Calls at Gardens and Mirseries. 349 



ensiling, Wilkinson, &c. Passinf>; through this gartlcn, Mr, French 

 pointed out to us tiiree or four trees, in the centre of several rows, which 

 were in a sickly state, and which was caused by the severe winter of 

 1833: the others were not injured in the least: the cause he ascribes to 

 the situation of the land, which is rather springy; and being alittle lower 

 than tlie other part of the orchard, all the water from the adjacent higher 

 ground flowed directly through this. Being thus continually inundated 

 with water, the effects of the frost were doubly severe. This shows the 

 importance of planting orchards on a good and porous subsoil. It is 

 almost im])ossible to guard against the cold of some of our winters uidess 

 this is attended to. In another part of the farm, and at some distance 

 from the house, Mr. French has an orchard of six acres, planted with 

 apple and pear trees, not but a few of which, are, however, in bearing. 

 They were set out in the spring oi' 1S3I, and look imcomnionly strong and 

 vigorous. The trees are dug round three times every season, and in the fall 

 of the year, they each receive a barrow full of manure. We noticed in 

 bearing, anaong the a])ples, the red and white Astracan, Alexander, 

 Downton pippin, Jericho, Kibston pippin, and several others. The 

 red and white Astracan are beautiful, and are line varieties; of pears in 

 bearing, there was but very few. Many of the kinds will prove syno- 

 nymous, and several have been obtained under wrong names j on other 

 parts of the farm, there are several kinds of pears in bearing, but we 

 were deprived of the opportunity of obtaining their names: several are 

 new and superior sorts. We hope, at another time, to give a more 

 detailed account, of this, as well as some other farms, where there are 

 fine collections of fruit trees. 



Hawthorn Grove, Dorchester — M. P. Wilder, Esq. — ^us^. 20. — We 

 have but just had time to walk hastily through Mr. Wilder's grounds. 

 The dahlias are now making a magnificent display : they have flowered 

 uncommonly well with Mr. Wilder, this season: last, they flowered very 

 indifferently: the cause of this is not easily accounted for: they were 

 placed in the same situations last year that they were this, and were 

 otherwise treated in the same manner. We cannot ourselves, solve the 

 reason why dahlias flower so abundantly in some gardens, and so poorly 

 in others: some of the new kinds which have flowered this season, and 

 which are beautiful, are Goldfinch, red and yellow striped, Queen 

 Sheba, rosy, with tinted edge of a darker red. Countess de Ponza, white, 

 yellow, and lilac, excellent shape, and very superb flower; Granta, dark 

 claret, Gordon's Lady Granville, dove color, &c. &c. Mr. Wilder has 

 a plant of the striped Housainee melon, which now has on a fruit eight 

 or ten inches in length ; we hope he will succeed in ripening it; of all 

 the Persian melons, this is said to be the finest. The camellias look ia 

 fine health. 



Broomley Vale, Roxbury — Hon. John Lowell. — This place is too well 

 known to most of our readers, to need any description from us: it is one 

 of the oldest, as well as one of the finest in our vicinity. The labors of 

 Mr. Lowell have long been apjireciated by the agricultural portion of 

 our community, and his devotion to the ])ursuit of horticulture has 

 been no less constant, nor less valued by the lovers of this science. It is 

 to him that we are indebted for the introduction of many of our most 

 esteemed fruits; and through his exertions they have been widely and 

 'extensively disseminated. Had the study of agriculture and horticulture, 

 in all its branches, been as zealously j)ursued by many individuals, its 

 progress and improvement would have been sur])risingly great. 



In Mr. Lowell's grapery, there is a fine crop of fruit; the bunches are 

 not of that monstrous size, which many growers often try to produce, 

 regardless of flavor or color, but are handsomely shaped, and probably 

 the average weight of the whole, will be greater than if the clusters were 



