4885 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
439 
LIVE-STOCK AT THE EXPOSITION. 
(RURAL SPECIAL REPORT.) 
Thq sheds and stables for live-stock in the 
Exposition grounds are more extensive than 
any ever provided at similar exhibitions, and 
the buildiugsseem excellently adapted for the 
purpose. The six capacious barns cover 136,000 
square feet. Two thousand one hundred head 
of horses, cattle, sheep, swine, and poultry, 
valued at $100,000. are said to have been on 
exhibition here at dilferent times, although 
many of the stalls are now empty, and the 
glory of this portion of the great show seems 
to have departed. Exhibitors found it too 
expensive to keep their stock here, and there 
has been some disappointment in regard to the 
non-payment of premiums awarded. Some 
$62,000 will be required in all to pay these 
premiums. 
One of the more recent additions aud attrac¬ 
tions was the English sheep exhibit. This con¬ 
sists of 29 excellent South Downs, from the 
herd of Messrs. E. & A. Stanford, Stenning, 
Sussex, England. They embrace some of the 
finest English blood from animals owned by 
the Duke of Richmond and (Jordon, Lord 
Walsiugham and others. The animals seem 
to have borne the long sea voyage well. 
Among other sheep is a large collection of 
delaine Merinos, shown by Russell & 
McNary, of Penusylvauia. J. T. Stiekuey, 
of Vermont, also bns some fine Merinoes, and 
there arc some fair Canadian sheep. 
In the cla-s of draft horses, M. W. Dunham, 
of Wayne Co., III., makes the largest and 
finest display. His animals belong to the cel¬ 
ebrated Percheron breed, of which he is an 
extensive importer aud breeder. They are 
grays aud blacks, large, powerful and muscu¬ 
lar in every line and fiber of their bodies. 
The collection was most noteworthy before 
any were removed. Mr. Dunham carries off 
most of the prizes in this class of French draft 
horses, and deservedly, as the animals are 
noble specimens. Other fine horses, however, 
are from the stables of Virgin & Co , Dillon 
Bros, and Hodgson, of the same State. 
Among r<md horses the firm of S. A. Browne 
& Co.. Kalamazoo, Mich., is most attractively 
represented. This firm took a large share of 
the prizes iu this class. Other leading dis¬ 
plays are by J. L. Harris, Ky.; George W. 
Wiutz, New Orleans, and A. C. Harp, Lex¬ 
ington, Ky. Then W. W. Adams, of the 
same place, has some very handsome matched 
roadsters and saddle horses, which have 
secured many of the blue ribbons iu this class, 
which now adoru their well-kept stalls, Mr. 
Harp has the best matched mares to pole. 
Some fine Clydesdale and English draft stock 
are shown by Ed Hodgson, R. Holloway and 
Galbraith Bros. L, Johnson, of Minn., took 
first prize on a fine three-year-old. Mr. Hodg¬ 
son tukes the $100 for the best four-year-old 
stallion—a noble beast at nearly every point. 
In the cattle stalls are several fine Red 
Polled animals from Win, D. Warren & Co., 
Maple Hill, Kun., a good collection of Hol- 
steins from Van Duser Bros., Cobleskill, N. 
Y.; some lino Devons from Mr, Harris, 
Louisville, Ky.: and a few of very handsome 
Jerseys from Wm. Baker, Madison, Ind. The 
Galloway stock of A. B. Matthews, Kansas 
City, Mo., L an exceptionally fine collection, 
including many noted animals. Ho got the 
blue ribbon for his “Duke of Montgomery,” 
and the grand sweepstakes prize of $.'>00, for 
best dressed carcass, three years old. This 
animal dressed l.l.SSpounds. In the two year 
entries the premium went to a Hereford from 
Indiana. A Hue lot of short horns are here 
from the herd of J. H. Potts & Sou, of Jack¬ 
sonville, 111,, and good heavy weights they 
are, ranging from 1,6-15 to 3.355 pounds. 
Morrow &. Iteniek, of Clintonville, Ky., also 
show immense animals, “Canada Pride” tip¬ 
ping tlio beam at 3,555 pounds. The best 
Hereford weighed 3,355, and ,, Blaine,”ayear¬ 
ling of the same breed, weighed 1.300 pounds. 
There were 31 steers in the fat cattle show, 
which wore considered the finest ever exhib¬ 
ited. Then the “Sacred White Ox,” shown 
by Bratton & Monroe, of Iudiana, weighed 
3,990 pounds. 
In the swine pens are some fine Duroc-Jer- 
seys, a good lot of Polaud-Chinas from Wm. 
Baker, Ind., and some fair Berkshires. 
The poultry exhibit embraces a good variety 
of all leading breeds, and a few flno strains. 
Among these are Several fine coops of Ply¬ 
mouth Rocks, from Sid. Conger, Flat Rock. 
Ind.; the Luke View Yards, St. Tammany 
Parish, La.; W. H. Storehouse, Iowa, and 
many others. Mr - Conger also has fine Wy- 
andottes, and many other kinds, in his collec¬ 
tion. Dr. E B. Weston, Highland Park, Ill., 
has a large variety, ineluding Black Javas, 
Dorkings. Houdana, Black Ham burgs, Leg¬ 
horns, Wyandottes, and other well known 
breeds. Among other notable collections are 
those of Eugene Sides, West Dover, Ohio, six 
or seven individual exhibits from Minnesota, 
embracing a great variety and many very ex¬ 
cellent fowls, as well as ducks aud geese. No 
breed of any special value is absent from this 
poultry collection. As a whole, the display is 
noteworthy, and many very excellent birds 
are included. But there are a few indifferent 
and doubtful specimens, which it would have 
been better to have excluded, unless their 
presence was desigued to emphasize the supe¬ 
riority of the finer birds. Mr. Dreer, of Little 
Rock, has a fine collection of pigeons; and a 
few coops of beautiful Rouen ducks from J. 
Mac M. Byers, Houston, Texas, attract a good 
share of attention. 
The State of Indiana seems to have 
taken most of the poultry honors in the 
field of competition. Incubators aud a great 
variety of other poultry raising devices and 
mechanism are shown by enterprising inven¬ 
tors. though nothing especially new or appar¬ 
ently valuab’e in this line was noticed. The 
poultry section is a cackling, noisy place, and 
the birds of the barnyard are usually well sup¬ 
plied with admiring aod appreciative visi¬ 
tors. It should be said that all the live stock 
quarters are kept inexeelleut condition; there 
are no offensive odors, all is clean and tidy, 
aud the most fastidious persons will find noth¬ 
ing to offend. H. H. 
Slrbormilturnl. 
PACKING NURSERY TREES. 
ROBERT DOUGLAS. 
The public is well supplied with directions 
for handling trees when received from the 
nurseries—how to prune, how to plant, etc. 
Tney should also be advised that when trees 
are shipped to a great distance, aud especi¬ 
ally when they have to endure hot weather 
in transit, they must be packed dry to pre¬ 
vent heating, and when unpacked, must 
either be soaked for a few hours in tepid 
water, or “heeled in” in moist ground, the 
tops covered with hay or straw, aud sprinkled 
and left iu that condition a few days before 
planting. Probably few planters could be 
made to believe that more trees are injured 
by being packed too wet, than are injured by 
being parked too dry. I am of the opinion 
that more trees are injured by heating than 
by drying; but opinions are not always facts, 
I will therefore give a few of our experiments 
in dry packing. 
During the Winter of 1853 or 1853 a neigh- * 
bor bought 17,000 apple root grafts, intending 
to start a nursery in Iowa in the Spriug; but 
he finally concluded to go to California and 
had no use foV them. He asked my opinion 
about whether it would be safe to take them 
with him. I had crossed the Isthmus three 
years previously, aud considered there was 
great danger; but told him I would like to 
see the experiment tried, and if he would risk 
them, 1 would find packing material aud pack 
them without charge. Our moss was damp; 
I spread it on shelves iu the grafting room till 
the day before he started. As the grafts had to 
be packed across the Isthmus on mules, we pack¬ 
ed them iu shoeboxes, Imiug the boxes with 
strong paper; and knowing they were liable 
to be exposed to rain on the Isthmus, we lined 
the boxes inside the paper with cotton batting 
to absorb the moisture, as if wet they would 
eertatuly heat. The trees were tied 100 in each 
bundle, and moss was placed between the 
layers. They were hauled from here to Chi¬ 
cago in a lumber wagon, in very cold weather, 
iu the dead of Winter—we had no railroads 
then—and went on to New York. Unfor¬ 
tunately they wore delayed on the way and 
then again on the Isthmus, yet, after all. they 
reached their destination in perfect order, 
aud were sold to a nurseryman at a large pro¬ 
fit, and grew well. 
During the Winter of 1879 we sent a pack 
age of catolpa trees to Mr. Vinceut, Conser¬ 
vator of Forests for the Government iu the 
Punjab, in the Eust Indies. They were pack¬ 
ed in dry moss inclosed in oiled paper. They 
went by the way of Europe. He “heeled 
them iu” for five days, then planted them; 
they all grew. He wrote us that when they 
had been planted just six months he measured 
them, aod the tallest measured 10 feet in bight. 
This proves conclusively that the vitality of 
the trees hud uot beeu injured iu the least. 
We shipped trees to China, packed iu dry 
moss, iu 1881, by the way of Sau Francisco; 
but the freight was enormous, aud learaiug 
that we could ship via New York at lower 
rates than we can ship from here to the Rocky 
Mountains, we concluded to try the experi¬ 
ment. We took a strong, tight box, lined it 
with strong paper, aud during tb*- Winter 
packed 1,000 Catalpa specioea trees 12 to 18 
inches in bight, in dry moss, kept them iu the 
packing-house during the Winter, and iu the 
Spriug moved them into a small building we 
use as a tool house, with a large window on 
the south and another on the west, into which 
the sun had free access, believing that this 
would be as trying a position as they could be 
placed in en route to China. Iu October, just 
one year from the time the trees were dug. we 
opened the box, and sent a few to two or three 
friends, who pronounced their vitality perfect. 
We immediately headed up the box. When 
Winter set in we moved it again into the pack¬ 
ing house to secure it against frost, and in the 
Spring, 18 mouths from the time the trees 
were dug, we again opened the box and plant¬ 
ed 20 trees, after soaking them iu tepid water, 
and they made, apparently, as good growth 
as trees newly dug. 
Waukegan, III. 
floriciilinraL 
HARDY PLANTS FOR SHADY PLACES. 
WILLIAM FALCONER. 
There are very few ornamental plants 
that will grow and thrive and appear to best 
advantage in the shady places around our 
homes, unless with special care or under ex 
ceptional circumstances. We go into the 
woods and find them gay with violets, ane¬ 
mones, hepaticas, star-flowers, fringed poly¬ 
galas. maytlowers, adder’s tongues, dwarf 
cornels. Squirrel corn, dwarf gensing. Spring 
Beauty, bellworts, False Solomon’s Seal, 
mitrewort, and many other sweetly pretty, 
little flowers, and wonder may we have the 
same at home. Of course, we may, but not 
without a deal of care. We must protect 
them against cutting winds and trespass, 
and insure to them en open, mossy surface. 
If a plant is worth gr ing at all, it is worth 
growing well; we shou. I, therefore, assign to 
it the best position and conditions possible 
conducive to its well being and consistent with 
the means at our disposal. I have found lark¬ 
spurs sprawling in Southern woods, and the 
American Turk’s-cap Lily, in thick, swampy 
wood beside me here; but I very well know 
that, as garden plants, both in open, sunny 
places, attain greater perfection than they do 
in the shady woods. The Lily of the-Yalley, 
one of the best and most persistent plants I 
know of for shady places, never grows so 
dense aud stocky or blooms so richly in the 
shade as it does iu the open, sunny bed, where 
it is given in Winter a dressing of rotted 
mauure. Periwiukle accommodates itself to 
shade or sunshine. It matters little to the 
Virginia lungwort aud Canada columbine 
where they ure; the same with daffodils and 
crocuses, Siberian squills and snowdrops, eol- 
chicums and Guiuea-hen flowers, and many 
other bulbous plants. 
But as shade soon means death to moss 
pinks, sea thrift, rock cress aud stone-crop, 
so too would full exposure moan ruiu to our 
yellow or pink lady’s slippers, creeping for¬ 
get-me-not, or wood-sorrel. But we often 
find wild plants under very different circum¬ 
stances: Near Lewistown, Maine, the shady 
woods teem with dwarf cornels, wood sorrel, 
friuged polygala, round-leaved violet, twin- 
tlower and other little gems; and in an open, 
cleared wood close by there, all of these plants 
appear in greater perfection thau they do 
under the neighboring trees,—they revel in 
the mossy coat of old leaf soil and broken 
sticks. Between Saco and Old Orchard, Maine, 
a flat, mossy, shady wood is carpeted with 
Mayflowers; near Oyster Bay a few miles 
from here, I find it fringing the brow of a high 
gravel bank. 
In our gardens we have to humor many of 
our plants Some of those that love moisture 
aud light, as mimuluses ami double dairies, 
in driest ground prefer a little shade. Many 
of our pretty wood plants, as triltiums. Mossy 
Bluets (Houstoniasvrpyllifolia) and blood root, 
if grown in moist and mossy spots iu open, 
sunny places, bloom as fully aud grow as 
strongly as they do iu the woods. Warm 
sunshine husteus past their flowers, however, 
and iu many cases, for instance, witheypri- 
pediums, “scalds'’ the blossoms. In a wet and 
dense wood close by me here, cow-slips, marsh- 
marigold (Caltha palustris) grow in greater 
luxuriance and bloom more copiously than l 
have ever seen them elsewhere. They 
commonly occur iu sunny or partially open 
streamlets. In fact, the more I know of plants 
aud their habits naturally aud artificially, 
the more I appreciate how aecomodatimr they 
are. But as there is more pleasure in one 
healthy, huppy plant thau iu a dozen mis¬ 
placed, weakly wretches, no matter how 
choice the kinds may be, we should endeavor 
| to help rather than subvert nature. 
Iu our shady woods, the rotting sticks and 
leaves and decaying grass and other herbage 
year after year, form a soft lining on the 
ground—just such a foothold and mulching as 
the little plants love; the fallen leaves protect 
their crowns from the searing, frosty winds 
of Winter and the parching droughts of 
Summer, and when it rains, act like a sponge 
to hold the moisture there. Iu our gardens, 
for tidiness’ sake, we usually rake off the 
leaves and sticks and otber surface stuff from 
under the trees, and thus rob the little plants 
of the very conditions that enable them to ex¬ 
ist. In the cultivated garden we can help mat¬ 
ters by keeping tne surface soil free and loose. 
But, far better, arrange your plants so that 
all shall have ample room to grow, one shall 
not crowd another, the larger shall not 
smother the smaller, and there shall be no 
vacant space; then mulch the ground with 
half rotted leaves t.o stay there undisturbed: 
repeat the mulching every-year; pull out all 
weeds as they appear, and cut off tree roots 
that would encroach to roll the ground. In 
this way the plants will soon become estab¬ 
lished; the little ones may run together and 
form a carpet to the larger, which they can¬ 
not hurt; but the larger must be restricted 
from overspreading tne smaller. Seedlings 
will appear all over the bed, even lungworts 
and twinleaf will scatter themselves about 
like violets. 
Horticultural books and periodicals contain 
many lists, mostly English, of hardy plants 
for shady places, but many of the subjects 
mentioned in them are useless here; and 
other plants, as Vancouveria hexandra, 
Jacbysaudra Japonica, Asclepiasquadrifolia, 
Thalictrum biternatum. that I have fonnd to 
flourish admirably in the shade, and are capi¬ 
tal plants, I have never seen mentioned. 
(To be continued.) 
AN AMATEUR PROPAGATING BED. 
An apparatus made after the plan illustra¬ 
ted in Fig. 80 will enable one who has not the 
convenience of a greenhouse, to propagate a 
home supply of bedding plants, or grape¬ 
vines, with very little trouble. The appara¬ 
tus consists simply of an open dry-goods, or 
other box. turned bottom up, with a frame 
of boards about five inches wide, nailed about 
the outside, to hold the sand. A number of 
small holes bored through the bottom of the 
box, to answer for drainage, and a small door 
cut through the side, to insert a lamp, render 
it complete. 
Place a thin layer of moss over the bottom 
(perhaps I should say top) of the box. and 
cover with a layer two or three inches thick 
of clean sand. Insert the cuttings, place a 
lighted lamp beneath to supply the requisite 
bottom heat, and set the apparatus iu front 
of a window in a room in which no fire is kept, 
but in which the temperature does not fall be¬ 
low 40 or 50 degrees. In an apparatus con¬ 
structed on this plan, I have had good success 
rooting slips of geraniums, heliotrope, lan- 
tana and other bedding plants. I have also 
succeeded well iu starting grape cuttings 
from single eyes. The temperature of the 
sand should be kept at about 70 degrees; that 
of the room should be about 50 degrees. The 
cuttings should be frequently watered. 
“elm.” 
■Miscellaneous. 
Messrs. Smiths & Powell inform us by 
letter, dated February 14, that in a recent test 
their imported Holstein cow. Lady Nether- 
laud, 1268, made 19 pounds 8 ounces of well- 
worked, uusalfced butter iu seven consecu¬ 
tive days. Thus this cow comes in close com¬ 
petition with the record of 20 pounds made in 
seven days by her celebrated daughter, Neth- 
erland Queen. This tLm is to be congratula¬ 
ted ou the success of the Netherland family. 
The Toledo Blade says that Thomas S. Gard¬ 
ner, of the so-called Farming World, has 
commenced suits for $50,000 each against the 
Chicago Tribune aud Herald, aud for $25,000 
