see 
THE) RAJ RAT* NEW-YORKER 
March 23, 
WATERMELONS IN WEST VIRGINIA. 
O. E. W.j Charlestown, W. Ya. —Can you 
give me some information relative to plant¬ 
ing watermelons'? I wish to put in about 
four acres this Spring, but am at a loss to 
know what to do to the land in order to 
bring it to a higher state of fertility, or to 
that which will be best suited to produce a 
good yield of melons. The land at present 
is in sod and has continued so for three 
years. It was my intention to sow in rye 
this past Fall and turn under this Spring, 
in order to get the humus that rye is sup¬ 
posed to give, but was unable to reach it, 
nor was I able to cover it with barnyard 
manure this Winter and turn under in time 
to have it decay sufficiently to prevent firing 
the melon plants after they were up and 
growing; so as a last resort I shall be 
compelled to rely upon some kind of fer¬ 
tilizer (commercial) put in the hills at the 
time of planting seed in order to get the 
desired effect. Can you advise me as to 
what is best—something that will take the 
place of manure, something that will cause 
a rapid, healthy growth and give good re¬ 
sults? A portion of the land is loam and 
sand combined, while the rest, a gradually 
sloping hillside, is a mixture of clay and 
‘ loam, with possibly some little sand. 
Ans. —I have never grown water¬ 
melons on a turned under sod. They 
are very largely grown here. The gen¬ 
eral practice is to get the land in order 
early in the season and run out deep 
furrows 10 feet apart. These furrows 
are half filled with New York stable 
manure weeks before planting time. 
Just before planting a heavy applica¬ 
tion of high-grade fertilizer mixture 
carrying seven per cent ammonia, six 
per cent phosphoric acid and five per 
cent potash, is applied on the manure, 
and furrows thrown over from each 
side. The bed thus made is slightly 
levelled and the seed are drilled in a 
continuous row. As soon as a stand 
is assured they are thinned to two 
plants in a place five feet apart, and 
when they get well started a small 
handful of nitrate of soda is scattered 
around each hill. As the fruit sets, it 
is common to sow Crimson clover over 
the entire patch so that there will be 
a Winter cover and a crop to turn 
under the next Spring. Planting on 
a turned sod I would use, if manure 
is not at hand, about 500 pounds of the 
following mixture per acre; Acid 
phosphate, 900 pounds; cotton-seed 
meal, 700 pounds, and sulphate of pot¬ 
ash, 400 pounds to make a ton. Then 
I would use the nitrate of soda as a 
side dressing at rate of 100 pounds an 
acre. The drier and more sandy .the 
soil the better it is for watermelons. 
yi. F. MASSEY. 
NURSERYMEN AND VARIETY DESCRIP¬ 
TION. 
W. A. M., Plainfield, N. J. — When nur¬ 
serymen tell such different stories as per 
the two clippings enclosed, what is a poor 
amateur to do? These clippings were taken 
from their latest catalogues; 
Ans. —From a western catalogue: 
“King Tompkins Co. Large, beautiful, 
excellent quality; tree neither hardy, 
healthy nor long-lived. Not productive 
enough for commercial purposes, and 
is planted less and less each year be¬ 
cause there are better sorts." From a 
New York catalogue: “King (King 
of Tompkins Co.)—A red Winter ap¬ 
ple. When you see in the market ap¬ 
ples of extraordinary size, beautiful red 
in color, specimens that attract atten¬ 
tion of everybody who passes by, you 
may know that there are the King 
apple, an appropriate name, since it is of 
the largest size and possessed of the 
greatest beauty. The market is never 
fully supplied with this variety, since 
its size and beauty make it in great de¬ 
mand. Tree a vigorous grower, good 
bearer and hardy. It is also attractive, 
is always in great demand in the mar¬ 
ket. Last year dealers were looking 
everywhere for Kings. Do not fail to 
plant King apple." 
The two descriptions of the King of 
Tompkins Co. apple from the cata¬ 
logues of two prominent nurserymen 
eertainly seem to flatly contradict each 
other, and so it is with many other 
varieties of fruits described in these 
catalogues, and in other nurserymen’s 
catalogues, there will be as great a 
difference in describing the same varie¬ 
ties of fruits. W. A. M. should take 
into consideration that one description 
is given by a nursery in New York 
State, where the King is a popular va¬ 
riety. To this he should add a grain 
of common sense, and he would have 
no trouble in reaching the conclusion 
that the longer description was extrava¬ 
gant and beyond ordinary expectation, 
reason or common sense. Anyone 
walking through the markets sees 
scores of varieties of big red apples, 
some larger and some not so large as 
the King, but they cannot be all Kings. 
The description says that the market is 
never fully supplied with this variety, 
so when we see big red apples in the 
market they are more likely to be some 
other variety than King. This descrip¬ 
tion is extravagant, and to the experi¬ 
enced it might seem that some one was 
overloaded with this variety and was 
giving it a “boost." The shorter des¬ 
cription is from a section of the coun¬ 
try where the King does not succeed, 
and is nearer a true description of the 
King taking the country over than is 
the second description. The following 
description of the King is taken from 
the catalogue of a nurseryman in the 
Middle States and is an honest, truth¬ 
ful and intelligent description of the 
variety—one that even a child might 
understand if it were ordering trees. 
“King of Tompkins Co. Late keeper 
under good conditions, but gets mel¬ 
low and good in October. Very red 
with just a tint of yellow. Flesh yel¬ 
low, crisp and juicy, subacid. One of 
the largest apples and at the same time 
of the best quality. Tree is a slow 
grower, subject to disease and break¬ 
age, and not a big producer or it would 
be our leading high-priced apple. In 
certain sections, King is beyond doubt 
the best apple which can be planted for 
making money.” 
The description of fruit trees, plants, 
etc., given in catalogues are always 
supposed to be what the varieties are 
under the most favorable conditions. 
Location has considerable to do with 
success or failure of a variety. Many 
nurserymen add to a description the 
general information that it succeeds 
North or South, or East or West, and 
while this is only general it helps the 
planter somewhat in making out his 
choice of varieties. If all nurserymen 
and seedsmen should adopt some such 
description as the above as a sample 
for all varieties they would be better 
off and so would their customers. 
Nurserymen are human and they fol¬ 
low the general plan of business men 
in all lines of business by giving a 
picture or a big description of some 
novelty that they are introducing or 
for some certain novelty for which the 
demand has fallen off, leaving them on 
the long side and they wish to renew 
interest in it. Too much of this is 
done, as it confuses and often misleads 
the young or misinformed planter who 
goes only by the nurseryman’s descrip¬ 
tion. The only guide then for the 
amateur and uninformed orchardist to 
rely upon is his neighbors, his State 
Experiment Station and his horti¬ 
cultural society and paper; from these 
sources he can get reliable information 
about what varieties to plant in his 
locality and in his particular soil. 
Nurserymen I know disagree in their 
descriptions, and for this are often 
charged with dishonesty on this ac¬ 
count, and just as often the charge 
is groundless, all of them believing they 
are right, just as eminent fruit special¬ 
ists differ at times. For instance, one 
authority gives New Jersey as the ori¬ 
gin of the King of Tompkins Co., 
while another equally as good authority 
gives New York State as the origin; 
both have believed they were right, but 
one must be wrong. A few years ago 
I made out a list of apples for a sub¬ 
scriber of The R. N.-Y. in Middlesex 
Co., N. J., and left out Baldwin. I 
was taken to task for this from Ber¬ 
gen Co., as there they claimed it was 
one of their best apples. Locality had 
all to do with this. A man from South¬ 
ern Ohio reading the list of varieties 
for Middlesex Co., N. J., commended 
it strongly, but found fault because 
certain other varieties were not added 
to it; locality again entered into the 
list. There are a few varieties of dif¬ 
ferent kinds of fruits that succeed in 
a wide range of territory and soils. But 
the only safe way for anyone to choose 
a variety without experience is the ad¬ 
vice given above; consult some disinter¬ 
ested person, who knows your condi¬ 
tions, needs and markets, e. s. black. 
“For the Land’s Sake, use Bowker’s 
Fertilizers; they enrich the earth and 
those who till it.”— Adv. 
L1QH 
BlSHSf 
'Ateri/Ss 
Millions of Dollars Are Lost Annually by 
Fruit Growers, Because They Do Not Spray 
Persistently With Properly Made Sprays 
BLANCHARD’S 
LION BRAND 
INSECTICIDES & FUNGICIDES 
ARE THE STANDARD OF THE WORLD 
Stronoest— Purest—Most Effective—Safest to Use 
Destroy Every Known Insect Pest and Fungus 
Disease of Fruit Trees; Save the Trees and 
Insure Larger Crops of First Quality Fruit 
“LION BRAND” LIME-SULPHUR SOLUTION 
For San Jose Scale particularly, and the only Spray 
that destroys Scale and does not injure Trees. Ready 
for use, and more economical than home-made. 
“LION BRAND” BORDEAUX MIXTURE 
prevents Blight, Mildew, Rot, etc., from destroying 
Potatoes, Beans, Peas and Melons; keeps spots and 
specks off Apples, Peaches and other fruit, and makes 
crops surer and far larger. One gallon to 49 of Water. 
“LION BRAND” PURE PARIS GREEN 
contains absolutely not a particle of filler or adulter¬ 
ant of any sort. Accepted the wOrld over as the 
standard. 
“LION BRAND” ARSENATE OF LEAD 
The stickiest arsenate made. Preferable for Codling 
Moth, Ourculio, Elm Leaf Beetle and Chewing Insects 
of all sorts, on trees, shrubs, vines, bushes and vege¬ 
tables, where it is desirable that the poison remain 
longer on the foliage than is possible with other in¬ 
secticides. Poes not burn the most delicate foliage. 
We Also Make Many Other Specialties 
Something to destroy every injurious insect, and 
protect trees and plants from all fungus disease. 
We are the largest and oldest manufacturers of In¬ 
secticides and Fungicides in the World—in this 
business exclusively 23 years. We publish a 
FREE SPRAYING BOOKLET 
a copy of which we shall be glad to send you. 
Write For It To Nearest Office 
Blanchard’s Products are sold by dealers and agents 
everywhere.or direct if your dealer cannot su]>ply you 
THE JAMES A. BLANCHARD CO. 
560 Hudson Terminal 561 Broad Street 
NEW YORK ST. JOSEPH. MICH. 
Factories—New York and St. Joseph 
PEACH TREES 
Strong, thrifty, fibrous-rooted, two to three fee't, 
5 cents each. Also other grades and varieties 
of Fruit Trees. Grown and for sale by 
NIAGARA COUNTY NURSERIES 
Thos. Marks & Co., Props. WILSON, N. Y. 
"The Home of Good Nursery Stock.” 
Send for Catalog and Price List. 
Call’s Nurseries, P S’ 
Have a Large Stock of the finest Fruit, 
Shade and Ornamental Trees, Spray 
Bumps, Spraying Solutions, and Gasoline 
Engines. Deal Direct. Prices Low. 
Send for Price List. 
Vegetable and Flower Plants 
By Mail or Express. True to name. Finest grown. 
Catalogjree. E. J. SHEAP & CO., Jackson, Mich. 
Pomeroy Hardy English Walnut Trees 
Profitable Orchards—Beautiful Lawn Shade Trees. 
Booklet Free. 
Daniel N. Pomeroy, English Walnut Farm, Lockport, N. T. 
FRUIT Choicest Western New York Grown- 
jnccc Fresh from the ground. 
Lowest Priced. Catalogue Free. 
BLOSSOM NURSERIES, 583 Blossom Road, Rochester, N.Y. 
150 ACRES. 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. 
TREES and PLANTS^KS&JS 
sale prices. Big snpply Apple & Peach Trees. Privet 
Hedging. The Westminster Nursery, Westminster, Md. 
FDFGH mir Trees and Plants 
I tlLJn UUII at Wholesale Prices 
10 Grape Vines Worth $1.00 for 7Sc. 
2 Worden, 2 Concord, 1 Campbell Ea. Black, 
2 Niagara, 1 Chas. A. Green White, 1 Bright¬ 
on, 1 Delaware Red,C All 2 yr. vines for 75c. 
Send a list of your wants for wholesale 
prices. Also FREE illustrated catalogue. 
WELLS’ WHOLESALE NURSERIES 
F. W. Well*, Prop., Box 48, Dansville, N. Y. 
“BLACK’S QUALITY” 
FRUIT TREES 
NONE BETTER 
None Give Better Returns when They Fruit 
Buy Direct From the Nursery 
and save agent’s discounts and middleman's 
profits. When you buy our trees you get a 
Dollar’s Worth of Trees 
for every one hundred cents you remit to us. 
• _ 
PEACH and APPLE TREES 
a specialty. CATALOGUE FREE 
JOS. H. BLACK, SON & CO. 
HIGHTSTOWN. N. J. 
FORGED DISK BLADES 
There is as much difference in the quality of 
the material used in the blades of disk harrows 
as there is in pocket knives. Some knives are 
made to sell at ten cents and others at a dollar. 
Many disk blades belong to the ten cent pocket 
knife class, but are worked off on buyers with the 
rest of the machine at the same price for which 
the best are sold. Consequently, the farmer can¬ 
not be guided by price. 
The Cut a way 
Harrow Co. has 
built its remark¬ 
able reputation 
largely by the 
quality of the 
disks on its tools. 
It has had a real 
sincere ambition 
to give to the 
farmer the best 
disk blade he 
could buy. Their 
motive for so 
doing has been as 
much one of pride as of profit. The latter came 
because the policy of high quality paid. 
Their one object has been constantly in view— 
the best blade possible. To accomplish that, forg¬ 
ing the edges became a part of the process. Now 
all Cutaway Harrow Co.’s disk blades are forged. 
If you don’t fully realize the advantage of forging, 
ask your blacksmith why a forged edge is better 
than any other. He will tell you why no other 
method is so good. This forged edge feature shows 
how the Cutaway Harrow Co. is doing the things 
necessary to produce the best tools. It is an indi¬ 
cation of merit throughout every tool they make. 
Every buyer should demand Cutaway forged 
disks. They cost no more, and are many times 
better. If you will write them at 839 Main St., 
Higganum. Conn., they will send you complete 
information on the construction of Cutaway ma¬ 
chines. It would pay every farmer to give them 
his ear. Write a post card today. 
The edge is forged, not 
rolled and ground. 
100,000 Fruit Trees 
APPLES, PEARS, PEACHES <fc 
PLUMS at wholesale prices. 
All Stock Government inspected. Stock budded 
from bearing trees. 
Write today for our Free Catalogue. 
ONTARIO NURSERY CO. 
Box No. SI Geneva, N. Y. 
• 
BOO \ urlelle*. Also Grape*, Small Fruit*, eto. Best 
rooted stock. Genuine, cheap, 2 sample currants mailed for 10a 
Catalog free. LEWI8 K0KSC1I A SON, Bos K , Frudonla, N. t. 
500,000 Trees forSale 
ROSES, SHRUBS and VINES 
Buy trees direct, save half your money. 
We sell absolutely the best trees money can buy and 
charge you about half of what you pay agents. Our 
trees are triple Inspected before shipment. You get 
only perfect trees. 
acthts prices car/m two 9 
Greens. 
M —■- DIRECT TO roa 
Trees are northern-grown, hardy, healthy, shapel 
Get our Free Book—“How I Made the Old Farm Pay 
Tells how to prune, graft and grow trees, shrubs ar 
plants. Ask for our valuable 1912 catalog. 
Established 33 years. Capital $100,000 
GREEN'S NURSERY CO.. Box22t. Roche*te«, N. 1 
Trees, 
Dibble’s Seed Potatoes 
X.TORTIIERN grown, choice stock stored in our own frost-proof cellars, therefore. 
UN full of vitality. 
Cobblers, Oliios, Bovees, Rose, Northers. Queens, Manistees, Hebrons, Moun¬ 
tains, Maiues. Carmans, Raleighs, Rurals. Gold Coins and a dozen other varieties. 
In any quantity from single barrel to carloads. 
Send for special Seed Potato Price List and Dibble’s Farm Seed Catalog, 
describing our complete stock of high quality Seed Oats, Corn, Barley, Alfalfa, 
Clover and Timothy Seed, Eree. 
ADDRESS: EDWARD F. DIBBLE, Seedgrower 
Honooyo Falls, 3XT. "X". "Box B 
- FROM OUR FARMS TO YOURS - 
