NOV 25 
garding a traffic which demands such a 
scrimping and pinching on every side in order 
to live, that the quality of our bees is liable to 
be Injured for all future time. 
Talk about queens reared as above being 
as good as those reared by natural swarming 1 
No one really believes such a thing. But says 
our worthy friend W. Z. Hutchinson, in the 
Rural, for July 10, “You say that Mr, Doo¬ 
little ‘ evidently sees and feels deeply the 
tendency of the cheap queen traffic to depre¬ 
ciate the quality of our bees.' Judging 
from his writing he certaiuly does, but what 
are we to think of his rearing and advertising 
for sale ‘ dollar queens?’ Actions sometimes 
speak louder than words t” For some reason 
or other friend H. forgot to say that such 
queens were reared uuder protest by myself. 
Merchants often keep goods they don’t ap¬ 
prove of, because the demand calls for them, 
and they must keep them or lose customers. 
This is why I sell “ dollar queens” aud prob¬ 
ably no one knows it better than does 
friend H. G. M. Doolittle. 
cane-like, siiicated and harsh to animals. The 
Pearl Millet is soft, succulent, and, planted 
here by April 1, it is waist high by June 10 to 
15, and can be cut for green soiling every 15 
to 20 days till it freezes in November, giving 
two to four crops during our long, warm Sum¬ 
mers. That it will grow in warm, light, rich 
soil, seven feet in 14 days, as was announced, 
I can verify. In an experience acquired in 
planting this crop during 28 years, for soiling 
work animals in Summer (for my stock never 
see a pasture), I have never failed to realize a 
fair crop of two cuttings at the least. It grows 
long and will overlap a moderate drought of 
six weeks, and will grow till frozen by severe 
cold. The Rural Branching Sorghum is iden¬ 
tical with Millo Maize, a plant introduced by 
Rev. H. B. Prate, of South Carolina. The 
seed of this was planted on May 1, this year, 
but the plants have not tassled yet or bloomed. 
It would seem that climate has to be con¬ 
sulted before we can get this valuable plunt, 
even here, to furnish food for man. The 
grains are said to make nice meal, and the 
NEW SWEET CORN —NE PLUS 
ULTRA. 
One ear of this was sent to us and the ker¬ 
nels were planted May 16, in garden soil. The 
request came with the corn from W. Atlee 
Burpee & Co., seedsmen of Philadelphia, Pa., 
that we would test it and report “just what 
you think of it " This we should have done 
in auy case, but the request emphatically 
made shows that the introducers were very 
willing that the corn should stand upon its 
own merits. The ear sent was 5J^ inches long 
—12 irregular rows, kernels much shrunken, 
small, peg-shapsd and half-transparent. Our 
first “mess" for the table wa»cut August 8— 
84 days from planting. The stalks were slen¬ 
der ami grew from six to eight feet high, 
bearing the ears generally low. The silk is 
always purple, the husks sometimes bronzed, 
the kernels deep, the cob very thin and red¬ 
dish in the middle. Some stalks sucker mod¬ 
erately; others not at all. It is a very pro¬ 
lific variety, the main stalks bearing from 
two to five perfect ears, the average size of 
which is hhowu by our crayon sketch which 
is made from a photograph. The size of the 
ear, while it may not be large enough to suit 
the prevailing market demand, is just that 
which enables one to hold it easily in the 
fingers and to eat the kernels from the cob 
without stretching the mouth open inconveni¬ 
ently wide. The quality is sweet, tender, de¬ 
licious. We would suggest to those who try 
this corn that ears should be selected from 
the stalks which bear the most ears and which 
do not sucker. In this way lhis distinct and 
very desirable sweet corn might still be greatly 
improved. As to its origin, we know nothing 
further than that “it has been the special 
pride of one family' in Burlington Co., New 
Jersey, who have sold it readily enough on 
account of its sweetness and flue flavor,” 
RURAL BRANCHING SORGHUM VER¬ 
SUS PEARL OR “OAT-TAIL MILLET.* 
In previous articles upon the food value of 
Pearl Millet as compared with other varieties 
of the sorghum family, it has been contended 
that the Rural Branching Sorghum was much 
preferable—that it was better than Pearl or 
Cat tail Millet. For two years I have given 
both these plants a fair test. From the seed 
of the Rural Branching Sorghum obtained 
through the Free Seed Distribution of 1881, I 
here grew a package of partly immature seed, 
the plants having been cut on Nov. 20—just 
before the first freeze in 1881. These seeds 
together with my acclimated Pearl Millet 
seed were planted side by side on April 1. 
Long, finely developedheadaof the Pearl Millet 
were ripe enough to be gathered on Septem¬ 
ber 1. The entire crop of this was housed for 
seed Sept. 20. At that time the Rural Branch¬ 
ing Sorghum had not tasseled for seed, and as 
I write (Oct. 80) but few heads are ripe enough 
to harvest. The crop is still in bloom and a 
freeze in 10 days will blight three-fourths 
of the heads. 
Now, 1 am about latitude 83 degrees, in as 
waim, long-Summer climate as this altitude 
would give anywhere on the earth’s surface. 
I planted both binds of seeds in a warm, sandy 
soil, which readily matures all semi-tropical 
fruits end vegetables, eveu to the banana, in 
open ground. Pearl Millet requires five months 
to mature and harden seed perfectly, which is 
even ahead of Indian corn; while the Rural 
Branching Sorghum requires (it would seem) 
at bast eight mouths to perfect seed here. 
IDr Jones is mistaken as to tbla We have 
known it to mature an immense quantity of 
seeds as early as Pearl Millet near Aiken, S C.] 
This Rural Branching Sorghum is a won¬ 
derful grower, and furnishes an immense 
amount of green food and fodder, but it is, 
Nr Plus Ultra Fbom a Photo.—Kio. 4SS. 
plant furnishes the cheapest food for the work" 
ing classes of South America where it is grown 
extensively. Can we, by repeated trials from 
matured seed grown hero, induce this little 
plaut to ripen earlier ? 1 have been badly whip¬ 
ped i i “ fighting climate” in previous efforts. 
’Tis as unprofitable, I think, for nations as for 
individuals to war against climate—all get 
defeated. There is one advantage with the 
Rural Branching Sorghum, it will never 
hybridize or mix with any other cereals; for 
it blooms when all others are matured. Of 
eight varieties of the sorghum family planted 
here, this is the prettiest, largest graiu, and 
’tis a valuable acquisition if it can bo accli¬ 
mated and grown profitably North or South. 
Herndon, Ga. W. B. Jones. 
(J. T. Henderson, Commissioner of Agri¬ 
culture for Georgia, thinks the difficulty due 
to the long season required by Millo Maize 
to mature will probably soon yield to the 
acclimating effect of planting home-grown 
seed for a few years. We cannot think that 
t'klir Crops. 
Millo Maize is at all the same as the Rural 
B. Sorghum. This last has ripened seed at 
the Rural Farm, in Michigan and other North¬ 
ern States. The stalks are pofter than those 
of Pearl Millet and the leaves larger and more 
n u tnerou*. —E ns. ] 
f arm Crrnwmi}. 
FEEDING SWEET-SCENTED VERNAL 
GRASS. 
Experiments Showing the Choice of 
Horses and Cows. 
PROFESSOR W J. BEAL. 
This grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum), when 
bruised or wilted, gives off a strong odor of 
benzoin, which »a familiar in the odor of 
Bokhara Clover, Sweet Clover and the Tonka 
Bean. Sweet Vernal retains this odor for a 
longtime. The grass is often raised on lawns, 
because the odor of the hay is so delightful. 
It is not unfriquently recommended as a valu¬ 
able grass for early pastures. I report a few 
experiments which show the tastes of several 
different animals:— 
A young hors® had been kept on dry feed 
for a long time. On May 24th I cut a bunch 
of green Juno Grass and another of Sweet 
Vernal. The horse was first offered some of 
the June Grass, which he ate. He was then 
offered some of the Sweet Vernal, which he 
ate at once. Then a bunch of June Gross was 
placed on one side of his nose and some Sweet 
Vernal on the opposite side, when he took the 
June Grass first. I reversed the hunches, when 
he again selected June Grass, which he fin¬ 
ished, and theu picked up tbo scattered frag¬ 
ments of the same from a. dirty yard, after 
which he returned to the Sweet Vernal and 
ate that also. 
A little later one of my students made simi¬ 
lar tests with Meadow Foxtail and Sweet 
Vernal. Both had been cut when in flower 
and were nearly dried. One Short-horn cow 
rather preferred Meadow Foxtail, but ate 
both readily; another cow of the same breed 
ate both alike; another Short-horn ate the 
Meadow Foxtail, but would noteat the Sweet 
Vernal. An Ayrshire cow ate both greedily, 
apparently without any preference. Two 
farm horses, kept on cut hay and grain, 
ate both alike, white a third horse preferred 
the Meadow Foxtail, but ate both readily. 
The cows mentioned above had been in pas¬ 
ture for some time. 
-♦-*--♦- 
Improving the Keeping Qualities of 
Onions. 
Most onions begin to grow very soon on 
the approach of mild weather in Spring. 
Several years ago 1 selected in Spring those 
White Globe Onions which kept the longest 
without sprouting, and planted them for seed. 
This process was repeated for some years. The 
onions were much improved in their “keeping 
quality;” but the seeds were often of poor 
quality or of low vitality. I have lost all the 
seeds I had, but a few are still raised by a 
friend. In 1881 I began the same kind of ex¬ 
periment with Yellow Danvers. From a lot 
of thirty bushels those only which kept 
longest were used for seed. We shall see how 
the onions from these seeds keep in the Spring 
of 1883. w. J. B. 
E. WILLIAMS. 
This new raspberry originated 3ome eight 
or nine years ago on the grounds of Mr. J. 
Churchman, of Burlington, N. J. When it 
came into bearing the fruit pleased him so 
well that he decided to retain it and extend 
its cultivation, which he has continued up to 
this time. He has now a “patch” of about 
one acre and a quarter, which in company of 
a friend I vidted July 4th, by invitation from 
that gentleman. Picking in a small way had 
commenced a few days previous, but we found 
the bushes still well laden with a large crop 
of fine-sized berries lu various stages of devel¬ 
opment. The plants in foliage, fruit and other 
respects strongly resemble the Montclair, and 
to a casual observer would readily pass for it, 
though it throws up suckers much more freely, 
and its general appearance indicates that it is 
a seedling of the Philadelphia, 09 suppose.!. 
Tho berries were large, the best reaching 
three quarters of an inch in diameter; color, 
rather dark; flesh firm, with a rich, suhacid 
flavor; quality among the best. Mr. Church¬ 
man asserted the size was much below the 
usual standard owing to the want of moisture, 
the ground then being very dry and hard; 
but this fact, coupled with the cool weather 
that had prevailed, furnished the best possible 
l conditions for producing a solid berry of good 
keeping qualities. It was these conditions 
that enabled me to keep specimens brought 
away in good condition three days and-a-half 
after picking. With a season of abundant 
moisture and high temperature such as we 
sometimes have, the fruit would doubtless 
have been larger, but the increase in size would 
have been at the expense of Bolidlty and flavor 
and its keeping qualities no doubt would have 
been much impaired. 
Aside from the market view of the question 
(the only view of merit some people can see 
in any fruit), I consider the Superb well 
worthy of general and extensive trial, and, 
should it succeed as well elsewhere and indif¬ 
ferent soils as on Mr. Churchman’s grounds 
and remain healthy, it will prove a valuable 
additlou to our list of hardy red raspberries. 
The Big Bob and. other Western Straw¬ 
berries. 
A convention of professional strawberry 
growers met in the neighborhood of Big Bob’s 
birthplace in the full season of its fruitage, 
which corresponds to that of the Wilson. 
They examined it in different gardens and 
grounds and were generally favorably im¬ 
pressed. The Miami Queen, another Western 
sort which is now called Nigh’s Superb, is 
extra in quality and thought to be equal to 
Big Bob in value while it has the advantage 
of perfect flower. Another Western sort 
of great vigor and promise aud super-sweet¬ 
ness of flavor is the Indiana, from the grounds 
of E. Y. Teas, of Dunreitb, Indiana. It takes 
the lead of both decidedly in a Pennsylvania 
garden in this first season of trial there, but 
this may be largely owing to the plants having 
been exceptionally stout and fresh when 
planted at the same time as the others in 
March when the ground was too wet to dig, 
and the planting was done by opening a hole 
with fork prongs, large enough to admit the 
roots,and filling among them with dry sand. w. 
Tho James Vick Strawberry. 
I send you specimens of James Vick Straw¬ 
berry (fruit) picked October 27th, from the 
old plantation which was visited by the 
Rochester horticulturists. Last year I had a 
bunch of it photographed that was picked a 
month after other varieties were gone. You 
will notice in the specimens I Bend (some of 
which have been ripe several weeks I judge) 
the peculiarity of this variety to shrink or 
dry up rather than decay, if left unpicked. 
Theso specimens were covered with frost 
when picked, and I cannot say what result 
that may bring about. This feature I have 
not met. with In any other variety. After the 
James Vick has been ripe a week it begins to 
to toughen, aud actually endures more bang¬ 
ing about than when first colored. 
C. A. Green. 
[The specimens sent were not decayed, but, 
as Mr. Green remarks, tough.—E ds.] 
The rapid development of the great west¬ 
ern live stock interest is indeed wonderful It 
threatens to gobble up every acre of the pub¬ 
lic laud that is fit for grazing. In the “ Pan¬ 
handle” of Texas it is said that 2,lM'0 square 
miles, or 1,280,000 acres, are actually fenced 
in by the new' stock companies, to the exclu¬ 
sion of all other persons and herds. Aud yet 
these lands so seized are public property and 
open (0 to actual settlement by the public in 
the legal quantities. It is much tho same 
from the Rio Grande on the south to the line 
of the British dominions on the north, where 
the Montana herds are fast occupying the 
runge. The day of “small things” is about 
over in stock matters, and the small herd is 
crowded out excepting in a few localities. 
Western Kansas seems to offer the best facili¬ 
ties now for the small herder who^e UK) or 500 
head can yet find room on the range adjacent 
to the homestead location. A family or a few 
associates may very easily secure a range by 
locating their homesteads adjacent to *jaeh 
other along a stream, so.as to secure a supply 
of water. These quarter sections, each 
stretching half a mile, will, for a long time, 
control the uplands north and south to within 
a reasonable distance of the next water. It is 
in this way only that the small herder can 
secure himself from molestation, and less than 
1,000 head be provided for. Thirty acres per 
head is the usual amount of range, besides 
meadows to supply a sufficient quantity of 
hay for occasional Wjuter feeding when 
storms prevail. Thirty thousand acres are 
equal to about 50 square miles, or 5x10 miles 
of range, having 30 miles of border. And 
this is a very small herd which requires about 
$30/ 00 to begin. This is double the amount 
required 10 years ago. 
It is a dozen years ago since a veteran editor 
, of an agricultural journal in Ohio took me to 
