THE RURAL NEW-YOBKER. 
Uncle Mark and the children seem to he 
having a real good time over in their patch. 
Some of the little ones are very bright and 
promise to make their mark as intelligent 
and successful farmers in the future. It may 
encourage the youngsters to let them know 
that 1 read their letters with a good deul of 
interest, and often feel like talking to them 
myself. What a big thing it would be it 
Uncle Mark could for once got all the little 
ones together for a picnic. Wouldn’t there 
be lots of fun, and of the right kind too. 
Don’t forget to send me a card. 
* * * 
The now Evergreen Bluckberry from the 
West, which is just now so much discussed, 
seems to me, from the description, to be au 
old friend, which I grew some 30 years ago, 
and plants of which are still growing at Ir¬ 
vington, Astoria, and other places. Who has 
the plant near New York? I could identify 
it in a moment, if the same. 
* * * 
I do uot like the suggestion of changing the 
common name of Cbionanthus from White 
Fringe to Snow-flake. We have too many 
Snow-flakes already. Besides, the nnrne 
White Fringe is thoroughly characteristic, 
and is the common name by which the plant 
is universally known. Why, then, change it 
for one which is far less characteristic, and 
by no means prettier'? I am strongly op¬ 
posed to changing well established names, 
either of fruits or flowers, unless there is 
some very good reason for It. 
* * * 
The Editor is rightabout salt being a poison 
to poultry. A very little of it in the food 
may act as a medicine, and uot be hurtful; 
but salt in any quantity is certain death to 
poultry. This is well known to a certain class 
of cock lighters, and some of them do not 
hesitate, when the occasion presents itself, to 
make use of the knowledge to disable the 
birds of their opponents. 1 remember a case of 
this kind bciug brought into court. One 
should bo careful how he uses salt among his 
poultry. 
* * * 
I wonder if any one ever thought of calling 
dodder handsome, or expressing admiration 
for it in any way. It seems to me that there 
is scarcely a plant that grows which, if care¬ 
fully studied, does not possess some character¬ 
istic that excites Oi.r wonder or admiration. 
1 have been a good deal among dodder; at 
first with nut a little dread, but now with 
complacency, I might almost say that there 
are acres of it along the Bronx Kiver in 
West Cboster Co. N. Y. In some places it 
has fairly bridged the river.oreoplng over low- 
growiug plants In one place It has covered 
out of sight with its yellow, coral-like stems, 
a clump of shiubs about eight feet iu di¬ 
ameter. 1 have passed it many times, aud 
every time I see it I say, “That is hand¬ 
some.” It looks like a mass of gold; and 
when the morning suu glauees over it, it will 
compare favorably with some of the yellow 
massing we often see on the lawn. Biace 
about every body has delighted to abuse the 
dodder, I am glad to say a good word for it. 
* * if 
The influence of the pollen on pistillate or 
imperfect flowered strawberries seems to be 
exercising the horticultural mind. It is 
claimed that the pollen of the perfect flower 
changes or modules the flavor of the fruit of 
the plant bearing imperfect flowers; in fact, 
imparts a goodly measure of its own quality 
to it. On this theory, one may grow the same 
pistillate variety with au almost endless 
variety of flavors; and when the theory is 
fully worked out (evoluted, I believe, is the 
word), and all Its parts uicely adjusted, we 
may reasonably look forward to the time 
when It will only be necessary to grow two or 
three varieties of strawberries, and possibly 
one may then see acres of Crescent literally 
hiding the ground with berries that fill the 
air with the delicious fragrance of the Prince 
of Berries. I would like to help hasten this 
good time, if somebody would just tell me 
how. I see clearly where the theory loads to, 
but l do not so clearly see how it is ever to get 
there. Seriously, with au experience of up¬ 
ward of II) yours with straw berries, I have 
never knowti the pollen from a perfect- 
flowered strawberry to dominate the flavor or 
quality of a pistillate variety. The quality or 
flavor, iu my opinion, is determined iu quite 
uuother way. 
* * * 
I recently had au opportunity of testing 
this matter iu a special way. Mr. Augur has 
a large bed of tbe Jewell Strawberry. Every 
third row is a dilTorent variety, there 
being either seven or nine varieties of 
perfect flowered kinds used to fertilize the 
Jewell, which i3 a pistillate. 1 weut through 
every row of Jewell, testing each one 
from end to end in reference to quality, 
average size, aud productiveness. I was 
asked if 1 discovered any difference in the 
flavor in different parts of the bed. I replied 
tbat I had uot; that the flavor was the flavor 
of the Jewell all the way through. Having 
my attention thus culled to tbe subject, I went 
over the bed again to see if I could detect any 
difference in flavor; but I failed todiscover any. 
* * * 
Having alluded to the Jewell, I will add 
briefly here that a bed of the Jewell Straw¬ 
berry is a handsome sight. The plant is of 
robust growth, with dark-green foliage; the 
berries are very large, quite uniform iu size, 
with a pleasant snb acid juice, and moderate¬ 
ly firm flesh; und it is remarkably productive, 
its bright-colored berries literally covering 
the ground. The flower is pistillate. Iu flavor 
it is good. I wish I could say best. Still it is 
a valuable fruit, and has come to stay. 
* * * 
Do not let tbe season for bulbs go by with¬ 
out planting a few hyacinths, tulips, jonquils, 
gladiolus, “The Bride,” Narcissus bicolor 
Horsfiddil, Oxalis Bowiei and versicolor, 
scilla, frieaia, triteleiu, and so on; all these 
are hardy, except gladiolus, oxalis and fiio 
sla. If you have no greenhouse, a few pots 
of these will give a summery air to the sitting- 
room when the ground without is covered 
with snow and the trees no longer wear their 
green vesture. There is a sort of companion¬ 
ship in them, too, which serves wonderfully 
to drive away the feeling of loneliness which 
so many are apt to give way to at this time. 
* * * 
There is au old und popular plant, grown by 
almost every body, tbe common name of which 
has for some time been iu a transition state, 
and to change which 1 have done my share. 1 
allude to the old Scarlet Geranium, so called. 
Tbe plant is not a geranium, but a pelargoni¬ 
um, and the term “scarlet” long since became 
a misnomer. While many still call it Scarlet 
Geranium, others call it Scarlet Pelargonium, 
and still others Zonal Pelargonium. I think 
“zonal” more appropriate than “scarlet,” but 
I should like to have au expression of opinion 
on the subject from such men as Messrs. Fal¬ 
coner, Parnell, Thorpe aud others who take 
au interest in plants and their names. The 
idea is to substitute a right name for a wrong 
one, and not merely to change a name. 
[It ha9escaped Horticola that we have called 
attention to the same thing. All the true ger¬ 
aniums with which we are acquainted are 
perfectly hardy in this climate.— Eds.] 
HORTICOLA. 
NOTES ON THE NEWER GRAPES. 
North America was the first to ripen, but 
the clusters are very small, quality only fair, 
and it is not very productive. 
E. Victor came next and is the most pro¬ 
ductive variety 1 have. Quality very good, 
clusters not generally shouldered, but solid 
aud very line looking. Although the berry is 
not so large, the dusters are much better. It 
commences bearing at least a year sooner, is 
fully as good in quality and yields two to three 
times as much as 
Moore’s Early which follows very closely 
iu point of time. 
Wyoming Red ripens with Moore’s; aud 
with us promises well. 
Dollk follows next and is a very large 
grape, much larger thun Moore’s Early, and 
to my tasteas good iu quality. It isa rampant 
grower and commences bearing very young, 
but does not always set the clusters full. I 
got it from a German here who says ho re¬ 
ceived it from Germany; but it has no appoar- 
aueo of being a foreign variety. I saw on his 
vino, last Fall, after nearly all other grapes 
were over ripe aud gone, splendid clusters in 
tine condition. 
Lady Washington, which rotted budly iu 
provious years, is looking well, and there is 
very little rot, while, singularly, 
Duchess, which lias done well before, has 
rotted worse than any other. 
Pocklington him disappointed me: it 
scarcely shows any sign of ripening yet, and 
lost year was behind Coucord and very hard 
and foxy. Unless it does much better iu fu¬ 
ture, oue vine will be enough. 
Lind LEY does not grow as rapidly as many 
others, but is making a fair amouut of wood, 
and will give a fair amouut of nice fruit. 
Vkugknnks is making rather loss growth 
and carries less fruit. 
Jefferson is rather peculiar. 1 regard it 
as the best table grapo l have, but the first 
two years the ends of the vines were somewhat 
wiuter-killed, aud l felt some fear that it , 
might not prove hardy, but enough sound 
wood was left for fruiting, and al¬ 
though it does not make a very rapid growth, 
the wood is strong and the crop is steadily in¬ 
creasing every year. The buds are not so 
prominent as in most varieties, and are very 
late in starting. 
Uhland is a white grape that, with me, is 
doing remarkably well. It is only medium in 
size of berry or bunch, but tbe clusters are 
very compact and freely produced, and the 
vine isa rapid grower. The grapes are not 
ripe yet: last year I considered it No. 1, and, 
like the Jefferson, It had much of the texture 
of the European variety. 
Prentiss is ripening with Concord, and is 
giving a fair crop of nice fruit. 
There are several old varieties we would 
hardly like to leave out. 
Ckkvklino, among them, ripens about as 
early as the uew early varieties, and in qual¬ 
ity is scarcely excelled by any of the new 
ones, early or late. It gives very few full 
clusters, hut for my own table, this is not so 
important as quality. Catawba does not suc¬ 
ceed in open places, but I have two vines' 
twined on the southwest side of the house, 
which annually yield good crops of Trait of 
the finest quality. I do not always want 
grapes of the same quality, eveu the beat, and 
I often prefer the refreshing acid of Norton’s 
Virginia, and it has the advantage of not be¬ 
ing liable to rot. wm. f. basset. 
Atlantic Co., N. J. 
fitli) Crops. 
KEEPING SEED CORN. 
The past three weeks indicate that next 
Spring prime seed corn will be appreciated 
all through tbi9 section. 
My plan of saving It is as follows:—Leave 
the corn in the field as long as you safely can 
—s >uie seasons until it Is dry enough to shell. 
Be sure to gather all seed corn before any 
freeze; if not dry, put It in the most conven¬ 
ient place to dry; but be sure it does not 
freeze. As soon as it will shell well, run it 
through a hand sbeller, and put it—corn, cobs 
aud all-in empty barrels and set them in the 
cellar, where tbe com will not freeze, until 
planting time. The reason for shelling in the 
Fall Is that in the Spring it will usually be 
too damp to shell well. 
I think corn kept lu this way will grow 
more readily than corn that has been so thor¬ 
oughly dried that freezing will not injure it. 
1 have always had prime seed corn. Mine is 
so different from the usual plau that I really 
expect that not more than one in one hundred 
who see it, will try it. For ten years I have se¬ 
lected seed from stalks that grew only oue ear. 
Humboldt Co., Ia. o. e. french. 
- » ♦ ♦- 
SCAB IN POTATOES. 
I have been digging some potatoes planted 
iu u light, sandy loam with no fertilizer except 
phosphate and ashes; I have not seen a single 
wire-worm or a worm of any kind except 
angle-worms, of which there are many, but 
the potatoes are all more or loss uffected with 
scab, some of them very badly. r. 
W indsor Co. Vt. 
<£l)t perils man. 
RAISING CALVES “BY HAND.” 
Here is my method of raising calves where 
we have no skim milk, because we sell our 
milk to a wholesale dealer, and we are now 
getting three cents a quart for it at the door. 
1 let the calf suck the cow for the first three 
days, und then take it away aud begin feeding 
it by hand. Now, 1 must feed it so us to save 
milk aud keep it thriving too; this I do by 
cuttlug some good hay and putting it in a tub 
aud steeping it iu hot water, aud it makes a 
very nutritious tea. For the first few times 
1 make the drink about one-third tea aud two- 
thirds milk; tbeu I gradually increase the 
quantity of tea and diminish that of milk un¬ 
til the calf is about seveu weeks old, wheu I 
discard the use of milk altogether. When 
the calf Is about two weeks old, 1 begin to add 
a little wheat middlings to the drink,and grad¬ 
ually increase as it agrees with it. The quau- 
ity must be very small at first. 1 also keep a 
whisp of good hay where the little thing cau 
ni bble at it ut pleasure, aud it soon learns to 
eat it pretty freely, aud hay is much better 
for it than grass wnile young, aud 1 have al¬ 
ways found that the calf will eat hay sooner 
thun grass. I occasionally add a little salt to 
the feed, and, as Prof. Henry says in a late 
RURAL., the drink should always be milk- 
warm while the animal is young. I have a 
calf now jiiHt two months old, fed in the above 
way, and it is iu fine health and condition, 
aud always ready for its feed. It has done so 
well I have started another in the same way 
Prof. Henry says feed three times a day, 
which I believe is best, although I never feed 
oftener than twice a day. 
Morris Co., N. J. chas. lkk. 
Vflmitanb 
THAT SCOURGE OF THE DAIRY— 
ABORTION. 
B. F. JOHNSON. 
Whatever veterinarians may say to the 
contrary, the abortion of milch cows is about 
as much of a mystery as ever, and the theory 
of the arrested development of the foetus iu 
consequence of overdrafts on the animal econ¬ 
omy, as a cause, still holds its ground with all 
the old-time credit. 
On the other side of the Atlantic and across 
the British Channel, the subject has beeu taken 
in hand by a scientific commission, and the 
following are the main points of the first 
report—a preliminary one made, to be sure, 
for the puipose of getting at the facts: — 
The commission considers that if it is im¬ 
possible at present to determine the causes of 
tbe abortion oT milch cows, it will be interest¬ 
ing to know its effects. Borne persons believe 
they have noticed a variety of influences acting 
in this epizootic, while they have no power or 
ability to explain them. Thusheilersarc more 
often attacked than mature cows. In certain 
cases, abortion disappears with a change of tboJ 
bull, aud especially if the boll is of a differ^* 
ent race. Some others have remarked that^ 
the epoch of gestation had more or less influ¬ 
ence, and that heifers put to the bull in 
August, did not abort when others did, which 
were bred in the spring months. It has also 
been noticed that abortion disappears when 
the sufferers are given a change of residence. 
Other and many analogous observations 
having been made, tbe commission de¬ 
cided it would be useful to group and 
classify them. It asks therefore that those 
interested report to it any and ail facts bear¬ 
ing on this question. To facilitate the inquiry, 
the following questions have been formulated, 
it being understood tbut the answers contain 
the opinions of the correspondents:— 
1. How docs the attack first show itself? 
2. What wore the probable causes? 
3. Does the epizootic attack equally cows of 
all ages? 
•1. At what period of gestation were the 
cows attacked f 
5. Ought we to attribute the attacks to an 
exeeas of fat iu the patient, or to its beiug iu 
very thin fiesh? 
0. Has the date at which the cow takes the 
bull any influence, aud do cows abort equally 
at all periods of the year? 
7. Do cows tbat have aborted recover their 
health readily or not, and how often is it fatal ? 
8. Are certain races or breeds more subject 
to attack than others? 
9- Does the epizootic attack equally large 
herds, small herds, or herds of medium num¬ 
bers? How about cows isolated, or by them¬ 
selves? 
10. Has the age of the bull any influence? 
11. Are blooded cattle of pure race and high 
pedigree more subject to abortion, than half- 
breeds, scrubs or common stock; or is the con¬ 
trary the case? 
19. Does the near relationship of the bull 
to the cows have any influence, one way or 
the other? 
13. Docs a change of bulls produce any mod¬ 
ification of the epizootic? 
14. Will a bull changed from a herd which 
has aborted cause the infection or disease to 
other herds? 
15 What may be the influence, good or bad: 
1, of the nature of the soil; 2, of different 
plants; 3, of the food; 4, of the water; and 
5, of meteorological change? 
10. Has bleeding or any other course of 
treatment produced good results? 
17. How long has the period of abortion 
continued ? Probable cause of cessation i 
15. After a first attuck and its disappear¬ 
ance, how long before a second? 
[We would like to receive answers to any or 
all of these questions from those of our read¬ 
ers whose stock have beeu attacked by this 
disastrous ailment, or who have studied its 
course among their neighbors’ cows.— Eds.] 
(T!)e Sunuf-ljcn). 
tbe-aT, ‘ 
er-jTt 
CAKE OF HOGS. 
Tue prospect for au abundant corn crop iu 
Central Illinois this fall continues favorable. 
This is leading farmers to look about for 
hogs and other live stock to which the surplus 
may be fed. Doubtless many hogs as well as 
cattle will be brought here withiu the next 
fow months. In view of the possibility of 
swine plague or other contagious diseases being 
