104r 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
for if this vegetable will net these profits per 
acre in the latitude of New York, that from 
Southern growers, if equally well cultivated, and 
thrown into our Northern markets three or four 
weeks earlier, must yield very large returns. 
We have any quantity of annual vegetables from 
Southern States, such as cabbage, rad- 
ishes, onions, lettuce, cucumbers, and 
tomatoes, but we rarely see a bunch of 
Southern rhubarb or asparagus. Besides, 
as these two articles mature their crop 
in early spring, the low temperature at 
that season ensures their safe shipment, 
even if delayed a week in the transit 
to our Northern markets. The loss in 
tomatoes, cucumbers, and such articles 
as become marketable in summer, is 
often great, from the high temperature 
at the time of shipment. Most vege- 
tables and fruits would come in better 
order if they remained in the package 
8 days in au average temperature of 50 
degrees, than if kept for 3 days in a 
temperature of 90 degrees. Hence those 
fruits and vegetables maturing at a low 
temperature are best fitted to be grown 
at the South for Northern markets. 
Snails, Worms, and Caterpillars. 
If the reader of the heading looks 
for an article upon some pests of the 
garden, he will be disappointed, as we 
have reference to the snails, worms, 
and caterpillars, that are cultivated. On 
other occasions, we have mentioned 
striking instances in which animals re- 
sembled plants, and have illustrated 
plants which imitated animals. Some 
of the seed-pods of the Pea Family 
bear so striking a likeness to snails, 
caterpillars, and worms, that at first 
sight they may be readily mistaken 
for those animals. The French culti- 
vate a number of plants which are not used so 
much for food as for garnishing or ornamenting 
dishes, and in their later works we find included 
those which furnish pods resembling disagreea- 
ble animals we have named. Their use — if it 
may be called one — is to place upon salads, to 
surprise those who are at the table. As one of 
their authors says, "If the surprise is an inno- 
cent one, it is certainly not agreeable." As the 
seeds are now offered by some of our dealers, 
pod of which looks much like a hairy cater- 
pillar coiled upon itself. In fig. 3 (on preceding 
page) we have the Vegetable "Worms, the fruit of 
Astragalus hamosus. In the figures, a single 
fruit is given of the natural size, and a reduced 
branch of each, showing the habit of the plant. 
■VEGETABLE SNAIL. 
we give figures of the plants, with the remark 
that they require no special culture. The 
Vegetable Snail, fig. 1, is ifedicago orbicularis. 
Its remarkably twisted pod bears a strong re- 
semblance to a snail shell. The Vegetable 
Caterpillar, fig. 2, is Scorpiurus vermiculata, the 
THE MARSH MARIGOLD. — (Caltha palusttis.) 
Spring Greens— The Marsh Marigold. 
A list of all the different plants used as 
"greens" would be a curious one, as it would in- 
clude members of widely differing families; 
some neutral, as far as we know, and some 
more or less active, but all agreeing in that 
their leaves and young shoots are tender and 
not unpalatable. Every now and then we hear 
of some newly introduced plant, or some old 
one, which we have grown for other purposes, 
suggested as a suitable candidate for the pot. 
Even the leaves of the ornamental Ice-plant 
and Madeira vine have been made, by some, to 
serve their turn upon the table. Among our 
indigenous plants used as greens, none is so 
generally employed — at least in the Eastern 
States — as the Marsh Marigold, (Caltha palus- 
tris), perhaps for the reason that in its localities 
it grows abundantly, and is readily gathered. 
In April and May, the wet meadows and the 
margins of brooks are made gay by the golden 
buds and flowers of this plant. The leaves are 
round-heart-shaped, and of a rich green. The 
flowers, as represented in the engraving, look 
much like large Buttercups ; indeed, the plant 
belongs in the same family with the Buttercup 
or Crow-foot. The leaves and tender stems are 
gathered at or just before flowering time. The 
plant, when fresh, is considerably acrid, but 
this quality is removed by cooking. In most 
localities the plant is known as " Cowslips." It 
is unfortunate that the early settlers should have 
applied this name, as the plant has neither re- 
semblance to, nor relationship with, the Cow- 
slip. It is a native of England also, and there 
it has for hundreds of years been called Marsh 
Marigold, although it is not a Marigold. 
■ -•-« — aO=— »-Oi 
Winter Pears.— F. R. Elliott writes:— I 
regard the neglect to plant and grow more of 
the winter varieties of pears as a decided 
error on the part of fruit-growers. It 
is true, it requires a modicum of know- "- 
ledge relative to ripening them, over 
and above that demanded by autumn 
varieties ; but whoever expects to realize 
paying returns from any business, must 
understand that business, make it his 
business, and attend to the business, to 
which rule fruit-growing is no excep- 
tion. These remarks are suggested by 
looking over a basket of winter sorts 
of pears just received from Ellwanger 
& Barry, of Rochester, in which i 
Josephine de Malines, Doyenne dAlen- 
gon, and Beurre d'Aremberg, stand 
prominent for size and quality. Ob- 
jections are sometimes made by grow- 
ers to these and some other superior 
winter pears, on account of the slow 
growth of tree. Experience proves 
that such objections, when well under- 
stood, are strictly commendations of 
the variety, as it has been long known 
by careful observing horticulturists, and 
recently advocated in Western meet- ' 
ings, that a moderate and slow growth 
while j'oung, and not too early coming 
to bearing maturity, are indications of 
longevity and health in the tree. 
Columbia, Beurre Duhaume, Beurr6 
Langlier, and others, are as good grow- 
ers and bearers as market men could 
wish; but in quality, the fruit for 
table use will not rank above " good." 
[Upon reading the foregoing, we 
were reminded to look after some 
Duchesse de Bordeaux sent last fall by 
Dr. J. S. Houghton, of Philadelphia. Though 
they were slightly shriveled when put away, 
from having been exposed at an exhibition, they 
proved to be of most excellent quality. — Ed.] 
Coal Ashes for Fruit Trees. — Several 
have asked whether coal ashes are valuable as 
an application to fruit trees, and as in various 
places we have seen small heaps of the ashes 
Fig. 2. — VEGETABLE CATERPILLAR. 
piled against the trunks, we suppose there is an 
impression that they possess some particular 
value. Whatever benefit they may be, is due to 
the small amount of wood ash they contain, 
which will of course vary with the quantity of 
wood or charcoal which is used in kindling. 
/ 
