1913. 
THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
ear 
Ruralisms 
CULTURE OF GOLDEN SEAL. 
S. W., Prattsburg, N. Y.—I am Inclosing 
a slip I cut out of a household magazine 
printed in Kansas, as I am interested in 
earning money at home. Do you think 
there is any truth in it or something printed 
to fill up the paper? Is golden seal a re¬ 
munerative crop? 
Ans. —Golden seal is one of the most 
highly appreciated of native drug plants, 
much valued as a tonic and astringent in 
stomach troubles and affections of the 
mucous membranes generally. Its use 
is constantly increasing, while the natu¬ 
ral supply is diminishing so rapidly that 
prices for the crude dry root 1 risen 
within a very few years from less than 
a dollar the pound to the present whole¬ 
sale quotations of $4 to $4.25 per pound. 
Experiments in golden seal cultivation 
have been under way for some time, 
and indicate the plant can profitably be 
grown at present price levels by those 
willing to study its natural requirements 
and duplicate them under cultural con¬ 
ditions. 
Golden seal, known botanically as Hy¬ 
drastis canadensis, is a low-growing 
herbaceous plant rather sparingly dis¬ 
tributed in well-drained situations in 
hardwood forests from southern New 
York to Minnesota and southward to 
the highlands of Georgia and Missouri, 
and was especially abundant in Ohio, 
Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia, 
but is now becoming quite scarce 
throughout its entire range. The plant 
grows rapidly in early Spring, forming 
two or more large raspberry-like leaves 
crowned with a white bloom that is suc¬ 
ceeded by a good-sized bright red berry 
or fruiting head, containing 10 to 20 
shining black seeds looking much like 
those of the common Polygonum or 
smartweed. The seeds soon perish if 
allowed to dry, and are not handled by 
the seed trade generally, but are at once 
stratified by the growers in moist sand 
or woods earth and not sown until they 
are ready to germinate, which is usually 
the following Spring. Golden seal is at 
all times a shade-loving plant, and par¬ 
ticularly in its seedling stage is intol¬ 
erant of bright sunlight. It is useless to 
plant it under ordinary garden condi¬ 
tions. If natural shade of trees cannot 
be had lath sheds or other constructions 
so arranged as to exclude three-fourths 
of the sunlight and at the same time 
afford sufficient ventilation and prevent 
undue drip from rains are necessary. 
Frames covered with brush or heavy 
burlap may be used in a small way, but 
they should be high enough to enter and 
should preferably be open to the north 
and east. The soil should be light and 
well drained, and if not naturally of high 
fertility should be mixed with leaf mould 
and very old. finely rotted stable manure. 
Ground bone at the rate of a pound to 
four square yards of surface, well raked 
in, is a useful application, but fresh ani¬ 
mal manures and chemical fertilizers as 
a rule should be avoided. Seeds are 
best sown in rows about eight inches 
apart in early Spring, spacing them one 
inch apart and covering one-fourth inch 
deep with fine woods soil. Young roots 
may be set in Fall or Spring when dor¬ 
mant, placing them about eight inches 
apart each way. For the first year or 
two the plants require frequent cultiva¬ 
tion, stirring the earth between the rows 
very lightly, but keeping the plot entirely 
free from interfering weeds. Afterwards 
but little cultivation is necessary, but 
weeding should always be thoroughly 
done. The time needed to grow market¬ 
able root from seeds or small plants is 
four to six years, and this long delay in 
returns, together with the high cost of 
equipment, which apparently is not less 
than $1,200 to $1,500 per acre, are im¬ 
portant factors in keeping up the cost of 
this very desirable medicinal plant. 
Golden seal differs from ginseng, a 
plant of similar cultural requirements, 
which is wholly propagated from seeds, 
by bearing on its root stock and even 
fibrous roots buds that will grow into 
mature plants if separated when the 
marketable golden seal roots are dug in 
ball and immediately replanted, just as 
!.l le sma U or seedling roots are treated. 
I bus the grower can sell cured root 
when of sufficient size and still have a 
bed left, without recourse to seeds. 
Golden seal roots and seeds are of¬ 
fered by most dealers in ginseng and 
native drug plants advertising in horti¬ 
cultural publications. The market for 
dry loot is with the wholesale druggists, 
but seeds and young roots can only be 
disposed of to growers starting in the 
business. 
Golden seal culture, in view of the 
acknowledged medicinal merit of the 
plant and its present scarcity, offers an 
inviting "held to the grower with capital, 
patience and a knack for meeting the 
requirements of woodland plants, but it 
is not as simple as the raising of pars¬ 
nips, and is not likely to prove a get- 
rich-quick bonanza for the inexperienced 
amateur. Just now there is a “gold seal” 
boom on and unwarranted statements 
are being made in irresponsible publica¬ 
tions representing the plant as unduly 
profitable and easy to grow. Prices of 
seeds and roots for starting beginners 
in the business are generally withheld 
from the public by dealers, and only 
quoted on application. It is possible 
they are in many instances higher than 
the actual possibilities of the plant 
should warrant. v. 
Renovating Old Vineyard. 
In your issue of April 12 appears a 
request and answer about treatment of 
an old vineyard. I had six acres in 
grapes, and there was a solid sod of 
scutch or quack grass on it. I had a 
disk plow run over it, if I remember 
correctly, six times, chopping the sod 
into small pieces. After that I kept 
these small pieces moving and gradually 
pulverized by running an Acme harrow 
over it _ frequently. In six weeks the 
whole vineyard was like a garden. The 
disks did not go deep enough to cut 
many roots, and what roots were dis¬ 
turbed and destroyed were cut off, not 
pulled out of the ground, as they would 
have been had the usual plow been used. 
If your questioner will sow 500 pounds 
of slag to the acre when harrowing, his 
vineyard will be improved. 
Maryland. elbert wakeman. 
Selecting Seed Com. 
Reading on page 543 V.’s answer to 
N. S. M., Lockport, N. Y., I will give 
my experience in reference to using tip 
grains of corn for planting. When I 
was a boy at home I was taught to take 
off the tips, and irregular grains of the 
butt ends of the ears and plant the 
middle grains, and all the neighbors 
did the same. A few years ago to 
satisfy myself as to the reason for it I 
planted tip, middle_and butt end grains, 
each separate, but side by side in the 
same field, and the tip grains produced 
weaker stalks and less corn per acre 
than the middle and butt grains. If 
there was any difference between the 
middle and butt end grains the butt 
end produced the stronger stalks of the 
two. Since then I only take off the tip 
and plant the remainder of ear. 
Barto, Pa. s. b. l. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
Sweet Bits 
of Corn 
Skilfully cooked— 
Post 
Toasties 
”^At Your Service. 
Ready to eat direct 
from tightly sealed 
sanitary package. 
From our ovens to 
your table Post Toast¬ 
ies are not touched by 
human hand. 
Delicious with cream 
and sugar or fruits. 
For sale by grocers 
everywhere. 
Post Toasties have 
Distinctive Flavor 
i 
The K-r-i-t - Farmer 
goes everywhere and 
always gets back 
That is the reason that he is a 
K-r-i-t-Farmer. That is the reason 
that 4000 farmers are driving K-r-i-t 
*- —-' r ' cars. 
The K-r-i-t is designed and built to meet the condi¬ 
tions, solve the problems and stand the severe test of 
the car that means real economy, real convenience, real 
service to the farmer. 
The K-r-i-t-Farmer goes everywhere—-and he always 
goes . You name us your county and we’ll name you not 
only your nearest K-r-i-t dealer, but a dozen K-r-i-t-Farm- 
ers who will tell you why they bought K-r-i-t-s. 
The K-r-i-t-Farmer always gets back because he drives a car de¬ 
signed and built for his roads, his sand, his hills and his income. 
Power, strength, reliability, safety and durability are built into 
the K-r-i-t They are K-r-i-t character. 
You will find them embodied in the K-r-i-t motor; the K-r-i-t 
transmission; and the K-r-i-t axle. 
The verdict of 4000 farmers is that the K-r-i-t is the Low-Priced 
car of High-Priced Efficiency. 
K-r-i-t-Farmers go everywhere and always come back because 
they drive K-r-i-t-s. 
4000 K-r-i-t-Farmers will give you in their own language the 
Story of their K-r-i-t-s. 
Then we will send the K-r-i-t out to your farm. Write today. 
Krit Motor Car Company, 1622 Grand Boulevard, Detroit, Michigan 
All Model* $900, Fully Equipped 
Ellis Champion 
Threshers 
Suit everyone. Both the profes 
sional threshennan or the farmer 
who wants a home outfit will find the 
Champion rightly named. The picture 
shows ELLIS CHAMPION NO. 2 It is complete 
with stacker, tailings, elevator and grain hag 
ger. Connect it with steam, gasolene, tread or 
any other power, put in the grain and the Cham¬ 
pion does the rest. No straw clogging. Any size. 
We also make tread and sweeg horse-power, drag or circular saws 
ensilage cutters, corn shellers, etc. Our catalog tells the whole story. 
Be Your Own Thresherman 
Save enough to own the Thresher. Be independent 
get ready. 
ELLIS KEYSTONE AGRICULTURAL WORKS, Potts town, Pa. 
HAVANA 
for potatoes—4 styles to choose from to suit your 
special conditions. We guarantee them to do the 
work we claim for them. All growers know that it pays 
to use diggers even on five acres—they save much 
valuable time and save all of the crop in good condition 
mum DIGGERS 
No. 155 i Wheels. 32 or a8 inch. Elevator, ca or 
For 1/ 20 inches wide. Thorough separation 
Heaviest 1/ without injury to the crop. Best two 
Conditions | wheel fore truck. Right adjustment 
of plow, shifts in gear from the seat. 
Can be backed,turns short into next row. 
Ask your dealer about them and 
write us for descriptive booklet. 
BATEMAN 
M’F'G CO. 
Box 1020 
Grenloch, N. J. 
Free Box of Samples 
Steel Wheels 
For any wagon or cart you 
may have on yonr farm. We 
make the wheels to fit your 
axle. You give us the exact 
dimensions of your axle, as 
asked for on our order sheet, and 
we guarantee a fit. If you are 
interested, we shall be pleased 
to forward you our catalogue 
and order sheet. Write us. 
Havana Metal Wheel Co. 
Box 17. Havana, Illinois 
Save Work, 
Time, Money 
By using our low down 
steel wheel 
wagon 
Handy Wagons 
saves high llrtlng, lighten 
draft, don't rut roads. Spokes 
don't loosen—wheels don't dry out or rot 
Write for free book on Wagons and Wheels. 
Electric Wheel Co., 48 Elm Street. Quincy. III. 
sent to your station charges prepaid. AH 
sizes, 2 inches to 20 inches. Delivered 
prices quoted on request. 
THE E. BIGLOW CO., New London, 0. 
a £ 
Box 
No. 2 
Gasoline Engines 
1 to20 H. P.STEAM ENGINES, 
5 to 25 H. P. SEPARATORS, 
6 sizes, 100 to 1000 bu. per day. 
Hand and power feed cut¬ 
ters and corn shellers, 
wood saws, horse 
powers, steel 
and wood land, 
etc. 
MESS1NGER MFG. CO.. Tatamy. Pa. 
When you write advertisers mention Thf. R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick 
reply and a “ square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
