3 004 
THE Rtj RAL NEW-YORKER 
October 29, 
FARMERS* CLUB 
[Every 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 
separate piece of paper.] 
KENTUCKY APPLE QUESTIONS. 
J. M. H., Bowling Green, Ky. —1. I have 
a young Winesap orchard, five years old, 
which has been given clean cultivation 
since setting, and bore a few apples this 
year. For the next year or two I shall 
i.e so engaged that 1 cannot give them 
the clean cultivation that has been given 
in the past. Which is preferable, sowing 
a strip 10 or 12 feet wide in clover in the 
tree row and cultivating the middles, or 
sowing the middles in clover and culti¬ 
vating the tree row? The soil is a thin 
sandy loam, and in the Spring the trees 
have a tendency to work loose in high 
winds. 2. Should three-year-old apple 
trees, which have been cut back each 
Spring and are making three and four feet 
of growth annually, be manured now or 
wait until they come into bearing to ap¬ 
ply stable manure? 3. Please name an 
apple which is beautiful and pleasing to 
the eye without regard to quality—an ex¬ 
hibition apple. 
Ans. —1 . There would be little dif¬ 
ference between the results from work¬ 
ing out the two plans. The roots of the 
apple trees must now be quite well grown 
into the middle of the rows and the 
tillage would do about as much good 
one place as the other. As the trees 
have reached bearing age and the soil 
is “thin,” they would be benefited by a 
few years in clover and I would sug¬ 
gest that that the entire surface be sown 
to Red clover and allowed to remain in 
this crop for two or three years. There 
should be no making of hay from it, 
but the clover should be cut twice each 
year and allowed to lie and rot. This 
will make a great amount of humus 
and enrich the soil materially. 2. From 
the statement that the trees are making 
three and four feet of growth annually 
it seems entirely unnecessary further to 
stimulate them. They should be allowed 
to grow without cutting back, and when 
they get into good bearing they may 
need to have the soil enriched, but 
certainly not now. Stable manure is a 
good fertilizer, but potash and phos¬ 
phorus in some commercial form will 
be better, provided there is an abund¬ 
ance of humus in the soil. If there is 
not then stable manure will be very 
beneficial. 3. There are few apples, if 
any, that make a more striking appear¬ 
ance on the show table tha<n Wolf 
River. It is very large, and striped and 
splashed with brilliant red. The season 
in Kentucky is August and September. 
The quality is only fair. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
Storing Cabbage. 
In regard to storing green cabbage, we 
think it would make some difference in 
what latitude the storing was done. Here 
in Orange County the ground generally 
freezes to a depth of several inches, 
which is a great help in keeping vege¬ 
tables. We would store the amount of 
cabbage you mention as follows: About 
November 10 we pull the heads, turning 
them upside down; we then remove the 
root, being careful however to leave as 
much leaves as possible on head. Next 
select a piece of land with good natural 
drainage and place cabbage in a pile as 
follows: First course on bottom three 
neads wide, second two, and third one; 
then cover with any straw or coarse hay 
two or three inches deep. Next take the 
plow and run two or three furrows on 
each side of pile and cover with a shovel 
six to eight inches deep. With reason¬ 
able weather the cabbage can be removed 
any time up to March 1 in good condi¬ 
tion. We have never grown red cabbage, 
but see no reason why it should not keep 
as well as green, conditions being the 
same. tighe Bros. 
New York. 
Killing Out Chickweed. 
My gardefi Is badly infested with chick- 
weed, and I have tried to destroy it by 
plowing and persistent hoeing, but without 
success. It grows all Winter and Summer, 
and covers the whole ground continually. 
IIow should I proceed to get rid of this 
pest? E. M. B. 
Pennsylvania. 
Most weeds are a blessing, but chickweed 
is a curse, especially in Pennsylvania, where 
gardeners seldom succeed in subduing it 
entirely. The only means partially to con¬ 
trol it is frequent cultivation. During wet 
seasons and upon clay loams it often gets 
a start which results in serious injury to 
strawberries and other crops growing late 
in the Fall, or which remain in the ground 
throughout the Winter. Continuous tillage 
will control the weed during the Summer, 
and it will not make a mat during the Win¬ 
ter if the ground is hoed thoroughly as late 
to the Fall as possible. a. l. watts. 
Acid for Destroying Stumps. 
About a year ago a reader wrote me that 
he had read somewhere in your paper a 
new method of getting rid of stumps, and 
had tried it and liked it. We published 
his experience, but now comes an irate 
subscriber who says it is N. G. The meth¬ 
od that the subscriber said your paper 
advocated was to put a two-inch auger hole 
in his stump, two feet deep. Into this 
hole put a pint of a mixture equal parts 
of nitric and sulphuric acid, plug The hole 
tightly with a plug dipped in melted paraf¬ 
fin and 80 days later the stump would be 
a charred mass of rotten pulp. I wish you 
would tell me if your paper has ever advo¬ 
cated this method, and what you know 
about it, that I may appease a thoroughly 
disgusted subscriber? e. p. M. 
It is hard enough to stand for the things 
we did say. We never endorsed this scheme 
of destroying a stump; in fact, we have 
deemed it as a fake. In “The Ileron Nest” 
an account was given of boring a hole in 
the stump and then pouring in kerosene, then 
later setting the stump on fire. We doubt¬ 
ed it, though the plan may work on pine 
stumps in a dry season. As for the other 
scheme, we would like to know where we 
ever advised its use. 
Wipe Mowers.—A few weeks ago in 
“Brevities” you asked about seven-foot 
cutter bars on mowers. I have used one 
six or seven years, and they are all right 
on level ground. I do not think they 
would do well on hilly ground. In draft, 
they do not pull much heavier than five 
or six-foot bar. I can cut 2 14 to 3 acres 
in one hour, and that means something in 
haymaking in this country. e. f. h. 
Huntington, Ind. 
“Mulchers” Are Alive. —Just at pres¬ 
ent we are more than busy. We have 
already sold over 3,000 bushels of ap¬ 
ples; will have at least 3,000 bushels 
more to sell. I do not think a finer 
crop, as to color and quality, was ever 
grown in this State. We cannot keep 
up with our orders at the following 
prices: $2 per bushel for fancy, $1.50 
for No. 1, $1 for No. 2. This is for 
the fruit without the package. It looks 
very much as though the “mulchers” 
would stay in the business. 
GRANT G. HITCHINGS. 
Onondaga Co., N. Y. 
The Stump Problem. —I have just 
read letter of T. B. Boss on page 898 on 
burning stumps. The “Farm Journal” 
had a statement that on their experiment 
farm they intended to use a bottomless 
sheet iron stove, putting the stove over 
the stump, and having a large fire therein 
of the tops and brush. I have seen a 
stump (locust) burn away down beneath 
the ground after a fire was built on the 
top, the fire kept alive several days, but 
chestnut stumps would only char. The 
best way is to cut the tree level with the 
ground and use a Cutaway disk harrow 
or plow. A turnover plow to my mind 
should be relegated to the junk heap. A 
deep cutting Cutaway disk plow and 
then an Acme harrow and the ground is 
ready for any crop. 
Long Island. elbert wakeman. 
A Fake Agent.' —The News of Newton 
Falls (Ohio) tells of people near that place 
who bought fruit trees from Sadler Bros., 
Bloomington, Ill. A local agent named 
Younce sold the trees, which seem to have 
been a poor lot, many/ having died. Younce 
apparently had a poor reputation, and some 
of these farmers wrote the nursery asking 
if they would pay for the dead trees. The 
following brilliant reply was received : “We 
expect to have a man canvass Newton Falls 
between this and next Spring. Thanking 
you for past favors, and soliciting your 
future patronago, we are,” etc. It seems 
that Younce bought the trees as a jobber 
and signed a written contract with buyers. 
The nursery company is not bound in any 
wa^. It is the old story of not reading the 
contract carefully. 
Seedling Potatoes. — Last Fall my 
brother brought a number of potato ball's 
in from the potato fields and I thought I 
would plant them last Spring. In the April 
23 issue of The R. N.-Y. there was an ar¬ 
ticle by Mr. Surdam, of Vermont, on raising 
potatoes from seed, in which I was very 
much interested, and so I followed his di¬ 
rections for planting and caring for them. 
I planted them in the house, and by the 
number that came up I should think every 
seed sprouted. The next thing was to trans¬ 
plant them, and when I did this they all 
died but 21 plants. J had to fight the 
little black beetle to save these, but they 
made a fine growth, and last week when 
I dug them I was very much surprised at 
the size of some of the potatoes. Mr. Sur¬ 
dam says the largest one he ever raised or 
saw weighed four ounces. My largest one 
measured Il%x7% inches, and weighed 
7% ounces. Another weighed six ounces, 
several others weighed three and four 
ounces. These seed balls were from the 
Green Mountain potatoes. H. m. t. 
Marlow, N. H. 
Cherry Trees 
at $6.48 for 100 
Our Dansville grown 
trees are the best for 
garden and orchard, 
growing and fruiting 
fn every state, 
fresh dug, true 
to name, All 
trees as repre¬ 
sented. N o 
scale, personal 
attention giv¬ 
en each order. 
1 000 000 A PP Ie »„ Peach, Pear, 
)UUV)UVO Plum & Cherry Trees 
Send a list of your wants to us, the largest tree 
growers in America for wholesale prices. 
Everybody write for free illustrated catalogue. 
MALONEY BROS. 6 WELLS, Box IS Dansville, N. Y. 
A Hot Oven in Twenty Minutes with the STERLING RANGE 
ITH your present range, can you start with a 
cold stove, build a new fire, and get a Inking 
heat in twenty minutes? You can with the 
W 
IN 
N< 
The draft is never produced by the stove—the 
chimney has to furnish that. But some stoves kill even 
a good draft, because they are full of air leaks. The 
STERLING is tight. It uses all the draft your chimney 
can give it. When you start a fire in the STERLING, it 
starts. You don’t have to nurse it along, or wait,or worry. 
Our booklet tells of a score of exclusive features that 
will interestyou. Get a copy from your dealer, or send 
the dealer’s name to us, and we’ll send you the booklet. 
SILL STOVE WORKS, 215 Kent Street, Rochester, N. Y. 
' COMPLYING WITH THE INSECTICIDE ACT OF 1910 
SPRAY IT WILL PAY YOU TO USE EITHER 
PASTE OR POWDERED 
FOR ALL LEAF EATING INSECTS 
RESPONSIBLE DISTRIBUTERS and AGENTS WANTED 
KEY BRAND 
RIGHT PRICE ano MATERIAL 
FUNGICIDE and IHSECTICIOE 
» t -, UST 
INTERSTATE CHEMICAL. CO. 
14 BAYVIEW AVE.,JERSEY CITY. N.J. 
WRITE FOR PRICE?,CIRCULARS ETC- CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED. 
PEACH TREES 
FALL 1910 
SPRING 1911 
We are prepared to quote prices and enter 
orders now for just what yon want of our 
own grown trees. Don’t be disappointed 
again the coming season but order now. 
JOSEPH H. BLACK. SON & COMPANY 
HIGHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY 
CATALPA s T p R E ^°s Sft 
Mine are true to name. Write for free Booklet, 
II. C. ltOGEHS, Box II, Mechanicsburg, Ohio 
Trees, Plants 
and Vines for Sale « 
Green's fruit and ornamental trees grow and 
are TRUE 10 NAME, Kstablislied thirty yeara. 
Capital 8125,000. Buy of Green and save half 
your money. No agents. Send for our big fruit 
catalog, 72 pages, illustrated, and get free copy 
“jo of Green’s Fruit Instructor. 
"°°t worth a Dollar for 1 O Cents. Send 10 
l cents for postage and mailing Green’s Book , 
k on Fruit Growing. Send in tree order now. 
GREEN’S NURSERY CO., 
Rochester, N. Y. 
Stump Puller 
Warranted the most practical machino made. One man can lift 
20 tons. 3 styles. 10 sizes. *25 and up. Screw,Cable or Hand Power. 
We make cheapest TILE DITCHER and the best 
p _ __ U. r „.,t. r ever sold. One horse cuts 2 rows. 
bONI ndlVCoICI One man. No twine. On trial. 
Agents wanted. Our new 64-page Catalog FREE. Writo Today. 
H. R BENNETT & COMPANY. WESTERVILLE, OHIO. 
*|'P|JTC WANTFn — T° se '* Trees and Plants. 
HULI1 I 0 TIHI1 I LU Highest commissions, paya- 
b'e weekly. Write for free outfit. PERRY NUR¬ 
SERIES, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. 
QTRAWIERRY PLANTS —All the lending and moneymaking 
O varieties .ready to ship now. D. HODWAY, Hartly.DeJ. 
Seed Potatoes 
We offer for sale, carefully packed iu barrels, 
seed potatoes of the Green Mountain variety. 
These potatoes have been grown on our own farm 
in Massachusetts, near tbe New Hampshire State 
line, from Aroostook County, Maine, seed, care¬ 
fully treated with formalin, and planted on sod 
land absolutely free from scab. It is tbe highest 
type of seed potato of this variety and absolutely 
reliable, and taken from the product of the farm 
where the yield was enormous. Experienced grow¬ 
ers south of us are always looking for seed pro¬ 
duced under these conditions, and we invite corre¬ 
spondence from prospective buyers. 
Price S2.50 per barrel, or for two and 
one-half bushels—sixty pounds to a bushel. 
Address ST. MARTIN FARM, Littleton, Mass. 
Peach and Apple Trees 
For fall or spring planting. Prices right; stock 
right. MYER & SON, Bridgeville, Del" 
TELEGRAPHY TAUGHT 
in the shortest possible time. Wirele** and Morse. 
Omni graph send* you telegraph me* Mice* without 
limit automatically. $2.00 up. Circular free. 
OMNIGRAPH MF6. CO., 
39M., Dep’t 11, Cortlandt Si., New York 
If You are Looking for 
Opportunities 
Visit the 
Pacific Northwest 
A Marvelous Country 
Go via 
Union Pacific 
STANDARD ROAD OF THE WEST 
Electric Block Signals 
Excellent Dining Cars 
For literature and information relative to fares, routes, etc., 
call on or address 
J. B. DE FRIEST, G. E. A., 287 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, N. Y. 
