1908 . 
TWO SIDES TO “GUARANTEED GOODS.” 
In the old days of home packing of apples there 
were some good old men in this vicinity who were 
noted for being a little “near,’’ whose reputation for 
packing apples was rather shaky, but for several 
years past the rule has been to pack fruit of an even 
grade from head to head, while at the present time 
most of the apples are delivered to the market in 
bushel crates by weight, and packed by the buyer. 
This to ensure an even grade of fruit; also most 
of the home-packed barrels are “run” by the dealer 
before shipping, and nothing but standard fruit al¬ 
lowed in the package. There is a great difference 
between apples of the same variety from different 
trees, both in color, flavor and size, as well as in 
keeping quality. I have also had some experience 
with the village retail trade, and will most emphat¬ 
ically say that here in the apple belt, I do not want 
anything to do with it, but would like very much to 
drive around with a load of Seek-no-furthers, Spitz- 
enberg, Greening and Baldwins, where these people 
live who are willing to pay the 
prices which they report for 
apples. Somebody gets a good 
slice between tbe 30 to 50 cents 
per bushel which the grower re¬ 
ceives and the four to six dol¬ 
lars per barrel which the con¬ 
sumer pays. There is only one 
thing that stands in the way of 
Long Island or Tennessee con¬ 
sumers buying direct from 
growers, and that is delays in 
small shipments en route which 
might cause decay, and make 
trouble betwen the parties. Of 
course if I ship a barrel of 
apples, and it is all right when 
it leaves my hands, I want the 
full contract price. The buyer 
also pays his good money for 
good fruit, and he wants what 
he pays for and should have it. 
If, however, the fruit is half 
spoiled in shipment through no 
fault of either party, the chances 
are that one of them would re¬ 
ceive the blame, and there 
would be an end to all business 
relations between them. 
L. B. S. makes some good 
points while giving his experi¬ 
ence in buying things of farm¬ 
ers. If everyone would tell of 
the defects in what he offers 
for sale, and have everything 
as good as he could possibly 
grow it, lie might lose a few 
sales once in a while, but in the 
long run he would come out 
ahead. We all know that it is 
possible in picking a lot of 
sweet corn to get some imper¬ 
fect ears, unless we open the 
husks a bit, which spoils the 
corn, but if when a man sold a bad ear of corn and 
it was brought to his notice he should explain the 
facts and replace it free with the next order, he 
would be the man to get my custom if I were buy¬ 
ing corn, or anything else in his line. I can see no 
radical difference between the man who will get a 
penny dishonestly in a deal concerning a dozen ears 
of corn and the man who will misrepresent the 
situation in order to buy a crop for less than he 
cotdd afford to pay, and still make a fair profit. The 
principle involved is the same in either case; and 
also in my experience I have yet to find a man 
who habitually tries to get the best end of every 
deal, who does not suffer greater loss in one way 
or another than the money he may get is ever worth 
to him. j. A. CRANE. 
Wayne Co., N. Y. 
The Farmers’ Side of the Question. 
I have just finished reading L. B. S.’s article on 
the buyers’ side of farm produce. L. B. S. does not 
state his occupation, only states he lives in a large 
manufacturing town, and I must suppose him to be 
a manufacturer, mechanic or merchant, but of course 
he never made the poor pair of shoes (just thrown 
away), that I paid $3.50 for, or the worthless pair of 
rubber boots I had last Spring, or the grass scythe I 
bought last Summer that was guaranteed by the 
maker, but proved to be worthless, or the ax I 
bought some time ago with the maker's guarantee 
stamped on it and when our local dealer returned it 
they would do nothing and advised him to do like¬ 
wise. Nor if L. B. S. was really in any of these 
lines of business would he throw away the poor part 
of his product and only offer for sale that small 
'THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
part which was perfect and good. I do not think 
the farmers are getting anywhere near the quality 
of goods for their money that they are giving. I 
have not mentioned adulterated feeds, fertilizer, 
seeds, etc., and in fact please tell me of one manu¬ 
factured article that we have to buy that is up to 
the guarantee, or that is to be had at a fair price. 
Pennellville, N. Y. c. L. d. 
POTATO CULTURE. 
I am one of those farmers who arc never satis¬ 
fied with their crops. If I raise good crops this 
year I begin at once to plan for better ones next 
year. I note carefully every little mistake that I 
may have made during the past year, and seek to 
avoid it next year. In potato farming, as in every¬ 
thing else, failures must be made stepping stones 
to success. 
During recent years I have always made it a point 
to select my potato ground in the Fall, and I never 
fail to select a good clover sod. This is well ma¬ 
nured in the Fall, and plowed as early in the Spring 
as possible. After the ground is well harrowed I 
sow from 500 to 800 pounds of some good com¬ 
mercial fertilizer to the acre. The rows are marked 
?J/ 2 feet apart, and the potatoes, cut one and two 
eyes to a piece, are planted 14 inches apart in the 
THE BEGINNING OF A COWBOY. Fig. 464. 
rows. The rows are four or five inches deep, as I 
find this depth during dry spells gives better results 
than more shallow planting. Soon after the plant¬ 
ing I harrow the ground level, as I am a firm be¬ 
liever in level culture. Hilling may do all right in 
071 
a wet year, but I am no advocate of hilling. I 
tried it once and a prolonged drought followed, and 
that will do for me. I shall never try it again. 
After the potatoes are up the cultivator must be 
kept going as long as the stalks are green. The 
more the ground is stirred the less weeds there will 
be, and the more moisture conserved. Let me cau¬ 
tion potato growers against using small seed pota¬ 
toes, and also against wilted seed potatoes. They lack 
vigor, and will certainly result in reduced yields. 
Newport, Pa. j. a s. 
“HOLDING BACK” FRUIT BUDS. 
In this country we have late frosts in the Spring 
which almost always kill the fruit. It will come off 
warm in March and start the buds, and then freeze in 
April and kill the fruit. Would it be wise to dig a 
ditch around the trees a few feet away, then, after the 
ground freezes solid, run the ditch full of water and 
let it freeze, then cover heavily with straw, so as to 
keep the ice there late in the Spring? Would this tend 
to retard growth later, till settled weather? Who can 
give experience in this line? H. d. l. 
Ord, Neb. 
The plan will not work. If 
tree roots are encased in ice and 
the top is exposed to high tem¬ 
peratures the sap flow will start 
anyhow, and budding and 
blooming proceed with ice¬ 
bound and inactive roots. It has 
been tried, and branches have 
been taken in through windows 
of houses from trees standing 
by, when outdoor temperatures 
were low, and branches and 
blooms leafed and bloomed in 
room or greenhouse while at¬ 
tached to outdoor growing trees 
and plants. If the entire top 
could be covered with earth in 
that way it could be held back 
a few days but very few. The 
last two years the prematurely 
warm March and April weather 
has been unusual, and the occur¬ 
rence is not likely to be so 
soon again. We had the same 
conditions here this Spring. The 
morning of May 1 mercury 
stood from 17 to 22 above, while 
much bloom was out in full. I 
supposed all would be a wreck, 
but it is remarkable what was 
saved. Last year it was 80 
above in last days of March,* 
and the heat was oppressive; 
later in April we had low tem¬ 
peratures. These two seasons 
give a good test of value of 
varieties to stand such exces¬ 
sive changes—tests of hardiness 
of bloom. One of the standard 
commercial varieties, Janet, 
stood the freeze best, York Im¬ 
perial stood it next best. In the 
family orchard list Wealthy, 
Duchess, Yellow Transparent, Walbridge, Iowa Blush, 
lead in cropping. This year we have quite a few 
Winesap. I have a screen of White pine trees planted 
70 rods through my orchard, and the row on west 
side of this is well filled being mostly Roman Stem. 
This sho\ys the value of a screen in near proximity 
to the orchard row, as the thawing out of frost was 
so slow as the sun rose that May morning it did not 
wreck blooms so badly. w. m. romberger. 
Iowa. 
Your correspondent’s proposed labor would be in 
vain, so far as retarding the fruit buds is concerned. 
Dormancy of the roots seems to exercise very little 
influence upon the dormancy of the branches. This 
fact may easily be demonstrated, since a branch taken 
in at a window, and kept in a room in which a Sum¬ 
mer temperature is maintained, will put forth buds 
and blossoms even though the outside temperature be 
below zero. The most promising way of retarding 
fruit buds seems to be the whitewash suggested by 
Prof. Whitten, of the Missouri Experiment Station. 
In West Virginia a large block of trees—apples and 
peaches—was held back for several days during the 
past season, with very favorable results. 
Michigan. w. m. munson. 
R. N.-Y.—A correspondent in Madison Co., N. Y., 
wrote us seven years ago that he had used a lime 
spray to retard peach buds. He sprayed his trees 
in December with the following wash: Stir together 
six pounds dry whiting, two pounds dry zinc; scald 
with boiling water to a thick paste. Scald one pound 
cornstarch as for paste; mix the two while warm, 
and reduce to proper consistency. This makes a 
superior calcimine. 
ROSA RUGOSA X ROSA NITIDA. FRUITING TWIG. Natural Size. Fig. 463. 
See Ruralisms, Page 974. 
