350 
Bian; of a |hmtM 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
From the Diary of a Gentleman near New 
York City. 
trahspiantino atnioht. 
May 15.—I have often noticed paragraphs 
going the rounds of tin- papers ljighly oxtel- 
iug the practice of transplanting trees in the 
night. In the instance* named, the experi¬ 
ments were made upon trees late in spi iug, 
after the leaves had commenced to grow ; 
the results were that tfiose transplanted be¬ 
fore midnight showed no signs of wilting the 
following day, while specimens moved later, 
or in the mailing, were more or less affected 
by the change. T have no doubts in regard 
to the truth of these statements, for it has 
always been the practice among gardeners 
to set out plants (upon which there were any 
leaves) lap- in the evening or just before 
dark, in order to have them become well 
fb ; ed inthe earth before morn ing. When the 
buds begin to swell in spring and leaves un¬ 
fold, new rootlets are being produced with 
equal rapidity. If we transplant, in a dry, 
warm day, the evaporation of moisture from 
the leaves is not supplied by the roots, conse¬ 
quently wilting follows ; but at. night this 
evaporation almost entirely ceases, particu¬ 
larly if the dew falls; but the growth of 
rootlets continues, and in a lew hours after 
being replaced in congenial soil, they have 
made sufficient growth to take up moisture 
from the earth ; and send it forward to the 
leaves. For the same reason we transplant 
on moist, dark, cloudy days, and obtain far 
better results than if thiB operation is per¬ 
forated in dry, clear weather. Plants set out 
at or just after sundown, would succeed bet¬ 
ter than those removed at midnight, because 
they would have a few more hours in which 
to produce new rootlets, before rapid evapo¬ 
ration from the leaves commenced. There is 
nothing mysterious about this transplanting 
K at night,, as some persons would make us be- 
" lieve, but the results are in accordance with 
well-known physiological laws. 
HELP WANTED. 
CORE’S FdBAL NEW-YORKER. 
MAY 31 
May 14.— A young man writes me he 
wants to become an entomologist, or at least 
obtain an entomological cabinet, and lie asks 
me if 1 will semi him named specimens of in¬ 
sects with which to begin. Now this young 
gentleman probably considers his request en¬ 
tirely proper, and that out of my abundance 
afevv hundred or thousand specimens would 
scarcely be noticed. Many a young man line 
same idea in regard to money, and 
thinks that certain rich men of whom he has 
heard, are very mean and stingy in keeping 
so much wealth. 1 have also heard older 
people express the same idea, and 1 believe 
there are societies in tins country the mem¬ 
bers of which pretend to think that proper¬ 
ty should Vie equally distributed among the 
masses. A more disastrous calamity could 
notbefaHa nation than the equalisation of 
property among its members unless we ex¬ 
cept total annihilation. But to return to, 
those young men and women who arc ex¬ 
pecting some one to aid them in obtaining 
knowledge or wealth. 1 wonder how many 
ever thought that a tiling which cost nothing 
is seldom worth receiving ; even inherited, 
wealth is,,nine times out of ten, a curse in¬ 
stead of. a blessing to any young person. The 
domestic history of our people shows this to 
be true. Waut. begets industry, and this <u 
turn results in perfect development of mind 
and body, hence we see tiie highest civiliza¬ 
tion in climates where man is compelled to 
use all his faculties in order to exist. Of 
course we must leave out those extremes of 
climate where man is dwarfed, as in the 
Arctic regions. 
A man may be born rich and his money nuj 
aid him in- becoming learned; still true 
knowledge and wisdom a re within the leach 
of all, although some may have to persevere 
more persistently to obtain it than others. 
But » knowledge of things is not to be ob 
tained atone grasper in a moment, for mind 
must grow the same as anything eise ; and 
as we learn the alphabet before we can read, 
so must it be in taking up any branch of sci¬ 
ence. Suppose l should send my young cor¬ 
respondent a thousand species of insects, all 
carefully mounted and named, the chances 
ar&that he would bo content in looking at 
the sume, or at most learning the names of a 
dozen or two ; while if he is compelled to 
collect each species himself, mount it and 
' study it history and habits, obtaining a 
few names at a time, he would know more 
• of the science of entomology by the time his 
cabinet contained one hundred species than 
from a uousand presented to him by some 
one wlio had gone over the same field. Money 
would endblc u man to purchase an entomo- T 
logical cabinet equal to any known ; but the 
possessor might, still remain in ignorance in a 
regard to it* scientific value. 
Young men or women who desire to study .r 
any branch of natural history, should always 1 
commence at borne ; for there is no locality « 
which does not abound in specimens worthy 
of study. If it is entomology, then begin by 
collecting all the specie* found near your 8 
own residences ; and there are few localities ^ 
in which from one to five thousand cannot 1 
lie obtained. This number will make a very r 
fair cabinet, and one that any man or woman 1 
may well be proud of, especially if collected 1 
by their own hands. Perhaps some of my J 
young friends in the older States may say, 
“Yes ; hut these will be all well known and < 
common insects, and 1 want specimens from 
South America, Asia and Africa.’’ But 1 
have already hinted that a knowledge of 
things is of for more value than mere posse? 1 
sion; and would it not bn better to know the ' 
true history of our common insects, with 
whi h we come in contact almost, daily, than 
to possess or know the names only of any 
number of foreign specie* f Very little as 
yet is known of the life and habits of the 
most common beneficial or noxious species, 
and here is a wide and almost unoccupied 
field whereto any young man or woman who 
feel* t hus disposed may gain fame and honor, 
if nothing more. 
SETTINQ OUT POTTED PLANTS. 
May 15 .—In the vicinity of New York City 
it is usually safe to set out tender plants the 
middle of May. But a light frost in the low 
grounds last night admonishes those who 
would crowd the season to be a little careful. 
Plants that have been forced in a greenhouse 
are more tender than those started in the 
open air, and there is nothing gained by 
planting out before warm weather is a sure 
thing. Haste is not always speed, even in 
gardening; and a little caution may prevent 
a total loss of tender plants. A few cold, 
chilly nights will cheek the growth of plants 
and put them behind those sot out a week 
or ten day* later. 1 never wait, a* some of 
my neighbors do, for the right time of the 
moon, for 1 have not a* yet taken any par¬ 
ticular interest in that planet, and have no 
faith in her supposed inlluem e upon this 
earth or the plants and animals thereon ; but 
when my ground is in proper eondiliun and 
the weather suitable then 1 believe the prop¬ 
er time for planting has come. But here T 
urn going on just as our parson frequently I 
does, naming a text and then not seeing it 
again until the closing sentence of Ins sermon. 
1 started out to stay something about sett ing 
out potted plants, and the one thing in par¬ 
ticular was this:—Plants grown in pots 
usually have u mass of roots that arc twisted 
ami distorted in every direction, burning a 
solid boll. Now. when we set out. such plants 
tid* ball of earth and roots should be broken 
' qj. crushed, in order to make it of about the 
1 same consistency of the soil into which they 
f are placed. If their tangled roots are spread 
apart and partially straightened out, they 
\ take hold of the fresh soil immediately, and 
- the plant will commence a new growth much 
I' sooner than if they are left intact. Iheu, 
again, if the weather i* dry and transplanted 
plant..- have to be watered, it will require 
1 double the quantity, to reach the roots in- 
- closed in a ball of earth than if spread out or 
e even partially separated. I have always 
• found it difficult to make new hands in the 
i garden do this, for to them it seems worse 
:1 than folly to disturb roots that can be so 
- readily put into the ground without it. 
INSECTS FOR NAMES. 
May 17. — W. J. Carter. Warren Co.. 
Term., sends me the following letter : 
Daily Rural Life Please find inclosed 
a box containing two insects for name. One, 
to the naked eve, looks more like a lump of 
dirt, than an insect; but under a magnifying 
on its wings* Please in me nuKJvij 
New-Yorker. 
The curious-looking insect which, as yon 
say, looks like a lump of dirt, is a partly de¬ 
veloped “bug” ( Jlemiptcru). If it bad been 
fully grown and mature, I might have 
named it. The beetle with the V -like yellow 
marks on its elytra, is our common hickory 
clytus— Clyiuif JJcxuomis of some autbore and 
C. jdctuH of others. These are two species of 
beetles so nearly alike in appearance 
(although very different in habit) that they 
have often been confounded by o r entomol- I 
ogists ; in fact, the two are freque ly seen 
in cabinets under the same name, i lie larva 
of one feeds upon the hickory and t he beetles 
appeal - in spring, the other lives in the yellow 
locust, the beetles appearing in the fall. I 
have bred many hundreds of both species and 
begin to think there is quite a difference in 
appearance as well as in habit. It is ti be 
hoped that, some of our entomological au¬ 
thorities will soon definitely decide upon the 
name of each species. 
o he jJoultro |)anl. 
DERBY FOWLS. 
TOTAL LOSS OF THE GRAPE CROP. 
May lfl —Grapes in my neighborhood this 
season will be a total failure. Tl* fruit buds 
upon ull the vines that l have seen, except 
those trained in some protected situations, 
are killed, without exception. Concords, 
Hartford Prolific*, and other usually con¬ 
sidered hardy sorts, have suffered equally 
with the more tender varieties. The vines 
are not entirely killed, and from most of 
them Strong, vigorous canes are starting 
from the old st ems. 1 have no doubt a ma¬ 
jority of vineyards that are injured will be 
greatly benefited by the severe pruning they 
will receive and rest from over-cropping, for 
at least one season. Of course, this destruc¬ 
tion of vines is not general, but if it was, how 
much more would the masses appreciate the 
crop next year. 
How fortunate that we can determine 
thus early in the sensor* whether we are to 
have h crop or not, for it is still time to plant 
more of some annual fruit to fill up the gap. 
I shall choose melons ; if any one can do bet¬ 
ter. let them say the word. 
The only place you hear of this name be- 
ing given to the Game fowl is America. It, 
is never mentioned, now-a-days, in England; 
and the present breeders and judges of that 
country never speak of this variety of fowls 
by any other name than Black-Reds, and 
completely ignore what we call “ Derby;?/’ 
„.nd consider out of the Standard white or 
flesh-colored beaks, legs, toes, &c., and look 
upon them as too soft for the pit. 
The melon and olive colored legs are the 
standard color. The Earl of Derby fowls 
did not differ from other game fowls of the 
kind, except as being a select, family. Hie 
name liud become so celebrated that it is in 
the recollection of almost every one, and lias 
created in the uninitiated an indelible im¬ 
pression that the strain is yet extant. Igno¬ 
rant or designing breeders still keep up t he 
impression on the public mind by their ad¬ 
vertisements. It is right, therefore, that the 
public should know the real truth of the 
matter. The Seftons derive their name in 
the same way - from the Lord of the original 
manor. They are larger than most of the 
breeds of Game and arc of different colors— 
Black-lteds, Brown-Reds and Blue-Rods, hav¬ 
ing yellow or willow-colored legs and bills. 
They are finely-shaped, having prominent 
and well developed breasts, and large, full, 
strong wings. There urc Dnek-Wiug Seftons, 
as there are or were Duck-Wing Derbys; but 
none with white legs. 
There is no doubt that there is running in 
the veins of the present Game of England 
the blood of both those strains, The most 
celebrated main ever fought in England was, 
I think, in 1880 or 18IJ4, which consisted of 
seven battles, at one thousand guineas a bat¬ 
tle and five thousand guineas the main. It 
was fought at Lincoln, by Gilltrkk against 
Earl Derby’s feeder Potter; and Gillirkr 
won five battles out of the seven. 
The head of the Derby race is flue, taper¬ 
ing from the point of the beak, which is 
stijmg and thick where it joins the Iliad. 
Tift neck is long and somewhat curved, and 
the bone of the neck well developed—a very 
great merit, giving great strength to hold 
on ; but the hackle is a little too full, which 
is rather deceptive, and can only bo known 
by handling. The body is broad in front and 
tapering behind ; short in the back and 
strong across the loins. The thighs are 
strong and short, and the shank larger in 
proportion while strong and well made. The 
foot spreads well and stands firmly on the 
ground; the firmness and closeness of liis 
plumage makes him look smaller than he 
proves to be when handled, lhc peculiar 
form makes the cock appear almost round 
when he is trimmed for the pit. 
The legs are set well apart, and the wings 
are large, almost covering the thighs, lhe 
faults that Game breeders find in the Derby 
cock are that the thighs are a little too long, 
, the shanks a little too short and the wings a 
i little too tucked up; the length of the leg is 
right, but the relative length of thigh and 
shank might be better. 
The general color of the plumage of the 
cock is a rich and beautiful shading from 
orange to bright chestnut. The breast and 
thighs are black, also the tail, with brilliant 
metallic luster; a little pale gray buff often 
crops out at the root of the tail, and is only a 
mark of high condition. A white feather is, 
at the present day, among our judges of 
Game, considered a disqualification ; if it is, 
it was often shown in the Derby strain. 
I Greenville, N. J. Isaac Van Winkle. 
--- 
CHICKEN CHOLERA. 
R. H. Knapp, in Atlanta Sim of May !*, 
oyg ; _ <( in your issue of this morning you 
sk for a remedy for chicken cholera, now so 
i re valent in this city and country. I have 
onnd a mixture of two ounces each, of 
ed pepper, alum, rosin, and sulphur, to be an 
nfallible remedy for tills scourge. Last 
Uturner I lost more than fifty common fowls 
rom cholera, my Buff Cochin* not being at 
ill affected. When glancing over tlie col¬ 
imn* of the Rural New Yorker, l chanced 
;o S ec the above mixture recommended, and 
;ried it,—mixing one tablespoonful in t hree 
nnts of scalded com meal, and though sev¬ 
eral fowls were in the last stages of the dis¬ 
ease they recovered and 1 have not lost a 
chicken since. In severe cases I would advise 
giving about one third of a teaspoonful in a 
meal pellet to each fowl every day till well. 
Put a small lump of alum, say the size ol a 
hickory nut, in their drinking water.” 
POULTRY NOTES. 
Lice on Fowls— Harry Barker asks for 
a remedy for lice i n fowls. Lard, nibbed 
well under the wings and on the body, has 
exterminated them, and will, doubtless, In 
his case. Let the fowls run where they can 
have plenty of dust and ashes to wallow in. 
If they have this, they will soon exterminate 
the lice themselves. 
\Yaddlinti Liylil Brahma#.— Please inform 
me what causes my Light Brahma pullets 
(three of thorn) to walk with their backs 
right straight up and down, and waddle 1 ik<- 
a duck ' It seems to come on them in two oi 
three days and without any cause, as far as 
I am aware.— a, u. b. 
WE cannot tell. 
Mating Pigeons for Color.—A Pigeon fan 
cier says Black and Red Barbs may be mated 
together and will produce young of each 
color. He does not approve of mating Blue 
and Silver Owl* ; Silver should be mated to 
Silver, and Blue to Blue. 
limn. 
BAPE AS A HONEY PLANT. 
H. O. Kbusche, Berlin, Wis., writes the 
American Bee Journal:—As a honey produc¬ 
ing plant, the rape is scarcely second to lin¬ 
den, producing a beautiful golden honey of 
good flavor, and is in blossom when nearly 
everything else is out of blossom, common* 
ing about the middle of August and continu¬ 
ing a couple of weeks. 
2 . As a farm crop, it is as good, if not bet¬ 
ter, than wheat. The time for sowing it is 
from the middle to the end of June. This 
gives time to prepare the soil after other 
crops are in ; or if wheat or corn should tail 
in coming up, rape call be sown in their 
places. It is harvested from the middle to 
the last of September, after all other grain 
is harvested. It does not impoverish the 
soil, 1 iut benefits it. From five to eight bush¬ 
els more per acre of wheat arc raised on 
ground which had rape the previous year. It 
allows no weeds to grow after it is fairly 
started, growing very dense, and its leaves 
completely shade the ground, therefore it 
does not suffer from drouth like other 
grains, 
Thu seed has a good cash market at Fond 
du Lae. Wis., where oil is extracted from it, 
and brings from $1.50 to $2 per bushel. From 
ten to eighteen bushels is generally produced 
pur acre, but is oftener over than under this 
estimate. Two quarts is sufficient to sow an 
acre. Thousands of bushels are annually 
raised in Calumet county, and it is just as 
staple a crop as wheat. Those doubting my 
statement I refer to Report of Agriculture 
for 1870. 
——— - " ‘ 
LOCATION OF BEE-HIVES IN GERMANY. 
According to the new regulations recently 
issued by the authorities of the German Em¬ 
pire, no hives of bees are to be placed nearei 
than 03.5 meters to any turnpike or public 
thoroughfare, no nearer than 4L7 meters 
from other carriage-ways ; and for violating 
the above rules, the person convicted may be 
fined twenty thalers, or be subjected to im¬ 
prisonment. 
