People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1895 — HORTICULTURE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HORTICULTURE.

The Beauty of the Tree*. The landscape of northwestern lowa and of Nebraska and of South Dakota has been wonderfully changed, as the j early settlers will bear us out, by the i planting of trees. It used to be that ! as far as the eye could see was one monotonous roll of prairie, and now as I far as the eye can see. the landscape is dotted by groves, in the midst of which 1 are villages and the homes of farmers. ; The trees are great contributors to the ! comfort of man and beast. They shell ter from the heat of summer and from i the storm of winter—and the old setI tiers recognize the change as the later comers cannot. j The influence of trees is important. They are beautiful, especially so in ’ such a year as this, and they stimulate love of the beautiful; and so to match I the trees we have the we’.l kept lawns, the fringes of flowers, the climbing vines—the beautiful homes. Nature i is kind to us all—kind to the poot. , What the rich do in conjunction with ! nature they cannot hide away for their | exclusive enjoyment. It is something in which w Q all have a sort of copartnership. The 'lightest taxes we I know of are these assessed by nature. , It makes itself beautiful if left alone, 1 out on the sweeps of prairie, which it I sprinkles with wild flowers, and along I the tangled banks of the water courses, ■ where trees and vims and wild fruits are grown without the intervention of ! man’s help. In such a place as Sioux City, where I the homes of the people are not ; crowded, the family having little but ! the patch of ground with a roof can make the place lovely with a creeping vine, flowers here and there, and a tree or two which will rise as grandly and spread its sheltering arms as far on ground belonging to the humble or the poor as on ground belonging to the proud and the rich. The smaller towns and the country have compensations that crowded cities cannot know. It is a wonderfully good thing to own your own home, and, owning it. to have pride in it, and to make manifest your love of it by making it beautiful. There are many ways of rendering public service, which in the main, is closely identified with service of ourselves, but there is no way that is better, so universally within the reach of people of whom we are speaking, as this way of trees, and grass and vines and flowers at home.—Sioux City Journal.

A Fruit Houitc In some localities it Is rather difficult to secure a good cellar without considerable work. Otten draining by digging a trench is necessary; and when this is the case it will often pay to build a fruit house above the ground, rather than to run the risk of water flooding in and damaging the fruit and vegetable. A fruit house, if well built, so as to be frost-proof, is much more convenient than a cellar in many ways,, but good care must be taken in dwing, the work if good resides are to be cured. Two ’ey six inch studding will be the’ best; thafl is. not less than this should be used. They can be placed two feet apart, andl it is usually best to brace’ the corners. Eight feet is plenty high, and in most cases six will be sufficient. It should bo* built close to the ground, so Jhat it cam be banked up- readily on all sides. Oni the outside roiugij boards can be nailedi on first, and over that a layer of tarred paper or heavy straw carefully weather-boarded. When it cam be done, it will be best to fill the space between the studding with sawdusts taking care to fill in tightly. Rougfti boards can lie nailed on the inside, and over this tmrred paper should agaiih be tacked. Overhead a tight layer off boards should be put and on them a go&u layer of sawdust. A efrimney. or place for ventilation, shonftf be providetF. Care should he taken to make tight; tire door and ventilation sttouid be all the openings. Good, cibse-niting doors., one to open outside arad' one inside, w?£l: help. Boxes or bins should be builti inside and about fourr inches away famm the wall. This wilßgrre air space between the wall and th» fruit. To make-doubly sure, an old stove set in the in which a little Hire may be madfe in the severest weathmt, will be foungi a benefit. as a very little fire will lesssn very materially the* danger of damage. A house of this Itaird. in a winter Mke the last one, will Iteep frnit and vegetables without freezing, but in winters such as we sometimes have a little-fire will be necessary.—Fruit Growers" Journal.

More thaio 100 Plant Perfunres.—lt is an interesting thing to know that 4,200 species of plants are gathered and used for commeoeial purposes in Europe. Of these 420 Brave a perfume that is pleasing and eaters largely into the manufacture as scents, soaps and sachets. There are more species of ‘white flowers gathered than of any other color—--1,124. Of these 187 have an agreeable scent, an extraordinary large proportion. Next in order come yellow’ blossoms, with 951, 77 of them being perfumed. Red flowers number 823. of which 84 are scented.—Ex. According to the eleventh census, the estimated value of all the farm products raised in this country in 1889 was $2,460,107,454. The Delaware legislature has appointed a commission to visit all peach orchards In the state and destroy all trees affected by the yellows.