676 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 
LOTUS PLANT. 
H. S., New Yor« CIry. 
Can I get from you a description and sketch of the Lotus plant of Egypt? 
Answer.—The Esyptian lotus is given by some authorities as being the’fruit of a 
water plant, Nymphealotus. The fruit of Nelumbiwm speciosum, also a water plant, 
is also known as lotus. 
The fruit of Zizyphus lotus, a prickly branching tree allied to the Jujube tree, is 
supposed’ to be the true lotus of the Lotophagi. This fruit is described as small 
farinaceous berries, of a yellow color and delicious taste. This farinaceous sub- - 
stance when dried is pounded intoa kind of flour, which, being formed into cakes 
with water and dried in the sun, makes a kind of sweetish bread. 
LE CONTE PEAR. 
B. B., LAKE COUNTY, FLA. 
I have about a dozen Le Conte pear trees which have made fine growth, and are 
bushy trees some 12 to 15 feet in height, but they donot bearany fruit. For several ° 
years past a few sickly-looking flowers would appear, but no fruit. 
IT write to ask you if you think that they need to be fertilized. The soil grows 
orange trees well; of course they receive some fertilizer, but the pear trees were 
treated the same. 
If you could advise me what to do I would be much obliged. 
Answer.—The main reason why the Le Conte pear fails to fruit with you is that 
the climate is too continuously warm and the trees have no decided or definite 
period of rest. This continued activity of growth prevents the formation of flower 
buds, and encourages growth of shoots. ff the growth of the plant is arrested or 
checked in the early fall it would tend towards the formation of flower buds, and 
possibly secure a crop of fruit. This may be effected by pruning the roots. Prac- 
tically this operation would consist in digging out a circular trench about 4 feet from 
the stem of the tree, cutting out all the roots encountered to a depth of 80 inches, 
then undermine the ball so as to sever all deep-running tap roots. Then throw the 
earth back into the ditch, firming it properly as the filling proceeds. 
If this operation is performed about the end of August it would check longitudinal 
growth of shoots, and tend towards the formation of fruit spurs en the older 
branches. 
This is not a new or untried process, but has long been practiced successfully in 
rendering barren trees fruitful, under conditions similar to those here mentioned, 
LAWN MAKING. 
J. S., BALTIMORE CounTY, Mp. 
Now, I want to tell you about my lawn, or rather I should say my failure in 
trying to get one. Two years ago I had the ground plowed deep: at least my in- 
structions were to plow it deep and good, but I now think that it was not very 
deeply plowed. It was then made smooth and ievel; was fertilized with 300 pounds 
of superphosphate (it is about half an acre), and lawn grass seed sown, and harrowed 
over. With the bushel of grass seed was mixed about two pecks of oats. It was 
sown about the end of March, and came up beautiful and green in a few weeks, at 
least the oats did. "When the oats were about to head I was advised to mow them 
so as to let the grass grow. This was done; weeds came up, but very little grass was 
seen, and, in short, although the weeds were mown down several times during sum- 
mer, the grass made no show, and when the most of the weeds were killed by the 
frost my poor lawn looked very sickly indeed, with here and there a tuft of grass 
and clover, but the greater portion looked as bare as the day the seeds were sown. 
I was advised to cover it all over with a coating of manure just before setting in 
of winter, which was done. When spring came round, the coarse portions of 
manure were removed and the finer portions harrowed into the soil. Tt was again 
seeded as before, and the oats did well. but not the grass, and I have yet no lawn. 
Please tell me why I have failed and how I can get a good lawn. J 
Answer.—The letter indicates very clearly the cause of failure. First, the soil 
was probably imperfectly prepared; second, the allowance of grass seed was too 
