1886 
725 
THE rfURAL NEW YORKER. 
Ixtimi'i S eddies. 
AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
AT CLEVELAND. 
(RURAL SPECIAL REPORT CONTINUED.) 
Comparative growth of trees ; best selection; 
profit not sentiment in free culture-, fruit 
growing in the Northwest; experience in 
grape cnUture; the Delaware; care in g rape- 
culture; more grapes desirable; grapes 
trained on walls and fences; tender 
grapes for the, north side of buildings (f ); 
salt and lime for fruits ; award of premi¬ 
ums; great increase of fruit culture in the 
South; the Mississippi Agricultural Col¬ 
lege. _ 
An address ou “The Comparative Growth 
of Trees,” by Prof. Lazenby, of the Ohio Ex¬ 
periment Station, was delivered bj r him at the 
opening of the last afternoon business session 
of the society. He Said: “I regard the Amer¬ 
ican Ash as one of our most productive forest 
trees for planting for profit. Locust and ea- 
talpa grow rapidly, and with profit. Locust 
is best for posts. The ash grows with great 
regularity, and stands crowding better than 
anything I have tried. Woodland never 
should be pastured. "Worthless trees should 
bo cut out in the Winter, and seeds of valuable 
kinds bo planted in proper places. The Chest¬ 
nut will not succeed on Ohio bottom lands: the 
trees are dwarfed. I would urge timber cult¬ 
ure because it pays: not because it would in¬ 
fluence the climate very much. Let us culti¬ 
vate timber for the money there is in it, and if 
it improves the climate so much the better.” 
Mi-. Ward: “I have grown maples two feet 
high in six months from the seed. Plant seeds 
of trees where nature plants them, aud they 
never fail.” Mr. Cushman: “Why not memo¬ 
rialize -State Legislatures to devise some plan 
to stop forest Arcs and preserve woodlands. 
Exemption from taxation of forest land might 
be tried.” Prof. Lazenby: “I don't believe in 
sentiment in this matter, allowing all trees to 
grow, good, had and indifferent. Let us plant 
those that pay, because they pay, I believe in 
the utility side of this question.” Several 
members spoke on the subject. President 
Earle said: “The Nationil Government can 
plant forests if it will, and I don’t know why 
the time to do it has not already come. The 
influence of such additional woodland area is 
greatly needed iu the production of crops iu 
general.” 
Secretary Hilman, of the Minnesota Horti¬ 
cultural Society, then rend a paper on “Fruit- 
Growing iu the Northwest,” by J. -S. Harris, 
of that State. He said, “The Northwest is an 
empire iu dimensions. The Winters of 1872 
and 1873 nearly destroyed all tender trees in 
our orchards; remarkable success followed 
for teu or t welve years, tbeu a drought aud a 
severe Winter in 1883 destroyed many more 
trees. This experience led us to plant the 
hardy varieties from Russia aud Siberia, and 
now our future looks hopeful.” Mr. Ohmer 
spoke of the success of his son in fruit culture 
in Marshall County, Miun., where the mer¬ 
cury falls to 45° and 50° below zero in Winter. 
He raises Turner, Reliance, and Gregg Rasji- 
berries without winter protection, thoug 
Gregg kills to the snow line. He also gr , 
good grapes. 
“The Advantage of Better Culture of 
Grape-vines,” was the subject of Geo 
Campbell's paper then read by the veterau 
grape man. Said he, in part: “During my 40 
years’ experience in grape-growing, I have 
discovered that grapes produce in proportion 
to the care aud intelligence given the vine. 
The best culture will give the best results. 
Those who will not. care for the vines must he 
content with the hardier or inferior kinds, 
Man was placed in a garden by God, who or¬ 
dered him to dress and keep it. Thirty years 
ago T planted n Delaware vine, and after great 
care for three years I had nine canes. Of the 
300 clusters that set on these cancs, 300 were 
promptly cut otT, only four new canes being 
jiermitted to grow. I hud 100 bunches of as 
fine Delawares as I ever saw. Without this 
care I would have hail 300 clusters of small, 
inferior grapes, and an exhausted vine. The 
Delaware is a good grape: never saw it rot. 1 
advise winter protection for all vines. In 
mild Winters they are improved, and in severe 
ones they are saved by it. 1 have long been 
convinced that winter protection is often the 
turning point between the brightest success 
and a complete failure. Nothing pays bet¬ 
ter. Injury from cold leaves the vine more 
susceptible to mildew and disease. In a gen¬ 
eral way, 1 advise growing the best kinds. 
These with the additional care can lie readily 
grown, and they bring good prices, while 
others are a drug iu the market. 
Mr. Green said “All have room for a grape¬ 
vine. No man with a house is without room 
for a grape-vine. There is uo cheaper food 
for farmers, or their help, than ^grapes,” JMr. 
Ohmer: “Grapes should be grown by every¬ 
body (Applause). I find great advantage in 
winter covering. I have 17 varieties, and lay 
them all down iu Winter.” Mr. Campbell: 
“Grapes upon walls often escape the effects of 
cold and disease when others do not.” Mr. 
Ford also believed in wall training and win¬ 
ter protection. “I grow grapes ou three, sides 
of every building I have. I never saw rot or 
mildew on viuas near a building. I intend to 
plant along a high board fence and build a 
shed to extend partly over the vines.” Mr. 
VandewanA said: “The north side of a build¬ 
ing is the place to put any tender thing; it 
will succeed there when it will not on the 
south side, where the evaporating influences 
are greater. Iu nature we find that all tender 
plants grow on the northern hill slopes, none 
on the southern slopes.” Several members 
spoke of the advantages in training grapes on 
walls ami buildings, also on trees. Mr. Pierce: 
“Grapes will not grow in Ohio on the north 
side of houses.” 
Then members began pitching into the U. S. 
Pomologist from all sides, regarding his new 
theory, and he appeared a little uncomfort¬ 
able as he arose and said : "l don’t wish to be 
misunderstood. Winter-killing is the effect of 
evaporation: this is less on the north side. 
The changes on the north side are less fre¬ 
quent aud extreme than on any other." 
Mr. Miller, "We surround all our fields 
with fences on which grapes are trained; they 
look pleasant and do well.” Dr. McKay, “We 
plant our figs on the south side of houses and 
get good crops. Where the trees are exposed 
to the north winds we get no fruit. Strawber¬ 
ries on south aud south east slopes are earlier 
aud more productive. I would give 835 or 
more per acre for strawberry land on southern 
slopes, rather than to have northern lands 
given me without price." Secretary Camp¬ 
bell. “I would plant ou the east, west, and 
south, but not on the north slopes.” Mr. 
Ward, “I am fully satisfied that vines grow¬ 
ing around dwellings get something which 
suits them, and that is salt. When I want to 
keep a bouquet I put salt in the water and the 
flowers keep fresh in the cellar for two weeks. 
1 have great success with the English goose¬ 
berries by using salt about the bushes, which is 
much needed here so far from the sea.” Mr. 
Tryon, Ohio, “l have much faith iu salt, for 
many fruits; have salted bearing trees for 
seven years past with good success. Every 
tree in my grounds gets salt and lime, one part 
salt to three of lime, also the vines and goose¬ 
berries. I never have any mildew; gooseber¬ 
ries grow two by one-aud-a-half inches. Think 
of that!” 
At this point the award of premiums on 
plants and flowers was reported. Mrs. Ella 
Grant Campbell got the 850 White sewing 
machine for best fioral design and also the 
first premium for the best collection of cut 
(lowers. Edwin Geering, of Cleveland, won 
the 835 special premium for the best plant 
collection. 
The last evening session began with an ad¬ 
dress by Professor McKay, of the Mississippi 
Agricultural College, on “Horticulture in the 
South.” He said, “Cotton was king there un¬ 
til recent years. Ten years ago two acres 
would cover all the strawberry fields in Mis¬ 
sissippi. Now we find that almost all fruits 
grown at the North will do well in our State. 
Our college farm has nearly 2,000 acres of 
land, a fine herd of blooded stock, and the 
best system of education outside of the lan¬ 
guages. We hold it requires as much educa¬ 
tion to become a good farmer, as it does to 
make a successful member of the learned pro¬ 
fessions. Our capacity is 350,and this year we 
shall have three times that number of applica¬ 
tions. Ladies are admitted. All are obliged 
to work a portion of each day for which eight 
cents per hour are allowed and deducted from 
the hoard bill. Many paid all their expenses 
last year in this way. Our orchards are yet 
young, but very promising. I find less co¬ 
operation and associated effort among the far¬ 
mers of the United States than in any other 
profession.” H. H. 
floruntltitral. 
CALADIUMS INDOORS AND OUT. 
This family offers us some of the most at¬ 
tractive foliage plunks we possess; that they 
are not more commonly grown by amateurs is 
doubtless due to the mistaken idea that they 
are of difficult culture. Most growers are 
under the impression that the more ornamen¬ 
tal variegated sorts are too tender for outdoor 
use; but this is au erroneous idea. These 
plants, like the calla, are deciduous, requiring 
a seasou of rest when the leaves die down. 
The root is tuberous. In March or April they 
should be potted iu a mixture of loam, leaf 
mold, well-rotted manure and sliver sand. 
Give plenty of drainage, as they require to be 
well watered, though the soil must not get 
sour. They may then be started with a fair 
amount of bottom heat, but this is uot neces¬ 
sary after a few leaves have formed, and in 
this country they do well iu an ordinary 
greenhouse during the warm weather. In the 
Autumn, when the beauty of the foliage be¬ 
gins to fade, the quantity of water given 
should be gradually diminished until it is en¬ 
tirely withheld. By this time the leaves will 
all be dead and the tubers at rest, when they 
are ready to be put away until Spring. The 
common usage is to lay the pots aside under 
the benches, until time for reporting, without 
any water. This is a mistake; the pots should 
be watered euoiigh to keep the soil moist, from 
time to time, otherwise the tubers will be 
completely consumed with dry rot by Spring. 
The large, green variety—C. esculontum—is 
common enough in the subtropical gardou 
where it forms a handsome decoration the 
Summer through. The root of this is eaten 
by the South Sea Islanders, under the name of 
taro; it tastes like a poor and watery potato. 
The handsome variegated sorts do fully as 
well as the preceding out of doors, a fact rec¬ 
ognized by few growers. They do admirably 
in shady spots, where orndiary bedding stuff 
is a failure. They need daily watering through 
the Summer, to bo gradually decreased as the 
season wanes, just as if they were indoors. 
Then, when frost comes, they may be taken 
up, with a ball of earth, and laid away under 
similar circumstances to those grown indoors. 
C. Meyerbeer, see Fig. 407. is a very orna¬ 
mental variety, as the illustration shows. The 
ground color is white, veined with bright 
green, the mid-rib red. C. Verscbaffeltii is 
dark green, irregularly blotched with red. C. 
Argy rites is the smallest and most elegant of 
the species. It has pointed, light-green leaves, 
irregularly blotched with white. In addition 
to the original species, we have innumerable 
hybrids, many of great beauty. They certainly 
deserve much more attention than is general¬ 
ly given them, and should find a place in every 
subtropical garden, since moderate shade and 
abundant water are their only requirements. 
E. L. TAPLIN. 
Vimoits, 
LAW. 
Here are some recent decisions of the courts 
on questions of sjteeial interest to farmers: 
Homestead Exemption: A dwelling-house 
may be claimed as an exempt homestead 
even though built on leased ground and a 
mere chattel, according to the decision of the 
Texas Supreme Court in the ease of Cullers vs. 
James. The Court said: “It is contended that 
the homestead, under the Constitution, cannot 
embrace personal property. The exemption 
is, in terms, of lots or acres of land, but the ob¬ 
ject was to secure the family a home. ‘House 
is not necessarily embraced iu the word 
'homestead.' . , . If the head of a family 
owns a house, and no interest or estate in the 
land ou which it stands, the house is a chattel. 
If hfi occupies if with his family iris their 
home. He may be compelled to move it from 
oue lot to another as fast as legal process can 
oust him." 
Municipal Corporation Liability: In 
the case of the Town of Rushville vs. Adams, 
the Supreme Court of Indiana held that cities 
and towns were liable in damages for injuries 
resulting from the fright of horses of ordinary 
gentleness at the sight of objects ou the street, 
although such objects were placed aud main¬ 
tained on the street through a license from 
the eitv. Streets having objects on them cal¬ 
culated to frighten horses of ordinary gentle¬ 
ness could uot. according to the court, be said 
to be in a reasonably safe condition. 
The Rights of Bicycle Riders. —An in¬ 
teresting suit, involving the rights of bicycle 
riders on the road, was tried at Moorestown, 
N. J.. the other day. The plaintiff. D. Mau¬ 
rice Haines, sued James .Moore to recover 8100 
damages for negligence on the part of the lat¬ 
ter for not dismounting from his wheel and en¬ 
deavoring to avert an accident winch occurred 
on the Camden turnpike several weeks ago. in 
which Haines* wagon was broken by his team 
taking fright at M>x>re's bicycle. The jury 
rendered a verdict for plaintiff iu the sum of 
800 and costs, and the defendant at once gave 
notice of an appeal. The League of American 
Wheelmen is interested in the suit, and is 
confident of securing a reversal of this de¬ 
cision ujk.ii i a reheariug of the case. 
Iowa Railroad Law.— The Attorney- 
General and District Attorney "Wilkinson, of 
Des Moines, la., have been directed by the 
Governor to begin suit against the following- 
railroads: Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul. 
Illinois Central, Chicago and Northwestern, 
and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy—the suit 
being to compel these roads to comply with 
chapter 7t>, act of the Twenty-first General 
Assembly, the Sweeney Railroad Law. The 
Governor states in bis letter to the attorneys 
that he understands that the railroads named 
refused to comply with the law. on the claim 
that the act violates a constitutional provisk n. 
and he therefore directs suit to t>e brought at 
once in the United States Court. The law re¬ 
quires uil non-resident corporations to domi¬ 
cile in Iowa, the principal object being to 
prevent them from taking their litigation by 
venue to the Federal courts. It is presumed 
that the Governor thinks that by going to the 
Federal courts at once the ultimate decision 
will bo obtained the sooner. It is probable 
that a bill will be introduced next session re¬ 
fusing the right of * niiuent domain to railroad 
companies that ignore the law, w Inch would 
prevent extensions of then* lines. 
We do uot recommend the nostrum for the 
curejof “fits” advertised by Professor R. H. 
Kline, M. D., of Philadelphia, aud therefore 
we have declined to advertise it. There is 
absolutely no panacea for all cases of epilepsy, 
aud as it is pretended that this is such a cure- 
all it must Ik> a humbug.“The Mag¬ 
netic and Voltaic Electric Female Health Reg¬ 
ulator, for the u-c of women only .*' advertised 
from Marshall. Mich., is a sheer fraud. 
Here are some eye-opening experiences: 
The other day, George S warts. aged 7ti. a 
wealthy live-stock dealer of Amity, Pa., while 
out driving with two strangers desiring to 
purchase live stock, was compelled by them 
