462 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
An Ornamental Golden-Rod. 
Of late years the taste for cultivating hardy 
herbaceous perennials has increased in this 
country. Nurserymen and florists now have 
Md A 
larger than in most of the other species, and of 
a bright yellow color. The leaves are thick 
and rigid, the lower ones being oval or oblong 
with a long petiole, while the upper are sessile. 
It grows to a height of three to five feet, and 
in Boston, it was shown in the collection of 
Ellwanger and Barry, and on account of its 
size, beauty, and fine quality, attracted consid- 
erable attention. The tree is an upright pyram- 
idal grower, vigorous and very productive. 
the stiff golden-rod. — (Solidago rigula.) 
their separate lists of perennials, and many 
amateurs are engaging largely in their cultiva- 
tion. The Solidagos or Golden-rods have 
generally been omitted from collections, not 
from the lack of merit, but principally on ac- 
count of their great abundance throughout the 
country. They are so common along fence- 
rows and in uncultivated fields that it does not 
pay to remove them to the garden while they 
can be enjoyed in such abundance without the 
trouble of planting. Were it not for its abun- 
dance, Solidago nemoralis would make a valu- 
able plant for the garden, especially when 
planted in masses, as its bright, yellow flowers, 
which appear in August, render it quite attrac- 
tive. There are nearly forty species of Solidago 
found in the Northern States alone, and while 
some of these are widely distributed others are 
restricted to a few localities. There are a few 
of these rarer Golden-rods which make a fine 
appearance in the garden, as they bloom after 
most of the autumn flowers have disappeared. 
Among these none is finer than the one here 
figured, the Stiff Golden-rod, Solidago rigida. 
This species is found from Connecticut to Wis- 
consin, and southward to Arkansas and Texas, 
but not usually iu abundance. The flowers are 
we were much pleased with its appearance in 
our grounds the past season. The engraving 
shows one of the lower leaves, together with 
the upper portion of the stem with flowers. 
Besides the above species there are a number of 
others which are worth a trial, though we have 
only grown S. odora and S. sempervirens ; this 
last has thick, fleshy leaves, the lower of which 
are a foot or more in length, and is found in 
marshes along the sea-coast. S. Ohioensis, S. 
SJiortii, and & Eiddcllii are handsome species 
to add to a collection of herbaceous plants, and 
there are probably some southern ones which 
might be grown at the north with a little pro- 
tection during winter. 
« i — ■■■ ' » 
The Souvenir du Congres Pear. 
BY "W. C. BARRY. 
This variety, as its name implies, was dedica- 
ted to the Pomological Congress of France by 
its originator M. Morel. It was submitted to 
public examination for .the first time at the 
Universal Exposition in Paris in 1867, and re- 
ceived a first premium. 
At the Pomological Convention lately held 
FEAR— SOUVENIR DU CONGRES. 
The fruit grows sometimes singly but generally 
in clusters of two and three from the same bud, 
and hangs firmly to the tree when exposed to 
influences which cause other varieties to drop. 
The specimens are large to very large, larger 
than Bartlett or Clapp's Favorite, to which they 
bear a strong resemblance. The skin is smooth, 
bright yellow when the fruit is fully matured, 
with the parts exposed to the sun brilliant red 
or carmine. The flesh, while it is very like that 
of the Bartlett, has a less defined musky flavor, 
and it is firm to the core. Its season of ripen- 
ing commences about the first of August, before 
the Bartlett, and extends into September. As 
a large, showy, very early new pear of fine 
quality it ranks number one. 
[The specimens of Souvenir du Congres ex- 
hibited at Boston attracted much attention from 
their great size and promising appearance. The 
engraving here given is from a specimen selected 
by Mr. W. C. Barry, as being characteristic in 
form, though it was not the largest in the col- 
lection. It is represented of the natural size 
in the engraving, and it will be seen that it is 
remarkable when we consider its earliness, as 
most of our very early varieties are deficient in 
size. We hope much from this pear. — En.] 
