574 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
July 2?, 
; Ruralisms [ 
• T TTT ▼ WWW wi 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
The Strawberry Crop — “A fair crop, 
but a late and short one,” appears to be 
the local verdict regarding the current 
strawberry season. Commercial pickings 
did not begin until June 15 and were prac¬ 
tically over by July 6. Prices have, as a 
rule, been quite satisfactory, beginning at 
about 12 cents wholesale and rising to 
.15 cents the quart as the late kinds like 
Gandy and .Stevens came in, with slight 
lowering during the midseason glut. 
These prices were, of course, for first- 
class, carefully picked berries, and were 
paid by hucksters who peddle throughout 
the numerous Summer coast resorts. Ship¬ 
ments to New York markets netted the 
growers considerably less and it is doubt¬ 
ful, in view of the shortness of the sea¬ 
son, if growers who depended on metro¬ 
politan markets find much profit in this 
year’s strawberry operations. The great 
demand on the part of middlemen and 
handlers is for hard-fleshed varieties— 
kinds that will “stand up” under transpor¬ 
tation and look well next day after being 
hauled about in a peddler’s wagon. They 
do not care for quality—it is durability 
they want—and claim their customers are 
better suited with an inferior berry of 
good appearance than with better kinds 
that do not present such an attractive ap¬ 
pearance at the purchaser’s door. Accord¬ 
ing to this view Gandy and the almost 
inedible New Home is the type to be 
sought after. They bear rough usage and 
look well enough to sell after distant trans¬ 
portation, but it is a question if they do 
not reduce rather than increase the pop¬ 
ular appetite for strawberries. Growers 
on the other hand, naturally desire pro¬ 
ductive varieties. Large berries and plenty 
of them is their cry. Good quality, large 
size and heavy bearing under proper cul¬ 
ture are features readily combined in mod¬ 
ern strawberries, but it is not so easy to 
work in firmness of texture without losing 
some of the afiove important qualifica¬ 
tions. The perfect strawberry, like the 
perfect rose, if it is ever to be realized, 
seems a long way in the future. 
New and Oi.d Commercial Varieties— 
Successful commercial varieties do not 
rapidly lose their hold on the planter. 
New kinds are cautiously tried, but there 
must be considerable prospective merit to 
warrant putting in large breadths of a 
novelty. Chief satisfaction this year, as in 
many preceding seasons, appears to lie 
with the older kinds. 
Excelsior and Success —The earliest 
berries were picked from these varieties. 
The first to ripen is Excelsior. It is a 
good grower and a profuse plant-maker. 
The berries are fairly abundant, small and 
sour. They carry well, but are otherwise 
of little credit to either grower or dealer. 
Success, on the other hand, is of good 
size, attractive color and excellent quality, 
but too soft for shipment or anything but 
careful handling in near market. It gains 
favor and is generally being planted for 
first early. 
Glen Mary comes next and divides 
honors with Wm. Belt and Gandy as most 
likely to return good profit. It is now 
well known as an early kind, quite large 
in berry, easy to cultivate, productive and 
firm enough for general purposes. Its 
indifferent quality and irregular form 
probably contribute in no inconsiderable 
manner to reconcile strawberry consumers' 
to crop shortages. 
1 President is increasingly planted by 
those desiring a fancy trade and willing 
to give high culture. It is an unsatisfac¬ 
tory plant producer if not handled just 
right, but the berries are the largest and 
showiest that come into the local markets. 
Complaint is made that the large berries 
are less firm than the smaller ones from 
the same plants and care is needed to get 
them to consumers in attractive condition. 
While the quality is not high, there is no 
objectionable acidity or odd flavor to de¬ 
tract from the fine appearance of the 
berries. They sell well and bring top 
prices. 
William Belt is in the height of its 
popularity and all who have the true va¬ 
riety are inclined to hold on to it. The 
foliage weakness incident to overpropa¬ 
gation in the early life of the variety has 
quite disappeared. The berries average 
large and are of excellent color and rich, 
satisfying flavor, invariably pleasing ac¬ 
tual consumers. It is a good plant maker 
and highly productive under fair treat¬ 
ment, while the perfect bloom make good 
polllenizers for such pistillates as Presi¬ 
dent. The lacking feature is extra firm¬ 
ness, Wm. Belt being rated too soft for 
long shipment. 
Bubach is still grown for its large soft 
fruits by those familiar with its require¬ 
ments. 
Gandy is essential to round out the sea- 
on and is universally planted. Its late 
ripening, firmness and fine, light color 
cause it to sell at comparatively high 
prices and render it fairly profitable, not¬ 
withstanding its lack of productiveness on 
ordinary and light soils. When entirely 
suited on rich, moist soils it crops well 
and is a tremendous money getter. 
Stevens’ Late Champion, known lo¬ 
cally as Stevens, is quite a rival of Gandy 
and is largely planted in the central and 
southern portions of the State. It is, 
however, a main crop rather than an extra 
late variety. It is a good cropper and a 
good shipper, rather above ordinary in 
quality. 
Newer Kinds —Cardinal has probably 
been more vigorously advertised than any 
of its competitors among new strawber¬ 
ries. A local trial, both in commercial 
matted rows and single hills, shows it 
capable of producing as fine trusses of 
attractive berries as shown in the intro¬ 
ducer’s color plates. It certainly is a phe¬ 
nomenal grower and plant maker. The 
blooms are pistillate and require an abun¬ 
dant pollenizer nearby. The berries are 
medium to large, round, dark red, with 
red flesh, sour, indifferent quality, and 
none too firm for modern demands. It 
appears to be almost a reversion to the 
old Wilson’s Albany, with the added size 
of berry gained by suppressing stamens in 
the blooms. Its vigor and productiveness 
may be as great as claimed, but the fruits 
will scarcely convert buyers into eager 
strawberry eaters. 
New Home, after three years’ trial, has 
borne a full crop. Here we have firmness 
galore, but few other meritorious quali¬ 
ties. The plant is now well knewn as an 
undersized one, with yellowish foliage, but 
it has vigor and cropping capacity when 
suited. The berries run small and are 
almost disagreeable in their hard acidity, 
but carry well, and may be sold when other 
kinds are scarce. We are told it is ac¬ 
cepted in Boston markets when shipped in 
from Maryland. Hucksters are able to 
offer it for sale after being hauled 
around for a day or two, but we fancy it 
will not do much, in the way of increasing 
their trade. 
Mead. —This New England variety wins 
favor when tried. It has the firmest and 
most glossy foliage of all, perfect blooms 
and bears a profuse crop, good-sized, 
bright red berries of very regular, broadly 
conical form. The flavor is sprightly and 
pleasant. It appears to be unusually 
hardy and quite able to perfect a fine 
crop of fruits. Its season is rather 
early. _ w. v. f. 
OUt in Downs a little Swede boy went 
to school and the teacher asked his name. 
“Yonny Olsen,” lie replied. “How old are 
you?” asked the teacher. “Ay not no 
how old ay bane.” “Well, when were 
you born?” continued the teacher. “Ay 
not born at all; ay got stepmutter.”—Kan¬ 
sas City Star. 
When yon write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, page 8. 
Havana Low Wagons 
All steel, made to last; wood pears also. Save high 
lifting, hard pulling, avoid cutting up llelds. Tires any 
width up to 8 Inches. STEEL WHEELS furnished TO KIT 
OLD HEARS. Write for free booklet. r 
HAVANA METAL WHEEL CO., Box 17, HAVANA, ILL. 
The WAGON to BUY. 
structed. haves labor, annoy¬ 
ance and expense of repairs. 
STEEL WHEELS ^aTo a n l s l 
Your address on a postal will bring yon free catalog. 
The Geneva Metal Wheel Co., 
Box 17. Geneva, Ohio. 
A low wagon 
at a low price. 
Handy for 
the farmer. 
Will carry a 
load a n y - 
where a horse 
can travel. 
Low Down Wagons 
soon earn their cost on any farm. 
Steel Wheels 
for farm wagons. Straight or stag¬ 
gered spokes. Any size wanted, any 
width of tire. Hubs to lit any axle. 
For catalogue and prices, write to 
EmpireMfg.Co., Box 70 H Quincy, III. 
WE’LL PAY THE FREIGHT 
and send 4 Hiijisy Wh«*K. St**«*l Tiro* on - #7.75 
With Rubber Tires, $14.20. I mfg. wheels *4 io4in. 
tread. Top $28.75; Hnrne**, $4.90. Write for 
catlog. Learn how to buy direct. Ropnir Wheels. $6.00. 
Wagon Umbrella FREE. W.lleHOOUji'incinnatljO. 
YOUNG MEN WANTED —To learn the 
Veterinary Profession. Catalogue sent 
free. Address VKTER1NARY COLLEGE, 
Grand Rapids, Mich. 46 LOUIS STREET. 
INDRUROID 
ROOFING 
Requires no Coatinc or 
Paint. 
Acid and Alkali Proof. 
Elastic and Pliuble 
Always. 
Strong and Tough. 
Absolutely Waterproof. 
Climatic Changes Do Not 
Affect It. 
Practically Fire Proof. 
Can Be Used on Steep or 
Flat Surfaces. 
Any Workman Can Put 
It On. 
No Odor. 
Will not Shrink or Crack 
Light in Weight. 
Does not Taint Water. 
Write for samplos, prices and 
circulars. 
H. F. WATSON CO. 
ERIE, PA. 
Chicago, Boston. 
Mention R.N.-Y. 
Caldwell Tanks 
of Galvanized Steel are used 
everywhere. Sizes up to 1200 
gallons can be shipped set up 
at small cost for freight. Theso 
tanks are strong, tight and 
durable. Cost less than wood 
tanks. Ask for illustrated 
catalogue and delivered prices 
W. E. CALDWELL CO. 
Louisville, Ky. 
***. (MSS) ™ 
Wind Mills, Pumps, Gas Engines. 
QET THE BEST 
A Good Spray Pump earns big 
profits and lasts for years. 
THE ECLIPSE 
is a good pump. As 
practical fruit growers 
we were using common 
sprayers in our own orchards 
—found their defects and 
invented the Eclipse. Its 
success forced us to manu¬ 
facturing on a large scale. 
You take no chances. We 
have done all the experi¬ 
menting. Large fully illustrated Catalog and 
Treatise on spraying FREE. 
MORRILL & MORLEY. Benton Harbor, Mich. 
HURST SPRAYER FREE TRIAL 
Nomoney in advance—Pay when con* 
venient. Hprays Everything—Tree* ;Po- 
tatocs, Truck, etc. 4 rows at a time—20 
acres a day. Double* Your Crop—extra 
yield one acre will pay for it first seas¬ 
on. A boy can operate. GUARANTEED 
5 YEARS. Wholesale Price (where no 
agent). Agts. wanted. After trial.if you 
keep it— pay when you can. Special 
FREE OFFER for first one in locality. 
“Spraying Gutde"and full information 
FREE. H. L. HURST B1FG. CO., 50 Worth 81. Canton,U. 
^ will pay yon to spray yonr 
M ' lilU AT Fruit 'Frees and Vines for protec- 
Ulf Sjk I tion from scale and all insect 
■ pests and fungus diseases. Fit EE 
Instruction Book shows the 
famous Garfield, Empire King, Orchard. 
Monarch and other sprayers; also gives a lot 
of formulas and other valuable information. 
FIELD FORCE PUMP CO., No. 2 11th St.. Elmira, N. Y. 
Monarch 
Hydraulic 
Cider Press 
Great strength and ca¬ 
pacity; all sizes; also 
gasoline engines, 
steam engines, 
saw mills, thresh¬ 
ers. Catalog free. 
IDE 
MACHINERY 
n 
U M Best and cheapest, 
Send lor catalogue. 
BOOMER & BOSCHERT 
PRESS CO., 
118 West Water St., 
8YBACUSK. N. ¥. 
Keen Your Mo »ey 
_ Z 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- 
i ter kept fruit, less sorting 
when you use Gencvu 
Bushi ‘1 Crates. Write 
for information bow we 
send goods—no cash in 
advance. Book free, 
Geneva Cooperage i 
Co., Box 20 , 
li« 1/ Geneva, Ohio. 
B 
ooK 
Got This 
free DOWDEN Book 
It will tell you how to get all your potatoes. 
Do you know how to get all yonr potatoes!—Every last one from the big pink two pounder, to the small 
ami few in a hill! Do you know how many dollars difference It makes whether you get all or leave a 
lot lnthe ground! Send for the Dowden Book. It’s Free—It will tell you how to gather in every potato 
your field has produced. If you are a potato grower you want to know about the 
Dowden Potato Digger 
The Digger that work, where other diggers fall—the digger that takes every potato out of stl ff lands, 
clay, grass, mud, weeds and stones, as well asclean lands. One enthusiastic owner of a Dowden writes 
us about Its perfect work In grass and weeds four to six feet tall. Wo have hundreds of such reports on 
file. Let us show them to you. In some crops the Dowden digger actually pays for itself In the potatoes 
it saves. Write for the Dowden Book. It will tell you how 
need never he feared, and bo simple that a boy can run It. 
is machine Is made so strong that a break 
The 
book will come right back. 
.DowdenManufacturing Co. 
222 Elm st. Prairie City, la. 
Yonr Differ ha* 
, given very good 
satisfaction. Oap 
soil is a deep rloh 1 
black loam with al 
deop clay tubsolljl 
Many Diggers WO } 
have tried fulled. Bo 
wo stick to youro. 
I Hoyt Plant and 
Seed Co., 8t. Paul, Minn.^ 
Isold six I 
Dow dsn I 
Diggers as I 
a result of I 
a contest ofI 
the Dowdeol 
vlth two f 
others here. 
0. A. Newberry, I 
Alliance, Neb- 
