1889 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
641 
very heavy coat of stable manure was put 
on the surface and thoroughly worked in 
with a wheel-harrow. No fertilizer was 
put on the hill. The general way here is to 
pulverize a fair coat of manure in the sur¬ 
face soil and use ashes and some of the po¬ 
tato fertilizers, or phosphates, in the hill. 
I do not know of any manure being plowed 
under lately. My own land is sandy. I use 
no manure; but plow a trench, drop about 
25 bushels of ashes and 500 to 800 pounds of 
Buffalo potato fertilizer in the trench on 
each side of the potatoes and cover with a 
tobacco ridger. I have not had 10 bushels of 
rotten potatoes in 25 years. I raise only 50 
bushels per year. There has not been much 
rotting about here in the last three weeks. 
Windham County, Vermont. 
FROM G. M. BENNETT. 
Not having used any commercial fertili¬ 
zer for potatoes this year, I cannot tell if it 
prevents rot, but I don’t think stable ma¬ 
nure causes it. My patch was first attacked 
by the Flea-beetle which perforated the 
leaves so badly that the bugs gave them up. 
Then came the blight and the wet weather 
caused the fungous growth and rot. Slip¬ 
shod farmers have not suffered much for 
the reason that they had fewer potatoes to 
rot. 
Fairfield County, Conn. 
FROM G. H. GRIFFING. 
My practice for several years has been to 
plant potatoes with commercial fertilizers 
exclusively, believing that stable manure 
induces rot. When I have planted early 
and used nothing but fertilizer, I have in¬ 
variably had good crops, in seasons when 
my neighbors, who used barnyard manure 
freely, have lost by rot. 
New London County, Conn. 
FROM G. W. GOODRICH. 
Potato growers in this locality are gen¬ 
erally of the belief that barnyard manure 
will induce rot in potatoes, especially in a 
wet season; and when the vines begin to 
turn black from the effects of the blight, 
about the first of August as they did this 
year, a larger percentage of rotten potatoes 
will be found on fields where barnyard ma¬ 
nure lias been used than in adjoining fields, 
fertilizers were used. My personal 
ex i it-nee is that a complete fertilizer ap- 
, plied in the drill at the rate of 800 pounds 
‘per acre, will give a larger crop of potatoes, 
more free from scab, and less liable to rot, 
than a fair dressing of stable manure. 
The more stable manure is used for this 
crop the greater the chances for a crop of 
rotten potatoes. 
Lackawanna County, Pa. 
<Tl)f Ifttmjarix 
ilfltejsi from the itural (Grounds. 
THE EATON GRAPE. 
When the R. N.-Y. from its own trials 
discovers that a novelty possesses marked 
merits, it can not rest until it has done all 
in its power to bring those merits to the 
notice of its readers. We have frequently 
alluded to the Eaton Grape. Our only 
specimen was received from the late John 
B. Moore of Concord, Mass., October 20, 
1885. The vine has proven perfectly hardy, 
as vigorous as the Concord with larger 
leaves which are free from mildew, continu¬ 
ing healthy until destroyed by frost. This 
is its second year ofjfruiting and it must be 
considered that what is here said regarding 
the Eaton is merely the opinion formed 
from a comparatively brief trial. It has 
been a trying season for grapes in this local¬ 
ity. Rose-bugs existed in great numbers 
and so injured the blossoms that few 
bunches of any kind are perfect. The in¬ 
cessant rains have caused most varieties to 
rot and mildew that hitherto have yielded 
fair crops. There is not at this time a per¬ 
fect bunch on our Concords. Delaware 
which usually thrives well here lost its 
leaves so early that not a bunch will ripen. 
The Eaton has ripened perfectly and its sea¬ 
son seems to be a few days earlier than 
the Concord’s. The berries hold well to the 
stems; they neither mildew nor crack more 
than the Concord though of the largest size 
—larger than shown at Fig. 240, which is a 
photographic illustration of an average 
bunch, grown, please bear in mind, during 
an unfavorable season. The writer has 
just picked a bunch that would weigh 
nearly twice as much. 
The skin of the berry is just like that 
of Concord or Worden—neither firmer nor 
more tender. The pulp is less than that 
of Concord or Worden, and that is not so 
tough. The berrv is for the most part 
juice—not of a high quality; not so sweet 
as that of Concord, but free, or nearly so, 
of the foxy flavor of that popular variety. 
We would lay stress upon the following 
characteristics: Health and vigor of vine; 
size of berry; size of bunch. The berries 
cling firmly to their peduncles. The bunch¬ 
es and berries average larger than those of 
any hardy, healthy black grape ever 
grown here. It ripens fully, a few days 
(say three) before the Concord. Finally, we 
would commend a trial of this grape to 
all of our readers, since we have found by 
15 years of experience that those grapes 
which thrive in this valley will thrive in 
almost any section of country where grapes 
are grown. 
The history of the Eaton, in so far as it 
is known to the writer, is as follows: It 
was grown from Concord seed in the year 
1869 by Calvin Eaton of Concord, N. H. 
It was purchased by John B. Moore & Son, 
of Concord, Mass., in 1882 and first offered 
to the public in 1885 or 1886. Bunches have 
been exhibited at the Massachusetts Horti¬ 
cultural Society and elsewhere weighing 
from 20 to 30 ounces. 
The Eaton is a black grape, often measur¬ 
ing nearly an inch in diameter, with a dense 
blue bloom. The bloom is well shown in 
our illustration. 
homological. 
A NEW NECTARINE. 
On July 11, we received from J. L. Nor- 
mand, of Hillside Nursery, Marksville, La., 
a seedling nectarine. It is said to be proof 
against injury by the cureulio as it has been 
practically exempt for the last four years. 
It is said to be an excessively prolific variety 
and the fruit ripens all together and very 
evenly. The carrying qualities of this new 
seedling will be understood when it is said 
that the specimens were received at this 
office in perfect order. The quality is ex¬ 
cellent. The illustrations (Fig. 242), with a 
cross-section at Fig. 243, shows the average 
size of the fruit entire and in half-section. 
Liu'u}iulja*c. 
A PLEASANT VOICE FROM CALI¬ 
FORNIA. 
San Diego, San Diego County.— I was 
just now looking over some relics of our old 
eastern home, when I came upon the famil¬ 
iar face of the Rural New-Yorker. In a 
flash I was back again in the old times—so 
old—five years ago—10 years ago—when the 
Rural used to come to us on the banks of 
Lake Erie; and the boys looked it over, and 
then went out on the lake for a sail. Now, 
all the boys, except one, have gone away 
beyond the lakes and oceans of this world. 
The links to the old times are very precious, 
and looking over the bright pages, they 
seemed to greet me with such whole-heart¬ 
ed remembrance and charming cordiality 
that I said: I will venture to write to the 
Rural again, as in the old times.” So 
here, upon this western edge of our country, 
with the blue Pacific melting away into 
the southern sky, I will tell a little how 
every-day matters go with us pioneers on 
this Point, which has seemed so wondrous- 
ly beautiful to me since I first stood on its 
bights and looked off. 
Point Loma is about five miles long by 
two miles at the widest perhaps,lying north 
and south, with San Diego Bay on the 
east, and False Bay on the west. It is quite 
broken and precipitous in places, though 
the greater part consists of fine slopes and 
rolling land growing gradually narrower 
and higher, till it comes to a point 450 
feet high at the southern extremity. Here 
stands the lighthouse, the property of Un- * 
cle Sam of course, and he also owns the 
Point for about two miles back, it having 
been donated to him by the city a long time 
ago. It is a rough piece of ground to be 
sure; but it is full of possibilities, and if I 
had as much money ahead as Uncle Sam 
has, I would make it “a thing of beauty,” 
a pleasant place to look upon as well as to 
look off from. The view from this ridge of 
land is incomparable; everybody wants to 
visit the lighthouse, and the approaches to 
it should be better. 
With a few exceptions, the whole Point 
is in a state of nature, or worse; for 40 or 
50 years ago, everything that could be call¬ 
ed a tree was cut off for wood by trading 
vessels, and now we have only a scrubby 
covering of bushes. The soil is good, very 
good; and everything grows well, if it can 
only be left alone; but the birds and rats 
and rabbits think it so good of us to raise 
new kinds of nice, tender things, and they 
take hold and eat, and we have to be for¬ 
ever on the alert, and have to console our¬ 
selves with the thought that the country 
is new, and that things will be better 
bye and bye. Sitting on our veranda, and 
looking off, it doesn’t seem as though the 
country were new. Four hundred feet be¬ 
low we see the van of a great commerce,— 
ships and steamers gliding into the bay, 
and around to the city wharves five miles 
farther on; and the electric lights of San 
Diego give us moonlight every evening; but 
yet we are pioneers here all the same; and 
the country is new, and we have wild ani¬ 
mals to fight, as they had in Western New 
York 60 or 70 years ago. Along this Point 
the wild-cat roams in all its native freedom 
and ferocity, and the coyote howls, not 
only at night, but at high noon when the 
clouds are lowering. 
“Aren’t you afraid of the wild-cats and 
coyotes?” asked the carpenter who had 
been camping over here, building our house. 
“ Oh, no,” I said, bravely enough; and 
really I had not the least apprehension of 
trouble from that quarter; but the very 
first day that we had our hens here, a wild¬ 
cat jumped into the midst of them as they 
were eating near the door, and carried one 
off in triumph. I happened to be looking 
out of the window, and saw it, and making 
some kind of an exclamation, I rushed out, 
and my boy rushed after me. and followed 
the cat, but there was no fence around our 
place then, and the raider was soon lost in 
the bushes. It was too bad ! We had just 
six nice hens, bought from somebody who 
had brought them all the way from Iowa, 
and we had refrained from eating them 
ourselves because we wanted the eggs, and 
those were the days of “the boom,” when 
chickens were scarce, and we were going to 
raise more for ourselves; but now that cat 
had the hen for his supper, and the pros¬ 
pect was dark ahead. The gun was kept 
in readiness, but somehow the cats never 
appeared to the right person. Early one 
morning, as I opened the door, there stood 
two great wild-cats, in the drive-way a few 
rods off. I supposed they would run like a 
flash at sight of me, or slink away into the 
bushes, awed and abashed; but, instead of 
that, they just stood still in a complacent 
fawning attitude, like two strangers whose 
motives were likely to be misunderstood, 
and who were anxious to set themselves 
right. They twisted their heads around, 
and wagged their tails, as though they 
would like to come to a parley, and to es¬ 
tablish some ground of mutual good fellow¬ 
ship: but I said: “ S’s’ cat!” then threw a 
piece of board at them with my left hand, 
after which they reluctantly turned and 
went on down the road. 
Then again, a little before dusk one night, 
as I went out to attend to my plants, there 
stood a great wild-cat. He had just come 
up the steep declivity leading down to the 
sea, and evidently wanted to make an 
explanation about something. He swung 
his long tail around for a flag of truce, and 
put on a most plausible expression of 
countenance, as much as to say: “We are 
old settlers around here—honorable gentle¬ 
men, who can always be depended upon. 
We would like to remove any unpleasant 
impression you may have received, and to 
be on calling terms with you, if you are to 
live among us. Those sneaking coyotes”— 
Here, I motioned him away, and threw a 
chip after him; when he went off on a lei¬ 
surely, dignified trot, with an air all over 
him which said: “You are slighting one 
who would gladly benefit you.” They have 
done us much mischief since, crowning all 
by eating up our cat and kitten; leaving us 
exposed to the ravages of the rats and 
mice. These last are fairly shut out of the 
house; but outside they cause the proprie¬ 
tor of the grounds many heart-sinkings. 
He is anxious to sit under the shadow of 
his own trees and vines, and to eat their 
fruit; but these rats are constantly gnaw¬ 
ing off the choicest young trees and plants. 
Oh ! it is vain to seek for anything like 
Paradise in this world. Here, in this de¬ 
lightful climate-no burning heats, no bit¬ 
ing cold, there are plenty of other things to 
distress and to make us look away with 
longing eyes to the world we have not 
seen. p. y. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Canada. 
Whitby, Ontario, September, 12.—The 
potato crop in this county is in good condi¬ 
tion except where planted in low, rich land 
where considerable rot exists. The probable 
production will be about 70 per cent, of a full 
crop. The crop at Cape Breton is very 
much below the average, there not being 
nearly half a crop, and what there is, is rot¬ 
ting very badly. In New Brunswick and 
Prince Edward Island the crop is also short 
and much rot prevails. j. k. g. 
Illinois. 
Shelbyville, Shelby County, September 
9-—The potato crop is better than an aver¬ 
age, both late and early kinds. None are 
rotting as far as heard from in this section 
of the State. The Colorado Beetle made 
its appearance as soon as the plants were 
up, but the application of Paris-green once, 
and the continuous heavy rains throughout 
the growing season settled the pests. I 
have heard no complaints with regard to 
the Flea-beetle. I have dug my Rural No. 
2 Potatoes, and got 18 fine, large tubers 
the product of the one small potato, which 
contained four eyes and was cut into four 
pieces, which were planted one eye in each 
hill, one foot apart after the Rural trench 
system. e. j. m. 
Indiana. 
Pendleton, Madison County, Septem¬ 
ber 10.—Stock of all kinds are in good con¬ 
dition. Horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs 
have been healthy and are generally fat. 
This may be accounted for by the abundant 
corn crop of last year, the mild winter, and 
the frequent rains of this season. Horses 
of common quality and size are low, 
heavy draft horses are worth from $100 to 
$150; stylish carriage horses bring about 
the same price. The prices of cattle are 
still away down. Local butchers pay two 
to 2% cents per pound for choice young 
stock on the hoof. Heavy steers are worth 
three to 3f£ cents. Fresh milch cows can 
be bought for $20 to $30 each; good sheep 
for three to 3f£ cents, and hogs for four 
cents per pound live-weight. The weather 
is rather cool for com, but favorable for 
seeding wheat. Our farmers prefer to drill 
their wheat in the first half of September. 
S. w. h. 
Iowa. 
Des Moines, Polk County, September 9. 
—Our great State fair is past—and it beat 
all previous records. The weather was fine 
and the people turned out well. The gate 
receipts were $10,000 or $12,000 more than 
last year. All the various departments 
were well represented. On Sunday Dr. 
Thomas, of Chicago, preached a very able 
sermon on the grounds, and on Wednesday 
Dr. Talmage, of Brooklyn, gave a very able 
lecture on Tune. These divines and the 
great trotting colt Axtell were the leading at¬ 
tractions of our fair. Of course we had the 
usual number of side-shows, picked-pock¬ 
ets, gamblers and tricksters of all stripes 
on hand. Now that the fair is over, we need 
rain to revive our grass, furnish stock water 
and finish up our crops of late cabbage and 
turnips. We have had no frost yet; and 
our corn is past the danger line. We have 
a great abundance of watermelons, toma¬ 
toes and grapes. I see no reason to change 
my opinion, expressed in a former report, in 
regard to our potato crop. Our onion crop 
will be a short one as compared with that 
of last year. e. s. w. 
New York. 
Geneseo, Livingston County, September 
16.—The weather in the valley of the Genesee 
River has been remarkably fine during the 
past month. Corn, and even late planted 
beans are mostly beyond the danger point 
from frost and premise an average 
yield. The wheat crop is more than an av¬ 
erage in yield and berry. Early potatoes 
are a failure from rot; late varieties on 
heavy soil, are affected in the same manner. 
Apples in part of the county are a failure; 
in other parts there will be from a-third to 
a-half a crop; winter varieties are falling 
prematurely. The hay crop is large, and so 
is the oat crop. Preparations have been 
made for putting in a large acreage of 
winter wheat and farmers are busy 
seeding. There is a lamentable neglect in 
the county among farmers in breeding 
standard, compact, fast-walking draft- 
horses, especially of the Percheron and 
Shire varieties. Among 40 varieties of 
peaches that suffered from a late freeze on 
my grounds, the following have borne 
heavily: Beatrice, Early Rivers, Morris 
White, Oldmixon Free, Mountain Rose, 
and HiU’s Chili and several seedlings. 
Among 80 varieties of plums the following 
