422 
THE RURAT 
NEW-YORKER 
June 6 
^ Ruralisms > 
-< ^ ► 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
The TooTJ^so^rE Goober. —The popu¬ 
lar peanut or earth pea, as it is often 
called abroad, is of great importance in 
ihe South, though seldom grown except 
as a curiosity in the North. Many va¬ 
rieties have been developed through 
centuries of cultivation from the orig¬ 
inal Brazilian plant known botanically 
as Araehis hypogasa. These varietie.5 
differ as widely in character and re¬ 
quirements as most long-cultivated 
crops, but generally must have a long 
growing season. 
Big and Little Peanuts. —Fig. 150, 
page 418, shows respectively the small¬ 
est and largest “goobers” that have 
reached our notice. The small variety 
is known as the Early Spanish, and is 
considered an excellent forage plant for 
light soils in hot seasons. The tops are 
cut and cured for hay before frost, and 
are claimed to be as nutritious as 
clover. The peanut is a legume like 
clover, and grows best when the roots 
are studded with tubercles, but the de¬ 
mand for plant food to develop the nu¬ 
merous large oily seeds is so great that 
it cannot well be used as a soil im¬ 
prover. The Spanish variety sets an 
immense crop of little thin-shelled nuts 
of excellent flavor. They are too small 
for general commercial uses, but meet a 
limited demand in the manufacture of 
fancy confectionery. They make an ex¬ 
cellent fattening food for hogs, which 
may be pastured on the land after the 
tops are cut and allowed to root out the 
nuts for themselves. 
As A Garden Plant. —The Spanish 
peanut matures so quickly in compari¬ 
son with other kinds that it may be 
grown as a garden plant in most North¬ 
ern States with a fair chance of good 
yields. They should be planted prefer¬ 
ably in light soil, in rows like bush 
beans, and require about the same cul¬ 
ture. The foliage is neat and the nu¬ 
merous bright-yellow blooms are very 
pretty. Frequent stirring of the soil is 
beneficial in promoting growth and in 
enabling the embryo nuts to bury them¬ 
selves in the soil in the natural way. 
The nuts are very sweet and pleasant 
when properly roasted, and are particu¬ 
larly good keepers. We have held them 
over two years in an ordinary cellar 
with no apparent deterioration in flavor. 
The Commeroial Peanuts. —Com¬ 
mercial peanuts are of a larger type, 
averaging moi’e than double the size of 
the Spanish kind. The shells are large 
and long, often containing three kernels 
or peas. Every effort is made in curing 
these nuts to retain the fresh bright 
straw color they have when taken from 
the soil. Those having blackened or 
weather-stained shells are of little value 
in commerce, though the actual quality 
may not be impaired. Peanuts have 
been fairly profitable in the past, but 
complaint is made that the new “peanut 
trust,” which seems to be a close asso¬ 
ciation of buyers, so manages matters 
that there is now little encouragement 
for the growers. The large nuts in Fig. 
150 are sent out by W. Atlee Burpee & 
Co., Philadephia, as the “New Mam¬ 
moth.” They are handsome and of very 
good quality. In Pennsylvania this va¬ 
riety makes a neat bush, 18 inches high, 
and ripens many of the mammoth, 
thick-shelled nuts, but farther south we 
understand it is a strong runner and 
very prolific in yield. 
The TRANSVA.A.L DAI.SY.—In regard to 
the Transvaal daisy. Gerbera Jamesoni, 
the catalogues say: “Its propagation was 
so little understood that until last year 
it was difficult to obtain even a single 
plant at any price.” (,'an you inform me 
the method followed? n. d. b. 
Bangor, Me. 
The Transvaal daisy is readiiy grown 
from seeds, which have been coliected 
in some quantity since the close of the 
South African War. Seedlings vary 
considerably, many coming in .shades of 
yellow and orange. The bright scarlet 
ones are most highly regarded, as we 
already have many daisy-like flowers 
in yellow colors, while good reds are un¬ 
common among the Composite. Efforts 
are often made to propagate choice plants 
by division, but they do not take kind¬ 
ly to this method. Clumps two or three 
years old may be divided with partial 
success if taken when growth starts 
after a dormant period, but it still re¬ 
mains a difficult plant to increase ex¬ 
cept by the natural means of seedage. 
Plants in our climate bloom profusely 
for many months in succession, but 
rarely produce viable seeds. When a 
fertile head does ripen, however, there 
are almost as many good seeds as in a 
dandelion head. 
Cassava as a Boom Plant. —The lit¬ 
erature of southern immigration boom¬ 
ers has lately been filled with inflated 
statements of the profits to be realized 
from growing cassava in the Gulf 
States. The United States Department 
of Agriculture has done good work in 
publishing Farmers’ Bulletin No. 167, 
setting forth the limitations of this use¬ 
ful exotic when grown in the North. The 
starchy roots of cassava are used very 
extensively for human food in most hot 
countries, and in Southern States for 
the manufacture of starch and for stock 
feeding. As prepared in South America 
it is eaten in the form of a coarse meal, 
fairly nutritious, but to the writer’s 
taste about as palatable as poplar saw¬ 
dust. It forms the main farinaceous 
food of millions of natives who are not 
able to produce rice or other grains. 
Tapioca is also made from the finer 
qualities, and a certain flavoring for 
table sauces known as cassareep is oc¬ 
casionally a by-product. 
Bio Yields Figured. —Cassava is a 
strong-growing plant of the Euphor- 
biacese or Milkweed family. It has 
greenish flowers and large bean-like 
seeds, but is almost exclusively propa¬ 
gated by sections of the stems, which 
are chopped into pieces five or six 
inches long and dropped in furrows or 
hills four feet apart each way, much as 
we plant potatoes. It is a troublesome 
and uncertain process to keep these seed 
canes of the previous year’s growth over 
Winter, and is accomplished by burying 
the canes as they come from the field 
in soil in some well-drained place, so 
that they will keep dormant without 
rotting or heating. This is a precarious 
method in places subject to Winter 
frosts, and with the best of care many 
canes fail to grow. The roots are the 
only valuable part except the canes re¬ 
served for cuttings, and sometimes 
reach a weight of 30 to 40 pounds to me 
cluster, so that it is easy to estimate a 
yield of 2o to 40 tons to the acre, but 
the stand is so uneven and the plant so 
exacting as to soil requirements that 
the actual yields range from two to 10 
tons. The latter is quite exceptional. 
In tropical countries where the plants 
are allowed to stand several years, and 
plantings usually made on virgin lands, 
the tubers grow to an enormous size, 
and the yield may run into the hundreds 
of tons to the acre, but even there it is 
seldom cultivated in large areas, the 
usual method being to grow little 
patches in favorable places where the 
soil is just right. 
Good When You Have It. —Cassava 
is of undoubted value for stock feeding, 
milk and butter production and hog 
fattening. The roots are dug and han¬ 
dled much like sweet potatoes, but do 
not keep well out of the ground. It re¬ 
quires much heat, moisture and a long 
season of growth. While likely to be a 
useful crop for those accustomed to the 
agricultural methods of the Gulf States 
it does not offer much inducement in 
the way of immediate profit to immi¬ 
grants from the North, and the Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture renders the public 
good service in issuing the bulletin re¬ 
ferred to. w. V. r. 
Drought ix Vermo.xt.— We liave had no 
rain in six weeks. Some of my neighbors 
have turned their cows into their mea¬ 
dows. 1 have not yet. but am feeding 
hay and grain twice a da,y. Farmers 
have their crops all in. but nothing is 
growing. I am going to break up my 
meadows and plant corn and sow millet 
for Winter feed. Our sugar crop was a 
failure, with all the rest, but I expect to 
recover. e. c. b. 
Vermont Aufalfa.— During the long 
drought that we are having the only crop 
that thrives is Alfalfa. Even that seeded 
last year has roots long enough so that 
it gets moisture and grows. A piece seed¬ 
ed two years ago was so mixed with Knot 
grass last Fall that it .seemed best to 
plow it, and part of the field was plowed. 
The rest of the ground has not been 
plowed yet, and it is much the best piece 
of hay on the farm, being now, May 22, 
after six weeks’ drought, nearly a foot 
high, and it has covered up the Knot 
grass. After two years’ trial seedings of 
Alfalfa (one Winter had plenty of snow 
and the other almost none), 1 cannot see 
that it freezes out any worse than Red 
clover. Dairy farmers need a crop that 
can stand these terrible droughts, and 
they should give Alfalfa a good chance 
to show what it can do. Champlain. 
Friends in Drought.— The long-con¬ 
tinued drought is becoming a source of 
alarm in these parts. How to save our 
cows from going hungry is the problem. 
There are various crops that we can grow, 
if it rains, but taking the chances of that 
there seems to be no good substitute for 
corn. We must break up some of the 
poorer meadow lands and sow corn. Wc 
shall sow it in drills so as to give it a 
good deal of cultivation. We do not care 
so much to raise the grain, for it is to 
take the place of pasture grasses and of 
hay that we want the corn, so planting 
in hills will be of little advantage. In 
planting we mark out only a few row.s 
ahead of the planters so as not to give a 
chance for drying before the seed can be 
put in the ground aiid covered. We put 
the seed down pretty well, cover it thor¬ 
oughly and try to press down the soil ovet 
the seed. Then we go over with a light 
harrow and loosen the surface soil to pre¬ 
vent evaporation: follow, with frequent 
cultivation to produce the dust mulch 
often described as to prevent evaporation. 
We have never made a complete failure 
by this method, and have often got out 
of a diflicult place by means of it. 
Delaware Co., N. Y. ii. h. i.. 
The Sickle 
Lawn Mowet 
will clip short and long grass from 
your lawn easily, smoothly, nicely. 
Has plenty of speed, power and 
weight. See that iiy wheel. 
Write for particulars. Mention 
this paper. Ask for circular JS, 
LEAVITT WIFG. CO., 
Tuscola, III. 
AOENTS WANTED 
“MEND-A-RIP.” 
Dock nil klndu ofllsht and heavy 
Htitehinar. I^och all kind* of 
light and heavy riveting. 
A PERFECX HAND SEWING 
MACHI^^E-^^ 
AND RIVETER 
-1 combined 
WILL SATE THE PRICK 
? OF ITSELF .HANY TUIFS A YEAR. 
* To ihow it m«an 0 &fiale. AO£N'T8 MAKE 
i FROM 110 to 915 A DAY. One a^ent made 
t 9‘JO tbe flretdaj and wHtee ua to burr; more 
_2 onaebinee to him. Write for tonne to a^ente. 
C. FOOTK FOUNDHY CO.» Frederlcktow'n* Ohio* 
CauA DaSh^ Dille 
OmW I Clllll DIIISltooflng,whichrequires 
painting every 
two years, use 
Arrow Brand 
Asphalt 
Seady Hoofing 
already sur¬ 
faced with gravel, and which needs no painting. 
ASPHALT READY ROOFING CO. Send for free I 
82 Pine .St., New York. _ samples. 
TELEPHONES 
For Farmers’ Lines. 
Organize an exchange In your 
community. Full particulars fur¬ 
nished. Catalogue free. 
THE NORTH ELECTRIC CO., 
152 St. Clair Street, 
C- N. 301. CLEVELAND, O. 
GIVE THE BOY 
A STEVENS FAVORITE 
It will teach him to enjoy Nature, 
to roam through the woods, to love 
to be out-of-doors. 
Practice in shooting will give him 
steady nert'es and self control—valu¬ 
able helps for future life. 
Price, Favorite No. 17, with Plain 
Oi>en Sights, $6.00. 
For sale by all dealers. If you can¬ 
not secure them, we will ship, expres.s 
prepaid, on receipt of price. 
Send for illustrated catalog. 
J. Stevens Arms and Tool Co., 
775 Main Street, 
Chicopee Falls, Mass. 
“FUMA’ 
kills Prairie Dogs, 
Woodchucks, Gophers, 
and Grain Insects, 
“The wheels of the 
gods grind slow but 
exceedingly small.” So the weevil, but you can stop 
‘'Fuma Carbon Bisiilpbide"ird‘„l;;7 
EDWAKD K. TAYLOK, Venn Yiin. N. Y. 
1 can 
cover 30 to 40 acres 
per day with 
^/>e Watson 
Four Row Potato Sprayer 
Straddles 2rows, sprays 
4 at a time. Wheels ad* 
just for different widths. 
Sprays to any fineness and jjearinj? of pump to wheel of 
cart gives any pressure desired. Automatic agitator and 
,,uction strainer cleaner. It never spoils foliageor clogs. 
Pre« Instruction and formula hook ahows the famoui Garflrld, £»• 
plre KImr, Orchard Monarch and other aprayera. Wrl'e for It. 
Field Force Pump Co., 2 11th St. .Elmira, N.Y, 
PUMP^ ^SPRAY. 
One at a time. i5 leocnda pumplsc 
ebar^ with enough air to run 
The Auto-Spray 
lOminuteaacd cover ^ acre. Per¬ 
fectly Automatic, opermtor aerely 
iralka and direct* nocile. Spray freia 
llnemiattoaoliaitream. Any boy can 
vrorkik Brace irorkinf and eoniaet 
S arti make it perfect working and 
arable. For poultry hoaaea, vlnei. 
treea,etc. Catalog P.free. Sbowatbe 
beat line of all alae, all purpoeeepray* 
ere made. Write for agency. 
e.C.BROWN aCOMPANY, 
Rooh««l»r, N. Y. 
Fruit Growers 
Don’t Despair— 
Disparene 
Will save your trees and fruit 
from all leaf-eating insects and both 
broods of the codRng-nioth. No other 
will do this. Safest spray to use. Never 
injures most delicate foliage. Used and 
endorsed by tlie largest orchardists and 
foresters, tree wardens, park superintend¬ 
ents everywhere. Economical because it 
kills the insects, and remains on foliage 
entire season; not affected by heavy rains. 
Professor Sanderson, Delaware, says: 
“ Very much superior to Paris green and 
destroyed more codling-moth larvje.” 
Enough for a large orchard, $4.25 
Enough for 75 gals, spray . 1.00 
2 lb. sample.50 
Large illustrated catalogue free 
BOWKER 
INSECTICIDE 
COMPANY 
Address nearest office: 
Boston, NewYork, or Cincinnati 
Professor E. D. Sanderson, of Delaware 
Experiment Station, says: “Disparene de¬ 
stroys a larger percent of Codling-moth 
than has ever been done. Its adhesive 
qualities make it especially valuable.” 
SiFrench Bordeaux Mixture 
True Blue Color. Butter fine; ready for dilution. Sold by Seedsmen. Send for pamphlet to 
HAMMOND’S SLUG SHOT WORKS, FIshkIII-on-Hudson, N. Y. 
