182 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Mat, 
When the pistils are absent, making a truly 
staminate flower, of course no fruit is borne, 
and the plants are perfectly useless. Tliey have 
been recommended for fertilizing the pistillate 
ones, but as this office can be as well performed 
by the perfect flowers — which produce enough 
pollen for their own pistils and to spare, it is 
a mere waste of ground to employ them. The 
term "staminate" is often applied to perfect 
flowers ; it belongs to those only bearing stamens. 
The Spring Adonis.— {Adonis vemalis.) 
The names of many of our cultivated plants 
— if we trace them to their origin — take us back 
to the days- of mythological fables, when gods 
and goddesses had the uncomfortable power of 
transforming mortals into beasts and flowers. 
The Adonis is said to be so called in memory 
of the young man beloved of Venus, and to 
have sprung either from his blood, or from the 
SFRKG adonis — {Adonis vernalis.) 
tears shed by the goddess at his death. "Which 
is the true story of its origin, it is too late at this 
day to settle, but whether it was blood or salt 
water, we would like to see the plant itself 
oftener than we do. "We only meet it in those 
gardens where good old things, that have been 
grown by lovers of flowers for centuries — and 
ought to be prized on that very account — have 
not been thrown aside for modern introductions. 
"We like the new things too, but don't believe in 
discarding old friends to make place for them. 
This Adonis is a hardy perennial, and comes 
in bloom with the flowers of May. Its stems 
are about a foot in hight, and clothed with deli- 
cate and finely cut foliage. Each branch is 
terminated by a large yellow flowor, the petals 
of which are marked with greenish lines. The 
plant belongs to the same family with the But- 
tercups, Pseony, etc. — the Ranunculus or Crow- 
foot Family. In looking over the catalogues to 
see if the seeds -were generally kept by seeds- 
men, we were surprised to find it only in that 
of Jas. Vick of Rochester. Being a perennial, 
it will not flower the first year from seed, but 
after that it is easily managed, it being only 
necessary to divide the clumps when they get 
too large. There are some annual species that 
are worth cultivating. One of them, Adonis 
autumnalis, blooms in autumn, with a small 
dark red and purple flower and fine foliage. 
It has the popular name of Pheasant's-eye. 
Tree Doctoring and our " Doctrine." 
Just now we have "no end" of circulars of 
" Patent Tree Invigorators," " Apple worm An- 
nihilators " and the like, with many letters of 
inquiry. These tree medicines divide them- 
selves into two classes, those that are put into 
the tree and those that are put on the ditto. 
The internal remedies proposed to drive away 
worms are sulphur and calomel. A hole is to 
be bored into the tree, the stuff introduced and 
the hole plugged up. Some ask us if the use 
of these materials will hurt the tree. Probably 
no more than if the hole had been entirely 
filled by a nicely fitting plug — as both are very 
insoluble — and the amount of benefit would 
in either case probably be about the same. 
The external remedies are more numerous, 
and are generally "patent" preparations. If 
there is anything too stupid to get a patent we 
should like to see it. What principle governs 
the issuing of patents we are at loss to discover 
— except it be a general desire to get the fees, 
and be rid of bores. In the circulars before us, 
one proposes to "treat", the trees to rid them 
of worms, and will send the article for a con- 
sideration. Another not only kills the borer, 
but his medicine contributes to the growth of 
the tree, and so on. Now on general principles 
we don't believe that there is any specific virtue 
in them. The whole secret of their success lies 
in the fact that one who has invested money in 
them will look after his trees — while if wc tell 
him month after month to use soft soap wash 
and other simple remedies, he will not think it 
worth while. There is nothing like a few dol- 
lars, to wake up some people. We copied last 
January a communication from the Country 
Gentlemen, of Mr. Wisner, who had used Mr. 
Sheldon's composition to the injury of his trees. 
Mr. Sheldon writes that Mr. Wisner admits to 
have made the composition with the wrong in- 
gredients, and we give him the benefit of this 
statement. With our present information, " cer- 
tificates of well known persons" included, we 
can see nothing to induce us to recommend any 
of these patented or secret things whatever. 
Our doctrine is constant attention. If one loves 
his trees and looks after them, he will not need 
any " annihilator," or " invigorator." Give a 
soft soap wasli in the spring, probe and kill all 
the borers that are in the tree, and keep others 
from entering by placing some mechanical 
obstruction around the trunk in July, either 
stiff paper, a mound of earth, or whatever will 
keep the insects away. If canker w T orms are in 
the vicinity, then something must be used to 
prevent their ascent, — see March Agriculturist. 
Tent caterpillars are ..easily kept down by de- 
struction of eggs and nests — it is only lazy 
people who suffer. If a tree "invigorator" be 
needed, just try what virtue there is in manure. 
Cultivating Orchards. 
Apple orchards left to themselves bear only 
on alternate years, with such uniformity;' that 
" bearing years " have come to be regarded as 
the order of nature, rather than a human device. 
The trees, in average soil, do not have aliment 
enough to give full crops every year. Cultiva- 
tion and manuring will change all this, and give 
us remunerative crops every season. Possibly 
manuring might do this even if the orchard were 
left in grass. But the danger is, if the orchard 
is left unplowed, it will not get the manure. 
The common objection offered to plowing is 
the damage done to the roots of the trees. We 
have no doubt that an orchard might be plowed 
so deep and so near the trunk of the trees as to 
damage it past hope of recovery. But discretion 
is to be used, and the plow is to be kept so near 
the surface under the trees, as not to break off 
the large roots. It has also been ascertained 
that grain crops are not good for orchards. We 
have known orchards to be made barren for 
several years in consequence of a crop of rye. 
Grain crops, unless buckwheat be an exception, 
take from the soil what the tree needs, and shade 
the land too much. Root crops are the most 
desirable, because they require a good deal of 
manure and thorough tillage to make them prof- 
itable. The frequent stirring of the soil, and 
the fertilizers, are the wants of the apple tree, 
and the root crop enables the farmer to give 
these to his orchard, and at the same time 
he is remunerated for his labor. 
Potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, are all good 
crops for the orchard, if you put on manure 
enough to make them pay. A surplus must be 
left in the soil to make the apple crop. But will 
an orchard thus fed bear every year ? We have 
no doubt of it. The apple crop may be made 
as sure as the root crops. We once plowed up 
beneath an old apple tree that had an inveterate 
habit of bearing only every other year, and 
planted with potatoes, manuring liberally. We 
had a full crop of apples the second year, and 
shall always think the manure and the cultiva- 
tion made the change. Horticulturists who make 
a specialty of apples, and manure every year, 
succeed in getting crops every season, with very 
rare exceptions. David Lyman, Esq., of Middle- 
field, Conn., stated, at a recent meeting of the 
State Board of Agriculture, that he cultivated 
his orchards, and got crops every year. They 
were not always full crops, but were enough to 
pay for the trouble. Judging from the appear- 
ance of his orchards, which we visited a few 
years since in the apple season, we think that a 
very modest statement. We have rarely seen so 
fine a show of apples, even at the county fairs, 
as could have been gathered from his trees. 
The secret of his success is cultivation and 
manure, and a reasonable watch against the 
encroachments of insects. The plowing late in 
the fall as well as in the spring, he thinks a 
great safeguard against their depredations. Mul- 
titudes of the chrysalides are unearthed and 
destroyed. If this was attendedto, and the wind- 
falls picked up and fed to the pigs, we think 
there would be little damage from the attacks of 
insects. The apple is so fine a fruit, and so 
easily kept, it is so much both food and lux- 
ury, that no pains should be spared to keep 
our orchards in the best condition. We are tired 
of seeing apples quoted at $7 a barrel, but even 
at that price they are much cheaper than pills. 
Sweet Herbs. — Those who like seasoning 
should not forget these little matters in " making 
