AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
■ — ■ — — - . 
encasing roots Avith a coat of mud, is very 
useful and efficient, and may be practised in 
the transplanting of all young plants in dry 
weather, as it obviates, in a great degree, 
subsequent attention in Avatering, a thin 
covering of short grass, or litter of any de¬ 
scription, should now be laid about the young 
plants. Planted thus early, a good growth 
will follow, the plants mature buds before 
winter, and produce an average crop the 
following season. 
Fall planting is frequently practised, and if 
the plants are set out early, not later than 
the middle of September, they will root and 
get someAvhat established before winter; but 
the alternate freezing and thawing of the 
soil during winter, throws them out of the 
ground, unless the soil is of a sanday na¬ 
ture and protected with a covering of litter. 
Instead of planting them out permanently in 
the fall, it is more advisable to place them a 
few inches apart in a sheltered spot, Avhere 
they can be preserved by a covering of 
leaves all winter, and planted out early in 
spring. This practice not only affords time 
for a suitable and thorough preparation of 
the ground, but the plants being carefully 
lifted with small balls of earth to their roots, 
will produce a more uniform and vigorous 
plantation, than those permanently planted 
out in the fall. 
Mulching is a very material consideration 
in strawberry culture, more particularly in 
spring and fall. Covering the ground be¬ 
tween the plants Avith hay, leaves, &c., in 
spring, preserves the fruit while ripening, 
and retards the escape of moisture from the 
soil. In the fall a covering of short manure 
will serve the double purpose of enriching 
the soil and sheltering the plants during 
winter. Tan bark has been much recom¬ 
mended for this purpose, and has been pro¬ 
nounced a special manure for the strawberry. 
I have used it largely for many years, but 
have not discovered its utility as a manure ; 
its protecting qualities can not be questioned, 
and may be usefully employed as a substi¬ 
tute—of partly decomposed leaves and sta¬ 
ble-yard manure—for Avinter covering. 
The long list of named varieties, and the 
constant additions to the list, renders it diffi¬ 
cult to make a choice selection ; some cata¬ 
logues enumerate over 100 named sorts. 
Having tested at least half that number, I 
prefer, and Avould recommend the three 
following as combining all that has been at 
tained in this fruit: 
1. For flavor alone, Burr’s Pine. 2. For 
size and flavor, Hovey’s Seedling, and for 
size, M‘Avoy’s Superior. These Avith a feAv 
plants of the Cushing, or Buist’s Prize, as 
fertilizers will leave little to be desired in the 
excellence of this valuable fruit. 
Some time ago the horticultural Avorld 
was thrown into a small state of excitement 
by the announcement that in NeAv-Orleans 
they had a stratvberry which produced a 
succession of crops during the summer. 
Plants of this variety soon found their Avay 
to the North, but, Avithout exception, they 
have proved an entire failure. No doubt 
this peculiarity depended altogether upon the 
climate and treatment. I have frequently, 
by peculiar treatment, gathered two crops in 
one season from the same plants. Our 
strawberry season might be much prolonged, 
were means taken to irrigate the plants 
when necessary. This might easily be ef¬ 
fected on sloping ground, by forming a series 
of slight terraces, the plants grown in nar¬ 
row beds, somewhat elevated, leaving slight 
trenches between the rows of plants. These 
level platforms could then be saturated with 
Avater at pleasure, and communication being 
secured, the surplus Avater would descend 
from one to the other. The rain Avater fall¬ 
ing on a dwelling house or barn, collected in 
a tank, would be found sufficient for an or¬ 
dinary plantation, and there is no doubt, 
would amply repay all trouble, both in the 
quantity and quality of the produce. 
WILLIAM SAUNDERS, 
Landscape Gardener, Germantown. 
Remarks by the Editor. —The above ap¬ 
pears to cover the whole ground relative to 
the practical culture of the strawberry ; and 
the statement and directions are given in so 
plain and straightforward a Avay, as to be 
comprehended by every one. Mr. Saunders, 
of the firm of Meehan & Saunders, Land¬ 
scape Gardeners and Nurserymen, whose 
grounds are directly opposite the fine man¬ 
sion of Mr. Carpenter, on Germantown ave 
nue—is a thoroughly practical man, and un¬ 
derstands in all its ramifications, the culture 
of this valuable fruit. Hence his sugges¬ 
tions are founded upon practice, and are de¬ 
serving of every consideration. 
Germantown Telegraph. 
American Pomological Society. —We are 
indebted to Hon. Marshall P. Wilder for an 
early copy of the published proceedings of 
the last Annual meeting of this Society of 
Boston. Owing to an unusual press of cor¬ 
respondence and other business at this sea¬ 
son, we have not yet had time to give this 
valuable report a careful perusal, but will do 
so at the earliest opportunity, and present a 
synopsis of the more important portions to 
our horticultural readers. 
New-York Horticultural Society.— At 
the meeting of the Horticultural Society, on 
Monday evening, the following officers Avere 
elected: 
President — Wilson G. Hunt. 
Vice-Presidents —John Groshon, William 
W. Livermore, Abraham A. Leggett, Archi¬ 
bald Russell, H. M. Schieffelin. 
Treasurer —Charles Place. 
Recording Secretary —Peter B. Mead. 
Corresponding Secretary —Dr. T. Knight. 
Librarian —James Cheetham. 
Finance Committee —Jacob C. Parsons, 
John Groshon, W. W. Livermore. 
Library Committee —Peter B. Mead, An¬ 
drew Reid. 
Premium Committee —Alexander Gordon, 
Isaac Buchanan. 
Fruit Committee —Charles More, Thomas 
Hogg, W. S. Carpenter. 
Committee on Flowers and Plants —J. E. 
Rauch, Thomas Notterville, David Scott. 
Vegetable Committee —William Cranston, 
John Suttle, John S. Burgess. 
Seed Committee —Caleb F. Lindsley, Ed¬ 
ward Walker, John C. Hunter. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
THE FANCY PELARGONIUM- 
Being a great admirer of this beautiful 
plant, I send you a few hints on the manage¬ 
ment of what may almost be called the per¬ 
petual pelargonium—flowering as it does, 
with proper treatment, all the year. 
Plants started this and the previous month, 
will make a splendid display early in the 
spring, the flowers being varied with beautiful 
colors and delicate tints, which, together 
with its sweet foliage, make it a great favor¬ 
ite for bouquets. As this plant will stand 
almost any amount of heat without injury, 
and blossoms freely in a high temperature, 
it is easily and successfully forced. When 
the shoots have grown sufficiently long, pass 
a piece of string or matting around the pot 
close beneath the rim, and with matting tie 
the shoots down to it, at equal distances, so 
that in growing they may completely cover 
the edge of the pot; put sticks to those 
shoots Avhicli you wish to bring up to the 
middle of the plant. 
247 
By this treatment you obtain a dwarf, 
bushy and compact plant. When they have 
grown sufficiently, stop all the shoots at the 
same time, as, by that means, all the flowers 
will open at once, and present a spendid and 
gorgeous display, fitted either for the draw¬ 
ing room, conservatory, or greenhouse. 
I here enumerate a dozen of the most dis¬ 
tinct and beautiful varieties, Avith their col¬ 
ors : 
Casandra—rich crimson and Avhite. 
Celestial—fine rosy lilac. 
Empress—pure white, with lilac spots. 
Lady Hume Campbell—rich crimson, Ioav- 
er petals rose and Avhite. 
Caliban—rich mulberry, with Avhite. 
Gipsey Queen—pure Avhite, with mulber¬ 
ry spots. 
Resplendent—fine crimson and scarlet,Avith 
white. 
Formosissimum—rosy crimson and violet. 
Jenny Lind—rose and Avhite. 
Advancer—mulberry suffused Avith rose. 
Richard Cobden—dark velvet and crim¬ 
son. 
Defiance—a rich glossy velvet. 
Since these plants can be procured from 
the nurseries at a trifling expense, and easily 
propagated, I strongly recommend them to 
the skillful gardener, and to all lovers of flo¬ 
riculture, there being no more difficulty in 
cultivating these plants than the common 
geranium. W. Summersbey. 
Bellport, L. I., Dec. 1854. 
ORIGIN OF VARIOUS PLANTS. 
Every gentleman farmer ought to be some¬ 
Avhat acquainted Avith the origin and history 
of all ordinary plants and trees, so as to 
knoAv their nature, country and condition. 
Such knowledge, besides being a great 
source of pleasure, and very desirable, will 
often enable him to explain phenomena in 
the habits of many plants that otherwise 
Avould appear inexplicable. 
Wheat, although considered by some as a 
native of Sicily, originally came from the 
central table-land of Thibet, where it yet ex¬ 
ists as a grass, Avith small, mealy seeds. 
Rye exists wild in Siberia. 
Barley exists wild in the mountains of 
Himalaya. 
Oats Avere brought from North Africa. 
Millet, one species is a native of India, 
another Egypt and Abyssinia. 
Maize, Indian corn, is of native growth in 
America. 
Rice was brought from South Africa, 
Avhence it was taken to India, and thence to 
Europe and America. 
Peas are of unknown origin. 
Vetches are natives of Germany. 
The Garden Bean, from the East Indies. 
Buckwheat came originally from Siberia 
and Turkey. 
Cabbage groivs wild in Sicily and Naples. 
The Poppy was brought from the East. 
The SunfloAver from Peru. 
Hops came to perfection as a Avild fioAver 
in Germany. 
Saffron came from Egypt. 
The Onion is also a native of Egypt 
Horseradish from South Europe. 
Tobacco is a native of Virginia, Tobago 
and California. Another species lias also 
been found Avild in Asia. 
The Grasses are mostly native plants, and 
so are the Clovers, except Lucerne, Avhich 
is a native of Sicily. 
The Gourd is an Eastern plant. 
The Potato is a Avell known native of 
Peru and Mexico. 
Koriander groAVS Avild near the Mediter¬ 
ranean. 
Anise was brought from the Grecian Ar¬ 
chipelago. [Dollar NeAVspaper. 
