146 



Chit §Hrdmr'5 ^lonljlg. 



merits for Khododendron prices, when we noticed a 

 card of Carter & Co. , that they were selling off stock 

 of surplus hot house Grrapes cheap, extra strong 1 

 year Black Hamburg &c., seven shillings and six- 

 pence each, or near $2 in gold, or about the price 

 of strong 2 year American in currency ; and in regard 

 to the Khododendron in the same paper, Veitch 

 offers mixed unnamed kinds about 24 inches for 

 twenty-four shill'gs, or $6 pr dozen, in gold, as some- 

 thing particularly low ; but when we consider that 

 with the small encouragement an American Khodo- 

 dendron grower receives, good plants may be fur- 

 nished at about the same rates with the expenses 

 of transportation and exchange added, of American 

 growth, by the firm we have referred to, we think 

 they are deserving of all the encouragement the 

 public can give them. 



A few words on their cultivation may encourage 

 their culture, which is much more easy than people 

 generally have the least idea. An impression prevails 

 that they must have shade. This is a great mistake, 

 they do better in the sun than anywhere, all infer- 

 ences drawn from "nature" notwithstanding. But 

 it is essential that the soil should be cool, that is 

 one that will not hake. In this they cannot be 

 grown at all. To have this cool Khododendron soil, 

 the materials are in every garden, in the shape of 

 trimmings and pruning of trees. Let these be 

 collected together in the winter and spring, and to 

 make the bed, throw out the natural soil two feet 

 deep, and throw in the branches, mixing the natural 

 soil with the material as the branches are thrown 

 in, and the whole rammed in well as the filling pro- 

 ceeds, raise the bed above the surrounding soil 

 enough to allow for sinking as the branches rot, and 

 then plant the Khododendrons. 



This is not much trouble to take in order to get 

 Khododendrons equal to the English. Too much 

 is allowed to English climate in accounting for their 

 success. They give great attention to soil. In some 

 English gardens a "peaty soil" is brought hundreds 

 of miles to make the American garden. Thi^j is not 

 necessary to us, who have the native climate of the 

 Rhododendrons. Wherever sticks and brush wood 

 can be had and prepared as we have described, the 

 Khododendron can be grown as readily as any shrub. 



?E3^Commuaicatioiis for this department must reach the Editor 

 on or before the 10th of the month. 



jrJ^The Editor cannot answer letters for this department pri- 

 vately. 



Pears in Alabama. — Our IlarpersviUe, Ala., 

 correspondent writes : "If I had suspected you would 

 have found anything sufficiently interesting in my 

 letter for the Monthly, I would have been, at least, 

 more painstaking in my chirography. 



I notice several mistakes in the extract published 

 in Feb. number. Duchesse d'Brabant d'Engheim 

 is a summer pear of no value , whilst Duchesse d' 

 Brabant Van Geert, of which I intended to speak, 

 was one of the highest flavored and most productive 

 pears I tested the last season, — about the size of 

 "Dana's Hovey," ripening later and higher flavored 

 than that variety. President Parigot, not Pres't 

 Kaugot; Gloire de Binche, EmiHe Bivoort, "Poire 

 Soequet," Doyenne du Cornice and Capsheaf. 



We have had a continued cold and dry winter ; 

 no very severe weather and an early spring, and 

 vegetation advanced more than usual. Peach, plum, 

 apricots and pears, and most of our apples all in 

 bloom, — and now comes the " winter of our discon- 

 tent." This morning, after 8 or 9 days of wet, dis- 

 agreeable weather, we have a sleet and freezing 

 weather. Our crop of fruit, of course, killed, — all 

 vegetation, fruit and vegetables, entirely killed." 



Straw Fruit Baskets.— i/r. Afioood, of Lake 

 Mills, Jefferson Co., Wis., writes in reference to 

 this matter, on which we have had little experience. 

 Though evidently not intended for publication, we 

 give it place, as other parties may be able to help 

 our correspondent with their suggestions : 



" I have for some time been engaged in getting up 

 a Fruit Basket made from rye straw. The great 

 difficulty has been, with me thus far, in getting up 

 machinery to make them fast enough. I want a 

 machine that will make at least one a minute with 

 the help of two hands, — 1 qt. baskets. Those I have 

 made are quite strong and handsome. I think I 

 shall be able to make them large and strong enough 

 to hold from 10 to 12 lbs. of grapes. 



My idea has been that a basket of this kind would 

 be preferable to a tight box for marketing fruit, as 

 they would be well ventilated, and be very cheap. 

 My object has been to get up a machine so that 

 every fruit raiser could make his own baskets or 

 boxes. 



