R A 
ept. a 
all times. Where the oellar doors open into the 
open air they should be kept closed, and the cel¬ 
lar ventilated by the windows at night. If the 
oellar iB kept perfectly clean, but little ventila¬ 
tion is neoessary. If any milk is spilled it should 
be wiped up at once and all vegetables be kept 
away from the milk or butter. Milk and butter 
do not breathe but they can smell, and bad 
odors are very offensive and injurious to them. 
A few handfuls of gypsum (plaster), sprinkled 
around the back door or privy, will absorb all of 
the bad odors and perhaps keep sickness away. 
We always save a half barrel of it and have a 
dishful on hand in ihe wood-house for use. 
Five minutes after it is spread around, all offen¬ 
sive and sickening Bmeils will cease. A farmer 
had better go hungry than leave these things un¬ 
attended to. Whenever he does do it he is run¬ 
ning up an account with the doctor and very 
likely will soon be in debt to the undertaker, 
and if he doesn't, a nasty cess-pool is not desira¬ 
ble about one's dwelling. 
Next week the fairs begin. We shall put the 
sheep and cattle designed for exhibition in the 
stables a few days before and give them hay 
and a little meal to dry the bowels. They will 
drive better and will not shrink so badly while 
on exhibition. We do not give cattle green feed 
at the fail's. 
-- 
HINTS BY THE ROADSIDE.-No. 2. 
WHAT KINO OF MANURES. 
My neighbor Harris purchased a few bags of 
Mapes' commercial fertilizer, last Spring, to eke 
out his scanty supply of barnyard manure, and 
I see that be applied it in the hill, by the Bmall 
quantity, for corn, beans, potatoes, cucumbers, 
melons, etc., and now in midsummer, he has 
very small vines, poor corn, and only fair beans, 
and potatoes. The difficulty is, that however 
valuable the commercial manures may bo, they 
need to be composted as much as auy other 
green .manure. They are too hearty, too hot 
for the young root s, and the plants are apt to 
become congested. If my neighbor Harris had 
purchased his commercial fertilizer six months 
or a year before he wished to apply it, and had 
composted it with two or three times its bulk of 
moist earth, or had mixed it lightly but evenly 
through his compost heap, he would have had a 
good result. He will find a good crop upon the 
ground where this fertilizer was applied, late 
this fall, or next soason, as the bone and super¬ 
phosphate will then have beoome decomposed in 
the soil. 
If my neighbor Harris would scrape his yard, 
and the surroundings of his buildings, and pile 
up a neat compost heap under cover, and turn it 
over two or three times during the summer, be 
would have no need of experiments with the 
commercial fertilizers. The crop of weeds is 
too large in quite a uumber of places. 
WORKING ROADS. 
I was road-master one year, a few years since, 
and warned all the district out with picks and 
crowbars; not a plow or yoke of oxen was al¬ 
lowed. No scrapers, or idle carts, only picks 
and crowbars. Our district was three miles 
long, and much of it up hill and down dale, and 
everybody said it was the worst, stoniest piece 
of road in the county. I set three gangs of men 
at work, one to each mile, and we worked eight 
hours a day, for three days, and i credited each 
man six dayB. When we got through, there were 
stones enough upon the sides of that three mile 
district of road, to make a stone wall. Now 
those three miles are the best and the hardest, 
and smoothest three mileB of road in the county. 
If my neighboring road-masters would take 
the hint to dig out the stones, instead of covering 
them up each year, my wagon tires and axles 
would last as long again aH they now do. 
ROAD FRONTS. 
While I am giving my neighbors hints about 
roads, I wish to hint that a neatly improved road- 
front to a farm, will add ten dollars an acre to 
the value of auy farm in the country. Building 
a neat bank wall, and grading off the Bides of the 
road, will give each farmer the name of a man 
of taste, will raise him in his own and hie neigh¬ 
bors’ estimation wonderfully, besides educating 
his children, as well as every visitor or passer¬ 
by. It should be a matter of pride with each 
farmer to make bis road-front an example of 
neatness. Hough Handel. 
oriiniltural. 
TESTING VEGETABLE SEEDS. 
SECOND SERIES. 
PROFESSOR W. .7. BEAL. 
of about 60 degrees. We have found no other 
way by which so large a proportion of seeds will 
germinate. In nearly every case the variety of 
any vegetable was the same, no matter by what 
firm it was sent out. For example, all the pa¬ 
pers of beets were labeled “ Blood beet” all 
onions “ Yellow Danvers,” all squashes, “Hub¬ 
bard." 
DETROIT SEED COMPANY. 
Seeds Seeds Per 
tested, germinated, cent. 
Carrot............ 50—50.. 42—40.84 
Lettuce. 50—50. 48—43.80 
Cabbage . 50— 50.. 28—HI.. 50 
Parsnip...... 50—50.... 19—14.33 
Cucumber.2a—25.23—2U.80 
Squash. 10—10. 9—.8.85 
Turnip.50-50. 48-49.97 
Tomato. 00—60........ 41—44.. 85 
Salsify. 25-25. 25-24. 98 
Union... 50 - 50. 34—30...."0 
Radish........ 25—25 . 22—20. 84 
Poas. 25-25. 21-20 . 82 
Corn. 25-25.. 18-14 . 04 
Beaus. 25-25 . 20-19. 78 
Beets. 25—25 pieces 19—23.85 
BRIGGS AND BROTHERS. 
Carrot........ 50—50 .. 16—18........ 34 
Lettuce.... 50-50. 44—41. 85 
Cabbace. 50—50. 34 —36. 70 
Parsnip. 50—50 .. 28—26. 54 
Cucumber. 50—50 . 46—<8.91 
Squash. 25-25. 21-20. 82 
Turnip.".6'— 50 . 27 —31. 58 
Tomato... 60—50 . 43 —37. 80 
Saleily.. 25—25,,.,.... 14—Is.64 
Onions... 50—50 . 40 -37. 77 
Radish. 50—50. 29-34. 63 
(."in... 25-25.destroyed.. — 
Beaus. 25 -25. 23 -24 . 91 
Beets. 25—25 pieces 13-14.54 
Cauliflower. 60—50 . 42 -44 . 86 
Turnip.... 6U—50... 43—45....88 
Squash.....12—12. 11—10. 87 
D. M. PERU V A CO. 
Onion. Red Wethersfield 50-50 . 34—41 . 79 
“ Yellow Danvers. 50—50. 26—39. 65 
Carrot. fi0-5u. 38-44 . 82 
LYMAN SEED CO. 
Lettuce...,,. 50 -50.. 11—15. 26 
Cabbage.. 30 - 30. 9-21. 50 
Parsnip. 25—25 . 19—18. 74 
Cucumber. ... 20 -20 . 80 
Squash. 12-12. 11-11.91 
Turnip. 50-60. 45-43. 88 
Tomato. 50—50. 38 —40 . 78 
Salsify. 50 - 50. 4— 9 . 13 
Union. 60—50. 19-24 13 
RadiSll. 50—50. 38-41. 79 
Peas. 25-25 . 24 -25 . 98 
The striking results reached in testing seeds 
last year, encouraged me to continue the work 
this spring. I purchased in Lansing and in 
Battle Creek, Beeds of the following vegetables. 
These were sold on commission at the groceries. 
They were tested in about the same way as last 
year, in the greenhouse, in folds of thick paper 
kept damp, and nearly of an even temperature 
Cum. 25 -25. 19—23 . 84 
Beans. 25—25 . 28—24........ 94 
Beets. 25 —25 pieces 23—21.88 
SHAKER SEED CO., LEBANON, N. T. 
Cabbage. 60 -50 . 41-47 . 88 
Squash.12-12. 12—12. 1(J0 
Onion. 50—50.. 47—43. 90 
Radish. 50-50 . 38 -39 . 77 
Beet.. 25—25 pieces 23—23. 96 
COLLEGE SEED. 
Cubbage. 50- 50. 44—43 . 87 
ParMiip. MI-50. 19 -26 . 45 
Salsify. . 50—50. 37—44. 81 
union. 50-50. 47-48. 95 
Com. 25—26 . 25-24 . 98 
Beans. 25—25. 23—21. 88 
The above lots average as follows: 
Per cent. 
Mofrolt Seed Company..15 varieties. 78 
Briggs &. Brothers.16 " 73 
U. M. Ferry & Co... 3 '* 75 
Lyman Seed Co,.. 14 “ 70 
ShaKerSeed Co.,. 5 “ 90 
College Seed Co. 6 “ 83 
The above is hardly a fair comparison, as each 
firm was not represented with the same kiud of 
seeds. From Detroit Seed Co. we select tbe six 
varieties which are contained in the College list, 
and they average 67 per cent. Briggs Bro’s. 
average 72 per cent. In the latter case we are 
obliged to omit the corn. Lyman Seed Co. 
averaged 69 per cent.; College Seeds. 82 per 
cent. 
Per cent 
The five sorts of .Shaker Seed Co. averaged,.90 
The same five sorts of Detroit Seed Co. “ ..76 
“ ■ " " Bridge Sc Bro’s. " .70 
" “ " •' Lyinan Seed Co. “ .70 
Yellow Danver Onions are found in each lot 
and will be seen to average as follows : 
Per cent. 
Lymnn Seed Co. 43 
fj. M. Ferry a Co.65 
Detroit Seed Co. 70 
Briggs A; Broihers. 77 
Shaker Seed Co. 90 
Agricultural College. 95 
Cabbage germinated as follows : 
Per cent. 
Lyman Seed Co. 60 
Detroit Seed CO. 69 
rsriggs A Brothers. 70 
Shaker Seed .. 88 
Agricultural College.87 
In case of the College seeds, those of cabbage, 
parsnip and salsify came up from a single plant 
grown in an isolated place. It is believed by 
many that such plants will not produce bo 
many or so good seeds as those grown on plants 
where there are several of a kiud together. In 
case of beans and peas, we know the above sus¬ 
picion is founded on fact. I shall be glad if 
either of the above firms can find aB good an ex¬ 
planation for tbe poor quality of some of their 
seeds. 
Seeds which average, as many of the above 
average, cannot be considered good seeds. 
No firm which will send out such seeds can be 
considered reliable- in the Bense in which this 
word should be taken. 
Seedsmen generally claim to have recently 
tested their seeds and to send out none but good 
seeds. I still think there is great need of re¬ 
form in this seed business, especially where 
seeds are sold on commission. 
Agricultural College, Lansing, Mich. 
EVERY-DAY NOTES. 
SAMUEL PARSONS. 
BUSHY RHODODENDRONS. 
One of the strong arguments employed for 
imported Rhododendrons is that they are more 
bushy than those propagated in this oountry. 
This is undoubtedly the case, with limitations, 
the whys and wherefores of whioh I can¬ 
not at present fully discuss. The solid, practi¬ 
cal fact is that a Rhododendron, when first 
taken from the box received from England, 
shows a bushier habit as well as a brighter 
green than anything of the kind grown in Ame¬ 
rica. At first, this seems a very heavy count to 
set against the other superior qualities of Ame¬ 
rican-grown RhododeudrouB and is so used by 
interested parties But let us look closer and 
follow tho after career of this English-grown 
Rhododendron. What do we actually find ? 
The first summer, the leaves barely retain their 
beautiful English green. After that, the Influ¬ 
ences of both summer and winter begin to 
destroy the lower leaves and dim the green; so 
that in two or three years a hundred such 
Rhododendrons might be mixed indiscriminately 
with an equal number of American-grown, and 
found utterly undistinguisbable. Certain kinds 
will always remain bushy whether English or 
American, and others, the contrary, like Album, 
Elegans, etc. English Rhododendrons can no 
more resist American suns and changes than 
English complexions; but toughness and beauty 
beloug to certain kinds alike whether born in 
America or Europe. It is well to do justice in 
this matter, for misrepresentation has occurred 
both unintentionally and otherwise. 
A LATE MAGNOLIA. 
Magnolia hypoleuca Las been mentioned and 
commended more than once, for many note¬ 
worthy qualities. It is late, blooming in mid- 
June, creamy-white like conspicua, and more¬ 
over, of a sceut so sweet that for the waDt of a 
truer comparison, I will liken it to the combined 
odor of strawberries and bananaB. I know of 
no Magnolia so delicious, unless it be the tender 
M. fuscata. Now all this is a great deal fora single 
species to possess in the way of delightful quali¬ 
ties. But Nature seems disposed to give eveu 
more, for the foliage of M. hypoleuca is simply 
exquisite, t refer more especially to the young 
leaves, although the older leaves have flue red 
stems aud glossy green on their broad surfaces. 
But the young leaves with thinner, more deli¬ 
cate texture, Bhow thiB red in the veinings and 
even farther throughout the general green to 
the extent of a faint tint or tone. The result is 
a suffusion of most delicate purples lined out 
with red veins. Held up agaiust strong Bun- 
ligbt the effect is greatly enhanced by the trans¬ 
lucent character of the leaf. Portions of the 
foliage in ordinary lights thus assume a curious 
bronze color, as a result of the mingling of 
sidles, and the distinct white of the nuder side 
makes the appearance still more remarkable. 
I dwell particularly on tho foliage of this new 
aud rare Magnolia that I may enter a plea for 
the beauty of leaves generally. Flowers are so 
valued and set above mere foliage, that the lat¬ 
ter, though in many cases quite as exquisite, re¬ 
ceives scant j ustice. 
PTEROSTYRAK HISPIOUM. 
In the London Garden for April 20th, 1878, a 
fine illustration is given of this extremely rare and 
noteworthy Bhrub. Under another name, Styrax 
obassia, we received many plants direct from Ja¬ 
pan, through Mr. Thomas Hogg. The appearance 
of its clusters of white flowers, as shown in the 
Garden, is very pleasing, and it certainy bids 
fair to prove valuable. Whether it will turn 
out hardy remains to be tested rather more 
thoroughly before it is proved an established 
fact. Two winters' trial in Flushing has failed 
to injure it, bat I have an idea that, like Halesia 
diptera, also a native of tbe East, it will be kill¬ 
ed down occasionally. With its flowers and 
large, light-colored, roundish leaves, it is very 
attractive nevertheless, and if we discarded all 
shrubs that occasionally suffered from tbe win¬ 
ter, our list of enjoyable plants would be much 
diminished. All suspicions of its hardiness may, 
moreover, be quite unfounded. Special note of 
the fact should be taken that Styrax obaBsia 
(Pterostyrax hispidum) and Styrax Japonica 
are two entirely distinct plants. Of tbe latter, I 
may hope to speak at a future day. 
Flushing, L. I. 
BEAUTY, AND USEFULNESS OF AUTUMN 
LEAVES. 
I was out a few evenings ago for a drive, and 
I saw a lady retrace her Bteps to gather a few 
Autumn leavesevidently, she enjoyed their 
beauty ! A little farther on, I saw a lady sweep¬ 
ing the ripe leaves out of her yard into the 
street, to be lost. I said to myself, “She cares 
neither for the beauly nor for the utility of Au¬ 
tumn leaves.” Why is it that people keep up 
such destruction from the falling of the first 
ripe leaf until the trees are bare P We cannot 
afford such a Iosh ; for loss it is. Leaves should 
be carefully gathered, eveu those from the 
street, if they fall from the trees belonging to 
ns, in front of our homes. There is nothing 
nioer for covering tender plants that are to be 
left in the ground, or to protect tbe lawn in 
winter. “Leaves are Nature’s covering,” and 
they are far more sightly than much of the 
material used in their place to protect the gar¬ 
den from frost. All that are not needed to oover 
plants, oan be piled in an out-of-the-way corner, 
and covered with sods, to keep them in place. 
Suds should be turned over tho pile on washing- 
day, and the mass Bhould, occasionally, be stir¬ 
red from the bottom. Leaves treated in this 
way, will decay gradually, forming a rich mold 
that any florist will prize. 
Pressed Autumn leaves, tastefully arranged 
with dried ferns, are fine for decorating the 
house ; but in our admiration for the beautiful, 
let ub not forget the useful. m. g. r. 
Lyons, Iowa. 
^rlioriniltoral. 
EVERGREENS. 
WE WANT MORE EVERGREENS. 
In looking over the “ places ” of my friends 
and neighbors it seemed to me that the useful 
aud ornamental qualities of these trees are not 
half appreciated. A belt of Pines and Firs in 
the right place, forms a sort of land break-water 
that effectually screens house and grounds from 
cold winds and driving storms, protecting tender 
plants and trees, aud making their growth pos¬ 
sible in bleak, unkindly regions where they could 
not possibly flourish without this sturdy shield. 
Evergreens are objects of beauty at all sea¬ 
sons. In the spring they give a southern and 
verdant character to the landscape on the first 
sunny day, when not even the earliest Poplar or 
Willow has burst its bonds. As summer dies, 
they form the richest background to the kaleid¬ 
oscopic coloring of the changing autumn leaves ; 
aud in winter, they rob tbe chilly frost-king of 
bis sternest terrors. 
Many fine Evergreens are indigenous to our 
own conutry, and certainly within the reach of 
all who have to do with the planting of trees. 
The most desirable of those are the Hemlock, 
the White Pine, the Norway Spruce, and the 
Balsam Fir. 
THE HEMLOCK 
is particularly graceful aud delicate ; and al¬ 
though its natural haunts are the sides of steep 
mountains or wild northern forests, where it is 
found in gloomy masses, imparting a particular¬ 
ly somber aspect to the scenery. A single tree on a 
well-kept lawn is an object of striking beauty, its 
branches spreading out and sweeping the ground 
with the grace of a trailiug robe, while the deli¬ 
cate, feathery foliage seems to float freely in the 
air, and the well-proportioned outline is like a 
strain of harmony. It is a favorite of mine, this 
picturesque Hemlock; aud its airy gracefulness 
is a pleasant exception to tho almost inevitable 
stiffness of Evergreens. With its Christmas 
frosting of snow, it is the perfection of beauty; 
and the March rains love it, too, and deck its 
tresses with jewels. 
Tho Hemlock is said to bo a difficult tree to 
transplant satisfactorily, and is charged with 
general delicacy of constitution; but all ever¬ 
green trees have more tender roots than decidu¬ 
ous ones, as they cannot bear the same exposure 
to sun and air; and, once dried and shriveled, the 
plant is pretty sure to die. The Hemlock is like 
a good many other things, not difficult to man¬ 
age if managed rightly; and a frozen ball of 
earth at tbe roots in winter, or a damp ball in the 
spring, is all that is necessary. 
Tbe magnificent 
CEDAR OF LEBANON 
is the patriarch among trees, as it requires age 
to perfect its beauty and is, even at forty years, 
but an infant. Its trunk will sometimes reach a 
circumference of from thirty to forty feet; and 
though exceeded in bight by some Oregon Pines, 
in breadth and massiveuess it is the greatest of 
all Evergreons, and iu a perfect state is not 
equaled by auy sylvan tree of temperate regions, 
A peculiarity of the Cedar of Lebanon is the 
horizontal disposition of its wide-spreading 
branches. This is not apparent in very young 
trees, but shows itself as soon as they begin to 
develop large headB. One such tree iu the 
middle of an extensive lawn, with all other trees 
at a respectful distance, is a perfect monarch of 
verdure. Grand, magnificent, stately, are its 
proper epithets; and it requires room to develop 
properly and be appreciated. An “ elbowed ” 
Cedar of Lebanon is like a church in a row of 
houses. It condescends, however, to overlook 
the matter of soil, aud will do equally well in 
poor gravel or rich loam; bat near the margin 
of a pond or spring, where its roots can reach 
the water, it makes rapid progress. Under ordi¬ 
nary circumstances, it will advance, iu this coun¬ 
try, about a foot a year ; but if deeply trenched 
before planting, aud if tho roots have abundant 
moisture, this average will be doubled. 
THE NOAWAY SPRUCE, 
although of foreign origin, has beoome so natu¬ 
ralized that it is perfectly hardy; and it forms 
a valuable protection to tender youug trees in 
exposed situations. It is accommodating euough 
to grow anywhere aud iu any soil; and 1 h de¬ 
cidedly picturesque when ailvanoed iQ years, 
towering up from a base of thick branches which 
droop and fall to the very lawn, aud hang off in 
those depending curves whioh make it such a 
favorite with artists. Auother of its good quali¬ 
ties is that it grows rapidly, aud hence is particu¬ 
larly available for hedges. It will boar clipping to 
any extent, and can be made to form an almost 
Impenetrable wall of foliage, proving quite in¬ 
valuable in the oold north-eastern regions of our 
oountry, where some barrier against tho wind 
and weather seems neoessary at all seasons. 
