SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
379 
do so disparagingly, for the smell and the beauty of the 
fruit have hitherto comprised its principal value * The 
plant is growing on a Peach stock, and the fruit may be 
said to equal in size any of the melting varieties. jNIr. 
Graff deserves great credit for its introduction. 
It may be as well to reproduce here some of the particu- 
lars respecting this novelty from the Journal of the Lon- 
don Horticultural society. Fruit of this new and extra- 
ordinary production was received August 2‘Jth, 1840, 
from Lord Prudhoe, in whose garden at Stan wick park it 
had ripened. He obtained the variety from stones given 
him by the vice-consul at Aleppo, then residing near Su- 
edia, in Syria, whose favorable climate is peculiarly suit- 
able for the cultivation of Asiatic or European fruits. The 
vice-consul, Mr. Barker, brought to England Peaches and 
Nectarines with sweet kernels like a nut, probably never 
heard of till their existence was announced by him. 'J he 
fruit of the Peach and Nectarine, partaking so much as it 
does of the qualities of the bitter Almond, must have been 
very deleterious in its unimproved state, it was consider- 
ed unlikely that amelioration would be carried much farth- 
er. For at least a century, little improvement has been 
effected, and in every variety hitherto the kertiels have 
proved intensely bitter. But at last this is overcome; in 
the specimen above described, the deleterious quality con- 
sidered inherent in the species has disappeared. 
The tree on its own roots is a strong and robust grower 
and continues to grow late in autumn, and has hitherto 
retained its leaves in England throughout the winter. 
Lord Prudhoe’s gardener has no doubt that wlien worked 
on Apricot, Plum, or Almond stocks, it will prove quite 
hardy there, and bear well even in the North. The origi- 
nal price was fifty dollars a plant. 
What say our hybridizers can be done to give it an 
American constitution'? — Horticulturist. 
VERBENAS. 
Thk cultivation of the Verbena in this country is of 
comparative recent date. It is a native of the hills in the 
A'icinity of Buenos Ayres, South America, growing 
through an extensive tract of country in great profusion. | 
It was first introduced into this country by Robert Buist | 
of Philadelphia, and from the original Vcrhrna Cham- i 
edrifoliaox Mdindris have, been raised almost innumer- 
able splendid varieties, embracing every color and tint. 
It is one of the richest ornaments of the flower garden. Its 
value is greatly enhanced from the fact that it blooms pro- 
fusely from early Spring to late in Autumn, until the 
ground becomes hard frozen; it always looks healthy, 
bright and vigorous, having the advantage of not being 
affected by the sudden changes of temperature or by 
moisture. The habits of all varieties are similar, they 
being naturally prostrate creeping plants, taking root 
freely wherever the stems come in contact with the ground, 
and sending forth large clusters of beautiful flowers. The 
Verbena is a useful as well as a highly ornamental plant 
in forming masses, groupings, mounds, or borders. 
Their natural tendency to trail, the brilliancy and 
elegance of their blossoms, which they scatter in great 
profusion wherever the parent stem runs, make them 
highly desirable for the uses above named, as as well as 
decorative for the green- house or parlor. The past season 
has been productive of many beautiful varieties com- 
prising some of the richest gems in cultivation. The 
raising of these flowers is now attracting great attention, 
and they will probably ere long form one of the leading 
attractions at our floral exhibitions. They are easily 
cultivated and cared for, as they grow vigorously and 
* We do not, by any means, agree to this — the Nectar- 
ine, with us, is a most delicious fruit.— Eds. 
with full native health in our soil which seems eminently 
I congenial to their growth. They are easily raised from 
j cuttings or from seed. The best soil for them is brown 
loam, fine white or silver sand, and well rotted chip dirt, 
I with a little stable manure that has been well rotted and 
I reduced fine; they do not require much manuring. A 
! rather poor but open soil seems best adapted to the per- 
! feeling of this flower; if too rich soil is used they are apt 
j to grow too much foliage and the flowers are fewer and 
not so rich in color. 
In preparing the ground for them it would be well to 
I mix a little lime or ashes in the soil to kill the lice that 
I often attack them at the roots ; if these should fail, to- 
; bacco water may be used with perfect success. By for- 
I ming a small cavity around the plant affected, and pour- 
ing in the decoction round the roots, it wilU positively 
I exterminate the lice and not injure the plants in the least. 
Two or three applications will be sufficient, as the tobacco 
is vegetable, and may be used very strong with perfect 
safety. The Verbena seems particularly adapted to our 
hot dry climate, although they retain their brightness 
undimmed in rainy weather ; they should however be 
fully exposed to the sun, as it is very essential to their 
growth and beauty of blossom. 
A little care and attention in cultivating this beautiful 
plant will be amply repaid in the unrivalled beauty with 
which it will clothe the flowery garden, and in the glad- 
ness which it will give in viewing its brilliant blossoms, 
■ after all other gems of the garden have been nipped and 
I despoiled by the frosts of Autumn. — Dexter Suoids Cata- 
! loguc. 
i • 
! North Carolina Fruits. — Who has not heard of the 
j prolific soil of Buncombe'? (w'e do not mean in the matter 
of eloquence merely.) It is said that the Irish potatoes of 
that region are the best in the United States ; and w'e have 
heard much from travellers of the excellent quality of the 
fruits. We can believe even more than we have heard, 
after examining a specimen of apples with which we have 
been complimented by Nlessrs. Johnstone, formerly of this 
j State, who have engaged in farming on the French Broad 
River — a region alike dear to the seekers after the pictur- 
! esque and the fruitful. The largest specimens of these 
apples weigh over ‘20 ounces, and they are of a fine flavor. 
A country that can produce such fruits is worth cultivat- 
ing, and we may look forward with anxious hope to the 
time when improved means of transportation w'ill substi- 
tute in our market the abundant and delicious fruits of 
North Carolina for those which we now get sparingly 
from a more distant region. — Charkstnn Mercury. 
THE CARBON OF PLANTS. 
BY ROBERT NELSON, A. M., OF JMACON, GA. 
{Concluded from November number, jmgc 338.) 
Editors Southern Cultivator — In consideration of 
w’hat has thus far been said, there remains nothing for us 
to do but to inquire: whether the carbonic acid of the 
atmosphere is capable of yielding the requisite amount of 
carbon to the living vegetable kingdom '? Before deciding 
this point, we will carefully consider everything for and 
against this supposition. 
In support of the proposition, that the carbonic acid of 
the atmosphere furnishes the plants with their requisite 
carbon, may be mentioned, chiefly, the circumstance, 
that, as the vegetable carbon must originate from some- 
where, and it does not come from the humus in the soil, 
it can only be from the carbonic acid, inasmuch as we do 
not, independent of humus and carbonic acid, know of 
