fusely; but T have found, by frequent experi¬ 
ments, that it does not thrive well in the gar¬ 
den here, except when grown in the shade. 1 
find that, the Cypress-vino grows quite as 
thriftily in the house us in the garden, and it 
is certainly very pretty in my window, with 
its fine, delicate foliage and beautiful crimson 
blossoms. I am pleased to know that the 
Madeira vine endures house culture so well, 
for us It. Is a late bloomer we may in this way 
retain its beautiful, spicy, fragrant blossoms 
which the early frosts so soon wither. 
Hope Evermore. 
of surplus young shoots, or the old ones as 
they become weak through ago. A cool, 
rich, moist soil is one in which the currant 
thrives best; but it can be made to grow in 
almost any other, by applying mulch to the 
soil, which aids in keeping the roots mbist 
and cool. In light soils, or in a. climate where 
long drouths are likely to occur in summer, 
a liberal supply of mulch is necessary to 
guard against failure. If the roots do not re 
ginod with white, and the young shoots a 
litt le more stocky, the buds not being quite 
so far apart, 
Dana’s White is so near like its parent, the 
White Grape, that, wejiuve never been able 
to detect a difference, and our plants came 
direct from the originator. 
Victoria is a late variety, the bunches very 
long, fruit of medium size anil of lighter 
color than the Red Dutch. 
Champagne, as its name indicates, is a 
very pale red or pink-colored sort. 
Prince Albert, is a late sort, bundles short, 
and usually not well filled. Fruit red, and 
not particularly valuable. 
Gloria des EJablons is a, handsome striped 
variety, of uo value except, as a curiosity. 
Rail Provence is the most vigorous-growing 
sort we have, but the fruit ripens late, is very 
acid and small, of no value. 
La IIalive and La Fertile, may be called 
abbreviated editions of the Cherry, belong¬ 
ing t,o the same class, having large, coarse, 
thick, dark-green leaves. The fruit is large, 
bunches small, and berries comparatively 
few in number. 
Thorn are several other sorts, such as 
Knight’s Sweet, Knight’s Early, and Gondoin 
White and Red ; bill, they possess no merits 
not, found in the first few sorts named. 
Among the. block currants, thy Black Na¬ 
ples is, without doubt, the best, Bang-up- 
Black, Old English Black, Ogden’s Grape, 
Variegated-Leu veil Black, Heterophylla, and 
several other varieties of this species, may be 
grown for the sake of helping to make a long- 
list ; but it would be dillleult to find any 
other reasonable excuse for doing so. 
JAPAN LILIES, 
Just now, I would like to speak a good 
word for the Japan lilies, and especially 
for the varieties of Lilinm kincifolium. 
They combine hardiness, beautiful form, del 
icato color and exquisite fragrance, some of 
them remaining in bloom for several weeks,. 
Five years ago, 1 planted a large bulb of l.i I 
ium tuneifOlimn, which bore several flowers 
the first season. In the autumn it was re¬ 
moved fij a better soil in the garden, where 
it remained for t hree years, when the flower 
stalks hud become so numerous that, the roots 
were divided, and transplanted to a bed made 
on the. lawn, about five feet in diameter, and 
slightly elevated in the center. A wheel 
barrow ful of rich soil left.in the barnyard 
till fall, the same quantity of decayed sods 
and leaf mold mixed with the gravelly loam, 
made a nice compost in which t he bulbs were, 
planted a foot apart and five inches deep, 
with a handful of sand around each one. 
Last summer, that, bed of lilies was a marvel 
of beauty, many of Hie stalks bearing over 
twenty flowers each, and the whole group 
had nearly two hundred, 
l,ilium lunaffotjlwn ntlntm, growing near 
bv, was also very lovely, its pure, waxy 
whiteness contrasting beautifully with the 
rose -spotted petals of its neighbor, fntinm 
(.rrctsinii, blooming curly, is very dclioutc 
and pretty, but like the A.urutuni, umpires 
regret that its beauty is comparatively so 
short lived. 
A -ingle bulb of TAlium uurutum, undis¬ 
turbed for four years, has increased so much 
that last, year more than seventy magnificent, 
flowers filled the air Of the garden with fra¬ 
grance. No manure was used around this 
lilv. as old seeds and leaf mold are better; 
but, while the buds are growing, the soil is 
TWO CACTI 
W k give herewith illustrations of two 
Cacti—from specimens of those most interest¬ 
ing family of plants. The first one is 
MAMMILIARIA ElEPHANTIDEUS. 
This is oue of the most distinct of the 
elegant section of Cacti to which it, belongs. 
In July, August and September, it produces 
a quantity of purple and violet-shaded flow¬ 
ers, two inches in diameter. It is beset, with 
strong spines, which are reflexed ; they are, 
therefore, not so formidable looking as those 
of some of the species. The plant itself is 
bright green in color, and very free growing. 
It may be used as a, rock plant, in summer in 
an exposed situation. It will even stand a, 
temperature as low as 35 in winter, and may 
be kept out of the soil in a perfectly dry 
State until next season. It increases very 
fast by means of offsets from the points of 
the mamma'. 
ECHIN0PS1S VAIIDA 
is one of the finest and largest of the genus 
to which it belongs; its flowers, which are 
pale rose, arc produced in great profusion. 
It grows from <« to S feet In bight and 2 feet, 
in circumference, and it begins to (lower 
when only 0 inches high. The spines are 
nearly black, from I to I 1 , inch long, and 
exceedingly strong, Its native habitat is not 
(it present known ; but it has been in collee 
l ions for some time. Like all the species of 
this genus, it is a free grower, but throws out 
KCUINOrSIS VALID A. 
ceive the proper amount of moisture, the 
leaves fall from the plants, and the fruit fails 
to mature. All of our common varieties of 
the currant will succeed from five to ten de¬ 
grees further South by mulching the plants, 
t han without. 
VARIETIES. 
Persons unacquainted with the different 
varieties are frequently puzzled to determine 
which to purchase. The Cherry is the larg¬ 
est red variety in cultivation ; It, is a rank, 
vigorous grower, and requires extra, care in 
order to secure a crop every year. The fruit 
is not equal in quality to some of the smaller 
sorts, still it is a good currant. 
The Versailies, as sold by almost every 
nurseryman in this country and Europe, is 
so near like the Cherry that we have never 
yet seen the man who could pick out the 
plants or fruit from the latter, except on 
his own grounds, where there were labeled 
plants tor u guide. 
For the next best, we would name Fertile 
do Pnllnna, a fine, vigorous-growing variety, 
intermediate between the Cherry and the old 
Red Dutch. The fruit is large and handsome, 
and the plants produce large crops, without 
appearing to become stunted or diseased, as 
is frequently the ease with the Cherry, 
Buist’s Long-Bunched Red is also an excel¬ 
lent sort, very similar to the old Red Dutch, 
of which it is a seedling. 
Of course wo would not omit tlio Red 
; Dutch from any collection, however small, 
| for we have nothing better in quality among 
the red varieties. 
SPORT OR RUSSET BALDWIN 
F. W. Holbrook, in New Hampshin 
ror and Farmer says :—This new apph 
ABOUT CURRANTS 
It is to ho supposed that every one having 
a garden cultivates some one or more varie¬ 
ties of the currant. Perhaps this remark 
should tie qualified by saying that almost 
everybody has currant hushes In their gul¬ 
dens, but few cultivate them, A few old 
bushes by the side of the kitchen garden 
fence, overgrown with weeds and grass, the 
plants seldom pruned, or even visited, except 
to gather the fruit, is a fair representation of 
a majority of the currant plantations to be 
found in the country, it’s a pity that)the 
currant is so tenacious of life ; for, were it 
otherwise, tho plants would not only lie 
more highly valued, but receive better care. 
No one deserves good fruit who will not. give 
the plants proper care ; but the currant be¬ 
ing one of those kinds which withstand nog 
lent, it seldom gets anything else, although 
' MONOGRAM. 
mated in this way: On the farm of B. B. 
Whiting in Amherost, is a largo Baldwin 
apple tree that was planted nearly fifty 
years ago, and soon after, when quite small, 
it was grafted with it, Russet cion near the 
ground. Now, near the top of the tree, on 
one of tlie main branches, ( here is one limb 
that bears a, distinct and entirely different 
variety, resembling nearly as much, in ap¬ 
pearance, quality and flavor, the Roxbury 
Russet ns it does the genuine Baldwin. Its 
productiveness is represented to be uc.n ly or 
quite equal to the Baldwin, and the keeping 
« qualities nearly those of the Roxbury Russet. 
If these things arc true, (atid 1 have no doubt 
of it. myself from what L have seen), will it 
not bo quite an acquisition,—something that 
will lie valuable,—as much and perhaps more 
so than the Baldwin is, if its keeping quali¬ 
ties are superior ? Mr. Whiting has one or 
two trees grafted from the same which bear 
well and are true to the parent in every res¬ 
pect. 
MONOGRAM. 
occasionally wet with weak, liquid manure, 
to increase the size uud brilliancy of the 
flowers. A slight covering of leaves, kept in 
place by hemlock boughs, is all the protec¬ 
tion needed through the winter. 
I have found that my lilies do better if 
sheltered from the noonday sun, and a tall 
Ricinus, planted south of them, affords shade, 
besides being very ornamental. r, d. 
SEEDLING GERANIUMS, 
About two years ago the Rural New- 
Yorker had a small Item about raising new 
seedling plants, such as Fuchsias and Ge¬ 
raniums, In the following spring I planted 
out, in a bed by themselves, a number of my 
best Zonale Geraniums, and after they hail 
bloomed 1 gathered the seed of the different 
ones and put the seed into a box filled 
with rich sail; and now I have eight of the 
finest marked leaved and also (lowered Ge- 
mnimii , l over raw together. As they have 
originated with im\ 1 have named them ac¬ 
cording to leaves and (lowers, “ Black 
Prince," “Golden Beauty,” “Little May,” 
“ Fanny’s Choice,” “Rustic Beauty,” “Rustic 
O'in,” “ Excelsior,” "Ivy Gem.’ Do you 
think they arc well named according to 
flowers and leaves i 1 think that, it wilt give 
a lover of dowers rare pleasure to raise u few 
seedlings and know that he is the Bole 
pos , -sriratid originator of the plants. In¬ 
closed I send you leaves and flowers: what 
do you think of them? J. F. JIaas. 
We have examined the leaves and think 
that Block Prince, Rustic-Gem and Golden 
B .-city are worth, preserving; but scarcely 
thi- equal of some of the.best varieties al- 
r .-j iy in our florist’s catalogues. A person 
nuni uot expect to excel in the first attempt 
at raising now varieties; Cor it napiires great 
perseverance and skid to produce, something 
superior to the good things already known. 
The pleasure, however, which one may derive 
from *uch pursuits well repays the required 
POMOLOGICAL GOSSIP 
Appier, for Iowa.—A Nashua, Iowa, cor¬ 
respondent of the Western Rural, recom¬ 
mends' t he following eight varieties as best 
market varieties in that vicinity : Summer — 
Red Astraelian, Hops of Wine; Autumn — 
Saxton, St. Lawrence, Knmou.se ; Winter — 
Ben Davis, Rawle’s Janet, English Golden 
Russet. As a second list he gives : Summer — 
Red June, Duchess of Oldenburg ; Autumn — 
Hass, Fall Orange, Lowell, Bailey Sweet; 
Winter Jonathan, Plumb’s Cider, Talmau 
Sweet, 
Appleu in Ohnaiectd Co., it inn. The local 
Society of tips county lias adopted the fol¬ 
lowing list of apples for general cultivation : 
— Summer— Duchess of Oldenburg, Tetofski, 
Sups of Wine, Red Astrai-lmn. Full — St.. 
Lawrence. Ftmieusp, Saxton and Hass. Win¬ 
ter — Ben. Davis, Golden Russet, Talman 
Sweet and Gakaloosa, The Oslcaloosa is said 
to have been “ originated by Mr. Rollins 
of Wabasha Co., Minn., from a Vermont 
Seedling, apt! is well known in that vicinity,” 
'JSAJAAAJ>AXT,1AA.1S.XA,. ELEPHA.N V tDEOUS. 
it repays as promptly, good, or even high eul- First among the white varieties are White 
Cure, as any other fruit-bearing plant. Dutch and White Grape ; and, in fact, we 
Cuttings grow so freely that plants can be may stop there, for there are none better, 
raised or purchased very cheaply; eoiise- j The White Grape is a little tho largest variety, 
quently, there jus really no good excuse for and tho plants wonderfully prolific ; but it is 
any family being without a supply of this not so vigorous a grower as tlip White Dutch, 
healthful fruit. Very little pruning of the The White l’ravuncc dillVrs from the White 
plants is ever required.—merely putting away Dutch by haying a portion of itg leaves raar- 
THUNBERGIA, CYPRESS AND MADEIRA 
VINES. 
I have succeeded remarkably well with 
all Hie above-named as house plants. The 
fhuubergia grows thriftily and blooms pro- 
