1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
653 
REFLECTIONS ON "A GEORGIA PEACH." 
Tue R. N.-Y’s interesting- articles on “ A Georgia 
Peach ” will make an exellent advertising- circular for 
the real estate agent, and, if I am not mistaken, you 
are planting thorns in many a man's pillow. The 
tendency of such a write-up, even when accompanied 
by proper cautions and warnings, is well illustrated 
by the widely-copied accounts of the success of one 
man at Denison, Tex., or the Van Buren, Ark. straw¬ 
berry culture, or the Missouri Olden Fruit Farm. A 
few men do well ; but nothing is said of the many 
who unavailingly regret their going South. 
A man in the North, we will suppose, has $2,000. 
Where he lives the winters are cold, and, while he has 
a comfortable home, he is not getting on as he desires. 
He reads these glowing accounts of fruit-growing in 
the South. Discontent gets hold of him, and, as fire 
starts up in his bones, gives him no rest, with the 
result that he finally reaches the land of “ wonderful 
possibilities.” He buys land and plants trees. At 
first, his letters home are “ one sweet song.” The de¬ 
lightful winters, the mocking birds, the strange ways 
of the people and their unconventional life, are 
charmingly pictured. By the end of the first year 
his capital is all invested or used up, and there is no 
return. He now sees that for general farming his 
land has but little value, and he must wait four or 
five years for fruit. If he can hold out for this time, 
his fruit commands no price at home, and the markets 
are too far away for profit, unless he can ship by the 
car-load. Churches and schools are there, but, some¬ 
how, his family do not like them, and all are bitterly 
homesick. The old-time energy can be kept up only 
by big doses of bitters or quinine ; the mocking bird’s 
song has lost its charm, and the man cannot get away. 
The rich may do as they please—a few thousand dol¬ 
lars loss does not affect them. But the man of small 
means will do well to look on the Georgia peach 
orchard as he looks on a picture of Venice—without 
intending to buy the city. A. j. berger. 
Indiana. 
R. N.-Y.—We are not going to advise any one to sell 
out and go South into the peach business, without a 
careful investigation of the country. The chief object 
in writing these articles was not to boom Georgia as a 
fruit country, but to show our readers where the 
Southern fruit comes from. The business is well 
under way, and the exact facts about it ought not to 
harm any one. As Mr. Hale tells us this week, the 
tendency is for the business to settle into the hands 
of large corporations which have the capital and skill 
needed to do a wholesale business. The small grower 
cannot, at present, compete with these large com¬ 
panies. He is too far from market, and it will take 
him too long to fill a car with fruit. If a farmer 
asked our advice about going South, we would say, 
“ Don’t sell out the home farm and invest it all in 
southern land. Go and rent a southern farm and live 
on it a few years before you invest all you have in it. 
The chances are at least even, that in the end you 
will be glad to come back to the old place !” We 
would give the same advice to the Southern farmer 
who spoke of coming North. There are many north¬ 
ern farmers who have some money to spare. They 
might buy a southern farm and thus have two homes— 
suited to the season. One of the boys might run the 
Southern end or the older people might spend the 
cold weather there. We know several families who 
are doing this successfully and happily. 
GETTING THE GLASS GARDEN READY. 
Our work under glass consists in growing lettuce, 
parsley and Turnip radishes for winter crops, and 
cucumber and egg plant through the late spring and 
summer. We commence clearing our houses out about 
the middle of August, preparatory to the winter cam¬ 
paign. Commencing with the house having the most 
exhausted cucumber vines, we clean everything right 
out—vines, trellises, soil, manure, and all right down 
to the bare benches and, likewise, under the benches. 
Then we go carefully over the steam pipes, noting 
any possible leaks, seeing that the valves all work 
nicely and are properly packed. If the boiler has not 
been attended to before, we go over that, rebuilding 
any brick work that may have been displaced by the 
year’s work, cleaning out the lime, and repainting 
the exposed iron work. Next the water pipes must 
be attended to, and any changes made that make for 
convenience. We have found that hydrants in every 
aisle, and short pieces of hose are much more con¬ 
venient than the hundred or more feet of hose we 
dragged around when new at the business. 
When we first built, we were under the impression 
that, to make a greenhouse profitable, every inch pos¬ 
sible must be used in bed space, and the space for 
aisles and wall protection was very grudgingly be¬ 
stowed. But stern experience in this, as in other 
things, has demonstrated to us that a wise liberality 
is as essential in space as in other matters. The space 
between the beds and the wall should be from six 
inches to a foot wide, the more exposed the wall the 
greater the space for the warm air to rise and form a 
blanket between the cold wind and the tender plants. 
And the green things show their gratitude by swell¬ 
ing and growing until we get nearly a-third more crop 
on a quarter less space. 
The benches should be thoroughly coated with a 
whitewash made of equal parts of stone lime and water 
lime. Above the benches, we whitewash everything 
but the sash bars with stone lime. The sash bars are 
painted inside and out with white lead in which 
enough blue is put to make the color clear white. 
Then the glass is carefully gone over, missing or 
broken panes put in, all the leaks and doubtful spots 
cemented with white lead and sand. The walls are 
examined for any places where Jack Frost might sneak 
in, and everything made tight against the enemy that 
is sure to come. 
As soon as a house is finished and pronounced tight, 
we on leaving our work at night, put in a big smudge 
of tobacco stems following up with two more smudges 
before setting a crop. This year we shall add sulphur 
smudges so as to get ahead of the mildew as well as 
the bugs. By using two smudges a week after the 
crop is set, we have entirely avoided the green tty. 
Many of the best growers at Grand Rapids use tobacco 
dust to keep down the tty, but it is so hard to remove 
when the lettuce is ready for market, that we do not 
favor it. 
Each fall in g-etting ready for the winter campaign, 
we study how we can improve our plants and accom¬ 
plish the most results with the least outlay of capital 
and labor. Last fall, we dug coal pits surrounding 
our boiler pits, in such shape that we could store a 
large car-load of coal within shoveling distance of our 
furnace door. The study for constant improvement 
is what gives zest to the gardenex-’s life. While we 
are in a sense partners with Nature, still we are 
also always at war with her, fighting her fierce, cold 
winds and still colder nights, with fire and breast- 
works ; her teeming millions of insect life with pow- 
dex-s, washes and smudges, and her other millions of 
misplaced plants, called weeds, with hoes, rakes and 
back aches. 
We fill the benches with our sandiest garden soil— 
two-thirds gai-den soil, and one-third fresh horse 
manure. Rotted manure is too slow for us ; there is 
always some tendency to damp off with fresh manure, 
but the ci’ops ai*e wonderful that spring from it. We 
cater almost entirely to our local market, shipping 
only our surplus ; but we find the same conditions ex¬ 
isting all over. Previous to New Years, the market 
is slow and has to be coaxed and wheedled into buy¬ 
ing ; but as the days get longer, and the sun shines 
stronger, the mouth of the market for green stuff 
opens wider and wider, till March and first half of 
April make us hustle to keep the supply going. Then 
the hotbed stuff commences to come, and by June 1, 
the call is over. w. u. woodhams. 
Kalamazoo County, Mich. 
WHAT THEY SAY. 
Cheap Poultry Food.— We often read in poultry, 
and agricultural papers also, advice to the effect that 
we should not feed hens that have a free range, much 
feed in the summer. 1 was feeding my hens lightly, 
bran and shorts mixed with water for a morning feed, 
meat of some kind at noon two or three times a week, 
and a good feed of oats at night. I had 30 hens, and 
got three to seven eggs per day. I started feeding 
wheat, two-thirds the bulk that I did of oats; the 
eggs were up to 12 to 15 in a very few days. I gauge 
the feed by the actions of the hens ; if they become 
broody, I decrease the feed. I find a beef pluck or 
lights the cheapest to supply animal food for laying 
hens ; I pay 10 cents for one. By going to a butcher 
with rather a poor custom, a person can usually get a 
lot of good chicken meat for a small sum ; I often get 
a-half bushel for five or ten cents. I boil this and 
mix the soft feed with the soup. A poultry boy. 
Blackwell, Ont. 
Some Kansas Windbreaks. —The cottonwood, wal¬ 
nut, box elder and Osage orange, often grown for 
windbx-eaks, in the country, are vex-y bad neighbors 
to orchard, vineyard or garden. Their greedy roots 
reach out to a surprising distance. Planted far 
enough away, they will do ; but when large, they 
“ kill the ground” for three or four x-ods on every side. 
The seedling peach makes an excellent windbreak, 
and its x’oots do not want the whole earth ; so it may 
be set within a rod or two-of the plants it is to protect. 
When winter spares its fruit buds, it gives a good 
deal of very good fruit, our summers being well suited 
to the peach. It grows rapidly, thick and tall enough. 
Seedsmen will furnish the seeds ; or perhaps one can 
get them in the neighborhood. Bury them three or 
four inches in the ground, over winter, that freezing 
may open the shells. Plant early in spring, carefully 
cracking with a hammer any shells not open. 
I think it far better to plant the seeds where the 
trees are to stand ; but they may be ti-ansplanted at 
one year old. Plant five or six feet apart in the row, 
or, better, in several rows, breaking joints, as a mason 
would say, eight feet in the row, and rows far enough 
apart to admit the team and cultivator. Keep the 
gi*oxxnd clean and mellow for two or three years, at 
least. 
Plum and cherry make very good windbreaks. The 
wild plum and the Morello cherry stand the hot winds 
very well ; they are proof against the cold snaps of 
winter, and the fruit, as it grows here, is by no means 
to be despised. Sprouts from the roots are easily 
kept down with a sharp hoe. K. K. H. 
Salina, Kan. 
Washing by Steam. —A Presbyterian minister here 
has constructed a rig which he works with his horse, 
and it is a grand success. I intend making one on the 
same principle to run by steam, as I have an engine 
and use steam from the boiler to heat water and steam 
clothes, which makes the washing much easier and 
better. We know, for we tested it last winter. I had a 
pipe from the boiler, and a steam hose on the end. 
We put water, soap and cotton clothes in the boiler, 
and turned on the steam. There was not much wash¬ 
ing to do afterwards ; but this method will not do for 
woolen clothes. By the aid of the minister’s device, 
washing will be a small matter. As the minister is a 
friend of mine, I can get him to give you a description 
of his rig, if you wish. It i-eally is a success ; those 
having steam power can wash on the same day they 
ax-e chopping grain, running the cutting box, or any¬ 
thing of that kind. j. D. F. 
Watford, Ont. 
It. N.-Y.—Let’s have it, by all means. Anything 
that keeps people clean should be well advertised. 
THE EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 
Other bulletins of more or less general interest are : 
Arkansas (Fayetteville), No. 37, on Grasses and Clovers. 
Louisiana (Audubon- Park), No. 37. Wludrowed vs. Standing 
Canes (sugar). 
Maryland (College Park), No. 34, Commercial Fertilizers; and 
No. 35, Experiments with Grain Hay. 
Arizona (Tucson) No. 14, Scale Insects In Arizona. 
The 15th Report of the New Jersey Experiment Station (New 
Brunswick), contains a vast amount of interesting matter. The 
work done by Prof. Voorhees in studying the chemistry of ferti¬ 
lizers and food stuffs, is of great value to all who are interested 
in feeding animals or plants. Prof. Smith’s report on entomology, 
and Dr. Ilalsted’s studies of the diseases of plants are very inter¬ 
esting and fully illustrated. This report should have a wide 
circulation. 
Bulletin 98, from the Cornell Station (Ithaca) is on Cherries. 
It is by Prof. Bailey. It (lives the whole story of cherry culture 
with excellent Illustrations of the different varieties. One beauty 
of Prof. Bailey's bulletins is that he goes to the orchards of busi¬ 
ness growers for his facts. There is no reasoning from the results 
obtained from a single tree. In this bulletin, we have a consensus 
of opinion from the best authorities. It will well repay any grower 
to read this bulletin carefully. 
The North Carolina Station (Raleigh) issues three bulletins on 
dairy work. No. 113 gives the details of testing milk and fully ex¬ 
plains how to do it. No. 114 gives results of the tests of dairy imple¬ 
ments and practices, showing how various separators and cream¬ 
ers handled milk or cream. No. 116 gives milk records and tests 
made at the Station farm. The bulletin gives an excellent illustra¬ 
tion of the changes in a cow’s milk that are due to changes in 
treatment. These bulletins are excellent for those who wish to 
learn the science of dairying. Another bulletin from this Station 
is 115, which contains answers to many questions which the farm¬ 
ers of North Carolina have asked of the Station. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Mr. E. L. Clarkson, Tivoli, N. Y., is offering some of his young 
prize-winner, Duroc-Jersey pigs for sale. Mr. Clarkson’s stock 
of both pigs and Jerseys seems always to give satisfaction. 
Kemp & Burpee Manufacturing Company, Syracuse, N. Y., 
have just issued a new and nicely illustrated catalogue of their 
manure spreader. It will be sent to any one who applies for it. 
Get one. 
Mu. Isaac Rogers has removed his nursery interests from 
Moorestown, N. J., to Dansville, N. Y. He is in a favorable 
location for this industry. His fall price list will be sent on ap¬ 
plication. 
The Carman peach has been already described and illustrated 
in The R. N.-Y. The Stubenrauch Fruit Company, Mexia. Tex., 
need a few more reliable men to propagate this peach. Write 
them for particulars. 
Smiths <fe Powell Company, Syracuse, N. Y., offer for sale 100 of 
the descendants of Clothilde, the cow with a milk record of 26,021 
pounds 2 ounces a year, and a butter record of 28 pounds 2(4 
ounces in a week. ’Tisn’t every day you have a chance to buy 
such stock. Better write them for prices. 
The Storrs & Harrison Company. Painesville, O., issue a cata¬ 
logue (No. 3) of hardy bulbs of all kinds for fall planting; all 
flower and vegetable seeds for fall sowing; winter blooming and 
ornamental plants, azaleas, begonias, cyclamens, crotons, car¬ 
nations, cactus, ferns, palms, roses for winter flowering, hardy 
perennials, ornamental shrubs, vines, large and small fruits of 
all kinds. 
The Star feed grinder is one of the effective, practical machines 
that assist in the economy of farm work. Simply constructed, yet 
strong and powerful, and with improvements added, it now has a 
capacity of 12 to Zt> bushels of ear corn per hour. It grinds dry or 
damp corn, as well as all small grains, as fine or as coarse as may 
be desired. It is sold on trial, so confident are the manufacturers 
that it will do all they claim for it. It is made by the Starr Manu¬ 
facturing Company, 63 to 69 N. Street, Lexington. O. They send 
catalogue on application. 
