244 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[August, 



Thk Best Fi>avored Strawberries.— Once on 

 a time tliere was a preat fruit growers' conven- 

 tion, and a great fruit grower gave Ins opinion 

 that 6o long as a strawberrv was big, and bore 

 abundant crops, the public did not care whether 

 it was sour or sweet, as they had to put suj,'ar] 

 with even the best. It was a surprise to a few of' 

 the hearers that this sentiment was apphiuded. I 

 The true flavor of a strawberry will always tell j 

 even through the thickest saccharine disguise, j 

 and thus the best judges continue to take in true 

 8tra\vl)erry sweetness among their 'points" in 

 pomological decisions. i 



In a letter from Col. Wilder, overflowing with j 

 his old-time enthusiasm, he describes his tests ' 

 among the strawberries this season, and reg5*d>i 

 the three best flavored fruits, amf)ng sixty kinds, 

 as Duncan, Triple Crown and Wilder. He also 

 hiis a good word for Sharpless and Bidwell. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Peach Trees in* Fence Corners.—" Beatrice" 

 says: '"I admire your note on peach trees in 

 fence 'corners,' but you omit to say what I be- 

 lieve to be a fact, that the ' corner' tree is always 

 a seedling, and that a seedling tree is healthier, 

 as a rule, than a grafted one." 



Seedling Strawberry from W. F. Bassett. 

 Hammonton, N. j. — Mr. B. sends us a seedling 

 of some promise in order that we may judge ol 

 its carrying qualities, of which we can say that 

 it is very superior. They reached us as if freshly 

 gathered from the plant. 



AsPARAGis — Mr. J B. Moore sends some sam- 

 ples of asparagus in bunches of twelve stalks 

 each, weighing respectively 1 lb. 10 oz., 1 lb. 12 

 oz., 1 lb. 10 oz.. anil 1 lb 8 oz. We may remark 

 for the information of those sending asparagus 



long distances, that it should not be packed 

 too wet. Asparagus is succulent. It has move- 

 ture enough — all that is needed is to prevent its 

 evaporation, not to add to Us quantity. 



We have, since the above was written, the 

 following note from Mr. Moore : 



" In regard to the asparagus, we are sorry the 

 ?<pecimens reached you in so poor a condition. 

 It was the quality, uniformity of color. &c., that 

 we desired you to see and test more than any- 

 thing else. You note that the bunches weighed 

 about one and one-half pounds. In regard to 

 the size, we would say that on June 10th, last, 

 we exhibited specimens before the M^issachuselts 

 Horticultural Society that wei^^hed three pounds 

 and over to the bunch of twelve stalks. 'Moore's 

 Cross- Bred ' asparagus is perfectly distinct from 

 other varieties, and excels in size, quality, uni- 

 formity of color, and large yield." 



European Walnuts in Arkansas.— Dr. Geo. 

 H. C, Fort Smith, Aikansas, desires to know 

 whether this walnut is grown to any great ex- 

 tent in this country, and what is the probable 

 chance of success in Arkansas. 



Trees one to two hundred years old exist iu 

 Germantown, and they usually bear very well in 

 some years; in others produce none at all. The 

 reason for this has never been understood, unless 

 some recently di>covered facts in relation to 

 heat and male flowers should explain it. In the 

 hazel nut there is evidence that a degree of heat, 

 which is not sufficient to advance a female 

 flower, will advance a male flower, and in some 

 seasons these flowers advance too early to be of 

 use in fertilization. If we can find room we 

 shall publish the paper soon. It must depend 

 on actual experience how successful the Euro- 

 pean walnut is in Arkansas or Texas. Has any 

 one a fruiting tree? and if so, will they kindly 

 give us their experience? 



Forestry, 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



GROWTH OF TREES AT BRENHAM, 

 TEXAS. 



BY WM. WATSON. 



As there is so much talk about forest trees, 

 etc., I thought I would give you some items 



I about the growth of trees on my sand hilL 

 j About thirteen years ago I planted a Cunning- 

 hamia sinensis; it was about six inches high; 

 in the next ten years it did not make one 

 foot of growth : then it starte<l. and to day it is 

 fourteen feet high and the most beautiful tree 

 on my place. I have a Deodar Cedar nine years 



