354 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
thinks there is lUtle danger of mice in or¬ 
chards, where the ground is well cultivated 
and the fence corners are kept free from 
standing grass and weeds, and recommends 
wire fences around orchards. The water 
will injure the roots if freezing takes place 
immediately. 
M. H. W., recommends putting heaps of 
straw in several places around the orchard, 
to allure the mice, and depositing under 
each of these some corn soaked in a solu¬ 
tion of strychnine dissolved in water. Those 
who use strychnine in any manner, should 
be very careful with it, and get full partic¬ 
ulars from the druggist of whom they buy 
it. 
Others suggest “ ratsbane ” (arsenic) ; 
putting coal cinders around the roots ; &c. 
NEW PLANTS. 
We recently saw at Mr. Cranstoun’s, Ho¬ 
boken, some very choice seedlings. He has 
given considerable attention to hybridizing, 
and has met with a good measure of success. 
The following are noteworthy : 
A hybrid between Begonia fuchsoides and 
Begonia fuchsoides alba ; a strong growing 
plant, with dark, glossy green foliage, and 
very large trusses of beautiful rose-colored 
flowers. This constitutes quite a distinct 
variety, and may be regarded as a valuable 
acquisition. Plants of this hybrid will pro¬ 
bably be for sale, and they are worthy of a 
wide dissemination. 
We also saw a number of hybrids between 
Begonia manicata and Begonia incarnata, two 
or three of which pleased us very much ; they 
have the habit and foliage of manicata, with 
flowers in the style of incarnata. They are 
very desirable plants, and we hope will be 
sent out. 
Mr. C., has also a hybrid between Abutilon 
venosum and Abutilon striatum ; a very great 
improvement upon the former, being much 
finer in both foliage and flower. He has also 
several seedling camellias, and a number of 
seedling Azalias, some of which look very 
promising. Altogether, Air. Cranstoun is 
doing a good work. 
Mr. Geo. C. Thorburn, has originated 
quite a novelty in the way of a Verbena, 
which promises to become a great favorite. 
It is in the pulchella style, fine foliage, with 
a creeping but compact habit. The flowers 
are rose color, the petals uniformly margined 
with white. A clump of it in Mr. Thorburn’s 
garden is a lovely sight. It will make a 
charming bedding plant. It will no doubt be 
offered for sale. We also saw some very 
fine newly imported Fuchsias and Verbenas ; 
but, for the present , at least, we only purpose 
noticing the natives. 
At Mr. Graef’s, in Brooklyn, some few 
weeks since, we carefully examined a col¬ 
lection of several hundred seedling Delphin¬ 
iums or Larkspurs. Having marked the 
best, we singled out from these some three 
or four double ones, which for form, color, 
and symmetry, surpassed anything we have 
yet seen in the way of a Delphinium. We 
suggested names for these last, and left with 
an urgent recommendation that Mr. Graef 
should propagate them for sale; but have 
some misgivings as to whether our recom¬ 
mendation will be heeded. 
Hereafter we expect to notice new plants 
as they appear, and will be thankful for any 
information that may be of interest to the 
general reader, or the amateurs. 
The above notice accomplishes at least one 
extrinsic end, viz.: it furnishes a sufficient 
reply to the oft repeated sneer, “ Who ever 
heard of a good seedlings raised near New- 
York V' —En. 
CHAPTERS ON PEAR CULTURE—NO. II. 
BY DR. L. E. B., NEW JERSEY. 
Having to the best of my abilities disposed 
of the question about Dwarf Pears, I now 
take up the other questions proposed. 
In answer to your third question, there 
are various conditions which, in my opinion, 
constitute excellence for general cultivation, 
such as the following: 
1st. Hardiness and vigor of the tree. A 
tree can be vigorous for a season, and yet 
not be hardy ; that is, able to resist sudden 
changes, or extremes of heat, cold, drought, 
or moisture. Hardiness should go together 
with natural vigor and thriftiness. 
2d. Shape of the tree. The form ap¬ 
proaching nearest to the pyramidal is gener¬ 
ally the best. For orchard trees this is not 
a requisite; but the limbs must have a natu¬ 
ral tendency to set well, without straggling 
or bending dispositions. 
3d. The tree must be adapted to most 
kinds of soils in which a pear tree can grow. 
4th. The fruit ought to be large enough, 
and handsome or of good appearance. 
5th. The variety must be a good and con¬ 
stant bearer under good treatment. 
6th. The fruit must stick to the branches 
fairly, so that the least wind does not bring 
the greater part of the crop to the ground, 
(as is the case with the Columbia. Soldat La 
boreur, &c. 
7th. It must ripen well, that is slowly and 
surely. 
8th. It should be at least of good quality, 
if not very good or best, with the exception 
of cooking pears. 
9th. It is all the better if the blossoms are 
developed late. The late blossoming varie¬ 
ties, either among pears, apples, or any other 
fruit, escape the spring frosts, and are the 
surest. 
10th. It must succeed both on the pear and 
on the quince stock. If naturally a good and 
early bearer the quince stock can be dis¬ 
pensed with. 
The following combine most of the above 
qualities, and stand first upon the list: Belle 
Lucrative, Louise Bonne, Duchesse d’An- 
gouleme, BufFum, Urbaniste, Vicar of Wink- 
field, Bartlett on pear stock, and Beurre 
Langelier 
Your next two questions are : “Are quince 
stocks raised in this country; and is it 
worth while to try to grow them here V' 
I have seen hundreds of thousands raised 
from seed in the Rochester nurseries, and I 
can safely predict that within a few years 
we shall not be dependent upon the old coun¬ 
try for either quince or pear stocks. I en¬ 
tertain not the least doubt that we can raise 
them as profitably as in Europe with proper 
care and attention, provided, as I stated in 
my first article, that we only use the seed of 
the wildest pears, and that we select for the 
quince the appropriated soil, mucky, rather 
sandy, and comparatively wet. 
The sixth question refers to the length of 
time required from seed, or from budding, to 
the fruiting of the stock 1 
Two things are to be considered in reply 
to this question: 1st. The fitness of the 
variety to either pear or quince stock; 2d. 
and its bearing propensities on the one or on 
the other. With proper cultivation, the 
young pear seedlings can mostly be budded 
the second year, and certainly all of them 
the third year. The genuine stocks or cut¬ 
tings can be budded the following summer. 
Such varieties as the Bartlett, Duchesse 
d’Angouleme, White Doyenne, &c-, often 
go to bearing from the third to the fifth year 
from the bud on pear stock ; but for ordinary 
varieties, not so prolific, and especially if we 
want a good lasting tree, by trimming and keep¬ 
ing all the leaves iR good proportion to the stock, 
from six to eight years are required. On the 
quince stock, prolific varieties, under very skilful 
cultivation, yield fruit the second year from the 
bud. But it is more in our interest not to allow 
the tree to bear before it has attained sufficient 
strength. 
Your seventh question was : 
“ Should any one wishing only a few trees for 
home use, get dwarfs or standards, or both V' 
If the soil is rich and deep, and consequently 
fitted for both, I should prefer to have a few stand¬ 
ards, say one third of prolific varieties, to put on 
the outside or most exposed and neglected por¬ 
tion of the garden or premises. Indeed we hard¬ 
ly can wholly dispense with the pear stock, as 
there are many varieties that will not do well, 
nor even at all on the quince, unless double 
worked, that is grafted or budded upon a variety 
which has already been budded upon the quince, 
and is suited to it. Such are the Seckel, Doyenne 
Boussock, Washington, even the Bartlett, and 
many others. 
In regard to your inquiry, whether, “ on ac¬ 
count of the numerous failures among ordinary 
cultivators the pear crop is not to be considered 
as a very uncertain onel” I shall only repeat 
what I have already stated : that precious flowers, 
luscious fruits, and perfect vegetables, require 
more care, more skill, and more attention, than is 
commonly bestowed upon them. With one half 
of the care taken, say, for instance, to obtain 
grapes under glass, or cameleias in pots; with 
proper trimming, mulching, and sound cultivation, 
nothing seems to me more sure than a year crop. 
I have many pear trees which have never failed 
to give fine crops since they were planted, five 
years ago. Certain it is that a great many of the 
planted fruit trees are lost the first, or, at least, 
the second and third year after their removal from 
the nurseries to gardens and orchards. I do not 
think I am far above a fair estimation, if I state 
that one third of the pear and apple trees taken 
from the nurseries are destroyed or lost in a few 
years after their setting out or removal. Neglect, 
ill-weeds, insects, cattle, worms and grubs, are 
the everlasting causes; and fair cultivation only, 
can prevent such a waste of property. A tree 
worth planting is always worth caring for. 
“ Will a pear orchard pay for market purposes 1” 
A fine pear orchard does not really require more 
cultivation than a corn field—it seldom gets as 
much—and I am confident it will give more profit- 
