' duties ! Certainly tbe Patent Office officials deserve 
no less, and we should he satisfied. 
"Seriously, we think it time that a determined 
effort should be made to correct these abuses. The 
interests of agriculture and horticulture demand that 
they should no longer be thus trilled with. When 
we see some effort made likely to be successful, we 
shall again resume our advocacy of public establish¬ 
ments. Until then our pen will be better employed 
in the development of the usual details of private 
practice.” 
hp-p n Lord Raglan —A white or pale-green shriv¬ 
eled pea, growth about 3 feet. Planted April 2<ith, 
of full size August 1st, of very stout growth, and 
very prolific. Much later than any of the above, 
good size, sweet and fine. This is also a Marrowfat. 
Mur Imperial —Light-blue shriveled pea of large 
size, and matures in medium season. Not planted 
with foregoing, and therefore can give no compari¬ 
son. This excellent sweet pea has for years been a 
favorite with me, but alas it has one serious draw¬ 
back. It is liable to mildew. Last year they were 
entirely used up. This year not the least Indication 
of any mildew. Some years it is slightly affected, 
and not seriously Injured. 
Prom the above, a selection can be made which 
cannot fail to suit the most fastidious. To those like 
myself, who like a sweet, tender, juicy pea, I would 
say that I have selected for my own choice, Princess, 
Cedo Nulli. and Harrison's tilory. tf these are too 
sweet, a good selection would bo Daniel O'Rourke, 
Kent, and Perfection. To tboHe who prefer a Mar¬ 
rowfat, substitute Napoleon or Eugenio in place of 
Glory or Perfection, and to either add Lord Raglan 
for a late pea. 
I am making some experiments as to hardiness and 
freedom from rot, with some twenty kinds of potatoes, 
and will furnish some notes of general results for the 
Rural if the editor thinks them of any use. 
West Fayette, N. Y., 1801. Guo. s. Conover. 
other fruit and ornamentals. Such is, briefly, his 
field of operations. Ilis trees are very well grown 
indeed, and ho has few old trees. It is proper to say 
here that the planting of young trees is being more 
generally adopted than formerly, in the West. And 
it is more generally recommended, because the per 
centum of yonng trees that live, thrive, and bear 
fruit, with the half-way culture of a large proportion 
of plasters, is much greater than of old trees. It is 
true it need not necessarily bo so. but there is the 
fart anchored fast. Only a day or two since, talking 
with an intelligent amateur cultivator who had been 
very successful with his trees, he said, "I would not 
buy to plant, an apple tree less than fire years old. 
With but little more care they may he made to grow 
as well as the younger trees, and they produce much 
sooner.” Well, wo can grant it, hut the fart is, our 
best orchards were planted when the trees were 
young. But let the trees be planted. And in urging 
the planting of trees, the writer finds it necessary to 
CHEAP SUMMER BEVERAGES 
Pears are scarce this season. The Louise Bonne 
de Jersey and a few other varieties are giving a good 
crop. The Doyenne il'Ete is jnst over, and the 
Bloodgood and Beurre Gifford are ripening. Several 
early varieties of apples are in season or just over, 
and none are equal in beauty and productiveness to 
the Red Astrachan. It is a little too acid for some 
tastes, but is a most excellent apple, always fair, 
beautiful and abundant. Of plums we have about 
none, and this is the first season in ten years that we 
could make this stalement truthfully. The peach 
trees are slowly recovering from the effects of the 
unfavorable winter and spring. The leaves became 
curled in May and dropped off, and it was not until 
late in July that any considerable growth was made 
on yonng and vigorous trees, while old trees will 
not recover. Now a tolerable growth is being made, 
but we doubt whether it will be in suitable condition 
to endure another hard winter. If, therefore, the 
next winter should be severe, we may anticipate the 
entire destruction of many of the trees that have 
already suffered so severely. The apple crop will be 
light, and the early varieties are much injured by 
the enreulio. The dwarf trees are bearing well, and 
there are few more beautirut objects in tbe garden 
than these miniature apple trees covered with fruit. 
The small fruits, with the exception of currants, 
have borne well, and tbe New Rochelle Blackberry 
we never saw finer. In many places, however, we 
see evidence of neglect. We make a hobby of a 
particular fruit for a few years, treat it well, get fine 
crops, and speak its praise. In a fewyears we begin 
to neglect it for some new hobby. This is the way 
we have treated strawberries. About the time Uo- 
vey’s Seedling was first disseminated, all the amateur 
gardeners in this section engaged in strawberry 
culture, nnd 
The following are not only simple and cheap bev¬ 
erages, but are also pleasant and healthful. We clip 
them from an exchange: 
White Sprite Bkkb, to mark, — Mix together 
three pounds of loaf sugar, fivo gallons of water, a 
eup of good yeast, adding a small piece of lemon- 
peel, and enough of the essence of spruce to give it 
flavor. When fermented, preserve in close bottles. 
Molasses or common brown sugar can be used if 
necessary instead of loaf, and the lemon-peel left out. 
Sometimes, when unable to obtain the essence of 
spruce, we have boiled down the twigs. This will be 
found a delightful home drink. 
JIakvkht Drink. Mingle together five gallons of 
pure water, ono-lnilf gallon molasses, one quart of 
vinegar, and two ounces of powdered ginger. Thin 
drink is very invigorating, and is the same thing aa 
"Western cider,” the recipe of which has been 
selling for a high price through the country. 
C uk a m Bo da— To one gallon of water, add fivo 
pounds of loaf sugar, one ounce Epsom salts, one 
ounce cream of tartar, and five ounces tartaric acid. 
Boil tho preparation well, skimming off' the refuse 
matter accumulating upon the surface. After cool¬ 
ing, set it away in bottles in a cool place. When 
desiring soda drinks, put two or three tablespoonfuis 
of this syrup Into a tumbler two-thirds full of water; 
add one-fourth of a teaspoonful of super-carbonate 
ol soda; stir briskly, and tbe effervescence will be 
equal to that from fountain soda. Tbe Epsom salts, 
cream of tartar, tartaric acid, and Hijpor-carbomito of 
soda, can be purchased for a small sum at any drug 
store. 
Root Brer, —Mix together a small amount of sweet 
fern, sarsaparilla, wlntergroen, sassafras, Prince’s 
pine, anil spice wood. Moil them with two or three 
ounces of hops, and two or throe raw potatoes pared 
and sliced in three or four eallonx of water a tone 
Slortirultural $ote$ 
1 ears* Tho ol«l pear tr»*oa nro pretty nearly uHe<l up; 
many of thorn entirely dead, and many more no better. 
Their almost, leafless branches show conclusively that hence¬ 
forth they will only he ctnnberers of the ground. Youngor 
treea are doing bettor, and give some hopes of renewed 
fertility. 
“ How bftT » the dwarfs stood it?” Ours are all alive, bnt 
not uuscathed, for, in common with young standard trees, 
they have suffered more from blight tho present summer 
than in all the previous period of their existence; and what 
is worse, this blight continues to show itself. We are care¬ 
ful to remove all infected brunches as soon a« the disease 
develops itself, and keep the trees as free hh possible from all 
appearance of Its progression. 
loathe *—'The peach trees are all dead. So there will be 
HO more pouches until a new crop of trees are grown. We 
hope no one will Tail to make new efforts in behaif of peach 
Trees. If they ,|0. they mav succeed: if thnv i In tint Hmu 
specimens were grown and exhibited 
here that would not disgrace a London exhibition. 
Barr’s New Pine followed, and magnificent dishes of 
this delicious strawberry were Bhown by the side of 
Hovey. Now, wo think not half a dozen quarts of 
either are grown in the county, and very few beds 
are to be found even in tolerable condition. Such a 
course as this tends very much to retard the progress 
of fruit culture. 
Tn the (■ lower Garden tho annuals are now the 
most attractive. I hose who obtained good Balsam 
seed, planted in a rich soil, and pinched off the side 
shoots, will now have a most magnificent show. 
Balsams, however, when planted within a foot or so 
of each other, and the side shoots are allowed to 
grow, are very ineffective. Tho humble Portnlacca, 
that will grow like weeds in any dry, light sandy 
Boil, and endure the hottest, driest weather, iB really 
one or the best garden adornments, and can he put 
to more useful purposes.than any other flower. Any 
vacant bed can be filled with it, even when in flower, 
regardless of the state of tho weather, and nothing 
is more brilliant. Every year adds to tho variety 
and beauty of the colors, and the later striped varie¬ 
ties are exceedingly fine. A good bed of Phlox 
Drnmmondi is now an object of groat beauty. Great 
has been the imnrnvement in the past few years. 
ERHARD’S EAVENSWOOD PEAR 
For some time we have heard favorable reports of 
an early pear, known around New York as the Ra- 
ten a wood Pear, and Erhard's Ravenswood. Until the 
present season we have not had an opportunity to 
examine it, and we are now indebted to Mr. Run a no for 
a fine lot received in excellent order, which gives us 
an opportunity to judge of its qualify. The tree that 
bears this fruit was found wild in the woods at 
Ravenswood, Long Island, nnd with several others 
was removed to a garden in the neighborhood. 
A bout eight years since the land on which this tree 
grew came into the possession of Cuarlks F. 
Erhard, and for the last live years It has borne 
iruit. During that time it has been brought to the 
notice of the best I’omologists in the country, and 
has been received with much favor. It iB quite 
small, as our engraving shows, skin yellowish-green 
when ripe, with numerous small, brown specks, ft 
is of fair quality, Bweet, bnt not high flavored. If 
the Ravenswood is hardy, a free grower and produe- 
tive, these qualities will doubtless make it popular. 
With our present information we see no good claim 
to superiority nver other vnri< ia's ripening about the 
same time, such as Doyennr y'Rte, Madeleine, Os- 
band’s Bummer, Bloodgood re Gtffard. 
single crop of wheat. I say all this was ignored, and 
few have since planted the peach. The few that have, 
arc this season rejoicing over a fine crop. There is no 
doubt that the same expenditure of intelligent effort 
annually, to grow a crop of fruit, that is made to 
grow a crop of corn in this country, will result in as 
great cash return to the farmer as tho corn crop 
yields him. The writer has abundant data establish¬ 
ing this fact. 
Bnt, talking of peaches, here is a grove of seed- 
lings—a thicket of them, which have been left stand¬ 
ing as they stood in the nursery rows—a few thinned 
oat—that are full of fruit Tho seedlings are both 
hardier and more productive than the budded or 
grafted fruit. Mr. Phcknix urges that every man 
who bays a basket of peaches for his wife to can or 
preserve, plant the stones, and he will soon have 
Iruit of his own growing. Ho says each farmer 
should have from one to forty acres, planted closely, 
in peaches; if for uo other purpose than to supply fuel, 
it Is worth growing for that purpose. There is one 
fact which I have observed, and which, without 
doubt, it is important to the planter that he should 
regard. That the fruitful peach trees are those grown 
in clumps, closely planted with each other, or inter 
mixed with other fruit trceB. Whether it is the pro¬ 
tection the one class of trees has or not. those nlanted 
DYEING RECIPES, Stc. 
Ax *.*-1 uhkkk:— weeing an inquiry in 
a late Humber of your paper, for a recipe to color 
blue, I send you mine, which I know to ha good. 
Take lj ounces prussiate of potash, 2 ounces of 
copperas; each dissolved in 4 gallons of rain water 
as warm as you can hold your hand In. Putyonc 
goods into tho copperas water, and let stand five or 
ten minutes; wring ont. Then put 2 tablespoonfuls 
of the oil of vitriol into the prussiate of potash 
water, and let it stand a sufficient length of time to 
produce tho desired color. Wring out without 
4 yioLureu a nci/iner oi Kinds or peas 
from Messrs. Thorbdrn, of New York 'and Albany, 
for the purpose of experimenting, and in order to 
select therefrom Buch varieties to grow in future, as 
might suit, the wants of my family. As tho spring is 
always a very bnsy time with farmers, it being incon¬ 
venient and often impossible to spend much time in 
the garden during the hurried time of plovylngand 
seeding, 1 was desirous of procuring a few kinds to 
give a proper succession if planted at the same time. 
We can break out a half, or perhaps even a whole 
day, to make up early garden, at which time early 
potatoes, peas, lettuce, radish, Ac,, can he planted, 
and then the garden has to lie by until spring seeding 
is out of the way, by which time the cultivutor and 
hoe will be in requisition, if potatoes and peas are 
planted in rows as I usually cultivate them in my 
garden. 
For the same reason, if any considerable quantity 
of peas are planted, and for a large family it requires 
no small patch, it is often quite inconvenient to stick 
them with brush, and therefore a pea of stout, 
dwarfish habit is desirable, in order to obtain a fair 
crop. For this purpose I find planting In the samo 
hills or rows with potatoes answers very well. 
It may be proper to state that my farm lies along 
the eastern shore of Seneca Lake, and the garden 
slopes gently to the west, lying fully exposed to tho 
winds, which have a full sweep over the lake. A 
large portion of it is cultivated entirely with the plow, 
receiving annually a pretty heavy coating of manure! 
worked mainly with 
garden truck ” being 
t apart. No manure, 
i/uuuie /.!' uia, ana Hiiii more lortunate in growing 
doable flowers from the seed sown, are delighted 
with it. Like the preceding, it iB well suited to an 
American season. We huve flowers perfectly double 
that have beeu in bloom more than five weeks, and 
yet show little signs of failing. This is a valuable 
quality In the Zinnia, and will make it valuable. 
Vjlmosin advertised that fifty per cent, of the flow¬ 
ers would be double, hut wc have only obtained some 
ten to twelve per cent, of good flowers. Home, 
therefore, who grew but a few plants, may uo t obtain 
a good flower, and think the whole thing a cheat. 
This is not so, and to-day we could doubtless cut 
flowers as perfect as those thatcaused such an excite¬ 
ment in London last season. In u year or two more 
the character of the flower wiH be established, seeds 
plenty, and more variety in color obtained. 
The Oaillardia is not as well known as it deserves 
to be. When planted so as to cover tho whole 
ground, they produce a fine effect, with their unique 
fruit. 
MILDEW ON CJOOSEBERR1E8. 
Here are the Houghton and American seedlings. 
They are bearing, but they mildew some. Pihenix 
says there are some old ladies in town who have a 
way of preventing mildew, or rather of dispersing it 
after ft bus appeared. They know when it is coming 
by its " first appearance” upon the ends of tho shoots; 
they at once proceed to whip off the ends of the ten¬ 
der twigs, and the mildew disappears; they are not 
further troubled. 
CURRANT CULTURE. 
Here is a plantation of them. The Red Dutch is a 
favorite berry. It produces abundantly, and in flavor 
compares favorably with any other red variety. Wo 
learn there is a growing demand for this fruit herea¬ 
bouts—many planting largely for wine auM others for 
market, shipping the fruit both north to Chicago and 
south to Bt. Louis. Mr. Coleman, of the firm of 
Coleman & Drake, near by, told me that he had 
been urged by St. Louisans to plant tho currant 
largely for that market, it being an excellent one for 
this fruit. 
[Borne interesting notes on the Ornamental Trees 
suited for beauty, shade, and shelter at the West, we 
reserve for our next issues J 
planted in towb about three 
for certain reasons, has been 
tbe spring of 1&C0. The soil 
notes are from memoranda in my diary: 
Early Princess A small white peu, planted April 
‘■Lid, of fall size and picked June 27th. Dwarfish 
growth, about 2j feet, a lively light green color when 
cooked; sweet, and very fine. Yields well. 
Daniel O'Rourke— A small white pea, planted April 
23d, of full size and picked June 30th, as early, not 
quite as lively a green color nor so sweet as Princess. 
An excellent early pea, of dwarfish habit, about 2* 
feet. A good bearer. 
Early Kent— This is also a small white pea, of 
dwarfish habit of growth, about 2 i feet. Planted 
April J.id, picked June 30tb, hut not quite of so full 
size then as preceding, and not quite as early by 
some live or six duys. A good pea, not as sweet as 
Princess, and inferior to it and O’Rourke. Yields well. 
Gedo AW/t-R ather small, planted April 20, of full 
size and picked July 4th. Abont 3 feet high, sweet 
and very fine. Yields well, grows finely, and is an 
THE PATENT OFFICE 
The Editor of the (Hardener’s Mm 
after describ¬ 
ing the way in which the Philadelphia parks have 
been managed by politicians, pays a little attention 
to the work of our national managers in the same 
line, as follows: 
" If we turn from Philadelphia to Washington, the 
same deplorable facts present themselves. The agri¬ 
cultural division of the Patent Office has proved a 
perfect Augean stable of corruption and shameless 
ignorance, that ought to lead the first originator of 
the idea to the sumo fate as ihe originator of the 
guillotine, and his heart break at the perversion of 
his patriotic intentions. Many a Hercules has at¬ 
tempted the cleaning process, bat hasslgnally failed. 
Turned out by one hole, the offensive matters enter 
as fast by another, and the labor is loBt. 
“ Near the close of Mr. Buchanan’s administration, 
the force of public opinion caused the removal of the 
leading incompetent, the great D. J. B. of the Patent 
Office reports, and it was fondly hoped that some 
millions would be saved to the country by the cessa¬ 
tion of imports ‘ foreign wine-grapes,’ ‘ Tea Plants,’ 
‘Christ’s Thom seed,’ ‘Cork Trees,’ - Strap-leaved 
Turnips, and scores of other items, useless rubbish, 
which have not, nor ever will be of one cent’s worth 
W ILD r LOWER IlKnciKS, Ao. t IN CANADA,—[ have a series 
Of questions Which I wish answered whet. you conveniently 
can. IncloHfol [« a flower. i .Jon’t know what It Is, n« it 
sprung up amongst some small pear treea, and uoue of the 
neighbors who have seen It know its name There are two 
specimens one in a green one, taken from the plant to-day 
ami one saturate.) with gum arable Please tell me the best 
method Of preser ving lloweM as botanical specimens, ae JVe 
that gum amble Will not stick to some (lowers. PleMo toll 
whether the flower requires to he protected from the frost' 
Hs best mode of propagation, Ac. ]„ it worth raising? The 
time to trim triage vines, remove suckers, ami lay cuttings 
r!Ii«\ 7' l ,Mt ' m,Ml ,fawl ? obtaiiuori, the quickest 
raise, shrubs plants, or trees, for hedges in Central Canada 
II you will please anHw«r the above Inquiries in tho Kckai ' 
you will much oblige— A Boy, Venummlle., 1801. 
Tho flower is CnrydalU ylauca. It is hardy, and is found 
from Canada to North Carolina. Most flowers may ho 
secured to paper by gum arable, but the flowers should not 
be saturated as in the specimen sent us. A little of the gum 
placed on tho paper with a brush, and a good deal of 
patience, will generally accomplish tho work. Specimens 
that wilt not adhere may be secured with a needle 
and thread. We hope some of our readers iu Canada will 
give us their experience in hedging. How does the Osage 
Orange, tbe Hawthorn, and the Honey Locust succeed? We 
once saw the native thorns -tried, but with poor success. 
Grape vines need a pruning in winter, er very early in the 
spring In the summer, the laterals should be removed 
entirely, or pinched to one leaf, and the fruit-bearing branches 
cut off three or four leaves from the last bunch of fruit. 
Suckers should be removed as soon as they appear, and cut¬ 
tings planted very early in the spring. 
Corn Pudding.— One dozen ears of corn, cut or 
grated, half a dozen eggs, 1 pint of milk, quarter 
pound of batter, with pepper and salt to suit; bake 
half an hour.— Field Notes. 
WESTERN EDITORIAL NOTES, 
w ith the 
, - Horticulturists about Bloomington I 
COnHidera ble time, and my note book 
rauu y items of value to Western men, or 
rn men intending to settle in the West. I pro- 
-bc o -ansfer some of t j lt . more important sayings 
*" “» »f the Bcsu. I hope 
"■0 may latere., K ,,. 1 
Sausages. —Will some*of the many readers of the 
Rural send through its columns a recipe for making 
good sausage, and oblige— Mrs. I. T. 
Blackberry Wink.— Will some of the readers of 
the Rural give ns a recipe for making Iilackberry 
Wine?— Jessk Cook. 
Iomato Wink.—A recipe for making tomato wine 
will be thankfully received by— Piscataway, N. J. 
