702 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
in regard to these Maples. Unfortunately 
nearly all the information that can be 
obtained about them can only be bad in the 
works, difficult to be obtained, of Maxhno- 
wiez, Savatier, Miguel, Siebold, and Bunge of 
the past few years, and of Thunberg and Trat- 
tmick of seventy or eighty years ago. No 
American or English botanist has yet made 
Japanese Maples a special study. 
the lawn possessed by Rhus Osbecki is its won¬ 
derful fall coloring. All Rhuses are fine in 
the fall, and everywhere on our hill-sides com¬ 
mon Sumacs glow at that season with the most 
vivid scarlet and dark-rod tints. The great 
advantage, however, pertaining to Rhus Os¬ 
becki is, considering the species, the extraor¬ 
dinary size of the leaf as well as the tree. On 
these leaves, under strong sun-light, burn in 
the most effective manner broad masses of 
scarlet, shading into blood-red and brown ; or, 
on.tho other hand, into brilliant yellow, curi¬ 
ously mottled or solid, as the case rnay be. 
The flower itself Is decidedly attractive. 
Mingled with common and cut-leaved Su¬ 
macs, Rhus Osbecki would be equally effective 
on the outskirts or in the middle ol the group. 
An isolated position, however, accords better 
with its rare and showy merits. In general be¬ 
havior R. Osbecki much resembles its Ameri¬ 
can relatives, 
ments. It has shown some rather curious be¬ 
havior here among the AJleghanie6, which 
must be attributable rather to the dry moun¬ 
tain air than to any lack of good quality in the 
soil One of our trees is on the Juniata bot¬ 
tom, where the stream is as yet but narrow, 
and another is set on the front of a terrace of 
triple depth of good soil, both with good drain¬ 
age. A severe freeze on the third of May 
killed tender foliage here, taking all our 
Grapes but those sheltered by leaves etc. The 
leaves of the Yellow Wood were nipped twice, 
and this seems to have completely stunned the 
trees. There has not been a perfect leaf on 
either, nor any extension of growth during the 
whole summer. 
But this does not prove that the tree is ten¬ 
der, for some vigorous currant bushes in ex¬ 
cellent mulched soil and with plenty of room, 
have pouted in the same way since being de¬ 
prived of their leaves by the worms about 
the middle of May. Wc had cool, rainy 
weather during the summer, more than was 
good for corn, and just the thing, one would 
tbiuk, for the hardy Currant, but not one 
smile—not one greeu leaf—would that row 
probably would not at the end of this severe 
drought have “been enough trees left to fuss 
with." 
The truth abend it is, that most of the “ good 
luck" in farming and gardening is simply the 
result of good management and faithful, per¬ 
sistent industry. Good luck wintering cows 
means warm, well ventilated stables, good 
feed, regular feeding and careful handling and 
attendance. Good luck with early spring 
lambs, means careful previous management of 
the ewes, warm quarters and prompt attention 
when the lambs are dropped. Good luck sell¬ 
ing them to the butcher, means that they are of 
the proper mutton breeds, and thrifty and well- 
fattened ; and also a knowledge of t he markets 
and the ability to hold if you cannot sell to 
advantage. Good lack with fruit, means a 
selection of varieties adapted to the given soil, 
climate and market, good thorough culture,’ 
and care in handling and sagacity in market¬ 
ing. Good luck marketing butter, means good 
“butter breeds" of cows, good feed and feed¬ 
ing, scrupulous neatness from the milk-pail to 
the churn and butter crock or package, and 
a knowledge of the markets and of the value 
of the product. Good luck in curing hay, 
means good implements and barns, and sa¬ 
gacity in prognosticating the weather, or sense 
to read the prognostications of “ Old Proba¬ 
bilities.” Good luck raising wheat, means a 
rich, warm, well-drained soil, proper prepara¬ 
tion of the ground and good seed and good 
sowing and spring tillage with the smoothing 
harrow or other harrow. A shrewd neighbor 
said to mu “Winter-killing of wheat is only 
another name for poverty of soil." 
And so we might go through the entire cata¬ 
logue of farm and garden processes and pro¬ 
ducts. Good luck seems to be a compound, 
which in the “last analysis" resolves into sa¬ 
gacity, industry and perseverance. These 
three things, in agriculture and horticulture as 
well as in business and the professions, seem 
always to be rewarded. Elsewhere as well as 
in the law is it true, as Webster said, “There is 
NOTES FROM THE RURAL GROUNDS 
Select Tree* and Shrub*. 
For the consideration of those who, during 
the present fall, intend to select ornamental 
shrubs or trees, or both, we give below a list 
of a few of those which are as desirable as 
any with which our experience has made us 
familiar. Many, if not all of them, have been 
described in previous numbers, and portraits 
from life have been presented from time to 
time of 6omeof those which we have supposed 
were uuknown to a majority of our readers. 
We have prepared, and are still preparing, 
iife-drawiugs of other new and valuable trees 
and shrubs, which, in their turn, will be pub¬ 
lished between the present time and next 
spring, which latter period is, in onr estima¬ 
tion, if not in that of most experienced horti¬ 
culturists, the safest for transplantation, all 
things considered, for tbis and more northerly 
climates. 
Tree*. 
FAGU8 sylvatica 
I should also note that its em¬ 
ployment on any lawn in America is very 
recent. 
Tree* Green In Late Autumn. 
ith the various seasons come associations 
according witb the time of the year. In fall, 
we think of garnered crops, luscious, rieh-hued 
fruits and goldeu or crimson autumn leaves. 
[ I fear, however, few incline to dwell sufficiently 
on the charms of certain trees remarkable for 
retaining green foliage late in fall. At no 
time of the year is the contrast of full life with 
fading vegetation more striking than during 
the autumn. Elms, Poplars, Horse-Chestnuts, 
Lindens and even Maples are fast turning 
brown and sere. How refreshing, theu, to be¬ 
hold bright green foliage amid general decay, 
and how important to secure the few trees for 
the lawn that are capable of thus resisting 
fall dueay. Let me call your attention here, for 
example, to three or four choicer specimens of 
this kimL 
The Weeping Slippery Elm has perhaps re¬ 
ceived due attention, but I cannot help com¬ 
menting briefly once more on the excellence of 
its late vigorous foliage. This year it has been 
very marked. There has been little frost before 
October 15, and much dry weather, and leaves 
generally are simply drying up and falling off. 
But the Weeping Slippery Elm stands almost 
perfect in coloring and clothing of foliage. 
Three very slow-growing trees noteworthy 
for late retention of foliage in fall, are Frax- 
inus excelsior atrovirens. Ulmus Siberica and 
Ulmus vitninalis. Fraxiuus excelsior atro- 
pukpurea.— This is the 
Purple-leaved Beech which, among all trees 
cultivated for purple leaves, we place first. 
Faous sylvatica pendula, the Weeping 
Beech, the most picturesque of weeping trees. 
Cladrastih tinctobia, or Virgilia Jutea. 
Yellow Wood. Described and illustrated in 
Salisbdria adiantifolia. The Maiden¬ 
hair or Jingko tree. Of slow growth for a 
few years. Later it grows rapidly. Unless 
cut back from year to year, a habit too spread¬ 
ing and opeu roars its beauty. 
Liriodendron tclipifera. The Tulip tree. 
We recommend this for the lawn only on the 
condition that it be cut back severely every 
fall or spring. The only safe way to remove 
this from the fields or woods is to select young 
trees about an inch in diameter and cut off the 
stem two inches above the roots, planting only 
the roots. 
Magnolias. See Fair Number of the Rural 
New-Yohker. 
Salix pentandba (?). We do not think tbis 
is pentandra, though so catalogued by most 
nurserymen who have it for sale. It is but a 
Willow, but it here resembles in its general 
appearance the Big Laurel of the South, 
though growing only to the bight ot about 30 
feet. For its large, dark-green, lustrous 
leaves; for its symmetry and compactness; 
for its hardiness and vigor, we prize it amone- 
A PROJECTED AMERICAN ROTHAMSTED. 
The editorial remarks on a practical ami 
scientific farmer, in the Rural for October 11,. 
are very much to the point. What is there 
said with regard to the nature of scientific- 
farming in coutradislinctiou to practical farm¬ 
ing. is quite correct. At present I am in the 
midst of scientific and experimental farming, 
which, should it not enrich the principal, will, 
it is to be hoped, do a world of good to those 
in the vicinity who watch the results. Great 
preparations are iu contemplatiou, aud the 
ever saw on tree leaves. These leaves are, 
moreover, curled, shining and tough, making 
very odd-looking, diminutive trees of most 
persistent character. Persons accustomed to 
the appearance of the ordinary European or 
American Ash could never believe this Fraxi- 
nu8 atrovirens a member of the former spe¬ 
cies. In every way, as far as I know, this 
peculiar Ash is as hardy, loug-lived, etc., as 
any of its relatives. 
Ulmus Siberica is round-headed, slow-grow¬ 
ing and decidedly rare. I know of but one 
good specimen, although there are, doubtless, 
others scattered about the country. This spe¬ 
cimen presents a very curious appearance, 
with its dark decided green fully evident at 
the very beginning of winter. It is, otherwise, 
massive and even elegant as well as unques¬ 
tionably long-lived. The leaves, likewise 
THE TRUTH ABOUT IT. 
GOOD LUCK IN FARMING, 
W. 1. CHAMBERLAIN 
everything ready for spring. A record of all 
the proceedings will be kept, and, I presume, 
published in due time. The Boil will be fed 
with all varieties of fertilizers, a different kind 
being upplied to each plot of a quarter of an 
acre. With regard to dairy cows aud sheep 
husbandry, especially the breeding of early 
lambs, the animals will be divided into groups, 
aud each lot treated iu a different mauner, so 
as to ascertain the most profitable method of 
handling them for the purposes intended. 
Orange Co., N. Y. John Bull. 
“You’ve had prime good luck with your 
young Maples, ha'u’t ye 
I was so busy trimming the roadside hedge 
that I had hardly noticed the coming of the 
wagon, whence the voice proceeded. Now I 
looked up. It was raihera “shackley rig,*> 
and the speaker looked the worse for the 
wear. I didn't recognize him, though he was 
probably one of my “ neighbors " living a few 
miles further back from town. 
“ Yes,” I replied, “ flrst-rate luck. Only one 
has failed out of 175, and I guess that will 
Aud my apple trees and 
I make out to live yet. 
peach trees ail lived. 
“ Wall,” he replied 
some folks always do seem to have luck, but I 
never did. Once in a while I take a flt to have 
an orchard or some shade trees, but it’s no 
good. What don’t die the first year, mostly 
give in the second, aud there a’n’t enough left 
to fuss with. Get up, Polly !" 
As he drove on towards town I fell to trim¬ 
ming the hedge again, aud to thinking wherein 
my •• luck” consisted. Iu the first place, I had 
the bad luck to have a wretched clay roadside 
to set the trees iu. It had been cut up by 
wheels in rnnddy weather till it dried up as hard 
as the middle of the road. Bull had the “good 
luck ’ to work over it three seasons, plowing, 
manuring and working until it becumequite re¬ 
spectable. Theu I had the luck to take Maples 
from the nursery, well used to eunshiue aud 
ordinary soil, aud to take them up carefully 
and have them in the grouud again before the 
rootlets were dried at all. I also had the luck 
to have by each tree a bushel or more of the 
best soil on my farm to put around the roots 
before filling in any of this roadside soil, even 
though much improved. The trees were set 
in October. I had the bad luck to have a most 
severe April and May drought, but the good 
BLOUNT’S PROLIFIC CORN 
H. L. WYSOR. 
On the agricultural page of one of your city 
journals for Sept. 10th, appeared the following 
note from the Editor 
This new white corn 
was so highly recommended by the originator 
aud others who had it for sale that we were in¬ 
duced last spring to plant about au acre of it, 
in order to learn its value from practical ex¬ 
perience. While other excellent yellow aud 
white sorts, planted atthe6ame time, are ready 
for harvesting, the Blount is going upward and 
onward with a very small Bhow of ears for the 
time of year. Sept. 1st. The originator claimed 
that this variety would give from four to 
twelve ears ou a stalk, but we will be content 
with one, if that matures before frosts, which 
iB more than is promised at the present writ¬ 
ing. Why any farmer wants to raise corn 
with stalks as large and tall as hop poles, aud 
then get no more than one or two small ears ou 
each, is something we cannot understand, for 
it is a waste of the fertility of the soil, for the 
laige stalks are of no value whatever. The 
name of Blount’s Prolific should be changed 
to Blount's Folly." 
This same journal accused the Rural some¬ 
time before of pronouncing a general opinion 
without sufficient authority in regard to the 
hardiness of the Japanese Persimmon, and 
now It is itself guilty of the same thing in re- 
EVERY-DAY NOTES 
SAMUEL PARSONS, ,TR. 
The Chinese Humae. 
Tms Chinese 8umac differs in several ways 
from other forms of the Rhus species with 
which I am familiar. It grows larger and 
more like a tree than its relatives, for one 
thing, and for another, its leaves are broad 
and massive and specially distinguished by a 
marked extension of the leaf half au inch wide 
along the entire midrib. This peculiarity is 
visible at a considerable distance. But the 
crowning charm and fitness for ornamenting 
THE YELLOW WOOD 
The interesting articles on this tree, which 
were given in the Rural of Oct. 4, tell so 
much about it as to seem to invite whatever 
scraps of addition may be made to those state- 
