VOL. XLVII. NO, 2008. NEW YORK, JULY 21, 1888, «™ v ^l NTS 
’ $«•()() x ER YEAR. 
[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.) 
THE FIRST ROSA RUGOSA HYBRIDS. 
In so far as we have been able to ascertain 
there is no printed account of any hybrids 
•with Rosa rugosa having been produced prior 
to the Rural’s hybrids effected in the summer 
of 1886. The accompanying illustration Fig. 
251, shows a flower, two buds and a spray of 
the foliage of the first of these plants to bloom, 
reduced in size one third. The same plant 
bloomed last fall as our 
readers were then in¬ 
formed, but not until 
after three light frosts 
had occurred, so that 
the flowers were im¬ 
perfect. Our present 
illustration, being a 
direct reproduction 
from a photograph 
shows the specimen 
(pinned to a board) ab¬ 
solutely true to nature. 
We regret that the flow¬ 
er suffered some-what 
in the passage, from 
the Rural Grounds 
to the Photo Engraving 
Company being ready 
to fall to pieces when 
the photograph was 
taken. 
The foliage of this 
plant is, as will be seen, 
quite distinct from 
either of its parents, 
its mother being Rosa 
rugosa and the father 
Harrison’s Yellow. The 
leaflets of the first are 
wider, less pointed and 
thicker; those of the 
second are very small. 
The buds of this hybrid 
are nearly twice as 
large as those of R. 
rugosa, though borne 
in clusters of three or 
four as in that species. 
The open flower bears 
30 to 35 petals of a 
color resembling, 
though distinct from, 
Gen. Jacq. Id this 
case therefore of Na¬ 
ture’s mixing colors, a 
light pink and a yellow 
make a crimson-cherry. 
The plant is wonder¬ 
fully vigorous and 
abundantly clothed 
with its beautiful foli¬ 
age. It was the firs 
rose in our collection 
to bloom this spring 
and it has bloomed constantly ever since. 
Doubtless, like its mother, it willblocm during 
the entire season until frost, and prove in fact 
a perpetual bloomer. Its fragrance is decided¬ 
ly that of a sweetbrier. A second plant of 
these hybrids is now in bud. 
Of the 60 hybrids between Rosa rugosa (seed 
bearer) and many Hybrid Remontants and 
several Teas produced last year, but one has 
died. We may reasonably look for some in¬ 
teresting developments from this entirely new 
race of roses. 
A still later development in the flower of the 
above rose is that the flowers when Dearly 
open bear a striking resemblance to those of 
large doubl6 carnations. The odor is of the 
most delicate, exquisite fragrance. 
CULTIVATION IS MONEY. 
T. B, TERRY. 
An answer to Brother llice regarding pota¬ 
to culture■ reconciling an apparent dif¬ 
ference in practice; cultivation after 
instead of before planting ; shallow after 
cultivation “will pay every time"; need 
oj reiterating the same truths; “ cents- 
wise, dollars-foolish "; few farmers prac¬ 
tice ivhat they know. 
Mr. C. S. Rice (page 387) is in trouble be¬ 
cause potato-growers do not agree, some ad¬ 
vising growing potatoes one way and 
others directly the opposite. He quotes the 
writer of this as advising very thorough pre¬ 
paration of the soil before planting, while Mr. 
Woodward thought it best to do most of the 
fining and working after the potatoes were 
up. 
I hasten to set our friend's mind at rest as 
far as possible, by saying that my practice 
for some years has been about the same as 
Mr. Woodward’s. I gradually left off doing 
so much work on the land before planting, as 
I did do j'ears ago, and did more of it after 
planting. I am careful not to plow until the 
soil is dry enough to crumble nicely. TheD I 
see to it that the furrow-slice is narrow 
enough to allow all the soil to be turned over 
and pulverized. Next one harrowing with a 
Thomas harrow is given. I put a heavy plank 
across the three sections and get on to it, and 
use four horses to draw it. This is done each 
day, or half day, while plowing, if the 
weather is dry. Tho teeth go nearly through 
the soil, and do a large amount of pulveriz¬ 
ing. Then I use a roller and call the ground 
ready for planting. 
A heavy clover sod is put in very good shape 
with this little work, if the harrowing is done 
before the freshly turned soil dries out much. 
The seed having been put down at least four 
inches deep, I can make the surface as fine 
as desirable, after planting when there is 
more time, and kill the sprouting weeds at the 
same time. About three harrowings and one 
cultivation are usually given before the plants 
are up so that the rows can be seen and the 
ordinary cultivation begin. I use the Aspin- 
wall planter which leaves a little ridge over 
the rows, so that one can cultivate as well be¬ 
fore the plants are up as after—indeed better, 
as he can let the cultivator run deeply and 
even carelessly as there are so few plants to be 
covered. Then is the time to thoroughly tear 
up the ground that has been packed by the 
horses passing over the field while harrowing, 
planting, etc. , 
Mr. Rice is not wrong in thinking that 
thorough working of the soil helps him to pro¬ 
duce a profitable c. op. He is just right; but 
if he will try it, I think he will find that to a 
certain extent, this thorough preparation can 
be made after planting, when there is less hur¬ 
ry—on my farm at least—and when two birds 
can be killed with one stone. . 
As to frequent and thorough cultivation 
(shallow, of course) during a drought, Mr. 
Rice should be governed by his own very pro¬ 
fitable experience in 1881. I believe he will 
find it will pay him every time, just a 3 it did 
then. The writer made so much money that 
same year from a dozen acres of potatoes as 
almost to turn his head. 
Probably his best 
frieads hardly believ¬ 
ed his stories. But he 
had the money all the 
same. Last year again 
constant and thorough 
tillage in the potato 
field brought in a large 
amount of money. 
Why ? Because every 
one did not and never 
will attend to his bus¬ 
iness according to the 
best light of the times. 
The few who do will 
never be heard com¬ 
plaining that farming 
does not pay. Ten dol¬ 
lars per acre expended 
in extra and timely and 
proper tillage, in such 
years as last aud 1881, 
will make just the dif_ 
fereuce between a loss 
and 100 per cent, profit 
on thousands of farms. 
I sometimes think I 
will never say anything 
more on this subject; 
that it has been worn 
out;buta week ago wife 
and I took a 30 mile 
drive, several days 
after a rain, and not 
one cultivated field in 
eight that we saw along 
the road had been 
touched. The surface 
was all dry and hard. 
So it would seem that 
there is need for more 
preaching on this sub¬ 
ject. 
Not one of these 
farmers would go 
by a cent lying in 
the road without tak¬ 
ing the trouble to 
pick it up; yes, they 
would get down off of a 
high wagon to get it; 
but they will let tens 
of dollars go to waste 
or escape them, that 
they might have had just as well as not 
if they bad cultivated on time and pro¬ 
perly. After all, the great thing we need to 
learn is to do as well as we know how. 
There are few farmers who do not under¬ 
stand that thorough and timely cultivation 
will pay largely; but many of them do not 
make use of their knowledge. Sometimes 
they have too many irons in the fire. It 
would pay them, at least it did me, to throw 
aside some and attempt to do only as much 
as could be done thoroughly well. 
No, no, Mr. Rice, do not try to study up any 
way by which “after cultivation can be avoid¬ 
ed.” Use as much fertilizer as Mr. Minch 
does, if it pays; but keep up the tillage also. 
Manure alone will do wonders; but manure 
and tillage can be managed so as to pay better. 
