VOL. LVII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MARCH 22, 1002.
NO. 12
horticulture.
Bulletin No. 68 from the University of
Illinois is devoted to the subject of spraying. How to detect bogus Paris green is
one topic thnt is of greatest  importance.
The catalpa will grow to railroad tie
size in 12 to 15 years and then will be
worth say 26 cents each. At least 400
can be grown upou an acre, worth $100.
It would pay to plant 40 acres out of 160
in them, and wait for them to grow. After the fifth year the land might be safely
pastured nnd pay taxes and interest in
that way.
Randolph county Institute, after listening to an address on Birds, by Isaac W.
Brown, of Tipton, passed a resolution declaring that "the sentiment of this institute be for each member to be a committee to see to the enforcement of our present laws for bird protection and that we
exert our influence to extend this senti-
ment throughout the State."
SOME OF THE BEST .iTRaWBERRIE*,.
Excelsior,   Haviland,   Warfield,   Clyde,
Bubach and Braudywine are at the head
of the list of tried varieties at the Michigan   Experiment  Station.
TRAPPIStx THE E.VGLISH SPARROW.
Isaac W. Brown, the bird and bee man
of Tipton, gives this plan for destroying
the English sparrow. "Provide ideal nesting places for them. Make box traps a
foot square, three feet long and place them
in convenient locations about 18 feet from
the ground, having the box so arranged
either on- building or post, that it can be
lowered every two weeks aud the contents
of the nest destroyed. The sparrow flies
and nests at 18 feet, and could thus be
trapped."
seed to one or two eyes to a piece. I
prefer two eyes where seed is plentiful.
Think I shall use one eye this year. Cover
seed about two inches deep with planter.
If dropped by hand, use spiked tooth harrow to cover seed with, running harrow
over surface lengthwise of rows, being
careful not to let the comer of the harrow drop into rows to disturb seed.
Just as the sprouts are ready to prick
through the earth, cross harrow, making
field level. If it is muck ground, roll two
or three times with heavy roller to firm
land in order to keep it from drying out.
Keep ground mellow two inches deep by
cultivation, thus forming a mulch blanket
to hold moisture. If cultivation is thorough there will not be any weds in the
potatoes, which is very important.
Carman No. 3. The Sir Walter Kaleigh
grows a stronger vine than the two last
mentioned varieties. It is a good yielder,
pure white, and with large, smooth tubers.
Table qualities better than the Carman or
tie Ratal. Whiton's White Mammoth is
• potato that was brought out seven years
ago and has been tested in various latitudes. It is a seedling of the Old Peach-
blow, very' hardy, aud grows an immense
vine seven feet in length. Vines lop,
making I perfect covering for the ground
and thus retaining the moisture to be used
when the tubers need it. They are very
prolific, tubers large, oblong, slightly flattened and with a smooth surface. They
nre as near scab and blight proof as any
variety I know of. They are very attractive to the eye, aud have an excellent
BITTER ROT REMEDY.
In reply to a query on this subject, addressed to the United States Agricultural
Department we receive the following:
The remedy for bitter rot consists in
spraying with Bordeaux mixture about
five times, the first treatment when the
trees are in bud, but before the blossoms
are opened; the second, jnst after the
petals have fallen, and the third, fourth
nnd fifth at intervals of from 10 days to
two weeks. Unfortunately, bitter rot
has not always proved easy to prevent by
Bordeaux mixture spraying, and there has
been no end of complaint, especially last
year in the Middle West, from scalding
or rust of the fruit through the Bordeaux
spraying in the efforts to control this disease. These matters will be subjected to
experiment by this office during the coming season. W. B. Waite.
Pathologist in Charge of Investigations
of Diseases of Orchard Fruits.
lection of variety and care of the seed
will decide whether we have any potatoes
for the market. S. H. Todd.
Wakeman,  Huron Co., Ohio.
An old Grist Mill, near DeFnniak   Springs.   Florida.
Potatoes.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
You will find this little article of food
on the peasant's table and as one of the
chief luxuries at the king's royal feast.
The potato industry is one which brings
money to the raiser and happiness to the
consumer. An industry of such importance should have our best thought that
we may know how to get the best results.
In the first place we must have rich soil.
full of decayed vegetable matter. Clover
sod is the best, however I have had good
results from timothy sod. Plow about
six inches deep and mellow four or five
inches deep. Plant in drill rows three
feet apart, dropping seed in row 12 to 14
inches apart, and  four inches  deep.     Cut
Next in importance is the selection of
seed. Of the many varieties claiming place
on the market, only a few belong there by
merit. This is the scale of points which a
meritorious seed potato should have. The
vines must be strong and of rapid growth
in order to nonplus the bugs and to keep
the ground moist and mellow by shading
it. The potato must be large and slightly
flattened, so it will cook through easily.
Surface smooth, color pure white, and of
good table quality. This means that it
must cook dry and flaky, with an excellent
flavor. A good seed potato will have especial influence on two of the senses, sight
and taste. A potato may be very tempting to the eye, and yet be loathed by the
taste. Such a potato is a deception and a
fraud, and destroys rather than stimulates
consumptive demand.
T>et us notice some of the characteristics
of the leading varieties of late potatoes.
The Green Mountain is a most excellent
table variety. Quite subject to blight*
and scab, and very sensitive to climatic
influences. The potato is nearly round,
making it so thick that most of the outside drops off before the center is cooked.
It is a seedling of the old Peachblow, and
.i great cropper. The Carman No. 3 grows;
a pole-like vine, making it a roosting place
for the bugs, which are ever destroying
their own roosts. It is a good yielder.
tubers large, and pure white, with smooth
surface. While it is very tempting to the
eye. its table quality is such that the
taste revolts against it and says "no good."
The  Rural  New Yorker is quite like the
table quality. The Seneca Beauty is a
good yielder, grows a strong vine like
Whiton's White Mammoth, which goes a
long way toward making it bug proof.
Table quality is very good. It is a little
irregular in its bearing, doing better some
years than others. Its color is red, which
hurts it for the market.
Don't grow too many varieties. I shall
this year plant the Early Ohio and the
White Early Ohio for my early varieties,
and the Whiton's White Mammoth for my
late variety. I may try a few of the new
varieties by way of experiment.
It is very important in a seed potato,
to know how it has been kept during the
winter. My experience has taught me
that a potato will toughen so as not to
freeze perceptibly, when the th rmometer
is one degree below freezing. But the germ
may be injured and not produce half a
crop. I have made several experiments
proving this most satisfactorily. The winter has been cold, and I have no doubt but
one-fourth of the crop will be lost from
neglect to property care for the seed. I
have a thermometer in my cellar where
my seed is kept. When there is danger
from cold I see it twice a day and have
kept the temperature 8 degrees above
freezing. I am certain the germ has all
its vitality, which will go a long way
toward securing a full crop. We must
look after the little things connected with
farm life to insure success.
The size, shape, color and table quality
will   make  the  market  for our  potatoes.
The fertility of the soil, cultivation, se-
Prunlng Shade Trees.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
In the "Farmer" of February 8, 1902,
W. B. D. asks when is the proper time to
trim maple shade trees, and is answered
auy time from now until April. My experience is that the maple should not be
cut during the period of tbe flow of sap,
sugar water, for it weakens the young
tree. If you want beauty and symmetry
in the maple family keep your knife off
from it. If you trimmed it to the proper
hight when set and cut in straggling limbs
it will take care of itself and will do a
better job than you or the tree butcher
can do. Why will you persist in cutting
out the top of your maple,
when if you will observe nature's
way you see the finest developed tree in
some corner of your farm, where the wind
has wafted a seed of the maple and it
has sprung up into a more beautiful tree
than the tree butcher can shape with his
saw and knife. We look upon a dwarf
in the animal family with pity. Why
should we not in the tree family get rid
of this idea that your shade tree should be
mutilated every spring? Oh, perchance
you might cut some straggling limb that
was reaching out beyond the rest. If
jou must use your knife get a pine box,
go into the wood-house and whittle it into
kindling. I. N. Cotton.
Marion Co.
—Our answer to the query was intended
for shade trees in general, rather than the
maple. We for the moment failed to no-
t:ce that this variety was specified. Still
we think that but little, if any harm
would be done to the maple by early pruning, unless the limbs are large. We agree
with Mr. Cotton that nature makes the
most shapely tree, if left free, and that
the knife is seldom needed.
The Gregg Raspberry.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
If you thing it would be of general in-
terest to your readers , will you kindly
publish a history of the Gregg raspberry?
Where did it originate? When, and by
whom was it introduced?
Nora. Frank  Moffltt.
—It happens that we have personal
knowledge of this subject matter. Some
25 years ago we went to see the original
plantation of this berry, at the invitation
of State Senator Gregg, at his place near
Aurora, Ind. The Gregg is an Indiana
product. Mr. Gregg found the b-rries
growing wild in the woods, and was so impressed with their size and productiveness
that he transplanted the plants on his
place. Later he sold them to Nich.
Ohmer, of Dayton, Ohio, the well-known
amateur horticulturist, who gave them
wide distribution. For a long time the
Gregg was the most popular of the black
caps.
Is There Such a Grape?
Editors Indiana Farmer:
There has been a grape vine' sold around
here called the Arkansas. The agents
claim that it begins to ripen early and
continues to ripen until cold weather, and
thnt it is of good quality. Does any
reader of the "Farmer" know anything of
it? I have searched the horticultural report and the catalogues that I have, and
have not fonnd it mentioned.
Rome,   Kans. ry.   m.   A.
—It must be some local variety. It is
not in the catalogues.