THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
199 
1912. 
TOP-GRAFTING AND TRIMMING YOUNG 
TREES. 
C. II. W., Eaton Rapids, Mich .—1 am in¬ 
terested in growing a young orchard and 
earing for about 40 acres of bearing trees. 
We are going to put out a lot of young 
trees in the Spring. I am thinking of put¬ 
ting out Ben Davis and grafting them later; 
would like the advice of practical orchard- 
ists as to the proper time and manner of 
grafting. I have also read that the young 
trees should be shaped and trimmed from 
the start to make a low and open head. 
Lately I am told they will come in bearing 
much earlier if not trimmed at all. Let 
us have some good articles on this subject 
by people who speak from experience, not 
theory. 
Ans. —The plan of setting out vigor¬ 
ous apple trees and then top-grafting 
them to any varieties that may be de¬ 
sirable is a good one, but it is more 
costly than to plant the trees of the 
kinds wanted at the start. The only 
advantages, so far as I can see, are that 
there is a surety of having good roots 
and that the varieties are true to name, 
from scions cut from bearing trees. 
I have done this to a small extent, but 
only when I wanted to top-graft varie¬ 
ties that did not do well as root- 
grafted trees. Ben Davis is a good stock 
to work such kinds on, and so are Red 
Astrachan, Baldwin, Northern Spy and 
others. But if the right kind «f nursery 
trees are got there will be very little 
need of top-grafting to get good orchard 
trees. There are some orchardists who 
prefer budded apple trees to those that 
were propagated by root-grafting, but 
if the latter have been grown from the 
upper part of good seedling roots they 
are as good trees as can be found, with 
very few exceptions. If top-grafting is 
determined upon, it should be done while 
the trees are quite small, when they are 
not over three or four years old from 
the root grafts. If they are. two years 
old when planted in the orchard ihey 
should be top-grafted the next year, or 
when three years old, and in no case 
should this be deferred beyond the year 
following. The longer it is deferred the 
more grafting will need to be done and 
hence the mbre it will cost. The trees 
should be headed low; about two to 2 J /2 
feet of trunk- is about right, or even a 
little less is better than more. There 
should be little pruning needed, and if 
the trees were well formed in the nur¬ 
sery none may be necessary to start the 
right shaped head. The grafting need 
not include every branch but at least 
three or four of the main branches. They 
should be cut back within about six 
inches of the trunk or the lowest fork 
and the grafts set there. The stumps 
should all be cut with a sharp slope and 
never square across, if the cleft style 
of grafting is used. This allows only 
one scion to each stump, which is 
enough, and will cause the wounds to 
heal over much sooner and better than if 
the stumps w.ere square on their ends. 
The tongue or splice method is a very 
good one and heals over entirely by the 
first year. For small branches it is de¬ 
cidedly preferable. The time to do this 
work is just before the buds open in 
Springtime. - h. e. van deman. 
ONION GROWING ON A LARGE SCALE. 
How it is Managed at Oniontown. 
Part I. 
Location aud Soil. —One of the large 
onion-growing tracts of the East is in Madi¬ 
son County, N. Y., aud one of its interest¬ 
ing points is at Oniontown, just outside of 
th" incorporated village of Canastota. This 
village is 21 miles east of Syracuse. About 
a mile and a half north of the village the 
visitor comes to a cross road with a sign 
board which points northwest and informs 
him that Oniontown is one-half mile dis¬ 
tant. Following the direction he reaches 
the place and finds that it was properly 
named. For. with the exception of perhaps 
one-fifth of tire ground, which has been 
given to celery, pome very small gardens, 
and an occasional patch of corn or vege¬ 
tables which is there because the seeding 
to onions failed, practically ail of the land 
on each side of the road for a mile and a 
half is producing onions. The same condi¬ 
tions exist along the other roads in the 
tract. There are probably more than 500 
acres and the annual production much ex¬ 
ceeds a quarter of a million bushels. This 
tract is part of a “swamp" covering some 
8,000 to 10.000 acres, and extending far 
beyond the limits of the township in which 
it is located. Its drainage was commenced 
some 05 or 70 years ago by the towns, aided 
by the State, and was paid for by a tax on 
the. land. The interest of the State is ex¬ 
plained by the fact that in order to save 
the banks of the Erie Canal the land was 
sometimes flooded, and as the State owned 
the canal it was liable for damages caused 
by this overflow. Ditches eight or 10 rods 
apart through the fields lead into larger 
ditches by the side of the road and these 
turn the water into the great “State ditch.” 
The soil is muck, varying in depth from 
a foot to 15 feet, and is underlaid with 
clay. It was once heavily wooded with 
black ash. This growth was followed bv 
soft maple trees which have mostly passed 
away. Most of the natural wood of the 
present time is elm. The soil was formed 
by decaying leaves, underbrush and other 
vegetable matter, and by earth which was 
washed by rains from the higher lands 
around and settled in this swamp. The 
price of the land ranges from $200 to $300 
per acre. A great many of the fields are 
partially or wholly surrounded bv rows of 
good-sized Georgia poplar trees. They were 
Put out to serve as wind-breaks, but tliev 
are not giving satisfaction. Each row uses 
a strip of land from one to two rods wide 
and the trees branch too high and come 
into leaf too late to be of much protection 
to the crops. 
Treatment of Land. —The size of the 
fields varies from three or four acres to 30 
acres in extent, but several growers have 
more than one field, and one of them has a 
total area of 84 acres in this crop. Some 
growers look after their own fields, but a 
more common way is to let the land on 
shares. In some cases the owner lets onlv 
half of his field, and with hired help takes 
care of the remainder. Where the large 
owner manages the business he hires five 
or six men for the entire season, aud gets 
weeders, 40 or 50 at a time, when needed. 
A good deal of the land is owned by men 
who live in Canastota. Most of the regu¬ 
lar tenants, and some of the small owners, 
are Italians who live in small houses on 
the principal road through the district. The 
land that is let out is prepared bv the 
owner and is turned over to the renter 
when it is ready for seeding. Terms vary 
a little, but as a rule each party furnishes 
one-half of the fertilizer and one-half of 
the seed. The renter puts in the seed and 
cares for the crop during the growing sea¬ 
son. When the onions are ripe he pulls 
and tops them, and puts them into crates, 
which are furnished by the land owner and 
cost from $12 to $15 per 100. These 
crates are gathered, 20 or 30 in a place, 
in rows through the field. To insure an 
equal division as to quality as well as to 
quantity the land owner and renter take 
either of their proper proportions from each 
pile or alternate piles from each row. 
Preparation of Land. —About three- 
fourths of the land is plowed iu the Fall. 
A few growers plow only six or seven inches 
deep, but deeper plowing is desirable. After 
it has been plowed the land is’ dragged. 
This for the double purpose of fining the 
soil and leveling the surface. Various kinds 
of drags, some with and others without 
teeth, are used. Some growers use a form 
called a “smoother,” which is made of four 
planks about one foot wide and seven feet 
long. This is drawn by two horses, and 
the driver rides. Iu some cases a large 
roller with a plank iu front is used. Com¬ 
mercial fertilizer is used at the rate of from 
500 to 1,000 pounds per acre. ' In some 
cases it is broadcast before the land is 
smoothed, in others it is put in between the 
rows, two or three inches deep, with a drill. 
Different formulas are used. One calls for 
five per cent of nitrogen, six of phosphoric 
acid and nine of potash. Another requires 
four per cent of nitrogen, seven of phos¬ 
phoric acid and six of potash. Apparently 
both are deficient in phosphoric acid, anil 
the one last named has too little potash. 
Both, also, are overloaded with nitrogen, 
the one important element with which, 
through the large quantities of organic 
matter which it contains, the soil is pretty 
well supplied. The addition of large quan¬ 
tities of nitrogen causes an excessive growth 
of tops, late ripening, and an impairment 
of the keeping qualities of the bulbs. A 
formula used by many of the most success 
fill growers has two per cent of nitrogen, 
eight of phosphoric acid and 10 of potash. 
Most of the fertilizer is used at the time of 
sowing, but it is common to make from one 
to three light applications during the grow¬ 
ing season. 
Seed and Sowing. —Very little seed is 
produced here, but most that is used is 
northern grown. As it is bought iu large 
quantities prices are very moderate. They 
vary in different seasons, ranging from 65 
cents to $1.50 per pound, but probably not 
averaging over $1. The Yellow Globe is 
the principal variety. Very few red onions 
are grown here. Seed is used in liberal, and 
in some cases in excessive quantities. The 
average is from five to six pounds per acre, 
but some use as much as eight pounds. 
There is an impression that heavy seeding 
tends to increase the damage when blight 
appears, but it is excused on the ground 
that some of the seed will probably fail to 
grow, and some of the plants will be de¬ 
stroyed by disease or insects. The time for 
sowing varies with different years from the 
last of March to the first of May. The 
best crops are usually obtained when the 
seed is put iu as soon as the land is iu 
good condition for sowing. In an average 
year this is about the middle of April. The 
sowing is done with a machine. There are 
several kinds but with few exceptions they 
sow only one row at a time. In order to 
facilitate cultivation and utilize the land 
to the best advantage great care is taken 
to make the rows straight. After it is 
sown the land is rolled with a hand roller. 
In some fields the rows are 160 rods long. 
In others they are run crossways instead of 
lengthways and are from eight to 10 rods 
in length. The common distance apart is 
13 inches. Experience has proved that 
where fertilizer is used freely the produc¬ 
tion per row is as large as it is where 
more space is given. Occasionally a field 
will be found with the rows only 12 inches 
apart, but this close planting makes the 
hoeing and weeding inconvenient. J. E. r. 
*nw. 
The Feeding Value 
of Your Hay 
la controlled largely by the condition 
in which it is put up. From experi¬ 
ence and from chemical analysis we 
have learned that to retain the most 
nutrition in it, we must handle each 
operation in the process of curing in 
just the proper manner and at the 
proper time. Otherwise moldy, musty 
hay results from its being stacked or 
stowed away too green, or with ex¬ 
ternal moisture on it; or, as in the 
case of the clovers and alfalfa, if it 
dries out too much the leaves become 
brittle and drop off and the stems be¬ 
come stiff and woody, and also the sun leaches out much of the 
nutriments. 
Every implement in our complete line of world famous 
JOHNSTON 
FARM MACHINES 
Is built with all the details of the farmers' work 
thoroughly in mind. Our-hay tools are no ex¬ 
ception. They are constructed with an eye to 
economy of operation, quality of work, and 
length of service. 
Our rakes are made in five sizes. They rake 
clean, carry big loads, dump easily and clean, 
and the draft is the very minimum. They satisfy. 
We also make a combined Side-delivery Rake- 
Tedfier— a wonderfully good machine — with 
many desirable feature!. 
In a Tedder correct construction is 
absolutely essential. The Johnston 
has it, and is practically all steel. A 
few of its merits are steel frame, steel 
wheels, double hubbed. roller bear¬ 
ings, center drive, three tine crucible 
steel forks, spring balance tilt, sim¬ 
plicity, strength and durability. 
Remember, the name “Johnston” still 
stands for Quality—as it has for over 
60 years. Also remember the name 
“Johnston” has no trust connection 
and never did. 
Our 1912 catalog has much that will 
interest you. Send a postal today. 
JOHNSTON HARVESTER CO. 
Box 100-E, BATAVIA, N. Y. 
ARE YOUR CROP YIELDS SATISFACTORY7, 
They are certainly not what they would be if you used Gark’s Double Action 
"Cutaway” Harrow. It requires thorough cultivation to make the soil fertility avail¬ 
able for your crops. “Thorough Cultivation,” and “Clark’s Double Action ‘Cutaway’ 
Harrow” are synonymous. The entire machine is made of steel and iron, except the 
pole, which is jointed so that there is no weight upon the horses’ necks, and can be 
removed in one minute and used as a tongueless, as shown in cut. This is a big feature 
in moving from field to field, insuring safety to horses. The disks are of cutlery steel, 
shaped and forged, in our own shops, where the only genuine “Cutaway” disks are 
made. 1 he Double “Cutaway”. does twice as much as an ordinary disk harrow and 
better at the same cost. The inflexible frame holds the gangs rigidly in their places, 
and compels them to cut high, hard ridges, carrying the soil into the hollows and 
leaving the ground level. With the flexible or tandem harrows the gangs conform to 
the surface and do not cut and level the hard, irregular places. Clark’s stir every 
inch, leaving a finely pulverized seed bed. By setting the inner gangs straight on sharp 
turns, the Disk turns easily, leaving the ground even. No interlocking of gangs. 
Modern farmers disk before they 
plow their land. It puts fine soil in 
the bottom of the furrow', where other¬ 
wise would lie loose clods that make a 
strata through which the sub-moisture 
can not rise. For this no other dilk 
equals Clark’s. 
What Prof. Bailey Say a s 
“The Double Action ‘Cutaway’ Harrow h»g 
been satisfactory. 1 use it almost continu¬ 
ously on our hard clay land with good results.” 
If your dealer can’t supply the genuine 
“Cutaway.” write us. Satisfaction guaran¬ 
teed. Twenty-live years’ experience back of 
every sale. Prompt Shipments. Get our 
booklet “Intensive Cultivation.” It’s free. 
We make a special tool for every crop. 
UTAWAY HARROW CO. 
S39 Main St.. Higganum. Conn. 
GROW BIGGER CROPS! 
Hold the moisture in your soil; make more plant 
food available; save both from weeds. Better 
cultivation will do it, and make your field out- 
yield one naturally more fertile. Best cultivation 
is done with Iron Age Cultiva¬ 
tors. They are adjustable 
to all conditions—hill 
land, wide or narrow 
rows, different crops in 
same row, one or two 
rows; pivot or fixed 
wheel, break pin or 
spring hoe, or spring 
tooth styles; sand and 
dust-proof hub; re-en- 
forced double point 
shovels; perfectly balanced. Built to work and 
last. Don’t buy any cultivator until you have 
seen the Iron Age. Ask your dealer to show it. 
Backed by 76 years’ experience. Write for 
special booklet*. Complete line of farm, garden 
and orchard tools. 
BATEMAN M’F’G CO.. BoxmiGrenkcl, N. J. 
Dncfcim 
fUul U Eureka 
FREE SAMPLES! See Them! Try Them! 
They Give 
More Sap 
The Air Trap 
docs it. 
every day for 
More Days and make Freezing and 
More Moneys JJX con . 
\J stantfl ° w ’ No injury 
explained in our l ( ’roe^“^ to ^ rees - 
Catalogue. * /\ Samples and 
price list for 
the asking. 
Write today 
C. C. STELLE, 75 Filth Ave., BROOKLYN, N.Y 
Why Don’t You Drop the Old Hoe? 
The Acme Corn Planter has a “hang” other 
planters lack. The seed box, being centered, 
gives balance. Handy to either right- or left- 
handed men. The drop is accurate and can 
be changed by the t humb-screw. 
■ AUV Corn and Potato 
ACME PLANTERS 
The Potato Planter does away with stiff backs. 
Plants at an even depth. Leaves the ground level, 
Write for FREE Booklet, “The Acme of 
Potato Profit,” and name of nearest dealer. 
If he is not handy to you, we will ship, prepaid, 
on receipt of price. 
POTATO IMPLEMENT CO. 
301 Front Street, 
[(Acme)) Travers© City, Mich. 
BiGuitwD >1 Insist on planters with 4. 
^ this trade-mark. $ 1 OO 
--^-nrm i "n r~ i i ~i"i - rin ~ r • in niimiiiwr n iiin—n *n mi in ' 
\ Ll. ialances 
