734 
THE KUKAb NEW-YORKER 
September 19, 
Ruralisms 
New Cokeless Tomato. —The Liv¬ 
ingston Seed Co., Columbus, Ohio, have 
introduced a number of successful com¬ 
mercial tomatoes, including the exten¬ 
sively grown main-crop varieties, Stone 
and Beauty. This season they put oil 
the market a new “Coreless” variety that 
in view of their previous success as to¬ 
mato introducers, is likely to be ex¬ 
tensively tested. The plants are good 
growers and quite productive under 
Rural Grounds conditions. The tomatoes 
average in size and form about as shown 
in Figs. 343 and 34 r >, page 731. The skin 
is crimson, rather than scarlet, in olor, 
and with us quite liable to crack about 
the stem. The usual hollow or depression 
about the stem has been so greatly re¬ 
duced that it does not cause waste 
when the tomatoes are prepared for slic¬ 
ing or cooking. The flavor is very good, 
the flesh solid and free from inedible 
white or green core. It is desirable for 
home use, and if the tendency to crack 
could be overcome would doubtless be 
useful for market. 
Disappearance of Scale. —The out¬ 
look for control of San Jose scale is 
now brighter than at any time since the 
coming of the pest. Not only are 
well sprayed trees and orchards practi¬ 
cally free from living scales, but many 
untreated trees that were regarded as 
infested beyond redemption appear to 
have shaken off the parasite, and are 
growing and bearing scale-free fruit, 
with something of their former vigor. 
It has been an easy season for scale 
killers to maintain their reputation. All 
forms alike are reported as successful. 
Lime-sulphur, soluble oils, soap prepara¬ 
tions and domestic applications appear to 
have routed the pest, and where nothing 
has been done, scales are far from plen¬ 
tiful. This is a very comfortable con¬ 
dition, if general, but it is not well to 
dismiss the idea that the present reduc¬ 
tion of vitality of the pest may not be 
lasting. The Rural Grounds now ap¬ 
pear to be free from scale for the first 
time in 12 years, but we feel that vigi¬ 
lance is needed that it does not again 
make headway. It has been a long fight, 
excessively discouraging until the soluble 
oils came to the rescue three years ago. 
The prospect brightened at the first trial 
of these handy preparations, and re¬ 
peated use seems to have resulted in 
victory. As about all scale insecticides 
show good results this year, it is evi¬ 
dent that natural conditions are for the 
time unfavorable for the multiplication 
of the pest. The cautious grower, while 
thankful for the let-up, is not likely to 
take chances, and will use his favorite 
application wherever there apoears to be 
the slightest need of it. The very thor¬ 
ough and general use of scale-killing 
washes early in the season might be suf¬ 
ficient explanation of the present scarcity 
of live scale, were it not for the many 
instances of their disappearance from 
infested trees that were not treated at 
all. One must conclude that the cli¬ 
matic conditions are now less favorable, 
or that some energetic scale parasite has 
appeared in sufficient numbers. The 
hopeful outlook is quite certain to stimu¬ 
late the planting of tree fruits, particu¬ 
larly peaches, as orchards of the latter, 
now in good condition, are yielding fair 
returns, notwithstanding the unusual 
competition from the South. It is re¬ 
called that the pernicious Chinese scale 
ceased to be a serious annoyance at San 
Jose, Cal., 20 years after its first appear¬ 
ance there, and it is natural to hope that 
its violently destructive cycle may not 
last much longer here in the East, 
though it is likely it will always be with 
us. It is rather more than 15 years 
since it was first brought to New Jersey, 
and it may be that natural enemies have 
overtaken it, or new ones have devel¬ 
oped that will hereafter hold it in check. 
Asparagus Rust. —Comfort is taken 
in the lessened virulence of Asparagus 
blight. It is now five years since the 
disease has demanded special attention. 
While present in most plantings, it comes 
so late and does so little apparent dam¬ 
age that no consideration is given it be¬ 
yond the selection of the more resistant 
varieties for new plantings. In its de¬ 
structive days it wiped out many old 
and run-down asparagus fields—to the 
lasting benefit of their owners—and pro¬ 
moted more profitable methods of cul¬ 
ture than those in use before its advent. 
Resistant varieties, a shorter cutting sea- 
6011 and intensive culture go far to ex¬ 
plain the present satisfactory condition 
of rust control, but it is also believed 
the disease organism is much weakened 
by attacks of fungus parasites that prey 
on it in its younger stages of growth. 
Melon Blight received a solar-plexus 
blow this year from the Colorado-like 
weather that prevailed in early Summer. 
For seven weeks following the end of 
May there was fervent heat, brilliant 
sunshine and only occasional trifling 
rains. The melons that are yearly 
planted with dogged persistency, only to 
yield to blight before maturing, throve 
in old-time manner and ripened p-ood 
crops of the most luscious fruits New 
Jersey has produced for many a long 
year. Colorado, Arizona and California 
melons, as we get them here, are not 
to be compared with our home product 
when we grow it “right.” The southern 
melons, though in vast quantity, were 
unsalable in competition with the home 
output. There are many good melon va¬ 
rieties, but blight-free Jersey-grown 
Early Hackensack cantaloupes or Sweet¬ 
heart watermelons are hard to beat. No 
shipped-in melons could be sold while 
the home-grown ones were to be had. 
The blight came toward the end of Au¬ 
gust, nearly a fortnight later than usual, 
and slowly spread, killing the foliage and 
spoiling the quality of the later fruits 
in the usual manner. But we had at 
least half a crop, and of the highest 
quality before the pest appeared. Grow¬ 
ers who freely applied Bordeaux Mixture 
during the growth of the vines harvested 
more good melons, as the foliage 
browned less rapidly, but even the non¬ 
sprayers got satisfaction from their 
plantings. “It is all in the weather,” is 
the general conclusion, but aside from 
intelligent culture and fertilization, it 
appears that the early planting of quick 
maturing varieties and the use of seed 
from fruits that have ripened before the 
first appearance of blight are large fac¬ 
tors in determining between moderate 
success and complete failure. Hacken¬ 
sack cantaloupe is as good or better 
than Early Hackensack, but the 10 days 
advantage in ripening makes all the dif¬ 
ference between a perfect fruit and a 
tasteless, blight-stricken one. 
Will the Blight Lessen? —It may 
be that the melon blight organism has 
passed the zenith of its virulence, and 
that in favorable seasons, with good 
early varieties and extra care, we can 
anticipate moderate results, but it is too 
soon to form in opinion about th 2 matter. 
We can only feel our way, using the few 
shreds of accurate information that have 
been gleaned. The disease has spread 
about everywhere that melons have been 
grown, and proves without exception a 
formidable obstacle. We no longer get 
reliably good fruits from Rocky Ford, 
Colo., because the blight prevails, not¬ 
withstanding their ideal climatic con¬ 
ditions. Marketmen say the Colorado 
growers are careless, but we do not 
doubt melons of the highest quality 
would still be produced there if human 
perseverance could do it. The new dis¬ 
tricts of Arizona and California are in¬ 
fected almost as soon as exploited, and 
the same story of complete or partial 
failure comes in due rotation from each 
locality. Prof. Blinn, of the Colorado 
Experiment Station, is trying to solve 
the problem by breeding blight-resisting 
varieties, and with quite encouraging re¬ 
sults, as far as that feature goes, but 
he finds that flavor falls off as blight- 
resistance increases. Here’s hoping that 
he combines the two all-important quali¬ 
ties in one perfect melon ! w. V. F. 
Sulphur for Potato Scab. 
C. A. P.j Worcester, Mass .—What about 
the value of sulphur to prevent scab in po¬ 
tatoes? I tried it and got the scab. The 
seed, clean and pure, was soaked in forinal- 
dehyde, but I used Thomas phosphate, not 
having any other. 
Ans. —The Thomas phosphate con¬ 
tains 50 per cent of lime. This probably 
is responsible for the scab, which is a 
skin disease caused by a germ. This 
germ may be on the seed or in the soil. 
Where lime is used the scab is much 
worse, because an alkaline soil is favor¬ 
able to its growth. Even if you soak 
the seed there may be scab on the pota¬ 
toes if the germs are in the soil. We 
use powdered sulphur on the seed. It 
does not seem to be as effective as the 
soaking, but it helps keep the seed pieces 
from rotting in the soil, and where you 
use enough of it will check the spread 
of scab underground. 
Don’t Save at the Spigot 
While Wasting at the Bung 
The cost of good paint is far cheaper than the cost 
of wear and tear on farm machinery and tools. 
A wagon should be painted for two reasons—it 
looks better and it lasts much longer. 
No one can paint as cheaply as the farmer. 
To make painting a good investment you must 
have not only good paint, but the right paint. 
Sherwin-Williams 
PAINTS AND VARNISHES FOR THE FARM 
This is the title of a book free to farmers telling how, when and what 
to paint; the right paint for each purpose, how much to use, where to 
get it and the folly of using cheap paint. It will save money now 
wasted and lost by reason of houses, barns, out-buildings, implements 
and wagons suffering for lack of paint. Send for this book today. Read 
it, then act on it. Sherwin-Williams Paints and Varnishes are the 
best paints for the farmer’s purpose because they are right for every 
surface to be covered, house, barn, shed, buggy, fence, etc. 
Thf. Sherwin-Williams Co. 
LARGEST (because best) PAINT 4 VARNISH MAKERS IN THE WORLD 
Address all Inquiries to 635 Canal Road, N.W., Cleveland, Ohio 
FUMA 
II 55 km* Prairie Dogs, 
“ " “ Woodchucks, Gophers, 
and Grain Insects. 
“The wheels of the gods 
grind slow hut exceed¬ 
ingly small." So the weevil, but you can stop their 
K with “Fuma Carbon Bisulphide” are doing. 
EDWARD R. TAYLOR, Fenn Yan, N. Y. 
A HENDRICKS HAY 
PRESS for $175 
OnrNo.O Upright Press 
for only 6175 is the 
greatest bargain in Hay 
Presses ever offered. It 
will earn its cost in one 
Beason. If not as repre¬ 
sented money rel'iuided. 
Send for free catalog. 
D. B. Hendricks & Co., Cornell St., Kingston, N.Y. 
68 TONS BALED^ 
IN tO HOURS 
the COLUMBIA 
DID IT 
Will maintain 
that record day 
after day with 
competent help. 
Simple, strong, 
, extremely light 
running. 
Gasoline or 
horse power 
ANN ARBOR 
MACHINE 
COMPANY 
I Box 80 
Ann Arbor, Mich* 
The Dain 
MAKES 
Pull 
Power 
NEAT 
Hay Press 
SMOOTH SQUARE-ENDED BALES 
Our rocker tucker (nothing like iton anyother Press) 
folds every feed so that Dain made bales pack close 
in cars. The Pull Power feature saves Time, Work, 
Money, increases capacity. The Dain Press is simp¬ 
lest, Strongest Hay Press made. No complicated 
toggle joints to wear and make trouble. No bungle- 
some Pitman for team to steir over. N o waste power 
and rebound like a pile driver. We want you to 
know why it turns out most perfect bales, is lightest 
running, fastest baling Press made. Our P’ree Rook 
proves its superiority—send for it today 
DAIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY 
802 Vine Street _^ Ottumwa, Iowa 
WE WANT TO TELL YOU THE FACTS ABOUT 
SAN JOSE SCALE 
HOW IT CAN BE KILLED WITH AN 
Oil Solution Costing; No More Than Lime Sulphur 
Large fruit growers have reported so decidedly in favor of our material that 
there’s uo comparison. No connection with any trust. Write to-day. 
“For the Land’s Sake use Bowker’s 
Fertilizers; they enrich the earth and 
those who till it.”—Adv. 
OUR PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN SOLD ON MERIT FOR 25 YEARS 
F. G. STREET & COMPANY, 26 RAILROAD ST., ROCHESTER, N. Y. 
Don’t Neglect 
Fall Spraying 
“SCALECIDE 
99 Fall Spraying 
is Best. 
We guarantee it to kill San STotSi o Scale and all soft-bodied sucking insects. It also contains fungicidal properties. 
Greatest Effectiveness. Least Expense and Labor. Endorsed by Leading Horticulturists, Fruit Growers and Experiment Stations. 
Write us to-day for Booklet N, with full particulars, and FREK Sample. 
B. C3r. Pratt Company, JVEfs. Ctncmists, 50 Church Street, UNTcxTtr Yorlx. City 
