} 
ly pointed at the apex, with a yellow, warty 
skin, which becomes purplish-red near the 
stalk. The quality of this peach is very- 
good, and the flesh is melting and has a 
decided cinnamon flavor. Both kinds are 
natives of Upper Armenia and Persia. 
Ganargua Raspberry .—This variety was 
discovered growing wild by Stephen Kat- 
kajuBR, Farmington, Ontario Co.. N. Y. It 
is described as large for a Cap variety, being 
about the size of the Mammoth Cluster; 
color dark red, approaching a purplish 
brown ; has much pulp, is delicate and juicy 
interested in floriculture, and it is some 
trouble to have things rare and beautiful in 
house or garden ; but any real lover of 
Dahlias would be amply rewarded for a 
little extra labor and care by the possession 
of such perfect ones as are now in full bloom 
in our garden this 13th day of October, r. l. 
PRESERVING DAHLIA ROOTS IN WINTER 
WILD GOOSE AND OTHER PLUMS 
“ Ritual” (M. L. DuNLAr) of Champaign, 
Ill., writes to the Cliicago Tribune under this 
head as follows :—“We hear a great deal said 
in regard to the Wild Goose plum, and the 
Miner or Townsend plum, about Galena. I 
received a lot of trees of the latter from a St. 
Louis nursery, but no two of them are alike 
in form or foliage, and there is no doubt that 
they were taken up from the plum thickets, 
and will prove of no valuo. Some of these 
blossomed last spring, but they did not hold 
their fruit. I have made diligent inquiry the 
past summer in regard to native plums, and 
am satisfied that wo have many that are 
worthy n place in the garden ; and it is my 
intention to gather some of these in my own 
grounds, for the purpose of testing them ; 
and some day it is possible that our agricul¬ 
tural colleges may find time to look after 
some of these interests that might prove of 
practical value to the great mass of our peo¬ 
ple. But, to do this, their management must 
be taken from the hands of the clergy and 
the mere schoolmaster. 
“I have a letter from D. L. Adair, of 
Hawesville, Ky„ in regard to the wild plums 
of the South. He describes the Do Carodeue; 
Wild Goose, a bright vermiLliou red, with 
w hite dots ; the Newman plum, Langsdon 
plum, Muldrough's llill, Cherry and Cliicko- 
cherry. Hero are seven varieties of the 
native plum that havo been transplanted 
into the local orchards and received local 
names. It is probable that a few suckers or 
grafts may be obtained, or perhaps some of 
the small nurseries may have trees of these 
or other varieties, but it is evident that little 
attention has been jail'd to the propagation of 
plum trees in the Middle States, and the 
Northern nurserymen will have to look to 
the growing of the trees for sale. 
“It is evident that ail sorts of native plums 
have been sent out for the Wild Goose and 
the Miner ; and my advice is, not to touch 
those trees unless the nurseryman will guar¬ 
antee that they are genuine. Parties having 
the genuine trees would no doubt And ready 
sale, if they would advertise ; but thus far 
this fall 1 hear of none for sale.” 
Dahlia roots are often injured by the first 
freezing weather in the fall; and for several 
years past, before t lie frost had destroyed 
the foliage, I have covered them with a layer 
of fresh soil or well-decayed chips to the 
depth of four or six inches, close to the stock. 
They can then be safely left in the ground 
NEW WEEPING TREE FERN 
This is one of the most beautiful of all Tree 
Feins. It is a native of South Africa — is 
rather difficult to imjiort in good condition, 
as the trunks have to bo brought some hun¬ 
dreds of miles down the country before they 
are shipped, and frequently suffer on the 
journey. In habit it is perhaps the most 
graceful of all Tree Ferns, its ample light- 
green feathery fronds sweeping elegantly 
downwards, as shown in our illustration. It 
may be grown in an ordinary green-house or 
cool conservatory, and when fully developed, 
forms a most attractive object. It grows 
freely in the usual compost, making fine 
pendent fronds from four to six feet long, 
and from two to two and a half foot in 
broadtli in tho widest part. The stout red¬ 
dish purple mid-ribs are tubereled, and fur¬ 
nished at the base with a profuse quantity of 
slender chaffy scales. The trunk is dark- 
colored, and nearly a foot in diameter in the 
thickest parts, the imported specimens vary¬ 
ing from five to ten feet in hight. 
FLORAL QUERIES 
Will Ihe Rural New-Yorker please an¬ 
swer the following quest ions ?—L. How are 
Draccmas propagated 1 2. What family 
does Oocolooa plalyclada belong to, and what 
are tho flowers like? 3. Will Balsam seed 
saved from single or semi-double flowers, 
produce a greater percentage of full double 
flowers by keeping it for two years or more 
after collecting ? If so, why t 4. Where may 
tho Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club lie 
procured ? Inquirer. 
1. From cuttings of the branches or main 
stems placed in a position where they will 
receive a strong bottom heat. A hot-bed 
will answer; but a regular propagating pit 
in a green-house is the best and most reliable 
place. 
2. To the PolygonaceOBj or in plain English, 
among the buckwheats, 
3. It is generally believed among florists 
that old Balsam seed will produce a greater 
proportion of full double flowers than fresh. 
It preserves its vitality for a number of years, 
and it Is the practice of Balsam fanciers to 
save a large stock of seed whenever they hap¬ 
pen to have an extra fine lot of choice sorts, 
using i part only each succeeding season as 
long a it retains vitality or tho stock holds 
out. The reason usually assigned for Iho 
improvement observed as the seed becomes 
old is, that double flowers are only monstros¬ 
ities at best, and the more wo interfere with 
tho regular order of nature without destroy¬ 
ing, the greater are our chances for obtain¬ 
ing a variation from natural types. As a 
rule, the plants which jmiduce tho largest 
and most perfect double flowers are less vig¬ 
orous in growth of stem and leaves than the 
single varieties, the vital forces having, in 
part, been directed or drawn out of the more 
natural channels into those monstrosities 
called double flowers. The same thing may 
be observed in tho double Ten-week stocks, 
(Matholia,) or in the wall-flowers (Clixiran- 
thus.) It is also a very common idea among 
gardeners that melon, cucumber and squash 
seed also improve with age ; that is, old seed 
will produce less vigorous vines, but be far 
more productive. These theories may have 
little truth, for a foundation, still they are 
quite plausible, and long believed by many 
as sound. 
4. By addressing the editor, 224 East Tenth 
street, New York. 
NKW AV Id Id 37* I NT f f r L’K,KK P’ERN 
in texture and of very good flavor ; not as 
firm as Seneca, or Mammoth Cluster. It 
has, it is said, striking ever-bearing charac¬ 
teristics, and is very productive. 
Soil for Pears. —E. Manning, of Harris¬ 
burg, Ohio, writes to the Gardeners’ Monthly 
on this subject:—Beurre Clairgeau was un¬ 
thrifty on a rich soil; on high, thin soil it 
was thrifty and excellent. Anjou succeeded 
well on rich soil, and failed on thin soiL 
Doyenne du Comine did best on thin soil; 
Golden Beurre of Bilboa just the reverse. 
These results were all on liia own ground ; 
in other regions they might have been dif¬ 
ferent. 
Early Beatrice Peach.— Mr. Watson, Bren- 
ham, Texas,writes to the Gardener’s Monthly 
of this fruit I had some young trees fruit 
this season, and it proves good with me; first 
ripe May 19th. I think it very valuable, as a 
market fruit. Will ship well. Is fine in 
quality and very pretty. 
A Belgian Fruit Gatherer .—A correspond¬ 
ent writing from Belgium says I have just 
seen the waiter at the hotel here gathering 
pears from a late pear tree in away that was 
quite new to me, and worth a note. He had 
THE CARONE OR CAROON CHERRY 
Some time ago, we noticed tho fact that 
this cherry is Highly regarded in some parts 
of Pennsylvania. Now the question of its 
nomenclature and identity is raised. Mr. F. 
R. Elliott writes the Gardeners’ Monthly 
that “it is well known to all pomologists 
that it is only the old Black Hoart.” Mr. 
Meehan says, “ we think our horticultural 
writers to o at fault in identifying it with the 
Mazzard,” and refers to Downing, who, in 
his book culls it the Black Heart. John J. 
Thomas says:—“The Black Carone, or Co- 
rone, or Caroon, 13 larger and less bitter t han 
the Black Mazzard, and smaller than the 
Block Hoart. It was fully described by 
Prince in his Poinologieal Manual, who culti¬ 
vated it and understood its character, as dis¬ 
tinct from both the Mazzard and Black 
Heart; it was also similarly and more briefly 
described in the Catalogue of the London 
Horticultural Society; and forty years ago 
or more, was commonly cultivated in nurser¬ 
ies. Since the introduction of better sorts, 
the Carone has jiassed out of cultivation and 
possibly become extinct. A. J. Downing 
was not an accurate pomologist, and was in 
error in making the Black Heart and Carone 
synonymous.” 
they arc still moru durable. Ink soaks Into 
the wood and paper labels become illegible if 
exposed to dampness. 
On a fine day, if possible, the roots are 
taken up without bruising them, all the dirt 
is removed, and they are placed in the shade 
to dry a little, though not so as to shrivel 
much, as they grow more readily in the 
spring if plump, like a good potato. The 
tops are. cut off, leaving about four inches of 
the stalk, to which the labels are securely 
fastened with fine copper wire found at 
hardware stores, or with the strands of old 
bonnet-wire. 
I have tried several ways of storing 
dahlias, both in the cellar and out of it, and 
prefer to pack them in boxes in the cellar, 
covering both tubers and stalks with sand 
thoroughly dried either under the hot-bed 
sash or in the stove oven. If one has only a I 
few roots, sufficient sand can be dried in 
pans in the oven ; but several bushels of 
them would require quite a quantity, which is 
not always at haud. I huvo sometimes had 
them keep nicely when taken directly from 
the garden to the top of tho potato bin, if 
rats and mice did not discover them ; and 
when dry as usual, quite well in Btrong 
paper bags hung near the center of a dry 
cellar, and also in a cool upper room where 
there is no danger from frost. 
Several times during the winter all the 
roots not packed in sand are examined, and 
if the least mold appears it is removed and 
they are well dried near the lire before they 
are again restored to their winter quarters. 
These details may seem tedious to those not 
POMOLOGICAL GOSSIP 
FLORICULTURAL NOTES 
Ripening Pears.— E. M., Darby, Pa., speak¬ 
ing of Hoopes’ plan of ripening pears, which 
has been extensively published, writes the 
Germantown Telegraph : — His plan is to 
ripen under blankets ; I tried it thirty years 
ago and it does not compare with laying 
them on sawdust and covering with wall 
payer. He speaks of a cool room, but there 
is no cool room above the surface of the 
ground in warm weather, consequently the 
cellar is tho proper place when you can have 
a dry one, as in my case. We ripen from two 
to five hundred baskets each year, and have 
done so for a number of years past with very 
little loss. 
Persian Peaches .—Two singular peaches 
are figured and described in the August 
number of the Gar ten flora. One, named the 
Scliarali Peach, is a long, pointed, almond- 
shaped fruit, with a greenish-yellow skin. 
The other, or Tarali Peach, is an irregularly 
shaped fruit, roundish at the base, and slight- 
a pole ten or twelve feet long ; on the top of 
this was fixed a thin disk, (see cut) about six 
inches in diameter, set with wooden teeth, 
just like the teeth of a hay rake. Carefully 
placing this under a pear, so that the pear 
rested on the disk, and giving a slight twist, 
he at once detached and brought down the 
pear unbruised. 
Doivner's Prolific Gooseberry, tho Ger¬ 
mantown Telegraph says, in answer to an 
inquiry, is decidedly tho best. The fruit is 
of large size, the bushes bear abundantly, 
and is free from mildew. Houghton’s seed¬ 
ling, it says, is also good, a little more acid, 
but much smaller. 
Alexander Peach .—The Prairie Farmer 
regards this peach “ if not the result of prem¬ 
ature diseased ripening, the most valuable 
addition that has been made to our list of 
peaches since Hale’s Early.” 
Saving Fuchsia Seed. —Mr. Cannell, the 
great Fuchsia grower, says:—“When the 
seed pods are thoroughly ripened, partly dry 
them in the sun, after which cut them in 
halves and quarters with a moderately sharp 
knife, and minutely examine each part; the 
old self-colored varieties produce seed very 
freely, but the choice kinds very sparingly, 
particularly the light varieties. An abundance 
of hollow seed will be found, but good plump 
seed is about half the size of that of the 
Pansy, and easily distinguished and picked 
out.” 
A. Pretty Window Plant .—The Gardener’s 
Chronicle says One of the beat window 
plants, Capable, as it appears, of resisting 
almost any hardships to which plants in such 
Circumstances are. subjected, is tbe Aspidistra 
lurida. This plant, and its variegated varie¬ 
ty, is grown largely in Franco and Belgium, 
in windows, corridors, etc., and might with 
advantage be employed here for like pur 
poses. 
