©72 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[ Every query must be accompanied by the 
name and address of the writer to insure 
attention. Before asking a question, please see 
whether it is not answered in our advertising 
columns. Ask only a few questions at one time. 
Put questions on a separate piece of paper.l 
Care of Raspberry Sprouts. 
IF. E. 8., Mount Holly, X. C.— How 
should I care for raspberry sprouts? I 
am going to move to a new place about 
November 1, and as there is a lot of sprouts 
where I am now living, I want to take 
them with me in order to start a new bed. 
Ans. —The sprouts may be lifted any 
time after leaves drop in Qctober. If 
the roots are protected in damp litter 
of any kind they 'will keep in good 
condition many days. A good plan is 
to tie them in bunches of 25 „ to 50 
each, place a layer of damp moss or 
litter in a box 12 or 15 inches deep, 
dip each bundle of plants in water, 
setting them upright side by side in the 
box, and pack damp moss or litter 
well around them to a depth of five 
or six inches. In the latitude of North 
Carolina they may be planted almost 
any time during the Winter with good 
success. 
Transplanting Onions. 
E. Jeannette, Pa. —I plan to grow 
onions by transplanting, sowing in green¬ 
house about February or March. I intend 
sowing in a few days outside or in cold 
frame, and covering in Fall with straw and 
boards or sash and transplanting in Spring. 
Can this be done successfully? 
Ans. —Onions transplant very easily, 
and in some localities this is practiced 
quite extensively, more especially when 
extra large bulbs are deSired. The 
seeds are usually sown in flats of 2^4 
to three inches in depth, in rows two 
inches apart, latter part of February 
or first of March. The temperature in 
the greenhouse or hotbed should be 60 
to 70 degrees in daytime and 50 to 60 
degrees at night, until young plants 
are well on the way, when a somewhat 
lower temperature will do no injury. 
The young plants should have full sun¬ 
light and plenty of fresh air to pre¬ 
vent drawing and to harden them. When 
the young plants are five to six inches 
high they are ready to transplant to 
the garden. First shear the tops back 
about one-half and transplant in rich 
soil in rows 18 inches apart and three 
to four inches apart in the row. This 
can be done anytime the ground is 
ready and weather conditions are favor¬ 
able. I have never tried the Fall sow¬ 
ing in cold frames but have no doubt 
it will be all right. K. 
Measuring Hay ; Testing Soil. 
F. M., Olasco, X. Y. —1. Both the bays 
of my barn have hay iu them, the one a 
good quality of Timothy with small per¬ 
centage of clover, 30x13x16 feet high ; the 
other a trifle lower grade of same material, 
30x13x8 feet high. Can you tell me the 
approximate weight in tons in each of these 
bays, the only weight being the compression 
of the hay itself? 2. Most of my land is in 
sod and has not been worked for four or 
five years. I intend to turn it over this 
Fall and again in the Spring. How can I 
tell whether a dressing of lime would be 
beneficial? Would you advise it. and if so 
how much per acre and when to apply it? 
Ans. —The average rule is to allow 
480 to 520 cubic feet to a ton of such 
hay. The first mow contains 6,240 
cubic feet. We estimate that a ton will 
contain 500 feet. Thus there would be 
abou. \2 l / 2 tons. We allow 510 feet 
for the lower grade hay. As there are 
3,120 cubic feet this gives six tons. This 
is a fair guess. 2. It is usually safe 
to assume that such soil needs lime. 
The litmus paper test is commonly used. 
Take samples of the soil here and there 
and mix them thoroughly. Moisten 
enough for the soil to pack tight and 
put in a cup or glass. Run a knife 
blade down and into this hole put a 
piece of blue litmus paper, pressing 
the soil firmly about it. This blue color 
is very sensitive to acid. If the soil 
is sour enough to need liine, after 
about an hour in such soil the blue 
color will change to pink or red, which 
is evidence that lime will help. The 
best way to use lime is to spread it 
after plowing and harrow in. 
Traction Engines on Small Farms. 
On page 813 M. H. wishes to know if it 
will pay to buy a 25 horse-power traction 
engine for a 70-acre farm. The above was 
answered by A. W. on page 889. As to the 
small farm and the cultivating of crops 
he is perfectly right, but he ought to have 
stopped there. As he goes on in his state¬ 
ment you want a thousand acres or more 
with a fat bank account, and so on. If 
A. W. is right, why is it that scores of 
factories are turning out farm tractors by 
the thousands that are giving entire satis¬ 
faction on farms as small as 160 and 2o0 
acres? I am using what they call a 15-30 
for cultivating my orchard; it is far better, 
quicker and much cheaper than I could do 
it with horses, and with no trouble to 
speak of. If oil and gasoline power is not 
cheaper than horses, why are the big farms 
going from horse power to tractors, and 
the factories and jobbers changing to motor 
trucks for transferring their goods? A.W.’s 
five years’ experience in Kansas with a 
tractor was probably with a crude affair. 
Ilis statement seems misleading to the 
public that is in a position to take ad¬ 
vantage of a cheaper and better power. 
Illinois. EDWARD KRAFT. 
It. N.-Y.—What the original inquirer 
wanted was a tractor that would cultivate 
among growing crops, like corn or potatoes. 
That is quite a different thing from cul¬ 
tivating an orchard. 
The engines which are used on binders 
are not very small, as they range from 
three to five-horse. They are smaller in 
design than any horse power, as many of 
them do not weigh more than 200 pounds, 
and attain their power by running at high 
speed. I presume you have not heard very 
much of them, as they are past the ex¬ 
ploiting stage, and are simply being used 
in everyday service, rather than in an ex¬ 
perimental way. Several makes of these 
engines are giving excellent satisfaction. 
They are giving good satisfaction on seven 
and eight-foot binders, and are also doing 
excellent work on the 12-foot binders. They 
meet with some failures, of course, due to 
the fact that the operator is sadly deficient 
in ability. All farm machinery companies 
meet this type o f man at every turn in the 
road, but where'. >r the operator has or¬ 
dinary mechanical ability, the little gaso¬ 
line engines are proving satisfactory on 
binders. In some of the irrigated districts, 
where the heavy grain is tangled and 
twisted, the engines arc almost an absolute 
necessity. h. bonebright. 
Montana Ag’l College. 
As you state a number of these engines 
were used in this section of the country 
last year, and are again being used this 
year with fairly good success. One of 
these engines has been tried out on one 
of our demonstration farms. It was used 
during the cutting of a large field of bar¬ 
ley. The 'operator stated that it worked 
first rate, giving little or no trouble, and 
reduced the horse power needed from four 
to three; but although three horses were 
used he reports that two horses could have 
hauled this binder about the same as four 
horses could without the engine. The main 
difficulty encountered was due to the un¬ 
evenness of the barley; the binder caused 
considerable trouble necessitating frequent 
stops, many of them of such duration that 
it seemed necessary to stop the engine, and 
if the engine was stopped some time would, 
of course, be consumed in starting it again, 
so that as ample horse power was available 
on the farm the engine was taken off. The 
operator stated further that in an even 
stand of wheat and with a good binder 
causing little trouble he considered the 
binder engine a success. R. m. dolve. 
N. D. Agr. College. 
Small Farm Tractors. —I want to 
thank you for what you have written about 
farm tractors. I am a market gardener, 
with about five acres under the plow, and 
I see the need of a tractor that would 
take the place of a single horse or a team. 
I wrote to a number of companies build¬ 
ing the big tractors to ask them to build 
such a machine as I could use, and with¬ 
out exception they commended the idea of 
a small tractor, but said they were so 
crowded with orders for the kind already 
in use that they could not now undertake 
building a smaller machine. What you 
have printed on the subject is sure to at¬ 
tract attention in the right place. Speed 
the day when the owners of ordinary 
farms, as well as the owners of bonanza 
plantations, can buy tractors. 
Herkimer Co., N. Y. John r. spears. 
Lettuce Under Canvas. 
I have verv good success in growing let¬ 
tuce for family use during Spring and 
Summer by sowing in hotbed, then when 
plants are’ small I transplant them into 
hotbeds under canvas tacked on frame. The 
frame is raised up high enough to admit 
air, but keep out the sun. In this way it 
will grow and be tender all Summer; does 
not require much care, and I can use hot¬ 
bed after other plants are taken out. 
Michigan. c. h. b. 
FEDERAL PLANT QUARANTINE. 
A recent act of Congress empowers the 
Secretary of Agriculture to quarantine any 
State, Territory or district of the United 
States where any dangerous plant disease 
or insect infestation exists. He may also 
prohibit the importation of nursery stock, 
fruits, plants, or roots to prevent plant 
diseases or insect? infestation new or not 
widely prevalent in the United States. In 
either case the Secretary of Agriculture 
will give a public hearing to persons inter¬ 
ested, or their attorneys, before establish¬ 
ing quarantine or prohibiting importation. 
Two plant diseases against which this act 
is especiallv directed are the White pine 
blister rust and the wart disease or black 
scab of potatoes. A menacing insect pest 
is the Mediterranean fruit fly, now preva¬ 
lent iu Hawaii. To prevent the entrance of 
these undesirable immigrants the Secretary 
of Agriculture proposes to declare a quar¬ 
antine against Hawaii in the case of the 
fruit fly, to prohibit the importation of 
White pine. Western White pine, Sugar 
pine and Stone or Cembrian pine from 
Europe, and to prohibit the importation of 
potatoes from Newfoundland, St. Pierre and 
Miquelon. Great Britain, Germany and Aus¬ 
tria-Hungary. Hearings will be given per¬ 
sons interested before issuing the quaran¬ 
tine proclamations at the Department of 
Agriculture. Washington, on the White 
pine blister rust September 16; on the Med¬ 
iterranean fruit fly September 18; on the 
potato wart disease September 20. 
September is a good time to transplant 
ornamental wild plants into the garden. 
They should be marked when in bloom for 
later transplanting. Native lilies, Jack-in- 
the-pulpit, easily located now by its red 
fruit, Hepaticas, ferns and a variety of 
other native plants are well worth adding 
to the hardy border. 
September 21, 
SHORT STORIES. 
Plaster for Wall. 
I wish to plaster a small room. Can 
you tell me the proportions of lime, sand 
and hair to use, in mixing mortar? I do 
not wish to use wall board or commercial 
plaster. s. a. w. 
Massachusetts. 
There is no set rule as to mixing mortar, 
as it depends largely upoL the quality of 
the ingredients used. The average mixture 
is as follows: One cask of lime, 1% to 
two bushels of hair, and one-half cubic 
yard of sharp sand. This will cover about 
40 square yards. a. c. c. 
Refined Tankage. 
What is refined tankage, also how does 
it compare with the average beef scrap on 
the market as poultry food? e. b. b. 
Belmar, N. J. 
Tankage is just as good as beef scrap 
if the analysis shows the same amount of 
protein. This varies in different brands. 
For poultry feeding in mashes there would 
be no preference. For feeding alone in 
hoppers the beef scrap would bo better. 
Personally I think one is safer in using 
beef scrap becaues it is especially prepared 
for poultry by some manufacturers and is 
less liable to give trouble from spoiling, etc. 
a. l. c. 
McIntosh as a Filler. 
In eastern New York and New Jersey, 
McIntosh is a September apple. Its qual¬ 
ity seems to vary considerably as affected 
by elevation and soil. The true home of 
the McIntosh is the Saint Lawrence Kiver 
region, and it reaches its highest excellence 
in northern latitudes. It is being planted 
extensively as a filler, but there are those 
who think it is not suited for this pur¬ 
pose, on account of its vigorous growth, 
and the fact that it is a long-lived tree. 
On the other hand, it is an early bearer.— 
National Nurseryman. 
We think the habit of growth of Mc¬ 
Intosh unfits it as a “filler.” It makes a 
broad, bushy head and fills up its space 
too rapidly. We like it better for per¬ 
manent planting. A tree with the grow¬ 
ing habit of Wealthy is better as a filler. 
Clover with Wheat. 
I intend sowing a field to wheat aboift 
September 12, I wish to get this field in 
clover; and thought of sowing Red 
and Alsike, one-half of each. Can I sow 
clover this Fall at time of sowing wheat? 
Farmers here usually sow two bushels 
of wheat per acre. Would you sow less 
when sowing to clover? What amount of 
each would you advise using? e. c. b. 
Ivarns City, Pa. 
From our experience we should sow five 
pounds each Red and Alsike per acre. This 
grows us more clover than pure Red. Sow 
the smaller quantity of grain. Usually Spring 
seeding of clover pays better. It is prdtty 
much a matter of Fall weather. If the 
soil is moist and conditions right the Fall- 
sown clover will get a good start and usual¬ 
ly do better than Spring sown. With a 
very dry Fall it is likely to fail. 
Concrete Hotbeds. 
The Florists’ Review states that some ex¬ 
cellent concrete hotbeds have been built by 
a leading firm of Chicago florists. These 
hotbeds were built by the regular green¬ 
house employees. A 1-2-5 mixture was 
used. The forms were made for the pur¬ 
pose, the entire job being poured at one 
time. The length was a mere matter of 
meeting the needs of the firm; the other 
dimensions would be satisfactory anywhere. 
It was necessary to go far enough into the 
ground to get a secure footing, also to keep 
out frost. The inside of the form was 
made of second-hand lumber. The outside 
was corrugated iron, such as often is used 
on the roofs of boiler sheds. The width 
of the hotbed was right for a standard 
sash. The back wall was 30 inches high, 
and the front wall 20 inches high, with a 
thickness of six inches. After the concrete 
had set the forms were 'knocked away and 
the heating material was put in. The hot¬ 
bed is apparently due to last forever, 
The outside of the completed structure 
shows the corrugations that were in the 
iron used in building the form. 
Good Italian Bees. —I see a man wants 
to know how it would do to start a con¬ 
test with Italian bees. If he would have 
as good luck as I have it would take an 
extra cow to come up to them. Last Fall 
I bought one skip of bees; they are Ital¬ 
ians. This Summer they have done well 
for me. They have sent oiit five good 
colonies in June, and I am looking for two 
more. F. s. a. 
Pennsylvania. 
Gas and Trees. —Regarding R. D.’s in¬ 
quiry as to damage to orchard land from 
gas wells on page 888, about three weeks 
ago gas pipes were laid and gas lamps 
placed in front of a new schoolhouse in 
New Rochelle, N. Y., and very close by 
three great White oak trees standing in a 
fork of the road. The leaves on one of 
these magnificent oaks are completely with¬ 
ered and dead and those on another aid 
beginning to turn. It seems almost crim¬ 
inal to have these beautiful trees, which 
must have been standing at least a cen¬ 
tury, killed by the carelessness of some 
gas company. Of course I am only an 
observer, and the death of the trees* may 
be due to some other cause. m. d. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
Annual dormant tree spraying is now practiced by 
kmost up-to-date growers, and in some of our great fruity 
states it has even been made compulsory by law. This 
treatment effectually controls the Scale, invigorates 
the tree, and enables the orchard to better withstand 
the attacks of other enemies. 
THE ONE BEST SPRAY 
“San-U-Zay’’ has given exceptional results as a dor¬ 
mant tree spray during tlie past five years, and stands 
to-day approved by leading growers and experts every¬ 
where as the best on the market. Let us prove its value 
to you—send at once for our new free book “Better 
Spraying ” and learn the truth about this product, and 
our open, direct, one-profit method of marketing. Let 
us tell you also about our “ Misty-Make’* sprayers. 
Please address Dept. F. 
The Gardiner-Johns Company 
210 Livingston Hldg., Rochester, N. Y. 
Apple, Peach, Pear Trees 
(")UR nursery stock is raised right—it is the best 
^ you can buy. Clean, strong, well-formed 
trees that are vigorous and true to variety—trees 
that will reach maturity— the kind YOU want. 
We also have a line stock of Dwarf Fruit Trees. 
Careful attention given to shipping and packing. 
Satisfaction guaranteed Prices reasonable 
Write for Illustrated Catalog. 
ARTHUR J. COLLINS, Box R., Moorestown, N. J. 
Ir* S 
BETTER FRUIT TREES 
Direct from the grower, at half what you would 
pay“ an agent. 200,000 cAppIe trees, 175,000 Peach 
trees, and Pear, Cherry, Plum, Quince, shade and 
ornamental trees—all large, thrifty, and with fine 
roots. t/411 Dansville grown, where San Jose scale ! 
has never been been found. We Pay the Freight. 
/ r 
Free, Illustrated Catalogue gives special 
' 
Introductory* bargains, for Fall planting 
Write today for Catalogue. A 
—r«~ii | | M mi t / /it IVVCJJ ivt wnuiuyuL' . i 
DENTON, WMIAMS (SL DENTON, DanBTlUe, New Votk 
FRUIT TREES at Wholesale 
Apples $7.00 per 100, Cherries $5.00, Peaches $5.00, 
Pears $6.00. All trees GUARANTEED First-class 
True to Name and free from Beale and disease. 
Send for new fall price list, and for 1912 Cata¬ 
log if you do not have one. WM. J. REILLY 
Nurseries, Box 68, Dansville, N. Y. 
IflNfiQ’ FRUIT TREES 
l%ll9«Av are purchased by the best 
orchard ists. Send for free cat¬ 
alog now. Big discounts for Fall Delivery. 
KING BROS. NURSERIES, Dansville, N.Y. 
"It's Cheapest to Buy the Best" 
700,000 Hardy Fruit Trees planting 
at wholesale prices. Cherries, 6 to 6 ft., 10c enoh; 4 to 
& ft., 6c each. Genesee Valley grown, direct from 
nursery to planter. Write for free illus. catalogue, 
f. W. Wells Wholesale Nurseries, 10 Treeacres Road, Dansville, N. Y. 
First-CBass FRUIT TREES 
FOR KALE EL ANTING. Propagated from 
trees of known merit. True to name. No scale. 
SAMUEL FRASER, Box C, Genesee, N. Y. 
Peach and Apple Trees 
For fall or spring planting. Prices right; stock 
light. MYER & SON, Rridge'vllle, Delaware 
TRFFS and PI ANTS- Allliinds - B y tl!eMiI * 
HALLO ana rLftMO lions—at wholesale 
prices. Big supply Apple and Peach Trees, Privet 
Hedging. The Westminster Nursery, Westminster, Md. 
FOR RELIABLE SEEDS 
bought direct from the farming community, and 
sole direct to the consumer; Medium and Mammoth 
Glover, Alsike, Alfalfa, White and Grimson Glover, 
Timothy, Kape. Red Top, Blue Grass, Orchard 
Grass, Barley, Ryo, Spring and Winter Wheat, all 
kinds of Seed Corn and Peas. Sent freight prepaid 
your Railroad Station. Write for samples and 
prices. N. Wertheimer & Sons, l.igonier, Ind. 
SEED WHEAT 
Jones’ “ Red Wave ” and “ St. Louis Grand Prize.” 
Two of the hardiest, best yielding and fly-resisting 
varieties grown. Winter Rye and Timothy Seed. 
Pkicf. List and Samples on Application. 
J. N. MacPHERSDN, Pine View Farm, Scottsville, New York 
NEW TIMOTHY SEED : 
also Alsike, Mammoth. Red, etc. Samples FREE. 
0. M. Scott & Son, 140 Main St., Marysville, Ohio 
^FFH WHF AT - Re<1 Wave, smooth, clean and 
tJLLl/ I! 11LA1 pure, $1.65 per bushel Har¬ 
vest King smooth, and Reliable bearded, $1.50 per 
bushel. G. E. KEMMERER, Bethlehem, Pa. 
Gipsy and Poole Seed Wheat - ^ 5 , > , ® r n ^ u ( j 
and pure. Sacked f.o.b. CEO. E. SCOTT. Mt. Pleasant, 0. 
C ABBAGE anil CELERY PLANTS —Best variety. $1 per 1000, 
$7.50,10.000 Tomato, Sweet Potato and Peppers, $1.50 per 
1000; Cauliflower, $2.50 per 1000. J. C. Schmidt, Bristol, Pa. 
FAY & WILDER CURRANT BUSHES 
Very fine, 2 year old, true to name. $18 per M 
J. F. WYGANT, Marlboro, New York 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS 
Btibach, Brandywine, Corsican, Climax, Gandy, 
Glen Mary, Michael’s Early, New York, Sample, 
Senator Dunlap, Wm. Belt. $1.00 hundred prepaid; 
$4-50 thousand, not prepaid. Catalogue freo. 
HARRY L. SQUIRE Good Ground, N. Y. 
NowThe FALL BEARING Strawberries. 
Send for T. C. KEVITT’S Catalogue, Athenia, N. J. 
PAM Bearing Strawberry Plants. Best varieties. 
IMLL Catalogue Free. BASIL PERRY, Cool Spring, Del, 
“For the Land’s Sake, use Bowker’s 
Fertilizers; they enrich the earth and 
those who till it.”— Adv. 
FOR SALE IN CAR LOAD LOTS 
prerman stock Beets; excellent quality. Delivery 
Oct. 1st to Oct, 20th. Price, F.O.B., Auburn, N. Y., 
$5.50 per ton. H. C. HEMINGWAY & CO., Auburn, N. Y. 
GUARANTEED 
550,000 
750.000 » 
Apple 1 & 2 Yr. « 
Direct from our Nursery to you at wholesale prices. All propagated from bearing 
orchards. Guaranteed True to Name and Free from Scale; fresh dug. As good as 
money can buy, no matter if you pay three times our price. Dealing with us you 
save the agent's commission. After 28 years experience you may be sure we are 
equipped with modern and up-to-date facilities for the accurate and prompt despatch 
of orders. All we ask is a trial order. Personal inspection of our Nurseries is earn, 
estly solicited. 300 Acres. 2 Trees: 1 Elberta Peach, 1 Harvest Apple, Post¬ 
paid 25c. Write to-day for FREE Illustrated Catalog of Guaranteed True to Name 
Trees. MALONEY BROS. & WELLS CO. 
Dansville's Pioneer Wholesale Nurseries 20 Main St., Dansville, N.Y. 
