374 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 25 
; Ruralisms \ 
UfOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
The Giant Hardy Primrose. —This 
immense new primrose is now blooming 
on the Rural Grounds, the plant having 
lately been received from the American 
distributor, Henry A. Dreer, Philadel¬ 
phia, Pa. The general appearance of tne 
plant is very similar to Primula Poly- 
antha except that it is much larger in 
all its parts, and of very robust growth. 
The flowers open as large as a silver dol¬ 
lar, and the trusses of bloom often ex¬ 
ceed six inches in diameter. The color 
is a bright yellow with an orange cen¬ 
ter, and the characteristic fragrance of 
the European wild primrose is retained. 
It is thought to be a hybrid between P. 
vulgaris and P. Polyantha, as it first ap¬ 
peared among a batch of seedlings of 
the latter. As it now appears, it is safe 
to say that it is fully tliree times as 
large as any other hardy primrose. It is 
claimed to bloom earlier and keep at it 
longer than any other variety also, and 
to be especially desirable for forcing, as 
it is one of the easiest plants to bring 
into bloom under glass. They can be 
kept dormant until wanted and brought 
into flower in a cool greenhouse in about 
live weeks’ time. Hardy primroses have 
never gained the popularity in this coun¬ 
try they have always been favored with 
in Europe, but this giant variety will go 
far to arouse interest in a most desirable 
class of plants. They may be grown 
anywhere in moist, rich ground, but are 
chiefly suitable for borders and edgings 
on account of their trim and neat habit. 
The Bartlett Plum. —This very 
promising new plum, originated by Bur¬ 
bank, and sent out three years ago, is 
the neatest grower among plums on the 
Rural Grounds. A little “June-bud’ 
tree received from Joseph H. Black, Son 
& Co., Hightstown, N. J., is, after a sea¬ 
son’s growth, the most symmetrical tree 
on the place. It grows upright, more 
like a pear than a plum, and the 
branches are arranged almost as evenly 
as a candelabra. The dark foliage is 
also very glossy, adding much to the or¬ 
namental effect. Mr. Burbank describes 
the plums as possessing tne fragrance 
and flavor of the Bartlett pear in even a 
higher degree than that favorite variety. 
A sample received last Summer was of 
fair eating quality, but had evidently 
deteriorated during transportation. The 
color was yellow with a crimson flush, 
and the flesh salmon red, Arm but juicy. 
The pit adheres slightly to the flesh. 
Water Cress. —This appetizing relish 
is now abundantly supplied to most city 
markets. It is gathered up by large job- 
•bers, and an unbroken supply comes to 
the North all Winter from southern 
streams. At one time the cultivation 
and harvesting of water cress from 
streams near the Summer resorts of 
Monmouth Co., N. J., was a considerable 
industry, but it fell into the hands of a 
combination which has since extended 
its operations to other fields. There was 
practically no indigenous water cress in 
the many little streams flowing to tide 
water in this region previous to 1896, 
when a quiet but observing individual, 
while spending his Summer vacation in 
the locality, conceived the idea of stock¬ 
ing such streams as appeared favorable 
t© its growth. For several successive 
seasons he sowed seeds near the sources, 
and the result became apparent in such 
a vigorous growth of cress that the cur¬ 
rents were often checked and the growth 
smothered in mud and sand. The inter¬ 
loping cress has generally died out from 
the streams where the channels are not 
preserved by digging or dredging, but it 
still persists where the conditions re¬ 
main suitable. Few attempts at the 
naturalization of plants, and animals 
where they have not previously existed 
are entirely successful, as some of the 
necessary conditions may be lacking, 
though supposed to be present. Very 
litllo cress is sent to the New York 
market by individual growers or ship¬ 
pers. Most of it now comes from West 
Virginia and is carefully graded and 
packed in ice, in large barrels. The day 
of large profits from a small natural or 
cultivated area in water cress is past. 
The LACKiARD Sprino. —During the 
prolonged gloom of our wet and stormy 
April we comforted ourselves with the 
thought that vegetation would advance 
so rapidly with the advent of warmer 
weather as to make up for lost time, but 
the hope is still unrealized. At this 
writing. May 10, peaches are still in 
bloom, pears and cherries just opening, 
and apples yet-in small buds. Cold 
winds and drenching rains continue 
their retarding influence, and doubtless 
pollination has been unfavorably afllect- 
ed in the fruit blooms already open. A 
few days of warm sunshine would prove 
most acceptable. Even some of the cool- 
blooded bulbous plants appear to have 
had more cold moisture than they re¬ 
quired. 'flulips are large and brilliant, 
but hyacinths and daffodils are notice¬ 
ably dull in color. The trusses of the 
former are large and full, as might be 
expected from their slow development, 
but brilliancy of color is lacking. Pan¬ 
sies are extremely large and handsome, 
as they find conditions just to their 
liking. w. V. f. 
Mslon Blight and Soda Bordeaux. 
R. J. E., Berrien Co., Mich .—I have been 
much interested in the articles on Melon 
blight which have appeared lately in The 
R. N.-Y. There are hundreds of acres ot 
muskmelons raised in this vicinity for the 
Chicago and Milwaukee markets. The 
Osage originated here near Benton Har¬ 
bor, and the business of growing melons 
for market has grown to be the chief oc¬ 
cupation of a great many small farmers. 
Within the last few years leaf blight has 
made its appearance, and has gradually 
increased, until last year a great many 
crops were ruined. It usually makes its 
appearance about the time the melons be¬ 
gin to ripen and spreads rapidly until the 
field will look as though a fire had run 
through it. This causes the melons to 
ripen prematurely and spoils the flavor, so 
they are unfit to eat. I shall try the Bor¬ 
deaux Mixture this season and hope it will 
prove effectual, though it seems to me 
there is one serious objection to its use. 
If used late after the melons are nearly 
grown, will not the lime form a white 
coating on the melons and make them un¬ 
salable? I have heard plum growers com¬ 
plain of such a condition where they had 
sprayed with Bordeaux after plums were 
partly grown. As I understand it lime is 
used simply to neutralize the acid in the 
sulphate of copper. If so, is there not 
some other alkali that will do this with¬ 
out the objectionable white color? How 
would sal soda do? How should it be used? 
Ans. —We have used what is known as 
the soda-Bordeaux on potatoes. In this 
soda lye takes the place of most of the 
lime. The proportions are three pounds 
of sulphate of copper, one pound can of 
Lewis lye, five ounces of lime and 30 gal¬ 
lons of water. The copper is dissolved 
the same as in making the ordinary Bor¬ 
deaux, and diluted so as to make 15 gal¬ 
lons. The can of lye is dissolved in two 
gallons of water and then diluted to five 
gallons. The lime is slaked in hot wa¬ 
ter and diluted to five gallons, after 
straining through a coarse cloth. The 15 
gallons of copper, the five gallons of lime 
and the five gallons of soda are then 
mixed, with water enough added to make 
30 gallons. In our experience this has 
given as good results as the lime Bor¬ 
deaux. It sprays easier, does not scald 
as badly, but does not stick to the vines 
as well. Mr. F. A. Sirrine, who gave the 
information to Holmes Bros., says: 
“We have always prepared Bordeaux 
Mixture for pickle and melon spraying 
with the yellow prussiate of potash test, 
and in this way have never had an ex¬ 
cess of lime to discolor the fruit. In 
fact, where the vines are vigorous, only 
a small portion of the mixture strikes 
the fruit, and there is no danger of scald¬ 
ing the fruit with the mixture. Of 
course some of the mixture may show 
on the fruit, and when a man is grow¬ 
ing for market purposes he should avoid 
anything that will excite suspicion in 
the appearances of his melons. Although 
I have not tested the soda-Bordeaux 
Mixture I think it would be well to ad¬ 
vise the use of the ordinary Bordeaux 
Mixture until the melons become so 
large that the leaves do not protect 
them, after which he can use the soda- 
Bordeaux Mixture.’’ 
Starving or Feeding Pears, 
IV. E. G., TTnmmonton, N. .7.—When I came 
licre in the Spring of 1898 I saw orchard 
after orchard of stunted, bliglitcd pears. 
I asked several of tlie prominent growers 
as to the best means of lighting the dis¬ 
ease from the start. The answer almost 
to a man was, “Starve them.’’ I thought 
this was a peculiar answer, and doubted 
it, on general principles, and from a 
scientific standpoint. I met a man who 
had 25 trees, more or less, of Kieffer pears 
on the east side of his house, almost worth¬ 
less from blight. On the west side he 
had 10 trees of the same variety free from 
blight, from which he picked last year 150 
bushel baskets of fine pears. The trees 
were all the same variety and set at the 
same time. The 10 trees were in a chicken 
yard about 40x60 feet, or on an area of 
2,400 square feet. The difference was the 
chicken droppings from about 60 hens, and 
the usual farmer’s crop of Spring chickens. 
I told him he had the pears because he 
could not help it. The result is that he is 
converted from a starvationist to a feeder. 
After our talk on this subject last Spring 
he sowed his other orchard to cow peas, 
and, his starved trees are loaded with 
blossoms and have an entirely different 
appearance. He will put in cow peas 
again this Spring and fertilize them also. 
1 , believing an ounce of prevention is bet¬ 
ter than a pound of cure, washed my trees 
with lime, sulphur and salt, and also gave 
them 150 pounds each of nitrate and potash. 
1 also washed a few with lime, sulphur 
and whale-oil soap. I should like to hear 
from some qf your best pear growers on 
the subject of feeding or starving the pear; 
tilso the best kind of feed and quantity. 
1 myself believe in feeding everything 
from the start, and, of course, increasing 
the quantity as the tree increases in size. 
This is the Almighty’s way of doing it. 
Ans. —A very plausible reason for the 
immunity of the well-fed trees in the 
above instance would be that their 
energy was expended in fruit production 
and not in a rapid growth of succulent 
wood. Another variety than the Kieffer 
might not remain immune under such 
stimulating conditions. As a general 
rule parasitic diseases attack weak and 
poorly-fed plants in preference to strong 
ones, but the Pear-blight bacteria ap¬ 
pear to prefer rapidly-growing trees, as 
the germs find a ready entrance in soft- 
textured wood. 
SPRAY 
.itifEMPIRE-KINO' 
n 
CIRFIllD KNIPMCK 
and buprs, worms, blight, etc , 
wlllhavenoterrorsforyou. Best construction, per¬ 
fect agitators.no scorched foliage. We make all sizes 
and styles. Free Book on Spraying. Agents wanted. 
FIELD FORCE PUMP CO., gWirkei St., Lockport, M. Y. 
3f=^RAY 
with Caustic Potash 
Whale-Oil Soap Coiiipouiul. 
(paste form). 
An improvement over Whale-oil Soaii. i.s made 
ready for use by adding cold water. Stronger than 
any Whaie-oll Soap. 4(l0-lb. barrels, :P>jc. per 
lb.; 40-lb. buckets, 5!^c.; 7-lb. cans. 6t^c. Supplied by 
dealers or by LEOJOETT & BUO.. 301 Pearl St., N. Y 
TOBACCO DtlST 
l/il i C WOOLY APHIS. HEM LICE 
l\ IL..L.Q and ALLOAflOEN PESTS. 
h: a STOOTHOFF. Tobacco Ou&t V 
•116 W»8t SL, N.V.C; " Hobbyist 
4 MW INSECTICIDE 
First Introduction to America of 
Black Soluble 
Insecticide Soap. 
Awarded Grand Prize at Paris Exposition, and 
winner of Gold Medals at International Expositions 
of Rome. Recommended as efficacious by largest 
European Nurserymen and Growers. Including 
Messrs. Vilmorin, Andrieux. Royal Gardens Monza, 
and others. All pests of outdoor or indoor plant life, 
including San JosO scale, succumb to the effects of 
tois remedy. Fruit Growers and Horticulturists send 
tor pamphlets, prices and other Information. 
V, CASAZZA & BRO., 
190-192 Prince Street, NEW YORK CITY. 
Buy a Good 
Spray 
Pump 
—d o n ’ t experiment- 
costs money. We have done 
the experimenting—used the 
common spray pumps in our 
own orchards, noted their 
defects — then invented the 
ECLIPSE. You get the bene¬ 
fit of our experience free. 
Send at once for catalogue. 
MORRILL & MORLEY, Benton Harbor, Mich. 
THE “HARDIE” 
Spray Pumps 
are the most powerful, easlesv 
worked, most modern, simplest 
in construction and moderate in 
price. DON’T RUT A PUMP 
until yon have sent for our cata¬ 
logue “C” and treatise on dis¬ 
eases of fruits, etc., sent FREE. 
Hardie Spray Pump Mfg. Co., 
66 Lamed St. W., Detroit, Mich. 
A POTATO BOG 
is most useful when he is dead. Kill him with 
“BOXAL,” and prevent blight by the same 
same operation. $1 buys 10 pounds. 
Catalogue No. 24 free. 
BOWKER CHEMICAL CO.. Boston. 
BERRY BASKETS. 
Wire-stapled Berry Baskets 
are the best in the market, 
being unltorm In size and un¬ 
equaled in strength. 
PRICE, #12 FOR 5 IVI. 
Special Price on Car Lots. 
Write for Descriptive Catalog. 
WEBSTER BASKET CO., 
Monroe Co. (Lock Box43). WEBSTER, N. Y. 
It Costs 
65 Per Cent Less 
to paint your buildings with Iiuliirliie Weatherproof Cold 
Water Paint than to paint them with lead and oil. When you 
are done you will have a more durable, better looking and more 
satisfactory job. You can apply ••Indiirliie” yourself and save 
the labor and expense of an expert. It is a dry powder and is 
quickly prepared by simply mixing it with cold water. Made in 
white and colora. For inside and outside use. It will not rub. scale, crack, blister or soften with age. It Is better than ’ 
anything of the paint kind for bouses, barns, dairy buildings, iioultry houses, picket or board fences, etc. Learn more about 
it before you do your ipring painting. Write at once for sample, color cards, circulars and testimonials. Ask your dealer for 
<*Xltdurliie.” If not there, write us direct and we will see that you are supplied. 
CASEIN COMPANY OF AMERICA, BOX 17, BELLOWS FALLS, VT. 
1901 
THE SOUTH SIDE 
FRUIT CARRIERS AND BASKETS 
PETERSBURG, VA. 
WRITE FOR CATALOGUE AND PRICES 
A Perfect Sprayer. 
The “SCHANCK” 8-row will spray any 
kind of liquid poison. 
Ihas no small nozzles to stop up. 
I I will not spray on horse or driver. 
I I has no pumps, pipes, blowers nor cog-wheels. 
I I will do more work better and with less trouble than any other 
sprayer. Price, #56. Send for circular. 
JOHN R. SHANCLE, Mfr., Hightstown, N. J. 
SLUG SHOT 
KILLS CURRANT WORMS, Etc. 
Used successfully 21 ;years. Sold by Seed Deal¬ 
ers. For pamphlet on bugs and blights, address 
R. HAJYIMONO, Fislikill Laiuiiiijf,N.Y. 
