414 
of bushels were sold as can-house seed, some as 
Smock seed and others as graded seed—and of 
course at a cheaper price than had formerly been 
paid for pure, natural seed. In the South the seed 
was sown thickly in nursery rows in the Fall, and 
the following Spring came up more or less irregu¬ 
larly, and was budded in August and September. 
Trees grown in this way in the South, when taken 
up to plant in the orchard, were as a rule devoid of 
fibrous roots, and only a straight or tap root, with 
one or two coarse side roots, which made them 
unpopular with the planters. Fall planting and leav¬ 
ing them undisturbed in the nursery row until taken 
out for orchard planting was the reason assigned for 
the lack of fibrous or lateral roots. The New Jer¬ 
sey nurserymen thought that the Winters of this 
section were too severe; or the constant freezing 
and thawing would heave the pits out of the nur¬ 
sery row, and to avoid the poor root system in 
particular of the Fall-planted seed, avoided the Fall 
system of planting altogether, and adopted the bed¬ 
ding system—putting the pits into a bed about four 
feet wide and extending it according to quantity of 
seed bedded. The seed was put in the beds from 
five to eight inches deep, and some sand or soil 
mixed with them, then covered over about four 
inches deep with sand or soil and left until they 
sprouted in the Spring. 
The seed bed was always made if possible in a 
protected place with a warm southern exposure. 
The following Spring these beds were “shoveled 
over”; that is, when pits had sprouted enough of 
them to plant out in nursery rows, the soil was 
thrown off the top, only as fast as the bed, could be 
gone over, and then the pits were spread out on 
tables or level ground, and boys or men picked up 
all the kernels that had sprouted, and these were 
then planted out in nursery rows about two or 
three inches apart, the rows four feet apart. For¬ 
merly the planters were followed by men with rakes 
who covered the kernels about two inches deep, but 
later this covering was all done by horse and a corn 
coverer. This plan was expensive on account of 
the amount of labor required. The work had to be 
done in the Spring when everything was hurrying 
the nurseryman, and finally it became impossible to 
get the help, so the Fall planting was tried, at first 
experimentally, and after demonstrating the practi¬ 
cability of it for New Jersey, it has been followed 
entirely for several years past. Soil and other 
conditions caused the root system in the South and 
not the Fall planting of the seed, as the New Jer¬ 
sey Fall-planted seed makes a better root system 
than did the sprouted Spring-planted seed. Fig. 
171 shows peach pits for planting. In the picture 
No. 1 shows seeds crushed out of shell by hand. 
These would sprout in a few days; 2 shows roots 
coming through shell; 3 roots started out of shell; 
4 Accomac Co. seed; 5 North Carolina seed; 6 
Tennessee seed; 7 twin seed. Fig. 172 shows root 
system of a Fall-planted pit. 
In years when seed was plentiful nurserymen 
would buy enough to last them for two and three 
years ahead. The seed was stored in buildings (not 
cellars) where it was protected from the sun and 
drying winds and yet free from moisture, as this 
would tend to make them sprout and ruin them, 
but if kept perfectly dry and in bulk, peach seed 
will retain its vitality for two and three years, and 
I have known it to keep good for four years. But 
seed two or more years old should be soaked in 
water for two or three days and then bedded in 
June or July before planting in nursery rows in 
October or November. The best seed is new seed 
of the current year, planted direct in rows in Octo- 
br or November. These seeds can be procured from 
the seedsmen in large or small quantities, or when 
only a few are needed save the pits of fruit grown 
on healthy trees and plant them any time after you 
gather them. Make a furrow about three inches 
deep, and plant the pits like peas in a row, and 
cover by ridging the ground over them. Early in 
the Spring rake or harrow off this ridge and make 
the ground level; run rake or harrow over rows 
to keep down weeds and the ground mellow until 
the seedlings begin to appear; then cultivate near 
but not over them, being careful not to break the 
tender sprouts. These seedlings grow very rapidly 
when once they are above ground—if the ground 
is good and they are- kept free from weeds and 
well cultivated. By the last of July or first of 
August they will be as thick as a lead pencil or 
larger, and can then be budded with the variety 
wanted. The bud is taken from the current year’s 
growth, and is better if in a growing condition. 
By commencing one-fourth inch below the eye or 
bud, a cut is made through to the center of limb 
and upward to one-half inch above eye or bud; 
then cut across the bark and snap it off from the 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
limb free from wood. This will give a bud with 
bark about three-quarters of an inch long. Make a 
cut as near the ground as possible on the seedling 
by drawing the knife upward about one-half inch, 
and across the top of this incision make a cross 
cut or T, and open it a little with the point of 
knife. Into this T insert the point of bud and push 
it down by placing side of thumb against the leaf 
stem of the bud until the end of bud is below the 
cross or T; then with a piece of raffia make two 
wraps below eye and bring around close to but not 
on eye of bud, and cover all the top of bud, mak¬ 
ing sure that the cross or T is covered and closed 
so no water can get in between bud and wood. 
If trees are growing fast, in about 10 days the 
raffia must be cut loose, by drawing a knife up the 
opposite side from where the bud is inserted. The 
following Spring cut the top off the seedling down 
close to the bud. When growth starts, many suck¬ 
ers or sprouts will start around the bud; when these 
are three to four inches high break them off close 
to the stock. If some of the bark is stripped off 
with them no harm will be done, but care must be 
used not to break off the bud with the suckers. 
The bud should make a growth according to soil 
and cultivation from three to six feet, and will be 
ready for the garden or orchard in the Fall or fol¬ 
lowing Spring. As a rule it is cheaper to buy 
trees when only a few are needed, demanding that 
they shall be healthy and true to name. Medium- 
size trees are better than large ones for orchard 
planting. The section where trees are grown is of 
small account, as the yellows is prevalent in the 
South as well as North, East as well as West, and 
the scale is no respecter of persons or localities. 
Tlie State entomologists ought to be ready to supply 
buyers and planters with information as to scale, 
etc., in any nursery of their respective States, and 
a personal inspection of the stock during the grow¬ 
ing season is always the wisest and best plan to 
pursue before placing orders. e. s. black. 
Monmouth Co., N. J. 
THORNLESS CACTUS AND GOLDBRICKS. 
We noticed on page 22 an article entitled “Pho¬ 
tographs Made to Lie,” referring to a picture in our 
catalogue, on page 112. This picture was not made 
to lie, but for the past 10 years has been used in our 
catalogue and in our magazine advertisements as a 
trademark. It is a work of photographic art, and 
great source of amusement to the patrons of our 
house. The catalogue would hardly be considered 
complete without this picture, and the idea that a 
person should take it so seriously as your corre¬ 
spondent is absurd. He might consider just as 
seriously a proposition to buy a $5,000 gold brick for 
$500. 
In speaking of the thornless cactus, you refer 
rather doubtfully to the assertion of Mr. Burbank 
that it will yield 90 tons of leaves to the acre. Now 
if you will look at our picture on page 111, near 
the lower left hand corner, you will discover the 
figure of a man, which shows the comparative size 
of the man and that cactus. This picture was not 
made to lie. It is a natural photograph taken by the 
writer himself. This hedge of cactus is 25 feet high, 
and it would be very conservative to estimate 400 
tons to the acre. Should you ever come to Los 
Angeles, the writer will take pleasure in showing 
you this hedge of cactus. Under another cover we 
April 17, 
are mailing you our catalogue, in which you will 
not find another fake picture, as every one of them 
are from natural photographs. You can readily 
understand that our house must be sending out good 
seed to have increased its business in five years from 
$25,000 to $250,000. These figures are not made to 
lie, either. aggeler & musser seed co. 
R. N.-Y.—“Lest we forget” about this we reprint 
what our California correspondent said on page 22: 
If the inclosed leaf from a catalogue does not make 
you sick, about bow much of a drug store would it take 
to do the business? The corn is longer than the horses. 
You can make a very safe bet (though I know you don't 
gamble) that they get no orders from me. 
The “work of photographic art” referred to had 
nothing about it to show that it was a “great source 
of amusement.” As for selling “gold bricks,” some 
of the articles about this “thornless cactus” are cer¬ 
tainly bricks, not to mention the gold. We have 
received a California paper, in which it is claimed 
that the cactus will grow on a tin roof without any 
soil, and only requiring a little water! This story 
might properly go in this catalogue alongside the 
fake corn picture, with another showing the cactus 
growing on the top of a fence post! As one carload 
of thornless cactus was said to bring $60,000 the large 
increase of business might be accounted for. It is 
now known that several varieties of spineless cactus 
have been found growing wild—practically the same 
as the one from Burbank. We are also informed 
that the Post Office Department has been asked to 
investigate the claims made for this plant, with the 
view of issuing a fraud order. 
CHEAP POTATO GROWING. 
I select the best soil I have and plow quite deep in 
the Fall. When ready to plant I harrow deeply and 
use a one-horse corn drill to mark the rows and 
sow the phosphate. I plant in drills about 40 inches 
apart, cutting medium-size potatoes into two or three 
pieces, and drop one piece every 14 or 16 inches in 
the drill. I cover with my sulky cultivator, leaving 
a ridge on top. A few days after planting 1 go 
over it with the weeder, lengthwise of the rows. A 
few days later I repeat this operation, going slanting 
across the rows. Just before the plants come up I 
weed again, going directly crosswise of the rows. 
By this time the ridge has been worn down to level, 
and thereby all weeds in the rows have been exter¬ 
minated. When plants are five or six inches high I 
begin cultivating and continue about once a week un¬ 
til plants are about ready to blossom, when I hill 
them slightly. About the time I commence to culti¬ 
vate I begin spraying with Bordeaux with a little 
Paris-green added. I spray after every rain that 
washes off the .mixture. 1 use a barrel sprayer, cov¬ 
ering two rows, and requiring two men and one 
horse. I spray diligently until tops die, when I com¬ 
mence digging by pulling tops and using my sulky 
cultivator. I go over each row once and pick up 
the tubers that are in sight, and then go over the 
same row again, thereby getting nearly every tuber. 
1 usually get from 175 to 225 bushels of good potatoes 
per acre. 
Susquehanna Co., Pa. e. c. s. 
RAILROAD ENGINES AND FIRES. 
On page 294 we printed a letter from James A. Clem¬ 
ents, of Onondaga Co., N. Y., regarding the damage done 
by locomotives. Large cinders were shown as picked up 
by Mr. Clements. Since printing this article several com¬ 
plaints from others have come. There seems no doubt 
but that the railroad men are very careless in this re¬ 
spect. Property is destroyed by fire and then the rail¬ 
road escapes through some technicality. Mr. Clements 
now writes this second letter: 
I looked out of the window as a west-bound train 
was passing and saw coals of fire as large as hickory 
nuts shooting out of the smoke stack 30 feet high 
or more. Last Saturday night, in just one hour’s 
time, I counted five different engines throwing fire, 
three passenger and two freight trains. If you 
could see the people the railroad company had at 
the court house the day of my suit you would be 
amazed; section foremen, engineers and firemen, 
men who had no more to do with the affair than 
you did. Before I sued this matter I tried to settle 
with the claim department. I offered them the fol¬ 
lowing privilege: Send two men to Jordan and let 
them observe for two nights the trains as they go 
by, and if in their judgment they did not throw fire 
enough to prove my claim I would drop the matter. 
It is enough to make one’s blood boil to see the 
high-handed way in which the company uses the 
public in this matter. Has the farmer any interest 
in this, or is he going to wait until he is burned 
out? Will he lie supinely, hoping that the kind 
honest and humane railroad company will come and 
say, “Arise, and take that which is yours.” 
Let those who will do anything in this express 
themselves through The R. N.-Y., or write me. 
Don’t be like a single reed, that can be easilv bro¬ 
ken; stand together. J- a. Clements. 
Onondaga Co., N. Y. 
