248 Notes a7id Gleanings. 



our native wild plum, of which we have an abundance, of good quality, in our 

 groves, and which can be readily transplanted to the orchard, where they will 

 produce abundantly. 



" Cherry-trees of the Morello class grow very well, and are hardy ; but they 

 have not yet been very productive of fruit with me. 



" The Concord Grape grows well, and produces abundantly, and generally 

 ripens its fruit. It has never been attacked with mildew or rot ; but the vines 

 need protection in the winter. The Catawba ripens its fruit about one-third of 

 the time wbe-.i it does not rot. | 



Bees. M^ssfs. Editors, — As so much is now being said on the subject of 

 bees, I cannot forbear giving a little testimony in thei<- favor. 



A relative of mine has for upwards of twenty years lived near this city, and 

 has all the time kept a great many bees. Since he has kept them there, the 

 orchards in the vicinity have borne from two to three times the quantity of fruit 

 that they did before ; and some of the neighbors say, that, should he dispose of 

 his swarms, they would be obliged to keep bees themselves to obtain a paying 

 yield of fruit. I have yet to see the man who thinks them other than a benefit. 



Insects are the great fertilizers of plants, carrying pollen, which in many in- 

 stances, without their aid, would never become distributed. What class does 

 so much as tlie little busy bee ? How can a jury of intelligent citizens declare 

 them a nuisance ? 



The people of Wenham and Harrisburg are simply repeating an experiment 

 which was found in the less-enlightened middle ages to be a failure ; and they, 

 too, will be convinced of their error, after buying experience. 



Aside from their labors in fertilization, bees furnish us with honey ; than which 

 I know of no delicate preserve or confection more acceptable to the palate. 



Let the people who incline to follow the example of those of Wenham thor- 

 oughly study up this subject before they take a step, which, soon or late, they 

 must regret. For articles pertinent to this subject, I would refer you to " The 

 American Bee Journal " for March, and " American Naturalist " for April, 1868. 



Truly yours, F. L. T. 



Cleveland, O. 



P. S. — I wish some one of your correspondents would write an article on 

 cacti. I think highly of them, and would like to know more about them than 

 I do. 



Foreign ExHiniTTOXS. — We observe, that, at the horticultural exhil^ition 

 held at Nemours on the 24th and 25th of June, a gold medal was awarded to 

 one cultivator, M. E. Menard of Melun, for one Jiundrcd and ten (i 10) new vari- 

 eties of Pelargoninju zonale; and to another, Mr. Scipion Cachet of Suisncs, for 

 four hundred and eighty varieties of roses. Besides tiiese awards, various other 

 gold and silver medals were distributed ; among them, the gold medal offered 

 by her Majesty the Empress for the best collection of hot-house and green-house 

 plants, which was carried off by M. Houy of Nemours. 



