DEC 23 
THE RURAL 
nine feet. I cut it up about the middle of 
October, and shelled it on the 19th and 20th 
of November. Number of ears 205, and 40 
nubbins; weightof ears, 164 pounds 4 ounces; 
weight of shelled corn, 115 pounds 15 ounces. 
The other seeds did moderately well. j. b. c. 
Iowa. 
Osage, Mitchell Co., Nov. 26.—The Gem 
Squash is indeed a gem. I had two hills with 
two vines each which gave me all the Summer 
squash I needed for family use and some to 
spare for the neighbors. They are just the 
variety long needed for family use. The 
hollyhocks are doing well and I hope for a 
good bloom next season. l. s. E. 
Michigan. 
Hart, Ocean Co., Mich.—Planted 187 ker¬ 
nels of Rural Flint Corn on May 19; 160 ger¬ 
minated and produced 184 pounds of corn in 
the ear and 136 pounds of shelled corn. e. t. 
Mlnnexota. 
Spring Grove, Houston Co., Nov. 30,— 
Every kernel of the Rural Flint corn grew; 
It had two ears to the stalk. It is the heaviest 
corn I ever raised. The premium wheats I 
planted on April 29; they grew well till the 
end of J uly w hen they died out, j. j. 
St. Cloud, Stearns Co., Dec. S.—Of 40 
hollyhock seeds 16 germinated; but eight of 
them were killed by minute insect pests. I 
got some 200 heads of the finest and crispest 
celery with the most pronounced nutty flavor. 
Lima Beans an entire failure. The Perfect 
G.*m Squash was a marvel in its rampant 
growth. It set 219 squashes of which 197 
matured. Although the flesh was sweet, it 
was Btringy, like a pumpkin, and I do not con 
sider it a desirable acquisition, s. j. s. 
Missouri 
Bourbon, Crawford Co , Nov. 29.—Planted 
75 grains of Rural Dent Corn on April 15, 
and 50 germinated; but I had only 29 ears, 
which weighed 25 pounds—largest ear 13}g 
inches, weighing pound, and containing 
898 grains. The wheats were sown on March 
81 and the blades grew 20 inches high; then 
drought came and they perished. The Gem 
Squashes died out after blooming. Holly¬ 
hock * 22 inches high. Celery has done well, 
but was injured hy drorght. j. c. 
Maysvillk, DeKalb Co.—Planted 158 ker. 
nels of Rural Heavy Dent Corn about May 
20, but as the weatt er was very w et and cold 
only 76 grew ana produced 95 pounds of ears- 
The Gem Squash did very well; but I don’t 
think it is as good as the Hubbard. Flower 
seeds grew finely. E. b. h. 
New York. 
Kirkville, Onondaga Co.—I gathered 42 
squishes of small size, but very smooth and 
handsome, from the Gem. Holly hot ks made 
a very small growth. Planted 140 kernels 
of Ruial D-nt Corn: 80 geiminatcd and 
produced 110 ears and several nubbins, which 
shelled 72 pounds of gram. Many ears were 
11 inches loner, nine inches aiouod, with 14, 
16, 20 and 22 rows; length of stalk, 12 to 14 
feed. I. s. T. 
Blossom, Erie Co. Nov. 27—The Thorough¬ 
bred Flint Corn made a fine growth, but 
seems rather late for our neighborhood until, 
perhaps, more acclimatized; still, I have fine 
ripe corn enough to plant a few acres next 
Spring. I have a dozen of fine strong plants 
of the hollyhocks and celery. f. h. g. 
Ohio. 
Medina, Medina Co., Nov. 80.—The Rural 
Flint Corn did well considering the fact that 
one night the cows broke into the place where 
it was growing and ate it tif close to the 
ground. It started again, however, and bore 
ears 13).< inches long. I got 50 squashes from 
one vine of the Perfect Gem, and they were 
pronounced gems by all who tasted them, c- 
New Jasper, Green Co., Dec. 2 — Consider¬ 
ing the unfavorable season, the Rural seeds 
did well. The Flint corn is a little late for 
this section—ears 14>£ inches long. Gem 
squash excellent: four vines that escaped the 
bugs yielded 24 ripe squashes. w. h. 
Painsvillk, Lake Co., Nov. 27.—Had 40 
Gem Squashes—the hest Summer or Winter 
squash 1 kuow; size just right; one makes a 
meal for my family. Hollyhocks nearly all 
grew and they looked well. About 125 plants 
of the Golden Heartwell Celery grew and 
were set in row with Boston Market and 
Sandringham, and all treated alike. Golden 
Heartwell grew vigorously and fast; in fact 
it was much the best in the field; flavor ex¬ 
cellent; but it will not sell as well as Boston 
Market, the latter being more solid and brittle. 
It appears superior to Sandringham, c. n. 
Shelby, Richland Co., Dec 7.—The Rural 
Thoroughbred Corn wpnt ahead of anything 
I ever saw in the corn line and elicited praise 
from all who saw it. The Gem squashes were 
just splendid—ahead of anything in the squash 
line I ever tasted. Four hollyhocks. White 
Elephant Potato excellent. Wheats grow¬ 
ing finely. a k. 
Waterville, Lucas Co., Dec. 1.—On May 
10 I planted 133 kernels of Rural Heavy Deut 
Corn; 78 germiuated; stalks 12 feet high; on 
Nov. 41 husked 136 ears weighing 120 pounds. 
These were from 60 hills or kernels, eight hills 
then standing with no ears. On Nov. 17 1 
shelled the corn, getting 77 pounds of grain 
and 32 pounds of cobs—total, 109ears. It had 
lost 11 pounds by drying in 13 days. c. w s, 
Wisconsin. 
Kelly Brook, Oconto Co.—My Rural 
Dent Corn grew ten feet high, but the ears 
did not ripen. The wheat sown in Spring 
grew a foot and a-half high, but did not 
head out. The Gem Squash had no squash. 
Celery nine inches high. s. M. 
Green Bay, Broom Co., Dec. 8.—Of my 
Rural Heavy Dent Corn 82 grains germin¬ 
ated and produced 98 sound ears, from 10 to 
14 inches long, and nearly half as many more 
soft and Imperfect ears, which we call “ hog 
corn.” I could not recommend it iu this cli 
mate, for the following reasons: It grows too 
tall, the winds break it down, and it wants 
a longer season to mature than we generally 
get; also, as I have noted in the Rural re¬ 
ports, it fills imperfectly. The celery I like. 
The hollyhocks look well. Of the other seeds 
some failed to come up. T. B. 
(fhtn'ist 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and addreBB of the writer to Insure attention. | 
BLOUNT’S WHITE PROLIFIC CORN. 
W. G?., Brantford, Ont., sends a circular 
about Blount’s Prolific Corn and asks whether 
the statements made therein are correct and 
also for information with regard to the corn 
Ans —There are many statements in the 
circular substantially incorrect. The Rural 
New-Yorker introduced this in its Free Seed 
Distribution of 1879, and we have since raised 
it with a view of still further improving the 
variety. The first year we plauted it, it was 
too late for this climate. It has now two 
weeks to spare. It would be a longstoiy to 
give the particulars of the work we have done 
to change it in certain respects and the story 
has already been told in these columns. In 
brief, we never save ears from a stalk ihat 
has a sucker. We Belect from the shortest 
stalks—those first to mature and from those 
which bear the greatest number of ears under 
the above exceptions, Tne topmost ear alone 
is eh< sen if as good as the others. The ears 
average two-and a half to a stalk in favor¬ 
able seasons. ThBy average seven-and-a half 
inches in length—10 to 12 ro vs, 45 kerueis iu 
the low. The cob is small, the kernels of fair 
size, white and dented. It is with this corn 
that the greatest yield on record was made 
under inexpensive cultivation, viz., 184 bush¬ 
els of shelled corn per acre. 
PEACHES, PEARS AND APPLES FROM SEED. 
J S.y Memphis, Tenn .—How can I raise 
peaches, appies, plums and pears from seed and 
how prevent the moles from destroying them $ 
Ans,—I f possible seeds should be taken 
from healthy, vigorous g> owing trees and from 
fruit that is well matured. Care is necessary 
not to select peach pits from a tree affected 
with the “yellows,” or plums from one Lav¬ 
ing the “ black knot.” The strongest, stocks 
come from souad, healthy seed. Seeds will 
germinate quicker when freshly gathered 
than after being dried, hence they are best 
planted in the Fall. Apple and pear seeds 
kept in a dry room all Winter will not be 
likely to vegetate the succeeding Spring, and 
if sown will probably germinate the Spring 
next following. Peaches aud plums need to 
be in the ground through the Winter to in¬ 
sure growth the next Spring. Do not plant 
too deeply; small seeds may be sown very uear 
the surface while large ones may be put down 
to a depth of four or five inches. There is no 
“sure cure” for moles. Coal or gas tar 
placed in their ruus may drive them off for a 
time, or they may be trapped, though this is 
aslow method where they auound. We have to 
take them as they come, like many other evils. 
cultivation of vineyards, 
B. E. A. S., Bed Oak, la .—How long after 
a vineyard has been set out ought it to be cul¬ 
tivated i Would it thrive if clover or some 
grass were raised on it ? 
Ans. —As a rule, a vineyard should be cul 
tivated just as long, or as many years, as the 
owner expects it to bear grapes; and the i fit¬ 
ter and cleaner cultivation the vines have 
after setting out, the soouer they will come 
into beariug, and the more probable will be 
their permanent usefulness. If some other 
crop is intended to be grown after setting 
the vines, potatoes, cabbages, or some otner 
low-growing, auuual, hoed crop might be 
planted between the rows for the first year or 
two; but grass or clover would not be desir¬ 
able, and would probably be of more injury 
to the vines thdn benefit to the grower. 
THE WHITE GRUB. 
F. H. ft., Perry, .V l r —1. Does the beetle 
of the white grub deposit Its eggs before or 
after a field is plowed. 2. How may one de 
termine when the grub is in its third year ? 
Ans - 1 The female beetle enters the ground, i 
w heLher plowed or unplowed, soon a t ter pair- j 
iug wh-re she deposits 40 or 50 eggs and soon 
dieB. The eggs hatch in about a month, 2. 
The grub reaches its full size in tDe Spring of 
the third year though some say the fourth, 
and may be known by its dirty white appear¬ 
ance and mahogany-colored head, and it is 
usually found curled up iu a semi-circular 
form, and about May or June it changes into 
a perfect beetle. 
TO PREVENT “ INTERFERING.” 
H. N D., Texas —What is the best way to 
prevent n horse from “ interfering ” ? 
Ans.— The best remedy for a horse inter 
faring is simply to pare off and round the 
front edges of the hoof on the inside of each 
of the feet, all they will bear, and then fit the 
shoe nicely to each foot, taking care that it 
does not project beyond it. See that the 
shoes are perfectly smooth on their edgres, 
and that they be made of only moderate 
weight. To put extra weights on tbo hoof, 
or any fixture other than shoes as above 
described is positively injurious, and does not 
prevent the interfering in the least. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
C. D.. St. Helena, Neb., asks, 1, where be 
can purchase Russian Mulberry ; 2, who has 
silk worm eggs for sale and what is the best 
time to buy them; 3, what is the price of silk¬ 
worm eggs aud silk worms; 4, who has Ger¬ 
man prune seedlings for sale. 
Ans, —1 Most of the Western nurseries 
either have them or can supply them. 2. 
They may be obtained of L Capsadell, 27 
Bond Street, N, Y. They should be trans¬ 
ported between November 1 and April L. 
3 Silk-worm eggs are furnished at 84 ppr 
ounce or 25 eeuts per 1,000 for best imported, 
and $3 50 per ounce or 20 cents per 1 000 for 
best American. We find no quotations for the 
worms. 4 Ellwanger & Barry,Rochester, N Y. 
G. W. C., Hallowed, Kans —Is the Acme 
Harrow and Puiveriz -r astlii dent as it claims 
to be, and is the firm that advertises it trust- 
wo. thy ? 
Ans —The Ann—Messrs Nish Bros —is 
quite trustworthy. We have tried the harrow 
on the Rural Grounds, aud on our soil it 
worked admirably’, as reported in “Notes 
from the Rural Ground ” in a late issue. We 
have also beard of excellent accounts of it 
from different parts of thecountiy, so that 
wo fr el justified in saying that it is as tffleient 
as its manufacturers claim that it is. 
H. W.y Ba tub ridge, Fa .—The fruit of my 
quince trees is very inferior—soil rich, trees 
about niue ye 'rs old; puttiug salt about the 
trees had no effect on tse fruit. Is there any 
way to improve the fruit J 
Ans —Very likely the borer is the trouble. 
We do not believe that anybody knows that 
salt is good for quince trees. We can only 
advise you to mulch the ground with straw, 
hay, com stalks or litter of some kind to pre¬ 
serve the moisture. The quince likes a moist 
but well drained soil. 
M. W,, Troy Grove, III .—Lawrence Eland 
of No. 21 Park R >w, N. Y., is sending circu¬ 
lars all over the country, pufii.ig up what he 
calls Prof Kugler’s Celebrated Cure for Deaf¬ 
ness. The remedy is offered for sale for #3 
per box, and the claim is made that it will 
cure all kinds of deafness m one month. Is 
it a humbug 1 
Ans. —Undoubtedly it is a rank, shameless 
humbug. Ninety-nine out of every hundred 
advertised remedies for deafness are hum¬ 
bugs or swindles and the other oue won’t 
cure the ailment. 
It. B. M., Mt. Holly, Va. —Where can I buy 
Plymouth Rook poultry and Bronze Turkeys ? 
Ans. —From A. P. & M. B. Rowe, Fred¬ 
erick burg. Va 
Communications rsckivkd por ths week Endins 
Saturday, December 16. 
I. J T.-S. B P„ SUch , thanks-J. G. W —H. B. E., 
thanks—S W. B.-L, S E-A. L J.-E. W.-F E. F.— 
F. F. O - J E J.-J. McIntosh—M W. F.-C. W.-W. 
D.-St. \V F -H. H. - M <K. H.-J T.-W. G„ thauks- 
G W D -G. H H , thanks—E. H. C -Sirs R J O.— 
J. B.—A. F. W , thunks— tt. \v. O,, thanks—A. R A.— 
J. B. K.; thanks F. B. B -5 It P.. Iowa, thanks for 
squash seed—K D, C. —E. K. Smith Wo have triad 
the seed exchange and it fails. There ure loo many 
knaves ready to Impose upon honest people.—A. V 
P — F D. C —Mrs M. C.—K. L , thanks. We should be 
pleased to have you write “for the ladles," as you 
suggest, or ror the Domestic Economy Department — 
EE Hunbird, thanks for ear of corn. We shall ea* 
deavor to try it - J. L. .Shields, thanks for the sug’ 
gestion. We have tried that but It does not work 
well, as In the ease of plants.—W R JIcR,—V> . S,—G. 
W T -M. W V.-E M.-R. Lanlgan. We intended to 
be fair, certainly.—C. V. R.—Mrs. A. L.~H. J.S.—G. 
A. G., Jr.—C. V. R.—A. S. F.-H. S. 
A competent authority says 
of the “ACME” Pulverizing 
Harrow, Clod Crusher & Lev¬ 
eled, .“ These 
various qualities fit it for an 
easy, rapid and efficient p v ep- 
aration of land, and in cheap¬ 
ly making the bread fields of 
a large farm into as fine a con¬ 
dition as a garden.” <See 
nage 875 this paper.) 
GREAT SAYING FOR FARMERS 
TIIE 
Lightning 
(Wlymoutus Patent.) 
I Awarded TtMT ORDER OF MERIT 
J at Alelbourns Exhibition, 1SS0. 
Was awarded the f.r> I iimuliiiii 
at the I: m-.MaUcuti Exhibition in 
Philadelphia, in 1476, si-d accepted 
by the J ndjges uS 
SUPERIOR TO ANY OTHER 
KNIFE IN USE. 
It 3s the REST KNIFE In the 
world to cut fine feed f rcan bale, to 
cut down ww Or to cut corn- 
stalks for feed, to cut peat, or for 
ditchiriLT in marshes, and has no 
equal for cutting ensilage from the 
silo. TRY IT. 
IT WILL PAY YOU. 
Manufactured only by 
HIRAM HOLT & W.SEKS5T 
For sale by Ear divert Xrrcli m'-s arid *7krfmrEa generally. 
The Sedgwick Steel Wire Fence 
Is tbs only general purpose wire fonce'n use. Being 
a strong net-work wlthimtbarbe.lt un turn dogs, 
pigs, poultry as '.v.dlns the most uciouo stack, with¬ 
out danger to ettuer fence or “toefe. It is .find ti e 
l nee for farm *-< L gardener*, stock-rauers. and ruil- 
roais; very cestrable fur law: s, parks o • cemeteries. 
A->ltis c ivered with rii-Loru. f paint it vi 1 la?ta life- 
time, it is superior to boards iu every v eot.audfar 
belterth i barbed wire Wen-k for ita 1 ir trial, 
knowing it w:.l wcaii Itself into favor. The SkDdt- 
wtck Gates, im.de of wrought Iron pipe and steel 
wire, dely all ■ vvt petition in neutnt-s, h. htaesa, 
strength and divrabi tty. We algo moke the BIST and 
CUEAPE9I' ALL liMN Automatic' or Srt v-opes- 
in** Gatk. Ask hard ware deal rrs, or for juice list and 
particulars n Oltye-s 
Sedswick Bros., Richmond. Inil 
COMMON SENSE EMC3NE. 
o 
3 n. P. 82M.3.S2 
5 11.1'. 366.52 8 
7 M. P. 
ion. i*. 5uo. 
a. 
-u 
c - - 
C.I - 
3:2 * 
Coru Mill $15. 
■cV 
OJ -t 
P O 
15 H. P. 
•20 H. 1*. 
2511. i\ 
£ 6 II. P. $ 600 
5 S H. P. 9 650 
■3 10 H. P. 850 
a 12 H. I*. 1000 
$ S50[Sendfordes. 
1050 Icrlpllve cat- 
1250 [ alogrue.^El 
Queen the South 
w PQBTABLE 
FARM MILLS 
For Stock Feed or Meal for 
Family use. 
10,000 I3ST VSE. 
\\ rite for Pamphlet. 
Simpson is Gault M’fg Co. 
Successors to St&aub Mill Co* 
CINCINNATI. CL 
EVAPORATING FRUI t 
Aituriean fnttt /Vi.r 
Treatise on Improved methods 
SENT FREE. Wonderful results 
Tables of Yields, Prices. Profits, 
and General Statist ics. Address 
A 31 Kill CAN NAMt'b CO 
WafBMlwti bn. 
PORTABLE FEED MILL. 
Latest out, and best adapted for the 
farmer In America. 
Write for testimonials and Circular. 
LEWIS STRA YER. York. Pa 
Can now grasp a fortune. Outfit 
worth *10. free. RIDEOUT & CO 
10 Barclay St., New York. 
