254 Editor's Letter-Box. » 



E. S. — It would be very singular if in all that we have published in regard to 

 the President Wilder Strawberry, we had never told anywhere whether it has 

 pistillate or a staminate flower. In the very first description we ever published, 

 in our Vol. IV., p. 150, for September, 1868, it is said that the flowers are perfect. 

 We agree with you that this is a point of special, importance to be known by 

 those who would successfully cultivate a new strawberry. 



The Season in Iowa. — We have fine weather, and a good prospect for 

 crops, excepting potatoes, which the bugs are eating all up. We shall quit the 

 cultivation of potatoes, unless on a very small scale. Of course you are aware 

 that this is locust year. The roar of them at midday is like unto a train of cars 

 coming towards you at full speed. My nursery will be nearly all killed by them ; 

 the only tree that they appear to show any mercy to is the pear. 



Strawberries with me have been a great crop. Raspberries now ripe for 

 some time, and also a good crop. The bushes are loaded. The locusts, it 

 seems, hunted all the birds away. Apples will be a fair crop with some. Or- 

 chards that are situated a good way from a timber belt are badly used up. Pears 

 very few — the frost in April killed them, and cherries and plums. 



Your reply with regard to the bark-louse, in the June number, is satisfactory. 

 However, your experience does not agree with mine, for they attack coarse bark 

 trees the most with me. The varieties they prefer are Red Astrachan, Cole's 

 Quince, Keswick Codlin, and some coarse-barked seedlings. Alongside of 

 those trees are Jonathan, Pound Sweet, Dominie, and very few lice you will 

 ever see on them. I always looked on the lady-bird as a friend, but not as an 

 enemy to the bark-louse. However, this must be true : I have two orchards ; 

 in one of them I have my garden ; into this I allow no fowl to roam ; lady-birds 

 are very plenty, and there is no bark-louse to be seen on the trees. Not so with 

 the other one. T, D. 



Garrvowen, Iowa, June 29. 



P. B. — It is difficult to keep cherry stones over the winter successfully, as 

 they vegetate so early and at ?o low a temperature that the ground is frequently 

 not ready to receive them. The best way is to plant them as soon as cleaned 

 from the fruit ; but here a difficulty arises, that the ground is apt to settle down 

 so hard before spring, that the young seedlings cannot force their way tlirough 

 it, or grow only weakly. We have entirely overcome this by covering, as soon 

 as sown, with two or three inches of coarse litter, which we raked off early in 

 spring. 



Neophyte. — The gum trees spoken of in our last number are species of 

 Eucalyptus, znd. natives of Australia. The E. globulus is known as the Blue 

 Gum, and is largely planted in California for timber, as it is an exceedingly rapid 

 grower. It will not endure the climate of New England. The Tupelo, or Pep- 

 peridge tree, is also called Sour Gum. The scientific name is Nyssa multijlora. 

 It is remarkable for the bright crimson of its foliage in autumn. The Liqui- 

 dambar Styracijlua has derived the name of Sweet Gum Tree from the fragrant 

 juice which exudes from it when wounded. It is also called Bilsted, 



