FOREST AND STREAM. 



293 



The Prince of ^Wales' visit to Canada in 1860 brought out 

 Polly's loyalty. His cheers for our beloved Queen and the 

 Heir apparent were and are hearty and thoroughly English 

 Hip! hip! hip! Hurrah for the Q.neen! 



Hip! hip! hip! Hurrah! for the Prince! 



Nor was he unmindful of the public services of our 

 statesmen. On Sir Geo. Carder's return after his success- 

 ful negotiation with the Hudson's Bay Co., and the annex- 

 ation of the N. W. territories to Canada, Poll greeted the 

 negotiator after this fashion : — 



You're a trump, Sir George! On behalf 

 of the country I congratulate you. 



Our hero Poll does not, it would seem, disdain the use 

 of an occasional Yankeeism; for instance, he occasionally 

 eomes out with:— 



I believe you, my boy— Yes sir-ir-r-r-eel 



But he has evidently a predilection for riddles and not 

 unfrequently proposes the following one to his friends and 

 visitors :— 



Why does a donkey eat thistles? 

 Give it. up?— Give it up? Because 



He's an ass! ha ha-ha-ha-ha -ha-a-a I 



Whether Poll ever heard of the "step from the sublime 

 to the ridiculous" I know not; but he has often been heard 

 running from the ridiculous into the sublime by following 

 up his riddles with some grave quotation from Shakes- 

 peare, thus :— 



Most potent, grave and reverend Seignors, 



My very noble and approved good masters, 



That I have ta'en away this old man's daughter, 



Tis mo»t true— true I have married her, 



The very head and front of my offending 



Haih this extent, no more. — Othello's Apology. 



His education is, moreover, decidedly military; his rank 

 probably that of a field officer. He is above company 

 drill, and now commands his battalion with unmistakable 

 aplomb:— 



Left wheel into line— March— Halt— dress. Battalion 

 Attention- -Eyes front. Rear rank, 

 Take open order— March! 



A stranger called upon me one morning whose national- 

 ity Poll did not know. He first greeted him in Gerutan: — 

 Guten Morgen, Mein Her? Sprechen Sie 

 Deutche. 



But receiving no response he assumed him to be French, 

 and addressed him in his own language: — 



BoDJour, Monsieur. Comment vous portez vouz? 

 Parlez vous Francais? Prenez vous du tabac? 



Poll is quick at picking up the current news. When the 

 Abyssinian war was on the tapis he announced with ex- 

 ultation the death of the barbarian sovereign. The mora- 

 iDg paper was usually thrown on the hail table near Poll's 

 cage, which gave him an opportunity, of course, of getting 

 the news^before I came down to breakfast. He came out 

 with it on one occasion, thus: — 



Great news from Abyssinia. King Theodore 

 is dead. 



In summer he was transferred to the library. I never 

 caught him reading, it is true; but the clairvoyance of 

 parrots is a problem not yet solved. He certainly gives his 

 opinion on books, and recommends them to his friends, as 

 shown in the instance here given: — 

 Have yon read the life of 



Lord Sidmouth? Pray read it. 



He evidently assumed that the library was his own, for 

 when my son, a boy of twelve, is in it looking the volumes 

 over, Poll warns him to be careful by calling to him: — 

 Errol, Errol, take care of my books sir. 



I have sometimes succeeded in drawing our hero out of a 

 taciturn mood by upbraiding him for his silence. When it 

 was my turn to be silent, he would invoke my speaking, 

 and ask with emphasis: — 



Why don't you talk, sir? 



A charming cousin of ours, during a few days vis it to us 

 in Ottawa won decided favor in Poll's eyes, I should say 

 his heart, for when she left, he for a long time sighed and 

 said little else than;— 



Dear Menon, forget me not. -y'-- 



Poll, though an orator, has no pretentio^^ftTmelodyV' 

 His attempts at "Wait for the wagon" are harsh and un*- 

 musical; but his whistling is clear, true and brilliant. He 

 whistles the gamut and runs it up by thirds^ Also 



whistles the first part of Dixie. This remarkable bird -is> f.=k^ £ en4o-..contlrast or harmonise the 

 native of the coast of Guinea. His plumage is gray, whit- 

 ish about the head, which is large, the feathers of the tail 

 are bright crimson; his present age is probably twenty 

 years; I have had him for fourteen years. 



Aeeivals at the Philadelphia Zoological Gakpens Dec. 6th — 

 One bittern (Botaurus minor), presented by H. B. Case, Londonville, 

 Ohio; three bantams, presented by Spencer Trotter, Philadelphia, one 

 Virginia opossum {Didetphys Virginia), presented by Ellwood Johnson, 

 Germanrown, Pa. ; five ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) two mcose (Alee 

 amerlcanus), and two Polar bears {Ursus maritimvs) 



Aethuk E. Brown, General Supt. 

 _ -*.♦- 



Arrivals at th3 Central Park Menagerie Dec. 2 to Dec. 9.— 

 One Chinese goose, Anser cygonides, presented by Wm. Simpson, Jr., 

 New York city. One herring gell, Lar m argmtatus, captured on reser- 

 voir. One mottled owl. Scops asio, presented by Master WiUiam C. Os- 

 born, New York city. One sand hill crane, Grus canadensis, presented 

 by Dr. L. P. Hatch, Mineapolis, Minn. Two gray-breasted parrakeets, 

 Bolborhynchus monachus, Hab. Monte Video, and two red-cheeked par- 

 rakeets, Palwornis lucia.nl, Hab. East Indies, received in exchange. 

 Two lions, Felis ho, bred in the menagerie. Alt of Mr. Barnum's ani- 

 mals have been placed on exhibition in the menagerie. 



W. A. Conklin, Director. 



Vine and Olive. By Oliver Optic. Lee & Shepard, 



Boston. 



The author of this little book is so well known as a writer of stories 

 for children and his poularity is so great that the mere announcement is 

 a sufficient guarantee of the value of the wares. Vine and Olive is the 

 fifth volume of the second series of the "Young American Abroad," 

 stories and depicts the travels and adventures of the cadets of the Acad- 

 my Squadron during a cruise along the shores of Spain and Portugal. In 

 a pleasant and readable manner much valuable and interesting matter 

 regarding these countries, particularly the maritime history of Portugal, 

 s convened. 



The Young Trail Hunters. By S. W. Cozzens. Lee 



& Shepard, Boston. 



This is another bo*k for boys, in which the adventures of two lads on 

 a journey across the great plains of the Southwest are described. The 

 wild scenes of border life are vividly pictured, and all the vicissitudes of 

 camp life in New Mexico and Arizona, with lots of mustang riding and 

 Indian fighting placed before the reader. There is lots of hunting in 

 the book and all described in an interesting and exciting manner. Mr. 

 Cozen's abilities as a story teller are first class and his previous books 

 have been received as welcome additions to the boys library- We pre* 

 Aict an equally warm reception for his latest effort, 



faodhnd, 4$mm md §zrdm. 



— — -♦ — - 



HOLIDAY DECORATIONS. 



AT the Holiday time decorations of some kind are, as a 

 rule, attempted in every household, and the Christ 

 mas tree finds a place wherever there are children. The 

 custom of decorating with evergreens is far from being a 

 modern one, the Romans, two thousand years ago, did the 

 same thing. Indeed, it is more than probable that the ori- 

 gin of adorning our homes with Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe 

 must be sought for in the Roman Saturnalia held every 

 year towards the end of December, or to the ancient 

 Druids, with whom the Mistletoe grown on the oak was sa- 

 cred. Many use decorations of quite a complicated char- 

 acter, but now that wreaths of ground pine and smilax are 

 so easily procured, almost every one can have their rooms 

 decorated at a small expeuse, and arranged to suit their 

 taste or convenience. Mottoes formed of letters, mono- 

 grams, or any other ornamental designs, are most easily 

 made on a frame of wire work, or pasteboard cut out to 

 the desired pattern, while stars, crosses, or other designs 

 with straight lines are most easily made on a frame of light 

 wooden work tied together in the desired pattern, on 

 which foundation the evergreen can either be tied or 

 sewn. Picture frames can be made in the same manner, 

 and either tacked ou or suspended by a fine wire over the 

 ornamental or gilt ones; but Smilax makes the neatest and 

 most natural drapery for pictures or mirrors, or for fes- 

 tooning of any kind, and will xeep bright and green dur- 

 ing the holiday season at least. All such decorations may 

 have their effect very much enhanced by being made to 

 look as if frosted. This can be produced in the following 

 manner:. Brush the leaves over with liquid green, and 

 then dust them with glass or diamond powder, which can 

 be easily procured at a trifling cost. A mirror draped with 

 long, loose sprays of Smilax, Ivy, or the Japanese Climb- 

 ing Fern, and sprinkled with these minute fragments of 

 ground glass has a most charming effect by gas light. 

 Many use dried flowers, such as everlastings, in these dec 

 orations, and they are much more desirable than artificial 

 flowers, though the latter can often be used to advantage; 

 but, if anything artificial can be dispensed with, so much 

 the better. Florida or Louisiana moss (Tillandsia umeoides) 

 makei a lovely draping for arches, pictures, etc., when not 

 used too prof usely, and can be frosted as before described, 

 if desired. Dressed Hartford or Windsor Fern (Lygodium 

 palmatum) and others of our native Ferns, autumn leaves, 

 sprays of bitter sweet, Clematis, with its lovely sprays of 

 white feathery seeds, the beautiful Ink berry, Jack in the 

 pulpit, and even the dark, glossy berries of the cat briar, 

 all work in with good effect, and most of them will keep the 

 whole winter in good condition, and give a charm to the 

 parlor or sitting room that cannot be had by any artificial 

 means. Many of our native grasses, too, can be used 

 either in boquets or to lighten up the heavier decorations, 

 while the lovely silvery plumes of the pampas Grass gives 

 an air of refinement to the whole grouping. Letters can 

 be made in rustic forms of branchlets of the spruce fir (the 

 leaves of course being removed) which, if well frosted, 

 are most effective on a crimson or colored ground work of 

 any description. As to the placing of the mistletoe, that 

 must be arranged according to circumstances, and as may 

 "'be-m-o^Tconvenient. With regard to decoration with nat- 

 ural flowers, a few plants judiciously arranged, cut flow- 

 ers in vases, and wherever desirable, according to taste 

 and means, must govern tfrs- arrangements, care only being 



Irs, so that blue will 

 not clash-wit-k purpje,, and w'ou. W. J. D. 



""-- «•-•-» 



WILD CELERY. 



Syracuse, N. Y., Dec. 4th, 1876. 

 Editor Forest and Stream: — 



Will some of your western contributors give informatics 

 concerning the fresh water celery of that region? Can it 

 be propagated from seed or root? Either, or both? It 

 doubtless differs in some respects from the "Valisineria" of 

 Chesapeake bay, as the former flourishes in fresh water, 

 while the last does not grow above tide-rip; yet the ex- 

 ceptional flavor of the car vas-back is usually attributed 

 to diet in both ioealities. If practicable, the introduction 

 of this plant may be the means of bringing a new class of 

 water-fowl to the interior aquatic shooting-grounds of the 

 eastern States. At present the canvas-back, and several 

 of its congeners, are seldom or never shot in this vicinity. 



E. R. Wilson. 



[An article appeared in the American Agricvltunst (we 

 think) a year or two ago, on the wild celery and canvas 

 back duck, but we cannot find it as we have not a full file 

 of the Agriculturist. Perhaps the letter of our correspond- 

 ent herewith printed may draw forth some further informa- 

 tion.— Ed.] 



^*4» , 



—The manufacture of immortelle wreaths in Paris for 

 funeral deeo rations engages upwards of 1,500 persons. 

 The immortelles are gathered in October on the arid hills, 

 of central and southern France. They are brought to the 

 market in their natural condition, and the yellow blossoms 

 are dyed or bleached green, red, or white, in readiness for 

 All Saints and All Souls days, Nov. 1st and 2d, when all 

 good Parisians visit their relatives' graves. On these fetes 

 des moists the gates of the cemeteries are beset with crowds 

 of dealers in wieaths, crosses and head crowns. At Pere 

 la Chaise alone it is estimated that more than 200,000 per- 

 sons visit the cemetery, and the sale of immortelle wreaths 

 reaches about 25,000. 



— The sweet potato vine is really desirable for the house, 



is a rapid grower, and much more delicate in appearance 



under house culture than when growing out of doors. 



, Select a well ripened tuber of the I$ed Nasemond yariety— 



said to be a most vigorous grower — eight or ten inches 

 long and four or five inches in diameter. A dark colored 

 hyacinth glass is a suitable and pretty holder for the pota- 

 to, but a common glass fruit can or small earthen jar will 

 do. Fill the vessel with rain water and stand the potato 

 in the mouth of it, allowing only two or three inches of 

 the potato to go down into the water. Set it in a warm 

 bright place to sprout, filling up the holder with water as 

 fast as it evaporates. Probably a great many sprouts will 

 start at once or in quick succession ; break off all but three 

 or four of these, as your vine will by so doing be much 

 longer and more luxuriant. Nothing will now be needed 

 for the perfection of the vine, except to keep the vessel 

 filled with rain water. — American Garden. 



Rhododendrons— " I do not think the difficulty arises 

 from the cold, but from the drought, which is undoubt- 

 edly the case with most evergreen failures. If you will give 

 Rhododendrons a good depth of soil in the first place, say 

 at least eighteen inches of one-third peat or leaf soil, one- 

 third sand, and one-third the top soil of an old pasture, 

 well-rotted, and in a place where they do not get the mid- 

 day sun, and mulch very thoroughly — twelve to twenty in- 

 ches—of well-rotted leaves. The earth under them is 

 always moist and cool in our hottest weather." — Hunnewell. 



Improve the Seed. — It is not only simple, but compar- 

 atively easy, for any farmer to improve his seed grains, 

 that with good cultivation, in five years he may increase 

 the yield fully fifty per cent., and this at comparatively 

 light cost ; for the labor of sorting the grain amounts to a 

 small sum. per bushel, and it costs little more to cultivate 

 an acre well, and no mors to harvest it, than if it were only 

 ha f cultivated.— Exchange. 



Eucalyptus. — From the November Naturalist, we derive 

 some interesting facts concerning this tree in California. 

 A large forest of those trees has been planted by a com- 

 pany, and is situated on the line of railroad between Los 

 Angeles and Anaheim. About 180 acres are set out with 

 Eucalyptus, containing about 80,000 trees, of these some 

 30,000 are from 9 to 15 feet high. The young tree has 

 been produced in greater numbers in California the past 

 season than ever 1 efore, and are sold by the Nurserymen 

 at much lower prices than formerly, with an increased de- 

 mand. The Eucalyptus or blue-gum tree is a native of 

 Australia, and although of extremely rapid growth, attains 

 a great size. Its wood is useful for many purposes, but 

 its principal importance is ('erived from its claimed effect 

 upon malarial districis as fever-check. It has also been 

 said that musquitoes avoid its presence. Like mauy other 

 recent introductions, it has been subject to much fanciful 

 discussion, and we must await further development?, 

 before its true value can be estimated. Yet it seems true 

 that this tree emits camphorated and antiseptic vapors, 

 which may be efficient for the results claimed. 



Oil or Orris Root. — Orris root owes its use during 

 more than two thousand years chiefly to its fragrance, 

 which, curiously enough, does not belong to the living 

 root. Its slight and by no means aromatic smell is first 

 developed into the agreeable perfume after drying, without 

 doubt in consequence of changes of a chemical nature, 

 concerning which at present our knowledge is deficient. 

 When the dried root stock is submitted to distillation with 

 water, eventually there appears upon the water a crystal- 

 line odorous matter, which is justly prized in perfumery 

 and is specially prepared by some of the larger distillers. 

 But the yield is very small, only about 1 part per 1,000 of 

 the orris root used. The product is of a yellowish browu 

 color, of the consistence of a firm ointment, aud possesses 

 the characteristic odor of the orris root. — Scientific Amer- 

 ican. 



A Substitute for Beeswax. — Ceresin is the name of a 

 purified product obtained from ozocerite, an impure fossil 

 wax, found chiefly near the large coal beds of Drohobriz 

 and Boryslaw in Galicia, and at Gresten, in Austria. The 

 crude substance freed by fusing from the sand, clay, and 

 other earthy impurities, is of a deep brown color, with a 

 greenish tint, and has a specific gravity of 940—0 970, ex- 

 hales a benzine-like odor, and in hardness, fracture and 

 pliability, entirely resembles beeswax. It is very com- 

 bustible, with difficulty solvable in oil of turpentine. It is 

 purified and bleached, and in its purest form is used prin- 

 cipally as a substitute for beeswax by manufacturers of 

 candles, wax flowers, polishing pomades, cloth finishers, 

 laundry men, &c. 



The white ceresin is moulded into round flat cakes like 

 our sun bleached wax, while yellow is cast into various 

 shapes.— IF. M. Hoge, N. T. 



— The following from the Germantown, Pa., Farmer aid 

 Gardner, is sensible, seasonable and to the point: — 



"Providing good walks about the dwelling, yard, barn 

 and outhouses generally, should now be attended to. 

 There is nothing so comforting in winter and spring as dry 

 walks abo-it the premises. They should be made to the 

 pump, to the wood-shed or coal-bin, to the pig-pen, to the 

 stables and so on, and there is nothing better to use for 

 this purpose than coal ashes. Scrape away the mud or 

 loose dirt, and deposit about two inches of the ashes on 

 the top of the coarse portion, which should be evenly laid, 

 then roll or beat down compactly. It will last till late in 

 spring, and will require only a partial renewal the follow- 

 ing winter. Leading to the front door of the house, boards 

 should be laid down neatly, and removed in the spring and 

 put away until needed again. These little conveniences 

 will repay their expense many times over. They will ac- 

 celerate movements from place to place, keep the feet dry 

 and the boots clean, and perhaps save more than one doc- 

 tor's bill. 



Leaning Trees. — Often in a fine orchard we find one or 

 more trees leaning over so far as to destroy the beauty of 

 the whole orchard. It is also much more difficult to cul- 

 tivate around a leaning tree. This may easily be remedied 

 while the trees are young, by partially digging up and re- 

 planting the trees. The roots will usually be found the 

 smallest on the side from which the tree leans ; and there- 

 fore, these roots should be loosened from the earth, tlie 

 tree set in a perpendicular position, and carefully fastened 

 . by stakes or guys and the earth replaced around the roots. 

 It would be well to add some rich compost to promote 

 their growth. If, as is very probable, the top of the tree 

 has become one sided, it should be pruned so as to restore 

 the balance. In this way we have "righted up" pear 

 trees six inches through the stem ; but the best way is to 

 look after the young trees and not permit them to depart 

 fjrom the waj\o£ uprightness .—Journal of Horticulture, 



