THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
straw or gram from it. Below is a statement 
of our observations:— 
The Hybrid Mediterranean Wheat was 
planted September 33rd, 1882. in Hiram Sibley 
& Go’s test grounds, in very rich garden soil, 
seed four inches apart in drills two feet apart 
The seed vegetated October 3 very evenly. 
The young plants grew vigorously until snow 
came. During the Winter the ground was 
bare much 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, being 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 this time nearly ready 
for harvest. The varieties all had an equal 
chance being planted in the same manner. 
The growth of the wheat in the Fall was no 
special advantage as protection against frost, 
because the distance between the plants pre¬ 
vented any protection of the soil. To-day we 
coanted 12 stools, selected as near as possible, 
to obtain an average. One hud 72 stems and 
heads; one 49; one 46; one 4S; one 41; one 39; 
one 34; one 33; one 80; two 38; one 37. The 
average hight was about five feet; the average 
length of head about three inches, some of 
them running three-aud-a-half to four inches. 
The excessively wet weather seems to have pre¬ 
vented some of the blossoms from fertilizing, 
and the bards have picked out so many kernels 
that it is impossible to get a fair count of the 
grains in the heads. The fields of this -wheat 
being grown iu lighter soil and more exposed 
situations near Rochester, show much better 
sample beads than this garden plat, although 
the yield will be less, probably 25 and 30 
bushels per acre.” 
A friend at Vermont writes as follows: 
“ The so-called Mediterranean Hybrid Winter 
Wheat I think very favorably of, and now ex¬ 
pect to sow a quantity of it next Fall. If we 
ean find a Winter wheat that will yield as 
well as Clawson and give us lietter flour, and 
staud our Winters, we shall feel pretty 
good about it. I think this variety fills the bill 
well. It stands up well under our heavy 
winds and does not lodge.” 
trial, without any further knowledge of how 
it may behave in other parts of the country- 
Mr. Horsford writes ns. “ If you will com. 
pare its panicles with others, you will find, I 
think, that its shape is upt to mislead and that 
the average number of grains in a panicle 
will compare favorably with other kinds. I 
have selected five of the best heads I could 
find of each of five varieties of oats, including 
the Black Champion, and have eoiintei and 
averaged the grains per head: 
Whig, nliXi elr . 8,8 103 3-5 
White BeUfiau . . jog iis i.« 
HMiriPa rvuiRreo Wlilte Runiidian. 427 852-5 
hite Challenge. .... feu 783.5 
The White Probcstoir and White Belgian 
have the advantage from tho fact that they 
have had good cultivation and been selected 
for several years. Ihe Black Champion is 
less inclined to rust with me than most sorts, 
though quite late in maturing.” 
SEVENTH. 
THE RURAL GARDEN TREASURES. 
For our lady friends it is proposed to make 
this collection of mixed seeds ns valuable as 
possible and to send to each applicant a 
quantity Bulllcieut to fill a little garden with 
all the most desirable bedding plants in culti¬ 
vation, not including, os we did last year 
seeds of hardy shrubs, which, requiring a 
longer time to germinate, should not bo sown 
FOURTH, 
A NEW 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 Octobers and yielded teavily, 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. 
Rural Union Corn, Cross Section.— 
Fig. 8X5. 
with those which genniuate freely. Many of 
our subscribers have already kindly offered to 
furnish the Rural with seeds of rare or choice 
varieties winch they have gathered and are 
gathering for the purpose, and wo shull hope 
from this source atone to make up a -varied 
and xare collection which, without such aid, 
it would bo difficult to do. The rest of the 
seeds will be gathered at the Rural Grounds 
and imported from Europe. 
FIFTH, 
HORSFORD’S MARKET GARDEN PEA, 
EIGHTH AND LAST. 
This was sent to us to be tested by 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 be seen from our ac curate 
engraving, Fig. 016, the pods a re not large. But 
they are borne in pairs. Mr. Horsford writes: “I 
made the cross in the Summer of '79 by using 
the pollen of Laxton’s Alpha on the American 
Wonder. There were three peas one of which 
produced the Racket, the other two the Mar¬ 
ket Gan leu. Unlike most of my crosses, the 
Market Garden has shown almost no variation 
since the first two plants came up. They were 
so nearly alike that I put them together. I 
compared the quality of it with the Wouder 
and could see no difference. J quote from 
Prof. S. M. Tracy’s (Mo.) report: ‘Ripened 
about with McLean’s Advancer 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 ooints for the Market Garden.' ” 
TOMATO SEEDS OF ALL THE LATEST 
AND BEST VARIETIES. 
For the past seven years we have made 
selections from our best straius of tomatoes 
with a view to increase their solidity, keeping 
qualities and smoothness. No cross-breeding 
has been attempted; neither have we en¬ 
deavored to produce earlier kinds. The 
largest and smoothest specimens of fruit have 
been spread out on boards and the seeds have 
been saved from those alone which remained 
sound and firm tho longest. Besides our own 
strains, tho collection will be made up of Liv- 
ington’s Favorite, Perfection and Paragon 
(Acme is excluded because It rota iu many 
places), Rochester, Mayflower, Cardinal, Cli¬ 
max, etc., etc., etc. Thus it will be seeu that 
every applicant for this Seed Distribution will 
huve tho opportunity,without expense, of rais¬ 
ing a few plants of all the best kinds of toma¬ 
toes known us well as of a number of kinds not 
yet offered for sale, und in this way I* enabled 
to make bis own selections for another season 
from those which he deems in all respects the 
best for his soil and climate. 
i/.Vfy 
BLACK CHAMPION OATS. 
INSTRUCTIONS. 
There oats also were sent to us to be tested 
by Mr. Horsford. He received them with 14 
other varieties from Europe under a foreign 
name, and being the most promising of all in bis 
climate (Vermont) he renamed them as above 
and raised a stock. Our own plants grow to 
the hight of five feet and over with heavy 
stems and broad leaves, as show* at Pig. 612. 
The panicles are spreading and 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 we 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 
• One packet of each of the above Eight 
Kinds of seeds will be sent post-paid to every 
subscriber of the Rural New-Yoiikkr who 
applies before April 1st, 1834, inclosing a throo- 
ceut stamp as guarantee that he or she is in¬ 
terested in the farm and garden. 
The Distribution will begin early iu tho 
New Year. 
Applicants need not request us to substitute. 
any other kinds of seeds for those offered. Tho 
entire distribution will bo sent to each appli¬ 
cant. 
A large per cent, of miscarriages are caused 
by the fact that the names and addresses are 
RURAL UNION CORN.— Fig. 614 
