150 Notes and Gleanings. 



Setting out Strawberries. — Strawberries set out early in spring, or as 

 soon as they first begin to grow, are more likely to succeed, with less labor, than 

 at any other time of year. Some varieties will bear a moderate crop the same 

 year. The best j^lants, as every gardener knows, are the young, well-rooted run- 

 ners of the previous autumn. Do not pull up the plants, but lift them with a 

 spade, and then gently shake oiT the soil. Cut off all the older and dead leaves, 

 and trim off the roots about two and a half inches long. Fol- common field cul- 

 ture, no special pains need be taken to spread the roots ; but in gardens, where 

 the best results are desired, a hole should be made six or seven inches in diame- 

 ter, and two or three inches deep, with a handful or mound of earth in the centre. 

 Then having trimmed the roots as before, spread them out, and set them like a 

 saddle on the mound of earth in the hole, the roots extending like an umbrella. 

 Cover with fine earth, and the planting is completed. By experimenting both 

 ways, we find that plants set as last described not only live with less failures, 

 but their growth for a few weeks is nearly double. After some months there is 

 less difference. Country Gentleman, 



Bedding Plants. — The Galesburg Horticultural Society, at their annual 

 meeting, adopted the following list, which is arranged in accordance with the 

 merits of the plants as bedders : Zonale Geraniums, double and single, Ver- 

 benas, Monthly Roses, Coleus, Pansies, Petunias, Carnations, Bouvardias, 

 Feverfew, double, Salvia, scarlet, Abutilon Thompsoni, Lantanas, Fuchsias (for 

 partial shade), Cuphea Platycentra, Vinca, Achyranthes, Heliotropes, Scented 

 Geraniums, Aloysia citriodora (lemon verbena), Centaurea. 



The Semper Apple is a ^ew variety originated by Dr. E. Ware Sylvester, 

 of Lyons. The name which is Latin for " always " is given on account of its 

 remarkable keeping qualities. In a cool cellar it may be kept one, two, or three 

 years. It is of medium size, roundish-oblate conical ; color pale yellow, bronzed, 

 with dull red in the sun ; flesh yellowish, crisp, tender, mild subacid, moderately 

 juicy, not particularly rich, but good. F. R. Elliot, in Rural New Yorker. 



Keeping Pears. — A fine exhibition of pears was made January 21, before 

 the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, by J. V. Wellington, of Cambridge. 

 The varieties were Glout Morceau, Beurre d'Aremberg, Winter Nelis, Law- 

 rence, Beurre Langlier, Duchesse d'Angouleme, SieuUe, and Easter Beurre, 

 all excellent specimens, particularly the first three kinds. They had been kept 

 in the Massachusetts Fruit Preserving Company's house, and having just been 

 taken from it, were not sufficiently ripe to eat ; but a few of the Winter Nelis and 

 Lawrence, which we kept a short time, ripened very well. This house, which 

 was built on Professor Nyce's patent, has lately been operated simply as an ice- 

 house, without any attempt to produce an atmosphere of carbonic acid gas, and 

 the pears above mentioned had no other preservative than the cool air. The 

 house has since been sold, to be used for other purposes, and we believe that 

 most of the others built on this system had previously been discontinued. The 

 principle is undoubtedly correct, but whether from lack of care or of skill in the 

 application, or from whatever cause, it has failed of practical success. 



