A  FRAUD. 
By  oversight  we  received,  in  a  lot  of  imported 
seed,  some  Lcucantheinuni  vulgare.  This  is 
spoken  of  as  rare  and  now,  and  excellent  for  cut¬ 
ting.  It  is  nothing  hut  Ox-eyo  Daisy,  a  most 
j)oniiciou8  and  troublesome  weed.  It  is  a  rare 
plant  on  the  college  grounds,  and  on  most  farms 
of  Michigan,  and  wo  hope  it  always  may  be. 
the  best  annuals  were  burnt  np  with  drought. 
Not  one  other  annual  or  bedding  plant  can  com¬ 
pare  with  it  in  producing  such  a  mass  of  dwarf, 
dense  plants,  the  foliage  being  entirely  covered 
witli  flowers. 
Tlie  London  Garden  says  that  it  is  a  very  ef¬ 
fective  dwarf,  free-flowering  plant,  raised  by 
Messrs.  Bros.,  Norwich.  Eng.  It  is  a 
hardy  annual  which  grows  from  9  to  15  inches  in 
bight  and  bears  glowing,  carmine  flowers ;  as  a 
pot  plant  it  is  most  effective. 
I.and  and  Water  says  tills  splendid  new  annual 
has  just  lieen  exhibited  atone  of  the  meetings 
of  tlie  Royal  H.  8.  and  awarded  a  first-class 
certificate  of  merit.  It  was  obtained  by  cross¬ 
ing  the  old  Oodiiia  Lindleyana  with  G.  Whii- 
iwyi,  and  is  a  lino  and  striking  addition  to  our 
showy  annuals. 
With  such  strong  commendations,  wo  think 
onr  seedsmen  may  venture  to  offer  this  as  a 
noveltv  for  1877. 
conveying  the  idea  that  his  plan  is  a  success 
every  year.  But  not  one  of  such  statements 
that  have  appeared  during  the  last  25  years  has 
proved,  or  can  prove,  to  bo  a  success  in  all  cases. 
For  instance,  take  the  statement  of  a  writer  in 
the  Rural  of  Oct.  28th.  lie  thinks  that  he  has 
found  a  remedy  for  all  the  ills  to  which  honey¬ 
bees  are  subject  iu  winter,  by  making  holes 
through  the  combs,  so  that  the  bees  may  pass 
easily  from  one  comb  to  another  in  cold  weather 
to  obtain  honey.  If  he  lost  no  bees  during  two 
or  three  winters,  it  was  not  owing  to  the  holes 
in  the  combs,  but  to  the  mild  winters,  or  the 
condition  of  his  bees  in  the  fall.  Holes  have 
been  made  in  combs  many  3*cars  ;  yet  there  is  no 
proof  ttiat  they  are  of  much  henolit,  if  of  any  at 
all,  because  the  bees  leave  side  openings,  when 
they  build  their  combs ;  and  when  the  weather 
is  mild  enough  to  allow  them  to  pass  through  a 
center  opening  they  can  pass  through  the  open¬ 
ings  at  the  sides  of  tho  combs. 
If  wo  take  the  trouble  to  ascertain  what  ex¬ 
perience  most  ^vriters  on  bees  in  the  bee- 
magazines  have  had,  wo  find  that  they  are  mere 
novices,  freipiently  commencing  a  communica¬ 
tion  that  they  imagine  will  enlighten  the  world 
on  bee-keeping,  with  “  this  is  tho  second  year  I 
have  kept  bees.” 
When  they  have  kept  tliom  10  or  15  years  they 
begin  to  find  out  that  they  know  but  little,  com¬ 
paratively  srieaking,  on  this  .subject,  which  is 
worthy  of  being  considered  one  of  the  most  ob- 
strnao  studies  of  insect  life.  T.  B.  Miner.  ; 
London,  N.  .1. 
MICHIGAN  FLORICULTURE 
I’rok.  Beat,  sends  us  nrj  account  of  tho  flower 
beds  of  the  Michigan  Agricultural  College  as 
they  have  existed  during  tho  past  summer.  It 
should  interest  all  of  our  readers,  but  more  os- 
pocially  those  who  live  in  a  olimato  similar  to 
that  of  Lansing.  J’rof.  Bkai.  says : 
On  accomit  of  our  frosty  location  and  the 
short  summers  here,  no  attempt  is  made  to  use 
some  of  the  bedding  plants  which  arc  considered 
of  most  value  further  south,  or  iu  places  with 
longer  summers.  Among  these  are  Scarlet 
Sajes,  Dahlias,  Vhujo  alba  and  Vinca  r»»ca. 
MOST  PROMINEMTIPIANTS 
Verbenas,  with  us,  are  ver^'  satisfactory  for 
bsdding.  They  are  easily  manag<!d,  and  flower 
profusely  for  a  long  season.  We  bend  them 
down  and  keeji  them  next  to  the  ground  by 
small  stakes.  In  this  way  tlio  stems  tlirow  out 
roots.  Those  raised  from  home-grown  seeds  do 
best,  as  they  arc  more  thrifty  and  free  from 
mildew.  Tbo  diflicnlty  iu  raising  them  from 
seeds  is  this :  wo  do  not.  know  what  colors  we 
shall  get.  Some  of  tho  best  vaiioties  are  Velvet 
Mantel,  Sambo  (black),  CVrruloa  (blue).  Bride 
(l)est  white  and  sweet  scontod),  Dcpanc,  a  goofi 
old  scarlet  varictj',  which  is  in  great  demand. 
The  Sirs.  Woodruff  is  crimson.  For  bedding  and 
ribbon  beds  we  are  especially  well  pleased  with 
vai-iegatcd  sage  (Halvia  oJficinaH»  cor.),  Ahjsunm, 
Cmlaurca  gymn'mirim^  Umcraria  acnntIdftjUa. 
Some  of  our 
RIFBON  BEOS 
this  Biimmor  have  boon  made  np  as  follows : 
J'elargoniiaiiH  known  as  General  tlrantfor  a  cen¬ 
ter  or  the  main  jiart  of  tbo  bod,  with  a  border  of 
Seacaio  lanata  (fhiaplMliuin  latiatum').  Tho 
border  needs  a  little  eliijpiug  occasionally'.  A 
nice  bed  can  be  made  with  dark  17  r5c«o«  (Sam¬ 
bo)  bordered  with  Golden  Feverfew.  U?niem- 
ber  to  keoj)  the  center  bnds  of  the  Fevei  fow 
picked  off  to  )ireveut  it  running  to  ilower. 
Another  bed  had  a  Goral  tree  fora  center  (any 
small  d(!nac  shrub  would  answer  as  well),  then  a 
ring  of  Ventanrea  Gyinnocnriia,  tlien  a  ring  of 
Arkyraiilhcs  /nudiTi.  I'he  last  is  of  a  beauti¬ 
ful  red  color,  but  is  jncliiied  to  grow  too  tall.  It 
needs  fieipient  pinching.  Gutsido  of  tlie  last 
is  a  row  of  vaiiegab'd  Siige  (Salvia  tiflichtalis 
var.),  then  a  row  of  AlhTiiantlirra  inarpdjica.  The 
above  bed  was  too  small,  Ijeiug  oulj'  about  eight 
feet  iu  diameter,  yet  it  was  much  iwimired. 
Aiiotlier  small  hed  had  a  tree  for  a  coutor,  then 
Artemma  acanthifulia,  Tiiis  is  too  ragged. 
Theucamo  a  r»ng  of  (Jmtauna  caudidifinima. 
Auotlier  circular  bed,  14  foot  across,  bad  a 
center  of  20  small  plants  of  Colocasia  csnilcntn 
(Oaladiniii).  This  burned  iu  hot  weatbi-r  and 
did  not  do  very  svell.  Next  camo  a  ruig  of  Co¬ 
lens  called  Hainbo  or  Rnbra.  It  is  a  good  sort, 
and  did  well.  Then  camo  a  ring  of  Ciniraria, 
acauthijolai .  This  was  rather  too  small  to  match 
with  the  rest.  Next  camo  dc/ijymn/Acs  Firse/m/- 
felti,  and  Iho  next  was  variegated  Sweet  .A-lys- 
sum;  tlieu  Golden  Feverfew;  next,  Alk'rnan- 
ihera  versicolor.  In  tliO  center,  instead  of 
Colocasia,  place  Calms  Versrhaff'elli,  and  tho 
bed  would  be  made  np  of  a  good  selection. 
Our  flat  beds  did  bettor  than  tho.'^e  much  ele¬ 
vated.  Tho  soil  is  rather  light,  and  some  days 
of  our  summer  very  hot. 
We  find  it  a  groat  advantage  to  mulch  with 
manure,  about  two  iuebos  tliick.  The  plants  do 
much  better  than  with  fro-<iuent  booing  without 
mulch. 
IFIOWERING,  ANNUALS. 
For  flowering  annuals,  notljing  gives  us  greater 
satisfaction  than  good  strains  of  Petunia.  Tlie 
best  w'ay  is  to  save  seeds,  and  keep  sanug  every 
year  after  getting  started  with  good  colors. 
They  thrive  in  our  hot  weather,  and  giio  plenty 
of  llow'ers  constantly  after  they  begin  imlil  frost 
comes.  Of  great  \alne,  also,  are  the  several 
sorts  of  Idilox  Pruoi  rnoudi.  No  garden  can  af¬ 
ford  to  be  without  tiielii.  I’aiisios  do  well  for 
fall  and  spring — iu  cool  weather.  Do  not  allow 
them  to  flower  iu  hot  weather,  w  hen  the  flowers 
will  be  small  and  wortlUess,  but  pinch  out  the 
head  and  then  the  plants  become  strong  for  fall 
use.  Bausies  tlu'iv'o  in  cool,  damp  weather.  Iu 
our  short  summers.  Zinnias  a,ro\ cry  Hatisf.actory 
if  good  sorts  are  used  ;  Snap-dragon,  also,  and 
Larkspurs.  Jkdsains  do  poorly  on  light  soil  in 
our  summers.  Asters  of  m.auy  sorts  do  well,  but 
are  an  uncertaiu  Ilower,  on  account  of  blister 
beetles,  widch  sometimes  appear  very  suddenly 
iu  immense  numbers,  dcsti’oyiug  a  bed  iu  a  few 
houi's,  often  before  tbo  insects  are  noticed. 
Marigolds  are  showj'  and  easy  to  mauiige.  riaee 
them  towards  the  back  of  a  garden.  Mignonette 
is  good  for  bou<iucts,  .and  ea.rilv  raised. 
WALL  FLOWERS. 
are  not  very  snlisfactory  with  us.  This  season 
our  stocks  have  done  rcmarkuhly  well.  Sow  once 
for  an  early  crop  a  ud  then  a  later  .sowing  for  a 
succesriiuii. 
WILD  TRACTSj  NEAR' NEW  YORK, 
But  fifteen  juiles  from  tho  groat  city  of  New 
York  are  tracts  of  country  as  uncultivated,  as 
wild,  wc  might  almost  say  as  uninhabited  as  any 
hundreds  of  miles  away-  In  one  of  these  wild 
tracts  we  found  ourselves  one  afternoon  last 
week.  It  was  in  a  deep  and  rather  narrow  val¬ 
ley.  A  long  range  of  high  hills,  tliickly  wooded 
to  their  huso  on  either  side,  shut  out  an  extended 
view  in  .all  directious.  Not  a  hnman  habitation, 
a  bnni  or  hovel  of  any  description  could  he  seen. 
.Vo  liuiiiau  sound  could  bo  beard.  Tbo  distant 
ru  tile  of  an  occasional  railroad  train  was  the  only 
sound  that  broke  iu  uijon  a  hUUuoss  as  perfect 
as  that  of  tlie  heart  of  tho  Adii  oiidack.s  or  of  tho 
valley  of  tho  Vosomito.  A  clear,  lively  stream 
wound  its  irregular  course  through  this  valley, 
dee])  enough  to  drown  one  iu  many  place.s,  where 
abrupt  bends  liad  obstructed  tho  luirrent  and 
8i»i  ing  floods  bad  scooped  out  the  bottom  to  de¬ 
posit  it  further  on  in  flats  or  hillocks  that  so 
narrowed  the  chiinnol  as  to  enable  one  to  jiimi) 
a<!rosH  with  little  effort.  Trees  of  all  sizes  had 
fallen  across  (his  stream— hero  and  there  singly, 
oceaskinally  in  sncli  mimhers  as  to  form  high 
and  shajieless  entanglcuicuts  wild  enough  to 
|)lease  the  wildest  fancy.  Years  and  years  of 
decayed  aiid  decaying  vegetation  ha'll  formed, 
for  a  hundred  ^  ards  on  either  side,  an  almost 
bottomless  accumukHtion  of  peaty  mold.  What 
would  we  not  give  for  u  quaiduni  sufficii  of  this 
•■‘perfect  fertilizer,”  delivered  ujion  our  own 
grounds !  A  verdure  dense  to  suffocation  and, 
iu  ivlaees  still  impcnoti'ably  thick,  was  adding 
another  year’s  growth  of  twigs  and  leaves.  Ev¬ 
ergreen  Ferns,  liogs  of  rugged  Grasses,  Reeds, 
Water  Lilies,  Asters,  wild  Vines,  Hwamp  Azaleas, 
Rlackberries  and  llasiiburrics,  Dogwoods,  Aiders, 
Beeches,  Birches,  Maples,  Gaks  were  crowded 
together  as  if  the  struggle  for  existence,  where 
food  was  so  bouutifnllj'  BUjiplied,  wore  one  for 
sjiaco  alone. 
Bassing  through  this  jungle  and  ascending  the 
I'lastoru  hill,  wo  And  hundreds  of  scedliug  Hem¬ 
locks,  from  six  iuchoa  to  six  feel  high  to  ud  a 
beautiful,  a  rare  discovery.  Were  there  no  vari¬ 
ations  among  so  niiiny— no  Weeping  Hemlocks, 
no  Vai'iogatod  Hemlocks?  Were  there  none 
with  leaves  distinct  from  those  in  cultivation, 
either  broader  or  narrower — shorter  or  longer; 
none  with  habits  so  dense  or  so  feathery  as  to  be 
strilungly  uiiliko  all  others  known  to  mu'sery- 
meu?  We  examined  every  one,  hastily  but 
carefully — hopefully  at  lirat,  hopelessly  at  last. 
There  was  not  one.  Young  White  Bines,  as 
shajiely,  some  of  them,  as  those  to  ho  found  in 
nursery  rows,  were  to  ho  seen  hero  and  there, 
while  tlio  venerable  jinicrits,  with  high  naked 
stems,  towered  np  further  down  tho  hill-side. 
A  little  way  off  w  o  had  noticed,  wliilo  exainin- 
iug  tho  seedling  Hemlocks,  a  patch  of  bright 
green.  This  jirovod  to  be  a  elustorof  the  Mouu- 
hdn  Lam-el,  all  bristling  with  flower-buds  foi- 
another  soaeon.  Three  nr  four  feet  iu  bight  and 
thickly  coveiingaii  ohloiig  simce,  twenty  feet  in 
diameter,  it  seemed  by  its  formal  outline  to  have 
been  arranged  tbero  by  the  band  of  man. 
Such  wild,  luxiiriimt  tracts  arc  net  to  be  met 
witb  every  day  within  fifteen  miles  of  groat  Now 
York.  Less  often  docs  one  meet  with  Hemlock, 
White  Bine  and  Kalniia  seedlings  existing  in 
such  nuiubers  as  we  have  described.  But.  as  If 
they  were  oases  in  a  desert,  they  are  the  more 
highly  prized  w  hen  we  do  hit  upon  them  and  one 
enjoys  tlie  knowledge  that  an  hour  a  ride  and  an 
hour’s  walk  may  even  yet  afford  a  glimpse  of  na- 
tm-e  before  she  has  been  patched  up  aud  tor¬ 
tured  by  tho  march  of  civilization. 
mm\ 
WINTERING  BEES, 
There  are  three  ways  of  wintering  bees — on 
I  their  summer  stands,  in  cellars,  and  in  winter 
I 
bce-houHCs.  In  tho  Middle  and  Houtheru  States, 
it  is  lxi.st  to  winter  them  on  their  summer  stands, 
with  protection  around  tho  hives  where  the  win¬ 
ters  ore  cold,  as  in  Now  Jersey,  Delaware,  and 
other  States  in  tho  same  latitude,  or  further 
South. 
When  hives  are  set  abont  a  foot  apart  uimn 
low  stands  they  may  bo  protected  by  driving 
stakes  on  both  sides  of  thorn,  (front  and  rear), 
and  at  tho  ends ;  aud  thon  fill  in  compactly  all 
around  them  with  hay  or  straw,  two  or  three 
inches  thick,  with  a  temporarj*  roof  of  boards  to 
keep  the  straw  dry.  This  protection  is  sufliciont 
for  any  latitude,  however  cold  it  may  be,  and 
enables  tho  bees  to  winter  with  as  little  loss  gen¬ 
erally  as  occurs  under  any  other  system.  The 
passage-ways  to  tho  hives  mast  not  bo  obstruct¬ 
ed  by  tbo  straw,  as  tho  beos  will  require  an 
occnsiouttl  flight  in  mild  weather. 
Anolber  way  is  to  have  cheap,  outside  boxes 
made,  ojieii  at  both  ends,  which  are  to  be  placed 
over  the  hives,  and  tho  open  space  (two  or  three 
inches)  on  each  side  lillcd  with  straw  packed  iu 
flrmly.  A  hole  iu  each  box,  cut  out  in  front  of  tho 
openings  in  the  hives,  having  something  placet! 
in  it  to  keej)  tho  i»aHsage-way  from  being  shut 
nj)  with  straw,  will  afford  tbo  boos  egress  and  in¬ 
gress,  when  it  is  safe  to  allow  thorn  to  take  a 
flight. 
In  very  cold  climates,  as  the  New  England 
.States,  and  rumiing  west  through  (.lential  and 
Nortliorii  New  York,  Micliigan,  Wisconsin  and 
Mjimesotu,  llio  iircvailing  opinion  of  bee-keeix-rs 
is,  tliat  bees  winter  best  iu  boo-houses  inatlo  so 
that  tlio  thorniomelor  never  falls  below  the  freez¬ 
ing  point— a  diflicult  thing  to  effect  iu  very  cold 
winters.  Such  houses  are  made  above  gi-ouud 
generally,  being  boarded  up  on  tlie  inride,  and 
the  space  between  the  studs  packed  with  sawdust, 
and  a  floor  laid  across  at  the  plates,  and  the  open 
8}<aco  above  filled  uir.li  straw.  Ventilation  is  cf- 
I'eeted  bj'  a  conductor  abont  six  inches  square 
im^ide.  running  f*  om  the  floor  across  the  plates 
tbroiigb  the  ridge  of  tho  building,  and  always 
kept  ojicu.  There  should  also  be  a  conductor 
running  under  tlie  sill  on  the  North,  or  West 
side,  with  an  elbow  about  two  feet  long  on  the 
outside  to  come  above  ordinary  snows.  This 
ventilator  should  have  a  sliding  guage  to  let  in 
air  scconliog  to  tho  temisarature  outside. 
If  beos  could  be  put  into  such  a  homo  as  Win¬ 
ter  approaches,  aud  their  owuer  have  no  furtliei; 
ears  in  regard  to  them  till  spring,  aud  then  briug 
them  out  all  in  good  condition,  bee-keeping,  in  aU 
cases  where  the  lioney  harvest  is  abundant, 
would  be  a  grand  success.  But  no  bee-keeper, 
with  hib  bees  thus  homed,  knows  what  a  few 
days  may  bring  forth.  If  the  weather  is  in¬ 
tensely  cold  for  several  weeks,  aud  the  frost  gets 
into  tho  building,  many  of  his  families  of  bees 
may  perish.  Then  if  a  warm  spell”  takes 
place— a  few  days  like  May  weather —there  is 
trouble  from  the  bees  becoming  aroused,  and 
ti-yiiig  to  escape  from  their  confinement. 
The  requirements  to  winter  beos  in  cellars  are 
dryness  and  darkness  with  the  thermometer 
ranging  from  35  to  15  degrees ;  hut  it  sometimes 
runs  np  to  50  or  60  dog.,  and  then  as  iu  bee- 
honses,  the  bees  make  great  efforts  to  leave  their 
hives,  'oeiug  abut  iu  witli  wirecloth  over  tho  pas- 
sago-ways.  To  guard  against  the  bees  being 
smothered,  in  consequeucc  of  nishing  iu  large 
numbers  to  I  bo  passage-ways,  it  is  advisable  to 
rai.se  the  hives  from  their  stands  an  eighth  of  an 
inch,  placing  wedges  under  the  corners.  During 
the  last  ten  j’ears  I  think  tho  entire  increase  of 
bees  in  the  United  States  has  disappeared  by 
disasters  to  thorn  iu  wintering — that  is,  that  we 
have  no  more  bees  in  tbo  aggregate  now  than  wo 
had  10  years  ago.  FroiiuenUy  a  writer  will  say, 
•‘I  have  followed  this  or  that  plan  iu  wintering 
my  bees,  and  for  soasons  I  Lave  lo.st  none,”  thus 
LITTER  OR  BEDDING  FOR  CATTLE 
Tuk  Bcientiflc  Farmer,  iu  a  late  issue  gives 
quite  a  lengthy  article,  on  tho  subject  of  Utter  iu 
which  the  nnalyses  of  various  materials  used  for 
this  purpose  are  given  in  detail,  in  order  that  tho 
farmer  may  know  their  relative  values  when  re¬ 
duced  to  what  is  generally  termed  manure. 
But  wo  jiresumo  few  of  our  farmers  are  as 
much  interested  iu  the  chemical  constituents  of 
tho  material  employed  for  bedding  their  stock, 
as  they  arc  m  its  dieuimcss  and  the  facility  with 
which  it  can  be  obtained,  eonsc'inently  iu  mak¬ 
ing  some  extracts  from  the  article  referred  to, 
we  omit  tho  luialysos,  merely  meuliouing  tho 
relative  values  iu  which  Die  materials  named  arc 
held  by  chemists. 
In  suburban  localities  where  straw  is  but  little 
grown,  and  even  meadow  hay  commands  a  price, 
the  farmer  is  often  puzzled  how  to  procure  litter 
for  his  animals  at  a  cheap  rate.  Usually  tho 
cattle  are  not  bedded  at  all,  but  a  small  quantity 
of  dry  earth  is  scalttTcd  under  them  to  act  as  an 
absorbent,  and  to  focihtato  the  keeping  of  tho 
floor  clean.  Horses,  however,  require  bedding, 
aud  are  usually  bedded  on  straw,  tho  poorer 
qualities  of  hay,  or  on  sawdust  or  leaves. 
Btock  can  be  kept  comfortably  iu  all  those 
ways,  and  which  method  it  is  best  to  adopt  is  to  bo 
determined  by  tho  circumstances  of  the  farm  and 
tho  jiersoual  taste  of  the  owner.  Yet  when  the 
i]uestiou  of  the  manure  comes  up,  wc  find  a 
lUvcrgoiice  of  opinion,  especially  on  tlie  value 
of  the  saw-dust  and  leaves  iu  the  couii)i.)Bt. 
That  saw-dust  may  be  detrimental  to  laud  we 
are  wiUing  to  admit,  and  also  tliat  it  may  be 
beneficial.  On  light  soils,  in  moderate  quantity, 
wo  have  found  no  evil  effect  resulting  from  its 
use  when  used  under  the  horses,  and  then  passed 
to  tho  manure  heap.  Indeed,  when  we  consider 
how  easily  the  sawdust  is  handled,  how  cheaply 
it  is  to  bo  procured,  and  bow  well  it  is  adapted 
to  bedding  tbo  farm  horse,  wo  are  dispo.sod  to 
advocate  its  more  extended  use.  In  onr  own  prac¬ 
tice,  bat  a  small  portion,  that  which  has  become 
soiled,  is  taken  from  the  stall  each  day,  while 
the  balance  is  swept  forward,  under  tbo  fore¬ 
feet,  during  the  d-ay  time,  to  bo  spread  backward 
towards  night. 
We  do  not  prefer  saw-dust,  however,  to  straw 
or  hay.  But  straw-  is  too  costly,  aud  hay,  even 
if  of  a  poor  quality,  can  ordinarily  be  fed  out  to 
the  cattle  with  advantage,  provided  we  feed 
judicionsly  and  in  combination  with  oUier  foods. 
However  used,  hay  finds  its  waj'  ultimately  to 
the  manure  heap,  as  should  cverytliing  of  this 
natnre  cousnraed  or  used  on  the  farm. 
In  our  own  practice  dry  earth  may  be  consid 
ered  under  the  head  of  litter.  The  cattle  stand 
on  a  slightly  sloping  floor,  with  a  trench  behind 
them.  Each  day  a  few  quarts  of  dry  cartli  are 
evenly  sprifad  under  them,  and  at  times  during 
tho  day  a  hoe  is  used  to  remove  droppings  which 
have  fallen  outside  the  trench.  Thus  our  cattle 
are  readily  kept  clean,  and  the  bai'u  air  is  not 
overladen  with  ammoiiiacal  odors.  When  earth 
is  not  readily  obtainable,  we  think  saw'-diist 
would  take  its  place.  But  it  should  not  bo  used 
iu  large  bulks,  or  heaped  about  tbe  floor.  A 
light  sprinkling,  on  the  same  principle  that  ap¬ 
plies  when  it  is  dampeticd  and  used  as  an  aid  in 
the  sweeping  of  a  floor  in  a  hotel,  is  sufficient. 
'The  manurial  value  of  litter  used  iu  the  way 
NOTES. 
A  Request. — If  any  of  our  floricnltural  readers 
will  forward  us  a  list  of  the  names  of  tbefi  flori- 
cultural  friends,  together  with  their  address,  we 
will  be  happy  to  forward  to  each  a  copy  of  tbe 
Ruk.\l  New-Yorker.  A  postal-card  will  suffice 
for  such  lists.  Bloase  write  name,  tow'ii,  county 
aud  state  plainly. 
New'  ANxr.AL. — Among  Annuals,  (hose  at  best 
uncertain  ])lauts,  a  Godetia  named  I.ady  Albe¬ 
marle  seems  worthy  of  trial,  Tho  Gardeners’ 
Magazine  says  tliat  it  is  an  extremely  beautiful 
variety,  beai-ing  flowers  ipiite  four  inches  in  di¬ 
ameter  and  of  a  glowing,  crimson  color.  It  is 
bushy  and  the  flowers  are  produced  in  the  most 
compact  manner  possible. 
The  Journal  of  Horticulture  says: — The  (low¬ 
ers  are  not  unlike  those  of  IHpladenia  erassino- 
da,  with  tho  rich  crimson  shade  of  the  newer 
vai'ieties,  but  far-  exceeding  those  in  the  ricli, 
silky  appearance,  at  a  time,  loo,  when  many  of 
