Notes and Gleanings. 85 



The " Big Tree " of California. — We have been much interested, in 

 common with many others who are unable to visit California, in examining a 

 section of the Sequoia gigantea, now on exhibition in Boston. An excellent 

 account of these trees may be found in the Journal for October, 1870, by Mr. 

 Wilder and his party. Although the wood is very light when dry, this section, 

 which is fifteen feet in diameter, and ten inches in thickness, weighs no less 

 than four tons, being still full of the sap which was in it when cut down in 

 1853. The proprietor informed us that he had seen one of these trees grow- 

 ing four years after it was cut down. The section is quite smooth, having been 

 made by cutting two grooves ten inches apart across the tree with a plane, each 

 of which required seven days' work. The annual laj^ers of wood may conse- 

 quently be easily counted, which has been done by Professor Agassiz, who found 

 1210 of them. Near the heart of the tree they are about a tenth of an inch in 

 thickness, but at the outside not more than one third as thick. The section was 

 made at about thirty feet from the base. The total height of the tree was 302 

 feet, and it was estimated that it would have made 600,000 feet of inch boards. 

 Four such trees would contain lumber enough to build an edifice as large as the 

 late Boston Coliseum. 



The Best Pear. — What pomologist, when speaking of the many varieties 

 of pears, has not been asked the puzzling question, "What is the best pear?" 

 the innocent inquirer evidently expecting that he was going to receive in one 

 word the results of years of toil and study ; and the answer has generally been 

 that the diversity of tastes, the different seasons, and the many excellent qualities 

 found in pears made it quite impossible to say that any one variety was superior 

 to all others. We have given this answer many times ; but we hope we have 

 grown wiser as we have grown older ; and now there is one pear that seems to 

 us to come nearer to perfection than any other. We think that when we get 

 ready to answer the question, " What is the best pear ? " we shall say, " Beurre 

 d'Anjou." 



Nut Grass. — This is not a true grass, but belongs to the Cyperacere or 

 Sedge family. Its botanic name is Cyperus rotundus, and it is also called Coco 

 Grass. In the south it is a most pernicious weed, multiplying by nut-like tubers, 

 which are extremely difficult to extirpate. Mr. George Kidd says, in the Prac- 

 tical Planter, that it can be effectually eradicated by summer fallowing. In 

 November, let all valuable plants be removed from the space the grass has pos- 

 session of, and the roots carefully washed and transplanted. Do not suffer a soli- 

 tary plant to remain that will interfere with the fallow. As soon as convenient 

 in spring, break up the ground deep, and once a week, all through the growing 

 season, cultivate deep, so that the grass be never suffered to reach the surface. 

 The tubers will thus be exhausted by their repeated attempts to grow. So long 

 as the grass is kept from the influence of solar light, the tubers cannot recuper- 

 ate, and consequently must perish ; but if suffered to show above the surface 

 for but a short tiire, the labor is lost. 



