Sriboricttltttrt 
by nailing strips of lath one inch apart, and 
placing them one foot in height, over the 
seed bed, so as to partially obstruct the rays 
of the sun. Any other material that •will 
render tbe same amount of shade will answer 
the same purpose. 
“ The soil should be as clean from weed 
seed as possible where the seed is to be sown. 
The usual time of sowing onion seed, or from 
the middle of April till first of May is the 
time to sow larch. It may be sown in drills 
four or six iuebes apart, or broad-cast, and 
covered just enough to retain moisture till it 
germinates. It may be sown without any 
preparation as onion or other seed. Clean 
culture is indispensable. The shading may 
be dispensed with after the first season. 
“The seedlings should he transplanted 
either at one or two years old from the seed 
bed. This should he done as soon as the 
weather and soil will permit, in the spring, 
in a similar soil (sandy) in which they were 
grown, and better at one year old than two. 
Transplant in beds, in rows six inches apart 
and four inches in the row, and shade as 
seed bed. The roots should be kept from 
the atmosphere as much as possible in trans¬ 
planting. With good seed, a satisfactory 
success will he realized. This method will 
apply with equal success in propagating any 
variety of hardy evergreens.” 
THE TUNA, 
GROWING MAPLE TREES 
The facilities for transportation afforded 
by railways and steamships are gradually 
enlarging the variety of fruits, vegetables 
and other articles of food offered for sale in 
the city of New York and from thence dis¬ 
tributed through the neighboring States. 
Elk, moose, and buffalo meat, English pheas¬ 
ant grouse, moorcock, hare, and other foreign 
game can frequently be had, even at a fifty- 
cent restaurant. Yarns and other tropical 
vegetables arc often seen in our markets; 
pineapples, bananas, plantains and cocoa-nuts 
come to us by the shipload, and occasionally 
we see pomegranates, mangos, grandillas, 
jamrosades, loquats, and guavas, brought 
from the extreme southern States or the 
West Indies; and lately we have noticed at 
the different fruit stores quantities of Tunas, 
or Prickly pears, from the West Indies, a cut 
an idea of its size, shape and 
This we should do, not only for shade 
and ornament—and the maple is excellent 
for these, beautiful in spring, summer and 
autumn, both its leaves and its form. We 
should not grow them alone for these, but 
for the sweetening they furnish. In a few 
years, from eight to ten, they will he fit to 
tap, and they afford a large amount of sac¬ 
charine matter —maple molasses and maple 
sugar!—and this at the greatest convenience. 
The place can be selected where to put them 
— on an inclined plane, if you prefer, sc as 
to convey, by pipes, the sap where you want 
it, thus self-draining your “ orchard.” This 
is done, and it works charmingly. Plant 
your trees close—they will bear it. Plant 
along fences, and let your pipe run along 
them, being out of tho way. Or, plant a 
grove. We need not say that you can put 
a good many trees on a small spot. Here 
you will have shade abundantly, dense shade, 
beauty of view, numerous leaves to gather 
in the full, when they will afford a sight that 
is worth looking at, while during summer 
their satin sheen is a pleasure to the eye to 
see the winds wave and flash it. 
Here you have moisture also to help you 
in the landscape, and to cool your surround¬ 
ings. Then there is some gr &s e -twill 
pay to feed off or mow. The thing is all 
simple; yetsomehow people arc not availing 
themselves of it. It pays ; it pays well; it 
pays in many ways. The more trees we can 
get into the country for tlxe present,—so 
much demanded,—the better. There will bo 
health both physical and moral as well as an 
intellectual stimulus. There will be profit. 
Sweetening enough alone can be made to do 
this; and timber is all the while growing. It 
is pleasant to have your “ sugar bush” right 
at your door. These growing trees, thrifty 
with plenty of branches, will give you large 
returns. The whitest and best of sugar you 
have the chance to make. 
Set out the trees—you can obtain them 
yourself in the woods—and in half a dozen 
years you will have a grove. You can, with 
care, set out quite a large tree, a sapling as 
thick as your arm, or larger, and it will grow 
and thrive. Keep ground to the roots as 
much as may he when taken up, tbe more 
the better. Save nil the fine roots that can 
he saved, and you may cut off the big ones 
which arc only conduits for outside trans¬ 
mission. But cut off your bole some ten or 
twelve feet from the ground, leaving no, or 
but a few, straggling, small (whip) limbs, else 
your tree -will die. Set out early in the 
spring. f. g. 
1 w ill furnish any one who desires some of 
the seed, upon application, free of cost, as 
long as I have any. J. It. Moores. 
Salem, Oregon. 
We have distributed the seed sent us. 
Golden Drop and Domine Dull. If you plant 
for the protection of your orchards against i he 
curculto, thou we would recommend Columbia. 
Of the above list Washington is by several days 
the oarliest plum, but far north, under ordinary 
treatment, it wrnuld be most likely to winter-kill 
to some extent, in the tree, and in the bud. 
Columbia, also, lias a large fruit bud, and in se¬ 
vere winters apart of them sometimes are win¬ 
ter-killed.” 
of which, giving 
general appearance, accompanies this article. 
The Tima is the fruit of a species of cactus, 
known botanically as Opvntia tatm, or In¬ 
dian fig. It is a native of South America, 
being indigenous at Cuenca in Quito. It is 
a very robust, strong growing species, attain¬ 
ing a height of five or six feet, or more, ami 
is often used for fences or hedges. Three 
rows of it wore planted in the Island of St. 
Christopher to mark the boundary line be¬ 
tween the French and English portions. The 
flowers vary in color from dirty red, iron- 
gray, to orange color; the fruit is spotted 
with clusters of small bristle-like spines, 
which necessitate some care in eating it., and 
as brought to market, is of a dull, orange 
color, suffused with pink or carmine, but 
when suffered to ripen on the plant, it is of a 
rich carmine color. The interior is a pulpy 
mass, similar to that of a gooseberry, and 
like the latter, the seeds are embedded in the 
pulp, which is of a pleasant sub-acid flavor. 
A curious instance of irritability has been 
noticed in the flowers of the Tuna; the fila¬ 
ments are erect, very long and numerous, 
and if a feather or similar light article be 
drawn through them, in the course of two 
or three seconds they become flaccid and 
eventually assume a recumbent position at 
the bottom of the flower. 
The Tuna is one of the species of cactus 
so largely grown in Mexico, South America 
and both the Indies for feeding the cochineal 
insects; it appears to be the favorite species 
with this insect, and is more largely planted 
than any other for this purpose, as it is gen¬ 
erally thought that the insect yields a finer 
and better dye when fed on it than when 
fed on any other, ft is grown in the South 
of Europe, also; and at Naples, in Italy, a 
very highly valued pigment used in water 
color painting is obtained from the fruit. 
The whole of the natural order of Caclaccce 
nrc natives of the Continent of America, the 
most northerly limit of the order on the sea¬ 
board being about the latitude of New York, 
(43 ) in which neighborhood Opuntia mlf/a- 
ris, or I ho common prickly pear, is found 
growing wild on tho rocks in many places. 
The fruit of this species is about the size of a 
pullet’s egg, of a deep purple color, with 
small clusters of spines, and is edible. It 
might readily he cultivated for its fruit, form¬ 
ing a pleasant and beautiful addition to our 
list of dessert fruits. Another species is 
found in the Rocky Mountains, as far north 
as 49" or 50 ; but the great majority of the 
order are found within the tropics. Some of 
them attain immense size, rising like im¬ 
mense branching columns from the arid 
wastes in which they grew, forming trees 
yielding wood suitable for domestic purposes; 
and the great fleshy stems of some Mexican 
species are eaten as food by cattle and oilier 
animals. 
Such of the species as are found in other 
countries have been introduced from this 
Continent, ami finding the soil and climate 
suitable for them, have become naturalized, 
as many foreign plants have been with us. 
Tins apple was shown at the late session 
of the American Pomological Society by 
Lorin Blodgett, Esq., and by him spoken 
of in high terms of praise. It was at one 
lime mentioned in the Gardeners’ Monthly 
as the Westbrook, which name Downing, 
in his Fruits and Fruit Trees of America, 
places as a synonym. 
The fruit, as shown, and from -which 
our description and drawings were 
made, could not, rank In quality as 
more, than “ good,” although the vari¬ 
ety ranks ns profitable in the locality , 
where it has mostly been grown. a 
Fruit, medium or above; roundish / 
oblong, slightlyconfcal,yellowish,with My 
broken stripes and shades of red in the 
sun ; large white dots. Stem short, 
set in an open but rather deep cavity; pfejipjj 
calyx closed; basin open, with rather 
narrow furrows nt base; flesh white, Wp; 
rather coarse, tender, mild sub-acid. 
Season September to January. 
Market Frull* for Hancock Co., III. —A. C. 
Hammond, in a paper read before the Warsaw 
Horticultural Society, says:—Taking tho expe¬ 
rience of the last fifteen years as n guide, for 
market I should plant about aa follows: 
Gropes— Concord, Clinton, Crevellng and per¬ 
haps sparingly of Ives, Delaware and Norton 
Virgiuia. 
Poach Trees and Borer.— Wo had some peach 
trees that were not fruitful, and upon examin¬ 
ing them I found they wore infested with the 
borer. I removed the worms from the roots 
and replaced the earth carefully around the 
trees, then I took some lion manure, poured hot 
water over It, stirred It, and applied some of it 
to each tree, pouring the liquid around the 
stem, near to the roots. The year following 
they boro a good number of poaches, which 
seemed withered and had not much Juice, but 
after that; they bore large, delicious fruit. Try 
it, I bolicvo It destroys tho eggs of the borer, 
and at. the same time it is a fertilizer. —c. i’. l 
Ants and Fruit Trees. —Tell your subscriber 
who inquires how he shall prevent ants troubling 
fruit trees to tlo a wisp of loose cotton about 
tho body of the tree. The ants cannot travel 
through it.—T heo. I1issell, Moline , Fla. 
When to Gnther Cedar Seed.—Which month 
of the year should cedar seed be gathered to 
insure sprouting when grown?— II. Clark. 
THE ST. CRISPIN PEAR. 
arbetn 
The Horticultural Editor of the 
Country Gentlemen says of this pear: 
“ Trees of tills new variety, a few 
years old, bore abundant crops the 
present season, and afforded us an 
opportunity of testing its character, so far as 
a single locality affords. The fruit is distinct 
pyriform, with a narrow neck and wide 
body—fair specimens measuring about four 
inches long and three inches transverse di¬ 
ameter through the body. It resembles the 
Bartlett so much in some respects as 
to lead to the. belief that it is a seed¬ 
ling from it. In texture, juice, and 
in the peculiar flavor of the Bartlett, 
there is a distinct, resemblance, while 
both have alike an uneven surface. 
In flavor, we find the ftt. Crispin 
rather the better of the two, ftflly 
reaching the standard of * very good,’ 
and approaching ‘ best.’ It matures 
in October, a month later than the \ 
Bartlett, and if less irregular in form, \ 
it would unquestionably prove a pop¬ 
ular market sort. We observe that 
Downing, in his description, copied 
from Hovey’s Magazine, terms the 
flavor * sub*acid.’ The specimens 
with us are sweet, with a fine aro¬ 
ma, This difference would seem to 
indicate some variableness in its 
quality.” 
TOADS IN GARDENS, 
Speckled or Westbrook Apple. 
Apples —Red Astmchnn, Sops of Wine, Maid¬ 
en'a Blush, Itambo, Red Canada, Peck’s Pleasant, 
"Willow Twig, Winosap, Bon Davis, Pryor’s lied 
and Grlmes k Golden. 
He adds:—“The Summer Rose, Golden Sweet, 
American Summer Pearmain, Pull Pippin, Pall 
Wine, Baily Sweet, King of Tompkins County, 
Titb Journal des Connaissances Medicates 
states that of late years French horticul¬ 
turists have followed the example of tho 
English ones, and peopled their gardens 
with toads. These reptiles are determined 
enemies of all kinds of snails and slugs, 
which it is well known can, in a single 
night, destroy vast quantities of lettuce, car¬ 
rots, asparagus, etc. In Paris toads arc sold 
at the rate of two francs fifty centimes a 
dozen. The dealers in this uninviting ar¬ 
ticle keep it in large tubs, into which they 
plunge their bare hands and arms, without 
any fear of the poisonous bite to which they 
arc supposed to expose themselves. Toads 
are also kept in vineyards, where they de¬ 
vour during the night millions of insects, 
which escape the pursuit of nocturnal birds 
and might otherwise commit incalculable 
damage, on the buds and young shoots of 
the vine. 
RED CEDAR FROM SEED, 
The Prairie Farmer Bays:— The seeds of 
the red cedar, ns soon as they are taken from 
the trees, may be planted without first free¬ 
ing them from their fleshy exterior. The 
difficulty in germinating the seeds of the red 
cedar seem to he in the partial drying they 
arc usually subjected to, while they are in 
contact with the earth. When a uniform 
degree of moisture is' maintained, then the 
resinous properties in the seed will gradually 
be transformed into a softer or more muci¬ 
laginous substance; by which the little 
plantlet forming in the seed Is to he fed. 
But when partial drying occurs, although 
it be but for a day, then the resinous proper¬ 
ties seem to separate from the other ingre¬ 
dients of which the seeds are composed and 
are not again assimilated. We have found 
that when the seeds remain moist, ns they 
would do in a dense shade, protected from 
the winds, and kept constantly covered with 
forest leaves to the depth of three inches, 
then the resinous properties of the exterior 
coating of the seed gradually decay and arc 
not a bar to germination. 
When germination takes place remove the 
coarse part of the leaf coyering, leaving the 
fine or decaying portions, through which the 
seedlings will quickly appear. 
Beds for the reception of cedar seed should 
be composed largely of leaf mold and finely 
decayed rotten wood; the whole before using 
may receive a heavy sprinkling with barn¬ 
yard manure water. 
Ilow to Gather Pansy, Balsam and Phlox 
Seed.— If those who have trouble in saving these 
seeds, will watch tbe habits of the plants, they 
will have no need to resort to lace bags, &c. The 
seed vessel of the Pansy is green and drooping 
until the seed ripens, when it becomesyellowish- 
greon and erect, and may be gathered. The pod 
of tbe Balsam enlarges at the center as the seed 
ripens, and becomes yellow and semi-trans¬ 
parent. Pressing gently upon tho pod is a surer 
test. The Phlox may be gathered whenever the 
dusters of Beed vessels are yellow on the top. 
Gather the whole cluster and put them in a deep 
pan to dry, and they will take care of themselves. 
If put in a shallow dish, they will snap out and 
become lost.— l. 
Speckled on Westbrook Apple — Outline. 
Jonathan, Westfield Seeknofurther, Wagener, 
Ladies’ Choicest, Esopus Spitzenberg and Golden 
Russettare all valuable lor the small cultivator, 
but I would plant none of them for market,” 
Cider from Frozen Apples,— The Alton Horti¬ 
cultural Society at a recent session discussed this 
subject. Mr. Hilliard thinks frozen apples 
make as good elder as if nol frozen, and possibly 
better. Mr. Fauoenroth had known cider 
made from frozen apples to keep well. Mr. 
Sr arh had no doubt but elder made from apples 
that have been frozen will keep better than if 
they had not been frozen; one qf the effects of 
f reezing and thawing potatoes, and some fruits, 
is to increase the amount of sugar, as shown by 
their sweeter taste. Of course the more sugar 
we have in the apple the greater body we have 
to our cider and the longer it will keep. W. O. 
Flagg thinks eider from frozen apples will he 
stronger and of course keep longer. B. W. Cum¬ 
mings thinks apples partially frozen will make 
better eider and a larger quantity from the same 
number of bushels than if not frozen. 
Apples for Wisconsin. — JOHN M. McLEES, 
Harmony, Vernon Co., Wis., mimes as the best 
variety of apples for his locality, Perry Russet, 
Famouse, Golden Russet and Horse Apple. Ho 
culls the Golden Russet best, since It is a good 
bearer, a strong, healthy tree, and stands the 
winter like a burr oak. Says tho Fnnjeuse is 
given to rotting in tho erohehes more than any 
of the other three varieties. Tho Horse is the 
seoond hardiest tree. Charles Waters, Spring- 
field, Wis., would choose Famouse if restricted 
to one variety. Says there are hardier varieties, 
but if the Faincuse is started with a straight 
stem, it is all right. He also commends the 
Horse apple. 
Skunks and Tomnio Worms.—L. P. II \SKELL, 
St. Joseph, Mich., says his tomato vines wore 
covered with tomato worms; that the latter sud¬ 
denly began to disappear; that tho perfume of 
the skunk suggested his agency in 1 ho matter. 
Observation leads him to say : “ Now I am satis¬ 
fied that thoskunk has proved himself a valuable 
friend, for by bis well known habit of feeding 
on worms, grubs, cto„ he has completely rid my 
grounds of this nuisance, even burrowing in the 
earth for the worms that had gone into winter 
quarters.” _ _ 
How to Clean Cucumber and Tomato Seeds. — 
Remove the seed from the cucumber, ortonuito; 
add to a pint of the seed about half a gallon of 
water; let them remain till fermentation takes 
plaoe, which will be In from four to six days, 
should the weather be warm. The seed will sink 
to the bottom; the pomace and water can be 
poured off, leuving the seed perfectly clean. No 
injury to the seeds.— C. C. Cooley, Manchester , 
Ohio. 
-m-- 
Keeping Bulbs.— Mrs. K. E. J.—Dry the bulbs, 
clear them of stems and fibers, and wrap each 
bulb in paper and pack away in boxes or drawers 
where they will keep dry and not freeze; or 
pack in dry sund and keep in a dry, cool place. 
In this way you can keep them safely. 
-•+•-- 
Moles In the Garden.— Strychnine mixed with 
white sugar and dropped into the mole-burrows 
through small holes made with a quill is said to 
destroy these pests. 
OREGON WILD CURRANT 
I send inclosed a package of this year’s 
growth of t.he finest flowering shrub I know 
of, not excepting any, native or foreign, in¬ 
digenous to our State, and popularly known 
as the “ Oregon Wild Currant,” You gave 
an engraving and ft description of it in the 
Rural of July 10th, but either would have 
been scarcely recognized here, and nothing 
like justice was done it. 1 determined to 
collect and send some seed for trial by some 
of our Eastern horticulturists, that they may 
see and enjoy it as we who see it in its native 
luxuriance. I think the seed will germinate 
and grow readily, and it will probably stand 
in your climate in winter, though much 
colder than ours. 
The foliage is a very dark green, while the 
flowers are bright scarlet, in clusters, thus 
forming a beautiful contrast. It flowers 
very early in the spring, with the flowering 
almond. Jt wants a rich soil, does well in 
the shade, but better with some exposure. 
Picking Apples. — J. IIttooins of Macoupin 
C<>., Ill., is of tho opinion that fruit growers 
should pick their apples earlier than they do; 
that early-gathered apples will generally keep 
longer than those allowed to stay on the trees 
till about to fall. He thinks that many apples 
injured by the frost of the present year might 
have been saved had they been shaken off into 
t he snow as soon as it was discovered they were 
frozen. 
Lnte Red Rareripe Peach. —The Cammitteo on 
Synonymnsof the Alton Horticultural Society 
say of t his variety“ The peach grown under 
the name of George IV. in the Alton district for 
the past twenty or more years is the Late Red 
Rareripe, the true George IV. being none other 
than tho Large Early York. Tho George IV. 
ripens with, and three days later than the Cool- 
edge Favorite; while the Late Red Rareripe is 
ripe three to six days earlier than the Late 
Crawford. As a desirable variety, either for 
family or market, to come in at the medium 
season, none j et have boon found to supplant 
the Late Red Rareripe. 
EUROPEAN LARCH. 
Its Propagation from Seed. 
D. C. Scofield, a Western agriculturist 
of considerable experience, writes to ihe 
Western Farmer:—“ In regard to the cul¬ 
tivation of the larch, two prominent diffieul- 
lies are encountered in this country, which I 
believe are unknown in Europe; the hot 
rays of the sun having the double tendency 
to scald or heat the soil, so that it causes 
the plant to die at the collar, or as the phrase 
has it “ damp off,” as well as to scorch the 
tender plant as it emerges from the earth. 
These are overcome, first, by selecting a 
sandy, light, dry, though rich soil for the 
seed bed; and secondly, by a partial shad¬ 
ing the first season, which may be done best 
Plums fur Iowa.— A correspondent at Iowa 
City, aslcs Dr. Hull, State Entomologist of Illi¬ 
nois, ” What variety of tho plum has proved 
best adapted Jo our climate?” Dr. Hull re¬ 
plies:—"There are several of the finer varieties 
of the plum which are perfectly hardy. Perhaps 
Imperial Gage for a single variety, for a profita¬ 
ble market sort, would prove as good as any, 
but we would advise you to plant several varie¬ 
ties. From our experience we should say plant 
Washington. Jefferson, Smith'? Orleans, Coes 
For Rnsplirrry Cuffbmiorg to Answer.— With 
good soil, and good cultivation, what would a 
reasonable yield of raspberries bo per acre? If 
not convenient to a large market, could the dry¬ 
ing o t raspberries be made profitable at current 
prices?—o. a. a. 
