1913. 
THE) RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
937 
Ruralisms 
THE BING AND LAMBERT CHERRIES IN 
THE EAST. 
Of the new originated sweet cherries 
the Bing and Lambert are the most nota¬ 
ble and are, perhaps, the most valuable. 
They are both of Oregon seedling origin 
and have come to be the two most popu¬ 
lar varieties for the Pacific Northwest, 
being large, dark red, almost to black¬ 
ness and very firm in flesh. They are 
the very best shipping cherries known, 
and bring the highest prices in eastern 
markets on the fancy fruit stands. In 
the West, where the Summer climate is 
dry, there is very little trouble with them 
by cracking of the skins, although there 
is some of it, especially when and where 
chance showers come about the time 
of ripening. I have seen crops seriously 
injured in this way in Oregon and 
equals that of Oregon and Washington, 
which is saying about all that can be 
said in praise of it, and brings prices in 
the market equal to the highest, and in 
some cases higher prices than the west¬ 
ern cherries where the two were sold to¬ 
gether. 
I am very sorry to have to say a bad 
word for the Bing and Lambert, but 
they deserve it from eastern experience, 
and Lambert is the worst of the two. 
The Schmidt has proved to be one of the 
best of the black sweet cherries for mar¬ 
ket, but it is not of the best quality. 
Tartarian is scarcely equaled for flavor, 
but it is not so large nor so solid in flesh 
as the Schmidt and some others. 
II. E. VAN DEMAN. 
MISSOURI NOTES. 
This week, ending July 26, closes the 
blackberry season in this southeast quar¬ 
ter of the State. Personally it was a 
McDonald hybrid, n 
Washington, but only rarely, and usually 
near the coast, or on the islands of Puget 
Sound. 
In the Eastern States these two cher¬ 
ries have been tested for several years 
past, and I have been instrumental in 
bringing to public notice in some degree, 
and have recommended them for trial by 
many fruit growers. Since there has 
been experience with them by some of 
these growers, and I have seen their be¬ 
havior in several places and heard from 
others, I am forced to change my mind 
in regard to their value for this region, 
and warn all who may think of planting 
the Bing and Lambert not to do so except 
with the full understanding that there is 
McDonald, lucuetia. fig. 354 . 
a great danger if not certainty of failure. 
1 he trees are vigorous and seem to be as 
hardy and productive as those of the 
other sweet cherries, but the fruit is 
f° hard in flesh and the skin so unyield¬ 
ing that the rains cause cracking about 
the time ripening is well begun. At the 
Paul Rose farm in Northern Michigan, 
where there is one of the largest, if not 
the largest of all the cherry orchards in 
tlie entire country, and a large number 
of varieties growing, the Bing and Lam¬ 
bert have proved practical failures, and 
1 regret being the cause of Mr. Rose and 
some others planting them. The climate 
and soil are well suited to cherry culture 
and the industry is becoming one of the 
main features in that region, both of the 
sweet and sour varieties. The fruit 
AT URAL SIZE. Fig. 353. 
successful one. Droughty conditions 
have prevailed since April, but an occa¬ 
sional shower has always intervened to 
prevent really serious loss. Our berries 
were the finest seen on the local market, 
and this was due to rich soil and good 
culture. The wild crop, which always 
plays a part in supplying the town, was 
ruled out of competition by the drought. 
I am pleased to report that the hybrid 
dewberry-blackberry, McDonald, from 
Texas, approached the standard that it 
is said to reach in Texas. I reported 
last year that this variety showed great 
promise but failed in the pollination of 
its flowers. Some fruit set and reached 
perfection, but it was but a fraction of 
what the crop should have been. So fine 
were these specimens, however, that I 
procured the varieties that were said to 
serve as pollenizers for it in Texas. These 
were the Sorsby blackberry and Mayes 
dewberry and a planting of the Early 
Harvest was also made in proximity. 
The result was success and my two speci¬ 
men old plants that were trained up on 
wires, were loaded with a full yield of 
perfect berries. One plant produced six 
quarts, the other was not recorded. It 
must not be supposed that six quarts 
measure its bearing capacity. The plant 
in question fell considerably short of the 
growth of bearing wood it was capable 
of. The row of young plants set out a 
year ago produced only an inconsiderable 
amount of fruit, but sent up a strong 
set of canes for next year. In common 
with other hybrids the McDonald is a 
creeping plant the first Summer, but 
sends up canes as large as those of black¬ 
berries the second year. I should say 
that wires were essential to the profitable 
culture of this berry, either two strung 
parallel or one above the other, grape 
fashion. The value of this new berry lies 
in its season, which is even a little earlier 
than the Harvest, and in its size, which 
compares with that of the standard dew¬ 
berries. There is just one possible 
source of weakness—in the pollination 
of its flowers. The McDonald was sent 
me for trial by F. T. Ramsey & Son, of 
Texas, and in their catalogue description 
I find the statement that this variety “on 
some soils or locations over the State 
does not pollenize perfectly, producing a 
lot of faulty or partly filled berries.” 
Here is a point to be elucidated, why 
soil or climate should act to sterilize a 
plant. Last year pollination was faulty, 
this year perfect, but whether all owing 
to proximity of fertile kinds other sea¬ 
sons must decide. Therefore I do not 
advise the planting of the McDonald on 
a large scale until it" has been well tested. 
Examined under the microscope its flow¬ 
ers show the average number of stamens 
and pistils as do others of its family. 
Along with the McDonald, Ramsey & 
Son sent me the Haupt berry which, 
with them, surpasses the McDonald, but 
I find it also failing in pollination to a 
far great extent than the McDonald, hav¬ 
ing so far failed to produce any perfectly 
filled berries, though this year’s effort 
was better than last year’s. It is incon¬ 
ceivably prolific—one bush estimated to 
yield 40 quarts—but is also inconceivably 
thorny, far more than any member of its 
family I have ever seen. The organs of 
its flowers also disclosed no imperfec¬ 
tion. The claim made by some that the 
Haupt will fertilize the McDonald, is 
quite erroneous. A peculiarity of these 
hybrids is that they are nearly evergreen, 
entirely so in mild Winter. The two 
pictures show the natural size of the Mc¬ 
Donald and its dewberry style of fruit¬ 
age. As to hardiness, it withstood here 
16 degrees below zero in 1012, a tempera¬ 
ture which damaged the Harvest. 
L. R. JOHNSON. 
Cape Girardeau Co., Mo. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
THE “BLUES” 
A Lady Finds Help from Simple Food. 
Civilization brings blessings and also 
responsibilities. 
The more highly organized we become 
the more need there is for regularity and 
natural simplicity in the food we eat. 
The laws of body nutrition should be 
carefully obeyed, and the finer more 
highly developed brain and nervous sys¬ 
tem not hampered by a complicated, un¬ 
wholesome dietary. 
A lady of high nervous tension says: 
“For fifteen years I was a sufferer 
from dyspepsia. I confess that an im¬ 
properly regulated diet was the chief 
cause of my suffering. Finally, nothing 
that I ate seemed to agree with my stom¬ 
ach, and life, at times, did not seem 
worth living. 
“I began to take a pessimistic view of 
everything and see life through dark blue 
glass, so to speak. My head became 
affected with a heavy creeping sensation 
and I feared paralysis. 
“Palpitation of the heart caused me to 
fear that I might die suddenly. Two 
years ago, hearing Grape-Nuts so highly 
spoken of by some estimable friends of 
mine, I determined to try it. 
“The change in my condition was lit¬ 
tle less than miraculous. In a short time 
the palpitation, bad feeling in head and 
body began to disappear and the improve¬ 
ment has continued until at the present 
time I find myself in better health than 
I have ever enjoyed. _ 
“My weight has increased 20 lbs. in 
the last year and life looks bright and 
sunny to me as it did when I was a 
child.” 
Name given by the Postum Co., Battle 
Creek, Mich. 
“There’s a Reason,” and it is explained 
in the little book, “The Road to Well- 
ville,” in pkgs. 
Ever read the above letter? A new 
one appears from time to time. They 
are genuine, true and full of human 
interest. 
IDEAL FRUIT PICKING BAG 
equalize the load on 
both shoulders. 
The openings are ar¬ 
ranged so both hands 
can he used in picking 
and the draw string is 
arranged so the fruit 
can be let out at the bot¬ 
tom in emptying the 
bag. 
The bag can be let 
down to the bottom of 
. uHon the barrel before open¬ 
ing the draw string, thus not bruising thefruit. 
This is the best and handiest arrangement 
for picking fruit that has ever been offered. 
A trial will convince the most skeptical. 
SAMPLE POSTPAID, $1. AGENTS WANTED. 
BARKER MFG. GO. 
35 Ambrose St., Rochester, N. Y. 
THRESHERS 
HORSE POWERS 
SAW MACHINES 
ENSILAGE CUTTERS 
GASOLINE ENGINES 
Don’t buy any of the above till you get our Catalog and 
reasonable prices. We’ll surprise you. Hundreds testify 
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Catalog full of pictures. A. W. GRAY’S SONS, 
South Street, Middletown Springs, Vt# 
Calendar and CDCC 
Directions lltCC 
We make Bucket, Barrel, 
Knapsack, 4-Row Potato 
Sprayers, Power Orchard Rigs — 
Sprayers of all kinds for all purposes. 
Automatic liquid agitators and strainer cleaners— 
up-to-date sprayer line. Ask for free spraying book. 
FIELD FORCE PUMP CO., 2 11 th St., Elmira, N. Y. 
HAVANA —i 
Steel Wheels 
For any wagon or cart you 
may have on your farm. We 
make the wheels to fit your 
axle. You give us the exact 
dimensions of your axle, as 
asked for on our order sheet, and 
we guarantee a fit. If you are 
interested, we shall be pleased 
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Box 17 , Havana, Illinois 
ON SOY BEANS-COW PEAS 
VETCH - CLOVERS - ALFALFA 
FREE BOOK NO. 54 
EARP-THOMAS FARMOGERM CO., BLOOMFIELD, N. J. 
BEST 
ON EARTH 
Write us for Litmus Paper to test your soil for 
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INTERNATIONAL AGR'L CORP. 
Caledonia Marl Branch 
812 MARINE BANK BLDG., BUFFALO, N. Y. 
HANDY BINDER 
JUST the thing for preserving files of 
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‘Ihe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
333 West 30th Street, New York City 
When you have learned that crops feed from the soil just as 
Rock 1 m ^ls/eed from the crops isn’t it reasonable that there i? a 
Phosphate t0 t . he a . mount . of P lan * food in the soil, and that with 
is offered to cropping the time must come when the soil 
farmers of this sec-^^SJ*’ Hulk a surficient amount otone or more of the 
only after many^^J i^V>! ssential . elements oi P^nt food to make its 
cultivation profitable. Soil surveys and 
experiments conducted by state and 
^ nation have proved that the 
average soil of the Central 
and Eastern states are 
deficient in the el¬ 
ement Phos¬ 
phorus. 
tion only after__ 
years of careful experiments 
by the leading Agricultural Col 
leges had guaranteed the truth of this 
statement: “When properly used in an 
intelligent system of culture and crop rotation 
Rock Phosphate is the most economical, and 
the only permanent source of Phosphorus.” The 
investment of $1.00 per acre per year in Rock Phosphate will not only restore 
the Phosphorus removed in the crops but will increase the fertility of the soil till max- 
unum crops are possible. Let us send you literature and prices. Mention this piper 
