S'Ae RURAl. NEW-YORKER 
463 
I RURALISMS 
i - .— 
Cutting Back Privet 
I have a privet hedge about three feet 
high and about as wide on top. I do not 
wish it so large. Will you tell me when 
to cut it back, and if I can cut it back to 
a foot high? In this case there will be 
very little left but the main body or tree 
trunk, one might almost call it. How 
close to the ground can I cut it without 
killing it? It borders one side of my gar¬ 
den and I wish to cut it down severely, iis 
low as possible without killing it, and 
when it comes up again to stop and hold 
it at about 18 inches high and toe same in 
width. B. L. I*. 
Metucheu, N. J. 
The privet will withstand almost any 
amount of hard pruning without sufl'ering 
any serious injury. Therefore you may 
safely cut this hedge down to within six 
or eight inches of the ground, and at any 
time now that the wood is not frozen, but 
perhaps the best time to do so would be 
latter part of March. Hard freezing is 
then usually past, and it is considered the 
best period of the year fur pruning all 
kinds of deciduous trees and shrubs. K. 
English Holly 
Is the holly known on the Pacific coast 
in Oregon and Washington as English 
holly, hardy in this locality? The Amer¬ 
ican or native holly is frequently seen 
here, but have never seen the English va¬ 
riety on the Atlantic side of the ITnited 
States. I would like to have your 
opinion. B. L. 6. 
The English holly, Ilex Aquifolium, 
which grows well in Oregon, Washing¬ 
ton, and other Pacific coast sections, is 
too tender for the Northern Atlantic 
States, its limit of hardiness, broadly 
speaking, being about the latitude of 
Philadelphia. In sheltered places it will 
stand a good deal of frost, but sweeping 
winds and bright Winter sun during 
hard frost affect it disastrously. There 
are some well-established specimens found 
in localities north of its usual limit, 
where favorable location or individual 
hardiness makes an exception to usual 
conditions, but its planting is not recom¬ 
mended where hardiness is doubtful, ex¬ 
cept in an experimental way. There are 
•some beautiful old specimens of English 
holly in and around I*hiladelphia. 
Grafting Evergreens 
\\"i]l you explain the grafting of ever¬ 
greens? Can one use the cleft method, 
inarching, or does it require a special 
form and time? B. T. 
Dowagiac, Mich. 
When grafting evergreens, nursery¬ 
men usually employ what is known as 
the veneer style of grafting. The work 
is done in Winter, usually from Novem¬ 
ber to March, one or two-year old potted 
plants being used for the stocks. These 
are grown out of doors and are lifted 
and potted in early Fall, and placed in a 
cool greenhouse or pit until wanted. At 
a point an inch or two above the ground 
an incision is made just through the 
hark, and an inch or so long, the veneer 
of hark being removed by making a 
downward sloping cut. This leaves a 
small tongue of bark at the bottom of 
the cut. The scion is cut diagonally, and 
from the longest side the bark is removed, 
of the same length and width as that re¬ 
moved from the stock, so that when the 
scion aivd stock are joined the parts w'ill 
fit snug. When the scion is set, care 
should be taken that the small tongue 
of bark on the stock covers the base 
of the scion. The scions are usually held 
in place with raffia, though some use 
strips of waxed muslin, but if the tieing 
is carefully done, raffia will answer just 
as well. The scions are usually made 
of the side branches, as they as a rule 
are the best. By this method of graft¬ 
ing the stocks need not be cut back un¬ 
til after the scion becomes united with 
the .stock. The grafted plants are kept 
in a cool greenhouse, and supplied with 
just sufficient moisture to hold them In 
good condition. This style of grafting 
requires no incision to be made in the 
wood, and when the scion and stock are 
joined together, all the wounded sur¬ 
face is entirely covered b.v the matching. 
The parts usually unite quickly and gen¬ 
erally uniformly and firmly. 
'For practically all the species and va¬ 
rieties of Abies and Picea, Norway 
spruce stocks are generally used. Pinus 
species and varieties are grafted on Aus¬ 
trian and White pine stocks; .Tunipeims, 
junipers, etc., on Irish juniper and Red 
cedar stocks. Retinispora (Japan ar¬ 
bor vitae) named varieties are common¬ 
ly grafted on common arbor vitae or 
Retinispora stocks. Thuya, including 
Biota (arbor vitae) named sorts are 
often grafted on common stocks of the 
species. k. 
Locust Seeds and Germination 
I am interested in your article “Rais¬ 
ing Ix)custs from Seed.” In ca.se your 
correspondent has a limited number of 
locust seeds, it might paj’ him to file or 
cut a very small notch in eacli seed .so 
that the moisture may enter it. In ex¬ 
planation of my impression that they 
might give trouble, will say I remember 
my aunt pointijig out some locust trees 
and telling me that her father had plant¬ 
ed them when .she was a little girl, and 
that he had had her cut a notch in each 
seed to make it germinate. 
I have a few locust seeds here and last 
week, out of curiosity, put 200 to soatt 
in a glass of water. Six days later 1 
found only 11 of them had swelled, the 
remainder being as hard as originally. 
You will see the present day discovery 
that most legume seeds should be scari¬ 
fied is not as recent a discovery as might 
be imagined, as the locust seeds referred 
to were planted about 90 years ago. 
P. D. WHIG If T. 
Propagating the Hydrangea 
How can I propagate Hydrangea 
paniculata grandiflor.a from cuttings? 
Ridgewood, N. J. av. j. m. 
Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora is 
most successfully propagated from soft 
wood cuttings taken about the fir.st of 
July. These are usually made with Hvo 
eyes, and are struck in clean propagat¬ 
ing sand under shaded glass in the green¬ 
house or cold frame, many propagators 
employing the cold frame exclusively for 
the pui'pose. When the frame is used 
about four inches of s'and will be re¬ 
quired for the bed, into which the cut¬ 
tings are inserted in rows three or four 
inches apart, and the cuttings two to 
three inches apart in the row. When 
the frame is filled with cuttings, the 
sash is placed on and heavily Avhite- 
washed, and kept tight down until cut¬ 
tings are rooted. Until they arc callused 
they will have to be sprayed several 
times a day to keep them from Avilting. 
After they are callused two or three 
spraying daily Avill be sufficient. They 
usually strike root in 25 to 30 days. If 
propagated in the greenhouse, the same 
attention as to spraying, etc., Avill be re¬ 
quired as for cold frame. After the 
cuttings have struck root they are given 
21/^-iuch pots, and plunged in the cold 
frame, Avhere they arc usually allowed to 
remain until the following Spring, and 
then planted in nursery rows. 
Sometimes hard-AA’ood cuttings han¬ 
dled in the same way as California 
privet are quite successful, at other 
time.s almost a complete failure, much 
depending on the soil and weather con¬ 
ditions. I have knoAvn instances of (10 
to 70 per cent, of hardwood cutting 
striking, and other instances when only 
four or five per cent, would take root. 
SoftAvood cuttings, when properly cared 
for, Avill usually prove 90 per cent, (or 
better) successful. k. 
Emerson Standard Mower 
Cuts a swath any width up to 8 ft. wide. The 
only mower ever built this size. Compensating 
lever and spring carries the cutter bar on the 
drive wheels—Increases traction—does away 
with side draft and wplght on horses’ necks. 
Standard Mowers are one of the many imple¬ 
ments in the E-B line. Backed by 65 years’ ex¬ 
perience. Look for the E-B 
trade mark on the imple¬ 
ments A ou buy. It is our 
pledge of quality and your 
guide to easier, better, more 
profi table far ming. _ _ 
Eraerson-BrantinghanlmpleineiilCo.(Ine.) 91 W.IronSt.,RackforB,lll 
Please send me free literature on articles checked: 
1 Tractors, Kerosena 
J Engine Plows 
} Steam Engines 
] Threshers 
] CornSbellers 
] Saw Mills 
j Baling Presses 
Plows 
d Ha* Tools 1 
Harrows 
Listers 
Cullisilora 
Gtt Engiaei 
Mowers 
Wagons 
SpreiOtr* 
[. 
Baggies 
Drills 
Aolo Trailers 
Plaalert 
Potato Maebioery 
Name 
Address 
THERE’S where you and I differ,” 
said the man who made a business 
of buying run-down houses, renew¬ 
ing them with Dutch Boy White Lead 
and selling them at a good profit. 
“The best paint not only sells the 
houses but keeps them well sold and 
helps my business.” 
Dutch Boy 
White Lead 
mixed with pure linseed oil makes the substantial, the 
economical, the lasting paint, whether you are painting for 
a customer or for yourself. 
The white lead coat on the exteriors of all farm buildings 
covers them with a film that sticks unbroken through all 
extremes of weather. No blotches, no scraping or burning 
off when you want to repaint. 
On inside walls and woodwork the 
white lead mixed with flatting oil makes 
possible in any home the soft, rich, vel¬ 
vety—and yet washable—finishes which 
give such a charming background to your 
furniture, draperies and pictures. 
For valuable information on painting 
ask us for Paint Points No. 162 
NATIONAL LEAD COMPANY 
^ DUTCH BOY 
I WHITE LE*" 
New York Boston Cincinnati 
Buffalo Chicago San Francisco 
Cleveland St. Louis 
(John T. Lewis & Bros. Co., Philadelphia) 
(National Lead & Oil Co., Pittsburgh) 
Dutch Boy 
Red Lead 
in paste form, 
for use on all 
metal work will 
save many times 
its cost by pre¬ 
venting rust. 
Simply stir in 
linseed oil and 
use like white 
lead paint. 
F*otato 
F^lantap 
Raise Potatoes This Year 
Increase your profits by using our potato planter. 
Opens furrow, drops seed any distance or depth, 
covers, marks for next row—all automatically. 
Puts on fertilizer it desired. One man operates 
and sees seed drop. Made of steel and malleable 
iron, assuring long service and few repairs. 
Send for Catalog 
EUREKA 
HOWER 
CO. 
Bos 840 
UUca. 
N. Y. 
This is the Year to 
HOME-MIX 
YOUR FERTILIZER! 
Don’t pay freight on useless filler. 
Wrife for Free information and prices 
NITRATE of SODA 
ACID PHOSPHATE 
TANKAGE, BONE, BLOOD 
INSECTICIDES and FUNGICIDES 
Freight congestion—Order early 
NITRATE AGENCIES COMPANY 
106 Pearl Street, New York City 
EVERY SEED 
YOU PLANT 
corn, cotton, oats, wheat, altulfa—any legiiine— 
flowers, garden stiitr, in fact every seed should be 
treated with 
ALL CROP 
FARMOGERM 
tho wonderful, money-saving method for supply¬ 
ing Nitrogen to your soil. It will make nitrogen 
available quickly for any crop where nitrogen 
is deficient. 
Nitrogen is the most valuable and expensive fert¬ 
ilizer element. Get yours for practically nothing 
by inoculating evei-y seed you plant with All 
Crop Farmogerm. Prices ; 6 acres S6.00; 1 acre 
81.50; Garden Size 60 cents; Flower-pot Size 25 cents. 
Send 10 cents for sample and booklet describing 
this wonderful product. 
If you are planting legumes only, use our 
spceillc culture 
Farmogerm For Legumes 
Prices same as All C’rop 
FOR SALE liY SEED HOUSES 
McELROY-SHEPHERD CO, 
Sole Manufacturers Earp-Thomas Farmogerm Products 
No. 2 Farmogerm Building* University^ Va. 
Agr-ntH Wanted — writ* for term*—Good propotition 
FRUIT-FOG 
Finest Known ||^ 
Fruit-Fog insures big profits. We 
make 60 styles of Sprayers; from 
small Hand to largest Power. 
Spraying Guide and big catalog 
___ FREE. Send postal. 
50 HATES PUMP « PUNTER CO., De*t '^T, eilvi, Ul. 
Get thiPse 
SPRAT 
Booklets FREE^ 
Every apple grower 
^"should have them. Help 
JiW yoii to raise perfect fruit, 
vlw ^ shows how to keep trees 
free from Aphis, Red Bug and 
' other soft-bodied sucking insects. 
BLACK LEAF 40 kills by contact. Equally 
effective when used separately or with 
other sprays. AVrite at once, and get 
Spraying Chart and Free bulletins. 
The Kentucky Tobacco Product Co. / . 
Incorporated Louisville, Ky. / Kills^ 
AphJ^ 
Spray Vegetables with an Eclipse Spray Pump 
THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL SPRAY PUMP 
MANUFACTURED 
For 28 years Ave have been supplying fruit growers 
with spraying utensils. One of our largest customers 
is the U. S. Government. Could there be a better 
endorsement ? Send for otir free literature and get 
our special proposition—a liberal one. 
MORRILL & MORLEY MFG. CO. 
BENTON HARBOR, MICH. 
First in the Field with a Successful Spray Pump 
