1914. 
THE RURAb NEW-YORKER 
©OB 
Ruralisms 
Removing Spring Bulbs. 
OW soon should I dig up bulbs of 
hyacinth, tulip, etc., so that I can 
put other plants in their place? 
Fulton, N. Y. p. g. 
If the bulbs are to be used again they 
should remain until the leaves turn yel¬ 
low and die down, showing that the bulb 
is ripened. It is during this period that 
the bulb is gathering, through roots and 
leaves, materials for the next season’s 
bloom. If, however, it is necessary to 
remove the bulbs before they are ripe, for 
the purpose of setting bedding plants, lift 
them carefully with a spade, disturbing 
both roots and leaves as little as pos¬ 
sible, and then heel them in, in a shal¬ 
low trench, in some half-shaded out-of- 
the-way place. When the leaves have 
withered lift the bulbs, let them dry in 
the shade out of doors, and then store 
in a cool, dark airy place, putting them 
in baskets or slatted trays, so that air 
can circulate freely. We make a practice 
of using these bulbs i>n herbaceous bor¬ 
ders, whore they are permanent, being 
moved about once in three years; their 
companions, such as pinks, Phlox, colum¬ 
bines. rose campions, etc., come on after 
the bulbs, interfering with them very lit¬ 
tle and filling up the spaces after the 
bulbs die down. Another labor-saving 
method is to sow Summer annuals among 
the bulbs, such as Petunias, marigolds, 
Drummond’s Phlox, etc., these occupying 
space as the bulbs die down, but where 
bedding plants are used the bulbs must, 
naturally, be lifted each year after dower¬ 
ing, and this plan is certainly desirable 
in controlling weeds and keeping the soil 
in good condition. The various sorts of 
Narcissi, however, should be left in the 
ground; we transplant seedling annuals 
among them from a nursery bed as they 
die down.- 
Gooseberries. 
1 HAVE been growing gooseberries for 
50 years, aiming always to have the 
best. The advent of Houghton’s Seedling 
was hailed as a great acquisition and this 
is still a useful variety. Then came El¬ 
liott’s Pale Red, an English variety, so 
much like Houghton as to fail to obtain 
a permanent place. Then Downing, an 
improvement in Houghton in size, but not 
its equal in productiveness. Then a line 
of English varieties of fine size, but of 
little vain in America except to be ex¬ 
ploited by the smooth-tongued agent. 
Later came Pearl, from Canada. If this 
is not identical with Downing it is so 
near like it as to be of no greater value. 
Early Orange is of Houghton type, a lit¬ 
tle larger, yellowish in color and decided¬ 
ly earlier. Mountain Seedling, sent out 
by the Shakers of Mt. Lebanon, N. Y., 
is an extra strong upright grower, giving 
a few fruits an inch in diameter, but 
more one-third to one-half inch; in gen¬ 
eral not productive. 
Fifteen years ago I obtained Champion, 
a variety originating in Oregon I find 
this the most satisfactory of any va¬ 
riety I have seen The plant, of the 
Houghton type, is a strong tall grower, 
and the fruits about one-half inch in 
diameter, hanging in ropes, so you can 
strip off a handful at a grab. The fruit 
has an unusually thin skin, nice on this 
account for culinary uses. E. y. T. 
Brazilian Forage Grasses. 
ULLETIN No. 94, issued by the Of¬ 
fice of Foreign Seed and Plant In¬ 
troduction, Bureau of Plant Indus¬ 
try, gives some interesting facts about 
forage plants in Brazil. The picture 
shown at Fig. 370 is reproduced from 
this bulletin. It shows a load of grass 
being carried into the town of Bom Fim 
from the adjacent valley where it is 
grown. In the State of Bahia Angola 
grass, or capim de Angola, as it is known 
in Portuguese, is one of the commonest 
and most highly esteemed forage crops. 
It is fed to both horses and cattle. While 
generally grown on low wet grounds near 
the coast, in the interior it is often seen 
on comparatively dry land. The bulletin 
also gives an interesting picture of the 
process of planting capim de Angola on 
the municipal farm at Bahia, Brazil. 
This is an especially wet piece of ground; 
instead of planting in the ordinary man¬ 
ner the soil is stirred up with hoes and 
the grass, after being scattered over the 
surface, is tramped in with the feet. 
Ditches are required to drain off the sur¬ 
face water, which accumulates rapidly. 
Ten days from planting the field is in 
active growth. This Angola grass is a 
Panicum, the family to which our fam¬ 
iliar Barnyard grass belongs. 
Another of the principal forage plants 
is jaragua grass, Andropogon rufus. It 
is a perennial grass growing to a height 
of six feet or more when not cut promptly, 
and said to be resistant to cold and pro¬ 
longed rains. Another grass called Capim 
catingueiro, botanieally Chloris elegans, 
is being tested, though described as rare; 
it is adapted to semi-arid regions, and is 
believed to be high in food value. 
Asparagus, Sait and Chicks. 
HAVE over an acre of asparagus that 
I am cutting. I would like to put 
some salt on it to help kill the weeds 
and benefit the asparagus. I have young 
chicks running out on the field and am 
afraid that if I use the salt they will 
pick it up and cause their death. Would 
you advise me to use the salt as a top¬ 
dressing or to put it on and turn the soil 
over it. or would I best wait until the 
cutting season is over and the chicks 
removed before using salt? About how 
much is it advisable to use per acre? 
Can you give me any idea as to the aver¬ 
age amount a thousand roots will cut 
at the age of six or eight years, and about 
what the average price per pound is for 
the season? g. s. t. 
Westerly, R. I. 
It is possible to give chickens enough 
salt in the feed to kill them, but I have 
never known of one voluntarily to eat 
enough salt to do it any harm. Chickens, 
like every other animal, will eat salt if 
they can get it, but are quickly and 
easily satisfied and will not eat more than 
is good for them, unless it is mixed with 
mash or some other soft feed; then there 
is a possibility of them eating too much. 
Apply this salt to the asparagus after 
you are through cutting; 700 to S00 
pounds of coarse table salt to the acre 
will be sufficient. Spread broadcast as 
evenly as possible, and in a week or 10 
days after applying, plow or cultivate the 
patch. 
The number of bunches or pounds a 
six or seven-year-old patch of any number 
of plants will produce, depends much on 
the variety, the kind of soil, the fertiliz¬ 
ing and cultivation they receive. When 
all things are favorable, 2.000 to 3,000 
bunches weighing 2 1 /* to three pounds 
each is considered a good yield. Most 
growers are well satisfied with 2,000 
bunches per acre, which is the average 
yield, and consider the yield extra good 
when the number of bunches yielded goes 
much over the 2,000 mark. The price 
varies much according to the quality, the 
season and the condition of the market. 
Most growers grade the sprouts into three 
sizes, extra fancy primes and culls. At 
the opening of the season the price, of 
course, is much better than later on when 
the supply is more plentiful. In most 
markets the price averages about $2.50 
per dozen bunches for extra fancy, $1.50 
per dozen for primes and $1 per dozen 
for culls. K. 
New Plant Introductions. 
T HE R. N.-Y. has already referred to 
the udo, a Japanese vegetable used 
like celery. It is, botanieally, Ara- 
lia cordata. Bulletin 94 of the Office 
of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction 
states that the Department of Agriculture 
has secured 10 of the best udo varieties 
from Japan, for purposes of comparison 
and selection. They will be distributed 
later. 
Some Italian squashes received from a 
Californian collaborator are thus de¬ 
scribed : “Zucchetta nana ‘Cerbero’ and 
‘Romana.’ Peculiar kinds of squashes. 
These squashes are eaten green, and 
while the flower is yet adherent to the 
fruit, and never when the fruit is ripe, 
at least I have never seen it eaten at that 
stage. Used stewed, fried, etc., in many 
different ways, like squash or green peas. 
It is most delicious when boiled in fresh 
butter and is fully equal to any other 
fresh vegetable in this country. Many 
eat the flowers when the fruit is between 
six to ten inches, always while green.” 
From Tientsin, China, come seeds of 
the Bonavist bean, a variety of Dolichos 
Lablab, thus described: “The common 
name is ‘old woman’s ear’ and it is a 
specialty of the north. The ripe beans 
can be used like any other bean, but are 
generally used in the pod like string 
beans. As it grows readily and likes 
the cold weather, just so that it does not 
actually freeze the blossoms, it thus pro¬ 
vides a green bean when the other string 
beans are gone. In cooking it the ob¬ 
ject is not to make it soft but just to 
plunge it into boiling hot water and not 
much more than scald it, so that it still 
remains crisp enough for a salad, then 
it is dressed with vinegar and oil. It 
should be grown on a trellis. The pods 
when full grown measure from four to 
six inches long and about a couple of 
inches across, but people generally do not 
wait until they are full grown, but begin 
to eat them when young so that the whole 
pod can be used.” 
Another bean from Tientsin is also 
described in Bulletin 94 : “Lu to. This 
makes a better quality of starch than 
anything else. It is curious that in 
China the starch obtained from maize or 
wheat is not valued as much as that made 
of this bean for laundry purposes. They 
also make a vermicelli from the starch 
of this bean, and one can at once distin¬ 
guish it from that made from ordinary 
starch by the fact that it keeps its clear¬ 
ness and shape much better no matter 
how much it is boiled. It also has a 
better flavor and good keeping qualities. 
Perhaps it might be an addition to the 
laundry starches of America, as I fancy 
it would take a much better gloss, as it 
is harder than ordinary starch and 
would not need so much paraffin added 
to make a gloss. I doubt if the American 
palate would care for the vermicelli, as 
it is clear like glass and the long strings 
are most terribly slippery to eat. worse 
than the round Italian spaghetti.” 
U SEFUL COLLEGE STUDENTS.— 
Recent articles in Tiie R. N.-Y. 
mention experience with working 
students in no flattering terms. There is 
much difference in the character of such 
as are turned out from the agricultural 
schools; too many imagine that a four 
years’ course in theory fits them for 
practical farm work, or else look for soft 
snaps to engage as experts and specialists, 
of which there is a surplus. On Fail-view 
Farm we are fortunate in having one 
employed whose conceit has not reached 
that degree of importance, but is getting 
practical knowledge in diversified farm¬ 
ing, where fruit, berries, dairying, poul¬ 
try, bees, truck and general farm crops 
are produced and marketed. He is ready 
and willing to perform any sort of labor 
and learning the use of machinery, care 
of stock and performing all the duties 
devolving upon practical agriculture. 
That this young man will be successful 
if he follows the occupation laid out for 
himself is not doubted, with his inclina¬ 
tion to learn the ups and downs of farm 
life. w. ii. stout. 
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When you write advertisers mention The 
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reply and a “square deal.’’ See guarantee 
editorial page. :::::: 
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Camden, N. J. 
Berliner Gramophone Co., 
Montreal, Canadian Distributors 
D FRofT MILPMILL PRICES 
Galvanized or Painted Roofing 
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Established 1877 
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516 Walnut Street, Niles, Ohio 
GALVANIZED 
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$2.90 Per Sq. 
Write for Cat. “ C ” ami price del. your station. 
GRIFFIN LUMBER CO., Box 99. Hudson Falls, New York 
CORN HARVESTER 
That beats them all. One horse cuts two rows. Carries 
to the shock. Worked by 1, 2 or three men. No danger. 
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Scientific and Practical Instruction in 
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Excellent Equipment in nil branches. 200-Acre Farm. 
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moderate. For Catalogue write 
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Hardwood Ashes 
JUd 
letter heads *2. Samples. 
Ryder Print Shop, ltarnerville, N.Y. 
THE GASOLINE ENGINE ON THE 
FARM. Its operation, repair and uses. 
By Xeno W. Putnam. 
This is the kind 
of a book every 
farmer will appre¬ 
ciate and every 
farm home ought 
to have. Includes 
selecting the most 
suitable engine for 
farm work, its 
most convenient 
and efficient in¬ 
stallation, with 
chapters on trou¬ 
bles, their reme¬ 
dies, and how to 
avoid them. The 
care and manage¬ 
ment of the farm 
tractor in plowing, 
harrowing, har¬ 
vesting and road 
grading are fully 
■covered; also plain 
directions are 
given for handling the tractor on the road. 
530 pages. Nearly ISO engravings. 
This book will be sent to any address prepaid for 
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