grains of fecal matter which are also found i 
the hollow kernel. 
The periods in which this insect is larva 
pupa and moth ought to be known, as this 
knowledge is important in a practical light. 
Harris and Curtis both speak of two breeds 
each season, and say that the moths appear in 
May and again in August. The lffrvic then 
would be at work in June and July, and 
again in Septemlier and October. Possibly 
with no artificial heat to interfere with their 
regular transformations, these dates would 
tell the whole story. But they certainly do 
not in our case. I received insects in the last 
days of November, in all stages. Some of the 
larvae were very small. In some of the 
wheat-houses, as I understand, the cliimney 
runs through the wheat bin, and so the latter 
is kept warm through the Winter. In fact 
Superintendent Curtis tells me that it was 
just beside such a chimney in the wheat bins 
at Clayton, Mich., that the first damage was 
discovered. The effect of this heat would be 
to break the regularity of the transforma¬ 
tions, aud we should expect to find the broods 
lapping on to each other, and the various 
stages appearing at the same time, as I have 
described above. It is very important to have 
this matter investigated. 
out-door and in-door decorative plants, are at 
the very door. And there are other nurseries 
too, enough surely to incite a more refined 
home-cheering taste. 
it is not Naomi, as claimed by Mr. A. M. 
Purdy. We had that variety from three 
different parties, and they were true every 
time. Mr. P. thinks, or says he thinks, Sou- 
hegan and Tyler are the same, and yet within 
a short time he has been trying to exchange 
2,000 Tyler for 1,000 Souhegan—possibly it 
may be the same with Lost R-ubies. 
South Glastonbury, Conn, J. H. Male. 
it is ripe consists in packing the fruit in bran, 
in boxes, and placing them in a cool, dry cel¬ 
lar.” In my opinion this is like many other 
newspaper items, “importantif true.” This 
Pall, having some fine Duchess d’ Angouleme 
peal's that I was dot irons of beeping as long as 
possible, and r esolving to give this method a 
fair trial, 1 packed the fruit in bran, in boxes, 
and placed them in a cool, dry fruit room. 
This was about the last of September. On 
opening the box about October 25 my surprise 
can be imagined when I found over one-half 
of them to be entirely decayed. For late 
Winter pears this method would no doubt 
prove very satisfactory, but for early or Au¬ 
tumn pears I would not advise any one to try 
it. For ripe peaches we can well imagine the 
result. Still it may be possible that I did not 
follow the directions as precisely as I might 
have done. 
What trees to plant around our homes is 
an interesting question to us all, and where to 
get them is likewise of importance. If we 
repair to neighboring woods and take there¬ 
from the trees that grow there natu rally, we 
may get such kinds as are best suited to our 
wants, but the quality of the plants—tall and 
spindly, misshapen and root-robbed—may be 
so inferior that it may prove poor policy in the 
long run to help ourselves in that direction. 
But clean, little plants from open spaces 
rather than from thickets, lifted with lots of 
roots and transplanted firmly and into good 
soil, will no doubt answer a good purpose, 
Small plants are better than large ones; they 
are apt to be well rooted and Well formed. 
If we get a selection from the nurseries we 
should first ascertain what kinds thrive best 
in our neighborhood and order the same. Go 
to the nursery yourself and get them if you 
can, and go early, say in September or 
October. There is no need for a farmer in 
Texas to send to Illinois, or for one in Mis¬ 
souri to send to Philadelphia, or for one in 
Ohio to send to New York for trees; perhaps 
there is in your own town or county a de¬ 
serving nurseryman; if there is, buy your 
trees from him. It is to his interest to cul¬ 
tivate a local trade; your confidence and satis¬ 
faction are to his welfare, he is beside you 
and responsible for mistakes. 
Who Has It? 
Some twenty or more years ago we had a 
vegetable called “Hoo Sieng,” a species of 
rank-growing lettuce from China. The stems 
were used the same as asparagus, and w ere 
nearly or quite as delicious. One season I 
sowed a second crop late in Summer, hoping 
to get seed from the late crop; but it failed to 
ripen. 1 had some old seed which I sowed the 
following season, but it failed to come up, so I 
lost it. Asparagus beds require three to four 
yeara to produce good crops, while this plant 
can be used in as many weeks. If any readers 
of the Rural still have the plant, I would be 
thankful for a few seeds, or tell me through 
the Rural where they can be procured. 
Columbia, Pa. J. B. Garber. 
If any of the readers of the Rural have 
had any experience with the Californian lilies 
(L. Washingtonianum especially), will they 
please give us some information concerning 
their treatment, etc.? My experience with 
them has been anything but satisfactory. 
[Several years ago we purchased two bulbs of 
L. W. One bloomed the first season—neither 
afterwards. Both died in two or throe years. 
—Eds.] 
The Broussonetia papyrifera, or Paper 
Mulberry, is rather a peculiar, distinct and 
interesting small tree. It is also one that will 
always attract the attention of an observing 
person on account of the leaves being so in¬ 
definitely and varionsly lobed, no two be¬ 
ing exactly alike, some being perfect, oth¬ 
ers being not much more than half, others 
being variously cut and lobed, etc. It is a 
tree that is eminently deserving of more 
attention than is at present given it. Of 
this interesting species I have several distinct 
varieties, viz. B. p. cucullata, the leaves of 
which ave curved upwards?, B. p. beterophyl- 
la and B. p. Knempferi; the two latter are un¬ 
fortunately rather tender here. 
WHEAT-BIN MOTH.—Tinea Granella. 
PROFESSOR A. J. COOK, 
Most folks use straw' mats for covering 
their cold-frames with in Winder, and I am 
not sure that there is anything better, neater 
or handier. These mats are six feet by six 
feet, or sometimes six feet by seven feet, made 
of rye straw, and cost from $2 to $2.50 each. 
Most gardeners make their own, but amateurs 
and oftentimes florists,too, buy them made. The 
mats are rolled over the sashes and shutters 
laid over the mats to keep them dry as well as 
to afford additional shelter. If kept dry and 
well cared for, those mats will last for four or 
five years. But I do not use them, they are too 
expensive when needed on a large scale, and 
I have over 100 sashes to be covered in Win¬ 
ter and many more in Spring. I buy some 15 
to 20 dozens of second-quality Russia bass 
mats, every Fall, from a neighboring yarn 
factory. They are 4 % feet wide by nine feet 
long, cost me 75 cents a dozen, and will last 
me two years, some of them more, some less. 
I tie up their ragged ends in a series of little 
knots and cut off the fringe,” thus reducing 
their length about a foot; then they are ready 
for use. Some of these mats are as good as 
new, others are considerably broken. In the 
case of slight frosts one or two mats over the 
sashes are enough, in hard frosty weather 1 
spread some rough sedge bay over the mats, 
and in anticipation of snow I should prefer to 
have one mat on the sashes, the hay over that 
mat, then another mat over the hay, so that 
in the event of a thaw I could shake the snow 
from off the upper mat without mixing it 
among the hay. But snow sometimes comes 
very unexpectedly. Leon. 
The Figue pear is in season during the 
month of November. This is an excellent 
sort, the tree being of vigorous growth and 
remarkably productive. The fruit is of an 
oblong shape, j nicy and sweet. It is a variety 
that I can most cheerfully recommend to all 
cultivators of the pear. 
The Chinese Yam, Dioscorea Batatas, is a 
very desirable addition to our list of orna¬ 
mental climbing vines, although it is but sel¬ 
dom used for that purpose. The flowers are 
not showy, but they have a pleasing fragrance 
somewhat resembling that of cinnamon, from 
which circumstance it is often called the Cin¬ 
namon Vine. As the tu Iters or roots ure per¬ 
fectly hardy, they may remain in the ground 
for several years. 
The Climbing Bitter Sweet. Celastrus scan- 
dens, is another fine ornamental climber. It 
is one of our most beautiful native plants, 
with bright green leaves; the flowers are small 
but insignificant, aud are followed by clusters 
of orange capsuled berries, rendering it a very 
desirable addition to our list of climbing 
plants. Chas. E. Parnell. 
Queens Co., L. I. 
NOTES AND COMMENTS. 
In reply to the editor’s queries (page 810) 
relat ve to the flowering of Buist’s Variegated 
Althaea, I would say that the flowers do occa¬ 
sionally unfold. 
Asclepias Curassavica (Wild Milkweed) is an 
excellent plant forthe decoration of the flower 
border during the Summer months, and in a 
warm greenhouse it will flower profusely dur 
ing the Winter season. It is, moreover, a plant 
easily cultivated, merely requiring a warm, 
light, sunny situation, a temperature of from 
50 ° to 55 °, good drainage, and a compost of 
ordinary garden soil. It is easily raised from 
seeds, which can be obtained from any of our 
seedsmen. 
Two years ago we received from Mr. 
Charles A, Green a few plants of this variety, 
with the statement that he did not know 
whether it was a new seedling or some old 
variety that did remarkably well with him; 
hence he wished a thorough trial of it and 
our opinion as to its real value and identity 
if possible. They were carefully planted 
near a number of leading softs, and soon 
showed a vigor of growth and hardiness of 
plant seldom seen in any variety, holding 
their foliage till late in the Fall, and coming 
out in the Spring as free from injury as the 
hardy Cuthbert, and fully equaling, if not 
surpassing, that variety in productiveness. 
Fruit of the largest size, of a bright, rich 
color, quite acid yet of good flavor, giving 
promise of being a very valuable market 
variety. 
I believe it is not generally acknowledged 
that there are perfect and imperfect flower¬ 
ing varieties among raspberries; yet I am 
f ully convinced that there are some sorts that 
produce more and better fruit when planted 
near other varieties, and from one season’s- 
fruiting I am lead to believe that Lost Rubies 
is one of this class, for a few plants standing 
alone produced rather imperfect and soft 
fruit, while others growing near Brandywine 
and Cuthbert were perfect in form, very 
large and firm. 
In the past 15 years we have tested about 
every variety of red raspberry grown in 
America, and while I must tx-ust to memory 
as to some of them that were discarded years 
ago, Lost Rubies, I feel sure, is unlike any 
other variety I ever saw. One thing I know, 
Of the mauy varieties which the tuberose 
has of late given to cultivators, the old double 
sort is yet considered by some to be the best 
for open-air culture, on account of the flowers 
remaining longer in perfection than those of 
the other sorts. The variegated form (with 
single flowers) is an excellent ornamental foli¬ 
age plant. The Pearl was a decided acquisi¬ 
tion, and for growing under glass it is of great 
value on account of its dwarf habit. The 
flowers are somewhat larger than those of the 
old sort, aud the flower-stalks are also consid¬ 
erably shorter and stronger. Now we have 
another addition to the list, the “ Diamond,” 
which is said to produce as many- flowers as 
the ordinary sorts and grows oidy from five 
to eight inches in bight. 
I notice that of late an article is going the 
rounds of the papers relative to preserving 
fruit in bran. The article in question says: 
“ A new method of preserving the peach in a 
fresh condition for a considerable time after 
