i6 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ January, 1877. 



tastes of men, women and children. If varieties of 

 apples are well chosen, we may have them from 

 July to the succeedina; July, for it i.s a very common 

 thing to see on our fruit stands the Golden Russet 

 of the preeedinfj year with the Early Harvest or 

 Carolina Red June of the present season. — C. W. 



MUBTFELDT, BEFORE THE K.\NS.\S HORTICUL- 

 TURAL SOCIETT. 



Heat for House Plants. 



Most of our plants are injured by too much heat. 

 For a general collection of house plants, it is not best 

 to allow the thermometer to be above seventy, and if 

 they could be kept in a room where the thermometer 

 would usually range much above sixty-five it would 

 be much better. In the night time fifty is enough. 

 Give a little fresh air every fine day, and all the sun- 

 light attainable. An effort should be made to give 

 moisture to the atmosphere, for our own good, as 

 well as the health of the plants. This can be done 

 in various ways by evaporating water : but when 

 plants are In a separate apartment, likealittle green- 

 house, it can be done more conveniently and effectu- 

 ally, although this separate apartment be only a bay 

 window, with glass doors, separating it from the liv- 

 ing room. In this, water can be used freely, by 

 sprinkling, etc., and a moist atmosphere preserved. 

 The temperature, with this arrangement, can be kept 

 lower than would be comfortable in the living room, 

 and the plants are saved from dust and many evils 

 which we manage to endure and live, but which 

 generally prove too much for the plants. — Vick's 

 Guide. 



Thinning Fruit. 



Additional facts come before us every day, showing 

 the importance of thinning fruit on the trees early in 

 the season. E. Mood,ofLockport, New York, stated 

 Bome years ago that while the large, handsome 

 peaches on his thinned trees brought a dollar and 

 a half per basket, the same sort on crowded branches 

 sold for only half a dollar. More recently, Mr. Dyck- 

 man, of White Haven, New York, has cited instances 

 where his thinned crop readily brought two dollars 

 and a-half per basket, and unthinned only one dollar 

 and a quarter. There is less difference when the 

 trees are young and bear large specimens, but as 

 they become older and more productive, the differ- 

 ence becomes very distinct. But the increased price 

 is not the only advantage. An overloaded tree is 

 soon exhausted. A large orchardist in Ohio lost 

 3,000 trees by the cold of winter, after a very heavy 

 crop ; while trees which had not borne were unin- 

 jured. It is much easier to thin out poor specimens 

 early, than to hand-pick all, and then assort them. 



Tar on Fruit Trees. 



According to the experience of Mr. Henry Rey- 

 nolds, of Montgomery county, N. Y., tar is a perfect 

 remedy for scarred and sun-cracked ajiple trees. 

 He says that by coating with new tar the trunk of a 

 favorite fruit bearer that was cracked and so de- 

 cayed that the bark was dead and would peel o9', he 

 has restored it fully. He applies it to all the 

 branches that show signs of decay. Since practic- 

 ing this cheap remedy, he has not been troubled 

 with insects. By applying tar to the trunk, and 

 clearing away the surface at the roots so as to let it 

 run down on them, peach trees badly damaged by 

 borers are fully restored. Replace the dirt, and you 

 will have no more trouble with the tree for two years 

 or more. If the tar is applied to young trees, the 

 borers will not trouble them at all. He states that 

 the coating should be applied in the winter, or early 

 in the spring. 



Grafting Currants. 



The Rural New Yorker says : Lovers of the cur- 

 rant and gooseberry have reason to feel jolly over the 

 success which seems to attend grafting them upon 

 the Missouri currant (Ribus aurcum), which is not 

 liable to the attacks of the borer. Besides, they are 

 exempt from mildew. And thus by a single happy 

 hit the two great drawbacks to currant .and goose- 

 berry cultivation have been overcome. The beauty 

 of these little trees when loaded with their pretty 

 berries, as displayed at the Centennial, is of itself 

 enough to secure their general cultivation. It would 

 be well for those who iutend experimenting with 

 grafting currants to bear in mind that there is a 

 great difference in the varieties of the Missouri cur- 

 rant, some making better stocks than others. 



Apples in England. 

 The London Garden says that Convent Garden 

 market is piled high with barrels of American ap- 

 ples, which are more abundant now than ever 

 known before. The English apple crop was 

 small the past season and apples being 

 very abundant here, they have poured into the Lon- 

 don market. There are large supplies also from 

 France and from Holland, the former be ng sold at a 

 dollar per bushel, and the latter lower. American 

 apples, if good, sell much higher. 



LITERARY NOTICES. 



Oakland Stud of Peroheron-Normam Horses. 

 M. W. Dunham, importer and breeder, Wayne, Dn 

 Page county, Illinois, thirty-five miles west of 

 Chicago, on the Freeport division C. & N. W. R. R. 

 This is simply a royal octavo pamphlet of thirty-two 

 pages, being an illustrated catalogue of the horse- 

 stock of Mr. Dunham, the enterprising and widely 

 known importer and breeder of the famous Percheron 

 Normans, which are becoming so popular in this 

 country. The pamphlet, which is beautifully gotten 

 up, opens with a splendid illustration of "Success," 

 the first Percheron-Norman stallion imported to 

 Illinois from France, by Mr. Dunham, which is fol- 

 lowed by "Mignonette," "Jean Bart," "Cardinal," 

 " Tempest," " Primate," " Duke of Perche," 

 "Apollo," "Napoleon III.," "Viola and "Adelaide," 

 all of whom, with descriptive notices, will appear in 

 our journal during the course of the coming year. 

 This stud consi.sts of seventy-eight individuals, in- 

 cluding stallions and mares, of foreign and American 

 breeds. We must confess that we are not a con- 

 noisseur in horse flesh, but to our eye there is some- 

 thing beautifully grand in the apperance of N'a- 

 lioleon III. After the first outlay, it perhaps costs 

 as little to keep a good horse as a bad one, save the 

 ditlerence between efflcient grooming, and absolute 

 neglect. Eighty-six of these horses have been sold 

 since August, 1S74, at prices, the lowest of which 

 was Si50.00 and the hiahest ?.5,.5OO.O0, but seventy 

 were from S1,000 to 4,.500. This is a fair exhibit of 

 their value, and illustrates their appreciation by the 

 stock owners of our country, from Maine to Wis- 

 consin and Iowa. If our farmers desire good work- 

 ing and pleasure stock, we commend them to the 

 stud of Mr. Dunham. 



Tub NEW Guide to Rose Culture. The cata- 

 logue of the Dingee and Conard Company of Rose 

 Growers, West Grove, Chester county. Pa., is a 

 royal octavo pamphlet of 47 pages, and many illus- 

 trations, on fine cerulean tinted paper, and excellent 

 type, and Is now before us. The catalogues of the 

 various floi'ists, seedsmen and nurserymen of our 

 country, constitute the cheapest, most practical 

 and accessible treatises on flower garden, lawn, field, 

 forest and vegetable garden botany, of anything that 

 is published on that subject, and the one before us, 

 on its specialty, is not inferior to the best of them. 

 The study of these, aided by a Botanical Text Book, 

 is sufficient to impart as much popular knowledge 

 of the subject as is of interest to the masses. Here 

 we have lists of 37.5 roses, alphabetically arranged, 

 including ever-blooming, hybrid, perpetual, moss 

 and climbing; 40 of which are entirely new; with 

 short descriptions and modes of culture. 



The Naturalist's Directory, containing the 

 names of naturalists, chemists, physicists and mete- 

 orologists, arranged alphabetically, with an index 

 arranged according to departments. By .Samuel E. 

 Cassino, and published by the Naturalists' Agency, 

 at Salem, Mass. This is an exceedingly well exe- 

 cuted pamphlet of 75 pages, interspersed with about 

 the same number of blank pages, for the purpose of 

 making additions and corrections. It is a demi 8vo. 

 in form, and printed on fine calendered paper, with 

 tinted covers. It is, perhaps, as perfect as such a 

 work could possibly be made, under all the circum- 

 stances, in a first edition, and in order to make future 

 issues more complete, the author and compiler re- 

 spectfully solicits notices of omi.?sions that occur in 

 the present issue. Also notices of scientific societies 

 wherever they may exist in North America, to add to 

 a new edition which will be published in December, 

 1877. 



"Report of the Geographical and Geological Ex- 

 plorations and Surveys west of the one hundredth 

 meridian, in charge of First Lieut. Geo. M. Wheeler, 

 corps of engineers, U. S. A. Under the direction of 

 Gen. Humphreys, Chief of EngineersU. S. A. Pub- 

 lished by the War Department, in six volumes. 



Our acknowledgments are due to our distinguished 

 fellow-citizen and Congressional Representative, 

 Hon. A. Herr Smith, lor a copy of the fifth volume 

 of this admirable work, the contents, material, and 

 execution of which reflects as much credit upon the 

 government, its officer and employees, as any work 

 ever published by Congress. This volume is a solid 

 quarto of 1,0-0 pages; it is devoted exclusively to 

 zoology, and includes mammalogy, ornithology, her- 

 petology, ichthyology, entomology, conchology, &c., 

 properly and beautifully illustrated. 



An Essay on Pear Blight, read before the Poto- 

 tnac Fruit Growers' Association, W^ashington, D. C, 

 by John Brainard, together with an introductory 

 note by J. P. Kirtland, M. D. This is a royal octavo 

 pamphlet of IB pages, on a most interesting subject, 

 and one that has exercised the minds of fruitgrowers 

 for a century, at least. This little work is well 

 gotten up, and is illustrated by six wood-cuts, in- 

 cluding fourteen figures, representing healthy parts 

 of the pear tree and also those infected by " blight." 

 It bears date September .5th, ls7(i, and therefore con- 

 tains the latest views upon a most intricate subject. 

 If it does not contain all the truth, it at least makes 

 a nearer approximation to it than anything we have 

 yet seen on blight. 



Potato Pests. Being an illustrated account of 

 the Colorado potato-beetle, and the other insect foes 

 of the potato in North America, with suggestions for 

 their repression and methods for their destruction. 

 By Charles V. Riley, M. A., Ph. D. State Entomolo- 

 gist of Missouri. 



Published by the Orange Judd Co., 245 Broadway. 

 New York. 



Price .50 cts. in paper, 7.5 cts. in boards. This is a 

 handsomely printed little 12 mo. of IDS pages, con- 

 taining also a map of North America, illustrating the 

 original home, the territory occupied, the territory 

 invaded, and the most direct line of march of this 

 notorious pest; with 40 figures, illustatlng this and 

 others insects injurious to the potato, as well as those 

 carnivorous and parasitic species which iufest and 

 prey upon the Colorado Beetle. It should be in the 

 hands of every farmer and gardener in the country. 

 And now here we have before us, No. 1, volume 

 1 — January 1877, of the Xebraska Farmer, Me- 

 Bridc <fc Clarkson editors and propi'ietors, published 

 monthly at Lincoln, Nebraska, at $3.00 in advance 

 per annum. This is a remarkably well gotten up 

 quarto of 24 pages, not iucluding four extra pages 

 of advertisements, and additional covers. It is 

 printed on fine calendered paper, faintly tinted, and 

 everything looks fresh and new. Its literary quali- 

 ties are unexceptionable, and located as it is in the 

 vicinity of the State Agricultural College, it 

 must IP necessarily be the reflector of the best 

 agricultural thoughts of the.State. We cor- 

 dially welcome it to the ranks of agricultural 

 journalism, and heartily wish for it a long and 

 successful career. This first number impresses 

 us very favorably, and we have already appropriated 

 a valuable paper from its columns. Communica- 

 tions of all kinds to be addressed to The Xebraska 

 Farmer, Lock Box 41, Lincoln, Nebraska. 



Potter's American Monthly, an illustrated 

 magazine of history, literature, science and art; 

 1877. John E. Potter & Co., Philadelphia, Pa., S-i.OO 

 a year; 25 cents a number. This is a demi-quarto of 

 SO pages, and is an exceedingly interesting work in 

 all that relates to American history especially. Its 

 material and typographical execution are unexcep- 

 tionable. The February number is before us, but it is 

 slightly mutilated, having lost the 147th and 14''th 

 pages (department of "notes and queries." We 

 understand one of the pages contained a paragraph 

 inquiring about the "Old Barracks" of Lancaster, 

 and we presume it was appropriated for the purpose 

 of answering it. We are writing not 100 yards from 

 the ground on which the Old Barracks stood. Oc- 

 casionally an old bvttoH of the British soldier's uni- 

 form is found on or near the spot — one in 1873. 



Descriptive seed catalogue, for 1877, William 

 Rennie, Toronto, Can. A beautifully illustrated 

 octavo pamphlet of SO pages in tinted calendered 

 paper, ahd finely embellished covers. Containing a 

 description of the managment of hot-beds and cold- 

 beds, together with introductory and explanatory re- 

 marks for the information of his patrons, price lists, 

 ete., and an index. This little work contains a vast 

 amount of botanical agricultural, horticultural, and 

 general information relating to fruits, fiowers, field 

 crops and garden vegetables, condensed in a small 

 space, together with fine illustrations of fields, lawn 

 and garden implements of all kinds, with the name 

 and the prices of each attached. Since we have 

 been to the Centennial we have great faith in Canada, 

 and Mr. Rennie seems to be a fair representative. 



R. H. Allen & Co's descriptive catalogue, con- 

 taining complete lists of vegetable, fiower and field 

 seeds, roots, plants, and garden requisites, 189 and 

 191 Water Street New York. This is a demi-octavo 

 pamphlet of 64 pages on fine calendered paper and 

 tinted cover. The few illustrations it contains are 

 implemental and finely executed, and moreover of the 

 latest, most improved and useful kinds. Nothing 

 can more forcibly exhibit the progress that is being 

 made in the agricultural world, than the full and 

 splendid catalogues that the nurserymen and seeds- 

 men send out annually to their customers; and more 

 can be learned of them about practical botany (ex- 

 cept scientific classification) than can be from most 

 works on that special subject unillustated. 



We call the attention of those of our readers who 

 contemplate purchasing seeds or plants, to the ad- 

 vertisement of Peter Henderson & Co., of New York. 

 The greenhouse establishment of this firm covers 

 two acres of greenhouses, and employs upward of 

 fifty hands. Millions of plants are shipped, by ex- 

 press and mail, every year, to every State and Ter- 

 ritory in the Union. Their Seed warehouse is the 

 most extensive in the city of New York, and every 

 order received is certain to be filled promptly, with 

 the very best quality of seeds or plants, and as they 

 are producers as well as dealers, everything for 

 the garden will t5e sold at low rates. 



We respectfully call the attention of our readers 

 to the advertisements in this number of the Farmer, 

 .and would admonish them that our journal is now 

 the best and most widely extended advertising med- 

 ium published in Lancaster county, and comes into 

 the hands of the most moral and financially substan- 

 tial citizens of our commonwealth, as well as of the 

 country at large. 



