278 



FOREST AND STREAM 



Battle purpose A still older type of bogs— -which may 

 claim lo he the predecessor in structure as well as in lime 

 ol .ell known senein— is Hie Admnotfon,, Dope, from tlie 



' of Wyoming T)iq A. insolence was a powerful 



beast, larger Hum a hear, with & comparatively short head, 

 ami with (lie uninterrupted series of teeth which belongs to 

 'ii 'I-' oldest forms Of the mammals an.l to tlie. higher 

 quadrumana. 



CENTRAL PARK MENAGERIE. 



Dscaiitmiist or Pimt.tr Parks, I 



I S aim, Dec. i.. ISM. f • 



I reedvaa at Central Part Menagerie for the week ending 



Dt I M'i tl . I 



OttjMotfleli Owl. Stem (UlO. PfesBntSd by Mr. Clms. M. BcWeffelin. 



ea Kg i fiafc Bray.il. Presented bj Mr. 



n , a. ii ■ i i 



Two White fronted Geese, Armr ailiifrnits. Received in I a 



On ' • D i [M ctomisliciu Presented by Mr. Samuel 



Smith. \V. A. Cunki.in. 



foadfond, Ktovn and garden. 



FERNS AS A DECORATION. 



THE little tuft of ferns, spoken of heretofore, gives 

 us a hint how to use the evanescent beauties of 

 the forest. How well they are adapted for decorative 

 service; how nieelv the\ adjust themselves to (lie elegances 

 of social life! Out native terns are numerous, handsome, 

 and. intermingled with a, tasteful hand, manifest in their 

 arrangement many original -creations not devoid of artistic 

 beauty. There may be found in our American and Eng- 

 lish ferns ftn almost" limitless variety of beautiful adorn- 

 ment for house and public decoration. Why not, then, 

 make use ol' them'- They have all llieir uses— the love of 

 the beautiful in the last floral offerings of Autumn seems to 

 me particularly appropriate. Wc should receive them as a 

 thankful recognition of, God's universal bounty to us as ex- 

 hibited in the changing seasons, so wonderfully developed 

 in his crowning the last months with a ehnplet of enduring 

 flowers. Wc need not seek far to find many of Hie last 

 leave! of the season so well adapted for use. Go with me 

 to the woods; look beneath that old willow, beside that 

 old e-ray rook, anil behold the clusters waiting to he 

 plucked. Is it not. exceedingly brilliant for a fern?' Truly 

 one would hardly believe his own eyes. Yet so it is, 

 Here we linye only to turn around to behold another plant 

 wc would aild to our collection. Carefully pluck this 

 green crested lastrea. This will give a fine contrast to 

 your scarlet maple leaves. Nov, for a plant of this prickly 

 polyxficliUm. Then spray leaves, like this maiden hair, is 

 just what you want. Here is a rare old wild plant of the 

 deep woods, not often found: but i t >. scarceness adds to it 

 wealth of beauty. It is the red veined wild calladium. 

 Carefully remove it. and as carefully place it in your bas- 

 ket. Xow, after gathering these purple wild asters, we 

 have all we desire for our table decorations. 



Ollipod Qnti.L. 



«*•* 



THE FALL OF THE LEAF. 



THE phenomenon- of the "fall of the leaf," common 

 as it is, is very difficult to obtain satisfactorily. The 

 following are the facts, so far as we understand them, 

 which are exceedingly interesting and instructive. It 

 seems that Nature begins the provision for separation al- 

 most as soon as the leaf is born in Spring. When first put 

 forth into the atmosphere the stalk of the leaf, supposing 

 one to be present, is continuous with the stem. As Ihc 

 leaf and its stem grow, however, an interruption between 

 their tissues (fibrous and cellular) occurs at the base of the 

 leaf stalk, by means of which a more or less complete ar- 

 ticulation or joint is gradually and ultimately formed. 

 Tliis articulation is produced by the continuation of the. 

 growth of the stem after the leaf bus attained full growth, 

 which it generally docs in a few weeks. 



'flic growth of Hie leaf being completed, the base of its 

 petiole, or foot stalk, is no longer able to adapt itself to 

 the increasing diameter of the stem, and a friction be- 

 tween that base and the stem necessarily ensues; the excis- 

 ion advances from without inward, until it finally reaches 

 the bundles of woody fiber, whicll form the main support 

 of the leaf. While, however, Nature is forming a wound, 

 she is at the same time making provision to heal it, for the 

 cuticle or epidermis of the stem is seen to grow over the 

 surface of the sear, so that when the leaf is detached the 

 tree does not suffer from the effects of an open wound. 



The provision for separation being thus completed, the 

 leaf is parted from the stem by the growth of the bud at 

 . Hie force of the wind, or even by its own weight. 

 Therefore, as soon as the glorious colors of the Autumn 

 leaves begin to fade, this provision lor separation is com- 

 pleted, and the winds sing their death dirge as they carry 

 them away from their Summer's home on "the branches of 

 lite trees, and scatter them in countless numbers upon the 

 ground. 



The fall of the leaf is therefore the result of a regular 



,i i -ess, whicll commences with the first [urination of 



the leaf, and is only completed when it is no longer useful 

 to the tree. There is no denying, however, that the frosts 

 of Autumn, by suddenly contracting the tissues at the base 

 of the leaf stalk, accelerate the fall of the leaves 

 musi have noticed, on a frosty morning in Autumn, that, 

 ■ hirst breath ot air moving among the decayed and 

 dying leaves wiii bring them in complete showers from the 

 trees to the ground. 



The leaves of the beech, hornbeam, and oak, die in Au- 

 tumn, but frequently remain attached to these trees 

 throughout the Winter months, provided that the trees are 

 nol i tluflted as to be exposed to violent winds. Such 

 leaves, when examined, will be found lo be continuous 

 with the stem, and therefore without that articulation or 

 joint which so naturally assists in the separation of the 

 leal from the tree. Those dead leaves fall off when the 

 new leaves are put fori' in, Spring; they are. in fact, pushed 

 off by the expansion of the stem wdum the growth of tho 



season eniium necs. 'flic leaves v i trees and 



shrubs, and of coniferous ttees, as the pine and iir, do not 

 fall in Autumn, but in Spring, when the growth of the 

 season is proceeding, and as this annual leal' fall is only 

 partial, consisting of one half or one third at a time, there 

 is always a sufficient number of leaves left on such trees to 

 I BtoUied with perpetual verdure. Hence it is 



that their foliage consists of leaves which have been at- 

 tached to the stem from one to throe or five successive 

 years. — &lw&en. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



M, Salmon, Pennsylvania.— f have upwards of SSO apple 

 trees, some four years old and some a number of years 

 older. Last July the leaves began to curl up— looked as 

 f bough they had passed through a lire— and so badly were 

 they injured from some unknown cause that the young 

 twigs died. In one or two localities, quite near together, 

 all the varieties died in the. scion. What is it? Is it 

 blight? Please tell me. 



It, is quite difficult to give an adequate answer to a ques- 

 tion like, yours, lack of personal observation being unfavor- 

 able to a correct solution of the evil you desire to rectify 

 Wc think in your case the land is exhausted from over- 

 cropping, and' needs potash, lime, hone manure, and good 

 strong barn manure; and, what would be the best, rectifier 

 of all, if easily attainable, slaughter house manures spread 

 upon the surface of the soil and deeply ploughed in. Give 

 your trees a careful .scooping and a good trimmihs cuttine 

 back thoroughly the long twigs of your young trees. To 

 this add a wash made as follows, namely — one part cow 

 manure, fresh from the yard; one part stable manure, new 

 and free from straw; one part loam, or clay; half part of 

 pulverized charcoal, and half pound potash. Add water 

 to render this admixture the Consistency of paint, and ap- 

 ply with a whitewash brush. This will restore your or- 

 chard to bearing and thriffincss if anything will. 



__^__^ ' Ollipod Quill. 



B. ft. M., Pennsylvania.— The snail you send is a garden 

 snail of the order or family PkUomyoetUdOi, general; cal ed 

 slugs. It is sometimes found beneath melons in the gar- 

 den, and upon choice fruit, particularly peaches and pears 

 One kind eats Hie leaves of many garden plants, and .some 

 are very troublesome to the fanner in other ways beside 

 eating fruit, <fcc. The specimens before us were lively and 

 well, and quite hearty. 1 gave them some fresh leaves, 

 tender and succulent, and they immediately thrust out 

 their little horns, or feelers, and commenced eating at 

 once. They have some characteristics of the true snail, as 

 they are termed, lloth eat in the night, and their habits 

 are to be found in damp places— under logs, beneath loose 

 hanks and decaying woods, or stones; among the grass in 

 Massachusetts, and under out houses; in short, in great 

 numbers in all places of dampness. They do not hyber- 

 nate, and cold makes them torpid. Cold weather kills 

 them; warmth gives them life. They are particularly 

 troublesome in gardens. Dry lime and sulphur is an anti- 

 dote for them. "There are a'great number of these slugs 

 and snails, belonging to many classifications, and they are 

 quite interesting as a microscopic study. 



Olltpod Qcill. 



Thomas Covden, Missouri. — The insect you sent in a 

 phial came safely to hand, and in good condition. It is a 

 prominent, injurious insect, noticed, among several others, 

 by Mr. Riley, State entomologist of your 'State, and is a 

 new enemy, found upon the cucumbers in Massachusetts 

 as well as In your region. It is I hi- Phm-eUvm iiiUdalis. and 

 is the offspring of a small caterpillar, which perforates the 

 cucumber when about the size for pickling. One worm 

 will destnvy a cucumber, by causing it to rot. There is no 

 remedy for its ravages yet, found. We conclude, from sev- 

 eral microscopic examinations of this insect, made during 

 the last Summer, that it is very tender, ami is not likely lo 

 become troublesome, at least in this section. 



_ Ollipod Quill. 



L. L. 8., Orange, X. J. — We would meet your enquiry — 

 ur.-..,ia „ rt , «i„», t ;.,„ *,.„„,. „,.«,.„,} .. l,„, „,..,*a i.«i« .t — * 



"Would not plant— „ 

 the atmosphere?"— by a 

 is your pond of water, a 

 by vegetation growing i 

 docs the water get low : 

 If such is the case, von 

 this low pond hole, ther 

 not set out, any trees up 



nd a lo 



■;,; 



,,1 



. How large 

 d how deep is it? Is it surrounded 



id remain so for days and weeks? 

 Should first drain the water from 

 cover it with soil, and you need 

 nui hbl urn Huy ncus u[jou it. Youevidctitly have a good 

 plantation for a cranberry ground, and with a little labor 

 you might make the spot now so miasmatic and unwhole- 

 some a health y locality and a fine cranberry plat. 



_ Oi.LtroD Quill. 



Helen Baiitiy, Chelsea, Mass.— The trouble with your 

 pet canary is from the presence of a great multitude of 

 parasites, which look like a red powder, or rust, at the top 

 of the wire cage. These are often found in the cages of 

 canaries, goldfinches, and other singing birds. When such 

 is the case the bird will be continually picking himself, 

 and appears restless and wretched, and will die at last, witji 

 all your washing and care, unless you take it from the cage 

 and, with a candle flame, burn carefully and thoroughly 

 every portion of your cage, at the top, sides, &c. By so 

 doing you will find on the return of your birdie to his 

 cage bjs is. all right, and in as good voice as ever, and at 

 once warbles forth bis thanks for your care and attention. 

 If you could only examine the lifting apparatus of these 

 lil tie parasites, you would cease to wonder at the uneasy 

 restlessness of your bird. Ollipod Quill. 



W>r. Hvndou, Nyack, N. Y.— The package of peas and 

 beans you sent, to our address wsa received. The pea con 

 tains the pea weevil {Bnichw p&t) of Linn., and the beans 

 contain the Bnichv-ifcbiv, of Bilcy. They are the common 

 weevil. You should notice them in the time of the young 

 pods of beans and peas. You will observe them attached to 

 the outside of the pod at, this season of their growth. 

 These eggs contain the young grubs, which, as soon as they 

 are hatched out, eat through the pods into the seeds, anil 

 establish themselves. So minute is the hole made in their 

 passage that you cannot notice it. Now the work is done. 

 It here begins its insect life and after transformations. In 

 the pea one weevil lives, and you never find but one. Ye.u 

 cannot well prevent their entrance into the seed, but, if you 

 plant clean seed, not filled with the weevil, you can hope 

 for a good clean crop. Some farmers recommend keeping 

 the seed over for two years in light vessels. Camphor will 

 kill them, and prevent" their depredations in the beau and 

 pea. Put an ounce of camphor in a bag, and place it in 

 your tight tin box of beans and peas, anil Hie weevil w ill 

 not trouble you. Peas and beans that are the product of 

 the latest planting are not usually affected with weevil. 

 Give yourself no trouble concerning these weevils. There 

 are other and much worse enemies to the farmer than these. 

 Ollipop Quill. 



n. L. B., South Falmouth, Mass.— The animal you so 



can-fully enclosed in the liny box came safely to hand. It 

 is Known as QMifer latrilhi. This insect is found under 

 the baik of trees and shrubs, on andaboul oh! slumps under 

 the laniiiiar name of the wood tick. It is oval shaped, 

 brown in color, and possesses a remarkable tenacity Of 

 "holding on" to a subject. It has long attenme, and Is a 

 very uncomfortable Companion to encounter at any time or 

 at any place. It is often found near the sea shore, and is 

 sometimes mistaken for the moss chelifer. 



Ollipoi) Quill. 



§he gmnel 



BEAGLE HUNTING. 



A CORRESPONDENT of the New Orleans Picayune, 

 writing from Bast Baton Rouge, discourses on beagles 

 in Ibis wise: — 



"Imagine an ordiuary fox hound with bis legs cut down 

 about half their natural length and bowed like those of a 

 bull terrier, with nose even elongated beyond that of the 

 bOUnd, and ears of equal flaptitucle, and body rounder and 

 chunkier; give him the same tremendous power of yelping 

 and howling— on every and too otteu on unsuitable ot? 

 casinos — and you have a faint idea of the beagle. 



With some' eight or ten of these animal.-, we started one 

 bright day on a 'rabbit* hunt. Unlike the deer hunt, the 

 mimic substitute involved a. short walk and a luxurious 

 promenade through a dry and well beaten Held, interspersed 



ith briar patches. The beagles were called together by 



tftjbUe bio 



fro 



a covv-h 



muted on a mustang pony. The 

 I [born with prolonged yells. T 



struck int 

 What the 



S wire 3o 



could onl 

 faint and 

 when the 

 and when 



, be judg 

 internum 

 ' crew qu 



: 1 1 hist 1 1 



Creole 

 led to 



I, they 



lateiics ana cusapoeareU troin sight,. 



g, wdiat progress they were making, 

 from their yells. When these were 



, we were told that a trail was struck; 



Iceland louder, the trail was strong; 



whole pack burst, out in one continu- 

 ous yelp, we were told to look out, which we did very 

 closely on our side, whilst, our companions, forming "a 

 'quadrilateral' around the bushes ami the beagles, were alike 

 vigilant on their side. Bang ! hang ! from' two guns an- 

 nounced the better fortune of my two companions, wheu, 

 forgetting my orders, I rushed lo their stands and found a 

 brace of hares lying prone on the grass, and their slayers 

 coolly r reloading their guns, whilst the pack hail emerged 

 from the bushes on my side and were in lull chase of a tine 

 hare, which i had missed the chance of arresting in his 

 course by the breach of discipline in abandoning my post. 

 But the fleet little mimic bounds were not, to be so easily 

 foiled. The young Creole on the mustang joined in the 

 chase and pushed the beagles to their full speed, until the 

 hare struck into a brush, where they pounced qp him, and 

 were about to devour him, when their master arrived in 

 time to arrest their strongly-developed carniverousness. 

 Alter Ibis little lesson, I comprehended the whole scheme 

 of this style of hunting. At the next engagement I stood 

 to my post, and had the satisfaction to get the first shot and 

 to bag my 'cotton tail,' to the evident gratification of the 

 beagles, who licked their jaws approvingly as I shook my 

 victim over their beads. And so the limit proceeded— the 

 indefatigable little keen-nosed, bowlcgged brutes peering 

 into every briar! bush, rooting up every suspicious-looking 

 grass tuft or knoll, and inquiring in every retired post and 

 corner for poor Molly, and never resting until she was dis- 

 lodged, and sent in wild and fleet terror careering across 

 the held under the (ire of some half a dozen first-class 

 marksmen. Fortunate hare to escape beagles and barrels, 

 if she only had the sagacity lo emigrate, and not, as is her 

 foolish habit, return lo the scene of her great peril and 

 escape. Thus after a few hours of this easy and pleasant 

 sport we managed to bag about a dozen fine fat hares, 

 which we found delightful food for next day's breakfast 

 and dinner. Another trial of the same sport was equally 

 successful and satisfactory, confirming our decided prefer- 

 ence for hare hunting with beagles over deer hunting with 

 stag hounds, in the sneaking style of that sport known as 

 driving, or of duck bunting in a damp and unsteady 

 pirogue, or up to your thighs in water and mud, and with 

 so tricky, uncertain and watchful an adversary to ileal With. 

 We recall all that we have said in depreciation of the merits 

 of beagles as bate hunters, but of their personal pulchri- 

 tude or moral qualities, we cannot qualify the opinions 

 previously expressed. A. W. 



Dogs in P.vkis. — According to La Cham IUustree, 

 Paris has dogs enough to last its population a long time in 

 case another siege should render canine food necessary. It 

 has 1,857,792 inhabitants, and these own 17,944 watch dogs, 

 or rather dogs that are useful in guarding houses, and '17,838 

 hunting dogs and those used as household pets. In the 

 central arrondisscment there are more pets than any other 

 kind; but in the mercantile portion and in the suburbs the 

 watch dogs prevail; whilst among the aristocrats of the 

 Champs Elysees, Paubeurg-du-Roulc and vicinity, hunting 

 dogs and [lets arc the most common. In other portions the 

 various species predominate according to the grades of 

 humanity. Among the pels the King Charles spaniels are 

 the most numerous, and among the hunting dogs the setter 

 and pointer, while the third class is almost wholly repre- 

 sented by bull clogs and Newfoundlands. How they keep 

 trace of all these animals seems somewhat a puzzle to us; 

 so we can ouly account for it on the common ground that 

 "they do these, things better in Prance." The numbering 

 of these dogs is the work of the police force, but if our 

 "stars" were asked to do such work wc fear we should 

 never hear of one-half of these in our city, 



—On tlie 10th of October, while John de Banes, whom" 



most sportsmen well know, was hunting, he had the mis- 

 fortune to break his knee pan. The old "veteran writes to 

 us, saying: — 



"It is now two months and I am still tied to a board, but 

 I am iu hopes I » ill be able, to be on rav feel New Year's 

 I 



