288 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 31, 
uralisms 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
Locust Tree Culture.—T he planting 
of locust trees for timber and posts in 
the greater part of the United States, 
Canada and Mexico has been an almost 
unbroken tale of failure and disappoint¬ 
ment for the last 60 years or more, yet 
the artificial propagation of this most use¬ 
ful and fast growing tree is now more 
strongly urged than ever. Extensive 
plantings by railroad companies for tie 
purposes are reported in the newspapers, 
amounting, in the case of one Pennsylvania 
road, to a million and a half trees, and 
other similar but less extensive projects 
under both corporate and individual man¬ 
agement are said to be under way. In¬ 
quiries constantly come from farmers and 
land owners concerning the best methods 
of growing locust from seeds or suckers. 
It seems as if the history of almost uni¬ 
form disaster in the culture of locust is 
likely to be overlooked or forgotten, but 
there is little real probability that better 
success will reward present efforts than 
those of the past. 
The Black or Yellow Locust. —There 
are two native trees commonly called lo¬ 
cust, an eastern species, Robinia Pseuda- 
cacia, known locally both as Black and 
Yellow locust, and the Honey locust of 
the Middle West, Gleditschia triacanthos. 
In these remarks we refer wholly to the 
eastern tree, giving it the most usual 
name of Black locust. The wood is in 
every way more valuable than that of 
the Honey locust, and if it could be had 
in* quantity in large sizes would likely 
be the most precious of our forest pro¬ 
ductions, used for its beauty and iron¬ 
clad durability alike in the finest cabinet 
work and in the most important building 
operations. As it now grows, every piece 
of locust timber of sufficient length to 
make a fence post, four inches square, is 
worth from 25 to 50 cents, according to 
locality, and the supply rarely equals the 
demand. In actual durability in the soil 
Black locust probably excels all other 
native woods. Sound posts known to be 
in place for 50 to 70 years are not uncom¬ 
mon, and the average life of a good post 
can safely be reckoned as between 35 and 
40 years. Osage orange, Catalpa speciosa 
and Red cedar are about the only rivals 
of locust in durability. The first is a small 
tree, rarely furnishing bulk enough for 
ties or posts, but is exceedingly lasting. 
Catalpa is now in great favor, and is 
largely planted, being of rapid growth 
and comparatively free from insects. It 
is probably inferior to locust in actual 
durability, but is a promising tree for 
culture. Red cedar is still abundant in 
the Atlantic Coast region, and as it is 
of slow growth and scarcely half as last¬ 
ing as locust has not yet been regarded as 
worth planting for economical purposes 
Black locust appears to have originally 
grown only east of the Allegheny Moun¬ 
tains, between New York and Georgia, but 
by emigration and artificial dispersion the 
seeds have been carried over a great por¬ 
tion of the north temperate zone, and 
the tree is now established in many 
foreign countries as well as over the 
greater part of North America, growing 
with much vigor and reaching full ma¬ 
turity only in the comparatively few 
localities where its natural insect parasites 
have not been able to follow. 
The Locust Borer. —Several insects ha¬ 
bitually prey on the Black locust, depend¬ 
ing entirely on this tree for their develop¬ 
ment through the larval stage of their ex¬ 
istence. One tunnels the leaflets and an¬ 
other produces the well-known gall-like 
enlargement of the growing twigs. Both do 
considerable injury, but the worst of all is 
the larvae or grub of a common long¬ 
horned beetle seen abundantly in late 
Fall feeding on the pollen of goldenrod 
and wild Aster blooms. The eggs are 
deposited in the locust in the soft layer 
of cambium or new wood of the year’s 
growth, and the larvae, after gaining suffi¬ 
cient strength, bore through the wood of 
the trunk and large branches in all di¬ 
rections, finally rendering it useless for 
economical purposes, and often in the 
end killing out the tree, which, however, 
usually attempts to prolong its life by a 
plentiful production of suckers from the 
roots. This borer has accompanied the 
Black locust through the greater extent 
of its dissemination, but has never become 
established in the extreme western part 
of the United States, especially California, 
where the tree vigorously flourishes, nor 
in any European country. Locust is high¬ 
ly appreciated abroad as an ornamental 
tree, and has been most successfully culti¬ 
vated in Germany and Hungary for its 
excellent timber, which is in high demand 
for posts, railway ties, mine props and 
grape trellis work. In Hungary especially 
it is grown with much profit, and is given 
the foremost place among deciduous trees 
for economic use. European insects do 
not trouble it, and our borer has, so far, 
never appeared there. 
About 80 years ago William Cobbett, a 
noted English economical writer, strongly 
advocated the planting of the American 
Black locust in the British Islands, urging 
its great advantages over all other trees, 
but foresters were skeptical and still con¬ 
tinue raising larches, firs, oaks and other 
slow-developing species, though locust is 
known to grow admirably in the soil and 
climate and to remain entirely free from 
the terrible insect handicap it must strug¬ 
gle against in its native home. An early 
adoption of locust would have been of 
incalculable value to the timber interests 
of Great Britain. 
No Way to Control the Pest. —If lo¬ 
cust has met with tardy appreciation 
abroad the admirable qualities of the wood 
early impressed American settlers, and as 
the forests thinned out some effort was 
made to preserve and extend native stands 
of this valuable tree. As emigrants 
pressed westward over the plains seeds 
were carried by the homeseekers, and so 
successfully grown that the great Upper 
Mississippi Valley soon became almost a 
grove of locusts. Whole towns and vil¬ 
lages were fragrant in Spring with the 
blooms of locusts that bordered the 
streets, and prairie farmers planted acres 
of the favorite tree, hoping to use the 
wood from them for their greatly needed 
fence posts. In the rich soils the young 
locusts grew amazingly and soon reached 
the seed-producing stage, but before they 
came to real maturity the eastern borer, 
which had been left behind in the quick 
march of emigration, came in force and 
destroyed the trees as if by pestilence. 
The remains of these early plantings have 
been largely grubbed out to make room 
for profitable crops, but there is a con¬ 
tinuous growth of young trees from 
seeds and suckers, just enough to keep up 
breeding places for the beetles. Some of 
the earliest planted trees grew to be a 
foot in diameter and furnished some use¬ 
ful timber before borer infection became 
general. Similar loss, though in less de¬ 
gree, has followed most plantings in other 
localities. There does not appear to be 
any practical remedy for locust pests. It 
is scarcely possible to destroy many of 
the adult beetles, owing to their roving 
habits, and the larvae spend their entire 
growing existence within the tissues of 
the plant, where they cannot be reached by 
insecticides. The only plausible remedy 
suggested is spraying the trees with 
whale-oil soap or some other offensive 
preparation in Autumn to discourage the 
deposition of eggs under the bark. This 
is possible in a small way. but is alto¬ 
gether too uncertain, laborious and ex¬ 
pensive for general use. Occasional 
trees everywhere escape serious injury 
from the various insect parasites, and it 
may be some are more resistant than 
others to their attacks, so that if persis¬ 
tently bred from a more or less immune 
race might be finally established. The 
freedom from injury that we occasionally 
notice in fine old specimens is, however, 
generally ascribed to specially favorable 
situations such as well-fertilized door- 
yards, the vicinity of cattle pens, etc., en¬ 
couraging growth and reducing the 
chances of infestation. 
Not Likely to Die Out. —While Black 
locust in this, its native country, is gen¬ 
erally dwarfed or killed off before useful 
maturity by its insect foes, it is not likely 
to die out as a species. It freely seeds 
when very young, and possesses an enor¬ 
mous root vitality, throwing up suckers 
with the utmost freedom when the roots 
or main trunk are from any cause injured. 
The various insect pests affect only its 
growing tissues, not its organs of repro¬ 
duction, so that there is always abundant 
increase, even from stunted specimens. 
From unknown causes there is occasional 
diminution in the activity of its parasitic 
enemies, and fairly vigorous local growths 
soon follow. It will be interesting to 
watch the fate of the present large plant¬ 
ings. if indeed they exist anywhere ex¬ 
cept on paper. The chances appear to be 
that they will meet with early destruction, 
but some unlooked-for natural cause, or 
discovery, may avert the expected disas¬ 
ter. There is every reason, however, to 
encourage locust planting in the distant 
localities, not infested with the borer, and 
to experiment in a small way in preserv¬ 
ing native stands. w. v. f. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
I t. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
"a square deal." See guarantee, page 18. 
TO INSURE KILLING THE 
SAN JOSE SCALE 
PREPARE YOUR OWN 
LIME SULPHUR WASH 
AND BE SURE TO USE 
FLOWERS 
(Note the Spelling) 
Leggett’s Dusters 
DISTRIBUTE 
INSECTICIDES 
IN DUST FORM 
saving Fruit and Vegetable Crops when other 
methods fail. 
NO BARREL OF WATER TO HAUL 
LEGGETT’S 
CHAMPION 
,DUSTER 
Two Acres of Potatoes 
dusted per hour. 
Several styles for 
GARDEN, 
FIELD 
OR 
ORCHARD 
Our i spray Calendar gives concise information regardlug 
Dusters and Materials. Mailed on request. 
Leggett & Bro., 301 Pearl St., New York. 
Monarch 
Hydraulic 
Cider Press 
Great strength and ca. 
pacity; all sizes; also 
gasoline engines, 
steam engines, 
saw mills, thresh¬ 
ers. Catalog free. 
lonarchMachlntnrCo., Room 161, 39 Cortland! Si.. New York. 
SPRAY OR SURRENDER 
that is the ultimatum that in¬ 
sects and fungi have served 
on every fruit-grower of 
America. If you do 
not heed the warning 
you will not get profits 
from your orchards. 
Every man who sprays intel¬ 
ligently, at the proper time, 
finds it the most profitable 
operation on the farm. 
Send for illustrated catalogue 
of the ECLIPSE Spray Pumps 
and outfits. 
Morrill & Morley, Beaton Harbor, Mich. 
High Grade Brass 
Sprayers 
Single and double act¬ 
ing. Bucket, Knapsack. 
Barrel, Pumps, nozzles 
and appliances. 
> Best and most complete pump and N 
sprayer line made. Catalog free. 
BARNES MF6. C0„ DepL 13 , Mansflald, Ohio, 
-BOOK ON SPRAYING 
Stud for a copy of our new book on how 
to spray. Contains valuable formulas, 
and also describes the PERFECTION SPRAY- 
ER— simplest, strongest, most powerful sprayer ever 
invented. Don’t buy a sprayer until you get this book. 
THOMAS PEPFLKR, Box 45, Hlghtstown, N, J. 
WEBSTER BASKET CO. 
Manufacturers of the best 
WIRE SEWED 
99 $ 
T YOUR IDEAS 
$100,000 offered for one In¬ 
vention; $8,500 for another. 
Book "How to Obtain a Patent" and 
“What to Invent" sent free. Send 
rough sketch for free report as to 
patentability. We advertise your 
patent for sale at our expense. 
Chandiee & Chandlee, Patent Attorney*, 
979 F. Street, Washington, D. C. 
BERRY BASKET 
Box 
ON THE MARKET. 
Get our catalogue with prices 
before ordering elsewhere. 
WEBSTER BASKET CO., 
35, Webster, Monroe Co., New York. 
OF SULPHUR 
BERGEN PORT 
Brand, which is prepared especially for 
Spraying Purposes. Combines easily, 
quickly and completely with Lime. In¬ 
sist on having it. Ask your Dealer or 
write to the manufacturers, 
T. & S. C. WHITE CO., 
28 Burling Slip, New York. 
KIL'®=SGALE 
Kills the Scale, a combination of Soluble Petro¬ 
leum and sulphur. Write for circular. On sale in 
New York by Henderson & Co., Stumpp & Walter, 
Weeber & Don, and Philadelphia by H. A. Dreer 
and H. F. Michell. 
C iy^wqciv fattwie? 
The great soil improver for Peas, Beans, Clovers, &c. 
Write for prices and circular. GRIFFITH & TUR¬ 
NER CO., 211 N. Paca Street, Baltimore, Md. 
HURSTWI 
POTATO 
.SPRAYER . 
*REETRIAL| 
Sprays Everything. 
Potatoes, Truck, etc., 4 
rows at a time, 20 acres 
& day. Even 2-acre grow¬ 
ers say, “Pays for itself 
first season,” as it has *o j 
many use9. (Also a first class Tree Sprayer). 
Has HIGH PRESSURE, and delivers a“FOG'Tike spray 
Perfect agitation. All working parts made of ‘‘BRASS . 
Runs very easy, a BOY 16 years old can operate it with 
ease. (Horse-hitch for hilly country). FIRST ORDER 
where no Agent, gets wholesale price, or will take extra 
yield one acre our pay. Sent on 10 DAYS' TRIAL—does 
not cost you one cent if not satisfac ory. GUARANTEED 
for 2 yrs. We give one aw ay, in each locality for a little 
help in Advertising. Write today for our liberal term9. 
H. 1. HURST MFG. CO., 1501 North Street, Canton, 0. 
Automatic In every section, including pressure, 
direction of spray end the removing of any sedi- 
01 clog nozz l es - 
Mas no equal for Orchards, Vineyards, or Row 
Crops. 86-page booklet T free. Agents wanted. 
SPRAHOTOR CO. f 
BUFFALO. N. Y. LONDON. CAW. 
Denting Power Sprayer 
Self-contained, simple, light, pract¬ 
ical. Load it on wagon box or tank 
wagon and attach hose and you are 
ready for work. The Ideal outfit 
for orchardlsts and park 
managers. The only really 
efficient gasoline engine out¬ 
fit that sells at a reasonable 
price. 
Everythin;! in Sprayers 
Bucket, Barrel, Knapsack, 
Hand, Etc, outfits adapted 
to every purpose. Don’t buy 
till you Investigate the 
famous Denting line. 
Catalogue Free. 
THE DEMING CO., 
200 Depot St. 
SALEM, OHIO. 
More Power Spraying outfits with 
our 1*2 and 2 ht H. P. AIK-COOLKI) 
Engines are used than all others com¬ 
bined. No water to freeze or earry. 
It is light. Write for Catalog 5 on 
Engines for Power and Spraying. 
R. H. DEYO & CO., Binghamton, New York. 
Ills Worth While 
Buy a machine that does the work 
right — that cleans its strainer 
automatically with a brush , 
mixes liquid mechanically so that 
oliagc is never burned, but gets 
ts due proportion. 
Empire King, and 
Orchard Monarch 
do these things. They ihrow fluent 
■pray, are easiest to work and they 
never clog. You ought to know 
more about them. Write for in¬ 
struction book on spraying, form¬ 
ulas, etc. Mailed free. 
FIELD FORCE PIMP CO., 
No. 2 11th St. , Elmira, N. Y. 
SPRAYING 
FRUIT TREES 
is no longer an experiment, 
hut a necessity. Prevents 
wormy fruit by destroy¬ 
ing all insect pests 
and fungus diseases. 
Every farmer, gar- 
dener,f rui tor flower 
grower should write 
for my free cata¬ 
logue, describing 21 
styles of Spraying 
Outfits, and contain¬ 
ing a full treatise on 
spraying fruit and vege¬ 
table crops, and much 
_ valuable information. 
WM. STAHL SPRAYER CO., Box 70 L Quincy, III. 
^Auto-Spray 
4 gal. tank, brass pump, operates by 
compressed air. 12strokes give pressure 
to spray y A acre. Auto-Pop Attachment 
cleans nozzle every time used; saves 
half the mixture. Best line high grade 
sprayers, hand and power, in America. 
Catalog free. Good agents wanted. 
E. C. BROWN CO., 
28 Jay St. ( Rochester, N. Y. 
FLEXIBLE 
Garden Implements 
FOUR TOOLS and TRUCK. Has Cultivating Rakes 
Gopher Blades, Chisel Edged Cultivators, Bar Share 
Plow aud Truck. THE O NLY FLEXIBLE PLOW. 
Catalog Free. The Mobile Garden Implement Mfg Co , 27 Oak St., Mt. Gilead, O. 
