274 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 30, 
sun to ripen. On September 15 -we picked bushel of 
green tomatoes, the last of the crop, thus producing 
that enormous crop in a trifle more than 100 days from 
the setting of the plants. Such results cannot be ob¬ 
tained unless the work is thoroughly done, and the sea¬ 
son and conditions are exceptionally favorable. As all 
localities have their advantages and disadvantages, and 
the above crops were raised for seed, I will not attempt 
to figure out the profit, leaving that part to the reader 
to figure out according to his own conditions. 
Rensselaer Co., N. Y. John jeannin, jr. 
GREATER CORN YIELDS. 
WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NEW ENGLAND. 
Our Heritage of Types. 
Before there is any danger of frost the breeder should 
go through the 48 detasscled rows and mark 15 or 20 
good ears in each row. This selection should be made 
by the standards suggested in our previous article. 
The selected ears, marked with the row number, should 
be picked as soon as they are sufficiently mature, and 
placed where they will be properly dried. When the 
rest of the plot is ready to harvest, each row should 
be cut and bundled separately, and marked with the 
row number. When dry enough to husk, husk each 
row separately and weigh it, adding to this figure the 
weight of the selected corn from that row. We now 
have the weights of all the corn produced upon each 
detasseled row; in other words, the produce of each 
mother ear, to compare with each other. It is not a 
rare thing to find one row producing twice as much 
corn as a row near to it; that is, the mother ear of 
the first row had twice the productive power of the 
mother ear of the second row. With these weights as 
a basis, we discard one-half of the rows and take our 
seed corn only from 24 rows which have been proven 
to come from the best producing ears. From each of 
these rows we select four ears, again making our 96 
seed ears for next year’s planting. 
In order to reduce the error of comparing rows 
which have been too far apart and possibly upon un¬ 
even ground, it is well to consider the breeding plot in 
four quarters, and to compare only rows grown upon 
the same quarter, with each other. That is, take six 
rows from the even (detasseled) rows numbered from 
two to 24, and six from those numbered 26 to 48, etc. 
This method will also keep us from selecting too many 
rows from a part of the plot which may have had an 
advantage in position over another part. We should 
take no more than four ears from each row, because of 
their close family relationship and the probability of 
injury from too close breeding. In succeeding years 
we must be careful to lay out a plan to keep near 
relatives as far apart as possible in the plot. To do 
this successfully a record must be kept of all cars 
planted from year to year, together with the mother 
ears from which they came. 1 hen each year plant 
two of the ears from each row in even numbered 
(detasseled) rows, in the quarter in which they grew 
the preceding season. I he other two ears from that 
row are taken to another quarter and planted in odd 
numbered (tasseled) rows. By keeping this in mind, 
a little planning will keep our ‘‘blood lines” as far 
apart as is possible in a small breeding plot. 
The corn breeder cannot afford to sell the product 
from his breeding plot. He should make a second 
selection of all the good seed ears from the best yield- 
ini' rows of the plot, and mix the seed together to 
plant a field, from the product of which he can sell to 
his customers. Care should be taken to have this field 
also isolated from other kinds of corn, in order to 
prevent crossing. It is care in all the small points that 
counts, for we are not so apt to make mistakes in the 
large generalities. There is great reason to believe 
that by the use of proper methods of selection, accurate 
tests of germination and proper treatment of the soil, 
we can double our present corn yields, greatly increase 
our profits, and still maintain the fertility of our soil. 
Connecticut Experiment Station. e. m. east. 
SPRAYING MELONS TO PREVENT BLIGHT. 
Last Fall you wrote me for my experience in con¬ 
trolling Melon blight with the use of Bordeaux Mixture. 
At the time your letter was received I was still picking 
from the sprayed vines, and at that time wished to see 
how the vines held up to the end of the season. I have 
been conducting experiments along this line for six 
or eight years. In northern Michigan my experiments 
have been very satisfactory. In 1904 and 1905 thorough 
spraying gave us a full crop of high quality melons, 
while those grown by neighbors under like conditions 
and same sOil were an entire failure, producing no mar¬ 
ketable fruits whatever. (These were unsprayed.) The 
season of 1906 the unsprayed fields produced a fair crop 
of good quality, but the climatic conditions were dif¬ 
ferent. My success in controlling this fungus in Michi¬ 
gan has led me to increase my acreage there, so as to do 
a car-lot business this Fall. Careful tests in Indiana 
have proved that a much better quality melon can be 
grown on sprayed fields than on unsprayed, but while the 
foliage is preserved in a more healthy condition, the 
crop is retarded in ripening from a week to 10 days, and 
SETTING THE STRAWBERRY PLANT. Fig. 126. 
often the depression in the market results in no financial 
gain. But results obtained last season in Indiana were 
on one 10-acre plot that was sprayed but once, and that 
at the time the first cantaloupes were beginning to net 
over thoroughly, or about 10 days ahead of picking 
WORKING TIIE STRAWBERRIES. Fig. 127. 
time. This 10-acre plot was one-quarter of a 40-acre 
field, and after the foliage on the three other plots 
was seared and brown, the foliage on the plot with 
the late spraying remained quite green, and gave good 
picking for 10 days later than the other. The three other 
THE STRAWBERRY PLANTS AT THEIR BEST. Fig. 128. 
plots were sprayed twice in the earlier part of the 
season. 
No amount of spraying has yet enabled us to keep 
our vines entirely clean of this fungus. A small ex¬ 
periment was made in Michigan last season by turning 
the vines over and spraying both sides of the leaves. 
This plot gave us best foliage of any, remaining green 
until snow covered the vines in the hall. I could not 
see as much benefit on fields sprayed jn Tennessee last 
season, or in sections farther north. The heavier rain¬ 
fall I think had much to do with this. 
As to varieties that are more blight resistant than 
others, I have found the Hoodoo to be the best of those 
I have tested. Last season in Tennessee I noticed an¬ 
other fungus on the leaves of some vines. J hose vines 
thus affected were almost wholly unaffected by the other 
fungus, while the fruits were of fine quality and the 
vines remained green throughout the season, or till the- 
melons were harvested. I shall keep close watch for 
this, this season, and send it to the Agricultural De¬ 
partment at Washington. Perhaps we may yet be able 
to fight the fungus with its own weapon. paui. rose. 
ADVICE ABOUT A PIPE. 
On page 63 C. A. D. asks'about piping water. He 
shoidd start his pipe line with 1%-wch pipe, and run 
at least 100 feet, more would be better, then decrease 
to 1-inch, running about twice as much as the 1 Ya, 
then the remainder three-quarters-inch. Short branches 
at the terminal can be half-inch. In place of trying to 
bring the ditch to an even grade, just put pipe well 
below frost line, and at apex of each hill put in a tee 
with a quarter-inch side outlet, turning the small 
opening straight up, screwing in a piece of LHnch pipe 
to come above the ground, placing a pet-cock on the 
end of same. This can be opened from time to time, 
allowing the accumulation of air to escape, and alleviate 
the air lock thereby. If more than one air-cock is in 
use open the one nearest the source of supply first, 
leave open until water comes freely, then close. Often 
when a deep ravine is crossed lower than the place of 
delivery one or two such vents are put in the trough. 
To prevent freezing get what is termed a stop and 
waste with a removable key. Remove the key and use 
a piece of three-eighths square iron rod, bending at one 
end for a handle. The straight end will fit in the socket 
in place of the original key; then put some rock or 
coarse gravel around the stop and waste, and cover with 
earth same as pipe, with the rod water can be turned 
on and off at will, when no water will be left in pipe 
exposed to freeze. m. l. owen. 
Kentucky. __ 
THE YOUNG PEOPLE ON THE FARM. 
Fig. 126 shows how a lesson is given to my little boy 
in setting strawberry plants. I try to teach them how 
to use the camera and note book in our farm and gar¬ 
den work. My boy, aged 10 years, is setting a plant, 
and my little girl, aged 12 years, is using the camera. 
After the plant is set under my instructions, and the 
operation photographed, the children write in their note 
books all details of the work that has been done, from 
the preparing of the soil to the setting of the plant. 
In this way we try to photograph and record for future 
reference, the work of growing our farm and garden 
crops. Fig. 127 shows the boy using the wheel hoe 
in cultivating strawberry plants. Fig. 128 shows the 
boy and girl in the strawberry bed. I believe that by 
doing the work of growing a crop of strawberries, and 
marketing them and then learning how to spend the 
money rightly, they are getting an education the public 
school cannot give them. My experience with children 
has taught me that it is of but little use to give them 
a plot of land to cultivate, or a calf or chickens to feed, 
unless you are willing to work with them, a part of the 
time, and become as interested in it as they. Children 
soon lose their interest in work when left alone. They 
come into the realities of life through play, and they 
must be allowed to take all the steps that lie between 
childhood and manhood. We must have patience and 
wait for them to learn, and not expect them to do the 
work of men and women while they are children. My 
plan is to try to have them do some work every morning, 
and after work is done they have their time for play. 
The kind of play has its influence on the boy’s char¬ 
acter. I would not provide a boy with a gun or rod, 
but would try so to teach him that he would not wish 
to injure any living thing. 1 would provide him with 
carpenter tools and bench, also with a camera, micro¬ 
scope and field glass, boxes or books for specimens, and 
then take walks with him in the fields or woods and try 
to interest him in nature. If you wish to get at the 
heart of a boy you must enter into his play with the 
spirit of a boy. You must make him your companion 
in play and work. When there is such companionship 
your boy will be ready and glad to assist you in the 
farm work, and you need not fear that other attractions 
will take him away. Provide a home for him in which 
there are good books; take the best agricultural papers, 
give him a good room in the home; clothing so he can 
dress neatly, plenty of good plain food; interest him 
in useful work and see that he has time for the best 
recreation, and he will stay on the farm, because he has 
learned to love it and its associations. There the boy 
and girl will develop the best type of manhood and 
womanhood. w. H. jenkins. 
Delaware Co., N. Y. 
