119 



Trade has opened with us with fine prospects. Our 

 people are fully alive to the change made in our 

 labor system, and have gone to improving their pro- 

 perty in earnest." 



Editorial Thanks — Our readers can imagine 

 that the position of an impartial Editor is anything 

 but a pleasant one. While we expect to make many 

 enemies, some of them at times from the ranks of 

 our personal friends, it is pleasant on the other 

 hand to feel that our course meets with general 

 approval. In the present year particularly, more 

 than heretofore, have so many of our correspondents, 

 thought fit to generously express themselves, kindly 

 towards the Monthly, that we have been unable 

 to return them all severally our thanks for their 

 encouragement, and beg to do so to all here together 

 in this place 



We may name however ""particularly our obliga- 

 tions to Mr. H. W. Ilavenal, of Aiken, S. C, 

 whose kind letter and accompanying volumes of the 

 "Fungoid Cryptogamia" of South Carolina, we 

 highly value ; and the same of Mr. A. S. Fuller, 

 who sends us the first fourteen volumes, bound, of 

 Curtis' Botanical Magazine. 



Many have also sent us articles to experiment 

 with, for which always anxious to add to our prac- 

 tical experience, we are very much obliged, amongst 

 others, we have some Wilson's Early Blackberry, 

 from Mr. Collins,— Seedling Petunias, from Mr. 

 Kadletz, — Key's Prolific Tomato, from Mr. Hovey, 

 which we saw on exhibition at Boston last year, and 

 admired for its astonishing productiveness ; Diana 

 Hamburg grape, and Seedling Strawberries, from 

 Mr. Jacob Moore,— Mr. Bliss, for striped Maize,— 

 New Melons, from Mr. E. Ferrand,— New varieties 

 of Vegetables from Mr. Gregory, — New Seedling 

 Virginia grapes from President of Planters Bank 

 of Richmond, — to whom and others who have 

 exhibited their goodwill in this or any other way, 

 we return our best thanks. 



Grape Puzzles. — In our February number, page 

 43, the types, in the seventh line from the bottom, 

 makes the author say "grape," when it should have 

 heon grass: and at page '53, second line from the 

 top, "mu*3hy" is printed in the place of rough. 



Grafting the Grape Vine.— An I llmois corre- 

 spondent writes, thanking Dr. Stayman for his grape 

 grafting article. He says he has often tried nearly 

 the same way, but the graft seldom grew. He did 

 not, however, shave the bark^ as Dr. Stayman re- 

 commends, and thinks this may be the one thing 

 wanting to his success. 



"Orchis" and "Bosa." — Bosa said, in our last, 

 "Orchis should not question the sincerity of those 

 who advertise roses on their own roots." 'Orchis' 

 calls our attention to this, and refers to his article 

 where he says, "I question the motives of none." 



The old Stuyvesant Pear Tree— One of the 

 greatest Horticultural curiosities of New York City, 

 and perhaps of the United States, recently went 

 over in a storm. It was pretty well gone with old 

 age. 



Distribution op Flower Seeds.— We see by 

 the New York Tribune that Mr. W. B. Prince, is 

 again distributing freely through the country liun- 

 dred of packages of flowers seeds. Their free dis- 

 tribution do much good — they encourage a taste 

 for flowers amongst those who would never ehe 

 care for them, and thus the circle of floral lovers is 

 continually widened. 



Teilanthera ficoidea versicolor— C— We 

 do not know, not having seen the plant, — but we 

 suppose it is the same as what is commonly known 

 in the chief flower gardens of the United States, a 

 "tricolored amarantacea" under which name, or 

 rather no name, it was distributed some years ago. 

 That is a Teilanthera, and seems to be like the de- 

 scription of this new one. If you have not got it, you 

 will find it a charming bedder. 



Seckel Pear — 0. asks, "Did any body ever know 

 of a blighted Seckel ? 



And after all is there a better Standard tree for 

 sure profit." 



Pear Blight. — Capt. J. S., Cleveland. 0. — 

 says : — If we could find some preventive for blight, 

 we would feel then as if we could afford to put 

 Pears out, but the ill success we have had, is poor 

 encouragement. Last year I tried on some 50 trees. 

 Salt and Plaster equal parts, about 2 quarts to a 

 tree, and among those I have no blight, while 

 others I have suffered badly. May not that be a 

 preventive? 



Insect in an English Sycamore— (?. 7?., Be. 

 verly, A. J. — Enclosed is an insect which I have 

 taken from beneath the bark of an English Syca- 

 more, in which it and others have been boring so as 

 almost to destroy the tree. Can you give me its 

 name and any way to get rid of the nuisances ? 



[The Larva was of some species of insect denom- 

 inated borer, but which cannot be identified in its 



