1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
i i9 
Geo. W. P. Jerrard, Caribou, Me.—A 
catalogue of 52 pages, 7x9 inches, of 
“seed potatoes and early seeds grown 
in the cold Northeast.” Mr. Jerrard 
has introduced many valuable potatoes. 
Those given most prominence in the 
present catalogue, are Somerset, a me¬ 
dium early variety; Early Harvest, 
which, it is said, is the earliest variety 
grown coupled with large yield, superb 
quality and of fine appearance ; the 
Early Norther; New Queen Parker s 
Market, now offered for the first time ; 
The Minister ; Summit’s Dandy, Har¬ 
binger. Most of these have been tried 
at the Rural Grounds. Resides pota¬ 
toes, Mr. Jerrard offers a select list of 
squashes, cabbages, beans, peas, melons, 
tomatoes, etc. 
Henry A. Dreer, 714 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 
Pa.—A general catalogue of 155 pages (11x8 inches) 
with colored covers and 14 pages of seed and plant 
specialties. Two well-known hardy herbaceous plants 
are justly given special prominence, viz., Gaillardia 
grandiflora, which blooms abundantly from June until 
frost, and Coreopsis lanceolata, another fine bedding 
hardy herbaceous perennial that also blooms from 
June until late fall. We find Dreer’s Eureka Extra 
Early as early as any pea we have ever tried, and very 
true. Two pickings, close together, end the crop. 
Thirty-six pages are given to vegetable seeds, 37 to 
flower seeds, and the rest of the catalogue to plants, 
to which the most careful attention is given, especially 
to palms, carnations, roses, caladiums, cannas (a 
splendid list of the choicest), chrysanthemums, dahlias, 
ferns, geraniums, gloxinias, gladiolus, roses, water 
lilies, pmonies, clematis, hardy plants and small 
fruits. If our friends want plants that will endure 
hot, sunless rooms during the winter, making them 
cheerful and homelike, let them try a small collection 
like the following : Latania Rorbonica and rotundi- 
folia, Areka lutescens, Corypha Australis, Kentia 
Ralmoreana, Cocos Weddeliana, Chamaa- 
rops excelsa, Phcenix reclinata and Ficus 
elastica. Small plants are sent by this 
firm, packed with absolute security, for 
50 cents each and upwards. During the 
summer, they will thrive and grow in 
any shady place if well cared for. The 
new rose, Mrs. J. Sharman Crawford, is 
a fine acquisition, as judged by the de¬ 
scription. It is a hardy hybrid perpetual 
that “ blooms constantly.” It has won 
prizes wherever exhibited in England. 
The shape and size of the rose are well 
shown by the engraving, Fig. 37. The 
color is a deep, rosy pink, the outer 
petals tinted with a pale flesh color. 
The rose is very fragrant. 
MRS. J. SHARMAN CRAWFORD. Fig. 37. 
sheep and horses ; that it is more nutritious than) ff ered 
Frank Ford & Son, Ravenna, Ohio.— 
An unpretentious catalogue of 50 pages, 
but one of considerable merit. We 
advise our friends to try the Extra Early 
Vermont sweet corn, and also Ford’s 
Early, which, it is claimed, is the sweet¬ 
est early corn known. The Lotta rasp¬ 
berry is catalogued for the first, and 
is believed by the firm to have great 
merit. The picture shows it to be larger 
than the Gregg—in fact, the largest 
blackcap we have ever seen. Mr. G. C. 
Rrackett, Secretary of the American 
Fomological Society, is the originator. 
It is black, glossy and sweet. The variety 
is a vigorous grower and perfectly hardy. 
The berries ripen before the Gregg. Cer¬ 
tificates of unusual merit—supporting, 
indeed, all that the introducer claims — come from 
such good men as Prof. Railey, A. A. Crozier, F. W. 
Card and W. J. Green. Mr. Ford writes us : “We 
know of no other similar varieties that equal the 
Green Mountain oats, Columbus and Lee’s Favorite 
potatoes and Advance tomato.” 
W. F. Allen Jr., Salisbury, Md.—This is a cata¬ 
logue of strawberries only. Mr. Allen offers the 
Rrandy wine as among the very best of his long list, 
and we believe that he is right. The R. N.-Y. was 
the first to bring this promising berry to general 
notice. It is a perfect flowering variety, wonderfully 
productive, beginning to ripen June 11. The size is 
large, heart shaped generally, sometimes angular, 
though not winged or crinkled. It is firm, and the 
quality is excellent, though not quite so good as the 
Timbrell. It is a fine late berry, and we hope our 
readers may give it a trial. Enormous, Arrow, Colum¬ 
bian, Splendid and Tennessee Prolific are new kinds 
that we have not tried. We would commend Rio and 
Mary for trial in a small way. Mr. Allen gives his 
entire time to strawberry culture. 
clover or Lucern, and that it will give three or four 
cuttings in a season.” The price asked is, for plants, 
six for 81 ; for seeds, 15 cents per packet. The ques¬ 
tion The It. N.-Y. asks is : Wherein is this Saghalin 
more valuable than the common Polygonum cuspi- 
datum ? 
E. W. Reid, Rridgeport, O.—“ Everything for the 
Fruit Grower,” is the title of a catalogue of 65 pages, 
10x7 inches, with colored covers showing the Eldorado 
blackberry, Keepsake gooseberry, Lorenz peach and 
Timbrell strawberry. Another colored page shows 
the Kansas blackcap, Greenville strawberry, Loudon 
raspberry, Starr apple, Crosbey peach, and Rurbank 
plum. It is claimed that the Lorenz peach is not ex¬ 
celled in quality or size, and that its “ fruit buds are 
frostproof.” Mr. Reid says of the Keepsake goose¬ 
berry that it is as large as the Industry, of better 
quality, and has not yet mildewed. The R. N.-Y. trial 
plants will probably fruit next summer. The Eldorado 
is also on trial. No modification of last year’s high 
claims is made ; “ the most productive, sweetest and 
D. M. Ferry & Co., Detroit, Mich.— 
A general catalogue of 90 pages, colored 
covers and a colored page of two new 
sweet peas, Rlanche Ferry, the earliest 
and most profuse bloomer, and Kath¬ 
erine Tracy, of perfect form and unsur¬ 
passed size. The Columbian White as¬ 
paragus turns out the first-class novelty 
we predicted. The Ferry stock of seeds, 
the company claim, will prove “entirely 
free from green plants.” The Davis 
Wax is a wonderfully productive bush 
bean having clear white seeds. The vine 
is vigorous, rustless ; the pods long, 
white and straight, there being fewer 
misshaped pods than in any other sort. 
It is said to be unequaled for canners’ 
use ; “it will prove a boon to the mar¬ 
ket gardener, and a gratification to the 
amateur.” Seibert’s Early, it is claimed, 
is the earliest true Lima. No other sort 
is better, and it is as large as the largest 
—making it the best Lima ever offered. 
Houseman Late Flat Dutch cabbage is 
regarded as the best for a general crop. 
The Hollander cabbage is described as 
the “ hardest heading and longest keep¬ 
ing cabbage known.” The New Eng¬ 
land sweet corn is controlled by this 
house. The Albino cucumber is “ the 
best of the white skinned sorts.” We 
tried the Cosmopolitan muskmelon firs-j; 
by this firm last year. We found it of medium 
size (seven inches diameter), nearly round, densely net¬ 
ted in every part, the netting being of a whitish-gray 
on a light green skin. The lobes are obscure. The 
flesh is green, yellowish on the inside surface. Quality 
of the best. 
Robert Buist, Philadelphia, Pa.—A Garden Guide 
and Almanac of 160 pages. A calendar of farming 
and gardening work for every month, pleasingly illus¬ 
trated. Ford’s Mammoth Lima (page 38) is shown as 
being nearly eight inches long, IX broad, containing 
six large beans. Ruist’s Chirk Castle, it is claimed, is 
the largest mangel in the world, specimen roots hav¬ 
ing been grown weighing 56 pounds, while the whole 
crop averaged 38 pounds per root. Its yield “is 
double that of any other variety of mangel.” The 
two “ great varieties of cabbage for the South, head¬ 
ing when all others fail, are Ruist’s Improved Large, 
Late Drumhead and Ruist’s Improved Large Late 
Flat Dutch.” Much space is given to the descriptions 
and illustrations of leading kinds of cabbage, sweet 
corn, lettuce, melons, onions, tomatoes and peas. It 
W. W. Rawson & Co., 34 South Market Street, Pos¬ 
ton, Mass.—A general seed and plant catalogue of 90 
pages, colored covers and two colored pages. Mam¬ 
moth cosmos (our readers should try this charming 
fall-blooming plant) and Rawson’s collection of asters, 
are two of the colored pages ; the ^ivorite Arlington 
vegetables make another, while the first page is given 
to the Marshall strawberry that we have told our 
readers about since the spring of 1893. Mr. Rawson 
offers seedlings from prize berries of the Marshall, two 
for 25 cents. The firm put up collections of the best 
known vegetables, 27 kinds for 81. One page is given 
to Sacaline (Saghalin. as we prefer to spell it). It is 
claimed that it is perfectly hardy, even in Siberia—a 
claim that is doubtless correct—that it needs no cul¬ 
tivation, no manuring ; once planted, it stands for¬ 
ever (another claim that is doubtless correct) ; that it 
luxuriates in wet lands (another claim that we can 
support from our own experience) ; that it endures the 
severest droughts (that is true); that it thrives where 
no other forage plant will grow; that the youngshoots 
may be eaten like asparagus; that the stems and 
leaves, green or dry, are greatly relished by cattle, 
richest in quality * * * will stand the winters of 
Minnesota and the Northwest.” The Timbrell is 
still considei’ed “ the strawberry of strawberries.” 
Plants of the Greenville were received from E. M. 
Ruechly, of Greenville, O., in the spring of 1894. Our 
first report is: “ Promising ; berries large, broad, 
heart-shaped, pointed at tip, red flesh, quite firm, very 
productive.” The Starr apple is said 
to average 11 inches in circumference ; 
of a pale green color, marketable the 
first week in July, continuing in good 
condition until September. 
Stark Rrothers, Louisiana, Mo.—A 
price list of fruits of all kinds grown 
upon over 30,000 acres of land, Notable 
among the novelties, are the two pro¬ 
ductions, Gold plum and Splendor prune, 
for the entire stock and control of which 
Stark Brothers paid Mr. Luther Rurbank 
86,000. These have both been described 
in recent numbers of The R. N.-Y. The 
parentage of Splendor is Petite d’Agen 
and Pond Seedling. Gold is a cross be¬ 
tween the Chickasaw class and the Japan 
Abundance. Undoubtedly they are great 
acquisitions. This firm have also bought 
the entire stock and control of the Van 
Deman quince first described and illus¬ 
trated in The R. N.-Y. 
