1876.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



83 



and of a shining, dark red color, and of a very 

 good quality. Eipe about a week after the Early 

 Richmond." 



Paul's Improved Crab. — Illustrated in January 

 Florist and Pomologist. This is highly colored and 

 a little early, and it is therefore regarded as a 

 hybrid between the common Siberian and Eed 

 Astrachan, but our Western Pomologists have 

 obtained niunerous seedling crabs of this charac- 

 ter, as simple seedings, without any idea of hy- 

 bridization. 



Souvenir du Congress Pear. — At the recent 

 meeting of the Western N. Y. Horticultural So- 

 ciety Mr. Geo. Ellwanger said : " After several 

 years' fruiting, w'e can say that for large size, 

 beautiful form and color, as well as good 

 qualities, it is without a rival among recent intro- 

 ductions." 



Two New French Pears. — President Drouard, 

 and Belle de Beatifert. — Under these names we 

 have from Mr. J. De Saint Ange colored plates. 

 They are large greenish " Duchess " looking fruits, 

 and both winter varieties. 



Dr. McLean Pea. — An immense number of 

 new peas appeared in England last year. This is 

 thought to be one of the best. It is a dwarf blue 

 wrinkled marrow, large pods, and a great cropper. 



qUERIES. 



Mushroom Culture. — A " Subscriber, " has 

 started a small bed of mushrooms, as described 

 in " Henderson's Gardening for Profit," but says 

 he '' don't know how to cut, pack and sell them, 

 which Henderson omits to mention, and much 

 other minutiae perhaps necessary to be known by 

 the producer for profit." 



[Mr. Henderson will perhaps oblige by furnish- 

 ing us with the desired supplement to his useful 

 work.— Ed. G. M.] 



Black's Early Peach. — H. E. Van Deman says : 

 "Who knows to a certainty about this peach? 

 Where did it originate? What is its season of 

 ripening? What of its productiveness and qual- 

 ity ? Any one who can answer these questions 

 will confer a favor upon the writer and perhaps 

 upon other readers of the Monthly." 



Water at the Roots of Grape Vines. — M.N.C, 

 Chicago, 111. You are right. It will not hurt 

 the roots of your vines to be near water. The 

 celebrated vine at Hampton Court is said to be 

 80 superior because some of the roots get to a cess- 



pool, and one of the best growers of native 

 grapes in Pennsylvania, Mr. Jacob Garber, finda 

 some vines do best where a portion of the roots 

 get to a spring. Still it is also true that if all the 

 roots are damp, grape growing is a failure. Per- 

 haps the explanation is, that where some of the 

 roots are employed in taking up water only, 

 others are engaged in taking up other food, and 

 the division of labor is an advantage. 



Fruit Culture. — A Cincinnati correspondent 

 says: "I am a great admirer of the Gardener's 

 Monthly, hut think you give too much space, to 

 small fruit growers and others whose grounds are 

 rather farms than gardens. In a recent issue I noted 

 that one-fifth of the whole space was occupied in 

 that way. Can you not give us a horticultural 

 paper, pure and simple and let these farm topics 

 alone." 



Jupiter once sat in the heavens, and opened 

 his trap door to listen to the supplications of the 

 inhabitants of the earth. He who was blind 

 asked to be deaf instead, the lame man preferred 

 to be blind, the deaf man wanted to be lame. No 

 man had anything he wanted, and wanted eveiy- 

 thing he had not. Whereupon Jupiter waxed ex- 

 ceeding wroth, and shut the trap door down with, 

 such a bang that it has never been opened since. 



However we shall have less terriper, and are 

 quite willing that the "fruit" men have their 

 say in turn if they wish. 



Highland Hardy Raspberry. — J. A. N. 



St. Josephs, Michigan, says : " Who sells the 

 'Highland Hardy Raspberry?' If what your 

 Ulster Co. correspondent says of it in January 

 number is correct, the purchasers would be many. 

 Please ask him to verify his statements, then ad- 

 vertise his bushes." 



[As we stated in our note when inserting that 

 communication, we know nothing whatever of 

 that raspberrry. We suppose if it is all that is 

 claimed for it, some one will have it for sale be- 

 fore long.— Ed. G.M.] 



Oyster Shell Lime. — W. M., Plainville, Conn., 

 says : " My garden is a light sandy soil, and this 

 spring I think of using on it oyster shell lime. 

 Am I right in doing so, and what will be the result? 

 I also intend to apply it around my fruit trees. 

 Please note in March No. and oblige." 



[Oyster shell lime is better on sandy soil than 

 ordinary lime, which on the other hand is best 

 for clay lands, — but beware of overdosing ; much 

 less lime to the acre has to be used on sandy than 

 on clayey lands. — Ed. G. M.] 



