7o6 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 20 
Ruralisms ; 
An Aquatic Garden. 
The culture of ornamental aquatic 
plants has wonderfully increased of 
late. Twenty years ago the large and 
splendidly-colored water lilies now so 
plentifully grown in numerous public 
and private water-gardens were prac¬ 
tically unknown, except to botanists and 
travelers. Now species and varieties, 
expanding blooms from eight inches to 
a foot or more in width, and of the most 
brilliant and delicate tints of blue, pur¬ 
ple, yellow and crimson, as well as many 
intermediate shades, are found in every 
collection of note. Hybridizers have 
been actively at work among the various 
groups of water lilies, and most gratify¬ 
ing advances in form, size and color 
have been made. Some of the new pro¬ 
ductions being slow to increase are sold 
at high prices, $125 each being asked 
for French varieties no better than 
American hybrids sold from $5 to $25 
each. However, there is no need to pay 
such extreme prices, as fine standard 
varieties may be had in all colors from 
25 cents to $1.50 each. 
Aquatics are divided into two general 
sections, the hardy and tender sorts. 
The hardy kinds, like the common white 
pond lay, Nymphsea odorata, will en¬ 
dure the Winter anywhere, provided the 
mud in which the roots are embedded is 
not itself frozen, no matter how thick 
the ice may lie on the water above, 
while the tender varieties require gen¬ 
erally a temperature approaching 70 de¬ 
grees in the water in which they grow, 
and in consequence must be kept over 
under glass or in ponds artificially 
warmed. Some of the finest of the ten¬ 
der section are annuals, and are easily 
raised from seeds each season, beginning 
to bloom as soon as they have attained 
sufficient size. The wonderful Victorias, 
the gigantic water-lilies of the Amazon 
Valley, partake of this character, and 
can easily be grown to flowering size 
in a single season. The immense leaves 
are five or six feet across, and so buoy¬ 
ant that one readily bears the weight 
of a child. Fig. 268, on page 703, was 
made from a photograph taken in the 
water-garden of Henry A. Dreer, River¬ 
ton, N. J., and well shows a group of 
these immense tropical plants grown 
under our ordinary conditions of tem¬ 
perature. The flowers of the Victorias 
are from a foot to 15 inches in diameter, 
at first white, changing to pink and 
crimson. They have a heavy pineapple 
fragrance during the first day of their 
existence. A new variety, V. Trickeri, 
which originated in these water-gar¬ 
dens, is so nardy that seeds left in the 
frozen pond over Winter germinate 
readily the next Spring, and bloom dur¬ 
ing late August. Plants of the Victorias 
cost from $5 to $10 each, and the seeds 
are sold from $2 to $3 a dozen. The 
writer has paddled through miles of 
Victoria regia in the quiet lakes and in¬ 
lets connected with the mighty Amazon 
River in Brazil, but never saw much 
larger nor better specimens than are 
now grown in our parks and public 
grounds. There are many other species 
and hybrids among the tender water 
lilies coming from all parts of the trop¬ 
ical world. The brilliant blue, purple 
and rose Zanzibar lilies are known to 
many, as uie seeds are freely offered in 
catalogues, and they can be readily 
started in a saucer of rich earth and 
water in the house, and bloomed in an 
ordinary tub of water and mud. The 
list of hardy water lilies is even more 
extensive, and new varieties are be¬ 
ing rapidly introduced. The highest 
prices are being asked for the novelties 
in this section, as it takes longer to in¬ 
crease inem, and they are of more ex¬ 
tended utility. Starting with white, yel¬ 
low and rose-colored species the hybrid¬ 
izers have already produced some won¬ 
derfully rich shades of crimson and or¬ 
ange, while the size of bloom and flori- 
ferousness has been greatly increased. 
The lotus or Nile lily, Nelumbium spe- 
ciosum, is the grandest type of the hardy 
section, and can be readily grown in any 
still pond or sluggish stream with 
muddy bottoms, if the water gets rea¬ 
sonably warm in Summer. The lotus 
produces enormous leaves standing sev¬ 
eral feet above the water, flowers nearly 
a foot across, varying according to va¬ 
riety, from white to deep pink in color, 
followed by large seed pods looking 
curiously like the rose of a watering 
pot. There is a fine American species, 
N. luteum, not too well known, that 
produces an abundance of pure yellow 
blossoms. It is found in sluggish 
streams in the Western and Southern 
States. The gem of all the hardy Nym- 
phseas, however, is the deliciously- 
scented common pond lily, N. odorata. 
It should never be omitted from any 
collection; though there are many oth¬ 
ers more showy, there are none quite so 
fragrant. 
Tiie Holderbaum Peach. —This in¬ 
teresting peach originated as a seedling 
about 20 years ago in a garden in one 
of the highest and coldest localities in 
the Allegheny Mountains of western 
Pennsylvania. It was introduced to the 
trade a few years ago by the Kemp 
Bros., of Harnedsville, Pa., as the 
“Giant of the Alleghenies.” The claims 
made for it are special hardiness in 
tree and bud, the flowers remaining al¬ 
most closed during the blooming period, 
and the young fruits being covered with 
a heavy fuzz, protecting them from late 
frosts, the large size, high quality of the 
peaches and the extreme productiveness 
of the variety. We are growing some of 
the trees, which are not yet large 
enough to fruit, and look forward to the 
result with interest, as it is seldom that 
a peach is sent out from that rather 
boreal locality. J. H. Black, Son & Co., 
Hightstown, N. J., sent us some Holder- 
baum peaches in early September, 
grown from buds obtained from the or¬ 
iginators. They were of good size, very 
high quality, freestone, with a small pit 
for me size of the fruit, but more near¬ 
ly white than yellow-fleshed as claimed 
by the introducers. The trees are very 
thrifty growers on the Rural Grounds. 
A Very Dwarf Platycodon. —Two 
years ago we received from Prof. Max 
Leichtlin, Baden Baden, Germany, seeds 
of a very dwarf and large-flowered va¬ 
riety of Platycodon Mariesii, a hardy 
member of the Campanulaceas or Bell¬ 
flower family from Japan. The profes¬ 
sor gives it the name of P. Mariesii ma- 
cranthum. The little plants began to 
bloom while in thumb pots, within four 
months after sowing, producing flowers 
larger than the rest of the plant and pot 
combined. As the tubers were quite 
small they were kept over in dry earth, 
and planted out last Spring, and have 
bloomed beautifully all Summer. The 
widely-expanded flowers average more 
than four inches across, and are con¬ 
stantly produced if the seed pods are 
regularly cut off. The color is a bril¬ 
liant blue rather better than in the Ma¬ 
riesii and the rail species, P. grandiflora, 
which has become quite common in our 
gardens. The new variety only grows 
seven or eight inches high, and the 
large flowers often completely cover it. 
It will make a fine addition to the small 
list of everblooming perennials adapted 
to bedding purposes. P. grandiflora 
grows three or more feet high, and is 
quite certain to topple over when laden 
with its blue or white flowers. P. Ma¬ 
riesii grows from 12 to 18 inches high, 
and is much more compact, but the new 
variety is in every way a distinct im¬ 
provement on it as grown here. The 
double-flowered varieties of Platycodon 
have never become popular, as the du¬ 
plication of petals causes these bell¬ 
shaped dooms to lose their distinctive 
grace. 
Tlie Rochester Radiator received the award 
at Paris; further proof of its superiority.— Adv, 
THE MATTHEWS PEACH. 
This has been a remarkable year in 
the opportunities afforded for noting the 
behavior of many of the new peaches, 
for there has been a peach crop over a 
wider area in America than for many 
years. Of the new varieties Matthews 
(the “Beauty” appendage should be uni¬ 
versally dropped, for it is needless and 
in opposition to pomological rules), has 
proven to be handsome, and good in 
every other way. It is one of the large, 
yellow freestones that ripen a little af¬ 
ter midseason. It originated in the fa¬ 
mous peach region of Georgia, and ap¬ 
pears to be of the Elberta type. It is 
large, fully equal to Elberta in this re¬ 
gard; oblong and quite symmetrical in 
shape; clear, deep yellow, with an 
abundance of red overcast; the flesh is 
also yellow and flecked with red from 
the skin to the seed. Its flavor is mild, 
rich and very delicious. The quality I 
would pronounce high. The seed is me- 
lium in size and very free from the flesh. 
As to the season I am unable to say 
in strict comparison with the standard 
varieties, for I did not see it in the or¬ 
chard beside them. The specimen I had, 
which was said to be characteristic, was 
grown :n central New Jersey, and is 
shown in Fig. 265. It ripened not far 
from the same time as Late Crawford. 
In my opinion it is better than that old 
standard. Let it be tested more widely. 
H. E. VAN DEMAN. 
BURBANK’S AMERICA PLUM. 
This new hybrid plum has ripened 
fruit upon four one-year trees, and am 
able to describe it as it grows in this 
locality. The tree is one of the strong¬ 
est growers, with fine healthy foliage. 
The fruit buds are as hardy as the Wild 
Goose, and most other native plums, and 
as it blooms with them is as sure to 
fruit. As to the color, it is a dark red or 
a shade darker than the Charles Down¬ 
ing plum. Good specimens measure 
about 1% inch in diameter and all sound 
plums adhere to the tree well. The color 
of the flesh is bright yellow and the 
quality very good—if not very good to 
best. It contains a rich acid that makes 
it a valuable cooking plum. The flesh 
is firm and not inclined to rot. It is a 
cling. The weak points are that the fo¬ 
liage is attacked by the Rose oug almost 
to the exclusion of every other kind of 
plum, and the plums when canned lack 
color, being a pale yellow. However, the 
tree is so hardy and sure to bear, the 
fruit so attractive and rich in flavor, 
that it deserves notice as the first of the 
hybrid plums to prove a valuable acqui¬ 
sition. It ripens from August 20 to 30. 
New Philadelphia, O. o. l. t. 
The Hudson Peach. —Mr. H. S.Wiley, 
of Cayuga, N. Y., recently sent samples 
of the Hudson peach. He says it orig¬ 
inated with Mr. Ten Breck, of Colum¬ 
bia County. Mr. Wiley writes: “These 
specimens were ripened 40 miles south 
of Albany. This would bring the sea¬ 
son of the peach here to about October 
10-14. I do not know of any varieties 
we have at that season that would bear 
comparison to it. Our list of varieties 
in peaches is large now, and only new 
varieties of distinction should be added.” 
We found the peach rich and firm, of 
delicious flavor. 
Ellwood Steel Wire Fences 
Six styles—18 to 58 inches—best steel wires, 
heavily galvanized. Expansion and contrac¬ 
tion provided for. Every rod guaranteed. 
Sold by local agents. If no 
town write to the makers. 
agent in your 
American Steel & Wire Co., Chicago or New York. 
There Are Others 
»ca 
THE ^l^FROST 
BUT NONE SO STRONG. Made entirely of 
large-sized hard steel coiled wire, thor¬ 
oughly galvanized. Send for catalogue. 
THE FROST WIRE FENCE CO., 
Welland, Ont. Cleveland, Ohio 
While Wire is Down 
Is the right time to buy Page Fences. Write us. 
I,. H. Robertson, Receiver, 
PAGE WOVEN WIRE FENCE CO., ADRIAN, MICH. 
SAWS 
ANY WOOD 
IN ANY POSITION 
ON ANY CROUND 
4 in. to S ft. Through 
DCATC 9 MEN with 
Dtfl I 3 Wm Crons.cut Saw 
| MAN »hh a FOU>- 
I ING SAWING 51ACH1NK__ 
6 to 9 cords daily is the usual average for one man. 
RUNS HAST O v - At - ^ _ SAWS DOWS 
s° Tr'S TREES 
Our 1901 Model Machine saws faster, runs easier & will 
last longer than ever. Adjusted in a minute to suit a 
12-year-old boy or the strongest man. Send for catalog 
showing latest improvements. First order gets agenev. 
Folding Sawing Mach, co 55 N. Jefferson St., Chicago, III. 
26 Bushel “ anHour 
with the wolverine liaii nearing 
TRIPLE GEARED MILL. 
Grinds ear corn and all other grain, tine or 
coase, grinds finer and a more uniform 
feed than any other sweep mill made, and 
THE ONLY SWEEP MILL 
that gives you as nice feed as a burr stone 
mill. GRINDS FASTER than any other 
geared mill because burrs malce 3 turns to 
each round ot the team, and we use the largest burrs of right shape 
to draw the grain into them. PULLS EASIER because we use hall 
bearings. LARGEST GEARED mill made. y*-t OUR PRICKS ARK 
LOW because we have no agents. We sell to vou direct. 
Uir nniDAUTCC this mill to grind 1-3 more than any other 
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mills, tkl 4. Si 5 and up. Send for free catalogue. 
Marvin Smith Co., 55-57 N. Jefferson St., Chicago, Ills. 
T HE WHEEL OF TIME 
for all time is the 
Metal Wheel. 
make them in all sizes and vari¬ 
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height, any width of tire desired. 
Our wheel, are either direct or 
stagger spoke. Can FIT YOUK 
WAGON perfectly without change. 
NO BREAKING DOWN. 
No dryinz out. No resetting tires. Cheap 
because they endure. Send for cat*, 
logue and pricea. Free upon reqneet. 
Electrlo Wheel Co. 
Box 88 Quincy, Ills. 
4 Huggy Wheels with tire on, 87.25 
with Axles Welded and Set, 11.00 
I make all sizes & grades. Send for cat. giving 
instructions for ordering. Special Grade 
Wheels for repair work, $5.50. ft prepaid, if you 
write to-day. W. R. BOOB, Centre Hall Pa 
We are the largest manu¬ 
facturers of Steel Wheels 
and Truck Wagons in the 
World. Write for Catalogue. 
Havana (III.) Metal Wheel Co. 
•mm 9 * *•*.*.*..*.!*■ • • *•*.*• *.*.* J'•*•*.* ”/ / 0 .V. • •*.*•*• I’.V I*.' . V.’i* 
ENTERPRISE 
Meat and Food Chopper 
No. 5, <12.00. 
N / .?*?’ L'-' 
n 
All cooks will value its usefulness and 
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of meats, fish, vegetables and fruits—finely, 
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part is strong and durable. No trouble to 
clean it. A necessity in every household. 
Sold at al! hardware, housefurnishing and depart¬ 
ment stores. Illustrated catalogue of other house¬ 
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prising Housekeeper ’’—contains 200 recipes. 
THE ENTERPRISE MFG. CO. OF PA. 
Philadelphia. U. S. A. 
85 Sizes and styles; liund 
and power. 
From $1.00 to $275.00. 
