39o 
May 23 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Ruralistns ^ 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
The Thtck-Leated Gloxinia. —One 
of the most attractive Summer-blooming 
plants for iK)t or house culture is the 
modern thick-leaved Gloxinia, usually 
catalogued as G. crassifolia. The up¬ 
right flowering varieties in particular 
make beautiful specimens, one of which 
is shown in Fig. 136, first page. This 
was one of the first plants flowered on 
the Rural Grounds, and was developed 
from a seedling tuber grown in a four- 
inch pot, so that the relative dimensions 
of leaf and bloom may be inferred. Flor¬ 
ists’ Gloxinias, such as the specimen il¬ 
lustrated, have been bred from a Bra¬ 
zilian plant variously termed by botan¬ 
ists as Sinningia, or Gloxinia, speciosa, 
by long and careful selection and prob¬ 
ably some hybridization with related 
genera. The original species grows in 
warm moist forests and bears small pur¬ 
ple, drooping flowers and rather flabby 
foliage. Modern Gloxinias have broad, 
thick, handsome leaves and almost erect 
bell-shaped blooms, often nearly three 
inches across, and of lovely tints of 
white, rose, crimson and purple, some¬ 
times beautifully shaded and mottled. 
Tubers of the finest strains can be had 
from reliable dealers for 15 to 20 cents 
each in Spring, and should be potted in 
light, rich soil, containing some coarse 
sand, mixed with a trifle of ground bone. 
They should be thinly covered. The 
“eyes” or dormant buds are on the con¬ 
cave portion, which should, of course, 
be placed upwards. Little water is need¬ 
ed until growth starts, as an excess of 
moisture is likely to cause decay. While 
growing the plants should be shielded 
from hot sunshine, but need all the light 
possible. The soil must always be kept 
moist, but the leaves appear best when 
dry, and should seldom be watered from 
above. As they come into bloom they 
look best if supported so the very hand¬ 
some foliage may droop and partially 
conceal the pot, as in the illustration. 
There are usually places about farm 
porches where the proper light and 
shade can be had, and in such positions 
the pots may be protected from too rapid 
drying by placing them in a well-drained 
box and packing moss or some absor¬ 
bent material about them. The moss 
should always be moist, but never al¬ 
lowed to become sodden. After bloom¬ 
ing, which occurs in midsummer, the fo¬ 
liage gradually ripens. Water should 
be withheld as it turns yellow or with¬ 
ers, and the pots set away in a warm, 
dry place until wanted in the Spring. 
The tubers winter best in the soil in 
which they have grown, but if storage 
space is limited the roots may be 
shaken out and carried over in boxes of 
dry sand stored where the temperature 
is not likely to fall below 60 degrees for 
any considerable time. Gloxinias like 
warmth at all times, and the dormant 
tubers will not bear frost or even a pro¬ 
longed chill. Very superior varieties 
are propagated by cuttings of the stems 
or young leaves in the manner of Be¬ 
gonias, but modern strains are so good 
and reliable that most of the plants of¬ 
fered by the trade are grown from seeds. 
Good Seeds are Expensive. —The 
best Gloxinia seeds cost about 25 cents 
per 100 and are so minute as scarcely 
to be visible. One’s feeling on opening 
a packet for the first time is likely to be 
of disappointment at the exceedingly 
small bulk of the investment. They can 
be grown with a fair chance of success 
in the conservatory or window garden 
if the usual precautions for handling 
very fine seeds are observed. The cul¬ 
tural directions found on the packet or 
in first-class catalogues may be relied 
on, if carefully followed, and plants 
grown, many of which may flower the 
first season, but usually most pleasure 
will be had by flowering the tubers pro¬ 
curable from dealers in early Spring. It 
is costly work to grow seeds of the best 
strains. Tubers that have bloomed the 
previous season are carefully selected 
for general excellence of habit and foli¬ 
age, as well as size and purity of color¬ 
ing in the blooms. These monster flow¬ 
ers, though agreeable and symmetrical 
in form, have lost their proportion as 
regards essential organs, so that self- 
pollination is seldom possible. It is not 
usually desirable to cross-pollinize the 
different tints and colors; therefore the 
plants are grown under glass, from 
which all flying insects are excluded by 
netting, and the pollen carefully trans¬ 
ferred by hand as the blooms become 
receptive, using a separate brush for 
each shade or variety. Very few blooms 
are fertile, even under the best treat¬ 
ment, but when a capsule does ripen it 
contains an incredible number of the 
fairy-like seeds, and makes amends for 
many failures. 
A Long Trial List. —The list of fruits 
under trial in the private experimental 
orchard of Benjamin Buckman, Farm- 
ingdale. Ill., foots up the astonishing- 
total of 2,025 varieties. There are 1,420 
apples, 110 pears, 145 plums, 200 grapes, 
while peaches, cherries and persimmons 
are represented by from 10 to 35 kinds 
each. There are also many varieties of 
small fruits, nuts and miscellaneous 
fruits, such as papaws and the Elaeag- 
nus. Mr. Buckman is very modest 
about his self-sacrificing work, saying 
there is often only one tree of a variety, 
and that he is not able to keep his great 
collection in as good shape as he would 
like. This latter may be well imagined, 
as the well-equipped State experiment 
stations often fail to maintain a credit¬ 
able appearance to their trial orchards. 
Such an extensive test necessarily in¬ 
cludes many varieties so unsuited to the 
locality that they never can be made to 
thrive, but the outcome must be a vast 
addition to the exact horticultural 
knowledge of the locality. Only those 
who attempt to carry out comparative 
trials with even a few dozen varieties 
of economic plants can appreciate the 
extent of Mr. Buckman’s work, or the 
good that is certain to ensue, w. v. r. 
IS OREEIN, Star Brand 
Warrantf^d fitrleUy Piiiv. 
In 2501b. Keiffi.| 3^ per lb. 
In 100 to 1 7.5 lb. KeKT< | 4> ** ** 
P AKlJUlyL Ekl In 14,28, r.G i b. ku«. 14^6 ri«. « 
Id 2 or .5 I b. lK)xea.| 3 rta. 
ARSENATE OF LEAD PULP, 
Star Brand 
For Spraying Friill Trooa 
In 100 lb. Kck« .1016 '■to- pcrlb. 
In 50 11). Kegs.I I rts. “ “ 
LADIES CREAM CHINA SILK WAISTS AT $2.99. 
An excellent garment for the hot summer days, ha« Valenciennes 
lace iaaertiou down the front, hemstitched tucks on each side and 
also In back. Fancy collar and cufft. Order No, P P 264 
SPECIAL SUMMER BARGAINS 
COFFEE, green, very high grade quality, 
‘‘Sultana lirand,". 7 rts. per lb. 
COFFEE, roasted, Vienna Brand,’* our own / 
blend.Price i)er lb. |0ct8. / 
TEA, very choice mixture, our brand, “('UKIO 
UHOl*,” Formosa Oolong, Kiigllsh llreakfast, Ja¬ 
pan, Young Hyson, Mixed and O^ylon. 
Price |s*r lb. 34 cts. Price |>er 5 lb. Ikix $ | ,59 »y 
“red STAR” LAUNDRY SOAP. 
30 one lb. cakes, |K‘r lx>x, $ | ,64} lb. 
cakes, per box, $ 2.94 
Write UH for prb es on any article yon may require. Wo supply 
every want, lieing equipped to fill all orders promptly. .Send ns 
your name and address and we will mail von FKKk onr 9G page 
booklet, “GOLDKN OPPOKXrMTIKS FOK MONEY SAVERS,” 
which contalnsllliistrations, descriptions and quotations on arti¬ 
cles ueede<l In everv honsehohl. WHITE TO-DAY. 
R. H. MACY & CO., NEW YORK. 
Established 1868. The World's Original and Largest Department Store* 
Disparene 
The most powerful Insecticide made; 
kills all leaf-eating insects; the only one 
that will destroy both broods of the codling- 
moth. Used and endorsed by Ohio, New 
Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode 
Island, and other experiment stations, park 
suijerintendents, tree wardens, and large 
orchardists everywhere. 
Professor Smith, of New Jersey, says; 
“ My experience has been so satisfactory 
I have recommended it highly.” 
Enough for a large orchard, $4-25 
Enough for 75 gals, spray . 1.00 
2 lb. sample.50 
Large illusirated catalogue free. 
BOWKER 
INSECTICIDE 
COMPANY 
Address nearest office: 
Boston, New York, or Cincinnati 
Good Kieffer Pear.— I think you can 
never have tasted a well-ripened and well 
grown Kieffer pear or you would not say 
It was not fit to eat out of hand. We would 
hardly change ours for any kind; we call 
them as good as Virginia Bartletts, but 
there are many grown here that are poor. 
I cultivate and spray; ours are large, fine 
color, and get very mellow, with a very 
pleasant acid that one doesn’t tire of like 
the sweeter kinds. a. f. a. 
Virginia. 
R. N.-Y.—We have tasted Kieffers from 
New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, Georgia, 
and half a dozen other States. Some were 
better than others, and all were very fine 
when canned, but none have seemed to us 
good for eating from the hand. 
FIREARMS 
are acknowledged as superior to many- 
on the market. They are good shoot- 
ci-s, and are guaranteed to be 
SAFE, SOLID, ACCURATE 
Made in many styles and calibei-s and 
ranging in price from $3..")0 to $150.00. 
Where STEVENS RIFLES are not 
sold by dealers, we will ship (express 
prepaid) on receipt of price. 
Send for illustrated catalog. 
Stevens Arms and Tool Co., 
77.5 Main Street, 
Chicopee Palls, Mass. 
Prof. H. J. Wheeler, Director Rhode 
Island Experiment Station, says: ‘T 
watched the experiments with Disparene 
closely during the Summer and it was a 
very efficacious insecticide.” 
WEBER Jr. 
^ excel Windmills or any other 
power in amount of duty, constancy and 
cost of runnin^f. Always ready, 
A trifle for gasoline gives you 
water 30 men could pump, 
full hone power for Any pi 
p^. All pizes up to 800 L 
Write for free cetelofue. 
Weber Gas and Gasoline 
“ SiiglneCo.y 
Boi 206 Kansu Ci^, Mo. 
GsSOlinG Cii^iinAAl 
Pumping CHginQS 
[ARROW BRANDr,„^XI,«. e 
can be laid on 
top of old 
shingles with¬ 
out tearing off 
, the old roof. 
lASPHALT READY ROOFING CO. send 
SU Pine St., New York. samples. 
TELEPHONES 
For Farmers’ Lines. 
Organize an exchange In your 
community. Full particulars fnr^ 
nlshed. Catalogue free. 
THE NORTH ELECTRIC CO., 
162 St. Clair Street, 
C-N. 301. CLEVELAND,©. 
FUMA 
kills Prairie Dogs, 
Woodchucks, Gophers, 
and G r a 1 u Insects. 
“The wheels of the 
gods grind slow but 
exceedingly small.” So the weevil, but you can stop 
“tiS'”’' “Fuma Camon Bisulpliide”n‘S,“dard” 
EDWARD R, TAYLOR, Peun Yau, N. Y. 
r 
A Golden Rule 
of Agriculture: 
Be good to your land and your crop 
will be good. Plenty of 
Potash 
in the fertilizer spells quality 
and quantity in the har¬ 
vest. Write us and 
we will send you, 
free, by next mail, 
our money winning 
books. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 
93 Nassau Street, 
New York. 
Tires 
so.98 
es PerPair 
Sterling 
Puncture 
Proof Tires 
are the best made. Con- 
structed on puncture 
proof lines. No solution 
in them. Guaranteed for 
One Year. Complete 
catalog of tires from $ 2.00 per pair up, sent FREE. 
Delaware Rubber Co. 657 Market Street, Phila¬ 
delphia, Pa. Send for big Catalog. 
AWatering Landsi 
Is not expensive if you employ the force 
of Che natural stream. The 
¥ 1C^¥7Hydraulic 
mr JSi ENGINE 
is run by natural forces 
and delivers a constant 
flow of water to any 
height at any distance. 
No attention. No ex¬ 
pense. Made In sizes to fit all purposes. Write telling 
how far you wish to carry water, elevation, fall etc., and 
getcomplete plans and estimates. All Engines sold on 
30 days' FREE TRIAL. Send for free catalogue. 
POWER SPECIALTY CO., (26 Liberty St., New York. 
CHARTER 
Gasoline Engine. 
For Grinding, Shelling, Fodder Cutting, 
Threshing, Pumping, Sawing, etc. 
STATIONARIES, PORTABLES. SAWING 
AND PUMPING OUTFITS. ETC. 
Send for lUust’d Catalog & Testimoniatg. 
StatB Your Powoa Mamda. 
CHARTER GAS ENGINE GO., Boi 26 STERLING, ILL. 
SPR 4 X 
sprayers there 
are but three that clean the strain¬ 
er and stir the mixture. Their 
namesare Empire King, 
Garfield ei.nd Orchard 
Monarch. 
I Their automatic agitators and cleaning brushes make 
it certain that plants and foliage get their 
due proportion—never too much nor too 
little—of the mixture. They nev¬ 
er clog and the foliage is never 
harmed. These safe-guards with 
their perfect workings make them 
the best sprayers to be found. In¬ 
struction book on spraying, formu¬ 
las. etc., free for the asking. 
■field force pump CO., 
2 llth 8t., Elmira,M.Y 
PUMP^ ^ SPRAY. 
I Oo« at a time. i6 seooadt pumpl&f 
I obargee with enougb air to run 
The Auto-Spray 
I lOminuteiand oorer ^ aora. Per- 
I fectly Automatic, operator mefely 
walkf and directs nccsle. Bpray from 
I fine miettOBoUaitream. Any boy can 
I irorklt. 3raM working and eontaet 
parte make it perfect wcwklng and 
durable. For poultry houiei, Ylnee, 
I trMe,eto. Catalog F,free. Shows tka 
1 bait line ofall eiia, all purpoaa eprV' 
I art mada. Wrlta tW agency. 
I E.O. BROWN A company, 
Rochester. N. Y. 
HAMMOND’S 
French Bordeaux Mixture 
True Blue Color. Butter fine; ready for dilution. Sold by Seedsmen. Send for pamphlet t« 
HAMMOND’S SLUG SHOT WORKS, FIshkill-on-Hudson, N. Y. 
GENUINE 
SLUG SIGT 
Kills Insects on Cmrants, Potatoes, Cabbages aad 
Flowers. Used 24 years. 
SOLD BY SEEDSMEN EVERYWHERE. 
Send for Free booklet on Bugs and Blights to 
B. HAMMOND, Flshklll-on-Hudson, N. Y. 
