produce are as follows: Wheat, $1.20; corn, 
75c; oats, 40c: potatoes, 75 to 90c; hay, $15 per 
ton; pork, $7; butter, 25c; eggs, 10c per 
dozen. D. w. c. 
Missouri. 
Collins, St. Clair Co., Nov. 6.—The Rural 
seeds were planted in good time and condition 
and came up and grew finely, but the dry 
weather and chinch bugs ruined most of 
them. The sorghum has sprung up again and 
headed out; if warm weather lasts a few days 
longer I shall have seed. The fruit trees and 
red-bud bushes are in bloom. It has been 
raining for six weeks, more or less. w. v. 
Pleasant Mount, Miller Co., Nov. 7.— 
Fanners are notthrougli lowing wheat as yet, 
being considerably behindhand. From the 
middle to the last of September is generally 
considered the best time to sow wheat; but 
last year wheat was more or less damaged 
by the fly. This fact, with the drought which 
prevented the preparation of the ground as 
early as usual, delayed sowing. The weather 
was all that could be desired; but the rainy 
days came and tho ground soon got too w et, 
and very late sowing is the conseuuence. The 
weather is still very mild, though we had a 
hard frost on the 3d of this month, which 
killed tender plants, such as sweet potatoes, 
beans, etc. Corn in shucks and oats in the stacks 
are badly damaged, cprmting wherever ex¬ 
posed to the rain. Wheat that is still un- 
thl'ashed is damaged very badly—so much so 
that thrashing it out is slow, laborious w r ork. 
Farmers are marketing their stock as fast as 
possible, us the scarcity of feed and fears of 
another hard 'Winter are causing them to 
sell very close. n. j. s. 
Montana. 
Twin Bridges, Madison Co., Nov. 10.—The 
Washington Oats did well, but there w-as some 
smut. The White Elephant Potato came too 
late, and w-as a failure in consequence. The 
flow er seeds 1 gave to a neighbor’s wife and 
she is much pleased with th m. Crops of all 
kinds did well this season. Wheat went 
about 20 bushels to the acre; oats, 35; po¬ 
tatoes, 120 bushels. Wheat is worth $1 per 
bush.; oats, 72c.; potatoes, 60@80c.; hay, $10 
@$25 per ton. Mining and stock raising are 
the leading pursuits in this country. 1 think 
the Rural the best agricultural paper pub¬ 
lished, and would not be without it for double 
the subscription price. x. d. K. 
New Jersey. 
Clove Valley, Sussex Co., Nov. 12.—From 
the White Elephant stmt me by the Rural 1 
had 05 potatoes weighing 32 pounds. Twenty- 
five of them weighed 20pounds. There 
were six hills altogether. J. J. w. 
Hamilton Square, Mercer Co., Nov. 8.— 
The White Elephant Potato got frosted in the 
cellar before planting. The Washington Oats 
were mwu on very poor ground and yielded 
only 1 pound. The nsparagus seeds all came 
ujy well uud have grown nicely. Owing to the 
late and cold Spring the Rural Branching Sor¬ 
ghum did not grow very fast, and frost came 
too early for it, so I lost the seed. I am satis¬ 
fied it will make a valuable fodder plant. 1 
should l»e glad to pay for any seed which any 
of the Rural family cau spare. L. B. Welch. 
New York. 
Bedford Station, Westchester Co., Nov. 13 
—The asparagus seeds germinated very even¬ 
ly and are ull doing well. From the Washing¬ 
ton Oats I harvested four quarts, weighing 4>g 
pounds; they were sown too thickly or the 
yield would have lteen greater. The sorghum 
scuds germinated well, but never seemed to 
thrive; tho season was very wet and cold early 
and very dry later. The plants only attained 
a bight of two or three feet. The White Ele¬ 
phant Potato, cut to 15 single eyes and plant¬ 
ed one eye in a place, yielded 24j- a pounds of 
very fine potatoes. The main crop of pota¬ 
toes, raised from whole seed and plowed and 
hilled up both ways, was hardly worth dig¬ 
ging, though planted on much moister ground 
than the White Elephants. I am convinced 
that one eye in a hill is enough if one is partic¬ 
ularly vigilant in protecting them from the 
beetles when they are first appearing above 
ground. “ b.” 
Caton, Steuben Co,, Nov. 7.—Crops were 
light in this section. Potatoes, coni, grain 
und hay were only half crops. Potatoes are 
worth from 80c@$l per bushel; wheat, $1.45; 
oats, 50c.; buckwheat, 80o@$l; corn, 40@80e.; 
apples, a light crop, 5Q@fi0o. per bushel. Good 
Timothy hay about $14 per ton. H. w. m. 
Middle Falls, Washington Co.—The 
Rural Branching Sorghum planted June 1, 
grew 10 feet high. It was cut the middle 
of August and fed to the cow; she liked fod¬ 
der corn better. The Wushington Oats grew 
well, but smutted badly. Dry weather nearly 
spoiled the White Elephant Potato. I. H. 
Sharon, Schoharie Co., Nov. 5.—1 read 
with a good deal of interest the crop reports 
from everywhere in the Rural, and I think 
that one of the best features of the paper. 
Especially am I interested in the reports of 
the fiee seed distribution. While 1 cannot 
give as good a report as some of your readers, 
I am satisfied, and am led to inquire who can 
estimate the value of these distributions, 
spread out as they are over our whole coun¬ 
try? One of the l tone fits I see already is 
this: We all seem to be interested in this one 
thing, and as such seem to be drawn together 
as a band of brothers with one common inter¬ 
est. [We hope so.— Eds.] I tell you it is 
becoming a power already in the land, let 
other papers ignore the fact or not. My Ele¬ 
phant yielded me 2(1 pounds of fine tubers, 
with no extra care. The Washington Oats, 
after the hens had taken a quarter of it, gave 
me 13 pounds of fine grain, and, as most 
reports say, there was quite a good deal of 
smut in them. The Branching Sorghum was 
a failure; only three or four hills came up. 
The asparagus has done very well. Of flow¬ 
ers we hail a fine lot. While the drought has 
given us some short crops, prices are good for 
all we have to sell, so I don’t see how the dry 
spell has been very detrimental to us after all. 
Winter wheat has given us an average yield, 
and is worth $1.40. Spring grains were good 
crops. Cora is the poorest for years, with 
few exceptions. Buckwheat is not one-half a 
crop; it is worth 80 cents a bushel and flour 
$3.75 a hundred. Hay right here was a heavy 
crop, and that is one of the exceptions; it is 
selling here, baled, for from $12 to $15 a ton. 
Dressed hogs $8.00 per hundred pounds. 
Working cattle are very high, selling for from 
$125 to $150. Stock of all kinds scarce and 
in demand. Butter is bringing 28 to 30 ceuts; 
cheese, 12 to 13 cents; eggs, 25 cents. Pota¬ 
toes are a very short crop, and have been sell¬ 
ing lrorn 75 cents to $1 a bushel; apples are 
an unusually short crop, but are selliug here 
at $1.50 to $1.75 per barrel. s. l. 
West Brookvillk, Sullivan Co., Nov. 1.— 
The White Elephant Potato was planted in 
seven hills; we dug one peck of fine, nice-sized 
tubers. The Washington Oats did well until 
nearly ripe, when the chickens found them out 
and destroyed ubout half. We gathered about 
three pints; the seeds were good and full. The 
Rural Branching Sorghum we think the most 
valuable of all. It grew seven feet high; 17 
stalks were the most wo had from one seed. 
What was cut off August 1 grew right up and 
would have been a fine crop had it not been 
for the drought. The pinks were very pretty; 
t ere were eight kinds. Th# asparagus seeds 
grew well. We feel in debt to the Rural 
New-Yorker for the seeds, as well as for the 
great agricultural information it gives us 
ev#ry week. m. w. 
Ohio. 
W AU8E0N, Fulton Co., Nov. 5.—The free 
seeds sent to me were received in good condi¬ 
tion. They were planted in our common 
black soil near a large ditch. As we had uu 
commonly high water last iSpring they were 
twice under water for a few hours. The 
Whit® Elephant Potato (a small one, which 
probably weighed about two ounces) had ten 
eyes, which were planted iu as many hills, 
and yielded 9% pounds, or 74 times the weight 
of the seed—a good yield considering tho 
chances, as it was better than other potatoes 
near-by. Potatoes were a poor crop here this 
year. Tho Branching Sorghum was not cut, 
and grew to the bight of 11 feet, looking like 
our common cane. A few stalks grew from a 
seed, therefore a few seeds produced many 
stalks. The oats, having beards, will probably 
not tie a desirable kind here. The flower 
seeds grew, but were destroyed by chick¬ 
ens. M. E. D. 
Oregon. 
Monmouth, Polk Co., Nov. 4.—The White 
Elephant Potato weighed 2}£ ounces, was 
planted June 9, in nine hills, on land which re¬ 
ceived no manure, and yielded 25 pounds of 
fine tubers—four of them weighed six pounds. 
The Rural Branching Sorghum failed to vege¬ 
tate, and the oats were badly smutted, j.m.r. 
Pennsylvania. 
Muncy, Lycoming Co., Nov. 9,—We have 
received the Rural New-Yorker regularly 
and are always glad when it arrives. We are 
not farmers: at least our farm is on a small 
scale—our lot lieiug only 150x182 feet. On 
this we have our buildings und door-yard, 
also 20 apple trees und six plant, eight peach, 
four quince and one pour, as well as 18 grape¬ 
vines. Then in the rows of trees we have our 
small fruits, and, besides, we raise all our veg¬ 
etables and sell quite a good deal of our sur¬ 
plus. We grow tomatoes, asparagus and cel¬ 
ery in abundance. We excel in celery. The 
Rural seeds came to hand iu good order. 
The White Elephant had 10 eyes. I cut it to 
one eye iu a piece. Then as my room was 
small 1 planted the 10 pieces in eight hills. 
When I lifted them I had 14'^ pounds. The 
asparagus all grew and the stalks are now 
about 12 inches high. Tho Branching Sor¬ 
ghum was a failure. The Washington Oats 
grew well but about the time of heading they 
were beaten down fiat, yet 1 got some outs 
better than what I sowed. I shall try it 
again. Tho dianthus, pieotee, carnation and 
pink seeds all grew, and the diautlius bloomed 
uud was very handsome. We were especially 
pleased with the description of the Perfection 
Golden Heartwell Celery, on page 580 of the 
Fair Number, and we shall be very glad to try 
it. i. R, B. 
[Thanks for the communication. Our next 
seed distribution will be forwarded to all sub¬ 
scribers who apply inclosing two three-cent 
postage stamps. We send the entire collec¬ 
tion to all, as it would be impossible for us, in 
so great an undertaking, to select for special 
needs.— Eds.] 
£l)e Querist, 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to Insure attention ] 
TREATMENT OF TUBEROSES, F.TC. 
M. J., Wichita. Kansas, asks; 1, how to 
treat his tuberoses. He started them in boxes 
in the Spring, and set them out when warm 
enough. The Summer was very warm but 
dry, and copious rains have fallen lately; yet 
there hasn’t been a single blossom, but, in¬ 
stead, copious foliage growing rapidly. He 
says; “Shall I dig them up as they are 
now growing thriftily, and let them dry in the 
shade ? Will they be likely to flower next 
year ? Why didn't they bloom ? Should 
they be managed just the same in house cul¬ 
ture as for out-of-doors ? 2. How to grow 
smilax. 3. Is thu Variegated Wax Plant as 
desirable as the plain, green-leaved sort, and 
does it bloom as freely ? 
A ns. —It would have l>een better to start 
your tuberoses in small pots instead of boxes, 
as you could then have transferred them to 
the ground without disturbing the roots. The 
drought was probably the cause of their not 
flowering, as was quite common during the 
past season: mit it may have lteen owing to 
the fact that they were not flowering roots, 
many such being sold every year. If a tube¬ 
rose be full and plump at the neck, it is pretty 
certain to flower, otherwise not. As your 
plants are now growing thriftily, they will no 
doubt flower well next year. Let them grow 
till the frost has killed the foliage, and then 
lift and trim them, and put them away for 
the Winter. The so called “small bulbs” are 
found growing on the large one, and are 
easily rubbed or broken off at the time of 
planting. These may be planted separately, 
and will in time make flowering bulbs. The 
tuberose should be grown in a rich soil. The 
same bulb, as a rule, will flower but once. If 
by “ house culture” you mean tuberoses for 
Winter-flowering, you uiuit buy' bulbs that 
have been prepared for the purpose. Unless 
you have a good plant-house, with plenty 
of heat and moisture, you had better not 
attempt to force the tuberose in Winter, for it 
demands more than ordinary care and skill, 
and few succeed. You can have the plants in 
flower in the house in Fall and early Winter 
by planting good bulbs in five or six inch 
pots late in the Spring, plunging the pots in 
the ground during the Summer, lifting them 
in the Fall before frost, and taking them into 
the house (or sitting-room), where they will 
often remain in bloom for a mouth or more. 
This will probably suit you. We usually 
grow a few in this way. 2, Smilax will grow 
more readily from seed, though cuttings strike 
readily enough in a green house. If you have 
an old plant you can easily multiply it by 
dividing tho roots when the plant is dormant, 
say iu August or September. 3, The varie¬ 
gated Wax Plant is very desirable, and much 
prettier than the plain kind, but does not 
grow or flower so freely as that. It is really 
a very handsome plant, but you must look 
out for mealy bug. 
NINE-BARK. 
T. G. T., Horn Brook, Pa., sends for name 
a stem, leaves, seeds and dried up flower of a 
plant found growing wild by a roadside run¬ 
ning along a river at the foot of a neighbor¬ 
ing mountain. It was taken up and trans¬ 
planted to the garden, where it produced a 
handsome flower, white tinged with pink as it 
grows older. It grew about four feet high 
and blossomed in early Summer. 
Ans.—I t is Spiraea opulifolia or Nine- 
Bark. It is a native of rocky river banks 
especially westward. It is not a pretty shrub 
when small, but its form becomes rounded and 
the foliage ample when it gets older- say 
from four to six years. The leaves are three- 
lobed somewhat resembling those of the cur¬ 
rant. The branches become recurved after a 
few years and plants often grow to the bight 
of 10 feet. The bark exfoliates—hence the 
name of Nine-Bark. The fruit consists of 
several inflated follicles of a reddish color 
forming in early June. These folliclesare often 
showier thau the flowers, as, when abund¬ 
ant., they give to the whole shrub a red color. 
The golden variety of the old-fashioned shrub 
is in all respects like the species except that 
when. tbe,leaves first unfold, they are of a 
bright golden color. Some of this reappears 
in the Fall. 
THE SWEETEST STRAWBERRY ? 
W. F. K., Clinton, La., asks which is th® 
sweetest strawberry without reference to size, 
season or productiveness. 
Ans. — A question like this may be answered 
with much amplification or the simplest brev¬ 
ity, according to the point from which we look 
at it. If sweetness and flavor combined be 
meant, there are two or three claimants for 
the undesirable distinction, with little to 
choose between them when ripe, and all sim¬ 
ply flat. If mere sweetness without flavor be 
meant, we should name the old Burr’s New 
Pine; but this is now out of cultivation, and 
with all iis goodness would only find a place 
in the amateur’s collection. Size and pro¬ 
ductiveness have driven such kinds to the 
wall. Our correspondent, perhaps, refers to 
quality rather than to sweetness alone, and 
to kinds now generally grown. Iu that eas® 
he will open a question of some magnitude, 
and we will try again if he will make his 
point clear. 
CAKED UDDER. 
G. H., Hackettstown > N. J., has a three- 
year-old cow that dropped her second calf 
last May. Hhe was milked immediately, but 
the next day the udder was caked and she 
refused to let down her milk. The bag was 
bathed with warm milk, etc., and for some 
time the swelling diminished a little, but 
the udder again swelled, now in one part 
and then in another, and our friend asks for 
some remedy. 
Ans. —Give the cow 12 ounces of Epsom 
salts, and the day after one ounce of saltpe¬ 
ter, feed ouly dry hay : bathe the udder with 
warm water and knead it gently with the 
hands until it is softened. When it is better 
some bran slops may be given. 
Miscellaneous. 
H. S. B., Okolona, Miss., asks how to plant 
the pyraeantha for a hedge. 
Ans. —In your climate it may be planted 
now. Dig trenches two feet wide. Throw 
out the poor soil; add good. Place the plants 
tw o feet apart. Spread out the roots; pack 
the soil firmly over them. The habit of the 
pyraeantha (Crateegus pyracanthus) is very 
straggling, so that to present a good appear¬ 
ance as a screen or hedge it should be trained 
against some support. Its growth, too, is not 
rapid and it is liable to be destroyed by the 
thora-borer. It thrives best in a dry soil. 
E. W. B., Factory Point, Vt., asks where 
can pots for pottiug straw berries be obtained, 
the price und the best size. 
Ans. —Pots two inches across the top, 
known among florists and manufacturers as 
“Thumb” or “Verbena” [iota, are the best 
for layering strawberry plants. F. Laufens- 
weiler, 517 and 519 West 27th Street, New 
York City, and A. H. Hews & Co., North 
Cambridge, Mass., are extensive manufac¬ 
turers of flower pots, and are reliable parties 
to purchase of. The price of Thumb pota 
ranges from five to six dollars a thousand. 
D. W. C.. North Branch, Mich., asks: 1, 
whether the Rural Heavy Dent Corn would 
be likely to ripen so far north—latitude 43 
degrees; 2, how much earlier is it than th® 
Rural Thoroughbred Flint Cora; 3, is the 
Flint white or yellow ? 
Ans. 1. Hardly, we fear. 2. About three 
weeks. 3. Yellow. 
A. J. T.. Washington, D. C., asks how should 
the dianthus, pieotees and carnations that hav® 
not seeded be treated through the Winter. 
Ans. —They may be taken up and kept in 
the window or conservatory to bloom, or they 
may be left out, with a slight covering. 
C. C. D., Minnesota Junction, Wit,, asks for 
a plan of an ic®-house and creamery com¬ 
bined. 
Ans.— 8ee article on this subject under 
“Dairy,” in this issue. 
C. B. P., Albany, III,, sends a twig with red 
berries for name. 
Ans. —It is Euony mns atropurpureu*—Spin¬ 
dle Tree, Burning Bush. Found east of th® 
Mississippi and often cultivated. 
♦ » ♦- 
Communications Received for the Week Exdin® 
Saturday, Nov. Ui, issi. 
ilrs 1 S-E It A—Kdgerton—J U W—E W B-E W S— 
L W S—D H H B S—L U W-C A MoC—N B B—G W R 
M K— H & S N C—J M R—H C—Qulnnlplac—R &. J C— 
H B-J H—M P li -a S—NJ S,S— SP, Jr—I R B—G L A— 
M W-T H H—T T L M F. D—J HS—W H T-S L, thanks 
—C SU'D. Westfork, I nil. Much of the Information you 
ask for has been presented in these columns during 
the present year. The Rural makes a specialty of 
new grape* and .ill pertaining to grapes lu general.— 
D \V C, Lapeer Co. Midi. Wo hope to hear from you 
often—P R—E N 11, thanks—M B MeL—J E S—T J—J W 
M, M D—li A G Jr—J. P N—S N D—A It It, thnuks—O & 
j w— C B B—H S—M P—J B B—II N D—H F J—L S H— 
P B M—II s C E P. thanks—w B R-R L C—A J C—O 
R S-^J R—u WD—W YU M—M LE-OOH-OP P—CM 
R W M—H S—B E—P F M .1—J A— J A II MeD—K C— 
W R-J P—at B -31 P -F U-R & A B-E S-F M-K M— 
E H-A R-J R-E R-J A-L A-C L—E M-H M-I R— 
D L—II G—31 K-K B W B-C MeC-LW S-E W B-E G 
. "<} b—T H W—O W-M P—J S—A M F-E F—A H—F L 
—T W- H F—31 T G—U 31—R H F—W J F—F G, Monroe, 
La., thanks—S B P. thanks— 31 S—T H H—H U T—S P 
H—E A R A—J HM | N B A—G W T—E F—W J Rr-C B. 
