4 Jl Retrospective View of the 



pinery, which will soon be filled with plants. We hail these as 

 the first steps towards the general cultivation of this " king of 

 fruits" by the wealthy gentlemen and patrons of gardening in this 

 country. 



The Shepherdia argentea, or buffalo berry, has begun to at- 

 tract some attention as a shrub suitable for live fences. How 

 well it is adapted for such purposes we are not informed. It is 

 freely raised from seed, and will therefore probably soon be pro- 

 cured at a reasonable rate. In our opinion, however, we do not 

 believe it will be found a substitute for the buckthorn. The fruit 

 of the buffalo berry is very agreeable to the taste, and as a shrub 

 for the production of fruit we think it well adapted to gardens, 

 particularly where there are belts of trees or shrubberies attach- 

 ed. The berries remain upon the tree all winter, and give a 

 lively appearance to its leafless branches. 



We are not aware of many new gardens having been laid out the 

 past year. Connected with the garden of the Mount Washington 

 House, South Boston, there has been an extensive range of 

 houses completed, which were commenced there in the fall of 

 1836. The garden is under the direction and management of 

 Mr. William McCulloch. Grapes will be grown, together with 

 other plants. IMessrs. Mason, of the Charlestown vineyard, have 

 made some addition to their structures for growing grapes. The 

 new pineries of Col. Perkins will also be planted with grape 

 vines. The supply of this fine fruit for the market is now fully 

 adequate to the demand, and the very high prices which they 

 have heretofore commanded must be soon reduced to a fair rate. 

 These have been indeed extravagant, and we are gratified in be- 

 lieving that they will, before long, be within the means of all 

 classes. The cultivation of foreign grapes in the open air must, 

 we think, except in cities, be generally given up. During the 

 three or four past years, scarcely a crop has ripened: nor have 

 foreign grapes alone been cut off; very few of our native varieties 

 have yielded any fully ripened grapes during the same period, 

 unless in very favorable situations, with sunny aspects, sheltered 

 from the cold winds. If the seasons continue to be characteriz- 

 ed by the same severity of climate, we shall have to look to pro- 

 tected vines for crops of both foreign and native kinds. We 

 hope, however, that milder summers and more favorable autumns 

 await the cultivator, and that he will yet reap rich harvests from 

 vines in the open air. The market has been very liberally sup- 

 pled with fine late pears; but prices are held up so high as to ex- 

 clude nearly all, but the most wealthy, from purchasing. Culti- 

 vators do not appear to know what is best for their own interests. 



New York has improved less in the science of horticulture than 

 her sister cities, particularly Boston or Philadelphia. Being the 

 great commercial emporium of the Union, her citizens deeply en- 



