pounds. The leaf is quite distinct, being of 
a pale green color and somewhat pubescent 
on the upper surface. The stalks are also 
green, seldom showing any of the red or 
crimson tinge, which is so constant in the 
other sorts. It is certainly the largest variety 
known, but is only second-rate in quality. 
Downing'» Colossal U another fine, large 
sort, equal to the Linnccus in every respect 
but has not been widely disseminated nor is 
it very well known, except in the gardens 
along the Hudson. 
Prince Albert is one of the very earliest 
sorts, of medium size and excellent flavor, 
but is not popular among the market garden- 
era on account, of its dwarf habit. There 
are many other local varieties of some repute 
but the above have been thoroughly tested 
and their merits fully established. 
number of looped and branched chains two 
feet or more in length, which drag on the 
bottom of the furrow', breaking up and stir¬ 
ring the earth that falls upon and through 
them, and bringing all the potatoes to the 
surface. This cha n-bar may be placed high¬ 
er or lower, according to the depth of earth 
covering the potatoes as they grow. 
NEW CHARTER OAK LAWN MOWER 
ABOUT RHUBARB 
As the season for lawn mowing is at hand, 
and in some sections has already arrived, the 
subject of Lawn Mowers is in order and 
hereby brought to the front by giving the 
accompanying engraving and description of 
a newly invented machine. Our description, 
it is proper to Bay, is mainly derived from 
the circular of the manufacturers. 
The “New' Charter Oak,” made by the 
Hills Archimediun Lawn Mower Co. of Hart¬ 
ford, Conn., was first introduced late last 
Beason. It has bcen| thoroughly tested, so 
that in putting it before the public this year 
the manufacturers can recommend it as a 
first-class machine. No essential point has 
been overlooked necessary to make it a su¬ 
perior Lawn Mower. It is flrst-claB3 in every 
respect. Its peculiar construction combines 
the good points of both a roller and a wheel 
machine, making it Very durable and light- 
running—in weight it ib fifteen pounds light¬ 
er than the old style mowers—is very easily 
operated, and the beauty and evenness of its 
work cannot be surpassed ; wit hout any ap¬ 
pearance of ribbing on the finest of lawns— 
a very important consideration, it carries 
the regular gearing of a roller machine, 
which is substantially inclosed w'ithin its 
side frame, ft point necessary for durability 
as well as to prevent clogging the gears. 
The machine is mounted on two large driv¬ 
ing wheels, or pulleys, placed inside the 
frames, back of the cutting-blades, running 
on a shaft, each independent of the other, 
allowing it to be turned either to the right or 
left without Injury to the Bod, so that it can 
bo turned around in a circle no greater than 
its own length and cutting at the same time. 
It is provided with a neatly-coiiBtructcd iron 
The tons of Rhubarb stalks sold in our 
city markets in spring and early summer, are 
PEAR BLIGHT 
Having read in the Rural New-Yorker 
or elsewhere a remedy for the pear blight, I 
have to day been applying it. Lime and 
carbolic acid is said by the author to be a 
specific. 1 have for many year* read all that 
has been written as to the cause of the 
b'ight, and my observation of this single day 
has satisfied me that all the t heories as to 
the cause are unfounded. 
Now, let the reader bear in mind that there 
is a vast difference, constitutionally, between 
grape vines, shrubs and trees of the same 
order to resist, the effects of cold. This is 
eminently true of the great variety of pear 
trees ; some are tender, while others are 
hardy. I made a thorough examination to¬ 
day in my orchard, w'here t he only exposure 
to cold winds in spring and fall is from the 
west. Of those attacked, I found the bark 
on the west side dying, and this included 
the Sheldon, Birtlctt and Flemish Beauty, 
while right by their side stand the Seckel, 
Virgeleau and others, in precisely the same 
exposure, untouched! If it were the work 
of an insent, how evident it is that such a 
marked distinction would not lie made. He 
would sweep all alike. I should like to hear 
from Charles Downing and Thomas Mee¬ 
han on this subject. 
Prom the above facts I conclude that, a, 
portion of these tr. es (such as the Seckel, 
Vicar and others) have constitutionally the 
capacity to resist the effects of the chilling 
winds of autumn and spring, while others 
are too tender ; the freezing results in a dis¬ 
organization of the circulation, and death 
ensues. 1 am of the opinion that wrapping 
the body of the tree in wrapping or news¬ 
paper during fall and spring would as effect¬ 
ually protect the tree as lime and carbolic 
acid, and perhaps better. 1 have noticed 
two kinds of blight ; one attacks the termi¬ 
nation of the limb, which is 
cured by removal, while that 
which attacks the bark on the 
body is fatal. R. L. Dorr. 
Dansville, Livingston Co., N.Y. 
TRAVIS’ POTATO DIGGER 
Temper of Tools .—A correspondent of the 
Detroit Tribune says:—If an edge tool is so 
hard as to crumble, grind it on a dry stone 
AB the season of planting has arrived—and 
in Borne sections is past—the question of 
digging the crop will soon be 
in order. We once heard Hen¬ 
ry Ward Lurcher, speaking 
of labor, say that no man 
ever unearthed potatoes for -•& 
love of the work—which we _^ ’ 
reckon to be true, and there- - ^ 
fore any aid in that direction 
muBt prove acceptable to _ 
growers of tills valuable tuber. 
Hence we give an illustration 
of a machine which is both : , 
a Potato Digger and Cultiva- 
t0r ‘ 
This invention, manufac- 1 
tured by the Higganuin Mfg. 
Co., Higganum, Conn., is put ^ 
forth primarily as a Potato 'i 
Digger, and as such is regard- , 
ed as it very practical and Ac, 
efficient one. 1 1 , clears away the 
vines, turns out the potatoes, iC'.'nAJ A 
ami clears them of adhering . 
earth at one operation, with- 
out cutting, bruising or loss 
from covering out of sight. 
It works well either in mellow 
or in rough and stony land, 
among plants with green or 
dry tops, and in clean or 
weedy land. The beam and 
standard are of wrought iron, 'x&Sm 
the beam being curved at the 
rear end to form the standard 
for the center double mould r 
or lifting plow. The blades ~ 
or plows are of the best steel. J " 
On the under and roar side of 
the center plow, an adjustable 
bar of steel is attached, having 
sharp-edged wings, and fastened to this \ 
throughout its whole length—which is more i 
than the full breadth of the furrow—are a 
AMERICAN APPLES IN 
ENGLAND. 
A WRITER in the Philadelphia 
Press says : — Nothing aston¬ 
ishes the English more than 
our system of barreling ap- 
pies. In that country the crop 
is placed thinly on shelves, in 
V-.- fruit - houses constructed es- 
~ pecially for the purpose, and 
no one thinks of sending them 
long distances to market. Our 
Rhode Island Greenings and 
jiy Baldwins, therefore, which 
now go there in barrels in im¬ 
mense quantities, surprise 
1 them considerably. A good 
* deal of this is, perhaps, due to 
Aj the varieties we send there. 
A few years ago the New- 
fj town Pippin was the great 
if American apple in the London 
market: but since the failure 
* 
9 of that variety those two 
named have in a measure 
taken its place. It is not, how¬ 
ever, that these apples should 
reach the English markets in 
such excellent condition after 
being merely barreled up that 
so astonishes the English, the 
price is also a wonder, for, 
after being sent so far, they 
can still be sold at a price the 
English can hardly touch with then- own 
fruit. This fact speaks well for the progress 
of American fruit culture. 
LAWN MOWER AT WO iiH 
a later sort, but of monstrous size, as we 
have seen a single stalk of this variety with 
the leaf removed which weighed over nine 
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