1866.1 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
l43 
The Christinas Hose. — {Selleborus nigcr.) 
There are some plants ■which possess a hardt 
ness truly remarkable. Among these is our com- 
mon Chickweed, which, 
■with its delicate and 
thread-like stem, -n-ill 
■withstand the severest 
cold, and only needs 
■warmth enough to melt 
the snow which covers it, 
to induce it to open its 
tiny blossoms. Similar 
to the Chickweed in re- 
spect to its winter flower- 
ing is the Christmas Rose, 
a plant which has been 
in cultivation for more 
than two centuries, and is 
yet so little known that 
it has all the rarity of a 
novelty. We have deriv- 
ed so much gratification 
from a clump of this 
plant during the past sea- 
son, that we are induced 
to bring it to the notice 
of our readers, for it is 
certainly not deserving 
the general neglect into 
which it has fallen. The 
proper stem of the plant 
is beneath the surface, and 
from it arise the large 
leathery evergreen leaves 
of the stiape shown in the 
engraving, wliich is only 
abont llalf llic natural 
size. . The flower stems 
also arise from belo^w 
ground, and they bear 
from one to three large 
white, flowers, which af- 
terward are tinged with 
pink. The show}' part of the flower is in this case 
the calyx, the petals being very small, and to a 
careless oliserver hardly to be distinguished from 
the stamens. It succeeds best when partially 
shaded from the intense heat of summer. It is 
propagated by dividing its roots in the spring. 
The name Christmas Rose is given to it as indi- 
cating the time at whicli it flowers in England. 
In this country its blossoming is determined by 
tlie severity of the winter. It will sometimes 
bloom in Kovcmber, and again its buds will lie 
dormant until Jlarch, and not unfrequently mild 
weather in midwinter will induce it to open. 
adopted by common consent is Manning's Eliza- 
beth. For a figure and description of tliis vari- 
et}', we are indebted to Hovey's elaborate work, 
the Fruits of America, in which the standard 
Select Pears— Manning's Elizabeth. 
The two summer pears recommended for gen- 
eral cultivation b3'thc Greeley Prize Committee 
were, Rosticzer and Manning's Elizabeth. The 
Rostiezer was described and illustrated laPt 
month«(pape 103). JIanning'sElizabetli, though 
first brought to notice in tliis country, is really 
of foreign origin. About 30 years ago Jlessrs. 
Kcndrick and Manning, well known horticultur- 
al pioneers in Massachusetts, received from 
Doct. Van Mons, of Lonvain, a stock of cions 
from his unnamed seedling peai's. The original 
trees from which these cions were taken, were 
soon afterward destroyed, and the whole stock 
remained in the possession of Messrs. Eeudrick 
and Manning. The pear under consideration 
was produced from one of the cions thus obtain- 
ed, and it was named Elizabeth Van Mons, b}' 
Mr. JIanning, but the name that lias been 
cniiisTiiAS ito-E.— (ij£7;<io)-«s nlffci:) 
varieties of fruit are well represented in colored 
plates. These plates arc accompanied by de- 
tailed descriptions of the fruits thus illustrated, 
manning's ELIZABETH. 
and by interesting bits of pomological history. 
"Tlie Elizabeth is a very fine early pear; 
remarlcably beautiful, with a deep yellow skin, 
and a bright red cheek. Often it is peculiarly 
marked ; when about two-thirds of its size, one- 
half of the pear, — the blossom endf— in most of 
the specimens, assumes a 
thick russet covering, 
which usually terminates 
in a complete circle 
around the middle of the 
fruit, and it generally re- 
tains this color, even at 
maturity. It is a most 
profuse bearer, being liter- 
ally loaded with pears: It 
succeeds well as a dwarf 
upon the quince, and 
comes into bearing early. 
" Fruit, small, about 3 
inches long, and 2 in di- 
ameter: Form, obovate, 
very full around the 
crown, tapering to and 
ending obtusely at the 
stem : Skin, fair, little 
rough, rich lemon yel- 
low, brilliantly suffused 
with crimson on the sun- 
ny side, through which 
appear deeper colored 
specks, becoming pale in 
the shade, the end next 
the crown often covered 
with thick russet: Sh^m, 
medium length, about 
three-quarters of au inch 
long, rather slender, and 
sliglitly inserted in a shal- 
low cavity : Eye, small, 
open, and a little sunk in 
an open, shallow basin: 
Segments of the calyx 
short: Flesh, yellowish, 
coarse, melting and j uic}' : 
Flavor, sugar}', rich, and 
pleasantly perfumed : Core, large : Seeds, ra- 
ther large, brown. Ripe from the middle to 
the last of August."— xV very desirable pear. 
m I l^^^^mMm p~^ 
The Eggs of Insects.- Resisting the Cold. 
One of the essentials in successful warfiire, is 
a knowledge of the strategy of the enemy. In- 
sects vary so much in their habits, that it is nec- 
essary to closely study each particular kind, in 
order to know at what period it may be most 
readily destroyed. Some of the most destruc- 
tive insects, such as the canker-n-orm, pass the 
winter in a chrysalis state, hidden in the earth 
or elsewhere, and deposit their eggs upon the 
twigs only a short time before they are hatched. 
Hence no amount of scraping and washing the 
trunk will alTect insects like these. The 
curculio and apple-moth can not be readily de- 
stroyed in the egg. These insects deposit their 
eggs either upon, or in, the young fruit, and 
they can only be attacked in their perfect or 
winged state, or while they lie dormant in the 
chrysalis. But our object was to call attention 
to the remarkable property, possessed by the 
es-gs of some insects, of resisting the elfects of 
low temperatures. In some cases, the crop of 
insects is provided for in the eggs which are 
laid the year before. These, as in the tent-cater- 
pillar, figured in January, (p. 3), are usually de- 
posited on the young twigs, where the newly 
hatched insects will find their food close at hand. 
In this exposed situation, the eggs, the contents 
