254 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March S3, 
ODD FRUiT /VOTES. 
lloXfau Aitlks.-—O n |iiik<‘ 111 you speak of 
tlie time when flat dwellers in New Vork may 
be able to buy their apples in small packages 
or boxes. I can tell you how a fruit grower 
In Yates County, N. Y., is working out that 
problem. He is a young man of push and 
energy, with a large farm to manage as well 
as his orchards and vineyards. How best to 
handle his apples and grapes has been to him 
n constant study. In the Winter of 1900, 
while in town lie saw a pile of empty orange 
and lemon boxes. He thought to himself: 
“Why not use these to ship apples in?” Tak¬ 
ing a load home, the next day he commenced 
what has become a regular business each 
Winter. The boxes are carefully sorted and 
piled up handy to his work bench; the good 
ones are carefully taken apart and all brands 
or other printed matter put on the inside, 
when vhe boxes are nailed together again. 
'I'his leaves a clean outside on which he puts 
His own brand, a large star with his full 
name and address, with variety of apple and 
also the brand “New York State Apples.” 
It takes 3Vi boxes to hold a barrel of apples. 
In packing the boxes are lined with paper 
and the fruit packed carefully in rows, stem 
end up. The paper on each side is then 
folded over on top of the fruit, making a 
tight and handy package. As the orange box 
has a partition in it two kinds of apples can 
he put in one box. giving the flat dweller a 
variety of fruit. As to cost, he pays the 
grocers live cents each for the boxes and es¬ 
timates his *abor and wlyit waste he get. at 
two cents each, making the package cost him 
seven cents. The waste lie does not count as 
lost, as it makes a fire to warm his shop. What 
few lmxes will not make apple boxes he cuts 
down to a one-lialf bushel box to be used in 
gathering fruit. As fo results, last Fall he 
shipped his Spy apples in these boxes to 
Washington to a commission house there; 
his returns were $1.25 per box, less 17 cents 
for freight and commission, or at a rate of 
$3.25 per barrel net. 
Pure Food Law. —Traveling from day to 
day among the vineyardists on the shores 
of Lake Keuka I find on every hand an evi¬ 
dence of renewed interest in the grape busi¬ 
ness. Many growers are intending to enlarge 
their vineyards the coming year, and to give 
their vines better care and cultivation, paying 
more attention to spraying and fertilizing, 
and making a more determined effort to in¬ 
crease their yield. And why all this effort? 
Simply because the pure food laws, both 
State and National, have compelled a lot of 
people that were putting a composition of 
apple juice colored by mixing it with grape 
pomace that, was discarded as worthless by 
the wine cellars, then repressing and putting 
this product on the market as wine; also 
by another lot who imported a cheap currant 
from Italy and also coloring and flavoring 
their product with grape pomace. But this 
season it was different, as was evidenced by 
their appearance in the local markets and 
buying large quantities of wine grapes. The 
price of grapes will be on the increase until 
the supply equals the demand. That time 
at present seems to be far distant, as the 
market for table grapes is also on the in¬ 
crease and the vine.vardist who will fill his 
baskets with strictly No. 1 ripe grapes, giv¬ 
ing good weight and placing his name and 
address on each package will have no trouble 
in disposing of his crop each year at top 
prices. _ w. h. v. 
The Value of Coal Ashes. 
G. /)., Wymore, A'cft.—I can get about 
ten loads of coal ashes for the hauling. 
Would it be of any use on a truck patch? 
A ns. —Several other questions show 
that there is a mistaken idea about the 
value of coal ashes. People often reason 
that because wood ashes are so useful as 
fertilizer coal ashes must be also. In 
fact the latter have but little value. Where 
wood ashes contain 100 pounds of pot¬ 
ash, 40 pounds of phosphoric acid and 
650 of lime to the ton, ashes from coal 
show little more than a trace of either. 
Therefore as a source of plant food they 
are of no value. Yet we know of cases 
where the use of coal ashes has actually 
increased the crop. This was done by 
changing the mechanical condition of the 
soil. On a light, open sand, the pasty 
coal ashes bound the light soil together 
so that it held moisture better. On heavy 
clays these ashes often have the opposite 
effect—somewhat like lime they open the 
soil and separate the particles, thus admit¬ 
ting air and sun. Oftentimes there is so 
much unburned coal in the ashes that 
the soil is injured by using too much. 
Another use sometimes made of coal 
ashes is for applying concentrated fertil¬ 
izers like nitrate of potash. The chemi¬ 
cals are dissolved in water and this is 
sprinkled over the ashes, which ab¬ 
sorb the liquid. Then when dried, the 
ashes are broadcast like other fertilizers. 
We use all the coal ashes we can gel 
piled around fruit trees. They give pro¬ 
tection from insects and vermin, and 
shade the ground. 
Budding Plums. 
J. M., Plainfield, A. ,/.—Wbat is tbe best 
time to bud Grand l>uke plums on lAmibard, 
as I wish to have it done this Spring? A 
friend says the budding should not be done 
until August, as theq you catch the second 
flow of sap in the trees, and that the bud¬ 
ding will be more successful. 
Axs.—Plum trees are most successfully 
budded during late July and August, as then 
the buds on the young growth are plump and 
well formed, and the sap flows freely in the 
stocks. Spring budding is seldom successful, 
as it is difficult to get buds sufficiently ma¬ 
tured for the purpose. We always prac¬ 
tice and advise the budding of plums and 
peaches during August and early Fall. 
Good Corn. —The picture of an ear 
of corn shown on page 250, Fig. 120 , is 
taken from the photograph of an ear 
grown in Salem Co., N. J. This is the 
exact size of the ear. Salem County must 
not be confused with the “poor sand” 
found in some parts of South Jersey. 
The soil where this corn was grown is 
naturally strong, and responds to good 
tillage. Yet Mr. Mitchell shows in his 
article on page 251 what can be readily 
done in the poorer soils. While in the 
West we found it hard for Iowa farmers 
to believe that on the light soils along 
the Atlantic coast farmers were produc¬ 
ing as much corn to the acre as is grown 
on the black soil of the western corn 
belt. Yet such statements are easily veri¬ 
fied-—and the prices obtained for the corn 
are nearly twice what the western farmers 
can realize. Mr. Mitchell tells us what 
can be done with green crops and chemi¬ 
cals on these light soils. It is quite likely 
that the western “corn judges” would 
find fault with the ear of Jersey corn here 
shown, but the latter produces the grain ! 
A Board Wind-Break. —On page 148 
is an inquiry about wind-breaks, For a 
number of Winters I have erected in 
November a high board fence on the 
north and west side of my house and it 
has always proved a perfect wind-break. 
In March it is removed and usually the 
needs of the farm utilize the boards 
before the next Winter. One nail to the 
end suffices to hold the board in place. 
Care is taken to have compartments so 
as to keep the wind from sweeping 
through between the house and fence. 
Corn fodder, cedars and limbs of field pine 
suffice to that end just as well as boards. 
R. s. LACEY. 
For over fifty 
years we have been sell¬ 
ing only tested seeds—seeds 
that we guarantee to be 
pure and reliable. To-day thousands 
of farmers and gardeners rely upon 
Gregory’s Seeds—know for a certainty 
they are sure growers. Our free cata¬ 
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of information of value 
to farmers and 
gardeners. 
J.J.H. GREGORY 8 SON 
Marblehead, Mass. 
FREE 
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If you state the 
publication in 
which you saw this 
advertisement, we 
will send you free 
DREER’S GARDEN BOOK 
Beautiful- color and duotone 
plates, 224 profusely illustrated 
pages describing everything worth 
growing in vegetable, flower and 
farm seeds. 
HENRY A. DREER, Philadelphia 
CEED SWEET POTATOES—Jersey Yellow, Jersey 
° R ed, Vineland Bush; other varieties; plants in 
season. Price List. C. M. Harrison, Vineland, N. J. 
OATS 
Sensation—123 bn. per a^re. It’s a win¬ 
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Vaughan’s New Ganfeloupe HOODOO 
The HOODOO is t he ideal basket and crate melon. The fruits average \\& lbs., are thickly 
nette i, as hard as a bullet, extra strong at the blossom end, of a very handsome appearance. 'I he 
flesh is very thick, of tine, firm texture, not stiingy, rich orange in color, and of the sweetest 
flavor. The seed cavity is very small. Rind is very tough and rubber-like. The vines ar»> vigor 
ous, healthy, and the most blight-resisting of any we have seen. The Rural New-Yorker says: 
tl We have grown HOODOO four seasons, both in Held and under glass. Far from bringing us hard luck, it lias given 
us our l»cst melons every year, holding off blight ten days longer than Kmerald Gem, Paul Rose (I’etoskey) or Rocky Fold 
Netted Gem. It would seem Mr. Hose has achieved complete success, and we feel certain this new variety will not 
HOODOO its growers.” 
[The Vaughan Company were the original introducers of many noted melons—Osage, Petos’iey (Paul Rose) and 
08age-Gem.—Editor Rural New-Yorker.] 
ASPARAGUS—Bonvallet’s Giant. 
The Asparagus to plant for both home and market garden. This Asparagus is the quickest 
yielding (a year ahead from seed of other sorts), heaviest producing, dnest quality, and most 
oisease-resisting of any variety now sold in America. The crown does not divide, yieldiag large 
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The 1907 Catalogue of Vaughan’s Seed Store 
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HOODOO Melon Seed, one packet, 20c.; three packets for 50c., prepaid, with catalogue. For market gardeners, J4 lb. 
sealed packet prepaid for $ 6 . While the supply is limited, we hope to see a few seeds sown in every good garden for 1907. 
Vaughan’s Seed Store ufiB^clay SU^rgew’York 3 ° 
BURPEE’S 
“Seeds that Grow” 
are proved the Rest Seeds that cim he 
jjrovru. IVfdo the testing,— You run no risk! 
If you garden either for pleasure or profit you 
should study “The Leading American 
Seed Catalog.” A postal card will briug you a copy, by return mail. 
W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., Seed Growers, Philadelphia, Penna. 
SEEDS 
SEEDS 
SEEDS 
THEILM ANN’S carry a full line of ONION SEED for Sets and Large Onions. We can please you 
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Send for prices and catalogue. 
i’u. 
THE RIGHT SEED POTATOES 
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Dibble’s Seed Potatoes 
Northern grown, carefully selected from fields free 
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Handsome illustrated Catalog Free. Send for it now. 
EDWARD F. DIBBLE, Seedgrower, Honeoye Falls, N. Y. 
ALFALFA 
SEED POTATOES 
Thorburn’s Noroton Beauty, Irish Cobbler, Burpees, 
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Ia Crosse,W is. 
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s 
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