188© 
THE RURAL HEW-YORKER. 
141 
FROM J. A. FOOTE. 
As to tbe best varieties of vegetables, it is 
difficult to make a choice in some cases ; but 
the following I regard as the very best for the 
garden, restricting the number to a few sorts. 
Dwarf Beans.— Improved Red Valentine 
I think the best green-podded, having a round 
pod and being fleshy, tender, early and pro¬ 
ductive. The White Valentine is also good. 
I should plant no flat pod dwarfs. For wax 
or yellow-pod the Black Wax is one of the 
best as to quality. Golden Wax is good and 
very productive, but it is more liable to rust. 
Of the newer wax sorts I think Detroit Wax 
is one of the best. 
Pole Beans.— Horticultural remains a 
standard, especially for shelling. The old 
Speckled Out-Short is hardly surpassed by any 
of the new sorts. A bean still somewhat local 
that goes sometimes by the name of Rhode 
Island, is first-rate in quality for a snap be¬ 
sides being early and productive. For a yel¬ 
low-pod the Giant Wax is excellent and should 
be used more extensively than it is; but I feel 
inclined to place Dreer's Early Golden Cluster 
at the head of all. Its immense, beautiful and 
tender pods borne in great profusion, entitle 
it to the first place. 
Lima Beans.—I have not thoroughly tested 
the newer sorts of these. I prefer a good 
stock of the regular Large Lima to Dreer’s 
Improved. If the Extra-Early is really ear¬ 
lier, that is a great advantage in the North¬ 
ern States. The Dwarf Lima I have not 
tried. 
Peas. —All of the extra-early white peas 
offered under a variety of names are almost 
identical, and any one of them is to be placed 
among the sorts to be chosen. The Alaska for 
a blue.pea, being perhaps earliest of all and a 
fair pea as to quality, may be substituted for 
the whites. 1 know of no pea that excels the 
Advancer in delicate flavor, and being a large 
pea and only about five days later than the 
earliest, it should be in every garden. This 
should be succeeded by the Stratagem, one of 
the largest and finest of wrinkled peas. Then 
comes Champion of England for a tall, late 
pea; fine quality and great productiveness be¬ 
longing to it in large measure. For dwarfs, 
American Wonder is excellent for earliest and 
Little Gem for second early. There are many 
other good kinds, but I would never give a 
place in my garden to the old-fashioned Early 
May or Marrowfats under any name as long 
as I could get seeds of the kinds named above. 
Sweet Corn.— The Cory is decidedly the 
bast very early. It should be followed by 
Perry's Hybrid, a fine sort both in size and 
quality. For late it is difficult to choose be¬ 
tween Evergreen, Egyptian and Mammoth. 
The first remains soft the longest, but is not 
so sweet as the others. Mammoth is the 
largest and sweetest, but it has a shallower 
grain. Egyptian is prolific. 
Beets. —Egyptian, Eclipse and Bassano are 
all about equally early. Bassano is so much 
sweeter and tenderer that I prefer it, although 
it cooks light in color. Early Blood Turnip is 
tbe standard, and no other is needed beyond 
those named. 
Cabbage. —Early Jersey Wakefield, Early 
Winningstadt and Henderson’s Early Sum¬ 
mer are all early and good—so good as to 
leave little room for choice. All Seasons has 
proved to be first-rate and doubtless, is good 
for early, medium and late, as its name indi¬ 
cates A good Late Flat Dutch, whether call¬ 
ed Premium, Excelsior or by the name of 
some seedsman, will complete the list for any 
garden. Anything larger than these is not 
wanted. The Drumhead Savoy, however, may 
be added as superior in quality. 
Cauliflower —Early Snowball and the 
genuine Extra-Early Erfurt are well-known 
to be good in all respects, in giving fine, large 
heads and in their reliability in heading. I 
think, however, that Long Island Beauty is a 
little superior. 
Celery. —Golden Heart, Half Dwarf and 
White Plume are the best for general use in a 
long list. I should want also a red—London 
Red or New Rose. 
Carrot.- -For early, Early Horn; for the 
main crop, the Danvers. 
Cucumber. —Some variety of White Spine 
should be chosen for early, and Nichol’s 
Medium for later use both for table and 
pickles. Of the long kinds Long Green 
Turkey is much the best, being very straight, 
and of a dark-green color. 
Lettuce.— Black-Seeded Simpson is most 
desirable for the earliest and for forcing, be¬ 
ing rather superior to the white-seeded 
Early Cabbage for a heading sort, Green 
Fringed for garnishing. Hanson is good, also 
Marblehead Mammo’.h for size and quality, 
Muskmelons. —When I speak of melons, I 
must remind myself that we are talking now 
of home gardens, and not of market gardens. 
I should therefore choose one or both of these 
two, Osage or Early Hackensack. Some of 
the newest introductions are, without doubt, 
fine, such as Emerald Gem and Champion 
Market. 
Watermelon. —For the garden, out of all 
the varieties in the catalogues, I should take 
the Icing, either the Dark-Skin or the Light, 
a melon of medium size, with very crisp and 
tender flesh of delicious flavor. 
Onions. —The old favorites remain—Red 
Wethersfield, Yellow Globe Danvers, and 
White Portugal. There arc several foreign 
onions that seem to give good satisfaction, 
but I cannot speak of them of my own 
knowledge. 
Pumpkins. —I do not know any variety 
superior to our common Sweet Field or 
Cheese pumpkin. 
Peppers.— Sweet Mountain, Golden Dawn 
and Ruby King are good large peppers (the 
last being the largest) of good shape and 
productive. 
Radishes. —For earliest I prefer a turnip 
variety, and of such kinds the Earliest Erfurt 
is the best in color, crispness and quickness of 
growth. Then come Long Scarlet Short Top 
and Mammoth Long Rose, the latter being 
good for any season. To these may be added 
White Stuttgart for a large summer solid 
radish. 
Tomatoes. —For a purple crimson tomato 
I would choose the Essex Hybrid in preference 
to the Acme, because it is a little earlier and 
freer from rot. For a scarlet the Perfection 
is good enough for me. The Mikado although 
it furnishes some rough fruit,is prolific and the 
fruit is tine and very large and the variety 
is, withal, early. Optimus is first-rate. From 
one season’s trial, I think highly of Dwarf 
Champion with its tree-like stalk and per¬ 
fectly smooth pink fruit in abundant clusters. 
Turnips.— For spring sowing. Earliest 
Bloomsdale Red-Top and Early White Dutch 
are my choice; for fall Red-Top Strap-Leaf 
and Red-Top Globe. No turnip surpasses the 
latter in quality, and it will yield 50 per cent, 
more than the flat sorts. 
Potatoes. —There are so many good pota¬ 
toes that to make a selection is difficult, and 
in various soils and climates there must be a 
great difference in choice. From my own ob¬ 
servation I would not hesitate to choose Early 
Ohio for sandy soil, and Beauty of Hebron for 
a heavier one. Then from one season’s trial 
1 would take Charles Downing for its many 
good qualities—earliness,smoothness and table 
quality. In rich soil it proved very produc¬ 
tive. There are many other good sorts old 
and new, (the Early Rose is yet hard to beat) 
but my preferences are as above. 
Montgomery Co., Ind. 
FROM T. H. HOSKINS, M. D. 
Okra. —Even the earliest dwarf sort 
amounts to nothing so far north as this (45°). 
It will grow and fruit but the pods are hard 
and woody. 
Pepper. —In warm seasons we get pretty 
good crops of the earlier varieties. Cayenne 
and Bell do best. 
Squash. —Summer Crook-Neck for early. 
Essex Hybrid and Hubbard are the most satis¬ 
factory, though Boston Marrow is also popu¬ 
lar. They all require a rich, light soil, and 
do best on a slight southern slope. 1 grow 
them to succeed early peas, the hills being 
made six to 12 feet apart, and thinned to two 
plants, as soon as danger of striped bugs is 
over. The larger squash bug is not yet known 
here. 
Tomatoes are treated the same as pep¬ 
pers, the plants being grown under glass, and 
set out tfie second week in June. They get no 
pruning or training; but old barrel staves are 
crossed around the plants, as they branch out, 
to keep the fruit off the dirt. A paying crop 
one year in two is about all we expect here. 
Peas. —Rawsou’s Clipper is our earliest, 
followed by Vermont Wonder, Telephone, 
and Aroostook Marrow. Squashes follow the 
Clipper, and late cabbages the Wonder. No 
support is used, but the taller sorts are planted 
in double rows (20 inches asunder,) and the 
vines in these are bent toward each other un¬ 
til they cling, and thus support themselves. 
The alternate spaces are made wide enough to 
accommodate picket's ; and in these the hills in 
which squashes are planted are made. The 
early dwarf peas, planted between cabbages, 
are not gathered for market, but are left to 
ripen. Telephone is preferred to Stratagem 
among the large-podded kinds, because it 
holds its pods clear off the ground; while 
Stratagem must be mulched to keep the pods 
clean and prevent their rotting. Champion 
is too tall to be grown without brush or wires, 
and a second planting of Telephone is there¬ 
fore preferred, its quality being satisfactory 
to buyers who object to Marrows. The 
Aroostook Marrow is much better in quality 
than the old sort. 
Beans. —The Limas tire an impossibility in 
our short seasons unless started in pots under 
glass and our trade will not pay for such. 
Our summer hotels use canned Limas. Our 
best market pole beans are tbe Speckled Hor¬ 
ticultural, of which we have an extra-early 
strain, and the Mont d’Or. Of dwarfs for 
snaps, the Golden Pod Yellow-Eye (the 
“ Golden Prize *’ of some and otherwise 
named), is tbe earliest, closely followed by 
Purple-seeded Flageolet, tbe later crop being 
from the pole, Mont d’ Or. Our dwarf shells 
are Speckled Horticultural for the earliest, 
and the Boston Favorite, or Goddard, as a 
succession, the early pole Horticultural, men¬ 
tioned above, being intermediate. Ferry’s 
Golden Wax was abandoned on account of 
spotting, as have been many other kinds. 
Low’s Champion is a good bearer and early, 
but the pods are unattractive, and will not 
sell alongside of the Crimson-striped Horti- 
culturals. 
Sweet Corn. —King of the Earlies and 
Cory are both planted, and come nearly to¬ 
gether. The last has the larger kernels, but 
the other sells in preference, to those who 
make much account of quality. In succes¬ 
sion, we next have Early Dean and Marble¬ 
head coming nearly together, with the same 
difference in quality; but in this case both 
size and quality are with the Dean. For later, 
a seconl planting of Dean and Moore’s Con¬ 
cord, with Triumph for latest, our green corn 
season almost invariably being closed by frost 
before the end of September. 
Celery. —The early, self-blanching sorts 
have the preference. Our market for celery 
is not large yet, but is growing rapidly. 
Cabbage.— I keep trying new sorts, but 
my principal crop of late has been Rawson’s 
Early Summer, and Warren’s Stone-Ma¬ 
son. As an extra early, I tried, last sea¬ 
son, Rawson’s Volunteer, but it failed to bead 
well. Jersey Wakefield has not done much 
with me. 
Lettuce. —Our trade is satisfied with Bos¬ 
ton Curled for early, and Hanson for late. 
Pumpkin —The only kind grown is the small 
Sugar pumpkin, which Is early, very uniform 
in size, looks and quality, keeps well, and is 
almost as rich as a squash. It requires no 
boiling down, and entirely supplants the old 
field pumpkin for pies. 
Beets. —Egyptian, Bassano, Eclipse and 
Dewing are all planted, and all liked in their 
season. Bassano holds its grip well against 
the darker sorts. 
Carrot. —Early Scarlet Horn is grown for 
market, and for coloring butter; Half-long 
Danvers for market, and Long Orange for 
stock. They are easily grown on our light 
soils, and are usually a profitable crop. Oc¬ 
casionally, when prices are high enough 
south to surmount our high freights, a few 
car-loads are shipped. 
Cucumber. —Early Russian, White Spine 
and Long Green are the standard sorts. The 
last is used mostly for pickles: small for green 
pickles, and ripe for sweet pickles. A few of 
the long English sorts are grown in heat, but 
there is not yet a large market for them at a 
paying price. 
Potatoes. —This is a great potato region, 
and the potato is our chief shipping crop. 
We claim that we raise, in Northeastern 
Vermont, as good table potatoes, and as 
many to the acre, as they do in Aroostook, 
and we are about 300 miles nearer to the 
consumers in Southern New England. Many 
varieties are grown, but at present Hebrons 
take the lead for shipping. As a market 
gardener, I find the best profit in growing 
Pearl of Savoy for early, Polaris for second, 
and Pecan for long-keeping and spring sales. 
The last, which is full brother to Snowflake, 
(the seed being from the same potato-ball), is 
much like it in looks, but heavier, even better 
in quality, and it does not seem to know how 
to sprout until it is put in the ground. Like 
all potatoes of this class, .it must have the 
best soil and culture to be profitable, and will 
not be grown much, except for home use, or a 
fancy trade that will not be too particular 
about price. Besides the above named, our 
farmers grow Early Rose, Extra Early Ver¬ 
mont, Early Ohio, Burbank and other sorts, 
but mostly those that resemble the Rose 
enough to be shipped under that name. It is 
to avoid this mixture, I think, that buyers 
pay extra for Hebrons, which are strictly 
recognizable. 
Radishes are very difficult to grow here 
except under glass, on account of the white 
grub, which attacks them and turnips, and 
makes them unmarketable, except on newly 
cleared land. Only the red radishes, short 
aud long, are in demand. 
Turnips.— There is no more popular vege¬ 
table than the turnip, and large quantities are 
sold, both for home use and for shipping. 
When they can be grown fair, they pay quite 
as well as potatoes. 
Spinach. —There is a fair and growing de 
mand for spinach; but buyers do not yet dis¬ 
tinguish varieties. The Round-leaved and 
Long Standing are most grown. 
Onion. —This is a leading vegetable with 
us, and stands next to potatoes and cabbage 
in area planted. The crop was a good one, 
the past season, and netted an average of 
about 80 cents at home, or delivered within 
wagon distance. Most of the crop is grown 
near the lake (Memphremagog), where the 
soil is well suited to it, and the culture is best 
understood. The main crop consists exclus¬ 
ively of Danvers; but sets and multipliers are 
planted for an early crop by our gardeners. 
Early Red is also planted as an intermediate 
between these and the Danvers. We are all 
careful to get an early strain of seed for the 
last, and I have not known the crop to be a 
failure, near the lake, for many years. As 
this is a railroad center and county seat, we 
have a wide market, and the production is in¬ 
creasing rapidly, onions bearing a higher 
rate of freight than potatoes. But they are 
not a safe crop in any of the hill country of 
this section. Our lake is 800 feet above sea 
level, and the surrounding country is 400 to 
600 feet higher. 
Orleans Co., Vt. 
FROM PROF. E. S. GOFF. 
Among the okras, I tested the past season 
two varieties that pleased me better than 
any I had previously tried. One was called 
Little Gem and the other New Dwarf Density. 
Both were very dwarf and early in maturing. 
The seeds were planted in the open ground 
May 23, and the pods were fit for use in the 
latter part of July, and both ripened their 
seeds before frost. I have much better suc¬ 
cess in growing okra by planting the seeds 
in the open ground than in the hot-bed or 
greenhouse. The young plants are extremely 
liable to damp off when started under glass. 
In a row containing eight differently named 
rhubarbs the one bearing the name Scarlet 
Nonpareil has proved earliest and most pro¬ 
ductive. As far as I can see, it is equal to 
any of the others in quality. 
Of the squashes I prefer Boston Marrow 
for autumn, and the Hubbard for winter, 
both being reliable and excellent in quality, 
I am not sure that some of the more recent 
strains of Boston Marrow are not more pro¬ 
ductive than the old one. I thought, from 
a single trial made last, season, that the Dun¬ 
lap’s Early Marrow and Extra-Early Orange 
Marrow, both of which differ little from the 
old Boston Marrow, were rather more pro¬ 
ductive than the latter, and they were also a 
few days earlier in maturing. 
I was much pleased with the Dwarf Cham¬ 
pion tomato the past season. It may not be 
wise to recommend any variety unconditional¬ 
ly from the experience of a single garden test, 
but I have thus far no fault to find with it. I 
was especially pleased with the dwarf habit 
and hardiness of the plant, and the smooth¬ 
ness and uniform size of the fruit. 
Next to our own first early wrinkled pea 
which takes the premium at our Experiment 
Station, I consider the Alaska one of the 
very best for the first crop. I would follow 
it with a planting of American Wonder or 
Little Gem, to bridge the gap between it and 
the Station again for the late crop. 
Among cauliflowers I have succeeded best 
with Henderson’s Early Snowball. This ha3 
proved satisfactory both for early and late, 
and in fairly favorable seasons the plants 
have headed almost as reliably as those of a 
good strain of cabbage. As a rule, I am not 
in favor of using seedsmen’s names in con¬ 
nection with varieties, but in this case the 
name seems to bear some merit, at least other 
Snowball cauliflowers have not headed so 
well. 
For early celery I still adhere to the White 
Plume. It is slightly strong in flavor and a 
little hard unless it is banked up; but the eass 
with which it is grown and its attractive ap¬ 
pearance compensate for these defects. For 
use after Christmas, I am much pleased with 
tbe Golden Heart Half-Dwarf. This variety 
keeps well, and is excellent in quality, and 
its delicate creamy tint is very pleasing. 
For earliest cabbage I have found nothing 
to equal the Early Wakefield. In a careful 
comparative test, this variety equaled the 
Etampes in earliness; while the heads were 
slightly larger and rather more compact. 
For medium I have found nothing superior to 
Fottler’s Brunswick, and for late, Premium 
Flat Dutch and Late Drumhead have proved 
as reliable as any. 
For an early out-door lettuce I am much 
pleased with the Black-Seeded Simpson. It is 
a very rapid grower, attractive in appearance 
and of excellent quality. For summer I like 
the Buttercup best. For the past two seasons 
I have had a bed of several different varieties 
growing in the garden, and the Buttercup has 
continued fit for use rather longer than any 
other; while it* table quality was the best of 
