24 
January 8, 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[ If very query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to insure attention. Be¬ 
fore 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 
M-parate piece of paper.] 
SCRAPING BARK OF APPLE TREES. 
On one of my farms, back of the ice 
house, was an acre of orchard, on 
which the apple trees bore but little 
fruit. They averaged about 15 inches 
in diameter near the ground, had large 
spreading . tops open to the sun, and 
were in their prime. They had been 
piaiited too near each other, and were 
just beginning to crowd. On studying 
the matter, 1 came to the conclusion 
that the trees were throwing their vigor 
into wood growth, and the problem to 
be solved was how best to transfer the 
vigor into fruit growth. Two methods 
occurred to me. One, which 1 had 
once practiced with success on a Porter 
apple tree, was to root-prune by making 
a circular excavation around the trunk, 
deep enough to cut off the larger roots. 
In the case of the Porter, a smaller tree, 
the excavation was about five feet from 
the trunk. The other method for check¬ 
ing the wood growth was by scraping 
the bark severely, going deep enough 
occasionally to reach through to the 
wood itself. I had seen the method 
work admirably on some old trees, which 
most farmers usually have condemned 
and cut down as cumberers of the 
ground. I concluded to try the latter 
method. I procured scraper having a 
handle as long as that of a hoe, and 
the man employed was instructed to 
make thorough work on the trunks and 
for about six feet on the main limbs. 
The result was almost wonderful; the 
trees doubled their crop. 
Massachusetts. j. j. h. Gregory. 
STARTING NUT SEEDLINGS. 
/?.. Delaware .—Wliat is the best way to 
handle nuts of Persian walnut and chest¬ 
nut for next Spring's planting? 
Ans.— The best way to keep small 
quantities of Persian walnuts and chest¬ 
nuts for planting in the Spring is to 
put them in shallow boxes in alternate 
layers with moist earth or decayed saw¬ 
dust, using a layer of earth or sawdust 
two or three inches thick, then a layer 
of nuts, continuing this until the box is 
full. The box should be buried just 
beneath the surface of the ground in a 
well-drained place. It will not hurt the 
nuts if they are frozen during the 
Winter. If large quantities of nuts are 
to be kept for Spring planting, I prefer 
to store them in a cold frame in alter¬ 
nate layers with moist earth or rotted 
sawdust. It does not matter whether 
the glass sashes are put on or not. By 
the first of April most of the nuts will 
be cracked and sprouted, and should be 
planted about six or eight inches apart 
in nursery rows, and should be well cul¬ 
tivated during the season. Since the 
seedlings vary so much in the nuts that 
they produce, and may be almost worth¬ 
less, it is best to whip-graft them just 
beneath the surface of the ground when 
one year old. This grafting should be 
done soon after the seedlings start into 
growth, but the scions must be abso¬ 
lutely dormant, or they will not live. 
After the scion is inserted, the union 
should be tightly wrapped with large 
soft cord, but no grafting wax should 
be used. The earth should be then 
mounded up to the top bud of the scion. 
This practice has given me much better 
results than where grafting wax was 
used. c. p. close, 
Maryland State Horticulturist. 
R. N.-Y.—Get the Nut Bulletin is¬ 
sued by the Maryland Experiment Sta¬ 
tion at College Park, Md. 
NEW YORK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
In Now York State there are 0S4 active 
associations established for the purpose of 
advancing one or more phases of agricul¬ 
ture within this State. This is an aver¬ 
age of one farmers’ association, society, 
(Jrange or* oilier organization to each 232 
farms, according to Bulletin No. 13, en¬ 
titled “Agricultural Organizations in New 
York State.” which is about to be sent 
out from the Stale Department of Agri¬ 
culture. The organizations include 706 
subordinate Granges, 46 Pomona Granges 
and one State Grange: 07 county and town 
fair societies, 32 organizations of Patrons 
of Industry, 17 special co-operative asso¬ 
ciations, 14 organizations giving special at¬ 
tention to fruit. 13 to dairying. 12 to 
poultry, 11 to live stock, 6 to bees, 5 to 
plant breeding and crops and one to drain¬ 
age. There are also 12 farmers' clubs and 
nine governmental educational and experi¬ 
mental institutions. All these organiza¬ 
tions are named in the bulletin with names 
and addresses of principal officers, dates 
of organization, number of members and 
time of meeting, when known. The bul¬ 
letin shows there are approximately 90.000 
members of the Grange. 8,000 members in 
40 other organizations having State-wide 
interests, and over 125.000 members in agri¬ 
cultural organizations* for interests con¬ 
fined to counties and smaller districts. 
HEATING 
Write for catalogue and special infor¬ 
mation on heating for any purpose; 
residences, large buildings, greenhouses, 
poultry houses, etc. We make the famous 
KROESCHELL 
HOT WATER BOILER 
KROESCHELL BROS. CO. 
458 West Erie Street Chicago, Illinois 
“ROASTED” TURKEY “RAISERS.” 
Enclosed find clipping from our local 
paper, “The Grand Isle Star,” which 
throws some light on the question of: 
‘Who gets the big prices city people pay 
tor produce this Winter?” R. d. p. 
Grand Isle, Vt. 
Indignant Turkey Sellers. 
There were quite a few indignant farmers 
in town Monday morning when those who 
had shipped their turkeys for Thanksgiving 
received their checks. For the very best 
No. 1 stock they received 25 cents, but as 
(lie returns on every lot: were graded* into 
good turks, old turks, lean turks and torn 
lurks, they actually realized much less per 
pound than they received last year, while 
it is a noteworthy fact that prices are much 
better. The returns for old turkeys or 
those a year old were 17 cents per pound 
and those who packed without any torn 
skins got returns for torn skins at 20 cents. 
The shrinkage on some lots was over 100 
pounds. One man shipped 13 nice fat tur¬ 
keys and the returns were in three grades 
with about 25 pounds shrinkage, the latter 
being more than was ever made on ship¬ 
ments of previous years iu lots containing 
from 500 to 700 pounds. Those farmers* 
who shipped poultry to a certain firm in 
Worcester, Muss, this year won’t sell to 
them next year unless they chalk up on 
those checks. Their buyer, who is a re¬ 
liable man, was told to prpmisc the highest 
market price. Letters were put into several 
turkeys asking what the buyers paid for 
them'and if they were nice. These replies 
ire very interesting in many ways. Onq 
lady said she bought her turkey of the 
Worcester firm and p.aid $7 for it. It 
weighed 20 pounds. One hotel dealer said ! 
that as he bought large supplies of the firm 
he got his four turkeys cheaper than the 
average. lie only paid 30 cents per pound. 
Other letters showed that those nice fat 
lien turks one year old for which the farmers 
got 17 cents the dealer got 35 cents or 
thereabouts. 
There you are! Those turkey raisers 
got about 50 cents of the consumer’s 
dollar—which is 15 cents above the av¬ 
erage ! Some day they will send a re¬ 
liable man right along with the turkeys 
>to the best markets and have him hire 
space and sell the birds at retail. That 
is what farmers will have to come to— 
cooperation. 
CORN PRICES IN NEBRASKA. 
The enclosed slips are from the St. 
Louis Republic of yesterday, the one rela¬ 
tive to the high price of corn in Nebraska 
from the editorial page. The other slip 
gives from the same paper the cash price 
of corn for that day, or rather for the 
preceding market day, in St. Louis. The 
natural query is: Is corn dearer in Ne¬ 
braska than in St. Louis, or does .the grain 
man lie? T. E. N. 
Missouri. 
This is a good example of the way the 
daily papers operate. On one page It 
quotes from Leslie’s Weekly to show that 
farmers are holding up the grain markets. 
As proof, it savs a grain dealer at Lincoln, 
Neb., offered 85 cents for corn, but they 
refused to sell for less than one dollar a 
bushel. Then this wise fraud went on to 
say : 
“But what becomes of the story in the 
muck-raking papers that the high prices of 
farm products are caused by combinations 
of wholesalers and retailers and that the 
farmers do not get any benefit ? Tell that 
to the marines, hut not to the farmers.” 
Now right in the same paper in which 
this was printed the market reports showed 
that the highest price paid for corn in St. 
Louis was 63 cents. Lincoln, Neb., being 
farther West would naturally offer a lower 
price than this. Somebody lias lied and 
others have backed him up in an effort to 
show that farmers are holding up the con¬ 
sumers and getting rich at it. 
Progressive gardeners and farmers are be¬ 
ginning to realize that they should have 
better seeds than the average dealer can 
furnish. One way to get the best seeds is 
to buy them direct from a man who raises 
them and therefore knows what they are. 
Most seed dealers never see their seeds grow¬ 
ing and therefore do not know what they 
will produce. 
Harris’ seeds, raised at Moreton Farm in 
Western New York, are sold direct to plant¬ 
ers at wholesale prices. The greatest care 
is taken to keep them up to a high standard 
by the most careful selection, and the fact 
that they are being used by a greater num¬ 
ber of gardeners and farmers every year 
shows these efforts are appreciated. All 
kinds of vegetable seeds are raised, as well 
as improved varieties of Field Corn, Oats, 
Potatoes, etc. 
A descriptive catalogue will be mailed to 
any one asking for it, and if you raise vege¬ 
tables for market ask for wholesale price 
list,—both free. Address, 
Joseph Harris Co., Coldwater, N. Y. 
DO YOU WANT 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS? 
W E have 60 acres of strong, vigor¬ 
ous, well-rooted plants in all the 
best standard sorts—millions of them. 
Write today for our 19 10 Illustrated 
Catalog. Our booklets, “How to Grow 
Fruit” and “Howto Plant About the 
Country Home,” contain just what you 
want to know—price 25c. each—but 
free to any reader of The Remal Nnv- 
YORKE a who will plant anything the 
coming Spring. 
HARRISON’S NURSERIES 
Box 421, Berlin, Md. 
ASPARAGUS ROOTS 
Hundreds of thousands of strong 2-year roots, 
several varieties. Fruit Trees, standard and 
dwarf. Berry Plants, California Privet, Ever¬ 
greens; quality stock. 
Write for catalog of Information. 
BAltNF.S liKOS. NURSERY CO.. 
IIox 8, Yalesville, Conn. 
Stokes' StandardSEFbS 
It’s “garden seed wis- 
dom” to make your 
plans early—and you’ll 
find my new 1910 cata¬ 
logue a big help not 
only in getting the right 
start, but in getting the 
best results. 
Stokes’ Seed Catalogue is one of 
the handsomest, most helpful and 
most complete catalogues ever pub¬ 
lished. It tells how to get the most 
out of your garden; how to make sure 
of getting the choicest varieties of vege¬ 
tables and flowers—the kind that are best 
for your table and that command the 
highest prices in the market; and it shows 
by actual photographs what the seed has 
produced—what you can raise yourself. 
Write me today, mentioning the Rural Nkw-Yorkkr, 
and I will send you my catalogue free. 
WALTER P. STOKES 
“Stokes’ Standard” Seeds 
Dept. L. 219 Market St.. Philadelphia 
fThe confidence felt by farmers and 
[gardeners in Ferry’s Seeds to-day 
would have been impossible to feel in 
; any seeds two score of years^ 
ago. We have made a j 
1 science of seed 
1 growing. 
always do 
exactly wliat you 
expect of them. For sale 
everywhere. FERRY'S 1910 SEED 
ANNUAL Free on request. 
D. M. FERRY & CO., Detroit, Mich. 
Gregorys 
Improved Yellow 
Globe Onion Seed 
Best rust-resisting onion seed ever I 
put on the market. Thoroughly tes¬ 
ted by the largest onion growers. A 
tremendous cropper. No onion equals 
it for storage. Our customers in 1909 
harvested over 800 bushels per acre. 
$1.75 per pound, prepaid. 
GREGORY’S NEW SEED CATALOGUE 
is the handsomest catalogue ever issued. 
Cf.rnnp'Aw Itcontaiuschoicecolleotionsof flower and 
TTn-.Tr-vegetable seeds and is full of practical 
IlU NE S TjSI information for farmer and gardener. 
tSi-T-rySfr Write for a copy—it’s free. 
J. J. H. Gregory & Son, Marblehead, Mass. 
C hoice clover and grass seeds sold 
direct to the farmer. We have reduced our 
choice Hungarian and Millet seeds to the present 
market value. Write for samples and prices at 
once. N. WERTHEIMER & SONS, Ligonier, Ind. 
All tlie best varieties, 
including the grand 
new variety GLORY. 
This is very early, solid, white and finest quality. It's a 
money-maker for you. Our catalog, sent free to all, tells 
all about it and Ford’s Sound Seeds of all kinds. Write today 
FORD SEED CO., Dept. 24, Ravenna. Ohio. 
Your 
Name 
and Address 
That’s 
All 
G OVERNMENT reports show that strawberries pro¬ 
duce more dollars per acre and give quicker returns 
than any ether crop. Our 1910 Strawberry Text 
Book teaches the Kellogg method of growing larger 
crops of better berries than can be grown In any other 
way. It explains how to fertilize and prepare the soil j 
showshow to prune, Bet and mate the plants. Every 
detail of the work Is made perfectly clear. Including 
cultivation, spraying, mulching, picking, packing ana 
marketing. Growers who have thl3 book say itls worth 
its weight in gold. You may have one FREE. 
R. M. KELLOGG COMPANY, Box 480 Three Rivers, Mich. 
Cabbage Seed 
OATS 
THAT YIELD. Our SENSATION 
OATS breaks all records. Nothing like 
it. Also SEED CORN, Samples and cata¬ 
logue free, THKO. BURT & SONS, Melrose. O. 
TRY KEVITT’S SYSTEM 1910 
T. C. KEVITT. 
Atbcniii, N. J- 
b TRAWBERRY PLANTS—krhaUu money-making varieties at 
verv reasonable juices. New 1910 Illustrated catalog Free. 
Address S. A. VIRUIN, Hardy, Delaware. 
Strawberry Plants ■ Descriptive catalogue 
free. BASIL PERRY, D-18, Cool Spring, Delaware. 
“THE FAMOUS 
FENDALL STRAWBERRY” 
And All the Leading Varieties 
Send for catalogue. _ It’s free. 
C11 AS. K, FENDALL & SON. 
Originators of the Kendall and Growers of Fine Plants, 
Towson, Md. 
gardenandfloral 
GUIDE for I9IO 
Just issued. As always, theauthor- 
ity on what, how. when and where to plant. Sent FREE. 
JAS. VICK’S SONS, 430 Main S»., Rochester, N. Y. 
VICK’S 
Z3 Bushels from 
One Pound of 
Thes e Potatoes./ ^^mted a 
Pound of our 
syiMM&ar Potatoes and 
1 ffie second year 
\v < raised 23 bushels of 
the best potatoes In 
the district. It took 
mWxmijjjr years to get our several 
rvarieties to their present 
state of perfection, giving 
moreand betterpotatoestothe 
acre than any kind you can plant. 
We have done the same with our 
peas and beans—they are without 
equal for quality and yield. All our 
field, vegetable and flower seeds are 
hardy, northern grown. Write to-day for 
our new 112-page catalog. Free. 
Darling & Beahan, 4 ~ J Michigan St., Petoskey,Mich. 
Cnnrt Potoinorio —Send us your name and ad- 
OCtll bdldlU&UCi dress, and we will mail free 
our 1910 catalogue of seed potatoes, seed corn, 
seed oats, alfalfa seed, in fact, everything in seeds. 
MACE & MANSFIELD. Greenville, Ohio. 
SALESMEN WANTED ?IV e WK «£“ 
missions, payable weekly. Write for free outfit 
PERRY NURSERIES, Rochester, N. Y. 
TREES DIR ECT FROM THE GROWERS 
PLUM— at $6.48 lor 100-CHERRY 
Our trees and plants are the best 
known for gurden and orchard, 
| fresh dug, true to name, no scale, 
no risk, personal attention given 
every order. Send us a list of 
your wants for wholesale prices, 
!freight paid. Everybody write for 
[freo illustrated catalogue. 
2 Apple trees, 1 McIntosh und 
1 Banana for 25c postpaid. 
Maloney Bros. & Wells, Box 10 , Dansville, N. Y. 
SKGRAPE VINES 
69 Varieties. Also Small Fruits.Trees <Vo. Rest Root¬ 
ed stock. Genuine.chonp 2snmple vines mailed for 10c. 
Dose, price-list free, hBn'IH llUKSLTI & SON, Kredoaio, N. f. 
TREES 
CATALOG FREE. 
—150 ACHES. Genesee 
Valley grown. “Not the 
cheapest, but the best.” 
Never have had San Jose 
Scale. Established 1869. 
GEO. A. SWEET NURSERY CO. 
20 Maple St., Dansville, N. V. 
Fruit and Ornamental 
NURSERY STOCK. 
We have a full line. 
PRIVET, A Specialty. 
New catalogue ready about middle of January. 
JOS. H. BLACK, SON & CO. 
HIGHTSTOWN, N. J. 
TAKE TIME BY THE FORE LOCK. ORDER THE SEEDS FOR 
THAT VEGETABLE GARDEN NOW. „ 
Don’t buy seeds because they ar cheap. Jlcware of exaggerated special oilers. J>uy 
first quality seeds from a reliable firm and save time and money. _ 
iUsSaSECE 
Semi 10c for a packet of Noll’s ■’Champion of All” Lettuce. The best all round 
variety for Spring and Fall planting. A sure header. Sent postpaid with our de¬ 
scriptive and illustrated 1910 catalogue. Don’t delay. Send today 
J. F. NOLL Aj CO., H6 Mulberry St., Newark, N. J. 
at ONE-HALF- 
City Seedsmen Prices ! 
Let us send you our catalog of seeds==It’s 
different. It tells you facts, and why we can save you money, and give you a guaranteed 
SQUARE DEAL. Just drop a postal today and see the difference in buying your seeds in 
country or city. FORREST SEED CO., Box 34, Cortland, N.Y. 
