184 Domestic Notices. 



where it was stopped, which often become fruit-spurs, the same year, or 

 if not, the following one. 



There is no objection to the plan recommended by Mr. Rivers, (A^ol. XIV. 

 p. 361,) of leaving a foreright shoot ; we often leave two of these shoots, 

 stopping them entirely at the length of six inches, in very vigorous trees, 

 like the Beurre Diel, Le Cure, and Harvard, and, at the winter pruning, cut 

 them back to two buds, as we do all spurs with more than two or three 

 eyes ; at the same time pruning the terminal shoots so as to form a symmet- 

 rical tree. The repeated pushing of the shoots after pinching off the 

 ends of them, does no injury to the tree ; though the best results are not 

 obtained by doing this indiscriminately on all trees. As Mr. Carmichael 

 has stated, " the operator should be guided by the health and vigor of his 

 trees, the soil and situation in which they grow ; these circumstances must 

 be taken into consideration to perform the operation aright." — Ed."] 



Seedling Lycopodiums. — A beautiful little moss-like plant, under the 

 name of Lycopodium helveticum, has become an object of much care, for 

 covering shady borders, in greenhouses, especially where such borders are 

 made at the foot of the back or side walls, in which are planted roses, or 

 other climbing plants. Delighting in shade and moisture, it, in this way, 

 adds much to the neat appearance of the house. At certain seasons of tha 

 year, the stem assumes an unusual form, the leaves on this new stem, or 

 branch, are more closely set, and at the base, or in the axil of the leaves, 

 may be found a small yellow grain. This, if closely examined, will be 

 found to consist of a kidney-shaped seed-vessel, in which there is a quantity 

 of yellow dust. The whole together compose the spike, or fruit-bearing 

 branch of the plant. Nothing like flowers are perceptible, as the plant in 

 question belongs to the class of Cryptogamia, in which floral organs are 

 only dimly and obscurely typified. 



It may not be familiarly known, that this little plant can be artificially 

 cultivated from its seeds, (sporules.) But, having procured some speci- 

 mens of this species, while in fructification, I was afterward gratified to 

 find several seedling plants rising in the soil of my pots. Their first appear- 

 ance was that of a single leaf on a very short stem, in no way differing from 

 the leaves of the perfect plants ; others soon succeeded, until, in a few weeks, 

 each stem had elongated itself to the size of several inches, and was creep- 

 ing over in surface, in the manner peculiar to the species, 



This Lycopodium, (now called Selaginella,) is also a pretty object for pot 

 culture, by itself, and may be suspended in such a way, according to each 

 one's taste and fancy, as that its delicate stems, and silver thread-like root- 

 lets, hanging over the edge of the pot, would afford much pleasure to a 

 lover of the simpler forms of vegetables. — Yours, John Lewis Russell, Feb. 

 3, 1849. 



Sea Groundsel Tree, or Ploughman^ s Spikenard. — Specimens of this fine 

 Syngenesious plant, have been forwarded from Nantucket, by Miss Maria 

 L. Tallant, as detected by her uncle, last October, on that part of the island, 

 called Cosskaty, which is famed for its floral treasures. Two of these spe- 

 cimens were sent to me, and are supposed to be the first known as indige- 

 nous to Massachusetts. The Baccharis halimifolia, (the species under no- 



