is clue to the fact of greater strength ami 
safety combined with lightness of an iron 
built vessel as compared with a wooden one; 
and the especial ecouotuny in the use of iron 
for steamships, as the material and mode of 
construction enable an iron built vessel to 
resist the wear and tear of her propelling 
machinery far better than a wooden one, 
thereby enabling her to hold her rating on 
the insurance books five or six times longer 
than the latter. Added to this, a steamship 
transports three times as much in a given 
time as a sailing vessel, thus doing away 
witli t wo-thirds of the wooden vessels ; and 
the improvements in machinery and the care 
used in the consumption of fuel are rapidly 
enabling them to compete successfully with 
their wooden competitors as to cost of trans¬ 
portation. Twenty years ago it took three 
tons of coal to transport one ton of freight 
across the Atlantic, now ten tons of freight 
can be transported for every ton of coal con¬ 
sumed. 
The great demand of the future will there¬ 
fore be for such timber as is used in house 
building and furnishing, for mercantile and 
commercial purposes and for fliel. The trees 
for these purposes are chiefly of comparative 
quick growth, such as the various species of 
pine, the hemlock, the spruce and the larch; 
among the conifer® are the various species 
of poplar, maple, ash, the tulip tree, the bass¬ 
wood, I he chestnut, the hickory, the elm, (lie 
black walnut, and the yellow locust among 
deciduous trees. 
There arc thousands of acres in all our 
Northern ami Eastern States that are almost 
useless for arable purposes, that could he 
made to yield a good return eventually, if 
planted with timber trees; hut unfortunately 
the tenure of real estate in the various States 
is such that the holders of the land have no 
inducement Lo plant trees, the profits arising 
from which may inure to those who come 
after and not to themselves. 
Whether these lands should he hcl d and 
planted by the State, eventually, under a 
wise and intelligent management to he a 
source of income to it; or that the laws 
should be so amended as to permit a limited 
entail upon such lands; or that lands so 
planted should he free from taxation ; or a 
bonus given for every tree planted upon its 
arriving at a certain growth, are questions 
which we do not now propose to discuss. 
We do, however, commend the subject to 
the consideration of those having charge of 
our Agricultural Colleges, and our Slate and 
County Agricultural Societies, fn the former, 
arhorir.ii Hu re should hold ns prominent, a 
place as any oilier branch of agricultural 
science, and at the Fairs and meetings of 
the latter, it should he a subject of frequent 
discussion and consideration, not only on 
account of its direct pecuniary importance, 
but also on account of the necessity of pro¬ 
viding against the injury done to our yearly 
crops by the destruction of our forests.—.r. u. 
experience the present, season has boon with 175 
plants ou n sandy soil, hut with no protection, 
being’ fully exposed to the wind in every direc¬ 
tion. I planted the seeds on the 24th day of 
April, inn mild hot-hod. When two or throe 
inches In bight, the plants wore put Into a cold 
frame, and allowed to remain until the 4th of 
June, when they were transplanted Into theopon 
ground, having attained about, eight Inches in 
hlght. On the 281 h of July I picked one-half 
bushel of fully ripened fruit,, eighty-nine days 
from the time of sowing the seed. My plants 
liavo never received any check since they cnino 
up,and when transplanted Into the open ground, 
wore carefully removed, with halls of earth at¬ 
tached. I oonsidcr it, ahosolutely necessary lo 
raise early fruit,that the plants receive no Check. 
A cold rain, succeeded by a few day b cold immedi¬ 
ately after transplant inn, will often defeat the 
chance of an early crop, and delay the ripening 
many days. Many transplant immediately ni ter 
a ruin, while the ground and air is yet. cold. It 
is better to wait a day or two, as the plants will 
suffer loss from willing than front cold. 
Smut in Wheat, ciboiiue Outt, Secretary of 
the Licking. Mo., Farmers' Club, writes that l ho 
Club ho represents has boon fflsousslng the 
smutty wheat questton. lie says: “Now, what 
we uro at greatest loss to know is, what causes 
smut, ami what is the best preventive? 
Touching the last point, \vc arrived at I lie fol¬ 
lowing conclusions: — First, secure good seed; 
second, soak with Milestone wilier; third, ob¬ 
serve a proper rotation of crops; and, fourth, 
change the seed once every three or four years, 
by procuring from a. different soil, Tltoso pre¬ 
cautions, wo think, will at least, partially pre¬ 
vent smut; hut wo would like to know tlio 
cause. If possible, and think If the analysis of 
goigl nod smut wheat were properly known, that 
the cause, could he easily arrived at. We would 
foci very grateful to you for your opinion ou 
this subject..’’ 
Mr. Curtis saidSmut is a fungus superin¬ 
duced by the character of the seed, I ho condi¬ 
tioner Mm atmosphere and the soli, or one. or 
all. Ilcnce, good seed Is Important,its upreven¬ 
tive, nutl a change of soil, if smut appears In a 
crop of wheat, I would not sow seed from it if 
ol her seed could he procured, nor would I suc¬ 
ceed that crop with another id' wheat, hut grow 
toy breadstuff*) in another Hold. Soaking the seed 
in brine and liming it is said to kill IhCsinut. It 
is a good practice, tiny way, and during the ope¬ 
ration the light seed and fmd stuff rising on tho 
top ought to bo ski mined off. The needs of smut 
are I lie spores of tIn'fungus, which can he trans¬ 
mitted, and will grow in favorable circum¬ 
stances, Just like chess or nny other vegetable 
production. In answer to the question, whnt 
makes smut grow? 1 can only say the same Be¬ 
ing who makes us all grow. 
Lester's I'rrfecteil Tomato. Mr. LYMAN had 
tried this tho present season. He gave them no 
especial cave. Tho tomato ho fluffs in his garden 
this fall is largo and smooth, of a palo red or 
plilk tint, and remarkably solid. The cavities 
so usual ill this fruit seemed tilled out by the 
flesh, anti lie fluffs the flavor delicate. Tho habit 
is thrifty, and it hears twice as much try weight 
as the common red or the York. He says that 
early ripening is nut liquidity flint gives great 
value to a tomato. Ills Into varieties sell about 
OS well as the early, and lie has gained little or 
nothing by buying hot-house plants. Those 
started in the window Inn box, or on a turf, fruit 
about ns booh. As a fertilizer ho wants nothing 
on light, sandy soli hul. a pittoh of hone dust. 
When the plants need pushing in tho spring, ho 
waters With a liquid fertilizer, made by pouring 
hot water on a handful of bonedust. Mr. Readk 
C oin mended this as the best, tomato he ever grew. 
To Mnke Tommum Knrly,—Mr, (Vims liked 
the Trophy and Tilden. Both are early; enrli- 
ncsa Is a virtue In tomatoes. Tomatoes of any 
sort outt be made lo mature early by clipping 
tho vinca after one or two settings of fruit are 
made. Thinks It an advantage to start in a hot¬ 
bed and transplant two or three times before 
t.lm final planting. This Insures a more stocky 
growth. Plaster in a good fertilizer for tomatoes. 
Other gentlemen had failed to perceive any 
difference in curliness in favor (if plants started 
in hot-beds and those started in open ground. 
One gentleman preferred to sow the seed in Hie 
open ground In tho fall. He had found that self- 
sown plants, nnd even those started in open 
ground in spring, matured fruit as early anti al¬ 
ways more abundantly than forced plants. 
Truck Fnrmlng in Florida. John WlNZEIt, Pa- 
latkti, Fla.* writes:—l And in a letter lately read 
at. one of your meetings, tho statement that Sa¬ 
vannah is the Southern limit for successful gar¬ 
dening for tho Northern markets. Respecting 
the assertion that garden truck cannot bo ship¬ 
ped front Florida to Now York in good order, I 
can say that in the year 18t59, 1 did a little in the 
business, shipping only the following articles: 
Snap beans from April 28 to May 1(5; cucumbers 
from May 1 to June 17; and sweet potatoes in 
tho mouth of August. The contents of every 
crate and barrel were received in New York in 
good order, and sold for prices as high, and usu¬ 
ally a little higher, than Ihe quotations in the Tri¬ 
bune of sumo date. After paying commissions 
and all freights from the field to New York city, 
l realized on snap beans, $2.78 perorate; cucum¬ 
bers, from May 1 to Juno 1,$3.4S; the same, from 
June 1 to June 17, 02 cents; Oil the entire lot of 
encumbers, about $2.00 per crate. The crates 
held about seven-eighths of oflo bushel. Tho 
sweet, potatoes realized, net, $4 per hnrrel. No 
cold frames or hot house arrangements were 
used, and, though the land was worn out years 
ago, m> manure was applied. 1 have no land for 
sale. Neither would 1 advise any one to come 
down hero. I believe, with Mr. Fuller, that in 
at y locality “ the chance is nothing-the man is 
everything." 
How to Trent n Cow's Teat.—CHA$. A. ALLEN, 
Buck field. Me., has a heifer a portion of otto of 
whose teats was accidentally cut off and It leaks 
milk constantly. How should he treat it? Dr. 
Smith said cut It off again and bring the surface 
together, holding it there with adhesive plaster. 
It will lioal over and he all right. 
Hemp and Cabbages.—(1. K. writes the Club 
that In Germany gardeners plant hemp among 
their cabbages, or surround the field with a row 
of It. The perfume ol' this plant, when in bloom 
Js offensive to the butterflies, and they do not 
deposit their eggs in tho cabbages, and thus Ihe 
crop is saved. He recommends Inter planting in 
this country as a menus of avoiding t he cater¬ 
pillars. 
Norway Outs a Humbug.—A. H. ITOKAItl), 
Pendleton, N. Y., believes Norway onta to boa 
big humbug. Ho bought live bushels last spring, 
sowed them, and found he was badly sold. They 
rusted badly, and were not nearly as good as tho 
common variety. 
may be dead some time before they are aware 
of it, tlie early indications of this being some¬ 
what different from most.other plants. 
In order to induce longevity, Cape Heaths 
ought to be kept very cool in the winter; in 
fact, I have seen them subjected to an invol¬ 
untary freezing without any perceptible in¬ 
jury. Besides, a high winter temperature 
weakens the constitution of tho plant, and 
is apt to induce premature decay during the 
heat of tho summer months. 
Avoid fire heat in the winter ;is much as 
possible, whether by stoves, tines or hot- 
wafer apparatus, as Cape 1 ieatlis, with many 
other flowering plants, very frequently suf¬ 
fer from mistaken kindness in this respect. 
The most useful varieties tor this climate 
besides Retorta. arc Jlj/amu/i n, V n tricorn. Tin • 
nmles, Pcraoluta. alba, Veslita, Cerinthoidee, 
Formosa, OocdiMa, Jaxxminijloru, l/i/af int/ii- 
florn , etc. By judicious treatment you may 
have some of those in flower nearly tho 
whole year round. Their sweet,-scouted, 
bright-colored, tubular-shaped flowers form 
a most graceful addition to the green-house 
or sitting-room, and, if better known, would 
be more generally cultivated. 
David Foulis. 
from on edible point of view. Blood will toll, 
and we all conceded the merits claimed for it. 
Though one single specimen weighed nearly 
one-half of a pound, the seed cavities were so 
small, that when out across they hardly putln a 
show at all. The whole tomato was as solid as 
apparently a tomato could be, and until re seem¬ 
ed quite lo have forgotten herself that. Ilu* ob¬ 
ject in perfecting fruit was to produce seed; so 
niggardly was die of thorn tlml. we obtained less 
than fifty all told. The circumstances under 
which the plants grmv Is quite favorable— 
a sandy soil and warm exposure. Just ninety 
days served to perfect, tho plant, and fruit. Tho 
vines are heavily loaded, healthy, and vigorous. 
I feel confident that this tomato will prove one 
of the most, valuable varieties wo havo had." 
How lo Mnke n Cistern. — S. II. STAutUltn, 
Pliutemoulb, Nebraska, asks how to construct a 
cheap cistern. Prof. Lawton told how to con¬ 
struct n costly one -of brick, arched over the 
top, cemented. The top of tho arch to be two or 
more feet below the surface, to prevent water 
freezing. The size of tho cistern snould corres¬ 
pond to the surface of tho roof which supplies 
it, and a waste pipe should lie inserted so as to 
drain off tho surplus and keep the water fresh. 
Dr. ButlkN suggested that in order that the 
water might he kept, fresh, the supply should 
enter the cistern from near tho bottom. Tho 
graceful Commander of thetjluh hud built brick 
cisterns, found them costly and no better than 
one built of rough .stone and cemented on the 
inside, He has otto, built In 1858, In this way: 
A hole was dog with sloping sides in a stiff, hard 
soil, and the cement was applied direct to the 
surface. The cistern Inis been in constant, use 
ever since, and seems to bo us good to-day as 
ever. 
Mr, Cntons HaiffA good cistern can be made 
in a solid day soil, il' not. in mi exposed situa¬ 
tion, by cementing against the sides of the 
ground. Whore the ground freezes I would not 
recommend such a practice, hut lay a wall of 
cobble-stones in a mortar of cemont, and face 
the wall with a thick coating ol clear mortar. 
Great cure must be exercised to got good ce¬ 
ment, ami mix il. with coarse sand. Fine sand 
will not do at all. One part cement and three 
parts sand is the usual proportion, to he used as 
Boon as mixed. Every part of tho wall must bo 
laid below the reach of tho frost. This cun bo 
done, and an Iron or wooden pipe or throat lead 
to the surface, through which the pump can 
pass. A cheap and excellent cistern can he oott- 
Strueted of wood in the form of a large cask or 
tank made of pine or cedar plank. When sunk 
into the ground, and kept constantly wet, 
they will last for years. A belter way is lo place 
the lank or cask In one corner of the cellar, with 
a faucet In tho bottom * from which the water is 
easily drawn when It is desirable to clean it out 
and when water is required in the cellar. A 
cellar with an open cistern iti it will rarely freeze. 
Labor Wanted In Texas.-JOHN KODMKKN VAL- 
ENTiNio, Anderson county, Texas, writes: 
“There is great, want of labor In ourState. My 
object in addressing you is to know if someone 
hundred to two hundred families of Scotch could 
bo had in New York. It is proposed hereto 
make a chib of two hundred farmers that will 
put in the amount needed to charter a vessel 
from Now York to Galveston and nit other ex¬ 
penses, and send an agent to New York to at¬ 
tend to it. Our county, as you will see by the 
map, is about two hundred miles north ol' Gal¬ 
veston, on the oast side of Trinity River, aud is 
as healthy ns any upland of the South. Land is 
cheap, ranging from $1 to $10 per acre, and cim 
be bad on easy terms. The rate of wages will 
be $15 per month, specie.” 
Mr. CCKTI8 said there are ten thousand fami¬ 
lies in this city that, will see tough times before 
winter ends will Just eke out. an existence. 
They do not get out of town because they have 
not the means to go. Let them tmprove such 
an opportunity as this. The $15 in gold per 
month In Texas is equal to $50 in greenbacks in 
this city. 
Hublmrd’M Curled Leaf Tomato. M. DJVttBnN, 
! Rochester, N. Y., writesAmong market-gar¬ 
deners, there is considerable strife who shall 
have the earliest tomatoes, as a few bushels in 
the early part of the season decide, in a good 
measure, the profits of tho crop. Among the 
earliest ripening varieties that have been intro¬ 
duced, Hubbard's Curled Leaf, sent out Inst, sea¬ 
son by Mr. Vick, proves to be one of the most 
valuable. It Is quite dwarf in habit., miff may 
bo planted three reel by t wo feet. The fruit Is 
solid, contains but few seeds, and rlpous well up 
about the stem. Some varieties of tomatoes 
will ripen a few sped mens very early, while the 
general ctop holds off for some time. This sort 
brings forward its entire crop very rapidly. My 
IdI£ICA. RKTORTA 
rsntsstons 
AMERICAN INST. FARMERS’ CLUB 
Notes of Discussions. Extracts from Let« 
tors, A c. 
Granin Grass from Greeley, Ciil.-N. 0. MEEK- 
eii writes“ I send you herewith two samples 
of the celebrated Grama grass, growing parallel 
with tho Rocky Mountains over a. region two 
hundred miles wide east and west, and perhaps 
1,1)00 miles long north and south. No. i is a good 
sample of it. us found growing everywhere on 
those plains; No. 2 Is tho same, growing oil tho 
brink of my irrigating ditch, but not having Imd 
water lo It. I hope it will retain »s fresh green 
color, to show what, tho sight of water will do. 
The other. No. T. cannot well bo browner nor 
drier, and yet it is undoubtedly the most nutri¬ 
tions of all grasses, and it is about as good in 
winter as in summer. This grass grows every¬ 
where, but it does not cover t,hq ground. In¬ 
deed, fully half of the ground is bare, and in 
DOUBLE CORN LILY 
From Martha Crandall, Wisconsin, we 
have received an account, with sketch, of a 
plant bearing ibis name, it is JJememcallis 
fulm, Jlorc pleno, or Double Day Lily, the 
latter name being misapplied, as the plant is 
not a iily at all, nor does it belong to the 
natural order of Lilktcm, but to an allied or¬ 
der, viz:— tlemerocalUdue. All true lilies 
have bulbs, which this genus does not have, 
the roots being fibrous. 
This species is si native of the south of Eu¬ 
rope, but we do not know where the double 
variety originated. We have seen it in the 
front gardens of country bouses, and in gen¬ 
tlemen’s gardens in the country for many 
years past, hut do not find any mention of it 
in any English or American work, and only 
in one French work, “ Lee Fleurs de Pleine 
Terre? by Messrs. Vilmorin, Andribux 
& Co. 
It. grows about four feet high, the flower 
stems branching at the top, an ordinary 
thrifty plant producing live to fifteen or 
more stems, and from ten to fifty flowers, 
wliieli aro copper-colored, or of a deep 
orange color, with a reddish tinge; it is not 
fragrant. The leaves are large, very long, 
and keeled on the back, and have a remote 
resemblance to the leaves of Indian corn. 
Hence, we presume, the common name given 
to it. 
There is another species, II. diaticha, in 
which the leaves are arranged in fan-shape, 
of which there is also a double-flowered va¬ 
riety. It is not as strong-growing as the pre¬ 
ceding species, aud the flowers are clear yel¬ 
low outside aud lawn-colored inside. 
The flowers of this genus only lust one 
day, lienee the name Day Lily. 
loriculturr 
ERICA RETORTA 
The subject of the accompanying sketch. 
Erica retorta , belongs to a family of plants to 
which we are largely indebted for the decora¬ 
tion ofourlawns, pleasure grounds and green¬ 
houses, aud includes such popular genera as 
Heaths, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Kalinins, 
Arbutus, Andromeda#, etc., the native habi¬ 
tats of the different gpecies being spread all 
over the world ; but we are chiefly indebted 
to the Cape of Good Hope for the most orna¬ 
mental of the Ericas, or Heaths, as they are 
more popularly termed; and if you should 
happen to stray into a corner of the world 
where sprigs of it are used as a clan badge, 
you might, hear oue species {Calluna vulgaris) 
called Heather. 
The flowers of Retorta are of a bright 
pink color and the same plant will keep up 
a constant succession of bloom from August 
to December, thus forming a valuable aux¬ 
iliary to parlor or conservatory decoration 
at a season of tho year when good flowering 
pot plants are really scarce.. 
In propagating the Cape Heaths, care 
must he, taken to select the half-ripened 
wood for cuttings, as this alone will insure 
success, the hard wood keeping green for 
months without rooting and finally blasting 
all hopes by dying off; the soft wood, if 
tried, not giving time for any hopes to be 
raised about it, but willing right off. As 
soon as rooted, pot off into small thnnib- 
pots, using light, sandy soil, and handling 
carefully, ns the early stage of cultivation of 
ihe Cape Heath Is the only really difficult 
one; and when once set a-going, with ordi¬ 
nary care as to watering, &c., they will 
thrive well, and will repay what little care 
has been bestowed on them. 
As the plant increases in size, more reten- 
flve soil maybe used in potting, and the soil 
must he more firmlv messed down than is 
Double Geraniums. 
Tire Gardener’s Monthly says:—“These 
have not been a success for bedding pur¬ 
poses, but for pot culture they are highly 
esteemed. The following are the best Eng¬ 
lish onesWilhelm Pfitzer, Madame Le- 
moine, Triumph, Triompho de Lorraine, 
Triomphe do Tlinmeanil, Captaine L’Hor- 
rnite, Surpasse Globe de Nance, Gloire de 
Nancy, Nimrod, Double Tom Thumb, Kose 
Queen." 
Cure of House Pin ills. 
House plants that have been planted in 
the ground lur summer blooming, if not al¬ 
ready taken up, should now he polled with¬ 
out delay. Use moderate-sized pots, pruning 
off the straggling aud broken roots, cut back 
the tops to correspond, pot carefully, press¬ 
ing Ihe earth well about the roots, and set, 
the pot back into the soil where the plants 
can be covered to protect them from frost. 
GRAMA OR BUNCH GRASS, 
places tho cactus or prickly pear occupies con- 
slderntila space. While this grass lias remurka- 
blo flattening qualities, being perhaps nearly 
equal to Oats or eorti, the fiber is too stringy and 
tough to make tender beef; miff a finishingpro- 
was Of roots or grain fed In stables is required, 
although no one here ha# yet thought of such a 
thing. I may niisuike, but this is my Judgment 
in the case." 
[Wc give, herewith, an illustration of this 
Grama grass, or Bunch grass of California, 
which Mr. Gregory says is Identical with the 
Mesquite grass of Texas.-Eus. Rural N. Y. 
The Trophy Tomato. Mr. Wilson writes:— 
“ To-day (A ugust (i) I picked the first rlpo Trophy 
tomatoes, and several plants have one or two 
nearly-ripeued specimens each. Beautiful ! 
