THE BUBAL MEW-YOBKER 
Without desiring to become critical, I desire to 
offer a few remarks on the Summer treatment 
of these beautiful plants. After their bloom¬ 
ing season is over, I give them water freely 
until the first of May when I plant them out 
in a well prepared, shady border, placing the 
corrns about half an inch beneath the surface 
of the ground. All the attention they require 
after this is to keep them clear of weeds. No 
watering iB required. They can be taken up 
w luggei imu i/nen used tne wheat came up 
first, grew fastest, and cun still be distin¬ 
guished as far as the eye can see. From this, 
as it seems to me, a useful lesson may be 
drawn. 
I w tsix to say to the lady who presides over 
the Domestic Department of the Rural, that 
I have recently, and for the first time, eaten 
of tomatoes stewed till somewhat dry, and 
then served with real cream. The combina¬ 
tion was rich and delicious. I hope she will 
try it and tell her numerous family how she 
likes it. The cream, as I understood, was 
added as soon as the tomatoes were taken 
from the fire. 
the Crescent Strawberry. This variety is 
generally reported as a rampant grower, a 
profuse bearer, the fruit shipping well, etc., 
etc. The above conclusions I cordially in¬ 
dorse, but it is uot all of the story. It is a 
pistillate, and must be fertilized with some 
other variety. This is not, however, a very 
serious objection. The great fault with this 
variety is its poor quality. 1 know of no 
other kind so poor in flavor. Still it is a 
[Seed or fruit-bearing unquestionably 
exhausts the plant and weakens the root. 
If the flowers of asparagus could be removed 
without more trouble than their removal 
would be worth to the plant it would be 
desirable to do so. Such is not the case, how¬ 
ever.—E ds.1 
Watering Sweet Peas. 
Leon's note on his neighbor's sweet peas ex 
presses a doubt whether their luxuriant and 
lasting condition is due to deep planting of the 
seed or mainly to rich soil,watering and 1 be sup¬ 
pression of seed pods. 1 have usually planted 
early and deep—four inches, which is deep 
enough in all conscience for my heavy soil_ 
but I never know what sweet peas were capa¬ 
ble of, or saw the admirable and continuous 
display they can make, until last year, when, 
having some growing near a copiously wa¬ 
tered oleander, they grew grander and grander 
until frost interfered. This dry season they 
collapsed until I irrigated by leading in the 
waste water out of a street rill. That soon 
restored them, and late in September they 
were glorious. Who can tell what the per¬ 
ennial peas require ? They are still finer to the 
eye, but dou't live long with me. w. g. w. 
Tyrone, Pa. 
The destruction of the cabbage crop by 
drought and the worms was something mel¬ 
ancholy to contemplate; and equally melan¬ 
choly is the almost universal indifference to 
the destruction of the worms so largely con¬ 
cerned in the loss of this important, crop. I 
have walked over acres and acres of cabbage 
during the past month (November), or rather 
cabbage stumps, on which the worms were 
fairly piled on top of each other, and no effort 
whatever hud been made for their destruction. 
It does seem surprising that these posts should 
be left to increase themselves a thousandfold 
another year, when a large proport,ion of them 
could be so easily destroyed. The stum]** 
could be collected and thrown into the pig-pen 
or the chicken-yard; many of the worms 
would be destroyed in the act of doing this, 
and many more by the pigs and chickens. I 
induced a friend to throw a barrow load into 
the poultry yard and the worms were soon 
consumed; besides, the cabbage is an excellent 
green food for poultry of nil kinds. He is no 
friend, either to himself or his neighbors, who 
does not do something to mitigate this terrible 
infliction. It is still not too late to do some¬ 
thing in this way, for all the worms will not 
have changed to the chrysalis state while the 
weather continues mild. 
The Variegated-leafed Althma deserves all 
the praise that Mr. Parnell bestows upon it. 
It has been in cultivation a good many years, 
but, notwithstanding, has not yet become 
common. It does not propagate kindly, and 
grows slowly, especially when young, and 
nurserymen do not generally bother them¬ 
selves with plants that do not propagate and 
grow rapidly, for the reason, as many have 
told me, that it does not pay to do so. This 
plant is a very slow grower, and is conse¬ 
quently dwarf. In reply to the editor’s query 
I will say that I have not had or seen a perfect 
flower on it in more than thirty years. There 
is no beauty in the flower, but there is much 
in the plant. To prevent disappointment, I 
will add that a variegated althmn is offered in 
some catalogues, the variegation, however, 
such as it is, being in the flower and not on 
the leaves. Further, my experience and ob¬ 
servation coincide with the editor’s remark, 
that the althma is least enduring in a sandy 
soil. It is, however, such a flno and useful 
rub, and generally accommodating, that I 
ould plant it almost anywhere, 
Horticola. 
MR. MARVIN'S GRAPES AT BOSTON, 
I WOULD like to add a few words to Mr. 
Marvin’s remarks, in the Rural of Novem¬ 
ber, about his new grapes exhibited at 
Boston at the late meeting of the American 
Pomologieal Society. I was much interested 
in these seedliugs, and regard them as a de¬ 
cided advance in the way of improvement of 
our pure native American varieties. These 
grapes were exhibited with specimens of tke 
foliage of each variety; and although the ap¬ 
pearance and quality of some of the grapes 
might have led to a suspicion of foreign pa¬ 
rentage, the foliage certainly indicated that 
they were of utimixed, native origin. The fol¬ 
lowing notes wore made at the time, of my 
impression of the different varieties as they 
appeared September 15, and I shall test these 
as soon as they are 
Magnum Bonum—From Life—5G1 
and potted aliout the end of August. I give 
the pots good drainage and also cover the 
drainage with moss so as to prevent the soil 
from obstructing it. I also mix a little bone 
dust with the potting compost. I do not ap¬ 
prove of keeping the cyclamen in pots dur- 
ing the Summer season, for the reason that in 
watering they are apt to be forgotten and 
sometimes they are given either too much or 
too little, the result being that the corm be¬ 
comes injured, and as soon as this happens the 
plant may as well be thrown away. 
Leon, page 773, has very truthfully des¬ 
cribed the pyraeantba as an ornamental shrub 
for the lawn. I have had no experience with 
it as a hedge plant, but I have always had the 
impression that it was perfectly hardy, 
standing our severe TV inters without sustaining 
any injury. I may also add that the finest 
ornamental pyracantha hedge that has come 
under my observation is at the nurseries of the 
Parsons & Sons Co., at Flushing, L. I. As I 
have always advised its use as a hedge plant, 
“strawberry,” and will probably sell fora 
few years at least, but I anticipate that it 
will finally be rejected by buyers. Already a 
few of our city dealers refuse it. People who 
have l>een complaining of the poor quality of 
the Wilson will hardly accept the Crescent as 
a substitute. 
While we are describing fruits, it is t>est to 
give all the facts, then those persons thinking 
of purchasing can govern themselves accord¬ 
ingly. While no kind of fruit is in all re- 
sjjects perfect, there are particular faults that 
are insurmountable. For instance, a grape 
that drops from the stem, be it ever so desir¬ 
able in other‘respects, will never do for a 
market grape. A grape that is subject to 
mildew (like the Iona on my grounds) is 
worthless. Several kinds of ]>ears that are 
the most subject to blight should not be 
planted. I have a decided preference for 
varieties of fruit that are hardy and good 
bearers, if the fruit is of fair quality. Give 
us all the facts, so that of all evils wo can 
choose the least. Nelson Ritter. 
grapes with much interest 
offered for sale. 
Centennial. —Large, long, pointed, me¬ 
dium, compact clusters; color, pink; berries 
small; seeds large; skin thin but tenacious; not 
quite ripe, but pure-flavored and promising to 
be quite good when fully matured. 
Corporal.—M edium, rather loose cluster; 
berries of medium size, black; pulp, tender, 
pure-flavored and good; not foxy. 
Rutland.— Very handsome, compact, me¬ 
dium-sized cluster; berries of medium size, 
black, rich, vinous and pure-flavored. Good. 
Foliage thick, toiuuutose, apparently per¬ 
fectly healthy. A promising grape. 
Sharon.— Of Southern JEstivalis type. 
Dark red or chestnut color. Appears to be 
quite early. Quality fair; with a peeuliur ar¬ 
omatic flavor. 
Laura, 
compact clusters, 
high-flavored 
large, thick. Apparently very healthy. 
Watertown.— Rather small cluster; white 
or light greenish-yellow; sprightly, pure-flav¬ 
ored and good. To my taste the best of the 
collection; skin quite thin but tenacious; and 
will probably bear carriage well. Leaf large, 
thick and healthy, somewhat resembling that 
of Hartford. A promising grape. 
I think much credit is due Mr. Marvin for 
his experiments; and his success is certainly 
very gratifying in the way of improvement 
of the native American grains. The foliage 
of all appeared strong and healthy, and I re¬ 
gard them ail us decidedly better in character 
and flavor than the Concord. Successive 
seedlings, orcareful crossing of these varieties 
with our best natives may be productive of 
the most important and valuable results. 
Delaware, O. G. W. Campbell. 
Asparagus Culture. 
The frequent recurrence of the asparagus 
question iu the columns of the Rural is evi¬ 
dence not only of the importance of the sub¬ 
ject itself but of the practical usefulness of 
the journal and the attend-to-your-own-busi- 
ness habits of its readers. There is one phase 
of the subject which I do not remember to 
have seen discussed, viz. should we allow' 
asparagus to bear seed ? Does the law o 
The editor remarks (page 800) that his crop 
of celery is the best he ever raised—I wish I 
could say the same of mine; but, considering 
the severe drought we have experienced, I do 
not think that I can complain. I did not give 
my plants any water. They are rather small 
in size but of excellent quality. 
For your explanation of the use of slate 
NOTES AND COMMENTS, 
A bed of Sweet Alyssum, Koniga maritima 
is just now (November 12) a perfect mass of 
bloom, and, as one can well imagine, the fra¬ 
grance is almost overpowering. Of this 
charming species w e have several very pretty 
and distinct varieties, viz., Koniga maritima 
variegata, the leaves of which are prettily 
and distinctly margined with w'hite and single 
flowers; double white, with double white 
flowers, and the new double white with varie¬ 
gated leaves. These varieties are all desirable 
additions to our collection of greenhouse and 
bedding plants; but for the window garden, 
the old single-flowering variety will be found 
to be the best on account of the ease with 
which it can be increased, as well as its pro¬ 
fuse flowering qualities. 
Northern .-Estivalis type. Small, 
not shouldered. Peculiar, 
, sweet, rich and good. Foliage 
In reply to Mr. A. B. Allen, who asks for 
information concerning the Ott pear (see page 
771), I would say that my Ott pears com¬ 
menced to ripen about August 10, and by the 
15th they were ripening so rapidly and drop- 
ing so fast that I gathered them. They 
ripened so quickly, how'ever, that I could not 
keep them longer than September 5. Mine 
have a very thin skin, and as for baking I do 
not think any one would use them on account 
of their small size. I do not hesitate to say, 
however, that Mr. Allen has not got the Ott, 
but some other sort under that name, as the 
time of ripening shows it to be distinct from 
the Qtt. I do not think the location has any 
thing t® do with the difference in the time of 
ripening, but some of the roadersof the Rural 
may have fruited the Ott and I trust that 
some of them will give us their experience 
with it. I will with pleasure send Mr. Allen 
some cions if he desires them. 
Grape Notes, Etc. 
The number of feminine names given to 
Miner’s seedling grapes (p. 71)5) is an example 
of the general disposition to attribute female 
characteristics to the clinging and dependent 
vine. There is a fitness iu this, which is so 
generally perceived that from the times when 
we first had Isabellas and Dianas to our latest 
days of Marthas, Ladies, Marys, Adelines, 
and Antoinettes, the majority of our grapes 
get their names out of the woman’s list, and 
the number of new sorts is so great as to 
make it quite likely that the list will not 
prove long enough. 
It is a pity that the Iona is refractory upon 
the Rural Grounds. In heavy clay soil and 
warm exposure here, by the Juniata, its 
quality and productiveness, year after year, 
Andrews’ White—From Life—Fig. 502. 
and shingles in mulching strawberries, Horti¬ 
cola, please accept many thanks. 
Charles E. Parnell. 
The Truth and the Whole Truth. 
No variety of fruit yet grown is perfect in 
every respect. Some kinds are very hardy 
and productive, while the fruit is only pass¬ 
able in quality; others give us fruit of the 
best flavor, while the quantity is insufficient, 
etc., etc. With many reports upon new 
fruits we get only their good qualities, their 
faults being kept carefully in the background. 
As an instance, take most of the reports of 
Thanks to Mi*. Mead for his excellent paper 
on the cultivation of the Persian Cyclamen. 
