1913. 
Ruralisms 
SUMMER WORK ON STRAWBERRIES. 
Cleaning Out Old Beds. 
This is the middle day of July, and 
just a year ago I took an Erie train for 
New York and a visit to Hope Farm, 
where the following day there was to be 
a Summer meeting of the New Jersey 
Horticultural Society. I had not taken 
a long railroad ride for two years, and 
when I found myself actually on a train 
with a through ticket, headed for New 
York, I was as much elated as a school¬ 
boy with a circus ticket. It had been a 
gamble whether to go or not, as busi¬ 
ness was pressing at home, and I was 
not certain whether I could endure the 
trip in mid-summer. I am partner with 
my son in a market gardening job, and 
my business previous to this year has 
been to manage the marketing end of the 
work. On Monday, the day before, I 
was to take the load as usual at two 
A. M. If I sold out and got home in 
time to be taken to the nine A. M. train 
I was going; if not I would stay at home. 
The market was seven miles away and I 
had about one-half ton of vegetables and 
berries to sell. I made quick sales and 
was back home at 8.15. My daughter 
hitched up the driving horse while I 
dressed and packed, and we reached the 
station four minutes ahead of time. I 
thought this was going some for a man 
past 73, and was quite confident I should 
stand the trip, which included a journey 
into Northwest Connecticut, where I at¬ 
tended school 58 years before. 
The next morning at daylight I was 
looking out from an Erie train upon that 
God-forsaken country in New Jersey 
which only looks good to those who spend 
their days in the dark canyons of lower 
New York. After a fairly good break¬ 
fast at a Hungarian chop house I took 
a train for Woodcliff Lake, where nearly 
the whole trainload were loaded into 
market wagons and carried two miles 
over a perfect road to Hope Farm. Sev¬ 
eral hundred people were there, and it 
would take several columns to tell all I 
saw and learned, but just now I rush 
into print to discuss next year’s straw¬ 
berry bed in the light of what I saw 
there and did in the next 10 weeks at 
home. 
Not far from the house at Hope Farm 
was a strawberry bed which appeared to 
have been mowed after picking and culti¬ 
vated with some coarse implement. Three 
men with common hoes were chopping 
out the weeds and grass. No one but 
myself took the trouble to go and inspect 
their work, but I heard a young and 
very talkative man whom I thought to be 
connected with the experiment station re¬ 
mark to a companion : “What a foolish 
waste of time and wages! The only 
proper way is to plow down a strawberry 
bod after picking and raise a late vege¬ 
table crop. The starting of a new patch 
every Spring is the only way to grow 
strawberries.” I took the liberty of ad¬ 
dressing the young man and asked him 
if he had ever compared the relative cost 
of putting out a new plantation with 
cleaning up an old one, and whether some 
varieties did not do better the second 
year, and he replied that he had had no 
personal experience, but he gathered from 
observation that the general practice 
seemed to decide in favor of new plant¬ 
ing each Spring. A little later I heard 
lnm say to his companion : “My father 
was a dairyman with a milk route, and 
we had no time to bother with fruit 
growing or gardening.” I wanted to tell 
him that if he would look over the an¬ 
nual reports of several State Horticul¬ 
tural Societies he would find that the cost 
of starting a new strawberry bed was 
estimated from $30 to $60 per acre up to 
mulching time, but I refrained and short¬ 
ly after I heard him remark to his friend, 
' that’s one great trouble at farmers’ in¬ 
stitutes, old men who have practiced by 
the rule of thumb all their lives take up 
the time explaining methods that have 
grown mossy with age and decay.” Com¬ 
ing back an hour later I made an esti¬ 
mate and judged that the three men at 
work would chop an acre in two days, 
and including cultivating and all, that 
an acre would be put in pretty good 
shape for $15. I judged from the young 
S i remai 'k about farmers’ institutes 
that he sometimes orated to them, and 
probably backed up his cocksure igno¬ 
rance with charts and figures, and I have 
no doubt if a question turned up in the 
question box in reference to cleaning up 
old berry beds he would repeat his advice 
to plow it down. Of course he is igno- 
iant of the fact that a gardener often 
uiKis it extremely difficult to get help or 
tune to plant strawberries in April, while 
it is sometimes difficult to find work for 
ail hands in July, and a job like cleaning 
out an old strawberry bed cannot be 
charged up with the full labor bill if aver¬ 
aged with the time when all hands are 
driven to the utmost. This may have 
>oen the case with the Hope Farm man 
ami ins three Italians, but, however it 
f lS ’ ^ j\ were making a dead sure thing 
or weed killing and that quite rapidly, 
1 i 1 ^ was handwork. Each strike 
''“"W severed a root, and the July 
f>un did the rest. 
ti? e fUue of my trip we had an idle 
1 ece of ground of half an acre which had 
been plowed and fitted to plant with 
r,lf.nH berr i es i , but the early vegetable 
anting had been so insistant that the 
Planting had not been done. We had 
, ! okl plantations which, considering 
tnur condition, had produced a fair crop 
'J^HE RURAI> NEW-YORKER 
of berries. One was in unmixed rows 
of six standard sorts which did well on 
our soil, Wm. Belt, Bubach, Senator 
Dunlap, Sample, Delancey and Latest. 
This patch was two years old. We had 
another three years old which had been 
planted by digging across a plantation 
of 10 varieties and setting the plants as 
dug. The labels had been lost and I 
took this method to save some valuable 
seedlings originating on my place, but 
failed to mark the varieties at picking 
the year before, and it was necessary 
again to resort to the hit-and-miss 'way 
of planting. We needed the land the fol¬ 
lowing Spring, and plowing down would 
be imperative. I was a week getting 
home, returning by a zig-zag route cov¬ 
ering 1,100 miles, mostly by daylight, 
and on the whole trip pondered deeply 
upon our berry problem. It was clearly 
a case of “have to.” I must set old plants 
in midsummer and make them live. I 
began at once and by August first had 
12 rows of 120 plants set at one foot 
apart. The team and farm help -were 
busy, and I wanted a perfectly firm soil, 
so I chopped out rows a foot wide with 
an old carpenter’s adz, and I found it 
was not a very laborious job either. The 
rows butted at one end upon a diagonal 
fence next the pear orchard, and next 
this fence was a space about 20 feet wide 
thickly grown over to weeds and grass. The 
rest of the ground was quite spotted, 
some being clean as a beaten road and 
some quite weedy. I did not lose much 
time reasoning why it was so, but re¬ 
solved to use fertilizer freely on the 
naked spots. In about 10 days the plants 
which owing to frequent rains had begun 
to grow, suddenly stopped growing, and 
before I could diagnose the cause all but 
those next the pear orchard were dying, 
and I found out the reason why some of 
the ground was bare and some was 
weedy. The bare spots were populated 
with grubs, while the weedy ones had 
few' or none. I then began carefully to 
chop up each row before setting, killing 
all the grubs I found. This wms not en¬ 
tirely successful, for after transplanting 
more than 7,000 plants I had only 3,000 
to show' for it. By this time ‘it was 
toward the close of August, and the 
grubs began to disappear. What became 
of them I do not know, but as they ap¬ 
peared to have reached full growth I 
concluded they went into the ground for 
their final change. After this I set 15 
rows with plants six inches apart and 
got a good grow'th, and had it not been 
for the frost of May S would have had a 
considerable crop. As it was we picked 
four bushels. 
M ith last Summer’s experience I can 
safely advise your readers that in de¬ 
fault of others, old plants can be trans¬ 
planted at any time in late Summer up 
to the first of October with success and 
certainty of a bearing bed the following 
Jline, provided the ground is kept wet 
until the plants get a start. Frequent 
rains last Summer saved me the expense 
of water. I find that plants moved soon 
after fruiting start slowlv but eventually 
make strong plants with additional 
crowns, and produce some runners. They 
bear as abundantly and cannot be told 
from Spring-set plants. I success¬ 
fully moved plants with four crowns. 
As an experiment I potted sev¬ 
eral grub-eaten roots with two leaves 
and no new rootlets, which stronglv re¬ 
sembled small cigar stubs. They inade 
some grow th in the Fall and froze up in 
the plant house, which was not heated 
until January. They finally filled the 
four-inch pots with roots and produced 
fine berries in May a month ahead of 
tune. Plants transplanted in late Au¬ 
gust and September have some new roots 
and if taken with adhering earth start 
growth immediately and will sometimes 
grow' new white rootlets six inches long 
in 48 hours. They will also, if the 
weather is moist and warm, anchor them¬ 
selves against upheaval by frost. In set¬ 
ting it is necessary to remember that 
there can be no increase by runners, so 
one can set very close with rows near 
together. l. b. pierce. 
Summit Co., O. 
HOW TO PICK PEACHES. 
IIow and when to pick a peach is diffi¬ 
cult to describe. The time varies with 
the nearness in hours to market and the 
temperature in which it is to be shipped. 
It within 48 hours from market they 
should be picked just before they begin 
to soften; this for yellow peaches will 
be when the change of color from green¬ 
ish yellow' to a soft yellow is first noted, 
for white peaches pick when the change 
from a greenish white to a soft white is 
noted, but before the creamy white tint 
appears. These changes in tints are best 
brought out when there is a slight blush 
upon the fruit. Some pickers never 
learn how. and persist in picking green 
peaches. The peach should be grasped 
by the entire four fingers and thumb and 
given a slight twist, pull and sideway 
bend.all at once, and then place, not drop, 
the peach in the basket. They should be 
carried to packing shed in the baskets 
they are picked in. n. n. v. b. 
My experience extends only to picking 
for home market. It is often stated that 
peaches may be left on the trees till quite 
ripe if intended for the nearby trade. 
This practice will do only when the fruit 
is desired for eating or immediate use. 
Most of the fruit is purchased for can¬ 
ning and for this purpose it should not 
be quite soft. Of course there is a dif¬ 
ference of taste among housewives, but 
the most of them want the peaches solid 
enough so they will stand the necessary 
handling from orchard to kitchen with¬ 
out being bruised. This is impossible 
th peaches ripe enough to eat even 
with the best of care in handling. The 
picker should learn to pick by sight as 
much as possible. That is, to know the 
peaches by their color when they are 
ready to pick. The touch will also help 
to distinguish the ripe fruit from the 
green, but pressing with thumb and fin¬ 
ger should be avoided. Grasp the peach 
lightly but firmly with the hand and pry 
or twist off, but do not pull straight 
away from the twig. The fruit on one 
tree does not usually ripen all at once, 
thus a tree should be picked over sev¬ 
eral times. The small green specimens 
left over from the first pickings w'ill fill 
out and^ often make good marketable 
fruit. AYhere the trees are low so that I 
can reach the fruit from the ground I 
pick right into the crate, but where a 
ladder is needed I use a tripod step-lad¬ 
der and a kind of picking basket w'hich 
I have fastened in front of myself so 
I can pick with both hands. Then as 
I empty the basket into the crates I sort 
the marketable peaches into two grades. 
A third grade of speckled, rusty fruit is 
sometimes sold, but mostly used'at home. 
Pennsylvania. david blank. 
WEED PROBLEMS. 
Wild Parsnip.—A very objectionable 
weed, sometimes confounded with wild 
carrot, but distinguished from it, at first 
sight, by its coarseness of growth and 
yellow blossom. A large coarse weed 
with hollow branching stems, divided 
leaves and umbels of yellow flowers, fol¬ 
lowed by a mass of oval seed vessels. 
Common along railways, marshes and 
roadsides. It is dangerous, for the roots 
are poisonous, even -when cooked, and 
some persons are poisoned by touching 
it, like poison ivy. It is a 'degenerate 
form of the garden parsnip, and has be¬ 
come poisonous presumably as a means 
of protection. Both this and the wild 
carrot are said to harbor celery fungus. 
It may be destroyed by frequent mowing, 
cultivation in hoed crops, and by cutting 
out the root w'ith a spud in Spring or 
Fall. 
Chicory.—A tall, rather stiffly grow¬ 
ing plant noticeable among roadside 
weeds for its numerous bright . blue 
flowers, which may be described for the 
unbotanical as resembling the dandelion 
in shape, but borne at intervals along 
the branching stems and closing about 
noon. This becomes troublesome in pas¬ 
tures and rich lowlands, but may be con¬ 
trolled by short rotation and bv "grubbing 
out of the roots. It ought not to cause 
much trouble where good farming is 
practiced. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and a 
‘square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
PANTRY CLEANED 
A Way Some People Have. 
A doctor said: 
“Before marriage my wife observed in 
summer and country homes, coming in 
touch with families of varied means, 
culture, tastes and discriminating ten¬ 
dencies, that the families using' Postuin 
seemed to average better than those using 
coffee. 
"AA hen we were married two years 
ago. Postuin was among our first order 
of groceries. We also put in some tea 
and coffee for guests, but after both had 
stood around the pantry about a year 
untouched, they were thrown away, and 
Postuin used only. 
T p to the age of 28 I had been ac¬ 
customed to drink coffee as a routine 
habit and suffered constantly from in¬ 
digestion and all its relative disorders. 
Since using Postuin all the old com¬ 
plaints have completely left me and I 
sometimes wonder if I ever had them.” 
Name given by Postuin Co., Battle 
Creek. Mich. AA T rite for booklet, “The 
Road to Wellville.” 
Postuin comes in two forms. 
Regular (must be boiled). 
Instant Postuin doesn’t require boiling 
but is prepared instantly by stirring a 
level teaspoonful in an ordinary cup of 
hot water, which makes it right for most 
persons. 
A big cup requires more and some 
people who like strong things put in a 
heaping spoonful and temper it with a 
large supply of cream. 
Experiment until you know the amount 
that pleases your palate and have it 
served that way in the future. 
“There’s a Reason” for Postum. 
Victrola IV 
Oak $15 
This $15 Victrola 
is of the same high 
quality which char¬ 
acterizes all products 
of the Victor Com¬ 
pany. 
V hy should you hesitate another 
moment in placing this greatest of all 
musical instruments in your home? 
Other styles $25 to $200. 
Write for catalogs. 
Victor Talking Machine Co. 
Camden, N. J. 
Berliner Gramophone Co., Montreat 
Canadian Distributors 
IT PAYS TO USE 
FARMOGERM 
TMESTANDARD INOCULATION 
BEWARE OF IMITATORS 
ON SOY BEANS-COW PEAS 
VETCH - CLOVERS - ALFALFA 
FREE BOOK NO. 54 
EARP-THOMAS FARMOGERM CO., BLOOMFIELD, N. J 
K CHAMPION DIGGERS 
4 Different Sizes and Types 
Our machines are designed 
and built to meet 
all conditions under 
which they may be 
worked. They em- 
■—— body every point of 
construction which insures freedom from 
breakdowns, costly waits and expensive repair 
bills. Saves time in harvesting and saves 
money 0 n your crop of potatoes. 
CD EC Make inquiry. Write today for our 
rltEC Large Illustrated Catalogue 
giving particulars of the O. K. Champion Line. 
CHAMPION POTATO MACHINERY COMPANY 
151 Chicago Avenue, Hammond, Indiana 
1913 Ulus, 
trated 
Catalog 
FREE 
“MONARCH” 
Cider Press 
will net more money 
for you than any other 
investment you can 
make. lObbl. to 400 bbl. 
per day. Also makers 
of apple buttercookers, 
evaporators, etc. _ 
A. B. FARQUHAR CO., Ltd., Box 103, York. Pa. 
Save Work, 
Time, Money 
By using ourlowdown 
steel wheel 
wagon 
Handy Wagons 
saves high lifting, lighten 
draft, don’t rut roads. Spokes 
- don't loosen—wheels don’t dry out or rot 
^ Write for free book on Wagons and Wheels. 
Electric Wheel Co., 48 Elm Street, Quincy, III. 
E ajke big pay drilling 
- WATER WELLS 
Our Free Drillers’ Book with 
catalog of Keystone Drills 
tells how. Many sizes; trac¬ 
tion and portable. Easy 
terms. These machines 
make good anywhere. 
KEYSTONE WATER DRILL CO 
Beaver Falls. Pa. 
CORN 
HARVESTER with Binder Attach¬ 
ment cuts and throws in piles on har¬ 
vester or winrow. Man and horse cuts 
and shocks equal with a corn Binder. 
Sold in every State. Price. $20.00. W. H. BUXTON, of 
Johnstown, Ohio, writes: ’’The Harvester has proven all 
you claim for it; the Harvester saved me over $25.00 in 
labor last year’s corn cutting. I cut over 500 shocks; will 
make 4 bushels corn to a shock.” Testimonials and 
catalog free, showing pictures of harvester. Address 
NEW PROCESS MFC. CO., • SAUNA, KANSAS 
^^ The ro °^ * s *h e mainstay of the building'. - 
Trinidad Lake asphalt is the mainstay of Genasco. 
And Genasco applied to yoLir roofs with Ivant-leak Ivleets gives per- 
feet protection. Write us for the Good Roof Guide Book and samples. 
1 he Barber Asphalt Paving Company Philadelphia 
Largest producers of asphalt, and largest Y- . . , * riilQUClJJlUtt 
New York San Francisco Chicago 
