and that the seeds were poor. When a 
thought suggested itself to me while mow¬ 
ing the grass in my yard, namely, that if I 
would spread some grass over the flower 
beds it might keep the ground moist, and 
the seeds would germinate. I spread it over 
them about one inch deep, while the grass 
and grounds were moist with dew. In about 
one week I examined my work and to my 
joy I found the plants were coming up 
nicely. Then I moved the dry grass a little 
reaching the cuttings. Very little light is 
required during the autumn or winter, but 
total darkness would soon destroy their 
vitality. 
MAKING THE CUTTINGS. 
Cuttings should be made of the tips of the 
branches, no matter whether from the lead¬ 
ing or side shoots, but of the present season’s 
growth. Three or four inches long is the 
usual length, trimming off a few of the lower 
leaves from each cutting, especially with 
such dense foliage kinds as the Arbor-Vitaes. 
The lower end of the cutting should he cut 
off smooth and with a sharp knife, not with 
a dull one nor crushed with a pair of shears. 
PUNTING THE CUTTINGS. 
When a quantity of cuttings are ready for 
planting and the boxes filled with sand firmly 
packed down and moistened a little if neces¬ 
sary, take a small sheet of common window 
glass, and with the edge out a channel in the 
sand nearly to the. bottom and straight across 
the box and near ono side. A slight lateral 
motion of the glass will open the channel a 
little wider at the lop than at the bottom, 
admitting the cuttings without breaking 
down the. sides or filling it up. Set in cut¬ 
tings ; nob crowding, but just so their loaves 
will touch, and when ono row is planted 
press down the sand on each side, the edge 
of an inch board being a handy imploment 
for this purpose. Then make another chan¬ 
nel two inches or more from the first, accord¬ 
ing to the size of the cuttings being planted. 
When the box is full, sprinkle with water 
and set in the frames. From this time for¬ 
ward give water as required, but only suffi¬ 
cient to keep the sand moist, not soaking 
wet. When the weather becomes so cold 
that there is danger of the cuttings freezing, 
cover the frames with mats or bundles of 
straw, keeping out the frost as much as pos¬ 
sible, giving light occasionally on warm, 
bright days during the winter. 
In spring remove covering, but keep the 
glass whitewashed, giving air on very hot 
days. A few weeks of warm weather will 
usually be sufficient to cause roots to issue in 
considerable numbers, and as soon as this 
occurs the sash may be removed altogether 
and some other means of giving a partial 
shade substituted. When the plants are well 
rooted they may be planted out in the open 
ground, selecting cloudy of rainy weather 
for the purpose; but it is much the safest 
plan to leave them in the boxes the first sum¬ 
mer, giving an application of weak liquid 
manure once a week and pure \witer as often 
as necessary, deferring the planting out till 
the following spring. Care and attention to 
these points named will enable almost any 
one to be reasonably successful in growing 
many kinds of evergreens from cuttings with 
no better facilities than a shallow pit covered 
with frame and sash. 
NEW ROSE 
JAMES SPRUNT 
EVERGREENS FROM CUTTINGS 
A Western- correspondent of the Horti¬ 
culturist writes as follows:—Originating in 
the sunny South, its character and habits are 
so intensely national, that we find relief in 
turning from the long list of foreign roses to 
chronicle a native climber that will domesti¬ 
cate itself for pillar climbing in the green¬ 
house or for sheltered winter-protected situ¬ 
ations out-doors. It would be wise for those 
desirous of improving on their climbing 
roses, to select these of a domestic origin, in 
preference to those that bear a long foreign 
name, so puzzling to our discerning faculties, 
and in many cases inferior in qualities. 
This climbing monthly rose was received 
by us in the fall of 1S73, and was labeled 
“ tender north of Baltimore, excellent for 
greenhouse pillar climbing.” Be its excel¬ 
lences for climbingpillars under glassaa they 
may, we beg permission to inform the public 
generally, that after a fair and impartial 
trial out-doors last winter, we pronounce 
emphatically, a verdict, not entirely tender. 
W'e planted rose J. Sprunt in a sheltered 
place out-doors, and thatched it with straw. 
A thermometer was inclosed with the rose 
and hung on one of the lateral branches, so 
that we could accurately judge of its powers. 
In cold and changeable weather we compared 
the enclosed temperature with a nother in the 
open air, and discovered that the tempera 
turo of the roso did not vary more than 
eight to eleven degrees in comparison with 
one exposed to the weather. 
One cold night the temperature of this rare 
climber fell fourteen degrees below freezing, 
which caused sonic anxiety as to the effect 
on its welfare. But the plant was healthy, 
the surroundings dry, and being protected 
from the piercing winds, it was not injured 
the least. About the latter part of February, 
the leaf-buds commenced to swell, a portion 
of the thatch was removed in mild days, and 
the sun and air permitted to aid the expand¬ 
ing leaves. Bix weeks later, the flower-buds 
began to form, and were fully opened the 
last week In April, one month ahead of the 
hardy kinds bedded in the open ground. 
This plant assumes a climbing attitude 
while yet small; main branch strong and 
erect, with lateral branches of an upright 
tendency ; blooming regularly every month 
with a profusion that could not be appreci¬ 
ated except by those who have witnessed 
the abundance of its dark crimson blos¬ 
soms. Judging from its rapid growth during 
the larfc four months, I am disposed to think 
that it will attain twelve feet of new wood 
this season. Buds, very attractive, tea frag- 
rancejof a rich, dark, deep crimson color, and 
quite durable. 
There are many kinds of our common 
cultivated evergreens which may be readily 
propagated by cuttings, but it is quite difficult 
to grow them from seed. This may appear 
rather strange to the novice, because propa- 
TRAVEIdNG- COSTTJME.-(Sep page 271.) 
he evening, so that the plants gating by seed is certainly the more natural 
n out by the sun until I had it of the two ; but it may be accounted for 
were splendid in the summer upon the hypothesis that the cuttings em- 
P. W. Hollingsworth. ployed for this purpose are larger than the 
seeds, and will withstand more ill usage or 
neglect. Among the different genera the 
species of which are extensively propagated 
by cuttings are the Yews, Junipers, Arbor- 
Vitans, Retlnisporas, Cedars and the different 
species and varieties of the Box ( Boxua). 
Cuttings of ail of the above and other kinds 
now rare, may be rooted in a. cool green¬ 
house, or in propagating pits, if taken off in 
the autumn before they have been severely 
frosted. Those who have green-houses may 
use the shady corners or waste room under 
the stagings or shelves for this purpose and 
to considerable advantage, provided they 
have a desire to increase their stock of such 
plants. 
BOXES EUR THE CUTTINGS. 
It is a far better way to put the cuttings in 
shallow boxes than to plant directly in the 
soil of the bed. Eighteen to twenty inches 
square and four or five inches deep is a con¬ 
venient size for handling, both in putting in 
the cuttings as well as for removing when 
they are rooted. These boxes should be 
filled with pure sand, no soil being required, 
nor is it advisable to useany in growing ever¬ 
greens from cuttings. 
CUTTING BUDS. 
If a person lias no green-house or other 
structure of the kind in which to place the 
cuttings during winter, hot-bed frames cov¬ 
ered with glazed sash may be used instead. 
These should be placed in a dry situation 
where no water will accumulate in them 
during wint er or spring. The frames may be 
two feet deep, well-banked up on the outside 
and ono side higher than the other, to give 
sufficient “pitch” to the glass frames to carry 
off the water. On the ground within these 
frames, the boxes of cuttings are placed in 
the fall, and the glass should be whitewashed 
in order to prevent the direct rays of the sun 
FALL PLANTING OF RASPBERRIES 
FERNS AS WINDOW PLANTS 
It is seldom that anyone expects to obtain 
fruit from raspberries the first year they are 
set out, and those who do are usually disap¬ 
pointed. it is therefore worse than useless 
to leave long canes upon the roots when 
planted out, for these only draw to them¬ 
selves strength, which is needed to produce 
new ones for giving fruit the following year. 
The canes of all of our commonly cultivated 
species and varieties are biennial, that is— 
they grow one season, pi-oduce fruit the next, 
then die. This being the natural habit of 
the raspberries, very little need be expected 
from the canes on the roots when trans¬ 
planted, for if they put forth leaves and 
lateral shoots all will die before the end of 
the first season, no matter how careful one 
may be in trying to preserve them at the 
start. The better way, and the one usually 
practiced, is to cut away the canes, or the 
greater portion, at the. time of setting out, 
allowing all the strength of the roots to be 
thrown into the new canes, which must 
spring from them if the plants live and 
thrive. But as the roots of raspberries, like 
the currant and gooseberry, commence 
growing very early in spring, or within two 
or three days after the frost leaves the 
ground, they cannot be transplanted too 
early if to be done at this season. The 
ground is seldom in n condition to work with 
ease sufficiently early to admit of moving 
these plants before growth commences, 
hence the advantages to be gained by plant¬ 
ing in the fall. As we have said, it is only 
the roots that we care about preserving the 
first Beason, and if canes are left on at the 
time, of planting in fall, and they are kill¬ 
ed during the winter, it is no loss, for the 
young shoots will be all the more vigorous 
the next spring. The roots are well protec¬ 
ted in the eartfi, and in a position where they 
can grow when the season arrives without 
being disturbed. Wu would never defer the 
planting of raspberries until spring if it 
could be done in the tali, and we may add 
that currants, gooseberries and blackberries 
wirl succeed better if planted at this time 
than in spring, 
There are few plants which require less 
attention and yet give more satisfaction to 
dwellers in towns than do the hardier de¬ 
scription of Ferns. From the fact that many 
of them are greenest and best in winter 
when other plants are out of bloom, their 
culture ought to be patronized by the poorer 
classes who cannot afford more expensive 
plants. Among the limestone formations 
of North Lancashire the Fern commonly 
known as Stag’s-head is very numerous and 
luxuriant. The beautiful green fronds grow 
to a length of 12 to 18 inches, and many of 
them, when cultivated in pots, fork so as to 
be rare and beautiful Ferns, the tips of the 
fronds forming into a bunch. I would call the 
attention of city horticulturists to the fact 
that those Ferns might be gathered at a very 
trifling expense and sent to town by wagon¬ 
loads, seeing that the hedges are full of 
them in the district named. Arrived in 
the cities they might be potted, and a good 
profit realized from the sale at from fid. to 
Is. per pot. They will live for many years, 
and would form “a thing of joy” in many 
humble homes, to the dwellers in which the 
sight of a green leaf is a pleasure. The 
beautiful little Maiden-hair, Royal, Parsley 
and other Ferns, are equally common in the 
district .—London Field. 
CLIMBING FUMITORY 
I inclose a specimen of a vine and its 
flowers of which I am desirous to know the 
name. Will you have the kindness to inform 
me through the columns of your paper ?— 
L. m. n. 
TnE very pretty climbing plant, a piece of 
which you send, is known by the common 
name given above, but its scientific name is 
Adlumia cirrhoaa. It grows wild in low, 
moist grounds, from New York westward, 
and is frequently cultivated as an orna¬ 
mental plant. The flowers are small and of 
a beautiful flesh color. The plants bloom 
throughout the entire summer. 
BOTANICAL QUERY 
Dear Rural :—Will you please to tell me 
the name of this flower ? I send you a sam¬ 
ple of the flower and leaf. I bought some 
seeds last spring and this happened to be 
among them. It commenced to blossom 
quite early aud is still in bloom. Is it worthy 
of a place in the flower gardea ?— Jane. 
The specimen looks like a Phacelia, but 
is too small and incomplete to make out. Our 
correspondents must send us good, full, well- 
developed specimens if they expect us to 
name them. 
Flowers in Sand. — Many pretty little 
blossoms of bulbs of violets, primroses, and 
other spring flowers having short stalks, will 
keep fresh for a long time if each flower be 
pricked into a saucer or plate of wet sand. 
The great advantage of the sand over water 
used in the usual way, is that each bloom 
remains in its place just where fixed. It is a 
good idea to keep a flat glass dish filled as 
stated above, on the side board, and as the 
flowers decay, remove them, and stick in a 
i few more in their places, 
STARTING SEEDS IN DRY WEATHER 
Mr. Moore:— Thinking perhaps 1 might 
help some one in growing portulacca, or 
any other small seeded plants from seeds 
I write my experience, Two years ago I 
sowed some portulacca and Drummond’s 
phlox seed, rather late in the spring. The 
weather was very dry aud they did not show 
any signs of growing for two weeks. I be¬ 
gan to think my work, had been for naught, 
