244 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



land — a perfect sacrifice to royal extravagance and 

 ostentation. Yet of all that fertile park at Wind- 

 sor castle, which feeds double the quantity of stock 

 of any park, arable or otherwise, that I have seen 

 in New or Old England, there is but a single acre 

 or so, appropriated to a terrace flower-garden op- 

 posite the private apartments of the Royal family. 

 There you may see the cattle browsing close to 

 the castle gates. And there vou may see the 

 Queen and her husband walking among them with 

 far less peevish delicacy or false refinement, than 

 most of the American ladies would do. Even 

 the pleasure parks of London produce their quan- 

 tum of human food in the shape of beef and mut- 

 ton, since they are all kept short by the grazing 

 of sheep or cows. The English gentry know the 

 use of money, and the want of it too well to allow 

 their parks to bo unproductive for mere ostenta- 

 tion and display. 



The people of England arc proud, and justly 

 too, of their parks. They are the distinguishing 

 features of an English landscape, and present to 

 the lover of nature a combination of utility and 

 beauty which no other country in the world can 

 supply, and which the ablest writers and men of 

 taste have been laboring for years past to intro- 

 duce into this country. Contrast one of these old 

 country mansions with those cited in the editor's 

 excellent leading article of the September Horticul- 

 turist — place them in juxtaposition, and I ask — 

 which would you imitate and which condemn ? I 

 repeat that these parks, so disparaged by your 

 correspondent, are the glory of the countr}' ; and 

 barbarous indeed would be the taste that could 

 ruthlessly destroy them. 



A critic should be just as well as generous; but 

 especially ought he to be impartial and unprejudi- 

 ced. Some people cannot write the name of Eng- 

 land without spitting fire at it. But were the sen- 

 timents consistent, the language might be excused. 



As I have ventured to quiz, probably l ome great 

 incog — I hope he will receive my remarks in the 

 friendly spirit in which I write them, and thank 

 me for my candor. R. B. Leuchars. New Haven, 

 Ct., Sept., 1849. 



Planting Dwarf Pears. — Dear Sir : In plant- 

 ing out dwarf pear trees — where there is much 

 length of stock between the fibrous roots and the 

 graft, I have often been perplexed to decide how 

 deep to plant it. Mr. Rivers' advice relieved me, 

 and his plan at first seemed very judicious. But I 

 have been in doubt since, whether it was desirable 

 to proceed on that plan in this country, lest the 

 tree should suffer from drouth. What do you think? 

 The roots are encouraged to spread only on the 

 surface; or, in fact, in a mound above the sur- 

 face. The lower roots are discouraged. The 

 upper roots have a highly manured soil, which it 

 seems to me would be particularly trying to them 

 in July. 



Well, if its objectionable, what plan shall we 

 use? Put it down in all cases — the graft to the 



surface? Then, shall we encourage surface roots 

 — as all the English and French writers advise ? 

 or shall we get depth of soil — and manure high 

 and low — or which ? Yours truly, Smock. Hart- 

 ford, Ct., Sept. 11, 1849. 



[Make your soil deep and rich, and the roots 

 will take care of themselves. Ed ] 



Paving Plum Trees. — Mr. Downing: Paving 

 about plum trees to thwart the curculio, always 

 appeared to me to be the sheerest nonsense. 

 Whether they fly or not, its value is precisely the 

 same. It presents no obstacle to wings; and cer- 

 tainly much facilitates progress on legs. Why 

 wont gentlemen who are so fond of recommending 

 it, try the same experiment with their cherry trees, 

 to keep off the birds ; or build bridges over their 

 garden fences, to prevent the inroads of unruly 

 boys; and enrich us with the record of their saga- 

 city ? If the curculio passes up the body of the 

 tree, as is claimed to be " conceded," why not in- 

 vest funds to the extent of a cent per tree in tar? 

 A sum not so exorbitant but most plum-growers 

 might be tempted to risk it; and the expedient 

 would certainly he more embarrassing to footsteps 

 than brick pavement. The true worth of a re- 

 commendation lor the preservation of fruit, in ad- 

 dition to being effectual, is its capability of uni- 

 versal application. Paving, at $3 per tree, is as 

 generally impracticable, and would be as rarely 

 adopted, as enclosing trees in glass houses. Its 

 expensiveness and doubtful utility, at best, con- 

 demn it. 



There is nothing known of the nature of the 

 curculio opposed to the probability that, having 

 wings, they fly, if necessary, to perpetuate their 

 race; nor of the grub, that, having legs, they also 

 have wit enough to convey themselves, after es- 

 caping from the fallen fruit, from where they can't 

 burrow to where they can, though in passing over 

 pavements they sometimes doubtless perish, like 

 bigger worms over the deserts of Sahara. The 

 sagacity of the curculio provides against this dif- 

 ficulty, where it is possible, by the selection of 

 localities more favorable to the prosperity of the 

 rising generation. Hence, paved trees are shun- 

 ned where others can be found. Let all be paved, 

 and all would suffer. I venture to predict that, 

 unless Mr. Spalding, of Lockport, has near 

 neighbors, w r hose plum trees are not paved, every 

 one of his own will hereafter be attacked. By 

 cultivating two sets — one for himself, and another 

 for the curculio — he has hitherto preserved his 

 share; but by paving the whole, I am mistaken 

 if he will not be the loser. Paving, on such 

 terms, may by some be considered advisable; but 

 I don't apprehend a scarcity of brick will grow out 

 of it. J. C. H. Syracuse, September 18, 1849. 



Pear Blight in Times Past. — Dear Sir: I 

 think your correspondent, in the September num- 

 ber, is wrong in attributing pear blight, &e., to 

 modern improvements. Some 25 years ago, be. 



