Vol. XLIV. No. 1856. NEW YORK, AUGUST 22. 1885. 
" *2.1X1 PER YEAR. 
(Filtered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1885, by the Rural New-Yorker in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.] 
pontologicnl 
THE RUSSIAN MULBERRY. 
USSIAN MULBERRY 
means just about as 
much as the American 
Chestnut or American 
Cherry. The Russian 
Mulberry, largely ad¬ 
vertised in this country 
| for a few years past, is 
in several catalogues 
represented as a distinct 
variety, whereas many of the trees are seed¬ 
lings, liable to vary, as seedlings do. Adver¬ 
tisements set forth that the Russian Mulberry 
was brought to this country by the Mennon- 
ites from latitude 49°, or thereabouts; that 
trees from seed will grow 20 feet in five or 
six years; that they commence to bear when 
two years old; that the fruit is*as large as the 
largest blackberries; that the trees are per¬ 
fectly hardy, etc. It is astonishing that any 
reputable nurseryman should make such 
claims, uot one of which can he know to be 
true. As to hardiness, they vary, as must all 
seedling mulberries, though it is reasonable 
they should be hardier than seedlings from 
trees which have not been grown so far north. 
We believe that Frof. Budd has seedlings of 
Russian Mulberries which hid fair to stand 
his trying climate (Ames, Iowa). Dr. Hos¬ 
kins also, as the writer remembers, reports his 
trees hardy in Vermont. On the other hand, 
we have received a nutnher of reports from 
northern sections that they are not hardy. 
One writer declares his trees are no hardier 
than the Downing Everbearing. 
Trees at the Rural Grouuds, now five years 
trausplauted, bore the present Summer for 
the second time. Had they been given favor¬ 
able situations, they might have borne before. 
We distributed all but two among friends. 
One of these is strictly male, so far as we 
could see the flowers, which areshowu at Fig. 
388. The other may bear both male and 
female flowers, but we failed to discover the 
former. As, however, the trees are 200 feet 
apart (densely growing evergreens interven¬ 
ing), and as there are no other mulberries in 
the neighborhood, it is more reasonable to 
suppose that the male flowers were overlooked 
rather than that pollen was carried by the 
wind or insects so long a distance from the 
male to the fruit-bearing tree. Fig. 384 shows 
the youug fruit, while a single mulberry above 
shows the average size at maturity. It will 
be seen that it is not quite so large as “the 
largest blackberry." Tbe color is mostly w hite 
with shadings of red and dark blue or purple. 
The quality is simply sweet, without sprightli¬ 
ness or any trace of acidity. 
THE LUTOOKA CHERRY. 
PROFESSOR J. Ij. BUDD. 
The recent almost complete failuro of all 
West Europe varieties of the cherry west of 
Lake Michigan, and over large areas farther 
East and North, makes it specially desirable to 
experiment with tbe line varieties of East 
Europe, where the conditions of soil and air 
are more like ours. 
Of the varieties iu our collection, the one 
known in *Polaud and Silesia as Lutooka 
seems specially promising, I first saw it 
loaded with line fruit on the estates near War¬ 
saw. Later l fouud it hardy and profitable 
on varied soils iu North Silesia and iu South 
Russia as far East as Kiev. The fruit is large, 
with small, oval pit pointed at both ends. The 
color is dark red when ripe, but, iu the sun, a 
yellow expression is given by the yellow flesh 
showing through the transparent skin. Flesh, 
RUSSIAN MULBERRY, MALE. (From Nature.) Fig. 383. 
RUSSIAN MULBERRY, FEMALE. (From Nature.) Fig. 384. 
firm, tender, juicy, mildly sub acid. Dr. E. 
Jankowski, the eminent Polish pomologist, 
gives this variety two stars for dessert use, 
and a like number for the kitchen. 
In leaf, bud, and habit of growth it does 
not seem to be closely related to any of the 
varieties described by Leroy, Lucas, Lauche, 
or other authorities of West Europe. On the 
other hand, it closely resembles in habit and 
fruit the Besarabian, and our numbers 23 and 
25 imported from Orel in Central Prussia, 
which varieties I was told by Dr. Fischer 
came originally from Central Asia. The 
leaves are peculiarly large, thick, and firm. 
Tbe last two Sommers have been peculiarly 
favorable for fungus growths upon the leaf 
of the cherry; yet this variety has escaped 
damage except a slight show of surface mil¬ 
dew on some of the young leaves. As this does 
not penetrate the tissue, it seems to do no barm, 
As to hardiness of tree, I can ouly say as 
yet that its young wood and stem were bright 
and perfect last Spring after the severe test 
Winter, which killed our Richmonds of all 
ages. It has grown from the terminal points 
with such luxuriance that the shoots are 
assuming a pendent habit, which seems com¬ 
mon to about all the varieties of the cherries 
of the East. The young plants may be obtain¬ 
ed at reasonable rates from the well-managed 
nurseries of Warsaw, Poland. Mr. Leo Weltz 
will soon visit Warsaw, Yflne, Kiev, and other 
points where the Lutooka is popular, and will, 
without doubt, secure and attend to the ship¬ 
ment of plants needed for trial. Letters ad¬ 
dressed Magdeburg. Prussia, will reach him. 
%\itey ijitsbautin). 
Western |l. Jatm Uotc.s. 
RAISING WINTER LAMBS. 
QUESTIONS ALWAYS WELCOME. 
In these notes we try to give a concise des¬ 
cription of what we are doing, and how we 
are doing it, so plainly that no one should 
have any trouble in following our methods, or 
in succeeding as well as we, and yet we find 
there are many points which we do not make 
quite so plain as we might. For instance, a 
friend in Pennsylvania does not quite under¬ 
stand how we feed the ewes, and writes to 
know whether the feed is given dry or as a 
mash. He also wishes to know whether he 
could make it profitable to raise winter lambs 
with a market 85 miles away, that would take 
them at from 10 to Vitf cents per pound. We 
are glad to have the opportunity to answer 
questions on any point which we fail to make 
plain, or on which our friends may think we 
are too radical. There is no more practical 
mode of obtaining information than by ask¬ 
ing questions, and no more forcible way of 
imparting it than by answering them. So 
our friends need not hesitate to ask questions, 
or take issue with any position we may take. 
Now, iu answer to the above questions: In no 
case where we had roots or silage in sufficient 
quantity so that we could feed them daily, would 
we wet the feed; and without this supply of 
succulent food we should expect but very in¬ 
different success in raising winter lambs. But 
were we to attempt such a thing without 
this green food, we should feed a portion of 
the corn aud the oil meal dry. and the balance 
of tbe ooru we should have ground, and, mix¬ 
ing the meal with the bran, should make it 
into a ‘'slop’ 1 as wet as the ewes could be 
taught to eat it. To do this would require, in 
the pens, a separate set of troughs especially 
for feeding the slops, and these would need 
the closest care to keep them sweet and clean; 
for, as we have before said, no animal is as 
