Vie RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
275 
RURALISMS 
Orchard Questions 
1. I am a young man. 20 years old. and 
manage 35 acres of fruit trees. Should 
apple trees that have not been pruned 
for two years have the. center cut out. 
making them like a bowl, or should the 
center be let grow, and only head them 
back to keep them from getting too high? 
These trees are 20 years old. 2. We have 
some nitrate of soda and acid phosphate 
on hand that has been mixed about one 
year and nine months. Has this lost any 
of its strength? 3. Would a piece of 
new ground that is rather stony and pro¬ 
tected on the north and west be good for 
peaches or any particular fruit? f. m. p. 
North Bethlehem. Pa. 
1. I have no faith in the pruning meth¬ 
od of leaving the center limb in a young 
apple tree, but if your trees are 20 years 
old and were trained after this method, it 
may not be advisable to cut out the cen¬ 
ter limb now. Much depends on the com¬ 
parative size of this limb. If small, cut 
it out, but in some cases it might mean 
the cutting away- of too much top. If 
your trees are too thick, thin them out 
quite thoroughly, cutting out some large 
iirabs if necessary, and keeping in mind 
the advantage of an opeu center. Cut all 
limbs close and paint wounds with white 
lead and oil. 
2. I take it from F. M. P.’s description 
that the intended peach location is on the 
sunny (southeastern) slope of sonnj moun¬ 
tain or ridge. If so, it is an ideal place 
for a peach orchard as far as slope is con- 
cer?ed. The woods back and above will 
be a protection, but the lower side should 
be clear of forest to allow air drainage. 
If the soil is not too stony to plow and 
cultivate, the stones will not interfere 
with the growth of the peach trees, but if 
otherwise I would not advise planting 
peach trees, for they must be cultivated. 
Apples are sometimes planted on land too 
stony to plow if no other place is avail¬ 
able. but I would prefer to utilize such 
land for pasture. 
3. I see no reason why nitrate or acid 
phosphate should deteriorate to any ex¬ 
tent if it has been kept dry. We have had 
nitrate in storage for several years which 
stlil gives good satisfaction. The experi¬ 
ment station at State College may be able 
to help you out on this problem. 
DAVID PLANK. 
Frost-proof Cabbage Experience 
Price lists of frost-proof cabbage plants 
are now coming in from Southern grow¬ 
ers. and that reminds me that our col¬ 
lective experience with these growers the 
past two seasons has been far from satis¬ 
factory. A circular just at hand states 
that disastrous freezes killed nearly all 
the plants the past two seasons, and that 
growers were compelled to grow another 
crop of plants in the Spring to supply 
customers’ needs. This is just where the 
trouble originated, and I contend that 
the growers were wholly at fault. In¬ 
stead of frankly admitting to patrons that 
their genuine froet-proof (Fall-sown) 
plants had all been killed, and asking 
their consent to send Spring-grown plants 
(which are not frost-proof at all) in 
their stead, they held on to their money 
orders and concealed the truth, promis¬ 
ing delivery and keeping customers wait¬ 
ing till the season was too far advanced 
for profit. Then when the home market 
was full of nice Spring-grown plants, 
along would come these Southerners, in¬ 
ferior in every way to the local product. 
It is no wonder that patrons were 
wrathy, and that some crates were sent 
back unopened, but this was possible 
only when money had not been sent in ad¬ 
vance, and cash on delivery was by no 
means the practice. 
But all this irritating experience does 
not make me forget that genuine frost¬ 
proof plants set out here early in March 
have proved a great success, and pro¬ 
duced a crop far enough in advance of 
home-grown plants to. command much 
higher prices, but hereafter I shall trj to 
get them without burning my fingers. 
L. R. JOHNSON. 
Cape Girardeau Co., Mo. 
“The cuttlefish.” remarked the zoolo¬ 
gist “when it become agitated scatters ink 
and slips away in the darkness." “Won¬ 
derful !" exclaimed the man with the 
s, »ots on his ye t “The fountain pen of 
the sea !"—Washington Star. 
ampion 
%-v -.*.*• -.'v .. 
[CHAMPION 
€ 
Holt 
Caterpillar 
Tractor 
sons, etc. 
Wins Out In Government’s Severe Shock Test 
This most severe test had not the 
... . w slightest adverse effect, the operation of 
the Lnited States Government was the motor continued perfectly, not a 
conducting a most exacting ignition test spark plug “missed” even temporarily, 
of the Holt-Caterpillar 1 ractors, used Every motor car owner has, in this 
in war-work foi hauling cannons, cais- test, irrefutable proof of the hardiness 
mm i 1 
i 
a 
r 
W ith motor at high speed under 
heavy load, the spark plugs at sizzling 
and efficiency of Champion Spark Plugs. 
There is a Champion Spark Plug for 
every type of motor car, motor truck. 
JAS43, %—18. Price $1.00 
Champion Heavy Duty 
heat were doused with a bucket-full of tractor, motorcycle and stationary 
cold water. engine. 
Champion Spark Plug Company, Toledo, Ohio 
Champion Spark Plug Co., of Canada, Limited, Windsor, Ontario 
The Union Leader 
Hie ft Premture 
•—one mule machine. 
For general tpraying. 
Protect Your Crops 
Against Insects and Fungous Diseases 
Double the Yield and Bring Foliage to Full Maturity 
High and Constant pressure for thoroughly sat¬ 
urating foliage is the secret of success. 
Perfect Agitation keeps poison in thorough solution. 
Strainer Cleaners to prevent clogged pipes and nozzles 
are specialities of the"0*pr«ymo” machines. They stand up 
under most severe conditions — built for long service. 
You can spray Everything with the— Union Leader— and 
use the engine for other power purposes. 
Write for complete catalog 
FIELD FORCE PUMP CO., Dept. 2, Elmira. N.Y. 
Ordinary Trees Produce More Fruit When Sprayed With the 
ST5»n 
The Universal Sprayer of a Hundred Uses 
Strone, light, powerful, the Standard 
penetrates every hidden tair of pests on 
bark, limb, leaf and branch of tree and 
plant. Sprays tops of tallest f'ees. With 
Knapsack (at small extra cost) you 
can spray in garden and field as fast 
as you walk. Can be put to many 
other uses than spraying. At Hard¬ 
ware and Seed Stores. We ship direct 
if local dealer can’t supply. $5.00 
prepaid (West of Denver and in Far 
South. $5.50.) Write today , sure, 
for Catalogue M. 
THE STANDARD STAMPING CO.. 974 Main St.. Huntington. W. Va. 
IfitSS-H-OOBIHU 
THRESHES PEAS AND BEANS FROM THE MOWN VINES | 
Also wheat, oat*, rye, barley, peanut*, 
velvet bean*, etc. An ideal combination 
thresher which does all the work. “The 
machine I have been looking for for 20 years”—Prof. 
W, F. Massey. It will pay you to read our guarantee 
and testimonials before buying a IT DOES 
thresher. 
The moder¬ 
ate price will 
surprise you 
Writ* for rm Mu* 
tratad booklet No 
I0CER PEA AND BEAN 
THRESHER CO. 
Morristswn. Tennessee 
ALL THE 
WORK 
Don’t Waste Wool 
Old methods of shearing leave too much wool on 
the sheep. Shear the modern way with a good ma 
chine. The Stewart No. 9 Ball Bearing Shearing 
Machine works wonders with flocks up to 300 
head. Saves time and money—shears 15# more 
wool. Does away with second cuts. Soon pays 
for itself. You can get it by sending $2.00—bal 
ance on arrival. Or write for catalog. 
CHICAGO FLEXIBLE SHAFT COMPANY 
Dept. 141. 12th St. and Central Ave., Chicago, III. 
FARM for SALES’ .T 
near Salisbury, Maryland. The land is fertile and 
this is a section where farming pays. For particu¬ 
lars address SAMUEL P. WOODCOCK, Salisbury. Maryland 
360-Acre Farm 
*1.000 cash. HARRY 
7 miles Seottsville. Va. Adapted 
sheep, hogs, or farm crops 
Level. Good buildings. $6,500; 
VAIL, New Milford, Orange I’o., N. Y 
FARMS 
Pictures and accurate descriptions of per 
sonally inspected properties. State your 
requirements. E E. SLOCUM, 141 B'wsy! N. T 
Printed Farm Stationery “ESST ,<et - erHeHds ' etc 
of samples for uuy budlueas free, 
anywhere. Fine line 
A. HOWIE, Printer, Beebe Plain, VL 
