1898 
THH RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
8o7 
On the Wing. 
GLA SS GARDENING IN THE BAY STA TE 
TUK HOME OF THE MARSHALL STRAW¬ 
BERRY ; WHERE THE CUCUM¬ 
BERS COME FROM. 
( Continued .) 
fEDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.! 
Temperature for Tomatoes. — The 
temperature in Dr. Fisher’s tomato 
houses runs from 60 to 80 degrees. To¬ 
matoes are warm-weather plants, and 
they will not endure a chill without check 
of growth. On dull, cloudy days, the 
heat is held at the lower temperature ; 
heat without sun is not, in Dr. Fisher’s 
opinion, at all desirable. During dull 
weather, the flowers do not set fruit so 
well as on sunny days, and more per¬ 
sistence is required in fertilizing them. 
Artificial climate may be secured, with¬ 
out reference to the sun, but when the 
glass gardener is trying to secure fruit 
or flowers, he finds that the sun is some¬ 
thing more than a giver of heat and 
light. Some of the lettuce growers told 
me that absence of sun made little or no 
difference to their crops ; but then they 
are growing leaves only, whereas the 
plants grown for fruit and flowers are 
putting forth the supreme effort of their 
species. They need the vivifying effect 
of the sun, as well as the heat of its rays. 
Feeding the Tomatoes. —Most truck 
farmers believe in stable manure first, 
last and all the time, and the quantities 
they use would cause an ordinary all¬ 
outdoors farmer to gasp in astonishment. 
I asked Dr. Fisher how long the toma¬ 
toes in boxes would find sufficient nour¬ 
ishment in the material supplied by the 
soil, and whether he aided this by fur¬ 
ther additions of soil or manure. He said 
that, as soon as the plants showed, by 
their appearance, that they needed more 
nourishment, it was supplied to them. 
The indications of deficient nourishment 
are a paler tinge of green and less vigor¬ 
ous growth ; but, of course, the plants 
receive food before this weakness is mani¬ 
fest. Some growers give a further top¬ 
dressing of manure or compost, but Dr. 
Fisher uses a chemical formula of his 
own, which he uses, also, upon his or¬ 
chard fruits. It is adapted to the needs 
of his soil and locality. 
Dr. Fisher’s Fertilizer. —This fer¬ 
tilizer is mixed as follows, the quantities 
given making the amount applied to one 
acre of fruit : 240 pounds sulphate of pot¬ 
ash, 160 pounds nitrate of soda, 130 
pounds sulphate of ammonia, 250 pounds 
acid phosphate, 90 pounds keiserite. 
This mixture gives 13.75 per cent potash, 
5.8 nitrogen, 3.7 phosphoric acid, 1.7 
magnesia. I asked Dr. Fisher what ma¬ 
terial he uses for a filler, and he ob¬ 
served, with a twinkle behind his shin¬ 
ing spectacles, that a filler is unnecessary, 
as he doesn’t make the mixture for sale. 
He observed that magnesia is often 
omitted from fertilizers of this class, 
whereas there is a deficiency of it in his 
soil, and a need for it to perfect plant 
growth. 
Applying the Fertilizer. —This fer¬ 
tilizer is used as a surface dressing in 
the orchard, and could be applied in the 
same way to the tomatoes; but Dr. 
Fisher’s plan is to give it as a liquid. 
Owing to the way the water is given by 
the subirrigation, the fertilizer is very 
easily applied. Dr. Fisher gives it once 
a week, one ounce to each box, the box 
holding two plants. Every Monday, the 
plants receive this, not because there is 
any special virtue in the day, but be¬ 
cause there is no risk of forgetting it, 
when one special day is fixed upon for 
the duty. If this plan is not followed, 
the fertilizer may be used constantly in 
the proportion of 10 parts of the mixture 
to 500 parts of water. 
A Word About Soils.—M y attention 
MOTHERS.—Be sure to use “Mrs. Wins¬ 
low’s Soothing Syrup ” for your children 
while Teething. It is the Best.— Adv. 
was drawn to three different boxes of 
tomatoes, which showed varying 
strength of growth. One box contained 
pure sand, another Jadoo fibre, and a 
third the fibrous compost selected for 
all the tomatoes. At that stage of 
growth, *the comparison was much in 
favor of the ordinary compost. Those 
in the Jadoo fibre had made more growth 
than the plants in pure sand, but the 
foliage was yellowish in color and, in 
Dr. Fisher’s opinion, the plants were 
not receiving enough nourishment. The 
mechanical condition of the fibre he con¬ 
sidered excellent, and this contrasted 
strongly with the sand, which naturally 
packs down too firmly. The fibrous 
compost ordinarily selected continued 
in a light, open condition, like the 
lighter fibre, because it is never packed 
down by overhead watering. Where, as 
in this case, there is no overhead water¬ 
ing, the hard, caked surface, which 
leads to the growth of green moss and 
other low forms of life, is entirely ab¬ 
sent. 
Diseases Under Glass. — Brown rot, 
appearing first, as a rule, around the 
stem of the tomato, is one of the trou¬ 
bles under glass, and one we understand 
very little. Dr. Fisher’s experience, 
however, leads him to consider irregular 
watering one cause, at least, and so far, 
this trouble has not appeared with the 
sub-irrigated plants. When it does ap¬ 
pear, the fruit attacked is ruined, and 
the only recourse is to remove the dam¬ 
aged tomato, since no treatment would 
render it suitable for market. Mildew 
is another trouble, probably caused by 
chill or variation of temperature. The 
remedy used is the boiling of sulphur, 
which is more efficacious than the dust¬ 
ing of powdered sulphur over the af¬ 
fected leaves. The sulphur is put in a 
small iron kettle, and placed upon a lit¬ 
tle oil stove, being allowed to melt to¬ 
gether until the material boils vigor¬ 
ously, filling the house with its fumes. 
The sulphur must not be allowed to take 
fire; it is more liable to burn when a 
very small quantity is placed in the ket¬ 
tle. The fumes of burning sulphur are 
very injurious to plants, and care must 
be used in evaporating the sulphur. 
Hydrocyanic Acid as an Insecticide. 
—Dr. Fisher uses, for the destruction of 
insects, hydrocyanic acid. Reference 
has been made to the use of this chemi¬ 
cal, in recent issues of The R. N.-Y. 
Dr. Fisher uses it, however, rather dif¬ 
ferently from the directions generally 
given. In a recent issue of American 
Gardening, he describes his process as 
follows: 
For a house, say 100 feet long, 20 feet wide, with 
an average of six feet in height, containing 
12,000 cubic feet, I would proceed as follows: 
Take two glazed vessels of about two quarts’ ca¬ 
pacity, and measure into each six fluid ounces of 
commercial sulphuric acid (if by weight, 10 
ounces), with three times the measure of water. 
The mixture will heat but do no harm. These 
vessels are to be placed near the middle of each 
half of the house. Weigh out from a package of 
cyanide of potassium c. p. (chemically pure), 
which comes in sealed, tin packages containing 
a pound each, resembling loaf sugar, and cost¬ 
ing from 40 cents per pound upward, depending 
on the source from which obtained, two lots of 
six ounces each. Place each one on a paper by 
the side of a dish containing the acid and water. 
This preparation should be made at the close of 
a day when all is still. Having closed the house, 
go to the vessel farthest from the door just before 
dark, and empty the contents of the paper into 
the acid mixture. Proceed to the other and re¬ 
peat the operation there and walk out, closiug 
the door, which is not to be opened until the next 
morning. If you are very timid, you can hold 
your breath and be active, but it will require five 
to ten minutes to complete the chemical action, 
and the diffusion of the gas will take longer. It 
will, however, be all dissipated before morning. 
In the ease of a house infested with 
Aleyrodes, a tiny white fly found oc¬ 
casionally in greenhouses at the North, 
but more abundant southward, one ap¬ 
plication of the hydrocyanic acid as de¬ 
scribed proved efficacious, not only in 
destroying the mature flies, but also in 
killing the eggs, so that no further 
broods developed. 
Danger of this Treatment. —Tomato 
foliage, when young, is quite susceptible, 
but the application described did not 
injure the tenderest shoot. Different 
plants, however, vary greatly in their 
degree of susceptibility. It must be re¬ 
membered that all animal life is seriously 
affected by the gas thus generated, and 
the least carelessness is attended with 
serious danger. Dr. Fisher uses a much 
weaker application than has been used 
hitherto, and is thoroughly successful 
with it. The one point in his method 
which has been criticised is the method 
of emptying the cyanide into the acid 
mixture while still in the house. Every 
one does not possess the same skill and 
knowledge, and we must not lose sight 
of the fact that momentary carelessness, 
with this material, may mean death. 
Says Dr. J. M. W. Kitchen, writing to 
American Gardening : 
The use of the gas as prepared by this process 
is too frightfully dangerous to warrant it being 
handled by any but the most skillful hands 
Even with an exceptional degree of knowledge 
of general chemistry, and with a special knowl¬ 
edge of the physiological action of poisons, and 
using the utmost possible personal care in my 
methods, I have had several narrow escapes in 
my experimenting. In inexpert hands, the danger 
is vastly increased. A little of the dust from the 
cyanide powder, if inhaled direct in using it, or 
if it get on the hands or clothing, may result 
seriously. A moderate whiff of the gas, if in¬ 
cautiously inhaled, stuns one as though it were 
a severe blow in the face by a club. Amounts of 
the gas dangerous to breathe may be inhaled 
without direptly noticeable effect to dull, or even 
ordinary, perception, the first perceptible effect 
being a dizziness in the head followed by a slight 
peach-pit-like flavor at the back of the nose and 
mouth in the upper pharynx. So very diffusive 
is the gas that one long breath of a very dilute 
solution may thus be perceived at the back of 
the mouth 15 hours after inhalation. I have been 
made very dizzy by a quick walk of 25 feet to the 
ventilating apparatus in a house at 9 a. m , in 
which the gas had been generated at 5 o’clock 
the previous afternoon. One is liable to be burned 
by the handling of the sulphuric acid alone, as 
well as suffer danger to clothing, adjacent plants 
and structures, during the generation of the gas, 
or the subsequent clearing up after the process. 
The whole method is dangerous, inconvenient 
and entirely too costly for general use. 
A Hilltop Home. —Dr. Fisher’s home 
is on a breezy hilltop, with an undulat¬ 
ing' landscape of hills and valleys about 
it. Thrifty orchards and small fruits 
about it bespeak the care bestowed. Here 
the venerable Doctor spends a life of 
ceaseless activity, keeping an inquiring 
and ever-young mind beneath his frosteu 
locks. I never yet met a man devoted to 
finding out things about trees and plants 
and flowers who didn’t keep young at 
heart through the process. It is a wise 
plan to set up an enthusiasm while we 
are young, and nothing is more lasting 
than a passion for the green and grow¬ 
ing things of earth. e. t. r. 
(To be continued.) 
B.*B. 
Ladies’ dollar Kid gloves 75c. pair 
—2 clasp — stylish embroidery — these 
colors : tan, mode, green, navy blue, 
white, pearl, black, made to sell this 
season at a dollar a pair. Large cash 
buying got them to sell as above. Send 
your orders—say what size or sizes and 
colors you want—and save 25c. on each 
pair. 
Greatest preparation for your holiday 
buyiug here ever this store made— 
largest assortments of choice novel and 
useful gift goods. We’re determined to 
do greater business — with less prices 
that will get it. 
Any or all of these helps sent free : 
“Christmas Handkerchiefs.” 
“ Holiday Gloves.” 
“ Book News.” 
“ Fur Booklet.” 
If you haven’t already the big 250- 
page illustrated store catalogue, ask for 
it, too,—free. 
See, by sample, what handsome 
striped Taffeta Silks, 65c. yard—smart 
styles for waists. 
BOGGS & BUHL, 
Department C, 
ALLEGHENY, PA. 
Enameliite 
” THE MODERN 
Stove Polish 
PASTE,CAKE 
OR LIQU/D 
After using Enameline 
No Housekeeper will ever 
use any other Brand. 
J.LPrescott&Co.NEwYoRK 
SAVE^YOURFUEL 
By using our (stovepipe) RADIATOR 
With its 120 Cross Tubes, 
ONE stove or furnace does the work of 
TWO. Drop postal for proofs from 
prominent men. 
TO INTRODUCE OUR RADIATOR, 
where we have no active agent we 
will sell at wholesale price. Wrlteat 
,nce. 
Rochester Radiator Company, 
Ort t- __Of 
10 to $25 SAVED 
buying direct from factory. SO 
free trial. No agents largo 
to pay.No money in advance 
Kenwood Machine for.$22.50 
No better Machine at any price. 
rllnjrton Machine for.? 19.50 
Machine* $8.00, $11.60 and $16.00 
al) attachment* free, over 100,000 In 
use. Catalogue and testimonials free 
Write today for special freight offer. 
I6.-1M4 «... 
SOLD!®®- 
UNDER A 
POSITIVE GUARANTEE 
to wash an clean an can be done on the washboard and 
with much more ease. This applies to TerrlfT. Perfect 
Washing Machine which will be sent on trial at wholesale 
price; If not satisfactory money refunded, Aceata 
wanted, ffor exclnsive territory .terms and prices write 
PORTLAND MFtr. CO, Box 14 Portliind, Mich. 
WATCH AND CHAIN FOR ONE DAY'S WORK. 
Boys and Girls can get a Nickel-Plated Watch, 
also a Chain and Charm for selling 11-2 dozen 
Packages of Bluine at 10 cents each. Send your 
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the Bluine post-paid, and a large Premium List. 
No money required. 
BI.UINB CO. Box 353, Concord Junction, Mass. 
_ GEARHART'S IMPROVED FAMILY 
KNITTING 
^ Cheapest and best. Sell 1 2 and get youre free/^"" 
Send f °r particulars, and free samples of work knit on 
my newKIbblng Attachnicit Yarn in stock. Address 
J. E. UKAR1IAKT, Box A 27 CLEARFIELD, PA. 
MACKINTOSHES. 
Men’* all wool Tricot, $ 9*00 
Ulloi’ ecchmara two-c*p« t 94.00 
T1i«m waterproof garamta would coat y*u 0 z$.m 
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sample, stating bust mean re and leagta. Ageate 
wanted everywhere. Address, 
M. F. REESE SUPPLY CO., Setauket, N. V. 
Buy a Phonograph 
If you think of buying a talking machinc-^-not a phone, 
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National Phonograph Co., 
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Factory at Edison's Laboratory, 
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No. H (Latest Edition.) 
ANYONE INTERESTED 
in Agricultural Pursuit* can’t 
afford to be without the 
AGRICULTURAL EPITOMIST. 
Sample copy Free to any u<l<ire*s 
upon receipt of name and address 
f uainly written on postal card nam- 
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