J. C., New York. —Will you tell me whether 
Long Island or New Jersey soil Is better 
suited for an assorted orchard (apple, 
peach, pear and plum)? What soil excels 
for the following products: Beets, carrots, 
corn, cucumbers, melons, onions and po¬ 
tatoes? Also compare Pennsylvania in re¬ 
lation to its soil. 
Ans. —Soils entirely suitable for the 
crops named may be found in either lo¬ 
cality, but probably Long Island and 
portions of New Jersey are better 
adapted to stone fruits, such as peaches 
and plums, than eastern Pennsylvania. 
The selection of a site for commercial 
fruit and vegetable garden is more a 
matter of convenience to market and 
suitability of climate than of geograph¬ 
ical location. The soils of Long Isl¬ 
and and the northern coast region of 
New Jersey average lighter in quality 
than those of Pennsylvania. 
Killing Out Witch Grass. 
It., Turner Center, Me.—l have a piece of 
land 1 intended to set to raspberries and 
blackberries. I seeded it to clover to plow 
under, but it has filled in to Witch grass. 
Is there any way to get rid of this so that 
I can set the plants in the Spring? 
Ans. —It is late now to begin on this 
grass, but with dry weather you may 
destroy it. The grass spreads under¬ 
ground, and unless the roots are broken 
and brought up to the surface or cut 
off again and again there will surely be 
a new crop. Mere plowing, with the use 
of a shallow cultivator, will not kill out 
the grass. Some digging or jerking tool 
like a spring-tooth, disk or Cutaway 
harrow is needed to cut and pull the 
roots up to the surface. We would plow 
the ground as soon as possible, and keep 
at it constantly with one of the above- 
named tools. Keep the soil open and, if 
possible, never let the ground become 
green. The best time to kill out the 
grass is in June and July, but if August 
is dry you may kill it yet. 
Columbian Raspberry Compared with Blackcaps 
Has the Columbian raspberrj' demon- 
sti’ated its early claims of superiority to 
the Shaffer, especially in points of pro¬ 
ductiveness and hardiness of cane in Win¬ 
ter? Is the latter yet preferred by any¬ 
one, and upon what grounds? How would 
either of these purple kinds compare with 
the Cuthbert (or any otiier good red va¬ 
riety) as to root hardiness for planting in 
coid black soil, over-wet most of the year, 
adjacent to swamp land? 
I have never yet admitted that 
there is any difference between the Co¬ 
lumbian and Shaffer Colossal raspberry, 
except ithait there were two distinct 
types of berry in the Shaffer, and that 
(Columbian is one of these types. I have 
taken branches of fruit from the Co¬ 
lumbian and Shaffer raspberry bushes, 
numbered them, placed them in our 
fruit cellar and called in three or four 
fruit men, practical men, too, who have 
grown and cultivated small fruilts for a 
number of years. Not one of these men 
could separate Columbian from Shaffer. 
I,of course, had selected branches from 
the Shaffer that were of the same type 
as the Columbian. I might also state 
that these branches were taken from a 
block of Shaffers planted several years 
before Columbian was introduced. 
Either the Columbian or Shaffer are 
quite as hardy as the Cuthbert, Marl¬ 
boro or Loudon. The canes are of a 
much more vigorous growth and will 
bear at least three times more fruit than 
any of the red varieties named. The 
fruit is larger, as firm, and as good a 
shipper as any of the reds. The color 
is unattractive and against the berry <’or 
market purposes. The flavor, when fully 
ripe, is very fine. Many of my friends 
prefer it to the flavor of the reds. We 
grow the Columbian and Shaffer in sep¬ 
arate blocks and in a limited acreage, 
although we are extending our planting 
of these varieties for the reason that 
during the last two or three years, we 
have been unable to supply the local 
demand for these berries, which are 
used by those who know their value al¬ 
most exclusively for canning purposes. 
They should be grown for this purpose, 
and for supplying the local market. 
With these advantages, it is the most 
profitable raspberry we know. We 
would not advise planiting the Colum¬ 
bian or Shaffer on the soil and under 
the conditions named. While the Shaf¬ 
fer and Columbian are exceptionally 
hardy, they, of course, will, like other 
fruits, show bad results from “wet feet.” 
Cornwall, N. Y. t. .i. dwyer. 
The Columbian raspberry has gener¬ 
ally proved superior to the Shaffer. The 
purple varieties will never take the place 
of the red, like the Cuthbert. It is more 
likely to take the place of the black 
raspberry for family use and canning, 
but not for evaporating. Its yield is 
much more than either the red or black 
varieties. The points superior to the 
Shaffer are firmness, adhering to the 
bush, not liable to be blown off by the 
winds. It is not quite as acid, is some¬ 
what more hardy and makes a better 
growth of bush, not requiring an annual 
cutting out of stalks like the Shaffer. It 
freezes back sometimes, but not so bad¬ 
ly but what it will throw out new canes 
near the ground and produce a paying 
crop. I would advise setting on none 
but ground free from water during the 
Winter. chas. muxs. 
Onondaga Co., N. Y. 
I have grown the Columbian rasp¬ 
berry for a number of years with good 
success. This season has fully con¬ 
vinced me that it is a very valuable va¬ 
riety. As to hardiness of cane I con¬ 
sider it as hardy as Gregg, having grown 
both these varieties side by side for 
some time, on the same kind of soil, and 
under same conditions. Without Win¬ 
ter protection Columbian stood Febru¬ 
ary 27, 1900, a temperature of 20 degrees 
below zero, and came through with 
scarcely a tip killed. In spite of pro¬ 
ductiveness I know of no other red va¬ 
riety that equals it grown in this sec¬ 
tion. I do not grow Shaffer, but believe 
that Columbian will compare favorably 
with Cuthbert or any other good red va¬ 
riety. I have grown it on different 
kinds of soil, varying from a light 
gravelly loam to heavy clay loam, also 
on rich garden soil. While I know a few 
growers who have had fairly good suc¬ 
cess, on rather heavy black moist soil, 
I would not advise your reader in Mas¬ 
sachusetts to plant very extensively on 
such land as described. a. w. ii. 
Butler Co., Pa. 
Apple Questions; Yield of Beans. 
G. F. B., Netvton, Mass.—l. What is the 
Bishop Pippin? 2. What is the value of 
Dyer, Lawver and Grimes; first for com¬ 
mercial purposes; second, as to quality? 
3. What is an average yield of pod beans 
to the acre? 
Ans. —1. Bishop Pippin is one of the 
names by which the Yellow Bellflower 
is known in Nova Scotia. 2. Dyer is one 
of our best Summer apples. It is not 
very attractive in color, being greenish 
white with rarely a blush on the sunny 
side, but it is tender in flesh and delicate 
in flavor, which make it very desirable 
for family use. Lawver is a very hand¬ 
some apple, of fair quality and keeps 
very late, but it is a poor bearer and 
from a practical standpoint is of no 
value, for either amateur or commer¬ 
cial purposes. It has been named Dela¬ 
ware Red Winter, which was a blun¬ 
der that has added the cost of experi¬ 
menting with it a second time, and con¬ 
fused its nomenclature as well. Grimes 
is one of the best of all apples of any 
season in regard to quality, and it has 
a beautiful yellow color which makes it 
especially desirable where a yellow ap¬ 
ple is wanted. The tree is hardy, 
healthy, of good form and bears well. 
I know of no variety which is more de¬ 
sirable for family and fancy market pur¬ 
poses, that will keep about as late as 
Hubbardston. In Massachusetts it will 
be a true Winter apple, but in the Cen¬ 
tral States it is only a late Fall or early 
Winter variety. 3. From 30 to 35 busn- 
els per acre is about the average for 
ordinary field beans. h. e. v. d. 
When you write advertiser* mention The 
H. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
• a square deal.” See our guarantee 8th page. 
ARMSTRONG & McKELVY 
I’itlshurgii. 
BEYMER-BAtJMAN 
i*ittsl>urgh. 
DAVIS -CHAMBERS 
I'ittbburgh. 
FAHNESTOCK 
Pittsburgh. 
ANCHOR ) 
1 Cincinnati. 
ECKSTEIN J 
ATLANTIC 
BRADLEY 
BROOKLYN( 
JEWETT 
ULSTER 
UNION 
SOUTHERN 
SHIPMAN . 
COLLIER 
MISSOURI 
RED SEAL 
SOUTHERN 
New York. 
Chicago. 
I St. Louis. 
JOHN T. LEWIS & BROS CO 
Pliiladelphia. 
MORLEY 
Cleveland. 
SALEM 
Salem, Mass. 
CORNELL 
Buffalo. 
KENTUCKY 
Louisville. 
D 
N PAINTING barn or hou.se it is tvell to 
remember that Pure White Lead never 
cracks or peels, but wears away very 
slowly and gradually, perfectly protecting the wood 
from decay so long as a vestige of the paint re¬ 
mains upon the surface. 
In repainting a building, if Pure White Lead 
is used in the first instance, no dangerous gaso¬ 
lene paint burner is required to put the surface 
in good condition for a new coat. 
The brands of Pure White Lead manufactured 
by the National Lead Company, named in margin, 
are made by the old Dutch process" of slow cor¬ 
rosion and arc the best White Lead that it is pos¬ 
sible to manufacture. 
For any color or shade required, use NATIONAL LEAD COM¬ 
PANY’S Pure White Lead Tinting Colors. Pamphlet sent u'ee 
upon application. 
National Lead Co., loo William Street, New York. 
The New Horticulture 
BY H. M. STRlDlCrELLOW. 
We do not hesitate to say that this is one of the most 
interesting books on horticulture that ever was printed. 
Most reading farmers have heard of the now famous 
“Stringfellow Method” of planting trees, but few 
understand clearly what it is. This book tells the whole 
story in clear-cut, forcible style, which all can under¬ 
stand. Not only is the theory of close root-pruning 
carefully explained, but the general principles of garden¬ 
ing and fruit-growing are discussed. Mr. Stringfellow 
is a practical gardener, and he gives his own experience. 
We commend the book to all without reserve. New 
Edition, paper covers, 50 cents. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, New York. 
