46 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



Luculia pincianum — a new plant with superb 

 heads of pink blossoms. 



Viburnum japonic urn — distinct species — leaves 

 broad and glossy. 



Among other new and rare species lately intro- 

 duced, were also the following — Ribes gerdonia- 

 num. Henfreya scandens, Lycium fuchsioides, 

 Eschynanthus Lobbianus and Penstemon crassi- 

 folius. The latter, Messrs. H. think, will form a 

 good plant for " bedding out," and have made a 

 trial of it this season. Scutellaria ventenattii 

 is also likely to prove valuable for the same pur- 

 pose. 



But it would require more space than we have 

 at our disposal to do justice to the exotics in 

 the Yorkville nursery. Any of your plant-loving 

 readers who may have a couple of hours to spare, 

 would find them most agreeably employed in a vi- 

 sit to this establishment. 



Messrs. Hogg, in showing us their strawberry 

 beds, took occasion to declare their total want of 

 faith in the sexual theory. They contend from 

 long experience that swelling of the fleshy recep- 

 tacle which we call the fruit of the strawberry, 

 is entirely independent of the action of the pollen 

 — since there may be excellent strawberries with 

 few or no perfect seeds. On the other hand, they 

 declare that it is to the condition of the soil alone 

 that the barrenness of good strawberries is always 

 to be attributed — a deep and suitable soil, and 

 good cultivation always giving a heavy crop, and 

 an unsuitable soil the contrary — so that in indiffer- 

 ent or exhausted soils the finest strawberries blos- 

 som, but set no fruit. 



Boston Pine Strawberry. — We are bound to 

 do this strawberry, originated by Mr. Hovey of 

 Boston, the justice to say that it succeeds admira- 

 bly with us — bearing large crops of excellent 

 fruit — the berries of fine size and higher flavored 

 than Hovey's seedling. It sets a full crop by itself, 

 without the necessity of looking after staminate 

 plants, the blossoms, like those of the Large Ear- 

 ly Scarlet, being well provided with stamens and 

 pistils. 



To make Healthy Foliage. — Sometimes the 

 leaves of plants, both in pots and in the ground, 

 lose their natural green colour. Very often we 

 can see at a glance that it is owing to unsuitable 

 soil, bad drainage or the like; but occasionally, it 

 is very difficult to account for it. 



Now in many cases, especially when it arises 

 from the want of suitable food, syringing or sprink- 

 ling the foliage with a solution of carbonate of 

 ammonia (the sal-ammoniac of druggists) restores 

 the natural healthy condition of the foliage, great- 

 ly promotes growth, and gives new life and vigor 

 to the plant. 



Take two ounces of sal-ammoniac and dissolve 

 it in a gallon and a-half of water. Sprinkle or 

 shower this over the foliage two or three times — 

 twice in a week if the plant is only slightly affect- 



ed. Two or three applications are generally suf- 

 ficient to give a remarkably green and healthy ap- 

 pearance to the foliage, especially if applied when 

 the tree or plant is making a new growth. 



Swedish Cherry. — The cherry known by this 

 name on the Ohio river has fruited with us this 

 season, and appears to be identical with our Ear- 

 ly White Heart. 



Pomological Conventions — Dear Sir : Per- 

 mit me, through the medium of your widely ex- 

 tended journal, to say a few words on the subject 

 of pomological conventions. Two such conven- 

 tions, both claiming to be national, are to assem- 

 ble in the autumn of the present year, — the one 

 to be held at Syracuse, and the other in the city 

 of New- York. Both have taken the preliminary 

 steps, and no doubt will be numerously attended. 

 The question need not now be discussed which is 

 the simon pure ; as in the opinion of many judi- 

 cious men, both have equal claims. Neither need 

 we now argue the question, whether we this year 

 shall have one or two conventions. That has al- 

 ready been fully settled. But we may with pro- 

 priety discuss the question, whether some ar- 

 rangements shall not be entered into, that shall, 

 after this year, merge the two conventions in one. 

 Is it pbssible to bring this about ? Is it not very 

 desirable to do so? Is not a very large majority 

 of the pomologists in our country opposed to the 

 two conventions assuming an attitude of hostility 

 towards each other? And have we not ground 

 for many forebodings that this will be the case? 

 Shall an effort be made to bring this about? Or 

 shall we stand aloof, and say to each other as Un- 

 cle Toby said to the flea, — " Go, poor devil; the 

 world is big enough for us both." 



The fact need not be disguised, that many of 

 our western friends are in favor of having two po- 

 mological conventions. The one to embrace the 

 eastern states, and seaboard ; the other for west- 

 ern New- York, and the western states. The main 

 plea is, that the two sections of country differ so 

 widely in diversity of climate and soil, that many 

 of our choice western fruits are inferior in the 

 eastern states, and are in danger of being un- 

 justly classed as second or third rate. This and 

 other arguments that could be named, are urged 

 in favor of a western organization. 



Some of our eastern friends, too, are quite te- 

 nacious, and seem determined that the congress 

 shall be acknowledged as the national convention. 

 And equally strenuous are some of our western 

 friends, that the " North American Pomological 

 Convention" shall be the convention. But shall 

 the great body of pomologists in our country suf- 

 fer themselves to become entangled in a contro- 

 versy of mere etiquette? 



How shall these two conventions be merged 

 in one? The only way to bring this about, is for 

 the great mass of pomologists, from the east and 

 from the west, to attend both of the conventions ; 



