SPRING WORK. 
After a winter of unusual mildness,—with very 
many bright and sunny days,—of sudden changes 
and occasional severity, we may safely conclude 
that the frosts and storms of another winter are 
almost at an end, and spring, with its life, activity 
and beauty, will soon be upon us. The little time 
remaining before active work commences, should 
be improved in making selections of trees, plants 
and seeds that may be needed, and in making 
roads, fences, and draining, and in doing any other 
rough work, that if not done now will be sadly in 
the way of the regular gardening when the fine 
weather comes on. 
THE HOT-BED. 
Making a hot-bed is the first work in the garden, 
and with our cold, uncertain springs, a hot-bed is 
almost a necessity. We have given directions for 
their construction so often, that we would omit it 
this season, were we not warned by a dozen in¬ 
quiries on the subject, that there are many who 
yet lack the necessary information. 
With some care and a very little expense a good 
supply of radishes, lettuce, Ac., can be had for the 
table by the latter end of April or early in May. 
Cucumbers cannot be had until the summer is half 
over without hot-bed culture, but with a well 
managed hot-bed they may be abundant in June. 
The best time to start the hot-bed is from the first 
to the twentieth of March, depending somewhat on 
the weather — if severe it is well to delay until a 
change. For its location a dry and sheltered place 
must be selected, aud if there is the least danger 
that water will lay, a good drain should be dug, 
that will carry off all surplus moisture. If there 
are no buildings to serve as a protection from the 
north and west winds, a temporary fence must be 
made. The bed should face the south or south-east. 
A very good idea of the form of the frame is given 
in the engraving, and it may be made of any size 
to suit the wants or fancy of the builder. Twelve 
feet long, by five wide, is a very good size for 
family use. It should be made of or 2 inch 
plank, which may be nailed to posts in the corners. 
The back should be about two feet high, and the 
front 14 inches. A frame of the size mentioned 
will require four sashes, three feet wide. These 
are somewhat like window sash, but have no cross¬ 
bars, the upper panes of glass overlapping the 
lower, so as to shed the rain. 
things, Lewis F. Allen, calls the Horticultural 
Editor of this journal a “ nursero-pomologicol 
editor ,” and accuses us of writing under “ the 
promptings of the largest dwarf pear nursery in 
America.” Now, wo beg to say, once for all, that 
no one connected with the editorial department of 
the Rural has an interest in the nursery business 
to the amount of a single dime, and no edi¬ 
torial article has ever been written for our col¬ 
umns, or even prompted by a nurseryman. The 
editors of the Rural devote themselves exclusively 
to this work, and need neither aid nor prompting 
from any source. We have no interest in the 
questions discussed but to promote truth and the 
general good of our readers. 
In the present number we give an article from 
Mr. Allen, on the Allen, Raspberry, in reply to one 
from W. R. Coppock in our issue of February 12th. 
The statements made by these parties are directly 
at variance, and a good deal of falsehood rests 
somewhere. Not a particle of proof has been pre 
sented on either side. We await the proof. If 
people are buying an old and poor variety, under a 
new name, and paying high prices for it we shall, 
if possible, expose the cheat. If, on the contrary, 
the Allen Raspbemj is really valuable, and not an 
old, discarded sort, its propagator should not rest 
under unfounded charges and suspicions. The 
last paragraph of Mr. A.’s article we would gladly 
have omitted, but preferred, under all the circum¬ 
stances, to give it just as received. 
The best material for producing heat is fresh 
manure from the horse stable. This should be 
thrown into a pile and allowed to heat, undercover 
if possible, about a week, when it is ready for use. 
Now dig a pit about eighteen inches deep, and a 
foot larger than the frame each way. Fill this pit 
with the manure you have prepared, and continue 
to put on the manure evenly until you have it 
raised up about two feet above the natural surface 
of the ground, which will give three and a half feet 
oi manure. Care should be taken to put the manure 
on evenly, and have it well packed down, by beat- 
ing it with the back of the fork. Rake down the 
edges carefully, so that they will present a nice, 
even appearance. The frame aud glass should now 
be put on, and be kept close for a day or two. 
After this it will be necessary to open the sash a 
little during the middle of the day for a couple of 
days, to allow the steam to escape. About six 
inches of good, mellow, warm soil, must now be 
put inside the frame, and all closed up for a day or 
two, until the earth becomes warm. Examine 
occasionally, and if the heat appears too great, 
open the sash a little on the back side. It is now 
ready for the seed. Those who wish to raise cu¬ 
cumbers, radishes, tomato plants, Ac., should have 
two frames, of half the size described, or a division 
in the frame, as the cucumbers will require so 
much heat as to injure the other plants. We will 
resume this subject in the next number. 
-*-♦-*—-_ 
HORTICULTURAL CONTROVERSY. 
Although we occasionally engage in contro¬ 
versy, we do so not for the purpose of injuring the 
reputation or calling in question the honor of any 
man or set of men, but for the purpose of detecting 
and exposing error and defending the truth. If iu 
this work we have to show inconsistencies, contra¬ 
dictory statements, double-dealing, or sophistry, 
wc do so, not because we love to expose the frailties 
or faults of men, but because we love the truth, and 
have at heart the public good. As guardians of the 
public interest, with tens of thousands looking to 
us for instruction, with full faith in our watch-care, 
duty and honor require that we should detect and 
expose error with searching clearness, denounce 
falsehood in no honeyed words, and defend the 
truth with all the ability with which we are pos¬ 
sessed. With the doings of individuals, other than 
as they claim to be guides for others, we have 
nothing to do or say. It is no business of ours 
whether persons cultivate trees well or ill, on good 
land or poor; but when they present their success or 
failure as an argument for or against the general 
culture of these fruits, then it is our business to 
ascertain the cause which produced the results 
they offer as an argument—to sift the whole matter 
to the bottom and ascertain the truth. This is a 
duty that we shall fearlessly perform, regardless of 
friends or foes, or threatened libel suits' 
d i an article in the February number of the Hor¬ 
ticulturist, in which he says a good many foolish 
FRUITFUL CANES. 
An examination of any plot of Black Raspberries 
will show the barren form prevailing more or less, 
in hills two or three years old. Some hills will 
have a part barren canes and part partially barren— 
that is, the canes may be quite large, but are al¬ 
most or quite destitute of thorns. This Raspberry 
is different in its growth from others. The new canes 
which grow every year, are not connected each 
with its own root, nor do they spring from the head 
of the main root as others, but spring from the old 
cane, and so high up as to have no union with the 
old root, except through the old cane. Only a few 
j lowest down on the old stock, and these take but 
| feeble hold of the soil the first year, but the second 
! year they extend and assist in the growth of fruit. 
Thus, each year there is a growth of branches and 
fibres higher up the base of the old cane, until the 
accumulated mass of fibres and decayed wood from 
the stumps of the removed canes, elevate the hill 
above the surface soil. 
From the nature of the growth it will be seen 
that young plants cannot be obtained as off-shoots 
from the old roots, as other varieties, as the newly 
formed canes are destitute of roots. They are ob¬ 
tained only by the formation of roots at the points 
of the young canes. At the tips of the caues a soft 
substance will be found, which if permitted to lay 
near the ground, throws out roots, and often in 
moist, shady situations, roots will form several 
inches in length before reaching the soil. After 
taking root, if these point's are fevered from the 
parent stem before frost stops the circulation, or 
before fully developed, they die, showing that they 
derive their nourishment, for some time after roots 
are formed, from the parent plant. From this fact, 
sustained by extensive experience, Mr. D. argues 
that a new plant is a portion of its parent cane—is 
of the same bearing habits, and of the same age. 
So, that if a young plant is formed from a cane 
growing on a root five or ten years old, it will par¬ 
take of the age, barrenness and other infirmities of 
the parent stock. As this is the main point in Mr. 
D.’s theory, we give his own words :—“ If the roots 
of a hill are so old—or have become so exhausted 
from any cause, as to be unable to produce healthy 
fruit-bearing canes, the plants partake of the same 
nature. Or if the juices, taken up by the root, in 
passing through the unhealthy and decaying medi¬ 
um of the stumps of the previous years’ growth, 
have imbibed in any degree the elements of decay 
and barrenness, and have deposited them in the for¬ 
mation ot the cane, they will also, in the formation 
of the plant at its tip. Or, finally, as ‘ like produces 
like,’ if the young plant inherited barrenness in its 
propagation, it may make quite a luxuriant growth, 
but it will be of the barren form.” 
The only way to prevent these evils is to propa¬ 
gate from the first growth of canes from young, 
healthy plants. The cut below represents the 
growth which a young plant attains by the loth of 
August or 1st of September. 
THE NATIVE BLACK RASPBERRY. 
The American Blach Raspberry is a great favorite 
with most people, and though far inferior to the 
Antwerp and other improved sorts for the table, 
possesses a richness of flavor highly prized by 
many, who prefer it to the best improved sorts; 
and it is realty invaluable for cooking and preserv¬ 
ing. In our market it sells as high, and even 
higher, than other sorts. The plants are hardy aud 
productive. For several years dealers in fruit in 
this city, and also in some neighboring villages, 
have been supplied with this Raspberry by II. II. 
Doolittle, of Oaks Corners, in Ontario Co. Mr. 
D. cultivates this fruit on an extensive scale, and 
claims to have discovered a method of propagating 
the plants, by which their fruitfulness is much in¬ 
creased, aud made permanent. We will explain 
his theory as clearly as possible, in the brief space 
we can devote to the subject: 
Mr. D. states that the American Black Rasp¬ 
berry in its wild state, or as usually propagated, 
produces but two or three crops, and often but one, 
before it becomes barren, and that no extra culti¬ 
vation or manure will prevent this. Many plants 
are almost entirety barren, producing but a few 
scattering, seedy, deformed berries the first year, 
and afterwards nothing. The barren hills or plants, 
he is enabled readily to de- 
OyVy (/' tect from their appearance. 
N \\ \ff(/.' The barren form of hill is 
\ \ 1 \j1// / indicated by the vastnumber 
\ I ll I lif sma ^ cancs > an ^ from the 
j I | / I / fact that they are thornless, 
II I /// while the leaves are small 
j j I j and generally covered with 
till Iff// yellow rust. 
MW The healthy, or fruitful, 
' mlttff form of hill is shown in the 
engraving below, by a few 
large berry canes. The 
' briery form is indicated on 
barren plants. only a portion of the right 
hand canes—but extends over the whole growth— 
and the number and size or bulky form of the 
thorns furnish to an experienced eye a sure index 
of the yield and quality of fruit to be expected. 
YOUNG PLANT FIT FOR LAYERING. 
V' hen the tips of the trailing canes become naked 
oi free from leaves, and of a red color, they are 
ready for layering. Plants formed from this growth, 
receive their nourisl^ant directly from the soil, 
through new formec7^fc and ca.ie^ without pass¬ 
es any unhealthy J^fdecaying medium, as is 
unavoidable in prcpa^Ring from older hills. This 
mode makes it necessary to set out a new plot of 
plants every spring, from which to propagate. 
PROPER MODq OF LAYERING. 
The point of the cane is soft and sappy, de¬ 
signed particularly for the formation of roots, and 
if not permitted to do so by coming in contact with 
the soil, this point dries up and dies. If the “ tip ” 
of the cane is placed in the soil two inches, one 
healthy', fruitful plant will be formed, and its 
. appearance, soon after the 
\ roots commence forming, will 
be as shown in the engraving. 
' ' ' If the cane is laid on the sur- 
ioung plant. f ace 0 f the soil, and a foot or 
so of its length covered with earth, as is the common 
method, a young plant will form from each bud- 
The plants formed in this manner, Mr. D. contends, 
are neither healthy nor productive. When grown 
from the points or tips of the canes, all the roots 
center under the germ, thus forming a broad head 
or crown for the support of the future plant. When 
grown from the fruit buds there is no crown or 
head as the center of the roots and the germ, but a 
few roots spring from the cane on the opposite side 
from the germ, and while a few may connect direct¬ 
ly with the base of the unnatural germ, most of 
them can convey nourishment to it only through 
the intervening portion of cane, and hence when 
this portion of the cane perishes the next year, 
(according to a law of its being,) the plant is left 
without proper support, and hence, speedily be¬ 
comes exhausted and barren. 
YOUNG PLANT. 
Any good corn laud is suitable for this Raspberry. 
A position shielded from heavy wind is desirable. 
A partial shade is no injury. Plant 3jty feet apart 
in the rows, and the rows? feet. Keep the ground 
mellow and free from weeds, but do not plow nearer 
than two feet of the hills. During an open winter’s 
day, or in the spring, cut off the main branches to 
within three feet of the roots, and all the side 
branches to within one foot of the body r . About 
the last of June stop cultivation, and strew straw 
freely between the rows, and partially under the 
edges of the bushes. 
gether, as shown by the horizontal line in the en¬ 
graving, and when the first ripe berries appear, 
clip the ends, at the dotted circle. As soon as the 
fruit is gathered, cut away all the old wood, and 
bend over the tops of the young canes to the ground, 
and place a stone an l straw, or earth, upon them 
to keep them down. Bend over all one way. The 
object of causing a growth in a horizontal position 
is that, when elevated in the spring on wires, as iu 
engraving, they press down the wires, and need no 
tying. 
?\\Vx 
1, 1 ^ \l^ 
III \ 
cane, and so high up as to have no union with the plant of one years’ growth. 
old root, except through the old cane. Only a few As soon as the young canes obtain a growth 
small fibers spring from the base of those growing above the top of the fruit branches, tie them to- 
PLANT TRAINED FOR FRUITING. 
This method of training is a great convenience 
in picking the fruit. In all cultivation care must 
be had not to hill up around the roots. The roots 
must be near the surface. The second year after 
the plants are set, when the canes are six or eight 
inches high, select four or five of the largest and 
* most thorny for future growth, and serrate the 
rest from the base of the fruit-bearing canes. 
We have thus, as briefly as possible, given the 
substance of Mr. Doolittle’s theory of propaga¬ 
tion and mode of cultivation, about which there 
has been a good deal said, and but very little known. 
- ---- 
THE “ALLEN RASPBERRY.” 
Messrs. Editors :—I would not notice the spite¬ 
ful and malignant article under the above title, in 
your paper of the 12th inst., signed W. R. Coppock, 
had it been published only in the community where 
its author is known, as it would there do me no 
harm. The motives which conceived it I shall not 
discuss—they having no interest with your readers. 
The statement therein made contains as many false¬ 
hoods as assertions, and as they implicate my char¬ 
acter for fair dealing, with your leave, I have a 
word to say. 
The “ Allen Raspberry" is not “an old, and well- 
established variety,” so far as I have yet ascer¬ 
tained, in the experience and examination of those 
who have had it from me. It somewhat resembles 
one or two other varieties, as all raspberries more 
or less resemble one another, but is not yet proved 
to be identical with them in growth, or bearing. I 
never claimed it to be the “ Hudson River A ntwerp," 
as the “ Allen ” is hardy, and the other is not. The 
wood is not “red,” but russet-colored; nor is it 
“branching” —never branched, to my knowledge, 
until headed down “for fruiting,” as usual,the second 
year. It did not “come from Ohio.” Coppock 
never had it in his “ground, ” unless he had a plant 
or two from me ; nor is it all like the briers which 
lately infested the sides of the fences round his 
garden. He never saw my plants in bearing, and 
knows nothing at all of their productiveness, or the 
flavor of their fruit. I never had a raspberry plant 
of W. II. Sotiiam, having got mine years before 
SoTnAM lived about here. I know nothing about 
his raspberries, more than that he told me he had 
some from Ohio growing in his garden, which I 
saw, and they were not like mine. Col. Hodge de¬ 
nies that he ever stated that my raspberry came 
from Ohio, nor does he know that he ever culti¬ 
vated it. 
I did get the original plants of the “Allen” rasp- 
beny in the garden of a deceased gentleman — the 
late Hiram Pratt, in Buffalo—when it was broken 
up, and used for a florist’s garden, as I have always 
stated. Where the proprietor obtained them, I 
never could ascertain, nor did the gardener then 
occupying the premises, of whom I had them—the 
late Mr. Webb, an Englishman, between whom and 
Coppock, countrymen alike, an intense hatred 
existed—know what variety they were. But he 
told me they were somezchat like the English Ant¬ 
werp, though, in his opinion, a much better fruit. 
This is all I have to say, relative to the malicious 
article on the “ Allen Raspberry, ” and the holy 
horror against “ giving new names to old fruit” 
of this “professor”—whether of the arts of danc¬ 
ing, fiddling, piano teaching, or “ pomology,” he 
can make his own selections. And, if he wants to | 
wmrk himself into notoriety with the public by per¬ 
sonally abusing me in his petty spite, from “ Long- 
sight (better Long-bow) place, (“ Flint Hill,” is the 
old, popular and descriptive name,) he can do so, 
so long as he can find a publication willing to de¬ 
vote its types, ink, and paper to that object. 
Black Rock, Feb. 19,1S59. Lewis F. Allen. 
Fruit in Oregon. —Permit me to say to the 
friends of the Rural, that it has given me many 
valuable hints in bringing about the following sub¬ 
stantial results in the cultivation of a fruit garden. 
I have less than half an acre of ground set out with 
apple and plum trees. Some thirty apple and four 
plum trees bore last summer, yielding me in the 
a gg r egate $147 87 cash returns, besides thirteen 
bushels of apples, aud nearly half the plums which 
were used in my own family. My apples brought 
me from $4 50 to $S 87 per bushel. The trees 
which bore, were set out in 1S54 and 1855,— one 
and two years old, root-grafted, when planted.— 
0. Dickinson, Salem, Oregon, Dec., 1858. 
Large Radish. — I will describe a radish grown 
in our garden the past season, and you can 
judge how it compares with different garden vege¬ 
tables as noticed in the Rural. It is the common 
table turnip radish, of second planting of the sea¬ 
son, and with no uncommon culture, and w r hen har¬ 
vested, on account of frost, but still growing, 
weighed by the Washington City scales, twelve 
pounds. Also, several others from that down to 
the size of a quart bowl.— Mrs. J. P. I)., Hermitage, 
Mont. Co., Maryland, 1859. 
Our Correspondents must have patience for a 
week or two. We have half-a-dozen articles now 
in type—enough to fill another number. 
SOMETHING ABOUT KNITTING. 
Eds. Rural:—W e have settled the political 
questions of the day in our own mind, — we have 
leftCubato the tender mercy of the Administration, 
— we have read through the President’s Message. 
So we conclude to write a long-contemplated letter 
to our A/oor(e)ish friend of the Rural New-Yorker. 
We happen to be confined in the house by a wound¬ 
ed foot, and our attention has been drawn to the 
fact that our wife is extremely, passionately, fond 
ofknitting. Now, we are in a quandary. Wedon’t 
like to see our wife knit—indeed wc hate it—but we 
dislike to say anything to her about it —it might 
hurt her feelings, you know. The necessity for 
such kind of work, we confess we never could see, 
and, more especially, in the case of our wife. We 
do not wear any of her knitting work on the inside 
of our boots, and, to our certain knowledge, she 
has scores of stockings wherewith to clothe her 
own dainty feet. Now, we do not wish to be under¬ 
stood as complaining of our wife. We are happy 
to assert that no man was ever blessed with a bet¬ 
ter wife than ourself. She makes our home a 
Home in the true sense of that word. In the even¬ 
ing after tea she invariably seats herself at the 
piano and sings and plays for our especial amuse¬ 
ment for a few minutes, then she knits —after break¬ 
fast she “washes up the dishes,” and sweeps; and 
performs sundry duties belonging to the house¬ 
keepers’ routine—then she/uwA?,—while she is pre¬ 
paring her long-to-be remembered meals — even 
then she finds time to knit. The other day we 
attempted to remonstrate with her. “My dear, 
does knitting constitute your sole recreation?”— 
meaning to be sarcastic. But she silenced us by 
saying, “No, you naughty man, you—you are my 
recreation,” which sentence she instantly proved to 
be untrue, by seizing her knitting work—which is 
“an abomination in our eyes.” Our wife is intel¬ 
ligent in an eminent degree, and she is constantly 
adding to her stock by reading the papers and 
standard works. 
Perhaps you ask if she leaves her knitting to 
read. Not by any means. She has practically 
proved the old adage, “ You can’t do two things at 
the same time,” to be false; for she repeatedly 
shows herself capable of reading and wielding her 
odious knitting-needles at one and the same time. 
Do not suppose that our wife neglects her duties.— 
No, sir! She always has everything done in 
season—our meals are, without fail, made ready at 
the appointed time—and they are not to be badly 
sneezed at, those meals,—our garments are never 
out of repair. Our little wife, herself, is the pat¬ 
tern of neatness. She is surrounded by all the 
comforts and even luxuries which a goodly portion 
of this world’s goods can procure for her,—never¬ 
theless she appears to enjoy knitting better than 
all the restput together,—great satisfaction appears 
on her gentle face while she rattles her needles, as 
though it were to her the most pleasant music.— 
She knits herself out of every dilemma—she knits 
herself into every body’s affections—she knits the 
blessings of the poor down upon her head—she 
knits peace between discordants—she knits when 
she is watching by the sick — she knits when she 
“rejoices with those that rejoice,” and when she 
“ mourns with those that mourn”—she knits while 
the bread is baking—she knits while the tea is 
“ drawing” — in short, knitting appears to be her 
sole vocation. And she knits “as for dear life.”— 
Now, our Rural Oracle, what shall we do? We 
read about ways and means to abate nearly all evils 
except this evil of knitting. 
We will frankly admit that we don’t like to say 
anything to Kitty (that’s our wife) about it, for 
having been married only a year we dislike to 
“raise a breeze.” Won’t you just use your influ¬ 
ence as a public journalist to abate this nuisance 
— and if you can only convince our wife that knit¬ 
ting is not essential to human happiness you will 
secure our lasting gratitude. Squim. 
Noxocottage, Feb., 1S59. 
Friend Squim, we feel for you — any amount of 
sympathy, and that of the intensest kind, we are 
ready to offer, so desperate is your condition.— 
We would like to know what right a woman has to 
while away her hours in any occupation that may 
be characterized useful ? The Constitution of the 
United States grants no such immunities—Female 
Reform Conventions never dared to insert such a 
plank in their platform. Had Squim not taken 
“ Kitty” to wife, we would guarantee a perfect cure 
as the result of a single course of instruction (?) at 
one of our fashionable Seminaries, but having ut¬ 
tered the vow—having said for “ better or worse”— 
there is no resource but submission ! When the 
“household divinity” arms herself with those 
minute weapons of industry, and begins 
“ knit, knit, knitting,” 
all the while talking eloquently of “ drop stitches,” 
“ heeling,” “ narrowing in,” etc., Squim must make 
the best of it by compounding the Balm of Resigna¬ 
tion, (one part nice clean wool, one part the “ rattle 
of the needles,” one part the harmony of “ a home 
that is a Home") and applying the_tyame to his, 
weary, “wounded” sole{ s.) 
Galvanized Wire Clothes’ Lines. —Many of tl: 
Rural’s readers are perhaps not aware that ga 
vanized wire, of the size used for telegraphing, ca 
be used to good advantage for clothes’ linos. It i 
only a little more expensive than common wire- 
lasts forever—never sags, and is in all respccl 
perfect and entirety satisfactory. It is a luxury t 
have a line up that is always ready, never in th 
way, and can bo left out for a life-time. I liar 
known it to be used ten years. You are, of cours< 
aware, (though some may not be,) that the wire i 
coated with zinc.—B., Pittsford, JSf. Y., 1S59. 
Nature makes us poor only when we want nece.- 
saries, but custom gives the name of poverty to th 
want of superfluities. 
