243 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
will offer, through the Bub vl, my mite. Cherry 
trees iu my neighborhood, especially those of 
the fast-growing kindB, are very liable^to have 
the hark Bplit on the Bouth side, and when they 
do bo, it generally uses them up in a few years. 
In eome agricultural paper or book (those being 
the places where I have learned most of what I 
know in such matters.) advice was given to slit 
the bark in June. I did so with some old, crack¬ 
ed trees, slitting upon their north aides, by which 
I evidently prolonged their lives and usefulness 
three or four years. Some three years since I 
found about half of a row of thirty young cherry 
trees, seedlings not yet in bearing, badly cracked. 
I slit them on the north side, with a knife, and 
now all but two are nearly healed and look 
healthy. S. B. Peok. 
-- 
PAMPHLETS, &c., RECEIVED. 
Premium List of Nebraska State Board of 
Agriculture and State Horticultural Society for 
the Twelfth Anuual Exhibition, to be held at 
Lincoln, Nebraska, Monday, Tuesday, Wednes¬ 
day, Thursday and Friday, September 23d to 
27 th, 1878. Competition open to the World. 
The brief title of this handsome little pamphlet 
of 60 pages, explains its object so fully that 
little remains for us to say beyond a word of 
praise for the very liberal spirit manifested in 
the long list of premiums offered for the best of 
every object of interest or utility to the farmer 
and his family. Not a little information is also 
given with regard to the “points" of various 
kinds of stock, especially of cattle. By the way, 
our Nebraska subscribers should not foget that 
“ Arbor Day" is the third Wednesday iu April, 
and that the liberal premium of $50 offered by 
the Board for the greatest number of fruit, 
forest, and evergreen trees, as well as those of 
$25 and $10 offered respectively for the greatest 
number of hard-wood trees, and the greatest 
number of cuttings set out, oan only be ob¬ 
tained by those who have done the plant ng on 
that day. 
Thirteenth Annual Report of the American 
Dairymen's Association with transactions and 
addresses for the year ending January 10th, 
1878. This neat pamphlet of 134 pages is mainly 
taken up with a full report of the sayings and 
doings of the Thirteenth Annual Convention of 
the American Dairymen’s Association held last 
January, in Cleveland, Ohio, a condensed report 
of which we gave to our readers at the time. It 
iB published at the office of the “American 
Dairyman" of this city and as a pithy resume of 
the yearly record of dairy transactions in the 
country, it should be in the hands of all inter¬ 
ested in dairy matters. 
refuse ‘straw, corn stalks, marsh hay or other 
litter. This can he raked up and stacked in the 
fall, for a second season, if desired, or left to rot 
on the ground. 
At the plum oroh&rd of 8,000 treeB planted by 
Mr. Shankland, about twenty miles further 
west, no considerable loss bag been sustained by 
winter-killing. Tbe soil in both oaseB is a clayey 
loam, but the latter has more depth than the 
other, with a less compact sub-soil, rendering It 
less subject to injury from drought. 
BURSTING Of THE BARK 
is another cause of very serious damage to 
plum trees in the Bn own orchards. This is 
occasioned by the freezing and expansion 
of the sap, so as to cause the bark of the 
tree to burst, or to separate from the wood 
so as to die—usually on tbe southwest side of 
tbe trunk, where most warmed by tbe sun. 
This, I have no doubt, can be measurably pre¬ 
vented by the meanB already mentioned; but in 
addition I would screen the bark from the sun, 
on the south and west sides during winter, by 
means of a couple of strips of thin board, or half- 
sections of bark peeled from sapling forest trees 
in June, or even with strips of hard-ware paper 
fastened with tacks or twine. 
AS TO THE CURCULIO, 
I have repeatedly stated that this is no 
hindrance at all to the success of commer¬ 
cial plum culture, but rather an advantage; 
as the ravages of the insects are sure to 
prevent people from growing Plums in a small 
way; .'or nobody can afford to attend to jarriug 
and catching the beetles every day for a month 
from half-a-dozen trees, but for a thousand or 
two the crop is of sufficient value to pay well for 
having a man, with the proper apparatus, to give 
the matter regular attention. The labor in 
suoh a case is found to be quite small in com¬ 
parison with the results. 
Palnesville, O. 
Ulisffllanrous 
PUMPKIN SEEDS ONCE MORE. 
PRESERVE YOUR PAPERS. 
Readers of the Rural should preserve their 
old papers, and they will prove a Bource of 
CATALOGUES, &c., RECEIVED. 
Your correspondent, “ Hector Bertram,” in¬ 
quires first, whether I ever kept geese ; and if so, 
whether they were allowed to eat pumpkin Beeds; 
and, if so, with what resnltB. I reply that geese 
were kept on the farm for many years, or at 
least till a Bufficient number of feather-beds 
were procured to supply a large family—for the 
days of antipathy to feather-bods had not yet 
arrived. The geese had the range of the barn¬ 
yards and them vicinity, and in the Beason when 
pumpkins were fed to oows, were, with perfect 
impunity, permitted to help themselves to all 
the seeds they desired, without any injurious re¬ 
sults whatever, as far as w*B ever noticed. I 
will not venture to assert that they considered 
these seeds to be such a “ great luxury" as your 
correspondent concludes I did, but our geese 
were not such silly geese that they were ever 
known to gorge themselves with food that na¬ 
ture never intended that they should eat. That 
acquired or intuitive knowledge of what is 
suitable for them for food, with whioh the God 
of Nature seems to have endowed all the differ¬ 
ent Bpecies of dumb animals, appeared not to 
have been withheld even-from our geese. 
To his second inquiry, whether I ever tried the 
experiment of feeding a portion of tbe oows 
with pumpkins, and another with carrot?, beets 
or corn stalks, I answer iu the negative. The 
rule has ever been, wbeu the pastures become 
scant, in the latter part of the season, to sup¬ 
plement them, first with green sowed corn, then 
with pumpkins while they lasted, and then with 
the root oropa whioh would keep later. Even 
unmarketable apples are more valuable for suoh 
use than to be made iuto oider. At least I so 
ooDsider them. 
As regards pumkins, your correspondent closeB 
by saying, “ They are excellent for fattening 
purposes, but diminish rather than increase the 
flow of milk." My own experience has induced 
me to believe directly the opposite, but proba¬ 
bly it would require more space than could be 
afforded in tbe Rural for either of us to con¬ 
vert tbe other to bis own opinion. Therefore I 
will not attempt it. It has not been my inten¬ 
tion to '' ridicule the ideas" of any one on the 
subject, &a your correspondent BUppoBes. My 
purpose has been, merely, to “ speak that we do 
know, and testify that we have seen." Others 
have the same privilege. Having an opinion of 
my own, I trust that at the same time I am not 
willfully blind or bigoted. Clinton. 
List of Wild Plants of New England furnished 
by mail, post-paid, by Erastus S. Wheeler, 
Berlin, Mass. 
Catalogue of the Waocabuo Farm, Golden’s 
Bridge, N. Y. Jersey Cattle, Berkshire Swine, 
English Mastiffs and Deer Hounds. 
We have received from the Parsons & Sons 
Co., their now Catalogues for 1878. We do not 
know of another unrsery establishment 'that 
more earnestly strive to give their patrons sat¬ 
isfaction. The catalogue of “ New and Rare 
Plants” will interest all who desire the newest 
of hardy evergreens and deciduous ornamental 
trees and shrubs. Kissena NurBories, Flushing, 
Long Island. 
L. B. Case, Richmond, Ind. Botanical Index 
to the plants grown at his commercial green¬ 
houses. 
Second Annual Bench Show of the West¬ 
minster Kennel Club, to be held at Gilmore’s 
Garden, May 14, 16, 16, 17. 
Gardner B. Weeks, Syracuse, N. Y. Illus¬ 
trated and Descriptive Price-list of Chapman’s 
Railway Pitching Apparatus and Stacking Out¬ 
fit. Took the highest, award at late trial N. Y. 
8. A. S, Also price-list of cheese and butter 
factory, and dairy supplies and apparatus. Steam 
engines and boilers, 
“ Gasolooy,” a Batire. Published by John 
Donkey A Co. Trade supplied by Tbe American 
News Company, N. Y- A very remarkable sa¬ 
tirical poem upon topics of the times, such as 
the Telephone. Blue Glass, Patent Returning 
Boards, Hell Abolished, etc. , which neodB to be 
read to be appreciated. 
Retort on the general oondition of the agri¬ 
cultural interests of North Carolina from re¬ 
turns made to the Department of Agriculture, 
Raleigh, N. 0.; L L. Polk, Commissioner. 
Virginia. Her many advantages as com¬ 
pared with other sections Of the United States. 
A list of farms iu the Piedmont section. Ad¬ 
dress W. A. Parsons, Goochland Courthouse, 
Virginia. 
Facts and Information in relation to the Ca- 
talpa Tree. Its value and the importance of its 
extensive cultivation in grovos. By E. E. Bar¬ 
ney, Dayton, Ohio. 
answered again, and again, also how nearly we 
write as did those who came before us. 
It is also interesting to examine tbe list of 
new frnits that have epruug up from time to 
time, all said to be better and more desirable 
than any that had been yet introduced. They 
were generally Bold at high priceB, had a brief 
existence and dropped out of sight to appear 
again perhaps m a still more “questionable 
LEARN A TRADE. 
This is an old threadbare subject, that has 
been perhaps exhausted, but my attention was 
called to it again by the remark of one of the 
overseers in our Onondaga Penitentiary, a few 
days since. He said that he had had charge of 
hundreds of prisoners but had never found one 
that was master of a trade. He said that men 
14- . fe 
9 
ih .Story. 
of new Potatoes, Squashes, Cabbages, and in 
fact of every kind of vegetable, grain, flour and 
plant. It is instructive, and occasionally as our 
eye rests upon something in which we so con¬ 
fidentially invested our money to no purpose, it 
is perhaps provoking. 
But there is another side to this subject. In 
many instances we have really improved our 
He cannot be found among the prisoners." 
Now, if this man stated the facts, it is import¬ 
ant for all who have boys, to kuow it. Fathers 
take heed of this fact, that the ranks of crimi¬ 
nals are recruited from that class who are 
allowed to grow up in idleness because perhaps 
their parents are wealthy. As you love your 
boys, give them a trade or profession by whioh 
Cellar, plan . 
shape.” I can find an account of Strawberries 
by the score, that were to supersede the 
“ Wilson " and yet the latter still heads the list 
as a market variety. I have paid as high as 50o. 
per plant for some of these, the Dr. Nicaise for 
instance, and only lost my money. We have, 
again and again, been promised a more profit¬ 
able Grape than the “ Concord," but it fails to 
be superseded. Then rnn your eye over the list 
came there who would give their occupation aB 
a blacksmith, carpenter, tailor or something of 
the sort, bnt on examination it would be found 
that they had only a slight understanding of the 
occupation they professed. “ I tell you," said 
he, ‘ 1 good mechanics and fanners do not git 
into our penitentiary j at all events, when we 
wish a good mechauio to superintend any piece 
of work, we are obliged to hire him outside. 
l-STOR Y. 
b*. 
amusement and instruction in after years, 
hardly to be est mated. I have the Rural com¬ 
plete since 1865, and it Is a rich treat to look 
over the old numbers. One will be surprised to 
notice how the same old questions are asked *ad 
fruits, seeds, plants, etc. I know of no better 
way than to invest in these new discoveries as 
our means will permit, "Proving all things 
and holding fast to that which is good.” 
Syracuse, N. Y, Nelson Ritter. 
they oan support themselves. N. B. 
Syracuse, N. Y. 
- +»» 
BLITTING THE BARK. 
If you do not deem this subject exhausted, I 
C. H. Hovey & Co., Catalogue of plants, seeds, 
&o., 22 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass. 
Price & Knickerbocker, 80 State Street, Al¬ 
bany, N. Y. Spring Catalogue of the Albany 
Seed Store. 80 pages well illustrated. 
