THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 29 
886 
; Ruralisms ; 
•▼▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ 
The Bismarck Apple. —The Bismarck 
apple originated in New Zealand, and 
was named and first sent out by a Ger¬ 
man nursery. A. Blanc & Co., of Phila¬ 
delphia, introduced it in this country a 
few years ago, making claims that were 
considered at the time quite preposter¬ 
ous, as to its vigor and early-cropping 
qualities. There has been a considerable 
demand, and the little trees first sold 
have been generally used for propa¬ 
gating wood, so that there are not many 
records yet of the Bismarck fruiting 
under orchard conditions, but the apples 
grown under pot culture in forcing 
houses are very large and handsome. 
Fig. 325 was taken from a one-year graft, 
growing in the border of a grapery, and 
well shows lits astonishing precocity un¬ 
der favorable conditions. The apples 
are large and handsome, the color being 
an attractive clear yellow, with many 
flecks of a higher tint. The quality is 
not high, being rather tough and acid, 
but it should be excellent for cooking 
purposes, and if kept a sufficient time 
after ripening, its fine appearance ren¬ 
ders it desirable as a dessert fruit. The 
tree has a natural tendency to compact¬ 
ness in growth, and is well furnished 
with noticeably large and healthy foli¬ 
age. It is easily kept lin shape, either in 
pots or in the open. In season it may 
he classed as a late Fall variety, which 
may possibly render it valuable as a 
fancy market fruit, if attractively 
packed. Sufficient evidence is at hand 
to show it a heavy and continuous crop • 
per on young trees, at least, and the in¬ 
dications are that it is worthy of a 
more extended trial, especially by those 
having small grounds. 
Some Goon Native-grown Flower 
Seeds. —It is generally understood that 
all commercial flower seeds sold in this 
country are imported, with the exception 
of sweet peas and a very few other va¬ 
rieties, which are excellently grown in 
California. This impression is pretty 
near the truth, yet some good pansy 
seed is grown in the Eastern States, and 
the finest strains known of Asters and 
Salvias have been developed in Penn¬ 
sylvania and New Jersey respectively. 
Semple’s branching Asters, in several 
colors, are grown by a florist of that 
name in western Pennsylvania, and are 
much superior in vigor, size of flower 
and purity of coloring to anything pro¬ 
duced abroad. They are now listed by 
all prominent seedsmen. William Bed- 
man, of Woodbridge, N. J., has trans¬ 
formed the old Scarlet sage, Salvia 
splendens, from a straggling bush with 
scanty spikes of scarlet bloom to a 
most compact and well-balanced mass 
of color, more red than green. These 
changes have been brought about solely 
by careful and intelligent selection car¬ 
ried on for many years. Petunia, Ce- 
losia, and Zinnia seeds are also well 
grown in this country, while the strains 
of balsam. Verbena and Phlox Drum- 
mondii grown in some of the large trial 
grounds of eastern seedsmen cannot well 
be excelled. Among seeds grown in 
frames or under glass with good success, 
may be mentioned various Begonias, 
Coleus and Gloxinias. The original 
stocks, however, of all the above varie¬ 
ties came from European growers. 
The Stringeellow System. —The sys¬ 
tem of close root-pruning advocated by 
H. M. Stringfellow, of Galveston, Texas, 
and frequently referred to in former 
numbers of The R. N.-Y., has been tried 
quite extensively by several experiment 
stations in widely-separated States, and 
the very conflicting results have been 
collated in the last report of the experi¬ 
ment station work of the Agricultural 
Department. Our readers will remem¬ 
ber that Mr. Stringfellow advocates the 
cutting back of the roots of transplanted 
trees to mere stubs, shortening the top 
in proportion to a stumpy switch. In 
Maryland, Alabama and Georgia the re¬ 
sults are very encouraging. Pear, peach 
and plum trees made as good, and in 
some cases even better, growth than 
check trees planted at the same time 
with roots untrimmed, or only mod¬ 
erately pruned. Apples and cherries did 
almost as well. The results, however, 
were better when the pruned trees were 
planted in a well-dug hole of the usual 
size, than when planted in dibble-holes, 
which the advocates of close pruning 
claim is all that is necessary, when the 
roots are reduced to a club. At the Ne¬ 
braska and Missouri Stations the results 
were not so happy. About half of the 
pruned trees died in either case, and 
few of the remaining ones showed any¬ 
thing like the vigor of those left un¬ 
trimmed. In New Jersey, the method 
lost by the depredations of rodents un¬ 
der Winter mulches than are really 
saved by this form of protection. If a 
covering is needed, an open one of ever¬ 
green boughs is undoubtedly the best, 
but often difficult to procure. Sticks or 
brush of any description thinly applied 
will have a very beneficial effect dn 
modifying the effect of cold, and do 
not usually invite the presence of mice. 
A covering of a foot or more of soil or 
sand will greatly tend to protect tender 
plants, and may be removed in the 
Spring just before growth begins. For 
small groups, an empty box or a few 
short boards will often answer. Where 
rodents are not especially feared, a great 
variety of materials may be used, select¬ 
ing such as contain least food material, 
such as marsh hay near the coasts, pine 
leaves or “straw” in the southern dis¬ 
tricts, and wild grasses or forest leaves 
in the interior, which make respectively 
A ONE-YEAR GRAFT OF BISMARCK APPLE. Fig. 326. 
gave very satisfactory results. On the 
Rural Grounds, peach, plum and Japan 
walnuts have been planted with all roots 
cut to Inch stubs, and have grown about 
as well as those untrimmed. From the 
experience cited above it can safely be 
concluded that in southern and coast 
regions close root-pruning of young 
fruit trees can safely be practiced, but 
in interior districts it is more risky. 
Aside from the convenience of packing 
for transportation, close pruning does 
not seem to offer great advantages over 
the usual system, and may cause some 
unnecessary loss. 
Mulching for Winter Protection.— 
With the advent of freezing weather 
much advice usually appears in the hor¬ 
ticultural press regarding the Winter 
mulching of plants liable to be injured 
by unusual cold. Coverings of fine litter, 
leaves and straw are often recommended 
for the purpose. Our experience leads 
us to be very chary of advising the use 
of such materials, unless one is very 
sure that mice are not likely to harbor 
under such a close covering. More 
choice plants and bulbs are, probably, 
the best of protective mulches. In towns 
where such materials are not easy to 
procure, the packing material known as 
excelsior may often be used to good ad¬ 
vantage. The old rule of deferring the 
application until the surface freezes and 
removing it early is a good one, as un¬ 
seasonable growth is not so likely to 
start. 
A Fine Autumn. —This has been the 
finest Autumn for a long time in the 
Vicinity of the Rural Grounds for all 
planting and late garden operations. 
Tender plants, such as Cannas, Salvias, 
annual Phlox, and marigolds bloomed 
until November 19 on the hill, but were 
killed in early October on the flat, a few 
rods away. December 7 brought a sud¬ 
den drop to 20 degrees above zero, which 
quickly passed. Celery and all late 
vegetables are now stored, and we real¬ 
ize a five-months’ siege of Winter is at 
hand. The last flower to bloom was a 
large white seedling Clematis. It was 
still perfect December 2. 
I. E. Beur, Keithsburg, Ill., sends a sam¬ 
ple of a new labeling and tying band for 
bunching strawberry and other plants 
usually sold in quantity. It is made of 
muslin, with the name of the variety print¬ 
ed on the broadest part. A waxed point, 
and at the other end, a loop and ring make 
the labeling and tying of a bunch of plants 
a matter of less time than the usual tving 
with string alone. When used it makes a 
neat and secure package. 
Irdog 
Candles 
Nothing else adds so mnch 
to the charm of the drawing 
room or boudoir as the softly radi¬ 
ant light from CORDOVA Candles. 
Nothing will contribute more to the 
artistic success of the luncheon, 
tea or dinner. The best decorative 
candles for the simplest or the 
most elaborate fnnction—for cot¬ 
tage or mansion. Made in all colors 
and the most delicate tints by 
STANDARD OIL CO. 
and sold everywhere. 
[STEVENS 
RIFLES 
Encourage boys to an actif©, rollicking, out-of-door life 
A ^ in field and forest, conduc- 
•3;*f , • ive to health and affording 
) * a practical acquaintance 
V. Orv*. 4 K ..with Nature without 
/ /no boy's education is 
' V sr# I pleto. Besides the pr 
( with Nature without which 
is com- 
_ _practice 
shooting induces steadi¬ 
ness, deliberation, 
accuracy ; valuable 
qualities in any 
- business of life. 
* \ 
No. 17, Open Sights, 
$6.00 
■ .Before Buying a New 
Harness 
Mod 5 c t» In .tamps to pay pontage on descriptive cat- 
iloyu. 10o .tylesof single and double onk-tann*<4 
leather Harness to select from. Sold direct to thd 
Meiamtr at wholesale price We otnMfsiouqmr 
king Harness company. Mfro. 
212 Church St.. Owego, N. Y. 
Largest manufacturers of 
Steel Wagon Wheels and 
Handy Truck Wagons in 
America. Guaranteed su¬ 
perior to any other make 
WRITE us 
[VI eta I Wheel Co. 
HAVANA, ILLINOIS 
CHEAP GOOD WHEELS 
make the wagon or vehicle new at a 
mere nominal cost. 
$7.SO buys I Buggy Wheels. 7-8 in. Steel Tire 
$8.00 buys 4 Carriage Wheels, I in. Steel Tire 
IT'S CHEAPER THAN REPAIRING. 
In fact the high quality of these wheels 
makes repairing unnecessary. Also furn¬ 
ish axles and set boxes when so ordered. 
Price list No. 88 and measuring rulesfree. 
Wilmington Wheel Co., • Wilmington, Del. 
WE WANT AN AGENT 
In every county to sell to the farmers, thrashers and 
mills our superior brands of Lubricating Oils and 
Greases. Salary or commission. Experience not 
necessary; our instructions explain fully. For par¬ 
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Cleveland, Ohio. 
BRAND NEW 
^TINNED steel 
ROOFING^ 
$2.00 per Square of 10x10 
feet, or 100 Square Feet. 
it CABBY A COMPLETE STOCK Of ALL KlNTtS .. 
Of AttfiUUSDISt AND MATERIAL SOUGHT AT IGUU 
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Ou^jrteei^ir^J^MMhcr.^ 
CHICAGO MOOSE WRECKING CO., 
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