AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
If the common mime of the plant is of obscure 
origin the botanical one, Polemonium reptans, 
is not less so, as Polemonium may he from a 
Greek word meaning war, from the name of 
King Polemon, while reptans is very absurd for 
a plant that was never known to creep. The 
plant forms a handsome clump, throwing up 
stems six inches to a foot in height, which bear 
along their sides compound leaves of seven to 
eleven leaflets and at their summit loose corymbs 
of small, nodding blue flowers. The engraving 
shows the upper portion of a flower-stem of the 
natural size. The usual color of the flowers is 
a light lively blue, and there are paler varieties, 
and some even with white flowers. It is an excel¬ 
lent old-fashioned plant, and worthy of a place 
in any collection of hardy border perennials. 
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“ Kyanizing ” Plant-Labels, etc. 
The following method of “Kyanizing” 
wooden labels that are to he used on trees or 
in exposed places is recommended in a German 
paper. Thoroughly soak the pieces of wood in 
a strong solution of copperas (sulphate of iron), 
then lay them, after they are dry, in lime water. 
This causes the formation of sulphate of lime, 
a very insoluble salt (gypsum) in the wood. The 
rapid destruction of labels by the weather is 
thus prevented. Bast, mats, twine, and other 
substances used in tying up or covering trees 
and plants, when treated in the same manner, 
are similarly preserved. 
At a recent meeting of a horticultural society 
in Berlin, Germany, wooden labels thus treated 
were shown which had been constantly exposed 
to the weather during two years without being 
affected therein’. 
Packing and Marketing Produce. 
BY J. It. IIELFRICH. 
QUINCES 
should be carefully picked, and when thor¬ 
oughly cooled off and dry packed in clean, new 
tight barrels. Put a layer of the finest in the 
bottom, lay on their sides and press close toge¬ 
ther; handle so as not to rub the bloom off; 
then partly fill and shake; continue until the 
barrel is so full as to require a screw or lever 
press to bring the head down to its place. Kail 
and line-hoop the head, and mark the other 
end as the one to be opened, with the consign- 
or’s name and also to whom consigned. Care 
should be taken to keep out all quinces that 
are specked or wormy. Assort and pack the 
sound ones according to size, marking them 
extra , first , and seconds. The wormy ones may 
be sent by themselves and marked culls. Those 
of first quality should he marked with the 
number of quinces in the barrel, also the vari¬ 
ety, as “Pear” or “Apple.” 
TURNIPS. 
The best variety for early is the Red-top Strap- 
leaf (Flat Dutch), as the small top of this vari¬ 
ety will keep fresh longer and, containing but 
little juice or water, does not ferment and heat 
as soon as those having larger tops. Turnips 
should be thoroughly washed in a brook or in 
large tubs, frequently changing the water, and 
the tap root cut off close to the turnip. Tie in 
bunches of seven, putting the largest in the 
center and the others around it; keep the bot¬ 
toms all even, and tie with strong bass, drawing 
the necks as tight as possible so they will not 
loosen in handling. After the outside moisture 
has dried off they may be packed in barrels 
that have been bored or cut on the sides to give 
ventilation. Place the turnips against the out¬ 
side and the tops towards the center of the bar¬ 
rel, and cover with coarse bagging or muslin. 
Mark the number of bunches, shipper’s name, 
and to whom consigned, on the cover. They 
are usually sold 105 bunches to the 100. They 
may be packed in crates holding from 200 to 
250 bunches covered and marked as for barrels. 
Ruta-bagas are also in demand. These are 
planted very early, and marketed about the 
same time as the white flat turnips. They should 
have the small roots trimmed off close, also the 
whole of the top, leaving none of it on as it 
would ferment and rot them. Ship in barrels 
covered with bagging or cloth. 
For the late fall and winter crop the tops and 
roots of all turnips are cut clean off,and the white 
flat ones should be washed clean, thoroughly 
dried, and put in barrels. Head up the bar¬ 
rels or cover with cloth. Ruta-bagas should 
be cut clean, top and bottom, but not washed. 
BEETS, CARROTS, AND PARSNIPS 
for early and near-by markets should be tied in 
hunches of seven, using bass strings. Tie at the 
neck, drawing tight, and keeping them flat and 
spread out fan-shape. Leave all the top on and 
wash clean. Pack in barrels, marking the num¬ 
ber of bunches on the cover and also the ship¬ 
per’s name. The barrels should be well cut to 
give air. They may be packed in bushel crates 
such as directed for tomatoes. They are usually 
sold 13 hunches to the dozen, or 104 for the 100. 
For fall and winter crops cut the top off close 
to the crown and wash clean. "When the out¬ 
side moisture is thoroughly dried off pack in 
barrels and cover with cloth or head. The bar¬ 
rels should be cut on the sides to give air. 
HORSE-RADISH 
should be laid evenly in barrels that are ven¬ 
tilated by cutting or boring several holes in the 
sides; it should he put up one hundred pounds, 
full weight, to the barrel. The roots should he 
sorted, putting the large straight ones by them¬ 
selves, the smaller roots being put up and 
marked as seconds. After digging the roots 
should be trimmed, taking off all side roots and 
cutting the tops off close to the crown; if any 
of the top is left on it will rot and spoil the 
roots. After trimming it should be well washed 
in clean water, and before packing thoroughly 
dried in the shade until freed from all outside 
moisture; if not dry when packed it will heat 
and soften and become worthless. It is sold 
by the barrel and also by weight. It can be 
sent off late in the fall as soon as dug, or may 
be trimmed and kept until mid-winter or spring 
by digging a long trench sufficient to hold the 
crop, about four feet wide and two feet deep, 
on rising ground where the water can not 
settle. Pile the roots in the trench in layers 
commencing at one end up to within about six 
inches of the top, and cover with earth; ridge 
up so as to keep the water out. When wanted, 
commence at one end, take out, wash thor¬ 
oughly, dry, and pack. In packing use clean 
barrels, the sides well cut, the barrels free from 
sugar, salt, or flour, as that would heat and 
spoil the roots; lay the roots straight, and put 
in 100 pounds to the barrel. 
Cost of Planting Trees. —Experiments 
which have been made recently at the Illinois 
Industrial University to test the cost of planting 
different varieties of forest trees, have given the 
following results, The amounts charged against 
the various species include the cost of the trees, 
as well as the cost of planting and cultivating 
one acre of ground occupied by them. The 
cost for each acre was as follows: 
Norwa}' Spruce.$190 04 
Green Ash. 161 38 
Chestnut. 152 98 
Austrian Pine. 149 36 
Scotcli Pine. 149 16 
White Maple. 145 78 
White Pine. 144 34 
Catalfa. 113 80 
Butternut. 99 94 
White Elm. 97 12 
White Ash . 69 16 
European Larch. 63 86 
White Wil.ow. 56 36 
Osage Orange. 46 08 
These are all more or less valuable trees for 
shade or for timber, and it is unquestionable 
that an acre of any of the above varieties 
planted at the above rates of cost would be a 
very paying investment in any locality. 
— ■ - ^-* , »- 
The Requisites of Cranberry Culture. 
Cranberries do not ripen more surely than 
our annual crop of letters comes to hand bring¬ 
ing various inquiries concerning their cultiva¬ 
tion. In order to cover the whole ground of 
cranberry culture, we a few 3 'ears ago published 
a work which should serve as a hand-hook to 
those who proposed to enter into the business. 
“ White’s Cranberry Culturist” (see our Book 
Lisi) is by a practical man, and altogether the 
most complete that has ever been offered. 
While we are willing to answer any queries 
upon the subject, it is not practicable in this, as 
in many other cases, to publish full treatises 
upon special cultures. The few who would 
undertake tobacco, hops, flax, cranberries, 
grapes, or any special crop, will find it a profi¬ 
table investment to procure at the outset a 
work especially devoted to the particular crop 
the}'’ propose to cultivate. It was the necessity 
for having fuller treatises than could be given 
in articles in the paper that first led 11 s into the 
book-publishing business, which from the issu¬ 
ing of a few pamphlets on special crops lias 
grown to the extent indicated by our book 
list. Most of the writers of letters relating to 
cranberries ask, without giving any especial ac¬ 
count of their localities, if we think they can 
go into the culture with a prospect of success. 
The requisites are few, but unless they are 
present we would not advise investing much 
money or labpr in cranberry culture. First a 
peat soil—nil the better if the peat is underlaid 
with sand at a depth at which it can be turned 
up by the plow. If the peat is too deep for 
this then there must be, second, sand at hand, so 
that the peat can be covered with it at a mod¬ 
erate expense. Third, facilities for drainage, 
so that the water level may be under the con¬ 
trol of the cultivator. Fourth, water so situated 
that the cranberry meadow can be flowed at 
will and in a short time. A locality that pre¬ 
sents all these facilities may be converted into 
a cranberry meadow with prospect of profi¬ 
table returns. As to the expenses, they vary 
with the locality, and run from $100 to $300 or 
more an acre. Another point that is inquired 
about—natural cranberry bogs can be greatly 
improved by sanding, and their productiveness 
increased in a most wonderful manner. This 
is best done in winter, the sand being deposited 
upon the ice to the depth of three to six inches, 
according to the character of the bog; the 
deeper the peat the more sand is required. The 
sand must be pure and without an}' admixture 
of clay or loam. Cranberries have been culti¬ 
vated upon upland with moderate success. It 
is essential that the land be new and every 
