7o 
HIE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 
ROR 
Items of interest, criticisms, or corres¬ 
pondence of any kind intended for, or sug¬ 
gested by, this column, should he addressed 
to Iluralisms. 
The so-called Ruseian thistle is treated 
fully in bulletin 37 of the WiEconsin 
Station. It belongs to the Gocsefoot 
family—Chenopodiactae—and its name is 
Salsola Kali, var. Tragus, It is not a 
thistle, therefore, at all. Prof. Goff says 
that though rather pretty when reddened 
in the fall and useful for forage when 
young, it is always a weed. It will take 
possession of a field to the exclusion of 
everything else. The plant is armed 
with spines as sharp as those of common 
thistles and it is hard to drive horses 
through fields where it is abundant. 
The spines break off under the skin caus¬ 
ing festering sores. This Russian thistle 
is the worst rolling tumble-weed 'on the 
prairie. Itj origin is in eastern Europe 
or western Asia and it has as bad a repu¬ 
tation there as in the Dakotas of the 
United States. It was introduced into 
South Dakota about 1.5 years ago. In 
the badly infested area more than 640,000 
acres are devoted to wheat raising. The 
average loss on this land that may be 
attributed to the Russian thistle alone 
cannot be less than five bushels per acre, 
and 3,200,000 bushels of wheat at the 
minimum price of 50 cents per bushel 
(which is considerably less than the 
average price) indicates a loss to the 
farmers in the two Dakotas of $1,000,000. 
The Russian thistle is fortunately an 
annual and the seeds are short lived. If 
then the plants are not permitted to go 
to seed for two years the weed will be 
exterminated. There is no danger of its 
spreading when the land is well culti¬ 
vated, as that in corn or potatoes. 
Nothing gives us more satisfaction 
than the evidences we receive from time 
to time that The R. N.-Y. serves its read¬ 
ers well by its reports of new plants. 
Here is a good example : 
Last spring two young farmers of this neighbor¬ 
hood were Induced by a sharper representing, as he 
said, the Eldge Avenue Nurseries of Troy, O., to 
order 1,000 plants of the Early King blackberry at the 
rate of 180 per 1,000. Afterward they were Informed 
to their sorrow that the variety Instead of being 10 
days earlier than the Early Uarvest, as represented 
by the smooth-torgued agent. Is about that much 
later; In consequence they refused to pay for the 
plants when delivered. The result of It was a law suit. 
On the day set for the trial, the lawyer or represen¬ 
tative of the nurseries, as he claimed to bo, on being 
requested by the justice of the peace to give a flOO 
bond for the costs, secured a postponement of the 
case,|argulng that he would write to the nurseries for 
the $100. On the next hearing the lawyer appeared, 
but without bond or cash and the case was dismissed. 
Some time after the plants were delivered, the farm¬ 
ers opened the packages containing them In the 
presence of witnesses, when they discovered that 
they were labeled Klttatlnny Instead of Early King. 
One of the two farmers Is now a subscriber of Tub 
K. N.-Y. Ilad he been a reader of it three or four 
years sooner he would have seen the description of 
the Early King and not been subjected to all this 
trouble. PUII.Il* MERBKEf. 
Afton, Mo. 
Mr. E, D. Gibson, of Ashburnham, 
Mass., sent us, last season, seed of what 
he called New Early Dent corn. He con¬ 
siders it very early, and has been “work¬ 
ing at it for six or seven years.” 
He planted it June 2 and it was ripe 
August 21. It is about 16 rows; the ear 
is 10 inches in length and two inches in 
diameter, the kernels of medium size, 
yellow, and somewhat pointed as pop 
corn is pointed. The rows are close to¬ 
gether, the ear tapering from butt to tip. 
The plants grow only about six feet high 
and the leaves were broad and of a deep 
green color. There were few suckers. 
There were one, two and three ears to a 
stalk borne usually about two feet from 
the ground. It is certainly a very early 
variety, ripening in about 80 days, and 
seems worthy of introduction. 
When we want our readers to do as we 
say we can not trust them to do so from 
once saying it For several years we have 
alluded to Nott’s Excelsior pea. We have 
tried all the dwarfs—as our readers ought 
to know—and Nott’s is the best. That 
is, it is the best if its season and the 
height of the vines are duly considered. 
The vines grow about 20 inches tall in 
good soil, the foliage is abundant and 
vigorous. It is far ahead of American 
Wonder and Little Gem. It is more pro¬ 
lific than either. It is as early as Won¬ 
der and the quality is the same. One 
hundred pods will average 460 seeds of 
the finest quality. 
Bulletin No. 22 of the Massachusetts 
Agricultural College deals with small 
fruits. Erie blackberry is not hardy. It 
is often killed to the ground. This goes 
to confirm The Rural’s report made 
some years ago that it is only a trifle 
hardier than Lawton, which it otherwise 
resembles closely. Agawam is hardy 
and usually prolific. It is of excellent 
quality and ought not to be mentioned 
in this connection with Snyder, Taylor 
or Erie Snyder turns reddish after 
picking, but it is early, productive and 
hardy. Taylor is deemed one of the best 
for home use, being rather late in ripen- 
ing. 
Of the blackcap raspberries, the report 
supports The Rural’s several reports as 
to the Hilborn being the most vigorous 
and productive variety tested, of good 
quality and size, and fairly firm. It is 
later than Palmer, Progress, Souhegan, 
Springfield or Carman. The new Kansas 
is thought to be vigorous, free from 
disease, and of the best quality. It is, 
too, among the earliest to ripen. 
Souhegan, Progress and Palmer are 
the earliest. Souhegan is preferred. 
Rural Life says that Industry and 
other English gooseberries are not hardy 
enough for the Northwest. Downing 
and Smith lack vigor and fruitfulness, 
but the Houghton is a standby, taking 
the same rank among gooseberries that 
the Concord does among grapes. 
It appears that some housekeepers 
moderate the acidity of the currant and 
gooseberry by mixing them with the 
mulberry, giving a compound rivaling 
the raspberry. 
The Japan Climbing cucumber, which 
was given much prominence last year as 
a novelty, was planted at the Rural 
Grounds and failed, as our readers were 
duly informed. But it has made many 
friends elsewhere. A writer in our ex¬ 
cellent contemporary. Gardening, says 
that as soon as he discovered that they 
really wanted to climb, he put up some 
reed canes nine feet high, tent fashion. 
He first tied the tendrils to the poles and 
they needed no further assistance, finally 
reaching the full height of the poles and 
drooping over somewhat. The vines are 
stronger than those of the old sorts, the 
leaves large. The hills may be placed 
much closer together in tbe garden or 
field. The vines bear early in the sum¬ 
mer when quite small, and each one had 
from 2^ to 30 good-sized cucumbers dur¬ 
ing the summer. They were about 10 to 
12 inches long, of a light green color, 
without spines. The seeds were small 
and few, and the cucumbers free of any 
bitterness. 
A WRITER living near Dennis, la., states 
in American Gardening that he has 70 
trees of the Japan plums, viz., Burbank, 
Ogon, Satsuma, Yellow Japan and Bailey. 
All of them passed last winter, which 
Prof Budd deems the most severe he has 
known for 20 years, in safety. That is 
excellent news. We would be glad to 
hear from Prof. Budd, of the Iowa Agri¬ 
cultural College, on the subject. 
M. Crawford, one of our trusted 
strawberry authorities, says of the Tim- 
brell that from what hs has seen and 
heard he believes it to be the very best 
variety, all things considered, that has 
ever been introduced. It is much the 
best late berry, and will surely super¬ 
sede those we now depend upon as late. 
The R. N.-Y. was the first to bring 
this variety prominently before the pub¬ 
lic. We really feared to tell our readers 
how favorably we were impressed with 
it the first season it fruited at the Rural 
Grounds, lest the hundreds that would 
probably buy from our commendation 
might be disappointed. We are always 
timid about praising a new plant of any 
kind, because experience has taught us 
that a single season or so is not long 
enough to form a sound estimate of its 
value. Still we felt that even though 
the Timbrell failed comparatively in the 
way of productiveness,'the berry was to 
be praised for its size, firmness and de¬ 
licious quality, and so we urged our 
friends, again and again, to try it in a 
small way. Next year we may hope to 
receive reports from many of them—re¬ 
ports which, we dare say, will place the 
Timbrell just where it belongs. 
Direct. 
-J. J. H. Gregory : “ While the whims 
of fashion may annihilate industries on 
which thousands have depended for their 
daily bread, they can never close the 
mouths of the eater or the drinker. They 
will always be open, clamoring for the 
farmer to fill them. Ijet us, then, shut 
the door on discouragement, cherish a 
great respect for our calling, keep up a 
high courage, and during the long winter 
evenings devote our time to studying 
carefully all the economics bearing on 
the production and the marketing of our 
crops. 
rSootf s Emyleioii 
of cod-iiver oil presents a j 
perfect food—palatable, I 
easy of assimilation, and | 
an appetizer; these are j 
everything to those who j 
are losing flesh and | 
strength. The combina- |j 
tion of pure cod-liver oil, j 
the greatest of all fat pro- I 
ducing foods, with Hypo- 
phosphites, provides a re¬ 
markable agent for Quick 
Flesh Building in all ail¬ 
ments that are associated 
with loss of flesh. 
Prepared by Scott ft. Bowne, riiemlsts, 
Now York. Sold by all dru^giBUi. 
PAINTroofs 
DIXON’S SILICA GRAPHITE PAINT 
Water will run Croni it pure and clean. It covers doulilo 
the surl'ace of any other i>aint, and will last four or five 
times longer. Kqnally nsetul for any iron work. Send for 
circulars. Jos. Dixos CnnciBLK Co., Jersey City, N. J. 
ptieicettAtte«yuni 
Hr wrltlnx to adrertlMri pleaM alwayi mantlon 
THB BUBAX. 
Rich Red Blood 
"For feeling of dead- 
ness of the limbs, con¬ 
stipation and poor cir¬ 
culation of the blood, 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla has 
no rival. My blood was 
In very poor condition. 
Since taking Rood’s Sar¬ 
saparilla I have good 
rich, red blood, and do 
not bloat as I used !<>. 
Rood’s fisrtaparllla hat 
G rovrvd Its merit to me as It vrin to all who take 
; fairly.” Mrs. M. F. TomB; Nlantlc, Ct. 
HOOD’S Sarsaparilla CURES. 
Hood’s Pills Cure Sick Ueadache. 25o. 
Farmers TOUR Produce 
To F. I. SAUK A SUN, 183 Reade St., N. Y., 
Receivers of all kinds of CouNTiiT Pboducb, In¬ 
cluding Game, Live and Dressed Poultry and Dressed 
Calves. Specialties—Berrlee, Grapes, Apples, Pears, 
Honey, Onions, Potatoes and Butter. Correspond¬ 
ence and consignments solicited. Stencils furnished. 
Reference: Dan's o: Bradstreet's Commercial Re¬ 
ports, to be teund at anv bank. 
FENCtNC 
WIRE ROPE SEL VAGE. 
POULTRYAND rabbit NETTING 
Railroad, Farm, Gardeit, Cemetery, Lawn 
Fencing. Prices down. Frei^tpaid. Catal’g.free. 
McMullen Woven Wire Fence Co., Chicago. 
Entirely of Steel. No Castings to break. 
Strongest and simplest Lever Arrangement 
on the market. Write for Descriptive Circular. 
RODERICK LEAN MFC. CO. 
MANSFIELD, OHIO. 
PURE WATER ONLY FROM 
|~*\ 'R.USYL1ESSJ; "■'’I 
svTel’Ij 
It Is stronger, better and cheaper than any Iron 
pipe. For particulars address 
THE WELLS RUSTLESS IKON CO., 
Little Ferry, N. J. 
ROBINSON FENCE MACHINE 
TREC CATAI 
'SfFiTYGATECO. BOX 
Hudson c •sicycle'PotaloGcItivp.tor. 
■JCa.'iy. Fa>st Fine. No more of lioreo 
simtching, cart steering, and tniin 
»-pling down crops. No more liolil- 
ing])Iows witli arms and legs all 
day. Half tho lahor. Any boy can 
‘hoe’ potatoe.s, corn, cotlon. tnick, 
fast aa team can walk. T. B. Terry 
•say.s ‘ Perfect.' Dr. (h)]yor'8 report 
_ ’is "h'/’arent Ideal Cultivation." 
Order Early. R. H. Agl. Works, RiverHead, N.Y 
New Potato Cutters, Harrows, Diggers, Fertilizer 
Drills, etc. 
WIFE 
CANNOT SEE HOW YOU DO 
IT AND PAY FREIGHT. 
Cn Buythe Oxford Improved SINGER Sow- 
^1U*0U ingM&chiae, with a complete set of at¬ 
tachments and guaranteed for 10 pears Shipped any¬ 
where on 80 daps’eriai. NofTwntyreqruirtdinadr 
vance. 76.000 now in use. World’s Fafr Medal awarded. 
But from factory, save dealers* and agents* profit 
Write to-day for our LARGE FREE CATALOGUE. 
Oiford Mfg. Co., 342 Wabash Aie., Chicago, IIL 
“ ECONOMY IS WEALTH.” 
Canvassers wanted to sell the 
Improved Rail Typewriter. 
Writes all languages. 
Price, #30. Great Induce¬ 
ments to agents. Send for 
catalogue and terms. Address 
N. TYPEWRITER CO.. 611 WasROlgton St., BOSTON, MASS. 
$I2T0S35^ 
PER WEEK 
('nil be made by tvorUiiift 
For IIS. Purties preferred who 
have a horse and can give their 
whole time to our -.buBineBS. 
Even spare time will pay splen¬ 
didly. 'I'hiB announcement is of 
special interest to farmers and farmers’ sons, and othem 
residing in the rural districts. A few vacancies also m 
towns and cities. li. F- JOHNSON UO.. 
No. d South 11th St., Uictauiond, Ta. 
-«- 
”'ACME” Pulverizing Harrow, Clod Crusher ^^Leveler 
Variety 
of sixes 
suitable 
for 
all work. 
TS adapted to all soils and all work for which a 
Harrow is needed. 
Flat crushing spurs pulverize lumps, level and 
smooth the ground, while at thesame time curved 
coulters cultivate, lift and turn the entire surface 
of the soil. The backward slant of the coulters 
prevents tearing up rubbish and reduces the draft. 
Made entirely of cast sieel and wrought iron 
and therefore practically indestructible. 
CHEAPEST RIDING H A R R O \V O N 
EARTH—sells for about the same as an ordinary 
drag—eight dollars and iipw-ards. 
N. B.—I deliver Iree on beard at distributing points, 
SFNT ON TRTflT To responsible farmers, to be returned 
UiJilX Vll lill/tLi at iny expense i I not satisfaetory. 
DDANE H. NASH, Sole Mfr,, 
MENTION THIS PAPER. 
ELUOT’S PARCHMENT BUTTER PAPER. ”41^ K i» E Sf 
To dftlrrmen or others who will use it, we will send half k ream, 8x11, free, If they will • BYfi Beb ■ 
forward 80 cents to pay pottage. Why not try the Best Butter Wrapper 1 
A. O. KLLIOT A CO., Paper MannfaetBrers, Pblladelphia, Pa. 
