18 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



ffoodlxnd, tfjjnrm and garden. 



The Gladiolcs. — Those -who expect a flue display of 

 Gladioli next, summer have doubtless had the ground 

 roughly dug over last full that it may be thoroughly mel- 

 lowed and sweetened by the winter's frosts, and as the 

 season is now approaching for planting they are doubtless 

 looking over their stock of bulbs, and anxiously scanning 

 the new catalogues as they receive tiicm to find out what 

 new aud really good varieties — varieties new urn! realty good 

 — they require to make up their selection. A few hints as 

 to cultivation aud varieties is therefore not unseasonable. 

 In order to secure, an effective display, and at the same 

 time afford the plants an opportunity of fully developing 

 die beauty of their (lowers, it is advisable to plant them in 

 rows about eighteen inches apart and one foot between the 

 bulbs, placing them at least Uiree inches deep. Planting 

 may be commenced as soon in spring as the soil is fit to 

 work, and to prolong their season of blooming into the 

 fall they may be planted at intervals of two weeks, until 

 the middle of June, when the plants are sufficiently high 

 Uiey should be Lied to stakes, as, if they art! not. properly 

 supported, the wind is apt to twist them off close to the 

 bulb, aud then receive a good mulching of half- rotted 

 manure spread over the surface. la dry weather frequent 

 sprinklings overhead and good surface waterings will be 

 desirable, though the dressing of manure will do much to 

 keep the soil moist and cool. Occasional waterings also of 

 liquid manure will be found beneficial as soon as the flower 

 stems begin lo show. For flower garden decoration they 

 may be planted at intervals of two weeks in clumps of 

 three or five in the borders or flower beds or in masses in 

 large beds, or between Rhododendrons, Azaleas, etc., thus 

 lengthening the season, and adding an additional charm to 

 these groups, which though lovely when in bloom arc dull 

 enough looking during the rest of the year. Most culti- 

 vators of the Gladiolus like to try their hand at raisiug 

 seedlings. This is not a difficult matter, as seed is freely 

 l)orne and ripened, and should bo saved from the best va- 

 rieties only. It maybe sown eatiyiu April in pots or 

 boxes, or later, iu the open ground, in a frame or some 

 place where it can be shaded from the noonday sun, and 

 when large enough to handle may be transplanted about 

 three inches apart, or what is probably as good, and much 

 easier, left in their position till they ripen off in the fall, 

 and then carefully taken up and replanted in the spring. 

 A large number of these seedlings will flower the second 

 and third year. The taking up and storing the bulbs in 

 fall is of considerable import liould not be de- 

 layed too long, care being taken to dry them gradually off, 

 aud have them cleaned aud the varieties put separately in 

 proper bags, and placed out of reach of frost. In addi- 

 tion lo many of the older sorts the following are fine in qual- 

 ity and distinct in character, viz. : Ada, salmon red, white 

 throat; Coronet, bright, red, the throat flamed with White; 

 Distinction, orange rose, purple throat; Grandeur, blush, 

 flaked with carmine, extra line; Julia, pink suffused to- 

 wards the edges with carmine and very purple flakes, very 

 fine; Lord Derby, bright crimson; Medina, flesh color 

 flaked with violet; Miss Warren, cerise with white throat, 

 very beautiful; Modesta, crimson shaded with maroon, 

 very fine; Piuto, orange scarlet yellow throat, very striking; 

 Prince Arthur, white flaked with orange purple; Robert 

 Fortune, carmine flamed with ciimson; Sybil, canary 

 orange, throat striped violet; Virginalis, pure white, bor- 

 dered and flamed with rose; and Volano, dark rose flaked 

 with a darker hue, pale throat, The C. L. Allen Co., 

 Queens, L. I., and George Such, South Amboy, N.Y., 

 have made the culture of the Gladiola a specialty, and 

 their grounds in the summer season are ablaze with thou- 

 sands of these gorgeous varieties. 



Grape Fktht.— In the delightful orange grove of Alfred 

 P. Jones, at Homosassa, Florida, are thirteen varieties of 

 the Citrus family, if we are not mistaken. Among these 

 the most delicious of all, to an acquired taste, is the grape 

 fruit. Its designation is a misnomer, for there is no 

 analogy between it and the fruit of the vine. Grapes 

 grow in clusters on a climbing plant, but the grape fruit 

 hangs in huge golden spheres from the branches of a tree 

 of large size, and both the tree and its fruit have the gen- 

 eral characteristics of the orange. The leaves, however, 

 differ somewhat in shape, the orange being smaller and 

 more pointed, while the grape fruit is not only yellower, 

 but it often attains a diameter of six inches. The skin is 

 thin, the veseicles or juice cells larger than those of the 

 orauge, the flavor sweet, with s slightly bitter taiut, aud 

 the fruits altogether more satisfying thau the orange. It 

 yields 30 per cent more juice than the orange. The taste 

 for them has usually to be acquired, but those who become 

 fond of them will always take them in preference. We 

 have seen them growing in the llomasassa grove, and the 

 other day friend Jones forwarded us a box, which none 

 can appreciate more than we. Although large, like the 

 ' Shaddock, they scarcely resemble them in any other respect 

 than size, and wc see no reason why a market could not 

 readily be created for them here at largely remunerative 

 prices, say 25 cents each, at retail. 



Each specimen of the fruit contains about thirty seeds; 

 the orange usually has fifteen. Grape fruit do not decay 

 more rapidly than the orange, aud are more easily propa- 

 gated. 



«»■«» 



—The regular monthly meeting of the Horticultural 

 Society was held at Iheir rooms, 55 West Thirty-third st , 



ItAted only 



about a year ago the society brds fair to become one of the 

 institutions of New York. Some very rare and beautiful 

 plants were exhibited at the meeting, the most notable of 

 which were, Aralia elegantmima and A, VcikJtii, Antfiu- 

 num Schenusrianum, Dracaena cmiabilus, Pdintettia pulcTi? 

 errima plenmima, some new Azalea* and very finely grown 

 Primulas from William Bennett, Flatbush, L. I., well- 

 grown Cyclamens from Jas. Riddle, In wood, N. Y., a 

 beautiful collection of Camellias from 8. Henshaw, New 

 Brighton, S. I ., some most beautiful buds of Cornelia Cook, 

 Safrano, Bon Silene, and other roses from John Jones, 

 Madison, N. J., and a new drooping Fern from the Sand- 

 wich Islands that promises to be one of the most valuable 

 for attractive purposes; exhibited by W. G. Wilson, Asto- 

 ria, L. 1. Quite a number of ladies attended the meeting, 

 aud the officers of the society feel encouraged to offer still 

 larger inducements at their next meeting on March Gth, 

 next. 



—In answer to "W. B." we would say that, many of the 

 herbaceous Spiraes are fine ornaments to the garden, nota- 

 bly S. Amincus, growing to the height of five feet, with 

 flowers in long panicled spikes, whence its common name 

 of Goat's-beard. The double form of 8. FUipmduUi is 

 very pretty; so is & Yehuda, with its deep rose colored 

 flowers. 8. palmata, lately reintroduced from Japan, is 

 also very pretty, with its crimson panicles, but seems hard 

 to bloom satisfactorily. Astilbe Japonica is one of the 

 most lovely of the group, while A. ritularii, from Nepal, 

 with its yellowish flowers, and the more uncommon A. 

 rubra, from Japan, with rose colored flowers, should be 

 grown with the Sj/irceas, to which they arc related. They 

 ul I require a good loamy soil, and if rather moist so much 

 the better.— Ed. 



Sodth Carolina— Port Royal, Febrva/iy lOoV— Since the 

 break up of winter in the middle of January, the weather 

 has been all that could be desired. Pleasant days and cold 

 nights without frost have been the rule. Early peas 

 and potatoes are well up and doing finely. I noticed a 

 statement in a Charleston journal not long since, that the 

 Eucalypti planted iu that vicinity had been killed by Die 

 severe weather. Thi3 is what was predicted by your late 

 correspondent, "Ollipod Quill." RustiOus. 

 -»•*> 



— The cat who mounts the ridgepole of the woodhouae 

 and sits apart at the concert, and is wrapped in thoughtful 

 abstracted silence until the programme is about* half 

 through, opens out, when he does come in, with a wail 

 that curdles the blood in a frozen beat and rousts all the 

 other members of the troupe to a very agony of frenzied 

 emulation. 



§ea and giver #*/«>#. 



FISH IN SEASON IN FEBRUARY. 



Pompano, Ti vug. Grouper, Ephuphtlpiis mffHttlt. 



Drum— two species, i'amiiy Seitrii- Trout (black b*'.s) (.:..'' 



idee. . WBi 



Kingtish, J/v, ..'.:' '. Striped bass or BocMsh, Soceui 

 Sea Bass, Scioi p i i 



Sbeepshead, AicliUHirgu* piobato- Ticlorflah, Pomat/jmv* Si 



ceptialut.. Black Bass, Miavptei u* . 



Snapper, Luljanus caxxt. M. nigricans. 



Fish in Market.— The abundant supply of fish in our 

 markets gives no indication of afamine during lent, now so 

 close at hand. Our quotations for the week are as fol- 

 lows-.— Striped bass 15 to 25 cents per pound; smelts, 15 to 

 20 cents; bluefish, 15 cents; salmon (frozen), 30 cents; shad 

 (southern), $1.50 cents each; mackerel, 25 cents; Spanish 

 mackerel, 75 cents per pound; white perch, 15 cents; green 

 turtle, 22 cents; terrapin, $15 per dozen; frostfish, Scents 

 per pound; halibut, 16 cents; haddock, 8 cents; codfish, 10 

 ceuts; blnckflsh, 15 cents; herrings, 6 cents; flounders, 10 

 cents; eels, 18cents; lobsters, 10 cents; sheepshead, 15cents; 

 turbot, 25 cents; scollops, $1.50 per gallon; whitefish, 20 

 cents perpound; pickerel, 20 cents; salmon trout, 1 5 cents; 

 hard shell crabs, $3 00 per 100; soft crabs $1.25 per dozen; 

 red snappers, 18 cents per pouud. 



FisniKG Tackle. — We do not know whether dealers in 

 fishing tackle arc able to look into futurity more than 

 ordinary mortals, but certain it is that they are making 

 preparations for a most, extraordinary season. Messrs. 

 Couroy, Bissett & Mallison, inform us that their wholesale 

 business never has been so brisk. Messrs Donri tfalli 



eon htve just returned from extended trips to the west, 0M 

 extending as far as San Francisco, and report unusual 

 activity in that direction. This Arm will have some novel 

 lies in the way of combined split bamboo and green heart 

 rods to offer for the coming season. 



— A party of five Nashua fishermen visited Long Pond, 

 Stoddard, N. H., one day last week, and caught 8U0 pick- 

 eiel and perch weighing 400 pouuds. 



FLORIDA— >8t, Augustine, d\bruargZd. — Thchunling and 

 fishing in the vicinity is at present good, With ihe excep- 

 tion of English snipe, which are not plentiful. The 

 premium for the best fishing for Ihe part week should go 

 to Muster Grosvenor Atlerbury, and Master Wiilard 

 Parker, both of New York City. Master Grosvenor 

 hooked a Stingaree, which, after being landed, was meas- 

 ured with the following result: Length, ten feet seven 

 inches; width, four feet seven inches, length of tail, seven 

 feet— the largest one caught in the harbor for many years. 



Josiah, 

 ■*> [The catching of a Sting-ray of the dimensions given 

 with a hook, is a feat in fishing that surpasses anything we 

 ever heard of.— Ed. F. &&,] 



Movements of- the Fisnixe Fleet.— The Dumber of 

 fishing arrivals reported Ihe past week has been 

 ably in excess of any previous week this season, and with 

 the arrivals of the early George's, fleet, which i 

 conimencj, we may expect to see a lively Ssbit 

 inaugurated. Since our last issue i utn For- 



tune Bay hnveheen^reportcd, six from Grand Menan, and 

 twenty-four from the different fishing Banks, mailing the 

 total number of arrivals for the week thirty-five. "The 

 Bank fleets have rn?t with fair success, their aggregate 

 fares being about 040,000 pounds codfish and 3-10,000 pounds 

 halibut, Prices for the latter have ruled low, on account 

 ol improved receipts, but there is no change to note in 

 Other departments of the fish market.— Cape Ann Advertiser, 

 Feb, $th. 



H The Pasqoe T sx , ANfJ Cum —The annual meeting of this 

 Club was held on January 8th, al the office of the Treasurer, 

 A. Foster Higgins, Esq., 50 Wall street. New York, The 

 following gentlemen were unanimously elected officers for 

 the ensuing year: President, James L. Vnllott.on, Treas- 

 urer, A. Foster Higgins; Secretary, W. A. Btagg; Execu- 

 tive Committee, J. B. Stearns, John F. Scott, and George 

 A. Robbins- In connection with the spoil, at, ihe Island 

 this (1870) season, the followingincident, for which we ate 

 indebted to a member of the Club, may not be uninterest- 

 ing. To those who have fished for striped bass, who hive 

 hooked and lost them, it certainly will be not without 

 interest. Now, as in this case the fish was not lost, and 

 as the mode was somewhat new by which he was finally 

 saved, we think it, of sufficient interest to place it before our 

 readers;— 



"An easy chair on the seaward end of a sixty foot stand, 

 the memory of a good dinner, and the soothing effect of 

 ns -vmconntatits; a fragrant Cabana, and the tltiiciC-DS 

 monotone of the ocean, had iu a measure soothed und 

 rendered the fisueiraen oblivions to the fact thai 

 (the tail of a lobster) had been cast out thirty yards, ami 

 was waiting down among the rocks. He was little expect- 

 ing the distinguished visitor who about that time got scent 

 ot the delicious morsel, and who, regardless of cost, picked 

 it up and moved grandly away loi.-ards Gay-Head. 

 Hal easy chair, dinner and cabana are forgotten. The 

 cabana gels chewed. Away goes the striped. The nerves 

 arc braced, the brakes are put on, and altera maeuiticeut 

 run of a hundred yards he stops for breath. Then, with 

 gentle hand, he is led gently back towards the stand. Hut 

 here comes in a difference of opinion. Awav he dashes, 

 the reel sings a lively time, as fathom alter fathom of 

 line goes after him, until he again shows siaus, of weaken- 

 ing. And then it looks as though ihe battle was over, the 

 victory won, and what was needed was to bring him gently 

 to gaff. But, what move is that? fie rises to the crest ol 

 a huge wave, giving an idea of his proportion: 

 ihe spray with his tail and then down he goes, and there 

 slays. No whipping or snapping will stai t him, and there 

 he lies with a hundred yards of line out, down among the 

 rocks and seaweed The lurgest basilic had ever 

 the hardest fight he had ever fought, and now to loose 

 him. Too bad! too bad! That fish must be saved, or at 

 least an effort made to do so. Aud now a brilliant, idea 

 comes i u to his head— a boat . Chailie, the gaffer of two 

 hundred avordupoise starts on a run; yes, a run of a mile 

 over the hills ot Basque to the harbor for a boat, and lor 

 once in the season Charlie went! And slid the line, by au 

 occasional draw, assured us that our Sis.li ''was still there." 

 And now with what eager eyes we scan the distant head- 

 land for the boat. A longhour, when a mile away l I 

 rounding the point. She conies. Charlie has pressed Tom 

 into service, aud the way in which that, boat c:une on will 

 not soon be forgotten. Atlast the critical moment arrives. 

 The sea is a little rough, but Charlie takes the line, and the 

 boat is backed carefully out towards ihe fi&h, until 

 is found in the seaweed. With the aid ot a long gaff this 

 is cleared, then another, and still they find hi! lias been 

 running the line around locks aud tii'e plants ("Kelp aud 

 sea weeds) of the bottom. But by great care these were 

 unravelled, until at last the welcome cry comes, "there he 

 is! there he isl" Well, he was still alive, but bo nearly 

 spent that they drew him up uuiil within reach of the gall, 

 wnen he was safely hauled into the boat. Thus pluck, 

 good tackle, skill aud pei severance, saved Ihis fish, die 

 largest bin. one of the season. When brought to the scales 

 he weighed just fotty-niue pounds. The hero of this true 

 fish story is now an officer of the Club, and a true disciple 

 of did Isaac. Should any one de-ire to know the name of 

 the gentleman, he is refer! ed to the records of the Club." 

 Last Slum eh. 



—A meeting of lire Trustees of the Oquossoc Angling 

 Association was held at No. 10 Warren street, on Friday 

 last, present Geo. Shepard Page, Dr. F. N. Otis, Lewis B. 

 .Reed, R. G. Allerton, Lewis T. Luzell, aud Jas. A Wil- 

 liamson. The Treasurer presented a very satisfactory re- 

 port of the finances and business for 1870, and prospects 

 of the ensuing season seem bright and encouraging, i&reb- 

 ncr's article on "Rangeley Lake Fishing" is attracting 

 much attention to that region and lively times at Camp 

 Konnebago, are anticipated this siimmri 



>♦►*■ 



ANGLING FOR BLACK. BASS. 



X Friii.AiiBL.pniA, Febtuary 0th, 



Editob FoBEST and Stream:— 



Having had the good fortuue of reading youi 

 paper for the last two years, 1 have noticed a ih, 

 Creasing interest and demand for information in n 

 all that pertains to the subject of black bass, bab 

 sons, protection, and last but not least, the phsasure of 

 their successful capture by means of angling. The subject, 

 is as yet in many respects, and particularly in regard to 

 any definite data a mixed one; wc are obtaining here a 

 little, and there a Utile, for which we are duly thankful. 

 In many of our streams this fish is but ol 

 tiou, so that, with some of usat least, it might with pro- 

 priety be called the "coming" fish— the fish of the 

 " future." 



In the watersof the Schuylkill, adjacent to Philadelphia, 

 and of the upper Delaware, we have positive 1 

 of the vast increase of bass; this from occulftr di 

 lion of the fact of success in angling with bait. Especially 

 live bait there can be not the slightest floubt, but the ques- 

 | fishing for bass is as yet an opeu one, and lntle 

 more is known than the fact that 

 and place, good success h :,s been had in taking them it) 



(his iu:i!,i 

 Now, for the benefit of those few, who 



