[Eutered according to Act ot Congress, in the yeur 1B74. by th e itmm nihlisimiR < onu .my, m u,o mh, c „i tfcft ubrarii.n of Congress at WaahlnKton.) 
^t|boricuItitral 
GROWING TREES ON THE PRAIRIES. 
In traveling over the grand prairies, go 
where you may, the one thing wanting—iu 
the eyes of an Eastern man — is timber; 
something to break the force of the winter 
and the monotony of the country. You do 
not see buma here; the stock must live 
through the Bovere wintirs, generally, with 
little or no shelter, while the hotsa stable 
usually consists of some poles arranged for 
the purpose covered with straw. Fruit trees 
aro seldom seen. So many hedges appear 
sickly and imperfect, the traveler concludes 
the country is at fault. 
One farm attracted my attention. There 
was a forest near the house and long lines of 
living fences divided it into splendi 1 field . 
Desirous to know more of this, I called ou 
the proprietor aud learned that he came here 
10 years ago with scarcely 1100, health not 
very good, but determined to make a home. 
He ha* now 100 acres, three miles of splendid 
Osage Orange hedge fence, without a gap, 
except gateways ; a magnificent grove of 
black walnut trees, three to eight inches in 
die mi -r ; an acre of poplar Mid COttonwOod 
much larger; 1,000 maple trees; 200 apple 
trees ; also peach ^^ld pear trees, evergreen*, 
grapes, raspberries and strawberries. I never 
have seen trees that had grown so thrifty 
and healthy in New York. One poplar, 14 
years’ growth, from a little twig the -ize of 
a whip stock, now measures *21 inches in 
diameter one foot above the ground. 
Inquiring how such results have been ac¬ 
complished, I am told but little money has 
been expended and less time than many 
spend in gunning, “ What do you suppose 
that m:le of hedge cost me ?” pointing to the 
most perfect living fence I had ever seen. I 
reply, ‘"One dollar per rod but am told 
the plants cost $28; selling and cultivation, 
$40—entire cost, $08. No stock was allowed 
near it till it was three years old and then 
the most vicious animal will respect its 
strength. 
The first winter the plants are protected 
by a mulching of straw, and but little culti¬ 
vation is afterwards needed. Thus this sub¬ 
stantial and everlasting fence is produced for 
21# cents per rod. It also affords a good 
wind-break for farm stock, as the growth of 
each season is allowed to remain till the fol¬ 
lowing spring before it is trimmed. The 
block walnuts were planted and cultivated 
l'or two sousons. The young maples cost 
$C.75 per thousand, and not exceeding $10 for 
setting. They were set last spring. Although 
the season has been very dry only six have 
died. The poplar and cottonwood grove is 
from 40 to 00 feet high, costing at setting not 
more than the maples. Many apple trees are 
10 inches in diameter and have produced 
several barrels each this season. Choice graft¬ 
ed apple trees, five to seven feet high, cost 
here 15 cents each. 
I have been thus minute to show how easily 
a settler In this treeless country can secure 
fruit, fence, timber, & 0 . j. e. w. 
-»♦» 
THE SIBERIAN ARBOR VIT1E. 
Editors Rural New-Yorker I notice 
in the report of Mr. 8 . B. Parson’s address 
before the Rural Club of New York, that he 
says :—“The American Arbor Vit» is well 
known, and is extensively used for hedges, 
ihe Siberian Arbor Vitos is, however, much 
superior to it because it is more hardy, more 
compact, and docs not require trimming. It 
grows tens rapidly, but compensates for Its 
slowness by Us superiority when grown. 
| While its superiority for hedges is recognized 
it is not a) wdl known that it makes a fine 
single specimen upon a lawn.” 
To all of which I would subscribe except 
the “hardiness” of the “so-called” Slhoriun 
Arbor Vl'ie. Iu the first place, it is well 
known that this plapt is not a native of Sibe¬ 
ria nor i f the Eastern Hemisphere, hut is 
only a dwarf variety of our American spe¬ 
cies (Thuja ocQidentalin.) A comparison of 
the seeds and cones of any species or variety 
originating from the native species of Japan, 
China or other Eastern country with ours, 
will at once show their parentage without 
even consulting the botanical authorities. 
Of course, It is possible to find a variety of 
a ppccles more hardy than the parent, but in 
the nase under consideration I doubt If the 
merit claimed ca n be substantiated by facts. 
The cold winter of three ypars ago, when 
many of our native evergreens suffered so 
severely, the pseudo Siberian Arbor Vita; did 
not escape, and from my own observations, 
which were pretty extensive, it did not show 
Itself as hardy as the poorest species. In my 
-\vn grounds there mm: v thousands of both, 
and the destruction of Uic Siberian were far 
greater than the common native plants taken 
from the forests of Maine a few years pra- 
viou.® There were also many hedges In my 
neighborhood, both young and old, but not 
one of those of Siberian Arbor Vita- escaped 
partial or total destruction. 
In a general wav, this variety may bo con¬ 
sidered “ hardy” anywhere in the Northern 
States; but that it is auy more hardy than 
tin- original species I, for one, very much 
doubt. Will those who have had experience 
w itli It in Wisconsin and Minnesota or other 
Northern States, let us know the results. 
An Old Nurseryman. 
c^lGriqultunal. 
TABLE VASE OF AUTUMN FLOWERS. 
A CORRESPONDENT of the Carden sends 
that paper tha following hints with the 
accompanying illustration, which w« ore 
sure will afford the lady readers of the Rural 
New-Yorker some Interesting and welcome 
hints. Ho Bays It has often been laid to 
my charge that I am the. exponent of a style 
of t,unle-deeoration which is too costly for 
the million. Lest, however, it should be 
supposed that nothing shore of Orchids and 
Ok • Vt wi!tsatiQ.y me. I send y m a de¬ 
scription of a Urge vase which oocupied the 
oonter of a round dinner-table, T feet in dia¬ 
meter, and which was furnished at a cost of 
llp|' 
table vasei oe* ATTTLnvnsr flowers. 
) 10s, from purchases made in Covent Garden 
Market. The i.ill was as follows Ferns, 
! fit. fill. ; German Asters, Is. 6d. ; Gladiolus, 
Is. fid. ; Pink Geranium, la. ; Fuchsia, Is. ; 
Cyperus, Is. ; Run wherries, 6d. The follow¬ 
ing was the plan on which they were ar¬ 
ranged : 
At the bottom, a fringe of dark green fronds 
of Polystlchum aculeatum ; in the middle, a 
fringe of smaller and paler greeu fronds of 
the garni* Fern, mixed alternately with good 
fronds of Malden-hair ; at the top, a light 
fringe of Pterin scrrulnln. The flowers in the 
bottom dish consisted of purple and of deep 
crimson Asters, arranged in an Irregular 
circle, with here ami there » whito one. 
Within this circle reclined tlneo spikes of 
scarlet Gladiolus, placed obliquely and spir¬ 
ally, under the shade of three lino umbrellas 
of Cyperua <Utern(foUu9. Two or three light 
fronds of Polystichum and Maidenhair 
finished this part of the vase. In the middle 
dish were used Asters of smaller size, chiefly 
pink aud white, with here and there a small¬ 
er purple one for contrast. Outside of this 
ring were placed, at irregular intervals, some 
small branches of Snowbcrries (Symphorlnir- 
pua raremnsuit), which dropped over the 
fringe. Inside the circle of Asters were a 
few scanty * ru-.w*s of pink Geranium Chris¬ 
tine, partially concealed under some pieces 
of green Cyimrug. The trumpet-shaped vase 
at the top waa surmounted with a spike of 
white Fuchsia with a ml corolla, while some 
small lateral branches of the same hangover 
the edge. Besides those, there were a few 
trussus of Christine, some pieces of Hnowber- 
rie*, which had their branches supported by 
fine, stiff wire to keep them upright, and a 
few fronds of Maiden-hair. The whole was 
lightened and finished by the introduction of 
half-a-dozen sprays of climbing Fern. 
Amongst autumnal decorations 1 have sel¬ 
dom seen one which pleased rno more. 
Although a vase of these dimensions may lie 
too large for dining tables of ordinary width, 
it would look well either on a sideboard or in 
the center of a drawing room. 
FLORICUITURAL NOTES. 
Hyacinths in Olnsses ,— An amuteur writes 
to the London Journal of Horticulture that 
for the past six years he has adopted a novel 
plan with Hyacinths in glasses, and that 
“ last season the best spikeB of flowers were 
got in this way The ordinary glasses which 
are used for growing Hyacinths in water are 
filled with rottou dung and leaf mold, and 
about an inch of soil on the top, in which i 3 
planted the bulb. There is no drainage. The 
advantages I think are equal vigor wbh 
those in pots, but better than in pots, for less 
evaporation from surface soil, and thus more 
healthful for dwelling-house, and requiring 
less attention in watering ; the wire supports 
are available if required and neater in ap¬ 
pearance.” 
Selection of Seeds,— Vine, in Ids Floral 
Guide for 1875, says:—“The selection of 
seeds is a very important matter, aud on tho 
wisdom of the choice success or failure may. 
In a great measure, depend. Those who have 
but little experience should invest ntmvy 
cautiously and iu a few of the more hardy 
and popular kinds, such as Asters, Balsams, 
Stocks, Petunias, Deanthus, Ziuia, Ac. Bo 
careful to get seeds suited to the purposes for 
which they are designed, as grave errors 
are sometimes made and good flowers con¬ 
demned merely beoanse they are out of then- 
proper place.” 
NEW YORK, AND ROCHESTER, N. Y„ DEC. 26 , 1874 . 
1 PRICK esxac CENT*, 
I *‘2.65 1*KR YEAR. 
VOL, XXA. No. ‘Mi. I 
WHOLE No. l.'iOO. f 
