9 
f/por- 
Jiliscrllannms. 
RURAL BRIEFLETS. 
It appears that our several esteemed con 
temporaries who doubted or positively denied 
that we could have raised Bermuda Grass 
from seed are now quieted. We have how¬ 
ever looked in vain for a frank confession that 
they were wrong and that in some parts of the 
world this grass seeds freely. In one in¬ 
stance the character of an old and well-known 
seed-house in this city was assailed because 
the seed was offered in its catalogue. 
We have so often stated our preference for 
broadcast over hill fertilizing for corn that 
we have feared our readers would weary of 
the statement. The Director of the N. Y. Ex. 
Station now expresses himself that, in accord¬ 
ance with his observation, broadcast fertiliz¬ 
ing is the better way. He says: “ One curious 
series of observations made upon the corn- 
plant last year seem to indicate that manuring 
good deal of it is taken up by tho results of 
seed tests, the seeds procured from the leading 
seedsmen of the country. Our readers should 
procure this report so that they may see how 
greatly the vitality of seeds varies. Among 
the kinds which show the lowest vitality we 
more imperfect ones were used to finish up. It 
looked very well in the Fall. The larger ker¬ 
nels tillered much more than the small ones, 
besides looldng much more vigorous, to pre¬ 
vent it from becoming winter-killed which 
the weaker plants, at least, no doubt would on 
Sectional View of Barn—See Page ITS—Fig. 1SS. 
cost of wear and tear will simply bo the in¬ 
terest on the purchase money. 
An evidently observant and discriminating 
gardener, Mr. F. R. Sim, recently read a paper 
on American gardening, at a meeting of the 
North of Scotland Horticultural Association. 
He described the culture of the cranberry— 
unknown, excepting by name, in Great Brit 
ain—and the commercial value of the fruit, 
and recommended its trial in some of the 
many suitable places in Scotland that now 
produce nothing of value. The Americans 
have developed, blackberries of high value 
as fruits, from brambles no better than 
what are abundant and wholly neglected in 
English hedge-rows, because of their want of 
sprightly flavor. Many of the ingenious meth¬ 
ods of arrangement and work by which the 
American gardener does with one pair of 
hands, out doors and in, more than two pair 
accomplish in Europe, and with more ease, 
were interestingly described. 
in the hill is of little benefit toward increasing 
the growth of the plant in its early stages. It 
appears quite probable that the same manure 
spread around the hill, instead of being placed 
in it, would have a larger influence upon the 
growth. It seems quite probable that the in¬ 
fluence of manure has been ascribed by the 
farmer to its location under the plant, rattier 
than to the fact that it is manure. Plants 
grown in clear sand and those grown in high, 
rich soil under pot culture, seem to do equally 
well, until after the nutritive substance has 
been exhausted from the seed.”. 
He goes on to state that “many observa¬ 
tions appear to indicate that the young plant 
feeds in its first stages very slightly from the 
soil, although this statement seems so surpris¬ 
ing that we are unwilling to state it as a fact, 
until further verifications take placed. 
We are at a loss to know what there is sur¬ 
prising about this. All botanies teach thaff 
the endosperm (all that part of the corn kernel, 
for example, except the chit or embryo) gives 
support to the young plant (embryo) as it de¬ 
velops, before it is capable of depending on 
the soil and air for sustenance. But that it is 
not indispensable to the embryo has been 
may mention lettuce and onions. In many 
trials of 100 seeds sown, not one sprouted. 
The vitality of peas also ranges surprisingly 
low. No wonder we are obliged to sow peas 
and onions and lettuce thick. As compared 
with seeds raised at the college, the merchants’ 
seeds make a poor showing. 
The Rural’s opinion has often been ex¬ 
pressed regarding the beautiful Japan maples, 
specimens of which have been growing in the 
Rural Grounds for years. At the late session 
of the Mass. Hort. Society ex-President W. C. 
Strong said that there could be but one opin- 
account of being too far apart for mutual pro¬ 
tection, I mulched the plot with forest leaves 
held in place by small brush.”. 
Cheap Water-Trough.—I n answer to the 
question, which is the cheapest and most du- 
feto TAtftMS 
CODDINGTON TRIPLET MICROSCOPE—FlG. 133. 
shown by the fact that seeds have grown after 
the removal of the endosperm. Farther on he 
states that “in the potato, however, it seems 
far different, the young plant feeding in its 
early stages apparently from the ground, in 
preference to using the stored nutriment of 
the cut, if the soil be fertile. 
Why compare the tuber of a potato to true 
seed at all). 
Clem Auldon, Jr., writes: “I seethe 
Rural is * Enterprising to the full extent of 
its tether.’ Why do they keep the RjytAL 
tethered ? Is it ferocious' ? I remember that 
a short time ago the Rural’s Jersey Bull 
‘Sam’ ran the foreman out of the yard. 
No wonder.”. 
Mr. T. L. Grimes, of Louisiana, writes us 
that he cut from two to four tons of Bermuda 
Grass hay from an acre of land on Red River. 
He sold his last year’s crop in the hay shed be¬ 
fore it was pressed (to be delivered as soon as 
pressed) for $14.50 per ton... 
Mr. Howard A. Chase writes us: “My 
note on the Kieffer in the Rural of February 
24 should read: ‘ Properly grown and properly 
ripened, the Kieffer is not in my opinion any 
more variable, [not valuable— Eds.] in quality, 
than the Duehessc.’ ”. 
Rosa hugosa is a Japan rose of great 
beauty of foliage and very hardy. The flow¬ 
ers are single and the buds beautiful. The 
big red fruits are very striking in the Winter 
season....... 
Ex-President Strong might have quoted 
the Rural of two years ago when he said that 
“ The Golden Elder is the most effective plant 
of this color. The Purple Hazel is a strong 
contrast in dark color.”... 
He farther says that “ a tropical, palm-like 
effect may be produced by cutting the Ailautus 
to the ground and securing new shoots every 
year or two.” But surely the Paulonia is far 
better treated in this way. Strong roots will 
throw up a stem 12 feet high aud the leaves 
borne upon massive petioles are nearly as 
large as those of the Elephant's Ear, Caladium 
esculentum.. 
We have received from the Michigan Agri¬ 
cultural College the report of the Professor of 
Botany and Horticulture, Dr. W. J. Beal. A 
Ground Plan—See Page 178—Fig. 139. 
ion as to the exceeding beauty of many of 
them. The variety known as Atrosanguineum 
purpureum is perhaps the best for our climate. 
But it is greatly to be feared that none of these 
are likely to prove vigorous, though it is prob¬ 
able they will withstand our Winters if they 
mature a healthy Summer growth. The diffi¬ 
culty is with our hot suns. On the estate of 
rablo water-trough, the Hon. Geo. Geddes 
writes to the Elmira Farmers’ Club (as stated 
in the Husbandman) that an old-fashioned pot¬ 
ash kettle, more recently used for boiliug salt, 
answers tho purpose perfectly; second-hand 
kettles can be had in great numbers at the 
price of old iron, about salt-works, a kettle 
holding 120 gallons, in good condition, usually 
Side View of Main Building—See Page 178—Fig. 140. 
Mr. Huunewell, where they have the benefit costing from 80 to $8. Mr. Geddes Is nc 
of shelter and moisture, they seem to thrive, using seven such kettles for water-trougl 
and are superlatively beautiful. But at They will not rot; they will not break wh 
Messrs. Parsons’ Nursery in Flushing, where water freezes in them, and are, in all respec 
they have been largely propagated, they do the most convenient and cheapest of a 
not get from the frames to the open ground to trough he has been able to find or construct, 
any extent. The general experience is that _ 
Another states that he has used one, Sum 
appear that we have done no injustice to these 
shrubs aud that the testimony as to their be¬ 
havior in other places is much the same as at 
the Rural Grounds... 
Mr. Daniel Steck, of Pennsylvania, writes 
us as follows: “ I planted my wheat on tho re¬ 
quired plot, one by one foot, one kernel at 
each place. I commenced by planting the 
flnesttlooking kernels first, but not having 
enough of these to fill the plot, smaller and 
mor and Winter, for the last eighteen years, 
and it is just as good to-day as when he bought 
it. Its shape is such that no freezing can 
crack or strain it, and it is too heavy and 
strong to be moved from its place or broken 
by cattle. He believes it may be used and ex¬ 
posed to all kinds of weather, and handed 
down from generation to generation, for the 
next century, and then be just as good as it is 
now, and worth just as much money. The 
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A German physician, Dr. Dyrenfurth, treat¬ 
ing upon preventive measures and simple 
household remedies which ought to be kept 
always on hand, such as chamomile, pepper¬ 
mint, boneset, oil, liquorice, etc., states that 
w;en coffee wfis rendered very scarce during 
the Continental blockade by Napoleon, in 
the early pail, of this century, the poorer 
people resorted to roasted acorns, and after 
continued use of acorn coffee there was a 
marked improvement in the health, condition 
and complexion of those confined to it; aud an 
especial reduction of the symptoms of scrofula 
which was then a very common affliction of 
the poorer classes. It was found best to roast 
the acorns but moderately and to break them 
up coarsely and boil but little. The improve¬ 
ment may very possibly be due more to the 
disuse of injurious coffee than to benefit from 
the acorns, or it may in a great measure have 
resulted from mere change in diet. 
Prof. Shelton of the Kansas State Ag- 
ricultural College holds that the cultivation of 
such crops as broom corn, hemp, flax, and, 
perhaps, castor beans, which furnish but little, 
if any, stock feed, will ultimately, lead to se¬ 
rious consequences in the loss of fertility sus¬ 
tained by the lands so cultivated. 
Milk Setting.— Prof. Arnold says, in the 
London Agricultural Gazette, that, 1. To make 
the finest-flavored and longest-keeping butter, 
the cream must undergo a ripening process by 
exposure to the oxygeu of the air while it is 
sweet. This is best done while it is rising. 
The ripening is very tardy when the tempera¬ 
ture is low. 2. After cream becomes sour, the 
more ripening the more it depreciates. The 
sooner it is then skimmed and churned the bet¬ 
ter, but it should not be churned while too new. 
The best time for skimming and churning is 
just before acidity becomes apparent. 3. 
Cream mokes better butter to rise in cold air 
than to rise in cold water, but it will rise 
sooner in cold water, and the milk will keep 
sweet longer. 4. Tho deeper milk is set the 
less airing the cream gets while rising. f>. The 
depth of settiug should vary with the temper¬ 
ature; the lower it is the deeper milk may be 
set; tho higher, the shallower it should be. 
Milk should never be sot shallow in a low tem¬ 
perature nor deep In a high one. Setting 
deep in cold water economizes time, labor and 
space. (5. While milk is standing for cream 
to rise the purity of tho cream, and conse¬ 
quently the fine flavor and keeping of the 
butter, will be injured if the surface of the 
cream is exposed freely to air much warmer 
than the cream. 7. When cream is colder 
than the surrounding air, it. takes up moisture 
and impurities from the air. When the air is 
colder than the cream, it takes up moisture 
and whatever escapes from the cream. In the 
foimer case the cream purifies the surround¬ 
ing air; in the latter, the air helps to purify 
tho cream. The selection of a creamer should 
hinge on what is more desired—highest quulity 
or greatest convenience and economy in time, 
space and labor. 
- - —. 
Best Varieties ok Northern Cane.— Mr. 
C. M. Schwarz of Illinois, says that the best 
three varieties of cane in succession Lu t his lat¬ 
itude are the following: 1. Early Amber; 2. 
Early Orange or Liberian; 3. Honduras. The 
Early Amber Is the poorest of the lot in yield, 
and is only planted in Illinois for its earliness 
and growers just raise enough to keep their 
works running until the later varieties come 
in. If the varieties arc planted from the 1st of 
April to the middle of May they will ripen ut 
about the following time without much varia¬ 
tion: Early Amber, 10th to 15th of August: 
Early Orange and Liberian, 10th to 20th of 
September; Honduras 1st to 15th of October. 
The foregoing remarks are only applicable to 
the latitude of St. Louis, as tho farther south 
they are planted the earlier they will mature. 
— 
The Diugoe-Conanl Co. speaks a good word 
for the Polyanthu Roses, Anne Marie de Mon- 
