lS-2 Editorial Miscdlcmy. 



It will be seen from the subjoined extract, that Mr. Rivers has a 

 very favorable opinion of American plums : — 



We are indebted to the Americans for some really valuable 

 Plums. Among them the Jefferson holds the first rank ; ripening 

 just after the Green Gage, and being quite equal to it in flavor 

 and far superior in beauty, it cannot be too highly eulogised. I 

 had some fine fruit on pyramids this season, which, owing to the 

 fine weather in September, slightly shrivelled on the trees, and 

 become of a deep golden color, blotched with red ; they were full 

 of delicious juice ; I thought them superior to the Green Gage. 

 Benniston's Superb, ripening eight or ten days before the Green 

 Gage, is also a valuable Plum ; this j^ear the fruit were particu- 

 larly fine from pyramids ; Huling's Superb is also a very large 

 and very rich Plum ; the Autumn Gage, an oval medium-sized 

 yellow Plum, is valuable, as it hangs well on the tree till after 

 the middle of October. Bleeker's Scarlet is a useful kitchen Plum, 

 remarkable for its hardiness and productiveness. Smith's Orleans, 

 an oval redish purple Plum, has not proved quite equal to its 

 reputation in America. Columbia is a large, round, and very 

 handsome Plum, rich and sugary, but rather dry, and ripening 

 with a crowd of other sorts, is not so valuable as the first-named 

 varieties. I may here mention that Plums in Nottinghamshire, 

 north of Trent, rarely attain their full size and flavor ; the climate 

 seems too cool and moist for them, for if large sized fruit are ob- 

 tained from trees against walls, flavor is sacrifised. Corse's Nota 

 Bene, an oval, purple Plum, of medium size, is, I think, a Cana- 

 diaji Plum, from Montreal ; this is an enormous bearer, withstand- 

 ing our spring frosts well, and ripening early in August. Plums 

 are becoming most valuable fruit, for owing to several new varie- 

 ties, the dessert and the kitchen can be supplied from the end of 

 .luly till nearly the end of October. T. ^Rivers. 



A Green Hose. — A recent number of " Galinani's Messenger" 

 says : — At an exhibition of flowers which took place at the begin- 

 ning of this month, at Manhelm, a prize was awarded for a very 

 extraordinary floral curiosity, a green rose. The petals of the 

 flower »vere green and had somewhat the form of leaves. 



The Fig Market of Smyrna. — The fig harvest this year has 

 proved unusually abundant. The, cultivators simply gather the 

 ripe fruit, scatter it round the trees, and allow it to dry in the 

 sun. When dry, it is collected into large packs, and sent into 

 Smyrna on camels. The roads and principal streets are thronged 

 all day with long strings of these animals. The fig market is an 

 animating scene. Hundreds of bags of figs are arranged in a 



