1901 
METHODS OF ASPARAGUS CULTURE. 
I have read with interest the various articles on as¬ 
paragus culture, and note the difference in methods 
of handling this crop. Here in Michigan our way of 
preparing the ground and planting is much the same 
as in the East (at least it is when we practice as well 
as we know), except that we do not plant quite so 
deep—usually from four to six inches. In cutting, we 
do not aim to get white grass, and never cut deep 
under ground, except when we anticipate nature, and 
try to get off as much as possible while the price is 
good. The usual length of bunch is from six to ten 
inches, the latter being cut during hot and growing 
weather. We cut only an inch or two under ground, 
and bunch the green “grass” that grows above 
ground. 
THE BEETLE.—For several years the Asparagus 
beetle gave us a good deal of concern, but of late years 
it has not been so bad; then, too, we know better how 
to handle it successfully to fight this handsome active 
little insect; it is only necessary to cut the stems on 
which the eggs are laid. This, of course, means 
everything—look out for these, or you will soon have 
a thrifty crop of larvae to contend with. Like most in¬ 
sects the farmer has to fight, it does little harm aside 
from propagating itself when it once begins to fly— 
it is the larvae that do the mischief; so, when in¬ 
crease is prevented, it will soon come to the end of 
its little life. 
ASPARAGUS RUST.—This is a much more serious 
matter, and it is by no means certain how our strug¬ 
gle with it will end. I think it was in 1896 that it 
first made its appearance here, and was recognized by 
descriptions previously given in The R. N.-Y. Since 
then it has spread over the entire country, and 
with me, reached its climax of destructiveness in 1900. 
That Summer the entire top growth 
was killed so early, and so persistently 
that it seemed to me that it could never 
start again. Much to my surprise, last 
Summer’s cutting was the best in yield 
and size of stem I have had since the 
rust became serious. The top growth, 
after the cutting season was over, was 
thrifty, and while most of the first 
growth was somewhat injured by rust, 
many of the later shoots escaped en¬ 
tirely, and ripened naturally. This, of 
course, makes us feel quite hopeful. 
Just what we shall do if the rust gets 
worse again, has not been determined. 
Some of our largest growers have set¬ 
tled the question by planting peach 
trees in their asparagus fields, though 
for myself, I prefer to await develop¬ 
ments. Through the kindness of Prof. 
F. A. Sirrine, Jamaica, L. I., I have 
gained a good idea how the trouble is 
treated in the East, and feel that the 
costly spraying outfits required and ex¬ 
tra labor will make asparagus an expensive crop. 
Here we are watching our brethren in the East, to 
learn what we can of rust-proof varieties. Two years 
ago one of my neighbors sent East for Palmetto 
plants, and I am sure a more rusty lot than they were 
last Summer could not be found in Michigan. 
Query: Is the claim that Palmetto is rust-proof fic¬ 
tion, or did he get some other variety? 
Berrien Co., Mich. L. w. rutii. 
R. N.-Y.—We do not believe he got the true Pal¬ 
metto plants. _ 
THE “ CENTRALIZED SCHOOL” AGAIN. 
Opposition from New York State. 
I have been very much interested in .the tetters in 
Tire R. N.-Y. from time to time relating to the cen¬ 
tralized school system. We are parents and taxpayers 
and are vitally interested in the question, as we isee 
what it is doing in this vicinity. A year ago last 
Pall there were three districts lying adjacent to Pen- 
field Village, in which the schools were closed, and 
the scholars obliged to go to PenfieUd; some of them 
a distance of three or four miles. These districts 
were not cut off by a vote of the taxpayers, but 
through the conniving of some politician®; the in¬ 
habitants of said districts were told not to elect 
trustees as there would not be any school held in 
their districts, but the powers that be have since 
opened one of the schoolhouses for use of primary 
grades. I know of some young boys and girls who 
were obliged to walk over a mile through the snow, 
and if the rig that conveyed .them to school was on 
the four cornel's, they could get in or stand and 
wait for it. If it had gone they could walk two miles 
to school. Now, wouldn’t such a morning as this be 
a nice time to wait or ride .three or four miles to 
school, thermometer at zero and wind blowing a 
gale, and suppog^ pqr district schools were all aban- 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
doned and the scholars sent to a central school, just 
think of the property in our State which will either 
revert to some one, or have to be sold! Think of the 
money Invested in maps, charts, libraries, flags, etc., 
which wffil be of no use. Think of the depreciation 
of farm property which is sure to follow the closing 
of our schools by putting the school so far away 
from some farms that no one with a family of chil¬ 
dren will want to buy such farm. Think of the young 
men and women who have worked hard through ad¬ 
verse circumstances to fit themselves to teach our 
common schools, and some of them the brightest and 
smartest teachers we have, who will be thrown out 
of a job. I haven’t talked with a man or woman out¬ 
side of the favored circle who did not bitterly oppose 
the idea of centralized schools. o. w. e. 
Penfield, N. Y. 
Not Wanted in th's District 
I noticed in The R. N.-Y. of January 18 an article 
from W. J .W.. of Cobleskill, N. Y. (who, from the 
tone of the letter, seems to hall from a specially en¬ 
lightened district), and who also favors the centrali¬ 
zation of schools. I have heard and read a good deal 
pro and con on the subject, and our county superin¬ 
tendent is much in favor of the scheme, but I (living 
as I do like ‘^Mother” of Ohio in an uncivilized dis¬ 
trict), fail .to see Where the great improvement over 
the present system comes in, especially if the children 
have got to walk as W. J. W. says they do in his dis¬ 
trict to and from the school house to meet the 
wagon. I shall be very much surprised and pleased 
to meet the driver (in any community) who is going 
to supervise the conversation and actions at all times 
of the passengers and at the same time attend to his 
team. As to that I have not heard of even a teacher 
(even in the civilized districts) who has not at some 
time or times clashed with the parents when trying 
to correct misbehavior of some of the pupils. I fear 
if the driver of the wagon undertakes that kind of 
a task at all times he will have his hands full. Our 
old-fashioned district has at .times had ais many as 
30 scholars, but at present has about half that num¬ 
ber, but the present system will be likely to suit ua 
for a while at least. j. f. l. 
Rockford, Ill. 
HUDSON RIVER FRUIT NOTES. 
Grapes which, to use the common fruit growers’ 
phrase, have had a “black eye” for several years past, 
have been planted quite largely for the year just 
closed. We noticed very many large new plantings 
of young vines. Delaware is perhaps the more gener¬ 
ally used variety, and we have observed many large 
fields containing all the way from one to five acres 
of this one valuable old standard red grape. Moore’s 
Early, Concord, Worden, Green Mountain and Niagara 
are planted by many growers. We have never known 
a Fall season when there seemed to be such a demand 
for young apple trees as the last. Everyone who has 
land talked apples, and planted them largely. In driv¬ 
ing through the country one would see newly-set plan¬ 
tations of this fruit in nearly every direction, and 
large young orchards, with from 200 to 1,000 trees. 
The Winter kinds were Baldwin, Rhode Island Green¬ 
ing, Northern Spy, King, Newtown Pippin, Jonathan, 
York Imperial, Sutton Beauty and Ben Davis; more 
of the two latter than any other single kind. In Fall 
varieties, Gravenstein takes the lead. Alexander, 
Fall Pippin and Beitigheimer seem to be in demand 
also. For Summer varieties, the Red Astraelian and 
Yellow Transparent take the lead. 
Peaches will be planted largely this Spring; in 
fact, we have never known a time when there seemed 
to be such a desire to plaut peach trees. Already 
143 
many large growers have secured their stock for 
Spring. In the large peach producing districts, it Is 
quite a common thing to hear of individual growers 
who have prepared their land and secured their stock 
of 3,000, 4,000 or 5,000 trees. The Elberta is the lead¬ 
ing yellow variety; then Chairs, Beer’s Smock, Late 
Crawford, Globe and Triumph seem to be in good de¬ 
mand. For the last year or two there has been a good 
market for choice fine white fruit like Stevens Rare¬ 
ripe, Stump. Oldmixon, Champion and others. With 
these large increased acreages of apples and peaches 
will the market be over-supplied? I am inclined to 
think not. 
If you have neglected to cover the strawberry bed 
it is not yet too late to do this work. Don’t put It 
off another day; protect these little plants from the 
alternate freezing and thawing of the coming Spring. 
We have found that the best covering of all is horse 
manure. It brings weeds, but when you are destroy¬ 
ing these weeds you are loosening the soil around the 
plants. That’s cultivation, just what the plants need. 
We use manure enough just to hide the plants from 
view; then, late in the Spring, as soon as we feel that 
we are safe from frosts, we remove the bulky part of 
this covering between the fruiting rows, and by the 
use of fork or cultivator incorporate it with the soil. 
There are, of course, other materials than horse 
manure that may be used for protecting the plants; 
salt hay, rye, wheat and oat straw, evergreen boughs 
and even cornstalks will answer quite well for the 
purpose, but unlike the manure, they must be remov¬ 
ed from the beds in the Spring; besides, they only 
serve the single purpose of protection, while with the 
use of manure you accomplish the double purpose of 
protection and fertilizing. t. j. d. 
A HAPPY FARMER SCORES SOME POINTS. 
There are two points upon which I wish you would 
touch more often, and they are that farmers should 
raise more and buy less. Balanced ra¬ 
tions, etc., are all right, but you should 
try to teach the farmers to balance 
their own heads until they are perfect¬ 
ly level, and then they can raise their 
rations and not have to buy them. I 
have spoken to 12 farmers—and by 
farmers I mean men who have to earn 
their living from the soil, not men who 
make their money in the city and spend 
it in the country—within the past few 
days, and they all agreed that their 
chief expenses were for feed, clothing, 
the butcher and the grocer. Now, the 
second item cannot be reduced much, 
but the other three can. Let me give 
you my own experience. Last Summer 
I raised oats, rye, wheat, corn, clover 
hay, Timothy hay, mixed hay, millet 
and buckwheat. I also had about 10 
barrels of small and poor potatoes, and 
perhaps 100 bushels of Yellow Stone tur¬ 
nips. There is no possible way to make 
a perfectly balanced ration from these 
feeds, but by selling one ton of Timothy hay and one 
ton of rye straw, and investing the money In oil 
meal, I was able to feed with pleasure to the cows 
and profit to myself. Thirty-three dollars’ worth of 
oil meal will be all the purchased feed I shall use in 
a year, and I keep nine cows, four young stock, three 
brood sows, one boar, 100 chickens, three Guinea 
hens, five turkeys, eight ducks, a flock of pigeons, 
nine horses, two colts and seven pigs to fatten. Some 
people think otherwise, but my own experience has 
been that it Is much cheaper to raise feed than to 
buy it. It also pays 10 times as well thoroughly to 
cultivate one acre as it does to half cultivate 10. 
There are some groceries of course that a farmer 
must buy, but his butcher bill should be less than 
nothing, for he should sell meat to the butcher in¬ 
stead of buying it from him. I will give you my bill 
of fare for to-day. Breakfast, oatmeal and cream, 
rolls and fresh butter, bacon and eggs, fried pota¬ 
toes, buckwheat cakes, cocoa and milk. Luncheon, 
sausage, Saratoga potatoes, bread and butter, milk, 
apples and cream and fried mush. Dinner, chicken 
soup, roast turkey, apple sauce, boiled onions, mash¬ 
ed potatoes, macaroni, celery, mince pie, nuts, apples 
and candy. Everything except the oatmeal, cocoa 
and macaroni was raised on the farm. Three meals 
like that at the Holland House, Savoy, Waldorf or 
any other of the big hotels in New York City would 
have made a $10 bill look like 30 cents. Any farmer 
can have as good, and, what is more, can have them 
365 days out of the year. Next Summer I am going 
to try raising a few sheep, and then with my own 
mutton. Iamb, pork, sausage, scrapple, hams, bacon, 
chickens, pigeons, turkeys, ducks, Guineas and salt 
pork I shall be perfectly independent of the butcher. 
Westchester Co., N. Y. the happy farmer. 
From what I know we have about one-third of our 
bean crop left In farmers’ hands, and think they may do 
better later on. We have a great many potatoes and 
think they will go cheaper. J. A. decker. 
Walled Lake, Mich. 
THE EARLY OHIO^POTATO. Fig. 5(5. See Page 147. 
