1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
7 he Seed of the Pineapple. 
S., New York. —A friend in Florida sends me 
some seeds found in the interior of a pineapple. 
He informs me that such seeds are rare and 
valuable. Is the finding of such seeds uncom¬ 
mon, and are they of value in procuring new 
varieties ? 
Ans —The seeds are those of the pine¬ 
apple, without doubt. The pineapple is 
not a single fruit, but consists of a 
large number of fruits overlapping one 
another and closely united, forming a 
fleshy cone. This will explain the ap¬ 
parent mystery of finding the seeds “ in 
the interior of the fruit.” Pineapples are 
usually propagated by offsets or suck¬ 
ers from the parent plant. Since the 
seeds are not often produced, and seed¬ 
ling plants require from 10 to 12 years to 
mature, pineapple seeds are planted only 
when one wishes to secure new varie¬ 
ties. There is no reason why the finder 
of the seeds should hold them at an ex¬ 
aggerated price, as a great rarity. 
Furthermore, as above suggested, even 
if viable, the seeds would be of little 
use, since the plants resulting therefrom 
would, probably, be much inferior to 
those propagated in the usual way. 
While some varieties of pineapple have 
never been known to produce seeds, 
other varieties frequently contain them. 
Such seeds very much resemble those of 
the apple in size, shape and color. 
However, they are marked with promi¬ 
nent ribs which extend lengthwise of 
the seeds. Gilbert h. hicks. 
U. S. Department of Agriculture. 
Roses from Seed. 
Mrs. O. V. B., Cortland County , N. Y. —How 
can we tell when the seed is ripe when our roses 
go to seed ? What time is best to sow them ? How 
long does it take them to come up ? I sowed some 
one fall very late; kept them warm and moist a 
month. They did not come up. I would like to 
raise some from seed. I sow Geranium seed in 
the fall, take care of the plants all winter, and 
they are in blossom in June, the next year, nine 
or ten months from the seed. I sowed seed of 
spotted Calla, and soon had over 200 of them. 
They blossomed the third year from seed, but the 
roses have baffled me so far. 
Ans. —The heps or fruit of roses may 
be left upon the plants until frost. Then 
gather them, remove the seeds and sow 
them at once in shallow boxes of rich 
soil. Sink these boxes in the soil of the 
garden to the surface. Cover them with 
fine wire netting to prevent injury from 
mice or accident. After the soil becomes 
frozen, it is well to cover with litter of 
some kind. These boxes may be lifted 
and taken to any sunny window in late 
February and the seed will germinate in 
about three weeks—some of them in less 
time. This is the way we have raised 
all of our seedling roses. Of course if 
one has glass and can command the tem¬ 
perature, they may be started at any 
time. 
Palms for the House. 
This is a good season to purchase 
palms for house decoration ; they are 
better able to endure sudden changes of 
atmosphere than later in the season, 
when they have had several months in 
artificial heat. Palm growing is now a 
MOTHERS.— Be sure to use “Mrs. Wins¬ 
low’s Soothing Syrup ” for your children 
while Teething. It ii the Beet.— AAn. 
business in itself, some large firms being 
devoted entirely to this specialty. One 
large firm alone handles about 500,000 
palms a year, some of these being raised 
from seed in this country, while others 
are imported from France, Germany and 
Belgium as small plants, and then grown 
on to salable size. 
The most popular palms for decorating 
and general trade are Arecas, Kentias 
(Howeas) Lataniasor Livistonas, and the 
delicate little Cocos Weddeliana, chiefly 
used in fern dishes. A few years ago, 
Seaforthias were largely used, but they 
are not so satisfactory as Arecas and 
Kentias, so trade in them has greatly 
fallen off. The Yellow-stemmed Areca, 
A. lutescens, is very graceful, and when 
grown as a florist’s decorating plant, 
the grower often “ makes up ” by put¬ 
ting three little plants bunched together 
in the pot, thus producing a fuller 
effect, and preventing “legginess,” as 
the florists describe it. Howea Belmor- 
eana and H. Forsteriana (both common¬ 
ly called Kentia) are stouter in growth 
than the Arecas, so they are grown as sin¬ 
gle specimens. The most popular of the 
Fan palms is Livistona Chinensis (Lata- 
nia Borbonica of the older botanists). 
This is very vigorous in growth, and 
bears neglect or careless treatment 
very well. Livistona rotundifolia, with 
rounder leaves, is less grown, but very 
attractive. 
These palms are grown from seed, 
which is imported from Australia, South 
America, and other tropical countries. 
The seed often germinates very uneven¬ 
ly, the period of germination extending 
over several months. The first leaves 
are stiff, narrow blades, quite distinct 
from the character leaves, and some of 
these persist for some time after the 
character leaves are formed. One un¬ 
acquainted with the plants would never 
recognize a Fan palm from the young 
plant. 
For any one wishing one palm only 
for house decoration, we should recom¬ 
mend Howea (Kentia) Belmoreana. It is 
healthy, robust, and more graceful than 
the Fan palm. A more spreading palm, 
which will bear sudden changes of tem¬ 
perature, dust and gas, is Phoenix reclin- 
ata, a first cousin to the Date palm, 
with long, rather stiff foliage, spreading 
like a fern. We have grown both this 
and the Howea named in a small apart¬ 
ment, where the plants were exposed to 
both natural and artificial gas (both very 
trying to plants), and these palms flour¬ 
ished finely. 
For a small palm to be used as all- 
the-year-’round table decoration, noth¬ 
ing else is equal to Cocos Weddeliana. 
This is a very graceful, feathery little 
plant, and it bears careless usage in a 
way never suggested by its delicate ap¬ 
pearance. It grows but slowly in an 
ordinary dining-room, hence needs re¬ 
potting but rarely. Growing in the 
house, palms do not need to be shifted 
into larger pots nearly so often as when 
in the greenhouse; over-potting is a 
mistake. When the crowding of the 
roots, together with deficient vigor, sug¬ 
gests need for a change, do not make 
the change too great. During the sum¬ 
mer, the house palms should stay out¬ 
side, requiring very little care. During 
the winter, the leaves should be sponged 
carefully in clear water once a week, 
the under side of leaf and lower part of 
stem being examined for scale insects. 
Should these insects appear in numbers, 
wash leaves and stems with whale-oil 
soapsuds. There is little likelihood of 
trouble from any other insects. A leaf- 
blight of palms is not uncommon, both 
in greenhouses and in the house, this 
appearing in the form of dying leaf 
tissue, sometimes in the body of the 
leaf, but more often at the tips. There 
is, practically, no remedy for this; the 
affected tips may be cut off, to prevent 
the disease from extending and, though 
this is a blemish, it is not a serious one. 
The opinion was suggested, by one in¬ 
vestigator, that the appearance of the 
disease at the tips of the leaves was 
caused by the spores being washed to 
this point m watering. No form of 
fungicide has been recommended as 
certain in its effects against the leaf- 
blight. 
Seasonable Notes. 
At this season, the Bittersweet or Wax- 
work (Celastrus scandens) displays its 
orange pods, opening to show its bril¬ 
liant red fruit, and though this is one of 
the commonest wild vines in many sec¬ 
tions, it is well worth planting for the 
sake of its autumn brilliancy. During 
the summer, it is inconspicuous; the 
foliage, though neat and clean, is not 
specially attractive, and the flowers will 
almost escape notice. For this reason, 
it is not a vine we should recommend 
for planting about a porch, because we 
usually want something showy during 
the warm months. But it is a fine thing 
to train about a fence, or up into a tree 
in the less formal part of the garden. 
Chrysanthemums are plentiful, both 
indoors and out. The sharp frost dur¬ 
ing the third week in October did not 
affect the Chinese and Pompon varieties, 
or the hardier sorts of the Japan type ; 
but the buds showed the desirability of 
WII^DTCUnDU’C SEIF ACTING! 
Inhn I dnynNOSHADEROLlERSj 
NOTICE 
.name TNliii 
LABEL 
aNO GIJ 
THE GENUINE 
i HARTSHORN 
•v—VICTORIES_>• 
FOUR MEDALS—3 Gold and 1 Silver. World’s Cantennlal 
Cotton Exposition, New Orleans, 1884. 
HIGHESf~AWA RDS—Nebraska Agricultural Falr~ , 1887. 
DIPLOMA—Alabama Agr’l Society, Montgomery, 1888. 
AWARD—Chattahoochie Valley Exposition, Colum- 
bu s, Ga., 1888. _ 
HIGHEST AWARDS—St. Louis Agricultural and 
Mechanical Association, 1889. 
GOLD MEDALS~an<T6 DIPLOMAS—World T s~Colum- 
blan Expo sition, Chic ago. 1 893. _ 
HIGHEST AWARDS—Western Fair Association, Lon- 
don , Cana da, 1893. 
SIX GOLD MEDALS and Diplomas—Cal. Midwinter Fair '94. 
SILVER MEDAL—Industrial Exposit ion, Toro nto, Canada, 1895. 
345,584 Home Comfort RangcsSold to Jau. lst,’97 
IZ^Uange illustrated sold throughout the United States and 
the Canadas at a uniform price from our own wagons. 
Made of open hearth, cold rolled steel-plate and malleable 
Iron —will last a life-time with ordinary care. 
WROUGHT IRON RANGE CO., 
Founded 1864. Paid up Capital $1,000,000. 
Factories, Salesrooms and Offices: ST. LOUIS, MO., and TORONTO, CANADA- 
Western Salesrooms and offices: DENVER, COLO. 
»y We manufacture and carry a complete stock of Hotel Ranges and Kitchen goods; also the 
unequaled DOME COMFORT STEEL FURNACES. Write for catalogue and prices. 
731 
slight protection at night, to prevent 
them from suffering. It is still possible to 
lift some of the plants so that they may 
be taken inside, but in such case, a large 
mass of earth must be taken up with 
them. They may be put in boxes and 
kept in any cool, light place until bloom¬ 
ing is over. Such plants are likely to 
lose their lower leaves, and naturally, 
do not make handsome specimens ; but 
their flowers will be attractive for cut¬ 
ting. Ivory, one of the most popular 
white Chrysanthemums, is very plenti¬ 
ful this autumn. There are several 
pink forms of it, some very clear and 
bright in color, others paler, but the 
complaint is made this autumn that 
many of the pink Ivory plants produce 
white flowers. This is not an extraord¬ 
inary circumstance ; all plants have a 
tendency to revert to primitive forms, 
and Chrysanthemums are so very mixed 
that we need never be surprised at any 
variation in color. 
Everyone knows the ex¬ 
pense and annoyance of lamp- 
chimneys breaking. 
Macbeth’s don’t break; and 
they make more light. 
Write Macbeth Pittsburgh Pa 
YORK WASHER. 
For simplicity, durability, and ease of 
operation. Superior to all others. 
Many In u*e, and giving universal 
satisfaction. Circulars free. 
Address N. C. BAUGHMAN, 
York. Pa. 
$500 AN ACRE. 
At the meeting of the Virginia Horticultural So¬ 
ciety this year, the statement was made that many 
apple orchards In Virginia gave a profit of $500 
an acre. 
In the South, Great Profits are made by Intelligent 
Farmers on Apple, Peach and other Orchards; on 
Vineyards and in Truck Farms. High Profits are 
not uncommon. 
The mild climate and fine soil give beauty, size and 
flavor to fruit. Lands are cheap; transportation 
facilities to best markets good; locations pleasant. 
Best Farm and Fruit Regions are along lines of 
SOUTHERN RAILWAY. 
Address for Information about lands, locations, 
climate, products, etc., M. V r . RICHARDS, 
Land and Industrial Agent, 
Southern Railway, Washington, D. C 
Intensive Cultivation is the Keynote to Success!” 
SUCCESS 
Waits on all who subscribe to 
AMEM(jMI!f 
* • $1.00 a Year. ” 
Every Saturday. 
A Complete Practical Guide to Every Phase of 
Plant Culture in the Open and Under Glass 
and the Development of Land and Home. 
THE SOIL’S PRODUCTIVENESS INCREASED. 
Send $1.00 for a year’s subscription; it will earn 
you $100 before the twelve months are up. A 
premium to every subscriber. Sample copy free. 
State where you saw this advertisement and address 
H. GARDENING, P.0. Box 1697, New York. 
Another Chance 
for a Watch. 
Here is the best bargain we have yet 
offered in a low-priced man’s watch. It 
has seven jeweled movements, straight 
line lever escapement, cut compensated 
balance, safety pinion. Plates damas¬ 
keened in nickel. White hard enamel 
dial with depressed seconds and black 
marginal figures. The case is dust- 
proof polished silverode (that looks like 
silver and wears better). Has 10 k. gold- 
filled crown. We have secured a special 
price on a lot of these watches. The 
jobber's price is $3 50. He sells to re¬ 
tailer, and you pay $5.00 for them at the 
jewelry store You may send us one 
new subscription and $3.50, and we will 
send you the watch by return mail, and 
the paper for a year to the new sub¬ 
scriber so that the watch will cost you 
only $2.50. We guarantee this watch to 
keep good time, and return the money, 
if you are not satisfied, but you will be. 
We want the new subscriptions, and if 
you want a watch, now is the time to get 
it. Thk Rural New-Yorker, New York. 
