THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
81 
i$or. 
TOBACCO DUST TREATMENT FOR 
WOOLLY APHIS. 
Wliat are the facts regarding the use of 
tobacco dust or stems around fruit trees and 
their roots as a protection against insects? 
I was discoverer of this method of 
fighting this insect, and can say that from 
several years’ experience with the tobacco 
that the only benefit derived from its use 
will come from the use of tobacco dust. 
I have never been able to get any benefit 
whatever from the use of tobacco stems 
or strippings. These stems and strippings 
make the very best and most effectual 
dust, but must be powdered by machinery. 
When I first started my experiments to¬ 
bacco dust was a drug on the market, and 
had no value whatever; since the experi¬ 
ments were successful, tobacco dust has 
sold for $10 a ton, the next year for $15, 
the next year for $20, and it is now sold 
for $20 a ton, but half by bulk (which 
means vastly more by weight) is dirt, 
thus showing the means of adulteration 
employed to-day. j. M. stedman. 
Missouri Experiment Station. 
R. N.-Y.—In a bulletin issued by the 
Missouri station Prof. Stedman says: 
I would advise the use of finely powdered 
tobacco or tobacco dust as a means of kill¬ 
ing the root Inhabiting .forms of the Woolly 
aphis on apple trees, and would urge its use 
every Spring as a preventive. Always apply 
the tobacco dust, as above directed, by re¬ 
moving the earth from around the trunk of 
the tree for a distance of two feet and from 
four to six inches In depth, and evenly dis¬ 
tribute the tobacco in this excavation, taking 
care to place it close to the trunk also, and 
then cover it with the earth. Judging from 
experiments, it is believed that the liberal 
use of tobacco dust, applied as stated, will 
cheaply and effectually kill and hold in check 
the Woolly aphis and prevent serious in¬ 
jury from this pest In planting an apple 
orchard in newly cleared timber land, it is 
advisable to cultivate the land in some other 
crop such as corn for two years before the 
apple trees are set out. This will kill the 
Woollv aphis that may be cm the roots of 
the wild crab and allied trees, which would 
otherwise infest iti great numbers and serious¬ 
ly Injure the young apple trees. 
We have used tobacco dust when plant¬ 
ing trees, using about a pint put around 
tlie tree after the hole was half filled up, 
so that the roots were covered, and find it 
an excellent means of keeping the Woolly 
aphis from the roots. We have also ap¬ 
plied from a pint to a quart to trees 
three to five years old, digging away the 
soil, applying the tobacco dust, and cover¬ 
ing the dust with the soil again; this we 
find a good preventive and somewhat of a 
fertilizer. We have also applied loads of 
stems and the coarser stalks as a mulch, 
and find it the only mulch which has 
been a safe one for us to use. It helps to 
keep the borers from the trees, holds the 
Woolly aphis in check, keeps the mice 
from girdling, protects the trees both in 
Winter and Summer, as does any other 
mulch. It is the very best mulch tlr t 
can possibly be used. We have never 
had any trouble with mice in this mulch 
although they may get in it. I should ad¬ 
vise using all the tobacco that can be se¬ 
cured, and mulch all the trees possible of 
every kind and nature. L. a. Goodman. 
Missouri. _ 
About Alfalfa Seeding. 
G. II. Scipiovillc, N Y .—I have a piece of 
ground, perhaps two acres, that 1 plowed 
last Fall, Intending to sow to wheat, but it 
was so hard I gave It up and did not sow 
it. I would like to sow It with Alfalfa. 
What would be the liest way to treat it, and 
when to sow it? Could 1 sow it in time to get 
a cutting next Fall, or would it be better not 
to cut it? How much seed shall I sow to 
the acre? 
Ans. —You must understand that Al¬ 
falfa is an exacting crop so far as soil 
conditions are concerned, and that if it is 
the natural characteristics of the soil that 
caused it to be in unfit condition for 
wheat seeding last Fall, it is doubtful if 
it can be put in fit condition for seeding 
to Alfalfa next Spring. Alfalfa is best 
suited with a deep, porous, mellow soil 
with a subsoil that permits of good drain¬ 
age. Alfalfa is also a lime-loving plant, 
and soils rich in lime are most favorable. 
If soils are naturally deficient in lime, it 
becomes necessary to resort to dressings 
of lime in order to overcome this defici¬ 
ency. The young Alfalfa plants are ten¬ 
der and rather weak growers, so that 
conditions must be made favorable if they 
are to become well established. The soil 
should be made fertile and the seed bed 
should be fine, with the sub-surface fairly 
well compacted so as to bring moisture up 
near the surface. When the plants are 
well established with their roots pene¬ 
trating deeply into the soil the Alfalfa is 
hardy and able to rustle for itself. Weeds 
are a serious hindrance to starting an Al¬ 
falfa field, and if the ground is badly in¬ 
fested it is better to defer the seeding for 
a year, or at least for a part of the sea¬ 
son, in order to give opportunity thor¬ 
oughly to clean the soil. Sometimes 
weedy ground is given a very thorough 
fallow during the early portion of the 
season, and the seeding deferred until 
August. In this case most of the weeds 
are destroyed, and those that do start are 
killed by frost before they have very ma¬ 
terially interfered with the crop. Still, 
sown at this date, the Alfalfa has time 
to become well established before Winter 
sets in. The rate of seeding varies from 
20 to 30 pounds per acre, 25 probably be¬ 
ing the usual amount sown. It is con¬ 
sidered best not to sow a nurse crop with 
the Alfalfa, but to give the latter full 
possession of the land, although in some 
instances, owing to prevalence of weeds, 
the crop does better if grown with a 
nurse crop. Usually no crop is expected 
to be harvested during the first season, 
but when sown early, if favorable weather 
conditions ensue, a moderate crop is some¬ 
times harvested. Whether a crop is se¬ 
cured for hay making or not it is neces¬ 
sary to clip the Alfalfa once or twice 
during the season to keep down weeds, 
and particularly if the Alfalfa turns yel¬ 
low as the result of blight, mow off the 
diseased portion and allow a new, healthy 
growth. j. L. STONE. 
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The Much Needed Element of Plant Food. 
POTASH develops Starch ; hence its importance for Corn and 
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Peruvian Fertilizer for Legumes and Fruits. 12.00-13.70% Potash 
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