TShe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
■Uiiie lii*. r.iis 
fi30 
l'.«)Y —Tliis Sjjring in Winchester, as in 
Boine otlier towns, there inis been little co-operation 
oii the part of the school authorities. That is to 
say, they would not release the boys for work even 
at noon, so that they could be obtained only after 
four o’clock and on Saturdays. Unless a different 
plan is followed in the Fall, it will be a hard matter 
to get the crops harvested. Mr. Itussell specialize.s 
in sweet corn and celery. 'J'his year he is reducing 
the amount of labor requircnl by planting the corn 
10 feet apart and setting only one row of celoiy 
between. Of course, he will grow less celery than 
usual. Last year he stored enough to till pits Avhich, 
if they had been in a continuous line, would have 
been half a mile long. But little difficulty has been 
found in getting boys for Summer woi’k all around 
Boston. IIigh-.school boys as a rule are fairly satis¬ 
factory. Indeed, many of them have been employed 
on the same farms for two or three years and do 
a large amount of work. They are treasured highly 
and paid accordingly. The grammar school boys, 
though, make a different propo.sition. Harry Arnold, 
of Braintree, said at the close of a day’s work re¬ 
cently, when he had been trying to keep 50 or GO boys 
weeding early ci'ops, that he would rather spend a 
day in jail than go through such an experience 
again. Crammar school boys haven’t the responsi¬ 
bility of the older boys, and even though they try to 
do their work well, seem to lack the capacity. Some 
women are being obtained, but they are mostly old 
women. The young women have gone into the am¬ 
munition factorie.s. It is only close to the cities 
that women of any kind can be obtained. Farther 
out boy labor must be depended upon. 
E. I. EAIUUNGTON. 
Hill Culture for Strawberries 
Part IT. 
F.UOND-YUAR PL.VNTS.—There is much argu¬ 
ment about the wisdom of fruiting strawberry 
]-lants more than one year. Some good growers 
claim that big hill plants will fruit themselves out 
in one season. They also claim that the work of 
keeping down the weeds after the lirst year will 
jtrove too expensive to pay. Such growers plant a 
n<‘w field or patch every year, .\fter fi'uiting, they 
plow or spade up the old plants and use tlie ground 
for tiirnips, celery, or some other late cro]), thus 
dei)ending on new ])lants evtu-y year for fruiting. 
Our own plan is to fruit these big plants several 
years, the Icnglh of time depending on the variety, 
the strength of the plants, and the condition of the 
ground. It costs too much in labor to grow these 
big fellows in the first place to destroy them after 
one fruiting. It is really something like handling 
a laying hen. ^fany poultry-keepers force the pullet 
bar<l and then sell her, retaining only a few of the 
best for breeders. They do not thiidv it pays to 
kee]) the bird for her second yeai-. The New .lersey 
egg-laying contest has shown that a good proportion 
of the 1,000 hens at Vineland pay better in their 
second year than in their pullet year. After they 
are done laying in this second season they are worth 
more as meat. Some varieties of berries would 
not pay the second yeai*. The fruit grows smaller 
after the first year, but with such varieties as ^Mar- 
shall, .Toe and Chesapeake, the berries hold their 
size well. Such varieties are well adapted to hill 
culture for this reason, and also because they are 
not heavy plant-makers. We have fruited plants of 
IVIarshall for six years profitably, but three or four 
years is about the limit of profit. 
.. TltKATMENT AFTFIt FBUITINC.—As soon as 
picking is ended we plan to start an entirely new 
croi) on the old roots. Thus these tops are mowed 
off’ as close to the ground as possible, without in 
juring the crown. On large fields this is done with 
a mowing machine, the knife set so as to run close to 
the ground. On smaller fields a sharp scythe or 
sickle is used. The object of this work is to cut off 
the top promptly as soon as fruiting is ended, and 
thus force out a new growth. The cuttings from 
the tops lie on the ground until quite dry, and then 
may be burned or raked off, as desired. The leaves 
and stems carry some idant di.seases and insects or 
their eggs, and a quick burning will destroy these 
without injuring the plant. If the situation is such 
as to be safe, we Avould run a fire rapidly over the 
patch, starting at the windAvard side Avhen a smart 
breeze is blOAving, and taking a dry time for the 
work. In many situations it Avould not be safe to 
do this, but it is a good Avay to dispose of the cut¬ 
tings Avhen there is no danger. Do not permit a 
sloAA', hot fire on the patch, for that Avill injure the 
](lants by scorching the croAvn. In case the burning 
is mff desirable, you can rake the cuttings and carry 
them aAvay from the patch or field. In some cases 
these tops are left on the ground to be plOAved or 
spaded under, but this is apt to add to the disease 
and insect pests Avhich are cleaned out by a tire. 
CHOPPING OUT THE BOWS.— After cutting and 
removing the fops, our plan is to run lines across 
the field on either side of the j)arent plants. Then, 
v.dth a sharp, heavy hoe, chop out the ground in the 
alleys betAveen these line.s, so as to cut out all sur- 
Itlus berry plants and Aveeds. Wliere the roAvs are 
Avide enough apart, a small, sharp ploAv can be 
used for this pur])Ose, but in hill culture the ])lants 
are Aisually too close together to permit hor.se tools. 
The object is to cut out every living plant in the 
field except the old stJ'aAvberry plants. They are to 
be forced into a new growth. 
APPLYINd FERTILITY.—After this chopping is 
a good time to apply fertilizer. The ])lants receive a 
coat of manure during the previous Winter as a 
mulch, and are not likely to need very much nitro¬ 
gen. The chief need is pho.sphorus; 400 or 500 lbs. 
to the acre of fine grmind bone, or 400 lbs. of acid 
phosphate, ami 100 of nitrate of soda, will make a 
good dressing at this time. It should be scattered 
along the rows about 5 or G inches from the plants,, 
and thoroughly Avorked into the ground, Avith a 
hand hoe or Avheel cultivator. Fi-om this time on 
the chief Avork consists in keeping the field as clean 
as possible, cho])i)ing out the Aveeds as they appear, 
and cutting off the runners. We should permit 
about three of the strongest runners to root close 
to the parent plant, but all others should be cut 
off’, unless a .supply of i)otted plants is needed. We 
would prefer to take these i)otted plants from the 
young plants of the Si)ring setting, and Avould plan 
to throAV the full strength for the second fruiling 
iTito the parent plant. The neAV top Avill soon start, 
and Avith this kind of culture make a .surprising 
groAvth. We xdan to keej) the ground clean up to 
late Fall, and as soon as the gi’ound crusts OA^er 
Avith frost put on a fair mulch of coarse stable ma¬ 
nure. that containing <*ornstalks being the best we 
have tried. 
ALTERNAq’ING ALLEYS.— This treatment refers 
to straAA'berries planted in hills, Avith the plants not 
over two feet apart. A modification of the plan 
is frequently followed Avhere the plants are groAvn 
in matted rows, and a second fruiting is required. 
In such cases plants liaA^e spread out from the 
original .setting tAvo feet or so each side. In this 
case the plan is to take a shai-p jilow and run 
through the center of the roAV. throAving two furrows 
together. This cuts out the old or parent x)lant, and 
leaves a fidnge of layer plants on each side of the 
furi’OAv. This ploAved sjiace is Avorked doAvn Avith 
a cultivator, and then a good operator, Avith a sharp 
hoe, can cut out enough of the layer i)lants to leave 
a straight roAV across the field. In this Avay the 
neAV fruiting roAV for this year is ])laced about the 
center of last year’s alley, Avhile the old row i)lowed 
out rei)re.sents next year’s alley. The folloAving 
year, if need be, these furroAVs can be rever.sed and 
:inoth('r roAv of strong uoav jdants started Avhere the 
original row of two years before Avas first planted. 
AVe are trying a number of new ])Ians Avith this 
year’s hill-grown jdants. and we will try to tell 
.some of them next Aveek. 
The Weed Feature in Farm Management 
AM always taking mental note of the general 
condition and ajqjearunce of farms as 1 have 
occasion to journey aAvay from my home locality, 
and in the latter in i)articular. When I .see, as I 
often do, a riot of weeds and bu.shes hedging the 
fences and farm buildings, it always ajipears to me 
that the occupant is trying to handle too big a ])rop- 
o.sition, although the farm may not contain over 100 
acre.s. This condition cannot be excused by the 
jtresent shortage of faian labor, for the same condi¬ 
tion loo often obtained in ])ast years, Avhen there Avas 
plenty of heli> available. Such aiii)earances are, to 
my mind, an acknowledgment that the man is tiying 
to handle too big a i)ro]>osition. It is i)oor jmlicy 
from my jioint of view. It detracts from the general 
desirability of the locality. It is a tax on the farm 
income. It in a great degree reduces the value of 
the i)roi)erty, and last, and by all means not the 
least, it has a Avrong i)sychological effect on not only 
the man himself, but his Avhole family. I’lie house 
Ifnd home faian conditions have a lasting effect on 
the boys and gii-ls gi'owing u)) and forming habits 
of efficient thrift that will fit them not only for 
farmers and farmer.s’ Avives, but for any jtosition 
that they may be called ujjon to fill in the mnltitude 
of different lines of activities to which in later years 
they may be attracted. This is not a theory, for I 
can call to mind any number of cases to i)rove these 
facts, Avhich too often indicate Ihese little things 
that have such a far-reaching effect on the Avorld 
conditions. ii. e. c. 
A “ Potato Drive ” at Detroit, Mich. 
Fl'ER the recent •‘i)olato drive’’ Avhich Avas en¬ 
gineered for the jiurjmse of iucrea.sing the con- 
sumjition of jmtatoes. we .‘^ent to dealers in the large 
cities asking if these efforts resulted in increased 
sales, and hoAV low jtrices were put doAvn in order 
to increase consunqttion. In most of these cities 
this drive did increase consumption—more in some 
jjlaces than in other.s. In order to do this, however, 
it Avas necessary to make a jirice so low that in the 
majority of cases the farmers lost mone.A" in supi)lying 
the market. A si)ecial drive Avas imide in Dc'troit. 
Mich., and our rejmi’ter at that jtl.-ico gives the fol¬ 
lowing statement on Ma.v 2.‘l: 
We think that advertising has done a great deal of 
good; conseiiuently. there are more old potatoes being 
list'd every day, more than there would have het'ii 
otherwise, a.s, at thi.s season of the year, a great many 
consumers switch from old to new potatoes. This is 
being done at the jn-e.sent time, but we think that 
there are more old potatoes being used from a standpoint 
of patriotism. 
. One of our chain store comiianios here has sold an 
immense quantity of iiotatocs by advertising. fiffiey 
liaA’e been making a speciidty of jiotatoes for the la.st 
three or four weeks. For the last two weeks they have 
been selling new Florida potatoes, per jicck, 1.5 jiounds. 
at 27 cents; old potatoes, jier pock, 1.5 pounds, at 22 
cents, but from this time on tlu'y are only going to 
handle uoav potatoes. Oiu' of their representatives told 
the writer this morning that they had distributed about 
four or live carloads among their stores today. Old po¬ 
tatoes, ISO-jiound sacks, are jobbing here today at car 
at $1.7.5 to .$1.80 per .sack. No. 1 Florida I’o.se at .$.’>.40 
to .$.‘1.50 per barrel; sacks. 1.50 pounds, $2.2.5 to $2.50, 
Avith a good, active demand. 
In order to carry this through fully wc have found 
Avhero these jiotatoes came from. They Avere mostly 
shijijied in from the Northern or NorthAvestern jiart 
of Alichigan. So Ave Avent to jiotato groAvers in 
the.se sections and a.sked them just Avliat they re¬ 
ceived for the croj) Avhich Avas used in Detroit during 
this drive. 'I’he average jirice jiaid to the farmer 
Avas G.5 cents jier 100 jiounds. 'I'hat price held for 
si.x or eight AA'ceks before, and during the drive. At 
this 05 cents jier KX) means .’10..5 cents jier bushel. 
'I’he chain stores in Detroit made a sjiecial jirice of 
22 cents a jieck, Avhich is 88 cents jier bushel. With, 
these tAvo figures for retail prices and jirice jiaid t<i 
the farmer Ave see that the jiroducer received 44 cents 
of the consumer’s dollar. AVo learn, hoAVCAcr, that 
most of these jiotatoes sold for a high figure. The 
aA'erage retail price in Detroit at that time Avas $1 
Jier bushel, so that the farmer on this ligurfng re¬ 
ceived .‘>9 cents of the dollar. He received .”>0 cents a 
bushel, and he Avas not able to jiroduce that croji 
under the conditions Avhich jirevailed in Northern 
Michigan for less than 75 cents jier bushel. 
Benefit of an Open Market 
T here is one community at least Avhere the .‘1.5- 
cent dollar cuts but little figure. That is in 
Lancaster (’o., I’a., and A-ery likely the reason for 
this condition Avill interest many of our readers. 
Not long ago in I.ancaster the Avriter .sjioke of the 
.‘15-cent dollai’, and Avas informed that many farmers 
in that section Avere accused of taking a 110-cent 
dollar. There is a system of ojien markets in that 
section. Avhich brings farmer and consumer directly 
together. AVe have never seen a city Avith foAver 
food .stores and middlemen than Ave found in Lan¬ 
caster. One of our readers Avho knoAvs the section 
thoroughly, says: 
Our farmers Avork hard, and all avIio have no bad 
habits are making headAvay, so that the matter of caji- 
ital cuts no figure, and a.s for accommodations at the 
bank, they stand as Avell as, or even better than the 
average merchant jiossessing the same amount of caji- 
ital. Market conditions are in their oavii jioAver to 
ameliorate, as, OAving to the curb market systems e.xi.st- 
ing in Lancaster and many of the small toAvns in the 
county, any farmer Avho is Avilling to take the trouble 
can get into direct touch Avith the consumer. 'I'lie 
Lancaster county farmer has been accused of getting 
the 110-cent dollar at the curb market. There are 
farmers Avho are Avorth Avell uj) over six figures Avho at¬ 
tend market Avith their Avives, and even gather up the 
Avind-fallen apples and sja-cked j)oaches to sell there by 
the quart box; the Avonien make cottage cheese to sell, 
and the men boil cornmeal mush in the big iron slaugh¬ 
tering kettles and retail it out for use as fried mush. 
By the Avay, this is really a profitable thing to them, 
and I Avould suggest that .some of your readers Avho at¬ 
tend market try it. Even the children gather Avild 
floAvers, or raise other fiowers, that are sold at market, 
adding to the income of tin; family ; home-baked jiies 
are sold, homemade pork i)roducts also, and even tin' 
florists Avho do a Avholesale business Avith the larger 
citii's, <lispose of some of their stuff at market also. 
This j)lan of dealing in the home curb market has 
become a habit in l.anca.ster County, and it Avould 
astoni.sh an outsider to see Iioav much of the food 
supjily needed by the home market comes from local 
sources. As Ave all knoAV, in many toAvus a large jiart 
of the food sujiply is first sent aAvay from the locality 
to some distant market, and then sent back for local 
consumjitiou. No such mistake is made in Lan¬ 
caster. 'Fhe first thought is to sujqily the local mar¬ 
ket liy direct trading. The surjilus. if any, is sent 
aAva.A". 
