1398 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
421 
Among the Marketmen. 
WIIAT I SEE AND HEAR. 
Market Names. —Life is too short for the busy 
marketmen to call things by their proper names 
always, especially when those names are long ones. 
Asparagus is always dubbed grass. Cucumbers don’t 
lose any of their crispness by being called cukes. 
Pineapples—why apples ?—are designated as pines, 
etc. Brevity is money in one’s pocket, oftentimes. 
X X X 
Patriotic Names for Fruits. —In one commission 
house, I saw a pile of pineapples in long crates. The 
name of the variety was stenciled on the end of each 
crate, like this. Red Spanish Pines. Probably the 
packer had caught the prevailing patriotic spirit, or 
perhaps he had learned of the public aversion to any¬ 
thing savoring of Spain, so a number of them were 
changed and bore these legends, Red Dewey Pines, 
Red Sampson Pines. This, certainly, ought to help 
sell the fruit to patriotic Americans. 
i X t 
Florida Pineapples. —A Florida paper says that 
this crop, though not up to the average, is better than 
had been expected. The crop is now estimated to be 
from 150,000 to 100,000 crates. The quality is good, 
and the prices are enough higher to make up for the 
deficiency in quantity. The fruit from the Florida 
Keys is smaller, and not of so good flavor as that from 
the Indian River district, and the market is injured 
for the latter many times, because the shippers from 
the Keys mark their fruit, Indian River. 
X X X 
Apple Barrels. —Apples are received from some 
parts of the country in what are known as round- 
hooped flour barrels. Some wholesalers say that 
dealers will pay a higher price usually for apples so 
packed, because they imagine that the barrels are 
larger, and that they are getting more for their 
money. The fact is that these barrels hold no more 
than the standard apple barrels, and not so much as 
some. Dealers do not agree as to just the size of the 
standard barrel, but they do all agree in condemning 
the pony barrel. 
X X X 
Hothouse Peaches. —In keeping with their cost, 
was the method of packing a basket of hothouse 
peaches. They were small, but very highly colored 
and of beautiful appearance; each was wrapped in a 
cup-shaped paper, so arranged as to be open at the 
top and to show the highly-colored cheek of the fruit. 
Each layer was covered with excelsior, and all very 
carefully covered with fine white paper. The dealer 
said that they were of very fine quality, but very deli¬ 
cate, and sold wholesale at from $3 to $0 per dozen. I 
took his word as to the quality, thinking this the 
cheaper way. 
X X X 
Strawberry Supplies. —The market has been nearly 
glutted with strawberries the past week. The quan¬ 
tity shipped has been large, and the quality below 
average. This has come from the heavy rainfall which 
has made the fruit soft and watery. This has cur¬ 
tailed the outlet, as those who buy fruit to ship out of 
the city, have not dared to buy this soft fruit, because 
it will not stand reshipping. Another outlet has been 
closed, because the fruit is not fit for canners’ use, 
and they generally step in and take up the surplus 
when prices get so low. It is hoped that better 
weather will improve the quality of the fruit, that the 
growers may receive better prices. 
X X X 
Apples in Boxes. —One wholesale fruit dealer was 
packing some very fine Ben Davis apples from Virginia 
in boxes holding about one bushel. The box was 
quite long and wide, but shallow and made a very 
neat package. He said that he sold a good many of 
them, and received $2 per box. The barrels from 
which he was filling them would average about three 
boxes to the barrel. Some pony barrels, he said, 
would not average more then 3% boxes to the barrel. 
As a usual thing, these smaller, fancy packages pay 
better when fruit is scarce and prices high ; when ap¬ 
ples are plentiful, they would not pay. 
X X X 
A Cranberry Fraud.— One dealer told me of buy¬ 
ing 50 crates of cranberries which, from all that could 
be seen from the outside, were large and of fine 
quality. The very first ones sold and opened, dis¬ 
closed the method of packing; the bottom had been 
covered with fine fruit; then a box without top or 
bottom, and about an inch or two smaller than the 
inside of the crate, had been lowered into the crate ; 
all around consisted of choice cranberries, while the 
middle box was filled with inferior trash. I was told 
once of a peach grower who filled his peach baskets 
in much the same way, using a stove pipe to fill up 
the middle of the basket, in which he placed the culls ; 
but he gave himself away by forgetting to remove the 
pipe from the last basket he packed, and sending it to 
market in that shape. These methods are certainly 
not such as will tend to build up a reputation for any 
grower or dealer. 
X X X 
Infertile Duck Eggs. — I discovered one commis¬ 
sion merchant in a peck of trouble. He had received 
a consignment of duck eggs for sale. A man bought 
them, and after a week or so, returned with fire in his 
eye and hard words in his mouth. He threatened the 
dealer with dire vengeance for selling him duck eggs 
that had been in an incubator for a number of days, 
and had then been tested out because infertile. It 
seems that he wanted duck eggs to put in his own in¬ 
cubator, and instead o buying them of breeders, and 
being sure of getting good ones, he bought these in 
the market at market prices, and then was mad be¬ 
cause they had not hatched out ducks to his satisfac¬ 
tion. He threatened the dealer with all sorts of ven¬ 
geance, but at last accounts, the dealer was still alive 
—but the eggs were dead. This is a common method 
of disposing of infertile eggs from the duck farms, by 
sending them to the city. The regular dealers all 
understand this, and sell the eggs for what they are. 
but whether the consumer is as well posted when 
buying them, is another question. 
MAKING THE HAY CROP. 
methods and tools used by good farmers. 
What Not To Do. 
When to Cut. —Advices from correspondents in all 
parts of the country indicate a large crop of hay. In 
California and the Far West, the drought has been 
severe. In most hay-producing sections, rains have 
been abundant, and a large crop is assured. Opinions 
have greatly changed during the past 10 years as to 
the best time for cutting hay. Formerly, it was 
thought best to let Timothy stand until the seeds 
were fully ripe. The best farmers now favor early 
cutting of grass. One reader in Connecticut says that 
grass for feeding should be cut from .1 line 20 to July 4 ; 
that intended for market is cut later, or immediately 
after July 4. The reason for this difference seems to 
be that experience has shown that early-cut hay is 
more nutritious, but that late-cut hay is easier to bale 
and quicker to dry. Opinions have also changed re¬ 
garding the time needed for curing hay. Formerly, the 
plan was to leave hay in the field three or four days ; 
now the best farmers seldom cock their hay at all. 
The Connecticut reader referred to above, says : 
“ Unless I have clover to cut, very little hay is kept in 
the field. Usually the hay is raked into medium-sized 
windrows while still warm, and allowed, if necessary, 
to remain out in the field until the next day, when it 
is again stirred sufficiently to eliminate all moisture, 
and is taken by the loader without further handling, 
and carried to the barn.” An Illinois reader says that 
he cuts Timothy as soon as the dew is off, and in good 
weather, can house it the same day. This man cuts 
clover in the after part of the day, and with fair 
weather, can haul it in 24 hours later. As another 
Illinois reader expressed it, he does not want hay to 
stand over half a day after it is cut, if the sun is 
shining brightly. These men understand that the 
moisture is taken out of the hay by the wind rather 
than by the sun. There is some difference of opinion 
as to the best time in the day for cutting the hay. 
Most farmers, however, seem to agree that they would 
rather begin cutting Timothy in the morning, and 
clover after dinner. 
The Hay Tedder.— There is a great difference of 
opinion as to the value of a hay tedder. In New Eng¬ 
land and along the Atlantic coast, generally, farmers 
use this tool, although there are exceptions. In cases 
where the grass is very stout, or gets a bit of rain on 
it, the tedder is very useful, as it shakes up the hay 
and lets the air into it. A farmer in Broome County, 
N. Y., however, says that a tedder will not pay for its 
storage unless it be on the lowlands along the rivers, 
where the ground is naturally damp. Another reader 
in Maryland says that, about one year in four, the 
weather is so wet that a tedder is of great advantage, 
while during the other three years, it would hardly 
be taken into the field. On the other hand, Illinois 
readers state that there is no tool so useful and satis¬ 
factory as the tedder ; in fact, one correspondent says 
that, where the hay tedder is used, no rake is needed 
as the hay loader takes up the tedded hay with the 
greatest ease. Generally speaking, on lowlands, and 
in sections where the rainfall is likely to be uncertain, 
the hay tedder is regarded as a useful, but seldom ab¬ 
solutely necessary tool. 
Rakes and Raking. —As to rakes, most farmers are 
using the steel-tooth sulky rakes with teeth reaching 
in under the hay. We find, however, that a good 
many farmers still prefer the old-fashioned wooden 
dumping rake. This is because the wooden rake does 
not pick up so much trash with the hay. A great 
many farmers put manure on the field as soon after 
mowing as possible, using the greater part of the sup¬ 
ply of manure in this way. In handling the second 
crop, or the next year’s crop, they prefer the wooden 
dumping rake because it scratches up less of the 
manure. The best haymakers are curing hay more 
and more in the windrow, and the hay is usually raked 
the same day that it is cut. In the West, the larger 
farmers use what is known as a sweep. This is a 
long, flat rake, 30 or 40 feet long, with teeth lying 
flat on the ground. Two horses, one on each end, are 
hitched to it with a boy on each horse. After the hay 
has been raked into windrows, this sweep is driven 
back about 10 rods from the stack, the horses turned 
around, and the rake pulled directly to the stack. In 
this way, from 000 to 800 pounds of hay are pulled on 
each bunch, and this hay is put on the stack by means 
of hayforks. After hauling to the stack, the boys 
turn the horses on the sweep, and haul it out for an¬ 
other load. One reader in Connecticut says that he has 
adopted something of this plan on a level field, and 
finds it a great help in saving the cost of hay making. 
Hayloaders and Slings. —There is a great differ¬ 
ence of opinion regarding the value of hayloaders, and 
several parties say that they have given them up. But 
the majority of large haymakers find them a necessary 
part of their outfit. One reader in Connecticut says 
that he never was able to hire a set of men that would 
pitch on hay as economically as the loader will put it 
on, when the conditions are right for its use. Fairly 
stated, the evidence seems to be that, on fairly level 
ground, with the hay windrowed in good condition, 
the hayloader will soon pay for itself, where one is 
cutting 20 acres or more of hay. The majority of the 
better class of haymakers seem to realize the value of 
a low-down wagon. As one man puts it, the low-down 
wagon “ saves the top half of the loading,” and this is 
usually the heaviest half. The slings for taking the 
hay out of the wagon seem to be increasing in use. 
They are now largely used, and even where the hay¬ 
fork is used, it is quite common to put one sling at the 
bottom of the wagon, then after taking off as much of 
the load as is wanted with the forks, the sling takes 
all that is left, and cleans up the load. Judging from 
our correspondence, the harpoon fork seems to be gain¬ 
ing in popularity. 
Next week, we hope to give detailed operations of 
half a dozen good farmers, showing just how the crop 
is handled in various parts of the country. Just now, 
perhaps, the following note about what not to do in 
haying time, will help us all get ready for the hay field. 
What Not To Do.—Don't leave the mower until 
the hay is ready to cut, before looking it over for 
necessary repairs. Don’t let the clover stand until 
half the heads are brown, even if it does not take so 
long to dry. Don’t be frightened, if the hay does heat 
in the mow, and then pitch it out again to cool off : 
nothing would spoil it surer. If rainy days come, 
don’t wait; be sure to get your mower out before the 
last shower has passed, and be ready with tedder and 
forks ; while your tardy neighbors are only beginning 
to cut, you are shaking and drying yours, and you 
will get yours all into the barn just as your neighbor 
who waited to be sure that the weather was settled 
gets his into cocks and gets caught in another rain. I 
have practiced this many times, and had my laugh. 
My neighbors laughed at me first for beginning so 
soon ; I laughed last. n. t. a. 
New Jersey. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
It is cruel to work a horse with a sore under the collar or any 
other part of the harness, and there seeins to be no need of laying 
the horse up for repairs. Moore Bros., Albany, N. Y., have a gall 
powder that will heal the sore while at work. We know of no 
more skillful or reliable veterinary surgeons. 
The American Live-Stock Co., 24 State Street, New York, is a 
company composed of two well-known breeders, Messrs. Cor- 
telyou & Seward, for the purpose of buying and selling live stock 
on commission. They have (piite an extensive foreign trade. It 
would seem that they could be of service to domestic traders. 
Among the safe and convenient compounds for killing bugs, 
Slug Shot has a prominent place. It has been in use since 1880. 
Mr. Hammond, the manufacturer, has now perfected another 
pest destroyer called Cattle Comfort, for keeping flies, gnats, etc., 
from annoying live stock. Full description of these goods and 
how to use them may be had by addressing B. Hammond, Fish- 
kill-on-Hudson, N. Y. 
The firm of Lane Brothers, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., manufacturers 
of carriage jacks and other hardware specialties, has been re¬ 
organized and the business will hereafter be conducted by Lane 
Brothers Company, a joint stock association, organized under 
the laws of the State of New York. The business will be under 
the same management as heretofore, all the stockholders having 
been for years actively engaged with the former firm. 
There, probably, is scarcely a farm in the country without a 
piece of land that would be improved by underdraining. It is not 
only excessively wet land that is improved by drainage, but ex¬ 
perience shows that draining wonderfully increases the produc¬ 
tive powers of comparatively dry land. John H. Jackson, Albany, 
N.- Y., has prepared a little book called, Benefit of Drainage 
and How to Drain, that he sends free to farmers of New York and 
New England, Middle Atlantic and adjacent States. He does it, 
of course, to create trade for bis drainage supplies, but the book 
will interest every one who drains a farm. 
