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STECKXER SEED CO., LTD., ALMANAC AND 



Strawberry Shooks or Dirt Bands. 



Eggplants, Musk Melons and Early Cu- 

 cumbers pay well if they come early into 

 the market. In order to have. them early 

 it is a good plan to start them in a cold 

 frame in what are called "Dirt Bands." 

 This is a box 4 inches square and 4 inches 

 deep, without bottoms. These are placed 

 in a frame and filled up with good rich 

 soil, and five or six seeds in each box; 

 when the plants come up, thin them out 

 to one or two in each box. The time to 

 start them in this way varies, as seasons 

 and localities differ. It is not well to 

 start them too early, as the plants get 

 weak and spindly if kept too long m 

 frame. From the middle to the end of 

 February is the usual time to plant the 

 seed in this locality, New Orleans. When 

 large enough to plant out, which will be 

 in from four to five weeks after planting, 

 take the boxes with the plants in them 

 out of the frame, by slipping a spade un- 

 der the box. Plant without breaking the 

 ball of soil on the plants. Before using 

 dirt bands, wet them thoroughly before 

 bending or they will be apt to break at 

 the grooves. Price, 75c. per 100, or $2.50 

 per 1000. 



Strawberry boxes with bottoms for 

 shipping berries, quarts $4.50 per 1000, 

 $1.00 per 100; pints, $3.75 per 1000, 75c. 

 per 100. 



Tacks for Dirt Bands and boxes, % 

 pound, 15c; pound, 50c. 



Crates for Strawberry Boxes, contain- 

 ing 24 quarts, price 25c. each. 



Mosquito Head Net. — We are handling 

 this season a long felt want in the South- 

 ern country, a peace-maker, where a 

 person can attend to his business without 

 being annoyed by the mosquito pest. We 

 have two makes. They are both good. 



Wood's Patent Mosquito Head Net. 

 Price, $1.00. 



Ward's Mosquito Head Net. Price, 

 $1.00. 



Upland and Lowland Seed Rice. — 



These . are the only varieties for our 

 Southern soil. Genuine Imported Hon- 

 duras Seed Rice, $1.50 per peck, $4.00 per 

 bushel, $8.00 per barrel of 162 pounds. 

 Imported Choice Carolina Seed Rice, 

 | $1.50 per peck; $4.00 per bushel, $8.00 

 j per barrel. The standard weight of Rice 

 is 44 pounds per bushel. 



Directions for Planting Upland Rice. — 

 On lands that hold moisture well, such as 

 waxey or post oak land, plant anywhere. 

 On dry or sandy land rice is planted in 

 the low places. Prepare the land and cul- 

 tivate as for corn, except the rows are 

 only 22 to 24 inches apart so that one fur- 

 row in each middle, with an 18-inch 

 sweep, usually suffices for a working, and 

 the hills just far enough apart so it can 

 be hoed. Plant as early in April as you 

 can. Furrows are opened and the seed 

 covered in any way most convenient at 

 the time, just so the seeds get a little dirt 

 over them. Drop 15 or 20 seed in each 

 Lill and leave all that come up. Culti- 

 vate for moisture and to keep down grass 

 and weeds until rice begins to head. It 

 usually ripens last of August or early, in 

 September. 'The color tells when it is 

 ripe. 



Chufas. — This nut is splendid for fat- 

 tening hogs ; it has a fine flavor. The nut 

 sends up a single spire so much like 

 Cocoa it might deceive even an experi- 

 enced eye at first appearance. Around 

 this spire a multitude of others form 

 rapidly. At the foot of each spire is a 

 nut never more than two inches in the 

 ground. Price, 40c. per pound, $1.75 per 

 peck, $5.00 per bushel. 



Fenne! Florence or Naples. — (Fenoul 

 de Florence, Finocchio di Napoli). — Cul- 

 ture: Sow in spring, in rows 16 to 20 

 inches apart. Thin out so as to have the 

 seedlings 5 to 6 inches, and water as 

 plentifully as possible. The plant is usu- 

 ally eaten boiled. In flavor it resembles 

 Celery, but with a sweet taste and a more 

 delicate odor: 5c. and 10c. papers; % 

 pound, 60c; per pound, $2.00. 



Bermuda Grass Sod. — To enable our 

 customers who are making summer 

 lawns, we have this year provided a large 

 supply of Bermuda Grass sod, which en- 

 ables lawns to be in growth in one-third 

 of the time that it would take by planting 

 the seed, as seed takes about ninety days 

 to -show any stand, whereas sodding in 

 thirty days will show its carpet. This we 

 offer at $3.00 per flour barrel. 



Steckler's French Market the Best Winter Cabbage. 



