1902 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
4oi 
EVERYBODY’S GARDEN. 
Wet Gardens. —Some of our gardens 
are getting very wet these days, and the 
weeds take advantage of the situation 
and grow thicker and faster. It almost 
requires snowshoes or mud floats to get 
over some of the wet places without get¬ 
ting mired, and what are we going to do 
about it? If we cultivate or hoe we say 
the ground will bake like a pavement 
when it does get dry again, and so it 
will, in some soils; but the weeds go 
merrily on. Some open ditches will 
have to be made, so that the surface 
water will run off, and more weeding 
will have to be done by hand; then when 
it begins to dry off we must begin stir¬ 
ring the soil, and keep it up so it can’t 
bake. Maybe there will be time this 
Fall to get an underdrain through the 
low places, so we shall not get caught 
next year. If drain tile are too expen¬ 
sive there may be some solid old plank 
six to eight inches wide that can be set 
up V shape in the bottom of the ditch, 
or lacking these, some straight trees six 
or eight inches in diameter split in 
halves and set in the same way, will 
make a very serviceable drain. Access 
to a stone heap, or, perhaps, thick stony 
field might solve the problem. Even 
straight brush laid in the bottom of the 
ditch (butts up stream), and securely 
covered are said to do nicely for several 
years. In this case great care is neces¬ 
sary, and the brush must be well cover¬ 
ed with fine marsh grass or something 
of that sort before being filled in with 
the soil. 
Preparing the Vegetables for Mar¬ 
ket. —In many of the gardens from this 
time on there will be more or less vege¬ 
tables that may be spared from the home 
supply, and in most localities a market 
may be found if only they are properly 
prepared. Don’t expect customers to 
buy freely or stay by any length of time, 
if they once get deceived by paying for 
trash that is simply decorated by a thin 
covering of nice fruit or vegetables at 
the top of the package. One satisfied 
customer will advertise your business 
and bring more; and one ill-used or de¬ 
ceived customer will also advertise it, 
but always in the opposite direction. 
Fancy vegetables nicely put up make 
the seller practically master of prices. 
The small vegetables, as onions, rad¬ 
ishes, beets, carrots, etc., should be nice¬ 
ly graded as to size, thoroughly washed 
and tied in small bunches. They are 
best with tops left on, but should be en¬ 
tirely free from mud or filth. All the 
withered leaves should be removed, leav¬ 
ing only the brightest and freshest. All 
the Summer vegetables are very tender, 
and should never be left exposed to the 
sun, especially after being washed. Let¬ 
tuce, spinach and all the leaf salads 
should be carefully cut and rinsed clean, 
and all blackened or discolored leaves 
removed. Do not cram them in or pack 
them too closely, but allow them to lie 
up light and loosely in the baskets or 
packages. The strawberry baskets 
should be better at the bottom than the 
top. Customers will very likely be sur¬ 
prised at such treatment, but they will 
be glad to see you upon your next visit. 
The same rules of handling hold good 
with whatever we may have for sale. If 
we have culls, and this is inevitable, 
they should be put up and sold as such, 
and never allowed to spoil the really 
nice stock we may have; better to feed 
them or throw upon the manure heap. 
Marketing. —With good produce 
handled as above, our market is not 
usually far to seek, in ordinary locali¬ 
ties at least. It would seem that some¬ 
times the selling part especially if not 
convenient to cities or towns, would be 
the difficult part of the work, but let us 
see. In almost every locality there is 
always quite a sprinkling of farmers 
even, among the well-to-do class, and 
more perhaps among the less fortunate 
ones, who always insist that they can 
buy their vegetables and small fruits 
more cheaply than they can raise them. 
Taking their view of the matter, there 
should always be a lively demand among 
them, and if one did not find the mar¬ 
ket he would find out the nonsense of 
their argument. In a flying trip of 40 
or 50 miles out in the country last Fall 
1 found that right among farmers who 
talked thus, I could have sold tomatoes 
at higher prices by far than we were 
getting in the city, and the people would 
have been glad to buy; but they could 
not get them. Such instances are nu¬ 
merous when once they are hunted out. 
This is fortunate for those who will do 
the work in the garden, for it brings 
their market right to their own door. 
Flowers for Profit. —To one who 
has never grown flowers in a commer¬ 
cial way the profit which may be real¬ 
ized from a very small piece of ground, 
even though planted to the commoner 
sorts of perennials and annuals, is very 
surprising. The demand for flowers of 
this class is a matter of no less surprise. 
For years we had grown flowers solely 
for pleasure, never thinking of such a 
thing as parting with them for money; 
on moving to a new neighborhood we 
suddenly had “greatness thrust upon 
us” in the shape of a flower trade. A 
number of flowering shrubs and peren¬ 
nials were already bursting into bloom, 
and there were many rose bushes; to 
these were added our usual planting of 
annuals. The lilacs were only half 
opened when our first customer appear¬ 
ed, and from that day until frost put us 
out of business there was never a time 
when we could not find something to 
sell. Being very busy with other affairs 
that year no especial pains was taken 
to build up trade; not even a sign was 
displayed; if some one called and want¬ 
ed a bouquet we were never too busy to 
stop and get it for him, and we always 
tried to please, both in quality and quan¬ 
tity. Nearly everything was sold at the 
house—the exceptions being Asters and 
sweet peas, which were sold at some of 
the largest floral establishments in our 
city. In picking we aimed to cut as long 
stems as possible, even occasionally cut¬ 
ting some of the vine, so as to have some 
of their own foliage to enhance the 
beauty of the blooms; each color was 
kept by itself and loosely tied in bunches 
of 100 , which sold for five cents each. 
Even at this low price over $10 worth 
were sold, and not more than one-fourth 
the crop was sold, the rest being used 
at home and given away. In marketing 
them, a layer of fresh grass was placed 
in the bottom of a large flat splint bas¬ 
ket, and lightly sprinkled; the bunches 
of peas were then put in, standing them 
as closely as possible without crushing 
the blossoms; a heavy paper was tied 
closely over top of basket, and deliv¬ 
ery made by street car. As this is a case 
of “the more you pick the more the vines 
will produce,” a crop can be gathered 
every alternate day from the middle of 
June until frost comes, and the returns 
will be highly gratifying. Be sure to buy 
the very best seed to be had; do not in¬ 
vest in striped or speckled varieties, 
have plenty of clear white, pink, laven¬ 
der and primrose, a few blue, bright red 
and very dark ones, all as nearly “self- 
colored” as possible, as they will shade 
up beautifully when massed. Asters 
were sold at 10 cents per dozen and net¬ 
ted a snug sum. Large bouquets of 
roses, also those of mixed flowers sold 
at five to 10 cents each. These prices 
were ridiculously low, yet the profits 
were much greater than those derived 
from poultry or milk and butter. The 
ground occupied and cash outlay was 
but little, the work light and pleasant, 
and best of all, if other duties pressed 
too hard the flowers could “bide a wee” 
and the work could be brought up at odd 
spells without loss. Our first year’s ex¬ 
perience has made us enthusiasts on the 
subject of floriculture for women and 
girls as a source of revenue. 
Michigan. j. e. morse. 
fM 
fiirld. 
“Boxal” does it. 
Kills Bugs and Blight. 
It Increases the Crop 20 to 30 per cent 
in both amount and quality because it 
Prolongs the Growing Season 3 or 4 
weeks. 
“Boxal” is an insecticide and fungicide in one, prepared after 
scientific Government formulas by a thoroughly responsible 
concern. It is all ready to use by adding water. Ex-Secretary 
Sessions, Mass. Board Agriculture writes “Boxal killed the 
bugs: I had a fine crop: no blight or rot although both prevail¬ 
ed in the vicinity.” Enough to spray an acre $i-Five times 
as much $ 4.25 Illustrated Circular free. 
Bowker Insecticide Co- 43 c 'C t a 0 ”, s £»: 
Lumber 
AT 
Extremely 
Low Prices 
We purchased the Pan-Ameri¬ 
can Exposition at Buffalo, and 
have 33,000,000 feet of fine sea¬ 
soned lumber to offer. It consists 
of joists, timbers, flooring, sheath¬ 
ing, patent lath, and, in fact, 
anything and everything in the 
lumber line. 
Dutton’s 
Improved 
Knife and 
Tool 
Grinder 
$ 2.50 each 
SAMPSON 
TOBACCO PRESS. 
CLARK'S 
DOUBLK- 
Cutaway Harrow will easily move 
15,000 tons of earth one foot In 
a day. 
ACTION 
CLARK'S SULKY 
Gang Disk 
Plow, 
From 2 to 8 feet. 
For horse or 
Steam Power. 
IF YOU ARE ABOUT TO BUILD 
Send Us Your Lumber Bill 
FOR OUR ESTIMATE. 
We issue a catalogue. Address 
as follows : 
Chicago House Wrecking Co., 
Pan-American Exposition, Dept. 62, 
BUFFALO, N. Y. 
CUTAWAY HARROW C0„ HI6GANUM, CONN. 
DUPLEX machine 
The only successful field fence maker. Ball 
Bearing, Automatic, simple, life- lasting. 
A Child Can Operate It. 
A level headed hoy can take it apart and 
put it together. It makes most perfect 
Fence at Coat of Wire. 
Machine sent on Trial. Plain and Barbed 
Wire at Wholesale Prices. Catalogue Free. 
KITSELMAN BROTHERS, 
BoxD92 Muncie, Indiana. 
SLUG SHOT 
Kills Currant Worms, Potato Bugs. Cabbage 
Worms and other Insects that destroy Flowers, etc. 
Sold by the Seed Dealers. 
For Pamphlet on Bugs and Blights address 
B. Hammond, FlsbklU-on-Hadson, New York. 
IT CONTAINS 183 LARGE COLORED ENGRAVINGS OF HORSES, CATTLE, SHEEP. GOATS. HOGS. POULTRY. ETC. 
:tcoil UJ $3000 to h&ve our Arti.ta and Engravers make those Engravings. Our International Stock Book contains a finely illustrated Veterinary Department that Will Save Yeu 
lr.ds of Hollars. This illustrated Stock Book also fives Description and History of the different Breeds of Horses, Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Hogs and Poultry of All Kinds 
The Editor of this Paper will toll you that you ought to have our Stock Book for reference. * 
WE WILL GIVE YOU $14.00 WORTH OF "INTERNATIONAL STOCK FOOD” IF BOOK IS NOT AS REPRESENTED. 
This Book Mailed Free, Postage Prepaid, It You Write Cs (lottor or postal) and VT Answer These 3 Questions: 
Name this Paper. 2nd—How much Stock havo yout SrfvDld you ever use “lKTKBfUTlOHAL STOCK FOOD" for Horses, Cattle, Sheep, Hogs, Colts, Calves, Lambs or P 
Largest Stock Food Factory in the World 
Capital Paid in, $1,000,000.00. 
International Stock Food Co. 
MINNEAPOLIS, 
MINN., U. S. A. 
DEALERS SELL THESE INTERNATIONAL STOCK FOOD. INTERNATIONAL WORM POWDER INTERNATIONAL GALL CL RE 
ON A "SPOT CASH" INTERNATIONAL POULTRY FOOD. INTERNATIONAL COLIC CURE INTERNATIONAL HEAVE CURE 
GUARANTEE INTERNATIONAL LOUSE KILLER^ INTERNATION*tr-Me**NESS SOAP. SILVER PINE HEALING OIL ETC 
GENTS!—I ffi&d my cattle and calves “International 
Stock Food ” summer, and also in the winter, when it brings 
them out in good shape, so they get the full advantage of early 
spring pasture, and none of them have ever had the scours, 
which is so common at that time. My milk cows are giving 
more milk, winter and summer, since I commenced feeding 
“International Stock Food,“ and the butter is of better 
quality. Itested “International Stock Food“ onasteerthat 
had made no growth fora year. After feeding”! nternatlonal 
Stock Food” one month he had made a net gain of 125 lb 9 . 
His rations were corn fodder and “International Stock 
Food. ’ ’ As a special test I fed and raisedone calf on skim milk 
and “International Stock Food” during the winter and 
secured a weight of 450 lbs. in the spring. C. S. Mitchell. 
