8 
AMERICAN AaRICULTURIST. 
[Jakuart, 
A Poiitologlcal fleeting.— The commit- 
tee on Ihe Greeley Prizes, ihe action of which is noticed 
elsewhere, met on Dec. 12th at the residence of Wm. S. 
Carpenter, Esq. Several professional and itmaleur iior- 
ticullurists were invited to join the committee after their 
offici:il business had been disposed of. and the arrange- 
ment resulted in an exceedingly pleasant pomological 
' soiree. There was upon the tables an exhibition of win- 
ter pears, wliich for extent and perfection of specimens, 
has seldom been equaled. Much attention is deservedly 
being paid !(y pomologists to the late keeping pears, and 
this collection of over 50 kinds showsthat there is alarge 
list to select from. Messrs. Ellwanger & Barry, Ro- 
chester. IS'. Y., exhibited 30 varieties. Messrs. Hovey «k 
Co., Boston, 27. W. L. Ferris, Throg's NecU, N. V., 7. 
I. D, Wolf, of the same place, 3. Geo. Bancroft, New- 
port, R; I., 2. I, Buclianan, Astoria, N. Y., 1. There 
was a fine display of apples, among Ihe most noticeable 
of which were the Tompkins Co. King, from Havana, 
N. Y., and Northern Spy from Battle Creek, Minh. 
Among the pears eliciting special comniendaiiun, were 
Dana's Hnvey and Augustus D.ma. Several specimens 
of native wines from Ohio vineyards, presented by Di. 
Warder, included a remarkably fine sample of Delaware. 
Xlie Agriciiltaii'isitt Miti'Si."*vl>en"y. — 
"We did not intend to publish anymore reports at present 
concerning the plan's we U.iva sent out. but heie is one 
from O. Hunter, Clinton Co., Iowa, \vhi'-h shows so 
great an increase that we give it as something remarka- 
ble : — " I received one strawberry plant on the l'»th day 
of last April ; the plant looked p-nle and out of health. I 
gftve it a good wetting, buried it root and branch in moist 
earth for the space of 5 or 6 hours, and then carefully set 
it out in black loam, manured with well rotted barn-yard 
manure.— In about one week it started to grow, and now 
I have 452 well rooted plants." 
Raspberry Querie.s.— " F. V. P." It is 
■not easy to tell raspberries from a bit of stem. Yours 
•looks like the Purple Cane.— H. C. Burdick. The Black 
Cap is propagated by bending down tlie branches ia Sep- 
tember, and burying their lips, which will strike root. 
Sa>»sa.fl*a,s!^pl*outs in a.u Orckai-d. — 
W. A. W. is tioubled with sassafras spiouting up in his 
orchard. Thorough grubbing after plowing wiil clc;in 
' it out and do the orchard good, and if none of the sprouts 
are allowed to grow after plowing and harrowing, the 
sprouts will soon die out. Sheep fee I down such bi ushy 
growths very well, and a flock, turned in occiisionally, 
and kept there only until they have fed off the grass and 
sprouts, will not bark the trees. 
Evei'-beariug" Mwlberi-y, — T. A. Pike, 
Worcester Co., M;iss. This variety usually produces 
starainate flowers enough lo fertilize the pistillate ones, 
and the fact that your tree produces a few berries would 
go lo show that some staminate flowers were piesent. 
Our own tree of this variety is not worth the space it 
occupies, and we shall cut it down. The Enclish mul- 
berry gives a decent crop of better fruit, and is done 
with it, while this dribbles through a long season, and is 
not very good when obtained. 
Books on Crardeiiiiis;. — D. Buffin^ton. 
We know of no woik especially devoted to market 
gardening. Watson's Home Garden u one of the best 
for general directions in cultivation. The secrets of 
successful market gardening are in getting llie earliest 
possible crops, and to so arrange the rotation of crops as 
to get the most from the land. An article by Mr. Brill, 
in October last, will give an idea of the way grow- 
ers manage xvith Cabbages, Cauliflower, and Lettuce. 
Tomatoes, Egg-plants, etc., arc started early in exten- 
sive hot'beds. 
Xlie CiJreeley Prizes, Decisiou on 
Apples and Pears. —it will be recollerted that in 
1864 the Hon. Horace Greeley offered prizes of $100 each, 
for the best apple, pear and grape for general culture, 
referring the decision to the Horticultural Department of 
Ihe American Institute. At an exhibition held in the 
autuuin of that year, the committee on apples and pears 
thou;;ht the time allowed «as too brief, and Ihey did not 
make an award. The committee on grapes awarded to 
ihc lona, but the prize was declined by Dr. Grant, and 
the whole matter was passed over to another year, and 
referred to a larger committee, comprising several gentle- 
men from abroad. Three opportunities were presented 
lor exhibiting fruit for competition in the Autumn of 1?65, 
the last of which was on Dee. \2. The committee had 
great difficulty iu coming to a decision, as they ha<i to 
consider the heallhiness of the tree or vine, and its adap- 
tation to a wide range of localities as well as the quality 
of the fruit. In October they decided not to award the 
premium on grapes for the reason that, in their opinion, 
no variety now before the public had fully proved itself 
ns meeting the requirements that had been fixed upon, 
and this prize is still open for competition. On Dec. 12th 
last, the committee, after a long consultation, decided to 
award the premium ior the best apple for general cultiva- 
tion to the Baldwin, and for the best pear for general 
cultivation to the Babtlett, on pear stock. The best 
bushel of each was exhibited by W. R. Ward, of Newark, 
N. J., and the prizes go to him. While this decision 
probably will not satisfy every one, we think that, taking 
all the circumstances into consideration, the committees 
have made the best possible selection. 
An Important Select Frnit I^ist.— 
The committee on the Greeley prizes at their last meeting 
fixed upon two varieties each, of summer, fall and win- 
ter apples and pears, to recommend for general cultiva- 
tion. Alihough this th'-y consider as extra official, we 
are very glad that It has been done, and our readers will 
attach much importance lo it w hen they know that it is 
the result of the deliberations of pnmolopisti of sucli large 
experience as Chas. Downing. C. M. Hovey. Dr. J. A. 
Warder. Dr. I. M. Ward, Wm. S. Carpenter, and others : 
Apples.— .STwrnmer .- Primate and Red Astrachan. 
Autumn: Purler and Gravenstein. 
Winter: Hubbardston Nonsuch and Northern Spy. 
Peaks. — Summer : Rostiezer and Manning's Elizabelli. 
Autumn: Seckel and Shcldnn. 
Winter ■ Lawrence and Dana's Hovey. 
Ooose1»eri'y Il.iteratnre. — A friend has 
shown us a little book which is interesting as an index 
of hnw much is made, in Enalan i, of some specialities. 
There gooseberry culture is a favorite pursuit among the 
v.orkin^- classes, and the cultivators resort to ail nossible 
means to bring their berries to the largest size. This 
book of 214 pages is called the " Gooseberry Grower's 
Register," and gives a detailed account of the different 
Gooseberry Shows held in Lancashire and five other 
shires in the year 1665, It gi\es a tabular view of the 
number of prizes obtained by each sort of berry, and is 
embellished by a portrait of the "■ London," which was 
the heaviest red berry, weighing 33 dwts., 13 grs. [nearly 
1?^ oz.) The growers of Patterson, N. J., formerly held 
gooseberry shows.! mi t we have heard nothing of t hern for a 
year or two. It continued, we hope to hear about them. 
Propa seating- Lilies.— Mrs. L. Hall, Cnm- 
bcrland Co., N. J. The florists grow them from the sniles 
of the bulb. The outside scales are taken nflT and stuck 
in boxes of sand or sandy earth, just as if they were cut- 
tings, the scale being set with the lower end down and 
about half covered. It is dune in a propagating hou'^e, 
where there is a gentle bottom heat. The experiment 
may be tried in the dwelling and may Dossibiy succeed, 
thougli we have never seen it done. A few of the outer 
scales maybe removed without materially injuring the 
bulb for flowei-ing. The little bulbs require two years 
to become strong enough to flower. 
Plants named.—" C. C. Y. S. R. D.," Tren- 
ton, N. J. Not a seed at ail, but a portion of the seed 
pod of Honesty, [Lunaria biennis) ....Iveiie Cole. White 
Co., Ind. Lamiiim maculatum. Spotted Deadnettle.... 
C. H. Randall. Worcester Co.. Mass., sends Sedum acre, 
Stonecrop, which is in some places used for garden 
edgings — L. M. Carter. Hendricks Co., Ind. Celastrus 
rcandcns. Wax-work, or False Bittersweet, already de- 
sciibed and figured — G. Frank Alvord, Hampshire Co., 
Mass. The grass is Eragrostis pomoides, for which we 
know no common name. It usually grows in sandy 
places, and is considered as worthless Philip Riti, 
Walla Walla, W. T. The grasses were over ripe when 
gathered and came in fragments. There appear to be 
two forms of Kaeleria cristata, Crested Kceleria. The 
coarser grass of the three is one we have had several 
times from the Pacific coast, and think it a variely of 
Tnticum rcpcTis, or Couch-grass M. R. Allen, York 
Co., Me. No. 1. Pyrola cUiptica, Shin-Leaf. No. 2. 
Too spoiled a fragment to make out. No. 3. Erigeron 
strigosum, Daisy Fleabane. 
** Xoi^pin;:: '' Apples and Iflavket 
Fruit.— Putting the best i.i sight is practised by most 
tradesmen and fruit dealers are no exception to the lule. 
•' A Citizen"' writes us regarding the manner in which 
he has suffered ■ " I can testify to the elevated standard 
of the Agriculturist and to the excellent advice it gives 
to farmers and others producing articles of food for sale, 
and I am therefore the more surprised that some of our 
apple growers should pr.Tctice such deception in putting 
up their fruit for the market, as may be seen in nine bar- 
rels out of ten, particularly this year. I had occasion 
lately to purchase 75 bbls. of Newtown Pippins for ex- 
portation to England, every apple in which had neces- 
sarily lo be separately handled, and if fit, wrapped in pa- 
per ; and out of the entire number there were but four 
barrels where the fruit was as good at bottom and middle 
as at the top. City men are called 'sharp,' but if a 
merchant here were to sell his goods falsely packed as 
some of our Country friends do, they would be called 
CAea/s, and deserve the name I If this thing continues, 
the old title oi konest farmer will become a misnomer.' 
If "Citizen" has read the Agriculturist for some 
years he must have noticed that we liave ri preliended 
this practice and that in our " Notes and Suggestions" 
we have many times advised growers to pack fairly. The 
fault is not so much the farmer's, as that of fruit dealers, 
who go about the country and buy the fruit ia the orchard 
and pack it themselves. Our correspondent must not 
give up his faith in farmers without good cause. 
PeIai*;!;'oninm<f ancl Amarylli»!i. — Mrs. 
M. T. Brett. Worcester Co.. Mass. Keep Pelargoniums 
at rest during Ihe winter in n cool room, and give but 
liitle water ; alight cellar will do if<lryand safe from 
fiost. In early S(iring, repot and cut them back severely ; 
they w ill stand any amount of pruning. Amaryllis formo- 
sissima should have been taken up for the winter. The 
blooming of this, as of other bulbs, depends upon its 
having made a vigordus growth of leaves the year before. 
Give it a rich and loose soil in planting next spring. 
Il.ar;E^e Isabella Wrapcs.— At our Grape 
Show two years ago, some Isabellas were pie.-enled by 
Mr. E. Fitch, of Coxsackie, N. Y. The grapes weie of 
remarkable size, and as they presented everv appearance 
of fruit unusually developed'by ringing, the committee 
excluded them from competition. This year Mr. Chas. 
Siarr semis ns similar specimens from the same vine, 
with the assurance that no trick had been practised to 
increase the size of the fruit. He says that one vine out 
of several thousands has for several years borne these 
lajge berries upon a portion of it. uldle upun the oilier 
part only ordinary fruit was produced. It would be in- 
teresting to see how far this peculiaiity was retained in 
vines propag.ited from the large fruiting portion, and tlie 
matter throws consldenable light upon the great variabil- 
ity presented by tlie Isabella in different locations. 
YedUo CpSfc-ape. — T. H. Grayson, C. AY. 
We believe that this failed to fruit the past year. 
The year before, we saw a partiatly ripened cluster and 
it seemed something like the Delaware, with a lu(»£cr and 
longer buncli. Our season Is prol?abIy too siJiort f«»r it. 
ISoo2c on Grape Cnltarc— Subscriber, 
Carlinsville, 111. Fuller's Grape Cuiturist gives full di- 
rections for training and pruning by the arm and spur 
method. Price $1,30. See the Book List elsev.here. 
I»ropas-atiu5>: tUe S>aUlia,— J. Bruliiud, 
Invi a. If the roots were taken up last autumn and are 
kept in a dry and warm cellar, you can multiply ihem in 
the spring by dividing the root. Our notes for the month 
wiil tell how, at the proper time. 
l*olatoes an«l Cliestnnts. — In answer 
to numerous inquiries about Mr. Harrison's potatoes, 
mentioned in December, we state that he informs us that 
he has no more for sale. Neither have we any of the 
chestnuts figured in December. We had only ii few, and 
they were disposed of long ago. 
A l^arg-c Itifinns.— Mr. C. F. Erhard, 
Hunter's Point, L. I., sent us a stem of Ricinus sangui- 
neus, one of the ornamental varieties of the Castor Oil 
Plant, wdiich measured nearly a foot in circumference 
at the base ; a remarkable growth for an annual phmt. 
Xomatoes. — "Reader," N. H. A light rich 
soil, without much fresh manure is best for tomatoes. 
The plants may be made stocky, when grown in the 
green-house, by the use of pots and l>y pinching. 
Sngrar Seet»$ and Nn^ar Produc* 
tion. — Dan"I Laniman, Macoupin Co., HI. .Sugar beets 
grow excellently well upon the prairies, as we have 
seen. They contain a large percentage of sugar, and 
after grinding and extracting the juice, the pulp is 
nearly as valuable for feeiling and fattening beeves and 
hogs, as the roots unground. The only trouble is that 
it will require a capital of about $100,000 to set up a beet- 
sugar house and make it pay. Capital invested in this 
\vay, if judiciously managed, will, we think, pay a larger 
profit than in almost any other legitimately managed 
business .with which we are acquainted. 
MilU Stools,— Those used by T. F. Haynes, 
Hartford Co.. Conn., are 2 feet 3 inches long. inches 
high, (probably 8 inches wide), Ihree-Iesged, with mor- 
tice holes in the middle to carry them by. They are 
