80 



TEE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[March, 



becomes indurated, and it requires a great expen- 

 diture of force on the growing cells beneath to 

 push this band outwards. By slitting this 

 hardened bark much of this waste of force is 

 saved. 



Varieties of Vegetables. — One would 

 hardly suppose there were so many varieties of 

 vegetables as there are, until they examine 

 some such a catalogue as that of James H. 

 Gregory, now before us. We hear once in a 

 while from the pea raisers with their hosts of 

 kinds, but not much in other lines. Mr. Greg- 

 ory, among his annual offerings has twenty- 

 three kinds of bush beans, and nineteen of pole 

 beans. Of so simple a thing as a beet, he has 

 thirteen kinds, and then to think of thirty-six 

 kinds of cabbages ! That man who recom- 

 mended pepper, salting, and then throwing the 

 cucumber out of the window, might tell us 

 which of the twenty-eight kinds here noted 

 be referred to. We may select even in 

 our sorrows as in our joys, for surely these sev- 

 enteen onions would not all produce the same 

 sort of tears. There are crocodile tears, lovers' 

 tears, tears of remorse, and other tears, and no 

 doubt an onion suited to each and all. The 

 common parsley, simple thing as it is, gives us 

 a choice of six kinds. Of squashes, potatoes, 

 tomatoes, and so forth, we can hardly venture 

 on. 



Models of Noxious Insects. — In Europe a 

 brisk sale goes on with cheap models of Colorado 

 potato beetle. People who want to know their 

 enemy when they see him, do not mind a trifle 

 to get a private view of their foe. It might be 

 worth thinking about by people in this country 

 who are disposed to make an honest penny, 

 though not of course with the potato beetle 

 which all know too well already. 



Firs and Figs. — One of the most remarkable 

 studies is the "agricultural departments" of 

 some newspapers which believe that " select- 

 ions " can be made by "anybody," and thus 

 save the expenses of careful editing. Just now 

 going the " rounds " in this particular class, as 

 a fact, is the following : " The fir tree flourishes 

 in California. It starts easily from cuttings 

 and commences to bear the second year." We 

 have no doubt that the original writer wrote 

 " fig," and not fir, biJt how should the office 

 boys know the difference ? 



The Husbandman.— Mr. Walter Elder re- 

 marks that " there is scarcely a branch of sci- 



ence, but is of^more especial interest to the cul- 

 tivators of the soil, than to any other class of 

 the community," and he points out the great 

 value of all these studies, whenever time can be 

 afforded for their pursuit. Entomology, botany, 

 minerology, meteorology, philosophy, conchol- 

 ogy, geology, chemistry, geography, anatomy, 

 as well as many others he enumerates as of 

 great value to the farmer and gardener, and he 

 well asks, " what other pursuit can bring so 

 many in as useful studies?" 



Lennig's White Strawberry. — Mr. E. 

 P. Roe, in Scrihner''s Monthly^ gives this white 

 strawberry the high praise it deserves for its 

 flavor. It is however one of that border-land 

 class between staminate and pistillate, which 

 often produces too many abortive flowers, and 

 so is frequently a very poor bearer. 



Large Oranges. — We do not know the size 

 of the largest oranges produced in America, but 

 the London Gardener's Chronicle gives the fol- 

 lowing account of some large ones produced in 

 England: " We have received from Mr. James 

 Wood, seedsman and florist, of Newport, Isle of 

 Wight, a couple of large oranges, which together 

 weighed 2 lbs. 8 ozs. The largest one weighed 

 1 lb. 7 ozs., and measured 18 inches in circumfer- 

 ence. Mr. Wood states that they were grown 

 with two others of about the same size on a tree 

 about 3 feet high, and 2 feet in diameter of 

 branches, standing in a cool house from which 

 frost and damp are excluded by the use of fire- 

 heat. They are very handsome as decorative 

 objects, but quite useless for dessert." 



Grapes for Profit. — Some vineyards ia 

 California last year are said to have realized a. 

 profit of S300 per acre. We suppose this is 

 about the best that can be done, and would-be- 

 rich viticulturists must expect that this is rather 

 what they possibly may do, rather than what 

 they will. 



California Oranges. — The papers tell us 

 of a grower who received $50 per 1000 for his 

 oranges, and expects to market 400,000 next 

 year at these figures. It seems very high. We 

 can buy the best of oranges at retail in Phila- 

 delphia for five cents each. Californians must 

 pay more for an orange than we do. They had 

 better emigrate to these parts and live cheaper. 



Strawberries in Scribner. — Scribner's 

 Monthly has done a good thing in bringing the 

 "Strawberry" before the great public, in a pret- 

 tily illustrated article from the pen of E. P. Roe. 



