36 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
fostering in them a love for rural occupations. This he 
did not by advice alone, but by example. His farm, his 
stock, and his garden, cultivated under his own eye and di¬ 
rection were models to be imitated. He thought it not 
unbecoming to serve as an active officer in both the Roy¬ 
al or National Agricultural and Horticultural Societies of 
England. To the Presidency of the former Society he 
was elected the past year, and he held a similar office in 
the latter Society for two or three years past. Since his 
death the Queen has requested that the Horticultural 
Gardens should be considered under her peculiar and 
personal patronage—a touching mark of respect for her 
deceased Consort. We are glad to know that prior to his 
death, Prince Albert exerted his utmost influence to quell 
the senseless clamor for war with America, and counsel¬ 
led peace with a great agricultural people to whom he was 
attached by kindred tastes, and national courtesy. We 
regard with pleasure the banner which was suspended 
across the street in front of the Agriculturist Office, on 
the occasion of the visit of the Prince of Wales, on which 
is inscribed, “Welcome to the SON of England’s 
Noblest Patron of Agriculture.” We had hoped 
during the coming Summer to in person pay our respects 
to the father, and examine for ourselves the farm and 
garden under his supervision. But that can not now be. 
Training' the Currant.—D. S. Yes, it 
can be trained, and to good advantage. You may let it 
grow up into a scrubby bush, with a dozen stems from 
the ground; but in that case, you must make a desperate 
effort every other spring, and cut out the old wood. It is 
preferable to make a miniature tree of each plant, and 
trim and shape it like a handsome pear-tree. Or, if you 
want variety, you may train it on a frame or trellis, 
spreading out, and about three feet high. By the last 
two methods, you will get larger, handsomer fruit. 
Apples from Seed.—H. Grundy, Macou¬ 
pin Co., Ill. Apple seeds will not produce the same va¬ 
rieties as planted. Seeds from good sorts are most likely 
to yield good apples. 
Dwarf Apple Trees.—The Country Gen¬ 
tleman recommends planting dwarfs on the Doucain 
stock 8 feet apart, and 6 feet on the still smalm'- Paradise 
stock, for garden culture. The latter will yield crops the 
second, and the former the third year from planting. 
Among the varieties most suitable for dwarfs are: Red 
Astrachan, Jersey Sweet, Porter, Baldwin, Dyer, Summer 
Rose, Benoni, Sweet Bough, Northern Spy, Twenty 
Ounce, Wagner, Early Strawberry, Fameuse, Canada 
Red, etc. All the above will need more or less pruning 
either in the top or side branches to preserve a good shape. 
Packing Grapes, Steadies, etc.— 
An English gardener who sends grapes and other tender 
fruit long distances, first covers the bottom of the boxes 
with wheat bran, then a layer of fruit carefully wrapped 
in soft paper, sifting in bran to fill the crevices, shaking 
the boxes a little and repeating this until the box is filled. 
Fruit packed in this way is said to bear long carriage 
without even losing the “ bloom,” which is most import¬ 
ant as its presence is proof of careful handling. 
Winter Dears.—“ Central New-York.”— 
Winter pears are not “ a humbug.” They often fail, but 
with proper care, will generally succeed. The fruit 
should be as well ripened as possible before gathering; 
therefore let it hang on the tree until just before hard 
frosts; then pick on a dry day, put in boxes or barrels in 
a cold cellar, and cover tightly. When the proper period 
for the ripening of each comes, take them from the cellar 
and put them in a warm closet, say ranging from 60° to 
70°. Keep in the dark, and they will slowly color up and 
become tender and juicy. As we write, the fine flavor of 
a Winter Nelis is on our tongue. Among the best sorts, 
we name : the Lawrence, Winter Nelis, Easter Beurre, 
Passe Colmar, Beurre d’Aremburg, and Vicar of Wink- 
field. Beurre d’Anjou ripening in November, is first-rate. 
Varieties of JPears tor am. Orchard. 
—“ Subscriber,” in Tioga Co., N. Y., asks what varieties 
of standard and dwarf pears we would advise planting 
for market use, ripening early and late, on 3 acres of land, 
setting the standards 20 feet apart, with dwarfs between 
them.This will take about 325 standards, and about 
three times as many dwarfs, or 975, planting them be¬ 
tween the standards each way, and setting a tree in the 
centre between each four standards. For the standards 
we would plant 10 each of Tyson, Madelaine, Beurre 
Superfin and Winter Nelis; 20 each of Rostiezer and 
Beurre Giffard ; 25 Fondante d’Automne ; 30 each of 
Lawrence and Beurre Clairgeau ; 58 Flemish Beauty, 
and 100 Bartlett. For the dwarfs we would take 25 each 
of Tyson, Kirtland, Doyenne d’Ete, Seckel, Doyenne 
d’Hiver Noveau, Flemish Beauty, Bartlett, Glout Mor- 
ceau, Henry IV., Napoleon, and Stevens Genesse ; 50 
each of Rostiezer, Duchess d’Angouleme,White Doyenne, 
Beurre Diel, Easter Beurre, Fondante d’Automne, 
Beurre Superfin, Beurre d’Anjou, Vicar of Winkfield 
and Winter Nelis, and 200 Louise Bonne de Jersey. * 
Pi-otecting Tender Vegetation.— 
(A. P.) During this month and the next, see to it that 
the trunks of tender trees arc slightly protected. Young 
pear trees, cherries and even apple trees a few years 
planted, are benefited by setting up a board on the south 
side of the trunk, to keep off the sun. Or, if you please, 
wind a thin band of straw around them. Examine your 
shrubbery and tender plants, and see if the heavy snows 
have not broken off their wrappings, or if the dogs, hens 
or rabbits have not scratched them off. These two 
months are the most trying of the year to tender vegeta- 
Bonkle Flowers.—A correspondent of the 
Agriculturist from Boston, states that from the same par¬ 
cel of seed he raised stock Gilliflowers, in 1858 almost all 
double; in 1859 half, and in 1860 two thirds were single. 
The reason is obvious. It is an excess of vital force exer¬ 
cised in a given direction that makes a double flower— 
where this excessive vitality is lost, we might expect the 
flower to be single, and so it is. It is interesting in this 
connection to note that this loss of vital force which ob¬ 
tains should increase the ability to bear seed. 
Pooa- House-plants.—(Jane.) Your 
trouble arises from too dry an atmosphere. A coal fire is 
worse than a wood fire for plants. Suppose you try, 
next year, a collection of Cactus plants. They are odd 
if not pretty; and they will stand heat and dryness, with¬ 
out wincing. The Epiphyllums and Cereus sections have 
magnificent flowers. Try the Aloes. They have quite a 
tropical look, and only need an occasional sponging. 
Can’t you put a few of your fine plants under glass shades ? 
Castor ©il Beam.—H. A. Curtis, Portage 
Co., O., is informed that the Castor Oil is made from the 
seed, called a bean (seed list, 111,) produced by this plant. 
There are certain dwarf varieties for garden and green¬ 
house culture, which so far as we know, are neither more 
productive nor earlier than the common kind. The oil is 
simply expressed and subsequently purified. Probably 
in Portage Co., 0.,the culture would not be profitable. 
Dili ekweedR. W. Tell your friend that 
chickweed is an annual plant. It grows from seed every 
year; so, if he does not let it go to seed, as soon as all 
the seeds in the ground have sprouted he will be troubled 
no more. Stir the ground often in hot dry weather. This 
will destroy the weed effectually. The culture of root 
crops and cabbages we would recommend if the ground 
is suitable and very full of seed. 
TSie Tap Root.—“William.” As to whether 
you should cut it off, will depend upon circumstances. 
“ When nature,” observes a writer, “puts a tap-root at 
the bottom of a tree, or a tail on the other end of a pig, 
she does it for some good purpose, and neither of them 
should be cut off without a valid reason.” As to the pig, 
we won’t debate, but as to trees, we know there are good 
reasons, at times, for amputating the tap-root. In seed¬ 
lings standing in nursery rows, the central roots shoot 
down strong and deep, and must be cut off early, if we 
ever expect to transplant the trees. It is so with the oak 
in a remarkable degree. Cut off the tap-root when the 
tree is small, and a new set of horizontal roots will be 
formed, with many forks and numberless small roots and 
spongioles. And then, the transplanting will be easy, 
and the living quite a sure matter. 
To Prevent Swelters.—R. M. S. Keep 
the soil loose and clean; apply in early spring unleached 
wood ashes and bone earth ; and cut off the suckers with 
a sharp knife as soon as they appear. 
Rape Seed. ©il.-^-Why, asks a German 
subscriber, is not Rape grown as a field crop in this 
country, where spring frosts are not very heavy? I do 
not envy the Pennsylvanians for having discovered the 
coal oil fountains, for I can not get used to that oil. I 
want the pure, clear oil from winter Rape seed, which 
is without odor, and gives a soft, beautiful light. In Ger¬ 
many many of our large farmers pay their high rents 
from the sale of rape seed and wool alone. 
Keeping' Seed Peas from Bugs.—P. 
Hammer, of Boyd Co., Ky., writes: “Put the peas in 
bags, and for every quart add two handfuls of fresh wood 
ashes. Shake the bags well, and keep in a dry place. I 
have tried this several years, and the peas have atways 
remained as sound and fresh after a year as when first 
put up, and no bugs or weevils were found in them.’ 
We think they must have been free from bugs when put 
up, for the eggs from which the bugs hatch, are laid in the 
peas when growing in the pods. The dry ashes around 
them would hardly prevent the development of the bugs 
inside the kernels, where they grow, and come out to 
multiply usually after the peas are grown. 
Cotton Seed—A Caution.—The interest 
awakened in reference to the culture of cotton in the 
Southern tier of the Middle States, is already leading to 
speculation in the seed; and, according to the newspapers, 
Government has appointed an agent to procure seed at 
Port Royal, and distribute it through the West. Large 
quantities of Sea-Island Cotton are being brought to this 
City before ginning, (cleaning from the seed.) so that 
there will be plenty of this kind of seed. But we will re¬ 
mind the readers of the Agriculturist that the Sea-Island 
cotton can not be cultivated, with hope of a crop, away 
from the sea-board, and there only in particular localities. 
Tiie “ Upland Cotton” as it is called, is the kind to ex¬ 
periment with. The two kinds of seed are very readily 
distinguished. The Sea-Island seed is nearly black, and 
has a smooth, naked shell, except a small tuft of cotton, 
hardly larger than a pin-head, on the small end—with 
sometimes a very little on the other end, and along one 
side. The Upland seed, on the contrary, is of a brown 
or chocolate color, and is completely covered with a mass 
of short cotton fiber which adheres so firmly as to require 
scraping with a knife to remove it. We have for some 
years distributed small parcels of cotton seed to grow as 
an ornamental plant, as both kinds will generally bloom 
in this latitude and even further north, under favorable 
circumstances. We put in each paper a few of the Sea- 
Island seeds to give greater variety of bloom. 
How to Germinate Seeds.—S. McC., 
Nemaha City, N. T. Locust seeds ought to germinate 
without difficulty if planted early. If they do not, sow 
with sand, in a shallow box, and set the box in a sunny 
place, in the ground, top even with the surface. The 
freezing and thawing will prepare them to germinate in 
early Spring, when they may be planted. This, it will be 
seen, is Nature’s way of doing the same thing. For the 
currant and gooseberry seeds, do likewise, except that 
the boxes should be in a sunless place—like the north side 
of a fence. If exposed to the sun they may germinate in 
Winter, and so lose their vitality before Spring. Some¬ 
times we have induced germination in inert seeds by 
swelling them in very dilute, clear bleaching-powder wa¬ 
ter, about 24 hours. Weak “ Chloride of Soda” solution 
would do as well. 
Seed mot Injured l»y Freezing.~G. 
E. Wheeler, Fond du Lac, Minn. When well dried 
seeds are not injured by freezing in a dry room. 
Basket Willow—Time fbr Cutting-, 
etc.—S. C. Cut while the bark will yet peel easily, but 
not till the year’s growth is about made, as the better the 
wood is ripened the better the quality of the osiers. T lie 
best time, in this latitude, is usually in September, or pos¬ 
sibly a little earlier. New-York is the best market. Of 
the price at this time, it is difficult to speak, because there 
have been few sales of the article since the war com¬ 
menced. At retail, in small quantities, four cents per 
pound may be considered the current price. Until the 
war is over, farmers may do better with other crops. 
Dealers say that much depends upon the quality, and 
that machine peeled osiers are worth little or nothing. 
Grape Roots growing into Mortar. 
—Hiram Tarbox, of Windham Co., Conn., communicates 
to the American Agriculturist the following interesting 
fact from his own experience. In a cold grapery, in which 
three years ago, a pier for a hot-water pipe was laid in 
clean white mortar of sand and common lime, and at the 
surface a flat stone was put on, a black Hamburg grape 
vine was set about two feet distant. The roots extend¬ 
ed to and actually grew into the mortar, filling it literally 
full of fibers. The mortar was of course kept a little 
damp below the surface. This would indicate that grape 
roots are fond of, or stimulated to active growth by lime. 
Tlie Prettiest Climbing Plants.— 
“ Clara.” The question involves too large a reply for our 
Basket. In a month or two more, we will say something 
at length on the subject. Meanwhile, a word or two. 
TheMaurandias, pink, white and blue, are favorites, with 
us. The Madeira vine is a very pretty thing in its foliage, 
the flowers come quite late, and are small, but very fra¬ 
grant. Cobaea scandens is a wonderfully rapid grower. 
The Nasturtiums are desirable for the latter part of «um- 
mer _for fruit (pickles), as well as beautiful for -doom. 
Phaseolus multiflorus should not be discarded. Of course 
the various colored Morning Glory is familiar to you. 
