17 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 3, 1863; 



SAriKDUS SAPONARiAis the tall-growing Soapberry tree. — The 

 seed is a nut of a shining black colour, and from its hardness 

 is often used for ornamental purposes. It is covered with pulp 

 about the size of a cherry, and this pulp is used as a soap in 

 many parts of America, though if not used carefully it is apt 

 to destroy linen from its acridity as much as when it is whitened 

 with the help of a little vitriol. Steep the seeds before sowing. 



You will now perceive that the most of your seeds either 

 belong to plants that are already common in large botanical 

 collections, or from their luxuriance cannot be managed in small 

 bouses with advantage, or, if dwarf, can be obtained from our 

 principal seedsmen. Yours, most likely, will have the advan- 

 tage of being fresh. Yon can grow any or all of them as easily 

 in the north as in the south of this country, if you can give them 

 room enough and burn enough coal to give them a tropical 

 climate. — R. Fish.] 



ANOTHER MONSTER CALIFORNIA PEAR. 



Evert one doubtless remembers the excitement over the 

 great California Pear produced a few years ago, in the orchard 

 of E. L. Beard, Esq., at San Jose Mission ; its weight was over 

 3 lbs. Rev. Dr. Bellows, President of the Sanitary "Commission, 

 has just received notice, via overland mail, that another Pear, 

 from the same tree, weighing an ounce more than the former 

 one, was forwarded to him by the steamer leaving San Fran- 

 cisco Dec. 20, together with other interesting horticultural 

 products. 



That Pear has arrived in a tolerably good state of preservation, 

 and is on exhibition at the office of the American Agriculturist, 

 at 41, Park Row. The following is the letter to Dr. Bellows, 

 enclosing the express invoice of the Pear. 



" Custom House, San Erancisco, Dec. 20, 1862. 



" Dear Sir,— The other day E. L. Beard, Esq., handed me a 

 mammoth Pear, grown in his orchard at San Jose Mission, 

 California. Having for years been editor of the " Ohio Earmer," 

 this immense Pear 'greatly interested me— first, on account of its 

 size, and second, because it grew on the same tree that bore the 

 Dr. Bushnell .Pear, that created so much interest a few years 

 since in the Eastern States. The Doctor's Pear weighed 3 lbs. 

 and 6 ozs.— this one 3 lbs. and 7 ozs., so that it is the largest 

 Pear ever grown in California. 



"When I had sufficiently feasted my eyes on it, I concluded to 

 send it to you, as the man of the east whose affections and 

 gratitude had for the past two months been constantly turned to 

 California— T. Bbown."— (American Agriculturist.) 



GARDEN TREES AKD SHRUBS AT NEW 

 YORK. 



There is much more difficulty here to furnish a place with 

 trees or shrubs, suitable for shelter or ornament, than in Great 

 Britain; not altogether from the greater severity of the winter, 

 as this is counteracted in a great measure by the wood, both of 

 deciduous and evergreen plants, being much better ripened in the 

 fall than it is possible for it to be in the British Isles, but rather 

 from the constant alternate freezing and thawing that takes place 

 m February and March injuring the cellular tissue of many 

 plants that otherwise would be a great acquisition, and rendering 

 such a tiling as a shrubbery unknown, as neither Bays nor 

 Laurels will stand the winter, and Holly even under favourable 

 circumstances merely exists. 



It is a strange fact, which I leave for wiser heads than mine 

 to elucidate, that a mild winter is most trying to evergreens, 

 and a severe one to deciduous plants. In proof of this, last 

 winter, which was considered a mild one for this climate, many 

 hedges of American Arbor Titte in this vicinity were rendered 

 quite unsightly for some time to come ; and an Abies Douglasii 

 here, nearly 20 feet high, the finest in this part of the States, 

 was cut down to within a few feet of the" ground ; whereas 

 clumps of Hydrangea hortensis, scattered about the lawn with- 

 out any protection whatever, stood uninjured, and throughout 

 the summer were loaded with large heads of blue flowers, with 

 •here and there a stray pink one to add to the general effect. 



Araucaria imbricata lives but does not becomes ornamental. 

 1 he same may be said of Cry ptomeria japonica. Pinus excelsa 

 stands well, but its leader seems to be attacked most perti- 

 naciously by some insect, retarding its growth in height, hut 



throwing it into a very compact bush. Last spring I planted a 

 Wellmgtonia gigantea here that had stood two winters without 

 protection, and so far it is doing well. The Irish Yew is quite 

 hardy, but the common Yew is liable to be cut down. There 

 are some fine, well-lurnished trees here of the old Norway 

 Spruce, which form a most agreeable protection in winter from 

 our biting north-westerly gales, very prevalent at this season. 

 This and the Silver Fir, Hemlock Spruce, and Weymouth Pine 

 form our most generally used trees for shelter. Taxodium dis- 

 tichum makes a fine summer ornamental tree, and with its 

 bright green foliage is quite refreshing to look at during the hot 

 weather. Magnolia eonspicua and Soulangeana both about 

 20 feet high and loaded with flowers from top to bottom in 

 April and May, are a sight worth seeing. Grandiflora is generally 

 protected, but stood here last winter without shelter, and flowered 

 well throughout the summer. The Pampas Grass requires pro- 

 tection, but amply repays the care taken of it. 



In the nursery of Messrs. Parsons & Co., Flushing, about five 

 miles from here, are some fine specimens of hardy Coniferse, a 

 list of some of which I append. Q-reat attention is paid to this 

 department by the enterprising foreman, Mr. Trompey, who is 

 likewise the most scientific and successful propagator in this 

 part of the States, making fine plants in a short time from grafts, 

 and as he avers without any difficulty. 



Abies Menziesii Picea Nordraanniana Pinus pyrenaiea 



Ksempferii Pinsapo strobus compacta 



pyramidata cephalonica Taxus aurea 



Whittmanniana . picta strieta 



Clanbrasiliensisstricla Parsonsiana Tbujopsis borealis 



orientalis nobilis Cupressus Lawsoniana 



elegans grandis J [imperils squainata 



monstrosa pectinata compacta humilia 



Gregoi-yana Pinus raonticola hibernica compacta 



pumila Larabertiana oblonga pendula 



inverta nlvea Cupressus spheroidea 



compacta [teem. uncinata erecta compaGta 



Cephalotaxus Fortuni 



Many of the above are fine specimens, and all are in good 

 health. I may here state, that a Pear from California has been 

 exhibited for the past week, at the office of the "American 

 Agriculturist," New ^ork, weighing no less than 3 lbs. 7 ozs., 

 evidently a monstrous Duchesse d'Angouleme, thoroughly look- 

 ing its weight, and stated to be the largest Pear in the world. 

 A very fine Flemish Beauty, 20 ozs. weight, 12J inches in cir- 

 cumference, was grown in the garden of an amateur in the village 

 here, last year, and both for form and colour a perfect model. — 

 David Fotjlis, Gardener to Edwin Eoyt, JUsq., Astoria, Long 

 Island, New York. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S MEETING. 



The anniversary Meeting of the Entomological Society on the 

 26th of January paBsed off in a more harmonious manner than 

 was expected, although the Treasurer's accounts showed a smaller 

 balance than in the preceding year, which was attributed to the 

 fact that the Council had carried out their resolution to publish 

 at once all the papers read at the Meetings of the Society, some 

 of which were two years in arrear, and also to the expense 

 necessarily incurred in making-up back volumes of the "Trans- 

 actions " for sale. These legitimate expenses will not occur 

 again ; so that the Society, having still a considerable balance in 

 the funds, may be regarded as being in a flourishing state. 



The following gentleman were elected Members of ths Council 

 for the ensuing year : — Messss. Dunning, Grut, Sir J. B. Hearsey, 

 McLachlan, Pascoe, W. W. Saunders, Shepherd, F. Smith, 

 Stainton, Stevens, Waterhouse, Weir, and Prof. Westwood ; and 

 the following officers were appointed : — Mr. F. Smith, President ; 

 Mr. S. StevenB, Treasurer; Messrs. Shepherd and Dunning, 

 Secretaries ; and Mr. Ianson, Curator. 



The President delivered an address to the Society, in which 

 he especially dwelt upon the advisability of rendering the So- 

 ciety's collection of British insects as perfect as possible ; a strong 

 opinion has, however, manifestly grown up in the Society as to 

 the impolicy of the Society possessing a collection, which neces- 

 sitates the expense of a Curator, additional room, and, conse- 

 quently, increased rent, &c. 



Thanks were voted to the President for his speech, which was 

 requested to be printed, and also to the officers and members of 

 the Council for their services during the past year. 



The general Meeting of the Society for February was held on 

 the 2nd instant, with the President in the chair. Donations of 



