EXCELSIOR 
| $3-00 PER YEAR. 
(Single i\o.. Eight Cents, 
NEW YORK CITY AND ROCHESTER, N, Y 
FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JUIA 
41 Park Row, New York 
HulTnlo St., Rochester* 
WHOLE NO. 1018 
r ICnroro.l according to Art of 'r,,u'zn^.ini j „.~ y ,. ; „. IiV ..i, ,, v ,, 
ing a knowledge of landscape gardening; 
hence it is impossible that he should be com¬ 
petent to design or execute in any of the 
professions named as well us those who de¬ 
vote their lives to them. Hence, why should 
not the farmer call to his aid the best prac¬ 
titioner obtainable in any art that lie mue 
in n,„ rW, „„„ „r pi ,,,,,,.-,;„„l 7 „ r 7 ,,, S,,,7,77 
anbsrapt marbening 
though occupying an acre or more, enuuot 
be counted as useless, for while it serves as a 
lawn or play ground for children, not being 
mown only as the grass gets live or six Inches 
or more high, it supplies a regular bait for 
the horses at noon time, or serves to pasture 
a calf or two, by means of rope tether. 
We present it, not that it is perfection, but 
to show how a little of thought ami order in 
arrangment. may make a truly ornamental 
place, without the outlay of great labor or 
expense. 
BEAUTIFYING THE FARM. 
In a late issue, you publish a letter of in¬ 
quiry by “ D. M. 8 .who asks “ How are 
farmers just starting on small farms to lay 
out aud beautify their farms, &c., without 
the cost ot a landscape gardener and costly 
shrubbery ?” 
This is a very important question to every 
thrifty, tasteful farmer, and you have, in your 
re Ply> pointed out numerous advantages, 
profitable and pleasurable, that will result 
from judicious farm adornment, to which I 
would call the special attention of all your 
youthful Rural readers; for to such particu¬ 
larly will your remarks be very instructive 
and profitable. 
But, sir, to your reply to your correspond¬ 
ent that “every farmer should be bis own 
landscape gardener; Ids education and bis 
associations in life should qualify him to 
make his farm a pleasant feature in the gen¬ 
eral landscape,” I beg to bo allowed to say 
that I do not think that you are giving the 
inquirer, in his circumstances, the correct 
information of which he is in quest. 
I grant that “ the education” and “ the 
associations of the farmer should be gueli,” 
that he will be capable to manage every 
department of his business successfully, 
without calling to his aid the counsel of his 
neighbor in culture and cropping, the archi¬ 
tect in designing his buildings, the engineer 
in locating his drains, dams and conduits 
necessary in irrigation, the surveyor in di¬ 
viding and platting his farm, or'the land¬ 
scape gardener in decorating it; but where is 
the farmer who is competent to do all this 
rhoricuiture 
IN THE ORCHARD. 
TnE prolusion of bloom on my dwarf 
pears admonishes me of what must be re¬ 
quired of the roots to enable them to set and 
hold their fruit. I know they will set; but 
soon after that, unless the roots are all vigor¬ 
ous and supply food in abundance, more or 
less, and perhaps all, will drop; so now is 
HOME ADORNMENT, 
LL ls not every wealthy ol » owner of 
a suburban city lot whose entrance or ap¬ 
proach road to his grounds deserves greater 
commendation for taste than that of the 
Ritual country farm, as the accompanying 
sketch and ground plan plainly shows. Here 
the road is a gentle curve to the house, with 
the greater part of the ornamental or lawn 
gtound at the right as you enter, because 
born that side ot the house the best views are 
had outside, and because on the opposite 
side there was the northwest wind and some 
unsightly old barns that it is desirable to 
shut oil from sight and feeling, by means of a 
partial hedge, and partial Kelt of evergreens. 
The whole breadth of lawn 
>v,m ■ guinea uy tne tianrt of man. So let 
119 cut away as soon ns the flower opens, If 
wo can, but any way as soon as tbo fruit 
sets, and so deliver the tree of its over-bur¬ 
den, and save to ourselves a lair crop of fino 
fruit. 
Now is my time too, I think, to sow my 
plaster, and I shall take my early morning 
time, when the (lew is heavy, and sow from 
half a pint to a pint over each tree, for us it 
fails on the foliage and flower it will hold 
and assimilate the ammonia, making ap¬ 
parent its good effects for several weeks to 
come. 
Yesterday was half rainy, and, looking 
over my record, or map, of the trees, &c., 
on my place, it occurred to me that some 
had died and been replaced, with varieties of 
another sort. 80 T went over my ground in 
the intervening of showers, took down names, 
and then, in the house, recorded them in my 
hook. 1 have found the best way of label¬ 
ing trees or vines for permanent orchard or 
vineyard, is to make a little map of tho 
grounds, amt then designate row, number, 
and position in a row, of each kind, in a book! 
The loss of labels attached to each tree or 
vine is then of little account, as a reference 
to the book enables me to correct or supply 
the name without error. It ulso enables »m 
, or rather pleas¬ 
ure-ground—for, while it is in grass, it is not 
kept smoothly shaven as a lawn proper 
should be—is not shown in the ground plan, 
because, for our present purpose, it is not 
necessary; but there is an acre or more 
of! at the right which is bordered with 
shrubs, ornamental and fruit trees inter¬ 
mingled, embodying the useful with the 
beautiful in such a way that it is decidedly 
pleasant to the beholder who loves rather 
BLACK KNOT ON PLUM TREES. 
A correspondent says ho cures black 
knot in this way:—Take a paint brush, dip 
it in spirits of turpentine, and thoroughly 
saturate the knot, being careful not to touch 
the tree except in the diseased part. It 
stops tiie knot, and the tree puts out healthy 
branches below It. T am careful to bum all 
branches removed in pruning. As the sum¬ 
mer is the time the mischief is done, every 
fresh excrescence should be pared off, tho 
turpentine applied, and it will harden in a 
week. 
--»»» - 
Budding may be commenced now and 
continued until Septomher. Every man and 
woman who cultivates trees and shrubs 
should learn how to bud. The best way to 
xt.. , t . , \° the study ot them. albeit you work slowly for its realization 
r - 2 tr ~ 
££5SSES r;: 
the technical terais used bv u ? dcner > we arc doing the best possible thing 
which would be very serviceable but would 7 T d ° *7 tU .° se who make thia branch 
bynomeaimonMim^! ? , • 1 0 lcl of art a profession. Just as the amateur 
ecute in competition artist is more appreciative of and desirous 
their lives to their r U p dev0 lDg of securing a good picture, so will a higher 
Tl* Wr rn r° feSS,0nB ; CulUl,e > among farmers, in matters of r°Z 
the experience acquired In IT TT " adoraraent beget » desire for the best aids to 
branch in^ZTsuR of the realiza H° n ° f the Pictures this 
himself, in the art of ftirm ,! _ ltlll g 8 toi art can furnish. The steam engine has not 
Hint acquired in his own drain£Tn 1US f° nlj affected the breeding of horses; nor will the 
aud the same limited advantages foe acqS d'ener’s vocS. deStr07 ^ laudscap,; *”• 
PLAN FOB ADORNMENT OF GROUNDS. 
