354 
MAY 28 
THE RURAL HEW-YORKER. 
B g gooseberries are, however, just what w 
are working for here—big ones ihat will not 
mildew. It is surprising what a fascination 
big fruit, though generally of inferior quality, 
carries with it 
Yields ct Early and Late Potatoes.— In 
regard to the time of matuiity of the later sorts 
of potatoes. Mr. J jnathan Talcott states in the 
Albany Cultivator, that all else being equal, 
the later Horts will produce a larger crop on the 
same soil than the earliest sorts, in the same 
season, as they have a longer time for growth, 
and especially if the latter part of the season 
be showery so that the ground is kept well 
moistened throughout the period of the growth 
of the lubers. In such cases be has known the 
6arne sorts planted both early and late on the 
same farm, with the same cultivation in both 
cases, when the later planted would produce 
nearly or quite double the quantity to the 
acre that the earliest planted did. 
His experience has been that the last half of 
May i6 the beet time to plant potatoes. With 
the ground well fitted, and with good cultiva 
tion afterwards, he has thus succeeded in 
growing the beBt crops of potatoes, having 
never failed, while he has failed with an occa¬ 
sional early planted crop. 
The Scientific American finds still another 
use for empty fruit cans. It recommends 
piercing several small holes in the bottom and 
sides and siukiug them in the earth near the 
roots of strawberry or tomato or other plants, 
the holes to be made of such size that when 
the can is filled the fluid can only escape into 
the ground very slowly. A very little care in 
filling the cans occasionally will keep the 
ground well irrigated. Tomatoes would scarce¬ 
ly need the watering—but the plan might 
prove excellent for strawberries. 
Experiments in Boo Feeding. —An Iowa 
farmer, says the Ag. Ed. of the N. Y. Herald, 
put up 20 one-year-uld hogs, and for the first 
28 days fed them on dry shelled corn, of which 
they ate 83 buBbels and gained 837 pounds— 
over 10 pounds to the bushel of corn. He then 
fed the same bogs for 14 days on dry corn- 
meal, during which time they consumed 47 
but-bels and gained 553 pouodB, or 11$ pouDds 
to the bushel. The same hogs were theD fed 14 
days on corn-meal and water mixed ; tbiy cor- 
suuied 55^ bushels of corn and gained 731 
pounds, or IS 1-6 pounds to the bu-hel of 
corn. He then fed them 14 days on corn-msal, 
cooked, and after consuming 45 bushels of the 
cooked meal, they gained 799 pounds, or veiy 
nearly 15 pounds to the' bushel of meal. 
A medium-sized potato, says Dr. Roland, is 
more certain to mature than a small one ; and 
best results are obtained from large potatoes, 
a6 the eyes or germs are more vigorous, and 
there Is more substance to feed them in the 
beginning. 
Sweet Williams —A bed of Sweet Williams, 
to be ready <ff cuve, says G wdening lllu-tra- 
ted, Bhould have the leading shoots tied to 
stakes, or the wind will blow the plants about 
aDd make a wreck of many of them. The 
fl >wers of a good 6train are so bold in appear¬ 
ance. so varied in character, and so handsomt- 
]y marked, that they will repay a little extra 
attention at the proper time. 
The D--troit Free Press says that country 
people pi y the denizens of a city who .have to 
use lake or river water, but when an Ohio 
farmer cleaned out his well last week, he fished 
out two cats, a paiut keg. two old brooms, an 
old hat, a boot, aud a dozen shingles. 
Jumping the Rope, says the N Y. Herald, 
has j tot killed a little girl in Wisconsin, as it 
has done elsewhere. Parents aud teachers 
never seem to real ze that the emulative spirit 
kills children more rapidly than it does adults. 
.The R d Cloud Indians are to have a 
boarding school. As soon as the institution 
begins business the pupils will begin to write 
to their parents for raoD< y. Then the proud 
old braves will learn some of the miseries of 
civdiz ilion.Hebrews are not to blame 
fur feeling sore about the hotel restrictions 
that their whole race is sul j cted to because 
of the alleged und> sirableness of a few vulgar 
fellows; but if all men are free aud equal why 
do not some members of the ancient family go 
into the business ihcim-elves aud teach their 
contemners how to run a hotel ?.It 
waB a young ’ se'ihetic’’ from Boston, who 
on first seeing Niagara said, " Wnat a beauti¬ 
ful bang !” 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Kansas. 
Agency, OmgeCo., Muy 9—Spring is two 
weeks later man usual ; but it has been favor¬ 
able for woik. Corn all planted and some of 
it up nicely, Wheat came through all right 
and the late rains have sent it up with a rush, 
and the outlook for a good crop is very fl itter¬ 
ing. The peach trees are full enough for a 
good crop ; aDd there will be plenty of apples 
and au abundance of smalt fruits. Taken alto¬ 
gether, the prospect for a year of plenty very 
good. D B R. 
Parbons Labette Co., May 14.—The season 
opened t wo weeks later than llie average Now 
itis 10 days eailier. In the immediate vicinity 
wheat is very good and headed. Further to 
the northwest the damage from chinch bugs is 
general and serious. Corn unusually prom¬ 
ising. The earliest is six inches high. ji. b. 
Missouri. 
Grant Citt. Worth Co., May 6—After a 
loDg. severe Winter, we are having niceSpiing 
weather. Winter wheal, looks as if it might 
make half a crop. Spring wheat and oats are 
up and looking well. Farmers are plowing ; 
the ground is in splendid condition, j. t. o. 
Nebraska. 
St. James, Cedar Co., May 9.—The "Old 
Muddy” or "Big Muddy,” as the Missouri is 
familiarly called, has been dreadful this Spring, 
but is now returning to its banks aud to its 
ordinary yellow, dull career. Small grains 
are nearly all sowed. People are prepar¬ 
ing to plant corn, most of which will be 
put In within two weeks. A little snow still 
lingers in drifts about shady placeB. J. n. l. 
New Jersey, 
Quinton, Salem Co., May 12.—Our Spring 
opened late aud cold. Grass and grain are 
consequently backward, and need rain bad¬ 
ly. It is now hot aud dry. We have had 
but one light shower this month. Farmers are 
mostly through planting corn. e. h. s. 
New York, 
Norton Hill, Greene Co., May 16 —We have 
a fine growing time here at present. On the 
lllh a terrible tornado passed over this place, 
unroofing buildings, smashing windows, tear¬ 
ing up apple trees and can yiug them bodily over 
fences. Hail stones came with the wind and cut 
crops and trees considerably, but as the trees 
were not tnlly in bloom I think we shall have 
some fruit. The storm was only about two 
miles wide by about 14 In length, so far as we 
can hear at present. Evejyibing looks pros¬ 
perous. Oats are just coming up, and more 
acres than usual have been sown. Fall-sown 
grain looks much better than last year, owing 
to its being covered with snow most of the 
Winter. A larger area was sowed to it than 
usual. Corn is now being planted, and there 
is a large increase in acreage. List year’s was 
the best crop we have had, and U has induced 
farmers this year to plant more. 1 think, as a 
whole, corn averaged 40 bushels of shelled 
grain to the acre all through this country. 
Flint iB the only corn planted here. Dent 
will not ripen. Of cornse, there were some 
fields that averag' d as high as 70 bushels of 
flint corn. We call that a big yield here, 
and when we can get that yield we are satis¬ 
fied with our crop. It is all hilled cultivation 
as flint corn will not Bland up well unless 
it is braced with the dirt of the hill. Farm¬ 
ers, as a rule, here are in good spirits, and 
don’t buy oleomargarine to make their cows 
yield 40 pounds of butter per head per week. 
We are now looking for the boarders from 
Now York who visit ibis section every Summer, 
and who will make a market for much of our 
produce. They have brought a good deal of 
money into this country, which has been laid 
out ou farm buildings, aud their presence here 
has caused the settlug out of a great amount of 
fruit, so we thiDk our couutry looks much bet¬ 
ter than it did ten years ago. We line to re¬ 
port progress, and I think we gain a little every 
year. There is a falling oil in the daily inter¬ 
est. as there is so much '* composition ” but- 
ter being thrown upon the market, L ist week 
all through the thermometer was in the eigh¬ 
ties and nineties, bo we find Summer is upon 
us. w. H. i. 
Sterling Sta... Cayuga Co., M iy 10 - We have 
had a v iy c«ld Spring with little, rainfall; but 
yesteiday the mercuiy rose to 84 deg. in tbe 
shade, aud we had a shower in the evening. 
To-day is nearly as warm and the sky looks 
showery again. A large acreage of potatoes 
is being put in hereabouts. The few Burbanks 
plunted last year yielded so well that they are 
being largely planted this year in place of other 
varieties The appearance of our fruit trees 
gives promise of an abundant crop of ail sorts, 
and many new orchaids have been set. one 
farm iu our vicinity having been enriched by 
the setting of fruit and ornamental trees, 
shrubs, etc., to tbe value af $800, Such orders 
as that are worth looking after by agents. By 
tbe way several of our young men are " tree 
peddlers,” aud i have learned by experience 
that one is j ast aB safe in buying from them as 
from “fiiBi hands.” One young man filled 
his small fi uit orders last year from stock pro¬ 
cured of J. T. Lovett. Tuls year his stock 
comes from E P. R jc. Many a borne rejoices 
in luscious fruits procured through the solici¬ 
tations of an agent, that would otherwise be 
as destitute as a treeless prairie. Farmers 
usually do not take kindly to sending off for 
things themselves, and improved implements 
as well as fruits are introduced by the irrepres¬ 
sible agent. Q lite a start was made here last 
year in the growth of Amber-cane ; but owing 
to the lack of suitable apparatus for working 
it up a considerable pan of it was foddered 
out. The only convenience for expressing the 
juice was through home-made wooden rollers 
worked by borse-power, which was not very 
satisfactory. Enough was obtained, however, to 
prove that the product was of excellent quality 
and could be produced at a profit. Those who 
had any surplus sold it readily for 00 cents per 
gallon wholesale. T h e sugar beet was also quite 
extensively planted last year, simply to test Its 
adaptability to our soil aud climate, and tbe 
results were so favorable that had Oswego 
capitalists started a beet sugar factory, as they 
proposed, they could have drawn their sup¬ 
plies largely from this region, provided, of 
course, the prices were saiisfactory. Wheat 
in this section looked well when snow went off, 
but the Spring has been bo unfavorable that 
tbe present outlook is poor indeed. More than 
ever before am i convinced of tbe advantage 
of early sowing and ample fertilizing for this 
crop. Some fields that look as if they would 
hardly return the seed, show rank growing 
patches wherever a load of manure was put 
lust Fall. Superphosphates are not very ex¬ 
tensively used here yet. b. k. b. 
North Carolina. 
Bkookbton, Warreu Co., May 11.—There 
will be some peaches here yet. I find that 
in our haste to be tbe first to report 
either good or evil we are often mista¬ 
ken. Many large orchards did not average 
one bloom per tree, while others were 
not Injured by the Winter’s frosts. We now 
find that the frosts of early April left enough 
for a fair crop. The acreage planted in cotton 
is much larger than last year. In April I re¬ 
ported to our Commissioner of Agriculture an 
increase of eight percent , bat now I think 1 
made it too low. m. b. p. 
Ohio. 
Little Hocking, Washington Co., May 15. 
—The farmers were very late about plowing 
owing to wet weather, but planting is going 
ou rapidly now. Ground iu good condition, 
Wheal promises about three-fourths as much 
as last year. Grass is doing finely. Pastures 
were never better at this time lu the ysar. Ap¬ 
ples about half a crop; peaches abundant; 
blackberries generally killed. Cattle wintered 
well, but sheep look bad. a. l. c. 
Texn*. 
San Antonio, Bexar Co., M>y 8. —Are not 
the inclosed specimens of grass Bermuda ? It 
makes au excellent Uwn, with a thick, tough 
sod, smothering everything else and remaining 
green the entire y**ar. It seeds the second year 
after planting. [Yes. Oar friend is probably 
mistaken ub to itB " seeding." We would feel 
obliged for some of the seeds.— Eds ] Our 
crop prospects iu Southern Bexar are good. 
We had frost the morning of the 14th of April, 
but St, did vety little damage. We will have 
plenty of peaches and plums. Early com, 
pnas, beans, Irish potatoes, and, in fact, most 
kinds of garden truck, are now usable, j. m. m. 
West Virginia, 
Lumberport Harmson Co.,Mavl0—We 
had a long, cold Winter, a late, wet Spring, so 
that farmers generally are far behind with 
their Spring woik. Veiy little corn has been 
planted. Wheat looks well; grass Is fine and 
vegetation is making a rapid growth, w. H. 
81 tf <$tterisi 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Hardy Grape*, Peach*#, Pear*, Plum* and 
Apples. 
R T J-, Austin. Texas bavmgseenit Btated 
in various catalogues that Moore’s E illy Grape 
is fro6l-proof oi, in other words, that it will 
stand 10 3 to 15° below zero—asks, 1, wheth¬ 
er it will do so in that climate, and whether it 
is like y to thrive there; 2, are there ary 
peaches, pears, plums or apples that are really 
iron-clad. 
Ans.— I Moore’s Esrly is recommended more 
especially because, while of only fair quality, 
it iB pretty sure to ripen at the extreme North. 
It will doubtless prove abundantly hardy 
where the temperature does not range lower 
than 15 degrees below zero, should it be able 
to withstand also the Summer climate of that 
locality. It is new and hence comparatively 
untested ; still it seems quite as likely to suc¬ 
ceed as Concord or Hartford Prolific, both of 
which are esteemed valuable In T«xa*, and 
are as nearly "Iron-triad” as anything we know 
among grapes. 2, Tbe difference in mere 
hardiness among varieties of peaches is, In 
our estimation, rather slight; and so subject 
to variation from the influence of soil, culti¬ 
vation, season, and possibly other causes, that 
we regard it as nearly or quite useless to take 
it into account, in the selection of varieties for 
planting. The difference in hardiness, among 
pears, is measurably of similar character; 
although a few, like Seckel, Flemish Beauty, 
and especially many of our American seed¬ 
lings, are held to be hardier than the average 
of European seedlings. Plum trees rarely suf¬ 
fer from the severest Winters, except at the 
extreme North, uuless they have suffered the 
premature Iosb of their foliage during the pre¬ 
vious growing season—a malady to which 
they are quite subject—or unless from some 
cause, they have failed promptly to ripen their 
young wood. The American varieties, and 
especially Prunus Chicasa, are free from such 
tendency and are eminently haidy, although 
they lack somewhat tbe lu-cious qualities of 
the common garden plum, Prunus doraestica. 
In apples the difference In hardiness is greater, 
and more distinct, although it seems to follow 
no recognized rules, unless it be this, that 
Southern varieties are (almost, or quite,) 
universally hardier, at the North, than the 
average of Northern varieties. We have Dover 
known a variety, originating south of the Ohio 
River, to prove otherwise than hardy in the 
climate of Michigan ; although Etsteru sort6, 
such as Baldwin and Roxbury Russet, are 
ofteu Eeriout-ly injured by the severer Winters. 
3. Many of the newer sorts of apples, originating 
at the Northwest, arc designated as “ iron¬ 
cladwhile some of Northern and Eastern 
origin mey, with more or less propriety, assume 
this title; among which may be named Fa- 
meuse, Northern Spy, Talman Sweet, Golden 
Russet, WBgener and others. These, however, 
generally fail on the Western pruiriee; while 
few of the Northern varieties (. xcept the ear¬ 
lier ones,) are found successful as vrego South. 
Color In Jemeys. 
JI. C. P., Albion, Mich., euyi: " I am offer¬ 
ed a Jersey bull calf two mouths old of a light 
fawn color; white underneath and on inside 
of legs, with black markings about tbe head. 
The lower part of the tail is black with a white 
switch. But when the hair is parted it is dark 
underneath and the skin is blue, and where 
the outer hair is white (on belly) it is dark¬ 
est toward the skin and the skiu itself is the 
bluest. In eveiy other respect (except this 
darkness of the hair) he is a fine specimen. 
His sire is black with lawn an und tbe mouth 
and eyes—not a very good animal His dam 
(half sister to sire) is a brindle mixed with 
fawn, two years old and gives eight or nine 
quarts of good milk daily. Her dam is a 
fawn with black head mai kings, six years old 
and gives 18 quarts dally of good milk. The 
grand-sire on the sire's side is black. Q tery.— 
Is such au animal a good one to place at the 
head of a herd, or is his blue skin objectiona¬ 
ble ?” 
Ans.— It has been said that " a good horse 
may be of any color,' and the same has been 
applied to a cow. But iu this popular adage 
there is something delusive when it is applied 
to animals of any particular and well estab¬ 
lished pure breed. In thiB evety characteristic 
Is important ; for if the peculiar and estab¬ 
lished markings are not present it, is more than 
likely that the more essential characteristics 
will be found wanting. With regard to Jer¬ 
sey cattle there are some point# which have 
become so fixed that they are accepted as in¬ 
fallible guides in denoting the character of the 
animal. Thus one of the best established 
points of the breed is a deep yellow skin, and 
this is so indispensable a requisite that no per¬ 
son who keeps Jerseys would care to keep in 
his herd an animal with a blue skin. But, 
then, tfiis blueness of the skin may be caused 
by the new hair of a darker shade coming 
through. A yjung calf changes color at this 
season, as well as older animals, by the change 
of the coat; aDd before a calf with good ances¬ 
try is rejected ou account of the color of the 
skin, it should be ascertained if tbe color really 
belongs to the fklo or is caused by the growth 
in it of new hair of a black color. The black 
mat kings of the parents of the calf would in¬ 
dicate to some extent that this might be tak¬ 
ing place. But, after all, the colors and mark¬ 
ings of the animals are more like those of a 
grade Jersey than of a pure-bred one, und the 
performance of the dam Is not that of a really 
good Jersey. So that it would be wise to ex¬ 
amine the calf closely before taking it. 
liudillng Peach-Tree Kredllng*. 
F. E. 11 , llarlan. Kansas, says:—"I have 
just Bet a lot of yearling seedling peach trees 
for budding stocks. As they bnd grown up 
with many branches, I cat them back to the 
ground, intending to tram tip one strong, clean 
shoot in which to bud. 1, Was this right? 2, 
Will they do to bud this season ? 3, Will buds 
of this season’s growth do to put in ? 4, How 
high above the ground shall I place the bud ?” 
Ans. —1. The usual, and we think the prefer- 
erable, age at which to bud peach-tree seed¬ 
lings is, aB soon as they are large enough to 
receive the bud. or. perhaps, when one aud 
a-half or two feet iu bight; then a few inches 
of the lower part of the trunk msy be cleared 
of leaves ai d brunches, und the buds be insert¬ 
ed, preferably on the northerly or shaded side. 
This, at the North, will be better done about 
August or September, aud the buds should 
be started by cutting away the top above them 
the next Spring. At the South, we doubt not, 
