r~ — 
270 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
AJ>R1L 24 
<§iaiig of a Jjtoraliat. 
DAILY RDEAL LIFE. 
From the Diary of a Centleman near New 
York City. 
THE HORTICULTURAL CIRCLE. 
April 13.—Years ago when I thought hunt¬ 
ing rabbits in the big woods “ lip north ” 
was rare sport in winter, wo used to take 
our stand near their paths or runways, be¬ 
cause the hounds would surely bring them 
around to the starting point, hence the com¬ 
mon saying that rabbits run in a circle. Ol 
course this peculiarity is more fully developed 
in our Northern Hare or White Rabbit, 
(Lupus Americana a) than in the smaller 
Southern or Western Prairie species, lmt ill 
show it more or less, although some soon seek 
their burrows when pressed by hounds. 
Many others of the larger kinds of our 
wild animals exhibit this same trait, of keep¬ 
ing close to their runways, and unless killed 
during the chase will circle for home toward* 
evening no matter how far away they may 
have been driven during the day. It is also 
said that when a man gets lost in the wood> 
lie is pretty sure to travel in a ei*vln unless In 
happens tube an experienced woodman, who 
knows how to read nature’s guide boards. 
, resent to the eye by day, and the feel of tin- 
land at night; thereby enabling him to go 
straight ahead, and in any chosen direction. 
But this traveling, or hunting game which 
runs in a circle is not wholly monopolized by 
the. professional or amateur sportsman, be¬ 
cause the same phenomena can be seen In 
Other branches of business, and in all the 
ordinary walks of life, in fact, we are all 
going round a circle in well-beaten paths, 
and the gamester who wuits patiently oi 
guard is very sure of his game in the end. 
There r /e, it is true, many different kinds oi 
circles frequented by various kinds of game, 
but it would be difficult to say which wai 
traveled by the greatest number of long¬ 
eared-rabbits. 
Horticulture is no exception to the general 
rule, and “swinging around the circle,” 
seems to be the common fate of many u 
noted plant. In some instances their coining 
and going, resemble the passing of our great 
comets ; brilliantly illuminating the horti¬ 
cultural world for a time, then passing on 
leaving us enveloped in a long, broid, and 
transparent tuil of consequences, which <lrng> 
far behind. The pear-mania, grape-fevers 
ami similar periodical excitements in regard 
to the culture of certain kinds or classes of 
fruits, or ornamental plants, is merely chas¬ 
ing the rabbit around the circle by one 
generation, to be repeated by the next. It is 
true, that some new and Improved breeds, 
or varieties, may come in occasionally, but 
the results ure very similar in the end. But 
it is to bo presumed that the pains and 
pleasures experienced by each and even, 
generation is about the same, and the only 
thing to be regretted is that there is so little 
profiting by the mistakes of others. What 
are books, newspapers and history good 
for, if it is not to teach one generation to 
avoid the errors of those which have pre 
ceeded it. The parent rabbits follow the 
beaten path, and go into the pot, and their 
offsprings tread in the same trail and meet a 
similar l'ate, but we pretend to judge of the 
future by the past. IIow many do it is a 
question still open for discussion. One cun 
scarcely take up a newspaper without being 
reminded that this traveling in a circle is 
still going on. There are numerous revolv¬ 
ing plants which come around at certain 
periods, usually they are started on the track 
by men who are either ignorant of horticul 
tural history, or pretend it, for the sake oi 
making a little money. 
For instance, 1 have just been reading in 
rne of our horticultural journals a very 
“ taking,” advertisement- of the old Paulo te¬ 
nia Imperialal which was introduced from 
Japan more than thirty years ago. It is 
described in most glowing terms with ex 
tracts from; a committee’s report to tin 
“Cincinnati Horticultural Society ” in 1874, 
this date doubtless leading mauy persons to 
suppose it is a new- tree lately brought to 
this country when m fact there are thousands 
of the trees, uhnoot dead with old age, about 
this city and further South. Twenty years 
o there was a great demand for Pa ulo a n in 8 
to plant in the streets of our cities, and the 
nurserymen about New Y’ork and Philadel 
t had quite an extensive trade in this tree, 
- — -& soon became apparent that it was en¬ 
tirely unfit for this purpose, in fact inferior | 
to hundreds of cur native kinds either for ! 
ornament or practical uses as a shade or tim¬ 
ber tree. The flowers are certainly beauti- ‘ 
ful, but the buds being formed the previous 
season they are usually winter-killed except 
in protected situations or further South than 
New York City. 
The Paulotcnia is an exceedingly rapid¬ 
growing tree while young, but soon reaches 
its maximum size; thenceforward the 
growth is slow-, the leaves which are very 
large on thrifty young specimens gradually 
diminish in size as the trees become old, 
scarcely exceeding those of our native linden 
or basswood. The wood is also very brittle 
and in exposed situations the branches stand 
no chance before a good, strong breeze, con¬ 
sequently it. is entirely unfit for prairie 
countries or elsewhere, unless protected by 
some stronger and more flexible kind. The 
demand for it almost entirely ceased years 
ago on account of its general inferiority, 
hence the little said about Paulownias in 
nurserymen's catalogues of lute years. But 
It has again been put upon the track, and is 
now being driven around the twenty year 
cycle and doubtless many will invest their 
money in this supposed-to-be novelty. The 
propagation of this tree Is vary easy because 
it not only grows freely from seed but the 
roots may be cut, up into piece < and planted 
tike jiotatoes. Five dollars per thousand 
would be a fair price for one year old seed¬ 
lings or plants from cuttings, but no one 
need expect to make a fortune out of their 
culture, as the stock iu the country is too 
large and very widely distributed. Probably 
every man who has room for it will want one 
tree, seldom more, especially after a ten 
years’ experience in watching for flowers out 
of the winter-killed buds. 
There is however one place in which the 
Puuloumfu fits in admirably, and that is as a 
center fora group of tropical bedding plants 
But to grow it for this purpose the stem 
must lie out down to the ground every spring 
then permit, only one bud to grow; lids will 
produce a stem from eight to twelve feet 
in a single season, if the soil is rich, and the 
leaves became, enormous in size, frequent ly a 
foot or more in diameter and of a beautiful 
deep green color. This cutting down for the 
first two or three years is the usual practice 
in nurseries in order to obtain a straight 
stem to the trees before allowing them to 
produce lateral branches. If this eutiing 
back is not done it is a difficult matter to 
obtain a straight, smooth stem to this natur¬ 
ally very scraggy, ill-shaped tree. 
Some should start the Tree of Heaven 
Ailantlut* ) again for it is far more valuable 
than the Pauloivnia , although one cannot 
recommend it for the beauty or fragrance of 
the flowers ; but it has been put around the 
circle several times since its introduction 
from China, 134 years ago, 
Chinese Fn/n.—Twenty years ago i had 
thoroughly tested this novelty, which was 
introduced aa a substitute for the common 
potato, in fact., some who held a stock of 
the tubers “for sd?.," assured us that the 
days of the good old “Murphys” were 
numbered. But the Yam gradually faded 
out of sight, except the few kept by amateurs 
as ornamental plants, for which purpose it 
is valuable, tspecialy us u climber for cover¬ 
ing arbors and screens. It has, however, 
come around again for I notice a number of 
“high toned” articles going the rouurls of 
the press extolling our old Chinese Yam or 
Disoorea Balaian, as an edible tuber likely 
to be. cultivated with enormously profitable 
results. Experience, however, is a good 
teacher besides being the only ouo which a 
majority of our people will heed, hence the 
value of bringing around the old plants 
occasionally. There are scores of plants 
like those named above, which have re¬ 
ceded only, a short distance to be brought, 
around again when the opportunity presents. 
Jute culture, Mulberries for siik worms, 
ligyptian corn, White Willows for hedges, 
tnd hundreds of other plants the value of 
which are rather questionable, to say the 
least, will surely come around in due time, 
whether wanted by the people or not. 
EERNS AND DAHLIAS. 
April 15,—A “Rural Reader," residing in 
Ontario, after himiug that more “flower 
talk ” in the Diary would be acceptable to 
herself, says, “I want a small case for 
Ferns,—how should it be made, and what 
depth of soil put in, also would one 15 inches 
square answer for small kinds. I would also 
like to know how to strike Dahlia cuttings— 
that, is, how and at what time should they be 
taken off the parent plant ? I have been 
informed that they must be severed at some 
particular point, else they will grow and 
blossom, but produce no eyes near their base, 
hence be worthless for propagation the fol¬ 
lowing season.” 
For the common native species of ferns no j 
inclosed case is necessary when cultivated 
aa pot plants. Any good strong box five or 
Bix inches deep will answer as well or even 
better than the ordinary flower pots, because 
the earth within is less liable to become dry. 
In filling such receptacles for ferns it is well 
to place some broken brick in the bottom, 
aay an inch in depth for drainage, then put 
in good, rich leaf-mold; from the woods in 
which to set the plants. Of course for house 
culture the smaller species of ferns are pre¬ 
ferable to t-lie large, eoarsc-growng kinds. 
The walking-leaf fern, Maiden Hair and 
evergreen Pol ypodi urns are common and 
beautiful species, natives of most of our 
Northern woods. Rut if the tender exotic 
species arc preferred, then a glass fern-case 
would be the most ornamental and perhaps 
easiest mode of culture, if treated as window 
plant*. A strong base box to hold their roots 
is of course required, the size being regulated 
by the number and kinds of plants to 1 >3 
grown. One fifteen inches square might 
answer for a single plant of moderate size, 
but it would hold a half dozen of some of 
the smaller specie*. The sides and top should 
be made of sheet glass fastened ut the edges 
in wood or metal sash, one side being left so 
that. It could be opened. Almost any good 
carpenter will be able to make such a case, 
and it kept pretty nearly air-tight when 
filled with plants very little watering will 
be required. 
A# for propagating Dahlias from cuttings 
it cannot be successfully done except where 
bottom heat is supplied, as in a hot-bed or 
progagating pot. Still in a very warm room 
a few may be made to strike root. The 
euttingB may be taken off from the crowns 
of the old stool of tubers with the heel 
attached—that is, severed close to the tuber 
when the sprouts lire three or four inches 
long, or with proper facilities for growing. 
Any green, succulent shoot will answer the 
purpose and at any time during the summer, 
lu making cuttings of shoots long enough to 
be divided into several, it is well to sever 
them just beneath a leaf, for in the sxilof 
each there is always a bud, whether devel¬ 
oped sufficient to be seen or not.-. Asa general 
rule amateur florists will do better to depend 
upon dividing the crown into as many sec¬ 
tions as there are good, well-developed eyes, 
planting each separately, than to attempt 
propagating by cuttings. If t he Dahlia roots 
are. put iu sand early, placed in a warm room 
and given water occasionally, the buds will 
soon start sufficiently to enable one to divide 
them. J u starting Dahlia or other succulent 
plants from cuttings pure sand is preferable 
to soil of any kind. 
$rienli|i(i mui fitful. 
A VENERABLE HUMBUG. 
I have stood it as loDg as possible ! And 
somebody taunt help me out ! Do you ask 
what i AVhy, all tin's trash and twaddle 
ub.ut using a “forked twig” to ascertain, 
by means of its mysterious turnings and 
twistings, where water is to be found. Now, 
j i could endure it from old, superstitious peo 
pie, who have had the idea drummed into 
| their heads iu early youth, aud are evidently 
so set in this absurd belief that neither rea¬ 
son nor philosophy have power to move them. 
But 1 have even heard young aud middle- 
aged persons, educated (?) in this enlight¬ 
ened age, gravely and solemnly assert that 
t here is no doubt about it whatever; that in 
the hands of certain persons this mystic 
forked stick (cut from a peaeli tree) will 
turn toward a place where water may be 
found, and obstinately refuse to move when 
there is none. Now, they say it really does 
t -in spontaneously ; and, if such is the ca-e, 
some natural cause for it must exist. The 
question I would ask is. What causes it, and 
what is the whole explanation of this ? Some 
one please answer through the Run ax,. 
Janesville, N. V., April tf. Khmengarde- 
Of the fact that water is or has been thus 
found there can be no doubt. We have seen 
it done in more than one case under circum¬ 
stances that rendered the finding of water 
exceptional and exceedingly gratifying. In¬ 
deed we have beeninformed that during our 
late civil war the forked stick was frequently 
resorted to by the army officers in order to 
locate water and thus determine the location 
of a camp. Of course there must be some 
cause for this phenomenon and for the fact 
that not every person can discover water by 
this derice, while another, going over the 1 
same ground, does find’jt. Rut what that 
cause is, so far as we know, is unexplained. 
--»»♦ ■ H . 
Scientific and Useful facts and sugges¬ 
tions are solicited from our readers, 
SCIENTIFIC AND USEFUL NOTES. 
Wash .for Out-Buildings .—The German¬ 
town Telegraph says :—We are asked for a 
coloring wash for houses and out-buildings 
that is inexpensive. For years we tried to 
find out a good wash for this purpose, and 
we think we have found it in the following 
receipt, the color of which is somewhat 
similar to brown stone :—To 100 gallons of 
water add about 15 lbs. Venitian red, 1 peck 
of unslavked lime, 5 lbs. mineral black, or 
about one bushel anthracite coal dust from 
the yards, which can be had for the hauling. 
Then get some worn-out printing rollers, 
which we presume will be gladly given 
away ; melt in a kettle with water, so as to 
be of reasonable consistency, and arid about 
a quart to each bucket of the coloring when 
about to be applied. This will make the 
wash stick and retain its original color. 
Much depends upon the judgment in mix¬ 
ing. 
11 Sap Pino” for IFofer Pipe.—I see an 
inquiry hi Rr ral New Yorker of March 30 
in relation to water pipes. My experience is 
that young pine trees, which we call sap 
pine, answer a good purpose. In 1865 I put 
down about fill rods of sap pine, from 4 to 8 
inches through, bored with a H^-inch auger, 
which are to-day as good as when put down, 
so far as 1 can discern without taking them 
up. Last year one of my neighbors had oc¬ 
casion to take up logs of the same material, 
bored in the same way, for carrying water 
to tanks or vats for tanning leather, which 
had been laid twelve years, and, to all ap¬ 
pearances, they were as sound as when laid. 
They were considered so sound that they 
were re-laid to carry spring water to a barn. 
— O. Kellogg, Bradford Vo., Pa. 
While trash for Old Buildings. —A corres¬ 
pondent of the American Rural Home says 
the following is durable and looks nearly as 
well os paintTake a clean, tight barrel, 
and slake in it one bushel of freshly-burned 
lime, by covering it with boiling water. 
Alter it is slaked add cold water enough to 
bring it to the consistency of cream or thick 
whitewash. Then disolve in water one 
pound of sulphate of zinc (also known by the 
common name of white vit riol) and add to 
tiie lime and water, with one quart of fine 
salt. Stir well until the ingredients are 
thoroughly mixed. This forms a pure white. 
If a cream color is desired, one-half pound of 
yellow ochre is added. 
To Break Olars. —Au easy method of 
breaking glass to any required form is by 
making a small notch, by means of a file,on 
the edge of a piece of glass ; then mako the 
er.d of a tobacco pipe, or a rod of iron 
about the same size, red hot in the fire, apply 
the hot iron to the notch, and draw it slowly 
along the surface of the glass,in any direction 
you please ; a crack will be made in the glais 
and will follow the direction of the iron, 
Round glass bottles and flasks may be cut in 
the middle by rapping round them a worsted 
thread dipped iu spirits of turpentine, and 
setting i on fire when fastened to the glass. 
Preserving ('tint - Iron from Hast. —The 
English Mechanic says cast-iron may be best 
preserved from rust "by heating it till if 
touched with flax it causes it to frizzle,” and 
then plunging into a vat of mixed oil and 
grease. It is said that “theoleaginous mat¬ 
ter actually penetrates the pores and pre¬ 
vents oxidation for a very long time, while 
it does not prevent painting, if desirable, af- 
terwurd.” 
A Cheap and Good Mouse Trap.— Take 
the bowl of a clean clay pipe and fill it with 
cheese ; put it under the edge of a glass tum¬ 
bler in such a manner that a slight touch will 
cause the tumbler to slip off—the bait aud 
mouse, of course, underneath. This arrange¬ 
ment will catch more mice than any trap I 
ever saw. at the cost of one cent.—N. R., Sy¬ 
racuse, .V. Y. 
Kerosene. Lamps.— Mrs. B. A. C. is in¬ 
formed that tor family use a properly-con¬ 
structed metallic lamp is preferable, be¬ 
cause less dangerous, in our judgment, to 
glass lamps for kerosene. It' we were where 
we were compelled to use kerosene, metal 
lamps would be selected in preference to 
glass. 
Bosendaie Cement. —Can your readers tell 
me how to use Rosendale cement, to repair 
a floor already laid with cement, with holes 
broken in it ? Whether it should be used as 
it comes in the barrels, or whether sand 
should be mixed with it and if so, in what, 
proportion ?— Edward Willetts. 
To clean Black Kids.— A good way to 
clean black kid gloves is to take a teaspoon- 
fu! of salad oil, drop a few drops of ink in it, 
and rub it over the gldves with the tip of a 
feather ; then let them dry in the snn. 
