THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
October 1!) 
7 lo 
] Ruralisms ;i 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
The Kniphokia ok Fkame Fi.o\veu. 
—There has been much activity among 
German plant breeders looking to the 
improvement of the Flame flowers, 
usually catalogued in this country as 
Tritomas, but more correctly known as 
Kniphoflas. About 10 species are recog- 
ONE TYPE OF ABNOUMAL DEVELOPMENT. 
Fig. 320. 
nized, all natives of Africa and the Isl¬ 
and of Madagascar. They look much 
alike when growing, and differ chiefly 
in hardiness and stature, though two 
species, K. Leichtlini and K. comosum, 
from tropical Africa, have yellow 
blooms instead of the usual orange red 
or flame color. They are among the 
least hardy and useful of the genus, 
however, as they can only be grown suc¬ 
cessfully with glass protection In the 
North. The best known species is K. 
aloides, much advertised with us as 
Tritoma uvaria. It is the Red-hot 
poker plant of old gardens, and now 
comes in many varieties and named 
sorts, which generally turn out to be 
very similar when bloomed. We have 
squandered much time and money on 
these so-called novelties witn very little 
result. The coloring varies from brick- 
red, through the typical uame color to 
dingy straw yellow. Some of the flower 
heads are bunchy and ill-formed, and 
others twist badly during development. 
The best of all the new kinds, and a 
very desirable garden plant in every 
way, is Kniphofia Pfltzerii, shown on 
first page, Fig. 317. The cut shows an 
average flower spike of this excellent 
variety, one of six produced consecu¬ 
tively over a period of as many weeks, 
from the middle of August to October 
1, on a young plant of this season’s 
growth. No other Flame flower in our 
experience blooms so profusely or pos¬ 
sesses such a neat and compact habit. 
The coloring is very fine, and may be 
defined as brilliant orange scarlet, 
shading to rosy salmon on the immature 
florets. They are very fine for cutting, 
and are now being used with increasing 
frequency by florists. None of the 
Kniphoflas may be considered hardy 
north of Philadelphia without careful 
protection, but the clumps are easily car¬ 
ried over in the manner of Gannas by 
lifting them and storing in a box of 
sand or dry earth in a frost-proof cel¬ 
lar. The lifting may be much facilitated 
by planting in rough baskets made of 
poultry netting, as the meshes hold the 
soil well together, making the ball very 
easy to handle. The fleshy roots pre¬ 
serve their vitality well if not allowed 
to dry out too much. The best variety 
of the old type is generally sold as Tri¬ 
toma uvaria grandiflora, and will grow 
under favorable conditions five or six 
feet high, with an immense flaming 
spike as startling as a sky rocket when 
s-’cn unexpectedly, but it yields few 
blooms as compared with the variety 
illustrated The Kniphoflas are very or¬ 
namental additions to our gardens from 
their glowing colors and pointed out¬ 
lines, and it is a pity that they are not 
quite suitable to our climate. Of the 
yarlous species we have tried K. Tuckli 
proved the hardiest, enduring several 
Winters without protection. The flower 
spikes were yellow and red, about six 
inches long, produced late in the season. 
A very dwarf variety sold as Corallina 
blooms quite freely for a long time, but 
is not as bright as Pfltzerii, which wi i 
grow from two to four feet high, accord¬ 
ing to local conditions. It may be had 
from dealers for 2b cents, and plants 
started in the Spring should bloom the 
same year, and increase greatly in 
strength by the next season. 
Gkape Notes. —The hot and rainy 
Summer was hard on grapes in this 
vicinity. More mildew and rot was seen 
than for many seasons past. The show¬ 
ers were so numerous that fungicides, 
with the exception of powdered sulphur 
for leaf mildew, had little chance. The 
application of sulphur and Fungiroid in 
equal proportions from a dust gun was 
always followed by a perceptible lessen¬ 
ing of the trouble. The black grapes 
under trial came through the adverse 
season better than the light-colored va¬ 
rieties, with the exception of Nectar or 
Black Delaware, which succumbed al¬ 
most entirely to rot. Concord, Worden 
and Moore’s Early all ripened fair crops 
in good condition. Campbell’s Early 
and McPike perfected a few bunches on 
ABNORMAL FLOWER DENUDEDOF PETALS. 
Fie. 331. 
young vines. The former grew to large 
size, and developed a sweet and excel¬ 
lent flavor. McPike is the strongest 
grower, and has the best foliage of any 
variety yet tried. It ripens here at least 
two weeks after Campbell’s Early, and 
resembles extra fine Concord, but is more 
juicy and has less acid pulp. We regard 
these new varieties as showing much 
promise under local conditions, and the 
development of the young vines will be 
watched with much interest. The dif¬ 
ference in season of ripening is sufli- 
cient to make both desirable in the same 
planting. The largest crop from any 
one vine is 75 pounds borne on a five- 
year-old Isabella, planted in a favorable 
situation at the southwest corner of a 
dwelling, and trained on the south wall 
and a small trellis on the west, 'rhese 
grapes were well ripened and of good 
flavor by October 1. For a porch or 
trellis grape where an extended run can 
be had, nothing exceeds the Isabella in 
this latitude, though it is usually a fail¬ 
ure if confined to close limits. Moore’s 
Diamond produced the best “white” 
grapes, and from its dense bloom is 
better entitled to this designation than 
most of the green sorts. Niagara is re¬ 
liable and an excellent cropper, but its 
quality is too low for k home grape. 
Salem ripened some good bunches, but 
was handicapped by mildew early in the 
Fall. Brighton is usually our best red 
grape, and seldom fails, but it does not 
amount to much this year. w. v. f. 
SOME EFFECTS OF HYBRIDIZING 
THE ROSE. 
In the season of 1892 Prof. Hansen 
and Prof. Budd made 1,300 crosses of 
the rose. The cross was made princi¬ 
pally upon the Russian type of Rosa 
rugosa, which is said to vary sughtly 
prove the ordinary type of Rosa rugosa. 
The best results of their work were ob¬ 
tained from plants upon which they used 
the pollen of General Jacqueminot. The 
results of their cross have proven very 
interesting, both from a botanical and 
horticultural standpoint. In the notes 
of the first season they record the fact 
that the hybrid seedlings grew more 
vigorously and taller than pure Rugosa 
seedlings, and that they showed the 
widest variation of foliage, some of 
them closely resembling the Rugosa in 
loaf, and others showing no rugosity of 
leaf. 
Of the seedlings resulting from their 
cross 11 were thought to be worthy of 
preservation and naming, and are de¬ 
scribed in Bulletin 36 of the Iowa Ex¬ 
periment Station. We still have a num¬ 
ber of these hybrids, and the illustra¬ 
tions, Figs. 320, 321 and 322, show the 
very peculiar effect that has been pro¬ 
duced in some cases. The abnormal de¬ 
velopment of the sexual organs has been 
so great as entirely to destroy the value 
of the flower. In Fig. 320 is shown the 
abnormally developed receptacle push¬ 
ing far up into the flower and the petals 
just enclosing it; Fig. 321 shows a 
flower from which the petals have fal¬ 
len, uncovering the receptacle which, 
upon examination, shows the center 
broken up into many abortive flowers. 
Fig. 322 shows a most pronounced case 
of the attempt to break up into a com¬ 
pound flower. The little flowerlets all 
show their individual calyx and corolla 
and essential organs. To the practical 
horticulturist the flowers are useless, 
but as an illustration of the deformities 
that may result from hybridizing when 
a violent cross is made it stands as a 
striking example. u. o. price. 
Iowa Exp. Station. 
This is the word as it is written on 
the dial of the best watches made 
in the world. TEe works under 
the dial also bear the word “Elgin” 
and are all that ingenuity, science, 
art and skill can do to make 
a perfect timepiece. TEe Watch 
Word is Elgin the world around. 
Sold by jewelers everywhere. 
Illustrated booklet free. 
ELGIN NATIONAL WATCH CO. 
Elgin, Ill. 
BEFORE BUYING S¥.SV.':: 
A NEW HARNESS aloKuo glv- 
InK full de¬ 
scription and prices of all kinds of single and 
double harness and save 35 per cent. 
King Harness Co. 510 Church St., Owego,N.Y. 
LAND DRAIN TILE 
(Car-loads or less). 
Sizes, JJ, 3, 4, 5 and 
<i-lncb. 
WILLIAM T.LEGGETT & CO. 
1025 Liberty Avenue, 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Tomatoes in Texas. —1 am now ship¬ 
ping tomatoes from my Fall planting, 
set just as I began to ship early toma¬ 
toes, about May 25. This is a crop that 
stands our dry Summers almost as well 
as the cotton plant, and if planted on 
land that has never been cultivated it 
is as sure as cotton. I began shipping 
August 30, and will continue until frost, 
and if that does not come on me too 
suddenly will gather what I have, 
spread them out in some dry and well- 
protected place, and possibly ship for a 
FLOWER. Fio. 323. 
month longer, or until about December 
15. One of my neighbors shipped 
Christmas week last year. This crop 
requires very little work, and pays often 
over $100 per acre. They are netting at 
present about 65 cents per four-basket 
crate, which is two-fifths of a bushel. 
Swan, Texas. c. f. p. 
Emmer Wheat. —During the past few 
years much has been said about “Speltz.” 
Seedsmen have boomed the grain, and we 
have received many letters from readers 
who have been tempted to sow it quite 
largely. Farmer’s Bulletin No. 29 describes 
this grain. It is an Emmer wheat—useful 
on the semi-arid regions of Nebraska, Da¬ 
kota or farther w-est. It may also be use¬ 
ful in breeding new varieties of grain, but 
cannot be recommended for general cul¬ 
tivation. 
CHARTER 
Gasoline Engine 
USED 
Any Place 
Ky Any One 
For Any Purpose 
StaHonaries, Portables, Engine* 
and Pumps, Bolsters 
Send for Illnstrated Catalogue and 
Testimonials. State your Power Needs. 
Charter Gas Engine Co., Box 26, Sterling, III. 
THE MIETZ & WEISS 
Kerosene Engines 
Cheapest and Safest Power 
Known. For pumping and 
electric lighting, grinding 
oorn, separating cream, 
sawing wood, arid aU power 
purposes. Send for Cataiog. 
A. MIEXa, 
133 Moa boeei, Mew York. 
OrLulnL rniULODays' 
Trial Guaranteed.Double 
land Combination Beam. 
OSGOOD, 
Catalogue Free. Write now. BINGHAMTON, N. Y 
FENCE WIRE AT WHOLESALE 
Bend tor price- li^t and free catalog of Wire Fences & 
Supplies. W. U. MASON & CO., Box 67, X.eesburg, O. 
IF YOU WANT 
Fence to hist lung, buy the loiig-luHtlng PAGE. 
I'AGK U OVKK tt IKK FKNCK CO., AIIKIA.Y, .UlCII. 
IF' YOU ARE LOOKINC 
for a fence that will last a lifetime, we can furnish 
It. The Frost Fence contains more weight and twice 
the strength of the ordinary wire fence. Send for 
catalogue. Agents wanted. 
THE FROST WIRE FENCE CO., Cleveland, Ohio. 
SAN JOSE SCALE. 
And other Insects can be Controlled by Using 
Good’s Caustic Potash Whale- 
Oil Tobacco Soap No. 6. 
Kegs, 5(HbB. ea., 6Hc ih. Kbl., about276 lbs., 4o. lb 
kegs, lOU lbs. ea., 5o. Ih. Bbls., about 125 lbB.,394o.lb 
Kegs. 170 lbs. ea., lb. 
Large (luantltles Special Kates. Send for Circulars. 
JAMES GOOD, 937 N. Front 8t., Phllsdelphla, Pa. 
harness, old or new. Is made pliable and easy—wUl look better 
and wear longer—by the use of 
Eureka Harness Oil 
The Hnest preservative for leather ever discover^. Ravew 
many times its cost by improved uppeuranoea and mtUe coes 
of repairs. Bold everywhere In cans—all slsee. 
