58 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
January 27, 
it with potash, dissolved hone black and land plaster, 
you get a fertilizer equal to what you buy. 
I prefer the Leghorn and Minorca breeds, which 
are good layers of a large white egg, and bring the 
highest price in the Taterson and New York market. 
The large heavy breeds lay well the first year; after 
that they want to sit all the le, and it is difficult to 
break them up. The Leghorn pays well until three or 
four years old. All the old hens and surplus roosters 
sell better alive. The Jews will only buy them alive 
and they are great consumers of poultry. 
Morris Co., N. J. Alfred Johnson. 
A BIG STACK OF ALFALFA. 
1 We have at various times told what Alfalfa is, and 
what it will do for a farmer. Pictures of the crop grow¬ 
ing do not give a fair idea of it, as we know in our 
own case. One must see the plant in the field to realize 
just what it means. The most effective sight it presents 
is in a drought where grass is burned up and clover 
wilted. You will then find the Alfalfa fresh and grow¬ 
ing. Since we cannot give readers a good idea of the 
growing crop through a picture, we show at Fig. 2G, first 
page, a big stack of Alfalfa hay. This stack was located 
in Malheur Co., Oregon. It is 403x30x20 feet, and con¬ 
tains over 400 tons of hay. It holds the first and second 
cuttings from 64 acres. The third crop was still uncut, 
and was estimated at 150 tons. This great stack of hay 
was cut, cured, raked and stacked with very little hand 
work. Think what it would mean to have such a mass 
of feed on an eastern dairy or stock farm. Ton for ton, 
well cured Alfalfa hay is equal by analysis to a fair 
sample of wheat bran. An eastern farmer would surely 
be obliged to tear down his barns and build greater if he 
could produce such hay crops. Is it possible for him to 
do so? There are farmers near Syracuse, N. Y., and in 
other similar localities where the soil is right, doing 
nearly as well on a smaller acreage. Surely the sight of 
that big stack ought to stimulate a man to do his best to 
make Alfalfa grow in his soil. 
COST OF GROWING TOMATO PLANTS. 
If the plants are to be transplanted they must be 
sown earlier, and that necessitates artificial heat of some 
kind, also glass. It also means other beds for trans¬ 
planting, and more space as well as extra labor, both 
in preparing the beds and after care. This of necessity 
makes the price higher. If they are wanted fairly 
early, but from the seed bed, that also necessitates using 
- glass, but would lessen the price to a considerable ex¬ 
tent, inasmuch as there is much less labor expended, an 
extra lot of beds saved and space economized. If they 
are wanted late, and the grower is so located that he can 
produce a satisfactory plant by planting in the open 
ground without protection, and plants delivered from 
the seed bed; then we have conditions that bring the 
cost of production down to a minimum. Then again, 
the producer must be conversant with the exactions of 
his customers. I find some customers very critical 
indeed as to what a plant should be, and they have a 
high ideal as to what they plant, while others are less 
exacting The point is, the grower must know his busi¬ 
ness and his customers, and then cater to it. 
In my own practice I grow plants in all the ways dis¬ 
cussed previously, because I have a variety trade. We 
have plants ready for delivery from May 5 till all sold 
out, usually about July 1. As the^ early tomato is not 
- under discussion in this article, I will eliminate that, 
and begin with medium or late varieties. The medium 
crop should always be set with transplanted plants, the 
cost of which is according to distance apart the plants 
stand in transplant beds, some growers using more room 
than others. The late crop, however, is quite frequently 
set with plants direct from seed bed. As to space re¬ 
quired, if they are to he transplanted before going in 
_ the field (and they always should be) the room taken 
up will be according to width transplanted. The time 
required to produce a plant also depends on whether it 
is sold from seed bed or transplanted. If transplanted 
it will require about seven weeks at a normal growth; 
that is, without any undue forcing. If from seed bed 
grown under glass first three weeks, about six weeks 
will be ample to. get them ready for the field. If grown 
out of doors it will require eight or more weeks, ac¬ 
cording to conditions. 
I sow under glass in rows four inches apart, and take 
out every alternate row when about 2J4 or three inches 
high, using what we take out for transplanting, or to 
sell to others for that purpose. In this way I grow 
about 2,000 plants to a sash; sashes 3 x 0 feet. This 
would be entirely too many, however, to have in so 
small a space where one is going to let' them stand till 
ready to go to the field; 1.000 would be about all that 
- could be expected in a space 3 x 0 feet. What it would 
be worth to produce these plants depends, as I have 
said, on what kind of a plant is produced and when it 
is wanted by the customer. For medium varieties, 
transplanted three inches apart each way, we charge $8 
per thousand. Later, and transplanted 2 x 3, we charge 
$4 per thousand. Plants grown as described above and 
delivered from the seed bed after having every alternate 
row removed for transplanting, sell for $1.25 per thou¬ 
sand. Where plants are grown on contract, and de¬ 
livered to one party only, he becoming responsible for 
the whole, or where the grower can plant in the open 
THE WOODPILE MUST BE KEPT UP! Fig. 27. 
ground, eliminating the cost of sash, frames, bottom 
heat and a portion of the labor, this price can be ma¬ 
terially reduced, and still leave a profit for the producer. 
_ C. C. HULSART. 
FIGHTING THE SCALE. 
We have at the present about 14 acres of orchard, 
consisting of 11 of apples and three of peaches. Two 
acres of our apples were planted probably 30 or even 35 
years ago. Aside from the fact that they are almost all 
badly infested with the San Josescale,theirbearing would 
indicate that they are good for at least 10 years yet, with 
proper care. Their condition is the same as that of 
every old orchard in our community, due very largely to 
neglect and the fact that no one has any interest in the 
combat which must be waged against this pest if we are 
to expect to continue to raise fruit. So far as I know, 
our battle is the only one within a radius of 10 miles, 
and this makes it all the more stubborn by reason of the 
possibility of reinoculating even after we have exter¬ 
minated those which we now have. But though it be 
so, we hope to “win out” by eternal vigilance and per¬ 
sistently keeping after the enemy. Now, as to our 
method of warfare. This old orchard is one of those 
high-headed old ones made up largely of Fallawater, 
Spy and Rambo, which have a natural tendency to high 
heads unless kept down by proper pruning. Since this 
was neglected we have cut out the most seriously infect¬ 
ed branches and have coated the bodies all with a strong 
mixture of lime, salt and sulphur. This, too, we do reg¬ 
ularly in all our younger plots, and have found it a 
spendid companion practice with our regular spraying. 
For the purpose we have found no equipment quite so 
satisfactory and economical as a large flat-bottomed re- 
ceptable, such as a “fish kit” (it won’t upset readily) 
and a good long bristle brush. We use what painters 
designate as an 8-0, and have found them almost inde¬ 
structible, besides being far more effective and econom¬ 
ical than a whitewash brush. We have tried almost all 
the standard combinations, but have discontinued prac¬ 
tically all at the present time but one standard, kerosene, 
lime, salt and sulphur. So far as I know this combina¬ 
tion is not largely used by anyone else, but we have 
found it especially effective. By its use we have not only 
been able to kill the young scale in their migrating state, 
but when we properly apply it to the backs of the most 
hoary old fellows they succumb to its influence. We verv 
much prefer to spray when the trees are defoliated. Our 
Fall spraying continues as long as we can operate with¬ 
out our mixture freezing, and our Spring orchard work 
until there is danger of harm to the opening buds. At 
this time we don’t have over a dozen affected trees 
among our nine acres of younger ones, of which possibly 
five or six acres will do their first bearing next season. 
We have endeavored to prune judiciously, and have a 
batch of low-headed, thrifty young trees which we can 
easily reach with any ordinary spraying outfit. 
Mosgrove, Pa. _ w. m. p. 
HOW TO SAVE GIRDLED TREES. 
Usually, when a tree is girdled, it is economy to dig 
it up and plant another in its place, but occasionally, if 
a tree is valuable, it may pay to try to save it. If so 
the following method may be used with more or less 
success. In the Spring, when the tree is found girdled, 
take a small chisel and drive it into the bark above and 
below the girdled portion as shown by the dotted lines 
in A, shown below. Then cut some healthy twigs from 
* 
the top of the tree (large twigs of the preceding year’s 
growth are more desirable), and cut them a little longer 
than the distance between the opposite cut in the tree, 
as shown. Sharpen both ends and bend the twig until 
both ends can be inserted in the cuts; then press them 
in until the twig is as nearly straight as possible, taking 
care that there is a perfect union between the inner 
bark of the twig and tree. Four or more should be 
placed around the tree, according to its size, as shown 
in B. After all the arches are in place the whole 
should be covered with grafting wax. If the work 
has been skillfully done the tree will continue to grow: 
and in a few years will be completely cured except for 
a slight enlargement. The wound should be closely 
watched at first, for it makes an excellent harbor for 
insects. 1 his is only a kind of grafting, the principle 
being to unite the two portions of the bark with the 
bark of the twig, which performs the necessary func¬ 
tions until new bark is grown. In grafting it is neces¬ 
sary to remember it is the layer between the bark and 
the wood, known as the cambium layer, which per¬ 
forms the necessary functions of life, and that this 
portion of scion and stock must be united before growth 
will result. _ w. j. w. 
SHEEP IN A BRUSH ORCHARD. 
Last year Austin Herrick of Ohio told about planting trees 
in brush and turning sheep into the orchard. How does he 
keep the.sheep from killing the trees? 
As soon as I cut and burn off a piece of land I set out 
the trees 40 by 40 feet alternately, dig holes large enough 
to set them only. I then put about one bushel of cow 
manure close around each tree for mulch; this manure 
will not heat, and will not dry out so much, and will 
keep the roots moist. I then get poultry wire with 
inch mesh, cut in strips six inches by three feet, roll it 
around a broom handle, and then put on the tree. I 
trim all young trees up to a straight whip when set, and 
then form the head well up. I try to buy my trees 
about two years in advance, and set them in nursery 
rows; get trees four to five feet, and then when I set 
a piece take them up with plenty of dirt on the roots, 
set them on a stone boat or low wagon, and put them in 
the hole, dirt and all. They go right along this way. 
It seems since they fumigated trees to take a year or two 
to get them started right. 
I keep the brush that grows up in the piece cut down, 
and in a short time, if kept cut, the sheep will kill it all 
out, but you must keep it cut down so they can browse 
it off, and in about three years your orchard will all be 
in good pasture with a good sod. Once in awhile a 
sheep will get to gnawing trees, but when they do so 
you must take her right out and send her to the butcher. 
I only took out one last year out of 70. She did not 
gnaw, but would go straddle of a young tree and bend 
it down and trim the top up. It is easy to catch them. 
If one gnaws the trees drive the flock slowly up around 
the tree, and if not frightened she will run up to the 
tree for a bite of bark. I keep salt in a box or in some 
kettle or crock in the pasture for the sheep all the time. 
I think this makes a difference also. 
Ohio. AUSTIN HERRICK, 
