RURALISMS 
The Tomato-potato Graft 
The R. N.-Y. has quite frequently 
jH-inted pictures of the plant formed by 
grafting a slip of tomato upon a potato 
plant. An expert grafter wilt have little 
trouble in producing this plant, as the 
tomato, when properly handled, makes a 
good growth on the i)otato. We have 
quite frequently described this, but it is 
always considered as a novelty or a sort 
of botanical curiosity without any par¬ 
ticular profit. Now it appears that an 
Knglish dealer, Ro'bert Holmes, is offer¬ 
ing these plants for sale. The picture on 
this page is taken from his catalogue, 
and shows the type of plant which he 
offers. They are apparently sent out by 
express, rooted in paper flower pots, 
fully grafted and ready for transplant¬ 
ing. The price charged runs from .$1.7o 
for a single plant to .^T.oO a dozcm. An 
expert grafter should he able to make 
A Tomato-Potato Graft 
money at iireparing plants at that price. 
No extravagant claims are made for this 
type of plant. It is simply described as 
a novelty for growing either in the 
greenhouse or in the garden. We have ; 
wondered why some if our American ! 
seedsmen have not offered this novelty 
before. If the buyer clearly understands 
what it is. and its limitations, there 
should be a fair demand for it. The 
danger is that fakers and frauds offer 
the plant as a new seedling and claim 
that seeds from the tomato will produce 
a similar plant; the potatoes below 
ground and tomatoes above. Of course, 
this would be a fraudulent claim, as the 
plants cannot be obtained from the seed 
alone, only by grafting, just the same as 
as certain varieties of peach and apple. 
They will not grow true from the seeds, 
hut must be grafted in order to carry the 
desired variety. As an interesting nov¬ 
elty this plant has a place. Whoever 
buys it understands distinctly that it is 
a novelty and that he cannot reproduce 
it hy planting the seeds. 
The Spraying Problem 
(Continued from [)age .‘Ill) 
the above insecticides and lime-sulphur 
reduced in strength applicable to use on 
tender leaves: this time one part to 
0(1 of water. The apple grower must 
be pre])ared to take all this trouble to 
weaken the emmy before he attains 
strength. 
Fi.xm, Treatme.n’t. —Spraying for re¬ 
sults is a pretty continuous perform¬ 
ance. Our next and final spraying is 
done as rapidly as possible after the 
blooming period. following up one 
variety after another as blossoms are 
huished. The mixture is prepared as 
follows: In our 20()-gallou tank we put 
hve gallons of lime-sulphur, one i)ait to 
10, and nearly fill it with water, in which 
is then poured the arsenate of lead paste 
Oic RURAL NEW-YORKER 
335 
10 to 12 lbs. well mixed to milky con¬ 
sistency in five or six gallons of water, 
and lastly a little more than a pint and 
.a half of tobacco extract, stirring the 
liquid when the chemicals are poured to¬ 
gether. Hy apology for telling all this 
which is already ^so well known to the 
business grower of apples is that it is 
probably the be.st spraying outline that 
is yet known, and that as many people 
do the work in too hurried and care¬ 
less a manner, they do not get as good 
results as are possible. Also, there are 
beginners who wish to be uided rightly. 
Wh.\t to Avoid.— ^I have given con¬ 
clusions from my own experience as to 
what materials to use when fine apples 
are the object. I now come to the 
place where I can also talk advisedly as 
to one thing at least that a good grower 
should avoid. Don't put Bordeaux mix¬ 
ture on your young and tender fruit un¬ 
less you are willing to take the chances 
of its injury or ruin. Better give it up 
to blights and bugs and save labor. I 
have known this for some years, but I 
am still open-minded, and if any way is 
better than I am doing I want to know 
it. and I experiment sometimes. My last 
year’s experiment was costly. It was 
somewhat too extensive, the result of ac¬ 
cepting statenients that were misleading 
to me. Against my common sense and 
|)i‘evious experience I listened to a 
“promoter” who argued for the wonder¬ 
ful virtues of a new “dope.” By its use 
400 barrels of apples that should have 
been, as always heretofore from the same 
orchard, absolutely fancy, were entirely 
spoiled, russeted and deformed. 
Boude.mx Mixtcre.— I’se Bordeaux 
mixture on your dormant trees if you 
must—I have no use for it even in this 
way. as I believe that lime-sulphur will 
serve every purpose. xVud don't put 
Bordeaux on the fruit. It is the wrong 
“dope.” and the scientists will not dis¬ 
agree with this advice. 
I)i\STi.\o Trees. —As to dusting, the 
time has come when the owner of a large 
orchard must give attention to this new¬ 
er idea of using dry material in. tead of 
licpiid. which may be done more rapidly, 
and a large area covered at the right 
moment when bad things are rhreaten- 
ing. It will not do to lay aside the reg¬ 
ular spraying and make entire de¬ 
pendence on dusting until more is 
known. 
The Spraying Outfit.^— In growing 
a[)ples for profit much depends on hav¬ 
ing the proper spraying outfit: one 
which is adapted to the particul.ar needs 
of the orchard under consideration. It 
is in this day a wise investment, and a 
man is justified in buying a power 
sju-ayer even for a five-acre orchard of 
mature trees; the work is done so much 
quicker and better than can be done 
with a barrel spray-pump, and one is 
enabled to follow up the work in a 
scientific manner, and with but slight 
di.sturbanee to the farm schedule. If tlu' 
orchard is on rolling or hilly land, a 
low-down outfit is best. If the tret'S are 
very tall, .a tower on the sprayer may 
he needed. Right hen* I will' remark 
that the tall old apple tree* has had its 
day, and it is not good l)usiness to keep 
it unless it is re.'illy worth saving, jind 
can be made reachable hy belieadiug to 
force a vigorous young growth and 
secure a new lease of life. On the whole, 
if orcharding in earnest, one will get 
more money and satisfaction from young 
trees. 
Detaii.s from Experience.— A good 
.‘>14 horsepower spraying machiiu'. prop¬ 
erly equipped, will take care of :i() or 
more acres of mature trees. Don't .strain 
this i)oint too hard, and think you can 
do justi<-e to over .50 acres of apples— 
it cannot be done. We have so far been 
able to d<i good work on 110 acres of 
apples of varying ages with two spray¬ 
ers of the low-down type by running a 
supply tank to the orchards with a third 
team to replenish the machines, sind 
keep them going without loss of time in 
traveling back to headquarters for spray 
.solution. My supply tank of 200 giillon's 
(Continued on page ooO) 
Digging over 399 bushels per acre of Green Mountain Potatoes. Farm of Mr, Benjamin H. Ward, Aroostook County, Maine 
Did You Raise 399 Bushels Per Acre Last Season? 
Mr. Benjamin H. Ward of Aroostook County, Maine, raised 10,082 barrels (29,925 
bushels) on his 75 acre field last season. At $8.00 per barrel, the present market price 
in Aroostook, this crop is worth over $1,000 per acre. 
Mr. Ward^ insured his profits by furnishing his crop with an ample supply of E. FRANK 
COE Fertilizer. He used 1,500 pounds under the crop at the time of planting and applied 
500 pounds as a top dressing just before leveling off the hills. He has insured his 1918 
crop by ordering 100 tons of E. FRANK COE Fertilizers for the coming season. 
Why Not Insure Your Profits in the Same Way? 
We make special fertilizers not oply for potatoes but for every important crop. 
Upon the American Farmer today depends the lives of millions of people. The War has 
stripped Europe of Its farmers. America alone stands between the World and starva¬ 
tion. The farmer who fails to produce the largest possible crop this season is not only 
losing his profits but is also failing to do his full duty to his Country and to the Civilized 
World. Unless our crops are bigger than ever before, the demand for food will be 
greater than che supply. 
Will You Help America Feed the World? 
Write today for the name and address of the nearest local agent for the E. FRANK 
COE Fertilizers or ask for the agency yourself. Our practical crop books tell you how 
the best farmers in every section raise successful crops. Mention the crop in which you 
are most interested if you would like any of these books. 
Address Crop Booh Department 
The Coe-Mortimer Company, 51 Chambers Street, N. Y. City 
Subsidiary of the American Agricultural Chemical Co. 
E. Frank Coe Fertilizers 
1857 THE BUSINESS FAR MER’S STANDARD FOR OVE R SIXTY YEARS 1917 
$1 
Over 
Per 
Acre 
000 
9 
