just one notch too low to be popular. The 
Beurrc Buperfin is better, and even more 
showy; but although worked on quince, it 
never bears well with us. Of all the heavy 
bearers, Baroune do Mello exceeds; whole 
branches are loaded like strings of onions, 
and the pears are not diminished in size by 
this overhearing. The only fault with it is 
that it is not fit to eat. 
lie so prepared, as would happen where 
large quantities of vegetables are raised for 
market, the spade, which is all-sufficient for 
doing the work in the small kitchen garden, 
may he superseded by the big plow—throw¬ 
ing two furrows together and then finishing 
the ridges by throwing up t he low soil re¬ 
maining in the furrows with the shovel. 
We would say to every person possessed 
of a garden, whether large or small, to give 
the above plan a fair trial at least, it' skep¬ 
tical—a trial on a small scale—ami report 
the result, whether advantageous or other¬ 
wise, through the columns of the Rural 
New-Yoiucer at some future time. 
Flemingsbungr, Ky. W. A. Graham. 
ilttntl Mxtbittttxxxt 
ibc (Garbnur 
SOME NEW GRAPES, 
GARDEN WORK 
ASBESTOS ROOTING, 
Although the feverish excitement which 
prevailed a few years since in regard to 
grapes and grape culture has in a great 
measure subsided, experimenters have not 
ceased trying to produce new ami improved 
varieties. There are at this lime scores of 
men quietly at work crossing and hybridiz¬ 
ing the various species and varieties, with 
the express purpose of producing something 
better in the way of a grape than any of 
those that we now possess. One of the most 
noted examples of persistent effort, as well as 
of great success, is that of J. II. Ricketts, 
Newburgh, N. Y. We take the more 
pleasure in referring to this gentleman uud 
the varieties produced, from the simple fact 
that he has not endeavored to name and 
disseminate them before they were t horough¬ 
ly tested. We also think that he made a 
very wise choice in selecting the hardy and 
prolific Clinton as the female parent for 
most of his hybrids instead of some more 
improved variety of other species. His suc¬ 
cess has been very remarkable, as the follow¬ 
ing notes upon a few of them will show. 
These notes and the accompanying illustra¬ 
tion were taken from specimens lately re¬ 
ceived from Mr. Ricketts. We give the 
parentage of each sort, naming the female 
parent or the one from which the seed sown 
was taken. 
Advance. 
Parents, Clinton and Duke of Magenta. 
Bunch medium, shouldered. Berries medi¬ 
um, round, black, with blue bloom. Flesh 
louder, rich, and of a spicy, agreeable flavor. 
Very early. 
Adelaide. 
Parents, Concord and Muscat Hamburgh. 
Bunch large, shouldered or clustered. Ber¬ 
ries oval, black, with considerable bloom. 
Flesh tender, sweet, with a decided Ham¬ 
burgh flavor. Late, and not as promising 
as those from Clinton stock. 
Secrcmi'y. 
Parents, Clinton and Muscat Hamburgh. 
Bunch very large, nearly a foot long, shoul- 
•dered. Berries medium, slightly oval, black, 
with bloom. Flesh tender, sweet, rich and 
sprightly. A very promising variety. A 
small bunch of this variety was figured'and 
described in the Rural New Yorker, Vol. 
XXII., 1870, page 880; but the size of the 
bunch is far below the average of those pro¬ 
duced on mature vines. Ripens at the same 
time as Concord. 
QuriMsnic. 
Parents, Clinton and Black Hamburgh, 
Bunch long, shouldered. Berries medium, 
round, black, with bloom. Flesh tender, 
sweet, but sprightly flavor. Ripens with 
Concord. 
No. 13 A. 
Parents, Clinton and Muscat Hamburgh. 
Bunch large, shouldered. Berries large, 
globular, greenish white, tinged with yel¬ 
low. Flesh very tender but firm, somewhat 
after the style of the Malaga, but with a 
sweet, rich flavor. This is a very showy 
variety, and pleases us better than any 
native while grape that we have seen. Ri¬ 
pens with Concord. 
Number ‘3*3. 
Parents, Clinton and Muscat of Alexander. 
Bunch very long, with small shoulder, as 
shown in the accompanying illustration. 
Berries medium to small, round, light green. 
Flesh very tender, juicy, sweet and excellent. 
A promising variety, and it is a great, pity 
that it possesses such a distinct and unattrac¬ 
tive green color. Ripens with Concord. 
Number 20. 
Parents, Clinton and Dtichesse of Bue- 
cleugh. Bunch very long,slender, with small 
shoulders. Berry medium to small, black, 
oval, with a dense bloom. Flesh tender, 
sweet, and with considerable of the spicy 
Clinton flavor. Ripens with Hartford Pro¬ 
lific. 
Number 10. 
Parents, Hartford Prolific and Purple 
Damask. Bunch nearly a foot long, clus¬ 
tered. Berries large, dark red, somewhat, 
like the Catawba. Flesh tender, sweet and 
juicy, but not rich. Will probably become 
popular on account of size and color. Ripens 
late. 
Full l’rcpnrmion of flic Garden for Sprinc 
Work. 
Gakden products being among the fore¬ 
most things that claim our attention in early 
spring, a brief description of the mode which 
we practice in this portion of the country 
In the Rural New-Yorker of Oct. 7th 
was an inquiry concerning the reliability of 
the Asbestos Roofing advertised by II. W. 
Johns of this city. Wc have given personal 
attention to this matter on several occasions, 
and have before us several letters from par¬ 
ties who have used this rooting, and feel 
warranted in saving that Mr. Johns is a 
reliable man, and his roofing is a good tiling, 
which we should not hesitate to use. Mr. 
Johns has devoted much attention to the 
selection of his materials with a view to 
their durability and adaptation to the. uses 
of a safe and popular roof, and that he has 
succeeded is abundantly attested by the forty 
thousand square feet w hich lie is daily mak¬ 
ing and shipping to all parts of the country, 
especially to the timberless regions of the 
Southwest. Within the fourteen years which 
he has been engaged in this business, he has 
been compelled to rebuild and enlarge his 
works eight limes, to enable him to supply 
the constantly increasing demand. 
The roofing is prepared by laying a water¬ 
proof coaling of various gums, asphalt um, 
oil paint, Arc., upon both sides of a strong 
canvas foundation, which is further pro¬ 
tected by a lining of manilla on the under 
side, and a layer of water-proof felt on the 
upper side. When this is laid upon u roof 
it is coated with a paint filled with Asbes¬ 
tos, which is both fire-proof and water-proof. 
Owing to the fibrous nature of Asbestos, 
this coating is better calculated than any¬ 
thing else to fill up cracks and to preserve 
shingle roofs at a moderate expense. 
The comparative cost of this roofing with 
shingles, can be readily estimated, as the 
Asbestos can be applied at from five to six 
cents per square foot. John W. Pink of 
-Hudson City, N. J., writes:—“In 1807 I 
applied the Asbestos Cement and Roof- 
Coaling, at but a trifling expense, to the 
entire surface of my roof (sliingle), and the 
result is a perfectly water-tight roof, resem¬ 
bling slate, which bids fair to last for many 
years."— 8. d. it. 
Gunvn.fi in Tcxuh —J’Hiilfiini Pyriferiiin. 
I notice in the Rural New-Yorker of 
TROPHY TOMATO AGAIN. 
of, the Rural New-Yorker comes to me 
every Saturday afternoon. I’ve always read 
it very attentively, and have been somewhat 
amused at the different opinions expressed 
by correspondents in regard to the 
P Trophy Tomato. I will now give you 
I my experience jn raising them. My 
expectations ware high hi regard to 
sk them, as 1 had seen them extolled so 
ft highly in different papers, and par- 
ticuhuiy by the New York Philoso¬ 
pher, II. G, T procured my seed from 
the seed house of Briggs & Bro., 
started them in boxes in the open air, 
transplanted them when about, six 
inches high in good, rich soil in my 
garden, seven plants in a row, three 
rows, three feet apart. I gave them 
my particular attention in cultiva¬ 
ting, watering in dry weather, etc. 
They were my pets, as, if there was 
anything in them to excel others, I 
wished to bring it. out. 1 teas dmpjmnled. 
They did not come up to my ideas in size 
or flavor, and were about fifteen days later 
than other varieties in my garden. I think 
the Tiiden, large pepper or “ beef steak” to¬ 
mato, quite superior to them. 1 found, as 
they neared maturing, the under part, would 
in many instances crack in nearly the entire 
circumference. As the latter part of the 
season ill this section was rather dry, I in¬ 
tend to give them another trial next season. 
Marshall Co., Jnd. C. S. S. Toon. 
It proves with me, in this cold region, as 
early as any of the early or native kinds. 
r for putting the soil in the best 
condition in the fall, for thor¬ 
ough pulverization, and the 
planting of early vegetables, 
will perhaps he of some value 
to many of the Rural readers. 
It is a well known fact that it, is 
almost a matter of impossibility 
to get the crop of early vegeta- 
hies planted as soon as they 
should he, and the seed put in 
so as to germinate in a satisfac- 
§j| tory manner, where the soil of 
the garden is left all winter in 
kT the same condition it was when 
M the crons were removed in the 
faJL j(pP^ ground being allowed 
^ to remain so, is, as a general 
|a thing, when spring arrives, very 
Is tough—breaks up cloddy, and 
W can only by the best means em¬ 
ployed he put in a condition that 
will insure the laborer half a 
crop of vegetables; and, such 
as arc raised, are of an inferior 
quality to such as are grown on 
soils properly prepared in the 
fall. 
If the gardener, who has not 
heretofore been in the habit of 
fall preparation of his ground, 
will hut try tlie simple plan 
herein described, wc think lie 
will he more than pleased with 
the result. The labor that is 
required to do the work properly in the fall, 
and place the garden plot in a condition 
Unit the soil will he exceedingly mellow and 
light when turned over in the spring, is in 
our estimation of much less magnitude than 
to battle a “jrile of clods ” all of the next 
season with the hoe, in order to put the sur¬ 
face soil around the tender plants in a state 
suitable for their proper nourishment. 
About the time the late crop of vegetables 
is taken from the garden and stored, is the 
best time for doing this work; hut all things 
considered it may he done, provided the 
ground is not too wet. any time before the 
middle of December. The first thing neces¬ 
sary, after all trash and vines are cleared oil', 
is to give the surface a liberal dressing of 
good stable manure, and then to throw- up 
the entire surface in small ridges, something 
on the order of the ridges for growing sweet 
potatoes. This part of the work is very 
simple and easily accomplished by any stout 
willing boy who haa any knowledge of the 
use of the spade or shovel. 
The ridges should he made in the same 
direction, the ground sloped, unless there is 
no slope; in which case they should, by all 
means, he made to run North aud South, in 
order that the ground may dry evenly and 
at once, during the first bright days of 
spring. In throwing up the ridges, if prop¬ 
erly done, the manure w bicli is evenly spread 
over the surface, is thoroughly covered up, 
winter 
t’nini for Tin Itool*. 
In the Rural New-Yorker of Oct. 28, J. 
B. Jones asks what is the best kind of paint 
for tin roofs. Here is what J. W. Mowry, 
New York, Wis.,—a man who has had more 
than twenty-five years’ experience in house 
painting says:—“ Tin on a house lop should 
he painted once in four years. The writer 
has learned from long experience that t lie 
finest yellow o6hro is the most economical 
pigment that can be used for that purpose. 
If, as is sometimes thecase in country towns 
w here the roof is a conspicuous object in the 
architecture of the building, a dark color lie 
indispensable, the use of pure Venetian red, 
darkened with a little lampblack is recom¬ 
mended as the most durable and economical. 
—W. W. Matthews, De-Fare, Wis. 
Fig. L—Hat Unthimmed —’(Son next rage.) 
I have tried the Gen. Grant, Keyes, Tiiden, 
Lester Perfected and many other varieties, 
but the Trophy is, all tilings considered, 1 
think, as near perfection as a tomato need 
be; and I think the originator of it is deserv¬ 
ing a vote of thanks from every lover of 
good tomatoes. 1 obtained my seed from 
headquarters; perhaps the dissatisfied did 
not.—J. L. R., llenmlaervMe, N. Y. 
4 NTTIVLB RR 22. 
May 27th, an answer given in reply to in¬ 
quiries of J. W. M., in regard to the Guava. 
As the description does not answer to those 
raised on the island, 1 will describe ours to 
you. There are now on my father’s place 
seedling guavas some twenty-five years old. 
The tree grows quite large, is an evergreen, 
and is frequently cut down; but I have 
never known them entirely killed by cold. 
We grow- them in the open air, and when 
cut down they do not hear fruit until the 
second year. The bloom is white and re¬ 
sembles a myrtle blossom. The fruit is a 
pale, golden yellow, about an inch and a-half 
in diameter, and perfectly round. The flesh 
varies from a pale blush to a rosy pink in 
color, and in it are imbedded myriads of 
hard angular seeds, which arc eaten with 
the flesh. The odor of the ripe fruit is very 
powerful, and to those unaccustomed to it, 
disgusting. The taste for the fruit is with 
most persons acquired, as the flavor is, to 
beginners, as disgusting as the odor; but 
let him persevere, and by the time he has 
eaten a dozen he will value it above all 
other fruits. To my mind no other can 
compare with it; it is a combination of 
strawberries and banana, and the odor of the 
ripe fruit delicious. 
It requires the addition of tartaric acid to 
make jelly. 1 am satisfied that the Galves¬ 
ton guavas are identical with those of the 
West Indies ; still we may both lie right; in 
that case 1 should like to know, ns 1 never 
heard of a purple guava. Enclosed you 
will find a leaf.—M. E. P., Galveston , Texas. 
You are correct in regard to the color of 
the West India Guava (P. pyrifennn ); the 
fruit (a large berry) is pear-shaped and of a 
yellowish color. There are no less than 
livcspecies of guavas mentioned by Louden 
as native of the West Indies. The South 
American species P. caltlcyanum {the one we 
mentioned) is said to bear purple fruit. 
ax m 
GARDEN NOTES, 
tommy 
Propagating Cabbage from Hints. 
A CORRESPONDENT of the Pacific Rural 
Press says:—“ Take a large head of cabbage, 
strip off the outer leaf, and slip off the bud 
found at the root of the leaf. Take this bud 
and simply set it in rich dirt, like any other 
plant. The result will he a fine growth of 
early cabbage plants with heads larger and 
sounder than can he raised in the ordinary 
way.” 
Cabbages by Irrigation in Allegany Co. 
We deposited to-day in our cellar 50 heads 
of cabbage for winter and spring use. They 
grew on a plat of ground 1G by 32 feet, aud 
ECONOMICAL NOTES, 
Piaster on Wet Grouml. 1 
“ Does plaster help orchard grass and 
other grasses on Avet ground?” So asks a 
correspondent. We reply no. It is useless 
to sow plaster on wet lauds. 
How lo Use OlliiI. 
I have the use of the offal of a large 
slaughter-house — beef, sheep, calves’ and 
some pigs’ heads, with plucks, inwards and 
blood; have boiled the best parts tor pigs 
heretofore and dug in the balance in my 
garden, a large one. Have twenty acres 
under plow, in grass and garden. What 
can 1 do with it in the winter? I shall not 
he able to dig it in then.—J ohn Burrows. 
If you can get muck, leaves, or loam, or 
all, cut it Up flue and Compost it with these 
and barn-yard or stable manure. 
Fertilizers from Sea Wet-da. 
Mu. Upiiaji S. Treat of Eastport, Me., 
has invented the following process for ma¬ 
king fertilizers from sea weeds, upon which 
lie has obtained a patent. The sea weed is 
subjected to the action of steam under pres¬ 
sure until it is reduced to a pulp. It is then 
passed through a mill, where it is mixed 
with ten per cent., more or less, of finely 
powdered quicklime. Afler being thorough¬ 
ly mixed, it is elevated or placed in some 
suitable place to he thoroughly aired and 
dried, when it is ready for packing in barrels 
and for market 
Upon the Atlantic coast, seaweed is a 
most abundant article, used at present to 
some extent ns a fertilizer, in combination 
AA-ith barn-yard and other manure; but its 
valuable qualities seem to be dissipated, and 
III a great measure lost, by exposure lo the 
atmosphere in its crude stale, or from not 
securing proper chemical treatment. By 
Mr. Treat ;n process, >1 is claimed, all its na¬ 
tive richness is preserved, and a hitherto al¬ 
most useless weed is convened into an effi¬ 
cient compound for enriching the soil.— Sci¬ 
entific American. 
P0M0L0GI0AL GOSSIP. 
J.nte Full Transplanting of Strawberries. 
Mrs. M. White, Michigan, asks some of 
the readers of the Rural New-Youker to 
tell her if they ever set out strawberries at 
this time of year (Nov. 1); and if so, how 
they succeeded ? We advise Mrs. Write to 
prepare the soil for her strawberry bed this 
fall, but not to transplant until spring. Noth¬ 
ing will be gained by transplanting iioav. 
Beurrc Ilarily, lieitrre Suiierfln and Barou- 
ne <lc Aiello Fears. 
The Country Gentleman say6: — “The 
Beurrc Hardy is one of the ucav sorts tlmt 
has a strong, healthy growth on the quince. 
It bears uniformly good crops,and the pears 
have a fine appeurance, hut the quality is 
Fio. 2 .—Hat Trimmed —(See next paee.) 
their gross Aveight avus GOO pounds. One 
acre of ground, if producing as avcII, avouKI 
yield 24 tons. This, avc think, is pretty avcII 
for a season iu Avhich we have been visited 
with unprecedented drouth. Our neighbors 
who have no cabbages, inquire how avc raised 
them? The answer is, by irrigating. We 
also raised on a plat of ground 8 by 15 feet, 
3 bushels of black seed onions. Irrigation is 
the secret.—T. M, Engle, Allegany. Vo., N. Y. 
Where it decomposed during the 
months in a manner quite favorable to the 
growth of all kinds of vegetables the com¬ 
ing season ; and when spring arrives—an 
important item, for some springs the weather 
is very Avet —the soil thus thrown up will do 
Lo work and plant in such crops as are not 
injured by slight frosts, some time before 
ground laying level, Avith no chance for the 
great amount of water Avilii which it is 
charged to escape except by the slow pro¬ 
cess of evaporation. 
In case there is a large piece of ground to 
Tnke up Unbended Broccoli with balls of earth, 
set in a damp cellar and they will perf ect them¬ 
selves, and you Avill thus uvoid danger from 
frost. It pays to do this. 
Fn rk’s Fling Peach is a most excellent keeper. 
Meehan says tie put one away to keep, Oct. 15, 
which Avgs good (is when received, a month be¬ 
fore. 
