1903 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
EVERYBODY'S OARDEN. 
CooPEHATioN That Was Loaded.— 
While in full sympathy with every 
movement for the betterment of farmers 
and gardeners, there are evidently some 
movements in that direction that' are' 
“londed,” At all. events, there are some 
- organizations where the “betterment” 
features seem to have been altogether 
omitted. In a neighboring locality, a 
stock company was organized last Spring 
to establish a canning factory. The pro¬ 
moter-was there, as usual, and business 
was "promoted.” A building (leased for 
. t.l\e pnrpos.e, .1 believe) was fitted up. The 
machinery v'as put in at a cost of $6,500 
. which could have been duplicated for 
$4,500J AsT understkhd the matter, the 
' offlfcers, and atpckholders were all local 
farniers, but, of course, there was a head 
to the affair. Contracts were made for 
growing the tomatoes, an expert to man¬ 
age and oversee the work was hired- at 
-a large salary, and the enterprise was 
seemingly launched and fully afloat. But 
the season was bad, so that while thou¬ 
sands of bushels of tomatoes were hang- 
. ing-on the vines they failed "to ripen. 
I.,acking facilities for working up the 
gieen tomatoes, outside markets were 
sought, and here a worse trouble con¬ 
i'onted the growers. A clause in the 
contracts compelled stockholders as well 
as outside growlers to sell at that fac¬ 
tory, so being unable to work up the 
green stock they could neither sell to 
themselves or outside parties. They 
waited for a few warm sunny days to 
.ripen up the crop; but while they tar¬ 
ried frost stepped in as arbitrator, and 
claimed almost the entire crop. A 50- 
.per-cent assessment was levied upon the 
stock for rurtning expenses, and this 
was about the only considerable output 
of the. factory during the entire season. 
S<j far as I am able to learn, the pro¬ 
moter of the enterprise-and the salaried 
o.xpert are the only satisfied ones con- 
nfcted.,with the affair. A serious mis¬ 
take; I believe; was made in not provid¬ 
ing other machinery so that in case of 
failure in one crop others could have 
. been handled.. The lesson is that farm¬ 
ers will do w’ell to promote their own 
cooperative enterprises, a,nd leave the 
professional operators to seek other pas¬ 
tures. 
Firm) Gardens. —Personally, I have 
; .very little respect for the advice so often 
•given to plant the garden in some place 
where it can be cultivated in connection 
with some field crop. The advice referred 
to is a sort of travesty' upon gardening. 
If there is one thing more than another 
of the home belongings that a wife is en¬ 
titled to it is a nearby kitchen garden, 
well stored from start to finish with a 
generous assortment of vegetables. If 
nothing, better dan be done than to plant 
a_ garden out in the cornfield or some 
other unfrequented place, then I suppose 
it is better to plant something there, 
than to plant nothing at all. But In 
general the advice is bad and ought not 
to be written, much less followed. If 
there is any spot on the farm that will 
return tenfold reward for the labor be¬ 
stowed it is the intelligently managed 
,hpme garden. Why not give it due con¬ 
sideration, and the opportunity to fill 
Viits .proper sphere in the home life and 
surroundings? With the endless array 
of labor-sa.ving appliances for the gar¬ 
den now .upon, the market and their 
merely nominal cost, there is very little 
excuse for offering the advice nowadays. 
Some of the Tools.—I still hold to the 
doyble w'heel-hoe as the first and best 
tool that , can be applied in the. garden 
. work. To ii.se it successfully we must 
know it, and to know it thoroughly 
we must operate it, and study as we 
work. By watching its work in the 
hands of hired help, who' did not know' 
or care particularly how to operate 
it, I have found that, it was merely 
an ordinary thing. But’ when studied 
and thoroughly learned and operated 
with a zeal according to knowledge, it 
was a veritable surprise as to the varied 
work it would do. Some have the weed- 
er attachments; but of their work I am 
not able to speak personally. I have 
used a simple homemade device, that 
used Just at the right time would de¬ 
stroy more weeds than two or three 
men could in the same time. Sowing 
garden seeds is a slow tedious Job when 
done by hand; the seeder comes to us as 
a friend in need to help out. The up- 
to-date seed drills cost some money, and 
for the mere farm garden may hot be 
an altogether paying investment. Yet. 
on farms where root crops are grown 
for the stock they will certainly pay. 
Often it is economy perhaps to buy the 
combined wheel-hoe and seed drill. For 
small gardens, where the more expensive 
drills would be too much outlay, there 
are some very cheap hand drills offered 
costing only $1 to $1.25. These do good 
work so far as the mere seed sowing 
goes, but of course do not cover the seed. 
The seed distribution, however, is the 
all-important thing, and the tedious part 
of the work. Once the seed is properly 
dropped'the covering is but a small part 
of the work. 
The garden tools, as most of us lay 
them by in the Fall, get rusty and tired 
before Spring. I believe that sharp, 
bright tools save 25 per cent of bone, 
labor and muscle when we come to op¬ 
erate them. If they were neglected last 
Fall and laid aside in bad condition it is 
time to offer our apologies and clean 
them up. If they are rusty, soak them 
in sour milk for a few hours, then rub 
them off thoroughly with a woolen rag 
and grease them. Almost any kind of 
grease that is free from salt will an¬ 
swer. If they are too rusty, scour with 
sand paper and finish w'ith emery paper 
before soaking. A fiat eight-inch file 
costing a few cents will accomplish won¬ 
ders in the working of the tools. File 
the wheel-hoes, hand hoes and spades, 
and it will abundantly pay for all the 
trouble. File from the upper side of the 
blade, and bring it to a true sharp bevel, 
and see how the labor is lightened. I 
have said the same things before, but 
I think they will bear repeating. 
Michigan. j. e. morse. 
O NE of your New Year resolutions 
should have been to make your 
home and grounds more attractive 
this year by planting 
Ornamental Trees, 
Shrubs and Vines 
about your place. We have a fine stock 
of large Sugar, Norway and Sycamore 
Maples and other Foi-est Trees. A few of 
our magnificent Hydrangeas, either hush 
or tree, w'ould add 25 per cent to the ap¬ 
pearance and selling value of your place. 
Let ns send you eatalogue of Orniimentals, 
Fruits and Flowers. Send yoiu- address. 
STEPHEN HOYT’S SONS, 
New Canaan, Conn. 
THE TREE OF LIFE -v 
is one budded ujH)n a branched root soedlin;', oiids 
taken from bearin;? trees, g-rown upon tlie famous 
Michigan fruit land, dug by our root prot<'eting 
tree digger and handled in our niainmoth storage 
cellars. Small fruits and everj-thing in nursery 
and greenhouse lines true to name at ■wholesf.le ! 
prices. tST Wo guarantee safe delivery. 
Catalogue FREE. Write to day. 
CENTRAL MICHIGAN NURSERY, Kalamazoo, Mich. 
ificliigan*tiMammotkSut'»erie9 
Climbing Currant 
A NEW NOVELTY. 
Send for Circular. 
E. H. FAY & SON, Portland, N. Y. 
Strawberries. 
Delicious fruit and loLsol it, fresh from 
your own g.ircien by following our nfw 
method ot culture and getting our Home 
Garden assortment of plants. 36 plants 
will fillabed 10 feet square and produce 
suthcient fruit for an ordinary family. 
Serit with <!irections for culture, for only 
00c, charKCS prepaid. Ask for prices in 
quantity. I-argeillustrated seed A plant 
catalogue free if you mention tiiispaprer. 
IOWA SEED CO., Dos Mpines, Is. 
145 
PIANOS and 
ORGANS 
Free in Your Home for a Year. 
For over 60 years the people’s favorite instruments. 
U nexcelled in appearance. Unequaled in tone and touch. 
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An offer from maker to buyer which is unequaied In 
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Our Souvenir Catalogue, containing a full description 
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Our catalogue is our only solicitor; no agent or dealer 
. _ Will worry you; you can 
see exactly what we 
have for sale and every 
Instrument is marked In 
plain figures at lowest 
factory cost; no humbug 
about-prices; you know 
jiist what a Cornish 
Plano or Organ will cost 
you for Cash or Credit 
CASH OR INSTALLMENTS. 
and wo have a scale to suit all pockets and any circumstances. For 
00 years the people have bougiit Cornish Pianos and Organs and 
we have a Quarter of a Million satisfied customers. 
FREE 
CASH 
YOUR MUSIC/IL EDUCATION, 
A PRICELESS GIFT. 
We will present to every purchaser of a Cornish Plano or 
Organ a certificate entitling the holder to a two years’ scholar¬ 
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CORNISH CO 
The Agricultural Drain Tile'SBHZ.!.': 
JACKSON, 
_ _ , , are the very 
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^tho earliest, easiest worked and most produetive. Make also Sewer Pipe, 
('lilinney Tops, Red and Fire Brick, Oven Tile and Supply Mortar Colors, 
Cement, Plaster, Lime, etc. Write for what youwani. 76 Third Ave. 
WATER. 
If you want water only when the wind blows a windmill will do your work 
and costless money than onr Rider and Ericsson Hot-Air Pumps, but if yon want 
water every day while your flowers are growing and do not want your pump blown 
down when the wind blows too hard, no pump in the world can equal ours. We 
have sold about 20,000 of them during the past twenty-flve years, which is proof 
that we are not making wild statements. 
Our Catalogue “C 4” will tell you all about them. Write to nearest store. 
Rider-Ericsson Engine Company, 
35 Warren St., New Yohk. 692 Craig St., Montreal. P. Q. 40 Dearborn St., Chicago. 
239 Franklin St., BosTOX. Tenlente-Rey 71, Havana, Cuba- 40 N. 7th St., Philadelphia. 
22 Pitt St., Sydney, N. 8. W. 
Do You "Want Help on the Farm 
this Summer ? If so, try 
Hubbard’s Fertilizers 
They are active, quick, faithful, and to he depended upon. 
They never strike or quit work until the crop is ready to harvest, then they rest, 
and if yon will try them this season, at harvest time you will say they deserve to rest- 
Our pamphlet, “ ituhhard’s Fertilizers for 1903”, giving full particular.s, 
sent free to any address. 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO 
MIDDLETOWN, CONN. 
vlceable and of great permanence. 
#r NEVER SAGSa 
A fence that is perfectly woven out of wires I 
of proper strength and full length, leaving! 
no loose ends to unwind and injure stock. [ 
THE HARTMAN 
STOCKADE FENCE 
is a compact unit, made to turn the strongest anrl I 
breachiest animal, yet responding to the require 
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18 to 54 inches. A fence beautiful, strong and ser- 
Write for free catalogue. ■ • ' 
GUYAHOGA WIRE ANO FENGE GOMPANY, 
DEPARTMENT M, CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO, 
