374 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
June 5 
Taking the Pledge. 
J. W. S., Mexia, Tex. —Some time 
back, the good old Rural asked many 
to “ Take the Pledge ” to eat a certain 
number of apples per day. Did it ever 
occur to you, or any of your readers, 
that taking this pledge and living up to 
it would entirely obviate the necessity 
of taking the other pledge, “ to abstain 
from strong drink ” ? Who has ever 
known a person, that dearly loves fruit, 
and who cares anything for strong 
drink ? Let any interested person watch 
now a gathering of representative fruit 
men, and see if the stamp of sobriety as 
well as intelligence is not impressed on 
their very countenances. On the other 
hand, who has ever known of a regular 
confirmed drunkard to care the least for 
fruit ? Whenever a man tells the writer 
that he cares nothing for fruit, by so 
doing he right there and then tells me 
that he is a slave to either liquor or to¬ 
bacco, or both. Human beings are all 
creatures of habit. Now, if the habit 
of eating plenty of fruit will vaccinate 
the system of a person, so to speak, 
against the terrible disease of drunken¬ 
ness, why should not all of us take the 
pledge ? Could we not be the happiest 
and most prosperous nation that ever 
existed if the “ drink evil ” was not 
known ? Indeed, take the pledge to 
partake freely of the greatest of Na¬ 
ture’s gifts,ripe fruit, and thereby fortify 
the system against this great “ curse,” 
strong drink. 
Potatoes in the South. 
J. B., Thomasville, N. C.—Joseph 
Harris once wrote that the way to raise 
Irish potatoes was to manure and plow 
the land in the fall, and in the spring, 
work it over and plant. Several years 
ago, in the American Agriculturist, a 
writer on the growing of root crops, 
made the statement that the manure 
ought to be close about, or in contact 
with, the plant. If I remember cor¬ 
rectly, he referred more especially to 
the mangel. It struck me at the time 
that such a method would suit the Irish 
potatoes. I have since, now more than 
20 years, manured them that way, I 
make the rows with a two-horse turn¬ 
ing plow, going twice in a row. Then I 
put in the manure and drop the potatoes 
on it, and cover with the same kind of 
plow, going twice to the row. That 
makes quite a ridge, but after a week or 
two, or about the time that weeds begin 
to appear, I hook one horse to the har¬ 
row, if not too heavy, and let him fol¬ 
low the rows, going between two ; the 
harrow striking both at the same time 
will knock the top off, tearing up and 
covering up about all the weeds that 
have started. The same process may be 
repeated in a week or so ; after that, 
the ordinary corn cultivator or turning 
plow finishes what cultivation they get. 
I have also dropped the potato in the 
furrow first, and put the manure on the 
top ; I cannot say that I have seen any 
difference in the yield, but when planted 
on top of the manure, they came up 
quicker. Irish potatoes, in this section 
of North Carolina, come about as early 
as they do about Norfolk, Va. Prob¬ 
ably the greater number of our farmers 
litter their Irish potato patch with leaves 
and brush, or straw, if they have it. 
They rarely fail to make good potatoes 
and big yields that way, but they will 
not come quite as quickly, and all that 
litter gives considerable extra work at 
digging time. With proper manage¬ 
ment, we can raise two crops, the second 
crop after the first has been dug. The 
method is well described by Prof. Mas¬ 
sey in a recent North Carolina Experi¬ 
ment Station Bulletin. The seed from 
this second crop is decidedly the best 
for spring planting. Our people are not 
at present in the way of thus securing 
their seed. It will be a boon to them 
when once they reach it. A good deal of 
money goes out of the State for north¬ 
ern-grown seed. 
A Nest of Notes. 
J. B., Marlboro, N. Y.—The reason 
why there is “ fertility in the teeth of 
a cultivator,” and “ tillage is manure,” 
etc., is because, the soil being stirred 
and turned so that the heat of the sun 
and the air can act on it, the unavailable 
elements of plant food in the soil, and fer¬ 
tilizers used undergo a chemical change, 
and are made available. Moist, porous 
soil is a nitrogen trap, absorbs nitrogen 
from the air. That “ poor subsoil ” that 
some are afraid to turn up to the sur¬ 
face, after being exposed to the sun and 
air, undergoes a chemical change, and 
furnishes available plant food. The 
color of the soil is no proof that it is 
poor ; it is blanched, or rather, has never 
been tanned by exposure to the sun and 
hot winds. It will make a dust mulch. 
While the soil will be made deeper, and 
make more space to conserve the mois¬ 
ture, plants will root deeper and stand 
drought better. 
Poor Ben Davis ! I have set you higher 
than a King ! I have grafted you on to 
the Tompkins County King, alongside 
of the Esopus Spitzenberg. The Kings 
will not stay on the tree, with me, until 
the picking time. They grow large, the 
flavor is good, but they rot so badly that 
they are of little value. If I can get the 
blood of the three in one fruit, I may 
have something large, a good keeper, 
and something good to eat, as well as 
something fit to send to market. 
That “human balanced ration” of 
Prof. Jordan should be brought to the 
front, and kept before the people con¬ 
tinually. It would help the people gen¬ 
erally, increase the sale of milk, and so 
increase the income of all in the milk 
business, and make stronger men and 
women. 1 have thought, for some time, 
that the experiment stations could not 
do the people a greater good than to give 
us a “ balanced ration ” for humans, as 
well as animals, so that we could know 
what to eat and feed for best results. 
I have some Frances Willard grapes 
yet. You mentioned in The R. N.-Y. 
that a certain variety of potatoes set too 
many tubers. When a grape vine is short 
jointed, and sets too much fruit, we trim 
closer, or thin the fruit. That variety 
of potato, probably, does not grow as 
large tops as some, and sets the buds 
closer. Remedy, use smaller seed pieces, 
or thin by pulling out some of the 
sprouts, or don’t hill or plant so deep, 
as the more buds on a stalk are covered, 
the greater number of tubers will be 
formed. Potatoes never mix in the hill, 
unless mixed seed is used, and the 
stronger-growing vines set the buds far¬ 
ther apart, make longer stems on the 
tubers, and so scatter more in the hill 
than the smaller-topped varieties. Many 
sprouts in a hill, more tuber buds on 
them. The greater the number of tubers, 
the smaller they will be. Better have 
half the number and twice the size. 
Fruit in Cold Storage. 
W. H. H., Poughkeepsie, N. Y.—No 
system of cold storage will prove satis¬ 
factory in keeping apples unless care 
and experience are used. In theory, the 
ammonia process would seem to give the 
most uniform results, yet much fruit has 
been frozen and lost when subjected to 
this expensive process, while others have 
had excellent results from using ice. 
Last winter, cold storage fruit did not 
yield much profit, owing to the com¬ 
petition from low-grade apples sent in 
by the growers until very late. These 
low-grade apples must have been held at 
a considerable loss, owing to unusual 
wastage. The fine, cool weather of April 
gave a better market after the low-grade 
fruit was exhausted, but the weather 
was exceptionally fine, and thus saved 
the latest market from a ruinous col¬ 
lapse, which would surely have occurred 
had the temperature been such as ruled 
a year ago. The experience of the past 
season indicates that only strictly fancy, 
hard apples should go into cold storage 
for the late spring market, and in any 
system, the fruit should be moved be¬ 
fore any considerable loss from decay 
or scald takes place. 
PEACH TREES 
75 Varieties in Stock. 
Largest stock of Peach Trees in the 
country. Descriptive Catalogue FREE 
JOS. H. BLACK, SON & CO., 
Village Nurseries, HIGHTSTO WN, N. ,T. 
Rogers Trees 
ARE BUSINESS TREES. 
Tou can get the BEST TREES 
THAT GROW from 
ROGERS, DANSVILLE, N.Y. 
I A\VWVA\VVVVVVVVVWVVVVVVWVVVV\'/ 
The Set of Three New $5 Cannas. 
Mrs. Rogers 
Italia 
Austria 
For $1 AS L0NG ASI 
' w ' UNSOLD. 
Our new illustrated cata- j 
logue free. Plants for, 
Garden and House of < 
every kind. 
ROSE HILL NURSERY, 
/ New Rochelle. N. Y. 
Potted Strawberry Plants. 
100 Glen Mary for $1.50. 
T. C. KEVITT, ATHENIA, N. J. 
REMEMBER. . . . 
That we guarantee 
THE ECLIPSE 
SPRAY PUMP 
To be the best on the market, 
and we prove it or refund 
money. 
Send for catalogue. 
MORRILL & MORLEY, 
Benton Harbor, Mich. 
LEGGETTS 
Gurt 
THE ORIGINAL DRY 
SPRAYER. 
Dusts tree, bush or vine. 
Two rows of potatoes as 
fast as you walk, wide or 
narrow planting. No plas¬ 
ter or water used. 
Extension tubes for 
orchard work with 
each. 
AGENTS WANTED. 
CATALOGUE FB*B 
Leggett & Brother, 301 Pearl Street, N. Y. 
EMPIRE 
KING 
_ P!« ra r'«olfAT«'%»i5 , S 
_ No leather or rubber valves. Twelve 
styles of Spray Pumps. Catalogue Fbe«. 
FIELD FOItl K PI MP CO., 18 Market8t.,Loekport, 1LY.| 
SAVE THE POTATOES 
From the bugs with one of my 
PARIS GREEN SPRINKLERS. 
(GRAY’S PATENT.) 
If tried onoe will never be without it. Can 
sprinkle more than one acre in an hoar with 
it. It saves half of the Paris Green arainwt 
any other method. Prioe $3.50 
circulars to E. Goettsche. Mfr.. 
1049 Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, I. • 
•MENTION THIS PAPER. 
Columbian Raspberry BSS 
and clr. ad. C. L. Yates, Nurseryman, Rochester.N.Y 
Ready Each Week. 
25,000 TRANSPLANTED Celery Plants, 
sure to grow, all varieties, 50 cents per 100; $4 
per 1,000. CABBAGE plants, all varieties, $2 per 
1,000. SNOWBALL CAULIFLOWER plants, 50 
cents per 100; $4 per 1,000. Our summer and au¬ 
tumn list ready June 1. Send in your name for it. 
T. J. DWYER, CORNWALL, N. Y. 
I PLANTS. Strong and stocky. 
VCLCni I S' 1.40 per 1,000. Low Ex rates. 
Will exchange for Incuoator. Eggs. Potato Digger or 
Sorter. Most practical Book on Celery Growing. 75c. 
FOR SALE,—100 second-hand 3x0 Hotbed Sashes; 
fifty 3x3 Top Shutters; 25 H.-P. Locomotive Boiler 
for Greenhouse heating; a few inch Headers; nice 
Round Radiator; Big lot of Floral Magazines. 
Address UNION SEED CO., Kalamazoo, Mich. 
CELERY PLANTS. 
White Plume. Golden Self-Blanching. Perfection 
and Giant Pascal, $1.25 per 1,000: 10 000 at $1 per LOCO. 
HARRY N. HAMMOND, Decatur, Mich. 
CELERY PLANTS FOR SALE. 
Leading varieties, carefully packed in baskets, and 
delivered here at express offices: 250 plants for 00c ; 
500 for 90c : 1.000 for $1 50. Special price on quanti¬ 
ties over 0.000. Cash with order Also Cabbage and 
Cauliflower plants. WOODLAND FARM, Canastota, 
Madison County. N. Y. 
to Make a Good Living! 
Continual and Cheap Mush¬ 
room Beds Bearing 
at any Season. 
Own supply combined with 
a profitable steady income. 
Little work, easy to handle. 
Reasonable rates for making 
up beds. Circulars and esti¬ 
mates tree of charge to all 
countries. E. C. FISCHER. 
Civil Engineer, Specialist 
and Establishes 110 East 
11th Street, New York City. 
I 
i 
! 
Nut Book 
200 pages. Illustrated. Telling 
how to Graft, Grow, Market 
and Cook Them. Postpaid 
for $1, by JOHN R. PARKY, Parry. N. J. 
AGENTS WANTED 
By the Celebrated Geneva Nurseries. 
Established 1840. 
Address W. & T. SMITH. Rochester, N. Y. 
Crimson Clover, Cow Peas, Teosinte, 
GERMAN MILLET, all fresh and pure. Buy of the 
grower. E G. PACKARD, Dover, Del. 
f lfiTPT T bomas McElroy. European Seed 
VlUiLl co m . Merchant, Mercantile Ex¬ 
change Bldg., Harrison St., N. Y., continues the largest 
importer of high grade reliable stock of Crimson Clover 
seed in this country. Prices to dealers on application. 
Ovov OUtVvSS 
i ne way 10 bpray istousethe 
NOVELTY FORGE 
and SPRAY PUMPS 
Plenty of force and little labor 
required. Neat, compact, light 
and economical. We deliver 
sample for only Agents 
wanted everywhere. 
The Berger Mfg. Co., Canton, Ohio. 
pSjjC" '.v ; ‘ '-i ' 
I' 
WITH THE "INCOMPARABLE" 
BORDEAUX NOZZLE 
used on “Worid's Best” Spraying Outfits made' 
onlybyTHE DEMfNG CO., Salem.Ohio. 1 
Makers of PUMPS FOR ALL PURPOSES. 
er for Dem ing Sprayers. 
Cl tofi?Ni? JI I! 11KLL General Western Agents, 
Jefferson St., Chicago, Ii,l. Valuable ! 
illustrated 40 page book on Spraying free Our 
U-iubuL- bnrrV^ Vt a wV 18ed , and recommended by ( 
leading horticulturists and experiment stations. 
STUDEBAKER “Little Gem” 
Sprayer and Sprinkler 
SIMPLEST 
and BEST 
DEVICE 
For use at Country Seats, 
Large Estates, Manufac¬ 
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Lawns, Private 
Grounds, Yards 
and Drives, Ceme¬ 
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Water, Etc. 
One Horse Farm, Garden, Flower-Bed and Lawn Sprink¬ 
ler (Capacity 150 gal., l in. tires). Most practical device 
for tlie distribution of liquid manure, Paris Green or 
other liquid matter; for use of seedsmen, florists, nur¬ 
serymen, farmers, celery and cotton growers. Can apply 
the stream directly on one or two rows at a time. Will 
not clog. Easy to operate- Flow of water regulated 
from driver’s seat. 
Crimson clover 
Descriptive Circular on Application. 
HENRY A. DREER, Philadelphia,Pa 
Sprayer, Pump, Hose and Nozzle 
For Spraying Fruit. Trees, Vines and Shrubbery. Does 
greatest amount of work at smallest cost. Least labor. 
Get our illustrated catalogue. Mention this paper, 
STUDEBAKER BROS. MFC. CO., 
South Bend, Indiana. 
(The Largest Vehicle Works in the World.) 
Crimson Glovers Cl0v ' 
JOHN HEYD, Jbelton, Del. 
Crimson Clover Seed. 
Order your supply of seed for July. August, September and October sowing, NOW, direct from a grower. 
Seed No. 1. Price low for quality of seed. Catalogue free. ARTHUR J. COLLINS, Moorestown, N. J. 
