356 



CRITIQUE ON THE DECEMBER HORTICULTURIST. 



or admirable fruit can be offered to oar 



palates than the grape; and they musl — 

 it's a settled question— be grown in vineries. 



New Fruits of South Carolina.— \i being, 

 in my mind, " a settled fact," that every 

 climate must grow indigenously its own 

 best fruits for ordinary cultivation, our 

 southern friends can do no better than to 

 produce from their seedlings the fruits they 

 require. I am glad to see they are at work 

 in this important branch of their luxuries. 



At Saratoga, where I was two years ago, 

 at the state cattle show, a gentleman, con- 

 nected with the pomological exhibition, 

 brought down a basket of delicious plums 

 from the show grounds, which he distri- 

 buted among the guests at the dinner table 

 of one of the fashionable hotels. I over- 

 heard a lady, to whom some of them were 

 presented, remark, that she should preserve 

 the stones and carry with her to South 

 Carolina, where she intended to plant them. 

 I trust she will receive a good account from 

 them. 



I have little doubt that, twenty years 

 hence, our southern states will be well sup- 

 plied with indigenous fruits, of the kinds 

 now so easily cultivated with us, provided 

 they give the requisite attention to it. Mr. 

 Summer is entitled to the thanks of his 

 friends and neighbors for his zeal in this 

 department. 



The Camellia Japo?dca. — Not knowing 

 much about it, only as I admire its pure 

 and delicious flower in a lady's hair, I 

 shall, more wisely, let it alone. 



On Indian Corn.—\{ Carlyle, like Cob- 

 bett, in his day, would only consent to write 

 English always as he does now, he would 

 be one of the most attractive authors of the 

 day. Yet despite his vile transposition of 

 his native tongue, I like him ; and this es- 



say on our Indian corn is valuable, and to 

 the purpose. We can feed England, Scot- 

 land and Ireland cheaper and better on our 

 corn, so far as required, than they can be 

 fed in any other way ; and when so simple 

 and effective a method can be employed in 

 drying it as we have at home, I am aston- 

 ished that those " in the trade" do not at 

 once establish works for its necessary pre* 

 paration. 



This article will do good in our country 

 by drawing attention to the subject ; and 

 as Mr. Carlyle has condescended, in this 

 instance, to write intelligible English, he 

 may, by its success, be won into the exer- 

 cise of his vernacular on other subjects. 

 Suppose he should, for variety, attempt it. 



Trees in Towns and Villages.— The best 

 thing I have seen in a long time. Every 

 village newspaper ought to publish this ar- 

 ticle, and every country dweller ought to 

 lay it by for reference spring and fall ; for 

 no such man does his duty to his family 

 and the world who does not plant a tree. 

 Had I not already occupied so much of your 

 paper with my gossipping " critiques," I 

 would give you a chapter on trees. I love, 

 aye, I always loved them, — from the old 

 mulberry; that shaded the window through 

 which I first saw the light, to the broad old 

 butternut, that rattled down its kerneled 

 fruit over the old brown school-house, where 

 I recited the " shorter catechism," and the 

 noble elms, oaks and walnuts, under whose 

 grateful shadow I now lie down in summer 

 to gaze at my grazing brood mares, and 

 cattle, and sheep, as they gather around 

 me — whew! I must be careful, or they'll 

 scent me out. Another day we'll talk of 

 the trees, when the gaping olfactories of 

 your readers are in better trim than now. 



Jeffreys, 



