TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November 17, 
852 
Ruralisms • 
IT ▼ ’▼’V T y W WWW yX 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
A Poor Grape Season. —The least sat¬ 
isfactory of all local fruit crops this year 
is the grape, though apples have not 
turned out nearly as well as anticipated. 
Grapes had quite favorable blooming 
weather, but hopes of a good crop were 
quickly nipped by the worst visitation of 
Rose beetles for many years. They 
swarmed over the flowers, foliage and 
young fruits in such numbers that many 
vines were entirely stripped. The few 
decimated clusters that survived were fur¬ 
ther subjected, during Summer, to par¬ 
ticularly unfavorable conditions of heat 
and prolonged moisture. There was lit¬ 
tle mildew, but the southern black rot 
prevailed, reducing or wiping out yields 
almost without regard to variety or sit¬ 
uation. Ives came through best, as it is 
well known to be the most resistant of 
commercial kinds. The season, as a 
whole, was so adverse that little may be 
said of the comparative merit of the 
newer kinds. Even our hitherto reliable 
Isabella failed to mature more than half 
a crop, though its situation, trained on a 
dwelling, greatly lessened injury from 
Rose beetles. Campbell’s Early and Mc- 
Pike both showed ability to produce fruit 
under these particularly unfavorable con¬ 
ditions, while Prof. Munson’s Wapanuka 
and Gold Coin were also able to make 
some return for the care bestowed on 
them. Both the latter are light grapes, yel¬ 
lowish white in color, and of excellent 
quality. The latter has fruited five suc¬ 
cessive years with less loss from insects 
and disease than any variety under trial 
except Ives. It ripens in late September, 
and is one of the most reliable kinds we 
gro v. The flavor is unusually sweet and 
agreeable, while both cluster and berry 
arc of good size. Although our grape 
crop is a failure there is compensation in 
the vigorous growth of the vines, which 
far exceeds that of any previous season. 
When controlled by vigorous Spring 
pruning they should be in condition to 
produce well next year should natural 
conditions permit. 
Mr. Rjehl’s New Early Grape. —That 
grapes succeeded better in other locali¬ 
ties is evident by their abundance and 
fine quality in market, and by specimens 
submitted by many correspondents. One 
of the most promising is a new black 
variety sent by E. A. Riehl, Alton, Ill., 
as early as the last week in July, to¬ 
gether with immature clusters of Moore’s 
Early, picked the same day. The new 
kind, though a seedling of Niagara, is 
black wiih thick blue bloom; berries and 
clusters are of moderate size. Quality 
very good, in every way comparable to 
the Concord, and other later commercial 
kinds. Mr. Riehl says he tested this 
grape for more than 10 years, and that 
it fills a place in cultivation not occu¬ 
pied by any other kind, as it is earlier 
than anv. and yet is of good quality. The 
vine is said to be a good grower, healthy, 
hardy and productive. 
The Cow-horn Turnip. —Much has 
been said of the Cow-horn turnip as a soil 
improver, or rather ameliorator, as it is 
supposed to benefit more by changing the 
soil texture than by bringing in new fer¬ 
tilizing material like clover and other 
legumes. It will grow in unproductive 
clav soils, and bores deep into the ground, 
opening up by its decay in Winter the 
deeper compact layers, and adding a most 
appreciable amount of humus. The seeds 
are commonly sown with Crimson clover 
in August or September in corn or on 
fields that might otherwise remain bare 
through Winter. It has been used in this 
manner with perceptible benefit on Hope 
Farm, and in thousands of other trials 
throughout the country. In bringing a 
newly-purchased addition to the Rural 
Grounds into cultivation we concluded to 
use this handy plant. The plot was deep¬ 
ly plowed in June, after the evergreen 
nursery that had occupied it many years 
had been removed, and twice harrowed 
at intervals of a fortnight to kill sprout¬ 
ing weeds and drag off the numerous 
roots. A portion was planted with late 
table corn, fertilizing with hen manure 
in the hill. Crimson clover and Cow- 
horn turnips, at the rate of four ounces 
turnip to 15 pounds clover seed, was 
sown on the remainder August 10, work¬ 
ing it in with an ordinary cultivator. 
Mixed seeds were later sown in the same 
proportion at the last working of the 
corn in September. We tried to sow the 
clover at the rate of 15 pounds to the 
acre, and secured a thick stand for soil in 
such poor condition. There was abund¬ 
ance of rain, enabling the clover to smoth¬ 
er the turnips almost completely in the 
early sowing, but in the corn there is a 
good stand, entirely covering the clover 
in many places. We think they Will more 
than repay the trifling outlay by opening 
up the soil, and discover as well they are 
extremely palatable for the table. At the 
close of October they stand like thick 
white radishes five or six inches above 
the soil, and much more beneath the sur¬ 
face. They scarcely resemble turnips ex¬ 
cept in leaf, and would be scorned by 
customers in a vegetable market, but ap¬ 
pear to us the most palatable of all turnip 
varieties, cooking quick and tender, with 
an excellent mild flavor. 
The Gladiolus as an Annual.—A 
German nursery announces a strain of 
Gladiolus that flowers the same season 
from seeds, and will soon offer it under 
the name of Prascox. It was bred by 
constant selection of quick-blooming 
kinds from the general collections of 
Gladiolus vaieties now before the public. 
The flowers are said to be large and of 
great diversity in color. Seeds are sown 
under glass in March, and the seedlings 
planted out in May, the blooms appear¬ 
ing in late Summer, though especially 
precocious plants have flowered as early 
as July 12. The claim is made that these 
annual Gladioli will displace the usual 
kinds propagated by cormels, but we fancy 
growers are not like to give up their 
well-known varieties unless the newcom¬ 
ers are distinctly superior in other points 
than quick-blooming from seed. Most 
raisers of Gladioli find precocious indivi¬ 
duals among their seedlings, but it is the 
usual experience that they are of little 
decorative value as compared with those 
coming on the second and third years. 
Varieties of the Lemoinei section, the off¬ 
spring of Gladiolus purpureo-auratus, are 
more disposed to bloom quickH from 
seeds than the descendants of other spe¬ 
cies, and we are informed the Praecox 
strain is largely made up of such sorts. 
We have for many years secured blooms 
within a year of sowing, from seedlings 
of the most diverse parentage, by planting 
under glass in October, drying off the 
little corms the succeeding March, and 
planting outside in May. Abundant 
blooms follow, usually beginning in July, 
but this method imitates nature in that 
there are two periods of growth, with a 
resting period of several weeks between, 
while the new German kind is supposed 
to grow continuously until it flowers and 
seeds. w. v. f. 
■■■ —— 
Stone and Cement IIenhodse. —Can a 
poultry house he built of stone and cement? 
Will dampness of such a house be detrimental 
to the health of the fowls? If any of your 
readers have such houses I would ask them 
to express their opinions in regards to meth¬ 
ods, plans and cost. a. b. c. 
I/ong Island. 
The Columbian Raspberry. —My experi¬ 
ence with the Columbian raspberry has been 
limited, but I have raised the Shaffer, which 
is in the same class, i. e., a purple berry. 
Either one is too soft for shipping, the 
Columbian being slightly firmer, but will not 
stand express handling like a blackcap or 
Cuthbort. They are good yielders, but do 
not bring the price of either red or black. 
The best answer to that part of the ques¬ 
tion is the quotations in Rochester market 
July 27: Raspberries (red) per pint, 5 Vo 
@ 6 ; (black) per quart, 12@13c: (purple) 
per quart, 7@8c. A few years ago certain 
growers took orders for red berries and de¬ 
livered purple, so that now people are quite 
particular to say “light red” when ordering 
a crate of Berries. c. e. c. 
4 
When you write advertisers mention Thb 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and 
‘-‘a square deal.” See guarantee, page 14. 
Make manly men of them—strong- of arm, quick 
of eye and steady of nerve. There is nothing a 
boy enjoys more than a good gun, and thereare 
no better or safer guns made than “Stevens.” 
A BIG BOOK, FREE 
describing Stevens guns and rifles of every 
sort and style, for hunter, marksman, girl 
or boy. 140 pages. Sent free to any one in¬ 
terested in guns, sending 4 c. to cover postage. 
Ask your dealer and insist on Stevens. 
No others “just as good.” 
J. STEVENS ARMS AND TOOL CO. 
200 Pine St., Chicopee Falls, Mass., U.S.A. 
LET THE DREW 
WORK FOR YOU 
This is the Elevated Carrier 
that Is Sold on a Guaranty. 
We can afford to guarantee it because we 
know that it will save you more hard work, more 
time and more steps than any other carrier 
made. It’s the 
Automatic 
Drew Carrier 
Not only Automatic in name but absolutely 
automatic in operation. 
You load it in the barn, give it a push and it 
travels to the end of the track, dumps its load 
and returns to you all by itself. 
If it doesn't do that without a hitch, you get 
your money back. 
Its use keeps the barn and yard scrupulously 
clean, offering an easy means of preventing the 
accumulation of disease breeding litter, refuse, 
manure, etc. 
11 is not only valuable for stable cleaning, but 
it is a practical conveyor of all sorts of articles. 
Let it carry your Ensilage, Feed, Grain, Pota¬ 
toes, Milk Cans, Slop and many other things. 
Doesn’t it mean something to you to know 
that there are more Automatic Drews in use to¬ 
day than all other Elevated Carriers combined? 
Send for Catalogue and examine the Drew 
System. You will then understand why more 
Drews are in use than all others combined. 
Write today for particulars. 
Drew Elevated Carrier Co., 115 Monroe St., Waterloo, Wit. 
Climax Carrier. 
Feed, Ensilage, Litter. 
A stable help that saves labor. Brings feed from 
silo or bin to manger, carries manure from all 
stablings to same pile or dumps on wagon. Easy 
lift, light running, positive dump. Made of steel. 
Straight or curved tracks to run anywhere and suit 
any stable plan. Write for descriptive circular. 
Warsaw-Wilkinson Co., 
50 Highland Ave., Warsaw, N. Y. 
W. L. DOUGLAS 
*3.50 & s 3.00 Shoes 
BEST IN THE WORLD 
W.L.Oouglas $4 Gilt Edge line,, 
cannotbe equalled atany price , 
To Shoe Dealers: 
W. L. Douglas’ Job¬ 
bing House is the most 
complete in this country 
Send for Catalog 
SHOES FOR EVERYBODY AT ALL PRICES. 
Men’s Shoes, $5 to $1.50. Boys’ Shoes, $3 
to $1.25, Women’s Shoes. $4.00 to $1.60. 
Misses’ St Children’s Shoes, $2.25 to $1.00, 
Try W. L. Douglas Women’s, Misses and 
Children’s shoes; for style, fit and wear 
they excel other makes. 
If I could take you Into my large 
factories at Brockton, Mass.,and show 
you how carefully W.L. Douglas shoes 
are made, you would then understand 
why they hold their shape, fit better, 
wear longer, and are of greater value 
than any other make. 
Wherever you live, you can obtain W. L. 
Douglas shoes. His name and price is stamped 
on the bottom, which protects you against high 
prices and Inferior shoes. Take no substl• 
tate. Ask your dealer for W. L. Douglas shoes 
and insist upon having them. 
Fast Color Eyelets used; they will not wear brassy. 
Write for Illustrated Catalog of Pall Styles. 
W. L. DOUGLAS, Dept. Q, Brockton, Mass. 
No. 2 Multi- 
pie Conduit. 
BUILDING MATERIAL 
for houses, barns and farm 
buildings of every description. 
Stands greater 
weight, and is 
cheaper than 
brick, stone or 
cement. Send 
for estimates. 
Samples sent 
free. Freight 
prepaid. 
Sold only In 
ear loads. 
Write 
H. B. Camp Co. 
Bessemer llldg. 
PITTSBURG, PENN 
AGENTS 
WANTED 
For Mend-a-Rip 
Greatly Improved. Better than ever. 
Does ail kinds of light aud heavy 
riveting and 
stitching. 
Saves its 
cost many times a year. A per¬ 
fect Hand Sewing Machine and Riveter 
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 J-JU first 
'lay and write* to hurry machines to him. Write forspeo- 
1*1 agu. price. J B. Foote Foundry Co.Dep 41s rredericktown.O 
(The Great Agents Supply House) 
Caldwell Tanks 
of Galvanized Steel are used 
everywhere. Sizes up to 1200 
gallons can be shipped set up 
at small cost for freight. These 
tanks are strong, tight and 
durable. Cost less than wood 
tanks. Ask for illustrated 
catalogue and delivered prices 
W. E. CALDWELL CO. 
Louisville, Ky. 
ffiSSSSS) cowers 
Wind Mills,Pumps, Uus Engines. 
ICE 
Had. 
In Thro. 
Bice*. 
CUTTING 
DORSCH All Steel, Double- 
Row ICE PLOWS. Marks and 
outs two rows at a time; ents any size cake 
and any depth, and does it with ease and economy. 
Does the work of twenty men sawing by hand. Pays for Itself IV 
Wo days. No farmer, dairyman, hotel man or other can afford t« 
be without it. Ask for catalogue and introductory prices. 
JohnDorsch&Sona. 236 Welle St.. Milwaukee. WU. 
Elite Oil. 
A high grade, perfect bunk 
ing oil. Never fails to 
please where a clear,strong 
light is desired. Made 
from Pure Pennsylvania 
Crude. Write lor particu¬ 
lars and prices. 
DERRICK OIL CO., 
Titusville, Penn. 
MACHINERY 
C IDE 
Best and cheapest. 
Send for catalogue. 
BOOMER & BOSCHERT 
PRESS CO., 
118 West Water St., 
SYRACUSE, N. Y. 
Monarch 
Hydraulic 
Cider Press 
Great strength and ca¬ 
pacity; all sizes; also 
gasoline engines, 
8team engines, 
saw mills, thresh- 
_ ers. Catalog free. 
■ooarch Baehlnarj Co., Rood 161,38 Cortlandt St., Nav York. 
