1850. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
87 
more productive, and now I think it increases as 
fast as any of the other kinds. A similar remark 
would apply to Scilla sibirica; and latterly I re¬ 
frain from shifting them from one place to another, 
when I have occasion to reset them. Now if these 
observations are correct, it might be well to dig in 
the leaves of the tulip and hyacinth.” 
“ * * * * Pine knots are almost imperishable; 
and I have heard of oak lands far from where pines 
were growing, that when cleared, the plow turned 
up pine knots. There are millions of acres, how¬ 
ever, were no pine knots were ever discovered; and 
where oaks, as far as we can ever know, have 
grown crop after crop for ages in succession.” D. T. 
Dictamnus Fraxinelia. 
Dictamnus Fraxinelia, from Germany, is one of 
the finest of border plants. Stem between two and 
three feet high: on the lower half, leaves, like those 
of the ash tree—on the upper half, flowers , showy, 
abundant, with red and white striped ; but as it is ea¬ 
sier to copy than to compose, let Loudon speak: — 
“ The whole plant, especially when gently rubbed, 
emits an odor like that of lemon peel; but when 
bruised, it has something of a balsamic scent. This 
fine scent is the strongest in the pedicels of the 
flowers.” 
Another sort with white flowers is desirable, as 
contrasting with the former, and botanists have tri¬ 
ed to erect it into a separate species as D. albus. 
It would seem, however, that all the difference,-—if 
any, consists in the leaf stalks, the former, according 
to Prof. Lindley, being “ obscurely edged,” while 
the latter is Ci scarcely edged at all.” In the spring 
these sorts are readily known by the color of their 
buds; but lately wanting to select one in autumn 
before the redness on those of the D. Fraxinelia ap¬ 
pears, and having nothing to guide me but the leaf 
stalks, I was puzzled to distinguish them. Those 
on plants which I happened to know were the white 
and the red , were as much alike as two peas; and 
and in truth what is the difference between “ ob¬ 
scurely edged ” and “ scarcely edged at all?” 
Seedling Fraxinellas in my borders vary conside¬ 
rably in color, that is, from deep to pale red. There 
has been in none of them, how’eyer, any near ap¬ 
proach to white. D. T. 
Transplanting Trees. 
If fruit trees were not tenacious of life, but very 
few could survive the treatment which they often re¬ 
ceive. It is not uncommon for a farmer to go ma¬ 
ny miles in bright sunshine for a load of trees; and 
without protection or covering of any kind, keep 
the roots exposed for a day or two. The earliest 
departure from this negligent custom that has come 
to my knowledge, was by the Princes of Flushing. 
The roots of trees and shrubs that left their nurse¬ 
ries were dipped into soft mud, and then dusted, 
which coated every fibre, and excluded the sun and 
air. Of the importance of this operation, I have 
been so well satisfied that in transplanting trees on¬ 
ly from the nursery into the fruit garden, we have 
taken this precaution; ami even in the driest sea¬ 
sons very rarely lose a tree. 
But though mudded, trees or shrubs that arrive 
from a distance, in most cases would be benefited by 
a second coat, and I intend never to plant another 
without it. Care should be taken however, that 
the mud be of the right consistence; for if too thin 
or too thick, it will be of less value. It is much ea¬ 
sier to prepare it by making the soil very fine before 
the water is applied; and the mortar should be tho¬ 
roughly worked before using. In regard to the dust, 
I prefer that in which finely divided horse manure 
forms a liberal proportion. D. T. 
Planting .— 44 Is it Extravagance V J 
Said one of my neighbors to me this morning— 
u Gen. S. says I am setting a bad example and en¬ 
couraging extravagance, by the large amount of 
time and expense I am devoting to improving and 
ornamenting the few acres of ground around my 
home.” 
My neighbor to whom I first referred, is an active 
and successful business man, and having accumula- 
lated more money than he needs in business and for 
his current expenses, has come to what seems to me 
the very commendable decision, instead of hoarding 
up his accumulations, to expend his surplus, or a por¬ 
tion of it, on some few acres of finely located 
grounds in the midst of one of the flourishing villa¬ 
ges of Western New-York. In order to which he 
has laid them out in scientific order, brought in and 
planted the choicest selection of trees from our for¬ 
ests; almost every desirable fruit tree and beautiful 
shrub found in any nursery, from Boston and Long 
Island to Rochester; and besides he has planted eve¬ 
ry thing with a care that I have never seen equalled, 
and watches and cultivates them continually with 
the same untiring faithfulness. The consequence is 
that every little cottage around, is beginning to feel 
the effect of his spirited example, and some of our 
common laborers have made by it the discovery that 
the few minutes of spare time usually devoted to 
lounging about the villages, will be ample, if judi¬ 
ciously employed, to make the few rods of ground 
around their humble dwelling, furnish as cooling 
shade trees, as magnificent and wholesome fruits, 
and as delicious strawberries, and as luxuriant ve¬ 
getables. 
Now permit me to ask, do not such results reflect 
high honor upon any man who has the public spirit 
to produce them? And is not the cultivation of the 
productions of the earth in the best manner , the pri¬ 
vilege and the duty of man? 
Does my neighbor deserve the rebuke he received? 
Wayne. Palmyra, N. Y., Dec. 4, 1849. 
[We may add to the preceding, that those who 
find fault with the extravagance of ornamental and 
useful planting, are not unfrequently the very per¬ 
sons who are expending ten times the amount in 
costly dwellings, extravagant furniture, and splen¬ 
did equipage. An extra thousand used up to make 
a showy house, will not in reality produce so grati¬ 
fying a show, nor so much real external pleasure, as 
one hundred judiciously spent in planting ornamen¬ 
tal trees and shrubs. Eds.] 
The Fire-Blight. 
Eds. Cultivator-— I believe that the diagnosis of 
the disease called fire-blight, which afflicts our pear 
trees, both in nursery and seed bed, has never been 
satisfactorily understood. Thus far, it has been a 
serious drawback on the successful growing of both, 
often causing the death of thousands of trees in a 
season, thus blasting the hopes and prospects of the 
grower. When I first commenced the nursery busi¬ 
ness, there was no such thing known in the vicinity, 
and the first I ever saw of it was on the leaves of a 
pear tree called Soldat Laboreur, which was pro¬ 
cured from a nursery on Long Island. It was set 
in a row of pear seed. In autumn the next year, it 
