190 



TME Canadian HOBTiouLTURist. 



and the palate of buyers any better. 

 The fruit is always fair, even in size, 

 and handsome in form and color. As 

 regards keeping, it comes into eating 

 about the fiist of January, or somewhat 

 sooner sometimes, and I never had any 

 difficulty iu keeping them sound until 

 the end of March, and often till the end 

 of A[)ril. Further south they do not 

 keep so well. — Dr Hoskins, in The 

 Rome Farm. 



THE MRS. GARFIELD STRAWBERRY. 



One of the most vigorous growing 

 plants in our Strawberry trial-beds is 

 this new variety. Tlie plants were re- 

 ceived too late last spiing to perfect any 

 berries; yefc, tojudgefroui the results 

 under so adverse couditioiis, we were 

 very favornble iui])ressed witli its desir- 

 able qualities. 



It is a seedling of the Crescent, rais- 

 ed by Mr. Matthew Ciawford, of Ohio, 

 and is now introduced by Hale Brothers, 

 of South Glastonl)ury. (Jonn., who des- 

 cribe it as follows : 



" Orowth of plant healthy and vigor- 

 ous, resembling its parent, the Cresent, 

 with broader foliage, however, and not 

 making more than one-fourth as many 

 )-uuners ; leaves clear aiul bright, stand- 

 ing drought and fi'ost without injury ; 

 flowers perfect, with abundant, well 

 developed stamens ; fruit stalks of 

 . medium Umgth, stout, and usually 

 branching \^ery ]))-<)lilic, equal to the 

 Crescent in (juantity of fruit per acre; 

 and while not setting quite as many 

 berries as that variety, they average 

 ujuch larger and liold their size better 

 to the i'wl of tlie season. Form coni- 

 cal, with slight neck; color, glossy bright 

 scarlet. Its flavour is rich, sweet, and 

 delicious; and while not equal to the 

 Wilson in shipping and keeping quali- 

 ties, it is much hrmer than any other of 

 the very productive sorti^."— American 

 Garden. 



CONCERNING LEAVES. 

 Leaves have a peculiar and special 

 share in the work of vegetation ; evei-y 

 leaf is consti'ucted of an intricate net- 

 work of '' veins," running through a 

 soft i>ul])y sul^stance. This framework is 

 composed of woody fibres, its purpose 

 being to support and distend the softer 

 parts of the leaf. Accompanying these 

 fibres through all their branchings, and 

 usually running a little beyond their 

 extremities into the green tissue, are 

 minute tubes or vessels. Follow these 

 back to the midrib of the leaf, and we 

 find that they continue still farther, 

 connecting with the circulatory system 

 of the stem, which in turn extends 

 down to the I'oots. This line of vessels, 

 therefore, piovides a direct course for 

 the ]>assage of the tiuids absoj'bed b}"^ 

 the roots, to the most remote portions 

 of the leaves. One of the most im- 

 portant functions of the leaves is 

 the collecting of carbonic acid gas 

 from the air, and by the action of 

 their green coloring matter, to com- 

 bine it with the elements of the sap to 

 form the constituents of growth. These 

 comi)ounds containing carbon form 

 about fifty per cent, of the bulk of the 

 )»lant, so we see that the leaves are 

 really the most active portions of the 

 vegetable organism, collecting fully one- 

 half the food, and combining it with 

 that furnished by the roots into the 

 complex constituents of the perfectly 

 develojted plant. The chemical pro- 

 cessess, which occur in the leaf, are 

 too complicated for discussion here, but 

 its anatomy, the utility of all its parts 

 and the harmony with which they j)ei- 

 form their work, are easily understood, 

 and furnish \is one of the best examples 

 of the detailed perfection of nature's 

 work. — W. E. Stone, in American 

 Ayric'ilhiiist, 



