choose the best, which I expect will be the 
Blood beets, Laue’s sugar-beet and the Yellow- 
fleshed maugels, coming into use in the order 
named from September up to April or May. 
This will give a long season and some very 
valuable feeding." 
“ You had some maugels last year that 
weighed 24 pounds each, but there was no sub¬ 
stance in them; they seemed to be nearly all 
water. A bushel of those would be cold feed 
for cows, I think,” remarked the old man. 
“ Twenty-four pounds is an excessive weight," 
I replied. “ A full crop of such beets in rows 
three feet apart and two feet apart in the rows, 
would amount to 84 tons per acre. That is an 
unheard of yield, and although a few roots 
may reach that size, the majority are smaller, 
weighing eight to twelve pouuds. I aim to 
grow roots of six to eight pouuds each, in rows 
three feet apart and eighteen inches in the 
row. If there is not more than one-fourth of 
the spaces vacant, the yield will be nearly 30 
tons, or 1.000 bushels, per acre, and these roots 
will be solid, yet contain perhaps 95 per cent, 
of water. A bushel of them will contain 57 
pouuds, or nearly seven gallons of water. But 
water is food, and goes to nourish the system 
of an animal which consists of 75 per cent, of 
water, and I don’t know of any better way of 
giving seven gallons of water of a cold winter’s 
day than m a warm barn, and in roots com¬ 
paratively warm from a cellar. It is certainly 
better than giving the water from a trough 
about which the ice is several inches thick, or 
from the creek through a hole cut iu the ice. 
There is much less cold for the stomach to 
neutralize.” 
- +■*--* - 
TOBACCO CULTURE.-No. 2. 
G. GOFF, JR. 
In preparing soil for tobacco, it should be 
remembered that there is, perhaps, no crop on 
the farm that will so yvell repay a thorough 
and careful preparation, aud that a fertile and 
well prepared soil is essential to the produc¬ 
tion of a good quality of leaf. 
When the soil lias been properly prepared by 
being well manured, plowed twice, and thor¬ 
ough pulverized by the use of the harrow and 
roller, It is marked one way, in rows three feet 
aud a half apart, with a common corn marker. 
In old times the plants were set on a hill or 
“spat” made with a hoe; but the method fol¬ 
lowed by most growers at present is as fol¬ 
lows : A ridge is formed along each mark with 
a plow or cultivator. The Alden thill culti¬ 
vator is in more general use hereabouts than 
any other, the outside teeth only being used. 
These are so placed as to move the earth In¬ 
ward. thus forming the ridge. These ridges 
are then passed over with a light roller, on the 
outside of which are fastened small cleats 
which serve to mark the points where the 
plants are to be set. The roller commonly 
used for this purpose is made iu two parts, 
each two feet in length and about the same in 
diameter. These are hung iu a frame far 
enough apart so that two ridges may be rolled 
at once. Thills are attached to the center of 
the frame so that the horse may walk between 
the rows. The plants should be set about 20 
inches apart in a row. The rollers, therefore, 
should be about live feet in circumference, 
having three cleats i'asteued at equal distances. 
The best time for setting the plants is con¬ 
sidered by growers here to be during the first 
two weeks of June. Nothing is gained by set¬ 
ting small, weak plants. They should remain 
iu the seed-bed nntU the proper size for setting. 
They should be set immediately after a rain 
while the soil is wet. Boys are usually urn- 
ployed for this work, and are paid by the hour. 
One boy goes ahead and drops a plant at each 
mark made by tLie eJeats iu the rollers, and 
others follow aud set them. One boy can drop 
enough for two to set. Care should be taken 
in setting the plants to have the roots set in 
straight. If the soil is hard or stony, a dibble 
is useful iu making the hole for the plant. 
Where the soil is mellow and free from stones, 
the finger is the only dibble that is needed. 
The droppers are instructed to drop occasion¬ 
ally an extra plant. These extras will be need¬ 
ed to fill vacancies later in the season. The 
seed-bed should be heavily sprinkled with 
water bcluru commencing to pull the plants, 
so that the roots Will not be injured. If a little 
dirt sticks to the roots, they are more likely to 
grow and do well. The cut-worms sometimes 
do considerable damage by eating oil the plant 
at the surface of the ground. When they are 
troublesome, they should be hunted for and de¬ 
stroyed. The morning is the best time for this 
work, as at that time they are usually found 
on, or near, the top of the ground. The tobac¬ 
co field should be goue over frequently aud 
plants from the seed-bed set iu wherever any 
are found lacking. It is well to have plenty 
of plants left iu the bed for tliis purpose. 
Tobacco is at best a risky crop. Wheu a 
good quality of leaf cau be produced, It gene¬ 
rally eommauds a ready sale at a price that 
will be profitable to the grower. But good 
crops cannot always be grown, even by the 
best planters, as much depends on “wind and 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
weather.” A single hail-storm will sometimes 
nearly destroy a whole crop, and a heavy wind 
will ofteu cause much damage. Tobacco- 
growing is a trade in itself. There are things 
about it that can only be learned by experi¬ 
ence. In order, to avoid serious mistakes it 
would be well for those intending to begin to¬ 
bacco-growing to employ some reliable man 
who has had experience in the business, to over¬ 
see the work, so that it may be done correctly. 
Chemung Co., N. Y. 
- - 
Early-Cut Hay. —It is uot too soon to con¬ 
sider this subject and to prepare for it. In 
this country especially, when prairie hay is 
cut in September aud October, it has become 
too ripe for milch cows during winter. For 
several years I have cut a lew tons very early, 
say in Juuu, put it up as green as it is safe to 
do so, and begun to feed it out iu December. 
The flow of milk Is promptly increased and 
kept up as loug as the lmv lasts. When this 
hay “gave out ” some time back, there was a 
loss iu the quantity as well as iu the quality of 
the milk—a strong proof of the value of early- 
cut hay for this purpose. s. r, m. 
Purple Cane, Dodge Co., Neb, 
aorlicttlttiral. 
NOTES FEOM THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
Picea Pichta (Abie. Slblrica). 
We wish to call the especial attention of all 
interested in Arboriculture, as confined to 
ornameutal grouuds, to this evergreen. It 
comes from the Siberian mountains where it 
is said to be found at an elevation of from two 
to five thousaud feet, forming entire forests 
aud growing to tbe hight of from 25 to 50 feet. 
Its leaves are of tbe darkest and average near¬ 
ly two inches in length. It bears a geueral 
resemblauce to the Balsam Fir and to the Euro¬ 
pean Silver Fir, of which latter it was thought 
by Don a variety. But it is very distinct. The 
leaf arrangement is different; the leaves are 
thicker, mote curving aud less silvery under¬ 
neath. The habit is more compact and, what 
is of more consequence, indeed, of the utmost 
consequence, it is not only hardier than either, 
but It is one of the hardiest evcrgrecus among 
our collection. We have yet to notice that a 
single twig or even leaf, has ever been injured 
either by the severities of winter or the heat of 
summer, and we beg to remind our readers 
that our situation, being in a valley opeu to 
the north, aud ten miles from any consid¬ 
erable body of water, gives a very trust¬ 
worthy test of a plaut’s powers of endur¬ 
ance. For instance, the Norway Spruce is 
here often severely injured. The Silver Fir 
is always injured more or less, and Balsam 
Firs, ten years old, in neighboring grounds, 
have had their lower foliage so scorched 
by the past winter as to hasten the loss 
of the lower branches which, iu the fine 
specimens to which we refer, would probably 
yet have remained for several years. The 
Nordmann’s Fir, too, is here so ofteu scorched 
that it never can develop the beauty aud 
grandeur which belong to it under less trying 
circumstances. People who have given little 
thought to the subject, upou being called upon 
to select trees for their homes, almost invaria¬ 
bly choose the Norway Spruce, the Balsam 
Fir, the Arbor-vita) and perhaps, the Common 
or Irish Juniper. This would have been well 
euough ten years ago; but now such a selec¬ 
tion would surely prove a cause of regret in 
the uot distant future. The same as the newer 
varieties of fruits have iu uumbcrlcss cases 
taken the place of the old, so new and well 
tested kinds of evergreens of unquestionable 
superiority, are supplanting those we have just 
mentioned. As within the past two or three 
years we have said all we eonld to make 
known the value of scores of new plants as 
well for the farm as for the vegetable aud 
flower garden, so now we press upon the atten¬ 
tion of our readers the comparatively new 
evergreen Picea Pichta, as promising to take 
a foremost place among the evergreens of the 
future with which our tastiest grounds will be 
adorned. 
Magnolia Lcunel. 
Soulange’s and Leumi’s Magnolias are now, 
May 5, in bloom at the Rural Grounds. The 
first has always been considered about the best 
of the foreign Magnolias, but this can no long¬ 
er be said now that we have Leune’s which, as to 
hardiness,—the only respect in which we feared 
it might prove Inferior,—has now been well 
tested. In every other respect it is the equal 
of Soulauge’s aud iu one, its superior, viz., iu 
the color of its flowers. These are a dark 
reddish-purple outside and nearly white with¬ 
in. As we write this note, we count upou a 
tree before us, only five feet in bight, fifty 
flowers, more or less opened, while hall us many 
buds have still to unfold. These flowers bear 
nine petals about four inches long, of a balloon 
shape. When fully developed, the flowers are 
about six inches across. The reader may judge 
for himself how showy even so small a speci¬ 
men must be at a time when few flowers other 
than spring bulbs, arc in bloom, and while yet 
even tbe leaves of trees are too small to en¬ 
liven the landscape. Few trees are so entirely 
beautiful as Magnolias. Groups of the best 
sorts are superb. While the trees should be 
arranged closely euough together to enhance 
the beauty of all by individual contrasts, they 
should not be placed so closely together as to 
interfere with each other’s growth or with the 
form it may be desirable to give them by cut¬ 
ting back. For some of the Maguolias, the 
free use of the pruning knife is indispensable, 
while for all a more compact growth and bet¬ 
ter adaptation to the lawn are thus assured. 
The Endurance of Hyacinth* as Determined by 
Color. 
(Six years ago we Imported about 250 Hya¬ 
cinths of the various colors. These bulbs 
gradually deteriorate, seldom blooming the 
second year or iu any succeeding season as 
well as during the first. As many as half of 
those referred to have ceased blooming. Some 
of them bear a flower or so, About fifty still 
bear racemes of goodly size. It is a uotable 
fact, that a large proportion of the latter are 
blue, and the rest red or rose. Our friends in 
ordering their Hyacinths auother season, may 
therefore bear in mind that those bearing blue 
flowers are the most enduring, as they are cer¬ 
tainly the most showy. 
The Season 
is extremely backward. Peach buds arc still 
intact, while cherry trees are only beginning 
to blossom. Spring and summer are coming 
more nearly together than ever before since we 
have lived in this Happy Valley, and one of 
the results is the promise of one of the most 
abundant fruit crops “ known to the oldest in¬ 
habitants.” 
-- 
HINTS ABOUT GARDEN WORK. 
Trees have no business In a farmer’s vege 
table garden; that is to say, a tree there is a 
weed and a nuisance, however valuable iu its 
proper place. The fruit garden is Itself not 
less important or valuable than the vegetable 
garden, but the two do not go well together. 
In close village lots there may be too little 
room for both iu separate places ; but a farm¬ 
er’s garden presupposes plenty of land and 
room enough to do what one wishes. Even 
the perennial vegetables, as asparagus aud pie¬ 
plant, are better off iu one corner or by the 
side of the garden out of the way of the plow, 
harrow, roller and cultivator. 
Starting with smooth ground free of encum¬ 
brances, one should aim to get everything in 
long, straight rows, and, as far as possible, 
with distance euough between them for ahorse 
aud cultivator to pass through. For some 
things this wastes land, but it saves work 
which, ou a farm where laud is abundant and 
labor scarce, is much more important. Weeds 
grow fastest in a garden, and here, if auy where, 
the farmer ueeds every advantage iu keeping 
them down. At least once a week the culti¬ 
vator should he run through the rows. This 
will destroy most of the weeds, aud, If there is 
nothiug in the way, will take very little time. 
The few vegetables which absolutely need to 
be in beds may be put ou oue side of the car- 
den—a row of beds to be cared for wholly by 
haud labor. This little part of the garden will, 
without doubt, be more trouble than all be¬ 
sides. 
Nothing is gained by too early sowing of any 
garden vegetable. Some kinds are hardy and 
will start to grow before the ground is fit to 
work. My self-sowu lettuce is always earlier 
than that which I can get from sowing in the 
spring; but 1 sow it, so as to have a later and 
better supply. Of peas I sow the early and 
secoud crop at the same time—the Little Gem 
for early and the Advance for later, and in 
two weeks after the first sowing, I put in some 
more of the Advance for ihe latest. I have 
never been able to do much with melon or cu¬ 
cumber seeds planted iu bits of sod, as they do 
not start quickly iu such soli aud are difficult 
to transplant. The better way is to wait a lit¬ 
tle longer aud force the plants rapidly forward 
by putting a square box over them to keep the 
hills from the cold winds. In this way seeds 
planted the middle or twentieth of May, are 
strong, well-vooted plants by the time warm 
weather comes and the boxes have to be re¬ 
moved. 
Few farmers have or need to have hot¬ 
houses, and it is cheaper to buy the few tomato 
plants needed to supply the family than to try 
to grow them. More depends upon the stocki- 
uess of the plants than on their bight. The 
same is true of cabbage and celery, though if 
large quantities are wanted, these may be 
grown at home, as they can be planted in the 
open ground and grown at small expense. To 
make the plants stocky, cut off the tips of the 
leaves after they get a few inches high, and at 
the same time run a sharp knife among their 
roots. This will have nearly the same effect 
as transplanting in pushing side roots, without 
in any way Injuring the plants. 
Monroe Co., N. Y. W, j. Fowler. 
Jloritullural. 
FLOWERS. 
When we take into consideration the beauty 
of flowers and see how much they add to the 
attractions of homes where they are cultivated, 
does it not seem strange how anyone can ne¬ 
glect to cultivate them ? Ido not see how any¬ 
one can help loving flowers and taking pleasure 
iu training them and earing for them. A borne 
may have all the luxuries human hands cam 
fashion, but unless flowers are there cultivated, 
it will not be remembered by the children who 
go out from it, with so much tenderness as the 
home that is surrounded by flowers. There¬ 
fore, parents, is it not for your interest to cul¬ 
tivate flowers and encourage your children to 
do so also ? 
All that has a tendency to make us happier 
and better should have a place in our sym¬ 
pathies ; therefore, it should be made a point 
by all to have at least a few flowers. How re¬ 
freshing, after laboring In the Held all day, to 
spend a little time at evening among the flow¬ 
ers and breathe their delicate perfume; ft 
seems to refresh aud rest us. Their cultivation 
need take but little time, and what little time 
it does take, is very well spent. Iu fact, I 
think, it could rarely be put to auy better use. 
The majority of farmers’ wives love flowers, 
and a great many more of them would have 
flowers, if they had the conveniences ; but the 
front yard ou many farms is filled up with old, 
broken-down wagons, plows, harrows, mowing 
machines aud other implements, besides the 
wood-pile and chips, thus leaving no place for 
flowers, which should always he found there. 
Every farmer should provide a good wood- 
pile, but I have been thinking, lately, that In¬ 
stead of having a big wood-pile, with a lot of 
chips scattered about the yard, it would he 
better to prepare the wood at some out-of-the- 
way place, aud not haul it to the house until 
ready to be piled up in the wood-house. By this 
method a large amount of litter would be kept 
away from the door, and if one must have 
farming implements out-of-doors, let it be 
about the barn, aud not iu front of the house. 
Steuben CO., N. Y. F. a. i>, 
-♦ ♦ » 
Abctilon xnsigne.— This is a flue variety of 
the Abutilou family, which, though old, Is 
still quite rare, and deserves to be more gener¬ 
ally grown. In a November number of “The 
Garden ’’ it is figured under the name of 
“Abutilou igueum," but later on in Decem¬ 
ber number of the same paper, it is spoken 
of under its proper name of A. insigua. As 
loug ago as I860 we had fine, large plants of 
this variety, which we had grown purposely 
for winter blooming, producing large, pendu¬ 
lous clusters, of velvety, crimson flowers, 
veined with dark maroon, iu great profusion 
all winter long. Unlike auy other variety, 
this throws its thwvers well out from tho foli¬ 
age. each lermiual shoot being literally loaded 
with perfect, bell-shaped flowers. The leaves 
are of a rich, dark-green, of thick texture, aud 
prominently net-veined on the under side. This 
variety is quite distinct in leaf and flower from 
any other, and deserves to be iu every collec¬ 
tion. C. H Ho VET. 
^rliotirultural. 
A RULE TO BE REVERSED. 
When most people buy trees, or engage 
them, they are very particular about the tops. 
They want big tops. They never say anything 
about the roots. The rule should be reversed, 
aud the roots should be the subject of anxiety. 
Half of the trees which are transplanted every 
year, are murdered outright. Their roots are 
so mutilated and broken off that their lives are 
destroyed, no matter how well the}' may he set 
out. If all such trees only have large and 
thrifty tops, the guileless buyer thinks he has 
the worth of bis money, aud forthwith digs a 
hole and sticks his stubs in. The trees, all tops 
aud no roots, contain sap enough to leaf out, 
and then they begin to dry up, and before mid¬ 
summer they are dead. Every tree received 
by the purchaser, without good roots, should 
be sent back to the shipper. How many times 
has it been urged upou those who purchase 
trees to cut away the tops, so that they will 
conform iu bulk or siae to the roots. Many 
trees might he saved if the tops were thorough¬ 
ly out away, even if the roots were feeble. 
The tops should not extend from the body an 
average distance auy greater than the length 
of the roots, and the limbs should be thinned 
out, so as to reduce the amount of foliage 
down to the strength of the roots relatively, so 
that one ean support the other, as this is the 
way trees grow. The roots are the stomach 
and the leaves the lungs. A tree nil lungs can¬ 
not grow. There must be blood (sap), and 
this comes from the roots. A tree with good 
roots will make leaves, whether there is any 
top or not. The sap, active and vigorous, will 
