534 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
August 14 
The Bismarck Apple. 
Our inquiries concerning this much- 
advertised new fruit have not brought 
us much information. We desire to 
know how young the trees will bear 
fruit; upon what stocks it best suc¬ 
ceeds, and we have also inquired as to 
the size, flavor and keeping qualities of 
this apple. Mr. S. D. Willard, of Geneva, 
N. Y., has a few trees top worked to it. 
He is impressed from certain reports 
that the Bismarck is of no particular 
value. 
Jos. H. Black, Son & Co , of Ilights- 
town, N. J., have the Bismarck apple 
three years old, but the trees have not 
as yet borne fruit. 
Stephen Hoyt’s Sons, of New Canaan, 
Conn., have some trees budded on com¬ 
mon apple seedlings. These are not 
making an extra strong growth. 
The Storrs & Harrison Company, of 
Painesville, O., have been propagating it 
only one season. They have a number 
of trees 12 to 15 inches high, worked on 
Paradise stock. Each tree bore from 
three to twelve blossoms, but only a 
few set. A few of the trees are carry¬ 
ing an apple or two now. 
Benj. Buckman, of Farmingdale, Ill., 
received scions from an English nursery. 
This firm values the variety for cooking 
purposes only, and describes it as very 
large and handsome, firm in flesh; a 
very heavy cropper, small trees bearing 
freely. The season is given from Octo¬ 
ber to December. 
Prof. J. L. Budd, of Ames, Iowa., re¬ 
ceived scions of the Bismarck from Ger¬ 
many in the fall of 1894. They were 
root-grafted and set in nursery rows in 
the spring of 1895. Every winter the 
tips have killed back so that the trees 
have assumed a bush form. They have 
given no signs of blossoming as yet. He 
thinks that the variety will work readily 
upon any stock usually used for top¬ 
working the apple. 
Ellwanger & Barry, of Rochester, N. 
Y., are unable to give us any informa¬ 
tion regarding the Bismarck. 
T. T. Lyon, of South Haven, Mich., 
has heard a good deal said in praise of 
the Bismarck. He has young trees on 
trial, but not yet in bearing. 
We should be glad to hear from any 
of our readers who can throw more light 
upon the real value of the Bismarck.... 
Zinc Labels —Prof H E Van Deman 
writes us that the sheet zinc that he 
has used was of the ordinary kinds 
found in tinshops. Doubtless there are 
various grades of it in regard to amal¬ 
gamation with lead and other metals. 
The difference in the hardness and 
chemical constituents of “ lead ” pencils 
used in writing on the labels, would also 
affect the permanency of the writing. 
Prof. Van Deman has found, as another 
writer suggests, that after the labels 
have lain about the house or shop and 
become somewhat coated with oxide from 
slight exposure to moisture, they will 
take and hold the pencil marks better 
than when clean and bright. In his ex¬ 
perience, the marks of the pencil have 
remained distinct indefinitely, or so long 
as observed, but sometimes, as in our 
own experience, they have faded out 
within a year. He has always assumed 
that this came from the surface being 
too smooth when the writing was done. 
Since the spraying mixtures have come 
into use, the copper sulphate in them 
will certainly corrode the labels and 
blur the marks. In such case, letters 
stamped with steel dies on copper, brass 
or zinc strips may, he thinks, be the 
most economical in the end. 
The Alsace Canna —This variety, it 
is claimed, is the nearest approach to a 
pure white canna. The leaves are nar¬ 
rowly elliptical, and of a pleasing bluish- 
green color. The flowers are of a light 
straw color, the petals narrow. 
Most of the farmers in the country 
about the Rural Grounds are market 
gardeners, and sweet corn is one of their 
main crops. Nearly all of them prefer 
the Cory for first early, because they 
find it to be the earliest and most pro¬ 
ductive. For second early, Perry “ Hy¬ 
brid ” is the decided favorite, coming in 
about 10 days after the Cory, the ear 
being more shapely, the rows more regu¬ 
lar and the quality better. Many, how¬ 
ever, prefer the Crosby for second early, 
finding, one season with another, that 
the ears are ready for market as early 
as those of the “ Hybrid.” There are 
several good reasons for this preference. 
Crosby will yield more. The ears are of 
almost perfect shape, about eight inches 
long, tapering from butt to tip, about 
12 rows, and a smaller kernel, which is of 
a pure white color, that of the Hybrid 
being yellowish, two characteristics 
which the farmers greatly prize. The 
quality of Crosby is also better than that 
of the so-called‘•Hybrid,” being, indeed, 
about equal to the best of the intermedi¬ 
ate kinds. Dealers will not buy the 
Hybrid if they can get Crosby. 
We find that potato-leaved varieties of 
tomatoes are far less vigorous and pro¬ 
ductive than are the ordinary kinds, 
and more liable to blight. Is that the 
experience of our readers V. 
Mb Chas. Mills, of Fairmont Fruit 
Farm, Fairmont, N. Y., sent us (July 
26) a little box of gooseberries which are 
the largest we remember to have seen 
raised in this country. The exact meas¬ 
urement of the larger circumference is 
4% inches, the shorter circumference 
four inches. The shape is obovate, or 
larger near the blossom than the stem 
portion. The color is reddish or mot¬ 
tled red upon dark green The quality 
is flue, being meaty and sweet. Mr. Mills 
says that he has had the variety eight 
years, and that it has not mildewed dur¬ 
ing that time. It came from England, 
and has been renamed Auburn. We have 
never seen the Lancashire Lad, but from 
the book descriptions, it must closely 
resemble that “ largest and best of Eng¬ 
lish varieties.”. 
Mme. Charles Frederick Worth 
Rose.—*• A misprint in The R. N.-Y.,” 
writes Prof. Budd, “gives this fine hardy 
rose as ‘ Charles Frederick North.’ As it 
is now commercial in west Europe, it 
should have a fair start. I do not know 
its exact history ; but Prof. N. E. Han¬ 
sen, who visited Erfurt four years ago, 
reported that it came from a seed of the 
Russian rugosa crossed with pollen of 
Paul Neyron. It has large leaves dis¬ 
tinctly of the Rugosa type, and its 40 
dark crimson petals hide the center well 
and stand out distinct and in graceful 
lines. It seems to be as hardy as the 
Rugosa ”. 
St. Swithin Weather. —July 29. For 
14 consecutive days it has rained at the 
Rural Grounds ; not in torrents, it is 
true, but gently and with many inter¬ 
vals of cessation, though the skies have 
remained most of the time unusually 
dark and threatening. Speaking for the 
past 26 years, this is a record breaker 
for the month of July. Farmers do not 
complain as yet ; they have little occa¬ 
sion to. The hay crop was heavy. Sweet 
corn up to July 29 was selling for from 
$1 25 to $1 40 per 100 ears, but has since 
sold much lower ; potatoes for 80 cents 
a bushel. They fear, however, that late 
potatoes will rot and that the melon 
crop will be destroyed. Grapes—a heavier 
crop was never promised—are beginning 
to rot. 
July 30. The rain came in torrents 
last night, resulting in disastrous floods, 
as our readers doubtless have learned. It 
is probable that the melon crop is greatly 
iujured. 
Ogon and Willard. —Our one Ogon 
Japan plum tree was received, as has 
been stated, in October, 1894. The tree 
was slightly damaged by the tornado of 
the next year. As we have said, the 
tree, this season, was so heavily laden 
that it was necessary to give support to 
most of the branches. The plums be¬ 
gan to ripen July 24. They average 
somewhat smaller than the Willard, and 
are much of the same shape, being round 
with a suture sometimes pronounced, 
sometimes not. The skin is a bright, 
unbroken yellow, the flesh yellow, solid, 
fairly juicy, but of inferior quality, but 
excellent for preserving—not canning. 
The flesh parts freely from the pit. The 
Ogon is reported as a shy bearer in 
some places. Its fault, aside from qual¬ 
ity, is that it bears too freely. One 
must either prop the trees or thin out 
the fruit. Comparatively few of the 
plums have rotted, though the season 
has been favorable to rot. Many have 
cracked, some slightly, some nearly to 
the pit. This may be due to too much 
rain. The Ogon comes in just about as 
the Willard goes out. As judged by 
one season, the Ogon, and as judged by 
four seasons, the Abundance are abso¬ 
lutely curculio-proof at the Rural 
Grounds. 
The Willard is of a deep red color 
with the tiniest dots of yellow, so that 
the skin looks as if sprinkled with gold 
dust. The plums average about 1)4 inch 
in diameter ; they are nearly round with 
a slight suture. The flesh is yellow, 
juicy and of better quality than that of 
the Ogon, though a shade inferior to the 
Abundance. To our taste, there is a de¬ 
cidedly banana flavor about the Willard, 
though no other writer, in describing 
it, in so far as we know, has alluded 
to it. 
S easonable S eeds 
Dwarf Essex Rape. 
- Sow in July and 
August. 12 cts lb., $ 5.00 bush., $g.oo 100 lbs. 
Scarlet Clover. 
Hardy Winter Vetch. ? y °: rt 
-—— earliest 
spring feed, invaluable for dairymen. $ 4.50 bus. 
AM ^"ds choicest recleaned 
III aSS jCCUS, qualities. Weare headquar- 
-ters for permanent pasture 
mixtures. Details in Farmers’Manual,mailed free. 
All the best 
e w and 
standard 
Seed Wheat and Rye. J! 
-— s t 
varieties, thoroughly recleanpd. 
Descriptive list mailed free. 
PeterHenderson&Co, 
35 & 37 Cortlandt St., NEW YORK. 
CRIMSON 
CLOVERSEED 
The great land improver. Home grown 
seed, free from weeds, at lowest cash 
price. Write at once. 
,T. G. HARRISON SONS, Berlin, Md. 
CRIMSON 
ALSIKE 
LUCERNE 
GLOVERS 
Samples and prices on application. Send for our 
Mid-summer Catalogue,fully describes the above also 
POT-GROWN STRAWBERRIES, ETC. 
HENRY A. DREER, Philadelphia. 
CRIMSON CLOVER. 
and other Seasonable Seeds. Prices on application 
W. ATLKE llUKPEE A CO., Seed Growers 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
The Willard plum, as judged by this 
season, is no less curculio-proof than 
the Abundance or Ogon, There is no 
longer any doubt about it that the best 
of the Japan plums are valuable acqui¬ 
sitions for many parts of our country, 
and we are more than glad that we 
were fortunate enough to be the first of 
American papers to praise them from 
actual experience.. 
A Farmer’s Family 
.S” CRIMSON CLOVER 
ALL TESTED SEEDS. 
Send for Samples and Prices. 
If. W. DOUGHTEN, MOORESTOWN, N. J. 
Crimson Glover Seed. 
My crop just hulled. Pure, clean and bright, $2.50 
per bushel, including bags; 10 bushels or more at 
discount. Cash with order. 
K. H. BANCROFT, Camden, Del. 
Deiaware-Srown Recleaned. 
Absolutely Pure. 
Crimson Clover. I lbs.*, sacked, f. 0 . b 
BROWN SEED CO., WYOMING, DEL. 
Finds Hood’s Sarsaparilla Keeps 
the Children’s Blood Pure. 
“ I can testify to the merit of Hood’s Sarsa¬ 
parilla as a tonic and blood purifier. I am a 
farmer and have a family of children and I have 
found this medicine excellent to keep their blood 
pure. I have found it makes the weak strong and 
I heartily recommend it as a family medicine.”— 
C. Gridley, Birch Run, Mich. 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
Is the best—in fact the One True Blood Purifier. 
Hood’s Pills cure all Liver Ills. 25 cents. 
Primemi PlfWflr Thomas McElroy. European Seed 
vllliljUll U1UY01 com. Merchant, Mercantile Ex¬ 
change Bldg., Harrison St., N. Y., continues the largest 
importer of high grade reliable stock of Crimson Clover 
seed in this country. Prices reduced this month. 
DIBBLE IS 
Headquarters for Seed Wheat. 
Over 250 acres grown on the Dibble I arms this year. 
Gold Coin the heaviest yielder on earth. Eight acres 
produced 430 bushels, 54tj> per acre. Mammoth White 
Rye, Northern-Grown Hardy Crimson Clover. Mam¬ 
moth Timothy. For catalogues and samples address 
EDWARD F. DIBBLE, 
Wholesale Seed Grower. HONEOYE FALLS, N.Y 
REACH TREES 
75 Varieties in Stock. 
Largest stock of Peach Trees in the 
country. Descriptive Catalogue FREE 
JOS. H. BLACK, SON & CO , 
Village Nurseries, HIGHTSTO WN, N. J. 
SEED WHEATiE 
AND OTHER SEASONABLE SEEDS. 
Descriptive Price-List upon application. 
SIEGEL, THE SEEDSMAN, ERIE, PA. 
Potted Strawberry Plants. 
100 Glen Mary for $1.50. 
T C KEVITT, ATHENIA, N J 
ThrrA AT VERY LOW PRICES. Write 
I now for new fall catalogue. It’s 
K P P free and will tell vou about the 
L LU stock we grow and our prices 
1 ESTABLISHED 1809. 150 ACHES. 
THE GEORGE A. SWEET NURSERY CO , 
Box 1,005, Dansville, N. Y. 
CARMAN. 
Get buds of this famous REACH direct from the 
originator. The original tree has not failed to bear 
a full crop in six years. Prices greatly reduced for 
i897. Address J. W. ST OB EN RAUCH, Mexia, Tex. 
1 ,000,000 STRAWBERRY PLANTS 
For Fall and Spring. All Young Plants. All the leading NEW and Old Standard Sorts, grown on land 
never occupied by strawberry plants before. Prices right. Write for Special Price. Catalogue Free. 
AlUTHUH j. COIjIjINS, Moorestown, 3NT. J. 
ARE YOU PREJUDICED 
AGAINST PALL PLANTING WITHOUT GIVING IT A TRIAL ? 
Our little book for fall is free, and will tell you 
about SUCCESSFUL FALL PLANTING. “ What 
other folks can do, why with a trial may not you ? ” Rogers tells the truth about varieties—no mis¬ 
representation. Get it and ‘‘Come Out op the Dark.” Rogers Nurseries, Dansville, N. Y. 
4 THE S. & H. CO. ▲ 
T desire to enter into correspondence with all contemplating the purchase of anything in their 
M line. They think they have one of the most complete assortments of strong, smooth, healthy, Q 
FRUIT AND ORNAMENTAL TREES 
J 
f 
t 
♦ 
Small Fruits, Vines, Shrubs, Roses, Bulbs, Hardy Herbaceous 
Plants, CreenhOUSe Stock, Etc., on the market and invite all buyers to come 
and see for themselves. They are to be found at the old stand where they have labored 
faithfully for the past 43 years to build up a reputable business. Catalogues free. 
Address THE STORRS & HARRISON CO., Box I, Painesville, O: 
