674 
September 23 
; Ruralisms 
The Little Gem. —When the dwarf¬ 
growing Canna, Star of ’91, was dis¬ 
seminated in the year from which it 
was named, no one could imagine a 
finer thing of its kind. The introducer 
paid a high price to the lucky raiser of 
the variety, and was, probably, repaid 
by extensive sales. Star of ’91 would 
grow only about 24 inches high under 
ordinary cultivation, and made a great 
and brilliant show of color when grown 
in a roomy pot. The blooms, however, 
did not always open well, they lacked 
finish, and these defects, coupled with 
the difficulty of keeping its tubers over 
Winter have caused it to go almost en¬ 
tirely out of cultivation. Notwithstand¬ 
ing the dwarf habit of Star of ’91 under 
ordinary conditions, it would often grow 
three or four feet high when highly fer¬ 
tilized and plentifully supplied with 
water. 
No really dwarf Cannas have been 
brought forward since, among the nu¬ 
merous excellent varieties annually in- 
THE LITTLE GEM CANNA. Fig. 253. 
troduced, but the subject of illustration 
in Fig. 253 seems to merit the proposed 
name of Little Gem. It was raised six 
or seven years ago by a florist in west¬ 
ern Pennsylvania, presumably from seed 
of Madame Crozy, and has been tested 
in several widely distant localities. It 
always remains dwarf and compact, 
even under the most intensive culture, 
the tallest flower spikes reaching an 
extreme height of 16 to 20 inches at the 
end of the season. In this latitude, it 
seldom exceeds 10 to 12 inches under 
conditions which send up Madame Crozy 
and other standard varieties to a height 
of 3V 2 to 4 feet. The photograph was 
taken from a plant in a seven-inch pot, 
stimulated with rith soil and liquid fer¬ 
tilizers. It was grown in Summer under 
the shade of an arbor to avoid the trou¬ 
ble of frequent watering, and is, conse¬ 
quently, taller and more lanky than it 
should be. The flowers, which are al¬ 
ways freely produced, are scarlet bor¬ 
dered with yellow, similar to those of 
Madame Crozy, but somewhat less in 
size. Though perfectly healthy during 
the whole of its extended trials, Little 
Gem is slow to increase, but will, un¬ 
doubtedly, prove of value as an edging 
for its more aspiring relatives, and is in¬ 
teresting and effective as a pot plant. It 
can be kept growing throughout the 
year in an eight-inch pot. 
Paul Rose Muskmelon.—M r. J. A. 
Kemp, of Dickson County, Tenn., sends 
this note on muskmelons: 
This is the second season we have grown 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
the Paul Rose, testing it along with sev¬ 
eral other varieties, the most notable be¬ 
ing the Rocky Ford strain of the Netted 
Gem. Its fruit averages a little larger 
than the Netted Gem, more firm and of 
better quality; season longer, and vines 
more prolific. This season was very try¬ 
ing on muskmelons, a severe and destruc¬ 
tive drought commencing shortly after the 
vines began setting fruit. All varieties 
grown on our grounds suffered much more 
from the excessive heat than the Paul 
Rose. The Netted Gem sunburned badly, 
while the Paul Rose suffered but little. It 
will stand more drought without material 
damage than any muskmelon I have ever 
grown. Last year, the excessive rains 
rendered all other varieties grown on our 
grounds practically unfit for use, being 
very insipid and tasteless, while the Paul 
Rose was of most excellent quality. Ex¬ 
cessive drought or rain do not affect its 
quality to any noticeable extent, while 
many of the older and most popular va¬ 
rieties become almost worthless when such 
conditions prevail. 
Our correspondence seems to indicate 
an increased interest in high quality 
muskmelons. This should be grateful 
news to the public, which has been of¬ 
fered much inferior and worthless stock 
in late years. The rivalry seems to be 
between the Netted Gem type, of eastern 
origin, and the Osage form, which was 
introduced from the West. Paul Rose 
seems to combine the best qualities of 
the two, as it is an offspring of the above 
excellent parents. w. v. f. 
“Perfect” and “Imperfect.” —We 
follow The R. N.-Y.’s instructions in 
marking our strawberries “perfect” and 
“imperfect,” thus saving valuable time 
in explaining the meaning of “stamin- 
ate” and “pistillate,” words which are 
not in common use or generally under¬ 
stood; neither do they as pointedly ex¬ 
press the ideas wished to be conveyed. 
Whether we do not over-estimate the 
importance of fertilization by the inter¬ 
mixture of the two. has for several 
years been a doubtful problem. Ten 
years ago, I transplanted three rows of 
three imperfect blooming varieties in 
the month of August. The rows were 
about 200 feet long, and were as distant 
from any perfect flowering sort, with a 
tall hedge of arbor vitae between them. 
I told my son, then a youth, that he 
might keep them hoed, and have the 
product. The number of quarts sold I 
do not recall, but the cash the merchant 
gave him, was a trifle over $39. The 
fruit was large and handsome, and for 
only 10 months’ occupation of the little 
plot of land, was a very satisfactory re¬ 
turn. This was brought to mind by my 
experience this year with that new Bos¬ 
tonian, the Sample, which is classed as 
imperfect. Our little plot yielded boun¬ 
tifully, though it was isolated, and the 
berries were so large, fair and hand¬ 
some, that it was a pleasure to show 
them to strawberry fanciers, and to send 
samples of “Sample” to our friends. 
However, we are not enraptured by the 
name. J. w. adams. 
“New Varieties.” —During the fruit¬ 
ing season, we receive many samples of 
so-called new fruits. Most of these are 
seedlings which some one has grown 
from the seed, and at fruiting, they seem 
to the owner to possess valuable quali¬ 
ties. Of course, there is something in 
the idea that our own children seem nat¬ 
urally a little better than those of our 
neighbors. This applies to fruits and 
vegetables, as well as to little humans. 
We receive many samples of apples, 
pears and grapes, with a request to sam¬ 
ple them, and give an opinion as to 
whether it would pay to propagate them 
for sale. For example, here is an ex¬ 
tract from a letter from a careful farm¬ 
er, who sends samples of a seedling 
pear: 
I think the tree may be considered an 
early and prolific bearer. The fruit is of 
perfect shape and large enough; in quality, 
I think it resembles the Kieffer, but is su¬ 
perior to that variety as a dessert fruit, 
and, I think, will equal it for “ensilage.” By 
the side of this tree, is another that, doubt¬ 
less, started from the same core, but is 
much smaller, and less thrifty in appear¬ 
ance. I might mention one more point in 
favor of this variety: The cattle pasture 
where the tree grows, and fearing that 
they or something else would destroy all 
the fruit and not leave me a sample, I had 
picked off two of the pears. The evening 
of August 21, we had a hard wind. The 
next morning, I went to the tree expecting 
that they had all blown off, but was 
pleased to find the entire seven still hang¬ 
ing to the tree. So they cannot be inclined 
to drop before mature. 
The pear proved to be of poor flavor, 
soft and watery in texture. It certainly 
is better than the Kieffer, but lacks the 
qualities of beauty, long-keeping and 
size which have given that variety a per¬ 
manent place in horticulture. In these 
days, when a multitude of new fruits are 
rushing upon the market, it is only now 
and then tnat we strike one that is 
really worthy of living. We may think 
highly of our own fruits, but the buying 
public is cold-blooded about such things, 
and very likely to turn the cold shoulder 
upon w'hat we think is a real improve¬ 
ment. 
NOTES FROM ILLINOIS. 
I name Oldenburg as the apple (tree) 
which will stand the most abuse. 
Elaeagnus longipes is not quite hardy 
here. 
Vitis Coignetiae, although seemingly 
hardy here, has been a poor grower— 
contrary to experience on page 610. The 
leaves have not colored here, and it 
shows no inclination to fruit. 
V. Lincecumii has proved a. good 
grower, hardy and productive, but the 
fruit will do only for wine. 
The Sacramento River grape is de¬ 
cidedly tender and otherwise short lived. 
Actinidia polygama here is able to 
endure a temperature of only from 15 
to 20 degrees below zero without in¬ 
jury. 
The shrubs Callicarpa purpurea and 
Ligustrum tricolor are both quite ten¬ 
der. 
White Imperial is one of the highest 
quality grapes where a vinous flavor is 
appreciated. It is hardy, but only a 
moderate grower and bearer. Fruit the 
size of Delaware. 
V. Davidii (China), and V. lanata both 
perished here from uncongenial condi¬ 
tions of soil and climate. 
The Perkins grape, although musky, 
is one of the reliable money-makers for 
this part. n. buckman. 
Central Illinois. 
PRUNINGS. 
The Ohio Experiment Station (Wooster) 
issues a circular giving a list of the best 
plums for Ohio. 
There was no specimen of the Carman 
peach at the New York State Fair. Most 
people seem to think this is a yellow peach. 
It is white with a red cheek. 
The Gladstone strawberry continues to 
give great promise wherever tried. Mr. 
Mereeron, the originator, says that, for 
some reason, it was not so early as usual 
at Catawissa, Pa. It is a vigorous, healthy 
grower, with large fruit of very fine 
quality. 
Complaints are made by many growers 
of China Asters that these plants have 
suffered greatly from a fungous disease, 
which has damaged the foliage, sapping 
the vigor of the plant, and often causing 
its death. A correspondent of American 
Gardening says that* he combats this dis¬ 
ease successfully with a fungicide, used as 
a spray once a week, made as follows: 
Naphtholeum, one teaspoonful, Bordeaux 
Mixture, one tablespoonful, water, eight 
quarts. 
Of 100 varieties of potatoes, tried during 
the last three years, I would choose the 
following: For extra early. Junior, Pride 
and Burpee’s Extra Early. For early. 
Burr’s No. 1 and Early Roberts. For main 
crop, Delaware, Table King and Washing¬ 
ton. The last three are of nearly the 
same size and shape. The Washington is 
of whiter color than the other two, and 
cn suitable soil, is not excelled in quality. 
by any potato that I have tried, j. w. w. 
Connecticut. 
Some Wisconsin Fruits.— We fruited 
the following varieties of strawberries, 
and consider them valuable in the order 
named: Warfield, Crescent, Beder Wood, 
Clyde, Lovett, Splendid, Bubach, Enhance, 
Haverland, Glen Mary, Bisel, Greenville, 
Brandywine, Saunders, Marshall, Staples. 
In cap raspberries, we picked the follow¬ 
ing: Older, Kansas, Columbian, Ohio, 
Palmer. Older stood the Winter the best 
of any; Columbian (purple) was badly 
killed, but managed to shell out a nice lot 
of fruit. We consider it in the lead as a 
canning berry. Of the sucker varieties, 
we had the Loudon, Cuthbert, Turner and 
Golden Queen. Loudon and Turner are 
the hardiest. Cuthbert is tender, but when 
it can crawl through the Winter, it pro¬ 
duces the most magnificent fruit of any. 
In blackberries, Stone’s Hardy was a total 
failure, likewise Ancient Briton, while 
Badger gave us a quarter crop. c. L. P. 
Baraboo, Wis. 
44 Think of Ease 
But Work On.” 
If your blood is impute you cannot even 
44 think of ease." The blood is the 
greatest sustainer of the body and •when 
you make it pure by taking Hood s Sarsa¬ 
parilla you have the perfect health in 
«which even hard voork becomes easy. 
JJOW TO DRAIN IAN It PROFIT A RLY. 
On every farm there is probably some land 
that could be made more productive by under- 
drainage. Properly drained land can always 
be worked earlier, and more profitably. The 
best and most 
economical way 
to drain is ex¬ 
plained in the 
book, “ Benefits oi Drainage and How to Drain,” 
which is,sent/r«« by 
JOHN H. JACKSON, Third Ave., Albany, N.Y. 
Rot*Proof Creosote Paint/ 
r A preservative paint that looks well, wears^ 
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^little to try it, and nothing to get a color-^ 
k.card. Send for one. 
kSAMUEL CABOT ,81 Kilby St., Boston, Mass.- 
*\ 
jervesV^ 
:s very^ 
>lor -j 
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