Oic RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1471 
RURALISMS 
Killing off Large Trees 
F. R. S. asks how to kill large syca¬ 
more trees, but let them remain standing. 
G. II. C. states that girdling with a 
hatchet, an inch deep, and four to five 
inches wide, this Winter, will do the 
job, and that sprouts will spring up re¬ 
peatedly for a while after. I would 
prefer an application of crude oil, or its 
refined product, kerosene, around the tree 
close to the ground. This would kill the 
tree and prevent sprouting. It would 
also leave the tree without an unsightly 
gashing, that would let in rain, and tend 
to bring on rapid decay of the tree. A 
planting of honeysuckle, trumpet vine 
and Virginia creeper would clothe the 
trunks with interesting foliage. 
We had an experience a number of 
years ago along this line. We were ap- 
l)lied to for help to save a large number 
of Norway maples surrounding a gentle¬ 
man’s estate. They were losing their 
leaves and appeared to be dying. We 
found the bark on the trunks more or less 
dead. LTpon inquiry as to what had been 
applied to the trunks of these trees, we 
were informed that a gardener applied 
for a job, saying that these trees needed 
an application of oil to the trunks to im- 
l)rove their condition, and to keep off the 
worms. The gardener was allowed to 
carry out his method of doctoring the 
trees. lie used crude oil, at that time 
said to be good for a host of things, 
even rheumatism; substituted for paint 
oil, a wood preservative, disinfectant, etc. 
As this oil penetrates bark readily, it 
reached the cambium, the circulating 
fluid, most vital in carrying on the life 
and growth of plants. The effect of this 
oil is destructive to plant life; as proof 
we know that kerosene emulsion needs 
diluting to a low per cent, otherwise dam¬ 
age is done to the foliage of trees sprayed. 
Shortly after this experience we saw in 
a New England Summer resort that the 
sugar maples planted about the village 
were losing their leaves in early Septem¬ 
ber. As caterpillars had become rather 
destructive to the maple trees, crude oil 
or kerosene was applied to the trunks of 
these trees by some owners. A most se¬ 
rious damage was innocently done to these 
trees through ignorance of plant life. 
Long Island. edw'ard iiick.s. 
Th< Coxsackie Apple 
I notice on page 12.58 an inquiry as to 
“Who Knows the Coixsackie Apple?’’ 
The Coxsackie apple is a seedling or nat¬ 
ural fruit, originally found in the town 
of Coxsackie, N. Y., by my grandfather, 
who gave it its name and brought it to 
Germantown, N. Y., over 100 years ago. 
Some of the largest and oldest trees of 
this variety to be found anywhere are 
still growing on my land in Cheviot, 
which is on the bank of the Hudson Riv¬ 
er. in the town of Germantown, Columbia 
County, N. Y. The tj-ees I own are about 
100 years old, and are the largest apple 
trees I ever saw anywhere. 
The tree is an annual bearer, and the 
apples, which are sub-acid, are striped 
with red, and are of the largest size. 
They are larger than the King, but re¬ 
semble the Ben Davis in shape. The Cox- 
.sackie apple ripens in August, and while 
beautiful to look at, is of very poor qual¬ 
ity. They are almost worthless for cook¬ 
ing. and it is only when the fruit is fully 
developed and ripened on the trees that 
one cares to eat it. If not fully ripe 
they have a puckery, astringent taste. 
While their fine appearance and large 
size, together with their early maturity, 
may readily sell the apples to one not 
familiar with the quality, I do not think 
a customer would care to purchase them 
more than once, unless he purchased the 
fully matured fruit, ripened on the trees. 
FKANKI.IX D. CLUM, M.I). 
Columbia Co., N. Y. 
.— Arbutus 
In the last year or to there have been 
a number of articles in The R. N.-Y. 
telling how one ought to be able to make 
this plant live under cultivation. None 
of the writers, myself included, seemed to 
have actually succeeded, but all had the¬ 
ories. My own was founded on the suc¬ 
cessful work of F. V. Coville of the U. 
S. Department of Agriculture, but former 
attempts had failed because of trying to 
make the plants blossom in a furnace- 
heated house. Last Spring I got a single 
small plant, apparently the only sur¬ 
vivor in a spot where it was formerly - 
very abundant. This was planted in a 
tub of soil which resembled Coville’s for¬ 
mula only in being free from clay and , 
strongly acid. It is now three or four 
times as large as when planted, and has 
several fine bunches of blossom buds. 
In preparing the soil I take the mass 
of leaves, twigs, cones and partly rotted 
material on the ground under a dense 
clump of hemlock, rub it through a coarse 
sieve and mix the fine portion with clean 
sand until the «and shows all through it. 
Then add shaved-up hemlock bark, about 
two good handfuls to the peck. There is 
less danger of drying out the roots if this 
is made wet enough to pack before put¬ 
ting in the plants. It is necessary to 
grow these plants in wooden tubs or else 
to plunge the earthen pots in tubs or 
large pots with moss or other packing 
around them, to keep the roots which 
come to the outside from being dried out. 
and killed. Alfred c. weed. 
Wayne Co., N. Y. 
Culture of Austin Dewberry 
I would like directions as to the culti¬ 
vation and pruning of the Austin dewber¬ 
ry. Should the vines be tied up or let 
tliem run on ground? When and how 
should it be pruned? G. M. s. 
Sherman, N. Y. 
The cultivation of the Austin dewberry 
does not differ in any respect from that 
of other varieties. About two good new 
canes should be grown annually, the old 
ones cut out as soon as fruit is off. The 
new canes should be allowed to trail on 
the ground during the Winter, or prob¬ 
ably in your section covered with earth. 
Then in Spring tie up to stakes, set three 
feet apart in five-foot rows. Do not al¬ 
low the tips of the canes to root unless 
new plants are wanted, and even then 
root cuttings will make better plants. 
W. F. MASSEY. 
The Effects of Nicotine Spraying 
I have noticed the reference to the use 
of nicotine at times, and wondered if our 
experience with it was unusual. A few 
months ago in spraying peaches for the 
little red bugs which eat small holes in 
the foliage, we used nicotine. My sou | 
handled the spray-rod while I attended j 
to other work, but that night he was tak¬ 
en very sick, and was sick all night and 
most of the next day; and supposing he ' 
had inherited from past generations of 
tobacco usersi a weakness which made ; 
him subject to the nicotine poisoning, ! 
when it came to the job of spraying for | 
apple aphis a few days ago, I took the i 
rod myself, but with the same results, ' 
only more so. As neither of us uses to¬ 
bacco, excepting in this form for spray¬ 
ing, I was wondering whether the weak¬ 
ness was inherited, or whether it was a 
common thing, or whether this was like a 
boy taking his first smoke, and further 
use of it as a spray material would not 
be followed by the same effects, or 
whether it would be necessary to use 
some other material, or handle it with 
rubber gloves. I do not care to repeat 
the experience, as it seemed for a time 
ns though one would follow the aphis, 
for it certainly does do deadly work 
among them. I. c. R. 
R. N.-Y.—Among greenhouse employees 
there are occasional cases where the use 
of nicotine sprays or fumigation causes 
general malaise, and sometimes actual ill¬ 
ness. The usual victims are non-smokers 
who have never become immune to the 
action of I’ght doses of nicotine. 
Columbian Raspberry 
I have seen several articles lately in 
The R. N.-Y. concerning the Columbian 
raspberry. I am growing it, and also the 
Royal Purple, which is of the Columbian 
type, but I find it much superior to the 
Columbian. The Royal Purple is not as 
rampant a grower as the Columbian, but 
vigorous enough; is almost thornless, a 
better bearer of better berries, not so 
crumbly, and better for market, and of 
fully as good flavor. I would not take the 
Columbian as a gift if I could buy the 
Royal Purple. f. m. s. 
Holland. N. Y. 
You can drive your Ford all Winter with com¬ 
fort and pleasure if you install a Crew Leviek 
Victor Heater. This heater costs nothing to run. 
USES NO FUEL 
The hot exhaust gas passes through a drum around which 
circulates pure, fresh air that rises and warms the passengers’ feet and bodies. 
It is easily regulated to give much or little heat, yet cannot burn or scorch 
shoes or robes. It uses the time-tried principle of the Hot Air Furnace. 
The Crew Leviek Victor is sturdy, noiseless, odorless and fool-proof. It 
fits neatly into the floor of your Ford touring car, sedan or town car. 
Easily installed in a few minutes. Sends up heat in 30 seconds. 
First cost is complete cost—there’s no “wear-oiit” to a Victor. 
See the Victor at your dealer’s, or order direct if he cannot sup¬ 
ply you, giving his name. 
CREW LEVICK COMPANY $CJOO 
129 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Complete 
» One of the oldest and largest producers and refiners 
of oils and manufacturers of petroleum products 
Branches: New York, Chicago, Send for 
San Francisco.Baltimore.Boston Free Booklet 
1 
WARM AIR 
"IP 
CAR 
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ICDRNECTION 
TO EXHAUST 
PIPE 
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PAX Pi 
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‘■EXHAUSTr 
J FRESH AIR mXAKE 
TIP 
CONSERVATION. Conserve time, 
money and your horse’s strength hy using 
RED TIP CALKS 
They will enable your horse to travel on slip¬ 
pery, icy roads and streets in absolute safety. 
They can be adjusted in a few minutes and 
make you ready for the road any time—day or 
night—eliminating danger and delay. 
NEVERSLIP CALKS NEVERSLIP SHOES 
always have Red Tips. always have Red Heels 
Get them from your horseshoer now. 
Booklet F will be sent free on request. 
THE NEVERSLIP WORKS, New Brunswick, N.J, 
' If you can’t fight-farm 
' Conditions demand that, where possible, you grow food 
Canada and the United States now working together. 
Western Canada’s virgin soil should attract you. No 
outlay for fertilizer now so hard to get. Get maxi¬ 
mum crops in grains and vegetables. Best stock coun¬ 
try on North American continent. Most desirable 
climate. Good markets. Farmers pay for their land 
and expenses with a single year’s product. Splendid 
land near railroads from $15 to $30 per acre. Irrigated land up to $50 
per acre including deeded water right. Easy payments, one-tenth down, 
then no payment for four years on principal; two per cent, interest first 
two years. 
The Canadian Pacific Railway 
will advance you up to S2,000 to make permanent improvements, 
under certain conditions. 
Become independent. 
CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, TELEPHONES 
Write now for literature. Renters ot farm lands, get your own homes. 
e ADDRE.SS 
ALLAN CAMERON, Superintendent Land Dept. 29714 Ninth Ave., Calgary, Alberta, Canada 
or L. F. MOWREY, District Representative, 1270 Broadway, New York City 
