28 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



(January, 



especially seem to kuow they are in good hands. 

 Seldom have I seen any in a more healthy or 

 self satisfied condition. The leaves were green 

 and glossy, and the fruit almost fully swollen, 

 free from spot or blemish, and hanging in the 

 greatest profusion from every tree. Care is 

 taken, to give an abundance of food, not to in- 

 jure the roots more than can possibly be avoided, 

 and above all, to take care that they never over- 

 bear. Thinning out of superabundant crops is 

 always in order. Dwarf Pears do equally well 

 with standards. Of the latter there are some 

 vei-y old trees ; I measured one which proved 

 five feet round. The ground being rather low, 

 •and therefore cool, though dry as good garden 

 soil ought to be, is particularly favorable to the 

 Raspberry, Strawberry, Currant, and other cool 

 <JOuntry species of fruit, while in the higher and 

 dryer places the Grape does remarkably well. 

 All sorts of kinds are being tested as they appear, 

 and this gives the proprietor a chance of knowing 

 whereof he speaks in his excellent family paper. 

 The Raspberry does wonderfully well for him. 

 Kinds which we rarely see, and which people 

 think long since died out, are here in fruit in 

 their original perfection. But then a few 

 hours trouble in bending down the canes and 

 covering with earth in the Fall is not begrudged 

 to them. It it is found here that even the kinds 

 •conceded to be the hardiest are benefited by this 

 treatment. 



I went away from this delightful little spot 

 wondering why the like was not more often seen. 

 Here is a space of ground which furnishes fruits 

 and vegetables in abundance, enough for a 

 whole family for a year, with plenty left for 

 an abundant distribution to favored friends,— 

 and all by the labor of one good gardener. Be- 

 sides this there are pieces of garden art, and 

 numerous trees and flowers to satisfy even a fas- 

 tidious lover of garden beauty. The reason why 

 not, we fancy often is that too much is attempt- 

 ed,— too large a garden laid out, — too much put 

 on the man in charge. He becomes dissatisfied 

 and careless,— it is " all one to him what goes 

 in the day's work," the owners are disap- 

 pointed, — the place becomes a nuisance in weeds 

 and neglect, and then it is found, that " things 

 can be bought cheaper in market." But after 

 all there must be a genuine love for the garden, 

 such as Major Freas shows for it. Then the 

 gardener is encouraged to have something nice 

 for his employer to praise. 



Weedy Seeds.— B. J. K., San Fransisco, 



Cal., says: "I send you enclosed a newspaper 

 slip, by which you see that a legal discussion is 

 going on as to the damage to be borne by reason 

 ol dodder appearing among a ci'op of Luzerne, 

 as I find the Alfalfa is called here. It is con- 

 tended that there was no dodder before ; that it 

 must have come with the Alfalfa seed, and 

 that the seller of the seed must pay all dama- 

 ges. What is the law in the Eastern States?" 

 There is no law, but the whims of juries. Once 

 WQ remember a suit was brought against Mr. H. 

 A. Dreer, for selling cabbage seed that would 

 not head. In the Spring they all ran to seed. 

 But it happened that it was shown that these 

 early cabbage seed had been sown early in Sep- 

 tember, and kept rather warm during Winter, 

 and that the same seed sown in a hot bed in 

 Spring, and set out, headed well enough. Only 

 for this, the jury would probabl}^ have unjustly 

 mulcted Mr. Dreer in damages. But this decision 

 shows that the seedsman is responsible for the 

 kind of seeds he sells. But as to the dodder ques- 

 tionwe cannot say. A man sells a dog, and a cus- 

 tomer finds fleas on the animal, — ^just as the 

 seeds have some parasites among them. We 

 don't know how a jury would decide. One thing 

 is certain, it is to a seedsman's interest to be 

 particularly careful to have pure seeds, and true 

 to name, or he will soon lose trade; and it is to 

 the customer's interest to buy of those Avho 

 have a reputation for care and a conscience. 

 This is better than guessing at the risk of a law 

 suit. 



Catalpa speciosa. — The Gardeners'' Chroni- 

 cle says " Catalpa speciosa was discovered, or 

 distinguished from C. bignonoides, by Prof. 

 Sargent, of Cambridge, Mass." This of course 

 is an European error, for as we in America 

 know, no one has done more to give the credit 

 which is. so justly due to Dr. Warder in this 

 matter, than Prof. Sargent himself. 



The Botanical Text Book.— Sixth edi- 

 tion. By Professor Asa Gray. Part 1. Struct- 

 ural Botany. Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co., 

 1879. The botanical labors of Prof. Gray approach 

 the marvellous. How he manages to accomplish 

 so much superior work is a mystery. Here is a 

 book that has been some time on our table, and 

 which it seemed very profitable to read carefully 

 through. As this could not be done at one sit- 

 ting, a memorandum was kept of the odd time 

 given to it, and it foots up thirty hours ! The 

 work contains 442 pages, and when we remem- 



