August 31 
598 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
; Ruralisms 
/VOTFS FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
A Cuoss-HKEi) CuouMHEu. —The long, 
smooth cucumbers known as English 
forcing, grown so extensively under 
glass in noiThern Europe, have never 
been popular in our markeits. They can 
b(! grown in frames here to great pei- 
feotion on account of our high percent¬ 
age of sunlight, but are too late and 
slow in development for field cultuie, 
even if wanted in the markets. They 
are so large and handsome in color and 
form that many attempts have been 
made to cross them with our popular 
field varieties, but so far without re¬ 
sults of practical value. The hybridiza¬ 
tion is, of course, readily effected, as 
both forms belong to the same species, 
Cucumis sativus, notwithstanding the 
wide horticultural differences, but the 
resulting mongrels do not seem to pos¬ 
sess the needed characteristics. Fig. 260, 
first page, shows a type resulting from 
pollinating Telegraph, one of the best 
foreign cucumbers, with a selected early- 
bearing White Spine; together with the 
parent forms. The specimen shown in 
the cut is not as shapely as the average, 
but was in fine eating cdndition when 
it reached the length of 14 inches. It 
is very dark green in color, with a few 
scattering spines, well filled with imma¬ 
ture seeds, which insures It the crisp 
sweet flavor so much desired. The cross 
was made last year on the Rural 
Grounds, and the resulting plants grown 
bbth under glass and in the garden. 
They are extremely vigorous and pro¬ 
ductive, setting almost as many fruits 
as the ever-popular White Spine, while 
they attain three times the size, as ref¬ 
erence to the cut will show. This sea¬ 
son they are fully as early as the White 
Spine parent, and bid fair to outiast it 
in bearing. The foliage is very laige 
and heavy, giving the vine much the ap¬ 
pearance of the foreign seed parent. 
Whether these useful features will be 
kept up in future generations remains 
to be seen, as hybrids between varieties 
of cucurbits are notoriously unstable. 
The quality of the English cucumbers 
grown in this country is very good, but 
the texture of the flesh is less brittle. 
It is well known that they can be grown 
without pollination, and the resulting 
fruits are seedless, but most people find 
the juicy crispness of our own varieties, 
with their immature seeds, more agree¬ 
able. • 
Border Spiraeas. —Systematic botan¬ 
ists are so mixed on the genera Arun- 
cus, Astilbe, Hoteia and Spiraea that a 
layman may be excused for ignoring all 
technical differences and clinging to 
current catalogue designations which 
have become familiar by long usage. 
We may conveniently call the herba¬ 
ceous species Border Spiraeas in dis¬ 
tinction to the permanent shrubby 
kinds, no matter to what particular spe¬ 
cies they may be assigned in the latest 
check-lists. There are several very 
handsome varieties which can be grown 
to great advantage in any partially 
shaded nook in th,e garden. The native 
species, 'S. Aruncus, goat’s beard, and S. 
Ulmaria, meadow sweet, particularly 
the double white form, are always de¬ 
sirable. The former has creamy white 
flowers, and grows about four feet high 
when established; the latter is pleasant¬ 
ly fragrant and seldom grows higher 
than two feet. Both flower in June. S. 
.Taponica is the feathery Japanese spe¬ 
cies, so abundantly forced for Winter 
decoration. It has beautiful glossy fo¬ 
liage, but does not last long in perfec¬ 
tion. It is entirely hardy, and is grate¬ 
ful for more moisture than it generally 
gets. There are several highly improved 
varieties, varying in the number and 
density of the panicles or fiower heads. 
The varieties Astilboides fioribunda and 
Nana compacta multifiora are very fine. 
and much more satisfactory than the 
type. The latter is especially dwarf and 
free-blooming. Si)ira)a astiibuidcs is 
a fine species growing two feet high, 
with large plumes of white flowers. A 
new foreign variety. Silver Spray, 
claimed to be a hybrid between Astil¬ 
boides and S. Thunbergii, is attracting 
much itttention from the density and 
brilliancy of its fiower heads, which are 
white, slightly tinged with pink. Pal- 
mata, the crimson meadow sweet, is still 
common in old gardens, where its dark 
red stems and crimson-purple broad 
panicles of bloom make a great show. 
S venusta is also a showy red-flower¬ 
ing species, not so generally grown. 
Both kinds grow three or four feet high 
in congenial situaltions, and are of easy 
culture. S. Chinensis, a beautiful species 
from eastern Asia, has just bloomed on 
the Rural Grounds, and we regard it as 
much the handsomest of the colored 
kinds. It has bold and liandsome foli¬ 
age, which resists heat well and sends 
up branching flower stems three feet or 
more high, covered with heavy plumes 
of rosy pink flowers. It is beaultiful in 
the garden and does finely for cutting. 
It is quite new to horticulture, and is 
sparingly offered by plantsmen. S. 
Aruncus Knelffi, also from Asia, has been 
described as superior to all known 
kinds, but is disappointing to us. It 
grows three or four feet, and has finely 
divided fern-like foliage, which burns 
and blights badly on the Rural Grounds. 
The feathery blooms are a dingy white 
instead of the pure -color indicated by 
the descriptions. It is new, and offered 
at a comparatively high price. Our 
specimens have died after blooming each 
sea.son. Probably the handsomest of 
the genus is the very dwarf S. filipen- 
dula, especially the form known as 
Double-flowered drop wort. It has very 
pretty dark-green fernlike foliage and 
numerous plumes or corymbs of double 
milk-white flowers. It is an exceeding¬ 
ly attractive hardy plant, and if we were 
confined to a single Spiraea it would be 
our choice. 
August Strawberries. —By means of 
constant irrigation and abundant fer¬ 
tilization we have induced our Saint 
Joseph strawberries to bear a fair mid¬ 
summer crop, but find that the berries, 
though really of good flavor, are not 
wanted at this season. In comparison 
with choice bush and tree fruits they 
are I’ather insipid. w. v. e. 
apple that sells high. Must he gathered 
as soon as ready, as it rots fearfully 
when left too long on tree. At present 
time I find this one of the best. Haglce 
comes in next, a little late for an early 
apple, yet it grows nicely, a good bearer, 
and usually sells. Peaches are by this 
time in the market, and apples are not 
usually very salable. 
Williams Early may precede peaches, 
also Garrettson. Cornell’s Fancy and 
Maiden Blush are fine fruits. In Win¬ 
ter apples there is nothing that I know 
that will bring the quick retturns so well 
as the Smith, generally known as the 
Cider apple, and it not only brings re¬ 
turns quickly, but it keeps right on 
bringing in the cash, if half taken care 
of. Have known this tree to bear 14 
bushels at one crop 14 years planted. 
Nero is a very mild sub-acid fruit that 
is safe to plant, provided there are no 
cedar trees near the south side of the 
orchard. It is vei-y liable to be host to 
the Cedar rust when near a cedar grove 
on the southern side of orchard. Fall 
Flat-top has some claims, particularly 
for the family orchard; good bearer, 
large size, best quality for every use, 
but it ripens a little unevenly; keeps in¬ 
to November here. Smokehouse, Sep¬ 
tember to October, needs no one to 
speak for it. Rebel is a fine apple, 
ripens in October; color red. Haw- 
thorndon ripens with the Maiden Blush; 
considerably larger, sells best, beats 
well; poor grower. York Imperial will 
outkeep the Smith. An uneven bearer 
—that is, bears so heavily that it has to 
have an off year or two. Cooper’s Mar¬ 
ket will have to be left out on account 
of tardy bearing. After 25 years of 
growth in the orchard, it begins to bear 
the finest of apples, that keep and sell 
well. For a Winter apple the Smith 
takes the lead in early persistent bear¬ 
ing, and has the ability, when broken 
down by over-bearing, of sending up 
shoots to form a new top that in two 
years will begin to produce apples. 
APPLES FOR SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY 
I wish to plant an apple orchard in south¬ 
ern New Jersey, and want early bearers. 
Is Bismarck worth planting here? What 
about Yellow Transparent and Starr, and 
are Paragon, Mammoth Black Twig, Stay- 
man and Arkansas synonyms for the 
same apple? Is it an early bearer? 
May’s Landing, N. J. J. t. b. s. 
answered by IRA J. BLACKWEl.L. 
Bismarck is a very dwarf grower, and 
would not be profitable unless planting 
very close. I would advise to plant only 
as experiment. Yellow Transparent is 
a fair grower, and not a tardy bearer; 
may be one of the best. My knowledge 
of this is favorable. Starr is highly 
recommended; personally, I do not 
know the apple. Paragon, Mammoth 
Black Twig and Stayman are seedlings 
of Winesap. Paragon has often been 
planted for the Mammoth Black Twig; 
very few of the laJtter have been dis¬ 
seminated. They are a stronger or 
heavier grower than Paragon, quite dis¬ 
tinct in wood and growth. Stayman 
has fruited in central New Jersey, is 
larger than Winesap, and I think wou’d 
bo safe to plant for trial at least. Ar¬ 
kansas belongs to the same class. I 
think it synonym of Paragon, but am 
not sure. I would advise the planting 
for market, of first early. Primate, not 
usually a heavy bearer, but an annual 
bearer and sells well; Early Ripe, not 
so good quality as Primate, a little later 
and much surer to bear. Alexander is 
likely to be the most profitable apple; 
may be called second early; tart, red in 
color on white ground, a fine-looking 
In every town 
and village 
may be had, 
the 
that makes your 
horses glad. 
; STAUDARO 
Can be applied by 
’ “ anyone on steep or 
Hat roofs. 
LOW PRICK ! 
OUKABLE! 
FIRE-PROOF ! 
If you are going 
to build, or have 
leaky sbingle or tin 
roofs, send for 
sample and cir¬ 
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TO MAKE FARMwPOUlTRY-BUaBJNCS 
WATERPROOF <*/;</ 
WlNDPRQQf^64?r« 
Woth/ng ih^ 
NEPONSEk 
.ROOFING' 
A i)ostal brings sample andj 
name of nearest dealer. 
F. W. BIRD & SON. East Walpole, Mass. Chicago, IIL 
Grape and Rose.— Several years ago you 
sent us a grapevine, the name of which is 
forgotten. Last year it bore its first 
grapes. This year it is quite full, but our 
severe drought is keeping them very 
small. Last year we sacked some of them, 
and, when fully ripe, we thought them 
better than the Concord. Our Ruby Queen 
rose was very full of bloom. It must have 
had at least 40 roses on It, but they did 
not last as long as our other roses. We 
planted it near the grapevine, but must 
move it to some better place, as it is too 
fine to lose. l. b. 
Illinois. 
R. N.-Y.—The grape was probably the 
Carman. It has not been very satisfactory 
in most parts of the North. 
Strawberries and Lime. —A few years 
ago I tried the experiment on an acre of 
strawberries on low land (muck and mud 
land), the kind of soil people say needs 
lime to sweeten it; on half I used stable 
manure (horse manure), the other half 
equal value in money of Canada wood 
ashes and bone. There was but little dif¬ 
ference that I could see; If any the stable 
manure was best, but with my 50 years’ 
experience, I would rather rely on stable 
manure for all kinds of land to grow 
strawberry plants and fruit. I never used 
common brick lime, only the lime con¬ 
tained in the wood ashes. 
Massachusetts. s. h. warren. 
Borde.aux on Potatoes.— Just a word on 
the Bordeaux Potato-blight question. We 
have a small piece of potatoes, about 
three-quarters acre, near the house. The 
last time they were sprayed, about a 
month ago, when in full bloom, Bordeaux 
of the 4-4-40 formula was used (four pounds 
lime, four of copper and 40 gallons of 
water), in addition to the Paris-green. 
The last nine rows on the upper side of 
the piece were sprayed with PaHs-gtren 
only. The tops on all the rows remained 
green and thrifty till last week, when I 
noticed indications of blight on the rows 
not sprayed with Bordeaux. It was three 
days before I observed any blight on the 
other rows; gradually, however, the dis¬ 
ease has spread, and now the whole piece 
is affected, and the tops are rapidly turn¬ 
ing brown. In this case one rather hasty 
spraying seems to have been of some avail 
in protecting the leaves from blight. Po¬ 
tatoes hereabouts generally reported a 
poor crop. R. w. r. 
Millbrook, Conn. 
POULTRY-HOUSE 
BOOFIHG 
I As a water-proof covering for Poultry- 
J Houses, HUBEKOID lias no equal. Keeps 
Itne houses cool during the warm weather, 
1 and warm In Winter, and the chicks dry and 
I comfortable. The sun cannot melt it. ' 
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100 William Street, 
NEW YORK. 
U of Plank save Timber and cash. Best, 
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15 Tons 
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