3l2 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 
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uralisms [ 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
Potato Inquiries.—D o you know anything 
about the Eldorado potato, the potato that 
has created such a furore in Great Britain 
the past three years? Mr. Okas. Needham of 
Withersden, Lincolnshire, England, obtained 
from a one-half ounce potato of this variety 
,'i<il pounds in one year, largest hill weigh¬ 
ing 141/, pounds, largest potato weighing two 
pounds and 100 weighing 100 pounds (these 
were from the 361 pounds raised from this 
one-half ounce potato). The Eldorado was 
also sold in Fall of 1903 by Geo. Massey, 14 
pounds for $7,000, and in the Spring of 1904 
Alfred Dunham paid $250 for a five-ounce 
one, smaller ones selling in February of 1904 
at the rate of $1,250 per pound. Eldorado 
is claimed to be absolutely blight and disease 
proof; it is this, together with its wonderful 
vigor, and its enormous cropping Qualities 
that caused such a sensation. We imported 
some last year direct from the originator at a 
cost of $16 per pound. We cut to single eyes, 
planted with complete fertilizer, after sod at 
rate of two tons to acre, and got from one 
pound 148 pounds. They are of the most 
handsome appearence, nearly round, white 
russeted skin, eyes nearly level with skin, 
and, in fact, we grow some 30 different 
kinds for oiir seed trade, but we have 
no half so fine appearing potato. Potatoes 
on both sides of these (wet, heavy muck) rot¬ 
ted fully 30 per cent and not an Eldorado 
had a speck, and has not at this date. Al¬ 
though they were planted only single eyes, 
tliev seemed to stool out beneath the surface, 
and four and five stalks came up; you would 
think we had planted a good-sized potato 
there. s. b. 
Beachville, Ont. 
References were made in this depart¬ 
ment to the astonishing prices paid for 
Eldorado and other new seedling potatoes 
in England in issues of The R. N.-Y. for 
August 27, 1904, and January 14, 1905, 
and also to the probability that the hur¬ 
ried methods then in use to increase 
stocks of the most highly exploited varie¬ 
ties would tend to reduce their vitality 
and render them liable to the very dis¬ 
eases to which they were claimed to be 
resistant and even immune. Late corre¬ 
spondence emphatically confirms this 
view. Thousands of tons of the new 
stunners are said to be rotting in storage. 
The boom is dead, sales being almost at 
a standstill, though the highly praised 
new sorts are freely offered for seed pur¬ 
poses at prices running from two to 10 
cents a pound. Eldorado comes out with 
about the best reputation of the lot, and 
is considered as well worth trial by all 
interested. It is claimed by those in po¬ 
sition to know to be really an extra fine 
cropper, of good quality and resistant to 
rot under any reasonable method of cul¬ 
tivation. We are glad to learn it has 
been grown on this side with good suc¬ 
cess. 
Please tell us something further about this 
new Solanum Coromersoni, violet potato. I 
have not noticed it being mentioned in The 
R. N.-Y. or other farm papers. x. J. 
Cuba, Mo. 
Solanum Commersoni was referred to 
at some length in The R. N.-Y., Septem¬ 
ber 10, 1904, and on page 44 of the pres¬ 
ent volume. There is much confusion 
concerning the botany of the various wild 
potatoes or edible tuberous-rooted Sola- 
nums, but S. Commersoni, first discovered 
growing in the swamps of Uruguay, is 
regarded as a quite distinct species. The 
tubers in the wild type are bitter and 
unfit for human food, but are readily 
eaten by cattle. It has been most enthu¬ 
siastically cultivated for several years by 
French experimenters, and under their 
treatment has been greatly modified, sev¬ 
eral promising varieties having been devel¬ 
oped through varied culture, selection and 
hybridization with commercial potatoes. 
The new violet-colored variety raised by 
M. Labergerie, Verrieres, France, is re¬ 
garded as most promising, and is being 
first disseminated this season. The tubers 
are large and the plant is claimed to be 
extraordinarily vigorous, and productive 
beyond any variety of ordinary potato. 
It grows in heavy and even swampy 
ground where other potatoes fail, is prac¬ 
tically immune from d sease, and resists 
frost to a remarkable degree. The flesh 
is greenish, but claimed to be of fine qual¬ 
ity when cooked. It will interest read¬ 
ers to know that this promising novelty 
can be obtained from J. M. Thorburn & 
Co., 36 Cortlandt Street, New York City, 
in small quantities for trial, at. a cost of 
about $1 the pound. So far as we know 
it has not yet been tested in this country, 
having only been obtained by the origina¬ 
tor in 1901. This Commersoni variety is 
said greatly to resemble an old disease- 
proof form of the common potato known 
as Blue Giant, but M. Labergerie says it is 
an absolutely distinct variety. 
Forcing Lily-of-the-Valley. —It is not 
generally known that the Convallaria, or 
lily-of-the-valley, the sweetest and dainti¬ 
est of all hardy herbaceous plants, is na¬ 
tive to our country as well as Europe. To 
be sure it is only sparingly found wild on 
a few high mountains of Virginia and the 
Carolinas, but is now naturalized, chiefly 
in its imported form, about nearly every 
old homestead in the land. We do not 
know how abundant it originally was in 
Europe, but it early became dispersed 
throughout all civilized communities of 
the northern part of that continent. The 
roots are grown by the million for com¬ 
mercial export in Germany, Holland and 
France, and form a considerable item in 
the bulk of our horticultural importations. 
The crowns, consisting of a rhizome or 
rootstock with fibrous roots and a plump 
bud or “pip” are imported in bundles of 
25 in cases of damp moss, and are held 
perfectly dormant in cold storage until 
needed for blooming at any season of the 
year. They endure any degree of frost 
without harm, and are always frozen if 
the season allows, just previous to start¬ 
ing into growth, though the chilly treat¬ 
ment they endure in storage is usually 
sufficient to induce normal development. 
Rushed Into Bloom. —Florists have 
continual need of the graceful and frag¬ 
rant blooms, and force the crowns in suc¬ 
cessive batches as needed. They are 
thickly bedded in pots or trays of moss 
and loam, well watered, and placed in a 
dim light near the heating pipes until 
buds show, then given increased light to 
green the foliage. The whole process 
from planting to cutting blooms, under 
expert management, is accomplished in 
three weeks. Pots of excellently grown 
“valley,” as this lovely plant is termed in 
the florists’ trade, are shown in Fig. 121, 
first page. The crowns were undoubtedly 
of the best quality, as every one appears 
to carry its raceme of bells, and the 
result is highly successful from the pro¬ 
fessional standpoint, where every inch of 
space must be utilized to produce sprays 
for cutting, but the plants are too crowd¬ 
ed for good decorative effect. For win¬ 
dow garden purposes six or eight crowns 
in a five-inch pot would be thick enough. 
The directions for the house culture of 
Convallaria crowns given in the Woman 
and Home Department of The R. N.-Y., 
page 274, are so practical and proved so 
successful in actual trial that they are 
here reprinted: 
Directions for forcing lily-of-the-valley in 
the house sound rather complicated as given 
by most authorities, with their recommenda¬ 
tions of sphagnum moss, 70 degrees of hear, 
etc. We have been very successful this year 
and last, without any “fussing.” or any un¬ 
usual conditions. We buy strong crowns in 
January and February, providing for a suc¬ 
cession. They are planted in pots or pans, 
in any soil convenient—clear sand would do 
equally well. The soil is watered, and they 
are put in a dark cellar where we keep po¬ 
tatoes for a week or 10 days, when a few are 
brou lit up to the light, as convenience al¬ 
lows. First they are put on a mantel behind 
the kitchen stove for a week, where the warm 
moist air forces them rapidly; then they 
spend about a week in the north window of 
the kitchen, which quickly greens the tender 
leaves. From this they are transferred to an 
east window in the dining room, where the 
temperature is from 60 to 70. By the fourth 
week they are fully open, with tender green 
leaves and fragrant bells. 
There is only one true species of lily- 
of-the-valley, Convallaria majalis, though 
Solomon’s seal, and other related plants 
were formerly included in the genus. The 
American and European forms are essen¬ 
tially alike, though the latter has re¬ 
ceived by far the greater horticultural at¬ 
tention. The best crowns are grown in 
Germany, and are the result of not less 
than three to five years of careful culture. 
An excellent large-flowered strain, culti¬ 
vated in France under the name of For¬ 
tin’s variety, is especially suited for nat¬ 
uralizing in the border or in rich, deep 
soil in the dooryard. It is later in bloom 
and does not force well, but produces long 
racemes of very large wide-open bells of 
rich fragrance and great purity of color, 
and has in addition especially large and 
handsome foliage. There are red and 
double-flowered varieties of the common 
form, but they are not highly regarded. 
The best imported crowns of the ordinary 
type are offered at 50 to 75 cents the 
bundle of 25. Fortin’s variety does not 
appear to be offered in this country. 
w. v. f. 
mm "SCALECIDE'mn 
If YOU will guarantee to cover the 
SAN JOSE SCALE, 
WE will guarantee to kill it without injury to the 
tree. Can we do any more ? Yes, lowest cost. Price 
in bbls., 50c.per gal.; 10 gal. cans, $6;5 gal. cans, $3.25; 1 gal. cans, 
$1, f. o. b. N. Y. One gal. makes 21 gals, spray by simply adding 
water. For particulars and circular, address 
B. G. PRATT CO., 11 Broadway, New York. 
Don’t Raise Bugs 
in your orchards and gardens but get 
rid of them by using 
DEMING 
SPRAY PUMPS 
Hand or Power Outfits Century, 
Success, Knapsack. Good for all' 
kinds of Spraying and Whitewashing. 
Everything for WATER SUPPLY 
Pumps, Wind Mills, Tanks, Gasoline 
Pumps, Pneumatic System. 
Write foi' Catalogue R. 
R.B. CARTER CO., 47 Dey St, Jew York 
When you write advertisers mention The 
I t. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, page 18. 
SPRAY, SPRAY, 
SPRAY 
your trees for the 
Codling Moth and All Leaf 
Eating Insects with the 
Best and Safest Poison 
which is 
Swift’s 
Arsenate of Lead 
IT WILL NOT BURN AND 
IT STICKS 
MADE ONLY BY THE 
Merrimac Chemical Co., 
33 Broad St., Boston, Mass. 
Write for free booklet. 
FOR SALE BY 
W. S. Stevens, Grand Rapids, Mich. 
Benton, Hall & Co., Cleveland, Ohio. 
Williamson Produce Co.,Quincy, Ill. 
McPike Drug Co., Kansas City, Mo. 
C. S. Martin & Co., Salt Lnke. Utah. 
Woodward, Clark & Co., Portland, Ore. 
Langley, Michaels Co.. San Francisco, Cal. 
San. Monte Fruit Co., Watsonville, Cal. 
INSIST ON HAVING SWIFT'S. 
SAN JOSE SCALE 
and other INSECTS killed by 
GOOD’S 
Caustic Potash Whale-Oil Soap No. 3 
Endorsed by U. S. Dept, of Agri. and State Experiment 
Stations. This soap is a Fertilizer as well as an Insecti¬ 
cide. 5d-lb. kegs. $2.50; 100-lb. kegs, $4.50; half barrel, 
270 lb., 3%c per lb; barrel.425 lb.. 3!4c. Send for booklet. 
JAMES GOOD, Original Maker, 
939-41 N. Front Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 
The great soil improver for Peas, Beans, Clovers, &c. 
Write for prices and circular. GRIFFITH & TUR¬ 
NER CO., 211 N. Paca Street, Baltimore, Md. 
FARMERS—SAVE 25^ 
Get a Perfection Sprayer. Spray your A n |\ ■ |l 
trees, potatoes, vines—everything. Will pay I® 11 J g M B 
for itself first season. Hand and horse power % UU fa ■ 
combined. Send for our new catalogue— free. 1 I 
Thomas Peppler, Box 45. Hightstown, N. J. V I IS HI 
More Power Spraying outfits with 
our 1H* and 2 'g H. P. AIR-COOLED 
Engines are used titan till others com¬ 
bined. No water to freeze or carry. 
It is light. Write for Catalog 5 on 
Engines for Power and Spraying. 
R. H. DEYO & CO., Binghamton, New York. 
GAIN ACRES 
by clearing that stumpy piece 
lof land THE ltKKCTLKS 
Jstump Puller pulls any stump. 
_ ^Saves time, labor and money. 
Catalog free. Hercules Mfe. Co.. Deot. p$ . Centerville.ia. 
AGENTS 
WANTED 
For Mend-a-Rip 
Greatly improved. Better than ever. 
z=sj Does all kinds of light and heavy 
riveting and 
stitching. 
Saves itf 
. cost many times ft year. A per- 
I feet Hand Sewing Machine and Ri v eter 
combined. Notice the Automatic Spacer 
which makes neat, even stitching. To 
show it means a sale. Agents make 
- $3 to $15 a day. One agent made $20 first 
• day and writes to hurry machines to him. Write forspeo- 
«.i T v. Pootp Pmmflrv Hu Ttan. 237 Fredericktown.0 
INDRURO ID 
ROOFING 
Requires no Coatiner 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. 
k T«ADl PJJMP 
To introduce our patented pumps in eve 4> 
county, wo will send one pump 
to the first to write accepting our 
special Offer. Write to-day. 
A Wooden Pump made 
Of Iron. Just remove fulcrum 
and handle to remove suck- 
leather. Stock made of steel, base 
adjustable, brass drain cock prevents 
freezing. Guaranteed, 
repairs done quickly aliovo ground. 
“No Trix 
•"‘Williams” Pump 
Indianapolis, Ind. 
Fruit Packages 
OUR SPECIALTY 
BERRY BASKETS 
ALL SIKES 
PEACH BASKETS 
ALL SIZES 
GRAPE BASKETS 
Best quality goods. Factory prices. 
Berry, Peach and Grape Crates, etc. 
Write for Illustrated Catalogue. 
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. 12piungerstrokes 
compresses air to spray % acre. We manu¬ 
facture the largest lino in America of high 
grade hand and power sprayers. Catalog free. 
Write Ui if you want agency* 
E. C. BROWN CO. t 
28 Jay St.. Rochaater, X, Y. 
It Is Worth While 
Buy a machine that does the work 
right— that cleaus its strainer 
automatically with a brush , 
mixes liquid mechanically so that 
oliage is never burned, but gets 
ts due proportion. 
Empire King, and 
Orchard Monarch 
do these things. They throw lit eat 
■pray, 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 PI MP CO., 
No. 2 11th St. , Elmira, X. Y. 
COLES & COMPANY 
109 & 111 Warren St., New York. 
Established 1884. 
THE CALDWELL 
Galvanized 
Steel Tanks 
Are cheaper tban wood 
and do not rust. Sizes 
up to 1000 gallons capa¬ 
city shipped set up. 
Write for delivered 
prices and catalogue. 
W- E. CALDWELL CO 
Louisville, Ky. 
MACHINERY 
C SDE 
Best and cheapest, 
Send for catalogue. 
BOOMER & BOSCHERT 
PRESS CO., 
118 West Wat.r St., 
SYRACUSE, N. 1, 
" e-Power Spramotor 
Will pay for itself the first season 
in removing wild mustard from 
your fields. 
Automatic in action throughout; 
everything under control of driver 
without stopping. 
Machine automatically stops at 
125 lbs. pressure, starting again at 
100 lbs. 
Tell us your needs. You will 
get expert advice. 
Our 86-page Treatise D free. 
Agents wanted. 
SPRAMOTOR CO., 
BUFFALO, N.Y. 
LONDON,CAN. 
