The National tribune., 1882-06-03

! portion of the floor, and place a pound or
two Of tobacco stems-which can be procured
at cigar manufacturies-in a small pile, set
ting them on fire, and regulating combus-
ton by Gampening the material with water.
These insects are sometimes seen in great
prOfusion on roses just as they commence to
bud in early summer in the garden. A
liquor made by sleeping pound of tobacco
stems in two or three gallons of water,
sprinkled over the bushes, will usually de-
stroy the insects after two or three applica-
TONS The Persian insect powder busted
over the insects will destroy them at once,
and for plants of all kinds in the parlor this
is the most available and most cleanly
remedy. For cleaning a few house plants,
we have found that the insects can readily
be removed with a soft brush.
RUSSIAN APPLEs.-Some twelve years
! ago the horticulturist of the United States
Department of Agriculture suggested the
Importance of importing as many varieties
Of apple trees from Russia rs could be
| secured. Knowing that the hardest varie-
| ties-those that stood the greatest amount
of frost in the north and northwestern
States-namely, the Red Astrachan, Tetof-
sky, and Duchess of Oldenburg, were stated
to be Of Russian origin, it was inferred that
other varieties from that country might
be equally valuable for our extreme eli
mates, with a hope that later ripening
varieties than those mentioned might be
10
too cold for the kinds commonly cultivated
Throughout this country. 1t was not ex-
pected that varieties of superior excellence
to our native productions would thus be
introduced although the Red Astrachan has
proved to be a great fav0rite, owing 10 its
hardness and prOductiveness, beauty, and
excellent qualities, especially for cooking
purposes, and the same may be said Of the
Tetotsky as very early variety, yet some
Of those introduced have proved to he
worthy Of cultivation even in less rigid
climates than those for which they were
especially intended.
But beyond the intrinsic value of these
apples, which has not yet been fully tested,
the importation has been, Indirectly, Of
some Importance, inasluch as it has been
the means of directing attention 10 the
hardy fruits Of eastern and northern Europe,
which are now being sought after by those
who see IN them the nucleus Of new races
having robust vitality and great resisting
powers in rigorous climates where the
popular varieties of mildar regions fail to
grow.
Soil FOR PLANTS IN POTs.-In most
books on the culture Of greenhouse plants,
a great deal is said about soil compositions
Zach genus Of plants has to be grown in q
certain defined mixture of leaf mould
sand, peaty soil, charcoal dust, and so forth;
the quantities of each ingredient being
accurately measured, and the whole mixed
and otherwise manipulated according to
instructions. Our best growers of plants
in pots pay but little attention to these
mixtures; their plants are all potted in the
same material and that is rotted turf or
sod. These sods are taken from old pas
ture fields, and the older and tougher the
better, for then they are full of the fhrous
nishes the best of all food for plants The
sods should be neatly stacked as collected,
and in the course of two or three months.
after vegetation has been destroyed, they
will be in condition for use. This turfy
material should be chopped up with q spade,
but not sifted, and when potting, the
tougher ibry tufts may be torn asunder by
hand, and firmly pressed in the pots
Should the sOds, be taken from q clayey
soil, it may be necessary to mix small
portion of sand or fine charcoal dust with
the soil for some finely roofing plants, or
for small plants of any kind this is merely
for the purpose Of securing better drainage
and q better mechanical condition of the soil
after the fibry or vegetable matter has
decayed, and is of most Importance where
the plants will not be re- pOtted for year or
two, as in the case of large towering plants,
such as Camellias.
The best plant growers pay but little
attention to the chemical constitution of
the soil they use in their operations, but
they are obserVant that its physical condi-
ton is such as to freely admit the unim-
peded access to air and water, and this is
eminently secured in a soil largely COM
posed of decaying vegetable matter, and
the results of this decay furnish constant
supply of the gases upon which the
growth of plants mainly depends.
GREEN FoOD FOR CATTLE.-W. H. Snow
den, Of Virginia, in prize essay written for
the american Farmer, remarks as follows On
securing summer food for cattle:
"Rye for cutting and feeding in May should
be sown the last Of August on well-propared,
highly-manured grounds, and with it clover,
herd, and orchard grass seeds. The rye and
the grasses will make a good growth before
freezing, viii go through the winter well,
and push rapidly forward at the opening of
spring. The feeding of the rye may be con-
tinued until clover on other grounds is ready
to succeed it, and which may be fed until
oats are in bloom; and from brief feeding
on the oats change may be made to drilled
corn, which latter forage, with occasional
alternating to second crops of clover, will
carry the dairy successfully till frost and
after; provided always that regular and am
pie fortnightly paintings are made for an
uninterrupted succession of this kind of sub