1911. 
THK RURAL NEW-YORKER 
688 
Ruralisms 
Mignonette. 
C. D., Suffern , N. Y. —If I sow mignonette 
in a box will it grow, and what is the best 
soil for it? Should I use a package for a 
small box? How far apart should the grains 
be and how many in a hole? 
Ans. —We do not sow our mignonette 
in boxes, but sow in the open ground 
about the end of April, sowing again 
the early part of July to have a succes¬ 
sion of bloom until frost. A cool soil, 
not too rich, and a situation that will 
be somewhat shaded during the hottest 
part of the day, is required. The seed 
must be covered very lightly; we make 
our bed very fine and smooth, and mark 
shallow rows with the edge of a lath, 
getting the seeds about an inch apart. 
Soil is brought over them by smoothing 
with a piece of board. As the plants 
grow they must be thinned out in the 
rows; they transplant well when little. 
The second sowing, in July, should be 
covered with damp burlap until the 
seeds germinate, and the tiny plants 
will be the better for partial shade. 
Keep the flower spikes constantly cut, 
not allowing any to go to seed, or it 
will soon dwindle in hot weather. There 
is no reason why mignonette should not 
be sown in a box if one desires, but 
we do not understand whether the in¬ 
quirer wishes to start it in a box, or to 
grow it in that way. We have seen it 
growing nicely in a veranda box with a 
northern exposure, but believe it was 
only thus used for early Summer effect. 
We have not started it indoors in a box, 
preferring the outside sowing. 
Catnip and its Culture. 
F. B., Boston, Mass. —Will you tell me 
wliat you can about the culture of catnip? 
I would like to raise about five acres of it 
at least for the drug trade, and at the 
same time use it for a bee plant, thinking 
it would make good honey, but what would 
I feed my bees on after I had cut my cat¬ 
nip? What time of year would I plant it, 
and would I get a crop the first year? 
Can you tell me anything about the market¬ 
ing of it? Does it have to be pressed into 
small packages and wrapped in paper? 
What would be about the average price I 
would get? 
Ans. —Catnip, Nepeta cataria, is a 
rather common European weed, long 
naturalized in this country. It may often 
be found growing in dryish waste or 
cultivated lands, especially along fences 
and about old buildings, but is seldom 
abundant enough naturally to be col¬ 
lected with profit. There is some de¬ 
mand for it in the wholesale drug trade, 
prices varying from two to eight cents 
the pound in bales of 200 pounds or 
more. The parts used are the leaves 
and top, cut when in full bloom and 
carefully dried without mold or discol¬ 
oration, the coarser stems and branches 
being rejected before baling. It is not 
necessary that the grower market the 
product in small packages. 
Catnip may be commercially grown in 
any well-drained loamy soil that will j 
produce fair crops of corn or potatoes, j 
It does not thrive in wet situations. 
Though perennial in its nature, it is best 
treated as an annual, the seeds being 
sown in late Fall in drills about 30 
inches apart, covering them not over 
one-half inch deep. Spring-sown seeds 
rarely germinate well enough to give a 
full stand. Cultivation consists in thin¬ 
ning the plants to stand about eight 
inches apart in the row and keeping the 
soil mellow and free from weeds during 
the growing season. The harvest occurs 
in mid-August when in full bloom. Ex¬ 
perimental plots on very ordinary soil 
show a yield of over three tons of green 
top to the acre. This cures down to 
something over a ton of marketable 
herb. A second cutting nearly as great 
is ready by October, but there is con¬ 
siderably more difficulty in curing at this 
season. Catnip may be handled like 
clover or Alfalfa hay, bunching it into 
small cocks protected from rain by 
waterproof caps after wilting, the cocks 
being opened out and remade in sunny 
weather until well cured before being 
taken under shelter. If F. B. would 
cut the stems high at first mowing the 
quality of the product would not only 
be improved, but many of the shorter 
flowering stems would be left to supply 
his bees. Buckwheat and White clover, 
i f rightly managed, ought to fill in the 
interval between crops. Catnip is not 
very hardy north of New York, and old 
plants, if close cut, are quite likely to 
winter-kill. The weakening of the stand 
and difficulty of keeping the planting 
clean the second year are sufficient rea¬ 
sons for not cropping two successive 
years. _ v. 
Big Watermelons.— On page 280 you ex¬ 
press wonder that watermelons In Diarbeklr 
grow as large as flour barrels. Nothing 
can be truer than that, and I can verify the 
story, for I have myself seen melons of 
such dimensions while I was In those parts 
of the earth. I well remember seeing a 
man trying to pass such a melon through 
the door of a railroad car, and as he did 
not succeed in the effort he was obliged to 
let it go in the baggage car. Fruits and 
crops of such huge size have made it nec¬ 
essary that in most parts of Asia Minor 
these are sold by the pound. Diarbeklr is 
located in the very heart of Mesopotamia, 
of which Herodotus says that the people got 
grain crops many hundredfold. What I 
wonder is this: What are the foreign 
agents of the department doing? Why not 
import such fruits? D. E. siramarc. 
New York. 
The Book of Gladiolus, by Matthew 
Crawford and Dr. W. Van Fleet. This 
practical treatise by two eminent authori¬ 
ties covers all sides of Gladiolus culture, 
from the planting of the bulbs to their 
harvesting and storing. The chapters on 
raising from seed and on commencing in 
the business answer very clearly a number 
of questions often asked by amateur grow¬ 
ers, and another chapter on crossing or 
hybridizing is very lucid and helpful. The 
appendix, by Dr. Van Fleet, includes a 
garden history of the Gladiolus, a list of 
species, and expert advice on hybridizing 
and care of seedlings. Many beginners are 
now starting in Gladiolus culture, and the 
work has received stimulus from the for¬ 
mation of the National Gladiolus Society. 
The book has much value for all interested 
in this gorgeous plant. Published by 
Vaughan’s Seed Store, New York and Chi¬ 
cago; cloth, seven illustrations, 120 pages; 
price .$1.25. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
FOOD IN SERMONS. 
Feed the Dominie Right and the Sermons 
Are Brilliant. 
A conscientious, hard-working and 
successful clergyman writes: “I am glad 
to bear testimony to the pleasure and 
increased measure of efficiency and 
health that have come to me from 
adopting Grape-Nuts food as one of my 
articles of diet. 
“For several years I was much dis¬ 
tressed during the early part of each day 
by indigestion. My breakfast seemed to 
turn sour and failed to digest. After 
dinner the headache and other symp¬ 
toms following the breakfast would 
wear away, only to return, however, 
next morning. 
“Having heard of Grape-Nuts food, I 
finally concluded to give it a trial. I 
made my breakfasts of Grape-Nuts with 
cream, toast and Postum. The result 
was surprising in improved health and 
total absence of the distress that had, 
for so long a time, followed the morn¬ 
ing meal. 
“My digestion became once more sat¬ 
isfactory, the headaches ceased, and the 
old feeling of energy returned. Since 
that time T have always had Grape-Nuts 
food on my breakfast table. 
“I was delighted to find also, that ! 
whereas before I began to use Grape- 
Nuts food I was quite nervous and be¬ 
came easily wearied in the work of pre¬ 
paring sermons and in study, a marked 
improvement in this respect resulted 
from the change in my diet. 
“I am convinced that Grape-Nuts 
food produced this result and helped 
me to a sturdy condition of mental and 
physical strength. 
“I have known of several persons who 
were formerly troubled as I was, and 
who have been helped as I have been, 
by the use of Grape-Nuts food, on my 
recommendation.” Name given by 
Postum Company, Battle Creek, Mich. 
“There’s a reason.” 
Read the little book, “The Road to 
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Ever read the above letter ? A new one 
appears from time to time. They are genu¬ 
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YOU Need This Book— It’s FREE 
Every farmer and truck grower needs a copy of 
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Besides being full of valuable and interesting data for 
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BOOKLET 
Write Today 
CDRAY Adopted by the N.Y .State FruitGrowers’ Ass’n 
arnAl it will pay you to use eituejr. 
PASTE OR POWDERED 
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_ I 
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14 BAYVIEW AVE..JERSEY CITY. N.Jj 
WRITE FOR PRICES,CIRCULARS ETC. CORRESPONDENCE SOUCITEoJ 
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2 t jay 3t, Eocheater, N. X. 
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20th CENTURY AUTOMOBILE CO. 
246 West 49th, near Broadway, New York 
IRELAND 
HAY HOIST 
GEARED 
Saves one man 
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on load operates 
machine by pull¬ 
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whenever he has the fork 
Ctpicity or sling full, ready to 
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WRITE TODAY FOR FULL PARTICULARS about Single 
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of engine and size of drive pulley. 
IRELAND MACHINE & FOUNDRY CO. 
14 State Street, Norwich, N. Y. 
Hay Unloader 
This Hoist is designed to 
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THIRTY-FIFTH STREET CHICAGO HEIGHTS. ILL. 
RAKES HAY RIGHT WAY 
W Genuine New York Champion 
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HAY 
CAPS 
Stack, Implement, Wagon 
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Plant Bed Cloth. 
Waterproof Sheeting, Tents, eto. 
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SIW 
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FIELD FOltCE PUMP CO., a Eleventh St., Elmira, N. Y. 
Spray and Make 
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You can practically determine in advance the amount of perfect 
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THE VREELAND CHEMICAL CO. 
32 Church Streets New Voile 
