THE RURAL fi£W"¥©RICER. 
also, as applied to most illustrations of new 
fruits, as given by their originators or intro¬ 
ducers. It is, however, generally understood, 
I think, that these illustrations represent what 
can be grown by extra care, rather than what 
may be expected under neglect, or ordinary 
treatment. [This is a very unsatisfactory prac¬ 
tice and one which we think not to the advan¬ 
tage of the propagator. It is much better to 
have a man happily disappointed. Eds.] And, 
although the illustration of the Empire 
State certainly represents fruit much larg¬ 
er than the variety will produce under 
average treatment, I have reason to be¬ 
lieve it has been, and can be grown to equal 
it. In the autumn of 1884, I received a cane 
about 18 indies long, bearing four consecutive 
clusters of the Empire State, which was ex¬ 
hibited at the Ohio State Fair. The two in¬ 
side clusters were each, very nearly, if not 
quite, equal to the illustration; the other two 
about one-fourth to one-third less. I do not 
hesitate to say that these were the handsomest 
four clusters of grapes I ever saw, of any va¬ 
riety, growing upon one shoot: and all the old¬ 
est and most experienced grape-growers of 
Ohio, who saw them, said the same. This it 
was that induced me to publish the illustration 
in question. I had fruit upon the young vines 
the past Fall, but the clusters ran not one- 
fourth the size of those in that picture: and 
instead of being as has been claimed, “as early 
as Hartford,'' it was not earlier than Concord. 
In other respects, it was very satisfactory, 
foliage healthy, growth very vigorous, ripen¬ 
ing its wood perfectly:—and it would not 
surprise me, if I were able, next Autumn, to 
send you clusters, “equal to the illustration.” 
I have sometimes thought the Rural’s 
illustrations were hardly just to some varie¬ 
ties, as yoimg and undeveloped plants in their 
first or even second year’s bearing rarely pro¬ 
duce as large or as fine fruits as older ones. 
But the error, if any, is a safe one, and cer¬ 
tainly more satisfactory in the end than over¬ 
drawn exaggerations upon the other extreme. 
When the Poeklington was first introduced, I 
thought the pictures monstrous exaggerations; 
but I saw afterwards, at the meeting of the 
American Pomological Society at Boston, 
and have seen several times since, specimens 
larger than those in the pictures. [Those clusters 
were evidently grown on vines that had been in 
some way manipulated.-E ds.] And the Duch¬ 
ess also: the first and second years l fruited it, 
the clusters were so small as to be almost in¬ 
significant, But the same season, Mr, C’ay- 
wood exhibited, at Philadelphia, specimen 
clusters over a pound in weight and larger 
than those in the pictures which had been 
published illustrating it, and since my own 
vines have grown older and more fully devel¬ 
oped, I have grown clusters nearly as large. 
The colored illustration of the Niagara 
Grape, I should say was rather below than 
above the average size of what may be expect¬ 
ed, under good cultivation, and for this its 
introducers deserve commendation, 
I am really glad to see the stand the Rural 
has taken as to the Kieffer Pear: and it would 
have saved a world of loss and disappointment 
and perhaps a great deal of profanity, if all 
horticultural editors and teachers had taken 
the same course. Instead of being “blight, 
proof." as claimed, it has blighted here more 
than any variety I ever planted, and the tree 
has proven, under our severe Winters, no hard¬ 
ier than the peach. I had a few trees, but 
blight and cold finished them all up last 
Winter, and since tasting the fruit on several 
occasions, I am not sorry they are all dead. I 
never desire to plant another tree or taste 
another Kieffer. And now comes the Comet- 
Lawson, with the recommendation that it is 
handsome in appearance and will sell. Can 
its introducers name a poorer pear, unless it 
be the Kieffer or Le Conte, or one more worth¬ 
less, except in appearance? It may sell, but I 
think not twice to the same customer. 
Delaware, 0. 
The report of the proceedings of the Amer¬ 
ican Pomological Society in the Rural was 
very good, and has doubtless called out con¬ 
siderable discussion on the different varieties 
of fruits, if fruit growers generally feel as 
much interested in it as I do. The time al¬ 
lowed for discussion of each kind of fruit was, 
however, necessarily too short to do justice 
to the subjects. Une matter of surprise to 
many was the evidence that the old Wilson 
Strawberry must go to make room for better 
kinds. This is a great small fruit region, and 
it has been a common remark among extensive 
strawberry growers that if the Wilson could 
have as good a chance as the new kinds, it 
would pay as well; but the past season has 
been death to it, as the crop was very heavy 
here, and prices ran low, and very few Wilson 
growers claim any profit, owing to the fact 
that the foliage rusted in many cases, and 
where the crop was good the prices hardly 
paid expenses: while the growers of Crescent 
and Sharpless all made some money, and iu 
one case a field of Sharpless is said to have 
netted $500 per acre. The berries sold from 
81.75 to $2,75 per case of 1*5 quarts, while Cres¬ 
cents sold from 90 cents to $1.75 per case, and 
the expenses in either case were as follows: 
Picking, 24 cents: crates, 12 cents: freight to 
Chicago, five cents (last year, two cents), mak¬ 
ing the total expenses 41 cents per case for 
berries laid down in Chicago, while thousands 
of cases of Wilsons sold for 25 to 40 cents. 
Two years ago I started an experiment on 
the theory that the Wilson would respond to 
high culture as well as any, and prepared a 
small plot nine rods long and two wide, by 
manuring heavily and by giving it a dressing 
of 500 pounds per acre of superphosphate. I 
set two rows of Sharpless, two of Crescent, 
one each of Manchester, James Vick and Wil¬ 
son, and cultivated well until Winter, keeping 
off all runners. Then, late in Winter, when 
the ground was frozen deep, I mulched with 
straw from the barnyard, which contained 
some manure, and left it on until the berries 
were all picked. I gave my wife the fruit on 
this patch, and she furnished the house with 
s , 
tion (see Fig. 2) was drawn from specimen 
sent to this office by the originator. Mr. 
E. Williams kindly furnishes us the following 
remarks: 
“Mr. Alley, a mecbam'c residing at Hilton, 
a mile or two beyond Irvington, N. J., has a 
large number of seedling strawberries of his 
own on trial. His No. 9 he considers his most 
promising kind. This is a very strong and 
vigorous grower, very large, late and product¬ 
ive. At the time of our visit (June 2d), the ber¬ 
ries were just coloring. Mr. Alley uses the 
Champion as the mother plant, and Sharpless 
and Great American for the fathers, aud de¬ 
pends on nature to do the crossing. The No. 9 
is an acid berry of the Champion type. He 
grows the Champion because he likes an acid 
berry and finds plenty of customers to take all 
he can grow. Ilis garden is about a quarter of 
an acre and is full of fruit in every available 
space. He has other seedlings, I think, quite 
as promising.” 
HOW TO FENCE A GARDEN SO THAT IT 
CAN BE PLOWED AND CULTIVATED 
WITH A TEAM. 
In the early Spring-time, the average fann¬ 
er prepares for the year’s campaign. About 
the first thing he thinks of is the construction 
ALLEY’S No. 9 STRAWBERRY. Fig. 2. 
all our family could eat (eight persons), and 
canned all we needed, and realized, in cash, 
after paying for crates and picking, $2d.*X). 
The following is the result of the test of varie¬ 
ties. 
Sharpless, Crescent and James Vick kept 
perfect foliage; Manchester and Wilson rusted. 
Crescent yielded the heaviest: Sharpless was 
second; James Vick third; Manchester fourth; 
Wilson fifth. In fact, Wilson was hardly 
worth picking. Sharpless sold for the highest 
price; Manchester was second, and Crescent 
and Vick next. My experience and observa¬ 
tion sum up about as follows: I would plant 
Crescent for early and Sharpless for late; 
but I think it best to caution new beginners 
that the Sharpless has two serious defects— 
one is that the blossom is very tender and will 
kill with a light frost, even before it has 
opened: the other is that it is very liable to 
rot on the under side, if it lies on the ground. 
1 remedy both faults by mulching, the mulch 
being placed on the ground when it is frozen. 
This holds the frost in the ground and holds 
the plant back until it generally escapes the 
frost. The same mulch keeps the berries off 
the ground and prevents rot. I hope we may 
find the Parry a match for the Crescent, 
and the Jewell a match for the Sharpless. 
Benton Harbor, Mich. r. m. 
ALLEY’S NO, 9 STRAWBERRY. 
We have not as yet this new berry at the 
Rural Grounds, Our accompanying illustra- 
and planting of a garden. In considering the 
garden problem, nine out of ten fanners rea¬ 
son thus ; “ I can't raise poultry and a gar¬ 
den without the intervention of a picket fence. 
I can’t plow a little patch surrounded by a 
fence, and I'll be shot before I’ll dig it over 
with a spade ; I prefer eggs and spring chick¬ 
ens to garden * sass.’ ” This conclusion is a 
very foolish one, but it is the most popular be¬ 
cause easiest arrived at. am satisfied that, 
if the problem of plowing a garden can be sat¬ 
isfactorily solved, a garden will grace every 
farm, and the fanner’s wife, who now tastes 
fresh garden sass only when a compassionate 
neighbor presents her with a handful, will 
fairly revel in crisp aud delicious vegetables 
of her own raising. Here is my solution of 
the problem :— 
Fig. 6 shows how a garden of any size 
should be laid out, ». e. oblong. The fences on 
either side are stationary, while those at the 
ends are movable. The movable fence is 
shown in figures 7 and 8. The panels are 
twelve feet long, and made of four-inch fence- 
iug and lath, and are so light that one man 
can handle them with ease. The crossed laths 
i_; 
- 
H 
i 
Cl 
J 
j 
/ 
■ 
V 
j 
u 
1 
A 
/ 
/ 
_ 
Fig. 7. 
Fig. 9. 
are placed there to stiffen the panel. The 
standard is shown iu figure 9. It is made of 
four-inch fencing, and is very light. The euds 
of each panel fit suugly side by side in the 
notches iu the upper and lower cross-pieces. 
To keep poultry out of the garden, the angle 
of the standard is set inside : to keep them in 
the garden, it must be set outside, or they will 
climb up it and fly out. 
When plowing, cultivating or manuring, 
move the end fences aside, drive the team 
straight through, aud turn on the outside of 
the garden. When done, replace the fence. 
Figure 8 shows how the ends of the side feuces 
are arranged to receive the euds of the mov¬ 
able panels: they tit into the space between 
the post and outer str ips. A person can move 
the fences, plow, or cultivate the garden— 
and put it in tijr-top order—and reset the fen¬ 
ces, while the man with the spade is wonder¬ 
ing how long it will take him to dig one cor¬ 
ner over. 
Now is the time to select the garden spot aud 
manure it heavily. It is also a good time to 
build the side feuces and make the movable 
panels. “picket.” 
Christian Co., I1L 
F1P.E FOR THE CABBAGE MOTH. 
Some of our people keep their cabbages free 
from worms by building small bonfires in the 
cahhage patr-h nkoutnuiai*:, nnil letting them 
bum until dark. The small, white moths that 
lay the eggs from which the worms come are 
attracted by the light and burnt. h. g. f. 
farm &oyic$. 
EXPERIENCE ON A RUN DOWN FARM. 
CHARLES A. GREEN, 
Old-fashionecl fire-places; first night on (he 
run-down farm; sights ami thovghts on the 
way; a desolate farm-house; a cheerless 
night. - 
My wife and children having gone to the 
city on a visit, 1 am seated this chilly October' 
evening before the old-fashioned fire-place of 
our run-down farm. 1 doubt if there are many 
such fire-places in existence. It was built 40 
yeare ago, entirely of great rocks hewn with 
skill, furnishing a smooth sur face which has l 
not been defaced by the many fires that have 
blazed upon them. At one side, and entirely 
separate from the fire-place, was bifilt an old- 
fashioned brick oven, in which has been baked 
bread enough to provide for au ar ray. Suck 
was the kitchen fire-place of the early fathers, 
who have long since gone to that “bourne 
whence no traveler returns,” When we took 
possession, here sat two huge and-irons cap¬ 
able of receiving a four-foot stick of wood,and 
overhead hung a monstrous crane, which had 
borne the breakfasts and dinners of many now 
sleeping beneath tire church-yard turf. As the 
sticks of beech and maple snap and glow, fill¬ 
ing the room with a cheerful light, and wann¬ 
ing the chilly air, I recall the first night I spent 
in this abode. 
It was before my family had moved to the 
far m, and this house was deserted. We were 
then living at Rochester. Having kissed my 
babies good bye, i started for the care that 
passed near the farm. The sky was bright, 
and the streets were lively with pedestrians. 
Bands of music were playing in front of the 
theatres, dusking equipages were treading the 
fashionable avenues, und everything wore a 
bright holiday aspect. The car iu which 1 
rode was occupied by a merry party returning 
homeward, all discussing t he afternoon’s amuse¬ 
ment—or some other plan of enjoyment, 
After a short ride, 1 left the ear and started 
on foot for the farm. Meanwhile dark clouds 
had arisen in the west, the wind was rising, 
and there were threatenings of an approaching 
storm. I saw, as 1 passed along, a farmer plow¬ 
ing a large field by the wayside. How slowly 
the team dragged the plow along! How wear¬ 
ily the farmer followed the plow! Thought 1 
