1866.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
103 
The twigs of the Eed-Maple are ruddy with 
their bursting buds; the Ash begins to show its 
flowers, so inelegant, j'ct welcome because they 
are flowers; the golden buds of the fragrant 
Spice-bush are cautiously opening, 
and at our feet the pale blue flower 
of the Hepatica gives assurance 
that spring has come. The violet 
may serve in Europe as the em¬ 
blem of spring, but with us, the 
Liver-leaf, albeit its name is un- 
poetical, must stand as the herald 
of the season. Rising from the 
cluster of last year’s leaves, come 
the hairy stems, each bearing a 
single flo'wer, which has no petals, 
but to compensate for their absence, 
the calj'’x is delicate in texture and 
color, and to those who do not look 
at plants with a botanical eye, is to 
all appearance a corolla. Just be¬ 
low the flower are three small 
leaves forming an involucre which 
appears much like a calyx. The 
leaves are produced later than the 
flowers, and grow quite thick, and 
they remain during winter until 
after the new ones are formed. In 
the dark ages it was believed that 
plants, by the form and markings of 
their leaves and other parts, fur¬ 
nished an index to their medicinal 
qualities. Accordingly, the three- 
lobed leaf of this plant being sup¬ 
posed to bear a resemblance to the 
shape of the human liver, it was considered that 
nature intended it should be employed as a 
remedy in liver complaints, and for a time it had 
a medicinal reputation. Though quite as ab¬ 
surd things are believed now, we have got over 
the “ doctrine of signatures,” as it was called, 
and though our pretty little plant has lost cred¬ 
it as a medicine, it bears evidence of its former 
reputation in its generic name, Hepatica, 
which is derived from the Latin for the liver— 
and in its common name of Liver-leaf. The 
plant is also sometimes called Liverwort, a 
name, however, which properly belongs to 
some humble plants related to the mosses. 
We find some plants with the lobes of the leaves 
pointed, like those in the engraving, but more 
commonly the lobes are rounded and blunt. 
Some consider these as distinct species, while 
others regard them onl}'as varieties. The ordi¬ 
nary form with rounded lobes is Hepatica triloba, 
and the sharp-lobed one is called Hepatica acii- 
tiloha, by those who regard it a distinct species. 
We have found specimens with the leaves split up 
into several narrow divisions. In the wild state 
the flowers vary in color, giving us purple, blue, 
pink, and even white. In cultivation there are 
double flowers of all these shades, except white, 
which has not yet we believe been produced in 
the double form. This wildling of the woods 
does very well in the garden: it should have a 
light soil with plenty of vegetable mold, and a 
partial shade. The double varieties are much 
grown by florists. Thej' may be planted in the 
open border, or if earlj^ flowers are wanted, they 
are set in cold frames. Planted in pots and 
kept in a cold frame until early spring and then 
brought into the green-house, the double varie¬ 
ties flower profusely, and are very ornamental. 
It is a common spring flower in the London 
markets, but is not much known wdth us, ex¬ 
cept by the florists, who use a considerable 
quantity of them in making up bouquets. The 
plants are multiplied by dividing the roots. 
Select Pears for General Culture. 
The list of fruits recommended for general 
culture by the committee on the Greeley prizes. 
was published in January. This committee 
comprised some of our most distinguished po- 
mologists, from different parts of the country, 
and their object was to present a selection of 
fruits which are adapted to the widest possible 
From the inquiries we have had, it would seem 
that some of the pears in the list are but little 
known to our readers; especially the summer 
varieties, Rostiezer and Manning’s Elizabeth. 
The early pears commonly culti¬ 
vated are usually of indifferent 
quality; if it were generally known 
that there were really good sorts 
that ripened in August, they would 
be much sought after. This deci¬ 
sion of the committee has called 
general attention to the above 
named sorts, and we comply with 
several requests in giving illustra¬ 
tions and descriptions of them, as 
we have room. In the present is¬ 
sue we can onl}’^ find space for the 
Rostiezek. —The precise origin 
of this variety is unknown. It was 
first introduced to the notice of 
American pomologists by the late 
Mr. Manning, who obtained it un¬ 
der its present name from a nur¬ 
sery in France. The tree is healthy, 
and when young produces vigorous 
upright shoots, which in the old 
tree are somewhat drooping, and 
if the tree is not shaped by severe 
shortening while jmung, it will as¬ 
sume an irregular spreading form 
when left to itself. It grows well on 
both pear and quince stocks. The 
engraving represents the fruit of 
na,tural size and shape. It is rather 
below the medium size, of a regular 
pyramidal form. The stem is remarkably long 
and slender; caly.x open, in a shallow basin. 
The skin is slightly rough, of a dull green, often 
somewhat russet}’, with a dull red 'tinge on the 
sunny side. It is a very juicy, melting, sweet 
pear, 'U’ith an excellent flavor; a great bearer, 
producing its fruit in clusters. Hovey sa 3 's of 
it: “As a summer or early autumn pear, it is 
scarcely equaled in its spicy and luscious flavor, 
partaking much of the character of the Seckel. 
Like the latter variety, it is a small and some¬ 
what indifferent looking fruit, but, from its oth¬ 
er fine qualities, holding the highest rank among 
the choicest pears.” The other pears recom¬ 
mended were, (in addition to the Bartlett, which 
took the premium as the single pear, best suited 
for general cultivation,) the Seckel, Sheldon, 
Lawrence, and Dana’s Hovey. These are all 
good and reliable varieties, but there are others 
which, in a collection of moderate size, we 
would not willingly omit, such for example 
as: Buffum, Howell, Duchesse d’Angouleme, 
Beurre Bose, Tyson, Beurre d’Anjou, etc. 
The Process of Fertilization. 
EOSTIEZER PEAK. 
range of climate. It is quite difficult to fix upon 
any one or any dozen varieties which will be 
suited to every situation, and we believe that 
the selection of the committee will give as gen¬ 
eral satisfaction as any that could be made. 
It ‘has long been established that a grain of 
pollen, wdien it fiills upon the stigma of the pistil, 
pushes out a prolongation or pollen tube, which 
i continues to extend through the substance of 
the pistil until it comes in contact with tho 
i ovule, which after this contact begins to develop 
I an embryo and becomes a seed. That so miu- 
i ute a body ao^a grain of pollen should be able 
; to throw out long a tube—sometimes several 
j inches in length—has been a mystery which 
1 could only be solved by supposing that the pol- 
I len grain received nourishment from the pistil, 
' and that the prolongation of the tube was an 
actual growth. That such is the case, and that 
I growth really does take place, has been shown 
by the researches of Dr. P. Martin Duncan, 
quoted by the London Gardener’s Chronicle. 
