i6 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[January, 



strength grafted on peach stocks in America, these 

 trees now have stems with an a\erage circumfer- 

 ence of 844, inches. The heads of those grown as 

 standards, about 3 feet high, measure over 5 >/< feet 

 in average diameter. These heads take naturally, 

 and almost without any pruning whatever, the 

 most regularly rounded form. 1 saw these trees 

 on the 28th of June last, and I may say, without 

 exaggeration, that I have never seen, except in 

 America, peach trees in the open air so well devel- 

 oped at the age of only three years. I never be- 

 fore had an opportunity of witnessing such exuber- 

 ant growth and such an abundant crop. Every 

 tree this year bore at least 105 pounds of fruit, and 

 there were some on which the crop must have ex- 

 ceeded 140 pounds. At this time (June 28th), at 

 D^capris, where the winter temperature is lower 

 than that of Hyeres and of the sea coast, and 

 where, consequently, fruit does not ripen so early, 

 Amsden's June peach had been gathered more 

 than ten days. The fruit, although too numerous 

 on every tree, was, however, tolerably large, weigh- 

 ing on an average 2;^ ounces each. It was par- 

 ticularly well colored, and I ascertained that it was 

 disposed of at the market in Paris at a very remu- 

 nerative price of from £■] to ^8 per 100 kilo- 

 grammes (about 350 Itis.). At even half this price 

 the entire crop of these 100 peach trees at Decapris, 

 which are only three years old, would yield the 

 very handsofne sum of from /"120 to ^160. If we 

 take into account, as we should do, that these trees 

 were laden with far too many fruits, and that the 

 thinning out of the half or three parts of theni a 

 fortnight or three weeks after flowering would have 

 had the effect of increasing the size of those re- 

 maining to such an extent that the sum total of the 

 entire crop would have lost nothing in weight, we 

 are led to affirm that the amount realized would 

 have been much more considerable. The fact is, 

 that the fruits would have ripened sooner if they 

 had not been so excessively numerous, and would 

 have attained the normal size and the usual 

 weight of Amsden's June, viz., from yA ounces to 

 4 ounces. Earlier and larger fruit, as is well known, 

 command far higher prices, especially in the Paris 

 markets. I may mention that the same vigorous 

 growth displays itself under the same conditions 

 amongst other early American peaches more recent 

 than Amsden's June, which have also been intro- 

 duced into cultivation in P" ranee, and especially in 

 the south. Of these, Alexander, Cumberland, 

 Musser, Waterloo and Downing are just as vigor- 

 ous in growth as Amsden's June. They all come 

 from America, grafted on peach stocks raised from 

 seed." 



The L.\tkst Nkw STRAV\fBF.RRii-:.s. — A corres- 

 pondent sends the following account of the latest 

 remarkable new seedling strawberries to a New- 

 York paper. It is to be remarked that the descrip- 

 tions sent are wholly in the public interest, and not 

 from any selfish motive on the part of the writer, 

 he has not a sohtary plant for sale, and does not 

 ex^ct to have for several months to come : 



eliogabalus Double Pearly,' is a large squat 



berry, with blue eyes and a coy, winning mouth, 

 bursting all over with coquettish sweetness. It is 

 a good grower, but requires judicious tickling with 

 a straw to awaken it to a generous enthusiastic in- 

 terest in its own cultivation. 



" ' Reddy the Blacksmith Round Top Seedling,' 

 is a good family berry ; but of no use in general 

 society. The last crop was a failure, owing to the 

 name, which we'ghed heavily on the berry, and re- 

 tarded its growth. 



"' Blue Jeans Late Canadian .Songster ' used to 

 be fine, but has fallen into dissipated ways, and is 

 more or less stunted, and has an acid flavor, like 

 an old maid whose last hope has just been carried 

 off by a red-headed girl with freckles. 



" ' Calithumpian Aurora ' is a beautiful boarding- 

 house berry, much admired by dealers. Owing to its 

 modest and retiring habits which impel it to grovel 

 on the cold, cold ground, it is enabled to pick up 

 and retain large quantities of sand and dirt, on 

 which account it is sometimes called 'Triumph of 

 Real Estate,' or 'True Grit.' This berry may also 

 be used by careful housekeepers in the place of 

 bath brick. 



"'Tuscarora Conquest' promises to develop to 

 such wonderful proportions that two of them, 

 adroitly manipulated by street venders, could be 

 made to fill a box with bottom located about halfway 

 to the top. It also promises that each would be 

 sufficient for a short cake. However, it is not great 

 in size. It is probably as small as Conkling's 

 chances of becoming President. 'Tuscarora Con- 

 quest' is a slender, low-necked specimen of its kind, 

 and, when feeling well, is productive as a spring poet. 

 The best way to raise it is with a pair of ice-tongs. 



" ' Eur Tippet ' I consider one of the finest berries 

 I have ever seen. This berry is so phenomenally 

 intelligent that it can be trained to jump through a 

 hoop and do light chores about the house. " 



Jl'glans Pr/KP.vrturiens, or E.vrly Erl;iting 

 Walnut. — The California papers have been intel- 

 ligently discussing this variety of walnut. It has 

 been thought to be a dwarf — probably because 

 small or young trees are full of fruit. Mr. Felix 

 Gillett sums in the Rural Press, all that has. been 

 said of its dwarf character in these %vords : " In 

 my opinion, however, the Juglans Praeparturiens of 

 France, and the English Dwarf Prolific of America, 

 are the same thing, though it is not clear in my 

 mind why the Praeparturiens or fertile walnut has 

 gone in America under the name of Dwarf Prolific. 

 As to who ga\e it that name it seems, that nobody 

 knows. The name is far from being appropriate, 

 and serves only to bring confusion in names, and 

 gives a false impression as to the habits of growing 

 of the tree." 



As regards the value of the \ariety in California, 

 Mr. John Rusk remarks: "We will soon see the 

 day when no other sorts will be planted than grafted 

 chestnuts and Pra;paturiens walnuts. To wait 

 from twelve to twentv vears for walnuts from 



