43o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 25, 
; Ruralisms [ 
yr w % 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
More Forest Tree Bulletins.—T he lat¬ 
est issues of “Forest Planting Leaflets” by 
the United States Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, treat of the Russian mulberry. White 
willow, box elder, hardy Catalpa, Osage 
orange, tamarack, Green ash, coffee tree. 
Yellow poplar or tulip tree, and Black 
walnut. The information, as in preceding 
numbers, is condensed and accurate, and 
should be of interest to every farmer and 
country dweller. They may be had free 
of cost by asking the Secretary of Agri¬ 
culture, Washington, D. C. That this for¬ 
est tree information is likely to be well 
circulated is shown by some of our ex¬ 
changes publishing the leaflets in serial 
form with little or no reference to its 
source. We imagine the Government for¬ 
ester who prepares them is more con¬ 
cerned in the wide dissemination of forest 
information than in getting personal credit 
for its compilation. It is good work 
VARIEGATED SWEET CORN. Fig. 202. 
to create interest in practical farm for¬ 
estry by any means. The facts concern¬ 
ing useful timber trees can scarcely be 
given too great prominence. 
Variegated Corn.—I notice on page 37S 
answer to T. H. II., Cromwell, Conn., as to 
colors of sweet corn. I send you with this 
a sample ear of “Rainbow sweet corn” cover¬ 
ing the question. This is a blending of all 
the choice and early sorts from Massachu¬ 
setts, Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 
with an old sort of black and white which 
was the only sweet corn planted in the gar¬ 
dens of this section, more than 70 years ago, 
when I was a youngster and had to plant the 
family garden. When a new variety is brought 
out and boomed there is much printed about 
its quality and fine flavor. I lind that the 
quality and flavor in corn, as in hen's eggs, 
is affected by what you feed the hen or 
plant with. Perhaps the present generation 
has not “caught on” to this idea. h. f. 
Plymouth, Conn. 
The ear is shown about natural size in 
Fig. 202. The kernels are variously col¬ 
ored, the shades running from black, pur¬ 
ple through rose, pink, dark and light yel¬ 
low, to amber, which is the ordinary col¬ 
or of cream-white table corns, in the dry 
state. It is a good, but scarcely an ex¬ 
treme instance of xenia, a newly coined 
botanical term, indicating the direct action 
of pollen on seeds or fruits developed from 
plant ovules. This is more visible in 
corn kernels than almost any other seed, 
and probably has been noticed by every 
farmer’s boy who husks out his usual 
quota of “calico” or variegated ears. 
Where two or more varieties are planted 
so near together that pollen is inter¬ 
changed by the wind, should they chance 
to bloom—that is tassel and silk—at the 
same time, there is always likely to be a 
visible admixture in the ripe grain, which 
is the more evident the greater the differ¬ 
ence is between the kinds and the greater 
the number of varieties grown together. 
Repeated trials have shown that if the 
different colored grains on a calico ear 
be assorted and planted in such isolated 
positions that no further crossing is pos¬ 
sible they will continue to produce ears 
with mixed coloring for several genera¬ 
tions, but if the selection and isolation is 
continued the variegation will progres¬ 
sively diminish until the various parental 
types are again established, but if grains 
of mixed colors are planted together the 
variegation will go on indefinitely. The 
color of corn kernels lies just within the 
cuticle or outer skin, and does not affect 
the quality, as we have as fine flavor in 
Black Mexican and Golden Bantam as in 
the best of the white or amber kinds— 
some corn epicures think better. Our 
correspondent’s idea that the quality of 
table corn is affected by the plant food 
available is scarcely borne out by observa¬ 
tion. High fertilization and intensive 
culture, by promoting vigorous growth, 
may increase succulence and an excess of 
potash, particularly in the form of sul¬ 
phate, is believed to favor starch or sugar 
formation in plants that naturally store 
their surplus energies in these forms, but 
beyond this is little to show that the 
flavor of green corn—the unripe seeds of 
the plant—is affected by variations in the 
food supply in the same manner that the 
quality of radishes, lettuce or beets, 
where rapid succulent growth is necessary. 
Table corns are much like culinary peas 
the quality, aside from varietal character¬ 
istics lies principally in their freshness— 
the promptness with which they are used 
after being gathered in the field. 
The White Fly Conquered. —The 
greenhouse Aleyrodes or Mexican white 
fly is now an established pest in almost 
every glasshouse used for growing toma¬ 
toes, cucumbers, melons and other broad¬ 
leaved plants requiring warm temper¬ 
atures. It is also present in many cooler 
houses devoted to geraniums, or vegetable 
crops such as radishes, lettuce and cauli¬ 
flower, but increases at a comparatively 
slow rate and does little harm. It is oc¬ 
casionally abundant outside during Sum¬ 
mer in the vicinity of propagating houses 
and other greenhouse establishments, be¬ 
ing chiefly found on Salvias, Petunias, 
geraniums and other broad or soft-leaved 
plants, and has even been noticed in quan¬ 
tity on strawberry foliage. It does little 
harm outside, and is not likely to increase 
to any great extent, as it is apparently 
unable to survive our Winters without 
glass protection and artifical warmth. It 
is a particularly formidable nuisance to the 
tomato forcer, and must be diligently 
controlled if profitable yields are expected. 
While very resistant to ordinary insecti- 
cides_ it, fortunately for the grower, read¬ 
ily yields to hydrocyanic gas. Multitudes 
of trials have established that in ordin¬ 
ary glass constructions the most practical 
dose is 2 l / 2 ounces 98 per cent potash 
cyanide for each 1,000 cubic feet of air 
space, to be decomposed in a mixture of 
three ounces each commercial sulphuric 
acid and water. Directions have repeat¬ 
edly been given in these columns, but it 
may be well to repeat that the cyanide 
should be weighed out in parcels of not 
more than five ounces, and each lot se¬ 
curely wrapped in paper. The acid 
should previously be poured in the needed 
quantity of water, making the dilution in 
an earthen vessel to avoid breakage from 
the heat evolved, and distributed in a 
sufficient number of jars, not over 50 feet 
apart, properly to distribute the gas. At 
night, when the plants and air are rea¬ 
sonably dry and the temperature not over 
60 degrees, the packages of cyanide are 
rapidly dropped in the jars of diluted 
acid, beginning with the one furthest from 
the door, which is immediately closed and 
locked when the last package is in. The 
operator should on no account lose a mo¬ 
ment in getting himself outside and should 
avoid deep breathing when distributing the 
cyanide, as the gas is as deadly in its ef¬ 
fect on humans as on insects. The paper 
wrapping of each parcel delays action suf¬ 
ficiently to allow an active operator to 
distribute the cyanide in a long house 
without danger but be should never turn 
back or delay after commencing the opera¬ 
tion. The house may be entered in an 
hour after the fumigation if first venti¬ 
lated from the out side by opening doors 
or ventilators, but would usually better 
be left closed until morning. Complete 
darkness and comparative coolness are 
necessary, when the gas is used in this 
strength, or there may be serious injury 
to plants. Never use it during daylight 
nor when plants are covered with mois¬ 
ture. The computation of space is made 
on the basis of the empty house; no al¬ 
lowance being made for the room occu¬ 
pied by benches, pots or plants. 
Effective on the Rural Grounds.— 
One treatment every month, beginning in 
November when the first adult flies were 
noticed, has kept the Rural Grounds 
glasshouse comfortably free from the pest 
throughout the past Winter, and has also 
kept aphids or green and black plant lice 
entirely under control. Hydrocyanic gas 
in the recommended strength has little 
effect on other pests, such as red spider, 
thrips, mosquitoes or house flies, but has 
proven after years of trial to be the 
successful remedy for white fly. w. v. f. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
it. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, page 8. 
THE DEYO 
Power Sprayer 
Mounted complete with mechanical agitator. 
Better than ever. New air-cooled engine. Other 
new features, all important to the man who 
sprays. Write for new catalogue 19—just out. 
R. H. DEYO & CO., 
BINGHAMTON, - NEW YORK 
GET THE BEST 
A Good Spray Pump earns big 
profits and lasts for years. 
THE ECLIPSE 
is a good pump. As 
practical fruit growers 
we were using common 
sprayers in our own orchards 
—found their defects and 
invented the Eclipse. Its 
success forced us to manu- 
t «■ facturing on a large scale. 
You take no chances. We 
-•'-vr.tuv.vivv:--» have done all the experi¬ 
menting. Large fully illustrated Catalog and 
Treatise on spraying FREE. 
MORRILL & MORLEY. Benton Harbor, Mich. 
“FUMA 
■ ■ kills Prairie Dogs, 
' ' Woodchucks .Gophers, 
and Grain Insects. 
“The wheels of the 
gods grind slow but 
exceedingly small.” So the weevil, but you can stop 
“°l r a ,D<1 “Fuma Carbon Bisulphide”aii5SC2 
EDWARD K. TAYLOR, Penn Van, N. Y. 
The Perfection Sprayer 
combines hand and horse power, and has both cart and barrel. 
It's simple, reliable, pracricable and durable. Sprays everything, 
trees, potatoes, vines. Catalogue telling how to spray aud con¬ 
taining valuable formulas, FREE. 
THOMAS PEPPLER, Box 70, Hlghtstown, N. J. 
m 
\ fSr i I 
Soft Harness 
You can make your har¬ 
ness as soft as a glove and 
as tough as wire by using 
Eureka Harness Oil. You 
can lengthen its life—make 
it last twice as long as it | 
ordinarily would. 
Harness Oil 
makes old harness like new. 
Made of pure, heavy-bodied 
oil, especially prepared to 
withstand all weathers. 
For all axle troubles use , 
Boston Coach Axle OIL | 
Better and more economical 
than castor oil. Will not 
gum or corrode. Lasting, 
reliable, satisfactory. 
Highest Award, World’s 
Columbian Exposition. 
SOLO EVERYWHERE—ALL SIZES 
Made by Standard 011 Co. 
Incorporated 
WITH GROOVED TIRES 
4 in. wide. The Groove protects 
the heads of spokes from wear, 
which makes wheel good and 
strong' till tire is worn out. We 
make plain tire wheels in other 
widths. We make wheels to fit 
any thimble skein or straight 
steel axle. Getour free catalog 
of Steel Wheels and Low Down 
Handy Wagons. 
HAVANA METAL WHEEL CO., 
Box 17 .’. Havana, HI. 
Caldwell Tanks and Towers 
ARK OF THE 
HIGHEST QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION, 
producing the greatest durability, longest life and 
best service. Give farmers at small expense same 
water service as in cities. Write for list of users 
in country homes, and illustrated catalogue. 
W. K. CALDWELL CO., Louisville, Ky. 
(^Galvanized*) 
Wind Mills, Pumps, Gas Engines. 
Save Your Trees ^ 
Kill San Jose Seale and other destructive ' 
parasites with a spraying solution of 
G _ _ J»_ Caustic Potash C ^ \T _ ^ 
OOd S Whale-Oil OOBp N O. 3 
Sure death to insects. No sulphur, salt, mineral 
oils, or any substance harmful to plant life. En¬ 
dorsed by U.S.Dept.of Agriculture. Rocket Manual 
of cause, treatment and cure of tree diseases, free 
Write today. JAMES GOOD, 
Original Maker, 945 N. Front St., Philadelphia. 
Use Fairmount Brand 
Concentrated Bordeaux Mixture 
To one gallon add 49 gallons of water 
and It is ready for use. Only makers 
Fairmount Chemical Laboratory, 
N. W. Corner Broad St. and Fairmount Ave., 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
SPINWALL 
4 -ROW 
SPRAYER 
Like a mow- 
ingmachine, 
.4ffhas its work¬ 
ed ing parts or 
spray noz- 
zels in front where they can be 
seen. Don’t strain your neck and 
eyes with a rear spray. High pres¬ 
sure: Brass lined pump: Ball valves: 
Wider range of adjustment than any 
other sprayer made. Booklet free. 
„ A8PINWALL MFG. CO.,. 
277SabinSt., Jackson, Mich. 
AT LAST A 
Perfect Power. 
O UR 2 cycle Gasoline Engines mark a new era 
in Farm powers. Simplest constructed and 
easiest operated Engine made. Uses no more fuel 
than 4-Cycle Engines. No Valves, Springs, Cams 
nor Gears to give trouble and wear out. Speed 
adjustable while Engine is running. Starts easy in 
cold weather. Uses Alcohol, Gasoline, Natural 
or City Gas. Four sizes, 2 1-2, 5, 10, 15 H. P., 
Stationary or Portable. 
Send for our Catalog and prices, they will surprise you. 
Maxwell & Fitch Co.,Rome,N.Y. 
VERMONT” 
In time of need “ The Vermont” Gasoline Engines 
are always ready. They need no adjustment. 3 to 
16 horse power, mounted or stationary, for farm, 
factory and shop use. Write for catalogue E.G., 
describing the most reliable engine made. 
STODDARD MANUFACTURING CO., Rutland, Vt. 
We have a few new Fairbanks Engines 
at a bargain. Ask for description. 
