DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



of other trees, as the ash, peach, kc, infected 

 with Borers, is equally effectual. The main 

 point is to get it on before the insect comes out 

 in a winged state — and south of Baltimore that 

 is usually before this time. North of that point, 

 the early part of May will answer. Ed.] 



Varieties of Box — Mr. Downing — Dear 

 Sir: Permit me, through the Medium of your 

 ever welcome Horticulturist, to make a few in- 

 quiries concerning the different species and va- 

 rieties of the Box. I have not been able to find 

 in your pages anything about it, excepting the 

 manner of propagating the dwarf variety — 

 which I suppose to be the common Box, (Bux- 

 us sempervirens,) which I have seen four and a 

 half feet high, and perhaps thirty years old — 

 and which is used for borders in this vicinity. 

 Cannot you give us a description of all the 

 known varieties? Is not it one of our finest 

 evergreens, and worthy a special chapter in the 

 Horticulturist? and will you not tell us the 

 name of the Hawthorn used for hedges in Eng- 

 land, and described by Mr. Olmstead in his 

 '•' Walks and Talks" — and whether it can be 

 procured at our nurseries, andoblge yours tru- 

 ly, A Novice. New- England, April 5, 1852. 



Answer. — There are four or five varieties of 

 the common Box, (Buxvs sempervirens,) cul- 

 tivated in this country. The Dwarf Box, {B. 

 S. suffruticosa,) in common use for edgings, is 

 the least hardy of all, the foliage being always 

 browned, and the ends of the shoots injured by 

 severe winters, all over the northern states. 



The Tree Box, (B. S. arborescens,) which 

 has leaves about twice as long as those of the 

 Dwarf Box, and grows from 2 to 10 or 12 feet 

 high, is much hardier, and bears 10° below 

 zero without injury. The Gold-striped Tree 

 Box, and Silver-striped do., are varieties very 

 ornamental in their foliage, and equally hardy. 



But the hardiest of all is what is known as 

 the Green-tree box, (B. S. angustifulia.) It 

 has shining dark green, lanceolated leaves, 

 more narrow and pointed than the common 

 Dwarf Box, or the other sorts of the Tree 

 Box — resembling more the foliage of the com- 

 mon Roman Myrtle. This Box will bear unin- 

 jured, a temperature that destroys or injures 

 badly, both the Dwarf Box. and the other 

 sorts of the Tree Box, and as its foliage is of a 

 richer tint than any of the others, and as it 



may be kept in shape very easily, by the shears, 

 it ought to take the place of the Dwarf Box 

 for edgings, in the United States. This varie- 

 ty is more common about Washington, and in 

 Maryland, than in northern gardens. It de- 

 serves to be cultivated more generally. 



Grapes in Vineries. — Dear Sir: As a rea- 

 son for troubling you to do mc a favor, my only 

 apology is, that I am a lover of horticultural 

 pursuits, an original subscriber to your Horti- 

 culturist, and that I have endeavored to extend 

 its circulation by inducing some of my friends 

 to subscribe for it, whom I knew would be be- 

 nefited by taking it. I have received great and 

 essential benefit from it myself; and perhaps it 

 is owing more to that than any other cause, that 

 I was induced, in the spring of 1849, to build 

 me a grapery, setting out my vines the middle 

 of May, in that year. About one half of them 

 were two year old plants, in good sized pots. 

 They all grew well the first season, and have 

 continued to do so since. In 1850, by crooking 

 the older vines in large pots, I allowed them to 

 bear each a few bunches of grapes, without 

 hurting the vines at all. In every such case, a 

 fine strong rod, coming from below the crook, 

 was sent up to the top of the house, and this 

 was the bearing wood for 1851, the old rod in 

 the pot being cut off. 



In 1851, being the third season, the vines 

 were allowed to bear a fair crop. The fruit ri- 

 pened well in all but two instances, where I had 

 allowed a little too much to remain. Bntlhadas 

 fine Muscats of Alexandria, and in perfection,as 

 you will find in Mr. Allen's graperies. Also, I 

 had in perfection, Black Hamburghs, Wilmot's 

 New Black Hamburgh, St. Albans, Grizzly and 

 White Frontignans, Royal Muscadine, White 

 Nice, Chasselas of Fontainbleau, and Syrian. 



I notice what Mr. Cleveland says in the last 

 number of the Horticulturist, on the subject of 

 early over bearing. This is the great danger. His 

 suggestions are important, and if attended to, may 

 benefit those who are now constructing grape- 

 ries, or who may do it hereafter. My vines are 

 all numbered, and I have from the first kept a 

 particular account of the state and condition of 

 each vine, its growth, annual product, 8cc. — in- 

 deed, everything about it. Thus far my vines 

 have done remarkably well — but I want to see 



