6io 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
September 3 
; Ruralisms ; 
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ 
Mr. N. B. White, of Norwood, Mass., 
tells us that he has a new asparagus, the 
stalks of which are white or pea green, 
and that it comes true from seed. The 
same may measurably be said of the 
comparatively new Columbian. 
The color of the shoots of asparagus 
does not count at all, except the stalks 
are cut underground. The portions un¬ 
derground are always white because 
they are bleached by the soil, and re¬ 
ceive neither air nor light. Of course, 
the white portions are always tough and 
stringy because they are the oldest por¬ 
tions of the stalk. The tip of the shoot 
is the tenderest and the only portion 
that grows. It is quite remarkable that 
the markets do not understand this. 
Most of the bunches sold are more white 
than green—the white or older part of 
the stems being worthless. For many 
years we have advised our readers not to 
cut asparagus, but to break off the stems 
a few inches below the tip or where the 
shoot “snaps” readily. In this way 
they gather the tender portion only. 
Dealers introducing these “tips” would 
be obliged to ask a higher price for a 
time because the tender terminal part is 
not ordinarily over one-eighth of the 
stalk. But if the charge were eight 
times as much, the purchaser would pay 
just the same for the edible part and be 
relieved of some trouble in the cooking 
and disposal of the tough, stringy re¬ 
mainder . 
On August 10, we received two peaches 
from W. M. Grisinger, Atlanta, Ga., the 
name being Mathew’s Beauty, “ a com¬ 
paratively new variety, following El- 
berta ”. They were fine specimens, being 
as shown in Fig. 281, about 10 inches in 
circumference equatorially. The well- 
defined point at the flower end increases 
the circumference to 10% inches. The 
color is a rich buff well sprinkled with 
crimson. The pit is of medium size, the 
flesh deep. It is as juicy as a peach well 
can be, and the quality is rich and fine. 
We do not know of any peach of higher 
quality. The skin, though firm, peels 
readily from the flesh, which is free from 
the stone. 
The terrible weather continues. We 
do not learn that it has any parallel for 
rainfall, heat and humidity. 
Here is our record from August 1 to 19 
inclusive: 
August 1.—Showers, showery and sul¬ 
try. 
August 4.—Daily showers. 
Augusts.—97 degrees in New York; 
showery and excessively sultry. 
August 12.—Heavy rains ; soil a pud¬ 
dle of mud. 
August 16,—Light showers, sultry. 
August 17.— Showers, excessive hu¬ 
midity. 
August 19.— Showers, excessive hu¬ 
midity. 
Tomatoes and potatoes are rotting at 
a great rate... 
Around and about the Rural Grounds 
there has never before been so exuber¬ 
ant a growth of Lima-bean vines. It is 
a fine country for Lima beans, which are 
usually the most profitable crop raised. 
This season the crop is a failure or nearly 
so. There is a maximum of vines, a 
minimum of beans. Much the same may 
be said of tomatoes and sweet corn. 
Cross-bred Raspberries. —It was five 
years ago that we crossed the Columbian 
upon the Loudon, and the Loudon upon 
the Columbian. Most of the bushes 
fruited the past season. The plants vary 
indefinitely as to vigor, size of stems 
and leaves and the thorns on the stems. 
Several are virtually thornless, one is 
absolutely so. They vary, also, in time 
of ripening, some being early, some in¬ 
termediate and some late. The fruit, 
too, varies in color from bright red to 
dark red and purple. Some of the ber¬ 
ries are of the very best quality ; some 
combine the rich acidity of the Colum¬ 
bian with the sweetness of the Loudon ; 
some are conical, some round, some soft, 
some firm. One plant is interesting be¬ 
cause of its utter sterility. This bore 
more flowers than any other, seemingly 
five to one. The calyces with their 
dried stamens and pistils still persist. 
The bush has not borne a berry, not even 
an imperfect berry. A spray of these 
imperfect flowers is shown at Fig. 282. 
Will this plant always remain sterile? 
Another season will help to answer the 
question... 
Mr. Henry H. Boardman’s (Jewitt 
City, Conn.) experience with sweet peas 
this season has been phenomenal. His 
treatment of the soil before and after 
sowing the seed seems to account for 
his remarkable results. Since July 4, 
from a 30-foot double row he has plucked 
daily from 100 to 300 sprays, mostly 
of three blossoms each, not a few of 
them four, yet on the day of his writ¬ 
ing, “ the vines areas full as ever, the 
flowers being of every imaginable hue 
from dark purple to pure white. The 
vines have a uniform height of about four 
feet.” He then describes where and how 
they were jfianted, and what treatment 
they have since received. “ The seeds 
were planted April 15 in a sandy loam 
hitherto in grass. About two one-horse 
loads of ordinary loam were deposited 
giving an additional depth of about six 
inches. It was then fertilized with half 
a bushel of ground bone and sulphate of 
potash, the proportion being two of the 
former to one of the latter. The early 
growth was slow, but after the plants 
were about four inches high, liquid hen 
manure was applied daily for about 10 
days. This seemed to make them jump. 
The location being high and dry, the 
hose was used liberally during the 
greater part of June.” 
This is certainly heroic treatment. 
We would not have supposed that sweet 
peas could have stood such liberal 
quantities of fertilizer and liquid man¬ 
ure. The seed was guaranteed to be 
“ Eckford’s choicest mixed, more than 
100 different colors.”. 
Our friend, the New York Farmer, 
quotes from The R. N.-Y. the following : 
“‘Over 20 years of experience with hardy 
grapes.’ 
“ ‘ What is your choice ? ’ 
‘“The Diamond for white; Campbell’s Early 
for black.’ ” 
The Farmer asks: “It would be interesting to 
know what the Editor means. Would he select 
these two grapes if he were limited to two, for 
market ? Would he choose them if he were sim¬ 
ply growing grapes for his own table, and was 
likewise limited to two? ” 
There are many varieties of grapes of 
better quality that may be grown to 
perfection in favored parts of the grape¬ 
growing country. We are speaking of 
our own experience at the Rural Grounds, 
which is so far from being a favored 
grape-growing district, that only the 
hardiest and sturdiest varieties succeed. 
In these respects, the Diamond and 
Campbell’s Early excel, while in quality, 
size of bunch, freedom from rot, they are 
superior to the best of the other kinds 
tried which are equally hardy and 
sturdy. Hence it is that, as grown at 
the Rural Grounds, we would, at present, 
prefer them to any other two varieties 
either for home use or market. 
High winds several days ago lodged, 
or partly so, much c f the corn—sweet 
and field—about the Rural Grounds. 
The Brazilian corn under experiment 
with Jadoo liquid, was bent over 10 to 
20 degrees. The Mexican June corn 
stood as upright after the wind as be¬ 
fore. It is wonderful how well this 
gigantic variety stands against winds. 
It was so last year. 
At present there are three tiers of ad¬ 
ventitious roots, the last a whorl of up¬ 
wards of 30, not over %-incli long and 
quite elastic. The first and second rest 
upon the soil as would the legs of a 
stand upon a floor. 
July 11, the taller of the two plants 
was just 10 feet 3 inches high, measur¬ 
ing to the central leaf ; the other which 
has not been measured, is but two or 
three inches shorter. 
A corn plant dies naturally as soon as 
the ears mature. It has done its full 
work, and it leaves us dormant little 
plants (kernels) securely boxed up and 
protected against the cold of Winter, 
which will yield 300 to 500 fold another 
season. 
The Mexican June corn, in our climate, 
will yield no grain. The season is so 
short that neither silks nor tassels will 
form. Hence the plant will continue to 
grow, barring accidents, until frosts 
occur severe enough to kill it. The plant 
is now averaging three inches of growth 
per day, though the weather is unfavor¬ 
able to a maximum growth, being too 
wet. Counting upon favorable weather 
and the same average growth until Oc¬ 
tober 1, the plant will be over 20 feet in 
height. As a curiosity, such a “tropical 
bedding grass” would well repay the 
trouble we are taking with it. 
Fifteen pounds per acre—20 at most— 
is about the right quantity of Crimson 
clover seed to sow. The price is only 
about $3 per buslfel of 60 pounds. We 
would sow it upon any vacant plot or 
patch in the garden. We would sow it 
with the last cultivation of beans, corn, 
beets, cabbages, as well as among grape 
vines, raspberry and blackberry plants. 
Keep the soil covered as far as may be 
with Crimson clover, no matter whether 
the plants be injured or destroyed by 
the Winter or not. What remains after 
the injury or destruction will be worth 
more than the cost of the seed, to the 
soil, as a nitrogenous food. For this 
climate the seed should be sown at once. 
The genus Itea has but one species, 
and that is Virginica. One would not 
suspect it from looking at the bushes, 
but it is nearly related to the currant 
and gooseberry, to the mock orange or 
(Continued on next page.) 
Feed Your Nerves 
Upon rich, pure, nourishing blood by 
taking Hood’s Sarsaparilla, and you will 
be free from those spells of despair, 
those sleepless nights and anxious days, 
those gloomy, deathlike feelings, those 
sudden starts at mere nothings, those 
dyspeptic symptoms and blinding head¬ 
aches. Hood’s Sarsaparilla has done 
this for many others—it will cure you. 
HOOd’S S pari?la 
Is America’s Greatest Medicine. $1; six for $5. 
Hood’S Pills cure sick headache. 25c. 
1,000,000 
Peach Trees 
f rown on the bank of Lake 
Irie, two miles from any 
peach orchards and guar¬ 
anteed free from Scale, 
Borers, Yellows, etc. Large 
stock of Pear, Plum, 
Cherry, Quince and immense supply of Small 
Fruit plants. Headquarters for Ornamental 
Trees and Shrubs. A quarter of a million of 
low down budded roses. 
32 Greenhouses filled with Roses, Palms, 
Araucarias, Ficus, Dracenas, Pandanus, etc. 
Will have immense stocks of best Holland Bulbs 
for fall. 45th year. 1000 acres. Correspondence 
and personal inspection solicited. 
THE STOKRS & HARRISON CO., 
Box 8, Paineaville, Ohio. 
< 
Plant Food. 
Every crop must have the right 
These 
must be 
properly bal¬ 
anced. Too much of 
one and too little of an¬ 
other will cause partial or com¬ 
plete failure. 
L'l) T7I7_ Results of numerous experiments 
a Iv CC showing effects of fertilizers upon 
various crops is given in our illustrated pamphlets. 
These books, sen! free for the asking, will enable 
any farmer to use his fertilizers with greater econ- 
J| omy and greater profit. 
* GERMAN KAU WORKS, 93 Nassau St., New York . 
flFV wv v v vv 
ocoooooooooooooo 
Profits 
i 
of Farming 
Gardening and Fruit Culture 
depend upon Good Crops and 
they in turn upon Good Fer¬ 
tilizers. The uniformly best 
fertilizer for all C/ops and all 
soils is made by 
THE CLEVELAND DRYER CO., 
CLEVELAND, O. 
Materials supplied for “Home Mixing .” 
I Want Clover dT-'? “«T, d 
sweet and tree from Timothy or Fall grass. State 
quantity and price, delivered Philadelphia, baled. 
C. K. WHITE, station V, Philadelphia, Pa. 
Primenn Plnuor —1 >0l)0 bn. home-grown Crimson 
UllllloUII UlUVCl Clover Seed for Sale. 
JOSEPH E. HOLLAND. Milford. Del. 
Fall Seeds and Bulbs ?l oVY* 0 » 
SPECIALTY. Do you want ajiy of the above ? If so, 
write for my ill’d circular describing them. I am 
headquarters for home-grown seeds, and am prepared 
to quote low-down prices for all these Seeds and 
bulbs in quantities. See my exhibit at Williams 
Grove, Grangers’ Picnic. Circulars mailed free on 
application. HARRY L. HOLMES, Harrisburg, Pa. 
Jones Wheats. 
My wheats are noted for strong straw, large yield, 
and are the most popular and profitable grown. New 
Light Amber Longberry has a record of 54bushels. 
Originator of Early Arcadian, Diamond Grit, Genesee 
Giant, Bearded Winter Fife, Early Bed Clawson,- 
and others. Send for catalogue to 
A. N. JONES. Newark. Wayne Co.. N. Y. 
SEED WHEAT. 
Send for circular. MAHLON SAG ER. Orangeville,Pa 
S EED \VII EATS—Cir. free. Compares yields mostly 
advertised. Saves 1$ experimenting. 'McKinley 
wheat wanted). Smith’s Potato Farm,Manchester,N.Y 
Dnrlw Wheat for sale at reasonable prices. 
nUUJ filled I Write tor prices, stating amount 
wanted. J. M. PECK, Stafford, N. Y. 
DflTTEn STRAWBERRY PLANTS. Price-List 
lU I ILL) free. T. C. KEVITT, Athenia, N. J. 
PFAPU TREES, 3c. All kinds of stock cheap 
iLnUn Reliance Nursery, Box 10, Geneva, N. Y. 
TREES 
Prices low. Fall catalogue free 
Established 1800. 150 acres. 
TheGko. A.Swkbt NprseryCo 
Box 1005, Dansville. N. Y. 
M^sof Delaware Peach 
$25. per 1000. Trees and plants of new and old 
sorts in assortment at lowest prices. Catalogue 
FREE. MYEK A SON, BrldgcvlUe, l>el. 
BRIDGEMANS 
CATALOGUE OF 
Bulbs and Seeds 
FOR FALL PLANIINO , 
mailed free to all applicants. 
37 East 19th Street, New York. 
ESTABLISHED 1824. 
W/_ D A V LASH each WEEK the year round, if 
YT “ l/\l you sell Stark Trees. Outfit free. 
STARK NURSERY. LOUISIANA, MO., SUrk, Mo., Rockport, III., fensvillc, N. V 
The October Purple Plum. 
ITS A GREAT BEAUTY AND A 
SUPERB VARIETY. 
Mr. Luther Burbank's latest and best production. 
Superior to the Abundance, Burbank, Satsuma, 
SVickson, Red June, Hale. Gold, or any of his many 
valuable varieties of plums. Send for circular giv¬ 
ing further information. Address 
STEPHEN HOYT’S SONS, New Canaan, Conn. 
GOOD LAYERS 
when well rooted, are more economical than potted plants. 
Glen Mary, Marshall, Brandywine and Champion of England at 
$4 50 and $5 per 1,000. Seaford, Ridgeway, Fountain and Bismarck 
_ at $0 per 1,000: 300 at 1,000 rates. Other sorts at fair prices for 
immediate delivery. Write to-day. New Fall catalogue ready soon. Did you get our booklet, “A Tiny 
Bud," telling how to bud and all about it ? THE ROGERS NURSERIES, Dansville, N. Y. 
