1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
35 
much salt asparagus will stand with impunity, may 
be learned from the fact that spontaneous seedlings 
came up all along the sea shore in the sand, and 
where extra high tides sometimes wash over them, 
and they live all right. Nitrate of soda, in quite 
light dressings, and these repeated twice in spring, 
gave us the best results. A “complete fertilizer” 
was also good. wm. falconer. 
Long Island. 
I do not know of any grower of asparagus for mar¬ 
ket, who uses salt. I have tried it on my bed in a 
small way, but could see no benefit. I grow as fine 
and large asparagus as I ever saw in market, use no 
salt and seldom use manure. I depend on commercial 
fertilizers, and think that the quality of “grass” so 
grown is superior to that grown by the use of manure. 
Massachusetts. m. mouse. 
I think salt of little use on asparagus as a fertilizer, 
it having but little manurial value. Its use is as a 
weed destroyer, and in a slight way for attracting 
moisture. I know of a peach grower that applies 
salt for the above purposes and has fine results ; but I 
think that he would have good results by his treat¬ 
ment without the salt. Salt is not generally used on 
large plantations ; though the plant is a native of 
salt marshes in several countries of Europe, salt is 
not essential to its successful growth. But it will 
stand almost any amount of manure of any kind — 
2,000 pounds or more to the acre 
will not injure it. n. iiallock. 
Long Island. 
The opinion of growers is that 
it does benefit the crop to a large 
degree ; especially if the locality 
is at some distance from the salt 
water, an application of two tons 
per acre once in three years is 
beneficial. It helps to keep down 
the weeds and improves the 
quality and quantity of the crop. 
Boston. W. W. RAW80N. 
We were once of the opinion 
that salt is a good dressing for 
asparagus, but careful experi¬ 
ments have shown that, instead 
of being an advantage, it is really 
an injury, except for the mere 
purpose of temporarily keeping 
the weeds in check. In a soil 
abounding in humus, as a good 
asparagus bed should, the effect 
of the salt is to check the nitri¬ 
fication, hence to retard the active 
development of the stalks, and to 
make the crop later. I have, 
however, had good results from 
an application of kainit in the 
fall, so as to give time for the salt 
to drain away, and for the plants 
to get the benefit of thejpotash. 
1 would never advise the use of 
salt in the spring. Better spend 
the money for stable manure, cot¬ 
ton-seed meal or nitrate of soda, 
nitrogenous manures to promote 
an early and vigorous •develop¬ 
ment of the stalks, and whatever 
salt is used to be in the shape of 
kainit applied broadcast in the fall. w. f. massey. 
North Carolina Ex. Station. 
Our experience is in favor of its use, say, once in 
three years, about 1,200 pounds to the acre. Of course 
its main benefit is weed killing, but we think its 
action somewhat similar to lime in dissolving humus, 
and thereby unlocking stores of plant food. The best 
time for application is just before the spring rains, so 
that the powerful roots will grasp the dissolved food 
without waste. It is in general use by our growers 
here, and the prevailing opinion seems to be that salt 
is the manure for asparagus. But that, I believe, is a 
mistake ; it would be more proper to call it an ap¬ 
petizer or digester. It undoubtedly does good when 
the soil is rich and in high condition, but I would 
hesitate about using it on a light soil, for in that case 
it would act as a stimulant, and destroy the bed by 
using up all available plant food. w. H. wooduams. 
Michigan. 
Five-Cert Potatoes. —Apropos of five-cent pota¬ 
toes, I see that no one from the 7x9, rocky-farm 
corners of New England, where they have to use 3,000 
pounds of high-grade fertilizer per acre, pay $1.50 per 
day for help, and 35 cents per hour for team work, 
has anything to say on the subject. It is not how to 
raise them cheaper, thatwe wish to know, but how to 
sell them for more. We can’t raise them at any such 
figure, no one can here G. u. j, 
As.bby, Mass 
WHAT THEY SAY? 
IIers ir Wirter.—F red Grundy is surely “ a little 
off” when he says, page 774, that hens do no good 
when compelled to stay, during the day, in the build¬ 
ing wherein they roost. This may be true in houses 
where the droppings are allowed to accumulate under 
the roosts for a year, before they are removed. The 
atmosphere in a building of this kind would kill rats. 
Nowadays, many are awakening to the fact that 
cleanliness in the poultryhouse is a long step toward 
success. I have been successful in the poultry busi¬ 
ness, and have no such thing as an open shed, though 
it probably has its advantages. I winter my fowls in 
the same room where they roost, and at the same 
time secure a nice income from the eggs which they 
lay. I have never had a sick fowl. My henhouse is 
built for warmth (I do not believe in artificial heat), 
and it can, in a few minutes, be made almost air¬ 
tight, if occasion require. I have a shelf under the 
roosts to catch the droppings. Both roosts and shelf 
can be folded against the wall so as not to be in the 
way during the day. Each morning after feeding the 
fowls, I carefully remove all droppings. This re¬ 
quires but a few minutes. The roosts and shelf are 
then folded out of the way until again needed. After 
feeding the fowls in the evening, the roosts and shelf 
are brought into place, and the shelf given a light 
coating of road dust taken from the dust bath. This 
dust prevents the droppings sticking to the shelf, and 
makes their removal comparatively easy. 1 cover the 
floor, to a depth of six or eight inches, with dry litter, 
which is renewed every two weeks. Once in a while 
I turn all the fowls out, make the house tight, aDd 
fumigate by burning a pound or two of sulphur 
therein. I also dust the fowls occasionally with in¬ 
sect powder. I find no trace of lice or mites in the 
house or on the fowls. On warm days, the fowls are 
given their liberty, and can roam over the clover 
patch, garden or wherever they choose. When farm¬ 
ers and poultry keepers learn the value of cleanliness 
in the poultryhouse, they will have awakened to a 
knowledge of the money there is in poultry keeping. 
Smithfield, Pa. j. t. c. 
Crimsor Clover ir Ohio. —I sowed 14 acres of Crim¬ 
son clover in corn, from the middle of July to the 
first week of August, and harrowed it in with a light 
A-shaped harrow, made of six-inch boards, through 
which six inch spikes were driven, and the whole 
weighted down properly. In this way most of the 
seed was lightly covered. Owing to the exceedingly 
dry weather, it made but little show, but did, and has 
done, much better than we expected, during August, 
September and October. But since then, we have had 
much rain, and now the clover looks fine but is not 
thick enough to make a good stand except in places 
where the ground was moist during the summer. But 
to-day (December 28), while viewing the fields, 1 find 
much heaved up one and even two inches, caused by 
freezing during and after the recent heavy rain, the 
ground being full of water and not settled. I fear 
that some of it will never settle back, yet I think 
that I shall be well paid for the cost of seed and labor 
in sowing, even though some or all is killed, as there 
are sufficient roots, and long ones, too, to turn under 
next spring to insure a good corn crop. I also sowed 
one-quarter acre in a potato patch, the first week in 
September. This came up nicely, and has done quite 
well since. I mulched it the middle of November, 
and now it is trying to peep through the mulch. I 
want this patch for my own seed, for I think that 
it will be hardier than eastern-grown seed. j. e. h. 
Columbus, Ohio. 
THE FARMER S BUSINESS APPLE. 
IR PARTNERSHIP WITH BENJAMIN DAVIS & CO. 
An Ohio Farmer Grows Money on Trees. 
(Concluded.) 
The Varieties. —“What varieties do you grow, and 
which one do you consider the most profitable for 
market ? ” 
“ The greater number of our trees are Ben Davis, 
which, with me, heads the list for profit, as it is a 
heavy and regular bearer of highly-colored, smooth 
fruit; it is also an extra good keeper. We also have 
the Baldwin, Spy, White Pippin, WilldwTwig, Janet, 
White l'earmain and a few trees of a great many more 
varieties. That was my great mistake in planting my 
orchard—I used too many varie¬ 
ties. Were I to set another or¬ 
chard for profit, I would use but 
two or three.” 
As the sorters now had a load 
ready for the fruithouse, we fol¬ 
lowed the apples a degree far¬ 
ther. A light platform sufficient¬ 
ly large to accommodate 21 bushel 
baskets, had been made for the 
farm sled, and in this manner the 
fruit was drawn to 
The Apple House. —This build¬ 
ing is a substantial, wooden 
structure with double walls and 
ceiling. The 18-inch space be¬ 
tween the walls is packed with 
sawdust. The building contains 
four rows of huge bins, four tiers 
to the row, and each bin 12 or 14 
inches deep, holding, altogether, 
about 1,200 bushels of fruit. This 
fruit-house has proved to be a 
very profitable investment, and a 
perfect success, as in it the ap¬ 
ples keep perfectly until late in 
the spring. Mr. Pherson, how¬ 
ever, does not aim to keep them 
later than February or March, at 
which season he says that he is 
able to secure more satisfactory 
prices than by holding them 
later, as they would then fall into 
competition with the cold storage 
product. After the apples are 
once in their winter quarters, 
they are left undisturbed until 
the proper time comes ’rouud 
for re-sorting, grading and barrel¬ 
ing, which is usually done only as 
orders are received, or a shipment 
made. Mr. Pherson can then guarantee every apple 
to be in sound condition. The re-sorting takes out all 
that show the least signs of decay. 
“ Into how many grades do you class your apples ?” 
“ We have heretofore sorted into three grades ; 
but this year, our apples are extra nice, and run so 
evenly in size, that we shall make but two grades— 
fancy and seconds.” 
“To what extent is your crop usually diminished 
through sorting and shrinkage, from the time it is 
taken from the trees, until it is barreled for ship¬ 
ment ?” 
“ As nearly as 1 have been able to estimate it, an 
apple crop will usually lose one-third—33% per cent. 
‘ Loss,’ however, is not just the proper word to use, as 
the culls are profitably fed to our hogs and cattle, 
which greatly relish them as dessert along with their 
grain and rough feed, in the winter time. In packing 
for shipment, the barrels are faced by selecting per¬ 
fect, average specimens of the grade, and neatly 
arranging them, stems downward, upon the bottom 
of the barrel, beginning around the outer edge, and 
finishing in the center. The barrel is then filled a 
trifle more than level full, the head forced in by 
lever power, the hoops tightened and nailed securely 
with brads. The barrel is then turned over, and that 
which was the bottom while filling, becomes the head, 
upon which are stenciled the name of the variety and 
the grade. When the head is removed at the com¬ 
mission house or retailer’s, the faced apples present a 
