While I appreciate the good intentions of my 
California friend, it makes me feel unpleas¬ 
ant to see him spend his money so foolishly 
in trying to please others. 
ABOUT SPECIMENS IN GENERAL. 
While on this topic I might as well have 
my scold out as to stop half-way. Now, 
there are a vast number of persons who ap¬ 
pear to think that it is a great virtue to do a 
great deal more than is required of them. If 
bud safely through the summer, which is 
usually the period of comparative rest with 
these plants as grown in all northern con¬ 
servatories. 
In my own experience with the Camellia, 
as an amateur cultivator, and during a 
quarter of a century, I have found it a very 
easy plant to manage, needing as little care 
as any tender exotic requiring artificial heat 
in winter. My system of culture is very 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
From the Diary of a Gentleman near New 
York City. 
FAVORS WHICH ARE ANNOYING. 
Nov. 15. — There are probably very few 
persons who have not at some time in their 
lives been obliged lo bestow and accept, of 
favors which, in the end, gave more pain 
than pleasure. The ingratitude of many per¬ 
sons more than counterbalances the pleasure 
derived from doing them a favor, and while 
it is always best to try and forget such an¬ 
noying phases of the human character, tstiil 
it is far from being an easy task to do so. 
But it is not on this side of life’s ledger ac¬ 
count that 1 would make an entry, for it is 
better to leave the column a blank t han to 
fill it with “ black marks” against those of 
whom we would like to hold a higher esti¬ 
mation. St range as it may appear, and only 
strange because unusual, 1 am in receipt, of 
favors which are somewhat, annoying, and 
these, too, being the results of pure gratitude. 
A few years since I advanced to a poor 
Hollander, who was in very poor health as 
well, sufficient money to pay his fare to Cali¬ 
fornia. He reached that land of promise 
safely, soon regained his health, and has been 
continuously prosperous financially, ever 
since. Tile money 1 advanced him was re¬ 
turned as promptly as his circumstances per¬ 
mitted, with many thanks for the favor done 
him. But now comes what 1 may call the 
annoying part, of the transaction, although it 
is not unmixed with pleasure, for this good- 
hearted fellow cannot seem to realize the fact 
that he has paid his obligations in full luug 
ago, but every little while either Mrs. Ru- 
ralist or myself are receiving some remind¬ 
er of the fact that, our Holland friend and 
wife “still live.” Last, year It came in the 
shape of a large box filled with rare corals, 
shells and Japanese curiosities ; but through 
want of knowledge on his part in regard to 
packing such delicate articles, some of the 
most valuable were broken and worthless. 
In acknowledging the result of the present 
I mentioned the fact of breakage and en¬ 
deavored to impress upon my friends’uiind 
as well as I could without hurting his feel¬ 
ings or giving offense, that we would much 
prefer a cessation of such favors. My admo¬ 
nition, however, seems to have only increased 
his desire to do more in the same direction, 
for on Saturday last 1 received another box 
from him by express, charges paid. Know¬ 
ing my weakness for entomological speci¬ 
mens this ever-grateful friend purchased a 
large number of Japanese specimens put up 
in show' boxes by some one probably as ig¬ 
norant of the manner in which such things 
should be mounted and preserved as my 
friend was of their value. 
No doubt he inteuded to give, me a pleas 
ant surprise ; but. the result of his “sendings” 
was quite the opposite—at least the entomo- 
prtiNrcK «sc co.s organ <styi« No. nr,). 
hem for a lamb or goat, they simple indeed, and I think almost, any one 
or an elephant—if one can be might, succeed by adopting the same, if they 
believing that if a little thing have a room sufficiently warm in winter to 
greater would be more so. insure safety from frosts. After blooming 
’ have food and room lor a in winter the plants ure re-potted, provided 
elephant would be his ruin, the ball of roots lias tilled the pots full m 
on of this overwhelming one which they have been growing. But in 
not desired, I may say that tnuking this change, only a slight addition 
lenity fn obtaining from the to the size of the pot is required or even ad- 
department of the Rural, visable. If they are growing in a five inch 
rom the plains, snakes from pot shift into a six inch, as 1 seldom add 
co, gigantic centipedes, taran- more than one inch to the size of pot in a 
iers and hundreds of similar season. The new earth put in around the 
•cimeus of natural history; ball of roots should be packed in very flrmlv. 
and really more important in order to prevent, the water passing down 
tilings ure seldom obtained through it rapidly, little or none entering 
i the agency of a specialist, that which incloses and surrounds the cen- 
hologists, mineralogists —in ter roots. This re-potting should be done, if 
id collectors in all the various at. all, just before or soon after the new 
iral history experience aim- growth commences. Sprinkling the leaves 
who succeed, a first-class instrument of 
music, which will make home happier for 
their children and children’s children. Is 
not this worth striving for ? 
in style No. 55 for church and family use. If 
any other style is desired it will be procured 
and Messrs. Prince & Co. will scud circulars 
giving full information to any inquirer. The 
Organ above represented is a marvel of 
Cheapness as well as excellence, and we are 
-- 1 :—No. 55, cost- 
able to send them as follows 
ing 4125. for 125 subscribers at *2.15 each. 
This style lias two 5 octave sets of reeds 
with six stops, inclosed in black walnut case 
finely finished, as in the engraving. In 
many cases it will be a comparatively easy 
matter for the members of a church or 
school to secure one of these choice instru¬ 
ments, without expending a dollarin money. 
Indeed, any church or school which may 
want a good Organ, has only to get (through 
a committee or otherwise,! a contribution of 
?2.1o from each of the requisite number of 
families or persons, and the first-class instru¬ 
ment will be obtained, while the contributors 
receive fifty-three visits from a paper that 
we trust will prove both interesting and 
useful, alone worth far more thau its cost. 
season, but as these buds require nearly- an 
entire year to reach maturity, there is cor¬ 
respondingly longer time to guard against 
accidents than in plants which produce buds 
and bloom in quick succession. Extremes 
of temperature, or permitting the soil about 
the roots to become too wet, or too dry, will 
cause the ilower buds to drop off, and as no 
new ones are formed to take their place, a 
whole year may be lost through some slight 
mishap in giving the care required. 
Much has been written in regard to the 
proper soil for Camellias, but the fact of the 
case is that they will thrive in as great a 
variety as almost any shrub in cultivation. 
A good stiif loam intermixed with leaf muld 
or old decomposed sods, is probably as good 
as auy, and if not rich 
only sparingly, or in just sufficient quanti¬ 
ties to prevent the soil becoming dry during 
the blooming season. Anything like forcing 
or hastening the developing of the flowers is 
dangerous to say the least. A few days since 
I brought in a small plant of that queen of 
Camellias, the fringed white, upon which 
there are to-day twenty-four half-opened 
buds and full developed blooms. This plant 
is growing in a six inch pot, and it was kept 
during the summer along with a number of 
others plunged in a bed under the shade of 
some large oaks, no special care having been 
given auy of them except to water occa¬ 
sionally. Nearly all of my winter blooming 
shrubs, such as Daphne odornta and Cape 
Jamlines are pluuged in the same bed in the 
spring, and leit there until cool weather in 
autumn. 
This giving a period of comparative rest 
during the summer is what such plants re- 
inferior materials. Home Japanese lacquer 
ware sent to Mrs. Hukalist in the same box, 
arrived in good order and is fully appreciated; 
but what shall 1 write in regard to the ento¬ 
mological specimens, is what annoys me. If 
I write the “whole truth and nothing but 
the truth,” my California friend will feel 
sadly disappointed, and probably endeavor 
to make a bad matter worse by trying his 
hand in some other direction. If he read 
the Rural New-Yorker, 1 should certainly 
not have written this ; but as he does not, no 
harm will come from it, and much good may 
to others who are trying to show their grati¬ 
tude in a similar manner. 
Now, the above story of my troubles is but 
n fair illustration of the thousando of ways 
in which we may really annoy instead of 
please our friends in trying to be very kind. 
PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS 
These beautiful center table 
ornaments 
are decidedly popular and deservedly so. 
They ure not only exceedingly handsome, ex¬ 
ternally, but the treasures they carry within 
them, when well filled, are priceless. Bear¬ 
ing pictures of the loved and lost, or the loved 
and loving, telling, with the wondrous elo¬ 
quence of memory, of those who have been 
or are dear, it is not strange that they are 
found in every house, nor that they should 
be so highly prized. TYe have used much 
care in the selection of the style we offer as 
premium this year, aud are well pleased with 
the result, for we are able to offer a most ar 
tistically-decorated Album, holding 50 pic¬ 
tures, for 10 subscribers at club rates, (* 2.15 
per copy,) or 4 at S2.05 each. 
cow manure should 
be added in preference to that of the horse. 
But almost any good, rich soil of a firm 
texture will answer the purpose. The 
amateur usually succeeds in obtaining a good 
growth of wood, but fails to cany the flower 
quire in which to slowdy develope and ma¬ 
ture their wood and flower buds. 
