223 
1870.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
planted in pleasing contrast. When the first 
considerable snow melted away, I saw upon 
looking across a bed which had been used as a 
sort of reception room for odds and ends, a 
strip of green so fresh and so peculiar, that I at 
first did not recognize it. It stood where there 
had been a lot of ornamental grasses, all of 
which, but this, had long ago been cut down by 
the icy sickle (don’t print that icicle) of Jack 
Frost. This grass, Festuca glauca , stood up 
bright and fresh, as if it, on the whole, rather 
preferred cold weather. The leaves are stiff and 
wiry, make dense tufts, and have a peculiar 
pale bluisli-green,—a tint that would form a cap¬ 
ital contrast to almost any other shade of green. 
The plants came from a florist last spring in 
little pots, and last winter I saw it grown in 
another florist’s green-house. It is as hardy 
as an oak, and a real prize for winter beds. 
There are some Sedums too, well suited to this 
purpose, as are several low growing evergreens. 
The Rctinispora plumosa aurea , which friend 
Hoopes says is perfectly hardy, would afford a 
fine golden color for the winter bed. If it ever 
gets cheap enough to be used freely, it can be 
used with fine effect in contrast with the low 
growing evergreens with dark foliage. 
Inarching the Grape-vine. 
An enthusiastic amateur gives in the Horti¬ 
cultural Annual for 1870, an article on inarch¬ 
ing the grape. He finds that the Clinton and 
others of our native species, have much more 
vigorous and hardy roots than the exotic 
grapes; and he has in his extensive vinery a 
collection of the choicest foreign varieties in¬ 
arched upon natives. This method may be 
practised on out-door vines, in cases where we 
wish to get a feeble grower upon a strong root, 
or where we wish to fruit a new variety as soon 
as possible. In inarching, the plant that is to 
serve as a cion must be planted in a pot or box 
so as to be movable. The operation is per¬ 
formed in the open air in the early part of July. 
The vines to be operated upon being brought in¬ 
to convenient position, a slice from 2 to 4 inches 
in length is cut from stock and cion, cutting 
through nearly half their diameter. The slice 
is thickest in the center, and tapers to each end. 
If the branches operated on are small, no 
tongues are made; but if a quarter of an inch or 
more iu diameter, the cion may be tongued from 
below upwards , and the stock from above down¬ 
wards, and the two put together as shown in 
figure 2. A tie is placed above and one below 
the wound, which is then rather 
firmly bound with a strip of oil-silk, 
and over this is wrapped a strip of 
muslin. A few vine leaves are bound 
on to keep off the sun. The green 
shoots of the vine are very brittle at 
the nodes, or joints, and in opera¬ 
ting, care should be taken to avoid 
breaking them at these points. In 
about a month the union will have 
so far perfected that the muslin 
may be removed, and the oil-silk be 
cut by running a knife along the 
stock lengthwise, to allow the vine 
to increase in size. The oil-cloth 
is not removed, but the muslin is 
loosely replaced. At the end of six 
weeks all ties and bandages may be 
Fig. 2. removed. Three weeks or a mouth 
after operating, the growing ends upon the 
stock are pinched to direct the sap into the 
cion, and the growth of the stock kept checked 
by frequent pinching, but it is not cut away above 
the union until the wood has ripened. At the 
end of six weeks the cion is cut half through 
below the point of junction, and before the leaves 
commence falling it may be severed com¬ 
pletely. Figure 1 shows the union between 
the two vines perfected, and before the cion has 
been cut away from its own root. 
What Flowers will Grow in the Shade ? 
BT TETER HENDERSON. 
The question “What flowers will grow in the 
shade?” is put to me every spring by scores of 
city people, whose little patch which they wish 
to devote to flowers is so walled up by neighbor¬ 
ing houses, that the direct rays of the sun, never 
touch it. But few plants will develope their flow¬ 
ers there, and none will do it as well as if it were 
lighted up by sunshine a part of the day. Fuch¬ 
sias, Pansies, Forget-me-nots, Violets, Lobelias, 
Lily of the Valley, Phloxes, and other herba¬ 
ceous plants whose native habitat is shady wood, 
will do best, but even these languish if denied 
all direct sunlight. The best effect in such situa¬ 
tions is produced by ornamental-leaved plants, 
the beauty of which, is not dependent upon 
their flowers. Among these may be ranked the 
Gold and Silver Variegated leaved Geraniums, 
Achyranthes, Alternantheras, Begonias, Caladi- 
ums, Centaureas, Coleuses, etc., which, if planted 
so as to bring the various shades in contrast, 
produce a pleasing effect, which continues 
during the entire summer months, and is not 
surpassed by any display of flowers. 
The cultivator of flowers in rooms should 
understand the necessity of sunlight to plants 
that are to flower, and endeavor to get these 
as close as possible to a window having an east¬ 
ern or southern aspect. The higher the temper¬ 
ature, the more plants suffer for want of light. 
Many plants might remain in a temperature of 
40 degrees, in a cellar for example, away from 
direct light, for months without material injury, 
while if the cellar contained a furnace keeping a 
temperature of 70 degrees, they would all die; 
such would particularly be the case with plants 
of a half hardy nature, such as monthly Roses, 
Carnations, Fuchsias, etc. 
In our green-house culture of flowers, direct 
sunlight is an all important consideration; 
and a spell of sunless weather in midwinter is 
often a loss to us of hundreds of dollars, by 
preventing the development of flowers. Hence, 
we use every means at command to dispose the 
plants to secure the greatest amount of light. 
The debilitating effects of want of direct light 
on plants are well illustrated by taking a vigor¬ 
ous plant in full foliage and flower, that has 
been growing in the direct light of our green¬ 
house benches, and placing it under the bench. 
If the temperature is high—say 70 degrees, in 48 
hours, the sickly signs, showing want of light, 
"will be apparent to an experienced eye; in a 
week its condition would be such, as to indicate 
sickness to the most common observer; and 
in a month it would most likely be dead. 
In this respect, there is some analogy between 
plant and animal life, and it teaches us the im¬ 
portance of light for our own healthy develop¬ 
ment. Certain it is that our green-house and 
garden operatives will compare favorably with 
any other class of workman, as far as health is 
concerned. In the past twenty years, I have 
had an average of thirty workmen daily. During 
that time, but one has died, and two only, have 
been seriously sick, and some three or four 
veterans who are growing grey in the service, 
have never lost an hour. I doubt if it would be 
easy to find the same number of workmen em¬ 
ployed out of the sunlight , who could show 
such health as these sunbrowned boys of ours. 
• - ^ « - - - 
President Wilder and Charles Downing 
Strawberries. —There are two varieties of 
strawberry called President Wilder, and Charles 
Downing. The European President Wilder, 
was raised by De Jonghe, and the American 
one originated with Col. Wilder himself. The 
European Charles Downing is a seedling by De 
Jonghe and the American variety of that name 
was obtained by J. S. Downer of Kentucky. It 
is very unfortunate that this doubling of names 
should occur. According to pomological rules, 
the name first published with a description in a 
pomological work, takes the priority. This is a 
matter that will properly come before the com¬ 
mittee on synonyms of the Am. Pomological So¬ 
ciety. Those purchasing varieties with the above 
name, should ascertain whether they wish the 
American or European, and order accordingly. 
-«•-.-< » » —-- 
Fire Hot-beds. 
BT PETER HENDERSON. 
In the St. Louis Journal of Agriculture for 
February 24th, there is an article upon “ Fire 
Ilot-beds,” by E. A. Rheil, and in the Prairie 
Farmer Annual for 1870, Dr. E. S. Hull, of Al¬ 
ton, Ill., in an article on “ Propagating the 
Grape,” treats on the same subject. 
The plan, if I rightly understand the gentle¬ 
men, is, in substance, to run under the soil 
smoke or heated air flues from the furnace, at 
such distances apart as will heat the space of 
liot-bed wanted for planting or sowing upon, or 
to form the base on which to rear the super¬ 
structure of green-house or frame. Both writers 
fail to tell in what way the superstructure of 
glass is to be made ; they do not give the bight, 
and we are left to conjecture, whether they 
recommend a green-house or a hot-bed. If they 
intend a green-house, then if walking room is 
to be obtained inside, the bed must be too far 
from the glass for the health of the plants; if 
simply a hot-bed is intended, where access is 
had only by lifting the sashes outside, then all 
who have had experience know that it cannot 
be worked to advantage in the winter months. 
As to the economy of heat claimed for this 
method, I can only say that the soil around the 
