Q76 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[September, 
Beurre Superfin Pear. 
This is one of the really fine pears, the merits 
of which have not been sufficiently set forth in 
fruit books and periodicals. We have no hesita¬ 
tion in saying that, when better known, it will 
take a high rank among the rapidly increasing 
number of good pears. At the last meeting of 
the American Pomological Society it was highly 
eulogized, and, after a full expression of senti¬ 
ment, unanimously recommended for “General 
Cultivation,” both on the pear and quince stock. 
The President, Mr. Wilder, says “ I have had it 
under cultivation for ten years, and have no hes¬ 
itation in saying that it is one of the best in the 
catalogue. There may be an equal, but there 
can be no superior.” Mr. Barry, remarked that 
it was an “ excellent grower and great bearer; 
the fruit is of great size. When it is generally 
known it will be pronounced everywhere one of 
the finest pears under cultivation. It grows very 
well on the quince stock.” 
The fruit may be described as oblate-pyri- 
form, medium to large, with a yellowish skin par¬ 
tially covered with russet, thickly sprinkled with 
fine dots, and shaded with crimson upon the sun¬ 
ny side. Stalk strong, nearly one inch in length ; 
calyx closed, set in a narrow basin ; flesh very 
juicy, buttery and melting, with a sprightly sub¬ 
acid, vinous flavor. Ripens during October and 
November, and remains longer in an eating state 
than most other varieties, which is one of its 
strong recommendations. Our engraving, above, 
was made from a medium sized specimen, but 
gives a very correct representation of its gener¬ 
al appearance. It may also be added that the 
tree is a good grower, of a beautiful appearance, 
healthy, and an abundant and constant bearer. 
It is of French origin, being a seedling of M. Gou- 
balt, upon his grounds at Angers, and has thus 
far proved perfectly hardy in this country. We 
are desirous to see it more extensively planted. 
Tree Mignonette. 
Many suppose that this deliciously scented 
flower is essentially and necessarily an annual. 
But it may be made a perennial. Having started 
the plant from seed, as usual, give it during the 
summer plenty of light and heat to make it grow 
robust and stocky, train it upright by tying the 
central stalk to a stake, take off the lower 
branches, and pick off the flowers as soon as 
they mature, allowing none to go to seed. By 
the month of September, you will have quite a 
strong, bushy plant. Near the middle of this 
month, take it up with a ball of earth around the 
roots, pot it, and remove to the green-house oV 
parlor window. It will now become a perennial 
shrub. 
New and Valuable Plants. 
The principal novelties for the flower garden 
the present season have been the various Trito- 
mas, the Farfugium grande, and the celebrated 
Japan Pinks. Next year, not the least notice¬ 
able will be the new Pyrethrums. A pink variety, 
the roscum, has been cultivated in this country for 
a few years, but being nearly a single flower, has 
not attracted much attention. From the notices 
which now reach us, we judge that great improve¬ 
ments have been made upon it by the German 
and French hybridizers. Ten new sorts are 
mentioned, which, if not fully double like the old 
white, have the great excellence of being perfect¬ 
ly hardy. We give the descriptions substantially 
as we find them : 
Atrosanguineum: nearly two feet high, foliage 
dark green, flowers upwards of two inches in 
diameter, rays violet crimson with a yellow disc. 
Duchess de Brabant: dwarf and compact in 
growth, a foot or so high, flowers nearly four 
inches in diameter, [can this be so 1] the rays rosy 
crimson, with bright yellow disc. 
Charles Ballet: large plant, handsome foliage, 
flower-heads large, semi-double, four inches 
across, the central florets short and rose-colored, 
and the outer rays carmine. 
Several others are said to be equally attractive, 
the names of which are as follows : Pyrethrum 
roseum nanum, white, tinted with pink ; P. Del- 
hayii, crimson ; P. Tom Pouce, P. Gloire de 
Mayence, P. Milleri, purplish rose, P. Ambrose 
Verschaffelt, P. Theophite Massarl, P. Parthe* 
nium, flore pleno. 
Out of so many jaw-breaking names, some good 
things ought to come. Let us watch for them. 
While our pen is in, we will record another 
Pink from Russia, which is on its way to our 
gardens. It is after the style of the famous Hed- 
dewiggii, from Japan. Its name is Dianthus Ver- 
schaffettii. And what a name ! The description 
as given by the Messrs. Henderson, of England, 
is in quite high-toned rhetoric : “ The flowers, 
in their general aspect of growth, resemble a 
large specimen of the florist’s varieties of pinks, 
as grown for competition, but differ in showing 
a single expansion of flower-lobes rather than of 
double petal series, and each entire blossom be¬ 
ing from two to three inches in diameter; while 
the entire series of petals, instead of all combin¬ 
ing to form a single blossom with the usual dark 
ray or center, as is the case in the varieties 
above quoted, in the present example range them¬ 
selves into a series of colored spots at the base, 
converging to a crimson belt or zone,,and togeth¬ 
er forming a large aggregate cluster or flower- 
head. The arrangement of these concentric se¬ 
ries of picturesque petal rays within one simple 
base or crown, forms one of the most novel and 
singular combinations yet known in gardens, etc., 
etc.” This is all very grand, but when we buy 
our specimen, we shall beg to take it without the 
description 1 
Sport of a Rose. 
In a late number of the Gardeners’ Chronicle, 
(Eng.) there is an account of a remarkable sport 
of the Rose. A Devoniensis was budded upon a 
white Banksia, and from the bud issued, in con¬ 
nection with the regular Devoniensis branch, a 
shoot which was neither Banksia nor Devonien¬ 
sis, but partook somewhat of the character of 
both, with a Tea scent. The writer goes on to 
remark of the change the Banksian stock often 
produces upon the different varieties worked 
upon it, well known to practical rose growers. 
The sap of one variety was mingled with that ol 
the other, and a shoot starting out at that partic¬ 
ular point gave the sport in question. A change 
of this kind is also noticed in working the purple 
Cytisus upon a Laburnum, which gives the 
changeable Cytisus Adami. 
When is a vine like a hog? when it begins to 
root. When is it like a soldier? when it begins 
to shoot. When is it like a coward ? when it 
begins to run. What will hold it to its place ? 
ten drills (tendrils.) 
The man who wedded an opinion, found himself 
married to a one-eyed dear (one idea). 
