362 
THE KURAL NEW- YORKER 
March 18, 
Rent for Land. 
K. Budd Luke, N. J .—What would be 
a fair rent for two acres of ground on the 
following conditions: Present condition of 
the ground, newly plowed last Spring and 
planted to corn; level and not stony. Use 
to which It will be put, to be properly fer¬ 
tilized and planted to potatoes. 
Ans. —Our rule would be to consider 
the field like so much money and charge 
interest on its value. There should he 
a larger interest charged for the use of 
land than for money. In our country 
land is worth about $100 per acre and 
we should expect at least eight per cent 
for the use of i„t one season. 
Origin of the Apple. 
A. E. T., Cumberland Center, Me ,—Will 
you Inform me whether all apples originated 
in the crab apple, also when crab apple 
was discovered? 
Ans. —The apple has come from two 
original varieties. All our common 
apples are modifications of Pyrus Malus, 
a low round-headed tree with fuzzy 
leaves and woolly-stemmed flowers. It 
is a native of southwestern Asia and 
Europe, and has been cultivated so long 
that we know nothing of its earliest use. 
Among the things found in the pre¬ 
historic lake dwellings of Switzerland 
are charred remains of apples. The 
crab-apples are derived from Pyrus 
baccata, the Siberian crab, which was 
introduced into England in 1784. Hy¬ 
brids between P. baccata and P. Malus 
have resulted in the large-fruited crabs, 
such as Transcendent and Hyslop, this 
family being known to botanists as 
Pyrus prunifolia. There is a crab-apple 
of the western or prairie States, P. 
Ioensis, which, while of little edible 
value, has produced some very hardy 
hybrids with P. Malus, of which the 
Soulard crab is the best example. An 
eastern American crab apple, P. cor- 
onaria, is of little value, and has not 
yet proved useful in hybridizing. Peo¬ 
ple often refer to sour and gnarly seed¬ 
lings of Pyrus Malus, growing wild in 
some sterile place, as crab-apples, but 
this is botanically inaccurate. 
The Use of Tankage. 
Reader, Eau Claire, TFis.—I can get 
tankage from a so-called rendery, where 
bones and other butcher-shop refuse are 
steamed out for the grease in them, at $8 
per ton, which is the price the owner 
now receives irom a fertilizer factory in 
Chicago. Would this stuff be worth $8 
and for truck aud small crops as well as 
apples? For which of these crops would 
it pay best to use it, currants and goose¬ 
berries, raspberries, blackberries, straw¬ 
berries, cabbage, onions, turnips, rutabagas, 
corn, potatoes and small grain, as oats, 
barley, rye and millet, and in how large 
amounts could it be applied per acre for the 
various crops mentioned for best results? 
Would it be better to mix it with barnyard 
or hen manure, and if so, in what propor¬ 
tions? What is the actual value of this 
material, as compared with other standard 
fertilizers and barnyard manure? Would 
it be best to plow it under or apply as a 
top-dressing? Would it be all right to use 
it lust as It comes from the rendering vat, 
or would it be better ground or crushed 
fine? In case it would be better, for the 
sake of making it a more balanced or com¬ 
plete fertilizer, to mix other fertilizing 
agents with it, what kind should be used for 
best results on various crops mentioned? 
Ans. —Such tankage is cheap at $8. 
Get all you need of it. It is better 
crushed or ground fine. This tankage— 
in fact all animal fertilizers—contains 
nitrogen and phosphoric acid, but does 
not contain potash. That must always 
be considered in using bone, tankage or 
dried blood. It will not supply what is 
lacking to mix the tankage with manure, 
for that is strongest in nitrogen. You 
should add potash in some form to make 
a complete fertilizer. If you can get 
wood ashes use them broadcast, but do 
not mix with the tankage. These ashes 
contain lime and this should not be 
mixed with any animal fertilizer except 
bone. The best plan would be to use 
muriate or sulphate of potash one part 
to three parts of the tankage. This will 
make a good combination for any of the 
crops you mention. 
Transplanting Privet Hedge. 
A. R. B., Lower Providence, Pa .—I have 
a well-grown California privet hedge (six 
years old) which I must remove. Can I 
replant it? How should it be done? 
Ans.—A. R. B. can transplant privet 
of any size or age. Dig the plants so as 
to leave as many of the roots as possible 
on them and cut tops back to six inches, 
if a low thick hedge is desired. If the 
hedge is to be used for a screen and 
height only is to be considered, then 
all the tops can be left on when trans¬ 
planting. The privet being one of the 
easiest hardy shrubs in cultivation to 
transplant, it is no uncommon thing for 
nurserymen to sell and plant out large 
privet plants in the Summer when plants 
are in full leaf, and by watering them 
for a few days they live and grow. 
A. R. B. should dig a trench at least 
24 to 30 inches wide and two feet deep, 
then put back in bottom of trench six 
inches of good rich top soil. When 
planting fill in with top soil and pack 
the soil tight around the roots, either by 
treading it in with the feet or with a 
post pounder. Plant early in Spring, and 
either mulch heavy with coarse manure 
or keep the ground stirred and pulver¬ 
ized with hoe or rake to conserve mois¬ 
ture. Some hen manure, bone or nitrate 
of soda raked or hoed in after trench is 
filled will help the plants grow through 
the Summer. e. s. black. 
HOW HE KILLS QUACK GRASS. 
I frequently see in The R. N.-Y. ques¬ 
tions asked about cleaning land of “couch 
or quack grass.” As that is an easy propo¬ 
sition, I will give my experience of over 
30 years, which I trust may lighten some 
one’s burden. When I was a boy on my 
father’s farm, our root land each Spring 
would have to be cleaned of couch before 
planting. The process was as follows: 
Plowing, harrowing, and raking, repeatedly, 
with the carting off the roots to some 
place to be used perhaps during Summer 
to put under pigs to augment the manure 
pile, which really meant a lot of unnec¬ 
essary work. When starting farming on 
my own account I followed the same plan 
for a time, but one Fall, having discov¬ 
ered that my oat field (I usually follow 
oats by roots) was particularly infested 
with couch, I decided after plowing, the 
weather being favorable, fo use the culti¬ 
vator on it, and I did so, running it in 
different directions and thoroughly pulver¬ 
izing the land, leaving most of the roots on 
the surface. I merely did this to forward 
the gathering of them in the Spring. The 
field being somewhat flat, and the Spring 
proving wet, I got tired waiting for a suit¬ 
able condition of the land for the removal 
of the roots, and decided to plant the po¬ 
tatoes without any further work. I did 
so with much fear and trembling of the 
weeding to come, but to my surprise, 
scarcely a root grew, and the crop with the 
exception of a few places where the roots 
were not sufficiently separated from the soil, 
were perfectly clean. From that day to 
the present couch has no terrors for me. I 
have cleaned three farms and never knew 
a failure when the work is thoroughly and 
properly done. The process is to plow 
your land early enough in the Fall to have 
dry weather for cultivation. Use a three- 
horse cultivator and if very full of roots, 
go lightly at first to avoid choking, gradu¬ 
ally going deeper until you are the depth 
of the plow, thoroughly pulverizing it; 
don’t harrow it, leave it rough and Jack 
Frost will finish the job, and do it to your 
liking. G. A. 'MUTCH. 
Prince Edward Island. 
THE APPLE BUSINESS 
Is a sure thing—if you have the right kind of 
a tree. People may plant too many oranges 
but the good old apple is a sure thing. The 
time to get in with that hillside is right now 
—this Spring. 
There is some discussion about the best 
aged tree to plant. Some want big trees and 
some little whips. We have them all! 
The size is a matter of opinion but every¬ 
body agrees that the health and life of tne 
tree is more important. We put life and 
health in our trees—or they do it themselves. 
They grow in strong ground with no 
check from start to finish and with a long 
fall season to harden and ripen their woods. 
They are sound, free from disease and 
ready to grow. Every variety you want 
and every tree right. 
The Catalog tells all about it. 
HARRISON’S NURSERIES, Box 15, BERLIN, MD. 
FRUIT TREES AND PLANTS JS ZZ* 
/ipples ... $15.00 per lOO 
Peaches ... $8.00 per lOO 
Cherries ... $10.00 per lOO 
Strictly First-Class Stock, Government In¬ 
spected. Write today for our free catalogue 
on Fruits and Ornamentals, and buy direct 
from the growers. Our trees are grown in that 
great nursery belt of Ontario County. 
ONTARIO NURSERY CO., Inc. 
GENEVA, N. V. Box No. 2i 
TESTED AND PROVEN 
SEEDS 
f PHILADELPHIA. PA. 
Stand lor Purity and Quality. The result 
of 38 years’ experience in testing, and 
proving the best. Our GARDEN AND FARM 
MANUAL for 1911 tells all about them. 
Mailed tree to Seed buyers who write for it. 
JOHNSON SEED COMPANY, 
217 Market St„ Philadelphia. Pa. 
RAPEVINE 
Large stock. Best varieties. Best Grade. 
Guaranteed true. 
w SPECIAL OFFER. 
We will send, postpaid, 10 strong, hardy, two- 
year-old GRAPEVINES — best varieties, red, 
white and black —for $1.00. Just the kind 
ior planting around the house, along fences, or 
in the garden. We also offer FIv© Thro©-Year- 
Old vinos For SI.OO. Will bear year after 
^planting. Our valuable book,how to plant 
L and prune, free with every order. Mention J 
^this paper and we'll add free one new, 
large, red currant. 
T. S. HUBBARD COMPANY 
Grapevine Specialists 
Central A v«.,Fredonla,N.Y. 
Established 44 years. 
SS GRAPEVINES 
69 Varieties. Also Small Fruits, Trees, etc. Best Root¬ 
ed Stock, Genuine, cheap, 2 .ample vines mailed for 10c. Desc. 
price-list free. LBWIS ROE9CM * SON. Bos K, Fredoala, N, V. 
IMPORTANT 
to CABBAGE 
GROWERS 
To prove 
That our FROST-PROOF CABBAGE 
PLANTS can be set tn the open field a 
month to six weeks earlier than plants of 
your own growing. 
That they will stand frost and freezing without 
injury, and mature you a crop of headed 
cabbage at least two to three weeks earlier 
than plants of your own raising, 
We will send you 
by mail one hundred of these plants for 
twenty-fivfe cents, agreeing to refund the 
amount if results are not as stated above; pro¬ 
viding this notice with the name of the paper 
in which it appears is sent with the order. 
WILLIAM C. GERATY CO. 
The Cabbage Plant Men 
Young’s Island, S. C. 
NEW SEED OATS. Bigmoney 
in right kind ot oats. Here's 
your chance. I inported Canadian 
seed oats, raised on Galloway 
Brothers' big iarm in Canada. 
New, clean land. Regenerated 
Swedish Select went 116 bushels 
to acre; Early New Market 110 bushels to acre. Farmers who 
bought this seed from us last year raised as high as 75 to 100 
bushels in this country, and found out their old seed was inbred 
and run out. Change your seed. Try some of this new seed. 
Send for free sample, or 10 cents for large packet. Will also send 
our free booklet, entitled “Big Money in Oats and How to Grow 
Them." Galloway Bros.-Bowman Company 
662 Galloway Station Waterloo, Iowa 
at Ono- Ha If City r\vv ' ^ 
Seodcrren’s Prices IVv^^Ib 
Cabbage Seed — Sure to 
up even and hard. We supply the ‘ 
largest growers in the United States. 
k Cauliflower Seed— Danish grown^^ 
M from selected heads, tsoo for better 
truer seed. Lowest.prlces. 
Onion Seed — Highest grade, clean 
nid true. Any quantity. 
Cucumber Seed —New York grown, 
^^Whlte as chalk—no better pedigreed M 
^^nstock at twice its price. T 
BjK&iV Pea* and Beans — Hand picked,* 
SUJMfcV ^^^cleaned and graded. 
’ Sweet Com— Eastern grown. 
^^^F0*RUT SEED CO. 
iaadfr CORTLAND, N.T. A 
- ONION SEED - 
We are headquarters for a full line of Ktras- 
burg. Flat Danvers and Yellow Globe Onion 
Seed. Try them for No. 1 stock. Get prices. 
■ THEILMANN SEED CO., ERIE, PA.- 
©ECIIC Clovers; Medium Red, Mammoth, 
OCClf O Alsike, Alfalfa; Timothy, Blue Grass. 
Red Top, Soy Beans, Cow Peas, Oats, Corn, etc. 
Send for prices and samples. 
ZACK DAVIS CO., Dclnwurc Ohio 
Clover Seed, Seed Corn, Seed Oats, Ted” 
Highest quality. Why not buy these direct? Cata¬ 
log of all kinds of farm seeds mailed free on re¬ 
quest. MACE & MANSFIELD, Greenville, Ohio. 
FOTTLER, FISKE, RAWSON Co. 
OUR SPECIALTY 
erme OF THE highest grade 
ijHiHiLf for the MARKET GARDENER 
We cannot say more for the SEEDS only “The Highest Grade.’* 
Our Garden Manual is made up for the buyer who wants “The Highest 
Grade Seeds.” Let us mail you one and you be the judge. 
It is useful as a reference even if you do not buy. Just mail us a postal, 
we’ll do the rest. _ ~ _ t - ~ 
Fottler, Fiske, Rawson Co. '“oSW-rtSfiE Boston 
NEW ENGLAN D CORN GROWERS l 
The Coe-Mortimer Grand Prize of $500 
FOR THE MOST PROFITABLE ACRE OF 
FIELD CORN IS OPEN TO ALL OF YOU 
It makes no difference whose fertilizer you use, or how much per acre. 
The Plan of Competition is given in The Rural New-Yorker for March 4th. 
Read it and get ready to compete. 
Copy of plan and our handsome Memorandum Booklet sent free on request. 
(Competition will close on or before November 1st, 1911.) 
THE COE-MORTIMER COMPANY 
Sole Manufacturers of the Celebrated 
E. FRANK COE FERTILIZERS 
& PERUVIAN BRANDS 
24-26 Stone Street 
New York City 
