1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
463 
some other. But care and anxiety, with unremitting 
vigilance, are the only guarantees of success. There 
must be courage to brave the darkest disappoint¬ 
ments, and see many cherished plans fail; for these 
times will come. But, never mind, sometimes these 
are our very best educators. There are other avenues 
open to those who have the necessary energy, and 
the will not to say, “ give up.” I tried teaching for 
some time, but this necessitates one’s absence from 
home, and, too, the supply is greater than the de¬ 
mand, while, in this business, the physical desires, 
both of necessity and luxury, will be gratified. I 
have found, by giving to the public just what I ad¬ 
vertise, that the public is appreciative ; and, by strict 
adherence to right dealing, I have so far been success¬ 
ful. Then, too, there is the independence ; one need 
not ask the good man of the house for a few pennies, 
but put one’s hand in one's own purse for the dollars. 
For three years I worked at the business as super¬ 
intendent, under the direction of the woman who 
had so successfully carried it on for a number of 
years. I had no thought of making it a permanent 
business of my own. But on her removal to a distant 
city, there seemed to be a favorable opening, and I 
decided to try what I might do for myself. A thor¬ 
ough search for orders was necessitated. But, before 
soliciting any orders, I put up both strawberry and 
cherry preserves, pickle preserve cherries, and cur¬ 
rant jelly, in order to have them as samples. I put 
up such an amount, that I considered that I might 
feel greatly flattered, if, at the end of the season I 
had disposed of most of it. Then I induced my hus¬ 
band to visit a neighboring city, taking samples 
with him to solicit orders. I awaited his homecoming 
with fear and trembling. I hardly 
dared think that he would suc¬ 
ceed; but to my surprise and 
great pleasure he reported the 
sale of all that I had on hand 
of these early fruits, to the larg¬ 
est dealer in that city. I think 
that if my orders reach well up 
into the thousands, none can ever 
bring me such real gratification 
as did this. 
With this encouragement, I 
put up a satisfactory amount of 
late fruits, pears, peaches, plums 
and quinces. From a friend in 
Chicago, 1 obtained the addresses 
of a number of large firms in 
that city—grocers and dealers in 
fine goods. I wrote these firms, 
inclosing a price list, soliciting 
orders, and sending samples if 
desired. 
A suggestion to beginners might 
be well just here : In nearly all 
large cities, there are exchanges 
for women’s work, the design of 
which is to help those who wish 
to help themselves. The fee is 
different in different cities, $1 
being the usual amount. One 
consigns to them the articles with 
the price attached, paying the 
transportation. They sell it, de¬ 
ducting 10 per cent for their 
trouble. This is an advantage to beginners in get¬ 
ting goods before the public. In my next, I purpose 
to give a few practical facts in relation to small 
fruits, and the variety of ways in which they may 
be used. mrs. o. p. howland. 
HORTICULTURAL NOTES ON THE R. N.-Y. 
OF JUNE 20. 
Ruralisms says that Caryopteris Mastacanthus has 
been totally winterkilled. There are many plants of 
it hereabouts, and I do not know of one that has been 
killed. About one-third of the tops go every winter. 
I am undecided whether to think that this is because 
it may be of a half shrubby nature, only, or whether 
it is that the cold hurts it. Nicholson terms it a 
herbaceous plant. Citrus trifoliata is not injured 
with us after it gets thrifty and large ; but while it 
is small, it does. Young plants of two to three feet 
in size, lose a portion of their tops, but strong ones of 
four to five feet, do not. In the Philadelphia Zoo¬ 
logical Gardens, are two quite large ones which have 
borne fruit, certainly for five or six years past, and 
these are not hurt at any time. I think that it could 
be safely used for a hedge hereabouts ; the little kill¬ 
ing when young would be a benefit to it, making it 
bushy. 
The Climbing hydrangea is beautiful when it has 
covered something. There is one here, covering a 
post which was set for its support years ago. It is 
much admired now, both for its large, green leaves 
and for its flowers. But how its slowness to start 
when young, does disappoint one ! Fairly well rooted 
layers or cuttings will almost stand still for a year or 
two. Nothing seems capable of starting it to grow 
save a support of some sort for it to climb. This some¬ 
times does seem to entice it to make a start, and then 
it is all right. Joseph meeiian. 
Pennsylvania. _ 
BRINGING RYE LAND INTO FRUITS. 
WHAT IS THE BEST COURSE TO PURSUE? 
I am asked to answer the following note from a 
reader in Jackson, Mich.: 
I have just bought 14 acres of land, high, even and strong loam 
soil, now in rye, which is to go to the former owner. I wish to get 
this land into good condition for fruit trees and berries. What 
would be the best course to follow, where stable manure cannot 
be obtained ? What pears, plums, peaches, strawberries, rasp¬ 
berries or blackberries will be suitable for this location, for mar¬ 
ket, including early and late varieties for a succession ? 
I take it for granted that the land is well drained, 
either naturally or artificially. If not, then thor¬ 
oughly underdrain it some time this fall or winter. 
As soon as the present crop of rye is off, plow and fit 
the ground well, and sow to buckwheat. If you can¬ 
not obtain stable manure, I would experment with 
commercial fertilizers, as I doubt whether you can 
attain a very great degree of success without some 
other fertilizers than green manures, such as clover, 
rye, buckwheat, etc., valuable as they are. I would 
use some fertilizers on the buckwheat, and if frost 
do not cut it down before seed forms, I would mow 
it and let it lie as a mulch to protect and enrich the 
soil during winter, and to add humus to the soil when 
plowed. If the soil is rather heavy, it will be an ad¬ 
vantage to plow this fall; if not I would leave the 
buckwheat on top till spring. 
I shall, this year, sow rye with buckwheat on part 
of a field which is now in wheat, and which I expect 
to plant to strawberries next spring. I have plenty 
of stable manure, however, and, therefore, shall 
manure the ground, either before plowing for buck¬ 
wheat, thus plowing it under to be plowed up next 
spring when plowing for strawberries, or, if short of 
time then, I shall apply it in early winter as a top¬ 
dressing to rye, and plow under in the spring. That 
part of the land which was not to be planted next 
fall or spring, should have been seeded to clover this 
spring. In short, the requisites are, thorough drain¬ 
age, plenty of humus to be obtained by green ma¬ 
nures or stable manure, or a combination of the two. 
Fertility to be obtained by the use of green manures, 
stable manures and commercial fertilizers, as sur¬ 
rounding circumstances may dictate, and a good me¬ 
chanical condition of the soil, which is obtained by 
drainage, green manures and thorough tillage ; so 
that the answer to the problem resolves itsel f into 
three words : Drain, Feed, Till. 
Avoid working or tramping the soil while too wet, 
whether sand, loam or clay. This is more essential 
in truck or fruit growing, than in farming, because 
we travel over an acre so much oftener than the 
farmer. 
As to varieties, the kinds that are most profitable 
here, in northern Ohio, will, probably, succeed at 
Jackson. For pears, Clapp’s Favorite is the earliest 
market pear I have tested, and is profitable if one 
doesn’t have too many, as the fruit is perishable. 
Next are Bartlett, Flemish Beauty, Howell, Duchess, 
(Dwarf) Keiffer, Anjou and Lawrence. I have found 
these to be the most profitable of about 75 varieties. 
A few others are good, also, but I have named enough. 
In plums, I find Niagara (or Bradshaw), Lombard, 
Genii, Reine Claude, Moore’s Aictic, Duane’s Purple, 
and Reagle’s Union Purple, profitable. The last is 
very liable to rot, but mine, last year, were not 
troubled much, and sold readily as California plums 
at high prices. In my young plum orchard, I have, 
among other kinds, planted largely of Fellenberg, 
Yellow Egg, Purple Egg, French Damson and Coe’s 
Golden Drop, but have not fully tested them yet. I 
am not planting very many of the Japan varieties, 
for fear of their early blooming. Possibly, I am mak¬ 
ing a mistake. Plums must have high culture and 
high feeding. 
Of peaches, I feel rather loath to speak, as my bear¬ 
ing orchard contains only about 25 trees, hence my 
experience is limited. I have planted, however, an 
orchard of 1,700 trees, consisting of Early Toledo, 
Early St. John, Mountain Rose, Hill’s Chili, Stump, 
Beer’s Smock, Oldmixon Free, Crosby, Elberta and 
Kalamazoo. 
On that strong loam soil, currants would be a pay¬ 
ing crop, if the correspondent can 
feed them well. In strawberries, 
the great market berries of Ohio 
are Crescent, Ilaverland, Green¬ 
ville, Warfield, Bubach, and 
Gandy, in about the order named. 
For pollenizers, we use Lovett 
or Cyclone (not so well tested 
yet). On strong loam soil, Haver- 
land may do better than Crescent. 
On my sandy loam, Crescent is 
the better. I have 40 or more 
new varieties that may prove 
better than these, and may not; 
probably, the latter. 
In raspberries. Palmer and 
Gregg are the standard early and 
late blackcaps, and Turner and 
Cuthbert the standard early and 
late reds. Many object to Tur¬ 
ner, for lack of firmness ; but this 
may, to some extent, be avoided 
by careful picking and severe 
thinning of the canes. In blacks, 
I feel sure that the Eureka, a 
variety originating in Ohio, will 
supersede all the old varieties, 
and if any one doubt it, I invite 
him to see them and be con¬ 
vinced. In new reds, Miller’s red 
for early, and Loudon for late, 
bid fair to be an improvement 
on the older kinds. But depend 
on well-tested kinds mainly. 
In blackberries, Taylor and Snyder are the main 
reliance, although, if one is in the peach belt, the 
Erie may be better, as it is larger, but not so hardy. 
It will pay the inquirer well to visit a few of the 
most successful fruit growers in his vicinity, and 
question them. Join the State and county horticult¬ 
ural societies, for the successful horticulturist must 
labor with his mind as well as his hands. It is an 
occupation that demands, and richly repays, the best 
efforts of mind and body. w. w. Farnsworth. 
TWO POINTS ON DUCK CULTURE. 
Ducks Ahead of Broilers. 
Duck raising is something that 99 out of every 100 
farmers know little about. Many of them have a few 
common puddle ducks that eke out a scant living on 
what they can pick up out of the feed thrown to the 
chickens, which, while it may be abundant, is of such 
a kind and in such a condition that the poor ducks 
almost starve amid plenty. In six months, they are 
sent to market. If not big enough or fat enough, 
they are surely old enough. If the right breed of 
ducks was raised and fed on the proper food, the 
profits over broilers and chicks would compare like 
this: To-day, I sold young Pekin ducks in this 
market at 15 cents per pound, live weight. They 
were nine weeks old, and weighed about nine pounds 
to the pair, bringing (57 14 cents each. The feed bills 
show a cost of about three cents per pound of duck to 
bring them up to this condition. I also sold broilers 
to-day, weighing 19 pounds per dozen, at 13 cents per 
pound, the chicks being just the age o£ the ducks-"- 
LEAF OF LOGAN RASPBERRY-BLACKBERRY. Fig. 152. See Ruralisms, Page 467. 
