4 - 
, 2 ? 
notes in the flower garden. 
In our last notes we were compelled for want of 
epace to omit mention of the Bulbous rooted 
flowers. Previous to that we had described the 
Snow Drop and the Crocus. 
HYACINTHS. 
The season was quite favorable for Hyacinths, 
and our show was exceedingly fine. Among the 
best we note the following:— Baron Thuyll —a 
large compact truss, violet blue. This is one of the 
finest of the color. Amiable Brunette —dark blue. 
Belle Blanche —large compact spike, white. Gen. 
Antink — double—light blue. Mars —single red, 
striped with white, very showy and beautiful.— 
Diebitsch —the finest red. Belle Corina — pink, 
striped with red ; one of the best fancy sorts. La 
Beesee —double white, truss good. Candius Viola¬ 
ceous —white, very double, large bells and good 
large spike; one of the best of the light doubles. 
Grootvoorst —double blush, fine large truss; every 
way desirable. Z ’ Amie Bu Cceur —pink, and one 
of the very best of the color; fine truss. Virgo — 
double, white, tinged with blue; long fine truss. 
We find a long list in our note-book, but the above 
twelve sorts will be sufficient, as we wish to give 
a few useful hints in regard to culture, <fcc. 
One reason why the Hyacinth has not been more 
generally cultivated by ladies, who always love 
flowers, and even under the most unfavorable cir¬ 
cumstances, manage to grow a few, and by those 
who have but little time and means to devote to 
gardening, is the fact that the directions given by 
European and even American writers, have been so 
formidable as to discourage, if not confuse. The 
cultivator is generally told to remove the common 
soil two feet or more deep, and fill up with clean 
sand and well rotted cow manure. Now this is 
well enough, if flowers were to be grown for exhi¬ 
bition, but good hyacinths may be raised in any 
ordinary loamy soil. If the garden soil is heavy 
clay then remove a portion, and add good sandy 
loam from the woods. 
The latter part of October is the best time to 
moke Hyacinth beds, which should be from three 
to four feet wide. Set the bulbs from six to eight 
inches apart each way, and four ipches deep. It is 
a good plan to surround the bulb, when setting, 
with a little clean sand. Before winter sets in 
cover the bed with leaves, ora little straw or litter. 
In about five or six weeks after flowering, when 
the leaves are dead, the bulbs may be taken up, 
dried and packed away in paper for fall planting. 
If the bed is wanted for other flowers, they may be 
removed in three weeks after flowering, the flower 
atCIH onr] 41- - » ^ 
covered with a little earth until the leaves have 
ripened, when they should be packed away as 
before recommended. 
Many persons ordering Hyacinths from the seeds¬ 
men and nurserymen entertain the idea that none 
but the double ones are desirable. This is not the 
case. The value of this flower depends principally 
upon the form of the spike and the arrangement of 
the single flowers or bells upon the flower-stem. 
The truss of bloom or spike should be pyramidal, 
and the flowers close enough to entirely conceal 
the stalk. 
THE NARCISSUS. 
Flowering with the Hyacinth we have the Nar¬ 
cissus family, including the well-known Daffodil. 
and Jonquil. They are mostly perfectly hardy 
should be planted in the autumn like the Hyacinth 
but may remain in the ground a number of years 
and until they become so thick and matted as to 
make a division of the roots necessary. Some of 
them are double, and are very showy, but the sin 
gle sorts are more delicate and prettier. The 
J£arly Bouble Baffodil is of a bright yellow. In¬ 
comparable Pleno very double, light yellow or straw 
color, intermixed with dark yellow, or orange. 
however, is the Polianthus Narcissus. The flowers 
are produced in clusters or trusses of from half a 
dozen to three times this number. Like the others 
they show every shade of color from the purest 
imaginable while to deep orange; the cup of the 
white varieties being yellow, and of the yellow 
sorts orange. These are not as hardy as the other 
varieties, but are sufficiently so for general culture 
in this latitude in a well drained soil. 
In our next we will give a few suggestions on 
Tulips and their culture. 
THE SEASON. 
The weather for the past week or two has been 
remarkably fine, and vegetation has made rapid 
progress. The prospects at present are that we 
shall have an abundant crop of all fruits except 
peaches. 
Annuals may still bo sown, but there is now no 
time for delay. About the first of June, Bedding 
Plants should be put out, and they are among the 
most useful ornaments of the flower garden, par¬ 
ticularly valuable in beautifying new grounds, or 
filling beds where bulbs have flowered. Those 
who live near a green-house can obtain them con¬ 
veniently and cheap, and they can be safely sent 
by express almost any distance. Our advertising 
columns no doubt will tell where they can be 
obtained. In the next number we will describe a 
few of the best. 
CANKER WORMS. 
For two years past the apple orchards in this 
vicinity have suffered extremely from the visits of 
millions of caterpillars, which we cannot fully 
identify with any variety described in either Har¬ 
ris’ or Fitch’s works, though they are undoubtedly 
a variety of canker worm. They make their appear¬ 
ance with the first leaves, in the early part of May, 
being quite small when first seen, and continue 
until the middle or latter part of June, increasing 
in size, until they are from an inch to an inch and 
a half in length. At first they are scarcely noticed, 
as they form no web, but cluster together on the 
tops of the branches. In a short time, however, 
they become so large and so numerous, and create 
such havoc among the trees, destroying every leaf 
within their reach, that the farmer becomes alarm¬ 
ed for. the safety of his orchard, and all the availa¬ 
ble strength is immediately set to work to kill these 
destructive enemies. 
It was only last season that our attention was 
particularly called to these caterpillars,- and the 
present year they bid fair to be more numerous 
than ever in many orchards. The largest are now 
about one inch in length. They have fourteen legs, 
eight behind and six before, and crawl along, not 
moving like the inch-worm. The belly is of dullish 
yellow, there is a very fine line of white, a stripe of 
ashy blue, above which is a fine line of yellow. The 
back is black, ornamented with nine white spots. 
The head and other extremity is of a bluish ash. 
When disturbed, they fall from the limb and hang 
suspended by a single web. 
It will be well for our readers to examine their 
their course for one season, where numerous, they 
will not only destroy every leaf, and of course the 
present crop, but do the trees permanent injury. 
We know of persons whose orchards were fairly 
overrun with them before they were aware of it. 
smooth handsome stem or trunk, let the buds be 
rubbed off, to the height of one foot from the 
ground — leaving on the upper portion six to niue 
buds, more or less; with ttie tree standing in its 
original position, in full vigor, and cut back as 
above stated, each one of these buds will throw ou> 
a good strong branch, which gives a full round dis¬ 
till form to the tree; and is the time and manner, 
and the only time, when that desirable shape can 
be given, on which the future form of symmetry 
and beauty, so much depends; and to avoid what 
is termed a crotched or forked-top tree in which 
the two uppermost branches are about of equal 
vigor and height, let the second branch from the 
top be pinched olF, when about nine inches or a 
foot long, which will check and weaken it, while 
the uppermost one becomes a strong central leader. 
Whereas, if the tree be transplanted at one year old, 
and cut back as above stated, the vital forces of the 
tree will be weakened half or three-fourths by 
transplanting, and, as the result, only two or three, 
(more or less,) of the buds on the trunk will grow 
so as to form branches; and they perhaps only at 
the top or all on one side, while the remaining 
buds remain dormant, Dever afterwards to be de¬ 
veloped, as the other branches form new channels, 
which will more readily carry the sap to other and 
upper portions of the tree. 
For transplanting, therefore, let a tree be two 
years old from the bud, well cut back at one year 
old, and with six to nine main branches, which 
form the frame-work, or foundation, which is to 
give form and character to the future tree, with 
proper care and management. 
ORCHARDS IN CANADA. 
THE ALIEN RASPBERRY. 
PIG. 1.—DWARF PEAR TWO YEARS OLD. 
The annexed cut, figure 1, will illustrate a two 
year old tree, as above described, its lower branches 
about one foot from the ground, and its upper 
branches being the strongest and most upright, 
and those below less vigorous and more horizontal. 
I speak of this more particularly for the reason 
that all the cuts which I have noticed in works on 
Pomology, and in agricultural papers, represent a 
two year old tree, with branches much the longest, 
and strongest, at the bottom; and diminishing in 
-towards tlf top, e .cept perhaps the center 
principle that th£sap flows most freely ana reaui.^ 
to the upper branches, giving them vigor, strength 
and uprightness to the diminution of the same 
characteristics in those below. 
The dotted lines indicate where the branches 
should be cut back at the time of planting. 
In the Canadian Agriculturist, Mr. Geo. Leslie 
gives an interesting history of fruit culture in Can¬ 
ada West:—“Twenty years ago,” he says, “the 
few scattered chcriics consisted of sour kinds, com¬ 
monly called Kentish, with sometimes a few scat¬ 
tered May Dukes and Ox Hearts. Our plums 
consisted of common and yellow, with a few Egg 
and Green Gage. Few people had ever heard of 
the fine varieties that have been introduced within 
the last fourteen years, such as Bolmar’s Washing¬ 
ton, Jefferson, Duane’s Purple, Imperial Gage, &c. 
The only distinction then was, wild plums and 
tame plums. Of pears, there were none, and they 
are still scarce, and a great rarity in our markets. 
These remarks apply to the common practice only; 
there were here and there worthy exceptions, 
of individuals who in the face of great difficulties 
which have now happily disappeared, had collected 
many of the improved varieties which even now 
stand among our esteemed sorts; such as, for 
instance, among apples, the Fameuse, Pomme 
Gris, Bourassa, Baldwin, R. I. Greening, E. Har¬ 
vest, Ac. Last year our fruit crop was rather a 
failure, but in the fall of 1855 I was very much 
pleased to see a few barrels of fine specimens of the 
following sorts, grown in the neighborhood of To¬ 
ronto, offered for sale in our markets, namely:— 
Fall Pippin, yEsopus, Spitzenburg, Yellow Belle- 
fleur, Baldwin, Roxbury Russet, St. Lawrence, 
Ribston Pippin, &c., &c., and from the number of 
the trees planted of late years, we expect to see in 
our market a few more of the best sorts, for com¬ 
merce and transportation. 
“As far as my knowledge extends, the following 
list of apples comprises some among the best and 
most suitable varieties adapted to our climate:— 
Summer Varieties. —The Early Harvest, Summer 
Queen, Early Strawberry, Sweet Bough, Duchess 
of Oldenburgb, Red Astracban. Fall Varieties .— 
Fall Pippin, St. Lawrence, Fameuse, Twenty Ounce, 
Ribston Pippin, Porter. Winter Varieties. —Rhode 
Island Greening, Baldwin, American Golden Rus¬ 
set, Pomme Gris, Roxbury Russet, White Belle- 
fleur, vEsopus Spitzenburg, Newtown Pippin, Bell- 
mont, Swaar, Northern Spy, Dutch Mignonne. 
second generation thesame season. We have seen 
no facts to warrant this belief. 
We must say, as we have before, that we know 
of no patent remedy for this evil—no bomb-shell 
that will destroy a thousand at a blow. We have 
always had to fight them singly. In early spring 
search for the cocoons in the rough bark, the 
roughest of which may be scraped off. In thi3 
way a great many may be destroyed. Also pick 
up all wormy apples as soon as they fall, and feed 
them to hogs, or destroy the worms they contain 
in some other way. Cole savs if old cloths are 
laid in the crotches and arounds the trees, many 
will crawl into them to form their cocoons, and 
may be readily destroyed. We never tried this. 
We know, however, that if the first two plans are 
industriously followed, the amount of wormy fruit 
will be greatly diminished. 
2d. A trellis made of posts and wire, and within 
six inches of the wall, is better than fastening 
vines directly upon it, as it affords an opportunity 
for the circulation of air, and the fruit leaves are 
not pressed against the bricks and injured. Then 
it is more convenient for training. In Europe, 
peach, apricot, and other fruit trees, are trained 
upon walls, but walls made for this purpose con¬ 
tain a portion of wooden blocks cut just the form 
of the brick. In the wooden bricks, nails can be 
driven. 
3d. We have never found much benefit from the 
use of salt, except for asparagus; a little, how¬ 
ever, will help celery. We would rather receive 
than give information on this subject. We have 
heard of a great many experiments on this point, 
that when traced out amounted to very little as a 
guide in practice. 
inquiries emir ilnsuicrs. 
Two years ago, L. F. Allen advertised two va¬ 
rieties of “ hardy Raspberries.” I had already 
several kinds that needed winter protection, and 
felt, like many others I suppose, quite willing to 
get rid of putting down the canes every winter to 
save them. I sent for a dozen each of these varie¬ 
ties of Mr. Allen. Of one I obtained only about 
a half dozen, but the other made up the de¬ 
ficiency, and I should have lost nothing if it had 
made up the whole. They produced fine canes 
and a few berries the first season, and last year I 
had probably a fair test of the fruit by the side of 
the Yellow Antwerp, Fastolff, Franconia, aud oth¬ 
ers. One variety will compare favorably with 
either of the others, and when we take into con¬ 
sideration its hardiness, it must be superior; hav¬ 
ing stood unprotected, without apparent injury, 
two winters. The other aud inferior variety, in 
color, is halfway between the wild red, and black, 
but larger than either, and a very poor bearer.— 
The canes, like the berries, appear like a cross be¬ 
tween the red and black, not bending over quite as 
much as the black, nor as upright as the red, very 
branching and quite liable to be broken with snow. 
The color of the canes is also on the same princi¬ 
ple, darker than the red, &c. 
Now, if any one has only one variety of this 
Allen Raspberry, (I suppose the name applies 
equally to both,) and that should happen to be the 
darker one, I think there would be some grounds 
of complaint; but with the other kind I think the 
complaint would depend on disposition. As for 
myself, I am well satisfied so far with the one, but 
shall dig up and throw away the other. 
St. Jehnsville, N. Y., 1859. M. Quinby. 
PRUNING DWARF PEAR TREES. 
PIE PLANT WINE, TOMATO CHOWDER, &c. 
The engraving will give ,a very good idea of the 
form of the single flowers, and the central cup, 
which being of a different color from the six pe¬ 
tals, makes these flowers exceedingly attractive. 
Some have the petals of a light yellow, and the 
cup orange, others with the petals white and the 
cup yellow, while the Poet's Narcissus, sometimes 
called Pheasant's Bye, is snowy white, the cups 
cream color with a delicate fringed edge of red, 
which gives its latter name. Then there are some 
varieties with the cups very large and long, in the 
form of a trumpet. One of the best of these is 
called the Sulphur Trumpet, with the cup or trum¬ 
pet nearly two inches in length and broad at the 
extremity. 
The most beautiful class of the Narcissus family, 
Messrs. Editors :—In response to a vast number 
of inquiries, from interested persons, as to my mode 
of Pruning Dwarf Pear Trees, with your permission 
I will give some specific directions in reference 
thereto, which, if well followed, it is believed will 
enable persons without practical experience, to 
wholly avoid the principal cause of a large share 
of the failures with dwarfs, viz.:— a want of thor¬ 
ough pruning. 
Experience has convinced me, that with good 
trees, of well chosen varieties, on any good corn 
land, which is never too wet; and with the culture 
a good farmer gives his other crops; and the im¬ 
portant— nay, more, the indispensable requisite to 
success— thorough pruning, no one need fail of 
attaining a degree of success highly satisfactory 
and profitable. 
A Dwarf Pear Tree should never be planted at 
one year old. A good one year old tree consists of 
a single upright shoot or stem, from three and one- 
half to five feet high, and should be cut off at about 
two feet from the ground; and in order to give a 
FIG. 2.— DWARF PEAR THREE Y'EARS. 
In cutting a tree, with branches formed as above 
described, let the leader be cut down within four to 
six inches of the place where the one year old tree 
was cut off, and just above a good bud on the side 
of the tree over the previous year’s cut, thus keep¬ 
ing the leader in a perpendicular position over the 
original trunk or bottom of the tree. 
If the side branches are too horizontal, an upper 
bud is left for its extension; if too upright, a lower 
bud is left. Side direction may be given, if desir¬ 
able, to fill wide spaces, in the same way. 
Cut the other branches at such a distance from 
the trunk, that the ends of all of them would form a 
pyramid, the base of which should not be over 
twelve to sixteen inches in diameter, and in smallish 
trees much less; thus the lowest branches will be 
left the longest; the object of which is to check the 
natural flow of sap to the upper branches, and 
induce it to flow more forcibly to the lower ones, 
increasing the vigor and force of the latter as much 
as possible, which must be done at that time or 
never. 
Figure 2 represents a three year old tree after it 
has been pruned at two years old, and made the 
third year’s growth, and showing where it should 
be cut back at that time. All subsequent pruning 
will become easy to any one who has attended to 
these directions thus far—observing the same prin¬ 
ciples, thinning out or cutting back aDy secondary, 
or other branches, as shall seem to be necessary to 
admit light and air, or give vigor or symmetry of 
form to the tree, but as the greatest force of sap 
will flow to the central and upright branches, they 
will need to be cut back most, retaining as near as 
may be the pyramid form; ever bearing in mind 
this fact, that no one prunes too much; and, after 
having pruned well and gathered rich harvests of 
luscious pears, if you still wish to grow them 
larger and better than ever before, prune a little 
closer, and that result will certainly be attained, 
and the vigor, beauty and longevity of your trees 
will be increased thereby. T. G. Yeomans. 
* Walworth, Wayne Co., N. Y., 1S59. 
Tiie Apple Worm, &c.— I have been but a short time 
a subscriber and reader of your valuable paper, but this 
short time has shown me—I am not mistaken—that your 
subscribers ask many questions, as well as help you 
answer the many inquiries weekly made of you. Per¬ 
mit me, then, to follow the example of the first men¬ 
tioned, by asking questions, the answers to which 1 think 
may be of benefit to many beside myself. May I look 
for an answer in your next issue ? 
1st. I have a very fine Baldwin apple tree standing in 
my garden. Soil, clayey loam, clay subsoil. Tree 
some fifteen inches through in trunk, and in most vigor¬ 
ous health. It blows full, the apple forms, but most of 
them fall while quite small, and the very few that do 
not are wormy, rotten, poor things, and last fall there 
were but two of this sort. I pruned the tree well, and 
also pruned one of the large roots. Not in a very scien¬ 
tific way, for my garden was made, and not wishing to 
disturb it I cut it close to the trunk of the tree, my purpose 
pies on the soil we have here, but without much reason, 
I think. Although the axe has been near its roots more 
than once, 1 have given it a reprieve of one year more, 
it is such a splendid-looking tree, capable of bearing 
many bushels. Can you tell me what it wants ? 
2d. Is it well to train a grape vine on a brick wall, or 
better to put a trellis a short distance from the wall? 
If so, what distance, and what is the best cheap trellis? 
3d. I see much said in the Tribune's reports of the 
Farmers’ Club of the mixture of lime, slaked with water, 
saturated with salt, (three bushels lime to one of salt,) 
letting it stand until the light powder shows itself on 
the outside of the pile, which i3 the valuable part, if I 
understand it, for top dressing, &c. Is it equally good 
for all kinds of grain and grass growing on all kinds of 
soil? If better for one than another, will you let us 
know which, and what quantity and time to apply? 
Will it pay, lime and salt, at one shilling a bushel ? Give 
any other information that you may think important 
about it. I am disposed to use it, as well as salt and 
plaster, on my farm, and want to make the best applica¬ 
tion of it.—C. D. D., Syracuse, JT. Y., 1859. 
1st. There is no difficulty, we imagine, either 
with your soil or tree, but the fruit is destroyed 
by the Apple Worn, which, of late years, has 
become exceedingly numerous and destructive. 
The Apple Worm is produced from the egg of 
the Codling Moth, and this moth is shown, of the 
natural size, in the engraving (4.) It deposits its 
eggs in the calyx or eye of the young fruit, during 
June or July, and the grub is hatched in a few 
days, and eats its way into the fruit, as seen in the 
engraving, (1) leaving behind it a brown powder. 
This grub attains its full growth in a few weeks. 
Its natural size is shown in engraving (3.) Apples 
thus affected drop sometimes when they are not 
more than half grown, others remain on the tree 
until they acquire a premature ripeness. Few of 
our readers but must have noticed on trees of early 
apples, some wormy specimens ripe, while the 
sound apples were far from being fit to eat. 
Still others, and particularly winter apples, seem 
to be less affected by the worm, and hang on the 
tree. 
Eds. Rural :—As one of the subscribers of your 
valuable paper I have (with many others,) derived 
much benefit from the many recipes in it. I send 
you the following, which I think may be useful to 
some of your many readers and, perhaps, new. 
Pie Plant Wine. —Wash and cut the stalks into 
pieces about two inches long, put these into a stone 
jar, place the jar in a kettle of cold water and let it 
remain until it is sufficiently cooked to squeeze the 
juice from it. To each four quarts of juice add two 
of water. To each quart (water and juice,) one 
pound brown sugar mixed well and put into a 
cask. The cask should be filled and a few quarts 
left to add up with while in the state of fermenta¬ 
tion, at which time the vent should be left open to 
let off the refuse. When it gets through ferment¬ 
ing it should be corked tight. If kept until 
spring it should be bottled. This is full as good as 
currant wine, and much less labor, 
and 1 pint Vinegar."Boil 5>/w, 
I think, is excellent. 
Tomato Chowder.— To one bushel of green 
tomatoes add 1 dozen green peppers; 12 common- 
sized onions; 1 quart of grated horseradish; 1 
cup ground mustard; 1 oz. cinnamon; 1 oz. cloves, 
whole. The tomatoes, onions, and peppers chop¬ 
ped fine. Put the tomatoes and onions in a vessel 
over night, sprinkle a little salt over them, and in 
the morning drain the water off, put all together 
and boil them in clear water until tender, then 
drain the water from them pack in a jar mixed 
with the above named spices and pour scalded 
vinegar over them. Ruth. 
Fond du Lac, Wis., 1S59. 
When the apple falls the grub leaves, eating its 
way entirely through the apple, as seen in the en¬ 
graving, coming out at c, and selecting itself a 
place in some crevice in the bark of the tree, spins 
a thin white cocoon, shown in the engraving (5,) 
in which to spend the winter, and comes out the 
following spring a moth, to commit again its dep 
redations on the fruit, and blast again the hopes of 
the cultivator. We think many of these worms 
leave the apples before they fall, particularly those 
which have taken possession of late varieties 
How to Make Bed Comforters. — It may be 
new to some of the Rural readers that nice warm 
bed comforters can be made without the labor of 
quilting. I have never seen any in the farm¬ 
houses in this section made in this way; though 
“Out West” they are very common—house-keep¬ 
ers there having to be more saving of their time. 
Take the calico and make up in the usual way; 
stitch in a frame or, (as I have often done,) lay it 
on the floor, put in the batting, which may be 
thicker than if for quilting, if desirable; put the 
cover on even, pinning or stitching all around, and 
with along, slim, sharp darning-needle, and some 
bright-colored thread or yarn — the eye full — 
stitch through the quilt, at intervals of three or 
four inches, in diamonds, &c., all over it, cutting 
the threads and tying each stitch tight, leaving it 
a little longer than the stitch. If made from one 
piece of cloth there is no need of binding the quilt. 
This is warm and durable if made right—warmer 
than when quilted.— Mrs. E. M. V., Seneca Co., 
N. Y., 1859. 
Brown Bread.— One quart of sweet milk; four 
cups of Indian meal; 2 cups coarse flour; % cup 
molasses; % teaspoonful of soda. Will some of 
your lady readers please give us a recipe for ma¬ 
king Bakers’ Gingerbread.— H. N. F., Manhattan, 
Kansas, 1859. 
To Keep Potatoes from Sprouting. —To keep 
potatoes intended for the use of the table from 
spring until new potatoes grow, take boiling 
water, pour into a tub, turn in as many potatoes as 
the water will entirely cover, then pour off all 
the water, handle the potatoes carefully, laying up 
in a dry place on boards, only one layer deep, and 
see if you do not have good potatoes the year round, 
without hard strings and watery ends caused by 
growing. The neighbor I got my information from 
says he has never failed, or had any trouble from 
rotting or sprouting. Try a few.— Prairie Farmer. 
How to Make a Home Happy.— Always be cheer¬ 
ful. A dwelling furnished with cheerfulness and 
cheap furniture will always afford more happiness 
to the inmates than cushioned sofas and floors, 
eleo-anV mirrors and mahogany sideboards, with 
som looks aud ill-temper. Though the elegances 
of a well-furnished house are not to be despised, 
thev are not alone sufficient to produce happiness. 
Parents, teach your children cheerfulness, and you 
Some think that a "portion of them produce a l will make them happy. 
