DOMESTIC NOTICES, 



Dnmrstir Snilm, 



OrsTER-SitELL Lime.— While spending a few 

 hours on Staten Island lately, we saw a simple 

 and efficient mode of making oyster-shell lime, 

 which -we record for the benefit of such of our 

 readers as have the opportunity to put it into 

 practice. 



Mr. Dunning, (for it is upon this gentle- 

 man's place that the thing is done,) builds up 

 with rough stone walls, a circular kiln about 5 

 feet in diameter— just as you would stone \vp a 

 well. A spot is selected on a side hill, where 

 the slope of the ground is such that with a 

 slight excavation the base of the kiln is exposed 

 on the lower side. Here a small opening— a 

 rude archway 18 or 20 inches wide and a little 

 more in height — is left as a sort of furnace — to 

 be filled with faggots, brush, stumps of trees, 

 and the like rubbish to be had on almost every 

 country place — over this furnace a few bars of 

 iron are built into the wall, to hold up the first 

 layer of oyster shells. In filling the kiln, a 

 layer of oyster shells and a thin layer or sprink- 

 ling of the screenings of anthracite coal are Y)\.it 

 alternately, till the kiln is filled to the top- 

 making in all a depth of some 4 to 6 feet. The 

 fire is lighted among the figgots and rough 

 wood below, and gradually spreads through the 

 whole kiln — burning the oyster shells into ex- 

 cellent lime. When we say that oyster shells 

 make the purest and best lime for all horticul- 

 tural purposes, and especially for fruit trees, and 

 that in most of our Atlantic towns they are 

 wholly wasted, and though so easily burned in 

 this way in these simple kilns, (which once 

 made will last for a dozen years,) we think we 

 ofier a hint, which many subscribers will lose no 

 time in profiting by. 



The Sheldon Pear. — AVe received from Mr, 

 W. S. Verplanck, of Geneva, N". Y., a box 

 containing some samples of new seedling pears 

 under this name. They were, as we learn, the 

 product of several trees, all- seedlings, bearing 

 the strongest resemblance to each other, and all 

 raised from seeds brought by Mr. Sheldon to 

 Wayne co., from the form of Judge Johnson, of 

 Dutchess county, N. Y. The form and size is 

 much like that of the Doyenne or Virgalieu, 



(which was probably the parent,) but with more 

 of the flavor of the Brown Beurre, and a good 

 deal of the russety greenish yellow skin of the 

 latter pear. The flavor is something between 

 the two first — and so far as we could judge from 

 the product of a single season, is likely to take 

 rank as a " very good" pear. The tree is said 

 to resemble the Virgalieu in its growth. We 

 shall hope to examine this variety next year, 

 and report more fully upon it . 



The Cushino Raspberry. — We learn from 

 a pomological correspondent in Philadelphia, 

 that plants of this fine new variety, originated 

 by Dr. Brinckle, and figured in a previous 

 vol. of this Journal, " were loaded with crops of 

 handsome and fine fruit all the month of No- 

 vember." Its ever-bearing qualities were not, 

 we think, known, when it was first described, 

 and they add very much to its value. 



Removing Trees in Winter. — Dear Sir: I 

 owe you thanks for the hints about moving trees 

 with frozen balls of earth. I began to put them 

 in practice the beginning of this month, and 

 have already moved twenty trees, Elms, Maples, 

 and White Pines. These trees are from 18 to 

 30 feet high. I took them from the meadows 

 and road sides where they stood alone — so that 

 they have handsome heads. The latter I have 

 shortened-in all over the tips of the branches. 

 With three hands, a yoke of oxen and a low, 

 strong sled, I found it quite an easy matter, 

 and feel confident the trees will do well — as 

 balls of earth five feet in diameter — containing 

 nearly all the main roots — were taken entire 

 with everj' tree, I am charmed with the effect 

 so speedily produced — turning a bare site into 

 one with the shelter and growth of eighteen or 

 twenty years. The cost of removing the twen- 

 ty trees, preparing the holes and all, is exactly 

 $100. And I have expended no such sum on 

 my premises so much to my satisfaction. A 

 Constant Reader. Philadelphia, Dec. 17. 



The American Holly. — The finest ever- 

 green shrub or tree north of Mason & D 

 line, and one which is most neglected 



