VOL XX.-
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, JULY 18,1885.
NO. 29
Quint &'&Vt.$wtv.-
Give yonrhame and postofilce when asking questions. Many qneries go unanswered for failure te
observe this rule,   - "
Please answer following questions in
the Farmkr: The locusts cut some of
my trees very badly and I am now pruning them.
. 1. How late  in the season will it do to
cultivate orchard a»d nursery trees?
2. Will it do to prune orchard and
nursery trees any time from winter until
August, without reference to the "signs"
as indicated in the almanacs; young trees
I mean?
3. Will it do to mulch trees with partly-
rotten sawdust, to the depth of about six
inches?
4. Would it be well, to mix sawdust,
wood ashes and lime together, for a strawberry fertilizer and also in making a fruit
or vegetable garden on a stiff clay soil?
'' 5. Would it pay to haul sawdust one-
fourth mile (free) to scatter among apple
grafts planted last spring, also for a corn
crop? The sojl, is a stiff clay—new ground.
6. Where and at what price can I get
. kerosene?      ■    ' ■ ~ .
. 7. Do nurserymen  prune or pinch the
- tender shoots from trees and plants at all
times as late as August 1st?
8. When should  grape vines and raspberries be laid for "layer plants?"
•■aJ. .9. WiU-nimber'eul; In July*--©r-A*tigmB
last as long as if cut in winter?
Lyons, Greene Co. ,     W. E. s:
1. All twigs perforated by locusts
(cicadae) -should be cut off as soon as discovered. The cultivation ot orchards and
nurseries  may  be  continued  safely till
'winter sets in.-
2. Pruning is best done when the tree is
not In a state of active growth. Pruning
is a necessary evil at best. If proper at-,
tention be paid to an orchard when young,
but little after pruning will be required.
The season of pruning is of less importance. November is a good time to prune.
As to "the sign," our opinion is that "the
man in the moon" does not trouble himself much about our orchards.
3. Tho principal objection to sawdust as
a mulch is the danger of mice nesting in
it during the winter and barking the trees.
. 4. Yes, if you use about equal parts of
each by weight, avoiding oak and walnut
sawdust, if fresh.
5. Sawdust, if used in sufficient quantity,
diminishes the adhesiveness of clay and
renders it more porous, but contributes to
the soil but a very small amount of plant
food. In using sawdust in a nursery the
danger of  mico must not  be overlooked.
6. Kerosene can be had at almost any
grocery store at 15 or 20 cents a gallon.
Ask for coal oil.
7. Yes—and  after August if necessary.
8. Early in the spring.
9. Timber should be cut after the year's
growth is complete arid before the flow of
sap for the next year begins. That is between the 15th of August and 1st of February, in this latitude.
Owing to the cold wave in. May the
apples are dropping, many trees and some
orchards being nearly stripped. Mr.
O'Neal, of Dupont, tells me that the rose-
bugs are now attacking orchards as well-
as vineyards. Is there no remedy? A
gentleman tells me just now of an orchard
having been denuded of fruit by some
smaHinsect, probably rosebug.       D. J.'
Jefferson Co.
Wo should try the kerosene emulsion*,
ao often recommended as an insecticide.
If pure pyrethrum can be had it may be
better, but  it is  more  expensive.   The
emulsion is made thus: Dissolve one
pound of soap in ten quarts warm water,
then add one pint of kerosene, shaking the
mixture very thoroughly. Spray this
upon the leaves and insects will vacate tbe
premises.
Please answer the following questions
in next issue or as soon thereafter as possible:
1st. When is the best time to bud peach
trees?
2d. Give tbe mode of operations for successful budding.
3d. What varieties do best after budding?
4th. Where and what works on the subject can be obtained? J. E. H.
Puxlco, Mo.
1. From the middle of Jnly to the middle of September is the best time for budding. Late growing trees should be budded later than others.
2. The buds must be carefully cut from
this year's limbs with one-half inch of
bark above and three-fourths inch below.
The wood, if any is cnt away with it, must
be gently removed so as not to pull away
the root of tbe bud. A slit like the capital
letter T must then be cut in a smooth
place on a vigorous shoot on the tree to be
budded, and the bark having been wedged
open with some thin smooth instrument
the bud is inserted and at once closed over
completely, excepting the bud and leaf
stalk, with a strip of muslin, or better the
inside bark of basswood. Peter Barry
says the success of the operation depends
greatly on smooth cuts, an exact fit of
the bud to the Incision made, and secure
close tying that will exclude air and rain,
and quick work. The insertion of a bud
should not occupy more than a minute, a
half minute is better.
3. Peaches, cherries apples and plums
are the varieties of fruit trees most commonly and successfully budded.
4. Barry's Fruit Garden is one of the
best works we know of on the propagation
of fruits.
I send you some insects that I find in
my wheat and corn.   Are they injurious?
Waverly. E. A. O.
Prof. Webster thus answers the query:
The insects on leaf of corn are probably
the pupae of the flea-like Negro Bug, Tliyreo-
coris pulicarius. The adult insect is
figured in Riley's 7th p. 48, Missouri
Report, and a study of its early stages
will be found in my Report in U. S. Department of Agriculture Report, 1884, p.
390. The insects met the inevitable fate
of all that are enclosed in a letter, and
were crushed almost beyond recognition.
Tbey huve not been observed affecting
corn and any fact in that direction will be
of value. I have not observed them doing
any great injury to wheat.
F. M. Wbbstbr.
In a number of Farmers of recent date
I have noticed questions and answers ln
regard to the fish law of this State, but
none of them quite covers the information
I desire. I want to know if the law does
not permit persons engaged in raising
fish in aquariums without any restriction
to fish for the purpose of stocking their
aquariums. E. II.
Mechanicsburg.
The law lays no restrictions on raising
fish in aquariums or in ponds or in streams.
You may catch as many fish as you please
In any stream or lake with hook and line,
but not with the seine, except minnows,
and in the Ohio, St. Joseph and Kankakee
parties?
1_
Where can
platforms of
3. What  is
M. F.
rivers. In the two last named rivers
seining is not permitted between April 1st
and June 1st.
1. Will you please inform me how many
candidates have been nominated by the
prohibition party for president, and how
many votes they received?
I get the State aud national
all the political
Blaine's address?
Clayton, Ind.
1. Two. Neal Dow in 1880 and St. John
iu 1884. Dow roceived 10,305 votes and
St. John received 150,309. 2. In the Tribune Almanac and Political Register. 3.
Augusta, Maine.
Please inform me through your paper in
regard lo tbe nature and quality of soil
which is best adapted to the growth and
maintenance of the   Kentucky blue grass.
Indianapolis. E. C. K.
Blue grass {Poa Pralen.iU) requires a
dry, rich soil. It grows vigorously on a
sandy loam, but makes a stronger and
more durable sod on rich clay land, well
supplied with lime. The lime stone
region of Kentucky is also tbe blue grass
region.     .  -    ..'.,.
I would liko'to know- how "to getHd of
clover plantain, If any of your many correspondents know how let them tell.
Warrick Co: J. A. __.
We are not acquainted with the plant,
but suppose it to be Planlago iMnceolata,
or English plantain. Not knowing its
habits we are unable to give directions for
its extermination. No doubt you can get
rid of it by putting the ground in corn or
potatoes and keeping them well cultivated.
Can any of the readers of the Farmer
tell me of anything I can nse on a new
shingle roof to preserve it? A few years
ago I saw lime recommended as a preservative of pine shingle reofs. If any of
tile Farmer family have had the experience with that or other means, I shall be
glad to heai of it. W. C. H.
Beechy Mire.
Will it do to set rhubarb in the fall, and
If so what time, and how fix the ground?
Hillham. M. W..
Yes. Any time after the leaves begin
to dry and before the ground is frozen.
Make the ground as rich as possible, spade
lt up deep and pulverize it fine.
Prof. Webster writes us:
The insect to which J. C. Hobson refers
in the Farmkr of July 11, page 14, is
Eurycrron rantalis.
It is a web worm and is found in many
different localities and on a variety of
plants.
A number of boys bave written us asking for the address of tho firm In
Madison who buy wild roots, herbs, etc.
We will try and induce the company to
advertise in the Farmer if they wish'to
deal with tbem.
Where can I correspond with a fruit
evaporator company? I do not find one
advertised in your paper. F. McG.
Osborn, O.
See advertisement of the Zimmerman
Fruit Dryer in this number.
Please give the address of the firm in
Madison, spoken of In the Farmer of
July 4, that deals in roots, etc. E. P.
Ladoga: /
See the advertisement of Messrs. Sulzer
Bros, in another colnmn.
Will some of your many readers please
give me  a good   recipe for  making sour
kraut, and tell about how many pounds of
cabbage is required to the gallon?
Bloomingdale. W. W. R.
While at Greencastle last week Prof.
W. H. Ragan called our attention to a
mistake that has been made not only'by
the agricultual newspapers, but In the
entomological reports, regarding the egg-
laying process of the Cicada. Instead of
making a single gash in a place and depositing a single egg therein, the Cicada
makes two punctures, at each step of her
progress down the limb er twig,- in each
of which she deposits a dozen "or more
tiny eggs; which, however, are so compacted together,as to appear to the unaided
eye as but one. Examined under a lens
it easy to separate them.
Written for the Indiana Farmer.
Deep or Shallow Plowing.        ''..
BY N. J. SHEPHERD.     ,
As soon as the wheat, oats and hay are
all stacked, plowing for wheat will begin..
Some plow as shallbvr aS'posslblo^ just so*
the stubble is turned under so -it will rot
quicker, with the intention of plowing the
second time, andplowing deeper. Others
commence and plow deep at first, turning
the soil as completely as possible, then
harrow and roll until the surface is as mellow and fino as possible.
Deep plowing means bringing to the surface new soil that has not been acted upon
by the moisture, air and light, and that
contains its original fertility. Yet it is not
best to bring too large an amount' of soil
like this to the surface at once. My plan
of deep plowing Is to gradually increase
the depth at each plowing. Considerably
more can, of course, be brought to tbe surface at once when the plowing is done a
considerable time before the seed is sown
than when plowing is delayed until just
before seeding. If plowed early the soil is
subjected to the influence ofthe air and
light, and is in a much better condition
for the growth of the plants than If freshly
turned up. So that if you are able to plow
the land early, so as to let it lie some time
before sowing the seed, tho depths can be
increased considerably at one plowing.
On new land of course profitable crops can
be raised with shallow plowing, but such
a plan robs the soil of Its fertility much
faster than deeper plowing.
Of course where land has been cropped
for a series of years until the surface has
become to a considerable extent impoverished, something else besides manure
must be applied in order to retain or increase the fertility. But deeper plowing
will aid considerably in this and at the
same time increase the productiveness and
retentiveness of the soil.
The deeper plowing menas more moisture, easier drainage and quicker drying
out of the soil, advantages that should not
be overlooked in good farming. While to
a considerable extent good crops are the
necessary results of good farming, yet to
this must be added keeping up, still better
adding to, the fertility is fully as important, and must not be overlooked. And
to secure this, my plan is to gradually, as
far as practicable, increase the depth in
plowing.
Eldon, Mo.