378 
tinued and too close Interbreeding. It is | 
natural for the inexperienced amateur to 
cross those variegated Pelargoniums of the 
highest, brightest colorings, in the hope of 
producing seedlings yet more brilliant, as for 
instance, “Sunset” and “Macbeth.” But 
perfection ob to brilliancy of color seems to 
have been reached, aud seeds thus begotten 
will generally prove impotent ; will revert to 
the green zonale, or occasionally produce 
the bloodless, lifeless little thiDgs that die 
from the first efforts of existence. 
-- 
THE BEDDING OUT OF GERANIUMS. 
©ORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
JUNE 
The time of planting out of Geraniums, as 11 
bedding flowering plants, during the warm ” 
season, is fast approaching. Some sections - 
will admit of their being planted in the open 
ground as early as the 15th to the 20th of 
May. In other locations it is better for the 
planter to wait until June, or even to the 10th - 
of June. Thewritei of this present article 
has been induced to say a few words to the 
readers of the Rural New-Yorker, by a 
visit to the extensive green houses of Messrs. e 
Ellwangkr & Bahuy, here in Rochester. 1 
Not that this firm lias better or more popular y 
varieties for sale than many ot hers, but their i 
collection of seedlings, just now coming into f 
bloom, causes a prospective of a future t 
superiority of the bloom and beauty of f 
Geraniums, in our mind, which we cannot I 
avoid speaking or writing of. Very few, f 
out of a thousand or more, are yet in bloom ; * 
but the size and form of petal, the color, the 
contour of the truss of a few that have i 
bloomed, indicate the fact that this tirm, i 
Ellwanger & Barry, has not, yet lost its i 
love of flower or fruit progress, or of minis¬ 
tering to refinement and love of the Crea¬ 
tor’s best gifts to mun. ’1 he Messrs. E. A 
B., with these seedlings, propose to allow no 
notice othor Ilian this of generality, touch¬ 
ing them, until they can show superiority, 
as in that of “The Pride of Mount Hope” 
Geranium, “ Nlcanor ” Strawberry or “ Tom 
Thumb ” Arbor Vitae. 
With these few remarks, as indicative of a 
hope and promise of better beauties than wo 
yet have, let us come quietly to the acknowl¬ 
edgment that few beds of beautiful flowers 
can bo made ut>, at equal cost, surpassing 
those of Geraniums. 
It is a question of course, with many as to 
whether the single blooms or the double 
flowering are the best or most beautiful. 
We acknowledge that among the double 
flowering there are many of beauty, and 
among them to-day, Andrew Henderson, 
flower, a deep scarlet, Grow n Prince, a dwarf, 
but ft free growing variety, of a rosy pink ; 
then, Surpass© Glorie de Nancy, with 
Madame Deuioine, Victor Lcmoine and 
Sciutillaut, aud we think we have the gem 
of the double flowering sorts. In this con¬ 
nection let us also say, that to huve the best 
and most abundant blooms from the double 
flowering varieties, all the plants should be 
two years old. One year old plants will not 
give the strong aud abundant blooms of 
those of two veam. 
And now to come to the single flowevs 
and touch the Zonalea, Bi-colors, Ac., let us 
take from the grand army first, Bl’Ide of 
Mount Hope, then, Crystal Palace Gem, then, 
Mrs. Pollock, then, David Garrick, Jean Bis- 
ley, Master Christine, Harold, Kate Nichol¬ 
son, Fritz, Father Hyacinth, Jewel, Harry 
King, Colonel Holden, Coquette, and we 
have, about all that are needed to make up 
a small bed ; to finish which on the outline, 
let us use the Apple-scented, Nutmeg, Lemon, 
and Rose-scented, and make up our minds 
that while others may have more than our 
list, yet we have those that are among the 
best that arc kuown. F. R. Elliott. 
---— 
HOW BOUQUETS SHOULD BE MADE. 
It has been an object of curiosity to many 
how such au arrangement is effected. I will 
inform them. Procure a quantity of the 
finest wire (copper preferred), such as is 
used in making artificial flowers. With lliis 
the bouquet should bo tied; no striug or 
matting is required. The wire should be 
kept in u coil for t.yiug, but some portion of 
it should be cut into lengths of about 0 
inches. 
The following flowers if well arranged 
have a good effect. The center a double 
white Camellia, the florets of a good double 
pink Geranium, and Stephan Otis floribunda, 
and double blue Violet or Forget-me-not; 
these arranged in concentric circles round 
the center, with a few fronds of the. Maiden¬ 
hair Fern regularly arranged bet ween them, 
with a few of the fronds placed round the 
outer edge projecting about 2 inches, to act 
j as guard to the other flowers, and about 3 
inches of lace paper, or, as it is better known 
with us gardeners, as bouquet paper. 
In making the bouquet one end of the coil 
wire is fixed to the stalk of the center flowei, 
and every single flower which is added is se¬ 
cured by a t.wist of the wire. A little moss 
should be placed just where the wire is 
bound round to prevent cutting the stalk. 
To supply the want of a long stalk the 6-inch 
lengths of wires are twisted round the short 
stalk of the flowers and bent downwards to 
serve in place of stalks. By the use of the 
wire not nearly so many flowers are required 
and they will haven much lighter appearance 
aud can be arranged in their places much 
more regularly than if large trusses are 
used, which always look stiff and heavy. 
aiijop. 
THE VALUE OF A YOUNG BOD. 
A 
Farmers have lately learned by experi- f 
ence that it is sometimes good policy to al- t 
low newly seeded ground to get as large a , 
growth as possible in spring, plowing it ] 
under the. first or even second week in June, j 
and planting corn or potatoes. The plan - 
seems wasteful, as no kind of grass would ] 
get half its growth so early in the Beason ; 
but it is found that this young sward, full of 
sap, decays so much more readily that it is 
even better for the succeeding crop than sod 
which has become old and tough from late 
mowing or from being tramped by cattle and 
sheep in late fall, winter and spring. The 
gist of this plan, wherever it has succeeded, 
has been in keeping the grass uncropped all 
the spring, and where this is faithfully ad¬ 
hered to the additional growth of clover will 
sometimes warrant plowing for Early Rose 
potatoes as late as the middle of June. The 
heat of decaying roots aud tops brings the 
crop forward rapidly and ensures greater 
porosity and moisture in the soil ut the criti¬ 
cal period of forming the tuber. It not only 
gives the crop the full advantages of its own 
decomposition ; but also makes soluble fer¬ 
tilizing elements in the soil which might 
otherwise have remained inert for years. 
We think farmers will find that however 
old and tough their sod Jaml^may be they 
will have to bring it as nearly'^'possible 'to 
the condition of a newly-seeded field. Very 
little benefit comes from a sod that has been 
constantly eaten bare and trampled down 
by farm animals. The droppings of neither 
cattle nor sheep are worth so much on the 
land as the clover they are destroying, be¬ 
cause there is no way to distribute animal 
munure so evenly as grass can be made to 
grow on a field, and because, further, where 
soil is heavy a small quantity of manure can¬ 
not produce as great an affect as it would if 
applied to land already rich enough in car¬ 
bonaceous manures. The fact has been fre¬ 
quently noted that Canada thistles plowed 
under just a» they are coming into blossom 
will rot SO fast as to destroy the roots, 
und will also greatly improve the fertility of 
the field. Flowing after the thistle stems 
have become woody and harsh, will fre¬ 
quently kill the thistles, but it is not so good 
for the soil. 
An important advantage of plowing clover 
early is that the land is better litt ed to re¬ 
seed. If delayed till after harvest, a good 
catch of clover is rarely obtained. 
-- - -- 
ABOUT PEA-VINE CLOVER. 
An Ohio Farmer correspondent advises an 
inquirer to sow pea-vine clover for pasture. 
He says My plan is to seed with timothy, 
in the fall, with wheat, then sow one bushel 
of pea-vine clover to eight acres. This will 
produce about twice as much pasture as the 
common clover, and if you have good soil, 
and it seeds well, you will have a heavy 
layer of clover, tramped down to rot on the 
ground. In this way you can enrich your 
soil and keep more stock than by sowing 
common clover. 1 have been cultivating 
this clover for the last six years, and would 
pay twice the price of common seed rather 
thau to do without it. I usually pasture two 
, years, and then follow with corn, but the 
cutworms were so bad, that in July, ’“8,1 
I changed my plan. 1 plowed a field of pea- 
s vine clover that had been pastured in ’72, 
, and from eight and one-fourth acres, with¬ 
out manure, I raised 250 bushels of wheat, 
1 had to harrow down the clover und ride 
I the harrow before I could plow it, und the 
- plow would then choke. I shall follow the 
wheat with corn. Pea-vine is nearly two 
[ weeks later than common clover, and should 
t not be pastured too soon. To save seed, 
3 pasture till the middle of June, after which 
it will fill well, and yield more than the 
common clover. I made four tons of hay 
last year, from a field that had been pastured 
all summer, and it was as good hay as ever I 
saw, but it was so dry that it cured very 
qui ckl y-___ 
FIELD NOTES. 
Wheat.—A Query .—Wheat in this State is 
looking very hard this spring. Most fields 
are spotted, and where, there is any wheat it 
is very thin on the ground. What is worse, 
the wheat that is seen has the bluish oust, 
indicating light yield, rather than the yellow 
green, which good wheat should put on at 
this season of the year. A few gpots, where 
the wheat has been sheltered or grown on 
richer ground, show the true color. It seems 
paradoxical that, light green should indicate 
health and vigor and a darker color the re¬ 
verse ; but this is the fact with wheat. Can 
any of our readers suggest a reason 1 We 
propose to analyze some specimens of each, 
both leaves and roots, and that tnay give 
some valuuble suggestions. We have found 
that, a little stable manure will make the 
difference, and so also will phosphate of 
lime containing no appreciable ammonia. 
Some of the poorest and bluest pieces of 
wheat are on soils rich in vegetable matter ; 
but usually too wet and porous. 
Frequent Stirring of the Soil is all im¬ 
portant, for hoed crops. Begin if possible 
before the crop is up, as may always be done 
with corn or potatoes if the soil is not stony. 
Breaking the hard crust which forms on the 
surface with a smoothing harrow will do 
more good than an expensive hand-hoeing 
two or three weeks later. Cultivate as soon 
as the rows are plainly seen, and continue 
cultivatiug until the corn or potatoes cover 
the ground. One of the best fanners of our 
acquaintance makes a point to cultivate as 
much corn as possible while the dew iB on 
the ground which being charged with am¬ 
monia be considered equal to a dressing of 
manure. 
THE EFFECT OF PLA8TER. 
It is generally conceded that Flastei (gyp - 
sum) produces its best effects on land that is 
high and dry rather than that which ts wet 
and low. Fields which are always wet 
from springs or tenacious subsoils nr© rarely 
benefited much by the use of gypsum. But 
drain them thoroughly and they respond to 
its use as fully as any others. In years gone 
by we have frequently heard farmers say 
that plaster did little good excepting on 
sandy soil. This was before the era of under¬ 
draining, when none but sandy soils were 
dry enough for profitable working. Of late 
years these farmers have learned that, heavy 
uplands or lowlands, if made dry enough, 
need plaster for clover, and after that for 
ot her crops. The effect of clover root* iu pene¬ 
trating the subsoil is to leave it porous and 
friable, often partially superseding the ne¬ 
cessity for underdrawing. Hence we find 
that farmers who grow clover largely are 
most strenuous in advocating the use of 
gypsum. This is commonly explained b\ 
saying that, this fertilizer is specially adapted 
to clover; but the effect extends beyond 
the first, crop. Coru or other crops on clover 
ley are much more benefited by plaster 
than on a timothy or blue grass sod. And 
herein is one important advantage in grow - 
jug clover rather than other grasses. The 
roots of clover decay rapidly and give off 
large quantities of ammonia, while timothy 
sod contains less nitrogenous matter and 
decays more slowly, yielding ammonia very 
gradually. With blue grass the case is still 
worse, and unless well turned under and 
kept under, much of its sod will scarcely 
decay appreciably during the first summer. 
The fertilizing elements in clover are thus 
immediately available, and the farmer who 
grows it experiences the advantages of the 
nimble sixpence over the slow shilling. In 
! fact, the advantage is even greater, for 
clover in contrast with other grasses is rather 
the nimble shilling as opposed to the Blow- 
six pence. 
The use of gypsum on decaying clover is to 
fix the ammonia, changing the sulphate of 
lime to a sulphate of ammonia, a manure 
worth twenty-five to thirty cents per lb. It 
is easily seen that buying gypsum at five 
dollars per ton and getting from it a manure 
worth two hundred times that price ought 
to be a paying operation. That veteran 
fanner John Johnston, was fully justified in 
saying that rather than do without plaster 
he would pay forty dollars a ton for it. The 
lime in plaster is as valuable as any other, 
while its sulphuric acid, combined with 
ammonia always present in the atmosphere 
and over decaying vegetation is probably 
the most valuable of all nitrogenous manures. 
We believe most thoroughly in phosphate of 
lime, but not a little of the effect of many 
good superphosphates is due to the propor¬ 
tion of sulphate of lime, (gypsum) which 
they all contain. We would use gypsum 
freely, uot only on clover in spring, but in 
the bam yards and mannre heaps both winter 
and summer to prevent waste and make 
manures more quietly available. Above all 
sow and grow clover largely, not, only for 
the benefit it will be to the soil, but because 
it, more than any other crop, demands the 
use of plaster. 
---- 
SYSTEM IN FARM LABOR. 
The following pair of pertinent paragi aphs 
which w r e find in the N. E. Homestead must 
have been written by some level-heeded 
body who keeps his eyes wide open and 
knows how to tell what, he sees and thinks : 
The amount of muscle that can be saved 
by a little brain labor Ls wonderful. And 
yet the science of doing everything in proper 
season and place, in fact,, properly, is some- 
tiling that agricultural papers, or farming 
books, cannot teach. Experience, calcula¬ 
tion and forethought, are the mentors. A 
month before a piece of machinery is to be 
used, a glance at it will show where it is 
defective, A rainy day, a spare hour, a 
chance to take it to town to be repaired 
without going on purpose. These present 
themselves to the intelligent farmer, and 
when the harvest is ripe, or the corn ready 
for the cultivator, there will be no delay loi 
the mending of damaged machinery. 
There is no such weak laziness, or wicked 
waste of time and opportunity, as the man 
practises who never lias time to do anything 
' properly. He goes to town with three 
errands, and comes home with only one 
■ finished, he has no time for the others. He 
plows for fifty acres of corn, but has no time 
to get in but forty. He plows with a dull 
plow, and chops with a duller uxo, for lack of 
- time to sharpen them. All these are the 
lack of forethought and system. A neglect 
to use the brain that God lias given him to 
shape and direct aud save the Ao 
' ox will do the work, but he cannot plan it. 
5 The horse is powerful, but be is controlled 
l ' i jy his master, and his power utilized. 
L Man’s labor is but brute strength, and the 
stronger the brain force that is brought to 
1 bear upon it the more surely every stroke 
} tells, and the more grand will be the results. 
TEN RULES FOR FARMERS. 
1. Take good papers and read them. 
2. Keep an account of farm operations. 
3. Do not leave implements scattered over 
the farm, exposed to snow, raiu and heat. 
4. Repair toolB and buildings at a proper 
time, and do not sulTei subsequent threefold 
expenditure of time and money. 
5. Use money judiciously, and do not at¬ 
tend auction sales to purchase all kinds of 
trumpery because it is cheap. 
6. See that fences are well repaired and 
cattle not grazing in the meadows or grain 
fields or orchards. 
7. I)o not refuse to make correct experi¬ 
ments, in a small way, of many new things. 
8. Plant fruit trees well, cure for them, and 
of course get good crops. 
ti. Practice economy by giving stock shel¬ 
ter during the winter ; also good food, taking 
out all that is unsound, half rotten or moldy. 
10. Do not keep tribes of cats and snarling 
dogs around the premises, who eat more in 
a month than they ore worth in a lifetime. 
----- 
CARE AND USE OF HEN MANURE. 
A writer in the New England Farmc-i 
thus gives his experience in the management 
and use of hen manure I would say that 
in 1868,1 took four bushels of dry hen manure, 
turned it on| the barn floor, took a common 
flail and threshed it to a powder ; then took 
25 bushels of muck that had been dug 15 
mouths, spread it on the barn floor and 
thoroughly mixed it with the hen manure. 
A single handful of this compost was put m 
the hill, aud the corn dropped upon it. I 
had a splendid field of corn- ® 
row without the compost. that row cou 
be distinguished all through thescaaon, bemg 
about two weeks behind the rest of the tie , 
ami finally it never did carcfi UP. . 
I believe if farmers that keep from twenD 
to thirty hens would save all the dropp 8 
aud compost in the wav above, or uisoine 
better wav, instead of l.uying fertd ze 
many at the present day <lo, it would be M-rj 
much more to their advantage. 
