OCT. 25 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
being about 10 inches. The spike is in the 
form of a cone and stands erect on the plant. 
The harvest commences when the first beans 
begin to pop. The shell holding the bean ex¬ 
plodes and the bean is ejected a number of feet. 
The cauee is doubtless the same that produces 
the popping of com, being the application of 
heat to the inclosed moisture. Children are 
used with economy in the gathering of the 
spikes. A sled, about three feet wide, is gen¬ 
erally used, which is drawn between the rows. 
The spikes that have thrown out one or more 
beans, are detached with a knife, and theothers 
are drawn to the popping floor near the home¬ 
stead. The floor is prepared by clearing from 
grass a level space of an extent corresponding 
to the amount of the crop. The spikes are 
thrown upon the floor without crowding one 
on the other, and the sun gives the heat to 
expel the beans. They are then winuowed 
from the ehaff and are ready for market. 
The price is now 90 cents per bushel, of, say 
42 pounds. There is always a market for 
them, yet the buyers are in a ‘‘ring." The 
few mills regulate the prices. Ail the buyers 
are local agents for the mills, and while there 
is gencmlly no competition, the crushers are 
aware that they must, pay at least a certain 
price, or the beans will not be likely to be pro¬ 
duced the following season. The yield varies 
from 10 to 18 bushels per acre. In other words, 
the yield is as near that of wheat a6 can be de¬ 
termined. Farmers are not in unison as to the 
kind of soil best adapted to the beau ; but the 
general opinion is correct, and that is. the bet¬ 
ter the uatural soil, the better the crop. 
There is a great advantage arising from 
raising beans, and it is, that the soli becomes 
decidedly and greatly improved, it is gener¬ 
ally supposed that this arises from so many of 
the beaus being unavoidably expelled in the 
field. There is a singularity attending the 
gathering of the beans that is both peculiar 
and unpleasant. A dizziness and qualmish¬ 
ness frequently attack the gatherer. These are 
manifested particularly after a heavy dew or 
a rain, w hen the sun is shining hot. An odor 
is then exhaled from the crop, which causes 
the nausea; but there are infidels who attri¬ 
bute all this to imagination. The writer 
is in this case one of the faithful. 
It is perhaps not generally known that live 
stock will become sick and frequently die 
from eating the beans. As a rule Btock that is 
decently fed, will not touch them. They are 
equally dangerous to persons who may partake 
of them. 
The time will surely come when the Ricinus 
communis will be one of the leading foliage 
plants. Its higbt, shicld-shapod leaves—eight 
and nine cleft, ol a breadth of eight to twelve 
inches—stems the color of the grape bloom, 
and the blossoms, rich and red on the conic 
spikes, give it, all in all, a tropical character. 
Soublelte Co., Kan. 
—-- 
Alfalfa. 
I have read with care the article on Alfalfa, 
in the Rurax for Sept. 20, by J. S., of Fort Col¬ 
lins Col., and I write now to indorse every 
sentence of that article, as according perfectly 
with my experience of the past four years with 
it, here in Washington Co., Mo. Hay-making 
before spring frosts cease and after the frosts 
of autumn begin, is a ratber unusual experi¬ 
ence, but it is done with Alfalfa. Most of our 
citizens emigrating from Germany or France 
are familiar with this grass by the name of 
Luceru, aud I have yet to meet one who fails 
to testify to its great value as a forage and 
especially as a soiling plant. I cut a crop for 
hay the first week in October. n. w. b. 
Kingston Furnace, Mo. 
IHisaUaittfliis. 
NOTES ON VARIOUS TOPICS. 
S. RUFUS MASON. 
Strawberry Soil. 
The difficulty found by different persons 
living near together, in growing the same 
kinds of Strawberries on apparently exactly 
the same kind of soil, is caused, I believe, by 
the difference in kinds of manure aud amount 
of water applied: I don't say moisture, for 
mere moisture won’t grow Strawberries—they 
must have a flood of water regularly and often. 
The best strawberry bed I ever had or ever saw, 
was manured heavily with hog-pen manure 
where leaves from the woods had been used 
for bedding, I also let water from a hydrant 
flow into the bed every morning during the 
flowering and fruiting seasons till the plants 
wore nearly covered. To enable such a little 
plant to bear so large a crop as is its tendency 
to bear, and such delicious fruit,* it must be fed 
abundautly at the right time, and with the 
right sort of food. I know of no richer man¬ 
ure for any plant or crop than hog manure and 
decayed forest leaves worked together as only 
hogs can do it. If, however, this composite is 
not kept soaking wet, it becomes hard, dry and 
lumpy, and the plant at once dries up. In my 
soil out here, over-luxuriance keeps us busy 
cutting off runners. 
ff a Strawberry is good in all points except 
firmness of fruit, grow it well as I indicate 
above, and that difficulty will nearly or quite 
vanish. Tlalt-starved flesh of all kinds is 
always flabby. 
Here is a sum in arithmetic which seems 
never to have been worked out by cultivators 
in general: how long can a plant keep up its 
character while starved aud kept in a hide¬ 
bound soil ? To those who have never yet got 
as far as the ’‘siugle rule of three" 1 would 
say, study Peter Henderson’s *‘ Gardening for 
Profit” on that subject. He crams his soil 
with manure an 1 his purse with dollars, but 
that is the “do x.lc rule of three," far beyond 
the general kcu. 
Tin* Manure Question. 
Never apply healing manures upon a dry 
60)1, or cold ones on a wet one. All manures 
which attract moisture should go upon a dry 
soil, such as plaster, salt, ashes, etc., etc.; to 
put such manures upon wet soils is to flood 
them and leach out their virtues. Much disap¬ 
pointment is experienced by novices—old or 
young—who don't know the nature of the fer¬ 
tilizer they employ. To have manure do all 
its work, it must have water either from irri¬ 
gation, the subsoil or the atmosphere. Dry 
manure is worse than none. 
Vegetable Pit*. 
If Mr. Mylius—whose pit for preserving gar¬ 
dener’s stock is illustrated and described In the 
Rural for Sept. 27—will put all his sashes on the 
south side of his pit and run a partition along 
the middle of it down from the ridge-pole, he 
can then have his vegetables in the dark, and 
his RoseB in the light, where they should be; 
now they both have darkness and light half 
and half. 
Dodge Co., Neb. 
-- 
WESTERN SMALL FRUIT NOTES. 
Cumberland Triumph is very large but 
too soft and light-colored. Cowing’s Seed¬ 
ling gave us our largest berries, but is very 
irregular. I have fruited several newer kinds, 
but not enough to speak of their merits. I 
got plants of New Rochelle and Caroline, 
from Mr. Carpenter, of New Rochelle, a 
year ago last spring. They fruited this year, 
and if they will not do better than they have 
done, I would not give them garden room. 
New Rochelle was very fall of large berries, 
but the quality was so poor that we did not 
pick a quart. Caroline was not so large, and 
berries were poorer yet. The Black Defiance 
I find the best flavored berries among over 
20 varieties. I do not recommend it for mar¬ 
ket, but it should be in every family garden. 
Capt. Jack was much more prolific this sea¬ 
son than Wilson’s Albany. It dwindles in 
size at the last, but no more than the Wilson, 
while its superior color and equal firmness 
make it a desirable market variety. It has, 
however, to recommend it, the fact that it is 
the firmest red berry. The berries are fully 
as solid as the black ones, and on that account 
it is a good shipping berry. Among Rasp¬ 
berries the Thwack is the best red I have yet 
fruited. It was entirely uninjured last win¬ 
ter when Philadelphia and Mammoth Cluster 
were somewhat hurt, the Herstine about half 
killed and all Black-eaps, except 8nyder. 
Western Triumph and Taylor’s Prolific, killed 
to the snow line. In quality it equals the 
Herstine. It also equals it in size and Is much 
firmer. Lin quality, to our taste, it is the poor¬ 
est berry we have ever eaten. Eds.] Up to 
this year I have considered the Turner the 
best red. Brandywine is a weak grower and 
poor bearer. The quality is not as good as 
that of Turner. w. J. c. 
La Pate, Ind. 
Homological, 
THE WINTER 8T. LAWRENCE APPLE. 
Of this apple I am not able to say much. It 
has appeared at the fruit shows of the Mon¬ 
treal Horticultural Society and elsewhere in 
the Proviace in increasing quantity for a num¬ 
ber of years, and during the present season 
frequently with the name of “ Manx Codlin ” 
affixed to it. Good judges, however, declare 
it not to be the true apple of that name. From 
inquiry aud observation in orchards where this 
apple is grown, I find it increasing in consider¬ 
ation as a very good fruit both for home use 
and market. Its keeping quality i8 not definitely 
ascertained, but it is probably good. Size, me¬ 
dium to large. Tree hardy, a good grower, 
and productive. This apple is more coni¬ 
cal than the fall apple known as St. Law¬ 
rence, with finer striping, somewhat duller 
color and greater regularity of form. It has 
many of the characteristics of a profitable mar¬ 
ket fruit. T. H- Homans, 1C D. 
fitksltial Societies, 
THE ST. LOUIS FAIR AND EXPOSITION. 
[Special Correspondence.] 
St. Louis is in the central part of the Mis¬ 
sissippi Valley, the richest agricultural country 
in the world. The city is easily accessible 
from all directions by both river and rail; and 
in the amount and value of its manufactures it 
ranks as the third city in the United States. 
With all those advantages in its favor it is 
but natural to expect that the St. Louis fair 
should be as nearly a model fair as any in the 
country. Just what a model fair should be I 
would not like to say; but while it has much 
to commend it I do not tbiuk that the St. Louis 
fair has yet reached perfection, or that its ex¬ 
ample is one which can be blindly followed in 
all things. Too much attention is given to 
exhibits which, however attractive they may 
be, are of very little real value, while articles 
of far greater importance are almost entirely 
neglected. As instances of this, artificial 
flowers received premiums to the amount of 
about one hundred dollars, while wheat re¬ 
ceived only twenty ; rabbits received fourteen 
and oats ten dollars; pigeons Bixty-nlne dol¬ 
lars, aud corn thirty. The building for the ex¬ 
hibition of grain, fruits, vegetables and other 
farm products was much smaller than that de¬ 
voted to poultry, and while ample space was 
given to the large exhibits of bees, no room 
could be spared for flowers or plants. Another 
point which 1 heard freely criticised was that 
in oue department the Superintendent was a 
large exhibitor, that he appointed the judges, 
waited on them himself, and took all the prin¬ 
cipal premiums. This certainly was not in 
good taste, nor did it show good judgment 
ou the part .of the Fair Association to allow 
such a thing to be done. It Ib to be hoped 
that thiB may not be repeated in the future for 
even an appearance of crookedness in making 
the rewards will do more to destroy the repu¬ 
tation of a fair, than years of honesty can 
undo. I was surprised to see anything ofjjhe 
kind at the St. Louis fair, as heretofore it has 
had the name of being managed by straight¬ 
forward men ; but this year a grave mistake 
was made in the management of at least one 
important department. 
The two leading features of the fair seemed 
to be the mechanical aud live stock depart¬ 
ments. Excellent stalls, forage and water were 
provided for stock, and unlimited space 
allotted to implement manufacturers aud ex¬ 
hibitors. 
The grouuds of the Fair Association are the 
largest and most conveniently arranged of any 
in the West, if not in the entire country, aud 
are one of the most attractive places in the city. 
The annual fair has always been a financial 
buccobb, and as all the profits are expended 
iu making improvements, the grounds are now 
all that could be asked by a landscape garden¬ 
er. Shade trees are abuudaut, the walks and 
drives are all nicely covered with concrete 
pavement, a picturesque little lake affords 
daily boat-rides to hundreds of children, and 
beautiful flower beds are everywhere to be seen. 
About fifteen acres of the grounds nearest the 
main entrance, are used as a zoological garden 
where a remarkably fine collection of animals 
is kept, second only to that in Falrmount Park 
at Philadelphia, after which the garden is 
modeled. On the opening day of the fair the 
heart of Secretary Kalb was made glad by the 
advent of a young zebra, the ouly one ever 
born In the United States. The garden and 
grounds are open to the public every day 
throughout the year, aud whenever the weath¬ 
er is pleasant, they are well filled wuth visitors 
from both city and country, and the gate re¬ 
ceipts from this constant stream of visitors go 
a great way In enabling the Association to 
offer the liberal premiums which are giveu iu 
most departments. 
The Exposition. 
The Exposition opened on September 22d, 
two weeks prior to the opening of the fair on 
October 6th. The manufacturers of heavy and 
cumbersome machinery, and implement deal¬ 
ers who wish to make large exhibits, cannot 
well afford the expeuse involved in making 
displays for so short a time as one week, and 
for their benefit the Exposition which includes 
the agricultural machinery, general machinery, 
textile fabrics, mechanical, geological, chemi¬ 
cal aud mineral departments, was instituted a 
few years ago and has, so far, been moderately 
successful. As an exhibition, ll has been a 
complete success, but for some reason it does 
not attract visitors as was expected. The 
public knows that the fair will he u still larger 
exhibition, and persons from the country who 
can make but one visit to the city, usually wait 
for “ fair week” before coming. Tim attend¬ 
ance this year, however, was better than ever 
before, and exhibitors say that It pays them to 
Bpend the two weeks of the exposition for the 
sake of having everything In good Bhape for 
WINTER ST. LAWRENCE—SECTION. 
