858 
DEO n 
setts, where the fogs and east winds prevail. 
Wherever tomatoes can be grown, melons are 
a sure crop in the band of one who “knows 
how.” There are no better melons than those 
with which the Montreal market is so abund¬ 
antly and cheaply supplied by growers around 
that city. 
Mr. Brown (p. 764) praises the Early Rich¬ 
mond (Kentish) Cherry for general culture. 
The tree is hardy enough here to grow to a 
large size, but itseldom bears, the bloom being 
heavy, but a light chill—less than frost—pre¬ 
vents the fruit from setting. By the way, 
will some reader give his experience (as far 
north as possible) with Lieb, Large Mont¬ 
morency and Ostheimf 
You say (p. 767) that the Rural Union Corn 
ripens in from '.*0 to 100 duye. 1 wish to say 
that many sorts of corn that do that south of 
here, will, when planted here, fail to ripen, or 
even get out of the milk, in onr longest sea¬ 
sons- say 180 days. 
Rural, Nov. 22. —It is pleasant indeed to 
hoar again from so valued a writer as the 
“Old Contributor,” Mr. Brooks. I trust we 
shall hear more from so experienced and able 
a writer. 
Yes, Mr. Editor, I think Prof. Wiley has 
worked fairly, “in the interests of the sorg¬ 
hum industry.” But 1 do not see how asy one 
can be .said to have written fairly, on the sub¬ 
ject, who utterly ignores the work of Prof. 
Wiley’s predecessor in the Department’s 
Chemical Bureau, 
Thanks for the pictures of Mr. Dougall’s 
seedling plums (p. 770.)—(By the way, isn’t 
that cluster about us thick with fruit as the 
unfortunate “fraudulent picture” which you 
copied from Mr. Sharp's circular 1) Mr. 
Dougall has been even more fortunate than 
his Canadian predecessor, Mr. Corse, iu his 
experiments. 1 trust some of these plums 
may 'prove hardy enough for us poor fruit 
growers in the “Cold North.” As yet, Moore’s 
Arctic is all wo have, though we expect a 
large recruit from the Budd and Gibb Rus¬ 
sians. 
1 see Mr. Marvin fully indorses (p. 780) 
what 1 have said above of the value of keep¬ 
ing grapes. The thin-skiuued kinds will only 
do for early and house use. But some of them 
are too choice to lose, lor these purposes. Mr. 
Pringle’s No. 6 (cross of Walter ou Kumeluu) 
seems to have a firm as well as a tasteless 
skin, and I believe with Mr. Murvin, that the 
Kumelan is to prove valuable as the parent, of 
others with t his important characteristic. I 
wish Mr. Pringle had not deserted horticult¬ 
ure for botany so completely as to appear 
quite indifferent to the propagation of his 
many valuable seedlings. The fate of his No. 
6 Grape as yet hangs upon the life of the orig¬ 
inal vine. 1 repeat, as my decided opinion, 
that it is iu quality the best American grape 
I have tasted- and ray experience as a grower 
and as a judge of this fruit, at large oxhibi- 
tious for many years, is not small. 
Referring to your remarks about German 
women iu agriculture (p. 781), I want to say 
that if, in the growth of riches, and the 
divergence of social conditions, the Ameri¬ 
can people desire to avoid a like fate for 
their posterity, they must begin to look 
out for it soon. Liberty will not pre¬ 
serve itself, and our tendencies are so 
plain that he who runs may read. Alreudy 
our proletariat class stnud continually on the 
briuk of want, and art' practically unable to 
defend themselves from their bauded employ¬ 
ers. Iu another fifty years the farmers w ill 
bo manacled too, if they are too selfish and 
short sighted to secure themselves whilst they 
may. We have, too blindly, accepted from 
the Mother Country a set of institutions and 
of political ideas, the practical results of which 
have ever been the servitude of the workers. 
For proof read Thorold Rogers’s recent work, 
“Six Ceuturics of Work aud Wages: The 
History of English Labor;” just published by 
the Putnams. 
I think what “Stockman” says of the doc¬ 
tors (p. 796) is pretty dose to the mark, espe¬ 
cially so of the veterinarians in official sta¬ 
tions. And isn’t he all right on monopolies 
toot Not long ugo I sent a Jersey calf 25 
miles by rail, aud was charged enough to pay 
the fare of three passengers by parlor car be¬ 
tween the same stations. And by the way, 
our railroad lobby in Vermont lias succeeded 
in preventing the appointment of a Board of 
Railw ay Commissioners, as 1 anticipated. And 
yet the farmers had a large majority in the 
Legislature! 
Mr. Allan's claim that Central and North¬ 
ern Ontario apples are the best in the world, 
Is also made for Maine apples, by the Porno- 
logical Society of that State. It is generally 
a fact that the further north any variety wil‘ 
succeed, the finer is the color and the more 
flavorous the fruit. This is attributed to the 
greater length of the days giving more sun¬ 
light. It may also be said that choice apples 
originating north, rarely hold their merits 
when carried far southwards. There are ex¬ 
ception* enough to this, however, to “prove 
the rule.” The Red Astrachan and Duchess 
of Oldenburgh are both double-starred for 
Louisiana iu the American Pomological re¬ 
ports. 
I see by your figures (p.TW'J) that potash in the 
commercial sulphate costs the farmer what is 
equivalent to 80 cents for the potash which a 
bushel of ashes contains, to say nothing of 
other fertilizing material therein, and yet 
Vermont farmers who can pick up a two-horse 
load of ashes for 15 or 20 cents a bushel, in 
half a day in March or April, are buying the 
potash salts, both in fertilizers and separately. 
NOTES BY A STOCKMAN. 
The French Government, or rather the peo¬ 
ple, have always been remarkable for a con¬ 
tempt of the laws of political economy, aud 
have often brought themselves to grief in 
consequence. In these notes, two years or 
more ago, 1 frequently criticised the foolish 
course the French people took in regard to 
the prohibition of the import of American 
meuts. The excuse was that our meats were 
diseased ami unw holesome; and our trade was 
nuuihilated. The result was, as might have 
been expected, u considerable rise in the price 
of provisions iu France. Touch a people’s 
food aud yon touch their souls deeply. The 
French people have growled and complained 
bitterly. To make things even, the Govern¬ 
ment now puts an Import tax on the price of 
wheat,[and so raise* the price of bread. To pre¬ 
vent popular discontent a tax of ten million 
dollars is levied to be spent in public improve¬ 
ments, and to l'uruish increased employment 
for the workmen. This is a peculiarly French 
device, and has been tried before, but it has 
always upset the Government which tried it. 
Such a fate for the present Government would 
be only a reasonable retribution for the folly 
of shutting out our provisions on false pre¬ 
tences. 
It is a thing well worth noting just now that, 
as most of the ailments, troubles and diseases 
of animals are caused by errors in feeding, not 
only should the utmost care be taken in the 
feeding of stock this season, but the w-hole 
science of the art should bo well studied. 
There are several good works ou the subject, 
and a farmer or stockmau can w ell afford to 
have all of them in his library. 
The Euglish Shire horse is an excellent ani¬ 
mal. It is an example of evolution through a 
great nrauy years of use and breeding for a 
special object—w orking in a cart. The curt 
is" essentially English. It is used for every 
purpose that a vehicle is needed for ou the 
farm. Manure is drawn in great, carts in huge 
loads, stacked up squarely several feet above 
the rack. Two, three, or four horses may be 
used frequently iu hauling these loads on 
smooth turnpike roads, such as are never seen 
in this country. Horses, and vehicles, and 
roads are each an essential part of the ques¬ 
tion Qt what horse is best fitted for any par¬ 
ticular use. Now we are bringing over these 
horses in large numbers aud putting them to 
an entirely different use on very rough roads 
ar.d in drawing wugons, und eveu iu the field 
the use w e are putting them to differs from 
that of their native couutry. I merely note 
the fact before we get wild upon this horse, 
as we have doue heretofore upon other aui- 
mals. 
The idea has occurred to me many times 
during a few years past and lias come to my 
mind with greater force the present year, see. 
iug the course taken at the various agricul¬ 
tural fairs, that our native cattle are too 
severely “sat down upon,” so to speak, by the 
managers of the fail's, and all the show is 
given to the pure-bred cuttle. This is a groat 
injury to the native stock, of which by far 
the larger part of our cuttle is made up. We 
have about 48 million head of horned stock 
(including the polled breeds, of course), and of 
this vast number w-e have probably not more 
than 250.000 pure bred cattle, all told. That 
is about half of one per cent., or one pure to 
300 native. What would be thought if we 
were to close all our common schools and en¬ 
courage only colleges and universities? It 
would be about the same thing in prineiple as 
ignoring the claims of the owners of breeding 
stock not pure-bred. 
I noticed recently the fact that au excep¬ 
tionally fine herd of grade cow t s was ruled out 
~ .. 1 ' w * _-__ 
of “the show” in favor of a pure bred herd. 
Performance is the true test, or should be, in 
cow's and beeves, as it is with horses. No one 
asks if Muud 8. or Jay-Eye See is a blue- 
blooded Thoroughbred, but “what is the re¬ 
cord?” Now, our native stock is the flesh, 
bone and sinew of our herds. The pure breeds 
are the blood which we want to put iuto the 
flesh, bone and sinew to improve it. The 
foundation is the native stock, and the founda¬ 
tion is the indispensable and the most import¬ 
ant part of the structure. Now I think it is 
of far greater importance to advance the 
interests of the 48,600,000 and try to double 
the value of them, than to give all the advan¬ 
tage to the 250,000. But not in any way 
should the latter be neglected. “This should 
lie done, and the other not left undone.” 
For instance, if the yield of our 10,000,000 
cows could be increased two quarts a day, 
worth only four cents, that would be a gain of 
$400,000 daily, equal to 8146,000,000 yearly. If 
each of the $0,060,000 Leaves to be raised here¬ 
after, could be made to weigh 100 pounds 
more than their predecessors, it would be a 
yearly gain of $100,000,000 more, and all this 
could be done with the greatest ease by the 
natural improvement of the natives. It cannot 
be done by means of the pure breeds, for 
many years t j come, because “the harvest is 
so great and the laborers are so few.” In the 
meantime it is certainly a great duty to en¬ 
courage in every jiossible way the improve¬ 
ment of our native stock, within itself, as 
much as by infusion of pure blood; and to 
give them a show as far as possib’e for the 
encouragement of their owners. 
A very common mistake, or fault, is com¬ 
mitted by farmers in permitting all kinds of 
stock to run together in one yard or inclosure. 
Horses, colts—which are frisky creatures— 
bulls, cows, sheep, pigs and fowls all run in 
one yard or field. The hones worry the colts; 
the colts chase the cows and sheep; the cows 
“hook” the colts; the bulls gore the horses; 
the pigs worry the cows und sheep, and often 
destroy the new-born calves und Jumbs; thu 
fowls and ducks are trampled on aud there is 
a sad time all around. And the farmer—he 
says—he lias bad luck and somehow or other 
something is always going wrong. 
farm (topics. 
“WEEDS AS NITROGEN CONSUMERS.’ 
C. M. HOVEY. 
Some little time since, I read in the Rural a 
notice of Sir J. B. La wes’s remarks under this 
head. What was their importance or in what 
way they could serve any valuable purpose, I 
could not understand, us it has long been so 
well known that all weedsare injurious to crops, 
for the simple reason that they take up the 
nourishment which should feed the plants 
among which they are growing, though every 
farmer or cultivator might not know exactly 
what substance they did take up, whether nit¬ 
rogen or anything else. Ever since plants 
were cultivated, weedB have been destroyed, 
because they appropriated this something 
which should nourish the crop. Dr. Deane 
tells us. in his Farmers’ Dictionary, published 
in 1797, that, 1st, ‘ * W eeds rob other plants of the 
food that should nourish them; for they re¬ 
quire as much nourishment from the earth as 
better plants do ; uud, in general, they are fed 
with the same kind of juices, for it has been 
proved that the food of all plants is nearly the 
same, so that wherever weeds are suffered to 
stand and grow among plants, the crop will 
receive proportionally tne less quantity of 
nourishment from the earth.” * * * 
Sd. “Weeds prevent plants from tillering 
or branching out from their roots, as many 
kinds, and particularly the fnrinuceous sorts, 
which are the most valuable, are iuelined to 
do, where they have room. But the growing 
of a multitude of weeds among them reduces 
them to a crowded situation; t he consequence 
is. that they shoot up only single stalks, by 
which means the crop is greatly diminished. 
4th. “Weeds deprive plants of that free cir¬ 
culation of air about them, which is necessary 
to their being in a healthy und vigorous state. 
For want of this, they run up weak, remain 
of a loose ami spongy contexture, and bend 
down and lodge by their own weight, unless 
the weeds happen to be strong enough to hold 
them up. 
5th. “Weeds,besides the general evil of taking 
away the food of plants, rob the soil, particu¬ 
larly of its moisture, aud speedily reduce it to 
such a dry state that neither weeds nor other 
plants eau receive from it any vegetable food 
for want of that proportion of moisture which 
is necessary to give it fluidity.” 
This was written about a century ago, with 
some few pages of equally valuable informa¬ 
tion, aud Ido not 6ee that Sir J. B. Lawes 
has given us any additional information, un¬ 
less it is that the nutriment which weeds take 
is now ascertained to be nitrogen, another 
name for the food which Dr. Deane says the 
growing plants require, and which they can 
“obtain only through their roots.” 
This leads me to ask, what Is a weed? Dr. 
Johnson defines it as an “herb noxious or use¬ 
less,” and Dr. Deane, probably following such 
authority, says, “Weeds are useless or noxious 
plants or vegetables not to be cultivated.” 
Loudon says a weed is a plant out of place, 
and this I believe to be the true character of a 
w'eed. Let me illustrate: In my grounds I 
have on one side a long row of very large 
elms, and on another side a similar row of 
Silver Maples intermixed with Norway Ma¬ 
ples. The seeds of these trees are almost 
yearly swept or raked up in wheelbarrow 
loads. Now in a portion of my grounds I 
placed rows of elms for nursery stock, and 
about the only Weeds we fiud troublesome are 
the seedling maples, which quite choke the 
elms, unless destroyed. In another spot I 
have rows of young maples, for stock, and 
here the elms are just as troublesome as the 
maples. In another spot I have a bed of 
choice petunias, and here too the elms and 
maples are both pestiferous weeds. In another 
spot I have beds of Japan lilies, and here the 
petunias are more troublesome than even 
“pusley,” because they spread farther and 
faster, and the leaves are larger. In each 
case both valuable trees and beautiful flowers 
are really the very worst weeds, illustrating 
the idea that a weed is simply a plaut out 
of place, growing where we do not need it. 
Cobbett, in his original notices, is the only 
author that I recollect who speaks a good 
work for weeds. “These,” he says, “are use¬ 
ful in shading the ground among all young 
seedling plants until they are stroug enough 
to take care of themselves,” apparently for¬ 
getting or not observing that they never will 
get strong as long as they are smothered, and 
their food appropriated by useless intruders. 
But, says the Rural, or Dr Lnwes, “weeds 
have usually the most active roots, and so get 
the lion’s share.” If this is so, why should 
the elm, the maple, the petunia, or the pur¬ 
slane have any more active roots when grow¬ 
ing where they are not wanted than where 
they are cultivated in rows? If they do, 
would it not be best to plant everything broad¬ 
cast? This Is a question of importance to all 
cultivators. It is certainly a great favor to 
be told that weeds appropriate the liou’s 
share of nitrogen, and should consequently be 
destroyed; but our farmers and cultivators 
will not be any more benefited by this special 
knowledge than by the general knowledge 
that weeds appropriate all the manure, or at 
least a good portion of it, when allowed to 
cover the ground, and should be extirpated, 
or, what is better, never be allowed to grow. 
Pomological 
SHOULD THE KIEFFER BE CALLED A 
HYBRID I 
In the Rural of November 29th, you return 
again to the question of thedoubt of the Kief- 
fer being a hybrid, and remark: “It is a pity 
that it should be called a ‘hybrid’ at all, and 
a greater pity thut a double pareutuge should 
be assumed, while the probabilities point to its 
being simply a self-seedling; that’s the way 
some pomologists who have things to sell dis¬ 
regard accuracy iu order to popularize what 
they have for sale.” 
It seems to me that this remark is rather an 
unjust oue. The writer’s attentiou to this pear 
was first called by Thomas Meehan, editor of 
the Gardener’s Monthly, who explained how 
the old Saud Pear tree had stood with a 
Bartlett on one side, and Flemish Beauty aud 
Aujou on the other, and he unhesitatingly 
gave it as his opinion that the Kieffer was a 
hybrid between the Sand Pear aud one of 
these pears. Ou the strength of Mr. Meehan’s 
statement of facts and bis conclusions, the 
firm with which I am connected has not hesi¬ 
tated to offer this pear under the name of 
Kieffer’s Hybrid. I recognize the fact that no 
man’s opinion is conclusive proof; but, as the 
result of my investigations, 1 am forced to the 
conclusion that Mr. Meehan’s opinion, that the 
Kieffer is a hybrid, is more likely to be cor¬ 
rect than your opinion that it is not. Be this 
as it may, 1 do know that at least our firm 
has named and offered it as a hybrid, not for 
the purpose of popularizing what they have 
for sale, but because they believe the facts 
warranted them in so doing. 
HOWARD A. CHASE. 
[If we call this pear Kieffer’s Hybrid, we 
make a positive statement which is founded 
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