The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-04-05
RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.

stand even slight degree of frost. The cotton
plant may be designated as a hardy annual in
the climate where it natures its seed. Many
Of the hardy ANIMALS Of the seed lists are well
adapted for the summer decoration of the
flower borders, and as they are easily raised
and require no missing care, should be more
generally employed than they are. They were
in by-g0ne years the great ornaments of the
garden, but the more modern system of bed
ding with what have been absurdly named
FOLIAGE plants has had the effect Of almost ban
ishing the fine Towering. hardy ANIMALS from
orr gardens Some Of these have very deli
cate seeds, which require a little care in SOW
ing, SO that they may not be buried out of
sight Is IS a good plan 10 sow the finer seeds
Ia a cod frame, where they can receive special
attention in shading and watering, but this
causes additional labor, and there is also the
risk attending their removal from the seed
bed TO the open border. al Of which is avoided
when sown on the spot where they are in
tended 10 remain.
The simplest planeof raising hardy ANIMALS
is 10 select open spots here and there in the
flower border, dig up and well loosen the
ground for a space OF about twelve inches
diameter and smooth the surface with a trowel,
then SOW the seeds, and If they are fine do not
cover them more than to merely press them
into the surface.
The greatest drawback Ia most Soils even
although they be somewhat Of a sandy nature,
is the liability OF the surface becoming cal1ed
after rains Many failures in sowing result
from this hardening of the surface, through
which the young germs fail to penetrate.
This may be guarded against TO a great extent
by covering the seeds with piece of paper,
keeping 1t in place with a stone or 4 handful
Of earth. In this case the negotiating seeds
should be watched and the paper removed
before the young plants suffer. As soon as
the plants begin to appear the covering may
be removed, taking advantage Of Gull day if
possible as the sun would probably injure the
tender leaves on sudden exposure 10 its rays.
notwithstanding that the seeds have been
thinly s0wn, the plants should be thinned out
TO proper distances apart; these trimmings
may be tTansplanted without much risk of loss
during dull and rainy weather, or otherwise
with care in shading and watering.
The following plants viii be found suitable
for raising from seed IN the open border, as in
dictated IN the foregoing remarks: Asters, bal
sans, ten week stocks, nemophila cypress vine,
sweet alyssum. mignonerte marigolds, lark
spur, sweet peas amaranthus, petunias, candy
tuft, canary bird flower, cocksconb, clarkia
lupines, marvel of Peru, nasturtiums, portu-
laca, thunbergias, zinnias, &c.
The following among biennials and peren-
mails may be similarly established: Pansies
antirrhinums, callirhoe, campanulas, holly
hooks. delphinums, dianthus, foxgloves, ever
lasting pea, phlox decussata, perennial peoples,
wallfower.
Among Towering plants and of ornamental
grasses the following may be noted: Erianthus
rayenIe, eulalia japonica. stipa pennata, the
feather grass &c.
Perennial Towering plants are of the most
valuable kinds for the ordinary garden Once
established, they give no further trouble, ex-
cept to thin them out when they become too
numerous. Where a good collection exists
there may be had flowers every day during
summer, some one or other of the species being
constantly in bloom.
PRUNING TREES TO PROMOTE yIGoR.
Writers on pruning frequently make the
assertion that winter pruning promotes vigor
IN trees, while summer pruning has a contrary
effect. PhysiolOgically speaking all pruning
has d tendency towards inpairing yigor in
plants. While this is undoubtedly true as
applied to plant which has never been dis
turbed from the time Of planting the seed
which produced il, yet. when a trees is removed
and its roots broken of and reduced experience
Shows that q more vigorous reeuperation takes
place when portion of the branches are also
removed This is done in order to save the
tree, just as a limb may be amputated from an
animal TO save its life. Again. occasions are
met where pruning is performed in order TO
weaken vitality, such as in cases where trees
are so luxuriant as to prevent them from pro-
ducing blossoms and fruit check to growth
having tendency TO induce a lowering con-
dition. But it is safe rule TO follow. never
70 disturb tree with the pruning knife unless
good and sufficient physiological reason can
be given for doing so. The routine system of
pruning trees annually, whether they require
II or not ruins many fair prospects under the
guise of proper care and good attention /"
An old writer remarks that pruning, when
properly performed, may be of great benefit
but when ignorantly practiced, is one of the
oh
PEAR CULTURE IN THE SOUTH.
At recent meeting of the Mississippi Valley
Horticultural Society, held at New Orleans
some very interesting and instructive papers
were read and discussed. Mr. Cassell of Can
ton Miss, said, in regard to pear culture that
blight IS the greatest drawback TO it, and with
remedy for this mal&dy the South could sup
ply the world with pears. The Duchess
dAngouleme is the best pear for the South for
market purposes. The Jefferson is an early
profitable market pear on account of its good
looks, but il is tough and insipid although
handsome and having delightful odor
DR.. Hape, Of Ga, said that the LIE Conte pear
would stand considerable degree of cold but
II sometimes bloOmed SO early that the flowers
were injured by late frosts. He considered the
Bartlett the best pear for his section He fur
ther said that blight on pear trees follows ex-
posure TO The setting sun, a statement which
~1LDANCi NSAs pcSuildf- bcdIlle. OF
Kentucky, had found the Chambers a large
and early pear, and one of the most profitable
pears raised around Louisville 1t originated
IN that State, and had not yet shown any
blight.
MIR. Cook, Of Kentucky, said that he consid-
cred the Seckel, Lawrence and Beurre de
Anjou the only pears worth planting He had
given up dwarf pears entirely.
Mr. Berckmans, of Augusta, said that the LIE
Conte pear had proven very valuable and had
made pear culture not only possible but profit
aole where II was failure before
JAPAN PERsIMMoN
The Germantown Telegraph wants 10 know
what has become Of the Japan persmmon. He
thinks that il has very much faded ont of
sight like SO many newly-imported things.
This fruit is equal, We fully believe, to all that
has been said of il. OF course il does rot rival
q line peach or pear or apple for general do
nestic purposes but as persimmon it is far
superior 10 anything we are in the habit of
seeing. 1t is, like the fig and the Scuppernong
grape, too tender for Northern climates. but
south Of Virginia it is doing well; we have
seen fine specimens of the fruit which ripened
near Norfolk, Va. The tree is beautiful even
a an ornamental plant, and the fruit will be
an addition TO the Southern States where they
cannot produce the fine apples, pears. and other
fruits which are more suited 10 Northern
regions.
ACTION OF LIME IN SEED termination.
II has been ascertained by European re-
searches that lime is beneficial 10 terminating