120 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[August, 



Josiah Ildoiies aiifl Mr. Sargent carry great 

 weight and force witli them, and demand our 

 rcsjiect and attention. The Gardener says: 

 "We suppose even 'Professor' Featherman 

 himself will now understand that it does not 

 require a man to t)e 'convinced against his 

 will ' in order to lielieve it. Those who have 

 obsei-ved the details of the 'freeze' can trace 

 the drying out step by step to the death of the 

 tree." Suppose, on the other side of the ques- 

 tion, that no matter what proportion of moist- 

 ure may remain in the sap vesicles, that surely 

 cannot be utterly evaporated to perfect d ryness ; 

 in which case a "freeze" is not required to be 

 able to "trace the drying out step by step," 

 since the tree is virtually dead already, for the 

 drying out is accomplished by the evaporation. 

 Now if we assume Lindley's view, that the 

 frost destroys or ruptures the protoplastic par- 

 tition walls of the cells, causing the opposite 

 nodes of its galvanic or vital*force to commin- 

 gle and change its properties, so that new cells 

 cannot be developed in that direction, then of 

 course evaporation will complete the business, 

 and dry twigs or dead trees be the result. But 

 they show that death need not follow a 

 "freeze." Plants have and do recover under 

 favorable conditions, no matter how hard the 

 frost. Even when split by it they have sur- 

 vived. 



In The Gardcner'a Monthly, p. 228, for Au- 

 gust, 1875, a Hudson River (N. Y.) corres- 

 pondent details some singular losses in trans- 

 planting of some yuccas and hollies, and then 

 goes on to say that he attributes the losses "to 

 what I consider the most unaccountable of our 

 unaccountable winters," stating what and the 

 care taken in transplanting various species of 

 thuja, &c., adds, "nothing could have looked 

 liner or greener than it has, the finest speci- 

 men of a Thuja Lobljie, moved with a perfect 

 ball, not a root exposed, until last Sunday — 

 nearly seven months — when it suddenly be- 

 gan to turn brown and the leaves to fall off, 

 and I supi)ose in spite of my shading and 

 syringing, I shall loose it. Quantities of pears, 

 fifteen in a row — Espalier — blossomed pro- 

 fusely and as suddenly faded away and died. 

 Several hardy evergreens in the vicinity of a 

 cryptomeria died, the cryptomeria not even 

 being burned or scorched." The cryptomeria 

 is a Jaiian Cedar, allied to Taxodium, called 

 the C. Japonica, the C. na'na, dwarf— North 

 China. I mention this, as the writer gives no 

 other name than "cryptomeria." The writer 

 says, "iMy ideals, that the prolonged steady 

 cold of the winter, thermometer at zero dining 

 nights, for several weeks, and some three to 

 five feet frost, so demoralized (if I may use the 

 expression,) the ground as to make it entirely 

 irresponsive to the external air, which was 

 mild and balmy, being very hot at one time — 

 85^ in the shade. When the ground and roots 

 would be hardly above frost, a midsummer 

 heat for two or three days, acting upon trees 

 and iilants iu a most exhausting way, got no 

 assistance from the roots or soil, and a sort of 

 coup de solid took place, and that I think af- 

 fected the hollies and yuccas." — H. H. 



The eilitor says, " We can give no explana- 

 tion wliatever of oiu' correspondent's experi- 

 ence, and the one oflered by himself does not 

 commend itself to our judgment, and yet 

 wliat can the matter be ?" 



Why not consider it, as the writer evidently 

 does, a clear case of " evaporation," if not on 

 the drought theory then take the "freeze" 

 theory, and the thing is plain. Not to enter 

 upon a controvcrsey on this "battle-field," 

 let us get facts, and let the theories S(juare 

 with all the foots before we adopt them, or 

 ridicule any 07ie who takes one jihase or special 

 case to the exclusion of other conflicting cases. 

 This is the only way to find the true state of 

 each case, separately considered. Effects are 

 one thing, causes may vary. 



One observer says, " Early peas, and some 

 other forward crops, are frequently in moist 

 situations, the most ex^iosed to danger where 

 they have eastern exposures, and wliere there 

 are alternate frosts and thaws, as the winds 

 from that quarter are apt, in such cases, to 

 bring with them a portion of muriatic acid, 



which readily turns the crop black and wholly 

 destroys them." 



So I might give statement upon statement, 

 scattered through various pulilications during 

 a period of many years ; and, indeed, did 

 space permit, it could do no harm to ventilate 

 tlie wh()le subject fully. I have said this 

 much, that I may not be accused of forming 

 a hasty conclusion upon a subject as impor- 

 tant as it is interesting to horticulturists gen- 

 erally. Therefore, what is said in "gossip," 

 need not necessarily pass for "Gospel." I 

 gave my opinion as to the cause of the dead 

 ends on Mr. Erb's blackberries; if others liave 

 a more rational opinion by all means let us 

 have it. — J. Stauffcr, Lnncaster, Pa. 



PUBLIC WATERING TROUGHS.* 



Brothers and Sisters : I desire to draw 

 your attention to-day to wliat I consider a 

 "good thing," viz.: " Public Water Troughs. " 

 Uo not understand me to mean rain-water 

 spouts, nor horse-troughs in your farm-yards ; 

 neither do I mean such as the railroad com- 

 pany has put up at Leaman Place, to enable 

 the locomotives to scoop up water while they 

 run. I mean none of these ; liut water troughs 

 put up along the roadside, and constantly sup- 

 plied with pure, fresh water. I have, fi-om my 

 earliest recollection, fairly worshiped the kind 

 hearts, the public spirit, and the " Good Sa- 

 maritan" principles, that had prompted some 

 persons to provide public watering troughs at 

 their private residences. I noted all such 

 places for miles around, and always honored 

 the men who had provided them. I enter- 

 tained for them more than ordinary respect. 

 I almost envied them the sweet consolation I 

 imagined they might enjoy when looking at 

 the uoljle but jaded beasts drinking in the re- 

 freshing draughts provided by their hearts and 

 hands. But never until last month, when I 

 drove to ilaytown, in this county, did I fully 

 realize and enjoy the great comfort they afford 

 to travelers in a strange district of country, 

 who have a humane feeling for their horses, to 

 say nothing about the comfort to the horses 

 themselves. When one is passing through a 

 section where he is unacquainted with the 

 native streams and water courses, or knows 

 not where to And the best stopping-places ; or 

 one who \vould rather not stop at a public 

 house to water his horse, for fear of the frowais 

 of the landlord if he should water and then 

 drive on without going iu to take a driuk ; 

 under such circumstances he cannot approach 

 or pass a watering trough without a thankful 

 heart and a silent prayer for the beneficent in- 

 dividual who has provided it. 



Possibly it may be asked. How can a coun- 

 try tavern-keeper be expected to keep up his 

 establishment and a watering trough for the 

 wayfarer withciut compensation V Well, we 

 have only to say that he don't make the water ; 

 tliat is God's beverage, jirovided for the hu- 

 man family, and if any man cannot co-operate 

 with the Deity in furnishing it free to the hand 

 of man or beast, let him place up an appropri- 

 ate card, and have printed thereon, " Oncccnt 

 for a man, three cents for a horse." The way- 

 farer can tlien driuk freely without feeling 

 that he is under an obligation to go in and 

 call for smiiethinf/ at the bar which he does not 

 want. No doubt many young men — yes, and 

 old ones, too — are drawn into hotels to drink 

 what they do riot desire, because tliey are 

 afraid to water and drive on while the landlord 

 stands in the door. How many poor jaded 

 horses are driven past, from tlie same cause, 

 when they are in need of water ! It seems to 

 be an easy thing for a man to form an evil 

 habit, and the effects of compulsory drinking 

 at the public houses soon grows into a habit, 

 and often renders men incompetent to take 

 the i)roiior care of tlieir horses, often ruining 

 the poor brutes for life, to say nothing about 

 the great injury to themselves. 



This subject ought to interest every one who 

 has a proper care for his beast — every one who 

 feels a sincere interest in the cause of temper- 



•An Address read before Straaburg Grange, No. 62, July 



10, 1875, by M. B. ESHLEMAN. 



ance — the tender heart of every matron and 

 every pairon of Husbandrj', who are exiiected 

 to possess the necessary qualities of head and 

 heart, and carry them out in their lives. I 

 apiieal to eveiy member of the Grange who 

 has running water on his farm, to erect a pub- 

 lic watering trough, as monuments to the 

 great blessings we have obtained from our 

 noble association ; and believe, me you will 

 have a comfortalile feeling all around the heart 

 every time you see a poor beast quenching his 

 thirst at" the fountain you have prepared. 



This is not a question of mere dollars and 

 cents ; it is a question of humanity in behalf 

 of a noble animal, made subservient to the 

 profits and pleasures of the human family. 

 Contemplate for a moment the great benefits 

 conferred upon society by the use of the horse. 

 How patiently, how faithfully, and often how 

 cheerfully he subordinates himself to the be- 

 hests of his w^eaker master. AVith all the 

 grand schemes of conveyance," by ship, by 

 steamboat, by railroad and by canal, still there 

 is a vacuum in our social and domestic con- 

 cerns that can never be supplied by any other 

 animal than one of the equine race. He is 

 God-given, and to God we are accountaljle for 

 a right use of him. Therefore it behooves us, 

 out of our abundance, to supply his humble 

 wants at such times and places as he stands 

 most in need of our ministrations. In giving 

 thus, we give unto ourselves in the same de- 

 gree that we give to others. I cannot but 

 thiuk of the dying words of the old millionaire, 

 in taking a retrospective view of his life, at its 

 close, and which he had engraved upon his 

 tomb : 



" What I spent I kept: 



What I saved I lost : 



What I save I have." 

 This embraces the whole story of human life. 

 All we really have is our boarding and cloth- 

 ing ; all that we carry with us into the other 

 life is that wliich we have charitably, hu- 

 manely and judiciously tjiven while we are 



here. 



^ 



For The Lancaster Farmeb. 

 ARTIFICIAL WATERINGS. 



Artificial waterings are absolutely necessaiy 

 for plants recently transplanted. If the 

 weather is hot and dry, fruit and ornamental 

 trees, shrubs, flower plants and vegetables, 

 and even seed sown, are all benefited by occa- 

 sional artificial waterings. It is well known 

 that all kinds of plants grow more iu wet sum- 

 mers than in dry ones; and that heavy rains 

 give fresh growths to all living crops in dry 

 .seasons. That should teach all cultivators the 

 necessity of applying waters to individual 

 plants in very dry seasons. The quantity and 

 frequency of application may be considered by 

 the quality of the soil and the grade of the 

 lands. An orchard of fruit trees set out in 

 spring upon high or sloping lands, will require 

 more fre(iueiit waterings than trees of the same 

 varieties set upon low and level lands, and the 

 more especially if the high lands have a grav- 

 ely subsoil. All waterings should be applied 

 on late afternoons or evenings; and for trees, 

 a mulch should be put over their roots to retard 

 evaporation. Tli;it will keep the soil longer 

 moist, and the waterings will be doubly bene- 

 ficial. Cabbages, broccoli, celery, and m;iny 

 other vegetable plants, should be watered 

 after being transplanted, if the weather is hot 

 and dry. ISIany plants in the flower garden 

 should be watered when need be. — An Old 

 Husbandman. 



For The Lancaster Farmer. 

 ORNAMENTAL GARDENING. 



Most of the ornamental foliage bedding 

 plants should not be let bloom. Whenever 

 flower buds form upon the ends of the shoots, 

 nip them off with a piece of the shoot. That 

 will make the plants push out more branches, 

 and they will form massy plants; the leaves 

 will be larger and more numerous, and their 

 colors will be clearer and more distinct, and 

 variegations will be more beautiful. Almtilon 

 Thompsonii is a beautiful, small tree, whose 

 leaves are marbled with green and golden yel- 



