DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



new pears above on dwarfs. I will not enter 

 into a description of each, but will merely say, 

 that my partners, Messrs. Tuorp. Smith, Han- 

 CHETT, and others present, united with me, in 

 the one opinion — namely; That they were all 

 superior in flavor, &c., to either the Seckel or 

 Virgalicu. Their size is fair and they are hand> 

 some pears. AYe have recommended these to 

 all amateurs and friends, and have disseminated 

 them largely. Our dwarf pear trees are very 

 fine and vigorous, four years old and generally 

 covered with blossom buds ; their height from 

 five to seven feet. Another pear ripening be- 

 fore any of the preceding, (about 1st of Sept.,) 

 is the Beurre Gaubault. This proved to be 

 this season, (with us,) a sweet, juicy and lus- 

 cious pear, and well worthy a place in any col- 

 lection, no matter how small. The Ananas will 

 please those who are fond of the peculiar musky 

 flavor of the Seckel. 



In the June number of your Journal ,1 spoke of 

 the Montgomery plum, and said that Mr. Car- 

 penter from whom I received it, called it the 

 Montgomery Prune. He also called the other 

 plum the Groundacre, and I gave each as Iiis 

 terms. lie has sent out these two fruits over a 

 large portion of Ohio, and particularly in Fair- 

 field Co., — imder the above names. Thus you 

 will perceive that I have not dubbed it " Prune" 

 but gave Mr. C. as the author. In relation to 

 the " Gundaker," I believe I have the credit 

 of first noticing it in your journal, and if that 

 notice has been productive of no other good, it 

 has at least brought out its true name, which 

 I am very happy to learn, as I hold in no little 

 esteem the faculty some people possess of dub- 

 bing fruits with new names, as much as your cor- 

 respondent from Cincinnati or any other person. 



In the October and ^foveraber numbers I dis- 

 cover that you have an article on the Scarlet 

 and Double flowering Horseche.snuts. I am 

 happy to inform you that we have each, and 

 have sold considerable of them. The scarlet, 

 flowered with us the present season. Our trees 

 are from six to eight feet high and stocky. 

 Yours, Stc, A. Faunestook. Syracuse, N. 

 Y.,Nov. 7, 1851. 



Protecting Grapevines. — A. J. Downing, 

 Esq. — Last fall I laid down my grapes in mj' 

 inery on the ground, pinning them down and 

 g them with loose straw. During the 



winter the field mice got in and injured them, 

 eating the bark from some of them for several 

 feet, and otherwise injuring some of the finest 

 of them. 



Will you inform me what measures to take 

 this winter, to itrevcnt a similar occurrence, and 

 how shall I lay them down and protect them. 

 Yours very truly, S.K.Williams. Newark, 

 Wayne Co., N. Y., Nov. 11, 18-51 . 



If you fear the attacks of mice,lay your vines on 

 the ground, and cover them with tan-bark. Ed. 



Botanical Names. — Mr. Downing — Dear 

 Sir : Will you be kind enough to answer through 

 the Horticulturist, how such words as the fol- 

 lowing are pronounced. Smithii, Fortunii,Dill- 

 wynii, Scottii, &c. ; and what is the difierencc 

 between the above names, and those that end 

 with one i, in pronunciation. H. II. Williams. 

 Cincinnati, Oct. 27, 1851. 



Ans. — A singile i, final, is pronounced as 

 Stricta venti, (pronounced vent-eye;) but when 

 it ends a syllable not final, it has the sound of 

 e, — 'as Mimulus Smitliii, (pronounced Smith' 

 e-eye;) Daphne Forlunii, (pronounced Fortun- 

 e-eye,) &c. 



Agricultural Edccation. — Dear Sir: The 

 literary character of (he principal editor of the 

 Evening Post, gives importance to whatever he 

 may write upon education, its means and ends. 

 I enclose an article from his paper of to day, in 

 reply to some other article recommending tlie 

 establishment by the state, of agricultural 

 schools, (only thes^) in imitation of Prussia, 

 This reply, unnecessarily dragging-in the meth- 

 od of teaching, and political lessons taught, is 

 just as applicable to all our schools. As well 

 say have no common schools, no free acade- 

 mies, no colleges, because Prussia in her schools, 

 academies, and colleges, teaches her children to 

 be quiet subjects of an absolute government. It 

 is a feint to conceal the true issue — to cover it 

 with a prc^judice — as if our farmers must be de- 

 nied suitable means of instruction, because for- 

 sooth, Prussia teaches her farmers political sub- 

 mission with agriculture. To keep freedom's 

 end equal then, we should provide equal means 

 of instruction, and with the agricultural science, 

 teach the doctrines of self and free governments. 

 If I have read correctly of the course of in- 

 struction in the hidier agricultural schools of 



