47o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
July 6 
' Ruralisms ' 
•< ^ ► 
▼ V ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ v 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
Potatoes Like Rain. —Potatoes have 
seklom looked better than at the present 
moment. The cool weather and abund¬ 
ant rains have encouraged a strong 
growth, and if the soil moisture holds 
out a fine crop should I’esult. 'Phe only 
exceptions noticed are in very early 
plantings in undrained soil, where the 
excess of moistui’e caused the seed tu¬ 
bers to rot. The worst enemy to the 
potato as a money crop is neither bugs, 
blight nor infertile soils, but dry wea¬ 
ther. The other pests and deficiencies 
may be successfully overcome by energy 
and forethought, but a severe drought 
at any stage of development will check 
growth and greatly reduce the yield. 
Much may be done to modify the effects 
of a scanty rainfall by industrious cul¬ 
tivation, but the resulting crop does not 
always pay for the extra effort. With 
a fair amount of moisture in the soil 
the intelligent care of a field of pota¬ 
toes is often better compensated than 
any other staple ci’op. fifiie beet les were 
much delayed by the cool weather, and 
made their first appearance in a very 
unobtrusive manner compared with for¬ 
mer years, after the earlier plantings 
began to bloom, and will doubtless be 
disposed of very easily. There is occa¬ 
sionally too much rain at the ripening 
period, but during the early stages of 
growth potatoes like moisture. 
An Exthaokdinauy New Coleus.— 
Over 50 species of Coleus are known, all 
of which are native to tropical Asia and 
Africa, but the innumerable garden va¬ 
rieties now grown for their brilliantly 
colored foliage have all descended from 
C. Blumei, found originally in Java. 
Some of the old varieties, such as Gol¬ 
den Redder, brilliant yellow, and Ver- 
schaffeltii, velvety crimson, have never 
been superseded. They always make a 
brilliant show, and endure dry weather 
very well. Coleuses are not used as 
much as formerly, as the taste for car¬ 
pet bedding is diminishing. They make 
excellent specimens for the window gar¬ 
den or greenhouse, but have to be re¬ 
newed frequently by propagation, as old 
plants become leggy and lose their 
bright colors. The bloom of these fo¬ 
liage varieties is small and weedy. It is 
always sheared off as a detriment to the 
plant unless seeds are wanted. The new 
species. Coleus thyrsoideus, however, 
bears large spikes, 10 or 12 inches long, 
of brilliant blue flowers, just the shade 
of the much admired Salvia patens, and 
probably the ravest of all colors. The 
plant grows well with little more heat 
than is required for a Pelargonium, and 
blooms readily in Winter, when blue 
flowers are especially scaree, few window 
plants having blooms of that color. It 
is said to possess a pleasing fragrance 
which will add to its usefulness if it 
proves adapted to our climatic condi¬ 
tions. The foliage is not highly colored, 
but the handsome flowers, lasting in 
good condition nearly a month, should 
make it a conspicuous subject for win¬ 
dow decoration. Few plants are yet 
procurable in this county, but it will 
prabably be offered freely next year. 
An Improved Hand Sprayer. —^This 
has not been a good season for dealers 
in spraying materials. The almost con¬ 
stant rain and fog has prevented much 
work of this kind that would be under¬ 
taken in an ordinarily dry Spring, 
greatly limiting the demand for pumps 
and chemicals. While the weather con¬ 
ditions hindered the development of 
most insects, many fungus troubles got 
a good start and various aphides or 
plant lice seem to have found things 
about to their liking, and are rapidly 
overrunning the plants of their selec¬ 
tion. One of the handiest little sprayers 
we have used is the improved Dewey, 
made by Leggett & Bro., New York, a 
representation of which is given in Fig. 
198. With the chambers filled with kero¬ 
sene and water respectively it is always 
ready for instant use and makes a very 
effective mechanical emulsion spray for 
soft-bodied insects. The proportion of 
oil to water can be readily graduated by 
a valve not shown in the engraving. As 
made last year the Dewey projected only 
a horizontal spray, and often failed to 
j’each the under surface of drooping 
leaves, but now they are c.aus6il to di¬ 
rect the spray upward by the very sim¬ 
ple expedient of connecting the air com¬ 
pressor with the reservoirs at an angle 
instead of horizontally, as heretofore. 
The Combination Tomato. —It is al¬ 
ways pleasing to learn that varieties of 
useful or ornamental plants originating 
on the Rural Grounds succeed under the 
conditions of general culture elsewhere. 
Climate and locality are such important 
factors in the development of plants that 
one reads with many misgivings the 
results of trials in distant places even 
of the most promising new developments 
of our experimental work. The Illinois 
Department of Agriculture has been 
growing in its new vegetable forcing 
house about 83 plants of the red tomato 
Combination, produced six years ago by 
hybridizing the Dwarf Champion with 
Lorillard. A most excellent tomato for 
forcing or field culture under our local 
conditions resulted. It has been widely 
disseminated by a Philadelphia seed 
house, and many flattering reports are 
AN IMPROVED HAND SPRAYER. Fig. 198. 
constantly received, though it does not 
meet the requirements of every grower. 
Even after this lapse of time an occa¬ 
sional plant will bear a dull red fruit 
like the Champion, though the color 
should be intense scarlet. This is ap¬ 
parently its only fault. The Illinois ex¬ 
periment reports a yield of this variety 
as exceeding that expected by most com¬ 
mercial growers. w. v. f. 
The York Imperial Apple. 
After about 20 years’ personal experi¬ 
ence with York Imperial, and a num¬ 
ber of years’ careful observation of its 
behavior in different counties of the 
State, I am satisfied that it varies great¬ 
ly, both as to eating and keeping quali¬ 
ties, according to the section where it is 
grown. It is not a good apple in the Fall 
or early Winter either for eating or 
cooking, but when grown in a location 
to which it is adopted, and kept in shal¬ 
low bins in a cool cellar, or better yet, 
a cave, it comes out in the Spring a 
fairly good apple for any purpose. It 
will stand up longer ami bear more 
haiiidling than any of the finer varieties, 
and coming when all of the strictly 
high-class varieties are out of the mar¬ 
ket, it sells well. For this reason the 
growers of Franklin, Adams, York and 
some parts of Cumberland County have 
found it very profitable. 
York Imperials grown in my orchard 
at Harrisburg on the banks of the Sus¬ 
quehanna, about 30 or 40 feet above the 
level of the river, do not keep any bet¬ 
ter than Baldwins, they are not salable 
in the Fall because they will not cook 
soft, and they ripen up about the holi¬ 
days, and must be sold in competition 
with Baldwins and Bellflowers—conse¬ 
quently I have not found them profit¬ 
able, and would not advise anyone 
similarly located to plant them. But if 
I were planting an orchard along the 
foothills of any of our mountain ranges, 
on moderately heavy ground, I would 
certainly plant some York Imperial. I 
have eaten fine specimens grown on 
such land in probably half the counties 
of the State. Wherever it can be grown 
in perfection—'Wherever conditions are 
such as to develop its keeping qualities 
—it will be found profitable, but it can¬ 
not be universally recommended. 
Pennsylvania. Gabriel iiiester. 
Noies from Tennessee. 
Wc .are much intere.sted in cow peas, 
which are as common here as wheat or 
corn, and have been the principal legume 
plant for many years. The farmers have 
been turning their attention to fruit cul¬ 
ture of late years, and the result is that 
the strawberry season closed last week 
with a record of 50,000 crates for Khe.a 
County, mostly shipped to Cincinnati and 
other northei-n cities, netting our shippers 
an average of over $1 per crate, or $.50.(M)() 
net for the strawberry croj). Then we 
have the raspberry and blackberry (grow¬ 
ing wild) in abundance; fine-flavored, early 
peaches are produced in large quantities, 
and very fine specimens, the first shij)- 
ment being made last week, the season 
continuing perhaps for two months. We 
cultivate the trees generally, but almost 
every farm is dotted with pe.ach trees of 
seedling varieties th.at product good fruit 
for home tisc, and sell foi' about 50 cents 
per bushel. ’Phe Cumberland Mountains 
give us the best fruit and berries, al¬ 
though coming in later, which extends the 
strawberry season from about May 10' to 
last of June for mountain berries. We 
are ever ready for Improvement in cul¬ 
ture and care of fruit, and believe this 
section is an ideal one for the fruit 
farmer. We have the Tennessee River at 
our door with its fertile corn land; then 
the Mission Ridge, which runs from Chat¬ 
tanooga through this county, extimding 
for 75 miles iqj the river, which is udmi- 
rally adapted to strawberries and early 
peaches, and is near the Cincinnati South¬ 
ern Railroad at all points, making easy 
shipping facilities. We have had plenty 
of rain, and wheat is fine and ready to 
harvest; oats doing well. Corn land was 
overflowed in river bottoms, and much of 
it had to be planted over. We sow Whii)- 
poorwill peas for hay in this month. 
Dayton, Tenn. h. l. r. 
Scraps. 
Ohio Rain.— I’erhaps it will help the 
Hope Farm man to know that it has been 
raining over here in Ohio, and for a few 
days past the w’ind has been blowing 
from the east, so I don’t see how we are 
to send any surplus energy to our .Jersey 
brethren. Of course, there is lots of it 
going to waste out here, but it's a com¬ 
modity hard to transfer. With all the 
rain we have had intervals of fair w-eather 
sufficient to get planting done reasonably 
seasonable, and a fair amount of cultiva¬ 
tion done. A wet season makes these hills 
teem with verdure, and the weary farmer 
can turn from his weedy cornfield and 
feast his eyes on the beauty of the ever¬ 
lasting hills—if he’s inclined that way. 
Ohio. w. L. A. 
Retribution. —A number of years ago a 
man in this city who, by the most grasp¬ 
ing business practices, including oppres¬ 
sion of the poor and unfortunate, had 
gained $100,000, became the victim of a 
strange mental disease, which took such a 
hold on him that he was finally put into 
an asylum, where he died. He thought 
that he was starving to death, and, to all 
appearances, suffered the agony of one in 
that condition. Such cases would seem to 
show that at times nature brings swift 
punishment, upon those who, by unjust 
treatment of others, gain wealth or posi¬ 
tion. In a strictly literal sense this man’.*! 
“violent dealings came down on his own 
pate." 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See our guarantee 8th page. 
For the land’s sake, use Bowker’s Fer¬ 
tilizers. They enrich the earth.— Adv. 
We are the largest manu¬ 
facturers of Steel Wheels 
and Truck Wagons in the 
W^orld. Write for Catal<^ue« 
Havana (Hi.) Metal Wheel Co. 
THE MIETZ & WEISS 
Kerosene Engines 
Cheapest and Safest Power 
Known. For pumping and 
electric ligbiing, grinding 
corn, separating cream, 
sawing wood, and all potver 
purposes. Send tor Catalog. 
A. MIETZ, 
128 Mott Street. New York. 
t ViPORlTHR “TheQranger ’forfrultsandvege- 
1 LVfll UIDll UR tables. S3, S5. »8 Ci.cular. 
EASTERN MFG. CO.. 2.77 south 5th 8t. Fhtla., Pa. 
LEGGETT’S 
>IOfI 
A Dry Sprayer 
No Water or Plaster. 
DUSTS TREE, RUSH 
OR VINE. 
Two rows of potatoes as 
fastas you walk.wlde or 
narrowDlanting. Agents 
wanted. Catalogue and 
spray calendar free. 
Leggett & Brother. 
301 Pearl St., New York. 
If you want to double your crops, have 
large healthy frees and sound fruit, sxiray 
them with a solution ma<le from 
Black Soluble 
Insecticide Soap 
Greatest S"ccess of the Century. 
Awarded on Its merits Grand Prize at the Paris Ex¬ 
hibition, ami Gold Medals at the International Exhi- 
bitioiKSof Rome, Dijon and'J'urln; also a Diploma of 
Honor at Marseilles. Pamphlets, prices and other 
information furnished promptly on application. 
For sale by all reliable seedsmen. 
V. CASAZZA At I5I«)., 
Sole Agents for the United States and Canada, 
100-11)3 Prince St., New York City. 
SSiS EUREKA FLY KILLER 
does the work on stock and poultry. We warrant It. 
Best sgr’l authorities In U. 8. ei dorse It. Can yon ask 
more? Rapid seller. Big protit. Sure success. l.OUO 
five agents wanted. Write for prices. Kxc. territory 
given. The .1. H. Ames Co., Uowdoliihaiu, Me. 
Rippley’s 
Fly Remover 
instantly removes all 
Hie.s, mosquitoe.s, lice and 
other insects f I'om cattle, 
horses and 
sprayed with it. It is 
healing to any sore. Ani¬ 
mals rest easy and feed 
quietly all day. Cows 
give more milk, which 
is a higsaving. Igal. will 
protect .'>00 cows. Money 
refunded if animals are 
not protected. Indorsed 
by the best class of peo¬ 
ple. Order at once and 
secure apenry, you cau sell bundreds of irsllons 1 cal *1 in 9 
sal. Ogal. ?i.50. 10 gal. «-/00. Klpplcy-a SpUiLl 
Sprayer to apply same, $1. G fal. Compressed Air 
Sprayer to apniyaameon large herds, J«.25. Address 
filPPLEY HARDWARE COMPANY,B0X223^0BAFf0N^ 
Branch Offices j * ‘ “‘y. N- Y- 
I 04 Merchants’ Row. Boston, Mass. 
Shoo-Fly 
THE 
ANIMALS’ 
FRIEND 
Thil cow 
wa» a terror 
10 milk 
prior to 
USIDg H 
eentf worth 8hoo*Fly. Had it been 
used earlier she would not have lost milk 
aud tiesb to the amount of $14. The other 
cow was protected early aud continued i«) 
give 18 qtt. daily through fly time. 
Thousands haveduplicated 10 gallona seven consecutive years. 
If your dealer dues not keep it, send us tl.OO for latest iinpruved 
double tube sprayer and enough 8hoo-Fly to protect IOOcuwh, 
or send 25c for liquid. Cash returned if cows are not protected. 
SHOO-FLY MFG. CO., 1005 Fairmount Ave-.Phila.Pa. 
IN A LIFE TIME 
la aften enongh to do some things. It is often enough la buy 
a wagon if you buy the right kind. The 
ELECTRIC 
HANDY 
WAGON 
lasts that long under ordinary conditions. First the life of a wagon 
depends upon the wheels. This one is equipped with our Klcftrle 
^teel W lieeiHf with straight or stagger spokes and wide tires. 
Wheels any height from 2*1 to 6U inches. It lasts because tires can’t 
get loose, no re-setting, hubs can^t crack or spokes become loose, 
felloes can’t rot. swell or dry out. Angle steel hounds. 
^ THOUSANDS MOW IN DAILY USE. 
Don’t buy a wagon until you get our free book. “Farm .Savingt.** 
JEJLECXlilC WHEEL CO., Box SS OuUer. Ill*- 
’OUB ‘‘llAlinV Mill” OASOLINE ENGINE 
I** * . llAIIII I ITIAIr. worksawalking beam pump 
jack, grinds, shells, cots teed, separates 
cream, churns, cuts bone, etc. Fasy to 
disconnect and put on belt. Engine 
1}4 actual h , p. Easy to learn, easy 
to operate, most economical. Gasoline 
supply tank. Engine and al I, on one 
ba^. .^nd for our i llustrate d catalog. 
WEBSTERMANI FACTURING tO. 
109J W. 15th St., Chicago, Ill. 
X. Y. office 38Dey St., N. Y. aty. 
CHARTER 
Gasoline Engine 
Any Place 
By Any One 
For Any Purpose 
Siationariet, Portables, Engines 
and Pumps, Hoisfers 
Send for Illustrated Catalogue and 
Testimonials. State yonr Power Needs. 
Charter Gas Engine Co., Box 26, Sterling, III. 
USED 
SLUG SHOT 
Kills Cabbage and Other Worms 
in the garden safelj’ and cheaply. 
SOLD BY SEED DEALERS. 
For Hamphlet address 
B, Hammond, Flshklll-ou-Hudson, New York. 
