358 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 1, 1919 
Better ^BIGGER^cWops 
SEED M SPECMLPwces 
act QUICK WRITE TO0JJ 
Bolgww s sp»i«a £ w l06 
NO MORE W/JR PRICES 
Bolg Utto-t" BlgCrOff 
AU, PRICES RUH'CLO - SI 
Boigiano’a Seed Store 
"Big Cfp" »•»*• In 0«*r > C»l«tT 
BA I T1MORL MO. 
Bol&iano’s * Big Cro p* Seeds 
Same High Quality that has Satisfied the Most Critical 
Market Growers for the past 100 Years. 
Never Before has the Prospects Been Brighter for the 
American Planter. 
With Labor Returning to the Field* and the World’s Demand for Food 
More Urgent Than Ever—Insures Big Returns From Your Crops. 
PLANT LIBERALLY 
GREATER BALTIMORE TOMATO 
Just Doubles the Yield. 
The Best Main Crop Canning 
Tomato Ever Planted. 
Trial Package 25c Postpaid. ftt* 
LONG LOST LETTUCE 
Buttery, Sweet, Tender, Finest Eat¬ 
ing and Keeping Qualities. Solid 
Bright Attractive Green 
Trial Package 25c Postpaid. 
Bolgiano’s 
Greater Baltimore Tomato 
Bolgiano’s 
•Long Lost” Lettuce 
Space permits listing only a few of our Standard Varieties 
For full list write for Special Spring Catalog. 
GREEN POD BUSH BEANS 
1 Lb. 5 Lbs. 10 Lbs. 
Stringless Green Pod..$ .25 $ .22 $ .20 
Black Valentine .25 .22 .20 
WAX POD BUSH BEANS 
Prolific Black Wax... .30 .28 .25 
Davis White Kid. Wax .30 .28 .25 
Curry’s Rustproof Wax .25 .22 .20 
LIMA BEANS 
Burpee’s Imp. Bush... .30 .28 
Emerald Isle—Pole ... .30 .28 
PEAS 
Long Podded Alaskas. .25 .22 
Crackerjack Peas.25 .22 
SUGAR CORN 
Cream and Honey.25 .22 
Snow White Evergreen .25 .22 
Country Gentlemen .. .25 .22 
BEETS 
New “Early Spring”.. 
Deep Blood Beauty.I. 
CABBAGE 
Danish Ball Head.90 
“Square Deal” .50 
Curled Savoy Cabbage. .40 
Oz. Yt Lb 
.15 .50 
.15 .40 
2.76 
1.40 
1.35 
.25 
.25 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
, Lb. 
$1.60 
1.25 
10.00 
5.00 
4.50 
LETTUCE 
Oz. 
“Long Lost” Lettuce. .60 
“Big Boston” Lettuce. .10 
CARROT 
“Pride of the Market” .15 
CUCUMBER 
“Crystal Springs”.20 
Davis Per. W. Spine.. .10 
Long Green Cucumber .10 
KALE 
Standing Curled Kale. .15 
Curled Scotch Kale... .20 
ONION SEED 
Prizetaker Onion.25 
Yellow Globe Danvers. .25 
White Portugal.30 
RADISH 
Brilliant Scarlet Globe .15 
Long White Icicle.15 
French Breakfast.15 
Chinese White Winter .15 
TOMATO 
“John Baer” Tomato. .65 
“Glory” Pkt. 25c. . 2.00 
Vi Lb. 
1.40 
.25 
Lb. 
5.00 
.85 
.40 1.25 
.60 2.00 
.25 .75 
.25 .75 
.40 
.60 
1.25 
2.00 
.75 2.60 
.65 2.25 
.85 2.50 
.36 1.10 
.35 1.10 
.35 1.10 
.35 1.10 
2.25 8.00 
6.50 25.00 
CDCPI A 1 OFFFR To those not familiar with the superiority of Bolgiano’a 
OI LL1AL Ut 1 GlV “Big Crop" Seeds we will send a large package of any 12 
delicious Vegetables listed above for $1.00 postpaid—be 
sure to mention the varieties desired. 
BOLGIANO’S SEED STORE 
America's Leading Seedsmen. For Over A Century 
dipt. 140 BALTIMORE, MD. 
Cabbage seed is extremely scarce 
this season but we are pleased to say we 
have some Danish Ball-head cabbage seed 
of a very fine strain and also other varieties 
including Copenhagen Market at reason¬ 
able prices. 
Harris’ Farm, Garden and Flower Seeds 
from our seed farms at wholesale prices, 
are all carefully grown and tested for growth, 
and the percent that germinates is marked on 
the label. You don’t have to guess how thick to sow. 
Catalogue tells all about them, and the price. 
Write us today—No charge. 
JOSEPH HARRIS COMPANY, Box 22, COLDWATER, NEW YORK ^ » 
Honest Seeds 
Honest Seeds—Square Dealings—Low Prices. 
FORREST SEED CO., 
Kept for 1 Year on the Product of 1 Acre 
~ uinhim.n da»> Fumim Ensiiuao Corn produced, in one 
r, 
tstss.% 
grow under favorable conditions. This corn usually germinates *04 or better. 
Ross’ Eureka Corn 
rnmnlpto line of Farm 6eeds: Oats. Rye. Barley, Wheat, Buckwheat, Cow Peas, 
Vetch *Sov Beans Essex Rape, ail varieties of Field and Ensilage Corn; Grass Seeds, 
including aliikindsof Alfalfk and Sudan Grass. Also full line of Agricultural imple¬ 
ment! Poultry Sup^ Fertilizer, etc. Our 120-page catalog mailed free on request. 
ROSS BROTHERS COMPANY, 67 Front Street, Worcester, Mass. 
A Plea for the Strawberry 
A Quick Crop. —There are people who 
consider strawberries as a luxury, hut 
there is no fruit which is easier to grow, 
or which can be grown with more cer¬ 
tainty of success. When we consider that 
a full crop is produced the next year 
after planting, and the enormous yield 
which can be looked for under good cul¬ 
tivation. strawberries are undoubtedly 
the best fruit crop for the man who has 
only a small patch of ground available, 
or but little time to devote to fruit grow¬ 
ing. Although they are so easily grown 
there are very few farmers who grow 
strawberries, yet nothing can be more 
appetizing or wholesome than plenty of 
fine, ripe strawberries in their season. 
The strawberry has a delicate, aromatic 
flavor that is highly appreciated by most 
people, and ripening early in the season, 
before the other fruit or berries are ripe, 
gives them an additional value. Among 
the different varieties some may be found 
to suit all tastes; some are sweet, with 
!a mild, delicate flavor, while others are 
sour, with a sprightly, acid flavor. By 
planting a succession, from extra early to 
very late, the season can be prolonged to 
live or six weeks. 
Early Planting. —The best time to 
plant strawberries is rather early in 
I Spring, before the weather becomes too 
hot and dry. They will succeed on almost 
any soil, if it is fertile and well-drained, 
j Planting on newly turned sod is not ad¬ 
visable, as the plants are often damaged 
by cutworms and grubs. Weeds are the 
relentless enemy of strawberries, and if 
the soil is badly infested with weed seed 
rows. A liberal mulch between the rows 
is very beneficial, as it prevents the 
growth of weeds and furnishes a clean, 
dry place to move about in picking the 
berries. It is not necessary to cultivate 
during the second season until after the 
crop has 'been gathered, but if any large 
weeds appear they can bo removed by 
hand. If manuring is necessary, it should 
be applied before growth starts in Spring, 
as manuring too near the time of fruiting 
is likely to cause rotting of the berries. 
Dangers of loss from late Spring frosts 
can be reduced to a minimum by selecting 
the highest ground available, where there 
is good air drainage, which allows the 
cold frosty air to settle away from the 
plants onto lower ground. 
Renewing the Bed. —To produce the 
largest, finest berries, it is necessary to 
plant a new patch each year. However, 
the patch can he made to yield a fair 
crop of berries the second year of fruiting, 
and even the third year, if it is thor¬ 
oughly cultivated between the rows after 
the berries are picked, thus stimulating n 
growth of new plants. Almost all of the 
old row should be torn up with the culti¬ 
vator, leaving only a narrow strip to 
start runners and form the row for the 
succeeding year. Tf no cultivation is 
given at this time there will be a solid 
growth of plants between the rows, too 
thick for proper development, and the 
succeeding crop of berries will he inferior 
in size. 
Appearances Coi'nt. —Those who have 
berries to sell should remember that it is 
the fine appearance of the berries that 
School Children Harvesting the Strawberry Crop 
That’s what Forrest Seeds are—tested and 
of known lineage, true to name. Our country 
location and low running expenses with no 
high priced catalogs, enable us to give you 
the best of seeds at very low prices. \ ou 
can save 30£ on your seed bill. 
Let us convince you. Write for catalog today. 
Box 32, Cortland, N. Y. 
a great deal of expensive hand hoeing will 
be necessary during the first season. 
Manure which is applied direct to straw¬ 
berries should he free of weed and grass 
seed. Planting on soil which has been 
given clean cultivation for one or more 
years will help to solve the weed prob¬ 
lem. Clover sod plowed down for pota¬ 
toes or truck crops, followed by straw¬ 
berries, is a satisfactory rotation. 
Manure should he used liberally on the 
crop preceding strawberries. If manur¬ 
ing has been neglected it can be plowed 
down just previous to setting the plants 
rather than to omit it altogether. 
Soil Preparation. —The ground can 
be plowed and prepared as for corn, and 
the rows marked out about four or five 
feet apart. Although there are several 
systems of culture, the hill system, hedge¬ 
row. narrow matted row, etc., probably 
the best for either the farmer or com¬ 
mercial grower is the narrow matted row. 
If the soil is fertile and well supplied 
with humus, very large, fine berries can 
be produced by this system, and the yield 
is correspondingly large. There is some¬ 
what less labor involved in this system, 
as the time required in spacing plant; and 
removing runners is saved. 
Setting the Plants. —The plants 
should he set about two feet apart in the 
row, and loose dirt firmly pressed against 
the roots, the planter being careful to set 
the crown of the plant a little above the 
surface. If soil conditions are favorable, 
some of the plants will start runners in 
10 days after planting, and from this 
time on, throughout the growing season, 
the surface soil should he kept fine and 
loose, that the runners may more easily 
take root, and develop into new plants. 
Two or more hand hoeings will he neces¬ 
sary during the first year to destroy 
weeds and pulverize the soil between the 
plants. During a favorable season the 
plants will form a matted row from one to 
two feet wide. 
Mulching. After the first hard freeze 
the plants should l>e mulched, not only to 
prevent them from freezing out during the 
Winter and Spring, hut also to aid in 
smothering weeds and keeping the berries 
clean during the succeeding Summer. 
This mulch can be formed of straw, leaves 
or any loose litter which is free of weed 
and grass seed. When growth begins in 
the Spring, if the mulch appears to he too 
heavy, part of it can be raked off the 
plants and allowed to remain between the 
makes sales. The grower should not he 
satisfied after he has produced a superior 
jroduct unless he places it on the market 
n the most attractive form. To attain 
this object, the berries should be picked 
before they become too ripe, packed care¬ 
fully in well-filled boxes, with a strictly 
uniform grade from top to bottom, and 
marketed as soon as possible after pick¬ 
ing. If a grower follows this rule at all 
times, consumers soon learn that they 
can expect the best grade when they buy 
his berries, and he will not only find 
ready sales, when inferior goods are a 
drug on the market, but he will get the 
top price for his product. A small pateh 
of strawberries should he grown on every 
farm in the country to furnish berries for 
home use. The satisfaction of having 
fresh berries in season as a pleasant, 
healthful addition to the diet gives them 
a value which cannot be estimated in dol¬ 
lars and cents. If sufficient labor can be 
secured at picking time, it may be desir¬ 
able to plant more extensively for market. 
Nearly every town, large or small, offers a 
splendid market for berries, and many 
can he sold to neighbors on nearby farms. 
Picking and Marketing. —A large 
plantation of strawberries requires con¬ 
siderable labor, particularly at picking 
and marketing time, and it is advisable to 
plant only in a limited way at first, grad¬ 
ually expanding the business as the nec¬ 
essary experience in picking and market¬ 
ing has been secured, and the necessary 
amount of help for picking has been as¬ 
sured. Probably one-fourth of an acre 
should be the limit for anyone who has 
had no previous experience in the berry 
business. In this, as in all other lines of 
business, it is better to succeed in a small 
way rather than to plunge in too deeply, 
only to he discouraged by failure and 
financial loss. The problem of marketing 
a crop will be greatly simplified if the 
berries can be disposed of at a fair price 
to one or more dealers who have been 
proven honest and trustworthy by pre¬ 
vious dealings. Shipping berries to un¬ 
known commission houses or wholesale 
dealers cannot be advised, as there are too 
many opportunities for misunderstanding 
and trickery. Some growers may prefer 
to sell part or all of their crop direct to 
(Cont inued on page 360) 
“For the Land’s Sake, use Bowker’a 
Fertilizers; they enrich the earth and 
those who till it.”— Adv. 
