DOMESTIC NOTICES, 



487 



before the public. Cultivators of experience will 

 always test opinions, whether <fiven by our corre- 

 spondents or ourselves, by their own experience and 

 observation ; and on such an unsettled question as 

 tde pear blii^ht, there will naturally bo some disa- 

 greement. Ed. .... 



The Orchardists' Saw. — I notice, in the Janu- 

 ary number of the Horticulturist, a description of a 

 new frrafting tool. I have myself been planning 

 some improvement, of a similar kind, and am now 

 having made for me an article which I propose to 

 call " The Orchardists' Saw." 



Fig. 57.— Tlie Orchardists^ Saw. 

 This saw is to be used for pruning, and more es- 

 pecially for engrafting. The saw-blade is about 

 one foot long. A, represents a thin curved edge 

 for cutting open the stock, instead of splitting it, as 

 is usually practiced. B, is the place for striking 

 with a hammer, when driving the cutting edge, 

 A, into the stock. C. is the handle of the saw, 

 made entirely of iron. D, is the wedge for holding 

 open the stock when inserting a scion. E, a nar- 

 rower wedge for small stocks. F, a hook to hansr 

 the saw upon a limb of the tree. The wedges, D 

 and E, may b^ driven with a hammer by striking 

 on the inside of the handle C. at C or H. 



It will be perceived that the additions to this saw 

 for engrafting do not in the least interfere with its 

 use for pruning. The curved cutting edge, A, is 

 much better adapted to our wants than any kind of 

 splitter, whatever, can be ; as it vv'ill make a clean 

 smooth cut, through bark and stock, without any 

 bruise or slivers. Indeed, my orchardists' saw seems 

 to me to be " the identical thing ;" and, as you say 

 of Mr. Foote's stock-splitler, 1 "generously place 

 the invention at the service of the public." Truly 

 yours. Geo. Jaques. Worcester, Mass., January 

 10th, 1848. 



Osage Orange, Bitckthorn, &c. — There are 

 two or three practical matters on which a few hints 

 would be very acceptable to me, and perhaps to 

 some more of your readers. 



Is the Osage Orange found sufficiently hardy to 

 endure the winter in most situations, as a hedge 

 plant, as far north as forty degrees? 



what is the best season and manner of sowing 

 the seed of the Osage Orange and the Buckthorn? 

 Also, on raising seedling roses for stocks and 

 the proper season for budding them. Yours re- 

 spectfully. ^ Subscriber. Washington, 0., Feb. 

 23, 1848. 



Answer. — It is impossible to speak definitely re- 

 specting the hardiness of any plant, as measured 

 by degrees of latitude ; for the altitude of the coun- 

 try, the forests, lakes, &c., greatly modify the tem- 

 perature of particular localities. 



But we can give our readers a safer guide, by 

 comparing the hardiness of one plant by that of 

 another generally known and cultivated. We say,. 



then, the Osage Orange will be found perfectly 

 hardy as a hedge plant, and make a most efficient 

 hedge, too. wherever the Isabella grape grows and 

 matures its fruit well in the open air. We say, as 

 a hedge plant, because experience has shown that 

 any tree, somewhat tender, becomes much more 

 hardy when it is forctrl to make short-wood, and to 

 assume the dwarfish liabit of a hedge. 



Both the Osage Orange and the Buckthorn may 

 be sown in the spring or autumn. In the former, 

 soak the seed ir. hot water twenty minutes before 

 planting them. They are both as easily grown as 

 peas, and may be sown and raised the first vear in 

 drills, very much in the same way. Very full and 

 complete directions for raising hedges of both these 

 plants, beginning at the seed bed, will be found in 

 the February No. of the Horticulturist for 1847. 



The seeds of roses should be gathered in the fall, 

 washed clean, and kept in boxes o( damp sand in a 

 cellar till spring. They must then be sown in rich 

 light soil. They are budded in July. Ed. 



Annual Vines. — Some of your readers who want 

 to cover trellises rapidly, or conceal unsightly ob- 

 jects, may be glad to know what are the best an- 

 nual vines for this purpose. Certainly one of the 

 very best is the Blue Cobea, (Cobea -scandens,) 

 which may be had of most of the fiorists, in the 

 spring, m small pots. Planted in any good, rich 

 soil, this climber will often grow 30 or 40 feet in a 

 season, making quite a displav of foliage, and 

 bearing an abundance of large, purplish blossoms, 

 much like those of the Canterbury oel. Next, is 

 that old favorite, the Balsam Pear. The seeds 

 may be had at the seed-shops ; and if [ilanted three 

 or lour inches apart, in good soil, about the middle 

 of April, a large trellis, 15 or more feet high, may 

 be covered by midsummer; and in the autumn 

 there are few things more curious or ornamental 

 than the singular fruit of this vine, which bursts 

 open of itself when ripe, and displays a rich orange 

 centre. 



The scarlet flowered morning glory, with neat 

 foliage aud small bright blossoms, like those of the 

 Cypress vine, is the prettiest of all the convolvulus 

 tribe that are easily grown from seeds. I ought 

 not to forget the Purple Maurandia (iM. Barclay- 

 ana.) a perennial vine that may be had at the 

 green-houses ; and which, put out in the border 

 with a little frame to wiiich to attach its tendrils, 

 will be loaded with its fine, rich, purple, foxglove- 

 like blossoms every day in the growing season. 

 There is a species, also, with pink blossoms, {M. 

 Inphospermum,) more viirorous in its habit ; " Sweet 

 Peas," everybody is familiar with. Round a cotta- 

 ger's house, I like nothing so well as to see the 

 hop-vine running over a rustic arbor ; and the pret- 

 tiest and gayest of cottage annual vines is the scar- 

 let-runner, (bean,) which gives at once pretty ef- 

 fect and plenty of good food. Ipomea Learii ; this 

 large, deep blue convolvulus has now become com- 

 mon enough to be alJbrdcd cheaply at this season 

 in the year in pots ; and there are few climbing 

 plants which equal it in splendor, every morning, 

 iVom midsummer to November. It grows in rich 

 soil amazingly fast, ^n Amateur Florist. New- 

 York, March, 1848. 



