The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1445 
Garden Notes From New England 
Yields from Lesser Known* Pota¬ 
toes. —It is difficult for the farmers of 
New England to realize that any potato 
can be better than the Green Mountain, 
which has been the standard for years. 
Careful tests in Massachusetts, however, 
made this season, have shown that Green 
Mountain is inferior as to yield, if not in 
quality, to some of the lesser known 
kinds, like Dibble’s Russet and Rural 
Rustic. Several test plots which have 
been made in Middlesex County have 
shown a very much larger yield for Dib¬ 
ble’s Russet, the planting of which was 
encouraged by the Middlesex County 
Bureau, seed being procured from New 
York State. The Rural Rustic lias been 
planted more generally in Essex County, 
but the results have been equally satis¬ 
factory. Not only are the yields proving 
larger, but the potatoes run more uni¬ 
form in size. Back-lot gardeners are 
usually slow to adopt new varieties, but 
the disappointments which have come 
from the planting of both the Green 
Mountain and the Irish Cobbler potatoes 
this season will probably result in many 
experiments with newer varieties next 
year. 
Wet Weather and Rot. —Persistent 
rains have had a very bad effect on 
host of insect pests now ravaging the 
Eastern States, it is foolish to take the 
chance of carrying over any of them in 
the season's rubbish. As a matter of 
fact, this will not be permitted in sections 
where the European corn borer 1ms been 
discovered, for a thorough clean-up cam¬ 
paign will be the order of the day. It 
will be done under the direction of ex¬ 
perts from Washington, too, and if the 
garden-maker or the farmer does not do 
the work on his own account, it is proba¬ 
ble it will be done for him. the cost of 
operations appearing on his tax bill. This 
borer lives over in a great number of 
weeds and other plants in addition to corn 
stubble, and it is important that the clean¬ 
ing up be done early, because the borer 
works deeper underground as cold weather 
comes on. 
The Bird Nuisance. —Much damage 
is being done by birds. In fact, this has 
been the case all through the season, and 
the problem of protecting crops, and 
especially fruit, from these garden in¬ 
vaders, is coming to be increasingly ser¬ 
ious. The robins and the blackbirds are 
now being aided and abetted by the star¬ 
lings, which are exceedingly difficult to 
shoot or trap. In many gardens it has 
been necessary to resort to some kind of 
Protection Against Bird Depredations 
llllliHilllllllilllihllM 
GRANGERS 
LIME 
i9 
“ The Standard by Which All Agricultural 
Limes Are Compared” 
Write for Prices and Commodity Freight Rates 
GRANGERS LIME CO. 
SALES OFFICES: 
Hartford, Conn. 
Danbury, Conn. 
Bridgewater, Mass. 
174 Frelinghuysen Ave. 
Newark, N. J. 
WORKS: 
West Stockbridge, 
Mass. 
w 
liltlllilli- 
BARIUM-PHOSPHATE 
AN IDEAL FERTILIZER FOR FALL SEEDING 
A Field of Easy 
the potato crop in Southern New Eng¬ 
land. as it has brought on severe attacks 
of late blight, which has caused the vines 
to die prematurely. It is well to remem¬ 
ber that potatoes from blighted vines 
should be stored in the coolest and driest 
place to be found, and that those Avhich 
show any signs of decay should not be 
mixed with the others. The experts of 
the State College suggest that potatoes 
to be marketed should not be dug uutil 
after the first light frost, particularly if 
they are grown on the lighter soils. This 
doubtless is good advice as a rule, but 
such a series of deluges as have been vis¬ 
ited upon New England this season is 
likely t*< cause the tubers to rot in the 
ground. Already complaints of this sort 
are being heard. ’There is one practice 
which should be discouraged, and that is 
the throwing of old vines over the pota¬ 
toes after the latter have been dug. a 
practice which seems to be quite general 
in some localities, but which is a poor 
one. The fact that the use of fresh 
manure is apt to cause scabby potatoes 
is one very difficult to impress upon back¬ 
yard gardeners, hut trouble of this sort 
seems to have developed more commonly 
than usual this season, and perhaps the 
lesson will be taken home. 
Cleaning Up the Garden. —It is most 
important that the gardens be given a 
thorough cleaning this year and all the 
rubbish burned. This is said with all 
due respect to the much-vaunted compost 
heap, where all refuse is supposed to be 
turned into good fertilizer. With the 
Bleaching Celery 
covering to save the fruit, mosquito net¬ 
ting being used to the extent it could be 
afforded. This netting has been used on 
strawberries, currants, small cherry trees 
and on grapevines. One of the most suc¬ 
cessful ways of trapping the starling has 
been invented by a Connecticut man. lie 
has some bird houses with double floors, 
the upper floor* being so nicely balanced 
that it precipitates the birds into the 
apartment below, from which they cannot 
escape. Edward Forbush. State Ornith¬ 
ologist. says that when once the starlings 
have become settled iu a place it is almost 
impossible to get rid of them, so that the 
outlook from this point of view is not 
a very pleasant one. 
Blanching the Celery. —The old- 
time Golden Self-blanching or Paris 
Golden Celery is no longer giving satis¬ 
faction to New England growers, and it 
is being replaced to a large extent on 
commercial plants with Easy Bleaching. 
Backyard gardeners are also beginning to 
use tins variety, as they learn of its good 
qualities. Not long ago I saw a field of 
this celery which made a pleasing picture. 
No methods of blanching had been em¬ 
ployed. and yet much of it was as white 
as other celery after being blanched with 
earth or boards. The blanching of celery 
is always more or less of a task for the 
small grower. On private places earthing 
up is still followed, because the owners 
believe that celery treated in this way has 
an incomparable sweet and nutty flavor. 
It is a practice on some estates to bank 
(Continued on page 1449) 
ANALYSING 
16 % Phosphoric Acid 7% Barium Sulphide 
Every farmer knows that so long as hecan grow Clover he can grow anything else. and 
that where clover refuses to grow, owing to acid soil conditions, other crops must steadily 
deteriorate. 
Barium-Phosphate, in addition to supplying Phosphorus 
SWEETENS THE SOIL 
AND INSURES A LUXURIANT GROWTH OF CLOVER 
WITHOUT THE USE OF LIME 
Begin now, preparing for next year's crops, by planting cover crop- of Clover^ami Etye to 
be turned under in the spring with Barium-Phosphate and just enough manure to supply the 
necessary bacteria. 
We will deliver Barium-Phosphate anywhere iu New York, New Jersey and most New 
England points at the following prices: 
CARLOADS, 20 TONS OR MORE $21.50 A TON 
LESS CARLOADS, 1 TON OR MORE 23.50 A TON 
It will pav you to write for our book. 
“BARIUM-PHOSPHATE FOR FALL SEEDING” 
Witherbee, Sherman & Company, Inc. 
2 Rector Street. New York City 
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