1912. 
'THE: RURA.E, NEW-YORKER 
09 
Ruralisms 
Raspberry Questions. 
/S'. E. T., Northampton, Mass .—Is it a 
good time to cut back raspberries in the 
Winter? I cut mine back last Winter and 
they winter-killed. Did that have anything 
to do about the winter-killing? IIow much 
fertilizer is enough per acre? How is a 
good potato fertilizer for them? Is it 
good for currants? How often do rasp¬ 
berries that propagate from the tips need 
to be reset? Can I bring back raspberries 
that have gone back somewhat by fertilizer 
and hoeing? 
Ans.— I doubt if the early Wiiuer 
pruning caused the winter-killing. It 
is the usual practice, however, to delay 
the pruning until the extent of Winter 
injury can be seen, and removed at time 
of pruning. Five hundred pounds of 
high grade complete fertilizer per acre 
should be sufficient if combined with 
thorough tillage and the soil moderately 
fertile. Six years is about as long as 
a planting can be carried profitably with¬ 
out resetting. If plantation has become 
neglected and grown up to grass and 
weeds, a new planting would best be 
made. If currants are well budded 
even 1,000 pounds per acre of high-grade 
fertilizer could be applied, if the appli¬ 
cation was made early and well culti-- 
vated in. In both of these crops good 
tillage and a supply of available fertility 
go hand in hand in producing bumper 
crops. b. v. B. 
Mushroom Spawn Experience. 
J. M. It., Monmouth Co., N. J.—Do com¬ 
mercial mushroom growers usually prepare 
their own spawn? Is the virgin spawn 
preferable to that prepared from mycelium? 
Ans.—I do not prepare my own spawn. 
I have used almost entirely the virgin 
spawn produced from the spores. I 
am not able to tell you of the effect 
of continual use of mycelium in the 
manufacture of the spawn. The spawn 
makers are very careful to keep all of 
their experiences and experiments much 
to themselves, since failure for us 
sometimes means a theory borne out for 
them. The cost of spawn for a plant of 
any size is quite large, and the results 
very uncertain. This fact would lead 
us to believe that even the most expert 
of the spawn makers are still either 
constantly experimenting, or else playing 
a wonderful game of chance. However, 
I do believe that it would be a big paying 
proposition for a grower to make 
his own spawn, provided that he knew 
how. It costs me about $25 for spawn , 
to every 20 to 25 tons of manure, and 
one never knows until he has the money 
in bank just how the crop will turn out. 
Should one be able to make spawn satis¬ 
factorily there is no doubt whatever that 
it would pay immensely. What we 
want is the “know how.” Should all the 
mushroom growers in Pennsylvania have 
an average crop of from three-quarters 
to a pound per foot of bed surface, New 
York would have cheap mushrooms 
throughout the entire season, and if they 
brought a net average of 20 cents per 
pound we could do business at a fine 
profit. A general dependable knowledge 
of spawn making will at once mean 
mushrooms for the masses, and do away 
with this continual uncertainty. 
Pennsylvania. w. K. groff. 
Muck Land With Overhead Irrigation. 
M. O. R., Albion, Mich .—I have an acre 
of muck land under the Skinner system of 
irrigation. I am planning to grow onions 
on one-half of this land and celery on the 
other half. One man and a boy 13 years 
old expect to do most of the work in raising 
and marketing these crops, •which are to be 
sold on the local market. Could you sug¬ 
gest any changes in the above crops? How 
could the largest cash return be obtained 
from an acre of muck soil under the Skin¬ 
ner system of irrigation? 
Ans.—I t will depend somewhat on the ■ 
locality and market. What vegetables 
sell best in your town ? In some places 
cabbage is demanded—in others sweet 
corn, onions or potatoes. Probably onions 
and celery will be as profitable as any if 
the workers realize the size of their job 
to start with. We want, if possible, a 
full discussion of this question. 
The European Starling. 
H. L., New York .—Can any of your bird- 
men name this bird for me? Three came 
into the barn and one was caught. It 
measured just eight inches from tip of tail 
to point of beak, though possibly head and 
neck were not fully extended. The general 
ground color was a dusky black with tips of 
all body and tertiary wing feathers tan. 
These tan tips were exceedingly small as 
they started from base of beak on top of 
head and at throat, gradually increasing 
in size towards tail; were most marked 
over rump and wing tertiaries. Primary 
and secondary wing feathers a greenish 
slate with very narrow outer border tan. 
Neck, throat and upper breast iridescent 
purple over the other coloring. Beak long 
and slender, equal length *at tip. upper 
mandible measuring three-fourth inch from 
base and the lower one inch. Nothing dis¬ 
tinguishing about feet or legs. Iris" and 
pupil both black. The head looked like that 
of a grackle or oriole. The whole bird 
made one think of a wood-pecker (hairy or 
downy) only the speckles were tan-colored 
and much smaller. 
Ans.— The bird described is without 
doubt, the European starling, Sternus 
vulgaris, which is gradually increasing in 
numbers in Long Island, Connecticut and 
the lower Hudson Valley generally, as 
the result of a small colony imported 
from northern Europe and liberated in 
Central Park, Manhattan, about 20 
years ago. This bird is closely allied to 
our native grackles and blackbirds, but 
is quite distinct from the common Eu¬ 
ropean blackbird, which latter is a 
thrush, resembling in its habits our robin. 
The starling is often objected to in its 
native country for its destruction of the 
eggs and young of smaller birds, but is 
not likely to increase sufficiently to do 
much harm in this country, as it does 
not well endure our cold Winters. It is 
in the main an insect and seed eater, 
like our common red-shouldered grackle 
or blackbird, which it greatly resembles 
in character and habits, but not in plum¬ 
age. v. 
Ask about our 
Special January 
Discount 
/ 
Finely Ground—Easy to 
Handle—Needs no Slak¬ 
ing—Ready to Drill. . . 
/ 
WHY pay $25 per 
toil for fertilizers 
when by using 
lime you can lib¬ 
erate the natural 
phosphates, ni¬ 
trates and potash 
locked up in the 
soil. 
WHY not raise 
Alfalfa by using 
lime and cut down 
your grain ration 
one-third. 
WHY not sweeten 
your sour soils and increase the yield of 
grain,cabbages, beets,clover and Timothy. 
Send for circulars, samples and prices 
THE S0LVAY PROCESS CO.. Syracuse, New York 
LIME 
Monarch 
Hydraulic 
Cider Press 
Net owners 25$ to 100$ 
i investment per year 
Ask for Free Cat¬ 
alog and "Good 
Tip’’ booklet tell- 
_ ing how. 
Monarch Machinery Co„ 609 Hudson Terminal, New York 
It? Hamilton Reservoir 
Orchard Heater 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
'OnFreeTrial MONEY 
IN ADVANCE. No bank deposit. 
Lowest prices. Wo pay freight and 
guarantee Sprayers five years. 
The Hurst Potato and Orchard Sprayer 
doubles your crop. IT SPRAYS ANYTHING — 
trees, potatoes, vineyards, truck, etc. High press, 
lire. Easy to operate. Cheap In price, light, strong, 
and durable. BRASS valves, plunger, strainer, etc. 
HURST HORSE-POWER SPRAYER for orchards, | 
vineyards, potatoes, etc. “No tree 
too high, no field too big for this 
king of sprayers." All HURST 
sprayers sold on same liberal No. 
money-in-advance plan. Write 
to-day for our FREE Spraying 
Guide, Catalogue and 
SPECIAL FREE OF¬ 
FER to FIRST BUYER 
In each locality. 
H. L. Hurst Mfg. Co. __ 
282 North St., Canton, O, 
In order to have GOOD FRUIT YOU 
MUST SPRAY. To spray properly 
you must use a power sprayer. 
— DEY0 POWER SPRAYER 
is the best. Send for free catalog, 6-C. It may 
save your orchard. Write today. 
THE DEYO-MACEY ENGINE CO. 
BINGHAMTON, N. Y., U. S. A. 
DEY0 POWER ENGINES, ty z t. ish. P. 
Send for catalog, 7-C. 
Bigger Fruit Profits 
Here is a spray pump invented 
by fruit growers. It was our 
endeavor to secure the best 
spray pump to use on our 
300 acre fruit farm that 
produced the 
ECLIPSE 
SPRAY PUMP 
It overcomes every defect found 
in other makes—it has proved it¬ 
self best in actual work. Put an 
Eclipse to work on you r trees and 
earn bigger profits. Write for our 
fully illustrated catalogue. It tells 
why you should spray—and why 
you should do it with an Eclipse. 
It’s free. Write to-day. , 
MORRILL A MORLEY MFC. CO., Benton Harbor, Mich. 
SPRAYING PAYS-1F 
you use the right solution—a solution that actually 
destroys the insects. You can stop the ravages of 
chewing insects by spraying with a depend¬ 
able solution. Many orchardists, gardeners and 
farmers are doubtful about the profits from spray¬ 
ing, because their experience has been with cheap, 
ineffective mixtures. If they use 
SPRAY^THATPAYS 
KEY BRAND 
ARSENATE OF LEAD 
they would know it pays to spray. It gets results; it quickly 
kills curculio, the moths, borers, canker and root worms, 
beetles,_potato bugs, etc. It is uniform ; easy to mix; 
stays in suspension; acts quickly; sticks like paint 
to plants; does not clog the nozzles; and does not 
injure foliage or fruit. Its Higher Quality and 
Lower Cost prevent the need of a subsiitute. Paste or 
Powder Form; small or large packages; shipped in Hard 
Wood or Steel Containers. Demand Key Brand. 
Write today (or circulars and prices. 
Officially adopted by the New York State Fruit 
Growers’ Association last year, and again this 
year, beeause there was “not a single complaint.” 
Agents and wholesale distributors wanted. 
INTERSTATE CHEMICAL CO. 
20 Bayview Ave., JERSEY CITY, N. J. 
Have you ever 
worked at your iprayer pump 
for an hour (or longer) with your hands in'" 
th« solution? You won't if you have Iron 
Ago No. 191 Vertical Barrel Pump. It at¬ 
taches on the ouhidt of any barrel—easy to 
get at. Bronze ball valves; hemp packing; 
automatic dasher inside; 4 row attachment. 
Low price. With or without barrel. 
You must tee this sprayer to know it* 
Worth. Ask your dealer to show it 
and other Iron Age farm, gardes 
and orchard tools. Backed by 76 
years' experience. 
Write us for special booklets. 
Wl 
BATEMAN M’F’G CO. 
Box 1Q2-V, Grenloch, N. J. 
FRUITS AND 
FIELD CROPS 
ana do whitewashing in most clfoctual, economical, 
rapid way. Satisfaction guaranteed. BROWN’S 
SPRAY 
and do whitewashini 
rapid way. Batisfa 
POWER R Auto-Sprays 
No. 1, shown here, Is fitted with Auto-Pop Nozzle— 
does work of 3 ordinary sprayers. Endorsed by Ex¬ 
periment Stations and 300,000 others. 40 styles and 
Bizos of hand and power sprayers—aleo pricoa 
and valuabla Spraying guide in our Froo Book. 
Write postal now. 
THE E.C. BROWN COMPANY 
28 St., Rochester, N. Y. 
“KANT-KLOG” 
SPRAYERS 
Spraying 
Gu » de Fre 6 
Something New 
Gets twice the results 
with samo laboraniltluid. ^5=- 
Flat or round, lino or coarse sprays 
from same nozzle. Ten styles. For - 
trees, potatoes, gardens, whitewashing, 
etc. Agents Wanted, Booklet Free. 
Rochester Spray Pump Co. KISS'S.*?. 
UME=SI)LPHIR HYDROMETER r- BrAllProgre$ ’- 
> ive Fruit-Growers 
Price By Mail With Test C 
Jar and Instructions_*] 
Agents Wimed everywhere 
CARBONDALE INSTRUMENT CO., Carbondale, Pa. 
TURN YOUR RUN-DOWN OLD 
ORCHARD INTO A MONEY-MAKER! 
Apples and other fruits pay big profits — Si So to 
S500 and more per acre when grown right. It will pay YOU 
to get into the fruit business. But you needn’t wait for prof¬ 
its from the new trees. Make over your old orchard 
right now, putting it into shape to bear real paying 
crops all the time the young trees are coming on. Buy a 
IS THE MASTER OF THEM ALL 
Most POWERFUL and most EFFI¬ 
CIENT, and will protect your fruit crop 
when all others fail. 
The REGULATED FIRE or heat control 
and large fuel capacity (3 and 6 gallons,) 
are exclusive features. 
Write today for full information. 
Hamilton Orchard Heater Co. 
GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. 
Deming 
■- 
7 % 
.3SHHE 
u 
V 
V 
3SSE5 
Foster Steel and Wood 
ST AIM C H ION S 
Increase Your Dairy Profit 
Little Giant Hand and Power 
SPRA Y E R S 
Increase Your Fruit Profit 
Write for our prices and illus¬ 
trated catalog before buying 
FOSTER STEEL STANCHION CO. 
!>0G Insurance Bldg., Rochester, N. Y 
SPRAY PUMP 
and clean up the trees first; then prune and fertilize. You’ll get 
QUALITY fruit—the kind you can sell for $6 and $8 a barrel, 
when “culls” are begging a market at Si. 50 and $2. Don’t 
leave this for your neighbor to do; your orchard is just as 
good as his, or better, and the profits are there, wait¬ 
ing for you. 
LET US SEND OUR BOOK TELLING HOW 
YOU CAN RENEW YOUR ORCHARD 
“How the Old Orchard Paid,” tells how a 
Pennsylvania farmer made money from 
an unproductive old orchard. Deming Spray_ 
Pumps are honestly built, do thorough work, last a long 
time. Buy of your dealer, or write us. Refuse substitutes. 
The Deming Company, 280 Success Bldg., Salem, Ohio 
Manufacturers of Pumps tor All Uses. Agents Everywhere 
UP-TODATE 
FRUIT 
GROWERS 
Many good apple growers are using Lime-Sulfur, but the most up-to-date growers in the United States, Australia and 
Africa use “Scalecide”—not because somebody else is using it, but their own judgment and experience tells them that 
the greatest perfection in fruit and foliage is produced by the continued use of “Scalecide,” with less labor and less 
expense. “Scalecide” has no substitute. It is the only oil containing distinct fungicidal properties. Write for proofs. 
One barrel of “Scalecide” will spray as many trees as 3)4 barrels of the best commercial Lime-Sulfur, and do the work 
much better. A postal request to Dept. “N” will bring you by return mail, free, our book, “Modern Methods of 
Harvesting, Grading and Packing Apples,” and new booklet, “Scalecide—the Tree-Saver.” If your dealer cannot sup- 
ply you with “Scalecide,” we will deliver it to any railroad station in t he United States east of the Mississippi and north 
of the Ohio rivers on receipt of price. 50 gals., $25.00; 30 gals., $1G.()0; 10-gal. cans, $0.75; 5-gal. cans, $3.75. Address, 
B. GL Pratt Company, 50 Church Street, New York City. 
