fHE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
823 
AN ••EYESORE” MADE INTO A SUB-TREASURY 
WHAT WATER DIT) FOR THF: BERRIES. 
Part I. 
The great loss entailed by the prolonged drought of 
the past season, has turned the thoughts of farmers, 
fruit growers and gardeners towards irrigation, in 
order to insure a crop. It is well to think over these 
things before another season rolls around ; but the 
advantages of irrigation can never be comprehended 
till once fairly tried. I am a young fruit grower, still 
under my fathers roof, and keen to make money. 
On our farm there was a living spring that formerly 
was an eyesore in the field in which it lay, by its over- 
fiowing, where nothing would grow but gra.ss. Put 
to-day it is a bank to the money value of the farm. 
Py piping it 40 rods, I found that I could obtain a fall 
of nine feet. Py dipping it dry, I also found that it 
could support a daily output of 48 barrels, or 1,920 
gallons in 24 hours in dry weather. Put 48 barrels 
applied daily to a parched berry patch, was like pour¬ 
ing water in a crack. This was in the summer of 
189.1. The next sea.son I I’esolved to have a re.servoir 
to draw from, so in the winter and spring of 1893 and 
1894, I scraped a hole eight feet deep and forty feet 
square, and stoned it up with rough stones off the 
place like a well. I let the spring into it, after having 
piped it 45 rods to my strawberry patch with 13^-inch 
pipe with a three-inch tile drain in the bottom under 
the iron pipe, to drain the spring’s water course and 
carry off the overflow. 
After getting it to my .strawberries, 1 was at a stand¬ 
still how to apply the water—with a hose in the shape 
of rain, or by flooding the patch between each row. 
1 chose the latter, and ran the piping across the head 
of the patch, which measured just one-half acre, 
thence across a black raspberry and blackberry patch 
in the same plantation side by side. Hy flooding four 
rows at a time until the water reached the lower ends 
of the rows, I found that I could water them once 
every 10 days (excluding Sunday) turning the water 
on about 4 o’clock !•. m. , and turning it off in the 
morning at 8 o’clock. 
The patch was heavily mulched the following win¬ 
ter with stable manure, covering the whole plot; this 
was raked oft’ the rows into the middles in spring. 
Thus no cultivation was given the plot other than 
spudding out docks, thistles and other noxious weeds 
before picking time. My first application was when 
the berries were about half grown, on June 14. 1 
kept it up until berries were done, about July 4, and 
the way those berries swelled and filled up ! And 
what berries they were, principally Crescents fertil¬ 
ized with Wilson ! 
Here is a schedule of the pickings, prices obtained, 
expenses, etc. : 
June. Boxes. 
Price. 
Total. 
July. Boxes. 
Prices 
Total. 
15 180 
0.12 
$21.60 
2 580 
0.5 
$29.00 
18 365 
0.9 
32.85 
4 404 
0.5K 
22.22 
20 408 
0.8>A 
34.68 
6 290 
0.6 
17.40 
22 520 
0.6 
31.20 
9 312 
0.6 
18.72 
25 602 
0.5 
30,10 
11 180 
0.6 
10.80 
27 504 
0.4‘/, 
22.68 
13 96 
o.evt 
6.24 
29 496 
0.4 
19.84 
16 82 
0.8 
6.56 
June. 
$192.95 
July. 
$110.94 
July. 
110.94 
Cost of water plant 
700 feet of piping. 
$42.00 
Receipts. 
$303.89 
Labor on reservoir... 
20.00 
Expenses. 
63.64 
Digging drain. 
38.40 
Net. 
$240.25 
Total. 
$100,40 
Cost of Plant. 
100.40 
Profit from K aci-e... 
$139.a5 
Two other patches covering nearly two acres and not 
irrigated, but mulched only, realized some S380 not 
deducting expen-ses. So much for strawberries. Next 
1 will give figures and treatment of the one-quarter 
acre of black raspberries. A. ,j. snydkr. 
Canada. 
GROWING CLOVER WITH THE BERRIES. 
Clover Out of Place is a Weed. 
J. E. T., in The R. N.-Y. of December 15, asks about 
the advisability of sowing clover in his strawberries. 
It is generally supposed by the best growers of 
berries, that the cleaner the ground is kept, the 
better the berry crop. Strawberries require, when 
ripening, a great quantity of moisture, and 1 know of 
no better way to take it from them than to let the 
ground fill with weeds. W’^eeds are simply plants out 
of place. Clover is a plant out of place in a straw¬ 
berry bed. N. h. 
Queens, N. Y. 
The Use of Legumes in Small Fruits. 
I would advise J. E. T. to try only a small part of 
his strawberry patch with clover. I manured a patch 
during the winter some years ago, and there were 
seeds enough in the manure to give an extra fine catch 
of clover. By picking time, the patch was green with 
clover, and the strawberry plants were nearly out of 
sight. I had some nice berries, but they were hard to 
get, and the season was quite wet and favorable, or I 
fear the result would have been disastrous to that 
crop. I have akso sown Crimson clover in blackherries 
and raspberries, and plowed it under when five or six 
inches high, with a resulting improvement in the ci'op 
as compared with a part of the field treated in the 
ordinary way. But one year, 1 let the clover grow in 
some rows. This clover ripens in .lune here, and the 
plant dies before blackberries get ripe, but tlie season 
being dry, we lost almost the entii*e crop of these rows 
when the rest of the field gave a fair crop. 
We grow legumes on our fields, the year before 
planting to berries. Of course we cannot use the Red 
clover on account of white grubs that find a congenial 
wintering place among its roots, but we can safely 
grow a crop of Crimson clover, and a second crop of 
cow peas. Thus we have grown two valuable crops, 
and at the same time stored a supply of nitrogen for 
the coming crop of berries. We have also prevented 
the growth of all weeds, which is a very important 
consideration where berries are to follow. We also 
have our soil almost as fine and loose as an ash heap, 
thus insuring a good start for the plants when set out. 
U. N.-Y. HYBRID TOMATO. Fir>. 
I intend to try a further experiment with cow peas, 
by planting a few rows between the^ strawberries 
while growing. I shall drill the row of peas as late as 
possible with the expectation of a reasonable growth 
of vines before frost, say, about July 20. Only about 
two cultivations with the narrow horse hoe will be 
necessary. About September 1, the vines will begin 
to throw out lateral branches each way, and by 
October 1, these laterals will have covered the surface. 
As they are killed by the first frost, I do not think 
they will smother out the strawberries, while they 
will very much discourage the start of winter weeds 
which give trouble among strawberries the following 
spring. If this plan pi-ove successful, as I hope, the 
vines and leaves will make a fine mulch for the berries, 
all ready on the ground ; and, as the tops and roots 
decay, a valuable supply of plant food will be ready 
for the use of the strawberries. A. w. SE.i.Y.\iAKER. 
Delaware. 
THE HOUSE PLANTS IN DECEMBER. 
Up to this time, it has been fair sailing for the win¬ 
dow garden, but with the advent of continued cold, 
R. N.-Y. HYBRID TOMATO. Fio. 223. 
and the necessity of hot fires, creating an arid and 
dusty atmosphere, with its accompaniment of coal gas 
and sudden chilling draughts, the difficulties rapidly 
increase. Loving care and daily methodical attention 
will enable even the tyro to anticipate the ills arising 
from the season and circumstances. 
The Best Te.mper.vture for the majority of window 
plants, is an average of 65 degrees F. The more uni¬ 
formly this can be maintained thi'oughout the 24 hours, 
the better. Practically, a comfortably warmed living 
room will often range from 40 degrees at night to 
above 80 degrees at the window on sunny afternoons, 
without apparent detriment to well-established plants. 
Callas, cannas and ever-blooming roses, should have 
the warmest and sunniest jJaces. Geraniums, fuch.sias 
and petunias are less exacting, but should be favored 
as much as the situation warrants. Primulas, cycla¬ 
mens, and all bulbous plants, except the lily of the 
valley, thrive and bloom well at an average tempera¬ 
ture below 50 degrees. As they do not require direct 
sunlight, they may be kept in a north window, The 
lily of the valley should have a light, but not sunny , 
place, and a constant temperature of not less than 75 
degrees, if good blooms are expected. One of the most 
insidious enemies of plant life in the window garden, 
is coal ga.s. Plants will not thrive where any consid- 
eiTible per ceut of it is present. There is no cure or 
palliation, except the removal of the cause. 'I’his is the 
more important as the gases produced by the imper¬ 
fect combustion of coal, are not only unpleasant, but 
dangerous to health and life ; producing many obscure 
throat and bronchial troubles that are usually attrib¬ 
uted to climatic changes. Do not tolerate a stove or 
furnace that docs not burn with a clear and positive 
draught. As plants approach the blooming period, 
thei’e is a great increase in functional activity, and a 
corresponding call for nutriment in a form that can 
be quickly assimilated. A variety of animal manures 
may be used in the form of infusions, with e.xcelleut 
results ; but such substances are not pleasant to use 
about the living room. Several very good “ flower 
food.s” are .sold, which are entii'ely free from disagree¬ 
able odors, and are effective in promoting a healthy 
and vigorous plant growth. 
Shower or Srrinkek the leaves of plants at least 
twice a week, if you wish them bright and cheerful. 
Ijeaves arc the lungs of the plant. The under surface 
of each one is dotted with myriads of breathing pores, 
which cannot work well if clogged with dirt. Tlie 
dreaded red spider—that almost invisible, but active 
and dc.structive little mite—deliglits in dusty and half- 
choked ])lants, and will soon add his untiring energies 
to their destruction. Dust and spider may both be 
kept at bay, by means of frequent .showerings. The 
convenient little rubber bulb atomizers or clotli 
sprinklers, are admirable for the inirpose, as the 
under surface of the leaves may be readily reached 
with a dew-like bath, which may be given ilaily with¬ 
out removing the plants from the window. The most 
successful amateui-s, in addition, carry their plants to 
the sink once a month, and give them a tliorough 
showering with tepid water, often adding a scrubliing 
with soap-.suds to such firm-leaved plants ai may seem 
to need it. Keep the air moist, especially in the living 
rooms. Human lungs, as well as leaf pores, dislike a 
dried out atinosphei'c. The healthiest and most satis¬ 
factory pot plants are usually seen in rooms opening 
into the kitchen, as the .steam arising from cooking is 
especially congenial. Always keep water evaporating 
about the heater. 
Look Out for Coed Nights. —Do not allow the fair 
prospects of the window garden to be wrecked by a 
single zero night. Vigilance is the only rule. We all 
know that a keen and chilling night and failing fires, 
go together, for the simple reason that we uncon¬ 
sciously urge the latter as the cold increases, and by 
late bed time they are nearly exhausted. If by night¬ 
fall, the temperature at the window lie below 45 de¬ 
grees, and the means of heating inadequate, move the 
plants to a warmer place or cover well with news¬ 
papers. 1 have seen considerable ingenuity exercised 
in jiadding and lining a large box with newspapers, 
and fitting it up with shelves, so that a snug nest, 
through which frost could not penetrate, was provided 
for the plants. Fairfax. 
WIHTER PROTECTION FOR STRAWBERRIES. 
Strawberry plants need to be covered with some 
coarse material on the approach of winter to pi-event 
their being affected by the sudden changes in the 
weather. Freezing and thawing continually in the 
late fall and early spring, cause them to heave out 
and die. We do not cover them to keep them warm ; 
indeed, if they froze up stiff, and remained so till 
spring, it would be better, but alternate freezing and 
thawing is what destroys them. When the ground 
freezes, it expands and raises the plants a little. 
When it thaws again, the gi-ound settles, but the 
plants do not, but remain on top with their roots ex¬ 
posed to the winds and sunshine. Of course, they 
soon wither and die. If the ground is covered with 
mulch, it freezes slowly and remains frozen a much 
longer time than when bare. On warm, sunshiny days 
bare rows will thaw out, while rows covered with a 
mulch will I’emain frozen all day. The warm, sum¬ 
mer-like weather we often have during the winter 
will often cause unprotected plants to start growth 
and blossom. The cold wave coming on later gives 
them a check, the blossoms are destroyed, and their 
fruiting qualities impaired. The poorer the growth 
of plants, the more necessary is it to cover them. A 
thickly matted row of plants is fairly well protected 
by its own foliage. Thus it is more necessary care¬ 
fully to mulch such slow growing varieties as Jessie 
that produce large plants and few of them. Crescent 
and others of its class, will bear good crops if not 
mulched at all ; because they naturally produce small 
plants that crow'd close together and cover the surface 
with foliage. 
Mulching Materials. —The best is something 
coar.se, ea.sily handled and free from weed seeds, The 
