1906. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
175 
STARTING CROPS AHEAD. 
Sweet corn may be started under glass 
in pots or berry baskets, but considering 
the price it does not pay, as 25 to 30 cents 
per dozen is the largest price I ever re¬ 
member. If one had a steampipe joining 
two buildings (I have heard of such a 
case) and a garden chanced to be planted 
in the lot between, the corn would ripen 
two or three weeks earlier than if the 
heat had not been there. Very little is 
gained by transplanting melons and other 
vines, for they all get a serious setback, no 
matter how much dirt is upon the roots; 
still I do it with melons, cucumbers and 
Summer squash. I have a few hundred 
boxes that take a 10 x 14 glass, and in 
each put the seed in five places, planting 
about May 1 or a little earlier. The pro¬ 
tection ensures a better stand; cutworms 
cannot trouble them; stupid bugs do not 
often enter the boxes, why I do not 
know. It is laborious, however, to take 
off and put on the glass, and they must 
be kept well watered, as they dry much 
faster than in open ground. When they 
begin to crowd so that they would run 
up, after soaking them I take out as 
many clumps as can be spaced, taking all 
the dirt possible with a mason’s trowel, 
and use a lot of diamond baskets—the 
cheap handled one-half bushel baskets, 
that can be bought for 50 to 60 cents per 
dozen. Before using I usually paint my 
name on the handles and rivet a piece 
of hay wire on each side, which passes 
over the handle, which renders that un¬ 
certain part stronger than the basket. Inch 
trunk nails are the proper thing, as they 
are easily clinched. About five clumps to 
a basket are all it is safe to carry at a 
tjme, and one or two baskets can be car¬ 
ried upon each arm, only go slow and 
don’t jar the dirt off. I have tried beans 
in the boxes, but it does not pay, for if 
you gained two weeks, perhaps the south¬ 
ern ones are almost as good, and so rea¬ 
sonable that they cut off the price for the 
extra outlay. It does not pay to 'raise 
anything under glass unless the price of 
the fresh over the southern will warrant 
it. 
We are frequently told that stable ma¬ 
nure warms the ground, but put on in 
sufficient quantity to amount to anything 
for heating would in my opinion cost 
more than any crop would warrant. One 
has to be very careful how manure is 
used in the hill; if old and well-rotted and 
thoroughly mixed with the soil all well and 
good, but there is no heat in it this way, 
and if strawy or not thoroughly rotted 
it should not be under anything, for it de¬ 
stroys capillary attraction. If a forkful of 
manure is to be used in. a hill it should 
be entirely buried and planted beside. On 
my early corn and peas I use hen manure 
in the furrow after plowing in the broad¬ 
cast manure. f. t. jencks. 
Rhode Island. 
Japan Lilies; Hardy Roses. 
J. F. 8., Galena, O .—When Is the best 
time to separate and transplant bulbs of the 
Japan lilies, Spring or Fall? In regard to 
roses, would say that with me Philadelphia 
Rambler is a poor grower, making last Sum¬ 
mer a growth of only two feet, while Dorothy 
Perkins made a growth of 16 feet and Helene 
of 10 or 12. The two latter seem to be per¬ 
fectly hardy—while I can get no bloom from 
Ruby Queen, as it kills to ground every Win¬ 
ter, although well protected. I would like to 
know how you protect it in latitude of New 
\ork City so as to get bloom from it. I am 
in latitude of Columbus, O. 
Ans.—T he Best time to separate and re¬ 
plant crops of the Japan lily is in early 
Spring, just before growth starts. If this 
is done in the Fall they are certain to be 
injured by hard freezing, decay setting in 
in the broken roots and injured places in 
the bulbs. We are sorry to have you re¬ 
port such poor results from Philadelphia 
Rambler and Ruby Queen. Both varie¬ 
ties are entirely hardy in the latitude of 
New York. We never give them any pro¬ 
tection whatever, and have never noticed 
any injury, except slight freezing of the 
extreme tips of late growth, which is al¬ 
ways a benefit rather than an injury to the 
plant. Your climate is naturally more se¬ 
vere, but we imagine a slight screen of 
evergreen boughs to keep off the Winter 
sun is needed. The most certain method 
of protecting climbing roses where the 
climate is too severe for them is to lay 
the canes down and cover with four or 
five inches of soil just before hard freez¬ 
ing begins. 
Lime for Sour Soil. 
C. E. II., New Canaan, Conn .—I have two 
lots which are rather swampy, though the 
land is high and has a fair grade down to a 
small brook. Moss grows on it in places, 
which I am told is evidence of the soil being 
sour or acid. I believe by grading out the 
hollows where water settles I can overcome 
the swampiness, and wish to put the land in 
grass. Will it be necessary to use lime on 
the soil to sweeten it? If so, in what form 
can this lime be purchased most econom¬ 
ically? 
Ans. —Moss on such damp soil is a 
good indication of sourness—which means 
need of lime. We doubt if grading alone 
will dry out the soil. Drainage by ditch¬ 
ing with tile or stone would be better. 
Even with thorough drainage sour land 
will not produce full crops of Timothy 
grass until it is well limed. We would 
use at least 2,000 pounds to the acre of 
air-slaked lime on that soil. 
Strawberries From Seed. 
G. 8. B., New Bedford, Mass .—‘What Is the 
method of propagating strawberries by seed, 
and the time to do it? 
Ans. —Strawberry seeds should be sown 
in shallow boxes or pots in light, rich soil, 
covering very thinly. When the plants 
have made one or two pairs of rough 
leaves they should be pricked out and set 
about two inches apart in similar boxes, 
or singly in two-inch pots. Two or three 
weeks later they should be large enough 
to set in the open ground, which should 
not be done later than the middle of 
September. They seldom bear well until 
the second year from planting, as they do 
not form sufficiently strong fruiting 
crowns the first year. The best time to 
plant strawberry seeds is when they are 
taken from the fresh fruit in June. This 
gives time enough to grow tolerably 
strong plants for planting in September. 
If you have dried seeds it will be well 
to plant now._ 
Big Peaks.— When C. M. D., of Boonton, 
N. J., page 776, wondered if he had not 
broken the record with his 15-ounce Duchess 
pear, I was about to reply that In 1870, 
while living on the western slope of Bunker 
Hill, Charlestown, I picked from two Duchess 
trees three or four dozen pears averaging 12 
ounces each, selling them at Faneuil Hall 
market, Boston, for $1 per dozen. Also one 
big fellow tipped the scales at 19 ounces. 
For 35 years I have watched the papers 
unsuccessfully for a break in the record. It 
has come at last. The symposium on page 
804 seems to settle the question beyond cavil. 
My little 19-ounce and C. M. D.’s 15-ounce 
seem to be nowhere, so I have concluded to 
say nothing at all about them. Still I should 
like to have seen that 38-ouncer weighed— 
not that I doubt for a moment the figure 
given. Those who saw it weighed must of 
course be better judges of the accuracy of 
the weight than those who did not see it, 
but a 38-ounce pear seems such a “whopper!” 
New Jersey. henry h. boardman. 
Marks Artificial Limbs 
with Improved Rubber Hands and Feet are Natural 
in Action, Noiseless in Motion, and the Most Dur¬ 
able in Construction. 
It is not unusual to see a farmer working in the 
fields with an artificial leg, or an engineer, con¬ 
ductor, brakeman, carpenter, mason, miner, in fact, 
men of every vocation, wearing one or two artificial 
legs, of MARKS Patents, performing as much as men 
in possession of all their natural members, and ex¬ 
periencing little or no inconvenience. Over 32,000 in 
use, scattered in all parts of the world. Many of 
these have been supplied without presenting them¬ 
selves to us, simply by sending measurements on a 
formula which any one can easily fill out. 
RECEIVED 44 HIGHEST AWARDS. 
Purchased by the D. S. Government and many for¬ 
eign governments. A manual of artificial limbs and 
formula for measuring 8 KNT FREE. 
A. A. MAIIKS, 
701 Broadway, New York City 
IRON AGE 
Implements 
VSave Time, Labor and Moneys 
No. 6. 
Iron Age 
Combined 
Double 
and Single 
Wheel 
For seventy years Iron Ape Implements have been helping f irm- 
and gardeners everywhere to produce better crops with less 
labor, and every year marks some new improvement 
where improvement is possible. To-day thera is 
no combination of farm and gar¬ 
den tools so well 
calculated to save 
time, labor and 
money as the Iron 
[Age Imple- 
! ments. 
A Few of Them Described 
The No. 6 Iren Age Double and Single Wheel Hoe, Hill and Drill 
Seeder, with one pair of handles and the interchangeable parts will open 
the furrow, plant, cover, make level, weed, hoe and cultivate with half the 
work and twice the speed of hand methods. It’s a winner from start to finish. 
proved Rob¬ 
bins) Potato 
Planter. 
The No. 1 Iron Age Donble and Single Wheel Hoe is adapted to the 
Iron Age (Im- _ § thorough cultivation of all small » r, No. 80 Iron Age 
growing plants in garden or field. f f Pivot wheel Kid- 
in 
Very light and easy run¬ 
ning on account of the 
high wheels. Will pay 
for its keep in a week’s 
time. 
The Iron Age (Im¬ 
proved Robbins) Pota¬ 
to Planter an invaluable 
time saver for the potato farmer. Drops 
. 100 per cent, of seed from 4 to 7 acres per day. No doubles, no 
misses, no bruised seed. This machine, like all Iron Age Implements, will 
stand the hard knocks of real service, and may also be used with entire sat¬ 
isfaction in planting peas, beans and corn. 
The No. 80 Iron Age Riding Cultivator has no superior in adaptabil- 
* to varying crop and soli conditions. Specially adapted to the cultiva¬ 
tion of potatoes. 
sr m 
w; 
crop without bruise or injury. 
Our New Iron Age Book describes and illustrates our full line of 
labor-saving Implements. Seeders, Wheel Hoes, Cultivators, 
Horse Hoes, Fertilizer Distributors, etc. 
Digger 
The Iron Age Four Row Sprayer is a po¬ 
tato crop necessity. Prevents damage by bugs 
> and blight by economical application of spray¬ 
ing solution. Automatic pump and dasher. 
Adjustable to width cf row, height 
of plants and pressure, or fineness 
of spray. Has orchard attachment. 
Iron Age 
The Iron Age Potato Digger is V -53 Potato 
light in draft and thoroughly adjustable. Easily operated 
in ordinary soil by two horses. Ele- 
~~ vator and shaker attachment for 
heavy soil and weedy crops. Thor- 
oughly separates potatoes. Will dig the early 
It will soon be planting time. Write for the book 
now. A postal card will bring it to 
BATEMAN MFG. CO., Box 102 C, 
yon. 
G ten loch, N.J. 
iMAA. 
Strawberry Plants 
THAT PAY TO PLANT. 
Our new catalog is a common sense treatise on 
growing strawberries and no strawberry grower can 
afford to be without it. We tell you the facts 
about all varieties grown on our land. No fairy tales 
to mislead the amateur grower. We also grow large 
quantities of other small fruit plants. Our prices 
are reasonable and our plants first class, Write for 
our catalog. It is Free. 
Address F. W. DIXON, Holton. Kansas. 
Seed Barley and Oats. “Suc¬ 
cess Beardless Barley.” 
*1.00 per bush.; 6 bush., $4.75; 10 bush., *9.00; 25 bush., 
or more, 85c. per bush. 
CLYDESDALE OATS 
75c. per bush.; 5 bush., *3.50; 10 bush., $0.50 : 25 bush., 
or more, 60c. per bush.; sacks free; all seeds clean, 
plump and bright; Cash with order; add 25c.for col¬ 
lection if check on local bank. D. C. HI OTHER- 
SON SEED CO., Scoltsvllie, N. Y. 
California Privet a jk!l!es s 
Grapes, Plums, Aoricots, Cherries, Quinces, Peaches 
and everything else in the Nursery line. 
WELCH RASPBERRIES, WARD BLACKBERRIES, 
STRAWBERRIES all Kinds. ELMA, the Latest ever Grown. 
WE MAKE A SPECIALTY OF SENDING 
STOCK BY MAIL POSTPAID. 
BABY RAMBLER ROSES 25c. Each. 
Blooms every day in the year. All other kinds of hardy and ever blooming and climbing roses. Send 
for Illustrated Catalogue. It is FREE. 
JOS. H, BLACK, SON & CO., Hightstown, New Jersey. 
CALIFORNIA PRIVET. 
The most Desirable and Popular Hedge Plant in existence. 
TREE HYDRANGEAS, 
Fruit and Shade Trees, Flowering Shrubs, and Small Fruit Plants of all kinds. Write to 
day for Catalogue and get discount on order. BROOKVIEW NURSERIES. Box 36, Westmont. N. J 
We supply many of the largest and most conservative 
PLANTERS. Send for Surplus list issued especially 
for MARKET GARDENERS and other LARGE 
PLANTERS. APPLE TREES $6.00 TO $15 OO PER lOO. 
Send also for list of our “GARDEN) COLLECTION” of Small Fruits sufficient to plant a. 
LARGE GARDEN, sent by mail to any address for #2.75, composed of the best varieties RaspI 
berries, Blackberries, Asparagus, Currants, Grapes, Etc. These are strong, well rooted plants 
and the best bargain we ever offered; you will be convinced when you see the list of varieties. 
Send for catalogue to-day. 
1L8. WILEY cfc JS03NT. DRAWER 5, CAYUGA, N. Y 
SPECIAL PRICES FOR MARCH 
On large or small orders We make the Price to Suit the Buyers. Our stock 
of Apple Trees, largest in the State, all the leaders North and South, including 
York Imperial, the most productive winter variety known, and Stayman, the 
great quality keeper. 
Pennsylvania 9 s Best 
Represents the height of the nurseryman’s art ^ none better. Our peaches are perfec¬ 
tion, grown on new land from Southern natural seed, with no old orchards to con¬ 
taminate and disease the stock, all commercial sorts. Full line Fruit trees, Vines 
and Ornamental stock. Catalogue and prices Free. 
THE PATTERSON NURSERY CO., Stewartstown, Pa. 
