26 o 
April 4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
EVERYBODY'S GARDEN. 
Steam-Heating Hotbeds.— This heat¬ 
ing can be done by steam, but the utility 
of the enterprise would be very ques¬ 
tionable. At Walkerville, Ont., tobacco 
plants are grown in steam-heated hot¬ 
beds. The work, however, is carried on 
upon a vast scale, and rows of hotbeds 
a quarter of a mile or more in length 
are required. With no large cities in 
reach, obtaining manure in sufficient 
quantities is out of the question, so 
steam is the last resort. Firing must 
be kept up night and day, and its prac¬ 
ticability would be very questionable 
under any ordinary circumstances. Then 
too it is pretty generally conceded that 
nothing will give as steady and uniform 
heat, and produce as sturdy plants as 
manure. Under all ordinary conditions 
manure will be safest and cheapest, A 
hotbed 6x12 feet will give ample room, 
I think, to start 2,000 plants and trans¬ 
plant, when the second set of leaves ap¬ 
pear. They will grow all right in that 
space for a time, but will need to be 
transplanted to more roomy quarters 
later on. 
We would like to bring acre joining 
our range of greenhouses under the very 
best methods of Intensive culture for 
special crops of the finer vegetables and 
fruits for special trade. We do not attend 
general market and do not consign to com¬ 
mission houses. We have room to start 
under glass all plants necessary for the 
field, and would appreciate any suggestions 
you may offer. f. m. r. 
Indianapolis, Tnd. 
SoTD FOR Intensive Culture. —I do 
not know the nature or texture of your 
soil, but it is pretty safe to say that the 
first requisite in bringing your soil to a 
permanent condition such as you men¬ 
tion will be thorough underdrainage. It 
may be that with your early season 
there and the abnormal amount of water 
which will pretty generally prevail this 
Spring this work will not be practical 
before another Fall. Lacking the under¬ 
drainage subsoiling under most condi¬ 
tions would be of very great benefit. If 
you have heavy soil with proneness to 
bake, do not work it until it will crum¬ 
ble somewhat freely in the hand with¬ 
out becoming salvy or like putty. Humus 
is nature’s sponge for holding and con¬ 
trolling the moisture supply, and this 
of course must be furnished by vegetable 
matter. Without doubt barnyard or 
stable manure will be your safest and 
cheapest all-’round fertilizer. A cau¬ 
tion, however, may not be out of place. 
Most root crops do not take kindly to 
green or fresh manure, as the tendency 
is to grow prongy and unshapely. Cab¬ 
bage, cauliflower, etc., will consume it 
in unlimited qualities, but the root crops 
are more particular. If you are situated 
so that all the manure can be pretty 
thoroughly rotted and seasoned without 
burning or loss in other ways it will be 
of the greatest advantage. The above 
does not preclude the liberal use of other 
fertilizers, but the nature of the crops 
grown and their individual demands will 
be the sure guide as to their use. A 
pretty safe rule is that nearly if not all 
the early Spring vegetables will be 
greatly benefited by nitrate of soda. This 
is regardless of the amount of Spring- 
applied stable manure that is used. It 
<vill remain unavailable and practically 
useless until nitrification is produced by 
the heat of the soil and warmth of the 
sun’s rays. Nitrogen is what most of 
the first early vegetables are longing 
for, and no amount of manure recently 
applied will furnish it in time for the 
very best results. 
Crop Suggestions. —Asparagus will 
appropriate large amounts of nitrogen, 
phosphoric acid and potash. Good ma¬ 
nure will supply all these in time, but 
nitrate of soda will be very helpful if 
applied early. Cabbage, cauliflower, 
etc., require a larger per cent of nitrogen 
and potash, but the above rule applies 
especially for the early crops. Manure 
will take better care of the late. Celery 
will also come under the same head. 
Onions will consume nearly everything 
in sight, but the nitrate of soda will do 
good work in the early Spring. Potatoes 
require all three of the essential ele¬ 
ments, but the manure is best applied 
the previous year. Then the special 
potato fertilizers will usually be of ser¬ 
vice. These are general hints, but after 
all, intelligent experiments right on 
your own ground and with the varieties 
you desire to grow will be of greater 
value than what any man can write. 
Make an experiment station right at 
home, and the results will be a fairly 
safe guide for the future. Be sparing of 
nitrate of soda on tomatoes. It may 
help out the first early crop on very 
light soil, but on heavy soils It almost 
invariably tends to induce vine growth 
and retard the ripening. The Hope Farm 
man has recently been giving some very 
helpful hints on fertilizers, and a care¬ 
ful study of them will be of much prac¬ 
tical use. Of course Intensive culture 
in season and out of season must go 
hard with the rest, else our efforts and 
arts will be unavailing, j. e. morse. 
Michigan. 
Tomatoes in Florida. —A few weeks ago 
The R. N.-Y. reprinted a sample of the 
contracts farmers are often Induced to 
sign in the neighborhood of canneries. 
TTow they can exist, while working for 
such low prices, we down In Florida do 
not very well understand. Here are a few 
figures that may serve as a contrast. To¬ 
matoes are our main crop. It costs us 
on an average 50 cents to raise and de¬ 
liver a crate of tomatoes f. o. h. at Miami, 
sometimes a few cents above or below 
that sum. This includes rent, fertilizer, 
labor and cartage. One acre yields on an 
average 200 crates—three-fourths of a 
bushel to the crate. The spot cash price 
for the best fruit has varied since No¬ 
vember between $1.76 and $2.25; choice 
bringing $1 to $1.50. I have seen fields 
yielding 700 crates to the acre. The land 
is barren, recjuirlng fully a ton per acre 
of high-grade fertilizer; the modes of cul¬ 
tivation are somewhat primitive, many 
farmers not even plowing their land, but 
simply digging holes with a hoe and then 
hoeing the grass at odd times; moisture 
and warm weather do the rest. Some of 
our school children have now taken up to¬ 
mato growing Instead of playing marbles 
on the streets. J. l. n. 
Cocoanut Grove, Fla. 
Cabbages and Corn on Fertilizers. 
Mr. Mark Main, of WSlworth, N. Y., 
writes: ‘T used Bowker's Fertilizers this 
year, planting cabbage on four acres of 
sandy loam on the north side of a hill, 
using no other dressing than Bowker’s 
Golden Harvest Fertilizer, 250 pounds 
to the acre in the drill. The rows were 
32 inches apart, and the cabbages were 
planted two feet apart in rows by hand. 
The piece was cultivated once a week 
with a cultivator. I tried a few rows 
without the fertilizer, and the cabbage 
there was not half as large. I also 
planted corn, using Bowker’s Fertilizer, 
and had a good crop, while a little on 
which I did not apply the fertilizer was 
not worth cutting. You could notice the 
difference as far as you could see the 
corn. Bowker’s has given me the best 
results of any that I ever used.”— Adv. 
The South Side Mfg. Co. 
PETERSBURG, VA., U. 8. A. 
Carriers for Strawberries, Raspberries, Peaches, 
Mushrooms, Egg Settings, Hothouse Tomatoes, etc., 
and manufacturers of the Continental Plant Shipping 
Baskets. Send for Catalogue and prices. 
LUMBER AT HALF PRICE 
WE PURCHASED THE PAN-AMERICAN EXPOSITION 
Send ns your lumber bill for our estimate, and 
we will make you priees delivered free of all 
charges at your shipping point. 
WRITE FOR OUR EXPOSITION CATALOGDE OF MATERIAL 
CHICAGO HOUSE WRECKIHC CO., ^ 
PAN-AMERICAN, DEPARTMENT 57, BUFFALO, N. 1 
Straight Straw, Rye and Wheat Thrasher. 
Combined with Spike-Tooth Oat 
and Wheat Thrasher. 
Our Machine will 
thrash Rye or Wheat 
without bruising or 
breaking the straw, and 
tie it again In perfect 
bundles.Can be ohanged 
fifteen minutes to a 
spike-tooth Oat, Wheat, 
Buckwheat, Barley and Com Thrasher with stacker 
attached. Will thrash more grain with less power 
than any Thrasher built. Send for catalogue B to 
the GRANT-FBBRIS COMPANY. Troy, N. f. 
Baker’s Traceless Harness 
The fanner’s ’’Handy Harness” saves labor, makes farm 
work easier. A practical and up-to-date harness, without 
whifBetrees or traces. Particularly adapted for all kinds of low- 
down work where ordinary whiffletrees and traces cause so 
much damage and annoyance. Indispensable for use in or- 
chards, vineyards, hop yards and for Iumt>ering, quarrying, etc. Will save 
its cost every season. Highly endorsed by users everywhere. Comfort for 
man and team. Writeto-day for further information. Agents Wanted* 
B. F. BAKER CO., 223 Main St., Burnt Hills, N. V. 
CUSTOM 
MADE 
VEHICLES 
IH.OO 
We sell direct from o rr factory, guaran¬ 
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men’s profits. Onr g44.9S Cnaiom- 
made Special is equal to any 875.00 
__, - _ TopBnggry. Large FHEE catalogue 
I fully describes all our vehicles and harness. Warrarted two years. 
^WriU today /or Money Savins Catalogs, U. & BUGGY k CART CO., B 727, CINCINNATI, OHIO. 
^30 YEARS SEELING DIRECT 
We are the largest manufacturers of Vehicles and Harness in the 
world selling to consumers exclusively. 
WE HAVE NO AGENTS 
but ship anywhere for examination, 
guaranteeing safe deliv¬ 
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. if not satisfied. We make 
1195 styles of vehieles and 
J6b styles of harness. 
Visitors are always welcome 
. _ — at our factory. 
I. Vo. 7I9--I)rmng Wagon in.Kelly Rubber Tires. Larqf Cnlnhgue FREE. 
T Price $jo.50. As good as sells for $40 more. Send for it, 
ELKHART CARRIAGE & HARNESS MFG. CO., Elkhart, Tnd, 
DEERING 
AS SURE, QUICK, PROFITABLE MEANS OF 
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All DEElilNG “IDEALS” are as equally reliable. 
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The Only Double-Gear 
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WHAT THE DOUBLE-GEAR IS 
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THE STOVER MANUFACTURING CO., Box M. FreoDort, III. 
