1885 
THE RURAL HEW YORKER. 
508 
Pomolxrgicjftl 
STUDY OF PEACHES. 
The: classification of peaches and the terms 
used, are to beginners matters of so much 
mystery that, to make them better understood, 
we have re-engraved, from the Gardeners’ 
Chronicle, of England, some cuts by means 
of which we will try to make plain some of 
the characteristics by which peaches are 
described. 
First, we shall find them divided into two 
great classes—large and small-flowered. The 
first, Fig. 340 (p. 504), has well developed petals, 
and, on looking at a tree in bloom, the flowers 
are the most conspicuous part of it. The small- 
flowered, Fig. 341, have the petals so feebly de¬ 
veloped as to be scarcely visible, and a careless 
observer might not even notice the flowers. 
At Fig. 347, we show another class of flowers, 
in which the pistils protrude beyond,and come 
in advance of the stamens. Those varieties of 
peaches, which are self-producing, never be¬ 
long to this or to the small flowered class; 
Fig. 345. 
but to the large-flowered class, in which fer¬ 
tilization takes place before the petals opeu, 
in full bloom ou a true. These classes are each 
subdivided as the leaves have, or have not, 
“glands.” The glands, when they exist, are 
enlargements ou the bases of the leaves or ou 
the leaf-stalks, and vary in shape and also iu 
numbers. When they are round, as seen on 
the loaf-stalk, in Fig. 343, they are called 
globose (globe-shaped) ; when of the shape of 
those seen in Fig. 343, they are called reni- 
form or kidney-shaped. Just what is the 
object of these glands, no one has as yet been 
able to give a satisfactory answer. It is cer¬ 
tain, however, that they secrete a gummy 
and aromatic fluid, and it is quite certain that 
those varieties destitute of glands are most 
subject to mildew. 
Again, peaches are divided as to the tena¬ 
city with which they adhere to the pits or 
stones, which difference arises from the degree 
to which the fibrous cords which connect the 
pulp, while growing, to the stone decay 
next to the atone at maturity. Why one va¬ 
riety “rots” more and becomes free, and an¬ 
other does not “rot” at all, or how it is effect¬ 
ed, no one, so far, has given sufficient atten¬ 
tion to reveal. At Fig. 344, we show a 
“free stone"—one in which, at full maturity, 
there is literally noadherence between pulp aud 
pit, except just ahout the uuion of both to the 
stem. At Fig. 345, is shown a “cling,” and 
in this the union is so close that it is impos 
sible to separate them, even with a knife. In 
Fig. 346, is shown an intermediate, which 
may be classed as a “semi-cling.” A little 
time spent in the study of this matter will 
make the descriptions of peaches much more 
completely understood. 
NEED OF TESTING. 
New varieties of fruit : shall we try them? 
In reply to this, I think every one should fol¬ 
low his own inclination, bearing in mind that 
he that plants the best of the old kinds, is on 
the best platform. As a rule, most of the new 
things that come with much praise, are not 
so good as the old. I am sure that a dezeu 
plants of the small fruits are sufficient to test 
the kiud, prancing that a fortune may be lost 
by not taking bold of something that is far 
better than the old. One tree will test the 
apple, pear and peach, not positively but 
practically; it will show whether one had 
better try more or 
not. I have tried 
apples to some ex¬ 
tent, and think it 
safe to say, “Be¬ 
lieve what you see 
and not much 
more. ” There is so 
much explained by 
the tree agent 
when he says, “I 
sell a new pear tree 
for one dollar, aud 
pay the man that 
grew it 50 cents. 1 
make 50 cents sell¬ 
ing the new varie¬ 
ty. That’s business. 
I sell an old kind 
for 50 cents, and 
have to pay the 
party that grew it 
40 cents, and I get 
10 cents for selling it; that don’t pay; give me 
something new.” 
Every fruit grower can afford to wait until 
the newer variety shows whether it has merit 
or not. If it is got up to sell, it will soon die 
out; if it comes by merit, it will stay without 
the help of the tree agent. Buy nothing new 
except it comes from a responsible party, that 
has a reputation to lose. Aud yet don’t say 
that, all new varieties are no improvement; 
for among the latter there are real improve¬ 
ments. We could hardly go back to the po¬ 
tato of 50 years ago; peaches would be sadly 
cut short if we had to give up all the newer 
kiuds, and in this section going back 50 years 
would tnRe out most of the valuable pears ( 
aud going a short period further back, 
would ruin our apple orchards. There are 
good things coming all the time with the poor; 
but to sift them out by testiug seems the only 
practical solution of the case, and don’t be 
afraid to let your neighbor know what you 
are doing. j. j, b. 
Scarce i, y a week passes in which we fail 
to see accounts of swindles practiced upon 
farmers by “commission merchants.” They 
are not confined to any particular section; all 
parts of the country are infested by the sharp¬ 
ers who beguile the “graugers” almost always 
by the same devise—the promise ol’ extraordi¬ 
narily large returns for the goods consigned 
to them. They seem to take a positive plea¬ 
sure in cheating farmers, whom they appear 
to cousider fair * 'game.” The satisfaction 
they derive from their dishonest gaius is ap¬ 
parently enhanced by the recollection of the 
source from which it„is. made. There is no 
doubt some of the gratification is due to the 
knowledge that their customer’s loss was 
chiefly caused by his own greed—his desire to 
get an extraordinarily large profit. Some of 
the “firms” make a regularly organized 
business of cheating the agricultural commu¬ 
nity by sheer dishonesty. Several of these 
have been denounced, from time to time, in 
this Department, and their methods of swin¬ 
dling have been fully exposed. A few of them 
have made large fortunes out Of their own 
dishonesty aud the gullibility of their dupes. 
They start “houses” in several places at the 
same time, generally under different names, 
and each acts as “reference” for any of the 
othera Sometimes they have two “firms” in 
the same place, engaged in different lines of 
business—one, for example, as a commission 
house; another in the banking business—and 
one always highly recommends the other. A 
twin concern that has been cheating farmers 
for several years all over the Atlantic States, 
and whose headquarters were in Boston, with 
“braucb” offices elsewhere, was broken up 
about three months ago, as related in the 
Eye-opener. Its dishonest gains were over a 
million dollars. Others,.when butter, cheese, 
eggs, etc., are plentiful and low-priced, send 
“agents” through the rural districts, offering 
higher prices than those that can be got from 
the regular well-known dealers, and by their 
plausible manner and glowing promises these 
secure heavy consignments for the frauds they 
fittingly represent. Others, having found out 
the names and addresses of farmers, like other 
swindlers, through the lists constantly kept 
for sale by “dealers iu names,” or in some 
other way, appeal for consignments through 
the United States mails. 
In all cases the out-and-out swindlers adopt 
one of two plans—they either never make any 
returns at all, and put off their dupes by 
promises until they themselves are ready to 
“Hit,” or they make returns at high prices for 
the early consignments, in order to secure 
larger ones from 
their first customer 
and his neighbors, 
and then, when 
they have made a 
good “haul” they 
invariably “shut 
down” on the 
“boodle.” Their 
agents are very ac¬ 
tive throughout 
the country just 
now, and the “ag¬ 
ent” and “princi¬ 
pal,” under differ¬ 
ent names, are fre¬ 
quently identical. 
Harvest with the 
farmer is usually 
the forerunner of 
harvest with them 
also. 
Another class 
consists of unscrupulous dealers, who, either 
personally or through their employes, surrep¬ 
titiously examine the packages sent to rival 
houses iu the same town, as they lie at the 
railroad depot or in the express company's 
office, aud thus find out the names of the con¬ 
signors, and straightway write to them, offer¬ 
ing better terms than those to which they 
have been accustomed from the men to whom 
they have usually shipped their goods. Often, 
allured by the high quotations, they change 
their consignees, but almost invariably for 
the worse; for the new concern having given 
figures really higher than the legitimate mar¬ 
ket will permit, makes up the difference by 
under counting or under-weighing the goods 
sent; or making extravagaut charges, or 
claiming damages where none exist. 
The regular market prices for all staple 
products are generally well known, and can 
always be easily learnt iu every section. If 
any concern offers much better terms thau 
these, however plausible the ground ou which 
the offer is based, the concern should be dis¬ 
trusted, aud investigated before any confidence 
is placed in it. If a well known house does so, 
it is not unlikely that it is preparing to “burst 
up;” it is certainly taking the surest road to 
such a catastrophe. If an unknown concern 
makes such an offer, it intends to swindle you 
in oue way or another in nine cases out of 
ten, aud with or without intention It will do 
so in the long run in the tenth. Too much 
caution cannot be observed in selecting the 
persons to whom property is entrusted. The 
“confidence game” is played upon farmers by 
“merchants” iu fine stores as often as by 
sharpers iu the streets. 
To Many Inquirers.—W e have had sever¬ 
al inquiries about various advertised nostrums 
for rheumatism; we have never had a touch 
of the disease ourselves, nor has anybody 
among our acquaintances been lately afflicted, 
so we do not know from actual experience 
the effects of any one of them. We do not 
believe, however, that any of them is a whit 
Fig. 344. 
Fig. 346. 
lessness of the nostrums....The Chicago 
School Agency, of Chicago, Ill., has sent us 
an advertisement offering $10 to 850 “to 
every person sending valuable information of 
vacancies and ueeds.” Investigation shows 
that It is a “snide” coucern: no such firm is 
known at the address giveu. We denounce 
it here, because other papers are not likely to 
be so careful about investigating the char¬ 
acter of the advertisements sent to them. 
Those who admit this “ad.” however, are like¬ 
ly to be swindled, and their patrons who deal 
with the fraud are certain to be so treated. 
more efficacious than the remedies prescribed 
by a good local doctor, or to be found among 
the stock of the next drug store, while we are 
certain many of them are much less bene¬ 
ficial. It would be convenient to have a 
sorely afflicted patient on whom we might 
experiment with the various nostrums about 
which questions are asked of us; but we do 
not know of one afflicted with diseases enough 
to take a tithe of the nostrums about whose 
Fig. 343. 
merits we are supposed to be competent to 
decide .......F. W. Hoyt, alias the Colum¬ 
bia Work Company, is, or rather was, a Bos¬ 
ton concern which advertised for “ladies and 
young girls for permanent employment, by 
which they would earn from $8 to $50 a week” 
on plain and fancy needlework. Samples of 
work were furnished on a deposit of $1, “as a 
guaranty of good faith ” Some received 
wretched stuff, not worth a quarter of the 
“deposit;” others received nothing. Hoyt 
absconded, and in his office were found over 
2,000 letters from all parts of the country; 
some begging the return of the deposits, 
others upbraiding the rascal. He is thought 
to have cleared about $ 10.000, and will doubt¬ 
less start a similar swindle, under a new 
name, in some other place—Yes, and he will 
find just as many dupes as before. 
D. C. Thomson & Co., of this city, of Brahmo 
Yan notoriety, has lately begun to issue red 
and green “bonds” offering to holders $5 of 
“Yan” for $2. In it the concern styles itself 
“Importing aud Manufacturing Chemists.” 
It occupies a small, dingy room away in 
upper Broadway; the “principal” of the hum¬ 
bug is never “fiudable;” no information is 
ever attainable by callers; and the Yan itself 
is a humbug and Thompson & Co., no better. 
Of late swindlers have taken a great fancy 
to this bond and coupon “business.” The form 
appears to give a “kind of a sort” of assurance 
of the worth of the stuff advertised, and the 
stability and reliability of the concern that 
offers it, especially when the thing is stamped 
—as all are—but we have yet to learn of one 
single honest concern that practices this bond 
and coupon dodge. Without a solitary excep¬ 
tion every concern that sends out such things 
is a humbug or swindler, so far as our exper¬ 
ience goes. 
We have refused to advertise for George W. 
Shaw, Boston, Mass., what he claims to 
be a nostrum for removing small-pox marks 
aud atso a depilatory for removing super¬ 
fluous hair. We do not cousider the con¬ 
cern to be what it represents itself to be; 
nor do we believe in the efficiency or harm- 
