ghtrtr of it ^uraltst 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
Prom the Diary of n Centleman near Mew 
York City. 
AMONO THE SHRUBBERY. 
Feb. 20.—One cannot do much in the gar¬ 
den yet on account of frozen ground or mud; 
for these alternate almost daily at this sea¬ 
son, especially in our cold climate. But as 
the snow has gone for the present, although 
we shall probably get a few more Hakes be¬ 
fore spring, the bare ground invites us to 
look about the garden in anticipation of the 
coming fruits and flowers. These occasional 
pleasant days are just what we need to do 
up the little odd jobs in the way of pruning 
which otherwise might be neglected. A 
sharp knife and a pair of pruning shears arc 
good things to cany in one’s pocket while he 
looks around among the trees and shrubbery; 
and as the latter is usually, or at least should 
be, nearest the house, it is but natural that I 
reach them first. 
Perhaps it is not necessary to tell those 
who have cultivated choice kinds of shrubs 
that pruning La frequently quite beneficial, 
not only to give the specimens, dumps and 
groups a symmetrical shape, keep within 
proper or proscribed limits, but to assist the 
production of an abundance of flowers. But 
to prune judiciously, it is necessary to know 
something of the habits of the different 
kinds. For instance, if we should shorten or 
shear off all the terminal buds of our lilac 
bushes,we would cutaway all the flower buds 
of this season, because these plants produce 
flowers mainly on the terminal shoots of last 
season’s growth. But the Rose of Sharon 
produces its flowers ou the young growth of 
the season, consequently the more severe 
the pruning in spring the greater vigor and 
abundance of young wood, followed by an 
increase in number and size of flowers. 
The lesson we learn from these two exam¬ 
ples is this : —Those kinds of shrubs which 
produce their flowers mainly on wood grown 
last season, should not have their branches 
s hortened or cut back in spring ; but those 
of an opposite habit may be severely pruned 
in this manner with benefit. The time to 
prune the lilacs, if the plants are growing 
too tall, is as soon as out of bloom in spring ; 
then new shoots for next, year’s blooming - 
will be produced during the summer. Of 
course, cutting away of superfluous branches, 
thinning out the inside of the clumps may bo 
done at any time without danger of injury 
to plant or flowers. The Lilacs, Syringes, 
Wiegelas. Snowballs, Spineas, Magnolias 
and Deut.zias belong to tliia class of plants 
which produce their flowers either from ter¬ 
minal buds or from small side spurs on wood 
of one or more years' old ; consequently, 
pruning should be confined mainly to thin 
mug out or heading back the tall, vigorous 
young canes of last season’s growth, such as 
arc usually seen in clumps of Syringas and 
Wiegelas, 
Many of the shrubs are naturally of a very 
straggiing habit, and require some pruning 
to keep them in good shape. A little obser¬ 
vation in regard to time of blooming and the 
position of the flowers will guide almost any 
one in the right direction in regard to prun¬ 
ing. 
There is also something else required be¬ 
sides pruning shrubs to make them come tip 
to our ideas of perfection ; that is, giving 
them an abundance of food. Vigorous growth 
cannot be secured in poor ground, no matter 
how much culture of soil and pruning may 
be done. A few loads of manure scattered 
among the shrubs at this time and worked 
into tiie soil a little later in the Reason, will 
often do wonders towards the production of 
fine foliage and flowers. These are some of 
the things which I tun now doing with my 
shrubbery, but not all ; for to give a com¬ 
plete chapter on shrubs and a shrubbery 
would require a volume. It is not to be 
supposed that every one can devote much 
time or money to the culture of such plants ; 
but no garden is complete without its shrubs, 
and a few well eared for, are better than 
many neglected. 
IN THE GREENHOUSE. 
Feb, 21,—A gentleman asks me to tell him 
what I am doing among my greenhouse 
plants at this season. Well, it is difficult to 
say, although I keep constantly putUring at 
something whenever occasion presents. Of 
course, my operations among greenhouse 
plants are rather diminutive in comparison 
with those florists wlio make their culture a 
business ; but I claim to realize more pleas¬ 
ure because it is a work of love not founded on 
a money-making basis ; and an hour a day in 
my greenhouse is no more than any laboring ; 
man ought to afford for pleasure. This morn- I 
ing I received a dozen new roses which had 
to be potted and placer! In the shade until 
the leaves and young shoots revive, when 
they will be brought out Into the light. 
Whether these novelties, costing from one 
to two dollars each for small plants, will be 
superior to the older and cheaper sorts, re¬ 
mains to be seen ; but those who will have 
new things must pay the price for the same. 
My own opinion, in advance of positive 
knowledge, is that there is not one among 
them equal to those I have had for several 
years ; but I am willing to pay for my edu¬ 
cation, hence the purchase of a few high- 
priced sorts. Then there is a pleasure In 
watching and waiting, even if it, all does end | 
in disappointment; for were it not so, there 
would be very little progress, and the great¬ 
est incentive to labor would be annihilated. 
As the days lengthen and the sun gives us 
more heat, we begin the propagation of 
many plants which we only try to keep alive 
during the greater part of winter. This is 
particularly the case with soft-bedding plants 
like CqleuB and Achyranthus ; for there is 
very little use trying to increase the number 
fluring the short, cloudy days of winter, even 
in a warm house. But in March the cuttings, 
if placed in moist, warm sand, and covered 
with glazed frames, strike root very freely— 
about a week or ten days being sufficient. 
The young growth of roses made into cut¬ 
tings two inches long and placed in a con¬ 
fined, warm atmosphere, grow quite readily. 
Geraniums mid many similar plants with 
large, rather succulent stems, require less 
heat and moisture and may be propagated 
from cuttings without what the gardeners 
call “bottom heatthat ia, where the heat 
is supplied from the bottom as in a hot-bed, 
or over the hot. water pipes in a greenhouse. 
I am also striking cuttings of the young 
shoot« of Verbenas, Fuchsias, Heliotropes, 
LanLonas, and all the various kinds of bed¬ 
ding plants. The cuttings are made from the 
little, tender shoots, and not over two inches 
long. A few of the lower or base leaves of 
the cuttings are removed, and then they arc 
put close together in the frames or boxes 
and covered with glass in order to prevent 
too rapid evaporation of sap from the leaves, 
which would cause them to wilt and die. If 
a person has no conservatory in which to 
propagate such plants, then shallow boxes of 
convenient sizes, to be covered with a pane 
of glass, may lie used instead, keeping these 
in a warm room, occasionally placing the 
box near a Are, where the temperature of 
the sand within will be raised to 80'or 90°. 
Such tender, green cuttings require more 
heat and care than those made from mature, 
woody stems ; but they strike root m less 
than half the time, which makes up for the 
extra care required. 
Seeds of Scarlet Sage, Verbenas and simi- . 
lar plants wanted in quantities for planting 
out this spring, may now be started in boxes ( 
or pots the same as many persons do tomato . 
plants. 1 noticed that my seedling Verbenas 
were already making their appearance this 
morning, although only sowed last week. Of j 
course I do not expect to raise any £100 prize 
sorts among these seedlings ; still, as a rule, 
they make about as good show in the garden j 
as those costing £0 or §8 per 100 ; while those , 
1 raise from seed do not cost 50 cents per 100. ’ 
Scarlet Sage plants from seed are as good as ' 
those raised from cuttings ; and a 25 cent ' 
paper of seed will produce several dozen c 
plants such as sell in May at £1 per dozen. 
It. requires very little skid to raise such plants 
even in an ordinary room, and one’s garden J’ 
cau be made gay without any considerable 
expense in money. 
upon bts back on the book shelves, though 
not dead ; No. S was in my sleeve. I was sit- 
ling one day reading, and felt something 
“nip” my arm ; upon opening mv cuff, out 
ran that little glossy fellow. During: the 
corning summer, I think I can fiend you some 
handsome specimens from this State. Was 
very much interested with the account given 
of your trip West lost fall. 1 hope, when the 
N. P. ILR. is completed you will take another 
trip and reach, far off, beautiful Oregon.— 
Mhh. H. M,, Corvallis, Oregon ,. 
Thanks for the specimens, for anything of 
the kind coming from the Pacific regions are 
always interesting. No. 1 is JSrgates spicu- 
latus, Lec, a gigantic Longieorn beetle, the 
larva of which feeds in the pine, 1 found 
one in Colorado last suminer, just crawling 
out from an old Pimm pinderosa, or Heavy- 
wooded Pine ; hut it probably infests other 
species of Pine, No. 2, a beautiful green 
beetle about three fourths of an inch long, 
and of an oblong, oval shape, Is Ancylochira 
Langii (Leg). Its larva also feeds upon the 
Pine and probably upon other kinds of Ever¬ 
green trees. 1 think tliia is a Western spe¬ 
cies, and not found East of the Mountains. 
No. 8, the small, slender, green beetle, with 
pretty strong jaws for so small a fellow', is 
Temnochila chlordia, (M vnn,) one of the 
many species of beetles which live under the 
bark of old logs. No. 1, Necrojihilus hydro- 
philoide (MaNN). It belongs to the Silphidir. 
a family of beetles living mainly upon car¬ 
rion, therefore Useful ill tlieir way by aiding 
in the decomposition of such offensive sub¬ 
stances. 
dSmulcir. 
GARDENING FOR CHILDREN. 
NAMES OF INSECTS WANTED. 
Feb. 23.— Daily Rural Life :—I send you 
a few beetles for name. I should be pleased 
to have the names of No. 24, 29 and 42, if not 
of the others.—L. W. G., Amherst, Mass. 
The specimens sent are all of the minute 
kind, and although rather trying to my old 
eyes, even with the aid of a powerful lens, 1 
have made them out, and here are tlieir 
names, as follows :—No. 4, Paria aterrima ; 
9, Aphodius fimetarius; 16, Sercca vesper¬ 
tine; 19, Brackys ovata; 20, Dichelonycha 
linearis; 22, Chrysomela suturalis; 24, Can- 
ifa pallipes ; 27, Odontota scupulnris ; 28, 
Luperus ineraca; 29, Brachycantha pustu- 
lata; 30, Eluter pedalis; 32, Alliculu ni- 
grans; 31, Anomala lucicola; 35, Agrtlus 
ruJicoUis; 41, Parandu brunnva, both males; 
the females do not have as large jaws and 
smaller bodies ; 42, Tetraopes tetraopthal- 
mus; 217, Chrysomelu clivicoltis. 
INSECTS FROM OREGON. 
Daily Rural Life :—Accompanying this 
note I send you four Oregon “bugs” in a 
small tin box for names. No. 1 I found in 
the apple room ; No. 2 I found lying helpless 
Few parents probably ever t hi n k what 
an influence a few lessons on gardening 
would have on the future life of a child. 
Every one knows how the acts of childhood 
last in the memory, even into old age, and 
this influence may be either good or bad, 
like the act itself ; therefore, knowing this, 
we have a good Incentive for teaching our 
children that which shall be useful to them 
in future years. Gardening ip, however, sel¬ 
dom taught to children, although one of the 
most useful kinds of knowledge which they 
could obtain. Perhaps the reason why it is 
so is because there are few' able to teach ; 
but it needs only a beginning to make the 
next generation much in the advance of this. 
The boy is set at work hoeing or digging, 
but no one explains any motive for the act, 
consequently his interest in the w'ork docs 
not reach beyond the mere manipulation of 
the soil, and what might become mental re¬ 
creation and a pleasure, is the worst kind of 
drudgery. If he was told why the soil was 
stirred and its effect, there would be some¬ 
thing more t han the usual incentive for work 
and the lesson would be remembered. A 
child should never be allowed to do any work 
without first knowing its object ; aud the 
parent that is capable of explaining this 
clearly will not be very likely to permit an 
improper act. 
By what we here call gardening may well 
include more or less of farming, because the 
farmer raises plants as well as the gardener. 
Neither do we believe in confining a knowl¬ 
edge of gardening to boys, for it will do 
girls no harm even if they should never have 
occasion to use it. Let the boy begin by 
raising plants himself, sowing the seeds and 
tending the plants as they appear, and pro¬ 
gress soon becomes a constant source of de¬ 
light as well as knowledge. Begin with 
annuals, for they come into perfection soon, 
and will not tax the patience of the child too 
severely at first. A few' perennials may also 
be started at the same time, and a few words 
of ex planation will soon show him the dif¬ 
ference and how to distinguish the two 
classes. Gay flowers usually attract most, 
but melons, or other annua] fruits, may well 
come in for a share of attention. One step 
in this direction will lead to others, and a 
boy or girl who would, under the usual course 
pursued by farmers, hate gardening will be¬ 
come thoroughly imbued with a love for it 
and all its surroundings. The hoeing, raking, 
digging and other operations in the garden, 
when their use is fully explained, become 
very interesting even to older persons, but 
they are remember ed better if taught in 
youth. 
If we are ever to be a nation of good gar¬ 
deners or farmers we must have the science 
of the thing taught to children. Our com¬ 
mon schools must be made more practical 
and interesting to children, for the science 
of every-day life and its surroundings are 
full of interesting and useful lessons, and 
these need to be placed foremost, and dry, 
book-lessons second or last. A knowledge 
of how that weed by the school-house door¬ 
step grows is of more consequence to the 
child than the age of the Egyptian Pyramids 
or the hight of Pompey’s Pillar. We were 
taught wheD a child to repeat many a false¬ 
hood by the yard, because they were in 
school books, but never had a teacher who 
could tell which way a Lima beanstalk 
turned around a pole, or why it turned at 
all. Now, while farmers are making war 
upon those who oppress them, had they not 
better look into the school-houses and see 
that their children are being taught that 
which shall be most useful to them as farm¬ 
ers and farmers’ wives. 
-♦♦♦ - 
MUSHROOM HOUSE AND MANAGEMENT. 
I am frequently' asked by' amateurs how to 
grow mushrooms, and having had a large 
share of success for many years, perhaps a 
few notes descriptive of my method may' be 
acceptable to some of your readers. 
The house should have a north aspect, in 
which case you may grow mushrooms nearly 
all the year round ; and the roof, of what¬ 
ever material it may be, should be ceiled, as 
its being ho tends to keep the temperature 
more uniform. The heating medium should 
be hot-water pipes, or a brick flue. 
The beds, or shelves, ought to be arranged 
as conveniently as possible ; I prefer them of 
wood, one foot deep and three feet wide. I 
usually commence forcing about the first 
week in September, Horse droppings are 
collected every morning from the stables 
and placed under cover, and when I have 
enough for a bed I make it up at once, mix¬ 
ing with the droppings one barrowful of 
loam to six of drippings. The bed should be 
made quite firm. As soon as the heat begins 
to rise I make holes with a dibber eight 
inches apart over the whole bed. In three 
or four days the heat will begin to decline ; 
when it is about 75“ the bed is ready to 
spawn. It is then covered with on© inch of 
loam and beaten quite smooth, and a moder¬ 
ate covering of hay' placed upon it. In four 
or five weeks the greater portion of the hay 
may be. removed, leaving just sufficient to 
cover the surface. I never water the bed, 
but if the hay feels dry a very slight dewing- 
over is given it. In six weeks the mush¬ 
rooms will begin to appear, and will continue 
producing for about tliree months. Succes- 
sional beds should be made up according 
to the requirements.— Thomas Prosser, in 
Cottage Gardener. 
-«.++- 
GARDENERS’ NOTES. 
Oats as a Mulch for Strawberries.— D. TV. 
Herstine informs the Practical Farmer of 
his success in seeding down oats as a nmlch 
for his strawberries. It seems to answer 
exactly, and is perhaps loss trouble and ex¬ 
pense than any other at command. He 
sowed the oats broadcast all over Ms straw¬ 
berry patch about the 15th of September. 
Their growth is of course small at first, and 
does not interfere with the strawberries. 
When it lias made a larger growth it is of 
course checked by severe frosts and after¬ 
ward killed by the winter, when it falls down 
over the plants, making a complete and suffi¬ 
cient covering till spring, when the young 
plants readily push through it. He states 
the idea was not original with him. 
Trouble with Melons — (J. S. Curtis, Ari¬ 
zona Ter.).—We cannot tell why your melons 
should crack open before ripening, having 
had no experience in such a climate as that 
of Arizona. Perhaps y'ou apply too much 
water in irrigating the land, or that, it Is too 
cold, thereby checking the growth at certain 
periods. Tills would be very likely to pro¬ 
duce results similar to those you name. We 
do not know of any way' for you to discover 
the cause, except by experimenting. 
Golden Ball Turnip, —I have raised them 
for two years, and they show no sign of de¬ 
cay. On the contrary, they seem to be a 
very hardy turnip, and are very nice for the 
table. They do not yield like the Strap-leaf 
Purple-top. I sow after early peas on sandy 
land, and mix the seed, about one-fourth or 
one-third Golden Ball, with Strap-leaf Pur¬ 
ple-top. They are easily separated when we 
pull and top them.— J. K. Sabin, Niagara 
Co., N. Y. 
Manuring Cabbage.—(“ A Subscriber,” ' 
Wakefield, Mass.).—Thoroughly incorporate 
your manure with the soil ; don’t put it in 
hills with the Beed. We would not plant 
cabbage on freshly-turned grass land if we 
had any other. 
Drain in a Garden—( James Davis).— Yes; 
your cellar drain will answer as a garden 
drain, and a common tile drain will answer. 
