Garden Treasures very satisfactory. Black 
Champion Oats late; but good on good ground. 
D. s. 
Severn Bridge, Out.—Frosts killed all the 
produce of the Rural seeds, except the Prince 
of Wales Peas and the Blush Potatoes; the 
latter did extremely well, having withstood 
the frost long after the Early Rose and 
Beauty of Hebron had succumbed. It also 
successfully resisted bugs and rot. .j. mc l. 
Touchwood Hills, Assinibola, N. W. T.— 
I notice some “aimexution notions” some¬ 
times peeping out in the R ural. Not one in 
.-,00 of our people could be tempted to entertain 
the idea of absorption into the grand republic 
south of us. As to reciprocity with you, we 
once had it, but your people very hastily 
abrogated it, mueh to our annoyance at the 
time; but the abolition of it taught us that we 
can get along very well without it. The only 
annexation we Canadians would countenance 
would be the annexation of the United States 
to the Dominion', so that they would have the 
advantage of “the best constitution in the 
world.” M. 
[Our friend must live in a super-patriotic 
community, if he lluds the proportion of 
“annexationists” so very small; or else the 
talk of Canadians with “Americans" is very 
different from that among themselves. Robin¬ 
son Crusoe also found be could “get along 
very well” without the rest of the world. 
Whatever desire for a renewal of the reciproc¬ 
ity treaty exists, is on the other side of the 
line. “Americans” do not seem to like a re¬ 
turn to the. former relations, as may be learnt 
from the tone of the recent discussions on the 
matter in Congress. Didn’t England formerly 
beconie “annexed” to Scotland in the above 
way, when James VI, of Scotland became 
James 1. of England' But the larger country 
at once absorbed the smaller, and has ever 
since been “assimilating” it. This country has 
a marvelous jtower of “assimilation.” We 
have already “assimilated” a good deal more 
than the population of our dear neighbor, and 
the addition has been far more incongruous 
than the cognate race across the border. We 
would sooner be warm friends, however, than 
unfriendly countrymen. —Eds. ] 
Touchwood Hills, Assiniboia, N. W. T. 
—This section is very now and thinly settled. 
Wheat, oats and barley grow well and yield 
bountifully. Last seasou, much of the graiu 
was damaged by frost. Potatoes and turnips 
good. In spite of our very cold Winters, this 
is one of the best stock-producing regions. 
With reasonable care and enough wild hay, 
stock comes out in Spring “beef-fat.” Plenty 
of laud here yet to homestead. L. 
Colorado. 
Ft. Collins, Larimer Co.—Of the product 
of the60 crosses of com I only saved one ear. 
This grew on a stalk eight and a half feet high, 
the only stalk iu the hill, and ripened very 
early. Tomatoes and millet failures. Peas 
satisfactory. Beans did not prove to be even 
moderately good. T..e Rural itself just 
splendid! h. s. 
Connecticut. 
Mansfield, Tolland Co.—All the Rural 
seeds grew well except the Johnson Grass. 
The corn grew all the way from six to 12 feet 
and yielded one bushel of sound coni. The 
Rural Blush Potables were the best of a large 
number of different sorts I raised. Apples were 
abundant here. Com good. Buckwheat and 
oats fair. J. N. 
Dakota. 
White Swan, Charles Mix Co., Jau. 81.— 
In a late Rural was a statement that much 
discontent exists iu the frontier States and in 
the Territories with Commissioner Sparks’s 
rulings in regard to land eases 1 know all 
about land frauds in this Territory and also 
about t he working of the Commissioner's 
rulings, and 1 am convinced that his rulings 
are just what is needed to check—for they can 
hardly put attend to—land frauds. There are 
fraudulent claims all over this country. Lands 
have been proven up, on wk’ch not a furrow 
of breukiug was ever turned, and on which 
nothing was ever raised but a shanty ten feet 
square. When the owner had “proved up” 
his laud, this shanty was sold to his next 
neighbor for a like pul-pose, and sometimes 
the shanty was built Just on the division line 
of two claims, so that it could act as a home 
for both entry-men for a night or two each 
month, so that they could take the necessary 
oaths on “proving up” without fear of being 
indicted for perjury, aud so the shanty passes 
from one “honest settler” to another, 
until it is worn out. This is only one of many 
forms of swindling. Most of the grossest 
frauds were uudor Republican rule; hut 
though I am a charter member of that Grand 
Old Party, I believe iu an honest government 
aud an honest settlement of the public do¬ 
main. w. A. M. 
Talbotton, near Deadwood, Lawrence 
Co.—The Rural peas a nice acquisition. Corn 
too late for this climate and elevation. The 
Johnson Grass germinated fairly well and 
grew five or six feet high; roots very fleshy, 
and it seems likely to survive this Winter. 
For the beans and the King Humbert Tomato 
I would not take a ycan's subscription to the 
Rural. » g. 
Tulare, Spink Co.—We are haviug an ex¬ 
ceptionally pleasant Winter. Spink County 
is in the James River Valley, between the -14th 
and 45th parallels. I have been here four 
years. We have ample railroad facilities aud 
markets, good schools and churches. The 
Summers are delightful and the Wiuters not 
nearly so severe as I had anticipated. Wheat, 
oats and barley are the staple crops, and corn 
and flax are raised to a considerable extent. 
This is a splendid country for potatoes, as 
they yield heavily and I don't know of a single 
instance of rot. This county is quite thickly 
settled by an energetic class of farmers from 
the Eastern States, New York being well rep¬ 
resented. The country is rapidly improving, 
and every year the population is increased by 
parties from the East seeking cheap lands and 
business locations. Tree culture is becoming 
quite geueral, and young groves are to lie seen 
everywhere. 1 raised 85 bushels of onions on 
one-eighth of an acre. The soil hereabouts is 
dark or rather black sandy loam, about two 
feet deep, with a yellow clay subsoil, varying 
from 10to 20 feet deep, under which is found 
a stratum of gravel and sand, in which is found 
a bountiful supply of good water. We raise 
here mostly the hard varieties of Spring 
wheat, Scotch Fife being the standard. 
M. M. 
Illinois. 
Wataga, Knox Co.—The Rural corn did 
not for the most part amount to much. The 
tomatoes were very good and very prolific. 
The Stratagem Peas did not come up well; 
but they are very large—will try them again. 
The Priuce of Wales came up fiuely, aud are 
very prolific. Beans, not snap; but very 
early and large. e. g. 
Indiana. 
Pendleton, Madison Co.—Wheat prosi>eet 
good for a full average crop. The area is ten 
per cent, larger than in the previous year. 
The corn crop was 20 per cent, larger than 
that of 1884. Corn worth iu local market, 
85 cents. The mild Winter has been favor¬ 
able for all kinds of farm stock. s. w. 
Indian Territory. 
Caddo, February 4.—We have long sum¬ 
mer seasons here; but the drought sometimes 
sets in rather early and cuts late coru very 
short. A great many of our farmers send 
north for seed corn. Our native corn is large 
and very fine, but late-maturing. We like our 
northern seed com better after the second 
and third year’s planting, as it is then greatly 
improved in size, though it matures later every 
season, so that more new seed is necessary. 
Any kind of corn grown north is earlier than 
ours. B. h. 
Iowa. 
Osage, Mitchell Co.—The Rural coru made 
a fine growth aud ripened the grain. It is 
valuable for this section. The other seeds 
gave satisfaction, except the Garden Treas¬ 
ures, few of which germinated. l. s. e. 
Kmmm. 
Geneva, Allen Co.— Of the Rural corn left 
me by a sweeping flood, several stalks of a 
white, eight-rowed dent bore well. On one 
there were five ears that measured 84 iuches. 
On several later stalks there were seven ears. 
The Johnson Grass did not come up. The 
peas did well. N. Mcg. 
M ass a eh luelB. 
Harris, Bristol Co.—The Rural Corn pro¬ 
duced niuc or ten distinct varieties. Some 
matured as early as the Angel of Midnight, 
aud some resembled it to a dot. Ten ears 
were exactly like Pride of the North. The 
jieas were rfue in yield aud quality. Toma¬ 
toes good, but rather small. Beans good 
yielders. Garden Treasures fine. There were 
half a dozen blades of Johusou Grass, w. B. V. 
Michigan. 
Battle Cheek. Calhoun Co.— I see by my 
books that during the lust 80 years I have [>aid 
over $500 for subscriptions for the Rural for 
myself and others, and in no instance have I 
hail cause to regret the outlay for my own 
copy or those presented to others. I neither 
drink spirits, chew tobacco nor smoko, and am 
(Hi years old, halo and hearty. When asked to 
“treat" by a farmer, 1 always say, “Well, 1 
will treat you to a month or year of the Ru¬ 
ral New-Yorker,” and in that way I have 
been paying for from five to twenty copies of 
the paper nearly all the time. s. c. b. 
[Thanks.—E ds.] 
Charlotte. Eaton Co.—Two years’ experi¬ 
ence convinces me that the Rural is the best 
paper of the kind iu the country. The seeds 
were worth the subscription price. All the 
Rural corn got. ripe, and was splendid. Of 
the Stratagem and Priuce of Wales Peas I 
(Continued on page 122.) 
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