I 
demerits of the thing, having never raised any 
before and knowing nothing of it. The sor¬ 
ghum seeds were planted, and nearly ell ger¬ 
minated ; they have made a rather slow growth. 
I think it hardly adapted to this climate. The 
Golden Rural Tomato of a former distribution 
is, with us, a great acquisition, it being uot 
only earlier, but so hardy, aud above all such 
a prolific bearer. [We have said little about 
this excellent tomato for the simple reason 
that it is yellow.—E ds.] The potato crop in 
this vicinity is very light. Corn an average 
crop. Oats heavy. Buckwheat very light, 
perhaps owiug to the hot, dry weather. 
Springs and wells the lowest known for 
years. D. J. P. 
Lyons, Wayne Co., Sept. 29.—The White 
Elephant Potato had 11 eyes, and I planted 
them in 11 hills on May 9, at the same time as 
Rural Branching Sorghum and Washington 
Oats. I planted them on clover and Timothy 
sod, the first row being next to a strong piece 
of grass—three tons per acre. This did not 
quite give them a fair chance. I dug the pota¬ 
toes Sept. 23 and got 53 tubers—15 pounds in 
all; there were only three small ones; the rest 
were all larger than the sample sent. The 
price of the Rural could not buy them. Al¬ 
though I have taken it for over thirty years 
without a break, it has never been better than 
now. The Washington Oats grow very nicely 
—no smut or rust. The R. B. Sorghum made 
a good growth. I am going to save all the 
seed to plant next year. Just in my locality 
we are experiencing the greatest drought we 
have ever had. Many farmers are sowing 
their wheat for the second time, and this is 
the very garden of Central New York, Wheat 
turns out better than expected; it is of good 
quality, though the crop is 25 per cent, short. 
Oats and barley good; potatoes short on ac¬ 
count of drought; applas short 75 per cent., al¬ 
though one of the best apple counties in the 
State. Pears a good crop. Small fruits 
short. j. b. 
Peru, Clinton Co., Sept. 29.—Crops better 
than last year. The drought did not last very 
long; but the oats were somewhat injured by 
it. From the package of Washington Oats 
I harvested five pounds. The White Elephant 
Potato was very small; it had nine eyes: re¬ 
ceived no extra cultivation; yielded 63 
pounds. A number of tubers weighed from 
Vi to 2,?$ pounds. They are splendid. The 
asparagus seed came up finely. The pinks 
were very nice. M. a. h. 
Nova Scotia. 
Weymouth, Digby Co., Sept. 24.—Wheat 
did not thrash out as well as was anticipated, 
the straw rusted slightly, and the grain was 
more or less shrunken. Potatoes below an av¬ 
erage. Hay an immense crop, but a good deal 
damaged in harvesting. Apples, pears and 
plums very plentiful. Have had beautiful 
weather for harvesting grain this month with 
about enough rain for the pastures and late 
root crops. A frost on the night of Sept. 21, 
injured tender crops. I cut the White Ele¬ 
phant Potato to single eyes; had 20; planted 
them about May 10, in hills two feet apart, 
one eye to a hill, *on a piece of low, rich 
land. About a week after planting a heavy 
raiu deluged the land, leaving only the tops 
of the hills out of the water. Cut seed of any 
old variety of potatoes would, uo doubt, have 
rotted in the hill, but out of 20 hills of the 
White Elephaht I had 19 strong plants; the 
other hill c.'-me up but made a feeble growth. 
I dug them a few days ago and had 44 pounds 
of fine potatoes; the largest weighed IS ounces; 
six of the largest, pounds. I have sev¬ 
eral varieties of excellent potatoes, including 
Beauty of Hebron, and I am satisfied that the 
White Elephant for a late potato is a decided 
acquisition. The Washington Oats were 
planted about one inch apart in drills eighteen 
inches apart, on soil of medium quality, to 
which was added a small quantity of rock 
superphosphate. The oats grew about five 
feet high, many of the leaves were over an 
inch in width. About one-third of the heads 
were smut; the rest splendid grain, many of 
the panicles having 150 spikeleJs. They 
thrashed out seven pounds. The Rural Branch¬ 
ing Sorghum is a failure with me; the weather 
being cold I did not plant it until the flth of 
June, on rather poor soil; but few of the seeds 
germinated aud (hey have only grown about 
three feet high. The season was very unfav¬ 
orable. The asparagus seeds were planted 
close to the potatoes, and at the same time; 
they were a long time comiug up and did not 
oil germinate. I have 150 nice plants. The 
flower seeds were sown in pans in the house 
and came up very quickly, an-i I think every 
seed germinated. When large enough they 
were transplanted to the garden and have 
been a mass of bloom for some time. We 
have not seen anything like them for variety 
and beauty. I am much pleased with the 
Rural New Yorker. It comes to xue regu¬ 
larly every week, crowded with practical in¬ 
formation, and, i may add, free of cost, as 1 
am satisfied that the seeds alone have paid me 
for time and money expended, w. h. s. d. 
Pennsylvania. 
Berwick, Columbia Co., Sept. 27.—Wheat 
hardly an average crop—not as good as last 
year. Corn about one-fourth of a crop. Oats 
good in the straw, but not so good in the 
grain. Potatoes not half a crop. Hay good. 
My Elephants did nicely for the season. I 
planted two quite small tubers and got 23'-j 
pounds, some nice-sized tubers, but most 
were small. The weather is very dry'. Ev¬ 
erything is drying up; runs, springs and wells 
like the rest, and the river is the lowest I over 
saw it, and I have been about it for 60 years. 
The grain that, is in the ground and is coming 
up is wilting, drying and dying, and if rain 
does not come soon, the next crop of wheat 
will not be much. Prices are as follows: 
Wheat., 31.40; corn, 75c.; oats, 45c.; potatoes 
31; hay, $12; clover seed, $8; butter, 30c.; eggs, 
20c. Business good; work abundant, and 
money enough to back it up. I. s. 
<?l]c dhtetisf, 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
been gorged by long-continued wet weather 
or by over-stimulation with unfermented 
manures, it is, of course, much more liable to 
the attacks of various fungoid growths. The 
present season has been an unusual one. and 
the atmospheric influences may have been 
such as to start into life and active growth 
the germs of various organisms which might 
perhaps otherwise have lain dormant. 
" It may be that vour advice to root out the 
affected plants is the best that can be given. 
If, however, the roots are not yet seriously af¬ 
fected, it may Ire that next yearthey will send 
up a healthy growth. Past experience shows 
that the diseases which have at various times 
threatened the destruction of various crops, 
have after a while either passed by entirely, 
or lost so much of their first virulence that 
they are no longer formidable. Witness the 
potato rot, and I hope we may add in a few 
years, the grape rot. 
“ The f ungus on apple lea f is Roestelia lacer- 
ata Tul. and is a real fungus and not insect 
work. It is common here. Prof. Oersted 
supposed that the cedar apple fungus was 
only another stage in the growth of this Roes¬ 
telia, but this view has not yet been fully 
confirmed.' 1 
TIMBER-GROWING IN DAKOTA. 
“Subscriber,” S( Hitman Co., Dakota, asks, 
1, what is the most valuable rapid-growing 
tree for outside shelter belts in that country; 
2, will the sweet chestnut do well in Dakota; 3, 
when is the best time to set straw berries there. 
wine will ferment more perfectly than a small 
one. A common house-cellar will answer the 
purpose fora small quantity of wine if it can 
be kept cool enough in Summer. A tempera¬ 
ture of 45 degrees is then desirable. 
FLOWERS AND “ THINGS 11 FOR SAN FRANCISCO 
BAY REGION. 
J. C. M., Mt. Eden, Cal., asks, 1, the names 
of a dozen silver-leaved and golden-bronzed 
geraniums, 2, what kind of palms would we 
recommend, in addition t o Brahta filamentosa 
aud Chamaerops excelsa which ho has now 
growing; 3, the names of 12 double and single 
fuchsias; 4, the best manure for roses and how 
should it bo applied. 
Ans.— 1. Silver-leaved—Bijou, Flower o 
the Day, Lass o’Gowrie, Mrs. Laing, Pearl and 
Mountain of Snow. Golden-bronze.—Marechal 
Macmahon, Black Douglas, Beauty of Caldor- 
dalc, Pride of Mount Hope, Count Munster 
and Emperor of Brazil. 2. There are very 
few palms as hardy as Chamaerops excelsa, or 
judging from its native habitat, as Washing- 
tonia filifera (the species you call Brahea.) 
You had better find out what kinds are grown 
as hardy about San Francisco. We would 
suggest Sabal Palmetto, serrulata and Adan- 
soni; Chamaerops hystrix, Martiana, humilis, 
aud its varieties and Fortunei. The last 
named is barely distinct from excelsa. 8. 
Single—Earl of Beaconsfielcl, splendens, Spit¬ 
fire, Lord Byron, Coveut Garden White and 
Improvement: Double—Mrs. H.Cannell, Tower 
of London, Snow Fairy, Alpha, George Pea¬ 
body and Prince Leopold. 4. Farm yard 
manure, and in quantity according to the con¬ 
dition of your ground and vigor of your plants, 
bearing in mind that Roses are gross feeders. 
RAISING BALSAM FIRS FROM SEED. 
P. P. L., Kalamazoo , Mich., asks how to 
raise Balsam Firs from seed, Last Fall and 
again this Spring he planted some, having 
soaked some of the seed and put in the rest 
unsoaked, but only a single plant came up, 
and he would like to learn the cause of the 
failure. 
Ans. —Not knowing the method pursued in 
sowing the seeds, we cannot say why they 
failed. It is vciy likely, however, that the 
seeds were imperfect. The seeds being sound, 
one should have reasonable success by sowing 
in shallow boxes in a sandy soil, covering the 
seeds about a quarter of an inch deep, water¬ 
ing as needed, aud shading by slats, or in any 
way that will allow the air to circulate over 
the boxes. The young plants will need watch- * 
ing to prevent “damping off 11 when they 
appear above ground. One can buy plants a 
few inches high cheaper than he can raise 
them. 
Miscellaneous 
P. Me D., West Fork, Ind., asks, 1, for in- 
fo’-mation about the Perkins and Kallista 
Grape. 
Ans. —1, The Perkins is a Labrusca grape. 
Husmmn describes it thus:—“ Bunch medium, 
rather loose, shouldered; berry oblong, pale 
red; with tine lilac bloom, sweet but foxy; 
apt to drop from the bunch when very ripe. 
Ripens as early as the Hartford Prolific, 
healthy, hardy, and very productive; gener¬ 
ally sells well in market; a strong grower, 
with thick, leathery leaves. We know noth¬ 
ing of the Kallista. 
G. K. Litchfield, Mich., asks whether 
the Rural Dent Corn will mature in that 
section. 
Ans.—V ery likely it will, with an ordin¬ 
arily favorable season. The Blount Cora ma¬ 
tured in some places as far north, although it 
originated much farther south. We expect 
the Rural Heavy Dent will thrive over as 
wide a range of country as any of the well 
known varieties. 
J. K. R., Cato, N. Y., sends specimens of 
ears of the R. B. Sorghum, cut Sept. 22, and 
asks whether it will mature seed. 
Ans. —The seed sent would mature even 
though frost came at once after - they were 
cut. 
Geo. T. Whitmore, Wert Union, Fayette\ 
Go., Ioiea, asks for the names and addresses 
of some breeders or dealers in Polled cattle in 
that or one of the adjoining States. 
Communications received for the week 
ending Saturday, Oct. 8, 1881. 
B. H. C.—W. D.—E. W. L.—J. P.—M. A. 
H.-W. H. S. D.-O. S. B.—P. B.—E. W. S. 
—O. V. B., thanks.—H. it S., too late for this 
issue.—H. S.—C.—L. A. R.—C. E. P —E. Mc¬ 
Mahon, many thanks. It does not yield very 
heavily here,—L. S. H.—I. S.—J. B.—A. A. 
P.—J. A. H.—T. H. H.—S. H. C.— J. K. R.— 
S. M. J.—G. T. W.—A. A. B.—H. S.—E. G. 
R.—A E. Ik—J. L. R.—R. C. D.—T. H. H.— 
J, B. N.—C, A. G.—J. Andrews. Byacoineid- 
nce we have received two lots of grapes 
marked 1 and 2, and we fear we cannot de- 
t Tuiine whieh is which.— H. L. W.—W. H. 
K. —M. N. B —D. C. S., thanks.—H. S.—C. 
\.B.—D. J. P.. thinks.—A. L. C. Give us 
the truth whatever it is.—D. S. M. —J. N. S.— 
IV. F.—J. B. S.—M. S. H.—C. W.—J. W. Y. 
—F. T. R.—H. C. W. -R. W.—L. W. A. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of tho writer to insure attention.] 
RASPBERRY BLIGHT. 
C. W. Evanston, Til., sends a specimen of 
his raspberry vines which are badly spotted, 
and he asks what ails them and how to treat 
them. Last year’s vines bore some berries the 
past season, but were drying up aud dying 
out; this yew's vines made a growth, but they 
became spotted like last year’s vinos. 
Ans. —We submitted the specimen to Mr. 
E. Williams, of Montclair, N. J., Secretary 
of the New Jersey Horticultural Society, who 
lias devoted much attention to the matter, 
and he says: “This malady is no new thing 
to me. It. has troubled my Black-caps for 
years, so that I had to discard them entirely. 
It was this same disease which was submitted 
to our Experiment Station last year, the re¬ 
sult of whose investigation was published in 
the Rural of June 19th, 1380, page 390. We 
progress very slowly in this matter. This 
much has been learned—that it is due to a 
fungus. Prof. Lockwood so stated at the 
Winter meetiug of the New Jersey Horticul¬ 
tural Society, Feb. 6th, 1879, and illustrated 
its growth. He could not give any preventive 
or remedy except cutting and burning the af¬ 
fected canes. In view of the little we know 
regarding this particular fungus the case 
stands about thus: If the Rural's corres¬ 
pondent does not destroy his affected plants 
and tho fungus with them, the fungus will 
destroy his plants for him to all intents and 
purposes, as it has done for others, and burn¬ 
ing is the only remedy I know of. He can 
judge as to his best course. I sent the letter 
and specimens to Mr. Ellis, of Newfield, N. J., 
a recognized authority on microscopic fungi, 
whose opinion on the matter appeared in the 
Rural of June 19, 1880, with the hope and re¬ 
quest that subsequent examinations would en¬ 
able him to give us a little more light on this 
dark subject. I append his reply, and remark 
that if, as he states, the disease does not exist 
in his locality, it is more than 1 can say of 
any locality I have visited this season. My 
observations lead me to assert that this fungus 
thrives under all the favorable and unfavora¬ 
ble conditions named, andl can conceive of no 
conditions of weather or temperature that 
seem to materially impede its progress. 
I also sent an apple leal’ infested with a gall 
or fungus, which is fearfully prevalent up the 
Hudson River, the entire foliage of large trees 
being as yellow as the yellowest of Autumn 
leaves, aud no fruit being on any of them. I 
find a few leaves on some of my young trees 
similarly affected, aud 1 fear its ravages since 
seeing it in the vicinity of Newburgh, N. Y. 11 
Mr. Ellis says:— 
“ The disease on the Black-cap canes is new 
tome. There is nothing like it here. The 
trouble is caused by a fungus growth which is 
closely allied to ihe production known as 
Ascoehyta Rubi, which affects the leaves of 
various species of Rubus, but without produc¬ 
ing any injurious effects, so far as L know. 
The fungus on the specimen sent has spores 
much like the above-named species—obloug, 
eliptieal, hyaline, nucleate .dd2o-.003L mm 
long by baif or one-third as wide, produced 
abundantly in little cavities (perillieeiu) which 
are situated in tho central purl of the pallid 
spots on the affected earns. This fungus 
growth, if it is desirable to give it a name, 
might be called Ascoehyt i iterator, being ap¬ 
parently quite destructive in its effects. It 
belongs to that class of productions known as 
imperfect fungi, being probably the first 
stage of development, in tlio growth of some 
uscomycotous tungus. 
'• 1 .slid tiio trouble was caused by this fun¬ 
gus. That assertion needs, perhaps, some 
qualification. Fuugi, like other plants, appear 
and grow only under lavoml.le conditions of 
heat and moisture and, as far as the parasitic 
fungi are concerned, there is in general, it not 
always, some special condition in the affected 
plant which invites and promotes the parasitic 
growth, it a plant has become enfeebled by 
Tong-continued drought, or if its tissues have 
answer by prof. j. l. budd, of the iowa 
agricultural college. 
1. Back from the river bottoms timber¬ 
growing on the uplands of Dakota will be 
fraught with much difficulty unless careful at¬ 
tention be given to the selection of varieties. 
In the hot, diy air and soil of that region the 
cottonwood and willow will prove short-lived 
and unprofitable. Beyond a reasonable shadow 
of doubt, the White Poplar, often known as 
Abele or Silver Poplar, should take their place 
in the formation of quick growing outside 
shelter trees on theso great, storm-swept, prai¬ 
ries. It will maintain health and make very 
rapid growth under conditions, as to aridity 
and heat, that would injure or kill most other 
trees. The real value of its timber for economic 
uses is yet little known in this country; but it 
has long been recognized in all parts of Eu¬ 
rope. In reality, it is the heaviest, closest- 
grained timber found among all tho species of 
the poplar genus. It has another merit in a 
section needing shelter belts, so badly as Dn- 
kota—viz.: Every piece of root two inches 
long will, in a single season, make quite a min¬ 
iature tree. It also grows from cuttings of 
tlie limbs with more certainty than most of 
the poplars. The sprouts may become some¬ 
thing of a nuisance on the sides next to culti¬ 
vated fields, but they will amount to nothing 
in the deuse shade of the timber belt. With 
the shelter of the poplars on the south and 
west, the Box Elder, Green Ash, Black Wild 
Cherry. Blr.ck Walnut, Butteniut, Honey Lo¬ 
cust, and the Hardy Catalpa can be started as 
time and means permit. A pamphlet of 36 
pages, published by the Iowa State Horticul¬ 
tural Society, giving explicit instructions in 
the propagation, setting and management of 
forest trees on the prairies, will be sent 
to applicants who forward a three-cent 
stamp. 2. After providing outside shel¬ 
ters on tho south and west, the chestnut 
can be grown, if tlie nuts be planted where 
wanted and protected somewhat for two 
years, to carry them through Winter, until 
they become deeply rooted. 3. In that dry 
country always set as early in Spring as the 
ground becomes in good condition for work¬ 
ing. Keep the plants in rows and keep the 
ground between the rows heavily mulched 
Summer and Winter, in W r inter covering the 
plants also with a light coating of prairie hay. 
MAKING GRAPE WINE. 
S. P., Massingford, Va., asks how to make 
grape wine for family use. 
Ans. —To obtain good wine, good grapes are 
necessary. They should not bo gathered when 
moist with dew or rain, and none but sound, 
thoroughly ripe grapes should go into the 
press. The grapes may be crushed by hand 
in a tub, in small quantities, and any small 
cider or wine press will do for pressing. After 
crashing put the “ marc 11 into a tub where an 
equable temperature may be kept, not falling 
below 65 degrees. Fermentation will begin 
about the third day and after this has con¬ 
tinued actively for 36 hours or so, the free juice 
may be drawn off, and put into a cask. The 
remaining “ mure 11 must be pressed at once. 
When the fermentation of the extracted juice 
lias abated so that a bung nmy be driven into 
the cask, the wine may be said to be made. 
When the fermentation has wholly ceased and 
the wine become clear it should lie drawn off in¬ 
to another cask, and after fermentation in this 
has stopped, tlio wine may he bottled for use. 
After the grapes are assorted every operation 
should proceed rapidly, the stemming, crush 
ing aud pressing processes following in rapid 
succession. The wine cellar should have a 
considerable evenness of temperature, free¬ 
dom from wetness and good ventilation so 
that the temperature cun be eh; .aged gradually 
when necessary. Largo casks are claimed to 
be better than small ones as a large body of 
