872 
The  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
June  23,  1923 
Growing  Strawberries  in  Florida 
The  cover  picture  this  week  shows  a 
Florida  field.  Mr.  D.  L.  Hartman  has 
told  us  several  time  how  (his  crop  is 
grown  near  Miami — therefore  his  prac¬ 
tice  is  somewhat  different  from  that  il¬ 
lustrated.  In  this  case  two  rows  are 
planted  on  a  ridge,  while  Hartman  plants 
in  wider  beds.  The  parent  plants  are 
started  in  Spring — the  object  being  to 
make  as  many  strong  runners  as  pos¬ 
sible.  These  runners  grow  through  the 
Summer  and  in  the  Fall  they  are  planted 
out  in  beds  or  rows  about  one  foot  apart 
each  way.  The  soil  is  made  fine  and  rich 
and  is  kept  thoroughly  cultivated.  In 
the  North  a  Fall  planted  strawberry  will 
settle  itself  well  in  the  soil  and  develop 
a  good  root  system  and  a  bunch  of  fruit 
buds.  Then  when  cold  weather  comes 
the  plant  of  course  stops  growing, 
though  in  mild  Winters  the  roots  seem 
to  remain  active.  In  Spring  such  plants 
coirfe  back  into  working  life  and  produce 
their  fruit.  In  Florida,  where  the  ground 
never  freezes  solid  the  strawberry  plant, 
or  at  least  some  varieties,  has  no  chance 
to  sleep  or  remain  dormant.  So  under 
the  influence  of  good  culture  and  high 
feeding  it  proceeds  to  develop  fruit  buds 
and  then  mature  fruit.  Strange  to  say 
the  plant  keeps  on  bearing  over  a  period 
of  several  weeks  or  months.  If  it  can 
escape  a  frost  while  the  bloom  is  open 
there  will  usually  be  a  good  crop  of  ber¬ 
ries.  Varieties  like  Brandywine  or 
Klondike  are  well  suited  to  tbis  system 
and  those  who  know  how  to  do  it  and 
are  ready  to  gamble  with  frost  or  dry 
weather  are  likely  to  get  at  least  one 
big  crop  which  will  carry  them  ovei  the 
lean  years. 
continued  with  the  laterals  as  they  de- 
elop.  and  how  often  through  the  season? 
Wyoming,  R.  I.  j.  E.  C. 
The  pruning  of  grapevines  back  to  two 
or  three  buds  is  the  accepted  practice 
with  plants  for  the  first  two  years  after 
planting.  After  this  period  they  are  usu¬ 
ally  pruned  to  canes  varying  in  length 
of  six  to  12  buds,  and  the  canes  are  va¬ 
riously  disposed  on  the  trellis,  according 
to  the  method  of  pruning  adopted.  With 
some  methods  the  canes  are  tied  vertical¬ 
ly  or  obliquely  to  wires  strung  near  the 
tops  of  the  posts,  while  another  method 
provides  that  the  short  canes  be  tied 
along  the  lower  wire  IS  to  20  in.  above 
the  ground  level.  The  shoots  that  arise 
from  such  canes  are  then  tied  vertically 
to  the  upper  wires  as  fast  as  growth 
permits. 
Pinching  back  in  the  Summer  is  not 
necessary  either  for  the  production  of 
quality  or  quantity  of  grapes.  The  same 
end  may  be  obtained  by  careful  dormant 
pruning,  through  the  proper  selection  of 
well-matured  and  properly  located  canes. 
The  tendency  is  general  to  leave  more 
fruiting  wood  than  too  little.  Of  course, 
no  hard  and  fast  rules  can  be  laid  down 
as  to  just  how  severe  pruning  should  be 
done,  as  vine  and  variety  individually 
are  exceedingly  variable.  Vines  grown 
under  good  soil  conditions  as  to  moisture 
and  fertility  can  be  pruned  longer  than 
those  grown  where  these  conditions  are 
not  existent.  Then,  too,  certain  varieties 
are  inherently  weak  growers,  hence  such 
require  pruning  commensurate  with  their 
normal  vigor. 
When  pinching  back  is  practiced  it  is 
usually  done  at  the  time  several  leaves 
have  developed  beyond  the  last  cluster, 
or,  to  put  it  more  accurately,  when  a 
major  portion  of  the  canes  that  are  to  be 
pinched  back  have  reached  a  length  suffi¬ 
cient  to  span  the  gap  between  the  wires 
the  following  season.  It  will  probably 
be  necessary  to  pinch  back  the  laterals. 
In  order  to  pinch  back  the  majority  of 
the  developing  shoots  it  will  be  necessary 
to  go  over  the  vines  several  times  during 
the  active  growing  season. 
F.  E.  GLADWIN. 
Cotton  in  Connecticut 
My  boys  have  some  cotton  plants  ready 
to  set  out.  Will  you  tell  me  how  to  cul¬ 
tivate  them,  soil,  fertilizer  and  method  ot 
planting?  e.  n.  c. 
We  should  handle  these  cotton  plants 
about  as  you  would  tomato  plants.  Dig 
them  with  a  ball  of  soil  about  the  loots 
and  set  them  in  the  new  place  with  as 
little  shock  as  possible.  Give  them  good 
culture,  keeping  the  grass  and  weeds  down 
and  the  soil  open  and  fine  around  them. 
A  fertilizer  mixture  such  as  you  would 
use  for  corn  will  be  about  right.  M  e 
would  not  use  too  much  nitrogen.  That 
would  make  a  large  plant,  but  would  de¬ 
lay  ripening.  "W  hat  you  want  is  early 
maturity,  so  as  to  make  lint,  if  possible 
before  frost. 
The  Ives  Grape 
I  have  about  3,000  Ives  grapevines  in 
bearing;  is  this  a  good  table  grape.  Will 
it  sell  if  packed  in  3  or  5  lb.  baskets. 
Here  it  is  set  about  6x0  feet  and  tied 
up  to  single  poles.  W  ill  it  succeed  if 
wired  and  trained  as  the  grapes  are  m 
Western  New  York?  What  other  kinds 
are  best  for  this  section?  r.  B.  c. 
Ives  is  not  considered  a  good  table 
grape,  now  that  so  many  superior  vari¬ 
eties  are  available.  It  is  or  was  much  in 
demand  for  the  manufacture  of  Wines,  it 
entering  extensively  in  the  making  of 
American  champagnes.  Ives  was  also 
used  with  other  varieties  for  the  making 
of  the  better  quality  port  wines.  Some 
manufacturers  are  making  a  very  fane 
quality  unfermented  grape  juice  from 
Ives,  it  possessing  remurkiible  clenrness* 
It  would  seem  in  view  of  the  above  facts 
that  Ives  should  be  marketed  in  large 
packages  as  the  12-quart  or  jumbo,  or  in 
crates  and  trays. 
Probably  the  distance  6xb  feet  will 
suffice  for  Ives,  as  it  normally  does  not 
grow  as  rank  as  Concord  and  some  other 
commercial  varieties.  It  seems  advisable 
to  trellis  this  vineyard  by  stringing  two 
or  three  wires  on  stakes  or  posts,  and 
train  the  vines  according  to  one  of  the 
methods  generally  used  for  American  va¬ 
rieties. 
Varieties  such  as  Concord,  \\  orden, 
Clinton,  Portland,  Niagara,  and  Dun¬ 
kirk  may  possibly  be  adapted  to  your 
section.  All  of  these  exeep  Clinton  may 
well  be  marketed  in  the  smaller  pack¬ 
ages.  F.  E.  GLADWIN. 
Beans  for  Wet  Soil 
Are  there  any  varieties  of  soup  beans 
that  are  better  adapted  to  low,  springy 
soil  than  others?  Would  the  Cranberry 
variety  (bush)  do  well  under  such  con¬ 
ditions?  tV.  L.  S. 
Pocomoke  City,  Md. 
Most  varieties  of  beaus  are  intolerant 
of  wet  soils,  or,  at  least,  do  not  produce 
well  on  them.  Yet  it  has  been  noted 
that  the  red  beans  and  the  white  marrows 
adapt  themselves  more  easily  to  tin 
heavier  and  wetter  soils  than  do  other 
types  of  beans,  and  that  the  large-seeded 
beans  will  do  better  on  wet  soils  than  the 
small-seeded  ones.  The  Cranberry  bean, 
with  its  reddish  markings  and  with  its 
relatively  large  seed,  would  seem  from 
these  observations  to  fall  into  the  class 
of  beans  that  are  most  tolerant  of  wet 
and  heavy  soils  than  some  other  varieties. 
It  is  common  knowledge  that  a  variety 
may  outyield  another  two-fold  on  one 
piece  of  land,  and  the  yields  be  of  quite 
different  proportion  on  an  adjoining 
field.  Consequently  many  bean  growers 
make  variety  tests  to  determine  what  va¬ 
rieties  are  best  suited  to  their  lands.  This 
method  is  not  expensive,  and  is  the  only 
sure  way  of  answering  your  question, 
though  the  suggestions  given  may  help 
you  in  your  start.  li.  B.  T. 
Pinching  Back  Grapevines 
understand  grapevines  should  be 
nmed  by  cutting  last  year’s  growth 
k  to  one  or  two  buds,  but  will  you 
■  me  directions  for  pinching  back  pres- 
year’s  growth?  Is  it  a  desirable  or 
essar.v  procedure  to  induce  quantity 
I  quality  of  fruit,  and  at  what  stage 
jrowth  should  it  be  done?  Should  it  be 
How  I  Grow  Sweet  Potatoes 
Where  I  now  live  in  Northern  Virginia 
the  soil  is  of  stiff  clay,  and  one  that  is  apt 
to  become  very  dry  during  the  midsum¬ 
mer  months.  Where  the  soil  is  not  well 
manured  it  is  not  desirable  to  grow  sweet 
potatoes  in  the  usual  way.  which  is  on 
rather  high  ridges.  The  method  which  I 
have  now  adopted  is  to  set  apart  for  each 
row  to  be  planted  a  strip  4  ft.  wide  of 
the  desired  length.  With  the  small  gar¬ 
den  plow  I  replow  it,  so  as  to  leave  in  the 
center  a  dead  furrow,  in  which  I  can 
put  6  or  7  in.  of  well-rotted  manure, 
which  also  contains  at  least  one-fourth  as 
much  of  partly  rotted  cornstalks,  leaves 
or  straw.  In  order  further  to  deepen  the 
soil  over  the  manure,  1  plow  two  or 
three  furrows  outside  of  the  4-ft.  strip. 
I  then  step  upon  the  manure  and  press  it 
down,  and  as  I  move  backward  I  bring 
up  with  my  largest  hoe  from  both  sides 
to  cover  the  entire  surface  to  a  width 
of  3  ft.,  and  of  sufficient  depth  for  setting 
the  plants. 
Before  setting  plants  I  use  my  marker, 
which  is  3  ft.  in  length,  and  has  three 
pointers  1  ft.  in  length,  which  are  14  in. 
apart.  With  this  I  can  quickly  mark  the 
exact  distance  the  plants  are  to  be  set. 
T  use  a  trowel  to  open  the  place  for  set¬ 
ting  each  plant  for  a  distance  of  about 
10  ft.,  into  which  I  put  a  pint  of  water 
and  then  set  the  plants,  leaving  some 
fine,  dry  earth  on  the  surface  when  neces¬ 
sary  to  prevent  the  rapid  evaporation  of 
moisture  from  about  the  plants. 
After  the  plants  are  set  an  end  view 
of  the  bed  would  show  the  raised  surface 
to  be  from  7  to  8  in.  above  the  general 
level  of  the  garden  or  field. 
When  the  weather  is  quite  dry  at  plant¬ 
ing  time,  I  water  the  plants  the  next 
morning  following  the  planting,  and 
spread  a  single  sheet  of  newspaper  over 
each  row.  A  helper  uses  the  trowel  to 
throw  a  little  dirt  on  each  corner  of  the 
paper.  After  the  day  following  the  plant¬ 
ing  no  watering  or  covering  is  ever  needed. 
Virginia.  william  m.  king. 
CONTENTS 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER,  JUNE  23,  1923 
FARM  TOPICS 
Something  About  the  Buckwheat  Crop  .  870,  871 
Agricultural  Graduates  as  Hired  Help  ....  877 
Hope  Farm  Notes .  878 
A  Farm  Woman,  and  the  Radio .  878 
Building  up  Herd .  884 
Figuring  a  Ration .  884 
Feeding  Veal  Calf .  884 
The  Reindeer  as  a  Dairy  Animal .  890 
THE  HENYARD 
Jersey  Hens  Smash  More  Records .  870 
Feeding  Grain  in  the  Sheaf...- .  871 
Outwitting  a  Trespassing  Hen  Owner .  877 
Controlling  Roup .  886 
Blackhead  and  Liver  Disease .  886 
Rations  for  Hens  and  Other  Stock .  886 
Rupture  of  Oviduct .  886 
Obstructed  Crop .  886 
Pullets  Eat  Eggs .  886 
I'oor  Incubation .  886 
Diarrhoea  Infection  .  886 
Powdered  Milk  for  Chicks .  886 
Improving  Floor .  886 
Egg-Haying  Congest . 888 
White  Diarrhoea .  888 
HORTICULTURE 
How  Long  to  Fruit  Strawberries .  870 
Do  Not  Junk  the  Sprayer  Yet .  871 
The  Story  of  the  Baldwin  Apple .  873 
Spraying  Grapevines .  . 873 
Budding  Plum  Suckers .  873 
Notes  from  New  England .  8<5 
WOMAN  AND  HOME 
From  Day  to  Day . 882 
Friendly  Weeds  for  Country  Greens .  882 
The  Rural  Patterns .  862 
Why  Should  Farmers  Attend  Church .  882 
Favorite  Recipes .  882 
Recipes  from  Portugal.. .  883 
The  Weather .  883 
An  Old,  Old  Bureau .  883 
Making  a  Feather  Mattress .  883 
MISCELLANEOUS 
A  Case  of  Accident  Compensation .  871 
Wife’s  Right  in  Property .  »71 
Questions  About  Insects . 
Events  of  the  Week . .  874 
Polluted  Well .  |75 
Payment  on  Notes. ........  . .  »75 
Partnership  in  Thrashing  Machine .  8/8 
Gasket  in  Cylinder  Head .  »/» 
Water  in  Cellar . 
Solid  Pier  in  Packing  Room .  °  rs 
Casing  an  Old  Well .  .  .  ...  -•••■■; .  ? 
Hydraulic  Ram  or  Gasoline  Engine .  87» 
Worms  in  Well  Water;  Weevils .  83U 
Publisher’s  Desk . . 
barberries 
for  a  big  crop  from  your 
own  garden  next  year 
Plant  pot-grown 
Plants  Now 
Strawberries'pieked  in  their  prime 
daily  from  your  own  garden,  are 
superior  in  every  way  to  the  half 
ripe,  bitter,  undersized,  bruised 
fruit  that  you  buy  at  your  grocer’*. 
Our  pot-grown  plants,  planted  now, 
will  give  you  a  full  crop  of  large 
berries  next  year. 
Hunt’s  Special  “Home  Garden”  Collection 
1  0ft  nlnntc  in  4  varieties  for  successive  bear- 
1UU  pialllo  jng,  all  large-fruited  va-  <r*Q0 
rieties  of  excellent  quality,  express  pre- 
paid  for  cash,  check  or  money  oruer.  ..  ^ 
Order  this  collection  today,  the  earlier  you  get 
them  in  the  ground,  the  better 
Write  for  complete  catalog  of  varieties 
William  M.  Hunt  &  Company,  Inc, 
H^Chamber^Street^^^^^hlewYorl^Cltjb^N^^ 
FOR  SALE 
5,000,000  Cabbage  Plants 
Ready  now.  Varieties  —  Copenhagen,  Glory 
and  Danish.  \Ve  deliver  within  50  miles. 
S.  A.  SMITH  &  SON 
Geneva,  N.  Y. 
e  non  non  cabbage, cauliflower 
0,UUU,UUU  BRUSSELS  SPROUTS,  CELERY  PLANTS 
Cabbage  (All  Varieties)  $1.75  per  1,000  ;  5,000— $6.  Cauli¬ 
flower  (Snowball),  $4.50  per  1,000  ;  6,000— $20.  Brussels 
Sprouts,  $2.60  per  1,000  ;  5,000— $12.  Celery  (All  Varieties) 
$3  per  1,000  ;  6,000— $18.  Cash  with  order.  Send  for  List 
of  all  Plants.  PAUL  F.  BOCHELLE,  Oriwer  269,  Morristown.  N. J. 
4,000,000 
Yellowand  Red  SweetPotatoPlants  Cabbage. 
Tomato,  Pepper  and  other  vegetable  plants.  Red  skin  and 
superb  potato  seed  ;  small  size,  at  $1  per  bu. ;  large  size 
at  $1.6(1  per  bn.  Canna  Roots.  All  fine  stock.  Catalogue 
free.  M.  N.  B0R60  -  Vineland,  N.  JT. 
For  Sale— Danish  and  Early  Cabbage  Plants 
From  Treated  Seed.  $2  per  1,000.  C.  J.  STAFFORD,  Cortland,  H. 7. 
VEGETABLE  AND  FLOWER  PLANTS 
Tomato,  Jersey,  Yellow  and  Red  Sweet  Potato  and 
Cauliflower,  Aster  Plants,  1 00 — 45c;  1100 — $1  ;  1,000 
— S3.  Petunies,  Snapdragons  and  Saivies,  4  doz., 
50c.  All  plants  Postpaid.  Catalogue  free. 
W.  S.  FORD  &  SON  -  Hartly,  Delaware 
4,000,000  SWEET  POTATO  PLANTS 
Yellow  Jersey,  Gold  Skin,  Big  Leaf  Up  River,  Red  Nanse- 
mond,  at  SI  . SO  per  1,000.  C.E.  BROWN.  Bride-evill.lleluware 
Wall  Paper 
at  Factory  Prices 
Large  double  rolls  of  the  finest 
quality  wall  paper  in  the  very  latest 
patterns  can  be  bought  from  us 
at  the  lowest  prices  obtainable 
anywhere. 
We  are  factory  representatives  and 
eliminate  the  many  in-between 
profits  to  make  the  low  prices. 
A  large  sample  book  will  be  sent  free 
on  request ;  also  full  instructions  for 
measuring,  hanging,  etc. 
Smorton  Paints 
are  the  best  value  you  can  secure.  We 
sell  direct  to  you  as  factory  agents. 
Made  of  the  best  lead,  linseed  oil  and 
zinc  which  insures  long-wear¬ 
ing  qualities  and  appearance. 
Color  chart  free  on  request. 
Smorton  Wall  Paper  &  Paint  Co. 
Dept.  H  Utica,  N. 
n t  to  talk 
to  YOU  about 
rOUR  CHORES 
Try  This  Engine  FREE 
I  can  tell  you  how  to  lighten  your 
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into  seivice  right  now  on  your  pump  jack, 
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can  use  this  same  Engine  for  Fall  and  Winter  work  to 
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Bargain  Prices — Free  Trial 
Mail  coupon  today  for  special  combination  bargain 
prices  on  power  machinery  and  details  of  free  (rial  offer. 
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312  Main  St.,  Springfield,  Ohio. 
Without  obligation,  send  complete  information  about 
free  trial  offer  on  Edwards  Engine  and  combination  bar¬ 
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Name. . . 
Address. 
SAVE  PACKAGE  COSTS 
FIRST  CLASS  SECOND¬ 
HAND  CARRIERS.  Peach 
Carriers,  Berry  Crates,  Onion 
Crates,  Baskets, Egg  Cases,  Bask¬ 
ets  of  all  kinds,  and  other  Fruit 
and  Vegetable  Packages.  All 
these  containers  are  in  as  good 
as  new  condition  and  ready  for 
instant  UBe.  Carlot  shipments 
—Our  Specialty.  Let  Vs  Quote  You— That’s  All! 
THE  EMPTY  PACKAGE  SUPPLY  CO. 
Dept.  R,  801-808  Johnson  Are.,  Brooklyn,  X.  Y. 
Berry  Plants 
Vegetable  Roots 
Vegetable  Plants 
Flower  Plants 
Strawberry,  Raspberry,  Dew¬ 
berry,  Blackberry,  Loyanberry, 
Gooseberry  ,  Currant,  Grape 
plants. 
Asparagus,  Rhubarb, 
Hop,  Horseradish 
roots. 
Cabbage,  Cauliflower, 
Celery, Tomato,  Parsley,  F.yg 
Plant,  Onion,  Beet,  Sweet 
Potato,  Pepper  plants. 
Hollyhock, Can t  er  b n  i  y. 
Bells,  Foxglove,  Sweet  "  il- 
liam,  Poppy,  Phlox  and 
other  perennials  ;  Pansy, 
Aster,  Columbine,  Salvia,  Snapdragon.  Zinnia  and  other 
annuals;  Roses,  Shrubs.  Catalog  free. 
HARRY  L.  SQUIRES  -  Hampton  Bays,  N.  Y. 
Dl  A  IUTC  SENT  BY  EXPRESS 
rLMIl  I  9  OR  PARCEL  POST 
Per  100 
500 
1,000 
5H0 
CABBAGE . 
SO  30 
SO. 80 
SI  25 
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CAULIFLOWER  &  PEPPER 
..  .65 
2  00 
3.50 
15  00 
TOMATO  AND  B.  SPROUTS 
.  .40 
1  00 
1  50 
6  25 
SWEET  POTATO 
.60 
1.75 
3  00 
12  50 
CELERY . 
.  .50 
1  50 
2  50 
10  00 
Catalog  Free. 
C.  E.  FIELD, 
Sewell, 
N.  J. 
Dahlia  and  Double  Zinnia  Plants  AsC'.^siper  p‘o; 
P.  Paid.  David  Kotiway,  Hartly,’ Delaware 
fci 
CANVAS  COVERS 
7  > 
Size.5ft.x9ft.10oz.  Plain.  Canvas  $4.60, express  Pre-- 
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prices  and  samples.  W.W.  STANLEY. 62  White St. , N. Y.  City 
PERFECT  TREES 
GUARANTEED 
You  can  rely  on  our  43  years’  reputation 
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SEND  FOR  1923  FREE  CATALOG 
KELLY  BROS.  NURSERIES,  1160  Main  St., 
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The  prices  m  e  reasonable 
Dansvflle,  N.  Y.  | 
