RURAL NEW-YORK.ER 
b77 
Tills lest of yield should he tried out on the farm 
where the crop is to be gi’owii. 
Third, does it show improvement? The good 
com farmer should no soonei' think of growing 
scrub corn than the good stock farmer of growing 
scrub stock. However, it is not best for every corn 
A Prolific Climbing Rose. Fig. 218 
grower to be a corn breeder. There are so many 
strains of good well-bred corn that he can select 
from, and then by careful selection looking to the 
points of that particular strain so a.s to preserve 
and if iiossible improve its good fpialitie.s. keeping 
it as pure as possible and never intentionally cross¬ 
ing breeds or strains, for that way lies failure for 
the average corn grower. hokatio marivLey. 
Ohio. 
The Field Mice Scourge 
KFFOKT!^ AT (‘OXTROT..—Since returning to 
“Orchard Farm.” more definite information has been 
obtained concerning the working of tin* mice. They 
evidently are the same sjiecies that has done great 
damage at fimt'S in the 'Western State.s. As .soon as 
tliey were discovered in the orchards, it became evi¬ 
dent that they were Avorking in cohmies in different 
]>arts of the farm. All of the trees in circles repre¬ 
sented by a diameter of l’<Ki feet were painted Avith 
undiluted lime-sulphur, with two ounces of ar.senate 
of lead added to a gallon. Corn and wheat soaked 
in strychnine, at r;it(“ of oiu' onnce in two gallons 
of Avarm Avater applied to CP iiounds of the grain, 
was ]ilaced about the tree, and in all holes dis- 
coA’ered. Inside of these <‘ircl('s. where tri'es Avere 
being girdled by the mice, the juen dug away the 
earth, also all suoaa' and ice Avhei’e the mice came 
from the ground in great numbers. Refore tlm men 
could get fr<»m tree to tree, killing the mice as they 
appeared in such large nundjers upon the bodies of 
the trees, sev(*ral AA’ould be comiihdely girdled, as 
described in the previotis communic.ation. 
SOMF IXTFRFKTIXC FACTS.— IHg. iRh shoAVS 
a dAA'arf apph' tree eight .A'ears jdanted. The tree 
Avas md only girdled, but m.any of the trunk roots 
Avere eaten, making it imiiossible to save the tree by 
bridge-grafting. There ai-e sutticient Avell-formed 
fruit-buds upon the tree to i)roduce four bo.xes of 
a]iples. The base of tlie tn'e Avas covered Avith mice 
Avhich the men killed Avith sticks, as they steadily 
came out the ground. With Avhat Avere killed and 
l>oisoned inside of the circles, the migration seemed 
to cease, as no trees Avere injured for some distance 
outside of the circle.s. The mice migrated only after 
the snoAV and ice disappeared and the ground Avas 
bare. 
I*RFCAITTIf)X8 IX RRII tCF-CR AFTIXC.—Fig. 
220 shoAA’s a girdled Duchess standard tree. seA-en 
y(‘ars planted, that has been bridge-grafted AA'ith 
four grafts insertcal. Tluo'e Avere about four inches 
of bark left under the ground, in Avhich the grafts 
coidd be placed, the roots not being injured. In 
bridge-grafting it is important to cover the end of 
the graft beloAV Avith the soil very firmly packed, and 
this further supported by luitting a stone against it 
to ]u*event the graft pu.shiug out later. After the 
AA’ork is done, the earth .shoidd be made to coA’er all 
of the part that has been girdled. Avhich Avill helit to 
keep the grafts moist Avhen they Avill carry the sap 
more freely. The bridge-grafring may be done for 
.several Aveeks. or so long as the sap is running ac¬ 
tively in April and May. Fig. 210 .shoAvs tAvo of 
the mice upon a tree, Avhich in the Winter Avould 
extend around the tree as closely as they could 
Avork. 
further EXPFKIFXCF.—We have learned an¬ 
other most interesting fact. Anticipating this danger, 
we had all young trees planted during the past tAVO 
years 'banked about IG inches, Avith strip of land 
about seven feet Avide, ploAved along the roAvs. As the 
mice began tpion these trees before they AA’ere ploAA-ed 
in early December, poisoned grain Avas put about, 
and betAveen the trees, Avhich Avas active. Xot one 
of the banked trees Avas touched by the mice, many 
of Avhich had no grain put about them. Avhich in¬ 
dicates that banking is a protection. As Ave Avere 
carrying out an experiment Avith loAv-headed dAv.irf 
and standard tree, by seeding doAvn spaces along 
the trees 12 feet Avide. some Avith Alsike clover and 
Red-tojt, and others Avith Timothy and Red-top, Avith 
Red cloA'er as a coA'er in the cultivated spaces, Ave 
find Avhere the clover and Red-to]i Avere used the 
trees .suffered. Where the Timothy and Red-top 
covered the soil, the roots of the.se grasses Avero en¬ 
tirely eaten, .so that the top may be raked off, and 
no trees Avere injunal in tho.se spaces. 
RESULT OF UFOWIXtJ.—Several orchards were 
ploAved just before Winter. Xd damage Avas done 
so far as the ploAving Avas extended. In deciding 
u]ion the policy for the coming year. Ave arc inclined 
to have the seeding along at least half of the tree.s, 
and baidv them heavily just before freezing, in fact 
bank all trees. Wire bands are too expensive and 
Avill not protect, as this species of mice may make 
their runs close to the trees and come up inside of 
the bands. george t. poavell. 
Are Strawberry Plants Personal Property ? 
A neighbor having rented a farm .here (money rent) 
by the ye.ar, last Sjjring plant<‘d over 2.000 strawberry 
plants. In the Fall he died. The farm behaiging to 
his grandmother, she sold it and the party Avho bought 
Girdled Tree Showing Mice at Work. Fig, 219 
it rented it t(» another man on shares. To Avhom Avotild 
the crop of this Summer belong? Nothing Avas said 
about it Avhen it Avas sold. j,. r. n. 
IVnusylvania. 
HE general nile is tliat a crop AA-bieh matures 
Avitbin one year of planting shall be rated as 
liersonal property and it belongs to tlie tenant. He 
lias the right to go on tlie farm and harvest this 
crop unless bis lease .states definitely othcrAvise. 
Tliat Avould be the case Avitli a crop like oats, rye, 
or Avheat. If the tenant bad a contract Avliicb ran 
from April to April, and during that contract he 
seeded wheat or rye in Septemiier, and on tlic fol- 
loAving April bis lea.se Avas not reneAved, be Avould 
still have the right to harvest that grain, although 
it became riiie after his lease e.xpirod. If he seed¬ 
ed grass on the field or planted trees, tliey Avould 
1)0 considered periuaiieut crop.s, naturally runiiiug 
over several years, ami it Avould he considert'd real 
estate going on as part of tlie farm. When it comes 
to small fruits, such kinds as hlacklicrrio.s, rasp¬ 
berries, or currants Avould 1)0 considered a imrt of 
the real estate because they are ‘•permanently at¬ 
tached to the ground.’’ 
As for straAvberrie.s. it Avould depeiia upon the 
usual custom in the neighborhood of cultivating tliis 
crop. If it is tlie general custom to i»ick only one 
crop from the berries ami then ploAV the beds ui) 
tlie tenant Avould have the same rigiit to that crop 
tliat be AA’ould to rye or AA’lieat. If. lioAvcvcr. as is 
usually the case the usual custom Avas to pick tAvo 
or three crops from the bod, the straAvbcrries avouUI 
be considered the same as trees or the bush fruits 
and Avould lie a part of the real estate. A case of 
this sort AA’as tried in Xoav .Tersey sevei'al years 
ago. The judge decided that the straAvberries, be¬ 
ing a yearly crop, should be classed under personal 
property, and that the tenant bad a right to go on 
the farm and harvest his crop eA-eu though liis 
lease had expired and the farm had been sold. The 
judge erred in this decision. b(>caiis<> it Avas clcai'ly 
demonstrated that in that .section tlic custom Avas 
to pick several crops of straAvherrics from one 
planting, and that the berries Avere of tlie'same na¬ 
ture as the bush fruits or trees, therefore, real es¬ 
tate and a definite ])art of tlie farm. A ease of this 
kind AA'()uld i)rol)ably hinge upon that point, and In 
most cases a straAvberry cro|). .set out this year, 
Avould l)e expected to remain in tlie field for tAvo 
years or more and AA-ouId, tlun-efore, be el.assed as 
per.soiial property to be transferred Avitli the farm 
like orchards or permanent buildings. This is tlie 
general ruling, avc think, but in a cas(> so <-om- 
plicated by per.soiial relations the pre.sciit tenant 
might he Avilliiig to alloAv something for the crop. 
Improving Stiff Clay Soils 
I have boon tryiufi; for the la.st tAvo .voar.>< to raiso a 
garden on a lot that has about IS iiicli’es of el.ay oAa'r- 
laying limestone. The Spring hofore I plantial it there 
Avas a good groAvth of SAveet clover turned under, hut 
Avas not planted; the ground was too tongli to be li.ar- 
roAved, so Avas left as it Avas. That Summer the clover 
made a good groiytli; I do not knoAV if it .seeded or not, 
but the next S{)ring I luui it ploAved. turning under .an- 
other p)od growth of clover at that time. The ,sod Avas 
too stilT to harroAv, and as avc did not have a disk I 
made the furroAv.s Avith a shovel. Corn, tom.atoes and 
beans Avere fair, early and late j)ot:itoes Avere .a failure. 
Last Winter I put on about tAVo incht's leaves, a coat 
of street sweeping and soini' st.ahle niamire, e.\[)eeting 
to h.ave it ploAved early but could not get it done un¬ 
til aft('r Avet Aveathi'r set in. I could not AA'ait for it 
to dry, .as that Avoiild have t.aKaai half tlie Snmnu'r. 
Refore it dried very much Ave had a good rain that 
helped .some; .after it dried I had it liarrowod and fiir- 
roAved. but did not got a V(a\v good .seed bed. Early 
pot.atoi'.s, corn, string laains and tomatoes Avere fair; 
had good groAving Ave.athor early. Late corn, pot.atoea, 
Lima beams, oabb.age and tomatoes Avero a failnia'. due 
p.artly to the Aveather. l..ast Xovianlaa' I put about a 
fo()t of leaA'es ov(‘r the Avliole lot and (‘xp(a-ted to Itaive 
them until this Si)ring, but they started to blow otf, 
so I burned them and covered the ashes Avith a light 
• coat of hiAvn clippings, h.ave jnit on tliis Winter some 
soft coal aslies, a.s I believe they Avill lielp loosen the 
soil. I have available soft coal aslies. lime jilaster 
taken off tin old hoiisi', street SAveepings and some 
leaves that have boen idled .since last Fall. I liavo 
tlu* above piled close to flie lot. Can buy fresh stable 
nianure_ at $1 per two-liorse load, chicken manure from 
a packing-house at ifl per one-hor.so load. This Avill 
have some blood and feathers in it, hut no ahsorbent. 
Marion, Dhio. .t. a. d. 
X a snml] sctile this is the (picstioii Avhich comes 
no time.s a year. Hoav can tliese tougli clays 
be made Avorkaide? A soil of this sort cannot give 
good rivsplts Avirliout lime, organic matt(‘r and .some 
form of draimigi'. It may seem strange to .advise 
lime on :t soil Avbicli is uiiderbiid liy limestone, but 
in many sucli casi>s burnt lime Avill gretitl.v help. 
This was explained on jiage (W (.Ian. R!, 1017). 
The burnt lime Avill Iuiat the etfect of opening the 
thick clay, breaking it up and making it more por- 
ou.s. We should bu.v the chicken manure at one 
dollar iier load and give gardtai a good covering. 
I’ut on tlK> compost and tlie coal ashes and ploAV all 
under, d'lieii give a driessiug of i)urnt lime at the 
r.ate of tAvo tons to the acre and liarroAV or rake it 
tlioroughly into the soil. You do not say Iioav large 
the lot i.s, or Avliethm* tliere is any slope to it for 
drainage. We have knoAvii such a piece of ground 
to he fairly Avell drained by digging ditclies Avith 
the slope of the land and filling them Avith stones 
to Avithin eight inches of the toil. A sj-stem of tile 
Girdled Tree, Bridge-grafted With Four Grafts. Fig. 220 
drainage Avith an outlet is of course best, but the 
stone drains Avill ludp for a feAv years. For all 
such stiff clays the general treatment is the same 
—a good coat of active lime, Avell liarroAved in after 
ploAving, all the organic matter you can ploAV under, 
and some system of drti inage. 
