474 
©ORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MARSH 43 
£)iai[g of a Jluralisi 
DAILY EUEAL LIFE 
From the Diary of a Gentleman Near New 
York City. 
SOME HANDSOME WILD SHRUBS. 
March 1.—It would be strange indeed if 
our own country did not furnish as beautiful 
and as desirable plants as any other. A 
wr iter in an English horticultural magazine 
says : 
“ Of all the American hardy plants there is 
not one so beautifully furnished with rich 
foliage and curiously-constructed but elegant 
j flowers as the Kalmia laiffolia. It is one of 
the richest of flowering shrubs, of most per¬ 
fect form and fine habit, and the. flowers, 
which come in noble trusses at the ends of all 
the branches, are splendid beyond descrip¬ 
tion.” 
The above is the kind of praise bestowed 
upon one of our common native evergreen 
shrubs. Perhaps I should qualify the word 
“common” by saying in some localities in 
the Northern and Middle States, where thou¬ 
sands of acres of this Queen of Evergreen 
shrubs cau at any time be found, always 
beautiful, whether in full bloom in spring or 
half hidden under the snows of winter. But 
not one person in ten who make uny preten¬ 
sions .towards having a collection of fine, 
hardy plants ever think of planting a Kal¬ 
mia; still they will seek the “far-fetched” 
and frequently “dear-bought” trash sent 
from China and Japan, wj til an enthusiasm 
worthy of better results. But in this matter 
of seeking a knowledge of and acquaintance 
with our native plants, we ore not, as a 
people, inconsistent, for there are thousands 
anuually making the tour of Europe from 
our shores who could scarcely tell the name ' 
of the counties adjoining the one in which 
they reside when at home. “ Distanoe lends 
enchantment” all around In these matters, 
and the “ land of promise ” and its beauti¬ 
ful fruits and flowers are “afar off” to a. 1 
great many persons who lack the necessary 
ability to appreciate merit whenever and f 
wherever found. 1 
But our Kalmias are not the only elegant 1 
and valuable native shrubs rarely ever seen 1 
in our gardens. The Rhododendron a, with ’ 
their glossy evergreen leaves and showy # 
flowers, although abundant on many & mouu- ^ 
tain-side as well us in woods and swamps, 
are seldom seen under cultivation. The same * 
is true with the Azaleas, Rhodora, An- ^ 
dromedas, Virburnuma, Hex, or Hollies, and s 
hundreds of similar superbly-beautiful orna- c 
mental shrubs. I am inclined to think that ^ 
these plants would be looked upon as novel- a 
ties if placed in the garden, and by many tl 
persons who have casually observed them 35 
when growing wild in the woods or neglect " 
ed fields. I know that a bed of Azaleas in P 
my garden has been much admired by u 
visitors, who never suspected that the plants Fl 
were all dug up from an old field not a mile P ( 
, /om where they are now growing. ft 
As an illustration of the estimation in Pi 
which some of our best native plants are ti 
held by many of our people, I will mention w 
an instance in connection with this same 111 
group of Azaleas. A very wealthy lady, re- 
siding in my neighborhood, and who spends S F 
money freely if not lavishly upon her garden U£ 
in the purchase of rare exoties, happened to vv ' 
drive into my grounds one afternoon just at 
the time the Azaleas referred to were in Pi 
bloom. I heard some one exclaim, “What te: 
beautiful shrubs !” followed by an order to ar 
her coachman to stop near the bed. As soon 0D 
as I advanced near enough to answer her ba 
question, she asked, “ Do tell me the name m 
of those shrubs ? ” And I mwittingly re- ' 
plied, ‘ Piaster,’’ a name familial* enough to nil 
all the descendants of the early Dutch set- mi 
tiers of New Jersey. The lady merely re- (li 
plied, “Oh, are they?” then changed the an 
conversation. Had 1 said that these plants far 
were the new Himalayan or Japan Azaleas, tin 
her gardener would have been directed to eff 
order immediately a dozen or more of the wc 
best plants in the market, regardless of cost, for 
There is something in a name, even if the 
rose would smell just as sweet by any other. <• 
SOME WHO HERBACEOUS PLANTS. on< 
Among the first plants to bloom in spring, sea 
the Liver-leaf (Hcpalica triloba) is probably aft 
one of the most showy, its flowei-s being we 
bright blue or purple, but sometimes nearly lee! 
white. As generally seen in the woods, the cro 
plants appear rather small and too few- anc 
flowered to be worthy of much attention ; tha 
but under cultivation they form quite large elii 
clumps or stools and become fully as showy Coi 
as some of the much-admired species of vio- abr 
let. A half-shady situation «.nd leaf mold are sav 
the necessary conditions of success with this 
♦ plant. Ten years ago I planted a bed of this 
_ little waif of the woods among some rocks 
in a half shady spot, and it has never failed 
to respond to the first song of the robin in 
spring. There are some fine double sorts, 
ew but I have failed to find them mentioned in 
any of our florist*’ catalogues. 
Sanguinariit Canadensis (Blood Root).— 
[ if ** another beautiful early - blooming 
f ul plant. much improved by culture. The thick 
A ro °Lstocks are deep red, hence the common 
i ne name. The leaves are what is termed 
rounded, reniform and palmatcd lobed, and 
3 is ' vhen thc 7 flrst spring from the ground are 
ch wra I’l*d around Ihe flower stem, which 
mt. ,cn gtbens after the leaves expand, bearing 
of upon their summit a handsome white flower, j 
r» r _ This plant is worth cultivating for the beauty 
rs, leaves, as well as flowers, 
all Dicenlras. —There are three native species 
Ip belonging to the same genus as the well- 
known Bleeding Heart (D-speclahilis), in- 
ed troduced many year* since from China and 
Bn n °w quite common in gardens. But our na- 
r d tivc s Pe°ies are not as showy as the exotic 
in on, ‘< «till they are none the less beautiful or 
u- interesting, The one known as Duteh- 
sn m aii’s Breeches {D-CucuUaria) grows in low 
/n groundR > forming large patches, or beds, 
n- sometimes acres in extent. The leaves are 
it very delicate and fringe-like and the flowers 
3 . white, tipped with yellow. The two d iverg- 
e in S spurs probably gave rise to the common 
name. 
>> D-canadcnsis, or, as it is more commonly 
l( called, " Squirrel Corn,” because the bulbs , 
u ’Oi-emble grains of yellow Indian corn, have 
, very delicate white or flesh colored, sweet- J 
p scented flowers. 'I lie leaves are also larger 
a than the last and finely silvered underneath. , 
g If reversed and held under water, this peeu- ( 
3 Rarity is quite striking, 
s • D-cxim ia —a more showy and rarer species , 
j than the last two; hence quite frequently t 
3 found in cultivation. The leaves are also c 
, larger and coarser, the flowers pinkish pur- , 
„ P le 5 produced in abundance during the 
,, greater pari, of the summer. 
, Following the Lundredsof small but showy r 
I spring flowers, we have many larger kinds 
blooming later which possess attractions ri- . 
, vabng some of the rare exotics of the same 11 
or closely-allied genera. The showy Lady C 
Slipper, or Moccasin flower (Cxjpripedium ° 
spcclabititi), is really much superior in state- | j! 
lines? of growth, size and color of flower* to d 
the East Indian species to be found in every 
florist’s collection. In the rich soils of the ai 
Western States I have frequently seen this " 
species growing three to four feet high, j bl 
crowned with two or three large, white 
flowers, handsomely ornamented with pink ai 
and purple spots. Perhaps one reason why m 
this plant is so seldom seen under cultivation ei 
is because it is rather difficult, to make It live di 
when removed from its native bed, and es- P c 
pecially if placed in a dry soil. My first at¬ 
tempt at cultivating wild plants was with ti< 
this showy Lady Slipper, and I succeeded is 
perfectly. The plants were dug up when in in, 
full bloom, the stems cut off, and the roots VV| 
planted in a rich, black leaf mold. 7’he en- I sb 
tire surface of the bed was then covered j ba 
with moss (Spagnum) from a swamp. This inl 
moss prevented the growth of weeds and ! UD 
kept the soil beneath moist. 7’Jie next 
| spring the plants bloomed freely and contin- ba 
ued to do so for several years. The autumn 501 
would probably be a preferable time for ' an 
transplanting, to midsummer, or when the P r< 
plants are in bloom ; but it is a difficult mat- a P] 
ter to find the roots in a swamp when there W 1 
are no stems to guide one in the search. But C 
one might write a volume in describing the um 
handsome and desirable plants growing wild to 
iD our fields and woods. f r p 
The wild Columbines ( Aquilegias ), Gera- pai 
niums, Baneberrics {Acteas), Bugbanes (CP rec l 
micifugn 1, Larkspurs {Delphimans), Mallows eas 
{Hibiscus), and hundreds of other beautiful la b 
and showy wild plants might be introduced I 
far more abundantly into our gardens than car 
they are at present, with decided beneficial late 
effects in teaching the masses that real par 
worth is not wholly the product of some ear 
foreign land. sur 
®he (Bamleit. 
GARDENERS’ NOTES. 
ABOUT THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
The Connoisseur Pea, is thus spoken of by 
one who tried it last year on limestone soil, 
scarcely any l'ain falling during its growth 
after sowing“ After all the other Peas 
were dead Connoisseur was “osgreen as a 
leek.” It was a perpetual bloomer and 
cropper, commenced to fill in Julv, 
and bloomed until October. I have heard 
that there is a difficulty to grow Peas in hot 
climates, hut I fancy we have one in 
Connoisseur that will be of great service 
abroad, and also to those that requhe Peas 
say, in October.” 1 
Excellent quality in vegetables can only 
be secured through rapid growth. Taking 
)•— this as a basis of operation, the necessity of 
jn g a rich, congenial soil, becomes apparent even 
ick to those who have had no experience in the 
ion culture of the various kinds found in our gar- 
3cd dea? - Tough, stringy beets, bitter, leathery 
md lettuce and slender stem asparagus, are pret 
lre ty sure signs of a poor soil or great neglect 
C-h in culture. For the first few years a newly- 
iug cleared and fertile soil may. not require ma- 
cr. I nure ; but the richest sand soon shows signs 
ity of deterioration if constantly cultivated and 
j no additions of fertilizers are made to it, as is 
ies usual lu newly set tied portions of the country. 
It is always better to apply all kinds of 
in ' coarse manure such as obtained from the 
U barnyard, to the vegetable garden in* au 
| a tumu ; but if one does not have it at that 
u time and can supply the deficiency in spring, 
“ r then an early application is preferable to a 
'' Jate one. The manure thrown out, from the 
, w stable during the winter Is usually quite 
S ' coarse, containing more or less straw, com 
re stalks and similar materials, which are of i 
ls little value as fertilizers until thoroughly tie¬ 
s' composed ; besides, if the attempt is made 
m to incorporate them with the soil, they al¬ 
ways interfere more or less with the proper 
y preparation of the land as required for the 
JS smaller kinds of seeds. The best way to 
e avoid such an inconvenience is to fork over 
the manure in the barnyard as soon as the 
1 weather will permit in spring, separating 
’• the finer portions from the coarse, placing 
l ' the two kinds in heaps, each by itself. The ! 
first can then be used for the vegetable gar- 
R den or other crops to which it is best adapt- 
> ed, employing the latter for potatoes, com, 
0 or for mulching around fruit trees. If it is 
not wanted for any such purpose, leave it in 
e the heaps and by forking over two or three , 
times during the summer, it will become well j 
’’ rotted in time for use the next fall. 
g * 
We have never experienced any difficulty i 
3 in thoroughly rotting the coarsest kind of i < 
corn stalks in one summer by forking over i 
, occasionally and keeping in large, flat-top i 
piles, which would take tip instead of Bhed- I 
> ding water. c 
Old manure is also better than new on 3 
, i account of its containing a less quantity of 3 
i j weed seeds which are in a condition to grow; 
but if land is made rich it is pretty certain j f 
; to produce a good crop of weeds, whether t 
any seeds are introduced with fertilizers or c 
not; and we have yet to find a soil rich t 
enough to produce cultivated plants that h 
did not also produce the ever-accompanying © 
pests. t] 
In the hurry of spring work the prepara- t( 
tion of the ground to be used for vegetables b 
is very likely to be slighted ; and once plow- tl 
ing is ali that it gets, although two or three ^ 
would be labor well spent. The manure P' 
! Rhou!d b » applied early, and if in time to S' 
have the spring rains carry the liquid parts 
into the soil, so much the better ; then plow I tl 
J under as Soon as tlie ground is dry enough to 51 
work readily. Harrow and cross-plow, then S3 
harrow again just before commencing to g£ 
sow seed or set out plants. Twice plowing SI 
and two or three harrowings will insure a as 
pretty thorough distribution of the manure us 
applied, as well as pulverization, without th 
which good results cannot be secured. if 
CJay soils, which donot readily break down no 
under the harrow, should be rolled, in order a 1 
to crush the lumps and make the surface 
fi iable : in fact, the more time spent in pre- di< 
paring the land for a crop the less will be m< 
required in after culture ,* besides, it is much ab 
easier to do it with a team thau by hand no 
labor. „ 
on 
If roots are to be grown for stock, such as eqi 
carrots and turnips, which are or can be sown a j 
later in the season, the land should be pre- ex 
pared, or at least a commencement made de< 
early, permitting the weed seeds near the be 
surface to start, as they generally will; then juc 
harrow and destroy them before putting in j 
the crop. If land intended for late t arnips the 
can be manured and plowed in spring and coi 
then kept under cultivation during the sum- if t 
mer, it will be all the better for this extra kef 
preparation. of 
Now, to sum up this subject of vegetable ah 
culture, we may put the causes of failure SUJ ' 
. undei the following heads :—1. A poor soil; hoi 
2, Want of thorough preparation before put- 1 
ting in the seed ; 3, Neglect in culture of the ing 
ciop , 4. Poor seed and unfavorable season, per 
But the two latter are not frequent occur- dm 
enees. 
Wanted , a Pea !—A pea that shall be green 
in color when mature and that when cooked 
in mid-winter shall retain all the luscious 
excellence and flavor of the best of peas 
cooked green. Cannot such a pea be secured ? 
The near approach to it which is found in 
some varieties warrants the hope if not the 
belief that such a pea will yet. be produced. 
We need a better class of peas in this country 
than we have ; and considering their nutri¬ 
tive character as food for both men and 
brutes, we ought to grow and use more of 
them. 
Why Cucumbers are Bitter .—One of the 
causes gardeners give for cucumbers being 
bitter is that such are grown too slow ; that 
in order to secure sweetness and crispness, 
they should be forced to grow as fast as 
possible. 
ranee Heprtmcnt 
INSURANCE NOTES AND NEWS. 
he J 8 it Luck or Wisdom?—' There may be a 
te great deal of guesswork in fire insurance and 
rn something very nearly akin to luck, but this 
of i sort of luck appears to be governed by the 
e- law of averages. The companies that suf- 
le fered and survived the great fires have since 
U- enjoyed an immunity from loss that can be 
er explained in no other way. The chap who 
ie shoved his head into the hole in the ship’s 
to side where a cannon ball had just passed 
sr through gave as a reason that he had made 
ie a nice calculation that there, was only one 
ig chance in seven hundred that another kail 
ig would hit the same hole ! Perhaps the in- 
le surer finds safety in similar calculations that 
r- the company will not be hit twice in the 
t- same place any way. 
Combined Bayik and Life insurance Co. 
lh “ The Hon - Elizur Wright and others have 
11 applied for a charter for a combined bank 
anrl life insurance company, which shall 
issue no policies insuring after the age of 
seventy-five, indorse on all policies a cash 
^ . surrender value, and otherwise separate the 
f | accumulative and insurance elements A 
r | novel feature will bethut these policies, hav- 
P ing a sma11 margin only for expenses, will 
• be much cheaper than (hose issued by other 
companies. It is also proposed to do busi- 
2 ness and obtain business without cmplov- 
f ing agents. We shall see. 
; ^ t bc Aew England Lije Companies have 
i | for some years been tempted to boast that 
• the diseases that carried off so many life 
• companies were peculiar to New York and 
i the West. The contagion appears to have 
, infected the sacred soil at last. The Ameri¬ 
can National of New Haven is in trouble, 
the Charter Oak is said to have nothing over 
t o brag on, and the John Hancock of Boston 
has been recently investigated. Perhaps 
they may all survive the attack, but the 
claim of the Hub and Hartford to be the 
| peculiar abodes of honesty and capability is 
gone forever. 
Assets oj Life Companies. —One year ago 
| the Universal Life Insurance Co. had $ 1 , 112 ,- 
311 of assets; the North American had 
$5,500,211; the Guardian, $3,076,977. All to¬ 
gether these companies had between them 
? 10,508,69S. The Universal now reports its 
assets to be $4.653,851. Will some one tell 
: us where to find the other companies i Have 
they been reinsured by the Universal ? And 
if so what has become of $5,044,000? and 
not what lias gone with $9,486,187 ? Is this 
a fair specimen of what is called freezing out 
Non-Forfeitable Policies.—it has been ju 
dicially decided, though that does not by any 
means settle the question, that a non-forfeit- 
able policy with a lien note against it is still 
non-forfeitable though the note be not paid 
off, as long as the interest is paid. Another 
equally eminent authority decides that such 
a policy is paid up and non-foifeitable to the 
extent of the cash part after the notes are 
deducted, although the interest on the notes 
be not paid. All of which shows that the 
judicial ermine is not a badge of infallibility. 
Fire Companies Can Sustain Rates.— Since 
the great fires at Chicago and Boston the fire 
companies have been taught that they could, 
if they would, sustain adequate rates and 
keep down the vicious and ruinous practice 
of under-cutting. The result is that nearly 
all well-managed companies have a large 
surplus and are better prepared for another 
holocaust than ever before, 
The Travelers of Hartford, notwithstand¬ 
ing hard times, enters the new year with 50 
per cent, more business per month than 
during corresponding periods of 1874. There 
is nothing tells like grit, pluck and push. 
