162 
February 20, 
THE RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
RETAILING GARDEN PRODUCTS. 
A great deal has been said in The 
R. N.-Y. lately about the “farmer’s 
share,” and these articles are very illus¬ 
trative of what a great many farmers 
and gardeners have to take for their 
goods. I am going to try to tell how I 
have overcome a few middlemen’s 
profits in the small business I do. Be¬ 
fore coming here I had some time be¬ 
fore gardened with my father, and we 
had sold our vegetables from the rig to 
the consumer and got fair prices. _ So 
on coming here 15 miles from Minne¬ 
apolis and near to one of the largest 
Summer resorts in the northwest, I 
made up my mind that I would have to 
sell my goods that way if I made a liv¬ 
ing for my family, as I only had four 
acres of ground and rented at that. 
After planting the first crop and when 
the first early stuff began to be market¬ 
able, I got a rig and started out. One 
part of my present route was easy to 
get, as a competitor had had a long 
route and had somewhat neglected part 
of it, but the best part of it, composed 
of the very best customers, was not so 
easy, as the man I spoke of had served 
them a long while, and while his goods 
and methods could probably be im¬ 
proved upon, they were loth to change 
to a new man of whom they knew noth¬ 
ing. By getting a few of them inter¬ 
ested and giving them better goods than 
the other man (he fed them on Alaska 
peas) I got enough of the trade so that 
he quit, and I have had a very good 
route ever since. 
I do not call it peddling; it might 
have been at first but I have my regular 
customers whom I supply with as many 
of the kinds of vegetables as is possible 
to raise in this climate. Of course I run 
short once in a while, but am going to 
try from now on to get as much of 
their trade as possible. As to the 
profits, we have made a good living, 
have bought a horse, two wagons, some 
tools and glass and I am in better shape 
than ever before to go ahead and make 
something. Last year our sales were 
$900 from four acres and I do not con¬ 
sider last year a very good one for gar¬ 
dening. A great many crops were short 
on account of weather, insects, etc.; 
peas exceedingly so, cauliflower a dead 
failure, cabbage nearly so, tomatoes 
short and cucumbers worse than short. 
I feel that I can raise with a decent sea¬ 
son double the amount of goods on the 
same ground. 
Now as to the difference in prices, 
which you will be asking about. All 
bunch goods , except radishes brought 
five cents straight; radishes, of which I 
raise a great many, sold three bunches 
for 10 cents. The first cabbage for 10 
cents per head; good cauliflower,up to 
20 cents; peas brought for nearly all the 
time 50 cents per peck; beans, the first 
at 15 cents per quart, and never less 
than 10 cents; head lettuce, from seven 
cents to five cents, and the latter part of 
the season would have brought 10 cents; 
the first corn 35 cents, two days later 
25 cents, and never less than 15 cents 
per dozen the entire season. Potatoes, 
with the exception of a few days, 25 
cents per peck, and the first brought us 
40 cents. Tomatoes brought 40 cents 
per dozen for over four weeks, and they 
were not very large this year. Musk- 
melons brought from five cents to 25 
cents, depending on size and quality. 
Now as to the difference. We are 
close to the Minneapolis market, so can 
drive there, starting at three o’clock in 
the morning and getting there at six, 
and ready to sell when the market 
opens. We have taken several loads of 
surplus stuff there, sometimes getting 
good money and at other times scarcely 
anything. I sold a load of 105 dozen 
corn at five cents per dozen when we 
were getting 15 cents at home; sold 
melons for 25 cents per bushel while 
the same bushel would have brought 
us $1.25 to $1.50, etc. While I was get¬ 
ting $1 per bushel for potatoes the aver¬ 
age farmer who sold on the market got 
from 55 to 70 cents. Of course it is a little 
more trouble and perhaps costs a little 
more to retail the goods from the rig 
than to take them to the market, but I 
have watched the difference in prices 
for the last two seasons, and on the 
whole I think that my retail prices will 
just about double the price I could have 
got at the market. I know for a cer¬ 
tainty that many a small city or com¬ 
munity or Summer resort has to de¬ 
pend on the supply of fresh vegetables 
from the nearest large city, and all the 
goods have to pass through several 
hands before they reach the consumer. 
Many a farmer or gardener is sending 
to a commission house or hauling his 
goods to a market already over-sup¬ 
plied, when he could find a better mar¬ 
ket at home if he would look for it 
and endeavor to raise what the people 
want. A great deal of leaf lettuce here 
in the West (although I find more profit 
in the head lettuce) is sold during May 
and the first part of June in almost all 
localities, and you will find almost in¬ 
variably that it is shipped in from the 
larger cities where there are green¬ 
houses or gardeners who use hotbeds, 
and almost any real gardener can have 
a range of hotbeds and supply this 
trade at a good profit. Celery is easily 
raised on any good garden soil, but I 
am safe in saying that only a very few 
small cities are supplied with a home¬ 
grown article. 
Are your small towns supplied with 
that most savory early vegetable, green 
onions, from the middle of April until 
the end of October ? They will eat them 
all the time if they can get them; the 
same with radishes, and they will eat a 
lot of them if they are nice and crisp 
,and tender. Just because no one is sell¬ 
ing those things around you is no rea¬ 
son that they cannot be sold. The Hope 
Farm man is finding a market for lots 
of garden and orchard truck right 
where lots of it is raised, so I say that 
lots of farmers and gardeners too could 
improve on their methods of marketing 
to the extent of getting nearer to the 
consumer, which means more of his dol¬ 
lar. GEORGE TONG. 
Minnesota._ 
DO NOT USE RAW MUCK. 
As bearing upon the question of the 
use of muck, I woidd like to quote the 
saying of a man to me, many years 
ago, who knew what he was talking 
about. It was this: “No one ever 
realizes his expectation in the use of 
muck.” It is an easy “fever” to get, 
and I had it at the time. The inquiry 
of your correspondent D., of Long 
Island, page 82, prompts me to send 
you these few lines. The point I wish 
to call attention to is concerning the 
applying of fresh-dug muck direct to 
the land. It seems to me that it should 
never be done, but thrown out for the 
action of frost or to be well treated 
with lime. It came under my observa¬ 
tion many years ago. where great quan¬ 
tities of muck were applied to land. 
The farm adjoined that of the man 
from whom I quoted, and, if I remem¬ 
ber rightly, his was in the same condi¬ 
tion, viz., that it brought in a great 
variety of coarse grasses and weeds, so 
that the land was spoken of as being 
ruined. I saw the wild grasses grow¬ 
ing, and it was an object lesson I was 
not likely to forget. It seems to me 
that it is well for us sometimes to 
profit by others’ experience. D. j. e. 
Windsor, Conn. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, page 16. 
E. ASPINALL 
All kinds of Pure 
FERTILIZER-MATERIALS 
for HOME MIXING 
Also a COMPLETE FERTILIZER for general purposes. 
Guaranteed 4-8-6. 
136 WATER STREET, NEW YORK. 
l£T\ employ no salesmen or agents and appeal to 
independent Cash Buyers Only, who want a first- 
class article at a minimum cost. 
ISBELL’S SEEDS 
Twenty Years* Experience has 
taught us just how to please you. 
If you are interested in Growing 
Vegetables, Corn, Oats, Barley, 
Grass, etc., you will be the loser 
if you do not see Isbell’s Seed 
Annual. It is FREE. 
S. M. ISBELL & CO., Seedsmen 
Box 21, JACKSON, MICH. 
BARTLETT & CLAPPS FAV. PEAR 
Our trees are fresh dug in the Spring and we 
f uarantee satisfaction. We grow ail varieties of 
'ruits, Asparagus, etc. Send for colored plate of 
the GREELY, the best Plum there is. Address 
L’AMOREAUX NURSERIES, Schoharie, N, Y. 
I nnlf I I nnlf I strawberry Plants Eor Sale. 
LUUIV ■ LUUn ■ 600.000 Bubaeh, 100,000 Chipman, 
200,000 Gandy, 50,000 Alto Strawberry Plants, lots 
of others too numerous to mention. Kansas Black 
Cap, Cumberland Black Cap, Hiller Red Raspberry. 
Before placing your order anywhere get my catalog, 
it is free. D. W. MOSLEY, Dover, Del. 
PEAR TREES 15 cts. each; Strawberry Plants, Field Seeds, 
Vegetable Plants; circular free. E.W. Jones Co.,Woodlawn,Va. 
200,000 A 'i;?”;r s 500,000 iss*- 
Tennessee, Myers’ No. 1, Chipman and Late Cham¬ 
pion Strawberry Plants. Hundreds of thousands 
of vegetable plants. Send for price list. Address 
CALEB BOGGS & SON, Cheswold, Dei. 
Fancy, Graded Northern Mich.Clover Seed. 
Pure, clean, high germinating power, worth to sow twice any 
seed found on the open market. No sand, brown or foul seeds. 
Samples free. Price $8.50 per bushel. Bags 25 cents each extra. 
A. H. FOSTER, Allegan, Mich. 
SEND 
for our special prices of Farm Seeds, 
Oats, Corns and Potatoes. Fine Stock. 
SMITH BROS., Seedsmen, Auburn, N. Y. 
P EACII TREES —Orchard size, 4 and 5 cents each, El¬ 
be rta, Etc.; write for free catalogue. Woodbine Nur¬ 
series, W. A. ALLEN, & SON, Geneva, Ohio. 
DIBBLE’S 
High Class Farm 
Seeds. 
SEED POTATOES—30 varieties, 50,000 bushels 
in store, Northern-grown, healthy and full of vigor. 
SEED CORN—Rest three varieties for the 
Middle and Eastern States, either for crop or silo. 
Pedigree Seed, testing 95-98 per cent, germination. 
SEED OATS—Proven by four years’ test, Best 
for the Atlantic Coast States, early, enormously 
productive, heavy and thoroughly recleaned. D. B 
grade (Dibble’s Best) Clover, Alfalfa and Grass 
Seed, 96 to 99 per cent, purity, to 93 to 96 per cent, 
germination. These are the Best Farm Seeds 
that money can buy and the’price is no more than 
you pay for cheap, low grade stuff, as we are 
Seedgrowers and sell direct from our 1,200 acre 
Seed Farms to yours. Send for samples, test 
them yourself. Our catalog, the leading Farm Seed 
Book of the year, and liberal samples FREE. 
Write today. 
EDWARD F. DIBBLE 
Seedgrower 
Box C. 
HONEOYE FALLS, N. Y 
SEEDS 
THAT DO NOT DISAPPOINT 
Sold on The Ford Plan, which guar¬ 
antees satisfaction and saves you 
money on every purchase. Our cat- 
OU 1 UB, Huiuun . 11 Jv, uiuai, * ...... COUtalUS 
lots of testimonials from our customers. It's free. 
FORD SEED CO., Dept. 24Ravenna, Ohio. 
SEED POTATOES, SEED OATS 
Seed Corn, Clover and all ’other [Garden and 
Field Seeds, sold under our guarantee. 
Catalog Free. Write today. 
EIKENBERRY BROS., Camden, Ohio. 
$1.25 ONION SEED $1.25 
a j and up. Write for free samples for 
I testing. CompleteGarden Manual, Free. 
■ FIELD SEED CO., Box 25, Shenandoah, Iowa. 
Seed Com—Northern Grown 
We raise very fine seed corn here on our farm 
within a few miles of Lake Ontario. It is early 
and will mature anywhere in this country. 
We have some New Varieties that are for 
superior to ordinary kinds. Also corn for fod¬ 
der and ensilage. Percentage of germination 
marked on the tags—an advantage you don’t 
get elsewhere. Ask for catalogue and wholesale 
price list of seeds. 
JOSEPH HARRIS CO.. Coldwater, N. Y. 
C LOVER SEED S6.25 —Timothy, Onion Sets, Garden 
Seeds. Buy Direct. Glick’s Sked Farm, Lancaster, Pa. 
Potatoes, Oats, Corn, Garden Seed and 
bee supplies. Catalog free. Send for it. 
McAdams Seed Co., Columbus Grove,O. 
SEED 
OATS 
SENSATION—Great ylebler, (weight 
40lb8. per bu.) Also Seed Coni,Potatoes, 
Alfalfa, Cow Peas and Clover Seed, 
Samples and catalogue free. Theo. Burt A Sons, Melrose, Ohio. 
H A UI I A Q-20 kinds (my selection) $1. Satis- 
LfHnLIMO faction guaranteed. Write for full 
particulars. H. BURT, Taunton, Mass. 
VEGETABLE PU«R-«’a,»-.aW 
per, Cauliflower, Celery, Asparagus, Sweet Potato, 
etc. Also 35 varieties of Strawberry Plants. Price¬ 
list free. S. C. ATHERTON, Greenwood, Del. 
My New Plant and Poultry Catalogue 
describing the Norwood, Fendall, Early Ozark, Paul 
Jones and fifty other new and standard varieties of 
strawberries, and the prize winning Delaware Strain of 
R. I. Red Chickens is free and ready to mail. Send for 
copy at once if you want good stock cheap. 
\V. S. TODD, Greenwood, Del. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 
30 of the Best Varieties. 
Illustrated Descriptive Catalogue Free. 
BASIL PERRY, Box 18, Cool Spring, Del. 
The FARMERS’ GARDEN 
i A Seed Drill and Wheel Hoe is in¬ 
dispensable—not only in a village 
garden but on largest farms. 
Farmers should grow all manner 
of vegetables and “live on the fat of 
the land.” Should provide suecu- 
lentroots foe Cattle, Sw ine, Poultry, 
and save high priced feed 
stuff. Great labor-sav¬ 
ing tools' of special 
value for thehome 
as well as the 
market gar¬ 
den. Send 
for free 
book. 
Only One 
of Many 
iron Ago Tool* 
The 
most 
complete 
tool 
made 
BATEMAN MFG. CO.. Box 103-G. GRENL0CH. N. J. 
mfnnesot a Grown 
Clover 
rnei 
Yl/HEN we say seed is “Minnesota 
W Grown” we mean just what the 
words imply. Such seed, having en¬ 
dured the cold of winter and alternate 
freezing and thawing of spring and 
fall, is hardy and vigorous. The vital 
importance of using MinnesotaGrown 
Clover Seed should not be underesti¬ 
mated. By plantingthis seed, clovers 
mav be established in sections where, 
until recently, it was not thought pos¬ 
sible for them to survive. Another im¬ 
portant point is that clover grown 
from Minnesota Grown Seed in sec¬ 
tions farther south is more produc¬ 
tive, of greater vitality, and of better 
quality than from seed produced in any 
other section. Seed dealers from all parts 
of the U. S. recognize the superiority of 
our Minnesota Grown Clover Seed and 
acknowledge that the facts as stated 
above are truo. Order your clover seed 
at once. 1 1 usually advances during the sea¬ 
son and the demand may exhaust our supply. 
26th ANNIVERSARY CATALOGUE 
\ Pronounced the most Informing and com- 
|plete as well as the handsomest seed cata¬ 
logue ever published in America. 
(Everyoneofthe!52pages is filled 
, with information valuable to the 
, seed planter. No farm or garden 
I is so large or so small that this 
(book will not assist to greater 
profits. It is expensive and we 
cannot distribute them indis¬ 
criminately, but we send it free 
to those who wish to buy seeds. 
Northrup, King & Co., Seedsmen, - _ 
89 Bridge Sq-, Minneapolis, Minn. TRADEMARK-' 
Mil I IflMQ STRAWBERRY PLANTS —We 
IHILLIUI’IO believe our plants to lie as good as can be 
grown, and we will send twelve plants of any variety 
listed in catalogue for ten cents, postpaid. Long list of 
best varieties. Write for our free catalogue and price 
list and save money on your order. Address O. A. PER¬ 
DUE CO., Newark, Md. Box 10. 
A■ CM M ADY- RECORD BREAKING STOCK 
ULCN'MAnl OF STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 
60,000 quart s now grown on one acre—my system. 
Send for Chart. T. 0. KEV1TT, Athenia, N. J, 
S TRAWBERRY PLANTS— Reliable,money-making 
varieties, only $1.50 and $1.75 per 1000. New 1909 cata¬ 
logue Free. S. A. VIRD1N, Hartley, Delaware. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS 
$3.00 per 1000 10 cents per 100 
25 Leading; Varieties. 
H. H. BENN1NG, - Clyde, New York, 
SEED CORN 
WING’S 100 DAY WHITE. A remarkably 
uniform corn showing great quality. Has excel¬ 
lent length of grain. Heavy yielder. Ripens early, 
YELLOW CLARAGE. A very fine variety, 
will ripen extremely early. Our varieties of seed 
corn this year can’t be heat. Write for catalog and 
free instructions on growing alfalfa. 
J. E. WING & BROS., Box 323, Mechanicsburg, O. 
For I6c. 
Everybody loves earliest vegetables 
'and brilliant flowers. Therefore, to 
gala you as a customer we offer: 
1000 kernels Fine Onion Seed. 
1000 “ Rich Carrot Seed. 
,1000 " Celery, 100 Parsley. 
1000 “ Juicy Radish Seed. 
1500 “ Buttery Lettuce Seed. 
1500 " TenderTurnipSeed. 
1500 “ Sweet Rutabaga S’d. 
t 100 " Melons, 100 Tomato. 
1200 “ BrilliantFloweringAnnuals 
In all 10,000 kernels of warranted 
northern grown seeds, well worth 
$1.00 of any man’s money (including 
Big Catalog) all postpaid for but 16o 
In stamps. , , . . 
And if you send 20c wo add a pack- j 
age of Earliest Peep O’DaySweet Corn, i 
Big Plant, Tool and Seed Catalog 
free to intending buyers. Write for 
game today. 
THE JOHN A. SALZER SEED CO. 
LaCROSSE, W1S. 
ODD SEEDS 
BESTINTHEWORLD 
PRICES BELOW ALL OTHERS 
I give a lot of new sorts for 
trial with every order I fill. 
[A Grand Big Catalog rnrr 
Illustrated with over JULES; 
700 engravings of vegetables 
_ and flowers. Send yours and 
_ "your neighbors’ addresses. 
R. H. SHUMWAY, Rockford. Illinois 
Patterson’s 
Patterson JNTwrsery 
Business prices for the hustling orchardist, our 
HEALTHY STOCK 250,000 PEACH TREES C VARIETIES 
fully described in handsome, free FRUIT Catalogue. 
Co. Stexvartsto-wn, Pa. 
"STRAWBERRY PLANTS THAT GROW.” 
A DESCRIPTIVE list of varieties, with prices. 
Also INSTRUCTIONS for planting and culture of 
STRAWBERRIES AND OTHER SMALL FRUITS. 
Will he mailed free to all who send their address. 
C. E. WHITTEN’S NURSERIES, Box 11, Bridgman, Mich. 
15 
PACKETS CHOICE FLOWER md GARDEN SEEDS 
To introduce our high-grade Seeds we will mail the following 15 packets and our 
large illustrated 1909 Catalogue, also a coupon good for 10 cents, all for one dime. 
VEGETABLE SEEI>: Beet, Cabbage, Cucumber, Lettuce, Onion, Parsnip, 
Parsley, Radish, Tomato and Turnip. Will make a good kitchen garden. 
FLOWER SEE14: Batcbelor’s-button, Plilox, Garden Heliotrope, Petunia, 
Forget-me-not. All tested seed and true to name. Satisfaction guaranteed. Order today. 
BINGHAMTON SEED CO., 120 Court Street, Binghamton, N. Y. 
10 ' 
