1909. 
lOS 
TOUGH FARM PROBLEMS. 
Can anyone tell me why all of my 
crops, that is, potatoes, oats, corn, to¬ 
bacco, turn yellow in dry weather, 
when using fertilizer? Tobacco and 
oats rust very badly when using it. 
Some of my neighbors use the same fer¬ 
tilizer and report very good results. I 
have good results on Winter wheat. 
Also, why can I not use manure on 
sod for corn and get good results? 
When I use no manure on sod I get a 
large, fully developed ear with medium 
stalk and it does not suffer so much 
from drought as where manure is used. 
Where manure is used the stalk grows 
very rank with a short thick ear, in 
some cases none at all. When corn 
follows corn in this case must manure 
heavily to get big yield. I practice the 
six-year rotation plan. That is, two 
years grass, one year corn, one year 
tobacco, two years wheat. The tobacco 
gets all the manure and the wheat gets 
a 2-10-8 fertilizer, 200 pounds to the 
ncre. The grass gets nothing. Clover 
fails often to catch. Timothy hardly 
ever, but gets rusty and remains short. 
Can I use a fertilizer that will help it 
any; and how apply it? a. l. h. 
Lancaster Co., Pa. 
R. N.-Y.—We shall have to call in 
the wise men on this. Who can locate 
the disease from these symptoms? 
The Constantine Apple in New York. 
L. 0. <S., Albion, A’. 1'.—Would you give 
a little history of the Constantine apple 
and some idea of its value as compared 
with other kinds ripening at the same 
time? A very brief account of it appears in 
“The Apples of New York.” Vol. II. but 
I do not find it catalogued by any nursery¬ 
man. Will it come to bearing as soon as 
Alexander or Wolf River, and is it as val¬ 
uable ? 
Ans.— The Constantine originated in 
Russia and it has been grown there a 
century or more. It was introduced into 
America about 1875, or a little later, by 
Budd or Gibb, pioneers in the growing 
of Russian fruits in this country. It has 
never met with great favor with the 
fruit growers of this continent because 
of its comparatively poor quality, and 
because it is almost identical with Alex¬ 
ander, which was well established be¬ 
fore the introduction of the Constantine. 
As the two fruits grow at this Station, 
Constantine ripens a little later and is 
several weeks longer in season than the 
Alexander. The fruit does not drop as 
badly as does that of the Alexander, 
and the apples crack less about calyx 
and stem—a serious fault in the older 
variety. The quality is much the same 
as that of Alexander, though the flesh 
is hardly as coarse and the flavor is not 
quite so acid, and is perfumed with a 
greater amount of balsamic odor which 
characterizes the apples of this group. 
Constantine is being planted somewhat 
as a filler, as the trees come in bearing 
early, are small and compact, bear nearly 
annually, and are very productive. The 
variety is at least somewhat valuable for 
this purpose. u. p. hedrick. 
Geneva Experiment Station. 
Rust in Water Pipes. 
P. If. If., Pennlyn, Pa .—Will you advise 
me how to rid pipes of rust? Our tenant 
house was unoccupied for six weeks, and 
the 175 feet of galvanized pipe connecting 
spring to house became, during that time, 
rusted to such an extent that the water 
cannot be used. The pipe is 1 inch, and 
the spring has been pumped dry, believing 
we could clear it, but there was no im¬ 
provement. 
Ans.— I know no remedy for this case 
except in coating the pipe inside with 
asphalt. This probably cannot be done 
without taking up the pipe. If the pipe 
is straight, has considerable fall and 
opportunity to get at it at the two ends 
it might be possible first to get it thor¬ 
oughly dry on the inside and then pour 
through it melted asphalt made as hot 
as is safe, and in sufficient volume so 
as to coat it on the inside in this way, 
thus preventing the rust. It would not 
be safe to try this method unless the 
pipe is free from bends and there is 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
sufficient fall to permit of rapid drain¬ 
age, using sufficient volume of the as¬ 
phalt to heat the pipe to a sufficient 
temperature so that the asphalt would 
have time to drain out before it could 
solidify. If the pipe could be thor¬ 
oughly dried out, the liquid asphalt 
paint poured through it, and air enough 
forced through to allow it to harden 
thoroughly would probably remedy the 
difficulty for a time. The safest course 
would be to take the pipe up and make 
a long galvanized iron trough and pour 
into it hot asphalt sufficient to lay each 
pipe in it after they are thoroughly dry, 
to coat them inside and out with the 
asphalt. 
A Rural Route Question. 
J. ./. P., Virginia .—I live about half way 
between two rural routes. I notice tliat 
one of the carriers raises the flag when he 
deposits mail, and the other does not. 
Which is correct ? 
Ans.— Rural letter carriers are re¬ 
quired, when delivering mail in boxes, 
to raise the signals thereon, provided, 
at the time a box is served, the signal 
has not already been raised indicating 
that there is mail therein for dispatch. 
In the latter event, after taking the 
mail from the box for dispatch and de¬ 
positing the mail for delivery, the car¬ 
rier would then lower the signal, which 
would communicate to the patron the 
information that the carrier had served 
the box. R. H. PRENDER, 
Acting Fourth Assistant Postmaster 
General. 
Hens and Potatoes. 
J. L. P., Brooklyn, N. Y .—1 was much 
interested in an article—first page, Decem¬ 
ber 12—on potatoes and hens, particularly 
as I am a strong believer in the useful 
offices of the hen. in very many respects, 
as curculio exterminators, June bug de¬ 
stroyers, etc., etc. But ! ! ! Two years 
ago I noticed a hen with a brood of chick¬ 
ens digging vigorously in the potato patch 
of a friend of mine, and he noticed the 
same. It was a pleasant Sunday morning, 
and after perhaps two hours we noticed 
the hen still excavating in the same place. 
This rather attracted our attention, so we 
investigated. I will spare you the lan¬ 
guage that flowed eloquently from my 
friend’s lips! That hen had destroyed 
about three-quarters of the potatoes in 
three lulls, besides pecking some at about 
all the rest, and was making a good start 
on the fourth hill! Since then I have 
had doubts as to the advisability of turn¬ 
ing hens into a potato patch. 
R. N.-Y.—You must remember that 
the birds which ran in that potato patch 
were not full grown hens but early 
hatched chicks. There would be a great 
difference in their scratching power. 
A hen with little chicks following her 
will we believe move more dirt in pro¬ 
portion to her weight than one of the 
steam shovels at work on the Panama 
Canal. We have kept chickens in pota¬ 
toes with good results. We would keep 
old hens somewhere else. 
The Scouring Rush. 
I am troubled with the enclosed rush, 
or brake, which is growing and spreading 
very rapidly in my orchard, situated on a 
side hill. It is almost impossible to mow 
them with a scythe. Can you inform me in 
regard to the botanical name of them, 
also how they can be eradicated? 
Catskill, N. Y. j. a. f. 
The plant is Equisetum hyemale, one of 
the horsetails, known here as Dutch rush, 
or scouring rush, and in England as Shave- 
grass. The stem contains so much silica 
that it was formerly used up in Columbia 
Co., N. Y., to polish tinware, and in Queen 
Elizabeth’s time both this and the Corn¬ 
field horsetail, E. arvense, were sold by 
the “lierbe-womcn of Chepeside” as Shave- 
grass or Pewter-wort, for the cleansing of 
household utensils. Gerarde the herbalist 
refers to Shave-grass “wherewith fletehers 
and combe-makers doe rub and polish their 
worke.” The Dutch rush used to be im¬ 
ported from Holland to England for use 
by marble polishers; in Holland it is grown 
along dykes and canals, where its tough 
growth binds the soil against washing. It 
is quite possible that Dutch settlers brought 
it originally to this country, as E. hyemale 
seems restricted to certain localities. It 
is troublesome to extirpate, and a real 
nuisance in a pasture. Cattle rarely eat 
it, but it is said to be injurious to them; 
horses and sheep eat it with impunity. 
Draining and clean culture would probnbiv 
destroy it, but as it propagates by division, 
mowing lias little effect, and when mature 
it is very difficult to cut. 
The way to secure bigger and better 
vegetables and handsomer, hardier 
flowers is to plant 
Stokes’ Standard Seeds— 
The seeds that make crops— 
“ Bonny Best ” Early Tomato is large, 
full-red handsome, earlier than other varieties, 
and commands the best prices. 
New Free Catalogue— tells all about 
‘‘Stokes’ Standards” and my system of 
selling them, shows photographs and gives 
complete planting directions. 
Three 10o packets for 10c. On receipt of 10c in 
coin or stamps amt Ihe name of this magazine, I will 
send you three 10c packets of seed—one each of my 
“Honor Best” Knrly Tomatoes, Sweet Pens anil 
Single Poppy ( the famous Luther Burbank 
Strain.) Each is unequalled in In its class. 
Stokes Seed Store, Dept. L, 
219 Market St.. Philadelphia. 
FRE 
FROM 
HARD 
CORE 
Matures a week to 10 days ahead of any 
other known variety; fruits of good size, 
smooth, solid, bright red color and finest 
flavor. Although a large number of so- 
called early sorts have been introduced of 
late years, on test— side-by-side—not one 
has equaled First of AH for earliness, 
hardiness, size and uniform shape. 
Price, Large Pkt., 10c; oz., 40c, Postpaid. 
FREE BOOK, “Northern-Grown Seeds’* 
Plants, Bulbs, Fruitsand Troos. Contains all the good 
things for the Garden and Farm worth growing at 
the right prices. Don't fail to secure the Hook. 
WRITE TODAY. L. L. MAY, St. Paul, Minn. 
fGftEGORvv 
-SEED % 
® Sold 
Under 
Three 
Warrants 
We sell all our seeds under three warrants, 
which practically cover all risks. This is the 
reason the largest gardeners and planters in the 
country sow 
They take no chances. Everyone Interested In 
vegetable and ilower growing should send for 
Gregory’s Seed Book —IPs FREE 
Write to-day for a copy. 
J. J. H. GREGORY & SON, Marblehead, Mass. 
ALFALFA SEED 
CHOICE MOUNTAIN GROWN 
the seed that produces big crops, worth double! 
of imported seed: $18.00 per 100 lbs. Vogeler's' 
Wonder Oats, 117 bus. per acre, 3 cents lb. t 
VOGELER SEED COMPANY, 
Salt Lake City, Utah. 
MYWBHHG&HB 
Full Line. Fruit and Oruamenf i»l. Free Catalog, 
■'GROVER NURSERY CO., Rochester, N. Y.' 
YtAHLINlj rnUII 
Cherry, Pear, and Plum. Grown for our own use 
Surplus for sale. 
SAMUEL FRASER, Geneseo, N. Y. 
150 ACHES. Genesee 
Valley Grown. "Not the 
cheapest, but the best.” 
Never have bad San Jose 
scale. Established 1869. 
Catalog GKO. A. SWEET NURSERY CO., 
Free. 20 Maple St., Dansville, N, Y. 
I T’S easy to grow 
roses out of doors 
— if you know how. 
Easy if you select the 
right roses for your 
locality, plant them the right way and 
give them the right care. 
We have just issued a beautifully 
illustrated little manual telling bow to do 
all the things necessary to llie success¬ 
ful culture of roses in the easy way. We 
have called it 
How to Grow Roses 
and it covers the subject from A to Z 
in terse, concise, easily understood form 
to be had in no other book. It is a 
trusty guide to sure success with roses 
out of doors. 
nff Ar . Send us 10 cents and we 
opeciai wrrer. wi n >mail this invaluable 
to Grow Iioses ” and in addition send you 
FREE of charge at the proper planting time a 
25 cent Guaranteed 
toBloomRose.se- ^//-' fi/? /a/7 Cj? 
lected especially 7LW /' A Y^ Vy/r/' 
foryourlocality. W lL'/— 
Box 4-B //e<it7/rciY,;y&n, 
Remember the Star. 
sae&g 
BILLIONS OF STRAWBERRIES 
Big and sweet and good—will be grown from the great stock 
of plants that are now ready at Harrison’s Nurseries. 
Thousands of our customers of* the past 25 years know that 
our Strawberry plants are the best, but we want to prove 
this fact to other thousands who do not know how we can 
help with pedigree plants. 
We Will Send You Free, a Book 
which tells all about the largest and best assorted stock of 
Strawberries to be found in America. It also describes and 
illustrates our complete line of good Fruits and Ornamentals. 
We are proud of this book; it tells the truth and has been 
made right. It cost a lot of money, but you can have it free. 
HARRISON'S NURSERIES, Box 421, BERLIN, MD. 
uLcN-mARY 
OF STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 
50,000 quarts now grown on one acre—my system. 
Send for Chart. T. 0. KKVITT, Athenia, N. J. 
OTRAWBERRY PLANTS —Reliable,money-making 
O varieties, only $1.50 ami $1.75 per 1000. New 1909 eatar 
logue Free. S. A. VIRD1N, Hartley, Delaware. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS 
Send $2.00 for 1000 plants; 40 varieties finest 
Tennessee grown. Free catalog. JOHN Ligiit- 
FOot, Dept., 36 E. Chattanooga, Tenn. 
The Celebrated “FENDALL” STRAWBERRY 
Finest Berry in the World. Half million 
plants for sale at reasonable prices. Send for de¬ 
scriptive catalogue and price list, and see what 
leading Horticulturists say of it. Address 
OHAS. E. FENDALL & SON, Towson, Md. 
6,000,000 Strawberry Plants. 4V”«A° 
best stock in the world. We guarantee satisfaction and safe 
delivery everywhere. Strawberry plant buyers guide and illus¬ 
trated catalogue free. If you want to save money write to-day. 
Address THE SNOW HILL PLANT, FRUIT & TRI CK FARM, 
Charlie S, Perdue, Prop, R. 2, Snow Hill, Md. 
S trawberry Plant* —Chip man, a leading variety. Also all 
other reliable varieties. Send for my free 1009 Catalogue. 
Prices from $1.50 up. DAVID RODWAY, Hartly, Del. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 
30 of the Best Varieties. 
Illustrated Descriptive Catalogue Free. 
BASIL PERRY, Box 8, Cool Spring, Del. 
CHOICE CLOVER 
alslke, Timothy, and all kinds of held 
seeds. We buy and sell direct, home 
grown seeds, free from obnoxious weeds. Write for samples. 
A. C. HOYT & CO., 306 North Main Street, Fostorla, 0. 
Fancy, Graded Northern Mich.Clover Seed. 
Bure, clean, high genuiuatlng power, worth to sow twice any 
seed found on the open luurket. No sand, brown or foul seeds. 
Samples free. Price $8.50 per bushel. Bags 25 cents eachcxtia. 
A. H. FOSTER, Allegan, Mich. 
DSEEDS 
ESTINTHEWORLD 
PRICES BELOW ALL OTHERS 
‘ve a lot of new sorts for 
with every order I fill. 
Grand Big' Catalog CD EC 
Illustrated with over rlfEC 
700 engravings of vegetables 
and flowers. Send yours and 
neighbors’ addresses, 
AY, Rockford, Illinois 
” STRAWBERRYI PLANTS THAI GROW.” 
_A DESCRIPTIVE list of varieties, with prices. 
Also INSTRUCTIONS for planting- and culture of 
STRAWBERRIES AND OTHER SMALL FRUITS. 
Will be mailed free to all who send their address. 
C. K. WHITTEN’S NURSERIES, Box 11, Bridgman, Mich. 
at ONE-HALF 
City Seedsmen Prices ! 
Let us send you our catalc 
different. It tells you facts, and why we can save you money, and give yot 
SQUARE DEAL. Just drop a postal today and see the difference in buyir 
country or City. FORREST SEED CO., Box 34, Cortland 
