674 
October 1 
S A, At <4. ± A 
; Ruralisms ; 
••y^r T-y - T - y vir t’ v ▼ 
One of the most disreputable, dreary, 
forlorn-looking’ shrubs at the Rural 
Grounds is the Great Panicled Hydran¬ 
gea—II. paniculata grandiflora. The 
season has been so wet that the canes 
have made an excessive growth. Every 
cane bears one of the immense panicles 
of white, coarse, masculine-looking flow¬ 
ers. These are not well supported by 
the overgrown stems, so that they are 
bent over nearly to the ground. A more 
bedraggled shrub we have never seen. 
In the early days of the Rural Grounds, 
we were pleased with this Hydrangea. 
It was not known then in this country 
except to a few, and The R. N.-Y. took 
it up and popularized it. We were the 
first to find out that the way to propa¬ 
gate it was from green cuttings. Pre¬ 
viously, Mr. A. S. Fuller, from whom we 
purchased our first plant, propagated it 
from layers of the old wood. Well, we 
have grown to care for this masculine 
plant less and less until, at present, we 
give it a place reluctantly as one of a col¬ 
lection. There is nothing pretty either 
about the papery leaves or habit of the 
plant. In dry weather, the plant wilts 
and begs for water. In wet weather, it 
puts on the bedraggled appearance we 
have attempted to describe. 
Mr. H. Bradley, following The R. 
N.-Y.’s suggestion, planted some of the 
Mexican June corn in different places 
on his farm near New York City ; one 
situation was quite dry and {tartly under 
trees; the plants were, September 9, 
about 12 feet high, showing both tassels 
and sets, the lowest set being about 10 
feet from the soil. The second planting 
was made on poorly-drained land : these 
plants, September 9, were over 15 feet 
high, the tassels just beginning to ap¬ 
pear. He says that there are “ roots or 
feelers ’*—the aerial or adventitious roots 
to which we have several times alluded 
— l> about five inches long nearly two 
feet from the ground, at everjr joint. 
Some farmers who have seen it, think it 
will be a splendid fodder corn ”. 
On September 14, the taller of our two 
plants of Mexican June corn measured 
13 feet. There were eight tiers of aerial 
roots, the highest three feet from the 
ground. The tassels have appeared, 
though not the sets. As the nights are 
cold, and the soil dry, and frosts are 
likely to occur at any time, it is improb¬ 
able that these plants will make much 
more growth. 
Some account has been given of our 
seedling Magnolias, the result of cross¬ 
ing Soulangeana and Lenn6i. The seed 
was planted about five years ago. The 
flowers of the foreign species appear 
during early Spring, with the leaves or 
even before them, that is, when the buds 
are not destroyed by frost, as is very 
often the case in this climate and far¬ 
ther north. It sometimes occurs that 
the Chinese varieties w r ill bloom more or 
less during the Summer, though not to 
compare in numbers with the ordinary 
Spring bloom. We were surprised and 
pleased to see that one of our seedlings 
which did not bloom at all in the Spting 
is now blooming abundantly. The flow¬ 
ers are much like those of Lennfd, being 
of a claret purple outside, and a very 
light pink within. Such a variety, if it 
should be found to retain this late-bloom¬ 
ing habit, must prove a very decided 
acquisition, because the buds, not yet 
formed, cannot be harmed by the Win¬ 
ter or Spring frosts. 
We would again remind our readers 
that now is a first-rate time to plant 
Magnolia seeds. The seeds may be plant¬ 
ed as taken from the trees, or they may 
be placed in strata of damp sand and 
kept in the cellar to be planted next 
Spring. We would prefer, however, to 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
plant them now in drills, and to place 
some protecting material over them so 
as to prevent the soil from heaving dur¬ 
ing the Winter. 
On September 12, we picked our last 
bunches of Campbell’s Early grape, and 
fine bunches they were—there has not 
been a cracked or decayed grape that 
we have noticed. They remain a long 
time upon the vine after they are ripe, 
in perfect condition, so that they are 
evidently good keepers. This was one 
of the claims that our late lamented 
friend, Mr. Campbell, made for this ex¬ 
cellent variety. 
From time to time during the last 25 
years, we have tried raising late peas, 
that is, planting the best of the early 
varieties late, say about August 1. In 
one plot this season, we planted, July 
29, Nott's Excelsior and Nott’s Perfec¬ 
tion. The peas are now, September 12, 
ready to pick, but there are very few to 
pick. We estimate that there are about 
12 pods to 12 feet of vines. The vines of 
the Excelsior are six inches high, and 
those of Perfection 10 inches high. In 
a nearby plot of one-fourth acre, Nott’s 
Excelsior were planted the same date. 
These yielded just one bushel to 200 feet. 
The pods were small but well filled and 
exceedingly sweet. The plot gave a fine 
yield of potatoes last year.'.. 
O. H. Alexander, the experienced 
potato raiser of Charlotte, Vt., has this 
to say in a recent note : “ The Carman 
No. 1 and No. 3, and the State of Maine 
potatoes are the most profitable varieties 
to raise here in Vermont. Uncle Sam is, 
also, a good one.”. 
Mr. E. H. Collins, of Carmel, Inch, 
writes as follows : “ Last week, a neigh¬ 
bor showed me a corn stalk that meas¬ 
ured 17 feet in height, and said that he 
passed a field that had one or two such 
stalks to the acre. He asked the owner 
about them, but he only knew that ‘they 
grow that way every year.’ These large 
stalks,” Mr. Collins continues, “ are often 
called male stalks, because they develop 
only pollen. These barren stalks which 
furnish pollen only, will im art their 
barren tendencies to surrounding corn. 
Some farmers decapitate them in a field 
where they expect to select seed.” For 
about eight successive seasons, we 
planted separate plots of the Tennessee 
(Blount’s) Prolific. This variety pro¬ 
duces all the way from two to six, and, 
occasionally eight or ten, ears to the 
stalk. Every season, as soon as the sets 
appeared, we would go over the plot and 
cut off the tassels of all the stalks hav¬ 
ing a minimum number of sets. We were 
never fully satisfied whether this in¬ 
creased the yield of grain materially or 
not. It certainly did increase the num¬ 
ber of ears, but the increase of ears was 
at the expense of size. 
We began digging our Rural Blush 
potatoes in the early part of this month. 
For family use, we have chosen this ex¬ 
cellent variety ever since it was intro¬ 
duced. . We have never yet quite found 
its equal in quality. The flesh of the 
potatoes, when first dug, is just as white, 
flaky, crystalline and nutty as during 
the Winter or Spring. Its shape is some¬ 
what against it as a market variety. 
The Golden Mayberry is now a very 
compact, pretty bush quite resembling 
some of the dwarf. Japan Maples. As a 
purely ornamental plant, it is not with¬ 
out value. A spray of leaves is shown at 
Fig. 311, page 672. 
HOPE FARM NOTES. 
A Lame Horse.—Our two horses stand in the 
barn side by side, with a low' board partition be¬ 
tween them, reaching' back about two-thirds of 
the length of the stall. Frank is a big, solid cart 
horse, good-natured and a little stupid. Major 
is a good deal of an old rogue. He will gobble 
down his own feed, and then turn around and 
bite Frank over the partition. He has, evidently, 
done that once too often. The other night, Frank 
backed around and lashed out at his tormentor, 
striking him on the leg, just below' the hock 
joint. It was a fearful blow, and the wonder is 
that it didn’t break the bone short off. Major 
has hardly had his foot on the ground since. We 
have used hot and cold water and liniment, and 
rubbed and bandage'd the leg, but old Major is 
in for a bad time yet. 
A Crippled Team.—All the w'ork of marketing 
and hauling has now fallen upon old Frank. It 
is hard to realize how an accident to the team 
does stop farm work. It is like a break-down in 
the engine of a factory. We have potatoes to dig. 
ground to fit for rye, fodder to haul to the barn, 
aud half a dozen other jobs that require two 
horses, for most of our tools are fitted for a 
team. It’s at the end of the marketing season, 
too, when there is always a rush to get stuff off 
ahead of the frost. In a case of this sort, the 
large farmer has an advantage, for he can afTord 
to keep a surplus horse. With our small opera¬ 
tions, we cannot keep a third horse around. 
Revenge in Horses.—Now, is it probable, that 
Major remembers this injury by Frank? Will he 
w'ait his chance and pay his mate off for this 
pain ? I have asked that question of all the 
horsemen who have come and looked wisely at 
Major’s leg. They all seem to think that while a 
horse remembers a kindness, and is capable of 
showing gratitude, it has little, if any, spirit of 
revenge. They say there is no dauger that Major 
will wait his opportunity and smash Frank’s 
ribs in. This, to me, is a singular idea, and it is 
certainly a wise provision of Nature if it be true. 
Naturalists have told me that wild animals do 
not seem to learn by experience how to use their 
great strength to the best advantage in fighting. 
(•Continued on next page.) 
Good Blood 
Makes Health 
And Hood’s Sarsaparilla makes good 
blood. That is why it cures so many 
diseases and makes so many people feel 
better than ever before. If you don’t feel 
well, are half sick, tired, worn out, you 
may be made well by taking 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
America’s Greatest Medicine. 
Plant Food. 
Every crop must have the right 
kind of food and plenty of it. Only 
three plant food ingredients 
need be considered in 
a fertilizer—phos¬ 
phoric acid, 
These 
must be 
properly bal¬ 
anced. Too much of 
one and too little of an¬ 
other will cause partial or com¬ 
plete failure. 
L v p UU_ Results of mimerons experiments 
■UIV EL showing etFeotft of fertilizers upon 
various crops is jriven in our illustrated pamphlets. 
These books, sent free for the asking, will enable 
any farmer to use his fertilizers with greater econ¬ 
omy and greater profit. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 03 Nassau St., New York 
-xrx-'T* 
HAIRY VETCH, 
Also called Sand Vetch. 
The most productive and nutritious winter 
forage plant grown. Fall Catalogue telling 
about all Seeds and Grain for fall sowing 
mailed to any one interested on request. 
T. W. WOOD & SONS, 
SEEDSMEN, ^ RICHMOND, VA. 
SEED POTATOES. 
Northern Wisconsin grown. Bovee, Ohio Jr., Sir Wal¬ 
ter Raleigh, Carmans and Burals. I’rices low. 
Write NORMAN NELSON, Laney, Wis. 
U;| j nCD Currant best. Six strong plants by mail, 
VVILULn for $1. T.C. KEV1TT, Athcnia, N. J. 
I tail| | make low prices on Bismarck Apple 
WILL '1’rces (genuine); Iceberg Blackberry 
(tine plants); Imp’d Filbert Nut (new),and a general 
line of nursery stock. C. L. YATES. Rochester. N.Y 
I A DAW Dl IIMQ PEARS and QUINCES, $5 ¥1100. 
JHlHIl iLUiliO PEACHES & CURRANTS, $3. 
Cat. Free. RELIANCE NURSERY, Box 10.Geneva,N.Y. 
Our Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue 
of Fruit Bearing Fruit Trees aud Plants mailed 
FREE. W. M. PETERS’ SONS. Wesley. Md. 
BISMARCK 
apple we believe to be the most valuable apple for 
market or garden that has ever been introduced. 
Hundreds of trees, two years old. full of fruit. 
C. F. MacNAIR A CO.. Dausville, N. Y. 
Hood’s Pills cure all Liver Ills. 25 cents. 
PARAGON CHESTNUTS directions How to 
Plant. J. L. LOVETT’. Kmllie. Pa. 
REES AND PLANTS 
1 1 
New andchoice varieties, Blackberries, Straw¬ 
berries, Miller and London Raspberries, the great 
market reds, Delaware Peach, Wickson Plum. We 
sure you money. Catalog free. Myef & Son, Bridgeville, Del. 
BRIDGEMAN’S 
TREES 
Prices low. Fall catalogue free. 
Established 18(11). 150 acres. 
TheGeo. a.Sweet Npu.skuvCo 
R ox 1005, Dansville. N. V. 
CATALOGUE OE 
Bulbs and Seeds 
FOR FALL PLANTING, 
mailed free to all applicants. 
37 East 19th Street, New York. 
ESTABLISHED 182k 
W/^k DA V CASHeach WEEK the year round, If 
YV v5 I /V I you sell Stark Trees. Outfit free. 
STARK NURSERY. LOUISIANA, MO., Stark, Mo., Rockport, III., Dansville, N. V 
Grape Vines.!* 
Low price,. DescrlpttTO list Tree. Varieties,. 
Extra fine stock CURRANTS, Gooseberries, 
CAMPBELL'S EARLY Grape Quality extra. 
Warrautcd true. T. 3. HUBBARD CO., Fredonia, N.Y. 
1,000,000 
Peach Trees 
grown on the bank of Lake 
Erie, 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. 
82 Greenhouses filled with Roses, Palms, 
Araucarias, Ficus, Dracenas, Pandanus, etc. 
Will have immense stocks of best Holland Bulbs 
for fall. 45th year. lOOOacres. Correspondence 
and personal inspection solicited. 
THE STORRS & HARRISON CO., 
Box 8, Painesville, Ohio. 
PRESIDENT WILDER. 
The Prize Currant. . 
PLANTTHE MONEY-MAKER, 
Plant in Autumn. 
2^“ Prices Kiven on application. 
S. I>. AV I LIjA III), Geneva, N.Y 
The October Purple Plum. 
ITS A GREAT BEAUTY ANT) A 
SUPERB VARIETY. 
Mr. Luther Burbank's latest and best production. 
Superior to the Abundancp, Burbank. Satsuma, 
Wickson, Red June, Hale. Gold, or any of bis many 
valuable varieties of plums. Send for circular giv¬ 
ing further information. Address 
STEPHEN HOYT’S SONS, New Canaan, Conn. 
Second Trial of Jadoo Fibre. —We 
have about 25 different kinds of toma¬ 
toes in the R. N.-Y. experiment field— 
about half a dozen plants of each. Un¬ 
der the first plant of every lot was 
placed a handful of the Jadoo fibre when 
the plants were set out—about June 1. 
We have compared the Jadoo with the 
other plants from time to time, and may 
now say that there seems no noticeable 
difference, either in the size or vigor of 
the plants, or the quantity or size of 
fruit borne. 
What Are Business Trees? 
Our new Fall Catalogue, and a trial of our business trees will answer this question to your satisfaction. 
Our cata ogue speaks for us, and our trees speak .for themselves wherever then go. J f vou are thinking of 
buying fruit trees, and want the kind you can plant with confidence, our cata¬ 
logue will tell the truth about what you want. Why not write .for it now ! 
Do not wait to hear from us, for the way to get a copy is to ask for it. It's a 
plain, common sense little book, different from all others. We have no 
worthless novelties, no catchpenny schemes, no ehroruos. no agents, no 
high prices, but business trees for business farmers. Every dollar you invest 
with us COUNTS, and no matter where you have been buying or what others 
may claim, it will pay you to give our business trees a trial. 
THE noaEIlS 3XTUI1SER.IES, Dansville, 3JJ.Y. 
ROGERS TREES 
ABE 
BUSINESS TREES 
B ill# nmni# ni A HIT 1 A that WILL CROW and which aretrueto 
i a w Sjf sU jjjp ul at imB 9 variety and name. 1 grow that kiml in greater 
Olilll 1 B 1 Beg Smb 1 quantity than anybody else in the world. Rasp- 
™ ■ w berries. Gooseberries, Strawberries, Black, 
berries. Currants, Grapes, etc. Every plant free from disease. Sold DC ADI PflftCEDCDDV 
under certificate of State Entomologist. This is tiie home of the famous r EAltL UuUdLULllIl I ■ 
place your order until you get my catalogue and price list. ALLEN L. WOOD, ROCHESTER, N. Y. 
