150 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



The contributions from open culture have not equalled those of former 

 seasons. 



Strawberries. — Tlie first exhibition was made June 9th, when Mr. Fay 

 exhibited fine specimens of his seedling " Jenny Lind ;" and on the same 

 day Mr. Nugent presented Early Virginia. In the hands of Mr. Fay, the 

 Jenny Lind has proved quite productive, and as this is the first season of 

 his distributing his plants, we shall in another season learn as to its produc- 

 tiveness in the hands of others than the originator. Of Mr. Walker's seed- 

 ling, some who have liad it in bearing in Western New York, are enthusi- 

 astic in its praise. 



For the first time Mr. J. C. Scott, Brighton, has exhibited Scott's seedling 

 and the Brighton Pine. We are inclined to think the former will prove a 

 shy bearer, while the latter is a profuse bearer. Both, in the hands of the 

 originator, are claimed as hardy, withstanding our winters without the 

 slightest protection. 



Messrs. Hovey have exhibited several foreign varieties, for the first time, 

 which for fruitfulness, &lc., give promise of becoming a valuable addition to 

 our already large stock. The "Capt. Cook" is of a delicious "pineapple" 

 flavor; this and the "Bicton Pine," a white variety, proved the most de- 

 sirable of the several varieties shown. 



E. Wight, Chairman. 



iorticulfuvnl Operations 



FOR MARCH. 



FRUIT DEPARTMENT. 



February has been nearly or quite as severe as January, with continued 

 cold, and several snow storms of unusual severity. Up to the 20th there 

 were only one or two days when the thermometer reached the freezing 

 point. Many of the days were dark, dull, and gloomy, and accompanied 

 with keen, cold, and cutting winds. Such weather has been unfavorable in 

 the extreme for all kinds of forcing, requiring strong fires to keep up even 

 a moderate heat, and, except where the heating apparatus was of good 

 capacity, rendering it difficult to keep out frost. Usually, at this season, 

 even with the thermometer at zero, there is a sufficiency of sun-heat to aid 

 materially in sustaining a good temperature, without extra fires ; but the 

 past month has been an exception to the general rule, and both day and 

 night the gardener has been on the alert to guard against danger. We 

 hope the severe weather is over, and that March will offer the opportunity 

 of restoring the somewhat excited condition of plants. 



Grape Vines in the earliest houses, if they have been properly attended 

 to, will now have so far advanced as to require thinning, if not already 

 done : complete this operation carefully, for upon it depends, in a great de- 

 gree, the beauty of the bunches and the size of the berries. Stop the 



