£^ditorlal A'otes. 315 



its start from our necessities. We are to get our bread by the sweat of our brow. 

 The other starts from our mental life, and goes down to meet our physical wants as 

 represented by farm culture. Be this as it may, horticulture, even in this transcen- 

 dent sense is a great aid to agriculture. The principles of plant-life ; the sciences 

 connected with culture ; thousands of little experiments connected with great practi- 

 cal results, are much more likely to originate in the garden than on the farm, and 

 for which th(! farm is largely the debtor. To a certain sense agriculture acknow- 

 ledges its indebtedness to its intelligent sister, for while the horticultural exhibition 

 rarely condescends to include objects of pure farm-life, the agricultural fair takes in 

 all fruits, flowers and ornamental garden work. 



Ciirti for the Menly Jittg.' 



J. M. Jordan communicates this practical information to The Garde7ter''s Monthly 

 that alcohol is a cure for the Mealy Bug. lie says he has removed these pests 

 from thousands of the most delicate stove plants without injury to the latter, simply 

 by applying frequtmtly, for a few weeks, " alcohol diluted with five per cent, of 

 water." The most convenient equipment, he thinks, is a fine brush put through the 

 cork of a wide-mouth bottle. 



Tjfirge Toiiiiitoeg, 



A gardener near Irvington, N. J., has succeeded this year in raising Trophy 

 Tomatoes of enormous measurement. One cluster of eleven, on one branch, weighed 

 thirteen pounds nine ounces ; a single specimen measured 25^ inches and weii^hed 

 three pounds. 



Congress of Jiose Groifer.s. 



A grand Congress of Rose Growers was convened this summer, at Lyons, France 

 and met with excellent success. New varieties seemed to receive little favor, for 

 out of fifty shown only four wore deemed worthy of recommendation. 



To Neiv Snbscrihers. 



Any who can influence new subscribers to The Horticulturist are informed 

 that, by subscribing now, the remaining numbers of this year, with all of 1874 

 will be sent for $'2. Copies, in clubs of two, for $3.50, and three for $5. 



A.re Diaarf Apples Desinible. 



The Tribune, in discussing this subject, virtually admits that they will not pay 

 for market purposes, but in the private garden, nothing in the way of fruit trees is 

 more ornamental thaa a finely formed specimen of dwarf apple in full bearino-. The 

 fruit is always of larger size and more beautifully colored than when grown on the 

 usual free root, and therefore, for exhibition purposes, they nmst excel. Some 

 growers prefer their trees worked on the Paradise apple, thus making a smaller tree 

 and one that is more readily kept within proper bounds ; but, says the nurseryman 

 the plants are so small and trifling that our customers want something more showy 

 for their money, and we are in consequence obliged to use the Doucin root which 

 enables us to grow a larger tree within the same space of time. But this laro-er 

 size is at the expense of quality, for nothing but severe root-pruning will keep them 

 within proper bounds. The borer is more severe on the Dwarf root than on the 

 Standard, and must be closely watched; branches should have an annual shortening 

 in; roots must be curtailed ; and, lastly, tlie soil should be enriched every season. 

 Thinning out the fruit is an absolute necess-ity ; bearing in mind that we want only 

 extra fine specimens, therefore the inferior sized fruit must be taken off before we 

 commence removing those well shaped. Now what kinds shall we plant ? The most 

 satisfactory is derived from Summer and Autumn varieties, as we grow them for 

 pleasure more than profit, and only those should be selected which are handsome in 

 appearance. 



