A SPECIAL OFFER. 
We want every rural family to raise 
a supply of small fruits, and to induce them to 
set a plot this Spring, we make this special 
offer to any present subscribers for 188(1. For 
one new subscriber you may select: 
Twelve Marlboro Raspberry Plants; or, 
Twelve Rancocas Raspberry Plants; or, 
Six Golden Queen Raspberry plants; or, 
Three Earbart Ever-bearing Black-cap Rasp¬ 
berry Plants: or, 
Eight Jewell Strawberry Plants; or, 
One Poughkeepsie Red Grape-vine; or, 
One Ulster Prolific Grape-vine. 
For two new subscribers you may select any 
three of the above lots, or a two-year-old 
Niagara Grape-vine. 
For three new ones you may select any 
three of the first seven lots and a two-year-old 
Niagara Grape-vine. 
better yet. 
For four new subscribers, you may select 
Jive of the first seven lots, and in addition we 
will make you a special present of an extra 
nice two-year-old Niagara Grape-vine. The 
Niagaras, in every case, will be direct from 
the Company, and under seal, The other 
plants will be direct from the originators, and 
guaranteed genuine, and delivered free of 
charge. Any person not already a subscriber, 
can take advantage of any of these offers by 
adding his own subscription to the numbers 
herein specified. 
To purchase these plants and pay freights 
ou them, would cost more than we charge for 
the Rural, with the plants included. 
For instance: 
Five lots of plants and freight in¬ 
cluded, $10.00 
The extra Niagara vine aud freight, 2.50 
Amounting for plants and freight, $12.50 
The five copies of Rural, $10.00 
Making $22.50 
All of which we seud for the $10,00; beside 
the free seeds to such as ask for them. 
By a judicious selection of plants, and 
good care in growing aud propagating them, 
in a single season you could supply the whole 
club with each sort. It is respectfully sub¬ 
mitted whether these offers are not very liberal ? 
POTATO SPECIAL. 
(Continued from page 39.) 
results. The exceptions are when a June 
drought occurs (which is not common), aud 
with the Peachblow variety which does liest 
planted about the first of Juue. As we cannot 
foretell a drought, I plant all varieties but the 
last named early—iu April if the weather 
permits. I grow the larger part of the crop 
with no manure except soil; I have never 
used commercial fertilizer with the crop, but 
I prefer well-rotted stable manure applied 
after the land is plowed aud wel 1 mixed in by 
harrowing. 
For my earliest planting, where there is 
danger of freezing, I fill the furrow with 
partly rotted manure after the seed is dropped, 
and put an inch or two of earth above, it. I 
think there is uo crop which gives better re¬ 
turns for manure than potatoes. I find on our 
upland claj’ soils, that moderate hilling is 
better than fiat culture, as there is less danger 
of the laud becoming compacted by heavy 
rains; but on sandy, loose soil I should culti¬ 
vate as level as possible. The first cultivation 
is with a harrow which fines and levels the 
surface and kills all the weeds that are start¬ 
ing; this should be done before the potatoes 
are up so us to be seen in the rows. If rains 
form a crust and start the weeds, a second, or 
possibly a third borrowing may he necessary, 
for the cultivation should be such as will keep 
down the weeds and keep the surface level 
until the plants are four inches high. At this 
stage we use a small bar or turning plow, 
running as closely to the row as possible and 
about four inches deep, turning the earth away 
from the plauts, This stirs thoroughly all 
the soil except a strip four or five inches wide 
right in the row, aud it cracks and mellows 
that. Within a week or less, according to the 
weather, we run through the rows with a cul¬ 
tivator, leveling the ground and bringing the 
earth back to the plauts. and we cultivate 
often enough to keep them eleau and the 
earth mellow until they fall and cover the 
ground, by which time we have them hilled 
about four inches. After they fall we go 
through with hoes, if necessary, aud take out 
any weeds that start. Most farmers do noth¬ 
ing more after the vines fall, and as a conse¬ 
quence enough weeds grow to obstruct dig¬ 
ging, aud to seed the land for years to come. 
Usually less than a day's work to the acre 
will keep the crop eleau, and if it took twice 
that time, it would pay. 
It is now more that 20 years since blight or 
potato rot has prevailed to any great extent 
in my locality, and the only enemy which we 
consider worth noticing is the beetle. Nine 
yearn out of ten I use no remedy for it, but 
depend ou such soil and cultivation as will give 
a thrifty plant, and find that the bugs do not 
harm the cro\i. In ordinary seasons I do not 
think it is reduced iu yield one per cent, by the 
Colorado Beetle. The exception is when a dry 
and unfavorable Spring gives a plant of re¬ 
duced vitality, and then we find it necessary 
to use Paris-green. I prefer to apply it in so 
lution.as I think it more economical and effect¬ 
ual tbau in powder. I have been troubled 
with scab only on a few varieties, and these I 
have discarded. 
I practice hand digging, unless the price of 
potatoes is very low, for I have never tided a ma¬ 
chine for digging, that, would not leave enough 
covered up to pay for digging if potatoes were 
worth 50 cents or more a bushel. We use both 
the fork, spade and potato hook, some prefer¬ 
ring one, some the other. We always assort 
as we pick up: our plau is to first gather up all 
the marketable potatoes and as we do this, the 
rest are thrown into piles ten feet apart in 
every third row. This saves going over all the 
ground a second time. If possible, the pota¬ 
toes should be taken at once to where they are 
to be kept, as every handling adds to their 
cost. As soon as picked up, pour them into 
sacks, filling them only half full ; the sacks 
then will not need to be tied to load them on 
the wagon, and one man handles them with 
ease, and with a man in the wagon and two 
on the ground 40 bushels can be loaded or un¬ 
loaded in less than five minutes. If your po¬ 
tatoes must be left in the field awhile, build a 
board shanty for them. Lay a smooth floor 
so that the scoop-shovel can be used when you 
come to rehandle them. I estimate that less 
than 1,000 feet of lumber will make a shed 
that will hold 1,000 bushels. If they are put 
in piles or into a shed with an earth floor, it 
will cost two cents a bushel to pick them up 
by hand, while to fill them into sacks with a 
seooiv-shovel will not cost more than a quarter 
of n cent. If the assorting has been done in the 
field, after the large potatoes have been pick¬ 
ed up, I go over the piles and make my selec¬ 
tion for seed, and what are left are taken to 
the barn cellar, unless I can sell them to the 
bakers. If I can get 15 cents or more a bushel 
for them. I always selL 
The most profitable way to feed them is ouee 
a day to the cattle, giving from four to six 
quarts to each. I find they increase the flow 
of milk and keep the stomach and bowels in 
good condition, I think they are more valu¬ 
able fed in small quantities in this way as a 
condiment, than when fed in large amounts. 
I prefer to pit my seed potatoes, and also 
such os I intend to keep for a spring mar¬ 
ket. Select a piece of land that slopes so as to 
carry off all surplus water, remove the earth 
eight or ten inches deep and four feet wide, 
and throw it at the sides to be used in cover¬ 
ing. Then pour your potatoes in a ridge 
with the sides sloping at an angle of 45 de¬ 
grees, set up com fodder against the sides 
nearly a foot thick—straw will answer, but I 
prefer fodder—above this put 18 inches of 
soil, aud then, before the cold weather, cover 
the outsides with coarse manure, straw or 
fodder. I usually build a fodder stack over 
the pit, aud in the Spring, find the cattle eat 
it well when taken to the barn-yard. What¬ 
ever material you use. be sure the potatoes 
are protected so as to endure any degree of 
cold. Great losses occur every year from 
carelessness iu this respect. There is no farm 
product which it is so difficult to tell when 
the best time is to market; but as the time 
to sell in Spring is very short until new pota¬ 
toes are in the market, and the potatoes 
shrink in weight, and deteriorate in quality, 
every day after Spring opens, it is wise to 
sell the bulk of the crop in the Fall, if a fair 
price eau be had. I always sell the bulk of 
the crop if I can get from 45 to 50 cents 
a bushel. 
I have never kuowu a farmer to engage iu 
potato growing aud stick to it, who did not 
make money; and if he is thorough in the 
preparation of the soil and cultiv ation of the 
crop, he will find the seasons of short crops 
his years of greatest profit; for iu these years 
the poor, slovenly farmer will fail entirely and 
the increased price will make the crop, though 
smaller than usual, bring the most mouey. 1 
find it easier to grow 100 bushels of merchant¬ 
able potatoes to the acre than 50 bushels of 
corn, and thiuk a bushel to the square rod 
fairly within reach of the good farmers, ami 
hero iu Ohio, it is rarely that potatoes sell as 
low us corn, and they are often double the 
price. I think the best rotation for potatoes 
is to follow with wheat and 60 w clover with 
the wheat, and then if the land is in good eon 
dition, anil the clover not pastured at all in 
the Fall, it may be put iu potatoes again the 
next year; but if allowed to stand in clover a 
year, I would not pasture closely, as a heavy 
growth of clover to shade the land and kill 
out the weeds, is desirable. If stable manure 
is used with the potatoes, a very heavy crop 
of wheat can usually be grown, and there will 
he a growth of clover in the Fall, that will in¬ 
sure a big potato crop without manure. 
In early varieties of potatoes it seems as 
though our experimenters had nearly reached 
perfection; but in my judgment we need more 
varieties of late potatoes with the good points 
of the Peachblow and the fine table qualities 
of the best early kinds. The Peachblow is su 
perior to any variety I ever grew in with¬ 
standing drought and in growing a profitable 
yield on thin, worn soil. On our loamy clay, 
which withstands drought well, I have never 
known this variety killed by dry w r eather; but 
it remains green until the fall rains, no matter 
how late they are in coming, aud then the crop 
makes very quickly aud 100 bushels to the aero 
can Vie grown without manure ou land that 
would not pay for cultivating if planted in the 
quick-maturing varieties. Another advantage 
of varieties which, like the Peachblow, may be 
planted in June,is that a heavy growth of rye or 
clover^pan he made and turned under before 
planting time, which not only furnishes plant 
food, but also keeps the land loose and moist 
through drought. We need more late varieties 
because a drought which greatly injures the 
early crop, is invariably followed by rains 
wluch will insure a good yield to a late matur¬ 
ing one, and I suggest the Peachblow as one of 
the parents of new late varieties. 
Butler Co., Ohio. 
THE RURAL'S POTATO TESTS. 
The results of the Rural’s tests of new 
potatoes are given below in a condensed form 
for the benefit of those who are seeking to 
compare new varieties. Our older readers 
will understand the condition of soil, cultiva¬ 
tion and fertility under which these tests are 
made. To our newer readers we may say. in 
brief, that the soil on which these tests are 
made is a moist, mellow loam, a little inclined 
to clay. Concentrated potato fertilizers are 
used at the rate of 1,200 pounds to the acre. 
The tubers are planted in trenches five inches 
deep and covered, first, with an inch of soil 
and then with the fertilizer, after which the 
trench is filled up with earth to the surface. 
The surface is never hilled up, but kept as 
level as possible. Cultivation is done with 
wheel cultivators aud hoes. 
Wall’s Orange. —Oblong, sometimes 
roundish-oblong, always flattened; skin buff, 
splashed with purple; purple eyes; yield, rate 
of 506,05 bushels; quality fair. 
Early Ohio. —Seven to ten days earlier 
than Early Rose and its equal in quality; rate 
of 300 bushels. 
Early Sunrise. —Oblong; white skin, some¬ 
times pinkish, with superficial eyes, dug Aug. 
19; rate of 250.38 bushels: flesh white; excel¬ 
lent—dry and mealy. 
Queen ok the Valley. —Skin white, 
mottled; eyes not deep; dug Sept. 3; rate of 
556.60 bushels; flesh w r hite; fairly dry and 
mealy. 
American Giant. —Flesh nearly white; 
shape variable; rate of 484 bushels; dry and 
mealy—as good as Early Rose. 
Parson's Prolific. -Roundish; rather ir¬ 
regular; eyes superficial; white skin; dug Sept. 
27: rate of 537.75. 
Brownell’s Best.— Rather long, roundish; 
white skin, russeted; flesh white; rate of 
684.42 bushels; dug August 28; dry and mealy; 
vines not vigorous. 
New Conqueror. —Roundish-flat; rate of 
414.75 bushels; dug August 28; tasteless; quiet 
dry and mealy. 
St. Patrick.— Long; flesh white; rate of 
524.33 bushels; dug Sept. 3: tasteless; not so 
mealy as some. 
White Star.— Uniform, smooth; white; 
rate of 556.60 bushels; dry, mealy, tasteless; 
dug Sept. 3. 
Burbank's Sport. —Uniformly good shape; 
white skin; eyes superficial; rate of 429 bushels; 
dug Sept. 3; not quite dry or mealy. 
Brook’s Seedling, —Somewhat irregular; 
skin pinkish; flesh yellowish; rate of 566.50 
bushels; dug Sept 13; quality best. 
W ondkr. —Roundish; flattened; russet-like 
skin; purplish about eyes; white flesh; rate of 
205 bushels; not tested. 
Chautauqua Beauty. —Long, tapering to 
one end; many eyes, not sunken; skin white, 
pink about eyes, slight purplish line under 
skiu; rate of 206 bushels; best quality. 
Faultless. —Uniform; close together; skin 
buff and rod; rate of 414.70 bushels; floury, 
dry, mealy and good. 
Wysor’s Peachblow— White skin; yellow- 
flesh often splashed with red; rate of 403.38 
bushels; quality excellent. 
Mammoth Pearl— Roundish, flat; light 
skin; rate of 514.21 bushels; “watery.” 
Belle. —Skin buff and rose-colored; rate of 
436.92 bushels. 
Matchless. —Roundish, flattened, smooth; 
white skin; rate of 411.44 bushels; quality 
best. 
Waverly. —Shape of Beauty of Hebron; 
few eyes on surface; pinkish skin; rate of 
326.70 bushels; dry and mealy. 
Indiana.— Oblong; deep purple, with buff 
streaks aud blotches; rate of 473 bushels. 
Rose’s New Seedling.—E yes superficial; 
oblong; regular; rate of 373,04 bushels; white, 
mealy, excellent. 
Florence. —Roundish, small; white skin; 
eyes not sunken; rate of 221.83 bushels; rather 
soggy. 
Early Household.—F ine shape; white 
skin; rate of 346.90 bushels; good quality. 
Palisade.—L oDg and tapering; white 
skin; rosy in some places; eyes on surface; 
rate of 161.33 bushels; quality excellent. 
Haynes’ Seedling.—B uff skin, running to 
pink in places; rate of 393.21 bushels. 
El Paso.— Roundish; close in hill; skin 
buff; eyes rather deep: intermediate; rate of 
438.60 bushels; early in season; flesh w-hite and 
mealy. Later, yellowish white; not mealy. 
Jordan’s Prolific. — Intermediate; skin 
light: numerous, not deep eyes; rate of 432.50 
bushels; very good. 
Winsloiv Seedling.— Skin rosy; eyes not 
deep; rate of 584,88 bushels; in shape and qual¬ 
ity like Early Rose: later in maturing. 
Early Gem.— Shape of Early Rose; early; 
rate of 695.75 bushels: best quality. 
Arundel Rose. —Rose skin; eyes as in 
Early Rose; quite late; rate of 580,80 bushels, 
white flesh; mealy; mild flavor. 
Dakota Red. —Oblong; irregular; flattened; 
skin, rose-pink or light purple; prominent 
eyes; rate of 314.60 bushels; flesh dark: not 
best. 
Mayflower. —Smooth and shapely; twice 
as long as wide; nearly white: eyes oh surface; 
rate of 544.50 bushels; mealy and dry; flesh 
nearly white. 
Crawford's Early.— Not uniform; early 
as Early Rose; white: rate of 383.17 bushels; 
dry aud mealy. 
Pride of the West. —Round aud solid; 
white; rate of 382.30 bushels; dry and mealy. 
Same on heavy soiL—Intermediate; light buff 
skin; few eyes, not deep; rate of 760.46 
bushels. 
Dun more. —In clayey soil—roundish-oblong 
flattened: skin white; eyes not deep; rate of 
532.40 bushels; flesh white; not quite dry or 
mealy. 
Jewel. —Roundish, flattened; skin white; 
eyes not deep; rate of 539.44 bushels; rather 
dry aud mealy—heavy soil. 
Vermont Champion. —Intermediate; ob¬ 
long; slightly smaller at one end; white flesh; 
few eyes on surface; rate of 292.38 bushels; fine 
quality; good keeper. 
North Star. —Roundish-flatteued; large 
eyes; buff skin, splashed with purple; rate of 
720.50 bushels: not very dry: quality very 
good. 
Lady-finger. —Long and cylindrical; taper¬ 
ing at either end; eyes so set as to give a sur¬ 
face of little hills and valleys; skin buff-white; 
rate of 330 bushels; flesh yellow and inferior. 
Vick’s Extra Early. —Roundish, oval 
flattened; skiu white, smooth; often russeted; 
eyes nearly upon the surface; foim and ap¬ 
pearance perfect; dug July 20; rate of 370.55 
bushels. 
Pearl of Savoy. — Uniform in size and 
shape; skin, color of Early Rose; eyes not 
prominent; dug July 29; rate of 699 bushels. 
Jones’ Prize-Taker.— Like Early Rose, 
with whiter skin; quite early: flesh, yellow¬ 
ish-white; quality, best. 
West’s Seedling. —Smooth and shapely; 
eyes not deep; light buff skin; quite early: 
full-grained and breaking, but not quite dry. 
Heltzel Seedling. —U7i ite ; shape of Ear¬ 
ly Rose; straggling in hill; early; flesh dark, 
not dry. 
Same. — Red; long-round, rather deep; many 
eyes; light purple skin, with streaks of buff; 
quite early; later than white; dark flesh; dry, 
nutty. 
Lady Franklin. —Late; oblong; not much 
flattened; eyes not deep; rate of 450.38 bush¬ 
els; flesh not quite w-hite; splendid keeper. 
Mercer.— Flat-oblong ; purple, with deep 
purple eye; rate of 484 bushels; flesh yellow¬ 
ish; excellent. 
Hodgman’s Seedling.—S kin white; eyes 
not very deep set; angular and somewhat flat¬ 
tened; rate of 1,361.25 bushels; yellowish-white 
flesh; not very dry or mealy. 
Green Mountain.— Short and chunky,flat¬ 
tened and not very regular: skin nearly white; 
eyes depressed: rate of 1,391.50 bushels; flesh 
nearly white: coax-se, dry and mealy; dug 
August 27. 
Early Maine. —Color of Early Rose, some¬ 
times a deeper pink about the eyes; cylindrical 
—egg-shaped; rate of 616 bushels; dug August 
19; flesh nearly white; mealy and good. 
Tuemoxt. — Round-oblong—sometimes flat 
tened ; few eyes on surface ; dug August S; 
rate "of 617.10: white flesh; quality fine. 
Underwood No. 34.—Flesh nearly white ; 
