722 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 14 
iAA.AAA.AA 
; Rtiralisms ; 
T T TT T TTTT 7 
The Emperor Peach, recently intro¬ 
duced by Jos. H. Black, Son & Co., 
Hightstown, N. J., was one of the few 
new varieties that came through the 
past hard Winter in good shape. Two 
young trees under observation, bloomed 
freely and ripened a small crop of fine 
yellow freestone peaches in late Septem¬ 
ber. The habit and foliage resemble the 
Bate Crawford. The peaches on these 
young trees, which had not the best of 
care, were neither as large nor so well- 
flavored as the Crawford at its best, but 
they were very good for the season. 
The introducers give the season as late 
October. Possibly these neglected trees 
ripened their fruits ahead of the proper 
season, and before full development. 
A New Ornamental Tobacco, Nico- 
tiana Sylvestris. —The ordinary varie¬ 
ties of field tobacco are very stately 
plants when in bloom. A group of 
plants selected for seed is sure to attract 
attention in any commercial tobacco 
field. The immense corymbs of rosy, 
trumpet-like blossoms, are very hand¬ 
some, but it is never seen here in gar¬ 
dens as a decorative plant. In northern 
Europe, where tobacco is not cultivated 
for profit, several species have long been 
grown for ornamental purposes, and 
many experiments in hybridization have 
been carried on between the various 
forms. Nicotiana aflinis and N. colossea 
have been cultivated in this country for 
the last few years, and are gaining in 
* 
favor. Aflinis grows two or three feet 
high, and bears an abundance of pure 
white, very sweet-scented flowers, near¬ 
ly three inches across. It is particularly 
fragrant in the evening. It is effective 
and desirable in the garden, and is used 
to some extent for window culture in 
Winter. It is easily grown from seed, 
and cuttings rooted in September, bloom 
freely in the Winter. Colossea is a ver¬ 
itable giant, growing about six feet 
high. It has immense leaves, rose or 
violet when young, but changing when 
mature to green, with red nerves. Co¬ 
lossea variegata is a variety of the above 
having the leaves deeply edged with 
white. The seeds of Colossea are scarce 
and high-priced, and in our experience 
have very low germinating qualities. 
Nicotiana sylvestris is a new form, 
whether a typical species or a garden 
hybrid, we do not know. It is certainly 
very fine as seen growing in quantity on 
the trial grounds of J. L. Childs, Floral 
Park, N. Y., and W. A. Burpee, Ford- 
hook, near Doylestown, Pa. It grows 
about five feet high, with very symmet¬ 
rical foliage. The blooms are produced 
with the greatest freedom. They are 
pure white, star-shaped, and have tubes 
about six inches long. They are fairly 
fragrant in the evening. A bed or hedge 
of Sylvestris in good form would make 
a splendid background for dwarf, 
bright-colored plants. Sylvestris will 
probably be offered next Spring. 
Bush Fruits. —A reader in Prince Ed¬ 
ward Island asks several questions 
about bush fruits, which are answered 
by Prof. Van Deman as follows: 
Miller and Marlboro are about a week 
earlier, and Loudon is of about the same 
season, as Cuthbert. In productiveness 
there is little difference between the 
four kinds in most sections, unless it 
be that Cuthbert and Loudon bear a 
little better than Miller and Marlboro. 
Early Harvest is a blackberry of about 
the same size as Taylor, is much better 
in quality, and is more than a week 
earlier, but it is not so hardy in plant. 
However, it may do very well on Prince 
Edward Island. It will be very satisfac¬ 
tory if the tops are laid down and cov¬ 
ered in Winter. Wilson and Early King 
are both very early, but tender except 
in a mild climate or when covered. Kan¬ 
sas is about the best blackcap raspberry 
for general use and in all climates. 
DROUGHT-RESISTANT APPLES. 
Dr. A. M. Ragland, of Pilot Point, 
Texas, sends us the following interest¬ 
ing note: 
I am experimenting with various 
fruits, especially apples, to determine 
their value for our southern climate. I 
have long held the opinion that a race 
of apples can be found or produced from 
southern seedlings that will resist the 
heat and drought of such climates as 
that of Texas. I have one which is prob¬ 
ably a new seedling originating in 
Georgia. It came to me about 10 years 
ago from the nursery of P. J. Berck- 
mans, Augusta, Ga., billed as Wallace- 
Howard. When it reached bearing age 
I was convinced that it was not. 1 
sent samples of fruit and a description 
of the tree to Mr. Berckmans. He said 
that it was not Wallace-Howard, but he 
was unable to identify it. The tree is a 
vigorous, upright grower, and retains 
foliage till very late in the Fall. Heat 
and drought—one drought of 60 days’ 
duration just ended—had no perceptible 
deleterious effect upon this variety. The 
fruit is very large, oblate, green with 
faint red stripe; ripens here during 
September. 
The other apple I purchased from a 
local nurseryman, who labeled it 
Smith’s Cider; when it commenced to 
bear I found I had something else, bet¬ 
ter than Smith’s. 1 have been for sev¬ 
eral years trying to locate it, but so far 
GROSH OR WESTERN BEAUTY APPLE 
Mr. James Ryan, of Allegheny Co., 
Pa., sends a sample of an apple which he 
says is locally known as English Rambo. 
it is properly called Grosh, although it 
is much more generally known as West¬ 
ern Beauty, and in some degree as Big 
Rambo, Ohio Beauty, Musgrove and a 
few other synonyms. English Rambo I 
have never before heard applied to it. 
That is one of the synonyms of Domine. 
It is not strange that it is called Big 
Rambo, for the habit of the tree is much 
like that of the true Rambo, and the 
fruit is somewhat similar in shape, 
color, flavor and season, but is very 
much larger. It is an apple of most ex¬ 
cellent qualities of both tree and fruit, 
and is well worthy of being In every 
family orchard. It is one of the best- 
flavored apples of its season, and I 
think, better than Rambo, being rich 
subacid, very agreeable, and the flesh 
tender and juicy. It is large, flat, 
smooth and regular in shape, except 
that one side is usually a little larger 
than the other. The stem is short and 
the calyx large and open. The color is 
greenish yellow, with abundant stripes 
and splashes of pale red. The tree is a 
strong grower, and the leaves very 
large. 
My first acquaintance with this va¬ 
riety was in southern Ohio, in the or¬ 
chards of Dr. John A. Warder, the great 
pomologist, who esteemed it in his day 
as one of the best Fall apples. In my 
own orchard in Kansas, and wherever I 
have seen it, I have found it to be 
among the most satisfactory apples of 
its season, and fully to maintain the 
original impression made upon my mind 
in 1867. 
Its history dates back to about 1815, 
when, according to information obtained 
by Charles Downing from members of 
the Grosh family in Pennsylvania, the 
original tree was raised from seed by 
Mr. John Grosh, and planted at Mariet¬ 
ta, in that State, where it was still 
standing in 1877. By some means un¬ 
known to the pomologists west of the 
Alleghenys, it was found by them in 
Ohio about 1850, or perhaps earlier. It 
is quite certain that some one had taken 
the grafts westward from Pennsylvania, 
without leaving any record of the fact. 
Not knowing the original name, Grosh, 
PRUNINGS. 
Dr. Ragland, of Texas, classes Hender¬ 
son’s Bush Lima as a drought-resisting 
plant. Through the recent fearful drought, 
it has produced a fair crop. 
How could you permit Chas. A. Green to 
say, page 671, “I do not know that Black 
Tartarian was known 35 years ago,” and 
he an old nurseryman? Downing says of 
it: “Introduced into England about 1796, 
and brought thence to this country.” 
H. L. F. 
Late-bearing Strawberries.— Regard¬ 
ing late-bearing strawberry plants, no va¬ 
riety has shown a tendency in that direc¬ 
tion to such an extent as to make it worth 
noticing, although 1 have had many in¬ 
stances of the kind. It seems, in some 
cases, to come from an early ripening of 
the plant by drought, followed by rains, 
which start it into new activity, but this 
cannot be laid down as a rule. I have 
three of the large everbearing French va¬ 
rieties, sent me by the Government, which 
I shall observe with interest next year. I 
have never thought it worth while to at¬ 
have failed. The pomologist of the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture, Mr. Taylor, 
cannot name it. Mr. Munson, of Deni¬ 
son, says that it is unknown to him. The 
tree is not quite so good as the other 
referred to, but is a healthy moderate 
grower; fruit irregular — some pear 
shape, others obovate and oblate, is 
striped with red, a delicious table apple 
and a good cooker too. My observation 
leads me to the conclusion that a good 
many varieties of northern or eastern 
origin are almost or quite valueless 
here. I also find that constant cultiva¬ 
tion will help our trees to weather the 
stress of long periods of drought. 
which the variety had in its natH 
State, and supposing it to be of wester 
origin, the name Beauty of the Wei 
was given to it, and this was soon shori 
ened to Western Beauty. A careful con 
parison by me, this year, of specimen 
from the place of its origin, and unde 
the original name, and from Ohio an 
Indiana, as well as the one just receive< 
confirm me in the identity of the variet 
under these and otuer names by whic 
it is known. All who have this appli 
under whatever name, should hereafte 
call it Grosh, and not be afraid to re< 
ommend it for general cultivation. 
II. e. van deman. 
tempt experiments with a view to obtain¬ 
ing a profitable late crop. m. crawford. 
Ohio. 
I have quite a quantity of Carman No. 
3 potatoes in my cellar, and they are a 
sight to look at. I shall not use phosphate 
on them next year, as they grow’ too large. 
No. 1 grow smaller, and are better quality, 
but not so good in form. 
O. H. ALEXANDER. 
The Robison Blackberry is a native 
variety, but very hardy, and will stand 
fully as much frost as the Wilson, Min- 
newaski, and Kittatinny. It is beyond 
question the finest blackberry I have ever 
grown, all points considered. 
Texas. james nimon. 
Mr. Peter M. Gideon sends another ex¬ 
cellent new seedling apple of high quality. 
He says: 
“It was the first crop, only a few on the 
tree, and the one sent was the smallest by 
one-half. I have hopes that it will keep 
well into Winter. The tree is perfection, 
though stripped of its foliage several years 
by the great deluge of caterpillars.” 
If you are a farmer or want to be one, 
send for the “Western Trail.” Published 
quarterly. Full of pointers as to settling 
in Kansas, Oklahoma and Indian Terri¬ 
tory. Handsomely embellished and con¬ 
cisely written. Mailed free. 
Address by postal card or letter. 
John Sebastian, G.P.A., Chicago .—Adv 
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