970 
latter method seems perfectly successful on farms 
where the crop has Ions been grown and the soil 
has become well inoculated. New seedings in wheat 
stubble were seen where the stand was almost per¬ 
fect, though showing the effects of the dry weather. 
Occasional failures in seeding occur, however, even 
on farms where the crop has long been raised, and 
these failures are not always explainable. Inocula¬ 
tion is needed on new ground, and in spite of the 
fact that this is a limestone soil, the addition of 
ground lime is of distinct value. Lime is often used 
as a top-dressing with what manure is available, 
and frequently with the addition of ground phos- 
phatic rock, or floats. The Alfalfa repays light top- 
dressings with manure, and poor stands are some¬ 
times thickened up in this way. It seemed to be 
the universal opinion that the soil improved under 
Alfalfa, in spite of the fact that large amounts of 
plant food are necessarily removed with each cut¬ 
ting. This was explained on the ground that the 
deep rooting of Alfalfa brought up food not reached 
by other plants, and that with the atmospheric ni¬ 
trogen stored in the root nodules more than com¬ 
pensated for the plant food removed. The ground 
was said to be left perfectly clean when a good 
Alfalfa sod was plowed under, the heavy growth 
having killed all weeds. Plowing the sod did not 
seem to lie anything of a bugbear, it being readily 
done by three good horses attached to a walking 
plow. From 12 to 15 years were given as the aver¬ 
age life of an Alfalfa meadow, though some fields 
20 years old were still being cut 
One cannot visit an Alfalfa-growing section like 
this without being impressed with the enormous 
value of this wonderful crop. It seems like a veii- 
table Aladdin’s lamp in green and purple, ready to 
bring its owner almost any wished-for possession. 
One is surprised to hear farmers discussing it with¬ 
out any particular enthusiasm, as though it were a 
matter of course that they should take from $50 to 
$100 per year from each acre, and continue this in¬ 
definitely. It is not strange that in other sections 
where nature neglected to establish limestone banks 
the farmers are seeking to overcome their handicap 
by artificial means; but while the area of Alfalfa 
growing is steadily enlarging it is doubtful if it 
ever makes of regions foreign to its nature the El 
Dorado of its natural home. m. b. dean. 
PENN. FARMERS AND DIRECT SALE. 
Last year we had an aecouut of the trouble in 
Tyrone, Pa., over a public market. The town coun¬ 
cil is composed largely of livery-stable keepers and 
merchants, who started out to prevent as far as 
possible direct dealing between the farmers and the 
consumers. Their proposition was to oi>eu what 
they called a curb market where the farmers could 
come, back up their.wagon and sell to customers. 
As a part of the ordinance covering this market, 
however, they ordered that farmers must not travel 
through the town during certain hours, but must go 
to this market for the sale of their goods. Of course, 
the object of this was to prevent direct sale, if pos¬ 
sible. Where a farmer can drive his wagon directly 
in front of a purchaser's door and deliver tlie goods 
himself, he has a far better chance to make a sale. 
Old habits of buying and selling are hard to break 
away, and in many of the Pennsylvania towns the 
method of direct delivery to the bouse has become 
an established custom. Thus the consumers would 
rather have the farmers come to them as they 
wanted to do, rather than to go to the market and 
buy. The farmers did not object to the euro market, 
and do not oppose it, but they are opposed to an 
effort to compel them to go to this market and not 
be free to sell through the town in case they want 
to do so. The farmers disregarded the ordinance 
that in case they did not care to go to the market, 
they must not drive through the town and sell their 
goods from house to house, during the hours pro¬ 
hibited by the council. As a result of this, several 
of these farmers were arrested and fined $1 and 
costs. Under good advice the farmers refused to pay 
this line. They realized that their only power lay 
in combination, and so a meeting was called to con¬ 
sider the matter. It was the busiest time of the 
year, and yet when the meeting was called 125 
farmers crowded into the hall, with more outside 
who could not squeeze in. It was without question 
the greatest farmers’meeting ever held in the county, 
including political meetings, farmers’ institutions, or 
any other devoted to agriculture. These farmers 
hired an attorney to advise them, and this man 
called the meeting to order and explained the sit¬ 
uation. The farmers were in no mood to be trilled 
with, and there was an exciting .time generally. 
One report says that the lawyer who represented the 
borough of Tyrone was baited so by these farmers 
that he threatened to take one of them out and whip 
him. hid: the chances are that when he got outside 
THE RU K' A L. NEW-YORKER 
this farmer would have been more likely to hoe up 
the ground with him. As a result a committee rep¬ 
resenting the farmers and the coimcilmen will meet 
to try to settle the matter, but it is safe to say that 
those Pennsylvania farmers have come to the point 
where they will stand by their rights and get them. 
The people of the town in large majority support 
these farmers in their battle, and without question 
they will win, for they have not only right, hut have 
law on their side. This is but one more illustration 
of the necessity and value of combination among 
farmers. Two men were arrested for peddling their 
goods. If these two men alone had tried to tight 
against the town council, they would most likely 
have been swept aside like grasshoppers, but when 
during the busiest season of the year 125 farmers 
came to town and crowded a public hall to protest 
against what they considered an outrage, it was all 
over so far as the power of public sentiment was 
concerned, because then the people of Tyrone under¬ 
stood that these farmers meant business; that there 
was no use playing or fooling with them, but the 
time had come to give them what they fairly de¬ 
manded. 
SUMMER SPRAYING FOR SCALE. 
We have many letters from readers who ask for the 
truth about spraying to destroy the scale insects while 
the trees are in full foliage. As most people know, the 
best time to fight the scale is while the trees are dor¬ 
mant. as then a strong spray material can be used. 
Yet we often find that some trees show traces of the 
insect during -Summer—the purple scale marks appear¬ 
ing at the bud end of the apple. Shall we spray such 
trees or let th'em go until Fall? We sent to the I’. S. 
Department of Agriculture for the latest information 
and received the following: 
The *lata which we have on the possibility of con¬ 
trolling or reducing the San Jose scale on apple, or 
other fruit trees by Summer spraying, has been ob¬ 
tained mostly in connection with other experimental 
work. The information on this subject is given in our 
Farmers’ Bulletin 492, shown in table on page 23. 
Some years ago experiments were made to deter¬ 
mine the amount of benefit in controlling the San 
Jos6 scale on peach (in Arkansas and Maryland) 
and on apple (in Michigan) by the use of the self- 
boiled lime-sulphur wash, which, as you know, lias 
come into much use on stone fruits, especially 
peach, for the control of peach-scab and brown-rot. 
Report was made upon these experiments in the 
Journal of Economic Entomology. Vol. 2, 1909, page 
133. The use of the self-boiled lime-sulphur wash 
on peach resulted in a marked improvement in the 
condition of the trees, and indicated that its em¬ 
ployment is. very beneficial in checking the develop¬ 
ment of the scale until dormant tree treatments can 
be given. In the case of the apple in Michigan, the 
results were not as clearly shown, owing to the 
great variation in the degree of infestation of the 
trees treated and the untreated trees. 
We are recommending on apple the use of com¬ 
mercial. or homemade lime-sulphur wash as a Sum¬ 
mer spray for the San JosC* scale, where such treat¬ 
ment is considered necessary. The strength of 
spray is the same as when it is employed as a fungi¬ 
cide, namely, 1J/2 gallons of the 32 degrees to 33 de¬ 
grees BeaumC* concentrate, to 50 gallons or water. 
In the operation of spraying particular attention 
should be given to coat the limbs and branches of 
the trees, as well as the young fruit. 
The spray applications given in the usual orchard 
spray schedule for scab and Codling-moth control 
should answer to keep the scale in check. Theoreti¬ 
cally, applications would be most effective if made 
just as the first brood lice are beginning to appear 
in Spring, followed by a subsequent treatment four to 
six weeks later. These Summer treatments are, 
however, to he regarded merely as a check to undue 
increase, and main reliance should he placed on dor¬ 
mant tree applications. a. l. quaintance. 
A LIVING FROM GROWING FLOWERS. 
I should be glad to have your advice on these points: 
What chance is there for one to make a living from 
the sale of perennials—plants and seeds? What kind 
(or kinds) of soil is needed? Is the business already 
overdone and does it need a large capital to conduct 
it successfully? Is there not a growing demand for 
the pseony? In propagating it for the market, about 
how much time elapses before roots may be divided 
with safety? How salable are paeony blooms? Is it 
true that the French are tin* leaders in tin 1 culture of 
this flower? I have been told that choice varieties may 
be bought from French growers upon far more favor¬ 
able terms than from American growers. Is this a 
fact? E. A. W. 
New York. 
The first questions asked can hardly he answered 
specifically without understanding all the conditions 
involved. There is a large and increasing sale for 
perennial plants and their seed. There is every 
reason to believe that Hie trade will continue to in¬ 
crease. The conditions applying to it are similar to 
the nursery business generally. Some perennials 
require deep rich soil, others sandy land; some call 
for moisture, some for a dry exposure, hut weedy 
August 30, 
neglected soil is a disadvantage, because of cultural 
difficulties. We should not advise anyone to sink 
large capital in an untried business; better work 
into it by degrees. It is not unlike truck farming 
in its labor aspect, which will give some idea of cost 
of upkeep. If a retail trade is expected, the expense 
of advertising must be considered, but a good many 
perennial growers seek their chief outlet through 
a wholesale trade. 
There is an increasing demand for pmonies, and 
the flowers are a staple article in the cut flower 
trade in their season. We do not understand the 
question about division of roots; perhaps inquirer 
means time from Seed. Seedling pseonies are grown 
to secure new varieties, but ordinary propagation 
is by division whenever the clumps are large enough, 
or by grafting. The roots may be divided so as to 
leave an eye to eacli tuber. Of course the clumps 
must gain size and strength for flowers. The French 
have long been recognized leaders in paeony culture, 
and have produced many new varieties, hut the for¬ 
mation of the American Paeony Society, bringing to¬ 
gether many interested in its culture, has now given 
the growers here a greater incentive to active work. 
There are many French growers of paeonies and 
other perennial plants who cater especially to the 
wholesale trade, and many American nurserymen 
and catalogue houses buy stock from them on ad¬ 
vantageous terms, largely the result of favorable 
climate combined with an abundant supply of low- 
priced labor skilled in horticultural lines. 
PROPERTY SUBJECT TO TRANSFER TAX. 
My husband died recently. To save the expense of 
making a will and having to pay the surrogate’s fees ho 
managed this way. lie owned SO acres or land with 
a mortgage on it held by an outsider. lie deeded 55 
acres to one son and 25 to another, and took second mort¬ 
gages on 10 years’ time. Now we have four children, 
all of age. They are agreed in wishing to give me those 
mortgages, and what accounts, leases and personal prop¬ 
erty there is. Lawyers tell us it cannot no done only 
as it goes through the surrogate’s hands. Is that true? 
If not, what course should be taken? s. J. M. 
It would probably be held that these deeds of the 
pieces of property were given by your husband to 
your sons in contemplation of his death, and as such 
they are made subject to the transfer tax law of 
this State. In other words, the transfer tax, which 
amounts in your case to one per cent on the value 
of your husband’s property above the amount of 
$5,000, cannot be evaded by your husband making a 
deed of the properties in contemplation of death. 
Inasmuch as you have not given the value of the 
property, it is hard to tell what is the best course 
to pursue, but undoubtedly it would be better for 
you to petition the surrogate’s court to have letters 
of administration granted to you, and let the pro¬ 
ceedings take their regular course: especially is this 
so if the property is of the value of $5,000 or more. 
WORK BY ELECTRiCAL CONTRACTORS. 
Many electric lighting systems are being installed 
in country towns at the present time, and farmers, 
many of whom know very little of the ins and outs 
of the trade, are being asked for contracts for 
wiring, fixtures, etc., by contractors, such being the 
case here in the Connecticut Valley. In a case in 
point here in Glastonbury the agent called on the 
farmer offering to do the job to the owner's entire 
satisfaction or no pay, and a signed contract would 
be given to that effect before any work was done 
for a stipulated price. Two boys scarcely out of 
their teens came on the next day and were allowed 
to go to work wiring, although no contract had ap¬ 
peared and never has. The wiring all being con¬ 
cealed was completed in a short time with scarcely 
any supervision by the farmer, it being his busy 
season. Wiring being finished the contract rested 
until the convenience of the contractor which was 
about four months in this case, but contractors 
must have money, so the fixtures were finally 
clapped on in anything but a workmanlike manner 
and bill presented promptly, $1.60 more than price 
agreed upon. The agent was called in and admitted 
a poor job, and would see that it was done right, 
hut nothing was done and so to got the job off my 
mind I finished it myself, which included pulling up 
floors. Here I found a complete firetrap, wrapping 
paper, paper boxes and chips were all swept in the 
small space under the floor with the wires. This 
job was done by a responsible firm in Hartford 
who have the endorsement of the fire underwriters. 
My conclusion is that a farmer cannot afford to 
have such work done without his own supervision. 
Connecticut. F - Ir - potter. 
R. N.-Y.—We know of a case in New Jersey where 
a contractor put in fixtures and got his money. 
Some months later when the time came to collect, 
another contractor found that the first one had leii 
a dangerous firetrap, and the work had to he done 
over at extra cost. 
