582 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Aiio-ust 24 
Ruralisttis 
/VOr£S FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
The Tuouhlesome Mole. —Notwith¬ 
standing the multiplication of cheap 
mole traps, many cultivators remain at 
the mercy of these troublesome pests, 
A fair proiKulion of the correspondence 
received by agricultural papers consis s 
of inquiries for some means of checking 
moles. Many correspondents claim th t 
they have no success with traps and 
want some method of wholesale poison¬ 
ing to clear their grounds of the de¬ 
structive invaders, but the answer, 
when based on personal experience, 
must always be that moles cannot ba 
successfully poisoned by any known 
method. They live almost entirely 0:1 
earthworms and subterranean insects, 
though it is suspected that a taste for 
succulent roots and bulbs is sometimes 
acquired, and practically will not eat 
poisoned baits. The question of reduc¬ 
ing their ravages comes down to the 
skillful and persistent use of traps, and 
if a little care is used in selecting the 
more permanent runway over which to 
set the traps, success is quite certain. 
The mole generally has his fastness in 
some uncultivated place, deep under 
rocks or stumps, and enters gardens and 
tilled fields to forage in the soft earth 
for his prey. The ensuing damage 
seems out of all proportion to his size 
and apparent strength, and though he is 
probably a strict utilitarian in his ex¬ 
penditure of energy it seems as though 
he upheaves our choicest plants and 
seed beds in pure wantonness, making 
many tortuous and superficial tunnels 
through which he does not intend to 
pass again. It is useless to place the 
traps on these temporary runways, but 
a little search should disclose one of a 
more permanent character, and som-i 
convenient point selected over which to 
place the trap. Many good traps are 
now on the market, costing from to 
to $2.50 each, the cheaper ones often 
doing quite as good work if intelligently 
used. Most of these traps are designed 
on the old figure-four plan, and have a 
flat trigger or pan to be pressed down 
on the flattened runway, releasing the 
spring and pointed wires when it is 
lifted by the upheaval of the passing 
mole. Most failures result from pre¬ 
mature springing before the mole is di¬ 
rectly under the trap, as the earth 
pushes somewhat in advance, and the 
trigger should not be set closer than 
half an inch above the ground when 
finally adjusted. Given a judicious se¬ 
lection of location for the trap tha run¬ 
way should be closed, filling in com¬ 
pactly as narrow a section as possible, 
the trap firmly placed, springing it sev¬ 
eral times to make sure there is no ob¬ 
struction to prevent free passage of tha 
prongs to full depth, and then finally ad¬ 
justing as above. The chances are that 
the mole will be caught as he returns. 
By prompt and persisitent use of two 
very ordinary traps we have almost rid 
the Rural Grounds of moles, though 
there is particularly good shelter near¬ 
by. It is appalling to think of the havoc 
these energetic creatures can cause 
among rare and unique plants, and no 
effort is spared to secure a mole when 
traces of his presence are noited. Tar, 
kerosene oil and other disagreeable or 
sticky substances placed in the runs 
will disgust moles so that they are not 
likely to pass again, but chemicals are 
of little value as a permanent remedy. 
Seed Sowing Made Easy.—A Kansas 
man has invented a method of sowing 
small seeds with perfect accuracy by 
enclosing them at regular intervals in 
a little string of twisted tissue papsr. 
The string is planted by a small drill 
with a reel, which makes a furrow of 
the proper depth, lays the string and 
covers it up. He claims that the tissue 
paper holds moisture and makes the 
seeds sprout quickly, while they can ba 
planted in a perfectly straight line and 
with great ease in windy weather. Lit¬ 
tle time is consumed in planting, and 
much is saved in the subsequent thin¬ 
ning out, from the regularity with 
which the seeds are deposited. The 
adoption of such a method would cer¬ 
tainly necessitate the use of good fresh 
seeds, or the resulting stand might be 
pretty thin. 
The Ekyngium, ou Sea Holly. —One 
of the oddest of all garden plants is the 
sea holly. It looks very much like a 
thistle, but belongs to the Umbelliferfe 
or Parsnip family. There are many 
species found in mountain regions in 
the north temperate zone. Most of 
them are hardy perennials, and have 
rigid spiny stems and foliage, usually 
steel blue or metallic purple in color. 
They are very ornamental, and excite 
much curiosity. The flower heads look 
like a metallic teasel or thistle, though 
the minute petals are usually white. Fig. 
255 represents a small branch of Eryn- 
gium amethystinum, one of the hand¬ 
somest and mosit manageable species. 
It makes a branching plant two or three 
feet high, and keeps in good condition 
throughout the growing season, which 
is more than oan be said of many her¬ 
baceous plants. Sea hollies are best 
grown from seeds, as they do not prop¬ 
agate well by division, and should be 
placed rather in the background than 
in the frequently cultivated border 
among bright-hued plants. av. al f. 
Farming in Connecticut. 
The recent articles by S. Marvin on 
farming in western Conneoticut have 
started many questions from readers, 
some of which are answered below: 
Was the grass mentioned on page 563 
the heaviesit you had? 
No. I had heavier grass which was 
cut the last week in June. The seeding 
was two years old, and was heavily top- 
dressed this last Winter. 
Are the farms well kept up? 
As a rule they are not. There are 
many poor fences, poor roads and 
bushes; in fact, much of this country is 
slowly but surely going back to the wil¬ 
derness. Our people have but little 
time to keep up lawns and flower gar¬ 
dens, as it takes hard work the whole 
year around to keep things up square. 
Did you use manure on the potatoes 
which preceded the grass? 
Yes, they were manured heavily. This 
manure was plowed under deep, and the 
ground was fitted in a thorough manner, 
so that the potatoes had a good start 
and good culture. 
Do you grow much grain? 
Very little—usually not over four to 
six acres of corn. Our soil is hard to 
plow, and is better grass land. We raise 
grain in the potato field. 
How can that be? 
We plan to raise potatoes enough to 
provide for our own use, and also buy 
our Winter’s feed. In order to produce 
our own grain we would have to plow 
up the entire farm, but three acres of 
potatoes in a good season will do it. 
We plan to ship a carload of potatoes 
in the Fall and get in exchange for it 
15 or 20 tons of feed. Thus the pota¬ 
toes feed the cows. 
Fighting the Squash Insects. 
The use of insecticides has become so 
indispensable to the garden, the orchard 
and the field that after 30 years of ex¬ 
perience in their application I am 
prompted to a suggestion or two. For 
the protection of squashes, of which I 
Iiave now nearly 30 varieties, constant 
vigilance is absolutely essential. The 
best remedy for the attack of the striped 
bug is a loose covering of mosquito net¬ 
ting during the short period of their 
siege. When growth requires the re¬ 
moval of this covering the squash bug 
or beetle continues its depredations, and 
for this Bordeaux Mixture is a specific 
and a permanent remedy. It is harm¬ 
less to plant life, nor is it destructive 
to insect life. Its efficiency lies in mak¬ 
ing the plant offensive, thus warding off 
its enemies. The borer appears later, 
and is the most insidious and therefore 
dangerous of all. Its presence is gener¬ 
ally discovered by the collapse of the 
running vine. As given in your issue 
of August 3, bisulphide of carbon is a 
specific for this pest, if applied in time, 
and as there described; let me suggest 
a single caution, however, in its use. 
Throe or foui drops are sufficient, while ' 
a much larger quantity generally proves ^ 
fatal It is a highly diffusive as well as ; 
volatile poison. Instances might be 
named of the ruin of an entire crop by 
its excessive use. l. p. c. 
Storrs, Conn. 
■37xx:e: 
POULTRY-HOUSE 
ROOFING 
As a wat3r-proof covering fo- Poultry. 
I Houses, UUBEKOIDhas no equal. Keeps I 
tue 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., 
100 william Street, 
NEW YORK 
A Seedijng Peach. —I send you a 
sample of a seedling peach. I sent you 
one about two years ago; you will find 
a picture in The R. N.-Y. of September 
2, 1899, page 623, and a description on 
page 626, same issue, in which you say 
it is slightly cling, but this year and all 
other years since it commenced bearing 
it has been freestone. The tree has 
stood the severe freeze of Winter of 1899 
and is still healthy, except that it has 
not been cultivated as it should have 
been, and does not make the growth 
that it should. I will bud some this 
month, but the growth is rather poor, 
as I said before, and they may not take 
so well. It is a little firm yet, and the 
season is about two weeks late here. 
My peach crop is nearly a failure this 
year owing to the wet Spring and cir- 
culio. I may have about 200 baskets 
from 2,500 trees. Peaches are rotting 
badly this year while green, and wiL 
continue up to the time of ripening ow¬ 
ing to the season. I picked about 
one peck of Amsden June, and last year 
had about 80 baskets. Of course it is 
a very bad variety to rot. J. d. s. 
Geigers Mills, Pa. 
R. N.-Y.—We consider this peach an 
acquisition. It has good color and 
agreeable flavor. The sample sent was, 
to our judgment, more of a cling than 
freestone. 
About “ BHHon-DoHar’' Grass. 
The crop of one square yard weighed 10 
pounds, cut when dew free; this an aver¬ 
age plot from two acres. As hay it was 
hauled to the barn in 9% wagon loads of 
over a ton to the load. It was sown May 
23, harvested July 22; average height six 
feet. The ground was disked, seed sown 
and harrowed in—all in eight hours by one 
man and two-horse team. The grass was 
cut in three hours and hauled in by three 
men and one team in 12 hours. It got one 
fair rain in May—no rain yet, August 5, 
so the second crop is a failure. It takes 
the best Ohio River bottom land and warm 
weather to grow it. On poor sandy soil 
with me it was a perfect failure. Com¬ 
mon millet grew two to three feet high; 
the grass did not even sprout. "Hope 
Farmer,” how would you like to have such 
land and such grass, when corn is a failure 
and potatoes and apples join company to 
make the farmer look blue? e. h. 
Parkersburg, AV. Va. 
R. N.-Y.—We could stand any amount 
of it this year. 
Hay Caps.—I should say that even half 
a hundred hay caps on Hope Farm would 
do you lots of good. I have used mine 
this year more than usual, and they not 
only save hay, but enabled me to get 
through more than one Sabbath with real 
l)eace of mind when valuable clover lay 
Ijrotected under them, and the rain fell 
on top. READER. 
anyone on steep or 
tlat roofs. 
LOW PRICE I 
DURABLE! 
FIRE-PROOF ! 
If you are going 
to build, or have 
shingle or tin 
8 e u d for 
sample and cir¬ 
cular. 
TUE A. F. SAVAN CO.. 114 Nassau Street New York 
Dmhma of Plank save Timber and cash. Best, 
DdlllS cheapest, strongest; 4,000 In use. Book 
for stamp. 8HAWVEU BROS., Bellefontalne, Ohio. 
■trongest, cheapest baler. Made of wrought steel. 
Operated by 1 or 2 horses. Bales 10 to 15 tons a day. 
Sold on 5 days trial. Catalogue free. Address 
CEO. ERTEL CO., Quincy, IM. 
IDE 
MACHINERY 
I Best and cheapest. 
’ Send for catalogue. 
BOOMER & BOSCHERT 
PRESS CO.. 
118 
Water Stre^ 
N. x. 
STRACUHE, 
KCasb 
Keg con¬ 
tains 100 lbs. of iicw,j 
mixed wire nails 
from about 3 to 40 penny' 
size. Order a Sample Keg. Write i 
for Free Catalogue No. 57 on 
building material and supplies. 
CHICAGO HOUSE WRECKING CO. 
West Thirty, fifth sod Iron Street*, * • • tUitAOO. 
LAND DRAIN TILE 
(Car-loads or less). 
Sizes, /if 3, 4, 5 and 
6-lnch. 
WILLIAM T. LEGGETT & CO. 
1025 Liberty Avenue, 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 
CHARTER 
Gasoline Engine 
USED 
Any Place 
By Any One 
For Any Pnrpose 
'itaHona^lea, Portables, Phtginea 
and Pumps, Bolsters 
Send for Illustrated Catalogue and 
Testimonials. State your Power Needs. 
Charter Gas Engine Co., Box 26, Sterling, III. 
THE MIETZ & WEISS 
Kerosene Engines 
Cheapest and Safest Power 
Known. For pumping and 
electric lighting, grinding 
corn, separating cream, 
sawing wood, and all power 
purposes. Send for Catalog. 
A, MIETZ, 
128 Mott Street. New York. 
SAN JOSE SCALE. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“asquare deal.” See our guarantee 8th page. 
For the land’s sake, use Bowker’s Fer¬ 
tilizers. They enrich the earth.— Adv. 
And other Insects can be Controlled by Using 
Good’s Caustic Potash Whale- 
Oil Tobacco Soap No. 6. 
Kegs, .lOlbs. ea., &)t^c lb. Bbl., about 275 lbs., 4o. lb 
Kegs, lUUlbs. ea.,5c. ib. Bbls.,about 425 lbs.,3?|c.lb 
Kegs. 170 lbs. ea., 4J^c. lb. 
Large quantities Special Rates. Send for Circulars. 
JAMES GOOD, 937 N. Front St., Philadelphia, Pa. 
FERTILIZERS. From Factory to Farm 
We Sell You Direct. No Agent’s Profit. No Salesman’s Expenses. 
WRITE FOR POCKET MEMORANDUM BOOK, PRICES and SAMPLES. 
THE SCIENTIFIC FERTILIZER COMPANY, 
P. O. Box 1017, Pitt8l>urg, Pa. 
