• V* 
SEPT. 4 
ess 
THE 
RURAL MEW-YOBKER, 
and a comparatively recent French practice 
consists in the liberal use of cow manure and 
making the beds shallow. Mushrooms may 
also be grown in pot9, but I cannot teli how 
ust now for I have already exceeded my 
limits. 
-- 
MUSHROOMS. 
A late English writer on gardening, when 
giving directions for the cultivation of this 
vegetable, prefaces them with these remarks: 
“The nature of the mushroom is like that of 
all fungi, viz., more or lees good and pure in 
proportion to the nature of the soil in which it 
grows; thus, the pure Agaricus campestris 
(pure mushroom) becomes poisouous when 
grown near hedgerows, rotten wood, etc.; 
therefore every precaution should be taken, 
both in preparing the spawn and also the 
material need for the beds." 
This is a point which I have never met with 
before, and if Ibe statement is correct, it may 
explain some of the mysterious cases of 
poisoning from eating mushrooms, which we 
occasionally hear of, but which are generally 
attributed to the admixture of some poisonous 
fungi. Really poisonous fungi are not likely, 
however, to lose their deleterious qualities by 
cultivation. There is nothing improbable in 
wholesome fungi being made injurious by the 
soil or situation in which they are grown, as 
we have analogous cases in other vegetables; 
celery and the parsnip, for instance, which are 
very unwholesome, if not poisonous, in their 
wild state, especially when growing in wet 
places. James Hogg. 
-« « » 
RURALISMS. 
There is nothing in bloom in the hardy 
herbaceous border just now (August 20) that 
surpasses the white Day Lily (Funkia subcor- 
data or Japonica). It has been in bloom a 
couple of weeks, and will continue several 
more. Its pure white, bell-shaped flowers, 
filling the air with their delicious fragrance, 
win the praise of all who see them. Besides, 
the plant itself is a beautiful objeet and would 
deserve a place in the garden if it never bore 
a flower. It is an example of rare beauty of 
form combined with purity of color and grate¬ 
ful fragrance. If you would see it in its best 
estate, do not divide it, but let it increase and 
spread in its own way. It is a lovely plant for 
the cemetery, needing but little or no care 
when once established. 
A clerical friend very kindly sent me a box 
of new kiuds of strawberries for trial. The 
last thing I took out of the box, strangely 
enough, was a bundle of ,shirts. My own cer¬ 
tainly are not so good as when they were new, 
and I ought to feel thankful for the considerate 
thoughtfulness of my friend. On looking at 
the things closely, however, I was struck with 
their striking resemblance to strawoerry plants. 
Thinking my sight might be somewhat at 
Xault, I concluded to put them in the ground to 
* Bee what they would come to. So we are to 
grow shirts in the garden hereafter. Well, let 
us hope that if they do not prove to be appro¬ 
priate for the buck, they will at least be juice- 
dishes for the mouth. 
Poor Mr. Bailey ! 
In nearly all our seed catalogues I see 
“French Lawn Seed," “Central Park Lawn 
Seed," or 6orne other park lawn seed. I should 
be exceedingly pleased if the proprietors of 
these catalogues would change all this, and 
give us some American lawn seed, They can 
do it with the utmost propriety, and with 
great advantage to their customers. Weha\e 
a native grass, naturally enough, which, for 
lawn purposes, is worth all the foreign grasses 
together. I know what I pm talking about. 
1 have made hundreds of acres of lawn, 
and long ago discovered that the Kentucky 
Blue Grass (Poa pratensis) is the grass par 
excellence lor American lawns. You may sow 
what you please, but in a few years you will 
have this grass, aud not much else. It is bet¬ 
ter, therefore, to have it from the beginning. 
With perhaps the exception of Timothy, it is, 
for the dairy larm not less than the lawn, the 
most valuable grass we have, and in particular 
it gives to butter its chief beauty aud excel¬ 
lence. Now, will you not give us some Amer¬ 
ican lawn seed ? You may add to it, if you 
please, the Rhode Island Bent Grass (Agrostis 
cuniua) aud a trifle of white clover. It looks 
so absurd to go abroad for something while 
we have much better at home. 
An objection has been made to that fine 
shrub, the Hydrangea panieulata grandiflora, 
that its heavy (lower heads break off by their 
own weight, or are borne to the ground. Grow 
the plant as a standard not less than five or six 
feet high, and this objection loses its force. 
There is a wonderful degree of elasticity in 
the plant. A couple of weeks since my stand¬ 
ard plant was bent clean over by a very heavy 
rain and wind storm, the stalk forming an 
arch. It was straightened up again after the 
storm without having received the least dam¬ 
age. The flower heads, by their gradually 
increasing weight by degrees curve the 
branches, which gives the plant the apnerance 
of a graceful, pendulous dwarf tree. 
Hortjcola. 
-♦» » 
PASSAGES IN MUSHROOM CAVE.—FIG. 278. 
♦ ♦♦- 
Electrical Effects. 
If at or near periods of intense electrical dis¬ 
turbance of the atmosphere pear blight and 
kiudred diseases common to vegetable growth 
make tbelr appearance and develop in their 
most malignant and destructive ways, and if 
at such times some not well understood form 
of electricity attaches itself to the trunks and 
limbs of trees and vegetatiou generally, one 
can see how it is thataeoating of linseed-oil 
or whitewash applied to such exposed vege¬ 
table surface might prevent attacks of disease 
like pear blight, provided pear blight arises 
from some such cause. Prof. Thomas and 
other entomologists of reputation, agree that 
the so-called “ twig” and pear blight now so 
extensively prevailing iu the West, is not in 
either case the work of insects, and they secui 
willing to admit that unusual electrical con¬ 
ditions may be the cause. w. f. j. 
Jficli) Crop. 
MY EXPERIMENTAL PLOT OF WHEAT. 
HUGH L. WYSOR. 
In making the experiment of which the de¬ 
tails are given below, my object has been lo 
ascertain the following things: whether the 
thin seeding of wheat aud the after cultivation 
ofitliaveauy inliuence iu increasing its yield 
beyond that of broadcasting or drilling in the 
common way ; what results are to be Looked 
for from the applicatiou of common salt; 
whether there is any great difference in the 
time of ripening of wheat sown at different 
limes in the same location. 
The experiment was conducted with thiee 
kiuds of wheat, not, however, with a view to 
ascertain their comparative yield, for they 
received too different a treatment to admit of 
that. The plot, as before noticed iu the Rural, 
consisted of two aeres, lying in one body, of 
the same general character—a light sand—aud 
capable of producing without mauure 75 
buehels of corn per acre. One acre was given 
to my own cross-bred wheat—Fultzo-Clawson ; 
one-half acre to German Amber, a wheat dis¬ 
tributed by the Department of Agriculture, 
and one-half acre to Boughtou. 
The plot of Fultzo-Clawson was divided into 
two pieces of three-quarters aud one-quarter 
of an acre respectively. After the ground had 
been turned two weeks before planting four 
bushels of salt were sown broadcast on the 
rough ground of the three-quarter piece. On 
the 18th of Sept, the ground was harrowed, laid 
off into narrow drills ten inches apart with a 
marker, aud both pieces planted by hand at 
the rale of one bushel per acre, the smaller re¬ 
ceiving no manure of any kind. The wheat 
was then covered by the roller. The laiger 
piece was cut June 16tii perfectly ripe, the 
straw being of a golden yellow color and ibe 
yield 21 bushels of good wheat. The smaller 
piece was harvested June 21st; wheat fair but 
the strpw not perfect; yield four bushels. I 
conclude from this that an application of five 
bushels of salt per uere will prove at least a 
partial preventive of mildew, will hasten the 
ripening of the grain nearly one week, and 
will increase the yield from five to ten bushels 
per acre. 
The half acre of German Amber was planted 
on the 15th of October alongside the plot 
above mentioned. It was planted after the 
same method as that, except that no salt or 
other manure was used aud twelve quarts of 
seed were sowu by means of a small drill. 
No signs of the Hessian fly appeared in this 
plot In the Spring, though the one sowu nearly 
a month earlier was considerably injured by 
this peBt. This piece having rusted badly, 
was cut, still green, on the 15th of June, and 
yielded 14 bushels of tolerably good wheat. 
Plot three—half an acre of Boughtou—was 
heavily manured with 6table manure, and 
sown by hand at the rate of one peck per acre, 
in scores six inches wide with intervals of 12 
inches between the rows. One half of the 
plot was planted Oct. 22, and the other half a 
week later. After the wheat came up, it was 
again manured, row by row. with chicken 
manure. Two-thirds of it was thoroughly 
hoed twice—once in April and once in May— 
the other third being left without any cultiva¬ 
tion. 1 could observe no difference whatever 
between that, which was hoed and that which 
was not, nor was there any difference in the 
time of ripening of the two parts sown at an 
interval of one week. The whole was cut 
June 10th, a week earlier than number one, 
which was sown over a month sooner. The 
yield was IU bushels of second-raie wheat. 
Such a vast mass of straw as this crop exhib¬ 
ited was probably never grown in this country. 
The stalks were 5J feet in bight, and 6tood 
like a solid block. Farmers will have some 
idea of the quantity of straw when I tell them 
that 72 dozens of sheaves were harvested. 
The plot was unquestionably over-manured, 
and ran to Btraw in consequence. 
Although last year I expressed an opinion 
favorable toil, I am uow compelled reluctantly 
to confess that the cultivation of wheat is time 
aud labor thrown away. As to thin seeding, 
one peck to the acre will bo sufficient, pro¬ 
vided the land is in a sufficiently high state of 
cultivation, and the sowing is done after the 
method of plot three. Making the scores, 
however, was with uie a tedious and laborious 
process, as I had no implement for that pur¬ 
pose. I made them by stretching u rope across 
the plot and drawiug broad hoes along the 
the line. The covering was done with a hand 
rake. 
The seed wheats came from the Agricultural 
Department. It appears to me that the Depart¬ 
ment has been unfortuuate in its selection of 
the persons ftorn whom it bas purchased wheat 
the distribution. TheGeruiau Amber, men tinned 
in this report, had several kiuds of bearded 
wheat in it, hesides some little bailey and rye. 
It was also, when received, not entirely free 
from cockle. The Silver Chaff, received two 
years before, was badly mixed wilh at least 
eight kinds of wheat. Thu Gold Dust (1877) 
was worse still. I have just now received 
four quarts of White Australian on the sacks 
of which is aprinled Blip stating that this wheat 
was almost entirely free from rust iu yeajjs 
when the Clawson and other kinds were nearly 
ruined. One has no need to wait for auother 
harvest to see vvbether this statement is true. 
Looking into the sacks one would think that 
if it did not have tlie rust, it had something as 
bad or worse, for the grains are shriveled, 
many of them sprouted aud weather-beaten, 
while among them are some little cockle, the 
seeds of the wild onion or garlic—a great pest 
in the fields of tidewater Virginia aud North 
Carolina—and a few grains of smut. Farmers 
who are simply raising wheat for market 
cannot av< id getting their grain mixed, for 
rnauy kind6 are carried about in the thrashing 
machinery from one stack-yard to another. 
Hut tier sons who are offering new wheats at 
high prices can certainly afford to keep them 
pure and clean. I do not wish to be under¬ 
stood as sayiug anything iu disparagement 
of the department, for I presume it does the 
best it can. 
Pulaski Co., va. 
- ♦ ♦ » - 
MR. GREGORY’S EARLY SWEET CORN. 
If the Minnesota Corn had been planted at 
the same time as the above variety at the Ru¬ 
ral Farm, I think it would have matured as 
soon. I am about one degree of latitude south 
of the Farm, aud can therefore plant a little 
sooner. Iu order to get along iu time with the 
Spring work, I usually plant my earliest corn 
daring the third week of April, taking 
the risk of a May frost, which rarely injures it- 
This does not come up to soon by a week as 
that planted later iu the season, when the 
grouud is warmer, for the first stages of its 
growth are slower. Ipicked a gocd mess July 
6th. This was probably 75 to 77 days ufler 
planting. I did not take aecouut of that 
planted the 20th of May, as your Mr. Gregory's 
was, producing a mess iu 61 days; but, I have no 
doubt the ears of my Minnesota were forward 
enough for a mess in 68 to 65 days. I will 
time my pickings another year from the plant¬ 
ing through April aud May. 
I prefer the Minnesota to any early sweet 
sort I have yet tried, because the stalks grow 
about five feet high. It is an abundant pro. 
ducer, and the ears are larger and have larger 
kernels on them, than any other of the earliest 
kinds. I do not like the dwarf sorts, the stalks 
of which scarcely grow above three feet high. 
The ears of such are so small as to be scarcely 
worth cooking; and if they come a few days 
earlier than Minnesota, Concord and some 
others, this does not compensate me for their 
diminutive size, although it may those who 
are more ambitious than I to pick an extra 
early mess. a. b. a. 
BLOUNT S CORN, MOLD’8 ENNOBLED OATS, 
COW-PEAS, THE CUTHERT RASP¬ 
BERRY, Etc. 
JONATHAN TALCOT. 
In regard to Blount’s Prolific White Corn, 1 
can only say that it does not seem to suit my 
farm, or the cultivation 1 gave it, or it may be 
that the latitude, is wrong for its greatest per¬ 
fection. First., it will not get ripe, and for a 
fodder corn the stalks are too large and the 
leaves too scarce to be of any especial value. 
I notice some of your correspondents say that 
it grew 14 feat high, and their cattle ate the 
stalks all clean, although they were as large 
as a man’s arm. That may be true; but my 
cattle will not do it, but perhaps I have not got 
the right kind of cattle, yet I can’t afford to 
change them now. At least I think I bad better 
plant a different kind of corn for the animals 1 
now have, than to get those that will cat 
Blount’s corn as itgrows with me, ami mine did 
not grow 14 feet higb, but the stalks were 
more thau half wasted for the waut of cattle 
that would eat them clean. I did not blame my 
animals, however, hut intend to give them corn 
that they will eat in future, aud I think a kind 
that will be better for them also. 
The cow-pea is another forage plant that 
does not fit my soil and cultivation. The few 
I have are 15 to 18 Inches high, just blossom¬ 
ing, while the corn on the same soil aud under 
the same cultivation i8 from b'ix to teu feet in 
bight, well eared. One h ill of corn taking up no 
more room than one of cow-peas, will produce 
ten times the weight of fodder, I think, thus 
making a decided difference in favor of the 
corn as a fodder plaut. 
Mold’s Ennobled Oats—“ Well, what of 
them?" I fancy I hear some one say. Well. I 
can’t say much in llieir favor, for I think they 
are only the Norway Oats that had such a 
widespread circulation a few years since. The 
color of the oats, their growth and lateness, all 
indicate their origin, and I must say 1 can see 
nothing but the Norway Oats iu growth, form 
of panicle, etc. Others, uo doubt, will differ 
with me iu my opinion. Well, we must agree 
to differ, then, aud let the matter rest till one 
or the other party is convinced of error. 
From the Cuthbert Raspberry I did expect 
something valuable, as it was so highly praised, 
and when the plants came they seemed so well 
packed that I was pleased with their outside 
appearance. The label also read well, saying 
that they badbeeu grown by a certain nursery¬ 
man and put up expressly for the Rural New- 
Yorker's free distribution. Wbat could lie 
more pleasant thau such a package under the 
circumstances? But, alas! all my high expec¬ 
tations vanished on opening the package; one 
plant was without roots, simply a piece of top 
six inches long, the other without any bud or 
sprout to grow at all, so the best I could do 
was done in hopes to induce a growth for the 
rootless stalks if possible, aud to induce a bud 
to start in the other; but with all the care I 
could give them, they both failed and my ex¬ 
pectations were, blasted for this season. 
So far I have not been successful either iu 
forage plants, or the raspberry, but wilh corn 
as a fodder plaut. I have a very flue growth of 
a few acres. The Early Minnesota Sweet Corn 
is now fit to cut for the animals, well eared aud 
of good growth. Moore’s Early Concord will 
follow wilh Evergreen for the latest cutting. 
The Evergreen is uow 10 feet high, and a thick 
heavy growth much larger thau I hud antici¬ 
pated on the plot of grouud ou which it was 
plauted. I will give my manner of cultivation. 
The soil is sandy gravel, naturuliy warm, 
and of moderate fertility; in fact, not rich 
enough to produce satisfactory crops without 
mauure. which I did uothavein sufficient sup¬ 
ply to feel sure of a full crop. Consequently 
I purchased a little superphosphate to give 
the corn the benefit of its effects (if any) in its 
earliest growth. As the crop of field corn was 
planted, haviug a little mauure yet In the 
cattle yard, we scraped together what we could 
and spread it ou the plot to be plauted to 
sweet corn for greeu fodder. The piece had 
wheat grown on it the year before, tbe ground 
having been plowed iu the Fall and replowed in 
the Spring before applying the yard manure, 
also after the manure was auplied. The rea¬ 
son why I plowed so many times was that a 
part of the piece had an abundance of Quack- 
Grass on It, aud I wished to destroy that, if 
possible. Everything was now ready to plaut 
corn on the 25th of May, the plot haviug been 
harrowed and marked. We then put about a 
tablespoonful of the superphosphate at each 
crossing of the marks, covering it slightly 
with mellow soil, and plauted the corn on the 
places thus prepared. 
The cow-peas and Mold's Ennobled Oats also 
occupied hills thus prepared In a row by them¬ 
selves iu that portion of the field planted to 
Early Minnesota Sweet Corn; so they have 
had as good care aud cultivation as the corn. 
Thecorn was cultivated frequently till too large 
to allow the nse of a horse aud cultivator, no 
hoeing being done at all. It Bhould have been 
hoed once, I think, but other labors prevented 
