i89o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
217 
These are set down over the newly planted 
seeds. Next we draw the earth around the 
outside of each box, and press it down so 
compactly that it will retain its posi¬ 
tion after the box has been removed. 
We raise the earth upon the south side of 
the box about three inches high and about 
four inches upon the north side. After we 
have taken out the box we lay on the earth 
an eight-by-10 light of glass resting upon 
the inner edges of the raised earth. Here 
is, in fact, a good cold-frame bed for each 
hill. It is cheaply made, and it gives us 
from three to four weeks more growing 
weather for the plants than we could get 
by waiting until the weather and ground 
are sufficiently warm to make outside 
planting perfectly safe. After the plants 
have come through the ground they will 
need some care. During some of our hot, 
sunny days the glass should be taken off 
during the heat of the day, and replaced at 
night. If the earth under the glass be¬ 
comes too dry for the plants, it will be nec¬ 
essary to water them. If a warm shower 
comes, take off the glass and give the young 
plants the benefit of it; but be sure to pro¬ 
tect them from every cold rain. By pur¬ 
suing this method, we get a nice young 
growth and by the time the hot weather 
comes on the plants are ready to commence 
making vines instead of being hardly on 
their way, through the garden. After the 
warm, growing weather has come on, 
the glass should, of course, be taken off 
and laid away for another season and the 
earth around the plants should be again 
leveled down. Now for a short time the 
plants must be watched closely lest the 
squash bugs should get upon them and c e- 
stroy them before one is aware of their pres¬ 
ence in the garden. Like the Colorado 
Potato Beetles, these pests are somewhat 
migratory in their habits, hence we cannot 
protect the vines against them by the previ¬ 
ous cultivation spoken of above. I use a 
weak solution of Paris-green and water 
and have never yet failed to destroy them 
at once. They are the only insect enemies 
of the vines, of which I have fear. I do 
not recollect that I have ever seen vines 
affected in the manner alluded to by J. V. 
L.; and I cannot help believing that if he • 
will get pure seeds from some of the grow¬ 
ers around Muscatine, and then follow the 
directions briefly outlined above, he will be 
successful in getting large crops of nice 
melons. I do not put the hills nearer than 
six feet each way, and then there are no 
more than three plants in a hill. 
GROWING SWEET POTATOES. 
R. M. C., Cheswold.Del.—l. Have sweet 
potatoes been successfully grown with any 
of the special potato fertilizers, or other 
phosphates.; if so, what was the analysis ? 
2. Can they be grown successfully with a 
fertilizer alone, or do they do better where 
manured lightly with composted horse ma¬ 
nure and a light dressing of the fertilizer ? 
3. Are the potatoes injured by fungous 
rot when grown in the same soil for sev¬ 
eral years in succession ? 4. Can this be 
avoided by using commercial fertilizers in 
place of horse or barn-yard manure, or 
remedied by the liberal use of ashes or sul¬ 
phate of potash ? 
ANSWERED BY M. H. BECKWITH. 
1. Yes; many of the most successful 
growers depend almost entirely upon 
special potato fertilizers, standard brands 
of fertilizers or ground bone. This crop 
demands an abundance of potash and ni¬ 
trogen, especially the former, and the 
brands of fertilizers containing the largest 
proportion of these ingredients of plant 
food usually give the best results. Mu¬ 
riate of potash or kainit gives good satis¬ 
faction upon most soils. 2. Much de¬ 
pends upon the soil and also the season; 
some soils produce excellent crops by the 
use of fertilizers alone, while others require 
the addition of a well-rotted compost to 
produce satisfactory crops. The applica¬ 
tion of a well-rotted compost followed by a 
liberal dressing of some standard brand of 
fertilizer, muriate of potash or kainit, is the 
method generally practiced by successful 
growers. 3. By 11 fungous rot,” I suppose 
is meant what is known as “ black rot ” or 
“ black shank.” It is generally conceded 
that sweet potatoes are more liable to in¬ 
jury when thus grown; but there are many 
instances where this has not been the case. 
4. There are no reliable data to prove that 
it can be avoided by the use of the fertili¬ 
zers suggested. The following data taken 
from the New Jersey Experiment Station’s 
Report for 18S7, give the results of an ex¬ 
periment with 11 plots one-tenth of an acre 
each. The fertilizers used per acre, their 
cost per acre, and the value of the crop of 
sweet potatoes upon each plot in the years 
1883 and 1887, are given. A four-year rota 
tion of crops was followed, viz., corn, sweet 
potatoes, clover and millet, and clover. 
Fertilizers applied. 
Nothing 
Nitrate of soda, 
Superphosphate, 
Murlatp of potash. 
Nitrate of soda > 
Superphosphate ( 
Nothing 
Nitrate of soda ) 
Muriate of potash { 
Superphosphate > 
Muriate of potash i 
Nitrate of soda ) 
Superphosphate • 
Muriate of i.otashi 
Plaster 
Fine barn yard ma¬ 
nure 
o <- 
« N 
ISPs a 
ISO lbs. 
880 
S® 
O u 
ta 
150 
150 
850 
■*> 
“J 
150 
ro 
850 
l'O 
1 0 
850 
150 
400 
20 two- 
$4.50 
5 25 
3.85 
9.75 
7.75 
V »» 
o 
„ 0*3 
”3 £ - 
>oi3 
$25 89 
25.61 
29.'*3 
56 41 
30.60 
29 07 
52.65 
O Oi . 
_ at- 
Sag 
”3 2 d 
>o5 
$18.93 
17.18 
11.79 
87.45 
13.24 
18 68 
7216 
=1 
65.67 81.60 
13.00 75.76 lt'3.10 
,1.50 20 03 
SO 00 _ 85.45 
16.89 
201.38 
horse loads ( 
RASPBERRY-RAISING AS A BUSINESS. 
Several subscribers.— Will some of the 
parties who produce raspberries for a busi¬ 
ness tell us how they conduct a season’s 
work ? 
ANS.—Mr. H. W. Horn who sends the 
following notes does not pretend to be an 
expert, having been in the business but a 
few years. He makes his bread and butter 
at berry growing ; that is the only recom¬ 
mendation he gives himself. “ Black rasp- 
bery culture is not potato culture, but 
they are similar to each other in two things 
and that is, fighting the weeds and count¬ 
ing the money—I have had failures as 
well as successes. The best way of start¬ 
ing a berry plantation is as follows : Plow 
in spring if the land is a meadow or clover 
sod, if not, plow'in the fall. Then, in early 
March cover the soil with manure, and 
plow again in spring, and now the weed 
seeds—if any—of the previous seasons are 
mostly on the surface. Give them time 
to germinate before the last working of the 
land. Then mark out a plot three by three 
feet for each plant, and in planting the 
raspberry sets skip every alternate row. 
Plant an early crop of some kind between 
the rows. This mode of planting will 
bring the berry sets six by three feet apart. 
I plant either early potatoes or beans be¬ 
tween, but the first season only. Now as 
to planting : I find that to get the best 
stand, so as not to have any missing hills^ 
• (which is of much importance in starting) 
it is well not to dig the sets until they 
show a few inches above ground. Of 
course if they are to be shipped quite a dis¬ 
tance this practice will not do ; in that 
case they must be dug early. In re¬ 
gard to the first summer’s growth I do 
not cut back any canes except those that 
shoot up from the center of the bush ; these 
shoots are apt to ’take more than their 
share of the sap. Then, about the last of 
August, I put down the ends of all the best 
vines (or shoots) foi sets. Every season 
thereafter the bush has an upright growth, 
and is to be kept about 2to 3 feet high. 
Staking the bushes I find wholly unneces¬ 
sary, it they are planted deep and trained 
accordingly. When the bush is one year 
old after the new sets have been cut off, 
then cut back all the vines (or canes) to 
within about one foot of the center shoot, 
This should be done before the 'sap rises. 
About the last of June, or early in July, 
the new shoots for the next year’s bearing, 
will have made quite a good growth, and 
should be pinched or cut back to about 
three feet. This will cause them to branch 
out nicely. I much prefer to cut out the 
old canes in the fall or soon after the crop 
has been harvested, as they are then not in 
the way, in the development of the new 
canes. |Some growers claim that the old 
canes will protect Jthe new ones during 
winter, but I find they are really a* cause 
of more damage than protection.” 
West Walworth, N. Y. 
ASHES FOR A YOUNG ORCHARD. 
C. H. H., Terre Haute, Ind.—l have a 
small farm, about 40 acres, which I am set¬ 
ting mostly with fruit as follows : 1,000 
peach, 250 apple, 500 pear and 300 plum 
trees (of which 250 are Botan and 50 Ogon). 
I shall also plant 120 Russian apricots 
(named varieties.) All the trees set last 
spring did well. I have several hundred 
to set this spring, and intend each year to 
set as many as I can until I cover about the 
whole tract. I have 25 varieties of apples 
at least half of which are “ ironclads .” 
My soil is a sandy loam and while not 
level it is not hilly. I have planted my 
peach trees on the higher portion, a perfect 
peach tree soil—we really lack a peach cli¬ 
mate although we have the soil; but who 
knows but that the climate may be right 
when my trees are old enough to bear ? I 
have accumulated between one and two 
tons of corn-cob ashes in prime condition 
and wish to apply them on the soil around 
the fruit trees. What is the best method 
of doing so and about how much should bo 
given to each tree ? I have one-half car- 
load of land plaster; would it be advisable 
to add it to the cob ashes ? I am afraid of 
the ashes alone. I would not fear wood 
ashes. 
Ans.—T he constituents of ashes are non¬ 
volatile, and, even if the ashes are applied 
in excess, they can waste only by being 
washed out of the soil; or if the subsoil is 
permeable, by being carried downward 
beyond the reach of the roots of the trees. 
Since it is probable that the valuable 
elements of the ashes will become chemic¬ 
ally combined with the constituents of 
the soil, and be thus held till taken up by 
the trees or other vegetable growths, even 
an excessive application will be likely to do 
no harm beyond the loss from unused fer¬ 
tilizers. Since “little and often” applies 
well in this case, and considering the prob¬ 
ably greater amount of potash, especially 
in cob ashes, they would be economically 
used, and doubtless produce their fullest 
effect, if from a fourth to a half bushel 
were annually applied to each tree by 
spreading upon the surface as far out as 
the roots are likely to extend during the 
season of growth, to be mixed with the 
soil by the process of cultivation; but care 
should be taken that the ashes are not left 
in direct contact with the bark of young 
trees. 
“DOWN IN HIP:” FRACTURE OF THE 
OUTER ANGLE OF THE HIP IN 
A HORSE. 
N. K. Jr., Bedford Village, Mich.— My 
two-year-old colt hurt one of his hips some 
way some two months ago. It has dropped 
down, leaving a large depression. The an¬ 
imal is very lame. A horse-man says the 
whirl-bone has been thrown out. I bathed 
the place with hot water and then with cold 
but have done nothing for three weeks. 
What should be done ? 
ANSWERED BY DR. F. 
I doubt very much if 
L. KILBORNE. 
the whirl-bone is 
thrown out, because a dislocation of the hip 
or whirl-bone is of rare occurrence in the 
horse except in connection with a fracture. 
A fracture in one of the angles of ths hip, 
either the outer angle, causing what is 
known among horsemen as “down in hip,” 
or the point of the hip, is quite common, 
especially among colts. While you do not 
definitely locate the injury, I judge from 
the description that it is on the outside, 
and that the colt has broken off the outer 
angle of the hip which has been drawn 
downward by the muscles, causing the de¬ 
pression. The treatment of such cases is 
simple and usually satisfactory, although 
the animal will be deformed for life. The 
colt should have been kept quiet until the 
fragments had become united. The hot wa¬ 
ter applications were excellent, and should 
have been continued instead of changing 
to the cold. The present treatment will 
consist in keeping the colt quiet and apply¬ 
ing daily a mild stimulating liniment over 
the injured hip to hasten recovery. The 
following soap liniment will be excellent 
for this purpose : white Castile-soap shav¬ 
ings two ounces, camphor, one ounce, oil 
of rosemary one-half ounce, rectified spirits 
one pint, water one-third pint. Dissolve 
the camphor and oil in the spirit,and the soap 
in the water, then pour together and shake 
well before using. Occasionally the detached 
bone does not become re-united, but dies, 
and then acting as a foreign body suppura¬ 
tion results lollowed by a running sore. 
In such cases the bone must be cut down 
upon and removed. 
MANURING ASPARAGUS. 
jF. W. T., Concord, Mass.— 1. Can a pay¬ 
ing crop of asparagus be grown year after 
year on light land without the application 
of any kind of fertilizer? An acquaintance 
of mine has an asparagus bed so situated 
that one part of it has received a heavy 
wash from the barnyard every spring; y et 
the yield from this part has been no great¬ 
er for 10 years than that from other parts 
not so washed, and which have not been 
manured at all of late. A neighbor ap¬ 
plies to his bed a heavy dressing of stable 
manure each season. I have a bed of the 
same age, on land naturally much poorer 
than this neighbor’s, which has been ma¬ 
nured only twice in four years, (once with 
stable manure four years ago, and once 
with bone and potash three years ago,) yet 
last season the yield of my bed equaled that 
of my neighbor’s in quantity and quality. 
3. Will some advocate of the constant use of 
stable manure rise and explain? 
ANS.—1. There are growers around 
Oyster Bay who grow good crops, and who 
have never used any fertilizer, but the fact 
that numbers of the most successful grow¬ 
ers continue to use more or less fertilizers, 
indicates that they consider it profitable to 
do so. 2. We would like to have advocates 
of heavy manuring give their views on this 
point, particularly as to the effects of the 
manure upon the size and number of shoots 
and the earliness of the crop. 
BLOAT OR HOVEN IN CATTLE. 
R. D., Albion, Mich.— Is there a sure 
remedy for bloat or hoven in cattle? 
Ans.— Yes, puncture the paunch on the 
left side at a point equally distant from the 
last rib, the lateral process of the backbone, 
and the point of the hip, with a six or 
eight-inch trocar or canula; the trocar is 
to be 5vithdrawn after the puncture and 
the canula left in position until the forma¬ 
tion of gas ceases. The puncture may be 
made with a knife, held in the opening un-.. 
til a quill can be inserted, but a trocar and 
canula are inexpensive, and are so much 
better that it is wise to obtain them. The 
most difficult part of the operation is to 
prevent the escape of gas into the abdomen. 
This is difficult to do with an ordinary 
knife. Either before or after the operation it 
is well to give as a drench in a quart of 
cold water or gruel, two or three ounces of 
sulphite of soda, or one-half ounce of cook¬ 
ing soda with a wine glass of alcohol or 
two ounces of turpentine diluted in oil or 
milk. After relief has been obtained, it is 
usually desirable to give a purgative to 
carry off the fermenting food and unload 
the bowels. For this purpose one or two 
pounds of Glauber salts, according to the 
size and strength of the patient, with two 
or three ounces of ginger may be given. 
Allow free access to pure water, and be 
careful of the diet. 
SHOULDER LAMENESS IN A HORSE. 
L. Z., Grafton, Ohio.— My 10-year old 
horse has been somewhat lame for several 
years on account of a collar gall. What 
should be the treatment ? 
ANSWERED BY DR. F. L. KILBORNE. 
If you are quite certain the lameness is in 
the shoulder, apply an active cantharides 
(Spanish flies) blister well over the seat of 
the injury, following the directions and 
precautions frequently given in these col¬ 
umns for blistering. Repeat two or three 
times at intervals of three to six weeks if 
the lameness persists. Should this prove 
ineffectual , firing in points, with the hot 
iron will probably be necessary; but this 
firing should be attempted only by a com¬ 
petent veterinary surgeon. From the fact 
that more than one-half of the cases of so- 
called shoulder lameness are due to tender¬ 
ness in the limb below the knee, usually in 
the foot, you should make sure that the 
lameness is in the shoulder before beginning 
treatment. We suspect you have located 
the trouble in the wrong place. But since 
you have not given a careful description of 
the position of the lame limb when at rest 
and also in action we cannot assist you in 
the diagnosis. 
CLOVER AND ALFALFA FOR NEBRASKA. 
E. E. R., Grayson, Nebraska. —1. Are 
there any data regarding clover in the 
West? We have rain only from March till 
August. I think the dry fall and winter 
kill clover as well as Timothy. Am I 
right ? 2. Does Alfalfa exhaust the soil or 
form manure as clover does? Will stock 
eat it readily? What will be its yield on 
fairly rich Western land ? 
Ans.— 1. Clover is worthy of cultivation in 
Nebraska much more extensively than it is 
now grown. To withstand dry falls and 
cold winters it must not be closely pastured 
in the latter part of the season. 2. Alfalfa 
enriches the soil fully as much as clover 
where it grows as well. Stock will eat it 
readily while it is green, and also as hay if 
it has been cut early. The yield varies 
greatly, depending more on the amount of 
moisture than on the richness of the soil. 
The yield is much greater than that of 
clover where it does well,but the crop is un¬ 
certain in Nebraska and the neighboring 
States except on bottom lands or where ir¬ 
rigated. 
THE DOWNING GRAPE. 
J. S., Pelee Island, Lake Erie, Canada. 
—Two years ago I received a sheet contain¬ 
ing an engraving representing two clusters 
of the Downing Grape. The larger cluster 
measured 10 inches in length and six inches 
in width and the engraving was said to be 
exactly from nature. The two clusters on 
one branch were said to have weighed 3 % 
pounds. It was also stated that the variety 
ripened September 20 and would keep until 
January 15. Most of the berries, as repre¬ 
sented, measured one inch in diameter. 
Quality said to be good. I do not find the 
Downing Grape catalogued by other nur¬ 
serymen and have seen uo account ot it 
