1880. 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



205 



nure is the best. They can be watered better 

 this way in dry weather, when in these trenches, 

 and it is so much easier to till the earth about 

 them for blanching purposes than when grown 

 on the level surface. Salt in moderate doses is 

 usually a wonderful special fertilizer for the 

 celery plant. 



Late Cabbage is often planted in gardens be- 

 tween rows of potatoes, where it is an object to 

 save space. Some fancy that the cabbage is 

 better preserved in tliis way from the cabbage- 

 fly, which they say prefers the potato; but on 

 this point we are not sure. We do not think the 

 cabbages do quite as well as when they have the 

 whole ground to themselves; but of course a 

 double crop could not be expected to be quite so 

 fine. 



Tomatoes trained to stakes give the sweetest 

 fruit, and remain in bearing the longest; but 

 many cultivators who grow for size and quantity 

 only, believe they have the best results when 

 growing them on the level ground. 



For winter use, Beets are occasionally sown 

 now, and also Cucumbers for pickling purposes; 

 but not often ; and at any rate it must be at- 

 tended to early in the month. 



The Lettuce is another cool-country plant. It 

 can only be grown well in hot weather when in 

 very rich and cool soil. 



Bush Beans may also be sown for late crops. 

 A very deep rich soil is necessary to tender, crisp 

 pods. The Lima Bean will now be growing 

 rapidly. It is time well spent to tie them up to 

 poles as they grow. The poles should not be too 

 high ; about eight fe€t is enough. They com- 

 mence to bear freely only when the top of the 

 pole is reached. 



In many amateurs' gardens late Peas are 

 valued. It is essential that they be planted in 

 the coolest part of the ground. The pea is a 

 cool-country plant, and when it has to grow in 

 warm weather, it mildews. The Marrowfat 

 class are usually employed for late crops. They 

 need support. All peas grow better and pro- 

 duce more when grown to stakes. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



PROGRESS IN NEW FRUITS. 



BY P. BARRY. 



Under this heading, in the Maj- No. of the 

 Oardener's Monthly, Mr. Chas. Downing refers 

 to a statement said to have been made by me in 



regard to the changes that had taken place dur- 

 ing the last quarter of a century. Mr. Downing 

 says I was either mistaken or incorrectly re- 

 ported. 



The same statement has also been criticised 

 in The Garden (English) a short time ago by 

 Mr. C. M. Hovey, of Boston. 



I think I was incorrectly reported. I spoke, 

 or intended to speak, of half a century. I held in 

 my hand, at the Pomological meeting at Roches- 

 ter last September, a catalogue of fruits of Wm. 

 Prince, of Flushing, printed in 1824, and to this 

 my remarks referred. I alluded particularly to 

 Pears and Grapes. 



That catalogue contained the names of 108 

 varieties of Pears, only one of which, the Seckel, 

 is now in general cultivation. Of Grapes 16 

 varieties, of which four are now in cultivation, 

 Isabella, Catiiwba, Norton's Virginia and Scup- 

 pernong. . A nursery catalogue of 1880, now be- 

 fore me, contains the names of 72 varieties of 

 native Grapes, 35 black, 20 red or purple and 17 

 white, and these do not, by any means, exlyiust 

 the list. 



Of 70 varieties of Peaches in the old catalogue, 

 several are still in cultivation to a limited extent, 

 but scarcely one of the popular varieties of the 

 present day are found there. 



Coxe's work on Fruits was published in 1816. 

 In it we find the names of 67 varieties of Pears, 

 only two of which are in modern collections, and 

 only one that can be said to be in general culti- 

 vation, viz., the Seckel. 



There can be no doubt but that great progress 

 has been made in the introduction of new varie- 

 ties of fruits during the past half century, and 

 this is what I referred to. 



A word or two on other matters. At this 

 moment, May 14, the fruit trees are all in blos- 

 som at once, and promise an abundant crop, but 

 we are not yet out of danger. There has been 

 renewed activity in the nursery trade this spring, 

 an indication of the return of general prosperity, 



FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS. 



BY^ WM. T. HARDING, UPPER SANDUSKY, OHIO. 



Under the heading of " Editorial Notes," in the 

 March number of the Monthly, page 79, I see 

 " the God of nature," man, has something to say 

 against slitting the bark of trees. With equal 

 propriety, the pseudo-philosopher might have 

 insisted the trees would properly prune them- 

 selves, if it was necessary, as men sometimes 



