638 
three pounds 8Vi ounces. Large and sma 
170.610 or ll 8 i to the hilL 
The seed of the Rural Blush yielded 282.33 
bushels to the acre. Best five weighed ones 
pound, six ounces. Large and small, 116.120 to 
the acre, or eight to a hill. The shoots ap¬ 
peared before those of the stem end. The 
stem end yielded 937.71 bushels to the acre. 
Best five two pounds 5 V 'ounces. Large and 
small 232,320 to the acre or 16 to a hill. 
The seed end of Queen of the Valley yielded 
363.00 bushels to the acre. Best five weighed 
two pounds 15Vi ounces. Large and small 
67,760 to the acre or over 4>£ to a hill. The 
shoots appeared before those of the stem end. 
The stem end of Queen of the Valley yielded 
398.21 bushels to the acre. Best five, four 
pounds l!.j ounce. Large and small 72,600 to 
the acre. 
Judging from these tests alone, we should 
select the stem eud for seed of the Blush and 
Queen of the Valley and the seed end for the 
Early Rose, except that in the latter case the 
potatoes averaged smaller. The seed potatoes 
were cut in halves, one for the seed, the other 
for the stem end. The Blush this season 
straggled in some cases two feet from the main 
stem of the plant. 
It would appear that with some varieties it 
is better to plant seed emls; with others it is 
better to plant stem ends, and such tests should 
be made with every variety. 
No. 1 Grape.—From Nature.—Fig. 645. 
Desmodium penduli florum.— Again we 
can not too highly recommend the Pendulous 
Desmodium as a profusely-flowering Fall 
plant. The pink purple pea flowers are borne 
by the thousands, so that more of them than 
of the foliage are visible. It is now from six to 
seven feet high—the pliant branches bending 
over iu a graceful manner. 
RASPBERRIES IN MICHIGAN. 
T. T. LYON. 
Little’s Prolific opened the raspberry sea- 
on this year. It originated, as I understand, 
with Jolm'Little, an earnest and careful ama¬ 
teur, of Ontario, Canada. The plant is slender 
and branching; the shoots green, entirely 
without spines. It has borne a heavy crop of 
medium-sized, slightly conical fruit, light 
purplish red in color, and rather acid in flavor. 
It increases by suckers. 
Souhegan showed ripe fruit on July 10. 
Like all the Black-caps, it is abundantly hardy. 
It must, so far as I can judge from the expe¬ 
rience of this very exceptional season, divide 
the meed of preference with the Tyler and 
Hopkins, since the three ripen very nearly to¬ 
gether, and are in most respects very nearly 
identical. The three are tip-rooting, and 
showed ripe fruit from the 10th to the 12th 
of July. 
Superb showed ripe specimens on the plant¬ 
ing of last year on July 10. Fruit very large 
and of superior flavor. I regard it as a very 
desirable amateur variety; but the color is too 
dark to suit the market; besides which it has 
▼cry large pips which easily separate or crum¬ 
ble in picking. It is a moderately vigorous 
plant, increasing by suckers. 
New Rochelle is to all appearance a hy¬ 
brid between Occidentalis and Stngosus, 
with fruit of good size and quality; but it 
must, in my estimation, give place to Shaffer. 
It roots from tips only. 
Brandywine ripened about July 12; but is 
less productive than a dozen others on my 
grounds, while it is by no means superior iu 
flavor. 
Hansell, on plants set last Spring, ripened 
a few berries about July 14. It appears to be 
thrifty and the fruit, under the circumstances, 
is unexpectedly large and of very good color 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
SEPT 2© 
and flavor. 1 regard it as likely to prove 
valuable. 
Parnell was planted a year since with no 
knowledge of its peculiarities, though it was 
reputed to be of foreign (Idreusl parentage. 
Be that as it. may, it stood uninjured through 
the past severe Winter and has now produced 
a heavy crop of large, bright, red, cornea^ 
fruit, though a little too dark when overripe. 
The flavor is rich with a. peculiar though pleas¬ 
ant. spiciness. It ripened July 16. 
Turner is mild and rather rich in flavor, 
and the plant is vigorous and hardy: but.it 
will scarcely excel the Brandywine either iu 
size or productiveness. 
Montclair, though reasonably productive 
and of good quality, cannot. T tear, assume a 
prominent place on account of the dark color 
of the fruit. 
Reder has no superior in mv estimation 
among the reds, if we except the Cuthbert, 
with which it comes but slightlv in competi¬ 
tion, since it matures considerably earlier. It. 
is but. slightly loss than Cuthbert in size, and 
has the same bright color, with even a finer 
flavor. It. handles well and has. so far, com¬ 
manded an extra price in the market. 
Ohio is one of the mildest in flavor of the 
Black-cans, coming in between the earlier 
sorts and the Mammoth Cluster and Gregg. 
These considerations render it, in my estima¬ 
tion, one of the most desirable. 
Welsh, on plants of last Spring’s setting, 
has shown some large, bright, red fruits, of 
rather acid flavor. It shows abundant vigor; 
but its productiveness as a market sort (the 
purpose to which it seems host, adapted) can 
only be determined upon farther trial. 
Wetherree is a comparatively new tip¬ 
rooting variety, of the same class with the 
new' Rochelle. Ganargua and Shaffer; but the 
fruit is too small and sparselv produced. T do 
not, therefore, regard it as relatively valuable. 
Niagara is a new variety which I planted 
only last Spring The few fruits produced 
are too dark in color to suit the popular fanev, 
although the texture and flavor are good. It 
gives indications of vigor and productiveness. 
Cuthrkrt is doubtless to be the leading 
red market, raspberry of the future. It com¬ 
menced to ripen here this season about Au¬ 
gust. 1st. and wall afford more or less fruit as 
late as the 20th. 
Shaffer lias doubtless come to stay. Tts 
dull, dark color will not catch the eye of the 
citv buyer, but for the home the fine flavor 
and the habit, of ripening in succession will 
strongly commend it. The originator and 
introducer may be considered public bene¬ 
factors. 
Dewberries. 
Barter’s Dewberry and Mammoth Dew¬ 
berry have been trailing about mv grounds 
for the vear past.. Whether I do not under¬ 
stand them, or whether thev are reallv 
“tramps’’ constitutionally disinclined to settle 
down to actual business, I will not undertake 
to determine. Be this as it may, it is clear 
that thev must improve immensely in their 
productiveness to be worthy of the ground 
they occupy. 
Blackberries. 
Wilson’s Early commenced to ripen 
about A ugust 5. Large and showy, but poor 
in quality. Little grown here. 
Snyder in this region is very largely taking 
the place of the Kittatinnv, on account of the 
great liability of the latter to attacks of the 
blackberry fungus. It commenced to ripen 
with me about. August 5. 
Lawton ripened a few berries here about 
August 10. It 1 b too liable to w'inter-killing 
even at the Lake Shore. 
Taylor’s Prolific is a little later than 
Snyder, but equally hardy and prolific, and 
seen is likely to be a dose competitor for the 
favor of planters. Ripe August 12. 
Stone’s Hardy Is said to be a Wisconsin 
production, and much esteemed at the Far 
West. Here it is productive and apparently 
hardy, but the fruit with us is not large 
enough for the market, although of good 
flavor. Ripe August 14. 
Crystal White is considerably advertised 
by Eastern parties, mainly, as I suppose, ou 
account of its color. It is a moderate grower, 
but, I am sorry to say. it was so badly winter¬ 
killed last Winter that it is showing very- 
few fruits, which, however, are beautiful in 
color and very pleasant in flavor. They be¬ 
gan to ripen (doubtless out of season) about 
August 15. 
Early Harvest is mainly commended ou 
account of extreme earliness. Like the pre¬ 
ceding, it was winter-killed badly, and has 
produced very little fruit, and that more or 
lees imperfect. Planted in 1882, it may not 
have ripened its wood properly last Fall, 
South Haven, Mich. 
NOTES AND COMMENTS. 
I cultivated five varieties of potatoes this 
season—Early Ohio, Early' Rose, White Ele¬ 
phant, Queen of the Valley and IV lute Star— 
and the result of my experience with them 
was that for the earliest crop, there was none 
better than the Ohio while for the later or 
general crop the White Star is to be preferred. 
For the earliest crop or for forcing I know 
of none better than the Alpha; but for some- 
reason or other I could not obtain any this 
Spring. As I have often stated, it is consider¬ 
ably earlier than the Ohio, which renders it 
very desirable for garden work. Fora variety 
to succeed the Alpha. I know of none better 
than the Ohio, and when the Alpha cannot be 
obtained I would select the Ohio. 
The Early Ohio proves to be a week or ten 
days earlier than the Early Rose, to which it 
bears a striking resemblance in habit auil 
manner of growth. The vines aro of vigorous 
growth, the tubers being almost round in shape 
and of a uuiform size. They cook dry aud 
mealy; but although of the finest quality are 
not exactly of pure white color. 
It seems to lie almost unnecessary for me to 
describe the Early Rose further than to say 
that it was the first of Mr. Breezee’s seedlings 
that was distributed to the public, and since 
then it has become the standard for earliness 
and productiveness, but I cannot say that I con¬ 
sider it of the first quality. 
It is to me very singular that so many have 
a good word to say for the Queen of the Val¬ 
ley, as here it proves to be entirely worthless. 
It grows well enough aud is remarkably pro¬ 
ductive, and the tubere are of large size, some¬ 
what square at the ends, the seed eud having 
a pinkish tinge, and thus it can be easily dis¬ 
tinguished from any other variety. But when 
the tubers are cooked they are of such an in¬ 
different quality as to be unlit for table use. I 
do not recollect seeing anything of the kind 
mentioned in any of our horticultural publica¬ 
tions, and therefore am rather diffident iu al¬ 
luding to it. But such is the case; it is worth¬ 
less with me and I regret it. lOur report was 
made last year. The quality varies in differ¬ 
ent places.— Eds.] 
The White Elephant has proved to be any¬ 
thing but satisfactory to me. It grows well 
enough, and gives promise of a large crop, but 
upon digging the tubers, only one, or at the 
most, three very large ones are to be found in 
a hill. When cooked they are found to be of 
excellent quality. But why cultivate such an 
unproductive variety as this ? 
I cultivated the White Star Potato for the 
first, time this season, and was more than 
pleased with it, and consider it one of the very 
best varieties in cultivation. The vines are < >f 
stocky, vigorous growth, aud it may be classed 
as a medium early variety. It is enormously 
productive, the tubers being of large and uui¬ 
form size, and when cooked they are unsur¬ 
passed, being of fine floury texture, pure white 
color anil excellent flavor. This is one of the 
most attractive varieties, and as soon as its 
merits become known I believe it will super¬ 
sede many, if not nil, of our most prominent 
varieties. Moreover, it is an excellent keeping 
sort, the tubers in May being iu as good a 
condition as when stored iu the Fall. With 
the Alpha for early (or the Ohio for a substi¬ 
tute in case the Alpha cannot be obtained) 1 
do not think any one need wish for anything 
better in the way of potatoes. 
But I do not wish to discourage any person 
from testing now and improved varieties of 
our vegetablesaud fruits, for I know of nothing 
more interesting and profitable to the proprie¬ 
tor of a garden than the opportunity it affords 
him of testing the comparative merits of our 
different fruits and vegetables. Only those who 
have tried it are fully aware of the pleasure! 
profit, aud enjoyment their gardens can be 
made to afford. Chas. E. Parnell. 
----—- 
Beans, Etc. 
Allow me to say a good word for the Green 
Flageolet Beans which, picked when nearly 
ripe and used as a shell bean, are equal, if not 
superior, to the Lima.—[That is what we have 
said,—E ds.] 
Their green color when cooked is very de¬ 
sirable. As string beans they are excellent 
when picked early. I had beans of this variety 
for the table long before the Valentine or Ref¬ 
ugee. Black aud Golden Wax Beans rusted 
badly this Summer. Ivory-pod much bettor in 
this respect. 
A heavy frost ou the 4th killed many cu¬ 
cumber and pumpkin vines, also injuring corn 
greatly. 1 urn afraid Wysor’s Shoe-peg Cora 
will not mature in this section. Hups are 
yielding largely iu good yards. Some report 
1,200 pounds per acre iu the neighborhood of 
Cooperstown. Sales at 25 and 30 cents per 
pound. One of the largest growers is said to 
have oontractod his hops for five years at 20c. 
Potatoes are reported rotting badly iu some 
Diaces, especially Snowflakes, which ripened 
with Early Rose. The Blush Potato still has 
green stems and tny six hills promise well. 
Cooperstown, N. Y. j. n. D. 
VEGETABLE notes FROM CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 
Pot atoes.— I planted the Early Ohio,Beauty 
of Hebron and White Elephant Potatoes (the 
Blush did not reach me); all are fine; but the 
Early Ohio has fewer small potatoes aud 
glows deeper in the ground than the others, 
and so is less liable to sun-burn. Flat culture 
will uot do for potatoes iu this soil. 
Tomatoes. —The Acme. 1’erfection and Gen¬ 
eral Grant Tomatoes, planted in the same soil 
with like culture, showed a difference in 
quantity of nearly one-half in favor of the 
Perfection. 
Onions. —We have an onion here that I have 
never seen iu any other locality, called the 
Winter Onion, that multiplies at top and bot¬ 
tom. 1 prepare the ground and set. about the 
middle of September, and mulch with straw 
or coarse manure as cold weather approaches. 
No working or weeding is necessary. It is 
the first vegetable that uts out, aud one year 
ago last Spring I marketed green onions on 
March 1st. G. w. 
Centralia, Ill. 
farm fcopieg. 
PHOSPHATE versus SUPERPHOSPHATE. 
GEORGE CLENDON, JR. 
“ Superphosphate,” is now a household word 
with our farmers. Since the day when Liebig 
suggested the employment of sulphuric acid 
to render the more valuable phosphoric acid 
soluble, hundreds of thousands of tons of 
superphosphate of lime have been used. The 
almost universal need of phosphoric acid iu 
our soils warrants the attempt to cheapen the 
supply, aud to inquire whether in some cases 
a simple phosphate may not l»e as efficacious 
as the manipulated and more costly article. 
Iu 1870 l sent, a ton of common, ground, but 
otherwise untreated. South Carolina phos¬ 
phate to my brother, then residing ou my 
farm in Louisa Co , Va. He applied it at the 
rate of 300 pounds per acre to com in the hill. 
The Summer was very dry, and the crop was 
a failure. Iu ’71 the field was sown with oats 
and seeded with clover; another dry year and 
another failure of the crop followed. But in 
’72. wherever a hill of corn had stood, there, 
and there only, was a hunch of clover. Satis¬ 
fied I was on the right track, I applied the 
raw phosphate to wheat ou a more extensive 
scale. A field of 50 acres was sown to wheat 
aod manured with this cheap fertilizer,iu quan¬ 
tities varying from 250 to 400 pounds an acre. 
A strip about uu eighth of a mile long was 
manured with a good uuamrnoniuled super¬ 
phosphate, and another strip equally long 
was left mi manured. The fertilizer and 
wheat were sown broadcast and harrowed in 
together. At harvest and during the growing 
season no difference could be perceived be¬ 
tween the effects of the superphosphate find 
raw phosphate, but the unfertilized strip boro 
a very poor crop. A mile off, it could lie 
soon like a road running through the field: on 
either side was a fair crop, considering the ex¬ 
tremely poor soil, and on the strip itself, a 
stunted growth that did not cover the ground. 
The field was then left to itself, when, except 
on the unfertilized strip, a spontaneous growth 
of lied Clover appeared, affording fair pas¬ 
ture. The clover gradually died out, other 
grasses, Blue or Wire Grass—Poa compressa 
—especially, taking its place, but the strip 
remained visible for years. 
Then in conjunction with my brother, I 
tried it on coni, both ou his farm and on mine, 
with marked benefit, but so far no quanti¬ 
tative test had been made. Iu 1880 l pro¬ 
cured Professor Atwater’s set A of fertilizers 
for an acre and in addition manured a plot 
with raw phosphate at the rate of 400 pounds 
per acre. The whole was planted with coru. 
The phosphate gave an increase of 19 bushels 
of shelled corn per acre over the tin manured 
plot, bcuting 300 pounds of superphosphate, 
alone and with potash, but being beaten bj the 
complete manure, viz., superphosphate, pot¬ 
ash and nitrogen. It even beat stable man¬ 
ure at the rate of twenty loads to the acre, 
but this L think was owing to the latter re¬ 
maining undecomposed in the soil. An ac¬ 
count of this experiment can bo found in the 
Conn., Ag., Report for 1880, 
A great advantage in the use of this cheap 
fertilizer is that there is no waste. It neither 
leaches, evaporates, nor “reverts” from a dear 
