738 
OCT. 17 
VALUE OF THE PAPAW FRUIT. 
"The American Banana.” 
F. J. H., Wheeling, W. Va —I am glad 
The Rural has called public attention to 
the beauties ol the Dapaw. It makes a 
handsome clump of semi dwarf trees and 
bears a very delicious fruit. The papaws 
from North Carolina sampled by the Rural 
force were doubtless eaten too green. In 
this condition the fruit has the sickish 
sweet taste described. Most persons like it 
best when it has lain until the skin has 
become black; but others prefer it as soon 
as it is soft. The taste for it is largely an 
acquired one, few persons liking it at first, 
but once accustomed to it, few can be 
sated. It is so digestible that overeating 
is almost impossible. It blooms about with 
the apple. At any rate the frost that this 
spring killed all the apples, pears, peaches, 
etc., killed the papaws in my vicinity. It 
never winter-kills in this latitude of almost 
40 degrees. 
H. F. H., Lexington, Ky-I have read 
with interest recent articles in The R N.- 
Y. about papaws. They grow everywhere 
in this State as a forest undergrowth. 
They are not abundant in the Blue Grass 
sections, because our woodlands are kept 
free of all brush. The fruit is now on our 
markets and finds considerable demand in 
a retail way. I am not surprised at the 
verdict rendered in The Rural office as to 
its quality. The first trial of it never leaves 
a good impression, but longer acquaintance 
develops a different feeling. It will never 
become a popular fruit. Eaten from the 
tree when mellow and perfectly ripe, it is 
not rank in flavor, but richer and more 
satisfying than a banana; gathered green or 
when stale it is rank and cloying. I have 
before me a basket of it just in the best 
condition, and the children, tnough they 
have access to peaches, grapes, apples, 
pears and plums, express their appreciation 
of this fruit, by Including it in their lunch 
baskets for school. They have secured my 
permission to establish a grove in a suitable 
place in a walnut woodland, and anticipate 
much pleasure in their " papaw orchard.” 
The finest fruit is borne on young plants 
in woodland openings. Old trees are not in 
my experience desirable. Their fruit is 
less abundant, smaller, and rank in flavor. 
It is, as justly observed by The Rural, a 
beautiful tree, and if the “ sorrel ” soil of 
New Jersey will yield such a fruit as that 
of Blue-Grass land, and one gathers and 
enjoys it just in its perfection of ripeness, 
I am sure he will not withhold a large 
measure of commendation. 
T. B. B., Dallas, Tex.— I have just read 
the short article on page 686 of The Rural 
New-Yorker, of September 26, on ‘‘Some 
Experience With Papaw Fruit.” The ver¬ 
dict of those who ate the fine specimens 
of the “American banana” seems to me 
to be a fair one, and to coincide with the 
general opinion wherever this fruit is 
known. Individually I like the taste of the 
papaw pretty well—better in fact than most 
people do—but very little of it suffices 
at a time. Almost everybody agrees with 
The Rural people that it is “sickishly 
sweet,” and generally undesirable. 
I have been familiar with the papaw tree 
all my life, but I know of no practical use 
for it unless as a somewhat ornamental 
tree. Like the rapid-growing but malodor¬ 
ous “tree of paradise,” its leaves are offen¬ 
sive to the nostrils. 
There are many groves of papaw trees 
along the water-courses of eastern Texas 
and Louisiana, and during autumn the 
ground is fairly covered with the fruit. Yet 
it seems to be little cared for by any animals 
except the opossum, and possibly the coon 
to some extent. Hogs will not eat it, and 
birds do not seem to peck it much. Hens 
will eat it to some extent in an indifferent 
sort of way. I presume bears love it, as 
they are fond of sweet things. 
The papaw wood is exceedingly light, and 
I have seen it used for walking canes by old 
men, which is the only use I have seen it 
put to. 
Music on the Farm. 
D. P. Horton, Long Island.— Among 
my earliest recollections of interesting read¬ 
ings is one by a visitor to a farmhouse, 
wherein after dinner, the farmer motioned 
to his son, who took from the oak beams of 
the open kitchen, two dark colored fiddles, 
upon which they played familiar airs, much 
to their own pleasure and greatly to the 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
satisfaction of those who heard them. In 
this manner they were accustomed to spend 
their noonings. The reading of this made 
an indelible impression upon my mind, and 
good music has been a means of enjoyment, 
not only at noon, but at morning and even¬ 
tide. The ability to play well upon an instru¬ 
ment is a great accomplishment, and to do 
this in the best way, one must needs learn 
to sing. The vocal instrument is capable 
of wonderful improvement and very much 
is learned by imitation. Hence a poor 
model is worse than none. Greatly to be 
congratulated are those children whose par¬ 
ents can guide them aright in the family 
singing. The long eveniDgs will afford time 
for study and practice, and good music adds 
much to the enjoyment of life at home on 
the farm. Many years ago, Wm. B. Brad¬ 
bury wrote the song, “ A Farmer I Will 
Be.” It was published first in the Ameri¬ 
can Agriculturist, and proved a power for 
good. A good agricultural paper is always 
welcomed by the wide-awake farmer’s fam¬ 
ily, and a rousing song now and then would 
add to its interest. In some of our farmers’ 
institutes singing is tandwiched in the 
programme and a hearty chorus gives good 
cheer. The Rural can help right along 
in this line. 
ESTIMATES THAT DO NOT AGREE. 
From, a paper read be 
fore the American Pom- 
ological Society, Sep¬ 
tember 'ii, by J. T. 
LoVitt, the INTRODUCER 
of the fruits mentioned 
below: 
“ I must not omit to 
speak of Childs's Ever- 
bearing Tree Blackberry 
or Topsy. This I think a 
hybrid of Rubus euuel- 
follus by Rubus vlllosus, 
retaining the stout up¬ 
right cane and villainous 
spines of the former sn*l 
the large fruit of the lat¬ 
ter. * * * It is exceedingly 
prolific, beginning to ri¬ 
pen late, or the first of 
August with me, and re¬ 
maining in fruit from 
four to six weeks. The 
berries are of the largest 
size, rather soft and cf 
good though not high 
quality. It is not very 
hardy, its position being 
between the Wilson and 
Lawton in this regard. 
In localities where the 
mercury does not fall 
below zero it possess* s 
much value for the home 
garden, but I do not 
think it would prove 
profitable to the market 
grower anywhere, owing 
especially to its lateness 
in ripening. Cn ordi¬ 
nary soil the canes at¬ 
tain a height of three to 
four feet.” 
“Gandy or Gan¬ 
dy’s Prize 
Is a valuable very late 
sort, being the latest to 
ripen of any variety I 
know. The fruit is large, 
firm and excellent, the 
plant of strong growth. 
In common with all va¬ 
rieties producing very 
large berries It requires 
high culture. It is not 
very productive under 
ordinary culture and I 
have received reports 
that the foliage in some 
localities is seriously af 
fected with rust. With 
me. however, it ba; not 
yet manifested this 
weakness.” 
"Childs’s Japan¬ 
ese Wineberry 
Is perhaps worthy of 
mention * * * the ber¬ 
ries * * are rather be¬ 
low the average size of 
red raspberries. * * * 
They are too soft for 
transportation and al¬ 
though rich are too acid 
to be enjoyed by any ex¬ 
cept those who are fond 
of acid fruit. The ber¬ 
ries ripen at the close of 
the raspberry season.” 
From the catalogue of 
John Lewis Childs: 
“ It is the finest flavor¬ 
ed, most prolific, fruit¬ 
ing for two months. It 
grows five to seven feet. 
The berries commence to 
ripen early in July. They 
are the fin st qua.I ty of 
all berries * * * its 
perfect hardiness in the 
coldest parts of the coun¬ 
try,” etc. 
“ IV e w Strawberry, 
First Season. It 
bears a good crop 
immediately alter 
planting.” 
“ This berry is rightly 
named and is the most 
valuab'e sort ever intro- 
dui ed as it fruits at once 
* * * is an enormous 
cropper.” [This is Mr. 
Lovett's Gandy, renam¬ 
ed “First Season.” Eds.1 
Childs’s Japan¬ 
ese Wineberry. 
“ The quality is sweet 
* * having no disagree¬ 
able sour, but a delicate 
and luscious flavor pe¬ 
culiar to itself and «u 
perlor to other berries. 
It commences to ripen 
early in July.” 
J. C. Vaughan, of Chicago, Ill., sent ns 
last spring a dahlia numbered 100. It proves 
to be a dwarf, not over 2)4 feet tall. It be¬ 
gan to bloom among the earliest, and has 
been covered with its large, full, intensely 
yellow flowers ever since. We should pro¬ 
nounce it the Queen of the Yellows. 
WIDEAWAKE ITEMS. 
A Charming Home For Sale.— The very 
next farm to the Rural Grounds (20 acres) 
is for sale. The present owner is obliged to 
sell it because from dissipation he has 
squandered everything except this delight¬ 
ful home, while proving during his owner¬ 
ship that a thrifty farmer could easily earn 
his living upon its fertile land—and more. 
The house is new and commodious—so are 
the barn, carriage house, etc. The land 
about is lovely, being varied with hills, 
valleys and woods; the drinking water is 
perfect. Upon the land for sale Is a little 
lake, filled with never failing spring water. 
It is but 17 miles from New York by rail, 
and 14 by carriage road. It is a lonely place 
to those who do not love country life for 
itself—but its advantages are many and its 
future one that promises a safe investment. 
It will be sold either at private or public 
sale within a year. The R. N.-Y. would 
purchase it readily enough except that it 
has more land than it can look after al¬ 
ready. It wants a progressive, respectable 
neighbor. Hence this note. To secure this 
it is ready to take a bond and mortgage 
upon the prop°rty for any reasonable 
amount as a guarantee of its good faith. 
It has no further interest in the matter. 
“ McAllister’s gang” is the disrespect¬ 
ful way in which our high-toned comic 
paper, Life, alludes to the four hundred.... 
The chief reason, Lifegoes on to say, why 
McAllister’s folks figure in'the newspapers 
to such an extent is that they are excep¬ 
tionally conspicuous They are rich, as a 
rule, and they spend their incomes on 
clothes, houses, horses, balls and such mat¬ 
ters, to any very high enjoyment of which 
publicity is essential. No doubt there are 
a good many chuckleheads whose knees 
shake a little when the 400 sweep by, but 
the normal American, when he is inter¬ 
ested in them at all, is interested in much 
the same way as he is in the young woman 
who j amps through the paper covered hoop 
at the circus. 
Of late years The R. N.-Y. has been in¬ 
terested in dahlias—chiefly those from 
seeds. All should know, though compara¬ 
tively few do, that dahlias bloom as well 
and nearly as early from seeds as from the 
roots or tubers or, better, tuberous roots. 
Frosts have not come as early as usual, atd 
these seedling dahlias are now at their very 
best. Some of them bear flowers but an 
inch across of nearly every shade ex¬ 
cept blue; some are as large as the largest, 
though, for the most part single or semi 
double. Some of the flowers are yellow, 
splashed with red or dotted with red ; some 
of the petals are red, others yellow in the 
same flower. Some of the plants grow six 
feet high—others but two. 
Six chestnut trees raised from Japan 
seed six years ago are now about eight feet 
high. But one of them is in fruit. It bears 
three burrs. The trees were transplanted 
the third year. 
(Continued on next page.) 
In writing to advertisers please always 
mention The Rural New-Yorker. 
Vanderbilt’s 
Check is no stronger in Wall street, than the word 
of Mr. H. G. Saunders, a prominent carpenter and 
builder of Auburn, N. Y., is among his fellow citizens. 
He says under date of August 4, 1891: 
“ I Pin My Faith 
to Hood’s Sarsaparilla. Wnenever I see any one 
‘broken up,’ or ‘run down.’ I say ‘You just take a 
bottle of Hood’s Sarsaparilla and it will bring you out 
all right.’ I have been subject to severe attacks of 
Rheumatism in my arms and chest. A very few 
coses of 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
cured me of the last one, when suffering Intensely. 
I urge all who suffer similarly to give Hood's Sarsa¬ 
parilla a fair trial.” H. G Saunder-*. 
t. LIKE 
__ CONDITION POWDER 
Highly concentrated. Dose small. In quantity costs 
jss than one-tentli cent a day per hen. Prevents and 
ures all diseases. If you can’t get it, we send by mail 
ost-paid. One pack. 25c. Five $1. 2 1-4 lb. can $1.20; 
•-THE-- 
REX 
Trade Mark. 
ATKINS’ SEGMENT GROUND. 
PATENTED OCT. 15, 1889. 
14 gauge on tooth edge. 
16 gauge on ends on back edge. 
19 gauge at center on back edge. 
PRICE, WITHOUT HANDLES, 75 CTS. PER FOOT. 
* 77 ** pxwtcpff 
kwsv* 
&V 
ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR LUMBERMEN’S USE. 
r ADE from fine selected tool steel, tempered by Natural 
- I Ga«, the best fuel in the world for tempering. Afinecut- 
tingedgeis imparted to the steel. FiDehigh tempered saws will 
do more work without filing than other saws, and hold their 
set longer. All the wearing teeth being of uniform thickness, 
each tooth does its share of the work, and tho saw being thin¬ 
ner ill center of back docs not bind. For sale by the trade. 
Ask your hardware dealer for the Atkins Rex Saw. and take 
no Other. If the dealer will not order it for you, remit amount 
with order direct to us. E.C. AtkillS &CO. 
Indianapolis, Ind. Memphis, Tenn. 
Minneapolis, Minn. Chattanooga, Tenn. 
QUAKER CITY 
GRINDING MILL 
CORN and COBS, 
FEED and TABLE 
MEAL. 
for all mills advertised. 
' e best and return 
A.W. STRAUB&C 0 .,Philada. Pa. 
Territory East of Ohio. 
CO. Springfield, O. Ter’j We*tof F» 
I ANCHOR POST. 
Cheapest, Strongest, Handiest 
and Most Durable fence post, 
both for ornamental and farm 
purposes. 
ALL MATERIAL SUPPLIED FORM COM- 
PLETE FENCE. 
For Circulars and Estimates, 
address . . . 
Tim ANCHOR POST CO. 
Agents Wanted. 59 WEST 42d ST., N. Y. 
'The M^Malien Woven Wire Fence Co. 
BEST 
STEF! 
WIRE 
Woven Wire. 
w WIRE ROPE SELVAGE the BEST. 
TICES REDUCED. Sold by dealers. FREIGHT PAID. 
cMCLL.EN‘8 POULTRY NETTING. New-thin*. 
..«Snei Hi* haim-ino-l' Extra Heavy 8elva*e. 
Got 
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ep Powers, 
1 and power Com 
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Just Published. 
HOW TO RID 
Buildings and Farms 
OF 
RATS, 
Mice, Gophers, Ground Squirrels, 
Prairie Dogs, Rabbits, Moles, 
Minks, Weasels and other Pests 
quickly and safely. How to snare 
Hawks and Owls. 
Valuable Hints to Housekeep¬ 
ers, Farmers and Poultr y 
Keepers. 
By "PICKETT.” 
PRICE, 20 CENTS. 
THE RURAL PUBLISHING CO., 
Times Building, New York. 
