The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1296 
November 5, 1921 
them around tho post by means of an end tool, but 
a claw hammer and pliers can be used for the pur¬ 
pose. The main thing to watch out for is to have 
as little slack as possible between the stretcher 
clamp and the end post. It should not he over 2 or 
3 ft. Fig. 53.3, last week, shows the short distance 
that should exist between the stretcher clamp and the 
post when the stretch is completed. After the wire 
Completed Splice in Wire Fence. Fig. 551 
is fastened at the end posts and the stretchers re¬ 
leased the wire can he stapled to the line posts, 
stapling at posts where there are changes in the 
grade tirst, and then fastening the remainder. 
.SPLICING.— In making the necessary unions be¬ 
tween rolls of wire the type of splice shown in Fig. 
555 should he used. It. is strong and neat, and is 
easily made by tirst bending the wires to he spliced 
at right angles and placing them as shown at F. 
The middle portion is then held from turning, and 
the ends wrapped about the horizontal wires as 
shown by the arrows. The wire splicer shown is 
very convenient for this purpose, and may be ob¬ 
tained for a small sum at almost any hardware 
store, or it can be made by any blacksmith. Keep 
the length short enough to permit twisting through 
the small lower meshes of the wire. Where two 
lengths of woven wire have to be spliced to each 
other, two vertical stay wires should he brought to¬ 
gether and the ends of the horizontal wires wrapped 
as described above. Bringing the stay wires to¬ 
gether, in this position, insures that the fencing is 
kept straight and all of the horizontal wires kept at 
the same length, insuring that they will he stressed 
evenly when the wire is stretched. Such a completed 
splice is shown in Fig. 551. 
GATES.—A wire fence presents an impassable 
barrier, and must be provided with gates. It can¬ 
not he opened at any point, as can a rail fence, with¬ 
out destroying it. Gates for farm purposes should 
be at least 14 feet in width, and if to be used at all 
in the Winter should be of the type that may he 
lifted as well as swung, to permit handling in the 
snow. Steel gates are used where an ornamental 
effect is desired, but for usual conditions the slid¬ 
ing gate made from hoards gives very good results. 
Fig. 554 shows one man’s idea of a gate. Make¬ 
shift affairs of this sort should be avoided, for aside 
from their appearance they present a positive men¬ 
ace to stock, being in effect an “entanglement” rather 
than a gate. The care used in building a fence has 
perhaps as much to do with the finished product, as 
the materials employed. It is sure that the best of 
materials can be ruined by careless construction. It 
is equally true that a well-made fence will cost, the 
least in the end because of the cost being distributed 
over a longer term of service. A well-made wire 
fence will give a long term of service with the mini¬ 
mum amount of attention; once over in the Spring 
to drive down any line posts that may have been 
heaved during the Winter, and to tighten loose sta¬ 
ples serving to keep it in shape. It is economical and 
durable, and where a permanent fence must be kept 
up should be the one used. kobert h. smith. 
Inspection of Potatoes in New York State 
Part II. 
A GENCIES OF INSPECTION.—This year the 
Granby Reed Potato Association, Inc., did not 
wish to receive their inspection through the State 
Potato Association, as they wished to have all potato 
fields under inspection receive all three inspections, 
whether or not they qualified according to the 
standards. However, they expect to sell as “Ontario 
Brand Certified Reed” only that stock qualifying 
according to the standard adopted by the Rtate 
association, the local association issuing the certifi¬ 
cate.. Rtock not passing all inspections will be sold 
on the basis of the inspection report as “Ontario 
Brand Reed Potatoes.” The agency making the in¬ 
spection in this case is the Department of Agronomy, 
Joseph Slocum College of Agriculture, at .Syracuse 
1 Diversity. The Rtate Department of Agriculture 
inspects Bliss Triumph seed stock grown on Long 
Island for the Bermuda growers. In this case only 
stock reasonably free from mosaic, leaf roll and 
other undesirable qualities is allowed to be sold as 
seed stock for Bermuda. 
INRPECTIONS AND CERTIFICATER.—It can 
l e seen, then, that there are three agencies in the 
State inspecting potatoes for seed purposes, and 
there are two organizations issuing certificates to 
potato growers. The New York Rtate College of 
Agriculture at Cornell University inspects potatoes 
for the New York Co-operative Reed Potato Growers 
Association, Inc., the name of the reorganized New 
York Rtate Potato Association, which association 
certifies stock that passes all inspections; and the 
College likewise inspects for seven County Farm 
Bureau associations, but in this case the stock pass¬ 
ing all inspections is not certified, but listed as 
approved inspected stock. The object of all these 
agencies is. I believe, the same, namely, to locate 
the best seed stock and make it available to the 
purchaser. 
I )ET ERIO RATI ON AFTER DIGGING—It should 
be stated that the inspection involves an examina¬ 
tion and a report of the stock up to harvest. Any 
deterioration occurring subsequent to that time is 
not reported. That deterioration occurs after digging 
is well known. Improper handling, improper storage 
and low or high temperatures are factors that in¬ 
fluence the quality of stock for seed. The condition of 
the soil at the time of planting, the manner of plant¬ 
ing or the way in which the seed is handled after 
treating for cutting may be such as to give poor re¬ 
sells with the best of seed stock. The cause of failures 
should be ascertained before complaints are made 
of the grower of the stock. When certified or in¬ 
spected stock that is evidently inferior is received 
a complaint should be made to the proper official, 
for only in this way can we hope to detect fraudu¬ 
lent practices and take measures to prevent their 
recurrence. 
DIFFICULTIES OF THE WORK.—Every year 
new problems arise in the conduction of our inspec¬ 
tion work. Weather conditions prevailing during 
the growing season affect the value of the stock as 
seed. This year the ordinary symptoms of mosaic 
did not show as well as usual at the time of the first 
inspection. Even with stock known to he affected 
the symptoms were sometimes absent or veiled. As 
a result fewer fields were disqualified this year at 
the first inspection because of this disease than has 
been the case before. It was thought that the hot 
dry weather prevailing up to that time resulted in 
the production of foliage that masked the symptoms 
<>f the disease. Fortunately, at the time of the sec¬ 
ond inspection, made after there had been cooler 
and Minister conditions, the disease was more readily 
observed on affected plants. Had this not occurred 
several fields having considerable mosaic would have 
passed inspection, and the stock sold as certified 
seed. Ruch stock would unquestionably have given 
poor results, yet through no fault of the inspection 
service. It also has been learned that fields having 
a percentage of mosaic or leaf roll greater than that 
permitted by the standard are not suitable for seed 
purposes, even if the affected plants are removed, 
unless this removal has been done very early, for 
these diseases have a way of spreading to adjoining 
healthy plants without showing their symptoms on 
such plants during the current year. 
TROUBLE WITH WILT.—Another disease caus¬ 
ing considerable trouble this year is that known as 
“wilt.” Fields otherwise very good have been dis¬ 
qualified because of the presence of more than two 
per cent of wilt. This disease has not been an im¬ 
portant factor during the past two years, but pos¬ 
sibly because of high temperatures favorable for the 
development of the Fusarium fungus it has become 
> cry prevalent and destructive. If next season’s 
weather is cooler there is likely to be much less of 
ibe disease present. Rtock containing less than live 
per cent of wilt and otherwise good should under 
such conditions compare very favorably with certi¬ 
fied stock. There is yet much to be learned in the 
production of high-grade seed stock, noi only so far 
as diseases are concerned, but also as regards the 
proper handling and storage of such stock. When 
investigations of these problems are completed there 
is no reason why with our present knowledge there 
should not be available to every potato grower a 
very superior seed stock to that now generally used. 
Under present conditions the inspection service ful¬ 
fills its object when it locates and makes known the 
sources of the best stock grown. In reality it has 
done much more, for it stimulated a widespread 
interest in the production and use of such stock. 
M. F. IIARRUS. 
A Drastic Bee Law in Pennsylvania 
Romo of our neighbors’ boos have foul brood, and as 
I have quite a largo apiary, would like to know if therr 
is a law to make those who have foul brood dispose of 
all diseased colonies. IIow may I protect mine from 
the disease? Is there a law in Pennsylvania to keep 
people from destroying bees to take the honey, as some 
burn the bees and take the honey? w. K. H. 
Pennsylvania. 
I AM advised by the apiary adviser of the Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture of Pennsylvania that the 
policy of that department will be the encouragement 
of beekeeping by inspection of apiaries, general 
instruction in beekeeping methods, and specific in¬ 
structions in the treatment of bee diseases. Under 
the new law, the Secretary of Agriculture, through 
his apiary advisers, will, so far as practicable, 
inspect all the apiaries of the Rtate. When disease 
is found, the inspector will advise the owner of the 
nature of that disease, the feasibility of successful 
treatment and, when treatment is practicable, will 
give instructions for its carrying out. In apiaries 
where disease cannot be successfully treated, or in 
those where instructions for treatment are not car¬ 
ried out by the owner within 14 days from the serv¬ 
ing of a notice by the inspector, all infected bees, 
hives, appliances, etc., may be destroyed by the 
agents of the Director of the Bureau of Plant Indus¬ 
try as a public nuisance, and without remuneration 
to the owner. A further section of the law provides 
that, after July I. 1923, it shall be unlawful to keep 
bees in any other than a modern, movable frame 
Corn Ear-worm Attacking Tomato. Fig. 553 
hive, and that any other types of hives shall be de¬ 
clared a public nuisance and liable to seizure and 
destruction without recompense to the owner. 
If your own apiary is endangered by disease in 
those of your neighbors, I suggest that you write the 
Department of Agriculture at Harrisburg, Pa., stat¬ 
ing the facts and asking for an inspection of your 
own and other apiaries in the vicinity. There is 
probably no law to prevent brimstoning of bees to 
obtain their honey. ' m. b. n. 
