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THE BEST MODE OF PRUNING THE PEACH. 



F. chilensis forms another species. It is 

 a native of South. America, in Chili and 

 Peru, and west coast of North America. 

 Flowers always dioecious from imperfect de- 

 velopment. There are eig-ht or ten varie- 

 ties, but none of them are worth cultivation; 

 all are tender, bad bearers, and of indiffer- 

 ent quality. 



We have still, as species, the F. bona- 

 riensis, F. canadensis, F. sundaica, and F. 

 morwphylla. The first may with propriety 

 be referred to F. grandifiora ; it is a native 

 of Monte-Video and Buenos Ayres. Of the 

 varieties of the other three but little is 

 known ; the F. monophylla has hermaphro- 

 dite flowers ; it is the Frasier de Versailles 

 of the French, and a worthless sort. If a 

 classification were attempted, based upon 

 the development of the floral organs, it 

 might be thus stated : 



The Alpines and Wood Strawberry, — 

 always hermaphrodite. 



The Scarlets and Black Strawberries, 

 F. grandifiora and varieties, F. chilensis 

 and varieties, — ahoays dioecious from abor- 

 tion. 



The Hautbois and varieties, and what is 



called the Green Strawberry, — usually dict- 

 cious from abortion. 



If this arrangement does not meet the 

 views of all, let a better be substituted; 

 for something of the kind has become the 

 more necessary, as a consequence of the 

 confusion now existing in relation to the 

 strawberry question, but about which, to 

 our mind, there is no question at all. There 

 are male and female strawberry plants, and 

 of the same variety, too, though friend Ho- 

 VEY emphatically says — twI and we can 

 tell him, also, that there are kinds which 

 will displace his seedling, though he may 

 never yet have seen them. 



Our views have now been given on the 

 strawberry question; and, to our mind, it 

 presents no difficulty, if disputants will but 

 bear in mind that the dioecious character of 

 some species, and of all varieties, is the re- 

 sult of accident rather than of fixed laws. 

 The fiowers proving abortive, failing to 

 reach maturity in the developments neces- 

 sary to perfect them, creates the necessity 

 for sexual distinction, and, whether or not 

 we know the reason, does not change the 

 fact. Wm. W. Valk, m. d. 



THE BEST MODE OP PRUNING THE PEACH. 



BY A JERSEYMAN. 



Mr. Downing — It seems to me that the pro- 

 mulgation of the improved mode of pruning, 

 called the " shortening-in'^ mode, in the 

 •' Fruits and Fruit Trees of America," is 

 one of the greatest benefits yet conferred 

 on the thousands of cultivators of this best 

 of all our fruits — the Peach. 



I believe you state that this mode has 

 long been known and practiced in Europe, 

 and that the peach tree is hence a great 

 deal longer lived there than in the United 



States. Be this as it may, I am sure that 

 it was previously little known or practiced 

 on standard trees in this country ; that the 

 great benefits that would result from it were 

 beforehand quite unknown to the majority 

 of our peach growers. 



It is, indeed, the only scientific mode of 

 pruning this tree ; for the common way of 

 thinning out the branches, practiced with 

 little care or skill on most of our fruit trees, 

 is particularly unsuited to this. No better 



