1807.] 
AMKrtlCAN AORICULTURIST. 
103 
I 
icartn day), I consider ihere is no danger of 
injury. I cannot see that rny trees have been in¬ 
jured, and I liavc practised it for five years, at 
the same time keeping the better of the enemy.” 
A Committee of the Essex (Massachusetts) 
Agricultural Society recommend printer's ink 
as a substitute for tar, it being quite as effectual 
and less expensive. They advise to first sur¬ 
round the tree with tarred paper and smear this 
with the ink, diluted with oil, thin enough to 
apply with a brush. They say that it needs re¬ 
newing less oflener than tar—only once every 
two or three weeks. The same Committee also 
give the sensible advice to cut down all the old 
and unfruitful apple trees, of which hundreds 
are found in every community, cumbering the 
ground, and only serving as nurseries of worms. 
All the Year Eound. 
The statement that a day laborer, in a large 
city like New York, has a greater variety upon 
bis table, the year round, than many wealthy 
farmers, may seem strange, but it is nevertheless 
true. This variety does not consist so much in 
the meats as in the vegetables. Indeed the one 
thing that the city dweller misses, when he makes 
a visit to his country friends, is a variety of vege¬ 
tables. The city markets and green groceries 
present a great assortment, and the tables of 
even those in moderate circumstances generally 
have some one or more of the products of the 
market gardens upon them. There is no reason 
why every one who has sufficient land should 
not h.avc fresh vegetables all the year round. 
Aside from the roots that are in the cellar, or 
left in the ground, there is the cabbage, raw or 
cooked, as the main reliance for winter. In 
using the cabbages, save the stumps, to set out as 
soon as the ground is open, fer most excellent 
greens. This month the Kale or Borecole that 
has been wintered out, will be an agreeable 
change from the cabbage. In April, winter spin¬ 
ach will be ready to cut, and the tender shoots 
of asparagus will give the first real fore-taste of 
the host of good things that follow soon after. 
Besides, lettuce, cresses and other salad plants, 
should grace the breakfast table, for their re¬ 
freshing look if nothing more. Tliere is “ no 
cml" of excellent vegetables to go with the din¬ 
ner, and where there are plenty it makes little 
difference whether the meat is fresh or salt. It 
has Ixjen a custom with us to publish, each year, 
a list of the most desirable vegetables, as well as 
to make a note of the new ones offered for s.ale. 
We find that our different advertisers have giv¬ 
en a very full account of the novelties, at least, 
and in the “ Notes for the Month,” we indicate 
reliable and readily obtainable sorts. If the 
farmer passes by the notes on the “Kitchen 
Garden,” as something beneath his notice, she 
who provides for the table, and wishes her family 
to have a variety of healthful food, will read 
them—and have the vegetables too, oi she is not 
the woman we take her to be. If a hot-bed or 
cold frame can be managed, all the better; bu 
without these helps to greater earliness, a little 
forethought and painstaking will give cveiy 
farmer fresh vegetables “ all the year round. 
Profits from Small Places- 
Tlic raising of early seedlings of culinary 
plants was referred to last month. Another way 
in which a small tract of land may be turned to 
profitable account, is the propagation of small 
fruita We may safely say that, in a small way, 
more profit is to be derived from the growing 
of plants than of fruit Within our knowledge 
there are several instances of eminent success 
with these small fruit nurseries of moderate ex¬ 
tent. To be successful requires a knowledge of 
varieties, and the methods of propagation re¬ 
quired for each. There is uotliiug about these 
that an intelligent man cannot learn; and scarce¬ 
ly one that lias not been sufficiently treated of 
in our own pages. One must not only raise the 
plants, but let it be known that he has them. 
Strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, currant and 
other plants are in demand, are easily raised 
in a small way, and are profitable. Take tlie 
strawberri', for instance; we have not known 
a season for several years in wbicU there was 
not a scarcity among the leading varieties. If 
strawberry plants are grown, we ■would advise 
the main planting to be of a few of the leading 
varieties, and enough of the novelties to get a 
start and be ready to take advantage of a de¬ 
mand for any of them; yet we -would not invest 
enough in any one of the nei\''er sorts to feel 
disappointed if the latest novelty proved ,a 
failure—as in the majority of instances it -will. 
There is always a scarcity of currants, of the 
finer kinds; these are raised readily from cut¬ 
tings, and grow to good plants in a year. What¬ 
ever kind of propagation one engages in, strict 
integrity is essential to success—the most scru¬ 
pulous care in procuring genuine stock, with 
■wliicU to m.ake a beginning, and the greatest 
pains to keep each sort distinct and true to its 
name. Attention to these things will soon estab¬ 
lish a reputation for accuracy, without which no 
propagator can hope to retain bis customers. 
The tree is a good grower, with a round or 
spreading head and slender and tapering limbs 
which droop, but never break, with theweiglitof 
the fruit; bark very dark; it is an annual bearer. 
Fruit medium to large, roundish oblong, taper¬ 
ing slightly towards the eye; smooth and even 
in form; color very dark crimson, sometimes 
nearly black, and on the tree covered by an 
abundant bloom; dots minute, few and incon¬ 
spicuous; basin rather deep, a little irregular; 
eye very small, closed, segments of calix with 
tips reflexed; cavity deep, acute, somewhat 
irregular; stem very stout; core open, not meet¬ 
ing the eye; seeds roundish, liglit colored; 
flesh white, juicy, tender, at first a brisk acid; 
use—cooking, or table, very fine for jeliy; sea¬ 
son, November to March; a good keeper. 
- ^ - 
Cedar and Thorn Seeds—Stratification. 
There are on file, some dozen or more com¬ 
plaints of want of success with the seeds of Red 
Cedar, Thorns, Dogwoods, etc., from persons 
w’ho have sown the seeds and failed to get any 
plants. The trouble is, that these seeds do not 
come up until the second year after they are 
put in the ground, and if they are sown in a 
bed and left for a year, the Aveeds take such 
complete possession that the young trees, if they 
do start, have but little chance. To avoid this 
difficulty, the English propagator puts liis seeds 
in “ a rot heap ” for a year, and the French 
“ stratify” them, both names meaning the same 
thing. The manner of proceeding depends upon 
the quantity of seed; if small, a common flow¬ 
er pot, box, or keg is employed, and the seeds 
are placed in the receptacle wdlh 
sand, or sandy earth, in alternate 
layers. The vessel containing 
the seeds is buried in a ayoU 
drained place where the seeds 
W’ill not be enveloped by stand¬ 
ing water, nor dry out during 
summer. If a large quantity of 
seeds are to be operated upon, 
a heap is built up, putting al¬ 
ternate layers of seeds and earth, 
and making a mound with slop¬ 
ing sides to carry off the water. 
The seeds are usually ready the 
second spring after burying, and 
should be sown as soon as they 
show signs of germinating. Seeds 
of trees which form a strong tap¬ 
root, even if they are not long 
in germinating, are best treated 
by stratifying; such as Walnuts, 
Chestnuts, Horsechestnuts, and 
even Peaches. They are kept in. 
A New Apple—Dodge’s Crimson. 
amologists in Ohio, Illinois, and other 
torn States, find their best apples, or rather 
• best keepers to be of southern origin, 
le those known as long keepers at the East, 
anly autumn sorts with them; hence a great 
rest attaches to all southern va,i-ietie3. Mr. 
f. Dodge, well known as an artist before lie 
ime a fruit grower, lias brought us a collec- 
of fine apples from his fruit farm and nur- 
at Pomona, Cumberland County, Tennes- 
which comprises fine specimens of well 
wn varieties, and others not familiar to 
ern fruit groAvers. In the collection is a 
raised by Mr. D., wbich ho calls 
Ige’s Crimson, and as it has not before been 
lislied, Ave give a description and figure o i . 
D.’s place is on the table of the Cumberland 
intain, and 2,000 feet above the sea level. 
this situation until the radicle pushes, Avdien they 
are carefully planted, previously pinching off the 
loAver extremity of the young root. This pio- 
motes the branching of lateral roots, and avoids 
the formation of a long tap-root. Trees from 
seeds treated thus, are much more readily and 
safely transplanted than those that have not re¬ 
ceived this early root pruning. Those who 
buried peach pits last autumn will do Avel to 
observe this precaution, when they plant this 
spring, as they will obtain much better trees. 
New TKEES.-A golden leaved variety of 
the common European Alder 
the French nurserymen under the name of A 
nu» aurea, as being a permanent van^y and 
very showy shrub.-Also a remarkable Wal ut, 
from the North of China, maor^phylla, 
the leaves of which are said to be three feet long. 
