37o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
May 21 
MEXICAN NOVELTIES AMONG ECO¬ 
NOMIC PLANTS. 
Prof. J. L. Budd, of Ames, la., writes 
us interestingly of several economic 
plants of Mexico, suggested by Ruralisms 
of April 16, respecting the Giant Mexican 
June corn. Some items of his experience 
favor the belief that Mexico has many 
economic plants likely to prove useful in 
the southern States. For instance, Prof. 
Budd secured some kernels from an ear 
of corn fully 18 inches long, brought by 
a mining prospector from a point about 
120 miles southwest of the City of Mexico. 
His report was that it was a suckering 
variety, and that from one kernel, several 
stalks run up bearing huge ears. The 
kernels Prof. Budd planted were fully 
three times as large and heavy as the 
largest of our dent corns. Each kernel 
developed from 10 to 12 stalks that, in 
September, were from 12 to 18 feet high, 
and so stiff and strong that no winds af¬ 
fected them, and the leaves were broader, 
longer, and thicker than before observed 
in any country. No show of ears or blos¬ 
soms was noticed, though last Fall was 
unusually favorable at the Ames Ex¬ 
periment Station for ripening the largest 
dent corns. In all respects it proved a 
unique and peculiar variety that would, 
probably, prove valuable in the South, 
although it might need acclimating by 
starting it in the plant house for one or 
two years. Prof. Budd’s experience has 
shown that even South American varie¬ 
ties of corn can be acclimated in four or 
five years by starting them indoors for 
two or three years to get partially 
ripened seed. 
Another instance of Mexican novelties, 
Prof. Budd says, was a muskmelon tested 
and studied at Phoenix, Arizona. He 
has tested melons in various parts of the 
world, including central Asia and Cuba, 
but has seen nothing like this Mexican 
variety as grown at Phoenix. In leaf, 
habit of vining, size and shape of fruit, 
flavor, and keeping qualities, it was al¬ 
together peculiar. At Ames, it grew 
rankly but failed to ripen its forming 
fruit. 
Prof. Budd gives one other instance to 
prove his point that we should look up 
some of the plants of old Mexico. At El 
Paso, he found in the market in Novem¬ 
ber strawberries brought up from some 
point on the Mexican Central, wholly 
peculiar in form, seeds, and flavor. “ In 
quality, we have no variety of their size, 
or indeed, of anj' size, that will compare 
favorably with this new type”. 
In introducing economic plants from 
Mexico we seem to secure leaves that 
will bear intense heat and a dry air. 
Prof. Budd mentions as an instance a 
hlack variety of Mexican sweet corn of 
excellent quality. Three years ago, a 
hot southwest wind “ fired ” every variety 
of sweet corn in the garden except the 
one from Mexico, which gave the usual 
crop. 
Tiik Double-flowering Plum - leafed 
Spiraea (Spiraea prunifolia flore pleno) is 
a native of Japan, and was introduced 
here in 1845. It is now in every nur¬ 
seryman’s catalogue, and the price of 
single plants is about 25 cents. It is 
not appreciated by all who have planted 
it as it should be. The reasons are sev¬ 
eral. When first planted, it is, as Scott 
remarks, “ Stiff and twiggy with many 
suckers. It assumes a very different 
habit with age, when its long, slender 
branches arch gracefully towards the 
lawn.” Again, it will not stand being 
crowded ; it should have a position quite 
alone. The leaves are of a dark lustrous 
green, which in the Fall turn to rich 
shades of dark and light bronzy crim¬ 
son. It is among the hardiest of shrubs, 
growing from five to eight feet in height, 
according to the richness of the soil. It 
blooms during the latter part of April 
and early May. The writer carefully 
estimated that upon a bush but three 
feet high there were 10,000 flowers. 
These flowers are exceedingly interest¬ 
ing. They are borne in fascicles along 
the entire length of the stem. Individu¬ 
ally they are scarcely half an inch in 
diameter. Sessile upon the branches in 
the early Spring, are involucres of four 
or five very small leaves. Now from 
these, spring from two to five thread¬ 
like pedicels an inch in length, each 
bearing a flower. These clusters of 
involucre leaves, as we call them, 
are scarcely one - quarter inch apart, 
so that it will be seen the bush is lit¬ 
erally a mass of flowers. First, of 
course, comes the little calyx, which is 
a perfect star ; then inner green bracts, 
alternating with the sepals of the true 
calyx, then the whorl of roundish white 
petals. The whorls of leaves which we 
have said in early Spring are sessile upon 
the branches, do not develop until the 
flowers have disappeared, when their 
nodes lengthen into regular branches, 
and the leaves soon attain their natural 
size. The flowers are white, splashed 
with green. 
" PADDY'S MARKET.” 
Every Saturday night—and only then 
—what is known in New York City as 
Paddy’s Market is held, beginning at 
3 p. M. and ending at midnight. The 
“market” is in Ninth Avenue, taking 
possession of both sides of the street and 
running from 38th to 42nd Street—four 
blocks. This is in the central part of 
the city on the west side. Both sides 
of the street are lined with low-sided 
hox w agons filled wi<h all sorts of meats, 
vegetables, fruits and wares of various 
kinds other than eatables. The carts 
are drawn each by one horse. The horses 
are, for the most part, fair-looking ani¬ 
mals, well-fed and cared for. There are, 
too, many push-carts between the wag¬ 
ons, all handled by Italians, while the 
wagons are owned by Americans, Ger¬ 
mans and Irish—but for the most part 
by Americans. The wagons are backed 
up to the sidewalks. The wagons and 
push-carts are all lighted by oil, the 
lamps being of metal with a narrow'tube 
for the wick, and without chimneys. 
On Paddy’s Market night, all the stores 
arrange the wares which they choose to 
offer on the sidewalks, with criers to 
call the attention of the throng of buy¬ 
ers. It is quite a Bedlam. 
Paddy's Market is not patronized alone 
by the poor, but by the thrifty as well ; 
by all, indeed, who are m search of bar¬ 
gains. Well, it is a great place for bar¬ 
gains, and everything is sold for sur¬ 
prisingly low prices. It does not pay a 
vendor at all to offer anything that is not 
a bargain. There are no purchasers 
except for bargains. While the market 
is made up for the most part of meats, 
vegetables and fruits, yet many other 
lines of goods are for sale, bread, cake, 
pans, baskets, all sorts of hardware, 
crockery, suspenders, aprons, etc. 
Below are appended prices of a few of 
the leading articles offered Saturday 
night, April 30 : Leg of mutton, 8 to 9 
cents a pound; fresh pork of all kinds, 
7 to 8 cents; slices of ham, 7 cents; rib- 
roast, 7 to 8 cents; hard clams in the 
shell, of medium size, 25 for 10 cents ; 
veal, 11 cents a pound ; ducks and chick¬ 
ens, 8 cents a pound ; strawberries, 8 to 
10 cents a quart ; the price at the regular 
stores the same day was 12 to 20 cents ; 
lemons, 6, 8 and 10 cents a dozen, small 
to medium in size; lettuce, three heads 
for 5 cents; cranberries, 8 cents a quart ; 
small red new potatoes, 10 cents a quart; 
large red onions, 5 cents a pail, the pail 
appearing to hold about two quarts; 
spinach, 5 cents a half bushel basket, 
kale, the same ; cabbage, from 1 to 5 cents 
a head ; green string and butter beans, 
10 cents a quart; cucumbers, three for 
10 cents, the size being from four to five 
inches in length; coffee, fresh roasted, 
two pounds for 25 cents ; “ best” butter, 
19 cents a pound. 
It may be assumed that the vendors of 
Paddy’s Market are a low', half-lawless, 
ignorant set of fellows. It is not so. We 
cannot speak as to their morals. It 
would appear that they are quick to 
“ gauge” their customers, and to assume 
that they should know' just what they 
are about. People who do not know the 
usual market value of the things they 
W'ould buy, w'ould do well to pay the 
usual market price to their regular 
tradesmen, rather than take their 
chances among the Paddies, the same as 
people who have little knowledge of the 
ways of Wall Street, would do well to 
invest in safe four-per-cent securities 
that it is easy for them to know' all 
about. The Paddy people will cheat you 
if they can. If they cheat you, you have 
no redress. You pay your money and 
take your goods. That's the end of it. 
As for lawlessness, they are as orderly 
as can be There is rarely any disturb¬ 
ance of any kind in Paddy’s Market. For 
the rest, they are a bright, energetic, 
(Continued on next page.) 
What Farmers Need 
And the Chief Condition for Secur¬ 
ing It. 
Farmers need good health, and pure rich blood 
is the chief condition upon which good health 
depends. Mrs. Cash Russell, of Morrisonville, 
N. Y., says: “Hood’s Sarsaparilla is just what 
we need to give us health and strength. It has 
cured my little son of a painful rash, and he has 
been healthy ever since taking it.” 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
Is America’s Greatest Medicine. $ 1 ; six for $5. 
Hood’s Pills cure all Liver Ills. 25cents. 
DANISH Ball-Head 
CABBAGE- pure 
We can supply this heat-resisting, hard heading, 
long keeping cabbage, imported Danish stock from a 
most reliable grower, (HI cents M lb., #2.25 lb., postpaid. 
HENRI A. DREER, 714 Chestnut $t„ Phila. 
Large, perfect shape 
vigorous, prolific, 
droughts resisting. 
Best varieties St raw- 
berry Plnnts; also A»- 
pnracruM Roots, Peach, 
Apple and lMum Trees. 
Peaches grown from nab 
ural seed in section free 
from scale and yellows. 
Write for FKKK. 
UlEKISON’8 affltSKUlFs, 
f!erllo« fid. 
PEACH 
PEAR 
Trees — also small 
fruits — our specialties. 
Order early for fall 
A R M | w> shipment and get 
fl mM 90 1 special low prices. 
JOS. H. BLACK, SON&CQ., 
Village Nurseries, 
HI GIITS TO ff N, N. J. 
Corn 
responds readily to proper fer¬ 
tilization. 
Larger crops, fuller ears and 
larger grain are sure to result 
from a liberal use of fertilizers 
containing at least 7% actual 
Potash 
Oor books are free to farmers. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 
93 Nassau St., New York. 
! Gardening and Fruit Culture 
depend upon Good Crops and 
they in turn upon Good Fer¬ 
tilizers. The uniformly best 
fertilizer for all Crops and all 
soils is made by 
ITHE CLEVELAND DRYER CO., 
CLBVRLAND, O. 
Material* supplied for “Home Mixing." 
•4H 
$20 PHOSPHATE FOB POTATOES AND CORN 
Sold to farmers direct. We have no agents. Send 
for Circular. Low prices for car-load lots. 
YORK CHEMICAL WORKS, YORK. PA. 
HEADQUARTERS FOR COW PEAS. 
Soja Beans. Velvet Beans, Southern-grown Millet 
and Early Mastodon Heed Corn. 
PACKARD, Seed Grower, Dover, Del. 
S WEET POTATO PLANTS — Yellow Nanse- 
mond, $1.50 per 1.000. Write for Circular of other 
kinds. F. 8 . NKWCOMB, Vineland. N. J. 
Choice Seed Potatoes 
by the bushel, barrel or car-load, including the best 
new and standard varieties; prices right. Write for 
catalogue. THU C. C. BRAWLKY SEED AND 
IMPLEMENT CO., New Madison. Ohio. 
W/gi DAY CASH each WEEK the year round, If 
IT ■ r\ I you sell Stark Trees. Outfit free. 
SfAKK NURSERY, LOUISIANA, MO., Stark, Mo., Kockporl, III., Drovillc, N. I 
BERRY PLANTS From $1.12 per 1,000 up. 
Send for price-list 
H. L. SQUIRES, Flanders, N. Y. 
Potted Strawberry Plants. 
100 Nie Ohmer lor # $2.60. 
T. C. KBVITT, Athenla, N. J. 
REMEMBER 
FOR 
DiLKTSVHjXjE, NTEW YOIEK. 
50,000 Peach Trees 
Ilbe: 
FREE FROM DISEASE, for Fall and Spring. 
Crawford Early, Crawford Late. Stump, 
Triumph, Chair’s Choice, Smock, Mt. Rose, 
Oldmixon Free, Greensboro, Crosby, HIII’b 
C hili, Elberta, Sneed, Alexander, Champion, Globe, Beer’s Smock, Salway, Troth’s Early, Wheatland 
and lots of others. CHEAP. Catalogue Free. ARTHUR J. COLLINS, Moorestown, N. J. 
SHRUBS, FLOWERS AND FRUITS. 
Most complete General Collection in America. Three thousand 
varieties described in a 200-page (free) Catalogue. “THE 
LEADING NEW ENGLAND NURSERY.” 
JACOB W. MANNING, Reading, Mass. 
POTATOES 
TRUCK 
CORN 
OATS 
High-Grade BONE FERTILIZERS are best, most per¬ 
manent and cheapest. Our goods are especially adapted to 
spring crops. Special brands for potatoes, corn and oats, 
supplying plant food available for immediate use, and leaving 
something for future grass crops. None better or cheaper. 
I. P. THOMAS & SON CO., pa!- 
> VW we'S EtX*nm?CT^TOF arm e 
Farmers bj Wise, Deal with Us and Save 40 pcrct. on yoor Fertilizers. 
You Save Salesman’s Expenses and Agent’s Profit. 
Analysis. Phos. Acid, Ammonia, Actual Potash, 
Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. 
Pure Raw Bone Meal.. 22 to 29 4 to 6 . * 22.00 per ton 
Pour Fold Fertilizer. 9 to 10 2to3 2to8 16.00 “ 
Smoky City “ 8 to 10 l>*to2% 1% to 2% 15.00 ** 
Big Bonanza “ 9 to 10 2% to 3*4 4 to 6 20.00 “ 
Potato Special “ 9 to 10 3^ to 4V. 0 to 7 23.00 •• 
Tobacco Special “ 11 to 12 3to4 4to5 21.00 •• 
t Bone and Meat. 13 to 15 4 to 5 . 18.00 •• 
For samples and pamphlet, write WALKER STRATMAN &. CO. Herr’s Island, Pittsburg, Pa. 
