MOORE'S RURAL P3EW-VORKER. 
<§hnig of a pluralist. 
DAILY EUEAL LIFE 
From the Diary of a Gentleman near New 
York City. 
AUTUMH AKD WHITER BERRIES. 
Oct. 4.—The berries of summer, as a whole, 
may lay claim to greater usefulness than 
those of autumn and winter, especially as 
food for man ; but in point of beauty the lat¬ 
ter class excel. Bright-colored fruit seems 
to come in as the flowers fade and pass away; 
all this, doubtless, being intended to equalize 
and extend the gaudy side of nature and 
show us that there is no gloomy side if our 
eyes were rightly trained to see what is most 
worthy of being seen. 
The sharp, frosty nights of autumn tend to 
bring out and uncover the half hidden glories 
which have been maturing under the shade 
of luxuriant, summer leaves, Just as adversity 
frequently brings to light the solid, noble 
virtues of men and women, which otherwise 
might remain forever obscured within the 
ample folds of prosperity. 
The sweet, bright scarlet berries of the low 
creeping partridge berry (Milch ell a repens) 
ripens among the weeds and undergrowth of 
our forests ; but it is not until tho frosts of 
autumn have laid low its lofty, “high-head¬ 
ed,” weedy companions, that its dark-green 
leaves «ud brilliant-colored fruit is brought 
to light. Thenceforward through the cold¬ 
est weather, buried beneath snow or exposed 
to the sharpest frosts, it fades not, but re¬ 
mains constantly beautiful, furnishing nutri¬ 
tious food for birds as well as quadrupeds of 
various kind?. 
Next to, and ascending the scale, we find 
the universally admired aromatic winter- 
green or cheokerberry, (Uaullhnia procum¬ 
bent), the delight of children as well as many 
persons who have long since left that state 
of bliss—or misery, a# the case may be. Like 
the Mitchelh t, tho bright scarlet, arornutic 
berries of tho wmtorgreeti remain upon tho 
plants through winter (provided they are 
permitted to do go) coming out bright from 
under their pall of snow. But I cannot stop 
to hunt out all these little woodland pets 
which bid defiance to old Boreas as he howls 
through our forests and fields during six 
month* out of the twelve.; still, a few of the 
most valuable and showy species must not go 
unnoticed at this time. 
The low, creeping cranberry of our North 
ern swamps aud bog*, is a beautiful plant 
for cultivating in garden?, to say nothing of 
its valuable fruit, we)) known to almost 
everybody. By a very little care, it can be 
made to thrive in any good soil that is not 
too heavy—a light sand or loam suits it best 
—and then by an occasional watering in 
summer a fair crop of fruit may be obtained, 
and both plants and fruit are ornamental, 
especially in autumn. There uro two or 
three native species, and almost innumerable 
varieties of the low, trailing cranberry (Vac- 
ciniuma the fruit varying in size, form and 
color. But what Is called the High-bush, or 
Cranberry tree, (Viburnum opulus) is afar 
more showy plant for garden culture than 
the Creepiug (or true) cranberry. This shrub 
as is well known, is the parent of our com¬ 
mon Snowball tree, which produces no fruit, 
while the former yields a large annual crop. 
It is a common shrub iu many of the swamps 
of our Northern States, growing six to ten 
feet high, and may be seen at this season 
loaded with large clusters of brilliant red ber- 
rles. These have a pleasant, sharp, acid 
flavor, but owing to the large, nut-like seed, 
they are little sought after for culinary pur¬ 
poses. 
Growing in similar locations wo find the 
common Winterberry or Black Alder (Ilex 
verticellatn) a species of Holly, bearings pro¬ 
fusion of bright, scarlet fruit. This is one of 
the most showy of our native shrubs when 
in fruit, but the flowers are small and incon¬ 
spicuous. It will thrive in high, dry ground 
as well as in low, hence well suited to garden 
culture. 
The Euonymus or Spindle tree, also called 
Strawberry tree and Burning Bush, arc ele¬ 
gant, showy autumn fruiting shrubs or small 
trees. Thera are several native species and 
many varieties, all of which are worthy of a 
place among the best exotic shrubs found in 
our parks and pleasure grounds. The E. 
atropurpureas and its varieties are tall-grow¬ 
ing shrubs ten to twenty feet high, with 
small, dark purple flowers, and light, bright- 
red fruit, the latter remaining on until mid¬ 
winter. The E. A mericanus is a much less 
robust species with greenish-purple flowers, 
succeeded by crimson fruit. Seedlings from 
either of the ubove vary considerably, hence 
it is an easy matter to produce new varieties. 
But to name all the beautiful native trees 
aud shrubs which at this time make the fields 
and forests gay with their showy fruit,would 
be too much of a task ; consequently, I will 
limit the list, to a few more of the very best. 
The Barberry, although old and common, 
must not be overlooked in this class, and the 
“Spice Bush,” (Lindera Benzoin,) dotted 
with its bright red, oval berries, is a pretty 
shrub found in swamps arid low, damp 
woods. The 1’ond Spice (Tetrunthera (jrne- 
pulato) is a handsome shrub closely allied to 
the last, bearing globular, red berries. Then 
we have the Flowering Dogwood (Cornu8 
Florida) with its clusters of scarlet berries, 
and the Hawthorn, with fruit varying in size 
from that of a pea up to an inch in length, and 
of vuriouR colors from deep scarlet or crim¬ 
son to golden-yellow. The Snowberry (Sym- 
phoricarpuii racnrwsus) droops its clusters 
of snowy fruit by the side of coral berry, (S. 
vulgaris), the fruit of which is a deep cherry 
red. 
Among the climbing shrubs the Coral 
Monthly Honeysuckle (Lonieera sempervi- 
rens) bears clusters of shining red berries, 
while from many a shrub and iree the Bitter- 
Sweet llauuls its orange-colored pads, half- 
concealing the scarlet, pulpy aril enclosing 
tho seed. 
The evergreens should not be wholly left 
out of this list, for the bright scarlet berries 
of the Holly (Ilex opaca) and the crimson 
cup like berries of the American yew (Tuxus 
Cunadensis ) are well known adjuncts to the 
festivities of our winter holiday*. 
Bring all these hard}’, native, autumn ri¬ 
pening berry-bearing plants together and tho 
flowers of summer may pass away without 
much loss in the way of beauty to our gar¬ 
dens. This is one feature of gardening which 
lias been sadly neglected by both writers and 
practitioners, aud more’s the pity. 
LAYING OUT E10WER BEDS. 
Od. 6.—Variety in form of flower bods is 
next in importance to a variety of plants. 
But how to invent or Juy out a dozen or a 
hundred, and have no two just alike, seems 
to puzzle most persons, judging from what 
we see in villa plats to grounds of more pre- 
tension. The square, circular, heart-shaped, 
diamoud and star, are ail well enough under 
certain circumstances, but their frequency in 
small gardens leads one to think the invent 
ive powers of amateurs iu this direction at 
least, is rather limited, else is not put to the 
test for the want of a proper incentive to 
produce a diversity of forms. Our books on 
gardening are also full of lubyrintliiau designs 
lor flower bed?, which would require a skilled 
geometrician to carry out to anything like 
perfection. For my own part, 1 never could 
see anything to adrmre in one of these care¬ 
fully-designed flower beds, laid out to a geo¬ 
metrical nicety, like the patch-work bed- 
quilts of our grandmothers. The free and- 
easy natural splashes of a bed here and there 
among the grass, or an entire border under 
cultivation, always looks best to my eye, 
whether right, or wrong. 
Now 1 had a long, rambling sort of a walk 
between my lawn aud borders of shrubs aud 
other ornamental plants, but becoming some¬ 
what crowded for room I had to break into 
the lawn, aud there could be no more con¬ 
venient place to do this than by the side of 
tho walk named. Trees scattered hero aud 
there prevented a continuous bed, even if 
such a one hud been desirable, consequently, 
I resorted to small, separate beds cut out of 
the grass. The next question to be decided 
was the form of the beds and how should 
they lie laid out. Of course, I could resort 
to the rule aud square, and by providing a 
few huudred small stakes, the design might 
be made sutficieutly plain for the guidance of 
ordinary workmen ; but I dispensed with all 
this kind of apparatus and merely’ took a 
large rope and coiled it around upon the grass 
in the form that 1 wished to be when finished. 
With a sharp spade the sou was cut by the 
side of the rope, and the design w’as com¬ 
plete. Then 1 proceeded to the next, and so 
on until all were laid out, after which my’ 
men could go on and dig op the sod over the 
entire bed without any danger of making a 
mistake. A rope of an inch or 1% inch in 
diameter, laid upon a close cut sod or bare 
soil, will give one a better idea of how a bed 
is going to look when finished than the best 
drawn design upon paper or any number of 
stakes driven in the ground. Then one can 
crook the rope this way and that, coil und 
uncoil, until the design just suits tne eye and 
fits the spot where the bed is to be made. A 
pretty design on paper may not always lit in 
among trees or shrubs and look as well os a 
person might “ guessit would.” By discard¬ 
ing the square und rule and using the rope, 
a person c.iu give free scope to his imagina¬ 
tion m desigmug beautiful forms of beds,and 
the more they depart from the usual geo¬ 
metrical styles the better, 
PLANTING AND CULTURE OF 
ORCHARDS. 
Fruit culture has made enormous progress 
{ n these United States within the Rural’s 
remembrance. We believe, the limit is by 
no means reached nor will be unt il the best 
fruit of all varieties is placed daily on the 
tables of every family poor as well as rich 
throughout the country’. This is what we 
are aiming for and it is in this hope that we 
rejoice at the increase in numbers and busi¬ 
ness of nurserymen, propagators of new 
varieties, fruit dealers and even the much 
abused fruit-tree peddlers, who have in their 
way done more good than harm by intro¬ 
ducing fruit w here other agencies would not 
have reached. It. may be that the coming 
abundance of fruit. Is to be brought about by’ 
the introduction of new and more productive 
varieties, as the Wilson’s Albany has par¬ 
tially done among strawberries, the Concord 
among grapes, the Baldwin among apples, 
and the Bartlett, and Seekel among pears. 
Varieties so easily and cheaply grow n en¬ 
courage propagation and encourage planting 
stdl more. If we can get varieties more 
easily grown, more productive, and of bettor 
quality, the increase of planting and of pro¬ 
duction will be still more marked than it lias 
been. 
After all tlie tact is not iu nurseries to 
propagate nor of enthusiastic growers to 
plant. The yearly production of nursery 
stock, apples, pears, peaches, cherries, plums, 
quinces and grape vines to say nothing of 
smaller fruits is something enormous, if all 
lived and bore fruit to then* utmost capacity 
it would be Impossible to find a market. 
The fruit ivould fall so low’ as to be hardly 
wortli picking. No one need fear such a 
result as this for the reason that under 
present management of fruit orchards, four 
trees out of five, posfibiy nine trees out of 
ten never reach the size to bear a full 
crop, more than onc-half of them never bear 
at all, and all the money time aud labor 
expended on them is a total loss. Look at 
the apple orchards of the country, many’ of 
them young trees half plauied in a still' sod, 
“pruned” only’ by browsing cattle and 
horses in summer, girdled by rabbits and 
mice iu winter, honey-combed by the borer, 
their trunks barked by the team in plowing 
and their roots cut by deep plowing. Is it 
any wonder that so many trees die '( Is not 
the wonder greater that any trees so treated 
Should live i If we can induce a sensible 
and careful management of orchards it will 
be doiug more for fruit growing than any 
thing else could do. 
Jt is not that trees require extremely rich 
soil or very great labor in cultivating—but 
what they do need they must have. Manure 
injudiciously applied may’ do injury. If 
large amounts of fermenting manure are 
plowed nnder and placed in contact with 
peai’ roots it makes the roots unhealthy and 
the trees subject to blight. Our impression 
is that the decaying matter creates a fungus 
on the pear roots which infects the sap aud 
is thus carried through the tree. It is prob¬ 
able that certain roots feed special parts of 
the tree, hence we rarely see an entire tree 
affected at first,though this is sometimes the 
ease. The more common result is one or 
more branches first affected and the disease 
rapidly spreading until the tree dies. Yet 
nothiugls more certain than that pear trees 
need some manuring. How shall It bo 
applied ! The method adopted by some o i 
the most experienced fruit growers in West- 
' ern New York is to spread manure already 
rotted on the surface of the ground in early 
winter or fall and let the rains and snows 
carry its fertilizing properties downwards 
to the roots. In this way there is no fermen¬ 
tation in contact with the roots; but the 
fertilizing properties of the manure come in 
the best shape to be taken into the circula¬ 
tion. The ground may be plowed in the 
spring, or the manure left as a mulch through 
the summer. Borne pear growers leave 
their trees in grass. If this is cut and left 
on the ground as a mulch it will promote 
growth and thrift. Anything which keeps 
the soil loose aud moist and fertile is good. 
This is rarely done where the soil is left In 
grass and hence this for average fruit grow¬ 
ers is not an advisable method of caring for 
orchards. 
* * * - 
FRUIT MEN TURNING ATTENTION TO 
• PEARS. 
Many peach growers in Delaware are a 
good deal disheartened at the low prices at 
which their crop of peaches is selling, and 
are about ready’ to conclude that “ peaches 
are somewhat overdone.” The Wilmington 
Commercial says:—A good crop can be 
raised only’ about once in three years, and 
when the large crop does come, the market 
is glutted from t he beginning to the end of 
the season, and the prices realized do not, in 
many arses pay freight and commission, and 
as we write a quarter of a million baskets 
are rotting in the orchards, because it would 
not pay to send them to market. Now why 
do not our growers root out some of the 
peach trees and piuut pears ? This fruit will 
certainly thrive iu Delaware soil, and yield 
large returns to the growers, and the market 
can be so extended that a “ glut ” would be 
unknown. The change at least is worth a 
trial. 
Jutsurance Jcplment. 
INSURANCE NOTES AND NEWS. 
The Moral Hazard .—The risk of loss in¬ 
curred by the company by reason of bad 
faith on the part of the insured has become 
a more important factor of the insurance 
problem than formerly. Mr. T. 8 . Chard, who 
read an able paper upon this subject before 
the late Insurance Convention at Chicago, 
says that notwithstanding the vast, improve¬ 
ments made in the appliances for preventing 
and extinguishing fires the proportion of loss 
has greatly augmented within two years, 
and that, though the average premium is 
fully one third higher, the companies make 
less profit and tlio business becomes every 
year more hazardous, lie says also that but 
for incendiarism, carelessness, and the de¬ 
sire, if not also the design, that fires shall 
occur to convert depreciating property into 
ready money, fully fifteen millions a year 
might saved and the premiums reduced 
fifty per cent. Unfortunately this accom¬ 
plished essay’ist and underwriter does not 
suggest any’ remedies for the evils he depre¬ 
cates. 
Good for 'Tennessee. /—The Supreme Court 
of Tennessee has declared several policies is¬ 
sued by the Aitna Life insurance Company 
void on account of misrepresentations by tho 
agents, and directed Hi© Company to return 
all the premium©. This is a. it should be. 
We believe that three-fourths of the troubles 
t hat afflict policy holders are attributable to 
the flagrant misrepresentations of agents and 
that t_e eourlB should lie more frequently 
appealed to to define the attitude and re¬ 
sponsibility of these hitherto irresponsible 
middlemen. It seems monstrous that any 
set of men should be permitted, year after 
year, to sell life insurance or anything else 
for a valuable consideration, and yet be 
practically absolved from all legal obliga¬ 
tion to deliver the goods as per sample. 
Term Policies .—The comparative cheap¬ 
ness of this kind of insurance has induced 
several companies to offer it to the public, 
and there seems to be & prospect that it may 
come into temporary favor. Heretofore the 
only uses for insurance that “run out” iu 
five, seven or ten years have been as collate¬ 
ral security in business transactions, und it 
remains to be discovered that tins does not 
limit their desirableness. Unless eaeh such 
policy specifically provides for the issue of 
another and succeeding policy and defines 
the successive increasing premiums, they 
cannot take the place of whole-life or long 
term insurance. In any case the financial 
result must he the same. It is very proba¬ 
ble that, as in most other kinds of insurance, 
the conditions, especially that of renewal, 
will be misrepresented, and honest people 
left with a useless investment on their 
hands. Whenever anything very cheap and 
attractive in the shape of life insurance is 
offered, it is worth one’s while to be ex¬ 
tremely cautious, and to read the policy 
with great care before investing any money 
in it. 
We are Incredulous.—A Louisville (Ky.) 
paper attributes the burning of several to¬ 
bacco barns to “gases evolved from the to¬ 
bacco by peculiar atmospheric phenomena. ' 1 
If so, it will be well to keep an eye on 
the “phenomena” aforesaid. Precisely the 
same causes which affect ill-cured hay 
might cause spontaneous combustion in to¬ 
bacco also, but the farmer who permits his 
green tobacco to he iu bulk instead of hang¬ 
ing and firing it in due season deserves to 
lose it. Perhaps the parties who lost tobacco 
in this peculiar aud hitherto uuheard-of way 
had a habit of selling it before paying hands 
who worked on shares. We are willing to 
believe iu anything except “peculiar at- 
mospheric phenomena,” } 
I V 
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