446 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
June 4, 
; Ruralisms 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
The White Watsonia. — Although 
Watsonia, a genus of tender African bul¬ 
bous plants, has been known for the great¬ 
er part of a century, it has never been 
generally cultivated, and is only sparingly 
offered in American bulb catalogues. 
There are over a dozen species, all having 
fine spikes of pink or scarlet flowers, and 
long handsome foliage much like the Glad¬ 
iolus. The bulbs or corms are large and 
solid, but do not keep well out of the 
soil, and are consequently not so easily or 
safely stored as those of the Gladiolus, 
glasshouse protection being usually need¬ 
ed to carry them over Winter in the 
North. The Watsonia is a most orna¬ 
mental plant, but this difficulty in hand¬ 
ling it will long prevent general appre¬ 
ciation of the merits of the usual colored 
form, but two pure white flowered varie¬ 
ties of the species, W. iridifolia, have re¬ 
cently been distributed, and are being 
eagerly sought by florists as particularly 
valuable for their purposes. These varie¬ 
ties were found previous to the year 1890 
in widely separated localities in Cape Col¬ 
ony, South Africa, growing in bogs 
among thousands of the typical pink- 
flowered kind. They have been intro¬ 
duced into commerce under the names of 
Watsonia O’Brieni and W. Ardernei, but 
are still too scarce to be freely catalogued. 
Dormant bulbs or growing plants cost $1 
each and find ready sale at the price, as 
most stocks are kept back for propaga¬ 
tion. We have grown both varieties, and 
find them quite identical except that 
O’Brieni appears rather more vigorous. 
It is likely that Watsonia Ardernei will be 
the trade name finally adopted in this 
country, as most of the stock now offered 
is descended from this particular form. 
As grown here the corms start into activ¬ 
ity in September, and are potted up in 
good garden soil, four or five in an eight- 
iucli pot, without manure, and placed 
under glass in an average temperature of 
50 degrees. The bloom spikes appear in 
March and April, but may be had earlier 
by increasing the temperature. Late in 
May the pots are transferred to the gar¬ 
den and plunged to the rims, or the con¬ 
tents turned out and planted in a trench 
deep enough to accommodate the ball of 
earth and roots. The corms ripen in July 
or August, and may be again potted or 
dried and held dormant for a few weeks. 
It is claimed they may be kept over Win¬ 
ter, but we have had no success in repeated 
storage trials, and corms from other 
sources that had evidently been stored for 
some time have always been so weakened 
that a season’s growth was needed to re¬ 
store them vigor, if they lived at all. 
An Attractive Flower. —Fig. 193 does 
scant justice to the bloom of these fine 
novelties. They are freely produced, a 
strong plant developing 50 or more flow¬ 
ers, 15 to 20 being borne on the main 
spike and the others coming on later in 
groups of six to 10 on short side branches, 
thus giving quite a long season of bloom. 
This is a characteristic of especial value 
to the florist, who can use these minor 
spikes to great advantage in making up 
decorations. The flowers last many days 
in water, but the undeveloped buds do not 
open up as well after cutting as Gladiolus 
blooms, unless kept in a good light. 
Good, clear white is quite rare among 
bulbous flowering plants. The white 
Watsonia exceeds in purity of color any 
blooms of this class that we can recall, 
not excepting the Paper-White Narcissus 
and Convallaria or lily-of-the-valley. 
These latter have some yellow or green in 
their make-up, but the Watsonia is pure, 
glistening white. About the only blooms 
to be compared are tho& of the large white 
lilies, Lilium longiflorum and L. candi- 
dum, after their yellow stamens have been 
removed, as is usual when offered for 
sale. Watsonia blooms are of good size, 
two inches or more in diameter, and arc 
of very elegant trumpet shape. One of 
the garden names of the plant is Bugle 
lily. They grow two or three feet high 
under good cultivation. In the Gulf States 
and portions of California, where frost 
does not penetrate the soil, they may be 
grown in the open, and make highly dec¬ 
orative garden plants, forming large 
clumps in a few seasons. I he white va¬ 
rieties are now being commercially grown 
in one or two California nurseries. 
Not True crom Seed— All Watsonia 
species seed quite freely in cultivation, and 
a number of hybrid forms were raised 
many years ago, but they soon passed out 
of sight as being little improvement on 
the parents. The white varieties are rather 
shy seeders, but occasionally produce 
a perfect capsule if artificially pollenized. 
We have grown seedlings of the two vari¬ 
eties, both crossbred and fertilized with 
their own pollen, but find that in every 
instance they revert to the pink, or rather 
light magenta shade of the parent species, 
W. iridifolia, the flowers even coming 
larger, somewhat drooping, and spike more 
laxly built as in the species. Others may 
not have the same experience, but we are 
inclined to look with some suspicion on 
unbloomed seedlings, either self-pollenized 
or hybridized between the two varieties. 
Such bulbs were recently offered the trade, 
but we have not learned how they turned 
out. Propagation of these choice vari¬ 
eties seems only certain when increased 
by division of the corms. They do not 
make offsets or cormels like most Glad¬ 
ioli, but split up into smaller corms, some¬ 
thing like the potato onion. The yearly 
increase under pot culture is about three¬ 
fold. The present high price is likely to 
be maintained until large stocks are grown 
in some favorable locality where they may 
be wintered in the open. Watsonias are 
handsome plants for the window if grown 
several in a large pot. Single specimens 
are too lanky to make a good show. The 
flowering season is rather short for the 
space needed in window gardening, but 
the purity and profusion of the blooms is 
ample recompense when they appear. The 
real field for the white Watsonias, how¬ 
ever, lies in their great utility for florists’ 
uses. - w. V. 
RESEEDING A SIDE HILL 
Reader, Pa .—I have a piece of land, natu¬ 
rally not poor in quality, but it has been 
sown to buckwheat for two years by a tenant 
without sowing any grass seed. It now lies 
bare. It is a north side hill. What would 
I best do with it to get it to take grass 
again? It is naturally inclined to Blue grass. 
Would you sow buckwheat again, or would 
you wait to seeU with rye or grass, or sow 
Hungarian grass and plow down and seed rye 
and grass? 
There is usually a lack of moisture in 
the soil during the months of July and 
August which is not favorable to the seed¬ 
ing of grass with buckwheat. I would, 
therefore, sow to oats and grass at once 
if the season is not already too far ad¬ 
vanced, using about seven pecks of oats 
to the acre. This will furnish a covering 
for the ground, and afford some protec¬ 
tion to the young grass plants in the early 
part of the season. If there should not 
be sufficient rainfall during the Summer 
to mature the oat crop without robbing 
the grass of needed moisture I would mow 
tne oats for hay, or it may be left on the 
ground as a mulch. If for any reason a 
satisfactory stand of grass is not obtained 
in this way the field can then be sown to 
grass in September, either alone or with 
wheat or rye as may be preferred. 
G. w. s. 
Two years in buckwheat, presumably 
following other crops, would work the 
humus pretty nearly all out, and the vege¬ 
table mold is a very important factor in 
grass seeding. We would be governed 
somewhat by conditions. If grass is the 
most important crop I would summer- 
fallow and seed with grass alone as soon 
after August 15 as there is sufficient 
moisture to germinate the seed. I would 
use from 300 to 500 pounds of a good 
grade of complete fertilizer. Seed rather 
heavily to .get a stand to go through the 
Winter. The lack of humus is the greatest 
trouble, and that cannot be obtained in an 
available form soon enough with a green 
crop plowed under. I would prefer seed¬ 
ing with oats, but it is getting too late for 
that now. luther gates & son. 
Crawford Co., Pa. 
Farmer’s 
Handy Wagon 
Only 25 Inches high. Steel Wheels. 
4 Inch Tires. Carries any load two 
horses can pull. 
We furnish any size steel wheels, of 
any width, for any ax le. Catalogue free. 
EmpireMfg.Co^Box 123C Quincy, Ill. 
HURST’S 
POTATO CDDAYCD 
and truck ornATCn 
Sprays Everything. 
Trees, potatoes (4 rows at a 
time), whole flelds.orcbards, 
small patches. Pays itself 
tirst season. County agents 
controlling territory make 
Sil5toW20 per day. First 
order, where no agent, se¬ 
cures dealer’s price and 
agency; or will ship on lO 
days free trial at regu¬ 
lar price. Write to-day; they are going fast. 
All kinds SPRAY PUMPS. Catalog 45 describes. 
H. L. IIUKST MFG. CO., Dept. E, Canton, O. 
WHALE-OIL SOAP 
SPRAYING SPAR 
FRUIT GRADERS 
interest you. W. H. 
Compressed-Air Spraying Ap¬ 
paratus, Chemicals for Spray¬ 
ing. etc. Our Catalogue, Neces¬ 
sities for the Orchard, will 
OWEN, Port Clinton, Ohio. 
BAKER’S 
RACELESS HARNESS 
No whiffletrees, no traces. Handy Har¬ 
ness for farmers, fruit growers, lumber¬ 
men, etc. Agents Wanted. Catalogue 
free. Write to-day. Highly endorsed, 
B. F. BAKER GO., ms Main St.. Burnt Hills, N.T. 
AS ’MEND-A-RIP" 
Does all kinds of Light and Heavy Stitching 
Does all kinds 
*of light and 
^ heavy ri votln ; 
^"Will Safe the Prici of Itbzlf 
Many Times a Ykab. A Perfect 
Hand Sewing Machine and Riveter combined 
To Show it Mean* a Sale. Agent* 
make from $8 to $15 a day. One 
_ agent made $20 first day and writes to hurry 
_ more machines to him. Write for terms to agents. 
J. C. Foote Foundry Co.« Fredericktonm. Ok 
Brown’s 
No. 3 
Potato 
Sprayer 
sprays 4 to 6 rows, any width. wi*h finest mist or 
fog at one passage. Constant nigh power supplied 
from both wheels, no lost motion. Mechanical 
agitator. A new era In rapid thorough spraying of 
potatoes, vegetables, small fruits and vines. Write 
today for free book of all sprayers. 
E.C. Brown&Co., 268 State St., Rochester.N.Y. 
You can 
Cover 80 to 40 acres 
per day with 
‘She Watson 
Four Row Potato Sprayir 
Straddles 2rows, sprays 
4 at a time. Wheels ad¬ 
just for different widths. 
Sprays to any fineness and gearing of pump to wheel of 
cart gives any pressure desired. Automatic agitator and 
suction strainer cleaner. It never spoils foliageor clogs. 
Free instruction and formula book ahowfl the famous Garfield, JEm- 
pire King, Orchard Monarch and other sprayers. Write for it 
field Force Pump Co., 2 11th St.,Elmira, N.Y. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
"a square deal." See guarantee, page 8. 
RUBEROID 
, rn*p f riAH* KFGfSrrUf-O) 
ROOFING 
RUBEROID ROOFING 
has been the standard pre¬ 
pared roofing for 13 years. 
Lasts longer and costs less 
than metal or shingles. 
Any handy man can apply 
it. No experience required. 
Contains no tar. Positively 
■weather-proof and fire- 
resisting. 
Send for Booklet “K.” 
THE STANDARD 
PAINT COMPANY, 
Sole Manufacturers, 
100 WILLIAM STREET 
New York. 
EXTENSION AXLE NUTS 
Cure wabbles and make old buggies run 
like new. Quick sellers; very profitable. 
Agents Wanted. Also very attractive 
fence machine proposition. 
Hardware Specialty Co., Box 43, Pontiae Mich. 
WATER TANKS 
UADI or 
ABE THE 
RALPH B. CARTER CO., 26 Cortlandt St., N.l 
JSSlRUMELY? 
The thresherman has many reasons, too many to give 
here. Summed up, it means the model threshing outfit, 
thebest money can buy. You will find the latest catalog 
on Rumely's Rear Coarod Traction Engines and 
New Rumely Separators full of threshermen's logic, 
argument that convinces. Write us for it. Mailed free 
M. RUMELY CO., LA PORTE, IND. 
The Pump 
that Pumps 
Ask Your F SPRAY PUMPS 
DEALER 9 , Double-Acting, Lift, 
R Power, Tank and Spray 
PUMPS 
Store Ladders, Etc. 
Barn Door Hangers 
Aluminum Finished 
HAY TOOLS 
of all kinds. Write for 
Oirouiars and Prioes 
f.Hpn h Bre.A«hl»ad,Q. 
codling 
[Disparene kills both broods. Also 
every leaf-eating insert. Book fr«*l 
BOWKER INSECTICIDE CO., 
N. 7., Boston & Cincinnati 
HUBBARD’S FERTILIZERS 
A R E<d 
HUBBARD; 
► 
THE 
BEST 
EARTH. 
Manufactured by THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO., Middletown, Conn, 
“ Hubbard’s Fertilizers for 1904,” sent free to any address. 
A Day’s Work For An Engine 
on the farm is likely to include pumping, feed cutting, sawing, sepa- 
'■ rating cream—a dozen things. A power isn’t fit for the farm unless 
it’s adapted to many duties and will stand rough handling and most 
any kind of setting. That’s just a part of the reason why 
GASOLINE 
ENGINES 
are so popular with farmers. They are suited to any work you have, 
they stand rough handling and moving, they are composed of few 
I parts and are strong, simple and safe. Two other things worth 
I knowing are that they are the easiest gas engines made for a begin- 
1 ner to run and they cost as little as any for fuel. Not all gas engines 
... .. . . . - abl - 
_ogi 
> superior t 
Stoddard Mfg. Co., Rutland, Vt. 
Wemake the Green Mountain Silo and carry full line Dairy Supplies. 
STODDARD 
