738 
TH15 RURAR NEW-YORKER 
August 14 , 
Ruralisms. 
The Actual Wonderberry. —It is 
said 100,000 packets of seeds of Luther 
Burbank’s Wonderberry were sold this 
season by the enterprising introducers, 
and plants are now fruiting all over the 
country from Texas to Vermont. R. 
N.-Y. readers are familiar with the en¬ 
ticing descriptions of this “creation” of 
the optimistic California plant breeder, 
who claims to have originated an easily- 
grown plant bearing profuse crops of 
berries similar in appearance and quite 
comparable in usefulness the delicious 
and ever popular low-bush blue huckle¬ 
berry, Vaccinium . Pennsylvanicum, so 
abundant in stony woodlands over the 
greater portion of the North American 
continent. This is, after all, the gist 
of the glowing claims made for the 
Wonderberry—a plant as easily culti¬ 
vated as the tomato, growing quickly 
in poor or ordinary soil, and produc¬ 
ing quantities of fruit like the low 
blueberry, the most important and 
agreeable of all wild berries, and one 
that has never successfully been domes¬ 
ticated. This appealing statement is di¬ 
rectly responsible for the unusual in¬ 
terest shown as to the true character 
of the Wonderberry. 
The writer is growing the Wonder¬ 
berry in New Jersey from seeds pro¬ 
duced in the usual course of trade from 
John Lewis Childs, and has visited plant¬ 
ings of it in Central Long Island and 
Arlington, Virginia. Droughty weather 
prevails in all these localities, and the 
Wonderberries when inspected appeared 
to suffer far more than tomatoes, pep¬ 
pers, egg plants or other related Sol- 
anaceous plants under identical con¬ 
ditions-. They are from the moment of 
planting out the preferred sport and 
prey of the flea-beetle and the adult or 
hard-shelled Potato beetle. As most 
Wonderberry planters saw prospective 
value in the novelty, great attention has 
been devoted to controlling these pests 
by hand picking and the application of 
appropriate insecticides, but the plants 
a’l present a sorry appearance, the fo¬ 
liage being riddled to the extreme by 
the insatiable little flea-beetle. It may 
be that the Wonderberry has value as 
a trap crop for the flea-beetle if it can 
be started earty enough. With these 
exceptions Wonderberry plants grow 
well and commence bearing about with 
early tomatoes started 'at the same 
time, and doubtless will continue pro¬ 
ducing well toward the close of the 
season, like the typical “garden huckle¬ 
berry,” Solanum nigrum. As to value, 
the little dark blue fruits of the Won¬ 
derberry, borne in clusters of three to 
five, when parted from the green stem 
and receptacle, resemble in general ap¬ 
pearance fruits of the low blue huckle¬ 
berry, but this is only external. They 
are seedy, and the greenish pulp has a 
flavor, sweet at first, but later mawkish 
and unpleasant, in the green tomarto or 
potato-ball way. One seldom cares to 
taste the second or third “Wonder¬ 
berry.” There is nothing to indicate the 
fruits are unwholesome, but they do 
not appeal to the average palate more 
than the elderberry, and less so than 
the fig tomato. Doubtless they have 
limited culinary value where ordinary 
pie or preserving material cannot be 
had. The berries are small, ripen 
quickly and are not easy to pick from 
the low, spreading plants. Gathering 
the crop would alone probably cost all 
it is worth, except under extraordinary 
circumstances. The association of this 
very ordinary garden product with the 
highly agreeable wild or true huckle¬ 
berry should be dropped. There is no 
reasonable comparison between them. 
The Garden Huckleberry or Stub- 
bleberry, Solanum nigrum, growing be¬ 
side the Wonderberry, and started un¬ 
der identical conditions, appears by far 
the more useful plant. The blackish 
fruits are many times as large, more 
freely borne in larger clusters, and cer¬ 
tainly of. as good quality when fullv 
ripened. The plant is in every way more 
vigorous, enduring drought better and 
suffering less from insect pests. One 
can pick a peck of stubbleberries with 
less effort than a quart of Wonder- 
berries. The practicability of the stub- 
bleberry as a pioneer culinary fruit has 
been settled, but it takes a back seat at 
once when ordinary cultivated small 
fruits can be obtained. The botanical 
status of the Wonderberry has not yet 
been established, but the weight of ex¬ 
pert opinion is that it is onN a variant 
of the very widespread Solanum nig¬ 
rum, that grows all over the North¬ 
ern hemisphere. Solanum Guineense 
and S. villosum, the reputed parents, in 
the opinion of many eminent botanists, 
should be considered merely as local 
forms of S. nigrum. Further investiga¬ 
tion may show that S. villosum, found 
in semi-tropical America, is sufficiently 
distinct to be a valid species, but the 
material available does not indicate this 
is the case. w. v. f. 
Male and Female Potatoes. 
Some of the wonder-workers in new 
varieties who go about doing the peo¬ 
ple have remarkable stories to tell. 
Here is a report from one of our people 
in Jefferson County, N. Y.: 
I omitted to tell you of the worthy gen¬ 
tleman who arrived on foot, and informed 
us that his name was Reed, that he came 
from Clinton County, where he was raising 
300 acres of potatoes. We thought they 
must he a fine kind if they could attend 
to themselves while he was around sell¬ 
ing the National potato, blight proof. We 
told him that we used Bordeaux Mixture 
on our potatoes, and did not care for blight- 
proof seed. "He then said it was a very 
prolific potato, and would give enormous 
yields, cut to one eye, and planted three 
feet apart, each way. Wo told him that 
we put in much more seed than that, and 
that our seed was very satisfactory, where¬ 
upon he made a great point of the fact 
that they sent out four female potatoes 
to every male. We told him that we had 
made a study of potatoes for several years, 
and had never heard of a male and female 
potato, but he stuck to it. lie said that 
their method of propagating a new variety 
was to take the Rural potato, which lie 
said was soggy, and another kind, the de¬ 
fect of which I do not recall, cut them 
to one eye, split the eyes, glue the halves 
of the different kinds together, plant them 
and get the new variety. We were not prog¬ 
ressive enough to take up with these plans. 
Oi.eaxder Poisoxixg. —The Arizona Ex¬ 
periment Station tells in Bulletin 59 of 
its investigations with oieanaer poisoning 
of live stock. It appears that the oleander, 
Nerium, contains three active poisonous 
principles which are very aangerous both 
to brutes and humans. Cases are on rec¬ 
ord where French soldiers in Northern 
Africa have been poisoned by eating a soup 
which was stirred with an oleander branch, 
or by eating roast meat which had been 
skewered by oleander slicks. In other cases 
a tincture of oleander was taken in place 
of brandy, causing considerable sickness. 
Goats, cattle and horses have been quite 
severely poisoned by eating oleander leaves. 
These leaves, it appears, are eaten acci¬ 
dentally usually, and after once suffering 
from the effect the animal rarely repeats 
the dose voluntarily. In general it is said 
that stock will not eat the plant unless 
for some reason they have an intense 
craving for green feed, or having been at 
pasture for a long time they crave some¬ 
thing dry. It was found in Arizona that 
both the green leaves and the dried leaves 
cause the poisoning in all animals tested; 
15 to 20 grams of the green leaves or 15 
to 30 grams of the dried leaves will cause 
death in a horse, a smaller dose giving this 
result with cows. In the case of human 
beings great care should be taken, for it 
is found that often people thoughtlessly 
chew the leaves or the flowers or smail 
sticks. Small children playing under the 
oleanders are quite apt to pick up the 
flowers and chew them with fatal results. 
While these oleanders are poisonous when 
eaten by human beings and animals, they 
do not exhale poisonous materials when 
grown in the house. The physical effects 
of the poison are similar to those of digi¬ 
talis. The general symptoms are increased 
temperature and pulse, cold feet, and di¬ 
lation of the eye pupils, discoloration of 
the mouth and nostrils, followed by a sore 
mouth, the body becomes wet with sweat 
due to the powerful heart stimulation. 
There is little or no treatment that can be 
offered after an animal has received a fatal 
dose. With humans an emetic should be 
used very promptly and a physician called 
at once to treat the case. 
“For the Land’s Sake, use BowkeFs 
Fertilizers; they enrich the earth and 
those who till it.”— Adv. 
- a > > , ' * "; 
TrueTemper! 
The True Temper Vegetable Scoop Fork 
is a Labor Saving, Profitable Farm Investment 
No farm can afford to overlook its convenience and profit. Especially 
where large quantities of potatoes, corn, onions or sugar beets are handled. 
Made with flc,. blunt ends so that it handles vegetables and fruits without bruising 
them, and corn without the points sticking into the cob. When it picks up a load it 
screens out all the dirt or snow—think of this convenience especially in handling corn 
that has a fall of snow on top of it. 
The scoop shape of this Fork holds a large load and carries it safely and easily. 
You can handle a large load in the Vegetable Scoop Fork with less labor and back¬ 
ache than you can a small load on a shovel, wooden scoop, wire scoop or any other 
fork made. The perfectly balanced “hang” is responsible for this. Besides its 
profitable use for handling vegetables and fruits, you will find it the most useful 
fork on your farm for dozens of other purposes such as handling lime and 
coal, gathering stones in the field, cleaning up the bam yard, etc., etc. 
Highest quality throughout—a tool that will last a lifetime —one you 
can be proud of. It bears the True Temper trade mark —the sign of 
tested and approved quality, placed there by the largest makers 
of farm and garden hand tools in the world. 
If you don’t find the True Temper Vegetable Scoop Fork at any of your 
dealers, write us direct. We will make it our business to see you are 
supplied with the genuine. 
American Fork & Hoe Co. 
Executive Offices, Department V, Cleveland, O. 
Two layers of glass instead of one, with an air space 
between, lets in light and warmth during the day, keeps 
in the heat at night. Makes earlier, better piants. 
Delivery guaranteed. Now is the time to get ready for 
cold frames. Write for catalogue. 
Sunlight Double-Class Sash Co., 924 E. Broadway. Louisville, Ky. 
Steam Power 
For Farm Use 
Best because sure, cheap, safe 
easily understood, works in all 
weathers. No coaxing; or 
annoyance with a 
LEFFE 
ENGINE 
It’s a willing; servant. 
You are master. Always 
dependable. Styles and 
sizes for all uses. Book 
free. Send now. 
James Leffel & Co. 
Box 233, Springfield, O. 
9 HP Stationary*29 §9 
Cf Engine *= 
24 to 8 H. P. Proportionate Prices. 
For uso on the farm and in the shop. 
Rune oream separators, oburns, pumps, oorn uhcl- 
lera, washing machines, printing presses, oto> 
Burns kerosene, (coal oil,) aloohol, gasoline, dig' 
tillate, without change o f equipment, starts 
without cranking, throttling governor, drop 
forged crank shaft, best grade babbitt bear, 
ings, free catalog tolls how to save half cost 
of hired help. Testimonials. 10,000 In use. 
All sizes ready to ship. 
DETROIT ENGINE WORKS 
14# Bellevue Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 
YOU NEED GOOD BALE TIES 
to make nice baled bay. Prompt shipment of best 
quality at very low prices guaranteed. Hay Hooks, 
Wire Hopes, Seales, Pliers, and Hay Press Extras 
on band ready to ship at once. Write for prices. 
TUDOK & JONES, WEEDSBOKT, N. Y. 
Let Us Send You 
Our Book. 
ftbont good wheels and good wagons that will save 
you a lot of work and make you a lot of money—the 
ELECTRIC STEEL WHEELS 
-and the- 
ELECTRIC HANDY WAGON. 
By every test, t hey are the beet. More than one and 
a quarter millions sold. Spokes muted to the 
hub. Can’t work loose. A set of our wheels will 
make your old wagon new. Catalogue free. 
ELECTRIC WHEEL CO., Box 88 , Quincy, Ills, 
DEDERICK'5 BAUNC 
PRESSES 
For hay and everything that can bo baled 
—strong, serviceable, durable Presses, made 
from the best of materials, by workmen 
who are experts at press building. 
Backed by more than fifty years of sys¬ 
tematic development and improvement. The 
Dcderick was the first practical Baling Press 
feed hay press is latest, most powerful 
and most efficient. Each circle of team 
presses three charges. Self feed auto¬ 
matically puts hay down. Wonderfully 
increased capacity. Write now for “Baler 
Book” and special low prices. Best 
press, cost least. Five days free trial. 
GEO. ERTEL CO., Quincy, 111. Established 1867. 
The 
Balers 
nf Horse 
WT and 
A train of followers, but no 
Proves Its superiority 
wherever it goes. Makes 
tight shapely bales, not 
loose bundles,works 
fast, avoids acci¬ 
dents and endures. 
Little draft, tre¬ 
mendous power. 
The machine that makes competl. 
tors tremble. Eli catalogue free, 
Collins Plow Co., 1111 Hamp.hlro 
Steam 
Power 
HARVEY BOLSTER-SPRINGS 
Soon save their cost. Make every wagon a spring 
wagon, therefere fruit, vegetables, eggs, etc., 
bring more money. Ask for special proposition. 
Harvey Spring Co. f 71617th St., Racine, Win. 
Free Trial To You 
THE BEST VARIABLE FEED 
SAW MILL 
Made lor portable purposes, also larger sizes. 
Engines, Boilers and General Machinery. 
NEW and KEBllILT at Lowest Prices. 
THE “LEADER” INJECTOR, 
most simple, reliable and efficient, 
Send for circulars, stating your wants. 
‘The RANDLE MACHINERY CO., 
1826 Powers St., Cincinnati, Ohio. 
FERTILIZER LIME et f OT ad p S 
WALTON OUAKKIES, Harrisburg, Pa. 
APPLE BARRELS 
— Car lots or less. 
KOBT. GIIJJES, 
Mediua, N. Y. 
HUBBARD’S 
GRASS AND GRAIN FERTILIZER 
The Famous “ HAY MAKER ” For Fall Seeding 
Our Almanac tells all about it. 
Sent free to any address. 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO., 
MANUFACTURERS OF THE HUBBARD FERTILIZERS. 
MIDDLETOWN, CONN. 
