462 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
June 8, 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
Oil or Lime-Sulphur for Scale.— 
While yet too early for definite results, 
the local scale situation appears promis¬ 
ing. The quite general substitution of sol¬ 
uble oils for the lime and sulphur prep¬ 
arations so strongly advocated by bulletin 
writers and extensive fruit growers who 
do not come into personal contact with 
actual spraying operations, probably ac¬ 
counts for the improved conditions. Even 
if the oils are not more effective than the 
lime-sulphur washes, their ease of prep¬ 
aration and absence of irritating qualities 
ensures more thorough application from 
operators little accustomed to the work. 
Little harm has been done to trees by 
the oils when applied at the proper sea¬ 
sons even when used much less diluted 
than the manufacturers recommend, and 
the usual effect is the rapid blackening 
and drying up of the scales. The trees 
or shrubs operated on must be well 
drenched'—no filmy mist will serve on 
crusted trees—and the entire surface cov¬ 
ered, if the pest is to be checked, as it is 
affirmed that if three to five per cent of 
an ordinary infestation survive, the tree 
will be in as bad a condition at the close 
as at the commencement of the growing 
season. If the present quality of soluble 
oil preparations is maintained, and cost to 
user not increased it appears as if the 
scale problem is nearing solution, at least 
among careful small growers. 
Lime-Sulphur Too Caustic. —While 
the efficacy of lime-sulphur in its best 
forms is not doubted few growers here¬ 
abouts have the necessary equipment for its 
thorough preparation and those that have 
tried it do not usually care to repeat the 
experience. It is not alone the caustic 
effect on the human skin—vaseline will 
mitigate that—but the destructive action 
on implements, harness, the paint of 
wagons and the irritating influence on 
horses that may be blanketed but cannot 
well be covered with grease. Our genial 
friend, J. Ii. Hale, on page 41, makes light 
of the inconveniences of lime-sulphur, 
but it is well known he has special equip¬ 
ment, and one rather infers he does not 
personally handle the nozzle. While use¬ 
ful as a fungicide and admittedly severe 
on scale it turns out a great nuisance when 
used in a small way. Hundreds of small 
growers—and be it noted the little grower 
is really the important one, as he supplies 
the local market—would go out of the 
business if there were no recourse save 
the disagreeable and troublesome lime- 
sulphur mixtures. A very successful 
grower with an established orchard large 
enough to afford a life competence under 
his continued good management, says he 
would rather sacrifice it than continue 
spraying with the messy lime-sulphur 
wash. He repeatedly tried it, and though 
not without effect on scale his spray outfit, 
wagons and horses, that he desires to 
keep in fine condition, were so demoralized 
that he stopped short, only to resume the 
battle on the promises held out by the 
new oil preparations. Bordeaux is about 
the limit of endurance but when the four 
or five pounds to the barrel of lime therein 
contained, are replaced by more than 20 
pounds in the lime-sulphur wash it almost 
passes endurance. The prepared oils have 
been so extensively used in central New 
Jersey this season that later reports of 
their behavior will possess much interest. 
Lime-Sulphur for Stone Fruits—Oils 
for Pomes? —A possible division of honors 
may be the continued use of lime-sulphur 
on peaches and plums, as its benefit in 
controlling Peach leaf-curl is no longer 
doubted, and it is thought to be also de¬ 
structive to the brown or Monilia rot 
spores that winter on the twigs. For 
these reasons its use is likely to be con¬ 
tinued by large stone-fruit growers; but 
the apple and pear orchardists take far 
more kindly to soluble oil, not only for 
the comparative ease of application, but 
because it spreads far better on the 
branches, penetrates more effectively the 
woolly covering of young apple twigs, and 
enters bark crevices where the thick white- 
wa^iy lime mixture makes only a super¬ 
ficial coating. A local estimate of the 
comparative cost for material is \]/ 2 
cent per spray gallon for lime-sulphur 
and %y 2 cents for soluble oil. The cost 
of preparing lime-sulphur wash at present 
labor rates, to say nothing of the in¬ 
creased wear of equipment and spraying 
appliances, is conceded to make up the 
difference in cost of material. The scar¬ 
city as well as high cost of labor is an 
important feature in the estimation of the 
small grower, and acts in favor of a 
ready-to-mix preparation like the oil if of 
the same efficiency as a scale killer even 
if it has no fungicide value, as Bordeaux 
Mixture stands ready to supply this defi¬ 
ciency. 
A Good Late-keeper. —The apple shown 
in Fig. 219, page 459, was received, May 
15, from Mr. Irving C. Cross, Hoosick 
Falls, N. Y., who says: 
I am sending you a sample of a variety of 
apple that has grown for some years on my 
father’s farm. Whether natural fruit or 
otherwise, I have never been able to learn. 
My father got the scions from a man living 
a few miles from here, and we call it the 
“Ben Norton” apple, as that is the name of 
the man from whom he got the scions, and 
also distinguishes it from the Ben Davis. 
It is very much like the Ben Davis in regard 
to its keeping quality, only we think it is 
“more so.” About two weeks ago I sorted 
over the two barrels we had of Ibis kind that 
had been placed in the cellar last Fall just 
as they had come from the trees. They had 
been put in barrels and had not been dis¬ 
turbed since. I found only about two dozen 
in each barrel that were affected in any way 
by rot. All the rest seemed as hard and firm 
as they were the day they came off the trees. 
The grocery clerk at the place where I sold 
them wanted to know what 1 used to embalm 
them with. As to the appearance and flavor 
the samples will speak for themselves. 
The quality was distinctly agreeable; 
not as good as Spy or other dessert va¬ 
rieties, but better than Ben Davis at his 
best; the flesh was firm and of good tex¬ 
ture. The color was rather deep green 
flushed with red, making a fairly attrac¬ 
tive fruit. The deep basin and stem cav¬ 
ity are quite characteristic. We cannot 
identify it, and rather think it an unnamed 
variety. _ w . v . F . 
Kainit for Preserving Manure. 
F. R. J., Pratt’8 Junction, Mass. —.Would 
the use of kainit on a manure heap to which 
pigs and chickens (and particularly chick¬ 
ens) have access be likely to poison or 
injure them? 
Ans. —We do not believe the kainit 
would injure the hogs. With ordinary 
amounts used there would not be enough 
in the manure to do damage. We have had 
cases reported where kainit was used for 
such purpose without trouble. We should 
not want to use it where poultry run. 
Salt is dangerous for poultry, and they 
might get enough of it from the kainit 
to do them damage. If anyone knows 
about this we would like to hear from 
him. Kainit is one of the salts of potash 
containing considerable common salt. Its 
action upon the manure seems to be to 
stop or delay fermentation. 
Size of Power Needed. 
T. F. TP. (No Address ).— We are running 
a small farm near the city. Our bam mill 
with its transmitter is worn out. We force 
the water into a tank about 10 feet above 
the ground upstairs in the hay mow. For 
some time we have pumped by hand. Since 
our stock is increasing, this time and muscle 
may be spared. We hesitate investing $75, 
but in case a good serviceable gasoline engim? 
could be got for that, and it would promise 
a suitable advantage over the low-priced 
tread power or even another mill, we might 
get that. We intend to run our feed cutter, 
(9%-inch cut). Our well is very deep. What 
strength of gasoline power and what kind and 
size of sweep horse power would we need, 
also what size tread power? 
Ans. —If running the 91'2-inch feed 
cutter is the heaviest work it is desired 
to do beside pumping the water a 
horse-power gasoline engine or a one- 
horse sweep or a one-horse tread-power 
would be large enough to do the work. 
If a gasoline engine was to be purchased 
and it is at all likely that heavier work 
might be needed, it might be prudent to 
get a two-horse or a 2 y 2 horse-power in¬ 
stead of the V/z. f. h. king. 
Fighting the Striped Bug. 
J. 8., Hillside, Wis .—Has some reader 
discovered an effective remedy to ward off the 
Striped Cucumber beetle which is so destruc¬ 
tive to melons here? Dusting with air- 
slaked lime and ashes will drive them away, 
but will also check the growth of the plants. 
The only effective means I know of is to en¬ 
close the hills with cheese cloth, but this on 
a large scale is a slow and expensive opera¬ 
tion. 
Ans. —Of all the insects and pests that 
visit our gardens and fields, there are per¬ 
haps none so annoying as this little crea¬ 
ture that wears the yellow-striped jacket, 
and known as the Cucumber beetle. It 
attacks our melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, 
and, in fact, all vine fruits, and if not 
properly dealt with, they will destroy the 
young and tender plants in a few hours. 
We hear of a great many remedies for 
this troublesome little fellow, but I have 
never in my long experience used but 
one, and that has always proved very ef¬ 
fectual and is practically certain to do the 
work if properly applied. It is perhaps 
well understood that these little beetles 
are always to be found on melon vines, 
but the period of danger is only while the 
plants are young, and especially so in the 
seed leaf. Treatment, therefore, must 
positively be begun in advance of the en¬ 
emy. As soon as the plants are out of the 
ground they should be watched. If you 
find the under side of the leaf punctured 
you can rest assured the enemy has made 
its appearance. Have on hand and al¬ 
When you write advertisers menfion The 
I t. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
'a square deal.” See guarantee, page 8. 
THE DEYO 
Power Sprayer 
Mounted complete will) mechanical agitator. 
Bet ter 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¬ 
facturing on a large scale. 
You take no chances. We 
have done all the experi¬ 
menting. Large fully illustrated Catalog and 
Treatise on spraying FREE. 
MORRILL & MORLEY. Benton Harbor, Mich. 
WtSSz Z j 
s.Hotro step. 
ways ready for use some air-slaked lime; 
this is better than plaster. Mix with the 
lime a very small quantity of Paris-green, 
scarcely enough to shade the lime. Using 
the hand, dust this on the ground and the 
under side of the leaves, never on top of 
them, for this would to some extent in¬ 
jure the plants and have but little effect on 
^ Save Your Trees ^ 
Kill San .Tose Scale and other destructive 
parasites with a spraying solution of 
Good’s c ^ha.^r Soap No. 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. Pocket.Manual 
of cause, treatment and cure of tree diseases, free. 
Write today. JAMES GOOD, 
^rigma^^bdter^U^vLHOamt^'ty^Pbihidelphim 
the little rascals that are working under 
the leaves and hiding in the cracks of the 
soil under and around the plants. This 
simple remedy, when properly applied, de¬ 
stroys their hiding place, breaks up their 
harbor and drives them away. The ap¬ 
plication must be renewed promptly when¬ 
ever washed off by rains until the period 
of danger is passed. The writer has 
used this method for 30 years, and I can¬ 
not recall the time when I have ever lost 
any melon vines by the attacks of the 
beetle, or injured the plants with the 
simple remedy when applied with cau¬ 
tion. t. M. WHITE. 
Monmouth Co., N. J. 
“All right on behind there?” called the 
conductor from the front of the car. 
“Hold on,” cried a shrill voice. “Wait 
till I get my clothes on!” The passen¬ 
gers craned their necks expectantly. A 
small boy was struggling to get a basket 
of laundry aboard.—Everybody's 
If you are seeking a safe and profitable invest¬ 
ment, write Industrial .Savings and Loan Co. of 
New York City and learn what decided advantages 
they offer. See their advertisement on Page 400.-A dw. 
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. 
The Perfection Sprayer 
combined hand and horse power, and has both cart ami barrel. 
It’a simple, reliable, practicable and durable. Sprays everything, 
trees, potatoes, vines. Catalogue, telling how to spray and con¬ 
taining valuable formulas, FJiEE. 
THOMAS PEPPLER, Box 70, Hightstown, N. J. 
and Bugs 
results you 
o«//]iartK ofthe 
vines with a line, fog-like 
spray. Powerful and steady 
pressure is necessary to 
spray Bordeaux mixture. So 
you want 
BROWN’S 
TRACTION SPRAYER 
For large Golds. Sprays 6 
rows at a time, any width 
150 pounds pressure turns- 
leaves so solu tl on gets to all 
leels generate power. Cypress 
tank holds 100 gallons. Easily adjusted for orchard 
and vineyard work. Small Growers—with 5acres or 
less need our low priced Auto Spray No. 1. Easy fast 
work with hand power. Satisfaction guaranteed. 
Send for Catalogue—All Styles and Sizes and prices. 
The E.C. Brown Co., 28 Jay Si., Rochester, N.Y. 
DISTRIBUTE 
INSECTICIDES 
IN DUST FORM 
Leggett’s Dusters 
Save Crops when other Methods Fail. 
NO WATER TO HAUL 
LEGGETTS The CHAMPION 
CHAMPION 
DUSTER 
dusts two rows of pota¬ 
toes as fast as you walk. 
The BEETLE 
(Horse Power) dusts four 
rows 
The JUMBO SJjfg 
i f ^Aci a 
20 - 1 ’age Spray Calendar gives information regarding Dusters 
Address of n.&rest dealer mailed on request. 
LEGGETT & BUO., 301 Pearl St., N. Y. 
A Never Failing Water Supply, 
with absolute safety, at small cost may be had by using the 
Improved Rider Hot Air Pumping Engine and 
Improved Ericsson Hot Air Pumping Engine. 
Built by us for more than 30 years and sold in every country in the world. Exclu¬ 
sively intended for pumping water. Maybe run by any ignorant boy or woman. 
So well built that their durability is yet to be determined, engines which were sold 
30 years ago being still in active service. 
Send stamp for “C4” Catalogue to nearest office. 
RIDER-ERICSSON ENGINE CO., 
35 Warren St., New York. 239 Franklin St., Boston. 
40 Dearborn St., Chicago. 234 Craig 8t-, West, Montreal, P. Q. 
40 North 3th St., Philadelphia. 22 Pitt St., Sydney, N. S. W. ' 
Amargura 96, Havana, Cuba. 
