652 
to  the  slow-growing  Bose  if  occasion  demanded. 
The  Comice  is  so  highly  recommended  as  a  commer¬ 
cial  sort  for  cold  storing  for  holiday  trade  that  I 
aim  to  move  it  for  the  purpose.  My  plum  •  are  all 
Japanese  hybrids  and  cover  a  wide  range  in  variety. 
A  small  corner  is  devoted  to  20  grapes,  including 
novelties  for  the  most  part.  My  orchard  is  thus  seen 
to  he  planned  with  an  aim  to  demonstrate  the  value 
cf  varieties,  and  at  the  same  time  to  supply  a  good 
range  in  tree  fruits  to  eater  to  the  very  active  de¬ 
mand  in  the  local  market.  It  should  be  just  about 
a  one -man  job  to  harvest  and  deliver  the  fruit  from 
an  orchard  thus  planned. 
INTERCROPPING. — Midway  between  rows  of 
trees  T  then  transplanted  my  asparagus,  thus  leav¬ 
ing  a  7  V>  foot,  space.  Furrowing  between  gives  a 
space  of  scant  four  feet.  Last  season  T  grew  sweet 
corn  here.  The  varieties  then  were  three  kinds  that 
I  have  adopted  for  future  planting.  The  Golden 
Bantam  1  had  not  referred  to  but  it  has  been  my 
staple  first  early.  Tlie  retnainng  sorts  are  the  Daisy 
and  Golden  Rod,  nearly  indistinguishod  in  all  their 
characteristics,  but  sent  out  from  different  seed 
houses.  Either  of  these  is  above  criticism  in  all  de¬ 
sirable  traits,  growing  well  above  one’s  head,  with 
ears  three  feet,  up,  the  edible  quality  surpassing 
Golden  Bantam. 
STRAWBERRIES.— From  this  time  on  the  space 
betweeu  trees  and  asparagus  will  be  devoted  to 
strawberries  in  narrow  matted  rows,  allowing  of 
horse  cultivation  through  the  season.  Some  30  years 
ago  I  tested  the  leading  kinds  of  strawberries  until 
I  was  familar  with  some  100  varieties.  In  starting 
in  three  years  ago  I  tried  out  a  dozen  of  trie  pres¬ 
ent  favorites,  also  getting  a  single  one  of  the  old- 
timers — the  Jessie.  This  I  find  ahead  of  most  now 
ones,  heating  out  Kellogg’s  Prize  by  a  wide  margin. 
I  now  mix  Jessie  with  Glen  Mary  for  midseason.  the 
latter  requiring  cross  fertilization  in  spite  of  its  ap¬ 
parently  staminate  flower.  However,  it  is  the  extra 
early  and  extra  late  sorts  that  meet  less  competition 
both  as  to  price  and  demand.  The  Early  Ozark  is 
with  me  beyond  all  compare.  For  late  T  have  a  va¬ 
riety  a  week  later  than  any  other  June  hearing  sort, 
which  I  call  the  Shamrock.  My  Spring  plantings  are 
nearly  all  of  these  two  varieties.  A  small  planting 
of  the  Superb  Everbearing  is  to  gratify  my  curi¬ 
osity  about  this  class. 
PEAS  AND  BEANS. — I  still  hold  to  tlie  Premium 
Gem  as  my  best  variety.  With  repeated  plantings 
up  to  June  I  cover  as  long  a  season  as  with  later 
sorts.  Last  season  I  tried  Laxtonian.  This  has  a 
serious  defect.  By  the  time  Iho  pods  are  well  filled 
out  the  pens  are  too  hard,  which  is  not  the  fact 
with  Premium  Gem.  I  found  Saddleback  wax  bean 
so  much  more  hardy  than  others  for  each  planting 
as  to  give  a  full  crop  when  several  others  failed 
owing  to  cold  wet  Spring  weather.  As  to  the  fu¬ 
ture  of  my  one  acre  farm,  ray  plan  is  to  give  it 
my  sole  attention  in  good  time.  Another  year  will 
see  it  producing  a  considerable  bit  from  asparagus 
and  strawberries.  When  the  trees  come  into  hear¬ 
ing  it  will  be  time  to  make  a  lawn  of  all  save  a 
narrow  lane  for  cultivating  each  side  of  the  aspar¬ 
agus  rows.  In  time  the  asparagus  will  go  too.  The 
orchard  is  planned  as  a  nursery  for  my  growing 
chickens.  This  Summer,  as  in  the  past,  they  will 
range  in  it  throughout  the  season.  By  another  Sum¬ 
mer  they  will  be  confined  during  strawberry  ripen¬ 
ing  season,  but  occupy  it  thereafter  till  cold  weather. 
Massachusetts.  f.  w.  fkoctob. 
Culture  of  Root  Crops 
N  Europe  root  crops  are  an  integral  part  of  agri¬ 
culture,  an  essential  of  good  farming.  In  the 
United  States  we  have  not  even  yet  reached  the  in¬ 
tensive  stage  where  their  value  becomes  recognized. 
We  have,  too,  the  excuse  of  a  greater  wealth  and 
diversity  of  crops.  King  Corn  has  kept  us  in  com¬ 
fort  and  contentment,  and  we  are  just,  now  advanc¬ 
ing  well  within  the  domain  of  the  silo,  where  the 
quantity  and  cheapness  of  feed  are  multiplied  an¬ 
other  degree.  But  nevertheless,  here  and  there,  and 
particularly  on  the  small  intensively  worked  farm, 
the  root  crop  is  at  least  beginning  to  advertise  itself 
by  displaying  its  capabilities.  To  lie  sure  the  turnip 
finds  a  “patch”  for  itself  on  most  farms,  hut  its  ap¬ 
preciation  comes  primarily  through  the  kitchen  and 
not  the  stables:  it  is  an  adjunct  to  the  garden  rather 
than  the  fields.  Yet  it  is  greatly  relished  by  the 
cows,  and  if  fed  with  generous  grain  rations  leaves 
no  objectionable  flavor  in  the  milk.  No  other  farm 
animal  lias  much  taste  for  it.  hut  if  cooked  and 
mixed  with  ground  grain,  it  has  a  high  feeding 
value  for  hogs  and  poultry,  far  beyond  its  analysis. 
The  horse,  above  all  farm  animals,  cares  the  least 
for  root  crops  with  one  notable  exception,  and  that 
is  the  carrot.  Turnips  he  rejects  and  mangels  he 
will  nibble  over,  but  the  intensity  of  his  love  for 
■&he  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
the  carrot  equals  an  ordinary  affection  for  all  the 
others.  T  know  of  nothing  hut  sugar  that  wi’l  at¬ 
tract  a  horse  like  a  carrot,  granted  that  he  has  had 
The  opportunity  to  fully  acquire  the  taste  for  them. 
And  as  a  conditioner  there  is  nothing  better.  I 
would  rather  have  it  than  any  stock  food  on  the 
market,  it  makes  for  a  smooth  glossy  coat,  a  bright 
eye  and  a  disposition  to  kick  up  the  heels.  Fed  with 
corn  fodder,  the  carrot  will  raise  it  to  the  value  of 
good  hay.  Finally  we  have  tlie  mangel-wurzel  or 
mangold  as  tlie  English  call  it,  the  standard  root 
crop  of  Europe,  absolutely  the  greatest  yielder  in 
tons  of  anything  on  earth :  60  to  70  tons  per  acre  are 
not  unusual  on  highly  fertilized  ground,  and  in  gen¬ 
eral  barnyard  popularity  it  excels  all  others.  It  is 
excellent  for  the  dairy  cows,  promoting  digestion  as 
well  as  quantity  of  milk  flow.  The  hens  find  it  a 
substitute  for  green  feed  and  useful  exercise  in 
peeking  at  a  big  one  fastened  against  the  wall.  The 
brood  sows  thrive  on  them  raw.  but  their  fullest 
•alue  is  Drought  out  by  cooking  them.  The  mangel 
is  easily  grown.  Prepare  soil  in  Spring,  deep  and 
the  richer  the  better,  and  drill  seed  in  rows  two 
feet  apart.  When  three  inches  high,  thin  to  eight 
to  12  inches  apart.  Hoe  them  a  time  or  two  and 
give  good  culthation.  Most  of  their  growth  is  above 
ground,  and  they  attain  immense  weights,  20  to  30 
pounds,  under  favorable  conditions.  The  specimen 
shown  in  picture,  Fig.  244  weighed  15  pounds. 
There  seems  no  reason  why,  even  at  this  present 
stage  of  agriculture,  that  many  farmers  should  not 
find  it  profitable  to  put  out  from  a  quarter  to  an  acre 
A  15-pound  Mangel.  Fig.  244 
of  mangels  with  some  carrots  for  the  horses.  Often 
some  feed  lot  would  be  available  with  wonderfully 
rich  soil  that  would  produce  amazingly.  Hog  breed¬ 
ers  and  feeders  would  find  a  wealth  of  feed  here  that 
would  go  a  long  way  to  insure  health  and  immunity 
against  disease,  for  it  is  not  in  the  chemical  analysis 
of  the  feeding  root  that  we  must  look  for  its  full 
value;  it.  has  an  additional  value  perhaps  equal  to 
the  first  in  its  succulence,  its  juices,  in  its  appetiz¬ 
ing  relish,  as  a  promoter  of  digestion  and  as  a  sup¬ 
plement  to  grain.  l.  r.  Johnson. 
Cape  Girardeau  Co.,  Mo. 
The  Truth  About  Gladiolus  Growing  for 
Farmers 
My  attention  has  been  called  to  an  article  in  the 
Country  Gentleman  on  the  growing  of  Gladiolus  bulbs 
and  blooms  as  a  crop  for  farmers.  Some  remarkable 
statements  about  profits  are  made.  What  is  the  truth 
about  it?  E.  F.  G. 
Massachusetts. 
IIE  many  well-known  and  some  of  the  newest 
varieties  of  Gladiolus  are  beautiful  and  valu¬ 
able  to  grow  in  the  home  garden,  and  tlie  cultiva¬ 
tion  of  them  should  bo  encouraged  for  several  rea¬ 
sons.  They  are  easy  to  grow,  and  bulbs  of  such 
varieties  as  America.  Mrs.  King,  and  many  others 
are  very  moderately  priced.  The  flowers  are  deli¬ 
cate  yet  showy,  and  when  cut  keep  a  long  time  in 
water.  In  the  article  referred  to  by  E.  F.  G.,  the 
farmer  is  urged  to  plant  them  commercially,  and  a 
gross  profit  of  $4,000  per  acre  promised  on  Panama. 
The  farmer  is  advised  to  plant  fourth  size  bulbs, 
which  are  said  to  produce  good  to  high  grade  flow¬ 
ers,  and  additional  bulbs. 
April  22,  1916. 
A  Gladiolus  bulb  of  one-half  to  three-quarters  inch 
would  not  be  bought  by  any  florist  to  use  for  cut 
flower  purposes,  as  it  will  produce  a  small  flower 
that  would  he  practically  unsalable  on  the  whole¬ 
sale  markets,  which  is  proven  by  the  tens  of  thou¬ 
sands  that  were  thrown  out  on  the  New  York  mar¬ 
ket  the  past  two  seasons.  The  finest  America  and 
Mrs.  King  often  did  not  bring  $4  per  100  in  New 
York  the  past  season,  and  these  flowers  were  grown 
from  bulbs  averaging  1 L.  to  2%  inches  in  diameter. 
The  small  half  inch  bulb  is  used  for  growing  a 
larger-sized  bulb  for  flowering  purposes  the  follow¬ 
ing  season. 
If  you  buy  1,000  large,  or  small,  half  inch  bulbs 
they  will  each  produce  one  bulb  for  the  next  season’s 
use  and  a  number  of  small  conns  which  require  four 
years’  growth  to  reach  the  large  flowering  size.  The 
bulbs  should  be  planted  early  in  the  Spring,  and  in 
order  to  grow  a  good  strong  Inflb  from  the  half-inch 
size,  the  flower  should  either  be  left  on  the  plant  or 
be  cut.  without  a  stem,  as  all  the  leaves  should  be 
left  on  the  lmlb  to  mature  it  properly.  Thorough 
cultivation  must  be  given  to  the  end  of  the  growing 
season.  Figure  just  about,  how  much  you  think  it 
will  cost  you  to  weed  and  cultivate  a  lot  of  Gladioli, 
from  early  Spring  to  the  first  frost,  l  feel  sure  you 
will  find  it  cheaper  to  buy  bulbs,  than  to  try  to  grow 
them. 
I  have  purchased,  this  Winter  for  forcing,  largest 
size  America  and  Mrs.  Francis  King  at  $5  per  1,000 
from  a  grower  who  planted  30,000  the  past  season 
and  did  not  make  expenses.  A  neighbor  florist,  who 
lias  been  growing  50,000  each  season  has  sold  a 
large  proportion  of  his  stock  for  the  same  reason. 
He  intends  growing  some  of  the  newer  varieties  for 
a  few  seasons,  such  as  Panama,  Peace,  Augusta,  and 
several  others.  Salesmen  from  Holland  have  been 
offering  large  lots  of  America,  small  size,  as  low 
as  $1.50  per  1,000. 
Any  farmer  before  going  into  this  business  should 
arrange  for  an  outlet  for  his  flowers,  as  T  know 
of  instances  where  such  growers  have  gone  to  large 
commission  houses,  to  find  them  so  overloaded  by 
regular,  all-the-year  consignors  that,  they  said  they 
could  not  possibly  handle  any  more  stock.  T  was 
told  of  a  young  woman  who  went  to  a  large  Phila¬ 
delphia  commission  house  and  begged  them  to  sell 
Gladioli  for  her.  When  told  they  could  not  possi¬ 
bly  handle  any.  she  began  crying,  and  mentioned  a 
number  of  other  sources  of  outlet  she  had  tried  to 
no  avail,  and  stated  she  read  in  some  paper  what  a 
fortune  there  was  in  the  business.  It  is  indeed  un¬ 
fortunate  that  horticultural  papers  should  allow 
such  articles  5u  their  columns  without  investigation. 
Tlie  paper  that  protects  its  subscribers  against  such 
visionary  schemes  for  money-making,  as  does  The 
it.  N.-Y.  is  of  inestimable  value  and  deserves  a 
boost  by  every  reader.  elmer  j.  weaver. 
Pennsylvania. 
The  Story  of  Phosphates 
The  recent  articles  on  phosphates  have  been  very 
good.  The  story  of  the  earliest  natural  up  to  the  latest 
artificial  phosphate  compound  lias  been  so  catching 
that  those  of  us  baited  with  an  ordinary  amount  of 
available  phosphorus  have  fixed  it — for  a  time  at  least. 
L.  K. 
O  us  the  story  of  the  phosphates  and  their 
formation  is  the  most  interesting  of  all  agri¬ 
cultural  chemistry.  There  is  something  of  “human 
nature"  in  it.  if  we  may  apply  such  a  term  to  inani¬ 
mate  things.  It  is  simply  a  matter  of  concentration. 
The  tiny  bits  of  phosphorus  in  the  soil  are  taken  up 
and  concentrated  by  the  plants,  while  these  in  their 
turn  are  still  further  concentrated  by  animals  into 
bone.  In  human  society  something  of  the  same  sort 
goes  on  in  the  endeavor  of  the  people  to  reach  better 
and  truer  things.  The  great  majority  of  civilized 
men  and  women  desire  to  be  fair  and  true  in  their 
relation  to  their  fellows.  Love  of  justice  and  charity 
is  inborn,  but  society  has  been  built  upon  the  selfish 
interests  of  the  strong  and  far-seeing,  and  the  great 
multitude  fall  into  the  habit  of  putting  self-interest 
first  of  all.  Here  and  there  men  and  women  come 
to  see  that  eo-opei’ation  and  brotherhood  are  finer 
than  dominating  selfishness.  The  idea  spreads.  First 
a  family,  next  a  community — a  town,  a  great  society 
— a  State,  with  this  idea  of  doing  something  that 
shall  be  worthy,  concentrated  into  what  we  call 
popular  opinion.  When  such  an  idea  is  concen¬ 
trated  into  what  we  call  popular  thought  the  thing 
is  done.  Many  a  great  co-operative  society  has  gone 
through  the  chemistry  of  its  phosphates.  A  few 
men  picked  up  the  thought  of  brotherhood.  It 
spread  and  developed  until  it  grew  into  a  great 
liberal  society  founded  on  "Live  and  help  live!” 
Then  trusting  members  forgot  to  watch  and  a  few 
designing  spirits  capture  the  organization  for  their 
own  selfish  ends,  and  instead  of  brotherhood  we 
have  master  and  slave  once  more. 
