376 
THE RURAL. HEW- YORKER. 
JURE<5 
amoDg pears; the Concord among grapes; and 
the Wilson among strawberries, seems gifted 
with ability to attain success oyer a wider region 
than most others; while yet others, like Newtown 
Pippin, Swaar, and Esopus Spitzenberg, can 
hardly be said to prove fully successful away 
from their native localities. 
There possibly is occasion to doubt as to the 
extent to wbioh the fact of such failure is attri¬ 
butable to climate, and how far it may bo due to 
aspect, soil or other contingency. Nevertheless, 
the fact remaius; and it behooves the planter to 
consider it well, before proceeding to select his 
varieties. Indeed, the bucoobh or failure of va 
rieties seems so little amenable to mere climate, 
and is apparently so far independent of the limi¬ 
tations of parallels of latitude, that in no case 
oan it be considered safe to assume the success 
of a variety in an untried locality; nor yet to 
treat apparent success as certain and permanent, 
until the trial shall have extended over a series 
of years, and upon a variety of Boils. 
I am convinced that, to the careful observer, 
there can bo little doubt that, if the selection of 
varieties for the present orchards and gardens 
of the conn try could have been wisely made, the 
mere fact of such wise selection, under all the 
existing drawbacks of neglect and bad manage¬ 
ment, or, in too many cases, no management at 
all, would have had the effect of doubling the 
money value of their products, taken as a whole. 
-»-*• ■»- 
BENEFITS OF THE GRANGE. 
Allow me to thank you most sincerely for the 
good words and kindly regards for the Grange, 
expressed in your leader of Jan. 26. I had 
been thinking while perusing Prof. Roberts’ 
articles in relation to Agricultural Colleges, that 
while the few are privileged to enjoy the advan¬ 
tages of scientific training, which are afforded 
by these institutions, the great mass of agri¬ 
culturists remain nnbenefited except it may be 
by reflex from those thus privileged. But the 
Grange as an educator reaches, or may reach, 
every farmer's home in the laud. Its social, and 
educational influences are felt in the remotest 
hamlets and particularly in the “Great West." 
“ A word fitly Bpokcu, is like apples of gold in 
pictures of silver/’ and the dictum which goes 
forth from such an influential, and widely cir¬ 
culated journal as the Rural, may decide hun¬ 
dreds, and perhaps thousands to take a step 
which I am certain they will never have cause to 
regret. 
That the Grange iB the greatest secular power 
for good, that haB ever been brought to bear 
upon the agricultural population, no one who is 
acquainted with its workings will deny. Too 
many farmers and tboir wives live in selfish 
isolation, witb their backs bent, and their heads 
down, always digging with tbe mud rake, like 
the man in Bunyau’s .Pilgrim's Progress, never 
taking time or caring to look np. Some there are 
who joined the Grange solely for financial benefit. 
In this they need not be disappointed, for by judi¬ 
cious massing of orders, and prompt payment of 
cash, many dollars may bo saved. lu tbe pur¬ 
chase of agricultural implements, musical in¬ 
struments, sewing machines, fertilizers, grasB 
seed. &c.. many thousands of dollars are saved 
to the patrouB every year. We have a little 
supply room in our Hall where most kinds of 
groceries are kept. They are purchased at 
wholesale, done up in convenient packages by 
the seller, the weight marked on each package, 
and the patron pays only tbe wholesale price, 
thus saving from 20 to 50 per cent. There are 
more kinds of groceries than the uninitiated are 
aware of, for which we would have to pay on the 
street twice the wholesale price for which we can 
get them through tbe Grange. But while the 
financial part contributes cohesive power, and is 
a necessary component of success, there is a 
leaven which is more subtle and sure, more 
necessary to tbe vitality and longevity of the 
order, and which leavens the whole lump. It is 
the educating power, socially and intellectually 
and this feature of it the members are learning 
to prize beyond all financial gain derivable 
from it. 
To come to particularities — for I notice they 
often secure the attention better than generali¬ 
ties—the Grange of which I have the honor of 
being a charter member, has been in existence 
something over three years, and has a member¬ 
ship of over 100, composed mostly of farmers 
and their wives, all first-class people, for wo 
have tried to he very careful not to admit any 
but worthy members, and to reject those whom 
we should be ashamed to call brother or Bister. 
The Grange meets Monday afternoons, for 
Monday being butter day in town makeB it more 
convenient for the men. At first the ladies de¬ 
murred at this arrangement because it bo 
materially interfered with the washing, but 
somehow they seem to have compromised the 
matter, for the potent power of the Grange has 
either prompted them to nnusnal activity in the 
early morning, or to defer the washing till 
another day. To woman particularly does this 
institution come as a benediction. 
The greater part of the life of the average 
farmer’s wife is toil, and drudgery, with little 
time for rest, or thought, mental improvement, 
or the refinements of social life. But the Grange 
gives her stated periods of rest and recreation, 
affords her something new, and pleasant to 
think about, and lifts half the burden. The 
pleasant friction of social contact witb others, 
renders her cheerful, and enables her to look 
upon the pleasant side of life. In no other or¬ 
ganized body is woman placed upon an entire 
equality with her husband, empowered to hold 
the same offices, and cast her vote with the same 
unrestrained freedom. This feature alone 
should recommend flae Grange to every intelli¬ 
gent lady in the land. 
The mental powers of the members are stimu¬ 
lated by discussion of agricultural topics and 
such other subjects as have been found of 
interest, and many an essay has been written 
and read by those who, when first called npou, 
thought it beyond their power to do Buoh a 
thiug, but who found, when it was tried in real 
earnest, that it was not so very hard after all. 
Some object to the Grange on aocouut of its 
secret character. Do not all organized church 
societies, business firms, and even the family, 
have secrets which they do not care to have 
every one possess ? The Grange is not an oath- 
bound society, its secrecy is enforced simply 
under an obligation which will not conflict in the 
least with one’s moral or religious convictions, 
but which a man or woman of honor will con¬ 
sider as binding as an oath, It has secrets 
enough to hold it together, and to prevent any 
bat the initiated from gaining entrance. The 
machinery works admirably and without friction 
—Subordinate, County, State and United States 
Grange, like wheels within a wheel, or links of 
one unbroken chain. 
The different County Granges are doing an 
excellent work in the organization of Mutual 
Life Insurance Companies. It is to the shame 
of farmers tbat they have paid hundreds of 
thousands of dollars to Insurance Companies to 
support the officers in extravagance, build 
marble palaces, and buy whiskey and cigars for 
agents who ride about the oountry; without 
having realize-d in the aggregate the one-hun¬ 
dredth part of their investments. It is notorious 
that if he has the misfortune to have his build¬ 
ings burned, the adjuster will throw out of ac¬ 
count everything possible, and pay as little as ho 
can of the loss incurred. This County has, 
within a short time, formed a Patrons' Fire 
Relief Association, starting out with ^110,000 
risks which I trust will soon be increased to five 
or ten times the amount. The rates, instead of 
being % of 1 per cent for three years, as in the 
stock companies, is from 1-7 to 1-10 of 1 percent 
for five years, according to proximity and char¬ 
acter of buildings. Then we have the Patrons’ 
Aid Society organized on the same basis as the 
Masonic Relief, which obligates tbe member to 
pay one dollar on the death of any other member. 
This—with the entrance fee wbioh is small, and 
graded according to the age of the pei-Bon—con¬ 
stitutes all the expense. There are no salaried 
officers to pay, except the actual expenses of the 
Secretary, and the beneficiaries get the whole 
sum paid by the members. mbs. w. c. g. 
Suffolk Co., N. Y. 
--- 
PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 
The American Antiquarian. This is the first 
number of a new quarterly periodical devoted 
to early American history, Ethnology and 
Archoiology, edited by the Rev. Steuben D. 
Peet, and published at Ashtabula Ohio. It con¬ 
tains, exclusive of advertisements, sixty pages, 
nine of which are occupied by illustrations of In¬ 
dian antiquities discovered in various parts of 
the country, and described in the text. It fills a 
desideratum in American literature, and while 
of special interest to archceologista, also affords 
entertainment and instruction to the general 
reader. 
Arguments before the Committee on Patents 
of the House of Representative in February and 
March 1878, with reference to amending the 
laws relating to patents. This is a subject 
which affords a large scope for discussion, 
and the opinions of a dozen or so experts 
on the matter are condensed in the 375 pages of 
this work. 
-♦♦♦-- 
CATALOGUES, &c., RECEIVED. 
Crop Prospects for the month of May, from 
special correspondents. L. L. Polk, Commis¬ 
sioner, Raleigh, N. C. 76 pages. 
Nineteenth Annual Report of the Superin¬ 
tendent of the Insurance Department, State of 
New York. Part Second. John F. Smyth, Supt. 
Hooker Nurseries, Rochester, N. Y. Spe¬ 
cialties : the Brighton and Lady Grapes, Roses, 
Magnolias, Gooseberries, Currants, Peaches. 
The number of students attending the Hlinois 
Industrial University (Urbana, Champaign Co., 
Els.,) in 1877-78 was 377- 
Circular. American Association for the Ad¬ 
vancement of Science. Twenty-seventh meet¬ 
ing to be held at St. Louis, Mo., August, 1878. 
List of Premiums of the Iowa State Ag. Soci¬ 
ety for the Twenty-Fifth Annual Exhibition, to 
be held on Sept. 16 -20, at Cedar Rapids. 75 
pages. 
^rlimraltural. 
LARCHES-CONCLUDED. 
European Larches occupy a very important 
offioe in the plantations of Europe intended for 
either timber, for ornament or for shelter. 
Few trees grow more rapidly, or are finer during 
their early spring growth. Later in the summer, 
in America at least, a dimmer and more ruBty 
hue is apt to pervade the foliage, which renders 
it leas attractive. In Europe, however, their 
peculiar office seems to be that of shelter as 
well as timber. Massed together as wind-breaks 
cn the outer boundaries of estates or smaller 
lawns, their rapid growth, thick foliage and 
cheapness well fit them to set off and protect 
the beauties of more tender and choifle trees. 
Their employment for suoh purposes in America 
has not proved indeed equally successful. There 
is something about their nature that unfits them 
for thriving in our summer climate. The rusty 
hue indicates this and a sparse Blender growth 
soon demonstrates it to a certainty. Then, again, 
they do not prove with ns very easy to trans¬ 
plant, especially in the spring, when their 
habit of starting early causes many failures in 
cases where too much delay has occurred. The 
fall, in this latitude and further south, is un¬ 
doubtedly the best season for moving all Larches, 
and were it always selected, far less complaint 
would be made concerning the difficulty of 
transplanting them. After acknowledging all 
the good qualities of the European Larch, we 
hardly think it will ever attain, much less hold, 
the important position among our trees intended 
for massing, that the Norway Spruce, White 
Spruce, and Austrian and Sootch Pines occupy. 
Wo should like to say a word here concerning 
the importance of these masses planted especially 
for wind-breaks while at the same time they 
give a distinctive character to the place and 
afford a framo-work to its general arboreal sur¬ 
roundings in the shortest time and best manner 
possible. It should be the first duty of the 
landscape gardener to establish the protective 
adornments to which class undoubtedly the 
Larches belong and for which they possess a 
decided value. 
The peculiar form of Larch represented so 
truthfully on the first page of the last number, 
is a variety of the European or rather of a par¬ 
ticular form of that species, known as the 
Tyrolese Larch. It is said to have been picked 
out of a seed-bed in Mr. Godsall’s nnrsery 
many years ago. The grotesque and remarka¬ 
ble form it assumes is very persistent. Indeed, 
the specimen in question bids fair to soon become 
a perfect monstrosity that must have, in order 
to prevent it from breaking down of its own 
weight, artificial supports nnder several promi¬ 
nent brandies. The weight of snow in winter 
presents yet another danger for its abnormal 
formation. Unlike the atoms of most high- 
grafted trees, the trunk of this form of Weeping 
Larch seldom incurs disease but it will be readily 
seen that the above noted monstrous shapes 
prove even in this case the fundamental weak¬ 
ness of the system of high grafting. Undoubt¬ 
edly, however, the strong desire of most people 
for immediate effect will long secure the employ¬ 
ment for high-grafted Weeping Larches, especi¬ 
ally if by systematic pruning the weeping ten¬ 
dency be regularly trained to assume graceful 
shapes free from the distortion so sure to ensue 
if the tree is left to itself. The low-grafted 
form is therefore, in this case as well as others, 
muoh the best. It is a natural growth from the 
ground up, a weeping pyramid, and a proper 
feature of the landscape in its ordinary stages of 
development, and this the high-grafted is not. 
The specimen in questiou was imported from 
Europe years ago, and has apparently received 
no treatment with the knife during its occupa¬ 
tion of the present position. 
Larix glauoa or alba is a variety of the Enro- 
paa Larch, that shows very light foliage on its 
young growth, otherwise it is not very' distinct. 
There are many Larches other than these two 
species: indeed their own varieties are numer¬ 
ous ; but, practically, for ornamental effect, 
there are only two others that are worth dwelling 
upon. Larix Dahurica is a small tree of peculiar 
hardiness, “ dwarfing down by climate to a 
stunted hush, with twisted, half-pendulous 
branches." It is found far north in Siberia, on 
the bleak mountains of Dahuria, in regions 
wheie appear only the last vestiges of arboros- 
cent vegetation. The distinct forms and rugged 
nature of this Larch give it a decided value; for 
it is well known that some species of Larch, suoh 
as Griffithii, etc., are not really hardy In this 
climate. 
One of the most notable of all Larches is the 
leptolepsls, par (excellence the Japan Larob. It 
is a more slender and delicately formed tree than 
Europe a and belongs to a more refined type. 
“It is cultivated” says Gordon, “ by the Japa¬ 
nese in pots wbioh, in some instances, are price¬ 
less; hence, its Japaueso name, Kin-t'Biansoung, 
Money Pine.” The high mountains of Japan 
dwarf it to a mere shrub of two feet. 
Whatever may be said, iu a general way, 
against the Larch as a specimen tree in America, 
nothing can surpass the soft, rich green of its 
‘ foliage in spring: with regard to trees massed 
in groups for shelter and effect, most of these 
objections disappear. 
-• ♦» «--- 
THE GOLDEN RETINOSPORA AS A HARDY 
EVERGREEN 
I should like to render my testimony in favor 
of this beautiful little golden evergreen on one 
special account, namely, that of hardiness. 
It is a well known fact among all who have at¬ 
tempted to grow evergreens on tbe bleaker 
points of the New England Bhorea, suoh as the 
cliffs at Newport etc, that generally they are 
not capable of resisting the effect of severe 
ocean winds ladon with salt spray. The Nor¬ 
way Spruce is soon rendered thiu and meager 
and the Hemlock utterly destroyed. Arbor 
Vitae, Junipers of certain varitiea, and Yews 
shrivel up and die, and even Scotch and Aus¬ 
trian PineB, iu most cases perfectly ragged, 
will in peculiar localities lose the lower limbs, 
and become naked and bare. These last-named 
evergreens may, however, he termed fairly 
hardy, and classed in this respect with the 
White Spruce, Creeping Juniper eto. Indeed, 
so few evergreens thrive iu full exposure to the 
vicissitudes of such situations, that the use of 
deciduous shrubbery and treeB is to be specially 
commended for the main and most exposed 
plantations of those localities. 
Strange to say, however, a conifer that has 
been occasionally, with seeming injustice, called 
tender, exhibits in the worst exposures, a vigor 
and endurance that are really _ astonishing. 
The Golden Retinospora, the conifer I mean, 
has something in its naturo that adapts it to 
more situations, more pruning, more trans¬ 
planting than almost any evergreen that can be 
named. I do not propose to dwell on the other 
notable virtues of this Retinospora, bnt simply 
to point out this particular quality, tested now 
for years, that must always entitle it to a high 
place on the list of the landscape gardener’s 
material. Samuel Parsons. 
IS THIS A NEW HORSE DISEASE 1 
Fob about one year this section of the coun¬ 
try has been afflicted by an unknown disease 
among horses, and many valuable animals have 
sickened and died from it, while of all that have 
been affected, I know of none that has recov¬ 
ered. The proprietor of a hotel in this town 
has just lost twolve horses, young and old, in 
this way. and others in the neighborhood have 
likewise been heavy sufferers. The most skill¬ 
ful local horBe-doctors that have been called to 
treat this strange malady, have so far been un¬ 
able to effect a single euro. 
The symptoms and course of the disease, bo 
far as 1 can learn, are as follows: At the out¬ 
set the horse shows considerable weakness, ac¬ 
companied with quick pulsations ; the circula¬ 
tion then becomes sluggish, especially close to 
the surface, though it is believed to be more 
than normally rapid about the heart. Death, 
though certain, is not immediate. The horse 
will linger for weeks and mouths, from three to 
six mouths being, indeed, the time within which 
the animals are carried off after the attack com¬ 
mences. Meautlme the appetite continues good 
up to the last, and feeding the animals well 
seems to have a better effect than turning them 
to grass; for with tbe latter treatment they 
die off rapidly. From the first, however, tbe 
horse loses flesh aud runs down generally. 
Should any reader of the Rural happen to 
know the cause, nature, course or cure of this 
malady he would confer a great benefit on hun¬ 
dreds hereabouts, and perhaps elsewhere, by 
telling what ho knows wit h regard to it through 
the columns of the Rural. t. 
La Rue, Marlon Co., O. 
THE HESSIAN FLY’S FAVORITE WHEAT. 
A 9 was apprehended last fall, the Cecidomyia 
destructor, or Hessian Fly. is ravaging the wheat 
crop in this section to a tearful extent. 
The CI&wbou aiul all white wheats are the vari¬ 
eties infested. Red wheats, and especially the 
Lancaster, seem to bo proof against the larva of 
the fly. Either tho fly never lays eggs on the 
blades of the Lancaster or else the larva after 
coming from the egg fails to wedge itself be¬ 
tween the leaf aud the culm, in tho axil, which 
is claimed to grow closer and to be of hardier 
texture. A number of pieces of wheat are now 
growing in this vicinity, which wero bowu In part 
to Clawson and in part to Lancaster, aud at 
the very boundary betwoou the two varieties of 
wheat, the Clawson is “erlkling” down and Some 
stems contain as many as twenty larv;i\ some of 
which had changed to pupso as early as May 10th, 
Of course all tho larvae came from eggs laid this 
spring. The Lancaster, only a drill-mark away, 
is vigorous and entirely free or the maggot. 
A still moro remarkable oase of white and red 
wheat growing side by side, is a piece of wheat 
owned by Mr. A. Barton. When he begun 
sowing a field to Lancaster, there was about a 
. .half-bushel of Clawsou in the drill, which was 
not takou out, but the Lancaster was put ill the 
drill on top of the Clawson. Now, at this time, 
the very place aud distance to which the white 
wheat reached can be readily seen aud marked, 
by tho unhealthy condition due to the presence 
of the fly larvie. Those cannot be found else¬ 
where in the lot. 
The cause of Buch a phenomenon is certainly 
worthy of the attention of eutoniologista. While 
the fly, in its younger stages. Is found on barley 
and rye as well as on white wheat, red wheat is 
without a specimen of the larvse. Notwithstand¬ 
ing the improbable difference between the white 
and red wheat plant, it seems very proper to 
call tho insect the White Wheat Fly. Rank, rich 
pieces of wheat are looking well in spite of the 
