VOL. XLVII. NO. 1989. 
PRICE FIVE CENTS. 
*2.00 PER YEAR. 
NEW YORK, MARCH 10, 1888 
Entered, according to Act of Congress, In the year, 1888, by the Rural New-Yorker, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
Rural (Tallies, 
(Grounds af the Hurnl 
Hetn-lJarker. 
Fertilizers in the drill and broadcast for 
com; notes on new varieties of field and 
sweet corn ; reports on new potatoes; the 
Alice and Catawba grapes compared. 
On May 16 five plots differently treated, 
were planted to corn, the drills four feet 
apart, the seeds one foot apart in the drill. 
No. 1 received at the rate of 880 pounds 
to the acre of a high-grade complete fertilizer 
broadcast. The yield was 81% pounds of 
ears. There were 181 plants which bore 253 
ears. 
No. 2 received at the rate of 880 pounds 
to the acre all in the drills. The yield was 
75% pounds of ears. There were 186 plants 
which bore 233 ears. 
No. 3 received 440 pounds in the drill and 
440 pounds broadcast. The yield was 81 
pounds of ears. There were 168 plants which 
bore 244 ears. 
No. 4 was not fertilized. It yielded 76% 
pounds of ears. There were 171 plants which 
bore 245 ears. 
No. 5 received at the rate of 1760 pounds of 
fertilizer broadcast. The yield was 79% 
pounds of ears and there were 165 plants. 
The above experiment is written out be¬ 
cause it was made, not because it teaches any¬ 
thing further than that all the care that may 
be given to such work may be upset by causes 
over which the experimenter has no control. 
When the plants were about two or three 
feet high a long-continued rain, very unusual 
for the season, covered nearly the entire plots 
with water which remained for an hour or so. 
In how far this caused an intermingling of 
the fertilizers cannot be estimated. 
In an earlier report, it will be remembered 
that it was shown that the fertilizer in the 
drills retarded the germination of the seed. 
We may be permitted to doubt whether fer¬ 
tilizers in contact with the seed ever act as 
“starters.” 
Imperfect Notes of Corn Raised Last 
Season. —Putnam’s Improved Indian Terri¬ 
tory. From Luther Putnam, Cambridge, Vt. 
Planted May 3. Glazed August 8. Plants 
four feet high. Ears low, eight-row, some 
white, some variegated, some red. Flint. 
Alexander’s Eigiit-uow Flint.— Planted 
May 3; glazed August 6. General shape of 
Longfellow, ears not so long. Plants six feet. 
Medium-sized kernel, one or two ears to a 
stalk. Plants leafy at bottom. Stalks slen¬ 
der. An improved Longfellow. 
Badger Dent.— From F. N. Lang,Baraboo, 
Wis. Planted May 3. Looks like a cross be¬ 
tween a yellow dent and a pop-corn. Began 
to glaze August 10. Plants seven feet high. 
Ears borne on the middle of the stalk. Rows 
variable—from 26 upwards. Kernel very 
small. Rows straight and close, cobs large, 
seven to eight inches long. 
Beedle Corn. —From G. W. P Jerrard, 
Caribou, Maine. Planted May 3. Ready to 
harvest August 5. Itjis 12 to 16 rows, closely 
packed kernels, ears 10 inches long, two or 
three to a stalk. Only knee-high as grown in 
rather poor soil. Ears just above the soil. 
Yellow flint, large kernels, small cob. 
American Short Corn. — From O. H. 
Alexander, Charlotte, Vermont. This is dif¬ 
ferent from any variety we have raised. It 
was planted May 3, glaziug August 10. Plants 
five feet high, leafy below with slender stems. 
One to two ears, eight rows, the pau-s often 
separated considerably. Kernels large, yel¬ 
low flint, cob medium. Ears nine inches long. 
A good, prolific early variety well worthy of 
trial. Fine ears for such small plants. 
Early Oregon.— From W. S. Enger, Ar- 
rock, Minn., who writes: “It is the earliest 
corn I ever saw—three weeks ahead of Angel 
of Midnight.” Planted May 20, began to 
glaze August 10. Stalks six feet high, very 
little suckering. One and two ears to stalk, 
eight to 12 rows. White dent. Kernels large 
though not deep Rows close, no gaps. Ears 
about eight inches in length, cob variable, 
generally small. It is the earliest dent we 
have ever raised as judged by the past sea¬ 
son’s trial. Well worthy of trial. 
Early Dean. —From T. H. Hoskins, New¬ 
port, Vermont. Planted May 4th. First 
mess July 15. It is a sweet corn, nearly as 
early as Cory, having the one decided advan¬ 
tage that the ears are larger and the plants 
more prolific. The ears are generally eight- 
row, sometimes 12. Quality fine. Nearly 
every plant has one ear, sometimes two. 
Plants are taller than Cory by a foot. 
Early Boston.— From J. J. H. Gregory, 
Marblehead, Mass. Planted May 4; ready for 
table July 12. Plants average in this poor- 
ish soil four feet, slender. Ears large, 
eight to 12 rows; large kernels, tapering ears. 
Rows straight and close. It is a first-rate 
early kind. 
Pedigree.— From J. M. Thor burn & Co., 15 
John St., N. Y.—Planted May 6. First mess 
July 18. Plants three feet high, very leafy, 
husks sometimes purplish in color. Often 
two fine ears to a stalk. Rows close together, 
no gaps, A first-rate early kind. Requires a 
good soil. 
Early Minnesota. -Planted f or comparison 
May 6. First mess July 25. Plants four to 
five feet high, two ears to a stalk, larger than 
Pedigree, but there are often gaps between 
the rows. Husks green. Ears longer than 
Pedigree. Kernels larger, eight rows, not so 
sweet. 
Two Polaris Potatoes?— One lot was 
received from Dr. T. H. Hoskins and planted 
April 15. The yield in our rich garden soil 
was 13 pounds, or at the rate of 786.50 bushels 
per acre. Best five weighed two pounds one 
ounce. There were four hills planted. 
Whole number 57, of which 45 were market¬ 
able. Few small, few very large. Uniform 
as to size, medium as to eyes in number and 
prominence. Yellowish-white skin. This and 
Early Puritan as received from Henderson, 
resemble each other. The one might well be 
sold for the other. It is a medium early 
potato. 
Second. —Polaris received from {he Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture. Four pices were planted 
April 15. The yield was 11% pounds or at the 
rate of 680.62 bushels per acre. Skin 
same color as above. Many prongy 
tubers, eyes deeper than those from 
Dr. Hoskins. There were 38 tubers in all, 25 
marketable. Irregular in shape. Best five, 
three pounds ten ounces. This is a rather late 
potato. Eaten February 14. Flesh nearly 
white, fine-grained, without a decided fla¬ 
vor. In color of flesh and in quality, when 
cooked, they seem to be the same as Polaris 
from the Department of Agriculture. It may 
he that a later growth of vines caused both 
the irregularities in shape and difference in 
the time of maturity. Early Puritan was 
cooked the same day. In the color of the 
flesh, and in the quality, we could not distin¬ 
guish the slightest difference. 
Crown Jewel. —Received from Johnson 
& Stokes, Philadelphia, Pa., and planted Ap¬ 
ril 15—two pieces. It is said to be a self-seed¬ 
ling of the Early Ohio. The yield was six 
pounds in the rich garden soil plot, which is 
at the rate of 726 bushels to the acre. Best 
five, one pound 15 ounces. Whole number 29, 
of which 24 were marketable. Whitish skin, 
eyes medium as to number and prominence. 
Shape variable, oftenest as shown in our il¬ 
lustration from nature, Fig. 58. This is an 
early potato, somewhat earlier than Beauty 
of Hebron—just how much we cannot say. 
Eaten January 18. Flesh nearly white and of 
fair quality. 
Benninger’s Beauty.— From W. Bennin- 
ger, Walnutport, Pa. Said to be a cross be¬ 
tween the Mammoth Pearl and Blue Victor. 
Four pieces were planted. The yield was fair. 
Poor shape, streaked buff and dark purple. 
Rather late. f 
Taylor. —From E. D. Putney, Brentwood 
Nurseries, Brentwood, N. Y. (Sent for trial 
at the R. N. Y.’s request). Four pieces were 
planted April 29. The yield was 26% pounds 
—one of the largest yields ever harvested on 
the plot. It is at the rate of 1,518.39 pounds 
to the acre. The shape as it appears from last 
season’s trial, condemns it. It is too long, too 
pointed, too much neck, too thin, flat or nar¬ 
row. Most of the tubers were of two colors— 
not streaked, but half or part pink, gradually 
running into buff. Marketable, 68; unmar¬ 
ketable, 41. It is a rather late variety. 
Fleming.— From Thos. J. Knight, Indus¬ 
try, Pa, Rather late. Of the Wall’s Orange 
kind. Small vines. Shapely, flat-oval; solid 
purple in color. Yield small. Should be 
tried in a drier season. 
Early Oak Grove.— From same. Inter¬ 
mediate, buff skin, ovate, a little flattened. 
Eyes rather deep. Nothing remarkable about 
it. 
Knight’s Red Mountain.— From same. 
Late. A reddish potato, very prongy, as if 
half a dozen had grown together. 
Engle. —From same. Rather late, purp¬ 
lish, fine shape, oblong, stubby, few eyes. 
Color between buff and pink. Five pieces 
yielded 11% pounds, or at the rate of 544.50 
bushels to the acre. Best five one pound 10% 
ounces—42 marketable, 22 small. 
Ohio, Jr. —From James Vick. Five pieces 
(planted April 15) yielded six pounds, or at the 
rate of 363 bushels to the acre. Best five 
weighed three pounds. Marketable, 13— 
whole number 15. Resembles the Ohio in 
color and shape. It is early, but we cannot 
say how early, because the seed pieces were 
very late in sprouting. The vines grew feebly 
as if injured. We do not consider this a fair 
report. 
Red Star From F. M. McCurdy, Beach 
Grove, Ind. A fair yeld of potatoes of poor 
shape. 
A Request. —Seedsmen when they re¬ 
print our reports will do us the justice to 
state that the potatoes were raised in a gar¬ 
den plot specially prepared and manured for 
this crop. 
THE ALICE AND CATAWBA COM¬ 
PARED. 
The new grape, Alice, is likely soon to be 
offered for sale, and the following comparison 
with the Catawba may aid our readers in esti¬ 
mating its value so far as the fruit is con¬ 
cerned. The two grapes are at once alike and 
strikingly unlike. In flavor they are so near¬ 
ly alike that either may be eaten after the 
other without disparagement to either. The 
pulp is about the same. In 10 grapes of the 
Catawba we find 28 seeds; in 10 of the Alice 
20,of about the same size. The size of berries, 
the skin and color of the Catawba are famil¬ 
iar to all. Iu size there is little difference. 
The color of the Alice is a light or amber red 
with a lilac bloom, much like that of Diana. 
The skin is firm and thick. 
Now the popularity of this new grape Alice 
will, as it seems to us, depend upon two things: 
First, its keeping qualities: second, its adapt¬ 
ability to many soils and climates. As to the 
keeping qualities, there seems no room for 
question. How well it will succeed over a 
wide extent of country can be determined 
only by trial. Judging by its growth at the 
Rural Grounds during a single season, it pro¬ 
mises well iu this" respect. As has already 
been stated, we received on October 27, 
from the originator, Mr. Ward D. Gunn, 
of Ulster Co., N. Y., a bunch weighing 12 
ouuces. The berries were all perfect and the 
bunch heavily shouldered. A portrait of a 
medium-sized buuch of this grape appeared 
in the R. N.-Y. of January 15, 1887. 
THRASHING CORN. 
About three years ago the Rural ex¬ 
plained the process of running corn, stalks and 
all, through an ordinary thrashing machine 
Since then, many agricultural papers East 
and West, have printed numerous letters from 
correspondents most of whom have advocated 
the process, which is now becoming quite geu- 
eral in many sections. The Rural is first in 
the field with an illustration of the thrashed 
fodder (see Fig. 57). The sample from which 
our illustration is made was taken just as it 
came from the thrashing machine. The stock 
feeder can readily see how greatly this hand¬ 
ful of fodder has been improved in mechani¬ 
cal condition by its passage through the 
thrasher. Even if the stock will not eat it 
more readily, it is iu excellent condition for 
bedding and will mix well with the manure. 
We have stated several times that this system 
of preparing corn fodder, ranks with the silo 
as a measure of economy. Nothing has oc¬ 
curred yet to change that opinion. The corn 
and stalks must be perfectly dry in order to 
give the best results. It is probable that the 
extended adoption of this practice will revolu¬ 
tionize the present methods of keeping shelled 
corn and corn fodder. The old-time corn crib 
will have to be improved upon and a new 
CROWN JEWEL POTATO. From Nature. Fig. 58. 
