274: 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
as ornamental as those of the Arum, and its spike 
of white flowers stands up in its middle like the 
flower of the Yucca. We have confined ourselves 
to fruits, but there is no reason why the lady of the 
house should not have scattered along the drives 
her groups of roses or bedding plants. In the 
circle between the house and the barn evergreen 
trees would best hide the latter. The carriage 
drive from the highway could be bordered with 
shell-bark hickories. Thus in the small space of 
five acres could be made a beautiful place, giving 
great pleasure to the eye, and furnishing all the 
fruits desirable for family use. It can be made, 
moreover, by any intelligent man, and does not 
need the aid of a landscape gardener. 
The Bulbous Corydalis. 
'From the charming little plant with the uncouth 
name of Dutchman’s Breeches, so welcome in the 
woods in April, to its gorgeous 
brother from China, that hangs 
its graceful strings of Bleeding- 
Hearts in our gardens in May, 
all of the Fumitory Family are 
pleasing. They have, as a gen¬ 
eral thing, handsomely cut foli¬ 
age of a tender green, and their 
flowers have a peculiarity of 
form and a clearness of color 
that makes the amateur garden¬ 
er say of each one “ it’s a good 
thing.” We did not start with 
the intention of writing about 
it, but we may say with regard 
to one, the Plumy Bleeding 
Heart ( Dicentra eximia) from the 
Alleghany Mountains, that, take 
it for all in all, it comes as near 
to being a thoroughly satisfac¬ 
tory plant as we expect to see. 
That is noted among other 
qualities for its long continued 
bloom. The one we would now 
speak of ( Corydalis bulbosa) lias 
an abundant bloom in early 
spring and is done with it. It 
may be said here that the Dicen- 
tras have two spurs, or lobes, to 
the flower, while in Corydalis 
there is but one, giving it a 
quaint one-sided appearance. 
The Bulbous Corydalis is a na¬ 
tive of Europe and Asia and is 
thoroughly hardy. It has a solid 
bulb or tuber about as large as 
a hickory-nut; the stem, 6 or 8 
inches high, has cut leaves, aud 
at the top is a raceme of flow¬ 
ers of the size and shape in the 
engraving. A drawing can show 
size and shape, but the color 
must be left to the imagination. 
We may call it purplish-rose or 
rosy-purple, but that does not 
give an exact idea of the tint. 
As we looked out upon a closely 
planted bed of it in April, it oc¬ 
curred to us that we had not seen a more thoroughly 
spring-like tint—lilac does not describe it. It is the 
tint that suggests spring days, spring flowers, and— 
the spring fever. The plant keeps in flower two or 
three weeks, makes a strong leaf growth, and then 
having done its duty in giving us pleasure by its 
season of bloom and having provided for another 
next spring, all above ground soon disappears, to 
be thought no more of until another winter shall 
have passed, and spring has come around again. 
The Clover Boot Borer. 
Mr. I. S. Peer, of East Palmyra, N. Y., sends a 
letter and a package of clover, both of which plainly 
show that he is very badly troubled with the Clover 
Root Borer. None of the insects are to be found 
in the honey-combed, and thoroughly eaten roots, 
but we have no doubt that the destruction of the 
plants was caused by the larva, or grub, of the 
beetle, known to science as, Hylesinus trifolii. This 
pest is rather new to us, but has been known in 
Europe for many years. Professor Riley thoroughly 
investigated the insect, and published his results, 
with an illustration of the beetle in its various 
states, in his Report for the year 1878. The Ameri¬ 
can Agriculturist for November, 1879, gives an illus¬ 
trated article on this Clover Root Borer. Mr. P., 
writes: “On examination, I found that I could 
with the. side of my foot scrape the roots of the 
clover all together. These were entirely dead, or 
perhaps a leaf or two alive, but very small. The 
stalks that looked at all healthy, would not average 
four to the square foot. Ihad 21 acres, all of which 
was more or less effected, and I am now plowing it 
up for corn.”—This is certainly a destructive insect, 
and its advent a serious matter. When it works in 
this way, in such destructive numbers, the only 
remedy is a total withholding of the clover crop, 
throughout the district. Half-way measures will 
do no good: there must be co-operation in the 
work by every farmer in the neighborhood. If one 
farmer continues to grow clover—or tries to grow 
it, he will merely provide insects to stock the fields 
of others, when they resume its cultivation. No 
direct remedy which will kill the insect is yet 
known, nor is it probable that one will be found, 
the application of which will be practicable to in¬ 
sects that work below the surface of the soil. 
Water Cresses witliout Water. —Several 
persons in England have reported their success in 
growing Water Cresses in the garden. We gave, 
several years ago, Mr. Hibberd’s method with pots 
and tubs, but this growing them in the garden will 
meet with more general favor. No definite direc¬ 
tions are given; it is merely stated that the beds 
were sown sometime in summer, and that a bed 
sown in well prepared ground will continue for 
several years, as the plant reproduces itself from 
[JULY, 
self-sown seed. The difficulty with us will be in 
carrying the plants through the hot, dry summer, 
and those of our friends who desire to experiment 
with Water Cresses in the garden, should select a 
place that is shaded during the hottest part of the 
day. Seedsmen generally have the seeds for sale. 
Why Not More Currants, 
Perhaps when we consider their real value, cur¬ 
rants are more neglected than any other of the small 
fruits. Their value in the family is too well known 
for us to enforce, but their market value is greater 
than that of most, if not all other fruits. By this, 
we do not refer altogether to the money received 
for them, but to the fact that there are not so 
many drawbacks to getting the money at all. 'If 
currants are ripe they may be picked to-day, to¬ 
morrow, or next week, and must not, like the 
strawberry and raspberry, be picked by the clock. 
Currants sustain less damage in transportation ; 
the delay of a train or boat by accident does not 
cause the loss of the crop; if the fruit does not 
sell within a few hours after it gets to market it 
will keep until the next day. As to the actual 
profit from an acre of currants we have no figures, 
but we notice that those who have had an acre are 
very apt to add another to it, which is quite as ex¬ 
pressive as if we saw their account of sales. But 
the currant worm ! Whoever finds that an obsta¬ 
cle should not cultive currants—or any other small 
fruits. We do not know of one of them that will 
yield profitable crops without care, and the cur¬ 
rant requires on the whole less care—currant worm 
included—than any other. Buy some currant 
hushes, get good big ones ; plant them up against 
the fence, setting them so close to one another that 
their stems will touch and soon interlock ; acting 
upon the principle of “the more bush, the more 
room for fruit,” do not cut them—in short, follow 
the too common treatment of this fruit, and we 
have every reason to believe that currant culture 
will not pay. This is not the method of those who 
are increasing their plantations.— The Soil should 
be as good as can be had, and especially free from 
excess of moisture ; no fruit will give a better re¬ 
turn for manure.— The Varieties. Our largest grow¬ 
ers depend upon La Versaillaise, or as more gener¬ 
ally called Versailles, and White Grape, So far as 
we have seen, these, of the true sorts—and this is 
important—will, under good culture, do all iu size 
of fruit and productiveness that any currants will 
do. though it may be that some others may be 
found to prolong the season. There is so much 
confusion among currants, that if one appears to 
have desirable qualities it is difficult to obtain it 
true to name—not from intentional wrong on the 
part of the nurserymen, but currants are so much 
"mixed.”— Cuttings or Plants? Generally those 
who have plantations have so much surplus wood 
from pruning that they are glad to sell cuttings at 
a very low rate ; one can purchase these and plant 
them in a bed, or buy plants one or two years old. 
Of course the purchase of plants will give one fruit 
a year or two sooner, while the outlay will be 
more. Cuttings should be planted in fall, and it is 
quite doubtful if they can be had in spring. Plant¬ 
ing is better done in fall, but may be done in 
spring, but the plants should be taken up so soon 
as the frost will allow, as they start into growth 
very early. If lifted after the buds have pushed, 
this young growth may be injured, if not destroyed, 
in transportation, to the injury of the future of the 
plants. In setting out the bushes, four feet each 
way is the least distance for healthy growth and 
comfortable working, while five, or still better six 
feet, will in the end give better results than 
to set close. At planting, some pruning may 
be needed, but this will depend so much upon 
the former treatment and present condition of the 
plants that no directions can be given. The Cur¬ 
rant Worm is as likely to come upon young bushes 
as upon old ones ; hence the plantation should be 
looked to daily, and if any ragged leaves are seen, 
look for the enemy. On small bushes much may 
be done by hunting for the eggs, which are upon 
the underside of the leaves, especially those near 
the ground. When the enemy is discovered, use 
tue bulbous corydalis (Corydalis bulbosa). 
