ik 332 
MOORE’S RURAL WEW-YOSKER 
^OV. 20 
As tbo chief end of the plant seems to be 
reproduction, and as in every case, such re¬ 
production is an exhausting process, tending 
to destroy the life of the parent, it follows 
that with perennial plants, like our fruit 
trees which bear crop after crop of seeds, 
the exhaustion of an over-crop may be fatal 
or nearly so, unless a constant repair goes on 
through vigorous growth. The Irennial 
bearers are generally great croppers when 
they do bear, and so in alternate years, 
suffer exhaustion through over fruitage, and 
then recover by growth while barren of 
fruit. Such trees need pruning the year 
they arc loaded with fruit—in spring after 
blooming—so that the fruit is thinned to 
and then would supply it with food ; for it 
is as true of the apple crop as of any problem 
in mathematics, that out of nothing, noth¬ 
ing comes. 
INSURANCE NOTES AND NEWS 
APPROPRIATE POTTING 
VARIATION IN QUALITY OF PEARS 
HOW TO.’ORIGINATE VALUA- 
ABLE VARIETIE3. 
The Germantown Telegraph says : “ It is 
remarkable how some kinds of fruit on the 
same land will vary in different years. Some 
years ago we grafted nearly all our Louise 
Bonne de Jersey, Gloat Moreeau, and Dueh- 
esse de Angouleme stocks, their fruit being 
utterly worthless—plainly, they would not 
ripen. But within three years the Glout 
Moreeau has been the best winter-pear we 
have; and the Louise and Duchess within 
the same time rank very nearly best. Every 
specimen of the Louise was marked with a 
deep blush, and was larger than any wo have 
yet seen at a fruit exhibition. Two speci¬ 
mens of the Glout Moreeau now before us 
measure 1 8% inches in circumference each, 
and each weigh exactly 16 ounces. Our 
Beurrc d*Anjou, which did so surprisingly 
well lust year, produced this year large and 
fine-looking fruit—indoed larger than any we 
have yet seen—but most of the specimens 
were subjected to the same drawback which 
for a number of years obliged us to condemn 
the fruit, to-wit: hard lumps in the flesh. 
They are not bo generally or badly affected 
as formerly, but sufficiently bo as very much 
to injure their quality. The St. Michael 
d’Archange this season produced splendidly, 
grew very large, with cheeks as rosy as any 
rustic maiden's at 16. Their quality was 
scarcely excelled by the best Seclcel. But 
they were grafted on the quince—those on 
pear-stocks were not nearly bo large or fine.” 
An interesting question arises here wheth¬ 
er this exceptionally good quality, no matter 
how secured, may not alTect the character of 
seedlings grown from this superior fruit. 
We understand perfectly that a seedling 
does not necessarily reproduce the original 
fruit, and this is not the question raised ; but 
rather whether superior specimens well ri¬ 
pened and perfectly grown are not more 
likely to produce superior fruit in their turn. 
In a season when grapes mature early and 
perfectly is there not a greater probability 
of producing choice early ripening new vari¬ 
eties than when the Beason has been unfa¬ 
vorable '{ We believe that this is the fact, 
though sufficient evidence has not been ac¬ 
cumulated to conclusively prove it. We can 
go further, and eay that by growing fruit 
intended for seedlings under favorable con¬ 
ditions—even making such conditions arti¬ 
ficially we can improve the chances of secur¬ 
ing a superior result. The wonderful success 
Col. B. 8. Fox of California, in growing val¬ 
uable- seedling pears, may very possibly have 
resulted from the peculiar adaptability of 
California climate for that fruit. Is it likely 
that pear seed shipped from the East would 
have produced such an extraordinary series 
If we were wishing to 
the general population. Yale College Las 
always kejA a record of the fort unites who 
rank as its alumni, and from this it is enabled 
to construct a table of its own, which shows 
the death-rate that has prevailed during a 
century and a half among a class of persons 
presumably rather better situated to pro¬ 
mote longevity than the general population 
of the country. The result is that both the 
record from 1702 to 1774 and that from 1775 
to 1806 conform almost precisely to that of 
the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New 
York and of the Mutual Benefit of New Jer¬ 
sey. The cause of excessive premiums — 
for they are confessedly' excessive or there 
would be no return of premiums, or, as they 
are miscalled, “dividends”—is to be found 
in the rate of interest used in computing. A 
single premium computed at •!)£ per cent, 
interest for a whole life insurance is nearly 
40 per cent, larger than that computed at 6 
per cent, from the same table of mortality. 
When this excess is promptly returned in¬ 
surance is provided at its true price, and 
since the company is not legally compelled 
to return any portion whatever, it is well to 
be pretty careful to select those companies 
which do habitually repay the excess or do 
not collect an excessive premium. 
The A merican National Life, of New Hu - 
ten.—The public, as well as those who are 
financially interested in the matter, will be 
glad to learn that the long contention be¬ 
tween the Connecticut Commissioner and 
Mr. Noyes of New Haven (it was never be¬ 
tween tfio Slate represented by one and the 
Company represented by the other) lias been 
happily concluded by a decision of the courts 
requiring the American National Life Insur¬ 
ance Company to make good a deficit of 
$511,000, which, we are informed, has been 
done. There was a dinner given to the 
friends of the Company, during which, or 
after which, plucky Bex. Noyes was toasted 
and complimented. The leading counsel of 
the Compauy, Col. Whioht, said in his ad¬ 
dress “that the perseverauco of Mr. Noyes 
reminded him of the loafer's trip to Omaha. 
He was regularly kicked oft the cars at every 
station, and as regularly got on again, saying 
that ‘ he was bound to get to Omaha if his 
pantaloons lasted through 1’ ” 
Doctor Lambert on Flctions.—Dr. Lam- 
bekt says that “ the sole object of life insur¬ 
ance is to relieve the mind of anxiety in re¬ 
gard to death ; that not more than one-third 
around was congruous, neat, yet 
elegant. Nothing was discordant 
but tho flower pots, they were rude 
and offensive both in form and color ; 
they were unfitting both to the place 
and to the plants growing in them. 
Common pottery is suitable to the 
greenhouse and frame, though in the 
first-named structure, if a place iu / 
which visitors are expected to take / 
pleasure, the plants are far more £_/'• 
attractive if the shelves to receive 
them are so made that the pots are 
concealed, and the surface of the soil A 
in them is covered With moss. // 
In the hall or corridors of a man- Kk 
siou the plants should be in porcelain 
pots. An illustration will enforce 
what we mean. How deprived of 
effect, how degraded would this 
Caladium appear if in a common 
flower pot ! 
It quite suffices that the plants be 
prepared in ordinary pots of a correct 
size that tho pots in which they are 
grown may be inserted as required 
into the ornamental pots. No injury 
is then done to the roots, and it is 
surprising in what a small pot a 
plant may be healthily grown if 
assisted by a full supply of water—liquid 
manure when suitable to tbo nature of the 
plant. Preferable to common clay pots are 
ornamental lattice-work covers, or elegant 
designs which are now worked by the fret 
saw. Some of the latter are very attractive, 
and are permissible as substitutes for the 
more valuable porcelain receptacles. 
Ornamental. Pot for Plants. 
such an extent that a good, thrifty growth 
will take place. In this way better fruit 
will be grown, and often thebabit of bearing 
alternate years will be broken up so that 
fruit will be borne every year. But if the 
overcrop has been borne, and the tree 
is already exhausted, it should bo headed in 
or partly dis budded tho next year, that its 
recovery may be more thorough. 
In all these cases wnere we interfere and 
remove part of the growiug shoots bo that 
vigor may be added to those remaining, the 
inexperienced hand is apt to overdo his 
work. Care must be used, and good judg¬ 
ment too, and only experience) with trees 
can teach just what proportion of growth 
It is seldom, 
OBJECTS OF PRUNING 
The following is an extract from an ex¬ 
tended article by Prof. H. H. McAfee of tho 
Iowa Agricultural College, as published in 
the Progressive Farmer : 
When a tree is starved and for that reason 
is making but little annual growth, the first 
thing to do is to feed it with the food ingre¬ 
dient that the soil may lack; but wc may 
assist it back to a normal condition of thrift 
and health, by reducing the number of its 
growth points by dis budding or by “ heading 
in,” before growth is fairly started in the 
spring. 
So too, when a tree is robbed by other and 
greedier roots invading its soil 
points are to be removed, 
however, that over one-third of the buds 
need removing in these cases; but, the 
greater the exhaustion, tho severer may be 
the dis-budding. 
PROLIFICACY OF APPLE TREES, 
The Germantown Telegraph suggestively 
says :—It seems to be conceded that there 
are some kinds of apples, as for example 
“ Smith’s Cider ” that are sure to bear every 
year iu spite of “April freezes” or any 
other damaging cause. Would it not be 
well to try and find out what these kinds 
are and make a special note of them t Our 
pomologists tell us from time to time of 
valuable new varieties tint are large, higk- 
and-so-forth : but 
of excellent pears 
produce seedling grapes, we should, on this 
principle, procure our seed from Vine Val¬ 
ley, or some other locality where grapes ma¬ 
ture early, and in a season when the orop 
was of best quality. Might it not also im¬ 
prove the chances if we thinned the bunch, 
rung the vine, or otherwise artificially in¬ 
creased t he size or improved the quality of the 
berries whose seeds w r o used ‘ 
When Rev. M. Goodrich originated his 
new varieties of potatoes be took the seed 
from potatoes of productive habit, grown in 
rich soil and well cured for. The result of 
successive experiments in this direction is a 
number of new varieties, far more prolific 
than those grown ten or twenty years ago. 
By continuing to grow' seedlings from these 
prolific varieties, under favorable conditions, 
; as when 
blue grass sod catches the moisture and the 
food gases which come in from above ground 
and keeps them from tho tree roots ; or as 
when the greedy proprietor demands from 
the orchard u crop of small grain, or as when 
lustier, hungrier roots of other trees, like 
the willows and poplars, sap the stock of 
food from tho soil; the first thing to do is to 
choke off the robber, then eurich the soil, 
and thou iu spring reduce the number of 
growth points so that all left can put forth 
thrifty loaves and make strong growth. 
And again, if severe drouths have prema¬ 
turely checked growth, and then the rains 
come and growth is resumed, it is usually 
best to interfere and stop part of the points 
of extension, by pinching, as soon as they 
start. 
Or, when tho always trying winter has 
come with its cold and dry winds, so hard 
that man}' or most buds are weakened, and 
the fluid of the tree—the sap—has been 
actually altered from its normal condition 
by too great evaporation, and too great and 
too equally sudden changes of temperature, 
we should interfere when growth is about 
to begin for the season, and by removing 
part of the buds, turn the W'hole of the tree’s 
energies to fewer points, to the end that the 
physiological action may be more perfect 
and stronger. 
flavored, free bearers 
little is said about the capacity of the kind 
Yet it is 
to give us good crops every year, 
one of the most valuable features iu an 
apple, and is the leading one that gives 
Smith’s Cider its great value. 
Of course there is much in a natural ten¬ 
dency to bear every year, yet much is often 
attributed to late spring frosts and other 
outside causes to account for short crops. 
Ail these may have soma power, yet we 
believe that peculiar methods of culture 
have u good deal to do with good annual 
crops. It has frequently been noted that 
some trees which bear freely one year do 
not do so next, though there may be no Into 
frosts nor any of the contingencies asked 
for. The trees seem simply exhausted, as if 
they were unable to look forw'ard to the 
next year and take care of tho present. If 
the trees were thinned somewhat, so that 
not half the crop would come to perfection, 
there wouLd then be a chance for the tree to 
do a little for the future. Besides this the 
fruit left would be finer and would probably 
bring quite as much as if the whole were 
suffered to mature to a full crop of inferior 
fruit. Moreover a little top-dressing now 
this quality of productiveness may be still 
further increased. 
Adaptability to certain soils and climate is 
possibly, also, a result of growing plants 
from seed originated under similar condi¬ 
tions. Some kinds of apples fail on sandy 
soil, while others prefer it. Some peaches 
are more hardy than others. Some pears 
succeed as standards, and others only as 
dwarfs. We need a multitude of experi¬ 
ments before propounding a theory, which, 
if proved, would involve a law for these 
seemingly chaotic incidents. We only sug¬ 
gest tha possibility of a law which may give 
them a rational explanation. Iu the mean¬ 
time, facts known to all, strongly corrobo¬ 
rate the theory which we have somewhat 
hesitatingly advanced. , 
