322 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 29 
Forcing Strawberries in Benches. 
Several Subscribers. — What are the general 
methods of growing strawberries under glass ? 
In The II N.-Y. for December 24,1898, 
a'tention was called to the method of 
forcing strawberries at Cornell. The 
strawberries are there grown in six-inch 
pots. Mr. Henry Ise, of Hackensack, 
N J , is the principal exponent of a 
method of forcing strawberries in 
benches. On March 17, I found him 
gathering the first ripe fruit from hi$ 
second crop, and very willing to tell his 
experience. Mr. Ise is a typical, thor¬ 
ough-going, old-world gardener, not¬ 
withstanding his 37 years of American 
citizenship. He has 12 houses made of 
hotbed sash, aggregating 16,000 feet of 
glass. Ten of these are connected and 
are continuous, through the absence of 
partition walls. These houses were put 
up 14 years ago, and are yet in excel¬ 
lent repair, good for 10 years more, at 
least. 
In early April, after the second crop 
is off, the sashes are removed, the earth 
shoveled out, benches whitewashed, and 
the houses lie idle till September. This 
thorough cleansing goes a long way 
towards keeping down Red spider. Mr. 
Ise changes his bench soil every season. 
His common garden soil, a light, sandy 
loam, is composted with one-third part 
rotted manure one year before it is to be 
put on the benches, and is turned over 
occasionally. As seen in the houses, 
this made a soil of ideal texture. 
Two crops are grown in a season. The 
plants for the first crop are layered into 
three-inch pots, and shifted to the 
benches in late September. Here they 
grow till frost, and are then brought 
gradually into heat. Some of the fruit 
usually ripens by the holidays, although 
last Winter, it did not come in till after 
New Years. The fruit is even better 
than that of the second crop, showing, 
apparently, that strawberries can get 
along very well without rest before be¬ 
ing forced. Crowns for the second crop 
are lifted in late Fall, with a ball of 
roots attached, and transferred to frames. 
As the first crop begins to decline, the 
new plants are set between the old, and 
ultimately, the latter are pulled out. 
Obviously there can be no gradual intro¬ 
duction of heat to the second crop. 
To keep down Red spider, he is obliged 
to spray every morning, sunny or cloudy, 
and often brings on fruit rot thereby. 
With this rich soil, it does not pay to ap¬ 
ply liquid manure as the fruit is ripen¬ 
ing. No hand-pollination is done, though 
it would seem that this could be profita¬ 
bly undertaken, since sunny days are 
nearly as scattering with him as at Cor¬ 
nell, and the average set is now only two 
fruits per plant. After trying Sharpless, 
Wilson and many other varieties, Mr. 
Ise has long since settled down to Cham¬ 
pion as the best forcer. As seen on my 
visit, it was a good pollen producer, but 
was setting fruit poorly. Moreover, the 
berries were of poor color—a Bubaeh 
scarlet—too light for the most tempting 
effect. Brandywine and Marshall would 
certainly be better, and it would, un¬ 
doubtedly, be worth while to grow sev¬ 
eral varieties for inter-pollination. 
A good single picking is 12 to 14 quarts. 
The berries are shipped in one-third- 
quart cups to a wholesale dealer in New 
York, who, in turn, supplies the three or 
four retail fruiterers handling such high- 
class products. Of course, a tremen¬ 
dous per cent of profit goes into the 
middleman’s pockets, but Mr. Ise has 
found that he cannot command a per¬ 
sonal market. His patrons are the Fifth 
Avenue people, who are suspicious of a 
peddler, and prefer to leave their orders 
at a fruit store. 
Mr. Ise has forced strawberries for 
about 20 years. Where he used to get 
4,000 cups a season he now picks but 
1,000. It seems to me that he needs a 
change of stock. The advent of Florida 
strawberries has, also, hurt his trade 
somewhat. However, with berries bring¬ 
ing him $7 a quart in the holidays, and 
82.50 a quart at any time in the season, 
there is no question that the industry 
may still be profitable. Mr. Ise is a 
pioneer in a un'que and promising enter¬ 
prise. S W. FLETCIIEB. 
Malt Sprouts for Pigs or Fertilizer. 
Subscriber {No address).— Are malt sprouts 
pood feed for pips ? In what proportion to other 
feed should they be fed ? If they contain from 
5 to 10 per cent of coal ashes in the form of a 
fine powder, would the coal ashes be injurious 
to stock? Malt sprouts containing coal ashes 
can be bought at a malthouse in our village, at 
$5 per ton. The clean ones are all contracted. 
Ans. —It is not likely that pigs would 
relish malt sprouts a great deal. There 
may be two reasons for this idea. First, 
the sprouts are very highly nitrogenous, 
and such foods are not, as a rule, palat¬ 
able to pigs. Second, they are rather 
too coarse to be fed as a main diet. How¬ 
ever, the surest way to settle the ques¬ 
tion is for Subscriber to try a quantity 
of them. One of the best grains to feed 
them with is corn meal, mixing the two 
in equal parts by weight. Feed wet or 
in a slop. It would be better to let the 
mixture soak a few hours before feeding. 
If the sprouts are not fed in too large 
quantities (i. e., do not compose more than 
half the grain ration), it is not likely 
that five per cent of coal ashes will cause 
any injury. 
It might be profitable to use these 
sprouts as a fertilizer if they can be pur¬ 
chased at 85 per ton. According to the 
average of several analyses, one ton of 
malt sprouts contains 35 5 pounds of 
nitrosren, 14.3 pounds of phosphoric 
acid, and 16 3 pounds of potash. At a 
low estimate of the market value of each 
of these elements, the fertilizing value of 
a ton would be about 86. Some esti¬ 
mates place the value as high as 811. 
At any rate, they are, doubtless, worth 
the 85 for which they can be purchased, 
and would show good results by spread¬ 
ing them on pastures or meadows, where 
the gra r s is light and appears to lack in 
nitrogen. l. a. 
Making Arsenite of Lime. 
E E. II., Onslow, la —In The R. N.-Y. for April 
1, P.-of. Slirge-land, in telling how to make ar¬ 
senite of lime says, “To prepare this arsenite of 
lime, add two pounds of lime, and one pound of 
white arsenic, to two gallons of hot water, and 
boil it for, at least, 30 minutes,” etc. Does he 
mean to take the lump lime without slaking,and 
put in the water with the arsenic and boil, or 
does he mean first to slake the lime, and then 
use the milk of lime? Is there any difference 
between the common arsenic found at the drug 
stores, and white arsenic ? 
Ans —Use only unslaked lime to make 
the arsenite of lime. It, probably, will 
make little or no difference in the result¬ 
ing mixture, if the lime is first slaked 
and then added with the arsenic to the 
two gallons of water, or if the arsenic 
and lumps of lime are both placed in the 
two gallcns of water at the same time. I 
would make the mixture in whichever 
way is the least trouble. I think the 
common arsenic sold by druggists is 
usually white arsenic. I am informed 
that white arsenic can be bought in 
quantities for 4% cents per pound. 
M. y. 6LIN9EBLAND. 
Rape as Green Manure. 
G. G., Williamsport, Pa— Is rape one of the best 
green manures to respond quickly for plowing 
under on hard soils lacking in humus ? I am ad¬ 
vised to sow Norfolk turnips for green manure, 
also, and would be most grateful for sound 
counsel. 
Ans. —Rape or turnips will give a 
large bulk of vegetable matter to be 
turned into the ground. We would not 
advise their use, however, while it is 
possible to sow cow peas. The rape and 
turnips add no fertility to the soil. The 
cow peas, on the other hand, add some 
nitrogen which they take out of the 
air. Our advice would be to use cow 
peas in preference to the rape. They will 
leave the ground in better condition. 
Western Competition.— There seems to be a 
prevailing opinion that eastern agriculture has 
been largely ruined by western competition, 
while in reality it has been a palliative to the 
eastern sufferers. The facts of the case are that 
the western people have suffered as much as, or 
more than, any other section as a result of low 
prices. The prices of all agricultural products 
have been below the cost of production, allowing 
legitimate expenses for family necessities and 
wages. Many in the West have had to deprive 
themselves of all but the absolute necessities of 
life, while of course, many have laid up some¬ 
thing's is always the case. The prices have 
been remunerative, neither in the East nor in the 
West. While it behooves us to make the best 
( fforts in all our struggling for an existence, the 
recent prices have not been conducive to the de¬ 
velopment of that which is best in the home and 
the family, and such is the case in the West as 
much as in the East. It is the same pressure in 
the West as in the East, that has brought about 
this condition. a h g 
Kansas. 
your trees, plants 
and vines with the 
EMPIRE KING 
or 
Garfield Knapsack 
(Sprayers. Perfect agitators; furnish a 
fine, continuous perfect spray. They 
have no leather or rubber valves or 
packing. Will not scorch the foliage. 
We make 16 styles of spray pumps. Send 
for free catalogue. Agents wanted. 
FIELD FORCE PUMP CO., 
2 Market Street, Lockport, N. Y. 
j AA^A.A/iAAA A AA,\A A AAAAAAA AA 
An y Old Pump 
If it is only cheap, 
is what some peo¬ 
ple are looking for. 
They usually get it, and 
about one season’s ex¬ 
perience will satisfy 
any man that the “Eclipse” 
Spray Pump” is best and 
cheapest ever offered. Send 
for Circular 
MORRILL & MORLEY, 
Benton Harbor , Mich. 
HORSE - 
HIGH — 
PIG-TIGHT 
BULL-STRONG 1 
With our DFPI.KX Automatic 
Ball-Bearing Machine, you can L 
use your old plain and barb I 
wire, making 100 styles, and 50 
to ?0 rods a day. Sew Wire costs 
12 to 22c. per Rod 
Makes the best fence on earth. 
We send Machines on trial. 
Were Awarded First Premium and 
Gold Medal] 
on Machines, Farm and Orna- [ 
mental Fence at Omaha Ex¬ 
position. Plain, Barbed and 
Colled Spring Wire 
i Farm and Ornamental Fence 
to the farmer at wholesale 
prices. Illustrated Catalogue 
Free for the asking. Address 
KITSELMAN BROS. 
Box 106 Ridgeville, Ind. 
A Good Fence, 
a strong Fence, a chenp fence, 
an every purpose fence and one 
which you can build yourself la 
The Chandlee Fence. 
|The secret is In the lock which 
(fastens the stays in such an 
easy and simple way that they 
must stay. Makes the most rigid, 
strongest, and most durable lence 
that can be made of wire. No expensive 
machinery required to build it. You make it any 
height and with anv number of stays you wish, 
iw r u/AUT A nrkITC Responsible and reliable 
W t Wftrll flUEIi I vi men only. Exclusive ter 
ritorytothe right men. Write UMlay for terms, etc. 
CHANDLEE FENCE CO., It S. Howard St, Baltimore, Md. 
No. 7 
Hard 
Steel 
STRONGEST FENCE MADE. 
BULL-STRONG AND CHICKEN-TIGHT. 
Our prices will surprise you for we sell direct to th« 
Farmers at wholesale. If you are wanting anything In 
the Fence line, don’t fail to write for our Free catalog. 
COILED SPRINC FENCE CO., 
Box 24. Winchester, Indiana, U. S. A. 
IF YOUR COAT FADES 
you bought the wrong kind. If your wire fence 
< ‘looks like a fish net, ’ ’ you didn’t buy The Inge, 
m 
TV 
with our new patent 
KEROSENE SPRAYERS 
is simple indeed. Kerosene Emulsioa 
made while pumping. 12 varieties 
Sprayers, Bordeaux and Vermorel 
Nozzles, the World’s Best.” 
THE UEM1NG CO. SALEM, OHIO 
Western Agents, Heunion A HubbelU 
Chicago. Catalogue >:»tl Formulas Free. 
LEGGETT’S ANCHOR BRAND WHALE OIL SOAP 
FOR SPRAYINC TREES. Destroys 
all insectlife on bark, San Jos6 Scale and 
the like. Indorsed by authorities. 
Wiite for prices. Our Spray Calendar 
sent free. 
Leggett & Brother, 301 Pearl Street, N.Y. 
WIRE FENCE A FAILURE 
(When the Poetm Give Out.) 
Brick houses are not built on wooden blocks. Nt 
matter what style of wire fence you build. 
Use Durable Posts• 
We can give you valuable information on the use of 
Steel for this purpose. 
BOND STEEL POST CO.. Adrian, Mich. 
1,000 SAMPLES FREE 
of our new Success Fence Hatchet 
which tightens any wire fence. Grips 
automatically as wire is wound on. 
No holes to bore in posts; attaohes 
midway of the fence. We will mail you a sample 
free if you will send us 10 cents to cover postage 
only. Circulars free. 
W. H. MASON & CO., Box 67, LXE8BUBG, Ohio. 
00 OWE 
IT TO YOURSELF 
i to investigate carefully 
5 the claims of makers 
° before 
purchasing 
wire fence 
for jfourself. 
We invite close scrutiny 
LAMB WIRE FENCE CO. 
Adrian, Mich 
WE WANT AGENTS. 
Any good active farmercan 
make a nice sum of extra 
money selling our 
...PITTSBURG... 
WOVEN WIRE FENCE. 
We will reserve territory 
the right kind of men. 
Write at once. The first order 
a locality secures town- 
igency. The price is O. 
all tests and meets 
ry requirement. Write 
special terms and oir> 
Mailed free. 
Pittsburg Woven Wire Fence Co. 
15 Penn. Av., Pittsburg, Pa. 
S 3 * 
U III 
x i \ \ \ \ \ 
.4 A.£ 
33 
^3 
1 . ■ 
i 
'inm 
Him 
1.7 l 7 
Machine $6 
that weaves the above 
fence and many other 
styles. Write for cat. 
McFarland Fence Machine Co., Portland, ind.. U.S.A. 
Easy Cultivating 
means economy, more crops, better crops. A boy can work the Krans Cul¬ 
tivator, moving wheels and shovels to right or left by a touch on foot 
levers. Levers raise or lower gangs or set them any distance apart whil^ 
machine is moving. The 
KRAUS P £SS CULTIVATOR 
is the most complete, simplest, strongest, most popular, “the best one 
made,” say farmers who use it. On hill-sides it does perfect work. Perfect 
row crop or fallow worker. Get the catalogue at once and save money. 
THE AKRON CULTIVATOR CO., Akron, Ohio. 
“SUTTON’S BEST OFTALL.” 
Tomatoes grown in one-third Jadoo Fibre and two-thirds 
soil yielded eight Tomatoes to the bunch, weighing one-fourth 
pound to one-half pound each. 
Does this interest you ? Send for particulars if it does. 
The Amebic an Jadoo Company, 
§15 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 
