59 o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
September 
and there is no temptation to raise other crops in the 
orchard for any length of time, to its detriment, as 
the trees are too thick to admit of it. It is safe to 
say that the bearing of these 135 trees for the 10 years 
has been, on an average, 2)4 barrels per tree each 
year, which would make a total of 3,370 barrels for 
15 years. These, at $1 per barrel (which is a very low 
estimate), would make an average income of $225 per 
year for the 15 years. And we still have an orchard 
of 35 trees per acre to keep on bearing, which should 
produce, at least, 10 barrels per tree, or 350 barrels 
from the acre, and more money will be realized, per 
acre, from the orchard than from any other farm 
product.” 
“Have the crops ever been grown that will sub¬ 
stantiate such statements ? ” 
“ Henjamin Hoyt, from 90 trees, set 18 feet apart, 
the sixth year, picked one bushel per tree ; the eighth 
year, from the 90 trees, 200 barrels. Frank Olmstead, 
of Ontario County, N. Y., sold from 1%-acre of 
orchard, 379 barrels of apples, at $2.40 per barrel, 
amounting to $909.60, and had between 300 and 400 
bushels of paring and cider apples. Geo. T. Powell, 
of Ghent, N. Y., wrote me last year that the apples 
from two Baldwin trees near his place sold for $110. 
A tree in Glastonbury, Conn., is reported to have 
produced 95 bushels last year. We, ourselves, have 
picked 12 barrels of apples from Greening and Bald¬ 
win trees the fifteenth year. The Jones Orchard 
Company sold Messrs. Baker & McFarland, of Chicago, 
$1,493 worth of apples per acre. There are many 
other instances of orchards set on the old plan realiz¬ 
ing for their owners a large profit, so I feel justified 
in making my statement of yield. The estimate of 
$1 per barrel, which I made, is, as above stated, very 
low for such apples as we can raise by properly caring 
for the trees and fruit.” 
(To be continued.) 
A HOTHOUSE FOR EARLY CABBAGE. 
I would like a j>lan for a hothouse for starting early cabbage 
plants. What variety of cabbage do you consider best for early 
crop? What would be the cost of a house 20x30 feet? What is 
the best mode of heating ? u. j. c. 
Sodus, N. Y. 
ANSWERED BY E. G. LODEMAN. 
Two types of houses are in common use for this 
purpose—one form has only two benches, these run¬ 
ning the entire length of the house, with a two-foot 
walk between them ; the other style is much wider, 
allowing a bench at each side of the house, and a 
wide, double bench in the center. The width of the 
benches may vary, but unless the person who is to 
do the work has extra long legs, it will be found that 
3 14 feet is far enough to stretch. If the house is to 
be used only for starting early cabbage plants, toma¬ 
toes, etc., the seedlings may be grown in boxes, and 
the benches might be widened an extra foot ; but in 
that case, they would be inconvenient for other crops. 
It is of prime importance that the side benches should 
not extend to the walls of the house. As the heat is al¬ 
most invariably applied underneath, a space of about 
three inches should be left between the wall and the 
bench, so that the warm air may rise and meet the 
cold current which descends along the glass. This 
point cannot be too strongly emphasized. The walks 
are generally made two feet wide in commercial es¬ 
tablishments, and this is commonly found to allow 
sufficient room for work. A distance of 33 inches will 
be found convenient for the height from the walk to 
the bottom of the benches. Having the above dimen¬ 
sions given, the total width of the house may easily 
be estimated. 
The structure of the wall, form of plate, and the 
position of the side benches are shown in Fig. 183 ; 
this arrangement 1 consider to be ideal, so far as 
warmth and cheapness are concerned. Posts (P) are 
set in the ground at intervals of eight feet ; they 
should be dressed so as to receive matched lumber on 
two sides. Only one thickness of boards ( D ) is neces¬ 
sary for the inner side of the wall ; but two are de¬ 
sirable for the outer covering, and if these run at 
right angles to each other, the outer sheath vertical, 
so much the better. Between these two outer layers 
of boards, there should be inserted a layer of thick 
building paper, to make the wall all the more t'ght. 
The wall, when finished, will be about nine inches 
thick, including the air space between the outer and 
inner layers of boards. 
The form of the plate (PI) is of the greatest im¬ 
portance. No other part of a greenhouse rots so fast 
as that exposed to the moisture which runs down on 
the inner side of the glass. This water penetrates 
all cracks and crevices, and the rotting of the wood 
progresses with wonderful rapidity. The plate 
should, therefore, be made of one piece, using some 
durable wood, as locust, cypress, white oak, etc. Its 
base should be fiat, and wide enough to project on 
each side, at least an inch beyond the wall. A groove 
cut underneath one-half inch from the edge, as shown 
in Fig. 183, will prevent all water from finding its 
way to any portion of the wall. It is also desirable 
to have a third groove in the underside of the plate 
to receive the tongue of the first layer of boards 
placed upon the outside of the posts. The sides of 
the plate need not exceed three inches in height, this 
being sufficient to give it all necessary firmness. The 
top is bevelled in the form of a broad, inverted V. 
The outer side should have the same pitch as the 
roof, the angle shown in the illustration being 35 
degrees. By having such a top, it is impossible for 
any water to collect and rot out the plate. Paint 
should be freely used when the pieces are put in their 
proper places, and if this be done, the wall, plate and 
roof will be, practically, indestructible, provided an 
occasional coat of paint be given in future years 
BUILDING A HOTHOUSE. Fig. 183. 
The bottom of the bench (Be) may be from 12 to 15 
inches below the lower side of the plate. 
For a house 20 feet wide, sash bars (SB) should be 
used. The dimensions of the last ones we have put 
in our houses, are as follows : 1)4 inch thick, 1 % inch 
h’gh exclusive of the tongue, three-eighth inch height 
of tongue. These are bevelled at the base and at the 
top to fit the plate and ridge pole. A good size of 
glass to use is 12x14 inches. It should be double 
thick, third quality ; when put on the roof, it should 
be bedded in putty and lapped not more than one- 
eighth inch. A line of ventilators, about 2%-inch, 
should run along one side of the roof at the peak ; it 
is better to have them hinged at the bottom to leaders 
that are inserted between the sash bars at the proper 
distance from the ridge pole 
A house 30 feet long made as above described, may 
be heated either by hot-air flues, or by the use of hot 
water. The latter method is to be preferred. The 
amount of piping required fora house of the above 
dimensions, will vary with the temperature required, 
but for early cabbages, etc., a 33^-inch flow pipe 
situated overhead just below the ridge pole, will 
supply 12 returns each of 1 )4 -inch wrought iron pipe; 
Ventilator 
six returns may be placed under each of the side 
benches, or four only may be used instead, the 
other four being under the central bench. Such a 
system is expensive, but it is the most durable and 
satisfactory in the end. In case hot air be used, the 
furnace should be placed at one end of the h >use; the 
flue may then run under the bench on one side of the 
house and back along the other side to the chimney 
above the grate A continuous rise should be given, 
and this is obtained by having the entrance into the 
chimney about two or three feet above the starting 
point of the flue. It is a good plan to have a damper 
which will shut off the flue connection ; this allows 
the chimney to become heated rapidly when a fire is 
started, and when the damper closes the direct con¬ 
nection with the chimney, a strong draft is secured 
through the flue. The grate for the above house 
should have an area of about four square feet, 
whether coal or wood is burned, the former is prefer¬ 
able. The flue for the first 20 feet, should be lined 
with fire-brick, the inside dimensions being about 
8x10 inches. From this point on, it is a good plan to 
use eight-inch vitrified tile, such as is used in sewers. 
Such a house, heated with a flue, costs from $10 to $12 
per running foot, making the total cost of a house 
30 feet long, about $300. In case a boiler be used, 
the expense will be greater. 
The cabbage which has been most extensively 
grown for early market is, undoubtedly the Early 
Jersey Wakefield. Local conditions will determine 
the proper time for seed sowing. Our rule is to trans¬ 
plant seedlings (cabbage, tomato, etc.) as near four 
weeks after seed sowing as possible ; a second 
shift is given four weeks later. If, therefore, we wish 
to set out cabbage plants April 15, we sow the seed 
February 15. The most convenient method of doing 
this is to make flats from common soap boxes; saw 
the latter into three pieces. The top and bottom 
parts are ready for use immediately ; but the central 
section must have a bottom put on before it can be 
used. Each flat will take seed enough to produce 
1,000 plants. On March 15, these seedlings should be 
transplanted into other flats, about 150 being set in 
each one. The temperature of the house, thus far, 
may range about 60 degrees F. at night to 70 degrees 
F. or more during the day. But when the plants 
have been handled, it is better to drop the tempera¬ 
ture from 10 degrees to 15 degrees, so as to harden 
them off before they are out in the open ground. A 
good plan is to move them to cold frames, protecting 
them by mats, etc., during cold nights. Four weeks 
later, or about April 15, the plants may be set in 
the field. 
POTATOES WITHOUT HAND LABOR. 
NO CHANCE FOR THE BUGS. 
For a number of years past, it has been a perplex¬ 
ing question how to raise potatoes at prevailing 
prices. Hoeing once or twice and digging by hand, 
leave very little for the farmer after paying hired 
help. The question now is how to raise potatoes 
with as little hand labor as possible. 
Potatoes, with us, require a clover sod on a sandy 
or gravelly loam. We start in the fall to prepare for 
the following year’s crop, by hauling and spreading 
the manure as fast as made. We have 33 acres of 
potatoes ; the soil, a sandy loam, part Timothy and 
part clover sod, was plowed as early in the spring as 
the ground was in condition to work, eight inches 
deep, was rolled as fast as plowed, and harrowed 
every 10 days until planted. This frequent harrow¬ 
ing germinates all foul seeds, and holds moisture, 
which is an important factor in such a season as the 
one through which we have just passed. We planted 
the second and third weeks in June, using the Rob¬ 
bins Improved potato planter, which gave good satis¬ 
faction. We planted 3)4 by 1)4 feet, and four inches 
deep, at the rate of four to five acres per day. 
A very important part in successful potato growing, 
is the selection and care of seed. Healthy, smooth 
potatoes of a uniform size, should be selected, and 
kept in a cool, dark place until planted to prevent 
sprouting. The planter left a plain mark which was 
easily followed, and in 10 days after planting, they 
were given a deep cultivation followed by the lever 
smoothing harrow. When the potatoes were first 
making their appearance, they were harrowed again, 
one man harrowing 18 to 20 acres per day. Then they 
were given a shallow cultivation once in 10 days, and 
the level theory was followed to the end of cultivation. 
Fig. 182 shows the field with the cultivators at work. 
By planting in June, we escape the usual July and 
August drought, and while early-planted potatoes are 
setting and maturing, ours are growing, ready for 
the September showers to mature and insure a crop. 
We also escape the first crop of bugs, and by the time 
the last crop appears, the potatoes have made a growth 
that defies the most vigorous attack of the bugs, 
which is no small item in raising potatoes for 10 cents. 
When the crop is dug, I will give an account of the 
expense of growing 33 acres of potatoes by machinery, 
from starting the plow to the close of harvest. 
Wayne County, N. Y. geo. h. westcott. 
WHAT THEY SAY. 
Potato Cellars in Colorado. 
I have just returned from a trip through the irri¬ 
gation districts of the West, and while in Colorado, at 
Greeley, where potato growing is so large an indus¬ 
try, and where they do know how to raise potatoes, 
my attention was called to their potato cellars of 
which there are large numbers. The cheaper forms 
of simplest construction are. usually, holes in the 
ground, preferably, although not always, on a slope 
facing south or east. They are long, narrow and, 
usually, three-fourths or more below the general 
level of the ground, but often they are built so much 
