3SS 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
—~ie 
giarg of n Moralist. 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
From the Diary of a Centleman near t-'ew 
York City. 
THE HAWTHORNS. 
J line 5. — 
“ —Now tlie air 
Is rich In fragrance; fragrance exquisite 
As new mown liuy.” 
All of which is wr.fted to me from a group 
of hawthorn trees in full bloom upon my 
lawn. It is strange that these very old and 
beautiful ornamental trees are so seldom 
seen even in-the gardens of those w ho are 
abundantly able to procure them. Perhaps 
it is because the name is so old and familiar, 
or it may be suggestive of dredges and 
ditches instead of one of the most exquisite 
of Flora’s gems. 
*' And every shepherd tells his tale 
Under the hawthorn in the dale.” 
But I fear our people arc not sufficiently ac¬ 
quainted with the many varieties of— 
**—Berry-hearing thorns, 
That feed the thrush.” 
Still very few who are, would omit— 
•* The hawthorn, bush, with seats beneath the shade, 
For talking aye and whispering-lovers made.” 
But laying all sentiment aside, are not the 
hawthorns collectively, and the double sorts 
especially, worthy of more general cultiva¬ 
tion as ornamental trees or shrubs, as they 
are readily* trained to form either. There 
are many kinds of plants, with very regular- 
formed single flowers ; but when double 
sorts are produced therefrom they are little 
more than distorted, ugly-shaped monstrosi¬ 
ties. But not so the hawthorns; the flowers 
of the double sorts are as symmetrical in form 
as the single, and are tmly minute little 
roses produced in clusters, resting, as jt 
were, upon a back-ground of rich, deep 
green leaves. 
The old double red makes a superb tree of 
from ton to thirty feat in bight, but in bril¬ 
liancy of color it is excelled by the double 
scarlet, with flowers very double and of a 
deep, rich crimson, approaching a scarlet. 
The double white is also a charming variety, 
and should not be omitted from any collec¬ 
tion of ornamental trees. There are also 
many single flowering sorts, with beautiful 
as well as curious foliage; among the most 
notable as w'ell as desirable sorts J would 
name the tansy-leaved, parsley do., glossy- 
do. (lucidrt ovntn ), broad do., medlar do., 
and maple do. But methinks I hour some 
one say, “ These things cod. money, a al it is 
not everybody who lias sufficient of this 
very useful article to purchase a collection 
of hawthorns in addition to the fruit trees, 
usually considered indispensable adjuncts of 
every country home.” “ Still, in days of co¬ 
operation, Oranges and Farmer’s Unions 
there should be no difficulty on this score, 
because if a dozen or twenty would club to¬ 
gether and purchase n choice collection of 
plants, distributing the different sorts among 
the members of said chili, then by propaga¬ 
tion and exchanges each could have the en¬ 
tire collection in a few years. 
The hawthorns are readily propagated by 
budding, and the wild stock found almost 
everywhere may be used for this purpose. 
There certainly ought to be at least one man 
in every neighborhood who can bud and 
graft trees successfully, and at the same 
time be sufficiently accommodating to exer¬ 
cise his art for the beuefit of others or for 
the purpose of obtaining a share of the good 
things purchased with other people’s money. 
If there be no such men or man In the 
neighborhood, then let them all join in the 
expense, of sending some boy or girl where 
they can be taught the simple rules of pro¬ 
pagating plants by budding, grafting and 
cuttings, as well us from seed. If same 
such neighborly co-operation could be inau¬ 
gurated and sustained in every agricultural 
district, its effect, morally and socially, 
would soon be apparent in the improved ap¬ 
pearance of gardens and orchards, as well os 
in the exchange of friendly feelings and 
favors. 
Lotus have a little more singing, “How 
sweet the hawthorn blossoms,” and less ex¬ 
hibitions of the “thorns” when neighbors 
meet iu council, either in the Grange or 
Church. Talk less of fighting monopolies or 
fate, but improve your opportunities and 
surroundings; for nature is ever prodigal to 
those who know how to enjoy her gifts. 
NOTES (ROM MV NOTEBOOK. 
Jane 6.—Occasionally 1 take a hasty stroll 
about the garden, notebook in hand, jotting 
down a few words or lines in regard to what¬ 
ever meets my eye, or appears to be worthy 
of any special remarks. For instance, here 
is what I find in this morning’s record : 
Wei pel as .—The dozen or more species and 
varieties in cultivation are all beautiful orna¬ 
mental shrubs, but, W, dJebuisinna appears 
to be the richest in color as well as the most 
profuse bloomer, while the IF, nive.a is of 
the purest white. Weigela rosea, although 
one of the first of the kind introduced from 
China, is still one of the best. The flowers 
are of a beautiful rose color, and produced 
in the greatest abundance. 
The YVi duria oh a Shrub .—The istarias 
are naturally climbing vines, but are readily 
trained into almost any form that may suit 
one’s fancy. 1 have a plant near my office 
trained as a dwarf shrub ; it is four feet 
high and about five feet across the brunches, 
there being upon it at this time 271 drooping 
clusters or racemes, each nearly n foot long, 
of bluish purple, flowers. If there is a more 
beautiful shrub in cultivation 1 should like 
to know its name. 
It Is not difficult to train the Wistaria as 
a self-supporting shrub, it being only neces¬ 
sary to pinch off the ends of the young shoots 
in summer, thereby restricting its growth to 
prescribed limits. This constant checking of 
growth in summer causes u rapid increase of 
fruit, or fruiting spurs upon all the 
branches, the result Of which appears in the 
profusion of flowers the ensuing season. If 
any one has a Wistaria of any variety or 
species which fails to bloom satisfactorily, 
they have only to apply the “pinching” 
process to correct any tardiness in this re¬ 
spect. 
Chinese Poppy .—Strange that so old and 
beautiful a plant should he so seldom seen 
among collections of choice herbaceous 
plants. The roots are perennial, and pene¬ 
trate the earth so deeply that neither frost 
nor drouth ever appears to injure it in the 
least. The original species, Papaver orien¬ 
tal grows about three feet high, the leaves 
large, deeply cut and somewhat hairy, re¬ 
sembling some of our common thistles. The 
flowers are very large, often measuring six 
inches in diameter, and of a brilliant orange 
scarlet color. 
A variety of Lhis, P. brar.tea'um. has beau¬ 
tiful deep scarlet flowers. The Chinese pop¬ 
pies arc certainly the most showy of all 
gaudy colored fljwers. 
THE ASPARAGUS BEETLE. 
Every spring I have to fight this beautiful 
little beetle in order to save my asparagus. 
The mature insect hides away in the ground, 
remaining Here during the winter, making 
its appearance early enough in the spring to 
stiik a few eggs to the first strong shoots 
that come through the rank, rich Boil. 
Fowls will pick up mauy of the beetles if 
permitted to do so. Still many will escape, 
and the black, ugly-looking, slug-like larvae 
can usually be found upon the stalk a little 
later in the season. For several yea rs I have 
prevented this insect from doing any consid¬ 
erable damage by the free use of lime scat¬ 
tered over the plants when wet with dew. 
This is easily applied and effectual, although, 
if one’s neighbors do not join in the crusade, 
a new stock may visit you in spring, and the 
successive broods remain all summer if not 
destroyed. 
- - - 
SPROUTING HAWTHORN SEED. 
Will yon please tell me through the col¬ 
umns of*the Rural New-Yorker hoiv to 
sprout Hawthorn seed, or as it is called here 
Red Haw.—c. A. s. 
Tiie seeds of all the species and varieties of 
Hawthorn (Crataegus) are enclosed iu a very 
hard, horn-like covering which requires a 
long exposure to moisture, heat or cold, in 
order to Boften it and permit the germ to 
break through and grow. The usual prac¬ 
tice among the nurserymen is to place the 
Haws in wliat is termed a rot-heap—that is, 
fibrous loam or peat and fruit mi xed togeth¬ 
er and partly buried in the open ground. 
The seed is left in the rot-heap until the en¬ 
suing autumn, or one year from the time it 
was gathered. It is then sown along with 
the soil mixed with it. The plants usually 
appeal- the next spring or early in summer, 
hence the common saying, that Hawthorn 
seeds will not grow until the second year 
utter gathering. They may be sown as soou 
as gulhered, but in our dry climate they are 
liable to injury from drouth the following 
summer and while dormant; therefore, it is 
better to keep the seeds in a rot-heap the 
first year where water may be applied il’ 
necessary, besides the saving of hoeing the 
seed bed during one summer. 
--— 
Coax Ashes for Currant Bushes are re¬ 
commended by D. C, Woon, Adams Co., Ill., 
whose bushes* are planted four feet apart ; 
cultivated well and a peck of coal ashes put 
about each one. They hold their leaves, 
ripen their fruit well and yield largely. 
fiisciciiUtin;. 
THE GRAYLING. 
IN the Live Stock Journal we find the fol¬ 
lowing notes concerning this fish and the 
efforts to obtain it from the An Sable. They 
will be read with interest: 
The Grayling was not known to exist in 
the United States four years ago. It is well 
known in England, Norway and Germany. 
It is a greater favorite than the trout where 
it is found in England, and is a splendid fish, 
both to look at and for the table: but that it 
will thrive in streams that cannot sustain 
trout, as our friend Seth Green seems to 
think, we do not think will prove true. Its 
limited habitat, and the clear cold, water in 
which they are found are all against such an 
idea. The writer has been in correspondence 
with Mr. D. H. Fitzhugh, Jr., of Bay* City, 
Mich., for some time on the subject of the 
habits and localities of the grayling. This 
gentleman has taken a great interest iu this 
fish, and has sent many specimens to differ¬ 
ent scientists for identification. He tried 
hard to get his State Commissioner* to take 
hold of the matter and introduce them into 
other waters, and, failing in this, he tried 
other States unsuccesfully, but finally suc¬ 
ceeded in gett ing a private fish culturist (the 
writer) sufficiently interested on the subject 
to make a start this spring, with the hope 
of getting both spawn and fish. 
We left Bay City with boats and camp 
equipage, two men to polo the boats and five 
barrels to bring home the fish, taking the 
northern branch of the Lansing, Jackson 
and Saginaw Railroad to Crawford, on the 
head of the Au Sable; launched our boats 
and at night were camped five miles down 
the river. It w r as the last of March and 
severely cold; two nights it wont down to 
ten degrees below* zero. On the first day of 
April wo commenced fishing, but it was so 
cold that the lines froze in the tips of the 
rods, making our reels entirely* useless. 
Lath crates were made to keep the fish iu, 
and when two hundred were caught all fish¬ 
ing was stopped, as forty* to each barrel was 
the utmost capacity, for the fish were from 
one-fourth to one pound weight. The Au 
Sable is a clear, cold stream with sandy bot¬ 
tom and swarming with insect life. The 
grayling taken had stomachs full of caddice 
worms, but had not yet spawned, though 
said by three—all authorities—to spawn in 
February and first of March; but Mr. Fitz* 
hugh’s observations led him to believe that 
their period was later than this, and even 
the first of April proved too early. 
Thu rest of the party left the next Satur¬ 
day', bnt the writer staid until Tuesday, 
when IS!) fish (ten had died) were put in the 
ban els and loaded on the cars for their long 
journey of over five hundred miles. Thirty- 
six hours ufter starting they* were in the 
ponds at Iloueoy'C Falls, N. Y., with a loss 
of only twelve. They are now attracting a 
great deal of attention, and have been visited 
by many who had heard of this rare and 
beautiful fish. 
Seth Green came and watched them for 
part of one day, and then started for the Au 
Sable. He knows a good fish on sight. Hon. 
Stephen H. Ainsworth, the father of fish 
culture in America, watched them one duy*, 
continually exclaiming : “ I did not think 
they were bo beautiful !” He “goes for” 
them also. We will not attempt a full de¬ 
scription of the fish here, but will merely* 
say, that they* are similar to a trout in shape,, 
somewhat slimmer, large scale and small 
mouth, ventral fius striped with red and 
brown, au immense dorsal, colored in spots, 
like a butterfly’s, wing, (which it resembles 
in shape,) with red and green. They rise to 
a ily somesvhat like a trout. 
We stopped fishing on the third of April, 
on which day we took one pair of fish that 
were nearly ripe, but no others that seemed 
within a month of it. Beth Green w*as there 
on April 30, and they were all spawned out 
clean. He dug 100 eggs out of the ground 
and brought them, together with about 
eighty fish. This beats all time in spawning 
yet, but if neither of us got spawn, we 
learned a few valuable points for future 
reference. 
Our grayling are now taking food, but 
have not yet spawned. The Ainsworth 
screens were put in for them May 1, and at 
present writing, (May 14,) they have changed 
their ground from the lower end of the pond 
and taken a position at the mouth of the 
race. It is extremely* doubtful, however, if 
they spawn at all this year, aftei* their rough 
usage and long period without food. 
Many of our fish have died since their 
arrival, from fungus which grows wherever 
a scale is injured. Wo hope to get another 
lot this fall, and will have them more care¬ 
fully handled. 
Some of those that died were seut to 
Smithsonian Institute to cast from. They 
had the fish in alcohol, but wished to make 
plaster casts, as is their custom uow when 
practicable. 
There appeared so much difference in the 
shape of the dorsal fins, which were clearly 
not. attributed to ago nor sex, that we 
thought, possibly, that there were two spe¬ 
cies in the Au Sable, as there are said to be 
in McKenzie’s River, but the following note 
from Prof. Baird to whom we referred the 
matter, seems to dispel that view : 
Bear Sir:—ft is a well known faet, that 
the size and shape of the fin of the grayling 
varies considerably, and it would not be at 
all surprising, that'if in so large a number as 
you have Lul, all the possible variations 
were to be found ; sufficient indeed, if you 
consider only the extremes, to warrant the 
establishment of a second species. This may 
possibly l»e a clew to the supposed differ¬ 
ences between the Hudson Bay grayling and 
that of Michigan. Perhaps it will be well 
for you to sunt on your collection of fins for 
a careful examination, and if you can indi¬ 
cate which are known as males and which 
females, it will add to the value of the 
inquiry. Spencer F. Baird. 
The collection referred to, were only saved 
as curiosities without a thought of its ever 
being of any scientific Value, and were uot 
marked to distinguish sex, with the excep¬ 
tion of two, which died at ter the receipt of 
UiC Professor's letter, These are alike in 
shape, but from fish of different sex. 
■-♦♦♦- 
Distribution of Salmon Trout in New 
York. — The Fish Commissioners of New 
York have distributed one million salmon 
trout to the sinull lakes of the State the past 
winter, und have 600,000 more on hand, 
which will bo distributed. It will be remem¬ 
bered that Seth Green Is the authority for 
the statement that there are 647 lakes in this 
State, to say nothing of ponds and streams. 
(Entomolonkal 
COAL TAR AND CURCULIOS. 
A Mr. IV indoes writes the South Haven, 
Mich., Sentinel as follows In the spring of 
’63, while catching cureulios by jarring and 
trapping, I had occasion to empty a kettle 
of coal tur which I had been using for tar¬ 
ring fence posts, and to destroy the same I 
set it on fire near my plum trees, not with a 
view to benefit the trees, but to get rid of 
the material. The next day 1 found that a 
plum tree near by, which was covered with 
the smudge, wus deserted by the cureulios, 
and 1 at once procured another supply, and 
continued its use on a part of my trees. 
From those so treated I obtained a good 
crop of fruit, while on the others, but few 
perfect plums ripened. 
In 1880 I mixed one pound of sulphur wilh 
one gallon of coal tar, and, as soon as the 
fruit burst Its petals, commenced its use. To 
make this convenient I procured u large fry¬ 
ing-pan, fastened a loug bundle to it, the 
more easily to use it, und very early in the 
morning, while wet with dew, processed the 
trees, oftentimes making the foliage black 
with the smoke. This was continued each 
alternate morning, uuLil the fruit was as 
lafge as a small sized hickory nut. The trees 
were a perfect wonder to all who saw the 
immense crop of perfect fruit ; and it had to 
be thinned out to prevent the trees from 
breaking under their burden. 
The following year, being absent at the 
proper time, nothing was done, and the re¬ 
sult was no fruit at all. In 1871, I again 
tested the process, and also by furnishing the 
material induced a neighbor, who had some 
fine trees in his garden, to do the same. He 
was very incredulous, and it had to be works 
without faith that produced the results. 
From seven trees he sold $24 worth of fruit, 
not taking into account what they used 
while fresh or for canning. My crop was 
abundant: while on the other side, on the 
adjoining lot, a neighbor, who had trees, did 
not secure a plum. 
Each year since I have continued the pro¬ 
cess with like results, while the neighbor be¬ 
fore spoken of, being sick at the proper time, 
failed entirely. These experiments convinced 
me that with a reasonable amount of labor 
the plum crop is a. certainty ; and most va 
rietios being annual bearers, will make it a 
profitable crop for market. 
--- 
Tiie Colorado Potato Beetle, it is as¬ 
serted, devours Alfalfa with great greediness 
—apparently with as much relish as they do 
the potato plant. 
