'/ 170 



i — 



Opinions of individuals not always to be dejoended 

 on, for men's tastes differ. To remedy this want I 

 respectfully submit to the consideration of the Man- 

 agers of Horticultural Exhibitions, the 1 olio wing 

 suggestion. Invite the usual contribution of select- 

 ed specimens. In addition to this, urge each exhi- 

 bitor to bring a quantity of all the kinds he has, 

 and of such quality as may be gathered from the 

 I tree, or as would naturally be put up for market. 

 I See that they are properly named, and then arrange 

 I them on a table in the Exhibition room, and ap- 

 I point a suitable person to sell, by the single one or 

 dozen, at the compensating prices, for the benefit 

 of the owner, or for the Society, when the fruit 

 may be donated, as will often be the case. 

 By this simple plan two important points will be 

 I gained. All will have an opportunity, each for him- 

 I I self to test the eating qualify of the different hinds. 

 I i To test and compare, a large number at the same 

 \ I time. Again the average size of different kinds 

 I j will be shown. A desirable thing, and not to be 



otherwise reached, 

 i Then again, a taste for fine fruit will be fostered. 

 I Few markets afford the more choice qualities of 

 I ! fruit. "Good enough for market" is an unhappy 

 I I maxim. Many there are who in all their lives, 

 I have never, for want of opportunity, tasted some of 

 I the more choice varieties of fruit. This is particu- 

 I ? larly of the Pear. How gladly and how profitable 

 I I such persons would spend a few shillings or dollars 

 j \ in testing by tasting. 



\ I These Exhibitions should be made in the fullest 

 : [ possible manner. Public schools of instruction in 

 I \ Horticultural matters for the people. The stronger 

 j ' the love entertained for Horticultural pursuits, in 

 ! I the ranks of the people, the stronger grows Horti- 

 I I cultural Societies. The more useful the societies, 

 I [ the stronger the love. Therefore may every means 

 ^, \ be adopted to foster, and encourage the growth of 

 I \ this love. 



[' : If it be objected to by any sensitive individual 

 I that this retailing partakes of hucksterage. I would 

 I answer, if a petty pride is better than public instruc- 

 j tion, — much needed,— then let Horticultural Fairs 

 I remain, what too many are, to day, almost useless 



I for the good of the people. 

 A country whose growth Horticulturally is as 

 rapid as ours, needs every means possible employed 

 to instruct, correct and encourage. 



PURPLE A^D WEEPIMG BEECHES. 



BY MR. P. J. BERCKMANS, AUGUSTA, GA. 



I have just received the March number of the 

 Monthly^ and this reminds me that you have fallen 

 into a slight error in regard to the Purple Beech, as 

 stated in the February number. The origin you 

 give of the tree is correct, but I differ with you as j 

 to the fact of its seedlings coming green and pale 

 copper colored. As far back as I can remember, 

 when living in Belgium, we made extensive sowings 

 annually, of Purple Beech nuts, for forest cultiva- 

 tion, and very few of the seedlings were different 

 from the parent, — and these green-leaved ones were 

 more probably, offsprings from nuts of the common 

 green variety accidentally mixed with the others. 



We have raised several hundred thousand plants 

 of the purple variety in this way, and, in many in- 

 stances, there were found seedhngs among the beds 

 which showed leaves of an almost black tint. 



In 1852, during a visit to the old homestead, I 

 selected about two thousand seedlings which showed 

 the darkest hue of foliage, and brought them to 

 New J ersey, and gave several hundred to the late 

 Wm. Beid, in whose nursery some specimens are 

 doubtless to be found yet. I had a large number 

 of Purple Beech seedlings growing here, but the 

 climate is not favorable to it. The foliage is of the 

 deepest purple in the spring and until J une ; but 

 after that period the color changes gradually until 

 towards August, when the tree looks like the com- 

 mon green variety. 



"While on the subject of Beech trees, I have sel- 

 dom met, here, with specimens of the Weeping 

 variety : the original tree of which stands in the 

 park of Baron de Man, at Beersel, Belgium, and is 

 truly one of the most curious trees I have ever seen. 

 I have often taken friends to see this curiosity, as 

 the tree stands a short distance from our country 

 seat. The body is now, perhaps, three and a half 

 to four feet in diameter at the ground ; grows twist- 

 ing up to a height of twelve or fifteen feet, and ac- 

 tually looks as if it struggles under an immense 

 weight which was pressing it down ; the branches 

 then spread to a distance of nearly a hundred feet, 

 forming an immense vegetal carem. 



This tree is little known, and I have never seen 

 any mention made of it except by Andre Leroy, to 

 whom I showed it several years ago. Its history is 

 this : Some sixty years ago the father of the present 

 gardener was planting out avenues of Beech trees 

 and the Baron told him to throw out a very crooked 

 specimen, which was done ; but the gardener plant- 

 ed it in a corner of the park then seldom visited, and 

 now has grown to be a most wonderful specimen of 

 fusus naturae. 



