3i8 Editors' Lctter-Box. 



young ones ; but these must have a new location, and not be placed on the site 

 of the old ones. When, however, trees of only a few years' standing have been 

 neglected, so that they begin to present a lean appearance, the tops may be 

 headed in to advantage by removing, say one half the length of the limbs, or 

 enough to cause a new growth of wood to start out, not only from the ends of 

 the branches left, but sufficiently near the centre of the tree. It must not, how- 

 ever, be thought that after thus heading in they will need no more care. The 

 young wood must be thinned and shortened every year, or else they will soon 

 be just as bad as ever. 



In the Editors' Letter Box, on page 191, R. L. U. writes of having found 

 some black grapes on a Catawba vine, and at the same time mentions the fact 

 tliat a Concord vine stood within seven feet of the Catawba. Well, we are in- 

 clined to think that a cane from the Concord ran in and " mixed itself up with 

 the other," for we have sometimes been slightly " obfusticated " in a similar 

 way, but have always succeeded in unravelling the mystery through per- 

 severance. 



We no more believe that grapes ever sport thus, than we believe that barley 

 can be made, by feeding down or otherwise mutilating, to turn to oats, as we have 

 seen it affirmed. " 'Tisn't natur." It is nonsense. A. C. 



F. L. — It is not too late to prune your blackberries. Shorten in by remov- 

 ing the weak, slender tips, as the best fruit is produced on the stronger wood, 

 which will remain. If the canes are too thick, thin out with a pair of' long-han- 

 dled shears, or with a hooked blade on the end of a pole. During the summer 

 the ends of the young shoots should be pinched, so as to keep the plants in a 

 compact, accessible form. It will also be more fruitful when thus pinched. We 

 have known a cane of the Dorchester blackberry, in a rich soil, when the sum- 

 mer pinching was neglected, to grow to thirteen feet in length, which was some- 

 what inconvenient, to say the least. 



R. R. T., Muscatine, Iowa. — The flower and leaf which you send are from 

 the AcJicrnia mollis. 



Mr. Editor : In the Journal for February, 1868, you speak of the barberry 

 as a hedge plant, but truly remark that it has the fault of throwing up suckers, 

 and spreading like the lilac. Now, this fault would be avoided if we could raise 

 it from cuttings with the eyes removed, as we do currants when we wish for 

 plants with clean stems. I have succeeded in raising lilacs thus, and to great 

 advantage, having several of the finest plants of Josikrea that I have ever seen ; 

 but a similar attempt with the barberry was wholly without success, and my ob- 

 ject in writing this note is, to inquire whether you or any of your readers have 

 been more fortunate. T. G. 



We have received from Mr. H. A. Cheever, Provo City, Utah Territory, a 

 dozen plants of Clicever's Seedling Strawberry, No. 2. 



