4885 
fHE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
I have grown all the above vegetables here 
with no more trouble, and very little more 
expense, than 1 have grown them within the 
vicinity of New York City, the only extra 
expense being that for irrigating, and this, I 
think, is fully repaid by the certainty of a 
full and even crop. On ordinary soils it is 
necessary to irrigate vegetables once a week 
in very dry weather; while on very sandy or 
gravelly soils it must be doue at least twice a 
week. Where water is plentiful and flumes 
and ditches properly arranged, one man can 
thoroughly soak three acres in one day. 
I consider vegetable growing or “truekiug” 
a profitable business here, for the cost of pro¬ 
duction is little more tbau in the East, while 
the crop is more certain and sells at an 
average of a little over double the prices ob 
tainable in Eastern markets. Musk aud 
water-melons, peppers, tomatoes, Tama beaus 
and Egg-plants are grown here also; but they 
require more or less nursiug.and lam well sat¬ 
isfied they caunot be profitably grown in the 
open ground, though in the vicinity of Denver, 
(50 miles north of here, 1,000 feet lower down 
in altitude, and 15 miles from the foot-hills, 
the last named vegetables are grown in the 
open ground very successfully, and profitably 
as prices are high. 
The insect enemies of vegetables are not so 
numerous or troublesome here as around New 
York; perhaps the principal reason for this is 
the newness of our gardens. The cabbage 
maggot so destructive in the East to young 
cabbage and cauliflower plants, is not kuovvn 
here; neither is the wire-worm, and I have 
neither seen nor heard of club-root. We 
have the aphis, or green fly, the Jumpiug Jack 
or black flea,and the caterpillar. The latter 
is not so troublesome as in the East, one appli¬ 
cation of the kerosene emulsion recommended 
in the Rural, having rid my plnuts of the 
pest, aud I did uot have a head spoiled by it. 
The two former we treat in the usual way 
known to all readers of the Rural. 
Small fruits are grown here very success¬ 
fully aud profitably where properly handled. 
Of strawberries the leading kinds seem to be 
Manchester, Jueunda, Wilson, Cumberland, 
aud Sharpless: among the blackberries, Sny¬ 
der leads. Red Dutch leads the list in cur¬ 
rants, with Cherry and Versaillaise, second. 
The White Grape is also growu. 
Smith’s and Downingare the principal goose¬ 
berries, though why this should be I don’t 
know, as the line, large English gooseberry 
grows here equal to any I ever saw in the 
“Old Country," and does not mildew, which 
is the principal objection to its cultivation 
around New York. 
Turner and C'uthbert lead among the rasp¬ 
berries, which, by the way, pay very well, 
indeed. Grapes are also grown with varying 
success; but I fear we have not found the 
best variety for this section yet. 
I think the writer in the Rural of October 
lltb, page tkiO, is mistaken as to no animal 
but the horse being affected by “loco-weed.” 
I have heard sheep-owners frequently com¬ 
plain of lots to their flocks by “loco," aud 
many cattle owners ulso complain of having 
lost cattle by its effects. This is a very impor¬ 
tant matter, and I mention it as I have seen 
no reference made in the Rural to the ar¬ 
ticle in question. 
I And the Rural New-Yorker quite as 
useful here as 1 found it ia New York State, 
and more instructive than any local paper I 
have seen. p. mg. 
D. 1 aware. 
Sussex Co., Dec. 80 — We are having a 
harsh Winter here. Not much wheat has 
been sown here. Coru is worth 40 cts; wheat, 
80 cts; chickens, 8 cts; eggs, £5 cts; butter, 
80 cts. j. T. E. 
Iowa. 
Lovilja, Monroe Co., Dec 31.—Crops of all 
kinds were good here this last season. Wheat, 
rye, oats, corn, buckwheat, potatoes,sorghum, 
clover and timothy are the crops raised here. 
There is plenty of good water, timber, rock 
and coal. This couuty is ahead of a great 
many others for stock raising, as its soil is 
well adapted to grass. The small fruits do 
well here, ard so do apples of the iron-clad 
varieties. Apples from this couuty took the 
premium at the Centennial, so that this is the 
best county in the United States for apples. 
bers of their cattle since turning them into the 
corn stalks. I think it is a mistake to attri¬ 
bute these losses to fungi. I have often, 
when a boy. fed this “smut" to my father’s 
cattle iu sufficient quantities to have caused 
death if it bad possessed one-half the poison¬ 
ous properties usually ascribed to it. I fouud 
that when the cattle were fed corn or fodder 
with this smut on it, they preferred the smut 
to either corn or fodder. After discovering 
this I always huuted out all I could find, aud 
distributed it to my favorite cows. I believe 
if cows had free access to water at all hours 
of the day, there would be no danger in leDing 
them eat all the smut they will fled in an 
average corn field. [Our friend should re¬ 
read what the Hon. F. D. Coburn says on this 
matter in “Nonsense About Smut," in the 
Rural of January 3d last, page 2. The more 
we have heard about deaths of cattle freshly 
turned into coin fields—ami numerous cases 
of the kind have lately come to our knowledge 
—the more we have been impressed with the 
truth and value of what is said therein.—E ds.] 
X am glad the Rural is “speaking out” in re 
gard to the Russian Mulberry swindle. I 
planted four of them in the Spring of 1881. 
They are now about five feet high, and “nary” 
a fruit yet I think they would make a good 
“wind-break” if one had time to wait for them 
ter was from 25° to 308 below zero, with from 
16 to 20 inches of snow; on the 20th it began 
to thaw, and by January 1st the snow had 
about all gone. I did not expect the Rural 
would set the figures at less then 500 bushels 
on that half acre. We can raise 150 bushels 
on half an acre here, and not try very hard 
either. d. a b. 
[The land is so poor that without fertilizers 
and by ordinary culture, it would not pro¬ 
duce 100 bushels per acre. Our chief object 
is to ascertain the effects of commercial fer¬ 
tilizers and of the Rural’s method of cultiva¬ 
tion: and although Modesty forbade us to 
mention more than 150 bushels. Hope cheer¬ 
fully whispers higher figures.— Eds.] 
and ripened its wood weil.and looks as though 
it would “make something.” J. N. b. 
Hannas. 
Industry, Clay Co., Dec. 27.—The Rural 
tomatoes were splendid—we have seed for 
next year. We have saved all the peas for 
Spring planting. The corn is small compared 
with our own; but is good for its earliness. 
G. j. s. 
Michigan. 
St. Clair Co.—The Rural Champion Oats 
were rather late for this section; they might 
do very well for green fodder. The English 
Race-horse Oats, beside the Champion, did 
splendidly. They were two weeks earlier 
than common oats, and four weeks earlier 
than the Black Champion, On poor ground 
they yielded sixty-fold. ’ s. k. 
Minnesota 
Waseca, Waseca Co.—The Rural seeds 
did extremely well. The tomatoes were 
very nice. I sowed the seeds in the hot¬ 
bed the first of April; set them out in the 
garden in May, and on July 26th I picked 
the first ripe tomatoes. The yield of large, 
smooth fruits was abundant. The last pick¬ 
ing was on Oct. 23—almost three months 
from the first picking. The vines were then 
green and in bloom, The corn I planted on 
May 10; it silked out the last of July and 
ripened before frost; yield good. The peas 
were sown ou May 10, with ten other kinds; 
the R. N.-Y. blossomed in 32 days from sow¬ 
ing. Livingston’s First iu Market, Hancock 
and Landreth’s Early blossomed and ripened 
at the same time; I could see no difference in 
the four kinds. The flowers were fine, d, p. 
New Hampshire. 
Melvin’s Mills, Merrimac Co.—The Rural 
seeds were almost all a success. Oats late-but 
yielded well; peas, a failure; corn, did well 
but rather late for this section. Tomatoes 
good. Garden Treasures splendid. Have 
planted wheat and rye this Fall. F. o. m. 
New Jersey. 
East Orange, Essex Co.—The Rural to¬ 
matoes were the finest I ever raised. Three 
of them on one stem weighed pounds, one 
measuring I6j^ inches iu circumference. 
E. A. S. 
New York. 
Bluff Point, Yates Co. — The Rural 
tomatoes were fine, and in comparing them 
with the tomatoes of 30 and 40 years ago, as 
remembered, one might ask, will tomatoes 
ever be smooth and solid like the apple? The 
peas were no better than other varieties I 
have tested. The oats rusted badly, yet yield¬ 
ed well. I dropped the seeds about one inch 
apart in the drill; they were too close. The 
packet of coru was overlooked till June 15; 
but the yield was in condition to cat Septem¬ 
ber 30—big stalks, ears good. Flower seeds 
not tested. 8. w. 
Vermont. 
Troy, Orleans Co.—My Rural tomatoes 
did splendidly The corn was a failure. About 
half the flowers were a success. d. a. b. 
Essex Junction. Chittenden Co.— Of the 
R. U. Corn I had 20 hills, which yielded 80 
ears; frost cut it before ripe—too late for this 
section The tomatoes were just splendid. 
The oats rusted badly—too late to be profita¬ 
ble. Garden Treasures were just beautiful. 
H 8 T 
RURAL SEED REPORTS, 
Alabama. 
Huntsville, Madison Co.— The Rural 
seeds gave entire satisfaction. The Garden 
Treasures were sown iu a bed by themselves. 
There was such an endless variety (and some 
very rare) tbat when they bloomed forth they 
presented almost an Eden of beauty, h. m. 
Canada. 
Warkworth, Ont.—The Rural tomatoes 
were splendid, and one of them weighed two 
Bouquet of Clematis. (After the Queen.) Fig. 21). (See page 38.) 
to grow, but life is too short. There are other 
trees and shrubs just as good for this purpose, 
which will grow much faster. I had some 
nice straw berries The Gypsy gave me the 
nicest and best berries out of the eight kinds 
I fruited. Bid well did not do well. J. H. L. 
New Hampshire 
Melvin’s Mills, Merrimac Co.— The past 
season has been a peculiar one in this part of 
the State. We have had but little rain, and 
most of the wells were dry until early iu De¬ 
cember. Most of the crops were not up to 
the average, liny about two thirds of a crop, 
and there is a prospect that the crop will be 
lighter next year. Corn not a full crop- 
pinched by the drought. Potatoes badly 
eaten by the worms. Wheat about an aver¬ 
age, from 12 to 15 bushels par acre. The 
apple crop was light, owing to the frost in the 
Spring; sold for $1.35 per barrel. Price of 
produce as follows: wheat, $1.25 per bushel; 
potatoes, 50 cents; corn, 70 cents; eggs. 30 
cents per dozen; pork, 10 cents; beef. III to 17 
cents. f. o. m. 
Vermont. 
Troy, Orleans Co., Jan. 3.—From the 25th 
to the 37th of December, 1884, the thermoine- 
pounds. The Garden Treasures were nice. 
The oats and coru did well. I have sown the 
rye and wheat aud both are looking well. 
i Every query must be accompanied by thename 
aud address of the writer to Insure attention. Before 
asking a question, please see If It Is not answered In 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions 
at one time.1 
Iown. 
Lovilia, Monroe Co.—From the Rural 
Union Coru I raised 70 very nice ears. The 
stalks were from 8 to 10 feet tall. The Shoe- 
peg Corn this year went 80 bushels to the 
acre. The Thousand fold Rye was a failure, 
as I sowed it in the Spring. The Delhi Medi¬ 
terranean Wheat too was a failure. Part was 
sown in the Spring, and part in the Fall; that 
sown iu the Spring stood well.but never head¬ 
ed; that sown in the Fall never came up. The 
oats were nothiug extra aud ripeued very 
late. The Garden Treasures were the admi¬ 
ration of all who saw them. The tomatoes 
were flue; the yield was over ten bushels, 
some of them very large. The Blush Potato 
gave a heavy yield. Its faults are very deep 
eyes, and one-half the tubers are hollow aud 
very dark when cooked; but good. The peas 
were fully up to your recommendation. I 
will hereafter plaut them instead of other 
varieties. I have four Niagara grape seed¬ 
lings; one of them has made a vigorous growth 
FRUIT QUERIES. 
Jf. P. C., Scranton , Pa. —1. In a late Rural 
it is recommended to spade between the rasp¬ 
berries; I tried it on part of a row of several 
varieties, and find some (like the Belle de 
Fonteuay) have some of their largest roots 
very near the surface, and they are broken by 
so doing, does the treatment not tend to 
weaken the plant? 2. A bed of strawberries 
was set on ground prepared by spading in 
about three inches of well rotted cow ma¬ 
nure. They will be protected this Winter by 
covering with light manure, which is to be 
spaded under early next Spring. 8. Wbat is 
the maximum amount of wood ashes (un¬ 
leached) that can be used to the 100 feet: soil 
loam, tending to sand; gravelly subsoil? 
When should it be applied—Autumn or 
Spring? Also how much ashes can be used on 
moderate!v rich soil? 4. What method does 
the Rural consider best for pruning grapes? 
5.^*What is~the address of some;.berry crate 
Minnesota. 
Waseca, Waseca Co , Dec. 81,—The past 
season has been good, aud all kinds of crops 
have been more than an average—except po- 
tfttOCS. 0 
Nebraska* 
Pawnee City, Pawnee Co., Dec. 80.—Wo 
have been having extremely cold weather for 
a week past. Farmers hud just finished husk¬ 
ing their corn before the cold wave struck us. 
The yield of corn in this county, indeed all 
over the State, so far as I can learn, was ex¬ 
cellent, while the quality of the grain is the 
best I ever saw, there being no softer “chaffy” 
ears among it. Many farmers have lost uum- 
