Mr. Reed is now one of onr parish. The California Farmer gives a pflowinj? 

 description of San Jose and its gardens, whicli are irrigated from artesian wells, 

 occasioning a moisture in the atmosphere, highly useful to vegetation. Tlie 

 Stockton Kanch, under the care of W. F. Kennedy, Esq., is called one of the 

 most beautiful si)ots in the State ; L. Prevost's is highly spoken of, and A. Delmas 

 has one adjoining, of great interest. In the latter much attention is given to the 

 grape, which seems perfectly at home in California. Mr. I), exhibited a vine in a 

 pot, the growth of a graft brought from Frauce the same year, aud inserted upon 

 a native stock, bearing 29 bunches. 



The orchards in the neighborhood of San Jose are said to be very superior. 

 Mr. John McMurtrie has one in high cultivation, of 3200 a])ple trees; he 

 allows no other crop to grow with the trees, and employs a cultivator that moves 

 the earth 12 inches deep; the soil is kept moving " by running the cultivator 

 both ways." A frost sufficient to cut down the tender vegetation, in exposed 

 situations, on the 2'Ith of April, when strawberries were ripe.* The editor, how- 

 ever, says — "There is nothing like a visit to Smith's Strawberry Gardens, to 

 make a person forget trouble." 



In another number, the Farmer speaks of the Mission Orchard, at San Jose ; 

 and chronicles an apricot-tree whose crop, the present year, is worth $200. 

 "Among the large pear-trees, were several that did not produce fruit equal to 

 others, or in so large quantities. These the proprietor caused to be headed down, 

 and grafted with the choice varieties, such as the Bartlett, Seckel, St. Michael, &c., 

 and the growth of these grafts is most remarkable ; many of them will be in full 

 bearing the present year, this being but the second year, aud the grafts are, many 

 of them, four, five, and six feet long, and very vigorous. 



The editor copies, at full length, our "Day at Kew Garden," and says : — 



" We give the sketch, by the editor of the Horticulturist, of his visit to the Kew 

 Gardens, London ; and to his fine description of this gorgeous place we are in- 

 debted for a great pleasure, for it brought back to our own minds again, the visit 

 we paid to these wonderful specimens of Flora and Pomona. One exquisite plant, 

 named by the sketcher, the Anrectochilus setaceus — the King Plant of the Cingalese, 

 so highly spoken of — we remember with deep pleasure, for we brought one of 

 these exquisite plants (a very small one, of only two leaves, and the only one for 

 sale, for wiiich we paid a guinea) from the Belgian Gardens across to London, 

 thence to the steamer at Liverpool, by hand, and thence in our state-room to 

 Boston. We rememl)cr how we nursed it, as the heart nurses a treasure ; and we 

 remember the sensations of joy experienced when we placed it in our home, in all 

 its beauty and glory — that feeling can only be enjoyed hy afeio — they must love a 

 jioiver as the loving heart loves its own treasured flower, and our own joy w\as twin 

 to that experienced when such a heart has borne ' home' that treasure, and calls 

 it ALL ITS OWN. We know few of our readers can hardly realize or conceive the 

 beauty of such a place. We have often revelled in this and other ' homes of the 

 beautiful,' and we look forward in faith when, upon these bright shores, the 

 glorious science of horticulture, advancing with giant strides, shall rear a Temple 

 of Fame that shall outshine even the Kew Gardens of London, the Jardin des 

 Plantes of Paris, or the Jardin des Belgic at Ghent ; for, when our legislators 

 shall regard the true wealth of California, and labor to develop her real and true 

 interests — then will she quickly be what God and nature designed — The Garden 

 of the World." 



* We clironicle ice around Philadelpliia, on the 30th of May. 



