May 7, :8j«. ] 



JOURNAX. OF HOimOULTUEE AND OOTIAGE GAliDENEB. 



343 



pitable region described by " W. T. G." Here wo have statis- 

 tics oarofully collected from positive cultural results, aud not a 

 dark picture aud wliolesale condemnation based upon the mis- 

 fortunes of a particular individual, who, probably, selected an 

 uofavourablti situation for his vineyard. 



With regard to ground mice I plead guilty, and admit that 

 like English hares and rabbits they occasionally prove trouble- 

 some; and careless culture and neglect furnish field mice shelter. 

 If the owner of the orchard referred to by " W. T. G." had 

 been posted up, he would have avoided his misfortune if he 

 had been aware of the existence of field mice in such unpre- 

 cedented numbers. A few spades of earth thrown against 

 the trunk of each tree in the autumn would have prevented his 

 misfortune. 



" W. T. (i.'s " remarks, based upon a solitary case, are cal- 

 culated to lead intending emigrants to believe that Apples can- 

 not be grown in the United States. My Apple.^, standard and 

 dwarf, number 385, and in no instance has one of them been 

 injured by mioj. I have uo hesitation in stating that in no 

 other portion of the world, in accordance with the number of 

 population, are so many large and thrifty Apple orchards to be 

 found ; every farmer, large or small, has his orchard. If these 

 are facts, field mice cannot be very destructive. A solitary in- 

 stance of unsuccessful culture is no evidence that field mice 

 are so very troublesome. As an evidence of the results of 

 Apple culture in the United States, I would advise " W. T. G." 

 to visit Covent Garden Market, and inquire of vendors where 

 they obtain their Newtown Pippins, Greenings, Northern Spys, 

 and Baldwins. If still unsatisfied, let him visit Liverpool 

 when they are unloading the New York steamers, aud the deli- 

 cious aroma proceeding from innumerable barrels of Apples 

 will convince him. 



" W. T. Ci." enters the field of climatology, and asserts that 

 the " average mean during the winter months is about 10' Fahr." 

 To clothe this statement with the mildest term, it is an error. 

 The lowest mean during the winter months in the settled por- 

 tions of the United States is 20° Fahr. This statement about 

 the lowest meau would lead " intending emigrants " to believe 

 that the United States is a hyperborean region, only adapted 

 to the production of white bears and walruses. On the con- 

 trary, diversity of climate is the rule, and the intending emi- 

 grant can suit himself as regards climate, with a winter meau 

 of temperature varying from 20' to 70' Fahr., and in the 

 warmest portion with a minimum of ijo" Fahr. The intend- 

 ing emigrant can settle in the north, where the Apple aud dwarf 

 Pear are a success, or in balmy and unequalled Florida, where 

 he can shelter his new home with the Banana, Orange, Olive, 

 and Pa!m. 



The hedge business is the most amusing, for if the " enter- 

 prising English farmer " alluded to had inquired of the merest 

 tyro, he would have been informed that the Hawthorn is not 

 adapted to this climate. I have carefully examined hedges in 

 various portions of England, but never saw anything to equal 

 the hedges of Osage Orange, Arbor Vita;, Norway Spruce, aud 

 Gardenia florida, which I have seen in this country. But the 

 other day a friend was describing to me a hedge of Camellia 

 japonica, 200 yards in length, compact as a wall, and stated 

 that during the spring months it was gorgeous. If "W.T.G." 

 had seen, as I have, hedges and 8 feet high of the fragrant 

 Gardenia, his ideas would not have been so cabined, cribbed, 

 and confined. 



" W. T. G." asserts that " for at least four months in the 

 year not a spit can be turned, and it often happens that for the 

 best part of six months stern winter holds everything with an 

 iron grasp." It is self-evident that the opportunity for obser- 

 vation on the part of your correspondent has been very limited 

 — confined to the coldest portion of the United States, and 

 surely the intending emigrant is not compelled to follow in the 

 footsteps of " W. T. G." I can assure intending emigrants 

 that in other portions of the United States they may gather 

 Oranges, Lemons, and Green Peas from November to Alarch ; 

 early Potatoes by the 10th of March, and Melons nnd Tomatoes 

 by the 10th of May, all from the open ground, and without the 

 " boiler-power and piping " referred to by " W. T. G." If the 

 intending emigrant dislikes the extreme north, and objects to 

 have his cot surrounded by tropical fruit, he can select any 

 climate to suit him between the winter means previously re- 

 ferred to. 



For the information of " W. T. (i." and intending emigrants 

 I may remark that the winter mean of 10' Fahr. is found to 

 cross the centre of Newfoundland, then about fiO miles north 

 of Quebec, thence to the head of the Ottawa river, northern 



margin of Lake Superior, and then in a north-westerly course 

 until it crosses the 'lO" of north latitude. 



Last, though not least, is a lengthy reference to insect 

 enemies. Again I plead guilty, and would ask "W. T. G." 

 Wliat country is without them'.' Even the "happiest land 

 upon earth " is troubled with these unwelcome viti ors, and I 

 fancy as much as the country with a winter mean of 10° 

 Fahr. To prove that insect enemies do not destroy all trees 

 and fruits, I need but cite the fact, that all railroads leading to 

 our large cities run during the fruit season special daily trains 

 for the conveyance of fruit alone. With regard to vegetables, 

 I can assure intending emigrants that American markets are 

 well supplied with vegetables of good quality and at a reason- 

 able price, in despite of the numerous insect enemies. 



" W. T. (i." enlarges upon the enemies of the agriculturist, 

 as though the English farmer had nothing to contend with. 

 To prove that insect pests do not destroy all the grain, I can 

 assure them that we raise enough for home consumption and 

 annually export immense quantities to England aud other 

 countries. 



If the picture painted by " W. T. G." is an unvarnished 

 one, why is it that over 300,000 emigrants annually land in the 

 United States, and but few return to fatherland •• The majority 

 are agriculturists, and settle on the broad and fertile plains of 

 the west — the granary of the world. \ few, through mis- 

 management or other causes, are unfortunate, return to their 

 former homes, and misrepresent the United States. It positive 

 and reliable data regarding the productions and climate of the 

 various portions of the United States would interest your 

 readers, it would afford me pleasure to furnish them. What 

 intending emigrants require is reliable information based upon 

 observations extending over a large portion of this vast country, 

 and not confined to a limited area, with a winter mean of 

 10° Fahr. — Al Fbesco, Fasean, N.J., U.S.A. 



PROGRESS OF GARDENING IN NEW ZEALAND, 



The following is a lecture delivered before the Horticultural 

 Society at Canterbury, New Zealand, by Mr, Wilson, President 

 of the Society. He is a nurseryman, and after a few prelimi- 

 nary observations, he observed that 



On the present occasion he should confine himself to a rapid 

 survey of the introduction of the principal trees and flowers 

 which had been brought into Canterbury. The first tree he 

 introduced was the Salix babylonica, or Weeping Willow. 

 This was sometimes confounded with the Salix Napoleona, so 

 called from its growing around the tomb of Napoleon at St. 

 Helena. The Canterbury Willow derived its botanical appella- 

 tion from that affecting passage in the 137th Psalm — in which 

 the captive Israelities are represented as hanging their harps 

 upon the Willows that grew by the banks of the Euphrates, 

 when they refused to sing the Lord's song in a strange land. 

 Lady Mary W. Montague, the wife of the then Euglifh Ambas- 

 sador at Constantinople, sent some sprays of these trees to Pope 

 the poet, who planted one of them in his garden at Twickenham, 

 and from this tree have sprung all those now in England. The 

 Willows introduced into Akaroa were some cuttings from those 

 planted by Madame Bertrand around the grave of Napoleon, 

 brought into that place by some of the early French settlers ; 

 but the Weeping Willow properly so called was of eastern 

 origin. He had brought the first Willows from Wellington, 

 and had given some to the late Archdeacon Mathias, who 

 planted them in his garden at Eiccarton. 



The introduction of Walnut trees into Canterbury first took 

 place in Akaroa, where they have thriven perfectly. They had 

 first been brought into German Bay by the early French settlers. 

 Upwards of 7000 plants had been cultivated there, and were at 

 first sold at the rate of £12 10s. per hundred. He did not doubt 

 that Walnuts would even form an article of export, so rapidly 

 did the crops increase. 



The French settlers, thinking that they were coming to a 

 warm climate, had brought with them some plants of the Vine. 

 Two of the varieties were the White Muscadine and the Black 

 Hamburgh. These had flourished well, but the fruit was small. 



The French hid also imported some Ohve plant';, but al- 

 though the trees had thriven and had attained a considerable 

 size, they had not as yet borne any fruit. 



The first Apples introduced were brought by Mr. Deans, and 

 were the variety known as the Leathercoat or common Eusset ; 

 these he brought from Nelson in the year 181.3. Only three 

 trees arrived from that province. 



