S 70 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
giitrg of a pluralist. 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
From the Diary of a Gentleman near New 
York Cltv. 
A DOZEN HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 
April 8.—One of my correspondents says, 
“I have room for about a dozen choice, hardy, 
herbaceous plants in my small garden; please 
give me the names of 12 really fine sorts, 
such as can be had of our best florists and 
nurserymen. 7 ’ 
Beginning with the lirsb letters of the al¬ 
phabet, I name Ant Hite Japonic, a as a splen¬ 
did beginning of a small or largo collection. 
It is a low-growing plant, with a kind of 
half-tuberous roots produced in large clumps 
or stools, from which the flower stornH shoot 
up in spring, terminated with long, bl anch¬ 
ing, pyramidal spikes of small, silvery-white 
flowers. This is one of the indispensable 
plants to every flower garden, it being very 
hardy, easily propagated by dividing the 
roots. It i~> also an excellent plant for forc¬ 
ing, and a few roots potted at almost any 
time during winter will come into bloom in 
a few weeks if kept in a warm room and 
given plenty of water after they commence 
growth. I have three large plants now in 
full bloom in my window, and 1 should 
scarcely know how to make a handsome 
bouquet at this season without having a few 
small branches of Ast.ilbe to work in, to give 
it a light, graceful appearance. This plant 
is neither scarce nor expensive. 
Anemone Japonico.—A very strong grow¬ 
ing robust plant blooming in autumn, with 
deep rose-colo»cd flowers. A variety of the 
above, known us A. Honorific Joubert , with 
pure white ilovPCrs, should a lways be planted 
as a companion, as it blooms at the same 
time. 
Aquilcgia oarulea, from the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains, is a magnificent species, with flowers 
blue and white. 
Campanula grandijlora, — Flowers large, 
fine, deep blue: blooms in June and July. 
The roots are large and fleshy, penetrating 
to a considerable distance into the earth. 
Usually quite hardy in all the Northern 
States, but in on open, snowless winter, the 
crowns will sometimes be injury!, unless 
covered with a little coarse manure. There 
is a variety with white, semi-double flowers, 
also very desirable. 
Chclonc barbata .—A tall-growing, rather 
slender plant, with very bright, scarlet flow¬ 
ers produced in mid-summer. 
ClcmaUs integrifolia. — As is well known, 
most of the Clematis arc climbing plants, 
but this is one of the low-growing herba¬ 
ceous species, which are very desirable. The 
flowers are of a rich, blue color, bordered 
with white. 
Convallaria majalis, or Lily of the Valley. 
—No one would think of dispensing with this 
charming little plant, no matter how small 
the garden or select the collection. 
Coreopsis tenuifolia ,—Yellow flowers are 
no great favorites of mine, still a clump of 
this plant is admissible and desirable, even 
for its very fine, pretty leaves, if one does 
not fancy its small, yellow blossoms. 
Dicentra spectabills. — Tins is, without 
doubt, the most beautiful herbaceous plant 
in cultivation. Its rosy colored flowers are 
produced in long, graceful racemes and in 
great profusion. The roots are large and 
fleshy and somewhat tuberous, and will grow 
in any rich soil. 
Funkia alba odora (White Day Lily).—A 
very old plant, but nevertheless always de¬ 
sirable. Its long, pure white, fragrant (low¬ 
ers are nor. excelled even by the latest novel¬ 
ties among Japanese lilies. 
Lychnis Flos-cuculi or Cuckoo Lyclmis, 
also sometimes called Double Ragged Rob¬ 
in — a beautiful old plant that does not 
appear to go out of fashion. 
Papavcr orientate .—This magnificent spe¬ 
cies of poppy isa native of China. The flow 
erp are six to eight inches in diameter, bril¬ 
liant orange scarlet, with a dark spot at tin- 
base of each petal. The roots are large, fleshy, 
and increase in size .from year to year, form¬ 
ing large clumps, 
I have now named a dozen or more ol’ really 
flue plants, although only reaching the letter 
P in the alphabet; but when my correspond¬ 
ent has obtained and fully enjoyed the above, 
perhaps she will want the list continued 
down to Z. 
THE GRASS PLAT. 
April 9.—The first blade of green grass 
which appears in spring is always a welcome 
sight, for it gives to us a promise of greater 
things to come and near at hand. It is a 
pity, however, that the admiration which 
some persons pretend to have for this simple 
production of nature at this season, could not 
hold out throughout the entire summer : for 
if it did, what charming little grass plats and 
lawns would greet our eyes everywhere, 
from city sidewalks to the most remote 
country homes ! Job was not far out of the 
way in his estimation of the value ard im¬ 
portance Of grass ; but had he Studied the 
beautiful as well as useful in nature, he 
would have added to Ins well known com¬ 
ments that the foundation of art as applied 
to ornamentation of home surroundings in 
grass. It matters net whether it be four 
square feet or 40 acres—it’s the groundwork 
and background of the picture which every 
one tries to fill up as an (deal or real home. 
The little grass plat in the front yard, or the 
more pretentious lawn, are the indicators 
which show to the stranger, as he passes 
along the road, whether the owner and his 
famiiy are of neat and tasty habits, indus¬ 
trious, prosperous and, more than all, love 
the place they call home. A little raking 
and cleaning up just after the snow leaves 
the ground, will not answer any more than 
piety on Sunday makes a good Christian ; 
the thing must be kept in order during the 
entire summer, and the richer and deeper 
the soil, the purer the color and more luxu- 
riant the grass. 1 like to see flowers, trees 
and ornamental shrubs around a dwelling; 
but could I have but one, it should be a well 
kept grass plat. I know that some of my 
farmer friends will call this all “nonsense 
but it is just as sure a sign of good breeding, 
taste and refinement in the owner a.s speech, 
dress and behavior in the man, If I were a 
peddler of humbug nostrums or worthless 
patents, 1 would want no better introduction 
to my victims than the grass plat and its sur¬ 
roundings. In fact, I think that swindlers 
usually understand these signs and lake ad¬ 
vantage of them. 
CUT IT DOWN. 
April 11.—I wish I could whisper this ad¬ 
vice into everybody’s ear and have it heeded 
when trees, shrubs and vines are transplanted 
this spring. Whenever a gardener, nursery¬ 
man or any other person who understands 
the nature of plantB, removes a tree from 
one place to another, he shortens the branch¬ 
es to correspond with the loss of roots which 
occurs in transplanting. Even if every root 
is preserved entire, the removal from the 
earth lessens, for a time, their po wer of tak¬ 
ing up sustenance when again placediu posi¬ 
tion for growth, hence the necessity of prun¬ 
ing. Theoretically, lessening the nurdberof 
buds or branches may be all wrong, lint prac¬ 
tically it is the only known process of pre¬ 
serving life and insuring a Vigorous growth 
at the same time. Whenever I see a man 
carrying home a. grape vine with canes four 
to eight feet long, no doubt, thinking that lie 
is going to make such plants live and make 
a vigorous growth the same year without 
pruning, I feel like saying to him, Why 
don’t you cut it down, for the root, with a 
foot of cane, is all you want; and why cu¬ 
cumber yourself with firewood ? The deal¬ 
ers in plants know the weakness of the 
masses for purchasing “grape vines for im¬ 
mediate bearing,” and rose bushes with long 
stems that will make a great show at the 
start, as well as tall shrubs and various 
climbing vines, and they keep the very arti¬ 
cles most likely to lie called for, although 
knowing at the same time that they are cer¬ 
tain to die or at most make a very feeble 
growth unless cut down nr otherwise pruned 
severely. 
Now a man who knows anything of gar¬ 
dening will not be seen carrying home or 
paying freight on grape vines or climbing 
roses with canes upon them more than one 
or two feet long a t most. He purchases plants 
with large, healthy roots, that will produce 
the branches desired. The canes upon a 
grape vino that is to be transplanted are of no 
value except for the two or three buds near 
its base, which are to produce the canes for 
the following season. If a cane with 20 or 
50 buds is left upon a root when planted, it 
may live- and produce 10 or 20 small, weak 
shoots, none of which will be strong enough 
to bear fruit; but if it is cut. down, and only 
one or two allowed to grow, these will be 
strong, healthy, and probably bear a good 
crop the ensuiug year. The same principle 
is applicable to hundreds of fruit and orna¬ 
mental plants, such as raspberries, blackber¬ 
ries, currants, and especially to monthly 
roses planted out for flowering during the 
summer. A glance at the plants offered for 
sale in the streets of our cities or in Lhe mark¬ 
ets, will furnish a true index to the knowl¬ 
edge possessed by the majority of those who 
patronize the hucksters in these places, and 
a sad commentary upon horticultural sci¬ 
ence in America. 
ipatrons of Husbandry 
ITEMS FROM THE GRANGES. 
The Pope Das Not Given his Consent that 
Catholics may join the Patrons of Husbandry, 
ns stated in the Ritual New-Yorker hist 
week, upon what we supposed to be good 
authority; for Father James McGorlick 
writes to the Farmers’ Union, from which 
we got our data, that the Pope has not 
written to uuy one on the subject “nor lias 
lie ever given permission to any Catholic to 
join the Granges.” He adds :—“The story 
is specially concocted to deceive unthinking 
Catholics, und we would be very sorry 
to think that the Granges would look to suc¬ 
cess upon such a false basis.” 
The Gran lies and the. Patent Lav's.— James 
A. Whitney, the editor of the In von tore’ 
News-Letter, who asst-ris that he “graduated 
from the plow toil to the machine shop,” says: 
It, is an error to suppose that the. exclusive 
property secured in an invention during the 
term of a patent has ever injured the Agri¬ 
cultural Interest. On the contrary, farmers 
are, perhaps, more directly benefited by 
new inventions than any other class. Every 
process or machine that cheapens the cost of 
woolen or cotton goods, or of iron or steel, 
or of land or water transportation, is a pos¬ 
it ive benefit to the agriculturist, for it lessens 
the price of whatever he has to buy. In 
like manner, whatever diminishes the labor 
of t he farmer, increases the profit on what 
he has to sell. There would have, been none 
of the machinery that has lightened the toil 
of field and Irani and dairy of more than half 
of its drudgery during the past twenty years, 
had it, not been for the Patent Laws, that 
have virtually offered a standing premium 
lor every device or method by which com¬ 
fort and prosperity could be increased or 
labor saved. 
If the Grangers would properly appreciate 
what the Patent Laws have done for them 
and for the country, they' should recall the 
experience of a dozen years ago, when the 
war claimed the best bone and sinew of the 
rural districts, it was machinery that then 
supplied the place of every man that went 
to the front. Without patented mowers and 
reapers, meadows would have lain unmown, 
and harvests krinkled uncut to the ground. 
And these machines were created because 
inventors and manufacturers, not one or 
two,'but scores and hundreds, wotked and 
thought through long years, often in bitter¬ 
ness and disappointment and poverty, to 
elaborate every detail and fulfil every condi¬ 
tion of success, led on and cheered by the 
hope that they would be repaid at, last by 
the protection of their patents. The country 
needs every appliance that will aid the labor 
of human hands. To obtain this it must pay 
for it; for the laborer is worthy of his lure, 
il cannot fix a just price at the outset ; for 
the value of an improvement can only be 
estimated when it has been universally adopt¬ 
ed—and not even then, for its advantages 
accrue for ail time. The experience of two 
centuries and a half has shown that the 
exclusive enjoyment of his invention, during 
a limited term, is the best recompense, as 
concerns both himself and the public, that 
can be given to the inventor in return for the 
fruits of his brain. 
Strict Secrecy Necessary. — At a recent 
meeting of Granges in Vermont, the State 
Agent particularly emphasized the. essential 
importance of keeping all special prices, 
especially of machinery, Ac., strictly private. 
Manufacturers and dealers will not give their 
bottom prices unless they can feel security 
that the prices shall not be made known. In 
reference to articles made by known manu¬ 
facturers, to disclose prices is sure, in every 
case, to break up the contract at once. A 
member, for Instance, who gets a mower, a 
horse rake, horse power, or sewing machine, 
through the Grange, must be specially careful 
not to allow even the members of his own 
family to know the cost. If strict secrecy 
nan be maintained, much Lower prices can be 
had, and as this is on articles where the sum 
saved on each is comparatively large, t he im¬ 
portance of a careful observation of the 
Grangers’ obligation will be manifest to all. 
And here Grangers will see one of the reasons 
why the secret element of their order is one 
of essential importance. 
Objects of Patrons of Husbandry .—A Mis¬ 
souri Patron thus defines them :-We are far 
from aiming to pull down any legitimate 
industry, and thereby make themselves equal 
with other classes. We propose to raise our¬ 
selves up. If any drones stand between us 
and this object, we will dispense with them; 
not because we hate them, but because we 
don’t need them, and we think the [world 
will be better «ff if they should change their 
calling. We recognize the fact that other 
classes leave got ahead of ns by exercising 
t heir brains more, and we propose to take 
pattern after them to some extent, and culti¬ 
vate our brains more, as well as our lands— 
drive the plowshare of thought through the 
heavy clods of ignorance. Who will object ? 
Who May Join Ihr Patrons .—A Kentucky 
Patron says :—We ask none to join us who 
cannot see good in ( heir fellow beings, but 
to all those who have generous hearts and 
open hands to help the needy, raise thefallen 
and are willing to aid in making the labors of 
this life cheerful, we say welcome ! 
IlYri Virginia Patrons Opposed to the 
Centennial. — Thn West Virginia Patrons 
have sent word to the Congressional delega¬ 
tion of that State that they object to an 
appropriation for the Centennial when Con¬ 
gress is talking of increasing the taxes. They 
do not believe that the Centennial will be of 
much or any advantage to farmers, mechan¬ 
ics or laboring men, or other producers. 
Placing the fle.sjionsibility .—A Mississippi 
Patron says: — The traders are not all to 
blame for our misfortunes ; we run our own 
necks into the halter that lias made us vassals 
to the trader. Some go in debt, live luxuri¬ 
ously, buy fine clothes, and at the expiration 
of the year their crops fail to meet their 
engagements, when they are to blame t hem¬ 
selves. We are now occupying an abnormal 
position, instead of being rulers over the 
financial world, as God intended us to be, we 
have made ourselves the veriest slaves that 
ever lived, a just punishment for such un¬ 
faithful servants. Each of us should deter¬ 
mine to let others do as they may, we will 
not go in debt for any thing we possibly can 
do without, and not only resolve but carry it 
out. Tins must be ably assisted by industry; 
“ we should work ourselves and train our 
sons and daughters and all about us to work.” 
We should try to create an interest for them 
in farm and kitchen, and all that pertains to 
the home place, and make it a delight instead 
of a burthen. 
UijqiDuic Information. 
HYGIENIC NOTES. 
7’o Remove Boils, —Dr. Simon, a physician 
of Lorraine, gives a new cure for boils, by 
treating them with camphorated alcohol. 
As soon as the culmination point of a boil 
makes its appearance, lie puts a little of the 
liquid in a saucer, and dipping the ends of Ids 
little fingers in it, nibs the inflamed surface, 
especially the central part, repeating the 
operation eight, or ten t imes for about half a 
minute. He then allows the surface to dry, 
placing over it a slight coating of camphor¬ 
ated olivo oil. He says that four such appli¬ 
cations will, iu almost all cases, cause boils 
to dry up and disappear The application 
should be made at morning, noon and 
evening. 
Poisonous Plants.— Let me add to your 
“ Daily Rural Life ” items of the poisonous 
or objectionable features of plants upon the 
human frame, that X have known a half 
score of persons who could not eat a straw¬ 
berry. I have known others upon whom 
the eating of a pear caused rapid diarrhea. 
The poison of the three-leaved Ivy cun be at 
once destroyed by a wash of alum water, 
and that of the Elder is best killed by cam¬ 
phor in alehohol. At least such have been 
the observations of— Frank Amon. 
Catarrh Remedy.— Take half a, pint of 
water, put in one teaspoonful of salt, then 
make it blood warm. Now get down on your 
knees and snuff it up the nose ; then throw 
the top of your head in a downward position 
until it penetrates well; apply once or twice 
a day. Then, in four or five hours, take 
burnt alum, pulverized finely, about tea¬ 
spoonful, and put in a cup of warm water 
aud apply it. Wet the head in cold water to 
keep from taking cold.—w. G. 
Recipe for Sticking-Salve Wanted* —Can 
you or any of your readers give a recipe for 
a sticking salve—that which will be good for 
cracked hands and sores occasioned by work¬ 
ing in the cold and damp, and greatly oblige 
a reader ?— Nellie J. Blinker. 
Chronic Diarrhea , it is asserted, may be 
cured as follows 'Take the inside coating 
of a chicken’s gizzard, wash clean, and diy ; 
eat a piece as large as two grains of wheat 
just after each meal. This will euro (he 
complaint. 
Dont Haste to take off your Winter Cloth¬ 
ing. — Better suffer a little from too much 
warmth than from colds resulting from such 
indiscretion. 
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