1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
5i9 
RURAUSMS — Continued. 
than those of Italia, of the same shade 
of careen. The plant is not quite so tall, 
the spike elevated 10 inches above the 
highest leaves. The flowers are much 
the same as Italia’s, the same shade of 
yellow without the light red middle 
portion, the inner petals being sprinkled 
with light red. 
Austria is much like Burbank except 
that the flowers are not so much dotted 
with red, the dots being of a feebler 
color. 
Italia, Austria and Burbank are the 
most beautiful cannas ever tried at the 
Rural Grounds, and we may say the 
most vigorous. 
We want to keep our readers well 
informed as to all that may be said for 
or against the Japan plums, and we 
want this information to be trustworthy, 
and not the hasty conclusions of those 
who do not speak from experience. Our 
own positive information has thus far 
been confined to the Abundance, intro¬ 
duced in 1890, and fruited at the Rural 
Grounds during the seasons of 1S93-4-5-G, 
and killed during 189(3-7 by the use of 
Dendrolene. Ogon, Willard, Hale, and 
Satsuma are fruiting this year, the first 
fully, the others sparingly, so that, at 
the end of the present season, we shall 
be able to tell our readers the result of 
the first season of bearing fruit. 
We have an interesting letter from 
the Stark Brothers, of Louisiana, Mo., 
who are trying most of the Japan plums 
thoroughly. They sent us a box (July 
20,) containing specimens of the Red 
June and Abundance as they grow in 
their extensive nurseries. The Abund¬ 
ance are much like those grown at the 
Rural Grounds except that they are of 
better quality. The Red J une, or Red 
Nagate, is not so large, more pointed or 
heart-shaped, flesh yellow, clinging to 
the stone, juicy and of good quality, 
though not quite so sweet as the Abund¬ 
ance. 
Stark Brothers write us that the Red 
June is making a fine record everywhere 
this season. It is praised from Michigan 
to Texas, and from the East to Idaho 
and California. They say that it is the 
hardiest variety in bud and blossom of 
any of the well-tested Japs. They re¬ 
gard it as the most hardy of the 20 
sorts that they have fruited, and as by 
far the most hardy, the next hardiest 
variety being Earliest of All. It ripens 
about 10 days before the Abundance. 
We quote the rest of the interesting 
letter word for word : 
Abundance is bearing only a light crop this 
year; Red June and Earliest of All very full in¬ 
deed; Normand a good crop, and it seems very 
promising; Wickson a good crop. The last 
variety is hardy enough in tree but, we fear, 
more or less tender in bud. For example, we 
had the following report from a Michigan grower: 
“ Peaches all killed by the coldest weather Michi¬ 
gan has had in 25 years. Abundance, 95 and 97 per 
cent killed; Burbank, 85 per cent killed; Satsuma, 
all killed; Red June, 100 per cent alive. Howls 
that? Have just had letters from S. D. Willard, 
the plum grower of New York, and President T. 
T. Lyon, of our own State, making lurther in¬ 
quiries as to Red June. It has a great future.” 
Burbank here is bearing a full crop on trees 
which were not loaded last year, but older trees 
which carried a very heavy c-op last season are 
bearing very little this year. Orient is bearing a 
good crop. Satsuma, as usual, is a failure, 
making the seventh successive year without 
fruit. Red June and Earliest of All have borne 
two crops during this seven years when Abund¬ 
ance and Burbank were a total failure, and at 
the same time, Orient bore a half crop. The chief 
points, we take it, to look for in Japan plums are, 
first, hardiness in bud and blossom and, second, 
degree of exemption from rot. 
Very few native plums are bearing with us 
this season. Wild Goose, one-third crop; Pot¬ 
tawatomie, usually very full, though very 
poor, a total failure; Poole Pride, a good 
half crop. Che latter is far superior to Pot¬ 
tawatomie. For example, two years ago both 
were equally full, but Pottawatomie did not 
mature its fruit, while Poole ripened perfectly. 
The latter being white and red, presented a 
oeautifnl pink appearance in baskets against 
the dingy color of the Pottawatomie, to say noth¬ 
ing of being belter in quality. Tne season is 
about the same. You may have noted that both 
P. J. Berckmans and the great Maryland plum 
grower, J. W. Kerr, speak of the wonderful fruit¬ 
fulness of Poole. The Japanese-Chickasaw cross, 
Burbank’s Gold plum, is carrying a very heavy 
crop, more than twice^as much ;as-'any->natives 
this season, and it is up to date, making a grand 
show tinder, to say the least, rather adverse con¬ 
ditions. That is, the trees have received no pet¬ 
ting, in fact no attention of any kind, neither 
spraying nor keeping down weeds, our idea being 
to let it show what it will do under the usual 
neglect accorded plum trees by farmers. 
Crimson Clover in Indiana. 
W. M. S., Royerton, Ind. —I have 
watched with interest the numerous 
articles on Crimson clover, and wish to 
say that it has been worth many times 
the price of The R N.-Y. to me. I sowed 
seven acres in growing corn during the 
last of July, 1896, and I think not one 
single plant perished by the winter. It 
was truly a grand sight this spring, and 
was admired by hundreds of persons, 
many of whom asked questions, gathered 
bouquets and praised the beauty of the 
field. We plowed it under during the 
last days of May and planted to corn ; 
it was then boot-top high, in full bloom 
and not a bare spot to be seen. It would 
do the heart of any farmer good to see 
that corn growing; the neighbors all 
say they never saw corn grow so ; I will 
report later on the crop. Am I satisfied? 
Well, I shall reply by saying that I shall 
sow 40 acres this season to plow under 
for corn in 1898. 
Fitting Soil for Strawberries. 
G. A. P., Wilawana, Pa — After read¬ 
ing what Mr. Taber and Mr. Johnson 
have to say on page 467, concerning 
fitting soil for strawberries, the ques¬ 
tion arose : “ Are my methods likely to 
bring me to grief ?” Five years ago, a 
plot of ground of only medium fertility 
was manured quite heavily, and planted 
to strawberries and a fair crop gathered 
the next year. The vines were turned 
under immediately after fruiting, and 
Crimson clover was sown. This made a 
fair growth and in the spring was cov¬ 
ered with a fair dressing of stable 
manure and plowed under. Bone and 
potash were applied directly where the 
rows came, at the rate of one ton per 
acre (of course, much more than that 
actually, as less than half the ground 
received the application). The yield 
was fair, but not nearly so great as 
might have been the case had I made no 
mistake in varieties planted. Parker 
Earle was unhealthy, and Timbrell, 
though making a wonderful growth of 
vine, yielded only little more than half 
as much. I had but four short rows of 
Lovett, and that had fruited so well in 
previous years, that I had used nearly 
all for my next year’s crop. The few 
plants left vyere all that gave a good 
crop. Last fall, the plants and mulch 
were turned under—and 200 bushels of 
potatoes on a portion—and buckwheat 
was sown. It was reset this spring, and 
the plants are very promising. All, ex¬ 
cept where the potatoes were applied, 
having been given a fair dressing of 
stable manure, bone and potash were 
used on all as before. 
I have just (July 19), finished picking 
the second crop from a piece similarly 
treated, that was first set four years 
ago. This piece has given a heavy crop 
both years—Lovett predominating—the 
last better than the first. I wish to 
treat as before and reset next spring. 
Am I not justified in so doing ? Another 
piece was planted to Parker Earle and 
allowed to bear two crops, the first 
being magnificent, the only year that 
the variety has been healthy here. It 
was then plowed and reset to Parker 
Earle and Timbrell. It was heavily 
manured for the first crop and when 
reset, bone and potash were used as in 
the other cases. The crop was unsatis¬ 
factory because, I think, of unsuitable 
varieties being planted. After fruiting 
last year, 400 bushels of potatoes were 
thrown upon the piece—one-sixth acre 
—and turned under with the vines and 
mulch. Late in the fall, the ground 
was again plowed and it was reset this 
spring with Lovett and a few plants of 
the newer varieties. Bone and potash 
were applied as the plants were set, as 
in previous years. The stand is now 
practically perfect, except in the trial 
plot, and the plants are the finest I ever 
saw. Does not my treatment furnish 
the necessary humus and food for profit¬ 
able crops in future ? I think J. H. 
Hale says somewhere that he has had 
strawberries for 17 years on the same 
ground without deterioration. 
Compound Greening Apple. 
J. S. W.,Penn Yan, N Y.—I have read 
the interesting letters about the sweet- 
and-sour apple, and all have failed but 
Mr. E. C. Gillette, to give the origin or 
any name other than sweet-and-sour. 
The apple has been perfectly described 
by all; but Mr. Van Deman, in The R. N.- 
Y. of July 3, seems to doubt the fact of 
there being such an apple, and even 
goes so far as to call it a myth ; there¬ 
fore he settles it so far as he is con¬ 
cerned, consequently would hardly be 
open to conviction, even though speci¬ 
mens were furnished at the meeting of 
the American Pomological Society, to¬ 
gether with their history. 
There seems to have been a very un¬ 
satisfactory history given in all the let¬ 
ters published and, possibly, what I have 
to say on that point will not be much 
better, as I have not the apple to-day to 
substantiate my testimony, but could 
tell if I saw one again. My father 
would be 90 years old if living. I have 
the farm upon which he lived, and which 
his father and grandfather owned before 
him. Upon this farm was a nursery— 
how many years ago I do not remember 
of my father telling me (though there 
is no doubt that he did). But there 
were left when cleaning up the ground, 
several apple trees j ust as they grew in 
the nursery row ; three of those trees I 
well remember, having picked fruit from 
them many times; two were Rhode 
Island Greenings, the other was a Com¬ 
pound U-reening or sweet-aud-sour apple. 
Here is a pretty good proof that this 
apple was propagated and cultivated 
over 100 years ago, under a distinct name 
in a nursery row ; just how long before 
my father was born, I could not say. 
But when I removed the trees, they 
were, at least, 18 or 20 inches in diameter, 
and very old. There is, undoubtedly, a 
history further back than this, the nur¬ 
sery stock, nrobably. having come from 
Somerset County, N. J., whence the 
Whitakers emigrated into New York. 
Thin Seeding of Wheat. 
J. B. L., Eubanks, Ky. —I would not 
take three times the price of The R. N.- 
Y. for what I have learned about Hoe¬ 
ing the Wheat Crop on page 466. I have 
had a little experience with thin seeding 
which will, possibly, be of interest. In 
the fall of 1895, I sowed one-half acre 
along one side of my field, at the rate of 
three pecks per acre ; the rest of the 
field received five pecks. The half acre 
seeded at the rate of three pecks was 
thrashed separately, and yielded at pre¬ 
cisely the same rate as the thicker seed¬ 
ing, but the grain was plumper and of 
better quality. I have just thrashed 
the product of a small plot of Democrat 
wheat, which yielded at the rate of 29 2 
bushels per acre from a seeding of one- 
half bushel per acre. I had no thick- 
seeded plot of this variety with which 
to compare the yield, but as the average 
yield of wheat in this section, with ord¬ 
inary culture, is only one-third as large, 
I am well pleased with the result. 
.ARMSTRONG * McKELVY 
Pittsburgh. 
BEYMER-BAUMAN 
Pittsburgh. 
DAVIS-CHAMBERS 
Pittsburgh. 
FAHNESTOCK 
Pittsburgh. 
ANCHOR i 
> Cincinnati. 
ECKSTEIN ) 
ATLANTIC 
BRADLEY 
BROOKLYN 
JEWETT 
ULSTER 
UNION 
SOUTHERN ') 
SHIPMAN / 
COLLIER "j 
MISSOURI 
RED SEAL 
SOUTHERN 
JOHN T. LEWIS & BROS CO 
Philadelphia. 
MORLEY 
Cleveland. 
SALEM 
Salem. Mass. 
CORNELL 
Buffalo. 
KENTUCKY 
Louisville. 
New York. 
Chicago. 
St. Louis. 
W HITE LEAD is like a 
great many other articles 
offered for sale ; some good, some 
bad. (See list of the brands which 
are genuine, or good.) They are 
made by the “ old Dutch” pro¬ 
cess of slow corrosion. Avoid 
getting the other sort by mak¬ 
ing sure of the brand. 
CDCC By using National Lead Co.’s Pure White Lead Tinting Col- 
r* Ir ¥~\ r* ors. any desired shade is readily obtained. Pamphlet giving 
*-* valuable information and card showing samples of colors free; 
also cards showing pictures of twelve houses of different designs painted in 
various styles or combinations of shades forwarded upon application to those 
intending to paint. 
National Lead Co ., / Broadway , New York. 
WOV EN .WIRE.FENCE 
Best on Earth. Horse-high, Bull- 
strong, Pig and Chleken-Ught. With ( 
our DUPLEX AUTOMATIC Machine 1 
J you can make 60 rods a day for . 
12 to 20 cts. a Rod. 
Over &0 styles. Catalogue Free. 
KITSELMAN BROS., 
Box 106. Ridgeville, Ind. 
L 
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:zr 
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R unyon’s Pat. Gauge 
and Lock Wire 
Fence. New plan by 
which farmers can build 
and weave fences cheat) 
and rapidly without any 
machine. Agents make 
money fast selling farm 
rights or building fences for farmers. Township rights 
for sale cheap. Lewis-M. Runyon, Allamuchy, N. J. 
BOWEN 
CABLE STAY FENCE CO, 
(I* I n For a machine to build 
| (J the cheapest strongest 
and best fence made of wire. 
No royalties, no farm rights, 
machine easily and quickly 
operated by any farmer. 
Send for large circular* 
NOBWAL.K.O. 
Q 
9090 
KEYSTONE 
WOVEN WIRE FENCE. 
IS A GOOD FENCK— madefrom the best 
steel wire of exactly the proper weight; 
adapts itself to any degree of heat or cold, 
expanding and contracting, to take up all 
•slack. 25 to68in. high. Keepsall kin dofstock 
In or out. Send for free book on fence building. 
KEYSTONE WOVEN WIRE FENCE CO., 
No. 13 Rush Street, Peoria, Ill. 
*•* *4ltt Mitt IIMlt Ittt Ml • 
M 
rC 
IO 
s; 
eO 
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rO 
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FIELD AND HOG F 
ence m 
RE. 
All horizontal lines are cables: not affected f>y heat 
and cold; adjusts itself to hilly ground without 
buckling. Built for service and durability. Writ© 
for full information. 
UNION FENCE CO., DeKalb, III. 
“PLENTY OF ROOM ATTHE TOP.” 
Having occupied that position for a number of 
years, we can verify the statement. Nothing to do 
but keep right on furnishing the best wire fence 
made, and the people do the rest. Sometimes a new 
concern undertakes tocrowd in nearthe head of the 
line, but are jerked back to their place in the rear, 
where there is siIho plenty of room. 
PAGE WOVEN WIRE FENCE CO.. Adrian, Mich. 
