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486 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
; Ruralisms ; 
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
'The Scented Shrub. —The Sweet- 
scented shrub or Carolina allspice has 
long been a favorite for dooryard plant¬ 
ing. It is of neat growth, and has large 
handsome foliage, but the main attrac¬ 
tion is the conspicuous purple-brown 
flowers, of highly aromatic fragrance. 
Every school boy likes to carry about 
these floral “shrubs,” as the grateful 
odor increases when the fleshy sepals 
become bruised or wilted. There is an 
increased or rather renewed demand for 
this desirable old-fashioned shrub from 
nurseries, which we fear is not always 
filled with the most desirable type. There 
are several species of Calycanthus or 
scented shrub in occasional cultivation. 
Two are natives of China and Japan. 
They have very fragrant purple and yel¬ 
low blooms, but are not quite hardy. 
There is also a California species, C. 
occidentalis, suspected of being tender. 
Three species, C. floridus, C. glaucus and 
C. fertilis are found in the Atlantic 
Coast States from Pennsylvania south¬ 
ward. Of these C. floridus is by far the 
best. The fl*shy purple-brown flowers 
have the rich pineapple-like odor so uni¬ 
versally liked, and is the one always 
wanted. It does not seed well under 
cultivation, and is usually grown from 
layers or suckers. C. fertilis blooms 
profusely and seeds quite well when 
grown in clumps or rows. It is cheaply 
increased, and there is a temptation to 
substitute it for the desired species. In 
appearance and bloom it is quite similar 
to C. floridus, but the flowers are almost 
devoid of fragrance. 
An Odd Fruit. —Fig. 178 shows in 
reduced size blooms and fruits of this 
species. The strange-looking fruits hang 
on a year or more, and somewhat 
resemble huge cocoons of the large 
night-flying moths. The seeds are good 
size and look like browned coffee beans. 
They make a great rattling when shaken 
by the wind as they sway freely on their 
tough pedicels. A few reliable nurseries 
offer this species under its true specific 
name, or as C. laevigatus, but it is usual¬ 
ly catalogued under the misleading name 
of C. floridus. The usual price for Caly¬ 
canthus plants is 35 cents. As dissemi¬ 
nated by neighborhood exchange of 
suckers Sweet-scented shrubs are likely 
to be true, as only those with marked 
fragrance are sought after. When or¬ 
dering from a nursery it is well to spe¬ 
cify distinctly the kind wanted. 
Some New Peas. —Garden peas were 
cut quite as severely by the drought as 
strawberries. The earliest plantings 
bore a partial crop, but succession sow¬ 
ings generally failed to come up, as the 
soil was too dry to start them. Several 
trial varieties put in April 24 first ap¬ 
peared June 12, five days after the rains. 
Magnum Bonum and Thos. Laxton 
planted April 10 while the ground was 
quite wet germinated weh, and pro¬ 
duced two fair pickings the first week in 
June. Thos. Laxton is a very high-bred 
early wrinkled or sugar pea. The qual¬ 
ity is of the best, and the appearance of 
the vines, uniformly about 14 inches 
high and symmetrically set with well- 
filled pods, is very pleasing. Magnum 
Bonum is a stronger grower, however, 
and bears larger pods and peas. The 
latter are extremely sweet and tender, 
cooking until quite mature in less time 
than other varieties. Altogether we re¬ 
gard it, after three years’ trial, as the 
best pea yet tested here. 
Harbinoer is a very dwarf and early 
wrinkled pea of English origin. Our 
imported seeds were sown at the same 
time as the two varieties above men¬ 
tioned, but did not come up until nearly 
12 days later. The plants grew scarcely 
nine inches high, and bore several pods 
eacn of excellent large peas. It resem¬ 
bles American Wonder in habit, but 
seems inclined to fill out the pods better. 
Kbi.vedonian came up sparsely. The 
plants are now about 18 inches high and 
bear a few long broad pods. It was 
planted April 20 while soil showed a 
fair amount of moisture in bottom of 
drill. It is said to be a second-early va¬ 
riety of much merit, having a sweet 
rich flavor. Worthy of further trials 
under better conditions. 
Sander’s Marrow, from seeds grown 
by the Evans Seed Co., Ltd., West 
Branch, Mich., planted April 24, is com¬ 
ing strongly at this writing. Seeds of 
Gradus and Nott’s Excelsior, both 
nothern-grown and of our own saving, 
show little vitality. The growth even 
when there is ample moisture is weak 
and irregular. These excellent varie¬ 
ties have of late been regarded as 
staples, and it is to be hoped that good 
seasons in the future will enable seed 
stocks to regain their original vigor. 
Thos. Laxton may be regarded as an im¬ 
proved Gradus as far as table quality 
and attractiveness is concerned, but 
seems to be two to four days later when 
sown under similar conditions. 
_ w. V. F. 
MICHIGAN BEET SUGAR NOTES. 
About 11,000 acres are under contract for 
the Peninsular factory at Caro, Mich 
The company put out one form of con¬ 
tract only this year, after trying two forma 
previously; the company agrees to pay $4.50 
per ton for beets delivered on or before De¬ 
cember 1, or $4.75 per ton after December 
1, on the basis of 12 per cent of sugar. 
Beets are now receiving their first cultiva¬ 
tion by going crosswise of the rows with 
a weeder or an adjustable spike-tooth har¬ 
row, the latter being used where the clay 
soil has become hardened by the sun or 
rain. It has been pretty well demonstrated 
that it is best to sow 15 pounds of seed 
to the acre on ail kinds of soils and in all 
seasons. Some vary it according to ground 
and other circumstances. The stand of 
beets this season is generally good. The 
ground should be plowed deep, and if clay, 
subsoiled; if plowed in the Pall it should 
be plowed twice. A black clay loam, or 
what is better, a black sand with a clay 
subsoil as the sandy surface, makes it 
easier to prepare the ground for the drill, 
which is quite an item in the expense. All 
fine rubbish, such as small stones, clods, 
sticks, etc., should be gathez-ed in some 
manner. Some use a hay-rake where there 
is much fine rubbish in the way, and some 
a weeder; either is good. A great deal of 
the later expense depends much on thc- 
preparation of the seed bed; too much 
stress cannot be laid on this one point. 
The gi’ound should be plowed at least two 
weeks (and four is better) before seeding, 
and harrowed several times at intervals. 
Do not sow on corn ground or on sod (uz» 
less plowed in the Pall) or on very new 
ground, or very mucky ground. The latter 
will grow big beets, but not much sugar 
content. Potato giound makes a very good 
foundation if kept fi'ee from weeds the 
previous season. The ground should be 
manured the year previous to sowing, or 
else the tender will need an extra pair or 
two of overalls and knee-caps before he 
subdues the weeds. A level surf.ace is 
very desirable in order that the drill may 
work evenly. 
Some roll the ground the last thing be¬ 
fore sowing, others use a plank leveler, 
but it is found generally better (especiallj 
on clay soils or soils that will dry out on 
the surface and blow) to run a weeder or 
some fine-toothed implement over the 
ground the last thing the opposite way 
from which one desires to drill. Have 
the i-ows run north and south if conveni¬ 
ent. As to drilling they are sown here 
usually 20 inches apait, with a two-horse 
beet drill, or on small pieces of from one 
aci-e to three, most of us use a Planet Jr. 
hand drill. If the ground has been prop- 
ei-ly tilled, the seed is good, the drill works 
well, and the weather is favorable, one 
may get a good stand of beets, and if 
everything has been extra favorable, one 
may get an extra stand, viz., a beet every 
eight inches after thinning, which happens 
about once in a hundred times. It has 
been demonstrated among the beet raisers 
that the seed ought to be sized to obtain 
the best results, which we think will be 
done in the near future by some process. 
After the beets are sown and just about 
the time a few are coming up we run a 
weeder crosswise of the rows and again ' 
In a week or so, and this is all some do 
until thinned; others cultivate with a fine¬ 
toothed cultivator as soon as the rows 
show plainly. A great many of the larger 
raisers let the job out of weeding, thin¬ 
ning, pulling, topping, etc., to the Russians 
who have been shipped us here, for $20 per 
acre. The laboi-er boards himself and 
family, which generally consists of from 
anywhere from two to 20 cousins, aunts, 
uncles, etc. The smaller beet raisers de¬ 
pend on home labor by the day. For the 
ultimate profit or loss we have to depeizd 
mostly (after our own efforts) on Divine 
Providence, and a good weigh master, but 
we are hopeful, and will tell later how we 
come out. J. F. b. 
Caro, Mich. 
Boll-worm on Tomatoes. 
N. H. II., Greenfield, Tenn.—ljast year we 
suffered loss from a small green worm 
(about one-half to three-fourths-inch long) 
boring holes in our tomatoes. Have you 
found any remedy that was a success for 
killink these woi'ms? 
Ans. —Possibly this tomato pest is the 
well-known Cotton boll-worm of the 
South, or the Corn worm of the North, 
as this insect often bores into tomatoes. 
But it may be a new tomato pest. I can 
suggest nothing better than the hand¬ 
picking and destroying of the infested 
fruits. If it is not the boll-worm, per¬ 
haps there is some vulnerable stage in 
its life where it could be more easily 
and successfully attacked. Some have 
suggested planting early corn among 
the tomatoes to act as a trap crop for 
the worms. m. v. bunoekland. 
Result of Study.— Although a butter- 
maker for many years I have always, to 
a certain extent, worked in the dark as 
to the certainty of being able to know 
how and why butter came sometimes, and 
would not at others, but the letters, or 
rather questions of two of your correspond¬ 
ents made me think and study, and I came 
to certain conclusions, which followed out 
by my wife and myself, have (ever since), 
been invariably followed by success with 
out any more doubt or guesswork. I am 
therefore deeply indebted to your paper. 
Massachusetts. t. s. p. 
Seedsmen’s Samples.—A circular has 
been distributed by the Treasury Depart¬ 
ment, under date June 9, 1903, to the of¬ 
ficers of the customs and others concerned, 
as follows: “At the instance of the Secre¬ 
tary of Agriculture, it is hereby dizected 
that, commencing July 1, 1903, and con¬ 
tinuing for one year, two-ounce samples 
of all Importations of 100 pounds or more 
of grass, clover, and foz-age-plant seeds be 
prepared at the earliest pzactlcable date 
after entry, and forwarded to the Seed 
Laboratory, Department of Agriculture. 
Washington, D. C., labeled with names and 
addresses of consignors and consignees, 
name of seed as given in the invoice, and 
quantity of the consignment.” 
Farm Labor.— I was much interested in 
an article in The R. N.-Y., page 412, by 
C. E. Chapman, on “The Farm Labor 
Problem.” I wrote to a labor agency for 
infozmation, and found that instead of the 
$1 fee as stated, they required to be ad¬ 
vanced a fee of $3, and the carfare from 
New York, in my case a total of $10.75, $1.50 
to be deducted from first month’s wages, 
leavizig $9.25 to come out of sender’s pocket 
to be charged up in his farm account to 
‘profit or loss” or “sundries.” This may 
be all right if one gets a good man who 
stays, but if at the end of one month your 
help leaves for pastures new, it makes 
rather expensive labor. Are these the 
terms of the different agencies? I agree 
that one of the greatest problems of to¬ 
day for the farmer is the help problem. 
Waterbury, Vt. j m w 
BUSHEL GRATES 
Our ventilated busliel crates 
are l)etter and cheaper than 
baskets—8 cents each—made 
of t>e8t material. Shipped 
ready to put together. Book¬ 
let No.llfull particulars free. 
Geneva Cooperage Co.,Geneva,0. 
The Niagara 
Fruit Ladder. 
It always stands and 
never rocks. The best 
basswood ladders on the 
market, both single and 
extension. Write 
BACON & CARPENTER, 
Annieton, N. Y. 
TELEPHONES 
For Farmers’ Lines. 
Organize an exchange in your 
community. F^fciartlculars fur¬ 
nished. Cat^Kiteree. 
THE NORtSH&CTRIC CO., 
162 St. i^^^Street, 
C N.301. CLEVELAND, O. 
July 4 
RUBEROID 
(TRADE MARK REGIS. ERED) 
ROOFING 
For residences, barns, poul¬ 
try-houses and silos. Posi¬ 
tively the most durable and 
economical roofing on - the 
market. Anyone can apply 
it. Water-proof. Contains 
no tar. Will not melt. Lasts 
indefinitely. 
SEND FOR BOOKLET K. 
THE STANDARD PAINT CO 
• 100 William St,, New York,. 
CouA Dalnl 
OdVC rdim DlliS Hooting,which requires 
painting every 
two years, use 
Arrow Brand 
Asphalt 
Beady Roofing 
already sur¬ 
faced with gravel, and which needs no painting 
ASPHALT READY ROOFING CO. Send for free I 
8% Pine St., New York. samples. 
Best for Water 
WRITE 
FOR 
PRICES 
RALPH B. CARTER 
WRITE 
FOR 
PRICES 
CO. 
26 Cortlandt St., New York, N. Y. 
Disparene 
The most powerful InseeWeide 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 
sufterintendents, tree wardens, and large 
orchardists everywliere. 
Professor Smith, of New Jersey, says: 
“My experience lias been so satisfactoiy 
I have recommended it liighly.” 
Enough for a large orchard, $4-25 
Enough for 75 gals, spray . 1.00 
2 lb. sample..50 
Large illustrated catalogue free. 
C INSECTICIDE 
DVyWIVCirV COMPANY 
Address nearest office: 
Boston, New York, or Cincinnati 
Professor C. P. Gillette, Colorado Experi¬ 
ment Station, says: “We find Disparene 
effective in destroying insect life and it 
does not injure very tender plants.” 
You can 
cover 30 to 40 acres 
per day with 
Watsoi\ 
Four Row Potato Sprayer 
Straddles 2 rows, sprays 
4 at a time. Wheels ad¬ 
just for different widths. 
Sprays to any fineness and gearing of pump to wheel of 
cart gives any pressure desired. Automatic agitator and 
,«uction strainer cleaner. It never spoils foliageor clogs* 
Free ioatruetlon and formula book shows the famous Qarfleld, Em¬ 
pire King, Orchard Monarch and other sprayers. Write for It. 
Field Force Pump Co., 2 Hth St. ,Elmira, K.Y. 
I ■■ ■ iv Prairie Dogs, 
' k ■ I nil Wk' ' Woodchnck8,6opber8, 
■ ■ ■■■ MB and drain Insects 
■ “The wheels of the 
■■■■ ■ grind slow but 
ledlngly small.” So the weevil, but you can stop 
dth®** “Fuma Carbon Bisulphiile”tieK® 
JDWAKD K. TAYLOR, Peiui Yarn N. *• 
