476 
June 15, 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
FARMERS' CLUB 
[Lvery query must be accompanied by 
the name and address of the writer to in¬ 
sure attention. Before asking a question, 
please see whether it is not answered in 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few 
questions at one time. Put questions on a 
separate piece of paper.] 
Potting Strawberry Plants. 
Instead of putting the pots in the ground 
under the runners of strawberry plants 
to make a pot plant, I cut the runners 
from the parent plant when the first white 
roots were about one-fourth inch long, and 
potted them in 2j4-inch flower pots, same 
as any other cutting; shaded them a few 
days under a cover of light cloth in a 
cold frame, and then gave them the full 
sun. They made equally good plants with 
a great deal less work than the old way. 
When they have filled the pots with roots 
enough to take the earth with them, plant 
out. * j. A. H. 
Warwick, R. I. 
Rose Mildew; Aster Beetles. 
S. R. F., Middleburg, Pa.—What must I 
do to prevent and also cure mildew on roses? 
What must I put on Asters to prevent them 
being eaten by a black bug? 
Ans. —Pure powdered sulphur is the 
best preventive of Rose mildew. It can 
be applied with a bellows or a dust gun 
when the foliage is wet with dew or rain. 
It is more of a preventive than a cure, 
and should be frequently applied, espe¬ 
cially on damp mornings, in order to 
prevent the mildew spores from gaining 
foothold. There is no effectual applica¬ 
tion for the black bug or beetle that 
troubles your Asters. They may be poi¬ 
soned to some extent by Paris-green, but 
as they feed upon the young parts of the 
opening flowers they are not likely to 
get enough of the poison to do them 
much harm. Hand-picking is the only 
effectual remedy, and begun early is not 
as great a job as it appears at first sight. 
Planting Vine Near Wall. 
J. B. 7/., Rutland, O .—I wish to plant 
Brown’s Seedling grape near a wall; is this 
a desirable location ? I have tried such a 
place twice before, without sucess. 
Ans. —The trouble with planting small 
vines near a wall is that the soil in such 
situations is often very poor and dry. 
If you dig out a large hole 20 inches deep 
and two or three feet wide, and fill it 
uo with good top soil from a garden, 
mixed with a little fine old manure you 
may safely plant your vine in it, setting 
it deep, so that only one or two buds 
show above the surface. The soil should 
be made very firm over the roots, which 
would best be cut back to within one 
foot in length. If the situation is dry the 
plant should be well watered. By water¬ 
ing we do not mean simply sprinkling 
the top of the soil, but it should he thor¬ 
oughly soaked once or twice a week, so 
that the moisture goes through to the 
bottom of the excavation. 
Japan Iris. 
G. 77. K., Scarborough, N. Y.-I have 
about three-fourths of an acre of land which 
I think particularly well adapted to growing 
Japan Iris; it is a rich loam, moist, but 
does not have any standing water on it. The 
soil will average, I would say, at least 18 
inches in depth. My idea would be to grow 
the Iris for pleasure and profit as well. 
I should like to procure a nucleus stock of 
choice distinct named varieties. I have at 
present sufficient strong roots of various col¬ 
ors to make five hundred or more divisions, 
but these are not named, and would only 
answer for mixed sorts. I would try to grow 
a better and stronger root than is usually 
sold, and so command a good price; but am 
unable to form any idea as to what output 
could be expected from the land mentioned. 
Ans. —The land you describe should be 
very suitable for the cultivation of Japa¬ 
nese Iris. Thev should be planted about 
two feet by 3V 2 apart for best results. 
Good, clean cultivation and moderate ap¬ 
plication of manure or good commercial 
potato fertilizer just as growth starts in 
the Spring will be necessary if you ex¬ 
pect a rapid increase. They need no pro¬ 
tection in Winter, except that of their 
own foliage, which slioqld be allowed to 
die down in the Fall, and not cleared 
away until the sprouts start again in the 
Spring. Varieties increase at such dif¬ 
ferent rates that no estimate can be made 
of the number of plants to be grown on 
an acre. Sometimes they rapidly make 
large clumps that can he divided to ad¬ 
vantage by the third year. Others require 
more time, or never produce any offsets 
to speak of. 
Care of Narcissus. 
J. IT., Elmira, N. Y .—I have a bed of 
Narcissus, but they do not bloom as they 
should. Ought they to be taken up and if 
so, when? Can they be taken up in July? 
Ans. —Narcissus bulbs seldom bloom 
well when they are allowed to remain in 
the ground several years. Offsets are 
produced, and the soil becomes so ex¬ 
hausted and matted with roots that bloom 
buds are not formed, though profuse 
Laf growth may take place. It is best 
to take up the clumps at least every three 
years, some time in June or early July 
after the foliage turns yellow and has 
begun to die down. Thoroughly cure the 
bulbs in the shade, separate them and 
replant four to six inches apart in new 
fresh soil. Planting may be done any 
time before October, but should not be 
delayed until the ground becomes chilled. 
Some growers think better blooms are 
secured if the bulbs are lifted every year, 
divided and replanted without curing. 
The more common practice is to let them 
remain for one or two seasons before dis¬ 
turbing. 
Ornamental Apple Tree. 
C. S. P-, Winslow, Me .—In our orchard 
Is an apple tree remarkable for the high color 
of its blossoms, which at a distance make It 
look much like a peach, and it would for 
its beauty alone be worthy a place upon any 
lawn among other flowering trees and shrubs. 
I have thought of grafting a few trees merely 
for ornament. The apple is rather under the 
medium size, not so large as a Pearmain, 
and not flattened, deep red, with a heavy 
purple bloom, the earliest apple on the place, 
mildly acid in flavor, and quite good for a few 
days only, when ripe, and when fully ripe 
falling quickly. This tree gets rid of its 
fruit so early that though standing in grass, 
and not manured, it sets a heavy annual 
crop of apples, very rarely skipping a year, 
showing what a few weeks rest will do 
early in the season. I hope you can give us 
its name. 
Ans. —So far as I know, there is no 
common variety of apple tree that bears 
blossoms entirely pink in color, similar 
to those of the peach. There is consider¬ 
able variation in color of apple blossoms, 
but the most of them are pinkish or blush, 
mixed with white. It is probable that 
the tree mentioned is a seedling and came 
from the root of a nursery tree that had 
been planted there and died down from 
some accidental cause. As its fruit of 
fair quality and very early and the flow¬ 
ers are very handsome it might be well to 
propagate from it and plant the trees for 
ornamental purposes, as has been sug¬ 
gested. It would be well to send speci¬ 
mens of the bloom to the Pomologist of 
the Department of Agriculture at Wash¬ 
ington this Spring, and in the Fall, fruit 
for examination, and abide by his judg¬ 
ment. H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Borers and Others. —In regard to wire 
screen for keeping borers from apple trees, 
would say that I tried it some years ago 
with the result that wherever the wire so 
rested against the tree there I would find 
borers, and it has been my experience that 
this will be the case with anything and on 
any of the tree. Some years ago we had an 
invasion of forest worms, and I took a paint 
brush and painted a narrow strip of the tree 
with pine tar, and stuck some cotton to it 
to keep the worms from getting on the trees. 
In the early Autumn I was passing through 
the orchard, and noticed a tree the top of 
which did not look right, and upon examin¬ 
ing it, I found eight borers under the bunch 
of cotton. Upon examining the rest of the 
trees I found them in almost every tree 
These trees were about five or six yeax - s old. 
A neighbor had the same experience with a 
certain so-called tree armor, some years 
ago, the borers entering the tree at tb,c> top 
of it. As to sowing rape with a Spring 
crop with the idea of pasturing the ray-je after 
the other crop is off, my experience v,-as that 
a large portion of the rape will get to be as 
large as the other crop by harvest time, and 
make it hard work to cut the crop and hard¬ 
er work to cure it, and there will be no pas¬ 
ture worth while. p. S. 
Freehold, N. Y. 
COMBINATION HAY 
Stock Rack and Double Wagon Box. Direct to you 
at Wholesale Prices. Write for circulars and prices. 
ALBION HACK CO., Albion, New York, 
Gas and Gasoline Engines 
Stationary, 
and Portable 
for all purposes 
Catalogues on Request. 
W. D. DUNNING, 
331 W. Water St. 
N. Y. 
FULL CROP 1008 UR-MID;;SU:MMER 
for List. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS. Send 
Kevitt's Plant Farm, Athenia, N. J. 
CTRAWBBHRT PLANTS-None better grown. Buy 
^ direct from a specialist. Catalogue free. 
GEO. K. SCHAUBElt, Box K, Ballston Lake, N.Y. 
F OK SALE—Crimson Clover Seed, $4.50 bushel. 
Red Clover. Seed, $7.50 and $8.00 bushel 
Onion sets, $3.00 and $3.50 bushel, Cow Peas 
$3.50 to $3.75 bushel. Joseph E. Holland, Milford, Pol. 
—Best seed for sale. Write 
for samples, prices, and FREE 
directions “33” on growing. 
ALFALFA 
J, E. Wing &, Bros,, Boi 23, 
P OTTED STRAWBERRIES. 
A full list of kinds @ S2.00 per 100 for 
August delivery provided the order is 
sent before August 1st with cash. Address 
JOS. H. BLACK, SON & CO., 
APPLE TREES *"S8 
rilUNTGr BUT ABBIjES 
GEKS ON THE HILL, Dansville, N. Y. 
grihi 
ISO 
N CLOV 
m mm ■% The great soil improver. Valuable 
I | 11 also for early green food, grazing and 
V k K hay crop. Special circular free; also 
ri sample and price of seed on request. 
I LI I HENRY A. DREER, 
714 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 
THE RIGHT SEED POTATOES 
The Stock is right. The Prices are Right. I will Use you Right. Write me 
for free descriptive catalogue, containing every standard variety grown. 32nd 
anniversary. S. J. CONNELLY. Fishers, Ontario Co., N. Y. 
GetThiS 
free DOWDEN Book 
It will tell you how to get all your potatoes. 
Do vou know how to get all your potatoes!—Every last one from the big pink two pounder, to the small 
aiuffcw in a hill! Po you knowhow many dollars difference it makes whether youS®* 
fotlnthe ground! Send for the Dowden Book. It’sFree-it will tell you how to gather in every potato 
your field has produced. If you are a potato grower you want to know about the 
Dowden Potato Digger 
The Digger that works where other diggers fail-the digger that takes every potato out ofTtlff lands, 
rluv trrass mud weeds and stones, as well as clean lands. One enthusiastic owner of a Dowden w rites 
us about it’s perfect work in grass and weeds four to six feet tall. Wehavehundredsofsuch reports on 
file I.et us show them to you. In some crops the Dowden digger actually pays for Itself in the potatoes 
it saves. Write for the Dowden Book. It will tell you how this machine is made so strong that a break 
need never be feared, and so simple that a tjoy can run It. 
Drop us a postal to-day. The 
book will come right back. 
Dowden Manufacturing Co. 
Box722, Prairie City, la. 
IMPORTANT 
CROP FACTS 
Farmers generally are very “blue” over the unfavorable 
grain crop outlook at this time, hut there is one crop that 
they need not feel doubtful about and which becomes of 
even more than usual importance to them by reason of the 
uncertain prospect as to other crops, and this is the MILK 
CROP, which continues month in and month out, regardless of 
good or had weather, and of which it has well been said “ the 
harvest never ends.” 
There is nothing doubtful about the outlook for the MILK 
CROP. Dairy product prices have been high and are sure to 
continue so. The uncertainty about other crops makes it all 
the more important to make the MOST of the one that is sure. 
There is only one way to make the MOST of it, to be certain of 
recovering all the butter-fat with the least effort and under 
the most favorable conditions, and that is with the help of 
A DE LAVAL CREAM SEPARATOR 
Every farmer with milk to separate needs a separator, and 
there never was a better time to make the purchase of one. 
There can hardly he good reason to defer putting in a machine 
or replacing a poor one with a DE LAVAL. Machines are 
made in all sizes to meet all conditions, and may either be 
bought for cash or on such liberal terms that they will actually 
save their own cost while you are paying for them. 
Catalogue with full particulars is to be had for the asking. 
The De Laval Separator Co. 
General Offices: 
74 Cortlandt St. 
NEW YORK. 
Randolph A Canal 8ta. 
CHICAGO 
1213 & 1215 Filbert St, 
PHILADELPHIA 
Drnmnt U Sacramento Sts. 
SAN FRANCISCO 
173-177 William Street 
MONTREAL 
14 & 10 Princess Street 
WINNIPEG 
107 First Street 
PORTLAND, OREC. 
