2 74 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
VEGETABLE GROWING IN TEXAS. 
When as a “tenderfoot” .1 landed in 
Texas in the seventies and told the 
people here that I was going to make a 
living by growing fruit and vegetables 
for them, they had considerable fun at 
my expense. Aside from now and 
then a mess of turnip greens and sweet 
potatoes, no other vegetables of home 
growth could be found anywhere in the 
Fall. Of such fruit as peaches, there 
was about two months in the summer 
a fairly good supply, mostly native 
seedlings of the Mexican or Indian 
types. Some of these were right good 
and well filled the bill while they lasted. 
After looking around and studying the 
situation for awhile, I purchased a piece 
of land (100 acres) out in the open 
prairies, where I could get plenty of 
fresh air. In those days such land was 
thought too poor to grow anything but 
a mortgage. True, the mortgage was 
planted along with man}'- other things. 
The land new, and the tough sod not 
as yet rotted, vegetables could not do 
much. Then new-found friends advised 
me in all seriousness that I was a fool 
and that I would starve at such a busi¬ 
ness. I thanked them for their kind¬ 
ness thus to advise me, thinking to 
myself. “You just wait and see.” The 
new sod land of a sandy nature with a 
red clay subsoil made a fine crop of 
watermelons and sweet potatoes. When¬ 
ever a load of these was taken off, a 
point was made always to bring back a 
good load of either wood ashes or rot¬ 
ted manure; either of which could oft¬ 
en be had free of charge. Thus, time 
was well employed and much hauling 
was done, so as to be able to show the 
kind of garden that could be made. 
already convinced that the very cheap¬ 
est of motive power (wind) was 
plentiful and that this power could be 
made to pump my water, to where I 
wanted it. Pump and windmill cata¬ 
logues were sent for and studied. A 
decision was then finally made to in¬ 
stall a regular irrigation plant, to sup¬ 
ply the water required. When some of 
my good friends heard of this, they 
were alarmed; felt very sorry for me, 
etc. The short of it is, had they been 
required to foot the bills, they would 
have put me into an asylum. My good 
and noble wife, whom 1 had married 
the second year I was here, was the 
only person (though invalid she was) 
to give me any encouragment. Others 
had only pity for me. 
In order to have enough water the 
storage pond was enlarged by raising 
the dam, and the reservoir at the high¬ 
est point in the field was laid off 70x75 
yards, or a fraction over an acre, from 
centre to centre of dam. When full 
there are four feet of water over the 
acre above the outlet pipe. The dirt 
for the dam taken out of the middle 
left quite a hole below the outlets, thus 
leaving a supply of water for the fish 
at all times. Building this dam 250 
yards long, about 16 feet wide at base 
and six feet high on an average was 
quite a job and took fully two years 
to complete it, by working at it only 
while not busy with the crops. The 
reservoir completed, a 12-foot galvan¬ 
ized iron windmill was put up at base 
of storage pond, at nearest point to 
reservoir. This mill was attached to a 
pump, five inches diameter, with 10-inch 
stroke. It forces the water up a grade 
of about 20 feet over dam of reser¬ 
voir in a distance of about 225 yards. 
Suction pipe is three inches and dis¬ 
charge pipe two and one-half inches. By 
J. W. ST U BEX RAUCH'S IRRIGATED VEGETABLES. 
The ground now rich and the season 
favorable, there were vegetables galore, 
with but • limited demand for them in 
Spring and early Summer. 1 laving 
them for the Fall trade promised bet¬ 
ter demand as well as prices. My other 
crops, corn, millet, cotton and melons, 
were quite satisfactory also. By this 
time my friends bad discovered that 
I would not starve; they then paid 
me the high compliment of saying that 
“A fellow who has no better sense than 
just to work, cannot be made to 
starve.” 
During the first Summer here a lot 
of peach pits were also collected and 
planted. These were buddeu as soon 
as big enough with the best varieties, 
natives and others, I could find. In 
the meantime trees of new varieties 
were purchased from different nur¬ 
series. Thus, also, an - orchard was 
established. Hauling fertilizers, build¬ 
ing ponds to catch the storm water aud 
otherwise making improvements took 
up all the spare time. The aim was 
now to fix and grow vegetables for the 
Fall trade. This was found, however, 
to be greatly an uphill business owing 
to hot, dry weather and often the en¬ 
tire absence of rainfall for several 
months. A few trials of it convinced 
me that unless I could provide water 
to irrigate, there would be sure starva¬ 
tion in this. Never having seen an 
irrigation plant of any kind, this was 
a hard problem; however, I was stub¬ 
born enough not to give up until it was 
solved. The dam that held the storm 
water did not leak a drop. Now I rea¬ 
soned this way: If a dam can be built 
at one place that will hold water, the 
same kind of dirt can be made to do 
the same thing at other places. I was 
means of good sized air chamber and 
check valve, the pump works with ease. 
A 20-mile wind per hour practically 
runs the two and one-half inch pipe 
full at outlet. The two six-inch gates 
in dam of reservoir empty into open 
ditches along a higher level; and the 
water can thus be carried over about 30 
acres of ground, wherever wanted. The 
picture shows some samples of veg¬ 
etables that are now being grown 
during the usually dry Fall and early 
Winter months.' The picture was taken 
a number of years back, during the first 
week of December. Sometimes, in this 
section we have not even a killing frost 
up till Christmas and then again like 
this year, we have cold weather that 
does damage in November. We bad this 
November 12 last, fully a third of my 
cabbages killed dead, while many of 
the Volga in particular came out and 
made heads weighing from four to six 
pounds after the freeze. The bunch, 14 
pounds, one bill of sweet potatoes the 
old fellow himself holds in his hand 
is a new variety, of short, close-jointed 
vines. It is of fine yellow color, of high 
quality and passes today as our best all¬ 
round potato. It is a sport of the old 
Southern yellow yam, hut is much earl¬ 
ier and decidedly more prolific. I have 
given it the name of Pumpkin Vine¬ 
less and by selecting the best hills for 
a number of years for seed, it has 
been improved so as to outclass all 
others today as a profitable all-round 
potato. The other samples of vege¬ 
tables in picture tell their own story. 
Suffice it to say, there is no starvation 
in sight where such can be grown and 
find a ready market 
J. W. STUBENRAUCH. 
Limestone Co., Texas. 
March 2, 
WE WANT EVERY READER OF THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
TO HAVE THIS SET OF BOOKLETS 
T HE set consists of six booklets, each one treating a subject relative to increasing yields and lower¬ 
ing cost of farm, garden and orchard crops. In each there is a message for you. For 
instance, do you know how to plant 100 acres of potatoes, or any part of it, to obtain a 100 
per cent, stand ? Our booklet, “100 per cent. Potato Planting,” will tell. That is one 
message you should receive. “Saving Vines and Trees by Spraying,” Thorough 
Cultivation,” “ Gardening with Modern Tools,” “Economy and Better Crops,” 
and “ Digging Potatoes, ” contain many other messages. But we cannot deliver them until we 
have your address. It is, therefore, up to you to write us at once. 
These booklets cost considerable money, but they are worth it. They contain information of reaj 
value to you, and will cost you nothing. A post-card will bring them to you immediately. Address: 
Bateman. TVTf’g Co., Box 102 X, Gi’onlocli, 3NT. J. 
MR. FARMER, JUST ONE MOMENT:— 
LOW 
PRICES 
EASY 
TERMS 
QUICK 
SHIPMENT 
This 
Rig Makes I Wl 0,1 y° ur farm 
Ymi Mnnov V /JTX, /III now, this improved sawing 
* IVlOney // I \ outfit. It’s built right and 
J V, // // \ /',y/ for hard work and lots of it. 
<U1U Javcb I 1 ASsy You place the stick to be sawed 
Mur-k Havdl Wrkflr on the table and it slides on easy 
N< - - — working rollers right onto the saw. On the old style 
swing saw you tiavc the work of lifting every stick as many times as you cut it. On the rigshown above 
.sawing is easy, and when the wood sawing is done, take off the saw and table and you have an all-steel 
portable outfit that can be used for any work about the farm, ryid when there is no portable work to be 
done, place the engine in the barn to grind feed and also give the women folks a chance. Let the engine 
run tiie cream separator, the churn and the washing machine. Get catalogAhat shows this and twelve 
other styles and many sizes. It’s free. For full description and price of this great money maker, just write 
WATERLOO ENGINE WORKS 137 Liberty Street NEW YORK CITY 
CATALPA 
Crogory-n" . 
Excelsior. Finest low-growing, second early 
pea. Hardy, large pods and peas, stout v mes. 
Splendid cropper. Admiral Dewey. Largest 
podded pea grown. Best of 
oEG 0 /? ) .>'V. the late varieties. 
E HnUFqT CUCUMBERS 
ydi Vickery's Forcing. F,xcel-i 
lent outdoors or under glass.! 
^ r* i r r Wonderfully prolific. On rl 
f seed is pure stock. Twentieth Century. Ideal 
for slicing. Crisp and tender. Continuous 
, producer. Few culls. Dependable catalog 
1 —honest as (iregory’s seeds—sent free, 
kj. J. H. GREGORY &S0N, 14 Elm SI.. Marblehead. Mass. 
CUCUMBERS 
SEED POTATOES 
MAINE GROWN—EARLY and LATE. 
COBBLERS A SPECIALTY- CATALOG. 
A. H. HOFFMAN.BAMFOKD, PA. 
For Reliable Seeds 
Bought direct from the fanning community, and 
sold direct to the farmer:—Medium and Mammoth 
Clover. Alsike. Alfalfa. White and Crimson Clover, 
Timothy, Rape. Red Top, Bine Grass, Orchard 
Grass. Barley, Bye. Spring Wheat, all kinds of 
Seed Corn and Peas. Freight prepaid your Rail¬ 
road Station. Write for samples and prices. 
N. Wertheimer & Sons, Ligonier, Ind. 
Pure Field Seeds 
Clover, Timothy, Alsike, Alfalfa and all kinds of 
Pure Field Seeds direct from producer to con¬ 
sumer; free from noxious weeds. Ask forsamples 
A. c. hoyt & co., Fostorla, Ohio* 
GRAPEVINES 
61* \ urtetlcN. Also Small Fruits, Trees, etc. Best Root¬ 
ed Stock, Genuine, cheap, '2 sample vines mailed for 10c. Deso. 
price-list free. LKW is KOKSril x SOX, liox K , Frcdonia, N, Y, 
Trees. True to Name. Ten 
times your money back for all 
trees that provo not true spcciosa. Also Catal pa seed. I have 
Cypress Trees, tho most beautiful treo in the world. 
H. C. ROGERS, Box 11 Mechamcsburg, Ohio 
Hnnoef ConHe Samples and list free. Norris W. 
nuilcol OtcUo Adams, Box 323, Worcester, Mass. 
MANHATTAN STRAWBERRY PLANTS 
The largest berries, strongest growers, $2.00 per 
100, $15.00 per 1,000. Bountiful, largest, prolific, 
early Bevvy, 75 cents nor 100, $5.00 per 1,000. 
BEEKMAN & WILSON, MIDDLETOWN, N. J. 
STRAWBERRY PLANTS 
" p< .. 
Catalogue Free. ALLEN BROS., Paw Paw, Mic 
STRAWRFRRIFS -(il,t th8 1,est i ,l;ults at 
^ * IY/Y Tt D 15 Iv 1X1110 Jowpriees. Sendforour 
30th Annual Catalog. Try BETHEL, best now 
one. SLAYMAKER & &ON, Wyoming, Del. 
X 
V 
EGETABLE PLANTS For Sale— Also Strawberry Plants 
Catalogue free. S. C. Atherton, Greenwood, Del 
ATC READ'S GKEKN MOUNTAIN. Wonderful new 
* **• A O variety. Yields 130 bushels to acre. Absolutely 
rust proof. Out-yields Swedish Select; five year test. Cir¬ 
cular free. G. A. HEAD, Head's Exp. Farms, Charlotte, Vt* 
WHOLESALE PRICES 
On Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Gooseberry, 
Currant, Asparagus and Grape Plants, Heavy Rooted, 
IIlllli Grade Stock. 20th Annual Catalogue Free. 
A. R. WESTON & CO., R.g Bridgman, Mich. 
L ET ME SAVE YOU MONEY—Send for wholesale price list of 
Fruit frees and Berry Plants. Ward Black berry Plants, $7.00 
per M. Ask about Kanere Everbearing Hasp berry—niy intro¬ 
duction. ELMER A. PRIESTLEY, K.F.D. No, 1, Winslow, N. J. 
CENT 
SEED 
SALE 
lO OOO kernels of 
Selected 
FERTILE SEEDS for IOC 
760 Lettuce 10OO Celery 
750 Onion 100 Parsley 
OOO Radish 600 Cabbage 
100 Tomato lOOO Carrot 
750 Turnip 1 OO Melon 
700 Brilliant Flower Seeds. 50 sorts 
Any one of these packages is worth 
the price we ask for the whole 
10,000 kernels. It Is merely our 
way of letting you test our seed- 
proving to you how mighty good 
they are. 
Send 16 cents In stamps to-day and 
we will send you this great collection of seeds 
by return mail. We’ll also mail you free our 
great 1912 catalog—if you ask for it—all postpaid. 
JOHN A. SALZER SEED CO. 
144 South Eighth Street La Crosse, WIs. 
SEED: 
’otatoes, Red River. Seed Corn, 
>nts, etc. Write us. McAdams 
Sekd Co., Columbus Grove, Ohio 
piTft Reg. Swedish Select and Sensation. Two 
IIA j A best varieties. Samples free Seed Corn: 
Imp. Learning, Reid’s and White Cap. 
Get Our Catalogue. Then. Burt & Sons, Melrose, Ohio 
S TRAWBERRY PLANTS—All the new and 
old varieties. Send for my New Ulus. Catalog 
for 1912, froe. DAVID ROD WAY, Hartly. Del. 
WEEDLESS FIELD SE|ED 
is what wo are trying to furnish our customers. 
FREE samples will convince you that we come 
pretty near doing it. Red, Mammoth, Alsike, 
Alfalfa, Timothy, Vetch, Rape, etc. Write today. 
O. M. SCOTT & SON, 10 Main St., Marysville, O. 
00D SEEDS 
' BEST IN THE WORLD 
Prices Below All Others 
|xr I will give a lot of new 
sorts free with every order I 
fill. Buy and test. Return if 
J not O. K.—money refunded 
Big Catalog FREE 
Over 700 illustrations of vege¬ 
tables and flowers. Send yours 
- and your neighbors’ addresses. 
fL H. SHUMWAY, Rockford, Illinois 
kaEss®—-' 
