660 
THE RURAL* NEW-YORKER 
June 1, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[ Every Query must Ire accompanied by the 
name and address of the -writer to insure 
attention. Before asking z. question, please see 
whether it is not answered in our advertising 
columns. Ask only a few questions at one time. 
Pul questions on a separate piece o£ paper.! 
GRAFTING IN WINTER. 
I would like to know if any of the 
readers of The R. N.-Y. have ever tried 
grafting large trees through the Win¬ 
ter in favorable weather. I have been 
engaged in the propagation of nursery 
trees, etc., and growing fruit for over 
50 years, and have done grafting in 
pleasant weather in February, and it 
always did well, but never thought of 
trying it earlier in the Winter. The 
past Winter I thought the matter over 
and concluded to try it, so in the early 
part of last December, 1911, I set about 
20 grafts in a good-sized apple tree, 
the ordinary cleft-grafting, thinking 
that the grafts would be kept alive by 
the same sap that sustained the re¬ 
mainder of the top of the tree. Although 
we consider the tree perfectly dormant, 
there has to be a certain amount of cir¬ 
culation of the sap to keep the top of 
trees from drying up. I find now the 
grafts have lived and all are starting 
nicely. The remainder of the tree was 
grafted this Spring, and the Winter- 
set grafts are every way equal to the 
Spring set, and 1 am now satisfied that 
grafting can be done any time from 
the falling of the foliage in the Fall un¬ 
til the starting of growth in the Spring, 
or from November until May, whenever 
the weather permits, but for this early 
or Winter grafting it is important to 
have well-made wax, and not too hard, 
so it will not crack. If this work would 
stand the past unusually hard Winter 
it will no doubt succeed any Winter. I 
also set several grafts on Christmas 
Day, but it was too cold, and the wax 
would not stick well, and they did not 
do so well, not more than one-half start¬ 
ing. This experiment may not be of 
much value to most fruit growers who 
have ample time to do it in pleasant 
weather in the Spring, but those who 
do not have the time in Spring can do 
it any time that the weather permits. 
From this experiment I would not hesi¬ 
tate to do it largely if I could get 
weather when conditions were right, as 
at each time the weather was too chilly 
and wax too hard to work perfectly. If 
any R. N.-Y. reader has had any ex¬ 
perience in this matter I would like to 
llCciT it. CHAS. BLACK. 
New Jersey. 
The Dog for the Farm. 
J. II. A., Yantic, Conn .—Wliat do you 
think of bloodhounds as a useful farm dos 
and a watch dog? People seem to think 
they are vicious, but advertisers say not. 
Ans.—I am quite sure this breed of 
dogs would not be at all satisfactory 
for the purpose. They are a specialty 
dog, the same as the setter or pointer. 
They have been bred for a fixed pur¬ 
pose, they are typically man-hunters. 
They would be of no value on a farm 
in the line of cleaning up pests and 
"varmints.” The Russian and Cuban 
bloodhounds are particularly vicious 
beasts, are untrustworthy, and as dogs 
two years old or more they wall bite 
their master as quickly, as a stranger 
if things do not go to suit them. There 
is yet another family bred in the South 
and West as man-trailers, they are not 
oarticularly vicious, and while they are 
exceedingly keen on the trail as a rule 
they will do nothing but bark at their 
auarry when they come up with them. 
But these dogs are lazy, shiftless fel¬ 
lows that will let a stranger walk all 
over them as a rule. Massachusetts 
has a very strict law as to bloodhounds 
and there is a heavy penalty for keening 
them except they are kept in absolute 
confinement. I am rapidly coming to 
the conclusion that there is only one 
dog for the farm and that is the kind 
at Hope Farm—the “Redheads’ ” Aire¬ 
dales. They hunt and destroy every¬ 
thing that has no business on the place, 
and I have a friend who keeps one and 
also keeps a few chickens, and the dog 
Drought my friend in one evening a 
souvenir in the shape of a good-sized 
piece of cloth that had evidently been 
a part of the seat of a pair of trousers. 
G. H. w. 
New Idea for Berry Ticket 
• On page 297 A. D. Dorr shows a 
berry picker’s ticket which I like very 
much, but as the younger pickers are 
apt to crumple and wear out their tickets 
I experimented with another method of 
checking last season, which I like, and 
the pickers prefer to the car method. 
With a steel letter I stamped my initials 
on the sides of common iron washers, 
and we call them checks. For a full 
crate (16 quarts) I give one of the Y%- 
inch size and for a carrier I give a 14 - 
inch size. Our carrier is a light tray, 
the same dimensions as the crate, but is 
only two inches deep and has a handle 
to carry it by. This carries eight quart 
boxes, or half a case, and is very con¬ 
venient for the pickers to use. The 
men and boys carry their checks in the 
pocket, and the .girls put them on a key 
ring, in a small hand bag or on a string 
attached to the belt or suspended from 
the neck. I contemplate using thin sheet 
brass rings hereafter, stamped as above, 
as they will be lighter weight, though 
there was no fault found with the iron 
checks. H. H. HUTCHINS. 
Allegan Co., Mich. 
Weight of Hay in Mow. 
Your readers may want to hear about 
the weight of hay in the mow. We cut 
our hay, grown on level clay land, dur¬ 
ing the first two weeks in July, 1911, 
and put it up, using a harpoon fork. No 
crop or weight of any kind was ever 
used to settle this hay; nothing was 
put on top of it at any time. The hay 
was sold to eight different persons who 
came with wagons and teams during 
the first week in May, 1912, and drew 
the hay away, weighing the same on 
two different scales, some using one 
scale and some another selected by the 
purchaser. The bay where the hay was 
kept is a good barn perfectly dry, was 
36 feet long, 17 feet wide; the hay was 
15 feet deep in the bay. We were paid 
for 22 tons of hay from this bay at $25 
per ton at our barn; the purchaser drew 
the hav and paid for weighing same. 
This hay went 417^4 cubic feet to the 
ton. The rule giving 8x8x8 or 512 
cubic feet for a ton is too. much when 
computing hay 10 months in the mow, 
even if no crop was ever put on top of 
it. This hay was Timothy hay, not 
coarse, and would overrun in weight if 
prime quality, so purchasers said. 
D. A. ADAMS. 
The Russian Poplar. 
The April, 1911. number of “The Valley 
farmer” has an article written by C. S. 
-Iarrison about a timber famine, in which 
ie has lots to say about Norway poplar or 
‘sudden sawlog.” which will at 20 years 
>ld saw out 200 feet of lumber per tree. 
have Bulletin No. 17. “Check List of the 
Forest Trees of the United States,” and 
SJorwav poplar is not mentioned. Our 
State forestry never heard of it they say. 
3ave you ? H - w * 
Middlebury Center, Pa. 
There has been a great deal of nonsense 
vritten about the Russian poplar, some- 
limes called Norway poplar or “sudden 
sawlog.” One writer placed it first in value 
‘or northern localities, and gave out the 
inpression that if you set out a grove of 
hem all vou had to do was to sit on the 
ront porch for a few years and then har- 
rest a rich crop of dollars. The trouble 
iometimes lies in the fact that writers take 
single trees and construct forests from 
liat lone specimen. The Ohio Experiment 
Station exhibits a Yellow poplar 03 feet 
sail and but 19 years old. But what man 
■laiming common sense would set out a 
rrove of Yellow poplar, however favorably 
situated, and suppose that one tree in a 
housand would attain that height in that 
enrrih of time? It’s not in the wood, as 
carpenters say. , 
Although the Russian poplar is hardy 
and a very rapid grower, it cannot be 
recommended as a suitable tree for plant¬ 
ing in all kinds of soils, and in no case 
would it be advisable to plant it at all 
extensively where it is possible successfully 
to grow other kinds of trees. Owing to 
its rapid growth and extreme hardiness this 
tree was widely boomed in the prairie dis' 
tricts of Minnesota and other Western 
States. It has since been found to be 
subject to the attacks of certain borers 
which seriously injure the trees, to such ' 
an extent that authorities on tree planting 
in those States are now discouraging the j 
extensive use of this poplar. In Manitoba 
and the Northwest Territories it would | 
seem that the Russian poplar will thrive 
on all kinds of soils, but after nine or 10 ! 
years on heavy clay land, the heart of the 
tree commences to decay, and cankers form , 
on the trunk, making a very unsightly ap¬ 
pearance, and would undoubtedly cause the 
death of the tree before many years. On 
sandy, gravelly or sandy loam soils the 
growth "is slower and consequently the 
wood is not so soft. Trees growing on 
such soils do not appear to suffer from 
early decay. The only cases in which Rus¬ 
sian poplar can be thoroughly recommended 
are on very dry soils where it is difficult 
to get other trees to grow. A particularly 
objectionable feature of this tree is its 
habit of suckering from the roots in culti¬ 
vated land. If a belt of these poplars is 
planted round a garden roots are sent out 
on either side which run along just be¬ 
neath the surface of the soil. When cul¬ 
tivating the land, if these roots are cut or 
injured by the plow or cultivator they im¬ 
mediately" send up suckers which grow ex¬ 
ceedingly rapidly. Suckers have been 
found growing at a distance of fully 30 
feet from a 10-year-old tree. The oftener 
the suckers are cut back the more numer¬ 
ous they become, and after * it is once 
fairly established it would be almost im- 
,/Ossible to get the roots all out of tin 
ground. The Russian poplar is very easily 
raised from cuttings which may either be 
dibbled in in their permanent locations or 
else planted in nursery row's. 
S. H. MADDEN. 
CANADIAN NOTES AND QUESTIONS. 
Of late you have been recommending the 
sowing of Canada field peas quite fre¬ 
quently. I think if you will go a little 
further and suggest that the Prussian Blue 
variety be sow'n it will give greater satis¬ 
faction than any other variety. The seed 
costs a trifle more than some of the others, 
but is well -worth the difference. I have 
measured some pea vines of this kind 
which were seven feet four inches long, 
and the grain is also fine. R. l. h. 
Ontario, Canada. 
We have referred to the “Canada pea" 
in general. Glad to know of superior va¬ 
rieties. 
“Recently I heard a man express the 
fear that Alfalfa would injure tile drains 
by roots entering them. Have you ever 
heard of such a case?” 
A number of such cases have been re¬ 
ported. It seems that when the drains run 
constantly the Alfalfa roots will often go 
to or clog them. This is in very wet soil, 
or where there are not enough tile to 
give proper drainage. Where the tile carry 
off the water quickly and are dry at times 
there is little damage from this source. 
“In plowing under green crops such as 
rye, etc., if it was cut by mower and left 
to dry out for a few days, v’ould this not 
in a measure prevent the land from becom¬ 
ing sour and do just as much good?” 
We have found considerable difference 
when rye or other green manures can be 
cut and wilted before plowing under. There 
is much less danger of souring the land 
than when the green stuff is put directly 
into the soil. Many of the complaints 
against rye as green manure are caused by 
plowing it under when full of sap and then 
not packing the soil down. The wilted rye 
will not give so much trouble with sowing 
and will not decay so rapidly. 
The Aermotor with the auto¬ 
matic regulator stops when 
the tank is full and 
starts when the 
water is lowered 4 
inches. You oil it 
once a week. A 
gasoline engine has to be 
started and stopped and oiled 
and attended almost constantly, 
and you have large expense for 
gasoline and oil. The wind is 
free. 
We make gasoline engines (exceedingly 
good ones) but. for the average water supply 
for the home and 160 head of stock, an 8-foot 
Aermotor with a storage tank, — which is a 
necessity with any kind of water supply —is 
all that is needed and is by far the more 
economical. The supply of wind for the Aer¬ 
motor is more to be relied upon than the supply 
of gasoline, batteries and repairs for the gaso¬ 
line engine. 
The cost of gasoline, oil, batteries and re¬ 
pairs in pumping for 150 head of stock with a 
gasoline engine, will buy an 8-foot Aermotor 
every year, and you are still to the bad the 
amount of time you spend over the gasoline 
engine. 
But the gasoline engine has its place on the 
farm notwithstanding the fact that 100 people 
are maimed 01 killed with gasoline where one 
is injured by windmill, and that 100 farm 
buildings are burned with gasoline where none 
is injured by a windmill. For the water supply, 
the windmill is the thing. Thousands of farmers 
who have done their first power pumping by a 
gasoline engine have become tired of it and are 
buying windmills. That is one reason why our 
windmill business increases from year to year. 
We can furnish you much testimony like the 
following: 
Devine,Tex., Dec. 16,1911. 
1 amsendlng you a photo¬ 
graph of one of the oldest 
windmills In this country— 
it being the first Aermotor 
put up In Medina County— 
and Is used to furnish water 
for hundreds of head of cat¬ 
tle. It was put up In the year 
1889 and Is owned by Mr. 
Murdo Monroe. The only 
repairs this mill has ever 
needed are one small gear 
and a rocker arm, the total 
cost of which was*2.50. This 
Aermotor Is still running and 
doing good service, furnish¬ 
ing water for cattle and 
family. 
LOUIS GACONET. 
Find, if you can, a state¬ 
ment like this regarding 
gasoline engines. 
Of course, there are places where a windmill 
cannot be used. There you will have to use a 
gasoline engine, with all of its disadvantages. 
We will furnish for that place a small engine 
which costs but $37.60 complete, so it can be set 
to pumping in 30 minutes. Or we will furnish 
you a pump jack—the best made—for $6.00. to 
do pumping with a larger gasoline engine. 
Send for catalogue giving full information 
about water supply. Aermotor Co., Chicago, 
Branch Houses: Oakland, Cal.; Kansas City, 
Mo.; Minneapolis, Minn. 
STOVES AT WHOLESALE PRICES ££ e c c J 0 f ™“ 
Freight Paid, and safe delivery insured. Theu after 
ONE YEAR’S FREE TRIAL 
we refund your money if you 
are not satisfied. 
GOLD COIN 
RANGES 
have 50 years’ reputation bc-_ 
hind them. Our Stove Hook, Free, 
tells what makes a stove good. 
Our Profit Sharing Plan Will 
interest You 
GOLD COIN STOVE CO., 3 Oak Street, TRGY. N. Y. 
When you write advertisers mention Tiie 
R. N.-Y'. and you'll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” Sec guarantee editorial page. 
WHY DON'T YOU USE CONCRETE 
WHEN YOU BUILD? 
TT’S better than 
L WOOD, BRICK or 
stone because Con¬ 
crete Lasts Forever 
—It Can’t Decay— It 
Can’t Burn and 
never requires paint¬ 
ing or repairing. 
It will keep your 
buildings warm in 
winter and cool in 
summer. When used 
in the form of Concrete Building Blocks. Concrete is 
easy to handle and lay—requires no expensive wooden 
forms—you can make ycur own blocks at odd times. 
HERCULES JUNIOR BLOCK MACHINES are especially 
designed for use on the farm—they are simple in con¬ 
struction—easy to operate and will last a lifetime. 
We have just issued a valuable book—16 pages— 
that we will g’adiy send you free of cost. Send for it 
today. Just ask for catalogue “ B.” 
Century Cement Machine Co.,219 Mill St.,Rochester,N.Y. 
OO “KALAMAZOO 
mam BUCKBOARD 
Selected hardwood body, exceptionally well 
made, easy, elastic springs, best equipment 
throughout, either pole or shafts, a stauuch, 
sturdy vehicle for general use. This and over 
100 other buggy styles— all the famous “Kalamazoo” 
quality— illustrated and described in our Catalog 
A30. Send postal for FREE copy. Don’t buy 
a buggy until you get this. We can save you 
money. KALAMAZOO CARRIAGE & 
HARNESS CO., Dept. R, Kalamazoo. Mich. 
MAKE YOUR OLD CAR LIKE NEW 
AT EXTREMELY LOW COST. EVERYTHING AT 
ONE-FOURTH TO ONE-THIRD OF ORIGINAL COST 
NEW BODIES, Touring, Kunabout, Racing, $75 to $200; 2 
worth from $100 to $ 600 . 
MAGNETOS $22.50—Regularly $75 to $125. 
WINDSHIELDS (brass) $9.60—Were $10. 
ELECTRIC HORNS $7.50—Formerlv $85. 
METAL TOOL BOXES $2.50—Were $10. 
ROAD VULCANIZERS $2.50— Regular $3.50. 
NEW JIOTORS, 15 horse-power, $75. Regular price $250. 
20 H.-P. $125. Regular $400. 
TIRES—By assuming your own guaranteo you can save 50 
per cent to 60 per cent—or if you like we will give full guaran¬ 
tee and still save 35 per cent to 45 per cent of list prices on the 
well known FRONTIER TIRE, a better Bhoe than which is not 
on the market. Note the prices : 
28x8.$9.00 
80x3.10.00 
80x3k.18.75 
32x8^.15.00 
34x8V5.$15.75 
80 x 4. 10.75 
32x4 . 17.75 
33x4 . 18.25 
34x4.$18.75 
85x4 . 19.26 
34 x1k.24.00 
35x4k>.25.00 
A.U other sizes proportionately low 
Send for our u Tire Price Wrecker ” and save money. No 
matter what you may require in parts, or the automobile 
complete, write us and save from 25 per cent to 75 per cent. 
TIMK8 SQtJAILK AUTOMOBILE CO. 
Largest dealers in the world in 
automobiles and job accessories 
NEW YORK.1710-1718 Broadway 
CHICAGO.1210-1212 Michigan Ave. 
KANSAS CITY - 1820 Grand Avenue 
SEASONABLE FARM SEEDS 
COW PEAS 
Valuable for hay and silage, and im¬ 
prove soils, even if crop is cut. We 
offer choice Whip-poor-will, New 
Era, Black-Eye and Clay Cow Peas. 
MANGELS FOR 
FEEDING STOCK 
All the best varieties. Also Millets, Buck¬ 
wheat and other seeds for sowing now. 
Write for prices on any farm seeds desired. 
Also for a copy of our Alfalfa leaflet, free. 
Henry A. Dreer, Philadelphia, Pa. 
enn C Al C-SWEET POTATO PLANTS and VEGETABLE 
rUn wHLC PLANTS by the millions. Send for 
price. MICHAEL N. BORGO, Vineland, N. J. 
SWEET POTATO 
PLANTS, $2.00 PER 1,000. price list 
free. W. S. Ford & Son, Hartly, Del. 
NowThe FALL BEARING Strawberries. 
Send for T. C. KEVITT’S Catalogue, Athenia, N. J. 
Colo Cow Peas, $2.00 to $2,50 bushel: 
rltr CSiffltf Crimson Clover Seed, $6.00 to 
$7.00 bushel; Red Clover Seed, $12.00 bushel. 
JOSEPH E. HOLLAND_ Milford, Delaware. 
SOYS and COW PEAS^iX,". 1 ?: 
varieties. Also MILLETS, HUNGARIAN RAPE, 
VETCH, CANE and WEEDLESS ALFALFA. 
Free samples. O, M. SCOTT & SON, 103 
Main St., Marysville, Ohio. 
N EW ERA COW PEAS— Own growing. Great soil im¬ 
provers, best for bay, retain leaves. Mature 75 
days. $2.50 bu., sacked, f.o.b. Check with order. 
Prompt shipment. E. Packard, Seed Specialist, Dover .Del. 
C ABBAGE, LETTUCE, BEETS—Fine plants, $1.00 per 1,000 
Cauliflower, $2.50 per 1 , 000 . Sweet Potatoes, Peppers, Tulna 
toes, Celery; best kinds. Send for list. J. C. Schmidt, Bristol, Pa 
Inoculated Alfalfa Soil 
75c. per 100, or $10.00 per ton, f. o. b. cars Ashville, 
Pa. Semi for free booklet, •\liow to Grow Al¬ 
falfa." DIt. H. SOMERVILLE, Chest Springs, Pa. 
SWEET POTATO 
»—CABBAGE. TOMATO, CELERY, CAULIFLOWER, PEPPER, STRAWBERRY, 
ASPARAGUS, EGG PLANTS. Leading varieties. Prices low. Large 
discounts on large orders. Cabbage plants by mail, postpaid, 70c. 
hundred; Sweet Potatoes, 55c. hundred: Tomato, Pepper, Egg 
Plants, 2c. each. Catalogue free. HARRY J,. SQUIRES, Kcmscnburg, New, York. 
