1015. 
'1' IIE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
11 
Ruralisms 
Improving the Potato “ Seed.” 
T IIE frost held off so that we are going 
to get a good potato yield; in faot 
we are not sure hut they are going 
to be pretty large. Had they come up 
well we would have had one of the best 
yields ever. I think one-tenth to one- 
eighth of the seed failed us, partly on 
account of dry weather and partly on ac¬ 
count of poor seed. We have an illus¬ 
tration of what good seed means that 
should convince anyone of its importance. 
Along one side of the field are 14 rows 
in which the man took pains with the 
seed when cutting it; if there was any 
doubt about its being diseased or the 
eyes did not look healthy it was thrown 
aside, and the result is an absolutely 
perfect stand of potatoes, while the next 
rows have 10 to 12 y 2 per cent of hills 
missed. This year I am trying to have 
about 25 bushels dug by hand from high- 
yielding hills, same to be used for plant¬ 
ing at least an acre next .Spring for seed. 
I am thoroughly convinced that we can 
increase our yield 25 per cent, without 
one additional dollar of expense by care 
in selecting the seed. c. I. 
The matter of good seed and a result¬ 
ant full stand is of the highest import¬ 
ance with potatoes as with other crops. 
If all the vacancies in the asparagus 
fields, hop yards and strawberry beds in 
the country were filled with strong 
plants, the production of" these staples 
would obviously be much greater, and 
without material increase in the cost of 
tilling the crops. It is not easy to re¬ 
place perennial plants in competition 
with those already established and oc¬ 
cupying the soil, but every effort should 
be made to secure sound and vigorous 
plants or seeds at the start, and preserve 
them from injury during development. 
In the case of the potato, which is com¬ 
mercially grown from tubers, we have the 
opportunity by inspection before planting 
to select only those likely to produce vig¬ 
orous plants. If we go further, as Mr. 
Irwin suggests, and select seed tubers the 
previous season from high-yielding but 
normal-growing hills, we will materially 
increase the chances of getting good 
planting stocks from which to make our 
final selections. Much less than the es¬ 
timated increase of 25 per cent, in yield 
would amply repay the grower for his 
trouble. The effort for individual se¬ 
lection of seed stocks can well be carried 
further to include many of the money 
crops grown on each farm. It can scarce¬ 
ly be claimed that our seedsmen are 
furnishing the best possible seeds and 
plants for commercial culture. They are 
too intent on carrying large assortments 
to render the public the best service in 
their power in the way of goods of un¬ 
assailable quality. There is doubtless a 
tendency toward improvement in the seed 
stocks offered by dealers, which may go 
much further, but it is well for buyers 
who depend on crops raised from com¬ 
mercial seeds to inspect them narrowly 
and, when time allows, test their germin¬ 
ating powers well before planting. The 
wideawake planter will doubtless go 
further, and establish a Strain of his 
own whenever circumstances permit. The 
cost of good seeds whether paid in money 
or personal effort, is but a small part of 
the value represented by a successful 
crop. v. 
Gladiolus Bulblets; Dahlias Blighting. 
I WOULD like a little information in 
regard to Gladiolus bulblets. How are 
the small bulbs or bulblets handled 
and planted to get them to grow with any 
assurance? 2. I also have a very nice 
collection of Dahlias and both last year 
and this year they have blighted very 
bad in first of the season. Is their any 
remedy or spray to keep it in check? 
Franklin, I*a. n. a. m. 
1. It is not unusual for the hard shell 
covering Gladiolus bulblets to obstruct 
their growth; the tiny sprout is slow in 
making its way out, and may even be 
prevented from growing at all. In “The 
Gladiolus,” a treatise by M. Crawford, 
with an appendix by Dr. W. Van Fleet, 
it is advised to obviate this difficulty by 
peeling the bulblets. This must be done 
very carefully, without cutting or bruis¬ 
ing, and the cormels must be planted the 
same day they are peeled, as they will 
quickly deteriorate with keeping. It is 
claimed that when thus peeled they grow 
rapidly, without the loss of vitality oc¬ 
casioned by the struggle to break through 
the hard shell, and make much stronger 
roots. The soil should be rich and well 
tilled, planting being done when it is 
time to plant corn. Lay out in beds four 
Managing the Business 
of 8,500,000 Telephones 
Imagine a manufacturing busi- In so vast an undertaking, every 
feet wide, and mark in drills one inch 
deep, six inches apart. Place the newly 
peeled bulblets in the drills about an 
inch apart, and cover. Mr. Crawford ad¬ 
vises covering with sifted sand two inch¬ 
es deep, and then pressing down to one 
inch. The advantages of the sand are 
that it does not bake, and it also enables 
one to see where the rows are, and thus 
begin early cultivation. The ground 
must be stirred frequently, and kept 
clean. Where the quantity of bulblets 
is too great to render peeling feasible, 
they should be soaked for several hours 
in warm water, like Canna seeds. 
2. The question about the Dahlias is 
not quite clear, and we are unable to tell 
whether actual disease is referred to, ot 
a morbid condition due to interrupted 
growth. There was much complaint of 
poor blooming of Dahlias last Summer, 
and some growers were disposed to re¬ 
gard excessively dry hot weather as the 
cause, the shoots becoming so hard and 
woody that growth practically ceased. 
There was also much damage caused by 
the Tarnished plant-bug, the attacks of 
this insect “blasting” the buds and ten¬ 
der shoots. In amateur Dahlia culture 
there may be damage resulting from in¬ 
judicious watering. During a dry spell 
the plants may suffer from a daily water¬ 
ing which, when the surface of the soil 
is not stirred, results in soft flabby 
growth; then, with unfavorable weather 
and sudden cessation of the watering, the 
whole goes down with the appearance of 
some mysterious blight. The commercial 
growers advise a daily surface cultiva¬ 
tion, rather than watering; if water is 
given, a good soaking at intervals of a 
week or 10 days, with regular cultiva¬ 
tion will give good results. It may be, 
however, that some disease attacking 
other members of the Composite is at 
work, as Chrysanthemum rust is sus¬ 
pected on Dahlias, but we should need 
more information to feel any certainty. 
Green Muscatine Grape. 
X reference to the inquiry about Mus¬ 
catine or Muscatel grape, by II. C. L., 
Mountain View, N. J., page 1241, I have 
a grape called here Green Muscatine, 
which ripens earlier than most other 
kinds. I should not call it a white grape, 
but it makes about the finest jelly and 
grape juice of anything I have, and, as 
it ripens earlier than Concord, Moore’s 
Early Delaware, Niagara, Campbell’s 
Early, etc., it would certainly prove har¬ 
dy in New Jersey. a. d. w. 
Milford, N. H. 
ness having millions of customers 
scattered over the country, with 
millions of accounts on its books, 
most of them less than $30 a year, 
and including a multitude of 5-cent 
charges. 
Consider it as having shops and 
offices in thousands of cities, and 
reaching with its output 70,000 
places, more than there are post 
offices in the United States. Think 
of the task- of, patroling I 6,000,000 
miles of connecting highways con¬ 
stantly in use*. 
This gives you a faint idea of 
the business of managing the Bell 
System. 
Not all the 8,500,000 telephones 
are in use at once, but the manage¬ 
ment must have facilities always 
adequate to any demands for in¬ 
stant, direct communication. 
branch of the organization must 
work in harmony, guided by one 
policy. The entire plant must be 
managed in the light of accumu¬ 
lated experience, and with the most 
careful business judgment. 
The aim of the Bell System is to 
make the telephone of the utmost 
usefulness. This requires an army 
of loyal men and women, inspired 
by a leadership having a high sense 
of its obligations to the public. 
Animated by the spirit of service, 
and unhampered by red tape, the 
150,000 Bell employes have the 
courage to do the right thing at the 
right time upon their own initiative. 
They work together intelligently as 
a business democracy to give the 
public good service. 
American Telephone and Telegraph Company 
And Associated Companies 
One Policy One System Universal Service 
Strong-growing Grafts. —On page 
1417 John E. Gross, after referring to 
previous numbers in which the length of 
growth of top-grafts was given, tells of 
some very strong growth made by some 
that he set, six feet six inches. I will 
tell of an experience of mine, some years 
ago. I obtained some scions of a large 
English damson and put them in a Lom¬ 
bard plum; they grew very rank, and I 
cut them back the next Spring, removing 
some swatches taller than I am, six feet 
two inches, and leaving at least 1 y 2 feet. 
Winchester, Va. a. s. w. 
Treat All Seeds 
Take no chances—easily applied— 
experience unnecessary. It is en¬ 
dorsed by the U. S. Dep’t of Agri¬ 
culture as the best treatment for 
seed grain smuts, Potato Scab and 
Black Leg in the world. 
FORtmMffyDE 
<lS 72 e J^r/neSs Tr/end 
It destroys all forms of smuts, rust 
and fungus growths, insuring a full 
yield. Formaldehyde is sold in 
pound bottles for 35 cents at your 
dealer. New big Hand Book just 
issued—free. 
Perth Amboy Chemical Works 
100 William Street, Now York 
ELECTRIC 
Steel 
Wheel 
Handy 
Wagons’ 
Are Big 
Money 
SAVERS! 
No 
more , 
BHT high; 
By liftingorpitch/ 
lug. Saves you 
work a ml light- I 
W ens dra I t nearly I 
■ 60%. Don’t rut 
| fields or roads. 
We also furnish 
Electric Steel 
k - Wheels to fit ANY 
wagon. Wheels can’t' _ 
_ k dry out or rot. Send for 
free book of facts and proofs. 
Electric Wheel Co., 
.48 Kim Street, 
quinc}. III. 
RHODES DOUBLE OUT 
VRUNING SHEAR 
RHODES MFG. CO. 
529 So. Division Ave., 
Cuts from 
both sides of 
limb and does 
not bruise 
the bark. 
We pay Ex¬ 
press charges 
on all orders. 
Write tor 
^circular and 
' prices. 
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. 
AGRICULTURAL LIME 
BULK AND SACKED GROUND LIMESTONE 
Also Hydrated, Bulk, Burnt and Ground Burnt Lime. 
Largest Capacities and Prompt Deliveries. 
JAMES E. GASTON, Cochranton, Penn’a 
ICE PLOWS 
Gsizes, prices $10 72 to $1G.1)(), 
every plow wn named. Sont 
on trial. A Iso tools Cam lot:. 
WM. II. PIUY, - Ve.bank, .V Y. 
We have about 1000 engines on hand,| 
intended for foreign shipment. This busi¬ 
ness is now cut off owing to the w ar. Wei 
must turn the engines into cash. So wo cutl 
tho pricos down to practically costT 
Stock includes all sizes from 1 to Til 
H.P. Motors are of high grade material; V 
V and construction. 2 year guarantee. I 
] A postal brings you details and prices. I 
AMERICAN ENGINE CO. 
603 Boston St., Detroit, Mich.I 
BOOKS WORTH BUYING 
=: Law for the American Fanner. Green 1.50 ;i 
1= Insects of Farm and Garden. Treat. 1.50 || 
1| Black’s Medical Dictionary. 2.50 ii 
The Rural New-Yorker. 333 West 30th St.. N. Y. 
Are noted for the accurate sowing of all large and small grains—any¬ 
thing from wheat to bush lima beans, and they put the seed in the 
ground at an even depth. Don’t overlook these important facts. 
Farmers’ Favorite Drills are made in every style and size—in plain 
grain and combined grain and fertilizer—from One Horse up. 
Send for the Farmers’ Favorite Catalogue. Read it and then go to 
your local implement dealer and insist on seeing the Farmers’ Favorite 
Drill. Remember that this drill is sold under the strongest possible 
warranty and must be and do ALL we claim. 
foccxsafvuTs. Springfield. Omo. 1/5- 
GRAIN DRILLS 
When you write advertisers mention The R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick replv 
and a “square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
