370 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[December, 



cious, in the fullest sense of the word, is just 

 what these were. 



The Phylloxera in Europe. — We know very 

 well that the Phylloxera is a native of the new 

 world, and has heen introduced into the old; 

 but the French have the question yet under 

 active discussion. The editor of La Vigne Fran- 

 caise, shows how impossible it is to be of Euro- 

 pean origin, and also that the historic vine 

 disease of the twelfth century, called by Strabo 

 phieir, though a root disease, must have followed 

 from other causes. The same paper notices that 

 the Phylloxera has made its appearance at 

 length in the vineyards of Switzerland. 



Fay's Prolific Currant. — The Rural New 

 Yorker figures this variety. By the way in which 

 the artist has arranged the base of one raceme 

 eo as to line with the apex of another, the 

 racemes appear to be from six to twelve inches 

 long ; and it is only after a second thought has 

 suggested the impossibility of such dimensions 

 that we conclude the appearance is but an artistic 

 delusion. So far as we can judge from the pic- 

 ture the berries are as large as the cherry, with 

 probably the length of the Versailles. From 

 what is said of it we judge it to be a desirable 

 variety. 



QUERIES. 



The Original Seckrl Pear Tree.— Mr. C. B. 

 Rogers, Philadelphia, writes : " I do not believe 

 you have the history of ' the oldest Seckel Pear 

 Tree.' I know of one that is old enough to be 

 grandfather to yours ; it is standing on a farm 

 on the Rancocas, about two miles from Mount 

 Holly, on ground formerly an Indian camp. 

 One hundred years ago it was very much de- 

 cayed, and the top broken off about twelve or 

 fourteen feet high, and I have good authority 

 that it remained in that state for one hundred 

 years. I will wager a ginger. cake that I can 

 show the father of the Seckel pear." 



[All right, good friend, hurry up the proofs. 

 There is another competitor with you near Hat- 

 boro, Montgomery Co., Penn., as we are informed. 

 There is one point especially you will do well to 

 investigate, namely. The tree we have illustrated 

 grows on the property of the Seckel family, pur- 

 chased by Girard many years ago. You will see 

 by Watson's Annals of Philadelphia, that this 

 fruit has been known as the Seckel by thousand** 



on thousands of Philadelphians for nearly a 

 century. How came the Jersey people to let the 

 Seckel family have the honor of the name all 

 these many years? Did the Seek els own the 

 Indian camp also? 



N. B. — We prefer those broad thin ginger-cakes 

 that have spice like the Seckel Pear. — Ed. G. M.] 



Brett Peach. — Mr. Jos. H. Ricketts, New- 

 burgh, N. Y., writes : "In your last issue of the 

 Gardener's Monthly you name in the list of 

 Southern Peaches, Mrs. Brett as one of them. 

 It is a mistake, it did originate in Newburgh, 

 N. Y.. and was introduced by the undersigned." 



Growing Pine Apples. — E. O. N., Tracy City, 

 Tenn.. writes : " A short notice of large Pine 

 Apples in October number of the Gardener's 

 Monthly makes me bold to inquire about 

 pineries in this country. Would j'ou not your- 

 self, or get some one else well acquainted with 

 the growing of pine apples, write us a full descrip- 

 tion of the modus operandi in the Gardener's 

 Monthly. I have in vain endeavored to get 

 any information on the subject. Here, where I 

 live, fuel could be had for the hauling, and I 

 think a market for the fruit could be made with- 

 out trouble, since it bears shipping well. Is there 

 any good book or publication on this subject?" 



[McMahon's American Gardener's Calendar, 

 John Jay Smith's edition, gives full directions for 

 the artificial culture of pine apples. We do not 

 see it in Marot's list of books, but he could doubt- 

 less procure it. 



We have no doubt, with the new light gained 

 since McMahon wrote, pine culture could be 

 made much easier than it was in his day. We 

 know of one who merely planted tops in the open 

 ground, which rooted and grew finely, were trans- 

 planted to a common greenhouse, and bore ex- 

 cellent fruit the next season, though not near 

 the size the first class gardeners do. Still it is 

 a beginning for those who want to learn, as per- 

 fection comes only with experience. — Ed. G. M.] 



Antiquity of the Curculio. — There be some 

 who believe that the old folks were not plagued 

 nearly as much with insects as we are ; espe- 

 cially do they talk this way when the Curculio ia 

 in question. But Peter Kalm, the Swedish 

 naturalist, who traveled in America in 1749, says 

 he found widely prevalent "a worm, which 

 causes the plums to drop before they are half 

 ripe." Evidently the old folks were plagued by 

 the Curculio as we are. 



