Z3/j<?  RURAL  aNEW- YORKER 
each  sort  in  seed  hod  and  transplant  to  |p 
flower  garden  soon  as  plants  are  large  m  &  C^fl  I 
enough,  spacing  them  sufficiently  to  allow  '  %  I 
for  proper  development  of  each  plant,  p  ;p  g 
P.y  doing  this  none  of  the  plants  will  he  M  1  I 
over-crowded  and  will  develop  into  bloom-  ||  %  I 
ing  plants  quicker,  and  give  better  blooms  B  A| 
next  year.  1  [fO  rs*J||/J  I 
2.  The  Florentine  Iris  is  not  goner-  1 
ally  sold  by  nurserymen.  Write  the  Bu-  t  .<||  fi 
rent!  of  Plant  Introduction,  Department  p  | 
of  Agriculture,  Washington,  I>.  0.  They  § 
can  tell  yon  where  it  can  be  procured,  and  |;%  | 
give  you  information  as  to  its  euU  re,  fei-fi  I 
etc.  k.  I 
RURALISMS 
Mung  Bean  Sprouts 
The  cut  below  is  from  Bulletin  117 
of  the  Office  of  Foreign  Seed  and  Plant 
Introduction,  and  shows  a  cartload  of 
tubs  filled  with  bean  sprouts.  These  are 
produced  Ivy  sprouting  the  mung  bean, 
Phaseolus  radiatus.  This  bean  is  one  of 
the  forms  of  Phaseolus  Mungo,  which, 
varying  greatly  in  character,  provides 
food  for  millions  of  people  in  Southern 
Asia.  Bean  sprouts  are  a  favorite  article 
of  food  in  China,  where  they  are  eoteu  as 
a  vegetable  when  scalded;  as  a  salad,  and 
combined  with  various  sauces  in  meat 
dishes.  Visitors  to  Chinese  restaurants 
will  recognize  these  sprouts  as  forming  a 
principal  part  in  chop  suey.  combined 
with  celery,  fried  onion,  etc.,  this  dish  be- 
Currant  Bushes  Lose  Leaves 
My  wife,  whose  farming  propensity  has 
been  stimulated  by  Txie  R.  N.-Y.,  gave 
me  no  peace  until  I  made  a  garden  for 
her,  where  I  had  blasted  out  a  lot  of  rock, 
first  removing  scant  soil  and  then  re- 
BUND  MILTON  DICTATING  TO  HIS  DAUGHTER 
From  the  original  by  Munkacsy.  In  New  York  Public  Library 
The  Vision  of  the  Blind 
“They  also  serve  who  only 
stand  and  wait.”  The  Bell 
Telephone  is  your  servant  even 
while  it  “only  stands  and 
waits.”  The  whole  system  is 
always  prepared  and  ready  for 
your  instant  command. 
Thousands  at  his  bidding 
And  post  o'er  land  and  ocean 
Without  rest; 
They  also  serve  who  only  stand 
and  wait " 
Was  the  spirit  of  prophecy 
upon  John  Milton  when,  more 
than  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago,  he  dictated  thoce 
words  to  his  daughter? 
Every  wire  and  switchboard 
and  telephone  instrument  is 
kept  alive  and  responsive  by  an 
army  of  telephone  workers. 
Did  the  “blind  poet”  have  a 
vision  of  the  millions  of  tele¬ 
phone  messages  speeding 
instantly  over  hundreds  and 
thousands  of  miles  of  wire 
spanning  the  continent? 
Each  one  has  his  special  part 
to  do  and,  because  he  does  it 
faithfully,  countless  messages 
speed  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  the  land,  at  every 
minute  of  the  day  and  night. 
Tubs  Filled  with  Sprouts  of  the  Mung  Bean, 
placing  after  grading  the  chip  rock  to  an 
even  bed.  A  year  ago  last  April  sin-  set 
out  a  dozen  red  current  bushes.:  which 
grew  fine  hist  Summer  and  this  Spring, 
and  bore  a  nice  lot  of  fruit,  and  seemed 
all  right  until  two  or  three  weeks  ago, 
when  the  leaves  began  to  turn  yellow  at 
the  bottom  of  the  plants,  and  the  fruit 
dropped  off,  the  leaves  turning  yellow  to 
near  the  top.  There  is  uot  much  more 
than  a  foot  of  soil  above  the  rock.  We 
manured  with  hog  manure.  What  is  the 
Last  year  I  had  trouble  with  my  eu-  trouble  with  these  currant  bushes?  Is  it 
cumber  vines,  lost  them  before  the  sea-  a  disease?  Other  crops  such  as  beaus, 
son  was  half  over,  and  Ibis  Summer  the  peas,  beets,  squash,  etc.,  are  doing  well  on 
trouble  has  commenced  again.  At  the  the  same  soil  and  conditions.  r..  s. 
first  appearance,  of  anything  wrong  the  ,,  ,  .  . 
leaves  begin  to  wilt  and  then  the  vines  11  •v"lir  lias  *>eeii  a  dry  one. 
and  leaves  turn  yellow  and  dry  up.  There 
are  lots  of  small  cucumbers  from  two  to 
three  inches  long,  but  none  large  enough 
to  pick.  1  have  several  varieties  planted, 
and  all  are  affected  alike.  Could  you  sug¬ 
gest  anything  that  would  help  them  and 
also  tell  me  what  the  trouble  is?  (i.  T. 
In  all  probability  the  trouble  witli  your 
cucumber  vines  is  that  they  are  affected 
with  downy  mildew,  which  is  commonly 
called  blight.  This  trouble  may  be  pre¬ 
vented  by  I  lie  use  of  frequent  sprays  of 
Bordeaux.  Many  growers  are  quite  suc¬ 
cessful  by  trying  to  give  the  cucumber 
the  very  best  growing  conditions,  and  get 
quite  successful  crops  even  without 
spraying.  The  encumber  requires  a  sweet 
soil,  plenty  of  well-rotted  manure  and 
enough  nitrogen  to  give  the  vines  a  vig¬ 
orous  strong  growth.  The  striped  beetles 
should  be  kept  down  at  all  times,  because 
these  not  only  kill  the  young  seedlings, 
but  carry  disease.  There  is  nothing  can 
be  done  after  the  vines  have  once  gone 
down  us  yours  have.  n.  n.  it. 
ing  a  very  variable  0x1c,  while  one  often 
sees  quantities  of  the  uncooked  sprouts 
displayed  in  quaint  bamboo  baskets  in 
front  of  Chinese  grocery  stores  in  New 
York’s  Chinatown.  The  photograph  re¬ 
produced  above  was  taken  by  Mr.  F. 
N.  Meyer  at  Peking,  China. 
American  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company 
And  Associated  Companies 
One  Policy  One  System  Universal  Service 
r  — - Use  NATCO  Drain  Tile —  Last  Forever 
/  /jp\  Farm  drainage  needs  durable  til®.  Our  drain  tile  are  made  of 
j  best  Ohio  clay,  thoroughly  hard  burned.  Don’t  have  to  dig ’em  up 
fc.il  to  be  replaced  every  few  years.  Write  for  prices.  Sold  In  carload 
lots.  Also  manufacturers  of  the  famous  NATCO  IMPERtSH- 
ABLE  SILO.  Natco  Building  Tile  and  Natco  Sewer  Pipe. 
National  Fire  Proofing  Company  *  1121  Fulton  Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa, 
New  York  State  Fair 
AGRICULTURAL 
and  INDUSTRIAL 
EXPOSITION 
SYRACUSE.  N.Y.  &  SEPT.  11,  12,  13,  14. 15,  16,  1916 
TRULY  REPRESENTATIVE  OF  GREAT  AGRICULTURAL 
INTERESTS  OF  THE  EMPIRE  STATE. 
Pure  Well  Water 
II.  L.  Patty  of  the  South  Dakota 
College  gives  tin*  following  advice — often 
asked  for  by  our  readers : 
‘‘Grade  up  to  your  wells  in  good  shape 
from  all  sides,  and  make  the  platform 
watertight  and  give  it  a  little  slope,  so 
the  overflow  from  the  pump  will  run  off 
readily.  If  your  well  is  poorly  located 
the  upper  six  feet  of  curbing  must  be 
watertight.  Dug  wells  may  be  protected 
by  making  the  upper  six  feet  of  the  curb 
of  concrete  six  inches  thick  ami  extend¬ 
ing  at  least  eight  inches  above  ground 
level,  On  this  place  your  watertight 
platform.  See  to  it  that  privy  vaults, 
garbage  or  manure  piles  are  not  so  lo¬ 
cated  that  the  drainage  from  them  will 
be  carried  to  the  family  water  supply. 
"A|i  investigation  of  water  supply  in 
tin*  State  nf  Minnesota  showed  that  out 
of  7B  wells  examined  and  tested,  20  were 
good  ami  7)0  were  polluted.  Good  healthy 
families  might  use  this  water  for  some 
time,  and  their  bodies  would  be  able  to 
destroy  these  germs  ns  fast  as  they  were 
taken  in,  but  if  the  health  of  some  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  family  should  become  run  down 
the  genus  would  get  in  their  work  and 
-sickness  and  doctor  bills  would  result.” 
NO  PROGRESSIVE  FARMER  CAN  AFFORD  TO  MISS  IT 
GREATEST  opportunity  ever  offered  those  who  want  to  advance  in  Agri¬ 
cultural  Industry.  Study  the  STATE  FAIR  and  learn  the  lessons  it  teaches. 
The  Agricultural  Machinery  Exhibit  most  complete  in  the  Sand.  Dairy 
Machinery  iu  operation  daily.  Demonstrations  and  Lectures  by  leading 
authorities  in  the  various  branches  of  Agriculture. 
Entries  already  received  and  exhibition  space  taken  by  manufacturers  of  Agri¬ 
cultural  Implements  assures  the  largest  and  best  exhibition  ever  held  by  the 
NEW  YORK  STATE  FAIR. 
Attend  the  FAIR  and  see  the  finest  Horses,  Cattle,  Sheep,  Swine  and 
Poultry  in  the  world. 
GREAT  DISPLAY  OF  FRUITS,  FLOWERS,  FARM  PRODUCE. 
Farm  Boys’  Camp.  Farm  Girls  Camp.  Daily  Concerts  by  Famous  Band. 
Unequaled  Out-door  Horse  Show.  Grand  Circuit  Races.  Biggest  Dog  Show 
in  State.  Daily  Flights  by  World’s  Greatest  Aviator. 
Ka-Noo-No  Kur nival  Provides  Free  Evening  Entertainment  During  the  Week 
Sowing  Perennials  ;  Florentine  Iris 
1.  Would  it  be  suitable  to  plant  about 
the  middle  of  August  a  bed  of  hardy  seed, 
such  ns  foxglove.  Sweet  William,  and 
cowslip?  I  thought  1  would  like  to  give 
them  a  good  start  so  Unit  they  will  be 
ready  to  blossom  early  in  the  Spring,  and 
at  the  same  time  it  would  give  the  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  cultivate  some  land  that  is  now- 
growing  up  in  weeds.  2.  Where  can  l 
get  Florentine  Iris?  1  should  like  to 
raise  it  us  a  coniiiierchd  venture  for  the 
orris  root.  c.  i..  0. 
1.  Yes,  sow  all  hardy  herbaceous  plant 
seeds  as  soon  as  you  can  get  the  ground 
ready.  The  better  plan  would  be  to  sow 
For  further  information,  prize  lists,  etc.,  address  the 
NEW  YORK  STATE  FAIR  COMMISSION,  SYRACUSE.  N.Y 
» 
