^ViRJVv, 
VOTi.  XXXIV.  No.  11. 
WHOLE  No.  13S9 
>.  11. 1 
S9.  f 
_  NEW  mK  CITY,  SEPT.  9,  1876, _ 
TKntered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  In  the  year  lS7(i.  by  the  Rural  Publishing  Company,  in  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congrixts  at  Washington. j 
PRICE  sxs:  CENTH 
PER  YEAR. 
Jfiellr  OLro)is. 
COMFREY  AS  A  FORAGE  PLANT, 
Several  of  our  foreign  excliangos  liavo  of  Into 
had  coiisiderablo  to  any  about  the  value  of  Frick- 
ly  Comfrey  {Symphytum  aitpcnnmum)  an  n  for¬ 
age  plant.  SpccimonB  were  exhibited  at  tiio  late 
Royal  Show  at  Birmingham,  Eng.,  and  it  ia  re¬ 
ported  that  they  attracted  considerable  attention. 
One  of  our  exchangcM,  in  commenting  upon  tlie 
exhibit,  aaya  that  “  it  ia  expected  to  take  a  very 
prominent  place  among  forage  plants,  and  ia  aaid 
to  have  produced  120  tons  jicr  acre,  and  to  bo  a 
great  preventive  of  foot-and-mouth  disease.” 
It  is  spoken  of  as  a  rtew  plant,  although  it  is 
known  to  have  hecn  introduced  into  Eng¬ 
land  from  the  CauoaHian  mountains  in  1741). 
Now,  wliile  wo  have  no  desire  to  croato  a  furoro 
over  this  claimed-to-be  valuable  forage  plant, 
still  it  is  probably  well  enough  to  lot  our  readers 
know  that  there  is  a  proapeet  of  its  becoming,  to 
a  certain  extent,  popular  in  this  country.  We 
cannot,  howevex,  8i>cak  quite  so  enthusiastically 
of  it  as  a  correspondent  of  the  English  Live 
Stock  Journal,  who  says  that  it  '*  will,  without 
doubt,  become  one  of  the  Lest  sunnnor  forage 
plants  grown,  it  not  the.  liest,  both  lu  quality  and 
quantity." 
Why  this  ])Iank  has  remained  so  long  almost 
entirely  neglected  by  our  agriculturists  is  rather 
surprising,  inasmuch  as  nearly  all  the  “  Farmers’ 
Cyclopedias  ”  published  dining  the  past  fifty 
years  speak  highly  of  the  nutritious  properties 
of  this  species  of  Comfrey.  Both  its  roots  and 
atoms  are  very  farinaceous,  and  are  greedily 
eaten  by  our  pigs  and  sheep.  The  root  is  tuber- 
cuiatod,  thick  and  fieshy.  The  stems  ore  some¬ 
what  prickly  and  grow  from  nix  to  ton  feet  high. 
The  leaves  are  rough-stalked,  heart-shaped, 
broad,  tapering  to  a  point,  and  of  a  bluish-green 
color.  The  fiowora  are  cylimlrical,  with  a  cam- 
paiiulated  inflated  limb,  and  have  a  changeable 
bluish-red  color,  and  appear  continually  through¬ 
out  >ho  entire  summer. 
The  propagation  is  very  simple.  The  roots 
being  taken  np  in  spring,  out  into  very  small 
pieces  and  either  sown  in  drills  or  planted  in 
hills,  as  with  the  common  potato.  The  leaves 
and  stems  are  relished  by  cows,  and  may  be  used 
mstead  of  corn  for  soiling,  as  they  impart  no 
bad  flavor  to  the  miiic.  'Tlie  leaves  are  said,  by 
Dr.  Gburoe  JonxsTojf,  to  give  a  grateful  flavor 
to  cakes,  and  to  bo,  when  boiled,  an  excellent 
vegetable.  They  should  bo  gathered  while 
young,  when  they  fonu  a  good  substitute  for 
spinach. 
Prof.  JaafEs  BucKaia?*,  who  has  made  many 
valuable  observations  on  grasses  and  other  plants 
especially  serviceable  to  the  farmer,  observes 
that  while  this  plant  was  growing  in  his  garden, 
he  used  to  amuse  himself  by  taking  branches  of 
it  to  the  cows,  and  that  it  was  highly  amusing  to 
see  how  soon  they  surrounded  him  and  how 
eagerly  they  ate  the  plants.  Dr.  Voelckrk, 
who  analyzed  this  Comfrey,  both  in  its  fresh  and 
dry  state,  declared  it  to  be  his  opinion  that  it 
was  a  very  nutritious  forage  plant. 
Probably  many  of  our  readers  are  familiar 
with  what  is  called  the  Common  Comfrey,  so 
frequently  seen  by  the  roadsides  and  in  old  gai'- 
deus  in  the  Eastern  States.  This  Common  Com¬ 
frey  is  known botanically  as  Sj/viphylumoffiiHuale 
or,  to  put  it  in  plain  English,  Modicinal  Com¬ 
frey.  The  roots  contain  a  large  quantity  of  mu¬ 
cilage,  and  are  frequently  employ^  for  the 
same  purposes  as  flaxseed,  sllppcry-ohn  bark  and 
gnm  arable  to  allay  irritation  of  the  throat,  or, 
to^^e  an  old  phrase,  "griefes  of  tEe  lungs.” 
The  flowers  of  the  Common  Cymfrey  are  of  a 
du‘ty-yellowibh  color,  and  those  of  the  Prickly  a 
blue  and  red,  which  is  sufficient  to  enable  one  to 
distinguish  the  two  species,  if  there  were  no 
other  marked  charaoteristicH,  still  it  is  the  opin¬ 
ion  of  some  very  good  authorities  that  they  are 
one  and  the  same,  or  that  the  Prickly  Comfrey 
is  only  a  variety  of  the  Common. 
Prof.  Bdcksiak  on  this  point  says :  “  On  intro- 
ducisg  the  S.  aapm'imum  to  my  botanical  gar¬ 
den,  i\  struck  nic  that  notwithstanding  the  latter 
is  known  a.s  a  Caucasian  siiecies,  which  was  in¬ 
troduced  as  a  garden  plant  on  account  of  the 
beautiful  color  of  its  flower-hells,  yet  that  the 
foaucr  scarcely  presented  those  marked  ditfor- 
enccM  which  vhould  belong  to  species.  I  there¬ 
fore  determiund  to  plant  some  specimens  of  8. 
offlfrinote,  concluding  that  if  1  could  get  a  plant 
fi’om  the  waterside  to  grow  in  an  upland  district, 
remote  from  watoi  so  great  a  change  of  clrcurn* 
stances  would  at  Iea<t  exert  groat  influence  upon 
its  growth.  Accordi»gly,  a  jilant  with  white 
bolls  was  introdneed  iqto  the  botanic  garden, 
which  at  once  grow  ahniklantly,  and,  the  follow¬ 
ing  year,  was  subdivided  into  several  sets  wliich 
flowered ;  but  this  season,  the  flowers  became 
stained  with  a  dull,  reddish-bluo  tinge,  and  each 
season  great  changes  have  gone  on  in  this  plant, 
so  that,  in  fact,  in  the  summer  of  1853,  it  was 
scarcely  distinguishable  from  the  Prickly  Com¬ 
frey.” 
There  ia  little  doubt  of  the  identity  of  the  two 
species,  and  if  any  of  our  readers  have  either 
growing  in  their  neighborhood,  we  should  bo 
pleased  to  receive  loaves  and  flower  of  the  same, 
in  order  to  pursue  our  investigation  further  in 
this  direction. 
- - 
BLOOMSDALE  SEED  FARM. 
Many  reailors  of  the  Rural  who  annually 
procm-e  seed  from  the  various  dealers,  have  little 
conception  of  the  immensity  of  the  plan  upon 
which  they  arc  produced  or  the  groat  care,  skill 
and  utiidy  o.vorcisod  hi  thoir  production.  As  an 
example  wo  dto  tho  business  of  D.  Landrciu  .t 
Sons,  tho  well  known  seedsmen  of  Philadelphia. 
The  head  of  this  Arm,  Mr.  David  Laudi'cth,  is  a 
halo,  hearty  old  gentleman  of  nearly  eighty,  whose 
kindly  iliaposition  beams  upon  every  feature  of 
his  fano.  Hpending  tho  larger  jmi’t  of  his  time 
upon  tho  Bloomsdalo  Farm  among  tho  growing 
orops  and  in  imjoymont  of  tho  elegant  surround¬ 
ings  of  foliage  and  lawns,  would  tend  to  civihze 
disti 
-D 
the  savage  and  how  miioji  morn  the  one  who 
was  born  and  roared  for  no  unUiiary  niche  in 
the  social  world.  Ono  of  tho  most  active  mom 
hers  of  tho  firm  is  Buniot  Laiulroth,  lately  so 
well  known  as  Chief  of  the  Bm-eaii  of  Agricul¬ 
ture  at  tho  Conteiiuial  Exhibition,  whom  many 
Exhibitors  and  visitors  have  cause  to  thank  for 
his  untiling  energy,  his  extreme  courtesy  and 
his  never  failing  watchfulness  in  that  dopart- 
mont  while  it  has  boon  resting  under  a  cloud  of 
neglect  and  adverse  prejudice  at  the  bauds  of 
the  Commission,  which  would  have  long  since 
discouraged  a  loss  determined  and  conscientious 
worker. 
But  of  tho  farm.  A  drive  around  it  was  suifl- 
ciont  to  demonstrato  Messrs.  Laudi'otlia’  skill 
aud  ability  in  Its  management.  Tlie  long  perfect 
rovyn  of  vegetables  must  afford  inteuso  satisfac¬ 
tion  to  any  ohsorver  who  enjoys  tlio  beauty  of 
malliematical  oxaotnoss,  and  tlioir  extent  was 
iinpruHsivu  even  to  one  aeoustomod  to  seeing 
vegetables  raised  on  a  largo  Hoalo.  Two  hundred 
acres  of  cabbage,  two  hundred  more  of  tm-nips, 
sixty  acres  of  onions,  tho  same  of  boots,  forty 
acres  of  tomatoes,  and  other  varieties  in  propor¬ 
tion -it  would  soem  Uiat  these  might  furnish 
seed  for  tho  nation. 
Tho  objeot  of  greatest  interest,  however,  was 
tho  experimental  field,  containing  eighty  varie¬ 
ties  of  small  grains  ui  cultivation.  The  seed  for 
tlieso  grains  was  collected  at  a  great  expense  of 
time  and  money,  much  of  it  having  boon  im¬ 
ported  directly  from  Greece,  Franco,  Russia  and 
other  foreign  countries.  Below  we  give  a  list  of 
tho  varieties,  with  tho  numbors  of  tho  plots  and 
dates  of  planting: 
Sown  Septomber  20th,  1876.  1,  Clawson ;  2, 
Delhi  White ;  3,  Treadwell  j  4,  Hhninakor ;  6, 
Muskingum ;  6,  Post ;  7,  /Vrnold’s  Gold  Modal ; 
8,  Mediterranean  f  0,  Fultz  Winter ;  10,  Michigan 
Wick;  11,  Jennings’  White  Winter;  12,  White 
Rogers.  Sowed  Septomher  2l8t.— 13,  Tappahan- 
nock  ;  14,  Amber ;  15,  Kentucky ;  10,  Arnold’s 
Hybrid ;  1,7,  Red  May ;  18,  Louisiana.  Sowed 
Hoiitembor  2flth.— 10,  Grecian  White;  20,  Silver 
Chair  FaU;  21,  Rough  Chaff;  22,  Uert/.  White  ; 
23,  Victoria ;  24,  ITalJet’s  Pedigree  Hunter's 
White;  25,  Chidam;  20,  Fenton;  27,  Trump; 
28,  Kessingland  ;  20,  Browiok ;  .80,  r,omi8 ;  31, 
Golden  Drop ;  32,  Nursery ;  33,  Hallot's  English 
Pedigree;  .34,  Russian;  3.5,  Dolt;  30,  Walla- 
Walla  ;  37,  April ;  38,  Red  RussiaH  Boarded ;  39, 
Chila ;  40,  Oregon  Club ;  41,  Clawson.  Sowed 
November  1st — 42,  Landomer;  43,  Do  Franken¬ 
stein;  44,  De  Culm;  45,  Regeoore  do  Klapkc- 
bniu ;  40,  De  la  prevote  ou  du  prieuro ;  47,  Em- 
pereur;  49,  Sioglo  ahover  «lo  Valdia.  Sowed 
October  LStli. — 54,  White  Bye ;  55,  Winter  RyeJ 
Sown  in  greenhouse  Decomhor  9th.— 50,  Crimeo; 
51,  Besavoliia ;  52,  Padolic.  Sown  in  greenhouse 
January  10th,  1876.— 63,  Arnold’s.  Sowed  April 
12th.— 50,  Milode  Greco;  67,  Abevicu  do  Greco; 
58,  Drymia  de  Grece  VII ;  59,  Elutei.  Sowed 
April  19th. — 68)^,  Golden  Drop  Manitowoc ; 
69X;  Spring. 
Barley  sown  April  11th,  1876.— 60,  Probsteier  ; 
61,  Oregon;  62,  Australian;  63,  Dshank;  64, 
Cheynoy;  66,  American;  66,  Hallet’s  Pedigree 
Chevalier ;  07,  Page's  Prolific ;  68,  Scotch  Che¬ 
valier. 
Oats  sown  April  12th,  1876.— 69,  Probsteier ; 
70,  Holheck’s  Pedigree  Canadian ;  71,  Oregon, 
72,  Virginia  Winter ;  73,  Mississippi ;  74,  Hallet’s 
Pedigree,  Black  Tartar ;  75,  Excelsior ;  76, 
Sandy ;  77,  Hull-less.  Sowed  April  12th. — 78, 
Waterloo  ;  79,  Potato;  80,  Extra  Early  English 
Manitowoc. 
The  seeds  were  planted  in  drills  eightee 
inches  apart,  and  were  carefully  cultivated  with 
tho  horse  hoe — one-eighth  of  an  acre  being  de¬ 
voted  to  each  variety.  Of  wheat,  the  seeds  for 
Nos.  42-52  inclusive,  were  Imported  from  Franco, 
I  aud  Nos.  56-59  from  Oreeee,  No.  20  was  from 
Rennie  of  Toronto,  and  21  from  H.  &  W.,  Lon- 
