75o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
November 14 
PREPARING ROSES FOR WINTER. 
Almost all kinds of roses may be kept over winter 
out of doors. Many sorts are hardier than supposed, 
and need but little protection. Many plants which 
die through the winter are killed by too much care. 
One of the most common errors is to cover the plants 
too early in the season, before the wood is thoroughly 
ripened, and while the weather is still far from very 
cold. All that have watched their rose bushes know 
that the chief injury to them in the winter season 
occurs toward spring. It is when the heat of the 
late winter sun sets the sap in motion, and the freez¬ 
ing nights follow, that the bushes are injured. In 
the Middle States, there is no need at all to cover 
roses of any kind until after New Year’s. By that 
time, their shoots are well ripened and able to with¬ 
stand what cold they may encounter to better advan¬ 
tage than if covered early. 
Tbe hybrid perpetuals, or June roses, as they are 
popularly called, need no covering at all here, near 
Philadelphia. Perhaps the extreme tips will be hurt, 
but there is rarely more to be cut away than good 
pruning requires Usually, the shoots are, tied together, 
their tops cut off. and a little straw tied neatly about 
them. This is a good way when the plants are on 
the lawn ; but when they are in cultivated ground, 
the work is as well done by bending the shoots over 
and covering them with four to six inches of soil. 
There is no surer covering for safety than this, not 
only for roses, but for every kind of deciduous shrub 
as well. 
Everblooming roses, which embrace such as the 
Tea, Noisette, Bourbon, China, and their hybrids, 
must have some protection, but not nearly so much as 
many suppose. These roses do not bloom from the 
shoots of the previous season, as hybrids do, but from 
fresh ones of the same season. Nothing is gained by 
preserving all the length of the shoots. In fact, 
were they not injured, they should be pruned away 
to within a few inches of the last season’s growth, as 
better flowers succeed such a cutting back. This 
being the case, all that is required is the covering of 
the plants. This is easily done by placing manure, 
leaves or soil about them, to about a foot in depth, 
doing it after the ground has frozen solid, and remov¬ 
ing it when spring has certainly come for good. 
Pennsylvania. Joseph mbehan. 
VALUE OF THE PERSIMMON. 
People in the Eastern, Middle and Western States 
have little knowledge of this valuable fruit. I have 
recently corresponded with several hundred people in 
New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, Indiana, 
Tennessee, Kentucky, and other States, in regard to 
the persimmon, and am surprised to find how largely 
it is grown in these States, and how highly it is 
prized. I hear of large orchards which have been 
planted and cared for the same as our apple orchards. 
The fruit is not only marketed at profitable prices 
and is gaining in popularity in the market, but the 
surplus or waste is used for fattening swine, which 
delight to feed upon the fruit not only, but upon the 
seeds, which are particularly nourishing. Some 
American persimmons are seedless. In the States 
alluded to, the persimmon grows wild and bears 
abundantly. While in Virginia, hunting with Prof. 
Van Deman, I saw a tree 100 feet tall, and propor¬ 
tionately large at the trunk, which was heavily laden 
with fruit. In the woods near by, were numerous 
smaller trees, which were equally heavy laden. 
The fruit, in its wild State, varies in size from that 
of a small plum to larger than the largest plum. We 
have photographed specimens that were 2% inches in 
diameter. The fruit of ordinary size is shown at Fig. 
243. These large persimmons resemble medium sized 
tomatoes. All native American persimmons that I 
have seen, are of the same yellow color, which turns 
darker as the fruit matures. They are not edible 
until the fruit becomes quite soft. On the trees, the 
fruit does not seem to rot, but condenses and hangs 
in a ripe state for several weeks. The persimmon may 
be gathered when quite immature and hard, in which 
condition it may be shipped in boxes or barrels, as 
readily as potatoes, and when stored in cellars or 
rooms, the fruit will gradually ripen to perfection 
through a series of several weeks. This peculiarity 
is a valuable one, enabling the persimmon to be 
shipped long distances with perfect success. 
The quality of all American persimmons, which I 
have tested, seems to be very much the same, but 
those which have been a long time ripening upon the 
tree, and have become condensed, are of the best 
quality. I am very fond of persimmons. The more 
I eat of them, the more I like the quality. The first 
persimmon eaten is so peculiar, and such a novelty, 
that you may not be tempted to further indulgence, 
but the remembrance in the mind is agreeable, and 
the more you eat, the fonder you become of this fruit. 
Large trees of persimmons are not so easily trans¬ 
planted as some other trees, but trees of moderate 
size, two to three feet high, can be transplanted with 
absolute safety, so far as our experience goes ; there¬ 
fore we recommend planting small trees. The foliage 
of the persimmon is glossy, and the tree attractive, 
hence I should plant it for its beauty alone, whether it 
produced fruit, or not. Persimmon trees blossom late 
in the spring, after danger of frost is past; there¬ 
fore, it scarcely ever fails in bearing a crop of fruit. 
It is such fruit trees, that blossom early, like the 
peach, which are uncertain in bearing crops. I have 
been experimenting with American persimmons sev¬ 
eral years, and find them entirely hardy here. 
Rochester, N. Y. chas. A. green. 
SWAMP LANDS AND THEIR RECLAMATION. 
' Part III. 
In part II., I described how a great deal of swamp 
land had been caused by beavers damming the streams, 
and thus flooding the adjacent country. The ponds 
thus caused gradually filled up with vegetation which, 
in its decay, formed the soil known in Michigan as 
muck, which is almost purely vegetable matter. In 
some of the swamps, especially those caused by the 
filling of lake beds, this muck is of great depth. I 
once, when locating a railroad line, sounded the 
swamps for about 40 miles along the line, and fre¬ 
quently found the muck from 50 to 60 feet deep. Sorne- 
SPECIMENS OF AMERICAN PERSIMMONS. Fig. 242. 
times we found bodies of water underlying the muck, 
making a good place for the railroad to avoid. 
These high-lying swamps are easily reclaimed. The 
surplus water is readily taken away by open ditches 
or drains, and not very many of them are needed at 
that, where no springs are encountered. A main ditch 
should be laid along the best route, large enough to 
carry away any rainfall that may come, before it has 
time seriously to damage the crops. I never knew a 
main drain to be made too large, but I have seen a 
great many too small. There is no more danger of a 
main drain being made too large than there is of a 
man eating too much of a food that he does not like. 
In laying out a drain of any considerable extent, 
several things are to be taken into account, if the 
drain is to do its best work, which are too often over¬ 
looked or else actively opposed by the land owner. 
The drain should, as a general principle, follow the 
lowest ground, which will be indicated by the natural 
flow of water. In some cases, the natural watercourse 
DIGGING OUT AN OLD DITCH. Fig. 243. 
will absolutely control the location of the drain, but 
as a rule, it is a bad plan to follow all its sinuosities. 
The drain should be made as straight as circumstances 
will permit, cutting off the short bends in the water¬ 
course where practicable, and thus getting the short¬ 
est feasible line between the beginning and the ending 
of the drain. It makes all the difference in the 
world in the efficient working of a drain whether 
this be done or not. Every bend in a drain obstructs, 
more or less, the flow of water, and reduces its 
velocity, hence reduces its carrying capacity. When 
a bend in the line must be made, join the straight 
stretches by a gentle curve, thus easing off the flow 
of water. Never permit a square corner or an acute 
angle in the ditch. A square turn will reduce the 
carrying capacity of a ditch one-half or more. 
Aside from the retarding action of the bends on 
the flow of water, the length of the drain makes a 
big difference in its carrying capacity. Suppose that 
the beginning and ending of a drain are fixed points, 
and their difference in height or level is two feet. In 
other words, that is the fall in the drain. It will re¬ 
main the same two feet, no matter what distance is 
passed over between those points. Suppose that, by 
the nearest line, the distance between the two points 
is 40 rods, and by another route following farm or 
lot lines, the distance is increased to 80 rods. Then 
by the longer line, the relative fall is only half as 
great as by the shorter, as it has to go twice as far to 
get the same amount of fall, and the velocity will be 
decreased in proportion. So, water coming into tbe 
upper end of the drain will not only lose half or more 
of its speed by reason of the distance and the bends, 
but it will have twice as far to go as it would by the 
shorter line, thus rendering the long line less than 
one-fourth as efficient as the shorter one. Yet I have 
been importuned, time and again, when locating 
drains, to abandon a short line because it ran angling 
across lots, and adopt a loner line because it followed 
farm or lot lines. If efficient drainage is wanted, 
take the shortest line. If it is more important to 
have square fields than it is to have good drainage, 
then take the longer line. 
□ As an engineer, I have frequently been called on 
to locate drains for drain commissioners, through 
lands which bad already been partially surface 
drained by little shallow ditches dug by the land 
owners. These ditches generally follow the natural 
water course in all its windings, or at best, cut off a 
few of the worst bends. The land owners almost 
always ask the drain commissioner to locate the per¬ 
manent drain along the line of these ditches, or else 
to put it in the lot line and, generally, he will do it. 
The land owner generally thinks that it will be 
cheaper to construct the drain along the line of the 
old ditch than it will to straighten it, and that is 
where he is mistaken. In the first place, the crooked 
line is longer. In the second place, the old ditch 
has not appreciably lessened the amount of earth to 
be moved, as is illustrated by Fig. 248, which is in¬ 
tended to show a cross section of the old ditch with 
the earth that is cast out of it and also to show its 
relation to the new ditch. All the earth is there to 
be moved just the same, but a part of it is on the 
bank cf the cld ditch instead of in it. Lastly, an old 
ditch line is more likely to have its banks occupied by 
willows and similar brush and trees, than the land 
away from it. f. uodgman. 
Kalamazoo County, Mich. 
SUCCESS IN EARLY LAMB RAISING. 
The time has passed when our farmers can make 
much money in raising grain and hay for sale. Com¬ 
petition is so great that he who would have best suc¬ 
cess, must raise something that requires skill and a 
superior degree of intelligence. In New York State, 
a few are making a success of raising lambs for the 
early market. This is an industry that has not been, 
up to the present time, overdone, and those who 
have succeeded in getting the lambs in time, have 
realized a good profit. 
A part of our sales of lambs Last winter was as 
follows : 
December 21—two lambs at $9.$18.00 
December 21—one lamb at $6. 6.00 
The one lamb for which $6 were received was the 
largest one, was too large for the time of year, hence 
the lower price. Our next consignment was as follows: 
February 28—Four lambs at $7.$28.00 
February 28—One lamb at $6.50.•.. 6.50 
We continued sending lambs every week or ten days 
until May 6, when the last were sent, bringing 52 50 
each. The average price obtained for all the lambs 
sent was about $5. This price for lambs from six to 
seven weeks old, enables one to realize a fair degree 
of profit. 
Success can only be assured by the most careful 
attention to details. A warm place must be provided 
for the sheep, and they should not be allowed to 
leave their shelter during cold weather. Ventilation 
of their quarters must be provided, and all direct 
draughts on the sheep be excluded. Before lambing, 
feed lightly of grain and roots Heavy feeding would 
cause trouble with the udder. After the lamb is 
dropped, then the grain ration may be gradually in¬ 
creased, and roots or ensilage fed in increased 
amounts, the purpose being to stimulate milk produc¬ 
tion, for upon this the growth of the lamb depends. 
Keep the lambs growing from the start, and keep 
them laying on fat for, no matter how large the lamb, 
unless fat and in prime condition, he will not bring 
the best price. 
When the lamb weighs from 35 to 50 pounds, he is 
large enough, and if fat, will sell well. Dressing 
should be done by an expert, for the appearance pre¬ 
sented when offered for sale, may make a difference 
of $2 or 53 in price obtained. It is best before send¬ 
ing a lot to market, to correspond with a commission 
merchant, and get information as to when he can 
best handle them. Early lamb-raising is a paying 
business to him who has the necessary knowledge 
and skill. There is but little danger of the market 
becoming overstocked. l. a. clinton. 
New York. 
