JUNE 4 
366 THE BUBAL OBKER. 
a friend's garden, a "multiplier” of remarkable 
vigor and productiveness, the seed of which 
he said had been sent to him from California 
by his son, who obtained them from a 
Chinese gardener. I purchased a peck of 
these onions and have grown them more and 
more largely, latterly to the gradual exclusion 
of black-seed varieties, the “multipliers” now 
forming two-thirds of my crop. This onion is 
so vigorous as often to produce bulbB of over 
a pound in weight from the smallest eets. 
Larger sets produce circles of bulbs from the 
6 ze of a breakfast plate to the size of a din¬ 
ner plate, containing sometimes as many as 
40 onions. The outer ring of these clustered 
bulbB are of good merchantable size and sym¬ 
metrical form, resembling the Danvers, though 
not so globular as the best strains of that va¬ 
riety. 
Within this outer circle the bulbs are 
smaller, a central bunch of from six to a doz¬ 
en beiDg pushed up by the growth of the outer 
circles and forming a cluster of small sets like 
a bunch of top onions. The yield, under 
proper cultivation, is from 10 to 14-fold. The 
oop here (45* north latitude) is usually got 
into the ground at the last ot Apiil and har¬ 
vested by the middle of July, being followed by 
late cabbage, set between the row6 at the last 
of June. It is usually said that “ multipliers ’ 
do not keep well, but mine are the best keep¬ 
ers of any sort I have ever grown. Yet to 
keep well they must be carefully handled. A 
bruised one always rots. Alter drying a 
couple of weeks in an airy loft, I bunch them 
upon straw, about a peck in a bunch, and 
hang them up in the cellar. For several years 
I have wintered 100 bushels iu this way with 
almost no loss. Left hanging in the (Spring, 
they will keep the Summer through, with 
no disposition to sprout. In quality they 
are even thing that could be asked tor. I be¬ 
lieve that these " multipliers ” planted in Car¬ 
olina would be ready to market as early as the 
Bermuda crop, and would out-sell them. 
— * - - 
TOBACCO CULTURE.— M0. 11. 
Profit*. 
The acreage devoted to the growing of to¬ 
bacco in the Chemung Valley, i6 constantly 
Increasing. It has been increasing slowly but 
steadily tor 20 years, and if our farmers con¬ 
tinue to receive remunerative prices for theii 
crops, undoubtedly it will continue to increase 
as long as good soil is available. From this 
constant iucresse of the business it i6 quite 
evioent that the growing of tobacco here pays. 
While this is undoubtedly true in s»ost in¬ 
stances, it is necessary, in order to draw correct 
conclusions, to study into tbe matter and take 
into consideration the varied changes in the 
soil due to long-continued cropping, the out¬ 
lay necessary to commence the business, the 
immense cost of growing a good crop, and 
the risks of failure, which no foresight or care 
can remove. 
It is a well established fact that tobacco is 
a heavy feeder and draws heavi'y, lxom the 
fertility of the soil. Land devoted to this crop 
must receive annual applications of manure, 
or both the crop and the soil will suffer. In 
the light of these facts it is not surprising that 
some of our farms are already deteriorating in 
fertility and depreciating in value. Farmers 
who have found little profit in ordinary farm 
cropB have rushed into tobacco growing, al¬ 
most heedlessly planting a large part of 
the best portion of their farms to tobacco, hop¬ 
ing thereby to obtain large profits. In some 
cases profit bas thus been realized and farm¬ 
ers have thus placed themselves out of debt; 
but if tbe business is continued it must end 
with positive loss, for it is only on an excep¬ 
tionally rich farm that a large percentage of 
the aiea can be planted year after year to so 
exhaustive a crop without causing permanent 
Injury to the land, unless great care is taken 
to keep up the fertility of the soil. 
The immense amount of labor necessaiy to 
produce a good yield of tobacco mast not be 
overlooked in judging of the profits cf the 
crop. From the day the seed is bowu in the 
plant bed until the last case has been delivered 
at the depot whence It is shipped to the buyer, 
tobacco requires attention. Tbe labor neces¬ 
sary in tbe various processes ot growing and 
handling the crop, is so great that other por 
tions of the farm frequently suffer neglect. 
Hence it is that we find on some farms where 
tobacco growing is made a specialty, dilapi¬ 
dated buildings and fences, neglected crops 
and a general state of untidiness. In such 
cases there is less profit from tobucco grow¬ 
ing than is usually supposed. Tobacco is a 
money crop; of this there can be no denial, 
but because it yields to tbe grower more ready 
cash per acre than most crops, it does not fol¬ 
low that it is always highly profitable. The 
greateet hindrance lo making tobacco culture 
profitable Ib lack of manure. If our growers 
had good stable manure in unlimited quanti¬ 
ties, they might mine money from their tobacco 
fields. But this is not the case, and it can 
only be had in limited supply. What is made 
in the city, which is little in comparison with 
the demand for it. is eagerly sought after by 
market gardeners and near-by tobacco grow¬ 
ers, and bought as rapidly as it is made. Com¬ 
mercial fertilizers have not proved a substitute 
for stable manure, and green manures are 
not suited to the wants of the plant. 
Our farmers must pay more attention to the 
careful handling of Ibeir lobacco crops. Less 
quantity and better quality will it most cases, 
produce more real profit to tbe grower. Much 
attention should be paid to making and saving 
manure, and clover should be freely used to 
maintain the fertility of the soil. With proper 
care on these points, tobacco does not “run 
down land," as is frequently stated; but, on 
tbe contrary, the jndieious rotation of crops, 
tbe abundant fertilization and tbe thorough 
cultivation of tbe land necessary for good 
management in tobacco culture, bring the 
soil into the best possible condition for glow¬ 
ing general farm crops; and hence tobacco 
culture improves rather than injures the 
farm. 
----- 
ORIGIN OF BLOUNT’S WHITE PROLIFIC 
CORN. 
PROFE8SOK A. E. BLOUNT. 
In a late issue of the Rural I am asked 
whether mv White Prolific was not originally 
the Peabody Branching Corn. The two are 
about as nearly related as the Berkshire hog is 
to the Chester White. A short history of the 
White Prolific may show its origin and genu¬ 
ineness. 
In 1871 I raised my second crop of corn—10 
acres—the seed of which I obtained of a very 
nice and particular farmer on the Tennessee 
River. It was a soft white dent and of long 
life, taking 175 days to ripen. While this crop 
was tasseling I found several stalks ripe 
enough to cut up. Acting on the idea that an 
earlier corn was desirable, I saved from these 
a few ears and planted the grain alone the 
next season. This ripened in just 150 days. 
I watched and studied its habits, cultivated 
and trained it according to theories of my own, 
some ot which I will enumerate. Just before 
silking I covered about 100 ears with thin mus¬ 
lin to keep all foreign varieties from mixing 
with them. When in full tassel and full silk, I 
pollenated every ear with tassel of another stalk 
of the same kind. When these ears ripened 
I saved the earliest ripe, best shaped ears 
with the smallest cobs, straightest, rows, ha*d- 
est and best formed grains. I saved those that 
grew on the best proportioned stalkB, that 
bore the finest fodder, and last, but by no 
means the least important, 1 selected the 
top ear on those stalks that had two or more 
of good S’’Z8. 
In 1873 the result of my labor was so satis¬ 
factory that I gave my corn the name it now 
bears. All my theories were soon confirmed 
by actual facts. I found improvement in every 
direction. 
My c orn ripened earlier by 10 to 15 days the 
third year; the ears were larger, the cob 
smaller, the grain fiDer and harder, the sta'ks 
finer and more perfect in every way. In 1879 
I sent over 50 bushels to the Rural, with wbat 
results the world ou this side of the Atlantic 
well knows. 
I am aware that several attempts have been 
made to miscall my Prolific by ths nam> of 
Mammoth and of some other varieties. If not 
too far deteriorated, I am pretty sure the stamp 
of my Improvements is still on the ear, as was 
clearly shown in the ear I received from the 
Ruraj. r ffieetwo weeks since. For the benefit of 
Waldo Brown aDd others who think they have 
discovered a great secret, you may answer, if 
you think it necessary, by a short extract or 
two from this letter, which I am by no means 
writing for publication. 
[We cannot improve upon the letter.— Eds.] 
-♦♦ ♦ 
Grama Grans, t»rn«».— llouteloua Oligo- 
Mtachya. 
This is a rather small, slender grass of pecu¬ 
liar appearance owing to the corah-like, one¬ 
sided spikes, and when in flower the anthers 
are orange-colored or red. It might be called 
an ornamental grass, but this is also true of 
most other grasses, It grows from Northwest¬ 
ern Wisconsin westward and southward and is 
of considerable importance as a pasture gras6, 
though rather short and thin for mowing. It 
seetDB well adapted to dry land, and does not 
seem to improve with much moisture. 
Mich. Agr. Coll. Professor W. J. Beal. 
Jarm Copies. 
N0TE8 FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
Of all Mr. Ricketts’s seedling grapes, per¬ 
haps Lady Washington up to the present time 
has excited the most widespread interest. 
Wherever exhibited its semi-trausparency, 
rose-colored bloom, and large, showy bunches 
have been admired by all. The vine, besides, 
wherever tried has made a strong growth; 
the leaves are large and we have not hitherto 
seen a doubt expressed as to its hardiness. 
Our own specimen fruited last year, and two 
canes made a growth, each. o f about 12 feet. 
We were surprised therefore, and make the 
statement with regret, that last year’s growth 
has been killed by the past Winter and the new 
shoots appear ouly from the old wood near 
the ground. We have also two vines each of 
Highland, Newburgh and Eldorado, and one of 
Ricketts’s No. 1, which have been injured in 
the same manner. 
Our readers shonld not accept this report as 
proof that the above varieties ot grapes are 
not "hardy.” It proves that they cinnotstand 
the rigors of an exceptionally severe Winter in a 
situation which itself is exceptionally trying to 
the grape. Let us hope that elsewhere they 
have passed the Winter without harm. All 
of our small fruits have been treated pecu¬ 
liarly the past Winter. Cuthbert Rrspberries 
in a new plantation are in full leaf to tbe very 
tips; while one in an old patch is killed to the 
ground. Of two Pbiladelphias four feet apart, 
one is killed to tbe ground and the other scarce¬ 
ly hurt. Caroline is looking fine, while 
Turner is badly injured. “Henrietta” and 
Belle De Fontenay are not harmed. We pre¬ 
serve tbe different names the same as if there 
were still doubt as to their being the same. 
Our blackberries are all more or less ser¬ 
iously injured, except Snyder which is not 
harmed iu tbe least. Among our trial plots 
of strawberries (about 75 different lauds) 
Duchess is tbe first, America the second, and 
Miller’s No. 5. tbe third to set fruit. 
Hall’s Apple (Mains nalleana) is now in 
bloom, and a beautiful object it is, with its 
large, white blossoms and pear-shaped, glossy 
leaves. 
We planted a number of the new and mueb- 
talked of potatoes in trial plots side by side, 
weighing tbe pieces planted and being in every 
way careful that each receives the same treat¬ 
ment, bb nearly as may be. They are all above 
ground. Potato beetles were nt ver before so 
abnndant. As Paris-green or Londoi-purple 
cannot well be applied to the youDg shoots 
we are obliged to pick them off twice each 
day. 
-♦-*--*- 
IMPROVING PERMANENT MEADOWS. 
There are some sections of the country 
where, owing to their general character, it is 
undesirable that meadowB should be brought 
under the plow. This is particularly true of 
considerable portions of New England ; and 
this is the reason why certain parts cannot be 
brought under such a system of rotation as 
prevails, for instance, to a considerable ex¬ 
tent, in portions of New York State. With a 
soil naturally rugged for cultivation, owiDg to 
the presence of numerous rocks and boulders 
beneath the surface, when once turned from 
the plow to meadow, with a laborious task of 
picking up and removing the stones, the 
farmer naturally feels a strong disinclination 
to repeat the operation auy oftener than is 
absolutely necessary. But it is a law of vege¬ 
table economy that bo field that is continual¬ 
ly cropped can maintain a continued state of 
suitable fertility, and so, this being the case, 
some provision must be made for the restora¬ 
tion of such elements as are withdrawn from 
the soil by a hay crop; and, if plowing and 
the usual modes of application of fertilizers 
are to be abandoned, some other course 
mu6t be pursued. With a great many, and 
especially upon some soils, it is believed 
that a Burface application of manures is the 
most desirable ; here, then, is a solution of the 
question regarding permanent meadows. Un¬ 
der ordinary circumstances any of the clxt mi- 
cal fertilizers that are of value to the farmer 
can be spread upon the surface, and by rocaDS 
of the falling de.ws and rains these are carried 
to the roots of the grass—the very point where 
fertility jb useful- Such fertilizers being 
largely soluble tbeir effects are active but not 
permanent. For permanence there is nothing 
better than ordinary farm manure applied as 
a top-dressing. But in order that it may be no 
obstruction to the ubu of the mower or rake, 
it should be thoroughly decomposed by means 
of composting or else by being woiked over 
sufficiently to induce such fermentation as is 
necessary to break it down and make it flue so 
as to spread more evenly. Farmers who have 
not tried this mode of maintaining meadows 
will be surprised at the result. Fields in 
which the crop of grass is light, by a small 
annual top-dressing of well pulverized manure 
will produce a great increase from year to 
GRAMA OR MU8KIT GRASS —FIG. 278. 
