3oo 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 8, 
|Rtiralisms" ; 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
Handsome New Pinks. —The genus 
Dianthus contains many of our most or¬ 
namental and easily grown flowering 
plants. Our magnificent modern carna¬ 
tions can only be successfully grown un¬ 
der glass, but there is a host of hardy 
varieties of the greatest diversity and 
beauty. Great advances have been made 
in hybridizing various species and gar¬ 
den strains, so we now have perpetual 
flowering strains of clove or grass pinks 
and Margaret carnations, double and sin¬ 
gle, in every shade of white, rose, crim¬ 
son, scarlet and yellow, with the most 
intricate and beautiful markings, all com¬ 
ing into bloom in four to seven months 
from the seed. Most of these are de¬ 
lightfully fragrant. There is continual 
improvement in the Chinese pink, D. Chi- 
nensis, which is practically an annual in 
our climate, as the plants almost bloom 
themselves to death the first season, mak¬ 
ing only a feeble show the next year, if 
they should chance to survive the Win¬ 
ter. The various garden forms of the 
Chinese pink sold under the names of 
ITeddewigi, Laciniatus, Imperialis, Hy- 
bridus, etc., are bewildering in number 
and diversity. We have heard of one en¬ 
thusiast who got together over 50 types 
and varieties. The culture is of the sim¬ 
plest. Seeds are usually cheap, ranging 
from five to 25 cents a packet, and may 
be sown indoors or in a fine seed bed in 
the garden in May. When large enough 
the plants should be set in well-enriched 
soil about a foot apart each way. The 
bloom is constant and brilliant as soon 
as a little growth is made, and few plants 
better repay the very moderate care need¬ 
ed. The only feature lacking is fragrance, 
which is very slight in this section. A 
very charming novelty in Chinese pinks, 
engraved from a dried flower grown in 
Germany is shown in Fig. 121, page 294. 
It originated in Japan and is first sent 
out this season under the name of Dian¬ 
thus laciniatus mirabilis or Marvelous 
pink. The fresh blooms are said to reach 
three to four inches in diameter, on long, 
stiff stems. The petals, as seen in the 
illustration, are deeply cut into fine Strips 
or thread-like fringes which are twisted 
in all directions. The colors range from 
white to rose and purple-red, with dark- 
zones. Seeds are offered by several deal¬ 
ers for 20 cents a packet. 
Sweet William Hybrids. —The Sweet 
William, Dianthus barbatus, is one of the 
most prized of hardy garden flowers, hav¬ 
ing been cultivated from the earliest 
times, ft is sturdy and vigorous, holding 
its own for several years even in our try¬ 
ing climate, and perpetuating itself by 
volunteer seedlings wherever allowed. It 
is a native of Central Europe, but every¬ 
where esteemed for its massive trusses 
of brilliant and fragrant blooms. Sweet 
Williams have been wonderfully improved 
by long selection. Some of the newer 
strains produce flowers of great size, reg¬ 
ular finish and surpassing beauty of col¬ 
oring. The strains sold as Auricula-flow¬ 
ered are perhaps most popular. The in¬ 
dividual blooms are large, smooth-edged 
and of various attractive colors, all show¬ 
ing a clear white eye or center. Other 
types have large fringed flowers in a 
great diversity of shades and intricate 
markings. The double-flowered varieties 
are large and showy, but less elegant than 
the best of the single forms. All are 
delightfully fragrant and easily grown 
from seeds or divisions, if it is desired 
to perpetuate a particular variety. Seeds 
are plentiful and cheap, the best costing 
not more than 10 cents a packet. They 
may be sown outside in a seed bed any 
time from early Spring until August, and 
the plants set a foot apart in the bloom¬ 
ing bed or border as soon as they are 
large enough to handle. A slight protec¬ 
tion to prevent heaving by frost during 
Winter is always an advantage, though 
young plants are quite reliably hardy. 
Thev will bloom magnificently the suc¬ 
ceeding year, and may be preserved sev¬ 
eral seasons if the bloom trusses are cut 
as they fade to prevent exhaustion from 
profuse seeding. Many hybrids have been 
grown between the Sweet William and 
other Dianthus species. One of the first 
intentionally-produced plant hybrids re¬ 
corded was the result of crossing one 
of the early carnations and the Sweet 
William. This hybrid had considerable 
beauty, and has been frequently repro¬ 
duced, but soon disappears from cultiva¬ 
tion. Other hybrids with D. alpinus and 
D. superbus are more or less grown in 
Europe as hardy border plants, but are 
scarcely known in the American plant 
trade. Dianthus latifolius is usually re¬ 
garded as a garden hybrid of Sweet Wil¬ 
liam. It is intermediate in habit between 
this species and the Chinese pink. The 
flowers are large, generally double or 
semi-double, arranged in rather loose 
trusses or panicles and run largely to 
deep purple and crimson colors, though 
many shades are to be found in every lot 
of seedlings. It is a handsome border 
plant, the crimson varieties making a 
vivid display. All bloOms of D. latifolius 
we have examined have been without per¬ 
ceptible fragrance. The second and third 
generations from seed of a hybrid be¬ 
tween the Sweet William and Chinese 
pink, raised on the Rural Grounds, closely 
resembled D. latifolius, through retaining 
some fragrance, but the original plant was 
quite distinct from either of its parents, 
and from its seedlings. The tendency of 
these seedlings, after passmg through the 
stage resembling Latifolius is to revert 
to the parent types in about equal pro¬ 
portion. The plants are exceedingly vig¬ 
orous and free-blooming, living three or 
four years under the most ordinary con¬ 
ditions of culture. 
Fig. 123, page 294, is a. representation 
of blooms of our newest hybrid taken 
in late October, after the plants had been 
exposed to repeated sharp freezes. It is 
one of many plants grown from a series 
of crosses made between carefully select¬ 
ed Sweet Williams and Chinese pinks of 
the Laciniatus type. The resulting seeds, 
sown in March, produced flowers in early 
July, and the plants continued veritable 
bouquets of bloom until stopped by Win¬ 
ter. They grew 12 to 10 inches high, 
were very compact and neat in form, 
and were at all times covered with fra¬ 
grant blooms varying in color from white 
with faint blush zones, to deep crimson, 
intricately marked and variegated. There 
was no perceptible difference in growth 
or bloom between plants raised from 
seeds of Sw’eet William or Chinese pink, 
each pollinated by the other, though both 
lots were kept separate for comparison. 
The foliage is intermediate, but resem¬ 
bles most the Sweet William. Taken al¬ 
together these were the handsomest hardy 
pinks we have ever grown. These first 
generation plants have survived the Win¬ 
ter with no protection and appear in per¬ 
fect condition. In their present state they 
are immeasurably superior to D. latifolius, 
and it will be interesting to note if they 
can be perpetuated from seed, which is 
very sparingly produced, or whether they 
must pass through the Latifolius stage 
and afterward revert to their parental 
types, as did our first hybrids of the same 
ancestry. _ w. V. f. 
NiTRO-Cin.Tt’RE Crums. —Your correspond¬ 
ents have answered the question in regard to 
nitro-culture. To increase your fluid or cul¬ 
ture the water should he hoiled. and when at 
a temperature of (10 or 05 add the culture; 
must Ik 1 kept at this temperature. To keep 
out other germs cover with cotton such as 
used for quilts, etc. Those who sell this at 
$2 per acre are getting about $1.95 profit. 
Decatur, Ind. d. g. m. t. 
Recent experiments in Hop Culture show that 
for each 100 pounds of Nitrate of Soda used per 
acre, an increase of 87 % pounds of Hops was 
obtained. This being so, no Hop Grower can 
afford to be unfamiliar with the use of 
Nitrate of Soda 
(THE STANDARD FERTILIZER) 
Any Hop Grower who will send his name and 
address on Post Card will receive my book, 
“ Food for Plants,” giving official reports of ex¬ 
periments with various fertilizers in varying 
quantities. 
A Free Offer to Hop Growers 
I want fifty Hop Growers to make an experi¬ 
ment with Nitrate of Soda as a Top Dressing 
and will send a small quantity of Nitrate Free, 
if they will pay transportation charges, apply it 
as directed and report results to me. The increase 
in Hops will more than repay the cost. Write 
only on Post Card • 
Wm. S. Myers, Room 148, 12-16 John St., New York 
Bowker’s 
Insecticides 
are cheapest 
RprAII^P they are all ready to use by adding 
Uvvauav water ; they do not waste time in mix¬ 
ing, nor in clearing clogged nozzles; they adhere to the 
foliage in spite of heavy rains, making repeated spray¬ 
ings often unnecessary, except to protect new growth ; 
most important of all, however, they do the work , and 
they work night and day. Many of them are made 
upon government formulas, and all have the unquali¬ 
fied endorsement of practical men and experiment 
station officials. 
Disparene 
is the only insecticide made 
that will destroy both broods 
of the codling-moth (see booklet). Enough for a large 
orchard, $4.25. Smaller quantities, $1 and 50 cents. 
Our large handbook of insect pests and plant diseases is well 
worth 50 cents, but we mail it to all interested parties FREE 
BOWKER. INSECTICIDE COMPANY 
With the i 
ORCHARD 
Monarch 
, Automatic Compressed Air 
Sprayer. No hand labor—has agitator and brushes for 
^cleaning •trainers. Our free book tells about It- “Noiwindled feeling” 
I If you buy our pumps. We alsomake the Empire King, Car- 
■ fleid Knapsack and others* 
I^EJ^^RCEJPUMJ^O^^Mt^St^Jmlra^Njr^ 
AUTO-POP, ^ 
AUTO-SPRAY. 
Great cleaning: attachment on per¬ 
fect compressed air sprayer. Note 
how easy—cleans nozzle every time 
used, saves half the mixture. Brass 
pump, 4 gal. tank. 12 piungerstrokes 
compresses air to spray W acre. We manu¬ 
facture the largest line in America of high 
grade band and power eprayers. Catalog free. 
Write ui If you want agency. 
E. C. BROWN & CO., 
268 State St., Rochester, Ni V. 
The Perfection Sprayer 
Sprays Everything Trees, potatoes, etc. Fur¬ 
nished complete with Cart and Barrel. Combined 
hand and horsepower. Don’t buy until you get my 
catalogue, FUKB. 
Thomas Peppier, Box 45, Hightstown, N. J. 
Brass Sprayers Last Longest 
And Are The Cheapest To Buy. 
Price $3.50 and upward. Make your labor and invest¬ 
ment earn a good profit by destroying the insect pests and 
plant diseases which cause so much loss. These sprayers 
may also be used for applying whitewash and cold water 
paints, spreadfng disinfectants, cleaning wagons, curing 
surface diseases on cattle, chickens, and many other 
purposes. Sprayer« may be returned at our expense if 
they are found defective. Send for catalogue. 
DAYTON 8UPPLY r CO., Dayton, Ohio. 
U. S. STANDARD. CAUSTIC POTASH 
WHALE-OIL SOAP. 
A positive destroyer of San Jose Scale. The OWEN 
QDBAVIMG CDAB for Power Sprayers OtherOr- 
OrnAlinU orAll, Chard Necessities. Write for 
catalogue and prices. W. H. OWKN, Port Clinton,O. 
Mustard Killed 
The proof is positive that 
mustard can be killed in 
a crop of growing grain 
without any injury to 
the grain. 
The Spramotor 
does the wtR-k and the 
improvement in the crop 
will more than repay the almost trifling expense 
Write for booklet "D”. Full particulars free. 
SPRAMOTOR CO., Buffalo, N.Y., London, Canada. 
AGENTS WANTED. 
SEED SOWERS ill $£ 
and up. Booklet with Calendar free 
out/. SKKDKK MFU. CO., Box 4. Homer, Mich. 
INDRUROID 
ROOFING 
Requires no Coating or 
Paint. 
Acid and Alkali Proof. 
Elastic and Pliable 
Always. 
Strong and Tough. 
Absolutely Waterproof. 
Climatic Changes Do Not 
Affect It. 
Practically Fire Proof. 
Can Be Used on Steep or 
Flat Surfaces. 
Any Workman Can Put 
It On. 
No Odor. 
Will not Shrink or Crack 
Light in Weight. 
Does not Taint Water. 
Write for samples, prices and 
circulars. 
H. F. WATSON CO. 
ERIE, PA. 
Chicago, Boston. 
Mention R.N.-Y. 
stlllleads all others. Sows all Clovers, Alfalfa, Timothy, 
Red Top, all kinds of Crasa Seeds, Flax, etc. Special hop- 
perfor Crain. cSows20to 40 acres per day. Hopper being 
close to the ground the wind can not blow the seed away. 
Used thirty years. 200 thousand sold. Catalogue free. 
0. E. THOMPSON & SONS, YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN. 
N O MORE BLIND HORSES.—For SpeclflO Oph¬ 
thalmia, Moon Blindness, and other Sore Eyes, 
BARRY CO., Iowa City,Iowa, have a sure cure. 
MACHINERY 
piDE 
Best and cheapest 
Send for catalogue 
•OOMER & BOSCHEBT 
'PRESS CO., 
118 West Water 8t., 
tmuCCSE, K. Y. 
Hubbard’s “Black Diamond” Fertilizers 
Have produced the Record Hay Crops for the past fourteen years. Send for our Free Book, 
“HUBBARD'S FERTILIZERS FOR 1005” 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD COMPANY, 
Middletown, Conn. 
