1879.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



113 



tivated" orchard, as it is the man who drives 

 the horse. 



Trick of the Trade. — A correspondent of 

 the Michigan Farmer, complains in that paper 

 that various persons are circulating reports 

 about peach trees from here, or from there, or 

 from the other place, having the "yellows," 

 and indeed that it is anywhere but in their own 

 stock. 



It reminds us of a time when the writer of 

 this was jaunting it through Kansas. A few of 

 the party getting tired of weeks in a Pullman 

 car, concluded to remain for the night at a hotel 

 in a leading city, near where our car was posted 

 for the night. The runners for the rival hotels 

 said their best. When one was about to drive off 

 with our stragglers, the rival runner remarked 

 that that party were " doubtless the entomolog- 

 ical part of the party looking up for the night 

 some subjects for study." The effect of the 

 speech was to draw off half the party to the others' 

 house. But it turned out that it was just in that 

 house that the memorable "subjects for study" 

 were found. Our friend Lyon, the correspon- 

 dent referred to, may take heart from such ex- 

 periences. 



The Yellows Law. — It will be remem- 

 bered that the peach growers of the Lake Shore 

 of Michigan, believed that they could stamp out 

 the " yellows " from Michigan by law, and so had 

 an enactment by which any one harboring the 

 enemy, could be notified, and in the event of 

 contempt of said notice, summarily dealt with. 

 But the yellows have spread fearfully in Michi- 

 gan in spite of the law. It is proposed now to 

 have the law amended. The Michigan Farmer 

 says the failures seem mainly to have grown 

 out of the selection of unsatisfactory persons as 

 commissioners, or the ignorance or wayward- 

 ness of the owners of diseased trees, and a pos- 

 sible lack of thoroughness or independence on 

 the part of such commissioners. 



Asparagus in the South. — Few people 

 have an adequate idea of the great difference 

 between gardening at the l!^orth, and gardening 

 at the South. While the Northern people are 

 worrying about what will stand the winters, the 

 Southern people have to And out what will best 

 endure the long summers. In vegetables this 

 distinction has particularly to be noted by those 

 who would succeed with their crops. In regard 

 to asparagus we note the following in the de- 



scriptive catalogue of Mr. Richard Frotscher, 

 of New Orleans : 



" The asparagus is not extensively cultivated 

 in the South ; not that it is not liked well enough, 

 but from the fact that it does not succeed as 

 well as in more Northern latitudes. It seems 

 that it is short lived, the roots giving out soon, 

 or throwing up very small shoots. 



" The ground should be well manured and pre- 

 pared before either the roots or seeds are plant- 

 ed. For this climate the sowing of seed is 

 preferable. Roots are generally imported from 

 the North, and I have found that the roots 

 raised here, one year old, are as strong as those 

 received from the North three years old. Plant 

 the seed in early Spring. Soak over night in 

 water, plant in rows or rather hills one foot 

 apart and two feet between ; put from four to 

 five seed in each hill, when well up thin out to 

 two plants. The following Winter when the 

 stalks are cut off, cover with a heavy coat of 

 well-rotted manure, and a sprinkling of salt; 

 fish-bi'ine will answer the same purpose. In the 

 Spring fork in the manure between the rows, 

 and keep clean of weeds. The same treatment 

 should be repeated every year. The bed should 

 not be cut before being three years established. 

 Care must be taken not to cut the stalks too 

 soon in the Fall of the year, nor until we have 

 had a frost ; if cut before it will cause the roots 

 to throw up young shoots, which will weaken 

 them." 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Japan Persimmon in New York. — C. M., 

 Havana, N. Y., asks: "Whether the Japan 

 Persimmon will be hardy enough to stand the 

 winters of Western New York," but we do not 

 know of any one who has had the experience 

 and could answer the question. If there be, we 

 should be glad of the particulars. 



Kieffer's Hybrid Pear. — W. F. H., writes : 

 "Please inform me through the Gardener's 

 Monthly, if the Kieffer's Hybrid Pear is 

 the same as LeCompte offered by P. J. 

 Berckmans and H. H. Sanford, of Georgia, and 

 the same as described by S. S. Parsons in the 

 Monthly last year, as Chinese Sand Pear of 

 Thomasville, Georgia." 



[The Chinese Sand Pear is one of the parents 

 of Kieffer's Hybrid, which so far as we know is 

 the only hybrid known between the Chinese 



