VOL. XLVI. NO. 1979. 
NEW YORK, DECEMBER 31, 1887. 
PRICE FIVE CENTS. 
$2.00 PER YEAR. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1887, by the Rural New-Yorker in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.] 
pamolo^icul. 
THREE. 
A CHOICE OF FRUITS BY LEADING AMERICAN 
POMOLOGISTS. 
Estimates by Pres. P. Barry , W. C. Barry, 
C. A. Green (N. Y.), Pres. T. T. Lyon 
(Mich.), Pres. Parker Earle (III.), Pres. P. 
J. Berckmans (Ga .), Ex-Gov. R. IF. Fur¬ 
nas (Neb ), Com. N. J. Column (Mo.), Dr. 
T. II. Hoskins ( 17,), Judge Parry, Sec. E. 
Williams (N. J.), P. M. Augur, J. H. Hale 
(Ct.), IF. G. Waring (Pa.), Pres. T. V. 
Munson (Tex.), P. Gideon (Minn.) 
FROM PRES. PATRICK BARRY. 
Fall Apples: Gravenstein, Maiden’s Blush, 
Oldenburg. If a sweet is wanted add Jersey 
Sweet. 
Winter Apples: Tompkins King, R. I. 
Greening, Guldeu Russet, N. Spy. If a sweet 
is wauted add Lyman P. Sweet. 
Summer Pears: Gitl'ard, Clapp, Bartlett. 
Autumn Pears: Seckel, Sheldon, Anjou, 
Superfin. 
Early and Late Plums: Bradshaw, Me- 
Loughlin, Bavay's Green Gage. 
Early Peaches: Alexander, Large Early 
York or Rivers, Crawford’s Early. 
Late Peaches: Old-tuixon Free, Stump the 
World or Crawford's Late, Ward’s Late. 
White Grapes: Niagara, Duchess, Rebecca. 
Red Grapes: Brighton, Delaware, Bindley. 
Black Grapes: Concord, Worden, Wilder. 
Early Strawberry: Nieauor, Crystal City, 
Bidwell. 
Later Strawberries: Charles Downing, 
Cumberland, Sharpless. 
Raspberries: Fastolf, Orange, Cuthbert. 
Gooseberries: Downiug, Houghton, Indus¬ 
try. 
Blaekbetries: Wilson’s Early, Kittatiuny, 
Wachusett. 
Currants: Fay, White Grape, Versaillaise. 
Rochester, N. Y. 
W. C. BARRY. 
Winter Apples: N. Spy, R. I. Greening, 
Kiug. 
Fall Apples: Gravenstein,Fall Pippin, Maid¬ 
en’s Blush. 
Summer Pears; Bartlett, Giffard, Tyson. 
Fall Pears: Seckel, Sheldon, Bose. 
Early and late plums: McLaughlin, Prince 
Englebert, Coe’s Golden. 
Eaidy Pouches: Waterloo, Haine’s Early, 
Rivers. 
Later Poaches: Crawford’s Late, Craw¬ 
ford’s Early, Old-mixou Free. 
Later Strawberries: Cumberland, Sharp¬ 
less, Downing. 
Early Strawberries: Bidwell, Belmont, 
Cresceut. 
Raspberries: Cuthbert, Gregg, Hausell. 
Gooseberries: Industry, Downing, Hough¬ 
ton. 
Blackberries: Snyder, Kittatiuny, Ancient 
Briton. 
Currants: Cherry, White Grape, Victoria. 
FROM PRESIDENT PARKER KAR1.E, 
Making lists of the best varieties of fruit is 
a risky business. Solis, elevations, latitudes, 
seasons, cultures, personal tastes and other 
things will so modify our views, and no 
mau’s judgment is worth much far from 
home, even if it is worth something there. 
But this is how I feel now, for Southern Illi¬ 
nois: 
Three Fall Apples: Jonathan, Ronio Beauty, 
Buckingham. 
Three Winter Apples: Wiuesap, Jonathan 
(keep in cold storage), May of Myers. 
Three Summer Pears: Bartlett, Beurr4 Su¬ 
perfin, Seckel. 
Three Fall Peal's; Howell, Buerr^d’Anjou, 
Lawrence. 
Three Early Peaches: Waterloo, Yellow St 
John, Mountain Rose. 
Three Mid-season Peaches: Elberta, Old- 
mixon Free, Wheatland. 
Three Late Peaches: Sal way, Picquett’s 
Late, Henrietta. 
Three White Grapes: Triumph, Duchess, 
Niagara. 
Three Red Grapes: Delaware, Ulster Pro¬ 
lific, Brighton. 
Three Black Grapes: Concord, Worden, 
Black Eagle. 
Three Strawberries: Crescent, Cumberland 
Triumph, Dowuiug. 
Three Raspberries: Turner, Cuthbert. 
Three Blackberries: Early Harvest (south 
of 38°), Lawton, Kittatiuny. 
Cobden, Illinois. 
FROM PRES. BERCKMANS. 
I would name as follows for middle Geor¬ 
gia and for home use. 
Three Best Winter apples: Shockley, Stev¬ 
enson, Black Warrior. 
Three Best Fall Apples: Carter’s Blue, 
Taunton, Equinetely. 
Three Best Summer Apples: Early Har¬ 
vest, Red Astraehau, Red June. 
Three Best Summer Pears: Bartlett, Beurre 
Superfin, Duchess. 
Three Best Fall Pears, Kieffer, Lawrence, 
Easter. 
Three Best Early Plums: Wild Goose, Rob¬ 
inson, Marianna. 
Three Best Late Plums: Kelsey’s, Kana¬ 
wa, Newman. 
Thee Best Early Peaches (very earl}-): Alex¬ 
ander, Louise, Rivers. (May and June). 
Three Best Late Peaches: Picquett’s,Eaton’s, 
Tin ley’a (Sept and Oct) 
Three Best White Grapes: Peter Wylie, 
Triumph, Mrs. McClure. 
Three Best Red Grapes: Delaware, Brigh¬ 
ton, Berckmans. 
Three Best Black Grapes: Concord, Ives, 
W ilder. 
Three Best Strawberries: Wilson, Sharp¬ 
less, Chas. Downing. 
Three Best Raspberries: Cuthbert, Gregg, 
Caroline. 
Two Blackberries: Wilson's Early, Kitta- 
tinny. 
Currants and Gooseberries do not succeed 
here. 
Augusta, Ga. 
FROM PRES. T. T. LYON. 
In order that the reply be properly under¬ 
stood, explanation becomes needful. It will 
at once be comprehended that with but three 
varieties, little reference can be had to suc¬ 
cession. There also are certain varieties of emi¬ 
nently higher quality, which for one reasou 
or another are so difficult to produce in good 
condition, or so unproductive that they can¬ 
not properly be included iu the proposed list. 
Again merely culinary fruits become a 
necessity for family purposes; but, in so brief 
a list my inference is that only dessert varie¬ 
ties are intended. Such being the assump¬ 
tion, all others are omitted, and yet care is 
had to give such variation lu season as shall 
give a succession of varieties as far as practi¬ 
cable; and, iuso doing, both classes and va¬ 
rieties are, as far us practicable, uatned in the 
order of their maturity, 
Early Strawberries: Alpha, Bidwell, Parry. 
Late Strawberries; Belmont, Sharpless, 
Mt. Vernon. 
Red Raspberries: Hausell, Brandywine, 
Cuthbert. 
Blackcaps: Souhegau or Tyler, Hilborn, 
Shaffer. 
Currants: White Dutch, Red Dutch, Vic¬ 
toria. 
Gooseberries: Houghton, Downing, Smith. 
Blackberries: Kittatinnv, Wallace, Tay¬ 
lor. 
Early Peaches: Alexander, Rivers, George 
the Fourth. 
Late Peaches: Grosse Mignonne, Old-mix- 
on Free, Morris White. 
Early Plums: Prince's Yellow Gage, Green 
Gage, McLaughlin. 
Late Plums: Jefferson, Coe’s Golden Drop, 
Bavay’s Green Gage. 
White Grapes; Lady, Duchess, Hayes. 
Red Grapes: Delaware or Iona, Brighton, 
Jefferson (must be protected in winter). 
Black Grapes: Moore, Worden, Eumelan. 
Summer Pears: Summer Doyenne, Tyson, 
Rostiezer. 
Autumn Pears: Belle Lucrative, Rose, An¬ 
jou. 
Summer Apples: Early Harvest, Early 
Strawberry, Primate. 
Autumn Apples: Jefferis, Chenango, Dyer. 
Every family should have a full succession 
of each class of fruits, and even more than 
a single variety in season at all times, includ¬ 
ing the sweet apples and culinary fruits gener¬ 
ally. To fully provide for such wants will 
require not less tbau 150 varieties, including 
the entire circle of fruits. 
FROM UNITED STATES COMMISSIONER N. J 
COLMAN. 
The following -would be my list: 
Winter Apples: Baldwin, Rome Beauty, 
York Imperial. 
Fall Apples: Jefferis, Mother, Hubbard- 
ston. 
Summer Pears: Tyson, Bloodgood, Made¬ 
leine. 
Fall Pears: Bartlett, Seckel, Sheldon. 
Early Plums: Wild Goose, Marianna. 
Late Plums: Stanton, Lombard, Green 
Gage. 
Early Peaches: Amsden, Louise, Early 
Crawford. 
Late Peaches: George IV., Old-mixou Free, 
Heath Cling. 
White "Grapes: Empire State, Niagara, 
Lady. 
Red Grapes: Delaware, Brighton, Ulster. 
Black Grapes: Jewell, Worden, Concord. 
Early Strawberries: Cresceut, Charles 
Downing. Sharpless. 
Late Strawberries: Windsor, Glendale, 
Cumberland. 
Raspberries: Souhegau, Cuthbert, Reli¬ 
ance. 
Blackberries: Kittatiuny, Erie, Agawam 
(very late). 
Gooseberries: Houghton, Downiug, In¬ 
dustry. 
Currants: Fay, Versaillaise, White Grape. 
In your letter by the words “general culti¬ 
vation” 1 suppose you intend to include the 
greater part of tho United States, and the list 
has been prepared with this in view. As you 
desired, the names of such as were best for 
“home use.” strictly market varieties have not 
been given except such as are best for both 
purposes. 
Washington, D. C. 
(Concluded next tveek.) 
WINTER PROTECTION FOR STRAW¬ 
BERRIES. 
Last year my strawberry beds were deci¬ 
mated by the heaving out of the roots during 
the “open” period of tho winter, when we had 
the severest cold; the exposed parts of the roots 
were shriveled up. The beds had brushy stuff. 
for protection, most of it evergreen and other 
prunings, seedless asparagus tops, tomato 
haulms, etc. The absence of snow during the 
severest weather was the fatality. The year 
before tan was used very successfully, and 
there seemed to be little difference whether 
the tan was old or new. This year I am try¬ 
ing sawdust for the first time, as it is easier 
to get. It is strewn on at random, often hid¬ 
ing the leaves, but it lies as light as snow and 
will keep frost in the ground and prevent sud¬ 
den alternations of freezing and thawing of 
the surface soil probably as well as the tan. 
As it is not to be dug in. but to remain on the 
surface, I apprehend no harm from it. I shall 
strew on wood-ashes or lime in the spring, to 
counteract any acidity that may form where 
it lies in any mass. When dug into the soil 
while fresh and uncarbonized, it molds and 
becomes poisonous to roots. It will serve as 
a summer mulch, and will. I think, become so 
packed by June as not to stick to the ripe 
fruit. The ground being, most of it, rather 
heavy clay, is much the better for such open 
surfacing. We much prefer sawdust for 
earth-closet use, especially as being light and 
divisible for removal and diffusion over the 
soil. A GARDENER. 
The celery was late, and bad attained but 
little growth when cold weather came on ac¬ 
count of the drought of the summer, so it 
was lifted from the ground; most of the soil 
was shaken from the roots, and it was closely 
packed in deep boxes, then removed to a light 
cellar and occasionally watered, and it is de¬ 
lighting us by stretching out its green leaves 
taller and taller every day, while it is blanch¬ 
ing beautifully, being crisp, healthy, and ten¬ 
der, -with a delicious, nutty flavor. 
MRS. w. c. G. 
floricultural. 
FLORICULTURAL NOTES. 
Abutilons are always admired as window 
plants, and are well adapted for this purpose, 
or for a little lean-to or octagon conservatory. 
To do well they should be kept in small pots, 
given as much light as possible, and, while 
frosts should be avoided, the temperature 
should never be too hot. All the varities are 
rapid growers. To make them flower pro¬ 
fusely they should be kept pot-bound, and oc¬ 
casionally watered with liquid manure. 
Boule de Neige is a very striking variety, with 
dark-green leaves and pure white flowers. It 
contrasts well with the variegated form more 
commonly seen. The trailing variety, A. Mes- 
opotamicum, is not very often seen as a 
house plant, but it is a pretty and interesting 
thing, well worth growing. 
Ficus elastica —the India Rubber Tree— 
assuredly does not come under the head of 
things floricultural, since it is grown for its 
foliage only, but it is one of those things the 
amateur gurdener should never be without. 
It is very effective in the house, and makes a 
fine ornament for the lawn K m summer. It 
might be planted iu the open ground in the 
warm weather; the only trouble is that it is 
apt iu that case to make such a lot of roots 
that it is little use as a house-plant afterward. 
Lantanas are pretty, rather old-fashioned 
flowers, with verbena-like heads of bloom. 
They are good winter bloomers; their only 
drawback is a strong, peculiar odor, disagree¬ 
able to many. They flourish under the same 
treatment as the abuttlon. 
Salvia splendens will make a showy win¬ 
dow plant for winter blooming. Plants 
should he taken up from the border about the 
middle of September, and potted in rich soil, 
using a pot only large enough just to hold the 
roots without crowding. Shade the plants 
.for a few days, and then put them in a sunny 
