Editor's Letter-Box. 159 



T. P., Cedar Rapids, Iowa. — We think the statement that "water-sprouts 

 never bear fruit," should be taken with a Httle allowance. Such shoots are long 

 jointed, soft, and watery, and at the farthest possible remove from the condi- 

 tion of a fruit-bearing spur, and so long as they remain in that state certainly 

 will not bear fruit ; but we see no reason why good solid wood, and finally fruit 

 spurs, should not grow from them, though we should expect that grafts from 

 them would be longer in forming fruit buds, than scions which already more 

 nearly approached the condition of a fruit bud. We should choose scions from 

 healthy trees, making moderately long jointed shoots, but not stinted, for these 

 we should not expect to- grow with sufficient vigor. We should try to steer be- 

 tween the two extremes of excessive wood growth and excessive fruit growth. 



The Season in Illinois. — The month of March has been unusually mild, 

 and the season is fully three weeks earlier than usual. There are some fears 

 that a premature development of the fruit buds may lead to injury to the crop. 

 Princeton, March 27. J[ _ ^_ 



S. F. S. — Root cuttings are pieces of roots an inch or two long. Many trees 

 and shrubs, difficult to propagate by cuttings of the top, or by seed, are easily 

 increased by root cuttings, among which are the calycanthus, clethra, different 

 species of Pniiuis, such as the dwarf double-flowering almond, many of the 

 spiraeas, the Japan quince, lilacs, acacias, bignonia, celastrus, ceanothus, etc., and 

 of fruit-bearing shrubs, the raspberry and blackberry. All shrubs on whose roots 

 dormant eyes can be seen, will grow from root cuttings, but it must not be con- 

 cluded that such as do not show dormant eyes will not, for some, where the eyes 

 cannot be perceived, may be propagated in this way. The cuttings may be pre- 

 pared in the fall, and if hardy, they may be planted immediately. To save time, 

 the roots may be taken up in autumn, and packed in boxes of earth, and the 

 cuttings prepared during winter, when they may be repacked in the earth and 

 planted in spring. Plant two or three inches deep in good soil. They grow 

 more quickly and certainly with bottom heat, though this is not at all necessary. 



Carroll, N. H. — Louise Bonne of Jersey and Flemish Beauty have been 

 found to succeed well in New Hampshire. Bartlett is rather tender. As a 

 general rule, varieties like the Seckel, which make a moderate growth of short 

 jointed wood, will be found more hardy in the tree than luxuriant growers. The 

 Fulton and Goodale, natives of Maine, would succeed with you. 



T. A. R. E., Bluffton, Wells Co., Ind. — The Pleasant Valley Fruit and 

 Wine Reporter is published at Hammondsport, N. Y. 



Flowers and Fruits in Texas. — My garden is resplendent with roses, 

 verbenas, petunias, Indian pinks, pansies, and other flowers. Solfaterre and 

 Pink Cels Tea roses have each over three hundred blooms on a single bush. A 

 few strawberries are ripe, and with a few warm days there will be plenty of 

 dewberries. Yours, S. E. B. 



Byerslea Home, March 31. 



