1868 ] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
355 
name. It. is evidently one of (he Persian melons. Oneof 
the specimens weighed 12 pounds, and if there is a more 
sugary, tender-fleshed, and altogether good melon Ilian 
this, we should like to see it. Mr. D. says that some call 
it the Large Persian. This melon, “by any other name 
would taste as sweet.” 
Eor All Children, T»y Stealers, 
Variety Stores, etc.—For the benefit of the “little 
people,” we have encouraged the manufacture of a good 
stock of “ Crandall’s Building Blocks,” which we con¬ 
sider the best instructive toy ever produced—one furnish¬ 
ing amusement without end almost, and not a simple toy 
to lose its novelty in a day. During the summer our art¬ 
ists have got up engravings of a portion of the numberless 
structures made* from a single box of these blocks. 
These engravings are combined on a sheet, which is a 
picture of itself. Copies of it will be sent free to all 
Toy Dealers, Keepers of Variety Stores, Merchants, 
and to families desiring one. Send application and ad¬ 
dress to the Publishers of the Agriculturist. 
ElejaiesaSs of Agriculture.— Col. Geo. 
E. Waring, long known as an agricultural writer, has re¬ 
written his earliest work, and it is now published by the 
Tribune Association. This little work is eminently 
practical, and is written in a plain, simple style. State¬ 
ments of agricultural theory of the present day are less 
positive than they were a few years ago, and Col. Waring 
has exhibited commendable discretion in carrying his 
readers over the hard places in a very common-sense way. 
It is the best book we know of to explain to a young 
farmer the reasons for correct farm practice, that can be 
bought for anything like the price, which is $1.00. 
Strawberry, IPresikLeiatt Wilder.— 
In the Agricultui'ist for August last, Wilder’s No. 13 was 
noticed as an excellent fruit, and the wish then expressed 
that it might hear Col. Wilder’s name has been complied 
with. The berry is to be known as President 'Wilder. 
The publishers of the American Journal of Horticulture 
have, with commendable enterprise, purchased the whole 
stock of plants, which they oiler as premiums to sub¬ 
scribers to their journal for 1869. Horticulturists thus will 
have an opportunity cf testing a new variety of great 
merit, and one which it is hoped will prove elsewhere as 
fine as it has upon the grounds of Col. Wilder. 
IPlants Waimetl. —“Subscriber,” Bristol, 
Ind. Wild Yam-root, Dioscorcea villosa, sometimes cul¬ 
tivated asaclimber_C. C. Moore, Johnson Co., Kansas. 
Feathered Hyacinth, a variety of Muscari comosum _C. 
M. Burgess, New Britain, and Mrs. S. A. P., St. Jo. Co., 
Mich. The “ foliage plant” is Coleus Verschaffeltii. It is 
very tender, roots readily from cuttings, but is rather diffi¬ 
cult to keep through the winter unless you have a green¬ 
house. The flower is small, something like that of Mint, 
and not showy_M. R. A. Elliot, Me. No. 1, Twin- 
flower, Linncea borealis, named for the great Linnaeus; 
No. 2; Bitter-sweet, Solarium Dulcamara ; No. 3, only 
broken leaves without flowers_G. W. C., Benton, Tenn. 
No. 1, Pancratium rotatum. has no common name, not 
poisonous ; please send some bulbs by mail. No. 2, Blue¬ 
bottle, Centaurea Cyanus. No. 3, Japan Globe-flower, Ker- 
ria Japonica , not a rose, though related to it. No. 4, In¬ 
dian Currant or Coral-berry, Symphoricarpus vulgaris _ 
Mrs. V. J. M., Henry Co., Mo. An Evening Primrose, 
GEnothera; cannot, tell the species without seed-pods_ 
Mrs. S. P. A., St. Joseph Co., Mich. The prickly leaved 
“Apple geranium” is some Solanum, but cannot tell 
which from leaves alone_M. E. J., Harrisonville, Ill. 
Gladiolus ramosus , Sword-lily_J. R. H., Ottumwa. Kan. 
Euphorbia marginala. .. .O. B., Brumfield, Ky. Dodder, 
Cuscuta Gronovii , common as a parasite on shrubs, etc., 
both East and West—W. C. C., Joppa Village, Ms. 
The grass which came up in your yard is the Canary- 
grass, Phalaris Canariemis ; not valued for forage. 
Mr. ISEacfiisatiaaBa’s Sale.—Mr. Isaac Bu¬ 
chanan, the well-known florist, will sell at his grounds at 
Astoria on the 7th a large lot of his choice specimens. 
We have seen the plants, and can assure those who wish 
to stock their houses with well-grown Camellias, Azaleas, 
etc., that a rare opportunity is presented to do so. 
Horticultural EsJstifoitioBts.—“ A Sec¬ 
retary ” says that the reason wo get no more notices of 
horticultural exhibitions is that in many cases the agri¬ 
cultural societies advocate a combination with them, and 
the result is neither an Agricultural nor a Horticultural 
exhibition, but a horse-race. He asks “ Cannot this evil 
be remedied in someway?” Certainly; when asked to 
.combine, don’t do it. But few plants will flourish in the 
shade of others, and the same thing holds good with socie¬ 
ties. Horticultural societies should have their shows 
separate, if they are held in a private house and only the 
members attend. The writer was one of the founders of 
a now prosperous society which began thus humbly. 
IS-eiil’s INsavsevy at Elizabeth has long been a 
sort of pomological Mecca. The faithful will regret to learn 
that the old place is to be invaded by improvements, and 
that the grounds are to be cut up by streets and avenues. 
Mr. D. D. Buchanan, Mr. Reid’s successor, is offering his 
stock preparatory to breaking up at the old place and re¬ 
moving to a new one. It is gratifying to know that the 
home grounds are not to be disturbed, and that the beau¬ 
tiful hedges and specimen plants that have afforded grati¬ 
fication to so many will still remain as a memento of one 
.of the fathers of American horticulture. 
T!ic A'. Y. Grape Growers’ Asso¬ 
ciation will hold its first Annual Fair at Canandaigua 
on the 7th and 8th. It is intended to include the grape, 
its product, and the implements which pertain to its cul¬ 
ture, gathering, preparation for market, etc. Articles may 
be sent to M. Dwight Munger, Canandaigua.—But who 
did make up the committees ? There are men on some of 
them whose profound ignorance of fruit makes us think 
that they were put there as a joke. Still, there are 
enough eminent pomologists associated with them to 
keep them from blundering too badly. 
IPeacIa saasal INectarime. —Just as the ar¬ 
ticle on page 371 was put in type, where reference is 
made to peaches and nectarines growing on the same 
tree, we received from Mr. H. Downie, Winchester, Kan¬ 
sas, specimens of both fruits from the same tree. We 
cannot “ explain the phenomenon,” as Mr. D. requests. 
The nectarine is a sport of the peach, and may come by 
variation in the seed or by bud variation. This breaking 
out of an inherent quality in plants and animals is the 
foundation of an ingenious hypothesis by Mr. Darwin, 
who presents it at length in his work on Variation of 
Animals and Plants under Domestication. 
Trouble with Ci-al> Apple Leaves. 
—J. W. Sparkman, Clifton, Tenn., sends some leaves of 
the Wild Crab Apple, which have large, rusty colored 
spots on them, and altogether in a bad condition. He 
states that it affects trees in the orchard and “ is satisfied 
that it is caused by insects.” Insects have enough mis¬ 
chief to answer for, but in this instance they are not 
guilty. The microscope shows the spots to be collections 
of minute parasitic fungi, of the kind called Clnster-cups. 
It is JEcidium Pyratum , first described by Schweinitz in 
1832. A description would be too long for a basket arti¬ 
cle, but we will endeavor to figure it at another time. 
Isasect Named. — G. Williams, Jefferson 
Co., N. Y. The common name is “Walking Stick,” as 
the insect looks much like a twig with long legs to it. 
It is figured in Harris’ Insects, under the name of Spec¬ 
trum femoratum. It lives on young shoots, but is never 
abundant enough to do much harm. 
Clover ©one Crazy.—A lady in Pitts¬ 
field, Mass., sends us a set of clover leaves having re¬ 
spectively from four to nine divisions. The “nine-leav¬ 
ed” clover is almost like a green flower. 
Hygro-baroineter.—“W. A. K.,” Mid¬ 
dletown, Conn. We have not seen the instrument re¬ 
ferred to, and cannot give an opinion. 
A “ HorsBec! ” Caterpillar.—Several 
have sent specimens of a large green caterpillar with 
long horns or spines on the fore part of its body. These 
spines are orange colored with black tips. This is the 
larva of the Royal Walnut Moth, Ceratocampa regalis , 
which feeds on the Walnut, Ash, and Persimmon. The 
moth is 5 or 6 inches across, of dull colors, and not showy. 
Tlae IPlaiataiaa E*est.—“Montgomery” 
has a new place “ on which the Plantain has taken forcible 
possession of what ought to be a lawn, and overgrown 
all the grass.” He has tried hand weeding, but finds it 
slow and costly, and adds: “Nothinggivesahome a more 
neglected appearance than their broad array of leaves, 
surmounted by thousands of seedy spikes, ready to dispute 
in the future every inch of ground.” Hand weeding is 
the only remedy. If done when the plants are young it 
is not so much of a job. The lawn never should be so long 
without mowing as to allow any broad leaves or spikes 
to grow. A good lawn is not to be had without labor. 
SaaccotaslB.—This dish is popular wherever 
it has been introduced. To make it of the best quality, 
sweet corn should be used. To a dozen green ears, cut 
or scraped, add a quart of shelled Lima beans. Boil an 
hour. Season with sweet cream or butter, salt, pepper, 
a little nutmeg, and a tablespoonful of refined sugar. If 
the Lima beans are not to be had, Marrowfats or White 
Kidneys are a tolerable substitute. Lima beans can be 
dried green for this dish, and they are much better than 
those fully ripened. If succotash is made of dry materials 
in winter, more cream and sugar should be added. 
66 Ctta'caBS.”' — ■“ J. S. 
B.,” Ligonia, Pa. The flower sent is not the Night- 
blooming Cerens, Cereus grandiflorvs. It was in such a 
state of decay, that no satisfactory examination could be 
made, but from the description of the plant it is more 
like the Peruvian Cereus ( C. Peruvianas ), and it may bo 
that species. The burs you speak of are young branches. 
Coloa’iHig - Cai’peti; ’Warp. — A corre¬ 
spondent wishes to know the best way to color carpet 
warp of a tan color. Who will tell him ? 
IsRseetss «aa Cherry aaBal jPeaa* Ti'ces. 
—“ Q. G.,” Egg Harbor City, N. J. The caterpillar is 
that of one of the Hag-moths, and was figured in October, 
1864. It belongs to the genus Limacodes , so named from 
the slug-like movements of the larvre.“ C. M. B.,” 
New Britain, Conn., sends another caterpillar, allied to 
the above, from a pear tree. We have never known them 
numerous enough to be troublesome. 
Pears bracking-.—“L. L.,” Portsmouth, 
N. H. We cannot tell you why pears crack. Some varie¬ 
ties will do it, and the best way is to graft the trees over 
with some sort known to succeed. The Flemish Beauty, 
which gives you so much trouble, is generally anything 
but a “ beauty ” in localities near the coast. 
BFsrrsea-aisla Gratci'.—Geo. A. McCoy, 
(no date.) You will find a revolving grater, such as is 
used in the New York markets, figured in April, 1867. 
We cannot answer the question about conservatory, with¬ 
out knowing more definitely what is required. 
IPaa-asite «na lNaarsea’y Ssloflk.— “ E. B. 
G.,” Dansville, N. Y. The vine ou the pear stocks is a 
Dodder, or Cuscuta , too immature to determine. Please 
send another specimen in a paper box. 
BBasIket Worms.—A number of corre¬ 
spondents have sent the leafy cases of the Basket or Drop- 
worm, which belong to the genus Oilceticiis. The female 
does not leave the nest, but dies there after depositing her 
eggs. The only remedy is hand picking. 
Worms isi JPots.—“Mrs. W. G. B.,” Fovt 
Howard, Wis. We never knew lime water, properly made, 
to hurt any plant. The water should be perfectly clear — 
not milky or cloudy—when applied. Another way of 
getting rid of the worms is just before repotting the 
plants to allow the earth to get rather dry. The worms 
will congregate for the sake of mutual moisture, and will 
usually be found all together in a ball. 
Apple Trees B>yissg- — J. Inger, Iowa, 
has decaying apple trees. — Insects, heat, cold, old age, 
overbearing, unsuitable soil, and external injury, are 
among the causes of decay in apple trees. The dead 
limbs should be removed at once. Scrape the bark and 
apply strong soapsuds to destroy insects. Cultivate the 
ground to give them a new start, top-dressing with lime. 
Wliitcisinig- Wool oaa Slaeop-sliisas. 
—Several subscribers wish to know how to whiten the 
wool on tanned pelts. Who will tell ? 
Copperas sm tlae ©avaleis 1 “ 0. W.” 
Sulphate of Iron is sometimes used in solution to destroy 
slugs and other pests. It has been recommended as an 
application to diseased pear trees, but wo have no evi¬ 
dence of its utility. It is useful as a deodorizer. 
Coal 'Fan'.—“ O. W.” This cannot be ranked 
among the fertilizers,and will not make a soap with potash. 
§teaim«1 Cooul loa* Cetvs,—“ L. P. D.,” 
Lansiugburg, N. Y r . It is pretty well settled that steam¬ 
ing dry food for cows pays milkmen very well. A Massa-, 
chusetts farmer gives his opinion, as the result of five 
years’ experience, that ho can winter his cows on steamed 
feed for one-third less expense than on dry feed, and get. 
one-fourth more milk. Whether it will pay a farmer who 
keeps his cows dry in the winter to steam hay and meal 
is another question. But is it necessary to keep cows dry ? 
