1913. 
iea 
THE RURAIs NEW-YORKER 
THE BEST CROP OF ALL. 
A Maine Family and a Maine Crop. 
You may look at the picture at Fig. 54 to learn 
which one we mean. There is more to this picture 
than you think. E. D. Page, of Maine, contested in 
that Bowker perfect potato prize. It is something of 
a question among many growers as to whether it pays 
better to grow medium-sized potatoes of high quality 
rather than the big and coarse tubers. At any rate, 
we are all interested in learning how to grow the 
better kind. So we asked Mr. Page how he would 
operate if growing for another prize, and he says: 
“I would make slight change in my methods if I 
were in a potato contest again, and practically the 
same if not in a contest. Years ago I got to fer¬ 
tilizing high, raising large crops of coarse potatoes 
which I did not like. Then I changed my seed to 
those varieties which were less likely to grow coarse 
and for several seasons have grown 
largely Mills Pride, Gold Coin and 
Delaware. But this was not enough 
and have changed in planting from 
rows 38 inches and hills 16 inches to 
rows 34 and hills 11 to 12 inches. I 
shall in future plant rows 32 inches and 
hills nine inches. Contrary to the us¬ 
ual teaching, I use second-size seed, or 
the size of a hen’s egg, and a little 
under. I give little attention to num¬ 
ber of eyes, but cut this size potatoes 
into pieces of as near equal size as pos¬ 
sible, making three and four pieces of 
each potato. These even size pieces 
work much nicer in the planter than if 
uneven. I use a standard make of 
planter, planting deep, and then work 
this down by frequent workings with 
different tools, of which the steel roller 
is first if soil is dry. I think this is 
the crop that pays. While some buyers 
will not pay any more for smooth, 
medium potatoes, all will give them the 
preference and frequently are willing 
to pay a little more for them to help 
out a coarse lot. I am not a large 
grower, less than 2,000 bushels, and 
sell a large part of them in the city of 
Bangor, which is six miles from my 
farm. I supply some eating houses, 
some retail stores, and a few private 
customers. I think I can raise as many 
bushels of these medium size potatoes 
as I can of coarse ones, and with lots 
more satisfaction to myself and my 
customers. My prize acre was a part 
of a three-acre plot w r hich averaged 
410 bushels per acre. I used 2,500 
pounds of fertilizer per acre, and were 
I to enter a contest again would use 
more. But for ordinary work I use 
only from 1,500 to 1,800 pounds of 
chemicals mixed about 4j^-10-10, using 
some high-grade fish and blood.” 
While he was talking potatoes Mr. 
Page got back to another subject which 
has nearly passed out of mind with us: 
“Possibly you may remember that 
some years ago I wrote you that I had 
some thought of selling out and going 
to Florida, largely on account of hav¬ 
ing a cold and cough during the Win¬ 
ter season. You gave me good advice, 
and afterwards I found out that the 
colds were largely within my control. 
Result, I, or rather we, stayed by our 
home and with hard work and some 
self-denial are winning out. We have 11 children, all 
tough, rugged and hearty; a fair-sized herd of A. 
C. C. Jerseys, a fine herd of O. I. C. swine, 150 pure¬ 
bred hens. Five years ago we bought another farm 
of 100 acres directly across the road, and now have 
250 acres all in one block. We have nearly 1,000 
fruit trees, consisting of apple, pear, plum and cherry, 
and are setting a few more yearly and learning to 
take care of them. We also raise strawberries, rasp¬ 
berries and blackberries, and it will not be long till 
our own crew will handle the whole of it. We have 
just installed a pneumatic water system which sup¬ 
plies the 200 or more gallons of water which we use 
daily just when we want it in house and barn. Next 
season we propose electric lights and bathroom. The 
enclosed picture, Fig. 54, which was taken by the 
fertilizer agent at harvest time, looks rather rough 
and ready, for neither my wife nor I knew of it un¬ 
til afterwards. It shows all but the baby boy now 
about a year old, and should show him, for he is 
the best looking one of all. For more than 15 
years, the age of our oldest girl, The R. N.-Y. has 
been our guiding star. We have slipped and fallen 
many times, but The R. N.-Y. has been here every 
week, and not once but has been scanned from 
cover to cover, and always given us courage. 
It is true that Mr. Page asked about going to Flor¬ 
ida. We told him that if he could have fair health 
that Maine offered better chances. Pie understood 
Northern farming and knew nothing about Florida. 
That State is “good in spots,” with other spots only 
sure failures. Markets, habits of life and social con¬ 
ditions were, we thought, all in favor of Maine. So 
Mr. Page has found it. As for the children, we hope 
they will rank as high in quality as the potatoes did. 
FLORIDA ORANGES AND PARCEL POST. 
I am forwarding to-day by parcel post a pack¬ 
age of oranges to the “Hope Farm Man.” The rea¬ 
son for this move is to get an unbiased opinion as 
to whether there might be a fair chance of finding 
purchasers for such fruit by parcels post. These are 
the genuine Indian River orange, and only those 
grown on the high ridge of sand one-quarter mile 
wide and extending from Ft. Pierce south to Stuart 
at the mouth of the St. Lucia River (about 25 miles) 
on the brink of the Indian River, are genuine. You 
will note that the flavor is much finer than the ordi¬ 
nary Florida orange, but have not the smooth ap¬ 
pearance of ordinary Floridas; this is caused by 
high winds scarring them, and salt air from the 
ocean gives them the dark color; but the darker they 
are, the sweeter and finer the flavor. Now for what 
they bring in the Eastern markets. Six boxes were 
shipped to Philadelphia, and I instructed the com¬ 
mission man to give away one box (if necessary) in 
order to show prospective buyers what a fine orange, 
to eat, they were. The returns three days since 
read: Sold for $1.50 per box; freight, 71 Vz cents per 
box; cartage, .05; commission .15; net returns, 58 y 2 . 
Add other expenses boxes and wrappings, 20 cents 
each; packing and picking, 10 cents per box, leaves 
the grower 28 ^2 cents per box to buy fertilizer, pay 
wages, etc. Would it not make an angel “cuss”? If 
there was anything wrong with the fruit—except that 
it is not perfect in color, a man might be able to 
swallow some of it. Now, mind you, I do not think 
the commission man at fault, as I have dealt with 
them for years and have never caught them in any 
crooked deals. It simply seems that the great ma¬ 
jority of consumers desire the fair and perfectly 
colored specimens; especially is this so where or¬ 
anges are concerned. Of course it is too late to 
attempt to dispose of my fruit by the parcels post 
this year, and the rate is too high; but if the regu¬ 
lations could be changed so we could get tire fast 
freight service that I have seen mentioned in some 
of the recent publications it would probably be our 
salvation in Florida. It is surprising 
the great number of people here who 
are taking the advice of The R. N.-Y.; 
i. e., using the parcel post, even when 
express is more convenient. We, in this 
section of the United States, have suf¬ 
fered so severely from the express com¬ 
panies’ doings that all seem determined 
to give them a black eye whenever it 
is possible. w. j. kimball. 
R. N.-Y.—These oranges came in 
perfect condition. They were packed in 
a tough pasteboard box with “excelsior” 
around tl|,em. The flavor was de¬ 
licious—a fine orange in every way. It 
cost 51 cents to mail this dozen of fruit, 
and highest price at retail would not 
go over 60 cents a dozen. On the aver¬ 
age 40 cents would be nearer the price 
one could expect for such specimens. 
Thus the rate of postage is too high to 
make such shipments to New York 
profitable. If the postage rate were cut 
to 20 or 25 cents, as it should be, we 
think it would be possible to develop a 
good retail trade by mail. It might be 
done even now in such places as Cin¬ 
cinnati, Atlanta, Nashville, etc. This 
trade is sure to develop, and the rates 
will be cut later. We cannot expect 
everything at once. The thing to do is 
to keep right on using parcel post 
whenever possible. Let us make it a 
fixture and then insist upon fairer rates. 
TWO KINDS OF SILAGE. 
Last Fall I was a witness to the fill¬ 
ing of silos on two farms located about 
three miles apart. In one case the corn 
stood in the field from eight to 15 feet 
in height, well eared, with a rank 
growth of Soy beans in the rows with 
the corn. There was an entire absence 
of weeds or grass in this 30 acres of 
silage corn, and as the bundles were 
fed into the cutters one could not help 
but notice and comment on the value 
of this silage, the coarse butts of those 
bundles being supplemented by that 
green mass of Soy beans. On this field 
of 11 acres there was cut, -by a con¬ 
servative estimate, 200 tons. In the 
other case the corn was a short, poor 
growth—immature—and had been cut 
by frost. The butts of the bundles 
were so full of ragweed and other stuff 
that it was difficult to feed it into the 
cutters. In the first instance Holsteins 
are kept for milk. In the second Jerseys are 
kept for butter making. Now, if there be any 
profit in feeding this latter silage there ought to be a 
very large profit from feeding the first mentioned. 
These are two actual and extreme cases. Most of 
the silage put up will range between these in value. 
In our latitude the corn crop requires the whole sea¬ 
son between Spring and Fall frosts. Where the 
land is in need of drainage, the planting season is 
necessarily delayed, and never in prime condition. It 
costs practically as much in preparation, seed fertil¬ 
ization, etc., for a poor crop, as for a large one. In 
the first instance we have worked against natural 
laws governing plant growth and crop production; 
in the latter case we have the satisfaction of having 
worked with a willing partner and played a winning 
game. Every time that we call the attention of the 
progressive farmer to such features in farm opera¬ 
tions through the agricultural journals, I believe a 
good w T ork is being accomplished. h. e. cox. 
AN “OLD-FASHIONED” MAINE FAMILY. Fig. 54. 
CROSS-BRED JERSEY AND HOLSTEIN FAMILY. Fig. 55. 
