39o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
June 1 
; Ruralisms [ 
MOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
Hakdy Cacti for Dry Slopes.— 
About the only hardy cactus grown in 
eastern dooryards is the common prick¬ 
ly pear or Indian fig, Opuntia vulgaris. 
It is a native of the Eastern States, and 
is reliably hardy when planted in con¬ 
genial situations as far north as Ma'Ssa- 
chusetts. It will wrinkle and discolor 
when exposed to severe cold, but soon 
regains its plumpness on the advent of 
warm weather. It thrives best on j-ocky 
slopes where there is good drainage, as 
water about the plants is injurious at 
any time, and generally fatal in Winter. 
The common prickly pear is a rather 
fiat-growing species with pale yellow 
flowers about two inches in diameter. 
The fruit or berry is edible, but there is 
very little of it to eat. In the South and 
West O. vulgaris is replaced by two or 
three closely-allied species, 0. Rafines- 
quii often producing flowers with an 
orange-red center. None is superior to 
the common species for ornamental 
planting. Many odd species of cacti are 
native to the arid slopes of the Rocky 
Mountains, and a dozen or more occur 
at considerable elevations, where the 
Winter temperature often descends to 
20 degrees below zero. D. M. Andrews, 
of Boulder, Col., who publishes a most 
Interesting catalogue of desirable native 
plants, sent the Rural Grounds a collec- 
some countries the fruits of 0. Tuna and 
0. Ficus-Indica form an important ar¬ 
ticle of diet, and are extensively grown. 
This is especially the case in Sicily. The 
people of that island almost subsist on 
them during the Summer months, and 
in Mexico, the native home of these 
fruit-bearing species, the culture is al¬ 
most as prominent. The fruits are very 
nutritious and quite palatable. Efforts 
are being made by the National Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture to introduce the best 
varieties in the favorable climate of 
California and the Southwest. Opuntias 
are also much used for hedges, and to 
some extent in very dry regions for for¬ 
age, but the numerous spines sooner 
or later irritate the digestive organs of 
the animals to which they are fed. 
A Good Spray Calendar. —The new 
spray calendar issued by Leggett & Bro., 
New York, (^ntains more useful infor¬ 
mation in oompact form than we have 
found in any similar publication. 
Though primarily devoted to the prep¬ 
arations of the Messrs. Leggett, it gives 
full formulas and directions for using 
all effectual insecticides and fungicides, 
with dates for treating many useful 
plants. No better work than this has 
been issued by our experiment stations. 
Asparaous That’s Fit to Eat. —Sev¬ 
eral years ago Ruralisms called atten¬ 
tion to the miserable table quality of 
the higher grades of asparagus sold in 
the city markets. These fancy bunches 
are made up of thick and' corpulent 
stalks, cut six or seven inches below the 
surface of the ground, leaving an edible 
tip seldom more than two inches long. 
FIVE HARDY ROCKY MOUNTAIN OPUNTIAS. Fig. 1 .59. 
1. Opuntia Arenarla. 2. Opuntia Frapilis. 3. Opuntia Polycantlia. 4. Opuntia Mesacantlia. 
5. Opuntia Pliaeacantha Major. 
tion Of seven species of hardy mountain I'he bleached and tough subterranean 
cacti in April, 1900. They were planted, portion is not only useless .i itself, but 
according to his advice, on a forbidding- to many tastes unpleasantly affects the 
ly sterile slope; part of an old sandstone flavor of the edible tip. The purchaser 
quarry, where the gravelly soil is too really pays an extortionate price for the 
poor to grow Potentillas or ' five-fin- small useful portion. For certain forms 
gers.” There were five species of Opun- of fancy cookery short tips are indispen- 
tia, all of which are represented in the sable, and some misguided persons even 
picture. Fig. 159. They soon started in- think they prefer the bleached stalks to 
to growth and produced many large, the tender and succulent green shoots 
brilliant yellow blooms during the Sum- cut, as they should be, at the level of 
mer, followed by showy crimson and the soil after they have grown seven or 
purple fruits. They have endured the. eight inches high. The demand for 
past trying Winter with but trifling bleached asparagus is still so great that 
harm. Two species of hedgehog cactus, growers almost universally ridge up the 
Cactus viviparus and Echinocactus soil several inches high above the plants 
Simpsoni, accompanied the Opuntias, and just before the growing season, flatten 
were planted at the same time and the ridges to a uniform height by means 
place. They also endured the Winter of a special tool, and cut the asparagus 
without harm and are now. May 15, by stabbing it through the side of the 
blooming brightly. C. viviparus has ridge, just after it has broken through 
large brilliant purple flowers, and the apex. The bunches, when made up 
those of E. Simpsoni are shell pink, of asparagus harvested in this manner. 
These cacti are apparently indifferent to are very attractive to the eye, but very 
dry cold, but often suffer from stem rot much of a delusion to the economical 
if water settles about them in Winter, housewife. There are signs of a reac- 
They do best on a dry slope or rockery, tion, or at least a growing discrimina- 
where the drainage is perfect at all tion on the part of consumers, as quo- 
times, and may be made very decorative, tations of green asparagus are now be- 
They satisfy a liking for something gro- ing made at very good prices. What are 
tesque and could be used to good effect known as seconds in the retail markets, 
oftener than they have been in the past, made up of small white and green 
The genus Opuntia is quite extensive, stalks, may often prove more satisfac- 
over 130 species having been described, tory to the buyer than the higher priced 
They are chiefly distributed in the semi- quality with its minute edible portion, 
arid regions of the American continent. Asparagus is one of the most acceptable 
and are particularly numerous from of all Spring vegetables, and can still be 
Mexico to the south temperate zone, grown very cheaply in spite of the rust 
Some of the largest cacti known are and beetle. The absurd demand for a 
Opuntias: they grow into trees 20 feet large percentage of the inedible portion 
high, with spreading, clumsy tops. In in order to satisfy the eye, can only 
arise from ignorance of the true charac¬ 
ter of the plant, and when buyers refuse 
to accept what they cannot eat the con¬ 
sumption will enormously increase. The 
rule on the Rural Grounds is to allow 
the stalks to grow several inches high, 
and snap them off at the surface, reject¬ 
ing all portions which will not break 
with a clean fracture. Just at present 
the retail price of asparagus ranges from 
15 to 25 cents a bunch, weighing two or 
three pounds. The highest figure is for 
bunches containing all large bleached 
stalks showing only a tip of green, and 
the lowest for mixed bunches of white 
and green. There is little doubt but 
that the consumption of green aspara¬ 
gus is increasing. w. v. f. 
Spring Show of the N. Y. Hori. Society 
The Spring show of the New York Horti¬ 
cultural Society was held in the hall of 
the Mu.seum Building of the New York 
Botanical Garden, Bronx Park, May 8-9. 
As a first attempt of the new society It 
may be considered a gratifying success. 
The exhibits were chiefly confined to con¬ 
servatory plants, though some lots of rare 
evergreens were included. There was a 
notable collection of cacti, Agaves, and 
other succulents. On a first view these 
spiny and tortuous forms of vegetation 
suggest a morbid taste in the grower, but 
a close inspection reveals a wealth of 
beauty in form and quiet color. Some of 
the metallic shades are very fine. May is 
not usually a season of bloom for orchids 
and choice greenhouse plants, but a num¬ 
ber of fine specimens were brought to¬ 
gether from various sources, and made a 
bright show. One of the best exhibits of 
meritorious plants was made by H. A. Sie- 
brecht & Son, New Rochelle, N. Y. The 
lateness of the season has greatly retarded 
vegetation in the Park, but many interest¬ 
ing bulbous plants were in bloom. 
__ w. V. F. 
Onion Smut.— During the past few years 
several of our experiment station workers 
have been studying out a remedy for onion 
smut. As most onion growers know, this 
disease plays havoc with the crop. In 
many cases it has been so bad that it has 
nearly ruined the business. Transplanting 
seems to be a pretty sure remedy for it. 
Under this system the seed is sown in 
sterilized ground, so as to avoid the smut, 
and, when the little onions are of th( 
proper size, they are transplanted into the 
field. Many growers feel that they cannot 
go to the expense of transplanting, al¬ 
though in some cases it has been done 
with success. At the New York Experi¬ 
ment Station at Geneva, experiments have 
been made with a mixture of lime and sul¬ 
phur. It has been found that equal parts 
of air-slaked lime and flowers of sulphur 
put into the drill with the onion seed 
proved quite effective. The lime and sul¬ 
phur sown broadcast over the ground does 
not seem to give the best results, but, 
where the mixture is put directly into the 
drill with the seed, excellent crops have 
been raised. In order to apply this mix¬ 
ture a new form of drill was necessary, 
and extra boxes, tubes and agitators for 
distributing the mixtui-e were placed at 
the top and side of the drill. The cost was 
not much greater than for the ordinary 
seed drill, while the mixture was applied 
evenly and put where it would do the most 
good. The Ohio Station has also conducted 
experiments along this line, and found that 
lime and sulphur gave excellent results. 
It was also found that a solution of for¬ 
maldehyde in water, sprinkled along the 
row on the seed In the ground, was very 
effective. Of course this would necessitate 
sowing the seed by hand, but it is possible 
that soaking the seed in the formaldehyde 
before sowing would help. 
Mr. A. II. Nickerson, of Howland, Me , 
writes: “I used Bowker’s ‘Boxal’ on my 
potatoes and was well pleased with its 
effect and the benefit derived. It serves 
two purposes—destroys the bugs and 
preserves the tops.”— Adv. 
A I 
potato Bug 
is getting to \ave'^bee“n tried on 
SO many po>sons^^^e pretty ^nearly 
him, be ba jjowker s 
“ poison-proof, 
»* 
«4 
BOXAL 
WILL KILL HIM 
and at the same fime thul 
of vines and We have 
serving thre P the truth 
many Valogue of Insecticides 
ofthisin ourca g ^ ^j^ok 
which also co and plant 
of injurious ins them. 
40 pages, fu y to-day. 
PARACRENE 
is better, cheaper and bulkier than PARIS ORKBN. 
“Hare used Faragrene on my farm for potato 
bugs. It was perfectly satisfactory. L.H. BAILEY, 
Prof, of Horticulture, Cornell University.” Write 
for sample. FRED. L,. IiAVANBUKO, New York 
SAN JOSE SCALE, 
And other Insects can be Controlled by CBinR 
Good’s Caustic Potash Whale- 
Oil Tobacco Soap No. 6. 
Kegs, ."iOlbs. ea., lb. Bbl., abont2751bs., lo. lb 
Kegs, lOU lbs. ea., &c. lb. Bbls., about 425 lb8.,39^c.Ib 
Kegs. 170 lbs. ea., 4^c. lb. 
Large quantities Special Rates. Send for Circulars. 
JAMES GOOD, 937 N. Front St., Philadelphia, Pa. 
If you want to double your crops, have 
large healthy trees and sound fruit, spray 
them with a solution made from 
Black Soluble 
Ittsecticide Soap 
The Greatest Success of the Century. 
Awarded Grand Prize at the Paris Exhibition, and 
Gold Medals at the International Exlilbltlons of 
Rome, Dijon and Turin: also, a Diploma of Honor 
at Marseilles. Pamphlets, prices and other informa¬ 
tions lurnished promptly on application. 
V. CASAZZA & BKO., 
General Agents for United Slates and Canada, 
iyO-l«» Prince St., New York City. 
A Dry Sprayer 
' “ rv' ^ Water or Plaster 
WotR ritEU, HirsU 
^ Im VINK. 
Two rows of potatoes as 
fast as you walk, wide or 
narrowulanting. Agents 
wanted. Catalogue and 
spray calendar free^ 
Leggett'& Brother, 
301 Pearl St., New York. 
oar new patent 
SPRAYERS 
Indeed. Kerosene Emnl- 
whlle pumping. 12 var* 
ietles sprayers, ^rdesuz and Ver* 
morel Nozzles, the World’s Best. 
THE DEMINQ CO. Salem, 0. 
Western Agents. HennionAHab- 
Chicago Catalog, formulas free 
is produced with 
RIPPLEY’S 
Oumprenaed Air 5 j^al.Spray¬ 
ers. Tested to GO lbs pressure. 
Has safety valve—can’t burst. 
Tlirows a continuous stream 
85 teet if desired. Guaranteed the best 
5 gal. Comp. Air Sprayer made, or 
money refunded. Made both in cop¬ 
per and galv. iron. Write for circu- 
lara Nothing else so good for wbito- 
w^hing poultry houses, stables, etc. 
We also make a complete line of 
Sprayers for Commercial Orchards, 
vineyards, etc. Agents make big 
money selling these and our other 
specialties. W’rite forsfiecial terms 
and prices to deHlHis and agents. 
RIPPLEY HARDWARE COMPANY. 
Box 2?3 Grafton, Illinois, 
Eastern Branches—8 Park Place 
N.y.Clty ;84 Merchantsltow,B^ton 
Good Fruit 
always finds a ready market, but to bring top prices, 
it must be put up in neat, attractive and substantial 
packages. We have everything in the basket line. 
All sizes of 
Berry 
Baskets 
Peach and Grape Crates 
Buy direct from the manufacturers and save 
money. Write to-day for catalogue and new price¬ 
list of FRUIT AND FARM BASKETS. 
COLES & COMPANY, 
Est’d 1884. 109 & 111 Warren St., New York. 
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, Renton Narbnr, Midi. 
