MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JULY tO 
West than in the East. But the most beauti¬ 
ful of all the native species, however, is the 
Showy Lady Slipper (C. spectdbilis.) This 
species is found chiefly in the Northern 
States, but inhabits the mountains of the 
Middle and Southern, frequenting the rich 
bogs and peat beds, where it is not uncom¬ 
mon to find the stems growing three or more 
feet high, bearing two large, showy, white 
flowers, beautifully mottled with pink and 
purple. There are few exotic species as 
beautiful os this denizen of our swamps ; 
still it is seldom seen in cultivation, simply 
because it is a native and does not come from 
some far-distant country. 
The florists of Europe are constantly add¬ 
ing new species to their collections, and from 
Mexico to the East 1 ndies there is scarcely a 
land which has not contributed one or more 
of these curious and interesting plants. Japan 
has also been invaded by collectors of rare 
plants, and the Cypripedhun has not been 
overlooked, for In a late number of the Gar¬ 
dener’s Chronicle we find the illustration 
[see first page] and the following description 
of Cyprlpedium Japonicum, a rare species 
of late introduction : 
This very singular species has up till lately 
only been known to us by the imperfect 
figure in Thuubcrg’s leones Plant. Jap., 
dec. i,; tab. 1.; by the figure in Blume’s 
work, below clod, and by a colored figure in 
the Flore den So res, copied from u Japanese 
drawing, it is no wonder that on looking 
at the latter drawing some may have con¬ 
sidered it a somewhat imaginative produc¬ 
tion on the part of the Japanese artist. Re¬ 
cently, however, the New Plant Company of 
Colchester have succeeded in flowering the 
plant from which our illustration was taken, 
and which, though in a fuded 3 talc, was ex¬ 
hibited on Wednesday last at South Ken¬ 
sington. Wc arc obliged to admit that some 
injustice has been done to the Japanese 
artist. 
The rhizome is creeping, flexuose, the 
thickncs 1 of a quill, beset here and there 
with scales, and emitting numerous roots. 
The stems are erect, terete, shaggy, about a 
foot high, bearing two nearly opposite pli¬ 
cated truncate leaves about the center, just 
as in Lin ter a ovuta. The shape of these 
leaves is very peculiar, and is sufficiently 
shown in the illustration. The (lower is 
terminal, protected by a lanceolate bract; 
the flower segments lire lanceolate, green¬ 
ish, sprinkled with reddish dots; the lip is 
whitish, suffused with pink. As the plant is 
so singular, and as t his is the first time that 
it has flowered in British gardens, we hope 
even Prof. Heiehcnbach will forgive us for 
placiug this representation before a much 
larger circle of readers than would have 
ready means of seeing the other illustra¬ 
tions. Wo add some remarks with which 
we have been favored by the introducers : 
“We have very little to say respecting 
Cypripedhun Japonicum , except that it is of 
very easy culture. We have tried it in va¬ 
rious soils, but. that which we find most suit¬ 
able is a light, Bandy loam, giving the plant 
plenty of water when it. commouces growth, 
uud keeping it rather dry during the winter. 
This of course lias reference to pot culture. 
Our collector in one of his letters writes that 
he found a ‘bamboo wood full of it,’ and 
that they 1 grow best in moist bamboo 
groves.’ ” 
*» - - 
PROTECTION TO TREES AND SHRUBS. 
We have experienced great aid in the 
spring: transplantation of trees and shrubs 
by covering over the circle of earth about 
the trunk with fresh grass, directly after a 
thorough artificial drenching or a sufficient 
rain. Especially is this true of trees and 
shrubs like the Magnolia, Rhododendron 
and Kalmitt, which, unless a ball of earth is 
preserved about the roots, are difficult to 
transplant successfully. 
Grass is at once a non-conductor of heat 
and a slow absorbent of moisture, particu¬ 
larly when green : so that while the parch¬ 
ing heat, of the sun’s rays is, as it were, held 
upon the grass covering, the evaporation of 
the moisture underneath is retarded and the 
action of capillary attraction checked. This 
grass protection should be renewed from 
time to time as it grows old, compressed and 
decayed. 
Its beneficial effects are very palpable upon 
young eve-greens weakened by nursery¬ 
men’s handling and delays, by the mutila¬ 
tion of root-fibers, and finally by the drying 
out and confinement which they undergo in 
the transit from the nursery to their destina¬ 
tion. 
In an invoice of trees and shrubs imported 
this spring were a golden variegated Spruce, 
a Lawson’s silver variegated Cypress, and a 
weeping silver Pine. The pots in which they 
had been grown were broken, and the earth, 
as dry as a chip, had fallen from the roots. 
A forlorn hope that they might live got the 
better of a strong inclination to throw them 
away, and we planted them with the utmost 
care, puddling the earth about the roots, 
sprinkling short grass, freshly cut. lightly 
but thickly over the earth and about the 
lower portion of the stem and branches. 
PfnuH Sylviticm Pendula never once did 
“make an effort”—a charming tree that 
drooped as gracefully as the Weeping 
Spruce. Its poor remains were placed be¬ 
hind the bam, whither we take those of our 
friends who have never seen the pendulous 
Scotch Pine. The others lingered long before 
a welcome streak of green ujjon a twig here 
and tlie.re inspired the hope, which is now <1 
certainty, that they would live and thrive. 
Of course the evidence is problematical, but 
we believe they owe their lives to, the cool, 
non conducting, non-absorbing grass. 
We sometimes cherish fine specimens of 
rare evergreens, whether transplanted or not 
the same season, that we are fearful may not 
pass through a threatened drouth unin¬ 
jured. If our solicitude is deep enough not 
to shrink from a little trouble, let us first see 
that the earth is well loosened about and 
above the roots, extending in a circle not 
lesi than three feet in diameter. Let us 
then water it sufficiently. Our readers may 
not know or consider that a pailful of water 
thrown upon a circle of parched soil of the 
above urea would not penetrate more than 
oo inch in depth, so that it could invigorate 
the roots only by arresting for the time the 
upward passage of too moisture from be¬ 
neath. It would require, therefore, from 
five to ten paill'uis, allowing one to soak 
away before another is poured on, until the 
earth is satur ited. Then apply the light but 
thick covering of fresh grass, renewed if oc¬ 
casion require, aud we are fairly confident 
that that young evergreen will pass through 
the drouth in safety. E. 56. Carman, 
Ilivor Eilco, Bergen, Co., N. J. 
cdjicid <St[op. 
A FARMERS’ CLUB ON CLOVER. 
The Elmira Partner*’ Club have had 
Clover under discussion, • nd we find in the 
Elmira Advertiser the foilowing interesting 
and valuable essay read before the Club by 
Col. Brewer of Ithaca : 
“ So far as I know there are but two kinds 
of clover used in ordinary field culture—the 
large and the small red clover. The large 
kind Is more liable to stay in the ground 
than the small kind. On this account it is 
preferable on some soils. But it can¬ 
not be mowed twice in one season as the 
ordinary small kind may. It is a later va¬ 
riety—that is to say, it is longer in maturing, 
ami therefore when used as pasture it re¬ 
mains longer green and fresh, llow much 
difference there may be in the fertilizing 
properties of the two varieties, I am unable 
to say, but I will venture the opinion that 
whoever undertakes to conduct a farm 
where clover is a possible crop without use- 
iug it in Ins course wifi be exceedingly liable 
to find loss of fertility. There is no other 
plant so valuable as a means of maintaining 
fertility and even of resuscitating it when by 
bad management it has been wasted. 
I have a piece of land, fifty acres, which 
has been cropped in something like regular 
order since 1836, and in all that time, to my 
certain knowledge, it has never had a single 
load of farm yard manure drawn upon it, 
nor has any commercial fertilizer been ap¬ 
plied in that time, if 1 may except occasion¬ 
al sowings of plaster at the rate of a bushel 
or so to the acre. The land came into my 
possession in 1838, and previous to that time 
I know it was articled four times at four and 
a half dollars per acre, so poor was its repu¬ 
tation for producing crops. For many years 
it has been in a good state of fertility and 
the sole meaus has been clover. Every third 
year since 1836 it has been in clover. This 
lias been pastured until about the middle of 
June, if the large kind was sown, aud then 
it has been left to grow for seed. Now, poor 
as that ground was at the beginning of this 
treatment, and although no manure has 
been drawn upon it except as I have stated 
plaster once in about three years to aid the 
clover, last year a portion of it in wheat pro¬ 
duced twenty-two bushels to the acre. 
Clover was again sown aud it is now used as 
pasture. In the the course I have used oats, 
wheat aud clover, aud I think I may say 
with constantly increasing fertility, which 
is, of course, due to the clover, and is strik¬ 
ing proof of its great use in maintaining the 
fertility of our soils. I have sometimes used i 
the large seed because I could be assured of 
green pastures later in the season than by 
the use of the smaller kind. And then there 
is the qualtity of staying, which in certain 
localities or on certain soils, is an important 
matter. The small kind, on the field of 
which 1 have spoken as well as on most dry 
lands nearly disappeared with the third 
year after sowing, while the large kind, 
taking firmer hold, inclines to longer life. 
In my farming, from 183(5 to 1838, my 
object was to raise wheat and clover, with 
the idea that the clover would maintain fer¬ 
tility ; and I believe I was the first man in 
the State of New York who dared to advo¬ 
cate shallow plowing for wheat. I found 
that clover seed procured from Easton, Pa., 
came forward and matured the plants earlier 
than the seed raised nt home, and a9 tlu's 
was an Important matter in the course 
which 1 had arranged, I procuredThat earlier 
seed, and by this means was able to get 
fourteen crops in twelve years. After the 
wheat, the clover in the succeeding year was 
mowed early for hay, and.theu in September 
for seed, in time to have the ground plowed 
and sowed to wheat by the 15th. This was 
not always the course, for sometimes the 
land was used for pasture, instead of wait¬ 
ing for the crop of seed. In the course of 
this trial I plowed lands to the depths of 
seven inches, six inches and five inches, the 
plow being set to run the e uniform depths. 
1 then struck out a land three inches deep, 
as near as It could be gauged, aud when t hat 
land was nearly done I finished the middle 
by plowing six inches deep, so the three 
inches depth had on each side of it land 
plowed six inches deep. When I came to 
harvest, tire wheat I was not particular to 
make exact measurements of the yields on 
the separate portions of the field, but my 
judgment was made up by cutting the 
swaths, for 1 noticed that every swath on 
the shallow plowing had twelve or fourteen 
sheaves more than on a swath of the same 
length on the deeper plowed land. That ex¬ 
periment was made in 1813. 
I thou undertook to get the second crop 
of clover and to sow wheat after it, and to 
test the plan. I commenced the first week in 
June to break up a portion of Lhe field, plow¬ 
ing seven inches deep and going through the 
work as well as I could on a portion, and the 
remainder in c'over was left for seed. I 
got thirty dollars in value of clover seed, and 
then the land was plowed to the depth of 
three inches, and all sowed to wheat. I had 
two acres of each method, side by side, ac¬ 
curately measured, and from the shallow- 
plowed land 1 had twenty-six bushels and 
seventeen pounds of wheat more than from 
the deeper plowed land. I concluded by 
this and similiar experiments, that clover 
sod was better for wheal than summer fal¬ 
low, except perhaps on rough, stumpy land, 
where one of the objects is to improve the 
surface, ns on land occupied by weeds, for 
which the summer fallow is an excellent 
means of destruction. 
Another theory, which is generally re¬ 
ceived by fanners, is that land is improved 
by rest. I found that laud used for clover, 
and a crop of seed taken every third year, 
wheat being in the course, sown after the 
cutting for seed, improved faster and more 
certainly than when the land was pastured 
every fifth year, and then wheat sown. The 
vast amount of fertilizing matter furnished 
by clover roots, is surprising to those who 
have not given the matter thought. In 1857 
1 dug up the clover roots from a plot of 
ground six feet square, having spread on 
blankets covering a similar plot with stable 
manure as thick as is usually applied. After 
thoroughly cleaning the clover roots, 1 found 
on weighing them and the manure, for the 
purpose of comparison, that the clover roots 
weighed four times as much as the manure, 
and I cume to the conclusion, from experi¬ 
ments already made, that one pound of 
clover roots contained ns much matter of 
real value t.o the soil as four pounds of ordi¬ 
nary barnyard manure, and that opinion re¬ 
mains unchanged. As to the manure made 
from feeding clover hay, there b as much 
actual plant food in one ton as in three tons 
made from timothy hay ; hence the manure 
made from the use of clover is a more rapid 
renovator of worn soils, and herein is a 
powerful argument in favor of raislngclover 
instead of timothy, whenever improvement 
of the soil is one of the objects sought. 
In regard to clover there is a question 
often asked, if it is such an excellent agent 
for the improvement of lands, would it not 
be well to plow under the green crop ? I 
am opposed to plowing under the green 
clover, especially on sandy soil. There are 
two things that certainly prevent the seed¬ 
ing with clover. One is pine straw (pine 
leaves) rotted on the ground and the other 
is the plowing under of the full grown crop. 
I cannot tell you why clover will not grow 
for years after pine straw has rotted on the 
ground, but such is the fact. I had a piece 
so treated that, after lying six years, and 
after sowing the seed four times, had to be 
well manured before I could succeed in a 
catch. Another piece, where there was a 
thick cluster of pines cleared our. proved as 
difficult to seed. 
In regard to the plowing under of green 
crops 1 can go back with my observations to 
1824, when my father-in-law took it into his 
head to plow under green crops with the de¬ 
sign of improving sandy soil. It very soon 
got into such condition that it would not 
produce clover at all, aud it took years to 
bring it again to such a state that clover 
would grow. My father tried the same plan 
in the town of Ulysses, Tompkins county, 
and with like results, in that case the soil 
being inclined to muck. 
--♦♦♦- 
WESTERN CROP REPORTS. 
The Western Rural thus summarizes the 
reports of crop prospects in the leading 
grain growing regions of the West. 
Wheat.—The reports clearly indictate that 
the acreage of wheat ibis year in the West¬ 
ern States is much less than last year. Thus 
in Illinois but three reports indicate in¬ 
creased acreage, while twice as many show 
but one half as much, or even less. In 
Wisconsin no report shows an increase, but 
two an equal acreage, while seven show not 
| more than one-half. In Iowa nearly the 
same condition is shown. In Michigan the 
acreage was not materially reduced. In 
some of the newer States increased acreage 
is reported. As to condition the reports are 
not unf avorable, a majority of all the reports 
indicating at least an average condition. 
Michigan makes a poor showing ; Illinois 
stands well. Wisconsin and Iowa very large¬ 
ly, but the general average is not bad. 
Com.— Undoubtedly the acreage planted 
to corn in the West was larger than in any 
former year. In Illinois no report shows less 
acreage than last year, most, an increase of 
20 or 25 per cent. In Iowa the same is true, 
with several reports of an increase of at 
least 2S per cent, in acreage. Michigan and 
Missouri also show a considerable increase, 
The reports of condition are not us good as is 
desirable, but it is probable many of the un¬ 
favorable reports indicate lateness of the 
crop rather than bad condition otherwise. 
Bearing in mind, the comparative quantities 
grown in the different States t mi our re¬ 
ports show a prospect at middle of June of 
about four fifths or an uverage crop. 
Oats. —Tile acreage in oats is considerably 
increased over that of last year, and the gen¬ 
eral prospect is of at least a full average 
crop. Illinois gives several reports of less 
than average condition ; Michigan, Wiscon¬ 
sin, Iowa, etc., in nearly all cases showing 
good prospects. 
Barley. —Illinois shows a reduced acreage, 
Iowa and Wisconsin and Nebraska an in¬ 
crease. The prospect for a crop as a whole 
is below an average. 
Flair., —Almost without exception, where 
reported at all, an increased acreage of flax 
is indicated, with very general good condi¬ 
tion. 
Grass and Clover.— There is a large in¬ 
crease of acreage of grass and clover, and 
that newly sown is generally in fine condi¬ 
tion in many cases. 
Potatoes. —There is an increased acreage, 
and at least average condition. 
Insect Injuries— In very few cases is an in¬ 
crease of injury from insects, compared with 
last year reported. Of course this does not 
include the grasshopper districts, but there 
are many more cases in which the grass¬ 
hoppers have done less injury than last year 
than where they have done more. Chinch 
and potato tugs are very plentiful iu many 
places, but us a w’hole, not so numerous as 
last year. 
It is a cause of rejoicing that although 
there are few regions in which some crop 
does not make a poor showing, and in a 
number of localities most crops look unprom¬ 
ising, the general crop prospect, especially In 
Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri 
and Nebraska, is of an aggregate full average 
yield of the great farm staples. 
■--• 
Weed Seed Among Oats.— (Ezra Fab¬ 
ler.) —The capsules of seeds found among 
your oats are those of some kind of cen- 
tauria; but we need leaves and flowers to 
aid us in identifying the species. We should 
destroy all that could be found, for tins weed 
may give you trouble if it gets well-estab¬ 
lished on your farm. 
