(OA 



53 



in those places, and now the lower one is a pear 

 sprout from the centre of one of those mushy places. 



When I show it to folks, they mostly pronounce 

 it at once a bud inserted, but as soon as they look 

 close they give that up. No person in the habit of 

 budding would think it inserted there; it only came 

 out last spring. I know none here who could make 

 a drawing of it. Top of the ash is 8 and lower part 

 of the pear is 11 inches in circumference, but the 

 bark of both is rather smooth yet, and would re- 

 quire. I think, a skillful artist to present it distinct- 

 ly. But if a chance to have it done should occur, 

 T will have it tried. When tbe leaves are otF and 

 while yet young, smooth bark, it will not appear so 

 interesting. 



My locust was a far more attractive object. 

 Near 25 years ago, in Ashland, Ohio, in a very 

 conspicuous place, just inside the gate, on a public 

 street, grafted 3 feet high, stock 2 inches diameter, 

 a great spreading top, blooming for 2 or 3 years in 

 great profusion, it attracted great attention ; then 

 when beginning (3d year) to bloom acain, the wind 

 took the graft and left the stock. Observers had 

 not ceased to regret and lament, when numerous 

 sprouts near the top began to show the red hairy 

 appearance of the rose, accacia; not a leaf of the 

 kind looked for, but in 9 or 10 inches of the toi), 8 

 or 10 branches of regular flowering locust grew 2 to 

 4 feet long, and flowered some the same season. 

 The next summer it spread and blossomed just as if 

 it had as much right to as any other. 



There were no leaves of the black locust to show 

 the contrast ; but there is such an obvious differ- 

 ence between the bark of the two, and the general 

 appearance. Then it was in public view, and at- 

 tracted much attention, even before it was broken 

 off, and through all the changes was seen almost 

 daily by many folks, some of whom would yet make 

 affidavit to the facts I have stated. Since then 1 

 have several times broken out locust grafts, but 

 never with the same result. But the proportion 

 of stock sprouts that are from the graft, may be 

 greater than we yet think ; it is seldom that sprouts 

 come below the graft, at least after they have been 

 grafted 2 or 3 years, and if pear on pear, or apple, 

 etc., etc., they would not be distinguished readily, 

 even if attention were directed that wa.y. 



I wish the public had these facts before their 

 minds as I have, more facts might come to light 

 than we think of at present. 



But I don't feel like going before the public with 

 my name to this matter. It is not pleasant to have 

 one's assertion disbelieved, even by strangers, and 

 many would do that in this case." 



Raising Evergreens. — W. H. T., Jerusalem 

 Monroe Co.^ Oh'o. — " Can you refer me to any I 

 treatise on the culture of evergreens, from the 

 planting of the seed, through the dilferent stages I 

 of nursery culture ?" 



[Fuller's new book is best.] 



Prolific Potatoes— 0«o & AcheJis, West- 

 chester, Fa. — "In the January number of the 

 Gardeners' Monthly, page 20, we read: "Mr. 

 Saunders, of the U. S. Experimental Garden, 

 writes: From 1 bushel of the Harison Potatoes 

 I got 35 in return. Can this be excelled?" 



Answer : It can. We planted in the month of 

 June 1 bushel, and got 38 in return. Can this be 

 excelled ? 



Rose Imperatrice Josephine. — C. C, Fotts- 

 ville, Pi., inquires: "In the rose catalogue of Mr. 

 Paul, London, a Bourbon rose, Imperatrice Eu- 

 genie is described. The description answers to the 

 Imperatrice Josephine of American catalogues. 

 The last named rose is not mentioned in Mr. 

 Paul's list. Can any of your readers of the 

 Monthly tell if they are one and the same rose?" 



The American Gardener's Assistant; in three 

 parts : by Thomas Bridgeman. New Edition : 

 by S. Edward Todd. New York ; published by 

 WilHam v\ ood & Co., 1867. 

 Few works on American Gardening have been 

 more popular or more useful than Mr. Bridgeman's, 

 which has really rivalled McMahon's Gardener's 

 Calender in its claims to be the " Abercrombie of 

 America." It has been considered an essential in 

 a horticultural library, and will perhaps be so for 

 many years to come. 



It is a very difficult task to edit an old work pro- 

 perly, so as to bring it down to modern times. If 

 an editor alter the original much, it ceases to be the 

 original work, and the editor becomes in reality the 

 author. If the present work were altered to what 

 it might be, it is evident it would be no longer 

 Bridgemari s Gardener s Assii^tant. Yet it seems 

 to us that, in a book professedly "revised, enlarged 

 and illustrated," such statements as that the " Eng- 

 lish Jargonelle is the best pear of its season" — or, 

 that "the Chinese Wistaria is a recent introduction 

 from China, not yet common in our nurseries," and 

 many similar ones, true enough when Bridgeman 



