54 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ April, 



with himself when he maintains the proposition 

 that appears to me a self-evident absurdity, 

 viz.: " that the more we send abroad and the 

 less we get in return for it the greater is our 

 gain." lie appears to hold that our advantage 

 from foreign trade depends entirely on the 

 amount we send out of the country, and that 

 if in exchange for this, owing to bad foreign 

 markets, or other cause, we are enabled to 

 purchase and bring home merchandise, &c., 

 of only half the value of what we send away, 

 so much the better for us. The custom house 

 returns will then show ji large balance of ex- 

 ports above the imports, and so we all ought 

 to rejoice 1 He admits that in the case of the 

 miller exporting a lot of flour, worth S50 at 

 home, and importing in return for it $75 worth 

 of salt, the miller gained $25. Well, did not 

 the country also gain that amount, and is 

 not this a genuine specimen of all the ven- 

 tures of all our citizens engaged in foreign 

 trade ? They invariably export our produce, 

 &c., in the hope of getting back, that is of 

 importing, in one shape or another, greater 

 value than they exported. If they succeed in 

 doing this they have accomplished their pur- 

 pose, and they and the country, I maintain, 

 are so much the richer ; yet the custom house 

 returns will show a preponderance of imports 

 over exports. But if for any cause, for in- 

 stance the wreck and total loss of the out- 

 going or incoming vessel, the owner loses all 

 he had risked, the custom house will furnish 

 evidence to all believers in the theory adopted 

 by J. S. T., that the country has been en- 

 riched to the extent of the whole appraised 

 value of the cargo exported ! Can anything 

 more be needed to show the fallacy and ab- 

 surdity of the theory that an excess of exports 

 over imports is a sure indication of growing 

 wealth and prosperity ? 



J. S. T. affirms, by way of illustration, 

 that, ' 'Of two farmers dealing with each other, 

 the one who has the more money to get at the 

 end of the year has the advantage." I say, 

 this is not necessarily so to all. Suppose in 

 their year's dealings A. has bought of B. a 

 horse and a cow, worth together $200, while 

 he has sold him a lot of sheep and hogs worth 

 $300. Of course when they come to settle A. 

 "has the more money to get," and B. must 

 pay him the difference, of f 100. But does that 

 prove that A. has had the advantage in the 

 trade ? One has the most money, but the 

 other has property to show for it that is worth 

 money. What is the essential difference be- 

 tween money and money's worth ? If money 

 is always of more value than the property 

 that it buys, why does any one part .with it to 

 buy the property ? Does not the entire value 

 of money arise from the fact that the owner 

 of it can thereby procure other property that 

 he needs or desires V— J". P., Lancaster, March 

 24, 1879. 



■»■ 



For The Lascasteb Farmer. 

 TURTLE-HEAD, SNAKE-HEAD, BAL- 

 MONY. 



(^Chilone.) 



The chelone is a genus of plants so named 

 from the Greek for tortoise, the flower, or 

 corolla, resembling in shape the head of a rep- 

 tile ; it is also called shell-flower, balmony, &c. 

 This is not a rare plant in low or wet places — 

 found in flower from July to September. 

 There are two species, the C. glabra and C. 

 ohliqua, and others, perhaps simpler varieties. 

 Stamens four, with woolly filaments and very 

 woolly, heart-shaped anthers ; smooth peren- 

 nials, with upright, branching stems; opposite 

 serrate leaves, and large white or purple 

 flowers, which are nearly sessile, in spikes or 

 clusters, and closely imlsricated with round, 

 ovate bracts and bractlets. Calyx of five dis- 

 tinct, imbricated sepals. Carolla inflated, 

 tubular, with the mouth a little open ; the 

 upper lip broad and arched, keeled in the 

 middle and notched at the apex ; the lower 

 woolly, bearded in the throat ; three lobed at 

 the apex. So much is from Gray's Botany, in 

 substance. 



The Chelone glabra, "smooth snake-head," 

 and the C. ohliqua, the "purple chelone," are 

 not considered distinct bv Pursh and Dr. 



Gray, but there is a marked difference in the 

 color of the corolla. I have met with them 

 in botanical rapibles of a most delicate pink 

 blush, and through rose color to a beautiful 

 purple, in different localities. This is truly a 

 beautiful flower, and worthy of a place in the 

 garden. Johnson enumerates eleven species, 

 some from Mexico, California, &c. ; all of 

 American growth. 



The generic name was given to our species 

 by Toumefort. This hardy perennial of Korth 

 America is usually found along the sides of 

 streams. Mr Clayton collected plants of the 

 purple flowering variety in 1752, and sent 

 them to Mr. Miller, of England, and by him 

 propagated in the Hortus Kewensis. Then 

 followed the G. lyoni, a rival species, larger 

 and a more resplendant flower. The scarlet 

 Chelone harbata, a native of Mexico, was in- 

 troduced into England by Sir Joseph Banks, 

 in 1794. I simply mention this to show that 

 some of our native wild flowers are highly 

 prized and cultivated in Europe, while we at 

 home scarcely appreciate these interesting 

 plants. 



They grow wild, and hence we want some- 

 thing that comes from abroad. May I hope 

 to be indulged in a little gossip. I distinctly 



scientific names of things. I am aware that 

 the hard names are objected to by many of 

 my readers. Any name for a thing new to i 

 must be remembered if we wish to make the 

 thing known to others in our conversation; 

 but if each one gives it his own name, how 

 can he explain to another what he refers to ? 

 Hence the necessity of employing names 

 and phrases which apply exclusively to the 

 plant or thing under consideiation — names 

 in universal use by all students. True, 

 these are mostly derived from the Greek 

 or Latin roots, which are only familiar 

 to scholars, they can see why the name ' 

 is applicable. But an active intellect more 

 readily acquires appropriate new names or 

 special names than new meanings of old familiar 

 words; hence it is better to have a specific 

 term and study up to a clear comprehension 

 of the subject. We soon learn what part is 

 the calyx, the sepals applying to the green por- 

 tion or outer cup of the flower and its divis- 

 ions ; so with the corolla and petals, whether 

 in one piece, like a Morning Glory, "ilfone- 

 petalous," or like a rose of many separate 

 leaves, and polypetalous ; also, the stems of a 

 leaf is a petiole, and that of the flower the 

 peduncle. Considering that these vary in form, 

 color and habit of growth, to describe them 

 terms or names must be had, and we may as 

 well learn those used in systematic descrip- 

 tions, and then the study of botany becomes 

 easy enough. 



To conclude with regard to the medical 

 properties of the plant above figured. Dr. 

 Beacher says : " It is good to expel worms; 

 make a tea and drink ; after a few days give 

 a purge." 



Griffith, in his Medical Botany, page 519,. 

 figures and describes this plant. He says: 

 "It is tonic, cathartic and hepatic." 



On the authority of Rafinesque, who de- 

 rived his knowledge of it from the Shakers, 

 the Indians made extensive use of it ; in full 

 doses it purges and acts powerfully on the 

 liver, they say. — /. Sta^tffer. 



recall the pleasure I derived on one occasion, 

 twenty or more years ago, while struggling 

 along, amid shrubbery, as I followed a moun- 

 tain streamlet in search of floral novelties, 

 when I came across a patch of chelone 

 for the first time. Oh, what a delight it is to 

 the ardent botanist to discover a new and 

 beautiful plant ! I had no idea of what it 

 was. With eager haste I culled specimens, 

 and retired to a mossy seat to inspect this 

 stranger. I first examined the scales, calyx 

 and corolla, carefully sketching the parts, 

 and then opened the corolla, examined the 

 lobes, the stamens and pistil with tlie seed 

 vessel, and all things considered, found that 

 it was not a Labiatse or of the moist family. 

 I had met and analyzed the Pentstemon, a 

 closely allied plant ; this knowledge led me to 

 seek for it among the Scrophulacete, and 

 found it to belong to the genus c/teloite. I 

 mention this to show the advantage of study ; 

 the knowledge of certain plants and generic 

 characters is a guide to others, and to analyze 

 and trace the affinities, a source of pleasure 

 they only know who become interested. 



The study of iiny branch of natural science 

 is conducive to healthy recreation, as well as 

 profitable ; and it would be well if our young 

 men, yes, and ladies, too, would make them- 

 selves familiar with the technicalities and 



Selections. 



SEEDS. 



Frequent complaints are made that s 

 do not germinate, and dealers in them are 

 found fault with, when, very generally, the 

 fault lies in the improper manner in which 

 people plant them. 



Many take no heed of the condition of the 

 soil or of the depth at which the seed should 

 be planted. The temperature and moisture 

 also have a controlling influence. The tem- 

 perature of germination of the following seeds 

 is: 



Lowest. Highest. Most Kapid. 



Wheat «°F. 104°F. 84°F. 



Barley 41 104 84 



Pea 44 182 84 



Corn 48 116 93. 



Bean 49 111 79 



Squash ..; 54 113 93 



Air-dried seed will imbibe water of absorp- 

 tion completely m from 48 to 72 hours, in the 

 following percentage: 



Mustard, 8 Buckwheat, 47 Oats, 60 Pea, 107 



Mille*, -S Barley. 49 Hemp, BO Clover, 



Corn, 44 Turnips, 51 Kid.Beans,96 Beets, 



Wheat, 45 Kye, 58 Horse " 194 Wh. Clover, 127 



The great difference in the amount of water 

 absorbed by mustard and clover seed is worthy 

 of notice. The failure of clover seed to catch, 

 frequentlv arises from sowing it at a time of 

 insufficient moisture, and can be obviated I 

 first soaking the seed, to supply the necessary 

 humidity. Millet generally secures a good catch 

 even in "dry, hot weather, as a small amount 

 of moisture answers for that seed. Soaking 

 seed in plain water, however, entails certain 

 disadvantages. If we examine the water in 

 which the seed is soaking, we find that it soon 

 becomes brown. It has, therefore, dissolved 

 some substances from the seeds ; has actually 

 macerated them. If we pour off this brown 

 water and let it stand exposed to heat, it soon 

 gives off the smell of ammonia, proving that 

 it has soaked out nitrogenous matter, which 

 nature has evidently stored in the seed for the 

 nourishment of the young germ. 



