1907. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
5o9 
DISTANCE APART FOR ASPARAGUS 
H. T. IF., Ozark, Ark .—Will you get from 
growers a practical expression of opinion or 
experience as to which is the best distance 
apart to plant asparagus? What difference 
is there in yield, in the different ways of 
growing? What distances are preferable, 
rows three, four, five or six feet apart, and 
hills three or four feet, or rows with pla.nts 
two feet in the row. Which will produce 
the most shoots and the largest ones? It 
would be of value to some who will plant. 
Mr. Van Siclen, the originator of Conover’s 
Colossal, planted his in hills six feet apart, 
and claimed that the mammoth size came 
mainly from this distance apart, instead of 
closer distances. 
I would put the rows five feet apart, 
so as to be convenient for driving 
through with manure, and put the roots 
not more than two feet apart in the row. 
There is too much waste ground and fer¬ 
tilizer when planting so far apart both 
ways; the gain in size of stems would not 
begin to equal the loss by idle space. Why 
does not H. T. W. get a variety that will 
grow larger stems than the Conover’s Col¬ 
ossal does? l. c. b. 
Indiana. 
The usual practice here is to plant as¬ 
paragus rows five feet apart and plants 
about two feet in the row. As I have 
no experience in planting other distances, 
I do not know what results could be ob¬ 
tained. Asparagus is a rank feeder, and 
large stalks a prime consideration, so any 
man who has the ability to capture a 
fancy market would better check-row it 
like corn, say five by four feet, and culti¬ 
vate both ways. This cross cultivation 
could be kept up 10 years before the 
stools would grow too near together, and 
I believe the increased size of shoots 
would amply compensate for the smaller 
number. u w. ruth. 
Michigan. 
I would strongly advocate 2x6 feet 
as the nearest allowable distance between 
the plants, six feet being required for 
making the ridge and at least two feet 
for plant food range. The usual practice 
is from 12 to 18 inches by 6 feet. As 
large size is most profitable to sell, I 
should choose the wider distance. After 
considering the common idea that close 
planting with heavy fertilization and a 
short life period pays best, which I still 
do not believe, as the plant is so very 
largely composed of water, I would keep 
the surface of the soil worked to the dry 
mulch condition to avoid its loss by evap¬ 
oration. w. s. BUCKLIN. 
New Jersey. 
For commercial and common sense 
reasons we plant our asparagus 4x2; 
rows four feet apart and two feet apart 
in the rows. We' grow it green. If for 
blanched “grass,” the rows should be five 
or six feet apart. Asparagus grown 4 
x 2 has yielded very large stalks under 
favorable conditions. One bunch of 12 
stalks 12 inches long cut on my ground 
weighed four pounds nine ounces and was 
given a gratuity by the Massachusetts 
Horticultural Society. Local conditions 
might cause the distance 4 x 2 to be en¬ 
tirely unsuited, so each one must judge 
for himself. Some good growers plant 
even nearer, viz: 3J4 x 1)4, or even one 
foot, and get good returns for 15 years 
or so, when the bed is renewed. As con¬ 
ditions are at present I shall plant 4x2. 
Massachusetts. c. w. prescott. 
The result of our experience has been 
that the rows should not be less than six 
feet apart, for the reason that, as the bed 
gets along in years, say eight or nine 
years old, the crowns are so near the sur¬ 
face that more earth is required for the 
ridge than if rows were less than that. 
Of course this only applies to growing 
the white “grass,” where it is necessary 
to leave eight or nine inches of earth over 
the crowns. We have never grown the 
green asparagus, so do not know anything 
about it. As to the best distance apart 
for the hills, of course, the wider apart 
you place them the larger grass one would 
expect to get, but for market where 
money is the object I would say that 
three feet apart would be the outside 
mark and probably two feet apart would 
be a better distance for profit. 
New Jersey. w. b. conover. 
THAT TERRIBLE STRIPED BUG. 
Last year, as soon as my vines came up, 
I put a moth ball in the center of each hill, 
and had no more trouble with the bugs. 
That may not be the case this year, as they 
are an uncertain quantity, but I am going 
to try it. B. w - 
Trumansburg, N. Y. 
In answer to J. S., page 462, I will say 
that to protect melon and other vines from 
the striped beetle I bought 36-inch wire cloth 
for screens, and cut It Into 18-inch squares; 
then cut to the center from the mlddhe on 
one side, lift one flap up and pull it around 
on top of the other some four inches, or, 
until it makes the cone shape that suits 
you, and fasten. I fastened by making a 
staple of the fine wire with my thumb and 
finger, putting it through and twisting with 
pliers. The screen cloth comes in 100 'ineal 
feet lengths and each piece made 132 covets 
and cost $3.75 and freight from Kansas City 
making the covers cost nearly four cents each. 
My first planting was protected from a frost 
that killed uncovered vines, the soil seems to 
crust less and vines grow quite as well. 
When the vitaes get large enough to take 
care of themselves I make a second planting 
and move the covers on to it. At end of 
season covers can be nested and put away 
for coming year. I would abandon the melon 
business before I would go back to dusting 
and fussing, to say nothing about protection 
from frost. Almost any shears will cut the 
cloth. I bought a pair of “clips,” tinners’ 
shears, for 50 cents; very useful an any 
farm. Distribute the covers and then take 
a small, fine shovel and place them, but 
first of all plant the seeds so that they can 
be covered with the size of cover. 
Indian Territory. H. c. b. 
WANT TO KNOW. 
Cement Water Tank. —One of our readers 
in Ohio says he wants to build a cement stor¬ 
age tank for water, which will hold 100 
barrels. He wants to build it out of doors, 
and would like plans for the work. He 
wants to know the most desirable shape for 
building such a tank, and also the best way 
to attach pipes to it In order to prevent 
freezing and troubles of that kind. Will you 
tell us what you would do in a case of this 
sort, and how you would build such a tank? 
Painting With a Pump. —Have any of 
your readers ever applied oil paints to plain 
surfaces, such as barn painting with a spray 
pump and Bordeaux nozzle, and if so with 
what success and what points require special 
precautions? Will not the oil in the paint 
injure the hose? IIow best clean up the 
pump when through with the job? Is such 
painting as durable as when It is rubbed in 
with a brush? How much more paint Is 
required by the pump method than when 
applied with a brush? a. n. b. 
Milford, Conn. 
Best Portable Fence —I noticed In a 
western farm paper where a large farmer 
and stock raiser used portable fence for 
inclosing his stock, and found it very econ¬ 
omical. It stated he had several miles of 
this fence, that it was effective and easily 
handled. Will you discuss it In The R. 
N.-Y. and inquire as to best portable fence 
for sheep, hogs and possibly cattle? I am in 
a stock law county, and believe a little 
portable fence will be better than to have 
so much permanent fencing. I own nearly 
two thousand acres, and wish to carry some 
stock in connection with general farming. 
Madras, Ga. b. l. r. 
R. N.-Y.—Several plans for a portable fence 
were shown on page 873, last year. W» 
would like to hear from readers who have 
used such fences. 
The Heat From Fireplaces. —One of our 
readers in Virginia asks us a singular ques¬ 
tion about utilizing heat. He says he has 
a fireplace on the ground floor living room, 
in which a big wood fire is kept up during 
the Winter. The chimney goes through a 
hall and a bedroom upstairs forming part 
of the partition wall between. He says that 
every time he thinks of the immense amount 
of heat which goes to waste up that chimney 
he wonders if there isn’t some way in which 
this heat can be caught and used in the 
hall or bedroom. Have you ever heard of 
any device by means of which such a result 
could be brought about? Would It be possible 
to utilize the heat In this chimney either for 
hot water or hot air to ge used in heating 
the room? No doubt there are other people 
who have tried to reason out that problem. 
If you know of any case where such things 
have been done, will you please tell us about 
It? 
Paragon Apple. —Fig. 219, page 459, re¬ 
sembles Paragon apple in size and shape, 
but not in color. Paragon being dark red. 
We have a few of them at this writing (June 
10), almost as solid as when picked last Fall; 
somewhat of a banana flavor. w. l. c. 
St. Clairsville, O. 
Ram, Windmill or Engine. 
B„ (No Address ).—I have a fine spring 
about 600 feet away and about 100 feet below 
my house. What is the most effective and 
least expensive method of getting the water 
Into my house? What are the relative merits 
and cost of a ram, gasoline engine and wind¬ 
mill? By cost I mean not only expense of 
Installation, but maintenance. 
Ans. —If the conditions are favorable 
for the installation of a hydraulic ram 
this method of supplying water would be 
the cheapest from the standpoint of first 
cost of installation and of maintenance. 
In general, a hydraulic ram is capable of 
lifting about one-seventh of the volume 
of the water in the drive-pipe to a height 
equal to five times the distance through 
which the water falls. But in estimating 
the effective lift of the ram the friction of 
the water in the discharge pipe must be 
counted as a part of the resistance which 
must be overcome, and this being true, 
the effective height through which the 
ram must lift the water is greater than 
the actual height by the amount of re¬ 
sistance which must be overcome in forc¬ 
ing the water through the pipe. Whether 
your correspondent can use the ram to 
advantage will depend upon the volume of 
water in the spring when running at its 
slowest rate, the amount of water required, 
and the amount of available fall for the 
water in the drive-pipe. The first cost 
of a ram is materially less than the cost 
of a windmill, and the first cost of a 
windmill is likely to be less than that of 
a gasoline engine. The cost of mainte¬ 
nance of the ram will be least, that of 
the engine most. If there is any differ¬ 
ence in the cost of the supply pipe lead¬ 
ing from the spring to the house it would 
be least with the ram and most with the 
engine, for the reason that in the case of 
the ram the water would be flowing con¬ 
tinuously and therefore would require a 
pipe of less diameter to supply the neces¬ 
sary amount of water. If your corre¬ 
spondent will write to the manufacturers 
of hydraulic rams, stating to them the 
amount of available fall for driving the 
ram, the amount of water discharged by 
the spring in gallons per minute and the 
quantity of water desired at the house, 
together with the height through which 
the water is to be lifted and the horizontal 
distance over which it must be carried, 
FOR 
SPRING DIPPING 
AND 
Hand Dressing All Stock. 
PUTS AN END TO 
LICE, TICKS, MITES, 
FLEAS, MANGE, SCAB, 
RINGWORM, ALL 
SKIN DISEASES. 
Don’t waste time and money on inferior dips. 
USE 
NON-CARBOLIC. STANDARDIZED. 
Prepared in our own laboratories. Ask your 
druggist for Kreso Dip. Write us for free 
booklets telling how to use on all live stock. 
PARKE, DAVIS & CO. 
DETROIT, MICHIGAN. 
Branches: New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Boston, Balt!* 
more, New Orleans, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Minneap¬ 
olis, .Memphis; London, Eng.; Mont eal, Que.; Sydney, 
N.S.W.;St. Petersburg, Russia; Bombay, India; 
Tokio, Japan; Buenos Aires, Argentina. 
Write for Net Price Illustrated Implement Cata¬ 
logue. Robert O. Reeves Co., 187Water St., N.Y.City 
Binder Twine 
Farmers wanted as agents 
AUGUST POST, 
Moulton, - Iowa. 
TANK 8 
that don’t leak or wear out; Tow¬ 
ers that stand any strain, are the 
kind Caldwell makes. Only the 
best materials and best workman¬ 
ship go into them. Cost no more 
than inferior kinds and last twice 
as long. Plenty of references to 
convince you. Get them, also il¬ 
lustrated catalogue. 
W. E, CALDWELL CO., Louisville, Ky. 
(^Galvanized*) 
Wind Mills, Pumps, Gas Engines. 
they will be able to inform him whether 
a hydraulic ram would give him the 
service desired. As it is usually undesir¬ 
able to use a fall of more than 10 feet for 
the drive-pipe, and as the height to which 
the water must be lifted is more than 10 
times this fall, the general statement made 
above shows that the capacity of the 
spring would have to exceed the water 
desired at the house by probably 20-fold. 
If the available fall is less than 10 feet 
then the capacity of the spring would 
have to exceed that of the supply desired 
more than this amount. f. l. king. 
Keen Your Money" 
H In Your Fist 
Don’t give us a cent until 
you are satisfied. Bushel crates 
handle economically your crop of 
potatoes, garden truck, fruits, 
etc. They’re best for stor¬ 
age. Tier them high as you 
please; they hold a bushel 
even full. More time for 
other work, quicker ser¬ 
vice, more profit from bet¬ 
ter kept fruit, less sorting 
when you use Geneva 
Bushel Crates. Write 
for information how we 
send goods—no cash in 
advance. Book free. 
Geneva Cooperage | 
Co., Box 20 , 
1/ Geneva, Ohio, 
GETS ALL 
THE CREAM 
PAYS BIG 
PROFITS 
We were only making about 12 pounds of butter a week. 
The first week the U. S. Separator was in our house, we made 
26 pounds, a gain of 14 pounds over the old way. This 
increase would well repay any farmer to buy a U. S. Separator. 
January 6,1907. Auburn, DL WALTER S. WOOLSEY. 
The picture above shows how clean the U. S. skims — 
Holds the World’s Record — and with its simple bowl 
(only 2 parts inside), easy-running, self-oiling gearing, 
low milk tank, strong frame and proved durability 
— the U. S. is far and away the best separator. 
That’s what users say after trying other kinds. 
Send for handsome free catalog telling ALL about its con¬ 
struction and operation. Just write for “No. 159.” today. 
VERMONT FARM MACHINE CO. 
BELLOWS FALLS, VERMONT 
470 EIGHTEEN DISTRIBUTING WAREHOUSES 
