266 
MOOBE’S BUBAL WEW-YOBKEB. 
APB1L 2S 
hardy, rather rnoi'e 80 than Red Astrachau. 
As au eating apple, and for market, it is a 
superior sort. Color red, size large, not a 
very early or heavy bearer, yet not objec¬ 
tionable on these points. Ripe in August. 
Bed Astrachan .—This is a very beautiful 
variety and succeeds well in cold regions, yet 
is not so hardy as any of the aboven-amed 
sorts. It is not a very early or full bearer, 
yet cannot be rejected as the reverse. Where 
a tree of this variety does well it will be 
higldy valued. Size large, color clear red, 
with a light bloom like a plum, and a de¬ 
lightful fragrant “apple smell.” Flavor, a 
brisk acid, excellent for cooking, and a pop¬ 
ular market fruit. Ripe in August and Sep¬ 
tember, not all ripening at once, but lasting 
three or four weeks. 
Pringle** Sweet .—A new hybrid variety 
between the Siberian crab and common ap¬ 
ple, Perfectly hardy, and a prodigious 
bearer of apples about the size of the Golden 
R.usset, of a very rich, mellow sweetness that 
gives no suspicion of its crab parentage. Wc 
would not be without this most valuable 
variety, either for home use or market. No 
one has ever tried it without wanting it. It 
is the only summer sweet that is thoroughly 
hardy. Color, striped red und yellow. Bears 
young, season August and September. 
Summer Hag toe. —Large, handsome and 
of good quality. Tree a very thrifty and 
rapid grower and early bearer, and perfectly 
hardy. Though not yet widely tested, we 
believe this will proven great acquisition in 
the orchard j but the rank, rigid and hori¬ 
zontal growth of its branches make it the 
most troublesome tree iu the nursery, and 
especially fp pack, that we ever handled. 
Season August and September. The fruit 
resembles Duchess of Oldenburgh, and the 
tree is often sold for that much counterfeited 
variety, but does not resemble it in the least 
in its appearance, which is as distinct and 
characteristic in its way as that of the Te 
tofsky. Unlike the latter, it is transplanted 
with great ease, and grows like a weed, even 
when neglected. 
FALL APPLES. 
Irish Peach .—This variety has been widely 
disseminated in Northeastern Vermont, aud 
has given very general satisfaction. The 
tree is thrifty aud hardy, and a moderate 
bearer, not very young. Though much su¬ 
perior to the Duchess of Oldenburgh in the 
desirable qualities of early and heavy bear¬ 
ing, St should not be omitted from the list of 
hardy fall apples, it grows thriftily at first, 
when grafted on crab-stocks, but when so 
grafted begins to show signs of disease al¬ 
most us soon as it begins to bear. These 
defects do not appear when grafted on the 
apple. Size medium, color yellow, with a 
red cheek, quality good, flavor mild acid. 
Season, September and October. 
St. Lawre.nce.~iVery hardy and healthy, 
and a good, though not au early bearer. 
Size large, color yellow, with broad stripes 
of red, quality excellent. Season, October. 
Kentish FiUbusket .—What is said of St. 
Lawrence may equally be-said of tills varie¬ 
ty) which, however, has a somewhat longer 
season, keepiug a veil through November and 
inLo December, it is a very desirable sort. 
Northern Sweet.— One of the best fall 
sweets, and as hardy as any, though not 
strictly, “iron clad.” [Size medium, color 
yellow. Season, October and November. A 
native of Vermont. 
Duchess of Oldenburgh. —If you want but 
one fall variety this is your kind. Perfectly 
hardy, thrifty, au early and very abundant 
bearer, with large size, beauty and good 
quality, these are all combined in the Duch¬ 
ess. There is no better apple to dry, or to 
make into cider, and it will do well anywhere 
that a crab will grow. But beware of frauds. 
The Duchess is in so much request that the 
supply does uot equal the demand, and other 
varieties arc often substituted for it. We 
saw last fall, at the fairs, three or - four differ¬ 
ent soris exhibited as the Duchess of Oldeu- 
burgh, no doubt honestly on the part of the 
exhibitors, who hod been cheated in the 
purchase of the trees. Buy your Duchess 
tr ees of some nurseryman iu whom you have < 
confidence. From a tree peddler you will < 
rarely get it, though lie will always sell it to I 
you, either under its true name or as the 1 
“New Brunswicker.” t 
WINTER APPLES. 1 
Fameuse.— This variety is too well known 1 
in Vermont to require description. It is not s 
strictly “iron-clad,” but does pretty well in i 
most localities, and where it does succeed no i 
variety is more profitable. It prefers a light c 
soil 11 
Northern Spy— This is not quite so hardy o 
as Fameusc, yet does well in many places, 1 
and its high quality and long keeping make 
it desirable. It is not an early bearer. Large I 
red apple. | ‘ 
in Blue Pearmain.— Fully as hardy as Fa- 
a meuse ; large, purplish red apple, that keeps 
a all winter. Bears young and is of good 
I quality. 
Ben Davis— Very hardy and if not entirely 
iron clad, very near it. Was uot injured by 
the winter of 187:1-73. Early and heavy 
bearer ; very handsome, large, red apple, of 
good quality and a late keeper, A superior 
market apple. Tree, a handsome, free 
grower. 
yellow Bellflower.—Wa dislike to drop 
this excellent variety from our list, and were 
it not for such very hard winters as that of 
1873—73, we should uot. Home trees were 
nearly killed, while others escaped almost, 
unhurt. If you would like to try it do so, 
but. do not plant largely of It. 
Black O.vjnrd .—Could not stand tbe test of 
the cold winter. Nearly every tree was killed 
in orchard and nursery. 
Talman Sweet-.—This is the hardiest winter 
sweet, and the only one we can recommend. 
It is a large and early bearer of good baking 
apples, that keep all winter. 
It. will be seen, on reviewing the above list, 
that the quality of hardiness fails us most in 
the winter apples. Not a single variety of 
that season can be placed alongside of Te 
tofsky or Duchess of Oldenburgh as being 
truly “as hardy as a crab.” TheueareRt, ap¬ 
proach to it is Ben Davis, Wo have nearly 
despaired of finding any generally-known 
variety of winter fruit that will endure the 
climate of Northeastern Vermont ami re¬ 
gions adjacent. But. two or three native 
seedlings have been found that produce good 
winter fruit and endure the climate un¬ 
harmed. One of these in particular, which 
has received the name of “Magog Red 
8treak,” is of remarkable hardiness, exeel- 
ent quality of fruit and great fchriftiness of 
-ree. It is a moderately early bearer, and 
fives large crops of fruit which keeps until 
Vpril. These qualities will insure its general 
icccptanee so soon as it is introduced to 
narket, which cannot be for one or two 
r ears yet. Meantime, it is undergoing a 
borough testing, and as it will not he made 
he subject of any speculative operations, or 
old above the ordinary price, no one w ill be 
windled by it, while all can test it at slight 
ost. 
SIBERIANS. 
The general disgust at crab apples, with 
diieh the people have been so basely swin- ■ 
led, prevents many from testing the im\ j 
roved Siberians ; yet, when it can be done < 
t a trifling cost it is unwise to neglect < 
mm. Some of the improved sorts are equal < 
) any apple for either eating or cooking, and j 
lough they are nearly all too small to lie < 
iluable for market, their easy bearing and I 
•eat productiveness, combined with their ' 
irfect resistance to all extremes of climate, t 
ake it unwise not to have a few trees that i 
ill supply fruit when others fail. v 
Very great improvement has taken place l 
this species of apple wit.li.iu a few' years, e 
id nurserymen arc now able to offer not d 
ily summer and fall sorts, but also winter d 
.riet.ies that will keep until spring. Both I 
met, and sour kinds have also been brought o 
rward, so that in a humble way all the f< 
requirements of the orchard are fulfilled h 
from this strain of fruit. a: 
Tho best sorts are as foiiows '.—Summer a] 
Fruit— Pringle’s Sweet, Mackie’s Beauty and y< 
Rose of Stanstead. These are all large and ai 
handsome, the first, two are good eating ap. <b 
pies, and the last excellent for cooking and 
canning. Fall Fr nil— Rose of Barton, Barton cl 
S carlet and Bedell’s Sweet.; the first, two for til 
cooking, the last, for eating ; all large and ti< 
handsome. U inter Fruit— Marengo, Chico- hn 
go, Winter Green ; t he first .in excellent K r 
eating apple, and all good pie fruit. None co 
of the above named Siberians are less than eo 
four inches in average circumference, mid 1 0 < 
some of them will exceed live inches. ... 
dfteltl Ofijop. 
THE NATIONAL GRASSES OF NORTH¬ 
ERN INDIANA. 
APPLES PACKED IN PIASTER. 
A year or two since the Rural New- 
Yorker gave the experience of one of its 
correspondents in keeping apples in gypsum 
or plaster. This was copied in the papers 
throughout, the country, and experiments 
have been made accordingly. With refer¬ 
ence thereto the Utica Herald of April 1st 
has the following paragraph: —Hev, Mr, 
Petting ill of Holland Patent, brings us 
specimens of apples which he has preserved 
in plaster since last, fall. A layer of apples 
is put into the barrel, and a layer of plaster 
over them, then another layer of apples 
and so on. Mr. Pettingxll 'claims lor the I 
method keeping quality, and the preserving 
of peculiar fresh flavor in the fruit, and 
tnese are apparent in t he specimens we have 
examined. The plaster method insulates 
the fruit, so that the decay of one, if that 
should occur, cannot be conuuucicated to 
others in the barrel. 
, n f 1 have uoticed of late that many persons 
ri or wll ° write on the subject of hay and pasture 
r,. P( . Jailtls favor the natural grasses, and prefer 
those lands which have never had a plow in 
rop tlu!Ui ’ leavin £ the stock free to select from 
day to day, according to their wants. This 
f would aeem to be the true method. Nature 
' VT furnishes those grasses for the express pur- 
[owt pose of supplying the best food for all kinds 
J ( ‘ of stock. If the farmers and stock raisers 
’ would cut and cure their natural grasses 
of early in the season for hay, taking as much 
led P ains 88 they do with the cultivated grasses, 
they would, in my opinion, have a better ar- 
j tide than can be made from the cultivated 
tK j grasses. Here in South Bend, lud., the liv- 
in,r eI Y s table keepers prefer hay made from 
~ the natural grasses, aud I believe, if cut 
early and cured properl}', would be preferred 
in by who use it. Now jf the above views 
f he correct, which 1 think they are, then the 
[V natural grasses are preferable to the cult! 
vated for hay or pasture. There are thou* 
~ sands of acres of natural grass lands in St. 
, Joseph County, Ind., and many thousands 
vn more in other Northwestern counties of the 
I State, which will yield annually from one to 
three tons of choice luiy per acre, say an 
ve average of two tons. There is not a single 
od butter or cheese factory in the vicinity, nor 
[n _ do I know of a private cheese dairy of any 
r l i note. Hence 1 think dairymen and stock 
ed raisers would do well to turn their attention 
to Northwestern Indiana if they desire to 
n f make large profits, with little trouble and 
j small expense. 
Lj] A few persons here, who raise and fatten 
, a j stock for the butcher, make large profits 
to with small outlay, and say that, the natural 
► 0 grass lands are the most profitable part of 
rt their farms, and that stock pays better with 
less labor than grain or any other kind of 
farming. There is some butter made here, 
)Q (mechanically, not. scientifically,) of middling 
^ quality, which sells for from twenty to forty 
cents per pound; yet a fine gilt-edged arli 
cle could as well be made, which would 
h bring much more, if the people only under- 
i- stood how to make it properly. 11‘ dairy- 
i\ men and stock raisers from the East would 
ie come out herewith their daily stock, they 
•t, Could buy all the hay they would want for 
i.l one dollar per ton, standing on the ground; 
d get it cut, eured and put into stack for two 
e I dollars more, costing only three, dollars per 
ii ton properly secured, while in Central New 
r York hay costs from fifteen t o twenty-five 
i, dollars per ton—say twenty dollars on the i 
t average; and as it takes about two tons to i 
winter a cow, besides roots, &c., the cost of i 
a hay here will be only six dollars, while the I 
, cost in Central New York would be forty 
L dollars, making a difference of thirty-four j 
r dollars per year in favor of Northwestern f 
i Indiana. Add to this the difference in cost t 
of pasture and other feed, which will make 1 
i full six dollars more, and we have a saving a 
1 hereof full forty dollark per annum off each o 
I aud every cow. These large items in feed f 
alone would make a saving of $2,001) per 
year ou a dairy of fifty cows, while flutter e 
and cheese would sell as high here as in the is 
I dairy districts of New York. 0 
Twenty thousand tons of fine hay could be " 
cut iu St. Joseph county alone, besides many ^ 
thousands more in oilier Northwestern coun¬ 
ties of the State, full half of which could be ^ 
had for one dollar per ton, standing on the 
ground. As many dairymen of the East y\ 
complain of not making the interest on the I. 
cost of their farms, I would advise them to vs 
look around for locations where they can ^ 
not, only make their interest, but a large -p 
profit besides at very light expense. There o' 
are quite a number of railroads passing fii 
through these lands, with depots convenient, 
so that butter, cheese, hay and live stock 
can be sent to all parts of the United States, cc 
I presume many persons will think it it 
strange that there is such au abundance of 
fine pasture and hay In so favorable a loea- ^ 
tion, and yet that there should be no butter eu 
or cheese factories, not even a private dairy tu 
of any account; but it is so, nevertheless, and ,;l 
the only way 1 can account for it is because . 
the people here know very little, if any- j ;l> 
tiling, about the dairy business, and are go 
therefore timid about engaging in au enter- au 
prise they know so little about. But should 
a factory be started here I have no doubt ah, 
that most of the farmers would furnish the drt 
milk from five, ten or oven twenty Cows, Wft 
and that the milk from three hundred to five f 
hundred cows could be had the first season, ^ 
after which there would be no difficulty iu res 
procuring all the milk desired for an exten¬ 
sive daily business. The locations are very 
_ favorable, with plenty of pure running water, 
— and in winter an abundant supply of ice can 
I- easily be obtained for cooling purposes. 
Isaac Esmay. 
South Bend, Ind., April, 1874. 
-. 
® SOUTHERN QUEEN SWEET POTATO. 
11 We have cultivated this variety for three 
seasons past, and are greatly pleased with it, 
1 as it yields better than any other known 
f kind. The tubers mature earlier, they are 
sweeter, and are so much more easily pre- 
3 served through the winter ; in fact, they can 
3 be kept in a dry cellar without art ificial heat, 
3 a merit possessed, we believe, by no other 
1 variety of sweet, potato. We kept an abun- 
dant, supply for family use last season, until 
the new crop was ready to dig, and they 
were as plump and crisp as when first dug. 
We still have a few specimens on hand, the 
‘ growth of the summer of 1873, that have 
simply laid on shelf in the cellar through two 
winters and one summer, and are still in 
s good eating order. 
The Sweet potato has not heretofore been 
fully at. home in our more Northern States, 
and as it is an important article of food 
wherever grown, we regard this early, hardy 
’ variety as a great improvement, and as a 
' beginning from which we shall expect great 
’ things. Thu Southern Queen yields sprouts 
1 as abundantly as any other kind we have 
raised, and the plants are very stocky and 
more tenacious of life than ordinary kinds. 
Plants of this variety carried safely by mail 
to points iu Nebraska, LTtah and Massachu¬ 
setts. In planting some 70,000 plants last 
season we found a smaller percentage of 
these to fail than of any other sort. We 
have cultivated the Brazilian, which is an 
excellent sort, but yields sprouts so sparingly 
as t.0 be difficult to propagate ; it is also hard 
to keep through the winter. E. Y. Teas. 
- - - - 
WINTER WHEAT CULTURE. 
►Seeing in the Rural New-Yorker of 28th 
ult. a communication from Conrad Wilson, 
“How Shall we Increase the Yield of our 
►Staple Crops I feel inclined to say a few 
words upon the subject of wheat. After 
over thirty-five years’ experience in raising 
winter wheat, it is difficult to corre to any 
definite conclusion as to how, when and 
where to sow wheat, there are so many 
“ils” and “ands” to overcome. Some 
would say have your land rich; but there is 
a limit. If too rich it will grow too much 
straw, fall down and shrink. If sown too 
early, it is destroyed by insects; if too late, 
it does not get sufficient growth in the fall, 
aud winter kills. I have known wheat to be 
sown the last of August, and not suffer from 
insects; at other times not sown until the 
last, of September and be destroyed. 
How should wheat be sown < This de¬ 
pends much upon the season and locality. 
Sometimes it does the best drilled; at other 
times broadcast. Sometimes when only a 
light snow, it will settle in the drill marks 
and save the wheat in a very cold time; at 
other times water will settle and a sudden 
freeze will kill the wheat. 
Seed. —Here 7 think lies the secret of in¬ 
creasing our yield. Seed degenerates. This 
is an evident fact, and to improve should be 
our aim and object. If this should meet 
with favor I will give my experience in im¬ 
proving wheat for seed. Peter Kelsie. 
LUCERNE OR ALFALFA IN MARYLAND. 
Chas. E. Coffin, a Marylander, writes the 
American Farmer of his experience with 
Lucerne, last season, as follows “ As you 
well know, we had a great drouth last year. 
This was especially hard on my Lucerne 
i r.iiii t he fact that it was on a gravelly hill’ 
The piece of which 1 write contains it trifle 
over one and one-half acres. We made our 
fn-st cutting on the 14th of May, when the 
Lucerne was two feet four inches high 
This l i ted forty-live head of Rhorr Horns 
four days. The weather being dry, the Lu¬ 
cerne did not grow very rapidly, but we cut 
it on the 14th of June; tins was two feet 
high and lasted us three and one-half 
days. D. we had had our usual weather we 
should have expected to get several more 
cuttings, but the severe drouth caused it to 
turn yellow and it grew very slow. In the 
lull it started up again, but with it came the 
crab grass that had got into the piece and 
had not got lulled out by the drouth. Our 
last cutting in the fall wo made into very 
good hay. The Lucerne is now looking well 
and I am satisfied that with a favorable sea¬ 
son we can cut it live or six times during the 
season. I planted on the 7th ol' May, 1873 
about two acres of Lucerne, sowing it in 
drills fifteen inches apart. This grew very 
well, but owing to the drouth we were not 
able to cut it last fail. Tills year I am in 
hopes to get a large quantity of feed from 
these two pieces of Lucerne, and will report 
results.” 
