I860 ] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 14 < 
years growth, and works upward, feeding upon 
the juices of the vine, and leaving a web behind 
it where it has finished its destruction. The vines 
have the appearance of the “ fire blight.” It 
comes soon after blossoming, and seems to visit 
the yard in patches, wholly destroying some spots 
and leaving others untouched. 
The cranberry worm is very similar to the ap¬ 
ple worm, and by some is thought to be identi¬ 
cal. It attacks the fruit in the same way. Flood¬ 
ing is often resorted to, to prevent this, but with 
only partial success. No effectual remedy has 
as yet been discovered. 
The rot also sometimes makes its appearance, 
but is much less troublesome than the insects. 
It is most likely to affect those spots which are 
lowest in the yard, where the water is stagnant. 
This is probably the cause of the disease, and 
the remedy is easy of application. The yards that 
are kept flowed in Winter, and surface drained in 
Summer, are most free from all these enemies. 
'Comparative profits of the Upland and Swamp 
Culture. —While it is conceded that this fruit will 
grow upon upland, and that good crops can be 
obtained, especially with the Bell variety, it is 
only at the expense of much labor and nursing. 
The plant is not entirely at home there. Its na¬ 
tive place is in the lowlands and swamps where 
water and peat are abundant. The great crops 
are raised upon these lands, and at very little ex¬ 
pense for cultivation after the plants are estab¬ 
lished. It is only in cases where lowlands are 
not to he had, and in the way of garden cultiva¬ 
tion for family use, that we can advise the plant¬ 
ing of cranberries upon upland. We know that 
persons who have had tolerable success in the 
dry cultivation, and have plants to sell, differ 
from us in this opinion. Our convictions are the 
result of impartial observation, and will pass for 
what they are worth. As advised at present, we 
can only counsel our readers to make planta¬ 
tions o«n any large scale, upon the soils where the 
fruit grows naturally. On swamp lands, especi¬ 
ally if they can be flowed in the Winter, say from 
November to April, they may reasonably expect 
success, and a generous reward for their labor. 
The demand for the fruit is already far beyond the 
supply, and is likely to keep ahead of it, for the 
next twenty years. Ifthe price should fall a lit¬ 
tle, it would still be a good business. We have 
no particular solicitude for Fungus and his house¬ 
hold, but for the sake of Merriweather the car¬ 
penter, and Jones the farmer, we should like to 
see cranberries more abundant in market. 
How to stop the Apple Borer. 
.Some who have adopted the plan of shutting 
him out, have put on coal tar, or oil, and killed 
their trees. It is well known that this insect 
makes his attacks just at the surface of the 
ground, and if this part can be guarded in any 
way, the tree is preserved. The following plan 
is adopted by some fruit growers with great suc¬ 
cess. A piece of six-penny cotton cloth, about a 
foot in length, is wrapped around the body of the 
tree, extending a few inches above and below the 
surface of the ground, and fastened either by 
sowing or tying. The insect, finding this check 
to her operations, goes to unprotected trees to 
deposit her eggs. The cost is not over a cent fbr 
a tree for the cloth, and if this is too expen¬ 
sive, thick brown paper will answer as goqd a 
purpose for a single season ; even newspapers will 
answer. This remedy is perfectly safe, and if 
effectual, it will remove one of the most formi- 
dab'o obstacles in the way of growing apples, 
quinces, and peaches. The latter part of May is 
a proper time to put on the wrappers. Some 
growers effectually protect both apple and peach 
trees, by banking them up with earth the last of 
May, and removing it in September. The insect 
is thus shut out from the tender bark around the 
collar of the tree,where it usually deposits its eggs. 
Visit to the Kew Gardens...-II. 
( Concluded from page 113 .) 
“Please to show us some of them plants 
what lives on Aair,” says a raw-bred Englishman 
following in our train. Yes, yes, says the direc¬ 
tor, but wait awhile. 
From this place, we passed on to the Orchid 
House where we saw many plants “ that feed on 
Ziair,” some of them attached to branches of wood, 
some in wire baskets, some in the husks of cocoa- 
nuts, and suspended from the rafters, living and 
flourishing, apparently on heat and moisture. 
But now, we are tired out, and must sit down 
and complete our visit by studying the last Report 
of the Director. He says: “This Garden is 
especially intended to be the means of introdu¬ 
cing new, rare, and useful plants, and dispersing 
them through our own and other countries, and 
to give an impulse to nurseries and persons trad¬ 
ing in exotic plants. Collectors have been sent 
out into all parts of the world, to obtain and send 
home whatever would be of value here. The di¬ 
rector also carries on an extensive correspond¬ 
ence with intelligent persons of every country. 
We have been aided in our work by the public 
and private services of individuals and companies, 
in conveying our collections to and from the East 
and West free of expense.” The Report speaks 
of several new things lately received—such as 
the Tussack-grass from the Falkland Isles, already 
proved valuable in Scotland and Ireland ; the 
Chinese grass, useful in making caiico ; the Af¬ 
rican Teak-tree, excellent for ship-building ; the 
Huon-pine, from Van Dieman’s island, proved to 
be a hardy and beautiful conifer; a hardy palm, 
from China; hardy rhododendrons from the Him¬ 
alaya mountains, etc , etc. 
The Report adds : “ There is not a respectable 
nurseryman in the Kingdom, who has not profited 
by the riches of Kew, and is not willing to make 
us presents in return.” Within four years, there 
were sent out— 
1. To botanical gardens on Continent. 1,132 living plants. 
2 . “ “ in England. 1,153 “ 
3. “ Nurserymen and private gardens.17, 616 “ 
4. Seeds collected and distributed. 4,819 packages. 
The number of papers of seeds received from 
abroad we do not learn. As we have before seen, 
these Royal gardens are for the public enjoy¬ 
ment and profit. And to show how the public 
appreciate them, take the following, from the 
Record of Visitors . 
In 1841, the visitors numbered 9,174. 
In 1850, “ “ 179,627. 
In 1854, “ “ 400,000. 
The mass of these visitors come undoubtedly 
for health and recreation ; but many for horticul¬ 
tural and botanical study ; many for sketching 
trees and plants, to be worked up into landscapes, 
or designs for manufactured goods. The annual 
grant to this establishment from the government, 
is about S35.000, and it is well bestowed. Visi¬ 
tors are allowed free access, but they have to 
conform to the rules. For instance, smoking, 
eating, drinking, or the carrying of provisions for 
lunches, or packages of any kind inside the gates, 
is absolutely forbidden. Children without guar¬ 
dians are excluded. No flowers or plants may 
be touched without permission from the director, 
.. A 
But we have tarried in these famous Gardens 
a long while, and must now take a hasty leave, 
filled with admiration for “ the powers that be ’• 
in England, in furnishing such a rare and vast 
collection of things useful and beautiful. Well 
did a discriminating visitor from this country ob¬ 
serve : “No thoughtful individual can retire 
from this place without having had his mind en¬ 
larged and elevated . he will rejoice also that by 
the patronage of a wise government, these won¬ 
derful collections have been made, and by its 
discrimination there is appointed for their care 
the best man of the century.” 
We soberly consider a visit to Kew, of itself, 
worth a voyage across the Atlantic. Shall not 
our own country soon have a national garden, in 
fact, as well as in name 1 So may it be ! 
■ - -=> - - - - 
Two Curious Evergreens. 
1. The new Weeping Pine. Horticulturists 
abroad are much interested in this singular tree. 
It belongs to the family of our native white pine 
(Pinus Slrobux) but has a positively drooping 
habit. It originated in Europe about seven years 
ago, coming up accidentally among a lot of seed¬ 
lings of the white pine. For cemeteries, it is re¬ 
garded as peculiarly appropriate, and for certain 
positions in pleasure-grounds. We understand 
that it has been largely propagated during the 
past year, and will soon find its way here. 
2. The new Weeping Norway Spruce. This 
is a distinct variety or sport of the favorite Nor¬ 
way conifer. Those who have seen it, describe 
it as being almost as pendulous as the old weep¬ 
ing willow. It originated in Liverpool, among a 
lot of seedlings, and was sent to Dorchester,Mass., 
in a package of some three thousand small trees. 
Its peculiarities did not appear until a year or 
two after it was planted here. 
We have seen a photograph of the tree, and 
can assure our readers that it is a great curiosity. 
It is the property of Mr. Wales, near Dorchester, 
who, for some unexplained reason, has not yet 
allowed it to be propagated from. Perhaps, he 
is ambitious to be known as the sole proprietor 
of a very wonderful tree. We hope no accifient 
may befall it before a duplicate is obtained. 
More about that Oregon Tree. 
D. D. Prettyman, writing from Multnoma Co., 
Oregon, speaks of this evergreen tree, or rather 
shrub, as follows. The “ Wonderful tree of Ore¬ 
gon,” alluded to in a former number of the Agri¬ 
culturist, is a very pretty evergreen shrub, which 
bears a small red berry. It is here known as the 
“ Oregon Balm,” “Sweet Laurel,” “Wax Leaf 
Canathis,” and several other names. The leaf 
has a bright appearance, is sticky to the touch, 
and so sweet scented as to fill a large room with 
its odor when taken into it. I have transplanted 
a great many of the trees from their native local¬ 
ities, but have not succeeded in making any of 
them live, nor have I been able to raise them 
from seed. 
Remarks .—We advise another trial with the 
seeds, putting them in boxes of earth as soon as 
ripe, and planting in Spring. Also take up a few 
small plants with a ball of earth about the roots, 
and set them in a soil made as nearly like the 
original as possible. 
We have received from D. Whitworth, Wash¬ 
ington Territory, a description of the tree, cor¬ 
responding generally to the account given in Otif 
last number. Small trees sent by him are also 
on the way, and we may expect before long to 
have the claims of this stranger fairly tested. 
