554 
July 22. 
NOTES FROM THE RURAlGROUNDS 
The Strawberry Season. —Strawberry 
plants had favorable weather last hall, 
and thoroughly matured their crowns be¬ 
fore frost. There was little unseasonable 
fruiting as in former years, thus the 
vitality of the plants was stored instead 
of being frittered away in useless Au¬ 
tumn blooms and berries. The Winter, 
though severe, was not unfavorable to 
herbaceous plants, as they were protected 
by snow during the hardest freezes, but 
the growing season, so far this year, has 
been too cold and dry for best results. 
The plants started well as expected, and 
though late frosts cut some of the first 
blooms, there was a long flowering period 
and abundance of pollen on staminate va¬ 
rieties. As a rule, berries set very well, 
and grew fairly until continued dry 
weather brought development to a stand¬ 
still, in early June. A timely shower, fol¬ 
lowed by dull weather and a few light 
drizzles, as the fruit began to color, re¬ 
lieved the situation. There was sufficient 
moisture to carry through the crop in the 
more favored localities in central New 
Jersey. Quality was generally good, and 
some particularly well tilled fields gave 
record yields. Strawberries have not 
been over-planted for several years near 
Rural Grounds, and local prices received 
are quite satisfactory. First-class berries 
realized an average of 10 cents a quart 
throughout the season, with inferior grades 
three to five cents less. There is only a 
limited demand for ordinary grades. 
Fewer new kinds were tested in this vicin¬ 
ity than in past years. Growers are tired 
of the interminable string of new straw¬ 
berry names offered every year. They 
are willing to try really distinct and prom¬ 
ising new kinds, recommended by respon¬ 
sible or distinterested parties, but no 
longer buy every variety offered as a 
novelty. The list of profitable commercial 
strawberries in any locality is short, and 
useful additions are only made at long 
intervals. The following have been grown 
for several seasons on the Rural Grounds, 
and possess qualities that will ensure con¬ 
tinued planting until better kinds materi¬ 
alize. 
William Belt, staminate, introduced 
by Matthew Crawford, Cuyahoga Falls, 
Ohio, has been fruited here for the past 
10 years, and is more appreciated than 
ever. A susceptibility to rust is claimed 
to lessen its value in some localities, but 
it has never shown weakness of any kind 
here. The foliage is healthy and resist¬ 
ant, and the plant uniformly productive 
under fair culture. For table use through 
the entire bearing season it has not been 
excelled by any variety that has come 
to our notice. When fairly ripened it 
is sweet and rich, and less likely to cause 
digestive disturbances than most other 
kinds. It is a reliable cropper; the ber¬ 
ries run large and well-formed after the 
first coxcombed fruit of the cluster has 
been picked. It has sufficient pollen to 
crop well if grown alone, and acts as 
a good pollenizer for pistillates, if planted 
every fifth row. The only just criticism 
we can make after this long acquaintance 
is that thoroughly ripened berries are too 
soft for long shipment, though firm 
enough for nearby markets. Belt succeeds 
in both light and heavy soil, but should 
have good root and air drainage, and 
always have full exposure to the sun. 
President. —Pistillate; from Thomas R. 
Hunt, Lambertville, N. J. We have now 
tested this noteworthy variety four years. 
It produced remarkably fine berries in 
very light soil, as originally planted here, 
but did not bear satisfactory crops. For 
the last two seasons it has been very pro¬ 
ductive of really fancy berries of the 
largest size and most regular forms, as 
grown in clay loam of moderate fertility. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
We get our finest clusters on two-year 
plants, and feel inclined to think it'a mis¬ 
take to make plantings of President every 
year, if grown for fruit alone. President 
has been repeatedly described in 1 he R. 
N.-Y., and it is only necessary to repeat 
that it is a very promising commercial 
variety. The color is at the start an at¬ 
tractive bright scarlet, and deepens into 
a rich dark shade if allowed fully to ma¬ 
ture. The quality at this stage is very sat¬ 
isfactory, though not remarkably high. As 
packed for market well-grown Presidents 
are among the most attractive berries we 
know. 
Van Fleet. —Staminate; from J. H. 
Black, Son & Co., Hightstown, N. J. ; third 
year of fruiting. A fine early variety for 
home use. Large in size, high in quality, 
but probably too deeply colored for mar¬ 
ket. The plant is extremely vigorous, fo¬ 
liage noticeably dark and lustrous. 1 he 
berries are large, broadly conical, seldom 
coxcombed, deep blackish crimson in 
color, with dark red flesh and prominent 
yellow seeds, flavor sweet, rich and arom¬ 
atic. Productive under good culture, and 
a fair plant maker. Begins to ripen with 
Success and Michel, continues producing 
smaller berries until end of season. Firm 
enough for home markets and short ship¬ 
ments. The Marshall does not thrive 
here, and we find this new kind takes its 
place very well. We have not heard of 
other trials than our own except in the 
originator’s grounds. 
Mrs. Fisher. —Pistillate; J. H. Black, 
Son & Co., Hightstown, N. J. This has 
proved most productive and reliable of 
the Messrs. Black’s introductions, after 
seven years’ trial. Like many other good 
kinds, the berries are scarcely firm enough 
for long shipment, but are very attractive 
for near markets. The foliage is good 
and plant strong and healthy. The berries 
run large and well formed. 1 hey are 
carried on strong peduncles. Color, bright 
scarlet, light flesh. Quality very good. 
Gandy. —We shall not again plant this 
very successful late variety. It has been 
the best money-maker of any strawberry 
of New Jersey origin, for the growers 
able to produce good crops. Its late 
season, bright color and firm consistency, 
enabling it to “stand up” for several days 
in the dealers’ hands, make .it the most 
salable of berries, but unless exactly 
suited in rich, moist soil, it is seldom a 
good producer. The quality is generally 
liked by town consumers, who are more 
certain to get it in good condition, but 
is too sharply acid to bear comparison 
with better kinds for home consumption. 
Many seedlings appear to have been grown 
from Gandy in the hope of getting a late 
kind of more agreeable quality, but the 
only introduction of promise from this 
source seems to be Hunn, raised by an 
experiment station worker. Hunn is 
claimed to be later and more prolific. No 
boasts are made of its quality. With a 
fair plot of Belts and Presidents we can 
get along without Gandy, even for late 
use. Of many newer kinds tested we 
mention the following: 
ish in form, small to medium in size, 
abundantly borne on long peduncles. Flesh, 
light red all through, firm and handles 
well. Quality so low as to be unsalable 
in this locality, rather sour, insipid and 
lacking in aroma. An easy grower and 
great “quart-maker.” but undesirable on 
account of small size and indifferent qual¬ 
ity where better kinds can be grown. 
Likely to be useful as a pollenizer, as 
President and other pistillates nearby 
were unusually well-filled and productive. 
w. v. F. 
Sowing Crimson Clover. 
N. If. M. K., Oerrardstown, W. Va .—In 
sowing Crimson clover seed at the last plow¬ 
ing of the corn, is it better to sow it just 
before or just after the plow? 
Ans. —We sow Crimson clover seed be¬ 
fore the last cultivating. This covers it 
an inch or more, as we tie a plank or 
block behind the cultivator to smooth 
down the soil. We do not plow corn. 
We should think plowing would cover the 
clover seed too deep. If we plowed we 
would seed after plowing and then use 
cultivator or light drag to cover the seed. 
Fertilizer for Roses. 
n. B., Rochester, X. Y. —Can you advise us 
whether tankage would he a good fertilizer 
for roses? We are planting roses into a held 
from small pots. The land has been most 
thoroughly prepared. A very -liberal amount 
of well-rotted cattle manure has been plowed 
under. The roses we are planting are strong 
feeders, and we are endeavoring to find some¬ 
thing which we can top-dress with from time 
to time through the Summer, cultivating and 
hoeing it in. Some one has suggested tank¬ 
age. We have no analysis of it, but if, as 
we understand, it is composed entirely of 
flesh and blood, dried and ground up, we 
should suppose it would be something roses 
would take up quickly and on which they 
would thrive. Have you ever known of an 
instance of over-feeding roses? We wish to 
give these plants all the nourishment they 
will stand, but are a little afraid of over¬ 
feeding, although we never yet noted any in¬ 
jurious effects from a heavy fertilizing. Some 
have recommended raw bone meal. What is 
your opinion about it: for roses, and is there 
anything better for the above purpose than 
either of these? 
Ans. —We have found tankage a very 
good fertilizer for roses if hoed or well 
mixed in the soil near the roots. It is 
somewhat slow in action, as the nitrogen 
is in organic form, and must be changed 
by heat and moisture before it is available 
for the roses. We think you could apply 
this fertilizer liberally as a top-dressing 
and cultivate it in several times during 
the growing season. Raw bone meal is 
. also a good fertilizer, as it supplies phos¬ 
phoric acid, which is not contained in the 
same amount in tankage. Wood ashes are 
also very desirable to supply potash and 
lime, jiist what rapidly growing rose 
plants seem to require. Five or six hun¬ 
dred pounds of bone meal and 20 bushels 
of wood ashes in two applications would 
be sufficient amount for an acre of roses. 
Rose plants are very strong feeders, and 
it is hardly possible to give them too 
much animal manure, but chemical ferti¬ 
lizers, such as nitrate of soda or bone 
superphosphates, contain traces of sul¬ 
phuric acid, and are very injurious to 
them. Always use bone in form of raw 
meal or flour. The very best rose ferti¬ 
lizer in our experience is night soil well 
composted wi burned earth, preferably 
clay, but you should have good results 
with the above treatment. 
Uncle Sam. —Staminate; from J. T. 
Lovett, Little Silver, N. J. See Fig. 232. 
page 551. Planted April 30, 1904. 
Strong, healthy plant, bearing large clus¬ 
ters of attractive, bright red berries, al¬ 
most too soft for shipment. Quality ex¬ 
cellent. Well suited for home market. 
The first fruits are large and generally 
well shaped; later pickings much smaller. 
Productive and a good plant maker. Very 
early. 
Wild Wonder. —Staminate, midseason ; 
from John Shank, Mt. Sterling, 111., 
received May 4, 1904. Plant small, 
but vigorous, throwing out an incredible 
number of long runners. We can well 
believe Mr. Shank’s claim that Wild Won¬ 
der plants can hold their own against 
prairie grasses, so rapid is the increase. 
Flowers large, producing a great amount 
of pollen through a long blooming sea¬ 
son. Foliage bright green, smooth and 
glossy. Berries deep red, regular, round- 
A LEAKY TANK 
is an abomination 
CALDWELL 
Tanks don’t luak. They 
are made right. We build 
tanks of Kverlusting Cy¬ 
press ; also White Pine. 
We have hundreds we 
can reler to in your 
vicinity* Send for illus¬ 
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price list. 
W. E. CALDWELL CO. 
Louisville, Ky 
THE “NEW WAY” PRESS 
Is a horizontal press. It bales 1H to 2}^ tons per 
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Makes the very ..esirable eastern market baJe. Keats all 
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Stands at work just as you see it in the cut. Very portable. 
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SANDWICH MFC. CO., 157 MAIN ST.. SANDWICH, ILL. 
Roaring and 
Whistling. 
This diseAse can be cured by blistering 1 with * 
Stevens’Ointment, quickly, easily an«l without 
any danger of blemish and you don't have to lay 
up the horse/ 
Stevens’ Ointment 
is the most famous blister on earth and Jthe only 
sul>stitute for firing, and is a positive cure for 
Splints, Spavins, King Bone, Oscelletes, Curbs, 
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Ji.oo per box, postpaid. 
A. II. Bellman, Henan, Eng., writes: “I used 
Stevens' Ointment as directed and effected a per¬ 
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the cure is very remarkable. I applied it every 
two’weeks for 3 months and now he is perfectly 
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Dr. Stevens* Book FREE,— We have been auth¬ 
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diseases of horses' legs, to send free to all his val¬ 
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and Remedy." Writeforitat ones. It’s valuable. 
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Sole Agents for United States. 
Work 
Horses 
need not be 1 aid off for 
treatment if you use 
Bickmore’s Cure. 
Cures while you work him of all Harness, Sad¬ 
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Money refundedif it fails. Sample mailed for lOcents. 
BICKMORE GALL CURE COMPANY, Box 519, Old Town Ms. 
Above trade mark on every box. 
MINERAL 
HEAVE 
REMEDY 
Only Sure Cure. 
Positive and Permanent. 
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$1.00 Package curesany 
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$3.00 Package cures any 
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Sent postpaid on receipt 
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KBWTON’B Hearo, Couuh, 1)1.- 
tamper and Indigestion Loro. 
A veterinary specific for wind, 
throat and stomach troubles. 
Strong recommends. $1.00 per 
can, of dealers, or Exp. prepaid. 
The Newton Remedy Co., 
Toledo, Ohio. 
F ERTILIZER LIME cheaper than Phosphate. 
Manufactured by Walton Quarries, Harrisburg, Pa. 
AGRICULTURAL LIME. 
Fresh Burned and Coarsely Ground. 
Finely Ground for Bordeaux, White-washing, etc. 
For particulars, address, 
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BORDEAUX MIXTURE 
used now will increase your yield of Potatoes 50 p.c. 
STEDE.M’S CONCENTRATED BORDEAUX 
saves you trouble and expense. Add water, and it is 
ready for spraying. 
1 gallon mixed with 4tl gallons of water, costs only 75c. 
One barrel, making 2,500 gallons, costs only $85.00 
(See article on use of Bordeaux Mixture in RuhaIj 
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1800 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, 1 a. 
SAN JOSE SCALE 
and other INSECTS killed by 
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Caustic Potash Whale-Oil Soap No. 3 
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Nitro-Culture 
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i 
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