A WOMAN’S ACRE. 
■. 
BY ’ MBS. ANNIE L. JACK. 
No. 2. 
FIGHTING THt WEEDS. 
The expense of my garden so far had been for 
seed and 1 determined to run through the onions 
and other small seedlings with the hand weeder, 
before hiring any help for the business of weed¬ 
ing. As everything was in rows, and the ground 
tolerably smooth Johnnie and I found this no 
formidable undertaking while the corn and 
squashes, peas and beaus were worked easily, 
being run through by the cultivator as soon as 
the rows could be Boon. But in the rows the 
weeds began to assume the monopoly and resisted 
all our efforts at extermination. Then the 
guidtuan suggested as a remedy, “ Send for 
Felicite," and l have never had cause to regret 
accepting his advice. 
There is no Bight pleasanter to site in a thrifty 
garden than a well-built, healthy, French Cana¬ 
dian girl, whose yuuth and vigor and bright dark 
eyes seem given ou purpose to cope successfully 
with the weeds. A coarse straw hat of home 
plaiting, the broad brim tied down with a scarlet 
ribbon, too faded for church finery, but still 
bright, a jacket of white or pale print, and thick 
petticoat of dark blue, which has been spun, 
dyed and woven by her own hands, such was 
Felicite as Bhe presented herself to us one morn¬ 
ing in later May-time, with a pleasant “ bon jour," 
and a gesture between a bow and a reverence, 
full of native grace. Her price per day was fifty 
cents without board, and she entered upon hei 
dutieB with a sharp boo, and cheerful will, that 
booh caused a wonderful change to appear among 
the vegetables. Now hoeing, now hand weeding 
aB she stooped her supple body over the rows, 
her clear voice softly kept tune to some of her 
beloved church music, and beneath her nimble 
lingers chiokweed wilted, and even twitch grass 
gave up, at least a part of its treacherous, twin- 
log threads. Punctually at seven in the morning 
she appeared, taking an hour at noon under one 
of the apple trees for dinner and rest, and work¬ 
ing faithfully until the church clock struck 
seven and the musical convent bell that closely 
followed chimed for vespers. Then without 
waiting for orders Felicite placed her hoe in the 
tool house, gave her employers a smiling "Bon 
aoir," and returned to her mother s little white¬ 
washed cottage with a blithe, contented spirit. 
With the children’s aid and my own hours 
snatched from household duties, we managed to 
vanquish the weeds for the first time at the coat 
of three dollars, or six days’ work, and twice 
afterwards at the same expense for labor, we 
stirred the soil and cut down our enemies. The 
guidman taught Johnnie how to work the larger 
sorts by horse pow’er, and when the squashes 
received their final hilling up they seemed to 
possess strength enough to strangle any auda¬ 
cious weed, that withstood their smothering pro¬ 
cess. Meanwhile the hardy annuals had poshed 
their way to the light and throve with a persis¬ 
tency worthy of Vick's choice seedlings. Bnt 
mingled with their beauty was an insidious 
enemy whose power we did not then know or 
control. When I read afterwards in that en- 
ohantiug ‘'Summer iu a garden" of the fat, 
greasy “ pusley," l knew too well that the weed 
which first developed in our soil among the 
pansies, and phlox and asters was the veritable 
purslaiue. Auother weed that seemed at home 
everywhere was white ehenopodium, or lambs 
quarters, which Felicite assured us was " Bon 
pour manger," but which she eonld never tempt 
me to use for any culinary purpose. 
The early potatoes were ready for market by 
the last of June, bringing at that time 2 dollars 
per bushel, a price not very remunerative when 
wo consider their size, but sufficient to pay. 
especially when the celery plants in the seed bed 
were ready to transplant into the ground as a 
second crop. The younger lads, who delight iu 
ohoppiug, made stakes of the pruning of apple 
trees for the tall peas, and the Carter’s first crop 
surprised us by flowering bo early that we did ] 
not give them any support. The dwarf beau 
which I had chosen for the first season’s crop, i 
was the ‘'Rachel" pronounced the earliest bv i 
some of the seedsmen. They were sown iu rows ] 
lengthwise of the ridge and came up strong and t 
healthy, although not very deeply covered by the \ 
seed sower. But after a season tf growing there £ 
came a change, a sort of yellowing of the leaves, r 
and calling the guidman to aid with his wise 1 
counsel he pronounced them suffering for want c 
of “lauding," or hoeing uji. as he termed it. 
This process consisted of drawing towards the q 
base of the plants some of the loose earth to the a 
depth of one or two inches to protect them from a 
drought. Our strong-handed gurl, not being \ 
with us that day it was suggested that a youth o 
named Simon, who had been hired the week be- q 
fore to assist in haying, should undertake the a: 
job for a morning’s work, as no hay was ready 
for loading. So I went back to my household 
affairs’ contented, hut not long was I allowed to 
retain my equanimity. • • Mother, mother! ” calls 
out little five year old Willie “ Simon is hoeing 
up the beans." Not very well understanding his 
meaning I hastened to my bean ridge and found 
that about half a row was bare ground, and my 
amateur gardener was btisv hoeing out the beans 
by the root*. When I en ered a protest against 
this ruthless proceeding he assured me solemnly 
that the “ maister " instructed him to hoe up the 
beans. Fortunately I had a few left from the 
first sowing, and the ground being once more 
sown, they served a good purpose fur tlio family 
pickle jar. But it taught me a lesson which was, 
growth, provided, in the case of deciduous trees, 
the adhering leaves be removed from the tree. 
It should be said here that fall-planted Ever¬ 
greens often suffer winch from the following 
winter, when removed so late that insufficient 
time is allowed for the mots to take hold of the 
new soil; although such work, if properly done, 
may still count in its favor the freedom from 
burning to which Evergreens are specially liable 
iu summer. Whether it is the large surface of 
heavy leaves the Evergreen presents to the 
swaying winds and burning suns, or a less agile 
nature, that foils to adapt itself readily to chang¬ 
ing conditions, we will not at tempt to determine; 
but the fact remains the same, that Evergreens 
transplant, on the whole, less successful!v than 
never to allow an inexperienced person to act on deciduous trees, and, therefore, cannot be ex¬ 
verbal instruction, without personal oversight, pected to do relatively as well in the fall. Na- 
and also that the sharp eyes, and willing hands ture institutes such complex methods of bring- 
of my children were giving promise of help in j ng about her objects, tl»t we dare not hazard 
the near I uturo. any explanation of her secrets. We leave that 
So through the heats of summer did we work to more during and ingenious minds ; but before 
although nut successfully to keep our ground closing these rather discursive remarks, we feel 
clean, and to promote the growth of our crop, constrained to enter a protest against Evergreen 
and when, after a very fatiguing day, I questioned planting iu early spring. 
Felicite whether she would not prefer domestic v „ ... 
employment to this arduous toil, she looked at „.. • , , . , , . 
_ , ’ , ,1° bear you out in your claims lor Buch trans- 
me with an air or surprise, and assured rqc in , i„,,„„ , . . , . 
, . .. , ,, .. . .... ’ planting, hut we have seen such wholesale 
ctrrst j: xs, i trr *»*"«<» 
,. b B ’ , planted on bleak March or April days that wc 
would rather work out of doors every day than , . .. 1 
, . ,i . ..* , • , have come to fear these times as much as any in 
do the chores of a kitchen." This, iu her pleas- .. ,, , , , , , •’ 
. . ’ 1 . the fall. It does not appear to he the soil so much, 
ant “patois"confirmed mo iu my own opinion, coo ,, . ' 
. , . .. , .as an inability ou the part of the trees to resist 
and when at the close of the season 1 added up .. , , „ ,, , . 
.... , , , , , , 1 the stress of cold winds and suddeu changes 
my account for labor and found it on y eighteen , n „ .. , . ° , 
. . , ... . .. ' ii n uwioii while ytft the roots are uuestablUhod and a waved 
dollars, I gave due credit to the forethought ■ , ? t i i * n . • ! 
. , , „ “J ‘'be winds. Undoubtedly a succession of 
that planned for wide rows and assisted with the 
... , , . .. , . , ‘ “ fi uiet ' warm day* may enable the planter to 
cultivator, also to the busy hands of the children . , , , „ 1 .... 
,, 1 accomplish his work successfully oven at this 
that had helped me in fighting the weeds. „„ * ,. . , . , .. . / , , 
6 unseasonable period, but it is not of exceptional 
work, possible to the skill and Judgement of the 
TRANSPLANTING. expert, that we speak, but of the course that is 
desirable for the majority to pursue. If, from 
this point of view, we have succeeded in giving 
reasons for our conviction that both spring and 
autumn arc fitted, each iu its own way, for | 
transplanting hardy trees and shrubs, we have j 
quite fulfilled our desire, even if in so doing wo 
shall have to regret a misconception of your 
meaning which may be the fault of the deceptive 
medium of words, or the brain of the interpreter 
thereof. Mamuel Bausons. I 
--- 
EVEHGREENS CONSIDERED WITH REFER¬ 
ENCE TO THEIR BEAUTY IN WINTER. 
If Evergreens are desirable for one reason I 
more than for another, it is that they are orua- j 
mental in winter as well as in summer. These 
i En. Rukal: —Your remarks in relation to 
transplanting, on page 136 of the issue of March 
1 3d, present a very important operation in a 
very clear light, and, in the main, correctly ; but 
K if yon will allow us, we should like to offer a few 
• suggestions that may throw light upon, if not 
> correct, certain errors that seem to us to exist in 
i your valuable statements. 
As a broad principle, transplanting will be 
1 found most successful where the conditions and 
season selected are such as to produce the steadi- 
1 est growth with least check. Now these coudi- 
* lions may bo more attainable in spring for some 
‘ trees, and in the fall for others. Wo cannot, 
therefore, select either, in general terms, as the 
most favorable of all planting seasons; for 
i while there are, undoubtedly, many trees that 
i suffer much from “ intense cold or extremes of 
temperature" when planted iu the autumn, 
there is still a larger number that experience 
praotioalJy uo injury from the winter alter fall 
planting. Maples, Elms, and moat trees and 
shrubs belong to the last category, and such as 
do suffer—Magnolias, Tulips, Cypresses, etc.— 
have light wood aud spongy roota, winch are 
slow and peculiar iu adapting themselves to new 
surroundings. 
Ordinarily trees will, even while dormant, 
form callus surfaces on fresh-cut roots; that 
they will make actual fiber during their dormant 
period we are not at all prepared to say. But it 
readily appears that a tree with roots already 
callused standi a far bo'ter chance of throw¬ 
ing out fiber immediately in the spring, and ex¬ 
tending the same vigorous action throughout the 
summer, than the half growth that may often 
fall to the lot of the spring-planted tree, which 
is obliged to consume precious spring days to 
attain the condition already acquired by trees 
planted in fall. Perhaps, also, wo hardly realize 
the injury done by summer heat and drought in 
delaying aud impairing maturity in a plant weak 
from the strains of transplanting. Often an 
apparently vigorous growth will give a deceptive 
appearance of permanent lire that is not based 
on a corresponding action of the roots, when 
death by midsummer will ensue, or mayhap a 
late growth, that is worse than no growth at all. 
| Under the latter circumstances, winter steals ou 
it unawares, and effects injuries that it would be 
impossible to effect upon a seasonable and 
healthy development. 
In making these remarks, we do not wish, to be 
understood as decrying in any way spring plant- j 
iug. Our simple object is to show that we may 
plant most trees successfully iu fall, aud thereby 
afford ourselves a longer time to accomplish 
work for which tue busy days of spring may ill 
suffice. The dungera of fall planting, with a 
rigorous winter to follow, may be often and fair¬ 
ly balanced by the severities of summer already 
cited. l 
Of course, conditions and localities may exist J 
quite inimical to fall planting, such as clay soils ! 
and low, wet spots, whereby heaving from frost I 
and death from diseased growths may ensue, i 
We speak, however, in geueral terms, and of 1 
ordinary soils, for, in fact, planting may be done i 
quite successfully during favorable weather, at \ 
auy seaBoii of the year, except that of full f 
one as, in summer, he looks upon a long stretch 
of woods. » 
As regards the brightness—freshness of the 
winter color of Evergreens, there is a great 
difference. The foliage of Arbor-vitae, for ex¬ 
ample, is scarcely more cheerful thau deciduous 
shrubs or trees clothed with tnancescent leaves. 
And between the many varieties of this genus, 
which differ in so marked a maimer in leaf, 
habit and stature, there is little variation in 
color. The Hemlock and the Norway Spruce, 
the former ever so graceful and feathery—the 
latter so formal and unbending—arc nearly of 
one color in winter. Bnt the Balsam I'ir is dis¬ 
tinctly darker and of a bluish tinge throughout 
the entire winter that counterbalances to an 
extent the inability of tbis tree to retain its 
lower toliage. Let us remark in passing that 
beginners do uot half atteud to the great import¬ 
ance of the bottom foliage of Evergreens. It is 
the very ground-work of their beauty, and to 
cut it away or permit it to die from overcrowding 
or inattention, is to strip them of their glory 
and elevate upou stilts—as if in mockery—their 
jioor remains. Even the tendency of the Balsam 
Fir to grow bald at the bottom, may be overcome 
by disbudding or cutting back the upper 
branches when from four to six years of age, so 
radically that the tendency will never again 
manifest itself. But our impatience to have 
them grow is so childishly strong, that we shut 
our eyes to their future appearance rather thau 
lose a year or so of growth. But we pay an ex- 
horbitant price for thus yielding to inclination. 
The glaucous hue of tne Hootch Pine varies 
seminally as well as in different soils. We know 
of specimens as glaucous as Engchnaun’s Spruce 
possessing the round form of the Austrian Pine 
with which it contrasts grandly. Nordmanu’s 
Fir is perhaps—if its adaptability to this climate 
is considered—the darkest aud yet brightest of 
all Evergreens in winter. 
While, among those we have mentioned—and 
many others may he added—many different 
shades of green are found, the variegated 
Eetinosporas lire incomparable for the golden 
colors they lend to winter verdure. Hardy as a 
Pine lor this climate (so at least we have found 
them up to the ago of five years), their winter 
color is not merely muddily suggestive of a 
golden color—but it is brightly yellow and—in 
the case of argailca —brightly creamy-white— 
that stands out as freshly in February as auy 
other variegation is displayed in July. 
In their spring Evergreen selection aud plant¬ 
ing, we ask our readers to give heed to the two 
topics we have touched upon In this article. 
Considef’ first that winter decoration is the 
are two matters not sufficiently looked to in their tWng to bo amjmpliiillod - Plant iu groups 
selection. First, thqir winter color—second 
their distribution about the grounds bo as to 
produce iu winter the most cheerful effect. 
Above, all things, let us avoid a formal arrange¬ 
ment of Evergreen trees. They are formal 
enough iu themsel es .and to place them in 
parallel rows, in squares or other angular, 
measured distances, i.-. to Intensify, so to speak, 
their natural rigidity aud to ad 1 to rather than 
to lessen the inhospitable aspects of winter. 
Wo mean by this that, when so distributed, they 
look exposed, deserted, bleak—as if they were 
fixed in just those places aud there left to freeze 
to death. This lock of frozen Isolation disap¬ 
pears if the trees are grouped together—more , 
leaving space for eight years’ growth of each 
without interfering. Place the larger-growing 
specimens back and the most strikingly different 
forms and colors together, if in the future you 
find reason to deprecate Buch an arrangement 
then beware ever after of the advice of 
An Old Gakdenkk. 
— ■*■*■*' — - — 
A QUEER CASE OF INFLUENCE OF STOCK 
UPON CION. 
With this I take occasion to relate to you a 
curious instance of stock changing the graft. 
Horae years ago, when repairing a picket fence, 
I was obliged to cut down a Peach tree which 
grew through it iu such a way as to interfere 
especially if the groups are of different genera witll the repairg of rtaid fence. I wanted to 
nr uiW.ni/iM iitt.l nf /ii.wiiivul/.M V .... > . • L 
or species and of dissimilar forms, as, for in¬ 
stance, the Hemlock, the Swiss Stone Pine and 
the Norway SprucO for one group, and for 
another, more distant, the Balsam Fir, Hootch 
and Austrian Pines. 
In the grouping of deciduous trees, the color 
of the foliage is rarely lost sight of, while in the 
grouping of Evergreens it is rarely entertained. 
And yet an Evergreens arc the all-tlie-year-round 
ornaments of the grounds and are uveti more 
valued for their cheerfulnoss in wiuter than iu 
summer, it would seem that their colors individu¬ 
ally or relatively to one another should first be 
thought of. 
Let us suppose two groups, the one arranged 
with reference to colors—the other uot. In the 
latter we will place the Norway Spruce with two 
or three of its varieties, such as conica and 
nn/nstrosa ; the Hemlock, also in several varie¬ 
ties. as the common (Canadensis), the Weeping 
aud the Large-leaved ( maerophylla ). We have 
here variety in form which is so far good. But 
they are all so nearly of tho same color that at a 
little distance the effect is only that of a single 
preserve the variety of this Peach, which was a 
seedling of rather fair quality; hut it being 
winter-time, budding from it was out of the 
question, therefore I put a few grafts upon an¬ 
other Peach tree, in order to raise some budding 
stems to hud from in proper season. Not far 
off stood a Flowering Almond bush, on which at 
the same time 1 inserted a graft, just for curios¬ 
ity's sake, to see if it would take. All grew aud 
in due time bore fruit. Those that I had put 
on Peach stock have precisely the same fruit as 
the cion tree—a medium-sized, round, yellow- 
tleshed, and well-flavored i'ree-stone Peach, with 
a very slightly marked suture and without a sign 
of rod color. The Almond sucker supporting 
the Peach cion I removed, as soon as the graft 
had taken, to a separate place. The marked 
difference this stock created on every part of the 
Peach was at once astonishing and interesting. 
Tho leaves assumed a larger size and a darker 
and glossier green, and the blossoms changed to 
semi - double. The fruit, which it produced 
freely, grew very large and of an abnormal 
shape; it was long, of the form of a lemon with 
variety. In the second group (former), we will a protuberance on the end, one-sided, the suture 
place the Scotch and AuBtriau Pine, White 
Spruce, Nordmami's Fir, Meuzies’ Spruce and 
the glaucous-leaved Virginia Cedar. We have 
here, besides dissimilarity in form and size, at 
feast four distinct shades of green from the 
lightest to the darkest. From the same distance 
at which the specimens of the first group would 
lose individuality, the contrast of the second 
would bo distinctly noticeable and the effect 
would be in a small way to produce in winter 
foliage, the Barne pleasing variety that so charms 
so deep aud prominent as to expose the stone, 
with a skin aud fiesh of a deep purplish-red and 
a firm cling-stone. It tasted puckerish and sour 
and was not fit to be eaten. 
I had this curious specimen fruiting for three 
seasons, when, finally, I dug it up and threw it 
away. The Peaeh part was three inches in 
diameter and the Almond stock one inch and a 
half, and in no instance did the last, though 
naturally a sucker plant, send up a single 
sucker. 
