7K 
CiognxpljicflL 
OUR PORTRAIT GALLERY. 
CHARLES W. GARFIELD. 
We take great pleasure this week in pre¬ 
senting to our readers, at Fig. 413, on the first 
page, the likeness of a young man—the 
youngest we have as yet shown—still a 
man who is becoming well and favorably 
known. Charles W. Garfield, the subject of 
our illustration, was burn a “Badger,” having 
made his entry into life in the Badger State 
(Win.) near Milwaukee, March Hth, 1848. 
His father. S. Marshall Garfield, was of the 
old New Hampshire branch of the family, but 
was born near Batavia, N. Y., and moved 
from there to Wisconsin, and ns farmer and 
lumberman secured a comfortable home, In 
1858, though in easy circumstance#, be had a 
great desire for an abundance of peaches, such 
as he had been accustomed to in Western New 
York, and tnough at that tirno no peaches 
had Li sen stmt from Michigan to Milwaukee, 
the rumor had reached there, of their abun¬ 
dance and beauty in the Peninsular State, and 
after proving the correctness of this report, he 
transferred his family and possessions to 
Grand Rapids, Michigan, in April of that 
year. Here be bought the oldest-settled farm 
n the vicinity; but. having been badly neglect¬ 
ed, it was in a very dilapidated condition. 
The very hard times which prevailed soon 
after and which were particularly severe in 
Michigan, forced the Garflelds to practice the 
closest economy, and young Charles, who 
heretofore had attended school continuously, 
though but ten years old, was now forced to 
work on the farm Summers, attending school 
only Winters. 
At fifteen he had such a thirst for knowl¬ 
edge that he conceived the idea of securing u 
college education und beguu study with that 
end in view. But being very slender, or, ns 
he puts it, “ There wasn’t much of me any¬ 
way',” be could not endure the close study, 
and, very reluctlantly, bad almost given up 
all idea of college, when his father while on a 
vi“it to Lansing, looked over the State Agri¬ 
cultural College,and on his return,told his son 
he had found a place where he could “work 
on” a college education. 
Charles W. entered the sophomore class of 
that institution in 1888. Here he applied him¬ 
self closely to hard study, and was always 
among the most advanced of his class; but, in 
spite of the advantages of work combined 
with study, his health gradually failed, and 
his three years were checkered with much 
sickness, so much so that in t he last year his 
teacher and friend, Dr. Kedzie, advised him 
t.o change to the seaside. In September, 1870, 
he went to New York, but became rapidly 
worse, and for several weeks was confined to 
the houses of Dr. Thomas Ilaigh and Dr. 
George Thurher, at Passaic, New Jersey. His 
parents took him home as soon ns possible, and 
with good nursing and a mother’s care he was 
ahle to "stand up” with his classmates the last 
of November, and receive his graduating 
sheep-skin. 
In the Winter succeeding his entry to college, 
a friend suggested that, instead of teaching a 
winter school, as do most of the students (the 
long vacation of the college occurring at this 
season), he should start a "Common School 
Journal,” to be conducted during the Winter 
term of schools for the benefit of teachers and 
students in the country schools. To quote 
from a private letter of his. "1 saw 'millions 
in it,' and shouldered the responsibility of 
editing and publishing it, agreeing to issue 
ten numbers in five mouths. 1 foolishly placed 
the subscription price below the cost of pub¬ 
lication. relying on advertisements for the 
surplus, and, though my second number hud 
1,500 subscribers, 1 found that the more i bad, 
the worse I was off. 1 had no genius for col¬ 
lecting advertising bills, and though I never 
worked harder iu my life, 1 found myself, at 
the end of five mouths, in pocket only $100, 
and to save even that 1 had to ‘jump’ my 
board bill; hut, fortunately, this was due to 
indulgeut. and forgiving parents.” 
He had studied and graduated with u view 
to making teaching a business; but was 
obliged to abandon that and choose a vocation 
requiring much physical labor. He selected 
horticulture, and to perfect himself in the 
theory and practice, he spent the year 1871 
with the nursery firm of Storiv, Harrison & 
Co., Painsvilie, Ohio. This he regards as, 
uext. to his newspaper expeneuce, the most 
important year of his life. Iu 1873 he joined 
Mr. S, 8. Rockwell.uuder the firm name of 
Rockwell & Gaifield, iu the nursery business. 
Although they bad but little capital, they 
plauted quite largely, going considerably into 
debt. Not beiug fortunate in their location, 
and the disastrous Winter of 187&-’3 following, 
when, to quote Mr. Garfield agaiD, "the ther¬ 
mometer weut down and down even into its 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
boots,” killing all young nursery stock, the 
firm failed. From that time until the Win¬ 
ter of 1878, Mr. Garfield was foreman of the 
gardens ut t.be Agricultural College.on a small 
salary; but saved enough to pay all debts. 
We quote agaiu from a letter of his: “That 
was a costly but valuable experience; but 
you see how slow I was to learn wisdom from, 
experience, for as soon as I was out of debt, 
and had $30 in my pocket, I formed another 
and a life partnership with Mias Alice Rock¬ 
well.” Knowing Mrs. Garfield quite well, we 
think he showed rare good judgment and 
business tact, or else he was extremely lucky 
in this transaction. 
In 1874 he became the agricultural editor 
of the Detroit Free Press, and showed his 
adaption to the work by making a splendid 
agricultural department. His father died in 
187f5, leaving the furm in his churge. In De¬ 
cern tier ol the same year, he was elected Se¬ 
cretary of the then Michigan Pomological 
(now Horticultural) Society, a position he 
has continued to hold till the present time 
with great satisfaction to everybody. In the 
Spring of 1877 he resigned his position upon 
the Free Press, and moved upon the farm, 
about one mile south of the city limits of 
Grand Rapids, and there he now resides. In 
187!) he was elected to the Legislature of 
Michigan, to fill the chair occupied fora num¬ 
ber of terms by his father, a man of good 
ability, and noted for his integrity. 
While a member of the Legislature, Charles 
secured the passage of a joint resolution es¬ 
tablishing “Arbor Day,” a day annually set 
apart by the Governor for planting orna¬ 
mental trees. Ho secured the revision and 
amendment of the "Yellows Law,” so as to rid 
it of “red tape” and make it easy of enforce¬ 
ment This law has done a great deal to stay 
the spread of this scourge of the peach- 
grower. 
Redrafted the law providing for compul¬ 
sory highway tree planting at public expense, 
aud fought it through against much opposi¬ 
tion. He was mainly instrumental In the 
passage of the very complete and concise law 
providing for annual crop reports. He also 
secured the appropriation that enabled Mich¬ 
igan to make such a splendid show of fruits, 
and secure all the honors, at the Boston meet¬ 
ing of the American Pomological Society in 
1881. In 1881 he was offered und positively 
refused re-election to the Legislature. He 
has at different times been tendered profes¬ 
sorships in various agricultural colleges; but 
these he has steadfastly refused for this reason, 
as given by himself: “I am wedded to Michigan 
and to my home, and especially to the work 
iu which 1 am now engaged. Iwant Michigan 
to load iu horticulture, and shall do all iu my 
power to put her in the first place. 1 want 
her horticultural literature sought after, and 
I know this can be done by earnest, continued 
hard work, and this 1 am willing to give. 1 
grcutlv cujoy home life, and if I can maintain 
a pleaiant, country home, where my friends 
shall be always welcome, and continue to 
serve horticulture by experimental work, aud 
use what ability I may possess in perfecting 
the organization and co-operation of hor¬ 
ticulturists, and the publication of practical 
literatnre, 1 shall realize all ! expect of use¬ 
fulness, happinoFs and honor.” 
In addition to his other duties, he is now 
President of the Grand River Valley Horti¬ 
cultural Society.and also agricultural editor of 
the Grand Rapids Democrat, and succeeds iu 
making the newsiest, most readable aud best 
agricultural department to be found iu any 
pupor of the West. 
As secretary and mauager of a horticultural 
meeting he has no equal; quick, iendy ener¬ 
getic and genial, it is an unusually dull man 
from whom he cannot draw some useful 
thought, and as for dullness in one of his 
meetings, such a thing was never heard of; 
he simply would uot tolerate it. Though but 
a young man of slight build, and not strong, 
be has done wonders in awakening a deep inter¬ 
est in general horticulture all over his adopted 
State. The Michigan reports are conceded 
by all to be the best published, and they are 
the result of his untiring devotion. A look 
at his pleasant face and well developed head, 
must couvince you that he has heupsof brains; 
and, what is lietter still, he knows how to use 
them, and is bound to make bis mark. May 
he livelong to prosecute his chosen work! 
RURAL-LIFE NOTES. 
When to Gather the Seckel Pear.— How 
many pick their Seckel pears too early! In 
wandering through the markets, both in city 
and country, I see abundant evidence that 
this mistake is continually being made by 
fruit growers. Much of the fruit offered is 
flabby, shriveled, and undersized. It has 
been picked before it has fully grown out or 
matured, and such fruit will never attain the 
delicions flavor and texture for which the 
Seckel has been so long and justly notpd; and 
this for the simple reason that nature has not 
had a chance to develop these qualities. The 
Seckel stem is very brittle, and the fruit often 
begins to fall from the tree long before it is 
ripe. The grower sees this, and having read 
that pears should not be allowed to soften on 
the trees.he gathers them. But it’s a mistake 
to hurry the Seckel into the basket, before It is 
fully ripe. By ripe I do not mean mellow and 
soft to eat, but plump aud fully grown, ripe 
to pick, the stem separating easily from the 
twig without breaking, and the. fruit ready to 
color aud soften. I have just picked mine, 
and they are so superior in appearance 
and flavor as well as in size to those seen 
on many of the fruit stands, that I 
thought it well to note the reason. Among 
my Seckels are specimens measuring 7%x8 
inches in circumference and weighing four 
ounces. The stems are not broken as in the 
case of the immature fruit gathered weeks 
ago. 
The Bose Pear.— Speaking of pears re¬ 
minds me of the Bose, as the American Pomo¬ 
logical Society has now very sensibly abbre¬ 
viated the old name Beurr<5 Bose What a 
grand, magnificent fruit, it is! As I look at 
several half i»ound specimens before me, I 
fully agree with Mr. Downing in according 
the Bose unqualified praise. In its beautiful 
pyriform symmetry it has no rival among 
pears; better shape could uot be suggested. 
Then it seems to me the flavor is just about 
as near perfection as the shape. It surely is 
gloriously good, and fine specimens now to be 
found on the Broadway fruit stands, are well 
worth the five cents charged. Young man, 
buy a Bose pear tree and charge the result, 
not the cost, to me. It will grow and bear, 
and behave itself generally. Then add a tree 
each of Seckel and Anjou, and you will 
have a trio of Autumn pears that no pomo¬ 
logy of any country can excel or duplicate. 
It took three countries to produce these, and 
it needs the world to appreciate them.—[A 
valuable note. Eds ) 
Some Choice Grapes —The other day in 
an extensive river vineyard of over 200 varie¬ 
ties of grapes, embracing all the old aud most 
of the new Boris, 1 found the most pleasure iu 
esting the Duchess, Ulster Prolific, aud 
Poughkeepsie Red, though there were magni¬ 
ficent specimens of other new and popular 
grapes on every side, of which 1 tasted freely. 
But, as I said before, my eating was mainly 
confined to the sorts named as a matter of 
choice: nothing to reject iu these —pulp, 
seeds, skin, and juice, al) seem to beloug to¬ 
gether. You chew up the whole grape in¬ 
stinctively and indiscriminately, bunch after 
bunch, aud feel no twang of acidity or regret 
afterward either in tongue or mouth. It seems 
to me the Ulster Prolific is going to be the 
grape for business. 1 may say that the Ni¬ 
agara was not among t he grujx« tested at this 
vineyard. A grower at Ulster Park, town of 
Esopus. reports a bunch of the Duchess weigh¬ 
ing two pounds six ounces. 
The Delaware Grape. —Shall we ever 
know definitely concerning the origin of the 
Delaware Grape? Where, when, by whom, 
and how, was it given to the world? The in¬ 
terrogation point after the Delaware in the 
the “ origin”column in the American Pomo¬ 
logical Society’s catalogue, looks very hun¬ 
gry. The " X” is there denoting that the 
variety is a cross, but what authority have 
we even for that? in fact, one of the most 
intelligent amt successful grape growers aud 
hybridizers in the country told me last week 
he was now fully satisfied it was not a cross, 
as it showed too many of the distinctive char¬ 
acteristics of the wild grape, especially in 
habit and growth of vine. The Delaware is 
uu excellent little grape, and if anybody 
knows aught of its history prior to its dis¬ 
covery in Mr. Provost’s garden at French- 
town, New Jersey, many years ago, he should 
step to the front and explain. 
Plants for Window Gardening.— 
Those lovers of window gardening who 
have been thoughtful enough to raise seed¬ 
lings of choice plants during the Spring and 
Summer, suitable for window culture, should 
now remove them to their sunny winter 
abode, unless they have them in a frame 
where protection can be given at night, 
which will be tully as well for a fortnight to 
come. My Chinese Primroses, from seed last 
Spring, are all in a blaze of magnificent 
bloom, aud show much variety in color, size 
and shape. They are from the best double 
seed; many are quite double, and all are large 
and attractive. Some of the single flowers 
measure 1% inch across. Soot-water is the 
thing for them now; other liquid manure is 
not so good. Four-inch pots are large enough. 
I am inclined to regard the Chinese Primrose 
as among the most valuable window plants 
we have. It blooms almost continuously, aud 
its ferny foliage is very pretty in itself; and, 
then, there is that delicate, wild wood fresh¬ 
ness about its fragrance, that we get in nothing 
else. Young seedling chrysanthemums are 
also profusely budded now, and will soon 
flower abundantly; and then geraniums, also 
from seed, should now lie about ready to show 
color and form. 
It is only of late years that people have 
learned that in order to succeed with window 
plants In Winter, the plants should be adapted 
and prepared for the purpose previously. An 
exhausted summer blooming plant cannot be 
expected to bloom in W inter, and should never 
lie asked to. Young plants, or those wnich 
have not been allowed to bloom during Sum¬ 
mer, are the essentials to success. Plant- 
growers have learned this valuable lesson, aud 
now make a specialty of such stock, selling it 
in large quantities at this season. 
On the Hudson. h. h. 
-♦ » » 
NOTES ON BACK NUMBERS. 
T. H. HOSKINS, M. D. 
Rural, Sept. 27—Your remarks, apropos 
of the cut of the cow Gledelia (p. 633), to the 
effect that the Jersey is the farmers’ choice for 
the butter dairy (and I believe she is equally 
profitable for the cheese dairy) arc thorough¬ 
ly substantiated by facts in New England. 
It may be that there is only one Jersey to 
300 farmers the country over; but in New 
Engluud it is very far from being that way. 
Certainly in Vermont there are few herds 
without more or less Jersey in them, and the 
Jersey in them is rapidly Increasing. No 
other breed has obtained any general bold of 
the good opinion of our farmers. It is ex¬ 
tremely rare to see marks of Short horn blood, 
and still rarer to see Ayrshire or Dutch cattle 
on common farms. The Devons had a wider 
acceptance, and the “ Devon red” is frequent¬ 
ly seen; but this is being crossed out by the 
Jerst-y fawn and dun. The farmers are suited, 
at last. 
Mr. Allen is, I think, quite right in his re¬ 
marks (p, 633) on the Cauadiao horses. But as 
in France the Percbe and the Norman horses 
have greatly developed in size under better 
care and feeding, without loss of symmetry 
or proportionate strength, so the Canadian 
pony-built horses are ready for the same im¬ 
provement, and take it on readily when,being 
well cared for, they are crossed with larger 
animals, of the same general build, like the 
French aud Clydesdale importations. 1 have 
before spoken in praise of the Canadian 
Clydesdale crosses, for team aud farm work. 
The article on cutting and shocking corn 
(p. 684) is a good one. With our short North¬ 
ern corn ono good rye straw baud, tightly 
drawn and well fastened, is enough for a 
“stoob.” The straw should bo moistened 
over night. The stooking horse, and stook- 
ing around an uncut hill, are both inferior 
methods to the one recommended. 
Mr. Atkins does well in calling attention 
(p. 635) to the use of the Bird Cherry (Cerasus 
Pennsylvaniea), as a hardy T stock for fine 
cherries. It is going, I think, to be an excel¬ 
lent stock on which to bud or graft the hardy 
North German, Polish and Russian cherries 
lately introduced, and which will carry suc¬ 
cessful cherry growing one or two hundred 
miles northward on this continent. The 
grafting should be done very early, and the 
budding pretty late, to succeed. Early-set 
buds will be surely overgrown by the stock, 
which grows rapidly aud late. 
Mr. Boynton’s remarks on fall mulching 
(p. 635) are sound and timely. My experience 
in mulching apple trees leads me to the con¬ 
viction that ten cents worth of mulch is good 
for at least a dollar’s worth of apples. It 
makes the fruit much larger, and the crop 
surer. But be sure to protect all mulched 
trees with laths or sta ves, against mice. 
Mrs. Warner’s recommendation (p 636) in 
regard to the fall planting of various flower 
seeds, are good. Many of our garden plants 
grow well and give valuable plants from self- 
sown seed. Among these are the phloxes, 
four-o'ciocks, hollyhocks, eschscholtzias, 
pansies, petunias, poppies, pinks, portulaca. 
verbena, candytuft, alvssum, marigolds, and 
many others, which are easily recognized by 
their seed-leaves, when once known. 
If “a farm journal needs to be loved in or¬ 
der to do its best,” the Rural has no excuse 
for slackness But. in fact, it is loved because 
it always has done its best, at least under its 
present administration—action aud reaction 
are mutual and equal, in this, as well as in 
other cases. 
“No art without an artist.” As vegetable 
and animal products are often obtained from 
