380 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 
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. 1 
SPRING IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. 
The Spring of 1908 in Jefferson 
county, X. Y., is not unlike many others 
that have come and gone, with its good 
weather and its bad, but of the former 
we have not been blessed with an over¬ 
abundance, as we have had much cold, 
sour weather. Young clover has started 
rather more than these frosty nights 
are good for. There is more or less 
frost in the ground yet, which hinders 
plowing to some extent, though in some 
localities it is fairly well under way. Many 
farmers are very short of fodder. There 
is scarcely any hay in this section for 
sale, consequently many are buying hay 
in bales brought in by rail from other 
localities. Much of the milk in this sec¬ 
tion is at present being made into but¬ 
ter, of which the present market price in 
New York is 31 cents, where much of it 
goes at top quotations; local market is 
about 26 cents. These prices are fairly 
good, but not in keeping with the high 
prices of hay and mill feeds. Hay is 
$18 to $20 per ton; ccrfnmeal and wheat 
feeds, $28 to $30 per ton. Many cattle 
will be pinched out to grass on mighty 
short rations, with the balance on the 
wrong side of the ledger of their owner. 
The smiling faces of the maple sugar 
makers are like a sunbeam these days, 
as they are getting the greatest harvest 
of the sweet amber-colored liquid they 
have had in many years. Some are tell¬ 
ing record-breaking yields of the sweet¬ 
est of sweets that the city folk rarely 
get unadulterated. At present the best 
quality maple syrup brings from 90 
cents to $1 per gallon, and sugar 32J'2 
cents per pound. Owing to the size 
of the crop these prices may not pre¬ 
vail very far in the future. I fear the 
problem of good seed corn and the 
various grains .will be a difficult one 
this year, as 1907 was a very bad season 
for getting best results to secure a prime 
article fit for seed. Prices are very 
high, and doubtless much worthless seed 
will be thrust upon us poor souls of the 
soil. We are promised in the Good 
Book a seed time and a harvest, but it 
speaks not of the trials and tribula¬ 
tions of the tillers of the soil, or of the 
high-priced, inefficient help of the pres¬ 
ent day. f. n. squiers. 
Black-Knot in Grapes. 
E. G. P„ Brooklyn, Ohio. — I send you 
some pieces of diseased grapevine of the 
Niagara variety. Please give what infor¬ 
mation you can as to cause and treatment. 
It seems to be spreading, as I see more 
vines affected this Spring than last. The 
last year’s growth nearly all died last 
year, but the roofs seem all right, as a 
number of suckers came up from each root. 
Ans. —The grape canes are affected 
with a disease known as black-knot. It 
is an entirely different thing from the 
black-knot of plum and cherry trees. 
Grape black-knot is not often trouble¬ 
some. The cause of it is not well un¬ 
derstood. The cases of it which I have 
seen in New York appear to have been 
due to frost injury occurring either dur¬ 
ing the Winter or the early Spring. No 
remedy for it is known. Badly diseased 
canes should be cut out, so that new 
ones may be trained up to take their 
places. F. C. STEWART. 
Geneva (N. Y.) Ex. Station. 
Ball Lightning. 
.4. D. C ., Jacksonville, N. 7. —On page 
287 .T. S. Woodward speaks of ball light¬ 
ning. I wish you would explain how he 
can tell when a building is struck by ball 
lightning. 
Ans. —Ball or globular lightning is a 
rare form. The discharge takes the 
form of a globe of fire or light. This 
either remains stationary in the air or 
moves slowly along through it. It gen- 
, erally disappears with a loud explosion. 
This form is not common. The ball of 
light is- plainly seen and there is no sure 
protection from it. Yet sometimes it is 
harmless. One report is made of a 
large ball of fire which came down the 
chimney of a house, rolled across the 
floor of a room and disappeared through 
a crack in the wall. In other cases 
great damage is done, and no one will 
crave these unwelcome visitors. 
The Horse Apple. 
A. R. L., Barboursrille, 7a. —Can you 
give me a full description of an apple listed 
in some nursery catalogues as “Horse,” 
including its origin, and manner of growth, 
time of blossoming as compared with 
Winesap? I have an unnamed variety that 
I wish identilied, and the meager descrip¬ 
tions given in the catalogues are like it as 
far as they go. The apple I have is very 
light, weighing only 140 pounds per barrel, 
as against 165 pounds for ordinary Winter 
apples. A. r. L. 
Ans. — The apple properly called 
Horse is a rather large, yellow variety 
ripening in the Fall and very distinct 
from Winesap. The tree is a thrifty 
and rather upright grower. It origi¬ 
nated in North Carolina and has been 
under cultivation for many years. I 
have known it for nearly 50 years. It 
may be that the inquirer has the Haas, 
which is a red apple that ripens in late 
Fall, but is not a good keeper. The 
fruit is not so heavy as ordinary apples. 
The proper way to have the variety in 
question identified is to send specimens ! 
to the pomologist of the Department of 
Agriculture next Fall. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Barren Cherry Trees. 
F. 8. (No Address). —We have three or 
four cherry trees of the light red class, 
nursery stock, nearly 20 years old. which 
have never borne any fruit. They blossom 
full every year, then all drops off, before 
cherries hardly begin to form. They are 
very rank looking trees. They are planted 
on a high elevation of ground, rich sandy 
loam, several rods east of our woods.They 
have sun nearly the whole day long. Can 
yon give any reason for their not bearing? 
Ans. —What variety of cherry this is 
or why the trees do not bear I cannot 
tell. It could not be that frost or other 
climatic troubles could keep the trees 
from bearing for “nearly 20 years.” 
There may be some blight that affects 
the bloom, but if other cherry trees in 
the same orchard or similarly located 
in that region bear, then there must be 
something wrong with the variety. It 
would be well to learn the facts on this 
point and if the indications are that the 
trees in question are not of a productive 
variety it would be wise to graft them 
to some variety or varieties that will 
bear. This cannot be done before the 
Spring of 1909. Scions might be got 
from good bearing trees in the vicinity. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Summer Care of Violets. 
Y. E. G., Greenwich, Conn, —IIow should 
I treat violets that have been in cold 
frames all Winter and have finished bloom¬ 
ing? Should they have sun, air and water, 
or in other words how should they be 
treated during Summer months in order to 
bloom in same frames another year? 
Ans. —It is not customary, in com¬ 
mercial violet growing, to bloom the 
same plants a second year. The plants 
are cleared out, the old soil removed 
and replaced with new, and young plants 
secured from cuttings set out, usually 
during May. The prevalence of disease 
among violets has, for some years past, 
compelled many precautions formerly 
unheard of. During the Summer, the 
plants must be kept clean, all weeds 
pulled, all dead or dying leaves care¬ 
fully cut off, and the surface of the 
soil gently stirred about once a week. 
Use lath shading on the frame instead 
of glass. When the runners begin to 
form about the middle of August cut 
them off. Never let any dead leaves or 
other trash lie about the bed; better j 
burn them. Water carefully, so as not 
to form a crust; in hot weather a daily 
watering will be needed. About the 
middle of August a thin mulch of horse 
manure, fine and well-rotted, will be de¬ 
sirable. If you are growing merely a 
few violets for pleasure and wish to try 
carrying over the old plants, give them 
the treatment outlined above, with spe¬ 
cial attention to cleanliness and removal 
of the runners, but we do not recom¬ 
mend the plan. 
Nitrate of Soda on Strawberries. 
When is the best lime to apply nitrate 
of soda to a strawberry bed in the Spring, 
before or after blooming? d. s. 
Oglesby, Ill. 
Put it on at once—earlier would be bet¬ 
ter. If the berries are mulched scatter the 
nitrate over the mulch before the -plants 
break through. It will all be washed down. 
Do not put it directly on the tender, grow¬ 
ing plants. _ 
What Kills Them? — I notice various 
remedies for the Potato bug in your paper. 
I want, to give you a good remedy that is 
very cheap. As soon as you see the bugs 
sprinkle with cotton-seed meal while the 
leaves are damp and it. will kill them, and 
also help the potatoes, as the meal con¬ 
tains from 7 V. to nine per cent ammonia. 
You will find that two sprinkles will kill 
them for the season. e. w. schaefer. 
Georgia. 
When* you write advertisers mention The 
It. N.-Y. and you'll get a cpiick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee page 10. 
FREE ^ mw 
BOOK 
ONE REASON why you should have 
OUR CATALOGUE is because of its 
INVALUABLE CULTURAL 
DIRECTIONS. 
NO LOVER of vegetables or flowers 
can afford to be without it. 
Highest grade Alfalfa Seed and all other 
Clovers and Agricultural Seeds. 
MAILED ABSOLUTELY FREE. 
J. M. THORBURN & CO. 
33 Barclay St. Thro’ to 38 Park Place 
NEW YORK. 
PfTR Q A I C— Crimson t lover Seed, $3.50 to $4.50 
lUn OMLL bushel; White Onion Sets, $3.00 
bushel: Yellow Onion Sets, $2.50 per bushel. Gar¬ 
den Peas. < ow Peas, Glover Seed, Seed Potatoes, 
etc. JOSEPH E. HOLLAND, Milford, Delaware. 
Plants—400,000 Early Jer¬ 
sey Wakefield and Large 
Charleston Wakefield cold frame cabbage plants, 
now ready to ship. $2.00 per 1.000. They are very 
hardy, stocky plants. None but large, stocky plants 
sent out. They give more than satisfaction every¬ 
where. F. W. ROCHELLE, Chester. N. J. 
CABBAGE 
CTHAWI5EKRY PLANTS— Reliable, money- 
^ making varieties, only $1.50 and $1.75 per 1000. 
New illus. cat. Free. S. A. YIRD1N, Hartly, Del. 
VEGETABLE PLANTS 
AND FLOW I KS. Send for Price List of Transplanted, Well- 
Hardened Plants. The J. E. HUTTON CO., (ouynphnin, Pa. 
GLADIOLUS BULBS 
Newest. Best. Circular 
free. B. F. WHITE, Terryville. Conn. 
THE ENORMOUS YIELD of 50.000 quarts of 
* Strawberries now growing by my system on 
one acre. Send for CHART. 
KEVITT'S PLANT FARM, Athenia, N. J. 
RUIIRARR CFTQ - Variety Linnaeus, best for 
nnUDAnD dtld ] lolno or market: strong, 
stocky, field grown crowns, not seedlings, $4 per 100; 
full count; cash. F. E. PECKHAM, Norwich, Ct. 
CCCft PftRN Reid’s Y'ellow Dent & Improved 
uUnll Learning. (Tested Seed). 
SENSATION OATS 80c bn. Samples and cata¬ 
log free. THEO. BURT & SONS, Melrose, Ohio. 
Irish Cobbler Seed Potatoes,. K T' V 
’ in Arc 
[town 
i A roo- 
stook Co., Maine. Clean, sound, pure Barrel of 
105 lbs. $3.50, 3 barrels $10, 5 barrels $10, 10 barrels 
$31. A. H. HOFFMAN, Seedsman, Bamford, Pa 
Beautifully 
Illustrated 
Mighty 
Interesting 
If yon want to know how to grow big crops of big 
red strawberries and how to get big prices, send for 
our 1908 book. It tellsall about soil preparation, set¬ 
ting, mating, pruning, cultivating, spraying, mulch¬ 
ing, picking, packing and marketing. All of these 
essential features and many more are explained in 
such a way that you can’t go wrong. It was written 
right out in the strawberry field by a man who has 
made a fortune growing strawberries, and he tells 
you just exactly how he does things. Send your 
address. * That’s all. The book is free. 
R. M. Kellogg Co., Box 480, Three Rivera, Mich 
Ctrawberry Plants— All the leading varieties, 
new and old. Send postal for my new catalog. 
Prices$1.25per 1000 up. David Rodway, Hartly, Del. 
NEW STRAWBERRY-^^'fr^S 
money for me; it will for yon. Long keeper—quick 
seller. Very prolific. $3 per doz.. $15 per 100. 
RICHARD W. JOHNSON, Nortliboro, Mass. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 
If you would set the best send me your 
address. 202 varieties listed. 
GEO. R. SCHAUBER, Box R„ Bailslon Lake, N. Y. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS H&l: 
Parson’s Beauty, Michael’s Early, Senator Dunlap, 
Success, New York, Brandywine, Texas, Crescent. 
50c. per 100: $2.50 per 1.000. 
WM. PERRY, Cool Spring, Delaware. 
450,009 
200 varieties. Also tlrapes. Small Fruits e 1 r. Rest rooted 
stock. Genuine, cheap. 2 sample currants mailed for ]0c. 
Dese. price list free. LEWIS KOESCU, liox k, I rcdouin, .v. y. 
Bargains hi PEAR TREES 
I have about 7000 Pear trees unsold. Ton leading 
varieties including Bartlett. A $10.00 Collection of 
Pear and Peach trees for $5.00. 
MARTIN WAIIJL,, Nurseryman, 
351 Gregory St., Rochester, N. Y. 
CALIFORNIA PRIVET 
Shade Trees, Spruce and Arbor Vital 
Hedging. Cherry Trees a specialty. 
TREES and PLANTS by MAIL POST¬ 
PAID will save you express costs. 
Send for our Catalogue (IT IS FREE), it 
will tell you the rest. 
JOS. H. BLACK, SON & CO., Hightstown, N. J. 
WE MAIL OUR CATALOGUE FREE. 
rAUFOKNIA PRIVET, Strawberry plants* 
fruit trees.etc. Sam'l C.DeCou.Moorestown.N.J. 
ALFALFA 
All Northern Grown and 
guaranteed to be 99 per cent 
pure. Should produce hay 
at $-10.00 per acre annually. Write for Free Sample 
and Instructions on growing. 
GRAIN AND GRASS SEEDS 
Northern Grown nnd of strongest vitality. Wo invito you to 
got Government Testa on our samples. Send for Cat. No. 23 
THIS J. E. WING & EROS. SEED CO. 
Box 223* Meebanicsburg;, Oliio 
Red Dragon Dandelion 
Killer—Sample Free 
A powder that is sure death to dan¬ 
delion, plantain, and other weed pests 
in lawns. Does not injure or affect the grass in any 
way. Dust it on lightly when dew is on and the 
weeds will eurl up and die. A'o kill, no pay. We 
are willing to “show” you. Larye package for 
ordinary lawn sent postpaid for 50 cents. 
Henry Field Seed Co. Box 26, Shenandoah, Iowa. 
Wheels, Freight Paid, $8.75 
/or 4 Buin;y Whi*el», Sirul Tires on. With HiiIiImt 
Tires, I 5.&0. 1 uifg. wheels % to 4 in. tread. Rubber 
Tire Top $41; Harness, $5. Write for caia'< 
Learn how to buy direct. Repair Wheels, $5.50. 
Wagon Umbrella FREE. y/. R. Boobf^* nc ' M naii.O 
ROGERS TREES “FIT THE LABELS.” T !"" 5 
ROGERS-ON-THE-HILL, Dansville, New York. 
Strawberry Plants 
Large stock of thrifty, young plants 
from a strain of prolific fruit Bearers, 
Also Trees, Vines, California Privet, 
Asparagus Roots, Garden Tools, Spray 
Pumps, etc. Catalog free. Write. 
ARTHUR J. COLLINS, BOX R 
MOORESTOWN, N. J. 
"OU will be satisfied with the products of 
Burpee’s “Seeds that Grow 
99 
Better write to Burpee, Philadelphia, —for new Complete Catalog. 
Strong, Healthy, Choice Nursery Stock 
We offer for Spring of 1908 the finest and largest assortment of Fruits and Ornamentals that we have 
ever grown and they cannot he surpassed. Write to-day for onr Free Illustrated Catalogue which will 
show you what, you want for your Spring planting. We are always pleased to quote special prices on 
your list and can give yon the right figures for the right stock. 
We do Landscape Hardening in all its braneites Don’t place your order until you get our prices. 
T. J. DWYER & CO., P. O. Box 1, Cornwall, New York 
