1208 
Vht RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
good from the services. I know of an old lady who 
lives in the upper end of the upper peninsula of 
Michigan who for over a year has been able to at¬ 
tend church only through radio, a gift from her son. 
Thousands of people who have never been inside a 
church listen regularly to these services. 
Have you attended grand opera, when the cheap¬ 
est seats were $5 each? My daughter and I have, 
night after night, and without paying a cent for the 
privilege or pleasure. Think of the famous fingers 
that are brought to you, free, for all of your family 
to enjoy. The music that all can enjoy, such music 
as many of us cannot even afford as phonograph 
records, yet for you and for me it is absolutely free 
Night after night we can take our choice of many 
different things, sometimes it is a wonderful concert 
by the United States Naval Band, another a pipe 
organ recital, a violin solo by the newest foreign 
artist, music of any kind that will just suit you in 
(he mood that yoxx are in. Have you heard Anton 
I.ang, the man who acts the part of Christ in the 
Passion Play of Oberammergau? I have. Have 
you heard the President of the United States speak, 
your Senator or other famous political aspirant, 
such as the candidates of the different parties for 
the Presidential and Vice-Presidential ofliees? Gen¬ 
eral Pershing? One can go on indefinitely telling 
of the many things that you can choose to hear, or 
not hear, every day in the year. 
Not alone for religious sendees, music or politics 
is radio of interest and benefit to us. but for the edu¬ 
cational advantages that it brings to the home, 
thoughts and suggestions from people who are lead¬ 
ers in their respective fields. Then we have the 
very useful service of crop, weather and market 
reports that enable us to save crops, dispose of them 
at the right time and keep us up-to-date on the 
changes and prospects. Such a service as that has 
saved and made money for many farmers. 
No matter how you may look at it, the small ini¬ 
tial cost of installing a radio in yoxir home, is noth¬ 
ing compared to the many things that it can and 
will do for you, whether you are a farmer or living 
in any small town or city. It connects you with the 
whole world and breaks down the invisible but real 
bari'iei’s that sepai'ate the country from the city. 
Just a little box, a box with a few wires, knobs and 
dials connected to a wire strung between the house 
and a tree, and this box can bring to us almost any 
city in the United States and Canada, and in a few 
cases England and France. Stop and think what 
that will mean to us all. It just ties this big coun¬ 
try of ours into one large family, where we will 
know what each member of the large family is do¬ 
ing and thinking. Why! it just mixes xip every city, 
town and farm into one great melting pot. New 
York listens to Chicago, Denver to San Francisco 
and you on your farm a hundred, no, a thousand 
miles away, listen to them all. 
Who knows, but that radio may have moi'e to do 
with xiniversal peace than any other single agency? 
England, France, Argentina. Mexico and many 
other countries are listening nightly to the broad¬ 
casts from our country, and that cannot but help 
he a bond between us, an intermingling of national 
ideas, pleasures and promises. When we can listen 
to other nations and they listen to us, we will under¬ 
stand each other better and this will do away with 
misunderstandings; a bond for peace. 
Many of you will ask, “How long will radio last?” 
I would say, until we have something better, and 
that will be many years ahead of us. The large 
broadcasting stations plan upon keeping up their 
service as long as there is a demand for it, and as 
long as there is a demand, and it steadily grows, 
we may look for a continxious service. Many won¬ 
der if it is not hard to operate a x-adio set. To this 
the answer is, no. The beginner should be careful 
in buying or building, asking advice from some one 
who knows; in the majority of cases the farm pa¬ 
per that yoxi subscribe to can answer your questions 
for you. A little ti-ouble with your set may be caus¬ 
ing you to lose much that you might enjoy. Your 
farm paper should and would help you solve this 
trouble. Try them. 
For over 10 years I have been interested in i*adio, 
and ever since “broadcasting” started a little over 
three yeai-s ago I have enjoyed my radio more and 
more, and many of my friends have come and gone 
from our home after listening to our radio and have 
bought one for themselves. Just a little box of 
wires, knobs and dials, and yet the whole world 
is yours! j. h. f. 
A Veteran Reader 
HE picture at Fig. 49S was sent us with the 
following note: 
This is a picture of the Hon. F. M. Williams, prom¬ 
inent farmer and banker of Westmoreland Co., Pa. He, 
perhaps, is among your oldest subscribers, now being 
66 years of age. He always looks forward to The 
A Pennsylvania Reader at the Hay Job. Fig. 49S 
R. N.-Y. as one of the most reliable papers published, 
and thinks it assists him in his business affairs. The 
above picture shows him on his farm. 
The only trouble about that is the apparent idea 
that a man 66 years old may be ranked as our 
oldest subscriber. Why, bless your heart, we have 
plenty of men and women over 90 who have taken 
the paper almost fx-orn its first issue. Any number 
of men over SO are working every day on the land. 
One man of 78 has kept two acres of strawberries 
clean this year. The man of 66 is really a mere boy 
compared with many of our active people. What 
September 20, 1924 
does a man amount to anyway until he gets to be 
60? 
The Culture of Asparagus 
ELECTION OF SOIL.—Successful growing of 
aspax-agus depends fully as much on its care 
and fertilization as it does on the kind of soil. 
Any land that will grow good ordinary crops like 
corn and potatoes will gi’ow good asparagus and 
contrary to the genei'al impression is not much more 
difficult. We select for ease in cultivation as nearly 
a level field as possible with a slope to the south, 
so that the sun may reach it all day. A light loam 
soil is advised—avoid heavy clay, as it is too cold 
and liai'd to work. Also avoid a witch or quack 
grass-infested field. 
CULTIVATION AND FERTILITY.—To prepare, 
we apply barnyard manure liberally the preceding 
year in some hoed crop, so as to have the weeds well 
subdued. The following Spring plow and harrow 
thoroughly, and then mark off in rows 5 to 5 y 2 ft. 
apart, north and south, if possible. As a field lasts 
about 25 yeai's it is well to make rows as sti'aight 
as possible. Then run a two-horse plow twice in 
each mark, going alternate ways. Set the plants in 
the bottom of this furrow, 18 in. apart and only as 
deep as they grew in the nursery bed. Use no fer¬ 
tilizer whatever in the furrows when setting out the 
plants. 
ONE-YEAR PLANTS.—We set none but strong 
one-year-old plants, Argenteuil, which I consider 
best. During the first year they should be given 
two or tlii'ee slight applications of a good commer¬ 
cial fertilizer (I use a 4-S-10) alongside each row, 
working it well into the soil with a hand cultivator. 
Increase slightly the amount to the third year, after 
which and succeeding years apply one ton per acre 
when the cutting ceases. This is July 1 in our 
(Central Vermont) latitude. This fertilizer, we 
work into the soil with a horse cultivator, continu¬ 
ing such cultivation every 10 days until the growth 
of the tops prevents. Then in Octobei', when the 
seed begins to turn red, mow all down and if the 
field is not diseased leave it as it falls, as it makes 
a good Winter mulch, holding the snow and further 
enriching the soil. 
FURTHER CARE.—Early in the Spring, when 
obtainable, we spread 15 to 20 loads of barnyard 
manure per acre over all. (Many growers depend 
upon commercial fertilizers entirely). After the 
first few warm days in Spring watch carefully for 
the start of crowns down to a depth of 4 in. This 
is important, as a delay of two or three days means 
many broken tips wiien the disk han*ow is put on 
to work the manure and mulch well into the soil. 
This harrowing should be done thoroughly, finish¬ 
ing with the smoothing harrow. Then as soon as 
the rows can be made out put on the horse culti¬ 
vator and work often. 
CUTTING.—Our cutting season is 50 days. May 
10 to July 1. We do not cut until the third year 
from setting, when we cut the field clean at 9 in. 
We cut daily, early in the day preferred. In favor¬ 
able weather it is sometimes necessary to cut twice 
daily for a few days in the height of the season. 
Asparagus is a gross feeder and well l-epays liberal 
fertilization. With such, and clean and frequent cul¬ 
ture, a field will last 25 years. It is at its best 
from the eighth to the fifteenth year. 
Vermont. w. c. renehan. 
A company of Grangers from Michigan and Ohio, nearly 1,000 strong, made an auto trip from the Central West to Massac-husetts Bay and return. Here we 
see their camp on the fair grounds at Brockton, Mass. It was a great trip. 
