478 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MAR 46 
hardiness, though it is probably the hardiest 
of the American seedlings of Prunus domes- 
tica Several new sorts from amoi g our na¬ 
tive plums have appeared, and of these, for 
the North, De Soto seems to be the most valu¬ 
able variety, either for home use or market. 
A considerable number of the plums of North¬ 
eastern Europe are now undergoing test, and 
the prospect is fair that we shall find among 
them some very useful recruits for far north¬ 
ern orchards. 
Strawberries. —The Crescent is very wide¬ 
ly accepted as the most generally successful 
among the early sorts. Sbarpless, for size, 
has taken the palm; and, among other sorts, 
Manchester and W indsor Chief seem to have 
acquired general and permanent acceptance. 
These are non-staminate. No staminate sort 
yet seems able to push Wilson from its 
throne; though there are many aspirants 
under trial. 
Raspberries.— Turner, Cuthbert and Shaf¬ 
fer are positive and, I think, permanent ad¬ 
ditions to the list of valuable reds; while 
among the blacks 1 have yet to see any real 
advance beyond the old Doolittle. 
Blackberries —I recognize no notable ad¬ 
dition among these since Snyder. We have 
nothing positively new and valuable among 
gooseberries; but among currants, Fay’s 
Prolific is a great gain, giving us a fruit 
equaling the largest in size and the most pro¬ 
ductive in crop and vigor of growth. I much 
regret that very little, if any, gain can be re¬ 
corded so far as American gooseberries are 
concerned, a tbing much to be wondered at in 
so improvable a plant. 
Orleans Co., Vermont. 
FROM A. B. COLEMAN. 
During the past ten years many new varie¬ 
ties of fruit have been introduced, yet com¬ 
paratively few have proved valuable. Thou¬ 
sands of dollars have been spent by profession¬ 
al fruit-growers as well as by amateurs in 
efforts to procure something a little better 
than anything before tried. It is unfortunate 
that the record doe3 not show more successful 
results than the absolute facts would indicate. 
A new variety of fruit always sells at a high 
price when first introduced. Many of such 
introductions possessing no other merit than 
that of proving remunerative to the intro¬ 
ducers, are speedily discarded as worthless or 
unprofitable. The present seductive method 
of advertising, with judiciously selected de¬ 
scriptive adjectives and handsomely-colored 
plates, does its work very effectively and 
catches many a tyro as well as professional in 
the fruit business. 
Iam not prepared to say just what progress 
has been made during the past ten years in 
the production of new fruits. The list has 
been lengthened, but the improvement has 
not been in proportion. The lists of all kinds 
of fruit cultivated in this country are too 
long, and the descriptions given by many nur¬ 
serymen are so extravagant and misleading as 
to confuse the uninitiated in making selec¬ 
tions. Were we to take the descriptions as 
we find them in the catalogues, as our guide, 
we would invariably select fruits of recent in¬ 
troduction, as they are made to appear far 
superior to any of the older sorts. Fortunate¬ 
ly we have a few faithful sentinels who tell 
the truth, unvarnished and unadulterated, 
about new fruits as they appear,stripping them 
of all the false and fanciful claims made for 
them by those directly interested. No one has 
rendered more efficient service in this direc¬ 
tion than “The Rural New-Yorker.” It 
has fought vigorously and valiantly for truth, 
right and justice, regardless as to whom its 
action hurt or offended. 
It is questionable if a better apple has 
been produced in the last ten years than Ben 
Davis, Winesap, Limber Twig, Baldwin or 
Nickajack, Winter Pearmain, Grimes’s Golden 
or Newtown Pippin. 
Perhaps no better pear has been brought 
out than the Bartlett, Angoul6me, Louise 
Bonne de Jersey, or Seckel, and no better 
peach than Oldraixon, Heath Cling, 
Crawford’s Early and Late, Flater’s St. John 
or Amsden. The Yellow Transparent Apple 
has grown popular on account of its extreme 
earliness—and in this respect only, is it super¬ 
ior to the Early Harvest or Red Astrachan. 
Many Russian apples have been introduced 
which.it is thought, will prove valuable m the 
Northwest on account of their hardiness. 
Among small fruits the strawberry and 
grape lisrs are growing very long. The Em¬ 
pire State. Pocklington, Jefferson, Francis 
B. Hayes, Moore’s Early, Diamond, Triumph, 
Eaton and Woodruff Red, among the newer 
grapes, will doubtless prove very valuable; 
but not more so than many older 
varieties. The new strawberries are 
almost innumerable. We have large 
additions to the list every year, coming from 
all parts of the country. In the introduction 
of new strawberries, quality seems to have 
been sacrificed for size and productiveness. 
The old Charles Downing and Kentucky are 
yet popular all over the country. They do 
well everywhere and yield good crops of ex¬ 
cellent berries when treated with even moder¬ 
ate consideration. The Kentucky is stifl re¬ 
garded by many as the best late berry, all 
things considered, yet introduced, although it 
has had strong competitors in the Glendale, 
Windsor Chief, Daniel Boone, Manchester, 
Ohio and others. The Crescent has perhaps 
yielded more money to the professional fruit¬ 
growers since its introduction than any other 
variety ever did during the same length of 
time. Its great productiveness, when well 
supplied with pollen from another varie¬ 
ty, and its capacity to take care of it 
self under adverse conditions of culture 
soil and season, have made it popular 
over a wide range of territory. But its 
rival is coming; in fact, it is already here. 
Cloud’s Seedling is its name. This “ Cloud ” 
is rising over the Southern horizon. It is 
making its way to the North, the East and the 
West. It is dark and ominous, and will evi¬ 
dently develop into a'cyclone. It is going to 
sweep the country. It has all the character¬ 
istics to enable it to accomplish the task. It 
has vigor and strength; it needs no petting, 
or stimulant. It asks for no fancy picture of 
itself, for no indorsement from Messrs. Dick, 
Tom or Harry. It is coming forward upon 
its own merits, and will consign many a sad 
and sickly novelty to that bourne from which 
no berry ever returns. Let us wait and 
waten the fun. The Bubach, J essie, Haver- 
land and Summit seem to be making a fine 
impression wherever they have been intro¬ 
duced, and will doubtless become very popu¬ 
lar. 
Among raspberries the Tyler and Souhegan 
are perhaps the best early, and the Gregg the 
best late of the black-caps. Turner and Cuth¬ 
bert are the best of the reds. Shaffer is the 
largest of all raspberries, and a very excellent 
sort. The berry is purple and the vine is a 
vigorous grower, very prolific and the best of 
all for the family garden. It makes an excel¬ 
lent jam. The pleasant acid flavor is very re¬ 
freshing. 
Caldwell Co., Ky. 
THE CRANDALL, THE NEW BLACK 
CURRANT. 
A Season’s trial of this new currant shows 
that it really has some very desirable quali¬ 
ties. In spite of the severe drought of last 
summer, it made a vigorous growth, fruiting 
on the one-year-old wood. It is like the com¬ 
mon black currant in being absolutely free 
from insect enemies, either here in New York 
State, or in Ohio, or in Kansas, its original 
home, but it differs from it in not having that 
peculiar odor, resembling that of a bed-bug. 
The taste is like that of a ripe gooseberry, 
with something of a sub-acid quality of the 
red currant. For pies, jellies and jams it is 
not inferior to any of the small fruits which 
are similarly treated, and unlike raspber¬ 
ries, it has but few seeds. As far as the dis¬ 
seminators, Messrs. Frank Ford & Sons, of 
Ravenna, O., are able to learn, the Crandall 
is a hybrid from the Red Cherry currant, 
(Ribes ruorum) and the Missouri Yellow (Ribes 
aureum) and with me its habit and produc¬ 
tiveness confirm that idea. The color is a 
shiny bluish black; the size ranges from a half¬ 
inch to three quarters of an inch in diameter. 
It greatly resembles a Concord grape, and as 
a market fruit, seems almost without a rival. 
e. e. s. 
WESTERN NEW YORK APPLES. 
IRVING D. COOK. 
Present discouragement owing to heavy 
production and consequent low prices ; 
hopes for the future arising from mis- 
managemeid of orchards, and room for 
improvements in planting , care , and 
marketing. 
In view of the enormous quantity of apples 
harvested the present season in Western New 
York, and in nearly all other localities 
adapted to their growth, the ruinously low 
prices prevailing at the present time, and the 
discouraging outlook for those unable to take 
advantage of the earlier and more remun¬ 
erative markets, it is but natural that the 
orchardist should be forcibly impressed with 
the thought that perhaps this industry, which 
once seemed to insure pecuniary success to 
those engaged, was, after all, to result in 
disappointment, -failure and loss. And were 
the vast and numerous orchards that have 
been planted during the last two or more 
decades properly cared for in all the essentials 
necessary for their productiveness, and in 
full bearing every year, there would indeed 
be sufficient cause for apprehension. 
But when we consider that thousands of 
trees thus planted, owing to neglect in vario s 
ways, die before arriving at bearing age; 
while as many more, after struggling for exis¬ 
tence for a few years only, produce partial 
crops of small and inferior fruit, and that it 
is only in exceptional years like the last, we 
are likely to have a full and nearly universal 
crops in all parts of our fruit sections, we may 
well conclude that he who wisely and per- 
severingly adopts the methods calculated for 
success in this direction, and produces for 
market the best varieties of first-quality fruit, 
will be amply rewarded. 
Experience is the best of all teachers,as many 
of us have learned in reference to some of 
the best methods: for we now discover that 
our bearing trees are, many of them, much 
too near together for the full development 
of the fruit, and we unanimously agree that 
40 feet is as near as they should have been 
planted, and many who for years have culti¬ 
vated and tenderly cared for their orchards, 
are now reluctantly, after they have arrived 
at bearing age, engaged in cutting out alter¬ 
nate trees, which is seemingly the only alter¬ 
native left; for it is becoming fully demon¬ 
strated that light, air, and the uninterrupted 
rays of the sun are essential for the produc¬ 
tion of the most desirable fruit. And, again? 
we are becoming thoroughly convinced of the 
fact that we cannot reasonably expect to 
grow fruit thoroughly well, unless the tree 
maintains a healthy and vigorous growth, 
which can be attained only by the required 
cultivation, or a free application of surface 
manure spread evenly over the ground as for 
other farm crops, thereby acting as a mulch 
and furnishing food for the myriad rootlets 
constantly reaching out for nourishment. 
Insect enemies must also be persistently 
fought, for, no matter how large and well de¬ 
veloped an apple may be, if defaced by worm 
holes, its market value is materially lessened. 
Paris-green and L0ncion-purple,if properly ap¬ 
plied, have proved effectual insecticides in 
numerous instances. In the matter of sorting 
and barreling the fruit for market there is 
undoubtedly great need of reform, and when 
buyers discriminate properly between first- 
class, selected fruit, and that ordinarily put up« 
and the producer is fully remunerated for so 
doing, then only can we hope for improve¬ 
ment in this direction. 
Let all of us, then, who are engaged in this 
branch of farm industry, learn lessons of 
profit from past experience, and adopt what¬ 
ever methods will tend to promote the growth 
and productiveness of our orchards, grow 
more and better fruit, besides giving us the 
conscious satisfaction of having so well per¬ 
formed our part that, notwithstanding the 
discouraging present outlook, perhaps the 
balance sheet will yet be in our favor. 
Genesee Co., N. Y. 
£%li$cdlmeoM 
NEW LEGISLATION NEEDED CONCERN¬ 
ING MONOPOLIES. 
No. 1. 
PRESIDENT W. I. CHAMBERLAIN. 
Just laws are of slow growth. They must 
rest upon the solid basis of philosophic justice 
and ethical right, and must regard all the 
varying circumstances involved. New laws 
grow out of changed conditions. The growth 
of irrigation in Colorado and in California, for 
example, revised and almost reversed the old 
code of “riparian rights” or laws of water¬ 
courses. It is therefore peTLiaps not strange 
that our legislation, for the past 50 years, has 
lagged far behind the giant strides of prog¬ 
ress in invention, manufactures, agriculture, 
population,—in short, it has fallen behind the 
growth of scientific knowledge and industrial 
skill,and the increase of material wealth in this 
amazing nineteenth century. 
Clearly many of our laws must be modified, 
and new laws must be passed to meet our 
changed conditions. Nowhere is this more 
needed than in fixing the right of capital in¬ 
vested in monopolies, and its limitations 
necessary to protect society under Republican 
government. Now since ours is a govern¬ 
ment “of the people, by the people and for the 
people”, it is clear that the people themselves 
must grasp the underlying principles; or the 
laws made by them and their representatives 
will not be just to all conflicting personal and 
society interests involved. Let us study 
briefly some of those underlying principles 
The farmers must grapple with existing evils 
springing from monopolies or these evils never 
will be righteously prevented. 
Ownership. —All ownership rests upon the 
fundamental, axiomatic right of every human 
being to live by work; that is, to have, enjoy, 
sell, give, keep or bequeath the results of his 
labor expended upon natural material. This 
individual ownership, however, is never abso¬ 
lute and unlimited. It is always subject to 
the needs of society and the support of the 
government; for men by their very nature 
and limitations must live in society in mutual 
interdependence of rights and duties; and 
society must have a government. Now, a just 
government renders valuable service to the 
individual in the way of defence, protection, 
redress, diffusion of knowledge, promotion of 
agriculture, mining, manufactures, naviga¬ 
tion and commerce; that is, it promotes the 
creation, diffusion and enjoyment of wealth 
in its widest and best sense. It makes prop¬ 
erty possible and valuable. 
Taxes. —This all costs money, and taxes are 
the price paid by persons and property for 
this aid and protection; and since all persons 
and all property are protected all should be 
taxed. As to property, the just principle 
seems to be to tax all actual, tangible property, 
where the property itself lies, at its actual 
value with no exemptions of private property 
and no duplicate taxation as, for example, of 
land, and then of a mortgage resting on it 
without any offset on the land. Taxes are a 
just limitation upon the ownership of all pri¬ 
vate property, and avoidance of them by false 
oath, concealment or otherwise, is theft from 
society and from government, its representa¬ 
tive. I assume these principles as granted and 
therefore do not argue them. 
Property in Land —From the very nature 
of land it is a possible monopoly, and hence 
requires special limitations, for reasons to be 
given further on. Land is both fixed in 
position and indestructible in form and 
matter. In these respects it differs from 
other forms of property. But society must 
have roads, streets, railways, docks, bridges, 
sites for public building^ and the like, and 
these must often pass through or rest upon 
land till then owned by individuals. 
“Eminent Domain.”— The right of the 
government to take, or to empower railway 
or other companies to take, such private land 
as is needed for public uses, even without the 
owner’s consent, is called the right of “ em¬ 
inent domain.” This right, I think, does not 
grow out of the fact that society was the 
original owner of the land before it was 
divided by original sale to individuals, but 
from the nature of land noted at>ove, and the 
needs of society. All our property and even 
our services and lives in war are subject to 
the needs of government, to protect its life 
and promote its usefulness to society. Now, 
when government needs our otuer property or 
our services we may commute in kind, that 
is, pay a cash tax, or send a substitute to 
war. But when it needs our land for roads, 
etc., it needs that particular land. We can¬ 
not commute in kind or in cash. The dif¬ 
ference lies in the nature of land, not in the 
origin or extent of the right of the govern¬ 
ment to take our property. 
When the government takes the land of 
individuals, however, for public uses, since 
the present owners paid society, its original 
owner, the value of the land when thus pur¬ 
chased, and since they have labored or paid 
for labor to improve it to its present con¬ 
dition and give it its present value, it is 
clearly just that society, if it need the land 
again for public uses, should pay its pieseut 
owners its present value, and the damage, if 
any, to adjacent laud that is cut, divided or 
injured. If you sell me a calf, and I rear it 
to an ox, and you need it back, you should 
pay me the value of the ox and not of the 
calf. 
This right of '* eminent domain,” not only 
does not deny, but establishes the indi¬ 
vidual ownership of land. Not even society 
through government, its agent, may take or 
empower any one to take private land needed 
for public uses, except by paying the present 
owner its present market value, and damages, 
if any. 
Land a Possible Monopoly.— But prop¬ 
erty in land is still further limited for the 
good of society, from the fact that it is by its 
very nature and by the constitution of man a 
possible monopoly. Now, the right to life by 
labor involves as a consequent corollary, the 
right of needed access to and use of the ma¬ 
terials and forces of nature, God’s gifts to the 
race. The world doe3 not “owe every man a 
living.*’ It does, however, I think, owe him a 
fair and equal chance to earn one if he can 
and will. That is, it owes him the possibility 
of needed access to nature’s materials and 
forces, that he may earn such living if he can 
by skill and toil of brain and hand combined. 
Land is made up of these materials, and gives 
access to these forces. But in order that all 
men may have needed access to laud, no one 
man or class of men should be permitted by 
Government to have a local or national mo¬ 
nopoly as against the right of society or of in¬ 
dividuals to purchase and use needed portions. 
