726 
THE ORAI NEW-YORKER. 
straw or grain from it. Below is a statement 
of our observations:— 
The Hybrid Mediterranean Wheat was 
planted September 23rd, 1882. in Hiram Sibley 
& Co’s test grounds, in very rich garden soil, 
seed four inches apart in drills two feet apart. 
The seed vegetated October 2 very evenly. 
The young plants grow vigorously until snow 
came. During the Winter the gronnd was 
bare mneb of the time, and on several occa¬ 
sions ice rested upon the plat for a number of 
days. The wheat came through the Winter 
all right, lining thoroughly hardy, and in early 
Spring appeared the best of any of nine varie¬ 
ties, among which were Martin’s Amber, 
Lovett’s White, Red Mediterranean, Turkey, 
Velvet Chaff, etc., and it has kept the lead 
throughout, being at thus time nearly ready 
for harvest. Tho varieties all had an equal 
chance being planted in the same manner. 
The growth of the wheat in tho Fall was no 
special advantage as protection against frost, 
because tho distance between the plants pre¬ 
vented any protection of the soil. To-day we 
counted 12 stools, selected as near os possible, 
to obtain an average. One had 72 stems and 
heads; one 42; one 40; one 48; one 41; one 39; 
one 34; one 33; one 30; two 28; one 27. Tho 
average bight was about five foot; the average 
length of head about three inches, some of 
them running throe-und-a half to four inches. 
Tho excessively wet weather seems to have pre¬ 
vented some of the blossoms from fertilizing, 
and the birds have picked out so many kernels 
that it i i impossible to got a fair count of the 
grains In the heads. The fields of tbis wheat 
being grown in lighter soil uud move exposed 
situations near Rochester, show much better 
sample heads than this garden plat, although 
the yield will bo loss, probably 25 and 30 
bushels per acre.” 
A friend at Vermont writes as follows: 
“ The Bo-called Mediterranean Hybrid Winter 
Wheat 1 think very favorably of, and now ex¬ 
pect to sow a quantity of it next Fall. If we 
cun find a Winter wheat that will yield as 
well as Clawson and give us better flour, and 
stand our Winters, we shall fed pretty 
good about itv I think this variety fills the bill 
well. It stands up well under our heavy 
winds and does not lodge. ” 
FOUETH. 
A HEW RYE— “ THOUSAND-FOLD.” 
In our Fair Number of last year were given 
the results of our test of this rye, received 
through a friend from Germany. They were 
sown October 2 and yielded heavily, though, 
being but a single drill, no fair estimate of the 
yield per acre could be given. The illustration 
Fig. 613 is taken from an average head while 
still green. Some of the stools had 19 
stems measuring six feet three inches in hight. 
FIFTH. 
HORSFORD’S MARKET GARDEN PEA. 
This was sent to us to be tested l>y Mr. F. H. 
Horsford of Charlotte, Vermont, the origina¬ 
tor. It was grown In a plot among many 
other kinds and selected by us on account of 
its productiveness, the size and quality of the 
seed, though, as will bo seen from our accurate 
engraving, Fig. 616, tho podsuro not large. But 
they are borne in pairs. Mr. Horsford writes: “I 
made the cross in the Bummer of ’79 by using 
the pollen of Laxton’s Alpha on the A merican 
Wonder. There were tb roc peas one of which 
produced the Racket, the other two the Mar¬ 
ket Garden. Unlikemost of my crosses, the 
Market Garden has shown almost no variation 
since the first two plants came up. They were 
so nearly alike that L put thorn together. I 
compared the quality of it with tho Wonder 
and could see no difference. 1 quote from 
Prof. S. M. Tracy’s (Mo.) report: * Ripened 
about with McLean’s Advuncer and have a 
full crop ripening entirely within eight days— 
quality excellent. I think the fact that the 
crop ripens within so short a time is one of its 
best Doints for the Market Garden. ’ ” 
■ ' - ■ ■ 4 ♦ 
SIXTH 
BLACK CHAMPION OATS. 
These oats also were sent to us to be tested 
by Mr. Horsford. Ho received them with 14 
other varieties from Europe under a foreign 
name, and being I lie most promising of all in bis 
climate (Vermont) he reii imod them as above 
and raised a stock. Our o.vn plants grew to 
thu bight of five feet and over with heavy 
stems and broad leaves, as shown at Fig. 612. 
The panicles ore spreading uud the size 
of the oat is shown in the figure. The remark¬ 
able thing about this oat is that it tillers 
more than any variety wo have ever 
raised, so that half the quantity of seed 
usually sown per acre would suffice. The 
Rural merely sends out this black oat for 
mugnmi. 
.KOi MtAV. 
Mm 
RURAL UNION CORN.— Fig. 614. 
trial, without any further knowlodgo of how 
it may behave in other parts of the country - 
Mr. Horsford writes us. “If yon will com. 
pare its panicles with others, you will find, f 
think, that its shape is apt to mislead and that 
tho average number of grains in a panicle 
will compare favorably with other kinds. I 
have selected fi ve of tho best hoods 1 could 
find of each of five varieties of oats, including 
tho Black Champion, and liavo counto 1 and 
averaged the grains per head: 
VI 
°Bi 
O 
*sj 
"egg 
43 U' 
Averag 
head. 
£ C 
Whlto Probestolr. 
White Belgian . 
Hallett’s Petllgreo Whlto Canadian 
Whlto Challenge.. 
an 
sis 
72fi 
427 
383 
ICS 4-5 
11,3 3-5 
145 1-5 
a, 2-5 
78 3-5 
The White Probosfcelr and White Belgian 
have tho advantage from tho fact that they 
have had good cultivation and been selected 
for several years. 1 ho Black Champion is 
less inclined to rust with mo than most sorts, 
though quite lute in maturing.” 
SEVENTH. 
THE RURAL GARDEN TREASURES. 
Fok our lady friends it is proposed to mako 
this collection of mixed seeds as valuable as 
possiblo and to send to each applicant a 
quantity sulllciont to fill a little garden with 
all the most desirable bedding plants in culti¬ 
vation, not including, as we did last year 
seeds of hardy shrubs, which, requiring a 
longer time to germinate, should not bo sown 
Rural Union Corn, Cross Section.— 
Fig. 615. 
with those which germinate freely. Many of 
our subscribers have ulready kindly offered to 
furnish the Rural with seeds of rare orchoico 
varieties which they liavo gathered and are 
gathering for the purpose, and wo shall hope 
from this source mono to mako up a varied 
and rare collection which, without such aid, 
it would be difficult to do. The rest of tho 
seeds will lie gathered at the Rural Grounds 
and imported from Europe. 
EIGHTH AND LAST. 
TOMATO SEEDS OF ALL THE LATEST 
AND BEST VARIETIES. 
For the past seven years we have made 
selections from our host strains of tomatoes 
with a view to incroase their solidity, keeping 
qualities and smoothness. No cross-breeding 
has been attempted; neither have we en¬ 
deavored to produce earlier kinds. Tho 
largest and smoothest specimens of fruit have 
boon spread out on boards and tho seeds have 
been saved from those alone which remained 
sound and firm tho longest. Besides our own 
strains, tho collection will bo made up of Liv- 
ington’s Favorite, Perfection and Paragon 
(Acme is excluded because it rot* in many 
places), Rochester, Mayflower, Cardinal, Cli¬ 
max, etc., etc., etc. Thus it will be scon that 
every applicant for this Seed Distribution will 
have the opportunity,without oxjxmso, of rais¬ 
ing ft few plants of all the host kinds of toma¬ 
toes known as well as of a number of kinds not 
yet offered for stile, uud in this way b« enabled 
to make bis own selections for another season 
from those which ho dooms in all respects the 
best for his soil and climate. 
- m 
INSTRUCTIONS. 
One packet of each of the above Eight 
Kinds of seeds will be sent POST-PAID to overy 
subscriber of the Rural New-Yorker who 
applies before April 1st. 1884. inclosing a tlireo- 
eont stamp as guarantee that lie or she is in¬ 
terested in the farm and garden. 
The Distribution will begin early in the 
New Year. 
Applicants need not request us to substitute 
any other kinds of secxls for those offered. Tho 
entire distribution will be sent to each appli¬ 
cant. 
A large per cent, of miscarriages are caused 
by the fact that tho names and addrossos are 
