APPLE TREE WORMS. 
0 
I 
notes in the flower garden. 
Could trees or plants be removed from the nur¬ 
sery or the woods to the garden or lawn in early 
summer, when the leaves are so brilliantly green 
and the flowers so beautiful and fragrant, then 
everybody with a rod or two of ground would turn 
planters. But, trees must be planted when desti¬ 
tute of their summer robes, when they have no 
beauty to recommend them. The work of planting, 
too, cannot be done, as a general rule, when the 
genial sun and the singing birds charm the dullest 
to an admiring sense of nature’s beauties, and woo 
even the sluggard to the garden. This work must 
be performed when the winds are chilly, when the 
cold blasts from the ice-fields of the North benumb 
the fingers, when the soil is damp and everything 
has an unpleasant aspect. The planter, then, must 
be a man of forethought, faith and patience — one 
who is willing to labor and wait for coming good, 
having confidence in the glorious promise that 
“ seed time and harvest shall not fail.” Our notes 
in the Flower Garden are taken when the plants de¬ 
scribed are in full flower, and will give the true 
character of each. These notes should be pre¬ 
served, as they will be of great aid in making 
proper selections for next fall or spring planting. 
HERBACEOUS AND PERENNIAL PLANTS. 
Pulmonaria — {Lungwort.') — There are several 
varieties of Lungwort , and they are among the 
finest ornaments of the garden at this season of the 
year. The name is probably derived from the fact 
that this plant is used in pulmonary complaints. 
They require a dry, sandy soil. The prettiest va¬ 
riety now in flower is the Cerulea ; the leaves are 
of a lively green the flowers of the most delicate 
azure blue, thickly set, and forming a pendant 
raceme. The buds are like the lilac in color, which 
they also resemble in form. 
Phlox Procumbus is a very pretty spring flower. 
As its name indicates, it is procumbent in habit, 
keeping close to the ground and sending up flower 
stalks about four inches in height, with fine clus¬ 
ters of red flowers. 
The Dielytra Spectabalis is really one of the 
most valuable of all our new flowers. It is as 
hardy as an oak, an exceedingly free bloomer, 
without a fault that we know of, and good every¬ 
where; in the parlor, the greenhouse and the 
garden. The flowers are curious in form, some¬ 
thing like a purse, and some twenty of these curi¬ 
ous bells are .attached to a gracefully pendant 
foot-stalk. 
Tiie Sweet Scented Violet is the sweetest of 
nil the early spring flowers, and like the Sweet 
Mignionette, it is a general favorite on account of 
its fragrance. A single flower will perfume a 
room; and often have we entered a room with a 
violet concealed, when in a minute the exclama¬ 
tion would be — “ what a delightful fragrance.” 
A cluster or two which any person can procure at 
a nursery for 25 cents, will make the garden deli¬ 
ciously fragrant from early in April until June. 
There are white and blue varieties, both single and 
double, but the double blue is the best. We give 
an engraving of this plant and flower. Herbaceous 
plants should be set out, if possible, in the autumn. 
SAXIFRAGA CRASSIFOLIA. 
Saxifraga.— This is a genus of plants which are 
great favorites in English gardens, but are not very 
common in this country. The two best which we 
notice this spring is the S. Cuneifolia and the 
'-*• Crassifolia. The leaves are thick and large and 
remain green all winter; but sometimes become so 
much injured as to be unsightly. The flower stem 
m from 8 to 12 inches in length, bearing very large 
clusters of lilac flowers. Our engraving gives a 
v er y good idea of the appearance and habit of the 
plant. 
FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS. 
The Magnolias are the only ornamental trees in 
flower. 
> p,^ nK OwrncuA, or Chandalier Magnolia is a 
Chinese variety, quite hardy in the Middle States, 
and is one of the most beatiful small trees imagin- 
a e ^ 0I ^ le lawn. It branches low, and is in every 
f J’ ay d f irablc - T °- da y> (May 7th,) it is in full 
‘ PuRPCKEA is another small Chir 
‘ * bears its flowers before the leaves ii 
& hey are purple, on a light ground. 
THE LOTTBLIC SWEET SCENTED 'VIOLET. 
The Soclangeana, is a variety produced by 
crossing the two preceding. The flowers are white, 
tinged with purple. It is very hardy, and a pro¬ 
fuse bloomer. It is now in full flower, and is the 
most beautiful object to be seen in our gardens. 
forsythia viridissima. 
The Forsythia Viridissima is now decked in its 
holiday dress. The flowers are of a bright yellow, 
rather loose and ragged, but clustering so thickly 
around the branches before the leaves appear, as to 
look very fine. 
Japan Quince. —This charming early flowering 
shrub is now the gayest of all the shrubs. There 
are two varieties, bright red and rose-colored. 
Every collection of shrubs should contain both of 
these, for when planted together the effect is 
charming. 
Our notice of bulbous flowers we must defer until 
next week. 
-- 
PUT ON THE BRAKES. 
Messrs. Eds. :— I have been listening for some 
years to your prudent advice and direction regard¬ 
ing* things Agricultural and Horticultural, or 
rather, I have had my name registered with the 
thousands upon the subscription list of the Rural 
for some four or five years, and there I intend it 
shall remain until I shall be removed beyond the 
reach of a newspaper, always provided (and per¬ 
haps I had as well left out the proviso,) it shall re¬ 
tain its present high character. Thus long I have 
been listening—or rather reading—all that you and 
your numerous correspondents (some of them truly 
wise and prudent, but some few I fear are only self¬ 
wise,) have had to offer, especially upon the above 
subjects, to all of which I have endeavored to give 
the most earnest heed. Until now I have been a 
silent listener, having replied never a word. But, 
at the risk of having my communication consigned 
to the dead-letter-box, I have concluded to urge 
my claim to a brief hearing upon one or two points. 
Some ten years since I commenced cultivating 
the grape, and have now in bearing about three 
thousand vines. Have just used the last of last 
year’s crop, but have a little wine, second quality, 
in the cellar. I intend to extend my vineyard, and 
although less anxious than some of your corres¬ 
pondents about varieties, I, of course, wish to put 
out the very best sorts. 
As yet (excepting a few plants experimental,) I 
have planted only Catawbas and Isabellas, believ- 
ing, as Mr. N. Longworth, of Cincinnati, assured 
me not long since, (no mean authority you will 
say,) that they were the only sorts to be relied on 
for general cultivation where they can be ripened 
perfectly. But, then, perhaps he knows nothing of 
the FranJclin, or the buttery Ontario, or that other 
superlative seedling produced from the Franklin. 
By the way, allow me to say that I think you have 
hit some of the grape puffers about right, and I am 
surprised that other Horticultural Journals should 
allow interested parties to make such untrue state¬ 
ments without one word of caution to their readers. 
But perhaps the subscribers of such Journals put 
no confidence in them, and therefore are not misled 
or cheated by this silence, or half-way endorsement. 
The readers of the Rural, however, have confi¬ 
dence in its editors, and believe they will guard 
their interests. At the same time we will take care 
that our good Rural does not suffer by doing bat¬ 
tle for the right. Never fear or regard the threats 
of interested humbuggers. They may all say, 
as one did, that you will “ make nothing by 
such a course,” but be assured no other course can 
win. Doubtless, you are fully aware of this,—you 
know it has won, and you will not doubt that it 
will win every time. The fact is, these enthusiastic 
cultivators of seedling grapes are running wild, and 
unless you put on the brakes smartly now and 
then, thousands of us who are uninformed, but 
anxious to get posted, will be badly humbugged. 
We look to you to keep us right. See that you do 
not give the trumpet an uncertain sound. 
I have some dozen or more different varieties, 
besides some worthless seedlings of my own rais¬ 
ing. For some I paid high figures, and I find them 
generally of small account, just as I expected. 
Mind you, I do not wish to discourage experiment¬ 
ing for new sorts, by no means. On the contrary, 
I am experimenting myself, and shall continue so 
to do. I hope and expect to see other varieties 
produced worthy of extensive cultivation, but let 
cultivators remember that the Isabella and Ca¬ 
tawba are hard to heat! 
In conclusion, I propose to give $100, for two 
one-year old plants of a better variety than the Isa¬ 
bella or Catawba, to tested by three competent 
judges in Rochester, r elsewhere, upon examina¬ 
tion of specimens of fi$t, to be presented, say on 
the first of October, iflfcalso on the first of April 
North East, Pa., Aprifth.-.^. Wm. Gbiffeth. 
FRUIT FOR 
|°UN LOCALITIES. 
Friend Moore : —noticed a communication 
from J. S. C. in the Rural of April 23d, on “ Fruit 
for Certain Localities ,” and thinking I might add 
a thought or two on this subject, which seems to 
me one of great interest to fruit-growers, I have be¬ 
gun this letter. It is a principle (or fact) two little 
understood, that many fruit trees, shrubs and vines, 
which “ do well" in one locality, will not answer for 
another locality, perhaps of the same latitude. I 
have known a number of persons in this vicinity to 
purchase from the agents of Eastern Nurseries, 
apple trees for orchards, and although the trees 
seemed to be vigorous, healthy, and in good condi¬ 
tion, now, (two years after,) there are not five 
per cent, of said trees in the “ land of the living.” 
The Isabella and Catawba grapes, we read, “do 
well” in our own latitude in the East, yet our 
friends of Northern Iowa will doubtless agree with 
me that they invariably winter-kill here, unless 
buried in earth during winter. We have a grape, 
the Alexander, perfectly hardy, a good bearer and 
excellent fruit. The Concord grape also appears 
to be hardy. 
There has been a lamentation going about here, 
as I doubt not there has been in other new coun¬ 
tries before, that fruit will never grow here. Ten 
years will show such a sentiment to be very false. 
I have visited a number of Nurseries in Northern 
Iowa, and one thing has invariably attracted my 
attention. There would be a number of rows of 
trees (apple) side by side, sickly, half dead or dead 
altogether, while on either side perhaps a number 
of rows of healthy, vigorous trees. I inquired 
“ Why is it ? Were they not planted at the same 
time and treated in the same manner?” They 
were precisely, but the healthy, fine trees are 
hardy here, and the sickly trees are tender and not 
fit for this vicinity. 
Each locality has its own peculiar soil and 
climate, and must have fruit trees, vines, &c., 
which will thrive with such elements. And why 
need this be so little understood. Iowa has her 
large, Western corn, and spring wheat, and New 
York has eight-rowed Yankee corn, and winter 
wheat. The beech, chestnut and magnolia trees 
that grow so luxuriantly in Northern Ohio are not 
found here. But I will leave this subject to abler 
pens. Phineas Alleyn. 
Hopkinton, Del. Co., Iowa, April, 1S59. 
Lime for the Curculio and Black Wart.— J. 
W. Hill, of Gardner, Mass., says in the N. E. 
Fanner, that himself and some half dozen neigh¬ 
bors have for the last three years scattered air- 
slaked lime over their plum trees, from the time the 
blossom leaf begins to fall until the curculio has 
done working, usually about four weeks. Their 
trees are “ all in a healthy state, and loaded with 
good, smooth fruit, and the trees entirely free from 
the black wart,” though trees left to themselves 
are badly affected with it. They use lime freely, 
as often as the dew or rain takes it off—applying 
it with a sort of pepper-box affixed to a pole. If 
this proves generally effective it will be a great 
blessing to lovers of fruit. b. 
MELONS. 
As the season is approaching for all lovers of 
good fruits and vegetables to commence planting, 
I thought a little information in the line of melon¬ 
growing would not come amiss. In order to have 
good melons it is necessary to spend a little time 
in preparing the soil and guarding them against 
the many dangers that beset them. The first thing 
to be considered is the soil. Warm, sandy loam is 
the best soil to plant, in order to be sure of a good 
yield. The ground should be plowed about ten 
inches deep eight or ten days before planting. 
The hills should be prepared in the following man- 
ner: — Dig h@les eight feet apart each way in a 
straight line, that they may afterwards be culti¬ 
vated with a horse. The holes should be dug 
twelve inches deep and sixteen inches square. Let 
the holes become perfectly dry on the inside, then 
fill each hole to within about one inch of the top 
with fresh horse manure, and cover it with about 
one-half an inch of rich, sandy earth, then your 
ground will be ready for the seed. The time of 
planting depends much upon the season. They 
should generally be planted after corn planting.— 
As soon as the plants are up a little plaster should 
be sprinkled upon the leaves to prevent the rava¬ 
ges of the striped bug, and should be repeated as 
often as is necessary. The plaster is not a remedy, 
but a preventive. When the plants begin to show 
the third leaf they should be watered two or three 
times a day with a liquid manure, which may be 
prepared in the following manner:—Take one peck 
of hen manure and put it in a small barrel and add 
about three times as much water, and let it stand 
about twelve hours. When the weeds begin to 
show themselves above ground take a horse and 
cultivator and cultivate the ground all over be¬ 
tween the hills, and weed between the plants. The 
weeds should be kept down, and the ground kept 
mellow between the hills. All the work should be 
done in the hottest part of the day, for it is very 
injurious to the plants to work among them when 
they are wet and cool. After you have followed all 
these directions, all will be done to your melons but 
to watch them from robbers and eating them. 
David W. Herman. 
Fairville, Wayne Co., N. Y., May, 1859. 
Remarks. —We like these directions—all but the 
slight covering to the manure. Was the manure 
thoroughly rotted it might answer, but half an 
inch is not sufficient covering for such a bed of 
fresh, hot, horse manure. We think our corres¬ 
pondent must have made some mistake on this point. 
The Apple Bark Louse.— From several friends, 
mostly at the West, we have received pieces of 
apple bark, completely covered with the Apple 
Bark Louse, with inquiries for a remedy. The scales 
are relics of the bodies of female insects, covering 
and protecting their eggs. The eggs are so minute 
that these small scales sometimes cover more than 
a hundred. The time of hatching is from the mid¬ 
dle of May until the first of June. We will give 
two of the best remedies known. 1st. Prune early 
in the spring. Mix tar and linseed oil together, 
and apply warm with a paint brush to every limb. 
This, when dry, cracks and peels off, bringing 
away the scales and eggs with it. Trees thus treat¬ 
ed will show the benefit received by a vigorous 
growth. 2d. Boil leaf tobacco in a strong lye until 
it is reduced to an impalpable pulp; mix this with 
soft soap (which has been made cold, and not the 
jelly-like boiled soap,) to make the mass about the 
consistence of thin paint. Prune the trees and 
apply this preparation with a brush, to every limb 
and twig. This will take time, but the remedy is 
effectual. A gentleman in the Western part of this 
State wrote us last season that he had entirely rid 
his orchard of this pest, by simply throwing un¬ 
leached ashes over the branches and trunk when 
wet. Care must be used that the ashes do not 
touch the leaves. The best time for this operation 
would be early in the spring, before the buds push. 
Manuring an Orchard wiTn Clover.— Having set 
out a large orchard, and as it is rather difficult to ma¬ 
nure it with stable manure, I wish to know the propriety 
of sowing Clover and Timothy—to let it rot, Dot taking 
any grass off, but mulching the trees with it, and let it 
all rot on the ground every year? I have never seen 
anything on this system of treating an orchard. Should 
be pleased to see it in your valuable paper.— Young 
Farmer, Prospect Farm, Dansville, N. Y., March, 1S59. 
We once recommended the sowing of clover in 
a peach orchard, for manure, and watched the re¬ 
sult. The soil was very sandy, and poor, and the 
trees were evidently suffering for nourishment. It 
was sown very early in the spring, thick, and made 
a good growth. We concluded that the trees were 
injured by the clover the first summer, but the 
next, just before coming into flower, it was plowed 
under, and the effect was very marked and benefi¬ 
cial for two or three years afterwards. 
Eds. Rural : — It is just in time to say to farmers, 
“ clear your orchards of these loathsome worms.” 
But, says one,—“My neighbors have orchards well 
covered with this pest, and it is useless for me to 
fight single handed against so great an enemy.” 
The subscriber has neighbors, also, and they 
have orchards; and some of these orchards have 
plenty of worms. This spring I have counted 20 
in a tree. They are from 30 to 50 rods from mine. 
I have just been through my orchard of 200 trees, 
and found but three nests in all. My trees are 
from five to nine inches in diameter—large, open, 
spreading tops. 
Now, would you know the “ modus operandi ” of 
exterminating the vermin ? I will tell you how I 
do it. I take the little colonies when they first 
appear, with my fingers, from the crotches, where 
they generally commence their webs. With one 
wipe I take the entire family, house and all, and 
crush them under my boot. As to the myriads in 
my neighbors’ orchards, I have learned they are 
not so much to be feared. If you will not allow 
them to mature on your own premises, you will 
find the seed very scarce another year. 
If you can’t touch “the nasty things” with your 
fingers, I presume you can invent some other plan 
to bring them down. As I know of no better, I 
will not trouble you by suggesting one. Bud. 
Macedon Centre, N. Y., 1859. 
Top Onions, & c . —Which will cost most for seed, the 
top onions or the seed, and which is safest ? What will 
be the cost of each, sufficient to seed an acre ? Also, 
which yield best, white, yellow, or red onions? Will 
they grow to good advantage on green sward? Would 
it be best to have the green sward broken up the fall 
before, or the spring they are to be sown ? Is sheep 
manure a good fertilizer ?—W. n. 8., Eddytown, N. Y. 
Top Onions are only grown, as far as we have 
known, in gardens, for summer use. Four pounds 
of Onion seed we generally sow to an acre, costing 
from $1 to $1,50 per pound. Top Onions sell for 
$3 per bushel, and it would take nearly 14 bushels 
to plant an acre four inches apart in the rows, and 
the rows one foot apart. The White Onion is 
prized for garden culture, but is not generally 
grown by farmers. There is little difference as to 
yield between the red and yellow. We would 
plant Onions only on a well-prepared, clean soil. 
The labor of keeping an acre of Onions clean on a 
turf would be intolerable. Sheep and hen manure 
are excellent for onions. If common stable manure 
is used, it should be thoroughly decomposed. 
A Curiosity. —We were shown yesterday after¬ 
noon, by Mr. B. F. Sloan, what we consider quite 
a curiosity, though others have seen the same 
things heretofore. It is a rose grafted on the peach 
tree. The tree is now in full bloom, and must pre¬ 
sent a beautiful appearance.— Pendleton Messenger. 
Hy-brid Grapes — {T. W., London, C. W.) — It 
is by no means certain that a hybrid grape has 
ever been produced. Many of the most scientific 
pomologists consider the change from the parent 
as only a sport. 
COMPOSITION CAKE, PORK CAKE, &c. 
Messrs. Editors : —Seeing by your paper that 
good recipes will be favorably received, I send a 
few which we think are really excellent: 
Molasses Fruit Cake. —One cup of butter; one 
cup of sugar; 1 cup of molasses; 1 cup of sweet 
milk; 3 eggs; 1 teaspoonful of soda; 2 of cream 
tartar; 1 of cinnamon; 2 of cloves; 1 nutmeg; 3 
cups of flour; 1 pound of fruit. 
Pork Cake. —One pound of pork (fat and salt) 
chopped very fine; 1 pint of boiling water poured 
on the pork; 1 cup molasses; 2 of sugar; 1 table¬ 
spoonful of saleratus; 1 of cloves; 1 of cinnamon; 
8 cups of flour; 1 pound of raisins. This makes a 
very good fruit cake, especially if butter and eggs 
are scarce. 
Composition Cake. —One and one-third teacups 
of butter; 1 % teacups of cream; 3 cups of sugar; 
7 eggs; a teaspoonful of saleratus; 1 cup of rai¬ 
sins. Stir as thick as cup cake. m. h. s. 
East Bloomfield, N. Y., 1S59. 
Beer and Vinegar. — Awhile since my wife 
made some beer by the following process:—Shelled 
some corn and boiled in clear water until slippery, 
(say half an hour,) then took it out of the water 
and put into a keg of clean, cold water. To this 
we added about 1 quart of molasses to 5 gallons of 
water; left it in a warm place about 30 hours when 
it was very palatable. But the best of the story is 
to come. After two or three days it soured, and 
by putting some of it in a jug by the stove, in just 
one week's time we had good vinegar. This I be¬ 
lieve is the cheapest and quickest made I have ever 
known. Thinking this may prove of value to 
others I have narrated it for the thousands of Ru- 
ralists.—G. D. B., Rochester, Mo., 1859. 
Hard Soap—Hr. Inquiry. — If any of your nu¬ 
merous readers have a good recipe far making hard 
soap, I wish they would send it to the Rural for 
publication, and thus oblige very many house¬ 
keepers who desire to make their own soap.—R u¬ 
ral Reader, Onondaga Co., N. Y., 1859. 
Graham Bread. —Take a pint of warm water; 
half a teacup of coffee sugar; one-fourth teaspoon 
of soda; mix soft with unbolted flour made of 
good winter wheat, cut in small cakes, bake quick. 
—n. B. D., Orangeville, N. Y, 1859. 
Putty that has become hardened may be render¬ 
ed soft, so as to be easily removed, by the applica¬ 
tion of a hot iron to it. In this way it may be 
readily removed, where glass is broken, without 
injury to the sash. 
