rborrcnltttrf. 
SWEET GUM TEEE. 
I.iqiiidiuiibcr Siyi'aclflua. 
Some one suggests, in your paper, llmt 
this is the season to choose forest trees for 
lawns, as the foliage has now assumed its 
most beautiful and varied tints. Riding into 
the country to-dav I noticed, what I had 
never before observed, that the Sweet-gum 
tree is of all others the most beautiful. I 
send you a few leaves that you may judge 
for yourself. I do not know how far North 
this tree grows, but 1 fl is perfectly hardy 
here, is a native to the manor bom in Ten¬ 
nessee, and 1 doubt not would grow in New I 
York It is a most beautiful tree in form, 
and all through the summer its foliage is 
glossy, of a dark green, looking almost like 
wax. I send you a burr, also, taken from 
the tree to-day. I do not know whether it 
contains seeds or not, as this is Hie only one 
1 procured.— Mary H. Caldwell, Shelby- 
ville, Tenn. 
Wic have frequently referred to the Liquid- 
amber as qne ot the many beautiful us well 
ns valuable native trees worthy of more ex¬ 
tended cultivation. It grows ton large size, 
with a straight, columnar shaped stem, the 
smaller brandies being covered with numer¬ 
ous corky ridges. The leaves are five to 
8cven-lohcd, deep, glossy green iu summer, 
but chnugc to a dark crimson or maroon 
color in au1 11 ma. TJje flowers are very small, 
borne in a dense head or cluster, destitute of 
both calyx and corolla, and succeeded by a 
prickly, globular shaped pod containing 
many cells, with hut few fertile, scale-like 
seeds. In the accompanying illustration we 
have shown a leaf, seed-pod and two seeds 
natural size. 
The Liqnidamber is naturally a very sym¬ 
metrically formed tree, and when planted 
singly or in groups, there are few species 
that excel it in stately beauty. It. so hap¬ 
pened that Hie very first tree we planted 
near our present home was a Liqnidamber i 
and the second an American Elm, mid al- t 
though this wiui not many years ago, they r 
are now specimens which we prize very ft 
highly, s 
The range of this tree is limited at the i 
North to Southern New England, New a 
York and thence westward t« the Missis- i 
sippi and southward to the Gulf. About t 
New York city it is quite abundant, and the t 
young seedling trees may lie found in almost li 
any quantity in neglected fields bordering c 
forests. The roots are usually very large I 
and coarse, consequently the trees are not c 
easily transplanted when oflarge size. v 
Dig a trench eighteen inches deep for the 
tap roots, which should be cut off to thirty 
inches, then set. in the trees, filling back the 
earth taken from the next trench ns well as 
from the sides of the pit, till all are heeled- 
in, when the whole mass of loose earth must 
be completely saturated with water, and the 
soil perfectly settled around the roots, first 
providing, however, for a speedy drainage, 
so that the water will not stand in the pit. 
Erect a temporary shelter to exclude the sun 
at first. Remove this gradually, until the 
tree so suddenly brought from the dense 
shades of the hammock will be enabled to 
endure the light and rejoice iu the genial 
rays of a Florida 3ttn. 
the influx of Northern people and the de¬ 
mand in our more Southern cities. Hence 
none find their wny to New York. Where 
the Indian River or Smyrna oranges, a 9 
those on the eastern coast are called, are 
known, they always command double the 
price of the Sicily orange, and I have seen 
them sold iu Atlanta, Ga., side by side, the 
foremost at $1, and the latter only 40 cents 
per dozen. Fur any one, especially an in¬ 
valid desiring a pleasant, profitable and 
healthful employment in the most salubrious 
o! all climates, where he can with impunilv 
labor in the open air every day in the year, 
there Is nothing more satisfactory - than 
lomological. 
PEAES IK PENNSYLVANIA. 
Major Freas, Germantown, Pa., pub¬ 
lishes in his journal the following notes on 
pears, as the result of his experience the 
past season, which will be found interesting; 
We have two thrifty Beurre d’Anjou pear 
trees, some t welve years old, and they gave 
us two or three pecks of large, fine-looking 
specimens the present season. AYe allowed 
them to remain on the trees as long as pos- 
orauge growing upon the eastern coast of sible, then ripened them carefully, and tested 
ORANGE CULTURE IN FLORIDA. 
Mil M. Day, Jr., recently read, by in¬ 
vitation, a paper upon Orange Culture, 
before the American Institute Farmers’ Club, 
from which we make the following extracts: 
Orange groves are brought forward by one 
of three methods. First, by building or 
grafting wild trees where they stand; sec¬ 
ond, by transplanting the wild stocks ami 
afl or ward budding them; and, third, by 
planting sweet seedlings. In the first meth¬ 
od cutoff the wild tree one foot from the 
ground during the winter or spring, cut with 
a bevel, coat with wax, and allow a single 
shoot to grow from the stump. By June 
this will he ready to hud, or it umy be graft¬ 
ed at any time when the bark is free. Clear 
away the forest shade gradually until the 
orange 1ms become accustomed to the warm 
sun. Train but one bud or graft because, 
first, it will use all the sap and make as 
much top in a given time as a dozen ; .sec¬ 
ond, two shoots will envelop the decayed 
end of the stump, and, enclosing a mass of 
infectious matter in the very heart of the 
tree, will affect the trunk clear to the roots. 
Sickly trees in old groves are almost, all of 
this class. A single shoot will crowd the 
decayed portion to one side and heat it un¬ 
der, while the heart of the stump and the 
heart of Hie sweet sprout will unite and 
make one continuous healthy trunk from the 
ground up. Nip the terminal bud at the 
desired bight for making the top, and thence¬ 
forward allow the tree to assume its own 
form. 
AVhen it is desired to transplant the wild 
stocks, select trees about four inches in cir¬ 
cumference; cut them off about one foot, 
from tlie ground and pull them up carefully, 
so as to lose none of the roots. This may 
be done by taking a hitch on the stump, 
close to the ground, with a bight of untwist¬ 
ed hemp rope. AVith a stiff lever thrust 
through the bight, a man can easily lift a 
stump two inches in diameter. Larger and 
refractory stumps should have the soil work¬ 
ed from under Hie main roots and a more 
powerful lever applied. The rays of the sun 
should never be allowed to strike the roots, 
nor should they be drenched with buckets of 
water, as this will wash off all the alumina. 
Sprinkle them carefully with a bush, and 
keep cool, damp and well ventilated until 
they are lieeled-in. Select a moist, not wet, 
spot convenient to soft water, excavate a pit 
In a few weeks, with an occasional water¬ 
ing, the trees will begin to sprout, when 
they must he carefully removed to their 
respective places. They may lie budded at 
any time when the bark is free, but no 
sprouts should be removed until the follow¬ 
ing year. The tree has new tools to make, 
and it will only strike root in proportion to 
ihe amount of foliage. Lei a tree make all 
the wild top possible the first year; it at 
the same time makes feeders, and when yon 
have secured a good flow of sap you may 
consistently expect to force the sweet bud 
by pruning off all others. Mr. McDonald 
claims the heeling-in process to be original 
with him as applied to the orange, and to be 
the grand secret of bis success. 
Setting out a grove of sweet seedling trees 
is exactly like setting out an apple orchard. 
Trees should be planted about twenty feet 
apart, or about one hundred to the acre, nor 
should they lie set deeper than nature put 
them. In transplanting mark the north 
side of each tree, that it may he reset exactly 
as it originally stood. Do not cultivate any 
crop which will overshadow the orange, but 
the grove is greatly benefited by the culture 
of low crops. Do not plow too close to the 
roots. Stirling With a light harrow is bet¬ 
ter. Keep the trees mulched with cane-tops 
or grass. Many place a bushel of oyster 
shells around the foot of each tree every two 
or three years. The tree is an evergreen, 
and may be transplanted at any time, re¬ 
gardless of Hie moon’s phases. 
Experienced nurserymen will secure a 
show of fruit in eighteen months or two 
years. A safe rule is never to touch a sweet 
tree with pruning-knife. Plant a seed, feed 
it. and let it alone, saj's Mr. McDonald, and 
the tree will assume a more perfect and 
well-balanced shape than any meddler can 
give it. The sweet seedling will bear in six 
or seven years, and live many centuries, 
hearing thousands of oranges every year. 
The orange grove has three enemies — lazy 
owners, the “scale insect,” or coccus hisperi- 
dum, and frost. The first ought to die, the 
second may be routed by nourishing and 
cultivating the grove, and the third can be 
avoided by going far enough South. There 
LEAP, SEED-POD AND TWO SEEDS (NATURAL SIZE), 
OF SWEET GUM TREE. 
Florida, and nowhere can he maintain liim- 
setf so easily upon limited means Until the 
grove begins to pay, for from the orange 
laud he can realize two, three, and some¬ 
times four crops of vegetables a year. These, 
with the game, fish and oyster clop, make 
living cheap. When the orange grove does 
come on, the reward of his labor is great, 
and be is thenceforth independent. 
-- 
ARBORIOULTURAL NOTES. 
Root or Top>Grn(ti-il Trees. 
AVill you please tell me which you 
recommend to set — apple trees grafted in 
root or budded ? There has been a great 
controversy here about it, and we don’t pro¬ 
pose. to I my till it is decided by good au¬ 
thority.—ii. 
AA r E have read nearly all Hie arguments 
is much wild speculation upon the profits of roots from large seedlings, or other trees, 
orange culture. Under favorable circum- should be employed for stocks, as gome men 
stances the yield is very great. I have seen have been accused of using (although we 
trees laden with from 2,000 to 5,000 oranges, doubt if it was ever done to any consider- 
while at Meltonville stands an old tree able extent); but the straight, perpendicular 
" Inch has borne its 10,000 oranges. It is tap, or main root of thrifty seedlings should 
safe to assume 2,000 oranges as a lair aver- lie used. Nurserymen may not be any too 
age lor a grove of fifteen years old. These honest, but we think, as a rule, they are in 
are worth upon Hie tree, the buyer to pick this respect equal to their accusers. 
them, two cents each, or $40 per tree. This - +++ -- 
is equal to $4,000 per acre. But assuming Where Hickory is Found 
that for cause the product is but half that, Your subscriber, Asa II. AVti 
what oilier crop affords so great and so re- finfl Hie timber he asks for througl 
liable a profit? Opposite Pilalka stands Hal Kentucky in abundance, from 
Mr. Hart’s grove of 500 trees of as yet to three feet iff diameter. It is of h 
only medium size. I have seen the state- black and white, or shell-bark and 
ment in print that his oranges in 1870 the former is used for handles ol 
brought him $17,000, having sold over four tools, also for axletrees for wagot 
hundred thousand oranges at prices ranging very elastic and tough. It produce 
from three to six cents. I saw the grove one Ide fruit; the other a small nut, vet 
month, since, and it is iu most admirable usually consumed by the porkers, 
condition. name, “ pig-nut.”—H. T. C., Danvi\ 
spot convenient to suit water, excavate a pit Orange culture in Florida is yet in its in- Frank M. Moore writes that plenty c 
lour feet wide, one foot deep, and of such fancy, and not enough are grown to supply hickory timber lnay be found in Mahouiu 
length as required by the number of trees the home demand so suddenly created by Co., Ohio. 
offered for and against the employment of rot at the core, and sometimes n single day, 
small seedling apple trees for stocks, but after it gives any signs of ripening, will put 
failed to see any good reason why they it beyond using." Still we should not like to 
were not equally as valuable as though they be without it. 
were several feet high instead of inches. AA r e The earliest of all pears, and the most 
have worked many thousands of shell stocks beautiful, and one of the very best is the Doy- 
willi our own hands; also grafted large enne d’Ete. It hangs upon the tree like 
numbers of trees standard high, but give the onions upon a rope, and though very small 
preference to what is called root-grafted it is very beautiful and very tempting, and 
trees. TherB ja certainly as much likelihood is especially valuable for its extreme ear]i- 
the seedling slock being tender as there is ness, the first specimen ripening t his year on 
of the variety worked upon it, hence the the first day of July. But the season was 
less there is of this tender stock the better, unusually early, being some two weeks in 
and if it is all buried under ground and advance of the average. No one. after a 
protected, the less liable it is to injury. Of trial, would be without this variety, 
course we do not believe that the lateral AYe have not so high an opinion of Hie 
roots from huge seedlings, or other trees, Dearborn as some of our cotemporaries. It 
should be employed for stocks, as some men is true we grow it only as a dwarf; it may 
have been accused of using (although we he better as a standard; but as we have it, 
doubt if it was ever done to any consider- we consider it of but little account, 
able extent); but Hie straight, perpendicular The Julienne is an excellent summer va- 
tap, or main root of thrifty seedlings should riety, and with us comes to perfection. It is 
he used. Nurserymen may not be any too of full medium size, and a most prolific and 
honest, but we think, as a rule, they are in early bearer. It begins to ripen about the 
this respect equal to their accusers. 25th of July and is in season for three or 
--- four weeks. It is a first-class market varie- 
wneve Hickory is Found. ty on account ofits enrliuess, as well as good 
Your subscriber, Asa II. Willis, can q U alitv. 
find the timber he asks for throughout Gen- The Bloodgood it is useless to praise. It 
tiai Kentucky in abundance, from one inch j s one G f p ie earliest pears of the season, 
to three teet in diameter. It. is of two kinds, ripening from the 25lh of July to the 15th 
black and white, or shell-bark and pig-nut; of August. It is the best of all the early 
the former is used for handies o< various pears, and should he found in every garden, 
tools, also for axletrees for wagons, being though it is not to be found in one out of ten. 
very elastic and tough. It produces an edi- We have heretofore spoken of the GinVird 
blefiuit; tlie other a smad nut, very bitter; as favorably as it deserved, ami its deserv- 
usually consumed by the porkers, lienee its j n g S are very high. Those who cannot rel- 
ti a me, “ pig-nut.” II. T. C., Danville, Ky. jgi, a Giffard should give up pear-growing 
Frank M. Moore writes that plenty of and pear-eating. It is an August fruit, 
lickory timber may be found in Mahoning Our Potts pear, which turns out to be 
2o., Ohio. nothing else than the old Glout-Morceau, 
Wlicve Hickory is Found. 
Youn subscriber, Asa II. Wii.lis, can 
find the limber he asks for throughout Cen¬ 
tral Kentucky in abundance, from one inch 
to three feet in diameter. It. is of two kinds, 
black and white, or shell-bark and pig-nut; 
the former is used for handies of various 
tools, also for axletrees for wagons, being 
very elastic and tough. It produces an edi¬ 
ble fruit; the other a small nut, very bitter; 
usually consumed by the porkers, lienee its 
name, “ pig-nut.”—H. T. C., Danville, Ky. 
Frank M. Moore writes that plenty of 
them fairly, and our judgment is, from three 
years’ trial, that they are only a third-rate 
pear. It is true it may do better on a differ¬ 
ent soil and exposure; lint this is its char¬ 
acter with us. Its size only saves it. AVith 
its want of flavor, the flesh contains woody 
lumps, a sort of internal warts, which will 
completely debar it from cyery premises 
where it is tints affected. 
Tlie Rutter pear, which we have fruited 
now for a second time, having tlie present 
season eight or ten beautiful and perfect 
specimens, proves no better than it did last 
year. It is almost flavorless, acid and dry, 
and altogether worthless. AVe are sorry for 
our iricncl Rutter of AVesl-Clicster, who 
originated it, that we have no better record 
of it. Manning's Elizabeth, which being so 
highly rated by a number of leading Iruil 
growers, and of which we set out three or 
our trees has not come up to the mark. The 
tree is very prolific and the fruit handsome, 
rather below medium in size, but in quality 
it does not meet our expectations, yet it is 
a good market pear and on this account is 
worthy of general cultivation. 
For the first time we fruited this year the 
Howell, having several fine specimens, and 
were also disappointed with it. But we do 
not think it fair to decide on the first year’s 
fruiting. 
The Ktrtland is a smooth, round, hand¬ 
some pear, rather above medium size, the 
tree a good bearer, and the fruit is very good 
if eaten in tlie nick of time. It is liable to 
and which we condemned more than a doz¬ 
en years ago, proved Inst year and this 
to he excellent. It and the Lawrence are 
the only oues we have left, at this dale, and 
they are both of admirable quality, AVlmt 
has come over the Glout-Morceau we cannot 
imagine, but in its resurrection it is large 
smooth and truly good. As to the Lawrence 
we would prefer it to all others as a fall and 
winter pear, lor it, is both. 
- ♦+< -- 
Raspberry Culture. 
I should like to have you give ns some 
information in regard to cultivating the rasp¬ 
berry. My practice has been unsuccessful 
by reason of the large ami abundant grow Hi' 
of wood during the season, thereby detract- 
j ing from the crop the necessary support to 
make it fully develop. AVonld it be detri- 
j mental to the vines to keep back the growth 
until the crop is gathered, then cut away 
the entire vine, cultivate I borough] v, mulch 
and depend upon the growth thereafter for 
sufficient wood for the next crop?— H. T 
Craig, Dannlle, Ky. 
We doubt if it would answer to cut away 
all tlie young wood produced before the crop 
ripens. It might do in your climate, but 
certainly not in a more northern climate. 
Try pinching off tlie c.ane 9 when two or 
three feet high; also the lateral brandies. 
It is probably the dry, hot weather that in¬ 
jures the crop, and not the vigorous growth 
of canes. Mulching the soil about thecanes 
would lie certainly beneficial, and a libenfi 
quantity must be given to produce the de¬ 
sired results. In the Middle and Southern 
States the earth becomes too hoi in midsum¬ 
mer for most kinds of raspberries, and their 
leaves are usually scalded by tlie sun. 
Mulching the entire surface of the soil among 
tlie vines will in a great measure remedy the 
natural defect In climate. 
IS THE CHESTER WHITE HOG A 
THOROUGH-BRED ? 
A writer in the Rural New-Yorker 
about a year ago, under the caption “Ches¬ 
ter Whites Condemned,” took tlie high 
ground that the Chester White hog could 
not be called a breed, because somebody’s 
while how, a so-called Chester White, had 
borne a spotted pig. Wliat I understand as 
a breed, in animals, is a family that invaria¬ 
bly produces its own like, and when a par¬ 
ticular family of animals lias, by a long 
course of breeding, been brought to that per¬ 
fection that it can he depended upon to re¬ 
produce its own like, or image, then it may 
be termed thorough-bred, no matter what 
ils original progenitors were, whether black, 
white, or spotted, or all mixed and crossed 
together, if the family so produced repro¬ 
duces iis own like with great certainty. 
Taking this view of the subject, I contend 
that tlie Chester White hog is a thorough¬ 
bred. It has already been decided, 1 be¬ 
lieve, by the Illinois and Ohio State Agricul¬ 
tural Societies, and by the Swine Growers’ 
Association, that the Mngie or Butler comity 
hog, or Moore hog, or Poland China hog, 
with all of its other names, is a breed, and 
shall be known and entered at the Fairs of 
these Societies under tlie name of “ Poland 
China.” This hog having established ils 
capability of reproducing its own like is a 
thorough-bred, ns bred by r Marie, Moore, 
Conover, McCrary, and others who are 
breeding from slock of the Butler county 
breed. 
Now, the point I want to make is this: 
Tlie Chester AVliile hog lias more power to 
produce its own like than the Poland China, 
which has been declared a breed by the best 
judges of hogs in the United Slates, and to 
prove my position I give these facts. Mr. 
A. Longman of Harrison county, Iowa, is 
the owner of a thorough-bred Poland Chinn, 
sow; she is spotted—much more black than 
white. Site was bred to AVm. Orr’s Chester 
AAHiite boar, and produced nine to bite pigs. 
Mr. Orr bred a Chester AVliile sow to his 
Poland China boar, and she produced nine 
white pigs. I purchased from Mr. Longman 
one of the boar pigs produced front tlie cross 
between his Poland China and tlie Chester 
White boar, and I bred niv Poland China 
sow to him, and yesterday she produce/re 
while and three spoiled pigs. Now, I con¬ 
tend it' tlie Chester While was not the best 
established breed, that some at least, if not a 
majority of tlie pigs produced from the first 
cross would have been spotted, and that all, 
or at least a large majority of the pigs pro¬ 
duced by breeding Hie half-bred Poland 
Chinn boar to tile thorough-bred Poland 
China sow, should have been spotted. 
If mav be, as some contend, that the Po¬ 
land China sows, being in company with 
about one hundred Chester Whites* and no 
other black or spotted hogs about at tlie 
time of conception and during pregnancy, 
had something to do with Hie color of tlie 
pigs; but I doubt it. If, however, the theory 
that the company has anything to do with 
tlie color of tlie pigs he correct, then the 
Spotted pig born of a Chester White sow 
may he accounted for. 
Lysander W. Babbitt. 
Council Bluffs, Iowa. 
