772 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Norember 16 
FARMERS’ 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.] 
ARCTIC APPLE IN MASSACHUSETTS. 
One of our readers in Massachusetts 
wishes to know whether It would prob¬ 
ably pay to set a large orchard of Arctic 
apples. He says that he has grown speci¬ 
mens of the variety this year that were 
very fine and excellent in every way; and, 
if he could produce large quantities, they 
would probably sell better than Baldwin. 
What would be your advice with regard to 
substituting the Arctic for the Baldwin? 
So little is known of tbe Arctic that I 
cannot advise your Massachusetts read¬ 
er to plant it largely. If he has fruited 
it for several years, and it invariably 
does well, he is better able to judge of 
its value than anyone else. Fruit is al¬ 
ways better on young trees than old 
ones, and the fruit on two trees in these 
stages should not be compared. The 
Baldwin is far from being perfect, and 
I do not think I would plant it for pro¬ 
fit, but would substitute Sutton Beauty 
and Washington Royal (Palmer Green¬ 
ing), 8. T. MAYNAKD. 
Mass. Ag’l College. 
If the reader has been as successful 
in growing this class of apples several 
years, as he has this season, it might 
possibly do for him to try this varie¬ 
ty in a small way. But for our New 
England hills give me the old reliable 
Baldwin. This apple with plenty of 
plant food, thorough cultivation and the 
proper spraying will surely bring suc¬ 
cess to the grower, while many of the 
other varieties are not sure. Don't make 
a mistake and set too many varieties; 
two or three good reliable sorts are 
much better than a dozen. 
ETHELBERT BLISS. 
Hampden Co., Mass. 
For Massachusetts at the present time 
Baldwin is the standard market apple, 
which counts very much in the profit¬ 
able and quick sale of fruit. Baldwin 
is a very productive apple, but to my 
mind one of its best points is Its ability 
to raise better fruit on a well-laden tree 
than on young, or trees sparsely set 
with fruit. Simply because a young tree 
grows a few fine specimens does not 
prove it to be valuable. It may not be 
productive when older, or produce good- 
sized and well-fiavored fruit when bear¬ 
ing heavy crops. With me Arctic is a 
good grower, but I do not know of its 
being tested on older trees in our sec¬ 
tion. It is simply a matter for the in¬ 
quirer to investigate and decide for him¬ 
self; then he will know whom to blame 
if he makes a mistake in trying some¬ 
thing new. As a rule, one who does not 
feel able to meet much loss should not 
Invest in untried fruits too heavily; for 
others it does not matter, h. o. mead. 
Worcester Co., Mass. 
My opinion is that it would be a mis¬ 
take to substitute any apple for the 
Baldwin until it had been most thor¬ 
oughly tested. Had I something that 
by one or two years’ product I consid¬ 
ered better or even equal with the Bald¬ 
win, would start in a small way, both 
by planting trees and setting scions on 
old stocks until its superiority was ap¬ 
parent. I am not familiar with the Arc¬ 
tic, but should be glad to purchase and 
test it In the heart of Massachusetts. 
There is one fact about the Baldwin; it 
has the habit of bearing abundantly 
when apples are very cheap, and no crop 
when apples are scarce and high. I 
thought some years since that I had 
conquered that unsatisfactory habit by 
grafting an orchard with scions from 
T'a I t New subscribers to The 
10 R.’NT.-Y. will now net the 
4k 1 paper from the time sub- 
lur g,,pipt,ions are received 
until Tanuary 1. 190^. If you will send us a club 
of four subserlptloas, new or renewal, with 14, 
wi'l advance your own subjcriptlon one 
yeariifree. 
trees bearing the odd year. For a few 
years they followed the habit of the 
original stock, but lapsed into the habit 
of giving the last few years a crop the 
even year only. From a tree that in 
1854 I picked 10 barrels of Baldwins, and 
for years before an even year tree, I 
tcok the bloom from one or two large 
lower limbs which blossomed and bore 
fruit the next year, and gradually in¬ 
creased the odd year crop until the tree 
bore about one-half Its crop each year, 
for 15 or 20 years, but for the last few 
years, it has returned to its original 
habit of bearing the even year only. 
Perhaps by persistence in these two 
lines of work a permanent change might 
be wrought. c. e. barker. 
Worcester, Mass. 
The Value of Hen Manure. 
F. P. n., Philadelphia, Pa.—Would It bene¬ 
fit next year’s corn ground to spread 
chicken manure upon it this Fall and har¬ 
row it? The soil is a sandy loam. Is 
chicken manure as valuable as cow and 
horse manure, pound for pound, when ap¬ 
plied to hoed crops? Give the constitu¬ 
ents side by side (for comparison) of each 
kind, viz., chicken manure and barnyard 
manure. 
Ans.—I t is difficult to give a fair an¬ 
alysis of hen manure, because as found 
on most farms there is a varying amount 
of dirt, feathers and trash found in it. 
The figures given below represent a fair 
average sample of fresh manure; 
Pounds In One Ton. Phos- 
Nltro- Pot- phorlc 
gen. ash. acid. 
Hen manure .35 17 30 
Horse manure .11 10 | 
Cow manure . 7 8 0/2 
Sheep manure .17 13 » 
Thus it will be seen that hen manure 
Is richer than that from other domestic 
animals. The explanation of this is 
that the food of the hen is richer, for 
she eats considerable meat and insect 
food. Again, the solids and liquids of 
the hen are ejected together, while in 
the case of larger animals the liquids 
are often lost. As usually applied to the 
soil, hen manure Is dried, and the analy¬ 
sis would of course vary, but the above 
figures are fair for comparison. We 
would not spread the hen manure this 
Fall, but would keep it until Spring and 
at corn planting time either put it In 
the hill or mix it with chemicals and 
apply it broadcast. When hen manure 
is dried and fined it makes a good base 
for a fertilizer. Let it be crushed and 
sifted and then mixed in the following 
proportions; 1,200 pounds manure, 150 
imunds nitrate of soda, 450 pounds acid 
phosphate and 200 pounds muriate of 
potash. If one is prepared to go to the 
trouble of crushing and mixing this will 
make a good use for hen manure. 
Poultry and Potato Beetles. 
Several Braver.*.—What are the facts about 
ohiekens and Potato beetles? Do they 
really ever eat the insects? 
some have questioned the 
statements that chickens will eat Potato 
^leetles, it may be instructive to con¬ 
sider the bird enemies of this pest. The 
Pose-breasted grosbeak early learned to 
like the Insect, and the crow is said not 
only to take the beetles from the vines, 
but late in the season digs into the earth 
in search of hibernating individuals. 
The common quail and the Yellow-billed 
cuckoo are also reported as Potato-bug 
eaters. For several years after the ad¬ 
vent of the pest into man’s potato 
patches, the duck was the only domes¬ 
ticated bird that would touch the nau¬ 
seous insects. Here is an interesting re¬ 
port from Kansas of a duck foraging 
expedition; “Headed by an old drake, 
the 20 ducks were waddling off in a bee¬ 
line for my potato field. I crawled into 
some bushes and awaited developments. 
As they came to the end of the rows 
they seemed to deploy right and left, 
and such a shoveling in of bugs I never 
beheld. They meant business, and for 
fully one-half hour did they continue, 
until every duck was filled up to his bill 
with bugs. The expedition was repeat¬ 
ed about 4 P. M., and kept up until every 
bug went under. I have tried these 
ducks and others since, and find they all 
like them and seem to get fat on Po¬ 
tato bugs.” 
Another states that while it is true 
that ducks, under some circumstances, 
will acquire a taste for the beetle, still 
you cannot “bet on it,” for they are just 
as likely to destroy produce more than 
to balance the account. I do not recall 
any accounts of turkeys including Po¬ 
tato beetles in their menu; they are 
great grasshopper eaters, however. As 
to chickens eating the pest, it is said 
that for a long time they would invari¬ 
ably give the beetles the go-by. But 
after a while some chickens learned to 
eat, first the eggs, and then the “soft- 
shells,” or grubs, and finally acquired 
the habit of feeding upon the mature in¬ 
sects to such an extent that Dr, Riley 
has stated that instances had been re¬ 
ported to him where between 30 and 40 
perfect beetles had been found in the 
crop of a single chicken, and this not 
from lack of other food, but from pref¬ 
erence. And there are several other in¬ 
stances on record of chickens eating the 
Colorado Potato beetle, but it is doubt¬ 
less an acquired rather than a constant 
habit with chickens, and perhaps it is 
necessary to entice the chickens into 
the potato field with grain scattered on 
the ground, and at the same time knock¬ 
ing off the beetles and soft grubs among 
the grain, thus educating the chickens 
to such a bug diet. This is the method 
employed by one person who states that 
it was a success, as the fowls soon be¬ 
gan to pick off the insects for them¬ 
selves. M. V. SLINGERLAND. 
Pear Leaf Spot. 
L. A. O., Jubilee, Pa.—I send sample of 
pear leaves, bark and moss. Will you tell 
me what is the trouble affecting them? I 
would like to know the remedy. These 
trees have a good crop of Bartlett pears 
of good quality, but not as fine as I would 
like. The trees have been set about 26 
years, and have borne a good crop con¬ 
tinually since they first commenced. The 
soil is sand loam. 
Ans.— The moss is simply an accumu¬ 
lation of lichens on the bark. Scrape 
off this moss, and while spraying the 
trees with Bordeaux Mixture, as recom¬ 
mended below, drench the bark wher¬ 
ever the moss occurs, and it will soon 
clean the bark. The leaves were badly 
infested with the Pear leaf-spot fungus 
disease. It is necessary to spray with 
the fungicide Bordeaux Mixture for 
this disease. Three sprayings during 
the season have given almost perfect 
protection against it. Spray first Just 
after the blossoms fall, and make two 
subsequent applications at intervals of 
two or three weeks. The spraying must 
be thoroughly done to be effective. 
M. V. SLINGERLAND. 
I I is often enough to do some thin gs.l t’s often enough 
W# to buy a wagon If you buy the right kind. The 
III a LIFE TIME 
ELECTRIC “tUSlor, 
latits that long under ordinary conditions. the life 
of a wagon depends upon the wheels, one is 
equipped with our Klectrie Steel Wheels, with straight 
or stagger spokes and wide tires. WheeiS any height 
from 24 to 60 in. It lasts because tires can’t get loose, no 
re-setting, hubs can’t crack or spokes become loose, fel¬ 
loes can’t rot, swell or dry out. Angle steel hounds. 
THOUSANDS MOW IM DAILY USE. 
Don’t uuv a wa^-on ui.til vou Ret our free lawk, ••farm Sarlaita. 
ELECTRIC WHEEL CO., Box 88, Quincy, JUs. 
PMTENT GROOVED 
Tire Wheels 
ForFai*m Wagons 
Any Size to fit any Skein. 
MADE ONLY BY THE 
HAVANA METAL WHEEL CO. 
Havana, 111. 
Wo ore the largest manufac¬ 
turers of steel wheels and low 
down trucks In the U. S. 
lar Writ* for Price*. 
DECIDUOUS TREES. 
MAPLES.—Norway, Sugar, Silver, Sycamore, 
Ash leaved and other varieties, 
from 8 to 16 feet. 
OAKS.—Pin, Ked, Scai-let, English, Chest¬ 
nut, Mossy Cup, Turkey, White 
and Willow leaved. All sizes; 
lowest prices. 
ORIENTAL PLANE.—6 to 13 feet; very fine. 
POPLARS —Carolina and Lombardy, Ash, 
Beech, Elms and Lindens. 
Full assortment of Deciduous and Weeping Trees. 
Descriptive Catalogue free on application. 
THEWM. H. MOON CO., 
tileuvvood Nurseries, Morrisvllle, Pa. 
Philadelphia Office: 702 Stephen Girard Building. 
;J0 miles from Philadelphia; 60 miles from New York 
Cider Machinery .—Send for catalogue to Boomer & 
Boschert Press Co., 118 West Water St., Syracuse.N.Y 
tUlUVCB Ilf ADIT Fanners, Agents, take order»f«* 
WIN I tn WUIfiLi my Seeds at home. Make big mmsy. 
Get yoorown eeeds hee. New plan, quick sales, fin, outfit. W 
PfaakU. Biutles. Seed Grower. Rochester. N.Y. 
TREES, PLANTS and BULBS. 
See our Bulb Offer In last week’s 
paper. Send list of wants for esti¬ 
mate. Price-list free. Buy of 
Furnas and get what you order. 
Horticultural advice free. 
T. C. FURNAS & CO., SHERIDAN, IND. 
Munson’s 
■kl BEST, HANDSOMEST. 
IMG^VOSl Address for Catalogue 
Os.'SKSAC T. V. MUNSON * SON, 
Vircl|Jt79 Denison, Texas. 
45DJ10D 
200 vat letlcfA.AlsoGrape*,Small t ruiisetc.lJest root¬ 
ed stock. Genuine, cheap. 2 sample currants mailed for 
10c. l>esc. price list free. LEWIS BOKSCU, Frcdoula, N. Y* 
Fruit and Ornamental 
Shrubs, Plants, Seeds. 
. Best by 48 years test. Try us. 
Direct deal will save you money. 
Catalog free. Satisfaction guaranteed. 
8TORRS & HARRISON CO., 
Painesville. Ohio* 
__SUCCEED WHERE 
\.argest Nursery. OTHERS FAIL. 
Fruit Book Free. Result of 16 years’ experienc*. 
STARK BEOS.. Louisiana. Mo. ;Daii8vill6,K.T. 
OUR FRUIT TREES 
Ornamental Trees, Vines and Plants 
are grown on the banka of the Hudson River, 
where with favorable climatic conditions, a per¬ 
fect season, rich soil and thorough cultivation, 
we have matured the finest and most complete 
list of stock ever grown in the Hudson Valley. 
Quality always our first aim; personal Inspection 
invited. Fall planting gives best results. Our 
Summer and Autumn Catalogue free to all read¬ 
ers of The R. N.-Y. Ask us for information you 
may need on horticultural matters, and you will 
have answer in next mail. 
T. J. DWXER & SON, 
Orange Co. Ntlrseries. Box 1, Cornwall, N. Y. 
AmifCO New Early Yellow nClOU 
UnAffCd FREESTONE rl-lllill 
Price list free. W. J. GRAVK8, Originator, Perry, O. 
1 % L assortment; moderate 
rCaCII I|N6S price; all fumigated. 
R. 8. JOHNSTON, Box 4, Stockley. Del. 
YOU raise Broom Corn 
__ _ and make money ? Cir¬ 
culars and Seed free. 
A. B. KATKAMIEK, Macedon, N.Y. 
DOH’T 
FINE NURSERY STOCK 
Grown in the famous Delaware fruit land. FrM from 
disease; true to name. Fruit Trees, Berry 
Flants, Asparagus Boots. Try PnSSrJK* 
two-year lOelTer Pears. DOVER NUBSBRIBS 
B. H. ATKINSON, Dover. DeL 
SxxxAll IT'x-Txlt 
GUTTINGS 
XXX ROOTS grown In separate blocks. 
OWfe 200,000 Snyder Blackberry. 
200,000 Taylor Blackberry. 
.500 bOO Western Triumph Blackberry. 
500 000 Ancient Briton Blackberry. 
NM 600,000 Cuthbert Raspberry. 
100,000 Marianna Plum. 
I—' 100,000 Marianna Plum, root cuttings. 
|J 3 F"-Special low rate on these cuttings; no better 
ones can be found. C. C. NASH, Three Rivers, Mich. 
BARGAINS IN 
Fruit Packages, 
Berry, Grape, Peach, Crates, 
Tills, Baskets, etc. 
Our mills must dispose of surplus stock. Buy your 
supplies early. 
COLES & COMPANY, 
109 & 111 Warren Street, New York. 
SAN JOSE SCALEb 
And other Insects can be Controlled by Using 
Good’s Caustic Potash Whale- 
Oil Tobacco Soap No. 6. 
Kegs, fiOlbs. ea., Ih. 
Kegs, 100 lbs. ea., 5c. lb. 
Keg8.1701bs.ea.,4)^c.lb. 
Large quantities Special Rates 
^ Bbl., about 276 lbs., 4o. lb 
BblB., about 426 lbs., SJio.lb 
Bend for Circulars. 
jambs good, 937 N. Front St., Philadelphia, Pa. 
TREES 
%—APPLE, PBAR and PLUM, 3 to 6 fe^ **^f**’* 
SB PER 
