The Placer herald., 1862-09-13
AGRICULTURAL.

How THE CHINESE MAKE DWARF TREEs
we have all known from chllih"od how
the Chinese cramp their wonen's feet, and
so manage to make them "ke-pers at home, "
but how they con,ri,e to grow miniature
pines and oaks in flower pots for half a
century, has always been much Of \ secret.
1t is the product chiefly of skillful, long
continued root pruning. They aim, first
and last, at the seat of vigorous growth, en-
deavoring 10 weaken rs far rs may consist
with the preservation of life. They begin
al the beg ginning. Taking H yonng plant
(say seed!ing or chlliny "f cedAr.) when
only two or three inches high they cu off
It's tai, root rs soon rs it has euouyh of other
r""llets to live upon, and replant 1t III n
shallow earlhen pot or pan. The cad of
the tap root is genera ly made to rest on the
bottom of the pan, or on n II 1t stone within
II. Alural clay Is then pat int" the pot :.
much Of II in bits the size of beans. sud
just enough IN kind and quantity to furnish
IA s'anty no"rl,hmenl TOR The plant. Water
enough Is gwen To keep 1t IN growth, hul
not enough to excite vigorous habit. So,
likewise, in the apphcalior of hight and heat
As The Chinese prid-' lhemselv ais, the
shape OF their miniature trees, they use
s'Ilngs, wires, and pegs, and various other
mechanlral rontrivanreS, to promote sym
netry oi habit, or Ia fashion their pets into
old fancy figures. Thus bv lhs use Of very
shallow pans, the growth of the tap-ronls is
out of HE question, by The use of the poor
soil, and lllle OF it, and little water, strong
| H.
and side roots being within easy reach Of
the gardener, are shortened by his pruning
knife, or scared with his hot iron. So the
little tree, finding itself headed on every
side, gives up the idea of strong growth,
asking only for life, and just growth enough
to look well. Accordingly each new set of
leaves becomes more and more stunted, the
buds and rootlels are diminished in proper
ton. and at length balance is establi. he'd
dwarf in all respects. In some kinds of
trees, this end is rea"hed in three or four
years; in others, ten or fifteen years are neces
sary Such is fancy horticulture among the
CelestiaIs.
NODE OF DRYING THE COMMON RED Gun,
RANT The curranls should be quite ripe
when gathered, with the stems alia..hed, and
washed or rnsed etfeclually and drained off.
Then stem then and wash them thoroughly,
and to each pound OF rurrants add quarter
OF u pound Of good Havana sugar; then
place them IN common preserving kettle
over lire until they come to a Scdld lieut.,
when they are tnrne out into white earth,
ern dishes, and exposed to the action of the
sun, until, 10y evaporation they become har
dened on the upper side Then they >1rr
turned over. and there Remain until they be-
come 50 on the other slI-, and so alternate
nntll they become. of a s,rt { lealh-rv tex
lnrr, when they are pat away in earlh-ln
,rS or boxes uull they are wanted for use
Care must be taken to keep them from the
'lews OF night. an'l rams during The process
ct 'lryin-; flna!lr, the utmost cleanliness
>huu Il lie observe from first 10 last.
When used. enol III lIpt VA -r Is required
to dissolve them or render them to a.,v con
>slenry suitable FIR lartS lily d., Al the
Na"e. Ime more sugar Is required t" make
them quite raa,ab-, which mus, Of course
be governed hy taste. Currants in this way
Lave kept we'll with us for three years. and
he l're>u nption is that they will keep for n
longer time it we'll cared for. The Hort
culturist recommends the above to our lady
rea lers rs an excellent method of preserving
their surplus stock Of currants.
CuLrlvArISG THE CANrELoUPE.-The Ger
manlown (Pa) Telegraph Ms the following:
"For the canlennpe "a sandy loan is al
ways to he preferre'i; but any light, friable
so'l, with southern exposure, free from pre-
valling moisture, will answer. The ground
should be converted into u fine tlll-ihe
hills should t'e dag ont ten or twelve inches
elghlern inches III diameter, which should he
filled with one'lhiri well'rolted short ma
nure, onellnrI good san! (,h"uhl the soil
not possess ANY, and one';hirl rich earth
we'll mixed. The hills should be from EIGHT
I" Twelve feet apart each way, rs room may
allnw, and the s,.e'l, SAY five I" a hiII >hnuld
to planted over The whole hill an inch below
the surface. When the sprouts are Two in
ches high, 81 q them n sl'rinkliny "f wool
ashes, whlle the dew is ON, or after watering
them, and repeat three or four times during
the two following weeks. This will drive
away the insects When they are six inches
hl4h remove all but two or three vines, AZ
cordlng to The space between the rows. AMI
carefully pnl round, net to the vines. "a lillle
guano. In removing the weeds from the
,'e,s, the vines should not be disturbed, AS
the rooles which penetrate the earth from
the vines, and which supply the principla
nourlshment to the fruit, will be destroyed"
CURRANr WINE--To one quart of cur.
rant juice add two quarts of water, and two
and a'haf pounds of coffee sugar to The gal
Ion. Let it work in the cask, and bottle at
least six months.
Almost a million and half bushels of
grain were shipped from New York for Eu.
rope in one week. besides 35,432 barrels Of