« 
MARCH § 
U6 THE RURAL UEW-YOBKER. 
a producer. It is of fair quality for so large a 
fruit. 
Crescent Seedling has been appropriately 
characterized as ihe ‘ lazy man's strawberry." 
It bears a favorable comparison with the Wil¬ 
son in this respect. It i« a rampant grower, 
but too soft; w l ile Wil-on is firm, but of only 
moderate vigor. Neither can ever become 
popular wi'b the heat growers. 
Seneca Quern is my favorite on account of 
its flue, even siz •, great beauty and fine qual- 
i'y. If I were compel led to choose oue variety, 
to the exclusion of all others, with mypresent 
experience, 1 am not sure but it would be this. 
SniKT3 is doing well. It is satisfactory in 
size, quality and appearance, and is, I think, 
firm enoi gh. We. need to know more as to its 
productiveness in different localities before it 
can take position as a market berry. 
Makvin has pu tty well established a reputa¬ 
tion as a large. firm, bright-colored, very late 
and productive berry. The plant is about as 
vigorous as Wilson. More time is needed to 
establish its character as a producer in differ¬ 
ent soils and localities. I have much faith in 
its future. 
Windsor Chief seems generally to be char¬ 
acterized as the •'Champion, aud only Cham¬ 
pion.” The alleged originator has been ap¬ 
pealed to,to demonstrate (if he can) its distinct 
origin, by giving to the public a history there¬ 
of. This he seems to have omitted to do. 
The natural infer¬ 
ence would seem to 
be that such his¬ 
tory may not be 
able to bear the 
light of criticism; 
hence there wonld 
seem to be occa¬ 
sion to donbt the 
fact of its distinct 
origin. The origin¬ 
ator certainly oweB 
it to himself to al¬ 
lay such doubt, if 
POSS’ble. CRYSTAL WHITE BLACKBERRY. 
—fig 110. H ec page 162, 
Bid well had its origin seven or more years 
since, as is alleged, at this place. It has re¬ 
ceived a most favorable notice from the Michi¬ 
gan Pomological Society. Still it remains 
comparatively unknown at home; althotrgh at 
the East, where it has recently become known, 
it seems to be attracting much attention. The 
plant is very vigorous, and the fruit large, 
bright-colored and of superior quality. It is 
firm enough for market, and under good man¬ 
agement will be found profitable, especially so 
on light soils. 
Glendale possesses many good qualities as 
a market berry. The chief doubt respecting 
its value lor that purpose lies iu the question 
of productiveness. 
Russell’s Advance is, in roost respects, a 
very desirable terry; but more time is needed 
to determine as to its productiveness and con¬ 
sequent value for the market. 
Burgess is a comparatively new sort, of 
which little seems yet to be known. It pur¬ 
ports to come to us from Rhode Island. It is 
esteemed valuable by those who have most 
fully tried it. 
Among the varieties that have been some 
tirae before the public without having at¬ 
tracted special attention, I regard the follow¬ 
ing as desirab'e, and several of them highly 
valuable, especially Enly Hudson, Cowiug’s 
Seedling, Duncan, Duchess, Charles Down¬ 
ing, Matilda. Champion, and Monarch of the 
West; while Cumberland Triumph, Boyden’s 
No. 30. Black Defiance. Major McMahon, Hud¬ 
son’s No. 10, Kentucky, and Springdale are 
scarcely less so. Iu the. hands of good culti¬ 
vators several of them would doubtless have 
been found highly profitable as market sorts. 
Among the many that have now been some 
time on trial, without having achieved decided 
popularity, the following seem to be just de- 
sirahle enough to be laid on the shelf with a 
lingering regret, viz: Captain Jack (it should 
have been honored with a better name), Col. 
Cheni y, Seneca Chief (which is only excep¬ 
tionally successful) Burr Oak, Caroline, Gen¬ 
eral Sherman, Victoria (Golden Queen), and, 
perhaps, Froutenae, which, although excellent 
in quality, is hopelessly unproductive. Sev¬ 
eral of these, under favorable conditions, prove 
to be highly desirable as amateur or family 
berries. 
There remains yet another class of varieties 
which, with us, have not yet grown and fruited 
under circumstances so favorable as to demon¬ 
strate either a warrant for commendation or 
condemnation, of which, without donbt, the 
successful ones may be expected to be the rare 
exceptions, while the great mass will be bur¬ 
ied in oblivion. Of such I uame Belle, Cen¬ 
tennial Favorite, Cinderella, Continental, 
Crystal City, Durand’s Beauty, Early Adela, 
Forest Rose, Iowa Prolific, Miner's Great Pro¬ 
lific, New Dominion, New Jersey, Scarlet, 
Pioneer, President L'neoln, Rappahannock, 
Red Jacket. To these might be added a still 
longer list of those which, although they still 
linger in the catalogues of nurserymen and in 
the list of amateurs, are hopelessly beyond the 
pale of popular recognition and approval. 
RASPBEBKIES. 
Gregg has fruited here the past season and 
seems destined to supersede those old favor¬ 
ites, Mammoth Cluster and Doolittle, with 
those who grow the Black Caps, although at 
the Lake Shore, where most of the red varie¬ 
ties are sufficiently hardy, they are generally 
grown, since the fiuit is preferred in the 
maiket. 
Clarke is somewhat grown for the early 
market, but its lack of productiveness is a ser¬ 
ious obstacle to its popularity. 
Delaware is veiy little known here, and it 
may fail ly be doubted whether any amount of 
'•pushing” or advertising could give it popu¬ 
larity with planters. Although firm and 
brighl-colorted, it lacks quality, 
Titwack is a strong grower and productive, 
but it is far from attractive in color as com¬ 
pared with several others, while it is sadly de¬ 
ficient in quality. I was astonished to hear it 
so highly lauded at the last meeting of the 
American Pomological Society by some men 
who, beyond doubt, must have understood its 
lack in this respect. 
Brandywine is better known here, and is 
bright colored, firm and early; but it is too 
small and has not always shown itself pro¬ 
ductive. 
Herstine has size, quality and color in its 
favor, and seems likely to lead in popularity, 
notwithstanding its decided lack of firmness, 
unless it shall be superseded by 
Cuthbekt, which is yet little known, al¬ 
though highly prized by those who have 
proved it. 
Montclair is another berry as yet nn- 
disseminated here. It has, however, fruited 
here the last two years, and. although a 
brighter color might be desirable, its firmness, 
fine size and high quality, together with its 
slight tendency to sucker, are strong points in 
its favor. 
-»»«- 
SMALL FRUITS. 
GEN. WM. H. NOBLE. BRIDGEPORT, CONN. 
8mall fruits, in our climate, mean, I take it, 
currants, gooseberries, blackberries, raspber¬ 
ries, strawberries and grapes. Their culture 
for profit, home comfort and health should 
have the widest welcome. No industry will 
average any richer dividends from tfie market 
than these nattily offered and well grown sup¬ 
plies. They mav be raised in fine form, under 
the richest culture, yet if they are not 
marketed neatly, in good order, free from 
mussine88, and freshly picked, the fruit raiser 
will be disgusted with his returns. A good 
i many slovenly growers meet rebuffs to the 
uncomely offerings of their goods, which they 
are blind enough to think due to a public want 
of taste for small fruits. But there is in cities 
and large towns an almost unlimited market 
for fruits to which culture has done jastice 
and which the owner offers measured out and 
boxed in handy shape to haudle. No man 
should market fruit who does not make it a 
business. Because you have a few quarts of 
any kind beyond your home supply, don’t fill 
your tiu kettle or peck measure and dump into 
a store to swap for groceries. Give your over¬ 
plus to some nice neighbor or some poor, lone 
widow, whose home room or pinched affairs 
will not admit growing them or buying them. 
LEE'S PROLIFIC CURRANT (BLACK)—FIG. 111. Seep. 161 
Every householder, both for the love of the 
fruit and the joy of its culture and possession, 
should plant some of these small fruits. An 
abundance is the duty and the glory of any 
large place. No house lot, however small, 
should be without some pf the assortment. It 
is wonderful what crops every kind will yield 
to a busy worker iu his home lot. Every 
vacant place, every drooping shed, every 
fence border can be made to rejoice in their 
fruitage. Of course they cannot be left to take 
care of themselves as ordinary fruits often are, 
in the wide garden or fruit farm. A good deal 
of Winter pruning, freqnent Summer pinching, 
skill and judgment in training to cover unoc¬ 
cupied spaces, and a deftness that only practice 
teaches, must beget plenty and excellence. 
Some of the care and constant watchfulnese 
over small fruits in the little home is not out 
of place either in larger grounds or on the 
fruit farm. I’ll leave the larger cultiva¬ 
tors to take care of themselves and devote a 
few words to the methods by which a plenty of 
small fruits can be had in the narrowest do¬ 
main. 
And first about grapes:—I have a friend 
who, from a single line of Clinton Grape on a 
galvanized wire, gets bushels of the fruit. Ou 
a 25-foot lot twelve such vines can be trained 
up on to the leau-to or rear walls of the 
dwelling, stretching up 30 feet or more, both 
studded with fruit and shading the house. 
Strong posts around your little rear yard may 
hold as many more. Then along the borders 
below the grapes you may have currants 
trained to single stems and tied to horizontal 
wires, ripeuing in their Beason a delightful 
abundance. Gooseberries so trained, of cur 
hardy, numildewlng American kinds, will give 
you lots of the luscious fruit. Some of those 
hardy modern Black-cap raspberries trained in 
some odd place will cheer your table with 
their harvest. Even the thorny Lawton or 
some of the hardier kinds of blackberries, 
trimmed and trained and pruned and pinched, 
will give a large supply for their season. 
Then as to strawberries, not much can be 
done with any kind of comfort in an ordinary 
city lot. But iu a small homestead of 50x100 
feet there is, after all these other fruits are 
provided for, still room for a strawberry bed 
to Eupply that delightful fruit from the begin¬ 
ning to the ending of its season. On this joy 
of the table the householder should expend his 
soul. Its soil should be deep and rich, but not 
with too rank manure ; every runner Bhould 
be clipped during its bearing season. In sep¬ 
arate rows he should have kinds covering the 
first blush of this fruit to its latest yield. Not 
a weed or a grass-spire should be found; but 
all should be weU mulched to keep the berries 
from the spattering raiu and dirt. Through 
the earing season drench with water. Thi6 
latter is a very needed thing which the large 
growers cannot Turnish. But for it the straw¬ 
berry’s appetite is so great that nothing will 
so help out the cotter's crop, as to the bigness 
and abundance of its yield and the duration 
of its season, as an abundant supply of water 
nights and mornings. 
Nothing so binds to our hearts the sacred 
memories of home as the joyousness of the 
family table well supplied with small fruits. 
The little youngsters from their earliest youth 
so relish these healthful fruits, that in after 
life enjoyment of them makes up a large part 
of home memories and endears to them, as 
much as any aesthetic or mental culture, those 
who have cared for their tender years. 
-- 
SMALL FRUITS HERE AND THERE. 
CHARLES A. GREEN. 
Samuel Miller writes me in glowing terms 
of the Triumph Grape. He does not say it is 
white, but leads me to infer that it is. While 
not an early grape, he thinks it will mature its 
fruit at Rochester, N. Y., if given a good posi¬ 
tion. “It is such a splendid varieiy 1 wish 
you to enjoy it, and shall send you a vine.” he 
writes. At the Mississippi Valley Horticul¬ 
tural Society’s Meeting, the Triumph was 
deemed the finest dish of grapes for table use 
on exhibition, the bunches weighing as high 
as one and out-half pouDd. 
The Cuthbert Raspberry has been injured 
somewhat here by the severe freezing, but I 
trust not seriously. If it comeB out next 
Spring with any live fruit buds I shall think 
highly of it, for this is the worst Winter for 
red raspberries I have known. They con¬ 
tinued growing very late in the Fall, and the 
sudden dash of early Winter found them with 
immature wood. The leaves are hanging yet 
to raspberries that never retained tbelr foliage 
so late before: The Cuthbert will not endure 
the severe Winters of Iowa and other points 
of the West. It is nowhere recommended a6 
being so hardy as ihe Turner. Last Winter it 
went through without the loss of a hud with us. 
I am favorably impressed with this varieiy, but 
there is an opportunity yet for improvement 
in respect to complete hardiness. I predict 
that red raspberries in the future will be much 
more popular than in the past. People have 
been prej udiced againBt them on account of 
not knowing how to manage the suckers. Treat 
them as weeds, cultivate in hills both ways, 
and you will be successful; but cultivate only 
one or two inches deep. [We beg to 6tate that 
this is our experience exactly.—Eds ] 
I wish to bring about a reform in plant grow¬ 
ing to this extent: Throw overboard half or 
more of the varieties of strawherrles now on 
the lists. It is the worst possible waste of 
time and money to propagate or to plant a 
large number now recommended. “But we 
must publish a large list or we will be con¬ 
sidered one-horse concerns,” says one. I will 
reply that it is better to drive one horse and 
carry your friends safely, than to drive four- 
in hand and dump them into the ditch. True, 
many varieties will thrive in one section, which 
should be discarded in another; but there are 
enough that will thrive almost anywhere, and 
such are the safest to recommend. There are 
scores of varieties of strawberries so marly 
alike that one would require a microscope to 
distinguish one from another. Come, breth¬ 
ren, it is time to clear out the rubbish! 
Visiting a large evaporating establishment 
recently, I inquired what method was found 
the best for keeping dried fruits from becom¬ 
ing “ wormy.” “ We used to keep them in a 
dark room,” was the rep’y, “ but found that 
such a place was just the kind desired by the 
insectB, and we lost some smalL fruits. We 
have 6ince stored dried raspberries, etc., in 
veiy well lighted room?, leaving as much 
space as possible between the sacks, and the 
result has been satisfactory.” 
The proprietors of the Niagara Grape have 
distinguished themselves for the Fankee 
shrewdness manifested in manipulating that 
variety. Without spending a dollar for adver¬ 
tisements they have made the grape known 
throughout the country ; without disposing of 
their entire iuterest in one single vine, they 
have disposed of Tineyard rights, bringing in, 
or promising to bring in—well 1 was told the 
exaei amouut, but will simp'y say somewhere 
into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. No 
living soul has the right to propagate a vine of 
this variety, nor will have until it is generally 
introduced to the public, which will not 
be for at least four years. When introduced 
it is proposed to attach 
the company’s seal to 
each vise; therefore if 
any outside party had 
vines he could not sell 
them. One element of 
Buceess the Niagara 
people have enjoyed 
from the beginning, 
without which no 
amouut of ingenuity 
could have availed— 
they have a grape well- 
suited to the wants of 
»he public, so far as 
can be determined by its conduct on the 
grounds of the originator. While not a va¬ 
riety of superior quality, it is good enough 
for market purposes, and not one in a thou¬ 
sand but will smack his lips over it. Its vigor, 
productiveness and beauty are its strong 
points. 
I am glad to see the originators of fine ft nils 
rewarded geuerously. Few of them receive 
compensatioa in proportion to the benefits 
conferred. I met the originator of that valu¬ 
able raspberry, the D.iolittle, last Fall- He is 
a poor mau, having made but a trtfliug sum 
from his' seedling, whereas others made thou¬ 
sands of dollars. 
I never have succeeded with fruits on low 
lands. The frosts in late Spring, when the 
fruits were iu blossom, ruined fruits on the 
low lands, while those on elevations were in¬ 
jured but slightly in comparison. A difference 
of a few feet iu elevation waa often noticeable 
in the effects of frost. Iu young viueyaids espe¬ 
cially I have seen plants killed beside those un¬ 
hurt, where the difference in elevation was bul 
trilling. Elevatiou may or may uot have been 
the controlling cause iu this case. I asked Mr. 
J. J. Thomas recently whether the dwarf 
pears in the many orchards he had visited did 
better on the- elevatious than ou the low lauds. 
He replied, “Invariably better ou the up¬ 
lands.” Messrs. J. II. and G. H. Hale speak 
of raspberries doing well on muck. I can do 
DOthiug with them, or with strawberries, cur¬ 
rants, grapes, etc., on such soil. Our muck is 
too light, and lacks some essential lugredient. 
The Lost Rubies Red Raspberry was planted 
last season in various parts of the country, 
aud we shall soon hear reports ol its conduct. 
With me it is the largest aud most productive 
variety I have fruited, and it is very firm aud 
beautiful. For five years it has borne heavy 
crops without Winter protection, aud appeals 
to be perfectly hardy. It possesses grout 
vigor, the eaues often growing six feet high. 
It ripens with Brandywine, and continues iu 
bearing three or four weeks, depending ou the 
season. This variety is uot perfection, 1 
hasten to add. Its greatest imperfection is, to 
my taste, being too tart; but I have noticed 
that this feature varies with the seasons and 
with different methods of cultivation. It was 
never so tart as last Beason. But, notwith¬ 
standing this defect, the quality of Lost Rubies 
is superior to that of most varieties, ihe flavor 
being pronounced aud enticing—something 
among raspberry flavors as is the taste of a 
Spy or Spitzeuberg among apples. 1 know of no 
variety that will yield so many quarts per acre, 
and none that the pickers are so partial to, 
owing to the rapidity with which they may fill 
their baskets. This is owing to its firmness. 
The cavity in raspberries comprises about ont- 
third of the bulk. If the berries are Boft aud 
settle down solid, it takes a good many to 
THE 8BKBO It\8PBERRV 
