59o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER.niM 
August 6, 
uralisms 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
Exploiting New Fruits. —Two proin- 
inent magazines for July had illustrated 
articles descriptive of plant breeding in 
the way of “creating” new fruits by 
hybridization and selection. The Century 
has a well-written and conservative ac¬ 
count of portions of the remarkable work 
of Luther Burbank, while the Cosmopol¬ 
itan describes hybrids between orange 
species bred under the direction of the 
National Department of Agriculture, such 
as the “tangelo” or pomelo-tangerine 
cross and the Citrus trifoliata or hardy 
orange recently fruited. It does not ap¬ 
pear the latter are of commercial value in 
their present state, as they are small and 
sour, though probably hardier than the 
usual edible oranges. They possibly may 
contain the germs of future important 
fruits to be developed by long selection and 
continuous breeding, but at present can 
only be considered as horticultural curi¬ 
osities. They are not the first hardy 
orange hybrids to be described. The R. 
N.-Y. for August 9, 1902 (page 546), pub¬ 
lished an account of hybrids between 
Citrus trifoliata and the Satsuma or 
Oonshiu Mandarin orange bred by G. 
Marti, Houston, Texas. Mr. Marti’s 
hybrid is 2J4 inches in diameter, nearly 
seedless, with a thin, tough rind and juicy, 
sweet flesh, with only enough acidity to 
he agreeable. It was so late in ripening 
that the originator did not consider it of 
special value in extending northward the 
range of orange culture. He did not feel 
hopeful concerning the chances of breed¬ 
ing an early ripening, hardy orange, but 
thought that a highly improved edible 
fruit could lie bred on the hardy species. 
Something besides resistance to cold on 
the part of the dormant tree is needed. 
The fruits must ripen in time to escape 
early frosts. 
The Fruit Season. —We are now far 
enough along fully to realize the fruit pros¬ 
pects for the season. The shortage in 
strawberries is exceeded among blackber¬ 
ries, owing to the great loss of fruiting 
canes by freezing, and cherries generally 
were light in yield. Peaches are very ir¬ 
regular and often disappointing, mainly 
from the combined effects of San Jose 
scale and cold. A great percentage of the 
bloom buds and much bearing wood was 
killed by the zero weather of last Winter, 
though many severely injured trees have 
shown rather surprising powers of recov¬ 
ery. So gloomy was the outlook in early 
April that hundreds of trees and even sev¬ 
eral very tolerable orchards were pulled 
up. The blooming season was on the 
whole propitious and about every surviv¬ 
ing bloom bud appeared to set its peach. 
Strong buds thus winnowed out by the 
harsh hand of intense frost usually have 
much vigor. The June drop was compar¬ 
atively light where the trees retained suf¬ 
ficient vigor and there is likely to be a 
light crop of good quality peaches. Sev¬ 
eral young Russian apricot trees on the 
Rural Grounds are carrying a sprinkling 
of smooth and high-colored fruits. They 
are dry and not of first quality, but im¬ 
measurably better than the immature 
freaks we get from California. Harris 
apricot, our best and most reliable varie¬ 
ty, is not fruiting this year. Japan plums 
and their hybrids almost without excep¬ 
tion show injury from cold in twig and 
branch, though the buds are quite hardy. 
There is a fair set of fruit, which does 
not appear uniform in size, nor partic¬ 
ularly promising in development. Both 
natives and Europeans make better show¬ 
ings this year. Curculios were rampant, 
and most young plums show marks of the 
pest. Unless we get Japan varieties with, 
more wholesome and lasting tree growth 
the cultivation of this class for fruit will 
quickly pass away, though a few kinds 
may be retained for breeding experiments. 
Pears are in good condition, the foliage is 
healthy, and there is general promise of a 
fair crop both of Kiefifers and standard 
varieties. There is a full set of apples in 
most varieties, and if we are spared loss 
from gales there is likely to be a bountiful 
crop. At this writing they are generally 
fair and large for the season. Little 
spraying for tungus troubles has been 
done, though scale was fought more vig¬ 
orously than ever before. 
Fair Prospect for Grapes. — Grape 
blooms were comparatively scanty, but the 
berries have set well and the clusters are 
rapidly filling out. Some damage was 
done by the Rose beetle, early flowering 
varieties like Berckmans suffering most. 
The growth generally started weak and 
pale, but has gained vigor as the season 
warmed. Considerable injury was caused 
by Winter cold, and in some instances it 
appeared that new shoots came from sec¬ 
ondary buds, the main ones being too 
weak to start. The quality of the fruits is 
likely to be good, as there is less crowding 
than usual. 
Big Yield of Red Raspberries. —The 
surprise of the season is the fine crop of 
red raspberries. Cuthbert, Marlboro, 
Miller and Loudon alike perfected splen¬ 
did berries in great profusion. Cuthbert 
greatly preponderates in market plantings, 
but the others are found in many gar¬ 
dens. The canes of all appeared so 
scorched by the Winter’s unusual cold 
that a good yield was not to be expected. 
Some patches were plowed up. The sea¬ 
son, though appearing too dry on the 
whole, just suited this fruit, and high- 
class berries were so plentiful as to clog 
the local markets. Georgia peaches are 
becoming serious competitors in the esti¬ 
mation of the fruit-buying public with the 
excellent red raspberry and are curtailing 
its consumption in the fresh state. Many, 
however, are bought for canning and pre¬ 
serving, as the flavor is delicious and 
unique. Commercial packers do not put 
up this berry in quantity, nor in as good 
shape as to compete with the home-packed 
product. Blackcaps gave a good yield, 
but did not hold up through the season as 
well as the reds. The canes proved to 
be more severely damaged by Winter, and 
many plants failed to perfect their full 
crop. Blackcaps are little grown here of 
late years, and are not popular on account 
of the color in families employing foreign 
servants, as the latter are not accustomed 
to black berry-fruits and practically run 
the households in which they are em¬ 
ployed. They are liked by Americans, 
however, and sold rather more freely than 
the reds late in the season. Practically 
only Kansas and Cumberland are grown 
hereabouts. Gooseberries and currants 
being indifferent to cold were not affected 
by the Winter, and gave good yields where 
protected from the leaf worm. They are 
apparently less in demand each season, 
though nothing can take their respective 
places in the estimation of the real fruit 
lover. The public as a matter of course 
will in time tire of southern and Califor¬ 
nia stone fruits, as with all the perfection 
of modern transportation methods the 
best of them have the taint of imma¬ 
turity when gathered and are off flavor 
when they reach the consumer. The “lit¬ 
tle green peach” and kindred fruits, 
whether from Georgia or the Pacific scope, 
is a mighty poor substitute for real ripe 
home fruits in full variety. Apples and 
pome fruits are on a different basis, as 
they really endure shipment, and grad¬ 
ually mature after being taken from the 
tree. Stone orchard fruits and all small 
fruits deteriorate from the instant they 
are picked, and cannot be allowed to ap¬ 
proach actual maturity if intended for 
lengthy shipments, as they are too perish¬ 
able. 
Not so Many Moles. —We have less 
trouble with moles this year than ever be¬ 
fore. A few large ones invaded our 
plantings early in the season, but were 
promptly trapped. Since then we have 
not been disturbed, though usually they 
are great pests in midsummer. There is 
less evidence of the work of moles in the 
pastures and roadsides than at any time 
in our recollection. Growers of choice 
plants greatly appreciate relief from this 
annoyance, and it is to be hoped that the 
mole scarcity will long endure. It is not 
easy to assign a cause for the reduced 
number of the moles, but it is quite evi¬ 
dent that the usual Summer brood of half- 
grown young has not materialized. We 
are told moles are not affected by hard 
Winters, as their lairs are deep in the 
soil, and they are well provided with run¬ 
ways below frost level. They are not 
trapped with sufficient persistance to re¬ 
duce greatly their numbers, but it is a 
gratifying fact that they are unusually 
scarce this year. w. v. f. 
A Rose Note.— one i’hiladelpbia Rambler 
you sent me is doing finely. I dug a hole 
deep enough to hold a bushel of bones, two 
wheelbarrowfuls of manure and loam enougli 
to set the rose in; fire enough under the 
boiler to make steam this time. If any of 
your readers want to have a nice thing, 
set a post so that it will be four or five feet 
high. On top of this fasten three wagon 
tires so that they will form a perfect ball, 
and run wire around the tires in the holes. 
Where the tires come together at the top I 
put a bolt through to hold them. I cut the 
tires once and bend out so that they will 
go outside the post, and fasten with screws. 
One who has never seen one has no idea of 
its beauty. It looks like a ball of crimson. 
I had visitors at all times to see it. “The 
handsomest thing I ever saw,” etc. To get 
quick results, there ought to be at least 
three bushes. If the Philadelphia Rambler 
is a better rose I am going to set a post with 
a frame on it to make a wreath, with a bush 
on each side, and trained around the circle. 
Ayer. Mass. f. f. n. 
Take no chances 
with your face. 
Demand Will¬ 
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“BE GOOD” 
TO YOUR HORSES 
USE FRAZER’S AXLE GREASE 
AND MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM. 
mam 
HIS IS JUS? 
’"WHAT I SHALL.' 
I DO AFTER THIS 
SHOULD U5& 
CREASE, 
Tl^DevERYWHE^O; 
UW £AR TWICE AS,L j 
Asi ANY OTHER* 
— -TRY IT! ' 
Recognized as the STANDARD 
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Many Thousand Tubs of this Grease are sold 
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Trucks are loaded heavy and a saving of both 
time and money is made, one greasing lasting 
two weeks or longer. 
Ask your dealer for FRAZER’S with Label on 
It saves your horse labor and you too. 
SOLD EVERYWHERE. 
Frazer Lubricator Co. ,83 Murray St. ,N.Y 
Soap. 
Sold everywhere. Write for 
booklet “ How to Shave.” 
TheJ. B. Williams Co., Glastonbury, Ct 
Standard for 13 Years. 
The pioneer prepared ROOFING. Outlasts metal or 
shingles. Any one can apply it. Contains no tar. 
Will not melt. Fire-resisting. Send for Booklet K. 
manufactured solely by 
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The Success 
The Manure Spreader which re¬ 
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'MW 
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