1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
5i5 
RURAUSMS. 
(CONTINUED.) 
long after tlie last of our politicians will have 
been forgotten. 
In managing grape vines in our windy country, 
we find it difficult to secure the vines, both old 
and young growth, firmly to the wires generally 
used in constructing trellises. The venerable 
Judge Miller, of Missouri, once called attention 
to this fact, saying that he even found barb wire 
more satisfactory than the common smooth gal¬ 
vanized. Certain it is, that two wires woven to¬ 
gether, so as to give, perhaps, a little more 
strength and weight than the numbers now used 
with an occasional band woven in, would prove 
a decided improvement over what we now have 
to use. It appears that some of our enterprising 
manufacturers might find it to their decided in¬ 
terest to take hold of this matter. All fruits are 
two weeks late this season. 
The peaches, about 50, were received 
July 2, every one of them perfect 
and perfectly ripened. Last year, we 
received a box June 14. Judging from 
these specimens, it is a beautiful peach, 
highly Colored, crimson speckles, lines 
and blotches upon a buff ground. They 
measure about eight inches in circumfer¬ 
ence either way, though the shape of the 
peach is a trifle pointed or wedge-shaped. 
That a peach so full of juice should be 
so good a shipper is odd. There is, up 
to this time, absolutely nothing like this 
peach—as judged from the specimens 
sent—either in size, appearance or qual¬ 
ity. We much regret that we have little 
evidence that good Prof. Munson's grapes 
are adapted to the North. 
Tomatoes. —We are writing July 4, 
just after having examined our tomato 
plants, both our hybrids and the several 
varieties sent to us for trial. We could 
not find that any of the flowers have set 
fruit. It is hard to account for this. 
Perhaps the cold, wet, earlier season is 
the cause of it. The plants are as thrifty 
as usual. 
Crimson Rambler Rose. —June 27 to 
July 5. The plants are now in their full¬ 
est bloom, and showier plants we have 
neverseen. We may now say confidently 
that this rose is perfectly hardy at the 
Rural Grounds ; not even the tips of the 
long, stout canes have been injured dur¬ 
ing the Winters. Though the flowers 
are without odor, bees seem especially 
fond of them. It is the pollen with which 
the flowers are bountifully supplied that 
the bees are after. So numerous are the 
clusters of flowers that the plants are 
more crimson than green. It is a note¬ 
worthy fact that rose bugs do not care 
for the flowers. In fact, we have never 
seen a rose bug on any of the flowers. 
The Crimson Rambler is especially de¬ 
sirable for the banks of streams or lakes, 
or about springs; the bright crimson 
flowers falling over the banks give a 
charming effect reflected in the water 
below. 
Among our quite extensive collection 
of Japan plums, are several Willards. 
One of them was planted in October of 
1894. It bore a light crop during 1896 
and 1897. -This year, no plums set. 
About a month ago, the leaves began to 
turn red, and now nearly all are dead. 
We are now about to dig up the tree and 
burn it. It is the first of the Japan 
plums that, at the Rural Grounds, has 
shown any weakness. 
Ela£agnus Longipes. —July 4 : The 
plants are now bearing heavily ripe and 
ripening fruit. The drupes when ripe 
are of a dull orange yellow, and they 
are of about the size of cranberries, 
though longer than broad. The one- 
seeded nut is small, rather soft, long 
and corrugated. The skin of the fruit 
is pretty well covered with conspicuous 
dots. The drupes are in quality some¬ 
what acid and astringent, but neverthe¬ 
less, to most persons, refreshing and 
agreeable. They are especially prized 
for jam. Even though the fruits were 
worthless, they adhere to the stems 
through a long period, giving to the 
bushes a beauty quite their own. The 
habit of the plant is bushy and sym¬ 
metrical. The leaves are entire, ovate- 
acute, of an ordinary green color above 
and of a bright, rich, silvery color be¬ 
neath. The bushes fruit at a very early 
age—the second season, if the plants 
were vigorous when set out. 
Sweet Peas. —“ Earliest of All,” Bur- 
pee, is this year, as it was last, the first 
to bloom, the vines averaging two feet 
in height. The vexillum is bright rose, 
and the wings nearly white. July 4 : No 
other sweet pea of our present collection 
has bloomed except the tiny dwarf Pink 
Cupid. 
The New Multiflora Roses. —Again 
the dwarf Multiflora hybrid seedling 
roses are proving their value as bedders. 
From late May on through the earlier 
Summer we know of nothing that can 
so well fill their place for this purpose. 
They are continuous croppers, the colors 
are bright enough for good effect (espe¬ 
cially with much white) and they may 
be pruned to even height at will. Suffi¬ 
cient pruning to keep down the inces¬ 
santly-forming heps will hold the bushes 
in proper shape otherwise. 
The colors range from white through 
all shades of pink to crimson, the blos¬ 
soms being single,, semi-double, and 
occasionally nearly double, and from 
1 to ljtf inch in diameter. The extreme 
height of the bushes, as we have them, 
is less than two feet. The growth is 
slender, but much branched. For good 
bedding effect, the plants need to be as 
close as 15 inches either way, and they 
delight in rich soil, which must be kept 
clean and loose. 
In hardiness, the plants seem ironclad, 
so that a bed once formed is a perpetual 
possession until the plants need fresh 
soil. Altogether, for ease of culture, for 
persistence, for perpetuity, for freedom, 
for cheapness (when procured from seed), 
it is doubtful whether any plant now 
known is equal to these simple posies. 
To this may be added that the clustered 
blooms have sufficient grace and attract¬ 
iveness of color to form really desirable 
subjects as cut flowers ; they are, how¬ 
ever, fleeting. The seeds are offered at 
•25 cents per packet. They germinate 
quite readily, and bloom early the first 
season. 
A New Race of Roses. —The wave of 
emotional interest that swept over Eng¬ 
land at the appearance of the Lord 
Penzance hybrid sweet briers, crossed 
the ocean and touched even our prosaic 
shores. A similar, and even stronger 
wave of interest and wonder might rise 
here and sweep back to foreign shores if 
our rose lovers generally knew of the 
work lately done here, in producing a 
new race of roses by the use of the 
Wichuraiana cross. VV. A. Manda has 
now growing on his place at South 
Orange, N. J., and has lately exhibited 
in New York and elsewhere, a new race 
of roses of his own making which, for 
general usefulness and actual beauty, 
must far outrank the briers which 
created such a sensation abroad. 
Roses that will grow 15 or 20 feet in a 
single season; that have glossy, finely 
notched, evergreen foliage; that are 
capable of throwing 18 canes from a 
single base on poor, sandy soil; that are 
from two to three inches in diameter of 
blossom; that are persistent and lavish 
in bloom; that have the most desirable 
forms; that are absolutely hardy—where 
have we found such heretofore? Yet all 
this we have in these new claimants, and 
at least one shows promise of having the 
perpetual habit. 
The real gem of the lot—though 
another bears the name of “Gem”—is 
called Jersey Beauty. Just such a flower 
as artists rave over, it shows a creamy 
disk composed of a single row of broadly 
obcordate petals, the blooms being held 
boldly in profuse quantity above the 
shining background of close-set leafage. 
The heavy brush of quivering, yellow 
stamens in the center adds the last touch 
of beauty. 
The three that complete the set are 
Evergreen Gem, Gardenia, and a double 
pink sort yet unnamed. This last has 
much the form of the “hundred-leaved” 
rose so long a favorite, but is a trifle 
more loose and graceful. The color, too, 
is nearly the same, but shades almost to 
white in an unexpected way at times. 
Evergreen Gem has a similarly formed 
bloom, but is creamy white with saffron 
tinted buds. Gardenia was first shown 
as Gardeniaflora, a descriptive but cum¬ 
brous name which has been shortened 
by the originator, as it surely would 
have been by the trade and the public 
who buy. It is very pretty when half 
blown, and the buds are almost a counter¬ 
part of those of the famous Perle des 
Jardins, which was one of the seed 
parents of both this and Jersey Beauty. 
Madame Hoste and Meteor aided in the 
production of the others. 
Experts have — perhaps wisely—held 
back from ardent praise of these new 
claimants. Last year, they thought a 
great deal, said little, and waited. This 
present season has, apparently, satisfied 
them, and they pronounce them “ a good 
thing ”, which expression, in the mouth 
of a grower, contains all the adjectives. 
The set will be offered for sale next 
Spring. 
HOPE FARM NOTES. 
Rain Hang’s Off',—The most provoking thing 
in the world is a cloud that will not do what was 
expected of it. Here we are at Hope Farm as dry 
as a bone, and all the time getting drier. Up 
north, we see a dark cloud forming. It gathers 
as it comes down the valley, and we decide that, 
at last, we are to have that needed shower. We 
actually make for the house to show that we 
“know enough to go in when it rains.” Just 
when the thirsty potatoes and berries are getting 
ready for a good drink, the sun comes grinning 
through that cloud. It seems to split and go 
north and south of us, and all the rain we get is 
about 40 drops on an acre. Two miles away, 
there is a good shower, but we seem to be neither 
just nor unjust—at least, the rain falleth not 
upon us. The storm simply blows up a dust. 
Later.—The rain has come at last—a good soaker. 
Dry-Weather Notes.—The early potatoes are 
ripening, but they are small. A soaking rain 
would help them, but it must come very soon. 
Right after the last dash of rain, we set out about 
5,000 late cabbage plants. Most of them are alive. 
They were set in rows of Evergreen sweet corn, 
where only about 25 per cent of the seed started. 
I f we are ever able to plow the strawberry ground, 
we shall set more cabbages there. The carrots 
have failed. The ground will be worked over and 
sown to rutabagas. The drought has cut the 
raspberries and blackberries, both in size and 
yield. We find a first-rate home market for all 
of these fruits that we can pick. In fact, good 
raspberries pay us better than strawberries. 
There is very little competition,and the fruit picks 
better. 
Two Potato Fields,—We have two fields of 
early potatoes—each containing about 114 acre. 
No. 1 is naturally the better soil. It was plowed, 
Cutawayed twice, and Aemed. It had a small 
growth of Crimson clover on it. It was planted four 
days ahead of No. 2, and the seed was dropped by 
hand and covered level with the cultivator. Just 
about the same amount of fertilizer was used as 
in No. 2. The seed was second-sized cut in two 
or planted whole. No. 2 was poorer soil. It had 
a thin stand of Crimson clover, and chicken 
manure from about 60 hens had been thrown 
over it. It was plowed and worked once with 
Cutaway and Acme. The seed was dropped with 
the potato planter, and the rows slightly ridged. 
The seed used was mostly of large size cut to two- 
eye pieces. No. 1 was worked once with the one- 
horse cultivator, and three times with the two- 
horse. It was not hoed. No. 2 was worked once 
with the the weeder and twice with the two-horse 
cultivator, and hoed once. Early in June, 300 
pounds extra fertilizer were put on each field, 
and cultivated in. The beetles were killed as 
they appeared. 
The “ Why ” of It.—Now, which of these fields 
ought to give us the larger crop? Take all the con¬ 
ditions together, and they seem to me just about 
even. After careful comparison, however, we 
are satisfied that No. 2 will outyield No. 1 by 50 
per cent. The vines have been larger and stronger 
all through the season, and they have resisted 
the drought better. As a matter of fertility. No. 
1 seems to be ahead. It is naturally better potato 
soil, and the only extra fertility that No. 2 re¬ 
ceived was that contained in the manure from 60 
hens. As to culture, No. 1 had an extra working 
with the Cutaway, and two extra cultivatings, 
while No. 2 had one hoeing and one working with 
the weeder. Up to the matter of seed, it is a 
pretty even thing. 
Wliat We Conclude.—This little comparison 
shows how easily one may get his effect twisted 
up with his causes. The poultry crank will say, 
“ Ah! ha! What did I tell you ? Chicken manure 
beats phosphate every time! ” The potato planter 
man will say that it was because the seed went 
through the hole in his planter! The weeder man 
will claim the credit, and the old-time farmer will 
say that, after all, the hand hoe is worth a load 
of manure. It’s a good thing to give every one a 
chance, but we think the difference is mostly due 
to the larger seed. The little seed on No. 1 sent 
up too many little spindling stalks. The big seed 
on No. 2 made fewer stalks, but what there were 
of them were strong and vigorous. If we had 
gone through No. 1 and thinned out the hills as 
we do the sweet corn, I think the result would 
have been better. I think the weeder run in No. 
2 at just the right time gave the young plants a 
good start. The hand hoeing, too, kept down 
many weeds, and stirred the surface soil in among 
the plants. All this saved moisture, and these 
fewer big plants made the most of it in this dry 
seasou. As a result of this experience, I want no 
more second-sized seed potatoes. Give me good- 
sized, vigorous tubers for seed. This thing proved 
to me the value of sprouting such seed in the sun¬ 
light before it is planted. This will produce 
strong, warty sprouts that will make thick, vigor¬ 
ous plants. We do not want half a dozen plants 
to a hill. The Carman potatoes put up a few 
strong sprouts, and I think this habit has partly 
led to their popularity, for they produce tubers 
close together and a large proportion of good 
size. It is easy, though, for one to “ reason 
wrong ” on such an experiment. 
Second Fodder Crops.—We cutouroatson July 
7, and got them in the barn in good shape. As 
we have often said, we have no grass at Hope 
Farm. Toe whole place is under cultivation. We 
feed the stock on sweet corn stalks and oat hay, 
or oats cut while green and cured like grass. 
The oats were very light this year, and we shall 
need more fodder. The oat ground is about the 
only place for it, and the problem arises as to 
wbat we can sow ou the oat stubble. Millet 
would give us a fair crop, but we don’t like to 
feed millet to the horses. After some study, it 
seems to us that barley and peas will prove about 
the surest crop. Canada field peas can be broad¬ 
casted on the stubble, and worked in with the 
Cutaway. Then barley can be broadcasted and 
worked in with Acnr.e and roller. Barley seems 
to prow better than oats in late Summer and 
Fall, and will make a surer fodder crop. The 
peas will add considerable to the value of this 
crop. This seems about the best we can do, 
though good farmers say it will fail. It’s an ex¬ 
periment, and we shall watch it carefully. There 
Is great complaint this year from those who de¬ 
pend on soiling crops for feeding stock. They 
cut green rye, wheat or clover, then plow the 
grouud and sow to peas, barley or millet, so as to 
have one crop follow another. This dry year is 
upsetting their calculations, for the green crops 
are short, and the late seeding will not sprout. 
What can we sow after the early potatoes? Well, 
now, let’s not worry about that till we get the 
potatoes out. 
The Egg Story.—In June, our hens laid 1,254 
eggs, which were worth $16.75 at store prices. 
The food cost $6.40, as we have been feeding 
light. The Light Brahma laid 11 eggs and has 
shown no desire to sit. The 10 old Minorca liens 
laid 156 eggs against 151 in June last year. From 
March 1 to July 1, these 10 hens laid 681 eggs 
agaiust 610 during the same four months cf 1897. 
A record of 68.4 eggs in 122 days doesn’t come 
within gunshot of some of the records we read 
about—but that is what these hens really did. 
If we wanted to make a good showing, the way 
to do it would be to work out the following 
problem. 
“Ten old hens lay 684 eggs in 122 days. There 
are 365 days in a year; therefore these 10 hens 
will lay 2,050 eggs per year. It is, therefore, safe 
to claim that all the hens on Hope Farm will 
average 205 eggs per year. These eggs ought to 
average two cents apiece. There you have an 
income of $4.10 per hen and it costs 80 cents to 
feed a hen one year ! ! !” 
That's the sort of a story we ou/jht to tell, but 
somehow, we can’t make it work out that way. 
Now and then a hen will die, and somehow the 
lazy things will take time to moult and go dry. 
We must bluuder along ou a record of 125 eggs 
or less, and be thankful for it. There is fair 
profit in such a record, too. u. w. c. 
ARMSTRONG A McKELVY 
Pittsburgh. 
BEYMER-BAUMAN 
Pittsburgh. 
DAVIS-CHAMBERS 
Pittsburgh. 
FAHNESTOCK 
Pittsburgh. 
ANCHOR 1 
\ Cincinnati. 
ECKSTEIN J 
ATLANTIC 
BRADLEY 
BROOKLYN 1 
New York. 
A 
JEWETT ( 
ULSTER I 
UNION / 
SOUTHERN 1 
8HIPMAN i 
• Chicago. 
COLLIER 
MISSOURI 
RED SEAL 
SOUTHERN 
\ St. Louis. 
JOHN T. LEWIS A BROS CO 
Philadelphia. 
MORLEY Cleveland. 
SALEM 
Salem, Mass. 
CORNELL 
Buffalo. 
KENTUCKY 
Louisville. 
DEPARTMENT STORE advertises: 
“St. Louis Strictly Pure White Lead, 
12 V 2 , , 25, 50 and 100-lb. kegs , 
gy ' ranteed .” Analysis of this mixture shows 
it to be : 
Zinc, 26.03% 
Barytes, 73-97% 
White Lead, none. 
Zinc is cheaper than White Lead, and 
barytes is sold at about y^c. per lb. 
Moral: Buy White Lead from reputable 
dealers, and make sure that the brand is right. 
See list of genuine brands. 
|-^r* pspa By using National Lead Co.’s Pure White Lead Tinting Colors, 
p p H any desired shade is readily obtained. Pamphlet giving valu- 
* EVl-rfl-rf a ble information and card showing samples of colors free ; also 
folder showing pictures of house painted in different designs or various styles oi 
combinations of shades forwarded upon application to those intending to paint. 
National Lead Co., ioo William St., New York. 
