1907. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
921 
WHITE GRUBS AND MEALY BUGS. 
O. A., El Paso, Tex .—How can I rid my 
garden of the large white grubs? They are 
so numerous as to literally work the 
ground up, sometimes exposing the roots of 
my flowers so they wilt and die. The 
worms are about three-quarter inch thick 
by three inches long. Do they eat the roots 
of plants or vegetables? Can you tell me 
how they got in my garden? I spaded my 
garden over several times in the Spring and 
early Summer, and always killed every grub 
I saw. The mealy bug lias greatly injured 
some portions of my garden plants, and al¬ 
though I have fought them hard. they are 
about to get the upper hand of me, and 
take off my geraniums and Dahlias. Can 
you tell me how to get rid of them? The 
whole town and surrounding country is full 
of them. 
Ans. —White grubs are among the 
most difficult insect pests to control that 
we have. Where they infest sod in 
lawns, many of them have been killed 
by soaking the sod with kerosene emul¬ 
sion, but in gardens this is not prac¬ 
ticable, as it would destroy most of the 
plants. Thus far no substance has been 
found which can be applied to the in¬ 
fested soil in sufficient quantities to kill 
the grubs without also seriously injur¬ 
ing or killing most cultivated plants. 
The natural breeding grounds of white 
grubs are sod lands, and they do the 
most damage usually on cultivated crops 
that have been planted on newly-plowed 
sod. About all that one can do to 
check the ravages of white grubs is 
thoroughly to plow and cultivate the 
infested soil in the Fall, thus destroy¬ 
ing many of the grubs, and especially 
their tender pupae and recently-formed 
beetles. After this about all that can be 
done is thoroughly to stir the soil be¬ 
fore putting in the plants in the Spring, 
and then hand dig or kill all that can 
be found during the season. As the edi¬ 
tor writes me, hogs are one of the most 
efficient eradicators of white grubs we 
have. If they could be turned into the 
field in the Fall or early Spring, after 
it is thoroughly stirred up, they would 
get large numbers of them. I have also 
found that skunks are equally as good 
white grub hunters. 
Mealy bugs are another difficult pest 
to control, especially after they develop 
enough to secrete the mealy coating 
over themselves. In their early stages 
or when small many of them can be 
killed by drenching the plants with a 
strong soap solution, like whale-oil or 
Ivory soap at the rate of one pound in 
three or four gallons of water, or with 
kerosene emulsion made according to 
the standard formula and diluted with 
six or eight parts of water. As these 
applications would kill only the younger 
stages, it is necessary to repeat them 
at intervals of a week or so until finally 
the pests are overcome 
M. V. SLINGERLAND. 
USE FOR OLD STONE WALLS. 
Perhaps .T. E. B., page 768, and others 
who are puzzling over the problem of how to 
dispose of their'old stone walls, would he in¬ 
terested to learn how a New York State 
farmer has buried several hundred rods of 
such walls. Five years ago we built a large 
hay barn. It was planned to use the lower 
story as a stable and carriage house. As 
soon as the walls, which are from three to 
five feet high, were laid, we began filling the 
cavity inclosed by them with stones. Big 
old hardheads, smalt bowlders—everything 
went in until the top layer was reached; 
for this we used rather small stones, pound¬ 
ing them down after they were in place 
with a mallet so as to make a firm, level 
surface. On this stone foundation a good 
cement floor was laid. To secure drainage 
a ditch was placed under the entire length 
of the wall, and with this safeguard against 
the action of the frost, our old walls are 
proving of some use at last after being for 
many years simply cumberers of the ground. 
This Fall we have undertaken a piece of 
work which will clear up another stretch 
of old wall. We have a barnyard which, 
from long usage, has become hollowed out 
in places. In wet weather the water col¬ 
lects in these hollows and forms seas of 
mire. The first step in our plan of improve¬ 
ment was to put down some tile drains: 
then the hollows were filled with stones. 
W<> shall finish the job with a foot of earth 
o'-er the stones and a top layer of cinders. 
This is not an experiment, as it has been 
tiled and found satisfactory wherever suffi- 
cien<t earth was placed over the stones to 
prevent them from working up through the 
covering. Those who live in districts where 
the good roads movement is in progress will 
probably be able to sell or give their stone 
walls for this work. The contract for the 
improvement of the main highway of our 
town was let in September, and already an 
agent has been among the farmers, asking 
them to help along the construction of the 
road by donating the stone. Some have 
promised to do so, others have refused, 
maintaining that as the contractors receive 
pay for the material used in building the 
road, it would be foolish to present them 
with a large part of said material. We 
shall not give away any stone for road 
making. The price of lumber is soaring 
ever higher, and it is only a short look 
ahead until most of the building will be 
done with cement and stone. Then our old 
walls may prove to be blessings in disguise. 
Trumansburg, N. Y. m. e. c. 
FOAMING AND PRIMING OF WATER 
IN BOILERS. 
Foaming and priming are not the same, 
as is supposed by many. Foaming is said 
by many authorities to be caused by dirty 
greasy water, and as the name indicates 
the surface of the water foams. When the 
boiler is found to be foaming the draft 
should be closed and the throttle valve par¬ 
tially closed to quiet the water; the water 
level noted and the cylinder cocks opened 
to prevent damage to the engine by the 
water being drawn into the cylinder. It 
may be remedied by the use of the surface 
blow-off, provided there is one. If not, the 
bottom blow-off may be used to good advan¬ 
tage. Priming is caused by defective de¬ 
sign of boiler, or by carrying the water 
level too high. The latter will be remedied 
by lowering the water level, the former by 
increasing the steam space by means of a 
steam drum. Priming is also caused by 
forcing a boiler beyond the power for which 
it was built. Priming is first manifested 
b.v a clicking sound in the cylinder. The 
cylinder cocks should be opened and the 
throttle valve partially closed, to prevent 
the engine from being damaged, and the 
draft closed to quiet the water and to show 
the true water level. A priming boiler is 
not necessarily a foaming boiler. Both 
foaming and priming are equally liable to 
cause an explosion by showing a false water 
level. h. g. it. 
Burke, Va. _ 
PRODUCTS, PRICES AND TRADE. 
During the week ending December 7, 
gold and silver to the value of $14,097,190 
was received from foreign countries at the 
port of New York. Of this amount $13,- 
830,794 was gold and $266,405 silver; $10,- 
267,613 was gold bullion, $2,777,099 for¬ 
eign gold coin, and $779,812 American coin. 
The silver consisted of $141,307 bullion. 
$115,984 foreign coin and $756 American 
coin. 
Heavy Import Business. —The year end¬ 
ing June 30 broke all records for import 
trade, the value of the merchandise brought 
into this country exceeding $1,430,000,000, 
or $200,000,000 more than for 1906. The 
customs duties collected amounted to more 
than $333,000,000, two-thirds of this 
amount being received at the port of New 
York and the remainder at 19 other ports, 
Boston and Philadelphia leading. 
Storage of Eggs. —“Would it be possi¬ 
ble to build a small egg storage plant on 
our farm at moderate cost? We have an 
excellent private egg trade, but would like 
some way of storing our surplus while fresh 
in the Spring to help us out during the 
season of September, October and Novem¬ 
ber, when we find it hardest to keep up a 
good supply for our customers. We find 
very good sale for water-glass eggs, but 
they are not as satisfactory with all as we 
should like. Which do you consider the 
best, a storage egg stored when strictly 
fresh or a water-glass egg put away equally 
as fresh? p. n. 
New Jersey. 
Not much encouragement can be given re¬ 
garding the storage of eggs on a small 
scale. Eggs require a dry atmosphere, which 
is hard to get in a house where ice is the 
cooling agent. The artificial freezing ma¬ 
chines furnish a dry cold, but are too ex¬ 
pensive to install and operate on a small 
scale. The only ice-cooled system suitable 
for egg storage that we know is that de¬ 
vised by Madison Cooper, of Watertown. 
N. Y., described in The R. N.-Y. several 
years ago. In this ingenious system the ice 
does not come into direct contact with the 
walls of the room or the air entering it, 
the air being cooled by contact with pipes 
filled with brine, passing through an ice 
chamber. But even in the best-equipped 
houses eggs often get a musty taste, as 
everyone who has eaten many cold-storage 
eggs knows. As to cold-stored and water- 
glass eggs, the cold-stored are best when 
they come out in prime condition, but water- 
glass eggs are certainly preferable to 
“common to good’’ cold storage. Water- 
glass eggs should always be sold as such, 
otherwise there will be serious trouble with 
customers. Not long ago the writer learned 
of a case where a shipment of water-glass 
eggs got the dealer who received them into 
all sorts of difficulties. The eggs were 
shipped to him as fresh-gathered, and he 
sold them as such without candling, but 
three-quarters of them came back with 
angry comments from the buyers. The eggs 
would crack in boiling, unless the shells 
were pricked, and they were not suitable 
for poaching. The fact is that no egg but 
a strictly fresh one is fit for poaching. If 
any reader has had success in keeping eggs 
several months in ordinary ice storage we 
shall be glad to have particulars. I’erhaps 
some effective system of insulation and ven¬ 
tilation, to secure dry storage, may be de¬ 
vised. 
Cotton Prices. —The Government cotton 
report, issued December 10, had a decidedly 
depressing effect on prices, which dropped 
$1.50 to $2 per 500-pound bale in the specu¬ 
lative market. An interesting feature of the 
situation is the interpretation of the Gov¬ 
ernment report made by speculators who 
add about 10 per cent to any cotton esti¬ 
mate the Government makes. In some years 
there has been fully this amount of dis¬ 
crepancy between the estimate and the 
final weighing out of the crop, but on the 
other hand, then 1 have been years when a 
very close guess was made. It is hard to 
see just what value a crop estimate of this 
sort can have to the producers and con¬ 
sumers of cotton or to even a small propor¬ 
tion of the actual handlers of the crop. It 
furnishes meat for a certain speculative ele¬ 
ment to quarrel over, but why should the 
Government work up its crop information 
in such a way that it benefits least the peo¬ 
ple most in need of it, viz. : the cotton 
growers and manufacturers. A great effort 
is made to presewt the report in a “predi¬ 
gested” form, with conclusions already 
drawn. But neither planters nor manufac¬ 
turers require Government help in thinking 
or drawing conclusions. Let the informa¬ 
tion be given in definite form as to locali¬ 
ties and as soon as obtained, and it will be 
read with interest by thousands who give 
but a casual glance to the salted-down and 
carefully-analyzed monthly report. In the 
writer’s opinion the Agricultural Depart¬ 
ment at Washington could do no more use¬ 
ful and popular work than 4o collect crop 
statistics and let the people have them at 
once. It is well understood that the De¬ 
partment is not entirely free to follow out 
its own ideas ,n this matter. It depends 
on Congress for support, and there are ele¬ 
ments there which in the interest of their 
friends demand the secret report and other 
features of that nature, so it is evident 
that those -who wish a full and- freshly- 
gathered report should put pressure on Con¬ 
gress as well as on the Department. T,here 
atre throughout the coun’try a number of 
private crop reporters working on just the 
lines suggested, and they find* ready sale 
for their weekly or more frequent letters 
at profitable prices. w. w. h. 
Forcing Seedling Grapes. 
N. P. Y., Crossville, III .—I am raising 
seedling grapes. How much nitrate of soda, 
blue stone and lime should be put in 50 
gallons of -water to sprinkle and water the 
vines in a dry time? If this‘combination is 
not suitable please advise ‘about spraying 
and watering separately. How often can 
I water them to advantage? I want to ad¬ 
vance the growth of the vines regardless of 
expense. How much should- a seedling grow 
the first year, trained to a single upright 
cane? Is it a permanent advantage to a 
vine to be well grown the first year? Can 
I expect fruit on any of the seedlings the 
second year? 
Ans- —If your idea is to force your 
seedling grapevines and make them grow 
rapidly, it is not advisable to sprinkle 
them with any mixture of blue stone 
and lime. Nitrate of soda may be used 
at the rate of one-half ounce to a gal¬ 
lon of water; carefully sprinkled on the 
soil about the plants once in 10 days or 
two weeks. Be careful, however, not 
to get the solution on the foliage, as it 
is somewhat caustic. In spraying the 
vines to prevent mildew or blight, we 
would recommend the Bordeaux Mix¬ 
ture, four pounds each copper sulphate 
or blue stone and lime to 50 gallons of 
water. This may be sprayed over the 
foliage at intervals of two weeks, or 
after each heavy rain, and is very effec¬ 
tive in keeping down mildew. Seedling 
grapevines trained to stakes should grow 
three or four feet high, but much de¬ 
pends on the particular variety, as some 
kinds give seedlings that make only a 
feeble growth until well established. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
It. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, page 8. 
SHIP YOUR 
POULTRY EGGS, 
Butter, Squabs, 
Fruits, Vegetables 
—TO— 
PATCH & ROBERTS, 
17 North Market Street, Boston. 
DR .WEARE’S 
HEAVE REMEDY 
Your horse has either got or is getting 
the heaves if he “Roars,” “Whistles, 
or breathes hard after a slight exertion. 
Don’t neglect him or you'll ruin him! 
Dr. Wcaic’s Heave Kemedy has fulfilled well 
the claims made for it. It is an original discov¬ 
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For thirty-five years it has been curing heaves 
and apparently hopeless cases have been cured. 
r»-u». package sent prepaid for $2.00. 
If Dr. Weare’s Heave Kemedy proves inefllcienfc, 
we will refund your money right quick. 
Send for free booklet. 
George G. Mulliner & Co., Fail-port, N.Y., U,S.A. 
DE LAVAL 
CREAM SEPARATORS 
Save $10.- to $15.- Per Cow . 
EVERY YEAR OF USE 
Over All Gravity Setting Systems 
And $5.- Per Cow 
Over All Imitating Separators 
The De Laval Separator Co. 
Randolph & Canal Streets I 74 Cortlandt Street 
CHICAGO I NEW YORK 
iu|7 1 11LE9 1U1 1 UUlliy 
Suppose your flock of chicks or old 
fowls will average a certain weight at 
market time. Suppose you so handle 
them as to make eacli weigli a full pound 
more than you expected. That would be 
a nice, clean, extra profit, wouldn’t it? 
Do you know that 
DR. HESS 
Poultry PAN-A-CE-A 
given as the makers direct, will help a fowl to 
digest and use such a large portion of the daily 
feed that it actually grows larger and heavier 
than it would be possible to make it without 
Poultry l’an-a-ce-a? This is true. Poultry 
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guaranteed egg-producer as well as flesh-former. 
Makes chicks mature early and also prevents 
poultry disease in old or young. 
Poultry Pan-a-ce-a is endorsed by poultry- 
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penny a day for so fowls. 
Sold on a written guarantee. 
VA lbs. 25c, mail or 4 
express 40c ( Except in Canada 
5 lbs. 60c; 12 lbs. $1.25 f West andSouUi 
25 lb. pail $2.50 ) Ve8tand bout “’ 
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Ashland, Ohio. 
Instant Louse Killer Kills Lice. 
Abenaque Gasoline Engin 
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cutflts, Grinds" s!5nm*l ItochYne™ 1 Hay Presses, etc. 
