THE BUBAL WEW-YOBKEB. 
JAN S 
for i\)t Doling, 
DWARF TREES. 
E all know how the 
Chinese cramp their 
women's feet, and so 
manage to make them 
“keepers at home;’* 
hut how they contrive 
to giow miniature 
pines and oaks in 
flower-pots for a half 
century has always 
been much of a secret. 
The trees are kept in 
a dwarf condition by 
skillful, long-contin¬ 
ued root-pruning. 
The Chinese aim. first and last, at the seat of 
vigorous growth, endeavoring to weaken it 
as far ns may In* consistent with the preserva¬ 
tion of life. 
Taking a young plant when only two or 
three inches high, they cut off the tap root as 
soon as it has enough rootlets to furnish it 
sustenance, aud replant it in a shallow earth¬ 
en pot or pan. The end of the tap root is 
generally made to rest upon the bottom of 
the pan, or upon a flat stone within it. Al¬ 
luvial clay is then put into the pot. much of 
it being in bits the si/e of beans, aud just 
enough in kind and quality to furnish the 
plant scanty nourishment. Water enough is 
given to keep it in growth, but not enough 
to excite a vigorous habit: light and heat are 
furnished upon the same principle. The Chi¬ 
nese also pride themselves on the shape of 
their dwarf trees. They use strings, wires, 
pegs, and various other mechauical contri¬ 
vances to promote symmetry of habit, and 
fashion their plants into odd, fancy figures. 
•Sometimes they use very shallow pots, and 
then growth of the tap roots is impossible; by 
the use of poor soil, and little of it, and little 
water, strong growth is prevented. Theu, 
too, the top and side roots being within easy 
reach of the gardener, are shortened by his 
pruuing-knife* or seared with his hot iron. 
So the little tree, finding itself headed in on 
every side, gives up the idea of strong growth, 
asking only for life, aud just, growth enough 
to live and look well. Accordingly, each new- 
set of leaves becomes more and more stunted; 
the buds and rootlets aie greatly diminished, 
and at length a balance is established between 
every part of the tree, making it a dwarf in 
every respect. Such is fancy horticulture 
among the Celestials. daniel depew. 
Bergen Co., N. J. 
JANUARY FLORICULTURE. 
Dear Nieces and Nephews:— As “Uncle 
Mark" has kindly given me the privilege to 
write you on the subject, of flowers, I will 
give you some of my experience aud advice, 
if you like. 1 road, not long ago, that garden¬ 
ing for Decemlier was mostly done around the 
sitting-room stove, and it will be about the 
same for January. But we can think of what 
wc would lilce to do, and intend to do. when 
the time comes when wceau work outrof-doors. 
Send for the catalogues advertised in the 
Rural, aud be making up your minds what 
yon will have for the coming year. 
Ilow well I reuiemlier the first seeds 1 ever 
bought! and I propose to tell you of my fail¬ 
ures and successes in that line. I bought a 
paper of choice mixed pansy seed, one of 
l>etunia, aud I remember also some Vir¬ 
ginia stock. I do not see it advertised in 
many of the catalogues now, and have 
never had auy since, but it proved to tie 
very satisfactory to me. Just one pansy 
grew to blossom, and that never ripened 
seed; but the petunias were very nice. 
And here let me say, have some petunias; 
they will give the most blossoms of any plants 
I know, and will grow almost anywhere. 
Verbenas are the only seeds I would recom¬ 
mend you to start this month. I he 
kitchen reservoir, or a shelf back of the stove, 
is a good place to start them: if there is auy 
danger of the reservoir being too warm, put 
a piece of board or plank under the box or 
pots in which the seeds are planted. Have 
the earth well pulverized arid thoroughly 
wet; cover the seeds not more than a quarter 
of an inch deep, and put a piece of glass over 
the top of the pot until the young plants ap¬ 
pear; a piece of cloth or even paper placed on 
top of the earth, will answer if it is kept damp. 
Verbenas are slow to start, and are rather 
slow to grow after they are started, lie* 
seeds look like little sticks. Ferhapsyou will 
find some among the seeds received from the 
Rdral office; if so, pick them out and give 
them a chance by themselves. If Uncle Mark 
thinks this letter worth printing, perhaps you 
will hear again from AUNT ANN. 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS. 
Dear Uncle Mark: —Please excuse tne for 
coming so often before you, With answers to 
historical questions, but I will intrude once 
more in trying to answer, Who founded the 
Olympian games' etc. Now I consider it of 
bill, little use to us, who “live in these degen¬ 
erate days, 11 tn know much about such things, 
as we have so many more useful things to 
learn. We might, as well inquire. Who killed 
the wolf that nursed Romulus and his brother 
llemus? or To whom belonged the skull that 
was plowed up by Romulus, when leveling 
the Capitolino hill? or What kind of clay was 
used by the Etruscans in the manufacture of 
their world-renowned vases? and Where did 
they learn their art of painting, which retains 
its beauty to the present day? 
It is indeed interesting to look back to those 
wonderful nations, whose existence was coeval 
with Jewish history, Isaiah wrote 768 B. C., 
and Ezekiel 595 B. C.. and contemporary with 
Romulus lived Hezekiah, the tenth king of 
Judah. Homer, the poet, whoso Uliad was 
composed 500 years before the works of Herod¬ 
otus were written, says nothing about the origin 
of the Olympian games. Au Olympiad was a 
period of four years; that is. from the celebra¬ 
tion of one Olympic game to another. 
The first. Olympiad took place in the year 
776 B. C-, 28 years before the foundation of 
Rome. The computation of Olympiads ended 
at the 564 Olympiad, in the year 440 of the 
Christian era. These games were solemu, re. 
ligious exercises held among the ancient 
Greeks, and dedicated to Olympian Jupiter; 
they were held once in t'ouryears at Olympia. 
The Pauathenenti games were instituted prior 
to the Olympiau: then came the Pythian, the 
Nemeau and the Isthmian games, which were 
all sanctioned by the laws and governed by 
the regulations laid down by their wisest 
statesmen aud legislators. The victor in the 
Olympic games, was crowned with higher 
honors than the general who had gained a 
decisive battle. 
But the customs and manners of those an¬ 
cient nations, were similar as regards the gov¬ 
ernment of society, whether Grecian, Roman 
or Jewish, and the only dark vein that ran 
through the early history of those nations 
was there criminal law. Burning, stoning, 
and the most cruel kinds of death awaited the 
Jewish culprit. The criminal laws framed 
by Draco, for the Athenians, are proverbial 
for their cruelty. Caesar informs us. that the 
Ganls burned their criminals alive in honor 
of their gods; and the Twelve Tables of 
Roman law prescribe the most horrible pun¬ 
ishments for simple crimes. 
But one thing I don’t like among some of the 
nations mentioned by Herodotus, was the 
practice of bringing once every year, all the 
girls in a village, of marriageable age, and 
selling them at auction to the highest, bidder, 
the money paid by the rich for the beautiful 
ones being assigned as a portion to the more 
homely. But there was one good thing about 
it, if the man who received the gift with the 
homely one ever deserted her, he had to re¬ 
turn the money he received with her. The 
condition of women in all ages is a criterion 
of the progress of civilization, aud refinement 
of manners. 
The early history of Rome is shrouded in 
mystery, but the probability is that the Etrus¬ 
cans were undergoing their “decline and fall" 
when Romulus aud his hordes of bunditti took 
possession of their easily captured territory. 
The first Roman who undertook to jvrite the 
history of his country was Q Fabius Pietor, 
who lived 218 B C. But Livy tells us that 
nearly all the ancient records of their history 
were destroyed by fire when Rome was cap¬ 
tured by the Gauls. Some critics treat as 
fabulous those first 500 years of Roman 
story, so “who shall decide when doctors dis¬ 
agree. 11 Dionysius of Halicarnassus says 
that there were several cities which bore the 
name of Rome: but the Rome with which we 
are dealing, according to the chronology of 
Archbishop Usher, was founded in the first 
year of the seventh Olympiad; that is, 752 
B. C., nay, he claims, that the Rome built 
soon after the Trojan war, was more ancient 
than this. And some historians claim that 
the Trojan war was a myth, and Hoinulnsand 
his history problematical. 
The inhabitants of Mecklenburg County, 
N. C., who were mostly of Scotch Irish de¬ 
scent, inetiu the month of May, 1775. in a con¬ 
vention at Charlotte, and issued their cele¬ 
brated declaration of independence, which as¬ 
serted that their loyalty to the king was 
ended. 
The United States frigate Chesapeake, 
Captain Lawrence commanding, was captured 
off the coast of Massachusetts, by the British 
ship Shannon, under Captain Brookes. The 
Chesapeake was soon disabled, aud her brave 
captain mortally wounded. As he was carried 
below he said, “Tell the men to fire faster, and 
don’t give up the ship. 11 That dying speech 
became n watchword. Your niece, 
BLANCHtE C. BUXTON. 
Dear Uncle Mark: —It is time that I was 
making ray report. It is rather discouraging 
to begin with. The corn, both varieties, 
just when the kernels were in the milk, were 
killed by n frost, and the melons were killed 
•it t he same time. The corn crop was a com¬ 
plete* failure. The flowers were as fine a col¬ 
lect ion for a mixed garden as 1 have ever 
seen, the phlox lieing especially heautiful. 
The foliage plants got frost-bitten. There 
were 54 grape plants ami they all got nipped. 
Well. I guess- by this time you must think 
us very indolent, not. to have covered any of 
the plants; but I will tell you how it was. 
flu the evening it froze it did not look as if 
there was going to be a very heavy frost, and 
we neglected to cover the plants. My sisters 
and myself are going to school, and have a 
very nice teacher. 
It has been snowing for two days and the 
weather is very cold. The last discussion was 
very interesting. When are the Cousins to 
have another? As Christmas and New-Year’s 
are comiug soon I’ll wish you merry and 
happy for that time. Your niece. 
Masou Co., Mich. pansy. 
[You have written a very neat and good 
report. The next discussion will be given out 
soon. Thanks for your good wishes. 
UNCLE MARK.] 
Dear Uncle Mark;— After a long silence 
I am happy to write you once more. I can¬ 
not give a very good report of my crops this 
Summer. The Shoe-peg Corn was a failure. 
The wheat Ihave just sown. The three pota¬ 
toes I cut iu 18 pieces. I used oue-half 
peck of wood ashes aud one-half peck barn- 
vard manure, spread broadcast, cultivated 
them well, and dug them the last of Sep¬ 
tember, and they weighed six ponuds: four 
of the largest weighed 12 ounces. They are 
the most beautiful potatoes I ever saw. I 
hope to be spared to plant again, and give a 
better report next year. Three of the water¬ 
melon seeds came up, but soon died. I will 
send you some seed that I think hard to beat, 
that you can test at the Rural Farm. I 
know you will pronounce them good. Mother 
wishes me to thank you for the Garden 
Treasures. The holyhocks w ere great beauties. 
Mother planted the seeds again and 1 have sot 
out about 50 nice plants, and she still has 
plenty of seed. I am afraid my letter is 
growing too long, so I will say good bye for 
the present, and hope to write you soon again, 
if acceptable. Respectfully, adam keyser. 
Baltimore Co., Md. 
[We have not received the seeds. I shall lie 
happy to hear from you any time. 
Uncle Mark.] 
YOUNG QUERIST. 
.7. K. S., Clay Center, Kansas.—I have two 
calves, one five aud the other seven weeks old, 
that refuse to drink milk: how can their dis¬ 
like to it be overcome ? 
Ans, These arc extraordinary calves, aud it 
is a question what should be done to suit their 
peculiar taste. Perhaps the milk is sour; 
which, of course, any decent, self-respecting 
calf might object to, If, however, they object 
to milk auy way, and are ambitious to appear 
as full-grown animals, aud want more suita¬ 
ble food, you might give them a little nice 
soft hay and. instead of the milk, some gruel 
made of a pint of corn-meal, a pint of flax 
seed, and a quart of wheat midlings boiled in 
three gallons of water for an hour. After the 
water boils the pot should be set, on one side 
to simmer slowly, aud the gruel should be 
stirred to prevent burning. Add a teaspoon¬ 
ful of salt and one of sugar; cool down to 
milk-warm and thin with water. This is 
enough for both calves one day. 
£Uu J’ublirrttion.s. 
A BARGAIN! 
•jijjpj 
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