DEC 22 
840 (THE RUBAI- NEW-YORKER. 
otherwise injured. While cutting green to 
matoes the past Summer, I frequently noticed 
black streaks running through their centers 
while the fruits showed little or no signs of de¬ 
cay outside; and also, that when the first signs 
of rot appeared outside, by cutting into the 
fruit at this point, I could easily trace the ab¬ 
normal structure to the ceuter. I also fre¬ 
quently saw fruits cracked about the stem, 
where they seemed entirely sound, while they 
were all decayed towards the apex. Last sea¬ 
son a fruit that was gashed with a knife, re¬ 
mained sound upon the plant 48 days there¬ 
after, without decaying; while other fruits on 
the same plant, that were uninjured, were 
totally destroyed by the rot. These facts in¬ 
dicate that the rot does not necessarily attack 
injured fruits. 
If the rot is developed from within, or, 
scientifically speaking, is an endophytic fun¬ 
gus, is it transmissible through the seed; If 
so, seed-growers who allow their tomatoes to 
rot to aid them in separating the seeds, are 
perhaps assisting to propagate this disease by 
the wholesale. One tomato affected with the 
rot, might thus infect a whole barrelful. This 
inference is, however, but from analogical 
reasoning. 
There seems to be a great difference in the 
power of different varieties to withstand this 
disease. Last September, I saw 80 decaying 
fruits on a single plant of the Early York To¬ 
mato, and 82 on one of the Little Cfetn. The 
same day I examined carefully one plant each 
of the Canada \^ctor, Early Round Red 
Smooth, Golden Trophy and Hathaway’s Ex¬ 
celsior varieties, and found but five decaying 
fraits on them all. Out of 154 so-called vari¬ 
eties, not one was entirely without decay. The 
Turk’s Cap and Red and Yellow Cherry vari¬ 
eties were entirely free from decay last year; 
but the past season, these rotted as much as 
many others. 
Late in Summer, I noticed that the foliage 
of many varieties of tomato was attacked 
with a blight or mildew. The leaves first 
turned yellow, then shriveled, and afterwards 
became brown and dry. Although no vari¬ 
eties were entirely free from this blight, those 
on which the fruit was rotting most, were 
most affected with it. In the potato, which 
is botanically closely allied to the tomato, a 
blight first attacks the leaves aud then the 
tubers. The question arises whether the to¬ 
mato leaf blight, in some of its forms, may 
not be the cause, or rather the concomitant, of 
the tomato rot. e, s. goff. 
N. Y. Agricultural Experiment Station. 
AN EXPERIMENT IN GROWING LATE 
PEAS. 
Till this season, I have never been able to 
produce peas for the table continuing later 
than the fore part of August. I planted four 
inches deep or more for these,as recommended; 
but as the peas began to pod, vines aud all 
mildewed badly and I got nothing from them. 
This year I made the following experiment 
with the Philadelphia Early, aud the Cham, 
pion of England, a tall sort. 
I planted these the fore part of July, about 
three inches deep. I then covered the i ows an 
inch thick or so with coarse meadow hay. 
As soon as they began to come up, I raked 
this hay off the rows, and packed it with as 
much more as was necessary to make a thick 
mulch two feet wide on each side of the rows. 
This neutralized the excessive heat, of the sun 
which followed, and retained the moisture in 
the soil. The mulch kept the ground loose en¬ 
ough, and prevented all weeds from springing 
up, thus obviating the necessity of any cultiva¬ 
tion whatsoever, which was quite a saving of 
labor. The low-growing vines of the Phila¬ 
delphia did not require bushing, for as they 
grew up they were laid over on the deau 
mulch on one side till the pods were picked, 
and then they were turned to the other side 
for picking. In consequence of this side 
being turned down from the sun, the peas did 
not become fit for picking till those on the 
first side were all gone. Thus they were kept 
on suitable for the table from seven to 12 days 
later than they otherwise would have been. 
The Champion of England hud to be bushed, 
and being a later pea than the Philadelphia, 
it continued bearing until September 17. A 
little mildew came on the peas towards the 
last, but not enough to injure the fruit either 
in its growth or taste. We found them as rich 
and palatable as those plucked in June and 
July. 
I intend hereafter always to mulch garden 
peas. By so doing, the pods of the dwarf 
sorts are kept from being soiled by lying down 
on the ground, and the duration of picking 
from them can thus be lengthened several 
days at least. Moreover, it supersedes the 
necessity of cultivation throughout June aud 
July, as well as in August and September. I 
will be more particular in memorandizing 
these another season, and report the result to 
hURAL. A, B. ALLEN. 
% perils maw. 
“DEVON BEEF THE BEST IN THE 
WORLD.” 
Thus says Stockman in his notes to the 
Rural, page 75(5. Although the Devon cat¬ 
tle make very choice beef, I have not found 
it quoted in the London Fat Cattle Market at 
Islington, as the “best,” whenever I have 
visited it; and I would like to know where 
Stockman gets his information as to this fact, 
if fact it is? At the above market the butch¬ 
ers informed me that the Ivyloe cattle (Scotch 
West Highlanders) furnished the choicest 
beef; next came the Scotch black polled, then 
the Devon, Hereford and Short-horn, in the 
order named. But iu these three last there 
was only a trifling difference, the Short-horn 
sometimes equaling the Hereford and Devon 
in the quality of its meat. The differen ce wa 
mainly attributed to the methods of fattening, 
the first not taking naturally quite so much 
exercise as the other tv>o, while being fed 
for the shamble. But the butchers added 
that the beet of all these breeds of cattle I 
mention was well marbled, juicy, savory 
and tender. Their “fat,” as Stockman as¬ 
serts, was not “ laid on in layers or chunks, as 
if it were thrown on, and plastered over the 
carcass, like icing on the cook’s cake.” 
All these cattle if not well bred or properly 
fattened, are sometimes a little “patchy,” as 
the butchers call it; and this slight fault when 
they come to the shambles is the only one I 
have ever heard against them, either at the 
English or American Fat Cattle Shows. 
ANGLO. 
farm Copies. 
ABUSES OF RAILROADING. 
The farmers of this country very poorly 
understand how they have been robbed aud 
are being robbed by the so-called railroad 
kings. 1 doubt if many of them have any idea 
of the methods in which these great properties 
have been acquired. The principal complaints 
urged against railroad corporations and man¬ 
agers have had regard to the abuses of dis¬ 
crimination and over-charge in freights. To 
these complaints, just as many of them are, 
such able defenders of the railroad system as 
Edward Atkinson reply by pointing to the 
continually lowering rates, and the phenome¬ 
nal cheapness, far beyond early anticipations, 
of railroad transportation to-day. It is evi¬ 
dent when railroads transport all the great 
staples in open competition with the free wa¬ 
terways of the country, that in mere price 
there is little to complain of. Nor do I think 
much difficulty will be found in putting an 
end to uufair discriminations to the injury of 
particular places and individuals. An ear¬ 
nest movement of the people will secure the 
rectification of such wrongs, as has been 
proved by the successful administration of the 
Railroad Commissioners of Massachusetts, 
who hoar all complaints, and act promptly, 
and with full power for the rectification of 
wrongs What is done in Massachusetts can 
be done in every State, if the people will. 
The chief difficulty heretofore has been in a 
penny-wise policy like that of Vermont), which 
appoints a railroad commissioner without 
salary, and makes him dependent for his sup¬ 
port on fees payable to bim by the very cor¬ 
porations he is set to watch. That this will 
never do is plain enough. Able men of high 
character, sufficiently paid, are absolutely re¬ 
quired in such a position. Such can be had 
when the x>eople want them. 
But it is when we look into the way in 
which railroads have been built, and are now 
being built, extended and developed, that we 
see a regular system by which the people are 
iu fact made to build the railroads, while in¬ 
dividuals own and operate them for their own 
exclusive profit. The money invested by in¬ 
dividuals in the New York Ceutral Railroad, 
for instance, is only a small fraction of its 
present value upon which its large dividends 
are paid. Excluding the comparatively small 
investments iu the original roads consolidated 
to form fcbLs great line, every dollar to build 
its four steel-laid lines and supply its stupen¬ 
dous equipment has been drawn from the 
public. It may be said that its charges have 
beeu as low as those of other routes, and this 
is perhaps true. But its favorable location, 
immense traffic aud easy grades enabled it to 
do business at about half the rates of its com¬ 
petitors, aud instead of the public having the 
benefit of this difference it has all gone into 
the hands of men who never rendered any 
value whatever for the wealth they now pos¬ 
sess. The wealth of the Vanderbilts should 
have gone to the public in reduced rates over 
a long series of years. 
What Is said of the New York Central is 
more or less true of all the successful trunk 
lines, which have beeu developed and mu inly 
built by money drawu from the public, ami 
now capitalized in the hands of the million¬ 
aires who have managed them, and who draw 
their incomes upon stupendous sums to which 
they have no other title than that of suc¬ 
cessful plunderers of the public. 
Besides these frauds in construction, im¬ 
mense additions have been made directly to 
the uominal share capital by what is known 
as “stock-watering.” This is simply issuing 
three shares for two or two shares for one to 
the stock-holders, and paying them full divi¬ 
dends on this duplication out of the earnings 
of the road, thus enabling the capital invested 
to receive, say 10 per cent.. when it is appar¬ 
ently receiving but eight per cent. This has 
been done on nearly all the great lines. 
Wherever it has been done this surplus stock 
rightly belongs to the public—to the State. It 
certainly does uot belong to those who thus 
unjustly obtained it, or to their assigns. These 
transactions should be investigated and sifted 
to the bottom, and the State should take pos¬ 
session of what belongs to it. Were this to be 
done it would soon appear that the States 
through which they run are really now the 
owners of a controlling share in every great 
railroad in the country. But if the robbery is 
condoned, theu dividends on each road should 
be reduced by law to not over two per cent. 
This would soon bring down passenger rates 
to something like an equality with freight 
rates. t. h. h. 
THE MICHIGAN STATE HORTICUL¬ 
TURAL SOCIETY. 
On Wednesday, the 5th inst., the Michigan 
State Horticultural Society closed its four¬ 
teenth annual session, at Eaton Rapids. 
Delegations 'were in attendance from the 
State of New York and from the Province of 
Ontario. The local attendance was unusually 
large, and the general attendance from the 
other sections of the State was, at. least, quite 
as large as usual. 
Papers were read by various persons, which 
were followed by questions from the audience, 
aud iu most cases by animated and interesting 
discussions. A lecture on the second evening 
by Dr. Kedzie, the Chemist of our State Agri¬ 
cultural College, on the subject, “ How shall 
the Horticulturist maintain the Fertility of 
his Soil,” was replete with valuable facts and 
deductions, and was followed by an avalanche 
of questions, which w r ere met by a series of 
prompt aud well considered replies, which 
clearly showed the essayist to be thoroughly 
master of bis subject. 
The annual election on Weduesday afternoon 
resulted in the re-election of the out-going 
officers, with the single exception of a mem¬ 
ber of the Executive Board, A. D. Healy- 
wbo had tendered bis resignation previously, 
and whose place was supplied by the election 
of E. F. Guild, of East Saginaw. 
The rules recently adopted by the American 
Pomological Society were made the rules of 
this society also, although they hud, mainly, 
been long embodied in its regulations and 
practice. 
The meetiug was field here upon the iuvita- 
tion of the local auxiliary society of this 
(Eaton) county—a society which, though but 
recently organized, has already a large aud 
effective membership, and is evidently tloing 
an important work iu the development of a 
knowledge and love of hort iculture, and in its 
improvement and elevation. 
The preparations needful for the meeting of 
the American Pomological Society in this 
State, iu 1885, came under consideration, and 
the determination of the place of meeting, to¬ 
gether with the needful arrangements for the 
rtccommodation of the members, was placed 
in the hands of the executive board, as was 
also the whole mutter of the expediency of 
making exhibits during the coming year at 
Louisville and at the international Exposi¬ 
tion to occur next Winter at New Orleans. 
The next meeting of the Society for the in¬ 
auguration of the incoming officers, and to 
devise a plan of operations for the year 1884 
is to occur at Lapeer, at a date not yet deter 
mined—probably in February next. 
T. T. Lyon. 
•ftXiscfllaneous. 
RURAL LIFE NOTES. 
It Is now pretty definitely settled that the 
Early Richmond is one of the most reliable 
and valuable cherries we liavein this country 
to-day. In fact, all things considered, 1 am 
inclined to regard it as the best of all for 
culinary purposes. In the West of late it is 
the only variety relied upon for a crop of 
fruit. No family garden should be without 
at least one tree of it, and for market it is es¬ 
pecially valuable — a vigorous and clean 
grower and a sure and abundant bearer. 
Don't, however, plant cherries of any kind 
on low, wet soil where water is liable to 
gather at the roots. Sail experience of my 
own prompts this advice. Cherry roots are 
exceedingly impatient of moisture, and even 
if the soil is ordinarily well drained, as, of 
course, all orchard plots should be, select your 
highest land for the cherry. The Malialeb 
stock is perhaps the best, at least, for Morellos: 
the trees are more hardy aud do uot take up 
so much space in the garden; the fruit is more 
easily gathered, and the trees look prettier. 
A writer in a recent number of the Rural 
remarks an increased interest in the culture 
of plums, and advises a still more extended 
growth of this fruit throughout the country. 
Most of his reasons are cogent, and all are 
stated in an interesting manner. But he says 
that plum trees are now almost free from 
black-knot, and to this statement I must 
strongly except. In this locality, and in nu¬ 
merous others which have come under my ob¬ 
servation of late, black-knot is now becoming 
more prevalent than ever. Most of it came 
during the last two years, and I never saw 
such a black avalanche of it come on so rap¬ 
idly. I have trees dying of it now that 18 
months ago were perfectly sound and vigor¬ 
ous, and the horrid, mysterious and miserable 
cxcresence that nobody understands or can 
give any remedy for, seemed to burst forth 
from the clean, healthy twigs while I stood 
watching in dismay at the prospect of “cut¬ 
ting it out as fast as it appeared,”the only 
approved remedy known. A gardner some 
weeks since almost cried as he took me 
through his young orchard aud pointed to the 
terrible havoc made by black-knot during the 
past season. All well enough to plant plums; 
the fruit is uutritous, delicious and excellent, 
but don’t rely upon the trees, that’s all. 
Does anybody succeed with the Washing¬ 
ton Plum these days? When in perfection it 
is, indeed, a magnificent fruit; but I have not 
seen a single tree in years that brought any¬ 
where uear a fair crop to maturity, it blos¬ 
soms abundantly, and the fruit sets well 
enough, but after that the rot coinesand takes 
almost the entire crop to the ground; nor is it 
caused by the overloading or crowding of the 
fruit, as a light crop is affected in the same 
way, and wet or dry weather seems to have 
no special influence in the matter. From a 
large, vigorous tree, I did not get half a dozen 
sound, ripe Washingtons last Summer. If 
this degeneracy is wide-spread, the variety 
should be retired for a time. 
Iu Kingston, N. Y., last week a man died 
from the lodgement, of a grape seed in one of 
the intestines. The doctors were puzzled at 
his disease, and the autopsy showed that a 
sac had been formed about the obstruction, 
and nature being unable to throw off the of¬ 
fensive pus, inflammation of the partsensued 
aud death finally resulted. Now I don’t im¬ 
agine that this is any reason why we should 
stop eating grapes, nor is it likely to 
deter many iu pursuing that pleasant custom. 
But the incident leads us to inquire into the 
wisdom and expediency of swallowing grape- 
seeds at all. Being seldom chewed by 
the average grape-eater, the seeds are indi¬ 
gestible aud pass through the system whole 
usually. Some grape ent husiasts have claimed 
specific qualities beneficial to man resulting 
from eating these hard seeds, but it is fair to 
presume that no person would swallow the 
seeds could he conveniently eut the grapes 
without doing so. It is, in reality, the juice 
of a grape only which we are after; nor is it 
likely that any other portion of this fruit is of 
any special advantage to us as food or refresh¬ 
ment. But, after saying all this, I must not 
be confronted with the question, “How, then, 
shall we cat our grapes ?” 1 decline to answer. 
Every lady having a bright, sunny window 
in Winter should have a few bouvardias in it. 
With proper care their growth isnot difficult, 
and their wealth of bright, beautiful flowers, 
at least during the curly Winter, fully repuys 
for every care and attention bestowed upon 
them. Sunshine, warmth, water and a vigi¬ 
lant watch for mealy-bugs are the prerequis¬ 
ites to success. Many of the single varieties 
are showy or froc-fiowering. But the two 
doubles are charmingly beautiful, especially 
President Garfield, the comparatively new 
double pink. I have a plant of this now in 
the window at my elbow in full bloom, having 
nine large corymbs with some 20 or more 
florets each. It is very double, peachy-piuk, 
aud, as the ladies would express it, “it is too 
