254 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
limbs, measuring 2S feet from the lowest. At 
one foot above the earth its circumference was 
34 feet 5 inches; three feet, 27 feet 4 inches ; 
at six, 22 feet 19 inches; at eighteen, it was 
20 feet round; averaging 32 feet in height, 
the tree divided into five branches, the larger 
measuring respectively 10, 12,13, and i5 feet 
9 inches in circumference. One of them ex¬ 
tended 60 feet from the trunk, and with the 
opposite branch made the distance of 106 feet. 
In another direction the top measured 86 feet 
across. Its whole height reached about 110 feet. 
The bark around the lower part of the trunk, 
or as far up as visitors could well reach, has 
been abraded, and marked with their initials 
or names, as they wished thus to hand them 
down to posterity. Above, the bark remained 
in its natural state rising in furrowed ridges, 
some 4 inches deep, and covered with thin, flat 
Lichens, presented the appearance of having 
braved and stood the rains and storms of past 
centuries. Since cut down, the age of this 
great tree is ascertained to have been about 
225 years. The central part of the trunk for 
about 3 feet in diameter was found to be de¬ 
cayed, but the rest perfectly sound. Its stump 
measured 11 feet through, and it required the 
work of one man for seven days to cut down 
this remarkable king of the forest, and the 
chips filled five wagon loads. — {Horticul¬ 
turist.) 
American Market Gardens.— The follow¬ 
ing extracts from the same publication are 
relative to the market gardens from which 
New York is supplied. These are embraced 
within a half circle of ten miles from the City 
Hall and are about 1000 acres in extent. It 
is questionable whether there is an equal 
area anywhere else in the country so 
thoroughly cultivated, or with such profitable 
results. In many cases the returns are 
£310 per acre, 1 and it is perfectly safe to say 
that the whole average is £208 per acre. 
This high degree of fertility is only obtained 
by the highest cultivation, and it takes about 
three years to break in farm lands and bring 
them up to this high standard. The varie¬ 
ties of vegetables cultivated are few in number, 
and mostly different from those of Long 
Island, whose lands embrace a much greater 
extent, but are not so highly cultivated. The 
vegetables crown are principally Cauliflowers, 
Cabbages, Beet. Spinach, Onions and Lettuce 
for a first crop, followed by Celery, Horse¬ 
radish, Thyme, Sage and other herbs for a 
second crop. To produce the above results 
the soil must be kept at work, and as soon as 
the spring crops are off in July, the plough and 
harrow again invade mother earth, and she is 
planted with the fall crop. The particular 
manner of cropping is something like this ; 
Cauliflowers, lor instance, are planted out 
2 feet between the rows and 15 inches between 
the plants, setting Lettuce between the rows, 
which is fit for market before the Cauliflowers 
are large enough to be injured. The Cauli¬ 
flowers in turn are marketed the last of J une 
or first week of July, when the ground is pre¬ 
pared and planted with Celery in the follow¬ 
ing manner. After the soil has been well 
pulverised by ploughing and harrowing, lines 
are struck out 3 feet apart, but no trenches 
are made as is usual in private gardens. The 
plants are set in the lines 6 inches apart, and 
the ground kept clean by the cultivator until 
September, when the plants are strong enough 
to allow the earth to be laid up against them 
by the plough, and the banking is completed 
with the spade. The variety best suited for 
this market is known as the French or Incom¬ 
parable Dwarf. Another feature peculiar to 
the Jersey market gardeners is the forcing 
and forwarding of early vegetables by hot¬ 
beds and cold frames, immense numbers of 
which are used, some growers having up¬ 
ward of 2,000 sashes, principally for the for¬ 
warding of Lettuce and Cucumbers in cold 
frames. This frame is very simple, being 
two boards 9 to 10 inches wide, fastened to 
end boards 6 feet long, on which 3 by 6 feet 
sashes are placed to any desired extent. The 
Lettuce plants are set in them in March, 
8 inches apart, or 50 plants per sash. By the 
middle of May the Lettuce is fit for use.. As 
soon as a few heads are cut, seeds of Cucum¬ 
bers are sown in their places. They come up 
quickly and take the place of the remaining 
Lettuce as it is removed. 
Louis Yilmorin Strawberry. —This was 
raised by M. Bobine, and is stated by him to 
be possessed of a high degree of merit. He 
describes it as being heart-shaped,bright red, 
of a somewhat deep tinge ; the seeds promi¬ 
nent and not over-numerous; flesh firm, 
bright rose at the centre and red towards the 
outside; very juicy, not very sugary, but 
with a high perfumed flavour. The berries 
keep well for several days after ripening or 
gathering. The plant is described as dwarf 
and sturdy, and a good bearer in the first 
year of planting, bearing tolerably early, and 
also among the latest. The variety is very 
productive, vigorous, and hardy, and although 
in wet soils it suffers in winter, it quickly re¬ 
establishes itself when severe frosts are past. 
In addition to the other good qualities .as¬ 
cribed to it, it is said to be a good forcer. 
Ailanthus elavescens.— Under this name 
M. Carriere describes, in the Revue Horticole , 
a near relative of Ailanthus glandulom. It 
was received from China in 1862 and proved 
perfectly hardy. It forms a vigorous tree, 
grows as rapidly as the older species, and the 
leaves have not the same offensive odour. 
The leaves are composed of from 13 to 17 
pairs of leaflets ; the rachis, or leafstalk, up¬ 
wards of a yard in length, and yellowish; 
the leaflets of a shining deep green on the 
upper side, somewhat glaucous beneath, and 
having a yellowish midrib. 
