1808} 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
355 
name. It is evidently om umelons. Oucof 
imi ii weighed IS pounds, and if there is a more 
fleshed, and altogether good melon (ban 
• - it. Mr. n. says thai some call 
it the Large Persian. This melon, "by any other name 
would '"■'< a - Bweet." 
For All Children, Toy Dealers. 
Variety Stores, etc.— For the bcnefll of the •• little 
people, ' we have encouraged the manufacture of a good 
Btockof "Crandall's Building Blocks," which 
Bider the best Instructive toy ever produced— one furnieh- 
uusoment without end almost, and not a simple toy 
M lose its novelty in a day. During the summer our art- 
isti have -"I np engravings of a portion of the numberless 
structures made from a single boa of these blocks. 
n_'s are combined on a sheet, which is a 
picture of itself. Copies of it will lie sent free to all 
Toy Dealers, Keepers of Variety Stores, Merchants, 
BDd to families desiring one. Send application and ad- 
Publishers of the Agriculturist. 
Elements of Agriculture. — Col. Geo. 
E. Waring, long known as an agricultural writer, lias re- 
written his earliest work, and it is now published by the 
Tribune Association. This little wank is eminently 
il. and is written in a plain, simple style. Stale- 
of agricultural theory of the present day ate less 
positive than they were .1 few years ago, and Col. Waring 
has exhibited commendable discretion in carrying his 
readers over the hard plates in a very common-sense way. 
It is the best book we know of to explain to a young 
farmer the reasons for correct farm practice, that can be 
1 anything like the price, which is $1.00. 
Sttrawherry, President 'Wilder. — 
In tho Agriculturist for August last, Wildei-'sNo. 13 was 
noticed as an excellent fruit, and the wish then expressed 
that it might bear Col. Wilder's name has been complied 
with. Tin- berry is t'» lie known as President Wilder. 
The publishers of the American Journal of Horticulture 
have, with commendable enterprise, purchased the whole 
stock of plants, which they offer as premiums to sub- 
51 ribers to their journal for 1800. Horticulturists thus will 
have an opportunity cf testing a new variety of great 
merit, and one which it is hoped will prove elsewhere as 
fine as it has upon the grounds of Col. Wilder. 
Plants Xaraoil. — " Subscriber," Bristol, 
Ind. Wild Yam-root, Dioscorcm villosa, sometimes cul- 
tivated as a climber C. C. Moore, Johnson Co., Kansas. 
Feathered Hyacinth, a variety of jr>/-<<'"/i roiwtititi. .. .C. 
M. Burgess, New Britain, and Mrs. S. A. P., St. Jo. Co., 
Mich. The "foliage plant" is CoIhk Vtrxehnfdlii. It is 
very tender, roots readily from cuttings, but is rather diffi- 
cult to keep through the winter unless you have a grcen- 
The flower is small, something like that of Mint, 
.ml not showy M. I). A. Elliot, .Me. No. 1. Twin- 
flower, IAmuxa borealis, named for the great, Linn. ens; 
No. 2, P.itter-sweet, Solomon Dulcamara; No. 3, only 
broken leaves without flowers. . ..G. W. C, Benton, Tenn. 
No. 1. Pancratium rotatum, has no common name, not 
some bulbs by mail. No. 2, Bine- 
bottle,) No. 8, Japan Globe-flower, Ker~ 
mica, not a rose, though related to it. No. 4, In- 
dian Currant Ol I oral. bet ry. \, /;.e '.,./, '*//"* rnlriari*. . . . 
Mrs. V, J. M. Henry Co., Mo. An Evening Primrose, 
(Enollura ; cannot tell the species without seed-pods 
Mrs. s. P. A , St. Joseph Co., Mich. The prickly leaved 
"Apple geranium" is some Solatium, but cannot tell 
which from leaves alone M. E. J., Ilan-isonvillc. 111. 
1 -lily... .J. It. H.,Ottttmwa. Kan. 
O. r... Brumfleld, Ky. Dodder, 
i-ei a- a parasite on shrubs, etc., 
both Easl and West W. C. C, Joppa Village, Ms. 
ii came up in your yard is the Canary- 
Hot valued for fo] 
Jlr. Buchanan's Sale.— Mr. Isaac Bu- 
tlie wen-known florist, will sell at bis grounds at 
0.1 the Tib a large lot of his choice specimens. 
We have seen the plants, and can assure those who wish 
ck their houses with well-grown 1 unellie . \zaleas, 
etc., I- -ruinity is presented to do so. 
IBoi'lieitlliiral Exhibitions. — "A Sec- 
retary" says that the reason we get no more notices of 
horticultural exhibitions is that in many cases the agri- 
culture He a combination with tit 
tin- result is neither on Agricultural nor a Horticultural 
exhibition, bnt a horse-race. i. it this evil 
be remedied in someway?" Certainly; when asked i-> 
■ . don't do it. But tv-w planl - will floor! 
-I others, and the same thing holds good with socie- 
ties. Horticultural sot ive their shows 
separate, if they are held in a private bouse and only the 
members attend. The writer was one of the founders of 
a now prosperous society which began thus humbly. 
Iteirt's S'lirscry at Elizabeth lias lone been a 
sort of pomological Mecca. Tin- faithful will regret to learn 
thai the old place i- to be invaded by improvements, and 
that the grounds are to lie cut up by streets and avenues. 
Mr.D. D. Buchanan, Mr. Reid's successor, is offering his 
slock preparatory to breaking up at the old place and re- 
moving to a new one, It is gratifying to know thai the 
home grounds are not to be disturbed, and that the beau- 
tiful hedges and specimen plants that haveallorded grati- 
fication to so many will still remain as a memento of one 
of the fathers of American horticulture. 
The 3f. 1 T . 43rape Growers' Asso. 
cialion will hold its first Annual Fair at Canaudaigua 
mi tie- itli ami sih. Ii is intended to include the grape, 
its product, and the implements which pertain to its cul- 
ture, gathering, preparation for market, etc. Articles may 
be sent to 31. Dwight Monger, Canaudaigua. — But who 
did make up the committees ! There are men on some of 
them whose profound Ignorance of fruit makes us think 
that they were put there us a joke. Still, there are 
enough eminent pomologists associated with them to 
keep them from blundering too badly. 
Peach ancl Hfeetarine.— Just as the ar- 
ticle on page 371 was put iu type, where reference is 
made to peaches and nectarines growing on the Fame 
tree, we received from Mr. II. Downie, Winchester, Kan- 
sas, specimens of both fruits from the same tree. We 
cannot " explain the phenomenon," as Mr. D. requests. 
The nectarine is a sport of tie- peach, and may come by 
variation in the seed or by bud variation. This breaking 
out of an inherent quality iu plants and animals is the 
foundation of an ingenious hypothesis by Mr. Darwin, 
who presents it at length in his work on Variation of 
Animals and Plants under Domestication. 
Troialile with Crali Apple Iicavcs. 
— J. W. Sparkman, Clifton, Tenn., sends some leaves of 
the Wild Crab Apple, which have large, rusty colored 
spots on them, and altogether in a bad condition. He 
states that il affects tries in the orchard and "is satisfied 
that it is caused by insects." Insects have enough mis- 
chief to answer for, but in this instance they arc not 
guilty. The microscope shows the spots to be collections 
of minute parasitic fungi, of the kind called Cluster-cups. 
It is JEckMum P'jMtum, first described by Schweinitz in 
183-2. A description would be too long for a basket arti- 
cle, but we will endeavor to figure it at another time. 
Insect Gained. — G. Williams, Jefferson 
Co., N. Y. The common name is "Walking Stick." as 
the insect looks much like a twig with long legs to it. 
It is figured in Harris' Insects, under the name of Spec- 
trwnfemoralum. It lives on young shoots, but is never 
abundant enough to do much harm. 
Clover Gone Crazy.— A lady in Pitts- 
field, Mass., scuds us a set of clover leaves haying re- 
spectively from four to nine divisions. The " nine-leav- 
ed" clover is almost like a green flower. 
Ilyjero-barometer. — "W. A. K.," Mid- 
dletown, Conn. We have not seen the instrument re- 
ferred to,*and cannot give an opinion. 
A " Horned " Caterpillar. — Several 
have sent specimens of a large green caterpillar with 
long horns or spines on the fore part of its body. These 
are orange colored with black tips. This is the 
larva of the Royal Walnut Moth, Ceralocampa regalis, 
which feeds on the Walnut, Ash, and Persimmon. The 
moth is 5 or 6 inches across, of dull colors, and not showy. 
The Plantain Pest.—" Montgomery " 
has a new place "on which the Plantain has taken forcible 
possession of what ought to be a lawn, and overgrown 
all the grass." lie has tried hand weeding, but finds it 
slow and costly, and adds: "Nothing gives a home a more 
neglected appearance than their broad array of leaves, 
surmounted by thousands of seedy spikes, ready to dispute 
in the future every inch of ground." Hand weeding is 
the only remedy. If done when the plants are young it 
is not -omueliof a job. The lawn never should be SO long 
without mowing as to allow any broad leaves or spikes 
1 nol i" in- had without labor. 
Succotash. — This dish is popular wherever 
It baa been Introduced. To inako It of the bc«t quality, 
sweet corn should be used. To a dozen green ears, cut 
or scraped, add a quart of shelled Lima beans. Boil an 
hour. Season with sweet cream or butter, salt, pepper, 
a little- nutmeg, and a table-spoonful of refined sugar. If 
the Lima beans are not. to be had, Marrowfats or White 
Kidneys are a tolerable substitute. Lima beans can be 
dried green for this dish, and they are much better than 
those fully ripened. If suee.it ash is mads of dry materials 
in winter, more cream and sugar should be added. 
• " \iu'tit-l»loc»minj£' Cerens." — "J. S. 
B.," Ligonia, Pa. The flower sent is not tie- (tight- 
blooming Ci-leils, C> i<"* '/n'inlijh.i u^. It was ill such a 
state of decay, that no satisfactory examination could be 
made, bnt from the description of the plant it. is more 
like the Permian Cerens ( C. Ptnni'iivo), and it may be 
that spocies. The burs you speak of are young branches. 
Coloring- Carpet Warp. — A corre- 
spondent wishes to know the best way to color carpet 
warp of a tan color. Who will tell him ? 
Insects on Cherry ami Pear Trees. 
— " G. G.," Egg Harbor City. N. J. The caterpillar is 
that of one of the Hag-moths, and was figured in October, 
1864. It belongs to the genus LimacG'les, so named from 
the slug-like movements of the larvee " C. M. B.," 
New Britain, Conn., sends another caterpillar, allied to 
the above, from a pear tree. We have never known them 
nuiiierims enough to be troublesome. 
Pears bracking.-" L. L.," Portsmouth, 
N. II. We cannot tell you why pears crack. Some varie- 
ties will do it, and the best way is to grafl the trees over 
with some sort known to succeed. The Flemish Beauty, 
which gives yon so much trouble, is generally anything 
but a "beauty" in localities near the coast. 
Horseradish Grater.- Geo. A. McCoy: 
Mio date.) You will find a revolving grater, such as is 
used in the New York markets, figured in April, ls'17. 
We cannot answer the question about conservatory, with- 
out knowing more definitely what is required. 
Parasite on lVnrscry Stock. — "E. B. 
G.," Dansville, N. Y. The vine on the pear stocks i- a 
Dodder, or Cuscuta, too Immature to determine. Please 
send another specimen iu a paper box. 
Kaskct Worms. — A number of corre- 
spondents have sent the leafy cases of the Basket or Drop- 
worm, which belong to the genus Oiketicto. The female 
does not leave the nest, but dies there alter depositing her 
eggs. The only remedy is hand picking. 
W r orms in Pots.— "Mrs. W. G. B.," Fori. 
Howard, Wis. We never knew lime water, propi 1 
to hurt any plaut. The water should in- perfectly clear- 
not milky or cloudy— when applied. Another way of 
getting rid of the worms is just before repotting the 
plants to allow the earth to get rather dry. The worms 
will congregate for the sake of mutual moisture, and will 
usually be found all together in a ball. 
Apple Trees Dying— J. Inger, Iowa, 
has decaying apple trees.— Insects, heat. cold, old age, 
overbearing, unsuitable soil, and external injury, are 
among the causes of decay in apple trees. The dead 
limbs should be removed at once. Scrape the bark and 
apply strong soapsuds to destroy insects. Cultivate the 
ground to give them a new start, top-dressing with lime. 
Whitening? W r ool on Sheep-slfins. 
— Several subscribers wish to know how to whiten the 
wool oil tanned pelts. Who will tell ! 
Copperas in fhe Garden. — " 0. W." 
Sulphate of Iron is sometimes used in solution to destroy 
slugs and other pests. It has seen recotc 
application to diseased pear tree-, but « - tin. 
dence of its utility. It is useful as a deodorizer. 
Coal Tar. — " O. W." This cannot be ranked 
am«]g the fertilizers, and will not make a soap with potash. 
Steamed Food for Cows.—" I- P. D.," 
Lanetngburg, X. Y. It is pretty well settled thai 
ing flsy food for cows pays milkmen very well. A Massa- 
chns its fanner gives his opinion, as lie- result of five 
years' experience, that lie can winter his cows on si. amed 
feed for one-third less expense than on dry feed, and get 
one-fourth more milk. Whether it will paya farmer who 
keep- his cows dry in the winter to steam hay and meal 
it another question. But Is it necessary to keep cows dry f 
