148 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



shoots that have just homo roses, and a specimen 

 of the growth of the present season. This rose 

 has been the admiration of all who have seen it, 

 being greatly preferred to all of my pretty large 

 collection; and it fully realizes my most sanguine 

 expectations. It is in my opinion one hundred per 

 cent better than Lamarque." 



With the rose and specimens of wood and growth 

 before me, you must allow me to give you my 

 opinion of this truly fine rose. Chromatella and 

 Solfaterre are, I might say, pigmies in growth to 

 this seedling. I have at this time a fine plant of 

 Solfaterre and also of Chromatella in bloom, and 

 I have made a careful comparison. In growth, 

 flower and leaf, they are greatly inferior. This 

 seedling flower is very much larger and much 

 more double — the leaf far finer and half as large 

 again. Chromatella is a better grower than Sol- 

 faterre, but bears no comparison with the seedling ; 

 the leaf of Chromatella is smaller and not so deep 

 a green; that of Solfaterre is also much lighter in 

 colour; the bloom of Chromatella is not so large 

 as the seedling, although this was the poorest 

 blossom on the seedling. The old growth of the 

 seedling resembles more nearly the Beauty of 

 Prairies, as regards thickness, thorns, bearing 

 spurs, &c, than any rose I have in my collection; 

 the under surface of the new leaves is very red. 

 upper surface handsomely tinged with red ; old 

 leaves of the very deepest green. The cuttings 

 of this season's growth sent me, are three feet long, 

 and which I should judge to be only part of the 

 growth of this spring ; in thickness a little great- 

 er than a common pipe stem. The roses bloom 

 at the termination of the first growth of the win- 

 ter buds, and were in clusters of three and four 

 upon the branches sent me. I send you one of 

 the largest leaves upon this season's growth ; the 

 terminal leaves all have two small leaves (or 

 stipules) at the base, which neither Lamarque, 

 Solfaterre nor Chromatella possesses. As you 

 may think that the largest leaf is not a fair cri- 

 terion to judge from, I send you one of common 

 size, and send it enclosed so that you may see the 

 colour, if it does not dry up before you receive 

 this. I also send one of the smallest leaves, all 

 from the new growth of this spring's shoots sent 

 me. As to its habit, think of a rose putting up 

 shoots 16 to 18 feet in a season, the flower double, 

 yellow and fragrant as any Tea Rose. Is it not 

 an acquisition to the rose family ? This rose will 

 hereafter be known and designated by the name 

 of " Augusta," in compliment to Mrs. Matthews 

 and her second daughter. Yours, with respect. 

 A. FafiTiestock. Lancaster, Ohio, July. 1849. 



[This, judging from the foliage and the descrip- 

 tion of the flowers, is no doubt a valuable aquisi- 

 tion. Ed.] 



Osage Orange. — I wish to make a few inqui- 

 ries, respecting the Osage Orange, as a hedge 

 plant. 



First. You say that it is hardy wherever the 



Isabella grapes will mature in the open air. Will 

 it also mature its seed in a location where the 

 thermometer never falls more than four degrees 

 below zero? (which is the case here, near the foot 

 of Seneca lake.) 



Secondly. Will it throw up distant suckers 

 from the root? 



Thirdly. I have understood that its wood is as 

 durable as the Yellow Locust ; and if so, why may 

 it not be cultivated for its timber alone, in place 

 of the Locust, which is injured by the borer? 



Fourthly. In a location where both thrive 

 equally well, which would you prefer, on the 

 whole, for farm fencing purposes, the Osage 

 Orange or the Buckthorn? 



By answering the above queries, in the next 

 number of the Horticulturist, you will much oblige 

 several Farmers. 



Answers. — We have never known the seed of 

 the Osage Orange to ripen north of New- York; 

 but it is not unlikely that it may ripen in the 

 mild climate of Seneca lake. Our correspondent 

 is perhaps not aware that this tree, like many 

 other forest trees, is dioecious; and hence, the 

 male and female trees must stand near each other 

 to get perfect seeds, though the fruit is freely pro- 

 duced by the female trees, even if growing alone. 



It cannot be called a tree which suckers , in the 

 common meaning of the term ; but when the 

 hedge stands in tilled land, where the roots are 

 constantly broken by the plough, young shoots 

 from the root will occasionally spring up — not so 

 much as to become objectionable. 



The wood is quite elastic, and was formerly 

 much used by the Indians of Red river for bows. 

 It is also said to be durable; but we have no data 

 for judging of its value, as a timber tree at the 

 north. 



The Buckthorn is the hardiest and " toughest" 

 hedge plant we know, — growing in all soils and 

 all exposures, and making a hedge with less care 

 than almost any other plant; but unless well and 

 regularly sheared, it is not so good a barrier as 

 the Osage Orange, for the latter is particularly 

 thorny. Both have their advantages. We should 

 recommend the Buckthorn for cold latitudes, and 

 the Osajre Oramje for warm ones. Ed. 



Leaf-Blight — Dear Sir: A communication, 

 and a few observations from you, in the last num- 

 ber of the Horticulturist, on a subject to which I 

 have given some attention for the last three years, 

 viz., the leaf-blight on the pear tree, have in- 

 duced me to ride into the country and examine ■ 

 the Oswego Beurre, and other bearing trees, on 

 which I have observed this leaf-blight increasing 

 for several years. I send you several leaves from 

 the original Oswego Beurre, that bears this year 

 a full crop, as it invariably has for about twenty- 

 years. You will be able to judge whether our 

 leaf-blight is identical with that on the leave g 

 sent you by Mr. Hancock. These leaves ar 

 about an average, as indicating the extent of th 



