THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



91 



using onlinary potting soil, and giving 

 1,'O'jd drainage. When potted, water 

 thoroughly, and remove to a cellar, or j 

 place under the stage of the greenhouse. ' 

 Allow them to remain there until the j 

 pots become tilled with roots and the | 

 shoots begin to appear, when they | 

 should be removed to a light, sunny 

 situation. As the plants increase in 

 growth, water should be more freely 

 given, and once a week they should 

 liave a watering of liquid manure. 

 When the flowering season is over, 

 place the plants under the greenhouse 

 stage or remove them to the cellar, 

 gradually decreasing the su})ply of 

 water ; plant them out in a well ])re- 

 pared border about the first of May, 

 If necessary, divide the plants ]>efore 

 planting out. This plant can also be 

 propagated by cuttings of the young 

 shoots, when they become sufficiently 

 hardened ; but for amateurs propaga- 

 tion by division is the simplest and 

 easiest mode of increase. 



The generic name, Dielytra, is de- 

 rived from (Hs, double, and elytron, a 

 sheath, in allusion to the two sheath 

 like spurs at the base of the flowers ; 

 and the specific name in allusion to the 

 showy and remarkable appearance of 

 the plant when in bloom. — Vick's Maga- 



STONE'S HARDY BLACKBERRY. 



B. F. Adams writes to the Wetitern 

 Farmer that he planted an acre of the 

 Snyder and Stone's Hardy blackberries, 

 and that about twenty per cent, of the 

 Snyder were killed by the following 

 winter, but not one of the Stone's 

 Hardy. 



J. S. Stickney says that he thinks he 

 can safely recommend Stone's Hardy. 

 He had visited Mr. Stone's grounds 

 the past season, and saw the Snyder 

 and Stone's Hardy growing side by 

 side ; both were loaded with fruit, but 



the Hardy seemed to have the heaviest 

 crop, the canes of ])lants over two and 

 three years old were black with fruit. 

 The wood of the Hardy was short 

 jointed and quite stocky. He had 

 more confidence in the Stone's Hardy 

 than in the Snyder, and considered the 

 quality of the fruit of the Stone's Hardy 

 was better than that of the Snyder. 



Mr. M. L. Tibbett, of Minnesota, 

 says : "The Stone's Hardy Blackberry 

 came through last winter without injury 

 unprotected, though the mercury was 

 down to forty degrees below zero 

 several times ; it is evidently an iron- 

 clad." 



KIEFFER'S HYBRID PEAR. 



As the Kieffer has come to stay, and 

 is sure to be extensively planted, a few 

 words on its demands and chaiacteris- 

 tics may not be out of place. If grown 

 in an indifferent situation, on poor soil, 

 with little or no manure, and imj)r<)- 

 perly gathered and ripened, it undoubt- 

 edly will disappoint the grower. On 

 the othej- hand, give the Kieffer a fair 

 situation, plenty of plant food, and it 

 will yield an elegant fruit. Its tend- 

 ency is to overbear, and often it should 

 be effectively thinned. It may not 

 possess the highest excellence of quality, 

 neither does the Baldwin apple nor the 

 Concord grape : but a pear like the 

 Kieffer that comes into bearing young, 

 and produces big crops of quick-selling 

 fruit, is bound to be popular. 



The past Fall, in our Philadelphia 

 markets, the Kieffer wholesaled for 

 from $5 to $10 a bushel, and retailed 

 from 10 cents to 50 cents each. As 

 Downing aptly says : " To have it in 

 perfection, it should be gathei-ed when 

 fully grown, and rij)ened in the 

 house." I can readily see how 

 there may be differences of opinion 

 regarding the quality of the Kieflfer, 

 for a poor Kieflfer certainly is })6or 



