1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
8o3 
RURAUSMS — Continued. 
children to show us what they are like ! 
If they prove to he children of which 
we are not proud, there is nothing to 
cry over. No harm is done. We’ll try 
again and again, until at last, it maybe, 
we succeed in originating a fruit con¬ 
spicuously better in some or all ways 
than has been born before. Then we 
may justly feel that we have succeeded 
in making two blades of grass grow 
where but one grew before. 
Horticulture leads to a study of ento- 
m o 1 o g y , bacteriology, ornithology, 
chemistry, medicine, etc., directly of 
course. But it must certainly influence 
most branches of so-called polite litera¬ 
ture as well; the literature of philology, 
history, religion, and poetry, and all 
writings distinguished for beauty of 
style or expression. 
I assure you, my friends, I am abso¬ 
lutely “ gone on" horticulture and its 
enchanting possibilities ; and the older 
I grow the more I am “ gone.” I doubt 
not that the time is not in the far future 
when I shall be so “ gone ” that I can 
not “go.” Byron’s Maid of Athens is 
familiar to all : 
Maid of Athens ’ere we part, 
Give, Oh ! give me back my heart, 
Or, since that has left my breast. 
Keep it now and take the rest. 
Etc., etc. 
There was “once upon a time”, in this 
very city, a young man who was deeply 
in love with a young woman. It is 
absolutely so ! The man’s name was Mr. 
Literary Life ; the woman’s name was 
Miss Horti Culture. They were together 
one evening—and it was growing late. 
She yawned. He said : 
Maid of Gotham I am gone; 
Think of that, Sweet, when alone— 
And—what’s more—I’m gone on you— 
Think of that sweet maiden too. 
You yawn; that ’tis late I know. 
But I’m so gone I cannot go. 
That’s what I trust may happen to 
you, members and guests of the Literary 
Club, and I further trust that you will 
so impress Miss Horti Culture with your 
sincerity and devotion that she will 
never give you cause to regret that you 
fell desperately in love with her, and 
may it be long ere you go so far that 
you may not go further. 
Fresh Sawdust as Mulch. 
Prof. E. S. Goff, Madison, Wis.— I 
do not recall any experiment in the use 
of a heavy mulch of fresh sawdust for 
peach or other trees, and I should much 
prefer to expose the sawdust to the 
weather a few weeks or months before 
using it. I have noted that young trees 
and other plants do not start freely 
about sawmills where sawdust has been 
liberally spread upon the ground, and 
while I am by no means certain that 
any evil effects would follow the use of 
fresh sawdust as a mulch, I should hesi¬ 
tate to use it except in a limited way as 
an experiment. 
Pkof. W. F. Massey, Raleigh, N. C. 
—Let the sawdust severely alone. It 
would have to be rotted to the state of 
perfectly black mold and then be com¬ 
posted with lime before I would use it 
for any manurial purpose. Better burn 
it if practicable, and put the ashes on 
the land. The evolution of organic 
acids from the sawdust would do more 
harm than the mulch would do good. 
Sawdust is of no value whatever on land 
till completely decomposed, and then 
acted upon by lime. 
Dr. E. H. Jenkins, Connecticut Sta¬ 
tion. —Sawdust may be used as litter for 
cattle with no bad effects on the land. 
There seems to be a popular tradition 
that fresh sawdust poisons land or is in¬ 
jurious to crops, but I have never been 
able to find a single authenticated case 
of the kind. I do not see whyhard-wood 
sawdust should be any more injurious 
as a mulch than straw or leaves. Your 
correspondent can be of service to the 
community if he will mulch 10, 20, or 
100 trees with sawdust in large quantity, 
and report results a few years hence. 
Dr. T. H. Hoskins, Vermont.— I have 
used both hard and soft-wood sawdust 
freely around my trees, having a wood¬ 
working establishment but a few rods 
off, and have never seen any injury from 
the practice. I should not, however, 
mix it with the earth around young trees 
in planting, as its rapid decay might 
produce fungus, and, certainly, will 
leave cavities, which would be very ob¬ 
jectionable. My reason for using it as a 
sort of mulch is that it keeps down the 
grass and weeds, and is the cheapest 
thing for that purpose that I can get. 
Carman Potatoes Are Mealy. 
P. C., Milford, N. H.—In regard to 
Carman No. 1, we had about 22 bushels 
this fall, of the very best quality, the 
most floury and the driest potato we ever 
have eaten at this time of year. The 
only trouble is that, after eating it a 
few days, we do not want to go back to 
other kinds. We have not tried the No. 
3, as we have only a few of them, but 
they look nice and smooth. R. N.-Y. 
No. 2 has done better with us this year 
than before, growing very large (consid¬ 
erable rot among them), but, as we grow 
them, they are not dry and mealy as we 
like a potato. Others that we let have 
seed think highly of them, but we think 
that the Carmans are far ahead of them. 
Roses and Potatoes. 
C. A. Green, Rochester, N. Y.—Some 
years ago, The R. N -Y. recommended 
the Rosa rugosa rose. We at once 
secured two plants, and set them in a 
bed of shrubbery at one side of our front 
yard. These bushes have delighted us 
for several years. First, they are mar¬ 
velous and vigorous growers, with bright 
green foliage never attacked by insects. 
Second, the blossoms have extended over 
a season of two or three months, more 
or less, scattering, of course, during the 
latter end of the flowering season. Third, 
the large red globes of fruit have held 
on until well into the winter. Fourth, 
we are enjoying, at the present hour 
(October 27), the golden hue of the foli¬ 
age, which still remains intact upon the 
bushes, and is equal to that of almost 
any attractive autumn foliage, hardly 
excepting the dogwood. These bushes 
now stand fully five feet high, and cover 
an expanse of five feet in width. While 
the blossoms are single and will not at¬ 
tract close inspection as will the Gen. 
Jacque and Prince Camille de Rohan, I 
consider these two bushes a great attrac¬ 
tion to my place. 
For several years, I have read accounts 
of the Rural New-Yorker No. 2 potato. 
Not being a potato man, I resisted the 
temptation to secure seed. Not so with 
my foreman. He planted the Rural 
New-Yorker, and sent me a load of the 
potatoes. I found them of large size, 
fine shape, and of superior quality, but 
the most remarkable feature is that this 
potato will keep later in the spring than 
any other potato I know, and with less 
sprouts. While in the late spring our 
potatoes have sprouted several inches, 
the sprouts of the Rural New-Yorker 
have scarcely started. It is, also, a fine 
yielder. I consider it one of the most 
valuable late potatoes. 
Strawberries Out of Season. 
Geo. Bittner, Ohio. — Strawberries 
out of season in northern Ohio are sel¬ 
dom heard of, although I have picked 
ripe berries six or seven months in the 
year the past three years. At this 
writing, I have green berries and blos¬ 
soms under glass. An early fruiting 
season, a light crop, a good growth 
after fruiting, followed by a drought or 
some means of holding the plants dor¬ 
mant a short time, followed by a wet, 
seasonable fall, and the proper variety, 
are natural causes for a second crop. 
If nature fail to furnish the right cir¬ 
cumstances, and one care to experi¬ 
ment along this line, he should apply 
artificial means. The proper variety 
for that purpose one must determine for 
himself. I have found the Crawford the 
most desirable with me, when grown 
with high culture. I fruited over 40 
varieties the past season in hills, matted 
rows, and half-matted rows. Hill cul¬ 
ture is desirable when one thoroughly 
understands the requirements. I think 
I keep far within the truth when I say 
that nine-tenths of those who grow 
their berries in hills have never given 
the proper care to insure the best re¬ 
sults. A disinterested party counted 
282 berries on one plant in my patch, 
and this after the crop had been nearly 
half removed. 
Gasoline Explosion. 
L. H. Q., Florida. —That gasoline 
explosion, page 726, is so utterly opposed 
to anything of which I have ever heard 
that I should be pleased if some more 
light could be had on the subject. I run 
25 or so burners in one room, for weeks 
at a time, and as it is attached to the 
house, can get no insurance. If gasoline 
is so erratic, I desire to know it. I have ! 
investigated a good many so-called ac- 1 
cidents, within the past five years, and 
every one was the result of carelessness, j 
I have never seen it “ jump ” a foot from 
a flame or match, and don’t believe that 
it would unless there were a large 
quantity. I consider it as safe as 
dynamite or powder, if fire be kept 
from it. Has Mr. Agee something more 
to say about it ? 
The Vineless Yam. 
C. R. S., Jordan, S. C.—In reference 
to the report of Mr. Alva A gee about the 
vineless yams, on page 738, in this sec- 1 
tion, after two years’ trial, we are so 
well pleased that, in the future, we 
shall plant no other kind. Several of 
my neighbors planted them this year, 
and every one is delighted with them. | 
They surpass every other variety we 
plant here in yield, they are equal to 
the best in quality, and they are much ! 
less trouble to make and gather. It is 
true, they have a short, stumpy vine, 1 
but nothing like the old varieties, and I 
don’t think that we should condemn 
what is good because it isn’t better. If 
Mr. Agee will try them another year, 
he will, probably, like them better. 
Burning Corn in Nebraska. 
J. L. G., Hazard, Neb. —When corn 
ranges in price from 10 to 12 cents, as it 
now does, we find it cheaper for fuel 
than coal. The only objection Is the 
fact that it burns and warps a stove 
much faster than wood or coal. Some 
object on account of its being a food 
product. But we must have warmth as 
well as food ; and, surely, it is no worse 
to burn it for our personal comfort, than 
to make it into whisky, to feed the fires 
of his Satanic majesty. 
Nourish i 
Him* J 
That's the whole secret in a 
word. We can core no disease 
unless we can keep op the pa¬ 
tient's strength. And there's 
only one way to do that—feed 
him. But if the system refuses 
food? Then use SCOTT'S 
EMULSION of Cod-liver Oil 
with Hypophosphites. It goes 
STRAIGHT TO THE BLOOD, 
stops the wasting, rekindles 
the vital fire, makes new flesh 
and so renders a hopeful fight 
possible against ANY disease. 
Especially is this so in bron¬ 
chial and lung troubles, in the 
relief and cure of which Scott's 
Emulsion has won its reputa¬ 
tion. Book about it free. 
Scott’s Emulsion is no mysterious 
mixture. It is palatable, non-nauseat¬ 
ing and infinitely preferable to the 
plain oil. The genuine has our trade¬ 
mark on salmon-colored wrapper. Get 
the genuine. 
For sale at 50 cts. and $1.00 by all 
druggists. 
SCOTT & BOWNE, New York. 
UARTElt OF CENTURY OT.D, 
'AY'S MANILLA 
CHEAPU/ATEQDQnnE Not affected 
sTRONGifrtlLnrnUUrj by«a S c8. 
No RUST nor RATTLE. Outlasts tin or iron. 
A Durable fSubstitiite for Plaster on wnlln. 
Water Proof Sheathing; of name material, the 
best and cheapest in the market. Write for samples, Ac 
The* A1 MANILLA ROOFING tO.,CAMDKN.N.J. 
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P&B 
lit 
RUBEROID 
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MARKET. 
STRONG, DURABLE 
AND ABSOLUTELY 
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TIGHT. 
MADE OF BEST WOOL FELT. 
NO TAR! NO PAPER! 
Send for Samples and Prices. 
The STANDARD PAINT COMPANY, 
Sole Manufacturers, 
81=83 JOHN ST., NEW YORK. 
“It’sbetterto be Right Than to be President” 
Page fence is right and that is why it is tho 
acknowledged ruler of the animal kingdom. If tho 
people will only select as competent a ruler for 
themselves, everybody will be happy. 
PAGE WOVEN WIRE FENCE CO., Adrian, Mich. 
.OO for 
MACHINE 
to wcavoyourowu feuceof 
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Spring Wire, 
52 inches high, at 
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820 buys wire for IOO 
rod tenee. Agents 
Wan ted. Catalogue Free. 
CARTER 
Wire Fence Mach.Co. 
liox.30 M t. Sterling, O. 
-| 
HAT YOU HAVE LONG SOUGHT 
The “BOSS” Flush T-Bevel. 
Description. — Disc attached to blade is 
marked S for Square ( 90 ®), W for Window¬ 
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Hexagon ( 30 °), M ioT Mitre (45°)- Move to 
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side and fasten by turning thumb-nut. 
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MANCHESTER CONN. 
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FOLDINCI SAAVINH MACHINE CO.. , 
62-66 S. Clinton Street. Chicago, III. 
Are You Keeping 
cows 
FOR PROFIT 
NOT AM US KM ENT—add to your knowledge the 
knowledge of others, and you will do better and have 
in greater measure the pleasure and profit of suc¬ 
cess. The readers of The Rorai. New-Yorkeu are 
progressive, and not content to rest with only tho 
knowledge gained of their own experience, and we 
are pleased to have made such airangements with 
the publishers of Hoard's Dairyman , published at 
Fort Atkinson, Wis.. preeminently the Leading 
Dairy .Journal of the country, that enables us to 
offer both 
Hoard’s Dairyman 
AND 
The Rural New-Yorker 
ONE YEAR FOR $1.70. 
There Is no journal in the world that furnishes so 
large an array of dairy facts, tigures and experiences. 
Edited by W. I). Hoard and practical dairy farmers 
from all over the country. There is no journal com¬ 
paring with it on the intormation itgives concerning 
the breeding and feeding of dairy cattle and the 
handling, manufacturing and marketing of their 
product. Don't miss this offer. Hoard's Dairyman 
is a 20-page weekly, and regular subscription price is 
11 per year. 
A.U who take advantage of thin offer will 
receive both to January 1, ISOS. The rest 
of 1896 TKEE. 
