218 



THE CANADIAN H0RTI0TJLTUEI8T. 



usually abundant, there is scarcely 

 any. 



There was also a goodly number of 

 varieties of Peaches exhibited. This 

 fruit has been receiving much more 

 attention of late than has been hereto- 

 fore given, and it is taking its place as 

 one of our important commercial pro- 

 ducts. It is a fruit that deserves more 

 attention from those who are interested 

 in the production of new varieties than 

 Canadians have given it ; and if proper 

 care were bestowed upon this labor, 

 the range of profitable Peach-culture 

 .could be greatly extended. 



The lateness of the advent of warm 

 weather and the coolness of the sum- 

 mer have not been favorable to the 

 display of ripe Grapes grown in the 

 open air. The samples shown were 

 many of them very fine in form and 

 size of bunch, giving promise of lusci- 

 ous fruit if the frosts come not too 

 soon. The Niagara Grape was shown, 

 ^very handsome in appearance, but not 

 quite ripe. A new white Grape of ex- 

 quisite flavor was exhibited, fully ripe, 

 called Jessica. This delicious Grape 

 was pronounced by many to be the best 

 out-door Grape that has yet been seen. 



Moss FOii Plants. — We have been re- 

 markably successful in restoring sickly 

 plants that have been pining away in pots 

 by shaking them out and planting them in 

 a shallow box, filled with common mots, 

 kept constantly moist. Almost anything 

 seems to grow luxuriantly in this, and our 

 own experience enaourages us to advise 

 others to try it. A little soil mixed with 

 the moss could not possibly do any harm. 

 Seeds also germinate freely in it. Coleus 

 and Geraniums root quicker in it with us 

 than in sand. We wonder how we did so 

 l<aag without it. — FcMrm and Garden. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 

 NEW SEEDLING GOOSEBERRIES. 



To THE Editor of The Canadian Horticulturist. 



Dear Sir, — In compliance with your 

 request I sent you last week specimens 

 of my new seedling gooseberries, which 

 I hope reached you safely. The de- 

 scriptions, habit of growth, &c., were 

 on the bags containing each variety to 

 enable you to compare them without 

 delay. 



The hybrid seedlings were raised 

 some years ago, their origin was from 

 a seed of an English gooseberry, fer- 

 tilized evidently by the pollen from the 

 wild prickly fruited gooseberry, which 

 grew quite plentifully in a ravine near 

 my garden. 



It grew amongst seeds of the English 

 planted to try and raise varieties free 

 from milu vv, and its growth was so 

 very strong, reaching six feet high the 

 second year from the seed, that I 

 planted it out amongst my English 

 gooseberries. When it fruited, instead 

 of being prickly, it had strong hairs, 

 almost spines, similar to specimens of 

 No. 8 now sent you, and was evidently 

 a hybrid between the two. 



From its seeds sowed again were 

 raised Nos. 1, 2, 7 and 8, specimens 

 of which I send you. All have very 

 strong upright growth, with the excep- 

 tion of No. 9 hybrid, the best of them 

 all, but its blossoms were destroyed by 

 frost, so that I could not send you 

 specimens, there being only one berry 

 left on two bushes. No. 1 hybrid is 

 also different from the others. When 

 its strong young shoots are topped at 

 four to five feet high it sends out slen- 

 der side shoots from the top which 

 weep down to the ground, covered with 

 fruit, maJcing a very graceful pandulous 

 tree. All the others send out erect 

 side shoots when topped. 



I am raising other seedlings from 

 seeds of these, and think they will pro- 



