1912. 
THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
1141 
Ruralisms 
STORING DAHLIAS AND GLADIOLI. 
Every Fall we are asked how to treat 
these roots in Winter storage. When 
the Dahlia plants have been killed down 
by the frost cut the tops off, leaving 
about six inches of stem, to which la¬ 
bels may be attached. Dig the roots in 
the morning, so the sun may dry ad¬ 
hering earth before they are put away, 
then put in a cellar where there is no 
danger of frost. If they are set closely 
together in shallow boxes, then cov¬ 
ered lightly with earth or sand they 
should be plump and strong in the 
Spring. If they become very dry they 
are likely to shrivel, so their condition 
should be noticed, and if a little mois¬ 
ture seems needed caver the box with 
paper and sprinkle the paper. This will 
enable the soil to absorb moisture with¬ 
out becoming too wet. It is wise to 
leave the clump of roots entire, as if 
there is any tendency to rot it is likely 
to gain entrance at the freshly broken 
surface. The clump may be divided as 
desired at planting time. 
When the Gladiolus foliage is frost¬ 
ed dig the entire plant; many growers 
leave the whole top on while curing, 
while others cut it about five inches 
from the root. The Gladioli are spread 
out thinly' on shelves, crates, or the 
floor of an airy shed, where the air 
can circulate freely, but where they are 
fully protected from frost. When well 
dried they are packed away in a dry 
place, free from frost, the dried top, if 
any remains, being broken off. Where 
there is but a small quantity, storage 
in paper bags, hung up where they will 
not be frosted, is entirely practical. Do 
not store any diseased roots. Tube¬ 
roses may be stored in the same way as 
the Gladiolus. . e. t. r. 
Dishorning Cherry Trees. 
H. F. TV. (No address ).— I read in The 
R. N.-Y. some time ago about dishorning 
peach trees. I know that can be done 
successfully by experience, but I wish to 
know if sweet cherries can be “dis¬ 
horned” the same as the peach. 
Ans. —Cherry trees can be cut back 
and made to form new tops, but not 
with the same success that the same 
operation can be performed on peach 
trees. They do not recover from the 
shock so well, as I have observed; and 
they do not often need such treatment. 
I would only try it in a limited way. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Pear Trees Among Bush Fruits. 
D. TV. 8.j Gilboa, N. Y. —We have a small 
field that we intend to plant to black¬ 
berries and raspberries, principally black¬ 
berries, next Spring, and we contemplate 
planting pears and plums, with possibly a 
few peaches, in every second or third row 
of berries, thinking the tree fruits will 
come on after the berries are about gone. 
Shall we be likely to make this a success, 
or is the combination not feasible? Will 
the cultivation given the berries be likely 
to prove injurious to the the pears? One 
side of this field is more fertile than the 
other. Should we choose the less fertile 
side for the pears? 
Ans. —We would like to have a dis¬ 
cussion of this. Our own experience in 
planting pears and peaches among bush 
fruits has not been satisfactory. We 
are satisfied that crown-gall was spread 
from the berry roots, and the thorough 
cultivation and high feeding needed by 
the berries caused the pears to blight 
badly. There is a difference in varieties 
of pears in this respect, but we would 
not advise high culture or rich soil in 
general. We would like to have the 
opinion of others. 
Peaches on Northern Slope. 
J. II. P., Sullivan Co.. N. Y. —I have 
about one acre of land with quite a steep 
slope and exposure to the southeast that 
I am desirous of setting out in peaches, 
but am told peaches will only grow on 
ground exposed to the west and nortn. 
Can you advise me as to whether or not 
they will grow on this land, and what va¬ 
rieties to use? The land is quite high 
and well drained, with a light soil, and 
has not been plowed in 12 years or more. 
What fertilizers, etc., besides lime and 
barnyard manure, and how much to acre? 
Ans. —Peaches will grow anywhere if 
the soil suits them. The slope has little 
to do with their growing, but often de¬ 
termining whether there will be a crop 
or not. The east and south slopes re¬ 
ceive more of the sun in late Winter 
and Spring, and thus the trees in such 
locations are more likely to start grow¬ 
ing and bloom early. It often happens 
that the trees on the east side of a hill 
will be in full bloom while those on the 
north or west slope will be dormant or 
just starting the buds. If a late frost 
comes at just this time the buds on the 
east slope would be killed, while many 
of the others would get through the 
danger. This is the chief reason for ad¬ 
vising planting peach trees on the north 
and west hill slopes. In your latitude 
peach growing is a gamble at best. We 
would never plant in level valleys, but 
always on the hills. 
Basswood Losing Leaves. 
J. II. J., Philadelphia, Pa. —I have a 
basswood or linden, tree that has been on 
my lawn for over 30 years, and every sea¬ 
son, about August 1, it begins to shed its 
leaves, and by September 15 they are all 
down, or nearly so. The grass grows lux¬ 
uriously beneath it. Each Spring I apply a 
good commercial fertilizer. What would 
you suggest to do this Fall? 
Ans. —Our native basswood or lin¬ 
den is apt to mature its foliage and 
wood quite early in the season, and it 
is not surprising that the tree on the 
lawn should do so. The only sugges¬ 
tion that I can think of that might pro¬ 
long its season of growth is to feed it 
with some very available form of nitro¬ 
gen. This has that tendency with fruit 
trees, and it might and probably would 
to some extent on shade trees, but I 
do not think that there will be any very 
material change in the time of the leaves 
falling from such treatment. Nitrate 
of soda, dried blood and rich stable 
manure all contain considerable nitro¬ 
gen. H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Shade for Melons. 
In one of your Spring issues a corre¬ 
spondent stated that muskmelons planted 
in corn would not be attacked by blight, 
so I plowed up a chicken yard 24 by 80, 
and planted sweet corn and muskmelons— 
three varieties. Both grew well and now 
within a few days just before the melons 
ripened, the blight has struck them and 
the vines are nearly gone. If any other 
of your readers tried this, will they please 
report? e. h. a. 
Connecticut. 
I am sorry; I had hoped my method of 
planting would prove good with others as 
with me. I raised and ripened a good crop 
of melons this year as usual, when some 
of my neighbors failed almost completely. 
At any rate, E. H. A. got a crop of sweet 
corn, which he would not have gotten if he 
had planted his melons alone. k. 
Questions About Kalmia. 
Can you tell me if any of The R. N.-Y. 
family are at present, or have been, en¬ 
gaged in handling or growing laurel shrubs, 
Kalmia latifolia, for market? Do you 
know what the usual price is for first- 
class shrubs and what constitutes such an 
one? What is the method used in pro¬ 
ducing them, if from seed or root cuttings, 
and how long required, to become market¬ 
able? l. L. A. 
Massachusetts. 
A number of dealers handle these plants. 
They vary in price at retail from 50 cents 
to $1.50. Most plants in commerce' are 
obtained from the woods. The Kalmia is 
propagated by seed, sown in shallow pans 
of sandy peat or sphagnum, and kept in 
a cold frame until large enough to harden 
off and set outdoors. The plant does not 
grow rapidly at first. It is difficult to 
root cuttings, but the Kalmia is some¬ 
times increased by layers. Named sorts 
are veneer-grafted under glass, or seedling 
stock. A first-class plant would be sym¬ 
metrical in form, and transplanted to pre¬ 
vent root injury. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. ! 
“ PROUD AND ULAD” 
Because Motbcr Looked So Well After Quitting 
Coffee. 
An Ohio woman was almost distracted 
with coffee dyspepsia and heart trouble. 
Like thousands of others, the drug 
— caffeine —in coffee was slowly but 
steadily undermining her nervous sys¬ 
tem and interfering with natural diges¬ 
tion of food. (Tea is just as injurious 
as coffee because it contains caffeine, 
the poisonous drug found in coffee.) 
“For 30 years,” she writes, “I have 
used coffee. Flave always been sickly— 
had heart trouble and dyspepsia with 
ulcers in stomach and mouth so bad, 
sometimes, I was almost distracted and 
could hardly eat a thing for a week. 
“I could not sleep for nervousness, and 
when I would lie down at night I’d 
belch up coffee and my heart would 
trouble me. It was like poison to me. I j 
was thin—only weighed 123 lbs., when 
I quit coffee and began to use Postum. 1 
“From the first day that belching and 
burning in my stomach stopped. I could 
sleep as soundly as anyone and, after 
the first month, whenever I met any I 
friends they would ask me what was j 
making me so fleshy and looking so well. 1 
“Sometimes, before I could answer | 
quick enough, one of the children or my ; 
husband would say, ‘Why, that is what 
Postum is doing for her’—they were all 
so proud and glad. 
“When I recommend it to anyone I 1 
always tell them to follow directions in 
making Postum, as it is not good to taste ! 
if weak, but fine when it has the flavor I 
and rich brown color.” Name given by ! 
Postum Co., Battle Creek, Mich. 
Read the little book, “The Road to ■ 
Wellville,” in pkgs. “There’s a reason.” 
Ever read the above letter? A new one 
appears from time to time. They are genu¬ 
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I 
* | A HE reason for the 
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La mbsdown is its 
thick, downy fleece. 
Fleece-Lined Underwear 
is also remarkably durable— 
two seasons’ wear to a gar¬ 
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Your physician will tell you that 
the heavy fleece-lining wards off 
colds and promotes good health. 
Made for Men and Boys 
in separate and union garments, at 
50c, 75c and up. At your dealer’s. 
jDDmrf 
Write for Bodygard 
Booklet No. 48 
UTICA KNITTING CO. 
Utica - New York 
Every mouthful of unground 
feed your stock eats means 
a waste of 2S to 30%. Would 
you let that amount rot in the 
field unharvested? No! 
Then GRIND IT on a 
SEND FOR CATALOG 
We also build Samson Wind 
Mills, Pump Jacks* Hand Grind¬ 
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Gasoline Engines. Ensilage Cut¬ 
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STOVER MANUFACTURING CO. 
188 Ideal Avenue. FREEPORT, ILLINOIS 
■Increase Your Profits^ 
by feeding corn and cob . The cob lightens the ration— 
makes digestion easier—helps to increase milk How and 
produce more tiesli. lie sure you use 
hew ^/Ze tland 
Feed 
These mills cut 
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Mills 
clean, run easily and 
up to their work well and 
last many, many years. 
Can be used for corn 
and all kinds of grain. 
30 Days Free Trial. 
You can try a New Holland 
Feed Mill on your own farm for 
30 days free. Our new size 
mill is specially adapted for 
gasoline engines of 3 to 6 H. P. 
Write us today and we will quote 
low prices. 
NEW HOLLAND MACHINE CO. 
Box 11, New Holland, Pa. 
(Sold with or without elevator) 
For Every Variety of Work 
Have conical shaped Blinders, Different 
from all others. Handiest to operate and 
LIGHTEST RUNNING 
Ten Sizes— 2 to 25 horse-power. 
CDCC Booklet on “Values of 
mtC Feeds and Manures.” 
P. R. Bowsher Co. South Bend.lnd. 
m 
The 
SURE 
Power 
Leffel Steam Power 
never balks! Its re¬ 
liability is marvel¬ 
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anvil and as durable . 
Burns any old rubbish 
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Has hundreds of uses—many 
impossible with gasoline outfits. 
Leffel Steam Engines 
do more work at less cost than any other engine built. 
Let us prove it. You’ll be interested in our book ol 
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Write* Send in your name on a postal. Don’t 
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hear from us. Address 
James Leffel & Company 
Box 281, Springfield, Ohio 
ISfiEESi 
Save $8 
Suit or Overcoat 
Direct from Mill 
$10 to $22 
Made to Measure 
Worth $18 to $30 
Write for 
Free Style Book and 
Samples 
NO AGENTS 
FI- - 
Y our suit or 
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Fine materials, thorough tailoring and 
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We Pay Express Charges 
Our handsomely illustrated book contains a 
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203 Main Street Somerville, N. J. 
□ 
Free Box of Samples 
sent to your station charges prepaid. All 
sizes, 2 inches to 20 inches. Delivered 
prices quoted on request. 
THE E. B1GL0W CO., New London, 0. 
‘/sMoreWater 
raised and de¬ 
livered by the 
“American’' Centrifugal Pump 
than by others because the impeller 
is accurately machined to the casing, 
preventing any sudden 
change in direction 
of the water. Not 
cm ounce of power 
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“American” Cen¬ 
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guaranteed. 
Write for new 
catalog. 
THE AMERICAN WELL WORKS 
Office and Works. Aurora, Ill. 
First Nations! Bank Building, CHICAflO 
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now In use. Write today for all laots. 
POWER SPECIALTY CO., Ill I 
Trinity IilJg.,New York I 
COOK YOUR FEED and SAVE 
Half the Cost—with the • 
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THE BEST 
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MONEY CAN BUY 
q"i>'' 
Simplest, most compact, easiest 
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ip\ Engine & Pulley Co, 
(jii'iiyA. 323 Michigan Avs., 
iV^v.^^LansIng. Michigan 
Pull Those Stumps 
Stumpy farms are money-losing farms. You can’t mice bumper crops 
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ZIMMERMAN STEEL CO 
Dept. 33, Lono Tree, Iowa 
