PKICE  SIX  CENTS 
!8t5i.«5  PEIt  YEAR. 
t Entered  accordin);  to  Act  of  ConKreaa,  tn  the  year  137(1,  by  the  Rural  PubllshitiK  Company,  in  the  ofHoe  of  the  I.lhrarian  of  Conure.ss  at  VVashinjfton.] 
and  cost  tho  least.  I  claim  that  it  is  just  the 
same  with  the  Eond  I .n.w  ;  t)io  more  simple  it  is 
tho  bettor  for  us  and  tlui  road.  Tbo  (.'iisiost  way 
is  to  make  a  law  reipiiring  each  land  owner  to 
build  all  tlie  road  across  his  premlsos — have  that 
for  a  starting  pioint  or  foundation,  and  tlu.'ii 
other  provitdons  can  he  added  to  modify  what 
some  choose  to  call  injustice  to  certain  individu¬ 
als,  which,  I  think,  is  more  immaginaiy  than 
real.  Htill,  tluiro  may  once  in  a  great  while  bo  a 
a  case  that  would  neial  to  bo  provided  for  in 
framing  a  new  road  law,  SncIi  a.  rule  would  not 
be  as  unocpial  or  unjust  as  the  present  one, 
niis  chocks  individual  enterprise,  while  the  other 
would  give  '  "ee  scope  to  tho.se  wishing  to  im¬ 
prove  their  omises. 
1th.  Tb  .iro  but  two  ways  for  us  to  choose 
from ;  wc  must  do  the  work  oiirsolvos  or  pay 
some  one  else  to  do  it  for  ua.  If  we  build  thorn 
oimsolvos,  then  wc  shall  find  oinploymont  for  our 
teams  and  hands  at  times  in  tho  year  when  other 
work  Is  not  pressing,  and,  at  thGi*«aiiie  time,  he 
clearing  tho  laud  of  stone,  W(3  should  not  pay 
out  money  to  strangers,  but  could  build  tho  road 
much  less  tliand'or  any  other  person.  We  could 
arrange  our  busine.ss  so  that  whenever  in  the 
course  of  farming  any  stone  could  bo  moved  they 
might  be  drawn  and  deposited  in  tho  road,  and  at 
other  limes  tliesc  stones  could  he  broken  up  and 
then  covered  with  gravel.  This  material  would 
be  fiiriiisbed  by  eiicli  land  owner  free  of  cost,  and 
most  I.  urn  would  bo  glad  to  get  nd  of  the  stone, 
and  at  the  sami'  tJine  improve  the  highwa,y.  Nine¬ 
teen  times  out  of  twenty,  this  law  would  eipial- 
izo  tho  road  tax  better  than  any  otlior  ttiat  lias 
heon  suggested, 
5tli.  Wliere  thero  are  wealthy  people  who  own 
but  little  land,  or  tho  roiul  does  not  cross  tlicir 
premises,  then  they  nught  ho  assessed  a  money 
tax  yearly,  wliicli  should  go  into  the  town  treas¬ 
ury,  until  it  was  needed  to  help  othcr.s  who  had 
very  much  more  tlian  an  average  amount  of  road 
to  build. 
Gth.  All  persons  who  now  pay  only  a  poll  tax, 
might  he  obliged  to  work,  or  jiay  to  tho  person 
on  wlioHo  land  they  reside  -tlie  same  as  they  now 
do  to  tiio  patimiasler.  IIkaukk  ov  the  lUmAu. 
that  Mr.  ZiNfisEM  has  boon  for  several  years,  and 
w  still,  creeting  a  short  flistanco  from  tliat  part 
of  llackeiisaek,  known  as  Upper  says: 
'*  \  representative  of  the  ItUKAI.  New-Vokkek, 
having  visited  Falnuouiit,  i  tlie  name  of  this  vil¬ 
lage)  has  written  of  a  jiart  of  whal.  ho  saw  thero. 
lie  (^ould  justly  have  more  fully  described  and 
move  extensively  praised  Mr.  Z.'s  eiitorpriso,  for 
it  surely  is  worthy,  and  Uiero  are  few  Uko  it  or 
sitiiilar  to  it  in  the  world.” 
Tme,  he  invjlU  have.  lJut  he  is  satisfiod  -with 
liaving  stirred  up  the  old-fogy,  fault-tinding, 
ride-over-eaeli-other  people  of  the  consequential 
city  of  Uaekonsaek  to  some  apjireciation  of  what 
this  enterprising  Zino.sem  is  doing  for  them  and 
for  it. 
SOMETHING  ABOUT  PALMS 
The  inliabitants  of  cool  climates  know  little  of 
the  value  of  tlie  great  family  of  plants  known  by 
tho  coiumou  name  of  palms.  Most  of  us.  it  is 
true,  have  seen  palm  leaf  hats  and  fans,  but 
beyond  this,  are  seldom  suftieiently  interosted  to 
seek  further  information  about  the  iilants  from 
wbieli  they  are  made.  Hut  this  o.x.toiisivo  family 
of  plants  are  of  ns  iiincli  importaui'o  to  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  tropical  couiitrios  as  tho  cereals  are 
to  those  of  cold  climates,  in  some  trojueal  coun¬ 
tries  the  palms  supply  all  tho  uoccssaries  of  life, 
as  well  u.j  many  luxiu-ios.  such  as  milk,  bread, 
wine,  oil,  vinegar,  ink,  parchment  or  a  kind  of 
natural  paiier,  spirituous  litiucrs  of  various  kiud.s, 
beside.s  materials  for  clothing  and  building 
dwellings, 
Tho  palm  oil  of  commerce  is  expressed  from 
the  fruit  of  tho  Avou’a  palm,  and  there  are  sev¬ 
eral  species  which  yield  sago ;  then  wo  have  dates, 
eocoannts,  and  many  other  vuiJl-known  fruits 
which  are  tho  prisluet  of  some  spedes  of  palm. 
.■Vbiiiidant  as  ai-is  the  useful  species,  which  in 
some  manner  contrilmto  to  the  necossities  or 
wants  of  man.  there  is  a  still  greater  niimhcrthat 
are  valued  only  for  ornamentjU  purposes.  The 
graceful  habit  aud  beautiful  foliage  of  many  of 
tho  smaller-growing  kinds,  ha.s  ever  made  them 
special  favorites  with  tho.su  ivho  possess  suita¬ 
ble  structures  in  which  to  cultivate  such  plants. 
In  all  the  great  hotanical  ganlens  of  Europie  a 
palm  house  is  considered  ahnosb  indispensable, 
and  although  wo  have  no  public  establishments 
of  this  kinil  worthy  of  tho  name,  still  there  are 
individuals  wlio  devote  both  lime  and  largo  sunis 
of  money  to  introducing  new  plants  of  all  kinds, 
not  omitting  ttui  linest  jialms  of  thetroprics. 
One  of  the  most  interesting  and  beautiful  of 
the  ormamenlal  species  found  within  our  territo¬ 
rial  borders  is  tho  interesting  1‘rikhardiaftlifera, 
of  which  we  give  an  illustration,  copied  from  tho 
London  Garden.  It  is  said  to  grow  further  north 
than  any  other  sijeeies  of  the  palm  tribe,  and  is 
found  on  the  banks  of  the  Colorado  river,  ,\rizo- 
na,  also  in  New  Mexico,  it  is  an  exceedingly 
graceful  plant,  the  loug,  white  lilaments  falling 
from  the  palmate  leaves,  not  unlike,  in  appear¬ 
ance,  a  luiuiature  wuepiug  willow. 
When  tho  many  merits  of  this  hue  half-hardy 
palm  become  fully  known  to  the  lover.s  of  haud- 
souie  lohage  plant.s,  it  will  no  doubt  become  a 
general  favorite,  and  grace  'many  a  private  con¬ 
servatory  and  garden. 
WIRE  FENCING 
Titere  are  many  localities  whore  no  materials 
suitable  for  making  fences  can  bo  obtained  at  a 
cost  which  will  admit  of  their  use  by  the  farmer. 
Wood  and  stone  are  the  materials  most  generally 
oiiqiloyed  for  tins  pur^ioHe,  hat  these  not  being 
universally  abuiidant  sometimes  substitutes  are 
fnspumtly  in  douiaiid.  I  lodges  will  do,  but  it 
takes  too  much  time  to  iiroduce  them,  if  a  man 
is  in  a  liiirry  to  get  a  seomo  ouetosure,  Iron 
wire  is  now  being  employed  quite  extensively  for 
fences  and  if  not  too  small  and  then  well  sus¬ 
tained  by  strong  posts  it  answers  very  well. 
Many  a  wire  fence  liowov(jr,  has  proved  to  be  of 
httlo  use  in  turning  stock,  owing  to  the  lack  of 
proper  materials  being  employed,— tlie  idea  of 
cheapness  having  led  tho  builder  to  overlook  the 
more  important  merit  of  ellieienoy. 
Wo  lately  saw  a  specimen  of  wii’e  fencing  in 
I’hiliulelphia,  which  seomeil  to  combine  both  the 
iiHefiil  and  oriiuiiieatal  In  a  greater  degree  than 
any  other  wbich  has  come  iiuder  our  observation. 
It  is  composed  of  a  toji  rail  of  gas  plpo,  injii  posts 
and  six  strands  of  galvanized  cahlo  wire  pas.sing 
through  the  posts.  Tliis  cabin  or  douhle-sti'and 
wire  is  imt  only  fully  as  strong  as  a  sliiglo  wire  of 
the  same  weight,  but  tho  twisting  adds  elasticity 
which  is  qnihi  imiRirtant,  especially  when  ii’ou  or 
stone  posts  are  used  in  tho  erection.  This  cable 
fencing  i.s  of  coiirso  more  expensive  than  tho 
common  single  wii'o,  but  it  is  enough  better  to 
pay  for  the  additional  cost.  In  answer  to  an  in- 
(julry  in  regard  to  the  cost  of  this  oahlo  fencing, 
we  have  received  tlie  following  reply  : 
Dear  Sir  :  —In  answer  to  your  inquiry  of  a  few 
days  back,  relative  to  the  cost  per  rod  of  our 
cable  fencing,  if  made  with  2  and  3  cables  high, 
I  lieg  to  state  that  the  wire  alone  of  onr  usual 
quality  made  of  5  strands  of  wire  twisted  into 
cable  form  and  thoroughly  galvanized  will  cost 
I  j^c.  per  foot  running  measure.  A  fence  of  3 
cables  in  higlit  would  cost  for  wire  cable  alone 
74c.  per  rod  and  the  staples  ami  screw-oye  bolts 
for  fastening  to  posts  and  straining  the  wire 
would  increase  tho  cost  about  1  to  2c.  per  rod. 
II  ouly  2  cables  high  the  wil  d  cable  alone  would 
cost  41)0,  )ier  rod.  This  cable  wire  is  heavier  aud 
of  bettor  quality  than  is  necessary  perhaps  for 
hording  ysirposos  aud  is  used  larj^oly  for  permi- 
nont  fencing  and  when  properly  erected  last  for 
a  life  time.  We  corxld  furnish  a  lighter  article 
nnqiieetionahly,  made  (.if  only  3  whos  properly 
twisted,  that  could  be  sold  for  perhaps  oue-third 
less  monoy,  in  largo  quantities. — Pullip  S.  Jus¬ 
tice,  PhiUvMphia,  I’a. 
FAIRMOUNT 
The  IJcrgeii  Index — a  Hackensack  paper — in 
referring  to  <»ur  article  respecting  tho  village 
PUBLIC  ROADS. 
It  is  admitted  on  aU  sides  that  tho  roads  need 
improving,  but  how  to  go  about  it  is  the  great 
question.  It  will  take  much  labor  and  skill,  and 
perseverance  to  make  gi'ioil  stone  and  gravel 
turnpikes  throughout  tlie  State,  but  it  will  pay  in 
the  end  to  build  them,  and  the  sooner  we  go 
about  it  tho  sooner  we  shall  have  them.  I  be¬ 
lieve  that  the  best  plan  is  to  make  each  laud 
owner  build  tho  road  across  his  lands,  aud  for 
the  following  reasons : 
Ist.  lie  is  the  most  interested  in  that  part  of 
the  road ;  he  uses  it  himself  more  than  others  and 
would  ho  more  likely  to  keep  it  in  order.  It 
comes  under  his  observation  every  day — he  has 
a  better  chance  to  knoiv  ivliat  is  wanted — he 
would  know  whore  to  got  the  best  material. 
<id.  With  such  a  law  the  pubhc  higliway  would 
become  one  of  tho  fixtiu'es  of  the  fanii,  and  its 
It  is  a  most  remarkable  fact,  but  fact,  never¬ 
theless,  that  the  greatest  8c.arcity  of  good  vege¬ 
tables  is  frequently  to  bo  observed  in  farnung 
districts.  Largo  dtios  aic  always  well  supplied 
with  the  best  qualities,  while  the  rural  districts 
are  often  suffering  for  them.  This  is  probably 
owing  to  ignorance  of  the  manner  of  their  culti¬ 
vation  among  our  farmers  generally,  and  is  but  a 
sorry  commentary  upon  tho  intelligence  of  our 
rm'al  population.  Let  us  change  aU  this ! 
# 
