DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



241 



fruit containing the insect begins to drop — usually 

 in June. See our Fruits and Fruit Trees, page 



269.— Ed.] 



TheHeathcot PJiAR. — I Send you some speci- 

 mens of this most excellent native pear. I have, for 

 some years, considered the Heatlicot a varietj' of 

 first rate excellence, equal to a good White Doyen- 

 ne; the tree hardv, and a good and constant bear- 

 er. M. P. Wilder. Boston, Oct. llth, 1846. 



[Justice was scarcelj' done to this pear in our 

 work on Fruits. It is of line quality, and lias, as 

 Col. Wilder remarks, the excellent, hardj^, vigor- 

 ous and productive habit belonging to most of our 

 native fruits — which many European sorts are de- 

 ficient in. We recommend it to more general at- 

 tention. — Ed.] 



Christiana Melon. — This is the name of a new 

 melon possessing qualities of great merit, which 

 has been originated by that zealous cultivator of 

 good fruits, Capt. Lovett, of Beverly, Mass. 



It appears to be a cross between the Citron and 

 the Netted Nutmeg melons, partaking somewhat of 

 the characteristics of both these standard varieties. 

 Its superiority to all other melons for New-Eng- 

 land, and, we may add, all the northern part of the 

 Union, where the season is not always quite long 

 enough for the melon, is the very short time it 

 requires to perfect its fruit. 



We have seen, this season, a square planted with 

 this variety, in Col. Wilder's garden, Dorchester, 

 which, for abundant product, and excellence of 

 the fruit, would compare well with either of the 

 two standard sorts named. Yet these Christiana 

 melons were grown on plants produced from seeds 

 smvn in the open hills as late as the middle of June. 

 The ordinary varieties, planted so late, would not 

 have matured a single fruit in the latitude of Bos- 

 ton. It is easy to see, from this fact, that the 

 Christiana melon will be an invaluable sort for 

 northern gardens, where the Citron melon finds 

 the season too short to arrive at its maturity at the 

 usual time. We recommend the large seed dealers 

 to introduce into general culture so valuable a va- 

 riety. 



Selection of Choice Hardy Fruits. — A sub- 

 scriber and correspondent desires us to give him 

 a selection of good fruits, " of hardy character," 

 fitted for the climate of the Middle States, " such 

 as are generally considered sorts of merit, not new 

 or rare varieties merely, but which experience 

 has proved really good." 



We beg leave to ofl'er him the following selec- 

 tion, as likely to meet his views, comprising hardy 

 varieties, from early to late in their maturity. 



Twelve Apples — Large Early Harvest, Ameri- 

 can Summer Pearmain, Large Yellow Bough, Red 

 Astrachan, Summer Queen, Fall Pippin, Jersey 

 Sweeting, Porter, Bahlwin, English Russet, Rox- 

 bury Russet, Rhode-Island Greening, Yellow Bell- 

 fleur. 



Twelve Pears. — Bloodgood, Bartlett, Beurre 

 Diel, Beurre Bosc, Bezi de laMotte, Dix, Flemish 

 Beauty, Heathcote, Marie Louise, Seckel, White 

 Doyenne, Beurre d'Aremberg. 



Twelve Plums. — Bleecker"s Gage,Imperial Gage, 

 Prince's Yellow Gage, Diapree Rouge, Jeflferson, 



31 



Autumn Gage, Lombard, Red Gage, W^ashington> 

 Purple Favorite, Frost Gage, Coe's Golden Drop. 



Twelve Peaches. — Early York, George IV., Old 

 Mixon Freestone, Red Rareripe, Bergen Yellow, 

 Crawford's Late Melocoton, Brevoort, Cooledge's 

 Favorite. Large white Cling, Morris's Red Rare- 

 ripe, Favorite, Heath Cling. 



Twelve Cherries. — Black Tartarian, Black Eagle, 

 Early White Heart, Downton, Downer's Late, 

 Manning's Mottled, Flesh-colored Bigarreau, El- 

 ton, Belle de Choisy, Mayduke, Kentish, Knight's 

 Early Black. 



In the above list we have omitted many fruits 

 of high excellence, either because they are not of 

 the hardiest character, or because their excellence 

 depends too much upon the care and culture they 

 receive, to come within the prescribed limits. 



Nurserymen's Labels. — I have found the fol- 

 lowing a veiy expeditious mode of printing labels 

 for fruit trees, where a large number of each kind 

 is wanted. These labels are much neater and 

 more legible, than those prepared bj" the usual 

 mode of marking with a pencil, and have altoge- 

 ther a more business-like appearance. 



The name which it is intended to print, is set 

 with common printing types, in a small case or 

 chase, which may be made entirel)^ of wood, with 

 the exception of a plate of metal for the bottom 

 of the types to rest upon. Common printer's ink 

 is applied with the finger, and the strip of wood 

 intended for the label is then laid upon the face 

 of the types, and by means of a small wooden 

 lever, about a foot long, and with a breadth equal 

 to the length of the label, is made to press firmly 

 upon them. An impression of the name is thus 

 made as clear and distinct as a printed name on 

 paper. About one-tenth of an inch is a convenient 

 size for the letters; and from tlie legible and com- 

 pact form of the name, the labels may be made 

 much smaller than usual, and consequently be less 

 clumsy, and not so liable to be torn off. Half an 

 inch wide, and two anil a half inches long, are 

 sufficient dimensions for any name. A very thin 

 coat of white lead paint upon the face of the label, 

 previously well dried, will cause a clearer impres- 

 sion; but without this the letters will be sufficient- 

 ly distinct for all practical purposes. The label 

 need not necessarily be perfectlj' smooth and 

 straight, as the pressure of the lever brings all 

 parts of its face in contact with the types. Some 

 practice is needed before perfection is reached in 

 the printing. 



A few hundred labels of each name may be 

 printed before changing the types, in one half the 

 time or less required for writing them, and may 

 be kept tied up in bundles until needed for use. A 

 few types of each letter will be sufficient and may 

 be selected in proper proportion by any printer. 

 J. J. Thomas. Macedon, 10 mo., 1846. 



The Apt>le Borer. — One of the surest means 

 to destroy the borers in apple trees, is to make a 

 solution of potash, two pounds to a gallon of wa- 

 ter, which must be injected into the hole, where 

 the borer has entered, by means of a syringe, 

 holding half a pint. .^. 



