913. 
THE RURAL* NEW-YORKER 
393 
FLORAL NOTES. 
L. r. C. very nicely describes many 
things that can be grown from seed for the 
flower garden, and among the hardy things 
I have found the Oriental poppies very 
attractive. I too grow Dahlias every year 
from seed, saving over those only that are 
especially attractive, and in this way one 
can get a very fine collection fully equal 
to the named varieties sold at good prices. 
There is another advantage down here 
in growing Dahlias from seed. This is that 
they come into bloom when the weather is 
suitable for good flowers, while the old 
roots are apt to try to bloom in the hottest 
weather. 
Cannas are another plant I raise from 
seed. I have a neighbor nurseryman who 
grows a field of all the finest named sorts, 
and he very kindly lots me go through and 
collect seed as 1 want from all of these 
and many of the seedlings I grow are fully 
as fine as those catalogued. The seed are 
rather hard to germinate, and I have a 
little corundum wheel and take each seed 
in a pair of pincers and hold it an instant 
against this till the white shows through 
the black cuticle. Then the seeds are set 
to soak in warm water for two or three 
days and then sown and they come up very 
readily, and it is interesting to note them 
as they bloom. Nearly all of them will 
be worth keeping, and it is easy to keep 
them in a warm cellar covered with sand. 
Dahlia roots I find keep better here 
buried outside as we do potatoes. A slight 
pit is dug and the roots placed stem down 
on a bed of straw and then covered thick¬ 
ly with straw and the earth mounded 
thickly over the whole. In the cellar they 
are apt to dry up or mold, while in the 
pit they come out sound and plump. I 
have kept Cannas in this way in North 
Carolina, but here I find that they will not 
keep well in that way and the cellar where 
the hot water apparatus is that heats 
my office and little greenhouse seems to suit 
them very well. 
Another plant one can grow from seed 
is the Gladiolus. Of course the bulblets or 
rather cormlets grown fi-om seed will not 
bloom the first season, but I have bad 
them grow larg'e enough to bloom the sec¬ 
ond Summer and increase greatly in size 
too. Seed saved from the best named va¬ 
rieties will give a majority of fine flowers, 
and one growing mixed Gladiolus should 
always grow some seedlings, for if you 
depend on the little cormlets from the old 
conns you will soon be running into all of 
one sort, for some make far more cormlets 
than others and get to be the dominant 
variety. I buy annually some of the best 
named sorts and grow them separately and 
save seed from them, only saving sepa¬ 
rately such as are of superior merit when 
they bloom. 
Then there are some annuals that should 
never be neglected. I do not know how 
it is farther North, but here I find the 
Phlox Drummondii perfectly hardy and the 
seed sown in the Fall will make plants that 
will winter over and give flowers far 
sooner than those from Spring-sown seed. 
Last Fall in cleaning up the beds the 
dry tops of the Phlox were thrown with 
other garden rubbish on the compost pile. 
Now I have a perfect mass of seedlings 
from the seed that shattered out, and will 
transplant these to places where I wish them 
to bloom. There is no annual that gives 
a longer and gayer bloom than the annual 
Phlox, and none that stands the Summer 
drought better. 
China Asters I always sow in the open 
border, for I do not care to have them 
early, as the Fall bloom is far better than 
that at midsummer. Then I want them to 
take the place of the tulips and Narcissus 
and these I do not wish to lift till ripened. 
Tulips, Narcissus and Gladiolus are com¬ 
mercial matters with me as well as lilies, 
and hence are grown in long beds just as 
the Hollanders grow them, and when these 
are lifted the beds are at once set in Aster 
plants for cut flowers and seed, for I usual¬ 
ly save my own Aster seed from the finest 
plants and flowers, and still buy a few 
seed auuually. 
I grow Coleus too from seed, and stick 
them around where the color will help. 
Shaved carpet beds I do not like, but some 
broad-leaf Coleus plants are very useful 
in the porch boxes and as specimens in 
pots. But one must have a greenhouse to 
start the seedings, as the seed are very 
fine and I sow them on light soil and 
merely press the seed in with a flat block 
and cover with a piece of old newspaper, 
and wet that, and when somewhat dried 
remove it and place a pane of glass over 
the box to retain moisture and heat. 
Begonia seed of the Scmperflorens class, 
which bed out well, are sown in the same 
way. Tuberous Begonias and Gloxinias I 
use for Summer decoration in the green¬ 
house, as tuberous Begonias are very unsat¬ 
isfactory bedders in our climate, though 
they make splendid pot plants under shaded 
glass. 
Sweet peas every one wants. Here I 
sow these in January and cover five inches 
deep, giving them chicken wire netting to 
climb on, and mulch heavily with manure 
to retain moisture on our sandy soil. I 
find that it is absolutely essential to get 
these planted early and to cover rather 
deeply to get the flowers before the weather 
gets too hot. 
Every Summer I save some seed from the 
best zonal geraniums, and find that I get 
many seedlings that are as good as the 
named ones sold by the florists. Many 
years ago I raised a pink geranium that 
had a long run of popularity in the Bal¬ 
timore parks as a bedder. 
Double hollyhocks I like to sow outdoors 
in late June and set the plants where 
wanted in September for the blooming of 
the following season. Pansies are sown at 
samo time, and in the Fall some are set 
in a cold frame under double glazed sashes 
for Winter blooming, and others are set 
in beds outside for the Spring flowers 
One who has never used the sashes with 
two layers of glass can hardly realize the 
quantity of flowers that can be had under 
them in Winter. Phlox Drummondii, candy¬ 
tuft, mignonette and pansies can all be had 
in bloom in the coldest weather in a well- 
banked frame covered with these sashes, 
and bulbs of Taper White Narcissus, Roman 
hyacinths can also be bloomed in the 
frames in Winter, and the bulbs saved in 
improved shape if allowed to harden off 
gradually, and the frames removed in March 
for other plants. In our comparatively 
mild climate this can be done perhaps bet¬ 
ter than in a colder one, but in frames 
sunk in the ground and banked outside 
these sashes will keep out frost nearly to 
zero. w. F. MASSEY. 
Maryland. 
'POTATO CONDITIONS IN MAINE. 
From July 1, 1912 to February 1, 1913, 
the Maine Central It. It. transported over 
their lines to the markets 15777 carloads 
of potatoes; 864 of these cars came from 
points in Central Maine and the remainder 
from their contributing lines. The season 
duringl911-1912 over the same lines show 
a shipment of 19277 cars, a difference of 
3500 cars in favor of 1911-1912. There 
was a gain from Maine Central points of 
572 cars, a loss from B & A points of 
3618 cars, and from C. P. points a loss 
of 454 cars. Figuring from a basis of 
600 bushels per car the total shipments 
last season up to February 1 amounted 
to 11,566,200 bushels, and this season 
10.966,200 a decrease of 700,000 bushels. 
As it is estimated that the crop of 1912 
was 25% less than in 1911 it would ap¬ 
pear that the stock now in the hands of 
the shippers and growers would not vary 
much from that held at this time last 
season. Owing to the fact that the Aroos¬ 
took potato crop this season was 25% 
below the normal crop, and the low prices 
the Aroostook farmer is getting for his 
stock there will be a heavy loss. A few 
years ago a barrel of potatoes could be 
produced in Aroostook at a cost of 45 
cents per barrel. Owing, however, to the 
constant cropping of the soil with the same 
product, the vegetable matter in it has 
become exhausted, requiring more and more 
artificial means in order to keep the crop 
up to the standard. At first a few hun¬ 
dred pounds of fertilizer of a low grade 
were used. Gradually it became necessary 
not only to increase the quantity, but a 
higher grade was used. Now the average 
farmer finds it necessary to use from 1,800 
pounds to one ton, and most of them use 
an analysis of 5-8-7. Therefore the cost 
for plant food has more than doubled. In 
addition to this in the early producing 
days of the county the farmer did his 
own work, while now during digging time 
each farmer is obliged to employ from five 
to ten men and owing to the scarcity of 
help it costs the farmer from $2 to $3 per 
day for each man employed. This increase 
in the cost of producing has come about 
gradually and the farmer hardly realizes 
that the barrel of potatoes that a few years 
ago cost him 45 cents now costs from 90 
cents to $1. When the potatoes cost 45 
cents the barrel, land was worth about 
$10 per acre. This cost has increased to 
from $100 to $150 per acre, thus increasing 
taxes from eight to ten times. 
It would appear by this statement of 
facts that farming in Aroostook County 
must undergo a radical change, not so 
much in the methods of producing as in 
better marketing conditions. The farmer 
is usually blamed for the lack of progres¬ 
sive methods, but it would appear that 
there are others who should shoulder part 
of the burden. For years the shippers of 
the potato has been in full control. lie 
has bought and sold the farmer at his 
own price, and the farmer thought he was 
powerless to change conditions. These 
shippers have worked independently one of 
the other, and while they have many times 
endeavored to regulate their business 
through an organization, disloyalty on the 
part of a portion of the membership has 
made this organization ineffective. As a 
result there is no system. The buyers, if 
honest, take up the drafts even if the mar¬ 
ket has gone off, while those who are 
otherwise disposed refuse to take the car 
when market conditions are not favorable. 
Then there are hundreds of cars turned 
down because of bad loading. The blame 
for carting poor stock to the stations be¬ 
long to the grower, but even in this case 
the shipper is not obliged to accept stock 
not up to the standard. 
A few days ago there were four ears 
unloading at Flatbush avenue. Brooklyn. 
Two of these cars were from Long Island 
and stood the buyer 93 cents the bushel 
on the tracks in Brooklyn, while the Maine 
stock stood the buyer 67 cents. The dif¬ 
ference in freight as between Maine points 
and Long Island is about 15 cents, there¬ 
fore, while the Maine shipper received 47 
cents and the Maine farmer about 40 
cents the Long Island farmer got 85 cents, 
or 45 cents the bushel more than the Maine 
farmer. The cooking quality of the Maine 
product is equal to the Long Island product, 
therefore why this difference in price? 
Upon examination, however, it was found 
that the greater value placed upon the 
Ixmg Island stock as compared with the 
Maine stock was because of better sorting 
and grading. Shippers and growers have 
known this for a number of years, and 
still only spasmodic efforts are made to 
remedy the trouble. The movement now 
underway as represented by the Farmers’ 
Union of Maine will no doubt in time be 
the means of bringing about a system of 
sorting, grading and marketing that will 
place the Maine farmer on a par with the 
Long Island farmer after allowing the dif¬ 
ference in freight between the two points. 
The Farmers’ Exchanges are perfectly wil¬ 
ling to cooperate with the independent ship¬ 
pers to bring about more satisfactory ar¬ 
rangements, but up to the present time the 
shippers are holding off and in fact are 
opposing operations on the part of the 
Farmers’ Exchanges. This action on their 
part is short sighted for the farmer is 
determined that he will take his place as 
a man of affairs and no opposition on the 
part of any class of men will deter him 
from entering the business of shipping, and 
if the -independent shipper will not cooper¬ 
ate with the farmer he will be working 
against his own interest as well as that 
of the farmer. c. at e. 
Get greater use and profit from your vehicles 
by keeping them well finished with 
Sherwin-Williams Buggy and Auto Paint 
Like all the other Sherwin-Williams Fin¬ 
ishes this paint is prepared particularly for 
its purpose. It paints and varnishes at 
one operation, and is designed for use 
on buggies, automobiles, carriages and 
sleighs. It gives a hard durable gloss 
finish which may be washed and rubbed 
without marring. Sherwin-Williams 
Buggy and Auto Paint is but one of the 
many Sherwin-Williams Paints and Var¬ 
nishes for farm use. It is sold by dealers 
everywhere, in 8 colors as well as black 
and clear. Ask for color cards. 
If you will simply drop us a line we 
shall be more than glad to send you our 
free booklet, “Paints and Varnishes 
for the Farm.” It is interesting, prac¬ 
tical and worth reading. 
Sherwin-Williams 
Paints &Varnishes 
Best dealers everywhere. Address all inquiries to The Sherwin-Williams Co., B35 Canal Rd.,Cleveland. 0.' 
Forkner Light Draft 
Hangs low and has l4of*a*f|\tr 
great extension—you lid 11 U Yl 
work right up to trees without dis¬ 
turbing boughs or fruit. With it you 
can cultivate 20 to 30 acres a day 
with one team. Low-priced, but built 
for long, hard service. 
THIS BOOK FREE 
Modern Orchard Tillage, written 
by a practical orchardist, chock- 
full of valuable informa- 
I tion. Write 
I for it. 
Light Draft Harrow 
Company 
612 E. Nevada St., 
Marshalltown, Iowa 
LasieronYourEngine 
—““"Ns 
of \t; 
ted— 
Fastest, lightest-running 
mill made. /No burrs. One 
set rollers grinds 6,000 bu. o„ 
cob —wet or dry. Force feed— 
can’t clog. 
Grinding BullDog* 
-Try It Ten Days FVee 
If it doesn’t “make good” on your 
farm — grind faster, finer, cheaper 
than any mill you ever saw—send it 
back at our expense. You don’t pay 
one cent down. Write for details, 
Btating H. P. of engine. 
Lola Mtg. Co.. 204 East Road, Crown Point, Ind. 
“Direct from 
Factory to Horae” 
Biggest and best Catalog of Vehicles 
Harness and Accessories published. 
OTfSml on this np-to-date buggy 
"v y g shows how Murray saves 
■V you from 3-3 to Vt. 
Shippod direct from fac¬ 
tory. 4 weeks’ road trial. 
2 years’ guarantees. Get 
tho Murray Book beforo 
f r ou buy. Postal will bring 
t. Investigate our claims. 
Write for it today , 
The Wilber H. Murray Mfg.Co.703.5th Ave. Cincinnati,O, 
Free Box of Samples 
sent to your station charges prepaid. All 
sizes, 2 inches to 20 inches. Delivered 
prices quoted on request. 
THE E. BIGL0W CO., New London, 0. 
ITS MANY USES 
about the farm and home should be 
learned by every man in farming for 
profit. We have published a valu¬ 
able pamphlet fully illustrated, tell¬ 
ing bow the Department of Agri¬ 
culture has demonstrated the useful¬ 
ness 
of 
foemlmsm. 
* THrmers Trrencf 
the best and cheapest disinfectant 
and smut and fungous destroyer. 
This big book is FREE—it in¬ 
structs you how to treat seed grains 
to positively insure big crops, how to 
destroy smuts, rust, fungous growths, 
etc. Your dealer sells Formalde¬ 
hyde from our laboratory, 35 cents 
pound bottle. 
Send for this 32 page pamphlet 
today. 
Perth Amboy Chemical Works 
100 William St. 
New York 
A POTATO CULTIVATOR 
Adjustable Good for com, beans, truck crops, 
• , e , tc ’ , but adjustments make it es- 
f , pecially adapted for potatoes. Toget just 
the right depth and throw at each stage of the 
growth and be able to properly work the crop 
under all conditions, is your problem— it is our 
business to work it out for you in 
work, 
MAGE 
RIDING 
CULTI¬ 
VATORS 
Steel frame machines, made 
in many combinations of gangs. 
hoes, wheels, etc. The hoes are 
alwavs shined in parallel lines 
so that you can get the same 
throw in all parts of row. 
Ask your dealer to show them 
and write us for new booklet, 
"Thorough Cultivation ” 
Pivot BATEMAN M’F’G CO. 
wheel Grenloch. N J. 
machines 
They guide. 
«asy. 
Box 1027 
Steel, Wood and Lawn ^ Rollers 
Nothing to Equal Them 
t-Horse Cultivators, 
Mowers, Rakes,Ted -1 
ders, 1 to 20 H. P. 
Gasoline Engines, 
Feed Cutters with 
Crushers and Shred¬ 
ders, Hand and Power 
Shelters, Ideal Separators (100 
tolOOObu.). Wood Saws. Send for catalog. 
MES8INGER MFG.CO.,Tatamy,Pn.,Box 3 
