1862 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Q61 
Containing a great variety of Items, including many 
good Hints and Suggestions which we give in small type 
and condensed form for want of space elsewhere. 
SPECIAL ATTENTION, is invited to 
the business notices in this paper. . Sundry General Pre¬ 
miums are offered on pages 281-2. Also some extra pre¬ 
miums of value at this time, page 288. Please note Straw¬ 
berry Premiums, Maps, etc. The offer of the remaining 
numbers of this year free will be a special stimulus to new 
subscribers, and assist in making up premium clubs. Mr. 
Judd will be home in season to take the general oversight- 
of the next issue of this journal, and after his respite, he 
will doubtless be able to add much to the spirit and inter¬ 
est of the future numbers. 
Note to Crop Kcporters.— We earnestly 
Invite all to fill out the September blanks, and with spec¬ 
ial care as the final reports for the year. These reports 
are the most reliable, and by far the most systematic and 
complete published in the world. They are looked to by 
dealers, by the general press of this country and abroad. 
They are of most use, however, to farmers themselves, 
as indicating the general yield of the different crops, and 
the probable prices. The September reports vary some¬ 
what from the previous month, in giving the results of 
the haying and harvesting. Please send them in prompt¬ 
ly on or before the 10th. We can not wait for those ar¬ 
riving after the 15th. 
Sir. Taylor’s Sale ami Letting- of 
Slieep, on September 3d, should not be forgotten amid 
the excitement of the draft and other war matters. The 
occasion will be one of interest both to those desiring to 
purchase or rent South Down Sheep, and to farmers gen¬ 
erally. In England, such sales and lotteries attract hun¬ 
dreds and even thousands of persons from all parts of th 
kingdom and from other countries. We hope to meet a 
large delegation of our readers on the steamboat which 
leaves the foot of Robinson-street at 9 A.M., on the day of 
sale. For particulars see advertisement on page 255, 
August Agriculturist. 
- • 
A Convention of Wool Growers of 
Vermont will be held on the fair ground at Rutland, Sept. 
9th. All interested in the production of wool are invited. 
American Foniologicnl Society.— 
The Biennial meeting'commencing Sept. 17, at Boston, 
will doubtless be attended by every grower and lover of 
fruit, who can possibly be present. This society has done 
much to improve the growth and quality of our fruit, and 
Is worthy of general co-operation. 
Employments for Women.— Mr. 
Judd, writing from Germany, says: “_I have noticed 
herefand indeed all through England, France, and Swit¬ 
zerland, that women fill very many stations occupied by 
men in our country, such for example, as clerks in all 
kinds of retail establishments, and in railway stations, etc., 
etc. I may say that the employment of women as clerks 
in shops, is the rule, the employment of men the excep¬ 
tion. The war, at best, will disturb the natural equaliza¬ 
tion of sexes; the European practice should and must 
come into vogue in our country, and at no time could the 
‘ reform ’ be better inaugurated than now, when a million 
or more men are away in the army.It will be well to 
invite suggestions on this subject for the columns of the 
Agriculturist. Let our journal, devoted as it is, in part, to 
the Household, do its share toward promoting the change.” 
Clinton Co., Mich., writes that last Autumn he set aside 
a small portion of a wheat field, and drilled in the seed in 
rows 8 inches apart, and hoed it in Spring, but that at 
harvest it yielded almost nothing, while the rest of the 
field gave a good crop. We can only account for the fail¬ 
ure by supposing that the earth was disturbed or heaped 
up too much around the roots. It is worth while to make 
another trial, and only hoe enough to kill any weeds that 
may grow. Whether salt or lime, or both, may be useful 
on your soil, may be best determined by trial on a plot by 
the side of another without the application. 
Variegated. Plants.—“ L. W. S.,” Me. 
You can procure them of any of the larger nurserymen 
and florists, here or in Boston. Flower seeds like the 
Drummond Phlox, Pansies, Mignonette, etc., require 
very close watching to save them. 
Treatment of Potato Seeds.— W. C. 
Comstock, Fairfield Co., Conn. Either dry the potato 
balls, and rub the seed out, or mash and wash them. 
Keep in dry place, and sow as other seeds in the Spring, 
covering with half-inch fine soil. The yield will be pota¬ 
toes of the size of marbles. It takes two or three years 
for them to attain size and character. 
Fancifully Colored Fruit.— C. S. Rust. 
You will be able to fasten the paper in which the designs 
are cut, which you wish to have photographed (drawn by 
light) on the fruit, by using sheets large enough to envel¬ 
op the apple or pear, and tying it securely about the stem, 
and also below the fruit. Let us know how you succeed. 
A Cistern as an Ice-Vault.—“ J. C. 
C,” of N. Y., has a cistern 9 feet in diameter, and 9 feet 
to crown of arch, which he wishes to use as an ice- 
closet, and asks if it will hold ice enough to keep through 
the season, and how to proceed to secure the least waste. 
We think that amount of good clear ice would keep if in 
large and solid blocks, well packed, while at a low tem¬ 
perature, and surrounded with a lining of straw, or per¬ 
haps of clean saw-dust, 8 inches to a foot thick, a pipe 
being provided, through which to drain off or pump out 
the water from the melting ice. Such an ice-closet 
would doubtless furnish a cool place for keeping meats, 
fruits, and other perishable articles, in hot weather. 
Will! Flowers of Wisconsin.— The 
preserved flowers received from A. Hitchcock, of Greene 
Co., Wis., are: (1 ) Phlox bifida ; (2) Polemonmm rep- 
tans, Greek-valerian; (3) Castilleja coccinea, painted 
cup, (red,) and the variety lutea (yellow); (4) Lithosper- 
mum canescens, Alkonet; (5) Loniccra Jlava, yellow hon¬ 
eysuckle ; (6) Phlox divaricata. They are all pretty, and 
worthy of cultivation. 
A Bare Peony that does not Flow¬ 
er.— Root-pruning might help it. If very vigorous, divide 
it, and make new plants. Work in lime or wood ashes. 
Flowering Plants in Cellars.— “De¬ 
lia.” All you need to do is to keep them in a dormant 
state. For this purpose, give them no more water than 
is -just necessary to keep them from drying up, and keep 
them from all heat, like that from a neighboring furnace. 
Examine them once a fortnight. 
Hybrid Perpetual Hoses for tl»e 
lawn .- 11 E. G.” By your inquiry, you mean, wo sup¬ 
pose, those which are of moderate growth, and arc there¬ 
fore better suited for a bed co the lawn, than the tall 
growers would be. We recommend Giant of Battles, 
Pius Ninth, Due D’Aumale, Baron Haller, Dr. Arnul, 
Baron Provost, Compte de Paris, Jules Margottin, Wm. 
Jessie, Mad. Laffay, Mad. Rions, Duchess of Sutherland. 
Geraniums Bloom Year after Year. 
—Dr. J. V. Riggs, Schenectady Co., N. Y. The gerani¬ 
um is a perennial, and the same plant will bloom for 
many years; but in your latitude, and indeed in any lati¬ 
tude where subject to freezing, they require to be kept in 
a green-house, or in the cellar during winter. We have 
frequently kept them in the cellar, setting them in pots or 
boxes of earth, in autumn. Young plants, however, are 
most desirable, and these are easily propagated. The 
cuttings or trimmings, or small pieces of them, will take 
root and grow readily when stuck into the soil and kept 
gently watered, and shaded for a few days. Your fine 
varieties may thus be rapidly multiplied. 
Dwarfing- Pears, etc.—“ Utah.” The 
dwarfing is occasioned by the smaller capacity of the 
quince roots—or other stock used for this purpose—to af¬ 
ford nourishment. Pruning only keeps the head in the 
desired shape. Roots sometimes strike from the pear 
above the quince stock, increasing the size of the tree, 
Soil for Cranberries.—“ B.” Cumberland, 
R. I. Soil of the nature of beach sand is best for cran¬ 
berries. The soil you describe—muck, underlaid by put¬ 
ty-like clay—is not suitable. By removing the top sod 
and substituting beach sand, if the plot can be properly 
overflowed, you may perhaps secure tolerable success. 
To Keep Chestnuts.— Chestnuts may be 
kept in an ice-house for an indefinite time as fresh as 
when first gathered. 
Best Hlauure lor Strawberries.—C. 
S. Rust, Oswego Co., N. Y. On some soils strawber¬ 
ries do pretty well without manure. Muck, leaves, old 
sods, etc., composted 6 months with barn-yard manure, 
are the best. Guano serves as a temporary stimulant, 
used on land previously manured, but its effects are not 
lasting. Wood ashes are excellent, added to the soil, 
especially if the land be heavy or damp. 
Green Blackberries.— Not the green, 
unripe fruit, but deliciously sweet and delicately formed 
berries, of a pea-green color, very distinct from the 
“ white ” sort, are exhibited at the Agriculturist office by 
Dr. Clowes of this City, who found them growing wild 
in Westchester Co. In shape they are long and tapering, 
and of medium size. 
Cull irate Blackberries.— Letters from 
“Young Farmer” of Pa., and “ J. W.” of Ohio, and one 
or two others, indicate that the spirit of the article on 
Blackberries (page 241) was not fully understood. The 
aim of our associate evidently was to enforce more care 
in the culture and training of the plants. The Agricul¬ 
turist has continually, and still does, advise every family 
to have its plot of cultivated blackberries. The editor of 
this paper first brought in.to general notice the New-Ro- 
chelle yariety, and has labored to extend its culture, though 
without a penny’s interest in the sale of plants. Our own 
experience and observation is, that after strawberries, a 
plot of ground can not be turned to better account than 
to fit it well, plant it with improved blackberries, and cul¬ 
tivate and train them carefully. Thousands of families 
who have followed our advice, are just at this season 
luxuriating in an abundant supply of this pleasant and 
healthful fruit. 
Piiflj for Bleeding Grape Vines.— 
“ N. N. H.,” Ill., pames this as a remedy. Rub the putty 
against the grain of the wood, or bind on with a cloth. 
Coal Ashes lor Peach Trees .— 11 J. O. 
S.,” of Northampton Co., Pa., affirms that sifted coal 
ashes spread around under his peach trees to the depth 
of 5 or 6 inches, and a wash of whale oil soap applied to 
the trunks twice a year, have proved of great benefit. 
Clubbing to Equalize the Draft.— 
If of five men subject to draft, only one is taken by lot, 
the other four ought to share with him in some way. The 
following agreement, signed by about twenty of our ac¬ 
quaintances, seems to be the right thing, and we present it 
to the readers of the Agriculturist as worthy of imitation: 
“We, the undersigned, do mutually covenant and agree 
that, in case one or more of us be drafted to do military duty 
in the war now waging, and the person or persons so drafted 
choose to procure a substitW- — - - —■-■ —— 
share equally the cost of such 
and L do said S mmtary r duty°we! 
undersigned, will 
drafted choose 
--, will p..., 
lubstitute, di¬ 
viding the cost equally between us. And we hereby appoint 
r tlie names ot three persons are here inserted] an Executive 
Committee, whose duty it shall be to decide what price shall 
war; to collect and disburse, and make assessmen 
cide all questions that may arise in executing the provisions 
of this agreenient. This covenant made and signed this 11H - 
day of August, 1862. As witness oar hands.” 
Ciilllvatilig, Wheat.— John Waiting, of 
Auricula.—“ J. L.,” Mich. This flower is 
common enough among florists and amateurs, but Is not 
yet popularized in this country, though it deserves to be. 
Trailing Plant for a Vase .— 11 D. S.” 
The periwinkle, (often called myrtle, improperly,) will 
not answer well in your vase, exposed as that is to the 
sun, and where it will seldom get watered. Some persons 
use the verbena, petunia, lobelia gracilis, and even scarlet 
geraniums. But one of the simplest and prettiest things 
is the Moneywort, (Lysimachia nummularia,) which 
needs watering only once a week or ten days, and whose 
trailing habit is similar to that of the periwinkle. For a 
symmetrical, classic vase, standing on a terrace or para¬ 
pet, no plant is so suitable as the Century-plant. If you 
have a large, handsome vase, set on an appropriate pedes¬ 
tal, the upper rim of the vase just level with the eye of 
the spectator, put no plant in it. It is designed for a 
piece of sculpture, and should not be degraded into a 
flower-pot. 
The Dwarfs.- Barnum is not all humbug. 
Since cracking the famous Nutt, (the Commodore,) 
people have everywhere accused him of having 
revamped Tom Thumb. To silence such cavilers, 
Mr. Barnum has now brought Gen. Tom Thumb and 
Commodore Nutt both together in the Museum, where 
any doubter can see them side by side. The Commodore 
has our vote as the smallest and smartest little man. 
Gen. Thumb has latterly too much the air of a self-satis¬ 
fied, corpulent Englishman, to suit our democratic notion. 
Curie*! Leaf in the Peach Tree.— 
A. R. Ashton, Burlington Co., N. J. We have seen no 
satisfactory explanation, and put it down with the potato 
rot, until further developments. 
Worms in Plums.— Mrs. D. F. Newton, 
Alleghany Co., N. Y. The worms hatching in the crescent 
shaped scars on the plums are caused by the curculio, or 
