Editoj's' Letter- Box. 255 



A New Subscriber, Russellville, Ky. — We would recommend the following 

 pears for standards : Doyenne d'ete, Osband's Summer, Tyson, Bartlett, Belle 

 Lucrative, BufTum, Seckel, Lawrence. If a greater variety is wanted, add Ma- 

 deleine, Bloodgood, Beurre Giffard, Dearboi-n's Seedling, Julienne, Rostiezer, 

 Doyenne Boussock, Stevens' Genesee, Flemish Beauty, White Doyenne, Duchess 

 of Angouleme, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Glout Morceau, Beurre d"Anjou, Eas- 

 ter Beurre. For dwarfs we would advise Osband's Summer, Tyson, Beurre 

 Giffard, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Buffum, Seckel, Urbaniste, Duchesse d'An- 

 gouleme, Glout Morceau, Lawrence, Easter Beurre, Beurre d'Anjou. 



We are unable to suggest any way to prevent your pears from blooming so 

 early, except planting them on northerly slopes. The Paradise d'Automne 

 blooms a little later than most kinds, and might therefore escape a spring frost. 

 In localities subject to late frosts the fruit is often saved by building fires on the 

 windward side of the orchard, so as to cause the frozen flowers or fruit to thaw 

 slowly. The fires must be managed so as to produce as much smoke and as lit- 

 tle flame as possible. 



Your chip manure will be valuable for any of the ordinary fruit trees or grape 

 vines. The fine, decomposed part may be mixed thoroughly with the soil when 

 planting, and the coarser part will make an excellent mulch. 



Leavitt, Boston Highlands. — The best time to transplant evergreens, such 

 as Norway spruce, arbor vitae, and hemlocks, is about the middle of May, just 

 as they begin to grow. If very large, they may be moved, in winter, with a ball 

 of frozen earth. 



Rank manure is injurious to evergreens because of its heating properties, but 

 old, well-rotted manure is beneficial. 



R. F. F., Indianapolis. — Is the flower of the shrub, of which you enclose a 

 leaf, light blue or white in a branching spike ? If so, it is a veronica. But the 

 leaf may belong to a dozen different plants. You must send flower. 



Mrs. I. A., Northampton, Mass. — Your plant is Centawea candidisshna. 

 The gillyflower was fertilized in the half-open bud, and the object of the flower 

 being attained in the production of seed, there was no necessity for the flower to 

 open. Gillyflowers are biennials, and die after ripening seed ; yours was proba- 

 bly one of the " Brompton Stocks," which are very popular in England, but are 

 seldom grown in this country. 



You are treating your house plants too well ; they make such vigorous growth 

 they fail to bloom ; let them get a little pot-bound, and you will have bloom, the 

 growth being checked. This check is given when they are planted out, and then 

 they bloom. 



E. B. J., Southport, Ct. — The pink sent is very good, and well worth growing, 

 and will be valuable for bouquets, but it has none of the points of a florist's 

 flower ; the colors run, are not well defined, and the flower sent is under 

 size. 



