3i8 Editors' Letter- Box. 



D. I. M., Burlington, Vt. — The Ferrarias are a family of curious Cape bulbs, 

 very rarely seen in cultivation. The flowers are very beautiful, though generally 

 dull-colored. We doubt your being able to find them in this country ; but they 

 can be imported from Holland or the Cape. They are not hardy, but thrive 

 with cool pot-culture if planted in sandy loam. 



The plant found in some catalogues under the name of Ferraria tigridia is 

 not a Ferraria^ but the well-known tiger-flower, Tigridia pavonia. 



The Rostiezer Pear. — This pear, acknowledged to be one of the best 

 early sorts for eating, has been always asserted to be a straggling grower, diffi- 

 cult to keep in form. Mr. Elliott of Cleveland writes us, that he has found no 

 difficulty in putting and keeping the tree in shape ; and, while some of his friends 

 have trees of it branching every way, he has it as one of his best-formed trees. 

 He says, however, that, in so doing, he has lost a year or two in early fruiting : 

 but now his trees are in good shape ; and, while they have given a little fruit this 

 year, the promise is good for another season. We hope to have a drawing of 

 one of his trees to show our readers in a future number. 



Dwarf Pear-Pruning. — We have for some years practised pruning in 

 our dwarf pear-trees about the last of October, or as soon as the foliage has 

 dropped. It is asserted by some, that, during winter, there is danger of injury 

 to the terminal bud where such cuts are made ; but we have never found any 

 such result. We have, however, lost many a growth from the last bud, when we 

 have cut in a tree in spring ; and generally because of the bud being full at 

 the time, and the fresh cut opening an exhaustive receiver, as it were, in the air, 

 thus drying out and destroying it. The cut made in the fall, as early as possi- 

 ble, but after active vigor has left the bud, leaves time for the wood to dry and 

 harden preparatory to the spring pushing. Another reason for fall-pruning is, 

 that there is generally more time at command, and the work will be performed 

 with greater care and judgment. F. R. E. 



Gathering Fruit. — All should remember that only a slight bruise, by rea- 

 son of dropping a fruit into the basket or barrel, impairs its keeping quality, and, 

 as it ripens, more or less injures the flavor of the whole fruit : this latter item 

 is particularly true in the delicate fine-flavored fruits. Caution, therefore, all 

 your assistants, and thus pack away the fruit in condition to keep, and come to 

 the table with all the richness and flavor unimpaired. F. R. E. 



S. W., Newton, Mass. — In how many years may I expect to get fruit from 

 seedling pear-trees ? — There is a great diffisrence in trees : some will give fruit 

 in ten years, while others will not give a single specimen in twice that time. 

 One reason why they are so long coming into bearing is, that they usually make 

 rank growth, and fail to form fruit-buds. Root-pruning or summer pinching-in 

 of the trees will remedy this, and induce fruitfulness. One must have patience 

 to plant pear-seed. But our advice is to plant, year after year, the best seeds of 

 the best pears, and good results will be obtained. 



