SEPT. 7 
and fall. They each have their appointed time 
and place for sovereign man’s enjoyment. 
THE CHINESE CYPRESS. 
Here we have a most remarkable instance of a 
tree of rare and exquisite foliage attained only 
in late summer and fall. Like the common 
Southern Cypress, a near relative, it is largely 
unfitted for street planting, because the foliage 
delays full appearance until July. To increase 
thiB unsuitability, it evinces a mostdeoided an¬ 
tipathy to high, dry land, thriving best in low, 
moist places. It is such a lovely tree, as Been in 
fine specimens at the present date, that its likes 
and dislikes should have strenuous attention, to 
the end that its full beauty may appear. Erect 
and elegant, in the strictest sense of the words, 
its form, hardly pyramidal, resembles more the 
cone of a fir-tree. The color of its light foliage 
for delicate tender green, can bo compared to 
that of no other tree, and is its greatest oharm. 
Plant it. as a rule, in spring, rather than in fall, 
for its light peculiar wood is not exactly calcu¬ 
lated for the early attacks of winter. 
THE TAMARISK. 
Few plants, the foliage of which at this season 
attracts the eye, have greater charms than the 
Tamarisk. There are several varieties in com¬ 
mon use, T. Africana, Indica, G&llica, etc. In- 
dica, at present, demands attention because it is 
in bloom; Africana flowers in late spriug or 
early summer, and has consequently now lost 
much of its beauty, although its fresh green 
leaves oan never be otherwise than pleasing. 
The feathery f iliage of the several varieties is 
surmounted with plume-like, pink flowers, more 
or less alike, but in the season of blooming, 
differing enough to present a series of bloom 
throughout the summer. Beautiful as tho 
almost tropical aspeot of the Tamarisk is, a 
fatal defect is sure to develop with age, in the 
shape of long, naked, ungainly branches covered 
only at the outer ends with foliage. This un¬ 
clothed condition need not appear, however, if a 
sharp pruning be resorted to yearly, leaving only 
Bix inches to a foot of the wood of the growing 
Beason jnst past. The vigorous habit of the 
plant will enable it to regain the original beauty 
which existed before the pruning was executed. 
While there are few amateurs wise enough to 
institute this sharp discipline, there are still 
fewer who understand that each variety of 
Tamarisk must be pruned differently. For in¬ 
stance, the Africana is properly pruned imme¬ 
diately after it flowers, as the blossoming wood 
is developed the year before the bloom appears. 
If this wood, therefore, were pruned in winter or 
early spring, no flowers could bo expected that 
year. On tho other baud, Indica, blooming 
new, late in tho season, must be pruned early in 
the spring, as the flowers come on wood formed 
this season; that is, the same year. Query ?— 
Do not all late-flowering plants, as a rule, bear 
their blossoms on wood grown during the same 
year ? It may be readily seen from this, that 
shrub pruning is not so simple as might at first 
appear. 
Jflorintlteral. 
THE HOLLYHOCK. 
WM. 0. L. DBEW. 
Years ago, while floriculture was yet in ita in¬ 
fancy, the tall,red Hollyhock—Althsea roBea—was 
to be seen in every garden; its tall spike, eight 
to ten feet high, showing here and there a sin¬ 
gle blossom, generally of a dull red color. How 
wonderful has been the ohange in its appear¬ 
ance since it beoame the sole property of a few 
energetio and true flower lovers, after it had 
been left to take care of itself, or die out, as the 
taste for finer flowers grew among the masses. 
For many years it was unnoticed, and almost 
unknown by the great majority of florists and 
amateurs; but within a few years, it has again 
resumed its place in many gardens, a changed 
and marvelously improved plant. 
No plant exemplifies the effects of cultivation 
and hybridization better than the Hollyhock of 
the present day, than which, there iB no finer or 
more desirable ornamental perennial, or, more 
properly, biennial. The improved Hollyhock has 
been reduced from a tall, straggling grower, ten 
feet or more in bight, to & handsome plant, five 
or six feet high. 
The sparse flowers from single, scattered spe¬ 
cimens, have been transformed into balls of 
beauty, completely enciroling and covering the 
spike for from two to four feet. Instead of a 
few dull shades of red, we now have them vary¬ 
ing in color, from the purest white, and most 
delicate pink, to the most brilliant crimson; 
from the clearest sulphur, to a deep golden yel¬ 
low ; from clear rose, to a purple so deep as to 
be almost black, tho flowers rivaling in dou¬ 
bleness, the finest Homo or choicest Dahlia. 
The Hollyhock is properly a biennial, but by 
judicious treatment, it may be made of peren¬ 
nial duration. The seed for the very choicest va¬ 
rieties, are propagated in this way. They should 
be sown aB soon as possible in the spring; when 
the plants appear, thin them out until they are 
about one foot apart, and then allow them to re¬ 
main undisturbed until the following October, 
THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
at which time they should be transplanted to the 
place where they are desired to bloom. When 
the best growth and the finest attainable re¬ 
sults are desired, tbe plants should be set in 
strong rioh soil, which should be well stirred, 
and mixed with well decayed stable manure, in 
liberal quantity. When the flower stem appears 
—usually in June or July—it should be fastened 
to a neat stake, to prevent its being blown 
around and spoiled. If it is desired to preserve 
the roots for further flowering, the old stems 
should be cut off one foot above the ground, in 
August. In September or October take up the 
root, divide it with a sharp knife, and reset it in 
freBh, rioh soil. In this way the plants may be 
continued for many years. 
In planting Hollyhocks, a great deal depends 
on the proper situation. As tho flowers are 
large, and the Btems erect, the plants produce 
the best effect when grown in rows at tho back 
of the border, or an avenue of Hollyhocks, with 
a back-grouud on each side of some foliage shrub 
with bright green loaveB, is one of the finest 
sights to be desired. A cironlar bed in a lawn, 
in which are set from three to five plants, is, if 
no other flower beds are near, very unique and 
fine; the bed may be edged with Cannas, with 
pure green foliage. 
One great advantage to tho amateur is the 
close approach to certainty with which the choice 
double strains will come from seed, for at least 
fifty per cent of the seedlings from good seed, 
will be double. All semi-double and single¬ 
flowering plants should be removed as soon as 
noticed, to prevent the seed of the double roots 
being deteriorated by their proximity. 
Chater’s English Prize strain of Double Hol¬ 
lyhocks, is the most beautiful, and while the 
seed costs higher than other strains, it should be 
obtained, where possible. 
El Dorado, Cal. 
HYDRANGEA PANICULATA. 
Tubee years ago I read the Rubal’s descrip¬ 
tion of this fine shrub, and concluded that I 
must plant one. When received from the nur¬ 
sery, it was carefully planted, staked and 
mulched. A hole was dug two feet deep, and 
three and a half feet broad, and filled with good 
garden soil. Once a week during the growing 
season, it has had a pail of liquid manure from 
the barn yard. 
The first season it made a large growth and 
produced three flowers ; the second season I was 
rewarded for my oare with fifty-six flowers, most 
of them large, grand and showy. I have just 
examiued our shrub, and find that by this, the 
third year from planting, it is about five feet 
high and six feet across. It having been fre¬ 
quently out back, seventy-eight cuttings and 
sixteen layers have been taken from it. Ninety- 
two pyramidal panicles drooping their beautiful 
white heads gracefully to mother earth, are the 
result of thiB season’s bloom. 
I am glad the Rural so frequently urges its 
readers to plant one of these desirable shrubs. 
I am sure they will find it a source of pleasure to 
themselves, a great addition to the beauty of 
their homeB, as well as another oharm in rural 
life. Ruralist. 
Walden, N. Y., Aug. 31, 1878. 
Jficll) Crops. 
PREPARING GROUND FOR WHEAT. 
W. J. FOWLER. 
At this season farmers in wheat-growing 
sections are preparing for seeding. Some sug¬ 
gestions on the subject may prove of value to 
many. It is not enough that the ground be 
well plowed and in good tilth. There is such a 
thing as too much plowing. Once well done is 
better than more. What after cultivation is 
needed should be on or near the surface. It 
will be all the better if at the Bame time the 
ground is compacted as much as possible. One 
of the best wheat crops I ever knew was on a 
quack-oovered field plowed in J une and trampled 
on all summer by a large Hook of sheep. Every 
vestige of quack was kept down, the sheep 
gnawing eveiy green spear down to the roots 
and eating even these. The field was thor¬ 
oughly cleaned, but the sheep were poorer In 
the fall than they were when put in the field In 
the spring. The field of ten acres yielded four 
hundred bushels of bright, plump wheat. The 
land was only lightly cultivated, and the wheat 
sown broad cast on the furrow and dragged in. 
I do not instance this as an example to be im¬ 
plicitly followed; but as giving some valuable 
hints. The sheep droppings enriched the sur¬ 
face of the field, and the tramping compacted it 
bo that the roots had a firm soil to hold against 
the winter. The luxuriant fall growth of top 
further protected the roots from the severest 
cold. 
The chief difficulty with wheat on stubble 
ground, is in getting the soil compact enough. 
This year my barley was so badly “orinkled" 
that I cut it lower than ever before, The ground 
was rolled smooth, and free from stones so there 
was no trouble in cutting almost down to the 
ground. This stubble is now turning under so 
nicely that I shall never again leave long straw 
to be plowed in. It is of no value as manure, 
and it does make the soil dry out a great deal 
quicker than it should. This not only checks 
the growth of the wheat, but predisposes to 
attacks of the Hessian fly. Ou the other hand, 
a short stubble turned under, leaves the soil 
nearly as compact as if it were a fallow. 
The seed-bed should be as rich as it can well 
be made. Tho ground need not be rioh very 
deep for wheat, nor should it be manured with 
coarse manure. Either use some concentrated 
fertilizer, or leave the field for some spring 
grain, oats or barley. It is better to save the 
wheat-seed than to sow on soil too poor to bring 
a crop and finally have to plow it up at the last, 
as many have learned to their sorrow. Wheat 
is the king of grains and is correspondingly fas¬ 
tidious in its choice of food. A grain of con¬ 
centrated fertilizer, like guano or superphos¬ 
phate, will do a wheat-plant more good than a 
forkful of coarse mauure buried in contact with 
its roots. Ubo the coarser and cruder manure 
for the corn ground and save tho finer portions 
for wheat. 
If every thing is right, the wheat should be 
well up in tho drill-marks in five to seven days 
after sowing. I have known wheat sown just 
before a warm rain to come up in four days. 
At this time I like to have a sharp frost to 
check the fly and insure a healthy, fall growth. 
Wheat is no exception to the rule that plants 
are most prolific near the northern bouudary of 
their growth. It needs frosts and cold to check 
its growth and make it tiller at tbe root. Hurt¬ 
ful as severe frosts sometimes are, we Bhould 
yet regret them, so far as wheat was concerned, 
if they entirely ceased. 
I find that many farmers are afraid of having 
their wheat-fields too compaot, and so cultivate 
them up just when they are iu right condition 
for seeding. If weeds abound this may be 
necessary ; but weeds should not be allowed in 
a fallow intended for a seed-bed. The roller 
and drag are the only implements needed, and 
if used alternately once every three or four 
days, the soil will be kept clean and compacted 
at the same time. I do not think much of any 
green manure for wheat. Even clover is quite 
as good iu most soils if plowed under after the 
first crop has been cut. The clover top makes 
the soil too light, enriohing the ground for 
future crops, but insuring, with ordinary sea¬ 
sons, a failure of the wheat crop for the coming 
year. 
Monroe Co., N. Y. 
krliraltural. 
THE FRUIT FAMILY. 
PBOFESSOB W. J. BEAL. 
In all ages of the world we read that certain 
families of men have stood out boldly because 
of their great deeds. 
Certain orders have contributed nearly all of 
our domestic animals. The Pachydennata give 
us the elephant, the hog, tbe horse, the ass; the 
Ruminantia give the reindeer, goat, sheep, ox, 
zebra, buffalo, camel, dromedary and llama. The 
Rasores, among birds, give us most of our valu¬ 
able domestio birds, as doves, pigeons, pheas¬ 
ants, turkeys, peacockB, guinea-fowls, grouse, 
quail and fowls. 
Among plants, certain families stand out in 
bold prominence for the useful products which 
they give to the support of tho human race. To 
tbe Gramineie, or grasses, belong all our oereals, 
wheat, rice, oats, barley, rye, maize, etc ; also 
all of our true grasses found in meadows, pas¬ 
tures, lawns, and wild prairies. They are of im¬ 
mense value to the people and their domestic 
animals. 
Several other families of plants contribute 
freely to our numerous wants. There is one 
which stands foremoot in importance to the hor¬ 
ticulturist, especially in the department of po¬ 
mology. I refer to the Rosaoete, usually known 
in popular language aH the Romo- family; but it 
seems more suitable at the present time to Bpeak 
of it as tbe Fruit-family. The Pomes belong to 
this family, and include apples, pears, quinces, 
medlars, and service-berries. The Drupes be¬ 
long here also, and include peaches, almonds, 
apricots, nectarines, plums, and cherries. There 
are several others of great importance, including 
the strawberries, raspberries and blaokberries. 
In tbe north temperate zone, we have but few 
frnits left after taking out those belonging to 
the Rosaoete. The best of those left are grapes. 
There are also currants, gooseberries, cranber¬ 
ries, and huckleberries. 
Of the great value of fruits, I need say noth¬ 
ing. Borne of them have probably arrived as 
near perfection as they ever will; others may be 
much improved, while some of them have scarce¬ 
ly begun to show their capabilities. We have no 
idea what may be done with a plant until it has 
had a fair trial in skillful hands for a long time 
in a great variety of soils and climates. 
Very likely some insignificant shrubs, aud vile 
weeds Btand ready to chaDge to useful plants 
with a little intelligent effort in the right direc¬ 
tion. Right here I am again reminded of Emer¬ 
son’s definition of a weed, viz.: “A plant whose 
virtues have not yet been discovered.” Last 
year I received some forty or more kinds of veg¬ 
etable 8“eds fromTapau. Among them were 
several oalled radishes. One of them, from the 
first, had a familiar look which I thought I re- 
ooguized. Tbe roots of this particular one were 
very long, white, tender, and of good size. 
They were rather strong, but no stronger than 
some genuine radishes wbioh came from the 
same source. This year the plant in question 
has produced flowers and has turned out just 
what I expeotod—our common burdock im¬ 
proved. 
The fruit family is a small one when com¬ 
pared with many others. It only contains some¬ 
what over a thousand species which are mostly 
natives of the north temperate zona. Among 
plants for the florist, there are Borne choice spe¬ 
cies. Among these are the Spiraeas, Potentillas, 
Hawthorns, Japan Quince, and the numerous 
kindB of Roses. The last genus, the Rose, has 
been styled the queen of flowerirg plants and, 
from the remotest ages, has stood without a ri¬ 
val for its delicate colors, perfection of form, 
and delightful perfume. 
Agricultural College, Lansing, Mich. 
Ittisffllaiirous 
THE TRUTH ABOUT IT. 
[Undeb this heading, a number of articles 
have been prepared by able writers. These will 
appear from time to time. Their object is not 
at all to deal with * 1 ‘ humbugs ”—but with the 
many unconscious errors that creep into the 
methods of daily country routine life.— Eds.] 
FALLACIES ABOUT SHEEP. 
Thebe is a general impression, amongst those 
who do not know, that by means of sheep a 
great deal may he made out of nothing. We 
may frequently see absurd statements to the 
effect, that “ the sheep’s foot turns all to gold 
that there is no readier or surer way to fer¬ 
tilize a barren field, than to put a flock of sheep 
to pasture upon the briers and weeds in it: 
that, in effect, Bheep will live upon the pooreet 
food and make the richest manure, aud are thus 
the very best stock a farmer cau keep on his 
farm. But those “ who have been there” know 
better. “ Sheep are always an unhappy flock,” 
—oven semper infelix pecus —wrote the old au¬ 
thor, Virgil, and many a man who has been 
deluded into keeping sheep in the vain hope of 
finding gold in their footrtracks, has found out 
“ the truth about it.” 
Now, having been through the mill aud having 
turned defeat into victory by disabusing my mind 
of the common fallacies about sheep, 1 warn in¬ 
tending shepherds that there is no other domes¬ 
tio animal that needs better care or food, for 
proflta hie thrift, than sheep ; that out of their 
finely-grinding manure mill, comes uothiug that is 
not first put into the hopper; that yet with 
proper care arid skill, a well selected flock of the 
the right kind of sheep, in the right place, can 
be made to pay 100 per cent on their cost every 
year. It is true that a flock will clear a field of 
weeds, briers aud rubbish and will enrich it; but 
it will not live upon these alono. To relish this 
rough herbage, the sheep must be fed liberally 
upon supplementary food, such as bran, meal, 
cut clover, grass, or green-oora fodder and 
always a pint a day per head of linseed oil-cake 
meal, bran or other grain food. Then, with 
this alloy, the sheep's foot will take on a golden 
tinge, and will edge with gold the farmer’s 
pocket, by making his poor lands rich ; giving 
him at the same time a lamb or two, and a fleece 
every year. A field may be enriched, too, by 
sowing rape seed, this month, at tbe rate of a 
peck per acre, aud wheu the crop is of thrifty 
growth, the sheep may bo turned iu to eat it 
down through tho late fall and early spring; 
thus fitting it for u crop of corn, oats, or roots, 
next year. But tho sheep must have their pint 
per day of brau or oil ureal even then. 
The fact is, sheep aro mauure spreaders, 
rather than manure makers. Wo feed them 
with the material; they take their pay out of 
it, and glveuB back tbe remainder, transformed 
into a substanoo of equal value—because it is 
more available—with that which they received, 
and they get fat meanwhile iu doing it. Juat 
as we give the mint a bag of gold dust and we 
get back exaotly the same weight of gold dol¬ 
lars, while the coiners have fed upon it—but 
without the dust we get no dollars. Bo with 
sheep : if we don’t feed them with the materials 
needed to make fat for themselves and rich man¬ 
ure for us, they will be as unprofitable as 
Pharaoh’s lean kine. Aud this is “ the truth 
about it,” as proved by A Sbkphebd. 
WHAT OTHERS SAY. 
Pbickly Comfbey, Half a Century Ago.— 
Acoordmg to the Sydney Town and Country 
Journal, Mr. D. Grant wrote a letter to Lord 
Farnborotigh in 1830, telling that some years 
back, be happened to have two of the above 
plants growing near an open fence where his 
* oattle passed daily. As Boon as it sprung up so 
