i3 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
September 28, 
j Ruralisms [ 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
The Western Golden Chinquapin.— 
One of the common shrubs of the 
Pacific Coast region, often forming a 
considerable proportion of the abundant 
chaparral or native scrub thickets, is the 
Golden-leaved chinquapin, Castanopsis 
chrysophylla. Sometimes, in rich soils, 
it grows into a lofty tree, but usually 
on sterile hillsides, does not greatly ex¬ 
ceed the height of a man. It is ever¬ 
green, in common with many shrubs of 
the same locality, and is highly orna¬ 
mental, with the golden under-surface of 
its foliage contrasting with the deep 
glossy green upper surface. As a botan¬ 
ical genus, Castanopsis appears to link 
the oaks, chestnuts and beeches, having a 
somewhat triangular nut like the latter. 
There are a number of tender species of 
Castanopsis, mostly natives of subtropi¬ 
cal Asia. This solitary American species, 
foliage and immature burs of which are 
shown in Fig. 352, page 715, is the hardi¬ 
est of all, but has failed on the Rural 
Grounds, and in common with most Pa¬ 
cific broad-leaved evergreens, is not like¬ 
ly to endure eastern Winters north of 
Virginia. It has, however, been success¬ 
fully cultivated in southern England, 
where the climate to a greater extent 
resembles that of its native habitat. It 
is fairly productive, and the little nuts 
are said to be sweet and of excellent 
flavor. The burs when ripe do not open 
by regular valves, like chestnuts, but 
break up irregularly, nor do the nuts 
make their growth in a single season, 
but pass the Winter in a partly developed 
state, and mature the second Summer. 
This western chinquapin is always an 
interesting plant to far-west home-seekers. 
The illustrated specimen was furnished 
by an Oregon reader of The R. N.-Y. 
Catalpa Sphynx and Fall Web- 
Worm. —After several seasons of com¬ 
parative immunity our orchards are 
again marred by the unsightly nests of 
the Fall web-worm. The harm caused 
by these myriads of disagreeable hairy 
caterpillars is more apparent than real. 
They come so late that the foliage has 
nearly performed its function, and ob¬ 
servation shows that the stripped 
branches retain about as much vitality, 
and are almost as likely to fruit next 
year, as those on which the leaves natural¬ 
ly mature. As this particular species of 
leaf-devouring caterpillar feeds only 
under cover, extending the colony web 
as the twigs are stripped, _ it is not 
easily controlled by insecticide sprays, 
though Paris-green and arsenate of lead 
in the proportions of one tablespoonful 
of the arsenical to the gallon of water, 
very forcibly sprayed through and about 
the webs as soon as they are discovered, 
have been used with limited satisfaction. 
The most certain treatment is the de¬ 
struction of the inhabited portions of the 
web by crushing in the hands, or quick 
burning by means of the kerosene torch, 
though the latter method in careless 
hands may do far more injury than the 
web-worms. Of course., every orchardist, 
worthy of the name, wants to rid his 
trees of the conspicuous webs and is 
likely to take considerable trouble to ac¬ 
complish the purpose, but should he fail 
on account of press of other work he 
may later have the satisfaction of realiz¬ 
ing that a parasitic enemy of the pest 
had been busily at work among the larvae 
or caterpillars, and though unable to 
check their ravages for the season had 
put the insects out of business the suc¬ 
ceeding year. Fall web-worms were so 
abundant in 1903 as to approach the 
proportions of a scourge in several At¬ 
lantic States, marring the Autumn land¬ 
scapes and defoliating alike ornamental 
shrubs, roadside and orchard trees. So 
numerous were the colonies that even 
the pluckiest fights against the pest 
seemed of small avail. There was much 
foreboding as to its reappearance the 
succeeding year, but examination of 
cocoons next Spring showed that with 
scarcely an exception the chrysalides, or 
even the mature larvie before transform¬ 
ation had perished from attacks of the 
parasite. Web-worms were rarely ob¬ 
servable that year, and have not again 
appeared in force until present time. But 
little lasting injury could be traced to the 
visitation of 1903, so that gardeners and 
fruit growers need not be unduly worried 
over the present abundance. 
The Catalpa Sphynx, as. predicted 
last year, received a severe “jolt” from 
its especial parasite, an active little 
Ichneumon fly that apparently accom¬ 
panied the sphynx in its recent migration 
from the South. The August brood of 
the caterpillars last year was generally 
covered with the tiny white cocoons of 
the parasite, and the pest this, year is 
so greatly reduced that the majority of 
trees in our locality have escaped. There 
was a scattering June brood that prom¬ 
ised mischief among well-trained um¬ 
brella trees (top-grafted Catalpa Bungei) 
but it was met with arsenical sprays, 
and the usually more abundant Fall brood 
has scarcely put in an appearance.. Con¬ 
siderable damage was done by injudici¬ 
ous preparation of spraying solutions. 
Catalpa leaves are very sensitive to. arsen- 
icals, especially Paris-green, which, if 
used in much greater quantity than one 
heaping teaspoonful to the gallon of 
water, will defoliate the trees more 
rapidly than the worms. Lead arsenate 
is the safer of the two insecticides, and 
quite effective, though not rapid in its 
action on the caterpillars. . The Catalpa 
sphynx is a new complication in eastern 
Catalpa culture. While native to the 
lower Mississippi Valley, paralleling the 
original distribution of American Catal- 
pas, it has a strong tendency to follow 
its food trees in their wider dissemina¬ 
tion. It appears to have entered New 
Jersey about four years ago near the 
middle of the State and to have spread 
diagonally northeast until it reached the 
coast. Now that the parasite is well 
established here it is likely that a fair 
balance will be maintained, but another 
pest has been added to our already too 
ample local list. Catalpas, hitherto quite 
free from insect visitation, must now 
regularly be looked after. 
New Yellow Morning Glory. —Yellow 
Imperial Japanese morning-glory is the 
introductory name of an unusually at¬ 
tractive variety of this favorite annual 
climber, first distributed this season. Our 
trials show rather low seed germination, 
scarcely averaging two plants to the 
packet, but they are vigorous growers 
when established. The green foliage is 
marbled with white and pale yellow, 
while the numerous blooms are of good 
size and quite persistent in daylight, re¬ 
maining open until afternoon of the 
duller days. The color is creamy yellow, 
very clean and attractive. Occasional 
flowers have a quarter or half segment 
of light lavender blue, and rarely the en¬ 
tire bloom is of a bluish tint.. As the 
result of patient selection this is an in¬ 
teresting plant and it is intrinsically 
dainty and decorative. The morning- 
glory is one of the rather few plants 
long coddled by Japanese gardeners, and 
many extraordinary varieties are popu¬ 
larly used in that far-off country for the 
decoration of tiny cottages and door- 
yards. Japanese Ipomoea seeds were first 
imported in quantity about 14 years ago, 
and offered under the' name of Imperial 
morning-glories. They proved a revela¬ 
tion to those only accustomed to the 
common home-grown sorts, the flowers 
greatly exceeding the latter in size, di¬ 
versity of color and extraordinary mark¬ 
ings. There were parti-colored varieties 
of the oddest shades with double as well 
as single blooms, kinds with strangely 
ruffled flowers and attractively marbled 
foliage and in short a bewildering mix¬ 
ture of new forms. It appears difficult 
now to secure seeds of as fine varieties 
as were at first imported, and it is 
claimed the Japanese have of late be¬ 
come careless in the culture of this at¬ 
tractive plant. Botanically the Japanese 
Imperial morning-glories appear to be 
largely hybrids between Ipomoea hedera- 
cea, and I. rubro-coerulea, both species 
native to semi-tropical America, but prob¬ 
ably carried t- Japan in the remote past. 
The finer strains of “Emperor” or “Im¬ 
perial” Japan morning-glories quickly 
deteriorate when carelessly grown in this 
country. w. v. F. 
Dewberries in South Jersey. —As a pio¬ 
neer grower of dewberries. I do not hesitate 
in telling C. A. U., of Haminonton, N. J., to 
go slow in setting out sueh a large lot of 
either Premo or Austin dewberries. It is 
true that they ripen four to six days sooner 
than Lucretia, but these two pickings reach 
New York market when it is glutted with 
berries from Maryland and Delaware. Here 
in Vineland all three seem to be perfectly 
at home, and stand the Winter remarkably 
well, but Lucretia is worth the other two 
put together. It is a heavier bearer, bigger 
and firmer berries, and will stand five days 
on the vines without injury, while Austin 
and Premo must be picked every other day 
or lose all. He says he now grows Lucretia 
and if so he has all he can desire in the 
dewberry family. While I have grown very 
many thousands for the nurseries, when 
asked about their merits I say plant Lu¬ 
cretia from good root-cuttings and do not be 
afraid of having too many. 
Cumberland Co., N. J. john casazza. 
Gen-as-co Ready Roofing 
—get it, if you don’t want 
any more leaks. 
Gen-as'-co is made of the only permanent waterproofer 
—Trinidad Lake Asphalt. 
There are coal-tar preparations, make-believe asphalts, 
and various “oids” and “ites” that keep your house or barn 
dry for a while, but if you want to do away with roof-troubles 
completely, you want Gen-as'-co. 
Doesn’t crack in the cold, or give way to wind, or any 
kind of weather. 
Ask your dealer. Refuse anything “ just as good.” 
Write for samples, and reasonable Book 10 
THE BARBER ASPHALT PAVING COMPANY 
Largest producers of asphalt in the world. 
PHILADELPHIA 
New York San Francisco Chicago 
WITH GROOVED TIRES 
4 in. wide, The Groove protects 
the heads of spokes from wear, 
which makes wheel good and 
strong till tire is worn out. We 
make plain tire wheels in other 
widths. We make wheels to fit 
any thimble skein or straight 
steel axle. Getour free catalog 
of Steel Wheels and Low Dow* 
Handy Wagons. 
HAVANA METAL WHEEL CO., 
Box 17 .*. Havana, HI. 
The Famous 
PACE FENCE 
The Pioneer Woven Wire Fence is 
the best fence in the world for any 
purpose. Twenty-five years of ex¬ 
perience, science and skill in every 
rod of a Page. Twice as strong, dur¬ 
able and economical as any other 
fence. Requires but few posts. It 
means money to you to learn about 
a Page Fence. Folder and Catalog 
free. Write a postal for them now. 
PAGE WOVEN WIRE FENCE CO. 
Box 715, Adrian, Mich. 
For BEST and CHEAPEST 
Wood Preservatives 
Address C. S. McKINNEY, Manager, 
CARBOLINEUM WOOD-PRESERVING CO., 
60 Wall Street, New York. 
% 
A 
THE DEYO 
POWER SPRAYER 
Mounted complete with mechanical agita¬ 
tor. Better than ever. New air-cooled engine. 
Other new features, ail important to the man 
who sprays. Write for new catalog 19—just out. 
R. H. DEYO 6 CO., Binghamton, N. Y. 
s- Save Your Trees ^ 
§ Kill San Jose Scale and other destructive 
parasites with a spraying solution of 
Good’s 1U Whale-oil * Soap No. 3 
Sure deatli to insects. No sulphur, salt mineral 
oils, or any substance harmful to plant life. En¬ 
dorsed by U.S.Dept.of Agriculture. Pocket Manual 
of cause, treatment and cure of tree diseases, free. 
Write today. JAMES GOOD, , , , _ 
Original Maker. 945 N. FronUSL^Junladelphia. 
HORSE POWERS 
THRASHERS 
and CLEANERS 
i 
DESTROY 
SAN JOSE 
SCALE 
before it destroys your trees. The. 
one absolutely sure way to eradicate 
this pest entirely is by using SALI- 
MINE — the best, safest, cheapest, 
concentrated spray on the market. 
The original 
trade 
SALIMINE 
MARK 
is tlie result of ten years “At It’’and 
“ Know How.’’ It is a Lime, Salt, Sul¬ 
phur, and Caustic Potash solution. 
Recognized by all experimental sta¬ 
tions as the best insecticide for thor¬ 
oughly eradicating scale. One gallon 
mixed with cold water makes 20 gal¬ 
lons of the standard solution. Write 
to-day for free circular witli px - ices. 
Monmouth Chemical Works, 
Dept. A. SHREWSBURY, N. J. 
One & two-horse Thrashing Outfits. Level pilTTCDO 
Tread, Perfect Governor, Feed & Ensilage vU I I tllv) 
Write for catalogue 
ELLIS KEYSTONE AGR’L WORKS, Pottstown, Pa 
Give 
1 your harness^ 
“life” and' 
' strength—make' 
it weather-proof, 
r sweat-proof and 
^durable by using 
Harness Oil 
Tones up the leather fibres. Pre¬ 
vents decay. Contains nothing 
’ that will cut and chafe. 
j BOSTON COACH AXLE OIL, 
helps the wheels go round. 
V Slakes heavy loads light and . 
\ hardroadseasy. Better than/ 
. Castor Oil. Everywhere—, 
oil sizes. Hade by 
.STANDARD OIL CO.. 
Vieorpornted 
V 
Sure Death to San Jose Scale 
It’s cheap and effective. Easy to use. Non-corrosive and non-clogging. 
SGALECIDE” contains more oil and less water than any other commercial 
spray. We can prove it. 50-gallon barrel at your station, if east of the Missis¬ 
sippi and north of the Ohio River, for $25 cash. Smaller packages if you wish. 
Write now for Special Booklet N It’s free. 
B. G. PRATT COMPANY. Mfg. Chemists, 11 Broadway, New York City. 
ORDEft\ 
A 
BARR£L\ 
NOri 
