so full of the creeping roots of blue grass, that I never expected the plants to be 

 of any further use than of pleasing the lady by their existence ; but, to my sur- 

 prise, they have borne, the past three years, enormous crops, though quite smothered 

 by grass and the arbor-vita% and without any pruning or attention of any kind. 

 I did not, it is true, ever think that they were free from mildew through this 

 smothering up ; for until I read Mr. Bacon's remark, I always thought this kind 

 never mildewed ; but I certainly did think this neglect every way suited to it. My 

 own idea is, that the English varieties are much more liable to mildew than any 

 other kind, at any rate. I think all smooth, glossy-leaved plants more liable to 

 mildew than others. The foreign grape, with its tender skin, easily mildews, 

 while the rough, coarse-foliaged native is nearly exempt. In my experience as a 

 gardener, I have noticed that cold draughts in a vinery are nearly certain to breed 

 mildew, or sudden changes of any kind. I am no botanist, and am unable to say 

 whether the mildew on the gooseberry and that on the vine are of the same nature ; 

 but I suppose the effect is the same — that is, that sudden changes of some kind 

 injure the tissue, which mildew is then able to exist upon. If this supposition is 

 correct, the reason is plain why a gooseberry imbedded in weeds is not so liable 

 to mildew. The weeds protect the plant from the sudden changes that cause 

 mildew. I have prevented mildew in some cases, to some extent, by scattering a 

 little salt under the gooseberry bushes. I have noticed that the disease usually 

 makes its appearance after a very dry day ; and as, in Mr. Downing's article in 

 your late number, it is stated that " salt helps all dry soils amazingly, giving them 

 greater attractions for moisture, and greater power to hold it in dry weather," this 

 still confirms the idea that anything that will guard the gooseberry from sudden 

 changes, will help to protect it from mildew. 



I am but a plain, practical man, and can make no pretension to fine writing ; 

 but if you think these lines of any service, I should be glad for you to print them. 



[Our friend has our thanks for his sensible communication. It is the "plain, 

 practical men" who, with the many sources of information daily before them, and 

 with the powers of observation such as our corresi)ondent possesses, are the most 

 capable of rendering the greatest service to practical gardening. We commend 

 our correspondent's remarks to the attention of unsuccessful gooseberry growers. 

 —Ed.] 



THE CRACKING OF THE PEAR. 



BY WM. TOMPKINS, GERMANTOWN, N. Y. 



Mr. Editor : Permit me, through your valuable journal, for the benefit of your 

 correspondent "Terra," and others, to give my experience with the so-called 

 "Butter Pear." From the description that he gives of it, I presume ho means 

 the pear here known as White Doyenne, or Yirgalieu. In this particular locality, 

 it formerly was productive, and highly esteemed, till about the year 1840 ; in other 

 places not many miles distant, it has been knowu to crack for a quarter of a cen- 

 tury, or longer. About ten years since, I embaiked in pear culture. As my soil 

 seemed to be well adapted to this fruit, I planted the Doyenne quite extensively. 

 A lot of old trees on my farm at that time, made an annual dividend of noble 

 fruit, which always sold at a high price. Not many years after this, to my no 

 small mortification, I discovered unmistakable signs in my orchard of the disease 

 which had proved so troublesome elsewhere. At first, it vvas confined to trees in 

 a weak or neglected condition, but it kept on increasing, year after year, till finally 

 it overran the whole orchard. Downing and others, at that time, supposed that 



-^^ 



