Domestic Notices. 511 



mus, a species of crab apple from which the Indians make cider, a species 

 of the Cercis or Judas tree, a clematis, honeysuckle, symphoria, and 

 Cephalantus, with some species of grapes, two fine species of raspberries, 

 two species of blackberries, several species of currants, a gooseberry, two 

 varieties of the strawberry of a new and peculiar species, with a large and 

 excellent fruit, a Caly can thus attaining ten to twelve feet in height, with 

 very large flowers, which continue their bloom through several months ; a 

 dwarf horse chesnut or buckeye of fifteen feet in height, and spreading to 

 an equal diameter, producing a profusion of beautiful flowers ; and many 

 other productions of equal interest which time will not allow me to 

 enumerate. 



In bulbous flowers this country is particularly rich, many of which are 

 very striking and of great beauty and interest, and the balsamic character 

 of very many of the herbaceous plants forms a peculiar feature in that class. 



The chanchalagua, so celebrated for its medicinal properties, and of 

 which bunches, in a dry state, are preserved in so many Indian huts, is 

 found in considerable patches, in the moist ravines through which streams 

 occasionally flow from the mountain ranges. Having succeeded in collect- 

 ing and preserving the seeds and bulbs of above one hundred species of 

 trees and plants, I shall transmit them to Long Island by the first steamer, 

 and then proceed to extend my tour to other sections of California." — News. 



Swanks Orange Pear. — It gives us great pleasure to record such a favor- 

 able notice of this superlative pear as the following, from our correspond- 

 ent. Gen. Leavenworth, of Syracuse, N. Y. It fully substantiates all we 

 have said in regard to it, and which we now take occasion to reaffirm, after 

 two more years have afforded us the opportunity of tasting the fruit. Speci- 

 mens from Mr. Langworthy's tree in Rochester, kindly sent to us by him 

 in 1848, and this year, have not only been uniformly large and beautiful, 

 weighing 8 or 12 ounces each, but perfectly luscious, and have shown an 

 additional merit it possesses over most pears in its long keeping. Fruit 

 gathered the 6th of September, exhibited three days in Syracuse and four 

 days in Boston, was per/'ec^/?/ sound on the 6th of October, thus showing 

 that it has not the defect of most large pears, of rotting at the core. — Ed. 



" The Swan's Orange, this year, was most excellent, — never better, and 

 merited all you have said of it. It was large and fine, most melting and 

 delicious, — not in the slightest astringent, and possessing an aroma nearly 

 or quite unrivalled. I last week bought a bushel, and this week offered 

 them to a large party of friends, and never did a dish of fruit receive more 

 unqualified praise, or better evidence of its sincerity. — Truly, yours, E. W. 

 Leavenworth, Syracuse, N. Y., Oct. 11, 1849. 



American Congress of Fruit Growers. — Second session at New York. — 

 The second meeting of the Congress was held in New York at Castle 

 Garden, on Tuesday, the 2d of October, and continued two days. 



The meeting was called to order by the President, the Hon. M. P. 

 Wilder, who, with the other oflicers, hold their ofiice two years, and im- 

 mediately proceeded to the business of the convention. About eighty 

 delegates were present from various parts of the Union. The secretary 



