during the day I have asked every one I 
met this same question: “ Where are the 
rooms of your Jin torn illogical Society lo¬ 
cated'/'' and received the same answer from 
all, to wit: “ Really, J do not know." 
To every answer of this kind, I have sup¬ 
plemented another question: “ Do you have 
thing to prevent their ravages, 
we shall soon have to abandon 
fruit culture altogether." 
For my part I do not blame 
the insects for making havoc of 
the fruits and plants of people 
who care so little about studying 
some few very excellent entomological cabi¬ 
nets, belonging to private Individuals, as 
well as to public institutions, but nothing 
that would compare in rich and rare speci¬ 
mens, with this one in the little workshop. 
As I left my new acquaintance, I could not 
help thinking how few amougthe hundreds 
who daily pass the little shop, know of the 
valuable scientific treasure it coutains. 
DAILY RURAL LIFE 
feathering Nuts.— Jan. 15.—There being 
no snow on the ground, 1 find it a good time 
to gather nuts of nearly sill kiudH. Hickory, 
Black Walnut and Butternuts are scattered 
through our woods in great abundance, and 
there is nothing to prevent gathering them 
at this time, and all in the very begt condi¬ 
tion for growth. It is a great pity that the 
settlers on the Western prairies do not 
avail themselves of such opportunities for 
obtaining treo seeds. A few dollars spent 
in this wav would certainly be a good in¬ 
vestment. I iiui having a quantity of hick¬ 
ory nuts gathered for a friend in Colorado, 
and hope to live long enough to sit under 
the shade of the trees produced therefrom. 
Pruning Old Apple Trees,— Jan. 1G. 
—One can scarcely find a better time to 
prune largo trees than during the mild 
weather in winter. But the maimer pur¬ 
sued by some persons in pruning old ap¬ 
ple trees appears to me quite absurd. I 
have always supposed that the main object 
iu pruning such trees was to keep up a 
vigorous and healthy growth, but how can 
this bo done if all the young and thrifty 
shoots are annually cut away and none left 
but the old and enfeebled heavy branches. 
This seems to be the general practice, and I 
am only surprised that these old apple trees 
live as long as they do. When I want to 
restore health to an old tree I cut away as 
much of the old wood as it seems advisable, 
and leave that which i » young and healthy. 
One healthy young shoot is worth a dozen 
old branches for restoring health. After a 
branch has produced fruit for a dozen or 
more years it is pretty sure to show signs of 
becoming weak, and If the internal struc¬ 
ture is examined the annual deposit of 
At the same 
NEPENTHES HOOKERIANA 
i iioiiA bi.y most of our readers are ac¬ 
quainted with some one or more of the 
native species of the pitcher plant, (Sar- 
racenia). The leaves of all this genus are of 
t hat peculiar tnbular form which is not un¬ 
like a pitcher, hence the name. They arc 
chiefly bog plants growing in swamps among 
mosses, and in summer, when the leaves are 
fully developed, they usually contain a small 
quantity of water, into which various species 
of flies and other insects fall and are 
drowned. 
There are many other nearly related 
species and genera, native of t ropical coun¬ 
tries, which have been introduced into our 
conservatories. We give herewith one of 
the most unique of the newer species of 
Nepenthe#— Hooker’s Pitcher Plant. The 
leaves which spring from near the base of 
the plant produce pitchers broad at the base 
and with a broad, winged front with ciliated 
hairs on the cdgea.tbe long pet iole is attached 
to the front and grows up between t ho wings. 
But the pitchers produced higher up the 
stems a great alteration takes place—the 
petiole being attached behind, the pitcher 
becoming narrower at the base and t lie wings 
entirely disappear. This plant is not only 
wonderfully curious but well adapted to 
growing in hanging baskets, provided one 
has a house where a warm, damp atmos¬ 
phere can be sustained. Such a house as 
wood will be found very thin 
time new shoots will start out of these old 
branches near their base, those are usually 
t ermod sap-shoots, and the almost universal 
practice is to cut. them away entirely; but 
they are sure indications of feebleness in 
the branches above, and if t he trees are very 
old a few of them should be encouraged and 
the branches above them entirely cut away. 
Of course all large wounds made by the re¬ 
moval of such branches should be covered 
with wax or some similar composition that 
will protect the exposed wood and prevent 
decay. I know this is a somewhat radical 
method of restoring old trees to health, but 
it is effectual, as I know from experience. 
Across New Jersey.— Jan. T7.—Jersey 
has always been noted for her poor lands 
and penurious people, but she is steadily 
improving, through the outside pressure 
brought to bear upon her by the many rail¬ 
roads which cross the State. In passing 
from Now York to Philadelphia to-day 1 
could not help noticing the hundreds and 
thousands of acres of poor, worn-out land 
lying between the two greatest cities of this 
continent. If it will not pay to improve 
and keep laud fertile in such a locality, will 
it anywhere/ There must be something 
wrong in the people who own this land, be¬ 
cause climate, locality, and the natural or 
original condition of the soil are all favora¬ 
ble to t he highest state of cultivation. Per¬ 
haps i he next generation will appreciate 
their advantages in regard to locality, and 
restore this region to its former position in 
the agricultural and horticultural world. 
Searching: tor an Entomological So¬ 
ciety,— Jan. 18.—Philadelphia has long been 
celebrated for being the residence of sonic 
of the most noted entomologists known. 
The old pioneer in the science, Tuos. Say, 
the elder Leconte and his son, John Le¬ 
conte, as well as Horn and many lesser- 
lights who have devoted the greater portion 
of their lives to the study of entomology, all 
hail from this city of “ Brotherly love." 
Knowing this to be the case, I thought it 
would be a very easy task to learn some¬ 
thing of what was going on in the entomo¬ 
logical world, but I was sadly disappointed. 
Upon leaving my hotel this morning, I went 
directly to the Academy of Natural Sci¬ 
ences, where I met two gentlemen well 
known to the scientific world, and I inquired 
of them where the rooms of the Entomo¬ 
logical Society were located, but neither 
had ever visited the place, but believed they 
were located somewhere iu Thirteenth St. 
Of course I could get the required informa¬ 
tion out of the City Directory 
PITCHER PLANT.- 
any trouble with insects iu growing fruit 
about this city?" 
" Why, certainly, our fruits are nearly 
ruined by them, and unless we cau do some- 
FORCING LILY OF THE VALLEY 
my return to New York this morning, I re¬ 
ceived a note from an entomologist in Texas 
informing me that he hud sent a few rare 
species of beetles iu care of a friend in 
Brooklyn. Of course ] could not think of 
g-mig home without these treasures, and 
went for them immediately. In calling 
upon my friend, Mr. who i.s himself an 
entomologist, we talked insects as steadily 
as two jockeys ever "talked horse;" and iii 
(he course of our conversation (J. asked if r 
had ever called upon Mr. A., the coleoptcr- 
ist. I replied in the negative, when G. pro¬ 
posed that we should give him a call in 
company, to which I readily consented. A 
few minutes’ walk brought 
us to a very small shop, 
in the window of which 
~j were some Btuffed birds, 
fishhooks, and s i ui i 1 a r 
i small, cheap articles of 
p" trade. I confess that the 
| place was not one that I 
should have selected as 
being the depository of any 
r great amount of scientific 
knowledge. We went in, 
and my friend introduced 
me to a man of middle age, 
with a somewhat rough 
exterior, but a physique 
that showed unusual fore 
of character. After a few 
moments’ conversation wo 
were invited to visit the 
gentleman’s worksho p, 
which we found iu the back 
yard. It was a small, one- 
story room, rough outside 
and within, and I doubt if any one, not 
knowing its contents, would give twenty-five 
dollars for the entire establishment. By 
considerable stooping and crowding, we 
three were able to get into the shop. Here 
was a most agreeable surprise to me, for 
from floor to ceiling, were piled boxes full of 
the rarest entomological specimens from all 
parts of the world. More than all, the own¬ 
er of theso knew all that is known of their 
history. Talk of the wealth of Stewart or 
Astor! It is all dross, compared to the 
rich store of knowledge possessed by this 
apparently bumble citizen, i have seeu ! 
(Conmlht tin m a Julia.) The flowers are of 
the purest white, and their delicate, fra¬ 
grance and form always command admira¬ 
tion and a good price, especially during the 
holidays. A few days since, while passing 
up Broadway, we saw a small bunch of these 
flowers in the window of a well known deal¬ 
er in flowers, and tile price marked on them 
was only *10. which was, as near as we could 
judge, a little more than their weight in 
gold. 
If this old and well-known flower will 
command such a price, %ve think they are 
certainly worth forcing into bloom in win¬ 
ter. The florists should not have a monopo¬ 
ly of this plant, for it is quite common al¬ 
most everywhere, and cau be readily for¬ 
warded among other house plants. The 
flowers are produced on long racemes, sur¬ 
rounded by two or three broad, deep green 
leaves, as shown in the accompanying illus¬ 
tration. 
How Forced.—In autumn take up the 
desired number of good, strong roots, such 
as have plump buds or crowns. Pack them 
closely together, cither in pots or broad, 
shallow boxes, covering the crown about an 
inch deep with line rich soil. Give sufficient 
water to settle the earth firmly about the 
roots, then place them in a posit ion to grow 
and bloom. If wanted for the holidays, they 
Should be placed iu a warm situation about 
the first of November. If it is not desirable 
to have them all bloom at one time, a por¬ 
tion cun be kept in a cellar and brought out 
as required. If one has no conservatory in 
which to force them they can be placed 
near a stove or iu any warm position until 
the leaves appear, then set in a window 
where they will receive the light. It is not 
necessary, however, that they shall receive 
the direct rays of the sun the entire day, as 
a partial shade seems to suit them best. 
Oestrum Elegans.— Since we gave an 
illustration and description of this plant, 
in the Rural New-Yorker of Dec. 23,1871, 
a number of correspondents have inquired 
where the plants can be purchased. Will 
our florists take notice, and give the desired 
information through the advertising col¬ 
umns of this paper? 
but 1 con¬ 
cluded tp make some inquiries of horticul¬ 
turists who, of all men, should be Interested 
in this science. 
My acquaintance among the Pomologists 
of Philadelphia is quite extensive, and 
LILY OP THE VALLEY, 
