Editors Ldtcr-Box. l^J 



A. L. B., Lowell, Mass. — You will find the pawpaw advertised by Parsons & 

 Co., or Prince of Flushing, L.I. ; or it may probably be obtained of any nursery- 

 man in the Middle States, — price about fifty cents. It is neither 7y pear nor an 

 apple, nor has it the most distant relationship to either. The fruit with you 

 would not be worth much, as our autumn suns are not warm enough to bring it 

 to maturity ; but the foliage is fine : it makes a very handsome ornamental 

 shrub, and the flower is pretty. 



A friend writes from Ohio, " One of the wild sunflowers of Ohio has tuber- 

 ous roots similar in appearance and in flavor to the roots of the Jerusalem arti- 

 choke, — the Helianthus doronicoides of Gray's Manual, which is probably the 

 original of the artichoke." 



C. L. M. — The "best green for bouquets " is not a very definite expression, 

 as diflferent plants best serve the purpose at different seasons, and diff"erent styles 

 of bouquets require different "green." That in most common use in the vicini- 

 ty of Boston is the Lycopodiiim of the woods, and the ink-berry {Prinosgtaber). 

 Kalmia latifolia, or mountain-laurel, is somewhat used, as is also box and 

 other evergreen shrubs. 



For hanging green, smilax and maurandia are most used ; but any weeping 

 or trailing plant may be employed. 



For delicate green, sprigs of diosma, myrtle, and melalauca, are generally em- 

 ployed. 



C. L. M. — Cucumbers and musk-melons, if planted near together, will mix : 

 this will not, however, affect the fruit, but only render the seed worthless. 



W. P. H., Harrisville, Penn. — In your ill success with ranunculus and anem- 

 ones, you are not alone. Our climate is not suitable for them, and you are 

 far more likely to fail than to succeed. In the first place, they usually rot in the 

 ground if planted in the autumn in the garden ; and any that survive are gener- 

 ally killed by the hot sun. Your failure, however, was probably owing to too 

 close a soil. In England, the preparation of the soil for ranunculus is a work 

 of years. 



The soil for both should be good and light ; tliough the ranunculus likes a 

 stiffer soil than the anemone. The bed must be well drained ; and, during growth, 

 the plants must not be allowed to suffer from drought, and should be shaded 

 from scorching sun. 



Your trouble with those planted in pots came from their damping-off, as the 

 roots were too cold, and the tops too warm. 



They are frequently grown in the greenhouse, but are never so fine as when 

 wintered in a cold frame. Roots of anemone kept till spring will probably be 

 worthless. The ranunculus possess greater vitality ; and if they have not been 

 kept in too dry a place, or moulded from too much moisture, will probably grow. 



You will find full instructions as to soil and management in " Bulbs," pub- 

 lished at this office. 



