62 
FEB. 5 
‘‘his hired man beat him." I have myeel 
repeatedly made the experiment, not only 
with corn, but with all the field and garden 
crops usually earthed up. and the result 
has always been in favor of fl it culture. The 
d fferenee in favor of flat culture has al¬ 
ways been greatest in a dry season, and 
for obvious reasons. Besides, a crop is pro¬ 
duced at less expense in this way, and this is 
a very important point, even if there were no 
material gain in the crop. I repeated these 
experiments yearly for some five years before 
I began to talk much about them. A single 
year's trial might convince the experimenter 
in such matters, but would hardly satisfy the 
farming community. 
While on the subj ict, I will say that, so 
far as 1 know, the late Judge Buell, when he 
edited the Cultivator, beforeit was merged into 
the Country Gentleman, was the first to hring 
to public notice and advocate the advantages 
of this method, as being peculiarly adapted to 
our country and climate, and I have always 
called him the “ father of flat culture,” which 
now has not a few followers. It is a system 
that should be more generally considered by 
Western farmers who have no home market, 
and who should naturally wish to produce 
large crops at the least expense. As for my¬ 
self, I have not for at least thirty years earthed 
up any plants except those that I wi&h to 
blanch. I cannot afford to do it. 
A lad v of St. Louis having asked me by 
letter for information in regard to the Epi- 
phylium, or Orab’s-claw Cactus, as she calls 
it, it may be useful to ladies elsewhere If I 
statehere that there are few finer winter-bloom¬ 
ing plants for room culture than Epipbyllum 
truncatum and its varieties. They are but 
very little trouble at any time, are easily 
grown, and bloom wben quite small. They 
are charming also iu the greenhouse and 
conservatory. I have upwards of twenty 
kinds; and coming into flower, as they do, at 
different times, I have a succession of beauti 
ful flowers from November till March ; and 
yet people are advised to dry them up during 
the Winter. I advise the readers of the Rural 
to grow Epiphyllnms, and to water them very 
much as they would any other plant, especially 
when they begin to show bud. 
A touthful correspondeut in another part 
of the Rural said, with evideut pleasure and 
surprise, that her cleauder produced seed last 
Summer, aud wanted to know if that is a rare 
thing. The question showB an observing 
mind, and is promising for the future. 1 
judge from her letter that this little girl is an¬ 
imated by the right spirit, and I would like to 
send her some seeds for her garden next Sum¬ 
mer. It is ju6t such cases that the Rural 
should speak encouragingly to. They are 
small, but the future is all before them ; and 
it is a great thing to have the privilege of 
giving a right direction to a child’s mind, 
even in horticulture. I read with pleasure the 
letters of the little ones to Uncle Mark. 
•-» ♦ » - 
Experience willj I’eaa. 
I have been busy to-dav gathering pea brush. 
I used to think it did not pay to brush peas ; 
but I have since found that nothing pays bet¬ 
ter where brush can be had. Aside from the 
increased yield, which is at least one-third, it is 
only about oue half as much work to pick 
brushed peas. They are also ready to pick 
about four days earlier than those grown up¬ 
on the ground. I make the same brnsh last 
three years. As soon as the peas are hai vested, 
I pack the brush away under cover where it 
remains until another season. This year 1 
raised about 75 bushels of peas in the pod from 
one and one quarter bushel of seed. I planted 
half a bushel of Alpha, half a bushel of Cham¬ 
pion of England, and a quarter of a bushel of 
McLean’s Advancer. The Advancers did 
poorly; I 6hali not try them again. I think 
the Alpha for an early pea is about right. I 
plant as early in the Spring as I can 
work the ground. It being a deep sandy loam, 
I am not particular about iis being very dry. 
I put the seed iu about five or six inches deep, 
usually sowing a little phosphate in the row 
before I bow the peas, the ground having 
been well enriched for celery the year previous. 
The Alpha I plant in rows about four feet 
apart, and the Champion five, taking care to 
have the rows as loDg and straight a6 possible, 
so that they may be cultivated with a horse. 
With me the Alphas require brush from three 
to fourfeethigh, and the Champions, from five 
to six. I cultivate them twice, once just be¬ 
fore I set the brush, and once pretty soon after. 
I don’t think they should be cultivated after 
they commence to blossom, unless it be to give 
them a very shallow hoeing. Having read in 
the Rural, or some agricultural paper, that 
early peas would sometimes make a good 
crop if planted the first week in August, I 
tried the experiment with four quarts of Al¬ 
pha, and although the weather was favorable, 
the crop was very light, most of the pods 
having only one or two peas In them. I have 
come to the conclusion that peas cannot be 
THE ROBAL S^EW-YORIER. 
profitably grown when planted later than the 
first day of Jane. Peas brought, on an aver¬ 
age, $1 20 per bushel during the past season. 
Oneida Co.. N. Y. Adelbbrt Wakefield. 
3Ubonruitural. 
THE PRESERVATION OF OUR FORESTS. 
BT CLINTON. 
I was highly pleased to notice, in the recent 
Report of the Secretary of the Interior, that 
he takes decided ground iu favor of the adop¬ 
tion of measures for the preservation of our 
timber. His suggestions are timely, and it is 
to be hoped that they will not be permitted to 
pass entirely unheeded. The subject is one 
which, it would seem, cannot by any possibil¬ 
ity be construed into one of a partisan char¬ 
acter, aud I disclaim any intention of consid¬ 
ering it in any such light in my present re¬ 
marks. It is a matter which for years has 
attracted my attention, aud with reference to 
which it has seemed to me important that our 
government should notbeiudifferect.butshould 
at least endeavor to devise more energetic aud 
effectual measures than any which have been 
adopted; and for years I have availed myself 
of opportunities to call public attention to its 
importance and to tbe necessity of prompt 
action if we have auy desire for the future wel¬ 
fare of our country, iut the public attention 
has seemed too wholly engrossed by matters 
promising more immediate results and profits, 
to give heed to any matter apparently so re¬ 
mote in its results as people seem to deem 
this to be. 
It is therefore specially gratifying that an 
officer of our general government should call 
the attention of Congress directly to the sub¬ 
ject, and urge upon that branch of the govern¬ 
ment the importance of giving it immediate 
attention. He Bays, in substance, "Our for¬ 
ests are disappearing with appalling rapidity, 
especially iu tbac part of the country where 
they will not reuew themselves when once in¬ 
discriminately destroyed. Like spendthrifts, 
we are living, not merely upon the interest, but 
upon the capital. The consequences will be 
inevitably disastrous, unless the Congress of 
the United States soon wakes up to the great¬ 
ness of the danger and puls this ruinous busi¬ 
ness upon a different tooting by proper legisla¬ 
tion." Tbe Secretary does not speak in lan¬ 
guage one particle too strong or emphatic, as 
any one will see who gives attenlion to the 
subject. But the difficulty is to induce our 
people to give attention to and examine this 
subject. No intelligent person wbo will do 
that can fail to see that our American forests 
are disappearing with a rapidity which is un¬ 
noticed, and not even dn-amedot by a majority 
of the people. But to one who has given the 
matter any attention or study the subject pre¬ 
sents a view which, as the Secretary says, is 
truly “ appalling." To the agriculturist, par¬ 
ticularly, this subject is one of deep interest, 
and for that reason, it is thought, its consider¬ 
ation cannot be deemed out of place in the 
columns of the Rural. Tbe climatic aud 
sheltering influences of forests, not only on 
vegetation, but on tbe health and comfort of 
mankind and the animal kingdom generally, 
are too well known to require any discussion 
here. We find that the normal condition of our 
portion of this continent was that of a wooded 
country; its forests, with comparatively few 
exceptions, stretched from the Atlantic coast to 
the Mississippi River, from the great lakes on 
the north to tbe Gulf on the south. 
Probably no people have ever surpassed, if 
they have even equaled, its first settlers and 
their descendants in boldness of enterprise 
and in active industry. They have, within 
comparatively a brief period, leveled the for 
ests and let in the suulight on many thousands 
of square miles of territory. They have built 
cities, established churches and seminaries of 
learning, have opened canals, have constructed 
railroads, have built a navy, aud have become, 
in reality, a powerful aud prosperous people. 
But unfortunately their enterprise has not 
always been sufficiently diseriminaiiug. The 
original necessity for sweeping off the forests 
imparted to too many a propensity for cutting 
and slashing, which did not stop within reas¬ 
onable boands, and which. I fear, still contin¬ 
ues. The rapid disappearance of our forests 
should therefore excite tbe serious attention, 
not only of the owners of cultivated lands, but 
also of other classes generally, for it is a mat¬ 
ter In which all of oar citizens are more or 
less interested. The observing man can now 
readily see, in passing through the country, 
with what improvidence and seeming want of 
thought the firBt settlers conducted their opera¬ 
tions. 
In their haste to get their lands under 
cultivation they girdled or burned large tracts 
of magnificent forests, seemingly without any 
thought beyond the immediate present—cer¬ 
tainly too often without any intelligent, defi¬ 
nite plan for the future. With no reference 
whatever to the general beauty and health of 
the country, and even without any reference 
to their own future interest and comfort in 
leavmg sufficient protection, in belts of stand¬ 
ing timber, to shield their houses and crops 
from the sweeping blasts of Winter, the work 
of destruction went inconsiderately on, while, 
with a little proper consultation and under¬ 
standing among neighbors and intelligent 
concert of action with reference to some gen¬ 
eral plan, the advantages to which I refer 
might have been easily and permanently se¬ 
cured. It was too frequently found, when too 
late, that the reserved wood lot was on the 
wrong side of the clearing to furnish any per¬ 
ceptible protection to the buildings or culti¬ 
vated fields, while the house and farm build¬ 
ings proved to be located in the most exposed 
and bleak situations, involving, consequently, 
an increased consumption of fuel, food and 
fodder. After one or two generations have 
passed away the error becomes palpably appa¬ 
rent, and a score or two of years are found 
necessary for the growth of trees planted with 
a hope to supply in some small degree the 
shelter that had bean so injudiciously de¬ 
stroyed. 
Bat, independent of the havoc and waste of 
timber by the early settlers, other causes al¬ 
ways have been, and still are. in constant 
operation to diminish the supply, and the 
consumption of timber seems to be constantly 
Increasing, while the supply is rapidly dimin¬ 
ishing. Among the causes constantly oper¬ 
ating to lessen our supply are: First, tbe con¬ 
stant and necessary demands of wood for fuel. 
Notwithstanding the general use of coal lor 
fuel iu cities and populous places, yet a certain 
amount of wood is found necessary even there, 
while a large majority of the population of 
country places is composed of farmers’ fami¬ 
lies depending almost entirely on wood for 
fuel, and who will, while tbe supply lasts, con¬ 
tinue to use it with great freedom. Second, in 
the increased demand for lumber for building 
purposes. This includes not only what is 
necessary for the erection and finishing of 
buildings, but also wbat is used in the con¬ 
struction of fences, railroads, bridges, etc., 
and what has been and is constantly being 
used for the building up of our navy and the 
keeping of it in repair, Thiid, the consump¬ 
tion of timber for purposes of mechanical 
industry. This includes furniture of every 
description, carriages and vehicles of all 6orts, 
whether for rail or other roads,farm implements 
generally, important parts of mechanics’tools 
and of machinery in general, besides the sup¬ 
ply for the cooper, the trunk and the box 
manufacturer, and some thirty other classes 
of operatives, depending wholly or in part 
upon lumber or wood as an essential part of 
their material for work. 
Fourth, and the last I will stop to par¬ 
ticularize, is the amount of lumber export¬ 
ed to other countries, which is a constant drain 
upon the resources of our forests. The most 
valuable oak and piue trees are generally 
selected for tMs purpose. Not only the quan¬ 
tity actually used should be taken into the 
account, but also the quantity wasted and 
destroyed in the selection aud preparation. In 
the selections for all these various uses the 
roost valuable of our timbers are sought, as 
already stated, including more than thirty 
varieties, and the quantity of waste to which I 
refer, far exceeds anything of which the unin¬ 
formed have any conception. In consequence 
of all this destruction of our timber, careful 
estimates, made by those competent to do the 
work, goto show that it is certain that three 
millions of acres of our forests are swept off in 
each year to supply the various demands, or 
10.000 acres for each working day. Is not the 
Secretary justified in his assertion that the 
rapid destruction of our forests is truly ap¬ 
palling? Moreover, in addition to thiB great 
intentional destruction of our forests, thous¬ 
ands of acres are annually destroyed by fires, 
started either by the carelessness of man or by 
lightning. 
But I find I am exceeding the limits I first 
proposed for myself, and have only attempted 
to call attention to the danger that threatens 
us, without proposing any methodB of averting 
or retarding the progress of that danger, as I 
origiually intended to do. But that branch of 
the subject must be deferred till a later oppor¬ 
tunity. 
How to Grow Telegraph Poles. 
This is a very simple operation, and as there 
is a growing demand for them, they might as 
well be grown properly and economically. A 
tree planted out by Itself, having nothing to 
interfere with its natural growth, will spread 
out its arms at will. Trees planted in close 
rows, and closely in the row, become cramped 
for room sideways and shoot upwaid as 
straight as an arrow, and tbe lower limbB are 
soon overshadowed by the tops and die off, 
leaving the trunks bare and all the branches 
growing nearly upright. The dense tops shade 
the ground so as to p revent the growth of grass 
and weeds, the roots are never scorched by the 
sun's heat, because it cannot reach them. The 
same tall, straight, bean-pole style would re¬ 
sult from a course of persistent pruning, but 
that is labor, while close planting saves al 
labor, and produces an enormous crop on a 
small su rface. 
The top of a tree is very nearly the shape, 
spread and character of the roots, if the soil is 
not so hide-bound as to cramp them. Trees 
grown singly spread their roots out as far as 
their branches, bat when grown closely they 
have no room to spread, and, finding food 
scarce, descend Into the lower depths, exactly 
as the tops ascend into the atmosphere above. 
Plowing corn deeply iu a dry season “drives 
tbe roots downward to seek food,” by this 
species of root-pruning, or root crowding, or 
wlantever it may be called. 
If, by the above, I liave answered a query 
of an editor, inserted in my article in the Jan¬ 
uary Corn Number, and shown how to grow 
poles, too, I have killed two birds with one 
stone. S. Rufus Mason. 
[Thanks to Mr. Mason for his answer. We 
would remark that the extent to which the 
roots of annual plants are driven down by 
cutting off the lateral roots is a subject worthy 
of experiments. We would suggest that a 
grain of corn be planted in a bottomless keg 
sunk in the earth.— Eds.] 
lomologxral, 
APPLE3 FOR PROFIT. 
E. F. POWELL. 
It would be impossible to give a list of 
apples, that would apply for either quality or 
profit to all parts of the country ; but a few 
varieties may be specified that will generally 
give satisfaction through the Northern States. 
Premise that no early apples pay to raise for 
market except the very early, and it will nar¬ 
row onr list of profitable early varieties to Red 
Astraeliau and Harvest Bough. It is pos¬ 
sible that special seasons may render Septem. 
ber apples worth the picking, but this is un¬ 
frequent. Every one needs for home use the 
Porter and Graveueteio, as well as Early Rose, 
Summer Queen and a few more; but not for 
market. Passing to Winter fruits we have for 
Early Wlfller AppleH. 
1. Belmont, a noble apple in quality 
and most abundant in bearing. The tree is 
naturally well spread and capable of sustaining 
an'enormous crop. This is sometimes called 
the Waxen Apple. 
2 Snow, a haadsome fruit of superior qual¬ 
ity, that keeps well till April, although it is 
prime for table use in early December. 
3 Hubbardston Nonsuch, a very large, 
fiuely-colored, agreeable apple that will not 
keep well beyond December. Old trees, like 
most that bear heavily, become quite brittle. 
4. Pound Sweet. This apple pays better 
at one dollar per barrel than most varieties at 
two dollars. The fruit is so large and the trees 
so low-growing that four barrels are filled 
while one is gathering a bushel of many other 
kinds. The crop is always extraordinary and 
reliable, on alternate years. 
5. Baldwin. If the trees did not split and 
break so readily, this would be almost un¬ 
rivaled as a good market variety. 
6. R. I. Greening. Here is another na¬ 
turally low growing, spreading tree, easily 
handled aud beuring nobly. 
7. Jonathan, a remarkably fine, handsome 
apple and very prolific, although small. It is 
very salable aud sure to grow in popular esti¬ 
mation. 
8. Grimes's Golden. This is perhaps the 
most profitable of the pippins over a wide 
range of territory, although the Newtown is 
unrivaled in some localities, and the White 
Pippin in my own orchard is superb in size, 
color and bearing. 
9. Northern Sft. Taking ten years suc¬ 
cessively, tbe profit of an orchard will be 
found to depend mainly on the long keepers. 
The cultivator can store such safely until he is 
sure of a good market in May. The Spy is in 
every way a wonderful apple. It is a superior 
bearer, supero iu quality and in appearance. 
10. Kirkland. This apple is but little 
known, aud has one decided disadvantage—its 
color is yellow. But it keeps well, even longer 
than the Spy. Tbe trees bear every year and 
on alternate years the cropls enormous. They 
are remarkably tough, never breaking down 
with their burden. I sold my Kirklands in 
May, 1880, for $1.56 per bushel. 
The chief secret in making profit from an 
orchard lies in the careful handling of the 
fruit. Apples must be handled with sympathy 
aud as lightly as eggs. They should never be 
tossed or dropped a single inch; nor poured, 
A little more care during picking, and there 
will be less labor and loss afterward. The 
average loss on apples, as ordinarily gathered, 
is one-half. This is a useless and reckless 
waste. No crop gets as little proper attention. 
The speculator hires raw hands who thrash, 
and toss, and tumble about the tender fruit, 
and then, without intelligent sorting, pack it 
to swindled purchasers. 
Another serious evil in raising apples for 
