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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER’S HYBRIDS 
BETWEEN THE BLACKBERRY AND 
RASPBERRY. 
Nine plants all raised from the seeds of the 
raspberry fertilized with blackberry pollen; 
the seeds of the blackberry pollenated with 
raspberry failed to sprout; unmistakable 
evidences of hybridity. 
Some five years ago Mr. William Saunders 
of London, Ontario, Canada, remarked in the 
office during a brief call, that he had succeed¬ 
ed in crossing blackberries and raspberries. 
“I don’t know what will come of them,” he 
added, “or whether the plants will live.” 
Since that time we have heard nothing of 
them, though several inquiries have been 
made from time to time. At any rate, were 
it not for this remark of Mr. Saunders, we 
should probably never have been prompted to 
attempt the cross. 
In the summer of 1886 we applied pollen of 
raspberry flowers to the stigmas of blackber¬ 
ry flowers, and vice versa. W ith these flow¬ 
ers, whichever is made the mother, it is neces¬ 
sary to unfold the petals and remove the an¬ 
thers of the stamens. If one waits until the 
petals unfold, or as we say, “until the flowers 
are in bloom,” the anthers will very likely 
have shed their pollen, so that it would be im¬ 
possible to know whetheranyattempts at cross¬ 
ing were effective or not. In o r der to be posi¬ 
tive as to this, it is necessary to cover the 
flower operated upon with strong,though thin, 
material—tissue paper is our preference. 
Guess-work in hybridizing or crossing is alto¬ 
gether abominable, because it is impossible to 
know whether anything has been effected or 
not, while the variations sure to appear in the 
seedling plants, it will be assumed, are evi¬ 
dences of cross-bred parentage. 
Our work was continued assiduously dur 
ing the entire period when blackberries and 
raspberries were simultaneously in bloom. 
Some 20 seeds formed on the blackberries and 
perhaps twice as many on the raspberries. 
All were planted (separately of course) in shal¬ 
low boxes of mellow soil as soon as they' were 
taken from the fruit. In many cases a single 
drupe would form; sometimes two or three— 
rarely more, and never a perfect berry. With¬ 
out any experience to guide us in raising these 
fruits from seed, we unwisely took for 
granted that the fresh seed would sprout in a 
few weeks and that the plants would grow to 
a size which, with protection, might be carried 
through the winter out of doors. They did 
not sprout, however, so that it was concluded 
to bury the boxes until February, and thus 
expose the seeds to the action of frost. The 
boxes were removed to the house in early 
February accordingly. Many of the rasp¬ 
berry seeds sprouted in a short time, though 
but nine lived to be set out the ensuing May. 
(1887). The blackberry seeds did not sprout 
at all. 
BOTANICAL DISTINCTIONS. 
Do these plants show that they are hybrids? 
Let us consider for a moment several of the 
distinctions between the raspberry and black¬ 
berry in as far as they may aid us in answer¬ 
ing the question. The leaflets of the black 
and red native raspberry are usually three, 
as shown by 4 and 3 (Fig. 41—first page) of the 
illustration, which is a carefully drawn portrait 
of parts of the seedliugs in question. Some¬ 
times there are five leaflets growing, however, 
from different parts of the petiole. The 
leaves of both the red and black raspberry 
are always more or less glaucous or whitish- 
downy underneath—silvery, it might be 
caked. The lower surface of the leaves of the 
blackberry are hairy but not glaucous. The 
leaflets are three generally as in the rasp¬ 
berry, and sometimes pedately five, as shown 
in the picture at 2. 
Without entering into the differences be¬ 
tween the thorns or prickles that beset the 
stems of most blackberries and raspberries, it 
serves our purpose now to say that the stem 
shown at 7 more nearly resembles a black¬ 
berry than a raspberry stem respecting the 
thorrs. They are larger, stronger and not so 
thickly set as are are those of the raspberry. 
THE NINE HYBRID PLANTS. 
The following notes were taken last Octo¬ 
ber: The first plant is three feet high, much 
branched, light green canes covered with rasp¬ 
berry prickles. Leaflets large, with an occa¬ 
sional imperfect five-pedate leaf. Under¬ 
side of leaf glaucous. The second plant is d)4 
feet high, with but a single stem without lat¬ 
erals—see 4 in the engraving—and nearly 
without prickles. Scarcely any bloom on the 
under side of the leaf. Leaflets large and 
THE BUBAL «EW-Y©BKlft. 
much wrinkled as in the foreign raspberry. 
Stem purplish. The third is a puny plant, 
about nine inches high, with the prickles of a 
raspberry, the leaf of a blackberry. The 
fourth is 2)4 feet high, long laterals, purple 
stem, hooked thorns like the blackberry, but 
closer together. Leaflets small, no bloom on 
the under-side. Resembles a blackberry 
more than a raspberry. The fifth seems to be 
a small sickly raspberry with slender close- 
jointed stems. The sixth seems to be a thorn¬ 
less raspberry. At 9 in the engraving a 
section of the stem is shown. The seventh has 
large wrinkled leaflets borne on two stems 2)4 
feet high. The stems are light green on one 
side, light purple on the other. Prickles 
many and long, as shown at 6, but slender 
and soft. Very little bloom under the leaves. 
A vigorous plant. The eighth has leaves re¬ 
sembling the blackberry and without bloom. 
There were several pedate leaves. Prickles 
hooked, crowded and stiff. It is very branch¬ 
ing and 2)4 feet high. Looks like a black¬ 
berry. The ninth is but nine inches high, 
though healthy. It resembles the blackberry, 
except that the thorns are crowded and there 
are no pedate leaves. 
REMARKS. 
We would not weary our readers with a 
more minute description. Let us say in gen¬ 
eral that some of the plants look just like the 
blackberry, others just like the black or red 
raspberry, while two or three resemble both 
parents. Nevertheless, let it be borne in 
mind that these nine plants grew from rasp¬ 
berry seeds , the blackberry seeds having 
failed to germinate. 
The work of still further crossing black, 
berries and raspberries (though with less 
success) was continued last summer. The hy¬ 
brid seeds were planted in boxes not until 
November, and then at once sunk in the gar¬ 
den soil, covered with brush, etc., where they 
have since remained, though soon to be taken 
to the house and given the warmth and sun of 
a small conservatory. 
“ WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO GAIN ?” 
This question is often asked regarding the 
above hybrid seedlings, as it has often been 
askei regarding our rye-wheat hybrids. An 
easy answer is that “ we don’t expect to gain 
anything,” though we hope to gain ever so 
much. Now, you see, good readers, we are in 
a state of mind not to be disappointed any¬ 
way, while there is a faint—a very faint—pos¬ 
sibility that we may have occasion to be 
delighted over the results of this work which, 
whatever the outcome, is ever interesting, 
instructive and curious. 
PLANTS IN THE CELLAR. 
WILLIAM FALCONER. 
Wintering chrysanthemums ; roses in the 
cellar ; rose cuttings ; greenhouse unneces¬ 
sary ; other plants in the cellar; moisture; 
dahlia , canna , calladium and tuberose 
roots and bulbs ; gladiolus conns ; care of 
cactuses ; geraniums ; ventilation of the 
cellar. 
Keep passion flower, antigonon, cobma and 
other vines a little moist at the root, but, by 
keeping them cool, as inactive as possible. 
Pinch back any growths they make now. Mr. 
E. M. Allen, who grew some of the finest 
chrysanthemums ever shown at the exhibi¬ 
tions of the New York Horticultural Society, 
had no greenhouse, but wintered his plants on 
his cellar floor, kept them slightly moist, but 
as cool as he did his potatoes all winter long, 
and brought them out and divided and re¬ 
planted them outside in April and May. 
Roses, either in pots or heeled in, keep very 
well in the cellar over winter. Don’t let the 
roots get dry. The tops, even of tea-scented 
roses, don’t mind a sharp frost, but there is 
nothing gained by freezing the roots. Keep 
these bushes in a part of the cellar that is 
pretty cool, but should they be in pots and 
show a determination to start into growth, 
fetch them upstairs first to a shady window in 
a moderately cool room and after a few days 
bring them into a sunny window and a warm 
room, and encourage them to bloom. At Mr. 
Wilson’s greenhouse at Astoria, the other day, 
I saw thousands upon thousands of cuttings of 
hardy roses that were recently stuck into the 
sand on the propagating benches. These cut¬ 
tings are secured in the fall, bundled and win¬ 
tered in a cool cellar as we treat apple cions, 
aud when they show a disposition to callus 
they are brought into the greenhouse and 
stuck into the sand on the benches, about 
half an .inch apart. But we don’t want a 
greenhouse at all for this; just let them alone 
in the cellar till the end of March, when w r e 
can fill up a four-inch-deep box of sandy soil 
and into this stick the cuttings, and bring 
them into a sunless window in the house, and 
let them start into growth as slowly as they 
please. 
English ivy, camellias, myrtles, pittospor- 
ums, Japanese privet, English holly, sweet 
bay, Spanish laurel, laurestinus, tender 
rhododendrons, araucarias,and all other ever¬ 
greens of that type, which cau be wintered 
very well in cool, airy, tight cellars, should 
never be allowed to get dry at the root; in¬ 
deed they like plenty of moisture. It is the 
same with out-door evergreens. Evergreens 
always are more winter-hurt when the ground 
is dry in winter than when it is well wetted, 
and the same is the case with fine, fibrous- 
rooted plants like azaleas. Fuchsias, crape 
myrtles, pomegranates, lemon-scented ver¬ 
benas and lantanas may be kept pretty dry; 
but not dust-dry by any means. Erythrinas 
and daturas, however, are often kept dust-dry 
over winter and with seeming impunity. 
But, except in the case of bulbs, tubers and 
corms.and the like I should disadvise any one 
keeping plants dust-dry over winter. 
There is nothing gained by allowing dah¬ 
lias to sprout into growth before April; there¬ 
fore keep them inactive and nip back, any 
growths that may appear before that time. 
Cutout all decaying parts of the tubers and 
rub the wounds over with powdered charcoal 
or dry dust. 
Examine your canna roots. If there is a 
tendency to wet or to dry rot among them, 
spread them out on some moist sand or earth 
on the floor, and let them root a little. Some 
of our finer sorts, as Ehemannii, Newtoni and 
flaccida, are poor keepers when dried off in 
the ordinary way, but they keep very well 
indeed if kept growing a little all winter 
long. 
Caladium esculentum and tube-roses like a 
warm shelf in the cellar. Now is a good 
time to “fix” your tuberoses; separate the 
little from the medium-sized, and these again 
from the Jarge flowering bulbs, and have all 
in readiness for planting time next May. 
Keep gladioluses in moderately cool quarters. 
If warm, they start to grow before planting 
out time and thus become considerably weak¬ 
ened. Rot a few of the ripest and most ad¬ 
vanced for flowering in spring. Brenchley- 
ensis is one of the cheapest, brightest, and 
best, and the easiest of all to get in good con¬ 
dition. Count on about 334 to four months 
from planting till blooming time. 
Take care that mice or rats don’t get to 
your tigridia bulbs, for they are very fond of 
them. As tigridia flowers last only one day 
they are of little me as poc plants, but very 
beautiful out-of-doors in summer. If you 
have any lily bulbs stored in your cellar, don’t 
let them get dry and shriveled. Plant them 
either in pots or flats filled with sandy soil, 
and in order to prevent their growing keep 
them in a cool part of the cellar, but away 
from frost. The main object is to keep the 
bulbs plump and fresh. 
Cactuses, especially opuntias, want look¬ 
ing to. Cut out clean every bit of decayed 
matter you And about them. Then have 
some sharp white sand that has been washed 
clean from all loamy matter, and on a hot 
stove or red-hot shovel burn the sand. When 
it cools rub it over the cactus wounds. If 
cushion cactuses are rusting or rotting bring 
them up out of the cellar at once, and put them 
in a dry, warm window. Rust or rot leaves 
a permanent disfigurement, and is generally 
caused by cold or wet. 
Scarlet geraniums that have been wintered 
in the cellar will now begin to “break.” Cut 
them back to sound wood and healthy eyes 
and promote them to warm, light quarters. 
If you are short of stock, bring them 
upstairs to a warm window and give them a 
little water, and they will soon push forth 
new growths from which you can secure good 
cuttings in March. And if you don’t want 
the cuttings you may retain the growths and 
enjoy the flowers. 
Keep your cellars sweet and clean. Don’t 
splash water around on the floors aud walls 
as you would in a greenhouse unless the cellar 
is overheated by a furnace. A moist cellar 
rots the plants. While a slight frost won’t 
hurt many of the plants we usually winter in 
our cellars, it will not do any of them any 
good, hence keep it out altogether. Ventilate 
by opening the hatchways and windows in 
warm, mild weather, and by partly opening a 
window when the sun is shining on it even in 
slightly frosty weather. But at all times 
avoid draughts. Look out for mice and rats. 
SALT IN AGRICULTURE. 
Probably no problem connected with the 
use of fertilizers is so imperfectly understood 
as the action of salt. Sodium and chlorine, 
the two components of common salt, are 
classed among the unnecessary elements. 
Yet year after year reports come from prac¬ 
tical and observing farmers, to show that 
salt has proved of great benefit to them. 
Probably no other fertilizing agent has called 
forth such contrary reports. When the 
Romans desired to turn a fertile country 
into a desert, they covered it with salt. The 
application of salt as a fertilizer is mainly 
confined to inland countries, because it has 
been generally supposed that the atmosphere 
near the ocean contained an abundance of 
this material. Now Henry Stewart calls at¬ 
tention to the fact that English farmers use 
large quantities of salt, though England, sur¬ 
rounded as she is by salt water, ought, accord¬ 
ing to the accepted theory, to he the last 
country to require it. Some months ago the 
Rural sent a sei ies of questions to a number 
of Western farmers who have used salt for 
years. The gist of their replies is presented 
below. 
HOW MUCH APPLIED ? 
I have used from 125 to 150 pounds per 
acre, applied broadcast by hand, generally be¬ 
fore drilling seed, or in the last fitting. My 
farm is a heavy clay. A. G. R. 
Peru, Ohio. 
I used about 200 pounds to the acre. Had 
a man standing in the hind end of a wagon 
sowing with both hands, while one drove the 
team. My farm consists of light sandy and 
clay lands. P. O. P. 
Grove City, Minn. 
I used from one to 1)4 bushel per acre. My 
soil is a clay loam. R. c. w. 
Hopkinsville, Ky. 
I have used from half a bushel to five bush¬ 
els per acre; but have come to the conclusion 
that the limit of profit will be reached before 
two bushels are sown. My experience has 
been with heavy prairie soil and also with a 
sandy farm. N. e. a. 
Beaver Dam, Wis. 
I use 200 pounds per acre, applied broad¬ 
cast, when the land is prepared for the crop, 
or immediately after the crop is put in. 
Jouesville, Mich. c. p. mce. 
EFFECTS ON CROPS AND SOILS. 
The use of salt loosens the soil and makes it 
more arable. On crops it stiffens the straw, 
thereby insuring a full head aud berry, on 
reasonably good land. A. G. R. 
The effect of using salt on tobacco and all 
other crops was very good. On the last day 
of June (after 27 days of dry weather) I saw 
a crop of tobacco where 1)4 bushel of salt 
had been applied broadcast, which looked as 
green and thrifty as if there had been plenty 
of rain all the time. A part of the field 
(eight acres) was ready to top and other crops 
where no salt had been used were dying. I 
noticed much the same effect on other crops. 
k. c. w. 
The effect of salt is to dissolve the silica of 
the soil, and enable the plant to more fully 
take it up, and as a consequence the straw 
grows stiffer, and the grain is larger, and 
the kernel plumper. N. E. A. 
Where land had been plastered to death or 
hardened by the use of plaster until it would 
form a cement on the surface like-a sun-dried 
brick, one application of 200 pounds of salt 
per acre would mellow it up and counteract 
the cement formation and let the land breathe 
once more. c, P. mc e. 
AS AN INSECTICIDE. 
In the spring of 1885 I plowed and planted 
30 acres to corn. Twenty acres of the lot 
were clover broken and planted to corn in 
1884. The rest of the field—10 acres—was 
mowed in 1884 and plowed in the spring of 
1885 with the remainder. We were two days 
planting the field, and I saw no worms while 
planting the 20 acres, but found the 10 acres 
alive with half-grown cut-worms. The men 
planting it declared that I would not get a 
hill of corn on that part of the field. The 
next day after the corn was planted, 1 had 
250 pounds of salt per acre sowed broadcast 
on the 10 acres, and with my neighbors, who 
were very much interested in the experiment, 
awaited results. The corn came up and grew 
right along; no worms bothered it; not a 
single hill on the salted part was cut by 
worms, while that part of the field where I 
expected no trouble was fully half cut down, 
and it had to be replanted; some parts of it 
the second time. I harvested more corn from 
the 10 acres that had been salted than from 
the rest of the field, and the foddfer was a 
great deal better. I sowed the field to wheat 
and seeded it down, and had more wheat to 
the acre and of better quality on the salted 
than on the unsalted part. I had a good 
catch of clover and Timothy on the 10 acres, 
while I lost the seeding entirely on the 20 
acres, owing to the very dry weather in June 
and July, 1886, and I was forced to plow it 
