88 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
PLANTING SHRUBBERY". 
THE BARM FRUIT GARDEN- 
Now is the time to mature plans for im¬ 
provements and additions to the farm ; the 
moment for action will soon be at hand. 
Among other improvements we must urge 
the many claims of a fruit garden. Most 
farmers have a supply of fruit of some kind ; 
but the choice varieties of small fruits are 
seldom seen, even on the best farms. Farm¬ 
ers deserve, and should have the best of ev¬ 
erything. We advise that a plot of ground 
be set apart exclusively for a fruit garden, 
on .which should be grown the best varieties 
of Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, 
Currants, Gooseberries, Grapes, Dwarf 
Pears, &c. The soil should be deeply trench¬ 
ed, heavily manured, and thoroughly drain¬ 
ed. Divide it into beds and borders, and 
edge them with box, if a neat appearance 
is wished for ; and a neat fence is of course 
desirable, as well for looks as to protect it 
from the depredations of animals. The fruit 
and vegetable garden may be within the 
same inclosure ; and if, for want of ground, 
or other reasons, a separate plot cannot be 
allotted to the fruit garden, the borders of 
the vegetable garden may be used for this 
purpose. In planting, make the holes suffi¬ 
ciently large to admit of spreading the roots 
in their natural position. Prepare the holes 
before opening the package of trees or plants, 
and then let the planting be done as speedi¬ 
ly as is consistent with doing the work well. 
Nearly as many trees are lost from exposing 
the roots to the drying influence of the air, 
as from careless., planting. Some old ma¬ 
nure may be placed in the bottom of the 
holes, thoroughly incorporating it with the 
soil. 
We give the names of a few of the best 
kinds of fruit for a garden likethis, not ad¬ 
vising too great a variety of each : 
Strawberries —Hovey’s Seedling, Long- 
worth’s Prolific, Burr’s New Pine and Mc- 
Avoy’s Superior. 
Raspberries —Fastolff, Antwerp, Franco¬ 
nia, and Brinckle’s Orange. 
Currants —Red Dutch, White Dutch, 
Cherry, Prince Albert, and Long-bunched 
Red. 
Gooseberries —Houghton’s Seedling,White¬ 
smith, Crown Bob, Early White, &c.; and 
of the black, Bang-up and Black Naples. 
Blackberries —New Rochelle, and Boston 
High Bush. The Thornless (so called) 
promises well. 
Grapes —Isabella, Catawba, Diana and 
Concord. 
Dwarf Pears —Duchesse d’Angouleime, 
Dearborn’s Seedling, Seckel, Sheldon, Law¬ 
rence, Vicar of Winkfield and Glout Mor- 
ceau. 
Good fruit is something more than a 
mere luxury ; it is highly nutritious 
and conducive to health. Every family 
should be well supplied with it; and children 
be allowed to eat of it freely when ripe. Too 
much cannot be said in its praise, and we 
question whether the nectar of the Olym¬ 
pian gods was as delicious as our choicest 
Pears. 
Vain-glory blossoms, but never bears. 
THE DWARF PEAR. 
SICKLY PEAR TREES- 
That the pear is natuarlly a long lived tree 
no one can doubt, who has seen the Endicott 
or the Stuyvesant trees, which go back, by 
authentic record, at least two hundred years, 
to the time of their planting. Old trees of 
seedling varieties are not uncommon, in all 
the older parts of the country, showing quite 
as much or more vigor than apple trees of 
the same age. Why is it, then, that so 
many of our newly planted trees die the first 
season, and so many more linger but a few 
years and perish by the blight 1 Unques¬ 
tionably, the dwarfing of the pear upon 
quince stocks, and perhaps the production of 
new varieties from seedlings in high garden 
culture, affects the hardiness of the consti¬ 
tution of the tree. Certain it is, that nearly 
all the fine varieties are less hardy than the 
seedlings, and need more attention, in order 
to mature their fruits. They are far more 
susceptible to injury, from heat and cold. 
Downing recommends the protection of the 
trunks by means of straw, the year round, 
as a safe-guard against disease. He experi¬ 
mented for four years with this kind of 
sheathing, and was satisfied with it. Among 
three dozen pear trees, just come into bear¬ 
ing at the time he published his opinion, one 
third of them had been kept in straw, and not 
a single one of that dozen had suffered by 
blight or other disease, while of the other 
two dozen nearly one half had dropped off, 
and been consigned to the brush heap. 
This is a very simple remedy, and one 
that every fruit grower can try with very 
little expense or labor. If we can raise these 
fine fruits by tying a bundle of straw around 
the trunks, in addition to our other cultiva¬ 
tion, by all means let us give them that 
dressing. Both straw and matting are cheap 
and plenty. _ 
The fame which follows true greatness, 
no friend need hold up, and no enemy can 
keep down. 
Planting shrubbery does not consist sim¬ 
ply in setting out a lilac-bush on one side of 
the door-step, and a rose-bush on the other. 
This, indeed, is a good beginning ; but with 
many, it is the beginning and end of their 
operations. Shrubs may be made to play 
an important part in all attempts at land¬ 
scape-gardening on a large scale, and they 
may be used to embellish the “ door-yard” 
of the humblest home. Indeed, it seems to 
us that if none of the old, familiar shrubs are 
planted about a house, that house is sadly 
wanting in home-like expression. 
In laying out ornamental grounds, it is 
quite customary to surround the whole with 
a belt of trees. This is an excellent prac¬ 
tice, because such trees afford protection 
from the winds of Winter, and give the place 
an air of privacy and peaceful seclusion. 
But something is wanted beside trees in the 
formation of such a belt. We want shrubs 
to conceal the fences, which are seldom or¬ 
namental objects, and which continually re¬ 
mind the spectator how limited is the plea¬ 
sant scene he is beholding. WTien planted 
for this purpose, they should not be set in 
stiff, monotonous rows, like a hedge, but 
should form an irregular, waving line, as 
much as possible like a natural scene. The 
highest should be planted near the fence, and 
the lowest in front. Here and there, a small 
evergreen tree, such as the hemlock or red 
cedar, may be set among them for vari¬ 
ety. 
Shrubs produce the finest effect when set 
in groups on a lawn, or by the side of walks. 
And here there is room for the exercise of 
judgment and taste. Those of most robust 
habit, or the spiry-topped, should stand in 
the centre. Next to these should stand 
those of smaller growth, and next should 
come those still smaller, until the last rise 
only a few inches above the turf. The 
planter should ascertain beforehand the size 
to which they will ultimately attain, and 
then plant them so as not to encroach upon 
each other. There is a great deal of differ¬ 
ence between a tangled thicket and a well- 
arranged group of shrubs. 
Another mode of treating shrubbery is to 
group the plants with reference to their vari¬ 
ous shades and colors. In addition to the 
numerous shades of green, there are other * 
positive colors, such as purple (as seen in 
the purple-leaved barberry, filbert and euon- 
ymus), grey (as seen in the Buffalo-berry, 
Missouri Silver Tree, and Bohemian Olive. 
Theie are also variegated-leaved shrubs (as 
the variegated berberry, dogwood, syringa 
and currant) ; some, also, with striped, 
vined, blotched and downy foliage, all ol 
which may be so arranged as to produce a 
striking effect. In the hands of a novice, 
however, these shrubs are somewhat dan¬ 
gerous : he may employ them to make a 
scene more striking than tasteful. Like the 
modern weeping-trees, they should not be 
obtruded on the sight too often, but intro¬ 
duced here and there to break up monotony 
and to highten the general effect. Properly 
used, they will appear, at a little distance 
