1864] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Q01 
manual "< [raining, and will vary from four to olght foot. 
ei la may bo washed oul as toon aalhe grapoaaro ripe, 
ami mixed witii sand ami kepi In a cool cellar, <m burled 
in tin' open ground until api "i thi grapes ma} be al« 
lowed lo drj and separate theaeeda in spring. Sow In 
i lolis. 'i i In drills as early aa the soil .-an in- worked, ami 
shade young plants from the hot sun. H is in litis way 
that now varieties an- oblalued. Foi details see Fullor's 
Grape Culturlsl .. .."Diana In Despair," Ainber, N. Y. 
The peoullarrnt In which ti"' Dlnns is subjool is nofcweU 
understood, in some looalltle: ii Is Impossible to ripen 
the fruit n lias been stated that the rot in the Catawba 
is (i,,,. lo free i Hie roots, nn<! that a heavy mulch over 
them during the winter win proven! ii. H might be triad 
with the Diana ...C. M. Eaat, Smithfleld, Pa.: the en- 
olosad leaf looks like Ihe work of Procris Amtriama, 
Dusting with slaked lime while the daw Is on, or If nu- 
merous, to out Ihe leaves off and burn them, arc Ihe 
proposed remedies, we can not say how successful. 
Note* and 4fcti«'i-i«'s ojt S t raw OCT- 
rles.— C. H. Wheeler, New lam. Inn Co., Conn., wishes 
to know how in preserve strawberries for exhibition in 
autumn. Weak alcohol would perhaps do, or salt ami 
water. It will bo difficult to prevent shrinking — Mrs. 
D. Qnrrlgues, Walerbury, Conn, There is no harm 
done by strawberries " mixing," unless you wish to sow 
Ihe seeds. Of course the runners of different sorts should 
not get entangled, as this will lead to mistakes. Three 
or four feet between different sorts will give room enough, 
and if any runners are disposed to go beyond bounds, 
they can lit- turned In and made to root where they arc 
wanted L. Church, Plymouth Co., Mass. It is not 
unusual in vigorous plants for runners to branch in the 
manner you describe. 
L-cltillg". — Thomas Morgan, 
forwards a drawing of a curious 
1 
' "^^^^^^¥^%^ 
Natural fins' 
of Stamford, Conn, 
growth found on an 
old apple tree, which 
we have had engrav- 
ed. A limb connects 
two of the larger 
branches of the tree, 
and the union is so 
complete, and the 
cross-piece so nearly 
of a size at boih nuts, 
as to render it diffi- 
cult to say from 
which branch Ihe 
piece originated. Wc 
have seen a number -^ 
of cases of this pa- ^ 
tural inarching, but -3 
none so large and-^ 
striking as the ore 
figured. Limbs which 
cross one another, will, when moved by the wind, 
chafe st" as to expose the inner bark of each. A still 
time following, gives the parts a chance to unite, and 
thus produce naturally what the gardener often finds it 
to his advantage to do artificially. 
Apples for Wisconsin.— G. J. Kellogg, 
of Belle Cottage Nursery* Janesville, Wis., gives the 
following as his selection of varieties for that Stale : Red 
Astrachan, C.R.June, Keswick Codlin, Wrn. Favorite, 
Dutchess of Oldenburg, St. Lawrence, Fall Queen, Fall 
Stripe Lowell. Snow. Talman Sweet, Yellow Beilflower, 
English Golden Rus, Barrett Rus, Putnam Rus, Willow 
Twig, Jonathan, Raule's Janet, Winter Wine Sap, Red 
Romanite and the Siberian crabs, Hislop, Golden Beauty 
and Large Red. These have passed our severe winters 
uninjured, while most other varieties have not stood the 
effects of the sun and frost of our changing February 
and March weather. 
Preventing^ the Onasooa Grub. — C. II., 
Strafford Co., N. H., states that he finds that pine saw- 
dust prevents the attack of the grub. He has succeeded 
with it for two years and has witnessed its good effects 
in ihe gardens of others. About a half bushel of pine 
sawdust to the square rod is strewn over the bed just 
before the plants come up. Sawdust which has been 
used for bedding in stables answers well. Mr. H. sup- 
poses that the resinous matter of the pine is disagreeable 
to the fly that produces the grub. It can hardly be that 
n lusl acts merely as an obstruction to the opera- 
tions of the fly. as the quantity used is too small for that. 
Sometime ago a secret grub-destroying process was sold. 
Sawdust was put upon Ihe beds and it was then watered 
with diluted gas-liquor. It would appear from Mr.H.'s 
experiments that the efficacy lies in the sawdust. He 
also tried the same thinz on radishes, and had them free 
from grubs, while before he was never able to raise 
them. Make a note to try this simple remedy, ff it suc- 
ceeds as well na it si i mi lo have dona with him, Mr. 
H. will have the gratitude; of the gardening community. 
Chinese Rose Colored Winter ica<i 
InIi.— There an: several varieties 
of winter radish which keep like 
a turnip and have the genuine 
radish flavor. The general fault 
with these Is the tough quality of 
the flesh. This Chinese variety la 
a great Improvement upon the old 
white and black soils, as It Is 
crisp and tender, though a little 
firmer than early radishes. The 
color is brilliant rose, with lighter 
streaks, and its .shape, which is 
shown In the figure, is odd and 
peculiarly Chinese. The leaf-slcms 
are marked with rose color. They 
are grown like other radishes and 
preserved for winter use in sand, 
The specimens average about 5 
inches long, and two inches in 
their largest diameter. In favor- 
able localities they may be sown 
the first of this month, though It 
is tather late, especially in far northern localities. 
Worms oh Gooseberry and Currant 
Buslie*.— In the last Agriculturist. Mr. S. Edwards 
Todd's successful use of the powder of White Hellebore 
to repel currant worms was noticed. We now find in the 
London Florist and Pomologist that the same thing is 
applied in a different way. One ounce of powdered Hel- 
lebore and two ounces of powdered alum are stirred with 
a small quantity of water until the alum is dissolved and 
the powder of Hellebore thoroughly wetted and mixed. 
The whole is then put into a gallon of water and thrown 
upon the plants by means of a syringe or watering pot. 
It is said that this is superior to the use of the Hellebore 
in a dry state, and that the alum causes it to adhere to the 
leaves. Make a note to try this. 
To clean Tomato ana Ciienmber 
Seeds, and others having a pulp attached. " G. R. B.," 
of Missouri, holds that every one benefitted by the Agri 
culturist should contribute his mite for the benefit of 
others, and sends the following : "Put the seeds, pulp and 
all, just as they come from the vegetable, into a bowl, 
cup or other earthen-ware dish, and set them in a cool 
place for a week or ten days, when a thick mould will 
appear on top and a thin watery substance beneath the 
mould. Then pour water into the vessel, stir up the con- 
tents, and the mould and other impurities can be poured 
off, and the seeds will be found perfectly clean and free 
from pulp." Having tried this two years the writer knows 
it does not injure the germinating properties of the seeds, 
and is the easiest way to remove the pulp. 
Insects to he Named.— J. E. Breed, TVau- 
pacca Co., Wise, and Sidney Squire of the same State, 
send Micropus leucopterus, the Chinch Bug, one of the 
most inveterate enemies of the cultivator. It attacks 
all kinds of small grain, and when that is out of the way 
it goes to the Indian corn. It flourishes best in hot and 
dry weather ; a heavy shower will de- 
stroy them. There has been no prac- 
ticable method proposed for killing 
them J. Hays. Jr., Washington 
Co., Pa., under the name of "potato 
bugs," sends Lytta Fabricii, the size 
and shape of which are shown in the 
figure. This and two or three other 
species much like the one figured, 
are often very destructive, not only to 
potatoes, but to almost all garden vegetables. We have 
found iliem very fond of beets and spinach, which they 
actually covered. Shaking them off into a pan of water, 
and sweeping the plants with a muslin scoop net, are the 
only remedies we have seen proposed. 
Plants lor I\aines.— E. Breed, Waupacca 
Co., Mich., sends the Sweet Fern, Comptonia asplenifo- 
lia. It does not belong to the ferns, but probably re- 
ceived its popular name from the fact that its leaves re- 
semble the divisions of the frond of some ferns. It is a 
small shrub, from one to two feet high, and grows in sandy 
places from Maine to Georgia. Its leaves have a very 
spicy odor and are used by boys to make imitation cigars, 
and by older people as a remedy for dysentery. It grows 
readily from seed and has been recommended as a nurse 
plant to shade young hickory trees G. B. Pettengill, 
Hancock Co., Me. : The seed is that of the Wild Balsam 
apple, Echinocystis lobata. It belongs to the same family 
as the gourd, cucumber, etc., is a native plant, which is 
sometimes grown as an ornamental climber, and occa- 
sionally is troublesome In Ion ground*. ■ G. \v. ii ■,< 
man, New Vork City, In- left wltfi \li the GIobB Ti, 
Echinopi wphaeroctphalu*! an ol i ihlstle-Uke ornamentai 
plant, with a globular head «»[ very fragrant lavender-col- 
ored flowi rt, . B, <;. \. . i Co., Him ] di 
specimen is Doddei . i OronovU. it li a pa i It 
which gormlnatei In the wound and soon attai I i ■ II ■ It 
toother plants, from w hi o. it draw lu nourishment 
lower portion of the Men ■ ■ - tway. One spa 
lives upon flax which It 81 
a. Fulton, Logan Co., 0., ' sAsclepUu tubero$a, the 
Butterfly-weed or iMeuri-y-*'*V it is not very rare and 
makes a very showy plant l*Mie garden Mrs, Lee. 
Peoria Co., ill. The plant l question is the Trailing 
Arbutus or May Flower. \V< never have seen it in cul 
tivatlon though doubtless it might be, if it.- natural Iocs 
lions were Imitated. It would probably require the I <■ 
of an experienced gardener to raise It from seed , . EL P. 
Handy, Rldgeway (no State) sends Viburnum I ant ana idea, 
the Hobble-bush. It is closely related to the Cranberry 
Tree figured in July ...M. R. A. Elliot, Me: The plant 
is Epilntittm nngustifolium or Great Willow-herb. Very 
common in oloarlngs. Diccntra belongs to the Fumitory 
family — L. N. Ganneau, Isle Vert, Canada, sends what 
is appaiantly an undeveloped specimen of Spiraea talici- 
folia, or Meadow-sweet. 
Straw Kope Twister.— A Scotch friend 
after reading the article on page 'J, (current vol.) about 
various uses of straw, sent 
the accompanying drawing, 
and writes: "The above is 
a rough sketch of a '■ Thraw 
cruik ", or implemeni to 
twist straw ropes, which the 
farmers of Scotland. In my 
younger days (some fifty 
years ago) used to improvise 
at the fireside of a winter evening. Its great simplicity 
is the only advantage it has over the implement depict- 
ed in your January number. The proportions of the 
wood essential to symmetry I can not give to an eighth 
of an inch.** This simple crank is certainly superior to 
the straight stick with a hook, in common use. 
The White Dftaisy t'w Hay.— A "Two 
years Subscriber" writes to the American Agriculturist, 
though not advocating the use of such hay, that cattle 
will thrive as well on a less quantity of "white" daisy hay 
than of any other. It should be cut In full bloom. No 
doubt many a daisy patch is neglected and suffered to 
ripen its seed and scatter it, from which several hun- 
dred-weight pf good' fodder might be secured. 
a Peruvian WTieat."— E. Kalb, writes 
from Fairfield Co., O., that H. B. By man, Justice for his 
township, handed him twenty-one heads of wheat the 
product of one seed, and adds: "I shelled the grains 
and counted fourteen hundred and twenty two (1422) sol- 
id grains. Can any one beat it ? The Squire's veracity 
is unimpeachable. The wheat is called Peruvian." 
Barley tor Horses,— The idea that bar- 
ley is Injurious to horses, giving them tender feet, arises 
from prejudice. We hold barley in high esteem for horse 
feed, but oats are usually more economical, and seem 
to be peculiarly adapted to this use.— It is held by some 
that feeding corn or anygrain but oats, gives more or less 
tendency to scratches, unless special care be taken, and 
the animals have a reasonable variety and have salt con- 
stantly before them. There may be foundation for this, 
as we know certain kinds of diet affect the secretions and 
certain cutaneous diseases. 
Don't buy a Lawsuit, nor Will one 
to yonr Heirs.— " R. M. H.," of Rensselaer Co., 
N. Y., writes thus sensibly to the American Agriculturist: 
"Recent surveys sometimes overrun those made fifty 
years ago, and this induces farmers to take deeds depend- 
ing upon old surveys when buying land, thus causing 
almost endless litigation and disputes about boundaries 
between neighbors. If the buyer believes a new survey 
will compel him to pay for more land, an agreement 
should be made to adopt the area of the old survey, but 
with new courses and distances, in conformity with the 
undisputed corners and lines. The variation of the 
needle in the Surveyor's compass is so great, and the 
carelessness of farmers in keeping their ccrr.crs marked, 
so remarkable, that the surveyor has a very difficult and 
delicate duty to discharge when deciding boundaries 
according to old deeds and surveys. Buyers of land 
should not buy old disputes with it. Therefore have it 
surveyed, go over the lines with the lurveyor and the 
seller, and when bought set substantia* hewn stone mon- 
