1893 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1 39 
many of the catalogues noticed in this issue. 
Thorburn & Co. (see Fig. 60) describe it as follows : 
A hardy perennial vine of rare and exquisite beauty, and absolutely 
new to cultivation. It blooms In June from seed sown in April, and 
bears profusely large, inverted, pea-shaped flowers, ranging in color 
from rosy violet to purple, with a broad, feathered, while marking 
through the center. While the large buds and back of the flowers are 
pure white, the stem and foliage are very graceful and of a delightful 
odor. It is well adapted for every garden purpose, and especially as 
a climber, running six to eight feet in a season. Per packet of 20 
seeds, 25 cents. 
W. Atlee Burpee describes it in the words of Mr. 
Bassett: 
I have watched Its growth and development the last few seasons, 
and It Is a perfectly hardy vine of rare and exquisite beauty, which, 
from seed sown In April, even In the poorest soil, will thrive from 
early June until cut down by frost, and produce in the greatest pro¬ 
fusion large clusters of inverted pea-shaped flowers, delightfully 
fragrant, one and a half to two and a half inches in diameter, and 
ranging In color from rosy-violet to reddish-purple, with bright 
feathered markings through the center. The large buds and back of 
flower are pure white, makingit appear as If one plant bore many dif¬ 
ferently colored flowers. It is well adapted for every purpose desired 
for a climber, running six to eight feet in one season. 
Rose Rainbow. Fio. 63. See page 138. 
New and Rare Evergreens. —Robert Douglas & 
Sons say that the Blue spruce of Colorado, Picea pun- 
gens, of the botanists, varies from deep green to light 
and dark blue in color. They are all beautiful, valu¬ 
able and perfectly hardy trees, but the blue ones are 
most admired. The Colorado spruce is not excelled 
for a wind-break. Strong, hardy and the only dog 
and boy-proof evergreen. The Colorado Blue spruce, 
the Douglas spruce of Colorado, Pseudotsuga Doug- 
lasii (Engelm) and the White spruce, Picea alba, are 
the most ornamental and most hardy of all the spruces. 
Specimen trees of these three kinds from 20 to 30 feet 
high in Massachusetts, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and 
Nebraska, show that they will stand extreme drought 
in summer and extreme cold in winter better than the 
common so-called hardy evergreens. 
Directions for Sowing Evergreen Seeds. —Sow 
evergreen seeds broadcast in beds four feet wide, light, 
sandy loam, cover very lightly. Shade the beds from 
the sun for the first year, either with lath frames or 
brush. The seeds are sown dry. The beds must be 
carefully hand-weeded the first and second years. 
The seedlings are then of proper size to be thinned out 
of the beds and planted in nursery. 
J. O. Austin, Unionville, N. Y., September 2, 1892.— 
“For productiveness, size, solidity, hardiness and 
flavor, the Timbrell strawberry beats the world. 
I predict for it a run far exceeding that of any straw¬ 
berry yet introduced.” 
Wm. W. Valentine, Glen Cove, N. Y., August 23, 
Columbian Mammoth White Asparagus. Fig. 64. 
See page 123. 
1892.—“ It is the best berry in existence both for mar¬ 
ket and home.” 
Mathew Crawford says that he has never known 
The R. N.-Y. to praise any variety of strawberry that 
was not commendable. It pleases The R. N.-Y. that 
its work is appreciated by such men. 
EXTRA EARLY VEGETABLES. 
For a few years there has been some strife in our 
neighborhood, to see who could have the earliest veg¬ 
etables, and various plans have been resorted to. 
There is not a greenhouse in the whole neighborhood 
and all our efforts have been put forth without the aid 
of any accessories of this kind. I believe I have tri¬ 
umphed in this matter and while it has not resulted in 
any financial remuneration, the experiments have 
taught me several things. For instance, I have found 
that almost any garden vegetable may be transplanted, 
and made to thrive almost, if not altogether, as well as 
if it had been left to grow where it was originally 
planted. On early potatoes I came out clearly ahead 
because I remembered reading somewhere that on the 
Island of Jersey potatoes were started in a manner 
similar to the one used in this country in growing 
sweet potatoes. I planted my seed potatoes in a hot¬ 
bed, and when the weather got warm enough to trust 
them out-of-doors, I lifted them carefully and trans¬ 
planted them into the garden. I got such a good start 
that on May 28, we had new potatoes for dinner, and 
they were of good size too. 
On the same day we had string beans and plenty of 
them for our family of five. They had been started 
in the following manner : A dozen old tin cans were 
put into the fire until the solder had melted out 
of the seams and the tops and bottoms had come 
off. These were then set side by side in a box and 
filled with a rich compost. Then the spaces between 
them were filled with garden soil and the beans 
planted, three in each can. The box holding them 
was set in a warm, sunny window, and in a few days 
the young plants came up. Before it was safe to put 
them out buds began to appear. When I got ready to 
Firebrand Amaranthus. Fig. 65. 
transplant them to the garden, I dug holes where they 
were to stand and set the cans in, filling loosely around 
them. The seams being open, it was but little trouble 
to work the cans out of the ground, leaving the beans 
standing without disturbing a single root, and they 
never stopped growing for an instant. Cucumbers, 
melons and sweet corn were planted in a hot-bed on 
sods a foot square that were placed upside down in the 
bed, and, when ready to transplant, the sods were 
lifted out entire and set in the hills. 
All this was some trouble, but the satisfaction of suc¬ 
ceeding in lengthening the season several weeks was 
more than enough to balance the extra work. 
My hot-bed was not a costly one, for it was made of 
boards that were picked up on the place and covered 
with muslin costing six cents a yard, and well soaked 
in boiled linseed oil, and it worked perfectly. It 
does not require very much space to start a pretty 
good-sized vegetable garden if this plan is followed, 
and the interest in gardening is thereby increased, a 
“ consummation devoutly to be wished ” in a majority 
of American farm homes. harry carew. 
The Columbian Edition 
SEND FOR PAMPHLETS-NO CHARGE. 
— OF — 
LANDRETHS’ 
Seed Catalogue 
Is a model of neatness and convenience 
of arrangement, and is entirely free 
from the sensational and exaggerated 
features so common in seed catalogues. 
It is full of useful information, and deals 
in facts. It is fully illustrated, and the 
cover giving an accurate illustration of 
the sailing and landing of Columbus, a 
bird’s-eye view of the Columbian Exhi¬ 
bition at Chicago, is unique. 
The Catalogue will be mailed to any 
address on application to 
D. LANDRETH & SONS, 
SEEDSMEN, 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
Dibble's Garden Seeds. 
Fresh, Pure Stock direct to you at wholesale. 
Ten standard packets. 5-cent size for 30 cents post¬ 
paid. Five pounds Mammoth Red Mangel Wurzel, 
SI. 00 by express. Catalogue free. 
EDWARD F. DIBBLE, Seed Grower 
Honeoye Falls, N. Y 
FERTILIZER FARMING. 
THE MAPES MANURES. 
Correspondence especially solicited from practical growers of Potatoes, Truck, Tobacco, Celery, Onions, Tomatoes, 
Orchards, Small Fruits, Strawberries, Grapes (for wine or market), Lawns, and all farm crops. 
Write us fully, stating what you desire to grow, character of soil, rotation, etc., and we will mail to you pamphlets and 
circulars that will help you. We have now ready for mailing : 
i. DESCRIPTIVE PAMPHLET. 
The MAPES MANURES, and How to Use Them on Truck, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Sugar-Beets, Tomatoes (for canning). 
Onions, Celery, Rhubarb, Top-dressing Grass or Lawns, Seeding to Grass, Orchards, Tobacco, Small Fruits, Grapes and General 
Farm Crops. This is our General Pamphlet covering all crops. . 
This Descriptive Pamphlet is arranged for easy reference to any crop. It should be m the hands of every tanner, 
fruit-grower, trucker and special crop-grower. 
2. THE MAPES TOBACCO MANURES. 
Testimony of tobacco packers and buyers, also large growers on the Mapes System of Tobacco Growing for light- 
colored leaf of choice qualities. 
3 . ORANGE AND TROPICAL FRUIT GROWING. 
Necessity of special manuring for promoting quality and quantity of fruits, apart from vigorous wood growth. 
4 . FERTILIZER FARfllNG. (Chemicals and Clover. Second Series.) 
Anlccount of “thin, poor, light lands profitably brought up to fertility without stable manure.” Successful farm 
operations on very light lands in growing ordinary crops and grass with only high-grade complete manures. By H. W. Col- 
linowood, Managing Editor of The Rural New-Yorker. 
6. SEEDING TO GRASS, Spring or Fall, with or without Grain. 
Top Dressing in Spring old or worn-out meadows, mowing or pasture lands, with or without stable manure. 
Apply for pamphlets to us or to any of our agents. 
The Mapes Formula and Peruvian Guano Co., 143 Liberty 8t., New York. 
WORKS AT NEWARK, NEW JERSEY 
