DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



541 



withstanding the severity of the winter, its (low- 

 ers will be expanded in a day or two. I tirst 

 thought it had been covered during the severe 

 frost; but upon inquiry, Mr. Thorbukn informed 

 me of the contrary. Being a stranger, Mr. T. 

 asked me if I ever saw so tine a specimen of this 

 Magnolia. He seemed not a little surprised on 

 my remarking that I had seen one double its size 

 in the grounds of the editor of the Horticulturist, 

 at Newburgh. From this, I conjecture that large 

 specimen plants of this Magnolia are rather scarce. 



I next refer to the collection of A. P. Cum- 

 MiNGS, Esq., at Williamsburgh, N. Y., who was 

 equally courteous in showing mc everything inte- 

 resting in his well stocked houses ; among which 

 I noticed several fine Azaleas, Camellias and Rho- 

 dodendrons. Good specimens of Araucaria bra- 

 ziliensis , and Eutassa {Araucaria,) excclsa ; 

 also, a good specimen of Casuarina equisetifolia, 

 a curious plant, native of Australia, and known to 

 the aborigines by the peculiar name of " Beef- 

 wood." A Banksia serrata, several Acacias, 

 and many flowering plants of Chorizema varium. 

 polygallas, and Echeveria grandijlora. Good 

 flowering plants of Burchellia capensis, and a 

 pretty Aristilochia. A good plant of Ardesia 

 crenulata, about 2^ feet high. The contrast of 

 its scarlet fruit with the dark green crenate foli- 

 age, had a pleasing effect. Among other novel- 

 ties in tills gentleman's collection, I saw good 

 plants of the double purple and white Chinese 

 Pruiirose, — varieties yet little known; the purple 

 being seldom seen, even in Britain, the emporium 

 of horticulture. 



I must now conclude this little excursion, with 

 alluding to a private collection, already noticed in 

 the Horticulturist, but which cannot be too often 

 cited as a model of good cultivation. I mean Mr. 

 Becar's unrivalled Camellias, which is indeed a 

 grand one. Several of the varieties were still in 

 bloom. His Azaleas have far surpassed any I 

 had seen. Some of them are so loaded with flow- 

 ers that scarcely a bit of their foliage could be 

 seen. His collection of Calceolarias is large and 

 healthy. Few of them are yet in flower, as a 

 matter of course; but those which I saw in bloom 

 were excellent sorts. I saw, also, in his collec- 

 tion a good plant of the pretty Kennedia Marxjuta. 

 I am, sir, respectfully yours, M. C. Newburgh. 

 April 6, 1849. 



Florists' Flowers. — Dear Sir: I have been 

 an attentive reader of the Horticulturist from its 

 commencement, and have been much pleased with 

 the several numbers as they have appeared. I 

 was much interested in reading the treatises on 

 the culture of the Geranium, Carnation and Pansy, 

 and have been expecting to see other treatises 

 occasionally appearing, such, for instance, as those 

 on the culture of the Calceolaria, Fuchsia, Aza- 

 lea indica, Ranunculus, Anemone, Picotee, Rose, 

 Hyacinth, Tulip, Auricula, Polyanthus, &cc. Such 

 popular treatises would no doubt be read with 



much interest by your readers generally. I hope 

 you will favor your readers occasionally witli one 

 of them. By no one will they be perused with 

 greater interest than by your obedient servant, 

 Wm.Lunn. Montreal, March 26, 1849. 



[Wo look to the several eminent florists among 

 our readers to meet the wishes of our Canada sub- 

 scriber. Ed.] .... 



Effects of the late Winter. — Neither the 

 Red nor Yellow Antwerp, the Franeonia nor Fas- 

 tolff raspberries will stand the winters with us; 

 even the spurious Antwerp is sometimes injured. 

 I find some of my young cherry trees injured this 

 spring, especially the Elton, Uownton, B. Tarta- 

 rian, and Bigarrcau. Tlie Belle de Choisy ap- 

 pears as hardy as the Mayduke and pie cherry ; 

 they are affected on tlie south or soutlieast side of 

 the tree, near the surface of the ground, in the 

 form of a small brown patch, as if they had been 

 scorched by fire. Would not grafting or budding 

 strandard high on the common Mazzard or Mo- 

 rello cherry prevent this, in a measure ? The 

 varieties that I alluded to as having suffered were 

 budded quite low down. The Ross Phcnix straw- 

 berry is an entire failure with us; it will not with- 

 stand our hot and dry summers. [It succeeds best 

 at the north, and in a cool moist soil. Ed.] The 

 peach crop will be very short with us this season. 



If you shall deem my communication worthy of 

 notice, I may trouble you again. Yours, respect- 

 fully, John Diehe. New-Castle co., Del. 



Magnolia grandiflora. — In the Horticultu- 

 rist for February last, (p. 375,) one of your cor- 

 respondents, writing from Philadelphia, says — 

 " Magnolia grandijlora, and many other ever- 

 greens of the southern states, grow well in Britain, 

 yet they are tender and by no means hardy in the 

 middle states." This might discourage some of 

 your readers here ; and as this grand tree is my 

 especial favorite, and worthy of all care and at- 

 tention, at any cost, for a good specimen tolera- 

 bly grown is well worth one hundred dollars to 

 any residence, permit me to state the following 

 facts : 



There are two specimens averaging twenty-five 

 or thirty feet high, and of magnificent foliage, on 

 the farm of Owen Sheridan, ten miles north of 

 Philadelphia, which flourish and flower superbly 

 (the word superb is weak in conve3'ing my mean- 

 ing,) every season, and are the source of admira- 

 tion to numerous visitors ; while the flowers are 

 plucked by baskets-full for the gratification of 

 friends. 



There was a similar specimen at the Landreth 

 nurseries some years ago, which perfected its 

 seeds, and some of its beautiful descendants are 

 now flourishing in my possession in the open air. 

 Unfortunately, it was not planted in a suitable 

 soil, and was blown over by a gale and died. I 

 have myself a specimen, removed from a Phila- 

 delphia garden, that is fifteen feet high; though it 

 lost its top by the process, it has recovered its 



