442 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
FIB, 27 
<§mitg of a lliirali'it. 
DAILY RUEAL LIFE, 
From the Dlaryofa Gentleman Near New 
York City. 
SOMETHING MOKE ABOUT FLOWERS. 
Feb, 15.—Among' my “ Valentines ” receiv¬ 
ed this morning, is one from J. F. Hackett, 
who like poor Oliver Twist, admits that he 
“wants more” light in regard to the cul¬ 
tivation of flowers. Last summer he asked 
for information about building a small green¬ 
house, which was given, and now 1 learn that 
the house is built and it works well, but says 
my correspondent, “ tell us something about 
the proper arrangement of ornamental leav¬ 
ed plants in beds during the summer.” llow 
would Coleus VerechaffeUil. do for tlie cen¬ 
ter, then a row of ('entnuren gymnocncpa, 
next a row of Achyranthus Llndenii ; bet 
what to put next bothers me! nor do 1 know 
how far apart the plants should be set. The 
; plants I have named withstand the sun well ; 
but tell us something about those which do 
not thrive in exposed situations, and how to 
treat them during the summer, and what 
kind of 6hade to provide, whether under 
trees, shrubs, or on the shady side of ft build¬ 
ing. Where and under what circumstances 
could a bed of Fuchsias bo most successfully 
grown ; also Pansies, for these plants trouble 
us inexperienced amateurs more than any 
other kinds ; and few are successful in their 
culture ? What can wo do with the beauti¬ 
ful tricolored geraniums in summer, such as 
Lady Cullom, Italia Unita and others of this 
class (3). Can Fuchsias, Lantanax Cenlau- 
rcas, Cineraria marillmia,Cyclamens, Coleus 
and the Pelargoniums, (not scarlet gerani¬ 
ums) be grown from seed ? if so how shall we 
proceed (-1). We know how to plant corn 
and pumpkins, but cultivating delicate exotic 
plants is quite a new science to many of us 
“Rurallsts” and we want more light on this 
subject. 
(1). The arrangements proposed for a bed 
of ornamental leaf plants will answer very 
well, and outside of the row of II. l.enxleni 
plant one of A. aureus ret iculatus, the leaves 
of which are light green, netted with golden 
yellow. If so strong a contrast is not de¬ 
sirable, then A. Oilsnnii will answer, as the 
leaves urn carmine and the stems and mid¬ 
ribs deep pink. For the outside row, any of 
the Alternant heras will answer, they being 
very dwarf in habit and of various shades of 
pink, rose, bronze and crimson. If it is de¬ 
sirable to have a light colorod border, use the 
variegated Alyssum for this purpose, or the 
G nnphalium lanatum variegatum, and keep 
it sheared down to the required hight. All 
of the above grow readily from cuttings, 
and it will require only a few days to pro¬ 
duce a largo stock of plants from one strong 
specimen. For the Coleus, two feet apart, 
each way, will answer in good rich soil; but 
the other plants may bo planted nearer to¬ 
gether, say eighteen inches, except the Alys- 
sutns and Akernanthcras ; these should be 
set about six inches apart. 
BEDDING OUT FUCHSIAS. 
02). Fuchsias are not desirable bedding- 
plants ; their place is in the house, at least in i 
this country, hut if the plants arc kept at ] 
rest during the winter they may be made to 1 
bloom the greater part of summer by giving i 
thorn a rich soil and a half-shady place, such ] 
as may to prepared on the north side of a i 
building or high board*fence; sometimes •< 
they will succeed very well if the pots are s 
plunged in the ground where the shade of c 
some large trees protects them from the mid- t 
day sun, but if exposed to the wind and sun £ 
there are few varieties that will thrive in the ii 
open ground in our hot, dry climate. The v 
hot, dry winds appoar to he almost as in- n 
jurious as the sun, and I have never succeed- e 
ed with the Fuchsia as a bedding plant ex- tl 
cept when grown in frames and in very rich, t] 
shady borders. y 
PANSIES. p 
Probably one of the best systems to pur- b 
sue in raising Pansies, is to sow the seed li 
in August or September, in some old hot u 
bod, because it is scarcely possible to have it 
the soil too rich. When the plants arc large si 
enough to handle, thin out or transplant in 
the bed, giving each sufficient room for de- ] 
velopmcnt. At the approach of cold weather n 
cover the plants with a little coarse lifter, rr 
and bed them alone until spring, then tin- ol 
cover. But the seed may bo sown in hot n 
beds in spring or in a greenhouse in winter, m 
and the plants set out when the weather be- sj 
comes warm. If there is any secret in I sn 
pansy culture it is in giving a very rich soil j Tl 
and plenty of moisture. Plants scattered hi 
along a border, among stronger governing 
kinds, are likely to suffer for the two requi- 
_ sites named, therefore, it is best to prepare 
a separate bed for them where special care 
can readily be given. A half-shady place 
wifi insure larger flowers, und a longer season 
w thau when fully exposed to the sun. But in 
preparing a bed for pansies it is better to 
creel something for artificial shading, than 
j to attempt to use the ground under or near 
v- large trees, because the roots of the latter 
r, are likely to intrude and absorb the moisture 
>e so necessary to success, 
TRICOLORCO GERANIUMS. 
ld (3). Very few of the Tricolored or vari- 
gated leaved geraniums are sufficiently 
lt robust in habit to unswer for bedding out in 
rf summer; still in some soils and localities 
h. they succeed passably well. It is better, 
however, to treat the more delicate growing 
^ sorts as pot plants only, keeping them in the 
i- , house in winter, and then plunging in a Imlf- 
*. shady border or bed iti summer, being caro- 
t ful not to let them suffer for moisture, 
v Those with very light colored leaves, like 
6 Italia Unita, und.Mountain of Snow, are 
: usually more delicat e t han those with bronze, 
° yellow, and reddish zones ; still their grand 
° beauty makes them almost indispensable as 
t house plants. They are slow growers, but 
1 their beauty increases with age, consequent- 
!• lv one can well be patient while waiting for 
H the development of large specimens. Many 
V amateur cultivators injure their plants by 
3 endeavoring to force the growth, by placing 
V small specimens in large pots which does 
r ,norc harm than good. Moderate sized pots 
and rotten compost with rich soil is best for 
s ftfi of tlie delicate, blow growing varieties. 
PLANTS FRDM SEED. 
p (fi- all the plants you name can 
readily be grown from seed sown under 
glass in seed puns or shallow boxes. The 
) seed should not be covered very deep—just a 
. flight sprinkling of soil over them will be 
. sufficient.. Good, fresh seed can sometimes 
^ be purchased, hut the better way is to save 
It from your own plants if possible. Grow¬ 
ing seedlings of such plants cannot bo too 
earnestly recommended, because the prac¬ 
tice in handling the minute specimens be¬ 
comes experience of value when applied to 
1 those of larger size. Then, again, one is 
never certain of what may he developed 
among the seedlings of even common sorts, 
and this very uncertainty becomes an at¬ 
tractive element, leading the Careless to 
become careful and the apathetic to become 
enthusiastic. Little good has been done In 
this world without enthusiasm ; the only care 
required is to start it in the right direction. 
FEEDING THE 8IRDS. 
Feb. 16.—There is nothing in the way of 
trees and plants more attractive to birds 
than evergreens, especially for those species 
which remain in cold climates during the 
winter. Home may ask what good do those 
winter birds do that we should encourage 
t heir presence t This is certainly a practical 
question, calling for a similar answer. First, 
I have noticed that the granivorous birds at¬ 
tend very closely to all the weeds which may 
have been permitted to mature a crop of 
seed, making many a meal upon whttl might 
give the farmer and gardener some trouble 
the ensuing season. The carnivorous species 
seek the cocoons and chrysalids of insects, 
picking them out from under the old rough 
bark of living aa well as dead trees, thereby / 
helping us to destroy many a noxious insect. 
But if these winter birds were of no practical 
use to us, their cheerful presence would be a j 
welcome addition to the few charms of this < 
season. It may be a weakness on the put ( 
of my household, but the wild birds are never j 
neglected during the cold weather, aud the i 
first sweeping away of snow in the morning r 
is from their feeding ground near the kitchen f 
window, and it is seldom done without * 
numerous interested spectators sitting in the e 
evergreen trees near by. Probably it is not e 
the same flock that we have been feeding at t 
the same spot for the past ten or twelve p 
years, but it is all the same to us, and the t 
pleasure of giving to these little pets cannot 1 
be surpassed by them in receiving. These f, 
little Buntings and Sparrows get very wise f 
under this kind treatment, and they soon c 
learn how to make their wants known or tl 
scold at unnecessary delays In providing food, tl 
Jiimil ^rclutecfuri). 
FARM BUILDINGS. 
Exterminating Caterpillars.— A formula 
recently int roduced in England, consists of a 
mixture of coal dust, common salt and flour 
of sulphur, to be scattered, just before a 
rain, over freshly-plowed land. To extermi¬ 
nate caterpillars on trees, they may be 
sprinkled with a solution of one part of 
! sulphide of potassium in 500 parts of water. 
( This, it is said, will kill t he insects, and do no 
harm to the trees 
in ^ riE Western N. Y. Farmers’ Club has 
to Been discussing farm buildings, and we make 
.n Lie following extracts from the discussion 
ir as reported. 
jr Mr. F. P. Root said that the trouble with 
•e American building is that we aim at cheap¬ 
ness and build of perishable materials. In 
Europe we find buildings centuries old. 
i- Here houses are dilapidated after twenty- 
y five to thirty years. 
n Mr. Birdseli told how he rebuilt his barn, 
' H burned three years ago. He made the base- 
r, rnent wall twenty-six inches wide at bottom 
g and drawn in to one foot at top. It was 
e built of quarry stone, and the wall bound by 
f- j overlapping stones. In this way the wall 
v could not crack. Tlie mortar was made with 
?. ouc part of lime to ten of sand. He worked 
ft it by horse power, using a horse at the end 
e of a lever on a cylinder, and drawing a sled 
>, behind so that it worked the mortar up in a 
d heap until the cylinder again passed over it. 
a A horse will thus work up as much mortar 
t in an hour as a man will in five. The work 
> thoroughly done, and with well-worked 
r mortar one bushel of #me to ten of sand is 
y sufficient. We generally put in more lime 
y than needed, and then don’t work the mortar 
S enough. Ho made his barn with a deep buse- 
r meat under every’ part, with rooms partition- 
s ed off. Used sawed shingles, with one-third 
r pitch.’ Did not belive in hollow cornices 
around buildings, especially corn-houses, 
for rats and squirrels to work in. 
i Mr. Ross said chimneys in houses should 
r always be built down t.o the cellar, with 
s ventilating fine at bottom. This prevents 
i the dampness, which is often a cause of fruit 
5 aud vegetables decaying, as well as of ill- 
s health of the family. 
! Mr. Beckwith did not believe in building 
- expensive barns until the farm was brought 
> into good condition, draining done, and 
fences repaired. When a farmer gets his 
land so that it will produce satisfactorily, 
> and has surplus money, let him build as 
- expensively us he chooses. Until then grain 
I can lie kept in a rough-boarded barn, and 
better, he thought, than in a tight one. 
• Rough siding put on a barn ought to last 
1 till the owner got ready to die, and, if it | 
didn’t, new could he bought as cheaply as 
painting a matched siding barn. Under¬ 
ground stables should be partitioned into 
box-stalls for each aniinnl. He had lost $30 ) 
within three years by cattle getting loose 
and injuring others when Lied, 
Mr. King of Walworth, Wayne County, 
said we should consult ornament somewhat 
as well ns use. Farm buildings ought, to be 
the first instead of a secondary considera- ^ 
tiou. As for repairing fences continually, 
it is a great mistake. Western New York 
has thousands of acres cumbered with worse 
than useless fences. He would not advise 
box-stalls for every animal in an under¬ 
ground stable. They take too much room. 
Barns should be built tight, and ventilation 
provided from basement to top. Most barns 
are built too low. He would have all grain 
and stock buildings excepting hen-house, 
pig-stye, and corn-house under one roof, and J 
all on same side of street as the house. 
Mr. George E. Morse, whose farm is in 
Madison county, New York, described his 
barns. A few years ago he bought u farm, 
on which the buildings were widely scatter- 
ed ; a grain-barn in one place, earriage-house 
in another, &o. He went to work to make a 
new barn for a dairy of fifty or more cows ; 
made it 81 by 36 feet, with 9 feet basement, 
fronting the south. The east and west walls 
were partially embanked, but not high 
enough to shut out several windows intend¬ 
ed for lighting the underground stables. The 
barn accommodated forty-five cows, stand¬ 
ing on platforms just long enough to allow 
their excrement to drop out of the way. 
The cows are fed from boxes two and a half 
feet high and two and a half feet wide, in 
front of which was a space of four feet for 
carrying feed to put in tlie mangers. Behind 
the cows was an alley nine feet wide 
through which the wagon was regularly ■ 
drawn, and the manure carried thereon to 
the fields. His barn is not large enough, 
lt is impossible ever to get a barn too large, t 
With several drive-ways for grain, a number ' 
of loads may often be saved in catching c 
weather, and extra room is always useful for \ 
storage of farm implements. * His barn c 
had two ventilators, insuring good air in the v 
basement. The threshing floors are made of ^ 
matched lumber, but not nailed. As the | ® 
boards shrink they are tightened, and the f 
grain floor is always perfectly tight; it will 
hold water any time. The bags extend to 
_ the basement and loads are unloaded by 
- horse pitchforks. The barn cost $2,600 in 
money, besides $409 in lumber grown upon 
the farm. 
Mr. Joseph Dewy said matched siding for 
e barns is not objectionable if the buildings 
n are well ventilated. Barns made with an L 
i are better for stock, as they give a wind- 
h break on two sides. Would have the bose- 
>- ment ten feet deep, even on level ground, 
n and make a drive-way by banking up the 
i. earth on each side. Manure is always 
r - accumulating in barn basements, and con¬ 
siderable hight above the animals makes 
i, stables better for the stock. Would not 
>. have floors under basements. Box stalls 
a take too moch room. Had never lost any- 
s tiling by tying, but there is danger with 
y horned cattle to the person who tics and 
II unties. To obviate tht3 danger he now used 
Ii a self fasting stanchion made by Mr. Gillet, 
j of Jamestown, N. Y. It is made so that, 
1 when a cow put her head in the manger to 
1 feed, she touches a lever which instantly 
a ( closes and shuts her in. Bam 3 should be 
j Built not less than 40 feet wide for economy 
r m siding, and 70 to 80 feet long is as long as 
c convenient for one barn. If more room is 
1 needed make an L-shupod barn by building 
s another adjoining. He had two floors 14 
u feet wide, with 25 feet bay on each side. 
r Mr. Quiuby urged the importance of barn 
- cisterns, to give plenty of water for stock, 
. and to take what falls from the roof and 
1 would otherwise be a nuisance in the barn- 
5 yard. As the cisterns are not deep, the 
. water is easily pumped up, aud they are 
much preferable to wells. Would never 
j build underground stables for homes ; have 
, ' the horses above ground. They will be 
, healthier, even though the stable is pretty 
t c °kl, if they have good, nutritious.food. His 
. horses never thrived better thau one winter 
when be hud them in a barn with loose 
siding and terribly cold. Most of the urine 
’ i from horses is wasted. In ordinary stables 
I it goes through the floor and is lost. The 
floor under a horse should be tight, and with 
a slight descent back aud a wide gutter for 
it to pass into. The soiled bedding must be 
daily raked back to this gutter, where it will 
absorb the urine, and at night it can be 
thrown upon the manure pile. This horse 
manure should bo drawn to the fields every 
few days as it suffers loss by heating and 
“ fire fanging.” As to stables for horses, the 
common mistake was in not making them 
deep enough. He would make them 12 feet 
deep, allowing ample room to pass behind 
a vicious horse without danger. One 
member uskod if it would not be better not 
to keep kicking horses. “ Yus,” said Mr. Q., 
“but we do get them sometimes, and then 
the only way is to keep them, until the 
J eight man comes along, so as to trade them 
off.” [Laughter,] The sides of the stalls 
should bo high enough and extend back far 
enough to prevent danger from vicious 
animals in adjoining stalls. Had a $200 
horse ruined u few years ago by a shallow 
bor stall. Horses should be fed from box 
mangers, and never from racks. Have the 
box wider at bottom than at top, so the - 
hay will fall readily. Fed in this way, the 
uneaten hay is not. injured by the horse’s 
breath rising through it. Mongers should 
be open in front to feed grain or cut feed 
instead of going around and behind the horse 
every time it was fed. A sliding or falling 
dour can be placed in front of the manger 
to be opened or closed at pleasure. Thought 
it better for the horses to keep it general) y 
open. 
Mr. Rosssaid the posts on the sides of stalls 
should not come up higher than the boards, 
as horses kicking over sometimes get their 
foot caught. Knew two valuable horses 
ruined in this way. To prevent horses rub¬ 
bing the hair from their hips against the side 
of fetalis, suspend a 4 by 4 scantling, with 
corners rounded, near the floor, so that the 
home could nor, press against the stall when 
lying down, it is generally better economy 
to sell o’d barns and build entirely new, 
rather than spoil the new plan by adapting 
it to old timber.-. Used Vermont yellow 
with white lead for paint, making a yellow¬ 
ish drab. ^ Fouud it cheap and durable. 
C. C. Bolton objected to door vard fences. 
No cattle now run in the. roads", and where 
they are taken from one place to another 
they should be led. Most fences In front of 
houses are not ornamental but the reverse. 
Mr. Hopkins said that by using plenty of 
siziug. old weather-beaten buildings can be 
cheaply painted. On the old homestead 
in Madison County, a large frame house that 
had always been a deep red was changed to 
pure white by two coats of paint. A lot of 
cattle-hoofs were procured aud boiled in 
water, till the water was of the consistency 
of thin paste, aud a little white added. This 
■was pub on the house as heavily as the 
weather-beaten wood could absorb. Two 
coats of white lead completed the work and 
very little additional oil was needed for the 
last two coats, flic sizing had certainly 
saved the cost of t wo if not three coats 
of paint, besides doing the work more per¬ 
fectly. 
