121a 
THE RURAL NEW-YOkKER 
December 23, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[ Every query must be accompanied by the 
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attention. Before asking r. question, please see 
whether it is not answered in our advertising 
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Pu' questions on a separate piece of paper.] 
APPLES FOR MICHIGAN. 
B. Q. M., Notre Dame, Ind. —1. Having 
bought 40 acres of fruit land in North¬ 
western Michigan I would like advice in 
regard to planting same. The farm is 
located in Antrim County, and on a strip 
of land about one-half mile wide, between 
Torch I/ake and Grand Traverse Bay. We 
are not bothered much by late Spring or 
early Fall frosts. The soil is rather light, 
being sand and gravel loam with gravel 
subsoil. The soil produces fairly good 
corn and wheat. I would like to know 
what varieties of apples to plant. I want 
to cater to fancy box market. How would 
Delicious, Jonathan, Grimes, Black Ben, 
Koine Beauty, Wagener, McIntosh, Wealthy, 
etc., do? I would not want more than 
three or four varieties. 2. A certain nur¬ 
sery in Kansas advertises “pedigreed” 
trees, claiming to propagate only from trees 
of proven productiveness. How does this 
system differ from that employed by other 
well-known nurseries? 3. Would Osage 
orange or privet do to plant as a wind¬ 
break? If not what would you advise? 
4. How can I plow under a crop of rye in 
orchard where trees are headed too low to 
admit using an ordinary plow? 
Ans. —1. Altlhough I have never been 
on the exact spot where the land men¬ 
tioned lies, 1 have been very close to 
it and once lived in Benzie County, 
Mjch., which has the same climate 
and soil. Jt is a region well protected 
from Spring frost and the peach and 
cherry are grown there with as much 
success as the apple. The glacial drift, 
which is gravel and sand with some 
clay in places and decayed vegetable 
matter on top, makes a splendid fruit 
soil. That is just what is found all 
over that country, where the natural 
growth was hardwood timber, and that 
is the only soil in which I would try 
to grow fruit there. The pine lands 
are too light and lacking in fertility. As 
to varieties of the apple for that sec¬ 
tion those mentioned arc all very good 
except the Black Ben, which, although 
the best of the Ben Davis tribe, is not 
suited to the short seasons there, they 
not being long enough for the full de¬ 
velopment of size and flavor that they 
should attain. Jonathan and Grimes 
will not reach the size that they will 
farther north, but I have seen them 
grown there that were very creditable 
and bringing fair prices. They will 
keep later than if Southern grown, and 
the flavor is excellent. Delicious, Mc¬ 
Intosh, Wagener and Wealthy are all 
good apples, the two latter being very 
early bearers and well suited as fillers 
among the permanent trees. I think 
that Hubbardston would be a very good 
apple to plant there because it is of 
high quality, good size and the tree 
bears well. The only objection to it is 
that the color is rather dull red, but 
the quality is so good that the fancy 
trade would finally appreciate it. 
as fruitful trees as scions from the 
bearing branches. Theories often need 
testing out in real practice. 3. For a 
wind-break in northern Michigan the 
Osage orange and privet would be prac¬ 
tically worthless, because they would be 
too low. Norway spruce, White pine and 
the common cedar of that region will 
make tall and effective wind-breaks, 
there. Among deciduous the Sugar 
maple and basswood are excellent. 4. 
Cutaway tools work under a growth of 
rye by going over it several times but 
there would be clogging of the machine 
and the rye would not be deep in the 
ground. Some sort of extension gang 
plow that would turn furrows would be 
better. There are several such tools in 
use. The rye should be put under deep 
enough to rot as soon as possible. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Keeping Horseradish. 
F. IP. D., Silver Lane, Conn .—Will you 
advise me how to keep horse-radish all 
Winter? 
Ans. —Horse-radish is usually left as 
late as possible before being dug, as the 
roots are not injured by frost, and im¬ 
prove after September, making their 
best growth in the cool Autumn. It is 
best stored in pits, as it loses crispness 
and quality when kept in the cellar. In 
trimming the large roots for storage, it 
is customary to save the small lateral 
roots, which are buried and used for 
planting the following season. 
The Kink in a Rope. 
As to “kinks” in ropes, new or old, I 
never have any. A swivel hook that 
any blacksmith could make for 25 cents 
or less would prevent all kinks. Tie 
the rope to it and hook it into the clevis 
on the double tree. I put a swivel snap 
on every rope I use to tie or lead my 
cows and calves. The ring can be made 
larger or smaller to suit the size of rope 
used. J. s. IDEN. 
Missouri. _ 
Destroying Cockroaches. 
Can you tell me what will kill or drive 
away cockroaches or water-bugs? They are 
brown and about half an inch long and run 
around in the night. c. b. 
The safest thing to use in destroying 
roaches or water-bugs is borax mixed 
with chocolate. Borax kills the bugs, 
but is harmless to have around, and as 
the insects are greedy for chocolate 
they are thus induced to eat the borax. 
It is well to rub the mixture together 
in a mortar, so that every particle of 
chocolate will carry some borax j 
powdered cocoa may be conveniently 
used. Scatter this where the roaches 
congregate. A paste made by mixing 
phosphorus in lard or butter and 
spreading upon bread is also effective. 
Cut the bread in small pieces, spread 
with the mixture, and put where the in¬ 
sects run the last thing at night, re¬ 
moving early in the morning before 
domestic animals can gain access to it, 
as the phosphorus is poisonous to 
them. Hence the borax is the safest 
thing to use, though the phosphorus is 
effective, and is used by florists around 
greenhouses, where roaches are often 
a nuisance. Do not leave fragments 
of food around the kitchen at night. 
SENSIBLE BEE TALK. 
Red Canada, which is also called 
“Steele’s Red” is another apple of very 
high quality and brilliant red color. Its 
size is only medium but it is a very 
desirable variety for the fancy trade. 
I would plant more than two or three 
varieties to cover a wider season of 
gathering than they would afford and to 
be more certain of a crop. 1 think five 
or six varieties would be none too many 
for a large orchard, which should in¬ 
clude the Wealthy and Oldenburg. 
2. There is some reason in the idea 
of propagating nursery trees from only 
those of known productivity, but not 
so much as many claim, and those who 
make the most noise may not have any 
better trees for bearing when they at¬ 
tain maturity than the trees from nur¬ 
series that make no such claims. The 
prepotency of a variety is quite apt to 
show up in the crops produced no mat¬ 
ter from what particular trees the 
scions were taken to rear the young 
trees. This has been tested in several 
cases and found to be true. Scions 
from water sprouts have produced just 
Tlio matter of honey for money is only 
one phase of the business. Horticulturists 
agree that bees are good to have near 
their orchards. My opinion is that farmers 
g< nerally and dairymen have too little 
time to devote to the care of bees. At 
swarming time in early Summer the bee- 
man must be ready to have a swarm from 
the time he has finished his breakfast till 
he is about ready for his supper. A good 
swarm of bees is worth from $5 to $8, so 
you can see why the bee fellow has to 
tend strictly to business. However, poul¬ 
try keeping, the raising of small fruits 
and bee-keeping go well together. A good 
range would be in an apple district with 
Sweet clover and basswood plentiful in 
tile neighborhood. Bees will go three 
miles for nectar, but a quarter of a mile 
is about far enough. The novice is very 
likely to find himself puzzled at times, 
and wish he was out of it, but if lie has 
the right stuff in him and perseveres lie is 
likely to find himself, some fine morning, 
with a good paying bee farm under his 
control. This business is one in which 
there is likely to be very little competi¬ 
tion until the worker bee has lost her 
sting. a. s. w. 
COW PEAS AND SOY BEANS 
Produce big yields; make soil fertile. Have no 
peer as feed; yield heavily; make following crops 
larger. Extra quality seed. Write for booklet. 
HICKORY SEED CO..J24Tr*de St., Hickory, N. C. 
flRAWRF^ Choice fruit $1.50’per box. Write m 
UnMUULO G. E. CONKLIN. Winter Park, Eh 
•And You 
Keep This 
Great', Engine 
We will ship you Schmidt’s Chilled Cylinder 
Gasoline Engine on yoursimple request with¬ 
out an order or any promise from you. You use 
the engine 10 whole days—use it all you want. 
Then if you don’t want it send it back at our 
expense. If you do wish to keep it, pay ns 
only $7.50 and you con pay the rest in 
the easiest monthly payments^ 
Wo send you tho engine free, to proveto you that ft 
is the greatest air cooled 3 horse power engine on earth. 
We want you to see lor yourself that it is better than any 
other enj.-inc that cost9 twice and three times as much — 
the only engine that has the powerful chilled cylinder. 
Ten DaysTrial FREE 
This is the first genuine free trial ever offered on gasoline 
engines for farm and shop use. We want you to see that 
women and children can run this engine. Use the engine 
to run the pumps and any other machinery you may have. 
Schmidt’s Chilled Cylinder Gasoline Engine is absolutely 
guaranteed for five years in every piece and part. 
The biggest bankinlowabacIcsourjSl.OOOcballangeoffer. 
Send For FREE Catalogs 
Write to us promptly for particulars and we will send you 
a copy of our new book, “How to Use Powei," free 
and postpaid. Write to us today. 
Schmidt Bros- Co. Engine Works 
DEPARTMENT 42g8 DAVENPORT, IOWA | 
STRAW BEItKY PLAfiTS 
Any quantity • 120 acres, 103 vari¬ 
eties. Also full line othersmall fruit 
plants and shrubbery. Lowest 
prices for quality stock, true to 
name. Write today for FREE cata¬ 
log. W. F. ALLEN, 
72Market Street, Salisbury, Md. 
“How toGrowand Market Fruit” 
Tells the Whole Story' in One Volume ; gives Lifetime Exper- 
♦ nee of Practical Growers. 2,000 Acres in Nursery Stock. 
Large Stock ol Peach anti Apple Trees, 
Write for catalog and how to get the book free. 
HARRISON NURSERIES, Berlin, Mil. 
BIG FRUIT 
CROPS 
If you set out an orchard 
with our stock, you will 
have fruit trees and plants 
of splendid hardiness and 
- 1 1 ■■ " ■ n ii — great productiveness, com¬ 
bined with the best quality of fruit. For 
years we have been growing the kind you 
can absolutely depend on. Persons who 
buy from us once come back every season. 
Our Booklet contains the best of our ex¬ 
perience, gathered during the thirty years 
we have been growing fruit. This practi¬ 
cal book is free. Write for it nozi). 
BARNES BROS. NURSERY CO. 
Box 8, Yalesville, Conn. 
HUNDREDS OF CARLOADS OF 
Fruit and Ornamental Trees, 
verereens. Shrubs, Hardy 
Roses, etc. 1.200 acres, 
50 in Hardy Roses, none 
better grown. 47 green¬ 
houses of Palms, Fcms.Picus, 
Ever blooming Roses, Gera¬ 
niums, and other things too 
numerous to mention. Mail size 
postpaid, safe arrival and satisfaction guaran¬ 
teed. Immense stock of SUPERB CANNAS, 
the queen of bedding plants Acres of Paeonias 
and other Perennials. 50 choice collections 
cheap in Seeds, Plants. Roses, etc. For Fruit 
and Ornamental Trees ask for Catalog No. 1,112 
pages; for Seeds, Everblooming Roses, Cannas, 
Geraniums, Greenhouse and Bedding Plants in 
general. Catalog No. 2.168 pages. Both FREE. 
Direct deal will insure you the bestat least 
cost. Try it. 58 years. (25) 
THE STORR8 & HARRISON CO. 
BOX 678. PAINESV1LLP, O. 
“Black's Quality” Fruit Trees I™, 
None give better returns when they fruit. 
Buy Direct From the Nursery- 
ami save agent's discounts and middleman’s profits. 
When you buy our trees you get a 
Dollar’s "Worth of Trees 
for overy one hundred cents you remit to us. 
PEACH and APPLE TREES 
a specialty. Catalogue Free. 
JOS. H. BLACK. SON & CO., HIGHTSTOWN, N. J. 
Peach and 
Trees 
For fall or spring planting. Prices right; stock 
right. MYER & SON, Hridgeville, Delaware 
Wonderful Self-Locking 
Hoisting Device—The Jumbo!^ 
Big 30-Day FREE Trial Offer! money, muscle—hoisting. Let mo 
show you nn easier, better way. I’ll string your hogs up and hold ’em up; I’ll raise a wagon 
box, stretch a fence, do 40 odd jobs. I’ll do ’em for 30 days. If I don't earn my cost trio 
first time used, my makers will tuke your word and take me back. I'm a guaranteed 
<$>Jumbo Safety Hoist and Wire Stretcher 
The instant you let up on pull rope, I lock it automatically in a vise-liko grip. 
Ye 
Hall Hoists 
made in 9 
sizes; capac¬ 
ity, 400 lbs. 
to 5 tons 
The Heavier the Load, 
Tighter the Grip 
et a turn of tho wrist releases my lock and I 
let the load down easy. My patented 
adjustable shoe fits various size s 
ropes—new. worn, wot or frazzled. 
I’ll last a lifetime. Try me on a , 
30-day make-good-or-no-pay basis. 
Send yours and your dealer’s name J 
on a postal for catalog and BIG/ ,. , ■■ n imji 
FREETRIAL offer to LJ \) VZW- M2) 
HALL MFC. COMPANY, 552 Main Street. Montlcello c Iowa 
Field of a New Cabbage 
Buy SEEDS from the Grower 
We raise seeds on our own farm. Choice selected strains 
of Cabbage, Beets, Celery, and other vegetable seeds. 
Early maturing Seed Corn, high grade Seed Potatoes, 
Oats and farm seeds of all kinds. Grown under our per- 
sonal supervision and carefully tested. We make 
quality the first consideration, but our prices are 
lower than those charged by many other dealers. 
We sell direct at wholesale prices. 
Large illustrated catalog free. Write today. 
Joseph Harris Co., Box 52, Coldwater, N. Y. 
BIG RED APPLES 
are selling at 
10 cents each 
There is money in fruit growing right where.you are. 
Apples are worth twice as much as oranges, but if you can¬ 
not raise apples, there are other fruits equally profitable. 
Start an orchard. Those who have planted orchards 
as advised by Green’s Fruit Grower are getting their 
reward in big profits. You can pay for the orchard by 
growing small fruit in it. 
GREEN’S FRUIT GROWER 
will tell you how and where to plant, how to prune and 
spray, and how to make your trees productive, how to 
plant a fruit garden. 
It is the oldest and most popular fruit grower’s magazine. January is our 
Big 31st Home-Beautifying, Home Planting Number. 
Special offer to readers of The Rural New Yorker: We will mail new subscribers Green’s 
Fruit Grower one year on trial, at half former price, 25 cents. 
_ MAIL US THIS OFFER_ 
Send uh this coupon and 25 cents and w<* will begin your subscription with the Big Home-Beautifying, Home 
Planting Number. Or scud $1.00 for 6 years. Or send $1.10 for our Magazine and Tnic Kuuaj. New Yokkkk, 
both for one year. 
Name. 
Post Office. 
State. 
BOX A. 
GREEN’S FRUIT GROWER CO., 
ROCHESTER, N. Y. 
