124 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[April, 



all things that have life, peach trees included. 

 We have known peach buds to be killed with a 

 temperature very little below the freezing point, 

 and then sometimes they will stand a good tug 

 below zero. Last year the editor had an abun- 



8° below zero; and in Canada there are ofteri- 

 fair crops, though the glass indicates a much 

 lower range. 



We can only answer, tliat the hardiness of a 

 peach bud is not dependent on temperature 



dant crop from his garden trees, though on the alone, and the degree they will stand, so far a& 

 30th of December, 1880, the thermometer was ' knowledge has gone, is an unknown quantity. 



Literature, Travels l Personal Notes. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



United States Seed Distribution.— It is 

 interesting to remember that the want of a pro- 

 per medium for the distribution of the rare seeds 

 and plants which must necessarily come into 

 the passession of a government like the United 

 States, was the main reason for the creation of 

 the United States Department of Agriculture. 

 Mr. Henry L. Ellsworth, Commissioner of 

 Patents, came into possession of large quantities, 

 and mainly through his exertions the present 

 department came into existence in 1862. The 

 seed distribution idea has been abused, but it is 

 essentially a leading element in the usefulness 

 of the department. 



Delayed Communications. — It sometimes hap- 

 pens that communications come to hand, having 

 relation to some subject already immediately 

 before the reader, in wliich case they must have 

 precedence, though there may be other good 

 articles already on file. It seems proper to 

 make this explanation, as we would not have 

 our friends suppose their communications are 

 not appreciated, if they do not happen to appear 

 promptly on receipt. We have never yet had 

 too much of good papers. 



Specialists. — It is surprising what improve- 

 ments can be made in any class of flowers, when 

 it has one's whole individual attention. In 

 Germany there is one Max Deegan, who does 

 nothing else but grow Dahlias. He makes a 

 great reputation, and perhaps makes as much 

 money as if he spent his time over a thousand 

 things. 



Sunday School WoKK.—Some Sunday Schools 



are beginning to train children for the practical' 

 work of life, as well as furnish them with moral 

 lessons. The girls in a large Sunday School in 

 Philadelphia are taught how to do plain cooking. 

 In Australia, we note by one of their papers>. 

 many Sunday Schools there are teaching the 

 children lessons on the domestic animals, chiefly 

 with the view of enabling the little folks to know 

 how to treat them well in the interest of 

 humanity. 



Sensitiveness of Trade.— When a tradesman^ 

 has an overstock of anything, the most rational 

 thing in the world is for him to conclude it is 

 better to get something than nothing, and he had 

 better sell for something than let go to waste. 

 How this works has been curiously illustrated, 

 the few past years by the Harlaam bulb growers. 

 It appears the English cut flower dealers were in 

 the habit of buying immense quantities of tulip 

 and hyacinth bulbs for their cut flower mar- 

 ket. The Harlaam bulb growers, when their 

 bulbs flowered, not wishing to waste their blos- 

 soms, sent the cut flowers to the English market 

 to be sold for anything they would bring. The 

 result has been that the English cannot afibrd to 

 buy the bulbs, and many of the Harlaam growers 

 now have to sell the roots as well as the flowers 

 for "anything they will bring," and the regular 

 bulb market is verging on bankruptcy. To try- 

 to recover the goose which laid so many golden 

 eggs, a society has been formed to swear off from 

 this reckless practice. Already, 500 Harlaam 

 bulb growers have taken the pledge not to sell 

 the cut flowers under any circumstances. 



Flowers in Egyptian Tombs — It is said that 

 Dr. Schweinfurth in opening a tomb near Thebes- 



