PRICE SIX CENTS 
Sii.50 PER YEA R, 
VOL. XXXVII. No. 33 
WHOLE No. 1490. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1878, by the Rural Publishing Company, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.] 
the members of the family, as well as our visitors, 
linger in this part of our grounds longer than in 
those parts which are nothing if not ornamental. 
Thus a pleasure has been created from this 
style of mixed gardening, that repays us far 
beyond its cost and settles us in the belief that 
the vegetable garden need not be a bald vege¬ 
table storehouse alone, to be resorted to only 
as the demands of the table render it necessary. 
But we have yet a word to say about the Fancy 
Beets. Though highly ornamental, they are 
useful too. Wo have found that the great mid¬ 
ribs, divested of the greeu parts and secondary 
veins, may be cooked and Berved in a variety of 
ways. They may be cut up into pieces, stewed 
as long as necessary and covered with spiced 
vinegar ; or they may be stewed and dressed with 
drawn butter as for Asparagus. For other par¬ 
ticulars see Domestic Economy next week. We 
claim this as a new and valuable diBh. 
Aug. 6. 
stalks as large at the base as the half of one’s 
wrist. The veinlets are also a purple scarlet, 
which contrasts showily with the wax-like colors 
of the blades. Some of these stalks and veins 
are a deep orange, some piuk, some light green 
(“ White-Ribbed”) with all intermediate shades. 
As a general thing very little care is bestowed 
upon the vegetable garden to make it ornamen¬ 
tal as well as serviceable, and perhaps this is as 
it should be •, but we have never known until 
this season with how little trouble it can be made 
the one as well as the other. 
The back boundary of our garden is shown by 
a line of dwarf peaches, plums and crab-apples. 
On one side are rows of Kittatinny Blackberries 
and all sorts of red and black Raspberries. On 
tba other side, concealing the fence, are seedling 
hardy shrubs of various sorts. The main paths 
are lined with Currants and Gooseberries. For 
want of space elsewhere this season, we were 
driven to plant a double row of Ricinus seeds 
across the entire width of the garden—a variety 
produced by crossing Ricinus Gibaonii with R. 
sanguineus. These are now about two feet high 
and the leaves present changeable shades of 
bright, shiny crimson. Water and Muskmelons, 
groups of different varieties of Corn, Pearl Mil¬ 
let, Celery, planted in linos as straight as possi¬ 
ble, Tomatoes of many kindB well-staked, Cab- 
b'.ges, Brussels Sprouts, Green Peas, planted 
late which, by the way, we have never found of 
any value; parsnips, Chnfas, Okra, Salsify 
which, again by the way, is worth its weight 
how far a single Arbor-vita^ could be made to 
extend over the ground, one was plauted upon 
the lawn five years ago, and has since been cut 
back every Beason to within a foot or a little 
more of the ground. Its diameter is now six 
feet. Why not, therefore, in starting hedges 
set the plants, say, at least four feet apart ? Or, 
if the effect of a continuous hedgo is needed 
sooner, plant them two feet apart, and then 
when the branches meet, remove every other 
plant for the formation of another hedge, leav¬ 
ing now a space of four feet between those of 
the first ? 
Ornamental evergreen hedges are seldom so 
ornameutal as they might be if more care were 
given to the lateral and less to the perpendicular 
growth. Looking to permanent health and 
beauty, the plants should be Bet as far apart as 
we have indicated; should be kept cut back to 
two feet until the lowest branches meet and lie 
upon and oover the ground. Then they may be 
permitted to attain the desired hight. But the 
lower growth, which has been sacrificed to per¬ 
pendicular growth, is sacrificed for all time, and 
that which would form a chief beauty is lost for¬ 
ever. 
ORNAMENTAL VEGETABLE OARDENS ANO FANCY BEETS. 
We wish our readers might see our Fancy 
Beets. They were sent here by Messrs. Thob- 
buhn <fc Co., the old and trustworthy seed mer¬ 
chants of New York, for trial. Knowing that 
they were not to be cultivated for the roots 
alone or mainly, but for the leaves, the young 
THE STONE PINE 
PINUS CEMBRA. 
It is specially necessary to give the botanical 
name in thiB case, as there is auother Pine, 
Pinus Pinea, which is also termed the Stone 
Pine. This last, however, is an Italian Pine, 
and not hardy far northward in Europe, and not 
at all in the Northern States of America. The 
Stone Pine wo have in our illustration, Pinus 
Oembra, is sometimes called the Swiss Stone 
Pine. It does well all over Europe, but is quite 
peculiar to the Tyrol and the Alps, where its 
large seeds are, in sections, used as an article of 
food. Probably the longest known and most 
special home of this Stone Pine is, however, 
Siberia, whence the name Cembra, Cimbria 
being the ancient name for all countries in the 
regions about Siboria. Loudon calls it the 
Siberian Stone Pine for similar reasons, but it is 
very generally known in America and Europe as 
the SwisB Stone Pine, or simply the Stone Tine. 
We dwell on these facta to prevent confusion 
that might otherwise readily occur. The Swiss 
Stone Piue is a very distinctive tree in its habit. 
It is erect, and of a bluutish, pyramidal shape, 
regularly furnished with branches down to the 
ground, thickly clothed with foliage, and attain¬ 
ing a hight of fifty feet. Much variation ap¬ 
pears in its form, as seen in different specimens. 
Sometimes it becomes so erect in habit aB to be 
perfectly conical. Again, the branches will be 
quite horizontal in their growth. Grafting may 
be used very profitably iu such case to perpetu¬ 
ate desirable forms. There are in use, at the 
present timo, several varieties of Pinns Cembra, 
not results of the propagator’s art, exerted in 
selecting from sports in the nursery, but all ap¬ 
parently sports growing under the peculiar con¬ 
ditions of different countries, such as Cembra 
pygunca, Helvetica, Siberica, mouophylla. There 
is also a variegated variety of Cembra, of which 
we do not kuow the value. Scarcely any varie¬ 
gated Pine, excopt Pinus Massoniana variegata, 
has endured successfully American suns, so the 
chances are against the success of Pinus Cem¬ 
bra variegata. For all lawn planting purposes, 
the Swiss Stone Pine is essentially a low-growing 
tree. A dozen years will hardly increase its 
dimensions beyond the ordinary requirements of 
a village lot. Its pyramidal form and rich bluo- 
ish-green color, make it very effective, when 
grouped among other dwarf evergreens, or 
standing alone iu a favorable position to exhibit 
its peculiar beauty. In a group it should be 
placed somewhat in the rear, and, as a single 
specimen, it may be best used in small grounds 
in the corners. For all kinds of ornamental 
plauting, the Swiss Stone Pine ranks very 
high, affording a marked individuality of form 
surpassed by few other trees. Though so 
old and well known, its appearance on the lawn 
is sufficiently uncommon to render it as yet de¬ 
cidedly novel to most people. It is hardly a 
rare, but certainly a very choice tree. 
GARDEN TALKS AND WALKS 
Tub Bkechks, Mass., July 30, 1S78. 
FARMING V. CITY LIFE. 
G. F. M. was brought up in Jersey City, where 
for some years past he has been an active mem¬ 
ber and partner iu a business firm. He always 
had a longing for country life, particularly as 
a small-fruit cultumr Though practically 
and theoretically ignorant of the fruit-farming 
business, he was nevertheless determined to en¬ 
gage in it, and as a preliminary step he took 
last year's (77) course in botany at Harvard 
University and iu this he distinguished himself 
as one of the brightest aud best stuaents of his 
class. Practically this step, though eminently 
useful was not imperative, but it strengthened 
his purpose, vitalized latent interest, aud dis¬ 
played undreamt of charms in his coveted avo¬ 
cation. Last spring he leased a small farm in 
N. J. some 24 miles from New York, aud on the 
first of April practically entered upon the du¬ 
ties of the business of his choice. Knowing as I 
did his keen business capacity and indomitable 
perseverance, I had no fears fer bis success, 
providing he could overcome being ” lonesome.’ 
The following extracts from a letter I had from 
him a few days ago justify my confidence. 
‘ ‘ I put in one acre of strawberries and will set 
out two acres more next spring, I set two 
varieties. Seth Boyden’s No, 30. and Great 
American. I also put iu 400 Lawton Black¬ 
berries. * * * As to chickeus I have about 
200. The hennery contains two acres with a 
building 96x24 feet and which is divided into 
three compartments as is also tbertui; we keep¬ 
ing three breeds. * * * I find it a little 
lonesome sometimes, but iu conquering the 
work that stares one out of countenance on a 
farm. I fiud the time pass away quite quickly. 
Nevertheless, I am so well pleased with country 
life that I would not return to the city for a 
good deal," 
FLOWERS CHANGING COLOR. 
Last spring a lady brought me a red bloom 
of a Cactus so that I might name it. While 
she eulogised it. I told her it was the bloom 
of a miserable variety or badly grown plant of 
Phyllocaotus Ackermanni. She felt disap¬ 
pointed and affirmed that the plant was in ex¬ 
cellent condition, plump aud green, and she 
watered it every day herself, and it was grow¬ 
ing in their sitting-room window whore the tem¬ 
perature was never below 60°. Precisely the 
opposite conditions of its requirements I as¬ 
sured her, and advised her to place the plant 
in the sunniest window, in a temperature of 45° 
or so, if practicable, and stop watering it al¬ 
together. 
She called three weeks ago to show me a 
glowing briUiaut red blossom Bhe had plucked 
from the same plant. “If I did not own the 
plant myself, and had not, with my own eyes, 
seen thoBe two flowers growing on it, I could’nt 
have believed two such differently colored blooms 
could he borne outlie same plant. I treated 
it as you advised me, though I must say it was 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
AN EXPERIMENT. 
4kbok-yit.e hedges are not planted for the 
purpose of turning animals. At least they can¬ 
not be trustod to do so. We do not see, there¬ 
fore, what good is derived from settiug the 
plants so near each other as authorities instruct 
us to do. If Arbor-vitte bo sot oue foot apart, 
they will do well for Heveral years. But, finally, 
the roots become crowded, and, as it were, pot- 
bonud; the leaves aud branches receive too lit¬ 
tle sun and air, so that sections of the hedge, 
or single plants or parts of single plants, will be 
killed by the first severe drought or exceptional¬ 
ly cold winter. For the purpose of ascertaining 
STONE PINJ3. 
in any other vegetable; twenty-five rows of 
different strawberries, many different kinds of 
Lettuce, till up the intervening spaces. 
Those plautB are irregularly divided by main 
paths into several plots, and some of these plots, 
on one side, are bordered with the showy Beets of 
which we have spoken. The entire garden so 
planted and arranged is singularly attractive, and 
SWISS 
plants were taken from the seed-beds and strung 
along the borders of the vegetable garden. They 
are now ourioiiB and beautiful. The leaves of the 
variety marked “ Ne plus ultra " are of a deep 
purple or plum color, and small as oompared 
with the others. Those of “ Scarlet-ribbed ” 
are, many of them at least, two feet long—we 
speak of the blades—with scarlet midYeins and 
