118 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Feb. 25 
only at long intervals. It is the result of crossing the 
peach some four years ago and of again crossing the 
proge*y later. It so differs from other tomatoes in 
color, form and skin that those who see it for the first 
time , ask what it is. A trial of these tomatoes is 
respectfully urged upon our readers. Thorburn & Co , 
is one of the oldest as it is one of the most trustworthy 
firms in the country, and that is the estimation in 
which it has been held for over 75 years. 
W. Atlkb Bubpee & Co., Philadelphia, Pa. —An 
enterprising firm and a trustworthy catalogue of 175 
pages, including several well-executed colored plates 
and many pages of specialties. Among these are the 
Melrose musk-melon, densely netted and of the highest 
quality ; White Wonder cucumber, Golden King 
pepper and Truckers’ Favorite tomato. The White 
Wonder cucumber is a wonder indeed. The color is 
ivory-white from infancy to maturity, the size aver¬ 
ages eight inches long by two or three inches through 
and the vines are exceptionally productive, hardy and 
vigorous. The flesh is exquisitely fine in quality, 
crisp and remains firm for an unusually long time. 
The Golden King pepper is a sport of the popular 
Ruby King. The plants are vigorous and productive 
and the fruits large, of a bright yellow color and so 
mild in quality that they may be sliced like tomatoes 
or cucumbers as salads. The Trucker’s Favorite 
tomato is said to be one of the largest varieties known 
and quite regular in shape and size, a fine shipper and 
a good keeper. It ripens evenly to the stem and the 
vines are strong and healthy. 
Last year Mr. Burpee offered a prize of $100 for the 
most prolific plant of his Bush Lima. The prize plant 
bore 358 pods. Our opinion of this best of the dwarf 
Limas, as raised at the Rural Grounds, was given two 
years ago. The Willow-leaf Lima bears leaves of a 
narrowly ovate-acuminate shape; otherwise we do not 
find it of any peculiar value. The Black Lima is pe¬ 
culiar in that the seeds are partly black or dark pur¬ 
ple. When boiled they are of a dark color somewhat 
objectionable. Except as a curiosity we do not find it a 
variety to be commended over the ordinary pole Lima. 
We tried the Country Gentleman sweet corn and 
found it to be no startling improvement over the Ne 
Plus Ultra (known by several other names) introduced 
years ago. It is, however, an excellent late variety 
with the marked advantage of an ear perfect in shape. 
The kernels are deep and of the first quality. The 
Heroine pea is placed among the novelties. We first 
raised it two years ago and pronounced it then (as 
now) among the best intermediate varieties known. 
All should try it. 
George W. P. Jerkard, Caribou, Me.—Seed pota¬ 
toes are made a specialty. Last season, the crop was 
abundant; there was no rot and the potatoes were of 
large size and fine quality, as grown in this cold north 
country. Mr. Jerrard says that he plants only smooth 
tubers of desirable shape, discarding all prongy speci¬ 
mens or such as show tendency to any kind of disease. 
As a consequence, he claims to have es¬ 
tablished strong, hardy strains of many 
of the kinds he offers for sale. Each 
season he furnishes this “ pedigree” 
seed to farmers in his county, who raise 
crops for Mr. Jerrard on contract. The 
seeds, stored in cool cellars during the 
winter remain quite dormant, so that 
when spring opens they are as sound as 
a dollar even though kept until June. 
Such seed, it is claimed, will yield from 
one-third to twice as much as seed 
weakened by sprouting. 
The Early Harvest, now offered for 
the first, is according to Mr. Jerrard’s 
trials, the earliest variety known. It 
yields heavily, is of the best quality and 
of- fine appearance. This is offered in 
lots of one and two pounds only. 
Early Norther was introduced last 
year. It is from the Early Rose, but 
nearly doubles it in yield. The better 
known kinds are New Queen, Minister, 
Harbinger, Summit, Negro, Dandy, 
Dakota Red, Rochester Rose, Early Six 
Weeks, Beauty of Hebron, Puritan, etc. 
The catalogue will be mailed free to all 
on application to Mr. Jerrard. 
J. J. H. Gregory, Marblehead, Mass. 
—There is no seedsman in America that 
enjoys a sounder reputation for square 
dealing and conscientious claims for 
the seeds he offers. The catalogue (75 
pages) makes no pretense of captivating 
readers by tawdry colored pictures or 
inflated, windy phraseology. It aims to 
guide, not to misguide; to enlighten, 
not to bewilder its readers. Among the 
new vegetables catalogued for the first, 
attention is called to the Stabler and Bo¬ 
nanza corn; the Belmont and Royal Red tomatoes. After 
having carefully tested the Warren Bush bean side 
by side with scores of varieties, Mr. Gregory pronounces 
it to be the “ richest flavored of all bush beans.” It is 
Burpee’s Brack Lima. Fig. 41. 
a good cropper and has a large, pulpy, stringless 
pod. When cooked, it has the rich flavor that hereto¬ 
fore has been believed to be confined to the best of the 
pole beans. 
Of Baxter’s Six Rowed barley, Prof. Saunders, Direc¬ 
tor of the Canada Experiment Farm, says: “ In a test 
made with 13 of the best six-rowed varieties, it was 
found to produce the heaviest grain.” 
Mr. Gregory is well pleased with the Early Beauty 
of Elberon potato. He finds it to be among the 
earliest, of good size, few small, fine shape, white 
skin and eyes near the surface. 
The New Cardinal pepper “ grows to a length of 
about six inches, thick and sweet flesh, and one of the 
most beautiful and brilliant vegetables grown. It is 
worthy of cultivation for its beauty alone. 
Among flower specialties may be noted Centrosema 
grandiflora (elsewhere described), New Striped Flow¬ 
ered begonias, Lady of the Lake petunia, Double 
Golden Yellow Scabiosa, Zinnia elegans grandiflora, 
striped and variegated Japanese hop-vine. 
Elrwanger <fc Barry, Rochester, N. Y.—When we 
consider the great amount of good that this liberal- 
minded firm has done for the pomological and horti¬ 
cultural interests of our country during the past 50 
years, we have the feeling that the praise of the usual 
catalogue notice, however sincerely intended, detracts 
something—cheapens rather the high estimation in 
which it should be held bv all. 
The general catalogue of 160 pages (illustrated) is 
the same as usual. It is given up to fruits of all kinds, 
ornamental trees, herbaceous plants, roses and the 
like. The descriptions are conservative, concise, and 
as trustworthy as they can be made. The first page 
of this general catalogue is one of the most pleasing 
combinations of color work that we have seen. The 
last cover shows the three hardy roses in color, Mrs. 
John Laing, Earl of Dufferin, and Marshal P. Wilder. 
The Columbus gooseberry, as has before been stated 
in these columns, is introduced by this firm, and it is 
probably the best variety of foreign blood that has been 
grown. The Superlative raspberry is of a peculiar 
conical form, dull red in color ; flavor fine. Six good 
specimens weigh an ounce. The canes are vigorous 
and need little if any support. It is believed to be a 
decided advance upon all the well-known kinds of this 
class. Anthracnose has prevented a report of the 
variety as grown at the Rural Grounds. 
A supplementary catalogue is issued of rare and 
choice shrubs, roses and fruits. 
Peter Henderson & Co., New York City.—This 
must rank, as in previous years, among the hand¬ 
somest and costliest catalogues printed. It comprises 
156 pages 8%xl0% inches in size and in all ways is a 
suitable tribute to “ America’s Great Jubilee Year,” a 
commemorative colored picture of which appears on 
the first cover page. There are nine full-page colored 
plates. One of these is a striking portrait of the late 
Peter Henderson placed beside the popular garden¬ 
ing books of which he is the author. There are three 
highly colored plates of roses—12 in all—of novelties 
or favorites of late years. Among them Clothilde 
Soupert, Mad. Hoste, Mrs. De Graw, Wootton, Sunset, 
Caprice and Earle of Dufferin. Another colored page 
shows the three remarkable chrysanthe¬ 
mums,Golden Wedding (the prize-winner 
as the best yellow), Good Gracious (pink) 
and Gettysburg (crimson). Another 
picture in colors shows seven different 
“ curled and crested zinnias;” another, 
a new white pea, tried at the Rural 
Grounds last year, named Emily Hender¬ 
son. It is white and notable for extra 
large flowers. Still another colored page 
shows a specimen of that noteworthy 
advance in tomato culture, the Ponderosa 
or 400; an ear of the Country Gentleman 
sweet corn and a Delicata squash. The 
first Ponderosa prize for “ perfection of 
form and weight” $150, was awarded to 
a specimen weighing three pounds. Tbe 
Country Gentleman sweet corn is scarcely 
worthy of a change of name, being 
merely a selection of the older Ne Plus 
Ultra. Still another colored presentation 
is that of Henderson’s Succession cab¬ 
bage and the Heroine pea. “ Perfect in 
every respect’ is the claim made for the 
cabbage. The Heroine, as tested by 
The R. N.-Y., and previously alluded to, 
is the best of the intermediate wrinkled 
peas, the vines of which grow to a height 
of about three feet. 
Among the novelties may be men¬ 
tioned the variegated climbing nastur¬ 
tium, Double Yellow and Double Crim¬ 
son nasturtiums, the variegated-leaf 
Moonflower, a double white petunia, 
White Squadron; a number of new roses 
of promise, Cool and Crisp cucumber, 
Cole’s Early water-melon, Juno pea, Au¬ 
tumn King cabbage, Perfected White 
Plume celery, etc., etc. The regular 
lists of farm and garden seeds, of bed» 
Burpee’s Bush Lima. Fig. 43. 
Accurately engraved from a photograph of the Hush winning the National Prize and bearing 358 pods 
