406 
JUNE 48 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
has reduced the cost ot the labor outlay upon 
the corn which tskes the premiums in our so¬ 
cieties, to less than $7 50 per acre ; the horse- 
hoe is not only more rapid, but by pruning the 
corn roots actually increases the yield of grain 
and reduces the amount of stock or stover 
The report laments the decline in sheep cul¬ 
ture, but reports a great increase in poultry. 
Among the valuable discussions and papers o( 
the report are one had by John Robinson of 
Salem on ornamental trees; on setting milk 
for cream by Edward Burnett of Southboro, 
one of the famous fanners of Deerfoot Farm ; 
the growing of corn by Dr. E Lewis Stnrtevant 
of South Framingham; farm architecture by 
E. C. Gardner of Springfield, who says a good 
word for the old style farm-house, because the 
deeigner knew what be wanted and stopped 
when he got it; silos by Prof. Goesmann and 
others. There are also judicious selections 
from the society reports. 
A Practical Treatise on the cultivation 
and manufacture of sugar cane—soil, seed, 
planting and cultivation, harvesting; mills, 
evaporators, skimmers, furnace; making sirup, 
defecation and clarifying, etc. Published and 
furnished free by J. A. Field <fc Co.. 1622 North 
Eighth St., St Louis, Mo. Also, by the same 
firm a catalogue rnd price list of Big Giant 
and Improved B g Giant Feed Mills, sugarcane 
and fanning mills. 
Db. Ryder's American Fruit Drier or 
Pneumavie Evaporator by the American Fruit 
Drier Manufacturing Co., of Chambersburg, 
Pa An illustrated pamphlet of 35 pages set¬ 
ting forth tue progress made in evaporating 
fruit—correct and erronoua principles; evap¬ 
orating fruit a-, a business, directions, state¬ 
ments, testimonials, etc. Sent free to our 
readers upon application to the above concern. 
J E. IIatnkr & Co’s Testimonial Circular 
of Walter A Wood's Twine Self-binding Har¬ 
vester. Letter? from those who used the ma¬ 
chine last haivest—86 large pages. Apply to 
J E H »yner & Co., 945 and 947 N . Second St., 
S'- Louis, Mo. 
The Boomer & Boschert Cider and Wine 
Press. Syracuse N. Y. A fiuely illustrated 
catalogue of 37 pages showing the different 
power presses with detailed cuts and explana¬ 
tions. Sent without charge to applicants. 
I noted that the tree which was fertilized be¬ 
fore the flowers expanded set fnlly twice as 
much fruit as the oiher two. The same re 
mark applies to apples as to pears... 
RURAL EKIEFLET8. 
And now let us drop the long-accepted view 
that certain leguminous piauts obtain their 
nitrogen from the atmosphere. Dr. Lawts 
published in the It. N Y of Feb. 19, p. 120, the 
following : 
“ I am disposed to hold the same opinion as 
yourself, that the bone has little to do with the 
immense yields. At the same time the food 
must come from somewhere. All our experi¬ 
ments are tending more and more to draw the 
line between the food which plants obtain 
from the atmosphere and that which they ob¬ 
tain lrom the soil. When once this is done; 
wnen we cease looking up to the air for 
the fertility which is all the while lying 
under our feet, we shall then see plainly very 
much which is at present obscure." 
In hi6 concluding article on “ Fertility” in the 
London Agricultural Gazette, Dr. Lawes sajs : 
’•While 1 do not deny that plants may take 
np some carbon lrom the soil; and that they, 
or the soils in which they grow, obtain some 
combined niirosen from atmospheric sources, 
still, the results of the Rothamsttd experi¬ 
ments. relaiii g to the chemical statistics of 
agricultural production, clearly show ihat the 
atmosphere is the main, if not tho exclusive 
source of tbe carbon of our crops and that the 
soil is the main , if not ihe exclusive source of 
their nitrogen The italics are ours. 
Mr. Waldo F. Brown of Ohio, a well-known 
agricultural writer, made the statement 8 
month or more ago that Blount’s White Pro¬ 
lific and the Peabody Branching Corn were the 
same. We submitted the statement to Prof. 
Blount whose reply appeared in thi6 journal 
of two weeks ago. He denies that there is any 
further relationship than that existing between 
the many varieties of Indian corn. Lately we 
were talking with a New York firm that fl st 
offered the Peabody for sale years ago. The 
firm had tried both kinds and assert very posi¬ 
tively that Prof. B's statement is correct. 
Among new hybrid perpetual roses, we no¬ 
tice " Mrs. Jowitt.” It is introduced by the 
Cranston Nursery and Seed Company of Eng¬ 
land. It is described as of a brilliant glowing 
crimson, shaded with lake, while the flowers 
are very lai ge and globular—bold, well-built, 
of grand form and substance. The habit is 
robust—tbe flowers fragrant. It is said to be 
one of the best English roses ever raised. 
Mr Wtsor, our accomplished Virginia con¬ 
tributor, writeB as follows in a letter to one of 
the editors:— 
I have examined the flowers of peaches, 
pears, and apples. In the case of peaches, I 
have pielty well satisfied mys-lf that fertiliza¬ 
tion in nearly all cases takes place before the 
flowers expaud. With pears, I found two 
trees in which it occurred after the fl vwers 
expanded, and one in which it did so before. 
Onions for Chicken Cholera.— We have 
frequently called tbe attention of onr readers 
to the fact that there was no better food or 
medicine for fowls than raw onions, and now 
a correspondent of a Canadian paper, accord¬ 
ing to the Sun. asserts that this strong-scented 
bulb is a sure preventive, if not a specific, for 
chicken cholera. He says that while his neigh¬ 
bors for several miles around lost neatly all of 
their chickens by the so-called chicken cholera, 
his were entirely exempt from this disease 
after a first attack, which was cured by feed¬ 
ing raw onions mixed with other food once a 
day for severs] days in succession, and after¬ 
ward only once a week. A little grouud ginger 
was also added occasionally, with plenty of 
green food, such as celery tope, turnips, &c. 
The remedy is certainly worth a trial. 
Hogs versus Babies.— The Scientific Amer¬ 
ican thinks it a pity that babies have not a 
market value, like hogs. A death rate among 
the pigs less than one-third the death-rate 
among children in our large cities moves the 
government to costly investigations of the 
cause, and to diplomatic correspondence with 
foreign nati'ins, while Produce Exchanges get 
excited on the subject, and all the newspapers 
join in the discussion. The babies die by the 
thousand in New York and other overcrowded 
cities, and scaicely any notice is taken of the 
fact. 
Improvement in Peeling Peaches. —The 
work of peeling peaches in peach-drying estab¬ 
lishments has been simplified by the following 
process, says the Journal of Chemistry. A 
crate filled with fruit is dropped into a vat 
containing hot lye, and there shaken. It is 
then removed to a tank of pure cold water, 
and the lye is washed away. Tbe skins of the 
fruits by this process become so separated from 
tbe pulp that they are drawn off with one move¬ 
ment of the hand, This saves much time, la¬ 
bor and expense. Tbe new process causes tbe 
fruit to dry more readily, and a very little 
loss in weight ensues. 
Pkhcheron-Norman Horses —The follow¬ 
ing is trom the N. Y. Sun: Mons. Lavalard, 
who has the general care of the stables of the 
Paris General Omoibns Company, tells ns 
through Wallace’s Monthly that the animals 
which are now and have been for some years 
past imported into this country as Percherons 
are merely overgrown beasts picked up in va¬ 
rious parts of France, and are really not Per¬ 
cherons or a distinct breed at all. He calls 
them “ Mastodons,” and in this at learn he is 
correct, for they are ungainly creatures at best. 
Mr. Wallacesays: "There is no use in attempt¬ 
ing to controvert the assertions of a man of 
Mons. Lavalard’s knowledge and position;" 
and if this is true, Ihe 60 called Percherons so 
much talked of, and largely introduced into 
Illinois of late, are frauds, at least in the way 
of pure blood It looks as though somebody 
had been badly sold, and there is a good chance 
for a little newspaper controversy over the 
elephantine specimens of borse-flesh imported 
from France during the past ten years.” 
[We should much like to know if M. Lava- 
lard's statement has a foundation in truth.— 
Eds ] _ 
We see an account of one tract of over 9 000 
and another of 2 500 acre6 of flax in Iowa, says 
the Farmers' Review.A Western editor. 
who Blarted a newspaper, called it " The Small- 
Pox,” so that everybody would take it when 
they got where it was.The Cleveland 
Leader thinks that America baB not enough 
navy to back’er.SayB the Inter-Ocean, 
two ten cent drinks will supply a family with 
flour—that is, if the drinks are not taken and 
the money is invested in flour.They were 
looking at the new carpet, and he said, "But 
what are those plants in the center " 1 don't 
know, my dear, unless they are Brussels 
sprouts.”.........Dio Lewis presents some 
strong authorities as opposed to the practice 
of checking horses. He says: "When you 
compel a horse to contract tbe muscles just 
under the top of the collar, in order to sustain 
tbe head a foot, more or less, above its natural 
place, aud then bold them thus contracted, the 
strain on these muscles soon produces great 
harm If you don’t believe it, watch the ani 
mal; look at his eyeB and ears! I am sure 
you cannot misunderstand that face. 8ee him 
carry his head around on one side, and then 
away around on the other side. N >w, in a 
moment yon will see him throw his nose up in 
front as high as he can, three or four times. 
That struggle for relief he continues all day 
long. When you take off the check, he will 
bang down his head low. and show in his face 
a sense of relief which I am sure you cannot 
misunderstand. The long strain wastes the 
mu=cles and produces that ugly hollow which 
is now so common under the collar.”... 
Some of the Boston papers predict that tbe 
mails will be carried between that city and 
New York in pneumatic tubes within three 
years. O! wait until 1885 and "shoot” re¬ 
ports of that world’s fair to us. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
California. 
Santa Rosa, Sonoma Co., May 30 —We have 
had an unusually fine Spring—nearly a month 
earlier than usual. No drying north winds. 
Haying is now well under way. The fruit crop 
promises to be abundant, the late frost not 
having done as much damage as was supposed. 
The season for the wild ilowerB is passing, and 
the dry ridges on the hills and mountains are 
changing from the red, yellow, blue, white aud 
green with which they have so lately been 
clothed to the dry brown of a California Sum¬ 
mer. L. B. 
Florida. 
Starke, Bradford Co., May 28 —We are hav¬ 
ing delightful weather: during the day there is 
a fresh, cool breeze, and the nights are so cool 
it brings a suspicion of frost it more northern 
latitudes. Orange trees are now making the 
second growth, and they look nearly as well as 
before the freeze lost Winter. All vegetation 
is looking remarkably fine. Oar corn has just 
been plowed for the last time. We have one 
acre fertilized with S’ockbridge manure, which 
is very flue. We have some of the finest Irish 
potatoes I have ever seen in this country, also 
fertilized with Sfockbridge. There is great 
complaint of potatoes rotting this season; 
ours do not at all; they are large, smooth and 
not worm-eaten. We now have for vegetables 
peaB, encumbers, spinach, tomatoes, sweet 
corn, cabbage, carrots and turnips. We still 
have plenty of strawberries from the same bed 
we have been picking from since the middle of 
Februa'y We had a bed of Charles Downing 
which was full of nearly ripe berries when the 
December freezs came; the plants were so 
badly hurt we feared they would all die; they 
are now growing fast, and are full of large, 
ripe berries. Tde bed has had nothing done to 
it; it has not been even watered during the 
dry weather. I do not uuderstand why they 
bear bo long here, on this light, dry aril, when 
on your rich, heavy soil the season is so short. 
I supposed at first it was because they only 
ripened a few at a time, bnt I find if we make 
the ground rich they fruit quite as heavily as 
they do North. i. a. 
Kansas 
Manhattan, Riley Co., May 30.—We are 
just finishing the shortest, latest, wettest, hot¬ 
test and generally the moBt favorable Spring 
season of tbe eight that I have passed in this 
State. It has rained, on an average, three 
nights every week for the past month, with 
two or three all-day rains thrown in for full 
measure. However, if we have to die this is 
the disease we wish to perish by. Wheat is 
recovering rapidly from the great inj ury it sus¬ 
tained last Winter by freezing. At the present 
time it looks as thoueh the crop would be from 
two-thirds to three-fourths of an average, tak- 
iug the whole State. A very large area of com 
is being planted, much of it the second time, 
for the complaint of a failure of seed is very 
general. Listing (?) is all the rage this season 
and bids fair, upon our bottom lands at least, 
to supersede all the old methods of corn cul¬ 
ture. By this method a man aud three horses 
will alone tend 100 acres of corn. a b o. 
Parsons, Labette Co., May 28 —Weather 
showery. Weeds gaining on the corn, though 
both growing apace. Wheat damaged one- 
fourth by insects, Harvest in ten days. Away 
West, the wheat is most promising and there 
are the Kansas wheat fields. From Arkansas 
complaints come of grass and weeds crowding 
corn and cotton. Wheat at Waco in Texas is 
cut. Crop good but acreage a quarter short. 
Corn in Texas promising. j b 
Sauna, Saline Co., May 30 —Oar wheat is 
now filling and is very fine in this neighbor¬ 
hood, although I hear there are many poor 
pieces of wheat in the county, in which I see 
by a local paper that there are 100 000 acres 
under the crop. A. G w. 
South Haven Sumner Co , May 26—Plow¬ 
ing here commenced in earnest ahout the 25'h 
of February, after the coldest Winter ever 
known in this country: since that time but few 
days have been lost from the plow hp to last 
week. Considerable corn was planted in 
March, and it was about all in by the 25th of 
April. Now about one half is plowed over the 
second time. Wo hav • a splendid stand all 
over. Some wheat was hurt by the Winter, but 
the present stand and prospect are sufficient 
to warrant 15 to 20 bushels per acre. It is all 
in head at this time except some late pieces. 
Oats afford a fine prospect at this writing. 
Prairie grass is tall enough to make a good 
swath. Peaches will be plentiful over a large 
portion of the conaty. Of apples bnt a few 
trees are in bearing; prospect good where 
there are any trees. Small fruit prospect.good. 
OnionB, peas, radiebes, etc , have been in use 
for some time. Potatoes will be plenty in a 
week or ten days. Rural seeds all planted, 
all came up well. The White Elephant Po¬ 
tato has advanced one-third ahead of other 
sorts plauted by its side some days before it. 
The Rural Branching Sorghum came up 
pretty well, and is doing better than I expected 
from what was stated regarding its slow 
growth in the early stage. Its growth al¬ 
most equals that of other sorghums. A. G B 
Maryland: 
Chesapeake Cxtt, Cecil Co., May 23 — 
From the White E^phaut Potato tbe Rural 
sent me, I planted 16 eyes on April 20, 15 of 
which sent np vines which are now six inches 
high. I can’t think they are an old variety, as 
some of yonr readers do. Tho vine is a very 
hearty looking one aud so far I am much 
pleased with it. g o. m 
[The columns of the R N-Y. are ever open 
to our friends for a free expression of their 
opinions. Those who have supposed the 
White Elephant Potato to be an old variety will 
soon find out their mistake.—E ds. 
Missouri. 
Caldwell, May 28 —Prospects for wheat 
fair; some chinch bugs. Potatoes fine; 
weather seasonable. r w e. 
Nebraska. 
Brow.nvillb, Nemaha Co., June 3 — The 
"great flood” in the West, drowned us all out, 
especially along the Missouri R vir Valley. 
We Western people are wonderfully recupera¬ 
tive, however, and another season will leave 
no traces of the disaster. B. w. f. 
New York. 
Eddttown, Yates Co , May 23 —Spring has 
been backward and, until tho past week, se¬ 
verely dry. We bad a few hot duys, tbe ther¬ 
mometer registering 90 degrees aud over in the 
shade. On account of the dry weather much 
of the Spring seeding was delayed The few 
pieces that were sowed early in good condition 
are ju6t "boomiDg,” and all are coming on 
finely. Sirne corn is planted, though not very 
much, I think. Wheat has suffered severely 
from the hard Winter, and more from the dry. 
cold Spring, except now and then a piece where 
all conditions were right, such as thorough 
cultivation, soil in high condition of fertility, 
and early sowing. The prospect for a crop of 
hay iB not encouraging at present, though the 
late rains may change tbe outlook. Apples 
are now in full bloom, or just passing out of 
that condition ; but this is the “ off ” year with 
most orchards in this vicinity. Peaches on 
Kouka Lake, the principal section for that 
fruit, promise well, and so do cherries and 
plums Strawberries, the few that are grown, 
are looking fine, and are In very abundant 
bloom. G apes are getting rapidly to be the 
staple production of the lake regions of this 
county, as well as of Steuben aud Schnyler; 
they have come through the Winter in good 
order, and are coming forward rapidly, quite 
as much so as is desirable. A great addition 
has been made to the acreage by the planting 
of new vineyards tlm Spring. Judging by the 
number of vines that have been sold, probably 
in the neighborhood of 200 acres will be s:t 
out, and I think tbiB estimate iB quite a low 
o»e. There has been some little talk among 
farmers about sorghum planting, but whether 
it will amount to anything I cannot at present 
say. * w h. o. 
North Carolina. 
Seaboard, Northampton Co., May 27;—We 
have had in this vicinity lately two very severe 
bail and wind Btorms. and several of onr farm¬ 
ers have been compelled from their effects to 
plow np and replant their coitem crops. Ex¬ 
cept for these disasters, crops of all kinds are 
looking well and promising; these storms how¬ 
ever, were confined to a 6inall portion of the 
country. The fruit crop is short; almost a 
failure in some localities, but in others the 
crop of peacheB, apples and berries of all kinds 
will be abundant. e. n p. 
Texas. 
Honrt Grove, Fannin Co., May SO—The 
wheat prospect is fair and the crop will be cut 
in a few days. O its give promise of more 
than a usual yield. Corn is looking fine, 
though a little late. Cotton is doing well, but 
tbe weather is a little too wet for it just now. 
New peas and potatoes are in abundance. 
Strawberries were excellent, though those 
planted in hills were winter-killed. I have 
only two kinds, Wilson aud Peabody. Grapes 
were lessened in quantity by frost, but they 
are better than usual in quality andsiz*. I 
have the Concord, Clinton, Isabella and Del i- 
ware. and a fine lot of California raisin grapes 
not bearing this year. Large fruits were 
killed by the late frosts. The White E ephat t 
Bent by the Rural produced a plant from each 
eye. Asparagus is up and doiug finely. The 
Rural Branching Sorghum grew well but is 
much injured by insects. t. b. g. 
