430 
THE FtURAIs NEW-YORKER 
April 1, 
OCTOBER SALES FROM A BACK YARD. 
October, 1910, was my banner sales 
month from my New Jersey garden of 
.08 of an acre, size 45x77 feet. In look¬ 
ing over my records for a few years 
back, I find November was the banner 
month in 1908; sales were $17.84. In 
1909 June was the banner month, sales 
were $22.89, so that while the sales of 
any month must depend upon prepara¬ 
tions that are made many months be¬ 
fore, the banner months of the year will 
vary in different years. The second 
best month of 1910 was June, with 
sales of $19.05. So in telling how I 
made October the banner month it will 
be necessary to go back to February, 
and on the 22nd thereof I planted a 
few celery seeds in the cold frame, and 
on March 22 I planted celery seed in the 
outside seed bed. On May 21 I trans¬ 
planted some of the largest of the celery 
plants in the cold frame; they were 
clipped to make them stocky, and 
watered occasionally in the dry spells. 
My earliest planting of peas was made 
on March 28, and on June 8 I picked 
the first peas. When this row of peas 
was done picking I pulled the brush, and 
cut the vines off at the surface of the 
ground. I then put the plow on the 
Planet Jr., and starting as near the ad¬ 
joining corn row as I could, I threw a 
furrow from the pea row, returning the 
same distance on the other side. I re¬ 
peat the process so that the clean-up fur¬ 
row is as deep as I can make it when 
finished. Into this I put two good bar- 
rows of cow manure and threw a dou¬ 
ble furrow back on it; then took a 16- 
inch garden rake and fined and smoothed 
the row for the plants. On June 29 I 
set about one-half of the row with the 
largest plants, all that were ready at 
the time. The remainder of that row 
and four others were set with celery 
plants later on, as fast as I could get the 
plants large enough, setting the last cel¬ 
ery on August 20, preparing the rows as 
described above. About the first of Sep¬ 
tember I cleared away the cornstalks, 
cutting them off with a shovel a little 
below the surface, so that the stubs 
would not interfere with my wheel hoe. 
Stacking the stalks out of the way, I put 
the cultivator teeth on and thoroughly 
worked the soil. I then put the hoes 
on and loosened it as deeply as I could 
run them, then with the plow I ridged it 
up and put in best possible condition 
with the rake. I then planted three 
drills of Crimson Giant radish seed 
about eight inches apart in each bed. 
The first two of these beds were fol¬ 
lowed by a third when the stalks were 
ready to remove, with the same treat¬ 
ment. 
Late in the season, after I had set 
my late tomatoes between the potatoes 
and in the row of beets, 1 had sofne to¬ 
mato plants left, which I set in the rows 
of early beets, putting them in alternate 
rows of beets. I might say here that I 
stake and tie all my tomato plants. 
While I possibly may not get as much 
fruit from a plant, I can get more plants 
on the same ground, and I do not lose 
any fruit from rotting, caused by con¬ 
tact with the earth. Perhaps you may 
ask what has all this to do with Octo¬ 
ber sales. Well, these things whose 
planting I have been describing fur¬ 
nished the bulk of products to make the 
sales. I cultivated the celery with the 
wheel hoe, endeavoring to keep the sur¬ 
face broken at all times to prevent evap¬ 
oration. I used some nitrate of soda on 
the celery, sprinkling it beside the rows, 
but was careful to use only when the 
foliage was free from moisture. I also 
used some raw bone' meal, a very finely 
ground grade, sprinkling it on the row, 
and gave a dose of about 20 pounds table 
salt about two weeks before the celery 
was large enough to handle. I put a 
barrow of cow manure in old paint 
kegs each one-half full, filling up with 
water. After letting it stand at least 24 
hours I would dip it into a 12-quart 
watering can, remove the sprinkler and 
apply as near the roots as I could by 
walking beside the row, about 1J4 can to 
a row. These applications of liquid ma¬ 
nure I continued to apply until about two 
weeks before I dug the celery. I also 
gave the radishes a few doses of it. 
As soon as the celery was large enough 
I handled it, and then I used what 
boards I had to stand up beside the rows 
to bleach it. It is not safe to bleach it 
with dirt so early in the season lest it 
rust and decay. In late September I 
bought 150 feet of 10-inch roofers and 
used them for bleaching purposes also, 
On September 17 I sold the first celery. 
I got the prices at the stores and then 
gave my customers good value, putting 
tw’O to four stalks in a bunch, according 
to size and price at the stores, and charg¬ 
ing 10 cents a bunch. As I had only 
one-half row of the earliest celery I se¬ 
cured only a few customers at first, and 
supplied them weekly. As soon as the 
celery was grown and I could keep a 
supply bleached, I increased the number 
of customers. About 20 bunches were 
all I could get ready in the two or three 
hours in the afternoon, which was what 
time I had to give to it; and I was even 
more hurried if I had other truck to 
prepare. . , 
•I marketed most of my truck on Fri¬ 
day and Saturday evening, getting it 
ready in the afternoon. After supper I 
would go out and huckster it, also taking 
orders for the next day, which I would 
deliver on Saturday evening. As the 
month came in on Saturday I had five 
Saturdays, which was to my advantage. 
My sales during the month were as fol¬ 
lows: Celery, $5.75; radishes, $9.90; 
peppers, 20 cents; tomatoes, $3.15; Lima 
beans, $3.82 ; beets, 45 cents ; total, $23.27, 
compared with October of 1909 at $15.53, 
or with June, 1909, which was the best 
previous month, at $22.89. My only rules 
are to keep the soil at work, grow the 
best quality of truck that you can. Get it 
to the consumer direct and perfectly 
fresh. Handle it carefully and in as 
attractive appearance as possible. 
STANTON KIRKBRIDE. 
Camden Co., N. J. 
THE IMPORTED ONION MAGGOT. 
The Adult.— The adult insect is a fly, 
somewhat smaller than the common house 
fly, but resembling it very much. The 
male is gray, with black bristles and hairs ; 
it has a- white face with black bristles, 
and there are three dark lines on the body 
between the wings and a row of black spots 
on the abdomen. The female is a little the 
larger, and inclined to dark yellowish, with 
a pale yellowish face. 
Distribution and Injury. —The onion 
maggot is found in this country wherever 
the onion is grown. It is an imported 
insect, whose injury to the onion crop is 
more serious than that of any other in¬ 
sect. The onion is the only economic plant 
attacked by this species, but its near rela¬ 
tives, the seed-corn maggot and the cabbage 
maggot, feed on a greater variety of plants. 
The injury is entirely in the bulb, which 
is bored by the larvse. The young plants 
are often attacked by from one to 10 or 
more maggots, which almost invariably kill 
it, causing the tops to wilt and finally dry 
up. The injury to large bulbs takes the 
form of small borings, which often lead to 
decay. 
Life History. —Hibernation is in the 
adult form. The flies pass the Winter in 
barns, storage houses, or among rubbish 
piles, principally in places where onions 
have been grown or stored. They emerge 
early in Spring and lay eggs on' or near 
the young plants, .usually at the surface, 
but sometimes underground. The female 
tries to find a wound in which to lay her 
eggs, but has no power to make wounds. 
The eggs, which are white, elongate, and 
almost spindle-shaped, are deposited in small 
masses. In a few days the larvae hatch 
and bore into the bulb, usually from be¬ 
low. The larvae are footless, tapering 
toward the head, and truncate behind. After 
killing one onion they may travel to an¬ 
other. The first brood of larvae matures 
in .lune in the Northern States. At matur¬ 
ity they contract, become brown, and form 
pupae, from which the adults emerge within 
a few days. There are said to be three 
generations during the season, of these tin? 
first does the most damage. So far as ob¬ 
served there are no natural enemies, and 
it is doubtful if the birds help much in 
keeping the maggot in check. 
Control.— I. The surest means of preven¬ 
tion is the destruction of all rubbish in 
the onion fields as soon as the crop has 
been harvested. During the Winter all 
sheds and out-buildings in which onions 
have been stored should - be thoroughly 
cleaned and when possible whitewashed. 
Fumigation with sulphur is a very good 
measure. These operations will destroy a 
large number of the hibernating flies. 2. 
The New Jersey Experiment Station found 
(as have also the growers around Erie, Pa.) 
that onions planted late in April suffered 
less than those sown earlier, because by 
that time the females had deposited their 
eggs on other plants. 3. The Purdue (In¬ 
diana) Experiment Station and the Michigan 
Station recommend the generous use of 
commercial fertilizer, both in the prepara¬ 
tion of the soil and after the plants are 
growing. The entomologist at the latter 
station reports that one grower, by push¬ 
ing the plants rapidly until they were two- 
thirds grown, raised a large crop with little 
loss in a badly infested locality. During 
the growing season the fertilizer is applied 
by removing the surface soil on both sides 
of the rows, dropping the fertilizer, and 
replacing the soil. The Purdue Station re¬ 
ports success from the use of 400 to 600 
pounds of kainit and 200 pounds of nitrate 
of soda. The New Jersey Station recom¬ 
mends the use of 500 pounds per acre of 
a mixture consisting of 700 pounds nitrate 
300 pounds muriate of potash. 4. The 
removal of infested plants is an excellent 
preventive of widespread injury. It is a 
common practice to pull them up, but they 
should be dug up with plenty of earth 
and drenched with kerosene or burned. It 
is of little value to pull the plants if 
they are not removed from the field, as 
the maggots will simply attack plants which 
might otherwise have escaped. 5. Car¬ 
bolic acid emulsion has been used success¬ 
fully. It is made by emulsifying one gal¬ 
lon of boiling water, in which has been dis¬ 
solved one pound of soap, with a pint of 
carbolic acid. This solution should be di¬ 
luted with thirty parts of water and used 
as early in the Spring as possible by pour¬ 
ing ^ it around the plants. As a whole, 
cleaning, by fumigation or otherwise, of 
storage houses, late planting, careful de¬ 
struction of infested plants, thorough cul¬ 
tivation, and heavy fertilization appear to 
lie the most practicable means at present 
known of controlling the onion maggot. 
Pennsylvania. w. c. pelton. 
Dibble’s Seed Potatoes 
Northern Grown. : Carefully Selected 
Cobblers, Ohios, Bovees, Rose, 
Hebrons, Green Mountains, Maines, 
Carmans, Raleighs and Gold Coins 
in any quantity, from barrels to carloads, 
direct from our 1,600 acre Seed Farms to 
yours. Prices on Bed Rock. 
Dibble’s Farm Seed Catalogue and 
Special Surplus Price List, just issued, 
Free. Address: 
EDWARD F. DIBBLE 
SEEBGROWER 
Box B HONEOYE FALLS, N. Y. 
ONION SEED 
of the Highest 
Germination 
Yellow Danvers. Yellow Globe Dan vers. Australian 
Brown, Southport Yellow Globe, SL00 lb. Large Ked 
Wethersfield. 1 *rizr taker. $1.10 lb. Postpaid. 
ONION SETS.— Fancy Yellow Danvers, Eastern Grown. 
§2.00 bushel. 
Write for Catalog and Fro. trial pkt. of New Knk- 
huizen Glory Cabbage. 
.J. AUG, DRAKE, Seedsman 
100 Main Street, - ■ Chester, N. J. 
ONIOM SEED 
We are headquarters for a full line of Stras- 
burg, Flat Danvers and Yellow Globe Onion 
Seed. Try them for No. I stock'. Ctet prices. 
-THEII.MANN SEED CO.. ERIE, PA.- 
DMinN QCCn - Home grown YellowGlobe, $1.25lb. 
UillUli OULU postpaid; 5 lbs. by express, $5.50. 
J. B. QUIRK, North Madison, Ohio. 
ALFALFA 
All Northorn grown, guaranteed to be 99 percent 
pure and free from dodder. Write for free sample 
on which we invite yon to get Government tests. 
ThiB seed should produce hay at $60 per acre] an¬ 
nually. Free instructions on growing. 
GRAIN AND GRASS SEED 
Northern grown and of .strongest vitality. Wo 
handle export grade only and cun furnish grass 
mixture suitable for any Boils. 
SOY BEANS 
IK S 
and Mongol are the 
heaviest known yleld- 
ers. Are all our own 
new varieties obtainable from ns only. Mikado 
has record of 37 bu. per acre. Will grow on poor 
soil and greatly improve it. Write today for catalog. 
WING SEED CO., Box 323 Mechanfcsburg. O. 
FOR QA| p— 300 Bushels Irish Cobbler Seed Pota- 
I Uil OHLl toes at 53c. a bu. Grown especially 
for seed purposes; no blight or disease whatever. 
F. D. LOOK, Campbell, N. Y. 
I JO 
1 — 2 * 
Salzer’s French 
Bean Coffee 
(soja hispida) 
A wholesome drink! The healthiest 
ever; you can grow it ih your own gar¬ 
den on a small patch 10 feet by 10, pro¬ 
ducing 60 lbs. or more. Ripens in Wis¬ 
consin in 90 days. • Used in great, quan¬ 
tities in France, Germany and all over 
Europe. 
Send 15 cents in stamps and we will 
mail you a package giving full culture 
directions, as also our Mammoth seed 
catalog free; or send 81 cents and get, 
in addition to above, 10,000 kernels un¬ 
surpassable vegetable and flower seeds- 
enough for bushels of luscious.different 
vegetables and brilliant flowers. 
JOHN A. 5ALZER SEED COMPANY 
144 South 8ih St. LaCrosse Wis 
□ 
Pomeroy Hardy English WALNUT TREES 
Free Illustrated Booklet 
ENGLISH WALNUT FARM 
D, N. POMEIiY, LOCKPOKT, N, Y. 
SWEET POTATO PLANTS 
Wahrheim Farm Strain; Bright,Gol¬ 
den, Chunky; Very Productive. 200. 
postpaid, 50c. Write for prices, etc., 
on larger lots. 
GKO. H. LIKPK, Cologne, N. J. 
Ff1R QAI C— 50.000 Strawberry, 20,000 Lucretia 
run OnLL Dewberry, 20,000 Grapevines. Send 
for price list. JOHN CASAZZA, Vineland, N, J. 
50,000 ASPARAGUS PLANTS 
Grown from seed saved from most profitable field 
in Middle Delaware. Owing to press of other work 
cannot use them. Offer for sale at $2.00 per M. 
S. H. DERBY & CO. . . Woodside, Del. 
MILLIONS OF FLOWERING 
and Decorating Plants of all kinds, including Early 
and Late Vegetable Plants in abundance, for Flor¬ 
ists. Landscape Gardeners, Parks, Institutions, 
etc., at wholesale prices. Send for lists. 
ALONZO J, BRYAN, Wholesale Florist, Washington, N. J. 
■* w r * M'TP a f ew goodcustomersfor 
WANTEDara'fia 
We want your custom and you want our goods. 
Send for our FREE catalog. 
The Rochester Nurseries, Rochester, N.Y. 
l >otatoes » Disease-Proof Read’s 
*-•**~**-* Goldenflake, Golden Gem, and Peach- 
blow. Newvarieties, wonders. Solddirect. Write 
for facts., G. A. READ Read's Exp. Farms, Charlotte, Vt. 
INOCULATED ALFALFA SOIL 
75 cents per hundred, $10.00 per ton. F. O. B. Ash- 
ville. Pa. Send for FREE booklet “ How to Grow 
Alfalfa.” Dr. H. SOMERVILLE, Chest Springs, 
Cambria Comity, Pa. 
gM Ml B91A NEW SEED OATS. Bigmone* 
EN B IM (■ in right kind oi oats. Here’* 
B K5 ffi XjL your chance. Imported Canadian 
■ H U ■ seed oats, raised on Galloway 
BH flaD M kn Brothers’ big farm in Canada. 
H RG H 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 found out their old seed was inbred 
and 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 free booklet, entitled “Big Money in Oats and Itow to Grow 
Them.’’ Galloway Bros.-Bowman Company 
662 Galloway Station Waterloo, Iowa 
Sensation yielded 96 *2 bus. per 
acre on 25 acres. Best oats in cul¬ 
tivation. Largest grain, stiffest straw, and almost 
as heavy as wheat. Try them this season and double 
your yield. It will be the best investment you ever 
made. Sample and catalogue free. 
THUO. HUKT & SONS . . Melrose, Ohio 
SEED CORN —Reid’s Yellow Dent, Imp.Learning, 
Golden Surprise, American Pride, Wiiito (lap and 
seed oats. Catalog free. THE0.8URI & SONS,Melrose,Ohio 
CHOICE COW PEAS 
Hand threshed; anv variety, any quantity. Cor 
respondence solicited. SUDLER BROS,, Bridgeville, Del. 
S TRAWBERRY PLANTS for Business. Fancy 
Berries. That’s what talks. Leading varieties. 
Catalogue free. I). M. TEETER, Belleville, Ohio. 
HIGH GRADE STRAWBERRY PLANTS 
w rite for list and prices. 
J. BETSCHER ... Canal Dover, Ohio. 
WHOLESALE PRICES 
SEED OATS 
On Strawberry, Raspberry 
Currant. Asparagus and Gi 
High Grade Stock. 
A- R. WESTON & CO- 
Blackberry, Gooseberry, 
rape Plants, Heavy Rooted, 
19th Annual Catalogue Free. 
R. 8 Bridgman, Mich. 
s 
TRAWBERRY PLANTS only *1.50 & $1.75 per J000. Illus. 
Catalogue Free. S. A. YIRDIN, Har, ly, Del. 
Qtrau/hom/ Plante th0 Best varieties. 
OlldnUcliy lICHIIo Descriptive Catalogue 
Free. BASIL PERRY, D. 18, Cool Spring. Del. 
s 
TKAWHLKRY PLANTS —Guaranteed true to name. Jllust. 
Catalog free. G. E. BUNTING, Selbyville, Del. 
_ . gva ■ 
RASPBERRY PLANTS BERT BAKER, Hoosick Foils, N. Y 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS THAT GROW 
All Standard Varieties. Also RASPBERRY, BLACKBERRY, 
CURRANT and GRAPE Flams and ASPARAGUS Roota in 
ASSORTMENT. WARRANTED TRUE-TO-NAME, and of 
GRADE represented. Catalog with Cultural Instructions FREE. 
C E. WHITTEN. BOX 11, BRIDGMAN, MICHIGAN. 
S TRAWBERRY PLANTS—New and old varieties. Send 
for new Illus. Catalogue for 1911. Prices from 
$1.50 per 1,000 up. DAVID KODWAY, Hartly, Dei. 
PLANTS 
Our free book quotes 
lowest prices, honestly 
describes 60 varieties, 
explains C. O. D. plan, 
o plant and grow strawberries, rasp¬ 
berries, blackberries, grapes, etc. 
A. G. BLOUNT, Dept. A, Hastings, N. Y. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 
Seven of the very best varieties out of a hundred; 
they have stood the test, we have them pure and 
our prices are right. 
Also, have a few more of our selected New Stone 
Tomato Seed at $1.00 per lb., as long as they last. 
Don’t forget to get our 1911 Catalogue of all kinds 
of vegetable plants in their season. We have a 
fine lot of Asparagus Hoots to offer this spring— 
the finest wo have ever had. 
ROMANCE SEED, PLANT AND TRUCK FARM, 
Caleb Boggs & Son, Cheswold «0elaware. 
5,000 QUARTS OF 
STRAWBERRIES 
in September and October 
from one acre by planting 
Kevitt’s New Fall-Bearing 
Plants. This I guarantee or 
I will return your money 
paid for plants. Send for my 
catalogue. Over five new 
fall-bearing varieties. 
T. C. KEVITT, ATHENIA, N. J. 
0,000 
Strawberry Plants 
Large stock thrifty young plants from famous 
“Heritage” strain. Prolific hearer. Also Trees, 
Vines.California Privet, Asparagus Roots, Spraying 
Outfits, Garden Tools, etc. write today for free catalog. 
Arthur J. Collins, Box R, Moorestown, N. J. 
