THE RURAL NEW-YORKER SUPPLEMENT. 
The Free Plant 
AND 
Seed Distribution 
OF THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER 
FOR- 1880-81. 
The Rural New-Yorker has Introduced or dis¬ 
seminated among the farmers and horticultur¬ 
ists of our country among many oltterent 
kinds or Seeds and Plantsiheiollowlng 
which are now widely, and tor the 
moat part favorably known: 
The Cnthbert Raspberry, 
Blount’s White Prolific Corn, 
The Beauty of Hebron Potato, 
Mold’s Ennobled Oats, 
Defiance (Spring) Wheat - Cliamplaln 
(Spring) Wheat-Clawson 
(Winter) Wheat. 
THE ACME AND GOLDEN RURAL TOMATO, 
ARGENTEUIL ASPARAGUS. 
** There was scarcely a day this year when , 
for one bundle of English Asparagus to be found 
in Covent Garden, one could not find four hun¬ 
dred bunches of Argenteud " 
[Seo article of Mr. William Robinson, Editor of the 
London Garden-] _ 
A New Era iu Asparagus Culture. 
Giant Dutch Purple Asparagus, 
WASHINGTON OATS. 
Large I'anicles-Heavy Weight. 
TO THeTaDIES. 
The Choicest Strains of Chinese Pinks, 
Carnations and Picotees, 
Including “Eastern Queen” and “Crimson 
Belle” which were sold last season by our 
first seedsmen at, 50 cents each per 
packet of a few seeds. 
--- 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
Fob the information of the many into whose 
hands the present number of the Rural New- 
charge to all of our readers who apply. These 
distributions are 
ABSOLUTELY FREE. 
It is true we seek thereby to extend the 
influence of our journal ; but our first aim is 
to benefit the agricultural and horticultural 
Interests of our country, and wc beg to state 
that the means of the Rural New-Yorker are 
such that the cost of our Distributlou is not 
permitted to stand in the way of an introduc¬ 
tion of varieties that either cannot be procured 
elsewhere, or, if they can, only at a high 
price. 
POSTAGE. 
As our readers well know, we have hereto¬ 
fore borne a part of even the postal expenses 
of the seeds and plauts we have sent out. We 
might have been excused, perhaps, had we re¬ 
quired that our subscribers should bear this 
cost themselves. But theBe offerings are not 
premiums, and we desire to hold the right to 
continue or to discontinue them as we may deter¬ 
mine. The postal cost of our next Distribu¬ 
tion, as nearly as we can at present estimate it, 
will be not less than 13 cents. We shall divide 
this amount with our subscribers—charging 
them 6ix cents and paying the rest ourselves, 
ihe trustworthy firm that will control it. that 
the price will be one dollar (or more) per 
found. 
Oue of these potatoes of medium size will be 
forwarded to each one of our subscribers who 
apply, packed in saw-dust in a paste board 
box. The cost of this item alone in our Distri¬ 
bution—box, packing, labor, potato and postage— 
will exceed SI200. 
tub rural branching sorghum. 
We began testi g this the same seas n that 
Pearl (Cat-tail) millet was grown at the Rural 
Grounds. But t o great was the fuss made over 
that plant, that the mente of the o'herwere 
overlooked. We Ehould have placed it in our 
Free Distribution last year but for the reason 
that the seed in sufficient quantity was not to 
be procured. 
We quote the following from the Rural of 
Dec. 27, 1879: 
“This” (Rural Branching Sorghum), “as 
we believe from the test of a single season, 
will prove of great value as a lodtler plaut. 
The plants averaged eight stalks fr m a single 
seed under very ordinary cultivation. The 
leaves are broad and long. The aver»ge Light 
of the stalks, Sept. 30. was nine feet. July 
30 one row which was then four feet high, was 
RURAL. BRANCHING SORGHUM. 
SALIX PENTANDRA, 
X&oluccelia Xisevis, 
HYBRID PKIYTSTEMONS, 
UUS LiEVIGATA —GOLDICN OVOID MANGEL— 
DURAL HYBRID RIC1NUS, Etc.,Eto. 
A Remarkable and Valuable List 
for the Coming Year ! 
We believe it will prove the best Potato Known 
THE LARGEST SIZE! ^ 
THE BEST QUALITY !-<and give ^ 
THE GREATEST YIELD! 
The Rural Branching Sorghum! 
A new variety of Sorghum vulgare that pro¬ 
duces an average of seven stalks from a 
seed, and mny be cut twice iu this cli¬ 
mate. Testimonials that it will 
prove of 
Great Value as a Fodder Plaut. 
Tested at the Rural Grounds and RURAL 
Farm; in the South and in the West. 
Yorker may fall, and who may see it for the 
first time during the past three years, or 6ince it 
has been under its preseut management, it may 
be well to 6tate that the Expeiiment Grounds 
owned by this journal and worked, in so far 
as this is possible, in the interests of its sub¬ 
scribers, consist of eighty-two acres. Eighty 
acres Bituated iu Queens Co., L, I., comprise 
the farm where all new agricultural seeds of 
special promise are tested. Thus, during the 
preseut season we have tested 35 varieties of 
wheat; 70 of potatoes; 11 of cow-peas; 10 of 
corn; 6 of oats; 6 of fodder plants, etc., etc. 
Two acres aud a fraction, situated iu Bergen 
Co , New Jersey, are devoted lo experiments 
with all sorts of hardy ornamental trees and 
shrubs, small fruits, grapes, etc , etc. Since 
we have neither plants nor seods to sell, 
since, indeed, we have no other interests to 
subserve save those of our reader*, our reports 
of the results of our tests are fully accepted as 
trustworthy, and the true value of hundreds 
of new and high-priced seeds and plants is 
made known. When, by such tests, we find 
that a given plant is more valuable than others 
of its kind which have been generally culti¬ 
vated, we, at ouce if practicable, place it in 
oar next Distribution, and send it without 
THE WHITE ELEPHANT POTATO, 
the first of our present announcement, was pro¬ 
duced from a seed ball of the Girnet Chili, 
fertilized with pollen from the W hits Peach- 
bcow. Without hesitation we join those who 
will next, season offer this potato for sale, In 
saying that it combines the best qualities of its 
parents; viz, amazing productiveness, excel¬ 
lence of quality and flavor, and keeping quali¬ 
ties unsurpassed by any other variety. Not¬ 
withstanding their great size, the tubers are al¬ 
ways solid. They grow closely together iu 
the hill, ripening with the Late Rose. Last 
season the originator planted one bushel (sixty 
pouuds) of the White Elephant on one-eighth 
of an acre of ordinary soil, and therefrom har¬ 
vested fifty seven bushels 1 Our own re¬ 
port of the yield at the Rural Farm, as well 
as reports from many different parts of the 
country whither seed has been sent for trial, 
will be presented in these columns later. From 
our present knowledge, we believe the White 
Elephant will prove itself to be 
OF THE LARGEST SIZE 
fcaP* op THE best quality— and 
6 ^* ONE OF THE GREATEST YIELDER3 
known. 
When offered for sale, we are informed by 
cut five inches above ground. Eich 
continued to nrow. and the average higbt was 
6 ix feet Oct. let wbeu all was cut. 
••Cattle and horses, fowls and pigs relish 
this even better than cornstalks and leaves, 
and eat the stalks entire, which are percepti¬ 
bly sweeter than those of com. While com 
was prostrated by high winds which occurred 
twice during ibe growing season, every tsmlk 
of this remained as upright as ever. (See 
Rural of ahove date for engraving of panicle 
and a section of leaf.)" 
We beg that our readers will not confuse 
Ibis variety with other so-called Douras, 
Egyptian Corns. China Corn, etc.; which have 
for years past been talked of and highly com¬ 
mended in some quarters They are of little 
value as fodder plants, however, bearing but 
one stalk from a seed and generally a drooping 
panicle. It should be remembered that 8ir- 
ghum vulgare, of wbich the Rural Sorghum, 
as well as the others mentioned, are varieti* s, 
breaks, under cultivation, into as many varle- 
ties as Indian corn, and just as In corn, such 
varieties may be grouped by some striking 
peculiarity. The great points of this variety 
ar •: 
1 Its suckering or b-anchlng proclivity. 
3, The ffrta hold it takes upon the soil. 
