1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
565 
Among the Marketmen 
WHAT I SEE AND HEAR. 
Baskets of Assorted Fruits.— On many of the 
fruit stands, one now sees numerous neat, handled 
baskets holding, probably, three or four quarts each, 
of pears, peaches, plums, apricots, sometimes a banana 
or two, and other seasonable fruits. The assortment 
in these baskets varies according to the season. They 
are just what many travelers appreciate, and many 
people buy them for family use, as they give an as¬ 
sortment of fruits at the price one would usually have 
to pay for a basket of a single kind of fruit. Just now 
these baskets are being sold for 25 cents each ; the 
price, of course, will vary according to the season and 
the abundance and selling price of the various fruits 
of which the assortment is composed. Later, grapes 
will form a considerable part of the assortment. 
X X t 
Bargain-Counter Vegetables. — The bargain 
counters in this case are the wagons and pushcarts, 
used by the wagon-boys and hucksters. Whenever 
there is a glut in the market, of some particular vege¬ 
table, one always sees numerous loads of this vegetable 
being hawked around the streets at very low prices. 
One week it may be cabbages; another week onions, 
another week corn or potatoes. Recently, cucumbers 
have been very low in price, selling wholesale at 30 to 50 
cents a barrel, and many a wagon-load of them has been 
sold at bargain prices. Thus, those who must economize 
in buying, secure a variety, and at the same time, at 
prices which they can afford. It amounts 
really to about the same change as may 
be had by those with more money, ex¬ 
cept that the latter suit their special 
tastes on particular days, while those 
who buy these bargain-counter vege¬ 
tables, suit their tastes to those which • 
are cheapest for the time being. It is 
a very good thing all around, because it 
cleans up the market of much produce 
which might otherwise be a total loss. 
t X $ 
Shipping Five Fowls. — 1 have seen, 
lately, as I have seen and commented 
upon, year after year, during the ship¬ 
ping season, for many years past, large 
numbers of crates of live poultry, sent 
in by express, the crates weighing twice 
as much as necessary. Many times they 
consist simply of a box made out of 
lumber, at least an inch thick, the top 
covered with slats or narrow pieces of 
board, the latter often twice as thick 
as necessary. These coops should be 
made just as light as possible and an¬ 
swer the purpose. The bottom should be 
tight, all the rest slatted, and the nar¬ 
rower the slats, the better. Lath makes 
the best material. The coops should 
not be so large that two men cannot 
handle them readily and easily, as this 
insures more careful handling. It is 
better if a slatted partition is put through 
the middle, as this divides the fowls, 
putting fewer together, and keeps them from all 
sliding into one end of the coop in a heap, if the 
coop is tipped up on end. Many fowls are suffo¬ 
cated because of proper precautions not being taken. 
Food and water should be provided, and the coops 
should not be overcrowded. Great loss results from 
overlooking the latter precaution. The fowls should 
be graded, also, the best grades being put together, 
and chicks and fowls packed separately. But don’t 
pay heavy express charges on boxes made of such 
thick, heavy lumber. 
X X X 
More Fraudulent Commission Merchants.—I 
was just shown a letter by a commission merchant 
who had received it from one of his former shippers 
in the South. This shipper had formerly sent him 
large quantities of different fruits and vegetables in 
common with other of his neighbors. At about the 
beginning of the present shipping season, he received 
stencil plates and circular letters from another com¬ 
mission merchant, of whom he knew nothing. This 
man made big promises, and told of the high prices 
he could get for just the products this shipper had to 
dispose of. Being a stranger, he suggested a small 
trial shipment. This was made. Returns came 
promptly at prices almost double those returned by 
other commission men. This was enough. The other 
commission men had been swindling him by not re¬ 
turning him enough for his goods. He and his neigh¬ 
bors immediately made large shipments of their prod¬ 
ucts. When the letter I saw was written, they were 
still waiting for returns for these shipments, amount¬ 
ing, probably, to hundreds of dollars. Furthermore, 
they could get no replies to their communications, 
and the shipper is now ready again to ship to his old 
commission merchant. He writes him a plaintive 
letter and asks him if he cannot help him out and 
secure justice upon this other man who has been 
robbing him. It is the same old story over again, 
which has been told and retold in these columns 
dozens of times, and which is perfectly familiar to 
every commission merchant in the trade. It is a trick 
that almost invariably secures shipments to persons 
without credit, and who are unknown, often even by 
name, to reputable marketmen. 
t X X 
What’s in a Name. —“ What a name for a plum ! ” 
said one dealer in speaking about the Wild Goose 
plums. “Those are fairly good plums, and ought to 
sell well ; but there is no doubt that the name, Wild 
Goose, gives many people a wrong impression about 
them, and that their sale is injured accordingly. Say 
what you will, an attractive name helps wonderfully 
in selling any kind of fruit. Of course, the name is 
not everything, but it has a certain effect.” 
X X X 
Low Prices for Ducks. —“What is the matter 
with the duck market ? ” I asked one of the largest 
receivers in the city the other day. “ The production 
has exceeded the demand,” he said. “ I never before 
knew Long Island ducks to bring such low prices as 
this year. It is simply that the growers have pro¬ 
duced more than the market could take care of. New 
plants have been springing up around the country, 
and they have all been turning them out by the thou¬ 
sands.” It is probable that, on the large scale on 
which this business is now conducted and with all the 
facilities possessed by these duck growers, they can 
make a small profit even at existing prices. But there 
certainly cannot be very much money in it, and there 
is not the least encouragement for a new beginner to 
engage in the business. 
A FIVE-TON GRASS CROP. 
HOW IT IS PRODUCED AND MADE. 
Part III. 
[editorial correspondence.] 
Grass a Hearty Eater. —Grass makes a quick, 
rapid growth when it once starts. A ton of Timothy 
hay contains over 30 pounds of nitrogen, 40 of potash 
and 15 of phosphoric acid. You will see, therefore, 
that five tons of such hay represent a heavy draft 
upon the soil. To sustain this heavy and quick growth, 
the soil must be fed with available plant food put on 
just at the right time. 
Mr. Clark does not like stable manure for the grass 
crop. It seeds the ground to weeds, which have no 
place in good hay. The place for manure is on some 
crop like corn, where constant and thorough cultiva¬ 
tion is possible. This keeps out the weeds which are 
seeded with the manure, and after another year of 
careful culture, the ground may be fitted for grass. 
There is no way to cultivate grass land, however, and 
the manure weeds grow and thrive between the 
Timothy plants. Mr. Clark found some dock in the 
field this year. This was cleared out by cutting the 
roots out with a sharp knife, but of course, this would 
be impossible with smaller weeds. The object of the 
thorough working before the grass seed was sown 
was to kill out the weeds that were then growing in 
the soil. After all this work, it would be nonsense to 
seed the land to weeds again by putting on manure. 
Another reason why Mr. Clark does not use manure 
is because a mulch would form a hiding place for mice, 
and kill out more or less of the grass. Wherever you 
find a clump of manure or a thick bunch of refuse in 
the meadow, you are likely to find dead grass. Mr. 
Clark clips off the grass in the Fall and rakes the tore 
or dead grass away. Experiment has shown him time 
and again that it is a mistake to leave a coating of 
manure or refuse on Timothy meadows. Strawber¬ 
ries are helped by mulching them after the ground 
has frozen. Many farmers put the manure during 
Summer and Fall on the sod that is to be plowed under 
for corn the following Spring. There are, probably, 
no other cases where it is not better to plow the 
manure into the ground. As this cannot be done on 
the grass crop, Mr. Clark does not want it on his field. 
It is safe to say that you cannot grow five tons of 
grass to the acre and use stable manure for plant food. 
Fertilizers Are Best. —For reasons given above, 
Mr. Clark does not use manure on the grass. To sup¬ 
ply the great demands for plant food, he uses ferti¬ 
lizers. There are no weed seeds in fertilizers. They 
are fine, and may be scattered evenly so that every 
square inch of soil will have its share. This is im¬ 
portant when we remember that, in order to produce 
five tons per acre, the grass must be thick. Mr. Clark 
uses a fertilizer mixed by The Rogers & 
Hubbard Company. A good mixture for 
such grass would be one part each by 
weight of nitrate of soda and muriate of 
potash and three parts of fine ground 
bone. In using such a mixture, the best 
plan would be to broadcast the muriate 
and bone at the time of seeding, or, in 
subsequent years, in the Fall, after the 
second cutting. The nitrate of soda may 
be used in the Spring. This is a soluble 
and quick form of nitrogen needed just 
as the grass starts to make its rank 
Spring growth. 
Mr. Clark puts the fertilizer on with 
great care—running lines across the field 
and thus getting the fertilizer evenly 
spread. Every year, 600 or more pounds 
of the fertilizer are used. Even on his 
strong soil, he said that a failure to fer¬ 
tilize each year would cut down the 
grass by one-half. Not only this, but if 
feeding were stopped, the Timothy and 
Red-top would suffer, and worthless 
grasses and weeds would come in. These 
cultivated grasses are like improved 
animals. They have not been bred for 
hustling, but are intended to utilize and 
appropriate large quantities of plant 
food. If we expect heavy grass, we 
must feed for it. In seeding, the fer¬ 
tilizers are worked in with the seed— 
harrowed again and again in order to 
secure a perfect distribution. 
It will be seen that “five tons per acre ” 
involve work, care, patience and some expense. The 
farmer who undertakes this method of grass culture 
must be prepared to spend some money at it. The 
land itself must be natural grass land—that is, 
naturally moist and at the same time well drained. 
In seeding light or sandy soils, the seed should be 
put in deeper than on heavy land, and thoroughly 
rolled. A farmer cannot expect to grow five tons per 
acre on rough or stony land. 
Mr. Clark’s grass land was originally a rough huckle¬ 
berry pasture, but the grubs and roots were all dug 
out, the rocks blown out and the stones picked up. 
All these things were necessary before the land could 
be properly smoothed and graded. Many farmers 
may be willing enough to buy the seed and the ferti¬ 
lizer, but they will fail in giving the seed-bed that 
perfect condition which grass seed demands. It is 
next to impossible to work soil too much before seed¬ 
ing to grass. Do not take the wheat crop as your 
standard for soil preparation. h. w. c. 
The use of iron and steel rooting and siding offers very many 
advantages. It is the most complete and longest-lived protec¬ 
tion against the action of the elements. It is lightning-proof in 
the sense that, if a building so covered were stricken, the iron 
would not take tire, neither would there be any damage. There 
is said to be no case on record of a building covered with iron or 
steel roofing having been damaged in any manner by lightning. 
This is due to the fact that the area of metal scatters and con¬ 
ducts the electric fluid off into the air without harm. It can’t 
blow off, as is often the case with ordinary shingles. When the 
length of service is considered, it is cheaper than shingles, wood¬ 
siding, composition, gravel, paper, etc. The», it can be laid by 
anybody; it doesn’t take a special mechanic to do the work. 
Gedge Brothers Iron and Roofing Company, of Anderson, Ind., 
publish a little booklet on the subject of roofing. Send for a copy. 
UNCLE SAM SPOILS A GOOD MAP. Fig. 262. 
The New York Herald pictures Uncle Sam at work with his shears clipping a few blocks out 
of the map. Dame Europe looks on in horror, but doesn’t relish the job of interfering with the 
old gentleman. 
