626 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
September 19 
Save the Coal. 
W., Blair County, Pa. —Cents make 
dollars ; pennies make pounds; and there 
are innumerable ways in which little 
economies that fools despise, prove life- 
savers when it becomes a question of how 
to keep the head above water. Even 
when all is smooth sailing, they help to 
keep supplies of all sorts full, and to 
swell deposits at a savings bank. One 
example, quite seasonable now, is that 
of saving all unburnt bits of coal, and 
getting the benefit of the heat they con¬ 
tain. Our ash heap is against a low wall 
—cone-shaped. After sifting the ashes, 
a little hand broom—merely three or 
four stalks of broom corn tied together 
and trimmed to use about the stove—is 
used to sweep the bits of coal that roll 
down the cone, into a shovel, and this is 
used to cover a fire in the evening 
when there are some plants to be pro¬ 
tected from danger from severe cold. 
The ash heap looks trim and tidy, and 
will be of A 1 quality for mulching 
around gooseberry bushes and the like. 
We have followed this practice for years. 
The Melrose Sweet Corn. 
A. C. W., SCHRAALENBURG, N. J.—I 
value Ruralisms very highly, and acting 
on your good opinion of Melrose corn, 
procured a seed ear. I planted it May 8, 
alongside of Vaughan’s Early Champion, 
which had given me great results in 
1895. I have eight children old enough 
to eat sweet corn three times a day; they 
are all fond of it, and they all agree that 
the Champion is better than the Mel¬ 
rose. I can say from personal knowledge, 
that it is several days earlier. 
How My Carman Grape Acted. 
S. W. J., Waynesville, Ind. —My Car¬ 
man grape has not been hurt by the cold 
during any winter yet, and the thermom¬ 
eter has been down to 12 and 14 degrees 
below zero several times each winter. 
Last year, I had nine clusters on the 
vine, and they weighed four pounds ; 
this year, there are 150 clusters, and 
some of them will weigh nearly a pound. 
The vine is the strongest grower I have 
except one, and I have 14 kinds, all set 
three years ago. 
Potato Bugs on Tomato Vines. 
F. H., Climax, Mich. —It is a common 
thing for potato bugs to attack tomato 
vines, especially when the vines are 
small. They will destroy the vines as 
quickly as they would potato vines if 
allowed the opportunity. I have had no 
difficulty in controlling or destroying 
the bugs by the use of Paris-green, using 
it just the same as 1 would if they were 
on potato vines. The poison does its 
work quickly, and if applied dry with 
lime or plaster, will be blown off the 
vines in a few days, or the first rain will 
wash it off. I have never discovered any 
ill effects from it. I have used the same 
remedy for tomato worms with complete 
success. It is but little trouble to use 
it, and it is much more thorough and 
effective than hand picking. For the 
worms, I have applied it in water with 
the spraying pump, and never had to 
make the second application. If there 
is any suspicion of any of the poison 
being left on the tomatoes, it is an easy 
matter to wash them before using. 
Grafting Prune on Plum. 
II. O. M., Lunenburg, Mass. — Last 
January, II. E. V. D , in replying to E. 
A. G., Lyons, N. Y., advises not to graft 
German prune upon American varieties 
of plum. Although I have had little ex¬ 
perience, I will give it for what it is 
worth. About 10 or 12 years ago, I 
grafted five Wild Goose, quite large 
trees, to Kingston, and was never more 
successful in any kind of grafting, in 
making scions grow or unite with the 
stock. The trees paid not less than §5 
each the third season, have done well 
since, and give promise of more fruit to 
come. They have had good culture. 
But in a locality where plums hardly 
pay for picking, why set Japans? My 
own experience is that a blue plum like 
Quackenboss, Smith’s Orleans, or a plum 
like Bradshaw, will far outsell varieties 
like Burbank or Abundance. Although 
it may be easier to raise, no Japan I have 
sold, unless it be Satsuma, will equal 
our best European varieties in our east¬ 
ern markets. Simply because a variety 
has the word Japan hitched to it, is no 
reason why it is profitable or fit to set. 
Although I am testing quite a number 
of varieties, I hardly think that all will 
pay for raising, and if raised and sold in 
our markets, would be an injury to the 
plum business. Better plums, and not 
more of them, are most of our markets’ 
demand. 
Believes in the Weather Bureau. 
Bhilipsburg, Pa.—O n page 584 of The 
R. N.-Y. you ask, “ Do you find the bul¬ 
letins of the Weather Bureau of any 
value in your work ? ” Yes, in this way : 
I may have ground plowed for cabbage 
or strawberry plants, and wish to har¬ 
row immediately before planting in 
order to kill all weeds. When I see by 
the bulletin, that it is going to rain in a 
few days, I drop all other work and get 
the ground ready to plant; then I plant 
while the ground is too wet to go on 
with a team. In this respect alone, the 
reports would be worth dollars to me if 
some reliable agricultural papers like 
The R. N.-Y. would publish them, so 
that we could get them promptly as we 
do The R. N.-Y. If, at mailing time, 
you could stamp on the outside of the 
paper what the weather is going to be 
for the next seven or eight days, I would 
willingly pay $1 extra each year. The 
local papers do not publish the bulletins 
regularly. I have compared the bul¬ 
letins with the weather for several years, 
and find them, practically, correct. I 
would much regret to have the service 
discontinued, but hope to see it extended 
so as to reach the country people along 
with the free delivery of the mail. 
I mixed my fertilizer myself this year, 
used acid phosphate, potash and nitrate 
of soda, and am well pleased with the 
result. Farm produce has very poor 
sale here, and business is almost dead. 
The storekeepers are selling potatoes at 
30 cents a bushel, but I think that they 
will rise in price as soon as the village 
people have used what they grow in 
their gardens. I don’t think that the 
late crop will be as large here as last 
year. I have not done anything to kill 
potato bugs this year ; Nature seems to 
have them under control. I shall not 
plant Carman No. 1 again, as it blights 
too quickly, but shall plant Early Puri¬ 
tan. Rural New-Yorker No. 2 is all right. 
R. N.-Y.—It would be impossible for 
a weekly paper to give any reliable fore¬ 
casts of the weather. 
Cow Dung for Paint. 
A. A. K., Malvern, Pa. —Your state¬ 
ment that “ mineral oil is not a paint 
oil,” is absolutely correct. To draw the 
point real fine, you might add that “resi¬ 
due oil” isn’t even an oil, and has less 
value for painting purposes than even 
buttermilk or skim-milk. For the mat¬ 
ter of that, one might mix cow manure 
and Venetian red, and make a “daub” 
paint (vide E. II. A.) that would last 
three years, and, possibly, look quite as 
well as that of another man’s compound¬ 
ing from ocher and linseed oil and a fin¬ 
ish of mixed paint. But where paint is 
desired, a “ daub,” obviously, wouldn’t 
answer. 
By mineral oil, residue oil or summer 
black oil, I suppose that our Ithaca 
friend means petroleum oil, and we know 
that this, as with all other hydro-car¬ 
bons,sooner or later, entirely evaporates, 
leaving nothing except a mass of non¬ 
adhesive and non-drying mineral matter. 
The fact that a barn painted with such 
an oil, mixed with Venetian red, looks 
“well” after three years’ exposure, 
proves nothing as establishing the value 
of such oil in paint, because with water 
and lime we can make a wash that will 
stand as long and, possibly, look as well; 
yet nobody will claim that water is a 
good paint vehicle. 
Comparisons are not proofs ; thus, it 
is quite possible that E. H. A.’s building 
looks better than his neighbor’s, but 
how does his neighbor’s look ? That’s 
the question. Ocher makes a very bad 
priming coat, as any up-to-date painter 
will tell you. It is one of the very best 
pigments for finishing, but it is too hard 
for a priming coat, and the subsequent 
coats are likely to peel or perish from it 
in consequence. It is generally allowed, 
by practical painters, that white lead 
and raw linseed oil, with a suitable tint¬ 
ing color, make the best priming coat. 
Now, if our friend’s neighbor put on top 
of this ocher priming a poor, ready- 
mixed paint, I can readily understand 
why his building looks the worse of the 
two. I can beat such a finish with my 
cow dung and Venetian red mixture, 
every time. 
If I were the agent insuring E. H. A.’s 
barn, the rates would be advanced. In¬ 
deed, I wouldn’t want two barrels of 
mineral oil saturating any buildings of 
mine, no matter how cheap such paint¬ 
ing might be. 
Advertising. 
IN writing to advertisers, please always mention 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
Gain 
Nerve-strength by feeding your nerves upon 
pure, rich, red blood. Purify, enrich, and vital¬ 
ize your blood by taking 
Hood’s 
rfc? • j\ REID’S Fruit 
M Specialties. 
■ | wTwwJ Save one=half 
J by buying di¬ 
rect from head¬ 
quarters. All the best and 
leading varieties, new and 
old. Fruit Trees, Small 
Fruits, Roses,Vines,Orna¬ 
mental Shrubs,Crates and 
Baskets. Handsome illus¬ 
trated catalog describes 
them all. Mailed 
free. Write for it. 
REID’S 
NURSERIES,| 
Bridgeport, 
Ohio. 
LORENTZ 
PEACH. 
TIMBRELL 
STRAWBERRY. 
ELDORADO, 
BLACKBERRY. 
CRIMSON CLOVER SEEO ^mCZ 
ready. R. S. JOHNSTON, Stockley, Del 
nDIMCflll 01 flUCD-Th® latest handler 
UnlHIOUIl ULUVCn of American-grown 
Crimson Clover Seed in the United 8tates, is JOSEPH 
K. HOLLAND, Grower and Jobber. Milford, Del. 
Also, Cow Peas, Winter Oats. Timothy Seed, etc. 
Clovers-AlsiKeJ 
__ TIMOTHY, &c. 
!WE BUY— Send samples for our bids. CDCE 
iWE SELL — Every Quality. Samples rnLL.) 
THE WHITNEY-NOYES SEED GO. 
j Seed-Cleaning. BINGHAMTON - N. Y. 
SOW JONES’S WHEATS, 
The granary fillers. Arcadian. Pedigree Giant, 
Bearded Winter Kite Pride, Diamond Grit and 
Oatka. Send for Catalogue. 
A. N. JONES, Newark, N. Y. 
S EED WHEAT—Grown from hand-issorted seed 
Eight leading varieties of the world; selected by 
careful test. Send for circular of great value to 
every wheat-raiser. M. SAGER, Orangeville, Pa. 
35,000 
APPLE TREES, 8 CENTS EACH. 
You cannot buy better fruit and orna¬ 
mental trees than are retailing at wholesale prices 
at. G C Stone's Wholesale Nurseries. Dansville, N.Y. 
Established 25 years. Specimen orchards. 3.009 trees. 
SEND POSTAL CARD FOR 80-PAGK CATALOGUE 
Sarsaparilla 
The best—In fact the One True Blood Purifier. 
1*2 T.OUDOV 
12 MILLER 
RY MAIL, FOR $1.00. 
T C. KEVITT, - - ATHENIA, N. J. 
Hood’s Pills 
do not cause pain or 
gripe. All druggists. 25e. 
Summer and Autumn Catalogue 
of POT-GROWN and layer STRAW¬ 
BERRY PLANTS. 
FRUIT TREES, Plants, Vines, etc., 
mailed free on application. 
T. J. DWYER j Nurseries, Cornwall. N.Y. 
O Brandywine, Timbrell, Rio. Parker Earle, 
Greenville. Gandy Belle or Bubach No. 5 
Strawberry Plants, postpaid, $1. 
WM. PERKY. Cool Spring, Del. 
TREES AND PLANTS Varieties. 
Blackberries, Strawberries. 
MILLER uACDOCDDItC The Great 
LOUDON nMoruLriniLO Market Reds. 
Triumph Peach, Wickson Plum. Our catalogue, free, 
will save you money. MYElt & SON, Bridgeville, Del. 
PLANT 
PLANT 
PLANT 
PLANT 
Currants, the most valuable of all 
small fruits. 
PRESIDENT WILDER, the best 
Red Curraut. 
WHITE IMPERIAL, the best 
White Currant. 
IN THE FALL, WHICH IS THE 
BEST SEASON. 
WRITE to the subscriber for prices and 
description of plants. 
S. D. WILLARD, GENEVA, N. Y. 
HARD TIMES VALUE 
Belmont County. Ohio, 9 17 / 1896. 
ISAAC C. ROGERS, Dansville, N. Y.: 
The trees received from you last spring were the cheapest 
lot that have been shipped to tins station at any time. Dwarf pears at 7 cents, good as sold here by 
agents for 50 cents; Cherry trees, at 6 cents, equal to agents’ $1 trees, and enough extras to make a 
good, big order. Yours truly, JAMES A. WILEY. 
Our catalogue is free. Will you be with nn O r p P W II DOC D I CO llANOl/IIIE A] Y 
us, too, or are you tied to higher prices. [HJULIIO NUnOLnlLOj UAWoVILLl, Hi Ii 
1*1 J. 
..................... 1 * * « 
WHY NOT PLANT IN THE FALL 
and gain nearly a year? With well ripened 
stock fall planting is safer than spring. 
THEN WHY DELAY? 
Send for new illustrated catalogue mailed 
free on application. Estab. 1869. 160 acres. 
Fruit and Ornamental Geo, A. Sweet Nursery Co., Dansville,N.Y. 
i inn 1111111 ii i'i i n i in f 
i i i i 
TTT 
CAMPBELLS EARLY 
Our Marvelous New 
GRAPE 
• Best and most valuable. Highest commendation from highest authorities. Hardy, healthy, vig- i 
£ orous, very productive. Early or late. Largest clusters, finest quality, not foxy. Seeds need 
® not be swallowed. Sold by many reputahleNurserymen. None genuine without our seals. We 
A guarantee safe arrival by mail. Largest stock ol grape vines in the world. Small fruits. 
Z Introducer of unrivalled Red Jacket Goose-__ _ „„ „ 
2 berry and Fay Currant. Catalogue free CEO. S. JOSSELYN, Fredonia, New York. 
From E. S. Cabman, Rural New Yorker:— 
“ I am really glad that I w»b the first to tell in print of this grand grape, which in quality and ap- 
9 pearance is the best native black grape we have ever seen. There is no acidity about the seed as there 
9 is in the Concord. As there is a growing and not ill founded objection to swallowing grape seeds, 
9 this is a strong point in its favor, Ac. 1 ' 
TRIUMPH 
The only Yellow Freestone PEACH 
Ripening with Amsden. 
The Latest and Largest 
Yellow Freestone PEACH, 
EMPEROR 
MERCER { 
The only Sure-Bearing, 
Non-Rotting CHERRY. 
For full descriptions send for Catalogue (lOc.) We will send our Beautifully Illus. Catalogue with 
the Col’d Plates of the 3 Wonderful New Fruits, ami 1 Emperor Peach June Bud by 
mail, postpaid,for 10c. JOS.il. BLACK, SON & CO., Village Nurseries, U ig hu ton a* N. J. 
