1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 58i 
Among the Marketmen 
WHAT I SEE AND HEAR. 
Some More Good Fruit Packages. —In Pigs. 
269 and 270 are shown types of very neat, handy and 
serviceable 
crates that are 
used for ship¬ 
ping fruits and 
v egetables 
from the South. 
Fig. 269 con¬ 
tains eight 3- 
pound baskets, 
and Fig. 270, eight 5-pound baskets. There are many 
variations in the style and size of these packages, hut 
all are made on 
the same gen¬ 
eral plan. They 
are light and 
convenient t o 
handle, give 
good ventila¬ 
tion, protect 
the contents, 
and are much 
liked by retail¬ 
ers, as the small baskets are just of a size for retail¬ 
ing conveniently. 
X X X 
Hay Prospects. —Dealers here all look for bounti¬ 
ful supplies of hay during the coming year. Supplies 
of old hay have been good, and the re¬ 
ports from the new crop indicate that it 
is the heaviest for 10 years back. Re¬ 
ports from most parts of the country, 
too, are to the effect that the condition 
is far above the average. The weather 
during most of the haying season was 
very favorable for securing a crop, hence, 
the quality is excellent. According to 
this, we have no reason to anticipate 
remarkably high prices fertile year to 
come. 
X X X 
Georgia Peaches from Cold Stor¬ 
age. —Georgia peaches are still offered 
for sale, but they are largely from the 
cold-storage houses. Elbertas are about 
gone, but the Emma, a very large and 
fine-looking peach, later than the El- 
berta, is now seen in considerable quan¬ 
tity. While these are not nearly of so 
good quality as those we had a week 
or two ago, good, firm ones sell for more 
than double the former prices. The job¬ 
bers have been asking $3 per six-till car¬ 
rier for those now on sale, which makes 
them come very nearly under the head 
of luxuries. Cold-storage facilities 
lengthen the market by, at least, two or 
three weeks, and help to avoid such dis¬ 
astrous gluts as have sometimes occurred 
X X X 
Coops for Shipping Live Fowls, 
—Last week I spoke of these; I have 
just seen another style that is so de¬ 
sirable that I will describe it. It was large enough 
to hold from 20 to 25 fowls, which would make it 
weigh when filled, probably not far from 100 pounds, 
possibly somewhat more. It was about 20 inches, at 
least, high, the bottom solid, the ends made of boards, 
each end having a slit cut in for a convenient handle; 
the sides were slatted, and the top slatted, with the 
exception of the center-piece, which contained a solid 
door hung on hinges and fastened with a hasp. This 
door was large enough to put in and take out the 
fowls, conveniently, and did away with all nailing or 
tacking on of the cover. The door could be locked if 
desired. The coop is, evidently, used by regular ship¬ 
pers, the express companies returning it when empty. 
An excellent feature about it was its height. The 
fowls could stand up in it without trouble, and I 
noticed that it was not overcrowded. It was evidently 
made and used by a man who knew his business. 
X X X 
Clear the Track. —The New York Central Railroad 
runs some of its freight trains down along the streets 
on the west part of the city, to several of its down¬ 
town freight depots, running them right through the 
streets on the same tracks often, on which the street 
cars run. It is dangerous business, that is dangerous 
for the people who get on the track, running such 
trains through a crowded city. But a feature of this 
business that attracts the attention of all strangers, 
is a boy on horseback, armed with a red flag, who 
gallops along the street ahead of the train, warning 
the people of its approach and clearing the track for 
the train following him. This is one of the incidental 
features connected with the transportation of products 
to the city, of which there are many that interest the 
observer. f. h. v. 
A FIVE-TON GRASS CROP. 
HOW IT IS PRODUCED AND MADE. 
Part IV. 
[editorial correspondence.] 
Since writing last week’s article, readers have 
asked how much grass Mr. Clark cut from his field 
this year. As was stated, there are platform scales 
right by the hay mow, and every load is weighed as 
it comes from the field. There are 15% acres in grass 
this year, and here we have the statement of yield : 
Figures of the Grass Crop. 
Total on 15>4 acres. 
Pounds. 
. 152,156 
Best 10J4 acres. 
. 115,105 
Poorest five acres. 
. . .. 
. 37,051 
Average on 10*4 acres. 
Average on five acres. 
Average on w'hole field. 
Best acre. 
. 12,810 
Second best acre. 
The field contains 16 acres, but on the upper portion 
of it, Mr. Clark has now set an orchard of young plum 
trees. The trees were set in the Spring in good-sized 
holes dug in the sod. A space of about three feet 
around each tree was kept clean, and the grass per¬ 
mitted to grow on the rest of the ground. This yield, 
therefore, represents 15% acres—about half an acre 
being occupied by the young trees. The grass on the 
upper part of the field will be cut one more year, and 
then the plum orchard will occupy it. Mr. Clark says 
that he feels confident that the plum trees will pay 
him in time, for they were well set and have been 
well fed with reliable fertilizer. That is certainly 
what has made the grass crop famous—good seeding 
and heavy feeding. 
Last year’s crop was from 16 acres, and gave 155,400 
pounds of hay. On 10% acres, the yield was 118,804 
pounds, and on the poorest 5% acres, 36,605. This 
gave an average per acre of 11,314 pounds on 10% 
acres, and 6,656 pounds on 5% acres. The total field 
gave an average of 9,713 pounds per acre last year, 
which was just two pounds above this year’s crop. 
Last year’s best acre gave about 400 pounds more than 
the best acre of 1898. This is getting close enough to 
five tons per acre for all practical purposes. It is re¬ 
markable that this grass should keep up its yield 
year after year in this way. 
Farmers who are seeding to grass this Fall should 
keep in mind the principles of this method of heavy 
grass culture. In the first place, do not be satisfied 
with working the ground just a little more than you 
have in former years. Work it just three times as 
much, doing the work with some tearing or digging 
tool that will throw the soil and roots up rather than 
turn them down out of sight. There is no use trying 
to raise five tons of hay on an acre of stony land. You 
must have a clear surface so that, in seeding, the 
seeds may fall everywhere. Do not be afraid to use 
too much seed. By doubling the number of plants on 
an acre, you can double the yield easier than you can 
by doubling the length of the stem. You get better 
hay, too. Do not use manure in seeding down or in 
top-dressing the meadows. You have other crops, 
like corn, that will make better use of the manure. 
If you use fertilizers at all, put part of them on the 
permanent meadows. This method of grass culture 
is better adapted to permanent meadows than to a 
rotation where grain is grown. h. w. c. 
NOTES ON THE WHEAT CROP. 
In Central New Jersey. —Most of the wheat 
raised in this section follows oats ; some is sown after 
potatoes and corn, but not any great amount. What 
manure is made on the farm is generally used on the 
wheat, and about 300 pounds of fertilizer per acre ; 
but the farmers that want to raise a large crop of 
wheat (and do it) use about 10 tons of good manure 
and about 600 pounds of high grade wheat fertilizer 
per acre. For an ideal preparation of the ground (if 
to follow oats) I would plow as soon as the crop is 
harvested, harrow often enough to keep weeds down, 
and put on the manure about September 1; after¬ 
wards harrow with a spring-tooth harrow twice, and 
as often with the smoothing harrow, and seed about 
September 25, not before. Several varieties of wheat 
are sown, and the Winter Fife has given the largest 
yield, I think. About 1% bushel per acre is the aver¬ 
age amount sown ; some use more, some less; it de¬ 
pends a good deal on the fertility of the soil. 
Somerset County, N. J. runyon field. 
Stable Manure and Clover. — The soil in this 
vicinity is much varied in its character 
from sand to heavy clay and swamp 
muck. In general it is a friable clay 
loam thoroughly underdrained by Na¬ 
ture. In wheat raising, no commercial 
fertilizers have been used to any extent. 
The experiments so far tried with them 
have not shown them to be of any prac¬ 
tical value on our soil. Stable manure 
and clover are the main reliance for 
keeping up the fertility of the soil. The 
best crops of wheat follow a crop of 
clover which is plowed under the last of 
May or in June, and the ground kept 
well worked down until seeding time. 
This is not usually done, as the farmer 
generally prefers to save the clover 
for hay. In that case, after the hay is 
off, it is generally pastured for a time 
and followed by corn, the stable manure 
being used with the corn. After this, 
wheat is sown, generally on Summer 
fallow. Considerable wheat is sown 
among the standing corn. In some cases, 
as large crops have been raised in this 
way as on Summer fallow, but these are 
exceptional seasons. The wheat in this 
vicinity is generally sown about Septem¬ 
ber 10, late-sown wheat being more likely 
to escape the ravages of the Hessian fly 
at least in the Fall. When the fly does 
not trouble, it is better to sow, at least, 
a week earlier. In good wheat years, the 
yield in this vicinity, when it follows 
clover or on Summer fallow, is from 
30 to 45 bushels per acre. A few excep¬ 
tional crops of 50 bushels per acre have 
been reported. The variety of wheat which, for the 
past 20 years, has given the best crops, is the White 
Clawson. No other variety has ever equaled it for the 
length of time. It is less sown now than formerly, 
partly because of the difficulty of getting pure seed. 
The Rudy wheat has been quite popular for a few 
years. It is a great yielder, but farmers do not like 
the beards, and it is thought by many to be more 
liable to smut than other varieties. This year, the 
Dawson’s Golden Chaff is coming into prominence, and 
many crops of 30 to 45 bushels per acre are being 
reported. f. iiodgman. 
Kalamazoo County, Mich. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
When it comes to grain drills, the A. B. Farquhar Co., York, 
Pa., believe that they have the most perfect working one on the 
market. It sows all kinds of grain and fertilizer. They’ll be glad 
to send descriptive circulars if you’re interested. 
Shopping by mail is a great deal easier than being pulled and 
hauled and hustled about by the big crowds in the great dry 
goods stores this hot weather. Boggs & Buhl, Dept. G., Allegheny, 
Pa., will send samples and catalogue on application, that will 
enable you to select just the goods you desire. 
The Automatic Grip Neck Yoke Co., of Indianapolis, Ind., are 
manufacturing a neck yoke for carriages, buggies, farm wagons, 
etc. The leading feature is the neck yoke center, a cut of which 
is shown in the advertisement. Should the traces break or be¬ 
come detached for any reason, the grip immediately closes on 
the ground and prevents it from dropping to the ground. Many 
serious accidents result from the tongue running into the 
ground and completely overturning the vehicle. This is impossible 
where this neck yoke is used. These people are asking for agents. 
“DON’T FOOL THE OLD GENTLEMAN!” Fig. 271. 
When Spain’s suggestion of peace was first made, many considered it only a part of Spanish 
“ diplomacy ”. Naturally we have come to distrust Spain, and in this picture the New York Herald 
artist portrays what thousands thought. Happily Spain was forced to be sincere this time, and 
peace is assured. 
