THE CANADLVN HORTICULTRIST. 15 



can be had so cheap of the florists now, and they give so much better 

 satisfaction than the average results with old plants, that it seems a 

 great waste of labor and care to try to do anything with them. 



In purchasing young plants it is very desirable to buy those which 

 have naturally a symmetrical style of growth. There is a great differ- 

 ence among them in this respect, some that have very handsome 

 flowers have a very straggling habit of growth, and are very difficult 

 subjects in the hands of any but the most experienced to train in 

 handsome shape. Your florist of whom you purchase will cheerfully 

 advise you on this point. 



With but few exceptions the Fuchsia is not a winter flowering 

 plant. Its great value as a window plant is in supplying those who 

 have no garden, the dwellers in large towns, or those who from any 

 cause are confined to the window culture of plants. To these its 

 beauty, ease of culture, and abundance of bloom make it a favorite 

 plant. We have found the variety known as Mrs. Marshall to bloom 

 in winter very well, but best of all is Speciosa, which with proper 

 culture may be had in bloom from Christmas onward until spring. 

 Of the other varieties it is hardly of any use to speak. New claimants 

 for favor are being constantly introduced, and our readers will be 

 better able to select those that please them than we can possibly do it 

 for them. 



DE. EEEDEE'S PEAE. 



BY P. E. BUCKE, OTTAWA, ONT. 



A great deal has been said and done to try and ascertain some 

 cure or prevention of the pear blight, which in many instances has 

 devastated our pear orchards, and has made this luscious fruit one of 

 the most difficult of cultivation. No specific, so far as I am aware, 

 has ypt been found to guard against the hidden foe ; and I fear it may 

 be traced to a want of hardiness in the constitution of the trees them- 

 selves. I was very much struck on a recent visit to the asylum for 

 the insane, at London, Ontario, at seeing a row of one dozen pear 

 trees standing erect, in full foliage, in a part of the orchard set aside 

 for this fruit, and a number of other trees of the same description with 

 branches cut off, some being perfect stumps, whilst here and there 

 were large gaps of blighted trees and blanks. On enquiry of the 



