to set out a pear-tree, and keep every protecting shoot cnt, or rubbed off five to 

 oiijlit feet high, and tiicii how foolish to grumble iliat it diud. A thorough study 

 of this matter, connected with proper experiments, might develop iniportant re- 

 sults. In the long run, the protecting trees might be nearly as valuable as the 

 fruit-trees. In the ]trairies, I believe something of this kind will be found indis- 

 pensable. Where the forests are chiefly destroyed, it is almost ecjually necessary. 

 Especially is this true of the pear. Dodridge, in his Notes on Western I'injinia, 

 says : " Pear blight was unknown, while the openings were small." This is true, 

 also, of Ohio. lu the ])rairies, it is almost coeval with the first planting. In 

 J^ngland, and wherever the sun is less powerful, and the climate more equable, 

 such i)rotection may be unnecessary. 



A CHAT FROM KENTUCKY. 



BY W A. TOWLES, HENDERSON, KENTUCKY. 



I INCLOSE a stem, with leaves attached, of the vine I mentioned in my note. 

 Since I wrote you, I believe I have found out tlie vine. In Volume VI., i)age 

 141, of the Horttcultiirist, Mr. Downing speaks of a vine in the Bartram Garden 

 which I suspect to be the same thing. It is the Golden Trumpet flower, Bignonia 

 capriolata. There is not, in the place referred to, a satisfactory description of 

 that vine, and I may, very probably, be mistaken as to its identity. However, 

 you can tell by the sample 1 sent. [It is Bignonia cai)riolata. — Ed.] 



I do not know what parts of Kentucky to recommend to you to visit as most 

 beautiful in park scenery ; that portion of the State where the blue grass grows 

 most luxuriantly, is certainly as lovely and pleasing to the eye as could Ijc desired. 

 The total want of undergrowth gives the whole face of the country a park-like 

 appearance. The cause of this want of undergrowth is, that, originally, it was a 

 dense cane-brake, and I have noticed wherever the cane lias been eaten out, or 

 killed out, nothing seems to take its place for years. In the mountainous portions 

 of the State I have never been, but, I doubt not, the same beautiful views which 

 burst upon the eyes of the early pioneers, are to be seen still. 



Of this portion of Kentucky, known as the Green River country, I can speak 

 more knowingly. I think, as a general thing, we have trees of as large and beau- 

 tiful growth as can be found this side the Rocky Mountains. Our magnificent 

 poplars (known as tulip-trees) are most aptly described by Mr. Downing, in his 

 Landscape Gardening, but, when he comes to speak of the Sweet Gum as only 

 attaining a height of thirty-five or forty feet, he never conceived the injustice he 

 did the tree. I have frequently seen them in the rich Mississij)pi bottoms, six 

 feet in diameter, and fully one hundred feet high ; and many other of our most 

 magnificent forest-trees are, unfortunately, only spoken of as they appear in a 

 more northern climate. 



That portion of the State called the Barrens, is worth seeing. When the State 

 was first settled, there was little or no timber upon it, but now, most of it is 

 covered with timber of small size, and generally of the oak species. 



I should like to show you our river bottoms, the most extensive on the Ohio, 

 where you can see the cotton woods and sycamores in all their pride of plaee, the 

 6nest specimen of black walnut, hickory, pecan, honey locust, hackberry, and 

 box-elder, the eye of man ever rested upon ; and last, but not least, my pet vine, 

 hanging in beautiful drai)ery from the boughs of the monarchs of the forest. I 

 could also show you a region of country (about ten thousand acres in extent) 

 where the beaver once flourished, built their dams, and sported at pleasure, before 



