DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



391 



Cumbeklan-jd Spice Aiple. — Some of our friends 

 •^'bo write in the western journals, are entirely cor- 

 rect in saying that this apple is distinct from the 

 White B<llrjk\ir, so well known in the western 

 states. We were in error, in placing it as a sy- 

 nonym in OHr work on fruits. 



The friuh h, that all hough w-e have been fami- 

 iiar with the CvMberl-dnd Spice ior years, ant! have 

 had ma.ny bushels of the fruit in our own garden, 

 we are not familiar with the White Bellefieur {ov 

 BelKSovver,) of the western states. It is very 

 rarely seen in the eastern cr midd-le states j and 

 ■W3 have received no less than three different ap- 

 }")!es under this p.atp.e from the west. The Cum- 

 berland Spice, growing in cur grounds, has been 

 several times proiiouueed synonymous by griotl 

 judges from the west. But we are now convinced 

 that it is a totally different fruit ; and as soon as 

 we can clear up the doubts about the different 

 sorts, known under the name of V/hite Belle^eur, 

 we shdll rewrite the -descriptioa of the two 

 fruits. 



Mr. Ernst, of Cincinnati, has just sent us a pa- 

 per on this subject ; but he follows us in consider- 

 ing the Cumberland Spice identical with the V.'hite 

 Selleflear. We shall refer to the subject again, — 

 remarking that the Cumberland Spice is always 

 <[e(sidedly conical, and has always a short stalk, 

 set in a shallow eavity 5 raakir.g it quite distinct 

 fiom the White Beli^eur. 



CatTURE OF THE Ca.mellia. — I havc perused, 

 with much plea-sure and benefit, Mr, Becar's ai^ 

 tide on the Camellia. It is, as you state, a real 

 j)ractical article. Tiiere is one .statement in the 

 article which J think may teml to mislead, in some 

 measure, beginners in growing the Camellia. 

 That is the temperature. I have always found 

 that heat was more to be avoided than cold. The 

 Camellia is not so much afraid of cold as some 

 think. In faet, it will bear a good deal of frost.; 

 but much freezing and thawing destroys the flower 

 t)uds. If they were kept about the freezing point, 

 or a little below it, all winter, it would not injure 

 them in the least: it would only retard their flow- 

 ■ering, which is desirable where there are plenty 

 of plants, to have some in that state, so as to have 

 •a succession of flowers for a longer time. My 

 study is to keep the house as near 40° as I can 

 with fire heat; {if much above that point, they 

 flower with me too fast ;) and with the sun as 

 near 60° as I can. It will some days go as high 

 as 70° or more, a-s we have sometimes the ther- 

 mometer at zero ami a piercing wind, and a 

 bright sun, so tha.t no air can be given. In such 

 a case, I find a light shading beneficial; as bright 

 sun and a high temperature soon destroy the flow- 

 ers. I havc a fine flower of double white, yet 

 hanging on the plant, and looking well, whicFi I 

 was afraid to cut to put in a bouquet on the first 

 instant, under the mistaken idea that it might fall 

 to pieces. 



As regards the mode of heatings no method ^ in 



my opinion, is better than a combination of hot 

 water and the smoke flue, both as regards the 

 rapid production of heat, and economy in the con- 

 sumption of fuel. To come to anything like a 

 just conclusion, the quantity of fuel consumed, the 

 space heated, and the general temperature out- 

 side, must all be taken into consideration, 



I am making a more close observation on those 

 points (than formerly,) this winter, with my 

 largest house, and may give you the result at the 

 close of the winter. [Which we shall be glad to 

 receive, J^d.] Yours sincerely, /. Wilson. Al- 

 bany, January. 9, 1849. 



[The Camellia flowers finely, and remains long- 

 est in bloom, when grown at a comparatively low 

 temperature. But with most amateurs, like Mr. 

 Becar, the great point is to have a fine display 

 in the early part of the winter ; and his success in 

 this way leaves nothing to be desired. Ed.] 



Seeds of Fruit Trees.— There are a very 

 few seedling fruits, out of the great number grown, 

 which are worth the place they occupy, as com- 

 pared with those which are propagated by budding 

 and grafting; and no man should ever think of re- 

 lying on these for the supply of fruits for the fami- 

 ly. Still every man desires to know how to pro- 

 pagate the ditTerent varieties of fruits from the 

 seed, that he may be able to supply himself with 

 stocks, if he chooses, on which to graft or bud 

 those he may select for his own culture. 



The seeds of the apple, pear, and quince, may 

 be treated substantially alike. Those of the first 

 may be taken from the fruit itself, or, if more con- 

 venient, washed from the pomace at the cider 

 mill, as soon as possible after the juice is extract- 

 ed. The cider mills in these parts are very few, 

 and it is much more common to obtain them from 

 rotten apyiles. This may be done by mashing 

 them in a plentiful supply of water, and running 

 them through a sieve by which the pulp will be 

 carried off, and the seeds retained. Pomace may 

 be washed by macerating in water, and then run- 

 ning it through a long spout, when the seeds will 

 fall to the bottom, and the refuse matter pass ofT. 

 This is quite easy, when there is a small spring of 

 water witli a fall, or even a pump to be used. 

 Pear seeds are more difficult to manage and should 

 be taken from the fruit as soon after it is well 

 ripened as convenient. The seeds of the poorer 

 sorts, such as the common Choke pears, are most 

 plentiful, and best. 



The seeds of the apple, pear, and quinee, may 

 be planted as soon as washed out, in good, moist, 

 deep, and rich soil, where they will vegetate free- 

 ly vi ith the ensuing spring. Those of the pear 

 are much the most difficult of all; and the youno- 

 plants are the most tender and precarious. 



It is of very little use to plant pomace or rot- 

 ten apples, and not at all to plant rotten pears. 

 Not one in a hundred, if in a thousand, will come. 

 It does not destroy the vitality of these seeds to 

 dry them and keep theni over; through we have 



