542 
July 13, 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
Choice Tulip Species. —Interest in wild 
or botanical tulip continues to grow. T1 m 
gorgeous garden varieties were never 
more popular, the general appreciation 
extending to the long-neglected late or 
May-blooming varieties, as well as to the 
familiar early ones, but cultivators of this 
charming genus are also finding much 
pleasure in growing the various natural 
or wild forms from which the garden 
kinds were developed, as well as the very 
attractive new species brought to light 
by recent explorations in Central Asia. 
About 90 species are now known to bot¬ 
anists, of which more than half are pro¬ 
curable from European bulb dealers. 
These are naturally those most orna¬ 
mental in character and best adapted for 
garden culture. Some have been grown 
and appreciated by generations of tulip 
fanciers, while others are newcomers, 
whose characteristics are less known. The 
following species have grown and bloomed 
well on the Rural Grounds as planted in 
light soil, mixed with a small proportion 
of weathered swamp muck: 
Tulipa Kaufmanniana, introduced 
from Turkestan in 1877, is a gem of the 
first water—the earliest of all tulips— 
hlooming normally in April, fully two 
weeks before the well-known red-and-yel- 
low Puc van Thol garden varieties. It 
forms a strong plant a foot high with 
three or four broad, thick, light-colored 
leaves. The flower is four to six inches 
across in its later stages, and is very last¬ 
ing- The petals or perianth divisions are 
pointed and spreading in water-lily form, 
white or soft yellow in color, with a 
rich yellow basal blotch, which is often 
marked with red, and broadly flamed out- 
aide with crimson. It is most attractive 
at aU times, and so rugged in constitu¬ 
tion as to withstand hard freezing when 
in bloom with little harm. The bulbs 
thrive well and increase in vigor under 
ordinary garden conditions. This species 
becomes variable in cultivation, and gives 
rise to scarlet and variegated varieties, 
some of which are now offered at much 
higher prices than the type which costs 
from seven to 10 cents each in Holland. 
T. Greigi and T. Micheliana, among 
tjhe newer kinds, bloom next, coming in 
early May. The former is now well 
known and unapproached in the glowing 
beatify of its large orange-scarlet blooms 
and chocolate-spotted foliage, which is at¬ 
tractively undulated in form. There are 
now fine yellow and striped varieties. 
Micheliana is less showy, the leaves are 
striped with brown and the large flowers, 
borne on tall stalks, are deep red with 
purple-black blotch at base. Though flow¬ 
ering well, the bulbs lose strength and 
show less adaptability than its gorgeous 
companion. 
T. Tubergeniana and T. Wilsoniana 
are new species recently discovered in Bok¬ 
hara. There is considerable resemblance 
botanically, but as garden plants they are 
quite distinct. Tubergeniana is one of the 
largest of tulips, the cup-shaped blooms 
being over six inches across. The color 
is dazzling vermilion with large black 
and yellow center. It is in every way a 
bold and vigorous tulip. Wilsoniana is 
almost as striking in appearance, but the 
basal blotch is smaller and plain black. 
The blooms do not appear to endure 
bright sunlight as well as those of Tn- 
bergeniana and are shorter lived, even in 
cool weather. 
Tulipa Ingens, also from Bokhara, is 
absolutely the largest-flowered species we 
have grown. It is rather compact in 
growth, with enormous blood-red, cup¬ 
shaped blooms, spreading as they mature 
more than seven inches wide. The basal 
blotch is black, but not as conspicuous 
as in related species. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
T. Ostrowskyana is a rather rare 
Turkestan species, with medium-sized 
flowers on tall stems, very bright scarlet 
in color, with small black and yellow 
blotches. Most of our bulbs produced 
.forked stems bearing two flowers each. 
It is a neat grower and pretty tulip. A 
number of yellow and orange varieties 
have been grown. 
T. Fosteriana, another Central Asian 
species, has lately been introduced as “the 
most splendid tulip in cultivation,” a char¬ 
acter not borne out by our trial. It has 
a very large scarlet flower with black and 
yellow marked center, 'very bold and 
handsome, but less striking in appearance, 
to our observation, than either Greigi or 
Ingens. It is, however, well worth 
growing. 
T. nitida, from Bokhara is a gem for 
neat, compact growth, reaching only seven 
inches high. The flower is large, bright, 
clear scarlet and of most perfect form. 
T. linifolia is also a dwarf-growing, 
bright scarlet species. The basal blotch 
is blue-black. It also comes from Bok¬ 
hara and makes a fine companion for the 
last species. 
T. Mauriana and T. planifolia are 
considered by botanists as only varieties 
of Tulipa Didieri, native of southern Eu¬ 
rope. The former is a very showy, tall- 
growing variety, scarlet with yellow cen¬ 
ter. The flowers are as fine as those of 
the best garden kinds, and are very last¬ 
ing. As it blooms late, it is alike decora¬ 
tive in the garden and useful as a cut- 
flower. Planifolia is tall and stately, with 
broad green leaves and large deep red 
flowers, marked with black. It comes 
nearest in appearance to ordinary single 
tulip. 
T. Kolpakowskyana, notwithstanding 
its forbidding name, is a remarkably fine 
species. There are several brightly col¬ 
ored garden varieties, but the type has 
well-formed yellow flowers, broadly 
flamed with red on the outside of petals. 
It grows about a foot high, and occurs 
wild in Asia. It is likely to give rise to 
many fine varieties under prolonged cul¬ 
tivation. 
T. Clusiana, the Lady Tulip, has 
been in cultivation over 200 years. It is 
native to Portugal and some of the Med¬ 
iterranean islands, and bears small star¬ 
shaped flowers, white or lemon yellow in¬ 
side and purple or crimson outside. When 
closed during dull weather the pointed 
blooms have an appearance remarkably 
like striped stick candy. When open, the 
water-lily appearance, like the early- 
blooming Kaufmanniana, is strongly 
marked. It is an admirable dwarf species. 
Tulipa Sprf.ngeri is probably the latest 
blooming of all tulips as Kaufmanniana 
is the first. Its habitat does not appear to 
be known, but the first bulbs were col¬ 
lected about 1893, near the Himalayan 
mountains. The foliage is peculiar, long, 
narrow, bright green in color, looking 
more like that of a Camassia than of a 
tulip. The flowers are borne on stems 
nearly two feet high, and come in late 
May or June, after the last of the “Cot¬ 
tage” garden tulip. The color is uniform 
scarlet inside with gray markings outside 
at base; the size is large and the form a 
graceful cup-shape. Two or more blooms 
often appear to be produced from the 
same bulb. This cool season has so de¬ 
layed the blooms of this fine novelty that 
they were in good condition June 18, 
though well exposed to sun. There ap¬ 
pears value in Sprengeri as a cut-flower, 
as it comes at a season when bright, bul¬ 
bous blooms are scarce and has much in¬ 
dividual beauty. 
T. galatica, from Persia, is quite new 
to cultivation and is a distinct and lovely 
species. The plant is rather stocky, with 
broad green leaves. The flower develops 
late and is of good size and elegant form. 
The coloring is soft primrose yellow, pass¬ 
ing to clear green in the basal blotches. 
The effect is that of refreshing daintiness, 
quite unusual in this showy genus. 
W. V. F. 
GROWING MULCH CROPS FOR 
STRAWBERRIES. 
On page 511 a reader In Ohio asked what 
crops he can grow to provide mulch for 
strawberries. He would like to sow some¬ 
thing after old strawberry beds are plowed 
under. The following replies have been re¬ 
ceived. 
My experience with mulching crops is 
limited to cow peas. Not that I am a cow 
pea “crank,” but simply because I think 
they are as good as anything I know of. 
At this writing, June 24, I am still pick¬ 
ing some fine berries on a five-acre field, 
which will be plowed and harrowed and 
sowed to cow peas before July 1. On 
July 12, 1902, I sowed three acres of cow 
peas and from this I got enough mulch 
to cover five acres of new plants, and 
saved about two tons for covering my 
sweet potato beds in Spring. In this local¬ 
ity cow peas will grow well where other 
mulch crops will starve, and at the same 
time they greatly improve the soil, while 
other crops tend to destroy it. If our 
Ohio friend will try cow peas he will get 
the desired result without filling his straw¬ 
berry beds with weeds, and other trash, 
and next Spring he will have a piece of 
rich mellow soil where they were grown. 
New Jersey. j. casazza. 
In the absence of wheat, rye or oats, 
straw as mulch for strawberries I would 
use buckwheat straw. If the buckwheat 
can be sown by the middle of July, and 
frosts should hold off until near October 
1 it would mature grain, and when 
thrashed would give a fair mulch. If 
grain cannot be matured the crop can be 
secured for mulch alone. Two years ago 
I sowed buckwheat on July 10, and by the 
middle of September it was ripe. I used 
some of the straw for mulch as an experi¬ 
ment, and because the stack was near 
one berry field, and it did very well, 
though more difficult to burn off than is 
wheat straw. Two months of good grow¬ 
ing weather will produce a good crop of 
straw. If strawberry vines are plowed in, 
of course, the ground should be well com¬ 
pacted with a roller, so as to hasten ger¬ 
mination and retain moisture through 
the rest of the Summer. In raising buck¬ 
wheat for grain we like to have a frost to 
drop the leaves before harvesting; but if 
raised for straw mulch this would not be 
best, as the straw would be too much like 
sticks. It should be allowed to come as 
near maturity as possible without danger 
of frost, and be set up in the usual way 
until well dried before stacking. Then 
the stack should be capped with something. 
The! straw should not be spread until the 
ground is frozen. Thus treated, it will 
retain most of its leaves, and being nearly 
matured and well dried it will not decay 
so rapidly. i. a. thayer. 
Pennsylvania;_ 
Killing Striped Beetles. —Take four 
■quarts of gypsum or laud plaster, and add 
three or four tahlespoonfuls of turpentine; 
mix thoroughly. We take it in our hand 
■amd scatter along the row or on the hill, 
and have found it very effective. The odor 
•of the turpentine makes other parts more 
attractive. w. c. F. 
GET THE BEST 
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THE ECLIPSE 
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DISTRIBUTE 
INSECTICIDES 
IN DUST FORM 
Leggett's Dusters 
Save Crops when other Methods Fail. 
NO WATER TO HAUL 
LEGGETT'S t CHAMPION 
CHAMPION 
,DUSTER 
The BEETLE 
(Horse Power) dusts four 
rows 
dusts two rows of pota¬ 
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i mim 
The JUMBO “g 
20-Pafe Spray Calendar gives information regarding Dusters 
Address of nearest dealer mailed on request. 
LEGGETT & BKO., 301 Pearl St., N. Y. 
It will pay you to spray your 
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Free from annoying 
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