534 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



" Southern folks," who have been used to cultivating 

 little else but corn and cotton, know but very little 

 indeed, in regard to the proper management of fruit 

 trees, except perhaps the peach. And even the 

 peach tree is left generally to take its own course, 

 and to live or die, whichever is most convenient. 



I have long wished to see something from your- 

 self or correspondents, on the foregoing subject, 

 from southern horticulturists of experience. 



Many in this section, feel anxious to raise the 

 fine kinds of plums, cherries, apricots, and pears, 

 but they fear that the climate will not answer. 

 Plums, apricots and cherries seem disposed to shed 

 or drop all their blossoms just as the young fruit is 

 forming, without the attack of any insect whatever. 

 My apricot trees have just finished dropping their 

 very last blossoms, to my very great disappoint- 

 ment- Now cannot you, or some of your experi- 

 enced contributors, plainly point out the cause of 

 this failure in the incipiency of the above named 

 fruits, and tell how to apply a sure remedy? 

 Whoever does so, certainly will be long remember- 

 ed by us, as a pomological benefactor of the South. 



I reside in latitude 30,41 — my soil is a sandy, ve- 

 ry friable loam, with a subsoil of sand and and clay; 

 the soil, unassisted by manure, is poor, but produ- 

 ces well with a moderate application of manure. 

 Peaches do very well indeed, and apples pretty 

 well, and I have no doubt but pears will do well, 

 and why plums, apricots, and cherries will not do 

 well, is something that I feel particularly anxious 

 to know. Your friend, Robert Harwell. Mobile, 

 March 15, 1848. 



Aberdken Beehive Strawberry. — In a late 

 number of the Horticultural Magazine, (English,) 



Mr. Mathewson of Aberdeen, Scotland, advertises 

 a new strawberry, which he calls the '•'Aberdeen 

 Beehive." Of its merits we know nothing ; but if 

 an opinion may be formed of what it is, or is likely 

 to bo, fron; the testimony of an experienced culti- 

 vator, no strawberry at present grown in Europe 

 or America can equal it. 



In Mons. Van Hotjtte'.-4 " Flares des Serres et 

 den Jardins de PEurope," for October, 1847, it is 

 thus spoken of: — "It far surpasses every other 

 known variety ; being worth as much as 20 of them 

 together. Each plant throws out from 50 to 120 

 clusters of fruit, which resemble a beehive, and so 

 coming to maturity that you may gather 15 to 30 

 ripe berries at any one time. A single plant has 

 borne, in the same season, 334 berries. For for- 

 cing, it is admirably adapted ; and a dozen plants 

 thus cultivated have yielded together 5600 straw- 

 berries. The extraordinary quality and beautiful 

 appearance of the fruit, cannot be appreciated ex- 

 cept by those who have seen and tasted them. 

 Each berry is round, and measures 3^ inches in cir- 

 cumference ; they are of a brilliant scarlet, which 

 relieves the bea itiful green of the leaves ; the fla- 

 vor hifrh ; the perfume delicious. As the colour 

 of the flesh is the same internally as externally, 

 they will make handsome preserves." 



If this description be not exaggerated, here is a 

 strawberry worth growing. But one nursery firm 

 has imported it, that we know of, — Messrs. Winter 

 k Co., of this village. W7n. W. Valk. Flushing, 

 L. I., January 7, 1848. 



Errratum. — In Mr. Manning's article on 

 peaches, p. 401, for Green Rareripe read Yellow 

 Rareripe. 



MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A business meeting was held March 4lh, 1S48, president 

 Wilder, in the chair. 



Francis Dana, Roxbury, was elected a subscription mem 

 ber of the society. 



At a meeting of the society, held April 1st, the following 

 gentlemen were proposed for membership. 



£'/«— George W. Warren, Boston, by the president. 



Subscription — Wm. S. WiUon, by Joseph Breck. 



Voted, Thai the thanks of the societyJje presented to the 

 New- York Agricultural Society for copies of their transac- 

 tions. 



A package of Onion seed was received from Charles W. Da- 

 buey, Esq., of Fayal, and it was 



Voted, That the thanks of the society be presented to Chas. 

 W Dabuey, Esq., of Fayal, an honorary member of the so- 

 ciety, for his donation of a package of onion seed, and that 

 the seed be placed in the hands of llie committee on vegeta- 

 bles for distribution. 



The Committee on Finance submitted the following report : 



The Committee on Finance, in accordance v/ith a vote of 

 the society, authorising them to mvest not exceeding ttvo tliou- 

 iand dollars, as a fun'l toward meeting the mortgage on Hor- 

 ticuhural Hall, beg leave to report. 



That they have purchased 15 shares of old stock in the Old 

 Colony Railroad, at 93 1-4 per cent of, say $1398,75, that the 



same has been paid for by the treasurer, and the certificate cf 

 said slock has been received by him. 



The committee, in view of the present state of the trea.«ury, 

 and the right the society will have to take their pro rata share 

 of the new stock in the Worcester railroad, if created, and for 

 which a bill is now pending in the Legislature, would advise 

 no further investment at present. 



The same committee to whom was referred the letting of 

 the society's store and cellar under their hall, have allended 

 to that duty and respectfully report : That they have conclud- 

 ed a contract with Mr. Bovvdnch, the present occupant, to re- 

 new and continue his present lease for the space of two 

 years, the price and terras in all respects to be the same, atid 

 recommend that a vote be passed, authorising the president to 

 confirm and carry out said agreement. 



All which is respecifuUy sdbraitted. 



JosiAH .Stickxet, 

 Joseph Balcu. 



Voted, That the report of the committee on finance be ac- 

 cepted, and that the president be authorised to make a re- 

 newal of the lease. 



Voted, That the president and recording .secretaiy be a 

 committee to provide tickeis ibr members and the public for 

 the coming season, and that the terms of admission be the 

 same as last year. E. C. R- Walker, Hec. Sec. 



