1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
22 7 
GATHERED IN A BROADWAY FANCY FRUIT STORE. 
Tins store is in the most aristocratic part of town, 
and judging from the fittings of the place, the char¬ 
acter of the goods, and the prices for which most of 
them are sold, must be patronized largely by the 
wealthiest people. Here are hothouse grapes for 
several dollars a pound, pears for 20 cents apiece, hot¬ 
house strawberries which cost several dollars for a 
little cup about the size of a coffeecup, etc. I had a 
curiosity to know what tastes the patrons of such a 
store had so far as varieties are concerned. The 
knowledge of varieties of the average buyer in the 
city markets, is very limited. A few of the old and 
standard kinds may become known, but the buying is 
largely a matter of chance, governed more by looks 
than by any special knowledge. 
“What are the favorite kinds of apples with your 
trade ? ” I inquired. 
“The Newtown Pippin takes the lead. The demand 
is larger for this than for anjr other variety this year. 
Ordinarily there is a good demand for red varieties 
like N. Spy, King of Tompkins County and Spitzen- 
burg, but these have been largely of poor quality the 
past season, and have not been so much sought. 
Greenings have been, apparently, of better quality, 
and the demand for them has been good. These New¬ 
town Pippins were shipped here from California, but 
were, probably, grown in Oregon. They-are very fine. 
Next year, the demand may be for entirely different 
varieties, though the Newtown Pippin is always in 
demand.” 
“Is not the matter of demand, then, likely to de¬ 
pend, with your trade, largely upon quality, and to 
vary from year to year ? ” 
“ Yes, it is, to a large extent, and the same is true 
of peaches, pears and other fruits. Good quality is 
the first requisite demanded, and buyers soon learn to 
distinguish this.” 
“ What varieties of our common outdoor grapes are 
liked best ? ” 
“Concord leads all the others, and next comes 
Niagara. There is little call for other kinds except 
the Catawba. We have the latter now, and while 
they are pretty fair for the time of year, they have 
passed their prime. We are now selling imported 
hothouse grapes, but they are about finished, and 
after these are gone, there will be few in market for 
about a month, when homegrown ones will come in 
for which we shall get about $7 a pound. They will 
be very much smaller than the imported ones we are 
now selling, but the price will be large enough to 
make up for that.” 
“Which oranges seem to be liked best, the Californias 
or those from Florida ? ” 
“ The Floridas. Of course, they are scarce this 
year, and the price is necessarily high ; but, as a gen¬ 
eral thing, they are thinner skinned, have more flavor, 
and are sweeter.” 
“ Which strawberries do your customers prefer—the 
hothouse, or the Florida ? ” 
“ The former, by all odds ; but of course, the high 
price precludes many of them from buying them. 
They are far superior to the Floridas, though we have 
very choice berries from the South, and plenty of 
them. The failure of the orange crop has induced 
many to go into the strawberry business. Improve¬ 
ments in methods of packing and in transportation 
facilities, enable us to get these berries here in excel¬ 
lent condition.” 
“ Did you handle any of those Colorado musk melons 
that came to this market last Fall ? ” 
“ Yes, a great many of them. They were of excel¬ 
lent quality, small, looking something like the Nut¬ 
meg melons, but of delicious flavor. ” 
“ Would they sell as well here if the eastern crop 
were good ? That is, is the quality so superior that 
they will sell on their merits regardless of the supply 
of other melons ? ” 
“Undoubtedly. Of course, the scarcity of eastern 
melons last Fall helped them to get a foothold, but 
they were so well liked that they will sell hereafter 
without difticulty, regardless of the supply of other 
melons. We handled, also, considerable numbers of 
the muskmelons shipped here from Canada last Fall. 
These were very large, about the size of watermelons, 
but of very good quality.” 
The pears spoken of as selling for 20 cents each, are 
Forelles, and come from California. They are small, 
one of the most beautiful pears grown, and of excel¬ 
lent quality. 
Grape fruit finds a ready sale from this store, some 
people regarding it as very healthful. Nuts are sold, 
also, and I was told that, in their season, a good many 
of the large chestnuts of the newer kinds which we 
have so often described, are sold, and are very popular. 
These come from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Dela¬ 
ware mostly. The manner of putting up and display¬ 
ing the fruit in this store is a good object-lesson, as it 
is made just as attractive as possible in order to please 
the eye. f. h. v. 
ASPARAGUS GROWING AND MARKETING. 
Asparagus culture is largely carried on in the light 
soils of Long Island and New Jersey. These soils are 
better adapted to the culture of “ grass,” especially 
the blanched shoots, than heavier soil ; for the roots 
THE ACME ASPARAGUS BUNCHER. Fig. 100. 
must be planted deep, as the shoots are cut just as the 
tips are coming through the surface. The g-round 
must, also, be free from stones, sticks and other ob¬ 
structions, as these interfere with the growth of the 
shoots. Asparagus growing has been carried on on 
the northern shore of Long Island in the vicinity of 
Oyster Hay for nearly 60 years. Growers now culti¬ 
vate such large areas that special tools are used. As¬ 
paragus growing on a large scale in New Jersey is of 
later development, and now large quantities come to 
this market fiom both localities and from the South. 
It is carried on, also, to a greater or less extent in 
other parts of the country, and is usually considered 
a profitable crop. There is a good demand for aspara¬ 
gus wherever any vegetables are sold, and it is not 
ASPARAGUS BOX FOR SHORT SHIPMENT. Fig. 101. 
only a toothsome, but a healthful staple. Large quan¬ 
tities are, also, canned. 
Methods of culture vary in different parts of the 
country. For the production of the white shoots so 
popular from the Oyster Bay district, deep planting is 
required. Some growers use for making the furrows 
a special plow that makes a furrow about 18 inches 
deep. Some growers, especially on heavy land, make 
them 12 inches deep. The soil is in better shape for 
this deep furrowing, if it has been kept thoroughly 
cultivated during the preceding Summer, but not 
plowed since the previous Spring. The trenches are 
made from 3 % to 4% or five feet apart. Each grower 
has his own ideas ^ibout depth, distances apart, fertil¬ 
izers, etc. 
Some growers prefer one-year-old roots, and some 
two-year-old. Whichever are used, they should be 
strong and vigorous. The plants are put in the bot¬ 
tom of the trench 15 to 18 inches apart, and partially 
covered with soil. The trenches are filled gradually 
as the plants grow, by frequent cultivations which 
keep the ground clean. Some growers use stable man¬ 
ure, and consider it best, while others prefer commer¬ 
cial fertilizers, and still others are governed by cir¬ 
cumstances as to their choice. Some apply fertilizers 
always in the Spring, while others fertilize the old 
beds immediately after the cutting season each year, 
claiming that this gives the plants a good, strong 
growth, and fits them for sending up numerous large 
shoots the next season. The ordinary tillage tools 
are used for keeping the beds clean, though some 
large growers have special tools. The old tops are 
removed each Spring, the surface thoroughly worked 
up, and left in ridges over the rows. In fighting the 
new Asparagus rust, the New Jersey Station recom¬ 
mends removing and burning the tops in the Fall. 
The most popular variety has always been the 
Conover's Colossal, though Barr’s Mammoth is grown 
by some, and more recent additions have been Pal¬ 
metto, Columbian White and others. At the New 
Jersey Experiment Station. Palmetto was the least 
affected by the new and destructive Asparagus rust, 
of all the varieties tested. 
Cutting begins as soon as the shoots begin to show 
nicely above the surface. It is done by means of a 
special knife, requires great care, and is hard work. 
Careless work would destroy many of the buds that 
are just starting. The beds are usually cut over every 
day. The shoots are put into bunches weighing about 
three pounds each, by means of some of the numerous 
bunching machines now on the market. Fig. 100 shows 
one good form. The bunches are about six to nine 
inches long, and just about the size of a quart cup. In 
fact, some small growers use a cup of this kind to 
shape the bunches, and some use homemade wooden 
bunchers. The shoots should be assorted, the larger 
and smaller ones being put in separate bunches. The 
latter are just as good for eating, but do not usually 
sell so well. The bunches are tied with raffia or soft 
string. The tops of the bunches are made even, and 
then the butts cut off square with the knife. The 
bunches are a little smaller at the tops than at the 
butts ; this enables growers to pack them so the tips 
will be protected. 
Fig. 101 shows aerate containing two dozen bunches 
in two layers. The box is a little wider than the 
length of two bunches, and these are packed in, tips 
and butts alternating. With the butts against the 
outside of the box, the tips are kept from touching 
each other or the box, and are thus protected from 
bruising. The box is of just the right size so that the 
bunches fit in tight, and cannot shake around. No 
packing material is used for nearby market. Fig. 102 
shows a southern crate holding two dozen bunches, 
but the latter stand on end. The crate is a little 
narrower at the top than at the bottom. These 
bunches stand on damp moss or other packing mate¬ 
rial, which keeps them fresh during their long journey. 
Reports indicate that peach and plum trees are 
making a very early start this year. The warm days 
of the last few weeks have caused the buds to swell, 
and if there should be a hard frost later on, the damage 
will be great. Prof. Whitten, of Missouri, whose ex¬ 
periments with whitening trees with sprayed white¬ 
wash have attracted much attention, writes : 
During-the present Winter, we have found that thermometers 
inserted in whitened twigs register, during bright sunlight, as 
much as eight degrees Centigrade, (14 4-10 degrees F.) lower than 
thermometers in unwhitened twigs of the same trees. Twigs 
of Japan plums (our earliest bloomers) were cut and put in a 
vase of water in the greenhouse. Part of them were taken from 
whitened branches, and the others from unwhitened branches of 
the same tree. The unwhiteued twigs came into bloom over a 
week earlier than the whitened ones. We are in receipt of numer¬ 
ous letters from orchardists who are trying this method, and 
they report that whitened twigs remain dormant, while un¬ 
whiteued ones swell perceptibly during warm, sunny days. 
It is, of course, too late now to attempt this whiten¬ 
ing, but the buds, even when in bloom, may be partly 
saved by drawing up the branches into a small 
bundle. A rope is passed around the tree and the 
branches drawn up toward the center. Then the rope 
is tied and the whole covered with straw, stalks or 
other covering. Even if no cover be put on, the bloom 
on the inside will be saved, for in a number of reported 
cases where the trees were not protected at all, the 
fruit on the inside of the branches was uninjured. 
This plan may be worth trying, especially with small 
trees, when frost is sure to occur. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Wk do not know how many of The R. N.-Y. readers are inter¬ 
ested in bees and bee products, but those who are so interested 
will do well to keep in touch with A. I. Root Coinpauy, Medina, 
O. They are headquarters for all bee supplies, and the latest 
and best supplies are always found in their catalogues. 
One great advantage of the steam engine over all other power 
in the dairy, is the constant supply of hot water convenient at 
all times for use in cleaning and scalding. James Leffel & Co., 
Springfield, Ohio, make these engines in all sizes, and horizontal 
or upright. Any engine they send out will do just what they say 
it will do. 
The National Lead Company, 1 Broadway, New York City, 
send us a unique little booklet which shows what may be done in 
painting and trimming houses with their tinting colors. The il¬ 
lustrations give a very good idea of the effect produced. We 
fancy that they would be glad to send the booklet to any one who 
intends to paint. 
A new potato planter is being put on the market this season 
by the Keystone Mfg. Co., Sterling, III. It has been thoroughly 
tested by the manufacturers, and their reputation is such that 
the implement demands consideration. We understand that the 
intention is to supply a low-priced machine which will be within 
the reach of every farmer who grows potatoes to any extent. Full 
particulars will be supplied by the manufacturers. 
Northbup, King & Co., of Minneapolis, Minn., issue what they 
call Primer No. I. It is written by Prof. Thos. Shaw, and tells 
how, by a wise selection of seeds, he was able to pasture 1(1 sheep 
on one acre of land. The acre was divided into four parts, and 
the crops were Winter rye, peas and oats, rape, and sorghum. The 
sheep were turned from one part to another as required. It was 
a remarkable experiment, and Prof. Shaw tells just how it was 
done in this pamphlet, which is sent free to readers. 
