:?.^ 



DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



SO green an appearance until nearlj' grown tliat, 

 we were led to doubt tlieir genuineness, but being 

 blown off by wind, tbej' were carried into a 

 room, where in a fortnight, a profusion of red 

 stripes gradually covered the whole surf;ice. 



Preserving Fruit in a Fresh State. — 

 TVm. R. and Eliza Smith, of Macedon, N. Y., 

 have devoted nearly their whole time during 

 the fruit season the present and past year, in 

 perfecting their process for preserving soft and 

 perishable fruits in glass jars, in a fresh state, 

 like that when first taken from the tree. Their 

 mode consists substantially in expelling the air 

 from the jars by heat, and then heremetically 

 sealing them; but there are so many minute 

 particulars to be attended to, that one who 

 should remain a whole day in their laboratory, 

 and closely observe every part of the process, 

 would not probably succeed as they do. after a 

 month's trial. In truth, one might as well 

 think to draw a fine picture without e.xperience, 

 by watching for a few hours the brush of an em- 

 inent artist. They preserve strawberries, cher- 

 ries, raspberries, peaches, plums, jiears, toma- 

 toes, &c. ; and so different are the details of the 

 process for each of these, that the necessary re- 

 quirements for one sort, would, if applied to 

 others, entirely spoil them. Of their fruits pre- 

 pared last year, when they had much less ex- 

 perience, some jiroved imperfect by losing a 

 part of tlie peculiar fresh flavor of newly pluck- 

 ed frnit, while other specimens which we exam- 

 ined, and more especially the clingstone peach- 

 es, could hardly be distinguished from those of 

 yesterday's ripening. They are particularly 

 successful with tomatoes, the flavor of which, 

 after months of keeping, we much prefer to that 

 of the specimens which are usually brought 

 eaily in snmmer from the Island of Bermuda. 

 They have now on hand a large collection of 

 jars or bottles for distribution, and wc hope they 

 may reap some reward for the extraordinary 

 labor, skill, and ingenuity which they have be- 

 stowed in perfecting their process. 



Wintering Strawberry Beds — Raising 

 Seedlings. — At a meeting of the Cincinnati 

 lJorticuUin;il Society, (and we know that they 

 'f Cincinnati are not insignilicaut on this sub- 

 ^'iciioL.vs Longworth recommended 

 or cii# slraw, or dead leaves, applied in 



the (\xll, as the best thing to do for them. Dr 

 MosHER used chaff, and found it well adapted 

 to apply to the beds after dressing them in the 

 spring. Tan-bark was objected to on account 

 of the dirt after rains. 



Raising Seedlings — Longworth would im- 

 pregnate a large and good pistillate, with the 

 best hermaphrodite, (or perfect flowered) and 

 plant the seeds as soon as ripe in good soil in 

 open ground. From 200 seedlings, he would 

 expect 95 staminates,95 pistillates, and 10 her- 

 maphrodites. They should be planted separate, 

 and the runners cleared till the sorts were 

 proved. Graham advised planting in pots, 

 and driving them ahead with bottom heat — his 

 plants proved mostly staminate. McAvoy 

 would plant in open ground — but select the 

 best plants and force them. He had one bear 

 a year from planting. 



GRADU.'iL AND Sl'CCESSFL'L PROGRESS IN 



Planting. — One of the most interesting frag- 

 ments of individual history we have lately seen, 

 especially as connected with horticultural pur- 

 suits, is contained in the following extract, 

 which we make from the " Notes on Gardens 

 and Nurseries," in the last number of Hovey's 

 Magazine: 



'' Residence of Jos. Slickney, Esq., ]Vater- 

 toum. — Strange, indeed, is it, to see how sb'glit 

 a circumstance may change and mould a taste 

 for objects previously of no interest whatever. 

 Some years ago, when the taste for the culture 

 of that gorgeous flower, the Dahlia, was carried 

 to a greater extent than now, a gentleman 

 whose time was almost incessantly occupied in 

 commercial matters, and who possessed only a 

 few square feet of garden, in the rear of his 

 dwelling, in the city, was struck with the splen- 

 dor of one of the exhibitions of this flower, at 

 the rooms of the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society, and at mice made up his mind to buy 

 a few plants. Spring came, and they were set 

 out; — they flourished — grew, — and all the au- 

 tumn repaid the careful attention of a zealous 

 amateur, by a brilliant display of flowers. This 

 was grand success for a beginner. Another year 

 came round, and tl:e dozen sorts were aug- 

 mented to fifty, and still the same success. — 

 Delighted to find himself so well repaid, (un- 

 aware it was entirely owing to that love which 

 spared no i)ains fcu' the welfare of the plants,) 

 the newest and finest sorts were procured, and 

 another season he not only became a compet- 

 itor for the prizes, but actually carried some 

 of them off I 



But with a few feet of land, alrf^ady 

 filled, there was no room for further at' 



