1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
347 
The Truth About It. —On page 264 
of The R. N.-Y., we stated that the 
Japan Mayberry does not bear its berries 
in clusters as all the cuts represented it 
to do, but singly. We further stated 
that these cuts exaggerate the size of the 
berry. In short, the illustrations are 
not portraits in any sense. We con¬ 
cluded our criticism in this way : 
Should the above remarks regarding the Japan 
Mayberry meet the eye of Mr. Burbank, the orig¬ 
inator, we hope that he will advise us whether 
our estimate or Mr. Blanc’s as to the size of the 
berry, and whether it is borne in clusters or 
singly, is correct. His statement will settle the 
question. 
Here is Mr. Burbank’s reply : 
Editors Rural New-Yorker : 
The criticisms in a late R. N.-Y. in regard to 
some of the cuts used to represent the Japanese 
Mayberry, seem to be just, unless its habits 
change somewhat under Eastern conditions. The 
true Mayberry, so named by myself , does not grow 
here under common field cultivation as large as 
the cuts mentioned indicate, but, perhaps, may 
under special cultivation ; but as it has already 
fruited in the East, no doubt that matter can be 
easily settled. Not having a single plant of the 
original in my possession, I cannot send a sample 
branch to show the manner of growth, but send a 
twig of the wild Rubus Palmatus showing the ber¬ 
ries growing one only at each leaf, as in the May¬ 
berry, and never more, so far as seen. The true 
Mayberry bears some fruit of small or medium 
size, nearly as soon as other berries, but does not 
come to full perfection of size and productiveness 
until a year or two later. The berries (as large 
as Cuthbert) are not very firm, but still keep re¬ 
markably; are exceedingly sweet ; of a clear, 
golden, straw color, with seeds not much larger 
than those of the strawberry; often ripening here 
while apples, pears, cherries and strawberries are 
in bloom, and before most other raspberries and 
blackberries commence to bloom. 
The wild Rubus palmatus has been sold in 
some cases [as we stated.— Eds.] for the May¬ 
berry. Though a unique, handsome bush, my 
experience would indicate that it is utterly worth¬ 
less for fruit. No doubt seedlings and crosses 
from the Mayberry or the wild Palmatus may be 
produced which will far excel the Mayberry ; I 
sincerely hope so. The blooms from which it 
originated were pollinated with Cuthbert, and 
the improvement over the wild plants received 
some 12 years ago from Japan, was surprising ; 
yet I cannot state, and never have stated, that it 
was a cross-bred berry, though the immediate and 
marked improvement led me to suppose such 
might be the case. 
Some of my Mayberry seedlings are now ripen¬ 
ing, while others are hardly out of bloom. The 
fearless and sincere statement of facts by The R. 
N.-Y., must give it the confidence and support of 
all- LUTHER BURBANK. 
Thomas E. Boyce tells us that the 
Abundance and Burbank plums (.Japan) 
“appear to be hardy in Middlebury, Yt. 
The mercury last winter fell as low as 
28 degrees belcw zero.”. 
Very Bad Business. —According to 
the Chicago Times-Herald, Enos Ham¬ 
den, seed buyer for the Department of 
Agriculture, will soon make a report re¬ 
garding sales of seeds by members of 
Congress. It will involve well-known 
men in a mess of petty crookedness. He 
has discovered that the seeds annually 
given members for free distribution 
among their constituents, have been sold 
by many members. Harnden even bought 
some himself. For $75, he bought of a 
member, 14,950 packages of vegetable 
seeds, 1,365 packages of flower seeds, and 
82 packages of field seeds. These seeds 
actually cost the Government $228. 
Saghalin. —Here is a little additional 
information regarding this much-dis¬ 
cussed plant. Mr. A. Blanc, of Philadel¬ 
phia, Pa., writes us that he has experi¬ 
mented with it extensively of late, and 
cannot find any cattle that will not eat 
it. He continues: 
This ought to set at rest the talk of those pro¬ 
fessors out West, who unjustly claim that the 
leaves are tough and leathery. Some other pro¬ 
fessor says that others in Russia claim that cattle 
have to be driven to eat it. Why do they not ex¬ 
periment with it themselves before saying what 
they know nothing about ? We fed some of the 
green shoots of Polygonum cuspidatum to horses 
yesterday, and find them to be fond of this also. 
[This is an important piece of information. Eds.] 
Why don’t you go for the professors who were the 
first to recommend and advise the planting of a 
few acres of Saghalin, instead of going for those 
who take their advice ? 
It is the duty of every impartial paper 
to give both sides of all questions it is 
called upon to discuss. That is what we 
have done in regard to Saghalin. When¬ 
ever there is a reasonable doubt that a 
plant is not what it is represented to be, 
our advice to our readers is, and always 
has been, “ try a few plants only.” The 
“professors” who have advised the plant¬ 
ing of a ‘ few acres” are unknown to us, 
unless our friend alludes to the following 
by L. II. Pammel, of the Iowa Agricul¬ 
tural College, which appeared in the Gar¬ 
den and Forest of January 16 : 
I would not advise the extensive planting of 
this Knot-weed. Its deep-running root-stocks are 
liable to be a menace in removing it from the 
field. It may, however, pay to have a few acres. 
Here are a few more items gleaned 
from various sources regarding Saghalin. 
Prof. Hilgard, of the California Station, 
says: 
For dry lands scant of useful growth, the plant 
is commended for trial. It has a perennial root 
which withstands both drought and freezing of 
the ground. Our plants are still too young and 
weak to show their best growth, but they have 
done well and pi’oduced a large amount of foliage. 
Saghalin is a coarse plant, and is not advocated 
as a substitute for well-known forage plants 
where the latter are satisfactory. 
Mr. A. Wintzer, of West Grove, Pa., 
says : 
I fed the green tops of Saghalin to our cows to¬ 
day. They were glad enough to get them, and 
actually fought for them; the mulley cows gat 
left. Even the pigs seemed to enjoy them. 
Jas. Vick's Sons (Rochester, N. Y.)say: 
We can say that our own personal observation 
fully confirms the statements coming from various 
sources in regard to the luxuriant growth of this 
plant, both in dry and humid weather, and its 
heavy yield, as well as the avidity with which it 
is eaten by cattle and horses. We believe that it 
is destined to become of great service and will be 
widely cultivated. 
Winter Oats ; Information Asked.— 
Is there a variety of oats that, sown, 
say, as late as September 1, would stand 
so severe a winter as the last in any 
climate sinular to that of the country 
about New York City ? We beg that 
those who from trials can answer this 
question, yes or no, will kindly favor us. 
Many years ago, hearing of “winter” 
oats, we took great pains to procure 
samples, first from one source then from 
another Not a spire of any one of them 
survived the winter. Now, we have a 
different tale to tell, and we shall tell 
it just as soon as the last chapter of 
the story is completed. Meanwhile, 
we solicit information from our good 
readers. 
It was during the session of the Ameri¬ 
can Pomological Society at Boston in 
1887, that Dr. T. II. Hoskins’s eyes first 
lighted upon specimens of the Green 
Mountain grape, dead ripe when not a 
single other variety on exhibition was 
eatable. Here was a grape, as he tells 
Garden and Forest, which he felt sure 
would ripen every year on Lake Mem- 
phremagog ; and it does. Since then he 
has fruited the Diamond, and finds that 
it is but very little behind Green Moun¬ 
tain in season ; while he cannot see why ' 
it will not prove a good commercial 
variety, which Green Mountain never 
can be, on account of the feeble adhes¬ 
ion of the fruit to the stem. We are 
always pleased to have our reports of 
new fruits confirmed by such high 
authorities as Dr. Hoskins. 
ARMSTRONG & McKELVY 
Pittsburgh 
ANCHOR, 
Cincinnati. 
ATLANTIC. 
New York. 
BEYMER-BAUMAN, 
Pittsburgh. 
BRADLEY, 
New York. 
BROOKLYN. 
New York. 
COLLIER, 
St. Louis. 
CORNELL, 
Buffalo. 
DAVIS-CHAMBERS, 
Pittsburgh. 
ECKSTEIN, 
Cincinnati. 
FAHNESTOCK, 
Pittsburgh. 
JEWETT, 
New York. 
KENTUCKY, 
Louisville. 
JOHN T.LEWIS & BROS.CO 
Philadelphia. 
MORLEY, 
Cleveland. 
MISSOURI. 
St. Louis. 
RED SEAL, 
St. Louis. 
SALEM, 
Salem, Mass. 
SHIPMAN. 
Chicago. 
SOUTHERN, 
St. Louis and Chicago, 
ULSTER, 
New York. 
UNION, 
e Lead 1 ng. 
One of the leading and best -known 
painters in this country says, ‘ r I cannot afford 
to use anything but Pure White Lead” (see 
list of brands). Every practical painter 
knows this. It is only those who haven't 
any reputation to lose who don’t know it, or 
will use misleading brands of White Lead 
or unknown worthless mixtures. Although 
low-priced, they are not cheap. Pure White 
Lead is the cheapest, because it is the best. 
If colors are required they are easily made by using the National 
Lead Co.’s Pure White Lead tinting colors. Pamphlet and color-card 
sent free. 
NATIONAL LEAD CO., 
i Broadway, New York. 
PENNSYLVANIA 
Riding and Walk¬ 
ing Cultivator. 
Send for Catalogue to 
A. li. FARQUHAR CO., YORK, PA. 
Balance Dump Horse Rake,$10 
Feed Cutters, $2.50 and upwards. 
Also IIAY TEDDERS, MOWERS, CULTI¬ 
VATORS, HAY PRKSSES, and other Implements 
at cash prices satisfactory to the farmers. Address 
The Ann Arbor Agricultural Co., 
ANN ARBOR, MICH. 
ilZDXTNTOi- and 
HENCH’S Rxicraiiting 
CULTIVATOR 
with double row planter and 
fertilizer complete in one ma¬ 
chine. Greatly improved 
for’94. Thousands in use in 
levery State in Union, giving 
entire satisfaction. Agents 
wanted. Catl’g /ret. Address 
HENCH & DROMQQiD, 
YORK, PA. 
,BENNETT STUMP PULLER—9 Sizes 
Horse and Hand Power. 
Prices $25 to $150. 
Three Days’Trial. Cat. 
_l& 1000 rec. free. H. L. 
^^nwa^IMKSMMBS^Bennett, Westerville, 0. 
The Heller Riding Harrow 
does the same work as a Disk, cuts five 
inches deep, pulverizes and levels the 
soil, and is the lightest draft harrow in 
the world. Write for special prices. 
HELLER MANUFACTURING CO., 
Montciair, N. J. 
FMPIRF light draft mower. 
I I I L> aawtv Wo manufacture lf2,8 4-horse 
Tread Powers, Sweep Pow¬ 
ers, Separators, 
Hand and Power 
_Corn 8 h e 11 e r s, 
I Hand A Power Feed Cut- 
-»ters, Feed Mills, Shell 
Mills, Wood Saws, Steel and 
Plank Land Rollers, Plows, Cultivators, Rakes, En- 
f ines, 8 to 2o-horso power, Mounted, Portable and 
tationary. Catalogue and Price-list, FREE. 
S. S. Wenninger «fc Son. Tatamy, l’a. 
Prophets Predict 
heavy rains this year In Hay-tune. 
Save hay, time and money, by buy¬ 
ing our Hay Carriers. Forks. Ac. Spe¬ 
cial prices to Introducers. Do not miss 
them and catalogue. Address 
OliORN BROS., Box B, Marlon, O. 
One Dollar Invested 
In the Clipper Whetstone, saves $25 In sharpening 
.Mowing Machine Knives. Agents wanted In every 
county. Write to A. .J. TRACY CO., L’t’d, 
Box 270, New York City, N. Y 
Hudson 
Order Early. 
’Bicycle’ Potato Cultivator, 
’TSasy/Fast Fine. No more of horse 
siKitchiug,,cart steering, and tram 
> pling down crops. No moro hqkl- 
ingplows wltlumnsand legs all 
day. Haff the labor. Any boy can 
‘hoo’ potatoes, com, cotton, truck, 
fast as team can walk. T. B. Terry 
ays ‘ Perfect.’ Dr. Colyer’s report 
_ s “Nearest Ideal Cultivation: 
R. H. Agl. Works, RiverHead, N.Y 
20 YEARS AGO 
a discovery of the greatest possible benefit to mankind 
was made in medicine. Physicians universally recog¬ 
nized its beneficent results and welcomed it as one of 
the most valuable remedial agents that has been devel¬ 
oped in medicine, because it covered such a wide range 
of usefulness and brought into requisition the most 
remarkable food-medicine in existence. This discovery 
Scott’s Emulsion 
New Potato Cutters Harrows, Diggers, Fertilizer 
Drills, etc. 
FARMERS 
and makemoneylw selling Holdfast^ 
Corn Hinders Used on every shock.a 
ull and it’s fast. Ties itself. Costs less (J 
than string. Never wears out. Thrum- a 
.nds easily sold 
Get your town 
a CO., Box 
atiftrr»Tird«?rrrrWiW 
THE THIRD EDITION OF MR. CARMAN'S 
New Potato Culture 
and this wonderful nutrient was Cod-liver Oil, but 
until it was made available in Scott’s Emulsion it was 
almost useless, but by their process of emulsifying it 
and making it palatable and easy of assimilation, and 
adding to it the Hypophosphites of Lime and Soda, 
they have given the world a remarkable curative agent 
in all wasting diseases, both in children and adults. 
Scott & Bowne, New York. All Druggists. 50c. and SI. 
IS NOW READY. 
This book gives the result of Mr. Carman’s 15 years’ 
experiments on the Rural Grounds, where he grew at 
the rate of over 1,000 bushels per acre. It tells : How 
to Increase the Crop without Corresponding Cost of 
Production. Manures and Fertilizers. How to Put 
the 8oll in Right CondSBion. Depth of Planting, 
llow Much Seed to Plant. Methods of Culture. 
Cloth, 75 cents. Paper, 40 cents. 
Get it now before planting. Address 
The Rural Nkw-Yoekeb, New York. 
