©08 
Ruralisms 
A Rare and Handsome Torch Feow- 
ER __One of the most imposing torch- 
lilies, or flame flowers is Kniphofia (or 
Tritoma) caulescens, a native of Abys¬ 
sinia. It is one of several species hav¬ 
ing evergreen foliage, and on that ac¬ 
count is regarded as more tender than 
some of the deciduous kinds. We find 
it as hardy as any known variety, win¬ 
tering on the Rural Grounds without 
loss of individual plants. The leaves are 
four feet long, broad and Yucca-like in 
form, curving at the tips. 1 he flower 
spike rises about five feet high, with a 
head of dense tubular blooms, red above 
and yellow below. The orange-colored 
stamens project far beyond the flowers, 
and form a notable feature of the bril¬ 
liant inflorescence. A bloom head, much 
reduced in size, is shown in Fig. 461, 
page 902. Two other species, K. Tysoni 
and K. Northiae, are of similar ever¬ 
green habit, differing only in minor bo¬ 
tanical details. All are helped by Win¬ 
ter protection of baskets or mats to 
shield the broad leaves from biting 
winds, and may also be conveniently 
grown in rough baskets of wire netting 
which may be easily lifted, inclosing 
ball of earth and roots, in Autumn. The 
plants may thus be stored in a cool cel¬ 
lar or outbuilding and replanted the 
following Spring, with little danger of 
loss. The deciduous kinds may also be 
taken up, packed in dryish sand and 
stored in cool protected places, but sel¬ 
dom bloom as freely as when wintered 
where they grow. They succeed best 
when grown in rich but light and por¬ 
ous soil, so that all surplus water rap¬ 
idly drains away. It is a useful dodge 
to tie the dead leaves, which should not 
be cut away, together at the approach of 
hard freezing and twist them to one 
side in order to conduct the moisture 
away rather than to the crown, for it 
is at this point that injury oftenest oc¬ 
curs, the roots being quite resistant to 
frost. Good drainage is, however, more 
important than coverings or manipula¬ 
tion in getting Kniphofias safely 
through our sharp Winters. Were they 
reliably hardy the evergreen Kniphofias 
would be among the most desirable of 
perennials, but as it is, one must either 
house them or be reconciled to occa¬ 
sional loss or disfigurement of the fo¬ 
liage. 
The Herbaceous Tritomas. —Knipho¬ 
fias are nearly always catalogued as 
Tritomas, and it may perhaps be as well 
to refer to them by this familiar name. 
The kinds now most cultivated are hy¬ 
brids between various deciduous fepecies, 
mostly from South Africa. The blooms 
range in color from scarlet and coral 
red to straw-yellow, and are very freely 
produced, such varieties as Pfitzerii, 
Triumph and Floribunda sending up 
many spikes in succession from August 
to November. One species, K. Tuckii, 
often blooms as early as July. The 
flower heads are small, salmon-red and 
yellow in color, and produced with 
much freedom. Quartiniana is credit¬ 
ed with blooming in May, but has not 
done so in our trials. It has long 
spikes of orange-red blooms, and 
grows about four feet high. Star of 
Baden-Baden is remarkably vigorous, 
producing stems fully seven feet in 
height, with bloom heads nearly a foot 
and a half long, greenish yellow, with 
protruding orange-red stamens. Ap¬ 
parently one of the evergreen species 
has been used in breeding it, but the 
foliage dies down at the approach of 
Winter. There are many other named 
varieties, each having its characteristic 
attraction, but in forming a collection 
the fine, old-fashioned red-hot poker, 
Tritoma uvaria grandiflora, known bo- 
tanically as Kniphofia aloides nobilis, 
should never be omitted. The flaming, 
skyrocket-like spikes of blooms, under 
good culture, rise six feet or more 
THE FiUFtAL 
making a most brilliant, not to say j 
startling effect in the garden. They 
come so late in the season that their ap¬ 
pearance is a token that the end of Sum¬ 
mer is at hand. The plant is most ro¬ 
bust, but scarcely as hardy as many of 
the newer kinds, and is best wintered 
in sand in a cool cellar. Torch lilies 
make fine cut blooms, lasting long in 
water. They are now much used for 
the decoration of florists’ windows in 
early Fall. Plants of the newer kinds 
cost from 25 cents to $1 each, and 
should be strong enough to bloom the 
first season. Named varieties are propa¬ 
gated by division, which is easily ef¬ 
fected, but not always a rapid means of 
increase. Seedlings may be grown with¬ 
out difficulty by sowing under glass in 
February, transplanting two inches apart 
in pots or boxes, when the second leaf 
appears, and setting in the garden in 
May in beds or borders spacing them at 
least 18 inches apart each way. As a 
rule, seedlings closely reproduce the 
parent varieties, but there is always a 
chance of interesting variation in the 
progeny, if seed is taken from a mixed 
lot. When given an early start and 
subsequent good treatment, they fre¬ 
quently bloom the same year as sown 
and make fine clumps the second year. 
The Extraordinary Season. —As the 
horticultural year of 1907 nears its 
close we may briefly review one of the 
most extraordinary seasons within mem¬ 
ory. Following a rather severe Winter 
came the untimely warmth of March, 
stimulating vegetation generally into 
premature growth. Locally we were 
saved by the near vicinity of the ocean, 
the waters of which did not warm at 
anything like the rate of inland soil. 
Peach and other fruit buds swelled, but 
did not pass the danger point for subse¬ 
quent freezings—and there were a-plenty 
before the long, cold period that fol¬ 
lowed passed away. Frosts extended 
far into May, and the first half of June 
was so abnormally cool that growers 
despaired of starting their hot-weather 
crops, such as tomatoes, peppers, melons, 
eggplant and table corn. There were 
many replantings, and much earnest ef¬ 
fort to tide tender plants over this try¬ 
ing period. At the last it appeared that 
even field corn might fail—an almost un¬ 
heard-of calamity in this locality. Fi¬ 
nally, the sun began to furnish season¬ 
able warmth, and an average Summer, 
with about the necessary rainfall fol¬ 
lowed. This was extended to nearly its 
usual length by a remarkably warm 
September that prolonged the growth of 
the slow-paced crops. October was 
chilly, but in the main, a favorable har¬ 
vest month, but November, so far, is so 
rainy that corn-husking is not finished 
by Thanksgiving. Taken as a whole, 
crops were fairly good and, owing to 
high prevailing prices, brought farmers 
and truckers better returns than usual. 
It is probable, though, that growers sel¬ 
dom before gave their crops such unre¬ 
mitting attention. Otoe of the general 
disappointments of the season was the 
light yield of early potatoes. Irish Cob¬ 
bler was more widely planted than ever. 
It received excellent care, and the vines 
made a most attractive showing. Cool 
weather is usually regarded as favorable 
to potato development, so that a fine 
turn-out was expected, but the yield 
everywhere was scarcely half an aver¬ 
age crop. Late potatoes did much bet¬ 
ter, and doubtless returned good profits. 
There was little to contend with in the 
way of fungus diseases throughout the 
season, and insects were not unduly 
bothersome. The melon crop was cut 
short by blight, but this is now a con¬ 
tingency always to be anticipated. The 
feature of the fruit year was an extra¬ 
ordinary crop of grapes, which sold 
for better prices than this locally neg¬ 
lected fruit generally brings. There 
were no nuts of any account, all kinds 
failing except the rarely-planted hazel 
or filbert. w. v. f. 
NliW-VOKRlSR 
December 14, 
Winchester 
mm i 
mm* 
?»•* 
“NUBLACK” 
Loaded Black Powder 
Shotgun Shells 
“Nublacks” are as per¬ 
fect as brains and in¬ 
genuity, coupled with 
first-class materials and 
modern methods of 
manufacture, can make 
them. They are sure 
fire, make even pat¬ 
terns, shoot hard and 
strong and will stand 
reloading. Ask for 
“Nublacks” next time. 
THEY HELP MAKE BIG BAGS 
Some Comments on 
HUBBARD’S 
FERTILIZERS 
“I get 50% more potatoes by using Hubbard’s” 
‘‘Best asparagus I ever raised was with Hub¬ 
bard’s Soluble Potato Manure” 
‘‘$28.00 worth of Hubbard’s Fruit Fertilizer 
is equal to 50 loads of manure” 
‘‘500 to 700 bushels of onions per acre with 
Hubbard’s Soluble Tobacco Manure” 
‘‘We are beginning to see the benefit of ‘Bone 
Base’ goods” 
“750 lbs. per acre of Hubbard’s Soluble Com 
and General Crops Manure has given splen¬ 
did com” 
“My ensilage com, about 1 i acres, will aver¬ 
age about 12 feet high on the Complete 
Phosphate” 
“Hubbard’s Bone for poultry strengthens and 
invigorates the fowls ” 
Send for Almanac and Prices 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO. 
Fertilizer Manufacturers 
MIDDLETOWN. CONN. 
URST SPRAYERS 
FREE TRIAL 
CUT ICE 
MADE 
IN 
THREE 
SIZES 
With the Dorsch Double Row 
Ice Plow We guarantee it will 
cut more than 20 men sawing by 
band. Cakes arc cutunfiorm, 
of any size and thickness. One 
man and a horse will cat more ice 
a day than the ordinary farmer and dairy 
man can nse. Tou can cut for others and 
make the price of our plow in two days nee. 
Ask for catalogue end introductory prices. 
JOHN DORSCH & SONS 226 WELLS ST.. MILWAUKEE, WIS 
lumber or saw wood, make lath or 
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All sizes Saw Mills, Planers, Edgers, Trimmers, Lath 
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120HopeSt., Hackottstown, N. J., 
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— 
COOK YOUR FEED and SAVB 
Half the Cost—with the 
PROFIT FARM BOILER 
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GET THE BEST 
A Good Spray Pump earns big 
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THE ECLIPSE 
is a good pump. As 
practical fruit growers 
we were using common 
sprayers in our own orchards 
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invented the Eclipse. Its 
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You take no chances. We 
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- _ - __ _ it will pay yon to spray your 
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■ II Instruction llook shows the 
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FUMA 
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catalog P now. 
kills Prairie Dogs, 
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“The wheels of the 
gods grind slow but 
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“W ” 1 “Fuma Carbon Bisulphide".™XE 
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6 Lake St. 
Owego, Tioga Oo. 
N. Y. 
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\ Galvanized / 
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STANCHION 
Write for Prices. 
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3 to 9 Frank St., Rochestcr ( N. Y. 
SCALECIDE 
SAVE YOVR TREES THIS FALL TILLS PRING 
lORDER 1 
A 
\BARREL | 
l NOME { 
The chances are they’ll be killed by San Jose Scale. Take time by the forelock 
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>i and north 
booklet N. 
B. G. PRATT CO., Mfg. Chemists, 
11 Broadway, New York City 
