126 
FARMERS’ CLUB 
[ Every qnery mnst l>e aceompttnied by the 
name and address of the writer to insure 
attention. Before 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.] 
Blistered Celery ; Fertilizer for Muskmelons. 
S OME of my Golden Self Blanching cel¬ 
ery stalks show when prepared for 
the table, blisters on the inside. Is 
this the result of poor seed? 2. Which is 
the better for muskmelons, to plow under 
hog manure or mixed manure from a 
horse and four cows, the same having 
been reinforced in the cement gutters 
with I(> per cent, acid phosphate? 3. 
Last year I plowed under for musk- 
melons mixed stable manure, top-dressed 
with hen manure lightly and also with 
muriate of potash. When the ] lants were 
about six inches high I scattered a little 
nitrate of soda about them and later used 
acid phosphate about the vines. The 
plants started out nobly and set fruit 
freely, but the melons were very slow in 
ripening. As a consequence these melons 
only yielded about 14 cents per hill 
against 20 cents par hill for the year be¬ 
fore. How do you explain this partial 
failure? The seed for the two years was 
from different sources, and right among 
my Emerald Gems last year were lots of 
green-fleshed melons. w. w. L. 
Ashtabula, Ohio. 
1. I can merely guess at this. I do 
not think the blisters are the result of 
poor seed. If careful attention is not 
given to selection in the seed field the va¬ 
rieties of celery soon run down, become 
green-stemmed, slender, stringy and 
worthless. In your case I would imagine 
the blistering is due in some way to im¬ 
proper storing. Freezing is fatal, but the 
nearer celery can be kept to the freezing 
point without actually freezing the bet- 
tei*. No fungus troubles will develop, 
the celery will retain its vitality, succu¬ 
lence and crispness. If kept too warm 
fungus troubles will develop which will 
speedily wilt and rot the celery. The 
blisters you mention may be the first 
stages of some of these troubles. 
2. I prefer rich hog manure for can¬ 
taloupes. Nothing else in the way of 
manure or fertilizer seems to quite take 
its place. A mixed manure such as you 
suggest consisting of horse manure, cow 
manure and acid phosphate would make 
a close second. 
3. The liberal use of hen manure, ni¬ 
trate of soda and ot-b«r. stimulating fer¬ 
tilizers most always jt.mlts in a heavy 
and rank vine growth and where blight 
is apt to attack the melons this rank 
growth is desirable. It does though re¬ 
tard the early ripening of the fruits. 
There is great need of more careful se¬ 
lection of all vegetables for seed. There 
is entirely too much mixing of seed and 
variation of types. The late ripening was 
more likely due to the heavy fertilization 
rather than to the difference in seed; 
provided you had the same variety both 
years. trttckeb, jr. 
Wholesomeness of Mushrooms. 
I S there any truth in the statement 
that the excessive use of mushrooms 
is liable to cause kidney trouble or 
skin disease? We use them in great 
abundance, but have frequently been 
warned against using them too freely. 
Last year I had hives most of the Win¬ 
ter and a badly poisoned hand, similar to 
poison oak. After using mushrooms for 
a couple of weeks last Fall I find the 
same eruption returning on the hand. 
Can you tell me whether there is a pos¬ 
sibility of the mushrooms causing such 
disorders? What is the medicinal or nu¬ 
tritive quality of mushrooms? We have 
been in the habit of making the various 
kinds of delicious mushrooms a large part 
of our daily food, but if there is any¬ 
thing in the mushroom that is not health¬ 
ful I would like to know. I have never 
heard an authority’s opinion on the sub¬ 
ject. c. E. s. 
Olympia, Wash. 
The various mushrooms, when fresh i 
and properly prepared for the table, are 
without doubt as wholesome as they are 
palatable, though, as with many other ex¬ 
cellent foods, over-indulgence may cause 
digestive disturbances. They are highly 
nitrogenous in composition and have been 
compared to fresh meats in nutritive val¬ 
ue, but their water content is so great 
in proportion to the contained protein 
that they probably do not actually rank 
much higher than other succulent vege¬ 
tables in sustaining power. Their chief 
value appears to lie in the appetizing 
flavors they develop when used as an ad¬ 
junct to the more substantial meat dish¬ 
es. When dried or canned, mushrooms 
THIS KUKAL 
retain in great degree their agreeable 
qualities, and are much used for cul¬ 
inary flavoring, without harmful results. 
No instances are on record of a diet 
of wholesome mushrooms causing skin 
or kidney disease or general deteriora¬ 
tion of the health, except, perhaps, 
through the ordinary course of accentuat¬ 
ing digestive weaknesses. This applies 
of course only to the ordinary meadow 
mushroom, wild or cultivated, and other 
species generally known to be edible, such 
as the morsels and certain Boleti grow¬ 
ing in moist woodlands in almost all lo¬ 
calities. There are many other species 
occasionally collected for f< ? having 
doubtful or dangerous qualities, ranging 
from ordinary indigestibility to those of 
highly poisonous nature. Some of the 
latter are of excellent flavor, such as 
the deadly fly and thumb agarics, Aman¬ 
ita muscaria and A. phalloides, the lat¬ 
ter causing almost certain death if eaten 
in appreciable quantity, but their evil ef¬ 
fects so promptly follow ingestion that 
there is rarely opportunity for chronic 
poisoning. Rare or unknown species 
should be tested with caution, and par¬ 
taken of in small quantity if used at all. 
Although the wholesome mushrooms are 
innocuous when fresh, they, like other 
lightly organized proteid substances, are 
subject to rapid change and decay, and 
soon become unfit for food. If eaten in 
a stale condition ill effects may follow, 
but it is not probable that the symptoms 
described by C. E. in any way result from 
the consumption of mushrooms. The 
causes should be looked for in other direc¬ 
tions. v. 
NEVV-VORKER 
January ."(), 
Leviticus and Horticulture. 
I WOULD like to ask Prof. Van Deman 
whether the rule given in Leviticus 
19 :23-24, has any known horticultural 
basis as a treatment for fruit ti'ees? 
Holland, Mich. d. n. c. 
Why the fruit grown on trees and 
vines for the first three years after plant¬ 
ing them should not he used, but counted 
as “uncircumcised,” that is. unholy in 
the eyes of the Hebrews, was, probably 
to consider all that they grew as a gift 
from God. There would be little of it 
for the first three years, and if that 
which did set was pulled off while young 
it would be a help to the trees and 
vines, and give them a chance to get 
ready to bear well afterwards. The crop 
the fourth year, which would really be 
the first crop saved, was given as an of¬ 
fering to God, and was for the priests 
and maybe the poor. The old Hebrew 
laws were good for the people then, and 
many of them are suitable even now to 
he followed. n. e. van dem:an. 
Rudely awakened from sleep, at about 
2.30 a. m., by his doorbell, the peaceable 
resident stuck his head out of the win¬ 
dow and in no very pleasant manner de¬ 
manded to know what was wanted. 
“’Scuse me, sir,” answered a muddled 
voice. “Does Jones live here?” “Jones? 
Of course not. AVhat do you mean by 
ringing people’s bells at this time of the 
morning? Who are you, anyway?” 
“Who’m I?” asked the disturber, appar¬ 
ently surprised. “Why, I’m Jones!”— 
Credit Lost. 
Dreer&l9l5 
Garden Book 
A NSWERS all the gardening 
questions you want to ask, 
about flowers and vegetables. 
All the worthy novelties 
and standard varieties. 
The best aid to successful garden¬ 
ing. Cultural notes by experts. 
8 beautiful color and duetene plates. 
Over 1,000 ether illustrations. 
Roses, Dahlias, Gladiolus, etc., 
are strongly featured. Spec al 
strains of vegetables and 
flowers that can 
be depended 
upon as the 
very best. 
Mailed, iree if 
you menlion*Jhis 
publication , 
Henry A. 
Dreer, 
714-716 Chestnut Street 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
Harrisons’ Peach Trees 
In 1914, Harrisons’ Elberta Peaches set the pace in New England markets for color, quality 
size and price. According to our records, they sold for more money than any other peaches on 
the market, one car bringing SI,440. 
Harrisons’ hundred-acre orchard of Ray, Carman, Champion, Elberta, Belle of Georgia and 
Crawford’s Late Peaches, gave us $43,000 profit in two years—$25,000 in 1913, $18,000 in 1914. 
You can plant five or ten acres, maybe more, and make as much from each acre as we did. 
The Trees We Sell Are Budded From the Trees That Grew This Fruit 
Every Harrison Peach tree is Berlin-grown. When handled 
right, Harrison Berlin.grown Peach trees are profit-makers. 
They will make more money for you than average Peach trees, 
because they are budded from our profit-making orchards. 
Write today and tell us how many Peaches (Apples, too) you 
would like to plant. Our Service Department will tell you 
anything you want to know about orchards. 
Read Our 1915 Catalogue 
It tells about our Peach trees, of the varieties we sold for 
more than $3 a carrier last season—Kay, Belle of Georgia. 
Elberta, Carman, Champion, and Crawford Late. Com- i 
pletoly revised, pictures and stories of profitable orchards. 
Send a postal for a free copy. 
HARRISONS’ NURSERIES, Box 594, BERLIN, MD. 
BUY Good Trees 
Cheap trees don’t save money. They are 
small, many don’t grow, and very few are 
sure to please. Before you decide, write for 
arry 
' 75 t "ANN!VERSA/?Y U CATALOG 
It’s the best planting guide published, and E & B 
Trees are the best stock at tne lowest prices—qual¬ 
ity considered. All sturdy stock, true to name, and 
suited to your soil and climate. Ask the best au¬ 
thority you know. Send postal to-day for catalog. 
Ellwanger & Barry, Mt. Hope Nurseries 
P. O. Box 220 R°che*ter, N. Y. 
lolesaJe Prices, 
i j i m 1111 u n i n t n n n i m 111 m i m 1 
Big Supply of Apple and Peach 
^ Trees. Plum, pear, quince, 
cherry, grapevines, ornamen¬ 
tal trees, roses, plants, etc. 
Highest grade and true to 
name. Best New Fruits. 
Free catalogue gives valu¬ 
able advice. “Thirty 
Years with Fruits and 
Flowers ” o 
C. A. Green’s 
Book on Can¬ 
ning Fruit—i 
free. Write tod ay .1 
SNURSERYCOJ 
22 Wall 8t. 
Rochester, N. Y. 
TREES 
SHRUBS 
Fruit trees that thrive and ‘‘make 
good” are the kind that have made 
this nursery famous all over the world 
and that are making us new friends as every bountiful 
crop is gathered. Our shrub¬ 
bery and berry bushes are the 
kind you can depend upon. 
We're not jobbers, but grow¬ 
ers. Send for our big, complete catalogue. It’s worth 
money—but is pprr Don’t think of getting any 
sent to you rllCC nursery stock until you get our 
prices and descriptions. Established 1869. 
GEORGE A. SWEET NURSERY CO. 
20 Maple Street Dansville, N. Y. 
DWARF 
TREES 
APPLE 
PEAK 
PLUM 
CHERRY 
PEACH 
THEY BEAR LIKE THIS 
Our FREE CATALOGVE tells 
you all about them. Write for it. 
The Van Dusen Nurseries 
Box T, Geneva, N. Y. 
1878 Grown Right. Handled Right 1915 
3.000.000 fruit trees. 4c each and up; _5.000.CCO 
irmnll fruits, thousands of roses, climbing vines, 
Lodge plants, ornamental trees and shrubs, at 
Pxrop t p rices. WRITK FOR FREfc. ILLUS¬ 
TRATED CATALOG TODAY. 
KING BROTHERS NURSERIES, " Oak St 
Dansville, N.Y. “/t’s cheapest to buy the best’* 
TBADC MARK 
Don’t Buy Fruit Trees 
TV «* an* not Jobbers or Dealers. Our prices will surprise you. 
Order from the grower ami save disappointment later. Send 
postal today. THOMAS E. S1IEERIN* Niiraery- 
luan. i£l Main Street* Danavllle* !New York 
FRUIT TREES FREIGHT PAID 
At M ngent’s prices. Free catalog shows all kinds and 
tells how we pay transportation. Write today. 
AY M. P. RUPERT &■ SONS 
Box 46 Seneca, N. Y. 
GRAFTED ENGLISH 
WALNUTS 
My HARDY PENNSYLVANIA 
BROWN TREKS grafted on the 
BLACK WALNUT STOCK are 
perfectly hardy and bear early 
and abundantly. Also HARDY 
PECAN trees. Write for at¬ 
tractive catalogue- 
J. F. JONES, The Nut Tree 
Specialist, Lancaster, Pa. 
“Apples lor Profit and Use" 
—wagonloads for market and barrels for 
the homo. The interesting chapter on 
apples In our 1915 Fruit Book tells best 
methods of selecting, planting and 
growing and lists our many standard 
varieties —all guaranteed true-to- 
name, hardy and well rooted. Other 
chapters describe our full line of pears, 
plums, strawberries, currants, ornamen¬ 
tal shrubs. Write for book today. Free, 
Barnes Bros. Nursery Co. 
Box 8 Yaleaville, Conn, 
f- C#? Low Prices 
LE. "Freight PAID 
Our new catalogue contains a big list of the greatest 
nursery bargains ever offered. Less than half 
agenta* prices I All orders guaranteed l 
This catalogue will save you money 1 
Don’t buy your plants till vou’ve read it. 
RICH LAND NURSERIES, Bo* 450 Rochester,N. Y.’ 
Rochester i* the tree center of the world . 
REE! Money-Saving Book 
Trees and Plants 
We offer a full line of Fruit and Ornamental Stock 
BLACK’S QUALITY 
Is the highest quality. Send in your list of wants 
for prices and get your order placed early. Cata¬ 
logue Free. New issue in February. 
JOS. H. BLACK, SON & CO., Hightstown, N. J. 
FRUIT TREES 
Are you in need of Fruit, Shade or Or¬ 
namental Trees; Shrubs, Roses, or Berry 
Plants; Spray Pumps, Lime-Sulphur, 
Arsenate of Lead, or Scalecide? Write 
Calls’ Nurseries, Perry Ohio, for Price 
List. They deal direct with their cus¬ 
tomers and thousands of our best fruit 
growers are their customers. 
Write at once. Secure valuable Information 
early. Gives all beet varieties : Apple, Peach, 
Pear, Plum, Cherry, Quince, even Berries, 
Fruit Book 
FREE Roses, Ornamentals; Sold direct from Nurs¬ 
ery. Highest quality, healthy, hardy, guaranteed true to name. 
Secure your choice now—pay in Spring. Special prices on your 
list, freight paid. DENTON, WILLIAMS A DENTON 
Wholesale Nurseries, 1M Elm St., Duiisvillc, N. Y. 
First-Class Fruit Trees: Cherries, Plums, 
all varieties. Propagated from trees we know. Cherries 
on Mazzard roots, Write for Catalog. 
SAMITE LFRASER, 126 Main 8t., Oencseo, N. Y. 
FRUIT TREES 
Peach, Apple, Pear, Cherry, Plum, Grape Vines, small fruit plants, 
ornamental trees and shrubs, and roses. Vigorous hardy stock from 
the famous Lake Shore region of northern Ohio. Send for catalog. 
T. B. WEST, MAPLE BEND NURSERY, PERRY, OHIO. Lock Box 110. 
More than 25 years our DEPENDABLE TREES have been offered through this paper. The largest 
growers in^tliis and other states vouch for their superior qualities and values. No misleading 
promises or FAKE WHOLESALE PRICES. Our aim as always QUALITY FIRST and DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR 
in values. Buy direct—save agents’ profits, useless handling, and exposure. Our customers 
verify our “TRUE TO LABEL” claims. Ask for our catalog. 
Estab. 1847 H. S. WILEY & SON; Box B, Cayuga, Now York. 
i Kellys 
r True "to Name 
[j^TREES 
r rAft nioAaoA Mr. Fruit Grower, you are looking for the best— Apple, fi 
r IBB TrOni UIS63SB Pear, Peach, Plum, Cherry and Quince Trees you can Buy. R 
^ Kelly Tree* are Sold at Grower*’ Prices —shipped direct from our own nurseries 1 
in Dansville, and guaranteed sturdy, Free from Disease, and True to Name. 
For 3fi y.ars we have hart the name of knowing how to grow trees right. From seedling to freight car we watch our 
own trees personally and know that we are shipping just what you order. We have an up-to-date nursery plant and 
can ship all orders promptly, as well as grow and ship at a low coat. We give you every advantage on price. 
Write for our catalog TODAY, and get our prices. 
REUT BROS., WHOLESALE NURSERIES. 250 Main St., Dansville, W. T. You’ll never regret planting Kelly Trees 
