The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
for the many ways in which they are prepared to 
maintain an existence and provide for the succession 
of their kind on the earth in spite of very adverse 
conditions. Our knowledge of the different ways in 
which insects pass the Winter often enables us to 
take advantage of them and to destroy them during 
this critical period. That, however, is quite another 
story. GLENN W. HERRICK. 
The Newtown Pippin Apple 
I AM sending you samples of my Newtown Pip¬ 
pins. A few years ago there was a discussion in 
The Ii. N.-Y. as to whether a good Newtown could 
be grown in the Hudson Valley. I maintained that 
it could, and these specimens are in evidence. They 
fairly represent the entire crop except in point of 
size, though the minimum this year is 2% inches. 
The best evidence, however, is the fact that without 
any effort on my part they sold themselves for a 
good big price. The apple men simply saw them on 
the trees and then came to me and begged for them. 
Dutchess Co., N. Y. harvey losee. 
R. N.-Y.—The apple speaks for itself in the pic¬ 
ture at Fig. 600. There is no question about tlie call 
for good Newtowns. They are in great demand by 
high-class restaurants, which serve them as baked 
apple. Yet we have known of some very poor speci¬ 
mens to be grown in the Hudson Valley. The apple 
seems to require a peculiar condition of soil, loca¬ 
tion and care, and can do its best only when soil and. 
locality are just right. At its best, the Newtown 
may he called the king of apples. 
Rejuvenating an Old Asparagus Bed 
I have gone back to a farm after about nine years in 
the city. I have bought a farm in New Jersey, and 
there is an asparagus bed of nearly or quite an acre 
which has had no care for five years. I know abso¬ 
lutely nothing about raising asparagus and would like 
you to tell me what 1 should do to the bed this Fall, 
and what I should do in the “Spring. I have no fer¬ 
tilizer. What kind shall 1 buy? n. A. F. 
Clinton. N. J. 
ALL WORK.—We often hear the question. 
"Can an athlete come back?” The answer is. 
yes: under certain conditions lie can make good 
again. The same can be said in regard to an old 
neglected asparagus bed. Of course the age of the 
bed must be the first consideration. I would not 
attempt it on a bed over 10 or 12 years old. If I 
had to tackle such a proposition at this time of tho 
year (November I) 1 would mow the weeds and 
asparagus tops off and clear them off the ground at 
once by burning or carting. The next thing to do is 
to find out how near the crowns are to the surface 
of the ground. If 6 in. plow very shallow, so as not 
to injure the crowns; if 4 in. use a cutaway or disk 
harrow and go over the bed both ways, so as 
to cut the grass roots (for as a general thing 
an old bed is covered with a thick sod) en¬ 
tirely loose. 
CLEANING AND FEEDING.—These sods 
must be raked off the bed. If the crowns 
are nearer than 4 in. a spike-tooth cultivator 
should be used hack and across until the 
ground is in a fine, loose condition. Great 
care should be taken that the crowns are not 
cut in plowing or cultivating the bed. A 
good heavy coat of well-rotted manure should 
be applied after the bed is in good condition, 
if possible. If manure is not available do 
not apply fertilizer at this time of the year. 
SPRING WORK.—As soon as the ground 
is dry enough to work next Spring harrow 
thoroughly with spring or spike-tooth har¬ 
row: then sow a complete fertilizer analyzing 
5 per cent in ammonia. 8 per cent phos¬ 
phoric acid and 10 per cent of potash at the 
rate of one ton to the acre, then harrow 
once and drag smooth with a plank. As soon 
as the ground is dry enough after the first 
rain harrow and drag. Continue this plan of 
operation until the shoots begin to show 
above the surface, then keep the cultivator 
going between tlie rows. As soon as the 
weeds are about 2 in. high in the rows where the 
shoots are growing, throw a light furrow on top of 
row (after cutting all shoots showing above ground). 
This will leave a sharp ridge on the top of row. 
Take a steel rake and run over tops of ridge, which 
will leave the bed practically clean of weeds. 
CUTTING.—Do not cut the asparagus later than 
June 10 for the first year. After the last cutting 
harrow the bed with disk or spring-tooth harrow, 
cover bed with a good coat of rotted manure. If this 
is not available, use half a ton of same grade fer¬ 
tilizer as in the Spring; harrow it in. This will give 
renewed vigor to the crowns for the following 
year. Nothing more need be done until the tops are 
killed by freezing. Then mow the tops and weeds, 
and as soon as they are dry burn them as they lie 
without raking. This will practically kill all the weed 
seed. The next Spring follow the same program as 
at first. WILLIAM PERKINS. 
New Jersey. 
A Plan for Selling Farm Goods 
I have been planning to secure a small warehouse on 
tiio outskirts of the city, where rent would be compara¬ 
tively cheap, and install therein a refrigerator. Then 
I would procure a large truck and several small delivery 
trucks. 
My scheme is to send the large truck through rhe 
surrounding rural sections, within a radius of 50 miles. 
Pupa of Green Tomato Worm in the Ground. 
Fig 605 
and obtain from the truck farms such items as eggs, 
chickens, homemade butter, preserves ami cheeses, and 
such other items as would be found salable and prac¬ 
ticable to handle. Deliveries would then be made 
directly to the consumer via the small delivery trucks. 
I would cater to the better trade Until established. 
Of course it is understood that routes both for pur¬ 
chasing provisions and then delivering them would have 
to be established ; this would take rime. It is my belief 
that fresher provisions could be delivered to the con¬ 
sumer and at a saving to him. and that the farmer 
would also be the gainer in that I could quote him a 
better price, obtaining in return the highest quality of 
his products. 
My expenses would therefore be in hauling products 
from the farm, keeping rhe warehouse and icebox and 
making deliveries by motor truck. Against this the 
middleman has his cost of hauling, the upkeep of his 
establishment and delivery to retailer, to which may 
he added the retailer’s costs, including high reuts. etc. 
Mine would be a single profit against two or more people. 
Xeirtou'H Piiigin front the Hudson Valley. Fig. 606 
To my mind it is a question whether expenses of 
bringing farm products from the farmer to the consumer 
can be reduced. It is believed that my idea is worthy 
of discussion. Do you think that a business such as I 
have outlined is feasible, and could it be placed on a 
paying basis? I could put from $5,000 to $7,000 into 
such a proposition. J. n. 
HIS man is at present in the navy, but will soon 
be discharged. He has seen consumers com¬ 
plaining of high prices, ami farmers complaining of 
low returns. This is part of his scheme for a solu¬ 
tion—reducing the cost of distribution. We have 
heard of several cases where some such plan has 
worked out well. It will require fine salesmanship 
, 1387 k 
and hard and patient work to establish such a busi¬ 
ness. but we think the right man. a good buyer, 
could develop it. 
Starting Bulbs 
B ULBS for Winter forcing are somewhat expen¬ 
sive this season, poor crops abroad being given 
as the reason. At the same time the bulbs now 
coming in are of particularly high quality, at least 
so far as I have seen. And certainly the price is noi 
so high that a few dozen cannot be grown in the 
house. I know of no flowers which are so easy to 
handle or give such satisfactory returns for the 
amount of labor involved. Undoubtedly the easiest 
bulbs to force are the Paper White Narcissi. They 
come into flower quickly, and can be grown in 
bowls of pebbles and water, or in the prepared fiber 
sold by seedsmen. While they will come into 
flower without being put away in the cellar, it is 
best to keep them in a rather dark place, as under 
a table, until the roots have penetrated the stones 
in all directions. Then they can be brought into a 
lighter situation until the flowers unfold. Owing to 
the fact that they have remained more stationary 
in price, there is an increased demand for the so- 
called Chinese lily, which is really a kind of Nar¬ 
cissi. These bulbs can be forced in the same way as 
the Paper White Narcissi, and are very fragrant and 
handsome. If one desires to force tulips, it is impor¬ 
tant to select only those vareties which are adapted 
to forcing purposes. In many catalogues varieties of 
this type are so marked, but when purchases are 
made at the stores it is best to ask the salesman for 
forcing bulbs. With the exception of the little Due 
Van Thol tulip, no variety can be expected to bloom 
before the new year, and many kinds will not come 
along until the Winter is well advanced. The pots 
containing the bulbs should be stored in a cool cel¬ 
lar, and earth or ashes heaped over them until a 
strong root growth lias been made. The Due Van 
Thol tulip is not grown as much as its merits war¬ 
rant. It is very dwarf, and yet the flowers are of 
good size. This tulip is an exception to the rule, 
for it can be forced in pebbles and water, like the 
Paper White Narcissi, if kept in a dark place until 
a mass of little white roots can be seen among the 
stones. e. i. f. 
When to Spread Manure 
What time of the year is it best to put manure on the 
ground—Fall or Spring? Also, what are the advan¬ 
tages? G. s. n. 
O single answer can be given. It depends on 
the character of the manure, the lay or slope 
of the land, the amount of work a farmer lias on 
hand and what crops he wants the manure for. 
Generally speaking, manure is never better 
than on the day it is made. There is always 
more or less loss in quality. This may be 
partly prevented by proper handling, but 
there will always be some loss through drain¬ 
age or fermentation. When manure is hauled 
out every day and spread on sod ground we 
get every pound of plant food it contains 
right to the soil. On hilly or rolling land, 
where in time of heavy rain a sheet of water 
runs over the surface, there will be some loss 
by washing, though s une of the plant food 
thus washed out will be left on the lower 
ground. But there would also be some loss 
if the manure were left piled iu the barn¬ 
yard. 
Out our own farm we shall put the Summer's 
accumulation of manure out just before the 
ground freezes and spread on >od. As much 
as possible of this s > l will be plowed this 
Fall, as we think the manure is safer in the 
ground. During the Winter, if we have a few 
mild spells, we shall haul the manure out in 
the same way. There may be some loss 
through washing, but the chief object is to 
save time. An hour in the rush of Spring 
planting is worth three in the Winter, when 
it is often hard to find work for the teams. 
Thus the chief advantage in hauling out manure 
in Fall or Winter is the saving of time. Rough 
or coarse manure is usually better plowed into the 
ground. Manure that is well fermented in a pile 
through the Winter is made fine, and thus spreads 
better. Such manure is better for harrowing in 
or for use on garden crops or top-dressing grass, and 
some farmers believe that it pays to pile and fer¬ 
ment some of the manure over Winter, so as to get 
it in better shape for spreading. Where it is to be 
put on sod and plowed under for corn or similar 
crops it can be hauled out at any time. It is safe to 
say that any form of manure will be greatly im¬ 
proved by adding 10 lbs. of acid phosphate to each 
