1903 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
5 
EVERYBODY'S OARDEN. 
I would like The R. N.-Y. to give some 
information regarding the raising of as¬ 
paragus. How much seed is required to 
raise plants enough for one acre of ground? 
What varieties would be best for the Cin¬ 
cinnati market, early and late? About how 
many plants are ordinarily obtained from 
a pound of seed? What preparation of the 
ground is necessary before sowing the 
•seed, and before planting? What distance 
apart should roots be set to allow cultiva¬ 
tion with horse? How many years are 
required from sowing the seed to cutting 
for market? 
Aspakagus Cultutje. —It will require 
about two ounces of seed for 100 feet of 
drill, and the amount required depends 
entirely upon the distance apart that 
the plants are set in the permanent bed. 
I believe the Palmetto and Argen- 
teuil will be your best varieties for al¬ 
most any market. There are other ex¬ 
cellent varieties, as Colossal, Barr’s 
Mammoth, Donald’s Elmira, etc., all 
good, but the two first-mentioned are 
generally thought to be the best of all. 
Were I starting a plantation 1 would 
plant two varieties at least. The earli¬ 
ness, however, will depend largely upon 
soil, location and culture given. A 
l)ound of good seed should produce 
j about 3,000 plants, but the number will 
vaiy much owing to conditions. You 
will require but little space for your 
seed bed, but by all means, plow it this 
Winter and cover well with the best fine 
stable manure obtainable. This will 
give opportunity for thorough work in 
the Spring before sowing the seed. Fu¬ 
ture success or failure will depend much 
. upon the first year’s growth of the 
plants, and the best possible soil condi- 
' tions and culture are none too good. 
In your latitude with fair weather con¬ 
ditions, the seed should be sown from 
April 15 to May 1. Work the soil fine 
and sow the seed thinly in drills 15 
inches apart, and IV^ inch deep. Before 
sowing, pour hot (not boiling) water 
on to the seed and let it stand until 
cool, pour off and repeat two or three 
times, and this will hasten germination, 
which is usually very slow. When the 
plants are well up thin to about two 
inches apart, reserving the strongest 
plants. Weed and cultivate, and culti¬ 
vate and weed, and keep it up all Sum¬ 
mer. li dry weather is liable to pinch 
the plants, run shallow trenches between 
I the rows, and irrigate with liquid ma¬ 
nure. If the weather is wet, and the 
water is not needed, mulch in midsum¬ 
mer with good fine manure. It will pay 
in the end. With this treatment your 
plants will be in fine condition to trans- 
: plant to permanent bed the following 
j Spring. 
For permanent beds you must be look¬ 
ing ahead 15 or 20 years, and it will pay 
to start right. Select sandy soil with 
southern exposure or as nearly so as 
your situation will admit. Get north 
and west protection if possible, but 
avoid those slopes. In short, select an 
all-day sun exposure, and set the rows 
north and south or as nearly so as pos¬ 
sible. Plow deeply next Fall, and cover 
liberally with manure. If soil is heavy 
clay it would be very advantageous to 
subsoil, but be sure of good drainage. 
i Get the ground ciear of trash or rubbish 
that will interfere with the roots. After 
Fall plowing and manuring let the 
ground remain until Spring, then work 
thoroughly with cultivator and harrow 
l)efore setting. When ready for trans¬ 
planting, mark out in rows not less 
than five feet apart, and furrow eight to 
12 inches deep. Drive back and forth 
i with the plow and throw out the re¬ 
mainder of soil with spade. Leave a 
small mound of soil in the bottom of 
the trench where the plants are to be 
set. They should be not less than three 
feet apart in the rows. The above dis¬ 
tances will give about 2,900 plants to 
the acre, and will be better than closer 
distances. This would require at least 
one pound of seed. Take up the plants 
and reset them with just as little expo¬ 
sure as possible. Asparagus roots grow 
much in the form of an open umbrella, 
so lliey should be set on the little 
mounds in bottom of trenches and the 
rootlets allowed to fall naturally around 
the sides. All do not take this much 
pains in setting, but it pays, I think. 
Cover the roots with sufficient soil to 
hold them in place, and after that the 
trenches can be filled in with single 
horse and plow or V-shaped scraper. 
Keep up thorough cultivation all 
through the sea.son, and apply a liberal 
dressing of manure the foliowing 
Spring. The second season after trans¬ 
planting, two or three cuttings are ai- 
iowable, but if cut at all, cut everything 
large and small, and top-dress again 
with manure. The third year, a pretty 
full crop may be looked for, but of 
(tourse should increase as the bed grows 
older. Opinions vary as to distances 
for setting. Some advocate wider and 
some closer setting. 1 believe, however, 
the distances above given will be found 
entirely safe. Three to four years, and 
usually the latter time will be required 
before much if any marketing is done. 
Rather long to wait, is it? Well, it lasts 
a good while after once coming into 
bearing. 
AnouT Mauketiag. —This wiil depend 
upon the market demand. Find out 
what is desired, the green or bleached 
product. Some cities require the form¬ 
er, some the latter. If the green is in 
demand then level cultivation must be 
followed. If the bleached or white is 
required then the rows require to be 
ridged early in Spring. This of course 
after the beds come in bearing, but al¬ 
ways give level culture until of bearing 
age. J. E. MORSE. 
Michigan. 
SCRATCHING SHED FOR POULTRY. 
What is your opinion of the scratching 
shed attached to henhouses? Some poultry- 
men claim that it does not pay for the cost 
of the enclosed space, while others seem to 
think that it is a profitable investment. 
The scratching shed never pays in dollars 
and cents. h. h. clark. 
Franconia, N. H. 
We have sheds attached to all our houses, 
and if we were farther south would leave 
off the house. This is not theory with us; 
it is the outcome of observation of hens 
and their wishes. white & rice. 
Yorktown, N. Y. 
I never thought enough of a scratching 
shed to build one; always considered them 
a dirty disease-breeding concern. My 
poultry do well with a nice box of road 
dust to wallow in. You can keep them 
cleaner and freer of lice. 
Harford, N. Y. homer j. brown. 
I am only an amateur breeder, and with 
a very limited experience. I have a small 
scratching shed in connection with my 
henhouse, and my opinion is that it is a 
good paying investment. The fowls should 
be kept busy or they will become too fat 
and unhealthy. paul a. quick. 
Muskegon, Mich. 
I am in favor of a scratching shed at¬ 
tached to henhouse. There is no question 
in my experience but what they are bene¬ 
ficial to the poultry supplied with plenty 
of litter for them to ^scratch in, especially 
in bad weather. The way I provide, a 
scratching shed or place Is this way: I 
make the platforms to catch the droppings 
three feet from the floor, with roosts one 
foot above the same; that leaves all the 
floor for scratching space with no extra 
cost. DAVID JARVIS. 
Indiana. 
Speaking from the standpoint of the gen¬ 
eral farmer with eggs as somewhat a 
specialty, I would say that a separate 
apartment for scratching shed is not re¬ 
garded as essential. Forty to 60 hens are 
kept in a house the floor of which is kept 
covered with litter. This is scratching 
shed, laying and roosting apartments all 
combined. Droppings are removed every 
day or every other day. Fowls have free 
range in Summer and also in Winter, when 
weather is fair and ground dry. 
Whitehouse, N. J. a. davis. 
I do not furnish a scratching shed for 
my hens. I never thought I could afford 
It. I have water, shells and grit boxes, 
also the roosts on platforms, giving them 
the whole ground room to scratch in. A 
poultry keeper of my acquaintance uses 
half of his roofed space for scratching 
sheds. It seems to me if he used the room 
for pens he could keep more hens in smaller 
flocks. I'am not a believer in large flocks. 
Small individual flocks of 10 do well with 
9/ 
Counting Chicks Before Hatohingl 
is not safe unless you 
have an 
IOWA 
ROUND 
INCUBATOR 
R. C. Bauerminster, Norwood, Minn.. gotI93chicks 
from 503 eggs. He followed directions, the ma¬ 
chine did the work, because it was built on right 
principles and by good workmen. The IOWA 
has liber-board case, does not shrink, swell, warp 
or crack. Regulation and ventilation perfect. 
Our free book gives more testimonials and fuU 
particulars. Everything about incubation free. 
IOWA INCUBATOR COMPANY, BOX 221 DES MOINES, IOWA 
indifferent care, tt hy not a number of 
small flocks? g. t. j. 
Bristol, Conn. 
I have no use for scratching sheds In 
this latitude. My hens are none too warm 
in their well-built houses day or night 
when the thermometer shows 10 to 15 be¬ 
low zero. I can open my windows and 
make my houses cool as I wish when the 
birds are scratching for grain in the litter. 
In hot Summer weather the stuffy little 
roosting room of a scratching-shed house 
is an abomination. In a milder climate 
this style of house may be well enough, 
but in the cold North I do not believe the 
advantages of scratching-shed house jus¬ 
tify the expense. h. j. blanchard. 
Groton, N. Y. 
My own experience has been such that 
1 am unfavorable to scratching sheds. 
Especially is this true as to their use in 
Missouri and northern States. We have 
been breeding single comb varieties, and 
have had combs frosted, thereby losing 
half the value of some choice exhibition 
specimens, by allowing them in scratching 
sheds when the weather was. to me. warm 
enough for them to stand it. The troubh 
i.s we have severe spells of cold weather 
and the temperature goes away down be¬ 
low zero; it commences to moderate, and 
after being cold for several days we think 
it is really warmer than it is; the result 
is we turn the birds into the scratching 
sheds to get the sunlight, and before we 
know it we have a lot of frozen combs. My 
advice in breeding any variety of fowls 
would be to use scratching sheds only with 
glass protection from the south. It is far 
safer and only a little more expensive. 
Indianapolis, Ind. thbo. hewes. 
In my opinion a scratching shed is one of 
the most necessary things for a successful 
poultry raiser to have to keep his stock 
healthy, strong and vigorous, and if he 
who keeps poultry for eggs and profit 
wishes to keep the egg basket filled he 
must provide a good scratching shed so as 
to give hens plenty of exercise. This 
should be made with shed roof open to 
the south and have wire netting and 
doors, so in bad stormy weather the doors 
can be closed. Keep the shed well cleaned 
and about six to eight inches of fine straw 
chaff or leaves on floor. Feed good bran 
and shorts mash in morning, throw some 
fine millet seed or fine grain in litter in 
shed at noon so as to keep hens busy hunt¬ 
ing for it and at night give them all the 
wheat they will eat. Keep plenty of sharp 
grit and fresh water before the hens and 
eggs will be plenty. A good cheap shed 
can be made by attaching it to henhouse 
and using the patent tarred or Neponset 
roofing paper, but good lumber and shingles 
are the best and cheapest in the long run. 
Delta, O. w. b. oaniard. 
IT PAYS TO KNOW 
whether all your cows are giving butter fat 
enough to pay for their keeping and whether the 
creamery is giving you credit for alltne butter fat you de¬ 
liver. You will know to a dead certainty ifyou use 
THE “SWEEPSTAKE” 
Babcock Milk Testei*. 
Made in 2 and 4 bottle sizes. Turns 
easiest because it runs on bail boar* 
Ings. Strong,durable.lasting Equipped 
with all necessary glassware of best 
quality. Circulars and prices mailed free. 
CREAMERY PK^6 MFG. CO.. Chicago, tils. 
KENDALL’S 
the old reliable remedy for Spavin*. Klngborie*. Splint*. 
Curb*, etc., and all forms of Lunioiie**. It works thousands 
of cures annually. Cures without a blemish, as it docs not blister. 
Elmore Sta.. Ala., Jure 13,1901. 
Dr. B. J. Kendall Co., Dear Sirs:—After using your Kendall's 
Spavin Cure and Kendall’s Blister, we find them the best we 
have ever used. We have cured Spavin with it when all 
other remedies failed. It is good for all you claim and more. 
We keep it on hand and wish every suffering man or beast had 
the opportunity of using it. Respectfully, 
C. E. KING and J. E. BAILEY. 
Such endorsements as the above are a guarantee of merit. 
Pi ice 1^1; tiU for $5. As a liniment for family use it has no 
•qual. Ask your druggist for Kendairs Spavin Cure, 
also “A Treutl*e on tn© llor»e,” the book free, or address 
DR. B. J. KENDALL CO., ENOSBURG FALLS, VT. 
THE WEAR 
OF RUBBER BOOTS AND 
SHOES DEPENDS UPON 
THE RUBBER IN THEM. 
There is absolutely no wear in any of the other ingre¬ 
dients of which they are composed. Every time the 
quality of Rubber Boots and Shoes is reduced 10 per cent., 
the durability is reduced over 20 percent, because there is 
only one way to cheapen them, and that is to leave out 
Rubber and put in its place other things that have no 
wearing quality whatever. This cheapening process has 
been steadily g;oing on for the past 40 years. 
rrnE 
BUCKSKIN BRAND 
OF RUBBER BOOT* A3iD SHOE* 
are made of real rubber—and one pair of them 
will outwear two palrsof the standard tirst grades 
now on the market. Try a pair and be convinced. 
Made in Duck Boots^ Duck rolled edge Overs for Socks, 
and Felt Boots and in Arctics and light rubber shoes. 
Insist on getting Uie IIL'CKSKIN BRAND. None gen¬ 
uine without the word BUCKSKIN on the top front of 
the legs of the boots and the bottoms of the shoes. 
If your dealer does not keep them write us and we wiU 
see that you get them either through some 
dealer in your town or from ns direct. We will 
also send you a very interesting catalogue 
profusely illustrated, which describes the mak¬ 
ing of Rubber Boots and Shoes from the gath¬ 
ering of the rubber to the finished goods. 
MONARCH RUBBER CO., 
80 Bridge Street, LAMBERTVILLE, N. J. 
FACTORY, ST, LOUIS, MO. 
NOT MADE BY A TRUST. 
Anactnal testof a2-lncb 
strip cut from the sole of 
the Buckskin Boot. Rote 
the elasticity and strength 
Only the best Rubber 
will stand a test like this. 
Weight of boy and swing 
110 Ibe. 
■ I ■ 
^ 'a ^ K** .A® 
