981 
RURALISMS 
Lifting Narcissi for Division 
What is the object in drying Narcissi 
and jonquil roots? I have a lot that 
have been in the ground several years 
and have increased so that I want to sep¬ 
arate them. Would it he better to dry 
them, or replant them as I take them up? 
They are in the edge of a woods where 
they bloom very well each year. A. n. 
Stamford, Conu^ 
Narcissi should be left in the ground 
until the foliage naturally dies down, 
when they may he lifted, divided and re¬ 
planted without further drying. INIany 
of them, especi.ally the Poeticus class, be¬ 
gin to make roots immediately after the 
top growth is dead. Tulips and hyacinths 
ripen better when they are lifted and 
dried off before replanting, and there is 
the additional convenience of removing 
them to replace them with Summer bed¬ 
ding plants. In this case the Narcissi 
may be taken up, divided, and then re¬ 
planted at once, as the space is not needed 
for other plant.s. Where Darwin tulips 
are grown in the herbaceous border we 
only lift them for division, and replant 
without drying off, like the Narcissi, but 
with hyacinths and the tulips this com¬ 
plete ripening is necessary for best results 
in bloom. 
Controlling Cutworms 
How are cutworms proi)agated and how 
combated? We have an epidemic of them 
here this season, and some men have had 
to replant their beans the second time. 
They are also destroying the onions and 
all small garden truck. In some bean 
hills we find from five to 1.5 worms. As 
there are bean fields here from 20 to 150 
acres we cannot do much trying to dig 
them out to kill by hand. E. G. o. 
Cutworms are the larvm of certain 
night-flying moths, 'which lay their eggs in 
July and August, in fields grown up to 
herbage. The larva? feed for a few weeks 
in the Fall, then hibernate in the soil, 
and become active in the Spring. In 
large areas methods of control are to cul¬ 
tivate thoroughly in late Summer, plow 
deeply in the Fall, and follow this with 
eaply cultivation in the Spring. Fields 
that are allowed to grow up in weeds en¬ 
courage the pest. The cutworms may 
lalso be destroyed by poisoned bran mash, 
scattered broadcast over the field in the 
evening. The proportions are two 
pounds Paris green, 25 pounds bran, two 
quarts cheap molasses. Mix the Paris 
green with the bran, moisten Avith water, 
and stir in the molasses, making it about 
the crumbly consistency of chicken feed. 
This is best used early in the season, 
just before the young seedlings are up, 
and then repeated. Of course, it cannot 
be used where poultry haA'e free range. 
' Paeonies from Seed 
Can paeonies be grown from seed? If 
so, when should the seed be gathered, and 
when planted? Do they breed true to 
type? w. H. H. 
Leipsic, O. 
Pmonies may be grown from seed, but 
it is a very slow and tedious operation, 
being u.sed only for increasing distinct 
species and obtaining new varieties. The 
seeds should be gathered as soon as ripe, 
and kept damp in moist sand until early 
November, Avhen they may be sown in the 
open ground. The ground should be 
mulched the first season to keep the earth 
moist and prevent weeds from growing. 
Usually two years elapse before the seed 
germinates, the young plants flowering 
about the third year afterwards. Many 
seedlings are poor, but they should not 
be discarded the first time they flower, as 
they often improve afterwards. Seedling 
paeonies are rather uncertain, however; 
while the original species usually come 
true, there is no certainty AA-ith garden va¬ 
rieties. It is an interesting lottery to 
grow them from seed, but wiser to propa¬ 
gate by division of the clumps of any 
special variety is desired. 
Culture of Lentils 
After consulting all aA'ailable authori¬ 
ties I can find but very meager informa¬ 
tion in regard to lentils. I Avould like 
very much to know how they are grown ; 
Avhether they are grown in this countiy, 
and if not, why not? Also, Avhether they 
are always eaten only in the dry state 
in which they are found here in the mar¬ 
ket. or Avhether they are also eaten fresh? 
AVhite l*lains, N. Y. j. a. u. 
Lentils (Lens esculenta) are grown 
largely in Southwestern Europe, espe- 
RURAL NEW-YORKER 
daily the Mediterranean section, and in 
Asia. The plant is little grown in this 
country, and has not yet assumed eco¬ 
nomic importance Avith us, because there 
are other legumes more desirable in the 
North, and our national dietaiy gives 
little recognition to the lentil. It re¬ 
quires a Avarm, sandy soil, and should be 
planted about the same time as soup 
beans. Soav in drills IS to 24 inches 
apart, and harvest Avhen the sterns begin 
to yelloAA’. The seed may be thrashe<l 
out Avith a flail when the pods are dry. 
We belieA’e lentils are only eaten in the 
dry state. They are regarded as the 
most nutritious of all legumes. No doubt 
the Southern States AA’ould produce lentils 
if sufficient inducement existed in market 
returns. 
Ailing Peach Trees 
Would you give me information on 
Avhat appears to me as a disease among 
my peach trees in the orchard—particu¬ 
larly in one variety at one end of or¬ 
chard? Last year it AA'as there in the 
late Fall and noAV again in same place, 
and also appears at another place in the 
orchard Avhere the ground is rather poor-. 
I enclose samples of the leaA'es, as most 
are discolored. Will you advise me Avhat 
this disease is and Avhat is the remedy? 
Pittsburgh, Pa. c. s. ,s. 
I am inclined to belieA’e that your 
poach trees are sulfering from either a 
poor soil drainage, lack of nitrogen or 
Winter injury, and possibly all three. 
If the orchard is not in a high state of 
cultivation and fertilization it may be 
someAvhat difficult for you to determine 
the extent to which each factor is re¬ 
sponsible. Unless you have applied a 
liberal quantity of nitrogen to these trees 
recently I Avould suggest that you apply 
100 pounds of nitrate of soda to the acre 
or its equivalent Avorked into the soil. 
By digging the soil aAvay from the timnk 
of the tree and examining the bark Avith 
a knife you can determine Avhether Win¬ 
ter injury has occurred. If the bark is 
spongj' and somewhat yellow in color 
slight injury is indicated. In more se¬ 
vere cases portions of the hark Avill be 
brown and dead. If the bark has been 
injured it is AA’ell to cut the tops of these 
trees back severely during the dormant 
season, and to mound Aip the soil well 
about the trunks of the trees just before 
freezing AA-eather in the late Fall. There 
is a possibility that some of these trees 
may be affected Avith yelloAvs or little 
peach. But the samples of leaves were 
too limited to determine that. 
M. A. BE ARE. 
White Grubs and Strawberries 
I have for many years raised a few 
straAvberries in my small garden, but this 
Summer a iieAV disease has appeared that 
is discouraging me. I go out in the morn¬ 
ing and find a Avilted yiiant, and as I take 
hold of the plant it lifts off as if some 
bug had gnawed it in tAvo. Is there any 
remedy to prevent it? J. Y. B. 
TarrytoAvn, N. Y. 
Evidently the Avork of Avhite grubs. 
This in.sect is often A’ory injurious to 
berry plants It AA-orks under ground and 
there is no Avay of detecting it until the 
plants curl up and fail. This insect has 
a life history of tAvo or three years. Con¬ 
stant and deep cultivation will help. At 
fir.st evidence of trouble in the plant Ave 
have pulled it up, found the grub and 
killed it and then reset the plant after 
trimming both top and root. In some 
cases the grubs can be killed by injecting 
a fcAV drops of bisulphide of carbon from 
the spout of an oil can into the soil around 
the plant. 
Destroying Burdock 
Would you advise me of a sure way to 
get rid of burdock? I have tried cutting 
off the stalk close to the ground and put¬ 
ting salt on the roots, but that doe.sn't 
stop them growing. f. C. a. 
Belle Mead, N. J. 
We have never been able to clean out 
burdock Avithout cutting doAvn at least 
three inches under ground and slicing off 
the root. The salt Avill help, in addition 
to this, but cutting off the top alone Avill 
not an.swer. T'oti must get doAvn and cut 
off the root. 
“I TiriXK, Harry,” .said iirs. Barton, 
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for?” asked the husband. “Well, the 
butcher left their meat here by mustake, 
and I think it seems only fair.”—'New 
York Times. 
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