THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
i I I i 
i 
177 
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190$. 
Salt On Asparagus. 
C. 0. 0., Dowagiac, Mich. — I have a few 
acres of asparagus where many weeds ripened 
seeds last season. How much salt per acre 
should be used to prevent much weed growth 
this season ? The plants are in rows one 
way, so I can keep down many weeds with 
cultivator. 
Ans. —Asparagus can endure an almost 
unlimited amount of salt, which probably 
only benefits the plants indirectly by at¬ 
tracting moisture and rendering the fer¬ 
tility already in the soil more available. 
For the purpose of killing weeds it may 
be applied at the rate of 600 to Sf)f) pounds 
to the acre. Probably a better plan would 
be to use 1,200 to 1,500 pounds per acre 
of kainit. The amount of salt would be 
about the same, and the potash contained 
in addition would doubtless be of much 
benefit to the crop. 
Birds and Honeysuckle. 
J. M. H., Sturgis, S. D. —It is claimed that 
birds prefer the fruits of the Tartarian 
honeysuckle to cultivated berries, and will 
leave fruit gardens for honeysuckle hedges 
when the fruits are ripe. Is this honey¬ 
suckle hardy between latitudes 44-45 in the 
Black Hills, South Dakota? Is it as hardy 
as the ordinary honeysuckle? Is it usually 
full of fruits? Do birds leave other fruits 
to eat the berries? 
Ans. —The Tartarian honeysuckle 
should be fairly hardy in your locality. 
It is a native of Siberia, and can endure 
very intense cold, but is sometimes killed 
out by cold, dry winds when planted in 
light soil. It generally fruits with great 
profusion. The berries are very orna¬ 
mental, but are not particularly liked by 
birds. As grown here fruit-eating birds 
will not touch it, preferring cherries, 
strawberries, grapes and other garden 
fruits. There is a good deal of nonsense 
in the idea that it will ever be useful to 
divert fruit-eating birds from destroying 
garden fruits. In other ways it is a very 
beautiful and desirable shrub, the flowers 
being sweetly scented. 
The India Raspberry. 
W. M., Provo, Utah. —Is there a berry 
known by the name of India raspberry that 
will grow from one to two inches in diameter 
which they claim for it? 
Ans. —The Monblo India raspberry is 
nothing else than the well-known 
“Strawberry-raspberr}',” a wild Japanese 
species known botanically as Rubus rosie- 
folius. It is a very handsome plant, dy¬ 
ing to the ground every Wfiner, but send¬ 
ing up shoots 18 to 20 inches high the 
next Summer, with large white blossoms, 
followed by very large and showy bright 
red raspberry-like fruits, of bitter or in¬ 
sipid flavor. It has absolutely no value 
as a fruiting plant, owing to the low final¬ 
ity of the berries, but it is very orna¬ 
mental. It suckers badly and is not al¬ 
ways a desirable plant to have in the gar¬ 
den. 
Reversion of Turnips. 
A. P., Winston, N. C. —As a market gar¬ 
dener of 50 years’ experience, I have met with 
many freaks of nature, but last year I was 
confronted with something that puzzles me 
completely. Three years ago I raised an ex¬ 
ceptionally fine crop of the Mammoth I’urple- 
Top Globe turnip. They were all such beauti¬ 
ful specimens that I decided to save some of 
the best roots for planting for seed, as I 
feared I never could get such a pure strain 
again. I have grown two crops from the seed 
saved, and having a few pounds left last year 
sowed them, thinking that if the seed ger¬ 
minated, if it was old seed, it would be all 
right. Ilad any other person charge of the 
seed I would have thought the seed had been 
changed, but then again I could never imagine 
where such could come from. I sowed every 
two weeks from middle of August, so it is not 
the moon, as one of the neighbors said. But 
to explain: When the rough leaves began 
to appear I noticed a very different foliage 
than the true Purple-Top Globe. It grew 
vigorously, but, though on good ground and 
thinned to eight or nine inches and well culti¬ 
vated, there was no sign of a turnip. The 
leaves were almost as large as tobacco, crin¬ 
kled like a Savoy cabbage, but the color and 
texture of mustard. Some ran up to seed : 
there was no sign of a bulb. The only thing 
it reminds me of is that once I sowed an 
acre of oats. At harvest time it turned out 
to be cheat, and this is a case somewhat 
similar. How may this be explained? 
Ans. —Your experience with the turnip 
crop is very interesting, but it is undoubt¬ 
edly a case of wholesale and complete re¬ 
version of a highly developed garden 
plant to its original primitive type. This 
occurs rather more frequently with the 
cabbage or Brassica family, which includes 
the turnip, than with any other garden 
vegetable. Growers of fine strains of tur¬ 
nip, ruta-baga and cabbage seeds have 
difficulty in keeping them up to the stan¬ 
dard, and are frequently troubled by sim¬ 
ilar reversions, though not always on such 
a complete scale. The change of an acre 
of oats to chess you report is not exactly 
similar. Chess and oats are botanically 
plants belonging to the same family, but 
to different species. Chess is a very hardy, 
wheat-like plant, and the seeds will re¬ 
main many years dormant in the soil, 
especially if they have been plowed down 
deeply in preparing for some previous 
cron. In vour case the oat seeds were 
originally defective or were injured when 
in the soil, so that they could not come up, 
and the soil not being occupied with any 
other crop became covered with chess, 
grown from previously existing seeds 
which might have been suppressed had the 
oat crop grown in its usual manner. 
Plum Trees With Black Knot. 
IT. A. II., Medina, O. — I have a plum or¬ 
chard of 100 Lombard trees set 12 years ago. 
The bodies look healthy, bark smooth and 
glossy, but last Summer the black knot about 
covered the branches. I thought of cutting 
off the branches about 18 inches from main 
stem, and growing a new top. Can it be 
done? When is the best time to trim? 
Ans. —It is possible to get rid of black 
knot on plum trees by cutting off the tops 
and starting a new head, taking care, of 
course, to remove every trace of the black 
knot, which should be burned to prevent 
further .spread of the trouble. We would 
advise you to wait until early April, just 
before the buds swell in the Spring. It 
is well to leave the branches about 18 
inches long from the main stem; still if 
they are knotty they can be cut even 
closer than that, with a likelihood of buds 
growing out from the bark and forming a 
new head in a few years. 
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ELECTRIC STE Wheels 
and the 
W- ELECTRIC Wagon 
^1 More tdan a million and a quarter of them are 
In use and several hundred thousand farmers say 
that they are the best Investment they ever made. 
They’ll Bave you more money, more work, give bet¬ 
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ELECTRIC WHEEL CO., 
Box 88 Quincy, Ills 
| ITS REAL VALUE 
Considering its real, honest worth, the cost of a Champion 
Cart Is about one-half of Its value. If you could see the 
genuine, high-grade material usedin its construction you 
would realize beyond doubt why it is the best and cheapest 
cart to buy. Its style of construction commends it to the eye 
of the farmer as well as the practical horseman. It combines 
nil the good features of a Bpeod, road and breaking cart. Driver 
is always able to mount or dismount with safety—no matter what 
position the horse may bo in-a feature of value in breaking colts. 
THE CHAMPION S 
CART 
\ 
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cross-bars—one over and one below—making it practically unbreakable. Springs are long, making it 
very easy riding. Seat is upholstered and adjustable to any weight of rider thus taking the load off 
the horse. Wheels are 60 Inches high.well tired and bolted. Nicely painted and trimmed; absolutely 
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CHAMPION CART CO,, BOX 109 ; IAGONTER, INDIANA. 
FEED YOUR / 
V HUNGRY, ^ 
\ LAN D / 
I 
There 
is 
No Other 
KEMP 
It’s not getting 
enough plant nourish¬ 
ment when fed manure by the old 
fork method. The 20th Century method 
puts the fertilizing ingredients, just where 
most needed, breaks up the lumps into fine pieces, 
and showers them over the famished ground uni¬ 
formly. Increase the productiveness of your land— 
enhance the value of your farm. Grow bigger crops— 
get more profit. Do it with 
KEMP’S 
20th Century Spreader 
the newest, latest machine—the product of 31 years of uninter¬ 
rupted spreader making—the only true ‘ ‘Kemp’ ’ machine, made 
under direction of Joseph S. Kemp, the maker of the first suc¬ 
cessful spreader. We tell all about this farmer’s money¬ 
maker, time-saver and wage-reducer in our excellent cata¬ 
log. Today’s the day for you to write for it. Ask us 
for Book No. A7. It’s free. 
THE J. S. KEMP MANUFACTURING CO., 
Newark Valley, N. Y. Waterloo, Iowa. 
*ik 
* 
Double 
^Manure 
Value. 
E VERY man who has used a 
manure spreader knows that 
it doubles the value of the 
manure pile. 
Those who have not had that ex¬ 
perience will be convinced with the 
first trial. 
It is not because the manure 
spreader puts more manure on the 
land, but because it so tears apart, 
disintegrates and makes it fine that 
it all becomes available as plant food. 
Of course it takes the right kind of 
a spreader to do this work perfectly. 
The I. H. C. Spreader fits the case 
exactly. 
It is not only an unusually strong, 
well built machine, thus being dura¬ 
ble and continuing long in service, 
but it has features peculiarly its own. 
For instance: It is the only manure 
spreader having a vibrating rake in 
Go 
catalogues, or write for 
INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER CO. OF AMERICA. 
(INCORPORATED) 
front of the beater or cylinder which 
levels the load as it passes backward 
towards the spreading mechanism. 
You know, of course, that perfect 
spreading can only result when the 
load is level. 
This spreader is entirely controlled and reg¬ 
ulated in all its working parts by a single lever. 
It will spread from three to thirty loads per 
acre, and the change necessary to produce 
these desirable results can be made instantly 
while the machine is in motion. 
Power is applied to the apron of the I. H. C. 
Spreader from both sides—both rear wheels. 
This insures an even, steady feed and no strain, 
side draft or breakage. 
The I. H. C. Spreader is equipped with broad 
faced steel wheels which are best, because they 
are at once the lightest and strongest. 
It will spread any and all kinds of manure in 
any condition, and can be equipped with special 
attachments for spreading in drills and broad¬ 
casting lime, compost, ashes, cottonseed hulls, 
land plaster, etc. 
Made in several sizes to suit all classes of 
work and every section. 
to the International Local Agent and look it over, get and read the 
further information. It will pay. 
CHICAGO. V. S.A. 
$10 
One-Horse Corn, Bern and 
Garden Seeder. Drops In 
hills and drills 12 acres ft 
day. Fertilizer extra. 
$ 26 00 
Calu- 
met 
check 
row 
planter with automatic reel 
and 80 rods wire. Never 
misses; drops in hills and 
drills. We challenge the 
World with this planter. 
two section steel land 
roller. 7 ft. 3 section. 
117.50. 8ft. $18.75. Light 
running .strongest,best. 
PLOWS. 
1 .95 
and 
up. 
for this 
sickle 
grinder; grinds heel and 
point at same time. 
Grinds 6 ft. sickle in 10 
min. With 1 stone for 
sickles, $2.78. With 2 
stones for grinding all 
kinds of tools, $3.10. 
$1.15 
for automatic com¬ 
pressed air two 
gallon Bpray pump. 
Four gallon site, 
12.65. With solid 
brass tank, |4.45. 
Extension pipes 
for trees extra. 
$4.95 
ter irons and hooks, 
rope, 6 floor hooks, 3 pulleys. 
Wood, steel and cable track 
outfits any lengths. 
CUT THIS AD OUT and send i t to ns and we will mai 1 you our Aprri- 
For this 12-16 ail steel 
disc harrow. Frame is 
made of best angle steel 
Axle of cold rolled pol¬ 
ished steel. Discshighest 
grade tempered steel 
Spring seat. Draft is di¬ 
rect from axle. Guaran¬ 
teed i n every way. 
buys 
this 
double 
acting 
Tank 
Pump 
com- 
lete. 
tap. 2 
bbls. minute. Suitable for rub¬ 
ber suction hose or iron pipe. 
$6.65. 
Oblong galvanized 
9^ bbls. steel 
tank, heavy angle steel rims. 
All sixes A styles. Catalog free. 
$7195 
Steel lever harrow; cuts 
10 ft; 80 teeth; two sec¬ 
tions. 
JJ.96 
S t • a I Cultivator, 
plain, with 5 shovels, 
spreads to 33inches. 
cultural aud Farm Machinery Catalogue FREE. 
MARVIN SMITH CO. CHICAGO. 
