240 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



the growth of creepers upon them, than those built 

 of solid materials. 



Large Chestnuts. — We are indebted to D. Tom- 

 LiNso.v, Esq., of Schenectady, for a sample of some 

 native Chestnuts, of very larjre size, which we have 

 planted, in the hope of producing still larger vari- 

 eties. Our native nuts have hitherto been kept 

 entirely without the pale of horticultural improve- 

 ment. There is no doubt whatever, that the size 

 of our Hickorynuts, Chestnuts, Butternuts, &c., 

 may be doubled, and their flavor greatly improved, 

 by selecting and planting the largest and finest 

 seeds of such native specimens as are most re- 

 markable for their qualities ; and certainly fruits 

 so valuable in their wild state, are worthy of some 

 attention by the arboriculturist, and the originator 

 of new fruits. 



Strawberries. — Dear Sir : — The writer of the 

 article on this subject in your last, (Wm. W. Valk,) 

 has never inspected my strawberry grounds, and 

 there is no other garden in which my rarest varie- 

 ties can be found. I will therefore simply add to 

 my previous remarks, that the two Secretaries of 

 the Long Island Horticultural Society, who are 

 highly respectable and honorable men, have very 

 frequently overlooked, with me, the various new 

 and estimable varieties of Strawberries, and if my 

 communications are not invariably correct, I 

 call upon them to controvert me. I have no wish 

 (unless in responding to attacks,) to trespass on the 

 patience of your readers, except^when I have some- 

 thing interesting to communicate. Wm. R- Prince, 

 Flushing, L. J., Oct. 15, 1847. 



Queries on Hedges. — In your editorial for the 

 June number of the Horticulturist, you recommend 

 the Cedar of Lebanon, as being worthy of cultiva- 

 tion in this part of the United States. In an orna- 

 mental point of view, it no doubt possesses all the 

 merits you claim for it, but I wish to inquire if it 

 also has the everlasting property of our common 

 Red Cedar — in short, whether its timber would 

 make posts as durable as those of the Red Cedar, 

 (Juniperus virginiana.) 



If it possesses this important requisite, I should 

 suppose it would be worthy of cultivation for its 

 tmiber alone, as its large growth would supply the 

 important desideratum (wanting in the Red Cedar) 

 of furnishing logs large enough to make timber 

 suitable for any purpose. (a) 



A word about hedges. In this vicinity, the Red 

 Cedar grows naturally, and from its tiiiek habit of 

 growth, branching out near the ground, and the 

 stitfness of its timber, I have thought that it might 

 be successfully used for hedges. Have you any 

 experience on the subject ? The only thing I should 

 fear would be, that it would be browsed by cattle, 

 or would the peculiar pungent taste of its foliage 

 prevent this? (6) 



After reading your " Chapter on Hedges," I last 

 spring procured from the east 1000 Buckthorn 

 plants, seedlings of one year's growth. The hedge 

 was planted alter your direction, and the plants 

 have grown remarkably, some of them being now 

 two feet high, though cut off within an inch of the 



ground at the time of planting. But as yet they 

 are by no means in good condition to go into battle, 

 being totally without armour of any description. — 

 Not a thorn, prickle, nor point of any kind, has yet 

 made its appearance. Will age increase their fe- 

 rocity, as it does that of some animals ? and if so, 

 how long before I may expect them to begin to 

 show fight ? It is said that the medical properties 

 of this plant, will prevent mice from eating its 

 bark. Will the same cause prevent cattle from 

 browsing its foliage ? (c) Yours. .^ Subscriber 

 in Ontario Co. Sept. 29, 1847. 



(a) Though the timber of the Cedar of Lebanon 

 was very highly esteemed by the ancients, it does 

 not possess the durability of the American Red 

 Cedar. 



(6) There are miles of Red Cedar hedges on 

 Long Island, and in some parts of Pennsylvania. 

 The farmers there make a rude hedge by plashing, 

 or interweaving it, and it is very permanent. But 

 it is only when regularly sheared, or trimmed, like 

 the thorn, that the Red Cedar makes a satisfactory 

 hedge. There is a fine example of this in the nur- 

 sery of Mr. Jas. Wilson, near Albany, where a 

 specimen of the Red Cedar hedge may be seen, as 

 nearly perfect as any thing of the kind well can 

 be. 



(c) The thorns of the Buckthorn are produced 

 at the end of the shoots, and are not much devel- 

 oped till the hedge has three or four years of 

 growth, when they arp sufficiently numerous ; trim- 

 ming the hedge increases their number and protect- 

 ive qualities every year. 



Cattle will not browse upon either the Buckthorn 

 or the Red Cedar. — Ed. 



CiNCHONiA, OR Peruvian Bark. — The prepara- 

 tion of this bark, sulphate of quinia, is used more ex- 

 tensively in the various grades of intermittent fevers, 

 in the west, than all other remedies, and it is a 

 most costly one, and often difficult to procure. — 

 Can quinia not be obtained from some shrub or 

 plant native to this country, and at less expense ? 

 A shrub here called wahhoo, I know not its botanic 

 name, is the best known substitute for quinia. It 

 has an unusually thick liber, of great strength, and 

 seems to be equally effective in the same diseases, 

 and requiring less dose, than of Peruvian bark, but 

 greater than of quinia. The next best substitute 

 is Boneset, {Eupatorium perfoliatum.) It seems 

 to me highly probable one of these, or some other 

 native plant, would supply this highly important 

 article in abundance. Are there not among your 

 readers scientific gentlemen, who for the good of 

 their country and the relief of the sufl'ering, or the 

 love of gain, can be induced to experiment on this 

 matter? E. N. Walhonding, Ohio. 



Pomological Notes from Rhode-Island. — 

 Yesterday I sent you the Wescott pear. There 

 were sent four specimens of this fruit exhibited at 

 our annual shows, all of which were slightly too 

 ripe, so that its quality could not be so fairly tested 

 by them as desired. I fend you a description and 

 outline of the Abbott Seedling. I regret that we 

 could not furnish you a specimen of the fruit, but 

 we had not a single one to spare. These two va- 

 rieties are, in our opinion, of first rate excellence, 



