88 
that a few years ago were almost abandoned because 
of the tliin and impoverished condition of the ground, 
are to-day, by the management of progressive farm¬ 
ers, yielding the finest asparagus that it is possible to 
find in our markets. How well does the writer re¬ 
member when a boy some of the fields over which he 
tramped with dog and gun; fields that were actually so 
poor at that time that poverty grass refused to grow, 
and so thin that the sand burr was forced to break the 
last fiber that moored it to Mother Earth because the 
drifting sands so frequently changed positions. This 
year in May I had the pleasure of revisiting the 
scenes of my boyhood days. The same winding 
stream with its woody bank was there, some tall 
stately trees were yet standing alone in the fields. All 
else changed. Those fields that were a barren waste 
25 years ago are now lined out in rows as true as the 
human eye can make them, ridged up as nicely as 
mechanical appliances can work them, and yielding a 
product that sells from $2 to $4 per dozen bunches 
and as large as the finest asparagus that goes to New 
York markets. 
During the past year I have made it a point to talk 
with some well-informed men, who have had a long 
experience in the cultivation of asparagus, and while 
they are not all of the same opinion about the length 
of time to cut the “grass,” the different varieties, etc., 
yet I find that they nearly all agree about close plant¬ 
ing. All progressive growers appear to be members 
of the newer school. Their method is to set one- 
year-old plants very closely together in the rows; the 
distance should not exceed 18 inches; 12 inches is to 
be preferred, thereby securing a sure stand and a 
quick cutting plantation, instead of setting wide 
apart and waiting for the crowns to spread and grow 
together as practiced in former years. Placing the 
rows five feet apart and setting the plants 12 or 15 
inches from each other in the rows is considered the 
proper way for commercial growing, with a very lib¬ 
eral use of fertilizer every Spring. I refer especially 
to the New Jersey practice, with which I am familiar. 
As to varieties, there appears to be a difference of 
opinion. Some growers still believe that the Conover’s 
Colossal is the most profitable kind for them to grow, 
while the majority of planters are about equally 
divided in their opinion on such favorite kinds as 
Palmetto and Giant Argenteuil. On soils well adapted 
for growing asparagus and where under like conditions 
it is properly cultivated, we find by close observation 
that there is but little if any difference in the three 
varieties- Plants grown from seed that has been 
selected with care, produce the largest and finest grass 
to-day, as it did nearly 40 years ago, when Mr. Van 
Sicklen cultivated the celebrated variety that still bears 
'his name. Asparagus of this variety grown on Long 
Island in the vicinity of Oyster Bay, and for many 
years known as Oyster Bay grass, was said to be the 
finest that it was possible to produce. A few years 
later Conover's Colossal made its appearance. This 
variety was first found, it is said, growing naturally 
in Middletown, N. J., and was there cultivated very 
extensively for many years. That it differs from the 
former is a matter of opinion. The same may be 
said of Palmetto and the Giant Argenteuil, and that 
the four kinds are identical is the opinion of very re¬ 
liable authority. Well do we remember reading about 
the famous grass grown by Mr. Van Sicklen, with the 
bunches containing from seven to nine spears. Ten 
5 r ears later we called on Mr. Muire of South Newark, 
N. J., to see his bed of Conover’s Colossal. Here we 
found the largest grass and the most productive bed 
that has ever been our pleasure to behold. This of 
course was due to his method of culture. At the 
present time we grow Palmetto and Giant Argenteuil 
with as large individual spears, but it is not as produc¬ 
tive, due perhaps to a different method of culture, but 
to distinguish the difference in the four named vari- 
ties we have never been able to do- Their identity, 
however, is of little importance, compared with young 
plants grown from selected seed free from rust and 
disease. 
Asparagus should be planted on light sandy soil for 
best results, and in the absence of stable manure com¬ 
mercial fertilizer should be used liberally. The yield 
of asparagus per acre will somewhat depend upon 
weather conditions and the methods of cultivation. 
One year we were very careful to keep account of the 
number of bunches cut every day from one acre of 
Conover’s Colossal. With cool nights and cloudy 
weather 15 or 18 bunches would be about all we could 
cut, while if warm and favorable it would sometimes 
cut as high as 50 or 60. I am quite sure, however, 
we made a mistake in planting the crowns too far apart. 
Here was a great loss in the cut the third and fourth 
years. It may be the opinion of some growers that 
close planting is the cause of small grass. Close ob¬ 
servation shows this to be incorrect; when young 
healthy plants are used and highly stimulated the 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
stalks do not diminish in size by standing thickly. It 
is the long continuous cutting and starved-out beds that 
cause deterioration and small grass. t. m. white. 
Monmouth Co., N. J. 
THE BEST PLUM FOR MY FAMILY USE. 
About 15 years ago a noted horticulturist of Ames- 
bury. Mass., recommended to me the Moore’s Arctic 
as being a very valuable plum for family or market- 
He gave me some grafts, which fruited in a very few 
years. The fruit was about two-thirds as large as 
Lombard, of a dark purple color and very sweet. The 
skin was tough—hence the fruit rots far less than 
Lombard, and is a perfect freestone. In a few years 
I regrafted most of my Moore’s Arctics, as the fruit 
appeared to be too small to be a good seller; but after 
fighting the black knot on Washington, Lombard and 
Bradshaw trees for about 10 years, I heartily wished 
I had let alone every Moore’s Arctic tree. Still 
further I found that again and again, when the blos¬ 
soms or buds of other varieties of plums had been 
destroyed by frost, the faithful old Moore’s Arctic 
produced a bountiful crop. To sum up the virtues 
of this plum, it is as near black-knot proof as any 
variety grown, bears when very young, bears a big 
crop—which needs thinning—is very hardy, and often 
bears a full crop when all other varieties fail. There 
is in some localities a demand for the old-fashioned 
purple damson, in which case Moore’s Arctic will 
more than fill the bill; while because of its sugary 
sweetness and being a freestone plum it is really a 
fine plum for dessert or the family fruit jar. 
Ipswich, Mass. _ a. f. t. 
CO-OPERATIVE TELEPHONE LINES. 
How Done In Pennsylvania 
A. B. Copeland, of Massacusetts, page 42, asks for 
information about co-operative telephone lines. Eight 
years ago a few persons put up about four miles of 
SCENE IN CHESTER COUNTY, PENN. FIg. 47. 
w ; re into town, so they could “get the doctor in a 
hurry.” It spread worse than measles; to-day we are 
an incorporated company paying out over $6,000 per 
year, having probably 1,500 ’phones on our own sys¬ 
tem, and connections with other companies, so we can 
talk as far as we want to and farther, at an expense 
of $6 per year to stockholders and $8 to renters fur¬ 
nishing their own outfit, or $12 per year to renters fur¬ 
nished by the company. As to service, we had to start 
cheap, learning as we went along. As yet we use a 
ground circuit, and are bothered some by cross talk 
and connected lines, but taking all in all are well 
pleased, and would not be without it for much more 
than the cost. As to cost of building and maintaining, 
material and labor vary so much in different locali¬ 
ties that it is hard to estimate. At the beginning we 
laid out our route from one town to “central,” and 
got subscribers to stock along the route, one-half to 
be paid in money and the other in work. This was 
hard at the start, but the people who stood back and 
grinned at us were, soon after the lines got to work¬ 
ing, clamoring and working all sorts of schemes to get 
on the line. 
In starting a line you should keep in mind several 
don’ts- Don’t build too cheaply; use good sound 
chestnut or some equally lasting poles, and don’t use 
small ones, as you will have to cross-arm for more 
lines before you realize it. We use now 24-foot poles, 
six inches at top end. Don’t use cheap wire; get B.B. 
or extra B.B., No. 12 galvanized wire, and it will last 
more than enough longer to make the difference. 
Repairs are expensive. When your line is new people 
will help along all the line, but when it comes to re¬ 
pairs everything will have to be paid for at regular 
prices. The long distance people have nothing to do 
with us; in fact don't seem to like us. They have 
been quite good to the public, however, since we be¬ 
gan ; have cut their local rates in two, and in all the 
towns where we are have put in all the ’phones they 
could free of charge for the first three or six months. 
We have kept right on doing business; we have the 
February S, 
people on our line that the business men in town want, 
and we want the business men, our neighbors and the 
doctors. They are all on the line, so it’s a mutual thing; 
and all are equally interested in its success. 
You should be very careful about your choice of 
’phones. There are lots of good ones and lots of 
poor ones. Don't ever allow private switches, i. e., 
giving people the privilege of hitching on to all lines in 
their reach. We had a lot of trouble over it. Now 
we have continuous service, and can get all over our 
system night or day, Sundays and all. I supposed 
Massachusetts was covered with telephone systems. 
No farming community can afford to be without one. 
In my own case I live three miles from anywhere, and 
have had a doctor within 30 minutes in case of serious 
sickness. Wife and children are 15 miles away now, 
in a school town for the school year, while I “bach” 
it on the farm. We have 'phones in both places, and 
say hello to each other every day. We are fortunate 
in having in our company a man who is naturally 
adapted to telephone work, and he is learning all 
the while to the benefit of himself and the company. 
Now is a good time to get out poles and work up tele¬ 
phone sentiment. h. d. w. 
Wellsboro, Pa. 
A New York Community. 
Our telephone line was erected by farmers alone. 
An incorporated company was formed, shares $1 each. 
It came out so that there was just one ’phone for 
every one-half mile of line. For each mile the cost 
was $80, or $40 cost to each ’phone holder. Much of 
the work was donated by the members of the company. 
We use the Bell instrument; they cost $3.50 per year. 
I understand they can be bought outright now. Our 
local line gives perfect service. They are rented to 
outsiders for $1 per month. The cost of maintenance 
is almost nothing while the line is new, but something 
should be set aside for new poles when they commence 
to decay. We pay toll at regular rates when we con¬ 
nect with the main line, but for $3 per year any sub¬ 
scriber on our line can have free service to and in the 
city. We get half of all toll messages going from or 
coming to our line except on long distance. The serv¬ 
ice depends on the promptness of the switchman. Ours 
is the local storekeeper, and is very satisfactory. It 
costs us 10 cents to telephone to the city, and the com¬ 
pany gets half. If a person uses the 'phone who is not 
a subscriber it costs him 20 cents, 10 on ours and 10 
on the main line. We have been promised a five-cent 
rate for subscribers. We have 24 ’phones on one line, 
but it is too many; everyone wants to talk at noon, 
and right after chore time 12 families will keep it 
going during the rush. Our line has been a profitable 
investment, but if it did not pay a dividend it is worth 
more than it costs. p. 
Plattsburgh, N. Y. 
A NEW ONE—“ CULTI-MULCH.” 
Below I give a six-year record of a grass mulch 
orchard in central New York. Every year during this 
period the grass has been cut once or twice and 
allowed to remain as it fell. There is now a thick 
mulch of dead grass and weeds, four inches thick in 
some places. In 1902 1J4 Ion of wood ashes per acre 
were applied, and in 1904 it was covered over with 
stable manure. The orchard covers six acres, and is 
composed of 200 Greenings and about 65 trees of other 
varieties, mostly Kings and Baldwins, and has been 
set 33 years. Although the average yield per acre per 
year is larger than from the orchards you report on 
page 3, it will be noticed that the annual yield is much 
more irregular, due, I think, to non-cultivation and 
irregular fertilization. Although this is a fairly good 
showing, I know that I can better it, and wish to be 
understood as not an advocate of the grass mulch 
method as a continual practice. Indeed, I attribute 
very largely the comparative success of this six-year 
record to three previous years of thorough cultivation, 
which brought the trees in a healthy, vigorous condi¬ 
tion. Next Spring I shall plow again, and practice 
cultivation a few years, and then seed down again, so 
call it culti-mulch system, or what you like, it is the 
plan I determine to follow. Incidentally I might men¬ 
tion that I have been fighting scale in this orchard all 
tins time, and the tree upon which it first entered eight 
years ago, a large spreading Greening, shows no ap¬ 
parent signs of deterioration. But a chapter by itself 
for this. Below is the record: 
Barrels. Sold for net. 
1002 730 $1,530 
1003 S25 880 
1004 1,150 1,2.80 
1005 . 478 1,(572 
1000 1.310 1.070 
1907 235 .700 
4,728 $8,038 
The average yield per acre per year, 131 barrels. 
Prices are net and do not include barrels. 
Seneca Co., N. Y. 
W. A. BASSETT. 
