1874] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
367 
dreamed, over by night—waking only to find that all these 
treasures were not ours, but were away among the desert 
sand-hills of South Amboy—and he merely calls it a cata¬ 
logue of “sonifi” plants ! Mr. George Such, you ate dis¬ 
tressing in your modesty. If you had said “ Catalogue of 
the finest collection of plants in America, and second to 
but few in the world,” you would have told the truth. 
Here are plants, a single one of some of them equal in val¬ 
ue to the whole stock of some florists, put down in as mat¬ 
ter of course way, as if they were ten cent verbenas or 
petunias. If you can quietly say that the price of such a 
plant is $50, and upwards, if you can tantalize us with 
palms at $150—$250—$350, and soon tip to $500—with 
others so choice, that we can only have “ prices on ap¬ 
plication,” why don’t you blow ?—Seriously, we give this 
■catalogue of Mr. Such’s an especial notice, because of its 
importance. It marks an era in American horticulture. 
Here is one who makes a business of selling plants, 
and he is too shrewd a man to offer that which he does 
not think can be sold; he has confidence in the increase 
of the love for fine plants, and foresees that our men of 
means and refined tastes will be willing to pay for the 
best, and he has brought together a collection that is 
simply wonderful, not only in the rarity of the species, 
but in the perfection of the individual specimens. 
Whether the investment in these choice plants shall 
prove profitable, or not, Mr. Such is a public benefactor, 
in placing them within reach of those who can afford to 
buy them, and the future of our horticulture will be 
largely influenced by his quiet exertions. Americans 
are known abroad as always wanting the best, but here j 
Mr. Such places the best at their own door, and we are 
much in error, if the increasing taste for fine plants does 
not ultimately repay him for his enterprise. 
Effects of Chemical Fertilizers.— 
“A Reader.” The common idea that artificial fertilizers 
help to exhaust land would seem to be supported by re¬ 
cent experiments by Professor Voelker of London. In 
some analyses of drainage water from soils that had been 
manured with chemical fertilizers he found that lime was 
rapidly carried »ff when emmonia-salts had been applied. 
He concluded that the ammonia soon became changed 
into nitric acid, which combined-readily with the lime, 
and the combination being easily soluble, was quickly 
removed and lost to the soil. The ammonia of guano or 
•other powerful manures would of course act in the same 
manner. For this reason we can not hope to keep our 
farms fertilized with ganuo or chemical manures alone. 
There must be barnyard manure, clover and lime, and the 
more of them the more ammoniacal manures are used. 
I’lie ISonclierie Process* of Pre¬ 
serving Wood. —“ C. G. M. B.,” Detroit. The pro¬ 
cess known as above, was patented by Dr. Boucherie in 
1838. It consisted originally of displacing the sap of a 
living or newly felled tree with saline solutions ; those 
used by Boucherie were sulphate of copper, pyrolignite 
of iron, and chloride of calcium. The vital forces of the 
tree were utilized, and the saline solution was made to 
flow through the pores of the wood, from a circular saw 
cut at the base of the tree, to the ends of the branches. 
Three years afterwards another plan was proposed ; to 
force the solution into the wood by hydrostatic pressure. 
A water tight cap was fitted to one end of the piece 
to be operated on, and connected by a tube With an 
elevated reservoir of the solution, 50 feet above the tim¬ 
ber. This process is largely employed in France and 
Germany, for preserving telegraph poles and railway ties. 
Wi’Otiglif Iron 0®low Beams. — “ C. 
S. W.,” Conrad, Minnesota. Plows with wrought iron 
or steel beams are made in Chicago. They are patented, 
and known as Kimplen’s Malleable Iron Beams. They 
weigh about 30 pounds, and are stronger than any other 
kind of beam. We do not know the manufacturer’s 
■name, but any large implement dealer can procure them. 
Clover in. the Seaaah.—“ Subscriber,” 
Spring Hill, Tenn. In many parts of the South clover 
has been successfully sown in the fall. Early in Septem¬ 
ber is the time to sow the seed along with wheat or rye ; 
if the soil is well prepared the clover maybe sown alone, 
and will make a strong growth before winter, which will 
enable it to stand frost without injury. 
Leaf Mold for Wheat. — “J. B.,” 
Oakland Co., Mich. Leaf mold would be of but little 
service for wheat unless applied in such large quantities, 
as materially to change the character of the soil. If 
applied largely, say 200 loads per acre or more, it would 
probably have some good effect. It would be better still, 
if 20 or 30 bushels of lime per acre could be mixed with it. 
How to Bake a Hfest Egg.— “M. S. 
A.,” Dutchess Co., N. Y. A nest egg that can not be 
broken by frost or accident, and that can not be mistaken 
for a fresh egg, may be made by breaking a small hole in 
each end of a hen’s egg, and blowing out the contents. 
The shell is then filled with plaster of Paris, mixed with 
water to the consistence of cream. The plaster soon 
sets solid, and the egg can not be distinguished by the 
hen from other eggs, but its weight easily prevents it 
from being mistaken for a sound one. The plaster is 
such as is used for hard-finishing, and may be had of any 
mason or marble worker. 
SHiortUorit Bulls for ^Breeders.— 
Farmers and writers for agricultural journals, have here¬ 
tofore bewailed the impossibility of procuring bulls of 
good blood for breeding purposes, at reasonable prices. 
Notwithstanding, bulls are every day bought by breeders 
of stock for market, and are scattered through every 
State from Maine to Texas, making a great improvement 
in the quality of market cattle. Recently, at some stock 
sales in Kentucky, thoroughbred bulls of various ages 
from 5 months to a year, were sold from $35 to $100. It 
would seem that there is no reason now for a farmer to 
complain of inability to procure a good bull. If he does 
not get one, it is because he does not want one. 
B*rofessi«Mal Hedgers.— “W. W. M.,” 
Springfield, Iowa. Considering the want of knowledge 
as to the proper planting and the care of hedges, it is 
not strange that there should be so many failures. 
Scarcely one hedge in a hundred is a success, and it is 
probable that before long farmers will find it the best 
plan to contract with some one who understands his 
business, to plant and keep their hedges in order, paying 
a yearly sum for the purpose or hiring the work done by 
the day. In England where hedges are common, there 
are “ hedgers,” who do nothing but make and keep 
hedges in order. The well known Joseph Arch is a 
“ hedger.” It would be much the cheapest plan, and would 
be nothing more than a division of labor, which is so 
common a resort in regard to other matters. In the 
West the planting of hedges can not be abandoned, on 
account of the difficulties attaching to it. On the con¬ 
trary it should be greatly increased. 
Tlie Western Farmer ami Stock 
Grower, by Milton Briggs, Davenport, Iowa: Day, 
Egbert & Fidlar. The appearance of this volume is pre¬ 
possessing, and when we came to read in the preface, 
that the larger portion of the farm literature was “not 
applicable to the Western prairie,” and that agricultural 
writers, “ such as never scented the new mown hay 
under a July sun ” had been writing all sorts of errors, 
we felt, well here at last is the real thing. We read on, 
and on, and found such blunders as are only proper to 
ascribe to too much “July sun,” and wondered what it 
was all about. After reading through 194 dreary pages, 
we learn on page 195 that the whole thing is an advertise¬ 
ment of Mr. Brigg’s stock farm, which is in Jasper Co., 
Iowa, and we have no doubt a very good one, but if our 
readers wish to know any more about it, they can buy 
the hook, in which besides this they will find recorded 
the views of the author on matters and things in general, 
including the nebular hypothesis, fungi, electricity, and 
not least the “ mad-STONE.” If this is the kind of farm 
literature demanded by the Western prairies, we quite 
agree with the author, that the “ older States” can not 
furnish it. 
Slow to BBainlui BEosits.—“ M. K. F.,” 
Griggsville, Ill. Full directions with illustrations for 
building light row-boats and skiffs were given in the 
Agriculturist for August, 1871, and October, 1S72. Each 
number can be hacTfor 15 cents. 
First Lessons i» tlae Principles of 
Cookery, by Lady Barker; London : Macmillan & Co. 
This might more properly be called a plea for the Nation¬ 
al School of Cookery, at South Kensington. Its 100 
small pages are mainly devoted to showing the need for 
instruction in cookery; its “first principles” are well 
enough wiiat there are of them, but we can not see the 
least use for the book in this country, whatever there may 
be in England. 50 cts. 
Eimiatiji' Eggs. —“Montclair.” The “lime 
water,” in which eggs are preserved, is properly the 
“ milk of lime,” that is, a mixture like a very thin white¬ 
wash. The eggs are placed in this, and kept in a tank or 
barrels in a cool dry place. 
I.imestone Water for Boilers.—“J. 
W. J.” When used for the Anderson or any other boiler, 
water that contains lime should be purified previously by 
some of the “anti-incrustation” preparations. 
Pages 393 to 396* 
Effect of I'omatoes iigton Cows.— 
“ A. K.,” Chetopa, Kansas. We can not tell what effect 
ripe tomatoes would have upon cows. It is a question 
which may easily be determined by observation. 
Catalogues, etc., Received. 
While some dealers issue but one catalogue for the 
year, others put out one in the spring and another for the 
fall trade. The majority of those enumerated below, are 
fall lists made as supplementary to the main catalogues. 
In the early numbers of the Agriculturist for the present 
year, from February to June, will be found notices of the 
catalogues of a large number of dealers. We repeat here 
what was said in enumerating the catalogues last spring; 
we do not notice or allow to advertise, any party or firm 
that we do not consider as fair dealing men, and the fact 
that we make mention of their trade lists, is sufficient 
evidence that we consider them safe to order from ; this 
is mentioned to save our friends the trouble of writing 
’o us for our opinion of this or that dealer. Moreover, 
we cannot advise our friends at what particular establish¬ 
ment to make their purchases. Unless such inquiries 
are made in regard to some article not generally kept, we 
always decline to indicate a preference for one dealer 
over another. 
NURSERIES. 
Otto & Achelis, Morris Nurseries, Westchester, Pa. 
Wholesale list of general stock and young evergreens. 
A. IIance & Son, Rumson Nurseries, Red Bank, N. J. 
Buds of peach and other trees, and grape vines. 
Bush & Son & Meissner, Bushberg, Mo.—Our es¬ 
teemed friend, Geo. E. Meissner, has united himself with 
the celebrated house of Isidor Bush & Son, and what 
they do not have in the way of grape vines, will be diffi¬ 
cult to find elsewhere. 
Bronson, Hoi-kins & Co., Geneva, N. Y.—A full 
wholesale list of fruit and ornamental trees. 
Downer & Brother, Fairview, Ky., succeed J. S. 
Downer & Son, by reason of the death of the senior Mr. 
Downer—and propose to sustain the well deserved repu¬ 
tation of the Forest Nurseries. 
Nicholas & IIewson, Geneva, N. Y., issue a very full 
wholesale list. This stock is grown upon the land for¬ 
merly celebrated as the farm where Jas. O. Sheldon raised 
his Shorthorns. 
C. P. Lines, New Haven, Ct., makes grape vines and 
small fruits his specialties. 
Thomas Meeiian, Germantown, Pa., has a list remark¬ 
ably full in the department of ornamental trees, includ¬ 
ing kinds rarely offered. He offers hedge plants in large 
quantities. 
A. Bryant, Jr., Princeton, Ill., has a catalogue full in 
all departments, but especially in forest trees. 
S. B. Parsons & Sons, Flushing, N. Y.—A fine list of 
ornamental trees, etc., with evergreens, rhododendrons, 
camellias and azaleas as specialties. 
Calkins & Brooks, Bricksburg, Ocean Co., N. J., with 
a general stock, give special attention to peaches, apples, 
grapes and strawberries. 
L. B. Case, Richmond, Ind., with the general nursery 
trade, unite a large florists’ establishment. 
Jones & Palmer, Rochester, N. Y., offer large quan¬ 
tities of stock at wholesale rates. 
J, De Saint-Ange, Rochester, N. Y., is general agent 
for several French nurseries and seed-growers. 
Randolph Peters, Wilmington, Del., has a very full 
catalogue ; he is one of the largest growers of peach 
trees in the country, and we have personal knowledge 
that he sends out well-grown stock. 
IIoopes Bro. & Thomas, Cherry Hill Nurseries, West¬ 
chester, Pa., send two catalogues, wholesale and retail, 
which show that this old establishment is quite up with 
the times. 
Ellwanger & Barry, Mount nope Nurseries, Roch¬ 
ester, N. Y., have such a large and varied stock, that their 
different catalogues make a handsome volume. Besides 
general nursery and florists’ stock, their fall catalogue 
announces a full assortment of bulbs. 
FLORISTS. 
Several of those whose main business is that of nur¬ 
serymen, also deal in florists’ stock. 
Robert J. Halliday, Baltimore, Md., offer camellias, 
azaleas, roses, etc., at wholesale as well as at retail. 
George Sdch, South Amboy, N. J.—This remarkable 
catalogue has a special notice elsewhere. 
Long Bros., Buffalo, N. Y., publish their catalogue of 
winter-blooming plants in the form of a supplement to 
their “ Home Florist.” It contains very full and useful 
cultural directions, and is well illustrated. The “Home 
Florist” itself is one of the best things of its kind. 
