122 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



May 



PAXTONS MAGAZINE OF BOTANY. 



This famous English Journal closed its fifteenth 

 year on the 1st of January last, ft has been, during 

 the whole of its existence, devoted almost exclusively 

 to notices of new flowers and flowering plants worthy 

 of cultivation, and has rendered important service in 

 this department. 



Both its character and title are now changed. The 

 introductory address says: " The present state of so- 

 ciety, however, requires us, in commencing our labors 

 for 1 849, to enter upon a far more extended field of 

 action. Floricultural subjects, however lovely or 

 enchanting, are not the only ones which must hence- 

 forth occupy the attention of those who would keep 

 pace with the progress of gardening pursuits ; for 

 although an almost undivided attention has been paid 

 by many practical men, for years past, to ornamental 

 plants, it has only been with the design of placing 

 Botany and Floriculture in the same position as that 

 occupied by the other and perhaps more useful portion 

 of the vegetable creation. This end being attained, 

 we feel that we can now usefully direct our attention 

 to vegetable nature in all its vast variety, and culti- 

 vation in all its different forms, both of fruits, vege- 

 tables and flowers." The new work is, therefore, to 

 be called "The Magazine of Gardening and Bot- 

 any," and will " include articles from the first pens 

 on Botany, Floriculture, Horticulture, Arboriculture, 

 Landscape Gardening, Natural Science, Rural affairs, 

 and every other subject connected directly or indirect- 

 ly with the vegetable creation." We have no doubt 

 but this Magazine will in future be the best of its 

 class in England, or perhaps in the whole of Europe. 

 We do not suppose that many of our readers know 

 anything of it, or feel any interest in it ; our only 

 object in noticing this change and its cause is, that 

 something of the condition and progress of English 

 Horticulture may be learned from it. 



THE PLTJM. 



Our correspondent J. H. W., of New Haven, N. 

 Y., sends us the following acoount of his experi- 

 ments in plum culture: 



" This article shall be devoted to the Plum tree. Perhaps 

 my best course would be to give the history of one particu- 

 lar tree — a blue damson — the only one I succeeded in saving 

 out of quite a number planted at the same time ; the black 

 gum destroying all the others, in d-espitc of all I could do 

 with the pruning knife. This was attacked in the same 

 way, but being younger, I destroyed the knots as fast as 

 they appeared. The tree stands on a heavy clay loam* I 

 made the ground quite rich, and then put on a heavy top 

 dressing of unleached ashes. 1 believe that nearly all trees 

 flourish well on new lands. May we not take a hint from 

 this fact, and by restoring to the soil what has been exhausted 

 by cultivation, succeed well with all fruits suited to our 

 latitude. 



Since the time I applied the ashes I have not seen a black 

 knot upon it. It was vigorous and healthy. But although 

 it grew well and blossomed every year, it produced no fruit 

 — all blasted. A friend from a neighboring county advised 

 me to apply salt ; I did so the next spring, covering the 

 ground as far as the limbs extended nearly one quarter of 

 an inch thick : that year, for the first time, the tree was 

 loaded with line fruit. 



But now came another enemy which had never troubled 

 me before — I mean that exceedingly provoking little insect, 

 the Clireulio. The fruit set well, but less and less came to 

 maturity, till in the summer of 1847 not a plum ripened. I 



* Mr. Downing sjtys he never knew trees, on such a soil to be 

 attacked with the cireuHo. 



[ Does he not <-av that trees in a heavy soil are less subject to 

 the attacks of the cureuiio than they are on a light soil ?— K.D.] 



tried the way recommended by D. Thomas ; I shook the 

 insects from the tree and killed them, and destroyed the 

 fallen fruit ; but all to no purpose. Last spring I tried another 

 remedy which I had seen recommended , with a half inch 

 augur I bored about two-thirds through the tree and filled 

 the hole with sulphur, covering it with a plaster of grafting 

 wax. This is better than plugging, as the sulphur then 

 comes in contact with the sap. Now for the res tilt ; the year 

 before not a plum ripened, but last fall the tree was literally 

 loaded with fine fair fruit. I state the simple facts ; others 

 may draw their inferences." 



NORTH AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL CONVENTION. 



The undersigned, a Committee of the above Convention, 

 who were appointed at the meeting held in Buffalo hist Sep- 

 tember to report such plans for the organization of future 

 Conventions — should it be deemed advisable to hold them — 

 as might be deemed necessary to carry out successfully the 

 objects for which they were to meet, agreed, after consulta- 

 tion, as part of their plan, to appoint committees for each 

 State, Territory, and the Canadas, whose duty it should be 

 to report the results of their observations and consultations 

 in relation to matters suggested for their action in a circu- 

 lar — (which was issued by us and sent to each one of them) 

 — on the first day of the assemblage of the Convention, which 

 was by unanimous resolution agreed, should be held in the 

 autumn of 1849. 



The Committee have had their attention called to an edi- 

 torial in the Horticulturist for March, in which it is stated 

 that the North American Pomological Convention is a defunct 

 Convention, and that the State Committor's have received 

 the compliment from a Committee which does not exist, or 

 by an authority unknown. Without intending in any way 

 to comment on the article alluded to, the Committee think 

 it their duty to remark that by a perusal of the report of the 

 proceedings of the Buffalo Convention, it will he seen that 

 the report of this Committee, making the Convention a Na- 

 tional and a permanent one, was adopted unanimously; that 

 it is entirely unconnected with the New York State Agricul- 

 tural Society, and that the designation of the time and place 

 for its next meeting, where the great fair of that Society is 

 to be held, was done for the better accommodation of the 

 public who are in the habit of attending it front all parts of 

 the country, and also as a compliment to that Society, in ac- 

 knowledgement of the great benefit they had conferred on 

 Horticulture, by being the Jirst to move in calling a Nation- 

 al Pomological Convention. The Committee, owing to the 

 hurried close of the Convention at Buffalo, had not time to 

 concoct, or submit fully, their plans for the consideration of 

 the Convention, and in doing it thus far afterwards, they 

 conceive that theyaro carrying out the true spirit and intent 

 of their appointment, and that their action will meet with 

 the approbation of all concerned. 



The Committee therefore hope that the gentlemen ap- 

 pointed will not be deterred by the article above alluded to, 

 from attention to the several duties which have been submit- 

 ted for their action, as the North American Pomological Con- 

 vention will convene at Syracuse in the State of New- York, 

 on the 14th day of September next, at 10 o'clock, A. M. — it 

 being the day succeeding the closing of the annual fair of 

 the New York State Agricultural Society. 



Pomological, Horticultural, Agricultural, and kindred So- 

 cieties, or Associations, throughout this Continent, are re- 

 quested to send delegates to the Convention ; and gentlemen 

 resident in vicinities where no societies exist, who take in- 

 terest in the advancement of Pomological science are also in- 

 vited to attend. 



J. D. G. Nelson, Indiana, Chairman. 



Jamks Dougall, Canada. 



Herman Wendell, M. D., New York. 



J. C. Holmes, Michigan. 



Lewis F. Allen, New York. 



F. II. Elliott, Ohio. 



N. Goousell, New York. 

 March, 1849. Committee. 



Native Wine. — Cincinnati is in rapid progress of becom- 

 ing the great market of American wines. The vintage of 

 1848 will reach fifty-thousand gallons, equal to eighteen hun- 

 dred quarter casks. The finer qualities are sold in hottles, 

 and the Catawba wine of our favorite brands are sold olT as 

 fist as sent into market. These wines nre manufactured 

 without the addition of spirit, and have a character and flavor 

 peculiarly their own. 



