The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-11-22
OUR RURAL TOPICS:
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
ABOUT BULBS AND nuIBoUs PLANTS.

bulbs should do so without delay. The end of
November is quite as late as they should be
kept out of the ground if the best Towering
results are expected next spring OF the bulbs
for present planting, the hyacinth and tulip
are probably the most prominent, bat there are
others equally worthy of attention where va
riety is object. The different forms of mar
eissus are among the most conspicuous and
| most fragrant of spring flowers The crown
imperials are snowy, old fashioned plants, hav-
ing clusters or crowns of pendent blossoms
The crocus is an old favorite harbinger of
spring; fine effects may BE- had by planting
these IN the lawn, not in single scattering
plants, but in ciOsely-set groups in suitable
spots, at the same time massing the coIors, to
be more effective. The snowdrops are among
the very earliest of spring flowers, and when
planted closely and thickly interrnixed with
the beautiful blue SesHGs, most charming con-
trast IS produced. all of these bulbs do best
when undisturbed from year to year; the prae-
tee OF lifting them about midsummer we con-
slider injudieious Some kinds such as hva-
cInths, will not of course, produce the strong
stems which come from large bulb, but they
Will flower well, and as the young bulbs in
crease IN size, so viii the flower spikes. Tulips
increase yearly in profusion of bloom, and if
covered annually in the fall with manure
their vlgOr may be maintained for many wears
The LftitsHts must not be forgotten; they are
the most stately of all hardy buIbous rooted
plants. These should also be planted In the
fall
very fine flower garden may be secured by
Dubious plants alone, and no equally desirable
ornamental plants can be obtained with less
care or with so little of culture. Among sum
mer Towering kinds, the GIadiolWs NAV be
| placed IN the foremost rank; they are of great
variety of celoFs, and by planting few at in
| teryais OF a couple of weeks during the early
part of the season continuation of flowers
may be kept up for two TO three mouths.
| The Tfgridia, tiger flower, produces fow-
| ers of singular beauty, and although the indi-
/ Vidual flowers are hut of short duration vet
| the plants bloom for many months during
/ summer. The Jacoheau lily, AnaGryHis fora0s-
issiH1a, now called SPrsketia, is an early bloom
| ing plant of great beauty, and should be more
| frequently planted than it Is We need bat
mention the tuheFose being one of the
/ choicest of flowers. These four last named
| plants are not hardy enough to stand the win
/ ters where the thermometer rams down TO zero
| consequently the bulbs require to be removed
in the fall after the first slight frost and to- be
/ kept dry and cool during winter. They keep
/ best when placed among dry sand in position
/ where damp can reach them The tuberose
however, should be kept warmer than the 9th
ers If kept IN room where the Temperature
never reaches lower than So they will be in
/ good condition for Towering; the flower buds
are destroyed when kept IN lower teapeEa-
/ ture.
| PAINTING WITH CRUDE PETRoLEUM.
| We extract the following from an article sub
| mitted to the New York Tribune, by J. r.
Thomas, of Union Springs n Y: The value
/ of crude petroleum for rendering perishable
wood durable, appears TO he IiEsle known. It
I Is error to mix it with pigment aud apply it
TO outside work with the expectation that it
will become hard and adhere Ike any other
/ paint. The object IN applying it IS not to form
an outside covering like common paint, but to
| render the substance of the wood itself dura-
BILE. The light oil will penetrate ths pores of
| pine fourth OF an inch sidewise. and an inch
engthwise, from single application. Wood
! OF white pine, exposed fully to the weather,
and treated with wash of petroleum sixteen
years ago. remains hard and sound, with about
sixth of an inch of the outside, or so far in as
the oil penetrated, brown and compact, while
further in the pine has its usual white appear
auce. The oil, with its solid ingredients IN So
luton, eatered and filed the pores Of the wood,
and changed it both IN texture and appearance
| TO something like cedar The uses to which
have applied crude petroleum have been in
preserving the wood of rough buildings, where
exposed TO the weather, both shiBgIe roofs and
siding fences. gates, farm tools and machinery,
lattice work rustic structures, &c. Petroleum
Is particularly valuable for rustic structures
It IS not necessary TO procure cedar or hard
woods for making these. Any soft and perisha-
BILE wood will answer, provided it is thoroughly
| impregnated with this oil after the work is
completed, taking special care to apply II
| well at the joints wooden summer house
made and oiled fifteen years ago, the lattice
work of strips of pine only half an inch thick
and the whole covered with climbing plants
every season, is now sound throughout In
applying the oil to shingles, the best way
is TO dip them before they are laid Having a
iIad Sol- III
at time, holding them by the thin ends; i'm
merse all but the small part held in the hand
and place them where they will dry IN few
hours and, when the oil is all absorbed, they
are ready for laying.
The inquiry IS often made If kerosene viii
not answer the place Of crude petroleum, but
as the solid matters contained In the crude oil
have been worked out of the kerosene, it pos
sesses little value; these solid ingredients from
the crude oil, remaining in the wood, impart
to it the character of cedar. The occasional
mistake must not be made, supposing that coal
tar viii answer the purpose of petroleum. Its
effect is exactly opposite. Coal-tar remains on
the surface, and, if exposed to the weather
gradually wears off. But its use under ground
and in vaults is really valuable"
MANAGEMENT OF ORCHARDS.
The successful cultiyator viii be noted fol
the flexibiIity of his practices. While be
hScpS IN view tLlS atbAlul1cllt CERTAIN Ee5UltS
the methods he adopts viii vary according tC
| the conditions by which he is surrounded, 50
/ far as these may influence his operations. Thus
it may happen that in certain localities he viii
find best success in his orchards by sowing the
surface in grass, while in other places he viii
be induced to keep it constantly stirred and
loosened by the plow and harrow. In a moist
climate and on good land, he knows that trees
| will be injured SO far as fruitng is concerned
| by keeping the soil worked and he will, there
| fore, allow the soil TO repose quietly under q
grass sod. But IN dry, warm climates and on
light gravelly or sandy lands, he will find ii
necessary, Ia order TO produce suitably Wig
orous growth, to keep the soil we'll and prop
erly cultivated and manured. Again, when
occasion requires, notifications will be adopted
In some localities light or shallow system o1
culture will be necessary, so that the roots oil
the trees may be kept as near the surface as
possible; while, in a position where hot suns
and long periods of drouth prevail a deeper
piowing Will be given, so that the roots may
be kept several inches from the surface, but
the overlying soil will be kept so loose that II
will act as mulch to prevent the too rapid
escape of the moisture by surface evaporation
When either of these methods have been
adopted for several years, sudden reversion
of plans viii be disastrous. An orchard which
has not been plowed for six years, more or less
would suffer severely from a deep plowing, AZ
it would destroy the roots which had estab-
lished themselves near the surface; many
orchards have been thus injured.
ALsIKE CLOVER AND MELILor.
The Prairie Efyu1sy adxrisaS IN Toofr ont fov