1870.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
4r21 
Indian has a peep-hole in the shoulders of the 
skin, and the rear one has a look-out place in 
the flank, from which he can shoot his arrows. 
By this ruse several animals of a herd are killed 
before their suspicions are aroused. Fig. 5 il¬ 
lustrates moose-hunting in winter; here the 
THE CHASTE-TREE.- 
-(Vitex Agmis-castus.) 
savage upon Snow-shoes is able to overtake the 
usually fleet animal, which can now make but 
slow progress, as its small hoofs sink through 
the crusted snow at every step. In fig. 6 is 
given a manner of deer hunting, practised by 
both whites and Indians. The deer, being pur¬ 
sued, takes to the water to escape. Though a 
good swimmer, it is no match for a good oars¬ 
man. The animal being overtaken, one of the 
hunters catches it by the tail and holds it, while 
the other dispatches it by a bullet through the 
head. The holding is necessary, otherwise the 
deer would sink upon being shot. We have 
never participated in this kind of limiting with*- 
out feeling that the deer had not a fair chance. 
The Chaste-Tree. —(Vitex Agnus-castus.) 
If our readers share our love for old plants, 
we present in the Chaste-tree one long enough 
known to satisfy the warmest lover of antiquity 
in plants. It has been in cultivation in England 
for two hundred years, and its use in the festi¬ 
vals of the ancient Greeks is mentioned by Pliny. 
Aside from its historical associations the shrub, 
—for it is not a tree—has in itself, much to 
commend it. The foliage is pleasing, and its 
flowers have the merit of appearing late in the 
season when there are but few shrubs in bloom. 
Our plant flowered this season late in Septem¬ 
ber, but in less favorable seasons it does not 
bloom until October. The flowers are borne in 
interrupted, slender spikes at the ends of the 
shoots of the present season’s growth. They 
are purplish-blue, and have a rather agreeable 
fragrance, while the odor of the leaves is not 
very pleasant. The engraving shows the flow¬ 
ers and leaves 
reduced about 
one-half in size. 
The fruit is a 
small four-celled 
nut, which is 
rather peppery, 
and to which, 
in former times, 
various medical 
virtues were at¬ 
tributed, but in 
common with 
many similar 
things they have 
long ago passed 
out of use. The 
Chaste-tree is a 
native of the 
shores of the Me¬ 
diterranean, and 
is with us some¬ 
what tender, and 
the shoots are 
partly winter- 
killed, but not 
enough to injure 
the vitality of the 
plant. Mr. Mee¬ 
han informed us 
that his plants, 
in the more fa¬ 
vorable climate 
of Philadelphia, 
were cut back iu 
a similar man¬ 
ner. The shrub 
belongs to the 
Verbena family, 
of which it is the 
only woody rep¬ 
resentative that 
is hardy—or rather half-hardy, in our cli¬ 
mate. It is propagated by cuttings and by lay¬ 
ers. There are several other species of Vitex, 
but they are greenhouse or hot-house plants. 
removed each year. Still, in many situations, 
this would be of little matter. We do not know 
if it is as much disposed to spread as our species. 
It is altogether a very pleasing shrub, and we are 
glad that Mr. Chorlton has brought it over and 
given us an opportunity to make it better known. 
A Double-flowering Blackberry. 
The common Blackberry, or Bramble of Eu¬ 
rope, Rubus fruticosus , is a strong-growing, 
erect species, with hooked prickles, and bears 
a small fruit which is but little prized. It has 
given rise to several varieties, differing in their 
foliage, and the color of their fruit, and two, 
in which the flowers are double. The double 
white and pink varieties are very old, and we 
suppose that on this account they are seldom 
seen in gardens. Mr. Wm. Chorlton, of Staten 
Island, a lover of fine plants, whether new or 
old, last spring brought us specimens, which 
were so pleasing that we had the engraving 
made from them which we here present. The 
specimens were completely covered with blos¬ 
soms which looked like miniature roses. The 
double brambles are valued in England, as they 
will thrive where more delicate, ornamental 
plants cannot be made to grow; and they make 
themselves at home at the roots of trees, and in 
rocky places, and are used to train against walls, 
etc. They have one disadvantage for some 
ornamental purposes; like our native species, 
the stem is biennial, and the old wood must be 
THE nOUBLE-FLOWERING BLACKBERRY. 
A variety of this species, with divided leaves, 
is the Rubus laciniatus of the catalogues, and 
sometimes cultivated under the name of Cut¬ 
leaved and Parsley-leaved Blackberry. Auother 
double variety of Blackberry is the well-known 
Bridal Rose, which is Rubus roscefolius, with 
double flowers. It is a greenhouse species, 
and comes from Mauritius. Specimens of 
Wilson’s Early Blackberry have sometimes 
shown a tendency to produce double flowers. 
Plants for the Decoration of Agricultural 
Fairs. 
BY PETER HENDERSON. 
I have this fall been written to by over a doz¬ 
en managers and others interested in agricultur¬ 
al fairs, asking if plants suitable for decorating 
the horticultural department could not be sent 
to their exhibitions. Unless the distance is very 
short, it would not be practicable to send those 
plants best suited for the purpose. The Coleus¬ 
es, Caladiums, Cannas, and such ornamental¬ 
leaved plants as are of tropical origin, being 
of large size, are easily injured by drying winds 
and by chafing against each other, and could not 
be shipped to any distance without their beauty 
being seriously marred. The growing of plants 
for decorative purposes is exceedingly simple, 
and there is no reason why the most unpretend- 
