■ 
SUkricultural 
in obtaining a fair yield of fruit from the 
half dozen or more black varieties in our 
garden, although complaints of unproduct¬ 
iveness often reach us from other localities. 
Perhaps it would be well for you to start a 
new plantation from a better and known to 
be productive stock. 
chest, and if a small hole was made from the 
outside to let the air out, the pig would get 
well. T have tried that remedy, and it did 
not cure the disease, nor do I believe this is 
the cause. “Thumps,” or the panting dis¬ 
ease, is with me a mystery. 1 examined a 
victim after death, and found the bowels. 
Stomach, lungs and liver healthy. After¬ 
wards l dedicated to science a live pig afllict- 
ed with this strange malady, and had my 
knife ready to begin the work when my wife 
coaxed me to try an outside application of 
liniment to the throat, and if it did not cure 
there would be time enough for the sacrifice. 
1 yielded, The next morning the pig was 
dead, and science lost the benefit of the ante 
mortem investigation. Is not the cause 
asthma or some bronchial affection ? It may 
l ie dropsy. Does anybody know, and is there 
a remedy ? f. d. c. 
ANOTHER PLAN WANTED.” 
CHINA TREE FOR HEDGE 
In reply to “ Another Plan Wanted” (see 
Rural New-Yorker, April s, page 218) for 
farmhouse or cottage, by M. of .Springfield, 
Windsor Co., Vt., I would say that this 
sketch may be a help to M. in getting what 
he want •. I have sent only the lower floor. 
I hope this may be of some use. The follow¬ 
ing is the explanation of the plan : 
An Alabama correspondent of the Planta¬ 
tion writes :—“I have been casting about for 
the last two or three years for a substitute 
for our old rail fence; and I think I have 
found one which is far more economical, 
more durable, and better every way than 
any other fence or hedge. 
The substit ute is our common China-tree, 
and the inode I have in view of making a 
fence of it. is as follows :—Lay off a land 
where a fence is desired, eight or ten feet 
'vide, cut out every stump and root, plow 
thoroughly with a small plow, and then take 
a turning-plow, commence on the outside of 
this land and throw the soil from the center 
till it is finished. This will leave a good fur¬ 
row in the middle of the land ; in which put 
a sufficient quantity of stable manure, cotton 
seed, or other fertilizer. Then bed on that, 
open with a small cotton-plow, drill China- 
berries as thick as we plant cotton seed. 
After they come up, and the plants gain 
strength enough to bear working, thin them 
out with a narrow hoe, to two plants, four or 
five indies apart, and after they take suffi¬ 
cient root, pull them out. to one. Perhaps it 
would he necessary to keep stock from then), 
manure and cultivate for two or three years; 
at the expiration of which time, it. is my 
Opinion, it will make the most economical, 
safe and durable fence that can be made. 
The China-tree, you know, grows rapidly 
on any kind of soil in this climate, is free 
from the attacks of insects ; in short, never 
dies. Has this thing ever been tested ? T 
have never made the experiment myself, but 
intend to do so next winter, If I live, unless 
convinced before that time that it will not 
do. Would have made the experiment be¬ 
fore this, but have been able, heretofore, to 
keep up my fences without much trouble. 
To Prevent Ants Ascending Trees it is 
recommended to put a broad band of wool 
about the tree. 
IMPORTING FILBERTS, 
A late Turf, Field and Farm says of im¬ 
porting Filberts :—“We were surprised, on 
visit ing one of our Broadway fruit, shops, to 
find fresh filberts, imported from Kent, in 
England, soiling with their heavy, green 
husks on for eighty cents per pound, ami this 
has been the average for several years. Why 
should not our farmers in the Middle and 
Southern Slates grow filberts ? The climate 
which will produce good peaches will also 
produce filberts, and all of our light tobacco 
lands m the basin of the Chesapeake are. as 
well suited to flielr growth as the soil of 
Kent, and certainly at the prices ruling umv 
in New York, or at even half these prices, 
filberts would prove the most profitable pro- 
duet, within the whole range of agriculture. 
Nor is the adaptation of the soil and climate of 
our Middle Slates to the growth of these 
nuts at all problematical, for they have been 
grown in a small way on some of the old 
homesteads ill Virginia for more than a 
hundred years,” 
WATER FOR PIGS 
Is it best to allow pigs access to a, small 
stream of wider, where it could be done 
conveniently ? By extending my fence a 
short distance l could enclose a small spring 
Stream ; a neighbor informs me. if is bad 
policy t o let pigs wallow in mud and water, 
so did nut enclose. sfren.m ; bill I have fre¬ 
quently been asked since why I did not do 
so. Being a novice, hi the business, a little 
light, on tin- subject would be very accept¬ 
able. “ Harris on the Pig” seems to be silent 
in flic, matter— s f. j. 
We should certainly give the pigs the 
comfort of the stream. They will bo health¬ 
ier and thrive better for it; at least such is 
our exfierience. 
FRUIT AT THE VIENNA EXPOSITION 
CABBAGE AND ONIONS IN TEXAS 
V CORRESPONDENT of the Tribune says of 
the fine, display of winter apples and pears 
that it is really line—“apples as plump and 
rosy-cheeked as if just picked from the tree, 
and pears as fragrant and toothsome as any 
that come from California in August to our 
New York markets. Our American farmers 
know how to keep apples until .Tilly brings a 
new crop of Early Sweets and Harvest Pip¬ 
pins, but 1 doubt whether many of them have 
eaten great, luscious, mellow pears in the 
middle of May. The best preserved varieties 
in the Exhibition are the Dechants, the Ver- 
galieu, the llerrn, the Oster, the Butter, and 
the Apothecary, and they come from Styria, 
Trient, and Wurtemburg. The finest apples 
are from Pomerania and Wurtemburg.” 
From what we knew of the New ftalian 
Onions in Europe, we became satisfied they 
would succeed admirably in the Southern 
States. Not liking to sell anything untried, 
we obtained all the seed wo cfmltt possibly 
secure in Europe, and sent them for trial to 
over a dozen of our principal customers in 
each of the Southern States, and also to 
many in the North. The report from the 
South was as we anticipated—a most uni¬ 
versal approval. The next season wo ven¬ 
tured to oiler this seed for sale. The follow¬ 
ing note, is just received from E. (k M,, a 
friend in Georgetown, Texas. 
“ 1 still think the Winningstadt Cabbage 
the very best, for our climate, as wo have 
very hot, dry summers, with no dews except 
early in the spring or late in fall ; at least it 
is tin- very best of all 1 have t ested. * * * 
The. New Hatton Onions are perfect won¬ 
der*. Mr. S., living at BrooksvilJe, ordered 
seed of it last winter, and I saw him not long 
since, and he was perfectly delighted with it; 
the. Onions fur surpassed his expectations. 
So far as I have tried, they keep as well 
here, or better, if anything, than any other 
Onions, but I think they will do better sowed 
in the fall. 1 am going to try a few this 
fall.”— Vick’s Guide. 
FREAKS AMONG THE SUMACS 
I inclose you a leaf taken from a common 
Sumac which I found on the prairie. What, 
causes those light colored spots ? Every leaf 
mi the plant was spotted in a similar manner, 
-nine of them alirmat entirely wbite, giving 
the bush a peculiar appearance. What work 
on Botany is best lor a student in Texas ? T 
have Gray's “ School and Field Book,” but, 
if; does not describe near ail our valuable 
plants.—D, H,, Sherman, Texas. 
Wf, only wish we could go deep enough into 
the mysteries of Nature to determine the 
cause of all the variations which occur 
among plants and animals. We have many 
variegated-leaved plauts in cultivation, but 
the cause of variegation is unknown, al¬ 
though many theories have been advanced 
in explanation. It is possible that this freak 
of nature, as shown in this variegated Sumac, 
may be perpetuated, and plants propagated 
from the parent or original stock will retain 
their peculiar characteristics of variegated 
leaves. Many years ago the late Dr. Dar- 
LiNoroN of Pennsylvania, found a variety of 
the Smooth-leaved Sumac, (lihus glabra ), 
with finely cut leaves resembling very much 
some of the ferns. This variety has been 
propagated, and is now known in nursery¬ 
men’s catalogues as Rhus laciniatci or cut¬ 
leaved Sumac. In reply to your second 
question, wo regret to say that there are no 
botanical works published in this country in 
which all the plants of Texas are described. 
Dr. Gray’s and Wood’s botanies are like 
abridged editions of dictionaries, the rarest 
words are sure to be left out. When 1 lotany, 
as a science, becomes sufficiently popular 
among the masses to warrant the publication 
of larger works than those now in the mar¬ 
ket, they will be forthcoming. A thousand 
lottery tickets may readily be disposed of in 
a community where, it would be difficult to 
sell a copy of the best botanical work. 
A, parlor, 15 by 15 ; B, library, 15 by 15. 
C, bedroom, 15 by 5 ; the L 7 feet wider, clos¬ 
et under front stairs ; D, dining room, 15 by 
15 ; E, kitchen, 15 by 15 ; three feet out, 
marked for back stairs and cellar stairs ; F, 
pantry, 5 by 8; G, milk room, 5 by U; H, 
wash room, 10 by 11 ; 1, bath or spare room, 
6 by 7 ; K, front hall, 7 by 15 ; I,, back hall, 
3 by 17 ; M, front verandah, 7 by 21 ; N, do. 
do., 4 by 14 ; O, back verandah, 4 by 27 ; P, 
cistern ; X, doors ; r j, windows. h. b. b. 
POMOLOGICAL GOSSIP 
Pears for Maine .—The Maine Farmer says: 
It is almost impossible to give a list of pears 
suitable to our climate that will meet the 
wants of all parties alike ; but in answer to 
our correspondent at Bath we ventnre the 
following: Summer :—Madeleine, Rostiozer, 
Tyson ; Autumn :—Buffum, Flemish Beauty, 
Fulton—a native of Bowdoinham, having 
originated on the farm now occupied by Dan. 
Fulton, Esq.,—Louise Bonne de Jersey, Nick¬ 
erson—a native of Readfleld ; Early Winter : 
Buerre d’ Anjou, Duchesse d’Augoulcme; 
Late Winter :—Lawrence McLaughlin, Vicar 
of Winkfield, Winter Nelis. Other pears of 
much promise remain to be tested by longer 
culture. 
Apples for Vermont. —Dr. T. S. Hoskins, 
in a paper before the Vermont State Board 
of Agriculture, gave the following list of ap- 
GARDENER’S NOTES 
To Free Cabbage from the Cabbage Worm , 
an experience of thirty years enables a Ken¬ 
tuckian to say:—“Get what is called here 
shipstuffs, or shorts, such as we feed to stock 
—wheat bran will do as good as the shorts ; 
examine the cabbage before they head ; if 
you see the web of the cateiqtillar, or holes 
in the leaves of the bud, put. a table-spoonful 
of the shorts in the head. If hard rains fol¬ 
low you may have to repeat. The cure is 
effectual. The worms become mired in the 
shorts made wet with the dew. The worms 
seldom attack the cabbage after they are 
headed.” 
To Destroy Moles .—Shooting them is re¬ 
commended by one who has tried it as fol¬ 
lows :—“Be out early iu the morning with 
the gun when they are busy rooting, steal 
quietly to the place (up wind), get the gun 
almost perpendicular over them — muzzle 
about a foot or a foot and a-half from the 
ground, consistent with safety—watch until 
they commence to root, then “ blaze away.” 
Dig down afterwards, ten to one the mole is 
there, as dead as a herring, although he has 
heen six or eight, inches below the surface.” 
Coffee Grounds and Melons .—It is said 
that coffee grounds, which are very rich in 
nitrogen, are said to form an excellent ma¬ 
nure for melons. In order to produce the 
best effect, they should be mixed with the 
earth which forms the bed, so that they 
should bo well decayed by the time the roots 
begin to develop. 
HOW TO HARNESS SWINE 
We give, herewith an illustration of the 
manner in which swine are utilized on the 
shores of the Danube. The engraving ex¬ 
plains itself, and is sufficiently suggestive to 
UNFRUITFUL CURRANT BUSHES 
I have, in my garden, a largo number of 
very thrifty black currant bushes. They 
blossom profusely, but bear no fruit. The 
berries, as soon as they become set, all drop 
ofi Can you, or any of your numerous 
readers, tell the cause or suggest a remedy 
for the berries not maturing ?— Subscriber. 
The old English black currant is not a very 
productive variety in this country, and in 
some soils and localities the fruit almost in¬ 
variably falls off before maturity. The 
Black Naples is considered the most product¬ 
ive sort of this species, but all are less pro¬ 
ductive than the common red and white va¬ 
rieties. Young plants seldom bear a good 
crop ; but as they become old and well estab¬ 
lished, the quantify of fruit increases. We 
have never experienced the least trouble 
HOW TO HARNESS SWINE 
pies as best adapted for general cultivation, 
embracing the hardier sorts : Sammer ap¬ 
ples —Red Astrachan, Peach Apple. Ameri¬ 
can Summer Pearmnin, Tetofski, and Wil¬ 
liams’ Favorite. 
Fall Apples —Duchess of Oldenburg, St. 
Lawrence, Fameuse, Clyde Beauty. 
Winter Apples—Yellow Bellflower, Tail- 
man’s Sweeting, Blue Pearmain, Red Cana¬ 
da, 1’omme Grise, Westfield Seek-no-farther, 
Northern Spy, Ben Davis, Ribstone Pippin. 
THUMPS IN SWINE 
A correspondent said, ?ome time since, in 
the Rural New-Yorker, that “thumps” 
in pigs were caused by air getting between 
the membranes or coatings surrounding the 
