by its own vital force, and with very little external aid. Asa member of the 

 Pennsylvania Society, these suggestions are made to it particularly from a pride 

 I should naturally feel in seeing it the first to move in the matter. I do hope, 

 however, that either it or the equally prosperous ones of Massachusetts, Cincin- 

 nati, or Brooklyn, &c., will proceed to consider it, believing, as I do with "Via- 

 tor," that there is nothing more capable of diffusing a popular taste for gardening 

 than such establisliments. 



In conclusion, Mr. Editor, allow me to compliment you on the support you have 

 given your correspondent. Had your lamented founder, Downing, lived, we 

 should have had something of the kind ere this. But a short time before his 

 death, he was so impressed with the importauce of such an establishment that it 

 was a constant theme of conversation with him ; and, if I mistake not, he penned 

 a powerful essay on the subject but a few months before the catastrophe on board 

 the " Henry Clay." You could not just now offer a fitter tribute to his memory 

 than to revive, encourage, and stimulate this, one of his pet projects. 



[We are pleased to find this subject is attracting attention ; sooner or later we 

 must have such gardens, and the sooner the better. If not undertaken by so- 

 cieties, we would call attention to a plan, formerly suggested, of a few gentlemen 

 uniting for such a purpose. In regard to exhibitions, the first step has yet to be 

 taken for a competition in boilers, and all sorts of heating apparatus, collections 

 of garden implements and tools, machines, glass-ware, protecting materials, cement 

 work, flower-pots and vases, garden engines and syringes, wheelbarrows, hand- 

 pumps, transplanting machines, wire netting, fumigators, scrapers, &c. &c., and 

 even greenhouses themselves. — Ed.] 



RANDOM NOTES — COLLECTED FOR HORTICULTURIST. 



BY F. R, ELLIOTT, CLEVELAND, OHIO. 



The Lyctirgus Pear. — This is a new va- 

 riety of winter Pear, raised from seed by 

 George Hoodley, Esq., of Cleveland. It 

 resembles the " Martin See" somewhat, in 

 size and form, but a little larger. It has all 

 the sugary character of that variety, with more 

 juiciness, and a melting, buttery texture. It 

 ripens in January. For a full description, see 

 revised editions (now in press) of American 

 Fruit Groivers'' Guide. 



Vine Pruning. (See drawing, p. 307.) — 

 Accompanying herewith, I send you a draw- 

 ing, giving a representation of the results 

 of a judicious system of pruning the grape- 

 vine, to induce and evenly distribute its fruit- 

 fulness. The drawing was made by one of 

 my correspondents from a vine in his grounds 

 (out-door culture). It occupied a space of 

 four feet high and three feet wide, and pro- 

 duced and perfectly ripened sixty-seven 

 bunches of fruit. 



