240 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



the cars on Satnnlay last, ami soon found ourselves 

 in that anciont place, so clear to the reeollcction 

 of every true American. ^Ve could not take an ob- 

 servation until we had placed our feet upon the 

 far-famed rock. Having performed our j)ilgrim- 

 agc to that place, anil visited some other interest- 

 ing localities, we proceeded to the hall where the 

 exhibition was to take place. ^Ve were not a lit- 

 tle disappointed at the small number of inhabitants 

 who seemed to be interested in the exhibition, 

 and the small number of contributors; but what 

 was lacking in interest in the multitude, was made 

 up by the enthusiasm of a few men of taste, and 

 by the remarkably fine specimens of pears and 

 other fruit. We can truly say that we have never 

 seen an equal number of dishes of fruit at an exhi- 

 bition of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 

 where there were so many perfect si)ecimens. 



From Col. Thomas, President of the Society, 

 there were exhibited the Heathcot, St. Michael, 

 Seckel, Iron, St. Ghislain, Beurre Diel, Pitts' Ma- 

 rion, IVIarie Louise, Napoleon, and Swan's Egg 

 Pears; also Peaches. 



From Jos. Cushman, Seckel, Louise bonne de 

 Jersey, Bartlett, and Duchesse d'Angouleme Pears; 

 also Nectarines grown in the open air, (fine speci- 

 mens;) and extra fine Isabella Grapes, highly co- 

 lored; Seedling Peaches, Dahlias, etc. 



From G. P. Fowler, remarkable specimens of 

 Easter Beurre and Bartlett Pears; also large clus- 

 ters of Sweetwater Grapes, grown in the open air, 

 berries very large, and free from the least appear- 

 ance of Mililew. 



There were fine Peaches from Messrs. Barnes 

 and Weston. 



From G. Gilbert, a fine display of Verbenas, 

 Pansies, Double Balsams, and other cut flowers. 



From A. Jackson, Bartlett and St. Michael Pears, 

 Pumpkin Sweet Apples, etc. 



From J.Washburn, Pears — Louise Bonne de Jer- 

 sey, Louis, Fulton, Passe Colmar, Pitts' Maria, 

 Easter Beurre, Napoleon, Beurre Diel, Bartlett, 

 Catillac, Bell, Flemish Beauty, Duchesse d'Angou- 

 leme, Wilkinson and Marie Louise ; Apples — Hub- 

 bardstoa Nonsuch, Minister and the Holmes Ap- 

 ple. This last variety is a native, highly esteem- 

 ed as a winter apple, a great bearer, fine flavor, 

 of a medium size. Very superior Orange or Ap- 

 ple Quinces, Isabella Grapes, Dahlias, Phloxes. 



We noticed in almost every garden where the 

 Pear was cultivated, that the fruit was extra large 

 and very fair. In the garden of Mr. Fowler, who 

 is a mechanic of small means, with a small piece 

 of land, not more than the eighth of an acre, we 

 saw some specimens of beautiful cultivation. He 

 had a SieuUe Pear tree trained in the quenouille 

 style, which we thought a model for this kind of 

 training. It was perhaps, eight or nine feet high; 

 the branches were made to grow in a pendant man- 

 ner, by twine tied to their extremities, and brought 

 down to the ground, and fastened with pegs; the 

 tree formed a perfect pyramid of foliage from the 

 ground upward, and was well furnished with fruit. 

 Mr. F. describes the fruit to be of the first quali- 

 ty, and he sold it readily last year at $1.50 per 

 dozen. It was not now quite in eating order, but 

 it looked very fine. His Easter Beurre pears were 



of extraordinary size and beauty, as were _. 

 Beurre Dicls, and some few other varieties which 

 he cultivates. His garden is dircertly upon the 

 seashore, and fully exposed: soil naturally hea- 

 vy, but made light by gravel and sand. The 

 training of his Sweetwater, Isabella, and Catawba 

 Grapes, was done in the most systematic manner. 

 The vines are young, and were now bearing on 

 wood trained horizontally within a foot of the 

 ground — large clusters of fruit, composeil of large 

 berries and very fair, were kept from the dirt by 

 a layer of salt hay. We have not seen any thing 

 in the cultivation of the grape in the open air 

 finer than this. The wood for the next year's crop 

 is trained in a perpendicular manner. 



In Mr, J. Washburn's garden, we were also very 

 much jdeased to see the vigorous growth of his 

 trees, and the beauty and perfection of the fruit. 

 He is engaged in traiie and mechanical business, 

 and devotes but a small portion of his time to his 

 garden, and would not be called among gardeners, a 

 very clean cultivator, but we have never seen more 

 vigorous trees nor finer fruit. We were somewhat 

 surprisetl at this at first, for the soil appeared to 

 be a light, sandy anil gravelly loam, very arid, 

 with a southwestern exposure. We found, how- 

 ever, upon examination, that the soil was rich 

 with micaceous sand, that his ground had been 

 plentifully dressed with dock mud, and that he 

 was careful to collect and apply to his trees, the 

 parings of horse's hoofs from the blacksmith's, 

 and other substances, which would account for 

 their health and vigor. We found Mr. W. quite 

 an amateur in fruits, and having under cultivation 

 all the desirable pears, ]ilums, and other fruit 

 worthy of a place in the garden. We are pleased 

 to see that a society has been formed in the Old 

 Colony ; that a few intelligent and persevering 

 individuals are at the helm; that they have had 

 their first annual exhibition, which, however hum- 

 ble, augurs well for the future, and of which they 

 have no occasion to be ashamed, but otherwise; 

 one which they may justly be jiroud of. We wish 

 them prosperity andsuccess. J. B. Boston, Oct. 

 1846. 



Mr. Ives' Note on Salt. — The short article on 

 the plum, which I forwarded you some time since, 

 has called forth the inquiry, " how much salt is 

 contained in a hogshead." A Massachusetts hogs- 

 head contains eight hushels. 



In applying salt to the land, it should be done 

 during the winter or toward the spring, say in 

 March, previous to the swelling of the buds. 



I spread it upon the surface, where it remained 

 until the ground was in a sufficient state to work, 

 and it was then dug in to the depth of a New- 

 England spade. 



I have, the past season, used rock-weed, taken 

 wet from the sea-shore, in planting potatoes, plac- 

 ing the weed in drills about three feet distant, and 

 placing a small or cut potato at each end of the 

 weed, and covering about four inches. The crop 

 was good, and entirely free from the rot or wire- 

 worm. Yours trulj', J. M. Ives. Salem, Mass., 

 Oct. \Olb, 1846. 



[As a remedy for the curculio, salt should also 

 be applied to the surface of the ground, when the 



