190 
A TOMATO GROWER’S STORY. 
One of my best money crops for the 
last few years has been early tomatoes. 
I use a selected strain of northern 
grown Earliana seed. Good seed is very 
important to any crop. Seed is sown in 
greenhouse last week in February or 
first of March, in fiats, sowing four or 
five seeds to inch, spacing rows about 
two inches apart. As soon as plants 
make first true leaves 1 transplant them 
two inches apart in bed in greenhouse; 
after transplanting they are thoroughly 
wetted. No more water is given from 
now on than is absolutely necessary to 
make good stocky plants. I watch them 
closely, and never allow them to crowd, 
as a forced and spindling plant is no 
good. The next transplanting is into 
four-inch paper pots. I have tried sec¬ 
ond transplanting before potting them, 
but my experience is that nothing is 
gained by it. I fill pots half full of 
well-rotted manure, firm down, fill to 
within half an inch of top with good 
rich soil, also firm down, leaving the 
half inch for water; if filled full water 
will run off. Pots are placed in flats as 
soon as filled, and placed in mild hotbed, 
which has been made beforehand by put¬ 
ting seven or eight inches of warm 
manure in the frame. Firm down well; 
if too dry, sprinkle, level up with one 
or two inches of soil. I cover with 
good tight sash. As fast as flats are put 
in the frame, weather here not being 
any too warm, care is taken that no 
frost gets in. I cover sash well at night 
with mats or shutters, as I have taken 
som* chances before, and have been hit 
hard by frost. I give all ventilation 
possible on warm days, so they will not 
get drawn or spindling; no cold wind 
is allowed to blow on them. 
About May first I shift sash and 
cover with cloth; on warm days strip 
cloth off. I find cloth gives good pro¬ 
tection and will harden them in good 
shape, but judgment and care must be 
used, as we are liable to severe frost. 
On cold nights frost may strike through 
cloth. For extra cover I use two or 
three inches of hay over cloth. About 
a week before plants are set in field all 
covering is left off, as this thoroughly 
hardens them, and they are large and 
stocky and show blossoms now. I give 
good wetting down the day before they 
are set in field. For this early crop 
warm gravel land that is in good heart 
is used, which has been plowed early 
and dragged several times. I mark rows 
four feet apart the long way of field, 
and three feet cross ways. I then open 
furrows the long way, using my celery 
hiller. narrowed tq one foot wide. This 
makes . fine furrow about six inches 
deep, leaving dirt even on both sides. 
Fertilizer that will analyze 4-7-8 is 
dropped at cross marks, using one to 
1J4 tons per acre. This is well mixed 
by hand with the surrounding soil. 
Plants are taken to field in the flats; 
they are distributed at cross marks. In 
setting them paper is torn from bottom 
of pot and unrolled. I find plants do 
better to remove pot entirely, although 
some roots grow throjugh the paper, the 
large mass of roots holding soil and 
manure together. In setting plants in 
furrow some dirt has been drawn in to 
mix fertilizer, and will leave furrow 
the right depth to set plant, which 
should be a little deeper than where 
they grew. Enough soil is drawn to 
plant to cover clump of roots. Fur¬ 
rows are filled with horse and large- 
tooth cultivator going long way of row. 
This fills furrow and levels off ground. 
1 make only as many furrows as can 
be set in a day, as 'Sun and wind dries 
them out. I fill same soon as plants 
are set, and never have a plant wilt. Tn 
about a week after setting I give each 
plant a large tablespoonful of nitrate 
of soda scattered evenly around it. I 
find this a great help toward earliness, 
and think one application better than 
two. Frequently shallow cultivation is 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February IS, 
given with small-tooth cultivator. I 
keep it going just as long as I can 
without injury to vines. I usually hoe 
twice. I find it pays to work them often. 
As soon as tomatoes commence to ripen 
the field is gone over often; in this 
way very few are lost by cracking. 
They are taken to packing house, wiped 
and packed in four, eight and 20-pound 
baskets. What our home market does 
not consume, are shipped. My crop 
last year was two weeks earlier than 
other growers. Although there are hun¬ 
dreds of acres grown around here, I 
think I can safely say my crop made 
between $500 and $600 per acre. Of 
course my expense of growing plants 
was more than the ordinary way. I 
have practiced this method for four or 
five years, and have always been well 
repaid. S. j. cook. 
Chautauqua Co., N. Y. 
Stock Yard Manures. 
J. H. X., Meriden, Conn .— Would you ad¬ 
vise buying the manures described on en¬ 
closed circular, or high-grade fertilizer for 
garden truck? 
Ans. —The manures mentioned are 
pulverized sheep manure, $18 to $30 per 
ton; pulverized cattle manure, $16 to 
$27; shredded cattle manure, $14 to 27, 
and pulverized hog manure, $15 to $27. 
We understand this is the dried product 
from stock yards shredded or ground 
fine. No analysis is given. We would 
not buy any manure or fertilizer with¬ 
out a guaranteed analysis so as to com¬ 
pare its plant food with that in chemi¬ 
cals. The Connecticut Experiment Sta¬ 
tion finds an average of about 2.35 per 
cent nitrogen, V /2 per cent potash and 
half of one per cent phosphoric acid in 
pulverized sheep manure. This has a 
value of $11 to $12—that is, you could 
buy this plant food in chemicals for that 
amount. Of course all manures contain 
humus in addition to the plant food, but 
the price charged is too high. 
Save 25% On 
Tested 
Field Seeds 
Don’t buy field or grass seed any¬ 
where until you have seen our cata¬ 
logue. You would hardly believe 
how much lower our prices are than 
the prices offered by other reputable 
seed houses, but the difference is great 
—in many cases our prices aie 50% 
lower, made possible by our location, 
our buying direct from growers and 
our large operations. 
We will send you samples of anything 
you want for comparison or examination 
by any experiment station and guarantee 
quality equal to samples. 
Large fresh stocks of CLOVERS, 
GRASS SEEDS, ALFALFA, SEED CORN, 
OATS, COW PEAS,MILLET,SORGHUM, 
RAPE, potatoes, vegetable and flower 
seeds and lawn grass. 
Write today for our new book, “The 
Gateway to Success,” an extraordinary 
catalogue and invaluable guide on farm¬ 
ing and gardening, free. 
Wood, Stubbs & Co., Louisville, Ky. 
BLUE RIBBON SEEDS 
Prize Winners From Kentucky 
Better Seeds 
Lower Prices 
If we did not know we liad something tletter to 
offer you in seeds, at lower prices, we would not be 
so anxious for you to have our catalog. No better 
seeds can be had.—We offer them to you direct at 
wholesale prices. 
Cnblmge Seed—We supply seed to 
the largestgrowers and storers of cab¬ 
bage i n the U nited (States—pure seed— 
ithe kind that produces cabbage, sure 
to head up even and hardj^uid stand 
up and stay green in ' 
storage until spring. ( 
Cauliflower Seed — is Danish 
grown, from selected heads, screened I 
so you get only large plump seed. W e t 
will forfeit §500 for better, truer seed 
than we furnish at moderate prices. _ 
Onion Seed— There is no cleaner, 
truer seed to be had. Get our 
special prices before buying. 
iCncutnbcr Seed—Is all grown 
’in New York Suite. Aswliitcas 
chalk—no seedsman putsout bet¬ 
ter pedigreed stock at any price. 
_ Peas—We grow our own stock, 
hand-picked and cleaned. Peas second to none. 
Beans— We grow here', hand-picked, 
screened, and graded. New York State beans 
excel the world. 
Sweet Corn—Ask the gardener or the can- 
ner if he would plant western grown sweet 
corn ? Ours is all eastern grown. Field corn 
on approval. 
Forrest’s Honest Seeds are second to none 
—and at about one-half the usual price. 
Catalog free to all—drop us a postal. 
FORREST SEED CO.. Box 32, Cortland, N. Y. 
HARRIS’ HOME GROWN SEEDS. 
Storing cabbage for seed growing at Harris’ Seed Farm—235 acres devoted entirely to seed growing. 
If you want seeds that are fresh, true to name, of strong vitality and of highest 
quality in every way, you should get 
HARRIS’ SEEDS direct from the grower. 
We raise very fine strains of Cabbag’e^ Celery, 33eets, Carrots, Sweet 
Corn, Peppers, Tomatoes, and all vegetable seeds, as well as Selected 
Field Corn, Choice Seed Potatoes and other farm seeds. 
We also have Grass Seeds of highest quality. Alfalfa, Montana grown, 
extra high grade, over gg% pure and free from dodder. Soy Deans, Early Yel¬ 
low, grown on our own farm. Vetches, True Hairy or Sand Vetch at lowest price. 
Write for Catalogue and Wholesale List of Seeds NOW, before you forget it. 
JOSEPH HARRIS CO., Seed Growers, COLDWATER, N.Y. 
Every American Planter knows that 
Btirpee’s Seeds Grow! 
B UT—do YOU know why they are the Best Seeds that can be grown for planting 
in 1911 ? Our address is W. ATLEE BURPEE & CO., Burpee Buildings, 
Philadelphia. Send us your address, and we shall mail, without cost, a copy of 
The Leading American Seed Catalog for 1911, a bright New Book of 
174 pages that tells The Plain Truth About THE BURPEE-QUAL1TY SEEDS/ 
BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED CATALOG 
144 barge Pages—Mailed Free 
( About Natural Size ) 
ESCHSCHOLTZIA THORBURNI 
' (California Poppy) 
H ARDY annual. Sow outdoors in Spring. 
The grandest of all Eschscholtzias. The 
unopened buds on outer side of petals 
are of the deepest crimson, toning down on the 
inner side to bright flame color and molten 
gold. We will mail a packet of this valuable 
novelty and a copy of our beautiful catalog— 
the best Seed annual published in America —for 
only 10 cents, stamps or coin. (Regular 
price of Seed, 15 cents packet.) Write today. 
J. M. THORBURN &. CO. 
DEPT. Y 
33 BARCLAY ST., NEW YORK 
NEW SEED OATS. Big money 
in right kind ol oJts. Here'j 
your chance. Imported Canadian 
seed oats, raised on Galloway 
Brothers’ big farm in Canada. 
New, clean land. Regenerated 
Swedish Select went 116 bushels 
to acre; Early New Market 110 bushels to acre. Farmers who 
bought this seed from us last year raised as high as 75 to 100 
bushels in this country, and iound out their old se-xl was inbred 
pnd run out. Change your seed. Try some of this new seed, 
pend for free sample, or 10 cents for large packet. Will also send 
our iree booklet, entitled “Big Money in Oats and How to Grow 
Them.” Gailoway Bros.-Bouman Compa. y 
662 Galloway Station Waterloo, Iowa 
/"V A 'T' O New Victory or Rainy Weather 
*** A w Oats, extra heavy yielders, storm 
resisting, and best for low bottom land. Price 75c; 
sack free. Cow Horn Turnip, 25c per pound. 
SIEGEL the SEEDSMAN, ERIE, PA. 
Try New \ TPC 
Swedish vC*. 13 
Government-endorsed as besv of 
36 varieties. Doubles yield of 
other varieties. Send for prices. 
We have some specials in Peas, Com, 
Onions, Cucumbers, Squash and other 
largely profitable varieties — all Gre¬ 
gory’s Honest Seed, and guaranteed to 
be pure, fresh and true to kind. 
Our New 1911 Catalogue 
always a correct guide to profitable gar- 
deningis largernnd more 
helpful than ever. Ask 
for a copy; otherwise 
you will not rc- HONE ST - 
ceive it. 
J. J. H. GREGORY & SON, 
1 4 Elm St. 9 Marblehead, Msss. 
Ciioicest Clover Seed 
Wo are in tkeiiem t of the 
clover district. Buying 
iliroct from the farmer add selling direct to you 
gives you best quality, clean seed, and.saves you 
money. Also handle Alsike and Timothy. Sample 
free. Order now. 0. M. IS' OTT & SOX, "Only 
(Seeds—mostly clovers,” 10 .'lain St., Marysville, O- 
FOR SALE 
J— Canada Peas,$1.85bushel; Alas- 
_ ka Peas $4.00 bushel; Cow Peas. 
$2.25 bushel; Crimson Clover Seed, $8.50 bushel. 
■Sow Canada Peas and Oats in March amt harvest 
a crop of llay in May. Onion Sets at $J.25 pet 
bushel. JOSEPH E. HOLLAND, Milford, Del. 
Try our seeds this year. They will more 
than please you. Foronly 10c. in U. S. 
stamps or coin we will send a regular 
full size packet of 
Beet, Improved Blood Turnip, 
Lettuce, May King, 
Radish, Scarlet Turnip, White lipped, 
Aster, Queen of the Market, mixed, 
Sweet Peas, Finest mixed, and a copy of 
the best Catalogue we ever Issued. 
Remember, these are regular size packets and should not be 
compared with those sent out in some collections. Send for 
the catalogue anyway. It’s free and better than ever. 
M. H.BRUNJES & SONS, 
1581 Mvrtle Ave.. 
BROOKLYN, N.Y, 
N. WERTHEIMER & SON 
Choice seeds bonghtdi rent from tho farmer and sold 
direct to the farmer. We offer you the choicest 
seeds, doubly .recleaned. Medium and Mammoth 
Clover Seed, Alsike, Alfalfa. Timothy, Crimson 
(Mover, White Clover, Red Top, Orchard Grass, 
Blue Grass, Lawn Grass, all kinds of Corn, Spring 
and Winter Wheat, Buckwheat, all kinds of Peas. 
Samples and prices sent on application. * * * 
N. WERTHEIMER & SON LIGONIER. INDIANA 
DDnniinCR If yon keep one coworahnn- 
rriUUUbEn d re d,it will pay you togiow the 
Old Virginia Ensilage Com. It ’8 the largest, 
richest and best either for Silo cr feedingdry. Don’t take 
asubBtitute. Ask for sample if interested. Catalogfree. 
FORD SEED CO., Dept. *4 Itavenna, Ohio. 
The confidence felt by farmers and 
i gardeners in Ferry’s Seeds to-day 
L would have been impossible to feel in 
I any seeds two score of years 
I ago. We have made a 
1 science of 
■ growing-^^BSsf ,-j- iW £ 
expect of them. For sale 
everywhere. FERRY'S 1911 SEED 
ANNUAL Free on request 
D. M. FERRY & CO., Detroit, Mich, 
