DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



147 



tlth soil of the trench. The tree began to grow 

 rapidly, and soon put on a healthy show of leaves, 

 and the succeeding year I had the pleasure of 

 gathering a large crop of pears, of full size and 

 delicious flavor. This year the fruit is still larger — 

 indeed a third larger than any Seckel pears that I 

 have yet seen. I am so well satisfied with the re- 

 sult, that I shall trench and manure in like manner 

 seven other bearing trees of the same kind, that 

 produce fruit of moderate size only. Yours. Jt 

 Bucks County Reader. Pa. Jiug., 1843. 



The Pratt Pear. — Dear Sir : I have known 

 this pear now two years, and am inclined to place 

 it among the very best of American seedlings. Its 

 good size and delicious flavor please every one. 

 It appears to me that it has not yet been rated suffi- 

 ciently high. What is your opinion ? New Haven, 

 Aug. 1,1848. 



[The Pratt is certainly one of the very best new 

 American pears. We would place it among the 

 twenty best varieties yet known. — Ed. ] 



To Force Plants to Bloom, &e. — In common, 

 I presume, with many other of your subscribers, I 

 highly approve of the new feature of your maga- 

 zine, in virtue of which amateurs, like myself, may 

 propose questions on points of difficulty. Out of 

 many queries I wish to propose, I select the fol- 

 lowing : 



1. When water is withheld from green-house 

 plants to make them flower, should the dryness be 

 continued till the flower-buds appear? In other 

 words, if the plants do not come into flower at the 

 proper blossoming season, should the attempt to 

 force them into flower be continued, or should they 

 have water, and be allowed to make their new 

 growth? (ff.) 



2. What are the best means of promoting inflo- 

 rescence, when plants are inclined to grow luxuri- 

 antly without blooming ? (6.) 



3. Can you or any of your correspondents tell 

 me how to get rid of the Coreus hesperidus, — white 

 mealy bug, in my green-house? (c.) 



4. Mr. James Dougall turnished, for your April 

 number, an article on the cultivation of grapes in 

 pots ; a subject in which I feel much interest, but 

 am unable to obtain from that article all the infor- 

 mation I need in order to making experiments. 

 Would some experienced cultivator be kind enough 

 to furnish another article, containing more details 

 as to the routine of culture? One point stated is, 

 that the pots are to be placed in the open air till 

 January, and protected from frost. This may be 

 practicable in the climate of England, but I should 

 think not in our own. By answering these ques- 

 tions, you will oblige Jl Subscriber. Williams- 

 town, Mass., July bth, 1848. 



P. S. Your articles on the cultivation of Azaleas, 

 Japan lilies, &c., were highly interesting and va- 

 luable. Will not others of your correspondents 

 furnish plain directions for the management of 

 Gardenias, Rhododendrons, and other green-house 

 plants? 



Answers. — (a.) Withhold the water only while 

 the plants are at rest ; when they commence grow- 

 ing, give them a liberal supply. 



{b.) The simplest and best means is to jAnch out 

 the extremity of every young shoot, (after the plant 

 has attained a blooming size.) as soon as it has 

 grown three or four inches. Continue this till the 

 plant is forced to form flower-buds. 



(c.) Hot water is the best means in cur know- 

 ledge of destroying this troublesome insect ; but it 

 must be used with judgment. Will some of our 

 exotic florists favor us with an answer ? Ed. 



Orcharding in Mississippi. — A. J. Downing, 

 Esq. Dear Sir; It may be pleasing to you to 

 know something of the ripening of fruits here. 

 I live about twelve miles east of Vicksburg, upon 

 the first high land on the east side of Big Black. 



Fruits ri)>en in Vicksburg, (hilly land, and pro- 

 tected by the large body of water flowing past it,) 

 about two weeks earlier than here; therefore the 

 ripening of my fruits must not be compared with 

 those of Vicksburg. For instance, the Early York 

 (not the "true,") ripened in Vicksburg say 28th 

 of May, (earlier by 15 days than I ever knew it,) 

 whilst the same peach, very probably worked from 

 the same standard tree, did not fruit here before 

 the 21st of June. 



My first peach was the little White Nutmeg, 

 ripe 1st June. EIraira, a seedling raised here, 8 

 inches in diameter, beautiful Red Cling, very good 

 for the season, ripened on the 10th June. 

 Early Tillotson, on the 20th '• 

 Early York, (''true,") 21st " 



Early York, common, 2lst 



Bruges Beauty, 24th 



Cole's Early Red, 24th 



Early Red Rareripe, 26th 



*Emperor of Russia, 28th 



Poll's Melocoton 28th 



Violet Hatif, 28th 



President, 30th 



Bergen's Yellow, 1st 



Snow, 1st 



July. 



Good, beautiful, 

 . " " 



Better than I 



expected, and measures 8 inches. 

 Apples. — Red June, ripe on the 18th June. 



Summer Queen, 18th June. 



Early Harvest, 29th June. 



Early Bough, 1st July. 



I do not think I have had specimens that were a 

 fair test, and not from over half my early varieties, 

 I am certain that I have some ten other varieties 

 that should have ripened before this — owing to my 

 culture, or the season. I have been pressing my 

 orchard forward, not regarding the fruit, because I 

 want the trees to have size so that I can cease 

 planting a crop. A portion of my orchard I culti- 

 vate hereafter only as an orchard; will manure no 

 more until I get a full crop of fruit. I cannot 

 spare the time to cultivate as for market fruit. My 

 profit will be in raising hogs, and I will plow once 

 or twice a year, and manure if I find it called for. 

 I beg you will advise me what ornamental trees 

 to buy, so as to intersperse with native growth. I 

 want evergreens especially. Lying east of my 

 house I have my Negro-houses, on a ridge running 



* Emperor of Russia peach grows slow here for a year or 

 two. No mildew ; aud when 4 or 5 years old, grows as well 

 as any. 



