84 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
February 3, 
uralisms 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
The Keepsake Gooseberry. —Fig. 33, 
first page, is a fine portrait of Keepsake, 
one of the few varieties of the European 
gooseberry that can be grown in this 
country with anything like moderate suc¬ 
cess. The engraving is reproduced in nat¬ 
ural size, a photograph being taken in 
England, where gooseberry culture has 
long been brought to high perfection. 
Keepsake berries equally as large have 
been grown on the Rural Grounds, but 
we never had as fine a cluster as the il¬ 
lustrated one. When well ripened they 
are of good flavor—almost sweet—but are 
thick-skinned, and cannot be compared to 
Houghton or Downing for general qual¬ 
ity. It is a good culinary variety, how¬ 
ever. The bush is a fair grower in good 
soil, but needs partial shade in our lati¬ 
tude. The variety has not mildewed in 
five years’ culture in our locality, but in 
common with all European gooseberries 
is susceptible to the disease. When ripe 
the berries are of a pleasing straw color 
and firm enough to ship well. It is very 
oroductive, and on the whole appears to 
be one of the best Europeans for culti¬ 
vation in this country. It is difficult to 
propagate in our climate, so that plants 
arc annually imported by the Storrs & 
Harrison Co., Painesville, Ohio, and per¬ 
haps other nurserymen, and are offered 
for about 25 cents each. Growers willing 
to give their plants good care and to 
risk possible invasions of mildew would 
do well to test this variety, which has 
long been a favorite on the other side. 
American Mildew in Europe. —Out¬ 
breaks of our common Gooseberry mil¬ 
dew were reoorted last Summer from 
Ireland, Denmark and Russia, the disease 
aDoearine at several localities in the lat¬ 
ter countrv. This is alarming news for 
European gooseberry growers, and there 
is much talk of sanitarv legislation to 
suppress, at all hazards, the pest wher¬ 
ever found. The gooseberry is a most 
important fruit all over northern Europe, 
being far more highly regarded than in 
America. Growers realize that if mildew 
ever becomes orevalent there must be a 
prolonged and expensive fight to get it 
under control. An effective remedy has 
been found in potassium sulphide (liver 
of sulphur), one-half ounce to the gallon 
of water, if well sprayed on before the 
disease has made much headway, and 
repeated at intervals of two weeks, or 
after each heavy shower. This solution, 
as a gooseberry fungicide, was chiefly de¬ 
veloped by the Geneva, N. Y., Experi¬ 
ment Station, and has proved extremely 
useful, but all growers feel that the 
gooseberry and every other plant is bet¬ 
ter off without drenching with fungicides 
of any kind. Spraying is expensive and 
troublesome work, without regard to the 
comparative cheapness of materials used. 
If mildew can be kept from spreading in 
Europe by quarantine, or energetic sani¬ 
tation when discovered, a mighty evil will 
be averted. It may be that American- 
grown hybrids or seedlings of Ribes gros- 
sularia mav vet be needed in its European 
home to withstand mildew. Our various 
native species have always been accus¬ 
tomed to the presence of this fungus, and 
are seldom troubled unless weakened by 
being grown in hot and arid situations, 
as curiously enough the disease is most 
virulent in dry situations. As a rule, the 
more the European blood predominates 
in American seedlings the more they are 
likelv to be affected by mildew, as its 1 
foliage is more susceptible to the effects 
of heat, but there are exceptions, and 
reliable hybrids may yet be bred. In ad¬ 
dition to increased resistance to mildew 
the European varieties are likely to be 
much improved in quality by inter-cross¬ 
ing with American kinds, as our native 
gooseberries are usually of fine flavor. The 
real problem is to transfer the large ber¬ 
ries of the European varieties to resistant 
American plants, at the same time re¬ 
taining the high quality of our natives. 
This is doubtless possible, but it will not 
be done in a hurrv. 
Mock Cypress Again Popular. —The 
odd and quick-growing Mock or Summer 
cypress. Kochia scoparia, now said by 
botanists to be more properly K. trico- 
phylla, is again highly popular abroad, as 
well as in some localities in this country. 
It is a strange instance of an old orna¬ 
mental plant after earlv triumphs in pop¬ 
ularity becoming almost lost to cultiva¬ 
tion. and then quickly brought to general 
notice and wide acceptance. Kochia 
scoparia, to use the best known name, is 
a somewhat rare native of Greece, first 
brought into cultivation in 1629. It be¬ 
longs to the Chenopodiacese or Goosefoot 
family, which includes the cultivated beet 
and spinach, and is about the only orna¬ 
mental member of a genus, numbering 
nearly 30 species. It was used in the 
early days to decorate formal gardens, 
for which it is admirably adapted, but 
had long fallen into disuse when brought 
out in England, four years ago, and given 
a first-class certificate by the Royal Hor¬ 
ticultural Society of London. It is now 
grown everywhere in Europe in large 
pots for the decoration of terraces, dot¬ 
ted through borders and even massed in 
beds. It has been gaining in favor in 
this country for an even longer period, 
having appeared in our seed catalogues in 
1889-90, though only used as a curious 
annual for the mixed garden, except in 
some portions of the Eastern States, 
where it has been strikingly useful for 
railroad bedding and park decoration. 
Looks Like a D\varf Conifer.— This 
Kochia is commonly known as Mock, 
Summer or Belvidere cypress, as the de¬ 
veloped plant exactly resembles a round, 
trimly clipped, dwarf evergreen, except 
the leaves are of lighter green. It is an 
annual, growing freely from seeds that 
may be started under glass, or in a seed 
bed in the open, and the little plants 
pricked out when large enough to handle. 
They should not be planted closer than 
two feet apart, as they soon grow into 
fine symmetrical specimens nearly three 
feet high. It makes little difference how 
crowded the clumps are, the rounded out¬ 
lines are maintained, but the decorative 
effect is best when the plants stand well 
apart. The foliage is narrow and silky, 
clothing the branches to the ground, and 
keeping up the sheared-evergreen effect 
until September, when the tiny flowers 
appear, crusting every twig. They are 
inconspicuous, being greenish in color, 
but as the fruits ripen the whole plant, 
stem, leaves and branches, turns deep- 
crimson or coral-red. making a most 
vivid and striking effect. The plant soon 
dies after ripening an incredible number 
of seeds, which are hardy enough to live 
over in the soil and come up in weed 
fashion for several years afterwards. In 
clearing up a plot late in the season 
where Kochias had been grown the pre¬ 
ceding year a patch just a foot square 
containing about 35 volunteer seedlings, 
was left undisturbed. The little fellows 
grew well, notwithstanding their crowded 
condition, and by Fall made a clump 
scarcely distinguishable in form and size 
from well-grown single transplanted 
specimens planted a yard or more away, 
though the foliage was always lighter 
green from the effects of partial starva¬ 
tion. The rounded form was as perfect 
in the crowded clump as in the single 
plants that had ample space. 
Use Chemical Fertilizers. — The 
Kochia is of the easiest culture and does 
well in almost anv soil except one satu¬ 
rated with moisture or animal manures, 
but the Autumn effect is best if soil is 
rather dry and open. Nitrate of potash 
suits it exceedingly well as a fertilizer, 
giving a darker green Summer effect and 
apparently increasing the Autumn bril¬ 
liancy. Nitrate of soda and wood ashes 
also fill its needs well, as do most chemi¬ 
cal garden fertilizers, but a good effect 
mav be had in anv soil that will grow 
fair corn. Florists occasionally offer it 
in Spring as an attractive foliage pot- 
plant, but usually make the mistake of 
keeping it in too small pots. It is a good 
feeder, and needs root room. It will not 
develop well in pots or tubs less than 
10 inches wide and deep—a foot or more 
is better. When well done, in large pots 
or tubs, it is about as attractive for ter¬ 
race use during Summer as a good Retin- 
ospora, while the short-lived Autumn ef¬ 
fect is gorgeous. Seeds can be had from 
most first-class dealers at five cents the 
packet. w. v. F. 
SPRAY OR SURRENDER 
that is the ultimatum that in¬ 
sects and fungi have served 
on every fruit-grower of 
America. If you do 
not heed the warning 
you will not get profits 
from your orchards. 
Every man who sprays intel¬ 
ligently, at the proper time, 
finds it the most profitable 
operation on the farm. 
Send for illustrated catalogue 
of the ECLIPSE Spray Pumps 
and outfits. 
Morrill & Morley, Beaton Harbor, Mich. 
2^ Auto-Spray 
4 gal. tank, brass pump, operates by 
compressed air. 12 strokes give pressure 
to spray acre. Auto-Pop Attachment 
cleans nozzle every time used; saves 
half the mixture. Best line high grade 
sprayers, hand and power, in America. 
Catalog free. Good agents wanted. 
E. C. BROWN CO., 
28 Jay St., Rochester, N. Y. 
It Is Worth While 
Buy a machine that does the work 
right— that cleans its strainer 
automatically with a brush, 
mixes liquid mechanically so that 
oliage is never burned, but getB 
ts due proportion. 
Empire King, and 
Orchard Monarch 
do these things. They throw finest 
spray, are easiest to work and they 
never clog. You ought to know 
more about them. Write for in¬ 
struction book on spraying, form¬ 
ulas, etc. Mailed free. 
FIELD FORCE PUMP CO., 
No. 2 11th 8t. , Elmira, ft , Y. 
EHODES DOUBLE OUT 
PEUNING SHEAR 
Cuts from 
both sides of 
limb and does 
not bruise 
the bark. 
We pay Ex¬ 
press charges 
on all orders. 
Write tor 
circular and 
prices. 
413 West Bridge St., GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. 
PAT 
RHODES MFC. CO 
I lf You Sow Seed. 
A free copy of an address on 
ALFALFA 
by N. C. Dunlap, 
Manager of 
Watson’s Ranch, 
Kearney, Neb. 
(The largest in the 
world,) 
will be mailed to 
by the mak¬ 
ers of the accu¬ 
rate and durable 
Cahoon Broadcast Seeder 
GOODELL COMPANY, 
1 4 Main Street, Antrim, N. H. 
DERRICK OIL CO. 
Box52. Titusville, Pa. 
ELITE OIL. 
A hi|}h grade, perfect 
burning oil. Never 
fails to please where 
a clear, strong light is 
desired. Made from 
Pure Pennsylvania 
Crude. Writeforpar- 
ticulars and prices. 
SALIMENE 
THE BEST REMEDY FOR 
SAN JOSE SCALE. 
Liquid or Powder Form. Circulars and price on 
application. 
MONMOUTH CHEMICAL WORKS, 
Shrewsbury, New Jersey. 
SAVE YOUR TREES 
from the Ravage of SAN JOSE, COTTONY 
MAPLE SCALE, PSYLLA, Etc. 
ALL YOU NEED IS 
“SCALECIDE,” Water, O&tSSS?. 
Simple, more effective and cheaper than LIME, 
SULPHUR and SALT. 
For sample, testimonials and price de¬ 
livered at your Railroad station, address 
B. G. Pratt Co., 11 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 
K. II. DEYO & CO., Binghamton,New York. 
More Power Spraying outfits with 
our IQ and 2hi II. P. AIR-COOLED 
Engines are used than all others com¬ 
bined. No water to freeze or carry. 
It is light. Write for Catalog 5 on 
Engines for Pqwer and'Spraying 
GENUINE PERUVIAN GUANO 
Warranted Pure and' Unadulterated. 
THE BEST SOURCE OF PLANT 
FOOD. 
Nitrate of Soda, Basic Slag, Potash Salts 
AND ALL 
Fertilizer Materials at Lowest Prices. 
Our 80 Page Book, Plant Food Problems, 
sent free of charge, if you mention The Rural 
New-Yorker. 
Our Agricultural Expert will test your soil and 
advise as to its proper fertilization, free of charge. 
We distribute fertilizing materials from New 
York, Boston, Mass., and Charleston, S- C. 
COE-MOKT1MEH COMPANY, 
137 Front Street, New York Qjty. 
Denting Power Sprayer 
Self-contained, simple, light, pract¬ 
ical. Load it on wagon box or tank 
wagon and attach hose and you arc 
ready for work. The Ideal outfit 
for orehardists and park 
managers. The only ready 
eftmlent gasol ne engine out¬ 
fit i .at sells at a reasonable 
price. 
Everything in Sprayers 
Bucket, Barrel, Knapsack, 
Hand, Etc. outfits adapted 
to every purpose. Don’t buy 
till you Investigate the 
famous Doming line. 
Catalogue Free. 
THE DEMING CO., 
Dept. 200, 
SALEM, OHIO. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
U. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal." See guarantee, page 14 
Jtuym 
Tete/i/wm 
How they Help 
the Former 
If the telephone really helps the farmer he 
is the man who ought to know the “how” 
and “why.” We have recently published a 
book full of telephone facts for farmers, 
which every farmer in the country ought to 
read, whether he intends tobuy a telephone 
or not. It will be sent FREE to all those 
interested who will take the trouble to 
write for it. This book tells how and why 
the telephone helps the farmer and his fam¬ 
ily, and why the modern farm equipment 
is not complete without a telephone. The 
telephone is a time-saver — consequently a 
profit-maker. Simply reading this book, 
‘How the Telephone Helps the Farmer,” 
will certainly convince any farmer that he 
is missing much he ought to enjov if he is 
trying to do without a 
telephone in his home. 
It describes very inter¬ 
estingly the best tele¬ 
phone for the country 
home— 
Strom berg- 
Carlson 
Telephones 
Tells just how each 
part from the case to 
the mostimportantpart 
is made: illustrates the 
various parts and shows 
by a very practical and complete descrip¬ 
tion and explanation the duty and 
requirements of each; tells why we make 
them with such care, and exposes the se¬ 
crets of the construction of cheap tele¬ 
phones: shows why they can be sold cheap, 
and why they should never be used on farm 
lines. It shows why Stromberg-Carlson 
telephones will outwear any other farm tele¬ 
phone made and how we produce an instru¬ 
ment that practically will never get out of 
order. Cheap telephones are invariably out 
of service just when you w r ant them most: 
they quickly lose their talking qualities and 
are a constant source of annoyance and ex¬ 
pense, simply because they are not made 
right. The principle of operation is just the 
same in a cheap telephone as in a good one 
—the difference all lies in the construction, 
the better materials used, and the greater 
care and skill employed in the making. We 
would like to have you read this book. 
Simply drop us a postal card asking for 
I02-G, “How the Telephone Helps the Farm¬ 
er,” and we will send it to you by return 
mail. Do it today before it slips your mind. 
STROMBERG-CARLSOM TEL. MFG. CO. 
Rochoator, M. Y. Chicago, Hi. 
SPRAYING FRUIT TREES. 
The question of spraying fruit trees to prevent die 
depredations of insect pests and fungus diseases is 
no longer an experiment, hut a necessity. 
Our readers will do well to write Wm. Stahl Sprayer 
Co., Box 70J, Quincy, Ill., and get their catalogue 
describing twenty-one styles of Spraying Outfits and 
full treatise on spraying the different fruit and 
vegetable crops, which contain much valuable in¬ 
formation, and may be had free. 
BARREL SPRAYER "FREE" 
Write today to find out how to se¬ 
cure a Hurst “FITZ-ALL” Spray¬ 
er FREE; fits all sizes barrels and 
tanks. Sprays all solutions, has 
bronze valves, brass cylinder and 
plunger, strainer cleaner and three 
agitators. More economical, 
and easierto operate than any 
other sprayer on the market. 
GUARANTEED for 5 YEARS. 
^ Special offer on first one in 
each locality, to intro¬ 
duce. Full information 
furnished. 
H. L. HURST MFG. CO. 
1401 North St., Canton, 0. 
[ Sprayers to Spray “everything ’.’-($2 to $ 100 .) Sent 
on todays’ trial. A t whole sate where no agent. 
(-BOOK ON SPRAYING 
DEC 
I Send for a copy of our new book on how 
m to spray. Contains valuable formulas, 
and also describes the PERFECTION SPRAY* 
ER simplest, strongest, most powerful sprayer ever 
invented. Don't buy & sprayer until you get this book. 
THOMAS ITiTLEIt, Box 4o, IlJghUtown, ft* J. 
