422 
THE BUBAL HEW-YOBKEB 
JUNE 20 
THE 
RURAL- NEW-YORKER. 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Conducted by 
K. 8. CARMAN, 
Editor. 
J. S. WOODWARD, 
Associate. 
journey by easy stages, that he may by 
his presence add much to the interest and 
enjoynbility of the meeting. But whether 
or not he may be able to be there in per¬ 
son, we know that in heart and spirit he 
will not fail to participate in the occasion. 
No name in pomology is honored more 
than his. 
DONT! REMEMBER! 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-STORKER, 
No. S4 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1885. 
The outlook for a large yield of pota¬ 
toes on our half-acre of poor soil, under 
the Rural's trench-mulch system,is not at 
present promising. Many of the seed-pieces 
have not yet sprouted. Covered by the 
mulch, the heat of the sun penetrates 
slowly, as the season thus far is backward, 
cool and wet. 
The cost of the mulch, including the 
hay, passing it through a cutter by hand, 
and applying it one-and a-half inch deep 
in trenches 15 inches wide, is about $12, 
per acre. This is at the Rural Grounds 
where the coarse meadow hay is worth $5. 
per ton, not including the cost of carting 
it three miles. One ton suffices for one 
acre. Where entire accuracy is necessary, 
as in our experiment, the cost of the 
mulch and its application is greater. Our 
trenches are all three feet apart, measuring 
' from center to center. 
Hybrid Pebpetualb is a name most mis¬ 
leading to the young rose-grower. They 
are called perfectly hardy, and are pre¬ 
sumed to be perpetual bloomers. Hardy 
they may be, but perpetual bloomers they 
are not. They bloom in J une, and a few 
of them again in the Fall—that is all the 
“perpetual” there is about them. The 
perpetual bloomers — like the Chinas 
(Teas, Noisettes), Bourbons, Musk, etc., 
do bloom during the entire Summer; but 
they are far from hardy. The Bourbons 
are perhaps the hardiest of the Everbloom- 
ing Roses. There is no class of plants so 
inextricably mixed up in nomenclature 
as roses. 
We have two trees growing within 50 
feet of each other,that are much admired 
by visitors. From their position on the 
lawn, they may he called companion trees. 
One is the Yellow-wood (Cladrastia tinc- 
toria), the other is the Yellow Horse-chest¬ 
nut (/Esculus flava). Each is beautiful, 
but the contrast, makes each more strik¬ 
ing. The Buckeye is rigid. The stems 
are large and stubby; the leaves large 
and of a deep green. The Yellow-wood 
is graceful and light and airy, with 
smaller leaves of a light-green color. It is 
slender, blithe, waving. The one might be 
compared to a hearty, stern, uncompro¬ 
mising, elderly man; the other to a diplo¬ 
matic, yielding, suave,fascinating middle- 
aged fellow. 
Bag the grapes. Eight inches by six 
is a convenient size—though where two 
bunches are together, wc often use bags 
11x8 inches. For the benefit of new sub¬ 
scribers, we may urge that the bagging 
of grapes preserves their bloom; and so 
protects them from injury that when the 
bags are removed in the Fall, the beauti¬ 
ful clusters resemble the most perfect 
wax-work. The bags also protect them 
against birds, against the light frosts of 
early September, and if, put over the 
bunches when the berries are the size of 
No. 6 shot, will, it is said, prevent rot 
and mildew. This, however, is not the 
case in our experience, and the Rural 
was perhaps the first journal to advocate 
bagging. A full account, with illustra¬ 
tions, was given in the R. N.-Y. of April 
21, 1883. _ 
AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
MEETING. 
Our horticultural and fruit-loving 
friends should not by any means forget 
the forthcoming meeting of the Ameri¬ 
can Fomological Society, at Grand 
Rapids, Michigan, September 9th to 11th, 
inclusive. This meeting will be devoted 
exclusively to business; there is to be no 
foolishness of excursions, banquetings, 
or any thing else to distract attention, 
and as Grand Rapids is one of the most 
progressive cities of that live horticul¬ 
tural State, we predict the best meeting 
of this society held in many years, and 
no one who can make it convenient to 
attend will for a moment have a regret. 
We know we but give expression to the 
wish of every lover of horticulture in 
America, when we hope that the venerable 
and honored President Marshall P. Wil¬ 
der, may A feel well enough to make the 
When tempted to scold the children 
for taking up the seeds to see if they have 
sprouted, or for digging up the lawn that 
they may plant a tree, or for pulling a 
flower to pieces that they may ascertain 
what smells so sweet, don’t do it. Try 
to think back one or two score years, when 
you were a child, and did the same things, 
and, besides, grafted currants on rose 
bushes, or.roses on cherry or peach trees, 
and then wondered that you were scolded 
instead of being kindly* told the reason 
why you had not done the wise thing. 
These traits of the children may some¬ 
times he quite annoying, and cause much 
trouble, but remember they are the out¬ 
ward sign of a spirit of investigation just 
budding in the youthful mind; they show 
that, the children are learning to think, 
and as you value thought and mental 
vigor, don’t quench or repress the youth¬ 
ful spark; it is much better to take time 
to assist and direct their investigations 
into a useful channel. To the develop¬ 
ment and proper direction of this same 
impulse, the civilized world owes all it 
has of scientific knowledge and economic 
improvement over the savage. And then, 
what higher aim can parents have than to 
make their children wiser and better than 
themselves? 
-- 
CROPS. 
According to the June crop report of 
the Department of Agriculture, the aggre¬ 
gate wheat crop of this country will be 
only 360,000,000 bushels, of which 153,- 
000,000 will be spring wheat. Last year, 
the total crop was 512,763,900 bushels, 
so that at next harvest there will be a 
shortage of 153,000,000 bushels as com¬ 
pared with last year. The deficiency is 
altogether in winter wheat, the condition 
of which is lower than ever before report¬ 
ed in June, being now G2 against 70 in 
May. The condition of spring wheat is 
97. In some States, there has been a 
greater curtailment of area than was an¬ 
ticipated in previous reports. The aver¬ 
age yield will evidently be lees than 10 
bushels per acre. The probable product 
of the winter wheat area, according to 
these reports, is reduced to 207,000.000 
bushels; but none of the Territories are 
included in the winter wheat area. 
The general condition of rye is 85. The. 
area of barley iB nearly the same 
as in 1884, and the average condition is 
89. The acreage of oats has increased 
four per cent., and the average condition 
is 94. Corn will be reported in July; but 
present returns indicate an increase of 
area. There is an increase of from five to 
six per cent in the acreage under cotton, 
the total area exceeding 18,000,000 acres. 
The plant is healthy; the growth nearly 
an average one; the stand good. 
OPINIONS SHOULD BE FREE. 
The brewers and dealers in lager beer 
and their newspaper organs, seem to think 
that they own this country; and they 
pitch rough-shod into everybody who 
dares to say aught in iavor of temperance 
or total abstinence. They are particular¬ 
ly wrathful if such a person happens to 
be in any way connected with those in 
authority. 
The letter of Miss Cleveland, the Presi¬ 
dent’s sister, which is a remarkably clear 
and sensible appeal for the entire eradica¬ 
tion, root and branch,of the liquor traffic, 
a trade which she justly charges, directly 
or indirectly, with the great bulk of pan ■ 
perism and crime, and which is the great 
foe to moral purity and mutual improve¬ 
ment, a traffic that is a greater burden on 
the laboring masses of the country than 
all the monopolies combinexl, has nearly 
thrown them into convulsions, and there 
isn’t a lager beer seller or a newspaper 
devoted to the liquor interests that is not 
vying with all the others of the same 
stripe to see which can say the meanest 
things of her, or which can picture her 
in the most unenviable light. They seem 
to think that, because she is the sister of 
the President, she has no business to have 
an opinion of her own, or to love her race 
and iabor for its elevation. They claim 
that if she is such a fanatic she has no 
business to express her opinions. But 
she may be sure that her noble sentiments 
find ready response in the heart of every 
true American, and that the farmers of 
this country and their wives and families 
will love her all the more for her indepen¬ 
dence and Christian philanthropy, and they 
will not forget to ask God to bless both 
her and her cause. 
A NEW KIND OF GRAIN. 
‘‘The Rural New-Yorker two years ago produced 
a hybrid between wheat and rye, the new grain 
being very distinct from either. Last year a further 
cross was effected upon these hybrids by using the 
pollen of rye, so that the resulting grain Is three 
quarters rye. The plants are remarkable vigorous, 
and (he heads large and still very distinct from those 
Of rye. Whatever may prove to be the economic 
value of these hybrids, the facts are most Interest¬ 
ing scientifically." 
The above is clipped from the Balti¬ 
more American. Yes, indeed, the facts 
are “interesting scientifically.” It will 
be remembered that one of the plants of 
the rye-wheat cross bore nearly sterile 
heads. Seventeen imperfect, shriveled 
kernels were found, however, and these 
produced 16 plants so feeble that it was 
supposed they would not survive the 
Winter. But they started vigorously in 
the Spring, and soveral of them are now 
among the thriftiest of our wheats. The 
strange thing is that the heads are large 
and full; the beards are shorter than 
last year, while several characteristics of 
of the rye are as prominent as they wore 
last year, as, e. g., the down of the’ stems 
beneath the heads. The wheat-rye head, 
which was again crossed with rye, gave 
us seven kernels, and these gave six plants, 
one of which bears 14 heads. But a?ain, 
all seem to be sterile as in the case of the 
first cross last year. While still resemb¬ 
ling wheat in some respects, both the plant 
and heads bear a somewhat closer resemb¬ 
lance to rye. The plants from the first 
fertile rye-wheat crosses vary indefinitely. 
Some have immense beards; some short 
beards, while others are smooth. 
Yes, indeed, we repeat, the facts are in¬ 
teresting, whatever may prove to be their 
ultimate economic value to the country. 
We are continuing the work of still fur¬ 
ther crossing these hybrids with rye 
pollen. 
THE WORLD’S WHEAT OUTLOOK. 
According to the latest trustworthy 
reports, the condition of the w'heat crops 
of the chief surplus-producing countries 
of the world, outside North America, 
on May 30, may be briefly summarized as 
follows: There is a shortage of from 10 
to 15 per cent, in the wheat acreage of 
the United Kingdom. Owing to this and 
a backward season and the inferior condi¬ 
tion of the crop, it is estimated that 
there will be a deficiency of about 8,000,- 
000 bushels on the good crop of last year. 
In France the acreage this year is stated 
to be 10 per cent, less than that of last 
year, and the condition of the crop has 
given rise to numerous complaints. As¬ 
suming the total deficiency to be only 10 
per cent, on account of shortage,, this 
would amount to fully 28,000,000 bush¬ 
els. In Germany, Holland and Belgium 
there have been considerable complaints, 
and Beerbohm estimates their aggre¬ 
gate deficiency, as compared with last 
year, at 12,000,000 bushels. In Austria, 
Hungary, South Russia and Spain reports 
are not very satisfactory, and a total 
shortage of 12,000,000 bushels is assigned 
to these countries. In India last year's 
crop was excellent, but the coming har¬ 
vest is not expected to be so gooii. The 
last crops in Australia and New Zealand 
were so extremely abundant that an in¬ 
crease on them cannot be expected. As 
the harvest in those colonies takes place in 
December and January, it can hardly be 
placed in the same category as those 
of countries on the north of the equator. 
Of course, the information on which 
the estimates were based on May 30, must 
have referred to the condition of the 
crops at a somewhat earlier date; and fine 
weather in June may change the outlook 
considerably; but no intimation of un¬ 
usually fine weather for this season in any 
part of the world has hitherto reached us, 
and in any ease, it will be merely a ques¬ 
tion of the amount of the deficiency—for 
that there must be a considerable de¬ 
ficiency, as compared with last year, all 
agree. Everywhere the wheat crop of 
1884 was exceptionally abundant, hence 
the “over-production’* which has depressed 
prices. Next harvest will bo about 150,- 
000,000 bushels short in this counlry, and 
in the neighborhood of 75,000,000 bushels 
short elsewhere, making an aggregate 
shortage of nearly 200,000,000 bushels. 
The surplus from this year will supply a 
part of this deficiency; but there is likely 
still to remain a very considerable shortage, 
which must affect prices—not ptrhaps I 
immediately, but surely before harvest. 4 
Indeed the stiffening of prices of late, in 
spite of the pacific outlook beyond the 
Atlantic, is due to the growing knowledge 
of the poor prospect for the next wheat 
harvest in nearly all parts of the world. 
STRAWBERRY NOTES. 
A few notes written as we go to press, 
regarding those late or new varieties, of 
strawberries, which are spoken of as im¬ 
provements upon older kinds, may not he 
without interest to many readers. 
The Bonanza bears large leaves of a 
dark color. The petioles are upright and 
strong. It is not very prolific, and its 
few berries are of every shape. Its 
flowers are “perfect,” and it ripens with 
later kinds. The Henderson bears strong 
and healthy foliage. The large size of 
the berry and its fine quality must, how¬ 
ever, compensate for a deficiency in fruit, 
if we may judge it by this season’s behav¬ 
ior. It is intermediate as to its time of 
ripening. The flower is perfect. Iron¬ 
clad gives us, this season, our first berries 
in any quantity. The foliage is healthy 
and the plants full of young berries. The 
ripe fruit is firm, bright in color, medium 
to small in size and of inferior quality. 
Flower perfect. 
The Parry, as to vigor, is peculiar. 
8ome plants are quite vigorous—some 
rather feeble, with scarcely enough leaves 
to ripen the berries which are borne freely 
enough. It is ripening a few berries of 
excellent ^quality, of the largest size, 
beautiful in their fresh red color and 
shapeliness. We have in this new berry, 
size, quality, form and earliness. More 
vigor of plant is all that can be asked for. 
Daisy Miller bears a perfect flower. It 
ripens later. Its fmit-stalks are too short, 
as we reported last year. Hathaway No. 
9 is extremely vigorous in foliage. It is 
fairly productive, ripening with later 
kinds. Hathaway No. 8 is second to 
none in size of leaf, length of petiole and 
peduncle. It is a pistillate ripening 
rather late. These two seedlings of Mr! 
Hathaway are worthy of trial at least. 
Daniel Boone (pistillate) is hardy and 
strong. The berries ripen among the 
medium early. It is fairly productive, 
hut there is nothing remarkable about it. 
Prince of Berries (perfect) is more vigor¬ 
ous than Parry, though rather less pro¬ 
ductive. Ripens later. 
Jewell. We must again report this as 
among the most promising of the new 
kinds. The pi nuts are strong, very hardy, 
and as prolific a9 is desirable. Some of 
the berries, though still green, are large 
and shapely. As a pistillate it has no 
equal that we have tried, except it may 
be the Amateur. This is among the 
strongest-growing plants we have ever 
tried. It is rather later than Jewell. 
These two varieties, as we predicted 
for them last year, will cotnmund some 
consideration. 
BREVITIES. 
Again, for the forth year, we have to re¬ 
port that the Ohio is the hardiest of black cap 
raspberries. 
We are preparing another ‘‘.Special’’ Ru¬ 
ral New-Yorker. What is it? Our read¬ 
ers will know ere long. 
If you would have rose-colored tube-roses. 
insert the stem in red ink just before the buds 
open. Certain other flowers may be “doctored” 
in the same way. 
We often take to the office for the young 
ladies in the Rural’s employ the flowers of 
the season. Among those of this Spring none 
were more admired than u bunch of Rhodo¬ 
dendrons (grandiflorum) upon a back-ground 
of the leaves of the Golden Oak (Concordia). 
ZINC labels, after they have been used for 
years, may be written upon again, and again 
used for years. Rub upon the writing moist 
soil under the thumb or finger, and I he marks 
ore easily rubbed out, and the bright surface 
shows the pencil-marks more plainly than 
when first written upon. 
Be kind and considerate to your hired help 
if you would have them considerate to you. 
It has ulways seemed strange to the writer of 
this nob? that (ho employer, who is generally 
more intelligent, and comfortably situated 
than the employed, should exact from him 
that which he is unwilling to return; 
The frosts and hails of May have wrought 
havoc on the fruit crops of England to such 
an extent that it is feared there will be a very 
poor show for any class of fruits. Owing to 
this serious loss and to the fact that this is the 
“off’’ year for American orchards, the out¬ 
look for those so fortunate as to have even a 
purtiul crop, is very good Moral, take the 
iiest of care of the fruit trees and see that 
they are not devastated by any insect pest. 
The Man’s Fowl —This is a French breed, 
and celebrated as the best of all for its tender, 
savory flesh, the color of which is pure white. 
This color is preferable in France and Eng¬ 
land to yellow flash, which latter is preferred 
in America. The Man’s Fowl ir of a black 
color, good size, with short legs, something 
like our old breed of Creepers. They are 
non sitters and, of course, extra layers. The 
eggs are'of. medium size, and average about 
120 to 150 per annum. 
