m 
3 
il 
i 
resent, their ill treatment and refuse to yield 
well, he says the trees are a “ humbug” and 
the agent, a “ rascal.” 
A gentleman buys for his wife a dozen 
fine budded roses. If he plants them with 
a clod of manure in each hole, and they 
burn to death—” that agent sold me worth¬ 
less plants.” 
Or if, escaping such a death, they grow 
well, the stupidity of the possessor allows 
the suckers to smother the hud, and when 
the bush is covered with sickly, character¬ 
less blooms wholly unlike the description 
given, then “that, fellow cheated me, sure.” 
Or, if the trees come to hand properly 
labeled, and are properly planted, in how 
many cases does the planter take the least 
care to have them booked or permanently 
labeled, so that the. variety may he known ? 
Very seldom. Usually the label is permitted 
to hang as long as it will, and when it, drops 
the planter has no means of knowing cer¬ 
tainly what the tree should bear. “ Thinks 
it is a Baldwin.” That opinion, however 
incorrect it may be, before long becomes a 
belief; and when the fruit is seen to ho any¬ 
thing else than that supposed, the agent is 
condemned for a ” regtdar scoundrel,” and 
is a fortunate man if he is not ejected from 
the premises upon his next appearance. 
Agents are often charged with misnaming 
trees that come to them wrongly named by 
the nurseryman. Many varieties of trees and 
shrubs arc so similar in appearance to others 
that, unless in fruit or bloom, they cannot lx 
distinguished hivt by a very experienced 
man, and Hum, to a certain extent, agents 
are dependent, upon the honesty of the 
grower. This confidence is sometimes hon¬ 
ored, sometimes not. 
Agents are ofl.cn charged with selling poor 
trees, when the failure is caused by the fact 
that the variety is not adapted to the lo¬ 
cality, a fact of which neither the agent nor 
planter may ho aware until the trees are, 
dead. Agents are charged with extortion 
— demanding large prices and making large 
profits. Now tin: fact that, very few agents 
make more than a moderate living proves 
that there' cannot, he very large net profits 
resulting. But. even if they did net a good 
profit, we say that they should do so. The 
profits of any business are in proportion to 
the chance of loss attending its manage¬ 
ment,. But agents do not make as large 
profits by their sales as the nurserymen do 
by their retail sales, for agents are generally 
limited to the nurseryman's retail prices, and 
have the additional expense of packing and 
freighting, the chances that, the planter will 
refuse to take his trees, in which case they 
are usually a total loss; for trees cannot la 
stored and kept to another season, like 
wheat; also the chance of losing the debt if 
the trees are taken. Enough possibilities of 
loss, we think, to authorize the agent in re¬ 
ceiving a large profit. 
In every department of trade there arc a 
number of men, energetic, shrewd and un¬ 
scrupulous, whose dishonest practices at tach 
disgrace to the business they follow; and 
people are, so unreasonable as to condemn 
the many for the faults of the few. Es¬ 
pecially is this so hi regard to the business 
of selling trees. An intelligent agent is fully 
aware of the facl that- he cannot he perma¬ 
nently successful unless his dealings are 
characterized by scrupulous honesty. With 
him honesty should he used because it is the 
best policy, even if lie has no more exalted 
motive lor doing right. That many ignore 
this we all know; but, that many arc falsely 
charged with dishonesty is the claim of the 
writer. And he has endeavored to give 
some reasons for assuming a defense in 
which he has no personal interest whatever, 
save that, which every man has in having a 
matter fairly discussed and justice done to 
all. “69.” 
-4-*-*- 
A VETERAN PEAR TREE. 
sweet aroma. There is yet considerable 
foliage on the tree, indicating that there is 
much life in it still. Younger trees have 
grown Up near it. — one of which bears freely, 
producing the same identical type of fruit. 
A few steps from it. there are several trees 
of a different species, which may have been 
planted at the same time — at least tlie larg¬ 
est one. It is a Katarin pear. It shows age 
much more that the Sugar,—both in the 
decay of the trunk aiul the limbs. All three 
of them bear still. The crop of last, year 
was very superior. 1 measured the much 
decayed trunk of the largest one to-day, and 
found the circumference nearly six and one 
half feet. Bcvcrul young trees of this kind 
have grown up around them also, and arc 
yielding their bountiful tribute of the same 
kind of fruit, on every favorable year. 
A. w. m. 
■--• 
THE HEMLOCK. 
We do not understand why the Hemlock 
—Abies (Janadenai »—is so generally neglected 
as an ornamental tree, nor why it is not 
more used for evergreen screens and orna¬ 
mental hedges, especially in our more North¬ 
ern latitudes. There is no more beautiful 
and graceful evergreen grown — not one! 
And in localities where young plants may 
be had by the ten thousand for the digging, 
we notice people send abroad for costly 
Pines, Spruce and Arbor Vibe. It is amazing. 
We have never seen screens of any kind 
that, equal in (toft emerald tint and grace of 
form those made from the Hemlock. It is 
sily grown, hardy, retains its color, is 
clean, sweet, fragrant and highly ornamental. 
We are glad to observe that some men of 
acknowledged taste are using it. It, iR the 
American Evergreen. And in this connec¬ 
tion we want, to express equal surprise that 
Tlie Anierirau t'lieMnut, 
or Castanm vcnca } is not more, planted as an 
ornamental deciduous tree. There is no 
American tree that, excels It in graceful out 
line, beauty of foliage and blossoms, which 
is at the same time of equal utility for tim¬ 
ber and fruit. These two American trees 
ought to find place in every tree plantation 
and lawn in the country whore they will 
thrive. And in the. Northern States wc 
know of few localities where they will not 
do so. A group of Chestnuts, recently seen 
on a largo plantation, induces this mention, 
ormtlfurr. 
^rirnttfic anb (Useful. 
WARNING TO THOSE USING INK. 
Tun Cincinnati Chronicle mentions a very 
peculiar case of sickness which bus been 
developed in one of t he members of a family 
residing at West. End, in that city. A little 
girl, aged about fourteen years, is a member 
of the First Intermediate School, and has 
been in the habit of cleaning her pen by suck¬ 
ing the ink from il, and then swallowing the 
saliva thus poisoned. And it has not been 
un unfrequent thing for her to take a bottle 
of ink and drink from it as she would water. 
Every remonstrance of teachers and parents 
was disregarded, until the poisonous fluid 
had permeated her whole system, and cre¬ 
ated a disease which, if it does not baffle the 
best efforts of medical men in that, city, will 
require a long siege of sickness and of suffer¬ 
ing. The habit of cleaning pens with the 
mouth is not an uncommon one, and though 
the saliva may be immediately spit out, there 
yet remains enough ink in it, if the practice 
is continued, to gradually and surely pass 
over the system, and, being poisonous, must 
do harm. A word to the wise should he 
sufficient. 
-M-*- 
USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC ITEMS. 
Abdominal Surgery .—A Western surgeon 
has penetrated the abdomen, removing four 
or five feet of intestine, and, leaving the parts 
which had not mortified, sewed up the 
abdominal walls and left the patient to 
The largest and oldest fruit tree I have 
overseen is vet standing on my farm in Or¬ 
ange county, N. C. It was brought from 
Virginia in the lap of the grandmother of rapidly recover. 
Hie late Wu.i.ie P. Mange m. and planted in Electric. Harpoons .—A new invention is 
the yard of the first residence selected by her t’te application of electricity to whale 
husband, in this then almost unoccupied catching. The whaleboat is provided with 
country. The exact date of the planting is a galvanic battery; wires run from it to the 
not known ; but it was doubtless much over points of harpoons; two ofthese bem* buried 
one hundred years ago. The same lady who i„ the body of a whale, the e,mentis corn¬ 
u-ought this sprout found it necessary some- pfote, and the whale paralyzed bv the shock 
times, With her dogs, to fight the wolves Q rmi Tea .—In Portsmouth, N H a sci- 
around her pioneer home-to drive them entitle individual, whose wife used tea nrettv 
away at night. I saw fruit on the old tree 
to-day, though for several years it has not 
borne much. There is much decay on all the 
limbs, though from the ground to the place 
where the large branches separate the trunk 
appears perfectly sound. The tree is about 
ten feet, in circumference above the ground. 
Tin: fruit is rather small, yellow when ripe, 
bell-shaped, and is simply known as the 
Sugar Pear. 
Among the memories of from twenty to 
twenty-five years ago are the beautiful pic- 
tuies which often greeted my eyes on its 
heavily laden branches, and the thickly 
strewn ground beneath il. The flavor is sai 
yeiieris, a sort of pungent, yet pleasant, 
used tea pretty 
freely, and who for the last few years had 
Buffered much from a nervous affection, re¬ 
cently made an analysis of the tea she used, 
and found that the coloring material was 
gypsum and Prussian blue, and that the 
amount in a pound often, if administered at 
once, would produce instant death. 
A Bonny Machine, to he used in prospect¬ 
ing for quarries, is soon to he brought into 
use in Ilydeville, Vt. It cuts a circle like 
the rim of a wheel, to the depth of hundreds 
of feet, leaving the inner portion undisturbed. 
At any depth a segment, of the core can he 
lifted out, showing I he rock formations, and 
saving thousands of dollars otherwise spent 
in excavating. 
THE HOLLYHOCK: 
Varieties, Propagation anti Culture. 
Fou the summer and autumn decoration 
of the flower garden, hollyhocks arc of great 
value, and prove very effective. No garden 
of any pretensions ought to be without a 
collection of select varieties. The hollyhock 
lias been in our gardens for nearly three 
hundred years; having been introduced from 
China in 1573. Many years, 1 may say Cen¬ 
turies, it was treated as a biennial; and no 
pubis were taken to perpetuate the improve¬ 
ments or variations that, were produced, 
excepting by saving of seed and sowing it, 
cross-breeding being then unknown. The 
result was very little variation,and bntsmall 
improvements on the flower of the original 
Alt/uea roHca ,— a biennial, in color of a bright 
rose. 
Although the hollyhock is perennial when 
propagated by cuttings and other modes, al¬ 
so when raised from seed in some soils, yet 
those possessing a fine selection, acting oil 
that principle in the same sense as with most, 
other perennials, will, in the course of a. few 
years, lose their best varieties, and find their 
collection fast disappearing. The system of 
planting a border, and allowing it to remain 
so for years, docs not apply to hollyhocks. 
Some object, to the hollyhock in flower 
gardens on account of its height • and there 
is good reason for doing so, if in a garden of 
dwarf plants it. is placed in front, of these, 
instead of the tall plants at back, arid the 
dwarf in front. But unquestionably it is u 
noble plant at the buck of borders, whether 
wide or narrow, by itself or in beds, and the 
grandest, of all for shrubbery borders; whilst 
it cannot, be too extensively cultivated as a 
flower. A garden without a collection of 
select hollyhocks is destitute of one great 
attraction. 
Varieties. 
The following are some of the most useful: 
Alexander Shearer, crimson ; Advancer, 
shaded rose; Black Prince, black; Countess 
Russel I, rosy peach; Comet, purplish critn- 
son; Competitor, deep purple; Decision, 
salmon flesh, shaded with rose; Electl'rt, 
yellow, chocolate base; Fearless Improved, 
creamy buff; Gem of Yellows Improved, 
deep yellow; I lobe, creamy flesh, peach 
centre, lion. Mrs. Ashley, bright peach; 
Memnon, bright crin}bou ; Mrs. Roake, blush : 
Mrs. Chat r, carmine, y ntwl rose; Mr. ltoakc 
pale yellow ; l.ady Braybrooke, lemon, tinted’ 
fawn; Lady Middleton, rosy salmon; Lilac 
Model, shaded lilac; Pericles, chrome yellow; 
Queen of Whiles, white; Reine Blanche, 
white; Rev. II. Dombmiu, rosy salmon; 
Syrian Prince, purple; Walden Masterpiece, 
gold and scarlet; Warrior, bright crim on, 
l’ropueaiinn. 
Hollyhocks are, propagated by seed in 
Older to raise new varieties, or where plants 
are required for extensive planting in borders; 
also by cuttings, division, and eyes. 
Propagation from seed is only time, labor, 
and ground lost, unless the seed has been 
carefully saved, and from the liner sortsouly. 
The seed may be sown as early as March, 
and from that time to July or August, 
prefer to sow in June, and not later than 
July. Spring-sown plants become so strom 
by autumn, that, much room is taken up in 
wintering them, and except for being planted 
out in autumn, or remaining transplanted in 
the bed to bloom, are. not desirable. 1 may, 
however, treat of sowing the seed in spring, 
in summer, and as soon as ripe. 
Sowing in spring may take place at, the. 
end of March, or early in April. An open 
situation out of <loot's should be, chosen, and 
the ground well dug anil pulverized, working 
in a liberal dressing of leal-mold. The soil 
most suitable, is a sandy loam; if heavy, it 
may he improved by a free admixture of 
sharp sand. The surface having been made 
tine, place seeds about an inch apart, and 
cover them with fine soil. All weeds must 
be removed; and iu June the plants will he 
fit to turn out in beds. Put in beds four feet 
wide, five rows in a bed, and the plants six 
inches from each other in tlio rows. If the 
weather be dry, give the seed-bed a good 
soaking before taking up the seedlings, which 
must be done with a fork. The bed for plant 
uig Ought, to he well and deeply dug, add¬ 
ing leaf-mold or rotten manure liberally. 
Water well at planting; and, if dry and hot, 
shade with mats over hoops for a. few days 
until the plants recover. Occasional water¬ 
ings will need to he, given in dry weather, 
and the beds must he kept, clear of weeds. In 
October the plants will he strong, and fit to 
plant out in t heir blooming quarters; or they 
may bo left where they are ; only every alter 
nate row and plant must he removed, and 
either planted in the borders or in another 
lied, which will, of course, be equal in extent, 
to that of the bed in which the plants are left 
undisturbed, Between the rows,a mulching 
ol hall-rotten leaves or manure should lie 
given early in November:—and, in spring, 
fork that, neatly into the soil, if the plants are 
left to bloom in the beds; or the plants may 
he taken tup carefully, and planted out. 
Seed sown during June requires the same 
treatment; i. e., to he sown in the open 
ground :—and, when the seedlings have two 
rough leaves, take them up, and plant out 
six inches apart, every way in beds, shading 
and watering until established. The planting- 
out. will cause the production of line fibrous 
mots for takiug up early in October; and 
the plants should then he placed in pots largo 
enough to hold the roots without cramping. 
The pots ought to be set on coal-ashes in a 
cold frame, giving abundance of air, aud pro¬ 
tect-ion from frost,aud heavy rains by drawing 
on the lights at such times, with an occasional 
covering of mats in severe frost. The plants 
should he shilled into larger pots as may be 
necessary,—that is, before they become pot- 
houud ; and, being well hardened off, may 
be planted out in April. 
The seed may also be sown os Boon as ripe 
in pans of good light soil, and he placed on a 
mild hot-bed of from 70 to 75 '. "When the 
seedlings appear, keep them near the glass, 
aud give air plentifully. When they have 
two rough leaves, pot them off singly in 
three-inch pots, in a compost, of light turfy 
loam two-thirds and one-third leaf-mold, 
keeping them close iu the frame, with proper 
moisture aud shade. I ill established ; and then 
harden them off, and remove them to a cold 
frame, where they are to remain during the 
winter, being shifted into larger pots as may 
be necessary, and planting out at, the end of 
April. 
The seedlings will bloom in the year fol¬ 
lowing the sowing of tlm seed, and should 
have proper care with respect to staking, 
tying, and watering. The object, being to 
preserve good varieties, and to discard the 
bad, remove every single or semi-double 
flower, and pull up the plant unless anew 
color or something worth perpetuating lie 
seen; also every plant with thin-pet,aied 
flowers. By discarding worthless seedlings 
as soon as they bloom, you prevent the 
flowers of the good kinds being impregnated ; 
for these, as a rule, collie last. Any thought 
worth propagating should be labelled; and, 
il seed be saved, remove the pods as they 
become brown; cut the stalks off to within 
two or three inches of the ground, and stir 
the soil about them with a fork, Imt not so 
deeply os to injure the fibers. This will 
encourage growth for propagation, which 
may he effected by eyes or by division; and 
the plants obtained in either way will, the 
following year, show whether the flower is 
worth adding to the general collection, or 
does not maintain its character. 
Cuttings may he taken off at almost, all 
seasons. Those put in during the spring 
afford a late bloom ; aud those plants propa¬ 
gated from cuttings ill summer and autumn 
flower early and bite In summer. The young 
shoots, when from two to three inches long, 
are to he taken oil’close to the old root; and, 
after paring the base of each cutting smooth 
with a sharp knife, pot them singly in three 
inch pots, using a compost of two thirds 
sandy fibrous loam and one-third leaf mold, 
with a liberal admixture of sharp sand. Pot 
(irmly, give it gentle watering, (dace, them in 
a cold frame, shut it up eiosely, and shade 
them from the sun. In Hie course ol it week 
or ten days, according to the time of year,— 
a week in summer, ten days in spring and 
autumn,—a little air may be given, but not 
much until the cuttings are rooted. Avoid 
excessive watering ; hut keep the soil moist; 
and, when the cuttings have rooted well, 
admit ah’ freely, and expose them fully when 
the weather is mild or not excessively wet. 
The plants should lie potted as they require 
more room, and should lie wintered in a cold 
frame as described for seedlings. 
Cuttings put in from [September to April 
should have the benefit of a bottom-heat, of 
about 70 , and should be kept, close and 
shaded. Care should be taken not to over- 
water ; and, to prevent, damp, a little air may 
he given. The cuttings rooted, they must be 
well hardened off, and removed to a cold 
frame. 
Propagation by division is performed in 
autumn after (lowering,—generally in Sep¬ 
tember, or early in October, The root should 
be, dug up, and divided into as many pieces 
as there are shoots; and these pieces might 
to he potted singly in four-and-a-half-ineh 
pots Any shoots without roots may be pot¬ 
ted in three-inch pots, and treated as cuttings; 
they and the divisions being wintered in a 
cold frame. 
Eyes are the side-shoots taken from the. 
plants close to the roots as soon as they begin 
to become firm (which will be the case in 
July, August, or September, according to the 
forwardness of the plant,) cut, into pieces 
with an eye to each. The knife should be 
sharp; at least the cut must he clean, so as 
to give an inch or an inch and a half of shoot 
to each eye. The leaf should be removed 
with exception of the leaf-stalk, and the 
pieces or eyes should be inserted iu sandy 
soil as for cuttings; placing them vertically, 
and covering them with an inch of fine samiy 
soil. It will answer as well if the eyes are 
placed horizontally. Cover them with a 
hand glass after giving them a gentle water¬ 
ing, and shade from bright sun. When struck, 
ns will he known by their growing strongly, 
pot them singly in three-inch pots, and place 
them in a cold frame. 
8oll ami Situation. 
The most suitable soil for hollyhocks is a 
rich sandy rather than a heavy loam. Iu the 
former the plants arc rnorw hardy, but do not 
grow bo strongly. The ground intended to 
lie planted in spring should be trenched in 
autumn, and thrown up as roughly as pos¬ 
sible, in order to expose it to the action of 
frost; and a good dressing of manure should 
be forked in. In February or March the 
ground should ho forked over; and, if no 
manure was afforded at the time of trench¬ 
ing, it ought to he given now. It the soil is 
heavy, leaf-mold will help to lighten it; and 
so will sharp sand. The situation should bo 
open, free from the drip and shade of trees; 
and if sheltered from wind, all the better. 
The more sunny and open the situation, the 
better will hollyhocks grow and bloom. 
I’luiiiiiiK niul After-Treatnil-lit. 
From the middle to the end of April is 
the best time to plant fur the general bloom; 
whilst, for a late, bloom, planting may take 
place a month later. The distance apart 
may be three feet in beds; and, in borders, 
a like, distance may he allowed from plant 
to plant, every way ; hut in the latter ease I 
generally have the lines four feet apart, and 
put iu the plants at three, feet from each 
other. In planting, make a good sized hole, 
and fill it up, or nearly so, with a compost of 
I.wo-thirds loam from turfs, and one third rot¬ 
ten manure or leaf-mold. Put in the. plants 
from pots in the center, lightly scratching 
t he skies of the ball so as to disentangle the 
roots u little ; but., il the size of the pots has 
been sufficient, this will scarcely he neces¬ 
sary. Make the soil firm about the plant, 
ami give a good watering; and, if the nights 
are frosty, cover tho plant with an inverted 
flower pot, taking it nlf in the morning, and 
replacing it at night until all danger from 
Host is over. Jn dry weather, water must 
be liberally supplied, especially iu May and 
June, when the leaves are very actively 
catering for tlm coming display When the 
plants are advancing towards Hmveriag, and 
arc in flower, thorough waterings, in dry 
weather, are also necessary. 
Too many flower-spikes should not he re¬ 
tained. Two or at most three flower-spikes 
are all that should be allowed on strong 
plants; whilst, one will he sufficient for 
weak plants. All the others, orside-shoots, 
should be out away as they appear. The 
Staking of the plants must lie attended to 
early. Stout, but at the same, time neat, 
stakes must, he driven into the ground, close 
to each plant., miff ought to be about three 
and a halt feet out of the ground ; and to 
these the flower-spikes must, he tied as they 
advance. When the spikes have reached a 
height of seven or eight, feet, cut off their 
tops, if you want them Ibr exhibition, and 
thin the flower-buds, so that, when e xpand¬ 
ed, there will he no more flowers than 
enough to cover the spike; and, if blooms 
or spikes are wanted Ibr exhibition, they 
must be protected from rain and sun ten 
days before the show. If not wanted for 
exhibition, the flower-spikes may be allowed 
to grow as tall as they will, and the blos¬ 
soms need not be thinned; but I like to thin 
•be flowers a little, even in gardens, and to 
have there as good blooms as are seen at 
exhibitions, cutting off the spikes at some 
height. 
Alter flowering, cut down the spikes to 
within three or four inches of the ground; 
and, at the end of October, take up the roots, 
pot them, and winter them in a cold frame. 
In sandy, well-drained soil, however, they 
limy he left jn the ground ; and, this being 
lightly forked over, put a dressing of leaf- 
mold round the plants, not very rotten, or 
Short, littery manure, and point, it neatly into 
the ground in spring. In winter, the pots 
of plants, whether from seed, cuttings, divis¬ 
ions or eyes, should he plunged to the rim 
in coal ashes, the plants being kept near the 
glass, and afforded plenty of air in favorable 
weather, with little or no watering at the 
roots; indeed, the soil should not lie more 
than moist. If fine flowers and large pikes 
of bloom are desired, the plants ought to be 
well eared for in potting, never allowing 
them to become pot-bound; and the great¬ 
est possible encouragement should he given 
to them in May and June by watering, and 
supplying them with liquid manure once a 
week, also during any dry periods that may 
occur afterwards until the flowering is past. 
— G. Abbey , in Cot, t,aye Gardener. 
Saving Flower Heeds. -The American Agricul¬ 
turist says; If one waits until his Phlox, Pansy, 
15aIsam and some other Seeds are ripe, lie will 
gather none. These plants and others have a 
way of bursting their capsules as soon us ripe, 
and throwing the reeds as far as possible. The 
only way to manage these is to take thorn as 
seen as l tie seed vessel is fully formed and shows 
slums of maturity, and put, them where they 
can son tier without loss. We have used wire 
sieves I<> cover such seed porls, and found thorn 
to work admirably. It (s necessary for one who 
would save seeds, whether for his own uso or 
for sale, to study tho hit hi t of each plant, seo 
what Its natural mode Of dishibutlng its seed m, 
aud anticipate it. 
