1911 . 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
267 
PUMPKIN-SQUASH HYBRID. 
Tiie squash shown in the picture (Fig. 
88) grew on a vine produced by a seed 
from a Delicious squash that was grown 
near some pumpkin vines. The parent 
seed and fruit were just like the rest 
of the seed and squashes, but this par¬ 
ticular seed produced a vine that had 
characteristics perculiar to both pump¬ 
kin and squash vines; the rounded vines 
of the squash with the spotted leaves of 
the pumpkin vine. But one fruit ma¬ 
tured, and as will be noticed in the pic¬ 
ture, it had the shape and rind, also the 
color of the squash, and the small hard 
stem of the pumpkin instead of the large 
soft stem peculiar to the Winter squash¬ 
es. When cut open the flesh had the 
distinctive pumpkin odor, and the seeds 
were small yellowish straw colored in¬ 
stead of white, and were thinner than 
squash seed. There were but 14 seeds, 
most of which were sent to Cornell Ex¬ 
periment Station. For some reason the 
seed failed to grow for the Station peo¬ 
ple, and the seed I kept produced three 
vines. These vines were in an isolated 
spot and were of extreme interest dur¬ 
ing the entire growing season. One 
vine, while apparently healthy, never 
grew higher than three or four inches, 
though it lived all Summer, and con¬ 
tinued to grow slowly. The other vines 
made a vigorous growth; one resembled 
a pumpkin vine, while the other for the 
most part resembled the squash vines, 
though the fruit blossoms were herma¬ 
phrodite and the pollen blossoms, 
though well formed, neither opened nor 
produced pollen. This vine produced 
no fruit, but judging by the embryo 
they would have been quite pumpkinlike. 
The vine having the pumpkin vine 
A SQUASH—PUMPKIN HYBRID. Fig. 88 
characteristics had normal blossoms ex¬ 
cept that the male blossoms produced 
no pollen. One fruit was produced by 
this vine, and in shape and color was 
like the picture except it had a large, 
round stem. The seed from which these 
vines grew had been fertilized with pure 
squash pollen, yet the pumpkin charac¬ 
ters persisted in the next generation; 
squash pollen was supplied to the fruit 
blossoms on both the vines of the second 
generation, but the few seeds in the one 
squash that grew were entirely hollow, 
and a very interesting experiment came 
to an abrupt end. Without possibility 
of commercial value, this hybrid was 
valued by the writer as an interesting 
scientific curiosity, generally not sup¬ 
posed to be possible to produce. Prof. 
L. H. Bailey, in his “Plant Breeding,” 
speaking of the refusa 1 ' distinct spe¬ 
cies to cross, says: ‘‘Tor instance, if 
we apply the pollen of a Hubbard 
squash to the flower of a common field 
pumpkin, there will simply be no result, 
the fruit will not form.” Prof. Bailey 
had much, experience in crossing cucur- 
bitaceous vines and wrote advisedly, but, 
given the proper conditions, the bees 
were able to produce a hybrid that baf¬ 
fled the skill of a painstaking scientist, 
laboring to produce similar results. 
Highland Co., O. w. e. duckwall. 
POTATOES GROWN UNDER STRAW. 
Having tried several methods experi¬ 
mentally to conserve moisture on an ex¬ 
tremely thin, worn piece of sandy soil 
during the hot Summer nvpnths, I hit on 
the following with excellent results. The 
piece in question was very weedy, and had 
been in cultivated crops two seasons, and 
kept clean to eradicate them and al¬ 
though the soil had been manured to some 
extent it would rapidly dry out even 
after heavy rains. Dust mulches were of 
no avail, and this season having a large 
quantity of available partially rotted rye- 
straw, after the second cultivation I drew 
loads of it out and by driving the team 
over the rows lengthwise this straw was 
distributed evenly about three inches deep 
between the rows, and thus over the field. 
Hast season potatoes on this field were a 
light crop, and dried out badly, although 
we had copious rains during the growing 
season. Last year, after experiencing a 
most severe drought during the Summer, 
potatoes here were a bumper crop, and 
all through the season and at digging 
time, the soil in this field was moist and 
loose. Why? As previously stated, the 
two thorough cultivations had mellowed 
and stirred the soil to a good depth, some¬ 
thing like five or six inches, and the ap¬ 
plication of the straw following immediately 
kept the hot sun from drying and crust¬ 
ing the surface, and agiiin when rain 
came the force of impact of the drops was 
broken by the loose straw barrier, and the 
water made to percolate more slowly to 
to the soil beneath. Besides, the straw, 
acting somewhat like a sponge, held in sus¬ 
pension much of the moisture, even days 
afterward, thus giving to the ground that 
which would have otherwise packed the 
surface and run off. doing no good. Also, 
in explanation of the above, almost any 
one can find and prove its counterpart by 
raising a loose bit of board, old straw, or 
sticks which have been upon the ground 
some length of time ; no matter what kind 
of soil these may be upon, invariably be¬ 
neath them the ground will be found moist 
and cool. In my experiment this season 
I applied about three tons wet straw per 
acre. In the hottest days it would only 
dry in an inch or so and was constantly 
moist on its under surface during the 
whole season. No weeds to any extent 
came through the straw and this Winter 
and next Spring it will further rot and 
incorporate with the soil, and may be 
readily plowed under. 
Michigan. g. a. randall. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee page 24. 
CHILDREN AFFECTED 
By Mother’s Food and Drink. 
Many babies have been launched into 
life with constitutions weakened by dis¬ 
ease taken in with their mothers’ milk. 
Mothers cannot be too careful as to the 
food they use while nursing their babes. 
The experience of a Kansas City 
mother is a case in point: 
“I was,a great coffee drinker from a 
child, and thought I could not do with¬ 
out it. But I found as last it was doing 
me harm. For years I had been troubled 
with dizziness, spots before my eyes and 
pain in my heart, to which was added, 
[two years later, a chronic sour stomach. 
“The baby was born 7 months ago, 
and almost from the beginning, it, too, 
suffered from sour stomach. She was 
taking it from mej 
“In my distress I consulted a friend 
of more experience and she told me to 
quit coffee, that coffee did not make good 
milk. I have since ascertained' that it 
really dries up the milk. 
“So, I quit coffee and tried tea and at 
last cocoa. But they did not agree with 
me. Then I turned to Postum with the 
happiest results. It proved to be the 
very thing I needed. It not only agreed 
perfectly with baby and myself, but it 
increased the flow of my milk. 
“My husband then quit coffee and used 
Postum and quickly got well of the dys¬ 
pepsia with which he had been troubled. I 
no longer suffer from the dizziness, blind 
spells, pain in my heart or sour stomach. 
“Now we all drink Postum from my 
husband to my seven months’ old baby. 
It has proved to be the best hot drink we 
have ever used. We would not give up 
Postum for the best coffee we ever drank.” 
Name given by Postum Co., Battle 
Creek, Mich. 
Get the little book, “The Road to 
Wellville,” in pkgs. 
“There’s a Reason.” 
Ever read the above letter ? A new 
one appears from time to time. They 
are genuine, true, and full of human 
interest. 
FRUIT GROWERS FAVORITE SAW 
IS THE MOST PRACTICAL TREE PRUNER EVER INVENTED 
Because it saves time and labor and is so easy to 
handle. It is made with a 15-inch draw cut blade 
ami has a 7 or 8 foot handle. 
Write, today for Descriptive Circular and Prices. 
FRUIT GROWERS SAW COMPANY. Scottsville. New York. 
Equip Your Garden Right 
Cct the new sash that has two layers of glass and needs 
no mats or other covers. Grow your flowers and vegeta- 
b es way ahead of the season. Have a garden under 
glass always growing. 
Send For These Two Books 
One is our valuable free cat¬ 
alog. In the other Prof. Masse; 
tells what and when to plant in 
hot-beds and cold-frames. Send 
4c in stamps for this booklet in 
addition to free catalog. 
Sunlight Doable Glass Sash Co. 
924 E. Broadway. Louisville, Ky. 
4 ? 
ISBELL’S JOHNSON OATS’ 
a 
I SBELL’S NEW JOHNSON OATS 
VERY PRODUCTIVE 
THIN HULL 
HEAVY GRAIN 
STIFF STRAW 
Johnson Oats originated here in Michigan and we have many 
testimonials attesting to their value. The heads are large and 
branching and loaded with big, plump, thin-hulled and bright grain. 
Its roots run deep into the soil, thus supplying the plant with 
moisture and food even in a dry season. It stools out and a single 
plant produces a number of large heads. It is plump and heavy 
often weighing 36 to 40 lb s. to the bushel. The straw is very stiff 
and of medium height, holding up its large, well filled heads on the 
richest ground when other varieties lie flat. “The Johnson” are not 
side Oats. The money you invest in the Johnson Oats for seed will 
yield a profit of 100 to 200 per cent in the increased yield you will 
got over the common kind you have been planting. The extra cost 
of the seed of the Johnson over common Oats is so light that no one can 
afford to plant the common varieties. A change of seed once in 2 or 3 
years is absolutely essential to growing good crops and when a change is 
made get the best variety possible. The Johnson will fill the hill every 
time. Prices by mail, postpaid: Pkt., 4c; qt., 18c; 3 qts., 45c. Not pre¬ 
paid: Qt., 10c; y 2 pk., 18c; pk., 30c; bu., $1.00; in lots of 2i/ 2 to 10 bus at 
9oc; 10 bus. or more, at 92c per bu., bags free. Freight to be paid by customer, 
'■-legant 104 pages Seed Annual FREE. 
S. M. ISBELL GO. •■SOT 
Jackson, Mich. 
Seed Potatoes—Seed Oats 
you 
G ^T Moun , t ? i . n ’ State of Maine and other leading varieties direct from our SEED FARMS to 
at $2.00 per bbl. Tins is the age of the SPECIALIST and we are SEEO POTATO SPECIALISTS. 
And offer .you at above price the very best SEED POTATOES that time, money and skillful 
attention to details can possibly grow. Our SEED POTATOES were all harvested from fields abso¬ 
lutely tree from blight or diseases of any kind, and will produce strong, vigorous, lioalthy plants 
that will give you the maximum yield. Send for descriptive price list which gives full description 
of the best varieties of SEED OATS and POTATOES. 
CIIAS 1ST. CORNER, : : OWEGO, NEW YORK 
HHA NEW SEED OATS. Bijjmoney 
I H in right kind oi oats. Here’9 
M ggm 9 R your chance. Imported Canadian 
H ■■ H seed oats, raised on Galloway 
# 3 B 33 SM Brothers’ big farm in Canada. 
U ■ B New, clean land. Regenerated 
Swedish Select went 116 bushels 
to acre; Early New Market 110 bushels to acre. Farmers who 
bought this seed from us last year raised as high as 75 to 100 
pushels in this country, and found out their old seed was inbred 
pnd run out. Change your seed. Try some of this new seed, 
bend for free sample, or 10 cents for large packet. Will also send 
our free booklet, entitled “Big Money in Oats and How to Grow 
Them. Gailoway Bros«-Bowman Company 
662 Galloway Station Waterloo, Iowa 
OATS 
alog free. 
THAT YIELD. Our Sensation Oats 
breaks all records. Nothing like it. 
Also SEED CORN. Samples and ent- 
LHEO. BURT & SONS, MELROSE, OHIO. 
CLOYER *"o TIMOTHY KSSS 
Cheapest and Rest Seeding Known 
Alslke, Clover and Timothy mixed. Fully % AI- 
sike, a great bargain. Most wonderful hay and pas¬ 
ture combination that grows. Write for Free Sam¬ 
ple and our large 76-page catalog describing this 
wonderful grass mixture. " Far ahead of anything 
you can sow and ridiculously cheap. He convinced, 
it. A. Rerry Seed C’o., lioxsco Clarinda, Iowa- 
nilfiinpd Hlnvpr 9ppfl Weareintheheartofthe 
^ . ll Jj . l y . C51 ulUlot OKcU clover tiistriot Buying 
direct from the farmer and selling direct to you 
gives you best quality, clean seed, and saves you 
money. Also handle Aisike and Timothy. Sample 
free. Order now. O. M. SCOTT & .SON, ” Only 
Seeds—mostly clovers,” 10 Alain St., Marysville, O. 
SEEO OATS— Long’s Tartar and Read’s Green Moun¬ 
tain Learning Seed Corn. High-class seeds at low 
prices. Samples free. E. C. Dktmer, Napoleon, O. 
CCCnC Clovers; Medium Red, Mammoth, 
vLLUw Aisike, Alfalfa; Timothy, Blue Grass, 
Red Top, Soy Beans, Cow Peas, Oats, Corn, etc. 
Send for prices and samples. 
ZAUK DAVIS C'O., Delaware Ohio 
CnD QAI C—Canada Peas,$1.85bushel; Alas- 
TUIi vnLt ka Peas, $4.00 bushel; Cow Peas. 
$2.25 bushel; Crimson Clover Seed, $8.50 bushel. 
Sow Canada Peas and Oats in March and harvest 
a crop of Hay in May. Onion Sets at $2.25 per 
bushel. JOSEPH E. HOLLAND, Milford, Del. 
Clover Seed, Seed Corn, Seed Oats, A HP 
Highest quality. Why not buy these direct? Cata¬ 
log of all kinds of farm seeds mailed free on re¬ 
quest. MACE & MANSFIELD, Greenville, Ohio. 
“PRINCE HENRY” Potato. Heavy 
yielding variety of Rural type. Excellent quality, 
grown from selected and treated seed, choice stock. 
2-bushel sack SI.4U, 5 sacks or more $l.3U each. 
CHAMPION BEARDLESS BARLEY, 
Pure and nice. 2 bushels $2.75, id bushels or more 
$1.30 per bushel. J. N. MacPHEltSON, Pine View 
Farm, Scottsville, N. Y. 
OODSEEDS 
BESTIHTHEWORLD 
PRICES BELOW ALL OTHERS 
I give x lot of new sorts for 
jirial with every order I fill. 
A Grand Big Catalog pppp 
Illustrated with over IjlEIg 
700 engravings of vegetables 
_ and flowers. Send yours and 
^liB^^^your neighbors’ addresses. 
R. H. SHUMWAY, Rockford, Illinois* 
GREGORY’S SEEDS 
90 cents worth for 
25 cents in coin 
Aster, Gregory's Special Fancy Mixture, • . 19c. 
Pansy, Gregory’s Special Fancy Mixture, . 15c. 
Coreopsis, Gregory’s Special Fancy Mixture, 05c. 
Poppy, Gregory’s Fancy Doable Mixed Annual*, 19c. 
Mignonette, Gregory’s barge Flowering, very rl«h 19c. 
Bachelor Button, Gregory’s Finest Mixture, 19c. 
Petunia, Gregory’s Finest Hybrid Mixture, . 15c. 
Candytuft, Gregory’s Finest Mixed, . . ,95c. 
Nasturtium, Dwarf, Finest Mixed, .... 95c. 
Sw eet P eas. Extra Choice Mixed.95c. 
10 packages sentfor25c in coin. I 
In addition to above, will send FIVB 
of our regular FIVE CENT PACK¬ 
AGES of Vegetable seed, onr se¬ 
lection, with beautifnl Catalogue, if I 
this paper is mentioned with order. I 
H. GREGORY 8 SON, 157 Elm 8t..M9bbuhead, Musa .| 
1 pk*. 
1 pkg. 
J pkg. 
1 pkg. 
1 pkg. 
I pkg. 
1 Pkg. 
1 pkg. 
1 pkg. 
1 pkg. 
S ECOND CROP Seed Potatoes, best by test everywhere, 
come the earliest, grows the largest crops of prims 
potatoes. Catalog free. J. W. HALL, Marion Station, Md. 
Three rousing big crops ol 
SALZER’S 
Alfalfa 
We have sold enough of 
this seed to sow half-a- 
million acres and 
every purchaser 
has been enthu¬ 
siastic about it. 
Ex-Gov. W. D. 
Hoard of Wiscon¬ 
sin writes “I like . 
the quality of your' n Y^^ 
Alfalfa Clover very . _jr 
much. On 30 acres ™ 
I raised over 
$2500 worth of 
Alfalfa Hay. 
There is no 
better money 
crop that I 
know of.” 
You sow Salzer’s Northern Grown Alfalfa and 
get three rousing big crops, in May, July and 
August, besides having the best of pastures. It 
will do this on any farm in America where 
Timothy will grow. Get full particulars. Write 
for our 1911 catalog. It’s free. 
0 
10 PACKETS OF 
FARM SEEDS 
100 
Here’s our great trial collection at one cent 
a package, composed of Spelfz, the cereal and 
hay wonder. Silver King Barley, a world beater with 
173 bu. per acre, Bonanza Oat —swon four farms in 
1910—biggest sworn to yield 259 Bushels per acre! 
Billion Dollar Grass, the ten ton grass wonder. 
Salzer’s luxuriant A/fa/fa, and live other packets, 
allfen for 10c in stamps. Write for this collection 
today and we’ll also send you a free copy of our 
great 1911 catalogue. 
JOHN A. SALZER SEED CO. 
144 South 8th St., La Crosse, Wls. 
