254 



^llie IlorticuUurlst and Journal. 



and other sweet-scented flowers, wliile among 

 the phmts employed were palms, pandanads, 

 marautas, aralias and orchids. 



A^n Ancient Tree. 



The following are the dimensions of a grand 

 old yew tree growing on the Marquis of Bath's 

 estate, in Wiltshire, England : Height, 50 

 feet ; circumference of branches, 164 feet ; 

 spread of branches from north to south, 53 

 feet, from east to west, 60 feet ; girth of stem 

 one foot from the ground, 32 feet ; smallest 

 girth of stem, 24 feet 6 inches ; length of 

 stem, 7 feet. Under ordinary circumstances, 

 the age of yew trees may be approximately 

 guessed at by allowing a century for every 

 foot in diameter of stem ; thus this remarkable 

 old tree may safely be calculated at from 

 1,100 to 1,200 years old. It is a growing, 

 healthy tree, rather cone-shaped, and is very 

 dense in foliage. 



Ji^loiver.s nt the CJiicago ICvjfosition. 



At a meeting of the florists of Chicago, it 

 was decided to make an exhibition of flowers, 

 etc., at the next Chicago Exposition. An 

 addition will be made to the exposition build- 

 ing of a glass conservatory, 100 by 25 feet, 

 with wings 25 by 30 feet. The cost is esti- 

 mated at something over $5,000. 



Miis.fnc/iusetta Uorticnltnrnl Society. 



This society has changed its plans of publi- 

 cations, and expects to issue quarterly reports 

 in magazine form. Part I has already ap- 

 peared, and contains mainly the essays which 

 have been read, and the discussions which 

 have taken place thus far in 1874. Mr. 

 Robert Manning is now permanently engaged 

 to edit all the publications of the society. 



HoMse-Top Gardens. 



Chicago has always been a little envious of 

 the hanging gardens described in Babylon of 

 old, and is now practicing on growing trees in 

 the air. A large building, divided into " flats " 

 for housekeeping, has been put up on the 

 north side of the city. Its roof, which is very 

 strongly built and excellently drained, is cov- 

 ered with earth and decked with some foi-ty or 

 fifty trees, which are growing luxuriantly. It 

 is a garden on a house-top. Noboby not liv- 

 ing in the house can go to it. 



l^'rom the Siihlitne to the ItidiciilouM. 



An illiterate fruit stand keeper on Broad- 

 way labels his Beurre D'Anjou pears Da7i Jo. 

 This is as bad as in England, where the pear 

 Josephine de Malines is called Joseph on the 

 Palings. And the French give a special 

 twist to L'Abstone Quidney potatoes, while 

 the English are satisfied with Lapstone 

 Kidney. 



The J'len.iures of Stmtvhcrry Culture, 



Imagine our delight one day this last spring 

 in receiving the following report of sales from 

 our commission agent in New York : " Sold 

 384 quarts for $5. Worst day ever known." 



" Oh, plant strawberries ; keep planting ; 

 sure to pay; now is the time to go in ! " So say 

 all the fools who don't know the slightest about 

 the enormous extent of the business, and how 

 easily it is overdone. The berries we shipped 

 above cost us 1^- cents per quart for freight, 

 2 cents for picking, and 1 cent for incidentals. 

 Total 4^- cents to send to market, and nothing 

 in view for land, labor, plants, manure,* bas- 

 kets, interest, profits, etc. What a wretched 

 business ! so uncertain, and still the press 

 says, " Plant more, so the poor people can buy 

 cheap ; " the nurserymen say, " Plant more," 

 because they want to sell more plants ; every 

 disgusted strawberry grower says, " Plant 

 more," because he wants to sell out all the 

 plants he has got ; the basket men say, 

 "Plant more, we want to make some more 

 out of you ; " and the commission men say, 

 " Plant more, we have not done with you 

 yet." Farewell, strawberries ; our bed of 1874 

 is the last we will ever grow. 



Delnwtive Stratvlferries. 



The biggest day of the season just past was 

 160 cars, carrying about 500,000 quarts. 

 The season promised abundantly, but was very 

 late in Delaware, while early in New Jersey. 

 The consequence was a tremendous arrival of 

 fruit on the same day from both sections, 

 which, added to the fruit ah*eady arriving from 

 Maryland, produced a demoralization of the 

 market, such as never was witnessed before. 

 Just at that time occurred a few days' un- 

 paralleled heat, and the berries wilted, the 

 plants were scorched, and the berries just 



