Zr/>c RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1045 
Pansy Plants as a Side Line | 
In several parts of tbe country, espe- 
ciall.v in New England and I.oug Island, 
market gardenei’s and small farmers add 
materially to their Income by raising 
pansy plants for the city market. North 
of I'oston many of the market gardeners 
devote considerable time to this line of 
work. Only a small amount of gi'ound is 
lequired to grow a large number of pansy 
plants, and it is not necessary to have 
artificial heat or glass. ^loreover, the 
idants are out of the way by the first of 
•Tune, leaving the land free for other crops. 
The plants are sold just as they an* 
coming into bloom. Some farmers load 
the plants on wagons and retail them 
from door to door, while others dispose fif 
them through flower shops and grocery 
stores. ]\Iost of the market gardeners 
ship their plants in boxes direct to whole- 
sab'rs in the towns. As a rule, all pansy 
plants are marketed in baskets which are 
made specially for the purpose, have han¬ 
dles and cost one and one-half cent each 
by the thousand. When the plants are 
large, eight of them will fill a basket, 
while a dozen smaller plants are required. 
Tl'.e cu.stomary wholesale price is !•“ cents 
a basket, while 25 cents is charged at re¬ 
tail. When billed to I'etailers at a dis¬ 
tance, the baskets of pansy plants are 
shipped in crates. 
Nine months are required to turn this 
crop into cash, the seed being sown from 
the last week in July up to the middle of 
August, the late sowing being designed 
to provide plants for Memorial Day. The 
soil must be very rich, and preferably 
that in which a hoed crop was grown the 
previous season. It is al.so important to 
have a location where water can be ob- 
taiiH'd easily, for much water is needed. 
Many difi’erent grades of pamsy seeds are 
offered, but the best is none too good, and 
it is foolish to use an inferior sort. 
It is usually found advisable to make 
the seed bed a week or two in advance of 
the.time that the seed is to be sown and 
to keej) it thoroughly worked, in order to 
g(‘t rid of, as many weeds as inissible. 
T’roper prei)aration for the beds should 
not be slighted and the day before the 
seeds are to go in the beds slnuild be j 
thoroughly wetted down, after being Avell 
ralced over and rolled. 
About two Aveeks elapse from the time 
the seed is soavu until the plants appear, 
and during that period the beds must 
never lack for moisture. Some groAvers 
aiq)ly Avater several times :i day. others 
cover the beds Avith hay to check evai)ora- 
tion. and still others use boards for a 
Aveek and then substitute light frames 
tilled Avith chees('cloth. These frames are 
rathei' convenient, because they can be 
used to shade the young })lants during the 
7nidd!e of the day for a Aveek aftm- they 
begin to shoAV, Avhen a little protection is 
a good thing. If long and narrow beds 
ai’c used, the fiaimes are easily handled, 
and beds of this kind are most convenient 
to Avork in. 'J’lie sefsl should not be soavu 
too thickly and an ounce should give the 
groAver about 30.000 marketable jdants, 
although there is ahvays danger of .some 
loss from Avinter-killiug. 
In about six Aveeks tbe seedlings Avill be 
ready for their permanent beds : it is im¬ 
portant to make the shift before they get 
too .spindling. These beds are most con¬ 
venient Avheii four feet Avide. but they may 
be any length, and much Aveeding Avill be 
UA’oided if they are keiit raked f)A'er for 
Iavo or three Aveeks before traiisidanting 
time. It is bt'st to roll the beds and they 
should be made as smooth as possibh*. If 
tlu'.v are raised several inches Avater Avill 
not have a chance to freeze around the 
plants, and they need a situation in full 
sun. The seedlings should be set about 
four inches ajuirt and the beds are easily 
marked off by Jiieaus of a homemade de¬ 
vice resembling a rake Avith spik(‘s for 
teeth. As soon as the i»lauts have been 
set in i)lafe tlu'.v should be thoroughly 
Avatered, and if the season be dry an a])- 
plication of Avater aauII be needed at least 
tAvico a Aveek. 'We('diug must b(' kept up 
until the end of the season. 
l!y October the beds Avill be coveia'd 
Avith .sheets of bloom, making a beautiful 
picture. After the ground has been frozen 
haid in November, hoAvever. it is Avise to 
give a light covering of hay or straAV or 
even hemlock boughs. If there is plenty 
(Continued on page 1047) 
How the Colt Lighting and Cooking Plant 
Differs From All Others 
DIFFERENT: because there is nothing to get. out of order—nothing to wear 
out. Farmers have used them for 14 years continuously, without spend¬ 
ing a cent for repairs. 
DIFFERENT: because it gives a soft but powerful white light — much more 
powerful than any other system. No matches required—simply pull 
a little switch. 
DIFFERENT: because it is silent. If it is put in the cellar (where it can stand 
in the corner) you would never know it was in the house. It works 
equally well if put in an outbuilding. 
DIFFERENT: because it runs itself. Beyond putting in a little carbide (like 
crushed stone) and plain water once a month, it requires no attention. 
The U. S. Government lights the Panama Canal with carbide and 
water. 700,000 miners insist on having Carbide Light to work by. 
DIFFERENT: because it not only lights the house and barns more perfectly than 
any other- system, but supplies fuel for a genuine gas cooking range—a 
range which will cook the meals with all the advantages of the gas ranges 
used by millions in the big cities. 
DIFFERENT: because its first cost and maintenance are lower than any other 
system. 
Carbide Lighting 
and Cooking Plant 
”In 10 years there 
has not been one 
minute when it 
was not working 
perfectly. ” 
D. T. CENTER 
TRAD^ 
MARK 
H'rite us today for the names and addresses 
of steifrJihors nvho ha-ve used the Colt double 
ser-uue system for years and prefer it to 
all others. Benefit by their experience. 
J. B. COLT COMPANY 
New York 
42nd Street Building 
"We have given 
your generator 
the least atten¬ 
tion of anything 
on the farm.” 
E. H. MARSHALL 
901 
Hydraulic Cider ,^^^^N0WLE0GE 
Press Prof 
EXTRA 
HEAVY 
PRESSURE " SyP GETS^RESULTS 
E. B. VAN ATTA & CO., 1 08 Penn Ave., Olean, N. Y. 
Delivered prices Quoted on 
request. 
THE E. BIGLOW CO., New London, 0. 
Plow and Pull 
With EmDI\ Or Most 
Your r 1% 1 ^ Other Cars 
Pullford $1S5 Quincy, il'i. 
TVA'AXES a practical tractor 
out of a Ford or most any 
other car. Easily attached to or 
removed from the car in thirty 
minutes. No holes to drill, no 
spriuj^s to remove. Practical, 
Durable, Reliable. _ 
New FAN DEVICE Prevents Heating 
Hundreds WORKING NOW for Satisfied 
and Enthusiastic Owners 
Pulls plows, harrows, drills, mowers, binders, hay loaders, 
road graders, wagons, trucks, etc. Steel wheels Avith roller 
bearings and tires 10 inches wide, two pairs of hardened 
Vanadium steel pinions, one for plOAving and one for haul¬ 
ing speed. A tractor Avith the reliability and durability of 
the Ford car. Prompt shipment. Write for catalog. 
It was the Pullford attached to Ford cars pulling two 12-ineh plows 
running on Kerosene, equipped with new fan device, that made a most 
successful demonstration at Fremont, Nebraska. 
PULLFORD COMPANY. Box 48C 
Telephone No. 84 Walton Heights, QA....... CLLINOiS 
PULLING BOTH WAYS 
A stout team is no use at one 
end of the rig if friction is hold¬ 
ing back at the other. Mica 
Axle Grease makes stronger 
pullers of your team. It’s the 
mica that does it. 
MICA 
AXLE GREASE 
Eureka Harness Oil 
makes harness soft, pliable and 
water-proof. 
Standard Oil Co. of New York 
Principal Offices 
New York Bullalo Albany Boston 
[ When you write advertisers mention 
The Rural New-Yorker and you’d get 
a <iuick reply and a “square deal.” See 
guarantee editorial page. 
