1104 
THE RURAL REW-YORRER 
December 25, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[Every Query must be accompanied by the name 
and aduress 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.] 
I-ARM GATES. 
I noticed in a recent issue an idea 
for farm gates. The accompanying pic¬ 
tures show a style of farm gate that I 
perfect condition now, without any re¬ 
pairs other than painting same, being 
constructed on a direct balance with 
nothing to wear only pivot and stone. 
I think they will last indefinitely. I 
have gates from eight to 24 feet wide. 
Illinois. _ i- L. 
GUM ON CHERRY AND PLUM GRAFTS. 
0. B., Talcilma, Ore .—Some years when 
I graft or bud cherries or peaches, they 
grow well, but the last two years I have 
had trouble with the graft not growing. 
The place where I insert grafts or buds 
begins to gum, and this gum seems to be 
the cause of grafts not growing. What 
can I do to prevent this gumming where 
I graft or bud? 
A\s.—The cherry and peach often 
exude a gum wherever a wound is 
made through the bark. This is espe¬ 
cially true of the cherry, the gum of 
which is a thick and hard substance 
that boys often eat with as much relish 
as candy gumdrops, as it closely re¬ 
sembles gum arabic. The cause of the 
gumming after grafting in the Spring 
is no doubt produced by sudden warm 
or rainy spell of weather, which causes 
the sap to start with a rush, and as it 
is not taken up through the usual and 
natural courses, wherever the bark is 
broken or cut the sap pours out of that 
wound, and when it comes to the air 
forms into a gum. When the tying ma¬ 
terial is left too long around the stock, 
where the bud is inserted, it will cut 
into the stock, and wi 1 stop the circu¬ 
lation of the sap and will often form a 
soft gummy substance around the peach 
bud, and the bud is drowned. The tying 
material should always be removed from 
around the hud just as soon as the hud 
has become united with the stock: other- 
-wi.se the bud will be damaged by the 
pressure and strangulation, if not by 
gumming or drowning. With the peach 
stock the tying material ‘should he re¬ 
moved in 10 days after the bud is 
inserted, if stocks are making usual 
growth when budded. e. s. black. 
NOTES ON MAPLE SYRUP. 
Some years ago it was my pleasure to 
work on an experiment station, and at 
that particular station was a professor 
of agriculture who made some experi¬ 
ments I have not seen in print. He ob¬ 
tained a quantity of bone charcoal the 
same as used to filter the syrup in the 
process of making granulated sugar, and 
filtered the hot maple syrup. The result 
was the maple flavor was removed and 
pure granulated sugar remained. The 
same professor took a pressure gauge 
and drove it into the hole prepared for 
the spout; the gauge registered on a 
good sap day 78 pounds per square inch. 
A friend wanted to kill a large sugar 
maple, so thought to kill it by excessive 
tapping. He set 37 buckets on the body 
of the tree; each bucket had as much 
sweet sap as if it were the only bucket 
to the whole tree. It is estimated a cord 
of rock maple wood cut in Winter con¬ 
tains about 100 pounds of maple sugar. 
The maple sugar is made the previous 
Summer (by action of the leaves) and 
deposited in the wood cells in the outer 
or sap wood. In the early Spring when 
the weather warms up enough to cause 
the sap to “run/’ the deep roots which 
lie below the frost through their very 
small rootlets suck up water from the 
soil, and as it flows through the wood 
cells it absorbs or dissolves the maple 
sugar deposited the previous Summer. 
You can strain this clear sap as much 
as you like, then boil it 10 or 15 minutes, 
and then hold some of the hot sap to 
the light in a glass; you will see a large 
number of flaky particles floating in the 
sap. These are coagulated dirt, should 
this stay in the sap, the sugar will be 
strong, i. e., have a strong “tang”. 
Pieces of tin hung on the sides of the 
evaporator down into the sap catch a 
good deal of floating scum or dirt, these 
fins can be easily removed and cleaned. 
I should favor an evaporator built with 
one section (the front one) set with its 
bottom about one inch higher than the 
top of the rest of the evaporator, with 
a draw-off pipe at the bottom, so when 
the sap has boiled about 15 minutes one 
can draw off, straining it into the rest 
of the evaporator. A good set of dam¬ 
pers to shut off the heat while straining 
would be a good thing. F. w. G. 
Massachus etts. _ 
SHORT STORIES. 
Use of Oyster Shells. 
How can 1 use barrels of oyster shells 
to best advantage as fertilizer? m. g. d. 
Verona, N. J. 
These shells are useful for the lime 
they contain. They must he made fine In 
some way before the lime can benefit crops. 
This is done by crushing the shells in a 
mill or burning them. When they are 
completely burned they will take up water 
and crumble to a fine powder. 
Top-Dressing Alfalfa. 
Is it advisable to top-dress with manure 
a new field of Alfalfa? This field was 
sown in August, and the Alfalfa stands 
six to eight inches high. Would it be 
advisable to top-dress this when the ground 
gets frozen so that I can get on it? 
North Evans, N. Y. F. m. f. 
We should give this Alfalfa a thin coat 
of tine manure after the ground freezes. 
This will give some protection and help 
to prevent heaving out. 
Skunk Farming Again. 
Could you give me any information re¬ 
garding the skunk industry? I have thought 
some of starting a skunk farm, hut would 
like some information before beginning. 
Lestershire, N. Y. a. h. w. 
If you take our advice, you will forget 
the thought at once. We have had hundreds 
of questions about skunk farming, and 
have followed up many reports of success¬ 
ful farms. Not one has ever been found. 
If any person can show us a successful 
experiment in keeping skunks in captivity 
we hereby ask him to do so. 
Lime and Berry Fruits. 
In a recent issue you say “keep lime 
from strawberries, as they do best in a 
sour soil.” Does the same rule apply to 
other berries—such as blackberries, rasp¬ 
berries, gooseberries, currants aud grapes? 
I intend to put in about six acres of small 
fruit (berries) and would like to know 
if lime should be kept off this field, w. b. 
New York. 
Experience seem to show that strawberries 
and cranberries do best on an acid soil. 
That is why we do not advise lime or wood 
ashes for these crops. The bush fruits as 
a rule do well on a soil that is neutral 
or only slightly acid, and lime can be safely 
used on the ground where they grow. 
Crimson Clover in Michigan. 
Can you kindly inform me if Crimson 
clover will do well as far north as Cass 
Co., Mich.? I have hesitated about sowing 
it, as I supposed it: was a plant requiring 
a warmer climate, but I notice some New 
York people reporting favorably on it. 
Penn, Mich. F. E. s. 
We doubt if Crimson clover will live 
through your Winter. It will probably 
start and make a good Fall growth, but 
Spring will find little of it. Our own 
Crimson has already made growth enough 
to more than pay, even if every plant is 
dead by Spring. We have often seeded 
Crimson clover and rye together. This 
makes a good combination. The rye gives 
the clover some protection, and even if the 
clover is killed the rye grows in Spring. 
Alfalfa Hay in Comparison With Timothy. 
Who can tell me about the popularity- 
of Alfalfa hay in the city markets in com¬ 
petition with Timothy? W. H. J. 
No doubt some reader of The R. N.-Y. 
can. Not much Alfalfa hay is sold in the 
regular markets. We doubt if you could 
final a carload of Alfalfa in New York to¬ 
day. Most Eastern growers feed the Al¬ 
falfa to their own stock. We understand 
that some 60 carloads of surplus bay are 
sold from around Syracuse, N. Y. In that 
city stable keepers, after a fair trial, are 
said to pay one dollar per ton more for 
good Alfalfa than for Timothy. 
Keeping Sweet Potatoes. 
Give us a method of keeping sweet pota¬ 
toes. We i-aise fine ones, but almost as 
soon as dug, they begin to rot badly. K. e. 
New Jersey. 
Last year a number of growers told how 
they keep the sweets. The chief point is 
to dry them as quickly as possible and 
keep them dry and warm. They dig on a 
bright day and pick before the sun goes 
down and carry to the driest part of the 
house. In some cases they are packed in 
baskets and barrels and kept near a heater 
in the cellar. Others have a cupboard in 
the kitchen near or over the stove; simply 
put the sweets in it. Others make storage 
boxes in the living room and cover them 
so as to serve a seat or lounge. We have 
eaten sweets kept in this way up to June 
that were good. 
Salt on Manure. 
I have purchased a large quantity of 
horse manure from a livery stable, and 
wish to draw it home and put it in a big 
heap until it rots.' Would it be a good 
idea to sprinkle a little salt on heap oc¬ 
casionally? If not, what would be better? 
Carmel, N. Y. t. F. k. 
Laud plaster or acid phosphate would 
be as good as the salt—in some respects, 
better. They would act to save the car¬ 
bonate of ammonia, which is a gas, by 
changing it to sulphate of ammonia—a 
solid. The salt will act dSfferently, partly 
to stop fermentation, and to some extent 
prevent the changes which make the ma¬ 
nure more available. If you prefer to 
have this action of salt it would pay you 
better to use the German kainit. That 
contains salt and also potash, which is 
lacking in the manure. 
Wild Carrot. 
I enclose under separate cover a weed 
known as carrot; would like to know if this 
is the right name for it, also whether it is 
a bad thing to have growing ou the fields 
after the hay is made. This Summer is was 
so dry the clover did not grow after hay 
was made, but this weed made a rank 
growth. Some farmers despise it, others 
say it is a benefit to the soil, I was taught 
it was a help to the soil, as it roots deeper 
aud dies during Winter; only grows from 
seed. Should this be mowed down before 
the seed ripens? d. p. 
Pennsylvania. 
The weed is wild carrot. Our own fields 
were well covered with it. It comes in 
about as D. P. describes. Aside from scat¬ 
tering its seeds, we consider this deep-rooted 
plant a benefit. We have cut the weed 
while in late bloom and cured the same as 
hay. The horses were fond of it—several 
old animals in particular. We would, if 
possible, mow all weeds before they seed. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” Fee guarantee page 10. 
Plant a Hedge 
about your home this Spring-fences are out 
of date. A hedge will increase the value of 
your home tenfold over cost of the stock for 
planting. 
California Privet makes the most attractive 
and serviceable hedge. We have acres of the 
finest plants that can be grown anywhere. 
Prices within reach of all. Write us about 
your needs and ask for a copy of booklet, 
“How to Plant About the Country Home.” 
If interested in fruit planting ask for booklet, 
“How to Grow Fruit.” Illustrated catalog 
of the world’s largest nursery—over 2,000 
acres—free. 
OULDS 
RELIABLE 
Farm Pumps 
insure for your house, 
barn or yard a conven¬ 
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water at comparative 
ly small expense. 
The fact that thou¬ 
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operation after years 
of constant service, is 
strong proof of their 
wearing qualities. 
We make many differ¬ 
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pump for every purpose. Avoid cheap imita¬ 
tions. See that the name “Goulds” iscaston 
the pump. It guarantees reliability. Lotus 
send you our handsomely illustrated book— 
“Water Supply for the Home” 
It covers completely the subjectof fresh water 
supply for all purposes and how best to obtain 
it. It fully explains tho difference between 
pumps and tho adaptability of each type to 
varying conditions. If yon will explain your 
situation, we will tell you what is best to do 
in your case. 
THE GOULDS MANUFACTURING CO. 
No. 58 W. Fall St., Seneca Falls, N.Y. 
SECOND NANO SAIL DUCK 
for covers of any 
size for any pur¬ 
pose, such as 
protecting lum¬ 
ber. garden 
truck, repairing 
buildings, farm 
implements, 
always useful 
about a place. 
Write for 
samples and 
prices giving 
size desired. 
F r e i gin 
prepaid and 
shipped same 
day order is 
received. 
California Privet 
Special until December 10th we offer for cash with 
order with 500 or more. 
2 to 2!4 ft. ® $22.00 per 1000 
18 to 24 in.@ 16.00 per 1000 
12 to 18 in.@ 12.00 per 1000 
Cut back last year, exceptionally well branched 
and rooted. 
JOSEPH H. BLACK, SON & CO., WSSB: 
ASPARAGUS ROOTS 
Hundreds of thousands of strong 2-year roots, 
several varieties. Fruit Tices, standard and 
dwarf. Berry Plants, California Privet, Ever¬ 
greens; quality stock. 
Write lor catalog of information. 
IJARNES I5ROS. NURSERY (’()„ 
Box 8. Yalesville, Conn. 
BookletonCATALPA TREES 
Let me tell you about the 150 acres I am 
growing for telephono poles. I sell the 
best tree pruner in tho world. 
II. C. ROGERS. Rox 11 MEfJIIANTCSBUKG. OHIO 
C hoice clover and grass seeds sold 
direct to the farmer. We have reduced our 
choice Hungarian nnd Millet seeds to the present 
market value. Write for samples and prices at 
once. N. WERTHEIMER & SONS. Ligouier. Ind. 
OATS WANTED. 
White Russian, Horse Mane 
and Mammoth Side Send 
sample. L. N. KELLOGG, No. Ferrisburg, Vt. 
Alfalfa Uau U/antorl — In any quantity, If good quality. 
Alldlld tidy YVdlllbU Address full particulars to 
GKO. A. COLEMAN, South Rond, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 
P 
OTATOES.—Bliss, Bovee. Carman,Cobbler,Giant. Green Moun¬ 
tain, Ohio, Hose, lonln; 85 kinds. C. W. Ford, Fishers, N. Y. 
TRY KEVITT’S SYSTEM 1910 
OTRAWBERRY PLANTS —Reliable money-making varieties at 
O very reasonable prices. New 1910 illustrated catalog Free. 
Address S. A. VIKDIN, Hartly, Delaware. 
HANDY BINDER 
IUST the thing for preserving files of 
” The Rural New-Yorker. Durable 
and cheap. Sent postpaid for 25 cents. 
HARRISON’S NURSERIES 
Box 421, Berlin, Md. 
< Ihe RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York City. 
Cash For Skins 
You get the highest prices and the quickest returns when you ship 
your furs to Funsten. Coon, mink, skunk, muskrat, marten, fox, 
wolf, lynx and other furs are valuable. We receive and sell more 
furs direct from trapping sections than any house in the world. 
The biggest American and foreign buyers are represented at our 
regular sales, which run into millions of dollars yearly. The fierce 
competition among buyers at our big sales enables us to get higher 
prices then anyone else. That’s why we can send you the most 
money tor your furs, and send it quicker. 
Bag Money in Trapping K e dr s ?meYr«pping rm it^ 
good sport and pays big profits. We furnish trapping outfits at cost. Traps. Baits, 
etc., that make trapping easy. Write today for Catalog C and full particulars. 
We send our New Trappers' Guide, Fur Market Reports and Shipping Tags FLEE. 
Write for them today. Act now, for this is your big money-making opportunity! 
Funsten Bros.& Co., 99 Elm St., St. Louis, Mo. 
