AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
140 
the tree. The pinching-back of such roots is fre¬ 
quently better than their entire removal, for they 
then have a tendency to form valuable fruit spurs 
near the center of the tree. 
Town Horticultural Societies- 
One of the good things of the day is the estab¬ 
lishment of horticultural societies in towns. Coun¬ 
ty and district associations of this sort are well 
enough in their way, but smaller clubs have some 
peculiar advantages not possessed by the larger. 
For instance, it is not enough for one to know 
what trees and plants are hardy and productive 
in the Slate, or even in that part of the State 
where he lives ; he wants to know what are so 
in his own town. Trees are influenced, in respect 
to their vigor, growth and fruitfulness, very much 
by the peculiar climate and soil of the neighbor¬ 
hood. If the fruit-raisers, ornamental tree-plant¬ 
ers and gardeners of a town meet together a few 
times each year, they can gain much useful infor¬ 
mation from each other. Above all things, call 
in the older farmers and gardeners, that they may 
tell the younger what experience has taught them, 
respecting the capabilities and wants of the soil 
they have so long tilled. 
Such a society should meet not only for discus¬ 
sion of practical subjects, but also for occasional 
exhibitions of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Let 
a few persons in any town call a meeting of all 
persons interested in horticulture, draw up a few 
simple rules for their guidance, and at once their 
society lives ! Meetings for discussions might be 
held monthly : and exhibitions might be given at 
least twice a-year. A show in June would present 
roses, paeonies, snow-balls, spirasas and a variety 
of other flowers—together with lettuce, peas, as¬ 
paragus, radishes, ea;:y cherries, &c. Another 
in Autumn would furnish apples, pears, grapes, 
peaches, garden vegetables in great variety, per¬ 
petual roses, dahlias, phloxes, asters, and a multi¬ 
tude of flowers which we cannot enumerate. The 
time of holding these fairs would vary a little with 
the seasons, from year to year, but public notice 
could be given in time for every exhibitor to pre¬ 
pare himself. Of course, judges should be pre¬ 
viously appointed to award premiums to success¬ 
ful competitors. We find in the Rural New Yorker 
a copy, in substance, of the By-Laws adopted by 
a Horticultural Society at Rochester, which, with 
trifling Humifications, will answer for any sirnilar 
society : 
1. The payment of one dollar per annum con¬ 
stitutes a membership, and five dollars a life mem¬ 
bership. 
2. Competitors for premiums must either be 
members of the society, or pay one dollar on en¬ 
tering their articles. 
3. All articles entered for competition must be 
grown by the competitor. 
4 Exhibitors are requested to label correctly, 
as far as possible, all variety of fruits, flowers, 
plants and vegetables ; specimens incorrectly 
named not being entitled to a premium, except at 
the discretion of the committee. 
5 Committees shall have the power of with¬ 
holding premiums on inferior articles, even if they 
be the best presented. 
6. Afl fruit, flowers and vegetables, unless re¬ 
served by the exhibitor on entry, will be sold at 
the close of the exhibition for the benefit of the 
society. 
7. Members and exhibitors shall be admitted 
free to all the exhibitions of the society. 
8 The names of exhibitors are not to be attached 
to the articles, until the committee have made the 
awards. 
It is usual to charge a small fee for admission 
to exhibition, of from one to two shillings. 
Fig. 2. 
Form of Quince Trees 
We have not the “ secret ” of making ibis soap 
but it is essentially like common soap,substituting 
for the ordinary grease, the lees or settlings o. 
whale or lamp-oil casks. This refuse oil can 
be obtained at any of the stores where lamp-oil 
is sold. The lees from a barrel or two put with 
potash, lye from wood ashes, or sal soda, would 
give enough of this “ stinking soap” for using in 
an ordinary garden. The material for this soap 
used l.y the manufacturers, is obtained from clari- 
fyers of fish oil. 
With comparatively few exceptions, the quince 
trees or bushes are the worst looking shrubbery 
found in the gardens or orchards all over the 
country. Fig. 2 above, as bad as it appears, is as 
well trained, if trained it be called, as a majority 
of the quince bushes—taken as they run. The two 
engravings, figs. 1 and 2, we have transferred 
from Thomas’ American Fruit Culturist, to show 
the striking difference between what is, and what 
may be. With judicious pruning from the start, 
there is little trouble in producing the well-form¬ 
ed, beautiful tree, seen in fig 1 ; and this, in the 
end, pays the best in the superior quality and good 
yield of the fruit. Some persons prefer training 
two, three, or four stems up from near the ground 
We do not like this so well as the single stem, 
but if it be done, each stem should be carried up 
four or five feet free from limbs, and all of them 
so pruned that the branches shall not interlock 
or interfere with each other, or with the free ad¬ 
mission of sunlight. 
-- *-■—« » i - 
Ro;e Slug (Selandria Rosa). 
WHALE OIL SOAP. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist : 
We have been plagued beyond endurance, for 
the last two or three years, with a small worm 
or caterpillar on our rose bushes. It is anout the 
size of a darning needle, and half an inch long ; 
color, light green. We generally find them on 
the under side of the leaves, but when feeding, 
on the upper side. They eat all but the veins. 
They are numerous enough to destroy all the fo¬ 
liage, which, of course, destroys all the flowers. 
A black moth or fly precedes them for two or 
three weeks, which, we suppose, deposits the eggs 
for them. What shall we do to save the Roses 1 
W’e have tried the “ pound of cure,” in applica¬ 
tions of lime, plaster, ashes, road dust, tobacco 
smoke, &c., &c., &c., and now want to get hold 
of an “ounce of prevention.” Libbie. 
Montgomery Co., N. Y., April 9. 
REMARKS. 
We are too well acquainted with this pest. The 
most effective remedy, and preventive as well, 
we have found to be a solution of Whale Oil 
Soap, dissolved in the proportion of one pound of 
soap to seven gallons of water, and applied with a 
hand syringe, having a sprinkler at the end. 
Poured from the rose of a watering-pot, the li¬ 
quid does not reach the insects upon the under¬ 
side of the leaves, but they can be dislodged 
with the syringe. We have never failed to de¬ 
stroy them with two applications, given at inter¬ 
vals of two or three days. Early morning is the 
best time to use this. The soap can be had at 
most agricultural and seed stores, at about 50 cts 
for a pot, containing about one gallon. Where it 
cannot be obtained, a strong solution of common 
soft soap and water is a partial substitute. The 
“ black fly ” is the author of the mischief, that be¬ 
ing the form the slugs take after attaining their 
full size, and weaving and moulding themselves a 
“ bouse ” under ground. Several broods succeed 
each other during the season, the last remaining 
in the chrysalis form during the Winter 
-—•-— 0« - —a.- 
Easpberries at the South. 
J. H. A., St. Louis, Mo., writes that good rasp¬ 
berries are rarely seen in that market, the failure 
being attributed to their warm dry Summers. 
Our opinion is asked of setting the plants in an 
orchard where the trees will afford a partial shade. 
We approve of the plan, having had choice ber¬ 
ries from canes which were tied to the branches 
of peach trees. We have tried a plot of raspber¬ 
ries growing almost entirely in the shade, which 
have fruited and ripened very finely. These were 
mostly the Fastolffs, one of the best home fruiis, 
though rather too delicate for carr) ing far to mar¬ 
ket. 
-•-<- — o «—-. —-- 
Moneywort. 
We replied to a subscriber, last month, respect¬ 
ing this plant, that we could not ascertain its bo¬ 
tanical name. A little further research has now 
brought it to light. It is Lysimachia nummalaria, 
an evergreen trailing vine of 2 or 3 ft. in length. 
And we will add that, though peifectly hardy, the 
roots will not live through the Winter ifleft in an 
ordinary garden-vase. They should be taken up 
in the Fall, and planted in good garden soil in the 
open ground. It is well to have a patch of it 
growing all the time in the garden, for setting out 
here and there, and for giving away to those who 
will appreciate it. We know of no one having the 
plant for sale except Messrs. A. Saul & Co.. 
Newburg, N. Y. 
-— --—er—-- —-- 
A Garden Fork- 
This is a very convenient implement for ladies’ 
use—and for men and boys, too, as for that mat¬ 
ter. Our engraving shows the general form. The 
tines are flat, i to J-inch 
wide—rather wider towards 
the points than here shown 
—and five to six inches in 
length. The spread of the 
fork is three to five inches: 
the handle of wood, six 
inches long. This implement 
is admirably adapted to dig- 
ing around vegetables and 
flowering plants, to root up 
weeds and loosen the ground. 
They usually cost about 50 
cents each, at the agricultural stores. This Fork 
and the “ Weeding-Hne,” described and illus¬ 
trated last Spiing (vol. XVI. page 87) are two al¬ 
most indispensible things in the garden. 
- m i — » m* 
Winter Cherry 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist 
Last year I raised some of the Winter Ground 
Cherry, mentioned in the Agriculturist, seeds of 
which you are now distributing. I esteem them 
an excellent fruit—all that they are recommended 
to be. I made a substitute for honey after the 
recipe in the February No., of last volume, which 
was pronounced very good by all who tasted it 
