474 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
June 9, 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
An Early-blooming Evergreen. —One 
of the first native evergreen shrubs to 
bloom in Spring is Andromeda, some¬ 
times called Pieris. floribunda, a flowering 
twig of which is shown, somewhat re¬ 
duced in size, in Fig. 191. page 471. It 
forms a densely-branched and compact 
shrub two to five feet high, with dark- 
green, laurel-like foliage, and is entirely 
covered in April and early May with 
racemes of urn-shaped, milk-white flowers 
that show very conspicuously against the 
deeply tinted leaves. It prefers rich moist 
soil and appreciates slight shade and some 
protection from cutting Winter winds, 
but grows well on ordinary upland, and 
is quite hardy in cultivation up to the 
northern border of the United States, 
though it is rarely found growing wild 
north of Virginia, hut is chiefly native 
to the higher Allegheny Mountains from 
Georgia to Maryland. Plants are offered 
by a few nurserymen at from 40 cents 
to $1 each. Culture should be about 
as for Rhododendrons, for which this 
Andromeda forms an admirable compan¬ 
ion. The flower buds form in Autumn, 
and are quite conspicuous throughout 
Winter, the blooms being at their best 
about the beginning of May. Propagation 
is principally by seeds, but the plants usu¬ 
ally offered are collected and grown into 
good form in nurseries before sending 
out to customers. 
Novelties That Didn't Pan Out.— 
The following novelties of the season of 
1905 were given careful trial on the 
Rural Grounds with little satisfactory re¬ 
sult. 
Japan Winter Salad "Udo.” —This is 
botanically Aralia cordata, a Japanese 
relative of the prickly tree known as 
Hercules’ club or devil’s walking stick, 
common in the Southern States north to 
Tennessee. Udo is an herbaceous per¬ 
ennial growing five to six feet high, with 
large ornamental foliage. The young 
shoots of two-year plants are bleached 
by growing through mounds or ridges 
of earth like asparagus. The seeds are 
to be sown in the garden in the usual 
manner, and the seedlings later trans¬ 
planted to good, deep soil, setting them 
10 inches by two feet apart. At the end 
of the second growing season the stalks 
are to be cut close to the roots and earth 
ridged over, two feet deep, to be removed 
in about six weeks, when the tender 
new growth should be found ready for 
use. The shoots are said to be crisper 
than celery, silky white in color and of 
an agreeable flavor when eaten raw or 
cooked. The plant was introduced by 
one of the Department of Agriculture ex¬ 
plorers, who regarded it as an acquisition, 
the vegetable being very extensively used 
in Japan. We procured seeds, but failed 
to germinate them, either under glass or 
outside. A Buffalo -florist induced his 
seeds to grow, and forced growth during 
Winter under glass by planting in a 10- 
inch pot with another pot of earth of 
the same size inverted over the one con¬ 
taining the roots. Growth soon aope.ued 
at the drainage hole of the upper pot. 
The attractive bleached shoots were not 
tested raw, but developed an excellent 
flavor when cooked like asparagus. 
Red Perennial Sunflower. —This is a 
German novelty of rather startling char¬ 
acter—claimed to be a hybrid between the 
perennial sunflower, Helianthus multi- 
florus, and Echinacea purpurea, our na¬ 
tive purple coneflower. Our seeds were 
also unkind enough not to germinate 
under any conditions we could give them, 
and though many trials were made no 
successes in this country have reached 
our. notice. Seedsmen received many 
complaints from disappointed purchasers. 
The variety is again offered this season, 
and there is little doubt the red “sun¬ 
flower” actually exists even if its seeds 
do not grow. The hybrid plant is de¬ 
scribed as growing five to sx feet high, 
with flowers four to 10 inches in diameter. 
1 he disk is flat, like all sunflowers, in¬ 
stead of cone-shaped like those of Ech¬ 
inacea and the Rudbeckias. The large 
flowers are of various shades of red. and 
said to be excellent for cutting, as they 
last a long time, and have stems from 
18 inches to two feet long. Who has 
succeeded with it ? 
Dahlia; Single Black-leaved Luci¬ 
fer. —The seeds of this distinct Dahlia 
germinated well and the plants were all 
quite true to description. The deeply cut 
leaves were blackish-brown, and the 
flowerstalks almost ebony in their hue. 
The flowers were deep orange or scarlet, 
making a strong, hut not particularly 
agreeable contrast. The plants were not 
especially vigorous in growth, reaching 
only two feet high by the end of the 
season. Although the tubers appeared to 
keep well they show no signs of starting 
into growth this Spring. Lucifer is an 
oddity, hut there are many foliage plants 
of greater attractions, such as, for in¬ 
stance the good old easily grown Perilla 
Nankinensis. 
Dahlia “Colossal”. —This was to be 
a startling new French single Dahlia 
bearing flowers up to 8J4 inches in di¬ 
ameter, an almost unheard of dimension, 
bright scarlet in color, but with some 
tendency to vary. The raiser predicted 
Colossal would soon displace all the other 
single sorts. Maybe it will, if it can 
he bred true. Our packet of 15 seeds, cost¬ 
ing 25 cents, produced 14 widely distinct 
but commonplace varieties, single, double, 
semi-double, white, red. yellow in color 
and with both plain and cut leaved foli¬ 
age—just such plants as one could ex¬ 
pect from any job lot of seeds. The 
tendency to vary existed in the most em¬ 
phatic manner. Not one of our seedlings 
resembled in the most remote way the 
image conjured up by the introducer’s 
description, that spoke of the huge blooms 
being carried with the lightness and grace 
of a Japanese paeony. The inclination to 
vary is more prominently dwelt on in 
this season’s announcement. It is prob¬ 
ably a safe assertion, as the modern Dah¬ 
lia is one of the most variable plants, 
with a strong tendency to reversion to 
inferior forms, when grown from seeds. 
We have no doubt our seeds were saved 
from the typical variety, but they sadly 
failed to reproduce their distinguished 
parent, which most likely, can only be 
propagated with certainty by cuttings or 
tubers. w - v - F - 
Killing Out Quack Grass. 
IF. B. C., Rutland, Vt .—I am much inter¬ 
ested in the way you handle inquiries through 
The R. N.-Y. I would like to know whether 
there is any practical method to clean our 
grass lands from the nuisance that is troub¬ 
ling most of them in our vicinity. We call 
it quack grass, other localities may have 
other names 
A ns. —We have discussed this every 
year. The difficulty in killing “quack” 
or “witch” or “twitch” grass is that it 
grows from underground stems. Some 
plants can be killed by clipping them 
again and again before they go to seed, 
but “quack grass” will grow fat on such 
treatment. The roots or underground 
stems must be torn up and killed by ex¬ 
posure to sun and air. This is done by 
working the soil over and over with a 
spring-tooth harrow or a disk or Cut¬ 
away. which will cut or tear off the roots 
and bring them to the surface. June is 
usually the best month for doing this, but 
it requires long and patient work to kill 
out the “quack.” 
Horse Manure for Absorbent. 
J. R., Carlisle, Pa .—What is meant on 
page 419 (ailing cows) by “horse manure 
in the drop?” As we keep two cows I am 
anxious to learn all I can concerning their 
welfare. 
Ans. —This referred to the plan of 
using the horse manure to absorb the 
liquids in the cow barn. In many dairy 
barns there is a “drop” or gutter behind 
the cows to hold the manure. The liquids 
accumulate there, and often ‘-oak away 
and are lost unless something is present, 
to absorb them. Horse manure is drier 
than that from cows, and it will absorb 
much liquid, especially when the horses 
are well bedded. T he horse manure is 
carried in a wheel barrow and thrown in 
the gutter behind the cows until it ab¬ 
sorbs the liquids, when it is thrown out 
with the rest. 
When to Cut Briars 
A. J. H., Ohio .—Can some of your read¬ 
ers tell me if there is a time to cut trees 
and briars which will insure killing them? 
Also, is there a time to cut lumber and locust 
posts which will enhance their ordinary last¬ 
ing quality? 
Ans. —The best time we have found is 
in late Summer or early Fall—with us 
usually the latter part of August. At 
that time trees and vines seem to be 
nearly exhausted after making their sea¬ 
son’s growth. From that time on the 
vine makes but little growth, the rest of 
the season being spent in storing up 
energy for another year. Our experience 
is that when vines or trees are cut at this 
time they make only a feeble growth, and 
usually die during the Winter. 
Cutting Wheat for Hay. 
.4. I)., Babylon, L. I .—Can you inform me 
if Red Winter wheat cut green and cured 
will make good hay for horses? I shall need 
a good deal of hay next Winter, and if my 
wheat will make good hay I will cut it, as it 
will pay me better than the grain. 
Ans. —“Wheat hay” makes an excellent 
fodder. It is largely used in the West. 
In California hay made from wheat and 
barley is quoted in the markets above 
Timothy. We cut it while the grain is 
in the “dough stage”—that is, while the 
grains are so soft that they easily crush 
to a milk between the fingers. When the 
first of such grains are found we would 
cut all the wheat and cure much like 
clover hay. _ 
Kill Disease Germs. —Dr. Samuel G. 
Dixon, of Pennsylvania, gives some good ad¬ 
vice about disinfecting houses or rooms which 
sick people have occupied. No one should 
move into a strange house without fumigat¬ 
ing it thoroughly, and even the house in 
which we live year after year may well be 
purified. Dr. Dixon gives the following 
method for fumigating a room : 
“Six and one-half ounces by weight of po¬ 
tassium permanganate crystals are required 
for each pint of 40 per cent solution of for¬ 
maldehyde in disinfecting every 1,000 cubic 
feet of room space. Place the crystals in a 
tin. agate or iron pail, the capacity of which 
is over eight times the Volume of the disin¬ 
fectants used. This is necessary to prevent 
overflow of the solution from effervescence. 
Place the pail containing the crystals at the 
center of the room in a dishpan with a non¬ 
conductor. such as a stove lid or bricks, 
placed under the pail, as considerable heat 
without flame is given off upon mixing the 
chemicals. Quickly pour the formaldehyde 
solution upon the crystals and make a hasty 
retreat. Always place the potassium per¬ 
manganate crystals in the pail first. Pour 
the formaldehyde solution from a wide mouth 
vessel, that it may be done quickly. In or¬ 
der to get the full strength of the gas in each 
room windows should be tightly closed and 
all cracks, crevices and keyholes stopped.” 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal." See guarantee, page 8. 
Dig Your Potatoes With a 
Dowden. 
Get them all in any soil, \cl_wdeep or shal¬ 
low, hilly or level, light or heavy vines. 
Potatoes come clean and sound. The ma¬ 
chine that works right and lasts. Write foreatalog. 
Dowden Mfg. Co., Box £22, Prairie City, Iowa. 
1 The 
WATSON 
Four Row 
►Potato Sprayer 
„ Covers 30 to40 acres per 
day. Straddles 2 rows, 
’ sprays 4 at a time. W heels 
_ ljust for different widths. 
Sprays to any fineness and gearing or pump to wheel or 
cart gives any pressure desired. Automatic agitator and 
suction strainer cleaner. It never spoils tolfage or clogs. 
Free instruction and formula book shows the famous Garflsid, 
Empire King, Orchard Monarch and other sprayers. Write for it. 
FIELD FORCE PUMP CO., 2 IlthSt., Elmira, M. Y. 
Deming Power Sprayer 
* Self-contained, simple, light, pract¬ 
ical. Load it on wagon box or t.iu 1 
wagon and attach hose and you are 
ready for work. The ideal outfit 
for orchardlsts and park 
managers. The only really 
efficient gasoline engineout- 
flt that 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 Deming Hue. 
Catalogue Free. 
THE DEMING CO., 
200 Depot St. 
SALEM, OHIO. 
Spree/ Potevtoe^ 
6 rows at a time, any 
wicah, with 
Rrnu/n’e faction 
DlUWn O COMPRESSED 
AIR SPRAYER. 
Constant pressure up to 150 lbs. 
Power costs nothing. 100 gal¬ 
lon cypress tank, all brass 
pump. Perfectly adapted also to or¬ 
chard work. We are the largest man¬ 
ufacturers of spray pumps In tho 
world, hand and power,including tho 
famous “Auto-Spray.” 
Send for Catalogue. * 
28 Jay St., Rochester, N.Y. 
E. C. Brown Co.. 
HURST'S 
POTATO 
SPRAYER 
Tree” trial 
Sprays Everything. 
Potatoes, Truck, etc., 4 
rows at a time, 20 acres 
a day. Even 2-acre grow¬ 
ers say, “Pays for itself 
first season," as it hus so 
many uses. (Also a first class Tree Sprayer). 
Has HIGH PRESSURE, and delivers a“FOG‘Tiko spray 
Perfect agitation. All working parts made of “BRASS . 
Runs very easy, a BOY 16 years old can operate it with 
ease. (Horse-hitch for hilly country). FIRST ORDER 
where no Agent, gets wholesale price, or will take extra 
yield one acre our pay. Sent on 10 DAYS’ TRIAL—does 
not cost you one cent if not satisfac ory. GUARANTEED 
for 2 yrs. V e give one away, in each locality for a little 
help in Advertising. Write today for our liberal terms. 
H. 1. HURST MFG. CO., 1 501 North Street Canton, 0. 
Spray Your Potato Vines 
INCREASE THE YIELD AND DOUBLE YOUR 
PROFITS BY KEEPING THE GROWING 
PLANTS FREE FROM BUGS AND BLIGHT. 
The Aspinwall Row Sprayer 
E ossesses every requisite for effective work; it is substantially made, 
as a wide range of adjustment and is up-to-date in every respect. 
We are acknowledged headquarters for 
POTATO MACHINERY 
THE WORLD OVER. We have 
made a specialty of the manufac¬ 
ture of this class of implements for 
the past twenty-five years, making 
n full line, consisting of 
CUTTERS, 
PLANTERS, 
SPRAYERS, 
DIGGERS, 
SORTERS. 
Write for our Catalogue. 
ASPINWALL MFG. CO., 
159 Sabin St., Jackson, Mich. 
U. S. A. 
