DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



197 



Gigantic Quince Tree. — While in the neig-h- 

 borhood of Geneva this season, our attention was 

 called to a siiecimen of the common quince tree, 

 which is larger than any that we have ever heard 

 of. Mr. HiLDRETH, of that place, has since very 

 carefullj' measured it, at our request. Its trunk is 

 two feet in iliameter, or has a girth of six feet. It 

 is about thirty feet high, and has a very vigorous 

 antl luxuriant head, the branches extentling over a 

 circle seventy-live feet in circumference. It bears 

 very large crops of the variety known as the Pear 

 Quince. It is situated in deep rich soil, on the 

 land of Mr. Button of Seneca, and, we understand, 

 was planted about forty j^ears ago. 



The Quince is generally looked upon as a mere 

 bush or large slirub, and it owes this dwarfish ha- 

 bit, which it usually assumes, chiefly to the wretch- 

 ed treatment it receives. No tree, as this speci- 

 men fully proves, better repays its owner for deep, 

 rich soil. The poor and wet situations, where it 

 is generally forced to grow, are the worst possible 

 ones for it. 



Labels for Fruit Trees. — I have seen in our 

 agricultural and horticultural periodicals many di- 

 rections for making labels for fruit and other trees, 

 none of which are as simple and cheap as this: 



Take a strip of sheet tin of any size you may 

 choose; the most convenient is about three inches 

 by three-fourths of an inch, and write the name 

 etc., thereon with a sharp awl, being careful to cut 

 through the tin coating. The letters will soon oxi- 

 dize so as to be read as easily as ordinary printing, 

 and the label remains thenceforth unchanged. In 

 suspending from the tree, either make two holes, 

 or twist your wire tight, else the tin may cut it 

 oflT if allowed to work in the loop. J. W. B. Ro- 

 chester. 



Notes on Pears and Apples abroad. — From 

 an interesting letter, with which we have been 

 favored by an amateur in Baltimore, we make the 

 following interesting extract: 



"Did I mention a pear I met with in Rome, du- 

 ring the latter end of March and first of April ? — 

 a large, pyriform, .juicy fruit, of an excellent, 

 though not very high flavor. I could learn nothing 

 farther of it than that it was called 'Spadano.' It 

 was a fine fruit for one so late. When in Paris, 

 at the end of September, the Napoleon, the same 

 as I have fruited here for three years, was one of 

 the principal pears in season: it is juicy, but not 

 high flavored. At the same period the Marie 

 Louise was in eating, a very fine juicy fruit. This 

 is considered the best November pear in London. 

 At the above period, there was also, in Paris, the 

 Duchess d'.^ngoulBme, and the Brown Beurre ; but 

 the pear preferred above all others was the White 

 Doyenni, far excelling some dozen varieties then 

 in season, both in beauty and quality. 



<'I was told in England, by gardeners and fruit- 

 erers, that the SeckcL was the best flavored pear 

 known, but that it would not keep in their climate. 



" The finer sorts of American apples are supe- 

 rior to tlie best of the English varieties. The 

 Ribslon Pippin, one of their very best, is a i>lea- 

 sant apple, but wants the American characteristics, 

 juiciness and crispness. The Blenheim Orange, 

 another celebrated fruit, wants acidity ; the Haw- 



thornden is good, but rather acid; the Red Astra- 

 chan is a fine flavored fruit, and is for sale in Co- 

 vent Garden Market at the end of July. Among' 

 their other apples, I found the Emperor Alexander 

 well flavored, but tough ; the Nonpareil the same, 

 but too dry ; Courpendu, good flavor, but tough and 

 dry. The finest apple I met with in Europe was 

 the White Colville, at Paris, in .January — the size 

 full medium; form remarkably ribbed; color pale 

 bright yellow, a handsome and tender fruit, juicy 

 and of a pleasant acid flavor, but not high. 



" In eating the Neivtown Pippin in London, im- 

 ported from the United States, (where the demand 

 is so great that a market may be made for thou- 

 sands of barrels) one cannot but be struck with its 

 superiority over all English apples — a fact fully 

 admitted by all Eng'lishmen themselves. This 

 fruit costs there about $10 per barrel, and is re- 

 tailed for five to seven cents each. In several 

 towns in Ireland, I have noticed native apples la- 

 belled 'American,' to ensure a ready sale." W. 

 Baltimore, Md., Sept. 10, 1846. 



The most rapid growing Maple. — How many 

 persons, undertaking to improve new and bare 

 places, are at a loss for w^hat trees to plant for im- 

 mediate effect! "Something which will grow 

 fast," is to them the great desideratum of life. 

 To talk to such persons about steady and slow 

 growing trees — beeches and oaks — is like talking 

 to the manager of the electric telegraph about 

 the advantages of the old fashioned mail coaches. 



We must have the pleasure of recommending to 

 such persons that excellent tree, the Silver INIaple, 

 Acer eriocarpum. It is, we believe, to be had in 

 all the large nurseries, though indigenous here and 

 there, it is seldom planted as an ornamental tree 

 north of New-Jersey. It is a large and handsome 

 tree, with leaves as large as those of the Sugar 

 Maple, but more delicately formed, and with a 

 silvery or downy under surface. 



But the habit of the tree is quite distinct from 

 the other maples. When it has once formed a 

 head, its branches begin to decline or droop slight- 

 ly, with just enough of a sweep to be graceful, but 

 not sufficient to amount to a weeping wooil. In 

 short, with its pleasing habit, clean foliage, and 

 smooth bark, it is one of the most agreeable of 

 trees. 



As regards its rapidity of growth, it is quite re- 

 markable. We do not know any fairer wooded 

 tree, except the Elm and the Abele, which sooner 

 throws a fine shade. As compared with the Sugar 

 Maple, its growth is double. In five years it really 

 makes a fine large head. And as a recommenda- 

 tion of still greater importance, we may add that 

 it will thrive in almost any tolerable soil, from a 

 light sand to a strong clay loam. 



Salt as a Manure. — J. M. Ives, at page 132, 

 says he ai)plied five hogsheads of salt to the acre — 

 but I wisli to know if he meant an English hogs- 

 head of 63 gallons? or a butt, which, according to 

 N. Webster, is called a hogshead in America, 

 though it contains from 110 to 120 gallons.' I 

 would thank him to say how many pounds, or 

 howmany bushels of salt he applieilto the acre. X. 



