1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
3i9 
of weeds, and the melons grew by the hundred on the 
warm, clean straw. For the beetles, striped and 
otherwise, we used the airslaked lime with a little 
sulphur in it, and ha-1 no further trouble with them. 
This reduced the work in our garden to the minimum, 
and our weed crop was not known and spoken of by 
all men. We might say here that our currants and 
berries of different kinds, are all mulched, thoroughly, 
have not been cultivated for years, and finer or more 
fruit it would be hard to grow. 1 shall extend this 
experiment along other lines of truck, the coming 
summer, and hope that I may be able, in addition, to 
find out how mulching succeeds in a wet summer. 
Portage County, 0. JOHN gould. 
Kaffir Corn in Texas. —For some time, we ground 
wheat, Kaffir corn, and corn in a family grist mill by 
hand, to take the place of oatmeal as a breakfast 
dish, and found that they were greatly preferred to 
the prepared cereals. Then we began to use Kaffir 
corn for batter cakes, biscuits and even for light 
bread, in each case, I think, mixing in some flour. 
We also used it for waffles, muffins, gems, etc. We 
have this winter had it ground at a steam mill, as it 
gives a finer, better, bolted flour; but I think not so 
fresh and sweet as the hand ground. The Kaffir corn 
biscuits, served at the same meal with white flour 
biscuits, are by many preferred. From what I can 
learn regarding the feeding quality of Kaffir corn un¬ 
ground to horses, cattle and hogs, in our own experi¬ 
ence as compared with Indian corn, it is not equal in 
quality, using the same quantities The great advan¬ 
tage is that Kaffir corn, in this semi-arid climate, is 
always a reliable crop. We have planted five or six 
crops, and last year we got our best yield of Indian 
corn—250 bushels good corn from 10 acres. 
Clifton, Tex. o. f. r. 
SOME DESIRABLE HARDY PERENNIALS. 
Such a great collection of hardy perennials is 
listed nowadays in the leading nursery catalogues, 
that it is puzzling to those not well acquainted with 
this class of plants, to make a judicious selection. 
There are many country homes where a small collec¬ 
tion of these plants would look well. Here is a list 
of about two dozen kinds, which are strong growing 
and showy, and which need no very great care to get 
them to thrive. To make the list more valuable, I 
will give the months in which they flower in this 
State, and the color of the flowers. 
In the month of May, there are these : Aquilegia 
Canadensis, the scarlet columbine ; Armeria mari- 
tima, sea pink, with rose-colored flowers ; Dicentra 
spectabilis, salmon pink; Iris florentina, white, and 
Ajuga reptans, blue. June gives a good assortment, 
as follows : Astilbe Japonica, white ; Dicentra eximia, 
pink ; Iris laevigata, and other Japanese sorts of 
varied colors ; Pyrethrum roseum, rose, and Senecio 
Doria, yellow. 
With the coming of July, the following expand : 
Campanula grandiflora, in both blue and white flow¬ 
ers. This is now properly called Platycodon grandi- 
florum, though better known as Campanula ; Chelone 
barbata, scarlet ; Delphinium formosum, and other 
blue larkspurs ; Liatris pycnostachya, lilac ; Lychnis 
Chalcedonica, scarlet; Lythrum salicaria, purple, and 
Monarda mollis, the pink bergamot. August makes 
a good showing with such sorts as Asclepias tuberosa, 
yellow, and incarnata, flesh ; Betonica rosea, rose; 
Funkia lancifolia, blue ; Perennial phloxes in many 
colors, and Spiraea venusta, deep pink. In September, 
many composite plants flower, among them, Aster 
Novae—Angliae, purple; Boltonia latisquama, lilac ; 
Monarda purpurea, purple bergamot and Solidago 
Canadensis, one of the yellow golden-rods. October 
practically ends the season, and we have for this 
month, Ilelianthus Maximiliana, golden yellow; 
Tricyrtis hirta, flesh; Plumbago Larpentm, indigo 
blue, and Solidago caesia, a beautiful golden-colored, 
late-flowering golden-rod. 
As will be noticed, there are one or two golden- 
rods and other native plants in the above list. Other 
pretty ones may be brought from the woods and 
fields, which are just as worthy of a place in one’s 
garden as those from foreign lands. I have found 
golden-rods excellent plants for the garden, especially 
when in strong clumps, to make a good display. 
Canadensis is a tall grower, with rather light yellow 
flowers. Caesia, the later one to flower, has rich yellow 
blossoms closely set along a rather slender, but strong 
stem. It is often in flower when frosts come. 
The mistake is often made of setting out perennials 
and failing to feed them. They will repay a little 
rich food occasionally. As good a way as any of doing 
it, is to mulch them in the fall with manure. Acting 
as a covering for the winter, it is a help, aside from 
the enrichment of the ground. When spring comes, 
this covering may be lightly forked in about the 
plants, taking care not to disturb the roots. 
Pennsylvania. Joseph jjeehAN, 
HOW TO MAKE A WATER TANK. 
Water boxes made of plank in the ordinary way, 
are expensive, not only on account of the cost of the 
high quality of lumber required, but also on account 
of the skilled labor needed to put them together 
properly. Besides, they must be strongly ironed at 
the ends. Tanks just as good in every respect, and in 
some ways much better, may be made of good, sound, 
narrow stuff—1x4 or something similar—by any one 
having a fair degree of skill with square, saw and 
hammer. These three tools, the lumber and a good 
supply of ten-penny nails, are all that is needed. It is 
very important that the lumber used be of uniform 
thickness, and unless it has been so sawed, it is better 
to use planed stuff. 
To make the bottom of the tank, cut pieces of the 
boards the length of one side of the bottom, and lay 
them close together till they make the bottom wide 
enough the other way. On these, lay closely together 
another course running crosswise of the first. Nail 
these two courses together thoroughly, and clinch 
the nails. The bottom is now complete. To get 
greater strength, for a large tank two-inch plank 
should be used for the first course of the bottom ; or 
three courses of the inch stuff may be used, putting 
on the third course crosswise of the second. Begin 
the sides of the tank by cutting two lengths of the 
boards the length of one side of the bottom. Lay 
these flatwise on opposite sides of the bottom, even 
with the edge, and at the ends, and nail firmly. Next 
cut two pieces that will fit exactly between these two 
at their ends, and even with the other two edges of 
the bottom, and nail firmly. For the next course, 
first put on two boards over the last two put on in the 
first course, and run them out the whole width of the 
box. Fit two exactly between these at the ends, and 
exactly over those of the first course, and so on alter¬ 
nately, breaking joints at the corners, until the box is 
of the desired depth. 
To make a tank that shall be perfectly watertight 
and a success in every way, it is important to make 
every joint exact, to break joints at the corners, and 
to nail firmly all the time. A box put together in this 
way, is much stronger than the ordinary tank with 
expensive bolts through the ends. Of course, 2x4, 
2x2, 2x3, or any other such lumber, may be used for 
a tank of this kind, provided it is straight-edged and 
of uniform thickness. The wider the stuff used, the 
thicker and stronger will be the sides of the tank, and 
the warmer in winter and cooler in summer will be its 
contents. If desired, paint may be used in the joints 
and between the layers of the tank, but I do not think 
it any advantage, rather, perhaps, a detriment. We 
are using a box of this kind made of 1x4 planed pine 
fencing, with a double-boarded lid, and it is the per¬ 
fect milk tank for winter as well as summer. 
Westchester County, N. Y. merritt m. clark. 
A LOAD OF COLORADO CABBAGE. 
At the Greeley “ Potato Day,” which was described 
in Tiie R. N.-Y. last fall, one of the “ novelties ” dis¬ 
played was the great load of cabbage illustrated at 
Fig. 101, first page. This was part of a crop grown 
by F. W. Scott. 
I asked him, “ Have you learned anything new 
about cabbage culture this year ? ” 
“ Why, yes,” was his reply ; “ I have learned that I 
can raise 10,000 pounds more to the acre by growing 
my own seed.” 
“ How did you do that ? ” 
“I selected my very finest cabbages, and the florist 
raised the seed for me. Besides the extra amount 
raised, I have derived another benefit from growing 
my own seed. I have a new variety of cabbage. 
When my plants matured, I found that I had a cross 
between the Flat Dutch and the Winnigstadt—a fine 
cabbage, that had the shape and solidity of the Win- 
nigstadt with nearly the size of the Flat Dutch. I 
shall have none of that seed to plant next year, for I 
did not know that I had it this year—it came in the 
Flat Dutch seed—but I am saving my finest specimens, 
and intend to have the seed in future.” 
“You estimate that you raised 43,000 pounds of 
cabbages to the acre ? ” 
“ Yes, I did even better than that; on three acres 
I raised 45,000 pounds to the acre.” 
“ How did you prepare the ground ?” 
“ Early in the spring I spread over the ground 53 
loads to the acre of coarse stable manure. Then I 
plowed it shallow, flooded the ground well with irri¬ 
gating water, and let it lie to rot. June 1, I plowed 
it deep, and found the manure well rotted. Then I 
prepared the ground to set the plants. I have learned 
that I must be very particular about the time of sow¬ 
ing the seed, and also of setting the plants of the 
different varieties. I sow the Flat Dutch April 20, 
the Fottler’s Brunswick April 25, and the Winnigstadt, 
May 7. I set out the plants of the Flat Dutch between 
June 10 and 15 ; the Brunswick between June 15 and 
20, and the Winnigstadt from June 18 to 25. Started 
at these times, the matured heads give me the best 
results at shipping time.” 
“ What do you do for the flea that so often injures 
the young plants ? ” 
“ Irrigate well. It is all I need to do ; the flea does 
not like the damp ground. Others sprinkle them 
with road dust and coal ashes, but I depend on 
irrigation.” 
“ What do you do for cabbage worms ? ” 
“ The blackbirds take care of them. They come in 
great flocks and devour the worms.” 
“ What do you think of selling cabbage at 25 cents 
per ICO pounds ? ” 
“ There is not a living in it; but I am planning to 
raise 20 acres next year, for I shall hope lor better 
prices.” s. e. h. 
HORSE SHOE FARM NOTES. 
THE “SLOW AND SURE” IN STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 
A Poor Man’s Method Explained. 
F. H. Ballou’s article on strawberry culture, on 
page 253, is very interesting. I agree with him that 
early spring is the time for planting, and would not 
plant on sod ; neither would I grow but one crop be¬ 
fore the strawberries. When I get the soil rich 
enough by applyiug barnyard manure, bone and 
muriate of potash, I grow two good crops in spite of 
blight, drought, or frost. He tells about digging the 
plants, shaking the soil from the roots, putting them 
between pieces of wet carpets, carrying them to the 
packing shed, clipping leaves and runners, shortening 
roots, putting into a bucketful of water, and then 
picking them out and tying in bunches of 25. This 
takes a good deal of time, and makes a great deal of 
travel back and forth, consuming much time which, 
if paid for, would cost a great amount of money. 
This is what I call a “ slow and sure method.” He 
says, mark with a line and light hand marker, spacing 
the rows at 3% feet. This is altogether too wide, and 
not one hired man in 100 can set a line and have it 
row within gunshot of anywhere. He does not allow 
his rows to be over 16 inches wide, which leaves a 
two-foot space between each two rows, one-half of 
which is simply wasted ground. He could easily have 
one-fourth more rows with correspondingly increased 
yield, leaving plenty of room for the pickers between 
the rows. 
I much prefer setting the plants with the roots left 
on full length, and running straight down into the 
ground, for the reason that we cultivate within an 
inch of the plants on all sides, and if the roots are 
spread out fan-shaped, such close cultivation will pull 
out some of them. Another reason is that the ends of 
the roots are sure to be down to damp soil, no matter 
how dry it is on top. He sets his plants with a trowel. 
My ground is stony, and after several years of sore 
knees and sore fingers, and jabbing among the stones 
with a trowel, I quit. He seems to have time to go 
back to the packing house for a few bunches of the 
prepared plants, every half hour ; but a poor man has 
not. My method, in brief, is to prepare the soil as 
early and as thoroughly as possible, mark it out in 
rows 32 inches one way and 18 inches the other. Wait 
for a cloudy day, better just before it threatens a 
south spring rain. Have plenty of boys engaged 
ahead. One boy digs the plants with a light pick, the 
second boy picks them up carefully and packs them 
in pans or potato crates. If the ground is damp, some 
earth will adhere, but it does not matter. These are 
loaded into the wagon and taken directly to the field. 
These two boys shear off all but three green leaves and 
no leaves showing a blight spot or discoloration are 
ever left on. After cutting these leaves, they place 
them in pans which have about an inch of quite thin 
mud paste in the bottom. I push a straight-bladed 
shovel four or five inches into t,he soil with my foot 
