1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
837 
AMONG THE MARKETMEN. 
WHAT I SEE AND HEAR. 
California is increasing her lemon output, but the 
larger part of her crop is marketed in the cities of 
the West. This market is supplied largely with 
Mediterranean fruit, and this, especially when there 
is a surplus, is also shipped inland, where it comes 
into competition with the California product. Still, 
the Californians are progressive, and are constantly 
looking for new markets, hence are likely to find a 
market for all they produce. 
X X t 
While the supply of apples is excessive, the quality 
of too many of them is extremely poor. Were one- 
half of those sent in, sorted out and fed to the hogs 
or thrown away, it would reduce the apparent sur¬ 
plus, and put fully as much money into the growers’ 
pockets. There is no surplus of fancy table fruit, 
but there is a glut of common stuff. At holiday 
time comes the demand for the best fruits, and they 
should be sent then. It is surprising how far-reach¬ 
ing is the influence of a holiday. 
X X X 
We have received several inquiries about dealers in, 
and exporters of, evaporated apples. In regard to 
their sale in London, Otto G. Mayer & Co. say that, 
singular as it may appear, there is quite a demand 
for them in London this season, in spite of the fact that 
there are so many green apples. They are used there 
by tart makers, who find it more convenient to use 
the evaporated apples than to peel and core for them¬ 
selves. They sell for about 5 cents per pound. This 
firm has exported some evaporated apples this year, 
and say that they netted more than those from the 
same parties sold in this country. The cost of ex¬ 
porting is not much over one-half cent per pound. 
t t X 
Many growers, especially of fruits and garden 
truck, are often at a loss to know how best to dispose 
of the culls and inferior grades. This becomes more 
serious when, through stress of weather or the at¬ 
tacks of insects, the crop nearly all grades low. It is 
poor policy to ship such goods with first-class stuff. 
The idea seems to be to make the good sell the poor. 
This is a great mistake. If possible, it would be 
better not to put this stuff on the market at all. 
Better feed it to the pigs. But this course seems not 
to be practicable with most farmers. Then it should 
be sold for just what it is. If the shipper has a 
certain brand with which he marks his best goods, he 
should not put it on anything inferior. Let such 
stuff go for what it is, and what it will bring. 
X X X 
In the foreign markets, apples are sold at auction. 
A barrel is taken at random from each lot, and 
dumped in the center of the circle of buyers. Another 
barrel is opened and left alongside. The lot is sold 
to the highest bidder from these samples. The barrel 
that was dumped is not sold with the rest, but sep¬ 
arately, an'd, generally, at a lower price. The other 
barrel goes with the lot. Thus it will be seen that it 
is an advantage to send large lots. For instance, of 
a lot of 100 barrels of the same kind, one barrel, or 
1-100 of the whole would be taken as a sample, and 
sold at a low price. Of a lot of 10 barrels, one barrel 
or 1-10 of the whole would be taken for a sample. 
This would be something of an item in the long run. 
There are other reasons why large and uniform lots 
sell to better advantage. F. h. y. 
THE EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 
THE BULLETINS BOILED DOWN. 
Spinach.—Bulletin 41, Rhode Island Ex. Station. 
—Spinach is extensively grown by Rhode Island mar¬ 
ket gardeners, and it is a rapidly-marketed crop ; 
we are told that it may yield from 500 to 1,000 bush¬ 
els per acre within eight weeks’ time after the seed 
is planted. The price per bushel often equals that of 
potatoes, though much of it is sold for less. It is 
grown either as a spring or fall crop, and is also 
wintered out-of-doors, though, as this bulletin states 
it is not perfectly hardy, and there is always some 
risk in so handling it. 
The whole value of spinach lies in the formation of 
thick, succulent leaves. Spindling growth, a frequent 
complaint with unskillful cultivators, is the result of 
insufficient nourishment. The improved forms of 
spinach are accustomed to growing on a very rich 
soil, and a soil of even moderate fertility will cause 
them to spindle up prematurely. By beginning to 
cut the spinach early, and thinning out the plants so 
that they do not crowd in the row, the season of cut¬ 
ting from a single sowing may be prolonged for sev¬ 
eral weeks. 
During the hot weather, the true spinach does not 
flourish, but its place may be taken by the New Zea¬ 
land spinach (Tetragonia expansa), which is in fine 
condition from July to October. The seeds of this 
plant germinate slowly, and the young plants are 
somewhat delicate, but when well established, it 
grows freely. The growth of the young plants may 
be hastened by sowing the seeds under glass in Feb¬ 
ruary or early in March, transferring them later to 
the - open ground. This plant is much branched and 
spreading, often making a growth three or four feet 
across. The leaves are not severely injured by the 
Leaf Miner, which is very troublesome to the ordinary 
spinach. 
The Mountain spinach or Garden orache (Atriplex 
hortensis) did not make a favorable impression ; the 
flavor, when cooked, is unlike ordinary spinach, and 
not very agreeable ; the plant is quite as subject as 
true spinach to the attacks of the Leaf Miner. This 
insect (the maggot of a small fly) seriously injures 
the crop during warm weather, though it does not 
interfere with its growth in spring and fall ; hence 
the value of New Zealand spinach, which does not 
suffer from the insect, and which flourishes in warm 
weather only. A cold weather trouble is mildew, 
and, so far, no cure has been found for it. There are, 
however, some indications that the germs of the 
mildew are carried into the field upon the seeds, and 
it is possible that the seeds could be disinfected be¬ 
fore planting. 
There are four distinct types of true spinach in cul¬ 
tivation in this country, the Norfolk, the Round- 
Leaved, the Thick-Leaved, and the Prickly Seeded. 
The first named goes to seed too early. The Thick- 
Leaved is highly productive, a rapid grower, of large 
size, and is very extensively grown. 
The San Jose Scale in Delaware.—Bulletin 33, 
Delaware Ex. Station. —Delaware being so largely 
a fruit-growing State, there is reason for alarm in the 
increase of the most pernicious scale insect known to 
orchardists. During the last year, the number of 
trees in Delaware infested by the San Jos6 scale has 
increased from about 50 to 1,000 or more. This in¬ 
crease is due to a number of causes ; the rapid in¬ 
crease of the insect; the indifference of some fruit 
growers to it; the inefficiency of some washes used as 
remedies; the impossibility of determining every 
affected tree in an orchard, and the absence of laws 
enforcing methods of eradication. The insect is to be 
feared because it attacks deciduous fruit trees, small 
fruits, and some shade trees. It is easily overlooked, 
and difficult to exterminate by ordinary spraying 
materials. It not only injures the fruit, but event¬ 
ually kills the tree. This scale is protected by a hard 
scale or armor ; it is a sucking insect, stationary after 
ODce beginning to feed. Where badly attacked, the 
affected trees should be cut and burned. A solution 
of 2)4 pounds of whale oil soap in a gallon of water, 
applied warm, is efficient in killing the scale, the 
efficiency depending entirely on each insect’s receiv¬ 
ing a covering of the solution. If the insects are 
found on a few trees in an orchard, it will be neces¬ 
sary to spray the entire orchard. The scale cannot 
be reached after the foliage appears, and the solution 
given would be injurious to foliage and tender wood, 
so must only be applied while the trees are dormant. 
The first treatment can be made just after December 
1, and a second application must be given just before 
the buds swell. It is absolutely necessary that every 
limb be covered with the fine spray. Spray the trees 
on all sides. Let the spray pass up through the 
branches and fall back on them until the liquid be¬ 
gins to drip. The opinion is strongly expressed in 
this bulletin that legislative action to enforce in¬ 
secticidal work, and to prevent the introduction of in¬ 
fested stock from other States, is urgently needed. 
Strawberries in Georgia.—Bulletin 32, Georgia 
Ex. Station. —The strawberry grows well on any 
land adapted to kitchen gardening or trucking. 
The next best is “any soil that will make good corn,” 
except bottom land. In Georgia, “ second bottoms”, 
or a level, well-drained, deep loam, rather sandy, is 
preferred. Too much sand, however, is as objection¬ 
able as too much clay. A southern exposure produces 
earlier berries ; a northern exposure prolongs the 
bearing season, and, if a clay loam, produces a heav¬ 
ier crop. The ground should be well broken, har¬ 
rowed and pulverized with a drag. Rolling compacts 
too much in middle Georgia, and is not advised. 
Land planted the previous year with cow peas is ex¬ 
cellent ; clover sod is not advisable, as it is often 
infested with the Strawberry White Grub and other 
insects. 
Poor land will not grow strawberries ; the plant 
requires a complete fertilizer, rich in both nitrogen 
and potash. Nothing is better than stable manure, 
though it is open to the objection of conveying weed 
seeds, and is, also, said to contain the White Grub. 
A good plan is to distribute stable manure all over 
the plot, and then supplement this with a high-grade 
commercial fertilizer, containing about four per cent 
of nitrogen, eight per cent of phosphoric acid 
and eight per cent of potash, this being applied 
at the rate of 800 to 1,600 pounds per acre. One- 
half of the amount should be applied broadcast 
at the time of the second harrowing, before plant¬ 
ing, and the remainder interculturally during the 
first season. Early the second season, an applica¬ 
tion of 80 to 100 pounds per acre of nitrate of soda, 
divided into two or three doses, would prove very 
beneficial. The biennial system of rotaton—that is, 
cultivation for one crop only—is advised for the 
interior of the State ; for the coast, the annual system 
—that is, no summer cultivation, but renewed each 
year—is found to be the better. 
Transplanting should be done in late summer or 
early fall on the coast; in early November in the in¬ 
terior of the State, followed by resetting in February 
or March, where necessary. The best distance for 
matted rows is 48x 18 inches, with runners “spotted” 
at seven or eight-inch intervals to form a row 18 
inches wide, with a space of 20 inches clear for culti¬ 
vation. Distance for hill or stool culture, from 30x18 
to 36x 24 inches. No cultivation is necessary after 
fruiting in the annual rotation method, except the 
removal of large weeds, but in biennial rotation, 
cultivation must be continuous through the first sea¬ 
son. Mulching is advised previous to fruiting, the 
most economical material being pine straw. This is 
turned under with the plants when the plot is de¬ 
stroyed. Irrigation is not found satisfactory in 
Georgia. 
Numerous insect enemies are noted, the worst being 
the White Grub and the Crown borer. The most 
effective remedy is rotation ; never put strawberries 
on the same ground oftener than once in three years, 
and never run a plot longer than one season. For 
leaf blight, or rust, spray with Bordeaux Mixture. 
The best varieties for succession for home use or 
local market are Hoffman, Lady Thompson, Sharp¬ 
less, Beder Wood, Gandy, Belle, Greenville, Brandy¬ 
wine, Marshall, Haverland, Princess, Parker Earle 
and Bubach No. 5. The best varieties for succession 
for shipping are Hoffman, Lady Thompson, Beder 
Wood, Haverland, Parker Earle and Bubach No. 5. 
While commercial floriculture has been carried on 
in this country for nearly a century, it is only within 
the past 25 years that it has assumed large propor¬ 
tions. The census of 1891 gives a total of 4,659 flor¬ 
ists’ establishments; a trade compilation of 1896 
gives the present number as 6,943. This is exclusive 
of seedsmen and nurserymen. The greenhouses in 
the United States, in 1891, covered a space of 891 
acres, and the past five years have seen a marked in¬ 
crease in this. At the time of the last census, there 
were 312 greenhouse establishments owned and man¬ 
aged by women, and 1,958 women were employed in 
the trade. The number of men employed was 
16,847. During 1891, the amount received for cut 
flowers was over $14,000,000, or about $2,000,000 more 
than was received for plants. The largest total values 
of plant sales were, respectively, in New York, 
Pennsylvania, and California ; the largest total 
values in cut flower sales were in New York, Illi¬ 
nois, and Pennsylvania. The greatest number of 
accessions to the trade, in late years, have been in the 
class of small retail growers in country towns and 
villages. The business is becoming rather over¬ 
crowded in the immediate neighborhood of large 
cities, and the culture of high-class blooms for city 
trade is passing entirely into the hands of specialists. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Every person who has a hen, wants poultry supplies of some 
kind some time. Excelsior Wire and Poultry Supply Co., 28 Vesey 
Street, New York, will send a catalogue of supplies to any one 
applying for it. They have a very full supply of standard goods. 
Are you sawing wood by hand or chopping it with an ax ? No 
matter whether you are or not, perhaps you want a circular saw, 
large or small, for some purpose. If so, just write Miuard Har¬ 
der, Cobbeskill, N. Y., and say so. He will send matter to interest 
you. 
Tue Electric Wheel Company, Quincy, Ill., are making a metal 
wheel which has the wide, broad-faced tire. They are made of 
any height desired and to tit any wagon. It is claimed that the 
spokes cannot become loose, and that they will last indefinitely. 
The above firm will reply to any detailed inquiries about them. 
Tue Profit farm boiler, made by D. R. Sperry & Co., Batavia, 
Ill., has the advantage of having a self-dumping caldron. When 
the food is cooked or the water hot, it can be turned out into an¬ 
other vessel to cool, or use without dipping. This is quite an ad¬ 
vantage. Send to the firm for particulars if interested. They 
also make dairy and laundry stoves and hog scalders. 
We notice that The Great American Tea Company, P.O.Box 
289, New York, are making a special offer to R. N.-Y. readers in 
their advertisement on last page, for teas and coffees. It is 
probably made at this season as a sort of introduction to those 
who have not yet patronized them. This is probably the 
largest retail tea and coffee house in the country, and when they 
promise anything in the way of a bargain, it is quite sure to 
be a bargain. We buy all our teas of this house, going somewhat 
out of our way to do so, simply because we get better goods than 
elsewhere in the city for the same money. 
The objections to dishorning have, for the most part, passed 
into history. Instead of being regarded as cruel, it is no w known 
to be a humane practice. It not only protects the weak animal 
from the strong one, but also makes the strong one less boisterous 
and fretful and, consequently, increases its capacity for making 
a profit for its owner. In the case of bulls, it is a protection, also, 
to the human beings around them. Of course, dishorning can 
be made cruel, by lack of skill on the part of the person who does 
it, or want of proper tools. For detailed instructions as to how 
to do it, as well as for the proper tools with which to do it, write 
A. E. Brosius, Cochran>1 lie, Pa. 
