3913. 
THE3 RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
ee 
THE OZARK APPLE COUNTRY. 
“The Ozarks” cover a very large ter¬ 
ritory, reaching from St. Louis clear 
down into Arkansas. All this country 
is dotted with orchards, and not one 
per cent of them is now getting any 
care. I have been in the fruit business 
in Wisconsin for 15 years, and have 
packed apples in New York or Michigan 
every year. In 1909 a company bought 
an orchard and sent me down to look 
over the property. It had been neglected 
for five or six years, and was all grown 
up with all manners of wild brush. It 
was a discouraging proposition, but we 
went at it, cleaned up the orchard, 
plowed it, trimmed the trees and went 
to spraying with three big power spray¬ 
ers. Everybody called me a crazy 
Dutchman. Nobody had any faith in the 
apple business any more. Everybody told 
me that they used to raise good crops 
of apples every year; never was hurt 
by Spring frost. But the last 10 years 
the climate had changed, and now they 
could not depend on apples any more. 
There was no doubt they used to raise 
big crops of fine large red apples. There 
must have been a basis for the planting 
boom they had here, 20 years ago. I 
could not believe that the climate had 
changed. I looked up the records of the 
U. S. Weather Bureau in Springfield, 
Mo., and found that the last three dec¬ 
ades had been about the same in maxi¬ 
mum and minimum temparatures. 
Now then, if Spring frosts did not 
hurt them 15 years ago, why did they 
now? I investigated further and found 
that after they had set their trees, they 
raised corn between them. The trees 
began to bear five years after they were 
set; they had no mildew and scab at 
that time, the trees were under cultiva¬ 
tion and healthy, they had not yet worn 
out the soil, and were producing good 
crops. When the trees were about 10 
years old, they were so big they could 
not well raise any more corn. The land 
was pretty well worn, so they just let 
the orchards go, and let weeds grow, 
and used them as pasture. About that 
time diseases of the foliage made their 
appearance; the trees being weakened 
by neglect, suffered badly. The result 
of all this has been no foliage after 
August 15 to September 1, weak buds, 
no power of resistance to light frosts, 
nor even rains, when in bloom, and 
consequently no fruit. In 1908 about 
four acres of Missouri Pippins were 
cultivated and planted to corn in our 
orchard. In 1909 these four acres were 
the only ones that showed any bloom. 
I sprayed those trees thoroughly and 
raised 400 barrels of apples from them, 
that sold at $3.50 per barrel, f. o. b. 
In 1910 we had that big freeze; we 
will get one of those once in a while. 
No apples at all. In 1911 those same 
trees and many more had another fine 
crop, and this year they were loaded 
to the ground. That is three crops in 
four years. Of course I fertilized 
those trees, gave them good cultivation, 
and sprayed them five to six times each 
season. The leaves were still on those 
trees November 16 and my neighbors 
had not had a leaf for. over two months. 
I firmly believe that we can raise four 
crops of apples every five years here, 
and such fruit! They know how to 
raise fruit in Western New York, but 
they cannot produce the color we can 
here. I have sold my Ben Davis at $2, 
my Missouri Pippins, Willow Twigs, 
Blacktwigs and Minklers at $2.50, and 
the Jonathan at $3 per barrel, f. o. b. 
cars last Fall. You know it took good 
fruit to bring that price last year. Not 
many Baldwins have brought the farm¬ 
ers $2 this season. 
We have the elevation, 1700 feet 
above sea level, the soil, a good clay, 
full of iron and lime. We have abund¬ 
ant and cheap labor; $1 per day and 
the men board themselves is the going 
price here. I had apples hauled seven 
miles for 10 cents per barrel. We can 
reach more territory for 50 cents per 
barrel freight than any other apple sec¬ 
tion in the country; 31 cents per 100 
pounds will take apples to Minneapolis 
or New Orleans. We are in the center 
between the great northwestern and the 
southern markets. And with all these 
opportunities there are thousands of 
acres of good apple trees 15 to 25 years 
old left to die from starvation and dis¬ 
ease. Two to three years of good work 
will bring most of them back, where 
they will produce crops more abundant 
than ever. When I think of the hun¬ 
dreds, yes thousands, of people who 
have passed our very doors to go West, 
into the irrigated districts, to pay high 
prices for land, and to wait 10 years 
for returns, and then be up against high 
freight rates and labor, it makes me feel 
sad. c. v. 
Seymour, Mo. 
The Vinegar Turns Black. 
O. B., Manistee, Midi .— I have found an 
article telling how to clarify cider, and it 
set me to thinking. I have six barrels in 
the cellar expecting it to become vinegar, 
but it seems to me as though it never will. 
I filled the barrels about three-quarters full 
and put “mother” from old vinegar barrels 
in three or four of them, and the first bar¬ 
rel I made seems to be turning all right, 
but when I draw some out and put it in 
the house in a few days it turns black, 
but it is almost as clear,as water when I 
draw it. Would the isinglass clear it the 
same as it does the cider? Is there any 
way to hasten the rest of my cider to vine¬ 
gar? 
Ans. —The turning black of the vine¬ 
gar would indicate that it had come in 
contact with iron or tin. The corrosion 
of iron in vinegar proceeds very rapid¬ 
ly, and a common nail accidentally 
dropped in a vinegar barrel will often 
turn the whole contents black. Metal 
containers, faucets or apparatus should 
not be used in making vinegar. Clarify¬ 
ing the blackened vinegar with isin¬ 
glass will probably not help matters 
much or materially change the color. 
It “settles” the particles of sediment in 
the cider the same as an egg in a coffee 
pot, and will brighten and clear the 
liquid, but not bleach it. An ordinary 
cellar is not warm enough to cause 
vinegar to make quickly. A tempera¬ 
ture of 70 to 80 degrees should hasten 
the process. The theory of making 
vinegar is exposure to heat and air, but 
other conditions may affect the results. 
If the correspondent wishes to experi¬ 
ment, let him take some ordinary glass 
fruit jars, fill one with the vinegar stock 
without any addition, add some vinegar 
or “mother” to another, a trifle of yeast 
to another, cover with mosquito netting 
or thin cheese cloth and set in a warm 
place and note results. If he wishes, he 
can experiment with the isinglass in 
the same way. l. r. bryant. 
i 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
A GOOD BREAKFAST 
Some Persons Never Know Wbat it Meaos. 
A good breakfast, a good appetite and 
good digestion mean everything to the 
man, woman or child who has anything 
to do, and wants to get a good start 
toward doing it. 
A Mo., man tells of his wife’s “good 
breakfast” and also supper, made out of 
Grape-Nuts and cream. He says: 
“I should like to tell you how much 
good Grape-Nuts has done for my wife. 
After being in poor health for the last 
18 years, during part of the time scarce¬ 
ly anything would stay on her stomach 
long enough to nourish her, finally at 
the suggestion of a friend she tried 
Grape-Nuts. 
“Now, after about four weeks on this 
delicious and nutritious food, she has 
picked up most wonderfully and seems 
as well as anyone can be. 
“Every morning she makes a good 
breakfast on Grape-Nuts eaten just as 
it comes from the package with cream 
or milk added; and then again the same 
at supper and the change in her is won¬ 
derful. 
“W e can’t speak too highly of Grape- 
Nuts as a food after our remarkable ex¬ 
perience.” Name given bv Postum Co., 
Battle Creek, Mich.—Rbad 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¬ 
ine, true, and full of human interest. 
WHAT you want 
When you want it 
No farmer wants to 
buy a flash in the pan, 
the kind of fertilizer 
that starts and stops, or 
the kind that begins to 
work next year. What 
he wants for his crop is 
a supply of plant food 
that once applied in 
the right amount and form will feed the 
crop from seed to harvest. It is not a 
question of being available at the start, 
or available at the finish, but being avail¬ 
able all the way through. 
The A. A. C. Fertilizers are made that 
way, timed to be available at each stage 
of the growing season. 
We have a number of factories, all located 
at convenient points, and wherever you live, we 
can reach you with the right fertilizers, the 
right service, and the right price. Write today 
for copy of “Plant Food,” a practical hand book 
on fertility. No advertising in it; sent without 
cost, while this edition lasts. 
Agents wanted in unoccupied tenritory. 
Liberal terms and goods that sell. It pays to 
sell our fertilizers as well as use them. Ask for 
agency proposition. 
The American Agricultural Chemical Co. 
Makers of brands with fifty years of quality and results behind them. 
925 Rose Bldg., Cleveland. * 5 Rector St., New York. 
1230 2nd. Nat. Bank Bldg., Cincinnati. 132 Lewis Street, Buffalo. 
1018 Fidelity Building, Baltimore. 95 State Street, Boston. 
CIRCT'LAR SAWS : 24-inch, $4.50, 
26-inch, $6.25. 28-inch, $5.75. Saw 
^ tables, $14.50. Wood sawing out- 
Eflts on wheels with 6 H.-P. engines, 
“ special price, $185.00. 2 H.-P. gaso 
~ line engines. $28.00. 6 H.-P. $125.00, 
pump jack. $6.75. Catalogue free. 
PALMER BROS., COS COB. CONN. 
yf Prepaid. 
^ Agents Wanted 
^ Send for Catalogue 
Plan Now for Bigger 
Crops Next Summer 
L OOK over your fields and plan to 
make each of them yield more 
and at the same time enrich the soil 
for future years. 
Write for our booklets, “Soil Fertility” and “ The Grass Crop,” 
and for Hubbard’s 1913 Almanac, containing valuable information 
about soil, fertilizers and other farm subjects. Sent free to any 
address. 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO., Dept. A. MIDDLETOWN, CONN. 
^utilize** 
Rigid Main Frame 
Forged-edge Disks 
Hardwood Journal Boxings 
Adjustable Hitch 
Axle Draft Rods 
Double Action Engine Harrow 
When buying an engine harrow select one that will give you such excellent 
service that if you were to buy another, it would be just like the first. That’s 
the kind you buy when you choose a Cutaway. Our rigid main frame, 
forged-edge disks, hardwood journal boxings, adjustable hitch, axle draft 
rods and other Cutaway features are indispensable to the greatest engine 
harrow efficiency. Let us tell you what these features mean to you—to every 
user of tractor power. Ask your dealer to show you a Cutaway. If he can’t, 
write us. Ask for new illustrated 4S-page book," The Soil and Intensive Tillase." 
CUTAWAY HARROW CO., 839M*in St., HIGGANUM, CONN. 
Maker* if the original CLARK Doable Action “Cutaway'' Harrow* 
Buys Two 
H.H.Larkin of the Larkin 
Co., Buffalo.N.Y. writes: 
“The B-12 Double Action 
Cutaway Engine Harrow 
obtained from you last 
March is giving excellent 
service. W e are using it 
with our Rumely Oil Pull 
Tractor and wish another 
B-12 Double Action Cut¬ 
away Engine Harrow to 
complete our outfit. You 
may enter our order for 
immediate shipment, 
same terms and price as 
our previous order. 
