AMEEIOAl^ AGRIOULTUEIST. 
/ 1884.J 
Western readers of the American Agrictdturist, will 
have young Cottbnwood plantations a year old next 
spring, and ready for this treatment. Do not be 
afraid to cut them off. They will be larger 
in two years after, than if not thus treated. 
Young Ash require about the same treatment as 
Cottonwoods, under the same circumstances. 
—4. Stir the soil often but not deeply among the 
young trees, and keep them free from weeds. 
Support for Sliding Bars. 
“H. L. C.,” Rochester, N. H., sends us a sketch 
and description which we give with a little modi¬ 
fication. The bars are say twelve feet long, requir¬ 
ing the posts to be set eleven feet apart to cen¬ 
ters. The fence boards, coming in from each side, 
are nailed fast. An upright piece is fastened to 
each post, standing out far enough to let the bars 
pass in against the fence boards, and rest on stout 
pins of iron or hard-wood. On the fence post, 
seven or eight feet distant, a similar piece is put 
on, with space for the bars to slide in on the pins 
as shown by the lower bar partly open. By this 
arrangement each bar, as moved back, nearly bal¬ 
ances itself, requiring little exertion to hold and 
move it, until it reaches the pin in the post, when 
both ends being supported, it slides very easily 
back and forward. There is no stooping to pick 
up the bars or going to one side to draw them 
through. It may be well to make a slight notch 
under the left-hand end of one or more of the bars 
to drop over the pins, to prevent animals pushing 
them loose when rubbing against them. If any 
cow or other unusually intelligent animal learns to 
lift and shove the bars, as we have known done, a 
bit of wood over the notched end will hold it down. 
Horticultural Facts. 
Trees for Ireland. —Among the plans for the 
relief of the rural population of lYe.\smd, Afforesta¬ 
tion, or planting forest trees, is now seriously advo¬ 
cated. That there are wide areas in that generally 
beautiful country suited to timber culture, all who 
have traversed it are aware. It is claimed that pre¬ 
paring the land and planting the trees will afford 
immediate relief by giving employment to large 
numbers ; the forests thus planted would be a pro¬ 
vision against future times of scarcity and trouble. 
It is probable that the aid of the Government will 
be asked in behalf of the scheme. The project is 
one that seems to commend itself as eminently 
wise and practicable for that p)opular island. 
Single Dahlias. —The remarkable “ boom ” with 
which the new single Dahlias started in England a 
few years ago, does not seem to have subsided. 
They have not yet attracted the attention in this 
country which they really meiit. A few exhibitions 
like those made by our growers last autumn, must 
attract amateurs to their great variety and richness 
of color. The English growers have, the past sea¬ 
son, succeeded in obtaining a “break,” and they 
now have one, the “Union Jack,” in which the 
white ray florets are striped with red, and it is said 
to be very brilliant. This result should encourage 
our own growers of seedlings. There is yet a future 
for these easily cultivated and showy flowers. 
Eorestry Exhibitions.— Preparations are' being 
made for an Exhibition of Forestry, during 1884, at 
Edinburgh, Scotland. It is intended to include 
everything relating to the forestry of the world. 
Essays and reports are expected, both upon forestry 
and forestry materials in every form. Our country 
made such a creditable showing at the great Fish¬ 
eries’ Exhibition, last year, that we hope Congress 
may aid in making an exhibition of our forestry. 
The date of opening is not yet fixed, but it will 
probably be early in July.—It is also proposed to 
hold at South Kensington, in the ample halls occu¬ 
pied by the Fisheries’ Exhibition, an International 
Horticultural and Forestry Exhibition in 1885. 
This early announcement allows ample time for 
those wishing to exhibit to make preparations. We 
trust American horticulturists, and especially those 
interested in forestry, may be as creditably repre¬ 
sented in this as we were in the fisheries exhibition. 
The Tuberous-Rooted Grape-Vine. —We some 
time ago announced the discovery in Cochin-China 
and in the Soudan, of a grape with large tuberous 
roots, a rampant annual stem, and an enormous 
bearer. Whether the vines from the two localities 
are identical or not, remains to be seen. The vine 
does not appear to have fruited in Europe as yet, 
but in Portuguese Guiana it has been successfully 
cultivated. Accounts differ as to the quality of the 
fruit and of the wine made from it, though all are 
agreed as to its prolific character. We hope it may, 
be found adapted to some of our far Southern States. 
Many-Flowered Roses. — This class of roses 
(BosapohjaniJia) has not yet become generally known 
in our country. When better known they must 
become popular. Their small flowers are in large 
clusters of great delicacy and beauty, and must be 
useful in bouquets. Mr. Jean Sisley writes us from 
Lyons, France, that a new variety of this class, the 
Ferle d'Or," received a gold medal at the floral 
exhibition last autumn. It is a dwarf perpetual, 
with pale-yellow flowers, deeper in the centre, and 
the iietals edged with white. He thinks it will 
prove fine for pot culture. 
An American Violet. — Our native Birds-foot 
Violet {Viola loedata), so common in sandy and 
gravelly soils in the Northern States, has succeeded 
most admirably with us as a garden plant. It keeps 
in bloom much longer than W'hen wild, and its lilac- 
purple flow'ers are large and showy. We are glad 
to see by the journals that this violet is attracting 
attention in England. There are two wild varieties 
of this, well worthy of a place among choice hardy 
flowers. The White {Viola paiata alba), some spec¬ 
imens of which are fragrant, is quite abundant. 
The other, and rarer variety Ihicolor), has its two 
upper petals of a dark, rich purple, with the velvety 
appearance seen in some pansies, making it the most 
beautiful of violets. It blooms all summer. 
Pigeons and Pigeon Houses. 
BY n. Z. EVANS, JR. 
Breeding pigeons affords especial delight to al¬ 
most every boy, and those once getting a start will 
soon have more birds than they know what to do 
with, unless they are neglected or some accident 
occurs. As with “grown up children” the first 
boy making a good start in a neighborhood with 
pigeonsis sure to soon have many followers, often 
to the advantage of the pioneer who has surplus 
stock to sell. Many a farmer’s boy has yearly 
earned quite a sum by raising squabs for the early 
spring markets; and they have sold all the way 
from twenty-five cents to two dollars a pair, ac¬ 
cording to the season, demand, etc. As the com¬ 
mon large pigeons make good squabs, a stock to 
begin with costs but little. Later hatched birds 
are readily sold in autumn, to sportsmen for trap 
shooting, at twenty-five to forty cents a pair, ac¬ 
cording to the demand, which is sometimes large. 
As there is much interest in “fancy pigeons” 
many boys, and men too, are making good snug 
profits by producing pure-bred varieties of vari¬ 
ous kinds; those who have considered pigeons 
mere childrens’ pets will be surprised at the large 
priees paid for many choice birds in the show room. 
Pigeon Houses, neat and attractive, cost but lit¬ 
tle. Fig. 1 shows an independent house, and fig. 
8 one attached to another building. Fig. 1 is set 
on posts about five and onc-half feet long, eighteen 
inches in the ground and four feet above. These 
are capped with inverted tin pans to keep out cats, 
rats, mice, etc. Four to six inches in diameter is 
heavy enough ; cedar or chestnut posts are most 
durable. The house may be of first-class three- 
quarter or choice one-half inch stuff planed on 
both sides ; the floor should be of one inch boards. 
Good dimensions are six feet long and four feet 
wide. Place neat windows in each side about two 
feet long and one foot high. An entrance door for 
the breeder is just in the rear (not shown). Make 
a ventilator in each end under the peak, protect¬ 
ing it from driving rain. The pigeons enter 
through a skeleton affixed on the front end, made 
as light as possible, but secure, staying it with wires 
from the two upper corners, and if necessary plac¬ 
ing supports under its outer corners. Common lath 
will serve for making a neat cage of this kind. It 
may have a solid floor of one and one-half inch 
stuff, or be slatted. The latter is objectionable in 
many ways. A sliding door, controlled by a string, 
admits or excludes the birds from this cage at 
Fig. 1.—AN INDEPENDENT PIGEON HOUSE. 
pleasure. Such a house, thoroughly and frequent¬ 
ly painted, will last many years, even if made of 
half inch thick pine boards. Neatness and cleanli¬ 
ness do much to insure success ; and purchasers 
will sooner purchase from and pay the best price 
to those having the best appearing houses. Pig¬ 
eons do better and are freer from disease in an out¬ 
door house than in one,over-heated and illy-ventilat¬ 
ed, in a room in a dwelling house, barn, or granary. 
Figure 2 is a cheap style of a pigeon house built 
against a barn, granary, or carriage house. If de¬ 
sired, it can extend along the entire end or side of 
the building. As the building furnishes a back 
and half the support, it is much cheaper than an 
independent house. The floor and roof are firmly 
fastened to the building with strong nails attached 
to two by three-inch pieces. The outer posts are 
the same as in fig. 1, and as many and as long as 
needed. A good hight is four feet above ground 
and six feet from the floor to the highest point, the 
front being three feet high. Small sash in front, or 
on either or both of the ends afford necessary light. 
The floor, ends and roof should be of inch stuff; 
for the front, three-quarter or one-half inch boards 
will do. A skeleton cage or exercise room should 
run the entire length, supported as shown in the en- 
Fig. 2.— A PIGEON HOUSE AGAINST A BARN. 
graving, or the weight may puli the house from the 
main buiiding. The space underneath may serve 
as a shelter for small implements or be fixed to ac¬ 
commodate man}' chickens at different seasons of 
the year. Ventilators should be made at each end 
and at the highest point of this pigeon house. 
