84 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
uary 1, 
Ruralisms 
Remarkable Growth of Asparagus. 
—Fig. 41, page 79, reproduced from 
The Garden, an English horticultural 
magazine, shows most extraordinary de¬ 
velopment of an asparagus stalk. The 
plant is evidently under intensive culture 
in a closely-planted bed—a system 
much practiced abroad—and had sent up 
a gigantic fasciated shoot to a height 
of more than six feet at the time the 
photograph was taken. This is one of 
the oddest vegetable growths that has 
ever come to our notice, but notwith¬ 
standing its grotesque appearance fas- 
ciation, or the fusion of several buds or 
growing points into a single gigantic 
flattened shoot, does not appear to in¬ 
dicate a real change in vegetative func¬ 
tion, but rather to act as an expression 
of surplus nutrition badly utilized. It is 
not uncommon in rapidly growing 
plants, especially in wet seasons, as was 
the case last Summer in Great Britain, 
and occurs with comparative frequency 
among members of the cabbage family, 
tomatoes, geraniums and black rasp¬ 
berries. Perhaps the most extreme in¬ 
stances of fasciation other than the 
illustrated asparagus shoot are found 
in Lilium auratum, which occasionally 
produces a broad, flat stem, bearing 
more than 100 crowded blooms, and in 
the garden cockscomb, where by long 
selection of crested flower heads, it has 
become well fixed. The original cocks¬ 
comb, probably Celosia argentea, native 
of India, has numerous feathery flower 
spikes, but by fasciation, assisted by long 
selection, they have become compacted 
in a single monstrous crest or comb, 
often wider than the plant is high. 
California Onion Seed.— The Flor¬ 
ists’ Review publishes a letter from a 
California seed grower in which the 
writer asserts no onions were sent to 
Colorado or other localities away from 
the Pacific Coast to be grown for seed 
stock, with any idea of revitalization or 
benefit from change of climate, but only 
because local conditions did not allow 
of their cultivation at home. The writer 
says, in part:— 
We beg to say that W. V. F. is in error in 
regard to the growing of onions in Colo¬ 
rado, or in any other place outside of the 
State of California, to improve the quality 
of the stock seed that is planted here, not 
only by ourselves, but by all of the growers 
on this coast. The facts are that the Cali¬ 
fornia growers for the past season, owing 
to the onion districts being flooded during 
the month of March, necessitated finding 
districts to grow their onion bulbs in neigh¬ 
boring States, it being too late to re-sow 
here. It was for this reason, and this 
alone that the onion growers produced a 
large quantity of their onion bulbs this sea¬ 
son in Oregon. Utah and Colorado. Had 
we not done so, we would have had no onion 
bubs to plant for seed purposes this Fall, 
and we beg to state right here that the seed 
stock which wWs given to the onion growers 
in the other States mentioned is the same 
Identical seed stock that would have been 
planted here in California were* we in the 
position to re-sow our fields after the flood. 
The thought of W. V. F. that any of the 
growers went outside of this State with re¬ 
vitalization in view is wholly In error. The 
writer claims without fear of contradiction 
that California produces seed of the high¬ 
est quality, equal to that grown in any 
other section of the United States or Can¬ 
ada. 
In accepting this assurance we venture 
to predict benefit from a continuance of 
the plan of growing onion bulbs in cli¬ 
mates where the seasonal changes are 
sufficiently well marked, even if .the 
actual commercial seeds are afterwards 
grown in the sunlit valleys of Califor¬ 
nia, where absence of rain and low at¬ 
mospheric humidity favor easy harvest 
and abundant crops. The long-keeping 
varieties most in demand were devel¬ 
oped in comparatively high latitudes in 
Europe and America where the short 
Summer is followed by a long, cold, 
resting season, thus inducing the plant 
to form a capacious and shapely bulb 
for the storage of the energy needed 
to start effective growth during the cool 
weather of the following Spring. De¬ 
prive the onion plant of its accustomed 
climatic changes, and deterioration, 
from the gardener’s view, soon becomes 
apparent, and will naturally progress at 
an increasing rate. The large, watery 
onions of the Prizetaker or Mediter¬ 
ranean group were bred in a milder cli¬ 
mate, where the seasonal changes are 
less sharply defined. Their resting sea¬ 
son is short, greatly lessening their 
keeping quality. The best seeds of the 
Mediterranean varieties are now grown 
in Tenerife, off the coast of Africa, 
and they may be expected to succeed as 
well under California conditions. 
The Seedsmen’s Disclaimer. —An¬ 
other court decision in a suit, involving 
the legality of the disclaimer of respon¬ 
sibility for the character of seeds or 
bulbs they sell, so generally adopted by 
seedsmen, upholds their contention that 
under its terms, as printed in catalogues 
or on packages, they are relieved of all 
responsibility after delivery of the 
goods. A Baltimore firm of truckers 
bought a pound of pepper seeds, costing 
$2.45, from a well-known seed dealer 
who publishes the usual non-warranty. 
The seeds not proving satisfactory, the 
purchaser brought suit, asking $3,600 
damages for crop failure. The case oc¬ 
cupied the time of the court for two 
weeks, and involved the hearing of 60 
witnesses, and the reading of 25 deposi¬ 
tions, running the legal expenses up to 
$5,000. The verdict was that the tacit 
acceptance of the disclaimer by the pur¬ 
chaser frees the seller from respon¬ 
sibility as to the character of the seeds 
delivered. 
A Doubtful Victory. —These re¬ 
peated decisions appear to leave seed 
buyers no encouragement for damage 
claims against dealers when the pur¬ 
chase proves worthless, but it may be 
doubted whether the victory will turn 
out unalloyed benefit for the seed trade. 
Manifestly the seed dealer cannot, in 
consideration of the varying character 
of seasons, soils and the skill of plant¬ 
ers, guarantee a profitable crop from 
the seeds he sells, but he can, at least, 
assume reasonable responsibility for the 
genuineness and purity of his goods. 
If he is not willing to do this he is best 
out of the business. Some of the more 
reputable seedsmen in practice do this, 
making good the direct loss when it can 
be shown they are at fault, but for fear 
of being victimized by irresponsible buy¬ 
ers do not care to publish the fact; 
others appear inclined to take refuge be¬ 
hind their legal disclaimer and ignore all 
appeals for failures. The outcome is 
certain to be weakening of confidence in 
the entire business. 
The R. N.-Y. is in a position to know 
that dissatisfaction with the quality of 
staple seeds furnished by a few dealers 
hitherto well-regarded is on the in¬ 
crease. The last three seasons have 
been notably unfavorable for seed grow¬ 
ing in many localities, and conspicuous 
shortages have been from time to time 
reported, yet certain handlers always 
claim to have an abundance of the scar¬ 
cest sorts to fill orders—under the non¬ 
warranty clause! We hear of seeds 
being saved in quantity trom the refuse 
of canneries, old seeds being recleaned, 
and trash of all kinds warehoused for 
the coming season’s trade. Many of 
these reports are doubtless exaggerated, 
but it will not do to take too close 
refuge under the disclaimer, and sell 
without testing anything that comes to 
hand. Good seeds are worth good 
money—some quite a lot of it—they 
should be guaranteed as far as com¬ 
patible with commercial safety, and at 
least sold with the understanding that 
any obvious mistakes will be rectified. 
The reasonable conclusion, under pres¬ 
ent conditions, appears to be to deal 
only with seedsmen of established 
probity. w. v. F. 
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 IS)— just out. 
R. H. DEYO 6 CO., Binghamton, N. Y. 
OETTHEBEST 
A Good Spray Pump earns 
big profits and lasts for years. 
THE ECLIPSE 
is a good pump. As 
► practical fruit grow¬ 
ers we were using common 
sprayers in ourown orchards 
i —found their defects and 
invented the Eclipse. Its 
success forced us to manu¬ 
facturing on a larp i scale. 
You take no chances. We 
have done all the experi¬ 
menting. Large fully illustrated Catalog 
and Treatise on spraying FREE. 
MORRILL & MORLEY, Benton Harbor, Mich . 
Spraying Made Easy 
By Using 
STAHL’S 
Excelsior 
Spraying Outfits 
and Prepared Mixtures 
Save your trees, vines and plants 
from the ravages of scale, fungi 
and worms by spraying,and t hns insure an increased 
yield. Every farmer, gardener, froit or flower 
S rower should -write at once for our free catalog, 
escribing Excelsior .spraying Outfits, and con¬ 
taining much information on how to spray fruit 
and vegetable crops. 
WH. STAHL SPRAYER CO^Box 10.0, Quiner, UL 
Farmers! You Should Spray 
Spraying is cheap but effective 
insurance against crop destruction— 
the best policy is a 
DEMING 
Sprayer 
Eighteen styles, built 
for hard service with 
brass working parts throughout— 
not aflected by chemical action. 
Consult your own interests and 
investigate the “ Deming.” 
| \ Glad to send our Nineteen Eight 
raialogue and “ Expert Testi¬ 
mony ” on request. 
THE ITEMING COMPANY 
615 Hepot bt-, Salem, Ohio. 
Increase Cropsin Orchard and Field with 
THE AUTO-SPRAY 
It is guaranteed to be the most power¬ 
ful, easily operated, economical hand 
sprayer made. With it a boy outworks 
three men with ordinary device. Used 
by U. S. Govermnen t a nd State Experi¬ 
ment Stations. Fitted with Auto- 
Pop Nozzle it is equal to lar^e opera¬ 
tions as well as small. Write if you want 
agency. Spraying Calendar Free. 
fc. G. Brown Co.. 2 sj% 7 et Rochester, R. V. 
LIME 
State agricultural experiment sta¬ 
tions report wonderful results from 
its use, fertility beim: greatly in¬ 
creased for six or eight years from 
one application. For full informa¬ 
tion, write MANHATTAN LIME OO., 
141st Streets East Jtiver, New York 
Make Plowing ;asy 
r-The 
Wonder 
Plow 
Trucks 
Attach to 
any walking 
plow — one 
or two-horse, 
steel beam 
Make 
Hard Work Easy 
right or left hand, wood or 
They regulate depth and width 
of furrow, and lighten the draft on horses at 
least one-third. The furrow wheel acts like 
a pivot, just like wheel of wheelbarrow. You 
do not touch your hands to the plow, except 
in turning at end of furrow. Your twelve- 
year-old boy can plow with the Trucks as well 
as a man. You don’t need to take ourword 
for this —test them yourself at our risk. 
Greatest money-maker for agents ever put 
on the market. They sell on sight. Big 
profits and good territory still open. We give 
a sample set of Trucks free to all new agents. 
Retail price only $5.00. Write at once for 
full particulars. ^ 
WONDER PLOW COMPANY/ 
327Factory St., St. Clair, Mich. 
Freight 
Paid 
Has no 
Equal 
PIRE 
FENCE 
is the cheapest fence because 
it lasts so much longer than 
others. All great big steel 
wires, stays and laterals same 
size, and woven together so 
there can be no slip or 
break. The 
breachiest bull 
can’tgothrough 
it. It’s heavily galvanized 
and we guarantee it. 
The Empire Splice 
Looks 
Well 
Strong as ^M////////////////////Mi^ Saves 
Solid Wire Wire 
Buy the Empire direct from factory at 
wholesale prices. Send for free samples. 
Bond Steel Post Co.. Adrian. Mich. 
Cider Machinery—Send for Catalogue to Boomer & 
Boschert Press (jo., 118 W est\V a ter S t.. Sy racuse ,N. Y 
Digger Crops, 
Save Time—Save Yourself and 
Horses Work—Save Repairs, 
Trouble, Money. These are the 
things you can do, as thousands 
of other farmers are doing, by 
using the guaranteed 
“Acme 
All Steel. 
Lightest 
Riding 
Harrow 
Built. 
Free 
Pulveriz¬ 
ing Harrow, Clod 
Crusher and Leveler 
TRY IT FREE 
We want you to see what a fine, smooth seed 
bed It prepares. In all soils, under all conditions: 
How the knives cut through to the undersoil, 
chopping the buried eod or trash but never 
dragging it to the surface. 
Our Free Book 
contains valuable articles by high authorities 
on the preparation of seed beds. Also tells ail 
about the “Acme.” Send postal for it today. 
Duane H. Nash, Inc., 
Box 38, Millington, N, Z. 
SCALECIDE 
HAS MADE SPRAYING EASY YOUR "TREES ? LECT 
The N. Y. Herald, November 17,’07, says: * The chances are about a hundred 
to one that you have the San Jose Scale on your place and do not know it,” and 
advises the use of “ SCALECIDE.” This is good advice. “ SCALECIDE ” has 
been tested and tried, and found thoroughly elfective. The same yesterday, 
to-day, and all the time. One gallon makes 15 to 20, ready to use, by simply 
adding water. 
lORDER 
A 
\BARREL 
Prices: leal , $1.00; 5gal.. $3.25; 10 gal., 6.00; 50 gal. bbl., $25.00, F. O. B. 
our f actory » Order to-day. Write for booklet N and free 
B.G. PRATT CO.. Mfe. Chemists. 
11 Broadway, New York City. 
RHODES DOUBLE CUT 
•"THE only 
4 pruner 
made that cuts 
from both sides of 
the limb and does not 
bruise the bark. Made in 
all styles and sizes. We 
pay Express charges 
on all orders. 
Write for 
circular and 
prices. 
