1914. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1413 
The Home Acre 
DRAINING GARDEN; RHUBARB; ROSES. 
I WISH to drain a small piece of land 
according to the attached diagram. 
This soil is the worst kind of clay, 
being that removed from the basement 
when the house was built, and remains 
wet until late in the season. Can you 
give me any information as to what kind 
of tile to use, whether glazed or un¬ 
glazed, what size, how low to place same 
in the ground, how much drop to give it, 
liow to protect the joints so the tile will 
not clog up, and just how it should be 
laid? 2. I would also like to know what 
would be the best way to bring this 
ground to a high state of fertility, as¬ 
suming that I have access to a plentiful 
supply of sand, manure, fertilizers, etc., 
and that I will not have access to the 
ground before this year’s truck crop is 
off. I would like to get next year's crop 
in at the earliest possible date. 3. How 
often should rhubarb plants be trans¬ 
planted and how many eyes should be 
left in each division when transplanting? 
After transplanting, how long should the 
plants be left without picking? 4. Next 
Spring I want to plant some rose 
bushes and became utterly confused at 
the different terms applied to them in 
the catalogues. Can you give me a brief 
explanation of the difference between the 
following: Monthly Tea roses, Hybrid 
Tea roses, Hybrid Perpetual roses, Hardy 
Perpetual roses, Everblooming roses, dor¬ 
mant roses? Which of these are hardy 
in our northern climate, which are graft¬ 
ed stock, and which are likely to give the 
best results in this climate? I desire to 
plant hardy roses which bloom well, but 
which are not grafted stock, if it is pos¬ 
sible to get this combination. Any in¬ 
formation you can give me will be great¬ 
ly appreciated. H. 
Lakewood, O. 
1. I believe the plan herewith sub¬ 
mitted for draining this plot of ground 
will meet all the requirements and prove 
in every way entirely satisfactory. 
Where the land is heavy clay and reten¬ 
tive of water, I have always found the 
unglazed horseshoe tile (one foot lengths) 
give the best satisfaction, as it will 
draw off the water much more quickly 
than round tile. It will require 40 feet 
of five-inch, 38 feet of four-inch and 70 
feet of three-inch tile for this piece of 
work. Dig the trench 15 inches deep at 
upper end of main line and laterals, with 
an even fall to a depth of 30 inches at 
sewer connection at house. When pre¬ 
paring the trench for the tile, make the 
bottom as even and smooth as possible, 
and for the three-inch tile place a one-inch 
spruce or hemlock board five inches wide 
in the bottom of the trench, six-inch 
boards for the four-inch tile, and seven- 
inch boards for the five-inch tile. Keep 
the line of boards straight, and place the 
tiles in their respective sections, on top 
of the boards with the joints fitted even¬ 
ly together as possible. If a brickyard 
is in the near vicinity it will pay to haul 
brickbats and fill in around the tile and 
over the top of it to a depth of two 
inches, and over all place a layer of hay 
about one inch thick. The brickbats 
will aid very materially in drawing off 
the water or drawing it to the tile lines, 
while the hay will prevent the soil from 
getting into the tile. If brickbats or 
stone cannot be obtained handily and 
cheaply for filling in around and over 
the tile, then use a covering of two inches 
of hay and fill in with earth. 
2. As a means of improving the soil, 
I would suggest that you apply a large 
wagonload of coarse strawy manure and 
spade it under, and then sow it to rye. 
If possible sow the rye not later than the 
first of October, applying at the rate of 
two bushels to the acre. Spade the rye 
under in the Spring soon as the ground 
is in good workable condition, but do 
not attempt to work the soil if it is the 
least bit sticky, or you will by so do¬ 
ing render it unfit for vegetable cropping 
for the next two years. Nothing will 
put clay soil in as bad and unworkable 
condition as plowing or spading it up 
when too wet. After the rye has been 
spaded under, apply 50 to 75 pounds of 
air-slaked lime and rake it into the soil. 
If the soil is quite heavy and there seems 
likely to be much difficulty in keeping 
it from baking, about two wagonloads of 
sharp sand will work quite an improve¬ 
ment in rendering it friable and assist 
in keeping it from baking down hard. 
It will probably take three years or 
longer to make this soil over into a good 
vegetable garden, but by applying coarse 
stable manure and turning under green 
crops as outlined above, it can be done. 
Do not be discouraged if the first year 
does not turn out satisfactory. The sec¬ 
ond year will show quite an improve¬ 
ment over the first year, and the third 
year will show still a greater improve¬ 
ment. It requires time to bring ordin¬ 
ary land up to a good state of fertility 
and friableness, for the production of 
good garden crops. 
3. Rhubarb may be left undisturbed 
until it shows a decided falling off in 
productiveness, which may occur under 
certain conditions in 10 years, and un¬ 
der more favorable conditions it may 
not have to be divided for 18 or 20 years. 
Two to three-eye divisions are probably 
the best for starting a new plantation, 
but if the roots are scarce, one eye will 
answer. If the transplanting is done in 
the Fall, a few stalks may be picked the 
following Spring without injury to the 
plants. A full crop may be taken the 
second year after transplanting, and 
every year thereafter until division and 
re-establishing a new plantation becomes 
necessary. Mulch the plants well with 
coarse manure every Fall, and spade un¬ 
der in the Spring. This will be all the 
fertilizing they will require. 
4. Perpetual or Autumn roses are those 
blooming more than once during the sea¬ 
son. Many of them bloom almost contin¬ 
uously from June until cut down by 
frost. Hybrid Perpetual or Hybrid Re- 
montants are considered by many as the 
most valuable and perhaps the most beau¬ 
tiful of all the groups of roses, particu¬ 
larly the hardy roses. This group em¬ 
braces such well-known and highly- 
prized sorts as Paul Neyron, Clio Bar¬ 
on de Bonstetten, Capt. Hayward, Anne 
de Diesbach, Alfred Colomb, General Jac¬ 
queminot, Hugh Dickson, J. B. Clark, 
Eugene Furst, Charles Wagner. Gloii'e 
de Margottin and many others. All this 
class are quite hardy and will succeed 
where the more tender Everblooming 
sorts fail. Hybrid Tea roses are mostly 
crosses between the Hybrid Perpetuals 
and the Everblooming Tea roses. Many 
fine varieties are in this group, some of 
them being quite hardy, but I fear not 
hardy enough in the Lake Erie regions. 
All are quite constant bloomers, many 
having a pronounced Tea fragrance. The 
Hardy Perpetuals are included in this 
group. Everblooming roses include all 
groups and varieties that bloom perpet¬ 
ually, snch as the Teas, Hybrid Teas, 
constant blooming Bourbon and China 
roses, hardy Polyantha or Pompon roses. , 
also the Rugosa species and some of its 
varieties, and all everblooming climbers. 
Dormant roses are those that are not in 
active growth, or have become dormant 
at the approach of Winter, and are sold 
or transplanted before growth starts in 
the Spring of the following season. The 
Hybrid Perpetuals, Rugosa hybrids, and 
the Polyantha hybrids will prove hardy 
in your latitude. You should be able to 
get the varieties of these three groups 
on their own roots. k. 
Cannas from Seed. 
I S it possible to grow Cannas from seed? 
If so when should the seed be planted? 
I always understood they were grown 
from bulbs. j. j. 
Closter, N. J. 
Canna seeds germinate quite quickly if 
the hard horny outer covering has a little 
fissure cut or filed in it, or if they are 
soaked for 24 hours in warm water. 
Without these precautions they start very 
slowly, if at all. In greenhouse culture 
they are sown in late Winter, with a 
strong bottom heat, making blooming 
plants the same season. Under amateur 
conditions they may be sown in a pan or 
box set in a warm window, in February 
or March, or in the hotbed under the 
same conditions as peppers and egg¬ 
plants. Commercially, Cannas are al¬ 
most entirely propagated by division of 
the fleshy roots, except in raising new 
varieties, but many amateur gardeners 
raise them from seed, and thus build up a 
good stock at very small initial expense, 
increasing them by division later. 
Transferring Wild Bees to Hive. 
I N reply to F. M„ page 1314, leave the 
tree uncut until next May 1. Then cut. 
falling tree gently as possible on brush 
or by pulley and tackle. Cut out the 
length of log containing bees and split the 
same, exposing combs. Bees can be hand¬ 
led then without danger. Fit combs into 
frames, tying in with string wound round 
frames. Put in the combs especially con¬ 
taining brood. Sweep bees in front of 
hive and leave until morning. Next morn¬ 
ing early remove hive to position wanted. 
If a cluster gathers afterward carry in 
basket to parent hive. Have doue this 
without loss of scarcely a bee. M. j. 
How Can the Makers Afford 
to Guarantee It? 
H OW is it possible to sell a 
watch for a dollar and then 
if it goes wrong take time in the 
factory to inspect and repair it, or 
even to give a new watch for it? 
The answer is simple: It 
would be impossible—if the 
watches went wrong. 
It is only because the Inger- 
soll Dollar Watch is accurately 
made in the first place as a reli¬ 
able time-keeper that will not 
disappoint its purchaser, that the 
guarantee can be given. 
But, if you buy an Ingersoll 
watch and it doesn’t give satis¬ 
faction, there is the big, broad 
Ingersoll guarantee standing 
back of the dollar you paid, to 
make sure that you get a good 
watch. 
Always be sure that the name 
“Ingersoll” is on the dial — the 
dollar watch with the guarantee. 
R0BT. H. INGERSOLL & BR0., 315 Fourth Ave., New York City 
Free Box of Samples 
sent to your station charges prepaid, j 
Delivered prices quoted on request. 
All sizes, 2 inches to 20 inches. 
THE E. BIGL0W CO., New London, 0. 
HIS SAW. IT IS THE BEST AND CHEAPEST SAW MADE. 
HERTZLER & ZOOK 
Po wo b o‘d e SAW 
is easy to operate. 
Only $10 saw made to 
which ripping table can 
be added. Guaranteed 
lyear. Money ref unded 
if not satisfactory. 
Send for catalog. . , 
Hertzler & Zook Co. 
Box 3, Belleville, Pa. 
HAVANA-, 
\ STEEL WHEELS 
AND 
FARM TRUCKS 
with either steel or wood 
wheels. We have a free 
Catalog that tells you how to 
measure your skein or steel 
axle. Write for it at once. 
Metal Wheel Co. 
17, Havana. ILL. " 
9*A CORDS IN 10 HOURS 
OAK and HICKORY BY ONE MAN. Proven by sworn 
witnesses. It's KING OK THE WOODS. SAVES MONEY and 
BACKACHE. SPRING PRESSURE and GUIDE, adjust¬ 
able to boy or man. now used on end of saw, a BIG 1915 
IMPROVEMENT, KEEPS SAW FROM FLOPPING and 
makes thin, straight cut. Send for free catalog X68 show¬ 
ing LATEST ISirKOVEHEXTS. First order gets agency. 
Folding Sawing Mach. Co., 161 W. Harrison St, Chicago. 111. 
PLETON WOOD 
40 years the Standard. Made A Vi 
strong, rigid and simple to stand 
years of hard service. Frame 
of heavy barsteel;orhard-wood, ” WW 
braced and bolted. Non-beating, self-adjusting boxes. 
Make money sawing wood this winter 
Your time and an Appleton wood-saw could bring you a 
big profit. Get booklet showing 10 styles for all purposes 
— all Appleton quality. Ask for our engine catalog too. 
Appleton Manufacturing. Co.. 627 Fargo St„ Batavia, Illinois 
Feed Grinding and Wood Cutting 
In the Winter every farmer finds himself beset with numerous jobs_bis 
and small—every-day jobs and occasional ones. This is where an efficient, 
reliable power plant is a time and money saver. 
The i( Badger” Engine is made well from start to finish ; made to run 
without interruption : not merely to sell. 
It is simple—anybody can run It or adjust it. It is economical, using 
less gas or gasoline than any engine known. It develops more power 
than rated. There are many types and sizes of « Badgers ” to suit every 
individual need. Any BADGER is a GOOD engine. 
The “Radnor” is always ready to run—Winter or Summer—at an instant’s 
Every part guaranteed for five years unconditionally. 
Send for Catalog. Free Engineering lessons sent on receipt of dealer’s name. 
Address. The Christensen Engineering Co., Milwaukee, Wis. 
Or J.B. NORTON CO., Inc., Distributors, 209 Elizabeth St.,Utica. N.Y 
GASOLINE ENGINES 
When you write advertisers mention The R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply 
and a “square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
