788 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
August 13, 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
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LITTLE ALFALFA SERMONS. 
A Long Struggle in Rhode Island. 
I must admit that as yet I have not 
been able to make a success of Alfalfa. 
My experience began five years ago, 
when I selected a good piece of land, 
well drained and of fair fertility. In 
the Spring, with a good dressing of 
phosphoric acid and potash, I sowed 
about 30 pounds of seed per acre. Ger¬ 
mination was prompt and good, and the 
young plants grew vigorously until the 
blossoms began to show through the 
weeds, which had also been growing 
vigorously. The clipping did not have 
the stimulating effect it is credited with, 
but seemed to injure the Alfalfa, which 
pined away steadily, until by Fall there 
was a very sparse growth left, and by 
Spring only an occasional feeble plant 
was left. I should add that inoculation 
was attempted by sprinkling the ground 
after sowing with a diluted Alfalfa cul¬ 
ture. The next year I repeated the 
process except that I secured soil from 
a noted New York Alfalfa field and ap¬ 
plied it broadcast, but the result was 
the same as before—an early strong 
growth, followed by progressive dwind¬ 
ling. Believing, however, in the value 
of Alfalfa and its practicability, I have 
since then been working up a small plat, 
with a view of domesticating the bac¬ 
teria, liming heavily each year and sup¬ 
plying enough plant food to maintain a 
good growth, and this year I begin to 
see results, for a few of the survivors 
of last year’s seeding show a growth and 
vigor that indicate the presence of the 
desired bacteria. If the present promise 
is fulfilled, I shall soon be able to in¬ 
crease the bacteria breeding ground to 
any desired size, and from it obtain a 
reliable inoculating material. Mean- 
.while I have adopted the practice of sow¬ 
ing with my clover a small quantity of 
Alfalfa and Melilotus seed, with a view 
to the preparatory effect it may have on 
the already existing bacteria. 
This looks like a pretty slow pro¬ 
gramme, but it offers at present the best 
method for this vicinity, where so far 
as I know, Alfalfa has not yet been 
successfully grown. As Red and Alsike 
clover do well with me, the need of Al¬ 
falfa is not very great, especially as I 
use short rotations, with which Alfalfa 
would not go very well. Nevertheless, 
1 shall not rest satisfied until I have 
succeeded in making Alfalfa feel at 
home in little Rhody. It will be notice¬ 
able that in each year the seed was sown 
in the Spring (May) which may have 
had something to do with the result, but 
1 doubt if it had much influence, for in 
the experimental plots I have sown 
every month from April to September, 
and the early sown seed has been fully 
equal to the late sown. h. w. heaton. 
BORDEAUX INJURY. 
Never in the history of using Bor¬ 
deaux Mixture has so much damage re¬ 
sulted as during this present season. 
Even where used in quite weak propor¬ 
tions serious damage is shown in very 
many orchards. This must be owing to 
peculiar climatic conditions, but all the 
same in many orchards very serious ef¬ 
fects are shown. In one orchard here 
the Kings—a good crop—will be depreci¬ 
ated more than 50 cents per barrel. While 
so much injury is shown from Bordeaux 
use in no case have I seen the least in¬ 
jury to fruit by use of lime and sulphur 
mixture. It is natural to expect that 
such delicate skinned fruit as Spy would 
be most damaged by Bordeaux, but of all 
apples it seems least susceptible. In an 
orchard near Baldwins are badly marked, 
while Spys on next row treated at same 
time and by same strength are scarcely 
marked at all. In a few cases I have 
seen injury to foliage by using lime and 
sulphur too strong, but nowhere such 
injury to fruit. The result will be that 
hereafter very much less Bordeaux will 
be used and lime and sulphur will take 
its place. If we live long enough we are 
liable to know something. 
j. s. WOODWARD. 
GATHERING PINE TREE SEEDS. 
Something like 300,000,000 tree seeds 
have been planted by the government 
workers this year. This is part of the 
forestry work. Some of this seed is 
bought, but most of it is gathered by the 
Forest Service men. The cost of gath¬ 
ering has varied for the different regions 
from 35 cents to one dollar a pound. As 
a rule, the seed is collected in the Fall 
months, when most conifers ripen their 
seed. Parties of three of four men ordi¬ 
narily work together. Where lumbering 
is in progress the collectors follow the 
sawyers, and take the cones directly from 
the felled trees. In standing timber, the 
task is much more arduous. The men 
must often climb tall pines and pull the 
cones from the branches as best they can. 
Where these are on the extremities and 
beyond the reach of the hand, pruning 
shears are used. The cones are dropped 
to the ground and then gathered into 
buckets and transferred to sacks, in 
which they are carried to a central point 
for further treatment. The extraction of 
the seeds is tedious rather than difficult. 
In some cases the cones are spread out 
upon sheets in the sun, where, after a 
time, they open and the seeds drop out; 
in other cases it is necessary to resort 
to artificial heat. This is applied by plac¬ 
ing the cones upon trays with screen bot¬ 
toms and raising the temperature of the 
room to the proper degree. The cones 
open, the winged seeds fall out, and the 
seed is separated finally from the wings 
and dirt by a fanning mill. A good many 
seeds have been removed from the cone 
by hand, but this is a sore trial to the 
fingers of the pickers, and an exceed¬ 
ingly slow process. 
ALFALFA SOIL FOR INOCULATION 
E. T. GILL, Haddon Farms, Haddonfield, N. J. 
C ABBAGE, CELERY, SWEET POTATOES, TOMATOES, BRUS¬ 
SELS SPROUTS AND CELERI AC,best variety fine plants 
$1 peri,000; 10,000 for $7.50. J. C. SCHMIDT. BRISTOL,PA 
API rpY —BE8T VARIETIES. FuU count 
OCLCn I of heavily rooted, stocky plants. 
CAB I5AGE-Heavy—*1.00 per 1000; $4.00 per 5000. 
H. A. TODD, Doylestown, l’enna. 
ONE QUART OF STRAWBERRIES 
KEVITT’S SYSTEM. Send for my Mid-Summer 
Catalogue. T. C. KEVITT, Atlienlu, X. J. 
SEED WHEAT 
Gypsy, Nigger, Poole and Harvest King. Highest 
yieuiers. Heaviest weight per measured bushel 
at Exp. Sta. Recleaned. Grain bags and samples 
free. Low price. Write PROSPECT SEED 
FARM, Madison, O. 
SEEP WHEAT 
m ^^proved 
varieties of Winter Wheat that have proved far 
superior in yield to common kinds. Recleaned Tim¬ 
othy and other grass seeds, Vetches, etc., at whole¬ 
sale prices. Ask for price list 
JOSEPH HARRIS CO., Colduater, N. y'. 
OUR MICHIGAN GROWN 
SEED WHEATS BEST 
Because they are 
grown under best 
climatic conditions, 
most care taken in 
selection, growing, grading and satisfaction guaranteed 
or money back. Our RED WAVE is the best winter 
wheat ever grown. Buy direct from us and get the benefit 
of the best Seed Wheat making facilities in America. | 
Write today for price list No. 17. All leading sorts. 
MAPLEWOOD SEED WHEAT FARMS, Alleaan. Mich. 
SEED WHEAT 
GYPSY WHEAT. Splendid standard variety 
proven by Ohio Experiment Station, test running 
20 years, to be the highest yielder of any variety 
in the state. We can please yon if you are looking 
for good seed. Write today. Onr catalog No. 23 
“How to Grow Alfalfa,” will be mailed free, 
WING SEED CO., Box 523, Mechanicsburg, Ohio. 
00 flflfl BU. SEED WHEAT, grown especially for 
ZZ) UUU seed purposes on COO acres of the Lancas¬ 
ter Co. wheat belt. Smooth and bearded varieties. 
Several new ones that are giving astonishing yields. 
Sound, clean, graded—moderate prices, Return of 
Seed allowed and money refunded, with round trip freight, 
to dissatisfied customers. Our catalog illustrating 
and describing varieties is free,—so are our sam¬ 
ples—but you must ask for them. 
A. H. HOFFMAN, Box 14, Barnford, Pa. 
Peach and Apple Trees 
For fall or spring planting. Prices right; stock 
right. MYER & SON, Bridgeville, Del. 
Apple and Peach Trees''^Kree'canu^ue 
SALESMEN WANTED 
Mitchell’s Nurserv, Beverlv, Ohio 
PEACH TREES 
FALL 1910 SPRING 1911 
We ai-e prepared to quote prices and enter 
orders now for just what you want of our 
own grown trees. Don’t be disappointed 
again the coming season but order now. 
JOS. H. BLACK, SON & CO., HIGHTSTOWN, N. J. 
HARRISON’S NURSERIES 
have been built up by quality trees from a small 
beginning to the largest nursery in America—more 
than 2000 acres devoted to growing trees, plants, 
vines and ornamental stock. Buy of a responsible 
grower and get what you pay for. Address 
HARRISON’S NURSERIES, 
Box 421, Berlin, Md. 
Hairy or Sand Vetches 
A most valuable " catch crop ” to improve land. 
Sow in August. Price S7.-50per 100 tbs. R?cleaned 
Timothy and other grass seeds af wholesale prices. 
JOSEPH HARRIS CO., Coldwater, N. Y. 
Our 
Stoves 
Our New / R 
Stove Catalogue are sold 
ready and we will send /j ” 1 a D m ?!] 
it FREE if you will write for itv^ ne Basis 
Your saving only begins when you save from $5.00 to $20.00 
by buying your stove from us. Windsor Stoves and Ranges 
save fuel every day because they are carefully built of select 
material, the many exclusive features of draft and damper con¬ 
trol insuring the best possible service with the least possible 
fuel. Many of our customers have written us saying that they 
have reduced their fuel bills one-third by the use of Windsor 
Stoves and Ranges, and what these stoves and ranges do for 
others they will surely do for you. 
Let Us Send You Our New Stove Catalogue 
We have just issued our new stove and range catalogue for the Fall and 
Winter of 1910 and 1911. It is a big book, handsomely illustrated, and it 
shows the largest, the most complete line of stoves and ranges sold by any 
firm in this country. We have every kind of a stove imaginable; stoves for 
warm climates, stoves for cold climates; stoves that burn everything- from corn 
cobs to hard coal, and every style is sold by us at prices which are way below 
the average retail prices. Thousands of our customers say that they save from 
$5.00 to $20.00 by buying from us, and surely you will be interested in saving 
on the next stove or range you buy. Our stoves are guaranteed the highest 
grade, guaranteed to please you, guaranteed to be perfect heaters and bakers 
and fuel savers. Just write us a letter or a postal card, saying, “Send me 
your new Stove Catalogue” and we will send it by return mail free and postpaid. 
Address us ai the City nearest you. 19th and Campbell Sts., KANSAS CITY, or Chicago Avenue Bridge, CHICAGO 
Montgomeryshire! & Co. 
tos 
CHICAGO AND KANSAS CITY 
5 YEARS’ use has proven that SAN JOSE SCALE 
and all FUNGOUS diseases, controllable during the dormant season, are absolutely controlled 
by the use of 
“SCALECIDE” 
There is but one—“PRATT’S” Trade Mark, Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. 
Prices: In barrels and half-barrels, 60c. per gallon; 10 gal. cans, $ 6 . 00 ; 6 gal. cans, $3.26; 
1 gal. cans, $1.00. If you want cheap oils, our “CARBOLEINE” at 30c. per gallon is the 
equal of ANYTHING ELSE. \ Sena for free Booklet, “Orchard Insurance.” 
B. G. PRATT COMPANY, Mfg. Chemists. 50 CHURCH ST., NEW YORK CITY 
I our trial grounds as well as the best of the 
older sorts, are fully described in 
DREER’S 
Mid-Summer 
Catalogue 
Also the best varieties of Celery, Cab- 
i bage Plants, etc. 
A most complete list of the Best Hardy 
If Perennial Seeds for summer sowing. 
Also vegetable and farm seeds for sum- 
!| | mer and fall sowing. Select list of season- 
|| able decorative and flowering plants. 
Write for a copy and kindly 
mention this magazine—FREE 
|| HENRY a. DREER PHILADELPHIA 
Hyacinths, Darwin and other 
Tulips, Narcissus and Crocus, 
Easter Lilies and hardy Japan 
and Native Lilies. English, 
German, Spanish and Japan Iris. 
Freesias, Calochortus and 
Trilliums, and all other Native 
and Foreign Bulbs and Roots 
in endless variety. : : : 
The Largest Assortment in America 
CATALOGUE NOW READY 
Mailed free for the asking 
J. M. THORBURN & CO. 
33 Barclay Street 
Dept. R 
New York 
