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AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
double-flowered petunias. 
Most peisons are familiar with single-flowered 
Petunias. Like the verbena they produce beau¬ 
tiful flowers during the entire Summer. These 
are white, purple and crimson, with all the inter¬ 
mediate shades. They can be raised from the seed, 
but do not thus grow true to the parent plant, 
and layers or cuttings must be resorted to in order 
to propagate any choice variety. The best time for 
increasing them for Summer plants, is early in 
Spring, when slips of young half-hardened wood 
aie to be set in pots supplied with equal parts of 
loam and white sand well mixed, first filling the 
pots half full of potsherds or coarse gravel to pre¬ 
serve a good drainage. A bell or other glass must 
be placed over the cuttings, and care be taken in 
watering and ventilation to prevent their damp¬ 
ing off. A dozen or two may be set in one pot. 
In the fore part of May, or as soon as all dan¬ 
ger of fiost is past, transplant in the open ground 
and they will soon commence flowering. 
The plants are tender and require Winter pro¬ 
tection. In Autumn, any choice plant desired for 
propagation, should be taken up, partly trimmed 
down, potted, and kept in a green-house or warm 
room until Spring, by which time a new crop 
of shoots will be produced for putting out. They 
will grow well in almost any soil. So much 
for the single-flowered. 
Last year, for the first time we believe, a new 
variety—a double-flowered petunia—was pro¬ 
duced in France called the hnjicrialis. One of 
these was taken to England, and a batch of seed¬ 
lings raised by Mr. Grieves, the first season, by 
I hybridizing the Imperialis with the best varieties 
of single-flowered, the result being a number of 
beautiful varieties, distinct in form and color, the 
color going through all the shades of crimson, pur¬ 
ple and white. The cut above, representing two 
of these varieties, we have had engraved for the 
Agriculturist, from an original drawing, appearing 
in a recent number of an English journal, “ The 
Field." The Tmperialis has been brought to 
this country, and so rapidly has it been propagat¬ 
ed that single plants are already sold by Florists 
as low as 25 cents each. 
This new Petunia, the Imperialis, is one of the 
finest floral acquisitions we have had for some 
time, among plants adapted for bedding out in 
Summer ; nor is it less valuable for pot culture, 
from its superior habit and prolific flowering qual¬ 
ities. The flower is a pure white, perfectly doub¬ 
le, stands clear of the foliage, and is very fra- | 
grant; and, unlike the single varieties, will be 
very useful for boquets, as it does not soon wilt 
after cutting. The habit of the plant is very ro¬ 
bust, vigorous, and much more compact than the 
single-flowered. It appears to grow and flower 
abundantly in ordinary garden soil, and we hope 
soon to have double flowers of all the varieties of 
colors common to the Petunia, introduced and of¬ 
fered for sale here. 
There are a number of new varieties of the sin¬ 
gle sorts, some very beautiful, from the richness 
j and novel! y of their colors. One of these recently 
I brought out in Baltimore, Md., and raised by a gen- 
| tlernan of that city, is very striking. It is of a pur- 
| plish crimson color, with a broad band of green 
around the edge of the petal nearly half its 
depth. The green color is very rich and velvety 
: in appearance, and forms a fine contrast. This is 
a very desirable sort. It is named “ Domicilia,” 
: and will be for sale in the Spring of ’58. It is 
i rather delicate in habit. 
j THE NEW BLACKBERRY NAMED AT LAST. 
| Considerable discussion has been had respect- 
■ ing the name of the Blackberry originating at 
New-Rochelle, and we have been blamed for per¬ 
sistently calling it the “ New-Roehelle ” instead 
of the “ Lawton,” as named by the New-York 
i Farmers’ Club, whose authority to do so we did 
1 not, under the circumstances, admit. We have, 
! in all cases, agreed to adopt any name that should 
be fixed by any respectable horticultural society 
having due authority to name new plants or fruits. 
In the proceedings of the Fruit Grower’s Associa¬ 
tion of Western New-York, at their Rochester 
meeting, Sept. 18th and 19th, we find the follow¬ 
ing : 
1 C. B. Bissell stated that several persons in 
his neighborhood had abandoned the Dorchester 
Blackberry, from its unproductiveness. Mr. Down¬ 
ing being called upon to give the Convention the 
benefit of his experience with this fruit, stated 
that the New-Rochelle or Lawton was the largest 
and bore the best crops, the Dorchester was 
sweeter and of better flavor, but not so produc¬ 
tive, and the Newman Blackberry was sweeter 
than either, but not very productive. | 
On motion of Joseph Frost, it was resolved, 
unanimously, that hereafter the New-Rochelle or 
Lawton, be designated as the New-Rochelle. 
One of Dr. Haul's Sayings. —In the N. Y. 
Journal of Health for October, ’57, Dr. Hall, the 
editor, says : “ The American Agriculturist —$1 
a year—gives a larger amount of seasonable, relia¬ 
ble agricultural information than any similar pub¬ 
lication in the country.” This is high authority, 
and the statement may be considered a trueism, 
since it appears to be the universal sentiment, as 
well as expression, of the entire press of the 
country. 
Curious but Instructive Epitaph. —In a New- 
Jersey grave-yard there is a plain stone erected 
over the grave of a beautiful young lady, with 
only this inscription upon it: “ Jui»a Adams, 
died of thin shoes, April 17, 1839, aged 19.” 
Which is the oldest berry 1—The elder-berry. 
