1903 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
233 
EVERYBODY'S GARDEN. 
A New Departure. —Recent experi¬ 
ments in forcing rhubarb are develop¬ 
ing some points worthy of note. Cheap¬ 
er production must be the end sought in 
every line of work. The plans formu¬ 
lated now will be timely for next Fall. 
The illustration, Fig. 88, page 231, shows 
a skeleton shed partially filled with 
roots. In size the structure is 14x78 
feet. Posts two feet high are set six 
feet apart upon which the side boards 
arc nailed permanently. The plate of 
2x6 inch stuff are spiked flatwise upon 
top of the posts. The rafters are set up¬ 
on the plates and spiked and sufficiently 
stayed from the underside to hold them 
securely in place. This much of the shed 
as seen in Fig. 88 is a permanent fixture. 
By this arrangement the roots may be 
hauled and set in place as fast as dug 
out. They are thus left regardless of 
weather until forcing time, when the 
roof boards are put on and the whole is 
covered with manure. Of course in the 
open shed the roots will freeze just as 
readily as if left out on the open ground, 
and the rain and snow are no detriment. 
A stove is used for heating, but of 
course is not put in until required for 
use. A rough brick wall is built around 
the stove to distribute the heat. Covered 
with six inches or more of manure the 
shed of itself will almost do the forcing, 
and thus very little fuel is required. To 
he more definite, it required less than a 
cord of wood to force the entire crop in 
this shed last Winter. When the crop 
is forced the manure is hauled out to 
the field, and the roof boards which are 
laid on with one-inch lap and tacked on 
just sufficiently to hold them in place, 
are easily removed. Removing the ma¬ 
nure stops the growth of the roots and 
they can be left where forced until time 
to transplant them, and the roof boards 
may then be filed away ready for use in 
bleaching the celery. The sides can be 
made of the roughest possible lumber, 
old boards of any kind, as all that is re¬ 
quired of them is to hold the manure in 
place. This arrangement minimizes the 
labor of handling the roots, cost of con¬ 
struction, expense of heating and is in 
every way a great saving. It would 
seem that with present prices of 60 to 
80 cents per dozen, and the constantly 
growing demand for the product there 
would be an increased movement in the 
production of forced rhubarb. 
Lost Fertii.ity. —There is one source 
of loss that seems far too often ignored. 
Especially is this true in garden opera¬ 
tions where extensive hotbed work plays 
an important part. For several years 
past 1 have been watching the work of 
certain men who use almost unlimited 
amounts of manure. This eventually in 
one condition or another all finds it way 
on to the land, yet the wonder is, why 
they cannot keep up their soil fertility, 
but in spite of all, it gradually fails, and 
crops grow less and less remunerative. 
II seems to me, however, that the rea¬ 
son is not far to seek. It requires a 
vast amount of manure to operate 50 
to 100 hotbeds from late Winter to mid¬ 
summer, but the trouble is it all goes 
through the hotbed mill and comes out 
impoverished and stripped of most of its 
fertility. After serving its purpose for 
bottom heat and outside banking, it 
goes without saying that most of the 
virtue has gone out of manure and but 
little of value is left save the humus. It 
seems self-evident that this soil robbing 
must go right on until new. methods are 
adopted. The waste in the manure can¬ 
not be avoided so long as hotbeds are 
used. But the mistake is in pinning 
faith to the spent manure without com¬ 
pensating in some other way. The reme¬ 
dies, 1 believe, are fir.st lo supplement 
with libeial amounts of fertilizer, but 
second and best of all is thorough ami 
systematic crop lotatiou. 'I'he i;ovei' 
erops, as clover, cow peas, etc., will 
solve the problem. The changed condi¬ 
tions brought about by these together 
with new and altered systems of culture 
will no doubt work the desired ends. I 
have suggested to some men the experi¬ 
ment of dispensing with the extra man 
and team required for hauling so much 
manure. Take half the land for two or 
three years, entirely change the crops, 
seed down and give it a change which 
would be a rest. Then in three or four 
years take the other half and do like- 
M’ise. I have told them that in the long 
run they would come out ahead both in 
money and better soil conditions. I 
think, however, that all of them are not 
like-minded. J. e. morse. 
Michigan. 
Fruit Observations from Ohio. 
Japan plums do not do well in this sec¬ 
tion; they bloom too early and get killed 
by early frosts. We get a crop from them 
about one year in four. The Burbank is 
the best here. Some claim it is poor in 
quality, but it is very good in quality with 
U8, but that may be only a local accident, 
as we have several Ben Davis trees in 
which the quality is quite distinct. The 
trees are in different parts of the orchard 
coming from the same nursery and same 
age. The quality is very good where the 
ground is rich, which goes to show that 
you get both quantity and quality by en¬ 
riching th® orchard one way or other. Our 
first planting of Japans were budded on 
peach roots, and some of the Burbanks 
n'.ade a growth of seven feet during the 
season, but diiring the very cold Winter 
four or five years ago they were all killed 
outright. Several others on plum roots 
were not killed so badly. We planted 
Wilder’s Early and Vermont Beauty pears 
at same time. Wilder has had three good 
crops, while Vermont has had about half 
a dozen pears, just enough to show what 
they are, hut they are nice and good. The 
Wilder is the earliest bearer we have; the 
Bartlett and Clapp about the same as a 
second. Clapp is a very good pear if you 
know how to handle it. but few seem to 
know. It is like the Kieffer, a culinary 
pear, its best point being canned. Gather 
and can them as soon as the first ones 
show yellow. If taken then they wilt be 
found in good condition, but let them rlnen 
up and you will have rotten cores. The 
Crosby peach does not appear any hardier 
than some others, and is too small, but its 
quality is good. The Champion and El 
berta are our best; Chairs is nice, but a 
shy bearer. There is a great difference in 
color and appearance generally of the same 
kind, depending on soil and care. 
Brown Co., O. j. a. m’o. 
You can hardly imagine the beautiful mcl-| 
low quality of the light given by 
THE ANGLE LAMP. 
It must be seen to be appreciated. No matter! 
what kind of light you now use in your home, 
the Angle Lamp is better—yes, better andl 
cheaper. While as brilliant as gas orelectr'cityl 
It burns but 18c. worth of ordinary kerosene (orl 
coal; oil a month, never smokes, smells orl 
gives any trouble and requires almo.st no at-| 
tontion. You can try it without a particle of | 
risk as it is unconditionally guaranteed to bej 
as represented or money 1 
refunded. Thousands in| 
use. bend for our free! 
catalog N. W. All styles} 
from $1.80 up. 
THE ANGLE LAMP CO. 
70 Park Place, 
New York. 
FIRE, WIND & WATER PROOF 
■11 Ilia m-^. add to these qualities durability 
—y 
i 
VlfWVS 
STAMOABO 
qualities durability 
and low price, and you have a 
perfect roofing, which is 
Can be put on a new roof, on 
J old shingles or tin. It’s soft 
and pliable, being easy to put 
on and becomes as hara as 
slate. Send for Free Sample 
^ and Circulars. 
The A. F. Swan Co. Nassau street, new YORL 
i'&'bVVK. 
TK*0C 
ARROW BRAND 
can be laid on 
top of old 
shingles with¬ 
out tearing oB 
the old roof. 
ASPHALT READY ROOFINeCO. 
136 Water .St., New York.samples. 
The Box That Pleases. 
Pomona Nurseries, Palmyra, N. J., Feb. 27,15)03. 
Bond Steel 
Post Go., 
Adrian, Mich, 
Dear Sirs— 
“Uncle Sam’s 
Favorite” mall 
box arrived to¬ 
day and it is 
exactly what I 
want. It is the 
be.st box I have 
yet seen and 1 
believe will be 
a favorite of 
the mall car¬ 
rier on this 
route, and will 'i 
surely he the 
means of sell¬ 
ing quite a number In this sec¬ 
tion. YoqrS truly, 
T. E. Steele. 
L-A\— 
viceable and of great permanence. 
ir NEVER SAGS. 
A fence that is perfectly woven out of wires! 
of proper strengLn and full length, leavingl 
no loose ends to unwind and injure stock.} 
WE HARTMAN 
STOCKADE FENCE 
i.s a compact unit, made to turn the strongest andl 
breachiest animal, yet responding to the require-l 
ments of heat and cold and always resuming itsi 
natural position. Made of the be.st galvanized steel I 
wire, very heavy at top and bottom, all horizon tat-1 
and trusses of ample strength. In seven heights, | 
18 to 54 inches. A fence beautiful, strong and ser- 
Write for free catalogue. 
CUYAHOGA WIRE AND FENCE COMPANY, 
DEPARTMENT M, CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO. 
LABOR SAVING 
WAGONS 
THE FARMERS’ HANDY WAGONS 
are useful and lime and labor saving every day in 
the year. Low down, they load easily; low draft, 
they are easy on the horses; wide tin‘d, they do 
not cut ruts across tlie fields. The wide platform will carry a big 
load without building it high. For lianling tools to and from the 
field, hauling manure, hauling hay, grain, logs, lumber, or anything 
else where a big, wide load is to be moved the Farmers’ Handy 
Wagon is better than any other vehicle. Stronger and more ilurable 
than any otluT wagon. Wooden w'heels guaranteed to hold tires five 
years. Iron wheels have spokes hot-forged in, not cast in. Dealers sell 
them. Send today for latest catalogue containing full details of 
tlie many w^ays in which 
oiir wagons are superior to 
others. 
If your dealer cannot or 
will not get this wagon, 
do not buy any other with¬ 
out first informing yourself 
concerning the Farmers’ 
Handy Wagon. Remember 
no other is “just asgood.” 
FARMERS’ HANDY WAGON CO. 
SAGINAW, MICHIGAN 
' ' ii'i 
'\.A ^'■"4 
Hubbard’s Fertilizers do not rest until the work is done; when the ground 
freezes, they rest, b\it only then. In connection with this statement, kindly read 
the following from the Past Master of the Massachusetts State Grange: 
THE ROGER.S & HunnARi) Co., Middletown Conn. Marroro, Mass., Oct. 6,15)02. 
Gentlemen—I used about nine tons of Hubbard’ Fertilizer this sea-son and am satisfied that it paid. This 
was particularly true of the Hubbard’s Oats and Top Dressing. Its use enabled us to cut the first crop before 
July 1st, after which date there came on a long spell of wet weather, and while most farmers were com¬ 
plaining because their hay was spoiling or getting over-ripe, we were growing a fine rowen crop which cut 
over a ton per acre by the middle of August, and at this writing there is a third crop almost heavy enough 
to cut. Yours truly, K. D. HOWE, Past Master, Massachusetts State Grange. 
The letter speaks for itself—comment seems unnecessary. We hope you will 
decide to use the Hubbard F'ertilizers. Our book, “ Hubbard’s E'ertilizers for 1903,” 
giving full description of our different brands, seut tree to any atltlr©~s. Apply 
to our “ Local Agents” or direct to 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO., 
r'or’tillzors. 
MIDDLETOWM, CONN. 
It’s Almost 
It spreads all kinds of manure, lime, 
salt, ashes, compost, etc., rapidly, 
evenly and better than It can possibly be done by 
lumpy, caked, coarse, strawy or stalky the manure is, 
PaLst Believing 
the amount of time, labor and money this machine saves 
you, say nothing of in- _ i''•‘’x. 
creased crops its use . ^ 
will produce. . 
hand. It makes no difference how hard. 
The Improved Kemp'Manure Spreader 
will tear it apart, make it fine and spread it just where you want it and in any desired quantity per acre. Greatly Imp^ved 
for rd03. Send for our new illustrated rataloj'uc, which describes improvements in deUil, and tells about *'How to Grow 
Big^Crops.'* Catalogue mailed flee. Rcineinber tliat the only original aiul genuine Kemp Manure Spreader is the one 
made by ourselves and the patenls thereon have been fully sustained by a recent decision of the United StMtesCircuitCourt. 
KEMP <s. BURPEE MANUFACTURING CO.. BOX 38. SYRACUSE. N. Y. 
Made for the Man 
Who Wants the 
Best. 
The Endless Apron Great Western 
Manure Spreader. 
CDDCine and pulverize.all kinds of ma" 
urnLAUu nure, fresh, well rotted, mixed, full 
of straw or cornstalks, sheep iiiaiiure. No matter 
how tougll, we guarantee our spreader to 
spread it so evenly that one loail will do 
more good than three spread ijy hand. End • 
IcHS Apron is always reaily to load. No 
turning buek after each load is spread. 
Front » heel, tut under and mathine can 
be turned in its DCPIH iTCR *'*“*'*^ *“ 
own length. nLUULA I Ell motiua 
to spread thick or thin. Our non-bunebnhie rnk e holds all large chunks on top of heater until they are ‘{‘“'■"“kJ; 
> eMascl. Combined Hood and End Gate keeps manure away from Iwater while loading and acts as wind hoodinspreadlng. 
IIDUTCOT nDlCT ever produced on a manure spreader, because front and rear wheels track and the load is ne.arly equal- 
Llbn I Lot UnAl I ly balanced on front and rear axles which brings load up close to horses. Send for free lllu.- 
trirted eatalogne giving full description and how to a^.^' manure to^securebc^r^Jts.IJnvv.tlnje, labor, money. 
SMITH MANURE SPREADER CO., 68 N. JEFFERSON ST., CHICAGO, ILL. 
