No. 12. 



Catuloi^ue of Ptars. 



8G5 



expresses himself satisfied with the result; 

 he, however, found it of too heating a nature 

 for horses and milk cows, but for fattingf cat- 

 tle and sheep it proved excellent, " coming: 

 out of the stack very moist and clammy." 

 But I have never had occasion to practise 

 either of tlie above recipes, for when the 

 v/eather at the time of makin<j is wet, [ keep 

 it exposed as little as necessary, and if I can 

 bring it to the stack with the flowers whicii 

 are mingled with it of their natural color, 

 (this is my criterion,) I am satisfied tiiat 

 nothing need bo added to render it more 

 palatable or more nutritious. 



Frank. — This Theory of Draining and 

 Hay-making shall go into my Journal, and if 

 I continue to add to it as I have done of late, 

 I shall soon have a book which will be worth 

 preserving. 



Father. — Then just take one observation 

 more, by way of closer. The best salt for 

 curing fish, was, some years ago, made on 

 Sundays! 



Frank. — But you are not serious — no one 

 can believe that for a moment. 



Father. — I do not wonder at your surprise, 

 but I am indeed serious, and will in an in-! 

 stant convince you of the truth of the asser- 

 tion. It was customary, on the Sunday morn- 

 ings, to fill up tlie condensing pans at the salt ■ 

 works with brine, and to damp the large fires, 

 in order that slow evaporation might go on, 

 as the pans were unattended on Sundays. 

 This slow evaporation gave time for the Mag- 

 nosian salt, with which the brine is highly 

 impregnated, to deposit, and form in crystals 

 at the bottom of the pan, it being character- 

 istic of this salt to crystallize at a much less 

 density than Muriate of Soda, which is, as 

 you know, the proper name of our common 

 table salt. On Monday morning then, the 

 brine, thus purified, and whicii still remained 

 uncrystallized, was drawn off into anotlier 

 pan, where the evaporation was carried to 

 the crystallizing point ; the crystals from this 

 were large and pure, and were reserved for 

 the purpose of curing fish, and delicate meats. 

 From this hint, the process of salt making 

 has been changed, and the evaporation is now 

 stopped at that point at which the Magnesian 

 salt is deposited, after which the purified 

 brine is drawn off, to be crystallized in other 

 pans. The Magnesian salt is cut out of these 

 pans, and when purified, it forms the basis of 

 Epsom, Cheltenham, and the effervescing 

 salts of the Drug stores. 



Frank. — I am indeed surprised! but it is 

 now at the simple and beautiful way in which 

 such an improbable circumstance is brought 

 about. 



Oats — Are more beneficial to horses if 

 ground ; and hay, if chopped fine. 1 



We copy the following valuable catalogue of 

 1'ears from the Cultivator for June, from 

 which we learn that our friend Buel, the 

 conductor of that excellent Journal, just 

 named, has some of the best and choicest 

 varieties to dispose of Those who send 

 their orders to Judge Buel, Albany, N. Y., 

 may rely upon having them well filled, and 

 no mistake. 



€atulo^8ic of Pears. , 



The varieties of the pear, until within a 

 few years, have been *'evi, and the quality, 

 with some exceptions, indifferent or inferior. 

 But through the active exertions of Dr. Van 

 Mons, of the Netherlands, Mr. Knight, and 

 other distinguished pomologists and horti- 

 culturists, the varieties have been greatly in- 

 creased; and among the number now culti- 

 vated we have some of excellent quality, that 

 are in eating during eleven months in the year. 

 Tiie pear is used for the table ; for stewing 

 and baking- in the kitchen, and for Perry. 

 As most of the varieties now found in our 

 nursery catalogues are new, and their quali- 

 ty, time of ripening, and the uses to which 

 they are particularly adapted, but imperfect- 

 ly known, even to nurserymen, great diffi- 

 culty is experienced in making a judicious 

 selection, that shall give a succession of fruit. 

 We have frequently experienced this diffi- 

 culty ourselves. To assist both the purchaser 

 and the seller, and to disseminate a know- 

 ledge of the best varieties, we publish the 

 catalogue below. 



The London Horticultural Society pub- 

 lished, in 1831, a list of 677 varieties of the 

 pear, which were then growing in their gar- 

 den. Of these, 278 kinds only had then 

 fruited. These are described in a tabular 

 form, and divided into three classes as to size 

 and form — their tin;»e of ripening, their use, 

 their color, and form, and texture noted, and 

 remarks subjoined as to the character of the 

 tree, &,c. From this catalogue our list is 

 principally taken. And it is proper to re- 

 mark, that the kinds that have proved to be 

 the best, on comparison, in the Horticultural 

 Garden near London, have not in all cases 

 proved to be of a like character in America — 

 some of No. 1 in quality being licre No. 2, 

 and some of No. 2 being No. l^with us. Our 

 list embraces all of No. 1 in the catalogue of 

 the Horticultural Society, which had fruited 

 there in 1831, and such of No. 2 as are known 

 to be in our nurseries, but none of No. 3. 

 Tiiere are some American varieties not named 

 here, because we cannot speak with certain- 

 ty of their quality, time of ripening, &c. 



We have endeavored to procure all the 

 most esteemed varieties of the pear ; and 



