Wte RURAL NEW.YORKER 
557 
Destroying Blackberry Vines 
What can yon suggest to get rid of 
blackberry vines in a fonr-year-old apple 
orchard of about 500 trees? Owing to 
the illness of the owner and the labor 
problem, it has not been properly culti¬ 
vated. and a thick mat of vine.s exists in 
some parts of the orchard. The ground 
is on an eastern slope too strong to use 
wheelbarrow' to advantage. flow can 
you plow it and after plowing how can 
you keep dow'n the vines. Would it be 
practical simply to cultivate around each 
tree ? F. R. 
Rockfall, Conn. 
T do not think anything short of good 
plowing or digging out with a mattock, 
and then thoroughly cultivating to some 
other filler crop to keep down tlie plants 
till they are entirely killed out, will do 
the work of eradication. If these are left 
they w'ill occupy the land to the exclusion 
.if the trees and the orchard will be a 
failure. It seems this can be plowed if 
going around the hill can be accomplished. 
If the trees are cultivated ax’ound the 
tree this will not keep down the berries 
in the body of the orchard and they will 
always be a soui’ce of trouble. Hotter 
clean them up well for one sea.s-on and 
s‘o if this will not be about the final 
(•’■•an up. The young trees need the cnlri- 
v.-ition at any rate amT the expense will 
not be money out in the end. T. s. 
Which Are the Fruit Buds ? 
On page 272 I note the interesting in- 
■luiry and reply in regard to the fruit 
buds. It is not difficult to recognize 
them, as stated there, and in some sectioTis 
has a considerable practical value. I re¬ 
member, when working in an experi¬ 
mental orchard in California, we made 
it an especial ob.ioct to cut out all pos¬ 
sible surplus fruit-wood, leaving only 
enough fruit buds for the next crop. In 
fact, we pruned rather close, preferring 
less fruit wood and large fruits to an 
oversupply of buds and smaller fruits. 
The w'eight of the fruit produced in case 
of either clo.5e or slack pruning would 
vary little, but there would be a great 
difference in the size and value of the 
fruit for packing. 
This method of cutting out surplus 
fruit wood is. of course, only possible in 
those regions where the buds set with 
great regularity. In those sections where 
frosts or hot winds will cut the flowers 
an overabundance of flower buds mu.st be 
left, in view of what may occur, but in 
nearly all sections a judicious selection of 
buds would be a benefit with some kinds 
of fruit. It would obviate the thinning 
process and i)revent the loss of nuibh 
strength to the tree. 
In the last days of the Fall nature is 
[treparing the trees for the early flowering 
in the Spring. Everything is prepared 
that the flowers may come out as soon as 
the days are warm and safe. In October 
and November the tlower buds swell and 
become plumper than the leaf buds, be¬ 
cause the embryo flowers are forming. 
With a good pocket lens they are easily 
seen. At any time in the Winter open 
with a sharp knife the larger pear, apple, 
peach or apricot bud.s, and examine them 
with the lens. At the widest place there 
is often a little hollow, and the very tiny 
flowers are easily found. They look like 
small light green grains about the size of 
a mustard seed. With a larger lens they 
are seen to be embryo flowers. If they 
are healthy they are a light green. If 
rhe.v are injured or frosted they will turn 
black. To those who have fruit trees the 
examining of the.se buds is very interest¬ 
ing. It shows how carefully and exactly 
nature does her work. A small pocket 
huis for this work costs but little, but for 
fruit-growers, who have many tiny ene¬ 
mies to deal with, it is very useful, and a 
source of great interest to the younger 
people. I" K. B. 
Mexico. 
Hydrated Lime and Spray Mixture 
There are many questions this year 
about substituting hydrated lime in the 
place of stone lime when making lime- 
sulphur. A number of farmers appar¬ 
ently have the hydrated lime on hand for 
fertilizing purjjoses, and they find it in¬ 
convenient to purchase the stone lime. 
Hydrated lime can be std)stituted, pro¬ 
vided it is a pure lime and does not con¬ 
tain too much magnesium. With a mag¬ 
nesium lime it would be much harder to 
get a high concentrate. In xising hydrated 
lime we should figure on at least one- 
fourth more of such lime than would be 
lu'cessarj' of stone lime. !ind a pure 
hydrated lime handled properly would 
give fair satisfaction. 
So.\KiNCJ Crows.—A plainly built, well- 
stuffed scarecrow fastened to a stick from 
its back to allow the dummy to turn. I 
find the most effective way of frightening 
crows. If troubled with exceptionally 
saucy ones, a few shots fired from behind 
the figure early in the morning will keep 
them at a .safe distance for the rest of the 
eea.son. i.. k. 
Oonnecticut. 
'-.I\ 
vi...,. 
,v!i .;v 
The Proper Seed Bed 
A proper seed bed is the best paying crop insurance you can 
carry. It is the onl^ thing that will make possible full nourish¬ 
ment to every crop you plant—^and full nourishment means a 
high percentage of germination, strong, healthy growth, and 
a big yield. 
Intensive research—foresight—experience—ciose study of all 
soil conditions in every section of the country—all these have 
combined to make Oliver the tractor plow that will put a 
proper seed bed on your farm. 
Oliver Tractor Plows are furnished with combination rolling 
coulters and jointers, quick detachable shares, with chilled 
or steel bases. 
2 Bottom Blow, $17S — 3Bottom Plow $220—4 Bottom Plow $310 
Plus Preighi Charges 
Oliver Chilled Plow Works, South Bend, Indiana 
A 
