Jlorinilhiral, 
“CINNAMON  VINE.” 
Unber  this  name,  in  Rukai.,  July  15,  your  cor¬ 
respondent  dcBcribcR  exactly  the  Diosroren  Ba- 
Infn,  or  ChinoHO  potato,  except  tliat  ho  errs  in 
Baying  the  roots  iuereaso  in  size  from  year  to 
year.  A  lai-ger  root  usually  forms  each  succes¬ 
sive  year,  but  it  is  grown  anew — the  old  one  de¬ 
caying  and  fiuTiisbijig  food  for  the  new  ones.  It 
was  introduced  in  tliis  country  some  twenty  years 
ago  as  an  edible,  hut  having  the  habit  of  grow¬ 
ing  deep  in  the  earth  and  wrong  end  up,  as  it 
would  seem,  takes  the  jiosition  of  a  reversed 
parsnip.  It  is  very  dlfticull  to  dig,  and  the  cul- 
tiuro  of  it  for  food  was  abandoned  soon  after  it 
was  commenced,  I  have  had  it  for  many  years 
as  anoruamontal  vine,  which,  for  luxuriance  of 
growth  and  beauty  of  foliage,  I  know  of  none 
better.  One  I  planted  in  Northern  Connecticut, 
many  years  ago,  still  lives.  31ie  cinnamon-like 
fnigrauco  has  often  been  noticed,  and  if  wa  must 
have  another  than  the  botanical  name,  it  may  be 
called  Cimnmion  Vino  with  less  impropriety  than 
the  common  names  usually  given  to  plants. 
h.  A.  R. 
Since  receiving  the  above  communication,  Mr. 
Mapi.k  has  forwarded  us  a  small  plant,  showing 
L.  A.  R.  to  be  right  in  his  con  jecUu-e.  This  yam 
has  been  so  often  referred  to  In  the  Rural, 
(under  Daily  Rural  Life)  that  though  Mr.  Ma- 
ple'.s  description  at  once  suggested  the  Diox^orea 
Bataixix,  wo  yet  deemed  the  plant  txio  well  known 
to  have  puzzled  our  Western  friends,  who  have 
been  at  some  pains  to  ascertain  its  name. 
It  has  grown  in  the  Rubai,  grounds  for  a  num¬ 
ber  of  years,  and  fidly  merits  the  praises  of  otu- 
several  correspondents.  Up  to  early  Jtme  its 
growth  is  confined  to  single  stems,  with  leaves  a 
foot  apart.  By  this  tinio  it  will  have  attauicd  a 
hight  of  at  least  ten  feet,  when,  if  the  terminal 
bud  be  jiinclied  out,  slender  laterals  will  freely 
apjiear,  and  its  halnt  will  strikingly  resemble  that 
of  the  Madeira  \ine  (BousxiiujaulUatiaisdloUlfis'). 
One  day  last  June,  we  marked  a  shoot  that  had 
not  yet  thrown  out  laterals,  and  found  its  growth 
eight  inches  in  twenty-four  hours.  Juno  12,  a 
single  sti'in  had  reached  the  bight  of  thirteen 
feet. 
We  give  a  sketcJi  of  the  leaf,  which  is  fleshy, 
almost  leathery ; — of  the  male  flowers,  which,  as 
will  bo  seen,  are  not  in  the  least  showy,  and  of 
the  fruit,  which  is  a  membrauous  capsulo.  The 
male  and  female  flowers  are  borne  upon  different 
plants.  _____ 
under  the  surface,  make  a  growth  quite  insig¬ 
nificant  as  compared  to  the  stately  masses  of 
foliage  thrown  up  by  roots,  covered  from  four  to 
six  inches  deep.  Bulbs  are  especially  liable  to 
suffer  from  this  surface-planting,  Gladiolus  bulbs 
and  Lillies  being  at  times  so  lightly  covered  with 
then  it  should  be  given — not  a  few  drops  on  the 
surface,  but  in  such  quantity  as  to  soak  through 
the  biiU  of  earth  thoroughly.  The  other  points 
of  importance  aro  the  tomporatiu'e  and  the 
degree  of  moisture  in  the  ah’.  The  temperatmo 
is  especially  to  bo  considered,  for  it  would  be 
SOME 
10  beoinners  in  plant- 
growing. 
ItY  OEO.  SUCH. 
Every  florist  who  is  desuous  of  being  con¬ 
sidered  a  reasonably  good-natured  man  must 
occupy  no  inconsiderable  amount  of  his  tiDi« 
answering  questions  with  regard  t'*  tne  treat¬ 
ment  of  plants,  lilost  of  questions  come,  of 
Course,  from  pM^tours,  and  the  burdou  of  com¬ 
plain*  la  generally  that  the  plants  which  were  re¬ 
ceived  in  apparent  good  health  only  a  few  days 
before,  are  beginning  to  wilt  and  have  a  sickly 
appoavanc.e,  and  in  fact  are  behaving  in  a  manner 
quite  at  vaiianco  with  the  kind  treatment  they 
are  receiving  in  their  new  homo. 
Plants  aro  not  Uke  men,  who  may  ho  all 
smiles  in  the  inoruing,  and  without  any  other 
cause  tliaw  “  (hwo  cussedness,”  may  be  disgust¬ 
ingly  bilious  and  ilisagreoable  in  the  afternoon  ; 
if  plants  sulkily  hang  tiioir  heads,  tlioro  must  be 
some  good  reason  for  tlieir  dissatisfaction,  and  a 
helping  hint  towards  ascortainuig  the  cause  of 
the  trouble,  may  perhaps  bo  of  interest  to  some 
of  yoor  readers. 
Most  florists,  to  economize  space,  and  also  for 
the  purpose  of  keeping  the  ti’ansportation 
charges  within  reasonable  bounds,  grow  thoh’ 
plants  in  pots  of  the  smallest  possible  size ;  con¬ 
sequently  the  earth  in  these  pots  becomes 
crammed  with  roots  and  exceedingly  bard.  The 
person  rocoiviug  the  plants  is  nsually  struck 
with  astonishment  at  theu’  pot-bound  condition 
4u(l  at  once  shifts  all  into  pots  at  least  one  size 
This,  if  weU  done,  is  a  proper  thing  to 
but  ill  many  cases  the  work  is  not  well  done 
-hie  earth  in  the  fresh  potUug  being  «o  loosely 
P'h  about  the  old  ball  of  roots  that  when  the 
plant  ia  watered,  the  watei-  riuw  rapidly  away 
thiijugii  the  fresh,  open  soil,  and  loaves  the 
earth  m  the  old  ball  just  as  dry  as  snuff.  The 
same  thing  often  happens  in  transferring  pot 
plants  hj  the  open  ground,  especially  if  the 
plants  aro  of  lai-go  size  and  the  roots  fibrous  and 
delicate ;  unless  the  hall  is  well  soaked  in  water 
before  being  put  Into  the  ground,  and  unless  the 
eai’th  is  carefully  packed  about  the  roots,  the 
dry  ball  so  well  resists  moisture  that  the  plant  is 
liable  to  dio  from  want  of  water,  even  iu  the 
midst  or  abundant  rains. 
Another  and  a  very  fjommon  cause  of  partial  if 
not  complete  faUuro  ui  out-door  gardening,  is 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  planting  is  not  made 
at  a  proper  depth.  Cauna  roots,  if  put  just 
OHINKSK  YAM  OR  Cl N IST AM O N  VINK 
soil  as  to  be  unable  to  withstand  even  a  few 
days  of  dry  weather. 
Plants  cultivated  in  the  hoiiso  often  suffer 
from  being  put  Into  pots  very  much  too  large  for 
them.  The  mass  of  soil,  which  is  quite  out  of 
proportion  to  their  needs,  by  frequent  watoi'Jiig 
Boou  gets  into,such  a  soiu’  and  sodden  oondition 
that  the  roots  rot  away  completely  and  the 
plant  dies.  Even  when  the  amount  of  soil  is  not 
greakw  than  the  plant  needs,  it  is  quito  an  easy 
matter  to  give  too  inuoli  wakr  to  succulents, 
such  as  the  Cactus  family,  tbc  Agaves,  CrasHiilas, 
and  otliers  of  like  habit.  In  fact  tlicso  plants 
when  »♦  "oat,  an  moBt  of  them  are  during  wieter, 
need  scarcely  a  di’op  of  woter  and  to  water  thorn 
with  a  free  hand  at  such  a  lime  is  a  mistaken 
kindness  sure  to  end  in  their  dostiuctioii.  Some 
zealous  folks  not  only  give  too  much  water,  Imt 
when  from  day  to  day  they  see  the  rJanis  taking 
on  a  still  more  sickly  loot,  oirong  manuro  is 
added  to  the  wak-  such  quantities  as  would 
clog  the  digestion  of  even  an  onion.  There  is 
about  as  Uttle  sense  iu  this  treatment  as  tJiere 
would  bo  in  givmg  turtle  soup  to  an  invalid  in¬ 
capable  of  asHimilating  the  plainest  broth.  Not 
tliat  the  use  of  manure  water  is  to  bo  condemned, 
for  judiciously  applioil.  It  is  of  great  benefit, 
contributing  wonderfully  to  the  fine  cultivation 
of  most  plants. 
Many  persons  lay  too  much  strosB,  I  think,  on 
special  inLxtures  of  potting  soil,  and  are  apt  to 
attribute  want  of  success  to  the  fact  of  its  being 
too  sandy,  or  too  lieavy,  or  to  its  containing  an 
hisufticient  amount  of  peat.  While  the  choice  of 
a  special  and  pi'ojier  soil  is  undoubtedly  of 
advantage,  it  is  not  of  thy  vital  importance  that 
some  persons  claim.  Most  of  the  old  gardeners 
— and  a  few  oven  of  the  more  modern  -use  as 
much  precision  in  the  luixtiu’e  of  theu'  potting 
soils  as  a  ih  nggist  would  in  making  up  a  pre¬ 
scription,  and  they  insist  that  any  deviation  from 
these  rules  of  nuxture  would  be  fatal  to  success. 
It  would  be  easy  to  give  a  bundre*!  examples 
of  the  folly  of  this  claim,  but  one  will  be  quito 
enough.  I  will  mention  the  case  of  the  Amaryl- 
hs,  a  plant  that,  since  few  grow  it  well,  would 
seem  to  require  very  special  care  as  to  soil. 
But  BO©  how  easUy  satisfied  it  is  in  this  regard : 
Louls  Van  Hootte,*  a  celebrated  grower,  uses 
“liure  leaf -mold  mixed  with  some  sand’’^  an¬ 
other  equally  celebrated  cultivator,  who  has 
taken  many  prizes,  insists  upon  the  use  of  noth¬ 
ing  but  peat.  English  giu’doucrs,  for  the  most 
part,  recoimueiid  a  light  loam,  enriched  with 
old  Qiauiu’e ;  but  within  a  month,  one  of  the 
best,  if  not  the  very  host  of  the  EugUsh  growers 
of  Amaryllis,  says  ho  is  convinced  that  the  best 
soil  for  tills  plant  is  a  very  strong  clay  loam. 
Happy  patients,  who  iu  spite  of  the  disagrec- 
ruout  of  these  learned  doctors,  all  thrive ! 
One  of  the  points  to  be  romombered  by  those 
beginners  who  grow  plants  in  pots,  would  seem 
therefore  to  be  that  the  mixture  of  soils  is  as 
uothing  compared  to  the  keeping  of  the  soil  in  a 
healthy  condition,  free,  on  the  one  hand,  from 
the  sourness  arising  from  excessive  watering, 
and  still  not  so  dry  as  would  bo  uncongenial  to 
the  growth  of  the  roots.  Careful  observation 
will  soon  show  when  the  plant  needs  water,  and 
♦  Deceased, 
folly  to  attempt  to  grow  a  Camelia  in  a  hot¬ 
house,  or  to  leave  CyaiwphijUum  magnifinum 
suffering  iu  the  cold. 
Soulli  Amboy,  N.  J. 
- »»» . . . 
GLADI0LI-8UGGESTI0NS. 
Gladioli  do  uot  need  to  bo  staked,  except  tf> 
support  tliom  in  case  of  cxceptionaUy  winds. 
Especially  is  this  true  whero  looy  are  planted  as 
closely  together  iboy  may  be  without  dotri- 
uiciit,  leaves  of  the  Gladiolus  ary  not  very 
or.iainental-  the  only  word  that  can  Justly  lie 
spoktai  against  this  sfiloiidid  flower;  but  whore 
eacli  plant  is  tied  to  a  stick,  its  appearance  is 
still  further  maned.  Not  at  least  is  it  uooessary 
to  sufqHii't  till  ni  until  the  buds  begin  to  bioak. 
Then  a  light,  impainled  stick— almost  a  Rwitch 
indeed,  if  it  can  bo  stuck  in  the  ground  without 
brealdng— BUlliccB.  Garden  stakes  in  common 
use  are  much  larger  than  nociissary.  Wo  do  not 
know,  until  we  have  tried  it,  how  alight  a  bui> 
port  will  hold  plants  during  the  slrougost  winds 
of  Himuiier.  The  bulbs  are  not,  as  a  rule,  planted 
deoiily  enough,  though  this  must  of  course  bo 
variod  to  suit  the  soil.  For  largo  bullis  in  sandy 
soil,  six  inches  are  not  too  deep.  This  secures 
moisture  to  the  bulbs  during  droiiths,  and 
servos  the  additional  purpose  of  supporting  the 
stem.  If  our  readers  have  not  jdanted  their 
bulbs  deeply  enougli,  soil  may  be  thrown  upon 
the  surface  whore  they  are  massed,  Urns  produc¬ 
ing  the  same  effect. 
Where  drouths  prevail,  drenching  the  bods 
with  water  and  covering  with  grass  will  iniprove 
the  flowers  and  prolong  the  flowering  ijoriod, 
though  where  they  are  growing  in  full  sunshino, 
such  heat  as  has  prevailed  for  two  weeks  past, 
whether  the  ground  has  been  moist  or  dry,  will 
scorch  the  buds  and  wither  the  petals  iu  a  day. 
Yet  wo  have  never  found  that  the  Gladiolus 
thrives  best  hi  shade  or  partial  shaile.  The 
finest  displays  we  have  ever  seen  wore  upon  rich 
sandy  soil  in  full  sunshine.  The  leaves  and  corms 
will  stand  both  sun  and  drought  —it  is  the  flowers 
alone  that  suffer. 
We  remiud  our  readers  that  now  is  the  time  to 
mark  flowers  for  seed,  or  to  cross  selected  flow¬ 
ers  with  a  view  of  producing  fluer  strains  and 
more  pleasing  colors  aud  markings. 
REAL  VALUE  OF  GOOD  NATURAL  GRASS 
LAND. 
When  it  is  so  repeatedly  stated  that  England 
is  more  than  half  iu  penuauont  grass,  that  with¬ 
in  a  few  years  a  great  deal  more  has  been  taken 
from  the  plowed  portion  never  to  be  ciiltivatod 
by  tlio  plow  or  tm’ued  over  again,  it  ought  to  be 
conviuciug  as  to  the  profit  from  grass  being  more 
than  from  grain,  and  if  a  small  island  so  ovor- 
pupulatod  as  to  require  an  immeuso  mqiortatiou 
of  human  food  can  increase  her  area  of  perpet¬ 
ual  grass,  there  must  be  a  vast  advantage  in 
leaving  undisturbed  by  cultivation  all  the  best 
I  land.  Yet,  here  in  America,  all  the  fine  tracts  of 
the  blue  and  other  native  grasses,  which  are  well 
known  to  fatten  cattle  and  sheep,  or,  in  fact,  every 
grasK-oating  auimal,  are  broken  up  and  plowed 
for  the  purpose  of  taking  all  the  plant  food  which 
the  grass  feeds  ou,  to  grow  wheat  to  send  away, 
thus  impoverishing  the  country.  For  the  money 
recelvtsl  for  all  the  wheat  does  not  enrich  the 
inhabitants,  as  they  have  to  pay  all  of  it,  and 
more  added,  to  buy  wool  and  cloth  aud  clothing 
of  all  kinds,  whicJi  wool  would  make,  if  the  grass 
and  virgin  soil  was  spared  to  grow  wool  instead 
of  wheat. 
Let  that  quack  farmer,  5L‘.  Mechi,  com©  over 
to  this  continent  aud  see  the  havoc  made  by  the 
plow,  aud  lie  would  never  more  blame  the  land- 
owners  of  England  for  their  zealous  protection 
of  tho  meadows  and  pastures.  Could  anything 
be  stronger  proof  of  the  real  value  of  good  uav- 
ural  grass  land  than  the  fact  of  farms  having 
more  than  half  grass,  or  fully  two-thirds  as  mow¬ 
ings  and  pastures,  being  always  nioro  sought 
after  than  others.  Moreover,  it  is  notorious  and 
beyond  contradiction  tliat  a  good  farmer  with 
capital,  renting  a  farm  of  say  from  .SOO  to  500 
acres,  witli  about  the  proportion  of  grass  land 
stated,  which  ho  can  never  plow,  is  bettor  situ¬ 
ated  thau  any  who  liavc  all  arablo  farms,  and 
also,  it  can  bo  addwl,  In  making  more  money  than 
any  farmer  ou  this  side  of  tho  ocean  who  owns 
his  land.  This  is  worth  consideration,  for  he 
pays  more  iu  taxes,  has  no  protection,  and  his 
rent  at  loast  fill  per  acre. 
Good  natural  grass  land  in  America,  if  not  vi¬ 
olated  and  robbed  of  Its  plant  food,  would  pay 
well,  for  all  the  auluials  raised  by  its  aid,  all  tho 
butter,  wool  or  moat  produced  aro  nearer  clear 
profit  thau  aught  else,  and  men  of  capital  who 
would,  liko  English  noblemen,  liold  this  uninter¬ 
ruptedly  in  grass,  only  using  such  as  was  not 
HO  well  adaptod  for  permanency,  would  not 
have  a  quantity  of  iiusalablo,  oxhaustod  soil  on 
their  hands.  Iu  the  West,  and  ospooiully  in  tho 
Southwest,  there  are  men  who  ai’e  what  is  termed 
“  land  poor.”  They  own  a  groat  many  acres, 
which  they  have  rented  to  labcrinfi  luen  on 
shares,  and  some  at  raouev  l•olltal,  hut  in  either 
case,  the  Jaml  ;Er*'“duaJly  becomes  weaker,  and 
after  a  few  revivals  of  clover,  the  deepest,  best 
soil  suecurabs,  and  poverty  results  to  tlie  soil  and 
to  all  owners  who  have  pot  invested  tiio  cash  as 
received.  Working  Farmer. 
ABOUT  HOPS. 
At  a  meeting  of  tho  Maidstone  Farmers’  Club, 
(Eug.)  the  other  day,  Mi’.  Joseph  Barling  of 
Maidstone,  referring  to  the  opinion  of  some 
writers  tliat  tho  quality  and  quantity  of  lupulin 
in  tho  hops  was  supposed  by  some  to  bo  affected 
by  tho  proKOiice  of  tho  malo  seed  upon  the  fe¬ 
male  flower,  said :  Last  year  tho  season  was  wot 
when  tho  hoj>  was  In  iuirr,  and  it  might  have 
been  noticed  afterwards  that  it  did  not  contain 
its  usual  number  of  seeds.  Ho  opened  a  number 
of  hops  aud  found  some  seods  in  each,  but  a 
groat  many  wore  missing.  Those  who  oinarged 
the  farmer  with  neglect  in  not  cultivating  the 
malo  hop,  would  probably  have  said  at  once  that 
this  lack  of  seed  was  caused  by  tho  absence  of  a 
sufiicioncy  of  malo  plants,  but  further  examina¬ 
tion  showed  that  there  was  no  want  of  lupulin, 
but  the  rain  had  washed  away  its  proper  recep¬ 
tacles,  in  the  gliitinoiis  matter  forme*!  to  hold  it. 
After  contending  that  hops  iu  a  carefully  culti¬ 
vated  ground,  where  there  were  no  malo  idants, 
would  do  better  thau  those  in  a  less  carefully 
tended  plantation  where  they  might  he  foimd, 
Mr.  BarUng  said  a  qiiostiuu  to  be  decided  was 
whether  tho  impregnallou  by  pollen  was  tlie  only 
moans  of  fruetilicatiou.  There  was  ground  for 
believing  that  those  very  grains  of  lupulin  which 
were  BO  early  developed  on  the  yoimg  hop  were 
exactly  identical,  both  in  form  and  impregnating 
power,  with  tho  pollen  of  tho  malo  plant. 
Supposing  there  was  a  hop-garden  with  no 
malo  plant  within  a  mile,  and  the  bops  produced 
seeds  which  weighed  as  much  as  any  other,  tho 
question  arose  whether  the  offspring  of  these  so 
impregnated  seeds  impregnated  with  lupulin 
instead  of  jiollen— would  produce  a  plant  with  the 
characterisUos  of  one  or  two  parents.  In  all 
probability  it  would  only  produce  the  eharacter- 
istics  of  the  hop  on  whloh  the  female  blossom 
and  the  impregnating  pollen  grow  ;  and  this  was 
a  question  of  importance,  because  tho  hops  that 
were  now  cultivated  had  all  boou  selected  for 
some  special  quality  observed  iu  them.  Tho  only 
way  to  determine  thi.s  would  bo  to  go  thi-ough  a 
course  of  isolated  cultivation  aud  study,  extoud- 
iug  probably  over  several  years,  and  there  was  so 
much  doubt  as  to  the  result  even  then  that  ho 
was  uot  siu'prised  that  hop  planters  ha<I  boea 
backwai’d  at  trying  the  exiieriment.  A  brief  dis¬ 
cussion  followed,  in  which  tho  opinion  was  gen¬ 
erally  expressed  that  tho  so-called  male  hop  was 
little  bettor  tliau  a  weed,  and  useless  to  cultivate, 
and  Ml’.  Btouham  assured  the  Club  that  on  his 
best  grounds  there  was  not  a  single  plant  of  tho 
kind. 
- - - 
Potatoes. — Have  tho  small  potatoes  for  there 
will  bo  a  scarcity  iu  potato  beetle  regions. 
MOORE’S  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
