1879 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
509 
Cedars—the natural growth of a century more or 
Jess, will long be remembered by tree-growers. 
That winter was preceded by an autumn much like 
the present, at least iu the absence of rain. Winter 
set in with the soil as dry as at the end of an Au¬ 
gust drouth ; the winter, though a severe one, was 
not colder than many another winter that was not 
especially disastrous, but at the end of this particu¬ 
lar winter, what havoc ! Lawns and plantations 
filled with the killed and wounded showed the 
severity of the battle ; not only recent recruits, but 
veterans that had survived many a campaign, were 
either dead or placed beyond all future useful 
service, and many a tree-lover committed his favor¬ 
ites to the smoking funeral pyre with a heavy 
heart, an involuntary disciple of cremation. 
What Caused this Destruction P 
The severity of the winter, great as it was, would 
not account for it, for the same trees, when much 
younger and less able to do so, had survived win¬ 
ters quite as severe. The reason was to be found 
in the unusual dryness of the soil. It is a common 
saying with old and w'eather-wise persons, when 
there comes an early cold spell: “ Winter hasn't 
set in, because the springs ain’t filled up.” In gen¬ 
era], there are copious fall rains iu preparation for 
winter. In the winter referred to, evaporation went 
on as usual; the drying winds took up the mois¬ 
ture from the foliage of the evergreens ; this drew 
upon the moisture in the twigs, branches, and 
trunk; then the roots were called upon for a sup¬ 
ply ; the roots drew upon the soil for moisture, the 
draft was not honored—“no funds,” was the re¬ 
turn. The soil was as a dust heap, it could not help 
the trees, and they perished—absolutely dried to 
death, as much as if they had bee_n dug up in Au¬ 
gust. and left to dry in the mid-summer sun. This 
is the whole story of that memorably disastrous 
winter. As we w'rite, late in October, it would 
eeem that another such winter is imminent. 
What Can be Done 
to prevent or avoid similar disasters ? On a large 
scale I fear very little ; with individual trees and 
choice specimens, much. A gentleman of my ac¬ 
quaintance, a most enthusiastic tree-planter, has 
recently received from Europe many choice ever¬ 
greens—among them a single specimen that cost 20 
guineas. Had I such trees, or any others that I 
especially wished to secure against impending dan¬ 
ger, whether newly planted or long and well estab¬ 
lished, I should, as the only resource, mulch quite 
heavily. I should mulch, if for no other reason, for 
the sake of feeling, should disaster come, the dead 
and sapless bodies could not reproach me with: 
“ it might have been.” My reason for proposing to 
Heavily Mulch, the Evergreens 
is this. If the surface of the ground gets frozen 
before there is any considerable fall of rain, the 
rains, when they do come, will fail to soak in, and 
of course do no good. If the surface around the 
trees is well mulched, all beneath the covering will 
for a long time be kept from freezing, and all the 
rain will be taken up by the soil. I doubt not to 
the saving of the tree_An autumn like the pres¬ 
ent in freedom from all hard frosts is grand for all 
Late-Blooming- Plants. 
Rarely have Chrysanthemums made such a show , 
the Cannas, usually nipped very early in their 
career, have given an idea of how they behave in 
subtropical gardens, and so with Geraniums and 
many others... .Several years ago I asked my 
friend, Josiah Hoopes (H. Bro. & Thomas, West¬ 
chester, Pa.), which he regarded as the very best 
single ornamental shrub ; he promptly answered, 
Hydrangea Panieulata Grandiflora. 
I have ever since been trying to propose a better, 
but I do not know another shrub with so many 
elements of popularity as this. Hardy, showy, a 
long while iu flower, and easily propagated, this 
Large-flowered Japanese Hydrangea is a most capi¬ 
tal thing, and never has it been finer than this fall. 
In ordinary seasons the frost catches it just as the 
flowers are making the transition from their pure 
white to rose-color, and gives them a brownish 
tinge, but this time the change was complete. I 
saw at Ellwanger & Barry’s, in Rochester, an enor¬ 
mous mass of these shrubs, 20 or more feet across, 
all in full flower; as it stood isolated upon a per¬ 
fect lawn, it was worth a long journey to see. 
Apropos of this plaut: it is not generally pruned 
sufficiently. It is most manageable, and we can 
have a much-branched shrub, covered with a pro¬ 
fusion of medium-sized clusters, or a fetv branches, 
each terminated by a panicle so large that stakes 
are needed to support it—it is all a question of cut¬ 
ting... .Among other plants that appear to have 
enjoyed the prolonged autumn is 
The Japanese Eulalia, 
the tall and lovely grass, called Eulalia Japonica va- 
riegata iu the catalogues. This blooms so late that 
the panicles often have their development arrested 
by frost, but this time they have shown what they 
can do if let alone. Our circular clump, 10 feet or 
so across, is a dense mass of the pale variegated fo¬ 
liage, and 6 or 8 feet high, above which the feath¬ 
ery panicles, at first dark-purplish and then light- 
gray, wave their spray-like branches in pleasing con¬ 
trast, making the mass most attractive to passers by. 
The Fruiting- of Akebia 
was announced some two years ago as having oc¬ 
curred in Delaware, for the first time in the coun¬ 
try ; though the American Agriculturist 
had figured the fruit produced at Morrisa- 
nia, N. Y., in 1869. I have a vine now 10 
years planted, which has given an abun¬ 
dance of its exquisitely fragrant flowers 
each spring, and this year it fruited. The 
statement, left as it is, is true, but W'e are 
expected to tell the whole truth, and that 
requires me to say that there was just one 
fruit —a sample as it were—this being ap¬ 
proved, we have hope of more hereafter. 
1 drop a note here to say to those who 
wish to plant a neat, pleasing, almost ever¬ 
green vine—try the Japanese Akebia_ 
We might expect as a result of this au¬ 
tumn weather, an unusual amount of 
Beauty of Autumn Foliage, 
but in this part of the country the autumn 
colors are, for the most part, much less 
brilliant than usual, or quite wanting, 
though correspondents inform me that the 
Alleganies are gorgeous “ beyond com¬ 
pare.” I attribute the general dullness 
of the trees here, to their drying up be¬ 
fore they get fully ripe ; the fact that ex¬ 
ceptional plants, in favored places, are 
as bright as possible, gives support to this view. 
I sometime ago suggested that in the planting, 
autumn effects might be provided for, and the 
colors of trees in the fall might be considered 
as well as their form and expression. In this I had 
large places in view. The past autumn I have more 
than ever before, noticed the colors of shrubs at 
this season, and I am convinced that groups of 
these may be planted, even iu small places, with a 
view to their appearance when in the “ full merid¬ 
ian of their glory.”—In combination with these 
shrubs, those with brilliant berries might be used— 
or perhaps it would be better to make distinct 
clumps of these, as the effect of the berries would 
be lost amongst so much high color....For some 
few years we have had a shrub in our grounds, 
Osbeck’s Sumach, 
that has pleased, me much, by its generally robust 
aspect, and the healthy vigor of its dark, thick 
leaves. The plant is a native of Japan, and has been 
called, in some European continental gardens, Rhus 
Japonica. I came across it several years ago at 
Ellwanger & Barry’s. Its leaves resemble those of 
our native Dwarf Sumach (R. copallina ), in having 
the common petiole winged between the leaflets, 
but are much larger and without the shining sur¬ 
face of the other. Prof. Sargent informs me that 
it flowered with him this year, and that it is still 
more attractive in bloom. 
But its Autumn Leaves ! 
It takes on yellow, orange, and scarlet, which are 
blended into every intermediate shade, and all with 
a brilliancy and richness of color that, should I use 
adjectives to adequately describe it, I should seem 
extravagant, while the printer would use up all 
his exclamation points and get “ out of sorts.” 
THIS H©TOK!H!©]Llo 
I2T For other Household Items see “ Basket ” pages. 
Ferns in Room Culture. 
As the majority of ferns which thirve so beauti¬ 
fully iu the atmosphere of the greenhouse, and 
fernery, soon perish in the dry air of the dwelling- 
room, many think it is not possible to grow ferns in 
rooms, except in a Wardian case, or fernery. This 
is a mistake. Ferns arc so varied in their natural 
localities, that it is not difficult to select species 
which will flourish under almost any conditions. 
There are two exotic ferns, that will grow in the 
window, as well as any other plants. There are 
no common names for them, and we give those 
by which they are known to the florists. One is, 
Pteris scrrvlata, and the other, Peris Cretica 
albo-lineata. The genus Peris (pronounced teris, as 
if the P was not there] is the one to which our 
common Brake belongs; both these species are from 
Japan, and being among the easiest to grow, are 
sold at moderate prices ; they may be had from 25c. 
upwards, according to size. Pteris serndata has 
handsomely cut bright-green fronds,while the other 
Japanese brake.— (Peris Oretica. var. albo-lineata.) 
has a distinct white stripe running through each di¬ 
vision of the frond, as seen in the engraving ; this 
marking gives the plant a very pleasing appearance. 
These may be grown in an ordinary pot, in a vase, 
or hanging basket, and will succeed if a few simple 
conditions are observed. The soil must be properly 
drained ; use good loam with sand, broken pots, or 
bits of charcoal, or cinders, to keep it open. Give 
water when needed. Wash the dust from the fronds 
frec^iently, by liberal showering, and, lastly, and 
the most important, keep them free from insects. 
Excellent Glycerine Ointment. 
A very good preparation of glycerine to have al¬ 
ways on hand, can be readily prepared by any 
apothecary or druggist: In two ounces of Sweet 
Oil of Almonds melt, by a slow heat, half an 
ounce of Spermacetti, and one drachm of White 
Wax. Then add one ounce of good Glycerine, 
stirring until cold. When cold, scent it by stirring 
in well a little Oil of Roses. Keep in small jars or 
small wide-necked bottles. In hot weather keep 
closely corked, as it sometimes gets a little rancid 
if long exposed to warmth. Half or a fourth of the 
above quantities may be used. Every drug store 
should keep a jar of it, and recommend its use. It 
is excellent for softening the skin, for most injured 
skin surfaces that are not open sores ; for chafed 
places, for moistening corns or callused feet or 
toes, and especially for chapped face, lips, or 
hands. When the hands are chapped or cracked, 
or roughened by cold, wash them clean with soap, 
and rub them well with this glycerine ointment, 
wiping it off enough to prevent soiling clothing. 
If this is done at night, the hands will be soft and 
I 
