THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
545 
id02 
EVERYBODY’S GARDEN. 
Market Cheer. —With nearly 14 
inches of rainfall from June 1 to July 
20, and heavy rain and hailstorms since, 
one might suppose there would be little 
garden truck to dispose of. A trip 
through the surrounding country would 
deepen the impression—for hundreds of 
acres lie under water or are covered 
with green mold and decaying vegetable 
matter. Visiting the market to-day 
(July 25) there appeared to be no lack, 
a plentiful supply of everything except 
tomatoes being in evidence. Prices are 
about 10 per cent above normal, for this 
season of the year. The market place is 
■a sort of general dumping ground for 
the blues. Many of those attending the 
market leave the wheat uncut, but 
sprouting as it stands. Some leave their 
hay under water, and garden crops very 
little if any better off. They gather up 
what they can wade in and get, and 
away they go, with a sort of hopeful 
thought that the half crop will at the 
round-up of the season bring as much 
as the whole one, in ordinary years. I 
met one young fellow who greeted me 
with his old merry laugh as he said: “1 
haven’t a thing left but beets—and they 
won’t sell.” The quips and jokes seem 
infectious and one can but admire the 
pluck with which the season’s disasters 
are met. We have no special market 
days, as is the case in many cities. Every 
day (Sunday excepted) is market day; 
Saturday usually the best, and Monday 
poorest of all. On page 513 I spoke of 
marketing pears, which is in no way out 
of the gardening line. Here the truckers 
grow everything—from the radish to the 
corn crop—with small fruits as well. To¬ 
day I met gardeners from 20 miles away 
whose loads consisted entirely oi apples. 
To-morrow they may be loaded with 
sweet corn, and a little later with 
melons. The money crop for a trucker 
this year may be cabbage, and next year 
strawberries. Thus the work is widely 
diversified. The pear marketing experi¬ 
ence simply illustrated what care and 
proper handling will do for any crop. 
One man was selling apples at 65 cents 
per bushel this morning. Not 30 feet 
away another was selling at 75 cents. 
The chief difference was m handling, 
and I could have made dollar apples out 
of either man’s load. Simply putting 
them up properly would have made the 
difference. The demand for potatoes 
was fairly well met, with prices about 65 
cents per bushel. This is the early crop. 
When it is gone no one knows where the 
later supply will come from. 
Growing Spinach. —We have recently 
had a request for more complete direc¬ 
tions for growing celery, cabbage and 
spinach. Of the two former, it is too 
late for this season’s work. Spinach is 
a timely topic, and should be a subject 
of interest to many. At no time during 
the last year have quotations in our 
market been much less than 80 cents to 
$1 per bushel. It is a quick money crop, 
edible in 40 to 60 days from sowing the 
seed. Autumn culture is exclusively re¬ 
ferred to here, with no reference to 
Spring seeding. For latitudes north of 
New York in general the spinach will re¬ 
quire more or less Winter mulching 
with straw, stalks or other litter, to be 
removed in early Spring. South of the 
above latitude little or none will be re¬ 
quired. In many sections it will thrive 
in the open ground and may be sown 
until late Fall. In the North from early 
September or even into October (owing 
to locality) is the proper time for seed¬ 
ing. 
Culture. —The ground must be suffi¬ 
ciently high to avoid danger of water 
standing or ice forming during the Win¬ 
ter. The soil should be very rich fqr 
best results, and rich, well-rotted stable 
manure, and plenty of it, will meet more 
general conditions than any of the 
brands of fertilizers. The ground should 
be plowed as early as possible and fre¬ 
quently worked until seeding time, to 
destroy all weed seed possible. If sown 
in drills, one foot apart for garden and 
two or three feet for field culture will 
be about the right distance. Six ounces 
of seed w T ill sow 10 yards of drill or 30x 
30 feet square, if sown broadcast, and 25 
pounds will sow an acre. Broadcasting 
is preferable for field culture. The seed 
should be covered to a depth of one 
inch. Sixty to 150 bushels is an average 
crop, while some varieties, under ex¬ 
ceptional conditions, will cut 200 bar¬ 
rels. While the latter is a very high 
yield, it should be the goal of every 
grower’s ambitions. 
Marketing and Varieties. —The 
market season for Winter varieties will 
begin in 50 to 60 days after sowing, and 
continue well into the Spring. It may 
be cut any time during the Winter when 
the snow is not too deep. The mulch 
which may be put on after the ground 
freezes up in addition to protecting the 
crop, is also an aid in cutting when the 
snow is on. It is cut with ordinary 
butcher-knives or sharp hoes, and should 
be kept clean or rinsed in cold water. 
Nearby marketing is easiest done in 
bushel baskets but should not be closely 
packed, being allowed to lie up loosely. 
For shipping, barrels are best. The 
open end of barrel is covered with bur¬ 
lap, instead of being headed up. For 
profitable varieties a very important 
point is in selecting long-standing sorts, 
i. e., those strains that stand longest be¬ 
fore going to seed, as it is then entirely 
unfit for market purposes. The Blooms- 
dale is one of the best Winter varieties, 
very hardy and productive. The Vic¬ 
toria is also a choice variety, for its 
hardiness and long-standing qualities. 
Long-standing Curled Leaf is second to 
none in merit. Any or all of these will 
be reliable and satisfactory to grow. It 
will thus be seen that the spinach crop 
is profitable in many ways. Ground 
may be utilized which would otherwise 
remain idle. There is no question as to 
profits in the crop, for those favorably 
situated. It may be marketed at any 
time during the Winter when snow will 
permit of gathering the crop. It is also 
valuable as a cover crop, not so much 
of course for its fertilizing properties 
as merely to cover the ground and check 
the natural waste of bare ground dur¬ 
ing Winter. 
Second Crops. —Our Pride of the Mar¬ 
ket jbeas failed to score a very astound¬ 
ing success this year. They matured 
but slowly, and yielded very indifferent¬ 
ly. The table qualities are good, and 
usually the yield is satisfactory. The 
mistake was in not trellising up. In 
general, I think, they would not require 
it; but this year although planted on 
exceptionally well-drained ground, the 
vines began rotting before the peas were 
ready for picking. We had intended to 
follow them up with Nott’s Excelsior, 
but the green aphis is very troublesome 
just now, and wax beans will be substi¬ 
tuted. Planted previous to August 1 the 
Davis Kidney wax ought to be ready for 
use by September 15 or a little later, 
and at that season of year they nearly 
always bring good prices. There is gen¬ 
erally more or less danger from frost, 
but escaping this, they will bring more 
money than the peas. 
Turnips. —Some ground is now ready 
for turnips, with more in preparation. 
They will go in whenever and wherever 
there is any spare room to put them, up 
to the middle or even last of August. 
The Purple Top Strap Leaf will be main¬ 
ly used, as this is a good table or feed¬ 
ing variety. Some will be drilled and 
some will be sown broadcast. Turnips 
are very accommodating and will make 
a good crop either way, if only given 
half a chance. 
Saving Seed. —Seed selection in a 
way is very simple, and withal a very 
interesting and profitable work. It is 
no reflection on the seedsmen to say that 
intelligent work in seed selection right 
in our own gardens will often save us 
much disappointment. Tomatoes, for 
instance, are exceedingly difficult to hold 
true to type, and are very prone to go 
back to the original. Then if we are 
fortunate in getting a satisfactory va¬ 
riety it is taking long chances to trust 
to the growers for a better one. It is 
in np way difficult carefully to watch the 
growing crop, and selecting the finest 
fruits from the best and most productive 
hills will pretty surely give good results. 
This I am sure is easy enough for any 
one to do, and I know by experience 
that it pays well to do it. I mentioned 
tomatoes particularly, because they are 
so difficult to hold up to a high stand¬ 
ard. I have followed this plan of selec¬ 
tion with a good deal of success, but in 
addition I nearly always test a good 
many new varieties that are sent out by 
the seedsmen. In this way I have not 
only kept my own stock well graded up, 
but have found some very valuable sorts 
in new varieties. Try it, not only with 
tomatoes, but other vegetables as well, 
and see if it will not pay. j. e. morse. 
Michigan. 
Grafts on Wild Cherry. 
E. B. P., Wilton, N. II .—In a recent Issue 
of The R. N.-Y. Mr. Van Deman says in 
reply to a question on grafting wild cherry 
that it cannot be done successfully. This 
Spring I grafted some wiiu cherry, using 
scions from Morello stock, and was very 
successful. They are making a great 
growth. 
A ns. —Yes, they will sometimes grow 
for a few years and then break off or 
dwindle. The union is far from good. 
H. E. V. D. 
The Electric Manure Fake. 
H. T. W., Hood River, Ore .—Did your paper 
ever publish an account of the man in 
New Jersey who stole electricity for his 
garden, using it to hasten the growing and 
ripening of his crops? I wish to know how 
he used and applied it. 
Ans. —No, we did not. We spent some 
time looking it up and found the story 
to be a mere fake. The story referred 
to an Italian who was said to raise cab¬ 
bages of tremendous size much earlier 
than those of his neighbors by tapping 
a trolley wire and running the electric 
current into the ground between the 
rows! The truth as we found it was 
that no trolley ran within a mile of the 
place, and the whole thing was made 
up by some crack-brained reporter. 
The influence of electricity on vegeta¬ 
tion is slight and can only be governed 
in greenhouses where wires and supply 
are under perfect control. 
Cotton-Seed Meal and Ashes. 
L. E. 8., Sharon, Conn .—Have you heard 
of using colton-seed meal and wood ashes, 
half and half, as a fertilizer for top¬ 
dressing? This came to us from friends 
who heard of it at the Yale School of For¬ 
estry. It seems that this fertilizer would 
make a cheap top-dressing. 
Ans. —Cotton-seed meal is an excel¬ 
lent source of nitrogen, and contains 
fair quantities of potash and phosphoric 
acid. Wood ashes, if unleached and 
pure, supply potash and lime and small 
quantities of phosphoric acid. If used 
half and half by weight a ton of the 
mixture would analyze about as follows: 
Nltro- 
Phos¬ 
phoric 
Pot- 
rogen. 
acid. 
ash. 
1,000 pounds 
meal . 
cotton-seed 
. 70 
25 
lfi 
1,000 pounds 
ashes. 
13 
55 
Total . 
. 70 
38 
71 
by representing 
The Travelers Insurance Co., 
yeu can write $1,000, $2,000 and $8,000 LIFE and ACCI¬ 
DENT policies among your friends, Increasing yonr 
income $2U0 to $500 annually without inter I ering w it h 
your legular worn. No capital needed References 
required Address CHARLES WILLEY, Long Island 
Dlstiet Agent, KAY SHORE, L. 1., N. Y. 
CALL FOR MEN 
IN THB 
Profession of Agriculture 
GOOD POSITIONS. 
Why not tit yourself to till one? Send your address 
to tha RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE Kingston, R. I. 
EXPENSES LIGHT. 
COLES’ 
OAK 
Picking 
Baskets 
For Peaches, 
Pears, etc. 
Swinging Handle. 
Djuble Board Bottom 
Smooth Inside, extra heavy oak staves, iron bound 
h If bushel capacity. 
COLES COMPANY 
Peach Caskets, etc., etc. 
101) and 111 Warren Street. NEW YORK. 
SAN JOSE SCALE. 
And other Insects can be Controlled by Using 
Good’s Caustic Potash Whale- 
Oil Soap No. 3. 
It also prevents Cu-I I eaf. Endorsed by Entomolo¬ 
gists. 'I'his Soap is a Fertilizer as well as ln-ecticlde. 
Wl-lb. Kegs, $1.50; 100-ib. Kegs. $4.50; Half Barrel, 
270 Ids., 3Hc. per lb ; Barrel. 425 lbs.. 8^c. Large 
quantities, Special Kates. Pend for Circulars. 
JAMES GOOD, 030 N. Front St., Philadelphia, Pa. 
IDE 
MACHINERY 
Best and cheapest, 
Send for catalogue 
BOOMER & B 0 SCHERT 
PRESS CO., 
118 West Water St., 
SYRACUSE, N, Y. 
15 TOMS 
The Gem Full-Circle Baler, lightest, strongest, cheapest 
baler. Made of wrought steel. Operated by 1 or 2 horses. 
Bales 10 to 15 tons a day. Sold on 5 days’trial. Catalogue 
free. Address GEO. ERTET, CO., Quincy, Ill. 
ENGINES 
GAS and 
GASOLINE 
Sold on Trial—by Builder to User. 
ALEX. T. GIBSON, 5 Jefferson Ave., Utica, N. Y 
There would also be about 350 pounds 
of lime. This means a fertilizer con¬ 
taining 3 V 2 per cent nitrogen, two per 
cent phosphoric acid and 3 y 2 per cent of 
potash. While this ought to give fair re¬ 
sults on some soils when used for grass 
and grain it does not contain as much 
potash and phosphoric acid as experi¬ 
ence shows ought to be used. Cotton¬ 
seed meal Is considered most useful for 
such crops as tobacco, and tobacco grow¬ 
ers feel that they can afford to pay a 
high price for it. Grass and gram are 
not so exacting in their food require¬ 
ments, and w r e doubt whether it will 
pay to use cotton-seed meal on them. A 
mixture of nitrate of soda, muriate of 
potash, ground bone and dissolved rock 
will give a cheaper mixture than the 
ashes and meal. If lime is needed it 
can be used separately. 
THE WI1ETZ & WEISS 
Kerosene Engines. Sizes lto60M.P 
Cheapest and Safest Powvr 
Knoavn. For pumping aad 
electric lighting, grinding 
corn, separating cream, 
sawing wood, and all power 
purposes. Awarded O old 
Medal Pan-American Exp,, 
Buffalo, 1901. Send for Cat. 
A. MIKTZ, 
22S Mott Street, New York. 
CHARTER 
Gasoline Engine 
Any Place 
By Any One 
For Any Purpose 
I Statlonarles. Portables, Engines 
and Pumps, Holsters, 
Sawing Outfits. 
Send for Illustrated Catalogue ana 
Testimonials. State your Power Needs. 
Charter Gas Engine Co., Box 26, Sterling, III. 
USED 
CoW- FlY 
killer. 
Cattle ma, bt tp 
once or twice * doj it 
V*t. I hereafter twice 
or three times a week 
the Killer can alto be 
oted to advantage on 
horse t. and tor killing 
‘meets in the garden 
tfGCETl A BROTHLR 
COW-FLY 
KILLER 
Agents’ Sample and Sprayer 
sent on receipt of $1. It will 
please you and help your 
stock. Agents Wanted. 
LEGGETT & BROTHER, 
301 Pearl St., New York. 
There is double profit in the corn crop 
wherever the McCormick corn binder 
and the McCormick husker and shredder 
are used.— Adv. 
mens. 
AND SHREDDERS] 
FOR ENSILAGE & DRY 
FODDER. Also Latest j 
Improvements in Car-| 
HARDER NIFG. CO., cobleskill, n. Y. 
CUTTERS 
A Romance ot Hie Rail. 
A bright and amusing little story told 
in a way that will interest everyone who 
| believes the course of true love can 
sometimes run smooth ; handsomely 
illustrated and beautifully bound The 
booklet will be sent free to anyone wbo 
will mail two cents in stamps to cover 
toe cost of postage. Address T. W. 
Lee, General Passenger Agent, Lacka¬ 
wanna Railroad, New York City. 
