Notes and Glca^iings. 293 



plants ; and then it trebly repays for attention given it. I differ from other cul- 

 tivators in this section concerning several varieties ; but I imagine the differ- 

 ence lies in the mode of cultivation rather than in the variety. Of the several 

 kinds I have raised for three years, I place, first, 



RitsselPs Prolific, for size, flavor, and number of berries. The one objec- 

 tion is, that the fruit is not borne up from the ground ; but a good mulching of 

 pine-straw remedies that defect in part. I have plants now with forty green 

 berries on them of large size, beside many blossoms (Jan. 15). 



Trioinphe de Gand'x's, an excellent berry, large, and of a singular flavor that 

 I like. It does not bear as well as the Russell or the Wilson. 



LongwortJi's Prolific is a strong growing plant, berries large and handsome. 



Hovcy''s Seedling is an exquisite berry; large, and a most delicious table-fruit. 

 Although other varieties may fail once in a while, tJiis never does. The berries 

 are very even, and always of good flavor ; which is much more than can be said 

 of a great many other varieties. 



I use Early Scarlet as an impregnator. 



The Agriciclturist bore a few large berries and a great many small ones, 

 and the plants were nearly entirely destroyed by the hot weather ; and the 

 Jticiinda ditto. 



The Green Prolific is rather late in bearing ; but, although a poor bearer, the 

 berries are of delicious flavor. 



The Lady-Finger bears its berries from the ground ; but I am not favorably 

 impressed with it. 



Of several other varieties, French and Stinger's Seedling, Downer's Prolific, 

 and Golden Queen, I wish to try them a little longer before deciding that they 

 are worthless here. 



For general cultivation for market, I am sure that the Wilson will pay best ; 

 while the Triomphe de Gand or Hovey's would give best satisfaction. Of all 

 varieties, I would choose the three best in order named, — Russell's Prolific, 

 Hovey's Seedling, Triomphe de Gand. JoJin Hickson. 



Mobile, Ala. 



Ought To Be vs. Is. — Much ink-shed has been caused by a few harmless 

 words of ours about the pronunciation of _g" before e, i, and y, in certain words 

 from the Greek. They were not intended to supplement or contradict the dic- 

 tionaries. Those who yield implicit obedience to their dictionary need no advice 

 from us outside our line. Words in daily common use are always pronounced 

 according to daily common usage, except by those who take more pains to be 

 odd than it is worth. Those who never sound the x in Boitrdeatix always sound 

 the s in Paris when talking English. But it is common among ethnologists to 

 make the c hard in Celt, and professors of surgery sometimes do in hydrocephalus. 

 G is much less restricted to rules than c. The two words gill have, one a hard g, 

 the other a soft. Those who use a hard g in gyninospertn may make a soft one in 

 endogen. Webster gives no absolute rule for ^before e, i, and/. Any one to 

 make it soft in words from the Greek (as ch is usually in archbishop, not archi- 

 tect) is more honored in the breach than in the observance. But he who follows 

 his dictionary is safe. We do not commend independence of it. /. F. H. 



