1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
629 
EVERYBODY'S GARDEN. 
Spinach. —The Winter season Is gen¬ 
erally so barren of any green vege¬ 
tables other than greenhouse products, 
that anything in that line which can be 
easily and cheaply grown, always finds 
a ready market, at remunerative prices. 
Spinach being essentially a cold-weather 
plant, meets all these conditions, and 
the culture is so cheap and easy that it 
should not be omitted either from the 
home or market garden, it is used en¬ 
tirely in the cooked state for greens, 
and lis excelled by no other vegetable 
for that purpose. The culture is very 
simple, and for Winter or early Spring 
use, the seed should be sown during the 
month of September for localities north 
of Philadelphia, and south of there it 
may be sown then or even later. South 
of the above locality, it will require no 
protection, but in the North a slight 
protection of straw, leaves or other lit¬ 
ter is essential. It may be cut ait any 
time when the depth of snow will per¬ 
mit, and when frozen should be covered 
with cold water for a few minutes to 
draw out the frost before cooking. In 
preparing for market, all yellow or 
otherwise imperfect leaves should bo re¬ 
moved, washing if necessary, and mar¬ 
keted in bushel baskets, or, if shipped, 
it should be packed in barrels. The 
ground should be very rich; in fact, 
there is little danger of overdoing that 
pai-t of the work, and, if possible, it 
should be plowed some little time before 
the seed is sown, so that the weed seed 
near the surface will have time to 
sprout and be killed by culture. For 
Winter or early Spring use it is prefer¬ 
able either in small gardens or for mar¬ 
ket purposes to broadcasit the seed at 
the rate of 10 to 12 pounds to the acre. 
Spring seeding may be done either in 
drills or bix)adcast; some prefer how¬ 
ever, the drilling one foot apart, that 
the weeds may be kept down by culti¬ 
vation, and thinning may begin when 
the leaves are an inch wide, taking the 
larger plants of course. For Spring and 
Summer use the variety known as Long 
Standing is the most desirable, as it 
continues growing much longer than 
other varieties before the seed stalks 
appear, which render it unfit for use. 
The Long Standing Prickly is also de¬ 
sirable on this account, and is a heavy 
cropper. The Savoy Leaved, Broad 
Flanders, Victoria and Prickly Winter 
are all valuable Winter sorts. As a 
money crop, spinach is very satisfac¬ 
tory, and is also useful as a cover crop. 
Exhibition Vegetables. —As the fair 
season is now at hand, some nints as to 
the preparation of fruits and vegetables 
for exhibition purposes will be Lmely. 
But first a few words preliminary; the 
township, local and county fairs ought 
to receive the hearty cooperation of 
every farmer and gardener, and it 
should be the aim of every family to 
be in attendance and to be further rep¬ 
resented by the very best possible ex¬ 
hibit in some one or more lines. Town¬ 
ship and even street fairs are growing 
much in favor, and are found by their 
patrons to be the very best means of 
encouraging higher standards of ex¬ 
cellence in every line of agricultural 
and horticultural industry. Last h all it 
was the privilege of myself and family 
to visit a township fair located several 
miles from anything that could even be 
called a village; simply a thickly settled 
farming district along one of the prin¬ 
cipal thoroughfares leading out from 
the city. The history of this fair is only 
what may be developed in almost any 
locality, with very beneficial and lasiting 
results. The county and State fairs can 
at best, only be patronized by compara¬ 
tively few people. The locai fairs can 
and ought to be patronized by the 
masses, old and young; and if there is 
a more effective means of encoumging 
the boys and girls to stay on the farm 
and of arousing their ambitions to ex¬ 
cel in agriculture and horticultural pur¬ 
suits, I have yet to learn it. 
Briefiy, the history of this fair Is 
that a few years ago some of the farm¬ 
ers decided to have an exhibition in a 
small way, and an upstairs hall in the 
hotel was secured for the purpose. So 
much interest was aroused that for the 
following two years a large two-story 
building was found inadequate, and sub¬ 
sequently grounds of 15 or 20 acres were 
leased on which permanent buildings 
were erected, and arrangements made 
for an abundant water supply. Last 
year the exhibits were fuller in nearly 
every department than at the county 
fair of one of our leading counties a few 
miles distant. In the poultry depart¬ 
ment, of which I chanced to be one of 
the judges, the leading exhibitors and 
those carrying away most of the prizes 
were boys under 17 years of age. Thus 
as a means of polishing up the wits of 
the older members of a community, as 
well as developing and encouraging the 
best efforts of the rising generaition, 
these local organizations cannot be too 
strongly urged. With an interest in the 
work, and a determination if iwssible 
to be an attendant upon the fair and 
make some personal showing, then 
comes the question, the display. 
Preparing Exhibits. —Many other¬ 
wise creditable entries are spoiled by 
the miscellaneous collection of boxes 
and baskets in which they are displayed. 
Packages for the various classes should 
be uniform dn size, bright and new. 
Fruits are usually exhibited on plates, 
and greaJt care in handling is necessary. 
Grapes and plums ought always to be 
handled by the stems and never by the 
clusters or fruits, as this destroys the 
natural bloom. Peaches should be care¬ 
fully picked, and when laid on the plates 
an occasional stem with two or three 
bright green leaves will add much to 
the appearance. Thoroughly polish ap¬ 
ples and pears with a dry cloth, and the 
improvement thus made will be surpris¬ 
ing. Tomatoes should also be carefully 
polished, and exhibited only in shallow 
baskets. Potatoes and the root crops 
ought never to be washed; but should 
be carefully dried without exposure to 
too much sunlight, and then polished 
with a soft brush. Washing gives a 
sickly faded appearance that can never 
be remedied. Beans are nicely dis¬ 
played by pulling up the stalks and 
tying in neat bunches, with the same 
varieties sheiled in quart berry boxes. 
Corn will appear to best advantage if 
the best hills are pulled up by the roots 
and hung or stood up, also the same va¬ 
rieties should be shown husked and in 
baskets, with some ears broken that the 
depth of the kernel and size of cob may 
be easily determined. Cabbage and 
cauliflower are nicely trimmed up as for 
market, and grouped in half-dozen or 
dozen lots. The vine products, also egg¬ 
plants and peppers, should be nicely 
polished, and stems left intact; these are 
also grouped in convenient lots, peppers 
excepted, which should be shown in 
baskets. Celery may be prepared by 
bleaching each plant separately, using 
pasteboard or tarred paper strips tied 
around the plant with cord or strips of 
cloth. When pulled wash the roots 
clean, but not the Stalks, and pack the 
plants in upright position, half-dozen 
in a box. Use wet moss and pack the 
roots firmly, so that the plants will 
stand erect. 
Canned goods, pickles, jellies and pre¬ 
serves, whether of fruits or vegetables, 
should, whenever possible to do so, be 
cooked in the cans to preserve the color 
and form as perfect as possible. The 
jars should be of the best and clearest 
glass, with new tops and rubbers. Ar¬ 
range them on the display stand with 
an eye to the color scheme. Attention 
to these little details will count many 
points in their favor. It goes without 
saying that no blemished specimens of 
any variety should ever be allowed to 
creep in, and the generous strife should 
always be for every exhibitor to make 
the best possible display, and carry away 
just as many prizes as possible. It is 
interesting to note that some of the 
leading seedsmen offer liberal prizes to 
exhibitors who take premiums on vege¬ 
tables grown from their seeds; but while 
too late for those who have noit already 
done so to arrange with the seedsmen 
for this year, it is best to have it well 
in mind for next year’s work. Thorough 
organization along these lines is well 
worth a trial, and I would be glad to see 
the day when the boys and girls, as 
well as the parents, in every school dis¬ 
trict, would have its organization in full 
running order. j. e. morse. 
Plums for Kentucky. 
J. TF. M'D., Warsaw, Ky .—I wish to plant, 
say 10 native plum trees, for family use, 
making preserves, plum butter, canning, 
etc. What varieties that will pollinate 
each other would you recommend as the 
most desirable? 
Ans. —^The following varieties are 
likely to succeed in Kentucky. They 
should be planted about 15 feet apart, 
and be grouped together as much as 
possible to secure pollination: Wild 
Goose, Munson, Newman, Milton, Wy¬ 
ant, De Soto, Surprise, Miner, Golden 
Beauty and Wayland. 
An Old Cellar for Cabbage. 
E., Ontario Go., N. Y .—I have an outdoor 
cellar I have used for storing potatoes; 
it is 60 feet long, 14 feet wide, six feet 
deep; posts and boards at the side Instead 
of wall, door in each end, ventilator every 
10 feet, perfectly dry. Would that be suit¬ 
able for storing cabbage? 
Ans. —We can see no reason why this 
cellar would not make a good cabbage 
house. The only trouble that could oc¬ 
cur would be neglecting to keep the cel¬ 
lar well aired. You must be very care¬ 
ful about that. 
Peaches, Raspberries and Blackberries. 
D. M. J., Seaford, Del.—l. I am selling 
peach trees through my neighborhood and 
wish to give honest service. Let me have 
your opinion of the following varieties of 
fruits: Fitzgerald, Bishop, Matthew, Wad¬ 
dell, Sneed, Connett, Willett and Carman 
peaches. State those that rot the worst. 
2. Can you give me any pointers on the 
Strawberry raspberry Early King black¬ 
berry and King red raspberry? 
Ans. —1. The Bishop, Matthew, Wad¬ 
dell, Sneed, Connett, Willett and Carman 
are all peaches that ripen in the early 
part of the peach season, and some of 
them are very early, especially the 
Sneed. None of them is poor in quality, 
and all of them are worthy of thorough 
trial, to say the least. I would not ad¬ 
vise anyone to plant largely of any of 
these varieties ht the present time, al¬ 
though I really know nothing serious 
against any of them, unless it is that 
Bishop and Connett are more likely to 
rot than any of the others. Fitzgerald 
i.s a variety that ripens about mid-sea¬ 
son, and is good in quality and generally 
liked wherever it has been grown. 2. 
The so-called Strawberry raspberry is a 
novelty that is of no value except as a 
curiosity, and it sometimes becomes a 
nuisance because of the persistency 
with which it sprouts, and the difldculty 
of killing all of the underground stems. 
It is a species of the raspberry family 
found in Asia, that grows about a foot 
high and dies down every Winter. The 
fruit is quite large and very handsome, 
brilliant red, but has an insipid, almost 
tasteless flavor. The Early King black¬ 
berry is a high quality variety, moder¬ 
ately hardy, and quite productive. It is 
considered too soft for market. It is 
of a medium size, and a week or 10 days 
earlier than Snyder. It makes a small, 
erect bush. The King raspberry is a 
red variety, showing traces of European 
parentage. It is a good berry of medium 
size and fair quality, light crimson in 
color. It was sent out by a Virginia 
nursery in 1892. ii. e. v. d. 
The Robison Basket Co., PainesvlUe, O., the larKest 
manufacturers In the U. 8. of grape, peach and fruit 
packages. Write us for samples and prices. 
GRAPE VINES 
Currants, Gooseberrlrs, Black¬ 
berries, i{iis|iberrieM, Straw¬ 
berries. Price Li.st FUEK. 
_ Send 2c stamp Ter illu^tmied de.scriptive catalog. 
W T. S. HUBBARD CO. Fredonia, N. Y. 
BULBS 
25*cent8 BULBS 
we will send you. postpaid, the25 bulbsnamed below; 
:J Boman Hyacinths, white, rose, blue. 
6 Mixed Tulips, extra-line mixture. 
:i Narcissus, all different. 
10 Crocus mixed colors, mammoth bulbs & flowers 
3 I’reeslas, large bulbs, white flowers. 
These are all good sound strong bulbs. Our Fall 
catalogue of Trees, Plants and Bulbs free with every 
order. Order now to secure this offer. Send us name 
and address of friends who may need trees, seeds, 
plants or bulbs with your order, and we will put in 
some extras that will please you. 
T. C. FURNAS & CO., Sheridan, Ind. 
Winter Onion Sets. —$ 2 per bushel. 
If set out this month will give fine crop for bunch 
onions next Spring. 
Rev. C. b’. BLAKEMAN, Sandy Hill, N. Y. 
I " 
A| fllfCD QCen—Choice, clean Crimson or 
IfLUWbll vClaU Scarlet of my own raising, 
$4 per bu.; sacks free. J. C. ELLIS, Mlllsboro, Del. 
Q C C n \A/U P ^ ^ Mediterranean: very 
OLLU IiIILHI hardy. Heavy yielder. 40 bush¬ 
els per acre, thrashers’ measure. Clean seed, 90 cents 
per bushel. I. H. PERKINS, Dover, Del. 
T^AWSON’S GOLDEN CHAFF WHEAT 
^ Is a variety which originated in Canada. After 
being tested by the Ontario Agricultural College, also 
the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, it has 
nerer shown any trace of the Hessian tly, while ad¬ 
joining Helds were ruined. It is very hardy, a big 
yielder, heads compact, squarely built and well 
lllled, red chaff and light amber grain. Will yield 
from 30 to 40 bushels under ordinary circumstances. 
Price, $1.25 per bushel. We also have the Mammoth 
White Winter Rye. very hardy, and a big yielder. 
$l per bu. Black Winter Rye, 75c. per bu. Ask for 
prices on Timothy and Clover Seeds. 
HARVEY SEED CO., Buffalo, N. Y. 
TREES 
H M n ni A lyTO—Free from Scale. New and Choice Varieties 
Mllll rLAHIo Blackberries, Strawberries, Raspberries. 
Our FREE CATALOGUE will save you money. MYEB & SON, BrldgevIUe, DeL 
TREES 
S8 PER 100 
—APPLE, PEAR and PLUM, 3 to 5 feet high. 
We sell all kinds of trees and plants at lowest Wholesale prices. Don’t buy 
until you get our Catalogue, which is free, or send list of wants for special 
price. Address RELIANCE NURSERY, Box 10, Geneva, N. Y. 
THli: STORKS & HAKKISOX CO., IMIXSVILLI::, OHIO. 
Leading American Numerymena offer one of ttio Moat Complete AssortmenU ol 
FRUIT AND ORNAMENTAL TREES, SHRUBS, ROSES, BULBS, ETC. 
48 Years. 44 Greenhouses. 1000 Acres. Correspondence Bolioited. Catalog Free. 
I 
DULBS 
HAtures for the 1 
FOR FALL 
PLANTING 
tures for the lawn 
and pleasure ground. 
Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocus, Narcissus, Lilies, etc. 
Ouu Nkw Bulk Catalogok is sent free. It tell.s 
all about the best bulbs, also seasonable seeds 
and plants, including our celebrated grass mix- 
HENRY A. DREER, Philadelphia, Pa. 
Are You in Doubt 
IF IT’S A ROGERS’ TREE 
IT’S A SAFE TREE. 
WHAT TO BUY OK WHERE TO 
BUY IT Are you looking for a safe 
place to buy your trees? Would you 
like to find one catalogue that tells the truth about varieties ? Do you want safe trees—f umigated 
trees; trees tluit when you read the label and plant the tree 
you know just what the fruit will be? Then ROGERS’ 
TREES are the trees you want. They are the safest trees, 
the best trees —famous as the hills on which they grow. If 
there Is anything else you would like to know, just 
d rop a line to _ ROGERS ON THE HILL. PANSVIL LE, N. Y. 
Why Not Add to the Certainty of Crowing a Good Crop of 
Winter Wheat by Sowing Our “Turkish Red” 
'J'HAT always produces a good crop wherever Winter wheat can be grown? It Is iron-clad and the hardiest 
wheat in existence: has proven of strongest vitality, given the biggest yield and best wheat in the 
world at every Experimental Station where tried, it has a rt cord of 55 bushels atlowa Experiment Station, 
and an average yield of 46 bushels forthe past lU years. Hundreds of farmers grew from 10 to 20 bushels more 
per acre this year from our seed than from best common sorts. Price, $1 per bushel, bags free, f. o. b. here. 
Write for Free Catalogue and descriptive circulars. New crop choice home-grown Timothy seed, $2.50 
per bushel, sacks free. Address, meutlouing The Rural New-Yorker, 
J. K. KATEKIN & SON, SHENANDOAH, IOWA, 
