1882.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
191 
this insect is to attack it in the beetle state. When 
a Dor-bug appears in the house, it is au indication 
that there are others in the trees near-by, and traps 
should be set tor them. The destruction of one 
female beetle means the prevention of between 
one and two hundred grubs. During their season 
many that enter the house may be caught and de¬ 
stroyed by hand, but some one of the several lamp- 
traps that we have figured in former volumes, 
should be employed. If nothing better can be de¬ 
vised, a lamp set in a common tub, but all the 
better one made by cutting a barrel in halves, in 
the bottom of which is a few inches of water, with 
a film of kerosene or other oil floating upon it, will 
catch and destroy many. The matter is getting to 
be a serious one, and the destruction of the beetles 
should be a work of co-operation in order to be 
effective. In this, as in many other cases, the 
utility of Farmer’s Clubs, to secure united action 
throughout the neighborhood, is manifested. 
Late Flower Gardening. 
In many localities it is the custom to move the 
first of May, and this is yearly extending. One may 
come into possession of a place, whether a village 
front yard, or a larger piece of ground, and find 
that the previous occupant has done nothing to¬ 
wards beautifying it. We will assume that one 
has to do with an ordinary village front yard, and 
the same hints will apply to larger places. The 
first thing of all to be considered is the lawn, by 
which we mean any piece of grass kept for orna¬ 
ment, whatever may be its size. The lawn by itself, 
if well kept, is an ornament to any place; it is 
like the carpet in the house, the setting of what¬ 
ever furnishing may be placed upon it. If the 
grass is thin, scratch the surface wherever it can 
be reached, with a sharp rake, and sow on grass 
seed. In light soils sow Red-top; in heavy ones, 
Blue-grass or June-grass—two names for the same 
grass, and the prefix “ Kentucky” is often put be¬ 
fore Blue-grass. If there are large bare places, it 
may be easier to lay turf, but in all the gardening, 
first secure a good lawn. It may be that beds have 
already been made in the lawn ; if so, it is well to 
occupy them, for the present season at least. A 
most effective plant for summer decoration is the 
Castor Oil plant, good in its common form, and 
better in what the seedsmen sell as Bicinus san¬ 
guineus. A single plant may be very effective, and 
if the space will allow a group may be better. 
They are easily raised from seeds. It is not too 
late to get the roots (rhizomes) of Cannas, and a 
most effective bed may be made of these, placing 
the taller kinds in the center and the lower-growing 
at the margin. A pleasing bed may be made by 
planting it with Coleus—the varieties are now al¬ 
most without number, but the old velvet Coleus 
(C. Verschaffeltii), is excellent. If expense is con¬ 
sidered, then a showy bed may be made by sowing 
a packet of mixed seed of Phlox Drummondii — 
bright, and lasting. If the veranda is not provided 
with climbers, plant a few roots of the Madeira 
Vine, and the seeds of some of the quick-growing 
climbers, such as the Hyacinth Bean, Lopho- 
spernum, Morning Glories, some of the better 
sorts being really beautiful. One, with a little 
thought given to selecting quick-growing and 
effective plants, even though he must begin as late 
as the first week in May, can soon put a new aspect 
upon a run down and neglected place, and make it 
a source of pleasure to himself and his neighbors. 
Wild Flowers in tlae Garden. 
There are many real lovers of flowers, who have 
the first requisite for a garden—the land—who let 
the surroundings of the house fall into neglect, 
merely because they can not afford to buy plants 
with which to ornament them. It is possible in 
most parts of the country, to make a beautiful 
garden without the outlay of a dollar for plants. 
Could the persons referred to visit European gar¬ 
dens, or even see European catalogues, they would 
find that the common plants around them are else¬ 
where highly valued. Aside from the trees, there 
are many shrubs that may find a place in the gar¬ 
den, and a host of herbaceous plants from which a 
proper selection will keep a garden gay the whole 
growing season. Take our common lilies for ex¬ 
ample. Aside from the far West, there are three 
common in the States east of the Mississippi; two 
of them are low, not over 3 feet high, and com¬ 
mon in meadows, while the taller “ Superb Lily,” 
in rich swampy places, is 6 or 8 feet high, and 
bears a pyramid of 10 to 30 or more flowers. If 
one should make a collection of these native lilies, 
he would be surprised at the great variety they 
present among themselves, not only in the size 
and number of the flowers, but especially in their 
coloring. One could make a collection of these 
native lilies, and by careful selection find a great 
variety among them, so with many other native 
plants, which will amply repay the care that may 
be given to them, and one can easily stock a gar¬ 
den from the woods and fields. It is late now to 
take up most wild plants, but it is well to mark all 
attractive specimens for future removal. For 
marking shrubs for removal to the garden it is 
well to carry in the pocket a piece of cotton cloth, 
and tie a strip to any desirable plant; when the 
leaves have fallen the ends of the strip of cloth may 
be seen at a long distance, and indicate the plant. 
Weeds in Lawns and Flsewiiere. 
We are often asked what will destroy a particular 
weed. We have just at hand a letter asking how 
to get rid of Chick-weed in a lawn. This is not 
often a lawn-weed, and as it thrives only in damp 
soils, its occurrence in a lawn shows that the soil 
is too wet, and that draining is the proper remedy. 
Much future trouble would be saved if cultivators, 
whether gardeners or farmers, would learn to rec¬ 
ognize weeds in their young state. That worst of 
weeds, the Canada Thistle, in its infancy may be 
uprooted by the rake. Let it go for a year or two, 
and the whole force of the farm can not get rid of 
it. The advantage of disposing of weeds when 
they are young, is not fully appreciated; the rake 
used at the proper time, when the weeds are mere 
seedlings, will save much future work with the hoe. 
On the same principle, the use of a smoothing har¬ 
row, which is really a large rake, does good service 
in the corn and potato fields ; destroying the weeds, 
while the crop plants are too firmly fixed tQ be dis¬ 
turbed by it. In the absence of this, a common 
light harrow, run along the rows just as the pota¬ 
toes break ground, or have made but little growth, 
will greatly help. The growth of the most trouble¬ 
some weed, is governed by the same laws which 
control that of the most valued plants, and there 
is nothing that can be applied to the soil 
to kill the one that will not injure the other. 
'I'lie Lawn Mower. 
There is one question which we can not answer; 
that is, “ Which is the best Lawn Mower ?”—Of 
late years we have not seen a poor one, and there 
are several so nearly perfect, that it can not be 
difficult to select one that will do good service. 
Lawn Mowers are now offered at such moderate 
prices, that one can not afford to mow a grass- plot, 
of even moderate size, in the old way, with scythe 
and sickle. The mowing of the lawn is so easily 
done with the mower that there is danger that it 
may be used to excess. In spring and early sum¬ 
mer, while the grass is growing, it can hardly be 
used too often, but as hot weather comes on and 
the growth of grass is checked, the cutting should 
be less frequent. It is well to bear in mind that 
grass is governed in its growth by the same laws 
that hold with all other plants. The amount of 
root growth depends upon that of the stems and 
leaves. A certain amount of cutting of the foli¬ 
age tends to increase its vigor, and at the same 
time there will be a corresponding growth of root. 
But we may cut too much, especially in hot weather 
—and weaken both top and root growth. The only 
general rule that can be given is, when the grass is 
growing rapidly, mow often ; when hot weather 
checks the growth, mow less frequently; do not 
follow any set time for mowing, but be governed 
by the condition of the grass and the weather. 
BSare Places in Lawas. - 
By “Lawn ” we mean any piece of grass kept 
solely for ornamental purposes. It may be merely 
a front-yard, or on large places it may include many 
acres. These may from some cause show thin and 
poor places here and there. These may be mended 
by several methods. If the bare places are large, 
the surface may be worked over with a sharp rake, 
to take out dead stems and roots, and then after 
fertilizing, be sown with grass seed of a kind sim¬ 
ilar to the rest of the lawn. If the bare patches 
are small, the quickest way to mend them is to lay 
turf. In England, a method is in use, not only for 
restoring bare places in established lawns, but also 
for starting new ones, called “inoculating.” The 
ground being well prepared, bits of good turf 
(sods), about three inches square, are inserted a foot 
apart each way. These will take root and spread, 
soon covering the whole surface. In making or 
mending a lawn, recollect that the work is to last 
for years and that a good supply of fertilizing ma¬ 
terial placed in the soil will be a good investment. 
'1’lie Native Lsmrel or Kalinin. 
While we have several species, the one generally 
called the Laurel is Kalmia latifolia, also known iu 
some localities as “ Calico 7 bush,” and “Mountain 
Laurel.” It is found from Canada to Ohio, and 
along the mountains far southward, and varies 
from 3 to 20 feet in hight. The broad evergreen 
leaves are of themselves beautiful, and when the 
shrub is in flower it is very attractive. The flowers, 
most interesting in their structure, varying from 
nearly white to very dark rose color, in this 
respect present a great variety, and it is not to be 
wondered at that many have wished to bring these 
desirable forms into cultivation. The attempts to 
cultivate the Laurel have rarely been successful, 
and it is amusing to read the reasons given for the 
failures—almost always attributed to the soil. The 
Laurel may be transplanted with the greatest ease, 
if only one condition be observed—cut the shrub 
back so as to remove evei-y leaf, leaving only bare 
sticks. No half-way work—leaving a few leaves on 
account of their beauty—will answer. “Bare 
poles,” as the sailors say, are absolutely essential 
to success. If one has not the courage to cut 
away every leaf—then let him leave the Laurel 
where it grew and not transplant it, as it will fail. 
A shrub thus treated, if planted in any good soil, 
will soon make new shoots, and form a head, and 
in a year or two flower profusely. All attempts to 
transplant the Laurel in full foliage will fail. 
'Flic Muni Heap. 
Among the small economies of a country place 
should be the “Burn Heap.” It not only allows 
one to get rid of a great amount of stuff that will 
be worse than useless, but will pay for the slight 
trouble it requires in ashes. In some out of the 
way locality where it will be safe, have a place for 
everything combustible. Old shrubs, prunings of 
trees and vines, pea-brush, stakes, old labels, and 
all such accumulations must be gotten rid of. Be¬ 
sides these, if any weeds have been allowed to get 
large enough to ripen their seeds, place these there. 
On a mild day set fire to the heap, and carefully 
save the ashes. No fertilizer is more generally use¬ 
ful than wood-ashes, and by taking a little pains iu 
this mauner, a good supply may be abtaiued. 
-- 
Liquid Miinin'c. 
“ It simply does wonders,” said a gardener to us, 
many years ago. That expression well describes 
the effects of liquid manure judiciously used. Be¬ 
cause a little is beneficial, it will not do to con¬ 
clude that there can not be too much of a good 
thing and make the soil sodden with it. The soil 
requires to have the air permeate it, and if made 
wet, even with rich liquid manure, the plants will 
suffer. It is well to have a tight cask of some 
kind, sunk in the ground, into which the soapy 
wash water and the chamber slops may go ; these 
I of themsedves will be excellent fertilizers. The 
I fertilizing quality may be increased by the addition 
