DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



peach trees, set last season, one year from the 

 bud, quite a share of them are now filled with 

 blossoms; and plums, from six to eight feet 

 higli, are clothed in bloom, I have some dwarf 

 pears standing from two and a half to three 

 feet high, set for a dozen fruit each— so much 

 for our prospects in this cold regicjn. 



I raise all my fruit trees, perhafis I may at 

 some leisure moment send you my manner of 

 cultivation. Charles Sjuitii. Shelburne, 

 Franklin co., Mass., May 24, 1852. 



[The irregular effects of the winter are very 

 difficult to understand. It has been supposed 

 that 12° below zero invariably killed the blos- 

 som buds — but there are many examples the 

 past winter of their surviving a greater cold un- 

 injured — while in some portions of the country 

 they were quite destroyed witli less cold. Pro- 

 bably more depends on the thawing after the 

 severe frost than on the cold itself. Ed.] 



Coi'NTRY Seats About Boston. — Sir: My 

 attention has been called to an article in the 

 April number of your Journal, signed " Horti- 

 cola," and to a commentary on the same in the 

 May No., by a "Subscriber," between whom 

 there seems to be some little difference of opin- 

 ion about the relative beauties of various coun- 

 try seats in this town, (AValtham, Mass.) 



This is a nice question, as all mere matters of 

 taste are; but can be settled, perhaps, by a lit- 

 tle reflection. The truth is, we are, here, a lit- 

 tle fastidious in these matters. The beauties of 

 country residences arise from [losition as well as 

 surrounding scenery; and we are so completely 

 encircled with positions so beautiful by nature, 

 and requiring so little artificial adornment, that 

 we arc not aware how capricious we have be- 

 come in our taste, and judgment too, in those 

 matters. In the early settlement of this state, 

 when our ancestors, with the whole land before 

 them, were looking only for pleasant places on 

 which to take up their rest, tradition says that 

 when they reached Watertown, of which Wal- 

 tham was then a part, they ceased their search, 

 satisfied that their new world could not reveal 

 to them, beyond, a fairer inheritance. Stand- 

 ing on these hills, from which they could see, on 

 the one side, the sun rising from the dreary 

 ocean which they had passed in fear, and set- 

 on the other side, in, to their minds, the 

 carier wilderness, they planted themselves 



'• with much jorj," in this lovely region. I say, 

 then, we are not judges of fine positions; we 

 have no waste places for contrast; we see noth- 

 ing but nature, and so arrayed as to appear, 

 •'even when unadorned adorned the most." But 

 to go back to the true question before us- 



" Horticola," a stranger, I hear, but ena- 

 mored of our town, (a proof of his good taste,) 

 speaks rather slightingly of the ancient seat of 

 the Lyman's in this place; the oldest I believe, 

 and heretofore considered the grandest; and 

 passes by its old rival, the Gore Place, with 

 mere mention; this docs not suit " A Subscri- 

 ber," nor would it any old con.servative. The 

 lands of Mr. Lyman are broad and rich, but 

 low. It is a valley residence, and of course 

 does not appear to the .same advantage an es- 

 tate chosen more for prospect would ; such was 

 not the fancy of that day. Gore Hou.se, of 

 about the same period, is in similar taste. In 

 that day, houses were built for merely comforta- 

 hie residences— now for show country seats, and 

 prospects are now much more valued. Horti- 

 coLA speaks flatteringly of Rose Hill, where the 

 appliances of a more modern taste are fast re- 

 vealing the beauties of a position entirely diffe- 

 rently situated . This accounts for Horticola's 

 opinion, and '' A Subscriber's" too: they are 

 both right. But my intention in this note is to 

 speak a word for a part of our town, which has 

 till this present time, been obliged to be content 

 with but silent praise- Would "Subscriber," 

 if he be, as his deep interest and feeling in the 

 case, strongly encourages one to think — an in- 

 habitant of this lovely land, but turn his eye 

 upon " Trapilo," our romantic hills and fer- 

 tile vales in the north atj^east; could he ab- 

 stract himself from the dusty "plain," and re- 

 pose himself awliile among those quiet scenes 

 and select some favored spot for experiment, my 

 conviction is, that with suflBcient means, he 

 could distance all competitors in a beautiful 

 countrj' seat. But I find my communication is 

 becoming too long, and I must omit much I in- 

 tended to say about some other places in this 

 town; but I hope " Horticola" will communi- 

 cate again with you, for he evidently has an eye 

 to beauty in landscape gardening. Trapilo. 

 Waltham, Mass., May 31, 1852. 



Sulphate of Ammonia. — I was very much 

 pleased with the recommendation of Sulphate 



