FOREST AND STREAM. 325 
Aldermaston, Reading, Eng. 
Beitor Forest and Stream:— 
I observe in your journal of May 14th, that at page 216, under the head- 
iing of “Aqua,” your correspondent remarks that the sex of goldfish can 
fbe ascertained by the length of the dorsal fin. I was not before aware 
of this, and must pay attention to it the first time an opportunity pre¬ 
sents itself. Your correspondent may probably like to know that the 
. 3 ex cf carp, tench and pike can be ascertained by the larger size of the 
ventral fins in the male. I should imagine the male goldfish, as they are 
- classed with carp, would also have the ventral fins large. 
Can any of your correspondents inform me how to distinguish the sex 
m common perch? I only know of one way of doing this, which is at 
the time of year they breed, to see which are milters, but at other peri¬ 
ods of the year* I believe there is no difference between the males and 
females. In some ponds perch multiply so fast that they starve one an¬ 
other and none can attain any size. Where this is the case the best plan 
is at the proper time of year to select one of the sexes and stock your 
pond with them. I believe it is better to use the males for this purpose, 
and they then attain a good size. But this can only be done at a certain 
season, when the breeding time is coming on. It would facilitate matters 
}f there was some other distinguishing mark. Your obedient servant, 
Higford Burr. 
CENTRAL PARK MENAGERIE. 
Department of Public Parks, ( 
New York, June 28, 1874. j 
Animals received at Central Park Menagerie for the week ending 
June 27,1874. 
One small Alligator. Presented by Bobert R. Gibbes, M. D. 
One Jaguar, PeHs onca. 
One white-throated Sapajou, debus hypoleucus. 
One Hawksbill Turtle, Chelone imbrtcata Hab. East Indies. Present¬ 
ed by Mr. Eugene <4. Blackford. 
Three Mili tary Macaws, Ara militaris. Hab. Brazil. Purchased. 
©ne Fawn. !&red in the Menagerie. 
There are a5 present to be seen in the Menagerie a herd of 12 giraffes, 
ttiieJargestaamber of these animals ever seen together in this country. 
_ W. A. Conklin. 
Woodland, Wtturn and garden. 
THE WISTARIA SINENSIS. 
“Fast he stealeth on, though he wears no wings, 
And a staunch, old heart has he! 
How closely he twineth, how tightly he clings 
To his friend the huge oak tree! 
And slyly he traileth along the ground, 
And his leaves he gently waves; 
And he joyously twines and hugs around 
The rich mould of dead men’s graves.” 
O UR attention was first called to the many meritorious 
qualities of the Wistaria sinensis in the year 1846, 
since which time we have given our especial observation 
and study to this always beautiful climber.* Since the 
time our attention was first called to the cultivation of this 
hardy climber we have seen many fine plants of the same* 
growing well and luxuriantly in many of our large cities. . 
One of the finest specimens I ever saw was growing at 
Tliorburn’s Astoria Gardens—a remarkably fine flower of 
the first magnitude. 
Taking into consideration the ease with which this fine 
floral ornament may be grown, we arc astonished that 
more of them are not cultivated. We are glad to know 
that frym the year 1849 to the present time there has been 
;stn increasing interest felt in this plant. We have often 
been told by those enquiring for this plant, and by others 
‘to whom we have recommended it, that they could rot 
make it grow; it was a sure failure on their hands. 
It is ^ plant well adapted to use for porticos—to cover 
summer houses and arbors, and may be seen creeping high 
up on the front of many of the palatial dwellings of New 
York and Brooklyn. It is a glorious sight to behold in the 
early spring mornings in May, when its pendant flowers 
hang like so many gems, and sparkle in the morning sun¬ 
light. It is not only a morning beauty, but an evening 
delight, when it throws forth its odorous perfume without 
stint. 
Avery remarkable property of the Wistaria sinensis is that 
it blossoms before it sends out its green leaves; first the 
buds, then the blossoms, burst at once upon your sight. 
Afterwards the glossy, green shining leaves come out, 
seeming to take the fullest'time to develop the whole beauty 
and perfection of the plant. Being a perfectly hardy plant 
it may be placed in what are termed the most common situ¬ 
ations, and will live and grow well in soils that other plants 
would shrivel and die in. It may be cultivated in very 
many ways, and some of them picturesque and very 
unique. For the information of our readers we shall no¬ 
tice some of the forms and aspects under which this rare 
*climber may give both grandeur and beauty to the palace 
and the cottage, the garden and the lawn; for under all 
these different forms of culture have we used and recom¬ 
mended for ornament the Wistaria sinensis. 
For a large sized greenhouse or conservatory I know of 
fio prettier plant than this, but being a vigorous grower and 
a great traveller, it always after a good start inclines to 
progress' rapidly on its journey. It would seem to one 
looking at this plant in situations particularly adapted to 
its grand development, that like the humble grasses at our 
feet, whose mission we recognize to be to cover the earth 
with a carpet of green, so the Wistaria sinensis throws its 
great rambling arms and feelers, like some huge vegetable 
cuttle, to entwine within its grasp every stray twig it may 
rest upon. Then, having covered the summer frame of 
largest dimensions, how it lovingly clings to its mystic sup¬ 
port, and fairly laughs in myriads of blue and purple blos¬ 
soms. 
As we have before stated, this plant is not at all particu¬ 
lar as to where it is planted. It is one of the few much 
aeglected plants that have learned to take care of them¬ 
selves, and it has a wonderful adaptation to almost any 
Strp' V ° ladie , 9 ’ who style themselves “constant readers of Forest and 
' vi y Had to-day a full answer to their enquiries sis to the merits 
raocie of cultivation of this magnificent plant. 
location. I have cultivated this plant as a large shrub and 
as a pole plant with good success. All that is requisite and 
particularly needed to have a good plant is to know how to 
prune it properly. This is done by first choosing a strong 
cane and tying it up closely and straight to a pole of the 
height you desire your tree to be. If for a dwarfish tree, 
your height will be say five feet from the ground; here you 
will form your head, and you will be careful to remember 
that in order to have a good tree it is absolutely necessary 
that this pruning be rigidly followed, and your plant care¬ 
fully watched. If not, then the experience of all our years 
of study will prove of not the least benefit to our readers. J 
In this connection I would state if any are too timid to 5 
produce a fine Wistaria tree upon the lawn (a finer object \ 
is rarely seen), they may take a goodly sized crock or pail j 
and commence their work out of sight of the travelling J 
world. Having grown a fine pot dwarf Wistaria —which J 
you can do as well as ourself by following the above ] 
method—you can sink your pot out upon the lawn in a po- j 
sition where a good background of green hemlock or arbor / 
vitae will add a new lustre to the pendant flowers of purple 
and white. The pot culture is very nearly the same as that 
pursued with them on the lawn. 
Why I am particular as to pruning is, that this plant has 
a habit of its own—a very wilful way of flinging out long 
arms of quite weak shoots, and these form at a very early 
period of the growth of the plant. This habit has been 
the means of the plants being thrown away in many in¬ 
stances as good for nothing. As soon as a layered branch 
of this plant has become a plant of itself by rooting, as it 
readily does, from the point of connection with the ground 
(always make a cut at this point in the layered branch say 
half way through) it will begin to send out these feelers or 
tenuous branches which are natural to the plant. Now is 
your time to determine the future of your tree, shrub, or 
running vine. If you wish a tree form, prune all those 
ramblers off, until you form a stalk for your tree. Now 
for the head. Cut off square just above three or four good 
strong shoots; never leave more than five, and shorten 
these in to say one foot. Now you will he sure to keep 
shoots, and all others that spring from them, cut back very 
cldsely at least every year, and the first year I have found 
it well to cut back two or three times in the season. By a 
similar course of treatment, varying a little only with the 
desired form, you can have very fine plants for the con¬ 
servatory, the piazza, and ornaments for the greenhouse 
and out of doors. It were quite impossible to give you all 
the descriptions in one or two papers upon this plant, or 
the fine capabilities it affords the amateur and educated 
cultivator to produce elegant and valuable specimens of 
landscape adornments. 
As an ornamental plant of the decorative order, I have 
used the Wistaria often and successfully as to capability 
for suitably accommodating itself to pillars of wood or 
iron. In fact, anything makes it of great value to every 
one who loves flowers. In garden use, Avhere an arch can 
be thrown across a path leading into a grove, or near to a 
covered seat, I have found that a Wistaria on one side, and 
a fine exotic climbing rose, or even our home prairie'rose, 
made a very beautiful combination and a delight to every 
beholder. So with a pillar, upon which a bird house for 
the martens could be placed, at the base of which a rose 
and a Wistaria grow lovingly together, is worth all your 
time, care, and cash expended. Try it, and you will be¬ 
lieve it and rejoice in it. 
In treating the Wistaria, when it has been brought to the 
desired form by pruning, develope the bearing shoots or 
spurs at the height of twelve feet, then such numbers of 
lateral branches about one foot in length, that when it lias 
reached this state it will bear only blooming spurs; and if 
by force of growth it should send out a few long branches 
it will not harm the plant, and they can be romoved en¬ 
tirely, or cut back in the spring. 
Our friends cannot fail to be pleased with this plant and 
its cultivation. Why, it is so easy we are truly sorry to 
hear that so little has* been thought of this prince of the 
boulevards—this pride of the garden. In our next paper 
we shall finish with the Wistaria , and give you some inter¬ 
esting notes, facts, anecdotes, and peculiar modes of pot 
ting, dwarfing, treeing, and miscellaneous culturing perti¬ 
nent to this peculiar and rare plant. 
Ollipod Quill. 
Answer to Enquiries. —“How shall I protect my rose 
bed in winter?” To this enquiry of an amateur rose grower, 
though a little out of season, we answer:—As cold weather 
draws near, and thp leaves of your plants begin to fall, 
you will carefully cut back all your rose plants (your judg¬ 
ment must now govern your knife), and tie back to a stake 
all the struggling shoots. Now give the bed a dressing of 
from three to five inches all over the top, and around the 
plants, with a compost made from the following articles:— 
Coarse manure, two parts; forest leaves, two parts; old sod 
soil, one part; and road sand, one part. Mix these well 
together, and you will find you not only have a sure pro¬ 
tection for the winter, but a fine manure for the spring. 
When you remove from the bed one half of the above 
compost you are all right for the next season. 
Ollipod Quill. 
—The bamboo, generally supposed to be one of the most 
inoffensive of vegetables, is said to contain a poison which 
the “natives of Java use against their enemies. It is ob¬ 
tained by cutting the bamboo at a joint, and detaching 
from the saucer-shaped cavity some small black filaments, 
covered with almost imperceptible needles. The filaments 
constitute the venom, against which no remedy has been 
found to act. 
J %ht H enml. 
For Forest and Stream. 
DOGS FOR DIFFERENT KINDS OF GAME 
I N the discussion of the relative merits of field sports¬ 
men’s dogs, which I am much pleased to see has re¬ 
cently received considerable impetus from the very able 
manner in which the general subject has been treated in your 
valuable paper, I am disposed to think that it is the duty 
of every sportsman -who wishes the sport well to do what 
he can to contribute to the general information upon the 
subject. With this view I will venture some conclusions 
arrived at, and gathered from the recollections of a con¬ 
stant practice and experience extending over many years, 
which may possibly be considered of some little value at 
least to the young sportsman or the new-beginner, or even 
to those who have not been in a position in their section of 
country to have seen and compared the different styles of 
dogs. In my opinion they are really necessary for the dif¬ 
ferent kinds of game which this great country affords in 
different localities, and even within easy distance of this 
great city. Woodcock, snipe, quail and partridges, (ruffed 
grouse,) I am pleased to say are still within easy distance 
of a day’s range, although not quite so plenty as they were 
thirty years ago, when I used to find English snipe enough 
for good shooting on this Manhattan Island, aiid when back 
of old Rafe Burrow’s English Ale House, then on the 
Bloomingdale Road, now the corner of Thirty-fourth street 
and Broadway, was a very favorite spot for them. For 
every sportsman then in this city thoroughly up to the 
mark in all that pertains to the proper use and manage¬ 
ment of the dog and gun, there are now', doubtless, 
twenty. Still, it is with this as with all things else, ex 
perience is the great practical educator, and its reminis¬ 
cences may possibly be of some service to the younger 
branches of the family. In the general discussion of the 
different breeds of dogs, and the tenacity with which 
almost every owner and breeder claims his strain of 
blood to be the best, I have no desire to enter, nor do I 
wish to interfere in any way with their different theories 
and modes of training and breaking. Almost every field 
sportsman has a way of his own, and so long as it accom¬ 
plishes the end desired without injuring the natural good 
qualities of the animal, all is well. I am, however, very 
much in favor of one dog being kept exclusively for any 
one designated kind of game, and never allowed to see any 
other, at least until he is thoroughly broken, if the owner 
of the animal desires a first-class performer for that especial 
purpose. In my opinion, therefore, the young sportsman, 
before taking his dog into the field, should first well con¬ 
sider what kind of game is most likely to afford him the 
best sport in his particular locality, and if he intends to 
hunt principally there, and would prefer his dog to act best 
on that kind of game, then, I say, determine at once that 
the kind you have selected shall be the first bird shot over 
him, and that on this particular bird his education shall be 
finished. Nine times out of ten the bird which a dog has 
first hunted and had killed over him will ever be liis favorite 
game for the balance of liis life. 
If for woodcock, brake him on woodcock; if for quail, be 
careful that the first birds killed over him are quail; and if 
for ruffed or pinnated grouse, the same; and above and be¬ 
yond all, if for snipe, the dog should not see any other bird 
for at least two seasons. There is but one style of dog 
which can ever attain to any great perfection in a snipe 
field, and the qualities necessary for that purpose he must 
inherit naturally, as they can never he acquired by any 
course of training. They are qualities rarely possessed in 
any great degree, but to the experienced eye are easily re¬ 
cognized even in a pup He must be naturally high-headed 
and have a fast and easy style of going, and disposed to 
catch the scent upon the wind, taking it at all times breast 
high, and should never be disposed or allowed to puzzle 
upon a scent upon the ground; and he should, in my 
opinion, be kept exclusively for snipe, as the habits of the 
bird and the style of hunting necessary for a first-class snipe 
dog is essentially different to that of all other kinds of 
game. There are but few places, however, where such a 
dog can show to proper advantage, as it requires just a cer¬ 
tain number of birds scattered over a certain quantity of 
ground to display the dog and bring out the beauty of bis 
performances. There are, however, I should say, two sides 
to this question, and in very many of the very best snipe 
grounds Avhere the birds are very plentiful, such a dog 
would be of no more use than he would be in a woodcock 
covert in July, and would, unless under admirable control, 
be a positive injury rather than a service. On such ground 
an old and steady fellow is the most desirable, simply to 
mark and retrieve your dead birds. 
The ground at Pine Brook, however, and especially the 
“Big Piece” is admirably adapted for the most-favorable 
display of the great snipe dog, and in fact all-of them that 
I have ever seen, have been,- (I think I may say with pro¬ 
priety,) essentially Pine Brook, dogs, broken at Pine Brook, 
kept at Pine Brook, and hunted almost exclusively at Pine 
Brook. I shot over two of the best of that description for 
a good many years, and. both became to know the ground 
every inch of it as well, if not better, than I did myself. 
Whether on Columbia or Black Brook Meadows, or on the 
Troy or Leonard’s Meadows, or on the “Whippany” or Big 
Meadows, or on- “Pine Brook flats,” either side of the river, 
or in the “Horse shoe bend,” or the “Big” or “Little” 
Piece, clean to the low T er “swing gate.” They were every¬ 
where at home, and knew every favorite spot upon the 
ground, and would go for it with the most unerring cer- 
