DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



plums in his whole establishment for the year. 

 Leaving west, I came to New- York, and ob- 

 tained a situation with W. C. Langley. Esq., a 

 patron and friend of horticulture, and a gentle- 

 man who has spared no expense in furnishing 

 his establishment Avith the choicest fruits — the 

 plum in particular. Here I again commenced 

 my labors, and I am happy to say, with perfect 

 success; and as mere assertion is worth little, 

 I invite all unbelievers, as well as inquirers, to 

 occular demonstration. 



Mr. Langley has an extensive and beautiful 

 plum orchard, and this year in particular, it 

 was loaded with fruit, all the treesbearing about 

 equally. For an experiment, I commenced the 

 application with a quill, of a neio composition, 

 on three trees. The result is worthy of being 

 seen. There is not a plum in the orchard, ex- 

 cept on these three trees, they having fallen off, 

 destroyed by the insect. To one of the three 

 I shall be obliged to apply props, otherwise it 

 will break down. I can only add, that I am 

 convinced that my composition is a radical ex- 

 terminator. I shall keep its nature private 

 until practical men, and others interested, are 

 satisfied. Mr. Langley'.« place will be open 

 for the public to examine for themselves, after 

 which my receipt shall be open to the world. 

 The compound for 100 trees would not cost 

 over eight dollars. It is applied with a syringe. 

 lam sir, your humble servt., Wm. Quant, 

 Gardener to W. C. Langley, Esq., od Avenue. 

 Long Island, July 12, 1851. 



Sweet Potatoe Culture. — Sir: The sweet 

 potato forms a very important article of pro- 

 vision on the southern plantations. It is so sub- 

 ject to rot — even by the 1st of January— that 

 it is much less planted than would otherwise be 

 the case. There are various modes adopted to 

 preserve them, j-et none giving entire assur- 

 ance. It has struck me that some way might 

 be adopted of kiln-drying them. This would 

 reduce them greatly in bulk, by ridding them 

 of water — the principal cause of their decay. 

 They would thus be brought to a state easily 

 convertible into a flour. 



This notion first suggested itself to me in the 

 famine year, when a good deal of Indian corn 

 was kiln-dried to stand a voyage to Ireland. 



not think I exaggerate, when I consider 

 atter of national importance, and upon 



this ground beg that you will turn it in your 

 mind. Should you be at fault, a suggestion in 

 your paper would bring out some of your cor- 

 respondeuts upon the two points — 



Is the scheme a practicable one? If so, what 

 mode of preparation would best accomplish it? 



I do not give my name — it would add noth- 

 ing to the importance of the subject, nor ought 

 it to do so. 



I send this to your paper, as — taking it — I 

 shall see anything you may say on the subject. 

 Charleston, S. C, June 10, 1851. 



We shall be glad to hear from correspondents 

 who have information to communicate on this 

 subject. Ed. 



Peach Trees — The Effect or Shorten- 

 iNG-iN. — Last winter we tried the experiment 

 of shortening-in the branches of a portion of a 

 peach tree, and leaving the remainder untouch- 

 ed, in order more fully to test the beneficial ef- 

 fects of the practice, and give an occular de- 

 monstration of the difierence, if any should 

 appear, resulting from the operation, to all who 

 might witness the result. The blossoms on the 

 branches shortened-in. came out from a week 

 to ten days earlier, and the fruit at the time of 

 writing, is at least one-third larger than that 

 on branches left in their natural state. The new 

 growth of wood on the shortened branches is 

 of a more vigorous and finer character, and 

 will probably acquire a greater degree of har- 

 diness, to enable it to withstand the vigor of 

 the coming winter. 



But this, too, is labor, and being so, it will 

 be an objection with many to any further at- 

 tempts to raise peaches. Yet it is a labor of 

 pleasure, if not of profit,, to all who wish to 

 enjoy the satisfaction of seeing nature yielding 

 to their control, and nature perfecting herself 

 under their influence. To those who have plea- 

 sure of tasting rich fruit of their own raising, 

 and plucking it in delicious freshness from the 

 tree, it will be but a light service, compared 

 with emptying their pockets to purchase the 

 fruits of other climes, too often gathered in a 

 crude atid immature state, in order to enable 

 them to survive transportation, and contracting 

 insipidity and decay in every step of their jour- 

 neying. 



We might before have remarked, for 

 ncfit of the inexperienced, (if any of your 



