53o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
August 4 
Rural isms ► 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
Privet as a Farm Crop. —The com¬ 
mon or “California” privet, Ligustrum 
ovalifolium, thrives well and is used ex¬ 
tensively for hedges and ornamental 
plantings about the seaside resorts and 
very numerous Summer residences near 
the Rural Grounds. It has never win¬ 
terkilled in this section when once es¬ 
tablished, though its limit of endurance 
of frost does not extend much farther 
north. Privet is a most manageable 
plant, and makes a faultless ornamental 
hedge when kept in order, retaining 'its 
glossy foliage until January most Win¬ 
ters. In the garden of a Long Island 
villa it is used as an edging in the man¬ 
ner of old-fashioned box, and forms 
arches more than 12 feet high, as well 
as borders, only four inches high, from 
plants planted at the same time. This 
great difference in height was brought 
albout entirely by clipping and training. 
Here in Monmouth County, N. J., the 
local demand for privet is so consider¬ 
able that plants are grown as a money 
crop by a number of farmers and gar¬ 
deners. The process is quite simple, as 
the wood for cuttings can he had for lit¬ 
tle or nothing from the gardeners who 
trim the miles of hedges on the various 
large estates. The wood is cut in Janu¬ 
ary, after the foliage falls, and is made 
into cuttings eight inches long, choosing 
firm wood as near the diameter of a 
lead pencil as possible. The cuttingis are 
made into compact bundles of 100 each, 
butts all one way, and preferably bound 
with withes, as cords decay too readily. 
The bundles are then buried, upside 
down, in a well-drained place, and cov¬ 
ered with four or five inches of clear 
sand or light soil, free from vegetable 
mold, which often induces decay. They 
are left in this position until late April, 
when they are planted out in freshly- 
worked soil, placing the cuttings in rows 
three feet apart, and about six inches 
apart in the row. The cuttings are firm¬ 
ly placed deep enough to leave only one 
or two buds or “eyes” above the surface. 
The soil is well tramped about the cut¬ 
tings, and the surface raked smooth. 
About 30,000 are required for an acre. 
The object of burying the cuttings up¬ 
side down is to delay the starting of the 
'buds until the butt is well calloused, 
Which process is much promoted iby the 
warming up of the thin covering of 
•moist sand by the sun. After planting 
privet cuttings require frequent cultiva¬ 
tion and careful weeding to Insure a 
good stand, as they are quickly injured 
by dry weather while striking root. 
They are ready for sale by the end of 
the second year, and bring $45 to $50 per 
1,000 for the best specimens, and $15 to 
$30 for the less perfect grades. A fair 
“strike” of cuttings is about 60 per cent, 
which gives about 18,000 plants, at an 
average price of $35 per 1,000, or $630 for 
two years’ use of the soil and the labor 
connected with their production, pro¬ 
vided all the plants are sold. Privet is 
considered very exhausting to the soil, 
as it forms a perfect mat of roots, 
searching every part of the surface soil 
for nutriment. As a matter of fact, out¬ 
side of regular nurseries, privet is only 
grown in quarter or half-acre patches, 
but nevertheless, it returns considerable 
money to the growers. 
Wherever privet will thrive it forms a 
beautiful shrub for the farmer’s door- 
yard, and makes an ideal shelter for the 
poultry yard. It can be planted in 
groups two feet apart, and by frequent 
trimming with a sickle during the grow¬ 
ing season may be kept down to less 
than three feet in height, thus meeting 
together and forming a perfect canopy 
for chickens, which they enjoy hugely 
during warm weather, and quickly run 
to when they fear danger. The Ibota 
and Amur privets are both handsome 
and extremely hardy species coming 
from North China. They are worthy of 
cultivation wherever the ordinary 
species is too tender, but as yet they are 
very little known. 
The Reliable Cuthbert Raspberry. 
—Red raspberries come and go, but the 
Cuthbert holds its own, and is still more 
widely planted than any other variety. 
The Loudon has many friends, as it is 
large, hardy, and prolific, but many 
fancy the color too dull. Miller’s Red is 
bright enough in color and quite early, 
but its cropping capacity is still doubted. 
The present season has not been favor¬ 
able for red raspberries, though other 
bush fruits generally are plentiful. They 
wintered well, but the March frosts 
proved too much for many of the buds 
of even the Cuthbert, and the canes, too, 
seem to have been weakened by the 
sharp and sudden cold. Following that 
came a short but severe drought in late 
June, accompanied by drying winds. The 
result is only one-fourth crop of berries, 
as compared with previous good years. 
The red raspberry is a most grateful 
fruit, 'but its cultivation is still rather 
precarious. 
iSome Large Torenias. —Torenias are 
not grown very extensively, but are 
great favorites with those who care to 
bestow fair attention to their culture. 
They are greenhouse perennials, but are 
easily grown from seed as annuals, and 
make very fine plants for baskets and 
vases, as well as for moist places in the 
garden. T. Fournieri and T. Bailloni, 
the species commonly grown, are beau¬ 
tifully colored in dark blue, violet and 
yellow, with deep purple blotches, are 
very pretty indeed, but are likely to be 
superseded by newer introductions of 
garden forms. Three varieties received 
from Peter Henderson & Co., of New 
York, are now blooming, and are the 
finest things we have yet seen in this 
line. The flowers are IV 2 inch across; 
more than three times the size of the 
older types. Princess of Montenegro is 
porcelain blue and black-purple, with 
yellow throat; Violetta very large white 
flowers tinted blue and violet, and The 
Bride is white, with yellow in the throat. 
They are all of robust growth. 
NOTES ON STRAWBERRIES. 
The following notes were made on May 
25 by Mr. W. F. Allen, of Salisbury, Md. 
Readers must remember the location and 
also that the soil is very light. 
Bismarck is doing fairly well, very pro¬ 
ductive, and medium large. Brandywine is 
about as good as usual. Bubach seems to 
have stood the drought as well as any we 
have, but it not as productive as usual. 
Clyde is almost ruined by the drought, and 
is of very little account this year, though 
ordinarily it is one of our best. Cobden 
Queen is productive, firm, and medium 
large, a good one to plant for market. 
Crescent is still better than some of the 
new ones. Cyclone is badly injured by the 
drought. Darling is no good at all—better 
have none. Duffs very productive, medium 
size, highly colored, and about the firmest 
berry I ever saw except Hoffman, and pos¬ 
sibly Excelsior. Apparently it would ship 
anywhere. Enormous just beginning to 
ripen, and will bear a fair crop in spite 
of the drought. Excelsior is decidedly 
earlier than anything else we have, and 
is the best early berry grown, as far as I 
know. This year it was one week earlier 
than anything else on the place. It is as 
large, and almost as firm, as Hoffman, ana 
I believe fully twice as productive as 
Michel. Emperor is enormously productive, 
late, and large. At this date the large 
berries seem to be somewhat knotty, which 
may be due to the drougnt. Gandy is bet¬ 
ter than last year on light soil. However, 
it will never pay to grow it except on land 
especially adapted to it. Gandy Belle, or 
Isabel, which, I am informed by Mr. Van 
Deman, is the correct name, I see no rea¬ 
son for growing. It is a very good berry, 
but there are so many others better. Ger¬ 
trude is large, firm, and good quality, but 
not enough of it. Gladstone is very pro¬ 
ductive, very large, and seems to be about 
all that is claimed for it, with the excep¬ 
tion of being early. In time of ripening it 
is only mid-season, notwithstanding the 
many claims for its earliness. Glen Mary 
does not seem to be affected by the rust 
as badly as heretofore. Jerry Rusk posi¬ 
tively no good here. Hunn, ditto. John¬ 
son’s Early is medium large, quite firm, 
and a very showy berry, being highly col¬ 
ored and good quality. My plants are 
about as thick as they could possibly grow, 
which I think accounts for their not be¬ 
ing productive. The fact is, they have not 
set enough fruit in this bed to make them 
profitable. The originator, however, claims 
that he has grown 6,000 quarts to the acre, 
which is all that is to be desired of any 
berry, and I have good reports from some 
others who have it growing not as thick as 
mine. Really, I could not expect mine to 
bear, or any other variety as thick as my 
Johnson’s Early were this year. I think 
they would stand about 100 plants to the 
square foot. My impression is that in thin 
matted rows they would be all right, and 
I am also inclined to think that they will 
do better in stiff land, or low land, than 
they will on light soil. Kansas, none ripe 
at this date—very late. It has set an enor¬ 
mous crop, and gives promise of coming 
out first-class. Michigan no good; have 
never seen it any good, and everyone should 
be advised not to plant it. Michel rather 
more productive than usual, small on ac¬ 
count of drought. New York very pro 
ductive and very large, all right for local 
market, but do not recommend it especi¬ 
ally for a shipping berry, although quite 
as good as some others that are used for 
this purpose. From the reports we have 
had of Lt, it is giving great satisfaction 
generally. 
Parker Earle has set more fruit than I 
ever saw it do on light soil. Would not 
object to growing it if it did as well every 
year as this. Paris King is large and pro¬ 
ductive, and, I believe, a safe variety to 
plant for fruit. Am well satisfied that I 
planted a few acres this Spring. It has 
also given great satisfaction in Florida, 
judging from some reports we have had of 
it from that section. It is very firm for a 
large berry. Patrick no good—should never 
have been put on the market. Pride of 
Cumberland not ripening any yet, has set 
a full crop, and contrary to the impression 
of many, it is very productive. Ridgeway 
no good here. Rio very fine, what there is 
of it. It seldom sets a full crop on light 
soil. Ruby has set a large crop, but the 
berries are not perfect. In fact, the Ruby 
never seems to perfect Its fruit here. 
Saunders and Woolverton are about the 
same in most respects. Saunders, however, 
is a little darker colored and a little more 
perfectly shaped. Both varieties are very 
productive, and have almost a full crop, 
notwithstanding the extreme drought. For 
all kinds of seasons on my farm, I con 
sider it about the safest to plant for fruit, 
and think I do well to plant more of it 
than I have been doing, as it has never 
disappointed me. Seaford is very produc¬ 
tive, medium large, and looks as though it 
would mature its crop. Sharpless no good 
this season. Splendid one of the best of 
the Crescent type. Tennessee Prolific has 
set a very large crop, but owing to the 
drought, will be knotty to some extent. 
1 aken as a whole, however, it is very good, 
better than a great many others that have 
received more praise. Tubbs is one of the 
best for light soils, uniformly medium size, 
firm, and good color. I should plant at 
least 10 acres for fruit next year. Wm. 
Belt is not rusting as badly as it did last 
year, and I think the fruit will be better, 
though on light soils it is hardly pro¬ 
ductive enough to be profitable. Blonde, 
the largest berries, seem to be about half 
grown. It is very late, has set a tre¬ 
mendous crop as usual, looks green, 
healthy, and vigorous, and promises to 
mature a full crop. My impression at this 
writing is that I did not make a mistake 
in planting five acres of this for fruit last 
Spring, and that it is the best late berry 
for light soils that we have. The quality 
is not so good, being quite sour, but for 
a showy berry it is hard to beat; perhaps 
a little light in color, but not quite as light 
as Clyde. I shall plant more of it next 
Spring. 
A Garden Policeman. —An English 
horticultural paper prints the picture 
shown at Fig. 183 as an advertisement 
of a patent seed and bud protector. It 
is an imitation bird of prey hung by 
wires over a garden. Its stretched wings 
measure three feet, and it sells in Eng¬ 
land for 75 cents. It is supposed to fly 
to and fro with the wind, and thus 
frighten chickens or vermin. It will cer¬ 
tainly do better police service than the 
average scarecrow. 
his is just 
r WHAr I SHALL 
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