People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1895 — HORTICULTURE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HORTICULTURE.

The Beanty of the Trees. The landscape of northwestern lowa and of Nebraska and of South Dakota has been wonderfully changed, as the early settlers will bear us out, by the planting of trees. It used to be that as far as the eye could see was one monotonous roll of prairie, and now as far as the eye can see, the landscape is dotted by groves, in the midst of which are villages and the homes of farmers. The trees are great contributors to the comfort of man and beast. They shelter from the heat of summer and from the storm of winter —and the old settlers recognize the change as the later comers cannot. The influence of trees is important. They P r e beautiful, especially so in such h year as this, and they stimulate lOve of the beautiful; and so to match the trees we have the well kept lawns, the fringes of flowers, the climbing vines—the beautiful homes. Nature Is kind to ns all —kind to the pooi. What the rich do in conjunction with nature they cannot hide away for their exclusive enjoyment. It is something in which we all have a sort of copartnership. The lightest taxes we know of are thobe assessed by nature. It makes itself beautiful if left alone, out on the sweeps of prairie, which it sprinkles with wild flowers, and along the tangled banks of the water courses, where trees and vines and wild fruits are grown without the intervention of man’s help. In such a place as Sioux City, where 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 Hoime. In some localities it is rather difficult to secure a good cellar without considerable work. Often 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 vegetables. 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 doing the work if good results are to be secured. Two hy six inch studding will be the best; that is, not less than this should be used. They can be placed two feet apart, and it is usually best to brace the corners. Eight feet is plenty high, and in most cases six will be sufficient. It should be built close to the ground, so that it can be banked up readily on all sides. On the outside rough boards can be nailed on first, and over that a layer of tarred paper or heavy straw carefully weather-boarded. When it can be done, it will be best to fill the space between the studding with sawdust, taking care to fill in tightly. Rough boards can bo nailed on the inside, and over this tarred paper should again be tacked. Overhead a tight layer of boards should be put and on them a good layer of sawdust. A chimney, or piece for ventilation, should be provided. Care should be taken to make tight; the door and ventilation should be all the openings. Good, close-fitting doors, one to open outside and one inside, will help. Boxes or bins should be built inside and about four Inches away from the wall. This will give air space between the wall and the fruit. To make doubly sure, an old stove set in the room in which a little fire may be made In the severest weather, will be found a benefit, as a very little fire will lessen very materially the danger of damage. A house of this kind, in a winter like tha last one, will keep fruit and vegetables without freezing, but in winters such as we sometimes have a IRtle fire will be necessary.—Fruit Growers’ Journal.

More than 400 Plant Perfumes. —It is an interesting thing to know that 4,200 species of plants are gathered and used for commercial purposes in Europe. Of these 420 have a perfume that is pleasing and enters largely into the manufacture of 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.