Notes and Gleanings. 369 



Beautiful stains appear earlier in the season on growing folia<Te, which mark 

 the coming of some fungus, whicli, later, will hasten its decay, or add a grace to 

 its perishing and ripened condition. Such may be seen on the fohao-e of the 

 red garden-currant, on the leaves of several sorts of roses, and on the folia"-e 

 of plants which borrow beauty from their approach. Singular abnormal growths, 

 simulating these fungi, also die, and stain with rich pencillings and dashes of vio- 

 let, crimson, purple, or golden tints, the leaves of the poplar, the hawthorn, the 

 crab-apple, the quince, and the maple ; some of these fantastic, and otiicrs more 

 modest and simple. 



No portion of the tissue escapes. Particular kinds aftect only the midrib, 

 others the angles of the veins, and others the broader and general surface. 

 Even the petiole, or leaf-stalk, of some plant, bears Tts appropriate parasite ; and 

 the roots, and that portion of the trunk or stem buried beneath the soil, may 

 sustain its subterranean fun-i. To suppose that these productions are the 

 results of accident or of chance, or come immediately froai defective cultivation, 

 which preparation of the ground by empirical rules can obviate, does not ap- 

 pear to be according to reason or common sense ; and marks a hasty conclusion 

 in the premises, which an acquaintance with other facts wouLl modify. 



J J Jin L. Russell. 



Apple-Stocks. — One would think that enough trees had been raised to 

 supply all the West ; but I have lately seen a sight that would almost lead 

 to the conclusion that orchards were yet unplanted, and every farm was to be 

 supplied. I refer to a twenty-acre plantation of the seedling apple-trees, from 

 seed sown this spring by Skinner and Wedgewood. It is on new prairie, about 

 seven miles from their orchard at Marengo, — along distance to go back and 

 forth ; but it is found cheaper to go this distance, and have new, strong land, 

 clear of weeds, than to fight weeds nearer home. The seeds were sown in rows 

 about two feet apart, with a drill made specially for the purpose, and drawn by 

 a horse. They have been hand-hoed, and cultivated with a single cultivator. 

 They stand very thick in the rows ; so crowded, that it would seem they would 

 hardly have room for a healthy growth : but with strong, new ground, excel- 

 lent cultivation, and a favorable season, they have made an astonishing growth, 

 stocky, and of uniform height. Take the whole twenty acres of beautiful dark- 

 green, and I doubt whether the world has ever produced its equal. 



I understand that the whole crop has been contracted by F. K. Phoenix of 

 Bloomington, and it is estimated at two or two and a half millions. These, if 

 planted in a row, two rods apart in the row, would reach half-way round the 

 earth. When grafted, the number will be about doubled. Many think it a bad 

 practice to make more than one tree from each seedling ; insisting that the scion 

 in root-grafting should be set upon the collar of the seedling-root. But, as long 

 as seedlings are as scarce as they have been for a year or two, nursery-men 

 will probably continue to use pieces of roots. To change the subject, let me 

 give 



A Hint about canning Fruit. — Many of the cans in use are sealed up with 

 a preparation of wax and rosin, which accomplishes the work perfectly ; but, as 



VOL. II. 47 - 



