The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-01-31
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers.
HYBRIDIzrNe AND CROSSING.

have seen pronounced as being hybrid, the
result of much skill aud care On the contrary
it is a Seeding raised from seeds indiscrimi-
nately gathered from fox grape. 1t is re-
lated that Catawba vine was growing in the
neighborhood of the vine from which the seeds
were gathered and that an accidental cross
may have taken place, a supposition however
which does not seem apparent certainly no
artificial means We're employed In the convey
ance of pollen from one flower to another, and
1t is, therefore, nothing more nor less than an
accidental good Seeding. Even if the pollen
of the Catawba had been purposely conveyed
TO the flowers of the parent of the Concord
the progeny would only be cross of one
variety with another variety of the same spe-
cies.
The Lady Washington, Duchess and Salem
are reputed true hybrids, inasmuch as they are
said to have originated from the artificial pol
lenization of two plants belonging to different
species-that is, from some one of the different
American Species and the foreign species, Fitis
! UiHifera. There are also hybrids among culti-
waited grapes whose parents were of different
American species but most of our useful grapes
are seedlings, pure and simple from American
species, having no claim to hybridity.
The fact is, that but few of our best varieties
OF fruits are the result of special polarization.
| They are simply selected varieties which have
been produced from seeds gathered from good
as the Seckle and Sheldon pears which were
found growing in fields where the seeds had
accidentally been dropped. The same may be
said in regard to our best apples most of them
have been picked up in old fields and by way
SIDES, and further than this nothing of their
origin is known. The new pear, Kieffer, is
usually called a hybrid, although the evidence
in this case is only eircumstantial. The seed
from which it was produced was collected from
Chinese species, called the Sand pear, plant
which has long been planted as am ornamental
tree, being conspicuous for its large, shining
foliage and its round, hard UNBEATABLE fruits.
In the vicinity of this tree were fruiting trees
of Bartlett, Flemish Beauty and other yarie-
| ties, and from this circumstance it is supposed
that pollen from the flowers of some one of
these varieties had communicated with the
| flowers of the Sand pear. Those who main
tain that 1T may be nothing but mere variety
| OF the sand pear, maintain an opinion which,
| for aught we know at present, cannot be sub
stantially cOntr0yerted.
The lesson to be learned from all this is, see
ing that SO many fine varieties of fruits have
been produced incidentally, or from mere va
rIatl0n, how much greater improvements may
be made by careful selection of varieties to be
crossed for the production of fruits having spe-
| eially desired characteristics There is an i'm
mense field for this kind Of experiment, as ap-
| piled TO all cultivated plants.
THE SPADE AND DIGGING FORK.
On looking back over the past twenty years
or so, we do not recall any marked improve
ment which has been made upon the ordinary
working tools in the garden or pleasure grounds.
True, we have the moving machine for lawns
much simpliied and cheapened the effects of
which are quite apparent In the increased
and improved condition of our lawns In
pruning utensils we have the Waters improved
| tree pruner, which is one Of the best of It's
kind indeed, we have not used any pole pruner
| at all equal TO it. Various hand drilling ma
! chimes for sowing seeds are of some value, and
perhaps other articles might be enumerated bv
careful investigation. The common spade is
one of the oldest and most serviceable of garden
tools, and for ages it ranked as the best for
| turning over and working the soil; but it is
now largely superseded by the digging fork,
| which does the work better, with greater rapid
| ity, and vastly easier to the workman For
strong loamy clay soils it is as far superior TO
| the spade for turning over and pulyerizing
ground as the improved plows of to-day are in
| advance of the wooden plow5 of Egypt. The
soil must be very dry and sandy indeed that
cannot be worked more efficiently by broad
tined steel digging fork than it can be with the
| best spade. For slight or shallow digging
about trees, or in rose or other flower beds, the
| fork only should be used; among roots the
| spade IS too destructive. For digging up trees
| or plants of any kind the fork only should be
used, as il disintegrates the roots from the soil
| without destroying them.
WINDOW PLANTS.
| The cactus family are well adapted for win
| dow plants Among their advantages over other
| plants it may be mentioned that they are not
| apt to be infested with insects; viii exist in a
drier temperature than viii large-leaved plants
| they can also stand neglect IN watering better
fh1r1 Mo
making litter from falling leaves Some of
| them afford a magnificent display of flowers.
! The night blooming cereHs is as attractive
| when in flower as the Victoria lily of the ANA
| zon, and far more easily procured. The epy-
! piiliitHis sometimes called the crab-eactuses
/ are among the most beautiful towering plants
] IN cultivation; they are also easily managed
| as window plants. Then there are a vast num-
/ ber OF beautiful forms among cactii that render
| them worthy of window culture for this quail
| ity alone. Especially are some of the smaller
/ kinds of mei0eactlls and aGmmillaria perfect
| gems il shape and in the beauty of the arrange
ment of spines on their surfaces Many OF
| these have also very pretty flowers which are
| freely produced. Formerly it was supposed
that cactus required TO be planted in the poorest
| kind of soil, such as that made up of sand,
| pieces of broken bricks, and lime rubbish. This
was recommended as being in keeping with the
soil in which they were found in a wild state.
| 1t is now known that they grow best in rich
loanly, we'll drained soil, receiving a plentiful
/ supply of water when they are growing. and
kept perfectly dry and cool when growth ceases
SWEET vERNAL GRASS
| ARthOrGatham 0d0ratHm the sweet yernal
grass. IS sought after in some quarters under
! the suppo5ition that it is a valuable pasture
grass Tor pasture, and that it ilnparts flavor to
| butter which is highly esteemed. In both OF
these suppositions there is much fallacy. It is
not valuable pasture grass, neither does it in
! the green state confer any flavor 10 butter Its
fragrance is eliminated only after it is matured
and cured; the drying gives fragrance, so that,
| if any of it can be impaired TO milk products
| it must De consumed when made into hay.
! We have seen it recommended as lawn grass
on account of its fragrance but in a properly
| managed lawn no fragrance win be noticed in
this any more than in any other grass. One
may as we'll recommend the culture of tea and
| coffee plants IN greenhouses for the fragrance
! of dried tea and roasted coffee berries; the
! circumstances are exactly similar. The green
| leaves of tea have no fragrance, neither have
green coffee berries; the fragrance of both is
developed by heat after they are removed from
the plants. The sweet yernal grass is not rel
ished by cattle even in its green state. and il
viii not be eaten by them if they can find any
other grasses According to ANALYSIS this grass
only contains thirty-eight per cent of nutri-
ment, where timothy grass contains one hun
( dred, and timothy will produce Eve times rs
large crop. So that it is of but little value
and not desirable as grass for cultivation