1900 
283 
fHE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
THE TULIP TREE AS AN ORNAMENTAL. 
Its Good Quantities Described. 
Among the most beautiful trees of our American for¬ 
ests there are none of the deciduous kinds that sur¬ 
pass the tulip tree in general excellence under culti¬ 
vation. The elms are graceful in form, and grand in 
their majestic bearing; 'the maples are unexcelled in 
density of shade and the beautiful coloring of t'heir 
foliage in Autumn; but the tulip tree should not be 
forgotten by the planter, wherever it will grow, and 
that is, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. 
It is a tree of sturdy, upright habit, and one of both 
beauty and utility. It is native as far north as the 
southern pans of Vermont and Michigan, and extends 
from there to northern Florida, and westward to 
Arkansas. In the hilly and mountainous regions, 
from Virginia to Indiana and Kentucky, this stately 
tree reaches its highest development. Where the soil 
is rich, yet loose and well drained, as on some of the 
mountain slopes of the Blue Ridge and the Alleghen¬ 
ies, and among the alluvial hills skirting 'the Ohio 
River and its tributaries, there have been millions of 
gigantic trees of this species, there called Yellow 
poplar, although it is not a true poplar, but very 
close kin to the Magnolias. A few are yet standing 
that the lumbermen have not been able to destroy. 
Trees 'that were four to five feet in diameter, and 100 
feet high, were by no means uncommon, and those 
six to seven feet across the stump, and 125 to 150 feet 
high, were occasionally found. Their tall, straight 
trunks made lumber of the best quality for almost 
all purposes. Many of the old patriarchs have I 
helped cut down and make into lumber, shingles, 
fence rails, etc., during my boyhood days in southern 
Ohio. Alas! there are very few such trees left stand¬ 
ing to-day, except in the most inaccessible places. 
But it is as an ornamental tree that it is to be con¬ 
sidered at this time. Where grown in the open, its 
branches spread out as near the ground as may be 
desired, and the tree assumes a most beautiful pyra¬ 
midal shape. The leaves are large and glossy green. 
Their shape is peculiarly lobed and very handsome. 
When ripening in the Fall, they become brilliant yel¬ 
low, and may be seen from afar, shining among the 
foliage of other trees of more somber hues. Beauti¬ 
ful flowers are borne abundantly after the tree attains 
an age of about 15 years. They are much like tulips 
in shape and size, as shown in Fig. 85, first page, and 
of a soft greenish-yellow color, with an orange 'scal¬ 
loped band running across the middle of the petals. 
The flowers also have a delicate perfume, that is 
agreeable to most persons. The seeds are borne on 
a cone-shaped spike in the center of the flower, and 
when mature, are winged, somewhat like those of the 
pines and maples. 
In addition to the beauties of the tulip tree, It has 
another and a very important characteristic—that of 
hardiness and endurance under the 
very trying conditions that are likely 
to be met in cultivation. As a street 
tree there are none better, and few as 
good, all things considered. In Wash¬ 
ington, D. C., with asphalt pavements 
on all sides, the tulip tree proves to 
be one of the mosn satisfactory of the 
many kinds tried. It is a part of the 
plan of the park commissioners there 
to line both sides of a street with one 
kind of shade tree, and the next one 
with another, and so on, through a 
long list of species; for nearly every 
street in the city is thus adorned, and 
some of them with double rows on 
each side. In several cases the tulip 
tree has been used, and found to be 
one of the best. 
As a shade tree on the lawn it is 
very desirable. Its symmetrical shape, 
abundant and beautiful foliage, and 
handsome flowers, all combined, make 
it suitable either as a solitary speci¬ 
men or for grouping with other trees. 
Fortunately, it has few insect enemies or fungous 
diseases to prey upon either foliage or wood. With 
reasonable care in transplanting, there is little dan¬ 
ger of loss from failure to grow. When set in mod¬ 
erately fertile soil, its growth is sufficiently rapid; 
although loose, loamy and rather rich soil suits it 
best. However, it will succeed where almost any of 
our common trees flourish under cultivation. Give it 
a fair trial. h. e. van deman. 
I NOTICE that the Hope Farm man intends getting some 
of his seed potatoes from an early crop In Florida, after 
they ripen. Now, I would suggest that he get a portion 
of them from the first digging, or when the crop is not 
more than half ripe. Immature seed potatoes seem to 
have more vigor, and will germinate more quickly and 
more surely in this section than ripe seed. The theory 
may be wrong, but a trial will decide which kind is safer 
and surer. H. R. N. 
Virginia. 
THE SOY BEAN IN THE NORTH. 
Much interest has been taken of late in the Soy, or 
Soja bean, an introduction from Japan. It is being 
used to a 'considerable extent in this country, both as 
a forage and as a green-manuring crop. The compo¬ 
sition of the plant shows a high percentage of food 
ingredients, and as it is one of the leguminous order, 
it doubtless derives much of its nitrogen from the air. 
There are many varieties on the market, which are 
classified by a few seedsmen into early, medium and 
late; others offer simply Soy, or Soja beans, which 
are usually found to be the late variety. The medium 
early is perhaps the best for all purposes, on account 
of Its maturing a large quantity of seed, as well as 
making a fine, leafy growth, thus enabling one either 
to sell the seed or convert the whole into silage. 
THREE VARIETIES OF SOY BEANS. Flo. 88. 
This variety will average a yield of four tons 1,900 
pounds to the acre. When the crop is to be cured for 
hay, it should be cut when in blossom. Cows eat it, 
but do not seem to relish it much when fed alone. It 
is always advisable to feed it with fodder corn, mil¬ 
lets, etc., when used for soiling. When mixed with 
corn for silage, it forms a very valuable concentrated 
food. However, it has one objectionable point in its 
use for the silo, that of its woody, indigestible stem. 
Fig. 88 shows the comparative merits of three 
varieties grown at the New Hampshire Experiment 
Station, No. 1 being the early, No. 2 the medium early, 
which is recommended, and No. 3, the late. Fig. 89 
also gives a field of the late variety, taken at the 
same station. In sowing, the following method may 
be used: Sow in drills three feet apart, with seed 
dropped one foot apart in the row, which requires 
about one-half bushel of seed per acre; or the seed 
may be sown broadcast, requiring in this case from 
one to two pecks more per acre. The cultivation or¬ 
dinarily given corn is sufficient. The idea that this 
plant will grow equally well on wornout soils, without 
fertilizers, is an erroneous one. It is necessary either 
to fertilize the land, or to use soil in good heart al¬ 
ready, if an average crop is expected. Potash, phos¬ 
phoric acid and lime are recommended as the fer¬ 
tilizers best adapted to its growth. Nitrogen has also 
been found equally beneficial, especially when no turf 
is plowed under. e. w. rane. 
New Hampshire Agricultural College. 
“We ate more strawberries last year than we ever did 
before!” writes a Pennsylvania farmer. Just tell us, 
now, who should eat fruit if not the farmer! 
REFRIGERATOR CARS FOR FRUIT. 
How to Get them Ready. 
During the past few years the use of refrigerator cars 
for fruit shipping has wonderfully increased. Tho 
Southern shippers saw how the California fruit came 
safely across the continent, and by experiment they 
found the cold cars well suited to their needs. In the 
North, too, the cars are largely used. Mr. J. A. Davis, 
of Maryland, told the Peninsula Horticultural Society 
last Winter how to use the cars. 
The first thing 'to be done when the car is placed 
on the track for icing, is to examine the drip pans 
carefully, to be sure that they are free from dirt, so 
that the drip from the ice will pass off, and not flood 
the car. Then, strip the bottom of the car length¬ 
wise with strips one inch wide and one inch thick; 
placing strips 13 inches apart. Ice car 12 to 15 hours 
before using. In loading the car, we put four crates 
(we use 48-quart crates exclusively) across the end of 
the car, leaving space between each crate; then nail 
two slats on the top of each crate to keep crates in 
position, and for the next row of crates to rest on, 
allowing room for ventilation. In icing car, fill the 
bunkers full of ice. If weather is very warm examine 
the bunkers just before the car leaves the station, 
and if the ice has melted, refill. If good fruit, care¬ 
fully handled, is loaded this way, with about 215 48- 
quart crates to the car, I am sure the fruit will keep 
in good condition for five days. The man who con¬ 
demns the refrigerator cars has poor fruit, or puts his 
fruit in car in poor condition. Ice will not resurrect 
the dead, neither will ice save berries that are in 
poor condition when they are packed. One of the 
greatest mistakes made is trying to bring down the 
price of refrigeration from three-quarters of a cent to 
one-half cent, by overloading the cars, which pre¬ 
vents proper ventilation. For instance, I loaded a 
car with 210 crates, and 182 were my own, and not 
one crate sold for less than 13 cents per quart, while 
another car loaded the same day with 270 crates, went 
through in very poor condition, and refrigeration was 
condemned by all the shippers who sent fruit in the 
overloaded car. 
STARTING FIELD CROPS IN POTS. 
For several years I have started various plants and 
vegetables in pots set in cold frames. Our Spring 
season here in Sullivan Co., N. Y., is late, and much 
cooler than in the Hudson River Valley. The alti¬ 
tude of our hilly farm ranges from 1,500 to 1,700 feet 
above sea level, and although less than one degree 
of latitude north of New York City, our season is two 
weeks later in Spring, and we may look for frosts 
much earlier in Fall, giving us a growing season a 
month shorter than on Long Island, or in central 
New Jersey. Pole Lima beans will not mature here 
on the hill-tops when planted in the open ground, 
and Concord grapes will not ripen one 
year in five. The nights are almost 
invariably cool, and semi-tropical 
plants like melons generally fail when 
planted in the usual way. I had 
planted cucumbers, sweet corn and 
other vegetables in sods laboriously 
cut and hauled, in old tomato cans, 
and in conical tins made for the pur¬ 
pose, with more or less success. The 
tins rapidly rusted out, and I set about 
devising a durable metallic pot that 
would readily permit the discharge of 
the contained earth all intact with its 
growing plant ready to be set in the 
open ground. 
I have had pole Limas earlier here 
than they were at Newburg-on-the- 
Hudson, and cucumbers, sweet corn, 
and other vegetables a full month 
ahead of my neighbors, by starting in 
pots under glass in cold frames. 1 
rather think that .it is easy to make 
the mistake of planting too early un¬ 
der glass in pots, a pot-bound plant 
being inclined to make a stunted growth after trans¬ 
planting in the open. My preference is to plant gar¬ 
den vegetables in cold frames about April 20, and 
remove to the field about May 20, our season here for 
planting corn. However, I am now (April 10) plant¬ 
ing potatoes in the cellar, in pots contained in a 
warm room near the furnace. They will be placed in 
the frames later. Taking the pots I use, 200 of them 
can be placed under a 3x6 feet sash, and a little cal¬ 
culation will show that it does not require a great 
number of sashes to start plants enough for an acre 
of ground in the field when set in hills. I shall use 
10,000 or more pots this year. Most vegetables, after 
transplanting in this way, although they do not wilt, 
will stand still a week without visible growth, and 
then go rapidly ahead. A point that I would empha¬ 
size is, don’t save seed from forced fruits or vege¬ 
tables, as according to my observation, there is 
marked weakness and deterioration in the plants 
grown therefrom. 8. R. divine. 
A FIELD OF LATE SOY BEANS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. Fig. 89. 
