248 Notes and Gleanings. 



the nature of the plant and the object aimed at. Let me explain. The greatest 

 danger in applying liquid manure is on the side of strength : to use liquid 

 manure very weak and very often is simply to imitate Nature ; and a safer guide 

 the most obdurate sceptic could not desire. The carbonate of ammonia carried 

 down to plants by rain is said to be, under ordinary circumstances, about one 

 grain of ammonia in a pound of water. This looks so infractesimally small a 

 dose, that many would be disposed to jeer at it. And I do not say that it is the 

 only safe quantity ; I have given and constantly do give stronger doses : but as a 

 general, natural law, it has its due weight, and ought to be a guide to us somewhat 

 in our artificial imitation of Nature's laws. Let us now consider for a moment 

 why and for what object liquid manure is given, and the special results which 

 are variously striven for when it is decided upon to administer it. 



If, for example, wood and leaves are the aim of the cultivator, then liquid 

 manure may be freely used from the time the buds burst until it is necessary 

 that the ripening process should begin. In the case of flowers, it must be borne 

 in mind, tliat, the more leaves a plant forms, the fewer blossoms it will throw 

 that season. The application of liquid manure is therefore unfavorable to the 

 immediate production of flowers. The true period of applying it with the pur- 

 pose of perpetuating the growth and heightening the beauty of flower?, is most 

 unquestionably when their buds are large enough to show that the elementary 

 system is complete, and therefore beyond the reach of derangement ; when the 

 flower-bud is completely formed, and just about to swell more fully. Now, with 

 fruit it is otherwise, as the best period of applying it to enlarge and improve 

 fruit is after the flower has died off and the fruit is beginning to swell. We gain 

 nothing by trying to enlarge the flower of a fruit-tree. The proper time is when 

 the fruit is sufficiently strong, and has a power of suction capable of opposing 

 that of the leaves : from this time, and as long as the fruit is growing, liquid 

 manure may be used freely. 



Beurre du Cercle Pear. — This is a new pear of much promise. It is the 

 first season of its bearing fruit in this country, to our knowledge. A little pyrami- 

 dal tree in the Royal Horticultural Society's garden, Chiswick, has this sea- 

 son produced half a dozen large and beautiful fruit, which have proved of really 

 excellent quality. The fruit is large, obovate, tapering irregularly towards the 

 stalk ; surface irregular, bulging out in places ; skin smooth, of a beautiful pea- 

 green color, with a slight patch of russet round the stalk ; eye small, open, set 

 in a very shallow, angular basin, almost level with the surface ; stalk long and 

 slender, inserted a little on one side without depression ; flesh greenish-white, 

 delicate, buttery, and melting, very solid, with scarcely any core ; flavor rich 

 and pleasant. 



This is a pear which we anticipate will take a high rank. In appearance, it is 

 somewhat like a Glout Mor<;eau, but is distinguished by the very long slender 

 stalk and the deep-green skin. The flesh re.sembles that of the Marie Louise 

 and Glout Mor9eau. Ripe in October. Grafts of this variety were received by 

 the society in i860 from the Societe Imperiale et Centrale d'Horticulture du 

 Departement de la Seine Inferieure. 



