THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
SEPT. 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
BLACKBERRIES. 
Never before have we reaped so large a harvest of black¬ 
berries. This is apparently due to the fact that the cants 
were unharmed by the past w nter, for the season has been 
exceptionally dry. The berries, as shown by Fig. 242, are 
smaller than usual, but they were sketched with care from 
nature, and will serve as well to show the relative size as 
if all were larger in consequence of a season less dry. 
July 19. 
Minnkwaski plants were received from the originator, 
A. J. Caywood, in May of 1888. It (see No. 2, Fig 242) 
gives the first full picking after Early King and Early 
Harvest, though Gaynor is close upon it. Gaynor (see No. 
5, Fig. 242) gives a good-sized berry of about the same 
shape, though not quite so large. Minnewaski averages 
larger than Kittatinny. Quality not so sweet. 
Bagnard from E F. Richman, Muscadine, Iowa. This 
(see No. 8, Fig 242) averages large in size though often rather 
narrow or pointed at the tip. Drupelets large; quality 
about as good as Kittatinny. Ripens__ 
nearly as early as Minnewaski. ^ 
Taylor’s Prolific (see No. 7, Fig. 
242) ripens a few berries as good in 
quality as Minnewaski. Loaded with 
fruit mostly green and as yet small. 
Erie is a few days behind Minne¬ 
waski or about with Kittatinny. Ber¬ 
ries of the largest size, about like 
Lawton. Quality rather sour—not so 
good as Minnewaski. 
Early Cluster, as we have it from 
the introducer, ripens just with Min- Jlo jq 
newaski and has little claim to be con¬ 
sidered an early variety. Berries (see 
No. 4, 242) large, sour. 
TOPSY need not be described further 
than to say that while the berries are 
inferior to those o Minnewaski, Kit¬ 
tatinny, Agawam and Taylor, the canes 
are so beset with stiff, prominent 
thorns as to condemn it in toto. 
This is the Jw 
Childs’s Everbearing Tree BLAck- 
berry.— John Lewis Childs of Floral 
Park, N. Y., claims that it is “the 'ftirit 
largest, finest flavored and the most tjjLw 
prolific.” He further claims as shown *&(>£ 
in his catalogue illustration “ that it 
grows in tree form with one main stem 
which is thornless.” The claims are YH p F jr 
absurd. It is among the thorniest 
blackberries in cultivation. It is, no lM&| 
more than any other variety, disposed 
to assume a one stem form. As black- live) 
berry canes are biennial, a single-stem ' 
form would confine Its life to a single 
year. The berries are not of superior 
size or quality. The canes are not of 
remarkable hardiness. It is a variety 
to be avoided. 
Bonanza (plants received in 1885) this 
season for the first bears a full crop, 
and is at this date very productive. 
Berries medium in size and of fair 
quality. Ripens with Kittatinny. 
Agawam this season ripens with Kit¬ 
tatinny. Berries (see No. 3, Fig. 242) 
medium size, fine quality. 
July 20. //- .j 
Gaynor (No. 5, Fig 242), from Morris, 
Stone & Wellington, Welland, Ont., 
Canada, in 1884, ripening a small pro- 'Wm 
portion. Berries rather broad, short, 
oblong; drupelets large. As good as Njfe 
Minnewaski. 'Mai 
Red Cluster (from W. W. Hllborn, vscj 
Canada, April, 1886). All small. Just L “ 
beginning to ripen, sweet and tender. //- ) 
Minnewaski fruiting abundantly; 
fine, large, jet black, and uniformly so. 
Jewett (J. T. Lovett, Little Silver, 
N. J., April, 1890). About equal to No. l.-Erie. 
Minnewaski—not so large. No - ^.-Bangor. 
Nevada (Lovett, April, 1888), ripen¬ 
ing a few. Fair quality, very fruitful. Shape like Kitta¬ 
tinny, sometimes narrowing towards the tip. Kittatinny 
jast beginning to ripen. (See No. 10, Fig. 242 ) 
Bagnard, which originated on the farm of L. Bagnard, 
near Muscadine, la., is probably a seedling of Snyder. 
The berries average quite large, and, as stated above, 
inclined to narrow towards the tip. Ripens about with 
Kittatinny. 
Bangor, from Chase Brothers, Rochester, N. Y., April, 
1884, and originating near Bangor, Me. (See No. 6, Fig. 
242.) Just beginning to ripen; average small, quality as 
good as Kittatinny. 
Brkece’s No. 1.—All green as yet. 
Wilson, Jr , from Mr. Parry, Parry, N. J., March, 1883, 
is not so early as Minnewaski. It is scarcely earlier than 
Kittatinny, though more productive and larger. 
Erie is now (July 20) ripening large berries—broad, 
ovate; large drupelets, a little soft. Very showy. Quality 
inferior. As between this and Minnewaski, it is evident 
that the latter is to be chosen. It is hardier and the berry 
is less acid, while nearly as large. It is much like Lawton. 
See No. 1, Fig. 242. 
Agawam is laden with berries beginning to ripen—me¬ 
dium size; rather small drupelets. The quality is mild, 
seeds small. It is the best as to quality in this collection. 
The canes of Agawam are comparatively free of thorns. 
They are very hardy too. 
Early Cluster is broadly ovate (see No. 4. Fig. 242), in 
some berries nearly round. It is now ripening freely. 
Sour. 
July 2 1. 
Early Cluster.— Many berries ripening of the largest 
size, but not of the finest quality. Jet black, glossy, large 
drupelets. 
Agawam ripens just about with Kittatinny. Drupelets 
small, berry of medium size only. Fine quality. 
July 24. 
‘Gaynor. —Berries of the largest size, large drupelets; 
quality not quite so good as that of Minnewaski. 
Nevada ripeniDg freely now. Rather behind Kittatinny. 
Berries medium as to size. Quality fair only. 
July 27. 
Early Cluster is now bearing an enormous crop of 
large berries. Inferior to Kittatinny in quality, but bet¬ 
ter than earlier in the season. 
Taylor’s Prolific is ripening fairly. Thousands of 
green and red berries. It is late. 
BLACKBERRIES. Fig. 242. 
No. 2.—Minnewaski. 
No. 7.—Taylor, 
No. 8.—Agawam. 
No. 8.—Bagnard. 
No. 4.—Early Cluster. 
No. 9.—White. 
Red Cluster ripening freely. Berries small to medium- 
drupelets medium. Quality excellent. Very productive. 
Too small for market. 
August 1 8. 
Red Cluster is of little value. 
Gaynor fully tquals Minnewaski. 
Early King past. This berry commences to bear early, 
but not so early as Early Harvest as has been claimed. 
The berries are irregular in form, and of only fair quality. 
Early Harvest, to which reference has often been made, 
ripens its entire crop early, and for symmetry of berry 
stands unequaled. It is so far from hardy that it gives a 
full crop only in seasons preceded by mild winters. Then 
it bears bountifully. It is a beautiful berry, mild in quali¬ 
ty, and we commend it to all who care to protect it. 
Kittatinny still in moderate bearing. Where it thrives 
it is still—all things considered—the best berry save 
Agawam. Drought severe. 
Taylor is now bearing an immense quantity of rather 
small berries of good quality. 
Wilson, Jr., is still bearing abundantly. It is a most 
prolific variety, of fair quality, but not hardy in trying 
years. Berries still large and of better quality than 
earlier. 
Erie still bears well. Berries large, of better quality 
than earlier. 
Agawam, the best of blackberries as to quality, is still 
bearing a few. 
“Oregon Everbearing,” also known as Parsley-leaved 
and Cut-leaved, is this year worth having. ItsloDg, slender 
canes well furnished with dark green lactniated sharply 
serrate leaves, have borne bountifully. The berries are of 
medium size, sweetish though a trifle insipidly so, and 
have ripened through a long period, being at their best 
now. The canes are thorny and being somewhat tender, 
the variety should be valued for ornament or oddity chiefly. 
It is a variety of the European blackberry, Rubus fruti- 
cosus. It is often catalogued as R. laciniatus. 
Berries to the Pound. 
Early Cluster.— 112 average-sized berries weigh one 
pound. 
Kittatinny.— 127 average sized berries weigh one pound. 
Agawam —151 average sized berries weigh one pound. 
Gaynor.— 130 average-sized berries weigh one pound. 
Erie —102 average-sized berries weigh one pound. 
Minnewaski —115 average sized berries weigh one pound 
The R. N.-Y. Blackberry-Rasp¬ 
berry Hybrids. 
Fig. 243 sufficiently shows the prog- 
rtfS, ress made up to this time with the 
Raspberry-blackberry hybrids. Many 
plants have not yet fruited, but judg- 
ing by those that have, there is little 
M<\\ reason to hope for improved fruits 
Jut/l ^ through such crosses. 
WHATABOUTTHEWEAK 
WORKERS? 
Go on with your Discussion. 
That is just it, friend Hoskins ! A 
)^]q 'J boy must be made up to be a farmer; 
/ and after that he must be educated to 
be a farmer. But what is to be done 
with some of those chaps if you can’t 
make farmers or ministers of them ? 
There is nothing left open but the 
saloon. I am really staggered when I 
stop generalities and come down to 
particularities. A nicely dressed chap 
goes by three times every day, a neat, 
well built, rather good-looking young 
man of 20 or 22. He goes to the village 
and bangs about without ever working 
j. at all. His mother milks, stakes out 
> 'v the cow, runs the house, and draws a 
K pension. The boy never could work 
without crying over it; never did work; 
and what are you going to do about it? 
He lacks the stuff; and he lacks the 
'k education. I don’t think it is alto- 
)M gether owing to ignorance of the how ; 
I it is very much to the lack of snap, 
I tact and shrewdness. He would starve 
I at farming. We are, of course, to 
/ blame for breeding this class. I imagine 
if he were my boy, I could find a spot 
where he would be useful. Bat the 
mother is unable to do that; she lacks 
SaBRffirCffi grit and government, and what chance 
af c there may have been for the boy is lost. 
WM hSC/ffi The trouble with many farmers about 
©SKpS? here is that all their eggs are in one 
basket. One basket knocked over and 
/ they need the auctioneer. It Is a hop 
- section ; and not a few of my neigbors 
put all they own and all they can bor¬ 
row into hops, and run the chances. 
One hop raiser out of 20 succeeds; and 
that one does so because he can tide 
over a pinch by borrowing money; or he 
has not buried his last dollar in hop 
?/ hills. As sure as the sun shines there 
will be bad years and low prices. These 
catch thoughtless men, and they have 
-nothing to fall back on. Even the man¬ 
ure that should go to their corn and 
No. 5.—Gaynor. potato fields is given to the hops; and 
No. io.— Nevada. go the chances are made more close. I 
have other neighbors who have been 
ruined by strawberries, others by raspberries, others by 
corn and potatoes. They had all their eggs in one basket. 
Two bad strawberry years in succession upset a large 
number. Black raspberries were a mania with some, and 
they put all their force into them. The crop was good 
enough ; but too large for the market. They neglected 
the unprofitable bushes; and now there are not enough 
raised for the local demand. Scores are planting black¬ 
berries just now; and will be ruined by them. The 
market is easily overstocked, because hereabouts it comes 
in the peach season. 
But if we discreetly distribute our energy and capital 
we cannot fail. I begin with a sale of surplus plants, 
raising none specifically for market, but allowing no waste 
of canes of raspberries, etc. Here are $100; a strawberry 
crop that can be handled entirely by the family, is worth, 
in prime order, another $100. Raspberries that can be 
picked by the family and the regular hired help will 
bring $300 more. A currant yard reports from $50 to $100 
more ; blackberries, only a small patch, $50 ; cherries, $50; 
plums this year, $100; pears, $50 to $100. Apples average 
$100. Lima beans, a specialty, with which, for special 
reasons, I can command the market, $150. Then there are 
such sundries as eggs, milk, butter on a small scale, $100 
more; grapes, $100 more. What does that come to? 
Attention to these things keeps us busy; but the failure 
pf any of them cannot swamp us. I can afford to have 
