146 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
January 31, 
What Helped the Pumpkin Seed ? 
Reading an article this morning on 
the “Survival of the Fittest,” recalled 
the interesting experience I had last sea¬ 
son with pumpkins. Two years ago, in 
a potato patch, where we had used sta¬ 
ble manure, I noticed a volunteer squash 
or pumpkin vine which was so very vig¬ 
orous I left it through the season, and it 
bore several of the finest pumpkins I had 
ever seen. From the largest of these I 
Sowed the seed and last Spring planted 
10 hills, which were highly manured and 
cultivated. The season was very unfav¬ 
orable and not one of the many pump¬ 
kins compared with the one which bore 
the seed used, but of the seed from the 
others, which was thrown onto the man¬ 
ure pile as they were used, two plants 
came up in my Lima beans, and were al¬ 
lowed to grow, bearing 10 pumpkins, 
fully equal to the best of last years’ crop. 
One of these vines, actual measurement 
extended 30 feet in each direction, and 
was a beautiful sight with its large and 
beautiful fruit. The question with me 
now is. how are we to find out which of 
these seeds is the best? One plan I have 
is to sow the seed in the Winter with 
fresh manure, and expose it to frost, 
planting the manure in a trench in the 
Spring, and then transplanting whatever 
may come up. I find ho difficulty in 
transplanting either squash or pumpkins. 
Can any of your readers suggest a better 
plan? A. c. w. 
New York. 
I believe every tiller of the soil has at 
one time or another (and many of us 
many times) had similar experience as 
recorded in the above letter, and won¬ 
dered why it was that these volunteer 
pumpkins grew so much better, and bore 
more and finer fruits than vines grown 
from seed saved and planted in the reg¬ 
ular way. I have many times given the 
matter much thought, and have delved 
through many pages of gardening litera¬ 
ture in quest of information on the sub¬ 
ject, but have never been able to find 
anything in print that shed any light on 
it. 
I have long believed that it is entirely 
due to the stratifying of the seeds in the 
manure. By reason of the protecting 
covering of manure, they were preserved 
in what might be termed the green state, 
the meats retaining all their original 
moisture, thus preventing any possible 
weakening of the germ that might result 
from drying out, thereby preserving every 
grain of vitality originally stored within 
the germ. I have planned for several 
years to prove or disprove the correctness 
of this theory, but always neglected it. 
I am now sorry I failed to carry out my 
plans for this experiment. If I had done 
so I might now be in a position to ex¬ 
plain the matter fully. I am glad you in¬ 
tend to do some experimenting along that 
line. I shall probably do likewise this 
year, if opportunity affords, and I hope 
by next year we shall be able to give 
some light on the question. If the phe¬ 
nomenon is due to the stratifying of the 
seed, it is not-likely the manure is of any 
benefit to the seed, other than to pre¬ 
serve the germ in its full vigor. If that 
is true, loam or sand used in the same 
manner as practiced for the stratification 
of tree seeds will answer quite as well or 
better, and be cleaner and more satis¬ 
factory to handle. Perhaps some other 
reader of The II. N.-Y. can shed some 
light on this interesting question. K. 
HORTICULTURISTS OF 
COUNCIL. 
Part I. 
OHIO IN 
The forty-seventh annual meeting of 
the Ohio State Horticultural Society, and 
the Fifth Annual Ohio Apple Show, were 
held in the City of Cleveland Jan. 20 to 
25 inclusive. The first session was a sort 
of “get-together” gathering, planned in 
part by the Agricultural Commission and 
the officers of the society. All of the 
active members of the Commission were 
present, the president, Mr. A. C. Sandies, 
presiding. Dean II. ('. Price of the State 
University, stated that nine-tenths of the 
apples consumed in the City of Cleveland 
came from outside the State of Ohio. 
There was no good excuse for this. Ap¬ 
ples used in Ohio should be grown in 
Ohio. The conditions for their growth 
were as favorable as in any other State, 
and the quality was as good. There was 
enough good apple land in Eastern and 
Southern Ohio to raise apples not only 
for her own use but for the whole United 
States. The fact that apples were shipped 
into Ohio, often from great distances, 
made the retailers’ price to the consumer 
in our cities so great that many were 
obliged to go without this wholesome 
fruit. The man in the city has much to 
learn from the thoroughly trained coun¬ 
try horticulturist, while many an old 
fashioned country fruit grower can learn 
much from the city man who engages in 
orcharding. The average city man be¬ 
lieves in thoroughness and does not hesi¬ 
tate at expense when lie sees that one 
dollar invested will yield several fold. 
The city man is more teachable. lie 
likes to be told what to do to increase the 
size, brighten the color and improve the 
quality of his apples. He knows the 
virtue of the really good, while the old- 
time fruit grower is satisfied with a 
mediocre product. The intensive orchard¬ 
ing of the city man on a large scale is 
doing the farmer orchadist a lot of good. 
Dr. II. W. Wiley gave an equally in¬ 
teresting and instructive address on 
“Fruit as Food and Medicine.” He 
said among other things that anything 
may be regarded as a food for man that 
builds up tissue, repairs waste, and sup¬ 
plies the body with heat and other forms 
of energy. Food should keep that com¬ 
plicated machine, the human body, in 
good working condition. Medicine is 
something for repairing the machine 
when out of order. Fruits are not es¬ 
pecially rich in nutrients, but they serve 
a good purpose in keeping up the heat of 
the body and furnishing energy. The 
body is ofteii compared to an engine and 
the food to the fuel used. Regarded as 
a fuel, fruit burns well. It leaves a pure, 
clean ash with no clinkers. One of the 
most valuable constituents of fruit is 
the acid it contains. These acids act 
both as foods and medicines. When we 
are well we eat fruit because we en¬ 
joy it—it tastes good and acts as a food. 
When we are ill fruits by their cooling 
quality help to correct a feverish condi¬ 
tion. They are also useful as antiseptics, 
destroying injurious germs that may have 
found lodgment in the body. The apple 
is one of the best of fruits and should 
form a part of our everyday diet. 
The annual address of President E. J. 
Riggs was short but inspiring. Ohio, in 
spite of flood and frost, is a great horti¬ 
cultural State. What is most needed is 
a spirit of mutual cooperation and help¬ 
fulness among all who raise fruit. Mr. 
R. A. Gill of Ottawa County gave a 
good account of the evolution of the me¬ 
chanical fruit grader. As far a peaches 
are concerned the best grader now in 
use seems to be well nigh perfect. Ap¬ 
ples, owing to their variation in shape, 
and the difference in their vertical and 
cross diameters, are more difficult to 
grade than peaches. Yet many of the 
larger growers are finding the best apple 
grader a great saving of time and ex¬ 
pense. These graders or sizers do bet¬ 
ter work than can be done by hand and 
do not injure even tender-skinned fruit. 
Eggs may be graded by the best of these 
machines. Apples and peaches may be 
graded at the rate of one hundred bar¬ 
rels or more an hour. w. K. lazeaby. 
Some Growing Chil 
are under size—under weight. 
Some grow tall and thin, others 
are backward in studies—pale and 
frail —improper assimilation is 
usually the cause. 
If your children are not rugged 
and ruddy and rosy—bubbling 
with energy and vim at all times, 
you owe them SCOTT’S 
EMULSION -nature's 
concentated nourishment to 
build body, bone, muscle 
and brain. 
CHILDREN NEED 
SCOTT’S EMULSION 
TO PROGRESS. 
Scott & Bowne Bloomfield, N. J. 12 -isj 
BUYING 
POWER 
SPRAYER * 
Is like buying a piano—von must l>e sure you 
are getting the right machine because if it is 
the right sprayer, it will last, a lifetime. The 
DEYO POWER SPRAYER 
is a thoroughly practical machine that has stood the hardest 
working test of a dozen years. It run* perfectly on any 
ground, in any temperature. Has DEYO engine, dire* t 
connected pump, perfect agitation, and clear'thoroughly 
seasoned C.vpresa tank. Write ns, or our nearest factory 
selling agent, for illustrated booklet, telling all about l)eyo 
Power Sprayers and peyo Engines. 
DEYO-MACEY ENGINE COMPANY 
22 Washington St., BINGHAMTON, N. Y. 
J. 8. Woodbouse, 189-195 Water St.,New York 
KlchardHon Mfg. Go., Worcester, Mass. 
Kendall Si Whitney, Portland, Maine 
LIGHT RIGS 
WITH LOTS OF POWER 
We make a complete line of Sprayers for Orchard, Field and Vineyard, both Hand 
and Power Types, designed and built under the personal supervision of a practical 
mr ' ’ ’ 1 . 
mi 
and 
powi .... _ .. 
heavy ground. 
LITTLE GIANT ORCHARD POWER SPRAYERS 
are built in two sizes with tanks of 200 gallons, and 100 gallons capacity, 
both are equipped with a special pump of our own make, especially power¬ 
ful. easy working, and so simply constructed that every part is accessible. 
Our pump lias many practical features like pet cocks through which- you 
can draw off all the water and prevent freezing. 
THE PUMP WITH THE CLUTCH 
is a little Giant feature. By throwing out the clutch the 
pump may be stopped without stopping the engine or 
interfering with agitator. It's a groat advantage to be 
able to crank the engine without having the pump 
attached. You can also mix your solution thoroughly 
before starting spraying. Little Giants are giving extra 
satisfactory service to many growers, it will bo worth 
your while to write for our catalog and prices- 
W. C. AKINS MACHINE COMPANY 
976 INSURANCE BLDG., ROCHESTER, N.Y. 
YOU MR FARMER 
need the Spramotor to realize from your farm or or¬ 
chard, all that it can make for you—doing without it is 
costly — THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS are lost yearly 
through ravages of bugs pests germs and blight upon 
plant life. 
The increased yield in field, garden and orchard crops 
at a cost of a few cents an acre for spraying will return 
DOLLA RS in extra profits. 
You can pay for your equipment and BANK MONEY in 
one season from the increased yield you will get by using 
the Spramotor. After earing for your own crops 
MAKE BIG MONEY 
spraying those of your neighbors and friends. 
The hand power Spramotor sprays an acre of potatoes 
effectively in-30 minutes if done three times in growing 
season often more than double the yield. 
The President of the Michigan State Horticultural 
Society says, “ I have never seen so perfect an equip¬ 
ment for spraying.” 
G. W. Maurer, New York, writes. “ The Spramotor I 
bought, of you last season was put in test with others 
and PROVEN To BE THE BEST in every way. In2}£ 
hours the Spramotor did better and as much work as 
could be done in 11 hours with the next best.” , 
FARMING 
without ttiis dividend paying farm efficiency machine is 
like a carpenter trying to build a good house wit hout 
the necessary tools. There is a Spramotor built express¬ 
ly for your needs. 
Write for free catalog and proofs of what it can do for 
you. 
112 Erie St., Buffalo, N. Y. 
oo. 
162 King St., London, Ont. 
SPRAY”"" ANTI-KLOG 
They give the highest efficiency through long hard terms of 
service. There is an Anti-Klog of the right capacity for 
those who have much and those who have little spraying to do. 
They spray better—spray better longer—and represent more 
downright sprayer value—than any other spraying devices 
manufactured. 
Ease of operation, simplicity, strength and a number of other 
individual features appeal to every user. The Anti-Klog 
nozzels make it very difficult for any mixture to clog the outlet 
Guaranteed for 5 Years 
You are absolutely protected when you buy an 
Anti-Klog, as each one is sold under an unquali¬ 
fied guarantee of 5 years’ service. 
Send for our new free catalog and give your 
dealer’s name. You should now make preparations 
for spring spraying. 
ILLINOIS METALS COMPANY 
2412 West 22nd Street CHICAGO, ILL. 
Potato Profits 
A certain loss in potatoes has been 
turned into a profit of $30 an acre by more 
and better cultivation. Keeps the soil mel 
low, retains the moisture and kills the weeds. 
IRON ME 
Riding 
Cultivators 
Carry every possible adjustment of points, gangs, 
wheels and frame to care for any row crops in 
any soil and especially for potatoes. 
All steel but pole ^ Built for wear a 
and neckyoke. \\ „ || // convenience. 
See them at your < 
dealers and write ^ 
us for booklet on 
Two -Horse 
RidingandWalk- 
ing Cultivators.” 
Ask also for Iron 
Age Farm and 
Garden News. 
BATEMAN 
M’F’G CO. 
Box 1027 
Grenloch, N. J. 
“ Friend ” Sprayers Make Good—R eason 
Gkokge D. Kittkkdgk, Mont Vernon, N. IT., 1-14-1914. 
Genti.kmkn—T he power sprayev 1ms been received in 
pood condition: would sav that It is a beauty and has 
excited the admiration of all who have soon it. I consider 
I made absolutely no mistake in purchasing a “ Friend.” 
Thanking you for prompt shipment and wishing you 
every success with the best machine on earth. I am. etc. 
°FRIEND " MFG. CO., - Gosport, N. Y. 
Pure Canada UNLEACHED HARDWOOD ASHES 
“THE JOYNT BRAND” 
The best, cheapest and most lasting fertilizer on 
earth. They are nature's plant food to build up the 
land and restore it to its original fertility Potash. 
Lime and Phos. Acid are contained in ashes. The 
potash is an active eanstic potash and the lime is a 
vegetable lime which is the purest and strongest 
form of - lime. The Joynt Brand Ashes are the best 
by test. Prices-and information cheerfully given. 
Address JOHN JOYNT, Box 297, Lucknow, Ontario, CANAUA 
MV LIME-SULPHUR SOLUTION 
at manufacturer's prices. Buy f’-om mo and save 
money. F H. ENGLEHARDT. Manager Friendship, New York 
When you write advertisers mention The R. N.-Y. and you’ll 
quick reply and a “square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
iimumii 
