628 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER.' 
September 25 
might profit by holding annual instead of biennial 
sessions, and another that the membership fee be 
changed from $4 to $2. He also reminded the pomol- 
ogists of the fact that the crossing of varieties with 
others of more delicate flavor, but more tender con¬ 
stitution, had lessened their ability to withstand 
diseases and climatic variations, and that we must 
not expect them to be as hardy as some of the older 
and less valuable kinds. In breeding new varieties, 
this point is and should be one of the uppermost in 
mind. He commended the new plan of constructing 
the catalogue of varieties recommended by the 
society. The plan adopted makes fruit districts which 
do not hold to State or political lines, but are bounded 
by climatic lines which have naturally determined 
where certain fruits will and will not succeed. The 
long list of members deceased since the last meeting, 
some of whom were of illustrious character, was feel¬ 
ingly g'one over by the president. 
New Fruits of Interest and Value, by W. J. Green, 
of the Ohio Experiment Station, was valuable because 
of the extremely careful tests that are made at that 
station. They named the King raspberry as the best 
red variety so far tested there. It is early, of good 
size and quality, bright color, and the bushes are 
thrifty and productive. Loudon he placed second for 
general culture, because of its good qualities. He 
said that it is hardy and very productive. Miller had 
not shown up quite so well, but it had been under 
test only for a short time. Among the new blackcaps, 
Kansas and Lottie were the best, with Conrath and 
Eureka not far behind. Of the strawberries, Clyde 
had proved the best. It seemed to have all the desir¬ 
able qualities for market in a remarkable degree. 
Carrie was another of the very best for both home and 
market use. Ruby had, also, shown good points. 
H. E. Van Deman, of Virginia, agreed with the 
opinion of Mr. Green as to the raspberries, but thought 
that the Miller was not yet well enough known. In 
Delaware, where it originated, it had the lead of all 
other varieties in extensive field tests. He had made 
a special trip to near Richmond, Va., where the King 
was first in bearing, on purpose to see it in 1894, and 
found it the best of all kinds there in fruiting condi¬ 
tion. Of all the strawberries, old or new, he liked 
the Brunette best for home use, as it is of the highest 
quality and good in every other way. The Carrie was 
the next best on his grounds. 
Mr. J. S. Kingsbury, of Indiana, was enthusiastic 
about the Brunette strawberry, and said that it was 
not only the best for home use, but equally good for 
market. He was proud of it as a native of his State, 
and the result of many years of careful breeding by 
Mr. Granville Cowing. 
The veteran horticulturist, Mr. Geo. W. Campbell, 
of Ohio, was then asked to tell about the new grape, 
Campbell’s Early, which he originated, and which 
bears his name. Being very modest, he did so only 
by special request. He said that it is the triumph of 
his life in the way of grape breeding. He had long 
desired to produce a black grape equal to Concord in 
all respects, but earlier in season and better in quality. 
This he had done after many years’ trial at crossing 
and testing. It is two weeks earlier than Concord, 
better in quality, larger in bunch and berry, tougher 
in skin, and the pulp parting easily from the seeds. 
Samples of the fruit were liberally tested by the audi¬ 
ence, and fully sustained Mr. Campbell’s claims. 
The McPike grape was then presented by its origi¬ 
nator, Mr. H. S. McPike, of Illinois. He gave a full 
history of it, as a seedling on his premises. There it 
had proved to be the best of all the old or new grapes 
he had under test. It is late, as specimens shown 
gave evidence, which were not in condition to enable 
the members to j udge of its flavor ; but it is a large, 
black grape, with a healthy leaf. 
Mr. N. H. Albaugh, of Ohio, spoke of and showed 
samples of the Diamond peach. It is a large, yellow 
cling of fair quality, of about the season of Oldmixon 
Free. It originated in Ohio about seven years ago. 
Mr. L. A. Goodman, of Missouri, spoke of the Gold 
Dust as a peach of similar character but, perhaps, of 
better flavor. h. e. y. d. 
(To be continued.) 
CHRYSANTHEMUM CULTURE IN MISSISSIPPI. 
For several years past, some of the first Chrysanthe¬ 
mums received in western and southern cities each 
autumn have been grown out-of-doors in Mississippi. 
Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans are the chief dis¬ 
tributing centers for these flowers. They are grown 
without greenhouses or ordinary frames, being merely 
protected by a board fence around the bed, with 
rafters across the top, over which a covering of mus¬ 
lin or plant-bed cloth may be drawn when necessary, 
as shown in Fig. 264. The varieties grown are almost 
entirely the early ones, the object being to reach the 
market while Chrysanthemums grown under glass are 
still high in price. The southern flowers have im¬ 
proved in quality, as the’growers disbud the flower 
stems, and cultivate carefully ; but they do not really 
compete with the greenhouse product, as they lack 
the perfect finish of flowers grown under glass, and 
the price is lower. Greenhouse Chrysanthemums 
seem to come in earlier each year, so that they are 
brought into direct competition with the outdoor 
flowers from the South, which find their main outlet 
in the cheaper trade, and among the street venders. 
At times, the wholesale commission florists of Chicago 
are so overloaded with these flowers that even the 
Greek and Armenian peddlers refuse them. 
Many of these Mississippi flower growers are women. 
Violets are largely grown by them, in outside frames, 
but the bulk of these are sold in St. Louis and other 
southern or southwestern cities. The fragrance is 
lacking when they reach Chicago, and purchasers will 
not buy scentless violets. Many of the violets thus 
grown are the single ones, but they do not sell as 
well as the double, unless very large and fragrant. 
Another flower shipped from the South is the Gar¬ 
denia or Cape jasmine. Every year, these flowers 
are sent from Texas, Mississippi, and other points to 
Chicago in immense quantities, the greatest glut being 
about Decoration Day. During the past two years, 
quantities of the Cape jasmines have been consigned 
to Chicago produce dealers, as well as to commission 
florists, whose places were filled to overflowing with 
these fragrant waxen blooms. A great many were 
unsalable, owing to the ignorance of the consignor, 
as well as to the glut of flowers. A novice hardly 
realizes the care required in gathering and packing 
flowers for a critical market; some consignors, too, 
appear to imagine that the frozen North is eager to 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS GROWN IN MISSISSIPPI. Fig. 264. 
purchase anything in the shape of a flower. It is 
only when we compare the artless products of an out¬ 
door garden with the highly finished blooms pro¬ 
duced in the artificial summer of a greenhouse, that 
we understand why the latter should rank higher in 
the market. It seems likely that, as the southern 
growers increase in experience, their product will im¬ 
prove sufficiently to command a higher standing in 
the market. 
HOW / FILL THE SILO. 
The different conditions under which silos are 
filled make the work and plans of each individual 
somewhat different. The methods applicable to steam 
power differ some from those where horse-power is 
used. The former is usually hired by the day, and 
the object is to get a large force of men and teams 
and do the work as soon as possible. When the power 
is owned upon the farm, not so much haste is required. 
I do not believe that any set rules can be laid down 
that will be applicable to all. 
I own my own outfit complete, and like it best, as 
it allows more time for the ensilage to settle, and I 
believe a better quality of ensilage will be had from 
slow filling. It, also, requires less help to handle 
the crop. I have tried the corn binder for cutting, 
but cannot say that I like it, if enough help can be 
secured. The binder breaks off a good many ears, 
and the cost here is $1 per acre, which is no cheaper 
than hand work. If help be scarce, the binder may 
be found best when neighbors are changing and the 
work is to be hurried as rapidly as possible, or if 
there be danger of a frost. 
My own practice is to have two men in the field to 
cut the corn and lay it in convenient-sized bunches to 
put upon the wagon. A truck wagon with a hay 
rigging is used. The men help the driver put on a 
load, and cut another while the wagon is beiDg driven 
to the barn. By this method, a load is sent from 
the field about every 20 minutes. 
At the side of the cutter table, a platform about 2% 
feet wide is built the length of the rack, in height 
about level with the hubs of the wagon ; on that, the 
man stands that puts the corn on the feeding table. 
The top of the rack is j ust about even with the table ; 
the person taking the corn from the wagon does not 
have to bend his back and lift the corn, but simply 
slides it from the load to the table. Then to make 
the work of unloading still easier, while the team is 
changing wagons, two men step to the opposite side 
of the loaded wagon and, with a jack made on pur¬ 
pose to place under the hub, raise the side of the 
wagon farthest from the cutter, as much as possible 
and not have the corn slide off. Square blocks of 
proper size being at hand to put under the wheels, it 
is about a minute’s work, and saves a lot of bard lift¬ 
ing and pulling. If it be desirable to take off a part 
of the corn a man stands at the side of the table and 
snaps what ears he has time to get hold of. 
If no corn is being taken off, five men are required— 
two in the field, two at the cutter, and the driver. 
With corn near the barn, I have put in four loads an 
hour with a two-horse tread-power, but that is rather 
faster than we will average. I do not find it neces¬ 
sary to keep a man in the silo. l. d. gale. 
Chautauqua County, N. Y. 
A Co-operative Plan. 
No changes are contemplated for this year. Corn 
has been raised on clover sod, on which 15 or 20 loads 
of manure to the acre had been spread during the 
winter. Variety of corn, Pride of the North. Rows 
three feet apart, with from 20 to 25 kernels to the 
rod of row drilled in. Weeder used twice. Corn cul¬ 
tivated six times, cultivation shallow and level. Aver¬ 
age height of corn, eight feet. Corn heavily eared 
and well matured. Three neighbors change work in 
filling silos. One has a 10-horse-power eDgine, an¬ 
other has a machine that cuts and binds the corn in 
the field, and the other owns a No. 16 Ohio cutter and 
elevator. No better rig is needed for drawing the 
corn than a flat hay rack 16 feet long and eight feet 
wide, with standards at each end. A truck wagon is 
used, and the top of the rack is on a level with the 
feed table of the cutter when in position for unload¬ 
ing. Three teams are used, one for cutting and two 
for drawing. If the corn is far away, a third is used 
in drawing. Two men in the field handle the bundles 
with forks, putting them in nearly the right position 
on the load. The labor in loading and unloading is 
much less with bundles than with loose corn. 
Two men are needed at the cutter, one to feed and 
one to cut bands, changing with alternate loads. The 
corn cut in one-quarter-inch lengths is delivered in 
the silo through a dormer window. Inside, it falls on 
an inclined carrier and is landed in the center of the 
silo, which is round and 22 feet in diameter. One 
man is kept in the silo most of the time to keep the 
corn evenly distributed over the surface. For cover¬ 
ing, damp sawdust is spread on the corn to the depth 
of four inches. The silo is opened when ensilage is 
needed for feeding, usually in five or six weeks after 
filling. With such corn, the round silo is a perfect 
success, and the ensilage of excellent quality. Other 
conditions being equal, we make more and better 
winter butter than before the silo was built. By 
changing work with neighbors as above stated, very 
little extra help by the day is needed, and the cost of 
filling is not great. c. s. rice. 
Jefferson County, N. Y. 
A CONNECTICUT APPLE ORCHARD. 
I have one of the finest apple orchards in this section (200 trees) ; 
it has been set about 18 years, but has given but one crop of 
fruit—last year. The varieties are mostly Baldwins and Green¬ 
ings. It was tilled for several years, and heavily manured with 
barnyard and commercial fertilizers. It has been in grass five 
or six years. What would be the best course to pursue from now 
on to get a crop of fruit next year ? It would be almost impossi¬ 
ble to plow it and get anywhere near the bodies of the trees. 
Would it do to put a spring-tooth harrow on and harrow it as 
well as I could. Then apply some manure. Or if it be plowed, 
will the trees take a fresh start and be liable to be frozen back 
this winter ? a. w. c. 
Stanwich, Conn. 
Pile on the Fertilizer. 
Nothing can be done this year now to cause the 
orchard to bear next season. Fruit buds for next 
year are already formed, if to be formed. To manure 
and plow this fall would not cause any growth this 
season, but would help the fruit next season if there 
are any blossoms which set it ; if not, it would cause 
buds to be formed next season for the year after. It 
is difficult to say why the orchard does not bear, with¬ 
out seeing the trees and soil they are on, also to learn 
their treatment. It is as natural for a tree to bear as 
it is for rabbits to breed if the conditions are right. I 
would advise (if the soil is not wet, if wet to drain it) 
