1872.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
63 
fer that the general effect of the spike is that 
of a white Spiraea. Of course this is expecting 
quite too much. We are to compare it with that 
■which we now have, and in doing this Parsons's 
Mignonette seems to me to be decidedly supe- 
rior. In the common variety, the general effect 
of the flower is a dull red, the anthers being of 
this color, while the light shading of the crest- 
like petals is less prominent than the color of 
the anthers. In the Giant Crimson variety, so 
called, the dull color of the anthers is still more 
prominent, and though it seems to be very 
strong in growth it can not be considered de- 
sirable. As Mr. Henderson says, "no stretch 
of imagination could honestly call it crimson." 
But in the Parsons's White, while the anthers 
remain of the same size and color as in the old 
kind, the superior, crest-like petals are at least 
three times as large as in that, giving to the in- 
dividual flowera and to the spike a decidedly 
lighter and more floriferous appearance. The 
habit of the variety is also excellent, and its 
bloom abundant aud continuous. It may be 
true that a casual observation might not detect 
the superiority of this variety, but it must be 
that Mr. Henderson has a mixed or spurious 
seed. His good judgment would have noticed 
the improvement in the Parsons's " strain." It is 
proper to add that my opinion is formed by an 
examination of specimens of various kinds 
raised by Mr. Joseph Tailby from seed imported 
by Washburn & Co., aud that other florists who 
have tried the same seed agree with Mr. Tailby 
in giving this variety a decided preference. 
The Quinn Pear. 
Fruits, like men, have their histories ; these 
are often quite commonplace, but sometimes 
there is obscurity enough about them to make 
them interesting. It is not rare to meet men 
who are polished, and every way acceptable, 
about whose antecedents we know little or 
nothing. In this category we must place the 
Quinn Pear ; it is very excellent, but when we 
would trace its history we must stop at a cer- 
tain point. All that is known of the Quinn 
Pear is this: Many years ago the late Prof. J. 
J. Mapes imported a lot of pear-trees, among 
which was the one now called Quinn. It 
was simply labeled "Kuight's Seedling." Iu 
plauting, this tree was not put in the orchard 
with the rest, aud when unsatisfactory trees 
were grafted over, this, though it bore nothing 
for twelve years, being in au out-of-the-way 
place, escaped. A few years ago the tree com- 
menced to bear, and now produces good crops 
of a small pear, of the size and shape shown in 
the engraving. The skin is of a greenish rus- 
set, which in well-ripened specimens approaches 
to golden russet. There are no markings of any 
kind, but sometimes there is a slight ruddy 
tinge upoa the sunny side. In its general ap- 
pearance the fruit much resembles a well-grown 
Seckel. The flesh is gritty towards the core, 
sweet, juicy, and of a remarkably high musky 
flavor. The pear is in eating in December, and 
without any especial care readily keeps into 
January. In order to ascertain the name of the 
fruit, Mr. P. T. Quinn, who now has charge of 
the place upon which it grows, took it a few 
years ago to the Farmers' Club. None of the 
savana there knowing it, they of course con- 
cluded t : :;it it must be unknown, and named it 
the Quinn Pear. In this the Club was more 
fortunate than it sometimes is in the bestowal 
of names, as the best pomologists of the coun- 
try have been unable to identify it, and it is 
gratifying to know that in all probability Mr. 
Quinn's name will remain associated with this 
excellent varietj'. It is likely that it is a ~7« 
seedling that never was named by Mr. 
Knight, and that the original tree was 
lost by accident or destroyed as un- 
promising. The tree in question stands 
iu an unfavorable place, and has received 
no care whatever, aud it is probable that 
under good culture it would come into 
bearing earlier and produce larger fruit. -J^^ 
The list of really good winter pears is so 
very small, that we gladly welcome an 
addition to it that possesses so many ex- 
cellent qualities as does the Quinn Pear. 
Rabbits are very fond of salt, and they may 
be captured by means of a salted string. A box 
Frozen Plants. — Some plants in a room 
where the fire went out, allowed some observa- 
tions to be made upon the effects of cold, which 
in part compensated for their loss. Some 
Chinese Primroses, which were just coming into 
bloom, had every leaf completely killed, while 
the flowers and the flower-stems were not 
touched. One would suppose that the delicate 
tissues of the flowers would show the effects of 
frost sooner than the more robust leaves. It 
seems impossible to predict what will be the ef- 
fects of cold upon different plants that are closely 
related. There were several Begonias ; all those 
of the Fuschioides section were killed to the 
root, while Begonia, nitida did not suffer at all. 
We naturally expect plants with very succulent 
leaves to be most liable to injury by sudden 
freezing, but succulence does not seem to have 
much to do with it. Eckeveria metallica was 
badly cut; Echeveria secunda was not injured. 
Rabbits and Snares. 
In some localities rabbits amount to a nui- 
sance, doing great mischief in gardens and 
to orchards. Every- 
where, however, 
they are acceptable 
in a pot-pie or a 
savory stew, and the 
destruction of .them 
by traps or snares 
has a twofold ob- 
ject. These animals 
will alwaj-s run in 
an old or well-beat- 
en trail or path, and 
when they have 
Fig. 1.— SNAKE. once mWe a run 
they will use it in preference to making a new 
one. This peculiarity makes it very easy to 
snare them. Snares are made of fine brass or 
copper wire. A piece eighteen inches in length 
is taken, and a small loop made at one end ; the 
other end is passed through the loop and a ring 
formed. The end of the wire is twisted around 
a twig which lies at 
the side of the rab- 
bit's run, and the 
ring stretches across 
it in such a position 
that the rabbit as it 
runs along puts its 
head iuto it. The 
wire tightens around 
its neck, and the ani- 
mal is caught. (See 
figures 1 and 2.) A 
snare may be placed 
in a hole in a fence, 
or in a brush}' place, or even in the open ground, 
by driving a stake on each side of the run. 
Fisr. 2.— snare. 
Fig. 3. — RABBIT TRAP. 
with falling doors is made (fig. 3), each dooi' 
is held open by means of a string dipped in 
salt water and dried ; this passes through a 
hole in the top of the box and is tied to a peg 
in the floor of it. Another salted string is car- 
ried from the box and stretched across the run. 
The rabbit finds the string, and eats it up to the 
peg to which it is tied. As soon as the string is 
cut the door falls, and is held firmly by a 
hinged leg fastened to the top of the door,which 
prevents its being opened. The rabbit is 
trapped. The common steel traps are of little 
use for rabbits; their long and broad feet 
cover not only the pan, but the jaws also. 
» i » i » ■ « 
The Dyehouse Cherry - Tree. 
BT B. T. HARRIS, LINCOLN CO., KT. 
About thirty years ago, an old man by the 
name of Dyehouse found growing in his or- 
chard, among some English Morellos, a small, 
bushy tree, which differed in form from the 
others, and also ripened its fruit some four 
weeks in advance of them. The fruit was 
DYEHOUSE CHERRY-TREE. 
about tiie same size of the Morello, but different 
in color and shape; and the tree was found to 
be much hardier than its supposed parent. It 
grew vigorously, and soon became a full bearer. 
The original tree is now dead, but its numerous 
progeny — gathered from sprouts — have been 
disseminated to a limited extent only over this 
(Lincoln) and a few adjoining counties. The 
old gentleman was not a fruit-grower. He 
lived out in our hill country, far removed from 
fruit regions, and no one, until recently, save a 
few neighbors, knew anything of this cherry. 
Eight years ago I planted fifty of the " sprouts," 
about five feet high and one inch in diameter, 
and they grew rapidly^, and for the past four 
years I have gathered full crops from them. 
They have been in full bearing for three years, 
aud have not wholly failed, even the present 
year (1871), when all other fruits, without ex- 
