1850. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



241 



natural, and beautiful. It discards all such antiqua- 

 ted, puerile practices, as cutting up ground into 

 squares, with hearts, triangles, hexagons, and other 

 unmentionable figures in the centre. If grounds 

 were to be so laid out and ornamented, plain farmers 

 might well be deterred from attempting it. But such 

 is not the case. Lawn and trees are the principal 

 materials for a landscape, and with these, any rnan 

 with a spark of taste, and a few simple suggestions, 

 can make himself an interesting and beautiful home. 



THE COBEA SOANDENS, OR OLtMBIMG COBEA. 



One of the most rapid growing and at the same time 

 very beautiful summer climbers, is the Cobea, a na- 

 tive of Mexico. It is cultivated as a green-house 

 plant, and can either be raised from seeds or cuttings 

 early in the spring, and turned out into the border in 

 May or June. It may be trained over a wall by means 

 of strings or wires, to which it clings by tendrils like 

 those of the grape vine. The flowers arc two inches 

 long and three inches in diameter, bell shaped, and 

 tiie prevailing color is a dark bluish purple : many 

 are quite greenish when they first open. A young 

 plant turned out of a six inch pot on the first of June 

 here, covers at this time a wall twelve feet long and 

 twelve feet in height, and since the last of July has 

 been continually in blossom, and will continue to be 

 until frost comes. Young plants are always to be 

 had at a very low price in the spring. 



Now is the time to select flower seed for next 

 season. Mark the finest blossoms, so that when 

 the seed is ripe you can readily select the best. 



SUMMER PEARS. 



Dr. Kirtland, in the Family Visitor of September 

 5th, gives some interesting " Notes on Fruits of the 

 Season." He says : 



The Bloodgood, when at maturity this season, has provet! 

 to be a more valuable fruit with us, ilian in auy former year. 

 Still it was not equal to the Mailt^leine and ripens two weeks 

 later. 



The Dearborn's Seedling maintains its high cliaructer 

 for fine Savor, but it does not surpass the Zoar Beauty and 

 is one-third less in size. The latter we must place in our 

 list of number ones. 



The Bei.le of Brussels, in Mr. Elliot's grounds has, this 

 season, equalled its highest recommendati:,ns. With us, it 

 once attained to that standard, but in subsequent years 

 proved so poor that we discarded it. 



The RosTiE'/ER is riptining with us— but its small size will 

 operate unfavorably to it. however valuable its other qual- 

 ities may prove. 



The Tyson is decidedly the finest flavored pear we Irivo 

 tasted this season. In size, color, and form, it bears some 

 resemblance tj the Zoar Beauty — in flavor it excels — and we 

 must place it among the number ones. 



Tlie best and most beautiful summer pear we have 

 had, was the Osband's Summer, ripe the middle of 

 August. The Bloodgood has produced a good crop, 

 and in quality was really number one ; but it is by 

 no means an attractive looking fruit, like the Os- 

 band's. It ripened here from the 10th to the last of 

 August. The Dearborns Seedling is always fine, 

 though small. The Belle of Brussels is occasionally 

 fine, but so often insipid as to be, notwithstanding 

 its beauty, .size, and productiveness, unworthy of 

 being classed with good fruits. A warm soil, sea- 

 son, and exposure, must all be combined to make it 

 good. The Summer Francreal is a prodigious 

 bearer. The tree is robust and a beautiful grower. 

 When picked in season and ripened in the house, it 

 is really good — not so buttery as the Bloodgood, 

 but vinous and refreshing. We gathered our crop 

 this season on the '20th of August, and they ripened 

 in the house for a fortnight. 



RHUBARB, GOOSEBERRIES, &o 



Mr. Editor : — My father, in August, 1848, imported 

 a few rhubarb roots. This year the stalk.-^, from the 

 base to the lower part of the leaf, measured 3 feet 7 

 inches in length. He has some plants which hO' 

 raised from seed sown in April, 18-19, and transplanted 

 in April, 1850, which are now 2 feet long in stalk 

 and upwards of 6 inches in circumference. He had 

 gooseberries this year measuring .3g by 4J inches in 

 circumference. Several of our neighbors have them 

 quite as large. Mr. Barker, Mr. Vary, and others, 

 have them very fine. One from the garden of Mrs. 

 Strachan measured SJ by 4 inches. They are very 

 thin skinned and fine flavored. 



If you have anything in Rochester that beats the 

 above, please let us know in your next number. 



Plums are almost a failure. Peaches will be very 

 scarce. Quince trees all blighted early in the sea- 

 son. If you can give any preventive for mildew on 

 grapes, you will oblige. I have tried sulphur this 

 year without any efTect. Alex. Swiwto.n". — N'iag- 

 ara, C. W., Aug., 1850. 



We can not recommend any certain preventive of 

 mildew in grapes. We have heard of ashes being 

 successfully applied as a top dressing around the 

 roots in fall or spring. 



We have seen nothing here to surpass your 

 gooseberries. 



