1865.1 
AMERICAN AQRICULTURIST. 
303 
whenever the tree-digger can be made to work fairly. 
No person, so far as I know, out of thousands, who have 
seen them work, or bought trees knowing them dug with 
the machine, but thinks their work perfection in its way.” 
Osag'e Oraiig'e Seed.—Letters continue 
to come asking where Osage Orange Seed may be had. 
We know of none for sale. Now that Texas,- the prin¬ 
cipal source of it is once more open to commerce, it is 
possible that, a part of the crop now ripening may find 
its way to market. There is no doubt that the dealers 
will advertise it as soon as they have any in store. 
Aiiotlsea* S8il>stitMte for I6ox. —“Orator 
Alsatii,” Washington, Pa., suggests as a good plant for 
garden edgings, the common Chives, or Gives, Allium 
SchcBnoprasum, figured and described in the Agriculturist 
for June, 1864.—He says : “ It is easily cultivated, easily 
trimmed, and is perejinial. It will grow in any soil and 
situation, is not subject to the attacks of any insect, is 
not liable to run like grass, keeps exceedingly clear of 
weeds, does not suffer from the extremest cold, is the 
very first green thing in spring, may be used as a substi¬ 
tute for parsley, or green onions, or both, in the absence 
of either, and, when in full blossom, make a very pretty 
show indeed. Plant in September, October, or March. 
Cut it close and often during the first summer, to insure 
its setting thickly and evenly, and after being cut once 
in the spring of its second year, it will produce a mass of 
flesh-colored blossoms, which will last a very long while.” 
Twenty Tlionsancl —Mr. Francis 
Brill, Newark, N. J., sent us an invitation to visit his 
lilies while they were in flower, remarking that “ such a 
sight was never seen before in this country, if in any 
other.”—We went, saw, and were convinced that Mr. 
Brill was q<»ile right. Just think of over an acre of 
Japan Lilies, each individual flower of which is an ob¬ 
ject of perfect beauty! Tiiere were all varieties of 
Lilium lancifohum, consisting in great part of album, 
rubrum and punctatum. There were, in less numbers, 
the newer varieties, Melpomene, of a beautiful dark crim¬ 
son and Monstrosum, a singular variety, bearing from 
30 to 50 flowers to the stalk, and others. 
Sailb Catalogjues.—We have received, in 
the order in which they are mentioned, bulb catalogues 
from the following dealers: J. M. Thorburn & Co., 15 
John St., N. Y. City; James Vick, Rochester, N. Y. 
(Illustrated); Henderson & Fleming, 67 Nassau St., N. 
Y. City ; B. K. Bliss, Springfield. Mass. (Illustrated). 
The prices, on account of tlie reduction in exchange, 
range much lower tlian those of last year. The bulbs of 
our city dealers (and we doubt not of those elsewhere) 
open in fine order, and are heavy, bright and sound. 
Colum'biiic Seeds Poisonous.—The 
London Gardeners’ Chronicle gives an account of the 
poisoning of a child by eating the seeds of the com¬ 
mon garden Columbine. The child lay in a nearly un¬ 
conscious state for several hours and recovereil the next 
day. The relatives of the Columbine : Monkshood and 
Larkspur, and even the common Buttercup, are all more 
or less acrid, but we rarely hear of evil results from them. 
Prize Plower Seed.—“M. C. E.,” Cleve- 
l.and, O., writes to know how florists are able to offer car¬ 
nation seed from “ prize flowers only.” We presume it 
really means that the seed is from the same stock with 
the flowers that took prizes. 
Keeping Hollyhocks, etc. —E. Gay¬ 
lord, Floyd Co., Iowa. Your bad success is owing to 
the fact that the Hollyhock is not really a perennial, and 
is very apt to die after flowering once. It may be con¬ 
tinued by dividing the plants when they have done flow¬ 
ering, and setting out the short branches which spring 
from near the roots, to make separate plants. The hardy 
perennials generally, will probably endure your winters 
if they have a good covering of littery manure. 
Seedlimg; Verheiias.—We understand that 
Air. Snow, the verbena fancier of Chickopee, Mass., has 
sold six of his new seedlings to a florist of this city for 
one hundred dollars. We note this as indicating that 
there is a ready sale for a really good novelty in flowers 
as well as among fruits. 
Sowiug Paklia Seedfs.—Several inquire 
what will be the result of sowing Dahlia seed. It will 
depend upon the “ strain ” the seed is from, as the florists 
say. Generally, many poor flowers, some tolerable ones 
and now and then a fine one, will be the result. From 
Its very uncertainty, it is an interesting culture to those 
who have the time for it. 
Eucalyptus resiiiifera.— B. Peters, Seott 
Co., Iowa. This is an Australian tree, which the Em¬ 
peror of France saw during his visit to Algiers. We 
doubt if it has been introduced near Paris. The seeds 
are not to be had here, and they would be of no use in 
your cold climate. 
Tall Coru.— B. C. Townsend, Esq., of Bay 
Ridge. L. I., has sent us some stalks of corn, which were 
raised from seed brought from Peru by the Hon. E. G. 
Squier. The stalks are 15 feet long, and have secondary 
or “ brace roots ” to the hight of 8 feet. The variety is 
not early enough for our climate, as it lias (Sept. 11th) 
but just tasseied, and shows no signs of ears. 
A Eiue Cakkage.— We have on our ex¬ 
hibition tables, from R. Criswell (sometimes called the 
great cabbage man of Long Island), a trimmed cabbage, 
weighing 22% lbs. Air. Criswell expects to ship 50 or 
60,000 to the ex-rebels this season. He has made some 
discoveries in preparing and packing cabbage for ship¬ 
ping, which he claims will cause them to keep longer 
than by the usual method. 
Iftadisli Culture.— Agnes Kemp, Blair Co., 
Pa. If you have tried for several years without success 
it is likely that the soil is cold and heavy, or otherwise 
unsuitable. A rich, warm, somewhat sandy soil is best. 
Am Early Kind of Sorg^kum.—“ W. S. 
D.,” of Montgomery Co., Ind., writes, asking about a 
variety of sorghum called “ Hoangho.” He says: “A 
variety in this neighborhood, represented to be of tliat 
kind, is a much better grower than any of the other kinds, 
starting after planting almost equal to corn. It is said 
to ripen much earlier than any other variety.” Does the 
“ Hoangho ” uniformly exhibit these qualities ? 
Currant "^Vorms, so very destructive to 
the currant bushes where they abound, eating off the 
leaves and stripping the buslies so thoroughly, that, un¬ 
less the fruit be all cut off, or stripped off and the canes 
cut back, the plants usually die, may be entirely destroyed 
by the use of White Hellebore (Veratrum album), in fine 
powder. A small particle of this falling upon the worm, 
will kill it at once, and if it only falls upon the upper 
side of leaves, upon the under sides of which tlie worms 
are feeding, they wilt all disappear within a few liours. 
A correspondent in Cazenovia has kept his bushes quite 
free in this way, and secured an abundance of fruit for a 
year or two past, while his neighbors have lost not only 
their fruit, but the bushes too. 
"Wkile and. fiSlack Hellekore. —In 
some of the published accounts of the use of White Hel¬ 
lebore to destroy the currant worm, it has been stated 
that the Black Hellebore would probably answer as well. 
This is a mistake, as the two plants are widely different, 
both in their botanical relations and tlieir medicinal 
effects. These plants are both natives of Europe, and 
the drug furnished by each is imported. It is highly 
probable that our native Veratrum viride, or American 
Hellebore, which is closely related to the White Helle¬ 
bore bot-anically and medicinally, would be efficacious as 
a poison for the currant worm. It is common in our 
swamps and has a strongly plaited leaf, which, when it 
first appears above ground in spring, is sometimes mis¬ 
taken for that of the skunk-cabbage. It is also known by 
the name of Indian Poke. A gentleman at Staten Island 
states, that he used White Hellebore upon his grape 
vines, and he thinks it injured the leaves. What is the 
experience of others ? 
Tke ®eatk of Sir Win. >3. Hooker.— 
Botanists and horticulturists will be pained, though per¬ 
haps not surprised to hear of the death of Sir William 
Jackson Hooker, who had reached the advanced age of 
80 years. He was best known to horticulturists as the 
director of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, near 
London, and the long time editor of the Botanical Alaga- 
zine. His botanical writings are numerous, and all 
working botanists are aware of their high value, which 
is enhanced by excellent illustrations from the facile 
pencil of their author. Sir William was knighted in 1836 
in recognition of his valuable services to botanical science. 
Tke Ag’riciiltwraS Hepartmemt.— 
The following appears in the Washington correspondence 
of one of our daily papers : “ Air. J. S. Grinnell, the ex¬ 
perienced chief clerk of the Agricultural Bureau, has 
been removed from that office by Commissioner Newton, 
and his place supplied by a Air. Stokes, nephew of the 
latter. The change thus made calls out considerable 
criticism, and will be generally reprobated by the large 
number of people who are personally acquainted with 
the merits of Air. Grinnell. It is stated that a large 
number of the leading agriculturists of the country have 
become so dissatisfied with the manner in which the 
affairs of the Agricultural Bureau are being supervised 
under the conduct of the present Commissioner, that a 
combined expression of disapproval of his further reten¬ 
tion in office is to he made at the agricultural fairs to be 
held during the present month.”-Tliis announeement 
will disgust, though it will not surprise, all who had 
any hope that the Department under its present inefficient 
head would be of any benefit to Agriculture. Mr. Grin¬ 
nell as chief clerk was one of a few connected with the 
“ thing,” who saved it from being utterly ridiculous and 
contemptible, and what good came of it, was mainly 
done by him in spite of the “ chief.” We wish that the 
President could be induced for a wliile to stop hearing 
speeclies from, and making speeches to, repentant rebels, 
and give loyal men a hearing. He would find clo.se at 
home matters that need a ileal of reconstructing. AA’hen 
Congress meets, we liope to see a committee appointed 
to investigate matters, and have them inquire of what 
use are tlie propagating gardens, except to Senators, and 
why an “experimental garden” is needed to furnish 
tomatoes and calibages to the kitchen of the While 
House. They might also inquire how many subordinates 
are on the sick list from being kept in unhealthy apart¬ 
ments, and how many assistants are kept, notwithstand¬ 
ing those they were appointed to “ assist,” protested that 
they were utterly incapable. Let us have a general house 
cleaning, or shut up altogether, or, as turtles will live 
without a head, decapitate, and let the boys run the shop. 
Secretaries of AgriciiStsEi-al Socie¬ 
ties. —Will you please remember that if you put the 
name of your State on your show bills and premium lists, 
it will aid materially in letting people know whereabouts 
in the United States your fair is to be held. A'ou may 
know perfectly well in what State your Counly is, but 
those at a distance are quite puzzled to know which 
among the many AVashingtons, Jacksons, Hamiltons 
and other Counties yours is. A friend recently wrote 
that he expected to see us at the Rhode Island Fair, 
which was the first intimation we had that there was to 
be a fair in that State. Our friends in little Rhor y can 
get up a good fair when they try—but they ought to let 
the rest of the world know about it. 
Agricailtiiral Colleges in tlie South. 
—The Agricultural College Land Act, passed in 1862, 
contained tlie provision that all the States that wished to 
avail themselves of its benefits should do so within two 
years after its passage. There were good reasons wdiy 
the Southern States could not accept and locate the land 
within these two years, and now that the obstacles no 
longer exist, the friends of agriculture at the South are 
looking about to see what can be done. We do not see 
that tliey can be helped, except by act of Congress, and 
we hope that at the proper time Congress will pass such 
an act, as will enable the Southern States to enjoy the 
benefits of the grant in common with the Northern Slates. 
Let friends of agriculture in Congress bear this in mind. 
B®rofessor Tiickei*—Am Ag'ricmltural 
mditoi' Appreciated.— A great many of the readers 
of the Agriculturist will be gratified to learn, that wliich 
has given the fraternity of agricultural editors much 
pleasure, namely : that Lutlier H. Tucker, Esq., of the 
Country Gentleman, has been appointed to the Chair of 
Agriculture at the Rutger’s College, New Brunswick, N. 
J., and will enter upon his duties the approaching winter. 
A New BSiom.'bmg'. —It is gratifying, in one 
sense, to receive a new humbug, as so many of the 
old lottery schemes have accumulated that we shall 
be obliged to sell them for paper stock. This new Alan- 
ifestation is called the Prophylactical .Star, and is a vile 
sheet. While it condemns some vice.s, it panders to 
others, and lias the editor’s quack medicine as the basis 
of the whole. How any sensible man can be taken in by 
such nonsense is past our comprehension. 
Iffow maisy 5mcli.es im a ISuskel.— 
The standard bushel of the United States contains 2150.4 
cubic inches. Tlie “ Imperial bushel ” is about 68 cubic 
inches larger, being 2218.192 cubic inches. Any box or 
measure, the contents of which are equal to 2150.4 cubic 
inches, will hold a bushel of grain. In measuring fruit, 
vegetables, coal and other similar substances, one fifth 
must be added. In other words, a peck-measure 5 times 
even full, make one bushel. The usual practice is “ to 
heap the measure.” In order to get on the fifth peck, 
measures must be heaped as long as what is to be 
measured'will lie on. 
A Emit House iii lietvoit.—We learn 
that a fruit preserving house has been erected in Detroit. 
We have heard nothing of late of thosfe it was proposed 
to build in New York. 
