70 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Mabch, . 
Sulphur to Prevent Potato Rot.- 
It is announced in Austria that carefully conducted ex¬ 
periments prove that sulphur put in the drills with pota¬ 
toes when planted, has prevented the rot to some extent, 
and besides, improved the flavor. 
Weeds a Remedy for Potato Mot. 
—A Delaware Farmer says he plants his potatoes as soon 
as the frost will permit, in Spring, tends them well until 
they bloom, but never disturbs them after that. Where 
the crab grass and other weeds cover the ground most 
effectually there are the fewest rotten potatoes, or rather 
no rotten ones. The yield is not always as good, but he 
finds his gain in this practice. He has always found the 
most rot on naked, dry spots, exposed to the sun. [Weeds 
or rot—the choice is a hard one.— Ed.] 
Potatoes—How am Extra crop was 
Raised.—Turnips.—J. B. F., of Hunterdon Co., 
N. J., writes to the Agriculturist that he had an extra 
crop of potatoes last year, thus: “ Manure was plowed 
under; the ground then harrowed and struck out with 
furrows 1)4 feet apart. The potatoes were cut 3 eyes to 
the piece, and the pieces placed 1 foot apart .in the drill; 
ashes were sprinkled on and then a covering of 4 inches 
of soil. When well up, the plow was run close to 
the row to throw the dirt away, and then it was thrown 
back again by running the plow the other way. This 
loosened the soil and admitted air and warmth. A week 
after, the cultivator was run between the rows. Just be¬ 
fore blossoming the double plowing was repeated. The 
planting was about April 15 ; the varieties, Mercers and 
Buckeyes, which mature before the rot takes place. At 
the last hoeing turnips were sown between the rows. I 
have also raised good crops of turnips sown among corn 
at the last hoeing—the flat and red top varieties grown 
thus often reaching 4 lbs. weight, and these stored in the 
cellar with a little dirt over them keep well for cattle un¬ 
til Spring.” [Like almost all records of experience sent 
to us, the above is defective in one or more items ; noth¬ 
ing is said of the kind of soil, nor of the kind or quality or 
amount of manure applied. All such particulars are es¬ 
sential to render one man’s experience fully useful to 
another.— Ed.] 
IPlamtlmg Potatoes.—Experiments by S. 
S. Gregory, Cuyahoga Co., 0., reported to the Agricul¬ 
turist indicate that when the seed is cut it will pay well 
to plant all the pieces flesh-side down. In his experiments 
a difference of nearly one fifth was obtained. 
Keeping Celery in Winter.—J. M., of 
Lancaster Co., Pa., communicates the following ex¬ 
periment to the American Agriculturist : I carefully 
lifted my celery with as much earth as would adhere 
to the roots, and set the plants close together, in the 
milk trough in my spring-house, and at once put in and 
have maintained about 6 inches water in the trough. The 
celery shows as much vigor of growth now (Jan. 15,) as 
before transplanting, being much larger now, than when 
it was dug up, bleached nicely, and the new growth is 
very fine and crisp, and of course is very conveniently- 
obtained for use. The spring house is built of stone and 
arched over with brick [and is doubtless dark.] 
Heading Cauliflower im the Cellar. 
A Constant Reader,” Albany, N. Y., writes to the 
*griculturist that oh the approach of the present Winter 
he found some thirty cauliflowers that had not matured. 
These he transplanted into soil in the cellar, putting them 
near together, with earth around the roots. They were 
watered occasionally, and every plant matured, producing 
as fine and large heads as he ever saw. [Not unusual.] 
Prolific Bumpkin Vine.—H. A. Terry, 
of Pottawatomie Co., Iowa, says he raised 42 cheese 
pumpkins upon a single vine from seed distributed last 
year by the Agriculturist. They averaged 18 lbs. each, 
making 756 lbs. from the single vine. The main vine and 
laterals measured 376 feet in length. We call that more 
than some pumpkins.” The soil must have been very 
rich naturally, if not artificially. 
Transplanting and Pinching To¬ 
matoes.— “ Gardener,” Lewiston, Me.—Do not shorten 
the tap root of tomatoes, but pinch back early plants when 
one foot high, just nipping off the top shoot. Cover early 
plants dunng cool nights with flower pots to force them. 
Hemlock Hedge.— 11 0. S.” The best way 
is to get your bushes from a nursery—they will be better 
plants, and be more Jikely to live. But if not convenient 
to do that, then try'this method: Having prepared the 
ground well all along the line of the proposed hedge, 
when the hemlocks begin to show little green tufts of new 
leaves on the tips of the boughs, go to the fields, (not to 
the dark woods,) taking along a sharp spade and some 
matting to cover the roots. Select small, bushy plants, 
not more than two feet high, cut a circle around each 
tree, eighteen inches or more from the stem, and lift the 
plant, soil and all, into the wagon, covering the exposed 
roots at once. When the wagon is full, lose no time in 
getting home and setting out the trees. Mulch them 
well, and the most, if not all of them will live and prosper. 
Evergreens for Cemetery Eotss.— 
G. R. N., Tolland Co., Conn. You will find nothing to 
answer your purpose better than Arbor vitae, it will bear 
trimming to almost any degree or form. Box, though 
hardy, needs to be protected, or the leaves will turn yel¬ 
low, and parts of the shrub will become naked or dead. 
Peach Trees Laid Downin Winter. 
—E. R. C., asks: “ Can peach trees in the open ground 
be so dwarfed as ]o be laid down and covered in Winter ?” 
It may be done, we suppose. The best way is proba¬ 
bly to form five straight branches'taken as near the 
ground as possible, and keep them closely pruned and tied 
down to stakes, so that the outer ends will rise but two or 
three feet above the ground according to the length. Mr. 
Camp, of Pennsylvania, has 30 trees laid down this Win¬ 
ter ; we have asked for his results after the next fruiting. 
Sowing* Apple Seeds.—J. H. C., Toledo, 
directs, in a communication to the American Agricultur¬ 
ist, to use seeds washed from unfermented cider pomace. 
Good seed is bright and plump. Sow in Spring or Fall, 
half an inch to an inch apart in rows an inch deep, and 
three and a half feet apart, in good warm land. If sown 
in Spring they should be mixed with sand and exposed on 
boards or in boxes to freezing. Keep the land clear of 
weeds and “ cultivate ” three or four times in a season. 
About one third of the plants will be ready to graft at one 
year old if they do well, and the balance at two years old. 
To Propagate the Mulberry.—W. M. 
S. The Morus multicaulis, and other varieties of the 
mulberry are propagated by layers and cuttings of single 
eyes or buds. They root readily in a moderate hot-bed. 
Fruit Trees by tlie Roadsides.— 
Zschokke somewhere puts words like these, in the mouth 
of an old mechanic, addressing his son who is on the point 
of leaving home, in search of work as a journeyman: 
“ If you come into a country where fruit trees are planted 
along the highways, there rest, my son. You are in a 
country where honest and sensible people live.” 
Pears-Varieties on :» Tree, etc.— 
Edwin Blosser, Middletown, Conn. There are no objec¬ 
tions to grafting several sorts upon one tree, except that 
a tree thus bearing several kinds rarely or never exhibits 
beauty of form; it grows one-sided or otherwise out of 
shape unless great care is taken to graft one kind on the 
lower limbs and another in the top—always having in 
view the size of the pears, the habit of growth, and the 
tendency of the fruit to fall. Mixing varieties may also 
make confusion in gathering the fruit. 
Hood RarlyPear|.—“J. K.”—Madeleine, 
ripens early in August; Bloodgood, in August; Osband’s 
Summer, do ; Dearborn’s Seedling, do; Doyenne d’Ete, 
do ; Rostiezer, early September ; Tyson, September. 
Barren Lemon Trees.—Mrs. Allen, 
Chautauqua Co., N. Y. Try the effect of getting a few 
cions or buds of a bearing tree, from some one growing 
them in a green-house, and bud or graft the barren'tree. 
Budding in June will probably be preferable. 
Tlie Austin Strawberry.—An Indiana 
subscriber sends an advertisement of this berry clipped 
from the Country Gentleman, and asks if the claims put 
forth are reliable. They are rather strong. The Austin 
Strawberry is large, and pretty productive, but not of the 
best flavor we think. Its greatest merit is that it fruits 
later than most other varieties, and therefore prolongs the 
season of this delicious crop. It answers very well, 
therefore, as one of an assortment in the garden. 
Strawberries, Beans.—R. F. C., Mich. 
The Black Prince strawberry does only tolerably in this 
country; other varieties surpass it as bearers. The beans 
taken from the crop of a wild goose are the prairie bean 
Phaseolus diversi/olius, common in Canada and the 
Northwest. 
The Green Rose.—“D. S.” Not of French, 
origin, as you suppose. Monsieur deserves the credit of 
originating most of our best roses, but he must not bear 
off this glory. A florist in Baltimore, (his name we do 
not recall,) first introduced it to the world, about eighteen 
years ago. An enterprising Philadelphia gardener soon 
sent it over to England and France, where it produced 
quite a sensation. The price, at first, was $2 50 a plant. 
Now, it is as cheap as other good roses. But we advise no 
one to buy it for its beauty. The flower is only semi¬ 
double, and the petals of a dirty pale-green. It is inter¬ 
esting only as a curiosity. 
Ten Fine June Roses.—“Alice.” You. 
will find the following excellent, though they do not by 
any means include all the first-rate Summer roses: Au- 
rette, blackish purple, medium size, globular and double. 
Cericette, bright red, double. George 4th, large, purplish 
crimson, double, but loose, very fine. Harrison’s Yellow, 
not fully double, but early and pretty. Persian Yellow, 
fine, golden yellow, double. Old Cabbage, needs no des¬ 
cription or praise. Luxembourgh Moss, bright red and 
mossy. Madonna Hardy, white, nearly double. Venus, 
white, with a delicate pink tinge, double. La Tourtenelle, 
the “dove-colored” rose. 
Skeletonizing- Riant s,—The simplest 
method is to select firm, perfect leaves of any kind, such 
as camellia, apple, pear, magnolia, ivy, jessamine ; steep 
the firmer varieties in hot water a few minutes, (this is 
not necessary with others) and then lay them in cold 
rain water, and keep them covered by it, for two or three 
weeks or even more, not changing the water. After this 
take them out one at a time, and laying them on a plate 
with a little water, by means of a camels’ hair pencil re¬ 
move the softened pulpy part of the leaf, when nothing but 
the fibers will be left. These should be perfectly freed 
from pulp even if another week’s soaking be required. 
Finally, bleach by laying the leaves in a liquid made by 
putting one tablespoonful of chloride of lime in a quart 
bottle of water, shake it well, and after it has stood some 
hours pour off the clear liquid for use. 
Worn Flowering- Wistaria.—Sarah Eld- 
ridge, Litchfield Co., Conn. If your Wistaria Sinensis is 
in an exposed situation, or where the sun starts the buds 
too early in Spring, lay it down in the Fall, and put it up 
late in Spring. Dig in a compost about the roots, and if 
the vine is old and feeble, cut back and train a new shoot. 
A Curious Hanging Basket.— Miss E. 
Slocum, of Fayette Co., Pa., sends the following descrip¬ 
tion to the American Agriculturist. Procure a large 
sized turnip, and scrape out the underside, leaving a pret¬ 
ty thick wall all around; fill the cavity with earth, and 
plant in it some climbing vine—cypress vine, or morning 
glory. Suspend the turnip with cords, and in a little 
time the vines will twine aroung the strings, and the tur¬ 
nips sprouting from below, will put forth leaves and 
stems that will turn upward, and curl gracefully around 
the base. 
Sewing- Machines.—Mrs. O. G. N., Dane 
Co., Wis., inquires about the truth of the statement that 
in many families sewing machines are laid aside as soon 
as the novelty wears off, and the needle resorted to. 
Should we open our columns to testimony of the constant 
and increasing use of these machines in families where 
they have been long used, there would be room for noth¬ 
ing else. In our own family we have had them in use for 
four years and prize them now more than ever. If a 
woman has no tact or accuracy, or ability to understand 
simple mechanical contrivances and effects, and is withal 
disinclined to work of any kind, she will probably neglect 
her sewing machine after the novelty is worn off. 
Milk for Bees.—In some of the Germany 
journals we see it stated that German Bee-keepers have 
found sweet fresh milk the best artificial food for bees. 
This is a new idea to us—not very plausible—and we 
leave experienced apiarians to condemn or approve.—En. 
Tunneling- for a Water Course.— 
John R. Thompson, Pendleton Co., Ky., asks the cost 
of making a smali tunnel through a limestone rock, 250 
yards. He has a stream, witli a fifty-foot fall in that 
case, available to run a mill above the banks of the Lick¬ 
ing River. It is to be noted that no man has a right to 
tap a stream which flows through other men’s lands and 
not return the water to the same stream again. The 
tunneling will cost under the most favorable circum¬ 
stances scarcely less than $3 a foot and may cost $10. If 
the rock be soft and easily worked with the pick and 
bar, the expense will be least; he may have to use pow¬ 
der for every foot he advances. The tunnel ought to be 
commenced at each end in order to have good air; a hole 
2% or 3 feet wide, by 5 feet high would be as small as a 
man could work well. Picks, shovels, sledges, sets of 
drill borers, iron wedges, crow-bars, and barrows are the 
