THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
Juno 19, 
Ruralisms 
The Biggest Radish. —Some 16 
3 -ears ago the writer tested a rather 
extensive assortment of Oriental flow¬ 
er and garden seeds collected by a 
Japanese correspondent. Most were 
impractical for American gardens, 
some were unattractive or even dan¬ 
gerous weeds, but a few interesting 
novelties turned up, among which were 
the strange and beautiful Ipomceas, 
now well known as Imperial Japanese 
morning-glories, n wonderfully |large 
flowered golden yellow Cassia that 
were never able to propagate or re¬ 
produce from seeds, various Asiatic 
mustards and cabbages, such as 
are now grown so extensively for 
Chinese restaurants, and the gigantic 
Summer radish, lately exploited as the 
Sakurajima, or Mammoth Japan 
radish. The development of its great 
spreading leaves and immense tubers, 
as large as prize mangel-wurzels, was 
noted with intense interest. The qual¬ 
ity of the young radishes when less 
than two inches in diameter compared 
well with other Summer varieties, but 
with age they became too hard and. 
turnip-like in flavor to be enjoyable. 
They seldom become pungent or pithy, 
but the quality steadily deteriorated 
after ordinary table size was reached. 
The Sakurajima radish may readily 
be grown to weigh 10 or more pounds 
in any good light garden soil, and the 
large roots keep well into Winter un¬ 
der ordinary potato storage conditions, 
but it is of more utility as a culinary 
than as a salad vegetable when at all 
mature. In other words, it is better 
cooked than raw, as Americans usually 
cat radishes. The Chinese constantly 
use it cut in thin slices as a soup vege¬ 
table and serve it, after slight boiling, 
in their cooked salads. Some excel¬ 
lent recipes for preparing radishes may 
be found on page 598. The Sakura¬ 
jima variety is particularly adapted for 
such purposes on account of its great 
size and firm texture. The Japanese 
claim to grow it to weigh 30 pounds, 
and reach nearly two feet in length by 
eight inches in diameter. It is most, 
extensively grown in this country in 
Long Island. Seeds are offered by a 
prominent New York dealer for five 
cents the packet. 
The Favorite Radish. —The favor¬ 
ite radish for the Eastern States at 
least, is the Scarlet Globe—the little 
cherry-like red kind, grown by the 
millions everywhere — tender, sweet 
and crisp at the proper stage, but a 
puff of insipid pith if allowed to stand 
a few days too long. They may be 
grown, inside or out, under proper 
conditions, to edible size in four or 
five weeks time. Expert growers turn 
out these little radishes every week in 
the year, using a (compact; 'growing 
strain, known as Scarlet Globe Short- 
top Forcing, for Winter culture under 
glass. Three crops may usually be 
grown in the same soil in the green¬ 
house during the cold season, but let¬ 
tuce is often worked in at the last ro¬ 
tation to avoid the radish diseases that 
are encouraged by repeated cropping 
without change of soil. Outside suc¬ 
cessive sowings are made every week 
or two, as the edible life of these 
xlainty relishes is short, indeed, in hot 
Summer weather. Light, rich soil and 
frequent stirring are the requisites of 
commercial radish culture. The best 
seeds come from abroad, as American 
growers do not appear to have patience 
to transplant the tubers, making rigid 
selection of those true to type and dis¬ 
carding the inferior ones. Radish 
seed, where culling is not rigidly car¬ 
ried out, is practically worthless for 
commercial purposes. The cultivated 
radishes are all supposed to have de¬ 
scended from an Asiatic mustard-like 
plant, similar to charlock which can 
be induced to produce an edible root 
in a few generations of selection, but 
no really satisfactory wild progenitor 
has yet been found. 
The Ornamental Lupins.—T ell us some¬ 
thing of tlie flowering lupins. l. e. l. 
About 80 species of the genus Lu- 
pinus inhabit western North Amer¬ 
ica, the Atlantic coast region and the 
shores of the Mediterranean Sea. 
Some are inconspicuous weeds, one or 
two are useful forage plants for dry 
soils, but many have showy pea-like 
blooms, blue, white or yellow in color, 
disposed in long terminal racemes. 
The varieties generally offered by 
seedsmen are hardy annuals and per¬ 
ennials, so changed by ■intercrossing 
and garden cultivation, that their spe¬ 
cific origin is no longer apparent. The 
following species are very desirable 
for the annual border: L. Hartwegi, 
L. Cruikshanki and L. hirsutus, all 
blue, growing two or three feet high; 
the first and last have also white vari¬ 
eties. L hirsutus ruber has rose-col¬ 
ored flowers; L. mutabilis has very 
beautiful blooms, fragant, blue, white 
and yellow in color, but comes from the 
mountains of South America and is not 
as hardy as the others. L. nanus 
grows less than a foot high, with 
pretty white and blue blossoms. The 
best of the perennial kinds is probably 
L. polyphvllus, often five feet high, 
with deep blue and occasionally white 
blooms, and L. tricolor elegans, an in¬ 
determinate variety, three feet high, 
with yellow, blue and rose-colored 
blooms. All thrive best in deep, rich 
loam, but seeds should usually be sown 
where plants are to bloom, as they 
rarely bear transplanting. Plants 
should stand from one to three feet 
apart, according to variety. Nursery¬ 
men often grow L. polyphyllus in pots, 
so they may be planted out without 
root disturbance. As a general rule 
the best situations for lupins are 
among low shrubs or in the back rows 
of the perennial border. 
The Biri>’s-Nest Moss.—A curio 
often featured by mail order houses is 
the Bird’s-nest moss, or Mexican 
“resurrection” plant, Selaginella lepi- 
dophylla. It grows abundantly in the 
semi-arid highlands of Mexico and 
western Texas, often covering large 
surfaces of barren, rocky land. Dur¬ 
ing dry weather it curls tightly to¬ 
gether, the leaf-like branches becom¬ 
ing gray and brittle, but when rain 
falls it quickly opens into an attractive 
fern-like rosette, quite fresh and green 
in appearance. When cut at the end 
of the growing season these “resurrec¬ 
tion” plants retain for some months 
sufficient vitality to repeat the process 
many times, if alternately moistened 
and allowed to dry out. Occasionally 
a plant may be induced by careful 
treatment to root and grow after be¬ 
ing severed from the soil for a con¬ 
siderable time. Figs. 260 and 261, 
page 607, show the appearance of a 
Bird’s-nest moss before and after 
moistening, the latter picture being re¬ 
duced one-half in size. There are sev¬ 
eral other Selaginellas having the same 
property in a minor degree, but the 
one known as Mexican resurrection 
plant is most striking. Other “resur¬ 
rection” plants imported by curio 
dealers are the Rose of Jericho, a 
mustard-like plant common in Arabia 
and Palestine, and the Pygmy Aster, 
a little composite plant from the north¬ 
ern border of the desert of Sahara. 
These do not retain life, but swell 
and unfold their scaly blooms and 
seed capsules when moistened, present¬ 
ing a curious appearance. Some of 
the Figworts or Mesembryanthemums 
have the same quality, while one of 
our southern ferns, Polypodium in- 
canum, also under favorable conditions 
makes an interesting resurrection plant. 
Such curiosities of the botanical world 
are interesting, but have slight horti¬ 
cultural importance. w. v. F. 
To kill potato bugs and to check 
blight, use Bowker’s uyrox early. 
Sticks like paint. Cost 50c. to $1 per 
acre. Mail orders to Bowker Insecti¬ 
cide Co., Boston.— Adv. 
Niagara Brand 
Products 
Unsurpassed; for— 
Convenience, Economy 
and Effectiveness • 
Niagara Lime Sulphur Solution— 
For Sucking Insects and Fungus. Better than 
any other Spray material. 
Niagara Arsenate of Lead —Kills Bugs, 
Beetles, Caterpillars, Etc. 
Niagara Bordeaux Arsenate —Insecti¬ 
cide and Fungicide Combined---beats all sum¬ 
mer sprays. 
Niagara Tree Borer Paint —Controls 
Borers absolutely. 
Niagara Gas Sprayera-Buik in 7 styles. 
Send for descriptive catalogues,prices, etc., FREE. 
Niagara Sprayer Co . 
Middleport, N. V. 
[OR RAPID, EASY SPRAYING 
“AUtO-POp” NOZZLE. 
Slight pressure on lever starts dense 
spray. Automatic shut-off. Doubles ca¬ 
pacity. Saves solution, time, labor. 
INCREASE THE CROPS 
by using the •‘Auto-Pop’* nozzle on the 
••Auto-Spray’* pump Write for factory 
prices, spraying guide and agency otter. 
E.C.Brown Co., 28 Bochtstw.il. Y. 
Mounted Gasoline Engines 
Our engines are simply 
constructed and guar- - u t ff * A lie 
. ... - ■ »- 1 —-- * llest 
Made 
anteed to give perfect 
satisfaction. Write for 
free catalogue show¬ 
ing low prices on 
both steam and 
gasoline engines 
and on all farm 
implements. 
Th« Massinger 
Mlg. Co., 
P 0. Box 3,Tatamy, Pa. 
TARGET BRAND 
QUICK BORDEAUX, 
a spray material for use on trees and 
plants in foliage. The unique met hod of 
jiackiug makes it entirely different 
from other prepared Bordeaux. Send 
for testimonials and opinions showing 
how to increase the yield of your fruit 
and potatoes from 60^ to IOO 4 by its use. 
TARGET BRAND, Box 721, Martlnsburg.W. Va. 
SELECT NOW 
FERTILIZERS 
FOR FALL SEEDING 
Agents Wanted 
AMERICAN REDUCTION CO. OF PITTSBURG, PA. 
Nitrate of Soda 
In Original lags 
NITRATE AGENCIES COMPANY 
64 Stone Street, New York 
Keyser Building, Baltimore, Md. 
36 Bay Street, East, Savannah, Ga. 
305 Baronne Street, New Orleans, La. 
140 Dearborn Street, Chicago, Ill. 
1103 Temple Bldg., Toronto, Canada 
San Jose, Cal. 
321 Stimson Block, Los Angeles, Cal. 
603-4 Oriental Block, Seattle, Wash. 
Will m 
’ your 
Silo with 
any Pow- 
e r from 
4 H-Pup. 
Will cut 
or shred 
green or dry fodder and 
cut hay or straw. Our cat¬ 
alog explains why Whirl" 
winds succeed where 
others fail. Carried in 
stock at principal trans¬ 
fer points. Pamphlet,— 
"How and Why to Fill a 
Silo,” sent free. 
Wilder-Strong implement Co, 
Box 33 
Monroe, Mich. 
THE PAPEG 
PNEUMATIC 
Ensilage Cutter 
will prepare you a better silage and fill your 
silo in less time, with lesr power and with less 
trouble to you than any other blower ensilage 
cutter made. 
It is the most convenient and the easiest to 
operate. It never clogs, never gets out of 
order, never disappoints. We guarantee every 
machine to be perfect and to do the. Work 
claimed for it. ' 
' If you need an ensilage cutter you need a 
Papoc. Send for catalog giving full particulars. 
Papec Machine Co., Box 10 Shortsville.N.Y. 
Death the Stomach 
Worms Guaranteed 
We will send you 100 lbs. of DR. 
HOLLAND’S MEDIC’ATKD STOCK 
BALT on 60 days’ trial freight 
prepaid. If yon derive no benefit, 
It costs you nothing; If you do, It 
costs you $r».oo. Give us your or¬ 
der at once. 
The HOLLAND STOCK REMEDY 
COMPANY. Wellington, Ohio. 
FARM LOANS. 
We can place first mortgages on good Eastern 
farms. If you want to raise money on your prop¬ 
erty send for free application blank. E. A. 
ST ROUT CO., Bond and Mortgage Dept., 47 W. 34th 
Street, New York. 
SILO FILLING 
MACHINERY 
»»»"■ 
l!|'#W 
I; — in 
izlS 
BEFORE YOU BUY WRITE FOR 
NEW CATALOG DESCRIBING THE 
GUARANTEED MONEY-8AVINQ 
INTERNATIONAL 
SILOS 
ongest built, simplest to put up and easiest operated 
the market. Adjustable automatic take-up hoop- 
continuous open-door front—air tight door and per¬ 
manent ladder are some of the unusual features. The 
international Silo Co., Box 13, Linesville, Pa. 
i With BLOWERand Traveling 
FEED TABLE 
Made 
in sizes 
to suit 
all wants 
from 5 to 
15 Horse 
Power Engine 
Sold on their own merits. Pay 
for same after tried and satisfied. 
LARGEST CAPACITY AND STRONGEST BUILT 
Write for catalog. We have had 59 years 
experience and are the largest and oldest man¬ 
ufacturers of Ensilage Machinery in the world. 
THE E. W. ROSS CO., Box 13 Springfield, Ohio 
Wo .bo make ROSS SILOS and MANURE SPREADERS. 
r RE WHAT YODRE LOSING 
' The New York Experiment Station at Geneva, N. Y., HIHHHHH 
reports that in an exhaustive experiment which covered 10 years the av¬ 
erage “gain due to spraying potatoes” was 233 bushels per acre. How 
much would that amount to on your crop?—Have you ever figured it out? You 
can increase your crop just as much, and the increase of “one acre” will more 
than pay for onr best sprayer. If you are tired of seeing your crop cut in half 
—by blight, bugs, rot, etc. Get one of our 
POTATO SPRAYERS 
on Free Trial 
NO MONEY IN ADVANCE 
PAY AFTER IT HAS PAID FOR ITSELF 
no-bank-deposit, no-strings-to-our-“free-trial.” 
' "" " ' jfit.- 
, - -- - Spray first, then if you buy— pay 
us out of the “extra profit.” These eprayers SPKAY ANYTHING, potatoes and truck, 4 
to 6 rows at a time. Also first-class orchard and vineyard sprayers. “Man-Power and Horse- 
Power.” High-pressure and perfect agitation, vapor Spray prevents blight, seal), rot 
and bugs and other insects from injuring your crop. Strong and durable. Brass ball- 
. valves, plunger,cylinder,strainer, etc. GUARANTEED 5 TEAKS, i 
you at dealer’s wholesale pric- 1 
“ .... 
. Shipped direct to 
>- 
FOR MAN-POWER 
es. We pay freight. Tell us 
which sprayer you are interested 
in and you’ll get our valuable 
Spraying-Guide, Catalog of “all 
kinds” of sprayers, and our special 
free Sprayer offer to first in 
your locality this season. 
H. L. HURST MFG. CO. 
47 MOUTH ST., CANTON, 0. 
IFOR HORSE—POWERI 
