205 



cases, but a parasitic growth over wliicli in many 

 instances, the best gardeners have no control. In 

 such instances tho use of sulphur is a necessity, and 

 when a gardener knows that it may come in spite of 

 all his knowledge, it is wise in him to be before 

 hand, and by its judicijus use prevent what may 

 happen, by putting sulphur about where it may pre- 

 vent the mildews appearance. 



Also is Mr. Thompson right about the value of 

 that numerous class of gardeners and coachmen, 

 who fill a sphera of great usefulness. There are 

 times when it is annoying to a first-class gardener to 

 be compared with one of small talents, but this is 

 not the fault of inferior gardeners, but of the employ- 

 er, who is ignorant of the diS'erence between first- 

 class and third rate gardeners. Professional gar- 

 deners have it in their own power to show the dif- 

 ference in their abilities. The others are just as 

 useful, by filling positions gardeners of great ability 

 would not like to fill. 



The . profession of a gardener is not alone in this 

 annoyance, the lawyer, physician, and all others 

 have the same trouble ; but as our correspondent 

 well remarks, if what the profession considers infer- 

 ior talent suit an employer's views and purse better 

 than any other, he has the perfect right to employ 

 them.— Ed.] 



CULTIVATED FRUITS, THEIR USES, 

 ABUSES AND SUCCESSIONS. 



BY WALTER ELDER, PHILA. 



There is such an intense desire in the human 

 mind, to get fruits in their season, that those who 

 cannot buy them will steal them. There is no other 

 product of the garden or field that so much excites 

 our appetites or pleases our palates so well as well 

 ripened fruits ; and yet, strange to statt , inaiiy 

 families who have fertile lands and other ia-ilities 

 for growing them, neglect to set out trees and bush- 

 es to bear them for the benefit of their own health. 



Skilful physicians all tell us, that cultivated fruits, 

 when fully matured, contain vital essences essential 

 for the preservation of our health and prolongation 

 of our lives, especially adapted to their natural sea- 

 sons of ripening. From a knowledge of that, chem- 

 ists extracted their juices and preserved them for 

 medicines, by a process ot their own, and found 

 them to be real Panaceas ; but unprincipled men, for 

 avarice sake, took up the trade, and, by adulteration 

 and over fermentation, made the life giving juices 

 into health destroyers and men-slayers. Their Wines 

 create unnatural mirth and gladness, then sting 

 with remorse and sorrow ; Whiskies stimulate cour- 

 age and strength, then smite with weakness and 



fear ; Brandies arouse daring and boldness, and then 

 afilict with dejection and horror : Vinegar serves as 

 a condiment to some kinds of green vegetables, but 

 is a poison by itself. The foolish think excess in 

 their use gives glory and honor ; the wise can only 

 see in that, shame and reproach. 



It would seem as if it were the peculiar privilege 

 of woman, with purity of mind and aifection for 

 man, to be a practical protest against this abuse of 

 fruits — for few women engage in the manufacture of 

 fruits into liquors, but engage in fruit preserving in 

 many ways,by stewing the juices of fruits wdth sugar 

 and sealing them up tight against fermentation ; by 

 stewing in bulk, and, in th se latter times, by drying 

 process ; and she has succeeded with them all. The 

 origin of all the various modes of preserving fruits 

 for table use belongs to woman ; so, when we par- 

 take of the delicacies, we should feel grateful to her 

 alone. 



We do not wish to be considered fanatical, for 

 the moderate use of pure wines, made from Catawba, 

 Concord and other choice grapes is often beneficial, 

 we think ; and with pure ciders, made from good, 

 sound apples, but not from rotten trash. 



The following synopsis of fruits may serve the 

 inexperienced, as an index to their successions of 

 ripening. Straivherries lead the van, luscious and 

 rich, favorites with all ; Cherries and Raspherries 

 coma next, with sweetness and strength ; Blachher- 

 ries follow, most delicious and pleasing ; Gooseber- 

 ries and Currants come in good time, both favorites 

 with lad es , Apricots, Peaches smd Plums keep up 

 the succession, with virtues of their own ; Cranber- 

 ries in winter assist the digestion and make us feel 

 well ; Apples, Pears and Nuts we have nine months 

 of the year. So we can have fruits all the year 

 through, from open air culture. 



IMPROVEMENT IN GREENHOUSE 

 STRUCTURES. 



BY PETER HENDERSON. 



In the May number of the Gardener s Monthly, 

 Mr. Robert Buist, Sr., of Philadelphia, in a very 

 harsh and fault-finding article, endeavors to place 

 me before your readers in a not very enviable light. 



His strictures are as unjust as his manner of 

 making them is unfriendly. In the first place he 

 insinuates that I have assumed to be the originator 

 of the ridge and furrow system of greenhouses now 

 so generally in use. I certainly believe I was the 

 first to call attention to their merits, in this coun- 

 try, through the pages of the Montldy, but while so 

 doing I disclaim all merit of originating the system. 

 But though far from being the originator of the 



