7g6 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 15 
; Ruralisms ; 
A ll communications intended for Rural- 
isms from now until May 1, should be ad¬ 
dressed to E. S. Carman, No. 5 West 82nd 
Street, New York City. We shall be glad 
to hear from any of our friends . 
The Pendulous Silver Fir —Accord¬ 
ing 1 to the revised nomenclature, this is 
Abies pectinata pendula; according to 
the older nomenclature, which should 
never have been changed, it is Picea 
pectinata pendula. It is, probably, a 
sport of the common Silver fir, and not 
a seedling. This latter tree we have al- 
ways'eondemned for ornamental grounds. 
The young trees are beautiful in the 
nursery rows, beautiful because of their 
vigor and perfect forms. As the price is 
usually less than that of the choicer 
coniferous trees, the firs are usually 
chosen, in preference to them, by inex¬ 
perienced buyers. They remain vigor¬ 
ous and beautiful until they get to be 
from about 8 to 10 years old ; then they 
begin to lose their symmetrical shape, 
the lower branches die, the foliage 
changes to a dark, somber color, and the 
leaves become comparatively scanty. In 
a few years more, the tree becomes ab¬ 
solutely ugly. 
The objections to the Pendulous Silver 
fir are, as judged by our own ex¬ 
perience, somewhat less pronounced. 
The lower foliage is retained longer, as 
will be seen by Fig. 318, first page. There 
is a good deal of slender, graceful ele¬ 
gance about it, and the oddity of its 
growth makes it, perhaps, desirable as 
one of a collection. 
The particular Pendulous Silver fir of 
which we are speaking, was planted 
about 25 years ago in the Rural Grounds. 
It is now nearly 20 feet high, and does 
not seem to have suffered materially 
from its shady position. On the right 
of the picture, it will be seen, there are 
two overshadowing White pine trees, 
which were materially harmed, first, by 
the burning of a barn, which was after¬ 
wards rebuilt as shown in the illustra¬ 
tion, and, second, by the tornado of three 
years ago. Neither of these causes 
seemed to injure the Pendulous fir. 
It is not until the cool nights of Fall 
that the Japan Morning-glories show 
their full beauty. The flowers are much 
larger than those of the ordinary Morn¬ 
ing-glory, and of an intensity of color 
impossible to describe. Some of them 
have changeable colors, a blending, for 
instance, of intense blue and delicate 
crimson. 
What is now known as the Geneva 
grape, was sent to the Rural Grounds by 
R. G. Chase & Co., of Rochester, as No. 
300, during the Spring of 1886. The grapes 
ripen about the middle of September 
ordinarily. The bunches are large, 
berry of medium size, oblong; seeds 
rather large ; pulp tender and of a rich 
acid flavor. Vines healthy and hardy.. 
IIosford’s Mammoth Grape, received 
from George Hosford, Ionia, Mich., No¬ 
vember, 1890. We have again carefully 
compared it with Eaton. We cannot de¬ 
tect any difference in bunch, berry or 
vine. 
HORTICULTURE FOR THE CHILDREN. 
READY FOR BULB PLANTING. 
When Winter is over and the sun be¬ 
gins to warm the moist earth in Spring, 
we hail with delight every flower that 
unfolds its shining petals. Even the 
fresh grass and the first opening leaves 
that display their delicate green, attract 
the eye and gladden the heart. Nothing 
about the houseyard is more welcome or 
more certain than bulbs to reward us 
for time and labor spent in planting. 
Fall is the time to prepare for this joy¬ 
ous Spring blooming. 
Nature prepares, the Summer before, 
the flowers that are to be; although 
small and hidden, they lie snugly within 
the folds of the fleshy bulbs or the more 
solid corms. The thick scales which form 
the bulbs, or the swollen rootstalks, are 
filled with starchy food. They are noth¬ 
ing more than huge buds all ready to de¬ 
velop their inward structures when the 
proper time comes. Roots come out at 
their bases and grow during the Spring 
and Summer, to enable the plant to take 
up water and lay hold of the food in the 
soil, for the growth of the next bulb to 
follow. They are so well stored with 
nourishment that, in many eases, they 
are able to develop their flowers without 
the aid of anything besides water, sun¬ 
shine and air. It is a very common thiDg 
to put hyacinth bulbs in small vases 
made for the purpose and filled with 
water only, so their roots may grow 
down into the water. Any large-mouthed 
bottle will do as well, if in is so that the 
bulb will set on its top securely, and the 
bottom just touch the water. Although 
they bloom fully as well as though in 
the ground, yet no new bulbs will be 
formed, because the water affords noth¬ 
ing else from which to make them. This 
is a fancy style of blooming bulbs in the 
house, but I like better to plant them in 
pots of earth. It looks more natural. 
There are so many kinds of bulbs, and 
such nice ones, too, that the difficulty 
lies in deciding which to reject, rather 
than which to plant. The catalogues of 
seed and plant dealers give lists of the 
choicest kinds. 
The Crocus is the first to come up in 
the Spring. Winter is scarcely gone 
when, some sunshiny day, we are sur¬ 
prised to see the white, golden or pur¬ 
plish flowers peeping at us from beneath 
our feet. Sometimes the late snows fall 
on them in full bloom. Their leaves look 
almost like grass blades, but the bell¬ 
shaped flowers are quite showy. Nearly 
every one knows the Crocus, and those 
who do not ought to become acquainted 
with it by growing some of the little 
bulb-like corms in a box of earth in the 
window, if no better place can be found. 
The difference between a bulb and a 
corm is that a bulb is made up of thick, 
leafy scales, like the onion, lily and hya¬ 
cinth, while the corm is solid like a 
potato, with sunken buds on the upper 
side. The Crocus and Gladiolus are com¬ 
mon examples of the latter. 
Of course, the hyacinth will be one of 
the kinds chosen. It comes up early, and 
keeps in bloom for a long time. Its 
colors are both gay and modest-looking. 
They vary from deep, violet blue to 
white, in almost every imaginable tint 
and shade, except that yellow is almost 
wanting. The perfume is delicately 
sweet, too, which adds to its charms. 
The tulip is almost as beautiful and 
popular as the hyacinth, but it is not so 
early to bloom. The many-colored flow¬ 
ers are like little goblets of gold, garnet 
and amethyst. Gems they are, indeed, 
of the flowery kingdom, springing fresh 
from Mother Earth, all polished and 
glowing with radiant colors. 
The lilies are a numerous family. The 
well-known Easter lily is the most pop¬ 
ular kind. It is the first flower of which 
I have any recollection. Its tall stalks 
were crowned with clusters of trumpet¬ 
shaped, snow-white flowers into which 
I could barely look by tip-toeing. Year 
after year, they came up in the corners 
of the flower beds, reminding me of my 
mother, whose hands planted them, and 
then she passed on to the Celestial gar¬ 
dens one quiet September evening, be¬ 
fore I was six years old. Her memory 
is, to me, as fragrant as the sweet per¬ 
fume of those faultless lilies. The com¬ 
mon Leopard lily is another sturdy and 
stately member of the family. It has 
large, showy, reddish petals, dotted with 
spots as black as ink, like those of the 
leopard. The Japan lilies are, perhaps, 
the most delicately colored of all. Rose 
and pink and white are blended in de¬ 
lightful harmony. The flowers are large, 
but the stalks are not tall. 
What flower is more sweet and modest 
than the Lily-of-the-Valley ? It is not a 
true lily, from a botanical view, but 
that name was given it long ago. Its 
leaves are low-growing, and hide almost 
entirely the drooping flower stalks, from 
which hang little pure white bells in 
the most graceful fashion. Nothing in 
all the list of flowers is more sweetly 
scented. The creeping root-stalks form 
a network in the soil that will remain 
and flourish for many years with very 
slight attention. 
None of these flowers is very costly ex¬ 
cept the Japan lilies. They may be grown 
almost as easily as potatoes, for they are 
sure to live and bloom at least one year, 
if given half a chance. It is the custom 
of professional florists to get new bulbs 
every year, because the young bulbs that 
grow out of the sides of the old ones are 
small and often bloom very poorly the 
next year, if at all. The people of Hol¬ 
land make it a business to grow bulbs 
for the rest of the world—because their 
soil and climate are just right for it, and 
they know how and give them good cul¬ 
ture. It takes five or six years to grow 
a strong-blooming hyacinth bulb from a 
little one. 
To make a bulb bed, spread three or 
four inches deep of well-rotted manure 
(it must not be fresh), all over the soil, 
and spade it in deeply. Make the soil as 
fine and loose and rich as possible. A 
place that is a little shady and protected 
from the wind is best for bulbs. Plan 
to have the tallest-growing kinds in the 
center of the bed. Crocuses make a nice 
border. Mix the colors in any way that 
is pleasing. I have seen flags made of 
red, white and blue hyacinths. Plant 
almost any time from October 1 until 
freezing weather, but early planting 
gives the best flowers. From three to 
four inches is the proper depth. Cover 
with forest leaves or any coarse mulch, 
and put on brush or sticks to hold it and 
to keep the chickens away. It is time 
now to be sending for some of the cata¬ 
logues, and making a selection. My 
own little girl has done so already. 
There are many nice things besides those 
I have mentioned, such as the Narcissus, 
the Anemone and the Oxalis. Put a few 
of each kind selected in pots or boxes of 
earth in the house for Winter blooming. 
Let the pleasure begin as soon as pos¬ 
sible, resting assured that, if the choos¬ 
ing and the work be done properly, there 
will be delight from the time the first 
Crocus peeps above the ground in the 
window, until the last lily has faded 
next Summer. H. E. van deman. 
Pure Blood 
Good Digestion 
These are the essentials of health. Hood’s 
Sarsaparilla is the great blood purifier 
and stomach tonic. It promptly expels 
the impurities which cause pimples, sores 
and eruptions and by giving healthy ac¬ 
tion to the stomach and digestive organs 
it keeps the system in perfect order. 
PRESIDENT WILDER. 
The Prize Currant. 
PLANT THE MONEY-MAKER. 
Plant in Autumn. 
jy Prices given on application. 
S. D. WII/LARD, Geneva, N. Y 
REES AND PLANTS 
T 'l 
New andchoice varieties, ltlackbcrrlea. Straw¬ 
berries, Miller and Loudon Ra.pbcrrlc., tha great 
market reds, Delaware Peach, Wickson Plum. W. 
MT.ron money. Catalog free. MyCT & Son, BridgCvUle, Del. 
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 & CO., Dansville, N. Y. 
Our Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue 
of Fruit Bearing Fruit Trees and Plants mailed 
free. W. M. PETERS’ SONS, Wesley. Md. 
I ll/11 I make low prices on Bismarck Apple 
If ILL Trees (genuine); Iceberg Blackberry 
(fine plants); Imp’d Filbert Nut (new),and a general 
line of nursery stock. C. L. YATES, Rochester, N.Y 
THE NEW FROST-PROOF PEACH, 
IRON MOUNTAINeve^ere 
PEACH. PEAR, PLUM. APPLE Trees. New Fruits 
and Berries—Specialties. Lowest prices. Catalogue 
Free J. H. LINDSLEY. White House, N. J. 
I APAN PI || MQ PEARS and QUINCES, 15 ID 100. 
JHlrtll ILUITIO PEACHES & CURRANTS, *3. 
Cat. Free. Reliance Nursery, Box 10, Geneva, N.Y. 
1,000 GLEN MARY 
Strawberry Pits for $2,60. 
T. C. Kevitt.Athenla.N.J. 
Grape Vines.™ 
Low prices. Descriptive list free* Varieties. 
Extra fine stock CURRANTS, Gooneberrlen, 
CAMPBELL’S EARLY Grape. Quality extra. 
Wmrrmted true. T. 8. UUURAUD CO., IredgnU, N.Y. 
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, Satsnma, 
Wlokson, Red June, Hale, Gold, or any of his many 
valuable varieties of plums. Send for olroular giv¬ 
ing further information. Address 
STEPHEN HOYT’S SONS, New Canaan, Conn. 
POTATOES WANTED'HSMKK 
to offer, name price per 00-lb. bu„ delivered on cars 
your station. VV. H. ANTHONY & CO., Allentown. Pa 
H eadquarters for Pedigree Second-Crop Seed Pota¬ 
toes. Superior to any grown. Strawberries, etc. 
Catalogue free. J. W. HALL, Marion Sta., Md. 
Special Sale. 
Call’s Nurseries, Perry, Ohio, are making a 
Special Fall Sale of FRUIT TREES, at greatly 
reduced prices. To those of our readers who are 
wishing to set fruit trees of any kind, this is the 
“ Chance of a Lifetime ” to secure the best qual¬ 
ity of strictly first-class trees at bottom prices. 
No finer trees were ever offered for sale, and all 
trees are warranted free from scale or disease of 
any kind. Write them for price-list, stating the 
number of trees wanted. 
BRIDGEMANS 
CATALOGUE OP 
Bulbs and Seeds 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
Is America’s Greatest Medicine. $1; six for $5. 
Prepared only by C. I. Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass. 
Hood’s Pills 
are the only pills to take 
with Hood’s Sarsaparilla. 
FOR FALL PLANTING, 
mailed free to all applicants. 
37 East 19th Street, New York. 
ESTABLISHED 1B24. 
BERRY 
State Entomologist. Pi 
until you get my prices. 
CVTD1 CHIC Dl lUTG of all the leading varieties 
LAIllA lint “LAnl oof the following: Ku»i>- 
berries. Gooseberries Strawberries, Blackberries, 
Currants, Grapes, ete. Each the best of its kind from 
Btock that has been inspected and certified to by the 
Positively free from disease . Largest grower ofjjeiry ^1( 
ly free 
NT 
FltEE. 
PLANTS 
jiants in the world. Don’t buy 
ALLEN L. (VOOll, ROCHESTER, N. Y. 
DWYER'S TREES, RLANTS 
and all NURSERY STOCK that can be planted with safety during the Fall 
months, are now ready for shipment. CATALOGUE of first-class stock mailed 
free to all who write for it. 
T. J. DWYER & SON, CORNWALL, N. Y. 
SUCCESS 
in life does not necessarily mean great riches. It’s success 
in these times to “ lay by a hundred a year,” or even make 
both ends meet. We cannot all expect great things. 
Successward helps in fruit-growing will be found in our 
_ catalogue for Fall. It does not tell you how to get rich 
quick, nor is everything praised merely to sell the trees, but assisted by H. E. Van Deman. Geo. T. Powell 
and others, our effort has been to tell the truth about varieties, and make it of value and assistance to cus¬ 
tomers. You can’t help but see the difference between our catalogue and any others. Both the commercial 
and the home orchard are helps toward making life on the /arm a success. Then why not plan now to plant 
an orchard this Fall ? 
NURSERYMEN 
THE BUSINESS 
Drop us a line, and we will be glad to talk it over with you. 
FARMER. THE"ROGERS NURSERIES, Dansville, N. Y. 
Finest lot of PEACH TREES in the country, free from borers, scale, yellows, 
etc. Large stocks of Pear, Plum, Apple, Cherry, Apricot, Quince. Immense 
supply of Small Fruits. Headquarters for 
Ornamental Trees, Roses, Shrubs. 
i Extra fine lot of Teas Weeping Mulberry, Kilmarnock, New American and 
L Wisconsin Weeping Willows, Camperdown Elm and Cut Leaved Weeping 
Birch. 44 greenhouses filled with Roses, Palms, Ficus, Geraniums, etc. 
Correspondence and personal inspection solicited. Catalogue and price list free. 45th year. 
44 greenhouses. 1000 acres. 
THE STORRS & HARRISON CO., Box 42, Painesville, O. 
