JAN. 31 
©OBE’S BUBAL NEW-YORKER 
EARLY TOMATO PLANTS—HOW TO GROW. 
As some of the readers of the Rural. New- 
Yorker may be in tiie same fix the coming 
Spring that I was last, us regards knowing 
how they are to grow a few early tomato 
plants and have them stocky and first-class 
plants in ©very respect, I will give the details 
of how I managed to grow a few hundred to 
my entire satisfaction. I took a small box, 
12x20 inches, <5 inches deep, and filled it with 
good garden soil and set it on the kitchen 
stove-drum, and let it set there till the dirt, 
was thoroughly warmed; then took a stick 
and made marks an inch apart, 4% inches 
deep in the dirt, crossways of the box; then 
scattered tomato seeds quite thick along 
the rows and covered them about },{ of 
an inch deep; t hen took a newspaper and wet 
it and covered the box to prevent the dirt 
from getting dry on top. The box was set on 
a bench near the stove after the seeds were 
sown and the following day set on the stove 
drum again for the purpose of keeping up 
the heat in the soil, being careful not to lot it 
get too hot. 
In forty-eight hours from the time the seed 
was sown, they had sprouted and many had 
broken the ground; a few were near x / t inch 
high. When the plants had attained to the 
Might of two inches I transplanted them into 
other boxes about If, Inches apart, each way. 
The plants were left in these boxes till they 
had attained a 1 light, of four inches and then 
transplant ed into a sort of hot bed made as 
follows:—A pit was dug in the side of a hill 
facing t he Southeast, six feet wide by twelve 
feet long, and posts driven in the ground at 
the corners and one on each side 0 feet from 
either end. On these posts, boards wero 
nailed two feet high in front and 2 1 j feet 
high at the back, giving (5 inches fall from 
back to front. In this frame 1 put fresh horse 
manure, mixed with litter—such as is found 
at farmers’ horse-stables—to the depth of 12 
inches, pressing it down firmly as I put it, in; 
thou put on 0 inches of good soil and covered 
the bed with covers, made by stretching and 
nailing with 10-oz. tacks, common heavy 
brown muslin on light frames 3x6 feet. Those 
frames were mode of white pine lath, sawed 
1x3 inches, halved at the corners and nailed 
with clinch nails. Common cut nails heated 
to near a while heat and allowed to cool very 
slow, are just as good as the clinch nails sold 
at the hardware stores and are much cheaper. 
After the covers wero put on, a board 
was laid across the upper ends of them, reach¬ 
ing from one end of the hot-bed frame to the 
other; and also across the lower ends, to pre¬ 
vent heavy winds from moving them. As 
soon as the soil in the bed was suilieiently 
warmed I raked it down smooth and marked 
it in rows 1 ^ inches apart and set the plants 
the same distance apart in the rows, 
Before removing the plants from the boxes, 
the soil was thoroughly wet in order to cause 
as much soil as possible to stick to the roots; 
then a case-knife was drawn through the soil, 
midway between the plants each way, about 
four inches deep ; and in removing the plants 
no difficulty was experienced in keeping the 
dirt about their roots. After being trans¬ 
planted and the covers put on, no care what¬ 
ever was given them oxcept an occasional 
watering. 
About the 20th of May, the plants were re¬ 
moved to the open ground, the same care 
being exercised as regarded watering and 
cutting between the rows, that had been 
when transplanted to the hot,-bed. These 
plants were its fine as any 1 ever saw grown 
anywhere, except those grown in a green¬ 
house in pots. Tomato plants must have age 
In order to produce early tomatoes. * * 
Ransom, l’a. 
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DESTROYING WEEDS ON LAWN8. 
W. Nichol, in the Cottage Gardener, 
speaks highly of the use of oil of vitriol for 
eradicating plantain and other weeds on gar¬ 
den lawus, having applied it successfully for 
several years. He says:—“We use a small, 
narrow - necked Ov 
glass bottle simi- 
lar to the rough \. J 
sketch inclosed, — 
and such a3 is 
used by chem- w 
ists in laboratories, etc. One may be pur¬ 
chased at any chemist’s at a very trilling 
cost. If t he glass stopper in the side bo kept 
firmly in its place the liquid will only come 
out by drops, and, therefore, the operator is 
not so likely to waste the acid or throw it 
over his clothes, as would otherwise be the 
case. If the acid can he procured pure, it 
may be considerably diluted with water, in 
some cases quite one-half, and it will still bo 
suilieiently strong for all wocd-killing pur¬ 
poses.” 
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TO KEEP SPINACH GREEN. 
A market gardener sends the Tribune the 
following description of the two methods 
practiced by gardeners for keeping spinach 
green, so that it may bo used at any time from 
now until April;—The first and least expen¬ 
sive one, is to cover the bed at once with a 
coating of an Inch in thickness of salt hay or 
straw. Aids will protect the leaves from 
frost, and by removing the mulch the spinach 
will be found in good condition. The second 
method is, to cut oil tho spinach before the 
would regulate the plow to the team, often 
not plowing more than eight inches, instead 
of using a team sufficient to do the work 
well. He will manage to keep his teams 
about something, or even lend his beat homo, 
so that the tenant cannot go through the corn 
until the weeds get the start of him. In this 
way ho manages to keep his men constantly 
chafed, and don't get thirty bushels of corn 
to the acre, where, with proper team, a little 
more labor, and that dono in proper time, 
the product would havo been sixty bushels 
per acre. This is not for want of means, for 
he has plenty at his control. 
B. keeps from thirty to forty head of cat¬ 
tle, eight or ten horses, and about 200 sheep. 
He generally doos his own chores, and don’t 
spend more than two and a-half hours a day 
in taking care of his stock. Tho cattle, colts, 
and sheep have to go a half mile for water or 
DEAD-FALL TRAP, 
ground becomes frozen, leaving, if possible, a 
little earth attached to the roots. This cut 
spinach is then placed in a cold frame in a 
layer eight or ton thick, with some leaves 
from the woods spread on top. The sashes 
are kept on the frame, and the spinach will 
keep green until wanted. 
A LONGER GOURD. 
I see in the Rural New-Yorker of Nov. 
30, that John D. PrriLLirrs asks of tho read¬ 
ers of the Rural who can beat his Hercules 
Club Gourd. Plcoso say to him I have a 
gourd, Cucubita Laccmtha LongreHima, 
known here as “St. Patrick’s Shillolah,” five 
feet eight inches long. Try again, John ! L. 
Leach, Torrington, Conn. 
FARM LABOB. 
The question of farm labor has been 
discussed considerably. The employer has 
claimed that he bus to pay too much for the 
amount of labor performed, and the em¬ 
ploye claims that he has not got enough for 
the services rendered. I frequently hear it 
exclaimed by some poor fellow that he fur¬ 
nishes the muscle, and some one else furnishes 
tho brains. I will venture to assert that full 
one-third of tho work done on the farm is 
lost, or worse than thrown away, for the 
lack of a thorough knowledge of how to do it, 
or by not doing it at the proper time and doing 
it well. If those that, work on the farm by the 
month or day are not capable of taking care 
of themselves, does not the responsibility 
rest on the employer to direct the work to 
tho best advantage, so that he can pay liberal 
wages to Ids men and they and their families 
can live well ? 
I will illustrate what I mean: There is Mi - . 
B. He lias 400 acres of land—as good a farm 
as can be found to make money off of. A 
few weeks ago I saw him sell four head of 
steers for $25 per head. These steers, had 
they been fed tho same amount of grain 
(ground) that they had consumed out of the 
shock without husking would have weighed 
100 pounds more and would have brought $40 
per head in the same market; $10 in labor 
would have paid the extra expense and left 
the $30 profit. As the case was, I presume 
tho farmer did not hardly got pay for his 
trouble raising them. 
B. lets some of his land to tenants, finds 
team, seed and board, and gives them oue- 
third of the crop. He generally manages to 
control them entirely as to timo of planting 
or Bowing, and furnishes just such a team as 
he may have at the time; and if a man should 
happen to want to purchase a team, he would 
sell the best span of horses or yoke of oxen 
he had, and put in some colts or steers to 
complete the work with; and, still more, he 
do without. In freezing weather he will 
drive down to tho pond with his horse and 
cutter and cut a hole through the ice and 
drive back; consequently some of his stock 
does not havo any water. Thus ho does not 
realize more profit from his fane t han could 
bo obtained from an average eighty acres of 
the same farm I 
There is many a man who knows how to 
plant and cultivate a crop of corn who don’t 
know how to take care of the money. Mr. 
B. prides himself on being a very benevolent 
man; and he is, in many respects. 
Calhoun Co., Mich. A Subscriber. 
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CHRISTMAS AND TAXES. 
There is one reform very much needed 
which would uffoct the happiness of the “ little 
folks’’ somewhat; it is to have the time for 
collecting taxes changed to some other time 
in the year, that it may cease to cloud the 
Christinas festivities. Men are almost inva¬ 
riably cross and poor at tax tune, and the 
Christmas trees do not bear the fruit they 
ought on that account; and sinco we all de¬ 
sire to make Christmas a joyous occasion for 
our children while they remain at home, I 
move that something be done about it. Who 
seconds the motion?— b. c. n. 
re pportfiinim. 
burrows in rtcep banks or under rocks. Tho 
young aro brought forth in Mayor June, in 
Utters of five or six. To catch this animal, 
one has only to bo acquainted with its habits. 
Place t he trap near t he edge of the water (so 
fl at It, will be covered about an Inch deep) 
directly in front of a steep bank or rock, or 
something on which tho bait, can hang about 
eighteen inches above tho trap. The bait 
should bo fish, or almost any fresh meat. The 
following is a good plan:—Set the traps about 
two feet back from the stream and from 
forty to eighty rods apart, up or down stream. 
Then walk over tho line, drawing the body of 
a roasted muskrat or almost any fresh meat, 
and any mink thut crosses that line or trail 
will follow it to the trap.— C. Chase. 
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A NEW SMOKELESS GUNPOWDER. 
Knowing that you keep a little corner in 
your paper for sportsmen, I would ask you 
if you have noticed an article in tho Novem¬ 
ber number of Tho Popular Science Monthly, 
token from Belgravia, entitled “ Smokeless 
Gunpowder.” Tho article says, after de¬ 
scribing our “dear, dirty old friend,” the 
black gunpowder, that a Prussian officer in¬ 
vented a smokeless powder, which is now 
mado in England near Southampton, named 
niter the inventor, Schultzo’s Wood-Powder. 
It can bo made cheaply, there is less danger 
in its manufacture, and gives more ponetra, 
tion than our black gunpowder. Such, at 
least, is the statement of Belgravia. Now, I 
would like to know whether Northern enter¬ 
prise has commenced manufacturing, or at. 
least importing, said Schhltze s Wood-Pow 
der, and have no doubt that, a good many of 
your readers will bo interested as wall as—G. 
C. E., Jackson, Miss. 
We have been unable to learn that, it is 
either imported or manufactured here. 
DEAD-FALL TRAP. 
In the series of articles entitled “ Our Fur- 
Bearing Animals,” now being published in 
tho Rural New-Yorker, frequent allusion 
has been made to tho “Dead-Fall” as ft 
means of entrapping game. Some of our 
readers ask what a Dead Fall is. Herewith 
we give an illustration of one, with accom¬ 
panying description, which will enablealmost 
any young trapper to make one. 
A, House, formed of closely driven slakes 
and covered with bark. B, Fall, a sapling 
2 yi inches in diameter, 12 to 18 feet long, with 
top branches left on to keep it from turning. 
C, Bed-piece, which B must fit pretty closely 
when down. D, D, Guides. E, standard. F, 
Spindle, for bait. G, Log, to weight B so that 
it will hold tho animal for which the trap 
is set. 
-- 
TO CATCH MINK. 
This little animal, which is much like the 
weasel, has of late years become so valuable 
that no pains is spared to obtain his hide. 
It, is but a few years since a mink skin would 
not bring abovo thirty cents. Tho value of 
the fur was not known. At this time, 
although he is so small a creature, a prime 
Northern skin is worth from ten to twelve 
dollars. Tho mink is shaped much like the 
otter, and although tie appears no more fitted 
fur swimming than tho weasel, the water is 
his home. Ho lives on fish, frogs, etc. He 
FUCHSIAS AND BEGONIAS. 
Ip the subscriber at Oil City, Pa., who com¬ 
plains of Fuchsias not blooming and Begonias 
dropping leaves, will take the Fuchsia out of 
tho pot and wash all the soil off in warm 
water and shorten all aide branches back to 
within four inches ol’ the main stem and re 
pot in sandy loam, with one half of refuse 
hops, he will soon have fine, healthy branches. 
After they are about six to ten Inches long, 
nip out the ends and ho will have plenty of 
flowers. 
Begonia Rex will drop its leaves If kept too 
cool; it, wants a temperature of from 60 to 15 
(legs, anil air a little moist; pot with rich, 
sandy loam and refuse hops; the latter can 
lie had at any brewery where ale or beer is 
made.—J. F. Haas, Mcadville , Pn. 
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MANURE FOR POT PLANTS. 
Dr. Jeannel, a French horticulturist, high¬ 
ly recommends tho following:—Nitrate of 
ammonia, 400 parts; biphospl ate of ammo¬ 
nia, 200; nitrate of potassa, 250; chloride of 
ammonium, 60; sulphate of lime, 60; sulphate 
of iron, 40. These ingredients are pulverized, 
well mixed, and kept in well-closed dry bot¬ 
tles. Sixty-live grains of this mixture are 
dissolved in oho quart of water, and to each 
plant (in pots or in open ground) is given 
weekly a done of from 400 to 1,200 grains. It 
is best to pour the liquid in the saucers hi 
which the pot is placed. 
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LONG REST OF BULBS. 
At Red leaf the Guernsey Lily (Ncrlne swr- 
niensis ) has thrown up a flower spike, after 
resting for five, years; the plant is in a warm 
border in front of the conservatory. Some 
few years back there came up in the same 
border a flower-stem of a bulb which must 
have been planted ten years before, and it 
proved to be the lovely Calochortus venustus, 
but it has never appeared since. In the same 
border Moraea, or Vieusscuxia puvonia, has 
flowered annually for these last twenty-six 
years.— Garden. 
-- 
CORAL PLANT. 
I am sorry I cannot offer Florence B. the 
benefit of a more extended experience than 
mine with regard to the care of the Eryth¬ 
rum. Our plant is only of this Summer’s 
growth. It is very thrifty in appearance and 
about one foor, high. Messrs. Drew repre¬ 
sent it as a plant easily wintered. If we 
Winter ours successfully I will report. 
Among other seedling plants from Messrs. 
NICKELS, I have a Scarlet Pomegranate eight 
inches high.—R ose Geranium, 
