TOO 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
©ST 25 
certainly would not have made the statement 
that they are clean. The average Chinese cook 
or servant whom you find clean, is ao because 
his master or mistress compel* him to be so. 
The statement that one of them will do the 
work of two Irish girls, is sheer nonsense, and 
to prove what I say, 1 can name several fami¬ 
lies who discharge the Chinamen as soon as 
they are uble to procure a white girl. Neither 
do they wear WOodeD-Holed shoe*; the upper is 
made of black felt and the sole of white felt, 
several thicknesses being sewed together. 
Nevada City, Cal. M - 
INFORMATION WANTED ABOUT GOPHERS. 
In some portions of this province and north¬ 
west Canadian Terri tone*, gophers are prov¬ 
ing a nuisance to farmers. 1 understand that 
similar trouble is experienced in Minnesota 
and Dakota, and that bounties are offered by 
the municipal authorities and agricultural 
associations for the abatement of the nuisance. 
Allow me to usk. through the columns of the 
Rural, for any information on tins subject, 
and to state that 1 shall be glad to receive 
copies of any municipal or other enactment* 
there may be on the subject. These should be 
addressed tome—Department of Agriculture, 
Winnipeg, Manitoba. ACTON BURROWS, 
Deputy Minister. 
---- 
BLIGHT IN PEACHES. 
In a late Rural an article on “Blight in 
Peaches” states that in Michigan the owners 
of trees affected with this disease are com¬ 
pelled by law to destroy them. Ill this peach 
growing section we have never heard of such 
foolish legislation. My trees were affected 
witli blight and I cured every one by spread 
ing from live to ton pounds of salt around 
each and cboppiug it in. I would advise 
those who have blight-struck peach trees to try 
this remedy before they thiuk of destroying 
the trees. R - 
Chesterfield, Md. 
CATALOGUES, ETC., RECEIVED. 
John Saul, Washington, D. C., wholesale 
catalogue of rrult, evergreen and ornamental 
trees, shrubs, greenhouse plants, roses, etc. 
Thomas Meehan, (iermautown, Pa. De¬ 
scriptive catalogue of ornamental trees, 
shrubs, vinos, etc. 
Albertson & Hobbs, Bridgeport, Marion 
Co., iud Descriptive illustrated catalogue ol' 
large and small fruits, ornamental plants,etc. 
Concerning Bio Potato Yields. —Not 
long ago Mr. E. Williams, the Secretary of the 
New Jersey Horticultural Society, made a 
vacation visit to the experimental grounds of 
the Rural New-Yorker, an account, of w hich 
is published in the Weekly Press of Phila 
dolphin. He found the Editor among the 
potato plots which have been giving such re¬ 
markable yields—for 1.800 bushels to the acre 
is doing uncommonly well. The Editor in¬ 
vited him to dig and figure for himself. He 
therefore selected u strong-growing variety, 
and from three hills took 85 tul*ers, 80 being 
of marketable sine, nnd these turned the scales 
at. 17)^ pound*. The seed planted in each bill 
wu* one piece with two eyes. 1 he hills were 
one foot apart in rows three feet apart, so 
that there were three billsin every niue square 
feet. Extending the calculation, Mr. Wil 
liarns figured the rute i>er acre as 1,391)1 
bushels. The Editor agreed with him that, a 
full acre could hardly be expected to yield 
this amouut. He only claimed this as a pos¬ 
sible acre’s yield when like conditions could 
be secured throughout. In besting so many 
kinds the area devoted to each must needs be 
small, and in announcing that a certain kind 
yields so much to the acre the Editor states 
the absolute truth—theoretically. In prac 
tlce, however, an acre’s yield at the rate of 
the best hills is uu impossibility, Mr. W illiums 
states. The best conditions cannot always be 
secured, and perhupsa few bills are of extra 
quality, because surrounding hills are some¬ 
what Inferior. That is, the extra hills may 
have stolen the food which naturally belonged 
to their neighbors. Seeds of phenomenal vigor 
may require for their greatest development 
more food than throe square feet will furnish, 
and their weaker companions must suffer for it. 
This is the way Mr. Williams reasons It. should 
be remembered, too, that the tubers were 
weighed immediately after digging, and no 
allowance was made for shrinkage. The uext 
day Mr. Williams did a little forking aud 
figuring among his own potato plot*, Taking 
the Garfield variety, three of the best hills 
yielded ul the rate of bushels per were; 
three medium hills at the rate of 282’^ bush¬ 
els, aud two of the poorest hills at. the rate 
of bushels. The average of these was 
about 2159 bushels, lie then weighed the pro¬ 
duct of the entire row, representing -150square 
feet, and the yield was at the rate of 280% 
bushels per acre, or considerably less than the 
average as estimated above. Again bo took a 
variety, State of Maine. Tbebest hills yield¬ 
ed at the rate of 524 V,: bushels: the medium. 
408X bushels; the poorest, 242 bushels: 
average, 890 bushels. This time, also, the 
entire row fell not only far below the 
best, but below the estimated average, yield¬ 
ing a rate of bushels per acre. He adds 
that the soil was carefully removed from his 
tubers, and they were laid an hour or two in 
the sunshine lafore weighing. The yield was 
not *o good as last year by 20 per cent. His 
neighbor, Mr. Jones, a city farmer, has just 
harvested his Yellow Danvers Onions, and 
after measuring his bed, finds that lie has 
raised onions at. the rate of 900 bushels to the 
acre Perhaps the subject is not worth so 
much space, but it is well to bear in mind that 
when a man says he raises potatoes of the rate 
of 1,800 bushels per acre, be does not mean 
that a measured acre has yielded 1.800 bushels; 
still less does he moan that 10 acres have yield¬ 
ed 10,000 bushels. As a rule, a small area and 
a good deal of arithmetic will give a bigger 
crop than a largo plot and le-s ciphering. 
Nevertheless, Mr. Williams concludes, the 
Editor of the R. N. Y. has made a striking 
success in potato culture. 
We do not agree with Mr. Williams n seve¬ 
ral of the above statements. “A good deal of 
arithmetic” does not change the yield at all. 
If one hill, or two, or a dozen hills yield a eer 
tain number of pounds, what will 14,520 yield ( 
That is the simple problem. Mr. William* 
selected bis own variety in onr grounds, a 
small plot, because the yield could be estimat¬ 
ed in a few minutes. He might have selected 
a variety that yielded less than 200 bushel* to 
the acre, for there were such in the same plot 
Then, perhaps, he would have reasoned dif 
fercntly. Again, one row ol potatoes in oar 
experiment plot has no need to steal food from 
its neighbors, since all are supplied with more 
food than they cun possibly consume. Again, 
we do not select our best hills in order to esti¬ 
mate yields—nor the poorest. We take them 
as they come. 
Remedy for the phylloxera.— A cor¬ 
respondent of the Pacific Rural Press claims 
to have discovered ft complete remedy for the 
phylloxera, in the applicat ion to each vino of 
one half ounce of quicksilver mixed with 
clay ro minutely that the globules are not dis 
tiuguishable with an ordinary microscope.aud 
he says the application will cost, little more than 
one cent per vine. Among his experiment* 
two dozen vines that, were dying owing to the 
phylloxera, were dug up in a vineyard, ami 
after a dose of mercury had been applied to 
each hole, they were replanted without any 
attempt to cleanse the roots: they regaiued 
their vigor, however, and are now healthy, 
while adjacent vines have died. In auother 
experiment one pound of mercury was applied 
to each vine, ami all are growing vigorously. 
The lesson taught is, that while the metal 
destroys the insects, it doe« not Injure the 
vines. It. is a well known fact ihateutomolo 
gists and taxidermists use mercurial mixtures 
to preserve their cabinet* from all insect 
pests, aud that they are entirely effectual. It 
is at. least worth trying.wud if found effectual, 
it will enable us to grow many of the finer 
varieties of grape*, that ure now entirely de¬ 
stroyed by that scourge of the vineyard. 
and and the climate of Southern California 
seem to be perfectly adapted to the Brighton, 
and the vines are loaded with most magnifi¬ 
cent grapes... 
(tucnjxuljere. 
TRANSCONTINENTAL LETTERS, XII. 
MARY WAGER FISHER. 
Dillon Bros, at Indianapolis. Dillon 
Bros, exhibited 11 head of Norman horses at 
the Indiana State Fair at Indianapolis week 
before last., and were awarded 11 first prom 
iums. In addition, they were awarded on the 
noted premium stallion, Leisure, the sweep 
stake premium for the best draft stalliuu of 
any age or breed competing in ft ring with .>0 
tineNormau aud Clydesdale stallions; also the 
sweepstake premium of $100 for the best draft 
stalliou aud four mares of auy breed compe 
tiug in a ring of eight entries, making one of 
the grandest exhibitions of draft horses ever 
witnessed. 
- --- 
tru e in wardnkss. 
Dr. R. O. Tripp, of Woodside, Ran Mateo 
County, California, has succeeded iu produc¬ 
ing an onion measuring 21 inches in circurn 
ferauce. and weighing three pounds five 
ounces. It is proposed to exhibit it at the 
New Orleans World’s Fair—so says the Pacific 
Rural Press. 
Whether we buy aspuragus sets or sow 
the seeds makes just about one year's differ¬ 
ence as to the time of cutting shoots— that is 
all.. 
Du. W. H. Manlove.oI Southern California, 
bos 30 acres of Brightou Grapes, from which 
D now gathering hi* «ccond crop. His 
After leaving Palo Alto, we were driven 
through some of the “swell places of Menlo 
Park, of which the grounds and residence of 
James C. Flood, a “Bonanza King,” are the 
largest and costliest. I believe all the rich 
men of this part the country, who have 
acquired their great fortunes from mines aud 
mining speculation, are Irish, and of the Irish 
peasant, class at. that. But. Irish wit seems to 
serve them fairly well In place of education 
and refinement, 80 that they boar off the 
“honors” of the newly acquired wealth with 
commendable dignity. At all oveuts, this i* 
the case with the Floods, judging from what 
I hear said of them. Governor Stanford’s 
wealth, amounting to 80 millions or more, is 
the outcome of railroads, chiefly. He has the 
credit of putting his money iu land and In in¬ 
dustries tbut. benefit the people of hi* State, 
instead of investing it in Government bonds, 
as does Vanderbilt, for example. Mr. Flood's 
wealth I have heard estimated at $30,000,000, 
which may be far from the truth; but he has 
the reputation'of having more ready cash than 
any other Californian. He has one son and one 
daughter—the former very dissipated, the 
latter an accomplished and excellent young 
woman, w ho is said to have had more matri¬ 
monial offers than any other American girl; 
hut she remains unmarried, from fear, prob- 
bttbly, that it is her money, rather than her- 
self that is desired. Mr. Flood’s bouse is in 
the midst of u large park, which is laid out 
and planted iu a style that recalls the beauti¬ 
ful grounds of El Monte at Monterey, and 
which is equally Indescribable. The house, of 
great size, is of ltuhan architecture, and is a 
villa of such noble proportions aud exquisite 
harmony, that one fairly shouts with delight 
at beholding It, and it is, withal, the whitest 
structure possible to see, standing like a real¬ 
ized dream, or a fairy palace. The entrance, 
lodge uud carriage house are all similar in 
design nnd equally white. One would suppose 
that in the fierce, hard sunshine of California, 
buildings would bo painted uny color rather 
than white; but white prevails aud invariably 
looks well. However, it must cost heavily to 
maintain the snowy whiteness of the Flood 
buildings. I saw, growing in a sheltered place 
iu these grounds, as also at Palo Alto, for the 
first time in California in the open ground, 
different varieties of coleus Superb effect* 
are produced m gardening by using plants of 
different colors, but coleus ill bears the hot 
sun aud high wiuds that especially prevail 
along the coast. I have been surprised 
to see bow well rose trees seem to thrive here 
—quite as well as in France—and it is explieu 
ble on the ground, probably, that the wind 
here, while chilly, is never, in fact, freezing 
cold, which is so destructive to a rose stem 
denuded of its twigs and branches. The finest 
small place—small comparatively—that wo 
were shown at Meulo Park, is kuown as Lath¬ 
am’s, a man of that name having been the 
original owner; but it is now owned aud oc¬ 
cupied by the adopted son of the late Mark 
Hopkins, whose house on Nob Hill, Ran bran* 
cisco, is said to lie the costliest in the State, 
one room aloue in it costing #250.000. Major 
Rathbone bus a very pretty place here, less 
pretention* thau the others, but verv home¬ 
like and charming. I have never seen finer 
landscape gardening than in this Htutc, while 
the cultivation of ilowere evciy where Ualto- 
| gother enchanting. 
At the upper end of this valley, just out of 
Ran Francisco, there is a good deal of Italian 
gardening. These Italians cultivate the soil 
to the very top of the hilts, and supply the 
city markets, during the entire year, with 
fresh vegetables, from these open gardens. 
Upon our return to Ran Francisco I had but 
a couple of hours’ leisure, which I used in at¬ 
tending the Mechanics’ Fair, which had just 
opened, and in which was gathered a large 
display of San Fruucisco products, chiefly 
carriages, pianos, farming implements, furni¬ 
ture, artistic mantels, stoves, ranges, glass¬ 
ware, furs, harness and saddles, a large dis¬ 
play of cocoons aud silk-worms, embroidery, 
paintings iu oil aud water-color, and the thous¬ 
and and one things that ure manufactured on 
this coast, constituting u really suprising 
array, for the examination of which my time 
was altogether inadequate. I found the Sec¬ 
retary to be an old-time acquaintance of the 
Rural, ho having Been born and “brought 
up” near Rochester, N. Y . 
In taking l^ave of California for the pres 
ent (I expect to be again in the State), I wish 
to record what old California residents tell me 
about the climate, or the climates, for the 
State has a dozen. There 1* a great deal of 
consumption here, attributable to various 
causo», particularly in Ran Francisco and the 
cities. The climate of R. F. except in Winter 
—January and February—is severe on per¬ 
sons who are not fairly robust—raw and cold 
in the morning, delightful from ten until 
one, windy and disagreeable after that. The 
Californian who suffers from phthisis, be¬ 
takes himself to the mountains for a cure 
instead of going to the mild coast resorts, like 
Ranta Barbara or Ran Diego; and the Santa 
Cruz Mountains are mentioned as affording a 
very desirable and curative climate. But if 
one requires a mild aud agreeable climate, I 
know of nothing more desirable than Mon¬ 
terey, Santa Cruz, and the resorts farther 
south on the coast, as far as Los Angelos. They 
are all undoubtedly far better than Nice, 
Cannes or Mentone, in the south of France, 
which are so much patronized by invalids, 
and these can be reached by Americans with¬ 
out an ocean voyage, and it is always a com¬ 
fort to be under one’s own flag. 
I frankly confess that I am greatly pleased 
with California, and can fully appreciate the 
enthusiastic love of Californians for their State. 
There is everything within the State to satis¬ 
fy the most exacting person so far as nature’s 
gifts are concerned. The great libraries aud 
picture galleries and museums of fine art, and 
scientific institutes are assuredly a long way 
off, but these will come in time, and, all iu 
all, 1 would be very content to plant my vine 
and fig tree here; they would certainly grow 
as nowhere else in the United States. 
We go hence, by sea. to Puget Sound to visit 
Washington Territory aud Oregon. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS, 
Proritia. 
Macon. BebbCn , Oct. 8.—Weather the past 
two months has been excessively hot aud dry; 
not enough rain has fallen to lay the dust, for 
57 days. Cotton, potatoes and peas have been 
cut short at least one third. There was plenty 
of rain up to August 7, and good crops of corn 
are made on upland. D * M - 
Illinois. 
Ayers, Champaign Co , Oct. 4. —Wheat not 
good, being badly blighted, and makinga poor 
yield. Rye au average crop. Oats a fairly 
good crop. Hay good, but very little was 
saved in good condition. Iri*h potatoes not as 
good a crop as last year. Sweet potatoes very 
good. Corn maturing splendidly; will make 
an average yield. J - H - s - 
Pleasant Valley Jo Daviess Co., Sept. 29. 
—In this section wo have had the wettest 
season 1 ever rememl>er; but it was warm 
and wet instead of cold and wet. as last year. 
Corn is a magnificent crop, aud is now out of 
reach of harm from frost. Tender plants not 
killed yet. Potatoes and oats are usually light 
crops. Oats 80 to 40 bushels per acre, plump 
and heavy. Potatoes are rotting badly in 
flat, undiained, heavy soils. Hay was a heavy 
crop, but was badly damaged by frequent 
rains. Wheat, both Spring and Fall, above 
an average yield—say 20 to 40 bushels per 
acre. The weather through September has 
been the driest of the season, and generally 
very warm. Showers five days out of this 
month. Wl 8> 
Indiana. 
Jamestown, Boone Co., Oct. 7.—Crops 
in this county are all good except wheat, 
which was very poor in quality and price, 
selling as low as 40c. per bushel. Oats good. 
Hay never better. Corn good, with some dry 
enough to crib at this date. Owing to the 
dry weather which prevailed until Oct. 1, 
there iB considerable wheat to be sown yet. 
l’otatoes tine-1 have some of the Rural Blush 
weighing one pound aud eleven ounces; there 
were but few small ones. H. G. M. 
Iowa. 
Vinton, Benton Co., Oct. 7,— Crops of all 
kinds are good. Very little wheat—from 8 
to 20 bushels per acre; oats, 30 to 50. Hay, 
corn and potatoes splendid. Corn dried up 
without frost. We have a fine couutry for 
clover; it does not winter-kill much. 
J. w. H. 
Kansas. 
Parsons, Labette Co., Repl 27.—We have 
had peculiar weather during the past two 
months. Ordinarily, the summer heats abate 
about the first of September, aud the weather 
thence is dry, but warm. This year the heat 
was greuter in September thuu iu July, am 
with a continuously low barometer there have 
been almost daily rains, accompanied by 
much electricity. As copious rams are what 
we al»uys wish, we anticipate an enriched 
soil next year. There are ingredients iu our 
soil, that become food tor plants when liberally 
watered. Experienced men think as much ol 
water as of fertilizers, and don’t doubt of pro- 
