Garden topics. 197 



year. The fruit is not equal in quality to some of the smaller sorts, still it is a good 

 currant. 



The Versailles, as sold by almost every nurseryman in this country and Europe^ 

 is so near like the cherry that we have never yet seen the man who could pick out 

 the plants or fruit from the latter, except on his own grounds, where there were 

 labelled plants for a guide. 



For the next best we would name Fertile de Pallnau, a fine, vigorous-growing 

 variety, intermediate between the cherry and the old red Dutch. The fruit is Targe 

 and handsome, and the plants produce large crops without appearing to become stunt- 

 ed or diseased, as is frequently the case with the cherry. 



Buist's long-bunched red is also an excellent sort, very similar to the old red 

 Dutch, of which it is a seedling. 



Of coui'se we would not omit the red Dutch from any collection, however small, for 

 we have nothing better in quality among the red varieties. 



First among the white varieties are white Dutch and white grape ; and, in fact, we 

 may stop there, for there are none better. The white grape is a little the largest 

 variety, and the plants wonderfully prolific, but it is not so vigorous a grower as the 

 white Dutch. 



The white Provence differs from the white Dutch by having a portion of its leaves 

 margined with white, and the young shoots a little more stocky, the buds not being 

 so far apart. 



Dana's white is so near like its parent, the white grape, that we have never been 

 able to detect a difference, and our plants came direct from the originator. 



Victoria is a late variety, the bunches very long, fruit of medium size and of lighter 

 color than the red Dutch, 



Champagne, as its name indicates, is a very pale red or pink-colored sort. 



Prince Albert is a late sort, bunches short, and usually not well filled. Fruit red, 

 and not particularly valuable. 



Gloire des Sablons is a handsome striped variety of no value except as a curiosity. 



lied Provence is the most vigorous growing sort we have, but the fruit ripens late, 

 is very acid and small, and of no value. 



La Hative and La Fertile may be called abbreviated editions of the Cherry, be- 

 longing to the same class, having large, coarse, thick, dark-green leaves. The fruit 

 is large, bunches small, and berries comparatively few in number. 



There are several other sorts, such as Knight's sweet. Knight's Early, and Gron- 

 doin White and Red : but they possess no merits not found in the first few sorts 

 named. 



Among the black currants, the Black Naples is, without doubt, the best. Bang- 

 up-Black, Old English Black, Ogden's Grape, Variegated-Leaved Black, Hetero- 

 phylla, and several other varieties of this species, maybe grown for the sake of help- 

 ing to make a long list ; but it would be diflicult to find any other reasonable excuse 

 for doing so. 



3Ioiviu(/ St ra wherries. 



During one of the winter meetings of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the 

 ' subject of mowing off the leaves of strawberries came up for discussion ; most of 



