that fine spot, that masterly piece of human skill and perseverance, and can tell you that 

 it was a delicious sight, either in their May dress, in their summer attire, or loaded with 

 their rich crops of luscious treasures. Intermix these with evergreens, so as to have, as 

 Boileau says, something to cheer us up, and to break the monotony of the dismal snow- 

 carpeting, and you will find it a great benefit to the mind depressed by the gloom of a 

 wintry day." Another writes as follows : — 



Me. Editor : I was much pleased with your leader in the May number, respecting " Ever- 

 greens, and other matters." What you said respecting /eec/jwf/ trees interested me, for I have 

 tried the same thing for two years past, but without your success. I have dug trenches at 

 what seemed to be the extremities of the roots of many of my trees, and filled the holes 

 with rich soil, but the trees have not as yet shown any decided improvement. While the 

 digging was going on about the trees fed last fall, I examined very carefully some of the 

 poor soil which was thrown out from the trenches, and, to my surprise, found it full of 

 minute fibres, the little roots of the tree, which the careless eye could not see, and which 

 offered no resistance to the gardener's spade. I concluded that my trees were injured as 

 much by the digging as they were benefited by the feeding. And as the circles I had dug 

 around the trees — twelve feet in diameter — had evidently encroached upon the roots, I 

 concluded that I must either plough up my grounds, and thoroughly manure the whole, or 

 else let the trees take their chance undisturbed. What think you ? Inquirer. 



This was careless ; you should not examine the earth after it is dug out, but expend a 

 little time in approaching the roots, examining for the first rootlets as you go. — Ed. 



i0rtitultttnil SotittifS. 



Pennsylvania HoRTicn.TCRAL Society.— The stated meeting of this Society was held at Concert Hall, on 

 Tuesday evening, Jlay 20, 1S56. E. W. Keyser, Vice-President, in the chair. The following awards were 

 made by the Committee on Plants and Flowers : — 



Pelargoniums — six plants — for the second best to Thos. Eobertson, gr. to B. A. Fahnestock. Specimen Pelar- 

 gonium — for the best to Chas. Sutherland, gr. to Jno. Anspach. Tulips, cut flowers, twelve varieties — for the 

 best to Geo. W. Earl ; for the second best to Theodore Walter. Collection of twelve plants — for the best to 

 Thos. Robertson; for the second best to John Pollock, gr. to Jas. Dundas. Specimen plant — for the best to the 

 same ; for the second best to Robert Buist. Basket — for the best to John J. Habcrmehl, gr. to J. Lambert. Bo- 

 qiuts — for the best pair to the same. 



Special Premiums. — Five dollars to Robert Buist, for a very fine collection of seedling Calceolarias ; two 

 dollars to John Pollock ; two dollars to Wm. Armstrong, gr. to Alex. Brown, for a display of Verbenas. New 

 Plants — shown for the first time ; a premium of three dollars to John Pollock, for Fuchsias, Queen Victoria, 

 Prince Albert, and Mrs. Story ; and one dollar to Mark Hill, gr. to M. W. Baldwin, for Veronica hybrida. 



By the Committee on Fruits. Special Premiums — three dollars to Mark Hill, for seven varieties of Grapes ; 

 and two dollars to Wm. Grassie, gr. to Jno. Tucker, for three bunches of White Prontignac Grapes. 



By the Committee on Vegetables. Rhubarb, twelve stalks — for the best to Saml. Cooper ; for the second best 

 to A. L. Felten. Cucumbers— for the best to Chas. Sutherland, gr. to Jno. Anspach. Asparagus, twenty-four 

 stalks — for the best to James Jones, gr. at Girard College. Mushrooms — for the best to James Thomas, gr. to 

 J. D. Whetham. Display by a market gardener— for the best to A. L. Feltea. And a special premium of two 

 dollars, for six very fine heads of cauliflowers, to J. J. Habermehl. 



One gentleman elected a member. 



Objects exhibited.— Piaiits from B. A. Fahnestock's— Pelargonium var. Tom Thumb, Allamanda nerifolia, 

 Fucjisia Psyche, F. Banks of Glory, Pentas carnoa, Cuphea platycentra. Azalea Mackenzie, A. variegata, Cyr- 

 tolepis longitiora, Franciscea angustifolia, Rhynchosplrmum jasminoides. Erica ventricosa minor. Specimen 

 Plant — Medinilla magnifica, and a collection of Pelargoniums. 



From James Dundas's. — Boronia alata, Cuphea platycentra, Centradenia rosea, Chirita mornii, Maheruia 

 hecta, Begonia scraperflorens, Fuchsia speciosa, Nurembergia gracilis. Cineraria King, Franciscea hydrangroi- 

 formis. Petunia Hermona, Columuca Scheidiana. Specimen — Medinilla magnifica. Mw — Fuchsia Mrs. Story, 

 Prince Albert, and Queen Victoria. Orchids — Acanthophippium bicolor, Cattleya mossia, and Oncidium 

 subulatura. 



From Robert Buist. New — Zychia rotundifolia. Specimen — Rhynchospermum jasminoides, eight seedling 

 Calceolarias, six seedling Cinerarias and Epiphyllum creuatum. 



From John Anspach's — Pelargonium, Madame Rosatta, Azalea india: variegata, Leschenatiltia formosa, 

 Begonea Drujii, Ixora cocciuia, and iEaschynanthus speciosus. 



From J. D. Whetham's. — Six Cinerarias. 



From Alex. Brown's. — Six Verbenas. 



From M. W. Baldwin's. — Tetratheca virticillata. New — Veronica hybrida, and Fuchsia magnifica. 



Cut Tulip flowers, by Geo. W. Earl, Theo. Walter, and J. J. Jennings. 



Basket, and a i)air of bouquets, from John Lambert's. 



Fruii. — From M. W. Baldwin's — Grapes : Black Hamburg, White Muscat, Cochin China, and Isabella 



