VOL. XXXVII. 
WHOLE No 
PRICE FIVE CENTS, 
*2.00 PER YEAR. 
[E ntered ac cording to Act of Congress, In the year 1878, by the Rural Pu blishing Company, 
in essential respects, as good as, if not bet¬ 
ter than, any of the hundreds of varieties that 
have sinoe been offered, earliness, of course, 
being a first consideration in our estimate. Last 
spring we were shown the Beauty of Hebron 
potato and asked te give it a fair and a careful 
trial. We had confidence in those who made 
the request and were much pleased with its ap¬ 
pearance, so that besides planting it ourselves, 
we sent a pound, or so, to a number of farmers 
requesting that they, too, would give it a care¬ 
ful trial. At this time we have space but for a 
few extracts from letters received: Mr. Peter 
T. Hewlett, of East Rockaway, L. I„ says: 
“ They are ten or twelve days earlier than Early 
Bose, of better quality and the yield is nearly 
double.” 
Mr. Jonathan Talcott says: “We planted 
them on fair soil of fine gravelly, sandy 
loam. The yield was about two bushels from 
samples (?) sent, of fine, smooth potatoes, which. I 
think will prove valuable in the future. ” (Italics 
are Mr. Taloott's. —Eds.) “ I have never known 
at Washington.] 
seed-balls of the Chili-Red. The tubers are of 
medium size, very smooth, slightly tinged with 
pink about the eyes, but becoming white dur¬ 
ing the winter. They lie olosely together in the 
hills, and the labor of digging them is conse¬ 
quently light. We propose to send a single 
potato to all of our subscribers who apply, until 
our own supply is exhausted, and we have con¬ 
tracted with J. M. Thorbnrn & Co. of this oity 
who have brought this potato before the public, 
to supply any further demand. 
THE VOORHIS WATERMELON. 
Several years ago, one of our neighbors, Mr. 
Isaac Yoorhis, saved seeds from either the Moun¬ 
tain Sweet or Blaok Spanish Watermelon which 
were planted together in his melon patch. These 
seeds produced an intermediate variety which 
he has sinoe cultivated. Muoh pleased with 
this melon, we planted the seeds last year for 
our own use, and this year, with a view to 
placing them in the seed distribution, an acre 
was planted to them at the farm and as large a 
plot here as could be spared. Frost killed the 
Vises at the farm. But Mr. Voorhis has 
obligingly collected all the seed from his 
crop for us, and so we are enabled to 
offer them to our readers as we had de¬ 
sired to do. The melon is longer than 
the Black Spanish and thicker than the 
Mountain Sweet, of a regular, thick, oval 
shape. It is obscurely ribbed and of a 
dark - green color, sometimes faintly 
streaked with a lighter shade. The flesh 
is remarkably solid, of a rosy-red color, 
lighter in the heart of the melon, extend¬ 
ing in some melons, nearly to the rind 
itself. The seeds are of an ash-brown 
color speckled somewhat like Castor-oil 
“ beans." The vines are wonderfully vig¬ 
orous and productive, ri nPinimr /wvif 
A Choice of ten from Nineteen Varieties of 
Farm, Vegetable ami Flower Seeds, most 
ol which cauuot elsewhere be procured. 
.Ei- l.. coy, of West Hebron, N. Y., reports: 
“ 1 had at the rate of 295 bushels per acre of 
Beauty of Hebron, while the Snow-flake, planted 
beside them with the same culture, yielded but 
185 bushels.” John R. Willett, of West Hebron, 
Bays the yield was twice as great as that of any 
other kind he planted. Under common field- 
cultnre 15 hills yielded one bnshel. They exoel 
all others for table use. 
Mr. Coles Carman, of Hempstead, L. I., says : 
“Three small potatoes were planted in the gar¬ 
den. From these we got one buBhel of very 
good size, I think they are about ten days 
earlier than the Early Rose. Tops of vine not 
so large as those of Rose." 
Our own report is that they are ten days 
earlier than the Early Rose, that they will yield 
more potatoes in a given area treated in the 
samo way, and that they are as good in quality. 
The Beauty of Hebron originated in 1874 from 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL EXPERIMENT 
AL GROUNDS, 
Oct. 29, 187S. 
DEFIANCE WHEAT. 
We have made frequent reference to this va¬ 
riety of wheat which was produced by Mr. 
Pringle, of Vermont, a atudious, hard-working 
botanist, by cross-fertilization. It was offered 
for sale last season for the first time, and at the 
absurdly high price of thirty dollars per bushel, 
a large aggregate amount—made up of small, 
trial quantities—was sold. 1 * Of the five varie¬ 
ties of spring wheat which we tried at the farm 
last spring, this variety bore the heaviest straw 
and broadest leaf, and while some of the others 
were lodged by strong winds, this remain¬ 
ed upright. The heads also matured the 
greatest number of grains, but owing to 
the hot weather and almost daily showers 
or, it may be, to the uneuitableness of 
the climate for this crop, they were muoh 
shriveled. We find, however, that the 
best we have been able to purchase for 
our subscribers is also shriveled. It is, 
nevertheless, true that in some localities, 
Defiaucs Wheat haB yielded, under high 
cultivation, immense quantities, relatively 
to the area sown, and the grains have 
been both large and plump, as may be 
inferred from the size of our engraving, 
which is a correct portrait of a head se¬ 
lected from a prize collection. This was 
first presented in the Rubai, of Sept. 14, 
and is now reproduced for the benefit of 
our many new friends. 
From our owu knowledge, we cannot 
say one positive word in favor of this 
Defiance Wheat, and we place it among 
the varieties of onr free distribution, be¬ 
cause it was originated by one whose 
earnest labors at least entitle him to val¬ 
uable results, and also because, having 
been extensively advertised, the demand 
for it is far greater than the supply. 
"PEARL MILLET.” 
The available Btock of seeds of this 
"new" fodder plant is so inadequate to 
supply the demand that the price will tbis 
season be so high as to prevent farmers 
in general from purchasing it in other 
than experimental quantities. We have 
read a uuniber of letters from those who 
have tried it during the past season, ex¬ 
tolling it in the language of well-meant 
but probably unwarranted enthusiasm, 
and stating conclusions that extended trial 
will, very likely, modify. 
From our owu investigations we may 
state the gist of what was given in detail 
in the Rural of Nov. 2, viz., that onr /; 
largest plant weighed (without roots) 42# /; 
lbs.; that it was ten feet high and 14 j 
feet in circumference; that our horses and in ' 
cattle relish the leaves as muoh as those 
of corn. The stalks, however, are more fyjj 
slender, harder—more reed-like than those 1 • 
mm 
"e ao not know of any way in which an 
Agricultural paper can make itself of 
more value to its friends and readers than 
by testing new plants aud presenting con¬ 
scientious reports of the results wheu of 
enough importance to warrant such pub- 
iieity. Years ago we paid three dollars 
for a pound of Early Rose potatoes and, 
though wo have tried many new sorts 
since, we have until now deemed ibis kind 
V?.* 8 season, we understand there 
th..n°. )lkell hood of its being sold fur 1 ms 
than twenty dollars per bushel. 
1 
IN 
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