204 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[May, 
general belief that it can not be transplanted. 
We have known expensive preparation of 
the soil to be made, and Laurels brought from 
only a short distance planted in it; they 
dwindled and died as soon as those planted 
without preparation, yet no shrub is easier to 
transplant, and it needs no coddling as to soil, 
though perhaps, like its brother, the Rhodo¬ 
dendron, it dislikes a lime-stone one. In tak¬ 
ing up the Laurel, it is easy to bring away 
a good clump of earth at the roots, and if the 
distance requires, this should be surrounded 
by a mat or some hay to prevent drying. 
Then remove from the plant every leaf; the 
leaves are in clusters near the ends of the 
branches; with the scissors cut every stem and 
branch just below the leaves, so that nothing 
but a cluster of bare sticks remains. Plant 
this unpromising looking object in good gar¬ 
den soil, and next autumn it will be clothed 
with its beautiful foliage. Soon after plant¬ 
ing the dry sticks will “break,” and the buds 
will push in abundance all along the stems to 
form new leafy branches. We have seen many 
Laurels thus treated, and without a failure. 
The Bidwell Strawberry. 
BY B. P. HOE. 
[As the spring catalogues of the dealers in 
small fruits have come to hand, one notice¬ 
able feature in them is the conspicuous place 
THE BIDWELL STRAWBERRY (NATURAL SIZE) 
given to the Bidwell Strawberry. Knowing 
that this variety had been tested by Mr. E. P. 
Roe, we requested him to give us his opinion 
of it, to accompany an engraving from a 
sketch made upon his place. Mr. R. suggests 
that an article from him might appear as if 
he had “ an axe to grind,” concerning which 
we agree with what he here says.— Eds.] 
So far from affecting any disinterestedness, 
I admit frankly that I have “ an axe to grind,” 
but I propose to do all the grinding in broad 
daylight. I have invested largely in the ‘ ‘Bid- 
well ” because I believe in it. I shall plant it 
more largely than all other kinds put to¬ 
gether, and for this reason. It is my custom 
to test every new variety that appears. 
Among hundreds that I have tried, the Bid- 
well for two years past has taken the lead 
on my place. I ask if, in your opinion, I 
should hide such a strawberry-light under a 
bushel, merely because I deal in the plants ? 
Cannot a nurseryman deal so frankly and 
squarely with the public that his “ axe-grind¬ 
ing ” may be as conducive to the interests of 
others as to his own ? I also invested largely 
in the “Crystal City” and “Marvin,” and 
have, I suppose, 100,000 plants of these two 
varieties on hand. The former I do not re¬ 
commend at all, except for the amateur who 
wishes a few exceedingly early berries. The 
latter is a fine large firm berry, but I do not 
advise any to plant it who has not a soil that 
will raise the “ Jucunda ” profitably. But few 
fruit-growers have the time or the means to 
try new things, but all are eager to learn 
the results of such tests. If one will keep an 
honest record, and give the bottom facts, no 
matter w r hom they hurt, may he not 
do it even though a plant-grower ? 
It is my belief that there is a fine 
future before the “ Bidwell ” Straw¬ 
berry, for, like the “Cuthbert” 
Raspberry, it has made its way to 
the front by its own merit. It is 
not a strictly guarded novelty that 
was highly lauded before being sent 
out. I enclose you the endorsement 
of so thorough a horticulturist as 
Mr. T. T. Lyon, of Michigan, in 
which State the variety originated. 
It has done admirably on Mr. 
Force’s place, in Newburgh, and 
Mr. Lovett’s, in N. J., as well as 
upon my own grounds. Mr. Peter 
B. Mead saw my plants in bearing 
last summer, and writes : “ But to 
the ‘ Bidwell.’ I was greatly pleased 
with it, as I saw it growing in your 
grounds. The fruit was large, of 
good color, and had a peculiarly 
grateful flavor, reminding me, at 
the time, of a well ripened Black 
Tartarian Cherry. I can remember 
no strawberry with so distinctive 
a flavor. Then, too, the plants were 
very productive. I hope it may do 
equally well eveiywhere, for it 
seemed to me at the time to be one 
of the most promising strawberries 
I had seen in a long time. It was 
also very fine at Mr. Force’s. My 
own plants are growing finely.” I 
state distinctly that it is a novelty, 
just as the “Chas. Downing” and 
‘ ‘ Champion ” were a few years ago, 
and like those standards must en¬ 
dure the test of years in all localities 
and upon all soils before its real 
value can be permanently known. 
That it “ thrives on light soils,” and that not 
a leaf burned or scalded during the prolonged 
heats and drouths of last summer, are facts 
that signify a great deal to an experienced 
fruit-grower. I shall fruit it quite exten¬ 
sively this summer, and I here invite all of 
the fruit critics to come and see and test it. 
The Chayote, or Chocho. 
Comets are not tne only things that move 
in irregular orbits. An Agricultural Editor 
may be sure that certain things will turn up 
at intervals, which may be subject to some 
law. One of those things that, from one 
source or another, is sure to be presented to us 
the chayote or chocho {Sechium edule). 
every few years, is the “Chocho,” or “ Chay¬ 
ote,” the first is its Spanish name, and the oth¬ 
er that by which it is known to the English- 
speaking residents of the West Indies. The 
thing, as presented to us, is a more or less ir¬ 
regularly pear-shaped, wrinkled fruit, though 
it looks quite as much like a root as a fruit. 
The last one received came from a seedsman 
in a neighboring city, for a name, and was 
in just the condition to show its striking pe¬ 
culiarity, and we give an engraving of it. 
The article in question is the fruit of one 
of the Squash Family, the botanical name of 
the plant being Sechium edule. The vine 
is much like that of a melon, and the fruit is 
of the general shape shown in the engraving, 
which is about half the real size. The fruit 
is really a one-seeded squash, or melon. It is 
of a creamy-white color, and furnished with 
numerons weak prickles. It has within just 
a single large seed , and w hen germination be¬ 
gins, the fruit breaks at the top, the seed pro¬ 
trudes from the crack, and the vine shoots be¬ 
gin to grow from the seed as shown in the 
engraving. Some years ago we were present¬ 
ed with one of the fruits that had been start¬ 
ed in a pot. In order to give it a good chance 
it was planted near the pigpen. The vine 
grew famously, and soon draped the pen in a 
manner no doubt most agreeable to the in¬ 
mates ; it then took a start for the fence, and 
went through that into a neighbor’s grounds, 
running eastward at a rapid rate. Where it 
would have gone had not frost checked its ca¬ 
reer, we cannot say, but with all its growing 
it showed no signs of fruit. In tropical cli¬ 
mates it is said to bear fruit abundantly, and, 
moreover, to bear at its roots edible tubers. 
The fruit is used after the manner of the 
squash, and is said to be much esteemed m 
warm countries. It has been introduced into 
our Southern States, and is said to be of¬ 
fered in the markets of Mobile and other* 
