1891 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
771 
FARMERS’ CLUB DISCUSSION. 
( Continued .) 
Lewis, Secretary of the Louisiana State 
Grange, says: “ I have experimented more 
than any one else in my section with for¬ 
eign plants, especially winter grains and 
grasses. I have used rye and barley for 
winter feed, but have given them up in 
favor of Holcus lanatus. I have had this 
in cultivation for 30 years. It is a peren¬ 
nial, but owing to its shallow roots from 
50 to 75 per cent of it dies out during oar 
long, dry summer and fall; hence I have 
for 20 years or more used it as an annual, 
sowing it with turnips, collards or by 
itself.” This grass prefers low, wet land 
in the South, and on such it seems to be 
valuable. There are doubtless better 
grasses, but, as Prof. Phares says, there are 
places in the South where it may be the 
bast. The South wants grass and if in any 
section the Velvet Grass “fills the bill,” 
then by all means grow Velvet Grass. 
“ Don’t Fly Off at a Tangent.” 
S. A. Little, Seneca County, N. Y.—It 
is rather strange that the years as they ad¬ 
vance fall to teach farmers the value of the 
advice in this old sayimr, but it does not. 
Hay was so cheap during the past season 
that many farmers have plowed up acres of 
excellent meadow, only to be met by a 
drought which not only retards the growth 
of the seed planted, but will make the hay 
crop light and insure a high price for all 
which can be produced. 
Potatoes have been very scarce and many 
have paid a high price for seed for extra 
planting. It is rot common to find any 
crop failing for three years in succession, 
and it is probable that potatoes will be 
plentiful and cheap next fall. It is a safe 
rule to go into any branch of farming very 
lightly while every one Is wild over it. 
I remember many successive years when 
strawberries, even when five miles from 
the nearest market and eight from the best 
one, paid well. It was not uncommon to re¬ 
ceive 50 cents per quart at first, and they 
never went lower than from 12 to 15 cents. 
Multitudes of small farmers planted straw¬ 
berries, and we who are far from the markets 
must let them alone. Black caps will never 
be quite the same, for they can be dried 
profitably and held for market. If one is 
to go into new industries profitably he must 
be in advance of the rush, and he will often 
make more money if he waits until the 
rush is over and learns by means of his 
neighbors’ failures. 
There are, no doubt, sections where 
specialties pay, but in this section diver¬ 
sified farming seems best for the average 
farmer. Specialties demand a special sort 
of man. They require a man who is brave 
enough to “ learn by what he suffers ” and 
who studies his soil, his markets and his 
own capabilities, so that he not only pro¬ 
duces the very best results with the least 
possible outlay, but also has a market 
ready for the sort of crop which he culti¬ 
vates. No doubt the majority of farmers 
regard themselves as men of this exact 
stamp, but how does their bank account 
tally with the assertion? If the “eggs” 
are all “ put into one basket ” they must 
be packed securely with thought and study, 
so that no jolts of chance or misfortune 
can destroy them. 
RURAL LIFE NOTES. 
The R. N.-Y. talked about Elmagnus 
longipes some 15 years ago—but it is only 
now receiving the attention of the rural 
press. Mr. J. T. Lovett says that if it 
ripened in late autumn instead of July its 
value would be greatly enhanced. The 
bush comes into bearing as quickly as a 
red currant. Its yield is simply wonder¬ 
ful, the berries being literally crowded 
upon the underside of the branches. The 
fruit is borne upon slender stems about an 
inch and a half long, is of cinnabar color 
with numerous small light gray dots, and 
about three quarters of an inch long by a 
half inch in diameter. It is tender and 
juicy (.with one large, long, shapely, pointed 
seed in each berry), but so acid as to render 
it utterly unfit for use as a dessert fruit, 
though useful for tarts—in fact, for all 
purposes for which the cranberry is used.. 
The Shepherdia argentea belongs to the 
same order. This is kuown as the Buffalo 
Berry and bears similar fruit. The male 
and female flowers are, however, borne on 
different plants. Else ignus argentea or Sil¬ 
ver Berry bears perfect flowers with but 
four stamens instead of eight as with 
Shepherdia. Its fruit is silvery and mealy. 
Mr. Lovett’s experience with the Indus¬ 
try Gooseberry is similar to that of The R. 
N.-Y. He considers it the best of the for¬ 
eign varieties. Though it paitially fails 
with him, he has seen it in other places 
giving the greatest satisfaction. 
Commenting on the discussion common 
now in Eugland and Continental Europe, 
as it is here, viz., why the boys and girls 
leave the farm, and how they can be re¬ 
tained upon it, the London Spectator says 
brutally, but truly, " Agriculture has be¬ 
come a discredited occupation,” and adds 
with lees truth, “ none but the dull, stupid 
and ignorant, will submit to its degrading 
labors.” 
“If agriculture,” comments B. F. John¬ 
son in the Practical Farmer, “ shall be¬ 
come so degraded a calling, that none but 
the poor and ignorant pursue it, it does 
ndf' appear how the world’s people are to 
be provided with food and raiment, or 
what will prevent the reappearance of the 
famines, which were the scourge of primi¬ 
tive people. 
Wild Black Cherry.—I f, says the Cana¬ 
dian Horticulturist, we were asked the 
question, Which is the comirg timber tree ? 
we would at once answer, the Wild Black 
Cherry. Our reasons for believing this are 
as follows: 1. It grows to an Immense 
size, often 70 feet in height and four feet in 
diameter. 2. Its timber stands next to 
mahogany for cabinet purposes, as it is a 
very dark red and takes a very fine 
polish. It is often substituted for that 
valuable wood in veneering. 3. it makes a 
rapid growth, growing at least a third 
faster than the walnut, and is entirely 
free from injury by such enemies as insects, 
borers and rabbits. The young trees 
transplant as easily as cottonwood. 4. Its 
fruit is used for pies and dried for winter 
use. It is al»o used in the manufacture of 
wine. 5. Its bark makes one of the most 
valuable tonic3 known. 6. The tree Is 
beautiful. Its leaves are a dark, livid 
green, its flowers pure white and its fruit 
a rich black. There is, we may add, a great 
difference In the size and quality of seed¬ 
ling wild cherries, which leaves no doubt 
that there is great room for improvement 
by crossing and cultivation. 
It is now six years since we made a cross 
between the Cottage (Bull) aud.Lady Wash¬ 
ington (Ricketts), the first being a pure 
Labrusca, the other having some foreign 
blood probably, being the result of a cross 
between Concord and one of Allen’s hy¬ 
brids. The R. N.-Y crosses (about a dozen 
in number) have all fruited and, as our 
readers are aware, have given little promise 
of any especial value until the present sea¬ 
son. One of the vines bore several bunches 
which were found to be of a peculiarly 
rich, high quality. The berries are of 
medium size, oblate in shape, dark blue, 
with a heavy bloom. The skin Is firm, 
though not thick, the flesh meaty, firmly 
meaty, with little, if any, gristly pulp. The 
flavor reminds one of Eumelan, free from 
foxiness, sprightly, intense. The berries 
cling firmly to the peduncle, never drop¬ 
ping and, though they seemed to be ripe 
with Early Victor, Geneva, Cottage, etc^ 
yet they were in a perfect condition as late 
as October 12. As to the size of the bunch 
we cannot speak. All were too much in¬ 
jured by the rose chafer. 
There is just one teaching in the above : 
Do not condemn a seedling grape too early. 
It is best, indeed, to propagate it and judge 
of the propagated vines and fruit. 
The “400” Tomato—the provisional 
name—is a giant. This much, at least, 
may be truly said of it. 
California peaches this season have been 
larger than evtr before and brighter col¬ 
ored. This has insured them a ready sale, 
though tbe price for these seemingly per¬ 
fect specimens has been low. The quality, 
however, has been quite inferior—the flesh 
tough and low flavored as If the peaches 
were plucked too early. Besides, the flesh 
clings closely to the pits. California is 
doing its fruit industry great harm by 
sending to the Eastern markets fruits 
which no one cares to purchase twice. 
Beauty and exquisite packing will not an¬ 
swer for quality. 
Readers may like to know that the 
white Rosa rugosa sets more fruit than the 
pink variety and the heps are larger and 
of a more brilliant red. If we could have 
but one of these noble roses, it would be 
the white, both on account of its large heps 
and also because the plant seems less in¬ 
clined to leggiuess. This latter, however, 
is easily remedied by timely cutting back,. 
Prof. Bailey of Cornell, says that it Is 
certain that the English cucumber will grow 
to perfection without seeds and entirely 
without the aid of pollen. Out of doors pol¬ 
len is carried from the male to the female 
flowers by insects, but pollen-carrying in¬ 
sects are absent from the greenhouse. The 
early flowers nearly always fail to set if 
pollen Is withheld, but late flowers upon the 
same plant may set freely with no polieu. 
Cucumbers which set without pollination 
are uniformly seedless throughout,the walls 
of the ovules remaining loo-e and empty... 
WORD FOR WORD 
- Canadian Horticulturist : “ On 
many a small place apple trees are planted 
for ornament as well as for .ruit. Let us 
recommend for this double purpose the 
Gravenstein. Shapely, a good grower, the 
fruit is large and excellent and for cooking 
it has no superior. As a fl iwerlug tree it 
is superb, being loaded with wreaths of 
choice, large flowers of a delicate white and 
highly perfumed. If one has room for but 
a single tree this variety should be planted.” 
-Grape Juice: “Use thoroughly ripe 
and fresh Coucord or Isabella Grapes. Al¬ 
low one quart of water to three quarts of 
grapes freed from the stems. Let it come 
slowly to a boil, and when the whole mass 
is boiling hot, strain the juice through a 
cheese cloth, then return the liquor to the 
fire and as soon as at a boiling point again, 
bottle and seal tightly. The less the fruit 
is cooked, the brighter will be the color 
and the better the natural flavor of the 
grape will be retained. It must be at the 
boiling point when sealed. A little sugar 
may be used if preferred. Keep in a cool 
place.” 
-Life: “There is a theory that a boy 
who is old enough to go to college is old 
enough to regulate his behavior after he 
gets there.” 
-Gladstone: “In regard to the hours 
of labor, I view with satisfaction and sym 
pathy, and with the liveliest pleasure, the 
large reductions in the amount of toll ex¬ 
acted which my fellow-citizens have 
achieved in the last 20 years. I wish well 
to all further reductions that it may be 
possible to achieve without a violation of 
the rights of any man. I wish In a quali¬ 
fied manner to see progress in such changes 
in the lot of labor. That lot is certain to 
continue sufficiently severe, and it ought to 
be a subject for unmixed joy whenever It 
can be mitigated by means involving no 
violation of the principle of liberty.” 
-Christian Union : “ A single speech 
of 60 minutes Is sometimes more satisfac¬ 
tory to the speaker, but six speeches of 10 
minutes each are almost invariably more 
satisfactory to the audience.” 
“ Criticism never painted a picture; and 
an age which produces only critics produces 
no art.” 
-Lord Chesterfield: “Every moment 
you now lose, is so much character and ad¬ 
vantage lost; as, on the other hand, every 
moment you now employ usefully, is so 
much time wisely laid out, at prodigious 
interest.” 
If you name Tns R. N.-Y. to our adver¬ 
tisers you may be pretty sure of prompt 
replies and right treatment. 
TH E 
NP 
x\C N 
Q 
Waste Not—VVant Not 
N 
Corn Husker & Fodder Cutter 
s indispensable to any farmer ’ 
Corn and Cattle. It saves labor in hand¬ 
ling, space in storing and makes the 
stalksas valuable for feed as the grain. 
We prove this. Can you afford to miss it? 
Waste not, want not. Write for book, 
“The Great Leak on the Farm,” to 
Keystone Mfg. Co., 
Branches: Sterling, III. 
Kansas City, Mo., St. Louis, Mo., 
Council Bluffs,la. arid Columbus,O. 
Mention tin's paper. 
WE WILL SELL YOUR PRODUCE"* 
TROTH & MOORE, 313 H. Water St., Phila. 
Poultry, K««e and Game. Apples. Potatoes and 
Onions In car lots. ^■Correspondence Isollcited. 
850,000 
RHKQB 
IOO Varieties.'''""Small Fruita, Treea.&c- B «"‘ 
rooted stock. Genuine, cheap. !£ Hamplo vines mailed for l't-c. W* 
•ortpttre priceli.it free. LEWIS ROESCH. FVoilonla. 5i. Y. 
Cumberland Nurseries. 
A large stock of Apple Trees for sale this Fall and 
next spring, four years old, If to one Inch caliber, 
7 feet In height, thrifty and best paying sorts for 
latitude of Pennsylvania. Will sell at low figures In 
large lots. Also a full line of general Nursery Stock 
Correspondence solicited. Address 
HENRY 8. IUJTP & SONS, 
SlilremniiHtowii, I*a. 
T. V. MUNSON, DENISON, TEXAS. 
Headquarters for I’arker KnrleStrnwherry. Bril¬ 
liant, Campbell, Itommel and Herman Jaeger 
drapes. Descriptions and Prices on Application. 
BERRY ^ants, ft 
“** 1 m. ■ %. ■ Small fruit plants. 
Low prices. 
Grnpc Vinen, 
Fruit Treea, 
Small fmit plants. Large stock. 
Catalogue free. WM. STAHL. Quincy. III. 
TREES 
PEACH Mpcclulty 
A full selection of nil the lending: vnrletlcn. 
A correct descriptive I Also a full line of PLANTS and 
and finely Illustrated OltNitjlKNTALM. Plant* 
Put a log no FltlCIC ! and Trees by mall. Address 
JOS. H. BLACK, SON 4. CO., 
Village Nurseries, Hightstown, N.J. 
GOO ACRES. 13 GREENHOUSES, 
TREES 4 ® PLANTS 
We offer for the Full trade a large and fine stock 
of evory description of FRUIT and Ornamental 
TRICES, Shrubs, Roses, Vinca, NillALI, 
FRUITS, (ledge Plants, Fruit Tree Seed¬ 
lings and Forest Tree Seedlings. Pricod Cata¬ 
logue, lull of 1891, mailed free. Established 1862. 
PHOENIX NURSERY COMPANY 
Sneeeuor* to SIDNEY TliTTLK St CO., HI.OUtllNUTOA, ILL. 
Valuable Dairy Farm 
For sale In Amenia, Dutchess Co., N. Y. 200 acres 
cultivated; 110 acres wood. Price, t15,000. 2M, miles 
from Wussalc, Harlem Railroad. Will keep 50 cows. 
Milk sold at the Borden’s Condensed Milk Factory, 
Wassalc, for the past 25 years. 
HOWARD K. CLINE, Amenia Union, N. Y. 
CLAREMONT Land Association, Kur^uTvi. 
Offers GOO choice farms: 3,000 handsome town 
lots on James River, with terms to suit purchasers 
Free circular. 
A Red River Valley, North Dakota, Farm. 
Immediately adjoining the celebrated Dalrymple 
Karin, fully and iplendldly equipped. 1,600 acres in 
wheat this year. Commodious and substantial but ti¬ 
lting, and product of farm will sell for $ I >,l)oo or more 
than half the price asked for the property. Nothing 
more productive In the entire Northwest; unprece¬ 
dented opportunity for a good farmer. Present owner 
will retire from active pursuits, and also offers at 
great bargains live other smaller farms ranging In 
area from Ifiu to 800 acres. No exchange, no trude of 
any sort will b t considered, hut liberal terms of low 
Interest will be granted. 
Address CHAS. A. MORTON, Fargo, N. D. 
SUNNYSIDEr'^JLViaiS 
Farm, near large city ; 787 acres-80u In cultivation, 
2'7 grass. Id) wood land, 100 acres flue river bottoms, 
absolutely inexhaustible; uplands rich; farm well 
fenced and wulcred ; nice residence on commanding 
situation; eminently healthy ; ample outbuildings; 
everything in good repair. Average, 20 per cent net 
profit annually. $12,000. W. G. STKVaNS, Houston,Va. 
A CUP OF COFFEE 
from our premium coffee pot will brighten 
the good wife and send the husband to the 
Helds in a cheerful frame of mind. 
This is the “Marlon Harland coffeepot,” 
scientifically constructed and recommended 
by physicians. We advocate and offer It: 
1. Because it saves at least 40 per cent over 
ordinary methods of coffee making. 
2. Because it is so simple. It Is no more 
trouble than the ordinary coffee pot and In¬ 
sures a delicious cup of coffee. 
3. Because It condenses all vapor, not al¬ 
lowing the aroma or strength to escape. 
4. Because 
it filters the 
coffee—mak¬ 
ing it bright 
and clear,and 
allows no sed¬ 
iment to be 
found In the 
cup.* 
5. Because 
it keeps tbe 
boiling water 
in contact 
with the cof¬ 
fee grounds 
the proper 
time for ex¬ 
tracting a 11 
the aroma and strength and none of the 
bitterness. 
6. Because lo allows the removal of the 
grounds from the coffee pot as soon as the 
beverage Is made. 
7. Because it Is so strong and well made. 
The coffee pot is handsomely nickel- 
plated and has a wooden handle. Price 
$1.20, by express. This is the two-quart 
size, holding three to seven cups. With 
a year’s subscription to Thk Rural New- 
Yokkkr $2 25. With one renewal undone 
new subscription, ull for $3.75, 
