45o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
July 4 
Crimson Clover in Wesi Florida. 
C. K. M., DeFuniak Springs, Fi.a.— 
1 firmly believe that Crimson clover be¬ 
longs more to the South than it does to 
the North, as winter before last was a 
very trying winter on it here. We had 
three hard freezes, and the mercury, on 
each occasion, got dowm to 16 above 
zero, and it took my Crimson clover 
patch all its time to pull through that. 
I don’t think that it can be successfully 
grown where the temperature gets down 
to zero weather. But it is a very good 
thing to have wherever it will succeed, 
as it is the first green feed we get in the 
early spring. 
It is an extraordinary plant to stool, 
and if even the least little bit of it is 
left alive, it is astonishing what an ap¬ 
pearance it makes at the time of bloom¬ 
ing. I consider a patch of Crimson clover 
in full bloom (early in April here) one of 
the most beautiful sights one can desire 
to see. It can be grazed until one would 
think that it is entirely eaten up, roots 
and all. It can be cut two or three 
times in succession, and it will still come 
up all smiles and blossoms, a thing of 
beauty. We must sow the seed in this 
latitude in September, later won’t do. 
Generally at ripening time (May), it is 
very dry weather, so 1 never save any of 
my own seed, as Tennessee or Virginia 
seed does best in Florida. On our sandy 
soils, it has to be fertilized a little ; pot¬ 
ash and phosphoric acid are what it 
needs, particularly potash. But I find 
that a little money invested in com¬ 
mercial fertilizers, generally pays good 
interest on the investment. 
Stub Roots on Trees. 
R. C , IIustonville, Ky.—I n The R. 
N.-Y. of June 13, 11. It., Fairmount, Ky., 
says, “ Trees cut back as shown, planted 
in stiff clay soil, with no rain for six 
weeks after planting, would no more 
grow than pea sticks.” We have apple, 
peach and plum trees planted this spring, 
with the roots cut to %-inch stubs as 
advised b}’ Mr. Stringfellow, planted at 
the same place and time as other trees 
with roots left on. The short roots are 
making as good a growth as, if not a bet¬ 
ter than, the long ones. Some of them are 
set in nursery rows ; we shall dig them 
this fall, and can then tell just what 
they are doing. We did not have a rain 
to lay the dust for six -weeks after plant¬ 
ing. Some of them are in heavy, clay 
soil. Most of our soil is sandy loam up¬ 
land, known to Kentuckians, as knob 
soil. If II. R. will plant a few trees 
with roots trimmed short beside others 
planted in the usual way, and give the 
same treatment, he will find them 0. K. 
More About White Grubs. 
M. M , Medway, Mass. —I have been 
much interested in the White Grub sub¬ 
ject. In 1895, I set strawberries on sod, 
using fertilizer only. I knew the danger, 
took the risk, and had a hard fight, in 
which both the grabs and I got whipped. 
The grubs were about five-eighths inch 
long when I set the plants in spring ; 
last fall, they appeared to be full grown, 
and I supposed that they would end their 
destructive work tlien, and appear as 
June bugs this spring. I have not found 
any June bugs, however, up to the pres¬ 
ent time, (June 22), but the grubs are 
still at work, and, apparently, cannot 
mature before the spring of 1897. The 
eggs must have been laid in 1894, so it 
would appear that the insect requires 
three full years to mature. Is this cor¬ 
rect ? 
The supposition that the White Grubs 
of the J une bug are carried to the fields 
in manure, is not correct, I think. The 
white grub, or dung worm, in manure, 
is different in appearance and habit. 
The dung worms are usually found sev¬ 
eral together, especially in their younger 
state, as though the eggs were laid in 
bunches, and directly an their food sup¬ 
ply. The mischievous White Grub of 
the June bug, is usually found singly. 
The dung worms are somewhat different 
in color and shape, and much less active. 
1 send samples of the two kinds of grubs. 
My observations lead me to suppose that 
the dung worms mature in less time than 
the grubs of the June bug. 
Keeping Potatoes. 
C. S. H., Weeping Water, Neb. —Many 
potatoes are kept over in the Rocky 
Mountains. At one time, in August, I 
remember eating some fine ones which 
were grown in the high altitudes—about 
8,500 feet above the sea level. I con¬ 
gratulated my host on his fine, new pota¬ 
toes ; said he, “ These are old ones.” I 
asked, “ How do you keep them ? ” He 
said, “We pack them in a cave in dry, 
rotten granite.” In those high altitudes, 
it is always cool, and 1 was informed 
that there was no trouble whatever to 
suspend vegetation in a potato for a year. 
It is simply a question of cold storage. 
With a suitable building, there would 
be no trouble whatever in keeping them 
for a year. But they should be kept 
dry and cold from the start. There should 
be no such thing as old, shriveled, 
sprouted potatoes. They should be kept 
new and fresh all the time. Every 
farmer can so construct his storage as 
to keep them in the best possible condi¬ 
tion. 
Japan Plums and Walnuts. 
II., Nichols, Conn. —The Lincoln plum 
bears here only with the highest culti¬ 
vation, then sometimes freely. The shape 
and size are similar to Bradshaw, color 
a dull red, freestone usually with a cav¬ 
ity next the pit. It is rather dry, of in¬ 
sipid flavor, not commonly much injured 
by curculio, and not worth cultivation 
here. The Japan walnuts, bothSieboldi 
and Cordiform, are entirely hardy here, 
in southern Connecticut. In a hedge 
row of about 25 Citrus trifoliata, set four 
or five years ago, all but four or five are 
growing, never having died back seri¬ 
ously. 
Hot Water for Ants. 
F. C. C., Bath, Me. —Referring to the 
query of H. M. S., page 417, as to what 
he can use to exterminate ants, 1 would 
suggest that, if the nests are not too 
deep or extensive, boiling hot water is 
instantly effective. Arrangements could 
be made to heat the water near the 
nests, and if it be at the boiling point 
when poured into the nest, he will be 
satisfied with the results. If he try it, 
let him report through The R. N.-Y. 
Killing Horns with Potash. 
Prof. C. S. Plumb, Indiana Experi¬ 
ment Station. —The use of caustic pot¬ 
ash will be entirely satisfactory if a 
thorough application be made. It will 
be necessary to moisten about the em¬ 
bryo horn, and then rub the point of 
the potash stick on it well. One should 
watch the head and make a second or 
third application if necessary. In the 
experience of W. II. R., page 411, it is 
possible that bis potash was exposed to 
the air, and so lost its strength. It 
should be in a bottle tightly corked, and 
kept entirely from the atmosphere, ex¬ 
cept when in use, otherwise it will lose 
its strength. The amount of water in 
caustic potash as furnished by the chem¬ 
ical supply houses, varies from 40 to 60 
per cent. Notwithstanding this fact, I 
do not think that this would make any 
special difference in the success of de¬ 
stroying the embryo horn. I have found 
no difficulty, whatever, in killing the 
horns where the application was made 
with care. 
Why Do Trees Split? 
Prof. J. L. Budd, Iowa Ex. Station. 
—The splitting of the bark, and some¬ 
times the wood, of fruit trees, so far as 
1 have had experience, is caused by the 
absorption of moisture in a moist time 
when the circulation is feeble. With us, 
the hardiest known apple trees in nur¬ 
sery, often split in autumn, when the 
growth is checked by frost, and we have 
several moist days. Near the wet earth, 
the cambium layer is loaded with water 
by absorption, which swells the pro¬ 
toplasm to such an extent as to burst the 
inelastic bark. The cracking of cherries 
and other fruits is on the same principle. 
Often we have had heeled-in trees burst 
the bark at the points on the limbs just 
above their contact with the earth, late 
in spring, when we had moist weather 
Winter Vetch in Michigan. 
F. P.. Muskegon, Mich. —In The R. 
N.-Y. of June 13, S. D. asked about the 
winter vetch. In the spring of 1895, 1 
bought some seed of what was called 
Sand, Winter or Hairy vetch (Vieia vil- 
losa). It was planted in good ground, 
came up all right, and although we had 
very dry weather, some of the vines 
made a growth of five feet by fall. I 
saved some seed, and sowed it in Sep¬ 
tember with rye. This made some 
growth in the fall, and came through 
the winter all right. The vines at this 
date (June 14), average four to five feet 
in height, and are in full bloom. The 
plants from the sowing of a year ago, 
are yet alive this spring, and in full 
bloom, too. About the middle of May, 
I cut off some of the vines from last 
fall’s sowing, which were then two feet 
high. They have made a second growth, 
and are going to bloom. It makes good 
fodder, and is liked by all kinds of stock 
IttijSWUatuw' gulvjmii&ing. 
In writing to advertisers, please always mention 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
Cures 
Summer and Autumn Catalogue 
of POT-GROWN and layer STRAW¬ 
BERRY PLANTS. 
CELERY AND CABBAGE PLANTS, 
FRUIT TREES, Plants, Vines, etc., 
mailed free on application. 
T, J. DWYER,SCSS, Cornwall, N,Y. 
ENORMOUS CROPS 
From our Potted Strawberry Plants. 
100 
Brandywine, 
Parker Earle, 
For $1.50 
T C. KEVITT, - 
ATHENIA, N. J. 
$20 PHOSPHATE FOR WHEAT AND CRASS 
Sold to farmers direct. We have no agents. Send 
for Circular. Low prices for car-load lots. 
YORK CHEMICAL WORKS, YORK. PA. 
C abbage Plants.—Best varieties. Good stocky 
plants, at $1 25 per M. Cash with order. Address 
U. B. Weaver & Bro., Wheatland Mills. Lane. Co.. Pa 
CELERY 
PLANTS. SI per 1.01)0. 
Strong and stocky. Safe arrival 
Guaranteed. Index of " How to 
Grow Celery Anywhere," post free. Send lor it. 
UNION SEED CO., Kalamazoo, Mich. 
CELERY AND CRIMSON CLOVER 
*1.25 per 1,000. SLAYMAKER & SON. Dover, Del. 
CRIMSON CLOVER SEED^„V««sr. 
ready. R. 8. JOHNSTON, Stockley, Del. 
ODIUQA&I Ol nUCD-The largest handler 
vfllnldUII ULUbE.! 1 of American-grown 
Crimson Clover Seed in the United States, is JOSEPH 
B. HOLLAND, Grower and Jobber, Milford, Del. 
Also, Cow Peas, Winter Oats. Timothy 8eed, etc. 
DELAWARE-GROWN 
CRIMSON GLOVER 
Cow Peas <£ 
Winter Oats 
New Crop ready June 25. Catalogue free. 
BROWN SEED COMPANY, - WYOMING, DEL. 
Absolute, perfect, permanent cures, even after 
other medicines have utterly failed, have given 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla the first place among medi¬ 
cines and the largest sales in the world. 
Hood’s 
Sarsaparilla 
Is the best—in fact the One True Blood Purifier. 
HflflH’c Pillc cure Liver Ills; easy to 
^^° 1 take, easy to operate. 25c. 
ADIKICnil Ol UUCP— Natur e’s Fertilizer 
I'nemOUIl ULUhLFi and Ideal Hay 
|| Crop. New Circular, ‘'Reasons Why Every 
W Farmer and Trucker Should Plant Crimson 
Clover”; sb-xt fuel. We are headquarters for 
home-grown, hardy seed, and furnish at lowest prices. 
Also, Turnip. Spinach and other seasonable seeds. 
HOLMES & MacKUBBIN, Harrisburg, Pa. 
2,250 Bushels No. I 
CRIMSON CLOVER SEED. 
My LOW PRICE is selling it. Write now. Sample 
and Catalogue free. 
ARTHUR J. COLLINS, Moorestown, N. J. 
HEADQUARTERS FOR 
Crimson 
GENUINE HARDY 
Clover 
JOHNSON & STOKES, 
The most valuable crop in existence. 
It heads the list for Green Manuring equally 
valuable for Hay, Pasture and Silage. Our home¬ 
grown acclimated seed succeeds everywhere, 
and on all kinds of soil when sown in July. Au¬ 
gust or September. We have the largest crop of 
seed ever grown in this country. It will pay you 
to get our prices before ordering, and ask lor our 
descriptive circular, uiailed FREE. 
GROWERS, Philadelphia, Pa. 
TREES THAT 
TALK 
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who thought the best trees could only be bought through agents 
and fancy catalogues. Those who see our trees want more. No 
matter where you’ve been buyiug, it will pay you to give our 
FRESH-DUG trees a trial. Write now for new Fall Catalogue 
ready next month. It’s full of business and new ideas, and remember, ROGERS, Dansville, >.Y. 
TRIUMPH 
The only Yellow Freestone PEACH 
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'SpE 
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EMPEROR 
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For full descriptions send for Catalogue (ioc.) We will send out Beautifully Ulus. Catalogue with 
the Col’d Plates of the 3 Wonderful New Fruits, ami 1 Emperor Peach June Bud by 
mail, postpaid,for 10c. J0S.il. BLACK,SON <fc CO., Village Nurseries, liightstonu*N. J, 
t 
WILLIAMS & CLARK FERTILIZER CO.'s 
Office: Cor. William St. and Exchange Place, New York City. 
Manufacturers of High-Grade Bone Fertilizers. Agents wanted in 
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crop is insured. Correspondence solicited. 
BRANCH OFFICES: 
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Send for full Descriptive Circular and Testimonials. Agents 
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