JULY 21 
4S7 
THE RURAL (NEW-YORKER. 
I see as yet no reason to change or modify 
the opinion I expressed earlier in the season 
respecting the Chas. Downing Strawberry; I 
still consider it one of'the finest varieties for 
general cultivation. It is said to rust badly in 
some localities, but I never have had any 
trouble with it in this respect. 
Seth Boyden, or Boyden’s No. 30, is an ex¬ 
cellent variety for amateur cultivation, the 
fruit being large and of excellent quality. It 
is an especial favorite of mine,[and I generally 
recommend it to all who l think would fully 
appreciate a good strawberry. I'am told if- 
rusts badly in many localities, but I never had 
any trouble with it on this account. It is also 
objected to by some on account of the’berry 
having a white tip at the end when gathered 
for use, 1 find that, this is a'fault with many 
other varieties, particularly with those that 
produce large berries. 
The Sharpless has proved to be simply 
wonderful. It is indeed a wonder in its way, 
in growth, productiveness and in the enorm¬ 
ous size of its berries it is without an equal. 
The only objection to it is that the berries in¬ 
variably retain a white tip at the end. It is a 
variety, however, that, will maintain a prom¬ 
inent position amongst all sorts for many 
yea rs to come. The plant is of robust, healthy 
growth and very productive, and the fruit is 
very large, often misshapen but of good color 
and excellent quality. 
Queens, N. Y. Chas. E. Parnell. 
-♦♦♦ 
Potatoes, Etc. 
Potatoes on our trial grounds look well; 
also oats. There will be plenty to do to make 
correct reports this Fall. I hope those who 
may be interested in the reports will be more 
lenient with me than Mr. Lyman Wall was. 
My report of his Wall’s Orange, as he was 
pleased to call it in the Rural last Fall, called 
forth a letter from him unjustified by any¬ 
thing that hud been said, in ray opinion. I 
think honest reports of successes or failures 
are the best means to knowledge, which can 
not be had by the public in any other w ay so 
cheaply and so reliably, as such reports come 
directly from the tillers of the soil who in many 
or most instances have neither pecuniary 
interests to be promoted by reporting favor¬ 
able results nor especial losses to incur by un¬ 
successful experience. Our tips of t he Wausha. 
kura Coru came up soonest, and the plants 
look well; what the final outcome may be 
time must tell. Wall’s Orange Potatoes look 
very spiralling this Spring; they will no doubt 
be rampant later in the season. Potato bee¬ 
tles abundant, much more so flinu last year. 
Vegetation growing rapidly; season rather 
late and wet the past week or two. I liked the 
Blush Potatoes that were sent us and hope 
they will prove as valuable as the Beauty of 
Hebron. We have some 40 sorts. I have dis¬ 
carded Belle and Queen of the Valley, and 
also some other sorts. J. Tallcott. 
CATALOGUES, ETC., RECEIVED. 
David Landreth & Sons, Philadelphia. 1 
Descriptive list (Pipages) of turnip, cabbage, 
and other seasonable seeds. Special attention 
is called to the Early White Egg Turnip, and 
to the Earliest Bloomsdale Red-Top. “ Of all 
the seeds we sell, none give such immediate 
and abundant return as turnips” says the 
catalogue. 
History' ok American Shipping. Its 
Prestige, Decline and Prospect. Part I. By 
( has. S. Hill. Pages; 188. Pub. by American 
News Co. Price, 50 cents. 
Transactions op the Massachusetts 
Horticultural Society for 1S82. Part II. 
Robert Manning, Sec., Salem, Mass. 160 pages. 
This volume is devoted almost entirely to re¬ 
ports of the various Committees of the Society, 
and the prize awards. This veteran society 
now uumlietx 588 life members, and274 annual 
members—a total of 857. 
Floats, or Pure Ground Phosphate 
Rock; How produced. Its value as a fertil- 
zer, and especially as compared to Ash- 
Elements and Acid Phosphate, etc., etc., etc. 
Pamphlet. Published by The Ashley Phos- i 
phate Co., Charleston, S. C. 
How to Obtain a Goon Cow at Small I 
Cost.— If a man wants a cheap and at the J 
same time good tuileh cow, says a writer in 
the N. Y. World, he must cross with some 
good stoek. Take the cows when they are 
with their first calf, feed them well, handle i 
them much and be regular about the milking. 
By a course of this sort the amount of milk 
produced will be surprising. Good pasture is 
indispensable. The best milch cows he has 
succeeded in raising have been selections from 
the common cow crossed with Short-horn or 
Ayrshire. The most milk he ever obtained 
from one cow per day, of rich quality, was 
three wooden bucketfuls. 
Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata). This 
was sown April 10th, and vegetated in 22 days 
at the N. Y. Ex. Station. The bulletin states 
that it grew vigorously and well throughout 
the season, but did not bloom. It, however, 
showed strong evidence of its tufting habit. 
It survived the Winter well, and started into 
an early and vigorous growth, being exceeded, 
however, in earliness, vigor aud amount of 
early foliage by the Meadow Foxtail. It 
bloomed dime 11th. Its habit of growth seems 
to unfit it for use as a cultivated grass, while 
yet it possesses its adaptations, which would 
recommend it, as a mixture in pasture seeding. 
As to the statement which has been made that 
if the seed is sown thick the ‘‘tufting” habit 
will be overcome, we have to repeat that such 
is not the case at the Rural Farm. It soon 
assumes this habit. 
Meant for You not Another.— Mark 
these words well Rural readers’ from a ser¬ 
mon by H. W. Beecher; “My friends, go 
home, but don’t talk about tins sermon and 
say, ‘I wish my boy had been there this morn¬ 
ing;’ you are here, anyhow. Don’t look across 
the street and say, ‘If that shrew had only 
been there, she would have got a good lesson.’ 
You are here. Carry it into your household. 
Say to your children, as they mark your im 
perfections in these respects, ‘I confess my 
sin.’ Let it be the law in your family; speak 
evil of no one, rejoice not in anybody’s fail¬ 
ings, ridicule none in such a sense as shall 
diminish their standing with others, or be a 
source of pain to them. Carry yourself as 
the sun carries itself to-day riding in the 
heavens. There is not an insect so gauzy, 
there is not a worm so mean, there is not a 
moss so small, there is not a tree so tall, 
there is not one single, solitary thing that has 
a drop of life in it which the glorious sun 
does not treat like a prince, pouring its own 
light and life and warmth on it and into it. 
Do thou like the sun. Carry light and warmth 
and sweetness, aud so shall ye be t he children 
of God.” 
— - - 
Green’s Fruit-grower says: “The Rural 
New-Yorker should receive credit for re¬ 
deeming animal portraiture from the realms 
of caricature to the realistic. Good bye to 
drawings of cattle and swine that resemble 
nothing on the earth, under it or in deep 
ocean. And still unsatisfied the indomitable 
Rural brings in the artistic landscape and 
fair]}' makes things live aud breathe.” 
-- 
Lime kiln Club Philosophy.— “De sezun 
has now arrove for pullin’ ole hats and pil- 
lers outer de broken winders, an’ I seize de 
occashun to ax you to remember dat a front 
gate oil’ its hinges means a slip-shod man in 
de house, Dat a red nose means a hungry 
flour barrel. Dat no man eber got work sit- 
tiu’ on the fence an’ discussin’ de needs ob de 1 
keutry. Dat de less pollytieks a man has de 
mo’ cash he kin pay grocer. Dat argu ments 
on religion won’t build churches nor pay do 
preachers. Dat a fum’ly which uebber bor¬ 
rows nor lends keeps uayburs de longest. Dat 
de world am full o’ mice-holes, an’ till de cats 
need do am to watch an’ wait. Dat liberty 
doan’ gin you de right to eat anoder man’s 
chickens.” The above bit of homely advice is 
from the Detroit Free Press. 
-- 
Gulden Yellow: not a Fast Color.— 
The following is from our respected contem¬ 
porary, the Farmers’ Review: “The Rural 
New-Yorker relates as a fact that a party 
in the South purchased a Jersey cow from ait 
advertised description in which the “golden 
yellow skin” was promiueutiy sot forth. But 
after a few days, to his unbounded ustorisb- 
mout., the golden yellow color disappeared 
from the skin—faded out— vamoosed — ab¬ 
squatulated—leaving only the ordinary flesh 
t,int. He was very naturally disappointed, as 
the “goldeu yellow color” was what he had set 
his heart upon, and quite probably used some 
cuss words. Was it a peculiarity of the 
climate that caused the yellow color to dis¬ 
solve like the “baseless fabric of a dream,” or 
was the g. y. e. artificial, put on for effect? If 
so, future operators in that Hue should be 
careful to use only fast colors. The Rural 
New-Y oukeu owes it as a duty to the public 
and especially to reliable Jersey breeders, to 
make public the name of this Jersey color 
artist. If it will do so the Farmers’ Review 
will help to pass it around. Hereafter al 
Jerseys sold on the strength of golden yellow 
color should.be “warranted not. to fade.” 
W e have to reply that Stockman’s authority 
was the Albany Cultivator of March 29, page 
257, as follows: 
“Fraud tn Color. —A Southern correspond¬ 
ent sends us the following statement: Some 
time since I bought a Jersey heifer by order* 
represented to be line, with “skin as yellow as 
gold.” She arrived all right, and on examin¬ 
ation of her skin I found it nceedingly yellow 
—very rich, from her neck all along the hack, 
and ears also, and I thought. I had something 
that would fill the bill. A few weeks have 
elapsed, and not a vestige of yellow skin re_ 
mains—all gone. Now I want to know if that is 
a trick used by rascals to defraud honest men.’* 
- • — 
Valuable Sheep. —Probably the most 
noted and notable lot of sheep in Kansas is that 
known as the T ill flock of Merinos, originally 
brought to that State from Hlinois by Mr. A. 
J. Uhl in 1866, but since 1870 maintained in 
Butler County and owned now mainly by E. 
Copland & Son. near Augusta. The Live 
Stock Indicator says that it has been owned 
aud built up by men who believed in a heavy 
fleece of wool on a good-sized sheep: who be¬ 
lieved the best way' to secure this was to breed 
from the best, regardless of alleged fancy ped¬ 
igrees, and to use feed early aud liberally, 
though as to pedigree, they entertained no 
prejudice against it when backed up by the 
right kind of an animal. In May the Messrs. 
Copland sheared their flock of about 600, 
and a correspondent of the Kansas Farmer 
who was present, states that there w as not a 
single sheep that gave less than 14 pounds of 
wool, and the entire lot made the wonderful 
average of 18 pounds and seven ounces each. 
One lot of 100 ewes sheared an average of 153^ 
pounds each: the second 100 averaged 16)^ 
pounds; 100 ewes, mostly two-year-olds, rais¬ 
ing lambs, averaged 20 pounds. The ewe flock 
were shorn last year during the first week in 
May; this year the shearing began May 16. 
Two yearling ewes clipped 22 pounds each 
another clipped 23 pounds. The aged wethers 
clipped respectively 24, 80 and 31 pounds. Th e 
four-year-old ram Phil Sheridan sheared of 
2Jvinch staple 30;. pounds, being a growth of 
358 days. Romeo, an aged ram, clipped 31 
pounds, also of 358 days growth, and a two- 
year old ram 31; j pounds of 2' a-ineh staple. 
The fleeces of 64 yearling rams ranged in 
weight from 16 to 24 pounds. 
Ensilage for Milk and Butter.— The 
London Mark Lane Express remarks that Pro" 
fessor Brown, of the Ontario College of Agri¬ 
culture, has beeu carrying out some experi¬ 
ments in feeding dairy cows with ensilage, and 
in his report he states:—Iu competition with 
Swede turnips ensilaged corn gave 15 per 
cent. less milk, 30 per cent. less batter 
and a poorer marketable butter in color’ 
The specific gravity of the milk obtained 
from tho two kinds of diet differed but 
little, but the yield per cow per day was 33 
pounds from turnips, and only 28 pounds from 
ensilage. Tho percentage of cream stood re¬ 
spectively 12 and 12 b, per cent. Hay and 
bran were used with both. Professor Brown 
regards the use of ensilage as advisable only 
as a supplementary food or relish. 
-* 4 *-— 
Again Mr. Brown, in a statement of lessons 
obtained from the Winter’s experiments, says: 
A pure Short-horn steer can be brought to a 
weight of 1,700 pounds w hen one mouth under 
two years old. or a rate of increase equal 
to 2*, pounds per day. Hereford grade steer 
calves can be made to average 611 pounds in 
238 days, or a rate of 2;', pounds per day. 
Aberdeen Polled grade steer calves can be 
unite average 720 pounds in 273 days, or a 
rate of 2- ;i pounds per day. 
The editor of the enterprising Courier, of 
shall we say the enterprising editor of the ex¬ 
cellent Courier, visited the Shakers. “You 
seem to prefer the Holsteins, and why?" he in¬ 
quired. “Because,” was the reply, "they com¬ 
bine the good qualities of various breeds- 
Their milk is rich enough; they give a good 
quantity; they tire docile; possess great vital¬ 
ity ; make good beef, and the oxen are stroug, 
sturdy workers. We were fortunate in hav¬ 
ing good stock to cross upon, and we now 
have as good a herd of cattle as one could 
wish for. We have 33 cows from which we 
manufacture about 180 pounds of butter per 
week, at present.” 
SHORT AND FRESH. 
Mr. Olcott of the Courant, does not think 
that the Manchester is the meanest of all his 
strawberries. One of his visitors thought it 
was the meanest of berries considering what it 
has had done for it... 
Mr. P. Barry- says that the fruit of the 
blackberry is agreeable for the dessert, among 
the best for canning and always healthful. 
Blackberries ripen just between raspberries 
and early poaches and pears, thus helping to 
fill an otherwise vacant season... 
Says the Northwestern Miller: “Let the 
flour sit on the back of the stove or some other 
warm place 24 hours and you will be surprised 
at the difference it will make in either bread 
or cake... 
“ My advice to de Hoosier brudder am not 
to lie or deceive in tradin’ mules, but to an¬ 
swer as few quesbuns as he kin, an’ seem sort 
o’ keerless whedder his offer am ’cepted or 
not.”. 
Rev. Dr. McKkndree puts the case forc¬ 
ibly: No girl, he says, be she of the city or the 
country, is fit to be a wife till she caD, if neces¬ 
sary, cook a meal, make a dress and keep a 
house in order. Accomplishments are good, 
but a tired husband would much prefer a good 
square meal. All matches that are brought 
about by selfish motives are tin hoi}-, and wo¬ 
men who marry for position or wealth are just 
as guilt)-as those who sell their virtue for a 
given sum. They are, in fact, living a life of 
legalized prostitution. 
A Lover of Flowers.—“ Yes,’’said Mrs. 
Towser, as she expatiated upon the beauties of 
her flower garden, “I have given it great care 
and if you come over in a week or two I expect 
to be able to show you some beautiful scarlet 
pneumonias.”... 
Peter Henderson mentions that of 20 dif¬ 
ferent kinds of celery tested last season he 
found White Walnut the best. 
Col. Gillett says that we have passed 
the time when there is any profit in growing 
steers first and then fattening them after¬ 
ward....... 
The trotting premiums of Fairs can safely 
be omitted, but those for fast walkers should 
be permanent and liberal, says the Weekly 
Press....... 
By outward sliow let’s not be cheated. 
An ass should like an ass be treated..!_ 
“Beer-Drinkers,” says Popular Science 
News, “are now consuming vast quantities of 
very filthy drugs owing to the high price of 
hops... 
Mr. J. W. Darrow tells us that the longer 
Paris-green is mixed with plaster before using, 
the more effectual the application will be. 
This is an important item.... 
We hear now of a double white Abutilon, 
the stamens having, some of them, turned to 
petals. There are few double flowers that are 
improvements over the old angle sorts. A 
double Balsam or Portulaca or Rose is better 
than single flowers—but a double Petunia or 
Clematis or Wistaria or Violet is not. 
Save the seed of Gladioli. They should be 
planted half-an-ineh deep. The first year they 
grow to the hight of a foot. Most of them 
will bloom the third year..... 
Mu. J. J. Thomas calls attention to the fact 
that objectionable names are creeping into our 
fruit nomenclature. He mentions Big Bob as 
unsuitable to a tine strawberry aud rhinks that 
Shirts deserves a better name. He thinks that 
the Superb Raspberry is no more superb than 
some other kinds. “Garfield” is now being 
used to push forward second-rate, new fruits 
The French word Beurre is applied to 270 
names and synonyms of pears which would be 
quite as intelligible without it. The same may 
be said of “Pippin” among apples. 
The Weekly Press recommends Buckwheat 
to ameliorate the Winter of our discontent.... 
Dr. Sturteva.nt of the N. Y. Exp. Station 
tried placing corn-cobs dipped in coal tar 
among the vines to keep away the striped bug 
or cucumber beetle. This “ noxious sub¬ 
stance," he says, apparently drove away the 
greater part of the beetles. Thus, he found 
2S beetles on 29 plauts of squashes on which no 
preventive had been used, while on 42 plants 
about which cobs dipped in the coal-tar had 
beeu placed, he found but 16 beetles. 
Dr. Thurber calls attention to the fact 
that hogs are fond of Purslane (Pussley); 
that hens are fond of it and that it is not to be 
despised as a table Y-egetable. French gar¬ 
deners cultivate three kinds, viz: the Green, 
Golden and the Large-leaved... 
For refined flavor in grapes Pres. Wilder 
mentions Brighton. Lindley and Jefferson_ 
Mr. Chas. A. Green calls Watermelon “a 
delicious beverage.". . 
A member of the Elmira Farmers’ Club, as 
reported in the Husbandman, says that he cut 
a field of oats when the grain was iu the milk 
and it was estimated by the one who fed them 
as worth twice as much as good hay. Mr. 
Armstrong estimates oats cut green for cattle 
feeding as worth more for cows in milk than 
any other fodder. Cattle and horses eat the 
whole—the last bit of straw. It imparts color 
to butter the same as it takes from fresh pas¬ 
tures. 
Tie tip the grape-vines canes, destroying the 
shoots that interfere iu such a manner that 
they cannot be tied up. Thin out the bunches. 
Sow Hungarian Grass seed one bushel or more 
to the acre upon a fine, surface-manured seed 
bed. 
Yes, it is true, Mr. Green, Sec. C. W. Gar¬ 
field is one of the most uuselfish of men. Hor¬ 
ticulturists of Michigan should appreciate aud 
be proud of him. . 
