Rensselaer Journal, Volume 12, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 June 1902 — Page 7

FARM AND CARDEN

A SIMPLE FORCING HOUSE.

Which a Thrifty Farmer May Grow Winter Vegetables. The growing of vegetables under glass in winter has become a gfeat industry in the vicinity of all our 'northern cities, and the output of these houses finds a ready sale at remunera-

FIG.1.

GROUND PLAN AND END VIEW. tive prices. As a rule, this department 7 of agriculture has been left to the professional trucker, the farmer contenting himself with working his ground during the spring and summer and allowing it to lie Idle during the long ■Mfyiter months, when fresh vegetables bring the best prices. One reason for this neglected opportunity is undoubtedly the expensiveness of the strictly up to date, forcing house. But for a large class of semihardy vegetables, which find a ready market at fair prices, a simple and comparatively inexpensive house will answer I every purpose and will grow successfully lettuce, radishes, spinach, parsley, mint, violets and pansies, for all • of which there is a large and growing , winter demand in all our cities and i larger towns. The house planned and built by the writer (W. H. Burbank in Farm and Fireside) is about the simplest that can be devised, being nothing more than a cold frame so modified as to be easy | of access in all weather and provided I with a small entrance house. The house proper is 90 feet long and about 12 feet wide, with side walls 8 I inches high. The entrance house is J’ 12 feet by 8 feet, with side walls 3 j feet high above the ground level. It I is that these dimensions would rglve no head room. So the entire floor I of the entrance house is excavated to I a depth of three feet, and a walk two I feet wide and three feet deep is dug I the whole length of the glass house. I-This leaves surface beds five feet wide lon each side of the walk. The top soil I may be thrown on these beds and the I subsoil used for banking up the sides lof the house. The digging should be I done before the carpentry work is I begun. I The ridgepole of the forcing house I is made of 2 by 3 inch stuff, placed six Ifeet above the middle of the sunken (path and held in place by rafters of I the same stuff. The rafters on the I north side, as the house runs east and I west, are spaced three feet apart from IJtater to center. On the south side, I where the sashes are placed, they may ■be the width of the frames apart. I Even in so simple a house as this ■ any of the vegetables or violets and ■pansies can be successfully grown in ■ winter with little or no artificial heat. Ilf no heat is used, shutters must be ■made to protect the sashes during cold ■Sights. Two or three small oil heaters l'«vfil obviate the need of using shutiters. ■ In the late spring the forcing house Ils stripped and the beds cultivated, ■this open air cultivation making it ■possible to use the soil in the beds ■for two seasons. I The illustrations will make the description plain. The first figure shows, ■the ground plan of the entrance house ■"nd a section of the forcing house. ■A A are the beds, B the sunken path ■and C the entrance house floor, excaIvated to a level with B. There is a ■door at E and another at F. The second figure is an end view. D E F is ■the roof of forcing house and G H I ■the entrance of forcing house, 2 feet K*. inches above it The side eleva-

FIG. 3. SIDE ELEVATION.

lion is shown in the third figure. A Is the entrance house, B a section of I'orclng house, C C ground level and p D level of sunken path and entrance liouse floor. I In such a house as this work should |>e begun the middle of September, beI'ore the sashes are put on, by sowing ladlsh or lettuce seed or putting violet |.r pansy roots in the beds. Three or lour crops of radishes may be grown Imd then the beds planted with cucum|>ers or tomatoes for an extra crop. I How to Handle a Queen Bee. ■ Great care should be used in hanllling queens not to injure their abdoRnen or legs. When it is desired to latch a queen pick her up by the wings |>r grasp her gently by the thorax with ■he thumb and forefinger; there need ■>e no fear of her stinging, for, while liature has provided her with a sting, ■he seldom, if ever, uses it except upon queen. Do not attempt to catch |r handle queens when at all nervous |>r excited, as you will be very apt to ■oaim or injure them in some way, advises a writer in American Gardening.

FIG. 2.

SEED CORN SELECTION.

Different Varieties For Upland and Bottem Lande. S any farmers owning both bottom and upland cornfields make the mistake of using the same seed on both kinds of soil Corn which is adapted to the soil and .moisture conditions of the valleys will not do so well on the upland as will some variety that has by several years of cultivation and selection become adapted to the conditions there. It is for the same reason that the large Colorado potatoes that have been grown for years under irrigation wilPdo so poorly when used for seed in Kansas without the accustomed supply of water, says J. M. Westgate of the state station. It is generally the case on the farm that the corn from all the fields, both upland and bottom, is cribbed together. When the time for seed selection comes, the largest ears are picked out, irrespective of the kind of soil that grew them. As the bottom land produces the larger ears it is more than likely that the bulk of the seed will be from the lower and moister portions of the farm. This is the proper seed for the lowland, but it is not so well adapted to the dryer and poorer upland as is seed that has been raised there. It is advisable to select the seed eithefr before or at husking time, when not only the quality of the ground, but the character of the individual stalk and ear can be taken into consideration. As has been suggested before, a small box attached to the side of the wagon bed, into which the desired ears can be thrown, is the most practical device that can be recommended. By a little judicious selection for a series of years a strain can be established on the upland portion of any farm which will be well adapted to that and other soils similar to location and composition. An eight inch ear from the upland will ordinarily prove better for planting on the upland than will a 12 inch ear from the lower portions of the farm. Time to Sow Grass Seed. No other hay grass is so well known in this state as timothy. It is in general use throughout the northern Mississippi valley, where It is indeed one of the most valuable of our grasses. It is customary to sow this grass in the early spring, either with a nurse crop like oats and wheat, or to sow it by Itself, or in some cases it is sown with clover. It seems to me it is advisable to sow this seed in the fall. I have seen numerous fields sown in the fall which gave large crops the next season. It has become quite common to sow timothy in the fall in southwestern Wisconsin and northeastern lowa. The land should be well plowed, pulverized and cleaned. Then the grass seed is ready to be sown. The following has proved valuable on my father’s farm in southwestern Wisconsin and certainly is advisable also for northeastern Iowa: Sow in early September at the rate of five quarts of timothy or four quarts of timothy to one quart of clover without a nurse crop. The hay crop the next season will be about two tons to the acre. If not allowed to seed, the clover will disappear the second year, says T, H. Pammell of lowa in Prairie Farmer. A Rye Sod Kills Potato Scab. Alva Agee makes a very Interesting potato note in the Ohio Farmer. He says: “Another year’s experience confirms my statement made a year ago in The Farmer that one can control potato scab by the use of a rye sod, if this is done in the right way. This is the fifth year of an experiment on two acres of land that had become so infested with scab that a decent crop of potatoes could not be grown. Five successive crops of potatoes have been grown in this land, turning a rye sod under each spring, and the seed used a portion of the time has not been wholly free from scab and has been untreated with any solution to kill the germs, but the crop is above the average in smoothness. The seed last spring, coming from northern Ohio, had more scab than seemed safe, but so far as examination of tne hills now indicates the crop will be all right. If the rye can be turned during a hot spell in the spring, it makes the soil a little acid, and that is fatal to the scab germs? Two years of that treatment practically cleaned the field.” Winter Hoghonses. The Illustration from The Country Gentleman shows three hoghouses built together of rails—common 10 foot rails—an arrangement within the financial reach of any ordinary farmer. As many houses as may be needed can be made in a row, thus saving rails. The correspondent who furnishes the plan says further: The houses are double rail pens, those on the outside being 9 feet

CHEAP AND COMFORTABLE.

square and those on the inside 8 feet square, thus leaving a space of 12 inches between the pens, which is filled with straw and compacted. The openings are to the south. The pens or houses are 3 feet high at this side and 2% feet high at the opposite side, making a slant of 6 inches on the roof. The pens are covered with straw and fodder, several heavy poles being put on for weights. In front of each house is a rail pen in which the sow and pigs exercise and eat. These houses are cheaply constructed and are warm, comfortable and convenient. Any farm, I should think, has the ready material of which these inexpensive bouses are made. I never use them a second time, if a summer intervenes.

A HANDY WAGON.

Made From Old Material la the Farm Workshop, The cheap and convenient homemade wagon illustrated is made from the castoff drive wheels of two combined reapers and toowers. The man who built it has described it as follows In the Ohio Farmer: In hauling manure to the fields, stone off of work land and for various other purposes where a low down wagon is needed, it is worth many times its cost and has many advantages over a common farm wagon. Being low it is easily loaded and unloaded, while the broad faced wheels will permit hauling over meadows or soft ground without damage, when narrow tired wheels could not be used at all. The cash outlay for it was a mere trifle. We got one pair of wheels and spindles from an old machine that we had worn out on the farm, the others were bought for 50 cents at a nearby sale. We bought also less than 50 cents worth of bolts, all told, at our village hardware store. The rest of the material was furnished from our lumber pile and shop. The work was done by the writer at our farm workshop—where we have a forge. Three or four days’ work at odd times were required for the purpose. The woodwork is all in the rough, no plane or paint being used, as utility, not beauty, was our alm In constructing it. By making the bolster In front three inches higher than the wheels and iron braces and supports (in one) of old wagon tire the same height on rear axle, we were able to. make the platform—or bottom of bed—project out over the wheels. This feature of the wagon we find of great advantage In many kinds of work. By removing the side boards—one of ’which is removed and lies diagonally in the cut—and erecting a suitable standard in front and extending the platform a few feet in the rear with

HOMEMADE HANDY WAGON.

light scantlings supported by iron stirrups attached to the platform, we can have a first class hay rack that would often come in good service In hauling hay, sheaf grain or corn fodder from the field. The mower wheels are especially adapted to the construction of such wagons, as the hubs are long, face 4% inches wide, while they are 30 inches high. There may be other wheels just as good, however. The long hub is quite an item, though, in the wheel, as it gives strength and durability to the wheel. We used the original spindles. By cutting the shaft in two in the middle and punching holes near the ends for bolts, we fastened them to wooden axles of the desired length. We made the reach seven feet from axle to axle, which is none too long if intended for hay and fodder hauling. The platform is ten feet long by six feet wide, the front wheels passing under the same in turning. A stationary board eight inches high is bolted to upright irons at front end of platform. Cleats are nailed to this to receive front end' of side boards. These are only six inches wide, but can be made wider if desired. Some persons might object to the projecting spurs on these wheels. In practice these do no harm, as their worn condition from long use and the packing of the earth between them leaves so little of them protruding that they do no damage even on young meadows. The Clover Crop. There are few states in which the production of clover does not present a more or less marked contrast to the almost uniformly large production of last year. In the New England states there is a falling off of one-third to one-half; New York reports 71 per cent of a full crop, as compared with 109 per cent last year; Pennsylvania reports 7G per cent, as compared with 93; Kentucky, Michigan and Indiana show a reduction from last year of 7, 6 and 8 points respectively, while Illinois has but 64, Wisconsin 81 and lowa 17 per cent of a full crop. Excluding the states in which the cultivation of clover is merely sporadic,. Ohio alone has as large a crop as it had last year, and this is doubtless accounted for In part by the fact that last year’s crop in that state was considerably below the average for the country as a whole. Such is the report of the August crop circular. Notes From the Crop Circular. The average condition of corn on Aug. 1 was 89.9. This was 2.9 points higher than at the corresponding date last year, 5.7 points higher than on Aug. 1, 1897, and 3.2 points above the mean of the August averages for the last ten years. Preliminary returns indicate a reduction of 3.4 per cent In the hay acreage. Of 14 states mowing 1,000,000 acres or upward last year, only Missouri, Kansas, South Dakota and California show increased acreage. From all but a few states reports as to the condition of the apple crop Aug. 1 are even more unfavorable than they were the preceding month. The exceptions are an Improvement of two points In Ohio and three points In Michigan and Virginia. The average condition of potatoes on Aug. 1 was 93. This was 0.8 point lower than one month ago, but 9.1 points higher than on Aug. 1, 1898, 15.1 points higher than at the corresponding date in 1897 and 6.9 points ftbove the mean of August averages for the last ten years. The whole of the 13 states, having 100,000 acres or upward in spring wheat, show a decline tn condition as compared with July 1.

IKEY’S TRIP WEST.

EYE OPENING EXPERIENCES OF A GOTHAMITE. He Thought That, as a New Yorker, He Knew All There Wi» to Know, hot Came to Grief In Several of the Smaller Cities. “You know my brother Ikey, of course?” said the man who was treating a couple of friends to a boat ride to Coney Island. "Ikey and 1 have been partners in business for 12 years. He has always stuck to the desk, while I have done the traveling. Ikey had an. idea that New York couldn't run » a day without him. He also thought himself the cutest, smartest man in the big town. Other New Yorkers who never get ten miles out of town have the same idea. Things happened to me on the road now and then, and I told Ikey about ’em, but I could never get him to believe that there was a man outside of Gotham who knew enough to rake tn a poker pot with a •straight flush in his hand. A few weeks ago I got hurt, and Ikey had to go out or lose custpmers. When he finally concluded to go, he went with his hat on his ear and a pocketful of 50 cent cigars. He was prepared to dazzle everybody. “ ‘lkey,’ said 1 as he was ready to go, ‘look a little out for gum games. You’ll run across chaps who know a crowbar from a clock.’ “‘Bah!’ says Ikey as he picked up his grip and started off with a smile of contempt on his face. “Well, I’m nearly dead of laughing over his adventurers. He got off at Albany and was lugging his grip up town whesa boy steps up and says: “‘Hello, senator! Glad to see you. I’ll carry that grip along and make no charge.’ “It tickled Ikey to be taken for a senator, and it tickled him to save a dime, but the boy got away with the grip, and Ikey was hung up for two days until the police found it. At Rochester, as he was standing around the station, a stranger fell against him and said: “ ‘Beg pardon, but ain’t you the man who is going to build the Panama canal?’ “ ‘l’m thinking of it,’ says Ikey, sober as a judge, but three minutes later he finds his watch gone. “In Buffalo, as he came out of Us hotel, a stranger asked him if he wasn’t the governor and then added, ‘Excuse me while I knock that fly off.’ “Ikey rather carried the idea that he was the governor, but the stranger had got his diamond pin. In Cleveland one of our old customers set out to make things pleasant for my brother and after dinner said to him: “ ‘Say, Ikey, we’ve got a new game out here, and maybe you’d like to take ' a band. It’s called poker, and there’s a great chance to show your nerve by ' bluffing.’ “‘A new game!’ says Ikey »as he ' throws up his hands. ‘Why, i we’ve been playing poker in New York for the last 200 years!’ “Anu I Key took a hand in, and when the Buckeyes got through with Jilm he was S7O out of pocket. Getting along to Toledo, a man worked $25 out of him on a bogus check, and in Detroit he was let in as a sure winner on a horse race and lost $35 more. That same night a thief entered bls room and stole all his clothes, and he had to telegraph to me to get others to get home in. While he was on the way a pickpocket got his last dollar, 1 and he couldn’t eveh pay car fare home from the station. It’s a sore subject with Ikey, and you fellows must handle him gently, but it will do him a heap of good In the end. The swelling In his head has gone down by a; third already, and he is almost ready to admit that he isn’t infallible.”—New York Sun.

One Man Fooled Him.

“Yes, sir,” said the phrenologist, "I will admit that there was an old man whose bumps puzzled me." “Who was he?” “I don’t know his name, but I learned afterward that be was a professional pugilist.”

A Disappointment.

“How are you getting along with that scheme of yours for a procession of the unemployed to march to the city hall and demand work?” “It’s going to be a fizzle. The blamed chumps all send me word .they’re too busy and can’t get away.”—Chicago Tribune.

And He Can.

“What did the Boston’s new pitchei say when they asked him if he could pitch?” “He simply gave bis name.” “What’s bls name?” "Meekin.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Otherwise Absorbed.

“I never go shopping early In the morning.’* “Why not?" “That Is the time when the shopgirl* are busy telling each other their dreams.”—Chicago Record. dft*

FOR THE LITTLE ONES.

Queer Playhouse That Belongs to Some Detroit Children. The children that lived in the shoe didn’t know what fun was. That’s what the children that live in a bottle in Detroit think. There was the “old woman” to be reckoned with in the shoe, but G. Jay Vinton’s youngsters can get both fists full of jam in the pantry and then duck into a haven of refuge in their huge bottle and have it all to themselves. The bottle came in sections to the Vinton yard at 83 Stimson place

PLAYHOUSE IN A BOTTLE.

from Omaha, where it was once on exhibition in the Transmississippi exposition. It is made of wood. At Omaha it did double work as advertising agent for the firm whose goods it represented and as a candy booth. It was shipped back to Mr. Vinton, who built it, to be smashed up for firewood. ’ But the ever alert young Vintons heard of it, and then they pleaded until he promised them the bottle for a playhouse. Though a ten foot section of the neck was left out and another section from the bottom, the cork is still high enough so that when the. little fellows wake up they can see the cork of their playhouse through their second floor windows. The bottle has a door large enough for them to enter, though the children are sure there would be more fun in crawling in and out where the cork fits in the neck. At least ten small children can get into the bottle and imagine to their hearts’ content that they are sirup and pickles and everything else that they can’t have much of.— Detroit Journal. Young Clockmakerc. Atlanta, Ga., boasts of some ingenious and ambitious boys since two lads of that place, the older but fourteen and the younger eleven, have designed and constructed a clock that is a wonder of painstaking work. It contains over 300 pieces of wood, all of them cut from boards with a small foot power scroll saw and afterward sandpapered and put together with screws and mucilage. The clock represents a cathedral, from the dome of which a bell peals forth the hours of the day. Inside the building the columns and statuary of a cathedral are reproduced in wood. The clock is fifty-one inches high and twenty-one inches wide at the base, and the contrast in colors is decidedly pretty, the wood used being maple, white holly and walnut. The figures on the dial were cut from walnut with a pocketknife and look attractive on the white holly. Notwithstanding the simplicity of the tools used, the boys have succeeded in producing a timepiece of which they may be justly proud.— American Boy. Was Moses a Cowboy? Fred heard his father talking about a cattle stampede in the west, where the cowboys were caught in the great rush and some of them trampled to death. After a minute or two of profound thought he said*. “Papa, was Moses a cowboy?” “No, Fred. Why do you ask?” “Well, I’ve always heard of him as being in the bulrushes!”

Shaving His Dog. THS MASTER. Hold up your head; put in your tongue; How badly you’re behaving! Tour whiskers, sir, are much too long; It’s time you thought of shaving. You’re older far than I am. Smut, (Now, don’t you turn away, sir), And yet your hair has ne’er been cut. Nor have you used a razor. It won’t be long before you'll see My whiskers will be showing; Ten years next birthday I shall be, And fast, they say, I’m growing. \ THE DOO. How funny my young master is, Buch notions strange to harbor! What next, indeed? I’m sure my phiz Requires no meddling barber. Folks will not let our taila alone, But needa must cut them shorter. Our very ears are not our own; They crop off quite a quarter. There’s many a thing that I could tell We have to struggle under. But when it comes to shaving—well, This la the crowning wonder! —Philadelphia Time*

MONON TIME TABLE NUMBER 3. (In Effect June 2, 1901.) S'HITH HUUNII, | BOOTH BOUND. I; a u> V » in Mam ?-Hl a m No3Bl 46 p m 830 p m No 3 1126 pm 2:6. p m tNo 31 4 40 a m •Oaily except Sunday, tsunday only. Flag si op. “ 1

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