THE 
MEW-YOBKER. 
JUNE 26 
^railing far tljc JJoung. 
TALK ON BOTANY.—NO. 3. 
Aerial Rootx. 
In tho Ron au oi May 29th we had a lesson on 
roots You then learned the principal forms and 
classifications of these organs, how they grow and 
how they absorb tne nourishment for the plant,. I 
shall now briefly call your attention to another 
class of roots which, from their nature and because 
they are not as common as those already de¬ 
scribed, are of but little Importance In gardening 
and agriculture, though uo less interesting to bot¬ 
anists; l refer to the tu-rinl roots. These roots are 
so named because they develop in the air, and not 
in the ground like other roots. They spring from 
the su m or branches, and may either doseend Into 
the ground or remain entirely In the air. Aerial 
roots are emitted by tin; stems ot the English Ivy, 
the I'olson Ivy, and the Trumpet Creeper, but In 
these eases the roots serve only as supports to the 
plants, as they climb up the truuks of other trees. 
The roots fasten themselves to the bark or to the 
walls near Which the plants may happen to grow, 
but they absorb no nourishment whatever. An¬ 
other class of aerial roots Is seen In the common 
held corn. They spring .from the stem near the 
lower joint, aud growing obliquely downward, 
sometimes a distance ot live or six Inches, they 
llnally enter the ground aud do service to the 
plant like an ordinary root. 
In very warm climates, as in Central and south 
America and East India, this kind of roots are 
found on a groat many plants. One of the moBt 
remarkable cases of t he kind Is found in the Ban¬ 
yan tree, a species of tig tree which grows in the 
East Indies. Thu branches of Ibis tree send down 
long aerial roots, which when they reach the 
ground grow in thickness nice the trunk Itself. 
Being thus supported the branches spread out still 
farther, other aerial roots are scut down willed in 
turn become new truuks. and It thus continues to 
spread Itself till a single tree has covered more 
than thirteen acres. A class of plants called m- 
p/tgirs, or atr plants, also schd out aerial roots, 
but these simply servo to help the plants to cling to 
the trees. Still another class or roots, is round ou 
parasitic plants. A parasitic plant Is one which 
lives wholly or In part at the expense ol some 
other plant. The- Mistletoe, which was Illustrated 
in the Rural oi June MU, is such a parasite, its 
roots penetrate the bark or some other tree, aud 
unite with the wood as firmly as a natural branch. 
It thou absorbs the sap Of Its victim, and flour¬ 
ishes as though its roots were established In the 
ground. 
With these few remarks we will, for the pres¬ 
ent, close the discussion of the descending axis of 
the plant. In the next lesson we will lake up 
the stem, or ascendlug axis, and study some of 
' be very interesting features of Its development. 
Uncle Mark. 
REMINISCENCES OF A LITTLE GIRL. 
MRS. M. J. OALPIN. 
CHAPTER X. 
FAREWELL TO ERIN. 
Who that has ever taken a farewell of ills native 
heath does not realize with what mingled emot ions 
the “ laud of his home reoedeth from Ids view.’' 
Hope ror the future, regret lor the past, and sor- 
iow for the parting all commingle together till the 
mind Is one chaos of sorrow and doubt, ilow mauy 
an exile that lands on the shorOHoi America to-day 
has wept bitter tears as ills native land faded In 
the ills in nee. With ft shiver he feels himself 
strangely alone, as tossed an the mighty waves of 
the broad Atlantic he speeds away to a foreign 
shore, there to find among strangers a home and 
a tlreslde. There Is something grand and sublime 
in sailing “ o'er the waters of the deep, blue sea.” 
Nothing to he seen but the sky and the water day 
after day; the azure arch above mirrored In the 
deep below, while the foamy billows chase each 
other like a band of happy chUdreu lu their youthful 
play. It was the lot ot Uncle Tom, asit has been of 
thousands before, to experience these emo¬ 
tions. Bidding a tearful farewell to the frleuds of 
their adversity, he and family took the cars (there 
they are called coaches) and In due t ime they reach¬ 
ed Dublin. Hero they were to embark on a ship 
bound for the United Slates. They speut a few 
days in seeing the city aud in preparing clothing 
to last them through the long voyage. 
The day of departure eume at length, aud with 
saddened, quivering hearts they went on board. 
Tim ship uu which they took passage was the 
barque Ashley, a small sailing vessel, which was 
originally built for Lord Ashley, bur, was then being 
used as an emigrant ship, it was the ltrat year of 
the Irish famine. The l ulled states then, as now, 
hail stretolled out a helping hand, and many a poor, 
homeless, starvlug wanderer was saved from 
death by American charity. About two hours 
after embarkation the signal was given to leave, 
anchors were taken up, sails uururled, and the 
bark stood out to sea with her freight of human 
lives. A U stood on deck to get a last glimpse of 
the laud they might never more behold ; all wen.', 
weeping, for each left some loved one Debind 
whom they never again expected to moot on earth. 
Twilight at last shrouded the fading shores with 
Its HomOcr mantle and many were forced to go be¬ 
low, as they fell tbe coming^on of seasickness. 
Nearly all wore hi eerage passengers, as they were 
wo poor to afford pay lor any other kind of ac¬ 
commodation. Uncle Turn aud family, however 
and a few others, were cabin passengers. 
Perhaps you do not know wliat a steerage pas¬ 
sage Is. Well, the cabin Was on tbe tustdeck, 
and about tbe centre of tills dock was a large 
opening that looked like a cellar door-way. This 
Is called the “ hatch way." .Steps lead down to the 
second deck, aud here were the steerage passen¬ 
gers from one end of the ship to the other. There 
was a broad alley-way In the middle of the ship, 
and on each side the beds were fastened, tier after 
tier, agalDst tbe sides of the ship, like the shelves 
In your pantry, in this place they slept, and as a 
lullaby they list ened to the roar and swash of 
the waves as they beat against, tbe ship. The 
bottom of the ship contained ballast, baggage, 
ropes, etc. 1 Uardly think this description will Rult 
the elegant ships that now glide over the ocean 
almost with the swiftness or the sea-gull, but this 
is the way the barque Ashley was arranged. She 
was commanded by Capt. dray, and nearly all her 
sailors were from foreign ports. There was a man 
among t he crew from the Philippine Isles,the most 
useful one on board, as ho seemed to be handy at 
everything and also had remarkable presence of 
mind. 
The Irish are naturally of a buoyant, hopeful 
disposition, and after their home was hid from 
view they commenced to make the best ot the sit¬ 
uation. There were several good singers on 
board, so with tun and song they whiled away 
a good many hours. Uncle Tom and wile had 
splendid voices, and Just "as the last glimpse of 
Erin they saw,” they started that dear old song, 
••The land of my home Is lllUlug, imtlng from 
my view” Another singer treated them to a “Lite 
on the ocean wave,” a “ Wet sheet and a flowing 
sea,” while one of the fun lovers sang a comic 
song called, *' The Chinaman with his Roman 
nose," 
For three or four days there was smooth sailing. 
Naught could be seen save the ripples of the bil¬ 
lowy tide as they foamed aud tossed and sparkled 
round the sides of the sturdy barque. Nearly 
all were well of seasickness, so that sociability, 
fun and enjoyment were the order of t,ho passing 
days. Our little TUeMse was goon a favorite with 
all ou board, especially tbe sailors. They taught 
her the names oi the masts and ropes, and 
steadied her slipping reet till she could accom¬ 
plish the feat ot walking over the rocking deck. 
She explored every nook and corner on board. 
Though but six years old she could read and 
write quite well, and would read or slug for the 
sailors by the hour. Muslo seemed to be an Inborn 
talent with tills III tie wanderer who had never 
yet enjoyed the advantages ot musical culture. 
Have you ever noticed that the rougher the occu¬ 
pation of men, and the more their employment, 
takes them away from society, the more they 
love the presence of little children ? Our Therese 
was queen on that barque. There was always a 
sailor lo watch her, or see her safely o'er some 
dangerous spot. The captain had a bachelor 
brother on board, who was taking a sea voyage 
for his health, and with him Therese was a great, 
favorite. Many a delicacy did she receive that 
others never shared. The captain showed her 
the hour glass and explained to her satisfaction 
all about the sand running out so swiftly. He 
adjusted his “spy-glass" so she COUld lookout to 
sea, arid in fact she had things brightened with 
sunshine wherever she went. 
When not many days out, they were overtaken 
by a fearful storm. The evening previous the sun 
had set lu augry-looking, copper-colored clouds, 
and the sailors predicted a storm, as they had 
seen “ Mother Carey’s chlckenB,” aud they were 
sure that a storm would come. About midnight 
it came, sum enough. The first, that Therese 
realized ot It, was Her being thrown forcibly from 
her bed to the floor. The ship creaked and 
groaned, the sails flapped and tore at their fasten¬ 
ings, the voices of the captain aud mate shouting 
orders could be heard amid the noise or the 
tempest. The Mightendd passengers below could 
be heard saying their prayers, aud some bewailed 
the day they ever Jett their native soil. At last 
some of the meu made a rush for thu upper deck, 
but the captain gave peremptory orders to fasten 
down the hatchway and they had to remain below. 
The storm raged with unabated fury till daylight, 
then It, canned down, and the ship was once more 
put to rights, but a sorry thing she looked, ner 
satis were torn to rags; Cue •'mitten mast” was 
gone; the main mast had beeii struck by light¬ 
ning and spilt down about ton feet, and there 
was a leak lu the bot tom or tbe boat. 
When the wind subsided, all hands were called 
to the pumps, and for live hours they never ceased. 
The passengers had to take hold aud help when 
the sailors were exhausted, The leak was at last 
stopped, however, the ship was again rigged, and 
all looked hopefully forward to better days. 
During the storm Therese was on the eve of 
coming to grief. When tumbled out, or bed she 
became frightened and ran out ot the cabin. The 
captain ionunately espied her aud had just time 
to seize her and set her inside the door, when an 
enormous wave broke over the deck, throwing 
down the meu, and making much damage. You 
may be assured the emigrants below presented a 
sorry sight. Kid ves and forks, boxes, beds, babies, 
and in fact evorytldug, were swept first one side 
aud then the other. Poets may talk sentimentally 
on being “ rocked In the cradle or the deep,” but 
when It comes to such rough roeklug as that, 
there's no fuu lu it. 
This chapter Is already so long that I shall be 
obliged to close. Another week l shall tell you 
about a fire at. sea. Crossing the ocean now, Is not 
attended with sueu risks as lu those days, but at 
that time It meant a long arid tedious voyage, with 
all the attendant risks of storm, lire, and perhaps 
death ere they reached their destination. 
——.-- 
Here Is something to scratch your head over. A 
very curious number la M2,SOT, which multiplied 
by l, 2, a, 4, 5. or u gives the figures In the same 
order, beginning at a different point, but If raultl- 
by T gives all nines :— 
142,607x1- 142,657 
142,657x2 - 280,714 
142,657X3 428.571 
142,857x4 —571,428 
142,857X5 7M,285 
142,657x5-607,142 
148,807x7 -999,999 
Multiply 142,857 by 8 and you have 1,142,850. 
Then add the first figure to the last, and you have 
142,857, the original number, with figures exactly 
the same as at the start. 
Darim 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS. 
Uncle M ark 1 have been a reader ot theRuRAi, 
for two years and have often thought I would 
like to join the Horticultural Club but have neg¬ 
lected willing for fear there would not be room 
for me among so many. 1 take great pleasure In 
reading the cousins’ 101 . 101*8 and although I am 
seventeen, I hope T am not too old to be one of 
them. 1 live on a farm and wo have a great, many 
fruit trees and strawberles. The stiawberry vines 
are In full bloom and tho promise or a large 
crop of berries is good, so if any of the cousins will 
eome and see me when they are ripe they can have 
the pleasure of eating all they want. The frost 
killed a good many of my flowers, so T will not 
have a great many this year. Why don’t more 
of the cousins write ? Peaceable Bob. where are 
you? Ho you think those who write the least are 
the most peaceable? Maple Leaves write again. 
I take a great, Interest In your letters as my brother 
used to live in CrdWfordsvlUo. I am afraid Uncle 
Mark will say “ here Is another letter for the waste 
basket.” So 1 will stop. Pansey. 
Factoryvllle, Pa. 
[1 am sure the cousins are glad to receive Pansy 
as a member of our family.—U. M.J 
BRIEFLETS. 
Dear Uncle Mark:— I am ten years old. I 
went, to Bchool almost every day last winter, 
I have to go two miles and a quarter and go a 
alone. I am studying spelling, reading, writing, 
arithmetic and geography. I have to work In the 
garden evenings after I come from school. Last 
summer 1 had to pick strawberries, it, was so warm 
I used to get tired. We had over three bushels 
from a little patch. My papa raises the Jucunda. 
The ground Is almost, rich cuough without manure 
so you see It 1 h not very tnuoh work to raise them; 
we are going to set out. a new patch this season. 
My mamma and I are going to set them after papa 
prepares tho ground. M y papa takes the Rural, 
and 1 like to read the letters from the boys and 
girls and aunts. Will you take me for a nephew ? 
t want, to tell t he cousins about, my cat. He wtl, 
climb up to the door latch, and put one leg t hrough 
the handle, then take hla other paw, and lift, the 
latch and open the door—how Is that for a cat 
story 7 This Is the first letter I ever composed, my 
self. Yours, Etuan E. Sabin. 
Benton Co., Iowa. 
Hear Uncle Mark: —1 take quite an Interest In 
reading the letters from the cousins, and would 
like to Join your Horticultural Club, l have ft 
number of different kinds of plants; twenty gera¬ 
niums In nine different varieties, monthly roses 
petunias, calceolarias and others, I have some 
verbenas and salvias In boxes. 1 like to get them 
started early for they blossom so long. Grand¬ 
papa did not commence to take your paper Mil this 
year, so l did not know of your seed distribution 
In lime for it, but 1 would like to be remembered 
In the next. One ot the cousins was Inquiring 
about pots, I have a pair of twin calves, some 
kittens, rabbits aud a grey squirrel, uncle found In 
the woods when It was little. We fed It bread and 
milk, and it was not long before It would turn Its 
wheel nicely; It Is very gentle, and will, wftenottl 
of the cage, gel up on my shoulder, aud eat out or 
my hum!. I think this will be enough for the 
present. With love to all tho cousins, I remain 
your niece, Birdie. 
Greenwich, Conn. 
Dear Unci-k Mark :-l have long thought I 
would write to you, but. have been afraid you 
would throw my letter in tho waste basket. 1 go 
to Bchool and Htudy arithmetic, grammar, geogra¬ 
phy, reading and writing. I would like to join the 
club with the rest ot tho couslus. I have some 
nice house plants; my geraniums look very nice 
this season. Papa has given mo a patch lu the 
garden; he says U i will take care ot the seeds 
front the Rural, he will get. me some more from 
l). M. Ferry & co. Papa has taken t ho Rural a 
good many years and 1 like It ever so much. I 
guess 1 will close my letter for It Is getting too 
long. Good-bye. Minnie Love. 
Trumbull Co., o. 
DEAR Uncle Mark:—I am a little boy H years 
old aud 1 would like very much to Join your Horti¬ 
cultural Club. We take the Rural and like It 
very much. When wo get It. front the office we all 
try to see who will get It first., l have two calves 
a year old, and I have a little yoke for them so 
they draw me on nty wagon. We could not have 
much of a garden last summer, It was bo dry that 
the needs wb got from the Rural did not do very 
well, but we will try and do better this summer. 
1 guess I won’t write any more or you will be tired 
of it. 1 would like to see this printed If you have 
room. Henry J. Clark. 
Waushara Co., Wls. 
Hear Uncle M ark :—I wrote to the Rural a few 
years ago. but never saw my letter In print so I 
will try again. I go to school winter and summer, 
I study practical and intellectual arithmetic, 
reading, grammar, hlHtory, spelling and writing. 
We had a very nice teacher tbIs winter. We gave 
her a surprise party when her school closed, and 
had a Bploudtd lime. We made her a present of 
of a copy of Tennyson’s poems. 1 would like to 
join the Horticultural Club. Yours truly, 
Wayne Co., N. Y, Mary F. Gage. 
Hear Uncle Mark : I am always Interested In 
the cousins’ letters, and have often thought I 
would write, and Join the Horticultural club, i 
would like to be enrolled jis a member If you will 
accept mo. We have taken the Rural for a num¬ 
ber of years, and It Is always a welcome visitor. 
I am a lover of dowers, or which we have quite a 
large variety, some from the Rural. If this Is 
published I will write again. 
Truly thine, hell. 
According to the Western Rural, Heikes’s 
Nurseries, of Dayton, Ohio, are close upon a 
fraud and we think the Western Rural well- 
informed In the matter, from inquiries aud 
complaints which wo ourselves have received. 
. . . .Sharpen up the hoes and keep them 
sharp.Mr. E. P. Roc says in his new 
book that the Cuthbert raspberry “lias filer- 
ally made its own way on its own merits.” 
We should think that the Rural New-Yorker 
has bad something to do with it.Bear 
lu mind that reports from Europe generally 
show that crops, as a rule, arc iu a highly 
promising condition.In talking about 
“cattle poisoning,” it should be borue in miud 
that it is with animals as with people—what is 
poisonous to one may not be to another. . . . 
Wagoner, Keswick Codliu, Maiden’s Blush. 
Early Harvest, Duchess of OUlouburg and 
Jonathan are mentioned by the Mich. Hort. 
Society as among tbe earliest to come into 
bearing. Wagoner heads the list. 
Most kiuds of strawberries are much weakened 
by permitting thu runners to grow. Unless 
the old bed is to be given up, cut oil (not pull) 
the runners as soon as they appear. 
“The farmer has largely the balauco of politi¬ 
cal poyver." Christian Union. ..... It is 
not yet too late for this latitude to set oat 
Sweet potato plants. Make ridges 18 inches 
high and set the plants 18 luches apart. Nan- 
semond is the best variety.Mr. Roe, 
speaking of the White Grub, compares the 
perfect insect, tho May beetle or the June bug, 
to tbe awkward village loafer, quiet by day 
but active in the eveuiug. “ It dislikes honest 
sunshine, but Is attracted by artificial light, at 
which time it precipitates itself with tho same 
lack of sense and reason that marks Iku loafer’s 
gravitation towards the lighted groggory.” . . 
. . . Scatter the coal ashes over the garden. 
You will find them beneficial.—Fruit Recorder. 
.... If you would have greeu corn until 
frost, continue to plant until July. ..... We 
may now sow turnips, buckwheat or cucum¬ 
bers where tbe early peas have been gathered. 
.... Pinch back the raspberry aud black¬ 
berry shoots. ..... Plow a single furrow 
and set dwarf celery in this. Bank up iu the 
fall. Tall sorts may be grown iu this way 
with less trouble and with the same results as 
if set in deep trenches. But at this time, 
dwarf kinds are more salable iu the market 
and they are generally sweeter aud more 
tender.. Brine is better for washing 
butter than pure water, says Prof. Arnold. . . 
. . , The latest rage among young ladies is to 
possess an old-fushioued spinning wheel for a 
parlor oruatueut. The desire to possess au 
old-fashioned wash-board and tut) as a kitchen 
ornament doesn’t rage much among young 
ladies. They are about as handsome as the 
spinning wheel, but they are not fashionable. 
—Norristown Herald. 
When a flea doth bite an elephant 
It hurts somewhat., may bo, 
But the elepluint’s still the elephant, 
And tile Oea is only flea. 
Bteubon viUe Herald 
.A friend writes us: “ Why do you 
dub me Doctor P Although 1 did graduate aud 
get a medical diploma, I would as soon be 
called Col. as Dr. or Prof. It is too cheap a 
title.” Yes, but it is not the application of 
such titles to good meu that makes them cheap. 
.... Ilow would you like to get your 
bread aud butter from a farm this season ? 
What a lucky fellow I was to rent miue! 
What can be done on a poor farm when you 
have no rain ? Yet by constant cultivation 
my crops of potatoes, corn, melons and small 
fruits look as well as ever, while some places 
I have purposely loft untouched are as dead 
aB a door nail. Don’t say that stirring the 
soil in hot, dry weather is useless. | Flow does 
the writer dare to imply that wo ever said it 
was! Eds.] It saves the crop, that is sure. 
What is the use of going to the Rural Farm ; 
it would hurt my feelings too deeply. So dou’t 
look for me at present,.Specimens of 
wheat from Long Maud, showing the ravages 
of the Army worm, were exhibited on the Pro¬ 
duce Exchange yesterday. The stalks wore 
stripped eloau of leaves, aud of the pods noth¬ 
ing remained hut husks.—N. Y. Times. This 
is the first we ever heard of wheat bearing 
pods. .... What many would like to 
know : Why lawyers, as a body, are so pro¬ 
foundly Ignorant of everything except law. 
Aud occasionally of law. Why so few lawyers 
are sent to State Prison. If it isn’t a foolish 
practice to pour spirits dowu to keep one’s 
spirits up. 
-♦ ♦ » — 
CATALOGUES, ETC., RECEIVED. 
Twenty-first Annual Retort of the Trus¬ 
tees of the Cooper Union for the Advance¬ 
ment of Science and Art- This is au interest¬ 
ing pamphlet of nearly fifty pages, describing 
briefiy the work aud progress of the mauy free 
schools iu the institutions. 
