THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
493 
1913- 
MELON PLANTS IN PAPER POTS. 
I have heard persons say that they 
would get along with cold frames and 
hotbeds until they could afford a first- 
class modern greenhouse. There are so 
many advantages in even the simplest 
sash-covered greenhouse over depending 
on hotbeds and cold frames that it al¬ 
ways appears to me such persons are 
far from living up to their privileges in 
not having at least some such simple 
sash-covered greenhouse as I described 
recently, in connection with the frames. 
When one has to depend on frames and 
hotbeds the work all depends on the 
weather, and generally cannot be done 
to the best advantage or at the right 
time, and when some nice days come 
and there are a hundred other things to 
do, then the work in the frames must 
also be done all at once. With such a 
greenhouse as I described there is no 
end of satisfaction in being able to do 
the work in perfect comfort on cold, 
blustery days, getting every available 
almost to the wilting stage, thus harden¬ 
ing them so the bugs won’t hurt them 
after they are set out. I then thor¬ 
oughly soak them before setting out. 
When I say thoroughly I literally mean 
it, not what some would call thoroughly. 
For these melon plants in paper pots, as 
well as pepper, tomato and other plants 
grown that way, I use large flats made 
out of any kind of old boxes that will 
hold the pots so they can be carried out 
by two persons without removing the 
pots from the flats. We run them along 
on a wheelbarrow and a boy drops the 
plants. These are quickly and easily 
planted and it doesn’t require a great 
deal of space in the greenhouse to grow 
a large quantity of plants. 
Ohio. C. WECKESSER. 
Start in Fruit and Bees. 
IF. II. II ., Colfax, Iowa .—Although I am 
not a farmer, I cultivate a garden patch 
in the city of four lots. Could you suggest 
where in the East would be a good opening 
for a beginner to start in the bee, poultry 
and fruit business? Having been raised od 
a farm I have knowledge of fruit and its 
cultivation and care, also poultry, but never 
had any experience with bees, but I expect 
to make a purchase of a swarm this Spring 
and try my hand at the business, having 
MUSKMELONS STARTED IN PLANT BOXES. Fig. 156. 
foot of space utilized by transplanting in 
boxes; and when they have made enough 
growth and suitable weather comes, re¬ 
moving the boxes into cold frames and 
again filling up the space. In no other 
way can one get the fullest possible 
amount of use from the glass. Then, 
again, there have been times when the 
frames failed, for one thing or another, 
on account of bad weather, and we 
would have lost a crop had it not been 
for falling back on the use of the green¬ 
house. Several years ago I planted a 
cold frame with melons, in square boxes, 
with the usual care and lookout for the 
weather, and after they came up it got 
so cold and wet that they began to drop 
off, and though I followed by replanting 
with sprouted seeds, even these failed, 
and I lost every plant in the frame. By 
this time it was so late that although I 
took some of the boxes into the green¬ 
house and started some plants there, and 
still had melons, the crop was practically 
lost. It was not so bad, perhaps, after 
all, for by it I learned the better way to 
grow melon plants. 
i now use the paper pots and dirt 
bands, and grow the plants in the green¬ 
house with certainty and in surprisingly 
short time. With nothing in the house 
at tins season except the latest planting 
of tomatoes to hurry along, the pepper 
and egg plants, and melons, all of which 
thrive in high temperatures, I often let 
the temperature go up to about 100 , and 
as I sprout the seeds before planting, 
they are usually up in two or three days 
instead of anxiously waiting a week or 
10 days, as often happens in frames, if 
no worse, and with plenty of water how 
they grow! 
Ihe picture, Fig. 156, shows a lot of 
these growing in three-inch paper pots. 
1 let them grow until the rough leaves 
are well formed, then let them get dry 
the room in our back yard. I could per¬ 
haps get $700 to $800 together and would 
have that much to invest in a small place. 
1 see there are a number of very cheap 
places in and around Owego, N. Y. Would 
that country be all right? I note you can 
get 10 and 20-acre improved places for 
$600 to $1,000. What is wrong that they 
are so cheap? What do you think of the 
new national administration? What are 
your honest opinions? 
Ans.—T he writer has spent the greater 
part of his life in southern New York 
and knows of no better place for the 
man of small means, though if you hope 
to start in the poultry, fruit and bee 
business on a capital of $800 you will 
do well to make sure that you are 
possessed of a tremendous amount of 
grit and endurance and can thrive on 
hardship. Land within 10 miles of the 
village you mention can be bought all 
the way from $10 to $200 per acre, and 
is worth what it costs; but do not make 
the mistake of thinking that you can 
buy the $200 land for $10. Ten to 20 
acres of good land, well located, and 
with good buildings in this vicinity will 
cost from $2,000 to $5,000, the price 
varying with the desirability of the loca¬ 
tion and the quality of the land and 
buildings. Places of that size that can 
be bought for from $600 to $ 1,000 will 
be found to be very undesirably located, 
or to consist of poor land with dilapi¬ 
dated buildings, though if one is willing 
to live on the hills several miles back 
from the villages he can purchase a very 
comfortable home with a few acres of 
medium grade land for from $ 1,000 to 
$1,500. 
My opinion of the new national Ad¬ 
ministration is that every true American 
citizen, regardless of his political affilia¬ 
tions, will give it his respect and sup¬ 
port untl it has proven itself unworthy 
of them, and that the true measure of 
every man’s patriotism will be the sin¬ 
cerity with which he sustains those right¬ 
fully in authority until compelled to do 
otherwise. m. b. d. 
Oat and Pea Hay.— Having had 20 years 
or more experience with oats or oats and 
peas for hay, would say to II. A., Parra 11- 
ton, Ky., if they are well packed when 
put in, when they begin to heat get on 
them and tramp them thoroughly and 
do it every day until they stop. He will 
have no spoiled hay. o. w. r. 
Nunuet, N. Y. 
This Makes Watches Vary 
Unless Regulated to Offset Such Jars 
Bumps, Jars, Jolts and Shaking 
will ruin the time-keeping qualities 
of any watch that isn’t built and 
regulated to offset these condi¬ 
tions. 
South Bend Watches take six 
months to make and sometimes 
six months to test before they leave 
the factory. Then they are regu¬ 
lated to your personal¬ 
ity by the expert retail 
jeweler who sells them. 
The South Bend is 
the only watch made in 
America that is sold 
only through retail 
jewelers. You ought to 
buy your watch only 
through a retail jeweler, 
for then, and then only, 
can you get that regu¬ 
lation. Mail-order 
houses sell you a watch 
only. The expert retail jeweler sells 
you a good watch plus good regula¬ 
tion service. And this is the only safe 
and satisfactory way to buy a watch. 
The South Bend Watch Co., 
The South Bend Watch is hand 
and machine built by watch crafts¬ 
men — the most expert corps of 
watchmakers in America. 
In the largest cities and in the 
smallest villages you will find at 
least one of the 15,083 jewelers who 
put their good reputations with 
ours behind the South Bend Watch. 
Go see the nearest 
South Bend Watch 
dealer. Ask him to 
show you the watch 
that has 411 inspec¬ 
tions, that is heated to 
boiling temperature, 
that is frozen solid in 
ice and then keeps ab¬ 
solute on-the-dot time. 
Write for our tree 
book, “How Good 
Watches Are Made.’’ 
Brimful of interesting 
information about watches. Inter¬ 
esting — surprising — entertaining. 
Send for it today—now. You will 
get it by return mail, postpaid. 
4 Rowley St., South Bend, Ind. 
^oiifh Rend ° 
m Watch 
THE MODERN GARDEN -v 
with its long, narrow rows that require thor¬ 
ough and constant working,MUSTnave tools 
that are easy to adjust and operate: that sow, and 
cultivate perfectly. Many farmers who have steam 
heat and a telephone are still using old-fashioned 
tools. Do YOU use a hand hoe? 
IROHACE 
Seed Drills and 
Wheel Hoes 
save halftime, make bigger and better crops. 
The view shows one of 38 combinations irom $ 2.50 to 
$Z 2 .oo—our No. 6 Combined will sow in continuous 
rows or in hills, cultivate, weed, hoe, ridge, open 
furrows, etc. Parts changed quickly. Can pur¬ 
chase in simplest form and add to as needed. 
Ask your dealer to show these tools and write 
us for new booklet, “Gardening With Mod¬ 
ern Tools.” We make full line ofpotato 
machines,sprayers for all purposes,etc. 
Bateman MTg Co. 
Box *021, 
Grenloch,NJ-^^ r SAVK8 
-w . ■ HARD 
^ WORK 
fBUY5~THIS 
BOHON 
BUGGY 
On 30 Days’ Trial 
and 2 Yr. Guarantee 
And if it doesn't give satis¬ 
faction I will refund your 
money and pay the freight 
both ways besides. Lot me send you 
FPPP My Big Book of 
r IM-iIj Buggy Bargains 
Show, all the latest styles, 
quote* the factory 
price ‘ Mirect to you,'' 
explains my guar¬ 
antee, etc. Just send 
me your name and 
address on a postal 
card—TODAY. 
D.T. BOHON 
217 Main St. 
Harrodsburg, Ky. 
Forkner Light Draft 
Hangs low and has 
great extension—you IWHUff 
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 
iractieal orchardist. chock- 
Light Draft Harrow 
Company 
612 E. Nevada St., 
Marshalltown, Iowa 
BUY GOOD PAINT DIRECT 
AND SAVE 50c A GALLON 
30 years’ experience, a modern factory, 
pure materials and selling direct is 
why it will pay you to buy 
Brown Seal Prepared Paints 
Shipped on approval. Write for color 
card and prices. 
THE YUMA PAINT CO. 
460 E. First St. DAYTON, OHIO 
Elkhart Vehicles and Harness 
have a world-wide reputation for high quality 
and our prices have made them famous. 
FORTY YEARS’ 
experience selling to the consumer means succes ,. 
We ship for examination, guaranteeing safe 
delivery, satisfaction and to save you money. 
Catalogshowsallstylesof pleasure vehi¬ 
cles and harness, pony vehicles and har¬ 
ness, spring wagons, delivery wagons 
and harness. 
May we send you large catalog? 
We alto make the “Pratt” Automobiles. 
Elkhart Carriage & Harness Mfg. Company 
Elkhart, Indiana 
