493 
MARCH-25 
THE RURAL HEW-YORKER. 
surface constantly mallow and the crops en 
tirely free from weeds. The Yellow Danvers 
is the most profitable kind to grow. Onions 
are sometimes affected by blight, for which 
there is no remedy. It is said that sowing 
fine salt broadcast at the rate of eight bushels 
to the acre will stop the ravages of the worm 
which feeds upon the onion. Core should be 
had to get fresh seed, as poor seed is apt to 
produce scullions. The old uotion of rolling 
a barrel over the onion bed to cause them to 
bottom better, has been abandoned by exten¬ 
sive onion growers. The time of ripening, 
which is usually about the middle of Septem¬ 
ber in this latitude, is indicated by the tops 
drying up; then they should be pulled and 
thrown in heaps of from six to eight bushels, 
where they should remain for three or four 
days. After they have sweated in the heaps 
and are dry they should be carted and stored 
in a dry, cool place, being spread out on a 
floor. Here they should remain until ready 
to market at which tune the tops should be 
cut off. 
Six hundred bushels is a good average 
yield per acre, although from 1,000 to 1,200 
bushels have been obtained. The average 
price hereabouts is about 75 cents per bushel 
and they may be grown at a cost of, from 15 
to 20 cents per bushel. Onions may be grown 
on the same land for years provided there is 
an annual dressing of wood ashes and muck 
or vegetable mold, the manure should be well 
rotten and fine. 
Saratoga Co., N. Y. 
-♦ ♦ » 
GARDENING- AT NORFOLK. 
A few days since I read a letter of A. 
Babcock, which appeared in the Rural of 
Feb. 11, purporting to represent the shady 
side of Norfolk’s trucking aud fruit interest. 
Were 1 a native Virginian, I should make no 
reply ; but being a native of Maine, I take the 
liberty of correcting some of his misstate¬ 
ments. I have been a resident of Virginia 
sixteen years, cultivating the soil and raising 
fruit. Mr Babcock is not alone in jumping 
at hasty aud mistaken conclusions in visiting 
Virginia. He gives Bonnet (the Frenchman) 
the credit of furnishing information. He was 
unfortunate in his selection; had he gone a 
half mile from Bonnet's place and visited J. 
R. Young, aud his strawberry patch of over 
200 acres, he could have receive 1 some correct 
information. Mr. Young is from Northern 
New York, and a gentleman of intelligence. 
Had he desired information as to grape cul. 
ture, he should Lave called on Albert Dodge, 
who has a vineyard some eleven yeais out, 
and such is his success that he is increasing it. 
Mr. Dodge is a native of Massachusetts, aud 
would nave given him more reliable iufoima- 
tion in two hours for such a letter, thau he 
could have obtained from unreliable sources 
in a mouth. Grape-growing is a success here. 
Our lands are generally too stiff for peach 
culture; consequently but few turn their 
attention to tUis crop, but with our increasing 
road improvements, peach culture will in¬ 
crease nearer the ocean where the soil is more 
sandy. 
W u h regard to the pear blight which he 
touches with so much emphasis, 1 have aver¬ 
aged a loss of about eleven trees annually out 
of the six thousand planted out. Mr. Babcock 
failed to iearu of any hay raised here. Maine 
has a hay-producing reputation, but the 
heaviest yield of Timothy I have ever seen 
was iu this county, and if he had desired to 
purchase 500 or 1,000 bales of Norfolk County 
raised hay he could probably have been ac 
commodated at .Portsmouth. He noticed the 
leaning of the trees towards the east and drew 
hi3 conclusions as to the cause. Had he been 
here two years ago last August he would have 
better understood the cause. A gale of suffi¬ 
cient severity to remove steeples of churches, 
and to send, in a careless way, the tin roofs 
broadcast through the streets of Norfolk, 
prostrating forests, and even uprooting the 
sturdy oaks that had ie»isted the winds of a 
century, is the apology for this condition,— 
the gale has had no parallel since that of 1822 
which devastated life and property from Nor¬ 
folk to Savannah. 
I have replied to only such features of Mr. 
Babcock’s letter as I happened to i emember, 
and would advise him to come back aud take 
a square look aud then report. 
Norfolk County, Va. G. F. B. Leighton. 
Pres. Norfolk Hort. & Pom. Society. 
-♦ - 
Best Tomatoes. 
After a search of ten years and a trial of 
18 or 20 kinds, I am certain that for this local¬ 
ity I have found something much better for 
earlineas, size and quality than the varieties 
mentioned from time to time in the Rural. 
Livingston’s Perfection has been with me ear¬ 
lier thau Canada Victor, perfectly smooth, as 
large as Hathaway, the best keeper I ever 
raised, and an enormous yielder. In a field of 
two acres raised for a canning factory, Para¬ 
gon yielded equal to Trophy in rows of the 
same length, and held out much longer in the 
season. The green stem and core of the Tro¬ 
phy made a waste of 10 pounds to the bushel 
more than Paragon. Acme yielded about half 
as much as Paragon, and Canada Victor was 
left on the ground as worthless. We gath¬ 
ered our tomatoes in slatted boxes holding a 
bushel, and took them in a spring wagon one 
mile to the factory, and while Trophy was 
thin-skinned and soft, and the Acme cracked 
so as to leak the juice through the box, tbe 
Paragon would remain uninjured. I sent a 
box of Paragon (50 pounds) to Galesburg, 100 
miles, and they remained sound over ten 
days, when they were used up. This tomato 
Colors all over before it is ripe, has firm flesh, 
thick skin, and took the first and second pre¬ 
miums at our county fair as the finest- 
appearing baskets on exhibition. I wish 
others who have raised Paragon and Perfec¬ 
tion would give their opinions as to best vari¬ 
eties of tomatoes. We received 25 cents per 
bush?I at the factory; but yellow tomatoes 
will not sell at any price. G. w. 
Rock Falls, Ill. 
[We have tried both Paragon and Livings¬ 
ton’s Perfection and have already reported up¬ 
on them as excellent varieties. The latter 
is probably the best shipping tomato cul¬ 
tivated at present.— Eds.] 
To Keep off Cabbage Worms.— Dust on 
fine ground black pepper frequently. 
Prince Edward Co., Va. H. Calkins. 
3rluni cultural. 
FORESTRY-NO. 8. 
DR. JOHN A. WARDER. 
Wind-breaks—Shelter-belts and Hedge 
Screens. 
What to plant is a question that some may 
desire to have answered. The very wealth of 
material before us greatly enhances the diffi¬ 
culty of making a response. We have decid¬ 
uous trees that are bare in Winter, when 
shelter is most needed, and we have also the 
evergreens in great variety, that retain their 
refreshing verdure all through tbe year, and 
provide the most perfect shelter. For the 
wind-breaks of the field, and even for groves 
about the buildings, the leafless trees have 
much value, aud their judicious disposition 
will greatly check the cutting storms; tne 
wind, after sifting through tne brauches, is 
reft of half its power for evil; nor is its force 
restored for some distance. The majority of 
wind-breaks planted m the prairies are com¬ 
posed of deciduous trees, and usually of the 
commonest species, such as the cotton-woods, 
willows, Box Elder, s^ft maples, &e., any- 
ttnug that will rapidly grow mto a tree, or 
that can be most cheaply procured. This 
practice of the prairie lands need not prevent 
us. however, from using any of the more val¬ 
uable hard wood, and other trees, in making 
our shelters, but ia some instances our impa¬ 
tience may prevail over our judgment as to 
the more valuable species and induce us to 
plant only those of a rapid growth to insure 
a speedy result. 
As to the use of evergreens in tbe outeide 
shelter-belts, though more expensive at first, 
a smaller number and a narrower surface de¬ 
voted to the wind-break will Drove so much 
more effective than a wider strip of deciduous 
trees as to justify the increased outlay. 
Sometimes even a single row of Norway 
Spruce, or of hardy pines, like the Scotch or 
the Norway Spruce, or even of the common 
Red Cedar or Arbor-vitae will make an ad¬ 
mirable wind break. 
Plant any of the many trees at your com¬ 
mand, and plant them where they will pro¬ 
duce the desired protection. Whether you 
select the so-called cheap trees, such as white- 
Willows, Cotton-woods, soft-maples, etc., or 
whether you choose the noble oaks, hard-ma¬ 
ples, the wtiice-ash, the elms, the wild-cherry, 
the tulip, the walnut, and hickories, or the 
hardy evergieens; but do not neglect the 
planting of these invaluable aids to good farm¬ 
ing, both for the fields and about the farm 
steadings. 
W hen we come to a selection of the plants 
best suited to the protection of our owu homes 
and their surroundings we again find abundant 
material from which to make a choice. For 
trees and for tall screens the favorite with 
many will be the Norway Spruce, which 
grows rapidly, is easily transplanted and 
managed, and which presents a welcome tint 
of green that is always persistent and full. 
The other spruces are also desirable, particu. 
larly the White and the Black. They all bear 
the knife and shears very well, and may easily 
be kept within due bounds when used as 
hedges for shelter. 
The native hemlock is particularly com¬ 
mended as a lawn tree, standiug alone, but it 
is also one of the very be3t species for forming 
a screen or shelter hedge, as it may be clipped 
to a perfect plane, and, when necessary, it 
can be confined within narrow limits. 
While discussing the house trees and those 
to be planted about the buildings, particularly 
on the lawn, we should consider their beauty, 
and with this character in view we should 
select, among evergreens, the hemlock, the 
White Pine, perhaps also the Red Pine, or 
Norway, but not the Scotch Fir, nor the 
Austrian. There we may also place the 
American Arbor-vita?, but the especial func¬ 
tion of this species is the formation of shelter- 
screens and hedges, for which it is particularly 
well adapted, except iu very dry soils; nothing 
can be prettier than a well trimmed hedge of 
Arbor-vitie, unless it be one of hemlock, as 
the latter preserves its deep green hue unim¬ 
paired all W inter. Some of the dwarf pine* 
may also find a place in front or at the side 8 
of the house, but they never attain sufficient 
size to make much shelter. The same is true 
of the beautiful Retinisporas from Japan, 
which answer well for low screens, however, 
and are highly ornamental. 
The common Red Cedar, though looked 
upon as a very plebean affair, is after all a 
most valuable and useful plant for the farmer. 
It has been called the poor man’s evergreen, 
on account of its cheapness, and the facility 
with which it may be produced in all parts of 
the country, as well as the certainty and 
rapidity of its growth. Though not of so fine 
a color as some others, this tree makes a dense 
foliage when set as a shelter-belt and wind¬ 
break, where it soon attains a useful size. It 
also makes a close hedge to screen the path¬ 
ways from the back door to the barn and out¬ 
buildings, aud it very quickly forms a protec¬ 
tive hedge for the garden and about the hot¬ 
beds. 
How TO Plant, though a matter of great 
importance, must be disposed of somewhat 
cursorily, for lack of time, and for fear of 
wearying your patience. 
The ground for the wind break to shelter 
the farm, and that needed for the buildings 
also, should be well prepared with the plow as 
for a tillage crop. A strip of one rod in width 
will be needed if it is proposed to plant but a 
single row, and several rods wide must be 
prepared if it be designed to plant a good 
wind-break of many rows, which is the better 
plan. Alter harrowing the ground a furrow 
is struck for every row of trees und these fur¬ 
rows may be four feet apart, for then the 
plants may be set every four feet. This re¬ 
quires very little labor, unless large trees are 
selected, and if these be large evergreens they 
need not be so close, but more care will be re¬ 
quired in planting. Yearlings and two-year- 
old plants of most deciduous kinds, or stout 
cuttings of willows and poplars will fie the 
cheapest and best. 
The young trees, when planted with reason¬ 
able care and well fixed in the soil by pres¬ 
sure of the foot, will be sure to grow; but so 
will the weeds, aud the plantation must be cul¬ 
tivated for about two seasons, so as to keep 
down all intruders. With this treatment 
their growth is greatly enhanced, and they 
will the sooner shade the ground, when they 
will suppress the weeds and take care of them¬ 
selves. They must, however, be protected 
from the inroads of stock of all kiuds. This is 
an absolute necessity. 
When to PLANT, though an important 
question, need not detain us long—plant when 
you get ready, Fall or Bpring ; but be sure to 
Lave the soil ready lor the reception of your 
trees before bringing them on to the ground, 
let it be dry enough to crumble ; never plant 
when it is wot und clammy. 
Deciduous trees may be set out in the Fall, 
when we have leisure to do the work, and then 
the soil is dry aud warm. Cuttings are best 
set in the Spring, or if planted in Autumn, 
cover w T ith a furrow. But it is not found ad¬ 
visable to plant evergreens at that season, and 
they may be most successfully moved jus as 
their buds begin to expand in the Spring. 
Holding their leaves as they do dnring the 
Winter, they ore apt to suffer from the con¬ 
tinued evaporation, if planted in the Au- 
tuinu. 
In Fall planting it is well to bank up the 
earth to the little trees, and this may be most 
cheaply done with the plow. 
THE ASH BARREL. 
In a late number of the Rural was a de¬ 
vice for the protection of the ash barrel, or 
rather the ashes when put in it. It shows up 
one of those cases where a little labor and a 
trifling expense add much to the convenience 
of the family, and afford a protection to a val¬ 
uable fertilizer that too often goes partially or 
entirely ta waste. Having had some 45 years’ 
acquaintance with the country ash barrel, 
and there being some interesting reminiscen¬ 
ces in that time, I give for the Rural a state¬ 
ment of some of them for the benefit of it s 
readers. 
I premise by stating that yesterday at sun¬ 
down 1 saw one of my three ash barrels on 
fire, and I readily discovered the cause, which 
was that that day I did not, as usual, take 
care of the ash pail myself. However, there 
was little chance for serious damage, as the 
barrels were clear away from any wooden or 
combustible substance, and, furthermore, 
there was, as usual, an open wooden box set 
on one end, detached from the barrels into 
which the pail of ashes should have been set 
till it was wanted again, when it should have 
been emptied in the fore part of the day into 
the barrel. But the serving girl (one of the 
very best of her class), had had the benefit of 
my teaching only a short time 
About the year 1S45, on a call at an uncle’s, 
I found the family of some six females much 
alarmed at the smell of fire in the house. 
They had been into every room, and could 
discover nothing. I asked about the cellar; 
no, they had not thought of that. I found 
there about six barrels full of ashes, the fire 
from one of which had burst out on the side 
near the bottom, and was making nice head¬ 
way. This barrel had been full for more than 
a week, which showed how fire will sometimes 
keep when smothered. 
At another time and place, as I was going 
home from ni 3 r business, after 10 p. m., I saw 
a suspicious light shining around the corner 
of a shop some 25 feet from my house. On 
stepping into the street to get a full view, 
there I found the inevitable ash barrel all on 
fire and standing against a pile of dry wood, 
from which ran a dry board fence to the cor¬ 
ner of the house, iu which were the inmates 
all asleep, while the ash barrel alone lighted 
up all the neighborhood. As an episode I will 
here mention that a year after the house took 
fire iu the chamber while the children were 
dressing iu the morning, and burnt to the 
ground. At another time, on the same street, 
I found, early in the morning, an ash barrel 
standing against the side of the house, all on 
fire, just attacking the house, and the inmates 
snoring fast asleep. 
In the same neighborhood was a shoe¬ 
maker’s Shop, in which I noticed a nail keg of 
ashes standing on the floor. Having a store 
and stock of goods greatly exposed should 
this shop take fire, I ventured to expostulate 
with the shoemaker in a friendly manner. He 
gave me to understand that I had better attend 
to my own business. A few mornings after, he 
entered his shop to find his keg of ashes had 
burnt a hole in the floor and dropped through 
some foui' feet to the ground and gone out. 
Another shoemaker, on the other side of me, 
who kept his ashes in the same manner, was 
more polite. With him I compromised by 
agreeing to pay him for his ashes if he would 
take them up in an iron pail and put them be¬ 
yond all danger. Another episode is, that 
after I removed from that place these shops, 
a hotel, three stores and a grist mill, all in a 
row, were burnt up clean. 
I had often before, and have often since, 
remonstrated with friends on accouut of their 
dangerous manner of keeping ashes. The 
reply generally is: “ Oh, I don’t keep any 
ashes so that have any fire in them.” “ My 
friend,” I reply, “ it is these same fireless ashes 
that burn up half the buildings that are burnt 
in the rural districts of the country.” 
Muskegon Co., Mich. S. B. Peck. 
-♦ * » 
THE TRUTH ABOUT IT-No. 2. 
|The object of articles under this beading Is not so 
much to deal with "humbugs" as with the many un¬ 
conscious errors that creep Into the methods of dally 
country routine life.—Ens.l 
GETTING A LIVING BY ONE’S WITS. 
W. I. CHAMBERLAIN. 
The “dress-up-and-sit-dowu” employments 
are the fashionable ones nowadays. There is 
a tendency among our boys and girls to des¬ 
pise active manual or physical labor. A green 
farm-boy said to me one day “I’ll tell you 
what I’d jes’like to do for a livin/—live in 
th’ city, wear good clo’es, clerk’a a dry goods 
store, board at a fust class hotil, ’n go to the 
show every night l ” That was his idea of 
making a living,—earn ten dollars a week 
clerking, spend tw-elve a week for first-class 
board, three or four for theatres and shows, 
and have the rest to buy “store clothes” with! 
He didn’t begin to know of the struggle and 
strife there is among the boys and young men 
in our cities to find places where they may 
save even half as much net earnings at the 
end of the year as tbe live boy or man can on 
the farm. 
Now this green boy expressed a very com¬ 
mon feeling among our boys iu favor of the 
“genteel” callings. We parents complain of 
this tendency, and yet are we not iu part res¬ 
ponsible for it? How do we talk? We say: 
“Our oldest son, William, is a nice, good- 
natured, steady, dull, honest fellow, just fit 
to be a farmer; but Sam, our second son, is too 
smart for that; we’ll send him to college or 
