674 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
October 4 
Ruralisms 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
A Bio Plum From Burbank. —A very 
large, very attractive and excellent plain 
comes to us from Luther Burbank 
Santa Rosa, Cal., under the portentous 
uesignation of H. T. S. 84,761. Thougn 
eight days in transit it was in perfeoi. 
condition, and very agreeable in texture 
and flavor. It is represented in Fig. 
272, page 670, and though the camera 
has somewhat distorted the shape we 
may testify to the exact reproduction 
or size. The color was deep golden 
yellow with a crimson flush at the blos¬ 
som end. The yellow flesh was sweet, 
vinous and juicy, though quite firm, and 
adhered to the medium-sized flat pit. 
The light flecks shown in the figure 
were not very apparent in the fruit, as 
they were covered with bloom. Mr. Bur¬ 
bank says of this showy plum: 
I think it is going to make one of the 
very best of shipping plums, as it is of 
good quality, ripens up well when picked 
very green, good grower and bearer, and 
runs very even and large. 
When fitted with a convenient name 
this plum will be well worth a trial. 
The Hybridization Conference.— 
The Horticultural Society of New York, 
though a new organization, has shown 
ability to handle exhibitions and con¬ 
ferences in a highly satisfactory man¬ 
ner, and the success of the coming In¬ 
ternational Plant Breeders’ Conference, 
to be held by the cooperation of the 
American Institute at tne Berkeley Ly¬ 
ceum building, 19-21 West Forty-fourth 
Street, New York, September 30 to Oc¬ 
tober 2, is assured. More than 50 papers, 
covering every feature of breeding eco¬ 
nomical and ornamental plants, are al¬ 
ready announced, and an attendance of 
the most eminent botanists and horti¬ 
culturists of this and other countries is 
promised. The sessions will be held 
from 10 A. M. to 12.30 P. M., and 3 to 5 
P. M. each day, and are free to all in¬ 
terested. Owing to the number of pa¬ 
pers presented it is likely only an ab¬ 
stract of many will be read, thus giving 
more time ior discussion of the points 
brought forward. An exhibition of hy¬ 
brid plants and plants modified by selec¬ 
tion will be given at the same time. The 
published report of this conference com¬ 
prising the proceedings and all the pa¬ 
pers in lull will doubtless be a souvenir 
well worth reading. 
Tomatoes, Peppers and Onions. —In 
noting the trend of market gardening in 
this vicinity the increased consumption 
of tomatoes and peppers and the lessen¬ 
ing demand for onions, especially in the 
green stage, is evident. Of course these 
conclusions are only comparative. There 
are doubtless more onions grown now 
than formerly as there are many more 
people to eat them, but the proportion¬ 
ate increase in the consumption of pep¬ 
pers and tomatoes is vastly greater. 
This is partly attributed to the increas¬ 
ing percentage of immigration from 
Italy and southern Europe. The Latin 
races like “hot stuff” generally, and a 
spice of piquant seasoning helps out the 
flavor of their economical cooking. 
They usually cook tomatoes with their 
meat and throw in peppers, especially 
the fiery ones, at discretion. While 
onions are well liked the distinctive 
flavor may be had in concentrated form 
from garlic, which is abundantly im¬ 
ported, keeps very well, and goes a long 
way in practical use. The Germans use 
tomatoes and mild peppers freely in 
making up various relishes as well as 
for direct culinary purposes. Seedsmen 
and truckers think that dry onions are 
as freely used by the majority of 
Americans as ever, but the demand for 
green onions has materially lessened 
within the last few years. Formerly 
bunch onions in early Spring were high¬ 
ly prized, and met an eager demand. 
Now in many localities it does not pay 
to grow them. This changed taste may 
be the result of a plethora of Winter 
vegetables grown under glass or 
shipped from the South taking the edge 
off the Spring appetite for green things. 
Peppers are now grown by the acre i:’ 
northern New Jersey, and thousands of 
barrels are shipped to the city markets 
during the season. Only the red varie¬ 
ties are grown on a commercial scale, 
Sweet Mountain, Ruby King and County 
Fair being the favorites among sweet 
varieties, and Long Red, Cayenne or 
Cardinal for the pungent ones. The 
yellow and dark purple kinds are only 
used for domestic garden purposes. Th a 
windows and roofs in the tenement por¬ 
tions of New York and suburban cities 
are festooned at this season with strings 
of peppers, chiefly the hot ones, drying 
for Winter use. Leeks are more exten¬ 
sively grown than formerly, and are 
much utilized in late Winter for soup 
and meat flavoring. Local hucksters 
who supply Summer residents along the 
coast like to find out as early in the sea¬ 
son as possible the proportion of French 
or foreign cooks employed by their pat¬ 
rons, as the foreigner uses seasoning 
and garnishing herbs and vegetables 
more liberally than the native cooks. 
The increased demand may often be an¬ 
ticipated by prompt planting. 
Wrinkle in Cress Growing. —We 
never feel quite comfortable without a 
handy supply of water cress. • This ap¬ 
petizing salad formerly grew plentifully 
in nearby streams, having been natural¬ 
ized years ago for commercial purposes, 
but owing to obstructions in the chan¬ 
nels it has diminished in quantity and 
quality, so we have taken to growing it 
in tubs of soil and water outside in 
Summer and in a portable zinc tray un¬ 
der glass during cold weather. There 
is no trouble to get a strong growth on 
four inches or more of rich soil covered 
with an inch or two of water, but the 
stems come rather short for convenient 
use. The accidental placing of an in¬ 
verted pot over the growing cress re¬ 
sulted in the prompt appearance of a 
fine tuft through the drainage hole. 
When gathered after 12 to 15 days' 
growth it came away with clean white 
stems as long as the pot was deep, mak¬ 
ing a convenient and decorative little 
cluster. We have since used ordinary 
four-inch pots, selecting those with 
drainage holes nearly an inch in diam¬ 
eter and cover half the surface of the 
cress-tub with them, placing the open 
or large end down. The stems soon 
come up through the hole and spread 
out into foliage when they reach the 
light, while the moist cavity of the por¬ 
ous pot is filled with a mass of clean 
thread-like roots. To gather it is only 
needful to tip the pot, cut the stems at 
the water surface and draw out through 
the hole. The tuft is then delightfully 
clean and free from slime, being ready 
for use after simple washing without 
being picked to pieces in the usual man¬ 
ner. Water cress needs plenty of plant 
food if a rapid growth in cramped quar¬ 
ters is desired. We naturally do not 
care to use animal manures as stimu¬ 
lants, and find the occasional addition of 
a teaspoonful of nitrate of soda dis¬ 
solved in a pint of water to the water 
in tub about all that is necessary. Our 
tubs are large butter firkins, but half 
barrels will be used in the future, re¬ 
quiring a greater amount of nitrate. We 
start with good garden soil, fill to with¬ 
in a few inches of top of tub or tray, 
cover with an inch or so of clean sand, 
sow the seed or dibble in a few rooted 
stems of the cress, and slowly fill with 
water until soil is saturated and water 
stands two inches or more deep. If seed 
is used it will germinate more readily 
if water is allowed to evaporate so that 
the surface of the sand shows, but it 
should be kept very moist until seed¬ 
lings are an inch high, when it may be 
flooded, and the average depth after¬ 
ward maintained. After a few months’ 
growth the soil becomes sour and mat¬ 
ted with roots. In this condition cress 
does not grow well even if vigorously 
fertilized, and it is best to dump out the 
soil and start again, using a few tufts 
of the same cress for a new start if fresh 
plants or seeds cannot be conveniently 
obtained from another source, w. v. f. 
Lankford Apple. —Our Lankford apple 
trees are bearing a fine crop this season. It 
has been said that they were not pro¬ 
ductive: but we have a few trees that are 
a wonder. They are splendid keepers and 
“elegant cookers.” I could not wish for a 
better variety for our home cellar or for 
an appreciative line of customers. 
Newark, Ohio. f. h. b. 
The Enormous Strawberry.— I wish to 
say a word in reference to F. W’s. ques¬ 
tion about the Enormous strawberry. I 
have grown this berry continuously for 
the past 10 or 12 years. During that period 
I have grown it in all sorts of soil and 
by every method of culture. The berry 
outsells any other in its season in the 
Indianapolis market. Latterly I have 
grown it in the hill, but it does quite as 
well where a few plants are allowed to 
take root from runners. These runners 
should be made to take root as early as 
possible. Treated as above the Enormous 
is a leader, its catchy qualities being 
large size, great firmness and a brilliant, 
glossy color, the like of which is not 
equaled by any other berry on our mar¬ 
ket. It is the equal of the Haverland in 
productiveness. It would be well for F. 
W. to provide both early and late fertil¬ 
izers for the Enormous, as it has a long 
blooming season. j. d. nysewander. 
Marion Co., Ind. 
HORSE COLIC, 
Distemper. Founder, Pneu¬ 
monia, etc., as well as all 
forms of Lameness, Contract¬ 
ed Cord, Curb, Splint, etc., 
are instantly relieved, and in¬ 
variably cured by the use of 
Tuttle’s Elixir. 
Satisfaction guaranteed or 
Jmoney refunded. Used and 
endorsed by the Adams Ex¬ 
press Company. Used by leading breeders and 
turfmen everywhere. Has saved and cured many 
valuable horses. May do likewise for you. 
. TUTTLE S FAMILY ELIXIR cures rheumatism, sprain^ 
bruises, etc. Kills pain instantly. Our 100-page book, 
“Veterinary Experience” FREE. 
Dr. S. A. TUTTLE, 30 Beverly St., Boston, Mass. 
llrwnro of so-calle.i Elixirs— none grnulni. but Tuttle’s. 
Avoid all blisters; they offeronlytemporaryreliefif any. 
DRILLING 
Machines 
Over 70 sizes and styles, for drilling either deep or 
shallow wells in any kind of soli or rock. Mounted 
on wheels or on sills. With engines or horse powers. 
Strong, simple and durable. Any mechanio can 
operate them easily. Send for catalog. 
WILLIAMS Bvn»„ Ithaca. N. Y. 
WE’LL PAY THE FREIGHT 
and semi 4 Ituprury Wheels, Steel Tire on, - £7,25 
With Rubber Tires, £la.OO. I mfg. wheels % to 4 in. 
tread. Top Buggies, $28.75; Harness, $3.60. Write for 
catalogu' 4 . Learn how to buy vehicles and parts direct. 
Wagon Umbrella FltF.K. W. B. HOOK, Cincinnati, (»■ 
TRY THEM 30 DAYS, 
at the end of that time ship them back to us 
and nothing to pay if you don’t find in our 
SPLIT HICKORY VEHICLES 
the best bargain you can get anywhere. There 
is no more advantageous way for vou to buy 
anything. You take no chances. And we—well, 
we know what these vehicles are, what is in 
them, and whether you are likely to buy. We 
make them ourselves from the raw materials. 
Split Hickory is split hickory, and not sawed. 
That means the best wood in them possible to 
get. Everything else is of the 
same order of excellence. 
Write for our free catalog. It 
gives the free trial plan of selling 
and describes everything. 
OI1I > CARKIAi.R UFO. CO., 
Station Ci>, Cincinnati, O. 
Handy Farm Wagons 
make the work easier for both tho man and team. 
The tires being wide they do notcut into the ground; 
the labor of loading is reduced many times,because 
of the short lift. They are equipped with our fam 
ous Electric Steel Wheels, eitherstraightorstag. 
ger spokes. Wheels any height from 24 to 60 inches. 
White hickory axles, steel hounds. Guaranteed to 
carry 40001 bs. Why not get started righ t by putting 
in one of these wagons. We make our steel wheels 
to fit any wagon. Write for the catal og 111 a free. 
ELECTRIC WHEEL CO., BOX 88. QUINCY, ILL. 
AMERICAN 
BUFFALO 
ROBES 
are a thing of the past, 
but we have the Kazoo Buffalo 
Robe, a substitute that has every appearance and 
many advantage* over the Genuine Buffalo Skin 
Kobe, first quality only. Made of very heavy Klbf.K- 
DOWN, pliable, soft, lined with astrachan and much 
warmer than a stiff skin Robe. Interlined with rubber 
cloth, wind and water proof, Wholesale Price * 0 . 60 , ^ 
thepriceof a skin robe. Money back if notsatisfactory. 
Catalog U S3, free. Cash Suppy & Jlfg. Cu., Kalamazoo, Mich. 
Montana Buffalo Robes 
Buffalo and Astrakhan Coats 
GUARANTEED THE BEST ON EARTH 
Our Diamond Guarantee on every Robe. Take 
no other. If your dealer does not handle 
them write us for illustrated booklet giving 
full information and prices. 
Western Robe Co. 
1622 Orleans St. DETROIT, MICH. 
A 2 million increase 
In the past two years the sale of “IIull-Ilni»tl” goods increased over two 
millions. Honesty, quality and fair prices made this increase possible. 
Knit Boots, Socks, Rubber 
Boots, Shoes, and Arctics 
“ Ball-Band” 
have won the favor of farmers, ranchmen, lumbermen, etc., in every part of the country, 
through sterling merit. Made in many styles. Insist on getting the genuine Bull-liund 
Brand. Look for the lied Ball in the trade-mark. Get them of your dealer. 
MISHAWAKA WOOLEN MFC. CO., Mishawaka, Ind. 
-H'- 
mttzsrm 
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FREE Send your name and address on a postal 
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NEW HAVEN, CONN. 
