SEC 23 
inquiry regarding the originator of the James 
Vick Strawberry, which has made such a re¬ 
markable record as a market berry about 
Rochester, N. Y. The veteran Samuel Miller, 
well known as an originator and writer, is the 
man wfio has the honor of orig nating the 
James Vick. C. A. Green. 
Onions in One Season from a Hot-bed. 
Last year one of the Rural correspondents 
sta'ed that he usually transplanted the thin¬ 
nings from his onion bed, and succeeded in 
raising good oni >ns. The idea occurred to me 
tha> 1 might sow seed iu a hot bed, and tnus 
forward the crop, so as to mature it before 
the hot weather. I tried it. and succeeded in 
raising as fine Yellow Danver onions as one 
would wish to see. G. w. st, j. 
^Vinotorjka l. 
THE DEY PEACH. 
(See first page) 
The city of Newark, N. J., besides being 
famous for the extent and variety of its man¬ 
ufactures, has long been noted for the excel¬ 
lence of its seedling peaches and the remarka¬ 
ble healthfulness and longevity of the trees. 
It is no unusual thing to find in the gardens of 
that city trees 15 and 20 years old, as green, 
vigorous and healthy as any to be fouud at 
one fifth that age, and when they die, us die 
they do, it is from old age, not disease. The 
bulk of the peaches exhibited at the New Jer¬ 
sey State fairs for years past have been seed¬ 
lings of this class from the gardensof the city, 
and oftentimes they are of remarkable size 
and excellent in quality. We are not aware 
that any attempts have been made to test the 
value of these seedlings for general culture. 
The subject of our illustration. Pig. 477, is a 
peach of this class sent to this office by E. & 
J. C. Williams, of Montclair, N. J , who were 
so impressed with its merits that they iutend 
to test it outside of its native habitat. The 
original tree (now dead) came up in the city 
jmrd of a gentleman named Day, hence the 
name, and the specimen shown w «3 grown by 
Messrs Williamson young trees budded from 
the original. The fruit is large and hand¬ 
some, skin greenish white, thickly dotted with 
bright crimson spots, especially on the exposed 
side, flesh white, streaked with red; sweet, 
rich and juicy, and perfectly free. 
Mr. Downing says of the specimens sent him: 
“Of very good quality; to my taste much 
better than the yellow varieties which are so 
much prized by many. All the yellow peaches 
that 1 have seen are more acid than the white- 
fleshed ones, which I do not like, but many do. 
The yellow red cheek peaches take the eye and 
sell better in the market.” 
Treatment of Fruit Pita. 
Our practice in regard to the preparation 
of pits and seeds of all kinds is not to allow 
them to dry, but immediately on taking them 
from the fruit to place them in moist soil. If 
allowed to dry the freezing of the first Winter 
will not open more than one-half of them, and 
hand cracking becomes necessary; this course 
will destroy a great portion. Soft-shelled 
seeds, like those of pears or apples, ought to he 
kept in what we term “dry sand,” which is 
not wholly dry. Grape seeds belong to the 
stone family, and are as much so as those of 
a plum or cherry, but of a better material and 
more tenacious. If pits become dry, the shell 
being impeivious to water, they require a 
continual moisture and freezing from one to 
three years (some longer than others), to sep¬ 
arate the halves; freezing will not doit until 
mois ure has entered the seams. Chenieg, 
peaches, apricots and all of the still softer- 
shelled seeds must be planted very early. It 
would be better to plant them iu the Fall; but 
there need be no hurry about grape seeds, as 
they start late and very unevenly, between 
the middle of May and the first of July. 
FORESTRY.—No 30. 
STREET TREES. 
Kinds recommended and those condemned — 
Trees for Wide Streets—Trees for Narrow 
Streets—Trees for Door-yards, for Parks, 
and for the Highways—Village Improve¬ 
ment Societies , 
From this time forward until late in the 
Spring—until it is even too late to plant with 
aoy prospect of success—there will be numer¬ 
ous inquiries respecting the trees to plant in 
many a town and village where the echoes of 
good Mr, Northrop's admirable suggestions for 
Village Improvement Associations have reach¬ 
ed and taken possession of the public mind. 
These prepossessions should be encouraged 
in everj r way, and with this view the presen 
article is laid before the Rural readers. 
The following paragraphs contain the sub¬ 
stance of an address recently presented before 
the horticultural society of a thriving west¬ 
ern town, but the sentiments may be equally 
fitted for the inhabitants of many other 
embryo cities which are springing up all over 
our wide and happy land, but especially in the 
trans-AlleghaDy region, which is receiving a 
wonderful increase of enterprising settlers. 
To the Horticultural Society of Richmond, 
Indiana: 
Your very pleasant city is sure to be attract¬ 
ive to all observing strangers, because of the 
suburban character resulting from its shaded 
highways. Most of the streets are adorned 
by comfortable homes and tasteful villas that 
are often half obscured by lovely trees on the 
broad areas surrounding them. How could 
your city be otherwise than pleasant and at¬ 
tractive while there is so much to admire and 
so little that requires criticism even from the 
moat fastidious 1 
From one of your own worthy members it 
was learned that your society was now en¬ 
gaged in tbe laudable work of discussing sh«de 
trees best adapted to street and ornamental 
planting. 
Among a people surrounded as you have 
been bv the happy results of previous work in 
this line that has been unusually successful 
(though not without its faults), witha remark¬ 
ably richsylvaof Niture’s plantingall around 
you in the native fores's, and with so broad 
an area of what was quite recently open 
farm laud, now brought into your corporate 
limits, and which is being rapidly built up 
with smiling homes, it is but right and proper 
that the Horticultural Society should discuss 
this important matter and shed the light of 
its experience upon the pathway of your fel 
low citizens, who will naturally look for your 
councils to guide and asrast them in the adorn¬ 
ment of their homes and their highways. The 
planting of the present will make or mar the 
beauty of future years for half a century or 
more, and should therefore receive thought, 
aided by the experience you have derived 
from the past. 
Go on, then, with the good work ; continue 
to enlighten your neighbors with your advice, 
and be pleased to accept, for them and for 
yourselves, a few suggestions tendered with 
all dilfi ieuce by oue who loves trees and who 
admires the Quaker City because of its um¬ 
brageous avenues as well as for the intelli¬ 
gence and hospitality of its inhabitants. 
Iu many of your streets there is not suffi¬ 
cient width for our largest trees to develop 
and to show how beautiful and how grand 
they may in time become, therefore ouly 
upon your widest avenues and in your open 
squares and parks should you plant the noble 
White Elm, the Tulip Tree, the larger Oaks, 
the Sugar Maples, the Plane Tree or Button- 
wood, the White and Blue Ash, or the 
American Lindens, all of which need abun¬ 
dant room to grow and display their um¬ 
brageous character. This category may also 
very well include the Hack berry because its 
somber foliage makes it less ornamental than 
many others; by all means let it embrace the 
Whits Maple, which is every where so exten¬ 
sively planted, because it is cheap and a rapid 
grower. This tree should ouly be tolerated 
in the stree's for planting as an alternate 
with the Red Maple and other trees, to pro¬ 
duce an immediate effect, and to b« removed 
so soou as its companions become established. 
It is hardly worth while in so intelligent a 
community to condemn tbe poplar tribe, 
though, even in the streets of Richmond, the 
short-lived and stiff L >ml>ardy rears its tall 
head occasionally, while the European Abele 
and the Michigan Poplar oontinue here and 
there to derange the brick pavements with 
their suckering roots; so also the Northern 
Balsam Poplar and the native Cottonwood 
may now and then be seen, but only as 
remnants of a past era, and not likely 
to be further planted. Neither are the Euro¬ 
pean White and Yellow Willows worthy of a 
place in any street, though exceedingly useful 
in their way and place. The classic and 
beautiful Weeping Willow from far eastern 
lands, may fill a place in the park, but is not 
desirable in the street, and in our latitude it 
occasionally suffers from the frosts of Winter 
and becomes shabby. The Wisconsin Weeper 
is preferable as a pendant tree. The Kilmar¬ 
nock is only a formal bush, but the Lucida, or 
Shining Willow makes a beautiful small tree. 
The Ailantbus has, perhaps, been too ut 
terly ostracised in most parts of the country, 
for it should be more generally known that 
the seed bearing trees are uot offensive, and 
the brightly-colored fruit among the tropical- 
looking foliage is highly ornamental. Give 
the Ailanthus a chance 1 Say nob to it, as 
has been said to its countrymen, “The 
Chinese must go 1 ” Beautiful trees, laden 
with their showy samara, an 1 others, severely 
shortened In last Spring and covered with 
luxuriant foliage, like Palm fronds, are now 
to be seen in the streets of Hamilton, Ohio 
(October). Thus selected and thus treated, 
this much-abused plant becomes a valuable 
addition to our list of street trees, especially 
for planting on thin soils, and where the grad¬ 
ing of highways has brought us down to in¬ 
tractable sub soils, whether of clays, gravels, 
or stones. In such situations it succeeds well 
where other species might fail. 
THK SMALLER TREKS FOR STREETS. 
For shading and ornamenting your streets 
you are advised to select trees of medium size, 
and of such species as you have already tested 
in your soil3 and found to be adapted to them. 
Of maples by all means continue to plant 
the Red, a native with bright green foliage, 
now growing beautifully iu your streets, and 
also the European kind called Norway Maple, 
some of which are already to be seen in your 
newer avenues; this spacies is well adapted 
for making a low and umbrageous tree well 
clothed with broad lea ves supported upon long 
petioles, and producing long racemes of flow¬ 
ers that are followed by corresponding bunch¬ 
es of winged seeds, 
The Western Box Elder, a very much better 
tree than that of the Ohio Valley, may be 
planted on account of its size and its rapid 
growth, though not so beautiful as some other 
maples. The fruit-l earing trees of this 
species have the better bahit, being more 
snug and compact. 
The Green Ash, common along your 
s*reams, though inferior to the more noble 
white and blue species for use in a timber 
plantation is, never the] css, worthy of extensive 
introduction as a street tree, for which use, 
iudeed, its medium size, its habit and its neat 
foliage of vivid green moke it most applicable. 
Let the Green Ash have a trial in Borne of 
the newer streets where it can be planted in 
continuous lines. 
The Linden has many pleasant associations, 
and it seems to be a great favorite with your 
planters, but who can tell why 7 most of the 
trees set out along your streets are of the 
large leafed species, when you have such fine 
examples of the other kind on the banks of all 
tbe streams about youl These last have 
smaller leaves and resemble the favorite Eu¬ 
ropean species which appear in your streets. 
Plant ho more of the common catalpa; you 
must kuow by former experience that it has 
a straggling habit and wifi stretch its lower 
limbs, and sometimes even itB very trunk 
across the roadway. The more hardy and 
more upright kind known as the Speciosa is a 
superior tree aud very beautiful when in 
blossom. 
There are some other kinds of catalpa that 
are also very attractive aud should be introd¬ 
uced, such as the Kcempferi from China, with 
fragrant yellow flowers, aud the supposed hy¬ 
brid of Messrs. Teas, with large clusters of 
white blossoms. 
The S' v eet Gum, of close, cane like habit, 
star-shaped leaves, and, at this season, assum¬ 
ing the most brilliant and varied hue», is ad¬ 
mirably adapted to the streets toward the 
Bonth part of the towu as it loves moisture, 
though thriving in any good soil except dry 
gravel; by all means plant a few blocks of 
this highly ornamental species. 
Borne of the smaller growing oaks may well 
be introduced and will prove very satisfac¬ 
tory, on account of their brilliant Summer 
foliage, with deeply cut lobes, and becoming 
richly tinted in the Autumn: the Pin Oak aud 
the Scarlet are specially commended where 
there is room to dbplay their beauty ; the for¬ 
mer prefers a damp situation and thrives best 
on a tenacious sub soil. 
Burr Oaks, White Oaks and Red Oaks 
require more space than is usually afford 
ed in the streets; but they should not be neg¬ 
lected; wien properly handled most species 
will grow fust euough to produce a flue effect 
in a few years. 
A beautiful specimen of the Red Bud or 
Judas Tree was obierved on one of your 
streets, and this might suggest its further in¬ 
troduction, although rather too small lor the 
street, and, with D jg Wood and some of the 
Tuorns, aud with Crab Apples better suited 
for the ureas inclosed with your dwellings, 
besides the Persimmons and Sassafras and 
other choice sh i u bs aud small trees that uii eady 
occupy such positions. 
Our sylva is so rich that It is difficult to be 
brief when a selection is attempted; nothing 
has been said of the evergreens, of which, iu 
many species, you already have many choice 
exemplars. These are not. adapted for street 
planting, where they must be trimmed up. 
Evergreens, especially the conifers, make the 
finest appearance when furnished with a full 
compliment of laterals from the ground up, 
and when the whole tree seems to spring 
from the grassy lawn of a suburban villa: 
such may be seen all around you. 
Nut trees have also tieen purposely omitted 
iu treating of shade trees for the streets,as they 
are better upon the farm. 
Iu closing, let me again urge you to look to 
our native trees in large measure for your 
street trees, and also to recommend the plant¬ 
ing of continuous lines of any given bind, 
whenever you can pursuade the occupants of 
the property to do so, as in coming years the 
results of such planting will be much more 
effective. 
Ocgan ze Village Improvement Societies 
everywhere, discuss all matters that concern 
the highways and the general health and wel¬ 
fare, and select a good executive committee 
to carry out your plans; such organization 
will greatly aid in the work of improving 
your surroundings. 
-- 
THE BASKET WILLOW. 
A correspondent of the Popular Science 
Monthly states that the willow imported in¬ 
to this country annually amounts to the value 
of five millions of dollars. With the rapid in¬ 
crease of population and tbe development of 
the industries of the country, it does not look 
as if this business was likely to be overdone. 
That there is much iuterest in this queslion at 
present is plain from the fact that I am con¬ 
stantly receiving letters of inquiry about the 
willow from nearly every State aud Terri¬ 
tory; I cannot answer these letters and can 
only say that every important fact has ap¬ 
peared, or will appear in due time in the 
Rural. On« question appears more often 
than auy other—how long will a plantation 
last ? I do not know; those made in 1850 are 
still good; I can only guess whether they will 
last five years or five hundred. I see no evi¬ 
dence of failure on the earliest plantations in 
this country. “ Is there any publication quot¬ 
ing market price of willow ?” I do not know of 
any. The probability is there will be no 
necessity of any for this reason, that the 
willow is and is likely to be worked where it 
is raised. Although this county raises more 
than any other place in the United States I be¬ 
lieve there has never been one pound ex¬ 
ported except as manufactured goods. 
“Will the overflow of streams injure it'/” 
There is oue plantation here that is ovei flowed 
by a creek, but I cannot learn thut u bes 
been injured by tbe water. There is, how¬ 
ever, a point to consider in this ccnrection. 
In case of overflow after the cuttings are 
planted aud before they are rooted they 
might be injured, but after they are well 
started I should have no fears. 
“When should they be cut to peel easiest/’ 
They will peel easiest if cut in the Spring 
when full of sap; but they are usually wanted 
to work during the Winter and for this pur¬ 
pose they are cut in the Fall and during the 
open weather of the Winter. In this caso 
they are steamed to make them peel easily. 
This steaming is not a complicated or ex¬ 
pensive process. 
“Where can the stock be obtained and what 
will it cost/ 1 ’ As l neither raise, buy nor sell, 
I cannot answer these questions at present. 
I expect to go in a few days to the willow set¬ 
tlement, and I will advise those having stock 
to dispose of to advertise it iu the Rural 
giving the lowest price for a first-class article. 
One idea vve should all be interested in— 
the laboring poor are every where. During a 
part of the year in this latitude there is little 
or no business. Many are idle through the 
Winter that would gladly beat work. In the 
rural districts formerly there was occupation 
in thrashing the grain with the flail. The 
thrashing machine has spoiled this labor. 
Chopping wood aud splitting rails made busi¬ 
ness when I was a boy. These occupations 
have gone; and so it is with almost every kind 
of labor by which the poor earned a living 
during the inclement season. Every new 
industry that can furnish labor for the needy 
is a benefit alike to the rich and the poor. In 
the willow section here, meu, women and 
children have constant employment during 
the entire Winter and earn good wages. One 
word as to the White Willow—one writer save 
it is good for nothing except as a wind-break. 
As this has hern extensively planted West I 
hope some one will tell us of the merits and 
defects of this tree. A. M. Williams. 
Syracuse, N. Y. 
(I!)f Pffultnj Dan). 
WINTER TREATMENT OF POULTRY. 
HENRY HALES. 
Fowls should be treated in Winter with 
some regard to what is wanted of them, 
whether eggs in Winter or a large number of 
early, strong chicks in Spring. If the lat¬ 
ter are wanted it is not best to force the 
hens to lay much in Winter, for by so 
doing they are not in so strong and vigor¬ 
ous a condition to have hardy chicks in the 
Spring. 1 have fouud that the first hatches 
of eggs laid by a hen are better for batching 
than the last, and those laid in mid-Winter 
are too early for hatching. When eggs are 
wanted for market the Winter eggs are most 
profitable, and for their production some at- 
