ia undoubtedly the “8outhern Rattlesnake. 
The sole objection to this variety is its lateness 
in ripening. 
Onions.— The “ Queen” being very early and 
tender is excelled by none. The “Large Red 
Wethersfield” and “ White Portugal” are best for 
main crops. 
Peas. —Among the dwarf varieties, or those 
requiring no brush, “The Little Gem still 
reigns supreme. “Blue Peter is also very pro¬ 
ductive. Of the tall, wrinkled kinds, “Alpha” 
is the earliest, and the “Advancer" second. 
For a general crop, the “ Champion of England” 
has few, if any, competition. 
Potatoes.— The new “Beauty of Hebron” is 
the earliest variety which has yet come under 
my notice. The quality is also very fine. For 
winter use, I have found no sort superior to 
“ Thorburn's Late Rose." 
Radishes.— For forcing and early spring sow¬ 
ing the “ French Breakfast” is the first to be re¬ 
commended. The “ Yellow Summer Turnip” is 
excellent for summer use, and the “Scarlet 
Chinese” for winter. 
Spinach.— 1 The new “Large Virollay” is the 
best variety for this locality. For more north¬ 
ern situations, the “ Prickly,” being very hardy, 
varieties found in Seedsmen's catalogues, I find 
the “Yellow-podded Black Wax” the earliest of 
them all, and it is certainly surpassed bygone in 
richness of flavor. 
Pole Beans.— Among those used as Snaps or 
String Beans, the “Speckled Cranberry” is the 
earliest and, to my taste, the best. The “French 
Asparagus" might also be mentioned as being 
favor of sound companies, that would quickly 
solve insurance doubts by the annihilation of 
weak corporations. Indeed, such action would 
be but simple justice to all concerned. That 
people are beginning to take this view is clear 
by the statement of the N. Y. Life Insurance 
Company, printed elsewhere in our columns. 
The amount of insurance in force in the Com- 
sented at the “ World’s Fair,” to bo held at 
Paris, in 1878. Committees on credentials and 
on business were appointed. At the evening 
session the following resolution was introduced 
by Col. Bkyeiily of Virginia, aud after a lengthy 
discussion was unanimously adopted: 
Resolved, That, recognizing the substantial 
benefits already conferred by the act of Congress 
to encourage the ngrionltnral or mechanical arts, 
passed in 1862, this body would respectfully urge 
upon the United States Congress the expediency 
of supplying such additional endowment as is 
necessary to the better carrying out of the ob¬ 
jects for which this act waa passed ; and would 
further recommend to the said Congress of the 
United States that, in case tho proceeds of the 
sale of tho public lands be devoted, aa proposed, 
to the education of tho people, not less than one- 
fourth of tho said proceeds be assigned to the 
further endowment of tho agricultural and me¬ 
chanical colleges organized under the grant of 
1862. 
Messrs. Beverly of Va., Pubnell of Del., and 
Fields of Wis., were appointed a committee to 
present this resolution to Congress. 
It was also 
Itesolvedl That this Congress congratulates 
the agriculturists of the country upon the fact 
that experiment stations have been established 
iu several of the States, aud earnestly recom¬ 
mends their establishment in other States, as in¬ 
suring a practical education for farmers.’ 
The following resolution was referred to the 
committee on business: 
Resolved, That this body does not indorse any 
further distribution of the public lands to rail¬ 
road corporations. 
W. P. Adaib, from the Cherokee nation, by 
request, made a very interesting address, show¬ 
ing great progress in agriculture and the various 
branohes of education, stating that they had 
eighty-two free schools. 
The business committee, consisting of J. R. 
Dodge, E- Whitman, B. M. Frobkl, W. G. 
Markham and Col. F. D. Cuims, reported sub¬ 
jects for the consideration of the Congress, for 
Wednesday, to be Agricultural Education, In¬ 
land Transportation, Sheep Husbandry aud Wool 
Growing. This completed the first day's session. 
The meeting promises to be one of interest, one 
feature of whiob—and not the least important— 
is the interchange of sentiments aud friendly 
greetings between the farmers aud those inter¬ 
ested iu tho calling, from remote sections of our 
country. „ c - 
■{See page 134.) 
verv rich and delicate. Of Shell Beans few if 
any take precedence before the “Large White 
Lima,” though the “ White Dutch Runner” is a 
famous old-fashioned earlior sort, and very nice- 
flavored. 
Beets.— The earliest >ud prettiest is the 
“Egyptian” though inferior in quality. The 
sweetest is the old “ Bassano," whilst for general 
winter use, the “ Blood Turnip,” if of a good 
strain, is the best. Beets to be used during the 
summer should be pulled when half grown. 
Cabbages —For family use, the best early va¬ 
rieties are the “Little Pixie” aud the “Dwarf 
Bavo^.” The best winter varieties are the 
“Drumhead Savoy" aud the “Large Fiat 
KALMIA LATIFOLIA 
pany at the end of tho year was nearly one hun¬ 
dred aud twenty-eight millions of dollars, and 
this was over one hundred and fifty thousand 
dollars greater than it waa at the beginning of 
the year. The number of insurers has also in¬ 
creased very nearly two hundred, or until the 
total number of policies in force at the end of 
the year was 45,605. This handsome increase of 
business iu the face of the times and of the cir¬ 
cumstances is certainly worthy of commendation. 
There are any quantity of good and interest¬ 
ing things to be learned from this thirty-third an¬ 
nual statement. The Company secured enough 
interest from its investments to pay its losses 
and it is not ofteu a Life Insurance Company can 
do that. It paid claims to some six hundred 
families. It paid a better dividend than it did 
the previous year, and yet it marked down the 
value of its Government securities and its real 1 
estate a half million dollars. And then it left 
itself with a surplus, by the New York standard, 
of over six millions dollars ; and that waa one 
dollar extra for each oue dollar of liability. The 
list of the Company’s assets needs only to be ex¬ 
amined. The assets of the New York Life 
amount to $34,957,250 96. If is enough to say 
of these assets that they are worth fully what is 
claimed for them, and that, if they were reduced 
by the sum of six million dollars, the Company 
would still he fully solvent. 
For thirty-three years this Company has 
marked its ever-inoreasing prosperity by the 
most rigid fair-dealing, and the result is the 
handsome exhibit of its flourishing condition. 
HOT-BEDS. 
S. RUFUS MASON 
beds is fast becoming oboelete. I have discard¬ 
ed glass entirely ; it is expensive at first, costly 
to repair, aud cither freezes or scalds the plants 
when they touch it, as the temperature is low or 
high. My sashes have never cost less than $4.00 
each, 3 feet by 6 feet—and average fifty cents 
per annum for repairs. Three years experience 
with muslin sashes where the thermometer 
ranges from 20- below zero to 7G J above, satis¬ 
fies me of their superiority. I make a square 
frame of l>i inch stuff with a single bar of 
same size clown the middle, Cover it with com¬ 
mon, heavy, unbleached muslin, paint it over, 
two coats, with boiled linseed oil aud find it far 
better than glass. Have had no freezing or 
scalding, hut better colored plants, more stocky, 
and better able to withstand early transplanting. 
After the hot-bed is filled with manure, Ir y in 
the soil so as to come within three inches of the 
muslin, sloping exactly aa it does. Aa the sea¬ 
son advances, the bed will settle about as fast as 
NEW JERSEY STATE HORT. SOCIETY 
The third annual meeting of this society was 
held in the city of New Brunswick, Feb. 6th and 
7th, with a large attendance. 
The following officers were elected for the 
current year : President—Geo. Such, South Am¬ 
boy ; Vice Presidents—John S. Collins, Mooros- 
town; Alex. Barclay, Newark; C. W. Idell, 
Edwiu Allen, New Brunswick; J. Van 
Celeky.— “Dwarf Crystal Wlnle” and “ uiant 
White Solid" are my favorites. Both are perfect¬ 
ly solid aud of unsurpassed flavor. 
Cobn Salad— is one of the most useful vege¬ 
tables used for salad. Should be in every gar¬ 
den. If sown in August, it will be ready for use 
iu October, and from that time, will retain its 
line green color and excellent eating qualities 
till Christmas. Being very hardy, iu mild win¬ 
ters, like the present, one may have it every 
day on the table direct from the garden. 
Cobn.-- Among tho many varieties of sweet- 
corn, none can be better for an early crop than 
the “ Minnesota.” This may be succeeded later 
iu tho season by the “ Early Eight Rowed." 
For general and late use “ Stowoll’s Evergreen ’ 
Hoboken 
Deventer, Prinoeton; J. Nan Doren, Maualapan; 
B. F. Errington, Whiting ; H. E. Chitty, Pater¬ 
son ; D. C. Voorbees, Blawenburg ; E. P. Beebe, 
Elizabeth ; E. S. Carman, River Edge. Ree. 
Secretary—E. Williams, Montclair. Cor. Secre¬ 
tary—B. B. Hauee, Red Bank. Treasurer—W 
H. Goldsmith, Newark. Executive Committee— 
P. T. Quinn, Newark; E. Roberts, Fellowship; 
John S. Collins, Moorestown; D, McLaury, New 
Brunswick; D. C. Voorhees, Blawenberg. Fruit 
Committee, B. B. Hance, Rod Bank; Wm. Parry, 
Cinuauimson; D. MoLaury, New Brunswick; 
C. W. Idell, Hoboken, J. M. White, New 
Brunswiok. Flower Committee—.1 ohn T. Lovett, 
Red Rank: ,Jas, Taplin, South AmboyE. S. 
Carmao, River Edge. Vegetable Committee— 
W. H. Goldsmith, Newark; C. W. Thompson, 
Steitou ; Bouj. L. Trafford, Red Bank. The ex¬ 
hibition comprised twenty-two plates of apples, 
nine of pears, Boven of native uuts, ono of Florida 
oranges, aud plants aud cut flowers in good sup¬ 
ply. Au iuvitatiou from tho Burlington Co. Ag. 
Society to hold an exhibition uuder their auspiccB 
at the time of their annual fair in October, at 
Mt. Holly, was received and accepted. 
The next annual meeting will be held at New 
Brunswiok. w. 
Seeing the Rural’s no 
The Acme Tomato 
tice of tho Acme Tomato, I wish to add my tes¬ 
timony in its favor. I grew it last season in 
different parts of my grounds, and I found it 
equally fine iu all. Your description of it is very 
correct. It certainly is au acquisition, combin¬ 
ing all the good qualities of the Tomato— 
smooth, solid, ripens well, hears constantly, and 
is of good size and excellent flavor. 
WHAT VEGETABLES TO PLANT 
Who, after looking through the long lists of 
vegetables offered by different seed-houses, is 
not bewildered to know which of the several va¬ 
rieties he requires ? The various descriptions 
written about such,generally tend to make you be¬ 
lieve they are all the best and all really necessary 
for tho formation of a respectable vegetable- 
garden. Novelties m the way of Potatoes, Cab¬ 
bages, Radishes etc., appear in the catalogues 
year after year, possessing unheard of excellent 
qualities. In fact, the advantages to be gained 
by making use of those novelties aro so beauti¬ 
fully portrayed, that either through curiosity, or 
else fully believing all that is written about 
hem,ono is led to experiment with certain kinds, 
while other, older and perhaps better varieties 
are allowed to fall into the background. I do 
not wish to imply by this that all such novelties 
are of but little account, or that all old aorta are 
the best; but, in order to aid some persons in 
their selection, 1 would mention the names of 
a few varieties known to be good aud reliable 
through actual experience. My remarks will 
be confined more closely to the earlier sorts of 
vegetables, such boing generally more desirablo 
for those wishing to plant a garden tho products 
of which are to be used during the summer. 
Dwarf or Bush Brans. —Of the twenty-live 
J. G. R. Kalb 
table use. For pickling the “ Green l’roiihc is 
most desirable. 
Egg-Plant.— 1 The only really desirable variety 
of this vegetable is tho “ New York Purple.” 
The “ Early Dwarf Purple” has the merit of be¬ 
ing early, but is too 6inall and delicate to become 
a standard sort. 
Endive.— If selected from good stocks, the 
“ Green Curled” is the moat desirable for au¬ 
tumn and winter use, beiug the hardiest and 
Loudon Co., Va. 
CATALOGUES, *C., RECEIVED 
E. A. Reeves, 58 Courtlandt Street. N. Y., 
Illustrated, Descriptive Catalogue of choice 
seeds, embracing all the best varieties of Ameri¬ 
can and European growth. Vegetable, flower, 
field, fruit, herb, tree, shrub and bird seed—also 
garden implements, etc. 
Our readers are invited to Bend for this cata¬ 
logue which contains over 100 pages. 
The Garden, published quarterly by Benj. 
A. Elliott & Co., 114 Market Street. Pitts¬ 
burgh, Pa. A brilliant chromo of popular flow¬ 
ers for a frontispiece, excellent engravings, fine 
tinted paper and clear print, with practical dori- 
oultural articles characterize this first number 
of the Gardeu. If we understand it, this work 
is sent free to customers and to all others who 
buy seeds or articles to tho amount of fifty cents, 
or more. Besides this, special premiums are 
offered for clubs. We think we may safely com- 
l mend a consideration of the above to our readers. 
THE N. Y. LIFE INSURANCE CO 
Nothing oreates so disastrous a panic in con¬ 
fidence as the loss of faith in things in whioh we 
were acoustomod to place a blind reliance. Un¬ 
sound assurance associations took advantage of 
thiB confidence and battened on it until the even¬ 
tual wreck ol matter opened the eyes and de¬ 
pleted the pockets of tbo victims. The reaction 
was and is as unreasoning as the former state 
of fancied security. Tho fact is, the public are 
too prone to rely on unsupported statements. 
A little original investigation would save a world 
of misery and induce a healthy discrimination in 
