AUG. 8 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
505 
unscathed. The bloom also had developed 
with peculiar excellence under the favoring 
peculiarities of the place. Few in this cli¬ 
mate ever see the flowers of Hydrangea ros- 
alba at all, blighted as it is by ordinary winters. 
The existence of this plant, however, In the 
spot where we found it, suggested to us the 
feasibility of having more of its kind in bloom, 
if we would only seloct like positions for its 
growth. 
Magnolia Thnrbcrli. 
I fear a hardy Japanese Magnolia that has 
been termed M. Thurberii, must give up this 
cognomen for that of M. Kobns. It bloomed 
this year for the first time with us, and the pe¬ 
culiarities both of the appearance of its flower 
and time of flowering, agree very closely with 
the description given of M. Kobus by Mr. Max¬ 
imow icz and others. 
Acer polymorphum. 
Query: Shall we term the many-formed 
Japanese Maples polymorphum or palmatum ? 
There are authorities for both specific names, 
and they are used interchangeably. I believe 
they should all bo termed polymorphum or all 
palmatum, aud that the question is only to be 
settled by discovering which name was em¬ 
ployed first by competent authorities. I could 
make a 6hrewd guess that palmatum was the 
original name, but facts are wanted. Thuuberg 
seems to have used the name palmatum many 
years ago, according to Loudon, and doubtless 
it will be necessary to go back more than titty 
years to settle the question, uew as many fancy 
those Japanese Maples to be. 
The Adornment of Cemetery Lots. 
One of the most beautiful sentiments of¬ 
fered at the shrine of departed relatives and 
friends, is that which keeps beautiful with 
leaves and flowers the quiet abodes of the dead. 
It would be well, however, if more taste aud 
knowledge of the habits of plants went with 
the active devotion of this character often 
evinced. If the fence monstrosity could be 
done away with altogether, our cemeteries 
would be greatly improved ; but if the fence 
must remain, above all things do uot crowd 
the lot with still hedges of Arbor-vitae and 
other large-growing plants. Let an irregular, 
graceful friuge, ui belt, of dwarf evergreeu 
or deciduous shrubs mask the fence with vary¬ 
ing outline and somewhat formal repetition, as 
befits the diguity aud regularity of the place. 
Iuside should grow scarcely anything but 
greensward, with low-growing vines and flow¬ 
ers wandering about with modest freedom. If 
here and there a shrub is used, it should be of 
the rarest mold and <1 warfest form; choice bits 
of arboreal sculpture rather than mere foliage 
and flowers. The taste exhibited in the orna¬ 
mentation of burial lots, cannot be too severe, 
chaste and refined. Flowers we may have, 
but they must grow and bloom within limits, 
and the colors and forms of evergreeu aud de¬ 
ciduous trees for both summer and winter 
landscape, must blend deftly and harmonious¬ 
ly, lest auythiug bizarre mar the peaceful 
nature of the spot. Aud, in addition to all 
this, let me say that in no species of lawn 
planting does the importance of intelligent 
pruning, fertilizing aud watering, apply with 
such force as in that pertaining to God’s Acre. 
ilUsffllaitroKS. 
DESTROY THE WEEDS BEFORE THEY 
SEED. 
At this season of the year farmers are gen¬ 
erally crowded with field work aud unless 
great care is exercised, mauy thiugs about the 
farm will be ueglected. There are few more 
repulsive sights about a farm, than a garden 
overgrown with tall noxious weeds. It is a 
matter of economy as well as neatuess that 
these weeds be destroyed before they mature 
their seeds and they become scattered over the 
ground. One weed allowed to go to seed at 
this season, will make a great mauy weeds 
next year, and It is clearly to be seen that un¬ 
less care is taken to provent it, a little negli¬ 
gence now will cause much trouble another 
year. A few hours each week spent in the 
garden with cultivator ami hoe, will be suffi¬ 
cient to prevent this evil and the lime, tuken 
at odd spells when there is little else to be done, 
will hardly be missed. It is uot practicable to 
entirely exterminate the weeds from a garden, 
but if a little care is exercised in preventing 
them from goiug to seed, a great deal will be 
done in that direction. A well managed kitchen 
garden, will help greatly to reduce the current 
expenses of a family, but at this season of the 
year it must not be neglected or the weeds will 
soon become the chief occupants of the soil. 
A quarter of an acre of garden as some are 
managed, will grow more weeds than ten acres 
of farm land. Feuee corners are also apt to 
be neglected. When a crop of grass or grain 
has beeu removed from a field, the fences aud 
fence corners should be mowed out with a 
scythe. This will add greatly to the appear¬ 
ance of a farm and many weeds will be pre¬ 
vented from scattering their seeds to adjacent 
fields and farms. o. g. jr. 
WHAT OTHERS SAY. 
Doing Things Too Well.— In the garden¬ 
ing of our “little village” of Germantown, 
says the Telegraph of that city, we often see 
the evil of doing things too well. A person 
buys a pretty place, but he believes iu doing 
things well aud he spends hundreds of dollars 
in “ beautifying,” only to spoil what was 
already near to perfection. We saw in one 
case some gardeners laying sod. Every piece 
was measured aud squared with a knife, and 
fitted into one another. We inquired why all 
this trouble, and were told that the operator 
believed in doing things well. Iu this very in¬ 
stance there was a piece of sodding laid next 
door, in which the pieces were laid tolerably 
near, aud rough pieces stuffed into the cracks, 
aud then the whole beaten with a flat heavy 
board, and though the other job cost probably 
two hundred dollars more, no one could see 
any difference after the thing was done. We 
have come to look on the slow and sure way 
of doing things aa pretty much of a humbug 
in most cases of gardening aud farming. It 
may bo very well as a rule in money-making 
and in morals. We believe in it there; but in 
work it is one of the meanest of ail mean 
thiugs. Every idle fellow preaeheB it. Lazi¬ 
ness grows fat ou it. Empiiics and pretenders 
practice on it. Give us an average go-a-bead 
fellow, even at the risk of breaking the har¬ 
ness or springiug a bolt sometimes. The tor¬ 
toise may beat the hare in the raee once in a 
while, as Mr. HSsop told us ; but we will wager 
our editorial uuill that it won't happen every 
day. 
Sowing Seeds and Nuts. —Mary Wager- 
Fisher tells the N. Y. Tribune that three years 
ago, having some choice seeds and nuts that 
she wished to grow without fail, she proceeded 
to treat them according to the very approved 
method one ofteu sees advanced in journals— 
to put aside the seeds, etc., iuHand during the 
winter and plant in the ground in the spring. 
The result was, that not one of tbo seeds or 
nuts germinated. Last fall she again had seeds 
of a large variety of fruits, including grapes; 
also several varieties of nuts. And one day— 
to be accurate, it was the 15th of November— 
she had a bed spaded up for her purpose, and 
in it she tossed the seeds and nuts, duly label¬ 
ling each kiud, aud sprinkled a bit of earth 
over them. A few days later a slight layer of 
straw from the stables was added. The result 
of this planting is a complete success. Every¬ 
thing grew. 
An Easily-made Filter.— Gardening Illus¬ 
trated (England) says: Take a common garden 
flower-pot. nine inches in diameter and ten 
iuehes deep. The drainage hole must be 
stopped (not too tightly) with a piece of clean 
sponge. A layer of about two inches of ani¬ 
mal charcoal is first placed in the pot, then a 
second layer of clean sand, upon which a layer 
of three Inches of clean coarse gravel is placed. 
The pot can be set over an earthen jar, into 
which an abundant Bupply of pure water will 
filter for all drinking purposes. 
Tuberous*Rooted Begonias. —The English 
Gardeners’Chronicle says: “ Formally reasons, 
good ones too, Tuberous Begonias are becoming 
fashionable. Their beauty, distinctness, hardi¬ 
ness, readiness of propagation—except in cer¬ 
tain instaucos—may bo moutioued as some 
among the many reasons why this raee of 
plauts is gainiug more and more in popular 
estimation.” 
Communications received for the week ending 
Saturday, Aco. ‘2d. 
D. D. N.—C. E. T.—Thanks.—F. W.—G. W. K.— 
O. S. B.—J. G. L.—J. C.—V. A. \V\—S. B. P.—A. P. 
A.—J. L. D.—W. P.—Thanks.-G. A. G., Jr.—U. W. 
P. —G. I>. 8., M. D.—A. C. W„ M. D.-J. M. G.—It. 
L. W.-Thanks.-T. M.-J. H. S.-T. H. U.-d. C. 
K.-S. D. P.-W. C.. Jr.-T. T. L.-“ A Woman.”— 
E. P.—Eva Kdgerlon.—J. C.—A. C.—G. C.—M. C.— 
C. E. F.—Thanks.—Maple Leaves.—A. C.—A. w. 
M. — C. T.—Mrs. L. G.-F. D. C.-L. B. E.—A. A.— 
F. II.—W. J. B,—W. K. IL—F. C, L.—L. P. J.-J. C. 
P.-U. F.—A. J. B.—E. B. B.—A. P. A,—L. B.—L. 
U. A.—G. W. M.—W. J. W.—S. It. M.—C. D.—Sub¬ 
scriber.—M. G. It.—T. M. F—8. 8. D.—T. T, L., 
many thanks.—W. B. D.—E. L.—C. E. S.—E. G. 
Thanks.—M. B. McL. 
(£ttlo mo logical, 
COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF IN¬ 
SECTS.—No. 1. 
PROFESSOR a. j. cook. 
Very much of the improvement iu the prac¬ 
tical arts daring these last few years has been 
due to close and accurate observation. With¬ 
out this all experimentation is of little or no 
value. To it science, ihe greatest blessing 
ever received by the practical man, owes its 
very existence. Few persons realize how 
much the world owes to the great Bacon for 
founding the inductive system of philosophy. 
Yet the very foundation ol this system is 
observation. It has been said that Franklin 
would see more in crossing the English 
Channel than most men would in making the 
entire circuit of the globe. How significant 
this fact in consideration of Franklin’s great 
and valuable discoveries in science! Mayer, 
of Germauy, noticed the rank growth of 
clover growing along the pathway where the 
stone-cutters in the gypsum quarries passed 
daily to aud from their work. This observa¬ 
tion gave to the world one of its most valuable 
fertilizers. One of the most successful farmers 
and wheat-growers of Michigan told me that 
in growing his pioneer crop of w'heat he 
observed limited areas all over the field where 
the wheat was much heavier. He also 
observed that each of these places was the site 
of a tree previously blown down by the wind, 
which brought up the heavier sub-soil. He 
then learned to plow deep. ILia less thriving 
neighbors have lived by his side for forty 
years and have yet to make this practical 
observation, llow many of the intelligent 
pomologists of Michigan have in their mind s 
eye an accurate photograph of a single 
one of the thieving iusects that are working 
so successfully to pilfer from them their choice 
fruits? Who cau doubt but that au accurate 
knowledge of these facts, based, as it mu6t be, 
on a quick and well-trained observation, would 
do much to fortify our fruit-growers against 
these peats of the garden and orchard ? 
I hope in these papers, by explaining the 
requisites and methods necessary for prepar¬ 
ing insect cabinets, to induce some of those 
who read them to eugage in the pleasant aud 
valuable pastime of making collections, or if 
uot that, of encouraging their children to do 
so. Such recreation will prove most healthy 
and valuable for the young, and if practiced, 
will raise up a body of trained observers that 
will be able to do far more valuable work, 
as they take our places as farmers and porno- 
logistB, than we have done. 
When and Where to Collect. 
The entomological collector need wait for no 
time or season. In winter aud at miduight. 
no less thau in summer" and at noouday, his 
quest, if guided by intelligence, is sure to be 
rewarded. Many beetles lie concealed iu 
wiutcr beneath leaves; others, together with 
bugs, moths, chrysalids and eggs, quietly 
wait under log, board, stone or rubbish for 
the warm spring time. Cocoons and egg 
clusters hang pendant from branch and shrub, 
or are snugly hid away in crevice and nook. 
In winter, too, we find leisure to study, label 
and arrange the previous year's collections. 
In spring, from the earliest warmth, when “first 
the lone butterfly flits ou the wlug," when the 
efcream* are crowded with the swift-swimming 
larvae of the lace-wings or day-flle6, aud when 
the little frail lace-winga even dart to and 
fro above the snow drifts, on to the steady 
warmth of early summer, when air and sun¬ 
shine arc alive with insect life, we revisit 
with greater success the places that rewarded 
our search in winter, aud further stroll along 
barren sand drifts, sweep with our nets ilie 
grass and bushes aloug the meadow aud road¬ 
side. jar bush and shrub above our open um¬ 
brellas, to capture the small but often rare 
and beautiful beetles, and the rich and 
woudrously varied caterpillars and other 
larvae, attractive prophecies of still more at¬ 
tractive moths and butterflies. We visit the 
bright and sweetly-scented flowers of gardens, 
fields and woodland—for insects have an eye. 
aud a uose, too, for just such flowers—where 
we are sure to secure the brightest gems of 
iusect life. The resplendent moths aud but¬ 
terflies, and the glistening, metallic beetles, 
bees, wasps aud flies are sure to reward our 
visits to these, nature's fairy-lauds, made 
doubly so by the very fairy-hke creatures 
which we are so eagerly seeking. As the 
warm nights of summer come ou, the collector 
visits the previously sugared boards hid among 
the foliage, aud is made joyous by the capture 
of our beautiful uoctuids or uight-flyiug moths, 
which are not only the gems of uiglit, but as 
truly of the collector’s cabinet. Nor have we 
to stop here, for with dredge-net we may re¬ 
pair to the pool, stream or morass in successful 
quest of the strange larva 1 and pupa of the 
dragon-flies and other neuropteru, amt the 
boat-like beetles and bugs, while the maggots 
of our mosquitoes, and many other of our 
most curious dlptera, will also be added to 
our collection. If perchance we take a row¬ 
boat to bear us over the waters of any of our 
great lakes, we can gather up from the surface 
of the water mauy rare weevils and other 
beetles that have been blown over the water, 
aud. too tired to tty longer, have given them¬ 
selves up to the waves. On resinous buds and 
viscid leaves we may also find insects , around 
carrion and ull various kinds of filth, from the 
ordure of our stables and the various kinds of 
decaying organic matter to mushrooms and 
other fungi, as well as about the oozing sap 
from wounded trees, we can hardly ever look 
In vaiu for inseele, and often from the most 
repellant and disgusting matter we obtain 
the rarest and most beautiful specimens. 
Sometimes the collector makes rare cap¬ 
tures in the stomachs of insectivorous birds. 
Such additions are none the less welcome, 
though taken at second hand. In the vari¬ 
ous grains and fruits that are attacked by 
insects, and also in the solid trunks of trees 
and in the numerous galls so widely scattered 
on herb, 6hrub and tree, are to be found insects 
as varied and curious as the locations harbor¬ 
ing them. In all the places last mentioned the 
insects may be taken in their various stages, 
may be reared and studied, and to the careful 
and attentive Btudent will furnish information, 
not only new to himself, but often, very often, 
new to science. 
fithstrial finplcnunts. 
THE NEW BUCKEYE DRILL. 
P. P. Mast & Co., Springfield, Ohio, have 
made such sweeping alterations and improve¬ 
ments in their grain drill as practically to 
have constructed an entirely new implement. 
The principal feature is the new arrangement 
of the force-feed, which we illustrate, showing 
the cups us they sow (1.) wheat and (2) oats. 
The toothed disc is made to revolve iu the seed- 
cup on a positive-motion shaft, which insures 
accurate work. The device for varying the 
quantity of seed to be sown (without change of 
gears) is in the shape of a feed-regulating gate 
Fig. 1. Sowing Wheat. 
which slides back and forth in a slot in the side of 
the feed-cup. The grain passage is by this means 
intersected at any desired width, aud the seed 
consequently sown iu large or small quantities. 
At. the same time the action of the tooth-disc 
makes the discharge (large or small) with per¬ 
fect regularity. The feed gates are all con¬ 
nected on one 6haft, which connects with an 
indicator placed at the rear of the grain hop¬ 
per, near the right-hand end, where it is in 
easy reach of the driver. The indicator points 
over a scale suitably marked for different 
kinds of seed, so that in operation, a slight 
motion of theindieatorpoiuts,instantly changes, 
the gauge and feed in every cup on the drill; 
and it can be done without stopping the work. 
This advantage is very manifest where the soil 
in the same field differs greatly, and when a 
Fig. 2. Sowing Oats. 
smaller quantity of seed will answer for one 
part than for another. A grass seed sower, con¬ 
structed on the same principle, but reduced in 
size, is also a new feature that has proved a 
success in practice. It can be used either in 
front or rear of the grain-hopper at will. 
Among the rniuor improvements are a uew 
laud measurer, placed at Ihe eud of the hop¬ 
per, which accurately measures acres and frac¬ 
tions of acres sown, automatically—something 
entirely out of the common iu implements of 
this kind. The hoes are raised by pressing 
down a vertical lever, tnukiug the act an easy 
one on the muscles. A notched quadrant into 
which the lever can be set, makes it also pos¬ 
sible for the driver to raise the hoes entirely or 
only part way, and to keep them rigid in the 
desired position. There is also a new hoe 
shifter These improvements, iu addition to 
the fertilizer attachments of which we gave au 
account last fall, make the new Buckeye drill 
a very complete implement, and one it is mani¬ 
festly to the advantage of progressive farmers 
to examine. Pamphlets and illustrations of 
the new features will be sent gratuitously ou 
application to the manufacturers. 
» • » 
Mr. E. B. Huntley, the European represen¬ 
tative of the Johnston Harvester Co., sends us 
from his Loudon office a bulletin, showing the 
prizes secured in France by the new Sight 
mower which has just been introduced on the 
other side, it reads somewhat like a triumphal 
progrtfR, and leaves no room for doubt that 
this latest product of the company has clearly 
walked into the affections of our Gallic neigh¬ 
bors. Mr. Huntley has hung up in his Lon 
don wigwum eleven prizes and one diploma 
of honor as tokens of his prowess iu the fields 
of Troyes, Nevers, Brest. Charly Sur Marne, 
Saint Riehaumont, Cruzy, Ancy le Franc. 
Sens, Cheroy aud Melle. 
