choice Verbenas. Both the flower itself and 
its freshness of color endure well. Years ago, 
thousands were propagated and sold where 
one is now. But we can do no better than to 
apologize for our neglect and restore the plant 
to its old favor. 
Petunias of all kinds are thrifty growers 
and abundant bloomers, but they are rather 
coarse for our choicest beds, and the flowers, 
though striped and blotched, are still rather 
dull in their limited range. They are excellent 
for rockeries or for hot situations where other 
plants would need far more care. 
Pansies. —The secret of large Pansies, like 
that of large Strawberries, is rich soil, good 
drainage and moisture. Both are benefited if 
they escape the mid-day sun. There are 
many pretty bedding flowers from which to 
choose, but we should feel lost without Pan¬ 
sies—they are to the garden what the clown is 
to the circus. 
Herbaceous Plants. —Fashion, like history, 
repeats itself, and glad are we that there is on 
every hand a disposition to return to hardy 
herbaceous flowers. One tires of ribbon beds. 
They are expensive and monotonous. They 
are showy—that is all—and it is showiness 
readers who are poor and lazy, and yet fond 
of a pretty garden, are advised to procure 
hardy herbaceous plants. The following are a 
few which we have selected as suitable for gen¬ 
eral cultivation: 
Phalangium Liliago. Anemone Japonica and 
fulgens. all of the Aquilegias, Dicentra eximia 
and spectablilis (Bleeding Heart), Ipoiutea 
leptophylla, Aselepias tuberosa, Geranium 
sanguineum, Aster Novie-Anglke. Delphinium 
azuremn and formosum, Astilbe Japonica, 
Campanula rottindifolia, Centranthus ruber 
(Jupiter’s Beard), Gentiana Andrewsii. C'helone 
obliqua (Turtle-head), Clematis recta, Gillenia 
trifoliata, Convallaria majalis (Lily of the Val¬ 
ley), Coreopsis lanceolata. Iris Kamipferi, Cyp- 
redium spectabile (for boggy places), Funkia 
ovata and subcordata (blue and white Day 
Lily), Liatris (Blazing Star) scariosa aud 
punctata, Lobelia eardinalis and syphilitica 
(Cardinal Flowers), Lychnis Chalccdonica (Mal¬ 
tese Cross), Lysimacbia nummularia (Money¬ 
wort), for vases, carpets or rock work; Mer- 
tensia Virginica (Virginia Lungwort). Yucca 
ftlamentosa and anguetifolia. Vinca rniuor 
(Periwinkle), which will make a beautiful ever¬ 
green carpet where grass will not grow.- 8pi- 
sortinent of the French Lilacs (Phloxes), Pent- 
stemons. 
We know of no other catalogue, of herba¬ 
ceous plants that offers a more varied collec¬ 
tion than that of Woolson & Co. of Passaic, N. 
J. The long list is one also which, so far as 
we are capable of judging, is absolutely correct 
as regards its botanical nomenclature. For 
the benefit of our readers we regret that their 
attention has not beeu called to this catalogue 
earlier in the season. This firm does not ad¬ 
vertise in the Rural aud is not likely to, for 
which reason our readers may deem that the 
ubOVe notice is made wholly iu their interests. 
We notice, also, that the Climbing Hydrangea 
(Sehizophragma Hydraugeoides) figured for 
the first time in this country in Rural of Feb¬ 
ruary 15, '79, is offered (small plants) at 
twenty-five cents each. 
Improvement of the Tomato, 
It is to be hoped that seedsmen will no lon¬ 
ger advertise new varieties of tomatoes as 
“earlier than any others yet brought before 
the public." Such new varieties are no longer 
desirable. We have reached the limit of earli- 
ne88 iu this important fruit except at. the cost 
of some other quality more valuable than ear¬ 
liness. Up to the present lime, the “Little 
Gem,” if we may judge of it generally by our 
own comparative tests with all of the leading 
sorts, is the earliest tomato in cultivation. But 
it is “ only this and 'scarcely' more.” Watery, 
6oft, quick to rot. sour, it really has no claim 
to a place in the garden except, indeed, for the 
market where anything that foots like a tomato 
will meet with a readier sale for beiug the first 
of the season. In the improvement of the 
tomato we should consider form, size, flavor 
solidity and keepiug qualities. 
The favorite Trophy, is too irregular and too 
large, and ripeus imperfectly. It is, of course, 
late, though it keeps well and is among the 
best for canning purposes. The Acme is really 
a decided advance towards perfection Its 
shape aud size are all that could be desired. Its 
lobes are so slight as to prove no hindrance to 
those who prepare it for the table, and it 
ripens evenly In every part. But in its flavor 
(which is too acid), solidity and keeping quali¬ 
ties there is still much room for improvement. 
The degree of acidity of tomatoes is, in a meas¬ 
ure, due to the seasou; but it is in a greater 
measure due to too close planting, and to cou- 
finiug them too closely by stakes aud hoops or 
strings, or to leaving them without support of 
auy kiud, in which case the vines fall upon the 
ground, aud the fruit ripens beneath their 
dense 6hade. 
We have not the slightest doubt that a more 
painstaking method of cultivation awaits this 
fruit (the ultimate value of which can only be 
guessed at by its rapidly growing importance), 
for the reason that the difference between the 
best and the poorest of tomatoes is as great as the 
difference between the poorest aud best of any 
other fruit whatsoever. 
Among the foremost steps to be taken are, 
first, to east aside the earliest varieties alto¬ 
gether as worthless, and to select seed only 
from those of the best-flavored, firmest and 
shapeliest sorts; second, to treai the youug 
plants differently in the seed-bed or frame. 
They are planted too thickly together, aud be¬ 
come too drawn and enfeebled. Stockier 
plants, heavier stems and more roots would, 
no doubt, produce firmer aud better fruit. Fin¬ 
ally, we again recommend trellises for the to¬ 
mato. Let them run north and south, and 
train the same as we would a grape-vine. By 
this method, as all of the fruit is exposed to, 
and ripens iu the sun, the yield will be greater 
and the quality immeasurably superior. 
VITIS INDIVISA 
Vitis heterophylla var., is the species de¬ 
scribed and figured in the Rural New-Yorker 
of Nov. 9. Tills scarcely deserves to he called 
variegated because the variegation is not con¬ 
stant. We have never seen an old plant that 
was variegated In every leaf, or one iu which 
variegation did not appear in some part. The 
variegated blood, though diffusing itself, as it 
were, in channels, is yet very potent—for of 
100 seedlings from it, as many as 75 will show 
variegation which cannot be said of the seed¬ 
lings of auy other variegated plant that we 
now recall. Vitis lndivisa, or entire-leaved 
Grape, differs from the other in having, as its 
name implies, leaves that are rarely lobed, but 
which are rather coarsely toothed. The berries 
are much the same, having a wax-like appear¬ 
ance and being, according to their stage of 
ripeuiug, light-blue, pink, white or green, 
speckled with tiny dots of brown, so that all of 
these colors may be shown in a single raceme. 
The V. heterophylla is an Asiatic species, but 
we cannot doubt that both have the same ori¬ 
gin from the fact that both in seedliugs and in 
old plauts we have seen leaves which were 
both entire and toothed. Vitis indivisa, the 
subject of our present sketch—which is a free 
drawing from a colored plate in Meehan's 
“ Native Flowers,” grows wild on the river- 
banks of West Virginia, Ohio aud southward. 
It is a fine oruuuicutal vine and well worth 
cultivating for Us waxy, variously-colored 
berries alone. Seedlings start iu a few days or 
weeks if the seed be planted fresh from the 
berry. If not, they (the seeds) may be sown in 
the fall and, exposed to frostB, they will ger¬ 
minate iu the spring. 
N0TE8 FROM THE RURAL GR0UND8 
Eulalia Japonica Zebbina is one of the 
few novelties that has proven of great value. 
It is one of the hardiest and the most striking 
of grasses, aud has here passed three winters 
in safety without any protection. 
" Happy Thought.”—' This is the Pelargoni¬ 
um introduced about five years ago in this 
country with leaves haviug white discs and 
green margius—just reversing the markings of 
the old silver-margined varieties. We have 
raised quite a number of seedliugs from it, hut 
not one has ever shown a sign of variegatiou. 
We have never learnt whether this variety is a 
“ sport” from an old variety, or whether it 
was produced directly from seed. It would be 
interesting to know. 
“ Fascination."— This new Coleus, offered 
this season tor the first, is really beautiful, and 
seems to merit all that the descriptions in 
catalogues claim—which is phenomenal. 
In Light Soil, plant the conns of Gladioli, 
if large, six inches deep. This will so support 
the flowering stalk that it will need no stake, 
unless growing in an exposed situation. A 
mulch of old barn-yard manure, applied about 
the first of July, will be found to increase the 
size aud durability of the flowers. Scarifying 
the surface of choice bulbs will induce the 
formation of bulblets which will bloom the 
second year and bear flowers true to the parent 
name. 
Cut Flowers. —For abed of flowers to make 
bouquets from during the seasou, few plants 
are better than Verbenas and Pinks. Of the 
latter, Heddewigii, Diadem-flowered, Cut¬ 
leaved and the Chinese double are the best. 
They will bloom (if the seeds are 6own now) 
during the summer, aud by the aid of a little 
protection will again bloom freely another 
year. Verbenas may be bought for seventy- 
five cents per dozen, which, If pegged down, 
will soou fill a bed six feet in diameter. No 
other colors are more brilliant than those of 
VITIS INDIVISA 
ra>a Aruncus (Goat's Beard), Sedum Sieboldil 
(Siebold’s Stoneerop), Pyrethrum tehihatehe- 
wii. which will cover the soil if too poor for 
grass; but it ought to be in every collection on 
account of the “demuition sweetness" of Its 
specific name if for no other reason; an as- 
uiaiutaiued at a wicked cost. Herbaceous 
plants give us an endlesB variety of form and 
color and they bloom from earliest spring till 
latest fall. When once planted, they are plant¬ 
ed for years, and need no further care than the 
oLrde of earth about a tree. Those of our 
CURRANTS FOR PROFIT 
I find that nothing pays better than Cur¬ 
rants. The majority of people will not be at 
the trouble of dusting the bushes with a little 
Jjellebore, thus losing their fruit; yet nearly 
voi.. xxxvni. No. i».i KVW VHP If 
WHOLE No, 1326. 1 ii £j VV I UlilV 
CITY. 
APRIL 26, 1879. 
/PRICE FIVE CENTS. 
X S'LOO PER Y EAR. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1879, by the Rural PublishinK Company, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.! 
