(£l)c ©rabrlrr. 
CALIFORNIA.—IV- 
Brief Notes of a Horticultural Visit to California. 
BY MAH8HALL F. WILDISH, CUA8. DOWNING, GEO. 
ELLWANG EH, AND P, BARRY. 
Quality ot C’aIItornln Fruits. 
As a geneial rule, the fruits of California 
are superior to ours iu size and beauty, but 
rather inferior in flavor. To this there are 
some exception#. We think that the cher¬ 
ries, apricots, as well as early pears and ap¬ 
ples, are as flue as can be produced in any 
country. The want of flavor is in many 
cases owing to the unripe condition of the 
fruit, premature picking and improper ripen¬ 
ing. The early fruits, not being of over¬ 
grown size, arc generally of better quality 
than those of autumn. Yet we are unable 
to sa}' how far the want of flavor in these 
may be owing to improper treatment. 
When we arrived in Sun Francisco the 
apricot was very abundant and beautiful, as 
it was during nearly the whole period of our 
visit, hut we were told they were insipid. 
On taking some to our rooms and getting 
them fully ripe they were delicious, equal to 
any we ever tasted. Fruits on the market 
sialls arc seldom fit to he eaten. 
In the case of strawberries, the best va¬ 
rieties, it seems, have not yet been adopted 
by the market, growers. With the exception 
of the currant, none of the small fruits seem 
to be as good as ours. 
The gropes grown are almost exclusively 
what we call foreign varieties. The “Mis¬ 
sion” grape, so called, is a foreign grape, 
though improperly called “California.” Wild 
native grapes abound in all the wooded parts 
of the State, but they are very different in 
character from the Mission. The practice is 
among growers to speak of the Mission as 
not being a foreign grape. American grapes 
have been tested in a few cases, but, as far as 
we could ascertain, with unfavorable results. 
We do not, however, regard the few experi¬ 
ments we heard of as conclusive, and think 
it quite probable that our Clinton, or some 
of its class, might be employed successfully 
to make a lighter wine than any they now 
make, and which is so much needed to take 
the place of imported claret now in general 
use. 
Garden Vngonblv*. 
The supply of culinary vegetables, as seen 
in the markets of San Francisco and other 
cities, is very abundant and of excellent 
quality, What surprises visitors from the 
East is to find such articles as celery in the 
market all summer. Crop after crop can be 
obtained in varied succession, so Unit you 
may find anything you desire at any season. 
Asparagus is cut, from February to June. 
One grower informed us he had six acres. 
The product was about five tons to the acre, 
and contracted at nine cents per pound. The 
size to which vegetables attain is almost in¬ 
credible. We were told of pumpkins weigh¬ 
ing two hundred and fifty pounds, squashes 
one hundred and fifty, heels two hundred, 
carrots thirty, Ac., Ac. It is easy to under¬ 
stand how these results are obtained in a 
climate where growth never ceases. The 
mean temperature of the coldest month, De¬ 
cember, at San Francisco, is said to be 55°. 
In the interior it is probably lower. 
Ornnmetilul Trees anil Plants. 
On arriving in California we were at once 
struck with the character of the trees and 
plants which we saw in the gardens, public 
streets, &c. 
Instead of the Elms, Maples, Ac., which 
prevail at the East, wo saw the Australian 
Acacias aud Eucalyptus , and the Mexican 
Pine, Jnsignis, and Monterey Cypress, Cu- 
press us macrocurpa. These are everywhere 
planted as the common trees. Nurserymen 
informed us that the first trees asked for, 
and in Many cases the only ones asked for, 
by persons beginning to improve their city 
or suburban lots, are the Eucalyptus, Aca¬ 
cias, Pin us irmgtm and Cu prim as macrocar- 
pa. The reason for this is that these trees 
grow rapidly, transplant easily, and are 
adapted to the climate. We were told that 
the Pinus insignia is so easily transplanted 
that if the roots but touch the ground it 
will grow'. The Eucalyptus and Acacias 
grow there as willows do with us. In the 
grounds of Mr. William Patterson, a 
nurseryman of San Francisco, we saw a 
Eucalyptus globosa, called the “ Blue Gum,” 
six years old, which was fifty feet iu bight, 
and five feet in circumference of stem. A 
Finns ins ignis of same age, forty feet high. 
The Cupressus nuicrocarpa is more preva¬ 
lent than any other tree that is planted for 
ornament either iu city or country. We 
have even seen it employed as a street tree, 
pruned up six or eight feet and the heads 
shorn iuto sugar loaf form. The Acacias 
are frequently used in the same way, and 
although stiff and formal they look very 
well. The Cypress retains all through the 
long dry summer a charming verdure, when 
not stained by dust, as it often is in the 
streets. The Eucalyptus grows so rapidly 
that it is being planted for w'ood. We saw 
an account of one plantation of titty acres 
planted eight feet by eight, for timber. 
There is ample scope for plantations of this 
kind. 
In Mr. Patterson’s grounds, already re¬ 
ferred to, w'e noted a hedge of Acacia lo- 
phantha, twenty-five feet high and four feet 
through. A Fuchsia hedge, ten feet high, the 
stems of the plants as thick as a man’s arm. 
A hedge of Veronica Lindlcyana, ten feet 
high. Beautiful specimens of Attraearia, 
imbricata and Cooki , ten feet high. Fiue 
trees of the Guava in blossom; the fruit 
ripens there in September. Also the Cam¬ 
phor, tree and many other species w'e are not 
accustomed to see in the open ground. 
Here we saw a superb show of roses; the 
best we saw in the State, we think. Eliza 
Sattvage, tea, v'as named as the most valua¬ 
ble for a constant supply of cut flowers. 
Woodward'll Garden in San Francisco. 
This is a public garden, containing several 
acres of ground, well laid out and planted; 
lias several well stocked plant houses, a mu¬ 
seum, a picture gallery and a small collection 
of animals. The proprietor, K. B. Wood¬ 
ward, Esq., kindly sent us invitations, wliicb 
we accepted. 
Here we found fine specimens of Acacias, 
Melaleucas; Metrosideros, Pittospormns, Lan- 
rustinus; (Inpromt* lenmoniana; Ltbocedrm 
(tecurrcns ; Ouprrsmis macrocurpa ; Thuya 
gig anted: This last named tree has suffered 
more than any of the others from the wind. 
Iu addition to these, we saw some large 
plants of Scarlet Geraniums, Lemon Verbena, 
(Aloysio,) Veronica, Ac. These are the prin¬ 
cipal materials used in ornamenting this 
public garden. 
Visit lo the Forts ami Islands in tlie 
Harbor. 
The Collector of the Port of San Francis¬ 
co, Mr. Phelps, very kindly invited us to 
visit the forts, islands, and other objects of 
interest in the harho* On this delightful 
excursion wo saw some plants well worthy 
of note. At Black Point, Gen. Ord’s quar¬ 
ters, a glowing mass of Scarlet Geraniums, 
full ten feet high, noticeable far out in the 
bay. Tree mallows, fuchsias and plumbagos 
of enormous size. At Fort Alcatraz, a trel¬ 
lis of Ivy-leaved Geranium, six feet high ; a 
mass of flowers, forming a division fence. 
Tree heliotropes and fuchsias of great size 
and in full bloom. At Angel Island, a 
charming spot, a hedge of Rose Geraniums, 
fifty feel long and nine feet high, and Rose 
Geraniums grown as standards, with clean 
stems and large heads. 
There are sheltered nooks on these Bay 
Islands where the climate cannot be sur¬ 
passed. Even delicate plants attain extraor¬ 
dinary size. 
Visits iu the Valley of Kama Clara. 
We have already given an account of 
what we saw here iu the way of fruits, we 
now refer to a few noteworthy objects 
among ornamental trees and plants. At 
San Jose, in the beautiful grounds of Gen. 
Henry M. Nag lee, we saw fine speci¬ 
mens of J)mamas, Veronicas , Eucalyptus — 
several species. Juniper us macnab&ina , a 
lovely tree which we saw often afterwards. 
The “Pepper tree” which is very common, 
has the appearance of Honey Locust in 
foliage, much more flexible in its branches, 
and more graceful. Great specimens of 
Amie Vibcrt and Tea Roses iu full bloom. 
Cupressus macrocurpa , Lamoniana and Fu- 
nebris ; A uraemia imbricata , Fabiana , Chmu- 
atrops exedsa, Ac. All these plants seemed 
to be perfect ly at home. This gives some 
idea of the climate of San Jose. 
Nursery of L. F. Sauderion. 
In front of Mr. Sanderson’s house we 
found a beautiful specimen of Cupressus 
Lawmnuma. 
His nursery is mostly devoted to orna¬ 
mental plants. Of the articles usually 
planted he has a handsome stock. Cu¬ 
pressus macrocurpa plants, a foot high, are 
sold at $G per 100. We saw a fine stock of 
California Walnut, fSalisburia , Ac. 
San Jose is a charming place and con¬ 
tains several interesting gardens, but the 
trees and plants in them are such as we have 
already enumerated. 
Visit, to Mr. Leweliinir's at Sail Leandro. 
We have given an account of Mr. Lkw- 
elling’s fruit culture. At his resideuce we 
saw the finest tree of Cupressus Lawsoniana 
we have met with. It is thirty feet high and 
perfectly symmetrical in form, fourteen 
years old. An Oregon Hemlock, of strong¬ 
er growth and larger foliage than ours. A 
Giant of Battle Rose, six feet high, with a 
head eight feet broad. A Cloth of Gold, 
also of extraordinary size. A Lemon Ver¬ 
bena, ten feet high , iu flower, stem two 
inches iu diameter. Veronica, Lindlcyana, 
eight feet high. Beautiful hedges of Cerasus 
illicifolut and Osage Orange. Mr. Lkwei,- 
ling pointed out to us a Sycamore under 
which he camped fifteen years ago wheu lie 
took possession of his present grounds, there 
being no house on it. This tree is one hun¬ 
dred and fifteen feel high, ninety feet width 
of branches and five feet, diameter of trunk. 
A Magnificent Horse Chestnut. 
On our way from San Jose to Mr. Le wel¬ 
ling’h we were detained at Niles, on the 
Western Pacific Railroad, waiting for a train, 
and seeing in the midst of a grain field a 
large Horse Chestnut tree, we thought we 
would give it a closer examination. On 
reaching it we found a party of Chinamen, 
who were employed binding the grain, pre¬ 
paring their dinner. 
The tree far exceeded our expectations, 
both iu size and beauty. It was full fifty 
feet high, with a spread of branches forty 
feet by measurement. The branches swept 
the ground on every side, and was then, June 
28th, in full bloom. The flower spikes were 
from twelve to eighteen inches in length, 
many two feet, all in a drooping or pendu¬ 
lous position. Since that time we have met 
with thousands of this species in different 
parts of the State, but no specimen ap¬ 
proaching this in either size or beauty. It 
was decided to have this tree propagated, 
and, to commemorate our visit, named Wil- 
dekii. 
At the next station, San Leandro, we 
again had to wait for a train, and a gentle¬ 
man who knew the objects of our travel 
directed us to a remarkable tree of the Cali¬ 
fornia Laurel, fifty feet high, sixty feet iu 
width of branches, and ten feet in diameter 
of trunk. It is still iu a flourishing condi¬ 
tion, though greatly damaged in the trunk 
by fires. The beautiful wood of this tree is 
now being extensively used for the inside 
finish of rooms and for furniture. Its color 
is similar to that of our ash. 
Here we also saw La marque Roses and 
Scarlet Geraniums, trained to the top of a 
three-story house, covering the whole end; 
a Tree Mallow, twelve feet high, and stem 
ten inches in diameter; and an Australian 
Pea, trained on a water tower forty-five feet 
high, covering it entirely. 
Mennrit. TIininpiMMi dfc Hon*. n( Hnscnl. 
Here we saw many fine trees—a Sequoia 
“big tree," twenty five feet high; a Finns 
insignis, fifty feet high, ten years old ; Abies 
Douglassi: species of pines from Oregon un¬ 
known to us ; good collections of roses and 
flowering shrubs, and a good hedge of Cera- 
sus ilMcifoUa. 
ILcmI<I<‘ii<'<> ot R. B. Woodward, E*q„ Oak 
Knoll, Napu Comity. 
Here we saw a broad and beautiful lawn 
planted with many fine trees—a splendid 
Cremllea robusta, Magnolia grandijtoru, Av- 
racaria exoelsa, Sulisburia , gigantic Cactic, 
Sequoia gigantea, Cupressus Lawsoniana, Ac¬ 
acias, and a fine collection of roses and other 
plants in bloom. 
Oakland. 
This promises to be a beautiful city, just 
across the bay fro in Ban Francisco. We 
spent two days hcVS l 'very pleasantly, visit¬ 
ing gardens, nurseries, Ac. 
General KtlKjJmiii’* Garden. 
This places contains several acres and is 
kept iu the finest order. The lawn is smooth 
and verdant ; water is used freely—tin? Gen¬ 
eral informed us t hat the water he used cost 
him $00 per month. Among the many in¬ 
teresting objects we noted were: A noble 
Agave, "century plant,” just coining into 
bloom—twelve years old. The flower stem 
was forty feet high aud fully a foot ti l the 
base. It had seven or eight series of im¬ 
mense leaves. A Pampas grass (Gynerium) 
ten feet, in diameter; bad produced two hun¬ 
dred flowers atone time; fine Deodar cedars; 
Abies lasciocarpa, four feet high ; Abies Doug¬ 
lassi; Oupresm Lawsoniana and funebris; 
large plants of Oestrum, Aurantiacum and 
Poh/galas; Pittospormns ten feet, high and 
fourteen feet broad ; Fuchsias six feet high 
and six feet broad ; Pinus insignis four ycal's 
old aud thirty-live feet high; Eucalyptus — 
several species; a hedge of Cupressus macro- 
carpa fifteen feet high; Acacias , numerous 
species, twenty to twenty-five feet in bight, 
among them some beautiful trees of dealbata. 
At every step we were amazed at. the ex¬ 
traordinary rapid growth of trees here—the 
effects of good soil, good care and a perpet¬ 
ual summer. 
Beni deuce of .1. Mora Mo**, Esq. 
This is regarded :is one of the finest places 
in Oakland, or near San Francisco. It is 
really a charming place, managed with lib¬ 
erality and taste. We noted fine specimens 
of many rare trees. An Auracaria exedsa, 
ten feet high; Picea phxsapo , ten feet high 
the beautiful Poinciana, \ several species of 
palms and bmnbusa ; Magnolia grandijiora; 
Cupressus funebris, aud Lawsohiana , besides 
a grand display of flowering plants; cannas, 
dracenas, yuccas, Ac., making up a rich and 
varied collection, all judiciously distributed 
over and around a well kept lawn. 
Grouutla of Jouatlian Hunt. 
These are kept to some extent as a nurs¬ 
ery. We lonud here the best specimen of 
Sequoia, “ big tree,” we had met with. It 
is full thirty feet high, with a spread of 
brancliesat the ground, twenty feet; a perfect 
tree in form; seed planted in 1857. Crypto • 
meria elegans, four feet high; a beautiful 
tree—almost equal to the Norfolk Island 
pine. Agave, “century plant,” in bloom, 
fourteen years old ; stem forty feet high. A 
beautiful hedge of myrtle, three feet high 
aud three feet wide. Pinus insignis, two 
years from seed ; ten feet high. Many roses 
and other plants, showing wonderful growth. 
(Hu j.lonltrn-llarb. 
PACKING EGGS FOR SHIPMENT. 
My method is, packing in dry sawdust (not 
half dry, but thoroughly dry,) in boxes four 
and a-half incites deep, nine inches wide, 
and ten inches long, one dozen iu a box ; if 
two dozen, the same dimensions, excepting 
twice the depth (nine inches;) for four dozen 
or more, add to the length and width. These 
boxes are made from pine, three-quarters of 
an inch thick. 
In packing, I first put two to three inches 
of sawdust iu aone dozen box, (others more,) 
press it down, then set the egg on the small 
end, with a little pressure to place it firm; 
when the eggs arc all in, cover them with 
sawdust, and with the fingers work it firm 
around each egg; then fill the box, press it 
down, screw on the cover, and they are in 
order for the journey. 
T say “ in order.” This sized box will give 
ample room, so that the eggs will not touch 
each other at the sides, top nor bottom, if 
properly packed. 1 am aware some will say 
they may not break, nor will they hutch— i 
e., if they believe what they write. My ex¬ 
perience is, they will give us good a. result as 
by any other means of packing. 1 have 
bought eggs packed in this way, also in hay, 
bran, moss and cotton ; and the sawdust gave 
as good a result as any, and better than any 
except fine hay. 
These, with other facts, prove to me it is 
not in the material they are packed in, nor 
the distance they are shipped, that prevents 
them from hatching, but the manner in 
which they are handled by expressmen. If 
given a. sudden jar, as by throwing into an 
express wagon, or from it into an express 
car, a portion, if not all, of the eggs are 
spoiled for hatching. If they would use 
more care, and assist the shipper to secure as 
good a result as possible from eggs sent out 
for hatching, it would add much to the ex¬ 
press business. 
I am situated about fifty miles east of the 
center of t his Stale. I have shipped eggs to 
the extreme East, to California, Canada, and 
the South. I hear of results from nothing 
to seventy-five per cent, hatched, averaging 
from thirty to thirty-live per cent. The 
only one 1 have heard from in Missouri 
writes;—“From the thirty-four eggs I have 
ten fine, smart chickens.” Those that have 
been shipped from two to six hundred miles 
give as good an average as a less distance. 
With these and other facts before me, I 
must beg to differ from my English smd 
American friends in regard to dry sawdust 
being objectionable for packing eggs in for 
shipping to hatch. w. 
New York Mills. N. Y., 1870. 
- +++ - 
POULTRY NOTES. 
Srnudavd ot Excellence for Lisrlit Brnhina 
Fowls. 
At a meeting of the Northwestern Poul¬ 
try Association, Aug. 9tli, Daniel Worth¬ 
ington, President, presented the following 
as bis standard of excellence for a single- 
combed, light Brahma fowl: 
“The cock is mostly white, with neck 
hackles penciled with black, and rump of a 
gold or yellow color. The tail is black, 
with glossy, greeu, plume feathers, the wing 
small and well upon the body, showing but 
little black, but when spread shows consid¬ 
erable black. The legs yellow or salmon 
color, and generally feathered to the foot; 
feathers carelessly put on, and not straight; 
wing-legs are sometimes seen. Ear-lobes 
are extremely large and pendulous; wattles 
small; legs short; body thick, heavy set; 
neck not too long; tail never long and sel¬ 
dom have any tail leathers until half grown. 
The comb single as a rule, but they fre¬ 
quently have a Pea comb, The fowl is 
every way symmetrical and beautiful. 
“ The pullets are white, inclining to a 
cream color on the back, with black tail 
feathers on wing and neck; hackles pen¬ 
ciled with black; comb siugle, and serrated; 
legs short and feathered to the foot; body 
heavy and compact; heavy breasted, straight 
on the back from the tail to the neck, and 
neck not too long; beak short aud rather 
straight; countenance tame aud domesti¬ 
cated.” _ 
Selling Eggs by Weight. 
The Ohio Farmer talks upon a subject 
which has been broached before, frequently, 
as follows:—“ When eggs were worth from 
six to twelve cents per dozen, it was a matter 
of no great importance whether they were 
large or small, but now as they range from 
twenty to forty cents per dozen, there is an 
item worth looking after itj selection. There 
is nearly a difference of h-UST in the amount 
of meat to be found in different lots of eggs 
on the market, and justice can never be 
done to the purchaser, until they are sold by 
weight. Eggs weigh usually one and a half 
pounds per dozen, and at forty cents per 
dozen are expensive meat. When sold for 
breeding purposes, the present custom of 
counting may he the best. There would 
be an advantage to the producer resulting 
from a change as above suggested, as well as 
to t he buyer, for then every keeper of poultry 
would seek such breeds as would produce 
the greatest number of pounds in eggs, while 
now a hen which is prolific is profitable, let 
her eggs beat small as those of the pat ridge; 
the object being to get. number, uot size or 
quality.” 
To Destroy Lice on Cbickcnn. 
M. A. C., Kalamazoo, Mich.,says :—“ Rub 
the beads of the chickens infested with lice 
with lard. The older the lard is the better. 
Of course, it must be melted, and rubbed on 
with the fingers. It will kill all the lice ou 
the. chickens.” 
(|b* ||ptsman. 
BEE NOTES AND QUERIES. 
Virgin Queen*. 
There will be no difference as to early 
laying between a queen raised in a large 
stock and a queen raised in a nucleus, pro¬ 
vided the nucleus he strong enough to keep 
the brood warm. 
Gathering, Making nnd Mixing Honey. 
Bees gather honey; they do not make it. 
If Mr. Benson will go to Ids buckwheat 
field ou some September morning he will 
smell the odor of buckwheat. Let him go to 
his apiary and open any one of his hives, lie 
will find the same odor; then lei him take 
some of that new honey and taste it, and he 
will conclude that it differs greatly from 
clover honey. If ho will feed Ids bees with 
BUgared water, when they find no honey in 
the fields, he will get nothing but sugared 
water; there will be perhaps a little bee-like 
flavor added to it, but it will never rival 
real honey. 
Do bees mix honey? When we empty 
honey out of the combs with the mel-ex- 
tractor we find, once in a while, parts of 
combs old, of which Die honey does not run, 
because it is too thick. This honey separ¬ 
ated from the rest is certainly not of the 
same kind, consequently this tends to prove 
that bees do not mix honey. 
Honey Boxen. 
The Quin by square glass boxes are the 
best for market. The Adair Pateut Mova¬ 
ble Frames would be better yet, if beekeep¬ 
ers would take the trouble to stick a guide 
ou each frame. 
Strained honey is not so easily sold as box 
honey. It. should be put up in glass jars, 
the smaller the better, and labelled “ Extrac¬ 
tor Honey.” We use the pint jars of Kar¬ 
tell's Patent.—c. 
An Anriiaiem Against Artificial Swarming. 
“ Novice,” South English, Iowa, thus, in 
the Bee Journal, throws down tlio gauntlet 
to the artificial swarming advocates:—“ The 
majority of writers on bee culture claim 
that artificial swarming is preferable to 
natural; but why? Do they give one 
sound, substantial reason why it is prefera¬ 
ble? 1 believe in letting everything have 
its established and regular course as pro¬ 
vided by the great Creator. When we try 
to change the established laws of nature— 
substituting an artificial process-—deteriora¬ 
tion is the result; and he who will persist in 
artificial swarming will slowly but surely 
find his colony growing less productive aud 
fruitful. But, chimes in the advocate of arti¬ 
ficial swarming, we will assist nature and 
expedite the swarming, in order to avoid the 
possibility of a loss of the swarm. All very 
well; 1 believe nature can be assisted under 
certain circumstances. But suppose you 
had a hen sitting, and at the end of two 
weeks you should break the shell of an egg 
in order to expedite the chick’s egress, what 
would be the result? Would nature be as¬ 
sisted properly ?" 
“How Shull I Treat Bee Robbers?” 
So asks Mrs. Sarah Ridley. First, keep 
your “ stocks” strong, and you will have no 
trouble with bee robbers. Second, procure 
Italian bees, if you have not already; they 
are a sure preventive of robbery. I find,by 
experience, that the Italian bees are active 
in self-defense, and are less prone to rob 
than their black neighbors. If, however, 
Mrs. Ridley has not got strong stocks, and 
cannot keep strong stocks, she had better 
quit bee-keeping, for they will be more ot a 
curse than a benefit to her. Examine the 
swarms that are being robbed and see it 
they are not queenless. If queenless, intro¬ 
duce a queen into the hive immediately, and 
she. will find that the bees will defend their 
home to the last. The presence of a queen 
serves to give them courage, 
A strong swarm of bees with a fertile 
queen is seldom ever robbed. If the bees 
fight the robbers, it is a good sign; aud now 
is the time to help them. Cont ract the en¬ 
trance so that but one bee can pass at a 
time, and give them ventilation by means ot 
wire cloth or perforated tin through the bot¬ 
tom board or honey board, and they will 
give their pilfering neighbors a warm recep¬ 
tion. Some put a piece of camphor gum in 
the hive being robbed, near the entrance, 
which they think encourages them to defend 
their home.— D. II. Coggshall, Jr., West 
Groton, N. Y. 
