4,12 
AME1UCAN AGrlllC ULT URIST. 
[November, 
a barrel, with earth enough to cover it, and place in 
a cellar where there is a furnace, or in a corner of 
the kitchen, and stalks will soon push. Those who 
have greenhouses may force them under the stages. 
Do not at any time allow the roots to get dry. 
Spinach in the climate of New York is oftener in¬ 
jured than helped by covering, as so much is put 
on as to cause decay. Still we prefer to cover, tak¬ 
ing care that the straw or marsh hay is very thin 
over the plants. It should not be covered until 
next month in this latitude. 
Cabbages should be left as late as may be, without 
being exposed to very heavy “black frosts.” No 
better mode of keeping is known than the rough 
one of laying them head down, and merely covering 
the leaves with earth. On the large scale they- are 
put down in beds 8 feet wide, and as long as con¬ 
venient, the soil turned to them with a plow, and 
the covering finished with a spade. For family use 
they may be set in a trench, the stems being cov¬ 
ered with earth, the heads covered with straw or 
leaves, and later, old hoards put over to shed the 
rain. All covering should be kept off until real 
freezing weather is at hand. 
Soft Cabbages, or those that have imperfectly 
headed, may be utilized by a little trouble, and be 
very acceptable next spring. A trench is dug, of 
convenient width, and deep enough to hold the 
cabbages when set out in it, so that their heads will 
be below the surface of the ground. Some of the 
top soil is thrown into the trench, and the soft 
heads set in this as close as they will stand. The 
trench is covered with boards, arranged to shed 
rain, and over this a covering of litter. The ends 
are kept open for ventilation, until really cold 
weather, when they are covered, and earth put on 
over the whole. We have seen cabbages, soft and 
worthless when put in, come out of the trench hard, 
crisp, and well flavored as could be desired. 
Celery , after being banked up with earth to its 
full hight, may be left there if covered with suffi¬ 
cient leaves or litter to keep it from frost. But it 
is usually placed in trenches 8 or 10 inches wide, 
and as deep as the plants require. The celery is 
set in as close as it will stand, and when cold 
weather comes, it is gradually covered with leaves 
or litter, until the covering is 6 or 8 inches thick. 
We find that laying boards over this, makes it more 
convenient to get at the celery in winter. For im¬ 
mediate use, or in small quantities for families, it 
may be placed in narrow boxes, not over 10 inches 
wide, and a little lower than the celery, and as long 
as desirable. A few inches of sand or earth are 
placed on the bottom of the box, and the celery 
stacked in it, the same as in trenches. The boxes 
should be in a cool cellar, for in a warm one growth 
will start, and the stalks become hollow. 
Cold-Frames. —With novices the trouble is that 
they suppose cold-frames are for growing plants, 
while they are intended to keep them perfectly 
dormant all winter. There is more danger of 
killing by too much coddling, than of killing by 
freezing. In the climate of New York, they rarely 
require sashes at night until the end of the month, 
and none at all in the day time. If started: into 
growth, they will be very sure to be injured by se¬ 
vere cold. When the thermometer is at 30° out- 
, ide, the sashes are to be removed altogether, and 
>3ven when as low as at 10° or 15°, the plants must 
be aired by tilting the sash. at the upper end. 
Flower tiiardcu and Lawn. 
The work here, as elsewhere, will be preparation 
for winter, and nearly all the most important mat¬ 
ters are referred to in last month’s Notes. 
Keeping is a very comprehensive term, and in¬ 
cludes whatever is needed for the neatness and 
good order of the grounds. In our mild autumns, 
especially when the snow holds off, the lawn and 
ornamental grounds generally, may be kept in an 
enjoyable condition. Even in absence of flowers, 
there should be an attractive variety of 
Evergreens, in which there is not only a pleasing 
diversity of form, but of color, and these should be 
planted with reference to their winter effect. Be¬ 
tween the dark green of the Y ews, and the light 
color of Itetinispora plumosa aurea, are intermediate 
shades that may be contrasted with excellent effect. 
Bedding with Evergreens, as practised by Prof. 
Sargent, is described in “ Notes from the Pines,” 
(on page 430). This may be modified by those who 
will take the trouble, in a very pleasing manner, by 
keeping a set of evergreens in pots—subjects from 
a foot to four or five feet high. These are to he 
kept plunged during the summer, where they will 
be watered, if needed, and when a conspicuous bed 
on the lawn is cleared of its summer bedding stuff, 
it may be filled with these potted evergreens, and 
be a most attractive decoration, especially if placed 
in view from the windows of the living room. We 
have often referred to the 
Golden Retinispora, or Retinispora plumosa aurea, 
which is an excellent plant for bedding effects. It 
may be grown from cuttings with the greatest ease 
—only give it time—adapts itself readily to pot cul¬ 
ture, and whether as an edging less than a foot 
high, or a well formed plant of six or more feet, is 
simply charming. Its yellow is not so bright in 
winter, as in spring, but still of a sufficiently yel¬ 
low color, to warrant the name “ golden.” Young 
Hemlocks, and the dwarf forms of Norway Spruce 
are cheap kinds that may be easily managed in pots. 
Leaves should be raked up from the lawn, as be¬ 
sides their littery appearance, they are too valuable 
to be scattered by the wind, and carried perhaps to 
the public road, or to a neighbor’s grounds. A 
good gardener can never have too many leaves. 
Winter Protection is often overdone. We see now 
but little of the old bundling of half-hardy shrubs 
in an envelope of straw, put on as compactly, and 
wound around as tightly, as if the plant was to 
cross the ocean. Evergreen boughs, stuck around 
the plants, or in the absence of these, common pea 
brush, with marsh-hay worked in among it, will 
generally give sufficient protection, and avoid the 
loss from smothering that attends close covering. 
Leaves or Litter may be put over the roots of 
plants of doubtful hardiness, and if leaves are used, 
they may be kept from blowing away by a mere 
sprinkling of earth. 
Tender Bulbs and Roots should all be in a place of 
safety, and half-hardy plants lifted and placed in 
pots or boxes, to be put in winter quarters. 
A Cellar, Pit, or Cave, one or the other, will serve 
in the place of a greenhouse for many plants used 
for summer decoration. The cellar should be only 
so warm as to avoid freezing, and if a pit is used, it 
should have ample drainage. We have seen an ar¬ 
tificial cave, made in a hill side, answer admirably 
for wintering such plants as were to be kept in a 
dormant state and protected from frost. 
Lit'ccnheusic and Window I’lnuls, 
Whole pages might be written on the management 
of greenhouse plants, and our limits allow us only 
to hint at the essential points needed to be observed 
by those who manage their own small greenhouse, 
or a few plants in the windows. One who has a 
greenhouse should have some standard work, such 
as Henderson’s “ Practical Floriculture, ” to aid him 
in the treatment of particular plants. Whether in 
the greenhouse or in the window, there should be a 
Gradual Transition from free air to artificial heat, 
and all sudden changes avoided. Generally this 
month, while personal comfort requires a fire in the 
room, the plants do not need it, and it will be all 
the better if they can be kept at the window" of a 
room without a fire, and where air can be given 
freely. While all should be ready to give fire-heat 
when needed, the plants in the greenhouse should 
be kept without it so long as it is safe to do so ; by 
closing the house early in the afternoon, the tem¬ 
perature may be kept from going too lbw at night. 
House Plants. —Dust, insects, dry air, and over¬ 
watering, are the principal difficulties they have to 
contend with. By arranging some light covering 
to put over them while the room is being swept, 
and an occasional syringing in the bath-tub, kitchen 
sink, or elsewhere, supplemented by sponging the' 
leaves of all smooth-leaved plants, this great enemy 
to plant health may be kept under. 
Insects may be mainly kept off by hand-picking 
and a brush; if needed, apply tobacco water, or 
arrange a box or barrel in which they may be 
thoroughly fumigated with tobacco smoke. 
Dry Air can only be overcome by providing on 
the stove, or in the furnace, for the abundant evap¬ 
oration of water. There are but few days in win¬ 
ter when fresh air from without may not be let into 
the room, for a while at midday, but a cold current 
should never fall directly upon the plants. 
Over-watering kills more plants than dryness. Pots 
in the house, especially the handsome glazed ones, 
should be provided with abundant drainage—bro¬ 
ken pots, cinders, oyster-shells, anything to make 
an open layer at the bottom ; then a layer of mos6, 
to keep the earth from washing down, and then a 
soil made so open by sand that it will always allow 
the water to pass through. With these precautions 
there is no danger, but where the surface of the 
soil is muddy an hour after watering, there is some¬ 
thing wrong, and plants will not thrive. 
Plants taken up from the garden, should have 
time to rest and recover, and need at first very lit¬ 
tle water. Those to be forced, such as Deutzia, 
Perennial Candy-tuft, and others, had better remain 
in a cool cellar or a pit until January. 
Bulbs for forcing, if not already potted, should 
be put in at once, as they need to be kept dark and 
cool for 6 or 8 weeks to form roots and give a 
strong bloom. 
Commercial Matters—Market Prices. 
The following condensed, comprehensive tables, care¬ 
fully prepared specially for the American Agriculturist, 
from our daily record during the year, show at a glance 
the transactions for the month ending Oct. 12th, 1877, 
and for the corresponding mouth last year: 
1. TUANSAUTIONS AT TUB NSW YOltK J1AILKKTS. 
Reoeitts. Flour. Wheal. Corn. Hue. Harlem. Oats. 
20 tl’s this )n’t.li4()3,000 4,118,000 3,410,000 329,000 974,000 1,107,000 
27 d’s last m’tli315,000 3,104,000 3,763,000 201,000 107,000 1,214,000 
Sacks. Flour. Wheal. Corn. Hue. Harley. Oats. 
20 d’s this ni'M>44l,000 5,913,000 4,851,000 437,000 353.000 1,329,000 
27 d’s last niTli369,000 5,476,000 5,649,000 374,000 91,000 1,349,000 
2. Comparison with, same period at this time last year. 
Ukokipts. Flour. Wheat. Corn. Rue. Burley. Oats. 
20 days 1877..403,000 4,118,000 8,419,000 329,000 974,000'1,107,000 
26 days 1876..327,000 2,211,000 3,714,000 185,000 384,000 1,503,000 
Sat.ks. Flour. Wheat. Corn. live. Barley■ Oats. 
20 daj's 1877..441,000 5,913,000 4,851,000 437,000 353,000 1,329.000 
26 days 1876. .359,000 2,189,000 8,821,000 167,000 178,000 1,419,000 
3. Stock of grain in store at New York. 
Wheat. Corn. Rye. Barley. Oats. Malt. 
bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. 
Oct. 8,1877.. 283.698 2,975,828 28,526 69,046 881,326 370,166 
Sept 10,1S77.. 247,803 2,049,885 87,2 U 24,409 723,478 359,181 
Aug. 6, 1877.. 162,325 320,094 22,615 11,595 576,090 252,869 
May 7, 1871.. 761,686 468,809 193,016 174,375 347,881 291,654 
Feb. 7, 1877.-3,083,819 2,302,261 314,142 671.114 956,114 388.605 
.Tan. 8, 1877. .3,663,010 3,077,504 341,750 905,615 1,088,104 425,406 
Dec. 11,1876. .3,110.283 3,385,554 218.841 873,310 1,182,322 512.041 
Aug. 7, 1876. .2,831,299 904,557 94,960 53,914 1,232,895 434,208 
Apr. 10, 1876..3,893,014 232,140 68,429 200,381 706,282 436,942 
Jan. 10, 1876..5,S02,293 663,982 100,741 325,191 1,0S0,300 307,438 
4. Exports.from New York. Jan. 1. to Oct. 10. 
Flour. Wheat. Corn. Bye. Harley. Oats. Peas. 
bbls. bush. bush, bush— bush. bush. bush. 
1877.1,005,215 10,620,803 18,982,240 1.632,309 80 ,237 156,940 190.792 
1376.1,517.090 20,121,369 14,245,477 816,174 39,392 460,481 470,880- 
1815.1,442,211 20,631,499 10,760,680 154,510 225 104,323 240,882 
5. Tide-water Receipts at Albany, from opening of nav¬ 
igation to Oct. 8 th : 
Flour. Wheat. Corn. Bye. Harley. Oats. Malt. 
bbls. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. bush. 
1877.. 7,100 4,021.800 18.342,400 709,200 839,300 2,309,800 518.300 
1876.. 19.800 8,090,100 7,175,700 491.100 396,600 2,231,400 560.600 
1875. .77,600 13,459,200 6,608,300 102,000 551,400 1,305,200 596,300 
Gold lias been up to 104, and down to 102%@102% on 
Oct. 9, closing Oe\ 12, at 103, as against 103% on Sept. 
12; 105J4 on Aug. 11; 105% oil July 12; 104% on June 12 ; 
107% on May 12; 105% on April 12 ; 104% on March 12; 
100 on January 12 ; and 111% on the 14th of August, 1870. 
....The business in Breadstuffs has been quite brisk, 
during the month under review, and values, on the whole, 
have been very well supported, all the circumstances 
considered, especially in view of the freer arrivals from 
the interior, and the depression in gold. The export 
movement has been on a more liberal scale, in Flour, 
Wheat, and Corn, particularly in Flour and Wheat; and 
has been fair also in Rye. Barley and Oats have likewise 
been in request for shipment to Europe. Barley, most¬ 
ly of Canada product, for the English market; and Oats 
for England and France. Manipulations of the Wheat 
market, in connection with September and October con¬ 
tracts, especially for New York No. 2 Red, in the inter¬ 
est of speculative operators, seriously impeded legiti¬ 
mate trading. At the extreme close, the advantage as to 
prices was rather in favor of purchasers... .Cotton has 
been more freely dealt in, and has been quoted dearer, 
though leaving off somewhat weaker_Provisions at¬ 
tracted more attention, for home use and export, at 
stronger but irregular prices....Hay, Hops, and Seeds, 
