768 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
August 28, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to insure attention. Be¬ 
fore 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.] 
A NEW STRAWBERRY VARIETY. 
J. R. D‘, 8odus, N. Y .—I have noticed 
growing in our pasture lot a kind of 
strawberry, which I have never seen be¬ 
fore. There have never been any culti¬ 
vated berries in that neighborhood and yet 
these berries, when they are put on the 
market go along with the cultivated 
kinds. The berries are large and dark 
red and have a slightly sour flavor. I 
would like to know if there is a chance to 
sell such plants on the market. Would 
it be profitable? 
Ans.— It is quite possible that the new 
strawberry has originated from seed 
carried by birds; its value depends en¬ 
tirely on its comparison with standard 
varieties. If it shows merit, set the 
plants in a favorable location, give 
them good treatment, and test them in 
competition with your favorite named 
sorts. The mere fact of being a new 
sort does not count, with a strawberry 
or any other plant, unless it shows 
superiority over existing varieties. Test 
it under favorable conditions next 
year; show it to other growers, and if 
it makes a good record get others to 
give it a test in different localities, or 
ask the State experiment station to 
make a test for you. You cannot in¬ 
terest plant buyers in an untested berry. 
Some years ago we went to see the 
strawberry New York, which was orig¬ 
inated by a woman farmer in Tompkins 
County. She sold ‘berries to a private 
trade, and sold the new variety, among 
others, without special notice on her 
part. Buyers, however, kept asking for 
“those big red ones”; the berry made a 
big reputation locally, and finally a dis¬ 
tant nurseryman purchased the entire 
stock and made a feature of it in his 
catalogue. Strawberries are often very 
“mifty,” as old-fashioned gardeners say, 
and flourish in one locality, while fail¬ 
ing in another, so there is a good deal 
of uncertainty .about the future be¬ 
havior of a new variety. Better give 
your new variety a thorough test lo¬ 
cally; if it is an improvement over 
known sorts the consumers will ad¬ 
vertise it, and it will thgn be time to 
extend its field. An unknown variety, 
without strong endorsement, would not 
be likely to interest purchasers on the 
open market. 
SHORT STORIES. 
Lime on Old Meadow. 
In your opinion, would lime be any 
benefit to old meadows, sowing, say, 500 
pounds to the acre? I have several mead¬ 
ows that seem to be running out, and I 
don’t wish to plow them. t. f. k. 
Carmel, N. Y. 
That small application of lime on old 
meadows has not proved of much use to 
us. At least one ton should be used, 
and, far better, work it thoroughly into 
the soil. People write about using 100 
pounds of fertilizer on one acre. A little 
thought should show them that this small 
dose cannot feed a crop. 
Strawberries on Sod. 
I have a piece of ground that was seeded 
two years ago to clover and Timothy. 
Would you advise plowing this Fall and 
then setting strawberries in the Spring? 
Nova, Ohio. A. L. P. 
It would depend upon the number of 
white grubs we found on turning over the 
sod. if they are thick do not set straw¬ 
berry plants until you have grown some 
highly cultivated crop and killed out: the 
sod. The white grub is the worst insect 
we know of for killing berry plants, and 
old sod is usually full of them. 
Potato Beetles Once More. 
For two years previous to this' one we 
have had very few Potato beetles in this 
section, and I remember reading in one 
of the farm journals last Fall that the 
Potato beetle had run its course, and 
would now be a thing of the past. This 
Rummer it has come back in all its glory, 
in numbers that we never saw before. 
People in this section have been applying 
Pans green every suitable day, Sundays 
frequently included, yet there are plenty 
of bugs still with us. and the supply of 
Faris green in the stores is very short. 
Waterford, N. Y. it. f. 
Much the same thing happened with us. 
Last year we hardly found it necessary 
to use poison. This year plants would 
have been eaten to the ground if left 
alone. Last year we were told that the 
San .Tose scale is “dying out,” and that 
spraying is no longer necessary. Now 
the insect is at us again. There will come 
seasons when these insects do not breed 
and multiply as rapidly as usual, but they 
are not “dying out.” A more favorable 
season may bring them in greater numbers 
than ever. 
Discriminating Rabbits. 
A little patch of Soy beans, a variety 
test, is visited nightly by rabbits from a 
nearby thicket. Ever since the primary 
leaves came out on the plants the “var¬ 
mints” have been eating the tender foliage. 
Lead arsenate seemed to improve their ap¬ 
petites, and enthusiastic bunny hunters, 
the valiant ones, will not let me shoot 
them. So, like the Vermont deer, they plun¬ 
der on. But the point is that in order 
to get to these Soys they must hop over 
magnificent White and Red clover, prover¬ 
bial rabbit pasture. Do they know a good 
thing when they see it? s. s. d. 
R. N.-Y.—Southern experiment stations 
have reported Ihe same thing—using it as 
an argument that animals prefer green 
Soy beans to other forage. 
Leaf Mold Fertilizer. 
Has leaf mold taken from a forest of 
hard wood any value as a fertilizer to be 
used on a clay soil ? L. C. 
Black Creek, N. Y. 
This leaf mold often contains more plant 
food, ton for ton. than stable manure, yet 
if you puf it directly on the soil you 
might not receive any benefit the first sea¬ 
son We once used a lot of it, hauling 
straight from the woods and piling around 
peach trees. It hurt the trees until late 
in the season, when they suddenly began 
to grow. The leaf mold was sour, and un¬ 
til it was sweetened its plant food was 
not made available. If you can mix the 
leaf mold with manure and let it ferment, 
or mix it with lime, so it can stay in a 
pile for three months or more, you will 
then have good dressing for your soil. 
A Plague of Chipmunks. 
Open a bank 
account by- 
mail in the 
First Mortgage 
Guarantee & 
Trust Co. of 
Philadelphia 
Your savings will earn 
4$ compound interest. By 
our plan $10 per month will 
Gov. Leslie M. Sktrm grow in 10 years to $1,473.00. 
A larger or smaller amount proportionately. 
Gov. Leslie M. Shaw, former Secretary of 
the United States Treasury, now president of 
this institution, has greatly simplified banking 
by mail — eliminated all red tape. No trouble 
to open an account and no trouble to close. 
Simply mail your deposit — any sum you please, 
the larger the better, but it had better be one 
dollar than nothing. Your bank book will be 
sent by return post. 
You may withdraw any part or all of your 
deposit without notice. 
AQf\ compound interest on 
Savings-fund accounts. 
Liberal Interest on Checking accounts. 
Send for our booklet “How to Save by Mail" 
which explains Gov.Shaw’seasyand Safeway of 
banking bv mail. Write fora copy today—free. 
The First Mortgage Guarantee and Trust Company 
Leslie M. Shaw, President 
949 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia 
I find that the trees about my house, 
large hard maples and cherry trees, are 
infested this Summer to an unusual degree 
with red squirrels and chipmunks, and that 
they apparently keep away the birds to 
some extent, besides injuring the trees by 
tearing off the bark. Will you tell me 
how I can decrease their number? 
l. E. s. 
A good shotgun in the hands of a marks¬ 
man will be as good as anything. Poisoning 
is not safe in such a place. S'hoot a few 
and keep firing at the others, and they 
will get out. 
Poultry Manure. 
Having the manure from about 1.000 to 
1.200 fowls, I would like to know the best 
and least expensive way of keeping this 
manure until next Spring, to be used for 
corn. What shade trees should I use for 
chicken yards? Is peach desirable? j. a. 
West Long Branch, N. J. 
If you keep the hen manure thoroughly 
dry it will lose but little of its ammonia. 
Keep it dusted with plaster, dry road dust 
or “floats,” take it from under the perches 
frequently and store in a dry shed, throw¬ 
ing the dust over it as you put it under 
shelter. Use plenty of the drying mate¬ 
rial and keep from the rain, and it will 
remain hard and dry. In the Spring you 
w511 find it in hard chunks, which must 
be broken up. But why hold it over Win¬ 
ter? If the land is fairly level scatter 
the manure as fast as made where it is to 
go. Apple or plum trees are better than 
peacli for chicken yards. As for using 
poultry manure read the following note: 
Using Hen Manure. —Last Winter I 
asked about putting hen manure directly 
on corn ground. I did put it on the corn, 
as thin as my conscience would let me, 
making a wheelbarrow do the work of a 
one-horse load of fresh barnyard manure, 
and now the corn over the hen manure is 
much ahead • of the barnyard manure. 
Moral : Don't put your hen manure away in 
boxes and barrels all Winter and then 
spread it when yon are rushed to death 
with Spring work, but when you take it 
off the chopping boards just put it on 
some ground that needs it, that is nearby. 
It is lots easier and just as economical. 
Perry, Ohio. H. G. s. 
Dwarf Apples. 
What information have you as to the 
dwarf apple? Has it a future? Unless 
we can get something that can be quickly 
and easily cared for we shall soon be 
without fruit here in the trucking section. 
My idea is to put out a few of each va¬ 
riety of best eating apples, ranging from 
early till late, for family use. J. c. w- 
Sewell, N. J. 
Mr. George T. Powell of Ghent, N. Y., 
has dwarf apple trees growing which bear 
beautiful fruit. If you could and would 
handle them as be does you could obtain 
a fair supply of family apples. Most 
dwarf trees are mere toys. Very few grow¬ 
ers handle them as a business proposition. 
If you are willing to handle them as you 
would truck crops, and give them thorough 
culture and care, you may make them 
serve your family. 
Speltz; Crop Between Rye and Oats. 
What is the value of speltz as a soiling 
crop, with general information as to time 
of sowing, etc? What crop can be put in 
in the’Fall to feed after rye is gone and 
before oats are ready? There is an interval 
of about four weeks generally between 
those two crops. a. m. j- 
Hampton Co., Mass. 
As we understand it, speltz is seeded 
in Spring like oats. It is, we think, better 
for grain than for soiling and would rank 
with oats in season. Wheat comes in after 
rye as green feed. Crimson clover seeded 
in late Summer will help fill out the space 
between rye and oats and so will garden 
peas broadcast or Canada peas seeded 
alone. 
Profitable Raspberries. —Nothing is 
more profitable upon our farm than a 
small patch of red raspberries. This piece 
is about 25 feet long and from eight to 10 
feet wide, and yielded 54 quarts of prize 
berries. This patch is situated in a place 
where the hens just love to scratch in early 
Spring. The only care given them is trim¬ 
ming every year. The patch is now at 
least from eight to 10 years old and the 
crop is increasing rapidly year after year 
in both quantity and quality. Next Spring 
I intend to plant a large henyard in red 
raspberries and let the hens be the cultiva¬ 
tors. What better profits can you expect 
from a barren }mn.vard when berries are 
selling from 16 to 18 cents per quart? 
S. H. 
Read His 
Read of the economy 
and profit in thi» farm¬ 
er’s potato-digging,— 
how he gets every 
potato in the field,— 
how he avoids loss from 
scarred and crushed 
potatoes,—how he has 
made the work easy 
and fast. 
It Tells Yoi 
how the 
Acme Hand Digger 
ATTACHMENT 
proved out under hard, practical actual field use: 
Potato Implement Co., Traverse City, Mich. 
GentlemenTwo yearsago I bought one of 
your Acme Hand Potato Diggers and after 
giving it a short trial In the field, my sons, 
who were digging the potatoes, were so 
leased with the Acme Digger that I now 
ave five In use on my farm. 
The Acmels just tliedigger we needed. Un¬ 
like the machine diggers It digs clean, gets 
every potato In every hill, doesn’t scar the 
stock, and Is not bothered by the vines. The 
men work easlly.yetquickly.and don’tgetso 
tired os with ordinary fork or hook digging. 
I know from my own experience that the 
Acme Digger does better, easier and cheaper 
work than any other digger I have seen, and 
the best recommendation I can give anyone 
is that I continue to use It on my own farm. 
I am. yours truly, 
F. LAUTNER, Leelanau County. 
Send $1.00 Today. Let the Acme 
Attachment prove itself to you. Let it 
prove that your dollar is better than $100 in¬ 
vestment in other diggers—that it will dig 
potatoes better and more economically—that 
it is the digger you have been waiting for. 
Sent prepaid by express. Money returned if 
you had rather have it than keep the digger. 
Pamphlet and Potato Book free on request. 
Send now. Address Box 525, 
Potato Implement Co., Traverse City, Mich. 
Letter 
FIX YOUR ROOF 
5c Per Square.* 
Ob jjui 
Roof-Fix 
—We will guarantee to put 
any old leaky, worn-out, 
rusty, tin, iron, steel, paper, felt or shingle roof in 
perfect condition, and keep it in perfect condition 
for 5c per square per year. ' 
Tko Perfect Roef Preserver, makes old, 
worn-out roofs new. Satisfaction guaranteed 
or money refunded. Our free roofing book 
■ tells all about it. Write for it today, 
the Audersoo Manufacturing Co., Dept. 35, Elyria, Obia. 
Wh eels mill 
ofSIeel 
L 
Construction—!hat’s the important 
thing in steel wheels. No spokes to rattle. 
No repair bills Empire steel wheels are made 
to last a lifetime Listen to one of our customers: 
“Gentlemen—I send you herewith order for 4 more 
wheels. The wheels I got from you 10 years ago are all 
right now. That's QUALITY.** It’s the Empire idea all 
| thro*. Ask about Empire Wagons. Shall we send catalog? 
EMPIRE MFG.CO.. Box 18A, QUINCY, ILLINOIS 
5UPERIQR""eFENCE 
can be absolutely depended upon 
under all conditions. Easy to erect and 
stays tight. Made trom heavy, high carbon 
coiled spring steel in different heights, 
weights and spacings, bound by the 
Superior Heavy Weight Lock. Prices low. 
Easy terms. Write for Free Catalog 
and prices. THE SUPERIOR FENCE CO. 
Dept. 
o. 
CLEVELAND, OHIO 
THE MICHIGAN-INDIANA 
LAND COMPANY 
Are offering for sale from 40 to 65 of the nicest 
improved farm lands in the best section of the 
southern part of Michigan, in the following 
counties: Allegan, Barry, Montmorency and 
Kalkaska. Also, from 40 to 50 farms in the 
very best section of Indiana, located in Noble 
County, Whitley County and Elkhart County. 
Please write for description, maps, price and 
terms. Address 
MICHI6AN-INDIANA LAND COMPANY, UGONIER, IND. 
Ellwanger & 
Barry’s 
Peonies 
Phloxes 
Irises 
Are Unsurpassed in Variety and Quality 
The Best Results are to be Obtained 
by Planting in September 
Illustrated booklet with descrip¬ 
tions and planting directions FREE 
upon request. 
MOUNT HOPE 
NURSERIES 
Box K, Rochester, New York 
BARTLETT PEARS-ytt'&fiKi 
for late fall or spring delivery. Send for special 
circular on Pear, Cherry and Peach. A few choice 
Thorobred Hampshire Lambs for sale. 
W. P. RUPERT & SON, -:- Box 15. -:- Seneca, N. Y. 
HARRISON’S NURSERIES, Berlin, Mil. 
1100 acres trees and plants. Catalog free. 
Qlroiuharru DUnip of the Best Varieties. 
OlTdWUeriy ridni 5 Descriptive Catalogue 
free. BASIL PERRY, Box 18, Cool Spring, Del. 
QNE Quart of Strawberries i>ia„ e t a i9io 
" Send for Catalogue and Prices. 
T. C. KEVITT, Athenia, N. J. 
W E OFFER our Special Quality of WHITE 
WINTER RYE, grown in Indiana, at $1.15 
per bushel, delivered at your railroad station. 
Please write for samples. 
N. WERTHEIMER & SONS, Ligonier, Ind. 
rnn rii c-ciumson clover seed,$ r,.oo 
run dALC bushel. COW-HORN TURNIP 
SEED. 40c. pound. 
JOSEPH E. HOLLAND, Milford, Delaware. 
LONGHEAD WHEAT 
red, hard, bearded. There is none better. $4.00 
for two bushels. MYRON CLOSE, Cato, N. Y. 
S END for Circular to originator of Jones’ Winter 
Wheats, which are leaders wherever known. 
A NEW ONE FOR 1909. Address JONES, 
THE WHEAT GROWER, Batavia, N. Y. 
C HOICE CLOVER AND GRASS SEEDS sold 
direct to the farmer. We have reduced our 
choice Hungarian and MiUet seeds to tho present 
market value. Write for samples and prices at 
once. N. WERTHEIMER & SONS, Ligonier, Ind. 
C HOICE TIMOTHY, $2.15 per bu.: order now. Circ. and 
sam. free. Glick’s Seed Farms,L ancaster, Pa. 
SEED WHEAT 
First-Class FRUIT TREES SKEST 
Grown in the famous Genesee Valley. 
SAMUEL FRASER, Geneseo, N. Y. 
Fultz Wheat... 
Best Milling Variety. Ciood Yielder. 
Sure Cropper. 
Our crop pure and carefully prepared for sowing. 
Also Poole, Mammoth White Rye, New Crop 
Timothy. Write for samples, circulars, prices. 
The 0. C. Shepard Co., 9E St., Medina, Ohio. 
ALFALFA 
SEED WHEAT. 
40U acres. Grown especially for seed purposes in 
the wheat belt of Lancaster County, Pa. Return 
of seed allowed and money refunded if not satis¬ 
factory. The best varieties smooth and bearded. 
I issue a neat circular. It is free, but you must ask 
for It. A. H. HOFFMAN, Bamford, Pa. 
All Northern Grown and 
guaranteed to be 99 per cent 
pure. Should produce hay 
at $40.00 per acre annually. Write for Free Sample 
and instructions on growing. 
GRAIN AND GRASS SEEDS 
Northern Grown and of strongest vitality. Wo invito you to 
got Government Tests on our samples. Send for Cat. No. S3 
THE J. E. WING & EROS. SEED CO. 
Box 223. Meclianicsburg;, Oiiio 
FULCASTER WHEAT 
No Better Cropping or Milling Variety. 
We offer only this one variety, grown on our own 
farms under careful supervision and especially 
prepared for seed. Write for sample and prices. 
The National Farm School, Farm School, Oept.B, Bucks Co., Pa. 
PUniPC CCCn DVC thousand fold, 
unuibu OLLU n I Li $1.00 bushel. Bags 
l 
extra, 20c. 
E. RIGG, JR., Burlington, N. J. 
OYS 
WANTED 
| Also young men to distrib¬ 
ute catalogues in towns 
and rural districts, and send names and infor¬ 
mation. Easy work. Can be done out of school 
hours. Good pay. State your age and give three 
references. Write at once. F. W. Clement, Mgr., 
Dept. C, 87 Barclay Street, New York. 
BEST SEED WHEATS i 
RED WAVE, SILVER 
QUEEN, FARMERS FRIEND, 
and other leading new sorts. Our system of selec¬ 
tion and grading makes our seed far superior to any 
other. Worth twice as much, costs but trifle more. 
Alisolute satisfaction guaranteed. Write today for 
price list. Maplewood Seed Wheat Farms, Allegan, Mich. 
