DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



99 



Northern Spy Apples. — We received from 

 Mr. Samuel Moulson, of Rochester, a box of 

 Northern Spy apples, — handsome, fresh, ami of 

 excellent quality, on the 2 1st of June last. There 

 are very few late keeping apples that will com- 

 pare with this at the season of its latest perfec- 

 tion; and we suggest to nurserymen to grow it 

 on Paradise stocks, as it will be in demand as a 

 J wail' apple for amateur gardens. 



Roses in Mid-summer. — There is no season 

 when Sowers are so scarce and so much valued in 

 this climate as in the month of July. The wealth 

 of blossoms of spring and early summer is past, 

 and the richness of autumn flowers has not yet 

 commenced. In short, it is precisely the florists' 

 " short commons" of the whole season. To make 

 the matter worse, we have occasionally a mid- 

 summer drouth, which parches almost every plant 

 so that the flower beds are guiltless of the least 

 gayety. 



I know that we ought to depend upon the ever- 

 blooming Bourbon, Perpetual, and other roses for 

 beauty and fragrance at this season. But, alas, 

 they also fail if the season is dry. I say, if the 

 season is dry; for I have found that with the least 

 moisture, the new growth of the everblooming 

 roses recommences. What they want, then, is 

 constant moisture; and this we can, I think, sup- 

 ply to a few beds, if we keep our everblooming 

 roses in beds by themselves, as we ought always 

 to do. 



And this leads me to say that one of the prevail- 

 ing fallacies of our gardeners, is that of planting 

 flowers in our dry and hot climate in raised or 

 convex beds ; that is, beds rounded up in the cen- 

 tre, so as to throw off all the light showers. Now 

 the practice, as a moment's reflection will con- 

 vince us, should be exactly the reverse. In other 

 words, your everblooming roses, and all summer 

 or autumn blooming flowers, should, in our cli- 

 mate, be planted in concave beds; that is, beds 

 with the surface depressed to the centre, like a 

 shallow dish. 



I have tried this mode, and find the difference 

 greatly in favor of the concave beds. Every 

 shower fills the concave bed, and thoroughly soaks 

 the loots of the roses, and sets them into a vigor- 

 ous growth, causing the product of abundant 

 new flower shoots; while the same shower only 

 alig ttly moistens the convex bed, — the larger part 

 of it being shed off by the sloping surface. 



There are the same advantages in watering the 

 convex beds. I may also remark, en passant, 

 that four beds of Bourbon and Tea roses, on which 

 I have had all the soap-suds and waste water of 

 the week's washing emptied since May, have been 

 continually covered with brilliant flowers from the 

 middle of May to this day. Yours respectfully, 

 Jin Jlmateur. New-York, July 19, 1849. 



Pyramids of Everblooming Roses — Dear 

 Sir : Nothing is so easily grown as a Prairie 



rose, as your readers are all aware. It is so 

 rigorous, so healthy, and so hardy. The best 

 mode ol growing it in the garden, is trained to a 

 stout pole about eight feet high. In this mode it 

 forms a tine pyramid of foliage; and if the best 

 sorts — such, for instance, as the " Queen of Prai- 

 ries" — are chosen, the effect, when in full bloom, 

 is tpiite magnificent. 



But the Prairie roses only bloom once. After 

 June, one has no flowers on these fine pyramids. 

 Thinking of this defect, it occurred to me three 

 years ago to bud a couple of these pyramids in 

 various places with the hardier Bourbon Roses. 

 It has succeeded to a charm. They unite very 

 readily with the Prairie stock, and bloom abun- 

 dantly for several months after the blossoms on 

 the Prairie shoots are past by. I have one be- 

 fore my window at this moment, on which Souve- 

 nir de Malmaison and General Dubourir are load- 

 ed with flowers. I do not cover the whole pyra- 

 mid with the everblooming shoots, (though per- 

 haps this would be the best course,) but prune 

 the Prairie shoots in so as to preserve a due 

 balance, and give each a fair chance. Yours, A 

 Philadelphia Subscriber. July 12, 1849. 



Diseased Pear Leaves — Dear Sir: I have 

 observed on my " Butter," or " Virgalieu" pear 

 trees, a disease on the leaves. It attacked the 

 leaves, I think, about the 20th ult, and looks like 

 spots of black mould. Previous to the leaves 

 being spotted, I saw no disease on the fruit ; but 

 soon after the leaves became diseased, the fruit 

 also became diseased or spotted in the same man- 

 ner. 



I have also noticed that on some parts of the 

 trees, the leaves are more diseased than on other 

 parts ; and wherever the disease is the worst on 

 the leaves, it is also worse on the fruit. Some of 

 my neighbors have noticed that their " Virga- 

 lieu" trees are diseased in the same way. 



It is barely possible that the disease attacks 

 the leaves first, and the fruit afterward; and if 

 so, we may yet be able to reclaim this fine old 

 variety. 



I enclose yon two leaves with the disease at- 

 tached to them. I observe, also, the Beurre Gris 

 is attacked the same way in the leaf. I am, dear 

 sir, yours truly, Tho. Hancock, jishton Nurse- 

 ries, Burlington, N. J., July 6, 1849. 



[We have examined the leaves sent, and re- 

 cognize the disease as an old acquaintance. 



It is a feebleness or want of vitality in the epi- 

 dermis, or outer surface of the leaf, and, as our 

 correspondent conjectures, makes its appearance 

 in the leaf first, and afterwards in the skin of the 

 fruit, which is spotted with small patches of a 

 brown or black colour. 



It is undoubtedly owing to a want of specific 

 food in the soil. A very liberal manuring of 

 ashes and strong animal manure will bring the 

 tree into good health again, when the disease 

 will disappear. We have seen it tested lately, in 



