56 Editors' Letter- Box. 



A New Subscriber. — Will it be profitable for me to keep my strawberry- 

 bed, that has fruited this year for the first time ? — Probably not. As a general 

 thing, the better way is to plant a bed every year, and plough up the old one. 

 If in hills, and they are well cared for, they will give good results for several 

 years. 



Hybridist, Springfield. — How much fruit should grape-vines be allowed 

 to bear that have been set four years? — It depends much on what variety it is. 

 A Concord of that age can safely be allowed to ripen ten or fifteen pounds to a 

 stake ; or, if trained on a trellis, the vine might be strong enough to give even 

 twenty or twenty-five pounds. One great fault with most grape-growers is, they 

 allow their young vines to over-bear. 



Reuben, Orange, N.J. — Are cauHflowers difficult to raise ? and is there a 

 demand for them in the market ? — They are not much more difficult than the 

 cabbage. It is somewhat difficult to get good seed ; but, having obtained that, 

 you can raise cauliflowers well. They should be treated in all respects like the 

 cabbage, making your ground quite rich. You can sell all the good cauliflowers 

 you can raise, at fair and remunerative prices. It is very strange that this most 

 excellent vegetable is not grown more extensively. 



Inquirer, Portland. — Is there such a pear as the Goodale ? — Yes : it is a 

 new variety, recently introduced by S. L. Goodale, Esq., of Saco, Me., and said 

 to be a seedling of the M'Laughlin. We find, in the Transactions of the Mas- 

 sachusetts Horticultural Society for the year 1866, the following description of 

 this pear: "It resembles in shape the Andrews, though more blunt at the 

 stem-end. It becomes yellow at maturity, with a bright-red cheek on the sunny 

 side. Quality ^^(?<^, nearly equal to Beurre d'Anjou ; and we think, on the whole, 

 one of the most promising new pears that has been brought to our notice." The 

 fruit is rather large ; the tree a good grower, and hardy. It has not yet been 

 disseminated; but the whole stock has been placed in the hands of a nursery- 

 man for propagation. 



S. H. W., Boston. — Please inform me as to the best time to trim a buck-thorn 

 hedge; also evergreen hedges. — It should be done in autumn, after the plant 

 has made its growth ; or, what is better, in spring, before they make new growth. 

 Should prefer spring for evergreens. 



E., Brookline. — Will the white-pine and hemlock bear clipping severely ? — 

 Yes : in hedge, or singly. 



PORGY. — Is ground-fish from which the oil has been expressed a profitable 

 manure to use, at twenty dollars a ton ? — Possibly for a top-dressing on grass 

 land. There is nothing better or cheaper than good horse-manure ; and, where 

 it can be obtained at reasonable rates, it is better to use it than to trust to any 

 of the special manures known. 



