MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YOR 
<§iai[g of a JjtttntM 
DAILY EUEAL LIFE 
From the Diary of a Centleman Near New 
York City, 
THE FIRST BLINK OF SPRINO. 
March 29.—In an old tree near by I heard 
a robin this morning piping his notes of wel¬ 
come to the first blink of spring. The fields 
arc fully one-half hidden us yet by snow, 
stiJl the warm rays of the sun are dispelling' 
it rapidly, revealing to ns a most welcome 
sight ol mother earth again, For over three 
months the monotony of snow-covered flolds 
has scarcely been varied, and It is a relief 
to see even dirt in original packages unadul¬ 
terated with “beautiful snow,” of which 
poets have sung in ecstatic strains. But all 
pleasures are either measured or intensified 
by contrast, hence the beauty of variation 
even in olimate. No poet would have ever 
sung “Hail, joyous Spring ! ” in a land of 
perpetual sunshine, or “ Here Spring appears I 
with flowery chaplets bound,” for it is only I 
by experiencing the acids of life that we are I 
enabled to fully enjoy the sweets. 
If the past winter has been unusually se- I 
vere, the spring will doubtless be compen- 
satiugly pleasant, consequently we shall lose 
nothing In the end. Of course the warm I 
sunshine and the song of the birds tempts j 
one to take a peep under the Utter which has 
protected our pot plants from the cold, and I 
we may unbind and examine the roses and I 
half-hardy shrubs which have been wrapped 
in straw, but it is not safe to expose them I 
too early, for dry, cold winds and bright 
sunshine are often injurious at this season, 
even more so than the severe cold of winter. 
Early planting will unswer for the very I 
hardy plants which have been exposed during 
the winter, but the half-hardy from the cel¬ 
lar or hoeling-in trenches should not be set 
out until frosty nights art* past. Haste and 
industry are to be commended in gardening 
if judiciously applied, but not otherwise. 
ATTENDINO TO THE LAWN. 
This is one of the things which should be « 
attended to early, before the hot, dry i 
weather comes on. It the lawn has not been < 
top-dressed in the fall with manure, it is i 
well to go over it early in spring and repair s 
the weak spots with applications of line ma- i 
nure or rich compost, and at the same time I i 
scatter on a little grass seed, raking it in. It I c 
will also bo time and money well spent for a 
fanner to do the same with his meadow's j ^ 
and pastures. There arc a few who practice | tn 
this patching system upon quite extensive , 
meadows, and with excellent results both in j] 
appearance of the field and in the yield of „ 
hay. For small lawns or grasspJuts much f, 
better immediate results can be secured by c 
laying down sods procured from some old „ 
field, than to attempt seeding, especially if u 
this operation has been delayed until spring. I ,, 
But to be at all sure of success in our usually s , 
dry climate the sods should be laid early and a | 
upon a good mellow bed. About one-half a t 
acre of my own lawn was made with sods, a i 
and the remainder seeded down in the usuai 0l 
manner, but the first has always kept ahead ^ 
in appearance, although this would not have Q t 
been the case upon what are usually termed sa 
natural grass lands. As a grassplat is the n , 
first and most essential feature in the orna¬ 
mentation of grounds, it should be the one 
to take precedence in preparation or atten¬ 
tion in spring. 
PRUNING EVEROREENS. WJ 
March 30 .—It is somewhat strange that W( 
there should exist such an apparent fear to If 
put a knife or pruning shears to work among ca 
evergreen trees. Perhaps it has grown out int 
of the fact that evergreen trees generally re- set 
quire very little pruning to keep them in on 
good shape w'hen planted singly, but what- »c: 
ever may have been the cause the majority on 
of persons who cultivate them are fearful of ful 
injury if any cutting off of branches is sug- pal 
gested. The result of neglect in this matter isli 
is far too frequently seen in specimens which tin 
were distorted iu the nursery by being is i 
crowded, or branches broken off in cultb far 
vating, the defect remaining or even in- is t 
creasing in ugliuess as the trees advance m be 
size, all for the want of a little pruning at the rai: 
time of transplanting. It is not every sped- I 
men of pine, spruce or other evergreen Hn 
which assumes a compact, elegant from, chi 
even when grown from seed, and the prun- cot 
iug knife cau be frequently applied to way- Hu 
ward growth with good effect, and no more of t 
danger of injury than upon deciduous trees, cea 
If my evergreen trees do not grow as com- or j 
pact as I desire to have them, the ends of all bee 
the side branches are cut off and the lead¬ 
ing shoots shortened sufficient to force the 
specimen into proper shape. This pruning is 
done iu early spring before the buds start, if 
it is desirable not to check the growth. I 
have practiced this spring pruning upon all 
kinds of hardy evergreens alike, with equally 
good results, and believe that an evergreen 
tree is benefited by removing a portion of 
the branches at the time of transplanting, as 
much as the deciduous. This is no theory of 
mine, but the result of almost a lifetime of 
practice, and upon hundreds of thousands of 
specimens. I am well aware of the fact that 
there are men who will “argue” it's all 
wrong to prune evergreens in order to insure 
life and vigorous growth, but fortunately 
theories do not remove or lessen the value of 
knowledge gained through practical experi¬ 
ence. i am not much given to boasting, but 
will risk my reputation upon specimens of 
e vergreens treated in the manner described 
and now growing in my grounds. 
PRUNING ROSES. 
j. In looking over my roses in the garden I 
I find many needing pruning. The shoots pro- 
I duced late in the season were immature 
, r when the frosts came last fall, and have beeu 
I killed by the cold of winter. These must be 
I removed in order to give the plants a neat 
I appearance, besides the older canes which 
have bloomed for two or three years begin 
to look weak and sparingly clothed with 
s vigorous branches, hence should be removed 
‘ I to make room for the young aud thrifty. 
I ibis applies mainly to the climbing, moss 
' I and June roses generally, which produce 
their flowers upon shoots from the old canes, 
I which are one or several years old. 
The Hybrid Perpetuate also produce their 
I flowers upon similar shoots, but in our rather 
I severe climate the last year’s canes are 
I usually weakened to such an extent by the 
I cold that severe cutting back becomes 
necessary to insure young, blooming shoots 
I every year. As a rule the entire top may he 
cut back one-half, even if every cane is alive, 
I and the result will be n much better display 
of flowers than if left intact. The weaker 
the plants the more severe should the prun- 
I iug be, for by forcing the entire strength of 
I the roots into a few buds a far better growth 
I can be secured than if it is left to be dis- 
I tributed among many. Here, again, I run 
I counter to the oft-proclaimed theory that 
I numbers of buds and leaves represent the 
strength of a plant, lienee removal tends to 
weaken ; but practical experience in such 
I matters shows that quality, including size, Is 
of more consequence than quantity. 
For all the monthly or perpetual blooming 
varieties such as the Teas, Bourbons and 
Noisettes, it is well to shorten all branches, 
young or old, and small plants of say u foot 
in bight, it is better to cut them down to a 
[ mere stump, depending upon the new shoots 
for flowers. Of coarse this treatment is for 
cold climates, where protection iu winter is 
necessary and small, low specimens the only 
ones easily managed. As soon as my beds 
of protected, tender roses are uncovered m 
spring, I prune off all dead and live branches 
alike, leav iug a stump of a plant, from which i 
strong, vigorous shoots spring in great i 
abundance and continue to bloom through- i 
out the season. A bed of tender, moiithly 
roses treated in this manner is a “hobby” , 
of which I never tire, and a repetition of the , 
same does not become tiresome or mo- * 
notonous. 
lomoltrgifal. 
EARLY PEACHES IN OHIO. 
J. C. Neff, Duncan’s Falls, Ohio, writes 
the Fruit RecorderI have fruited the 
Foster peach. Size, very large, with a red 
flush all over it ; flesh, bright yellow, small 
pit, thick meated, with a most delightful 
flavor—the taste of a ripe fig—tree very 
hardy, upright grower, and altogether the 
best peach that I fruited. Season, August 
12 th to 20 th. 
Early Beatrice.— This peach fruited this 
year with me ; above medium size, pit small; 
I on the sun side red flush, with a yellow tint 
! all over; flesh white, good flavor. Season I 
July 20 . One of the best and earliest J have. 
Kjner’s Early Kinekr.— This peach 
fruited this year ; above medium size—what 
we call a red-cheeked peach—flush red tint, 
small pit, good flavor. Season, July 25th to 
31st, with me here. 
F.arly Louise.— This peach is medium to 
large size, flesh white, pit larger than either 
of the other two, flavor similar to Early 
Kmors, slight, red flush on the sun side. 
Season, August 10 th. 
The above three varieties are of the earliest 
we have. PlOwden Seedling gets ripe August 
l«th here—white peach, good flavor, about 
the size of Hale’s Early, pit round and small, 
thick fleshed, good peach for general cultiva¬ 
tion. All of the above trees are hardy, aud 
have all the appearance of being good 
bearers. 
instance there was a manifest change in 
color, flavor and shape. The apples were 
quite mild to the ta-ste, the color was very 
much modified and the form was that of a 
flat apple. 3d. Tallman Sweet upon Wag- 
ener. The modification here was noticeable 
in all the specimens in flavor and color. 
Two of these had no gauze on them and the 
difference was quite as noticeable in these 
samples as in the remainder. 
The “Poplar Peach,” M. B. Bateham 
says is a humbug that peddlers are selling in 
Ohio at §1 per tree and which is not really 
worth growing. Mr. Bateham ought to 
know for lie has grown it. 
NOTES FROM GEORGIA. 
P0M0L0GICAL NOTES. 
I arieties of Cranberry .—At the annual 
meeting of the New Jersey Cranberry Grow¬ 
ers’ Association, Dr. Brakeley said he had 
noticed the following nine well characterized 
varieties of the common cultivated Cran¬ 
berry, (Vaccinium macrocarpon) 1. The 
cherry—the common variety. 2 . The same 
flattened at the extremities, reirmiding one 
of a cheese, (large.) 3. The pear-shaped, 
(largc.j 4. The same uniformly small. 5. 
The bugle, shaped like bead of this name. 
Large and deeply colored. (!. The same, but 
frequently cylindrical and uniformly light 
colored. 7. The cream-colored, bell-shaped 
and uniformly small. 8 . The same, iu shape 
between the cherry and bugle, and large. 
9. White, frequently tinged with ebony, 
(large.) Mr. French mentioned the fact, as 
characteristic of the sale of berries, that a 
very bright mottled berry had found a ready 
market. He had shipped with some doubt 
as to their popularity, several crutesof these 
berries to the west, aud there had been a 
demand for more, packages of this descrip¬ 
tion selling promptly. White or cream- 
colored cranberries were mentioned. Mi-. 
Gowdy had told Mr. Holman that they were 
“splendid” for jelly, etc., aud that he was 
about to set an acre of this variety to vines. 
Dr. Brakeley said this berry is found on the 
Park Company's bogs. When preserved it is 
about the color of gooseberries. The vines 
retain then' green foliage but are shy bearers 
and the fruit is uniformly small. 
THE CAUSE OF CHINCH BUGS. 
J _ 
Henry I. Bennett, Reece’s Mills, Ind., 
writes the Indiana FarmerThere never 
was an effect without a producing cause, and 
I feel perfectly satisfied that the producing 
cause of chinch bugs in this country was the 
introduction of Hungarian grass. The first 
seen in my neighborhood was in a piece sowed 
oil my farm, some twelve years ago. The 
next| harvest following they were not only 
on my farm but on my neighbors’, and I am 
fully satisfied that they started from that 
patch of Hungarian grass. I am as well sat¬ 
isfied in my mind as i am that I am living, 
that Hungarian grass raising has brought and 
is now keeping that most terrible of pests to 
farmers in our country, and I hope the day 
is near at hand when the cry against it will 
be so great that a stop will be put to its being 
raised.” 
If it were true that the introduction of 
Htmgarian grass and the appearance of the 
chinch hug was simultaneous, all over the 
country, it would not necessarilyfollow that 
Hungarian grass should be expelled because 
of the Chinch bug more than that we should 
cease growing wheat because of the weevil, 
or potatoes because of the Colorado potato 
beetle. 
Apples for Minnesota. —in the report of 
the proceedings of the Minnesota Hort.Soe., 
wefiud the following :—The committee for 
the recommendation of varieties of apples 
for general cultivation submitted their report 
which was substantially adopted as reported. 
The following is the list adopted, with the 
votes iu flavor of each variety : 
For. Against, 
Duchess of Oldenburg. ;*3 n 
Tetoffski... 17 •, 
Wealthy..,. ;*3 g 
Stewart Sweet. 14 4 
LIST FOR FAVORABLE LOCALITIES. 
Haas.. ii 3 
Price's Winter Sweet,...'.... io 
Saxton. 10 
MOST FAVORABLE LOCALITIES. 
Fa me use... 14 o 
Plumb's Ctdm-. 7 s 
Walbrldge...10 j 
St. Lawrence.' ” q 
Utter’s Ited ..5 . 
Tallman Sweet.* 12 
Cross Fertilization of Apples at the Michi¬ 
gan A ft. College. —Chas. YV. Garfield, Agri¬ 
cultural College, Michigan, writes the Coun¬ 
try Gentleman, as follows:—YVe made ten 
crosses, employing ten specimen# in each 
cross. Perfected fruit was attained in all 
but three instances. In only three did we 
observe auy variation in the specimens save 
that which would come as an effect of the 
gauze employed to prevent the ravages of 
the codling moth. These cases were as 
follows :—1st. Wagener upon Tallman Sweet. 
There was a modification of flavor quite 
noticeable, the fruit being sub-acid. 2nd. 
Tallman Sweet upon Astrachan. In this 
’ Editors Rural New-Yorker :—One of 
tu our Rural friends writes us from Hamilton, 
Ill., inquiring about our climate and fruit 
to advantages iu Middle. Georgia ; aud from the 
ler way he writes, evidently is afraid of freezing 
*ly to death or being eaten up by grasshoppers, 
le. Now I want to assure this Rural friend that 
our “bugs” are entirely harmless so far as 
wt children are Concerned, and that while there 
1 st is no devastating blight brought upon our 
tit crops from tills source, still our cotton crop 
, 11 , often suffers more or less from the boll worm 
a . during the muturing season. Sometimes the 
id army worm attacks and destroys the foliage 
jd of the plants, but if it does not make its ap¬ 
pearance before the tenth of September 
many farmers contend that no damage is 
done by it but on the contrary, it admits the 
sun’s rays to the lower limbs of the cotton 
a ] stalk which bears the most fruit and assists 
the matured crop in opening. We have all 
id the cureulio and other insects that prey upon 
:d the fruits of any climate. There has been 
a . but little attention paid to the culture of 
ie apples in this part of the State, though there 
,0 are a few orchards from which I have seen 
ie us fine specimens as I ever saw grow in a 
j i colder climate. Peaches are our heat and 
5 , favorite fruit crop. I have Hale’s Early that 
ripens by the 15th of June and by a well-se- 
it looted assortment this delicious fruit can be 
t, had in abundance until late in October. One 
d gentleman six miles from 1 icre has an orchard 
Of 15,000 trees and has had very good success 
.. in shipping to Eastern markets iu the green 
state—yet our best trade is in the dried fruit, 
s of which our town alone has shipped iu one 
1 season over 25,000 bushels at an average price 
f of $0 per bushel of 38 lbs, 
L Our climate is mild and suited to the 
i growth of nearly every crop from the Tiop- 
i ics to Canada. Health is all that could be 
. desired ; our towns are not swept b 3 T con- 
. taglous diseases as they are on the sea coast 
or along the large rivers of the Middle and 
, Western States. In summer the heat reaches 
1 80* Fahr. about the first of J une and rarely 
runs above 90' in July and August. There 
is nearly always a breeze sets in from two to 
three o’clock in the afternoon, aud by the 
time night comes you can sleep comfortably 
under light covers. The worst objection to 
our summers is, they are so long and monot¬ 
onous that our people desire to go North, 
where they begin to meet the frost in the lat¬ 
ter days of August or first of September. 
Frost usually comes here by the 13th of Oc¬ 
tober, though sometimes it is a month later. 
Our winters are mild ; the severest cold com¬ 
ing in January and February, sometimes 
runs the thermometer down to 20 ° above 
zero ; but this hardly ever lasts longer than 
two or three days. Our lands are not rich 
like the prairies or the alluvial soils of the 
Mississippi or Tennessee Rivers, but are a 
sandy loam, capable of bringing to a high 
state of cultivation by a proper system of 
manuring. Lands can be bought for £10 per 
acre that are under cultivation and produc¬ 
ing good crops of corn and cotton.- Our labor 
system is disorganized to some extent by the 
new. political relations of the colored race 
but will all come right in course of time. Our 
people desire immigration and would wel¬ 
come any man that would come here to link 
his destiny with theirs and make an earnest, 
honest effort to build up our waste places ; 
and it does not matter from what section 
they come provided they come to settle and 
become a part of the community and to aid 
in building it up. W e would be glad to give 
any information desired by any one in regard 
to particular subjects affecting their inter¬ 
ests, and should you think this worthy of a 
place iu your paper (I do not propose to flat¬ 
ter the Rural New-Yorker, for it is telhu" 
its own praise wherever it goes, and we want 
it to go everywhere,) I will esteem it a favor 
as well to our section as to yours, respect- 
mi y> J. G. Rhee. 
Griffin, Ga., March 22,1875. 
