354 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 19 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
Spring Birds and Blooms. —Robins 
are now preparing to nest; the Chimney 
swifts are establishing themselves for 
the season, and it only requires a 
glilnptee of a humming-bird to complete 
the bird life of Spring, for tanagers and 
orioles have already been seen and heard 
in this vicinity, though many of our 
familiar Summer residents are still 
scarce and rather shy. Plums, peaches, 
cherries and pears have about bloomed 
out, and have had favorable weather for 
pollination, as there have been many 
bright and breezy days. Some of the 
Americana plums, as Milton and Whit¬ 
aker, the “Golden Russet’’ Japan pear, 
and the North China and Siberian 
peaches, such as Bokhara No. 3, Yenshi 
and Crosby, still show much color, being 
later in developing their blooms, and to 
this extent, less liable to injury from 
frost. Apple blossom' have not as yet 
opened here, though many buds have 
nearly reached their full development. 
The Golden currant (Ribes aureum) 
and the flowering almonds, which are 
really double dwarf plums, are the 
most noticeable shrubs at this time. 
The Juneberry or Amelanchier trees, 
mentioned in previous notes, have just 
passed out of bloom, forming a com¬ 
pact mass of white, and for a brief 
period they were the handsomest things 
on the place. 
Two Thornless Roses. — Notwith¬ 
standing the old adage ‘No rose without 
a thorn,” a few roses have been long 
cultivated with nearly or quite thorn¬ 
less wood, though we believe none are 
free from prickles on the leaf stems. 
Rosa Banksia, a tender climbing species, 
introduced from China nearly 100 years 
ago, is almost thornless, but is never 
grown out of large greenhouses except 
in such mild climates as southern Cali¬ 
fornia, and iz consequently but little 
known. The new hardy climbing rose, 
Helene, which is said to be a seedling 
of Crimson Rambler, is practically de¬ 
void of thorns, and in this respect will 
be a welcome, substitute for its very 
popular parent for planting about 
porches, and in situations where thorns 
are especially objectionable. Helene 
has rather better foliage than Crimson 
Rambler, and is fully as vigorous in 
growih. The individual flowers are 
larger, but the color, a light violet rose, 
is not particularly pleasing, though 
useful as a contrast to the intense crim¬ 
son of the Rambler. It is said to be 
exceedingly hardy, but of this we can¬ 
not speak, as our specimens have been 
blooming under glass. Another promis¬ 
ing thornRss hardy rose has originated 
on the Rural Grounds from seeds of 
the Purple-leaved rose (Rosa ferrug- 
inea) pollenized with a garden rose of 
the Hybrid Perpetual class. Rosa fer- 
ruginea is a hardy, upright-growing 
species, from the mountains of Europe, 
bearing dark purple foliage, which 
holds its color well into midsummer. 
Tne flowers are small, single, and of a 
bright rose-pink color. The stems of 
this species grow stout with age, and 
are thickly set with spines and prickles, 
though there are few large enough to 
be called thorns. It was rather surpris¬ 
ing to find among a batch of seedlings 
from this little-known species one with 
entirely smooth branches, though re¬ 
taining much oi the rich coloring of its 
parent in foliage. No protection has 
been given the young plant for four con¬ 
secutive years, and it has never shown 
the slightest 'injury from exposure. It 
bloomed profusely last Spring, and pro¬ 
duced exceedingly double flowers, of 
moderate size, but of an attractive 
“pompon” form, the great number of 
petals building it up to a greater height 
than any rose we have yet seen. The 
color may be described as a bright, sil¬ 
very pink. The whole flower with its 
setting of ruddy foliage is distinct and 
attractive, and it seems that it should 
prove a desirable acquisition in the 
dooryard, where thorny rose bushes are 
not wanted. The only weakness yet 
shown is a difficulty in propagation, 
and it is not likely that cuttings can 
be induced to root with any degree of 
certainty; all attempt^ have failed up 
to this time. It can be budded or graft¬ 
ed with fair success. An occasional 
thin and papery thorn sometimes ap¬ 
pears on a new shoot, but it soon falls 
off, and the old wood is as smooth as an 
apple branch. 
Enterprising Nut-Grass. — Several 
years ago a portion of the Rural 
Grounds became infested with Yellow 
Nut-gra'ss (Cyperus esculentus) by means 
of some muck compost, used as potting 
soil. We have been trying to eradicate 
it ever since, with only moderate suc¬ 
cess. Last season potatoes were planted 
in the plot containing the most trouble¬ 
some colony, and on digging them a 
number were found threaded on the 
Nut-grass rootstocks, which had appar¬ 
ently grown through the potatoes in the 
same manner as Couch and Blue grass 
stems. Recently, in cutting a fine Sir 
Walter Raleigh potato grown in this 
plot, a sound and healtny Cyperus tuber 
was found near the center, neatly en- 
capsuled with potato tissue. The en¬ 
trance and passage of the grass root- 
stock could be made out as a withered 
thread. The specimen was sent to the 
Department of Agriculture at Washing¬ 
ton, D. C., and the Division of Botany 
officials of the Department say that is 
the first time that they have heard of a 
case where a tuber of any of the sedge- 
grasses developed inside of a potato. 
While the Nut-grass is often trouble¬ 
some in market gardens and highly cul¬ 
tivated places, it can eventually be ex¬ 
terminated by careful culture. Hogs 
are very fond of the nutritious little 
tubers, and if given a chance to root 
will quickly reduce the number. 
.Planting Season, on the Rural 
Grounds, is a very busy one this year, 
as it is a problem to arrange the great 
number of new plants and novelties in 
fruits, flowers and vegetables that have 
been pouring in upon us, to the best ad¬ 
vantage for comparative trials. Special 
attention will be given to novelties of 
home origin and native plants, as com¬ 
pared with exotic productions. We hope 
to make these tests reliable and gen¬ 
erally interesting. 
Propagating Roses from Cuttings. 
Mr. W. T. Smedley, of Chester Co., Pa., 
writes: 
1 have had very fair success from 
August on till freezing by inserting the 
slips, all but two buds, in the ground in a 
sheltered place, and covering with some 
glass vessels, as tumblers, damaged fruit 
cans, or something that will let in 
light and a little heat, and exclude the 
air. A batch of cuttings sent from Los 
Angeles, Cal., about all grew treated this 
way, though 13 days of August weather in 
transit. The theory is that the glass 
cover pressed into the soil retain the mois¬ 
ture, keeping the cutting fresh till rooting 
takes place. 
Many trials of this method of propa¬ 
gating roses have been made on the 
Rural Grounds, but with only moderate 
success. Some varieties will root fairly 
well if the cuttings are placed in moist 
ground and covered with glass as above 
described, after the soil has become thor¬ 
oughly warmed, but others will usually 
fail, except under propagating-house 
conditions. 
Late Gladiolus. 
Can Gladiolus bulbs be planted late to 
bloom the last week in September for a 
fair exhibit? l. b. 
Hamburg, Conn. 
Ans. —Gladioli are very accommodating, 
and many varieties keep a long time in 
the dormant state. Plant the smaller 
bulbs first, as they become excited into 
growth, and try to save the larger ones 
until the middle of June at least, keep¬ 
ing them in as dry and cool a place as 
possible. The late-planted ones will 
form bloom spikes in less time than 
those planted earlier, owing to the in¬ 
creased heat and sunlight of the season, 
but some blooms ought to develop at the 
time wanted. 
African Fruit.—A recent consignment 
from the Cape of Good Hope to England 
included 2,188 boxes, 2,025 boxes grapes, 151 
of plums, 11 of pears and one of quinces. 
The grapes were in fine condition, selling 
for nearly $4.50 per box. The plums were 
small, but sold for about $1.75 to $2 per 
box of 24 to 30 fruit. Vigorous attempts 
are now being made to foster this trade 
between Great Britain and British South 
Africa. 
Manuring Pear Trees.—I notice that 
the Hope Farm man purposes to put hog 
manure around pear trees. Please don’t 
do it unless you wish pear trees to “burn.” 
Unless they are dwarfs under five years 
old, the hog or any other animal manure 
will surely cause them to blight. 
R. N.-Y.—The mischief, if any, has been 
done, for the manure Is on the ground 
under the old trees. 
Kieffer Pear.— The R. N.-Y. hasn’t 
said anything against Kieffer Pear in a 
long time. I am afraid the editor is not 
in as good health as usual. w. n. s. 
R. N.-Y.—We have been eating consider¬ 
able Kieffer silage. That Is calculated to 
make a man overlook even the faults of 
the hired man. Wait till we see a customer 
buy a Kieffer for its shape and color, 
take one bite and then throw the rest 
away with a bad name for all pears. 
Tulip Tree, Carolina Poplar.— We 
were interested in the description of that 
beautiful shade and timber tree, Lirioden- 
dron tulipifera, under the name of the 
tulip tree, by H. E. Van Deman, page 283. 
Many grand old specimens have an exist¬ 
ence still in the mountains of western 
North Carolina. Driving over the Blue 
Ridge recently with a man of large lumber 
interests in that section, a remark was 
made about this grand tree being called 
poplar. This rather surprised our friend, 
who said: “If you ever have any trees of 
this kind to sell, don’t ever mention tulip 
tree, or Liriodendron, if you expect to get 
anything for them. They will sell for 
straight poplar and command a high 
price.” And thus we see a name of an in¬ 
ferior family has become attached to a su¬ 
perior one for ornamental and economic 
uses and an owner would be injured to 
make an offer of his good lumber by mail 
under its own name. Who among R. N.- 
Y. readers would think of the unity of the 
varieties named by Mr. Van Deman, page 
283, and the Carolina poplar, page 288, as 
one and the same? Every observer of 
trees must be impressed with the grandeur 
of the Liriodendron, and its good timber 
qualities are in some measure responsible 
for its being so nearly exterminated in its 
full-grown form in accessible forests. On 
the other hand, the true poplars are poor 
timber trees and are not to be compared 
with the tulip tree for appearance. We 
like to see things go under their own 
names. e. e. 
UEE&ETT*§ 
piON 
Jtf. 
A Dry Sprayer 
No Water or Plaster. 
Duita Trw, Buih or Via*. 
Two rows of potatoes as 
fastas you walk, wide or 
narrow planting. Agtiita 
wanted. Catalogue and 
spray calendar free. 
LEGGETT & BROTHER, 
301 Pearl Bt., New York. 
■ ■■ 
Perfect Fruit i 
is produced by perfect spray. 
ing.Perfectsprayinglg done by 
EMPIRE KING 
AND 
GARFIELD KNAPSACK 
The finest In the spray, most thorough 
in the stirring, easiest In the work. 
An automatic brush keeps the strainer 
free from thick, raw poison. Impos¬ 
sible to ecorch the foliage. Noleather 
or rubber valves. Send for free book 
cm spraying. Agents wanted- , 
FIKLD FORCE PIMP CO., 
2 Market 8L, 1-ockport, N. T. 
COMPRESSED AIR 
SPRAYER*" 
HOLDS FOUR GALLONS. 
ONLY TAKES A MOMENT TD 
POMP IN THE AIR.NO MORE 
LABOR REQUIRED. PRICE J450 
COMPLETE.5ENT TD ANY AD¬ 
DRESS. AGENTS WANTED. 
D.B.5MITH & ED,UTICA,N.Y. 
Spraying Pays 
If you have the 
right pump. 
Our No. 305 out¬ 
fit is as good a 
pump as ever 
was sold, and 
you will besur- 
prised when 
you learn the 
price. We sell 
Pump, Barrel, 
5 FCet of Hose, 
Graduated Noz¬ 
zle, which 
throws a spray 
as fine as mist, 
Extension Pipe 
for high trees, 
and with first 
order from 
every town, 10 
lbs. of Paris 
Green free. Write for book telling all about it, 
and how and when to spray. 
r oss BRos. w °^.r,:«’- f ront st, 
DKIIRY BASKETS.—Buy now while cheap. 
CHARLES I. ALLEN, Terryville, Conn 
BERRY BOXES and BASKETS 
Peach Packages— 
Grape Baskets— 
Fruit and Vegetable 
Packages Of every kind 
Send for catalogue. _ 
NEW ALBANY BOX & BASKET CO., 
New Albany, Ind 
1900 
THE SOUTH SIDE 
FRUIT CARRIERS AND BASKETS 
PETERSBURG, VA. 
Write for Catalogue and Prices 
v .Before Buying a Hew 
Harness 
Scud 5 ct*. In stamps to pay postage on descriptive cat¬ 
alogue 100 styles of single and double onk-tn lined 
Leather Harness to select Com. Sold direct to the 
consumer at wholesale price. We can save you money 
JUNG HARNESS COMPANY. Mfrs. 
aia Church St., Owego, N. Y. 
A WOMAN’S NEW GAME 
is to enclose fowls with Page Poultry Fence. 
PAGE WOVEN WIUK FENCE CO., ADUIAN, MICH. 
Soon Saves Its Cost. 
A 12-Year 
Old Boy 
can do more and better work, either 
in the field or garden, with this 
HAND CULTIVATOR 
than three men can do with common hoes. 
Plows* hoes, cultivates —astride or between rows. Ifnoagent 
in your town send $1.35 for sample delivered and terms to agents. 
Ulrich Mfg.Co., 20Rlver St.,Rock Falls,III. 
M. M. S. POULTRY FENCING 
requires few posts, no top or bottom rail. Will not 
sag or buckle: easily erected; when completed costs 
less than old-style netting. Our circulars give net 
prices. Freight paid. 
JAMES S. CASE (Box N), Colchester, Conn 
You need fence. The ready made kinds 
cost from 60 to 75c.'a rod. We tell you I 
how to make the best fence on earthifor | 
20 to 35 Cants per Rod. 
Over 100 Styles, and from 60 to 70 rods I 
per day. Send for our free Catalogue. | 
K1TSELMAN BROTHERS, 
Box 106 Kldgetlllf, Indiana, II. 8 . A. | 
1,000 SAMPLES FREE 
of our new Success fenoe ratchet 
which tightens any wire fenoe, new 
or old. Grips automatically as wire 
is wound on. No holes to bore In posts. Attaohes 
midway of the fence. We will mall you a sample to 
test If you will send ns 12 o. to cover postage only. 
Clr. free. W. H. MASON & CO., Box 07, Leesburg, O 
