AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
129 
18?4] 
representations as those we have quoted. Remember 
that our own regular dealers have everything in the way 
of seeds, flowers, and fruits that is worth growing, and 
if a valuable new thing is offered in any part of the 
world, the contest with them is to see who shall intro¬ 
duce it soonest. 
Petroleum for Priming.—“S. M.W.,” 
Shippensburg, Pa., writes that “ an experienced car- 
builder informs him that even the best mineral paints 
will not adhere to wood that has been oiled with petro¬ 
leum some weeks before painting. His plan is to apply 
the crude petroleum as hot as possible, and put on the 
paint as soon as the petroleum has fairly cooled. Result 
much more satisfactory than when the petroleum is ap¬ 
plied cold and the wood not painted for some weeks 
afterwards.” This is quite probable. For hard wood 
the lighter oil will soak in more readily than the heavier 
oil, and the hotter it can be applied the more rapidly will 
it be absorbed. For pine or hemlock, except the weather 
is very cold, it is not necessary to heat the oil. Paint 
will not adhere well to the oiled surface unless the petro¬ 
leum is absorbed by the wood. Last summer we put 
petroleum on to a new pine double wagon box. We went 
over the box two or three times at intervals of two or 
three days, or when we happened to think of it. We 
probably got on three or four gallons of oil. In two or 
three weeks afterwards we painted it with Averill paint 
and found no trouble. The paint adhered as well as 
could be wished. We put on two coats, and the box 
looks as smooth, glossy, and firm as if made of the best 
of hard wood. In cool weather, and especially with hard 
wood, it would undoubtedly be advantageous to apply 
the petroleum hot, for the simple reason that it would 
penetrate deeper into the wood. How long or how short 
a time elapses before the mineral paint is applied is of 
little consequence, provided the petroleum has been ab¬ 
sorbed by the pores of the wood. This is the main point 
to be observed. [This comes from one of our associates 
who has had much experience in the use of petroleum, 
and as he passed much of his life in a chemical labor¬ 
atory it does not occur to him that anything can be dan¬ 
gerous. So we must add that if petroleum is to be heated 
it must be done with the greatest caution or it will take 
fire. The safest way will be to set the can in a kettle of 
hot water out of doors, and be sure not to bring a lamp, 
light a match, or allow flame of any kind near the place 
where the work is going on.— Ed.] 
Catalogues Received. 
Last month we left out other matter for the sake of 
space to notice the catalogues of our friends, the dealers. 
We supposed that we had at hand the majority of the 
catalogues, and were willing, for once, to give a separate 
mention of each one with some notice of its peculiarities. 
Since then we have received a large number more, and 
though these are of the same importance as those men¬ 
tioned last month, we can not, owing to the claims of 
others upon our space, give other than the briefest 
notice. 
GENERAL NURSERY STOCK. 
J. W. Adams, box 1,340, Springfield, Mass. 
Otto & Achelis, Westchester, Pa.—Large stock; 
wholesale and retail. 
A. Hance & Son, Rumson Nurseries, Red Bank, N. J. 
—Also greenhouse plants. 
Reisig & Hexamer, New Castle, Westchester Co.— 
Specialties, small fruits, particularly strawberries and 
seed potatoes. 
P. T. Quinn, Newark, N. J., besides pears offers small 
fruits and various vegetable plants. 
S. J. Allis, Erie, Pa.—Grapes and other small fruits. 
GREENHOUSE AND BEDDING PLANTS. 
George Such, South Amboy, N. J.—General collec¬ 
tion with gladiolus as a sp cialty. The neatest catalogue 
yet seen from Europe or this country. 
S. B. Vreeland (Greenville), Jersey City, N. J.— 
General stock with the fine Bouvardia Vreelandii as a 
specialty. 
W. B. Woodruff, Westfield, N. J., besides green¬ 
house and bedding plants has a full list of vegetable 
plants, and still another new tomato—” Robert.” 
John Saul, Washington, D. C.—A huge catalogue, 
embellished with a fine colored plate of the new “Ball 
of Snow ” Abutilon. 
W. C. Wilson, Astoria, N. Y., and 43 West 14th street, 
—An immense general assortment with a number 
of specialties not offered elsewhere. 
Miller & Sievers, San Francisco, Cal.—A catalogue 
so full as this is a surprise to us, who knew San Fran¬ 
cisco when there was not a florist west of the Rocky 
Mountains. Send your other catalogues. 
Dingee & Conard Co., West Grove, Chester Co., Pa., 
make a specialty of roses, which they send by mail at 
very low prices. The catalogue is valuable for its sensi¬ 
ble cultural directions. 
P. J. Berckmans, Fmitland Nurseries, Augusta, Ga., 
is largely engaged in floriculture as well as the nursery 
business. Besides a general stock he ha., many things 
suited to Southern gardens only. Prices astonishingly 
low. 
Sidney Wilkinson, Providence, R. I.—Wo are glad to 
see so fine and full a catalogue from a city which for one 
of its size has heretofore had very few florists. 
Olm Brothers, Newark, N. J.—This large establish¬ 
ment always presents some novelties, and it has a num¬ 
ber in this year’s catalogue. 
Wm. J. Hesser, Plattsmouth, Nebraska.—A more 
complete list than one would expect to find in a place 
which but a few years ago was “ on the frontier.” 
Green, Beech & Artbr, South Oil City, Pa.—Send 
an illustrated catalogue of plants and seeds. 
SEEDSMEN. 
D. M. Ferry & Co., Detroit, Mich.—This is one of 
the largest seed-growing establishments in the country, 
and their descriptive catalogue is very full and complete. 
John Saul, Washington, D. C., has, besides from his 
nursery, a seed store opposite the Patent Office. 
Schlegel, Everett & Co., Boston, Mass., have be¬ 
sides the usual list many peculiar and Boston—and there¬ 
fore very good—” notions ” in the way of vegetables and 
flowers. 
J. M. Thorburn & Co., No. 15 John street, N. Y., 
publish each February a list of Tree and Shrub Seeds. 
Those who write asking where such things can be had 
should bear this in mind. 
Hovey & Co., Boston, Mass.—For nearly 40 years have 
this firm sent out each year their well filled catalogue, 
and yet they keep up with the times. 
Aaron Low, Essex, Mass., grows garden and flower 
seeds, and his catalogue tells all about them. 
James Fleming, 67 Nassau street, has a very full illus¬ 
trated catalogue of vegetable and flower seeds, prefaced 
by a handsome colored plate of Double Zinnias. 
Vick’s Floral Guide. —Mr. James Vick, of Rochester, 
extends his catalogue over the whole year and makes it 
a quarterly. No. 2 has many interesting items and a 
“pronouncing vocabulary of botanical names,” which 
would be more useful if it were more correct. What can 
he mean by telling us that coix is pronounced “ coy 1 ” 
Other words also needs revising. 
W. H. Spooner, Boston, Mass., puts ont his catalogue 
as a “Garden Guide.” and a very creditable one it is. 
Charles Sizer, Mount Lebanon, N. Y., sends out 
what he calls a Shaker Catalogue, which is in appearance 
very much like the catalogues sent out by the ” world’s 
people,” and contains no intimation that it is issued by 
any Shaker community. 
V. P. Douw & Co., Albany, N. Y.—Seeds, Rustic 
Work, Implements, etc. 
IMPLEMENTS, FLOWER POTS, ETC. 
Gardener B. Weeks, Syracuse, N. Y.—Cheese and 
Butter Factory, and Dairy Supplies and Apparatus. Well 
Illustrated. 
A. H. Hews, North Cambridge, Mass., have an illus¬ 
trated catalogue of machine and hand made pots, etc. 
Snow & Coolidge, Wachusett Pottery, West Stirling, 
Mass., also send a catalogue of similar wares. 
EUROPEAN CATALOGUES. 
E. G. Henderson & Son, London, send an immense 
catalogue of seeds of all kinds, including all the new 
things. ■ 
Alegatrire, Lyons, who introduced the new double 
white and other double Pelargoniums last year, offers a 
new set, raised by Jean Sisley and others, and a new lot 
of Carnations. 
---— a — -- -- 
Planting Trees upon Highways. 
We have been requested to publish the law in regard 
to the money allowed for planting shade trees on the side 
of the roads in the State of New York. There was an 
act passed April 26, 1869, entitled, “An Act to Encourage 
the Planting of Shade Trees along the sides of the Public 
Highways ” (chap. 322). This act was amended May 3d, 
1870, so as to include fruit trees (chap. 595). We give the 
act as amended, and as it now stands: 
“ Section 1.—Any inhabitant liable to highway tax who 
shall transplant by the side of the public highway any 
forest shade trees or fruit trees of suitable size shall be 
allowed by the overseers of highways, in abatement of 
his highway tax, one dollar for every four trees set out; 
but no row of elms shall be placed nearer than seventy 
feet; no row of maples or other forest trees nearer than 
fifty feet, except locust, which may be set thirty feet 
apart; fruit trees must also be set at least fifty feet apart; 
and no allowance, as before mentioned, shall be made 
unless such trees shall have been set out the year pre¬ 
vious to the demand' for said abatement of tax and are 
living and well protected from animals at the’ time of 
such demand. 
“ Section 2.—Any trees planted by the side of the pub- 
lie highways as aforesaid, in the place of trees that have 
died, shall be allowed for in the same manner and in the 
same conditions as in the preceding section, 
" Section 3.—No person shall be allowed an abatement 
of his highway taxes as aforesaid, more than one quarter 
of his annual highway tax, and no one shall receive any 
abatement of tax for trees planted previous to the pas¬ 
sage ot this act. 
" Section 4.—This act shall take effect immediately.” 
The act has had very little effect. Not one farmer in a 
thousand knows of its passage. And those who know of 
the law seem to care little about it. The compensation 
is too small. A farmer of one hundred acres is assessed 
say from $8 to $12 highway tax to be “ worked out.” A 
man, team and plow, wagon or scraper, counts for three 
days’ work, or $3. So that if a farmer is assessed $12 all 
he can get for setting out trees is one day’s work for 
himself and team. If section 3 was stricken out, so that 
a farmer might be allowed 25 cents each for all the trees 
set out, it might have some effect. As it is, a farmer who 
has energy and sense enough to set out trees will not be 
influenced by the small compensation, and those who 
have not will pay little attention to the law. 
-«-•-— «SE»-. » m 
Bee Notes.—Advice to Beginners. 
BY M. QUINBT. 
Mr. Smith, Pa., writes that “ wild Suilendlne plant is A 
perfect cure for bee stings, and mosquito bites.” All 
that is necessary, be says, is lo apply the juice immedia¬ 
tely, to prevent swelling: He probably means common 
celandine, growing in wet places. At our association in 
Utica last February, a member brought what he called 
an antidote to bee stings, in liquid form. To convince 
the skeptical of its efficacy he actually brought some bees 
with him, and got himself stung in two places. To one 
place he applied the remedy, and the effect ol the sting 
on that did not seem quite so bad as the other, to which 
nothing was applied. He urged all to make the trial, 
and found but one willing, but he claimed that he illus¬ 
trated its efficacy by partial success, at least. Ever since 
I kept bees, new remedies for stings have been recom¬ 
mended as certain cures. For a long time, I took pains 
to test them; sometimes a sting would lie hardly felt, at 
others it would be very severe, when both were treated 
with the same remedy. My impression is, that in cases 
where the effect is slight, the puncture is slight, but. little 
poison infused, or the bee is not incensed to make the 
thrust with much vigor. This seems more probable 
than that we have found an antidote. It is iong since I 
have used anything,, and do just as well. I do not wish 
to deny their efficacy, or even discourage the trial of 
them ; but I trust I shall be excused from implicit con¬ 
fidence, when I have failed in so many cases. Those 
who have realized that it is easier to avoid contracting 
various habits in any case than it is to cure them, will 
find no exception to the rule, when applied to bees. In 
their treatment in this respect let the beginner experi¬ 
ment for himself, and scan everything closely; take 
nothing for granted till corroborated by his own obser¬ 
vation, whether for or against the little pets. I hope 
no one wilt make the mistake of copying a blunder from 
me. I only wish that bee-keepers would adopt the direc¬ 
tions given for treating bees kindly, and watch the re¬ 
sult. 
In regard to the charge of their being a nuisance, it 
does seem that much that is said is dictated by an unkind 
spirit, to say the least. It is nothing but justice to exam¬ 
ine both sides. We want facts. 
A. S. Fuller, in the New York Tribune, is credited 
with saying that “ he is satisfied that in many localities 
these winged workers are a far greater nuisance than 
mosqnitoes, or even sheep-killing dogs. Perhaps some 
grape growers may ask their neighbors to keep their 
bees at home, as they do the cattle, for there is certainly 
no difference in the moral or legal aspect of the two 
cases. Let every one keep as many bees as he or she 
likes, but if they do any damage to the neighbors’ crops 
the owner should be held responsible.” 
The last sentence seems not very unreasonable, if we 
can only get at the real damage. I claim it is very small, 
if any. It is difflcu.t to ascertain. The difference in the 
“ aspect ” of the two cases is at once apparent. When 
cattle trespass, it can be seen, proved, it is not difficult 
to substantiate facts. But with the bee, how is it? Mr. 
Fuller “ is satisfied,” and seems to think it proved. In 
court, witnesses must know; some are too easily satis¬ 
fied. The prosecutor would lose his case if he had 
nothing stronger. To see what satisfies Mr. F. we meg 
