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WIND FA L LS. 



light of the claims of chemical science, as stated in those 

 papers at Washington last month before the "Society 

 for the Promotion of Agricultural Science " on the bene- 

 fits of water to induce tree growths. I am a believer in 

 those papers, but not to the extent of excluding other 

 plant food, or accepting that "rain falling is the worst 

 form in which water can be applied to the soil." I regret 

 the camphor article, because the power of the press is 

 enormous — an over statement hurts a state as well as an 

 individual. Could our friends state just what is done in 

 the state, and show the net results from the sales of a 

 few years, the state would be the gainer. No industry 

 can thrive on paper only. For some years I had charge 

 of the two largest camphor trees in the state, so far as I 

 know. They are not very rapidly growing trees, A lob- 

 lolly pine of the same age beats them two to one, I 

 never expect to see a camphor tree "12 to 14 feet in di- 

 ameter." 



South Florida's great industry, more and more, I be- 

 lieve will be fruit growing ; chiefly citrus fruits. To the 

 man whose tastes lead him to such avocations, the field 

 is broad and I have no doubt of the successful results of 

 honest labor in these lines here. The differences between 

 the producers and the railroads will adjust themselves in 

 time. Both parties are reasonable men. Each must 

 work, and will work, in time, for the success of the 

 other. — Lym.an Phelps, /•/oiiJa. 



Change the Water in Flower Vases. — A lady vis- 

 itor at a home of wealth and taste, noticed that the 

 water in the vases was impure, and, as she tells the 

 Tiihiinc, "knowing by experience how fetid and offensive 

 water becomes from decaying stems of plants, I spoke to 

 my friend on the subject, believing that the standing 

 water in so many open receptacles was positively un- 

 healthy. ' How often do you clean the vases complete- 

 ly, James?' the hostess inquired. 'We wash every- 

 thing once a week, ma'am,' he answered respectfully ; 

 ' the rest of the time I only take out the flowers that 

 are faded and replace them with fresh ones.' 'Just 

 take out those,' she directed, pointing to a big yellow 

 bowl filled with purple irises. As he lifted the wet 

 mass from the dish the odor was so sickening that it 

 filled the whole room. Now here, I thought, is surely 

 a question for a physician, and yet I have never heard 

 it mentioned. Wherever houses are profusely decorat- 

 ed with flowers, this stagnant water is presumably 

 standing constantly in living rooms, and people are 

 continually breathing what, even out-of-doors, under 

 the fresh winds of heaven, is generally accounted un- 

 healthy." 



A New Species of Maize. — Botanists have recog- 

 nized but one species of Indian corn, the common Zea 

 Mays, the origin of which, however is entirely unknown. 

 Dr. Sereno Watson, of Harvard, has just described a 

 second species, Zea caiiina, or "dog corn," from Moro 

 Leon, state of Guanajuato, Mexico. It grows wild in 

 that region. As grown in Massachusetts and New York, 

 it resembles field corn in general appearance, but the 

 stalks branch and give the hill a bushy appearance. 



The branches of the stalk often become three or feet in 

 length, and bear an ear or rudiment of one in every axil. 

 Sometimes a half dozen perfect ears are borne upon a 

 branch. The ears are small, four to twelve-rowed, and 

 they break off very easily at the joint with the stem. 

 The kernels are about a fourth inch long, white, hard 

 and smooth, ovate, acutish and narrowed at the base. 

 Dr. Watson, at first thought that this may be the orig- 

 inal of common maize, but he now thinks that it is 

 wholly distinct. 



Camphor Tree in North Caroh'na. — Noting the 

 article on camphor production in Florida reminds me to 

 say that in the garden of Allen Warren at Green- 

 ville, North Carolina, is a fine young camphor tree now 

 six years old. It has only been injured by the cold once, 

 and that was in the sudden and severe freeze of March 3, 

 i8go, following a very warm February when all vegeta- 

 tion had become active, and trees of well-known hardi- 

 ness like our common pears had started into full leaf and 

 were cut almost as badly as the camphor tree. Camellia 

 trees near by were not hurt, as they had not started new 

 growth. While it is not probable that it can be made 

 of commercial importance this far north, it is interesting 

 to know the hardiness of this handsome evergreen. The 

 aromatic leaves could be used to advantage, I would sup- 

 pose, in keeping moths from chests and drawers. — W. F. 

 Massey, N. C. 



True, Way Through. — I am one of a great company 

 that buys fruit by the basket, bag or barrel, and all this 

 great company have been deceived, cheated and beguiled 

 times without number. The largest berries, peaches or 

 apples would be on top, while the small and the rotten, 

 or worm eaten ones would be underneath, until we, as a 

 great company, begin to expect it. But there was to be 

 a revelation, and it came in a peach basket. It was not 

 covered with dazzling tarletan, to deceive the eyes of the 

 very elect. It was a plain clean basket, with two thin 

 pieces of lath nailed across the top to keep the peaches 

 in, and such luscious fruit, "all on top," said I, with an 

 unbelief founded on experience. The great company 

 won't believe me, but every peach in that basket was uni- 

 formly good, to the very last one. There was a modest 

 name and address stamped on one of the laths ; I will 

 not tell it, for the great company would tear him from 

 the bosom of his family and exhibit him in a museum 

 as a freak. I never heard or saw his name before, but 

 every basket, bag or barrel with it on I shall take on the 

 spot if I want the fruit, and pay the price, without a ques- 

 tion. Furthermore, I shall go to the commission fruit 

 stores, inquire for that man's packages and buy no other, 

 even if he puts an extra dime on the price. We are 

 willing to pay a little more to be assured that the fruit 

 is true, way through. And if some of his cheating breth- 

 ren, who think they are advantaged by the same old plan 

 of setting a good front for a bad interior, want to get 

 where their fruit will be taken without question and 

 with higher prices, let them emulate this honest man. 

 —A. L. 



