5o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
January 25 
PLUMS GRAFTED ON PEACH STOCKS. 
WILL THESE MAKE DESIRABLE TREES? 
What are the advantages of using peach stocks in grafting 
plums ? What are the disadvantages, and is the practice, on the 
whole, desirable ? 
Plum Stock Preferred in Georgia. 
We find that many varieties of plums, especially 
those of the Chickasaw and peach-leaved native types, 
succeed very well when grafted upon peach seedlings. 
In fact, trees of these varieties live just as long upon 
peach seed!ings as upon Marianna plum stocks. We 
have Kelsey plums budded upon peach stocks which 
are now 13 years old, and still in excellent condition. 
The only disadvantage that we have occasionally 
found in using peach stocks, is that, in some soils, 
they are subject to root knot, whereas Marianna 
stocks are less liable to this drawback. As a rule, 
the Japanese varieties of plums make a stronger 
growth upon Marianna than they do upon peach 
stocks ; therefore, we prefer the latter, as a rule, for 
plums in general. p. j. berckmans. 
Georgia. 
Would Not Use Plum on Peach. 
With the domesticas and northern Americanas, there 
is, in my opinion, never an advantage, but a disad¬ 
vantage, rather, in the use of peach stocks for the 
plum. This method of propagation is believed to be 
but little practiced at the North. It prevails, rather, 
in the more southerly localities in which the Chicka¬ 
saw and the more southerly strains of Americana are 
mostly grown. These possess peculiar characteristics 
more nearly akin to those of the peach, upon which 
they are, therefore, probably more generally success¬ 
ful. Even in such case, however, there is much rea¬ 
son for the assumption that even the southern varie¬ 
ties of plums would be more perfectly “ at home” 
upon stocks of their own species, and it may be rea¬ 
sonably suspected that peach stocks are in general 
use at the South mainly because they are more readily 
obtained. At the North, I would in no case use plum 
trees grown on peach stocks, except, possioly, to be 
planted in very light, dry soils, in which the peach 
stocks would be more at home. The short-lived char¬ 
acter of the peach, and its liability to the attacks of 
yellows, borers and other maladies, are serious objec¬ 
tions to such practice, at least at the North. 
Michigan. T. t. lyon. 
A New Idea from Maryland. 
The disadvantages, or rather, the objections to the 
peach as a stock for the plum, are, First, that a good 
many varieties of plums do not unite solidly and 
firmly with the peach. Second, the peach root does not 
succeed satisfactorily on heavy clay, or cold soils. 
Third, the borer, or peach tree grub, seems greatly to 
prefer the peach tree to all others, in which to propa¬ 
gate its kind. As a stock, however, it has some ad¬ 
vantages, too, especially to the nurseryman. The 
stocks are easily and cheaply grown, and are rapidly 
worked at a minimum of expense. In the orchard, 
there is no such thing as “ suckers,” or sprouting 
from the roots, as is the case with most kinds of plum 
stocks that are used, and with all imported stocks, I 
believe. When plums are worked on peach—grafted 
—on the single-root plan, so that when the trees so 
grown are set in the orchard, all of the peach is well 
under ground, they are just as good for all soils where 
peach trees succeed, as trees grown on plum stocks. 
I, however, would prefer trees on plum stocks, to 
those budded aboveground on the peach, for any soil. 
This stock question, as it affects the propagation of 
plums, involves much of great importance to plum 
growers. Nothing is in use to-day, in that relation, 
that is in all respects satisfactory, or that pleases 
alike both nurserymen and orchardists. While the 
Marianna is, doubtless, simply a Myrobolan plum, 
when stocks are grown from its cuttings, there is per¬ 
fect immunity from the very objectionable feature of 
suckering or sprouting from the roots. And the 
individualism of each stock so grown, is in no respect 
seriously different from its fellows. Which fact, 
biologically considered, is a very important one. 
Imported Myrobolan seedlings have each distinct 
individualisms, varying, one from the other, render¬ 
ing them better or worse as the case may be, as 
stocks ; no uniformity as to affinity, as would be the 
case with stocks grown from cuttings of one single 
type. The Marianna stocks, as propagated and used 
to-day, are, doubtless, the best stocks for the plum at 
the command of propagators. There are, however, 
some kinds of the European type that do not succeed 
satisfactorily when worked on Marianna. 
I have experimented a good deal with stocks for 
the plum during the past 15 years, and discussing the 
subject last year with United States Pomologist 
Heiges, he asked me whether I had ever known the 
trees of the hard-shell almond to be attacked by the 
peach borer. The question itself was like turning a 
search-light on a dungeon. I have examined every 
hard-shell almond tree that I have seen since, and in 
no single instance have I yet found borers present, 
or indications that they had ever touched the trees. 
Now would it not be worth while for readers of The 
R. N.-Y. having trees of this kind, to investigate, and 
if found to be exempt from this pest, it would in all 
likelihood prove a desirable stock for many varieties, 
at least, of the plum I think that the tree itself is 
considerably hardier than the peach. It is a sure 
and good bearer, thus insuring an easy way to the 
procuring of a supply of stocks. If free from injury 
by borers, it would have two good points in its favor 
to commend it above the peach. j. w. kerb. 
Maryland. 
“An Unsolved Problem”; Favors Plum. 
I consider this entire question as yet unsolved. We 
have such a great variety of plums springing from 
six or eight distinct species, each with its peculiar 
growth, so that the stock which suits one class, is 
poor for another. But so far as plum stock is con¬ 
cerned, we can narrow it down quickly to one or two 
species—the Myrobolan being far better than any 
other, and the Marianna (which is, apparently, a 
hybrid of that with Chickasaw) stands at the head for 
vigor, long life and uniformity, and takes the bud or 
graft most readily through a longer growing season 
than any other. So far as I have observed, it is much 
more congenial to the varieties of plum in general, 
than peach stock, yet there is a deal of difference in 
LEAF OF ROSE-MARGINED EUROPEAN BEECH. Fig. 20. 
From Nature. See Ruralisms, page 55. 
its congeniality for some classes of plums over others. 
It takes and carries the Chickasaw varieties perfectly, 
and about equally well most of the Japan varieties. 
Especially do Burbank, Abundance, Satsuma and 
Hattankio thrive upon it. The Americana varieties 
generally, although in some respects apparently very 
nearly allied to the Japan species, P. triflora, do not 
do so well. Their wood is much harder, and they do not 
maintain an even growth at the juncture, as though 
their denser wood impeded the flow of sap. The 
peach budded on Marianna or any other plum stock, 
is quickly dwarfed and dies in from one to three 
years invariably. From this I infer that the peach 
is much less congenial as a stock to plums, than is the 
Marianna, although plums do far better upon it than 
it does upon any plum. 
Ten years ago, I planted a plum orchard including 
numerous varieties, running through the different 
species, all (with few exceptions on their own roots) 
budded on peach. In six to seven years, all Ameri¬ 
cana varieties, such as De Soto, Quicker, Forest Gar¬ 
den, etc., were dead. The European and Chickasaw 
varieties, including Wild Goose, failed a year or two 
later. The Golden Beauty and Wayland, a little bet¬ 
ter still, and Miner and Weaver are yet alive and bear 
annually. All these trees suffered from attacks of 
the peach borer in the peach stock portion. Many, as 
do peach trees here in many places, where the soil is 
seapy, suffered and died from root rot, a fungous dis¬ 
ease induced by first drowning the feeding roots. 
The plum trees in this plantation on their own roots, 
were most vigorous, and remained sound in roots. 
The Marianna trees, especially, were very robust and 
sound throughout, and appeared as though they might 
have endured 20 years in good condition. But they 
are valueless for cropping, so I grubbed them out. 
In 1894, I planted another plum orchard on the 
same character of soil, partly the same plot, pearly 
all budded on Marianna stocks. I have full notes of 
behavior of all the varieties in the first orchard, and 
am keeping a record of those in the new orchard, in 
order to make comparisons. So far, the Marianna 
plum roots have under my observation everywhere 
resisted borers and root rot (caused in peach by seapy 
land), and have generally given indications of being 
a better stock for plums than is the peach. But, as I 
stated at first, scientific demonstration in the matter 
is yet lacking. Such problems as this require 8 to 12 
years in large and varied plantations, side by side, on 
each class of stocks, and on different soils, in differ¬ 
ent climates, to demonstrate fully. Such is well 
worthy the attention of the experiment stations. 
However, if the changeableness in working forces 
that has so much prevailed in most of our stations, 
continue to prevail, all such long-lived, important 
problems are likely to remain unsolved by them. 
Texas. t. v. munson. 
THE TRANSFORMATION 0FAMUDH0LE. 
HOW THEY BUILT A COUNTRY ROAD. 
The picture on the first page shows 60 rods of per¬ 
manent road in the town of Rupert, Vt., built in the 
spring of 1895, by A. Ilopkins, road commissioner. The 
sheep thereon are a flock that happened to be going 
by at the time the photograph was taken. The arch¬ 
way at the lower extremity shows indistinctly an iron 
bridge, put up the past season. 
This piece of road, being situated only about 100 
rods from a railroad station, has been known for 
years, far and wide, as the poorest in town. Team¬ 
sters always loaded according to what they could haul 
through “ the mudhole,’ as it was generally termed. 
It was built in this way : As soon as the ground 
was thoroughly settled in the spring, a hole was dug 
in tbe road large enough to take in a heavy Syracuse 
plow. Six strong, steady horses were attached, and, 
by going very slowly, the road was gradually broken 
up the entire length and 11 feet wide. An excavation 
was then made, by the use of an improved wheel 
scraper, to the depth of about two feet. The hole 
thus made was then filled with large stones a little 
more than level full. These stones were purchased, 
at small expense, of a nearby neighbor who had a 
stone wall that was exactly in his way. On top of 
the stones, was then piled coarse gravel taken out of 
a brook, to the depth of eight inches. 
The dirt taken out in excavating, was next scraped 
back, and the road shaped 40 feet wide. Then every 
20 feet eight-inch tile were put in from the edge of 
the stone, at right angles with the road, and run to 
the outside ditch with a good fall. The tile were 
placed 20 feet apart on either side, a row on one side 
came between two on the other—thus placing a row 
every 10 feet. Mr. Hopkins considers the tile indis¬ 
pensable, for after heavy rains, they have often 
been noticed running off large quantities of water 
that would otherwise have remained in the road to 
soak through and make mud. 
A thorough job has been done, and this road will 
stand for many years a monument to its builder, and 
an honor to the town. More are needed, and I pre¬ 
dict that each year will see additions of this kind, for 
Rupert has awakened to the fact that money invested 
in thoroughly built roads, like this, pays the farmer 
a higher rate of interest than money deposited in 
savings banks, and is absolutely safe. c. s. h. 
Brattleboro, Vt. 
WHAT THEY SAY. 
Tar for Tin Roofs. —“ How would coal tar answer 
in place of paint for a tin roof ?” My experience is 
that it is no good ; I would rather leave the roof 
without any protection than to paint with common 
coal tar. I know of several tin roofs that have been 
ruined by the use of tar as a paint. Several years 
since, I repaired a roof that had a tin valley painted 
with common mineral paint and oil. The rest of the 
roof was a tar gravel, lapping down on the tin about 
10 inches. When taken up, the tin was rusted out for 
the entire length of the building, as far as covered 
by the coal tar ; where covered with paint alone, it 
was sound. The acid in the tar soon destroys the tin. 
The best paint of which I know, and I think that it 
will last longer than any of the oxide or specially 
prepared paints, is made of finely ground slate and 
linseed oil? t. l. h. 
Fairfield, Iowa. 
To Kill Rats. —Place three or more half barrels or 
barrels that will hold water, where rats are thickest; 
fill two-thirds full with chaff or sawdust, or fine straw. 
Set something next them, or lean a board to the top 
so that the rats can get up easily to jump in. Have 
chaff near enough to the top of the barrel, so that 
they can jump out easily, or put a small piece of 
board in so that they can get out on that. The last 
time you are at the barn in the evening bait each 
barrel well with something of which the rats are 
