4i4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
June 20 
about two weeks. How far North this dewberry will 
stand the winters, I am not prepared to say, further 
than that it is said to have stood last winter perfectly 
at Carrollton, Mo. I believe that it will stand as 
great a degree of cold as the Early Harvest and other 
blackberries of that class. The habit of growth is 
such that it is very easily protected in case it is found 
necessary to do so. .tames nimon. 
THE DRY BORDEAUX MIXTURE. 
WILL IT PBEVENT BLIGHT? COMPARED WITH WET. 
Good Results with Dry Mixtures. 
My experience with dry powders as insecticides, is 
confined to last years operations. I used the dry 
powder gun on potatoes for bugs and blight at one 
operation. Potatoes treated five times with Fun- 
giroid died naturally, while potatoes not so treated 
died suddenly with blight. The Fungiroid also 
checked leaf blight on pear trees at once. After 
June 15, I used dry powder on apples and peaches, 
and cannot see why it is not just as effective as the 
water solution which I have always used on trees, 
and to some extent, on potatoes. Dry powder cannot 
be used when tbe wind blows, on trees ; on potatoes 
it seems to make no difference, and does not require 
any more material. I obtained equally good results 
from the use of arsenic and powdered sulphate of 
copper in combination with twice the weight of air- 
slaked lime, prepared in the following proportions : 
A BCD 
White arsenic, pounds. 1*4 114 0 Vi 
Copper sulphate, powdered, pounds.. 1 011 
Air-slaked iime, pounds. 5 3 2 3 
To mix these substances, I use a two-quart fruit jar, 
or when large quantities are to be mixed, I take a six- 
gallon keg, and turn it with the handle of a barrel 
churn. I call A and B sufficient for an acre of pota¬ 
toes, and C and D enough for an acre of potatoes or 
trees. G. e. king. 
Connecticut. 
Some Experience in Florida. 
We are gardening with tomatoes and potatoes as the 
principal crops. My opinion, so far as 1 have used 
dry Bordeaux Mixture—two years—is that it is most 
effective on the tomatoes and least on the potatoes, 
though it kept my potatoes free from black rot suf¬ 
ficient to produce a good crop as potatoes go here. 
My practice is to start about daylight, and dust until 
the dew is pretty well dried off ; then stop and wait 
until the next day. Where tomato plants are large, 
thrifty and yellow, and growing vigorously if the day 
is still and the weather not too dry, the dust will 
stick. But l like to see it on the plants ; so 1 dilute 
the powder about twice and put it on so that it shows. 
I use flour for the dilution, as it is easiest to get here ; 
but plaster, if finely ground and free from lumps, 
would be preferable. As to the intervals between 
dusting, if no rain comes, I dust about every 10 days. 
My own land is so subject to black rot, that I keep 
the powder gun going, with intermissions of only 
three or four days, all the season. If rain comes suf¬ 
ficient to wash off the powder, of course, the job must 
be done right over. 
I have owned my place for seven years, and until 
last year, when I first begun to use the Fungiroid, my 
attempts to raise tomatoes have been failures. For 
the first three or four years, I had from one acre to 
four acres planted to tomatoes, but never raised 
enough to furnish myself with tomatoes to eat. I 
did not know what was the matter, but supposed that 
it was some fault of mine somewhere ; so every year, 
I would try again with the same result. When we 
found what was the matter, I bought a powder gun 
and the Fungiroid, with the result that I kept the 
vines free from black rot, and raised, from a little 
over an acre, 250 crates to ship, and as many more 
rotted on the ground because it did not pay to ship 
them. This year, the fight with the rot has been a 
harder one than last year—for reasons unknown to 
me—but we have again raised tbe tomatoes, though 
the vines are not so free from the rot as I would like 
to see them. My reason for saying that I like it least 
on potatoes, is simply that the dew does not stick to 
them as it does to the tomatoes. The powder itself 
seems to work as effectively in killing the black rot 
on the potato as on the tomato. 
There is another disease of the tomato vine here, 
loosely called blight, which the Bordeaux Mixture, 
dry or wet, does not seem to prevent, but the am- 
moniacal solution put on with a spraying pump, seems 
to give new life to the plants. e. s. hubbabd. 
No Chance for Comparison. 
I bought a powder gun last season, and expected to 
use it freely for blight on potatoes, and for grape and 
tomato rot. I used Fungiroid, but the grapes were 
entirely killed just before coming into bloom, by the 
freeze. The potato blight was not troublesome here, 
last year, as we had, practically, no rain from the 
time they were up, until digging time. I dusted them 
a few times, but can say nothing, either for or against 
this method. My potato plots were threatened with 
a scourge of flea beetles and grasshoppers, and a few 
hours’ work protected my patch perfectly. As to 
tomato rot, I can say nothing positively, as to the 
effectiveness of the powdered article as compared with 
the wet process, as I have had no experience with the 
regular Bordeaux Mixture. I can say this much, it is 
a very convenient method of applying the fungicides 
or insecticides. I used the Paris-green and Fungiroid 
mixture. I believe it a very excellent plan to use 
some Paris-green in the funericide, on potatoes, the 
first time or two that they are dusted. I have never 
been able to see much in the theory some advance, 
that the wet method is more effective than the dry. as 
the sun will, in 30 minutes’ time, make a dry powder 
of the. wet mixture. T. B. Terry objects to the dry- 
powder method for fear that the operator would be 
breathing the powder while in use. This is all non¬ 
sense, unless one use two or three times as much pow¬ 
der as is necessary. ,x. r. k. 
Pucker Brush, Ind. 
ACRES OF GRASSHOPPERS TO KILL. 
We told our readers last fall, about the serious out¬ 
break of grasshoppers in Minnesota, and the efforts 
made to destroy them. Among other devices em¬ 
ployed, was the hopper-dozier, a picture of which is 
shown at Fig. 136. A bulletin of the Minnesota Ex¬ 
periment Station gives the following account of the 
making of a hopppr-dozier : 
A sheet of ordinary sheet-iron, such as is used for 
making stovepipes, was turned up IK inch around 
the edges, and riveted at the corners. This 
made a shallow pan about eight feet lorg, two feet 
broad and IK inch deep. To the bottom of this, were 
riveted the six small strips which could be fastened 
to the three runners on which the pan rested. To the 
rear side of the pan, was screwed a light, wooden 
frame, as long as the pan and IK foot high. Over 
this frame, a piece of canvas was stretched. This 
frame served the important office of throwing back 
all those grasshoppers that otherwise would jump 
clean over the pan, and throw them into the oil. 
The runners on which the pan stood, were usually 
made from saplings or small pieces of board having 
an upward curve ’n front to preventthem from catch¬ 
ing in the ground. The front ends of the runners 
were all fastened by screws to a cross-piece, which 
was. in turn, drawn by two ropes, one at each end. 
These ropes were joined in front, and fastened to a 
single-tree. Sometimes two hopper-doziers were fas¬ 
tened to a long pole by means of short ropes ; this 
was very easily drawn by one horse. Just in front of 
the pan, was fastened a piece of rope which swept 
the ground a few inches in advance, and served to 
stir up tbe hoppers and make them jump into the 
pans. In the pan, was laid a piece of cloth which 
was first saturated with water. About a pint of 
kerosene was then thrown in and the upright sheet 
or sail of canvas moistened with oil. The machine 
was then drawn over the pasture or wherever the 
hoppers were thickest. In a short time, it was usual¬ 
ly seen to be partially filled with dead and dying 
insects. 
The slightest touch of kerosene, either from the 
pan or from the canvas sheet, means death to the 
hopper, for the oil spreads over its body in the same 
way that a single drop will spread over a large sur¬ 
face of water. It seems to produce a paralysis, which 
is first shown by the stiffening of the legs. A very 
large proportion of the hoppers that came in contact 
with the oil ia the pan, immediately jumped out 
again, but they invaluably died in the course of a few 
seconds or minutes. 
Hundreds of these machines were made and drawn 
over the meadows and pastures, with the result that 
millions of the “ hoppers ” were killed, and this work, 
added to the fact that the season was unfavorable to 
the insects, saved many crops. Last year we had 5 
several requests from readers in the eastern States as 
to how these “ hopper-doziers” are made, and so we 
print this information thus early in the season. 
HOW TO BRACE A FENCE. 
In fence building, one can very easily spend plenty 
of money, and if not careful in selecting the kind of 
fence, and building it, one will be disappointed in a 
year or two, to find his fence all sagged and out of 
shape. For cheapness, durability and neatness, there 
is nothing better than either the smooth wire fence, 
or woven picket. The end posts are the secret of suc¬ 
cess. These must be solid, as the strain all comes on 
them. 
I will try to illustrate my way of bracing an end 
post, that holds them perfectly solid. The plan is 
original with me, and I am glad to say that there is 
no patent on it The end post should not be less than 
six inches square, and eight feet long, four feet in the 
ground. About six inches from the end that goes 
into the ground, cut two notches, 2x4 inches, on oppo¬ 
site sides of the post ; spike into these notches, 
two 2x4 pieces, about six or seven feet long, and 
let about six inches project past on one side, the 
remainder on the other side. Dig the hole four feet 
deep, and long enough (parallel with the fence) to 
admit of the scantling, with the long ends of the 
scantlings from the fence. Get a large bowlder, the 
larger the better, and place on these scantlings, fill 
up with dirt, and tamp well. I also put in a brace 
parallel from the first to the second posts. 
Fig. 137 will show what I mean : a designates the 
scantlings, b the bowlder, cthe brace, dthe ratchets on 
the post to bold the wires. End posts braced in this 
manner, cannot give the least bit. m. c. t. 
Mingo, O. 
WHAT SUBSTITUTE FOR CLOVER HAY 
AS WINTER FOOD FOR SHEEP ? 
What is the best substitute for clover hay for “hothouse 
lambs ” ? The clover crop in this section is a failure on account 
of dry weather, and we shall be obliged to depend largely upon 
some kind of sown crop for fodder. I have put in some oats and 
peas. How will they do, cut and cured green, for feeding hot¬ 
house lambs ? e. n. s. 
Livonia, N. Y. 
Mixed Hay, Oat Hay and Corn Fodder. 
I suppose that E. N. S. wants something to take the 
place of clover for the mothers of hothouse lambs. 
Last year, I bad no clover, and kept my breeding 
ewes on mixed fine hay. cut early, which had a fine 
aroma, supplemented with oat hay, sowed thick, and 
cut in tbe milk. They seemed to relish this very 
much, and every part which they did not eat, was fin¬ 
ished by the colts. In addition, I fed a lot of sweet- 
corn fodder, that went into the barn in fine order. I 
fed no grain until two weeks before lambing time. 
The ewes were in fine order, dropped strong, healthy 
lambs, and gave a large supply of milk. In addition 
to these feeds, there is still time for E. N. S. to put in 
a crop of Hungarian or millet. Have the land rich 
and very mellow. Don’t scrimp on the fitting of 
the land; then sow thickly and cut early. Sheep 
are very fond of this fodder, and do well on it. 
Above all things, they like a change of food, and it 
pays to furnish it. He may, also, put in a crop of tur¬ 
nips ; these will furnish a lot of succulent food, 
which will tend to correct any tendency to constipa¬ 
tion. If he has a silo, he may feed ensilage, which 
others recommend highly. I have never tried it N.H 
Oats and Peas; Will Try Cow Peas. 
E. N. S. has done wisely in sowing oats and peas to 
make up for the shortage in the clover crop. There 
is no better substitute for clover hay than peas w r hen 
cut at the proper stage of growth, and all kinds of 
stock eat them greedily when well cured. To make 
the best sheep food, the larger proportion of peas the 
better; but peas fall down so badly that enough oats 
must be sown to hold them up so that a mower can be 
used to cut them. To make the best sheep feed, the 
mixture should be cut when the peas are in the most 
edible condition for house use, in fact, before any of 
them get ripe. No matter about the oats; the peas 
are the most valuable part for sheep, and cut when 
they are at their best, and when fairly well cured, 
before any leaves get dry enough to break, put into 
good-sized cocks, and leave them until cured enough 
to be aired an hour and then drawn to the barn. To 
warm a little in the cock will do them no harm ; but 
they should be watched so that they do not heat so 
as to be injured. 
By all means, E N. S. should have plenty of ensi¬ 
lage for his sheep, and, also, a good supply of ruta¬ 
bagas or turnips. I would not think of trying to raise 
winter lambs (I hate the term hothouse) without 
plenty of succulent food, and any of the turnip tribe 
is of the same class of foods as-clover -hay. k Of course, 
