§22 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. SEPT iS 
introduction and dissemination of [new varie¬ 
ties of strawberries, with a view of ^preserving 
all the best qualities of the fruit and plants 
by making what m ly be called pedigree plants 
by selecting the best when they are in fruit. 
I believe that many new varieties have been 
ruined and have fallen into disfavor and con¬ 
sequently been discarded by a promiscuous in¬ 
troduction of runnel's, without kuowiugthe size 
and quality of fruit any particular runner will 
bear. We can determine whether a particu¬ 
lar runner is a strong, healthy grower; but we 
can not tell what kind of fruit it will bear. 
Probably some of the characteristics of the 
origiual w ill remaiu; but not all the best ones. 
My investigations and experience have taught 
me that there is as great a variation in dilfer • 
ent runners of the same plant as there can 
possibly be in the progeny of the same parents 
of fowls or other animals, which all experi¬ 
enced breeders know is not a little. In some 
of the runners there is a decided improve¬ 
ment, and these are the ones we want to 
“breed” from; but as a general thing, there is 
a tendency to degeneration, as many of the 
fine fruits and vegetables which have gone out 
of cultivation afford clear and striking evi¬ 
dence. 1 have noticed that plants which have 
degenerated in quality of fruit are prone to 
propagate themselves faster and stronger 
than those which maintain their higher quali¬ 
ties, and consequently one can see how it is 
that a new variety may be ruined by sending 
out the runuers promiscuously without know¬ 
ing what quality of fruit they will bear. The 
first consideration in the introduction of a 
new variety, should be strength of plant ; 
second, productiveness; third, quality, size 
and color of fruit. 
For the last four years, iD the new variety 
(the “Banquet") which I am propagating, I 
have been selecting, marking and throwing 
out all jilants which did not come up to the 
standard of the original in quality of fruit. In 
the introduction of this new variety I purpose 
sending out only one plant to each propagator 
and that plant will be in fruit at the time it is 
sent out, and have a pedigree number. One 
advantage of this plan (and a very great one) 
is that it will enable the receiver to observe 
and determine the principal characteristics of 
the new variety he is about to propagate, and 
all his stock will be grown from a plant com¬ 
bining the highest characteristics of the new 
variety and the propagator who makes the 
closest investigations and selections will have 
the best pedigree plants. 
This will require a good deal of care aud 
labor, and consequently carry single plants up 
to a high price, owing to the necessity of se¬ 
lecting the strongest runners and transplant¬ 
ing them aud growing them another year, and 
selecting those which have maintained or im¬ 
proved upon the best characteristics of the 
original plant. Now the variety which prop¬ 
agates itself the most uniformly as to its orig¬ 
iual characteristics, aud which improves in its 
better qualities will,by these selections,become 
the most valuable. I would request consider¬ 
ation, investigation and comments upon these 
views by those who feel interested. 
Orange Co., N. Y. J. r. hawkins. 
KIND OF NEW FRUITS WANTED. 
The multiplication of new fruits is so fast 
that great caution or a deep purse is needed 
to keep up with them, aud the work of the 
Rural is a good one in giving reports of tests 
on its trial grounds; still it can only speak of 
the conduct of t he plants on its own grounds, 
and we must all judge of each case for our¬ 
selves. In the case of the Marlboro Raspberry 
the results of the tests by the Rural do not 
hold good in my soil (a light sandy loam), in 
which it is a rampant grower and free bearer; 
but the quality of the fruit is uot up to 
my standard, though where it originated the 
quality is good. 
We need no more kinds except those that 
are an improvement in some direction on 
the old, A raspberry that is early, hardy, 
and solid for market is the only kind that 
should be welcomed. A blackberry to be of 
use should be hardy, early, of good flavor and 
size as well as prolific—hard things to get all 
in one plant, ’tis true, yet 1 believe it can be 
doue. A new strawberry should be of good 
size aud flavor and of an attractive color and 
ripen uniformly. It should be a good bearer 
aud capable of resisting the rust by the vigor 
of its foliage. 
The Sharpless is an example of a large, vig¬ 
orous berry whose merit to me is lost owing 
to its uneven ripening, particularly in the 
early part of its ripening seasou. One end 
is then ripe while the other is green, and the 
first is rotten when the other is ripe. The 
Bidwell is somewhat of the same kind; so are 
several others. All new candidates for favor 
should be free from these defects. A berry 
that will yield 20,000 quarts to the acre ought to 
he of value; but to me it would be interesting 
to learn precisely the treatment given to pro¬ 
duce such results, for at 25 cents per quart, 
the income would be $5,000 per acre. 
Creedmoor, N. Y. h. 
H\)t tHtmj. dr’ll. 
GRAPES IN 1880. 
GEO. W. CAMPBELL. 
Nearly all grapes have done better this 
year, and ripened earlier than usual in this 
region, and I find this to be generally true in 
all sections throughout the State, and the 
grape, crop w ill probably lie. both in quality 
and quantity, above the average. There seems 
to be less difference also in the time of ripen¬ 
ing between the varieties thau usual, the 
earlier and later varieties coming to maturity 
nearer together, and all from one to two weeks 
in advance of their usual period. I will re¬ 
mark upon them about as they ripen in 
succession. 
Janesville was the first to color, begin¬ 
ning the latter part of July, and being quite 
black by August 5. The vine is very hardy, 
and generally healthy; moderately productive 
of rather small clusters, aud medium-sized 
berries; pulp hard, with little reddish juice 
next the skin : quality and flavor poor ; more 
sprightly, but hardly better than Talman; 
cannot be recommended except for exti’eme 
northern locations, where very early ripening 
is indispensable. 
Moore’s Early.— Vine very healthy and 
vigorous ; fruit began to color about August 
10 aud was quite mature August 20. Berries 
larger thau Concord; bunches smaller. Skin 
tender and easily broken, like Concord, which 
it closely resembles in quality and flavor. 
With me, it has not been as vigorous iu 
growth or as productive as Concord, but it is 
valuable for earlyripening, especially in north¬ 
ern latitudes. 
Lady ripened this year only three or four 
days later than Moore’s Early aud still con¬ 
tinues to be the host white grape of its season. 
The vine has the health aud hardiness of the 
Concord; but is less vigorous in growth. In 
quality, better tbau usual this season, and 
fully matured August 25th. Home clusters were 
eatable ou the 15th, Its greatest fault is a very 
thiu skin, easily broken, and which sometimes 
cracks in rainy weather about the time of 
ripening It is thought much better flavored 
thau the Concord by most people. 
Golden Gem. —A small, white grape of ex¬ 
cellent flavor, but too slender in growth, aud 
too small to be profitable or popular except 
for amateurs. The vine seems reasonably 
healthy and hardy, but weak and slender. 
Claimed to be a cross between Iona and Dela¬ 
ware. Pvi pens very early—about Aug. 25, this 
year. 
Early Victor has fully sustained its char¬ 
acter as a hardy, healthy aud prolific variety. 
The clusters are sometimes too compact and 
crowded Upon the stems. The foliage has 
been perfectly healthy and the fruit entirely 
exempt from rot. It is a few' days later thau 
Moore’s Early; clusters nearly as large; berries 
much smaller, but of better flavor. Very prom¬ 
ising for a profitable early market grape. 
Francis B. Hayes has rather too much 
name, which will probably be cut down to 
Hayes, which will be better. I have fruit this 
year for the first time, on a young vine—some 
six or eight clusters—and am agreeably disap¬ 
pointed in finding it much better thau I ex¬ 
pected, as well as earlier. It has become so 
common to represent all new grapes as “ ear¬ 
lier thau Hartford,” that I always receive the 
statements with many grains of allowance as 
to earliness. Judgiug from the performance 
of the Hayes this sesson, I should say Mr. 
Moore has not overrated or over-praised it. It 
is now' (Aug. 28), well ripened, anil is to my 
taste the best and purest flavored of all the 
Concord seedlings, black or wlnte, that I have 
grown or tested. In growth, the vine is much 
like the Martha, and I should judge would be 
of about equal productiveness; but about teu 
days earlier in ripening, and of far better 
quality, having scarcely a suspicion of foxi¬ 
ness. The skin, though thiu, is more tena¬ 
cious thau that of Concord, aud it will prob¬ 
ably both keep aud carry well. Its color—a 
light yellowish green thinly covered with 
white bloom—makes it attractive iu appear¬ 
ance, aud though bunch and berry are not 
above medium iu size, it has the promise of 
being a first-class variety for general culture. 
Empire State is making a strong, healthy 
growth, aud all vines large enough are bear¬ 
ing well. Clusters, long aud handsome; lor¬ 
ries of medium size, very light green, but so 
covered with a thick white bloom it is nearer 
to a really white grape than any other variety 
I have grown. Some clusters are very nearly 
mature aud quite eatable; but it will be from 
September 5 to 10 before they are perfectly 
ripe. It is a very fine-flavored grape, with a 
distinct Muscat flavor, suggestive of the finer 
foreign varieties. Although claimed to lie a 
cross betw-eeu Hartford aud Clinton, I believe 
there is a dash of the foreign element in its 
character, though only developed in the fine 
quality of its fruit. So far, however, the vine 
seems both hardier and healthier than ninny 
line natives, and the fruit has shown no dis¬ 
position to rot. Unless some difficulty uot yet 
apparent should arise hereafter, the Empire 
State will have a brilliant and successful fu¬ 
ture, as a hardy, healthy aud productive grape 
of best quality. 
El Dorado is a strong-growing vine, with 
large and generally healthy foliage; hot has 
never been very satisfactory, as its blossoms 
are imperfect. and it often fails to set its fruit 
well. The clusters are generally small and 
straggling, and sometimes rot pretty badly. 
Cau hardly be recommended except for ama¬ 
teur culture, though its quality is fine and it 
ripens early. 
Brighton has steadily grown iu favor, and 
seems to improve as the viues get older, bear¬ 
ing larger and finer clusters, and more of them. 
Though not. quite hardy without winter pro¬ 
tection when the temperature is much below 
zero, it is a strong-grower and the grape is of 
flue quality, agreeable apparently to all tastes, 
being pleasant and sprightly, sufficiently sweet 
and without foxiness. The blossoms are ap¬ 
parently not quite perfect, having reflexed 
stamens, but it appears to fertilize well, and 
form handsome, not too compact clusters. 
Faith is one of Rommel's Missouri seedlings 
of the Riparia class, probably from the Elvira. 
An enormous, strong-growing, long-jointed 
vine, with large foliage. It. is moderately 
productive, bearing long, slender clusters of 
rather small white or light-green berries, ri¬ 
pening quite early, of fairly good, but uot re¬ 
markable quality. 
Niagara is fruiting with me for the first 
time this season. The vine has made a good 
growth, the foliage is unusually healthy, aud 
the berries and clusters are both good, for the 
size aud age of the vine. Nol yet ripe enough 
to judge of its quality fairly, but it has a good 
deal of the foxy odor already. Will appar¬ 
ently be fully ripe about Sept. 10, to 15th. 
Quite satisfactory this season as to growth 
and bearing. Viues show very little*mildew, 
and no rot. 
Pocklingtox. —Judging from the past two 
years’ experience, I think this grape has been 
under-estimated, and I venture to predict that 
as a popular aud profitable market grape, 
except iu a few Northern localities, it will 
grow iu favor, as it becomes better kuowu. 
Though often rather slow' of growth while 
young, the vines are hardy and healthy, and 
the bunches and berries increase in size with 
the age of the vine, and It becomes one of the 
most productive, and the clusters the largest 
and haudsomest of its class. No vines of any 
variety are bearing more handsomely this 
year, than the Pockliugtou. A very impor¬ 
tant matter is, that the skin of the Poekliug- 
ton is more tenacious than that of Coeord, 
Lady, Worden, or any other of the Concord 
seedlings, thus enabling it to lie handled and 
shipped without injury, and also to lie kept 
without injury for a long time after gather¬ 
ing. When fully ripe, it is of a delicate 
yellow color, and though it has a considerably 
foxy odor, it is rich and pleasaut-flavored, 
and to most tastes a very acceptable grape. 
To my taste it is certainly bettor than Con¬ 
cord. It is nearly ripe, some clusters being 
now eatable. Will apparently be fully 
matured by Sept. 10 to 15. 
Vergknnes is also doiug well, and bearing 
heavily this season, berries and clusters im¬ 
proving each year. Now nearly colored, 
though the vine is really over-bearing. Foli¬ 
age healthy no rot. A promising variety. 
Jefferson. But little later than Ver- 
genneB. A good grower w’ith large and 
healthy foliage. Beariug well; clusters large 
and very handsome. One of the best of all 
the red grapes; only requires fall pruning and 
laying down, with slight winter protections to 
succeed in all reasonably good grape-growing 
localities. It is a variety well worth a little 
extra trouble, as its only fault here is want, of 
hardiness in very severe Winters. It endured, 
last Winter, W” below zero, uninjured, grow¬ 
ing near a stone wall with an eastern expos¬ 
ure. It ripens here about one week to 10 days 
later tbnu the Concord. 
Lady Washington has proven rather vari¬ 
able. Iu favorable seasons, like the present, it 
liears well, and when ripe is both handsome 
and good, though not high-flavored. It is a 
very strong grower; bears large clusters of 
light, pink-colored berries. Has shown some 
rot early this seasou; but is bearing fairly 
well. Will uot be ripe apparently until the 
middle to last of September. 
Duchess has made a good growth and set 
an abundance of fruit. The foliage has shown 
some mildew, and a good many clusters rotted 
pretty badly early in the season. A portion 
which escaped are promising to ripen well. A 
pure flavored and fine grape, worthy of a place 
where it can be grown. 
Delaware. Ohio. 
farm 
CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS. 
I have made a trip through the East, aud 
it paid me well to look over the style of farm¬ 
ing they have there. It is a good thing for 
men to stir away from home now and then 
and see what other folks have to do in order 
to make a living. The Eastern farmers can 
teach us a good many things, but we can 
show them n thing or two also. They say 
the 3 r make their money by taking care of all 
the little things. It looks to me as though 
they are inclined to put. too much time into 
these little things. A little more attention to 
what they call big things would help manj' of 
them. I found lots of men within thirty miles 
of New York making good livings on little 
farms of twenty acres. They buy manure by 
the carload aud chemical fertilizers by the 
ton, aud scratch up every iuch of soil they 
have. It beats everything what crops of vege¬ 
tables and fruits they can get. There seems 
to be a good market, for every potato they can 
raise. I don’t see what they get to do in the 
Winter. Most, of them seem to keep a cow or 
two, but net enough for a dairy. The soil 
needs manure badly. I cau’t get over the idea 
that so much chemical fertilizer used year 
after year will ruin the soil. They need more 
substance; they can get that in barnyard 
manure. It strikes me that if I were in that 
business I would feed cattle through the Win¬ 
ter. 1 could get, good steers at the market 
nearby. I could make it pay to ship baled 
hay from the West by the carload and feed it 
out with grain aud oil-meal. 1 believe I could 
put flesh enough ou the steers to pay for the 
feed, and have all the manure to pay for my 
labor. Some of them seem to do this ou a 
small scale, but 1 think it would pay to work 
it heavily. Then, iu hogs and spring lambs 
there is a good chance to get pay for the Win¬ 
ter's work and keep the farms up. It takes 
lots of room to pasture cattle, but a good 
many of them cau lie fed on a small farm. 
Lenawee Co., Mich. a. c. 
“H. B. G.,” page 559, thinks few real far¬ 
mers are ranking money. He must live in a 
poor country, or among a poor class of farmers 
—the two are closely allied. If there is any 
mouev to be made in any branch of work it 
surely ought to be made iu farming, for upon 
that all other industries depend. The farmer 
is a general consumer as well as producer, 
and when he fails to produce his regular crops, 
all other business must stagnate. Friend G. 
is mistaken in saying that most moneyed 
farmers got a start in some other line of work. 
True, some meu made a start off the farm, 
but do such men really make money from the 
farm i I doubt it. Most of them do not. 
They generally know nothing about farming, 
and after a few years' trial they are glad to go 
back to their former occupations. Some 
moneyed meu take a farm more for the 
pleasure it gives them than for any money- 
makiug object. In my opinion the farmer 
who makes money, or has made it, is the one 
who commenced as a farmer, who has stuck 
to the farm through thick aud thin, and 
through high prices and low prices has made 
it a business, aud conducted it ou business 
principles, who has given attention to details, 
has kept out of debt, paid cash for what he 
has bought, aud taken and read a paper like 
the Rural. c: l. n. 
Tullahoma, Teuu. 
I like the Rural because it shows us how 
to beat, the Imps of nature when they try to 
cheat us out of our profits. It. is mauure aud 
more thoughtful work that we wa-.t. My 
laud is rich, but 1 shall keep manuring it. 
Farmers he-e say that, manure will heat the 
soil, and burn and kill a plant. During the 
Summer the ground is so hot that one cannot 
walk barefooted on it. I shall haul my man¬ 
ure out in the Fall aud turn it. under during 
the Winter. The Rural is away ahead of 
our style of farming, but now aud then we 
find a connecting link that pulls us a little out. 
Medina, Texas. v. G. w. 
We are advised to do our work thoroughly. 
That is most excellent advice, but I t.hiuk it 
can be carried too far. Some men are so 
thorough about their work that they get. to 
puttering o*r it, and spend too much time 
over little simple things that, don’t pay. Such 
men never get ahead. You cau t run a 
dollar business on a cent basis. s. h. J. 
Broome Co., N. Y. 
The idea of saying that a strong aud healthy 
voung man can make what he likes out of 
himself is a good one. I believe it fully. That 
is the way to talk to farm boys. If a man is 
