118 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



USEFUL TOOLS. 



As the gardener and horticulturist must soon 

 begin active operations, we oifer some ilhistrations 

 and brief notes of tools appropriate to the season. 



A HORTICDLTUBAL TOOL-CKEST 



contains most of the small implements used in 

 pruning, grafting, budding, transplanting, etc., and 

 which, if kept near the workman, saves time and 

 ensures sBccessful operations. 



A BILL-HOOK 



is useful for cutting up bushes, sprouts, briars, etc., 

 and lopping off branches that cau not be so well 

 reached by the saw, which should always be the 

 main implement in pruning. For trimming hedges 



TRIMMING SHEARS. 



and occasionally pruning thorny bushes, use is 

 made of a pair of stout shears with long handles; 



rRf.VIXG SCISSORS. 



while for dressing rose and other small bushes, es- 

 pecially for ladies' use, we have smaller scissors 



adapted to that purpose. For cutting true and 

 smooth the grassy borders of lawns, walks, etc., 

 use is made of a border knife, to which is affixed 

 a handle similar to that of a hoe. "When the 

 trunks of trees become rough and mossy, they may 

 bo rendered smooth aad ornamental by using the 



TREE SCRAPER 



followed by washing with strong soap suds or weak 

 lye, freeing them from insects, and making them 

 more healtliy. 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOETI- 

 CULTURAL SOCIETY FOR 1858. 



This volume, issued at the close of each year, 

 always contains a fund of valuable and reliable 

 horticultural information. The present volume, 

 for which we are indebted to Dr. Eben "Wight, 

 is especially replete with interesting matter, and 

 we propose to make a few extracts from it for the 

 benefit of our readers who have not access to it. 

 The Report of the Committee on Flowers, which is 

 unusually attractive, we shall refer to in a future 

 number, and for the present pass over it and briefly 

 notice a few points in the Report of the Committee 

 on Fruits : 



"Strawberries. — The first strawberries of the 

 season, grown in the open air, were a box of Early 

 Virginias^ shown on the 12th of June, the exhib- 

 itor stating that he picked ripe berries from his 

 vines on the 6tli ; and the second was a box of a 

 new seedling, called Pagers Seedling, exliibited oil 

 June 19th. Pagers Seedling is a handsome straw- 

 berry, of good size, conical form, and dark color. 

 It is good flavored, but seemed rather soft In the 

 flesh. As it is so early a variety, it may prove de- 

 sirable. * * * * Among the newer varieties 

 may be mentioned Leopold, a very large crimson 

 strawberry, of a coxcomb shape ; Marqnis La Tout 

 Mditln/rg, large, dark colored; Trollope''s Victoria, 

 also large and fine, ])ut of a color rather toe 

 pale; River's seedling Eliza, a large, coxcomb- 

 shaped, crimson berry ; BlaTce''s Incomjnirahle, s. 

 crimson ; and Adair, a good sized scarlet variety. 



"As no opportunity was afforded tlie Committei' 

 to test, in a satisfactory manner, the ditTereut vari- 

 eties, the expression of any opinion with respect U 

 their flavor is purjjoscly withlii'ld, -as such, no' 

 carefully and deliljcratel}' forniud, iniglit give ai 

 erroneous impres.sion. It may not be aniis.s, liow 

 ever, to say, that scarcely any of the foreign varie 

 ties of the strawberry have continued, for any loii^ 

 period, to give satisfactory results. Tliey seem 

 more tender than tlie American varieties — more 

 liable to be burnt by tlie sun in summer, and in- 

 jured by the cold in winter; besides that, tliey ara 

 all, or nearly all, staminate or perfect in tiieir flow- 

 ers; and unless more care and attention is paid 

 than can usually be bestowed on their cultivutioxx, 



