AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
378 
eight inches apart, covering to the same depth 
as tulips. Complete the bed with crocusses and 
snowdrops alternated in masses, the former two 
inches and the latter three inches deep, and both 
2 to 4inches apart, or in rows 4 or 5 inches apart. 
Upon the approach of Winter, cover with coarse 
stable litter, to be raked off in early Spring. In 
the season of blooming, from the first of April to 
the middle of June, the gay colors, varied forms 
and odors, will well repay the careful cultivator. 
Newer Annuals. 
The double Zinnia, now two years out, is a 
desirable thing. It was loudly trumpeted in 
England, before it was imported here. Dr. Lind- 
ley said it was “not a whit.less.interesting 
than a double Dahlia.” Few will agree with 
him there. Certainly, we should not, judging 
from those raised last year in our own garden. 
They were double and semi-double, but were 
less brilliant in color than the old single sorts. 
The several new sorts of Japan Pinks, single 
and double, are really valuable acquisitions. 
Flowers larger than the old Chinese pinks, and 
of bright crimson, striped, mottled, etc., etc. 
The seeds are to be had now of all florists. If 
first started in a pot or box of earth in the 
house in April, they will flower the first season. 
A Good Thing for the Flower Garden. 
The present passion for bedding-plants is 
causing a good many plants, formerly confined 
to glass-houses, to be tried in the open air, from 
spring frost to fall frost. Among these we have 
seen the Calceolaria, and Gaillardia picta, planted 
out in the open ground this Summer, and the 
Mimulus , and the Dusty Miller Geranium, and 
even the Egyptian Lily in moist, shady places. 
In our own garden, we have tried the Brug- 
mansias for two years, and find them exceeding 
our expectations. This is the old family of Da¬ 
tura, changed to Brugmansia. Any one can raise 
the plants from cuttings, which strike quite 
readily. For immediate and effective show, the 
main reliance must be on large plants. Having 
such an one, select an open spot on the lawn, 
cut out a circular bed, three or four feet in diam¬ 
eter, and enrich it with old manure. Set the 
plant from its pot into the center, and tie to a 
firm stake. By mid-summer, it will make a 
grand sight, and will give pleasure by its show 
of an abundance of blossoms all summer long. 
There are several sorts, more or less desira¬ 
ble. Brugmansia Knightii is our favorite. The 
flowers are pure white, tubular, often six or 
eight inches long, and delicately fragrant. B. 
sanguinea has flowers white and green. B. flori- 
lunda is orange-colored. As soon as frosts come, 
re-pot the plants, cut back the tops considera¬ 
bly, and set away in a cool corner of the green¬ 
house, or in the cellar. Treat them in all res¬ 
pects like the common scarlet geranium. 
Squirrel Corn (Dicentra Gmadensis), 
This beautiful little flower of early Summer 
is one which, with care to reproduce in the gar¬ 
den the conditions of the rich woodland in which 
it rejoices, namely: some shade, a vegetable 
mold, and a moderate degree of moisture, though 
not wetness, grows and blossoms beautifully, 
giving a freshness and interest to some quiet 
nook which is very attractive. The botanical 
name is Dicentra Canadensis, and this indicates 
its hardiness. It is a low growing perennial, 
throwing out underground stems which form 
tubers about as big as small grains of corn, from 
which the English name is derived. These tu¬ 
bers are at this season ripe and may be taken 
up and removed to the garden. The flowers are 
greenish white, with a tinge of red, and fragrant. 
This form is quite peculiar, as represented in 
the cut, but not so singular as the Dutchman’s 
breeches, (Dicentra cucullaria,) which is a close¬ 
ly allied flower that blooms a little earlier. 
Flower Pits. 
In response to several inquiries, we introduce 
the above cut to illustrate the method of con¬ 
structing a pit for keeping flowers and tender 
plants during Winter. These pits should be dug 
in day soil, and may be stoned or bricked up, or 
have a framework of wood upon which the 
cover is laid. If not perfectly dry naturally, a 
drain should be constructed to carry off water. 
It is best to use green-house sashes to cover the 
pit, but not absolutely necessary. A correspond¬ 
ent in a former volume described with suffi¬ 
cient minuteness a pit which worked well, and 
we reprint it here: “A pit was dug twelve feet 
long, six feet wide, and six feet deep. The dig¬ 
ging occupied one man nearly three days. Lo¬ 
cust posts were driven at each corner, and two 
others on one side for the door, and a lining of 
spruce boards an inch thick nailed on the inside 
of the posts, leaving a space of three to four 
inches between the boards and the earth. This 
space was closely packed with coal dust, fine 
ashes, and other similar materials at hand. The 
bottom was paved with rough stones. The posts 
were kept firmly in their places by a brace at 
each end. A common frame-work was then 
put on, with three sashes ; a door fitted closely. 
The steps were outside of the door, and enclosed 
with a trap-door. The sashes sloped about one 
foot. Wooden shutters were put on in severe 
weather, and covered with a layer of salt hay. 
The ground around was neatly sodded, and the 
frame-work' painted, making a very good 
appearance. The carpenter’s bill, including oixt- 
side shutters, was $58, making the 
entire cost somewhat less than $65. 
It held about 125 medium-sized 
pots; and every plant kept in it the 
past Winter is untouched by frost. 
It was tightly closed when the se¬ 
vere weather came on, and not 
opened until the mild days in Feb¬ 
ruary.” The preceding engraving 
represents a' stone or brick walled pit cov¬ 
ered with sashes and a mat of straw above. 
----a®*--*—- 
The Seckel Pear. 
The uniform and universal excellence of this 
pear no intelligent person will- doubt, but its 
origin is not so fairly undisputed. In this re¬ 
spect it ranks with the Delaware grape. A 
correspondent of a Minnesota paper says that 
in the year 1761, a Frenchman, banished from 
his native country, came to America, and set¬ 
tled on a point of land below Philadelphia. 
Hot long after he had built his cabin, he observed 
a young pear tree growing up near his door 
He guarded it until it came to the age for bear¬ 
ing fruit, when he was rejoiced to find the pro¬ 
duct of superior quality. He carried aT few to 
market; where they found ready purchasers. 
And so on for ten or fifteen years his seedling 
pear tree brought him a handsome little income. 
The Frenchman kept the whereabouts of the 
tree a secret as long as possible, and when it 
was discovered, he forbade cions to be taken 
from it. As he always kept an old sickle hang¬ 
ing on a limb of the tree, it came to be called 
the Sickle-tree, and hence the Seckel. In the 
year 1821, he died, and bequeathed his little 
home and favorite tree to Stephen Girard, by 
whom grafts were soon distributed. 
That’s one story. Mr. Downing tells another, 
to wit: that the seedling was raised by a cattle 
dealer, near Philadelphia, known as “Dutch 
Jacob”; that he afterwards sold the land on 
which it stood to a Mr. Seckel, who introduced 
the fruit to public notice. Afterwards, the farm 
and tree became the property of Mr. Girard. 
The original tree is believed to be still alive. 
Manure for Pear Trees. 
Undoubtedly, there are some soils which need 
very little manure. Such, especially, are the 
deep, virgin lands of our meadows, where the 
deposits from the overflow of neighboring 
streams have been accumulating for centuries. 
But such lands are not everywhere to be found. 
There are large districts in which the soil is 
comparatively light, and which have been ex¬ 
hausted by long cropping. Let no one think of 
growing pears here without manure. This tree 
is a gross feeder, and soon consumes the ele¬ 
ments of nutrition within its reach. Both the 
