1903 
629 
EVERYBODY'S GARDEN. 
Nitrate of Soda and Potato Planter. 
_(1) Referring to article on page 533 about 
potato planter and nitrate of soda solution, 
I write to ask what proportion you make 
this solution and how it is used, whether 
sprayed on the plants or poured at root of 
plants? (2) Is there much danger of using 
too much? I can’t seem to raise melons 
because of the bugs, and if such a simple 
remedy will do it I want to try it next 
year. I know the fertilizing effects of the 
soda would be first class. I use lots of 
tobacco dust and can get it cheap here. 
(3) I also want to inquire what make of 
potato planter is used. If there is such an 
implement as you state it will be just what 
I need and want to get one for next year. 
Tennessee. 
1. On cucumber and muskmelon vines 
when young I use one ounce nitrate of 
soda to two gallons of water. As they 
grow older I increase the strength to 
one ounce to the gallon. Watermelon, 
squash, peas, tomatoes, etc., I use about 
the latter strength. I spray the vines 
with it and also use it on the ground 
around the plants. 2. Yes, it is an ex¬ 
cellent servant, but very poor master. It 
will roast the vines to a turn if used too 
strong, but in quantities I have given 
there will be no danger, but very much 
benefit. I would not desire to be under¬ 
stood as saying that I considered the ni¬ 
trate of soda of itself an insecticide, but 
rather a help in that direction. I, of 
course, think it is offensive to the bugs, 
but its chief virtue lies in giving the 
plants vigor and rapid growth, thus 
helping them better to withstand the at¬ 
tacks of the insects, I think that in 
plant life, like a human or animal life, 
health almost invariably means resist¬ 
ance to disease. So whatever induces 
the former will aid in warding off the 
latter. Among the vines and plants, I 
think the weaklings always suffer most 
from the ravages of insects. I have de¬ 
pended more upon the tobacco dust and 
sulphur to keep the insects off than up¬ 
on the soda. 3. Referring to the potato 
planter for setting plants, I think in the 
article mentioned I gave it as the ex¬ 
perience of another rather than per¬ 
sonal. I consider it entirely trustworthy 
however, and think it worth trying. The 
planter used for the purpose was one 
of the ordinary hand planters, and quite 
generally advertised by seedsmen. 
The Blight, —From reports gathered 
through various sources the blight, both 
cucumber and potato, is getting in its 
work. In some localities the cucumber 
crop being grown for the seedsmen has 
been almost if not quite ruined. The 
potatoes, especially on the lower lands, 
are also suffering. As yet I have heard 
of no trouble in our immediate section, 
but believing the ounce of prevention 
practice to be good and safe, I put the 
sprayers into commission. We have used 
the Bordeaux Mixture very liberally up 
on the potatoes both early and late, and 
they are doing nicely with no trouble in 
sight as yet. We are not growing cu¬ 
cumbers this year save for home use, 
and for these I have used nothing but 
sulphur as yet. It may not be a defence 
or even safeguard against blight, but I 
have risked it thus far and hope to go 
through the season without trouble. 
Black Rot and Grapes. —This trouble 
has been quite serious and some have 
lost their entire crop. We have had a 
pretty good taste of It and if we succeed 
in saving the crop or a portion of it 
we shall have the Bordeaux to thank. 
Several weeks ago it struck us pretty 
heavily but a vigorous cutting back 
and liberal spraying brought it to 
an entire standstill until recently 
when it started up again and so 
have the sprayers, and we hope to 
hold it in check. The plums rotted 
pretty badly at one time, and matters 
looked dubious. I went over the trees 
removing everything that was diseased, 
and after a liberal spraying they seem¬ 
ed to take a new interest in life, and are 
ripening up in good shape. Years ago 
we could find good fruit and It matured 
without any hindrance, but it seems now 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
to be a fight to the finish to get anything 
at all. 
Some Things I Have Noted. —Of late 
clean culture and mulching have been 
aired to considerable extent. Both un¬ 
der certain conditions may be right, but 
I have set myself to observing some 
things which I hope to investigate farth¬ 
er. Upon an adjoining farm is a peach 
orchard of 2,000 trees. From appear¬ 
ances I should say that clean culture had 
been followed for the most part at 
least. A crop of weeds had grown up, 
but they have recently been cut with 
the mower and left upon the ground. 
The peach crop is a minus quantity this 
year, which is the prevalent condition 
in this locality. So the culture, what¬ 
ever it is, may not argue for or against. 
Less than a mile distant from that is a 
row of trees set outside the road fence. 
As I understand it, they were set there 
for the benefit of passersby, and they 
get pretty poor culture. They stand 
there in grass and weeds, and it seems 
to be a question whether weeds or trees 
will be highest In the Fall. Those trees 
are carrying as much fruit as they 
ought to carry, and it has a healthy, 
vigorous appearance. I don’t know 
whether I am right or not, but it almost 
seems as though Nature was having a 
little something to say about those trees, 
and is teaching some kind of a lesson. 
I may be wrong, but I propose to watch 
matters a little. Between that orchard 
and the row of peach trees is an apple 
orchard. The trees are standing in a 
stiff sod, and their appearance is worthy 
of note. I hope, later, to find out the 
owner’s management and see where he 
is at, for I believe there is yet much to 
be gathered from the grass mulch meth¬ 
ods fully exemplified. J. e. morse. 
Michigan. 
NOTES ON FLORIDA TOMATOES. 
Florida tomatoes have had undisputed 
possession of the market this season. 
Prices were high and kept up till late in 
the Summer, prime tomatoes bringing $2.60 
a crate as late as July 5. In this vicinity 
we paid 15 cents a quart at retail and they 
were difficult to get at that. The home¬ 
grown tomatoes did not put in their appear¬ 
ance until about August 15, and were in¬ 
ferior in quality, being watery and flavor¬ 
less owing to the cool wet weather. The 
South Florida tomato growers have cer¬ 
tainly scooped in the dollars in a lively 
manner for a long while this year, and it 
was because the late Spring freezes froze 
out the growers higher up the coast. They 
had everything their own way in spite of 
the fact that they were handicapped by be¬ 
ing drowned out in the early Winter, their 
lands being covered with several feet of 
water from the unusually heavy rains. 
The Florida East Coast Railway has, at 
its own expense, now deepened the water 
courses, and it is confldently expected that 
the water will not hereafter accumulate 
upon the surface to any great extent. The 
Florida tomato crop was wonderfully profit¬ 
able and shipments were sent even to 
California. A California horticultural paper 
jocularly announced that the Florida grojv- 
ers, having made money enough, had 
kindly determined to cease making ship¬ 
ments in order to give the other sections 
a chance. Of course this was not done, 
and good prices were maintained right 
along. It Is known that although the to¬ 
mato is a perennial where there is no frost, 
the fruit becomes too small. It Is found 
necessary to procure every season north¬ 
ern-grown seed of the best quality, and 
grow new plants in order to have a good 
crop. Then, with sand and moisture In 
abundance, and just a little manure, and 
the ardent sun to make them jump, the 
way the scarlet beauties tumble up out of 
the ground Is something certainly mar¬ 
velous. J. T. p. 
Schenectady, N. Y. 
Missing Link Apple.— Two years ago 
last Spring I planted a number of Missing 
Link apple trees and grafted others. Last 
year I raised apples on the young trees 
and grafts. This year I have .apples on 
the grafts, which give me three crops in 
sight at the same time, 1901 and 1902 apples 
In the cellar, 1903 apples on the trees. 
Stull, Pa. M. B. s. 
Practical Farm Drainage, by C. 6 . 
Elliott; 92 pages; 25 Illustrations; cloth $1, 
postpaid. A practical work dealing with 
methods of handling drainage problems. 
Among the subjects discussed are: The re¬ 
lations of drains to soils; leveling and lo¬ 
cating drains; depth, size and distance 
apart; mapping drains; laying tile; road 
drainage; ditching machines; cost and 
profit. Published by John Wiley & Sons, 
New York. 
P. M. Archdeacon, of Archdeacon & Co., 
who has been traveling through the apple 
sections of eastern and northern New York, 
writes as follows from the Adirondack 
section: “Apple crops in the valleys are 
very large, in some places larger than last 
year. Upland crops are short, caused by 
blossoms having been Injured by the late 
frost last Spring. The weather here is fine, 
being cool and dry. The farmers are ali 
delighted with the large yield and fins 
quality of their hay, oats and other stand¬ 
ing crops; many are still harvesting. An 
early Fall is expected as small animals 
are making their stores.” 
For the land’s sake, use Bowker’s Fer¬ 
tilizers. They enrich the earth.— Adv. 
MADE OF THE HEST MATERIALS, 
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HOBSON & CO., Manufacturers, 
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ASK THE DEALER 
Send us postal for interesting souvenir, free. 
DETROIT WHITE LEAD WORKS, DETROIT, MICH. 
APPI I- RARPFI C~Standarcl or short size.s, in 
iirrLL DHnnLLO car orlOOlots. Prompt ship¬ 
ment. R. GILLIES, Marlboro, N. Y. 
PEACH CARRIERS 
If you want the best and most 
popular Peach Carriers 
send your orders to the 
SOUTH SIDE MFG. CO., Petersburg, Va 
THISTLE-INEI 
Oak Grove, Mich., July 9, ’03 
The Lindgren Chemical Co.’ 
Grand Rapids, Mich. 
Gentlemen: The more I 
use Thistle-lne the better I like 
It, and I believe It will in time 
be as necessary an article on 
the farm for spraying noxious 
vegetable growths as Paris 
Green Is for spraying potatoes. 
Used Thistle-ine an Milkweed 
last week, and was d'elighted 
with results, Yourstruly. 
W. O. UlCUARDS. 
One thorough spraying with •* Thistle- 
ine’’settles it. Guaranteed. 6 Ib. can 
makes 5 gallons of the liquid, $2.00. Free 
booklet tell all about It. 
THE LINDGREN CHEMICAL CO. 
8 S. Ionia St. Grand Rapids, Mich. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R- N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See our guarantee 8 th page. 
mmmmmammsm 
A GOOD ADTEK. 
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EXTEHSION AXLE NUTS 
Make old buggy run like a new one. Sure 
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Hardware .Specialty Co., Box 111, Pontiac, Mich, 
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and send 4 i(u^gj WheoU, 8t««l Tire on, • nr.se 
With Kubber Tires, $15.00. I znfg. wheels ^ to 4 in. 
tread. Top Buggies, |28.75; Harness, $3,60. Writa for 
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HAVANA MHAL WHEEL CO. 
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GINSENG 
Seeds and Roots. Prices low. 
60 cent book on Culture and 
Profits of Ginseng, vrez. 
Send for It. D. BRANDT, 
Box 607, Bremen, Ohio. 
400,000,000 Chinese use 
Gin.seng root for its medici¬ 
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exporters pay *6 to (10 per 
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plants also bring big 
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increasing; sup¬ 
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■■ ' Ha 
GARDEN 
WILL 
YIELD 
^7000 
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Should be 
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We sell culti¬ 
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seeds. Send 4c for 
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profit in Ginseng and 
copy of magazine,“The 
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fl£INlSSJS-AJlK.HlCAS GINSENG CO, 
Dept. 35 - - Scranton, Pa, 
ited. Hardy 
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and 
Can- 
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HUBBARD’S 
CRASS GRAIN 
FERTILIZER 
Used on the famous Clark hay fields since the beginning of the experiments. 
Prices and terms on application. 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO., 
MIDDLETOWN, CONN. 
Makers of Hubbard’s “BLACK DIAMOND’’ Fertilizers. 
^THE BEST FERTILIZER^ 
FOR WHEAT AND RYE AND 
SEEDING DOWN TO GRASS 
ARE MADE BY 
THE AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL CO. 
NEW YORK 
BOSTON 
PHILADELPHIA 
BALTIMORE. 
BUFFALO 
CLEVELAND 
Call on our Local Agents o?’ ivrite 7is before ordering any fertilizers. 
