SEPT. 14 
§mrjr of a gturaM 
DAILY EUEAL LIFE. 
FROM THE DIARY OF A OEHTLEMAH NEAR NEW YORK CITY. 
Success with Tulip Trees.— Aug. 
—Last Spring I transplanted quite a large 
number of Tulip trees (JArlodendnm tu- 
liplfera) from the woods and Helds. Like 
all forest tree seedlings that have not been 
transplanted, they had few or no small 
lateral roofs, and to one unaccustomed to 
handling such trees there would not appear 
to be much chance of making them live. 
After cutting off the lower end of the main 
or tap-root and shortening the stems to a 
mere stump of a foot or two in length, they 
were planted in nursery rows and the soil 
packed closely about them. 1 mentioned 
this system of treating forest trees in my 
Diary at the time of planting, and now re¬ 
fer to it again for the purpose of noting my 
success. About ninety per cent, of those 
planted have lived and made a good, healthy 
growth, some few having produced shoots 
two feet long. There is no species of native 
forest tree more difficult to make live when 
transplanted, either from the woods or 
nursery, than the Tulip; and if lean suc¬ 
ceed in saving ninety per cent, in an un¬ 
favorable season why cannot others do the 
same? 
Millions of forest-tree seedlings can be 
spared from the Middle and Eastern States, 
and they are wanted on the Western prai¬ 
ries; but for the want of proper informa¬ 
tion in regard to digging, pruning and plant¬ 
ing, there is scarcely any traffic in (liese 
things between the two sectious of the 
country. Those who purchase forest trees 
should be willing to pay a price sufficient, 
not only to cover the cost of digging, pack¬ 
ing and something for the plants, but for 
carefully pruning the same at the time. 
Owing to the ignorance of purchasers, nur¬ 
serymen are obliged to send trees to thpir 
customers entire, while a great saving In coat 
of packing and freight might be saved if 
they were pruned before being shipped. 
For instance, the tulip trees planted by 
me last Spring varied in bight from one to 
ten feet; and some of the largest had tap¬ 
roots two or more feet long; but when 
pruned ready for planting, the largest could 
have been packed in a space of three feet. 
Had 1 been tilling an order for such trees I 
would not have dared to prune them in this 
manner, although they required it to make 
them live. Of course nursery-grown trees 
do not require such severe pruning; but 
all need more or less; and if it is not done 
before they leave the nursery it must be 
done at the time of planting. Our people 
have become so accustomed to purchase 
trees by the foot or yard that they seldom 
take any other merit into consideration. 
No Name— No Address ,—Aug. ^8.-1 
am in the receipt of several collections of 
insects from various sources, the senders 
of them omitting to put their name or 
address either inside or outside of the 
package. This is almost as bad, (yes, it is 
worse) than sending letters without sign¬ 
ing one’s name, or giving date or post-office 
address. The next thing to receiving in¬ 
sects is in knowing from what particular 
locality they came; and although I can 
guess pretty near as to the latitude, from 
the insects, still it is important that one 
should know positively if we are to learn 
anything in regard to the geographical dis¬ 
tribution of species. It is certainly pro¬ 
voking to receive a half dozen boxes all 
tilled with choice insects, coming from as 
many different correspondents in different 
parts of the country, without any mark or 
word to indicate to whom you are indebted. 
1 am just in this fix to-day with three box¬ 
es of beetles which arrived by mail, and I 
know by their appearance that t hey came 
from widely separate regions of the coun¬ 
try; but from whom, or where, I shall 
probably never know. Suppose 1 should 
receive three letters from the three persons, 
each saying that they had sent a package, 1 
would be no better off than before, unless 
each gave a minute description of the box 
in which the insects were packed; and this 
might fail to assist me in determining their 
identity, inasmuch as the three lots named 
above were all packed in round tin boxes 
of nearly the same size. Now the only 
way to avoid confusion in such matters is, 
for the sender to put his or her name on 
the wrapper of each package, or on ft slip 
of paper inside. I wish those who kindly 
send me packages of any kind would re¬ 
member this, and then I shall know to 
whom I am indebted for favors. 
Taking Up and Potting Plants.— 
Aug. 119.—A cold rain last night and a sud¬ 
den change in the wind to the northwest, 
sent the mercury in my thermometer down 
from ninety to tlfty degrees above zero; 
and, fear in* that it would reach the freezing 
point, I set to work immediately potting 
the most choice and tender plants that 
were planted in the garden. This sudden 
change of the weather may bo a false alarm 
and no frosts appear for a month; still 1 
dislike to be caught napping; besides I 
have noticed nlunt* not ted curly look 
OUR FUR-BEARING ANIMALS-II, 
VIEGINIA OPOSSUM. 
Dldelphls Vlrglnlana.-AUDUBON. 
The Virginian Opossum is the only 
marsupial animal found in America North 
of Mexico. Though found in other States 
it is most plenty in the Southern ones. Its 
VIRGINIA OPOSSUM.- Di<l 
better in winter than those put in lijjte. In 
taking up geraniums, fuchsias and similar 
plants, all coarse, long branches arc re¬ 
moved, and if of scarce sorts, the best por¬ 
tions are saved for cuttings. As soon as the 
plants are potted they are thoroughly 
watered, not only to settle the earth about 
their roots, but to keep them from wilting; 
then they are set under the stage of the 
green-house or left in the pottiug-room, 
and as much light excluded as possible. 
In removing plants with handsome or 
scented foliage, such as the variegated 
Geraniums and Lemon Verbena, it is quite 
important that the leaves should remain 
upon them; but to accomplish this consid¬ 
erable care is required. The most import¬ 
ant points to be Observed are, not tolet the 
plants wilt before potting, and then pack 
.lie earth firmly about the roots, after 
which water and put in a dark place for a 
few days, or until there is no Indication of 
wilting about the leaves. In a moist, dark 
place evaporation from the leaves is 
checked, which is always most rapid in a 
light, dry atmosphere. As soon as the roots 
have commenced a new growth, the circu¬ 
lation of the sap is restorod and the plant 
may again be placed upon the stages of the 
house. If plants are large and cannot be 
lifted with soil adhering to their roots, it is 
always a safe plan to remove a portion of 
the leaves and branches; but the greater 
portion can be saved if care is given to the 
condition mentioned above. 
NOTES FOE HOESEMEN. 
Heaves in Horses.—A Michigan corres¬ 
pondent of the Rural Home gives the fol¬ 
lowing remedy for heaves in horses:—Give 
once daily a teaspoonful of aqua fortis, pre¬ 
pared as follows: Mix it with a teaspoonful 
of sour or skimmed milk, and mix this with 
bran, and the bran with the grain fed. The 
catarrhal affections of the throat make rap¬ 
id amendment under this treatment, and 
the correspondent referred to says he has 
known a number of cases cured by it. It 
should be continued, if necessary, until a 
pound of acid is given. 
Corns on a Horse’s Foot.—A corre¬ 
spondent asks a remedy. Cut away the 
corn and burn it out so as to prevent pres¬ 
sure of the shoe; or turn the horse to pas¬ 
ture without shoeB. 
*ll>h.is VieuiriiaiiH—AUDUBON .btfi 
range is nearly the same as the Persimmon 
tree; but Aumnox regards this as acciden¬ 
tal, since it thrives well in seasons when this 
fruit fails, though it is very fond of it. 
It is about fifteen inches long, with a tail, 
twelve inches long; the orifice of the dis¬ 
tended pouch is fifteen inches in diameter. 
The body is stout and clumsy'; head, 
long and conical; snout, pointed; nostrils, 
open on the sides of a protuberant, naked 
and glaudulous surface; mouth, wide, with 
weak jaws; tongue, covered with rough pa¬ 
pilla?; eyes, high on the forehead, with no 
external lids; whiskers on the sides ol the 
face and over the eye, strong and rigid. 
Nails, curved; soles of hind feet covered 
with large tubercles; inner toe of these 
feet, nailless, and opposite the others, form¬ 
ing a kind of hand; female furnished with 
a pouch containing thirteen mamma?, ar¬ 
ranged in a circle, with one in the center; 
tail, prehensile, very strong, capable of in¬ 
volution only on the under side, long, round 
and scaly, covered with scant, coarse hairs 
for a few inches from the base; the remain¬ 
der with here and there a hair between the 
scales. The fur is of two kinds, a soft, 
wooly hair beneath, of considerable length 
and fineness; this is covered but not con¬ 
cealed by scant, longer hairs. On the upper 
surface of the body the wooly hair is white 
at base and black at tips; the long, inter¬ 
spersed hairs are mostly white; eyeB, black; 
ears, black at base, white towards edge, 
with white patches; snout and toes, liesh- 
colored; face, neck and nails, yellowish 
white; a line of dark brown begins on the 
forehead, widens,extoiuls to the shoulders; 
also a line of dark brown is under the chest; 
feet, brownish-black. 
The nest of the opossum is found in vari¬ 
ous localities, usually in some protected 
situation, such as in the hollow of a fallen 
or a standing tree. As it is a good digger, 
it often makes its den under roots of trees 
and stumps. The material composing the 
nest is long moss, or various kinds of dried 
leaves. Sometimes it usurps the homes of 
other animals, not without suspicion of 
having first devoured the rightful owner. 
Though nocturnal in its habits, it ia not 
unfrequently, especially in Spring and 
Summer, found moving about during the 
day, often seen, apparently asleep, lying on 
its back for hours in the warm sun. 
It is a voracious and destructive little 
animal. As it is omnivorous, young birds, 
eggs, squirrels, young rabbits (which it eats 
by the brood at a meal), oottou rats, mice, 
reptiles of various kinds, worms, and in¬ 
sects, are all acceptable in the way of food. 
Sometimes, climbing over high walls, or 
through very small holes, it makes a good 
supper of domestic fowls and their eggs. It 
is fond of young Indian corn, as well as the 
juicy stems of many young plants; of chest¬ 
nuts, acorns, various berries, and especially 
of the round orange berries of the persim¬ 
mon tree, if suspecting danger, it carries 
its food in its fore paws to a safe bight on 
some tree, and then eats it, suspended, 
meanwhile, by its tail or hind paws It js 
not often seen abroad during the Winter— 
at this time each one appears to live by 
himself, though in Summer large broods 
keep together. 
The young are found in the pouches of 
the mother during the first week of March, 
of May, and of July. As many as three 
broods are produced in a season, each often 
numbering thirteen. When they arc first 
placed in the pouch the young are blind 
and deaf and the mouth has only a small 
orifice; the weight of one at this time is 
three or four grains. For four weeks they 
remain attached to the mamma? and grow 
very rapidly. A week later they are often 
seen on the mother’s back with their tails 
twined around hers or her neck or legs, 
and in this position she carries her family 
as she searches for food. She is much at¬ 
tached to them, and exhibits much courage 
in their defense. They remain with her 
about two months, though in the meantime 
a second or a third litter is produced. 
War is incessantly waged against the 
Opossum by men and dogs, besides owls, 
eagles, hawks and wolves destroy it. When 
disturbed in its nightly prowlinga by dogs, 
it. feigns death, and, rolling itself into a 
ball, it lies perfectly still; but the dogs, 
used to “ ’possum playing,” seize and kill 
it. If trucked to a tree, it must bo shaken 
off in the same manner as the raccoon; with 
its flexible hind hands and prehensile tail, 
it holds on with great tenacity. When it 
falls among shrubbery or is found there, it 
feigns death so artfully that persons have 
been known to carry them some distance, 
supposing them really dead. It displays no 
cunning in avoiding traps set for it. enter¬ 
ing almost any kind, very commonly being 
taken in a “dead-fall.” The skins bring 
from ten to thirty cents apiece. The flesh 
is excellent, and when roasted it is like the 
young pig, and is considered a great deli¬ 
cacy in the South. 
We are entirely indebted to Audubon 
for the facts of the above description, as 
we have never had ail opportunity to see 
this animal and to observe its habits. 
AEBOEICULTUEAL NOTES. 
Figs in Pots.—I think if anyone were to 
see my fig trees just now t hey would agree 
with me, that the proper way of cultivating 
them is to grow them in pots plunged in 
the soil. Figs in pots utiplliiiged require 
great attention as to watering, feeding, &o., 
and often drop their fruit. Even where the 
fruit on pot trees is seen in a ripe state it is 
generally small, and deficient in flavor. On 
the other hand, figs planted out, fts a rule, 
grow too strongly to fruit well till of con¬ 
siderable age. In large pots plunged deeply 
enough to hide t he rim of the pots, figs root 
through and over the pots into the soil, be¬ 
ing more secure from sudden changes; 
whilst, if growing too freely, they are easily 
cheeked by cutting the roots or replunging 
them the following winter. 1 think few 
have any idea how many fruits a fig thus 
managed will produce, or how superior it is 
in quality.— J. Ji. Pearson, CkiUvcll, in 
Cottage Gardener. 
Mulching Seed Beds.—Please tell me 
whether or not apple and quince seed should 
bo mulched after planting, and whether 
sawdust is suitable material?—J. F. Jones, 
Dayton, Ohio. 
If you can tell us in advance whether 
there is to be a drouth during the Summer, 
after the seed is sown, we can answer your 
first question. Sawdust will answer for a 
mulch, and may be used to advantage on 
soils so shallow that the plants grown there¬ 
on are likely to suffer for the want of mois¬ 
ture. 
Leaf Blight on Apples.— Will you please 
inform us what ails the foliage of the apple 
trees in this locality? The leaves have all 
turned brown, on some trees looking not 
unlike trees in the Autumn after a hard 
freeze; and what is most singular, every 
tree so affected is of the Baldwin variety.— 
W. L. D., Clyde, N. Y. 
Leaf Blight; cause not known, nor any 
sure remedy or preventive, that we are 
