1878.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



239 



Fruit Driers, beg leave to submit the following: 

 "After careful examination, we consider them 

 among the most useful inventions of the age, 

 and invaluable to those parties who wish to pre- 

 serve fruits and vegetables for winter and spring 

 use. We would certainly advise all parties who 

 may be able to do so to purchase one or the 

 other of them." 



Asparagus in England. — 

 In the Garden for June 1st, 

 there is figured a specimen of 

 asparagus that was entered 

 for the prizes recently offered 

 by Mr. Robinson, for improved 

 asparagus culture. A speci- 

 men of one stalk figured 

 measures at the base fifteen 

 inches in circumference, and 

 two inches from the top it 

 measures two and a quarter 

 inches around. Fifty heads of 

 this asparagus weighed seven 

 pounds. If this is the best 

 they can raise in England, we believe that aspa- 

 ragus growers here can go far beyond. 



Early Cherries in Georgia. — May Duke 

 and Coe's Transparent, are considered the two 

 best cherries in Georgia. 



LoNGwoRTH Prolific Strawberry. — As a 

 companion question to "what becomes of all 

 the pins?" we may have what becomes of old 

 varieties of fruits and vegetables ? There was 

 Longsworth's Prolific Strawberry, for the rais- 

 ing of which the Cincinnati Horticultural Soci- 

 ety gave Mr. Nicholas Longworth a hundred dol- 

 lar gold medal, and which we thought had long 

 since wasted away like an old pin. But it seems 

 to be not only in cultivation, but the Atlanta, 

 (Ga.,) Pomological Society, vote that they in- 

 tend to keep it there awhile longer yet. 



Insect Traps. — M. Carriere, of Jardin des 

 Plantes, says the Journal of Horticulture^re-^oYts 

 on baits for insects, that "beer and water" caught 

 850 flies and other winged creatures ; "pure beer" 

 631; "crushed pears," "weak wine," and "pure 

 wine" came next in the order given, and pure 

 honey at the bottom of the list, with only seven- 

 teen victims. This would seem to disprove the 

 literal truth of the old saying (correct as it is in 

 its moral) that "we may catch more flies with 

 a spoonful of honey than with a gallon of 

 vinegar." No doubt, however, the "loud" odor 

 of the beer, which was in a highly fermented 



state, had a great deal to do with attracting the 

 insects. 



Blanching Celery — An exchange tells us 

 that "Mr. E. Ruhlman explained his novel 

 method of growing Celery for market at the late 

 Conference of the Western New York Horticul- 

 tural Society. "Its novelty consists in the use 



of an open tin band 3 inches wide for each plant. 

 Put around the young plant when first set, 

 gradually drawn up as the banking proceeds,, 

 and kept on when the plant is stored in the cellar, 

 it protects the young plant, preserves the outside 

 leaves, makes the labor of banking and storing 

 much less, and makes a better product." 



[We think however, that the method we des- 

 cribed in one of our early volumes, of using 

 horse shoe tiles is much better than tin, as being 

 cheaper and more durable. As this may be for- 

 gotten we give the above illustration of the 

 plan.] 



NEW OR RARE FRUITS 

 AND VEGETABLES. 



The Sharpless Strawberry. — At the re- 

 cent reception of the Pennsylvania, Horticul- 

 tural Society, Mr. Merceron exhibited some 

 berries of this variety, which was first favorably 

 noticed in our magazine. When at Rochester, re- 

 cently, we saw a large number of kinds in trial 

 beds on the grounds of Ellwanger & Barry, and 

 this was the best of all. The writer of this heard 

 onp gentleman regretfully say, " I might have 

 purchased the whole stock of that kind, and I 

 made a great mistake in letting the chance go 

 by.- 



