ih> :. 
247 * 
Tiie Spring flowers are past, the trees and 
shrubs that so delighted us with their beauty and 
fragrance in the earlier summer months, please us 
no more, the fine late Annuals, such as the Balsam 
and Aster are not yet in bloom, and for the Phloxes 
and Dahlias we must wait a month or so longer.— 
This season, therefore, gives us an opportunity to 
examine and appreciate some of the pretty and too 
much neglected Herbaceous Flowers; as they are 
now almost the only ornaments of the garden.— 
First, and most conspicuous among these we find 
that old favorite family, tho 
Aconitum, (Monkshood) or Turks-cap, as we call¬ 
ed it in our youthful days. There are severa^ 
varieties, mostly blue, but there are also white 
and yellow. The flowers grow in spikes which in 
some sorts are three or four feet long. Among the 
prettiest sorts, which we notice in flower now, is 
a versicolor, white and blue, a very marked and 
pretty variety. Variegatum is much like versi¬ 
color, being light blue, edged with white. A small 
yellow variety called licictenum, and a fine white 
sort, Alba. 
Delphinium or Perennial Larkspur, is another 
showy and hardy class, composed of many species 
aud varieties. Like the former, they are mostly 
blue in color, from three to five feet in height, and 
flower most freely. Indeed, when properly man¬ 
aged the whole plant seems like a wreath of blos¬ 
soms of the brightest azure colors. Few flowers 
give as rich a variety of the most delicate and 
singularly beautiful shades of color, from the 
slightest tinge to the darkest purple. Among the 
finest we noticed Barloowii, growing five feet in 
height, with dark blue flowers; lormosa, very deep 
blue; Sinensis, light azure blue; Alba, white; 
Grandiflorum, double, deep azure blue; Napellis, 
large, dark blue. In addition to these, we noticed 
os very fine, Mooreii and Hybridum. 
Campanula, or Canterbury Bells, is one of the 
oldest and most showy of our border plants.— 
These are also mostly blue, though some are white, 
while others have but a delicate shade. There are 
many varieties, which we will not now describe, 
but any of our readers ordering half a dozen sorts 
from a good nurseryman, will not fail to obtain 
desirable varieties. 
Digitalis or Foxglove is another showy border 
plant of easy culture, with long, somewhat bell¬ 
shaped tubular flowers, of a variety of colors 
Purpurea, is a light purple; Purpea Alba, yellow¬ 
ish white; Variegata, striped with white. 
Actiii.lea or Milfoil, very pretty and desirable 
border flowers, particularly the white double 
variety, as it continues to flower most of the season, 
throwing up its daisy-like flowers in corymbs, on 
stems about a foot in height. Next to the white, 
the rosea, or rubra, is the best, having the most 
delicate rose-colored flowers in large trusses.— 
There are several yellow sorts. 
Tkadescantia or Spiderwort, is very common ; 
indeed, is found in almost every garden. We 
never thought it very desirable, but we observed 
this season, in the grounds of Ellwanger & Barry, 
a most beautiful double variety, of a very desirable 
color, called rubra pleno. 
The Yucca, Adam's Needle. —We have often 
wondered why the Yucca was not more generally 
planted. It is always admired, and when exhibited 
in our horticultural shows, looked upon as a great 
curiosity—a foreign plant—and yet it can be ob 
tained at almost any nursery for a few shillings, 
and can be successfully grown and flowered in any 
cottage garden. The flower-stem grows to the 
height of from three to five feet, and is covered 
with large, bell-shaped, creamy-white flowers 
Y. Jiilimentosa is one of the best for flowering at 
the north. 
Few of our readers know what a delicious fruit 
the gooseberry is,—how abundantly it bears,—how 
valuable it is in the hands of the cook, as well as 
for the dessert-—and, indeed, we had almost forgot¬ 
ten these important facts, it is so long since we 
have raised a crop, or even more than tasted a few 
half-formed specimens. The mildew is the great, 
and, indeed, the only enemy of importance to the 
gooseberry in this country, and could this be over¬ 
come it would soon be a very important fruit, 
equal, we think, to any of our small fruits. In the 
Rural for February 5th, we gave some facts on this 
subject, to which we refer our readers. The Ameri- 
most all civilized countries for hundreds of years, 
yet no effort was made for its improvement, and it 
seemed to be entirely discarded both by profes¬ 
sional and amateur florists, prized only by the most 
humble cottage gardeners, untd within a few years. 
Here, and there,” in the language of an English 
Journal, “it has found a discerning patron; but, 
generally speaking, the floral world has been influ¬ 
enced by a Dahlia excitement, from which it is 
now subsiding, in sober disposition to judge all 
flowers by their respective merits. The rose is 
again the queen, and the hollyhock is again at 
court.” This improvement of the hollyhock was 
not commenced by any celebrated personage, or at 
the gardens of any of the great horticultural so¬ 
cieties. The person entitled to this honor, is a 
shoemaker in England, a lover of flowers, with 
whom the holly hoqk was a great favorite, and pur¬ 
suing a course of culture, dictated by his own ob¬ 
servation and experience, he succeeded in aston¬ 
ishing the world by producing flowers far more 
beautiful than had ever before been seen. 
To all lovers of flowers we say, obtain a few 
plants of the very best hollyhocks, frofm the best 
nurseryman within your reach. Order the best, 
regardless of cost, if only two or three plants.— 
They can be sent a long distance, and we know of 
nothing prettier for a bed on the lawn, or the 
border. 
Mm 
TnE Hollyhock. —All our readers are familiar 
with the Hollyhock. It is found in almost every 
garden, “ lifting its tall and majestic stems above 
its more humble companions, defying, apparently, 
the roughest treatment, yet ever gay, attractive 
and conspicuous, by the grandeur of its habit and 
its massive plumes of crimson, white, or yellow 
hues.” Some may be disposed to think that this 
is altogether too common a flower to claim the 
especial notice of the Rural or its readers. Few 
however, know how beautiful a flower the Holly 
hock becomes under proper care and culture.— 
Look at the beautiful tall spikes of flowers shown 
in the engraving, as double and beautiful as the 
rose. These are far different from the poor, single 
or semi-double kinds generally seen, and there are 
few of our large and showy flowers that excel 
them. The much-lauded Dahlia, that has been an 
especial pet with florists for many years, we con 
sider far inferior in grace and beauty 
Although the Hollyhock has been grown in al 
CROWN IB OB GOOSEBERRY. 
can seedlings are not subject to mildew, ..and 
perhaps our only hope to escape the disease is in 
this direction; yet we were much delighted at the 
fine collections of English sorts shown at the last 
exhibition of the Genesee Valley Horticultural So¬ 
ciety. We have never seen so good an exhibition 
in this country, of fiue^rrts, and they were en¬ 
tirely free from mildew. May we not hope that a 
brighter era is dawning? 
Among the best and hardiest varieties on exhibi¬ 
tion was the Crown Bob, of which we give a draw¬ 
ing, showing the size and form of the fruit, as well 
as of the leaf and branch, 
labor—pleasure, heartfelt, innocent and elevating 
pleasure. 
Why should any family that has four rods of 
ground, do without fruit? One spray of forget- 
me-nots, left out of the border of the bonnet, or any 
other little self-denial, worth fifty cents, would 
purchase the tree, and a few hours stolen from the 
drowsy god of a summer morning, and a little 
gymnastic exercise with spade and hoe, are all that 
is needed. Try it, girls, try it; and my word for 
it, if there are roses on your cheeks, not a beau 
will miss the sprig of forget-me-not from your 
bonnet-rim. 
No one need take pains to tell me that my pears 
are bearing too soon. I have beard so already. 
Nor do I think they have done anything extraordi¬ 
nary; but well, considering. I saw, by a McCon- 
nelsville paper, the other day, that Miss C. Thomp¬ 
son had presented, at the Morgan County Horticul¬ 
tural Meeting, a gooseberry measuring four inches. 
I suppose I planted that bush, for Miss Thompson 
lives upon “ Mount Airy,” and we left some of the 
finest bushes there, five years ago, that I ever saw 
—either they or their descendants produced the 
prodigy. We have a bottleful on the parlor mantle, 
as an ornament, that grew this year from a slip of 
that old Mount Airy stock. I am glad I planted 
that bush. 
DRYING FRUIT, WASHING RECIPE, &c. 
A LATE SEEDLING CHERRY. 
We have so many valuable Cherries that there 
is little use of adding to the list, unles.s new can¬ 
didates for public favor excel all varieties now cul¬ 
tivated in some valuable quality. 
DISEASE OF THE CHERRY. 
Eds. Rural: — Your article on the Cherry, in the 
last Rural, suggested to me the idea of asking 
some information in regard to diseases to which 
the tree is subject in this section. I have been 
trying to cultivate the improved varieties for the 
last eight years, and although they grow very 
vigorously for a year or two, they soon begin to 
show signs of decay. Spots of gum appear in the 
trunk, the bark becomes dead, and the tree either 
dies or is so stunted as to be entirely worthless. 
On examining the gum spots, I usually find a white 
worm or grub in them, but whether that causes 
the disease or not I am unable to determine. The 
common red, sour cherry is entirely free from this 
disease, but having tasted the Elton, &c., I am un¬ 
willing to give them uj^and fall back on the com¬ 
mon, if a remedy caul be found for the above 
mentioned disease. Mi soil is gravel loam, with 
gravel subsoil, so that|nere is no danger of stand¬ 
ing water about 
tors of the Cherryf' 
disease, you will con 
ers of the Rural in 
Smyrna, July, 1S59. 
Remarks. —The evitf of which you complain is 
very common at the South and West. A partial 
remedy, we believe, has been found in sheathiDg 
the trunks with straw* or moss. On this subject, 
however, information is needed. The Duke and 
Morello varieties would, no doubt, succeed well 
with you. 
If you, or any cultiva- 
furnish a remedy for this 
fa great favor on the read- 
' section. 
W. Collins. 
We now present our readers with an engraving 
of a Seedling Cherry, grown by Mathew G. War¬ 
ner, of this city, and supposed to be from seed 
of the American Amber. The flesh is rather firm, 
juicy, sweet and rich. Color amber in the shade, 
to very dark red in the most exposed parts. Stem 
slender, nearly two inches in length. It is valua¬ 
ble for its lateness, being ripe this season about 
the 25th of July. 
AN EXAMPLE FOR LADIES. 
LAYERING. 
Any of our readers who have fine Carnations or 
Picoteesihat they wish to preserve or increase, can 
do so very easily by layering, and it should be done 
immediately'. Procure a quantity of small hooked 
pegs; then take a trowel and remove the earth to 
the depth of an inch or so directly under the shoot 
to be layered. Take the shoot in one hand, and 
with the linger and thumb of the other hand re¬ 
move the leaves from the body of the shoot, and 
shorten those at the top an inch or so. With a 
thin, sharp knife, cut through the strongest joint 
on the body of the shoot, cutting upwards until 
within a short distance of the next joint, aud if the 
joints are close it may be necessary to cut through 
more than one. The slit may be from one to two 
inches in length. Then press the center of the 
shoot down to the earth, being at the same time 
careful to keep the slit open and the top in an up¬ 
right position; take one of the pegs and secure it 
in this situation. A little clean sand placed around 
the cut, will aid in the formation of roots. In 
September or October the shoots thus layered will 
be rooted sufficiently to separate from the parent 
plant, when they may be cut away and removed to 
winter quarters. The operation is pretty plainly 
illustrated in the engraving. 
Chickweed. —As I am a continual reader of your 
valuable and useful paper, I should like to be informed 
through its columns of an effectual remedy against 
what is called around here the chickweed, which infest^ 
our gardens, and very much retards the progress of the 
plants, it being of that nature that the more you hoe it 
the more it needs it?—E. B. C., Ashtabula Co., Ohio, 
1S59. 
Chickweed is most abundant and troublesome 
in a cold, damp soil. Drainage and the hoe are the 
nly cures we know of. 
Mrs. F. D. Gage, of St. Louis, Mo., writes as 
follows of her success in horticulture to the Ohio 
Farmer. We commend her example to the 
mothers, and daughters, and wives who read the 
Rural: 
I procured some pear trees of Mr. L. Burtig, of 
Rochester, N. Y., which I superintended the set¬ 
ting of on a rainy day a year ago last fall. Spring 
came, and but three out of forty died. Some of 
them Blossomed, but the flowers were removed to 
prevent fruiting. They grew wonderfully through 
the summer, and when fall came they were twice 
their usual height. After the leaves had fallen, I 
had them pruqed, and they commenced growing 
the past spring more vigorously than ever. Six 
of them have fruited, one tree having thirteen 
pears on a single branch, another nine. I think 
they are the Flemish Beauty. 
One year ago last May I purchased of Ellwanger 
& Barry’s agent, three varieties of currants, in all, 
eight roots, and this season they have borne a few 
clusters of magnificent fruit. Fine gooseberries, 
two years from setting. 
' Now, I have said I all through this story, be 
cause I was I that did it, and if I, (an old woman, 
I was going to say, but I’m not old;) if I who am 
fifty, (and have gray hairs,) can set out pear trees, 
and gooseberries, and strawberries, and raspber 
ries, what is the use of young women, just enter¬ 
ing upon the threshold of life’s usefulness, shrink' 
ing from such work, and waiting for husbands, or 
fathers and brothers to do it for them ? 
Oh! there is a joy in gathering the fruit that 
one’s own hands have planted — in knowing that 
her work has helped the world so much. I never 
dropped a seed, or set a slip in the ground, in my 
life, that prospered, that I was not made happier 
for the work. And as I sit by my window, to-day, 
and see my laden little pear trees waving to and 
fro, I look back upon that hard day’s work in the 
rain with as much complacency as upon any day’s 
work for many years. 
I have seen many chapters about pears, and 
read much discussion on the comparative merits 
of the dwarfs and standards; and if my dwarfs 
prosper, (and about half are dwarfs,) they will 
furnish us fruit each year for four or five years, or 
until'^the standards shall come into bearing; then 
we can afford to let them die, if they must. I hav 
seen pears sell here, in the basket, for ten cents 
apiece, and my tree, that bears thirteen, would 
more than pay for itself in one year at that rate, 
and I am sure I have had pleasure enough in 
watching the growth, to pay for all my time and 
GENESEE VALLEY HOST. SOCIETY. 
The June Exhibition of the Genesee Valley 
Hort. Society was held on the 22d inst. The show 
was not large, but the attendance of members and 
citizens interested in Horticulture quite good. 
The next exhibition will be made August 19th. 
The following are the reports of Committees: 
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FLOWERS. 
The Committee on Flowers regret to state that their 
labors were exceedingly light. Although the premium 
list was arranged to accommodate amateurs, who have 
but few flowers to show, this class seem slow to accept 
the advantages offered them. A. Frost & Co., made 
fine show of herbaceous plants, roses, hollyhocks, 
phloxes, &c., and also exhibited several boquets. C. 
W. Seeley exhibited verbenas and flowers of hardy 
shrubs. W. King made a good exhibition of dahlias 
for the season; also, of picotees, hollyhocks, etc. Selah 
Matthews presented a fine floral ornament —not for 
competition. Mrs. E. K. Blythe and Mrs. Alfred Fitch 
also presented floral ornaments in excellent taste. 
The Premiums awarded were as follows: 
Best Boquets—A Frost & Co. 
Best Floral Ornaments—Mrs. E. K. Blythe. 
Hardy Shrubs—Best twelve cut Flowers—A. Frost 
& Co. 
Verbenas—Best six to C. W. Seeley, for Blue Deli 
ance, Mrs. Horsford, Madam Viard, Hiawatha, Giant de 
Battaile, and Brilliant de Vaise. 
Petunias—Best six to A. Frost & Co., for Glory of 
America, Great Western, Jupiter, Diana, Juno, and 
Amazon. 
Herbaceous Plants—Best twelve cut Flowers, A. Frost 
& Co. 
Dahlias—For a collection of twenty varieties, to Mr. 
King. James Vick, Chairman. 
Eds. Rural : —Being acquainted with a valuable 
method of preserving berries and tomatoes, I for¬ 
ward it for insertion: 
Drying Currants, Tomatoes, Ac. — To ten 
pounds of currants, picked clean from the stems, 
add apound of sugar and a.little water. Putthem 
into your kettle and let them boil gently a minute 
or so. When they all seem broken, take them off 
and dip into plates, pans, &c. There will not ap¬ 
pear to be much but juice, but in three or four 
days, if kept in the sun and wind, and stirred and 
turned over two or three times a day, this will be 
a mass of jelly, sufficiently dry to be placed in a 
separate dish to finish hardening, which will take 
a few days longer. When dry, so as not to feel 
wet, put into paper bags and keep in a dry, dark 
place. They must be examined occasionally, or 
the millers will get to them and breed worms. 
This is a better way than preserving fruit in the 
usual mode, as it will not ferment. When wanted 
for use, put into a tin dish with boiling water and 
sugar, stew a short time and serve. I have now 
currants that were dried in this way ten years ago, 
and they are, to all appearance, as good as when 
first dried. The millers have not offered to trouble 
them since the first year. When I stew dried 
apples for pies, I stew with it a spoonful or two to 
pie. This so much improves the flavor, that 
we hardly think dried apple pie is fit to eat with¬ 
out it. 
Raspberries, blackberries, &c., can be preserved 
in the same manner. Last year I preserved a 
great many quarts of blackberries in this way, 
and had them occasionally all winter and spring, 
and they are not all used yet. Such fruit is very 
handy for pies in spring and early summer, when 
is so difficult to furnish a variety of palatable 
food. Raspberries and blackberries should be put 
away in covered earthern ware or tin, as they can¬ 
not be dried so as not to stick to paper. Toma¬ 
toes must be skinned by first pouring boiling water 
on them, then cut in slices and cooked slightly, then 
spread and dried on tins and plates. 
I also send a washing recipe which I think the 
best of any. To one pound bar soap, or its equiva¬ 
lent in soft-soap, add two ounces of pulverized 
borax and one pint of water. Put it into a kettle 
and keep it hot till dissolved. It must not boil, as 
it will not be properly combined. When going to 
wash, wet the clothes in cold water, rub well the 
soiled parts with the mixture, and pour on hot or 
boiling water, cover the tub and let them remain 
till morning, then wring out and boil in clean 
suds. The clothes, unless badly soiled, will need 
but little rubbing. Rinse and hang out. Try it, 
reader, and I hope you will find it as great a bless¬ 
ing as I have. H. 
Moore’s Hill, Dearborn Co., Ind., 1S59. 
REPORT OF FRUIT COMMITTEE. 
Gooseberries—Best six sorts, to C. W. Seeley. 
Currants—Best two Red Varieties, to A. Frost & Co. 
for Fine Red Dutch and Victoria. Ditto, Best one 
quart, to A. Frost & Co. for White Grape. 
Raspberries—Best four varieties, to H. E. Hooker & 
Co.; best quart of Red Raspberries; do., to n. E. Hooker 
& Co. for Hudson River Red Antwerp. 
Fine specimens of New Rochelle Blackberry were 
shown by S. Matthews. 
Early Harvest Apples from J. 0. Bloss. 
Red Astrachan Apples from E. S. Hayward. 
C. P. Bissell and Salter presented a collection of 
Gooseberries, Currants, Blackberries, and Apples - but 
they were too late for competition, and have not there 
fore shared in the awards — the specimens were fine 
without exception, and showed skill in cultivation 
which is entitled to commendation. 
H. E. Hooker, Chairman. 
Raspberries. —We have seen nothing new or 
remarkable in the way of Raspberries this season 
Brinckle's Orange maintains its reputation as the 
hardiest and best of the light sorts. Red Antwerp 
Fastolff, and Hudson River Red Antwerp are the 
best of the red sorts. The Catawissa and some 
the other new varieties are fruiting well. The 
Allen we have seen in two places and it appears 
to possess but little merit. 
REMEDY FOR BURNS.-NO HUMBUG. 
Messrs. Eds.: — I have known and heard of so 
much suffering from burns, for want of the right 
kind of salve, that I am induced to give, through 
the Rural, my recipe—one that has been tested 
thoroughly. From thirty years experience, I be¬ 
lieve there can be nothing better, never having 
known, in one single instance, a burn or scald, 
when dressed with this and followed up, that did 
not soon get well. There are no sticking plastei'3 
to be removed, causing double suffering—no proud 
flesh—no stiff joints or contracted cords—but com¬ 
fort is soon restored. Now, if those that read this 
will get materials and make the salve, and keep it 
in the house constantly—we hope they may not 
have occasion to make a test—it will prove its 
worth on application. I do not suppose there 
has a week transpired since we have known its 
efficacy that we have been without it, and, although 
we have been so fortunate as not to need it, some 
of our friends or neighbors have been less favored. 
Here is the the recipe: 
Burgundy pitch, 1 ounce; beeswax, % ounce; 
teacupful lard. Stir while simmering together, 
then pour from the dregs into earthen or glass to 
prevent rust. The first dressing not to be removed 
until the third day—afterwards change dressing 
every day. Clarissa Colvin. 
Henrietta, N. Y., 1859. 
Ice Cream—Lemon Cake, &c. —Three quarts of 
milk; < 2f£ pounds of powdered sugar; 15 yolks, 1 
well beaten and strained, mix altogether in a tin 
pail, (do not use the whites of the eggs at all,) 
set the pail into a kettle of boiling water, and stir 
the custard all the time until it is quite thick. 
After it is cool, add two quarts of rich cream and 
the flavoring, then freeze. For an adult a large 
saucerful, a bright silver spooon, and a slice of 
Lemon Cake, made thus: 
One pound of sugar; 14 eggs; % pound of 
flour; 2 lemons. Beat the sugar and yolks well 
together, add the juice of the lemons—the whites 
must be whisked to stand—then sift in the flour, 
drop in buttered tins, and bake a light brown. 
Can some one send us a recipe for canning cor’i 
—one well tried.— M., Fort Wayne, Lnd., 1859. 
Hop Tree.— Please answer through your paper, either 
by yourself or some correspondent, if any person in the 
North part of New York State has ever tried the Amer- 
can Hop Tree, and with what success ?— Ored Howell, 
Jerseyville, C. W., 1859. 
Packing Eggs.— Having read in theRui:w L 0 ne 
recipe for packing eggs, and also an inquiry f or 
another, I send one that I have tried and 'know to 
be good. Take the barrel, or tub, and /it a layer 
of Cayuga plaster in the bottom, tlnoh take the 
eggs, set them up on the end—don’t b'ave them so 
they will hit each other—then add I more plaster, 
then another layer of eggs, and so* on until the 
vessel is full. Set them where theyf will keep dry, 
and in the spring you will have Aplenty of fresh 
eggs on hamj. Will some one (send a recipe for 
making Wine Crackers?—31 E. Root, Dansville, 
N. Y., 1859. _ 
A gallon of strong ley put into a barrel of hard 
water will make it as soft as rain water. 
fv. A 
