302 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
covered with scales, which give a cone-like ap¬ 
pearance to the plant, and suggest the botan¬ 
ical name. The upper scales bear flowers in 
their axils. The plant when young is usually 
yellowish, but later in the season it becomes 
brownish. In autumn, another related plant, 
the Beech-drops, may be found abundant in 
beech woods. In England there are several 
representatives of this family, some of which 
injure lucern, clover, and other crops. 
Summer Propagation. 
The nurserymen propagate large stocks of 
certain shrubs in summer, and it offers to the 
amateur an easy method of multiplying his 
shrubs. There are many enthusiastic growers 
of plants who never try to propagate them, as 
they think that for this there is required some 
art or knowledge beyond their reach. It is true 
there are some “hard subjects” that tax the in¬ 
genuity of the most experienced gardener, 
while, on the other hand, there is a large class 
of plants that maybe multiplied with the great¬ 
est ease. For summer propagation we need a 
moist atmosphere and shade; these can be best 
secured by means of an ordinary hot-bed or 
cold-frame, the glass being coated with common 
whitewash or whitening and skimmed milk. If 
this does not furnish shade enough, a straw mat 
or some evergreen boughs may be laid over 
during the hottest part of the day. In the ab¬ 
sence of sash, a lath frame covered with cotton 
cloth will answer a good purpose, and we have 
used common grocers’ boxes, without top or 
bottom, with a cloth tacked over, with good 
results. The soil of the bed should be very 
poor and sandy, or pure sand may be used. In 
such a bed as this cuttings of the just ripening 
shools of most of our ornamental shrubs will 
root readily. Weigelas, Deutzias, Hydrangeas, 
Roses, and a great many other things can be 
multiplied with but little trouble. Cuttings of 
the just hardening wood of three or four joints 
are put into the sand, which is to be pressed 
firmly about them. The sand is kept moist by 
proper watering, and air given when the sun is 
very hot. As soon as the cuttings strike root 
they are to be removed to good soil, where they 
can be shaded until they become well estab¬ 
lished. A bed of this kind will be found very 
useful for striking cuttings of such plants as are 
to be kept iu the house over winter. Vigorous 
young plants of Geraniums, Verbenas, Cupliea 
(Cigar-plant), etc., will generally give much 
greater satisfaction than old plants that are 
potted after having been in the open border all 
summer. Those who have never tried it will 
be surprised to find how many nice plants for 
themselves, or to give away to their friends, 
will come out of a propagating bed like this. 
Retinispora Pisifera Aurea 
Don’t be startled at the name, as it belongs 
to one of the most charming shrubs or trees in 
existence, and we fear that just on account of 
its name alone it will for a long time remain 
confined to the collections of the few, instead 
of being, as it should be, as well known and as 
popular as the Box or Arbor-Vitae. Retinispora 
is a genus of Japanese Evergreens related to the 
Cypress. The name means resin and seed , as 
the seeds have a coaling of resin. If we were 
to give a free translation of the name by which 
the tree is known in the catalogues and the one 
given at the head of this article, it would be 
“The Golden Pea-bearing, Resin-seeded Japan¬ 
ese Cypress,” which in the way of length, at 
least, would be no improvement on the nursery¬ 
men’s name. We know of no objections to 
calling the Retinispora the Japanese Cypress, 
or perhaps the native Japanese name, Hinoka, 
might do,and the “Golden Hinoka” would not 
be a bad name under which to popularize a 
most valuable tree. But enough of names— 
save that we every day wish that there was 
some way in which a uniformity of common 
names could be secured. A few years ago we 
called attention to this Retinispora, but ours 
went with all its beautiful companions in the 
disastrous winter of 1871-72. With the frealci- 
ness that everywhere characterized the injury 
to evergreens, this variety remained perfectly 
hardy in the vicinity of Boston, and we recently 
saw some flue effects produced by it in the 
grounds of Mr. H. II. Hunnewell at Wellesley, 
and Prof. C. S. Sargent at Brookline. The 
Golden Retinispora is probably never a very 
large tree, the tallest we have seen being not 
more than five or six feet high. Its foliage is 
exceedingly fine and feathery, and its color a 
very lively yellow. Some green is intermixed 
with the yellow, but all the newer growth well 
merits the name “golden.” It has several ad¬ 
vantages over most yellow-leaved evergreens, 
not the least of which is that it holds its color 
in the coldest weather, and is as bright and 
chedry in mid-winter as at any other time. 
Many variegated evergreens are at their best 
for only a short time, and as soon as their new 
growth acquires age they become dull. We 
have before advocated the use of evergreens of 
various shades for the formation of beds for 
winter ornament. Iu the latitude of Hew York 
at least, take it for several*years in succession, 
the ground is bare for much more time than it 
is covered, and beds of low evergreens of well 
contrasted colors can be made to produce pleas¬ 
ant effects. Plants may be kept in pots in a 
reserve ground to be plunged in the beds from 
which the frost has cleared away the Coleuses 
and such bright-leaved plants. For this pur¬ 
pose this Retinispora will answer admirably. 
It is very easy of propagation, rooting readily 
from cuttings, and it is exceedingly manage¬ 
able, and can be kept as dwarf as one chooses. 
We hope that our good word for the “ Golden 
Hinoka” will induce our nurserymen to com¬ 
mend it to the public as its merits deserve. 
Notes from the Pines. 
This is, so to speak, discouraging. I write 
the first week in July, and we have not had 
since some now unforgotten date in May rain 
enough to wet the soil more than an inch down. 
After several years of accumulation I expected 
that this year would bring me fine results iu the 
way of flowers and fruit. But what the winter 
did not kill the drouth has baked. No matter 
what rains may come hereafter, the majority of 
things are burned, dwarfed, and stunted beyond 
remedy. Rose-buds baked hard before they 
could open, and strawberries cooked upon the 
vines. Yet in Georgia, our friend Berckmaus 
writes, they have had an excess of rain, so 
much as to cause the ripening peaches to decay. 
Grafting must have fared badly this spring. 
In teaching Master Eddie to graft, I boastfully 
remarked that I never had a graft fail. He can 
now retort that as large a proportion of his 
succeeded as there did of mine. After the 
buds had started many of them dried off. 
Succulents, at all events, like this weather ; 
and when I am disheartened I can turn to my 
borders and rock-bed of Sedums, Sempervivums, 
and Cactuses and take comfort. When Sedums 
and Sempervivums—Live-forevers and House- 
leeks—become better known I fancy they will 
be very popular. The Sedums present a great 
variety, from the tall Maximum to the dwarf 
and moss-like Corsicum, and in a large collec¬ 
tion there will be some in flower from early 
spring until frost comes. The Sempervivums do 
not flower so freely, but their rosettes of leaves 
are so pleasing that I prefer that they should 
not flower. Nothing can be more interesting 
than the cobwebby species, such as Sedum arach- 
noidnm , S. tomentosum, and S. Laggeri, all of 
which form handsome, dense rosettes of leaves; 
and these are connected by a growth of 
minute hairs that looks like a dense cobweb. 
Both Sedums and Sempervivums will grow in 
poor soil, endure any amount of drouth, and 
while the flowers of all are pleasing, some are 
decidedly showy, and many of them have a de¬ 
lightful fragrance. While the flower-garden 
lias been almost ruined by heat and dryness the 
Vegetable Garden has fared but Tittle 
better. Peas that were sown early have mil¬ 
dewed just as late-sown ones are apt to do, and 
those that should have grown three feet high 
stopped at half that distance. This dry spell 
is very injurious to biennial roots that were 
sown early. The drouth has given the plants a 
rest something equal to that which they get in 
winter. When wet weather comes they will 
make their second growth, and many will throw 
up flower-stalks. I notice that even the slight 
rains that have fallen recently have made salsify, 
scorzonera, and scolymus push their flower- 
buds. To get useful roots these must be re¬ 
moved as soon as they appear. It is the case 
with me, and I suppose with many others, that 
a large share of the June sowings have failed, 
and the crops that we depend upon to supply 
the table through the late summer and autumn 
months are mainly missing. It becomes an im¬ 
portant matter to consider 
What can we Sow in August to make 
up this deficiency? It is often the case that 
the season has its compensations, and when 
untoward at one end it is unusually favorable 
at the other. So, if one is willing to risk the 
seeds and labor, he may, by sowing out of sea¬ 
son, stand a chance of getting a sat isfactory crop. 
Bush-beans are quite safe for a late crop, and 
some of the earliest peas may be tried. Kohl 
rabi will in a favorable season get to an eatable 
size before frost. Spinach will come on rapidly, 
and may be sown for fall use, but it is too early 
to put in the winter crop. Ruta-bagas may be 
sown early, and the flat turnips late in the 
month. Then those who care to do so can 
begin the round of radishes, cress, lettuce, etc. 
Patience with Seeds is something the 
amateur has need to practice. While some seed 
will come up in a week, more or less, others 
like to take their time about it. I keep a frame 
for fall-sown and another for spring-sown seeds. 
These are simply cold frames, and the seeds 
are sown in shallow boxes. I sow herbaceous 
perennials, such as Columbines, Pentstemons, 
Dodecatheons, and the like soon after they are 
gathered. Plants appear in a few weeks, and 
by cold weather they are strong enough to sus¬ 
tain themselves through the winter by the aid 
of a covering of leaves. When winter has fairly 
set in the frame is filled up with leaves, and the 
sash put on to keep out an excess of rain. 
During warm spells in winter the sash is raised 
