Fiji Islands, whence it was introduced into 
England some years ago. e. l>. tapi.in. 
saw blade, throe inches long and three-eighths 
of an inch wide, teeth being filed in it as 
shown. A good one can be made by fastening 
a bracket saw-blade in the end of a split s-tick. 
The whole of the tool from which the draw¬ 
ing was made was 14 inches long. 
dom and method: for there has been of late 
no addition to our nut trees to compare with 
this. It bears when a mere bush, and yields 
profusely year after year a large and delici¬ 
ous fruit. The chestnut has so many good 
qualities that we must rank it almost or quite 
at the head of trees. Its timber is superior. 
Its beauty is hardly surpassed. Its fruit is 
profitable as well as a delightful addition to 
our crops for home use. 
None of the new quinces seem to be all they 
are advertised to be in quality, and they are 
hardly worth the planting. We still need 
very great advance in the way of a large, 
rich-flavored, and perfectly hardy quince. 
This fruit, is more tender here than it was 25 
years ago. My father used to raise fine, large 
crops of too bushels where T can rarely get a 
peck. 
SHRUBS. 
Three or four of the new shrubs are worthy 
of special notice and should be generally 
planted. Among these are the Japan Snow¬ 
ball, the Japan JudasJave, the Scarlet Willow, 
the Hybrid Purple-leave<l Catalpas, and the 
Blood Japan Maple. There are also othera 
of the older shrubs not yet appreciated, such 
as the White Fringe, the Weigela fioribunda, 
the Variegated-leaved Weigela aud the Ya- 
riegated-leaved Althea. Among my hybrid 
catalpas, procured from Mr. Teas, I obtained 
not only very fine pimple-leaved specimens, 
but some with rich golden foliage. Too much 
cannot be said of these grown as shrubs in¬ 
stead of trees. 
Oneida Co., N. Y. 
test uninjured, and has more good points, with¬ 
out faults, than any new grape I have tested. 
Its color is white, tinged with yellow and 
covered with a thick white bloom. Its bunch¬ 
es are long, large and handsome. Flavor 
sweet, rich, sprightly; skin thin but firm. The 
fruit continues in good condition a long time 
on the vine. So far as at present tested, it is 
the nearest approach to the perfect grape, that 
1 have yet tried. [We regret that the vine we 
purchased when this grape was first announc¬ 
ed, nearly died, otherwise we should lie able to 
report as to its merits and demerits.—E ds.] 
The Dutchess may be said to be another 
grape that fully sustains itself wherever cli¬ 
mate and soil give any vine a fair chance. 
Reports are often published of failures of 
vines of all sorts, from localities wholly un¬ 
fitted for grape culture. With me the Dutch- 
css gives abundance of fruit, bunches very 
long, fruit of delicious quality, ripening suf¬ 
ficiently early and keeping admirably. It 
is, says Mr. Campbell, a fine shipping grape. 
The vine has proved to be quite hardy, but 
is all the better for being laid down. [Our 
reports show that this variety is somewhat 
tender.— Eds.] 
Lady is a third grape which we can say 
1885 has raised in public estimation. It is ex¬ 
tra-early, ripening in August, It is very pro¬ 
lific. a good white in color, bunches not large, 
but plentiful and of good shape. It is hardy and 
healthy. I have had no rot or mildew on this 
or Duchess or Pocklington, the last of 
which I rank close with the others, and much 
higher than on first acquaintance. It is also a 
superb keeper, and when well ripened the qual¬ 
ity is very fine. [We have never seen a bunch 
of Pocklingtou that could fairly be called so.— 
Eds.] 
The Vergennes supplies what we ueed, a su¬ 
perior light grape that will keep so well as to 
be fairly classed as a winter grape. The vine 
is absolutely hardy, full of vigor, and bears 
glorious crops of dark-red grapes that keep 
like winter apples. I feel sure that this grape 
will prove to lie very profitable for market 
after all other grapes are well gone. 
Jefferson is probably the standard of all our 
grapes in quality. It bears enormously of fine, 
large-shouldered bunches, and ripens very 
closely after the Concord. It will be best to 
lay the vines down in Whiter; but, for all 
that, they are by no means to be classed as 
tender, 
BERRIES. 
We have, in our records of 1885, good reports 
of a new fruit for which we may be very 
grateful. I refer to the Lucretia Dewberry. 
Two years ago I got a few plants from the in¬ 
troducer, Mr. E. Y. Teas. Not expecting 
much, I gave them a poor location and no 
care. But last year I picked some really su¬ 
perb berries of excellent quality. Here we 
have a berry as large as the Kittatinny Black¬ 
berry at its best, and looking like a Wilson; 
its habit of trailing keeps it close to the 
ground and protects it. in Winter. It is enor¬ 
mously productive. We have long needed a 
blackberry that we could rely ou for a crop 
every year, and for sweet and large berries. 
Here we have it. 
I believe Ellwanger & Barry have secured 
for us a very great advance in the way of a 
hardy, prolific, handsome, rich gooseberry 
which is sent out as the Industry. It has so 
far won only commendation. If we can get 
a berry that will make the growing of goose¬ 
berries what it is in England, itmnst be larger 
than Houghton or Smith, and absolutely free 
from mildew. The Industry seems to be a 
decided step in thi right direction. The 
Wilson Jr. Blackberry is all well enough, ex¬ 
cept it is not hardy. But its canes are slen¬ 
der. and I have laid it down. We shall have 
to do this with any good blackberry that we 
yet have. The Golden Queeu Raspberry is 
pretty sure to be a stand-by, and Marlboro as 
well. Raucoeas is hardy, early and good; 
but we have nothing new equal to Cubhburt, 
unless it be Golden Queen. For an early 
black, we have yet nothing to displace the 
very old, but quite good Davison’s Thornless. 
PLUMS, ETC. 
Among new plums we have several that are 
very interesting indeed. Pruuus Pissardii, 
the Purple-leaved Plum, proved all that was 
promised of it. The color of its leaves ranges 
from crimson to purple, aud remains in good 
order all Summer. Pruuus Simouii, an apri¬ 
cot-shaped plum from Northern China, proves 
to be entirely hardy, and the fruit is very 
handsome aud good. Prof. Budd reports it 
to be hardy in Iowa. He says that young 
trees stood the Winter of ’84-’85 as well as, or 
better than the Ben Davis Apple. In all re¬ 
spects it is a botanical curiosity. In color of 
bark and other points it resembles the peach. 
The fruit looks more like a fiattish, brick-red 
tomato. In odor and flavor it resembles a 
nectarine. 
The Rural New-Yorker has “gone daft” 
on the Japan Chestnut, but its insanity is wis¬ 
NOTES AND COMMENTS 
I have at one time or another grown most, 
if not all, of the principal varieties of water¬ 
melons in cultivation at present, aud can 
recommend the following as being the best for 
amateurs: Pliinney, Mountain Sweet, Ice 
Cream and Cuban Queeu. With me the 
Phinney lias always proved the best of all the 
early varieties, while for later use, none can 
equal the Cuban Queen, The Mountain Sweet 
and Ice Cream generally ripen utter the 
Phinney aud before the Cuban Queen, so that 
I find it, necessary to sow equal quantities of 
each to insure a constant and uninterrupted 
supply. 
Watermelon seed should not be planted un¬ 
til the weather has become warm aud settled. 
In this vicinity about the middle of May is 
soon enough. Do not stint the quantity of 
seed; place from lfi to 20 in a hill, and when 
the plants come up, remove ail but four of the 
most promising. Watch the young plants as 
soo& as they begin to make their appearance, 
and if they appear troubled by any insects, 
dust them freely with soot, ashes or tobacco 
dust when wet with dew. 
If large watermelons are desired for show 
or exhibition purposes, give the vines a very 
deep, well enriched soil, aud do not permit 
more than one fruit to remain on a vine. 
T'iuch back the leading shoots occasionally, 
and be very careful not to injure the vine in 
any way during its season of growth. 
There are several varieties of leeks enumer¬ 
ated in seedsmen’6 catalogues, and if all were 
growu alike aud under favorable circum¬ 
stances, 1 do not think that much, if any, 
difference would be found between many of 
them. I alwa} r s grow the Large Flag. It 
should be borne in mind, however, that if 
large leeks are desired, the ground cannot be 
made too rich or deep. 
Horse-radish should be planted as early in 
the season as possible, or just as soon as the 
ground can be properly prepared, aiul if large 
roots are desired, the soil cannot be made too 
rich and deep. In planting, always use sets. 
These are the rootlets or branches of the 
main root, which are too small for table 
use. The} are cat into pieces ub> Hit four or 
five inches in length, and in such a manner 
that there will be no danger of setting the 
roots upside down. Sets planted upside down 
will never make good roots. 
Some persons always insist on planting the 
crowns of horse-radish instead of sets; but I 
would not advise any one to do this, as it not 
only destroys the most valuable part of the 
roots, but the crowns produce only a mass of 
rootlets that arc only fit for use as sets for an¬ 
other season’s planting. 
Horse-radish should lie dug out in the Fall, 
and on no account should it be left over for 
another season. If this is done, the main root 
will become partially rotten,and assume such 
a woody texture as to render it entirely unfit 
for use. 
The best varieties of lettuce for summer 
use are the Yellow Butter aud the White 
Summer Cabbage. In a deep, well enriched 
soil they stand the heat well and remain for a 
long time in a condition fit for use. These 
varieties form large heads, and on this ac¬ 
count are objectionable to some persons. 
Where a variety with smaller heads is desired, 
I do not know of any better than All the 
Year Round. This may be described as a 
very compact-growing variety, with small, 
close, dark-green, crisp uud tender heads 
which remain in a condition fit for use for a 
long time. 
The Early Prize Head Lettuce is a most ex¬ 
cellent variety for spring and early summer 
use. The heads are of large size and remark¬ 
ably crisp and tender. It is one of the best 
for home use, but I suppose unsuitable for 
market purposes, as the heads are so tender 
that they cannot lie handled. 
The best varieties of musk-melons for aina- 
teurs to cultivate for home use are the Hack¬ 
ensack, Montreal Market, White Japan, Chris¬ 
tiana, Sill’s Hybrid, Bay View, Cusaba aud 
Surprise. Musk-melons do best when grown 
in a moderately enriched, light sandy loam, 
although very satisfactory results will be ob¬ 
tained by growing them on any soil that has 
been deeply cultivated for a previous crop, 
providing it lues lieen properly prepared and 
the growing crop well cared for. 
Queens, L. I. chas, k. parnell. 
This is the season when the seed catalogue 
appeal’s, bristling with novelties. Very pic¬ 
turesque are the descriptions of such novelties, 
but we must give the palm in this direction 
to the “Manehooriou Ginseng,” introduced 
by a prominent seedsman. This is the most 
costly drug in the Chinese materia meilien, 
having a tuberous root, which sometimes as¬ 
sumes a curious likeness to the human form, 
like the old-time mandrake. The climate of 
the United States is well suited for its culture, 
consequently, as the ingenious introducer sug¬ 
gests, “there's millions in it” This remains 
to Ixi proved, but it is a fact that we export 
considerable quantities of the American Gin¬ 
seng (Fanax quinquefolia) to China yearly, 
though it is not considered as valuable as the 
native article. However, Ginseng culture 
seems rather an uncertainty at present, and 
the average price of $100 per picul (120 
pounds), in Hong Kong, may mean a very 
small return to the American grower. 
Another revived novelty, which is to bring 
fortune to Southern growers, is the ramie 
plant (Bcehmeria nivea) yielding a fine, silky 
fiber, which is made into Oriental grass cloth. 
This plant is grown to a considerable extent 
STARTING MELON SEED, ETC. 
For the device for starting the seeds of 
melons, squashes, etc-., shown at Fig. 153, we 
are indebted to our friend Thomas Paxton, 
HAWTIIORNDEN APPLE. Cross Section. Fig. 149. (See page 233.) 
in British India, but the difficulty in separat¬ 
ing the fiber has prevented its culture in other 
countries, where labor is less cheap and abund¬ 
ant. We are told that there are several 
companies now being formed for the purpose 
of making up the fiber here; but the success 
of their projects is still uncertain. Until such 
possibilities become accomplished facts, it 
would hardly be wise for any one to embark 
extensively in ramie culture. 
Our accomplished florists have forced in 
mid-winter, daises and buttercups and red 
clover—it only remained for them to force the 
meadow itself, aud this seems likely to become 
an accomplished fact. At a flow'er show in 
the Opera House, New York City, held last 
week, there was, in the auditorium, a real 
grass lawn, forced—we suppose in sections— 
by a promineut florist. What next? 
A prominent Philadelphia paper recently 
contained a learned editorial on the culture of 
hardy eocoiuiuts along the New Jersey coast. 
The intelligent writer had evidently read a 
paragraph descriptive of the Chili Pine, in 
which the fruit was compared with the cocoa- 
nut,. The article was unconsciously one of 
the funniest things I have seen. 
Among seed novelties this season is the 
“Tree Tomato of Jamaica,” a shrubby solauum 
five or six feet high, with leaves 12 inches 
long. The fruit is described as a combination 
of gooseberry and apricot, the plants are 
raised from seed, and come into bearing in 
two years. The introducer does not say 
whether it is hardy or not. 
This “Tree Tomato” seems to resemble the 
“Strawberry Tomato” (Physalis Alkekengi) in 
the quality of its fruit. The latter closely re¬ 
sembles the grouud cherry of our sandy fields, 
an agreeable, though somewhat insipid little 
fruit.-* 
It seems probable enough that the “novelty” 
is Solauum anthropophorum, a native of the 
Clennont County, Ohio. Occupying a farm 
which mostly faces 
\ V the north—soil a 
/jf strong day loam— 
yjf he found consider- 
able difficulty in 
starting the seeds, 
p. j - o and after several 
trials with other 
contrivances, found this • box so satisfac¬ 
tory that he has been using it for over 
four years. It is made of inch stuff, and the 
sides ure so cut that the bottom is slightly 
narrower than the top. It is four or five inches 
deep, and has a hoard cover projecting about 
an inch beyond the sides all round. When pre¬ 
paring for planting, the ground is slightly 
ridged, and the liox is placed ou the ridges. 
Then standing on it, the operator draws the 
earth up and around it, compacting it so as to 
make a neat hill. The earth should lx* pressed 
pretty firmly under the projection of the 
cover, so that when the box is removed, a 
neat impression of it remains. A glass cover 
from half to three-quarters of an inch larger 
than the top of the box, is then placed over 
the hole, and the job is complete. Before the 
box is placed on the ridg *, some earth is drawn 
to the spot uud lightly trodden down, so that 
the box will not be pressed down too far, and 
in order that, the depression may lie made to 
face the sun as much as possible. The plant¬ 
ing of the seed and care of the young plants 
need no description. 
PRUNING SAW, 
The saw, Fig. 152, for pruning raspberry, 
blackberry and gooseberry bushes, is made of 
THIS BEAUTIFUL POSTERS 
OF THE RURAL NEW-YORKER WILL 
GLADLY BE MAILED WITHOUT CHARGE 
TO ALL WHO APPLY FOR THEM. 
Kvr/% - rr:i wav/ flirt. 
Fig. 152. 
No. 6 steel wire. One end is twisted as a 
handle; the other forged to the thickness of a 
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