48 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



that he had. to his great mortification, discovered 

 the error referred to, and had promptly returned 

 the amount paid hi in by his correspondents here 

 and at Poughkeepsie. Mr. Ernst informs us that 

 he fell into error, in this case, not from want of 

 care, but from the very desire he had to put the 

 genuineness of the plants beyond a doubt — for he 

 procured the plants referred to from Mr. Burr 

 himself. We have before us a letter from Mr. 

 Burr to Mr. E.. in which Mr. Burr deplores the 

 mistake, and attributes it to the fact that the per- 

 son to whom he delegated the task took up plants 

 from a part of a bed where they had run logeiher. 



We will take occasion here to say, that though 

 mistakes will sometimes inevitably occur in com- 

 mercial establishments, from the necessity of pro- 

 pogaling so large a variety — amateurs, who cul- 

 tivate but small collections, when they undertake 

 to send out a new or remarkable sort, have less 

 apology for inaccuracies, — and they are held the 

 more responsible, when the new variety is one 

 originated by themselves. We have in our gar- 

 den a case in point. A j-ear ago a correspondent 

 in Washington sent us, as a fresent, a new climb- 

 ing rose of reputed wonderful beauty, the flowers 

 "yellow, striped with brown." Plants were not 

 to be had at the time less than $25 each ! We 

 therefore gave a little special attention to the val- 

 uable present, took off our hat to it (mentally) as 

 we walked by it, and conjured up the vision of 

 clusters of yellow roses with brown stripes that 

 would burst upon us the following June. Well, 

 June is here, and the rose — the wonderful rose, is 

 — a poor, common, semi-double Ayrsliire ! If our 

 correspondent were here to see it, we are not sure 

 that he would turn into a "pillar of salt," but we 

 think he would be more dumb than a pillar of ro- 

 ses. 



Albany & Rensselaer Horticultural Soci- 

 ety. — The first exhibition of this Society for the 

 present year, took place on the 18th of June. 

 Owing to the uncommon backwardness of tlie sea- 

 son, several articles, especially strawberries and 

 roses, were not sufficiently advanced to make a 

 large display ; and it was, therefore, deemed ex- 

 pedient to omit the awards on fruits, and adjourn 

 the competition in that department until the 27th. 

 In several classes of flowers, also, there were no 

 awards, for want of competition, and in all such 

 the competition was kept open for the 27ih; on 

 that day the show of strawberries was very large 

 and fine — acknowledged by ail to be superior in 

 extent and quality to any they had before seen. 

 It comprehended all the most esteemed varieties 

 known. The first premium for the best and most 

 extensive collection, was awarded to Luther 

 Tucker, who showed twenty-three varieties; and 

 the second to John S. Goold. who showed nine va- 

 rieties. The first premium for the best and finest 

 flavored varietj', was awarded to B. B. Kirtland, 

 for Burrh New Pine; and the second premium to 

 E. C. McIntosh, for Hovey's Seedling. 



Among other varieties which received high 

 commendation, were Royal Scarlet, Burr's Mam- 

 molh, Burr's Columbus , (very prolific,) Ross Pha- 

 nix, and Old Hudson. 



There was a very handsome show of roses and 

 other flowers, and a very good display of vegeta- 

 bles, considering the backwardness of the season. 

 Some fine specimens of early cherries were exhi- 

 bited J but they required several days more to 

 bring them to a state in which they could be fair- 

 ly appreciated. 



Fruit CuLTrRE in the West. — I am doing 

 something towards supplying this region with 

 good fiuit — with, however, but little profit to my- 

 self, owing principall)' to our changeable climate, 

 (Lat. 39^^" 20', Long. 94° 33' 30")— this being the 

 most westward village in the United States. I 

 know something of the manner of cultivating ia 

 the valley of the Mohawk, but after five years' 

 trial here, have not succeeded. 



I recently became a subscriber to your invalua- 

 ble periodical, in which I discover many of the 

 causes operating to my disadvantage — one of the 

 prominent is our hot summer sun. Many of my 

 weaker apple trees make quite a curve the reverse 

 to the 2 o'clock tun. Will whitewashing counter- 

 act this, as well as the premature moving of the 

 sap in the wmter ? — if so, will stucco wash do? 

 [Try white-wash, with about one-third wood ashes 

 added to it. Better plant your orchards on the 

 north sides of hills in all cases — if your district is 

 hilly. Ed.] Another prominent source of evil 

 arises from dry summers, usually followed by wet 

 growing autumns, having the appearance of spring, 

 often extending to the verge of winter — producing 

 immature growth of wood. The first symptom of 

 trouble after such a season, is the bursting of the 

 bark at the surface of the thriftier varieties of ap- 

 ple trees, upon the first slight frosts. This, bow- 

 ever, 1 remedy by wounding the bark at the sur- 

 face, in most any manner, during the summer, so 

 to produce a cicatrix, or run the knife spirally 

 around the tree from the surface six inches up- 

 wards. But this does not remedy the evil whol- 

 ly, for if a severe winter follows, the heartwood 

 becomes doted, with all the bad results following 

 in its train. I practice mostly root grafting. Hovr 

 can I check the growth of my trees in time to 

 mature their wood ? [By root pruning, or laying 

 the roots partially bear. Ed.] I have a hearty, 

 thrifty, growing variety of apple, a native, that 

 appears to resist all vicissitudes — will it do to 

 u>e it as a stock for the more delicate varieties ? 

 If so, at what height should they be worked ? 

 [No matter what height. Ed.] In giving you 

 an idea of the eccentricity of our climate, I will 

 state that I once saw apple trees in bloom on tha 

 26th March, which produced an abundant crop 

 without interruption of frost. But at this date 

 we have severe frosts, night after night, and no 

 more appearance of spring than a raonlh since. 



