752 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
bat I take it tha" the best treatment for them 
is likewise best for most other plants in the 
particulars to be noticed—puddling and 
watering. 
Mr. G-reiuer says: “Plants set out just as 
they came from the seed bed, . . . do exactly 
as well as those the roots of which were dipped 
in water or mud before transplanting. The 
famous puddling is of no account .” The 
italics are his. It may be that au active am¬ 
ateur within the snug limits of a village gar¬ 
den. can set out plants much as they came 
from the sjed-bed, but 1 do not think it is 
possible vvlmre the plant-setting is on a larger 
scale; for in any extended operations a good 
many plants will of necessity be out of the 
ground at the same time—iu transit, distribu¬ 
ted for the convenience of the planters, etc,— 
and if handled just as they are pulled, it is 
niv observation that before some get in the 
ground the moisture will be evaporated from 
their routi. Evtn where plants have been 
taken out of water, iu quantity sufficient for 
setting a short row only, I have found that iu 
drying weather it is impossible to keep some 
of cheai from drying out. Plants are apt to 
die if their roots become even partially dry; 
while if puddled, and every care is used, many 
will be lost in unfavorable weather, unless 
they are also properly watered. 
Many gardeners wait for what they call a 
“season” for plant-setting, but I prefer to be- 
giu when I get ready, and the plants are the 
right size for setting, and keep at it till it is 
finished, regardless of a hot sun and thirsty 
soil. While this necessitates watering, it in¬ 
sures, in ray experience, a perfect •‘stand.” 
Mr. Greiner iiuds watering a dry soil before 
setting of *■ decided advantage;'’ but. he makes 
no mention of the plan of watering at the in¬ 
stant of settiug—as a part of the operation of 
setting out—which seems to me by far the 
best. Not to go iuto details, this is done by 
partially setting the plant, using no pressure, 
and leaving a cup-snaped cavity around it 
sufficient to hold a gill or more of water, 
which is filled from a watering pot. The wa¬ 
ter “ sets” the dirt around the rootlets and 
stem of the plant far closer than any amount 
of pressure can do it; and with strong plants, 
previously puddled, substantially insures 
grow tb. As soon as the water soaks away, 
the “cup" is tilled with dry earth—called in 
gardener’s parlance, “ dusting”—which pre¬ 
vents the bakingof the soil around the plant. 
The expense of pud ding I should not esti 
mate at mure tkau 10 cents per thousand 
plants. The cost of watering depends largely 
upon the convenience of water for loading 
and the length of haul. When the haul is not 
more than a mile aud the water can be dipped 
out of a stream or pond directly in to the water- 
wagon, one ruau and team can furnish water 
for setting 10,000 plants a day. Counting 
10,000 plants a day’s setting, without water, 
for three men, it will take just four men to 
water and set that number in a day; which at 
$2.50 per day fo- man and team and $1.25 for 
laborers, makes the additional cost of setting 
with water, over setting without, $3.75 for 
10.000 plants, or 37,'^' cents per thousand. The 
expense of watering will be somewhat re¬ 
duced if a larger number is taken as a day’s 
work. A “gang” of four men can set 10,000 
plants a day, as a regular day’s work; aud if 
the water is uear-by and convenient of access, 
one water-wagon can keep two gangs going. 
Wysndotte Co., Kans. Eli win taylor. 
“CONDENSED STEWED TOMATOES." 
At the st ires aud restau rants of late wo have 
been confronted by the above sign. Economy, 
convenience aud extra flavor are the three 
points claim -d for this new preparation,which 
is coming largely iuto use. Vast quantities 
have been put up at the canning factory of 
Thuroer, Whviand & Co,, Moorestown, N. J. 
By means of evaporalion aud condensation the 
bulk of the tomato is reduced about one-third, 
while the nutritive qualities aud the full, rich 
taste of 'he fresh fruit are preserved. The 
“Baldwiu” Tomato is used by this firm. Most 
of the larger canning establishments use kinds 
of tomatoes of their owu production. A to¬ 
mato for canning should lie without a central 
seed core and possess considerable firmness 
anl be of fine quality. Great improvements 
have been made of late years both in the 
quality of the vegetable aud in methods of 
canniug. The demand increases with the im¬ 
provement in quel.ty. Most farmers’ wives 
seem to think they can buy canned corn and 
tomatoes cheaper than they can put them up 
at home. 
“potato-le»ved” tomatoes. 
The Mikado, alias Turner’s Hybrid, is not 
the only tomato with the broad, potato-like 
leaf, as one would suppose from editorial re¬ 
marks in a recent Rural. The “Potato 
Leaf” sent out by Mr. Livingston the post 
season is quite distinct from the Mikado. It 
might be called a potato-leaved Acme, though 
witn me the fruit averaged a little smaller 
than that of the latter. [We were impressed 
that this was merely a superior selection of 
the Mikado or Turner’s Hybrid.— Eds.] In 
1883 I grew a broad-leaved variety under the 
name of Key’s Early Prolific, that very closely 
resembled the Mikado iu foliage, but the fruit 
was very much smaller, aud scarlet instead of 
purplish red. It was also called Broad-leaved 
Dwarf. E. s. GOFF. 
The Rural states—page G27 —that it does 
not know whether the Netted Gem Cantaloupe 
aud Golden Jenny are identical. I find them 
different. The Netted Gem is of medium size, 
deeply netted, nearly round, flesh thick and 
of delicious flavor. The Goldeu Jenny is 
smaller and with a smoother skiu. It is of 
fine quality. J- s. b. 
Mercer Co., N. J, 
P am o Logical 
NATIVE PLUMS. 
Among Northern fruit-growers a good deal 
of interest has been developed within the past 
few years iu regard to native plums. The 
kiuils commonly cultivated iu the Easteru 
and Middle States canuot be successfully 
grown in this climate. The fruit of the typ¬ 
ical native is not very desirable on account of 
its acerbity, but it enters largely into home 
use where the others can uot be grown, its 
extreme softness and non-keeping qualities 
unfitting it for market. Though it is indigen¬ 
ous to nearly all parts of the country and 
adapted to almost auy soil, no great success 
has attended the attempts to bring it iuto cul¬ 
tivation. Some of the Chickasaws are at¬ 
tracting attention at the South, and a few 
Northern varieties as far as they have been 
tested are believed to be well worthy of gen¬ 
eral cultivation. It is believed also by our 
most observant fruit growers that success, with 
the delicious flavor and other excellent qual¬ 
ities of the best Europeans, but cultivation 
and hybridizing may yet enable us to grow 
varieties that, will compare favorably with 
any of them. 
D. B. Wier, who is good authority, having 
had much experience, says that the finest 
varieties of natives he has seen, were from the 
woods of Northern Wisconsin. Some of the 
best natives brought, to notice have been found 
on the margius of the small streams entering 
the Mississippi, in Wisconsin, Minnesota and 
Northern Iowa. Among them, the Rolling- 
stone, as a dessert plum, deserves especial 
mention. It was found growing near the 
Rollingstone Greek in Winona Co., Minn., and 
has been cultivated till its character appears 
to be well established. The fruit when per¬ 
fectly ripe is very firm and sweet, is easily 
peeled and entirely free from the acerbity 
common to other natives. The tree is perfectly 
hardy as to cold, an auuual bearer, aud bears 
when much younger than most other kinds. 
It is of low, spreading Imoit, fine foliage, aud 
ea ily trained iuto a beautiful form. Trees 
twenty years old are still vigorous aud pro¬ 
ductive. 
A prominent experimenter, Wyman Elliott, 
says we frequently find a very good wild plum 
on a tree entirely worthless when under culti¬ 
vation. While we have in these trees a good 
ground-work or starting point for improve¬ 
ment, it is still hoped that others will bo 
brought to notice combining all the desirable 
qualities of a perfect fruit. o. M, lord. 
Winona Co., Miuu. 
THE ROLLINGSTONE PLUM. 
While I was attending the Minnesota State 
Fair, in 1885, Mr. J. S. Harris, Superintendent 
of the Horticultural Department, called my 
attention to what was thought to be a superior 
plum lor a native, named the R'dlingstoue. 
There were but a few specimens uii exbi nition, 
and owing to the lateness of the season for tins 
variety all were past the stage of maturity at 
which any test could be made of their quality. 
On August 23rd of this year I received o small 
package of the Rollingstone Plum by express 
from Mr. O. M. Lord, Imnesota City, Minn., 
the gentleman who first transplanted, from a 
grove of wild plums, the tree the fruit of 
which has received the name Rollingstone. 
When the specimens came to hand at least 70 
hours had elapsed since they were placed in 
the hands ol' the express company. They 
were largo, round, of a purplish-rod color; 
flesh firm; flavor very good, and they were 
remarkable for an almost total absence of the 
bitterness in the skiu of almost all of the so- 
called Canada plums. They are good dessert 
fruit for a native, and have characteristics 
from which l should judge they would prob¬ 
ably can, preserve, or cook well. Most of 
the Canada plums are extremely soft, and 
heuce poor keepers. The Rollingstoues kept 
two weeks from the day they came to hand. 
This variety (see Fig. 410, with pit at 420) 
may be said to be a favorable sample of the 
best of the native plums now being cultivated 
Figs. 419. 
iu Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Northern Iowa, 
a section where, owing to the extreme rigor 
of the Winter, none of the 
better varieties of the 
domestic plum can be 
grown. It has not been 
propagated to auy consider¬ 
able extent, and may be 
said to be untried except 
on the ground of Mr. Lord. 
The reputation it has there 
made has induced very many of the hor¬ 
ticulturists of Minnesota to recommend the 
putting out of trees of this variety for sale, 
which Mr. Lord has at length consented to do. 
New Jersey. J. B. Rogers. 
Tin in Molasses. —Director Jordan of the 
Maine Ex. Station, according to Bulletin No. 
10, has been analyzing samples of molasses 
with a view to detecting the presence of tin. 
Of eight samples tested, tiu was found iu 
appreciable quantities in six, indicating tli it 
tin exists In molasses quite generally at the 
present time. The claim is made that tin is 
introduced into tnolusses iu the form of 
the chloride (muriate), the object of its use 
being to lighten the color of the molasses and 
thus improve its appearance. It is also stated 
that a portion or all of the tin thus int roduced 
separates from the molasses, the completeness 
of this separation varying greatly in different, 
cases, without doubt. That which remains iu 
solution does not seem to bo enough to pro¬ 
duce immediate poisonous effects, although 
it is possible that the continuous presence of 
tiu iu human food might prove to be injurious 
to health. Three grains of chloride of tin are 
a sufficient quantity to act violently upon the 
organs of digestion, but even if we were sure 
that all the tiu iu molasses remains in the 
form of the chloride, a person would be 
obliged to eat a large quantity of molasses at 
one time iu order to poison himself. At the 
same time it, is undoubtedly safer and wiser 
to oat molasses free from tin, and so it is con¬ 
sidered that the presence of this metal in one 
of our common articles of food is a 
matter of some public interest. Two 
or three observations in connection with 
these analyses Director Jordan considers of 
importance. 1. The color of molasses seems 
to have no relation to the amount ol sugar it 
contains, or in other words, to its sweetening 
power, or food value. The dark brands of 
molasses are usually cheapor than the light, 
so that it is economy to use the former where 
the effect of the color of the molasses upon 
the appearance of the food is not considered. 
2. When it is merely a question of making 
food sweet, aud not of saeuring the molasses 
flavor, molasses is very little more economical 
that granulated sugar, at present, prices. A 
gallon of molasses weighs II pounds very 
nearly. The eight samples analyzed, contained 
on the average, 155.4 per cent ol’ sugar, or 7.2 
pouuds to the gallon. Allowing the retail 
price to average 45 cents per gallon, the cost, 
of the sugar per pound would be fi'i cents. 
Nearly one-third of this sugar, however, is 
glucose, which has a lower sweetening power 
than granulated sugar, aud when we allow 
for this fact, the cost of sugar in the better 
grades of molasses must lie nearly as large 
with present prices as when bought iu the form 
of pure granulated sugar. 
Experiments with Fertilizers. —Bulle¬ 
tin No. 12 gives the comparative production 
from different forms of phosphoric acid. Dis¬ 
solved bone-black, flue ground bone aud line 
ground S. C. rock are used ou separate plots 
in combination with potash aud ammonia, 
forming “complete” fertilizers in each case. 
Where dissolved bone-black was used the yield 
of <>ats was at the rate of S3 bushels to the acre. 
Where fine ground bone was used the yield 
was 77 bushels per acre. Where fine ground 
South Carolina rock was used the yield was 72 
bushels per acre. The plots not fertilized at 
all averaged 55 bushels per acre. Other plots 
received potash and ammonia only—that is, uo 
phosphoric acid in any form, The average 
yield was (15 bushels to the acre. Thus the 
complete fertilizers with the dissolved bone- 
black gave an increase of 19 bushels; that with 
fine ground bone gave an increase of 13 bush¬ 
els; while that with S. 0. rock (not dissolved) 
gave but eight bushels’ increase. Yard manure, 
20 tons, gave a yield of 74 bushels per acre. 
We omit fractious. This is a good series of 
experiments. We want to know whether the in¬ 
creased cost of superphosphate (phosphate aud 
sulphuric acid) pays. We also want to know 
whether it pays to use bone phosphoric acid, 
which costs seven cents a pound, or rock phos¬ 
phoric acid, which costs two cents a pound. 
Wheat Cultivation in South America. 
—It is announced that the extension of rail¬ 
ways iu the Argentine Republic has so far 
progressed as to connect, Buenos Ayres and Sau 
Juan. This must count for a good deal in ex¬ 
tending the area planted to wheat, aud con¬ 
cerning which (in South America so much 
lias boon written of late Iu reference to this 
item the Loudon Miller says that England 
with her narrow area and teeming population 
must welcome any accession to the various 
granaries of the world, and there can bo no 
doubt that the Argentine Republic will en¬ 
ter the ranks of the great wheat-exporting 
countries of the earth as soon as the means of 
internal transit are fairly developed. The 
area of land available for wheat growing is 
known to be of very respectable dimensions, 
and Englishmen may look forward to a time 
in the uot distant future when La Flata wheat 
will be no insignificant factor iu their supply 
of foreign grain. 
Register of Dairy Cows.— Robert Turn- 
bull has been writing for the English papers a 
series of articles ou dairy cattle. He consid¬ 
ers the Short-horu the best dairy cow. He 
suggests the establishment of a herd book for 
pure-bred Short-horn dairy cattle. I o be eli¬ 
gible to entry a cow must have given six times 
her own weight in milk in a year. G. W. 
Rust suggests that the American Short-horn 
Society open au appendix or dairy register 
where first-class dairy Cows can be registered. 
Short-horn breeders have gone iu wild pursuit 
of honors iu the beef ring, but it does seem as 
though Nature intended the Short-horn for 
the “ general purpose” animal after all. 
Great Waste of Wool Grease.— At the 
Tanners’ Convention at Bostou the other day 
a delegate pointed out the fact that millions 
of pounds of wool grease are wasted annually 
in the United States, which could be saved and 
used instead of the English and French degras 
grease so liberally imported for tanners' use. 
The speaker stated that the viscous, absolutely 
nou-drying oil or grease was being poured iuto 
the rivers of the New England and Middle 
States to the extent of 40,000,000 pounds a 
year. The woolen manufacturers are pollut 
iug the streams with it, but it is expected that 
loud protests will soon be entered against the 
practice, aud then “necessity, the mot ier of 
invention," will devise some means of con¬ 
verting it to commercial uses. It has been 
proposed to treat wool wit - ' naphtha from 
which tliegreasecau be recovered aud purified. 
The ordinary method of scouring wool is by 
the use of alkalies, and the European degras is 
recovered and treated by very cheap labor, 
hence the low price at which it can be laid 
down here. Why not adopt here at once the 
lately discovered French method of making 
soap from this grease, as described iu a recent 
Rural. _ 
As Others See Us.—M r. Grant Allen, an 
English writer, on returning from a recent 
trip to this country, made the following state¬ 
ment concerning American farmers: 
“ The farmers in the States are uot capitalist 
farmers, but laboring farmers. The wife has 
to do all the cooking, housekeeping, and wash¬ 
ing for her husband aud her sous, by whom 
the farm is tilled, and also for tho hired man 
if the holding is sufficiently large to justify 
his employment. They have less leisure than 
the English laborer, aud they dwell more 
apart. They have no books excepting religious 
publications of a low intellectual type, and the 
newspaper. The result is that every one who 
can live iu towns flies from the country as 
from a pest-smitten city. The overcrowding 
of the great urban centers is one of the most, 
difficult problems before American society. 
No one will remain on laud longer than is 
