§ 
THE 
RURAL HEW-YORKER 
D. M. Ferry & Co, Detroit, Mich. Seed 
Annual for 1881. This is a remarkable cata¬ 
logue—considering that It. is mailed to appli¬ 
cants wilhout charge. It contains five colored 
plates, 500 engravings, 170 pages and a list of 
1,500 varieties of vegetable and flower seeds 
and plants. 
A. J. Caywood A Son, Marlborough, Ulster 
Co., N. Y. A Pamphlet of the new whitegrape 
Duchess, and two new strawberries. 
V. H. Hallock, Son A Thorpe, Queeps, 
Long Island. N. Y. Catalogues of plants, 
bulbs, Ac. Free. This firm cultivates 30 acres 
of flowers and has made for many years a 
specially of the beautiful Gladiolus of which 
they have an immense stock. 
Ellis Bros., Keene, N. H. Illustrated and 
Descriptive Catalogue of Greenhouse A Bed¬ 
ding Plants for 1881. We see in this a picture 
of ti:e new double white Bouvardia, “Alfred 
Neuner,” illustrated in the Rural of Feb. 19. 
Frank Ford, Ravenna, O. Descriptive 
price-list of Small Fruits, Seed Potatoes and 
certain specialties. 
T. M. Metcalf. Prop, of the North Star Seed 
Farms. St. Paul, Minn. Annual catalogue of 
choice field, garden and flower seeds grown by 
them and selected from the stocks of the best 
American and European growers. A large, 
illustrated catalogue. Free to all. 
Waldo F. Brown, Oxford, Butler Co., Ohio. 
Fifteenth Annual Catalogue of flower and vege¬ 
table seeds. Mr. Browu is an able rural writer 
and an experienced farmer and horticulturist. 
He offers his catalogue without charge to all 
who apply. 
C. W. Dorr, Des Moines, Iowa. Seed Man¬ 
ual for 1881—also a fine list of the best small 
fruits. Free. 
Geo. 8. Wales, Bannockburn Farm, Roch- 
oster, N. Y. A Treatise on Strawberry Cul 
Bowker's Hill and Drill Phosphate. All are 
invited to send for them. 
The Dingee Asn Conard Co., West Grove, 
Chester Co.. Pa.—The New Guide to Rose Cul¬ 
ture and list of all desirable Roses—73 pages 
Probably the largest establishment of the kind 
in the world. Roses by mail a specially. 
A. B Barnes, 46 and 48 West Lake St., Chi¬ 
cago, Ills. Annual Catalogue of Farm Ma¬ 
chinery, Field, Garden and Flower seeds— 
illustrated, 63 pages. Free to all. 
Ellwangeh & Barry, Rochester, N. Y. 
Descriptive Catalogue of Ornamental Trees, 
Shrubs, Hardy Perennial plants, etc. 120 pages 
—illustrated with many new engravings and a 
colored plate of that fine shrub the Japan 
Snowball—Viburnum plicatum.—Also 
A Descriptive Catalogue of Fruit* with a 
colored plate and wood cats—65 page*.—Also 
A Descriptive Catalogue of Select Roses with 
a beautifully executed colored plate of those 
superb varieties Coquettes des Blanches, Jean 
Liabaud, Jules Margottin, Alfred Colomb and 
Marie Van Houtte, all Hybrid Perpetuals except 
the last which is a Tea. 
A. C. Kendel, 115 Ontario St., Cleveland, 
Ohio. Price-list of native and imported Field, 
Garden and Flower seeds, Agricultural Imple¬ 
ments, etc. Free. 
Nash A Brother, 23 College Place, New 
York. Descriptive Illustrated Catalogue of 
the Acme Pulverizing Harrow, Clod-crusher 
and Leveler, 50 pages. Free. * 
Peter Henderson & Co.. 35 Cortland 
Street, N. Y. Combined wholesale list from 
February 1st to March 15th. For florists and 
market gardeners. 
Storks, Harrison A Co., Paineaville, Ohio. 
Catalogue of 80 pages with a handsome col¬ 
ored plate of carnations. New or rare plants, 
bedding and house plants, vines, roses, geran¬ 
iums, fuchsias, etc., etc. 
of instructions to shippers. Advice as to 
packing, shipping vegetables, fruits, etc, etc. 
This will be mailed free to applicants, and it 
offers some valuable suggestions. 
E. A J. C. Williams, Chestnut Hill Nursery ( 
Montclair, N. J. Catalogue of strawberries, 
raspberries, grapes, fruit trees, etc. Free to 
all. A trustworthy establishment. They rec¬ 
ommend Charles Downing, Sharpless and 
Miner’s Prolific 'as the best strawberries and 
recommend all to try a “ dozen each of Caro¬ 
line apd Cuthbert Raspberries.'’ They think 
highly, also, of the Brighton Grape. 
T. S. Hubbard. Fredonia, N. Y. Catalogue 
of Grape-vines.Fruit Trees, etc. Headquarters 
of the new and promising Prentiss Grape. 
Sent to those who apply. 
W. L Ferris, Jr. Poughkeepsie. N. Y. 
Catalogue of 26 pages illustrated. Vegetable 
and flower seeds, small fruits, Ac. 
William Parry, Parry P. O., New Jersey. 
Catalogue 35 pages illustrated. Strawberries, 
blackberries, grapes, currants, gooseberries— 
fruit and ornamental trees. Free to all. 
Also, Catalogue of 32 pages of plants and 
flowers. _ 
B. K. Bliss A Sons. 34 Barclay St., New 
York. A Select List of Novelties for 1881. 
Fine illustrations of peas, melons, new pota¬ 
toes, new varieties of grain, Ac. This is an 
interesting document and will be sent to our 
subscribers without charge. 
Thomas Meehan, Germantown Nurseries. 
Philadelphia, Pa. Catalogue of 34 pages of 
all kinds of ornamental trees, shrubs and 
fruits. Also seeds of trees, shrubs and fruits. 
An excellent list—an old establishment and an 
experienced proprietor. 
--- 
RURAL BRIEFLETS. 
A deep, moist (not wet,) fertile soil is what 
pleases the currant. For fertilizers, bone 
flour, wood ashes, muck, leaf-mold, cow ma¬ 
nure may all be advantageously used. In 
well-known varieties. To what extent Fay’s 
Prolific maybe an actual improvement upon 
this can only be determined after several Years 
of trial in mat y different places. Give the Red 
Dutch a suitable soil and care, and the berries 
will be nearly as large a* those of the Chevy 
and Graoe Currants—while it will yield more 
fruit of a better (less acid) quality. . . . 
The “White Graoe’’ is perhaps, the best 
while currant. “Victoria” ripens about two 
weeks later than the others. The berries are 
red, of fair quality, and produced in abund¬ 
ance. It is growing in favor among market- 
men because it is late and also because it is 
a good shipper. The Cherry or Versaillaise is 
the largest of currants and, all things consid¬ 
ered, is to-day the most popular. The berries 
are of a fine, liquid crimson-color, though very 
sour.. .... 
The Black Naples is the best black—unless 
it may be Lee’s Prolific, of wirch the Rural 
has no personal knowledge. See Mr. Lovett’s 
remarks. .. 
The best varieties of American gooseberries 
are Downing, fruit large, soft, juicy, good; 
of a light-green color; plant strong and pro¬ 
lific; Houghton’s Seedling, strong grower, 
productive, medium-sized fruit, pale or red 
color, tender and good; Smith's Improved, 
strong grower, fruitful; berries, pale yellow¬ 
ish-green, firm, sweet, of an oval shape and 
large; Mountain Seedling, large fruit, pro¬ 
ductive; red. thick skin; fair quality. . . . 
Sugar and hot water, tansy or lime- water are 
recommended for ants among strawberries. . 
Mr, nARVEY had the grape fever very bad'y 
about 25 years ago. During its paroxysms be 
planted 150 varieties. He has since rejected 
147. 
Mr. Josiah Hoopes thinks that country 
people should be able to recognize the honor¬ 
able agent from the rascal. Mr. Eagle thinks 
that people love to be humbugged and he 
would let the matter work out its own cure. 
Mr. Meehan, who has been in the nursery bus¬ 
iness for 25 years, thinks there are cases where 
agents do good as well as much harm. There 
are many instances where trees would not be 
ture. The whole story told in a few words. 
This is sent “ free " for a penny Btamp. 
United States Wind-engine and Pump 
Co., Batavia, Ills.—Descriptive Catalogue of 
50 pages of standard wind-mills, double and 
single-acting pumps, the IXL feed grinders, 
Halladay’s celebrated outlet valves, hay car¬ 
riers, horse-hay forks, etc. Fully illustrated. 
Free. 
Bowkek Fertilizer Co., No. 43 Chatham 
St., Boston.—No. 8 Park Place, New York. 
Pataiphlets of the Stockbridge Manure* and 
THE NIAGARA GRAPE.—PROM 
Also, semi-annual price list of fruit and 
ornamental trees, vines, evergreens, 6hrubs, 
etc. 
Also, catalogue of grape-vines, strawberries 
and small fruits in general. 
Also, pamphlet of “Dollar Collections " ot 
fruit trees and small fruits of all kinds. Free 
to our subscribers. 
L. W. Godbll, Amherst, Mass. Illustrated 
catalogue of Beads and bulbs for the flower 
and vegetable garden. Free. 
E. A O. Ward, Produce Commission Mer¬ 
chants, 279 Washington 8t., N. Y, A circular 
NATURE. — SEE PAGE 161.— PIG. 132. 
saudy or dry soil, a mulch of salt hay, grass 
spread while green, corn-stalks or coal ashes 
will prove ot decided value. Further south, 
shade must be given to the currant— Mich as 
that afforded by the shelter of barns or other 
buildings. .... 
In the field culture of the currant it is best 
to set them so that they may be cultivated bot h 
ways, viz., five feet apart. A shallow cultiva¬ 
tor only should be used. An aero so planted 
would require about 1,500 plauts. For this 
purpose select one-year-old plauis. 
Tub old Red Dutch is at once the most pre- 
1 ductive and the best in quality of any of the 
planted at all, if not for the agents. There 
are scores of nurserymen who employ only 
honest men. Iu his vicinity agents sell to peo¬ 
ple who never come to the nurseiy, and who 
pay more because they are waited upon. . 
Mu. Ohmkr, of Ohio, states that the Snyder 
Blackbeny is really iron-dad. It seems to re¬ 
sist, he says, everything known as injurious 
to other kinds. It will stand 30 degrees below 
zero and come out all right iu tbe Spring. It 
Is an enormous bearer of not large, though 
pretty good fruit. 
Mr. Geo. >8. Wales says, “ Strawberiy cul¬ 
ture, in the fewest words, is to select varieties 
