1905. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
6i5 
SHORT STORIES. 
ROSE BUGS AND GRAPES.—I note with interest 
the “Rose bug - ’ notes on page 522. I abhor this pest 
above all others, and when he starts in to destroy my 
delicately beautiful white roses and pink paeonies it 
rouses all the latent murder in my make-up, and L 
“welcome them with bloody hands to hospitable 
graves.” But hand picking is only practicable in the 
“lean” years. We ought to be thankful that his time 
above ground is so brief; if the season was as long as 
that of the Potato and Asparagus- beetles every green 
thing would be destroyed. I know of but two ways to 
save the grapes; plant kinds that the Rose chafer dis¬ 
criminates against, or cover the vines with mosquito net¬ 
ting just previous to the advent of the pest. With me 
Delaware and Green Mountain suffer but little when 
left uncovered, and if there are grapes of finer quality 
than these two I have not found them yet. The bugs 
swarmed over everything this year. My vines were 
heavy with bloom, but now Moore’s Early and Moore’s 
Diamond have scattering ragged clusters; Regal and 
Delaware look fairly well, and Green Mountain is loaded 
with fine clusters. These are the varieties that I am in¬ 
creasing. CHAS. A. BANNISTER. 
Massachusetts. 
POTTED STRAWBERRY PLANTS.—On page 568 
II. II. B., of Connecticut, asks those who are not ven¬ 
ders, but growers of potted strawberry plants to give 
their experience with potted plants. I am not a vender 
of plants, but have for many years practiced potting 
strawberry plants for my own use, and am so well satis¬ 
fied with the method that I set nothing but potted 
plants. My method of pot¬ 
ting is somewhat different 
from many other growers. 
The runners, after roots are 
well started, arc pulled from 
the parent plant and taken to 
the greenhouse and potted; 
the pots are then plunged in 
dirt in cold frames, covered 
with muslin screens to protect 
from sun, kept well watered, 
and in a very few days make 
fine, large, healthy plants, 
with far less work than the 
old method of potting in the 
field. I use thousands of 
them each season, and by this 
method I can clean off old 
beds and reset at once. Care 
must always be taken that 
potted plants do not remain 
in the pots too long and get 
pot-bound. The claim that 
potted plants will produce a 
full crop of fruit in 10 months 
after setting is, in my experi¬ 
ence, misleading, and such 
statements should always be 
taken “cum grano salis.” I 
get a large crop of fine ber¬ 
ries the first season after set¬ 
ting potted plants, often as 
many as a quart from a sin¬ 
gle plant, but not a full crop as compared with the sec¬ 
ond season s crop on the same plants. My experience 
with potted strawberry plants extends over a period 
of nearly 30 years, and I am still a firm believer in 
them when properly handled. a. a. halladay. 
Vermont. 
BURBANK’S FRUITS.—I read with interest the ar¬ 
ticles by M. L. Benson and E. P. Fisher on the Burbank 
fruits. It certainly would be a matter of interest and 
profit to the fruit growers of the eastern part of the 
United States if the value of these fruits would be 
impartially discussed, leaving out all personal consid¬ 
erations entirely, for it is unfortunate, to say the least, 
that so many have been sold on Burbank’s reputation, 
and not on their own merits. Practical fruit growers 
will not expect the same fruit to succeed equally well 
in all locations. In Kansas the Burbank may fully 
equal the Europeans in quality, but such a statement 
here would make a fruit grower smile; neither would 
he know what to do with a crop of Gold plums if he 
could raise them. Varieties like Abundance, Burbank, 
Satsuma, etc., which Burbank did not originate, but 
simply introduced, should not be put in the same class 
as varieties which arc of his own production, like Wick- 
son, Hale, Gold, etc., in judging the value of his fruits. 
Without doubt there are locations where some of them 
will prove valuable. One thing is certain, that Mr. 
Burbank’s fame in the long run will not be made by 
press agents or the number of fruits introduced, but 
by those which prove of value and benefit to our people. 
And no one is more pleased to find a valuable new 
fruit just introduced than myself. it. o. mead. 
Massachusetts. 
HAY LOADER AND SIDE DELIVERY RAKE.— 
Regarding the use of the hay loader and side-delivery 
rake, I have used them both for several years past, and 
would not think of making hay without them, for with 
the scarcity of help and the high prices which farmers 
are having to pay for farm labor these tools will in a 
few seasons pay for themselves, even though the farmer 
has only 15 or 20 acres of hay to make. One man and a 
boy 10 or 12 years old can on an average make as much 
hay each day as three good men will make in the old 
way of haymaking. The hay is cleaner from dust, dirt 
and old stubble than when raked with the common 
sulky rake; that is, if you use the right kind of loader. 
Some advantages of the side rake are that they put the 
hay in a loose light windrow, allowing it to cure out 
evenly, and not burn in the sun, as many allow their 
hay to do when curing in the old way, and when raked 
in this way it is in the very best condition to take up 
with the loader and takes less than one-half the driving 
to get a load to what it does in taking it from the 
swath, as many are doing. Some farmers who have 
used loaders for taking up hay from the swath have 
condemned them, saying that they saved no time. This 
may be true in taking thin, light hay from the swath, 
but if put in windrows a load of hay of 2,000 or 3,000 
pounds can be put on the wagon in from eight to 10 
minutes. It is my opinion that if any good practical 
farmer will use one of these outfits one season he will 
never make hay in the old way again. e. h. Norton. 
Ohio. 
CRIMSON RAMBLER IN QUEBEC PROVINCE. 
—The first Crimson Rambler that was planted in my 
garden grew strong and vigorous all Summer, but did 
not survive the Winter. In consequence it was con- 
A KANSAS DINNER PARTY. Fig. 261. 
demned as too tender for our climate. But on con¬ 
sidering the matter it seemed only fair to give it the 
treatment accorded to the Hybrid Perpetuals, and since 
then the Rambler has been quite a success. The meth¬ 
od employed is to wait until the ground is frozen, often 
the beginning of November, and taking a day when the 
stems are unfrozen they are gently bent over, and a 
barrow full of sods being ready, are placed along them, 
being especially careful to cover the thick stem nearest 
the root. This is better than covering with a board, 
for field mice are not so liable to lodge there, and the 
sod is a fine ingredient to the soil in Spring, becom¬ 
ing pulverized by frost. At this date (July 26) the 
Crimson Ramblers are in full evidence here, and have 
been for a month. One plant, sturdy and vigorous, 
reaches up to an arbor trellis and mingles with a Cle¬ 
matis, and several others were pegged down two Sum¬ 
mers ago. and encouraged to form a border, where they 
thrive and send up immense clusters of bloom. It is a 
wonderful sight about the middle of July, before the 
crimson glow fades, its only fault being lack of per¬ 
fume. Like all roses, it delights in new soil, and the 
regular top-dressing of the sod is a visible benefit. Of 
course covering with any soil answers as well, if sod can¬ 
not be obtained, and the reward comes in early April, 
when after the first shower has washed the stems clean 
the young leaves push out from their Winter quarters, 
and the plant is green and pleasant looking before the 
flowers are seen. annie l. jack. 
Canada. 
HEAVY FEEDING FOR ALFALFA. 
I only have one acre out, and it is high and dry, no 
deep loam, either. The ground was of the very poorest 
in this section of the county. I had this acre plowed 
last July one year ago. I put on two loads of fine hen 
manure. Then I cultivated the ground every three or 
four days in order to kill the weeds and other grass 
which kills Alfalfa. This way I harrowed it for three 
weeks; then about August 1 I sowed 35 pounds of prime 
seed broadcast on this acre. Then I limed it; used only 
about 45 bushels rock lime to this acre. Then I put 
on 500 pounds kainit and 500 pounds of well-balanced 
fertilizer, two per cent ammonia, eight available acid, 10 
muriate of potash; then we harrowed the seed in the 
ground, and then rolled it. Last Fall we thought it 
was no good; other grass came up and smothered it out. 
It got yellow, and I was thinking of plowing it around 
again and sowing it again. As I did not use any bac¬ 
teria, I was thinking this was the matter with it. How¬ 
ever, I left it, and when the weeds and Alfalfa were 
tall enough we went over with the mower and cut it; 
then left it for the Winter. Early this Spring I put on 
a fertilizer that contained 12 per cent ammonia, five 
available acid, and four potash, for which I paid $60 per 
ton, and top-dressed this acre with 400 pounds. In a 
few weeks after that I put on 400 pounds kainit again, 
and 300 pounds dried blood. This is all I did to it, and 
any person who does the # same I am sure can raise 
this clover, as I think every farmer should have some 
Alfalfa. It is worth more than wheat, corn, oats or 
any other kind of grain or grass a man can farm. I 
am now feeding it to my hogs, and they go into this a 
great deal better than they do 
into corn. If a cow breaks 
into a field of Alfalfa she will 
never forget that field that 
season, as I have had some 
experience in this line. My 
cattle broke into it and it took 
three men to put them out, 
and every time we let the cat¬ 
tle out to water they wtnt 
for the Alfalfa. Some of the 
farmers came to me and asked 
me whether I was crazy; that 
my whole farm would over¬ 
grow with this weed. I told 
them that I hoped it would 
go over some of my neigh¬ 
bor’s poor land, as it was a 
good deal better to raise this 
Alfalfa than it was to raise 
blackberries. 
SAM K. STRICKLER. 
Union Co., Pa. 
R. N.-Y.—Most farmers 
will call that heavy feeding 
for any fodder crop. It will 
pay if it means a crop of 
Alfalfa. We think many who 
have tried this crop have been 
misled by the statement that 
Alfalfa will restore poor soil. 
So it will if it once be¬ 
comes well fixed. It must 
be well fed to start with, and we must also re¬ 
member that all it can possibly add to the soil is nitro¬ 
gen. It removes large quantities of potash and less of 
phosphoric acid, and these must be supplied. 
Traction expert Dalrymple of Glasgow says that the 
theory of American politics is opposed to public ownership. 
In other words, the professional politician considers that the 
plain people are source of revenue only. Isn't it just the 
same spirit that defers parcels post and postal savings banks? 
HOW TO FIGHT CURRANT WORMS. 
When the Currant worms first appeared I dusted them 
well with hellebore. About a week later I sprinkled them 
thoroughly with hellebore and water. Result, the worms 
keep eating, and I am likely to lose my crop. The “book” 
says one ounce of fresh hellebore to three gallons of water 
is strong enough. I used it much stronger. How can I 
know if it is fresh, or old, and how can I know if it is 
pure or one-half something else? e. o. 
Aslifield, Mass. 
Fresh hellebore is very often effective against the 
Currant worm, but is best dusted on in the form of a 
powder, rather than mixed with water. There is no 
practical way of telling the fresh and useful article from 
the old and worthless. It is simply a matter of confi¬ 
dence with the dealer. We have, however, found Paris- 
green on the whole a more reliable insecticide for Cur¬ 
rant worms than hellebore. Mix one teaspoonful of 
Paris-green to one pound of ordinary grocery flour 
and dust it lightly over the affected plants while slightly 
wet with dew. The flour makes the Paris-green stick 
much better upon the foliage, and is readily eaten by the 
worms. One should be able entirely to clear out a 
brood of Currant worms by the use of Paris-green in 
this way in one day. There is very little danger in using 
the Paris-green in this manner. The first rain is quite 
certain to wash it off, and if it fails to rain, it can be re¬ 
moved from the foliage either by syringing or rinsing 
with fresh water. Hellebore is to be preferred if you 
can get it fresh and pure, but if at all uncertain we would 
advise the use of th* Paris-green, 
