lflOB. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
7 11 
WHY WHEAT SEED “RUNS OUT.” 
The Nebraska Experiment Station gives in Bulletin 89 
sortie interesting faets about seed wheat. A prevailing 
notion among farmers is that after a few years a variety 
of grain will “run out"; that is, lose its vitality or 
power to produce good crops. This weakness has been 
AN ATTRACTIVE SEEDLING APPLE. Fig. 302. 
charged to the variety rather than to the care of the 
seed, and therefore a change of seed or “new blood" is 
demanded. It is thought that a variety loses value 
after being grown in a certain locality for a number of 
years, and that « new variety or strain grown some¬ 
where else is needed. Therefore there are frequent 
demands for new Seed which is imported from Kansas 
or more distant States or even from other countries. 
In some cases seed from Russia and other European 
countries has been brought in for trial. As a result 
of extended trials the experiment station makes the fol¬ 
lowing sensible report. The care given the seed counts 
for as much as or more than the “new blood." 
“Wheat from a more humid region will make a ranker 
growth of straw. Wheat from a more humid region will 
at first produce a larger and softer kernel, but will yield 
less, Wheat from a drier region, as western Kansas, 
yields nearly as well, produces a better quality of wheat, 
but is very much more subject to the fungus disease 
scab, Fusarium cuimorum. It has previously been shown 
that wheat p-om Kansas is more likely to winter-kill. 
Consequently it is best to get seed wheat grown as 
nearly as possible under the same conditions as those 
under which it is expected to be planted, although it 
may be desirable under some conditions to bring seed 
from west to east in the same latitude. 'I bis is being 
investigated further. Wheat should yield better the 
longer it is grown in one locality. If it does not, if it 
shows signs of running out, it simply means that proper 
care has not been taken. All wheat seed should be 
thoroughly fanned to free it from small, shriveled, light 
weight kernels and all foreign seeds. Wheat for seed 
should not be allowed to get wet. It should never be 
stored in deep bins with the grain for market, where it 
is liable to become heated, but should be stored in dry, 
shallow, well ventilated bins. If such care is taken, 
wheat in this region will - not decrease in yield when 
grown in the same locality, provided proper crop rota¬ 
tions, methods of manuring and tillage are followed to 
maintain the fertility of the soil.” 
HOW TO HEAT A LETTUCE HOUSE. 
I have a building 27x70; the north 12 feet is used as 
henhouse, the south 15 feet as a lettuce house. The south 
plate 15 inches above ground, north plate, eight feet; glass 
butted in grooved sash. Cellar under east end of henhouse 
12x18 feet for heating plant. I "have tried heating with 
upright four-horse boiler for hot water, but found it a fail¬ 
ure, and now wish to try brick furnace with coil enclosed, 
and the question is how large an oven and how many feet 
of two-inch pipe will it take in the coil to heat the house 
in 30 below zero weather. How many water pipes, and how 
should they be placed, and how should it be changed in case 
I extend the house 30 feet? w. h. 
Spring Green, Wis. 
The coil boiler is a quick heating and economical 
method for an apparatus of this size, but such a boiler 
is not so durable as a cast iron boiler, the pipes of which 
it is composed being liable to corrode at the joints. 
The coils for such a boiler should be about five feet 
long, and the amount of pipe therein totaling (30 feet 
of the two-inch pipe. The coils should be set in the 
brickwork with a rise of three to four inches toward 
the flow or outlet pipe, the cool water being returned 
from the greenhouse to the lower end of the coil. As 
a temperature of 45 to 50 degrees would be ample for 
growing lettuce, six runs of two-inch pipe in each divi¬ 
sion of the building ought to provide sufficient heat in a 
structure of the height specified, it being understood 
that there is a close partition between the two compart¬ 
ments of the building, and that the construction is rea¬ 
sonably good. In regard to the arrangement of the 
pipes it may be said that they would occupy the least 
space if placed one above the other in a vertical coil 
of three pipes ' - arried all ground the house, the flo\y 
pipe from the boiler being carried to the high side of 
each compartment, and there connected to the three 
pipes by means of a manifold, a similar connection being 
made to the return pipe. The chief objection to the 
vertical coil is found in the fact that it does not heat 
as evenly as the horizontal coil, the hot water flowing 
more rapidly to the upper pipe from the manifold than 
it would to those on a lower plane. A rise of six to 
eight inches should be given to the pipes in the length 
of the house, and an expansion pipe should be provided 
for the escape of air from the piping, or else small air 
cocks should be inserted in the pipes at the highest 
point, the supposition being that a feed tank of some 
description is placed over the boiler in the henhouse, and 
the feed pipe connected to the return pipe near where 
it enters the boiler. 
To provide for a future extension of the building, 
with the corresponding extension of the coils of pipe, 
each run of pipe should have a union fitting near the 
high end of the run, thus permitting each pipe to be 
readily taken apart and extended. Some fitters prefer 
to use flange unions in such work, but the flange union 
is a clumsy looking fitting, and 1 prefer to have a screw 
union for any pipe up to two inches in diameter. The 
horizontal coil arrangement of the piping would occupy 
12 to 13 inches in width for the three pipes, unless they 
were coupled very closely, and would thus reduce the 
available space in the lettuce beds to that degree. It 
would seem that with so flat a roof as that described, the 
use of butted glass would not be very satisfactory, and 
that a lapped roof would not leak so much, but of course 
much depends upon the care given to its construction. 
_ ' w. H. TAPLIN. 
REGIONS WITHOUT PEACH YELLOWS . 
Is there a section of country where peaches are grown 
in the United States where the yellows has not appeared? 
MEAD’S SEEDLING PLUM. Fig. 303. 
I have been told that in California it is not. known, lias 
any remedy ever been found for this disease? Is it consid¬ 
ered contagious? Can the disease be transmitted through 
the seed? Do you know of any nurseries that insure against 
the disease in their stock? We live in the peach growing 
part of this State and peach growing was fust becoming the 
leading industry, but the yellows has taken hold of many 
orchards, and is putting a damper on the peach business. 
I have several boys who think of clearing off part of a 
mountain near here and putting out a lar^e peach orchard. 
It is thought the land is well adapted to the growth of the 
peach, and some persons think the yellows would not be as 
likely to at'tack the trees in such a location as on lower aud 
poorer land. Most of the soil is a mass of loose gravel, 
or more like finely crushed limestone shale, easily plowed, 
will not wash, and well mixed with black humus. An or¬ 
chard near Keyser. in Mineral County, on similar land, is 
one of the finest I ever saw and 1 have not heard of any 
yellows in it up to this time. Most of the peaches from 
this section are shipped to New York and this year are 
bringing a fine price. s. h. w. 
Romney, W. Va. 
There are some parts of the country that Peach yel¬ 
lows has not yet reached, especially in the Central and 
Western States. There are publications on this subject 
issued by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, with 
maps showing where the yellows has been found, and 
it would be well to send there and ask for them. There 
is no remedy known for Peach yellows after it gets into 
a tree. It is a contagious disease, and is commonly 
transmitted by natural means, although in just what 
way or ways is yet largely a mystery. It is transmitted 
from tree to tree, and from orchard to orchard, but 
whether by the wind, by insects or how is not known. 
It can be and has repeatedly been transmitted by con¬ 
tact of the branches and by budding. It is thought to 
be caused by germs, but scientists have never deter¬ 
mined this point certainly; at least, they have not found 
the specific germ of this blight. No location or kind 
of soil may be properly considered as able to produce 
trees that will be exempt from Peach yellows. 1 he 
kind of land described that is found in the mountains 
of West Virginia and elsewhere in that region is good 
for peaches, uS I know by frequent visits there. I have 
been in the orchard mentioned that is located near 
Keyser. It is .one of the best I ever saw, although the 
surface of the ground was almost literally covered with 
broken stones. It would probably be well to set similar 
ground to peach orchard, provided there is access to 
good shipping privileges. However, much depends on 
the man or men behind the trees. h. e. van deman, 
A PROMISING LATE PLUM. 
A very distinct and promising seedling Japan plum 
sent us by H. O. Mead, Lunenburg, Mass., is shown in 
Fig. 303. The specimens were received during the hot 
and trying week ending September 9 in the best of mar¬ 
ket condition. Mr. Mead thinks it the Elberta of Japan 
plums, early in bearing, highly productive, good size, 
attractive appearance and unusually good shipping qual¬ 
ity. The color is light reddish purple, smooth and at¬ 
tractive; flesh yellow, firm, but juicy; stone small, 
semi-cling. Quality very good, hardly acid enough for 
some tastes. We should consider it an excellent market 
and cooking plum. Season late August. 
A GOOD NEW APPLE. 
One of the most attractive apples ever received at 
The R. N.-Y. office is shown in Figs. 302 and 304. 1 lie 
originator, William Perry, Cool Spring, Del., gives us 
the following details; 
This beautiful seedling apple has borne almost continu¬ 
ously for some years on my place. Fruit very bright, clean, 
red, and quality I think very good for an eating apple. The 
usual season is September 10 to 20. but this year it is earlier. 
I have sent some of late to the New York market, and it 
has outsold any other in about 300 packages sent there; 
sells well in home market. I have picked so far this season 
1 (! five-eighths baskets, and am sure there are six or eight 
more to pick. I would like you to test the eating qualities 
of the apple, and give me your candid opinion as to its 
value. It has never been propagated. The tree is a very 
vigorous, healthy grower, of a spreading habit, inclined to 
overbear, as it has done this season ; should average much 
larger. Tree is about 10 years old. My apple crop this 
season is the best I ever grew. Apples are fair, free from 
worms, and trees are about to break with their loads of 
fruit. In this respect, I believe Delaware is exceptional. 
The color of the specimens tested was bright clean 
red. flesh white, tender, juicy. Flavor, sweet and 
sprightly, not the cloying sweetness of some early varie¬ 
ties. but a pleasant, refreshing quality liked by all. 
There is a huge vacancy in city markets that could be 
filled by such apples^__ 
CHANGING WELL TO CISTERN. 
I have an old well about 30 feet deep, which is no longer 
needed for that purpose. Could it be filled, partly, making 
the bottom solid enough to change it into a cistern, and 
how could it best be done? How would you proceed to ce¬ 
ment a brick-walled cellar to keep out the water? Water 
seems to come in through the wall. c. F. h. 
Upland. Ind. 
I think that this well can be changed into a cistern. 
Fill in with earth or stones, but let there be two or three 
feet thickness of stones on top. It would be best to 
allow several months to elapse after filling in order to 
give it a chance to settle. Make a concrete or grout 
of cement and coarse sand, and make it very thin, so 
that it will run readily. Flush the stone bottom with 
this to make a solid foundation, and then cement the 
bottom and sides of the well with cement in the way 
that it is ordinarily done in constructing cisterns. In 
work of this kind it is best to employ an experienced 
mason, who will know from the nature of the \valls 
just how to mix the cement and how to apply it. The 
SECTION OF SEEDLING APPLE. Fig. 304. 
cellar can probably be made tight by painting the walls 
with a paint made of the best Portland cement and 
water. Apply with a whitewash brush in a dry time. 
Allow the first coating to dry and then apply. If this 
will not stop it procure some asphalt, heat until it is 
of the consistency of paint, and apply to the walls in 
the same manner as (he liquid cement. This will stop 
the oozing through of the water, but asphalt is not a§ 
easy to obtain as ceirient, C>i DAVIS. 
