1883.] 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



173 



AN HISTORICAL FOREST DESTROYED. 



The fall of the famous pine forest along 

 the Adriatic at Ravenna, Italy, celebrated 

 by Dante and Byron, and which has fur- 

 nished the ship-ytirds of Rome and Venice, 

 is lamented by historians and scientists. 

 The authorities of Ravenna have ordered it 

 to be felled, as it appears that a cutting for 

 a railway has so drained the soil that the 

 trees have died. 



AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS. 



According to the American Newspaper Cata- 

 logue of Edwin Alden & Bro., Cincinnati, 

 Ohio, just published, the total number of 

 newspapers and magazines published in 

 the United States and Canadas is 13,186, 

 (showing an increase over last year of 

 1028). Total in the United States, 12,- 

 179 ; Canadas, 1007. Published as follows : 

 Dailies, 1227; Tri- Weeklies, 71; Semi- 

 Weeklies, 151 ; Weeklies, 9955 ; Bi- Week- 

 lies, 23 ; Semi-Monthlies, 237 ; Monthlies, 

 1324; Bi-Monthlies, 12. 



FASHION NOTES. 



Rabbits' paws as hat trimmings are the 

 present rage in Paris, and innumerable rab- 

 bits are required to supply the demand. 

 This will be welcome news to many of our 

 Western farmers, who have long been waging 

 an unsuccessful warfare against the rabbit- 

 nuisance. The fashion cannot reach our 

 shores too soon, and when it does, it is to be 

 hoped that it will break out so violently as 

 to put a high premium on dead rabbits. 

 Cannot some one get up a fashion by which 

 the English sparrows will come so much in 

 demand as to be effectually disposed of ? 



AUSTRALIAN DROUGHTS. 



The correspondent of a Sydney paper, 

 writing of the ravages of the drought of last 

 autumn, says : 



"One paddock, in which 23,000 sheep 

 were placed after last shearing, produces 

 now only 1600 sheep, and the remainder 

 must be looked for in the heaps of bleached 

 bones scattered around, and the skeletons to 

 be observed at every step. Another station, 

 which had in September, 1881, 90,000 

 sheep, now can only muster 5000 ; and 

 these two instances, which are given by way 

 of example, are only illustrative of the losses 

 on nearly every station within one hundred 

 miles of Dubbo." 



A SINGULAR TOMBSTONE. 



Among his latest discoveries, Dr. Prime, 

 the venerable editor of the New-York Ob- 

 server, has found an odd monument in north- 

 ern New-York, which had been erected to 

 the memory of a most excellent woman. 



A good man had lived happily with an 

 excellent wife until they were well on in 

 years, when she died. He bethought him of 

 some fitting memorial to place over her 

 grave, and the happy thought struck him 

 that the square stove, by which they had 

 been comfortable through many long win- 

 ters, would be just what she would like to 

 have if she had a voice in the matter. He 

 had the stove taken to the church-yard and 

 placed over the remains of his companion, 

 who sleeps quietly underneath it. 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED. 

 Berks County Agricultural and Horticult- 

 ural Society. Premium List of the Annual Ex- 

 hibition to be held at Reading, Pa., October 2, 3, 

 i, aud 5. 



St. Louis Agricultural and Mechanical Asso- 

 ciation. Premium Lint ot the Twenty-third Fail', 

 which opens on October 1st aud closes October 

 6th. $50,000 in premiums. 



varieties is laudable, but it is usually a thank- 

 less and unprofitable task." 



All the preparations aud operations necessary 

 in Pear-culture for profit or pleasure are plainly 

 and concisely described, while the tone of the 

 entire work is eminently practical and divested 

 of all theorizing. As a safe and reliable guide 

 to the beginner, as well as those of more experi- 

 ence, the book cannot be too highly recommended. 



Hope, Hempstead County, Arkansas. Its 



resources and advantages, with a description of 

 soil, climate, timber, health, etc., for the informa- 

 tion of those seeking homes in the South-west. 



The Thermostatic Incubator, its construction 

 and management, together with descriptions of 

 Brooders, Nurseries, and the mode, of raising 

 chickens by hand. Published by the author, E. 

 S. Ren wick, 19 Park Place, New- York. 



Montreal Horticultural Society and Fruit- 

 growers Association of the Province of Quebec. 

 List of Premiums offered at the Exhibition to be 

 held at Montreal in September. The prizes for 

 Grapes are open for competition to the United 

 States. 



Tlie American Apiculturist is the title of a 

 new monthly journal devoted to scientific and 

 practical Bee-keeping, published by S. if. Locke, 

 Salem, Mass. The number before us contains 

 several articles by some of the first authorities 

 on bee-culture, and augurs well for its success. 



Kansas State Hoard of Agriculture, Monthly 

 Crop Report, containing area, estimated yield, 

 and condition of crops; condition of fruit; the 

 meteorological summary for the month, and a 

 list of district and county agricultural societies, 

 with names of presidents and secretaries, and 

 the times and places of holding their annual 

 fairs. 



The Texas State Farmer, published at Fort 

 Worth, Texas, is a new monthly journal which, 

 although it claims to be dexoteAexclvsivcly to the 

 farmers of Texas, is so good that we hope its 

 circulation will not long remain confined within 

 the State limits. As a strictly southern, practi- 

 cal, first-cla ss agricultural paper, it stands at the 

 head of the list. 



Labor and Capital, by Edward Kellogg. Pub- 

 lished by John W. Lovell Co., 14 and 16 Vesey 

 street, New York, 12mo. Paper, 20 cents.— 

 Although the first edition of this work was pub- 

 lished in 1818, it has such an important bearing 

 upon the financial and political state of the coun- 

 try of to-day, that the publishers are justified in 

 issuing it in a cheap form, thus placing it within 

 the reach of all who are interested iu the indus- 

 trial problem. 



Pear Culture for Profit, by P. T. Quinn, new 

 revised edition, published by the Orange Judd 

 Company, New-York. The demand for a uew 

 edition of this book— which, although cordially 

 welcomed by pomologists everywhere at its first 

 appearance, fell like a thunderbolt among many 

 of the then existing old-fogy notions about Pear- 

 growing— clearly indicates that the author's 

 work has not been iu vain, and that his views 

 and directions have gradually become adopted 

 by Pear-growers 



Many of the errors and wild expectations of 

 the profits to be realized from Pear-culture, ex- 

 isting formerly, have been disproved and brought 

 dowu to a solid, rational business basis, to 

 which end nothing has been more conducive 

 than this work and its author's teachings. The 

 author's views about the unprofitableness of 

 "Dwarf's," against which he was the first to wage 

 adetermined warfare, have become still more con- 

 firmed ; and while in the first edition he allowed 

 some days of grace to Duchesse d'Augoulcme, in 

 this he has no excuse for Dwarfs of any kind, 

 and says : " I am now convinced that even the 

 Duchesse d'Augoulcme will do much better as a 

 Standard than as a Dwarf." The advice given to 

 those who intend to plant for market, to select- 

 only a small number of varieties, and these only 

 of kinds for which there is a good demand, de- 

 serves to be printed iu golden letters on the 

 front page of every nursery catalogue. It would 

 save hundreds of thousands of dollars aud untold 

 regrets; for, as the author truly says: "The 

 desire to educate public taste iu the choice of 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 

 Fay's Prolific Currant — George S. Josselyn, 

 Frcdonia, .V. Y. — A pamphlet giving descriptions 

 aud a- large number of reports on the Fruiting, 

 Vigor, Health, and Growth of this valuable uew 

 Currant. 



Green's Nursery Co., Rochester, N. Y. — Price- 

 list of layer aud potted Strawberry plants. 

 Head-quarters for " James Vick." Many testi- 

 monials from fruit-growers and others, testifying 

 its good qualities, are given. 



Ellwanger & Harry, Mount Hope Nurseries, 

 Rochester, N. Y.— Descriptive priced Catalogue of 

 Strawberries, Blackberries, Gooseberries, Cur- 

 rants, etc. A full list of all the best, new, and old 

 varieties, together with many practical cultural 

 directions. 



B. Hammoiid & Co., Mount Ki*n>, N. Y. — De- 

 fining Catalogue and Price-list of a large list of 

 paints aud painters' material. These paints are 

 favorably known at home and abroad. The 

 pamphlet contains also many practical hints and 

 directions of value to any one intending to paint. 



Hale Brothers, South Glastonbury, Conn.— 

 Price List of New and Choice Varieties of 

 Small-Fruit, Plants, etc., for Summer and Fall. 

 Specialties : Souhegau Raspberry, Manchester 

 and Mrs. Garfield Strawberries. A life-sized illus- 

 tration of the. latter new and highly promising 

 variety, now introduced by this firm, is given on 

 the front page. 



E. P. Roe, Cornwall-on-thc-Ltudson, N. Y. — 

 Catalogue of Small-Fruit Plants and Grape-vines 

 for Summer and Fall. This pamphlet, like all 

 of Mr. Roe's publications of this kind, has a 

 unique and exceedingly attractive appearance. 

 Tt is full of sound advice and practical directions 

 of value to every fruit-grower. In a. " Chat with 

 his Patrons " Mr. Roe refers to his recent financial 



derstood by some persons. Iu this connection, we 

 wish to say that iu all the various business trans- 

 actions we have had with Mr. Roe duringa series of 

 many years, we have always found him reliable 

 and honorable in his dealings, and we are glad to 

 hear that he is enabled to carry on his extensive 

 plant business, in which we wish him all deserved 

 success. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 The Three Best Hardy Grapes.— Subscriber, 

 It. I.— If hardiness is of first consideration we 

 would select Concord, black ; Brighton, red ; 

 Martha, white. For quality, Moore's Early, black ; 

 Delaware, red ; Duchess, white. 



Keeping Artichokes.— J?. .7. TT., Minn, — Arti- 

 chokes may be dug at any time before the ground 

 freezes, and kept in a, rather cool cellar, exactly 

 like Potatoes. Or, if not wanted during winter, 

 they may be left in the ground till spring. Freez- 

 ing will not injure them, provided they are cov- 

 j ered with soil. 



Late Strawberries.— E. M. G., Branford, Conn. 

 —Kentucky is oue of the most reliable late varie- 

 ties, and succeeds over a large area of country. 

 ! Cumberland Triumph, although it commences to 

 ripen earlier, holds out nearly as long. Sharplcss 

 is the largest of the late kinds. James Vich holds 

 out. remarkably late, the be ivies remaining on the 

 stalks a long time without softening. Marvin is 

 probably the latest, and, with good culture in 

 hills, it is really a splendid berry. 



Ginseng — TI. H., Long Island.— Ginseng, Aralia 

 quinqnefolia, or Panax quinquefolium, is not, as 

 far as we are aware, cultivated anywhere in the 

 United States, the supply being obtained entirely 

 from plants growing wild iu our mountainous 

 ! regions. Several attempts to cultivate it have 



