JULY 21 
men who suffer most by the depredations of in¬ 
sects. They even advertise for the beet methods 
of destroying him, evidently considering him a 
great nuisance, catting off the roots of plants 
and disfiguring the surface of the grounds. A 
writer who appears to be well posted in natural 
science, clashes him with tho toad, hat and spi¬ 
der, as an insect-destroyer and the friend of man, 
and says, “ his only food is meat so far as worms 
and insects furnish it; hundreds have been dis¬ 
sected and their stomachs examined, hut not the 
least vegetable fiber is found, except it was 
brought to it by the devoured insects." 
Now, this writer lias a professional addendum 
to his name, and Ids writings on this subject 
have been given a prominent place in an elabor¬ 
ate Pomological Report, and are cortainly enti¬ 
tled to respect. I am aware, however, that sci¬ 
entific men, as well as myself, aro liable to err 
in their conclusions, and that Prof, before a 
man's name is no proof of his infallibility; such 
men even have been caught in tho act of making 
mistakes. 
Giving the matter due deliberation, as I deem 
it, I am strongly inclined to think tho animal 
purely insectivorous—bating the fact that he 
eats earthworms, which aro claimed not to be 
insects—and that if be ever lismis vegetation, it 
is purely accidental, and that what little harm 
he may do is more than compensated by his aera¬ 
tion of the soil, to say nothing of his services as 
an insecticide, and l patiently look forward to 
the day when that science which has disarmed 
the toad of his venom wild extracted the jewel 
from his head, shall treat with equal fairness tho 
abused mole. If he severs tho root of a plant 
that comes in the way of ins hunt, it is no more 
than tho horse decs by occasionally destroying a 
hill of your corn while giviug it the very neces¬ 
sary cultivation. If it be trtio, as is claimed by 
the writer mentioned, that tho mole cannot live 
more than about six hours without animal food, 
I think he must hiboruato, for his subterranean 
habits must prevent his finding any food in tho 
earth when solidified with frost. S. B. Peck. 
Moles seek warm, sheltered places in the win¬ 
ter season and borrow beneath tho frost in search 
of food. Perhaps in seasons of excessive severi¬ 
ty, they may not bo able to find food at such a 
considerable depth in the ground aH the depth of 
frost would necessitate, and die of starvation. 
Their abundance during some seasons and scar¬ 
city during others, might thus bo accounted for. 
That they live exclusively upon animal diet, we 
feel convinced, as a result of observation aud 
experiment. 
Whatever use they may be to the farmer for 
the reasons given by Mr. Peck, wo can testify to 
the fact that they trouble us sorely in both the 
vegetable and flower garden. They havo been 
as troublesome this season as ever before—a cir¬ 
cumstance which we connect with last winter’s 
mildness.— Eds. 
fjorttntliural, 
GARDEN. 
Cabbages.— The season in most localities is 
extremely favorable for a late Cabbage crop. 
Whether it is better to cut off ail the leaves, 
leaving only tho bud-leaf, at the time of trans¬ 
planting from frames or seed-beds, depends upon 
the degree of moisture iu the soil aud tho power 
of the sun. 
Cabbage plants put out in this locality within 
the last week, have remained upright and fresh, 
so that the leaves have doubtless contributed to 
a quicker new growth. When, however, the soil 
is inclined to dryness, it is better to cut off the 
loaves, since, without rendering any assistance 
to the roots, they very soon wither. Cabbages 
are not an cxcoption to the general rule, that a 
balance between the evaporation of the leaves 
and the sap-Bupply from the roots must be main¬ 
tained or the vigor, if not vitality, of tho plant 
is impaired. 
In small gardens it is time well spent to cover 
newly set out cabbage plants with flower pots or 
even with paper for a day or so, until the roots 
have “ taken hold." When cultivated in large 
plots or as u farm crop, of course no such minute 
directions can apply. 
Tomatoes.— Ten plants, well cared for, should 
supply a small family with all the Tomatoes 
needed for the table. If catsup ia to be made in 
the fall, or they are relished for pickles, double 
the number may be required. 
Many persons preserve Tomatoes the same as 
they would Peaches. For this purpose the golden 
varieties are preferable. The Golden Trophy is, 
perhaps, the best, if large Tomatoos are desired 
the Green Gage, if small. 
The latter gets its name from its shape, widch 
is that of a plum. The color is as yellow as that 
of the Golden Trophy. 
“ * 01 home use, at least, stakes should always be 
used. A Tomato plant properly staked and cov¬ 
ered with its red or yellow fruit, is a pretty ob¬ 
ject—but to see the plant bent over upon the 
ground, the fruit aud leaves spattered with dirt, 
is too suggestive of negligence. 
For stakes, we send to the woods and cut the 
second growth of almost any trees about four 
feet long and an inch iu diameter. Bonding 
these over, one out with a sharp knife upon the 
convex side, detaches them and at the Hame timo 
gives a half-wedge point which makes it easy to 
press them into the ground as far as desirable. 
Three of these suflice for eaoh plant. They 
MORE ON THE CACTUS FAMILY. 
Referring to your illustrated article of last 
week, let me add a few words on a couple of other 
remarkable species of the Cactus family—the 
first praiseworthy for its beauty, the second for 
its utility. The most charming member of the 
entire class is tho Omt.s grandifloms ; or Night¬ 
blooming Cereua. This belongs to tho creeping 
division of the family, and its flowers, though 
Bhort-livcd, aro splendid productions. The plant 
OACT TJs COCHINILr .LimB. 
should be set bo as to form a triangle, growing 
larger aud larger upwards, and thus providing 
ample space for the spreading head and support 
of the fruit. 
It is well to set these stakes wbon first tho 
plants are put out. Cord may then be tied about 
them, as growth renders It necessary. 
A good deal is said about ** pinching" Tomato 
plants. We do not approve of rich ground for 
them, Which induces more of leaf and stem and 
less of fruit. Unless rich manures are used, 
pinching is labor loHt. 
Late Peas demand Borne care at this time. 
High winds sometimes blow the supports over, 
In such cases, an easy plan of rectifying them is 
to drive stakes tou feet apart, and attaching a 
cord to the top of one stake pass it underneath 
the blown over portions and secure it to tho top 
of the next stake. Tho ond stakes will noed to 
he stronger than tho others, as they have to bear 
additional weight. 
Wherever time permits and a tidy appearance 
to tho garden is maintained, the old Raspberry 
canes may now be cut away and the new canes se¬ 
cured to stakes. It is altogether advantageous to 
pinch back these uew canes and so induce an early 
lateral growth, l-’our foot is a snllicieut bight and 
four caues enough to leave for another year. If 
the stock of Black varieties is to be increased, 
then permit the canes to grow as they will and 
root at the tip. Just as soon as the tips are well 
rooted, cut them off to within six inches and re¬ 
move to where they aro to remain—the sooner, 
the better. 
-- 
ROE’S SEEDLING GOOSEBERRY. 
Eds. Rural :—I send you a few specimens of 
the above gooseberry. During the present sea¬ 
son, when nearly everything has mildewed iu our 
locality, this variety has suffered very little, and 
the only hushes that were affected stood on a 
high, dry kuoll, where, by mismanagement, their 
roots were disturbed iu cultivation during the 
hot period of drought in May. Hot, dry ground 
around the bushes, is the chief cause of mildew, 
and where these unfavorable conditions were 
absent, there was no rust worth uaming. This 
iB the first instance for sixteen years that it has 
shown any such tendency; but in accordance 
with my rule to state the truth, and the whole 
truth, about my fruits, I frankly say that two or 
three quarts out of a large yield have been 
touched with mildew. At the same time, I must 
also say that tho Downing gooseberry on my 
place has suffered more, losing in some instances 
its foliage ; and foreign gooseberries in this lo¬ 
cality are covered with ruHt. The large old bushes 
in their original home at Newburgh, were loaded 
down with fruit, and not a trace of mildew. I 
do not think there is an American variety that 
will suffer less except, perhaps, the Houghton , 
but that is too small to be of much value. In 
regard to size and appearance, the inclosed spe¬ 
cimens speak for themselves. In productiveness 
it is unsurpassed. E. F. Roe. 
Cormvall-un-the-liudson, orange Co., N. Y. 
We selected an average - sized gooseberry, 
which measured three inches in circumference 
and just an inch in length. Having been placed 
in a wrong editorial box, the specimens were 
decayed when the packet was opened.—E ds. 
generally blooms in July, and the flower begins 
to open in the evening between seven and eight 
o’clock, displays all its odoriferous charms by 
eleven, and by three or four in the morning, be¬ 
gins to wilt and fade, aud presently droops its 
flaccid head in irremediable decay. When the 
plants are largo, several flowers will open on 
oach, at the same time, and there will be a bright 
succession of them on several successive nights. 
The calyx, when expanded, is nearly a foot, in 
diamoter, a splendid yellow within and a dark 
brown outside. Inclosed within it aro numerous 
potalB of snowy whiteness, while the multitude 
of recurved stamens, encircling the stylo iu the 
center of the flower, present a grand appearance 
hat can hardly be matched iu oior or Ik a lly 
Vexatious — isn’t it,? that such a wealth of 
sweetness should lie wasted ou tho desert air! 
Like that of au intelligent but misshapen 
dwarf, tho beauty of cactuses is generally con¬ 
fined. to their flora 1 , heads, but beyond the succu¬ 
lent nature of the stems of all, tho nutritive 
properties of tho fruits of many of them, and 
serviceable timber afforded by tho trunks of a 
few, there is one species which possesses much 
practical utility for fencing purposes. This ap¬ 
plication of tho plant is peculiar to Mexico. 
The species used for this purpose is called the 
Organo. It is eight-sided, aud shoots up as 
straight as an arrow from ten to twenty-five 
feet in bight, and from live to eight, inches in 
thickness. The fence • builders cut tho cactus 
into sections of appropriate length, stick the 
cut end into a trench, puck the dirt around it, to 
the depth of a foot, and tho fence is made. The 
pieces aro set as closely together at> ponsible, and 
as they take root and grow for centuries, the 
fence improves with age, instead of going to de¬ 
cay like other fences. I also send you a wood¬ 
cut of Cactus ooclunilUfer, described in your 
last issue. Seymour. 
-- 
CLEMATIS JACKMANNI. 
This species of Clematis affords another in¬ 
stance of the fact that enthusiasm of plant lov¬ 
ers for new and more perfect forms may at times 
become excessive, and the enthusiast find him¬ 
self returning with a renewed fondness to older 
varieties, possessing eertam qualities that can¬ 
not but please, in spite of their apparent want 
of novelty. The skill and enterprise exerted of 
late years in hybridizing and otherwise obtaining 
now varieties of Clematis, deserve all praise, and 
have resulted in adding a large collection of most 
beautiful climbers wherewith to decorate our 
porches or to afford au equal delight when 
trained on stakes to assume the appearance of 
shrubs or ‘ ‘ pillars” of flowers. 
But after admiring all the improved varieties, 
we are still able to come back to Clematis Jack- 
manni, with much of the feeling we have for a 
friend of tried character. There are better va¬ 
rieties of Clematis as regards showiness of flow¬ 
er, but hardly any which present a higher gen¬ 
eral capacity for ornamentation. It is vigorous, 
hardly any more so, for tho refining process of 
improvement by hybridizing iH not apt, according 
to present methods, to strengthen tflo constitu¬ 
tion, or increase vigor. The healthy, luxuriant 
foliage of Clematis Jackmanni is of a flue dark- 
green, that renders it an attractive climber inde¬ 
pendent of the flowers. 
The flower itself is of good size, although by 
no means as large as many later varieties; but 
its color is most charming. With a general hue 
and texturo of blue or purple velvet, the base of 
the sepals takes on a more violet tinge, especially 
under strong sunlight. The width of the entire 
flower is often five inches, aud down tho center 
of the sepal extends a bar, while the whole is 
relieved by a broad, central tuft of pale-green 
stamens. Equally striking is tho great profu¬ 
sion of flowers borne during parts of Juno and 
July, with the effect of almost hiding, at that 
time, all foliage, which, as already remarked, 
forms so notable a feature in the usual appear¬ 
ance of the plant. 
This luxurious development, of flower and leaf 
may, of course, be enhanced by adopting tho 
proper system of pruning. The priming, how¬ 
ever, is very simple, consisting merely in entting 
back the old wood to short stems of a few inches, 
iri Order to renew every year a vigorous young 
growth, which may be depended on to bear flow¬ 
ers freely, and produce abundant, but, not far- 
reaching foliage. This quality of bushiness ren¬ 
ders it peculiarly fitted for covering with bloom 
and foliage any stump of moderate dimensions, or 
training into the curious and beautiful “ pillar" 
forms. The hardiness of 0. Jackmanni is un¬ 
questionable ; an assertion not to bo mado safely 
concerning some other choice varieties when 
brought to our climate. 
Therefore, while welcoming and urging the 
most extended employment or all kirulH of Clem¬ 
atis. affording, as they do, a continuous aeries 
of flowers throughout, tho entire growing season, 
we would at the same time deem any collection 
very incomplete without Jaokmauui. It will bo 
a long time before any now varieties can entirely 
supersede it, or make it other than a loading 
kind—for tho simple reason that, a plant with a 
high general average of good qualities, must al¬ 
ways retain a recognized value, even among 
companions evincing greater perfection in single 
traits. S. Parsons. 
-»»♦■- - 
LANTANA8. 
Lantanas are fast gaining public favor, as they 
aro exceedingly pretty and of easy cultivation; 
they are rapid growers, forming small, ueat, 
hardy shrubs. The flowers are produced in 
handsome heads or clusters, from two to three 
inches in diameter, or various colors—white, 
pink, yellow, orange, and their different, shades. 
They are produced in great abundance, the plant 
being literally covered with, blossoms during 
eight months of the year. 
Tii the Sandwich Tslauds the Lautana grows 
wild, forming hedges ten to lirteon feet high, aud 
it is said to be very handsome. 
CULTURE. 
The Lantana grows readily from seed. Sow 
in March or April, in a hot-bed—keep the soil 
moist. The seed will germinate iu ten or twelve 
days. When frost, is over, transplant, to open 
border. 
They may be grown rrom slips by breaking tho 
slips off with a heel, and planting iu fine soil. 
The Lantaua will grow iu dry or wot weather, 
sun or shade, requiring tho ordinary care of a 
Geranium. It grows host, however, in light, rich 
soil, with plenty of water and sun. 
It may be grown Into a handsome little tree 
by keeping the lower branches pinched off. In 
winter, treat as Fuchsias. 
K1 Dorado, Cal. W. C. L. Drew. 
Kicinub Gibboni. —For two years past, we 
have tried to secure this plant. Now we have 
succeeded. In a word, it differs from other 
Castor-oil plants in possessing bronze leaves. 
The Uicinus has always been a favorite in the 
Rural Grounds, and, one season, specimens of 
all the varieties we could obtain were cultivated. 
This season, we are trying the effects of dif¬ 
ferent manures and different quantities of ma- 
uure upon them, the results of which will be re¬ 
corded in due time. li. Gibsoni is now about 
two feet high—every leaf of a bronze-like, me¬ 
tallic hue, seldom seen in other plants. 
CATALOGUES, &c., RECEIVED. 
Special Notice. — Nurserymen, Seedsmen and 
KloriatB will promote our mutual interests by for¬ 
warding to this office early copies of Catalogues, t'rice- 
Llnto, &o. It enables us to more thoroughly examine 
them aud make special mention of such novelties as 
may be of general interest. 
J- M. Tuobbubn & Co., 1.5 John St., N. Y.— 
Annual Descriptive Catalogue of Vegetable and 
Agricultural Scoda, Garden, Field, Fruit, and 
other Seeds. 
Also, Turnip Seed Circular and Trade Frice 
List of Seeds adapted to the present season. 
D. D. T. Moores Agricultural Advertising 
Agency, J4 Bark Row, N. Y.—A select list of 
Agricultural, Horticultural, and other leading 
journals represented by him. 
Ralston’s Pure Bone Manures, 170 Front St., 
N. Y. 
