1499 
The  Native  Papaw 
I  send  you  fruit  of  the  native  papaw, 
from  a  tree  we  have  about  15  years  old. 
It  has  been  bearing  for  three  years,  and 
we  think  the  fruit  are  good  eating. 
Lebanon,  Pa.  H.  B.  n. 
The  fruit  shown  in  this  column  is  the 
papaw  of  the  United  States,  Asimina 
triloba,  a  member  of  the  Anonaceaa  or 
custard  apple  family.  It  must  not  he 
confused  with  the  true  papaw  of  the 
tropics,  which  is  -Cariea  papaya.  The 
American  papaws  (two  varieties  are 
known)  are  ornamental  trees  or  shrubs 
with  handsome  foliage  having  a  rather 
Fruit  of  Papaw,  Natural  Size 
disagreeable  odor  when  bruised.  In 
early  Spring  they  bear  conspicuous  white 
or  purple  flowers  followed  in  Fall  by 
large  edible  fruits.  The  Southern  pa¬ 
paw.  A.  grandi flora,  is  a  shrub  with 
more  showy  flowers  than  the  tree-grow¬ 
ing  A.  triloba,  but  the  latter  is  hardier, 
and  has  handsomer  foliage.  The  papaws 
grow  in  rich  moist  soil,  and  are  difficult 
to  transplant;  they  are  propagated  by 
seeds,  layers  or  cuttings.  The  seeds  are 
Sown  in  Fait,  or  stratified  and  sown  in 
Spring;  in  the  North  they  are  sown  In 
pans. 
Many  people  do  not  care,  at  first,  for 
the  fruit  of  the  papaw,  which  is  very 
aromatic,  but  when  a  taste  for  it  is  ac¬ 
quired  it  is  considered  delicious,  though 
the  large  seeds  are  a  disadvantage.  Like 
the  persimmon,  the  papaw  may  be  im¬ 
proved  by  cultivation  and  selection  of 
the  best  varieties.  It  lias  proved  hardy 
in  Ontario  and  Massachusetts. 
Greenhouse  Vegetables 
I  would  like  information  for  beginners 
iu  greenhouse  work.  C.  XI.  SMITH. 
Tuckahoe,  N.  Y. 
The  above  question  is  very  indefinite, 
and  one  must  attempt  to  cover  a  rather 
wide  field  through  lack  of  direction  as 
to  which  line  of  greenhouse  management 
information  is  desired  upon,  whether  veg¬ 
etables,  plants  or  cut  flowers.  Vege¬ 
table  growing  is  usually  the  easiest  man¬ 
ner  in  which  to  acquire  information  upon 
managing  a  greenhouse  by  the  man  who 
has  had  no  experience  whatever  upon 
same.  Lettuce,  preferably  Grand  Rapids ; 
radishes,  White  Icicle  aud  Cardinal 
Globe,  followed  by  tomatoes,  make  a  good 
vegetable  combination  to  experiment 
with,  provided  one  has  a  market  for  the 
product.  This  end  of  the  business,  while 
very  important,  should  not  cause  anxiety 
to  a  man  determined  to  succeed,  as  good, 
well-grown  vegetables  can  generally  be 
disposed  of  in  almost  any  community  not 
already  overstocked,  either  by  direct  so¬ 
licitation  of  the  consumers,  or  through 
the  grocery  stores.  If  the  former  method 
could  be  carried  out,  without  undue  ex¬ 
pense.  it  would  be  the  method  of  selling 
to  adopt  wherever  possible.  The  aim  of 
each  producer,  or  community  of  produc¬ 
ers,  acting  co-operatively,  should  he  to  es¬ 
tablish  direct  dealing  with  the  consumer 
wherever  practical  or  possible. 
Seed  of  Grand  Rapids  lettuce  should  be 
sown  during  August  and  September,  aud 
Vhe  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
ttfrfpiv* 
according  to  Prof.  Bailey's  experiments. 
The  lettuce  crop  will  require  six  weeks 
for  maturity,  and  plants  for  the  second 
crop  should  be  ready  to  follow  the  first 
one  without  delay.  Endeavor  to  main¬ 
tain  a  temperature  of  50  degrees  at  night 
and  65  degrees  on  bright  and  55  degrees 
on  cloudy  days. 
Where  tomatoes  are  planted  as  a 
Spring  crop  seed  should  be  sown  Novem¬ 
ber  15,  and  plants  grown  on  in  lettuce 
temperature,  transplanting  soon  as  large 
enough,  and  later  transplanting  a  second 
time,  potting  in  3-inch  pots.  P>o  not  use 
too  rich  soil,  or  more  water  than  just 
necessary  to  maintain  a  dark  green, 
healthy  growth.  You  do  not  want  a  to¬ 
mato  plant  to  grow  long  and  yellow. 
When  last  crop  of  lettuce  or  radishes  has 
made  a  fair  growth  plant  the  tomatoes  at 
intervals  of  18  inches  each  way  between 
the  rows.  This  should  he  March  1  to  20. 
The  tomato  will  not  interfere  with  the 
maturity  of  the  other  crops  to  any  great 
extent,  and  will  have  a  few  weeks'  start. 
Each  plant  should  he  trained  to  a  single 
stem,  and  supported  by  a  cane  stake,  or 
a  string  fastened  to  a  wire  overhead  may 
he  tied  to  the  base  of  the  plant  loosely, 
and  the  plant  twisted  around  the  string 
as  it  attains  height.  Remove  all  suckers 
regularly  and  each  bright  day  jar  the 
plant,  thoroughly  by  tapping  lightly  with 
a  padded  stick.  This  is  necessary  to 
effect  pollination  of  the  blossoms. 
Do  not  apply  any  additional  fertilizers 
to  lettuce  soil  while  tomatoes  are  at  the 
setting  point,  or  use  too  much  water  or 
many  blossoms  will  bo  lost.  Never  cul¬ 
tivate  to  more  than  one-half  to  one  inch 
deep  at  this  period.  As  soon  as  the  let¬ 
tuce  and  radish  crops  are  harvested  raise 
the  temperature  to  60  degrees  at  night 
and  75  degrees  in  daytime.  When  fruit 
has  set  upon  four  clusters,  more  water, 
and  manure  in  the  form  of  a  heavy  mulch, 
should  be  applied.  At  this  period  never 
allow  the  soil  to  become  dry,  or  dry  rot 
at  the  blossom  end  is  sure  to  develop,  this 
disease  being  caused  almost  exclusively  by 
the  lack  of  moisture,  cither  indoors  or  out 
in  the  field.  Comet,  John  Baer,  and 
Bonny  Best  are  the  most  widely  grown 
varieties  for  Spring  sales.  There  doubt¬ 
less  are  many  communities  where  growing 
vegetable  plants  would  be  a  profitable 
business.  Some  mail  order  houses  sell 
plants  by  the  million  each  year,  and 
many  sections  are  forced  to  rely  upon 
those  shipped  plants  entirely,  through  the 
lack  of  some  local  grower  supplying  the 
demand.  A  small  greenhouse  and  a 
dozen  or  two  3x6  hotbed  sash  would  be 
sufficient  to  start  a  good  Spring  trade  in 
plants.  ELMER  J.  WEAVER. 
Pennsylvania. 
LET  US  TAN 
YOUR  HIDE. 
XMAS? 
See  the  December 
Farm  Journal 
Cuttle  or  Horse  llhle.  Calf,  Dog.  Deer 
oriiuv  kind  of  skm  wild  lunr  or  fur  on. 
We  tan  and  finish  fhom  right;  make 
tliem  into  coats  I  for  men  and  women), 
robes,  nurd  or  cloves  when  ordered. 
Your  fur  goods  will  cost  you  loss  than 
to  buy  them,  and  bo  worth  more.  Our 
Illustrated  catalog  gives  It  lot  of  to 
formation  which  every  stork  raiser 
Should  liftVO,  but  wo  never  8c  ml  out  this 
vnlllitlilo  book  OXropt  tlpotl  reipiest,. 
It  tells  how  to  f  alio  otf  and  earn  for 
bides;  how  and  When  w,  pay  tho  Irotqht 
both  way*  ;  about  our  e«fe  djoing  pro¬ 
cess  which  la  a  tremendous  advantage 
to  tlio  customer,  especially  on  hor»,i 
hldoa  and  calf  aklna  ;  about  the  fur 
goods  and  game  trophies  wo  sell,  taxi¬ 
dermy,  etc.  If  yon  want  a  copy  scud  118 
your  correct  address.  I 
The  Crosby  Frisian  Fur  Company, 
571  LyellAve.,  Rochester.  N.  Y. 
Getting  Ready  for  Christmas? 
Worrying  over  what  to  give,  how  to  give, 
to  whom  to  give?  Read  Jacob  Biggie’sar- 
tielein  the  December  F  ARM  J  OURNAL. 
His  cheery  philosophy  on  the  giving 
question  will  give  you  some  good  point¬ 
ers;  make  you  smile,  too. 
Judge  Biggie  knows  farm -folks  clear 
through.  Your  family  will  look  eagerly 
tor  his  article  every  month  in  the  year. 
Make  this  choek-fhl l-o£- go od-th i n gs  magazine 
your  Christmas  present  to  yourself,  the  family, 
your  friends.  SI  for  5  years.  Refund  any  time 
you  say.  Postal  brings  sample  copy  of  the  Decem¬ 
ber  issue  and  Poor  Richard’s  Almanac  for  1917, 
our  Christmas  gift  to  you. 
The  Farm  Journal 
130  Washington  Square,  Philadelphia 
tWe  Tan  Your  Hides 
and  save  you  money  if  you 
send  us  a  HORSE  or  COW 
HIDE  to  be  made  into  a 
ROBE  or  COAT 
Don ’t  Delay.  W rite  at  once  for  FREE 
Catalog  g id ng  Pricet  and  Information. 
John  Figved  Robe  &  Tanning  Co. 
2926  Forest  Home  Avenue,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 
9  CORDS  IN  10  HOURS 
SAWS 
DOWN 
TIIKES 
A  Practical  Apple  Bulletin 
Every  year  we  have  many  calls  for 
practical  information  about  packing 
apples  in  barrels  and  boxes.  There  is  an 
unceasing  demand  for  tills  kind  of  infor¬ 
mation.  One  of  the  publications  of  the 
sort  that  wc  have  seen  is  Extension  Bul¬ 
letin  No.  7,  by  W.  13.  Wolff,  of  the  New 
Hampshire  Agricultural  College,  at  Dur¬ 
ham.  This  is  one  of  tho  most  practical 
and  sensible  fruit  bulletins  we  have  seen. 
There  are  27  pictures  which  clearly  show 
just  how  barrel  and  box  should  he  packed. 
There  is  much  other  information,  includ¬ 
ing  a  copy  of  the  United  States  apple 
grading  law  and  also  the  Massachusetts 
law.  We  have  rarely  seen  more  practical 
fruit  information  crowded  into  a  small 
bulletin, 
.RUNS  EASY 
I  No 
Backache  K 
weighs 
only  IS 
Iba. 
iron  cemem  ojo.it 
Permanently  repairs 
leak 8  or  cracks  in 
boilers,  stoves,  furnaces, 
water  jackets,  radiators, 
■  ' etc.  15c  a  can,  25c  by  mail. 
SMOOTH-ON  M’F’G  CO. 
Jersey  City,  N.  J. 
BY  ONE  BAN.  It’ a  KISG  OF  THE  WOODS.  8aT<?«  money  and 
backache.  Send  tor  FUSE  catalog  No.  U6-  shining  low  price 
and  latest  improvements.  First  order  gets  agency. 
Folding  Sawing  Machine  Co..  161  West  Harrison  SL.  Chicago. 111. 
W  ater  Pumps W  ater 
■  with  a  Rife  Ram.  Plenty  of  it  for  every 
purpose  about  your  country  home — with¬ 
out  fuel,  labor,  freezing  or  repairs.  A 
WELL  dpaysg  WELL 
Own  a  machine  of  your  own.  Cash  or  easy 
terms.  Many  styles  and  sizes  for  all  purposes. 
Write  for  Circular 
WILLIAMS  BROS.,  432  W.  Slate  St..  Ithaca.  N.  Y. 
out  luet.  labor,  treezing  or  repa _  __ 
small  stream  operates  tluj  Rife  Ram  and 
fills  high  elevated  tanks  or  operates  air 
pressure  System.  Easy  to  install.  First 
cost  the  onjy  cost.  Always  on  the  job  day 
and  night,  winter  and  summer.  11.000  it? 
.«-o— — O  ■  ■■■  ^  daily  use.  Send  for 
i  free  Catalog  today. 
RIFE  ENGINE  CO. 
3429  Trinity  Bids..  New  York 
