Vol XLII. No 172G. 
NEW YORK, FEB. 24, 1883. 
PRICE FIVE CENTS 
$2.00 PER YEAR. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1888, by the Rural New-Yorker, In the cilice of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.] 
fieiiJ Crops. 
ANNOUNCEMENT. 
A SUPPLEMENTARY SEED DIS¬ 
TRIBUTION. 
WYSOR’S EARLY SHOE-PEG CORN*. 
They are not premiums in any fair sense. 
To every new or old subscriber we send our 
supplement which explains these distributions 
fully. Therein it is plainly stated that every 
applicant must seud six cents' worth of stain [is 
(a purl of the postal expense), and that we re¬ 
serve the right to continue these distributions 
or to discontinue them as we please. Again, 
we have distributed from time to time among 
our subscribers during the past six years no 
less than 2d different kinds of seeds without 
any announcement whatever—that is, without 
advertising these distributions to our own ad¬ 
vantage in uuy way. Our esteemed contem¬ 
poraries might as well call our Experiment 
Grounds “ premiums” or a “fictitious stimu¬ 
lus.” The truth is that these journals would 
do well to follow the Rvtral’s example 
and to show that something besides money¬ 
getting is at the bottom of them agricultural 
philanthropy Instead of alluding to our 
efforts in such invidious ways, they should 
publish our enterprise for the good of the cause 
they profess to have at heart, or for the same 
reason that they give a hearty support to the 
good work of agricultural oxpertinent stations. 
The Rural New-Yorker is really the only 
journal that owns experiment grounds, and the 
work done there has had a very considerable 
effect in creating the present interest, in agri¬ 
cultural stations generally, With those re¬ 
marks for the benefit of several of our contem- I 
poraries who can well afford to be glad over 
the Rural New-Yorker’s success instead of 
| making faces at it, we have now to offer to our 
subscribers an addition to our Free Seed Dis¬ 
tribution of 1883, which is now being sent out. 
It is as above stated, Wysor’s Shoe-peg Coni. 
The following gives its history: 
NEW VARIETIES OF CORN*. 
At the Rural’3 request I send it an average 
ear of two varieties of coru, which I have 
been propagating for some years. In the 
Spring of 1873, I obtained from Messrs. Bliss 
& Sou a lot of coru called the “ Mammoth 
Dent,” which probably originated in the West. 
It had a very short, thick ear, carrying some¬ 
times as many as 3*2 rows. The cob was of 
such huge dimensions that it was next to im¬ 
possible for it to get dx*y enough not to spoil 
the corn in the crib. Although planted early 
and allowed to stand till frost, none of it ma¬ 
tured. However, I sowed some which I thought 
would germinate aud planted it again the next 
year, mixed with an equal quantity of our own 
ordinary field com. Out of this crop two ears, 
differing materially in size and time of ripen¬ 
ing, were selected, and from these 1 have since 
been eudeavoring to grow two uniform varie¬ 
ties. IVith the exception that the two ears vary 
slightly in appearance, they have now assumed 
a fixed characteristic. The 
variety represented by the 
smaller ear, and which from 
its narrow, pointed ker 
nels, I call ‘* Shoe-peg," is two 
weeks earlier than the other, 
and will ripen as early as any 
of the larger Northern white 
flints, and give a larger yield 
than those. It is liard. flinty, 
and makes meal of the very 
best quality. From its habit of 
early maturity, I think it ad¬ 
mirably adapt*si to the North. 
It grows from seven to uine 
feet high, the eai-s low down on 
the stalk, which is not heavy. 
It has yielded from 50 to 75 
bushels per acre. H. L. Wysor. 
Pulaski Co., Va. 
As stated on the editorial page, 
from 40 to 44 grains of this corn 
will be sent to every subscriber 
who has applied tor our regular 
seed distribution, aud we urge 
it upon all that a careful trial be given it. 
Hard to Beat, 
During the past season D. W. Martin grew 
85 bushels of coru on a strip of ground four 
rods wide aud ten long—one-fourth of an acre: 
Variety, Improved Chester County Mammoth. 
Dr. Feuu, on measured live acres, grew and 
cribbed 795 bushels, not including a number of 
bushels that wore taken from the same piece 
aud fed out. The Doctor’s corn consisted of 
three kinds, and was planted very late. Re¬ 
ports were made by both at the meeting of 
Summit Co., Horticultural Society. 
Summit Co., O. M attuew Craw ford. 
Raising Potatoes Under Straw. —My 
method of doing this differs somewhat from 
that, described in a late Rural in answer to 
an inquirer. 1 prefer ground where the grass 
has been subdued. I make a thorough prep¬ 
aration of the soil; thou furrow it with a 
shovel-plow, making the rows about two feet 
apart; then drop the •‘seed” eight inches apart 
in the fiurows; then cover with soil as deep as 
can lie done with a shovel-plow. This manner 
of planting saves time and labor. Then, just 
before the vines make their appearance, cover 
with straw enough to mulch the ground. A 
large quantity of tubers of good quality can 
l»o growu on a small plot of good ground in 
this manner. Try it. C. L. Tousey. 
MONO our esteemed con¬ 
temporaries there are 
C ( some that seem to take 
) pleasure in referring to 
our Free Seed and Plant 
Distributions as “premi¬ 
ums”—as a “fictitious 
stimulus” to increase our 
« circulation. We do not 
like this. It is meau- 
spirited.and shows a petty 
jealousy which the jour- 
(g mils referred to should 
abhor, for the reason that 
they know that these dis¬ 
tributions of the Rural have introduced or 
disseminated some of the most valuable farm 
auii garden seeds now in cultivation. 
Cross-suction showing the Or,mi or Kernel and Size of Cob 
Truk r<» n ati us—Fm. 77. 
tinrul (Topics. 
(Jr.tpcrimcnt (Ground?? of the plural 
3teu?-3Jorhev. 
CELERY. 
There is no difficulty about growing celery 
in perfection. A boy of 15 years of age can 
do it as well as a man of 40. But there is 
trouble about it. It requires watchful care 
and careful attendance. Heroin theoretical 
writers mislead people. There has never been 
a season at those grounds when celery has not 
required artificial watering, and unless raised 
in moist ground that never suffers from 
drought, this is required at some stage of its 
growth wherever cultivated. Auy farmer 
who is not willing to give it this care had bet¬ 
ter not sow the seeds, for in nine seasons out of 
ten the plants will not be worth blanching 
The seed-bed should be rich and well pulver¬ 
ized. Sow the seeds in shallow drills so that 
the seeds almost touch each other, and then 
press the soil with the back of the hoe. Thin 
out as soon as the second leaves are developed, 
so that the plants remain an inch apart. As 
soon as they grow six to eight inches tall cut 
off the top leaves and stems with a sickle to 
make them stockier, [n some seasons this 
may Ire done twice. It is important to keep 
the soil well pulverized and moist about the 
plants or they will turn yellow and growth 
will cease. Transplant to rich 
soil about July 8th for this 
climate, in trenches not less 
than four inches deep. Be 
careful as to this. Surface 
setting is objectionable, for 
the reason that the soil has 
to be drawn up in ridges on 
either side so as to hold the 
water. As soon as the celery 
begins to make a vigorous- 
growth commence to bill up, 
and when the plants have 
grown to the hight of ten 
inches or more it is necessary 
to draw up thp soil about the 
plants, so as to hold the stems 
in an upright position. Let 
the top soil on either side in¬ 
cline tou'ards the plants, so 
that water may still be given 
should dry weather prevail. 
Nothing more is needed ex¬ 
cept to bank up plants for 
early use. The rest may re¬ 
main until late in November, 
when they should be packed 
iu well-drained trenches for 
W inter use. 
varieties tested the past 
SEASON. 
Rennie’s Giant — Hight 
between two-and-a-half and 
throe feet. Number of stalks 
from 30 to 45. Outside stalks 
rather slender. The heart 
stalks uot numerous, rather 
small aud loose for the size of 
bunch, inclines to divide 
into small bunches; sweet, 
nutty. Does not blanch as 
soon as some other kinds. 
Rennie’s Dwarf — Hight 
about two feet. From 20 to 
35 stalks. The outsike stalks 
aro twice as broad as those 
iff the above. The heart is 
of medium size and tolerably 
compact. It is not so sweet 
as the Rennie's Giant, but 
more desirable as a market 
variety, because of its larger 
heart stalks. 
Golden Ueartwell— Dis¬ 
seminated by the Rural 
New-Yorker in its Free 
Seed Distribution of 1881-2. 
Average hight, two feet; 
from 25 to 40 stalks; very 
large and compact heart. It 
is notable for the great num¬ 
ber of small, tender stalks 
bursting out from the heart 
aud curling or twining about the larger stalks 
The flavor is sweet. 
La Plume Chestnut— Average hight, two 
feet; from 15 to 20 small stalks; small, mod 
erately compact heart; very tender aud sweet 
Rennie's Dwarf and Giant were sent to us 
for trial by James Rennie, of Toronto, Can¬ 
ada; La Plume Chestnut by I. F. Tillinghast 
of La Plume, Peuu. 
Wysor’s Early Suoe-pkg— From Nature—Fig. 78. 
