128 State Horticultural Society. 



at the preserving- house. All stages of the work were in progress. The 

 plum butter and all other prockicts were cooked in small, shallow retorts 

 by steam heat. The result of this work was an array of beautiful jars 

 of preserves, canned fruits and jellies, such a collection as would win 

 piizes at any State fair, delight the hearts of housekeepers and of hungry 

 boys. A>ry properly these are used by the boys and faculty who live 

 on the grounds. Instruction in floriculture and landscape gardening is 

 apparent on every hand. Alost astonishing were the glorious begonia 

 blossoms 4 to 5 inches across, and double ones as large, like delicate 

 double hollyhocks, of every shade and hue. In a storage house we found, 

 lying on racks, not only pears as we are accustomed to have, that they may 

 ripen off the tree, but peaches also, and apples, plums and tomatoes. 



We all know of the time given in care to a tree, or perhaps two 

 in a tiny garden, or to one trained against the stone wall ; but we Amer- 

 icans scarcely guess what can be done on a roof in a space 20 feet square. 

 Our hostess at Rome had all her horticultural products on a sm'all part of 

 her roof. You went through a gate from the other part to this shady 

 room. The wall of the house comes up about 4 feet above the roof, and 

 on a shelf inside were the rows of pots and boxes that held her plants. 

 Ail manner of flowers she had, and in large boxes sitting on the floor 

 grew the larger shrubs and vines. The hose came into play every even- 

 ing to give them all a good drink. On the w^ires overhead were trained 

 the vines for shade. The wistaria flourished, the honeysuckle added its 

 share of shade, the five leafed ivy apparently struggled for existence, al- 

 though it had as much earth and water as its neighbors. One grape vine 

 gave promise of a small crop. The nespoli or medlar tree grew in a 

 tub and bore fruit, and from the few wild strawberry plants in little 

 boxes we had a taste of 3 or 4 tiny dry sweet berries. 



The nespoli or medlar tree grows as large as a persimmon tree and 

 the fruit is shaped like a small pear with a very yellow skin, but the 

 flesh white and as smooth as satin, the seeds are large as persimmon seeds. 



The practical mind of a horticulturist might not be delighted by the 

 grape vines of Italy, but his artist soul would surely be charmed. The 

 vines are trained in luxuriant festoons from tree to tree along the borders 

 of small grain fields or there would be a row of trees, each side of an 

 iirigating ditch, each joined to the next by the graceful green 

 garlands of the vine. In an orchard five or six festoons will 

 reach from a center tree to its surrounding neighbors. Such grace and 

 beauty could be accomplished in no other way than by these loveh' bend- 

 ing garlands of the rich dark foliage. The trees used for the supports 

 are often planted and grown for the purpose, but they are usually forest 



