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NOTE FROM MY GARDEN WARD WINDOW. 
If there has been any winter it must have 
come around while I was in the house and 
the doors were shut. But according to cal¬ 
endar wisdom we are on the verge of spring, 
and anxiously consulting our floral cata¬ 
logues. I like to profit by a good example, 
so I am goiug to follow in the footsteps of 
Dour Hamilton and cultivate gourds. But 
in her list, given some time since, I think she 
omitted two of the veiy best:— Momordica 
balsamina and fin/onopsis eryth r near pa. 
The latter is certainly the most delicate and 
aristocratic little gourd in existence. 
I have two minds upon these subjects. 
“ If I know my own heart,” as I have heard 
good people say, I certainly worship at such 
shrines as are budded among the pansies and 
lowly things ; but l must confess that last 
summer my pride grew higher than my head 
and gloried in the gaudiness of our startling 
dahlias. I think I may be pardoned for 
praising them—but I wili do it at all risks. 
And I must begin at the root of the one that 
measured 27 inches I They were mostly self- 
color-;, and it would be hard to choose among 
them ; but I think if T were limited to three 
named ones I would take La Phase, bright 
scarlet, ; Emily, blush, with lilac tints, and 
Purity, white. They make a bouquet in 
themselves, and are remarkably thrifty and 
free-flowering, I did not know, until I 
learned it by experience, that Dahlias differ 
so widely in this respect. I think the most 
exquisite one I ever saw continually teases 
me by withering right at the base of eacli 
blossom, and consequently rarely bringing 
one to full perfection. I wonder if any one 
can prescribe a remedy I 
I am not an advertising medium, but I 
want to defend “Aunt Lou’s” roses. If 
they were as satisfactory as ours, from the 
same place,they were certainly all that could 
be desired. But I must admit the plants we 
received were not all true to name ; so we 
have two most persist ent bloomers that we 
do not know what to call. All the rest were 
nice, but none so remarkable as these. I 
only hopo I may be so fortunate as to incur 
a basketful of such displeasure as will blos¬ 
som iu Aunt Lou’s garden next summer. 
1 am getting partial to perennials, and if I 
could immortalize a few of my blossoming 
friends I would not grow anything else. 
Perennial phloxs please me exceedingly, and 
I have noticed that plants growing in shaded 
places throw out lateral shoots and give 
some of the latest flowers to be gathered in 
autumn. 
1 don’t suppose any one ever had their 
ambition gratified in regard to lilies. AU 
our Auratums suffer from that peculiar dis¬ 
ease known as “ mole-at-the-root,” except 
one bulb, which ought to be a Queen’s pen¬ 
sioner. It bore, the second spring after 
planting, thirty-wren blossoms! Will that 
be a feather for Mr. Vick’s cap ? 
“ Leave out the poetry,” was the editorial 
injunction for writers in this department. 
I’m sure there is none iu this note! but I 
shall be expecting a command for my special 
benefit will read—“Leave out the non¬ 
sense 1” 
I will close by requesting “ Daily Rural,” 
or some other authority, to give me a trio of 
plants for pot culture. I need to retrench, 
and I cannot make a satisfactory selection. 
I spoil all by having too many ; and if some¬ 
body can help me to decide, I will promise 
to “love, cherish and protect” the three 
from insect, dust, drouth, rivals, See., until 
-1 am tempted more than I can bear 1 
Rose Geranium. 
ABOUT SPORTING GERANIUMS. 
In your kind response to my inquiry as to 
whether a Gold or .Silver Tricolor is known 
to have changed to zoneless green under our 
summer sun, you state that the Tricolors are 
descended from the old Zonal® through Ce¬ 
rise Unique, and Commander-in-Chief. In 
1855 there were no Golden Tricolors. Golden 
Chain (a supposed sport of P, inqtncms) was 
the only yellow-margined variety. During 
the latter part of this year Mr. P. Grieve 
mixed Cottage Maid (a seedling of liis own) 
with Golden Chain, producing Golden Tom 
Thumb and Golden Cerise Unique, In 1856 
Emperor of the French and Golden Tom 
Thumb produced Gold Pheasant. The pa¬ 
rents of Mrs. Pollock were Emperor of the 
French and Gold Pheasant. The parents of 
Emperor of the French were Cerise Unique 
and Kingborn’s Attraction, the first Silver 
Tricolor, producing on one plant the three 
distinct varieties, Emperor and Empress of 
the French and Rainbow. 
I am aware that Bicolor and Tricolor rep¬ 
resent distinct species of Pelargoniums from 
the Cape of Good Hope. We have no right, 
therefore, to trifle with botanical accuracy 
by again appropriating these specific names 
for our gold or silver variegated geraniums, 
as most of American catalogues and florists 
do. In fact, Tricolor is not, per se, a suitable 
name for them. The green disc, white or 
golden margin and darkly colored zone— | 
air, change to carbonate of lime, and will be 
so insoluble that you will see them for years 
in the soil. It wants to lie immediately dis¬ 
solved, and as it takes some 40 pounds of 
water to oue barrel of lime, it will be at once 
seen that on dry land it should he applied in 
small doses, and even on heavy land in small 
doses, even if necessary to apply often. 
Preparation of Bone Dual, for Tobacco .— 
A Massachusetts farmer says: —Bone dust 
boiled in strong solut ion of potash and mixed 
with sand and barreled and covered a short 
FANCY CARD BASKET. — (Se© page 191.) 
broken, overlapped, or variegated with rose 
or crimson—make /onr dlstict colorings; so 
that Quadricolor—if we wish to indicate the 
number of essential colors by the term— 
should be their name. 
The direct heat of the sun in summer is too 
powerful for the vivid colors of Quadricolor 
foliage ; to such an extent is their constitu¬ 
tional vigor impaired by the variegation or 
abstraction of chlorophyll. As whatever in¬ 
jures their foliage must impair their digestive 
and respiratory organs, the strength of the 
entire plant is, therefore, temporarily af¬ 
fected. But as soon as they are removed to 
a shadier or cooler location, the plants very 
soon regain their healthy action, and the 
variegation natural to them is soon restored. 
River F.dgo, Bergen Co., N..T. E.S. Carman. 
—-- 
FLORICULTURAL NOTES. 
Hand Seed Drill.—A very simple, and at 
/ the same time a 
very expeditious 
and effective mode 
of planting small 
J seeds is to put them 
I yj^tk I in a w i n o bottle, 
Vwith a quill inserted 
my * n ^ le col 'h, as shown 
in the cut. if the 
r" seeds are extremely 
' small, and it is nee 
~ - — essary to sow them 
thinly, mix the seed with dry sand before it 
is put in the bottle. 
Variegated Ice Plant.— Mr. CllITTY, Pater¬ 
son, N. J,, our contributor, exhibited the only 
specimen of the plant in this country at that 
time, at a recent meeting of the Pennsylvania 
Hort. Soc. Borne thief stole a piece of it to 
propagate from, and we pity him ; for this 
contemptible act has received the condemna¬ 
tion of every honorable horticulturist in 
Philadelphia and elsewhere. 
<2$ai[m (Biiottomtr. 
ABOUT MANURES AND FERTILIZERS. 
Bone Dust on Grans Lands, —A Connecti¬ 
cut farmer says he has tried bone on grass 
land time and again without any satisfactory 
results and has come to the conclusion that 
if anybody Is benefited by it, it will be the. 
next, generation. 
Peruvian Guano onFartn Crops. —A farm¬ 
er says:—“ I have tried Peruvian Guano 
with satisfactory results on spring grain and 
tobacco but would not recommend any one 
to depend upon it for renovating grass lands. 
It acts too quick and is gone too quick to be 
of any permanent benefits." 
Leaving Manure in Small Heaps. —The 
New England Farmer says :—In case it is left 
in small heaps on the field, a large portion of 
the soluble part is washed out during the 
winter, and goes directly into the soil under 
the heap, causing the succeeding crop to 
lodge and rot over these spots, while the 
land between the heaps gets much less than 
its due proportion of the fertilizing proper¬ 
ties of the manure applied. 
Applying Lime to Land .— L, II. Whitney 
in the New England Homestead says :—Lime 
should be applied when dry slaked, and 
caustic, on a dry day, when the land is dry 
enough not to lump it, and be well worked 
in with a line harrow. If there are many 
lumps from the size of a pea to a walnut, 
l those lumps will rapidly, by exposure to the 
time and then applied to tobacco in the hill 
has proved with me superior to phosphate. 
When your barrels are uncovered ammonia 
will be distinct ly discovered by its pungent 
odor • and it must be used immediately, and 
mixed with tho soil. 
Surface Manuring, —A Missouri fanner 
says In my opinion the most profitable 
way that manure can be applied is, on the 
surface. In the months of January, Februa¬ 
ry or March, when the ground is frozen— 
and if covered with snow so much tho bet¬ 
ter—I collect all my stable manure and 
scatter it thinly on the growing wheat on 
the poorest spots in ray field, about a wagon 
load to live or six square rods. There is no 
danger of covering or killing the wheat; if 
you cover up one spear, live will grow in the 
place of it. I find by repeated trials of tins 
method, that the poorest places in my field, 
when thus treated, always make the most 
and best wheat. And manure applied iu this 
way will increase the fertility of the ground 
for a number of years. I believe, and am 
satisfactorily convinced that manure applied 
in this way will do fully as much good as in 
any other way. 
‘ Plaster as a, Fertilizer. —A correspondent 
of the Maine Farmer suggests to farmers as 
a'means of determining whether it will pay 
them to use plaster or not, that they try 
small quantities on different parts of their 
fields and on different crops and note results. 
When it is found where it will pay, use it in 
such cases liberally. He evidently don’t 
believe that the same advice concerning it. 
will apply to all soils, localities and crops; 
and he is right ; a.lso that each farmer should 
determine such questions for himself by 
experiment. 
MARKETABLE MAPLE SUGAR. 
Rhodes and Server, commission mer¬ 
chants of this city, say, iu their Maple Sugar 
Circular :—“ The main objection to the sugar 
coming to this market is that it is black and 
dirty looking, caused by soot falling in it 
while boiling, and dust and leaves falling in 
the sap while under the trees. How can this 
appearance be avoided without adulterating 
the sugar f 
The remedy is simple and will surprise you 
when tried, viz.: When tho sap has boiled 
to about half the consistency of sirup, add to 
quantity required to make a pound of sugar 
a tablespoonful of new, sweet milk ; let it 
boil five or ten minute*, and strain through a 
coarse linen cloth. The milk collects all the 
fine particles of dust and soot, and causes 
same to remain in the cloth. In “sugaring 
off,” if a, scum arises It should be carefully 
>-kimmed off, During the whole time the 
sirup Is boiling, after it begins to bubble, and 
after being taken from the fire, until cool 
enough to pour into the molds, it should be 
briskly stirred. Small cakes and squares 
weighing a pound each sell best. Sassafras 
spiles should always bo used in tapping the 
trees. Don’t use. Sumac. Tin pans are best 
to catch the sap into ; if these cannot be ob¬ 
tained, Whitewood troughs may be used. 
Follow the above closely, and you will have 
nice, white sugar,” 
-- 
Hen Manure for Onions.— The German 
town Telegraph says Hen manure, where 
only a small quantity is gathered, is better 
adapted to the growing of onions than any¬ 
thing we have ever tried. Although a very 
powerful manure, we ha ve dosed our onion 
beds liberally, and never saw any but the 
best results. When large quantities are 
saved, it should be made fine, mixed with 
two or three times its bulk of gypsum, and 
applied to the corn hills at planting time. 
flmologinri. 
APPLES FOR KENTUCKY. 
At the recent meeting of the Kentucky 
Horticultural Society it recommended the 
following list, for general culture : 
Summer. — Early Harvest, Carolina Red 
June, Red Astrachan, Sweet Bough, Benoni, 
Golden Sweet, Jersey Sweet, Graveustcin, 
Summer Queen. 
Fall. Maiden’s Blush, Porter, Face Pippin, 
Faawine, Rome Beauty, Ram bo, Pennsyl¬ 
vania Red Streak. 
Winter. —Ben Davis, Winosap, Lady Fin¬ 
ger, Smith’s Cider, Lansingburg, Shockley. 
The following were recommended for trial 
as promising and worth testing : — Stark, 
Lawyer, Boyd, Maxie, Grimes’ Golden, 
Huntsman’s Favorite, Taunton, Horn, Cam- 
ack’s Sweet, Klaproth, Muskmelon, Partner¬ 
ship, Summer King, Mary Womack, White 
Winter Pearmain, Moore's Sweet, Red Win¬ 
ter Sweet, Big Green. 
-- 
P0M0L0GICAL NOTES. 
Early Beatrice, Peach.— The Agriculturist 
says : — Some three years ago we noticed 
the receipt of specimens of the fruit from 
North Carolina, and have kept watch of its 
progress since. Our trees were injured by 
the severe cold of last winter, but it has been 
fruited in a number of localities since. Col. 
Edward Wilkins, of Kent County, Md.. who 
is probably the largest peach grower in the 
world, has planted largely of the Early Beat¬ 
rice. Hale's Early, heretofore our earliest 
variety, in most localities rots badly, while 
this is from ten to twenty days earlier, ships 
well and, as far as heard from, is free from 
rot. It is worthy of the attention of peach 
growers, and if it fulfils its present promise 
will add another leaf to the pomological lau 
rel that crowns the venerable head of Thomas 
Rivers, its originator. 
A New Canada. Apple. —A new apple, 
originated in Canada by Mr. Charles Arnold, 
from a cross fertilization of tho Wagener, 
Northern Spy and Spitzenburg, is highly 
spoken of by the Canada Farmer. In form 
it Is much like the Wagener, but has the col¬ 
oring of the Spy. “ Tho apple is of medium 
size, having a yellow flesh, which is very 
tender and juicy, of • very good ’ quality, if 
not * best,’ presenting a blending of the flavor 
of tho Wagener and the Spy. Wo learn that 
the Fruit Growers’ Association have made 
arrangements with Mr. Arnold t,o grow a 
sufficient number of the trees of this variety 
to enable them to distribute one to each 
member as soon as they can be raised,” 
Red Astrachan Apple in Wisconsin. —A. 
L. Hatch, Ithaca, Wis,, thus depreciates this 
apple :—“There are hundreds of the trees in 
this section, but wo verily believe that there 
was not a bushel of them grown in this coun¬ 
try last year. The trouble seems to be that 
they do not bear. Duchess of Oldenburg 
will bear five times the fruit. It is true the 
trees are handsome, and hardy. What we 
want, however, is fruit, aud wo have never 
known the Red Astrachan to bear heavily. 
Some claim it to bear well. If it does, it 
must bo on good sites, where other sorts do 
still better. From the length of time it has 
been before the public, it certainly ought to 
show itself in the markets and in every or¬ 
chard. Does it do so ?” 
Me.noe.her' « No-Core Apple. — A corres¬ 
pondent of the Gardener’s Monthly at New 
Florence, Pa., says :—“ We have an excellent 
winter apple here in Ligonier Valley, culti¬ 
vated in a few orchards near the center of 
the valley, known as Menoeher’s No-Core. 
We know of no finer apple than this, and it 
is truly named “ No-Core,” as there is scarcely 
the semblance of a core in it. 
New Jersey Stra wberry List. —Wm, Parry 
of New Jersey is reported as preferring the 
folic wing varieties of strawberries mentioned 
in the order of their ripening :—New Jersey 
Scarlet, French, Wilson’s Albany, Seth Boy- 
den, Charles Downing, Mouarch of the West, 
Dr. Warder, Black Defiance, Col. Cheney, 
Late Prolific, Kissena and Kentucky. 
The. Mary Pear is spoken of as ripening 
from the middle to the last of July, is of 
vigorous growth, very productive and an 
early bearer on both quince and pear stock— 
of small to medium size, depending upon 
soil, uniform in size, with a bright red cheek; 
quality “ very good.” 
Starr’s Prolific Cherry is said to be of Nova 
Scotia origin, and pronounced by the Canada 
Farmer to be “a cherry of considerable 
promise”—the tree being hardy, “bearing 
j most profusely,” and the fruit hearing a 
I close resemblance to the May Duke. 
