pressed and resembling shell work, the depressed 
portion is marked aud variegated in the most 
fantastic of manners. It is from this odd mark¬ 
ing the cognomen of Tiger Flower was derived. 
The outer half of each petal, though presenting 
a broad surface, is very light and airy, and of 
one color only, according to variety. 
There are two varieties in cultivation, T. con- 
chiiflora, the center of which is a brilliant yellow 
variegated with black, and the outer portion a 
deep orange, T. pavonia has a golden yellow 
oenter variegated purple-brown, the ends of the 
petals being r brilliant crimson or scarlet. 
The only obj notion to the Tigridia is the short 
life of the flower; it appears very early in the 
morning and on a cloudy day or if planted iu a 
cool, shady corner, it will remain open nearly all 
day, but an hour or two of sunshine destroys the 
beauty of the flower. The next morning, how¬ 
ever, a fresh supply of l ho queer blooms appears. 
Indeed a small bed of them will very seldom be 
without flowers every morning. The foliage re¬ 
sembles that of the Gladiolus, the flower stems 
attain a bight of twelve to sixteen inches. 
The bulbs which resemble those of the Tulip, 
though usually smaller, Bhould be planted in 
May in a light, rich compost. They should be 
set in a place where they will be shaded until 
noon at least. Set them two inches deep aud 
four inches apart; on the appearance of cold 
weather take up the bulbs, dry them off as you 
would Tulips, and pack in tight boxes to keep 
front mice and rats: gophers are very fond of 
them also. 
TRITOMA. 
The Tritoma. though not exactly a bulbous 
plant, is classed among the summer-blooming 
bulbs and tubers. During its season of bloom, 
which is in September aud October, it forms a 
very conspicuous object in the garden. It is 
particularly adapted to growing on the edges of 
ponds or lakes, but while thriving in such situa¬ 
tions it is equally adapted to garden culture, aud 
forms a magnificent addition to foliage beds. 
European florists offer a number of varieties, 
but there is very little difference in them, cer¬ 
tainly not enough to make them desirable. 
Tritoma Gvaria is the variety in general cultiva¬ 
tion : it is a strong-growing plant, enduring the 
winter in the open border in all except the 
Northern States of Maine aud Minnesota. [It is 
not hardy north of Philadelphia. Eds ] The 
flower stem attains to a bight of four to live feet, 
crowned by a spike, twelve to eighteen inches 
long, of red and orange pendent blooms. The 
Tritoma is frequently known as the Red Hot 
Poker from the supposed resemblance of the 
flower spike to that well kuown kitchen appen¬ 
dage. The foliage in the Southern aud Paoiflo 
States, lives through the winter. 
It likes a light soil, well mixed with decayed 
manure : when coming in bloom it should have 
plenty of water. The root should not be divided 
oftener than every three years. 
EXCHANGE. 
As the Rural seems to be a medium for the 
exchange of flower seeds,I would like to avail my¬ 
self of the opportunity to exchange those that I 
have in superabundance for others I am short of. 
I have: Flowering AlmondB ; Straw-colored Lily 
very fragrant j Peony, Perennial Phlox; Oxalis, 
common pink, and white ; Howies, piuk and yel¬ 
low ; Gladiolus seed. I would like to exchange 
these for Pansy and Aster seeds, Compton’s Cen¬ 
tennial Prize Field Corn, or Prof. Murdoch's 
Yellow ; 100 DayB’ Tomatoes, Lily bulbs, except 
Tiger ; rinks or any colored Campanula, ex- 
oept white. M. m. w 
Box S5, Pittsfield, Mass. 
I have the Early Ohio, Snowflake, Victor, 
Burbank's Seedling, Gonesoe Co. King, White 
Victor, Ruby, Acme, and other new aud choice 
varieties of Potatoes, a few of either or all of 
which I would like to exchange for other now 
varieties such as the Leader, Superior, Comp¬ 
ton's Surprise, Dunmore, Climax, Centennial, 
Triumph Ac. 
I also have a considerble quantity of Flower 
Seeds, several choice varieties, a few of which 
I will agree to send to any reader of the Rural 
sending me a post-paid and adressod enevelope, 
as long as the supply lasts. 
Windham, Ohio. Clint Hiulet. 
Note.-—W e apologize to our friends that for 
want of space wo have been unable to publish 
the “ Exchange” propositions received during 
the past mouth. Indeed, we have received ten 
this year where last year we received one. We 
shall publish all that we have space for. LEds. 
FENZLIA DIANTHIFLORA. 
On p. 168 of the Rural, Mbs. Cox refers to 
this plant. J udging from her notice I presume 
her plant is Gilia dianthoides, a beautiful little 
Cahfornian annual that hoars a profusion of 
delicate, rosy-tinted flowers with a yellow throat 
surrounded by live dark-colored dots. The tree 
Feuzlias arc Melastomaceous shrubB aud na¬ 
tives of tropical New Holland. The above 
Gilia is, nevertheless, often grown and dis¬ 
tributed under the name of Fenzlia, an appella¬ 
tion to which it has uo right whatever, w. r. 
ER. 
APRIL 43 
MATERIALS FOR MULCHING. 
PROFESSOR W. J. BEAL. 
Mulch is placed about plants to prevent the 
sun from evaporating the moisture. In many 
cases it takes the place of cultivation. No doubt, 
if it were not for the expense and trouble, it 
would be more extensively used about herba¬ 
ceous plants. We have found, in our trying 
climate, that a flue mulch of manure completely 
covering the ground is an excellent thing for 
bedding plants. With trees and shrubs, a ser¬ 
ious objection to the use of mulch is its liability 
to harbor mice which may injure or destroy the 
plants. For strawberries mulch is used to keep 
the fruit clean as it ripens and to protect the 
plants in winter and spring. For strawberries 
we have bad the best success in applying the 
mulch quite late in autumn and in leaving the 
materials thin enough over the plants to barely 
expose a few of the leaves. The more changeable 
and severe the seasons, the greater the need of 
mulch—and mulch in genorouB quantity. There 
is a great variety of materials employed for 
mulching. I have heard of the use of beach 
sand or fine gravel with excellent results. The 
inexperienced gardener can try old clover hay, 
as I have done, and get a good crop of thrifty 
young clover to kill out the next Bpring ; or ho 
can employ ripe timothy or Juue-grass, and soon 
find the ground seeded with a crop he was not 
prepared for. Or again, if he like better, in the 
spring he can mulch with oat-straw not half 
thrashed or full of chaff containing oats BtiU 
plenty. Then he can dig young oat-plants all 
summer among the strawberries. Digging out 
the young plants of clover, grasses, oats, etc., is 
healthful exercise and stirriug the soil will not 
hurt the strawberry plants. 
I once tried all the above methods. I also 
tried forest leaves for autumn mulch adding 
corn-stalks to hold them down and thought I had 
a good thing. In spring, after an open windy 
winter, the leaves were not to be found. A few 
at a time, they had blown away. Having tried 
all these to my satisfaction, I now prefer clean 
straw, old or new, or marsh hay or corn fodder 
cut two inches long less or more. Piue-shavings 
get into the soil and are a nuisance. The same 
objection may be urged against tan-bark or any 
other material which does not decay readily and 
help to enrich the Boil. 
Agricultural College, Lansing, Mich. 
TEXAS AS AN INVALID RESORT. 
In penning you this letter I do not propose to 
write up Texas and to encourage hither immi¬ 
gration, “ by painting an Arcadian Beene.” 
That is being done already by railroad and land 
agents and pat ties having lands for sale aud by 
others who desire to see the resources of the 
State speedily and fully developed. My object 
is to call the attention of those of your patrons 
who have weak lungs and with whom cold and 
rigorous winters do not agree, to the fact that 
the climate of Texas will prove a balm to them. 
I speak from my own experience aud from the 
testimony of hundreds who, like mo, have made 
Texas a home, not from choice, but nocossity- 
For I can assure you I came to this State with 
many misgivings as to its people, its insects, its 
reptiles and the heat of its summer. In all 
those apprehensions, however, I have been most 
agreeably disappointed, and must state that 
Texas is a goodly land—but it is to a groat ex¬ 
tent undeveloped. 
Seven years ago I left New York; took the 
advioe of Horace Greeley and went West to 
“grow up with the couutry.” Kansas City was 
my objective point. But one winter thore 
satisfied me I had gained nothing by the 
change. From parties from Texas I learned 
that all my misgivings had no foundation in 
fact, and that if I would go to Texas, especially 
to the western part, I would immediately 
realize a change for the bettor, and soon would 
become hale, hearty, and sound of lungs. Con¬ 
cluding that BUch might be the result, I set out 
for Dallas in May in 1872. Then I bought a 
pony and equipments and began to travel over 
the State. I have been more or less over all of 
Northern, Southern aud Western Texas. 
Wheu I came hero I only weighed 125 pounds, 
I hardly cared to live. I now weigh 105 pounds, 
am free of cough and strictures in the breast 
and feel and am able to do any kink of work, or 
to uudergo any kind of hardships. I have 
fouud and met hundreds from the Western and 
Northern States who attest the same experience. 
I know thousands (?) iu the Northern and 
Western States—men aud women—with whom 
the winters do not agree and never will. All 
such I can safely and conscientiously advise to 
come to Texas. John Morrison. 
Colorado Co., Texas. 
IRRIGATION. 
_ 
At the annual meeting of the Western Ne w 
York Horticultural Society, the undersigned 
were appointed a committee to investigate the 
subject of irrigation and report at the meeting 
to bo held in January next. The committee, 
desiring to embody in their report the results 
of actnal experience, request persons having 
practical knowledge of the subject to communi¬ 
cate to the chairmau of the committee such 
facts as they may be able, in regard to the meth¬ 
ods, cost, difficulties, profits Ac. of irrigation ; 
and the committee will endeavor to send a copy 
of thoir report, when pulished, to those who 
comply with this request. If those who are sit¬ 
uated so that they can make accurate experiments 
duriug the present season will send their ad¬ 
dress to the committee, blanks will be furnished 
them to fill out. 
Committee.—S. Reed, Scottsville, N. Y., C. II. 
Danu, Warsaw, N. Y., W. R. Lazenby, Ithaca, 
N, Y. 
---- 
PINU8 AYACAHUITE. 
In the Rural of Feb. 2d. we notice that 
Messrs. Elwanoer and Barry condemn the 
Pinus Ayacahuite as quite unreliable for hardi¬ 
ness, while Mr. 0. S. Sargent, iu the Rural of 
March lfith, considers it uusuited to any climate 
north of Georgia. 
Now, of course, we do not wish (o question the 
result of those gentlemen’s experience and in¬ 
vestigation, and there is certainly much reason 
for this belle! independent of actual experience, 
in the fact that the Pinus Ayacahuite comes 
from the mountainous regions of Mexico, where 
all other native pines are ill suited to our cli¬ 
mate. Nevertheless the opinion expressed quite 
astonishes us ior wo have grown this pine with 
success for twenty-five years and sold it through¬ 
out the couutry without any complaints coming 
in of a character to make us doubt its hardi¬ 
ness. Iu view, however, of the opinions referred 
to, it would be interesting to hear further evi¬ 
dence in the ease from different sections of the 
country. Many explanations of this bohavior 
might be offered with con sidei able show of rea¬ 
son, but, after all, hardiness must bo for nearly 
all plants a relative term, as scarcely any adapt 
themselves to all the peculiarities of our clhnato. 
, Samuel Parsons. 
[TIub is rather a contradictory case. We 
would be glad to hear from any who has tested 
it. For ourselves, we have never seen a plant 
out of our own grounds, and this we have had 
but a short time.— Eds.] 
Raw Beet Sugar. —We have received from 
D. W. Payne, Corning N. Y. a sample of this 
Bugar which presents a fine grain, aud ought to 
yield a superior product when clarified. This 
industry should bo stimulated. It has almost 
driven cane sugar out of use in France, and is 
one of the leading sources of wealth of the na¬ 
tion. We congratulate Mb. Payne. 
CATALOGUES, &c., RECEIVED. 
H, M. Thompson A Son, St. Francis Nurseries. 
Illustrated Wholesale Price-list of Nursery- 
grown European Larch, Evergreens, Fruit, Or¬ 
namental, Shade, and deciduous tree seedlings, 
St. Francis, Wisconsin. 
Fourth Annual Report of the Commissioner of 
Agriculture of the State of Georgia, for 1877. 
Kansas as it is. A complete review of the 
resources, advantages, aud drawbacks of tbe 
great central State, by L. D. Burch. Published 
by 0. S. Burch A Co., 161 Randolph Street, 
Chicago, 111. An interesting and well illustrated 
work of 145 pages. 
The Sugar Beet in North Carolina. Report 
to the Commissioner of Agriculture on the re¬ 
sults of experiments with the Sugar Beet iu ten 
counties, by Albert R. Ledoux, Ph. D., Chapel 
Hill, N. C. 
Cuossman Brothers’ Illustrated Catalogue 
and Guide to the flower and vegetable garden 
for 1878—72 pages. This contains all necessary 
information. The firm invites a comparison ol 
prices with those of any other responsible house. 
It is furnished free to all applicants. 
Report of the Directors of the Central Park 
Menagarie for 1877. 
A. Whitcomb’s Descriptive Catalogue of new 
and popular bedding and greenhouse plants, 
Lawrence, Kansas. A neat little pocket-book of 
16 pages. 
William H. Dyer, Mulberry Grove, Provi¬ 
dence, R. I. Catalogue and Price-list of trees, 
Bhrubs, flowering plants, Ac. 8 pages. 
Some Reasonb for Tillage, as based on the 
relations of water to soils and to crops, by Pro¬ 
fessor S. W. Johnson, published by the Case, 
Lockwood and Br&inard Co., Hartford, Conn. 
This neat little pamphlet of 28 pages contains a 
lecture by Prof. Johnson delivered at the Con¬ 
vention of the Board of Agriculture at New 
London, Conn., Dec. 13, 1877. Probably no mau 
in this country, and few elsewhere, have contrib¬ 
uted so largely towards popularizing agricultural 
science and intelligent practice as the author 
who in this little work has condensed the in¬ 
structive results of numerous experiments, ex¬ 
tensive studies aud much reflection. 
FOREIGN CATALOGUES. 
Charles Turner, the Royal Nurseries, 
Slough, England. Catalogue of Greenhouse 
and Bedding plants. 
nbustrial Implements, 
THE BABCOCK PUMP. 
Numerous inquiries have been received of 
late concerning the adaptability of wooden 
water-pipe, and its relative cheapness ; we now 
f ji. tako occasion to say 
something regarding 
*r.wzT its manufacture and 
'Iffiii to present an illnstra- 
tion of an improved 
]B9 |k pump. We are in- 
BA debtod for our infor- 
H m mation to Messrs. H. 
_/V H. Babcock A Sons, 
y ;•>’!, Watertown, N. Y., 
^jaaiB»L>y in whose experience in 
h pi III the manufacture of 
II ii Yy these articles, extend- 
|\ ing over a period of 
Hi '|!| j|i || thirty-three years, 
gives value to their 
suggestions. 
They consider the 
Michigan white pine 
the choicest material 
for these purposes, 
and when selected and 
treated with care it 
will withstand destruc¬ 
tion for a great length 
of time, ranging from 
ten to twenty years 
| | min i according to eircuui- 
stances. This firm 
manufacture their ma¬ 
terial from the green 
wood, and then allow 
it to season from 
twelve t o eighteen 
months. The work is 
thou carefully inspect¬ 
ed and imperfect wood 
rejected before the 
j g final completed prod¬ 
uct is offered for sale. 
This practice insures 
sound, flawless wood. 
II Ini* * 
Tbe water pipe is of 
from one to four inch 
--i-®® bore, aud is used to 
good advantage iu 
pStesIfSB creameries, factories, 
and for farm purposes, 
II jy especially for the use 
of stock where it iB 
desirable to have a 
flow of pure, untainted 
The pumps made by 
this bouse have gained 
an enduring reputa- 
j | tion because of the 
excellence o f their 
maimfaoture, their 
| Jj J | 0 good suctiou and non- 
freezing qualities. The illustration is the 
number one pump. The patent iron cap 
prevents clogging from casting for¬ 
eign substances into the working 
parts. Their styles and sizes of 
pumps are multitudinous including 
an improved rubber-bucket ehaiu 
pump, and it is only necessary to 
state about what is wanted, or to de¬ 
scribe the uses for which your pumpr 
or water pipes are intended to se¬ 
cure full and detailed information of 
a praotioal character. We refer our 
readers who are interested in the subject to 
this house, feeling Hure they will receive the 
most oourteons attention. 
THE CHAMPION PAN. 
The work of the dairy has been so improved 
and simplified by novel appliances that the old, 
tedious methods aro fast becoming mere tradi¬ 
tions. This is especially true of milk pans. 
The weary method of lifting pans to and from 
shelves, entailing great waste, and uncounted 
back-aches Is relegated to the Umbo that contains 
the debria of many othor antiquated processes. 
By the nso of stationary pans there has ensued 
a saving of labor, a larger yield of butter which 
in of better quality, and hence an increase in the 
■ 
