THE BUBAL NEW-YORKER, 
264 
%ocutu$, &c. 
[Special Report to the Rubai, New-Yorkeb.] 
TETAL Of. FARM IMPLEMENTS 
AT ELMIRA, IsT. Y. 
A Drizzly Day, hut large Attendance 
and SuocesafVil Trial. 
An implement trial planned and managed 
by the Elmira Farmers’ Club took place at 
Elmira, N. Y. April 5th. The weather was 
unfavorable, for a drizzling rain continuing 
for Rome time duriug the working hours, gave 
slight, hindrance to the proper showing of im¬ 
plements und caused some discomfort to the 
exhibitors and spectators, yet, on the whole, 
the trial was a success. 
So far us practicable all implements and 
machines on exhibition were carefully tested 
by actual fleld work which gave farmers who 
wished to purchase an opportunity to observe 
the capacity and merits of each much better 
than could be done in any other way, The 
attendance was large and the trial of much 
practical value. 
Pr.ow.H,—These were put to work in a fleld 
of Timothy sod having a gravelly soil, condi¬ 
tions well suited for testing the merits of a 
plow. The contestants were the Cassaday Sulky 
Plow, manufactured by the Oliver Chilled 
Plow Co.at South Bend,Ind.; the Syracuse with 
steel beam, made by the Syracuse Chilled Plow 
Co., of Syracuse N. Y.; the Syracuse attached 
to the Daniels plow sulky, which is made by 
E, B. Daniels & Co., Odessa, N. Y. ; the Wiard 
manufactured by the Wiard Chilled Plow 
Co., at Batavia N. Y. ; the Enterprise, made 
by the Enterprise M’f’g., Co., at Troy, Pa.; 
the Columbia made by the Columbia Plow 
Works, Copako Iron Works, N. Y.; the Mas¬ 
ter, manufactured by the Master Plow Co., at 
Homhimda N. Y.; and the Clipper Reversible, 
a side-hill plow made also at Horseheads, 
N. Y. 
The fleld was staked off into even-sized lauds 
and each contestant was given a strip by itself. 
The Cassady Sulky was a favorite with nearly 
all who observed its workings, and, judging 
from its capacity to perform g._.od work, it is 
indeed an excellent implement. It was set 
to cut furrows 13, 14 and 15 inches in width, 
yet a light learn drew the plow with compara¬ 
tive ease. A lady was given the management 
of the plow and team during one “ round,” 
and did excellent work without fatigue. 
The Daniels Plow Sulky to which was 
aitached a Syracuse Chilled Plow, with cast- 
iron beam, did good work but with less ex¬ 
cellence and apparently greater draft than 
the Cassaday. 
Of the walking plows the Wiard was 
was considered an excellent implement for the 
work done. There was some difficulty in 
starting the land or in opening the first fur¬ 
rows, caused probably by improper adjust¬ 
ment of parts, but no portion of the plowed 
parts of the fleld, at the completion of the 
trial, showed better work than that plowed 
with the Wiard Plow. There was very lit¬ 
tle difference in the execution of the Colum¬ 
bia and the Syracuse plows, which were 
second best in the list of successful contest¬ 
ants. Both plows wojked well and did ex¬ 
cellent service, but the Columbia was proba¬ 
bly most easily managed. The Clipper did 
good service, for a reversible plow, and in a 
more favorable soil for ease of work would 
perhaps perform satisfactory work on lovel 
land, but it could hardly compete with other 
plows on level land in the soil of the field where 
the trial was made. The Master Plow en¬ 
tered the fleld late in the day and made a fair 
display. 
Harrows and Cultivators.— There was a 
large collection of harrows and cultivators 
exhibited, most of which were taken to the 
field and given actual test in the work for 
which they are iuteuded. Whipple’s two- 
horse wheel cultivator, or pulverizer, with 
adjustable spring teeth, made by Johnson, 
Gere & Truman, atOwego, N.Y., was one of 
the leading implements in the line of pulveri¬ 
zers. The draft was heavy and the work was 
difficult for a strong pair of horses, but 
apparently uot more so than was the case with 
other implements of the same general nature. 
The Electric Spring Agitating Harrow, man¬ 
ufactured by Kellis, Mciutire & Co., at Pitts¬ 
burg, Pa., did excellent service also. 
The Acme Harrow, rnude by Nash & Bro., 
N. Y., was very much hindered for successful 
competition at the trial by the nature of the 
soil, which was very gravelly, for which it is 
not well fitted. The implement did good ser¬ 
vice, however, as a levoler and pulverizer on 
plowed ground, despite the stony soil. The 
Acme was taken to a near-by field aud tested 
on corn stubble where there were few stones 
to interfere, and there it did excellent work, 
cutting and pulverizing the soil to a depth of 
four inches in going three times in a place. 
Ihe Lansing Spring Tooth Harrow, manufac¬ 
tured by E, Bement & Sons, Lansing, Mich., 
is deserving of note and did excellent work, as 
did also the Burrows Wheel Cultivator, man¬ 
ufactured by H. D. Burrows, at Pine Valley, 
N. Y. But two of the one-horse cultivators 
exhibited entered the trial—the Whipple’s 
Spring-tooth and the Electric Spring Agi¬ 
tating Cultivator, made by the same firms 
which manufactured the two-horse pulveriz¬ 
ers already noted. The other single-horse 
cultivators exhibited were the Philadelphia 
Iron Frame Cultivator, manufactured by S. 
L. Allen & Co., of Philadelphia, Pa,, and the 
Shepard Thill Cultivator, made by W. H. 
Shepard & Sons. 
Drills and Seed Planters.— The drills 
were not tested sufficiently for deciding upon 
their comparative merits. Those exhibited 
were the Superior, made by Thomas, Ludlow 
& Rodgers, at Springfield, O.; the Champion, 
manufactured by Johnson, Gore & Truman, 
at Owego, N. Y.; and the Farmer’s Favorite, 
made by Bickford & Hoffman, at Macedon, 
New York. Three hind corn-planters were 
exhibited and tested. They were the Thom¬ 
as Planter, made by E, Thomas. Millport, 
New York ; Fisk’s Automatic Seed Plant¬ 
er, manufactured by Wallace Fisk, South 
Byron, New York, aud Hogan’s Improved 
Corn Plautur, made by Albert Hogan, at 
Grand Isle, Vt. Tho Thomas, and Fisk’s Au¬ 
tomatic, were very similar or identical in the 
dropping arrangement. The former works 
with the hands by a lever at the top, and 
allows the operator to take two rows at a 
time, while the Fisk Planter has an automatic 
attachment which works by tipping the imple¬ 
ment, making the attachment touch the 
ground, which drops the kernels. Both 
worked well, and better than the Hogan's Im¬ 
proved, which dropped too many kernels in a 
hill. 
Corn Shkllers. Of the two corn shelters 
and cleaners, exhibited the Cornell’s Improved 
was doubtless the most approved machine. It 
is made by H. W. Cornell at Owego, N. Y. 
and deserves more than passing notice, 
because of the extremely easy and perfect 
working, and improved adjuster for uneven¬ 
sized ears. The other sheller was the A. B. C. 
Coru Sheller made in New York and which 
performed good work. 
Other Implements, Among the other im¬ 
plements and machines exhibited, but not 
tested, were the Walter A. Wood Self binder; 
Bradley Reaper and Mower, manufactured by 
Bradley & Co, at Syracuse, N. Y.; Champion 
Reaper and Mower, made by Warder, Bush- 
nell& Glissner, at Springfield, O. ;the Triumph 
Reaper made by D. 8 . Morgan & Co., at 
Brockport, N. Y., and the new Clipper mower 
made by the same firm. 
Of horse lakes there were exhibited the 
Thomas Rake made by J. H. Thomas & Sons, 
Springfield, O., and the Bradley Rake manu¬ 
factured by the Bradley Mauuf’g. Co., at 
Syracuse, N. Y. Fowler’s Pitching Appar¬ 
atus, or bay carrier, attracted considerable 
attention and appeared an excellent thing 
Two post-hole augers were exhibited, but the 
graveliy soil prevented them from performing 
good work. A wooden barley fork, manufac 
tured by Alba Kimball, at Altay, N. Y., is 
doubtless a good implement for handling bar¬ 
ley or loose straw. A tobacco press made by 
Messrs. O’groom & Sons, at Big Flats, N. Y., 
was exhibited. The implement is a service¬ 
able one, and attracted favorable attention 
from those who knew the requirements of a 
tool of that class. 
Exhibitors and spectators alike should feel 
thankful for the liberality and kindness of 
the members of the Elmira Farmer’s Club 
and their families for the lunch which was 
served in the dining-room of the Club Hall. 
G. 
We may now report as to the injury sus¬ 
tained by the newer aud some of the best 
of the older kinds of raspberries; 
The twigs of the Cuthbert are killed back a 
few inches. Delaware the same. Davison’s 
Thornless killed bade two feet or more. 
Highland Hardy rather more than Cuthbert. 
Henrietta (Belle de Fontenay) half dead. 
Erwood’s Everbearing not banned. Brandy¬ 
wine not injured. Gregg scarcely injured— 
only a twig here and there. Lost Rubies not 
injured, Schaffer’s Colossal killed back a foot 
or more. Christine same. Caroline not in¬ 
jured. Early Welsh slightly injured. Turner 
scarcely injured. Naomi twigs killed back a 
foot. Montclair scarcely injured. Philadel¬ 
phia scarcely injured. There are several of 
our raspberries that have pushed their buds a 
little at this date (April 2). The Souhegan, 
however, has broken all its buds, several of 
which reveal the young leaves. 
Many beginners are possessed to plant the 
trees they receive from the nurseries too deep, 
from a feeling that the roots are better 
protected—that they get more food and are 
therefore less set back by the removal. Not 
so. In transplanting, the one thing to bear in 
mind is to see that every root and fiber is 
placed in contact with the soil. For the rest, 
set the tree so that the roots, unless distorted 
or entangled, rest in their natural position, 
covering the topmost roots with merely an 
inch or so of soil. Let our readers bear the 
above in mind in setting small fruits also. 
Spread out the roots and compact the soil 
about them firmly . 
Our experiment garden is so divided that all 
cultivation is done by hand. We have spread 
upon the surface the stable manure that has ac¬ 
cumulated since last season, which from time to 
time received additions of leavas, muck, ashes 
and all refuse from the table and kitchen not 
suitable for our poultry. We are now spading 
this under as the weather permits, and shall 
surface-dress each plot according to its needs 
with special fertilizers. 
We have procured all of the new potatoes 
which have not been previously tested; all of 
the foreign and home peas advertised now at 
home or abroad for the first, and all of the 
novelties in general, reports of which will no 
doubt interest the majority of our readers. 
We have had occasion to note more than 
once the damage done to raspberries, straw¬ 
berries, blackberries and currants by plowing 
or spading the plantations too deep and too 
close to the roots. The roots of such plants 
should never be disturbed at this season. All 
of them are needed to supply the plants with 
an abundance of moisture and food during the 
trying fruiting season. All such cultivation 
should be given not until so long after harvest 
that the plants have enjoyed a much-needed 
rest. It is only necessary now that the soil 
should b \ hoed or forked or raked to destroy 
all weeds and to present a mellow surface.... 
Respecting transplanting, let us again 
caution our readers not to expose the roots of 
plants to the sun or wind. If strawberries, 
carry them from place to place in matting or 
in pails half filled with water; if fruit trees, 
cover the roots as soon as the boxes or bundles 
are opened, with moist earth, and remove on© 
at a time, as needed. Let the holes be ready 
to receive them, with ample piles of fertile 
earth beside them to fill in and to finish off 
each planting ere another is begun. 
The Rose. A treatise on the cultivation, 
history, family characteristics, etc., of the 
various groups of roses, with accurate de¬ 
scriptions of the varieties now generally 
grown, by H. B. Ellwanger, Mount Hope 
Nurseries, Rochester, N. Y. This book of 300 
pages treats of the rose under the following 
headings: Classification, The Families of Roie* 
in General Cultivation; Technical Terms; Posi¬ 
tion and Soil; Planting and Priming; Manures; 
Insects and Diseases; Propagation; Exhibit¬ 
ing Roses; R.oses under Glass; Varieties for 
Special Purposes; Raisers of the Best Roses; 
The Seed Parents of the various Roses; Per¬ 
manent Colors ; Too much-alike Roses; How 
to Distinguish Between Similar Varieties; 
Typical Roses; Raising New Varieties; Cata¬ 
logue of Varieties.... 
The firm of Ellwanger & Barry is well 
known throughout this and many foreign 
lands. Both of its now venerable members 
have done very much to promote an apprecia¬ 
tion of horticulture in all its branches, and it 
is gratifying to know that their sons, inspired 
with the same zeal, are, thus early in life, 
effectively aiding and continuing the long aud 
valued service of their parents. All lovers of 
the Queen of Flowers will find an interesting 
companion in Mr. EUwanger’s hook. 
We have received the following from T. H. 
Hoskins, M. D, of Newport, Vermont; “ You 
know when 1 sent you descriptions of new Rus¬ 
sian aud Canadian apples they were new to 
me, and I was not able to send anyone cions. 
I am trying,however, to fulfill a promise I then 
made to distribute cions at some time of such 
as I described in the Rural. Last year I 
divided out some 5,000 cions of Yellow Trans¬ 
parent. This v ear I have about half as many 
of Mountain Beet. I will send a few of these 
to any of your readers who will send me stamps 
for postage and packing. The M. B. is a Fall 
apple of the Fameuse type with blood-red fiesh. 
Quality very good, size medium, color red.” 
Mr. Isaac F. Tillinghast, of La Plume, 
Pa., sends us the following card written to 
him by one of his patrons; 
Sir: I notice your advertisement in the 
Rural New-Yorker. I should have invested 
in the Belle Potato if it had not been for the 
adverse report of Dec. 24, ’81, in the Rural. 
Please send me your catalogue. It may give 
me some more light thau 1 now have. Our 
soil is a heavy clay loam and does not suit 
many kinds. 
Cortland Co. N. Y. 
Mr. Tillinghast regarding the above writes 
us as follows: 
"I beg to inclose a card which is a fair 
sample of quite a large number that I have 
received, which will show you how much you 
have helped me in introducing the Belle 1 Of 
course, I expected it to stand on its own merits, 
but it is a fact that out of the hundreds of trials 
lasS season in various sections, soils and con¬ 
ditions, your own is as yet the only discour- 
aging report which has come to my know¬ 
ledge. You will see the uselessness of my now 
trying to introduce it by advertising in your 
columns. I sincerely hope that you will be 
better pleased with the ‘ Wall’s Orange,’ 
although it was a very small specimen which 
I sent you.” 
Those who read our Everywhere Depart¬ 
ment may recall a number of reports which 
have there appeared very favorable to the 
Belle Potato. There is no one variety of 
potato that will do well in every soil, situation 
or season and our adverse report is but a bit 
of evidence that it is not adapted to the 
Rural’s New Jersey Experiment Grounds 
where the Belle with a number of other kinds, 
was last season carefully tested. Our object 
in testing all new plants and seeds is to place 
a record of the actual results of those tests 
before our readers for their guidance. In this 
we have nothing to do with the advertiser or 
introducer of such plants or seeds. We take 
for granted that the conscientious introducer 
desires that the real merits or demerits of his 
novelty should be made known. We make 
our tests as impartially and carefully as we 
know how to make them, and place the results 
before our readers for what they may be 
worth, If in this way we offend the adver¬ 
tiser, as more than once we have done, we re¬ 
gard this merely as one of the annoyances 
that earnest, fearless efforts are bound to en¬ 
counter, in one shape or another. It is worthy 
of remark, however, that those whom we 
regard as the very best Mends and advertising 
patrons of the Rural New-Yorker are those 
who most cordially support us in this course. 
And this course, good friends, is going to be 
vigorously persisted in... 
Daniels Bros., of Norwich, England, ad¬ 
vertise the White Elephant as the most won¬ 
derful cropping potato in the world. Mr. E. 
Clark of King’s Langley, Herts, under date of 
Oct. 29, ’81, writes them that "from one pound 
he lifted 208 pounds’ weight.” Mr. Kerry of 
Halfcon Holegate, Spilsby (Oct. 27.) says: 
"The one pound of White Elephant has turned 
out very fine. I have lifted 220 pounds from 
it.”. 
What does the American Garden mean by 
recommending 1,000 bushels of Peruvian 
Guano or other concentrated fertilizers per 
acre for onions, etc ?... 
♦-*- 
In bis essay before the American Associa¬ 
tion of Nurserymen, Mr. W. C. Barry speaks 
of the new grapes. The Amber Queen, he 
says, is remarkable for its fine flavor, equal¬ 
ing, if not surpassing in this respect any 
variety he knows of. It is of medium size, 
purple when perfectly ripe and has a rich, 
sprightly flavor which is remarkable. 
Burnet, a hybrid between Hartford Prolific 
and Black Hamburg, raised by Mr. Dempsey 
in Canada, deserves notice on account of its 
fine quality. 
Early Victor, a black grape originated by 
John Burr, of Leavenworth. Kansas, the same 
gentleman who originated Burr’s Seedling 
Strawberry, is said to be the earliest variety 
known and is expected to displace Champion 
and Hartford Prolific. Reliable grape cul- 
turists give us this assurance, so we may look 
toward this grape with considerable interest. 
The Secretary Grupe, one of Mr. Ricketts’s 
seedlings, produced some fine-flavored fruit 
the past Summer. It ripens very unevenly 
however, and the vine is such a poor grower 
that it cannot become popular. Highland, 
another of Mr. Ricketts’s grapes, appears to 
be very late. 
Miner’s Seedlings, fruited, Mr. Barry fears 
will be quite a disappointment. They all par¬ 
take of the character of Concord, and are said 
to have been selected from 1,500 seedlings. 
One trial is not sufficient to estimate their 
value, but he fears they are not destined to 
become popular. The seven white varieties 
bear a strong resemblance to each other, 
though, of course, there are points of differ¬ 
ence. Victoria is the best. There are two 
Bluck ones, Linden and Rockingham, neither 
of which shows any points of excellence. All 
resemble Concord in habit of growth and pro¬ 
ductiveness, and some of the white varieties 
would have been considered acquisitions had 
they been disseminated a few years ago before 
the new White Grapes we now have in the 
market. 
Lady Charlotte, one of Pringle’s hybrid 
grapes, gives promise of excellence. It is re¬ 
markable for its fine flavor. Vermont Giant, 
another of his hybrids, is to all appearances of 
no value. It is black, very pulpy and the 
flavor poor. 
