1 OEEST AND STREAM. 



tfith what I have stated above. Last winter as some men 

 were fishing, about three miles up the lake, all at once 

 they had their hooks and lines broken like thread. The 

 water at this point is from seventy five to one hundred feet 

 deep. The men had a very [large hook made, but they could 

 do nothing. Such are some of the facts; now what is it? 

 That it is something, I verily believe. I only hope, that I 

 may see it, but not too near. 3STo I thank you. 



The close season for lake lunge is off. They are catch- 

 ing a good many now by trolling and will continue to do 

 so until the lake closes up, which will be about Christmas. 

 One of our fishermen was trolling and by some means 

 hooked and saved one weighing over eighteen pounds and 

 the fish never bit, he was hooked through the body. 



Canada grouse have been very plentiful here this fall; in 

 fact all kinds of game, such as ducks, foxes, mink, sable, 

 and fisher, have been very abundant. A. Yf. Hubbard. 



[We have read the above note with a great deal of inter- 

 est, and can assure our correspondent that it grieves and 

 mortifies us not a little that we cannot satisfactorily answer 

 his query. The fact is, however, that just at present we 

 are rather rusty on sea serpents, and so must call to our 

 assistance some of our readers. To sea faring men especi- 

 ally do we address our appeal. Has any'one who reads this 

 paper any knowledge of this undescribed monster, either 

 marine or fresh water? If so, we adjure him to "come 

 over and help us." Seriously, we hope that Mr . Hubbard's 

 letter may draw a response from such as may have any 

 facts to communicate on this subject. — Ed.] 



cophodium, then arranging a few flowers among the 

 foliage to lighten it up. Large flowers, or groups of smaller 

 ones, look best in the arrangement, and give a grace and 

 elegance to a table decoration, not easily attained by any 

 other at so small an outlay. 



VALISNERIA, OR^VVILD CELERY. 



Valisn&ria spiralis. 



PUGNACITY OF THE MUSK RAT. 



Morganton, N. C. Dec. 11th, ISftG. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



A story in a late Lumber of your paper of a man being attacked by a 

 muekrat reminded me of an incident which occurred to me when a boy. 

 1 was walking on the bank of a mill-ra ce, which ran through a piece of 

 woodland, and came suddenly on a mnskrat out foraging some three 

 hundred yar<?a from home. I could find no stones, but the way I 

 pelted that rat with eloda and pieces of wood is no doubt yet related to its 

 descendants as a warning not to venture too far into the wicked world. 

 Well, the chase had continued about two-thirds of the distance, and 1 

 was having a good time, when suddenly the rat turned back and charged 

 up tne bank at me with as much vim as if inspired with the spirit of one 

 of the "old guard. " When right at my feet I struck it with a piece of 

 Totten wood, and it returned to the water, and that muekrat proceeded 

 home without further interruption. I assure you having such a harm- 

 less and usually timid creature turn on me so boldly gave me a sensation 

 T have never experienced since: G. H. N. 



Arrivals at the Philadelphia Zoological Gardens Dec. 13th.— 

 One snowy owl {Nyctea nivea), presented by W. C. Farnswortb, Phila- 

 delphia; one Virginia deer (Cervw virginianm), presented byW. F. 

 Whimer, Philadelphia; one red-tailed hawk {Buteo borealis), presented 

 by J. Richardson, Rutland, Vt.; four goldfinch mules, presented by A. 

 W. Stevenson, Philadelphia; one bald eagle (Halimtus leucocejjhalus), 

 and one caracara vulture {Polyborus brasiliensis), purchased. 



Arthur E. Broavn, General Supt. 



tHJJoodhnd, <$mn and %mdm. 



— » ■■« 



ON THE ARRANGEMENT OF CUT 



FLOWERS. 



To those living in any of our large cities, nothing need 

 be said as to the arrangement of cut flowers. Each city 

 or town seems to have its own peculiar style of arrange- 

 ment, and anything different is to the inhabitants rank 

 heresy. Take, for instance, the difference between the 

 New York and Boston styles; the former seems to try to 

 get as many flowers together as possible, artistically ar- 

 ranged, it is true, but yet too rich and heavy; while the 

 latter is more natural in its style in the use of more green 

 leaves, Ferns and Smilax, in proportion to the quantity of 

 flowers desired. While we doubtless are much ahead of 

 the English in the quantity of cut flowers used at our 

 festal occasions, and in their arrangement in bouquets and 

 baskets, or designs, yet we may learn a lesson from them 

 in the lightness and grace of their designs, more especially 

 for mantel and table decoration. For the latter, one of 

 the "March Stands" is most generally used; that is, a 

 round glass dish, from the center of which springs a 

 slender glass rod, about eighteen inches high, supporting 

 a tiumpet-shaped vase. The lower dish may be lined with 

 tinfoil, and filled with moss or sand if desired, but if 

 plenty of green leaves be at hand, this is not necessary. 

 Many varieties of flowers are now attainable, and such a 

 dish looks lovely if some Bezonia sprays and fern leaves 

 are tastefully laid round, overhanging the edges a little 

 green wood moss will keep them securely in p]ace, then 

 three Calla Lilies, and between each a few Bow Silene 

 rose-buds, and a few Marie Louise Violets in loose 

 bunches, placing over the top, so as to "wave out" good 

 stiff frouds of the lovely Maiden Hair Fern {adiantum 

 cuncatum). Three Oamellias with their leaves, taking Su- 

 f rans roses if pink Camellias are preferred. Clusters of 

 Pomsettias, or any large distinct flowers can be used, in- 

 stead of the Callas. In the trumpet-shaped vase, some 

 Carnations, two or three Camellias with their leaves, 

 Roman Hyacinths, Stevia, Daphne, Acacia, a few Rose- 

 "buds, or any flowers on hand can be used, only make the 

 grouping light and graceful, and allow a few long sprays 

 of Smilax or Lygodium to droop over and mingle with the 

 flowers in the dish below. For vases on the mantel, the 

 same arrangements can be carried out, only care being 

 taken to have the colors harmonize or contrast nicely. A 

 few sprays of light, graceful grasses, will give an air of 

 refinement to the whole arrangement. A very chaste and 

 ornamental stand can also be made for the table, by taking 

 one of these rustic terra cotta fernery vases or oblong- 

 plant stands, and filling them with say a Drucaera or 

 Palm in the center, and Ferns and. other plants around, 

 tiling up the ©paces left wifcfo greea w@©4 moss, ©i Ly- 



OUR last issue contained a query from a correspondent 

 who desired some information regarding the Valis- 

 neria or fresh water celery of the west, to which is attrib- 

 uted the same quality of imparting to the flesh of the can- 

 vas-back duck that delicious flavor which it receives from 

 a diet of the same or a similar plant within the tide waters 

 of the Chesapeake. We print below the article from the 

 Agriculturist, to which we then referred, together with 

 some further notes on the same subject: — 



"There is scarcely anything more curious in vegetable 

 life than the fructification of the Tape-grass, sometimes 

 called Eel-grass, but not the salt water plant bearing that 

 name. The Tape-grass, Vallisneria spiralis, is common in 

 ponds and slow streams, but as it makes but little show 

 above the surface, it is not noticed except by close observ- 

 ers. The leaves grow from two to four feet in length, ac- 

 cording to the depth of the water, are flat and tape like, 

 and a quarter of an inch or more in breadth. The curious 

 thing about this plant is its manner of flowering; the stam- 

 inate and pistillate, or male and female, flowers are borne 

 on different plants. The pistillate flowers are attached to 

 long, slender, and spirally coiled stalks, which allow them 

 to rise to the surface of the water. The staminate flowers 

 are borne on short stems at the bottom of the water, and in 

 a position where, under ordinary circumstances, fertiliza- 

 tion would never take place. But by a remarkable provi- 

 sion the staminate flowers, as soon as mature, break off, 

 rise to the surface, expand, and shed their pollen, and thus 

 fertilize the pistillate ones. When the female flower is 

 fertilized, the coiled stem contracts, and draws the flower 

 beneath the surface of the water, where the fruit ripens. 

 Those who write us to know what plants are best suited 

 to a fresh water aquarium, can hardly tind one better for 

 the purpose than the Vallisneria. It lives well in confine- 

 ment, and grows summer and winter, and if one is fortu- 

 nate enough to get both staminate and pistillate plants, he 

 can observe the curious phenomenon we have briefly de- 

 scribed. Those who have microscopes of considerable 

 power will find in the leavesof the Vallisneria a most beau- 

 tiful object, as they show the circulation of the contents of 

 the cells in a most distinct manner. The Vallisneria flour- 

 ishes even in brackish streams, and is abundant in the Hud- 

 son river, at points where several salt water plants are 

 found. This species is found also in Southern Europe and 

 in other warm countries, and there is another species con- 

 fined exclusively to Australia. There are several other 

 plants more common than the Vallisneria which will an- 

 swer for the aquariuni. Indeed there are few fresh water 

 streams and ponds but will furnish one or more." 



Assuming that this plant is the same as that which at- 

 tracts the canvas-back to western waters, where it grows, 

 and we believe it to be, our correspondent (who writes 

 from Syracuse) will see that it is already to be found in im- 

 mense quantities in the State, and it would be a very easy 

 matter to transplant it to some *f the lakes. In the Hud- 

 son above West Point, and possibly below it, it is so abund- 

 ant that it is difficult to work a boat through it at low tide. 

 It is also found in quantities on the Passaic river, but be- 

 ing entirely submerged, except the flowers at blooming 

 time, it is rarely noticed, and is much more common than 

 is generally supposed. As to its propagation and intro- 

 duction into other waters, much would depend upon the 

 quantity of water. It would be difficult to get the seeds, 

 a< after fertilization the female flowers descend, and the 

 ripe fruit, which is quite small, would not be found readily 

 in the mud. The best way is to rake up the roots; they 

 are quite tenacious of life, and could be sent to a long dis- 

 tance in cool weather, if kept moist. In planting, the 

 roots should be tied up in small bundles to which a stone 

 is attached, and dropped overboard. Probably this would 

 be better done in early spring, for in fall or early winter 



the ducks would be sure to get it. 



♦*♦. . 



Mabks on Tbees. — An old surveyor sends Dr. Asa Gray 

 some interesting observations on marks on trees. For 

 several years before the war I was the surveyor for David- 

 son County, Tenn., in which the City of Nashville is 

 situated. A large part of my duty was running old lines 

 established by former surveyors, numbers of which had 

 been cut fifty or sixty years before. These lines were in- 

 dicated by hatchet marks upon the trees, through, or near 

 which, the lines ran. Three chops with the hatchet about 

 4 inches apart, breast high, was, and is, the recognized 

 mark for surveyor's lines. So uniform were the marks 

 given to the trees by the old surveyors that by practice in 

 noting the position, depth, angle, width, and distance apart 

 of the maf'ks, 1 could generally tell what surveyor haa run 

 the line. Very old lines through bottom lands had often been 

 surveyed on horseback, and in such cases, the marks would 

 be found 7 or 8 feet from the giound. It may be interest- 

 ing to know that the most permanent marks are those in 

 which the hatchet does not go through the bark. In such 

 cases the marus were as plain and sharp after fifty years as 

 when just made. If the sap wood was touched ever so 

 Utile the edges of the cut would widen and fresh bark 

 would be made, and this being smoother than the old bark 

 and surrounded by a sort of lip, the whole would, as the 

 tree grew old, assimilate in appearance to the rest of the 

 tree, so that only a practised eye could detect the mark at 

 all. If the chops were very deep the bark between them 

 would be thrown of by the tree, and all replaced by new 

 bark, and present a biur, which in time, would be very 

 hard to recognise, and such a tree could only be proved to 

 a jury (as it was often necessary to do), by cutting into the 

 tree and exposing the chops or marks in the solid wood 

 under the sap, and often under many layers of the tree 

 wood. Law suits where lines weic questioned have been 

 decided by this method. 1 may heie state that I have 

 often known these layers to tally exactly with the number 

 of years 'gi£c« IM mxvrn was made, and fffctt e&rcy tbe 



most convincing proof that the tree was marked at that 

 time. The point, however, in which the present interest 

 lies is that among the many thousand marked trees I have 

 examined I never knew one in which the distance of the 

 marks from the ground, or each other.had varied from the 

 general practice of surveyors. Many of them had been so 

 marked in the presence of old settlers who accompanied 

 me in the re-establishment of the lines, and I never knew 

 of any change being spoken of in the appearance, except 

 by being cutf too deeply. Many of the marks were the sub- 

 ject of especial study to me ; but I never met with or 

 heard of marks that had grown up a tree or that had 

 widened apart out of the surveyor's customary limit. In 

 some instances the original level of the soil had been 

 changed by being washed away, but this was only on hill- 

 sides, and easily accounted for, and proved by other trees 

 and circumstances. The habit of bears of standing up 

 against Beech trees and scratching them with their claws 

 somewhat as cats do against table-legs is a case in point 

 also. No bears have been found in Davidson County for 

 the last fifty years, and I have had pointed out to me trees 

 that had been scratched all round in this manner, and 

 although the same trees would be marked by the climbing 

 of the bear, yet the peculiar marks made by this playful 

 scratching were never any more than the usual distance 

 from the ground. I know a place near Nashville where, 

 about forty years ago, a Cedar-wood seat was put between 

 two close growing trees by notching it into each one. The 

 trees have grown quite large, and entirely round the ends 

 of the board, but it is exactly the same height as when first 

 placed. I also know where I cut my initials into the bark 

 of a young Hackberry tree with those of a young lady ; 

 this was twenty-three years ago, and the marks are there 

 at the same height. These last, however, are special in- 

 stances, and only prove the habits of Beech, Elm, and 

 Hackberry trees, while those of the surveyor's marks com- 

 prise all kinds of trees indigenous to this couniry, and ex- 

 tend through such periods of time as give very complete 

 observation. 



_, — -».*» 



Flowers on the Table.— Leigh Hunt says:— "Set 

 flowers on your table — a whole nosegay if you can get it, 

 or but two or three, or a single flower, a Rose, a Pink, a 

 Daisy. Bring a few Daisies or Buttercups from your last 

 field walk, and keep them alive in a little water ; preserve 

 but a bunch of Clover, or a handful of flowering Grass- 

 one of the most elegant of Nature's productions— and you 

 have something on your table that reminds you of the 

 country, and gives you a link with the poets that have 

 done it most honor. Put a Rose, or a Lily, or a Violet on 

 your table, and you and Lord Bacon have a custom in 

 common, for this great and wise man was in the habit of 

 having flowers in season set upon his table, we believe, 

 morning, noon, and night— that is to say, at all meals, see- 

 ing that they were growing all day. Now here is a fashion 

 that will last you for ever, if you please— never change 

 with silks, and velvets, and silver forks, nor be dependent 

 on caprice, or some fine gentleman or lady who have 

 nothing but caprice and changes to give them importance 

 and a sensation. Flowers on morning tables are especially 

 suited to them. They look like the happy wakening of 

 the Creation ; they bring the breath of Nature into your 

 room ; they seem the represeiatatives and embodiment of 

 the very smiles of your home, and the graces of good mor- 

 row." 



Celery for the Nerves. — A writer who is familiar 

 with the use of Celery, says that he has known several 

 men and women, who, from various causes, had become 

 so affected by nervousness that when they stretched out 

 their hands they shook like aspen leaves on windy days, 

 and by a moderate daily use of the blanched footstalks' of 

 Celery as a salad, they became as strong and steady in 

 limb as other people. He has known people cured of pal- 

 pitation of the heart by the use of Celery. Everybody'en- 

 gaged in labor weakening to the nerves, should use Celery 

 daily in its season, and Onions in its stead when not in 

 season. 



Management of Merino Sheep.— A well known breeder 

 of Merinos in Western New York answers the question 

 "how large fleeces are produced," in the National Live 

 Stock Journal, very concisely, as follows: 



I will first state what I do not do, as that would seem 

 necessary to a full answer. I do not blanket my sheep, 

 unless when shippirg to fairs, etc. I never feed any oil- 

 cake, oil-meal, or anything of that kind. I endeavor to 

 breed a large, strong-boned, broad-backed, square-built 

 sheep, rather plain bodied, well covered from their nose to 

 their toes with a long even staple of wool. I take particu- 

 lar care to get my ha3 r , straw and corn fodder in ihe best 

 condition possible. My farm has a warm, dry soil. In 

 summer I pasture, and feed no grain. If feed gets dried 

 up, as it did this year, I feed some hay. When I commence 

 to use the ram, 1 grain my ewes lightly, and increase to 

 about one bushel to one hundred per day, of corn, oats and 

 bran, mixed. For fodder I feed corn-stalks in the morn- 

 ing, straw at noon, and hay at night; and iff have pea 

 or bean vines, feed them to my sheep (the latter very spar- 

 ingly, if at all, to breeding ewes). I endeavor to get my 

 corn-fodder used up before warm weather in spring, and 

 then feed clover hay twice a day. I try to house my sheep 

 (and all other stock) from storms, but frequently fail to do 

 it. I salt often, and turn my sheep out when filling their 

 racks to avoid the danger of getting hay seed and chaff in 

 their fleeces, and to give them an opportunity of getting 

 water, having none in my sheds. 



Now there is no secret about it, further than to get good 

 stock and take good care of it; and, I will add, that I never 

 knew a successful breeder of any kind of stock that was 

 not a good care-taker. 



Natural Adaptation. — A most interesting case of the 

 harmony of nature is illustrated in an annual plant called 

 the Rose of Jerico, Anastatica hierochuntica. according to a 

 German journal. This plant has its habitat on the sandy 

 deserts of Africa. After dying, the plant having curled up 

 into a ball, becomes detached from the soil, and is blown 

 about on the surface whiiher the wind listeth. The seed 

 vessels remain closed until moistened by rains, when they 

 open, the seeds fall to the ground and germinate in about 

 eighteen hours. What a beautiful adaptation to the cir- 

 cumstances ! If these seeds took a long time to germinate, 

 the moisture from the rains. would have disappeared from 

 the arid sands, and germination become impossible. Then 

 too, if the plant were not released from its root hold, it 

 would, .doubtless, -soon have been buried beneath the shifV 

 is? 



