Notes and Gleanings. 235 



for the public has every confidence that the originator will not send them any 

 thing but the genuine. Here, sir, I tliink, is Mr. Smith's chance for a monopoly. 

 He must propagate his own potatoes, and sell at reasonable prices. 



I would not be understood to doubt that every man has an abstract right to 

 his new fruit. Certainly he has, if he has a right to his novel and .useful mechan- 

 ical device, or chemical combination, or quack medicine, or book. But I very 

 much fear that some of our horticulturists will weary themselves to procure a 

 patent law which will benefit no one but a new spawn of patent-solicitors. 



n. M. 



Russian Sunflower. — In the size of the flower of this new variety, as 

 well as in the general character of the plant, we have been somewhat disap- 

 pointed. We have seen the common sunflower nearly as large, and the plants 

 quite as tall and sturdy, as those of its Russian relative. The seeds, however, 

 are shorter and thicker, and we think an improvement, did they fill out as well 

 and ripen as fully ; which, we are sorry to say, they do not. It is possible that 

 the dry, sultry character of our climate may not be favorable for their perfec- 

 tion ; and it may be that it will succeed better after it has been grown with us 

 for a few years. 



In Russia its success appears to be complete, and its cultivation quite general. 

 A correspondent of " The Gardener's Chronicle " states that " the seeds form 

 an article of extensive consumption, and that they produce some thousands of 

 roubles every year. In the more southern parts of the country especially, the 

 habit of eating these seeds is almost universal with high and low. Wherever 

 you go, early or late, you continually hear the cracking sound which is produced 

 by breaking these seeds between the teeth. On holidays especially, when peo- 

 ple have nothing to do in the way of labor, sunflower-seeds are in every hand, 

 and the walks in the gardens and other places are literally covered with the 

 husks. About a pint of sunflower-seed sells at a penny, and a great many poor 

 make a small trade of it ; but all who have a plot of ground grow enough for 

 their own wants, even if they grow nothing else." 



Referring to this subject, a correspondent of " The Country Gentleman " 

 states that a gentleman from Cambridge, Mass., while travelling for pleasure 

 in Russia, made a sojourn of a tew days at St. Petersburg, where his attention 

 was attracted to a number of persons ofl"ering sunflower-seeds for sale in the 

 streets. He found that these seeds were large and sweet, and that they were 

 sold and eaten as generally as pea-nuts are sold and eaten in our cities here. It 

 occurred to him that seeds of this size were rarely if ever seen at home ; and 

 some were purchased, brought to this country, and distributed. The plants 

 generally grew very well; and though in less favorable situations the flowers did 

 not attain a large size, yet the seeds ripened fully. 



We would only add, that, while we do not expect the sunflower will be 

 grown with us to any considerable extent on account of the value of its seeds 

 as an esculent, the plant is so prolific, and the uses of the seeds for economical 

 purposes are so various, that we consider their production worthy attention. 



F. B. 



