eie 
THE: RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November 28, 
Ruralisms 
Chestnut Disease in the Rural 
Grounds. —The Paragon chestnut seed¬ 
ling trees in Fig. 425, page 911, were 
grown from nuts procured 15 years ago 
from the introducers of the variety. 
They were gathered, we were informed, 
from Paragon grafts on wild native 
sprouts in woodland where the condi¬ 
tions would favor cross-pollination. All 
of the trees grown have fruited within 
the last five years. While there is 
variation in the trees—in habit and 
foliage—the nuts are very much alike, 
intermediate between those of Paragon 
and the native in appearance. They 
are of the highest quality. The size 
averages about half that of Paragon 
nuts and there is considerable fuzz 
about the stem. In market they prob¬ 
ably would be regarded as superior na¬ 
tives. The trees, however, were planted 
for shade and ornament rather than for 
nuts, and are now 25 feet high and 
seven or eight inches through the trunk. 
No serious chestnut disease was known 
at the time, and the presumption was 
that they would endure for generations. 
This season, however, finds several 
dangerously infected with the new 
chestnut blight that has been spreading 
through the Middle Atlantic States for 
the past four years. Two are cankered 
at the base, and probably will not live 
through another year. Others are af¬ 
fected in the branches, both large and 
small. The first indication is roughen¬ 
ing and splitting of the bark, showing 
the dying sapwood beneath. The dis¬ 
ease spreads around the limb or trunk 
instead of lengthwise, thus cutting off 
the flow of sap and causing all parts 
above to perish. Small branches soon 
die and show the presence of infection 
by their tufts of withered foliage, but 
large ones may survive a year or two. 
No hopeful treatment has yet been de¬ 
vised, as the disease is so insidious, 
often affecting the same tree in many 
places at once and making such progress 
before it can be detected that treatment 
appears futile. We shall try, however, 
all that can be done in way of cutting 
out and pruning away diseased parts, 
and applying antiseptics to the wounds. 
The organism is thought to gain admis¬ 
sion through abrasions causing exposed 
surfaces of dead wood, but we are as¬ 
sured from careful examination this is 
not always the case. In the trees under 
consideration the spores appear to have 
lodged in the ordinary growth cracks 
in the bark, and to have infected the 
sapwood in this manner. The use of 
fungicides, such as Bordeaux, has not 
been attended with promising results, as 
the organism cannot well be reached by 
safe chemicals after it has gained en¬ 
trance. The yellowish spores are given 
off in incredible numbers by the fruit¬ 
ing bodies of the fungus after it has 
made sufficient growth, and may be 
borne for miles by the wind. Frequent 
spraying with active fungicides may pre¬ 
vent infection, but this is scarcely prac¬ 
tical with trees as large as chestnuts. 
The disease is now established in large 
sections of New York, Connecticut, New 
Jersey and Pennsylvania, and has al¬ 
ready caused losses of millions of value 
in chestnut timber. New areas of in¬ 
fection are constantly reported, so that 
no predictions can be made as to its 
probable extent and duration. Thus far 
Japan chestnuts have been little at¬ 
tacked, and it may be that resistant or 
even immune varieties may yet be found. 
There are many hybrid and cross-bred 
chestnuts on the Rural Grounds, but 
thus far a wild chinquapin only has 
been attacked in addition to the Para¬ 
gon seedlings above mentioned. 
The Milk in the Cocoanut. —The 
Presidential election is over. There were 
six or more candidates, all, with¬ 
out doubt, able and conscientious men, 
sincerely devoted to the welfare of their 
eountry, but differing in minor matters 
of policy. Each was lauded by his par¬ 
tisans and denounced by his opponents. 
The candidate most favored by corpora¬ 
tions and capitalists was triumphantly 
elected. There is an immediate shout 
of prosperity. Newspapers glow with 
announcements of the opening of fac¬ 
tories long closed or partly so, of the 
starting of enterprises and the confir¬ 
mation of contracts held up pending 
election results and of the good feeling 
in Wall Street, where most of the stock 
gambling occurs. Manufacturers who 
have curtailed their output in the face 
of increasing demand and railroads that 
have so impoverished their equipments 
that they can scarcely run trains in 
safety vociferously announce resumption 
of full time and work. The principal 
reason given for this outburst of confi¬ 
dence is the election of a dependable 
President, but the real gist of the mat¬ 
ter lies in the estimates given out by the 
U. S. Department of Agriculture of 
record-breaking crops, supposed to be 
worth more than seven billions of dol¬ 
lars—a value that the mind of man can 
scarcely grasp. Beside this gigantic 
sum the few hundred millions of pro¬ 
jected improvements, so noisily an¬ 
nounced, looks very small. Is prosperity 
coming? Surely it is! It is at hand, 
and has in reality been present all the 
time, but mainly as the result of the in¬ 
telligence and tireless energy of our 
farmers. The season has not been un¬ 
usually favorable. There have been de¬ 
structive floods, untimely frosts and dis¬ 
astrous drought, but the farms of 
America never before have been so well 
cultivated and this imposing addition 
to our national wealth is the reward. 
True, the farmer will not reap his pro¬ 
portionate benefit. The captains of in¬ 
dustry, through our complex and unfair 
system of distribution, will get the 
major part, but the advantage to the 
country 1 at large remains. Had our 
farmers adopted the timid, cheese-par¬ 
ing methods of the financiers, manufac¬ 
turers and traders in the face of busi¬ 
ness depression the country would not 
now be in hailing distance of prosperity. 
It will never fail while they go forth to 
sturdy and intelligent toil. w. v. F. 
Growing Grain in Strawberries. 
J. S., Hillside, Wis .—I would like to hear 
from those with practical experience in 
growing some grain for mulching the straw¬ 
berries, sowing the grain between the rows 
on the last cultivation. What grain is 
considered the best? The objection to this 
method no doubt would he, that in a dry 
season as this has been, the grain would 
rob the plants of some moisture. Would not 
buckwheat he preferable as this plant takes 
much of its nourishment from the air and 
does not require much moisture to make 
its growth? Buckwheat seed is more ex¬ 
pensive than the other grains in this local¬ 
ity, it being worth about $1.75 per bushel 
but in a berry field of several acres, lo¬ 
cated near an apiary, this plant would also 
furnish considerable pastil rage for the bees. 
Ans. —We want the experience of 
readers in this matter. Most growers 
will advise against the plan. While the 
grain is growing it is impossible to give 
the strawberries proper culture, and 
they will be quite sure to suffer. Most 
growers who have reported the plan to 
us say they use oats. 
“What I object to,” said the reform¬ 
er, “is the ostentation of wealth.” “You 
have a mistaken idea about the matter. 
If you want to find out how shy wealth 
can be just give it a chance to contribute 
to a campaign fund.”—Washington Star. 
“For the Land’s Sake use Bowker’s 
Fertilizers; they enrich the earth and 
those who till it.”—Adv. 
You’ll hit the bull’s eye 
every time, after a little 
practice, with a 
STEVENS 
You’ll find it always true to your 
aim. And it shoots far and hits 
hard. A Stevens is a rifle to be 
_ proud of—all 
the other boys 
will envy you. 
Send for the 
Stevens Catalog 
— all about Stevens 
Rifles, Shotguns, Pis¬ 
tols. It tells you how 
to choose and care for a 
gun. Sendsc for postage. 
And you’ll like Dan 
Beard’s book, “Guns and 
Gunning” —all about the 
woods and the camp, 
about small game and 
hunting and shooting. 
Sent postpaid, 20 c paper 
cover, or 30 c cloth cover 
—stamped in gilt. 
Most dealers sell Stevens 
Rifles—if yours doesn’t, we will 
supply you direct, on receipt of 
catalog price. 
J, Stevens Arms &T 00 I Co. 
200 Grove Street 
Chicopee Falls, Mass. 
L X 3YX E 
F O XI 
FARM LANDS 
-♦- 
Ground Lime 
Agricultural Lime 
Hydrated Lime 
WRITE FOR PRICES 
NEW JERSEYTiME CO., 
HAMBURG, N. J. 
0 ^ 11 will pay you to Spray your Fruit 
t X Trees and Vines for protection from 
I scale and all insect pests and fungus 
a I I A” diseases. FREE Instruction Book 
shows the famous Garfield, Empire King 
Orchard, Monarch, Leader and other sprayers; also 
gives a lot of formulas and other valuable information. 
FIELD FORCE PUMP CO.. No. 2 11th St., Elmira, N. Y. 
WITH 
FAST WORK a 
SPENCER 
HAY PRESS 
It’s a speedy one. You are less liable to 
have to stop for breakdowns. First cost a 
little more, but at the end of season 
show's bigger profits. We challenge all 
comers. We guarantee smooth, compact 
bales, full weight. Don t buy a belt power 
press. Power piled up in a balance wheel 
causes bad breaks, because it cannot be 
quickly stopped. It will eat up the profits 
like a mortgage. Buy a Spencer, do business 
at a good profit and be happy. Trial free. 
Catalog free. Be sure you write for it today. 
J. A. SPENCER, Dwight, III. 
rSAN JOSE SCALE- 
KILLER 
KIL-O-SCALE is the most reliable rem¬ 
edy for Scale. Ready for use by simply 
mixing with water. We also sell Spray¬ 
ing Outfits. Write for catalogue. 
HENRY A. DREER, - Philadelphia, Pa. 
All up-to-date Fruit Growers watch 
for the Bulletin of the buyers of 1909 
model “Friend ” Power Sprayers. 
“ FRIEND ” MFG. CO., Gasport, N. Y. 
GET THE BEST 
A Good Spray Pump earns 
big profits and lasts for years. 
THE ECLIPSE 
is a good pump. As 
_>practical fruit grovv- 
\ ers we were using common 
j sprayers in our own orchards 
j —found their defects and 
■ invented the Eclipse. Its 
success forced us to manu¬ 
facturing on a larf 2 scale. 
You take no chances. We 
have done all the experi¬ 
menting. Large fully illustrated Catalog 
and Treatise on spraying FREE. 
MORRILL & MORLEY. Benton Harbor, Mich. 
Complimentary 
from 
Burroughs 
orlittle, 
n o matter 
what the size or 
nature of your business, 
whether you employ a staff of 
bookkeepers or your business is a 
one man band” and you have to do 
your own bookkeeping. 
This Book 
will offer some suggestion for the 
betterment of your business system 
and it’s pREE 
It is not a Burroughs catalog. It is a 
simple, comprehensive business hook, 
containing suggestions fortime, work 
and worry-saving systems and modern 
methods. This book will help you to 
double the value of every minute in 
the business day. You need it in your 
business library, whether you use a 
Burroughs Adding Ma¬ 
chine or not. Write 
for it to-day. 
Burroughs Adding 
Machine Co. 
Burroughs 
25 Block I 
Detroit,Mich. 
66 High Holborn, London, W. C., England. 
Cheap Tennessee Farms 
— Making Men Rich! — 
Fortunes are being made on fertile Tennes¬ 
see farms. They raise big crops of Canta¬ 
loupes, Cabbage, Tomatoes, String Beans, 
Green Corn, etc., also Horses, Cattle,Sheep.Swine, 
Poultry and Eggs. Write mo at once for Free 
Literature. I’ll tell you how to get one of these 
splendid farms for S5 to $20 per ucre. Act quicklyl 
H.F.Smitk,Traf.3Igr.N.C.&8U-Ky.I>cpt.C,Siishvllle,Tiiio. 
The double layer of glass 
.- -it does it -t 
-a — - - ADDRESS-—— 
Sunlight Double-Glass Sash Company 
«29 Ewt BroaJw.y LOUISVILLE, K Y. 
Lets in the light always. 
Never, has to be covered or un¬ 
covered; no boards or mats 
needed. 
Retains the heat, excludes the cold. 
Makes stronger and earlier plants. 
Class slips in; no putty; cannot 
work loose; easily repaired. 
Ask for 'catalog O • It tells all 
about Sunlight sash. 
Special catalog for greenhouse material. 
THERE WAS A TIME LOOK FOR 
When an engine that would saw wood, grind feed 
and do general farm work weighed a ton, and had 
a water tank like a young straw stack. Think of 
carting water by the barrel whenever power is 
needed! Then 
AIR-COOLED ENGINE Came; 
no more water nuisance, no cold weather troubles, 
always ready and able to do any work summer or 
winter. That’s the kind you want, write for THIS 
Catalog “5.” 
BRAND 
The only air-cooled engine Hfc New W&r MmftCmwir .. n ct 
guaranteed for all work. LANSING. MICHIGAN. CAS.A ontKIUAR oI. 
PRATT’S 
“ SC ALECIDE 
99 SOLUBLE 
PETROLEUM 
^ TRADE MARK REGISTERED U. S. PATENT OFFICE. . 
Will positively destroy SAN JOSE SCALE and all soft bodied sucking insects without injury to the tree. Simple* more Effective and Cheaper than 
Lime Sulphur. Not an experiment.—Write for FRKE sample and endorsements of leading fruit growers and entomologists who have used it for years. 
PRICES:—50 gal. bbl. $25.00; 30 gal. tin $15.00; 10 gal. can $6.00; 5 gal. can $3.25; 1 gal. can $1.00 I. o. fa. New York. 
One gallon makes 16 t o 20 gallons spray by simply adding water. Pocket Diary and Spray Calendar for ]909 sent FKhh. Mention this paper. 
B. Gr. Pratt Co., Mfg. CliomiBts, Dept. N, 50 Church St. Wow York City. 
