«48 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 18, 
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 
(operate piece of paper.] 
ONIONS FROM SETS. 
D. G. R., Smithsburg, Md. —I have been 
growing onions from sets, and have had 
them pay me as high as .$400 per acre, but 
have been sticking them all by hand, and it 
is a pretty big job getting down to stick 
several acres. Would it be all right to 
open a small furrow in nice mellow soil, 
well prepared, and sow the sets in, being 
careful not to have any turned with top 
downward? I would have them lying on 
their sides and then cover with a good gar¬ 
den plow with firming wheel on it so as to 
make the ground hold moisture well so the 
onions sets would start quicker. Onions 
grow much better here from sets than 
from seed, and we get advantage of the 
larger prices for early onions. 
Ans. —I never grew onions from sets 
except for green bunching onions in 
Spring. The only ripe onions I would 
grow from sets are the Yellow Potato 
onions, which are planted in the Fall 
and mature early, and can be got into 
market ahead of the northern crop. But 
for onions to keep when ripe I always 
sow the seed as early as practicable in 
Spring on light but heavily fertilized 
land. But in any method of onion grow¬ 
ing one must get down to it, for the 
crop from seed has to he thinned * and 
hand weeded. Here we always plant 
sets in the Fall, and now I am pulling 
nice green onions from sets of Tait’s 
Queen planted in September. But you 
have a different soil and climate in 
Washington County, and Spring plant¬ 
ing may answer very well. It does not 
matter in what position the set falls in 
the soil. The little set is all used up 
before any new bulb is formed, and the 
new bulb will come straight no matter if 
the set was upside down. Another way 
for growing the finest onions is by sow¬ 
ing the seed in a frame under glass. I 
sow seed of the Prizetaker in January, 
and have the plants ready to set out 
early in March. They are simply laid 
along a shallow furrow and the soil 
pulled over the bulbs, and they soon 
straighten up and grow. In fact they 
will grow if left with the roots simply 
touching the soil. These make very 
large pale yellow onions, like the Denia 
onions that are imported in crates. But 
I believe that the most profitable onion 
is the Yellow Potato onion planted in 
the Fall. The offsets can be pulled for 
green bunching in Spring and the large 
bulbs left to ripen, and they are so early 
that notwithstanding they are poor keep¬ 
ers, they will sell when the market is 
comparatively bare of onions. If you 
sow seed of the White or Yellow Globe 
Southport onion, as early as practicable, 
you can grow a far better crop than 
from sets of the ordinary seeding 
onions. I have grown almost every va¬ 
riety and found these the best keepers. 
W. F. MASSEY. 
Draining Barn Basement. 
J. M., Sinclairville, N. Y. —How may I 
drain the ground floor of a basement stable 
so that it will be dry at all times? The 
stable has a wall on one side only, and as 
the ground sloped away from the barn it 
would admit of a free course of drainage. 
There is a trench of stone under the wall 
and continues clear through at both sides 
of the farm, but still it is wet, the water 
coming in an inch or two deep in a wet 
time. Would trenches filled with stone or 
tile drain it? If so how should they be 
made ? 
Ans. —It is quite a common practice 
in draining basements to run a tile drain 
just outside the footings on which the 
wall rests, but it is better to have the 
drain three feet outside the wall. Lay a 
four-inch tile drain three feet outside 
and six inches lower than the bottom 
of tbe basement. Give the drain a grade 
of six inches to the 100 feet and fill the 
ditch with gravel after the tile are laid. 
If there is a spring coming up inside 
the hasement it will be necessary to run 
a drain direct into it, laying rather open 
joints and binding with gravel just 
coarse enough not to pass into the tile. 
Trenches filled with stone are not apt 
to be lasting drains; there is too much 
chance for clogging material to get in, 
and not chance enough the water to 
carry it out. f. F. v. s. 
Onions and Celery on Sod 
R. S., East Smith field, Pa .—What is your 
opinion of putting onions on sod ground? 
What would be the advantages or disad¬ 
vantages of doing so? Would hen manure 
be better than any other manure for 
onions? Please answer the same questions 
regarding celery. I expect to make them 
my specialties the coming season. 
Ans. —We do not like to put onions 
on sod unless it may be one of clean 
clover. The trouble is that grass works 
into the onions, and makes three times 
the work needed to keep them clean. 
We prefer a crop of corn or potatoes in 
hills with thorough cultivation to conquer 
the soil before onions are planted. Celery 
will do better than onions, because less 
finger work is required to clean the 
crop. Fine hen manure contains fewer 
weed seeds and is richer than other 
manures, and we would rather use it on 
onions. 
Treatment of a Wheat Field. 
C. M., Moorestoicn, N. J. —I wish to in¬ 
crease the yield of a wheat field. After 
it was sown in September, it was very dry, 
and it did not make a good growth. The 
Winter has been hard, alternately freezing 
and thawing. Is it best to use a weeder 
or roller in early Spring, or both? Shall I 
top-dress with commercial fertilizer? If 
so, what kind and proportions per acre? I 
expect to sow clover as soon as Spring 
comes. 
Ans. —We should sow the clover seed 
and then, when the soil was reasonably 
dry, work lightly with a weeder. This 
will help cover the clover and give the 
wheat a light cultivation, which we think 
will prove better than rolling. We 
should top-dress with one of the com¬ 
mercial “top-dressers” or use a mixture 
of equal parts nitrate of soda, fine bone, 
acid phosphate and muriate of potash. 
Use at least 400 pounds per acre. 
Soaking Potato Seed. 
Can formalin be applied to potatoes any 
length of time before planting? It is very 
inconvenient to soak our potatoes at plant¬ 
ing time (about July 4) because that is our 
busy harvesting season. Does wood or 
coal ashes aid in ridding the potatoes of 
scab and do you advise the use of either? 
Webster Grove, Mo. F. J. 
Potatoes can be soaked in formalin at 
least a month before planting. Why not 
fumigate the potatoes as described on page 
308? Wood ashes contain lime, and this 
always acts to increase the scab. We have 
reports from farmers that coal ashes pre¬ 
vented scab or gave a clean crop. Coal 
ashes do not contain lime. When there 
are considerable cinders or unburned coal 
these ashes are slightly acid, and this 
would act to prevent the spread of the 
scab. 
A Little Book 
About Roses 
Climbing 
American 
Beauty 
are large, bright, glossy green and the foli¬ 
age remains bright and attractive through¬ 
out the entire growing season. The illus¬ 
tration shows a .small part of a photograph 
of one Climbing American Beauty in bloom. 
Rose-lovers will certainly take great delight 
in this wonderful new rose. We will be 
pleased to send you, by mail, postpaid, one 
orasmanymore as you like of these beau¬ 
tiful roses. One-year-old plants $ 2.00 each. 
Write for complete descriptive literature. 
HOOPES. BRO. & THOMAS COMPANY, West Chester, Pi. 
Grow this Beautiful Rose 
In Your Garden 
It is the American Beauty Rose, but very 
much improved. Instead of being a plant 
that will only flower in the 
hothouse, it will thrive and 
bloom wherever a climb¬ 
ing or pillar rose will. 
It has the satn‘“ 
exquisitely fra- 
graut, rosy-crim¬ 
son flowers 3 to 4 
inches in diameter 
—but instead of a 
few flowers it is 
one mass of bloom 
in June,and contin¬ 
ues to bloom occa¬ 
sionally through¬ 
out the season. 
The leaves of our 
Blue Rambler Rose 
<VEILCHENBLAU) 
A seedliDg of the famous crimson Rambler. 
It bears semi-double flowers of medium size in 
large bunches, and in color Is Violet-Blue. If 
you want something to make people stop and 
take notice the Blue Rose is just the thing. 
40c each. 8 for # 1.00 
MISS MARY E. MARTIN. Floral Park, New York 
FRUIT TREES and PLANTS 
At prices that will astonish you. Send for Whole¬ 
sale Price List and Lithographs. Several good 
collections cheap. We have a complete assortment 
in all varieties of fruit trees and plants. Special 
Strawberry Catalog. Headquarters for the Old- 
Fashioned Sweet Cherry. No crooked or inferior 
stock sold at any price. Satisfaction guaranteed. 
L’AMORKAUX NURSERY CO., Schoharie. N. Y. 
TREES 
CATALOG FREE 
—150ACRKS. Genesee Valley 
grown. “Not the cheapest, but 
the best.” Never have had San 
Jose Scale. Established 1869. 
GEO. A. SWEET NURSERY CO., 
20 Maple St., Oansville, N. Y. 
Olympic Nature Nursery. 
THE FOREST CONSERVATORY. 
Oregon Grape, Rhododendron, Madrona, Huckle¬ 
berry, Ferns, Blackberry, Salal, Twin Flower, 
Spirea, Trillium, Wild Lily-ot'-the-Valley, Ever¬ 
greens and other Puget Sound Plants and Flowers. 
Special Mail Collections—Ten plants for 50 cents; 
24 for SI, postpaid in the United States. Money 
back if not satisfied. Make money orders payable 
to JOEL SHOMAKER, Nellita, Washington. 
Black's Peach Trees -1911 
I 
.Peach Trees are one of our specialties—we 
grow for quality and not quantity alone. Our 
trees, however, cost little, if any, more than the| 
ordinary sort—we employ no agents, but sell, 
direct,saving middleman *s profits .% r ■ ■ ■ 
New booklet, “Springtime andVdIU9Dl6 
Harvest for the Fruit-grower, “ free, p ■ ■ ■ 
Joseph H. Black, Son Sc Co. BOOKlei 
V, Hightstown, New Jersey 
Sent Free 
FRUIT 
TREES 
Pears. Bartlett, Seckel and others. 
Fine, healthy trees. Cherried and 
Plums, all best varieties. Peached, 
grown from buds from bearing trees. Also Grape* 
and Currants in any quantity. General big advance 
in prices this year owing to great demand for fruit 
trees in northwest,. Our prices have not advanced. 
Get wholesale prices direct from tisand gl Lot Offers. 
Save i to J. Free Catalog. Write to-day. 
W. P. RUPERT &. SON, Box 30 Seneca, N. Y. 
Also Breeders of Prize Hampshire Sheep 
We Have Over Fifty Million Evergreens 
All hardy .tested, nursery grown stock. W e sli i p 
to all parts of the world. Large as well as small 
trees supplied, MAO and up per thousand. Our 
prices are lowest of all. Quality the highest. 
Hill’s Trees Grow 
because they are hardy and have good roots 
You can have a beautiful windbreak, hedge, 
shelterbelt or screen with the hardiest of ever¬ 
greens at a very low cost. Our beautiful catalog, 
Illustrated In colors, is a mine of Information on 
evergreens, shade, ornamental and fruit trees, 
shrubs, roses and vines. Don’t buy until you 
get free catalog and sheet describing 60 won¬ 
derful bargain lots. Send for them today. 
D. Hill Jinrsery Company, Ilox 212, Dundee, Illinois 
Evergreen Specialists 
BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME 
GROUNDS WITH A PRIVET HEDGE 
I will sell you enough good, strong, heavily rooted 
California Privet hedge plants to go around your 
home grounds, planted six inches apart, for 9c per 
yard, packed to carry anywhere, delivered to It. ft 
station at Salisbury, Md. Measure distance around 
your grounds, see how little it costs and send your 
order to W. F. ALLEN, Salisbury, Maryland. 
FRUIT, SHADE and ORNAMENTAL 
TREES, SHRUBS and ROSES 
A Large Stock of the Finest Quality. Also 
a Full Line of the BEST Spray Pumps, and 
Spray Material. Prices Low and Satisfac¬ 
tion Guaranteed. We Deal Direct with 
our Customers. Write for Price List. 
CALL’S NURSERIES, Perry, Ohio. 
APPLE AND 
«IIU,VUU PEACH TREES 
Our prices are 50 per cent less than you 
pay agents and dealers, because in 
buying direct from the growers you 
SAVE TWO PROFITS 
and run no risk. Every tree as repre¬ 
sented. True to name. Fresh dug. 
Personal attention given eacli order. 
2 Apple Trees \ gSEfsXt 
postpaid for 25 cents. 
Everybody send for Free catalogue. 
Maloney Bros, & Wells, 
Box 13 , Dansville, N. Y. 
I 
e 
iuaranteedTreesi 
t Wholesale Prices 
DIRECT FROM THE GROWERS. 
Free from Scale and Disease. 
lit APPLE TREES, SI. OO. 
Your choice of any one Variety. 
Baldwin, N. Spy, Wealthy, Jonathan, York Im¬ 
perial, Ben Davis, Duchess, McIntosh Red, Talltnan 
Sweet, JI. B. Twig. Winter Banana, Red Astrachan, 
Sutton Beauty, Wolf River, Stark. 
Write for our Free Complete Catalog. 
Reilly Bros. Nurseries. 1029 Reilly Rd., Dansville, N. Y. 
PLANT HARDY TREES 
Healthy, acclimated, high grade, true to label fruit trees 
and plants for Northern States at wholesale prices, direct 
from nursery to planter. Send for catalogue. 
CELERY CITY NURSERIES, Desk 6, Kalmmmo. Mich. 
SALESMEN WANTED 
TO SELL TREES AND PLANTS 
Free outfit. Commis¬ 
sionpaidweekly. Write 
for terms. PERRY NURS¬ 
ERIES, Rochester. N. V, 
FRUIT 
TREES 
Apples, Pears, Plums, Cherries, 
Peaches, Small Fruits, Shrubs, 
Roses. Finest Stock. Low Prices. 
Free Catalog. Save money. Write. 
J. FAERBER FRUITLANO NURSERIES 
303 Winlon Rd.North, Rochester, N.Y 
WANTED 
a few good customersfof 
our unexcelled Trees, 
Shrubs and Plants. 
We want your custom and you want our goods. 
Send for our FREE catalog. 
The Rochester Nurseries, Rochester, N.Y. 
for 1911 is better, more beautiful than 
ever—a gem of the printer’s art. 
Some Comments: 
Dr. Robt. Huey, of Philadelphia, Pa., unques¬ 
tionably the greatest amateur Rose authority 
In the country, says; 
“ I have read with pleasure your * Little 
Book About Roses’ and congratulate you 
on the clearness and simplicity of your in¬ 
structions ; any one with ordinary intel¬ 
ligence, reading it. should be able to grow 
roses successfully.” 
FRUIT GROWERS FAVORITE SAW 
IS THE MOST PRACTICAL TREE PRUNER EVER IHVEHTER 
Because it saves time and labor and is so easy to 
handle. It is made with a 15-incli draw cut blade 
and has a 7 or 8 foot handle. 
Write today for Descriptive Circular and Prices. 
FRUIT GROWERS SAW COMPANY. Scottsville. New York. 
CHERRY TREES 
100 Early Richmond Cherry 
TwoYear, 5 to 6 Feet, $16,00 
Freight paid to your station. All other nursery 
stock sold direct to planter at lowest possible prices 
for high-grade stock. .Send for descriptive price list. 
NEW HAVEN NURSERIES 
NEW HAVEN, MISSOURI 
“Your charming booklet, just received, 
is worth some whole volumes on account 
of its concise and complete directions on 
the cultivation of the rose, and I own a 
good many works on floriculture.” 
“Written with an originality and a liter¬ 
ary touch that has all the charm of the 
unexpected.” 
WANT A COPY? 
Mailed on receipt of Ten Cents 
in coin or stamps. 
FRUIT TREES 
Eldorado Blackberries, Strawberry and 
Raspberry Plants. Catalog free. 
BARNES BROS. NURSERY CO. 
Box 8, Yalesville, Conn. 
CATALPA 
CDCnmCA TDCCQ Mine are true to name. 
OrtUIUoA IflLLO Free booklet tells all 
about the 150 acres I am growing for telephone 
poles. H.C. ROGERS, Box 111, Mechanicsbura, 0. 
GEORGE H. PETERSON 
Rose Specialist, 
Box 15, Fair Lawn, N. 
FRUIT TREES 
Our Proof to date after years of service is that 
we can save you not only money, but disap¬ 
pointment, when your trees begin to fruit. 
This Proof will be submitted with our new 
catalog— ask’for it today. * * * * * 
K. So WILEY 6 SON, Box 122, Cayuga. N.Y. 
