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THE PURPLE BEECH—From a Photograph. Fig. 314. 
VOL. XLVII. NO, 2016. 
NEW YOKE, SEPTEMBER 15, 1888, 
very prickly. Valuable for its earliness, 
quality, fruitfulness and freedom from 
mildew. 
A Foreign variety received from L. 
Roesch, Fredonia, N. Y., in May, 1884. Much 
like that received from H. Summer. 
Dougal Hybrid No. 7. This a vigorous 
variety free from mildew. The bushes are 
strong, upright growing and very productive. 
The fruit ripens in mid-season (early July) and 
runs from medium to large. It is purplish in 
color, of fine quality and has the one only 
objection that it is covered with weak prickles. 
Doijgal’s 3. Fruit medium in size and 
poor in quality. 
Dougal’s Hybrid No. 3. One of the best 
New-Yorker, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, 
together well, is not very juicy and otherwise 
of much the same quality as the Shaffer. 
GOOSEBERRY REPORT. 
A foreign variety received from H. Sum¬ 
mer in 1884. Bush quite thrifty and free from 
mildew. Berries very large, green and 
smooth, with less mildew than those of any 
other foreign variety ever tried here. Quality 
mild and rather sweet. 
Orange, Received April 1884, from H. M. 
Engle & Son, Marietta, Pa. One of the 
earliest to ripen. Medium size to rather small. 
Sweet and tender. Highly prolific, stems 
lEnterecl According to Act of Congress, in the Year 1888, by the Rura 
PRICE FIVE CENTS. 
$2.00 PER YEAR. 
at Washington.) 
REFORM NEEDED IN REPORTS ON 
NEW STRAWBERRIES. 
It is for the general interest of Fruit 
growers that I offer these remarks, and if I 
am in error, I hope some one will correct me. 
Tiie Rural New-Yorker deserves great 
credit for the candid, independent, and im¬ 
partial manner in which it issues its reports 
on small fruits and all other general experi¬ 
ments. 
There are many enthusiastic and enterpris¬ 
ing fruit growers, who have a disposition to 
advance and improve on the old varieties and 
to bring new ones into existence. An d it ig 
Of the several varieties of the Purple Beech, 
that known as Rivers’s is thought;to be the 
most desirable. It is rather more compact 
and symmetrical in growth than the ordinary 
variety and holds its color better, while it 
changes in the summer to a darker green. 
The Copper Beech differs chiefly in the shade 
of purple, being somewhat less bright. All 
are varieties of the European Beech—Fagus 
sylvatica. T h e s'e 
charming purple- 
leaved trees are, un¬ 
fortunately,"slow of 
growth. The two 
specimens at the Ru¬ 
ral Grounds are 12 
and 14 feet high, 
having been bought 
of the Parsons’ Nur¬ 
series about 15 years 
ago. 
The R. N.-Y. does 
not approve of a 
large proportion of 
‘ colored ’’-leaved 
trees or shrubs or of 
many weeping trees, 
or of a preponder¬ 
ance of variegated 
or peculiar plants of 
any kind. But it does 
believe in variety — 
that sort of variety 
that gives one some¬ 
thing new to see and 
to study every day of 
the growing season, 
not to say the year; 
and among these the 
Purple Beech holds a 
first place. 
The specim e n 
shown in our photo¬ 
graphic illustration, 
Fig. 314, was planted 
20 years ago in the 
grounds ofHon.F. W. 
Bruggerhof, Stam¬ 
ford, Ct. It was taken 
when 10 years old 
from private grounds 
of Astoria, Long Is¬ 
land, N. Y. A trench 
was cut about it in 
the fall, and the 
frozen ball of earth 
was preserved in its 
removal during the 
winter by steamboat 
to Stamford. It was 
planted rather too 
near the carriage 
road so that in five 
years afterward 
another trench was dug about it (form¬ 
ing a circle six feet in diameter) and it was 
moved 20 feet to its present location. It is 
about 30 feet high and may therefore be said 
to have grown 30 feet in 30 years. When the 
Purple Beech attains such a size that one may 
sit under its widely-extended branches, the 
effect of the purple canopy above against the 
blue sky makes a happy contrast with the green 
verdure of the lawn and the other trees 
around-about. 
The leaves of all the.Purple Beeches change 
to a dark, rather dull-green during the sum¬ 
mer. In fact, we know of but one purple¬ 
leaved tree whose foliage does not so change, 
and that is Pissard’s Plum. This retains its 
purple color during the entire season. 
NEW R ASPBE RRIES. 
Hilborn raspberry Nov. 8., 1885, we 
received several plants of this black-cap rasp¬ 
berry, a chance seedling found by W. W. 
Hilborn of Arkona, Ont., Canada. We have 
now to report that in these trial grounds it is, 
all things considered, one of the best black¬ 
caps ever tried. The plant is hardy, the 
canes strong and rather dwarf. The berries 
are a jet, glossy black, very firm and of the 
best quality. They, average nearly as large 
as those of Gregg while they ripen among the 
earliest. 
Warren. This raspberry was sent here in 
April of 1886 by C. W. Seal’s, of Barnesville, 
Ohio. In the spring of ’81 he found it grow¬ 
ing between two rows of Brandywine and 
Gregg. It has thus far proved both hardy 
and vigorous and is one of the most product¬ 
ive varieties ever raised here, as many as 30 
to 35 berries often growing upon a single 
fruiting tip or stem. The berry is in shape 
from roundish to conical or Cuthbert-shape, 
of a bright red when nearly ripe and of the 
color of Shaffer when fully ripe—that is, a 
dark-purplish red. It is very firm, holds 
varieties ever raised here. Bush tree-like in 
form and never sprawling. Leaves yellowish. 
For several years this yellow color was 
thought to be owing to weakness or disease. 
It is, however, characteristic of the variety. 
The bush has few prickles. The fruit is of a 
yellow color when ripe, shaded with purple. 
Quality best. Whether this is or is to be offered 
for sale we cannot say. Should this report 
meet the eye of any of the relatives of the late 
James Dougal, of Windsor, Canada, we 
should be pleased to publish any information 
regarding this excellent variety that may be 
given. 
Industry, from Ellwanger & Barry, mil- 
dew s ba dly. 
Cayuga Goose¬ 
berry from H. S. 
Anderson, Union 
Springs. N.Y.,Nov., 
1884. A fine large, 
foreign variety, 
which is usually in¬ 
jured by mildew. 
Triumph, from 
Geo. Achelles, West¬ 
chester, Chester Co., 
Pa., mildews badly. 
Champion, from 
J. M. Ogle. Berry 
too small. Hale’s 
Golden. Received 
from J. H. Hale & 
Bro., South Glaston¬ 
bury, Conn., April, 
1887. The bush has 
made a healthy 
growth. 
blackberries 
Bangor Black¬ 
berry was received 
from Chase Brothers, 
Rochester N. Y. in 
April, 1886. The ber¬ 
ries are rather small, 
jet black, of fair 
quality. The canes 
are, thus far, hardy. 
PETUNIAS. 
The R. N.-Y. can 
now show some of 
the finest petunias 
ever raised at the 
Rural Grounds. The 
seed was sent for 
trial by W. Atlee 
Burpee of Philadel¬ 
phia, They were 
called Burpee’s 
Black-throated petu¬ 
nias. Many of the 
flowers measure six 
inches in diameter. 
The colors vary, but 
most of them are a 
purplish red with 
throats of a light 
purple streaked with 
black. 
