of either plant and records, in a very simple 
manner, the union which we have effected. 
When the seeds ripen, we should deposit 
them in little envelopes similarly marked. 
In the following spring or fall when we pro¬ 
pose to sow the seeds, the envelop marked 20 
over 30—upon reference to our memorandum 
book—will be found to contain seeds crossed 
between Jean Sisley and Matilda. In sowing 
these, the same or duplicate labels may be 
one after another and alighted in the same 
tree.” 
An old gentleman whose early life was 
passed in the mountain towns of Chittenden 
and Bennington Counties, had never seen the 
Spruce Partndgo, nor had ho ever heard his 
father (who was a great hunter) speak of 
them ; and I havo never met with any oue 
who has seen them in Vermont, though they 
are said to exist in the northern portion of 
the State. 
Probably the same method employed in 
hunting the Rutiled Grouse with dogs, who 
tree It, would be equally successful with this 
species. It is doubtful if it is ever found in 
places where it would lie to the Pointer and 
Setter. 
A great difference of opinion is expressed 
concerning the flesh of this Grouse, seine pro¬ 
nouncing it intolerably bitter and disagree¬ 
able, while others esteem it highly for this 
bitterness, considering it the perfection of 
“game flavor.” r. e. r. 
SPECIALTIES IN FLOBICULTUEE - IV 
AMEBICAN GAME BIBD8.-VI1 
BY E. S. CABMAN 
THE CANADA QROUSC-lTETRAO CANADENSIS.) 
The Canada Grouse, which is called in dif¬ 
ferent places Spruce, Wood or Swamp Par¬ 
tridge, from the localities it frequents, is 
Supposing that those who may wish to 
cross Pelargoniums aud rear the seedlings, 
are inspired by a more intelligent motive 
than that of a mongrel curiosity, we wish to 
impress upon them the importance of retain¬ 
ing a minute and trustworthy account of 
every step iu the entire proceedingsnor 
are the seemingly most trivial items to be 
omitted, for these iu the end may determine 
the rationale of some decided variat ion with¬ 
out which we should possess not even a con¬ 
jectural conclusion. It ofttimes occurs, in¬ 
deed, that those minute items which, in the 
beginning, we deemed too trivial to record, 
turn out in the end of the first importance. 
Among our seedlings, wo shall perhaps see 
some desirable features ; we may be sure of 
many undesirable ones. Unless we write an 
accurate account of our combinations, we 
shall not be the wiser how to produce the 
desirable by future crossing or how to avoid 
reproducing those that are worthless. If we 
find that some of our seedlings are distinctly 
unlike anything previously introduced, we 
can only guess at the unions which produced 
them. If we find they do not differ materially 
from old sorts, we can not tell how, in our 
future proceedings, to avoid the same proces¬ 
ses again. When our Pelargoniums are 
blooming profusely, there is a strong temp¬ 
tation not to linger over the tedious minutiae 
Indispensable to precision. We would im¬ 
press it upon the reader that a step not 
worth recording or remembering is scarcely 
worth taking, aa will surely appear when 
our seedlings develop either their flowers or 
variegated foliage and we find that we know 
little more of their parentage or the methods 
of developing a teudency to a marked de¬ 
parture t.lmn one who looks upon them for 
the first time. One of the first elements ol' 
success in special floriculture is to know pre¬ 
cisely what we havo done ; to know under 
what conditions wo were successful and 
under what conditions we failed—else will 
our results prove unavailing, if we seek 
instruction as well as entertainment, because 
we are in substantial ignorance of their 
causes. 
Let us suppose it to be about the first of 
Oct., or about the time of removing our 
Pelargoniums from the garden to the house, 
and that the collection—whether of a dozen 
or a hundred plants, with which we propose 
to operate—is complete. In potting these 
plants, it is well to cut the tops back severely 
—remove all old roots not plentifully supplied 
with libers—use pots no larger than necessary 
to receive the roots without too much crowd¬ 
ing—cover the drainage-hole with a single 
piece of broken pot—sprinkle over this a 
little wood-ashes, lime, aloes, sulphur or in 
the absence of these, coal-ashes—prepare the 
soil of decayed sod mixed with one quarter 
of coarse sand, or, If Tricolors add a strong 
proportion of pouuded brick the size of peas 
which will be found to promote their bright¬ 
est colorings. 
Now let us procure a bundle of common 
wood labels four inches long, and painting 
them white, number them from one upwurd 
according to the number of plants in our 
collection. Let us then procure a memo¬ 
randum book and enter every number, allow¬ 
ing a page for each, uuder which a full 
description of every plant, and every particu¬ 
lar connected with it, is to be recorded. For 
instance “No. 20 Matilda. Procured from 
Mr. Bonuet, May 1st. Large flower, not 
imbricated, bright pink, lower part of upper 
petals white, veined with carmine. Leaf 
well lobed, medium dark zone, habit com¬ 
pact, suffers as a bedding-plant, etc,, etc.” 
Again “No. 80 Jean Sisley. Vivid scarlet, 
white eye, etc. 
Ve will now suppose that the 1st January 
ha* arrived ; that our plants are beginning 
to bloom and that we wish to cross No, 20 
w iih No. 30 as they happen to bloom at the 
same time and we fancy that this combina¬ 
tion Is likely to produce an improvement 
upon either flower. As the pollen bursts the 
anthers before the stigma develops, we nave 
to determine the seed-bearing parent by tho 
latter event. After the anthers have been 
removed and the pollen applied, we write 
over the number of the label of the seed- 
bearing parent in smaller figures the number 
of the pollen parent in the form of a proper 
or improper fraction as the numerator is 
greater or less than the denominator. The 
wood label, therefore, besides representing 
the name refers us iu the memorandum 
book to whatever we kuoworhave observed 
WHEEE IS YOIJB PLACE I 
The selection of a farm to live on a nd work 
and try to make money from, is a matter 
that, involves serious considerations—more 
serious than it usually receives. 
The first question to consider is, What can 
you do best i —what branch of farming is 
best suited to your taste aud knowledge ? and 
the next, Is the land you tbiukof buying 
adapted to that kind of farming 1 There are 
dairy farms and grain farms and farms 
adapt ed to a mixed husband ry. By all means 
consider these tilings, Which way is your 
best ? what has been your education ? 
Some men take naturally to horses. With 
scarcely any special education, they are won¬ 
derfully acute in detecting diseases or blem¬ 
ishes, and the good points of the animal are 
no less clearly perceived. Their judgment 
of the value and availability of a horse is 
seldom at fault. And so it is with some men 
in respect to cattle. They seem to know all 
about them. I do not say they know intui¬ 
tively, because I do not believe that; but 
they learn exceedingly easy. Ibis their forte, 
their bent, and they arc always observing, 
noticing the points of the animal; it is al- 
moet like a duck’s learning to swim. They 
do it and scarcely know it— do not know 
where they obtained their knowledge of the 
animal. And Borne men give their hearts to 
sheep, and it is really surprising how much 
they know about them. The reason of this 
all is, we learn what we love to learn and 
what we want to know, quicker than we do 
other things. It is half known already when 
we begin aB students. 
The pertinence of the questions will now 
readily be seen, if you are a natural shep¬ 
herd, you would bo unwise to buy land on 
which sheep would nut thrive, and so of cat¬ 
tle. You should consider what you can do 
best, and if you arc sure you know this, you 
should keep this knowledge in sight in the 
selection of a farm and a home, li is prob¬ 
ably time that a majority of farmers are not 
special! ts in their tastes or attainments, and 
in such eases it Would be unwise to select a 
farm for purchase on which a specialty only 
could be most, profitably pursued. 
Many farmers are always “ under the har¬ 
row,” though they work hard and save. It 
Is too often because they are on the wrong 
track. A man may get rich buying cattie 
and fattening them for market, who would 
not do well at raising grain, or with sheep. 
It is very important that we should know 
what we can do best—what comes moat easy 
and natural for us. Aud it is of no less im¬ 
portance that we should know this at the 
start. Begin right and then there will be no 
need of a change, which is usually only jus¬ 
tifiable as a choice of evils. The man of un¬ 
stable mind, who makes frequent changes 
from one branch of farming to another, will 
not succeed. It is a dull man who learns 
nothing by experience. The longer we follow 
a given way the more familiar it becomes. 
To change after this is to lose much of the 
benefit of our previous experience. Hence 
the need of a right start. A hlunder here 
may lose us the race. But we need not mis¬ 
take. It there is a specialty that wants us 
we may know it. If we have no conscious¬ 
ness of any bent, then probably mixed hus¬ 
bandry is our proper calling. This is safe, 
pleasing, usually profitable, and I think 
make4 a largar, broader man. v. h. g. 
Steuben Co., N. Y., May, 1875. 
OA.3SrA.DA. 
used. Ofttimes we prefer to cross additional 
trusses on the same plant with different 
pollen. In such eases, very small parchment 
tags, not over half an inch In length with 
silken loops, may be attached to the truss or 
to individual pedicels, bearing the number 
of the. plant from which the pollen was 
derived. 
If our collection of Pelargoniums is not as 
varied as we wish, it is an easy matter bo 
carry our camel’B-hair brushes to aneighbor- 
iug florist or friend and there procure addi¬ 
tional pollen ; in which case we learn the 
name of the Pelargoniums from which the 
pollen was taken and enter it in our hook the 
same as if the plant were our own. 
Wo may observe that the whole process of 
cross-fertilization is only practiceablo under 
shelter from insects, sun, wind and rain. 
During the summer months, Pelargoniums 
seldom seed out of doors, because, as we 
have several times stated, the pollen generally 
ripens before the stigma, and is melted, 
blown or washed away—while the stigma ia 
at once withered by the scorching sun. 
Later in the season this is less the case, but 
the wind etc. will, at least, throw doubts 
upon our carefulest efforts. The use of 
gauze with which to envelop trusses of flow- 
ex-8 out of doors is quite a-s ineffectual as it is 
troublesome. 
We confess that from the above descrip¬ 
tion, our method of procedure seems fussy 
in the extreme—but we presume to believe 
that in practice, it will prove as simple and 
reliable as any that can be suggested. 
Itivor Edge, Bergen Co., N. J. 
GROUSE. 
plentiful in the northern parts of New York 
and Maine, and farther north in the Canadas 
and even to the Arctic Ocean. 
Its bill is short, robust; base covered with 
feathers ; head, small ; neck, of ordinary 
length ; body, full ; feet, short and small; 
tarsus, short, feathered ; toes, broadly mar¬ 
gined—anterior ones connected by web at 
base. Plumage, compact; feathers of the 
head very short; wings, short, broad, much 
rounded and curved ; tail ample, rounded, 
of sixteen broud, truncate feathers. Bill 
and claws, brownish-black; iris, hazel; a 
small fringed membrane over the eyes, ver- 
inilHoii ; upper plumage and flanks, brown¬ 
ish-black, transversely barred with brown¬ 
ish-gray—tli> of each feather with two bars 
of the latter color ; on the hind parts the bars 
are larger ; quills and larger coverts, black¬ 
ish-brown ; tail coverts, brownish - black, 
minutely mottled and tipped with grayish- 
white ; tail feathers darker, tipped with dull 
brownish-red ; lower parts, black ; feathers 
on throat having a whito spot near the end ; 
breast with a broad, subtcrminal, whitish 
spot; unfler tail coverts largely tipped with 
white. 
The female is about tho same size as the 
male, but differs considerably from him iu 
color and the fringed membrane over the 
eye is less developed ; the upper parts are 
more broadly barred ; head, sides of neck 
and fore-neck, yellowish gray, barred with 
brownish-black—lower parts grayish-black, 
barred with reddish-white. Length of bird, 
about 15 inches. 
The nest of the Canada Grouse, formed of 
twigs, dry leaves and mosses, is placed upon 
the ground, usually well concealed beneath 
low branches of fir trees. The eggs are from 
eight to fourteen in number, of a deep fawn 
color, irregularly splashed with brown. 
At the mating season the males have a 
habit of of rising several yards in a Bpiral 
manner into the air, when they beat their 
wings violently against their body, making 
a drumming noise similar to that made by 
the Ruffled Grouse, but clearer. 
Andeuson, who spent much time and labor 
In exploring the haunts of this bird, in order 
to learn something of its habits and peculiar¬ 
ities, says:—“ Their food cousists of berries 
of different sorts, and the young twigs and 
blossoms of several species of plants. In the 
summer and autumn, I have often found 
them gorged with berries ol' the plant which 
is commonly called Solomon's Seal. In the 
winter 1 have seen the crop filled with the 
shoi't leaves of the larch or hackmatack.” 
This species of Groiue is found In consider¬ 
able numbers in the wilder parts of the Adi- 
ronducks, and I am told bypeixons who have 
seen aud shot them, that it Is not a very wild 
bird, flying but a short distance when flushed 
and then usually taking to a tree. “ One of 
ourparty,”saysoneof my informants, “saw 
a Spruce Partridge alight in a birch tree over¬ 
hanging the spring where we got our water. 
He shot it and remaining quietly at his post 
killed, in a short time, three more that came 
B0BAGE BQEAG0 OFFICINALIS, 
A writer in tho English Mechanic enumer¬ 
ates some uses for this plant not commonly 
known. The large leaves and tender stalks, 
dipped in butter and fried, make an excellent 
and savory dish. Tl# brilliant blue flowers 
are very pretty as a garnish for salads along 
with Balsam flowers. The young leaves 
boiled arc a good substitute for Spinach ; or, 
if dressed with hut butter and grated cheese, 
an excellent and new vegetable. The plant 
contains a certain amount of saltpeter, as 
may be proved by burning a dried leaf. 
For this reason it is used with great benefit 
for the relief of sore throats. The root is 
rich in gum, and if boiled, yields a mucilagi¬ 
nous emulsion, excellent for irritations of the 
throat and chest. Very violent attacks of 
toothache, where The nerve has taken cold, 
are often cured by holding a portion of the 
leaves, previously boiled in milk, and applied 
warm, iu the mouth, against tho affected 
tooth. Lastly, bees are extremely fond of 
Borage, and it appears to repay them well 
for their attention. 
The Flower Garden should receive special 
attention. Of course the husband and father 
will grant wife, daughter and boys ample 
space for the garden, If he is wise, and also 
aid in Its culture. 
How Farming Pays.— Permit me to ask 
a proof of the statement of the t Buffalo man 
in Rural of April 10, viz “ How Fax-ming 
Pays.” VVo cannot make it tally—we mean 
the acres.— J. H, Lynn. 
