The tuberous-rooted begonia was recom¬ 
mended for planting in the open air. Some 
of th9 varieties are too delicate, but others 
grow freely and blow up to frost when treated 
like gladioli.. 
The proper function of a Government is to 
make it easy for people to do good and difficult 
for them to do evil.—Gladstone. The same 
may be said of parents as to their children_ 
Now wo may sow our tomato seeds in little 
flower-pots to Ik) kept In tb° “endow, A pot 
four inches in diameter will start plants enough 
for a family of 10 persons and there will be to¬ 
matoes enough for catsup. 
A good rule is that of the president of the 
N. H. Ag. Coll., viz., not to select your home 
iu a community that suffers the school-house 
to be neglected...,,. 
According to experiments made by the 
Penn. State College the average yield of four 
plots of wheat that received no fertilizer was 
12.2 bushels per acre. The average yield of 
four plots receiving phosphoric acid, potash 
and 24 pounds of nitrogen was 24.4 per acre... 
RURAL BRIEPLETS. 
Mr. Bliss now claims that the American 
Wonder is the earliest pea in cultivation. Had 
he said the earliest >crinkled pen, we should feel 
no inclination to dispute the claim. There is, 
according to our tests, about three days’ differ¬ 
ence in favor of the earliest of tho smooth 
kinds. For home use and raised in good soil, 
however, wo should much prefer to wait three 
days for the Wonder, so superior is its flavor 
to that of the smooth kinds. In poor soil it 
grows onlv to the hight of six inches; in rich 
soil it w ill average over a foot. 
It must be remembered that the careful pea 
tests conducted at the Rural Experiment 
Grounds last year showed Carter’s Stratagem 
(English) to be tbe most prolific of peas. It is 
an intermediate variety, growing to the hight 
of two feet or more, the peas wrinkled, large 
and of excellent quality. This is now offered 
by several seedsmen among their novelties.... 
Day’s Early Sunrise Pea, now offered by 
many seedsmen, will disappoint our friends. 
It is not early, not prolific, not of very good 
quality. This, together with Stratagem, Ed¬ 
inburgh Beauty, Pride of tho Market, Dean’s 
Marrow, Telephone, Telegraph (English), and 
the American Racer (Dr. Hoskins), were first 
tested at the Rural Experiment Grounds, that 
is, outsideof the originators’ grounds. 
The best list of peas for home use that we can 
now offer is as follows: For earliest (dwarf 
wrinkled) American Wonder; second early, 
McLean's Little Gem. For third picking, Car¬ 
ter’s Stratagem; for fourth, Telephone. As 
between the “ Earliest of All” (smooth) peas 
offered by lending seedsmen, there is not much 
(li fforeuee. It is to the seedsmen’s interest to 
raise and select their seed with the greatest rare. 
We have now n Jumbo Potato and a Jumbo 
Pumpkin. Tho latter is said to reach tho 
weight of 200 pounds sometimes. The Rural 
has not tried either. Mr. Bliss offers §40 in 
premiums to those who shall grow the largest 
Jumbo Pumpkin. 
Mr. Peter Henderson, who sends us the 
Jumbo Potato to tost, says that it was exten- 
sivelv planted last season in his vicinity and 
considered to be one of the most valuable sorts 
for main crop, that has been originated in many 
years. Its yield was one-third more than Peer- 
lass, generally considered a very heavy crop¬ 
per. But this nnv have been due to the extra 
care generally given to now things. Planted 
the mid He of May, they were ripe the last of 
September. The tubers are roundish, eyes 
small, skin white, of good quality. 
A new earlv tobacco is offered, called Gen¬ 
eral Grant, which is said to be the earliest in 
cultivation, and especially adapted to the 
Northern States. It has produced leaves, so 
says the catalogue, 44 inches in length, which 
matured perfectly as far north as Duluth, 
Minnesota. The leaves have small veins, of 
fine texture and elasticity. 
Among musk-melons tho Montreal Green 
Nutmeg is said to grow to a largo size, often 
weighing over 20 pounds, nearly round, deeply 
ribbed. The skin is greeu and densely netted, 
the flesh thick, light greeu, melting and of 
delicious flavor. The Netted Gem Musk-melon 
is described as much the same as the Montreal, 
exc Q nt that it is quite round and perhaps earlier. 
We like to have appropriate names given to 
new vegetables or fruits—names that are de¬ 
scriptive and pleasaut to speak. A new cauli¬ 
flower just offered is called “ Sea-foam, 1 ” which 
is certainly of this class. 
The new black (English) currant, already 
described in these notes ‘‘Black Champion,” 
is thus soon offered for sale in America. 
Mr. B. K. B L1SS introduces three new pota- 
©s, viz.. Rosy Morn, Rubicund and Tyrian 
Purple. Rosy Morn is said to be very early. 
Rubicund is of a “ reddish bronze” color. It 
ripens medium late. Tyrian Purple is a me¬ 
dium early and a sport of Compton’s Surprise. 
Mr. Peter Henderson auuouuces his “First 
of All” Pea, which has hitherto been supplied 
in limited quantities to growers in his imme¬ 
diate vicinity. They unite, he says, in report¬ 
ing it earlier than any other sort they have 
tried. “ Two pickings clear off the crop.” Mr. 
H. also offers the English pea, “ Laxton’s Min¬ 
imum,” which is said to bo wrinkled, very 
dwarf and prolific. He deems it one of tbe best, 
for forcing, either in the hot-bed or green-house. 
Hiram Sibley & Co. offer $100 iu cash for 
the best yield from one pound of Sibley’s Im¬ 
perial Barley. They also offer the Waushakum 
he calls The Welcome. A sample of these sent 
to the Rural shows them to be short, plump 
and heavy with very little husk. He also 
offers the Mammoth White Surprise or Hiawas- 
see corn which, judging from the cut, re¬ 
sembles the Rural Heavy Dent. The Learning 
corn is said to cany its ears low and to ripen 
in 00 days. In Mr. Burpee's catalogue Teosinte 
is praised highly. As has been stated the Rural 
tried this fodder plant years ago and found it 
not well adapted to this climate. It starts into 
growth late and cannot mature seed. The 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Illinois. 
Payson, Adams Co., Feb. 13.—This Winter 
so far has been a cold one. Thermometer 
twice to 16 degrees below zero and once to 20. 
Peaches and tender fmits are killed; wheat 
and grasses well protected by snow. Sleigh¬ 
ing the best for years. Wheat the past season 
was first-rate in yield and quality. Cora that 
was planted in season and well tended is No. 1. 
Oats a fair crop. Potatoes, early ones, good; 
late ones, poor. White Elephant will soon be 
largely planted. Apple crop large, but fruit 
of inferior quality. Ben Davis is the leading 
variety; Fultz the leading wheat, w. h. m. 
Maryland. 
Dublin, Barton Co., Feb. 15.—We have had 
a pretty severe Winter for this section. On Feb. 
4 the merenry was four degs. below zero. We 
had but little snow—not more than three inch¬ 
es at once. Roads are bad. Wheat was badly 
drowned out last Fall; it is all as brown as the 
prairies—killed by so much freezing: prospect 
is doubtful for much of a crop. Cora very 
good—30 cents per bushel to 35 cents, a. w. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by tbe name 
and address of cbe writer to Insure attention.] 
Cora of Dr. E. L. Sturtevant, the Director 
of the N. Y. Ex. Station, which they deem 
the highest>-bred and most prolific of its kind 
(yellow flint). They also offer Sibley’s Mam¬ 
moth White Dent, which, if we are not mis¬ 
taken, originated with H. L. Wysor, of Vir¬ 
ginia, from whom we obtained his Shoe-peg, 
which we are now sending to subscribers in 
the Rukal’h preseut Seed Distribution. In 
a small way we tried this com last Summer to 
find that it ripened well and had some time 
to spare..... 
We find that Mr. Sibley also offers Carter’s 
Stratagem, referring to the tests made at the 
Rural Ex. Grounds. 
The so-called “ California Prolific Tree 
Bean” appears among the novelties of many- 
on talogues. We tested this bean and have not 
one word to speak in its favor over several 
other old bush bans compared with which it 
has no special merits. 
D. Landreth & Sons say of the “ Extra 
Early Bloorusdale Pearl Onion” that it is really 
the earliest of all. It is in color white, ‘ ‘trans¬ 
lucent and waxy, growing with the rapidity 
of a radish.” The form is flat and “ tho flavor 
so mild that it can be eaten like an apple.” 
They recommend the Early Dwarf Flat Dutch 
as a Summer cabbage. It will head just after 
the Bloomsdale Early Market. They consider 
“Landreth’s Earliest Cabbage” ten days ear¬ 
lier than any other cabbage. 
The Egyptian Extra Early Turnip Beet is 
leaves are like those of Indian corn though 
broader. It suckers about tho same as the 
Rural Branching Sorghum. We were led to 
advise a trial of this in the South, but have 
never learned that its cultivation has been con¬ 
tinued by those who followed the advice. 
Burpee’s Sorehead cabbage is “all head 
and always sure to head.” So reads the de¬ 
scription. The heads are unusually uniform, 
very hard and weigh from 10 to 15 pounds. It 
is sweet-flavored and is said to be just the 
variety to suit both farmers and market gar¬ 
deners... 
Thorbcrn & Co. speak of a new Fern-leaved 
Celery with foliage resembling the Fern-leaved 
Parsley; also of the Ne Plus Ultra Bean “'hieh 
is very distinct, dwarf and compact, very del¬ 
icate in flavor, early and enormously produc- 
ductivo. Louisiana Gumbo is said to t>e a long- 
podded, dwarf okra. The New Golden Dawn 
Pepper is spoken of as perfectly sweet, thick- 
meated and very productive. We tried this 
pepper last year but through inattention our 
plants (lied. The new white turnip, “Jersey 
Lily,” is said to be the handsomest in cultiva¬ 
tion—as smooth as an apple and delicate in 
flavor. The new White Japan is a pure white 
cucumber. Tliorbum & Co. recommend the 
Early Russian and Improved White Spiue for 
early—the latter for table use; Early Green 
Cluster and Green Prolific for pickling—the 
latter also is considered best for market gar¬ 
deners or pickle planters. 
transferring bees. 
A. L., Marshall, Melt—How should a barrel 
of bees and comb be transferred to Langstroth 
hives? 
ANSWER BY PROF. A. J. COOK. 
Any bee-book that does not tell just 
how to transfer bees from a barrel or box hive 
to a Langstroth hive is greatly lacking in prac¬ 
tical value. All of our best works give full 
directions. If one can get a hive with the 
frames full of wired foundation, it is best to 
turn the barrel with the bees bottom side up, 
place a second similar barrel above it, sur¬ 
rounding the place of union with a sheet, so 
that the bees cannot get out, and then dram 
on the lower barrel. In about 20 minutes the 
bees will all pass into the upper barrel. Take 
this and with a sudden shake fell all the bees 
in front of the hive with the foundation, which 
should sit on the old stand. They will soon 
enter, take possession, and in less than a week 
will give a full set of beautiful combs. Leave 
the barrel for three weeks, when all the brood 
will have hatched: then drum out these bees 
and put them into the new hive as before. 
This work should uot be done till the warm 
days and abundant flowers have set the bees 
briskly to work. If done earlier the bees 
would have to be fed. and the cold would chill 
and destroy the brood. The combs in the bar¬ 
rel should now be melted into wax, after the 
honey is taken away, and the wax made into 
foundation. This is the cheapest way to trans¬ 
fer, and insures regular, straight combs. If 
we have not the foundation and vrill not get it, 
then drum the bees out as before, knock the 
barrel to pieces so as to break the combs as lit¬ 
tle as possible, then cut the combs so as to fit the 
frames, where they are fastened by nailing 
small strips of wood on each side to the frames, 
or, better, placing the strips on each side and 
fastening them by uniting the ends with small 
wire. Be sure to save all the worker comb, 
and certainly all the worker brood. After the 
combs are all in the new hive, set this on the 
old stand and shake the bees in front as before. 
In two or three days take the strips off. This 
work should be done on a warm day when the 
bees are actively gathering. At such times it 
may be done right out-of-doors, and other bees 
will not molest us. If the bees are not gather¬ 
ing and trouble us, the work must be done in¬ 
doors. The time to transfer is in early Spring, 
when there is little honey and brood and the 
combs are light. The time of fnrit bloom is best. 
QUERIES ABOUT FLOWERS. 
G. H. A., New Haven , Conn. —1. Is Liliuw 
Harris! hardy J 2. Is Lilium Krameri tender ? 
Buckeye Iron Fence—Double 
the earliest of beets, but less sweet than the 
Early Bassano. The Bastiau’s Blood Turnip 
Beet follows soou after the Bassano. It is pink 
in color, boiling to a darker color and is 
sugary and tender. 
Ok carrots, tho Extra Early forcing is recom¬ 
mended to market gardeners as well adapted 
to forcing under glass. It is stump-rooted, 
growing but two iuohes iu length. For suc¬ 
cession Early Scarlet Horn comes next. It 
grows to the length of four or five inches— 
blunt-rooted; quality tender and fine-grained. 
The Orange Danvers is of the half-long type 
and is probably the best for the stockman, as 
it yields well and is easily harvested. The 
Long Orange Carrot is us good as auy for 
Winter use either for tho table or for the cow. 
W. Atlee Burpee offers a new oat which 
Gate—See Page 147— Fig. 103. 
D. M. Ferry & Co. praise the Excelsior 
sweet corn as remarkably sweet, succulent and 
tender. It was pronounced by the chairman 
on veget able's of the Mass. Hort. Society to be of 
tbe finest quality of any variety he ever tried. 
Their catalogue pronounces Ferry’s Early 
j Prize Head the best lettuce ever introduced, be¬ 
cause it remains tender and crisp through the 
season, is prompt to form mammoth heads and 
slow to run to seed. 
These notes, gathered from the catalogues 
| which have been and are being received, will 
bo continued through several weeks. We 
merely call attention to the leading articles 
which they offer, quoting the accompanying 
descriptions without indorsing them iu any 
way, unless we happen to have tested the seed 
or plant remarked upon. 
3. Is the pomegranate “James Vick” single 
or double ! 4. Is the old Scotch rose the same 
as the new Polyantha Roses, Anne Marie de 
Montravel and M’dlle C^cile Brunner? 5. 
How is it that hollyhocks have more enemies 
now than 40 years ago l 6. How loug a time 
is required by se*xlliug shrubs before bloom¬ 
ing ! 7, Where can seeds of Lobelia syphilitica 
be obtained i S. Would scarlet aselepias be 
valuable l 
A ns.— 1 . Yes, it is hardy, at least we find it 
so. But a Winter mulching is a good safe¬ 
guard. 2. No. not in free, well-drained soil 
and a sheltered place, but it is well to apply a 
good mulching of leaves or Utter over the 
bulbs in W inter. 8. It is single, sometimes 
semi-double. 4. No. The old Scotch roses 
beyond their hardiness, have Uttle garden 
merit. The Polyantha Rose is of recent intro, 
duction from Japan, and the two varieties of 
