300 
MOORE’S RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
. 9 
<§mrg of a 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
FROM THE DIARY OF A QEHTUMAK HEAR HEW YORK CITY. 
Transplanting Fruit Tree Seedlings. 
—Oat. 20.—A few weeks since I referred to 
my success in transplanting young trees 
from tiie forests, particularly with the 
Tulip tree, as this Is one generally consid¬ 
ered one of the most difficult to transplant 
and make live. My success was attributed 
to severe pruning at the time of removal, 
and I advised others to try the same 
system; not supposing for a moment 
that 1 had discovered anything new or 
told anything that had not been told a 
thousand times before. It appears, how¬ 
ever, that Mr. R. S. Et.i.iott, Industrial 
Agent of the Kansas Pacific Railroad, saw 
fit to take me to task for even hinting that 
everybody did not know that trees should 
be severely pruned when transplanted; and 
an entire column of the Prairie Fai-mer is 
devoted to telling how little I know of 
forest tree culture, as well as other Eastern 
men, and how much knowledge of this kind 
is in the heads of all Western men. I am 
also informed that my transplanted Tulip 
trees may grow luxuriantly the first, season 
and die the next, as did some that were 
planted but not properly cared for by Mr. 
Et.t.tott. If the experiment to which I. 
referred was my first, I might have some 
fears in regard to the result; but a quarter 
of.u century of continued practical experi¬ 
ence, gives me confidence of success, in spite 
of Ihe hints of the well-meaning gentleman 
critlo. Rut the gentleman is so positive in 
Ids assertion, and polite withal, that I can¬ 
not refrain from putting a few paragraphs 
in my Diary, to wit: 
So far as the treatment given by the gen¬ 
tleman in concerned, pruning, etc., it is all 
verv well, hut he is mistaken if he supposes 
that his article sheds any new light on the 
subject for western tree planters, however 
kindly he may have meant it. This whole 
subject. Including the tulip tree with 
othi-rs, has been discussed and re-discussed 
in t he West, until it is fully as well under¬ 
stood as in the East; and the tulip tree in 
particular has been so fully “ventilated ’ 
(genteel slang) in the Illinois Horticultural 
Society, that our New York friend comes 
rather late with his discovery that, the na¬ 
tive seedlings may be taken from t he. forest 
and made to grow. Even before we had 
A KTlltt r But ant’s book, there was a mass 
of information scattered through various 
western publications that went far beyond 
any of the teachings (hat we could get from 
the. East. Nearly t wo years ago I had oc¬ 
casion to hunt up all that could be laid hold 
of on forest tree culture, and 1 found the 
eastern publications of much less value than 
the western. 
1 cannot understand why he should think 
there was any attempt to shed any new 
light on the subject, especially for those 
who read and reason; but every child must 
learn The alphabet before he can read, and 
there are still n great, many children in this 
world, and the lessons must be repeated 
until all have learned them, 1 am happy 
to Irani that Western men are so much 
ahead Of Eastern in horticultural matters, 
and it's a great pity, for the sake of argu¬ 
ment. that so few were born there, or were 
obliged to take their first lessons in horti¬ 
culture from books and papers written and 
printed in the East. I have often thought 
it was a burning shame that, we had to look 
across the Atlantic Ocean to the works of 
such men as Linnaeus, Jussieu, Deoan- 
dole, Du Bkuiel, Loction, Lindley, 
Hooker, and hundreds of such noblemen 
for information in regard to the plants Of 
America, as well as those of other coun¬ 
tries. Of course down hero “near New 
York ” we are not so prejudiced against 
Eastern men ns they are out in Kansas, 
consequently we gather knowledge from 
whatever source it may come. Hut Mr. 
ELLIOTT thinks Western men understand 
this subject of pruning and transplanting 
thoroughly, and I have no doubt of it; but 
there are some few very prominent excep¬ 
tions: and to please the gentleman 1 will 
send one of his “ chickens heme to roost ” 
(gent eel slang) by quoting the words Of Dr. 
Stay man of Leavenworth, Kansas, a prom¬ 
inent horticulturist of that State, who has 
advised, and for aught 1 know to the Con¬ 
trary, continues to advise planters not to 
prunu newly transplanted trees, even if 
the subject “has been fully discussed and 
understood.” 
In the Gardeners’ Monthly, 186S, page 55, 
is a letter from the gentleman named, from 
w’hioh I quote the following“ Last Spring 
I had 400 apple trees transplanted, live 
years old; many of them were two inches 
in diameter and more than twelve feet in 
hight; not a limb or twig was cut off or 
shortened except on a few done in the nur¬ 
sery for another party. They were set on 
a new piece of land on the highest eleva¬ 
tion, exposed to the full rays of the sun 
and prevailing winds, and only four died. 
Another party got 100 trees aud set them 
out according to my directions and did not 
lose any.” 
Now here is one very prominent Kansas 
horticulturist who not only persists in leav¬ 
ing his own trees unpruned, but advises his 
and then “Gilt-Edge” butter will become 
the rule instead of, as now, the exception. 
Protecting Tender Plants.— Oct. 22.— 
The cold North winds remind me that 
Winter will soon be here, atnl tender plants 
must soon be protected. Tender roses I 
either take up and bury in trenches, or 
bend down the tops and cover with soil, the 
same as wc have to do with most of the 
foreign varieties of the raspberrj'. Some 
of the tender evergreens, such as the Reti- 
ni&porus, Rhododendrons , Azaleas , Ma¬ 
li r mins, and Hollies, that are not perfectly 
X"* 
Gr-RA.Y .AJM Jil It IC AX WOLF. 
neighbors to do the same thing. It is about 
time these lllnga about a knowledge of hor¬ 
ticultural affairs being local should cwwe, 
inasmuch as railroads and telegraphs bring 
far-distant regions of our country into close 
and frequent communication, and what is 
k iiowii aud being done in one is pretty well 
understood in another. Besides this, the 
men who are residents of one State to-day 
may be in another to-morrow. 
Making Gilt-Edged Butter.—Oc®. 21, 
—Mrs. Ruralist desires me to say a word 
in my Diary in behalf of her own sex, who 
may t ry and fqil to make what is of late 
been known as “Gilt-Edge Butter— t. e., 
butter of the very best quality. She says 
that a majority of men who keep cows are 
so unreasonable as to suppose that their 
wives can make first-rate butter out of the 
poorest milk, with none of the necessary 
conveniences for its manufacture. Woman¬ 
like, she declares that the unreasonableness 
of the men in regard to this mat ter is past 
comprehension; they will keep cows which 
give milk blue, enough for a background to 
the “Milky Way,” aud then expect their 
wives to make first-rate goldeu butter 
therefrom. In addition to this there is no 
cool milk-room for Summer or warm one 
for Winter; no ice-house or cold water 
with which to cool milk or butter, and if a 
poor, lard-like article is the result, the 
butter maker receives the blame. Now r , 1 
have no remonstrance to make to this out¬ 
burst of indignation on the part of Mrs. 
Ru ka list, because 1—yes, we—know it is 
truth- Mrs. R. never failed to make gilt- 
edged butter when I f urnished the materials 
and conveniences; but it has so happened 
during our domestic life that 1 have owned 
splendid looking cows that gave a large 
quantity of milk, from which good butter 
could not be made; while others were just 
the reverse. Of course, mau-like, I was a 
little stubborn at first, and even hinted 
that the fault of the butter was owing to 
the bad management of the women-follc; 
but a little Alderney blood introduced into 
the barn-yard made a wonderful change in 
the appearance of the butter. Of late years, 
when traveling about the country and hap¬ 
pening to sit down at a farmer's table where 
the butter looks “ lardy,” 1 never think of 
blaming the good wife, but pity her, be¬ 
cause 1 know' she might possibly make good 
butter if furnished with the right materials 
and conveniences for so doing. The first 
step is to procure cows from the milk of 
which good butter can be made; then sup¬ 
ply the conveniences for its manufacture, 
hardy, 1 tie up loosely with straw. The 
variegated Ivies, both Japan and English, 
which are trained up and over rocks, are 
covered with a thin layer of straw or hay; 
just enough 1:o keep them well shaded and 
prevent frequent freezing and thawing 
during the cold months. Herbaceous 
plants, even those that are quite hardy, are 
greatly benefited by a slight protection; 
aud the best material for this purpose is 
coarse barn-yard manure. 
Tall-growing herbaceous plants, sucli as 
the Erianlhus , Arundo donax, Uoccunias 
aud Ulblscm should be cut down when the 
tops are killed and tho crowns well pro¬ 
tected. A few hours work, with proper 
materials for Covering, will make a wonder¬ 
ful difference in the appearance of such 
plants next season. .Ail vines that can be 
readily laid down, whether hardy or other¬ 
wise, I give protection in Winter, as the ex¬ 
pense is more than repaid in vigorous 
growth aud abundant bloom. 
OUR FUR-BEARING ANIMALS-VI. 
GRAY AMERICAN WOLF. 
©anus lupus (grlsens)—AUDUBON. 
The common wolf is found throughout 
the temperate and polar regions of this 
Continent, difference in color giving it dif¬ 
ferent names, and the color, vary ing with 
llie climate, changing from the pure white, 
found in the Arctic countries, to gray, far¬ 
ther south, aud still farther, to black. 
The body of the Gray Wolf is four feet 
loiig; its tail, one foot live inches. It has a 
long, naked, roundish muzzle; ears, erect 
and conical; eyes, oblique; teeth, very 
strong; body, long and gaunt; tail, straight 
and bushy; behind the cheek is a bunch of 
hair, like a collar. The hair is of two kinds 
—the longer, ooarse and stiff: the under 
fur, soft and woolly. The general color of 
the upper surface is a dark brindled gray, 
with a dorsal line a little darker than the 
sides; the under parts arc dull white. Most 
of the long hairs are whitish toward the 
roots, then dark-brown, then light-brown, 
aud finally tipped with black; the under 
fur is ashy-brown; the tail is colored nearly 
like the back. 
In newly settled countries wolves are 
very numerous and exceedingly trouble¬ 
some. Slaughter and destruction seem 
their chief delight, and during their ma¬ 
raudings they keep a horrid and prolonged 
howling, a frightful sound to the settlers, 
whose sheep, colts, young cattle, or dogs, 
or, perhaps, an unwary child, straying in 
the Gold, or a traveler in the woods, furnish 
a meal to the ravenous beasts. Wolves 
generally hunt in packs, and sometimes, 
especially In Winter, they will destroy 
whole Hocks of sheep, merely drinking their 
blood and eat ing a small portion of the ten- 
derest parts. They are fond of wild tur¬ 
keys and similar birds. In the forests they 
prey upon foxes, hares, and such animals, 
and arc very destructive to deer, so that 
these are found to increase in regions that 
have been cleared of wolves. They will pur¬ 
sue and kill mules and colts near trading 
posts, always selecting tho fattest, and will 
also chase and kill buffaloes. They prowl 
around the outskirts of an array in search 
of offal, and after a batttlo they often prey 
upon the dead before the survivors can give 
them burial. They sometimes attack per¬ 
sons, but only when driven by hunger; and 
in similar circumstances t.hey fall upon and 
eat tho young and weak of their own num¬ 
ber. Wolves arc strong, agile and cunning, 
like the fox. They can he tamed, and trained 
to hunt like hounds. They produce their 
young in early Summer, from four to eight 
in a litter. 
When there is any appearance of danger 
wolves ramble off, and generally make for 
unfrequented hilly ground, and, if pur¬ 
sued, gallop at a quick pace, almost equal 
to that of a good hoi’so. They are so swift, 
and of such good wind, they are seldom 
pursued by hounds in open chase unless 
wounded. 
Traps and snares of various soi*ts are set 
for catching them in those places where 
they still abound. Hunters, in the Adiron- 
dacks, catch them by setting traps in their 
paths without bait, and fastened to a heavy 
clog. They are concealed by moss, and 
must bo set with great care and skill, as the 
wolf is a more suspicions animal than oven 
the fox. Sometimes the traps are set in 
water and baited. Another way to catch 
them is by pits. A pit is dug about eight 
feet deep, larger at the bottom; its mouth 
is covered with a revolving platform of 
boughs attached to a cross-piece of timber 
serving as an axle; on this platform, which 
is balanced by u heavy stick of wood, pu¬ 
trid venison is tied for bait. 
Probably a better way is to suspend the 
bait to a branch hanging over the pit, into 
which the wolf falls in leaping to get the 
bait. Audubon tells of a man who found 
three large wolves in one pit. He boldly 
went into the pit, taking a knife but leav¬ 
ing his gun above. The wolves, overcome 
by fear, cowered in tho corners. Tho 
woodman caught them, stretched out their 
hind legs in succession, and hamstrung 
them with as little fear as if they had been 
lambs. He then hauled them out of the 
pitand gave them over to his dogs, only one, 
an old female, showing much fight; she 
soiiflled along on her fore legs, snapping and 
biting, and defended herself so well she 
Was necessarily killed to save the dogs. 
But it is not safe to trust too much to the 
cowardice of the captured animal; for an 
old wolf-trapper, of Vermont, told us that, 
having caught a wolf in a trap, be went up 
to knock it in the head, when the animal 
sprang at him furiously, snapping his jaws 
with, great violence within a few inches of 
his face. 
Tho skins are greatly used for sleigh robes, 
and make very durable overcoats. The 
price of a skin is about three dollars. The 
IJesh is sometimes eaten by Indians, but 
probably by no others, except in cases of 
great necessity. b. 
-- 
NOTES FOR NATURALISTS. 
The American Widgeon, or Bald- 
Pate.— Seth Queen writes tho Rural 
New-Yokkeb: —“I see it asserted in a re¬ 
cent Rural that the American Widgeon is 
a great diver. This is a mistake. He does 
not dive; betakes the feed away from the 
Canvas and Red-head after they bring it to 
the top of the water.” Mr. Green is right, 
and our correspondent, who made the state¬ 
ment alluded to, wrong, as he will quickly 
learn by more careful observation. 
Management of Gold Fish.—Will some 
of the readers of the Rural New-Yorker, 
who have hud experience, please tell the 
best way to keep gold fish—what Kind of 
water to keep them in, how much to feed 
them and how often ? Will they thrive well 
in a globe? If not, why not?— A New Sub¬ 
scriber. 
