4888 
TUI RUBAI f4EW«Y©RSCfR. 
763 
lawn rake with teeth formed of loops of stout 
wire over the sharp-toothed steel rake for 
working between rows of young plants. No 
doubt it will do more rapid execution among 
the springing weeds, while much less dangerous 
to the crop-plants or their roots. But such fine 
and speedy work can be done only in fine 
soils. Our clayey loam, pervaded with small 
stones, bids defiance to such light, handy tools. 
Implements must suit the soil as well as the 
crop. 
There are hundreds of plants of each of 
which men say, “This is of no earthly use,” 
even if they don’t go further and proclaim it 
“a pest.” But we are continually finding out 
surprisingly useful properties of one sort or 
another in hitherto despised plants, and good 
uses for all will some day be asserted. We 
already begin to acknowledge that weeds are 
blessings. The prickly pear, a hated pest 
where abundant, is now worked up into valu¬ 
able cattle food, and even conserved for table 
use, and is said to resemble dried figs. 
Professor Lantz has been reading the 
season history for 20 years back on sections 
of the trunk of a cottonwood of that age, 
lately cut down near his house. The annual 
rings measure three-quarters of an inch wide, 
so that there is plenty of room for pencilling 
on each the year on which it was produced. 
Those made in the drought year of 1874 and 
the following grass-hopper year were but a 
half and a quarter inch respectively. The 
tree was felled June 15 and had then made a 
ring of about a quarter of an inch. 
The farmer and his family have in general 
a kindly feeling for their stock, most of 
which they have nurtured up from birth. 
But the cowboy and the drover do not come 
in the way of these sources of sympathy, and 
are apt to grow brutal from their lack. The 
shocking sight of a car-load of Texas bulls 
roughly dehorned and left with their wounds 
unprotected, is not an argument on the de¬ 
horning question. Those who have tried the 
operation, giving reasonable care to avoid 
causing needless pain, seem very generally 
pleased and even surprised at finding it so 
easily practicable. A tyrannical cow de¬ 
prived of her sharp weapons subsides into 
quiet behavior when she finds that she can’t 
drive. 
September and October are months so 
far distant from the season of ripe strawber¬ 
ries that few persons think then of the im¬ 
portant work of securing a crop by seeing 
that the ground is clear and open before the 
autumn rains, and by saving to the plants the 
material thrown away in their efforts to ex¬ 
tend themselves by runners If these are 
nipped off as they appear, the leaves of the 
plant become large and thick with the retained 
material, and the crowns with their fruit buds 
greatly multiplied. The same care does the 
same service for raspberry plants. Their 
natural impulse is first to multiply progeny— 
the reds by throwing up sprouts from the 
roots, and the caps by forming new plants at 
the tips where these touch the earth. The 
hoe, used in time, checks this waste of the 
reds, and scissors will speedily stop the ardor 
of the caps, and both will use the saved mate¬ 
rial (prepared sap) to form and fill out buds 
from which next year’s fruiting shoots will 
issue. Hoeing of strawberry beds is as essen¬ 
tial now as is the hoeing of summer plants in 
May or June. 
£1 )t (Surfrnt, 
NOTES IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
demned for spotting. Was ever any bean 
cured of this defect? I have been selecting 
unspotted pods of Golden Wax, and also of 
the Dwarf Horticultural, for several years, 
and this year my crop of both was quite fair, 
though other kinds near-by spotted badly. 
But they may not “continue on” in that good 
way. Low’s Champion is a good bean, but 
its whity-green pods lack attractiveness, and 
when soiled by the dirt in rainy weather they 
are still more objectionable. It is non-spotting, 
but an early strain of Dwarf Horticultural 
that would not spot is much to be preferred 
Mr. Gleason, of W. W. Rawson & Co., writes 
me that he knows of no such bean of that 
class; still I am hoping aDd trying for it. As 
a late Dwarf Horticultural, the Goddard, or 
Boston Favorite, is very fine, but it spots con¬ 
siderably, and is no earlier than my own 
strain of Pole Horticultural which, though 
shorter in pod, does not spot. Henderson 
praises very highly the Flageolet Wax, whish 
I have grown for five years, having both the 
red and purple-seeded strains. It is a valu¬ 
able early bean, yet it will spot some in un¬ 
favorable seasons. 
Cabbage. —Of all the second-early cab¬ 
bages, I find myself preferring Rawson’s Early 
Summer as a very sure-heading and large 
variety. The heads are all hard, showing long- 
continued and careful selection. For a late 
sort nothing suits me as well as the Warren 
StoDe-mason, as received from Mr. Low, of 
Essex, Mass. It would probably not be late 
enough for more southern localities, as many 
plants headed almost as soon as Rawson’s 
Summer. 
Cucumber. —I am much pleased with Raw¬ 
son’s White Spine, which is early, finely 
formed, and even, from the first setting on 
through the season. 
Corn.— I was very much pleased, of course, 
with the Rural’s favorable report on my 
old favorite the Early Dean Sweet. It has 
been a standby of mine for many years, and 
is very much to be preferred to Marblehead as 
a second-early. My King of the Earlies did not 
meet your approbation as a first-early, though 
here it beats the Cory in every point except 
the big butts and coarse look. But it is rath¬ 
er a long distance from Northern New England 
to New Jersey, and I find that many things 
that are best here will not show their merits 
several hundreds miles to the south. As to 
Cory, no one could recognize it from the cut in 
Henderson's catalogue. It is early and large, 
and there its merits end. Its looks are very 
coarse and unattractive, and its quality cor¬ 
responds with its looks. I cannot sell it 
twice in the same place, when I have anything 
else. 
Lettuce. —Hanson still stands at the head 
for general market sale far into the summer, 
thus far north. This, and Boston Curled 
make all the succession required here. 
Peppers.— Seed of the new “Celestial” gave 
me but one single plant resembling the picture 
and description; the rest were the common 
Cayenne. 
Peas.— For extra early, Kawson’s Clipper 
beats all competitors, as also in productive¬ 
ness and quality. Vermont Wonder far ex¬ 
cels American Wonder in productiveness and 
perfection of pods, being of the same season, 
and constituting a satisfactory ’ succession to 
the Clipper. As g, third sort I am satisfied 
with Telephone, and for late the Aroostook 
Marrowfat is good, and free from mildew. 
This is not the Black-eyed Marrowfat, but a 
semi-wrinkled pea, much better in quality. 
Potatoes.— Pearl of Savoy still satisfies me 
as the best early variety, good to eat as soon as 
large enough, and a heavy cropper when well 
treated. To succeed it I am well pleased with 
Polaris, and want nothing better than Pecan 
for a long keeper that does not seem to want 
to sprout at all until buried in the earth. 
T. H. HOSKINS, M. D. 
Beets. —Again I atn constrained to report 
that as a second-early (Egyptian being still 
first) I find nothing that gets ahead of the 
Dewing, which otherwise has my preference 
for its deep color and remarkable sweetness. 
For several years I have grown it side by side 
with Eclipse and Edmunds; and although 
both the latter, growing above ground, ap 
pear to be earlier than Dewing, which grows 
under ground, examination has shown the 
latter quite as large at the same time. There 
is no doubt that Eclipse is better in quality 
than Egyptian, but 1 cannot make it as early, 
and there is a strong preference for a dark 
beet among my customers. 
Beans.— The New Golden Pod (“Golden 
Prize” of some seedsmen, and also sold under 
other names), has certainly led all the early 
snaps the last three seasons, and, being also 
quite free from spot, gets the preference over 
Golden Wax, which has been widely con- 
Melons. —Christiana is the only sort we 
can grow here entirely without glass, ripen¬ 
ing when thus grown from August 15 on. As 
some of them are round and some oval, with 
occasionally a green-fleshed specimen, I con¬ 
clude that this is a cross-bred or hybrid sort. 
For forcing there is nothing to compare with 
the Montreal, and I wonder where your corre¬ 
spondent who thinks it poor got his seed. No 
better melon than the true Montreal is grown 
anywhere on this planet. 
Squash. —The Essex Hybrid for early and 
the Hubbard for late seem to me to be all 
that we need. In place of the common bush 
summer sorts, green Essex are much to be 
preferred for the table, though at first cus¬ 
tomers have to be persuaded to give them a 
trial. Perfect Gem is a perfect humbug, so 
far as I can see. 
Tomatoes. —The Livingston varieties are 
much the most uniform in size and shape, and 
among them the Acme seems the earliest so 
far, but much given to rotting. I also like- 
the Conqueror very well. This has not been 
a tomato year in our section. Last year we 
had more than we could handle,—this year 
not a tithe of what was wanted. 
Newport, Vt. 
farm {Topics. 
FORESTS AND CLIMATIC CHANGES. 
Ei'roneous statements made by the American 
Horticultural Society; forest denudation 
doesn’t diminish rainfall , or atmospheric 
humidity , or increase extremes of heat 
and cold , or malarial diseases; a number 
of assertions unsupported by proofs and 
contrary to facts. 
Some two or three years since I had oc¬ 
casion to criticize some remarks made by a 
correspondent of the R. N.-Y. in regard to 
forests, rainfall, climate, etc. A similar oc¬ 
casion is afforded by the published transac¬ 
tions of a national society. I beg leave to 
say in the outset that in making these criti¬ 
cisms, I am not seeking to pose as a scientist. 
There are many phenomena of nature that 
the fairly intelligent person may decide upon 
as correctly as the educated scientist, and I 
therefore feel at liberty to discuss the ques¬ 
tions here presented. 
I find in the transactions of the American 
Horticultural Society of the present year the 
following resolution that was passed, and 
without objection: “ Whereas, excessive tifae 
destruction without regard to the mainten¬ 
ance of the reproductive power of the forests, 
causes irregularity and uncertainty in the 
rainfall, diminished wood and timber supply 
for the future, diminished humidity in the 
air, diminished health of the people, especially 
through the production of malarial diseases, 
diminished spring and summer flow of streams 
used for navigation and irrigation, increased 
extremes of heat and cold, of drought and 
flood, and in mountainous countries, like 
California, causes the production of torrents 
that carry debris from the denuded water¬ 
sheds to cover and destroy fertile valley lands 
below: Resolved, that attention is called, 
etc.” 
Some of the statements here made are 
reasonable and true, but I cannot refrain 
from saying that there are others that are as 
wild as anything that could have been writ 
ten, and as far from the truth as it is possible 
to be, so far that they scarcely deserve notice 
other than ridicule. That cutting the forests 
diminishes the supply of timber for the future 
is self-evident—so also is this: forests and 
fields of corn cannot be grown on the same 
ground ! But I call attention to a few state¬ 
ments that are so wide of the mark that one 
may well wonder whether men who are ex¬ 
perts in horticulture had not better confine 
themselves to that particular profession, with 
which the forests have slight connection. 
It will be seen that it is not here distinctly 
stated that the destruction of forests has 
caused a diminished rainfall, a fallacy that 
seems to be losing its hold, but all the other 
evils that can be attributed to it are here set 
forth. Statistics as far as obtainable, have 
shown this to be a fallacy as stated, and it 
will be observed that in proof of that asser¬ 
tion and all these others of a like character, 
there is not, and never has been, brought for¬ 
ward a line of statistics, and for an excellent 
reason—they are not to be found. On the 
other hand, old records show an average ram- 
fall no greater 40 to 50 years ago than we 
have now. The oldest records are lying be¬ 
fore me now and show not only this but that 
there were the same “ uncertainty and irregu¬ 
larity” then as now. We have dry years 
now and we have wet ones. There were the 
same then. The oldest record is at Marietta, 
O., where the average raiufall for 50 years 
was 43 inches, and the raiufall went as high 
as 61 84 and as low as 32.46 in the first 40 
years, while in the succeeding ten years the 
variation was only from 37 to 49 inches. In 
1818 the figures were 50.92, and in 1819 they 
were 36.30;in 1830,37.36and in 1831,53.54. Take 
New Harmony, Ind.; in 1855 the fall was 
48.11, while in 1856 it was 23 18. There were 
more trees then than now, while the varia¬ 
tions are not greater now, nor even so great. 
Next, it is said there is a “diminished hu¬ 
midity in the air.” How do they know that? 
Have they any records to substantiate that? 
Supposing it were a fact; what then? Does 
more humidity cause more rainfall? One 
writer suggests, to obviate these evils, the 
wildly impracticable scheme of widely scat¬ 
tered artificial ponds to supply the needed 
moisture, not reflecting that Wisconsin sur¬ 
rounded and speckled over with lakes, suffered 
as much from drought last year as did the in¬ 
terior, and that the average rainfall on the 
shore of Lake Michigan is less than it is 200 
miles in the middle of Indiana. 
To these evils is added this—“increased ex¬ 
tremes of heat and cold.” It is safe to as¬ 
sume that this, like the others, is a bare as¬ 
sumption without any record to prove it. 
We can safely challenge these “resolvers” to 
produce it; for the production of proof is a 
matter in which they are deficient. In the 
Life of Lincoln now being published in the 
Century, is an account of a cold day in 1830, a 
day and season of extraordinary severity not 
equaled since unless it was in January, 1864. 
Doubtless there were extremes then that are 
fading out of the memory of the old men. 
But the wildest of all assertions is this— 
“diminished health of the people, especially 
through the production of malarial diseases.” 
How it is possible for sane men to put into 
cold type such a statement so absolutely op¬ 
posed to fact and so well known to be so, is 
past comprehension. I speak as a resident of 
Indiana for 56 years and assert that I believe 
that there is vast improvement in the health 
of the people and that the mortality from 
malarial diseases now is not one-fourth what 
it was 40 and 50 years ago in proportion to 
population. An old physician tells me 
that there is no comparison to be made 
between the past and the present in respect 
to the general health and that as to malarial 
diseases there is not one case now to ten in 
those days when there were twice or three 
times the extent of forest there is now. I 
might add such statements as this to an indefi¬ 
nite extent, but as I do not feel sure that any 
one outside of the A. H. Society has any 
doubts in the matter, I forbear. 
The question may be properly asked: What 
use is there in discussing the question since in 
no case will the farmer surrender his fields to 
the woods? The answer may be that it is 
always desirable to know the truth, and one at 
least may be rid of a troubling conscience 
and not be under the necessity ot condemning 
his neighbor for a supposed damage to the 
country. Let us be satisfied that things are 
as they are. j. a. foote. 
AN8WEBS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
(Every query must be accompanied by the nam 
and address of the writer to insure attention. Before 
asking a question, phase see If It Is not answered in 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper. 
RAISING MUSKMELONS AND CANTALOUPES. 
W. C. A , Shretvsbury, Mass. —My land is 
asandyloaip sloping to the east and south; 
how should it be prepared for muskmelons or 
cantaloupes to be put out next spring, and 
what are the best and earliest varieties of 
these? 
ANSWERED BY ISAAC HICKS. 
The soil for muskmelons should be made 
mellow and iu the best condition for the fu¬ 
ture growth and culture. I think five feet 
apart the best distance for the holes which 
should be 10 and 12 inches deep and 18 inches 
wide or about that. Place one-half a shovel¬ 
ful of well rotted manure in the hole, and put 
in the same quantity of soil and incorporate 
it perfectly with the manure; then place 
about three inches of fine soil on this, making 
a smooth hill. Plant 12 or 15 seeds on this, 
nearly equidistant apart, and cover with soil 
free from lumps or stones, about half an inch 
deep. Soon after the plants have come up, 
sift or throw fine 3oot around them or on 
them, to preserve them from a small flea or 
beetle that sometimes attacks them, or if the 
soot is not to be had, use a small quantity of 
fertilizer, taking care not to put any on the 
plants. This will assist the plants to grow be¬ 
fore the young roots can assimilate the ma¬ 
nure and sometimes, when the striped cu¬ 
cumber beetles make their appearance, it 
protects them from their attacks. After the 
plants have attained two inches in hight and 
are safe from the bugs, pull up all but five, 
leaving these with sufficient space between 
them, and after that keep the ground loose 
and free from weeds. If there is no well rot¬ 
ted manure, then any good commercial 
fertilizer will answer, a handful being thor¬ 
oughly mixed with the soil, and soil free from 
any fertilizer placed over it so that the young 
roots will not too soon come in contact with 
the fertilizer when starting to grow. It is 
better to give two or more applications by 
