©42 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 8, 
TROUBLE WITH CORN. 
E. P., Nutley, N. J .—Can you tell me 
what is the matter with my corn? It is 
Country Gentleman; the ears are good 
sized, well filled and altogether very good 
looking, the finest looking I have ever been 
able to produce in my limited experience 
of the past four years. But the trouble is 
that it is not sweet. The first time I 
tasted this variety of corn I thought it the 
finest I had ever tasted. My corn patch 
was fertilized in the Spring with cow and 
horse manure mixed. The early growth was 
very slow, due T thought entirely to weather 
conditions, and the patch was cultivated 
about three times. The Golden Bantam 
was delicious and I am thinking of growing 
this variety exclusively another year, but I 
hate to give up the Country Gentleman 
without another trial. Would different 
treatment improve the quality? 
Ans. — I believe the trouble to be due 
to either one of two causes—poor seed or 
climatic conditions. Either will cause 
the trouble complained of. But from the 
fact that the inquirer clearly states in his 
letter that the early growth was very 
slow, due entirely to other conditions, 
leads me to believe that was possibly the 
trouble. I have noticed quite frequently 
in the many years of growing this crop 
that some seasons the corn will be much 
sweeter than it will be in others. We 
must not lose sight of the fact that there 
is a chemical laboratory within that corn 
plant, and the work done there cannot be 
done at its best unless climatic condi¬ 
tions are congenial thereto. The past 
season has been a very trying one for the 
vegetable grower in many parts of this 
country. Admitting that the planter se¬ 
lected ideal soil, used good judgment in 
preparing, manuring and fertilizing the 
same, and gave his crop thorough culti¬ 
vation, there is still one factor left over 
which the grower has no control—water. 
Water is the carrying agent, and without 
it we cannot hope to have ideal fruits 
and vegetables. The soil may abound in 
available mineral constituents; it may 
have an abundance of nitrogen, but with¬ 
out water in sufficient quantity to carry 
it to that laboratory where starches and 
sugars are made, we cannot expect to 
have an ideal product. From the other 
viewpoint, it may be possible that the 
seeds the inquirer planted were not al¬ 
together pure. In my limited experi¬ 
ence with this variety of sweet corn, I 
have thought that strains from certain 
seed houses were much better and 
sweeter than what purported to be the 
same variety purchased from other 
seedsmen. This, however, is something 
that the inquirer must figure out himself. 
C. C. HULSART. 
R. N.-Y.—It is also possible that the 
soil lacked potash. The sulphate with 
the manure might have helped. 
WORK OF SEVENTEEN-YEAR LOCUSTS. 
It is announced that next yen we are 
to have another visit from the 17-year 
locust in New Jersey, as a new biood is 
due to hatch out then. Just what hap¬ 
pened when this locust came bcfoie, what 
. particular damage did they do, and what 
can we reasonably expect next yea"? From 
your previous experience would you make 
any difference in your planting of fiuit on 
account of these locusts? 
In Mercer County about 14 years ago 
there was but light damage. The previ¬ 
ous periodical visit I rememb' 1 ] caused 
more harm but not very serious. I would 
not hesitate planting fiuit tre^s on ac¬ 
count of locust visitation from past expe¬ 
rience. S. B. KCrCHAM. 
Mercer Jo., N. J. 
We nc/er have had any serious injury 
from the 17-year locusts since I can remem¬ 
ber, in this neighborhood. The uniy dam¬ 
age I ever saw was near Reading. Pa., 
where the chestnut trees were cut a good 
deal. The ends of the young growths were 
punctured and were ready to drop off. As 
we never had any damage here, I should 
plant fruit trees without hesitation. If 
the trees were trimmed, as Mi. Fraser 
suggested at our last meeting, I would not 
anticipate any trouble, even in the infested 
regions, unless it might be in lauds recent¬ 
ly cleared. Howard g. taylor. 
Burlington Co.. N. J. 
In 1883 I am absolutely positive they 
did considerable damage to a tluee-year- 
old peach orchard along one side next to 
a piece of woodland for 10 or 12 rows, and 
these rows never amounted to much; in 
the rest of the orchard the damage was very 
slight, if any. The 1900 brood was very 
small in comparison, and I remember no 
damage from them to amount to anything. 
The sparrows took them in charge about 
as soon as they showed thorns ^ves above 
ground, and I think the 1917 brood will be 
still smaller; and if the English sparrow 
is allowed to thrive the 17-year locust will 
soon be a thing of the past. in regard 
to next year’s planting where the brood is 
due, I would not hesitate to set, and would 
expect little or no loss, believing that the 
young trees would soon outgrow the sting 
of the female locust. These could be eas¬ 
ily cut back w T ith no damage to the tree. 
With a two or three-vear-old orchard I 
would expect more damage and loss, as 
they seem to prefer to lay their eggs in 
a small horizontal limb about as thick as 
a lead pencil. This dies and drops off. 
I do not remember ever seeing a perpen¬ 
dicular limb or body of tree stung. 
Mercer Co., N. J. p. v. drake. 
Plum Curculio. 
T. TF. N., Ohio .—Our Lombard plums 
that were not killed by the late freezes last 
Spring all gummed and fell off. What 
caused that? They were sprayed with as- 
senate of lead and sulphate of lime once 
just after the bloom fell off. 
Ans.—T hey were stung by a little in¬ 
sect called plum curculio. In each place 
where the skin was pierced an egg was 
placed and it soon hatched and began 
to eat its way to the seed. This caused 
the gum to form and the fruit to drop. 
Spraying does very little harm to this 
pest. Jarring off the affected plums and 
the bugs, too, about twice a week from 
the time the plums begin to form until 
they are more than half grown will do 
some good. They are caught on a sheet 
and burned. This insect is easily caught 
in this way. In some places it troubles 
peaches very badly, h. e. van deman. 
Bill for Husband’s Services. 
A widower, who assisted his wife during 
her life in her boarding house, now files 
a bill against her estate for services ren¬ 
dered her during her life. Can he recover? 
New York. T. a. 
Both the husband and wife are entitled 
to the services, society and help of the other 
spouse and can claim no pay for these 
advantages. The mercenary spirit has no 
place in the family circle. What is done 
for the interest of the family is done in the 
spirit of love and mutual help. IIis claim 
against her estate should be disallowed. 
The policy of the law is to foster family 
co-operation. 
“Yonder is a beach camera fiend,” said 
the first bathing girl. “They are dis¬ 
gusting I think.” “This one is particu¬ 
larly disgusting,” declared the second 
bathing girl. “After I had posed all 
morning for his benefit, he ate his lunch 
from that box.”—Washington Herald. 
DAILY 
OUTPUT 
17,500 
8BLS. 
YEARLY 
OUTPUT 
OVER 
6,000,000 
ALPHA 
PORTLAND CEMENT 
is absolutely the best that can be made 
for all farm work. Largely used by 
U. S. Government and in State, Munici¬ 
pal and Railroad work—a reputation of 
20 years behind it. Ask your dealer for 
ALPHA 
Send for Booklet and learn why it is the best. 
ALPHA PORTLAND CEMENT CO., 
ADDRESS 
2 Center Square, EASTON, PA. 
iPOWN FENC 
Qi 
Strongest most durable fence 
J made. Heaviest, closest wires. Double 
^^galvanized. Practically indestructible. Stock 
strong Chicken tight. 14 to 35c per rod. Sample free. Wop. ... 
The brown Fence & Wire Co., Dept. 59 Cleveland, Cl lo 
22 Models for 1911 
* 1911 _ 8775 to 8L675 
Licensed under Selden patent niwm 
The new Overland line consists of 22 models—from 20 to 35 h. p. 
All have four cylinders—all include gas lamps and magneto. 
You can now get anything desirable in size, style 
or power in the famous Overland line. And what¬ 
ever you want will cost considerably less than any 
other equal car. 
We have cut the cost of Overlands 28 per cent with¬ 
in the past two years. We have done this by investing 
over $3,000,000 in the highest type of modern equip¬ 
ment. 
We have installed hundreds of automatic machines 
for making each part in the most exact, most eco¬ 
nomical way. The sum of that saving amounts, on 
the average, to $300 per car. 
Because of that saving, and our enormous produc¬ 
tion, Overlands give much more for the money than 
you get in any other car. 
20,000 Now in Use 
The Overland is not three years old, yet 20,000 
cars are in use. And dealers have already paid their 
deposits on more than 18,000 of the new-season models. 
This amazing demand has been due to creating an 
utterly perfect car. No Overland owner ever meets 
a car that is better than his. It would be entirely 
impossible, at any price, to build a car more economi¬ 
cal, more reliable, more trouble-proof. 
The parts and materials which go into each car are 
subjected to more than a thousand inspections. The 
engines arc run for 48 hours before they go into the 
cars. Th.,n every chassis, before the body is added, 
is given at least two severe road tests. 
As a result of this care, each Overland car sells 
others. For much of the time the demand has been 
from two to three times our output. 
Many New Styles 
Our designers this year have given their attention 
largely to style and appearance. The mechanism of 
the cars could not be further perfected. 
They have designed a new roadster for $775. It is 
a 20-horsepower 4-cylinder car with a 96-inch wheel 
base. 
They have designed three styles of torpedo road¬ 
sters, one of which sells for $850. 
They have brought out new ideas in low-hanging, 
straight-line touring cars—some with the new fore 
doors. In some of the models you are offered the 
choice of fore doors or open front with no difference 
in price. You will note that most makers charge an 
extra price for the fore-door designs, else they don’t 
make them at all. 
Every model has double ignition, the separate 
cylinders, the five-bearing crank shaft, the unit power 
plant, the dust-proof case—all in accord with the best 
engineering practice. Some have the pedal control, 
some the sliding gears. 
Our Interesting 1911 Book 
Our book of the 1911 Overlands shows about all the 
new things in motordom. It pictures all our new 
models and gives full specifications. 
There are five styles of 25-horsepower cars which 
this year sell for $1,000. The wheel base is 102 inches. 
The 30-horsepower Overlands, with 110-inch wheel 
bases, sell for $1,250. On the touring models you have 
your choice of fore doors or open front. 
The 35-horsepower Overlands, with 118-inch wheel 
bases, sell for $1,600 and $1,675. All prices include 
gas lamps and magneto. 
Send us this coupon for a copy of the book and the 
name of our nearest dealer. 
The Willys-Overland Co. 
(085) 
(Licensed Under Selden Patent) 
Toledo, Ohio 
Please mail the 1911 book to 
Our Si,000 touring' car — 25 h. p. — 102-inch wheel base. 
Five styles of body. The tonneau shown above is detach¬ 
able, allowing' room for milk cans or farm truck. 
All prices include gas lamps and magneto 
(124) 
One of the new fore-door models. Note the straight lines. 
iA fore-door touring' car, with 30 horse power and 
110-inch wheel base, costs $1,250. 
