S6 THE CULTIVATOR. _ Feb. 
®he horticultural (Department. 
CONDUCTED BY J. J. THOMAS. 
Transactions of N» Y. State A g. Society, for 1848. 
This volume of nearly 3000 pages, (received 
through the kindness of B. P. Johnson, Correspond¬ 
ing Secretary,) should have had an earlier notice, 
especially for its valuable matter in relation to 
fruits. The most important article of this charac¬ 
ter is Dr. Wendell’s Report, occupying 22 pages, 
and embracing outlines and full descriptions of 
American Summer Pearmain,Summer Rose, Autumn 
Strawberry, Pomrae Royal (or Dyer,) Mother, 
Melon, and Wagener apples; Ilostiezer, Tyson and 
Golden Biboa pears; and Red Gage and Purple Fa¬ 
vorite plums. It also contains descriptions of 
White Imperial and Cooledge’s Favorite peaches; 
Moorpark and Breda apricots; and Downton and 
Boston nectarines. A better addition to the excel¬ 
lent list of fruits already published by the State Ag¬ 
ricultural Society, could not well have been made. 
The Wagener apple, a new variety from Yates coun¬ 
ty, received the premium of the Society, as a new 
fruit of the highest character; and the committee 
appear to have exercised fearlessly a discriminating 
judgment, in allowing no other to rank with the re¬ 
quired standard, out of a large number presented for 
examination by some of the best cultivators in the 
country. 
From a valuable and interesting article in another 
part of the volume, from the pen of N. Longworth, 
of Cincinnati, well spiced with the peculiarities of 
his style, we extract the following: 
Fox Grapes. “Two years since, I was informed of a superior 
German grape, cultivated by a German in our city, who had not on¬ 
ly sold the fruit to our confectioners at a high price, but had already 
engaged all his cuttings, and refused $200 for the vine. I started in 
the pursuit, warm as the day was, and after trudging on foot for 
three hours through the dust, and a scorching sun, the garden was 
pointed out to me, where this celebrated grape was to be found. 
I became aware of its quality when within fifty feet of the vine, for 
I discovered the fine scent of the fox grape, that was so much admi¬ 
red in my days of boyhood. It proved to be a fox grape of the poor¬ 
est kind, but ripened early, and I found I could buy the plant for 
$500. This was too high a price for a prudent Jersey man to give, 
and I had my walk without any profit. I shall be pleased to furnish 
cuttings to any person foolish enough to deem them worthy of culti¬ 
vation.” 
Strawberries .—The following statement of expe¬ 
riments and result of Strawberry culture at Cincin¬ 
nati, from the same article, are interesting:— 
The Hovey’s Seedling bears larger fruit than any variety we cul¬ 
tivate. But it is subject to die out with us in winter. Its season of 
fruiting is short, and we deem it inferior iti flavor to some other va¬ 
rieties common with us; and we have several varieties, that the ave¬ 
rage of the fruit is as large, and some larger. The average size, 
cultivated as we cultivate other varieties, is less than three inches; 
—I should say, less than two and three-fourth inches in circumfer¬ 
ence. I believe the strawberry with us acquires a larger size than 
it does east. Our apples, pears and peaches are larger. Some of 
my tenants this season had peaches measuring 14 inches, and sold 
their fiuest at $8 per bushel. But in justice to Ilovey’s Seedling, I 
would add that no garden should be without it, and though not found 
by us to be the most profitable for cultivation for market, it is a desi¬ 
rable variety to cultivate for sale, as its first fruit is larger than any 
other, and commands a higher price. * * * I trust the horticultu¬ 
rists of Boston will now have a staminate worthy of cultivation, in 
addition to the Boston Pine; for Mr. Schnieke informs me that a 
gentleman from Boston saw his bed of seedling pistillates, when in 
fruit, and paid him $6 for a few plants. Mr. Burr has certainly rai¬ 
sed some varieties worthy of their notice; and Mr. McAvoy and Mr. 
Schneike, in the Garden of Eden, adjoining our city, have raised 
several thousand seedlings, from the largest pistillate fruits, impreg¬ 
nated by the largest fruited staminates ; and among them, McAvoy 
.had last season a pistillate that bore as large fruit as any of the Ho¬ 
ve y in this vicinity, and its average size larger. It was shown at 
the exhibition, and he claimed the prize offered by the Society, as 
equalling what they required. The Society laid his application over 
till his seedling was further tested. * * * Mr. McAvoy raised 
more than 1,000 plants from the seed of the Hovey, impregnated by 
the Swaiustone : Yet among them, he found but one plant which he 
deemed worthy of cultivation, as new varieties are not desirable, 
unless equal to, or superior to the parent 
Horticulturists are familiar with the fact that no¬ 
thing retards so much the growth of a plant as the 
production of seed. The practical result of this in¬ 
fluence in strawberry beds, alluded to in the follow¬ 
ing remark, should not be forgotten : 
Young plants often spring up in the bed from seed, and if stami¬ 
nate, and left two years, will often root out half the pistillates, as it 
is generally the more vigorous plant, and having no fruit, or but lit¬ 
tle to bear, will form a dozen plants, whilst the pistillate is forming 
one. It is in the vegetable kingdom, as with we lords of creation, 
the female is trodden under foot. 
Houghtons Gooseberry* 
A correspondent inquires, How has this new 
gooseberry proved with you, and is it equal to its 
reputation?” 
Houghton’s Seedling. 
This variety is too small ever to become famous 
in this day for showy exterior; it is of a pleasant 
but not decidedly high flavor. A single season, on 
a very small bush, with bearing shoots only a few 
inches high, indicates, in accordance with its repu¬ 
tation, a profuse bearer; whilst its hardiness, easy 
propagation, and freedom from mildew, constitute 
very desirable qualities. The figures which have 
been published of this fruit, unlike those usually ex¬ 
hibited of new sorts, are only about a fair average 
in size, being about three-fourths of an inch long. 
Salem, Mass, is the place of its origin. 
Rotation of Crops. 
Extracts from Correspondence. 
1 ‘ The doctrine of Rotation of Crops for ordina¬ 
ry soils, is well established, and Judge Peters of Pa. 
extended it to forest trees, showing that one kind 
of timber, frequently, if not generally, succeeded 
some other kinds, as oak after pine, and birch or 
beech after hemlock. Lately, Professor Liebig, 
however, showed that the ashes of the vine formed 
an excellent manure for the same plant; and others 
have recommended the twigs and leaves unburnt for 
the same purpose. Why lands become impoverished 
when the crops are removed , is more easily under¬ 
stood than why the forest should require a rotation 
when all the timber rots on the ground. But be 
this as it may, I am satisfied that some plants are 
well, if not best manured with their own leaves. 
Some years ago, Col. Carr, of the Bartram Botanic 
Garden, sent me a bulb of Crocus serotinus, which 
increased very slowly for several years; but letting 
it remain on the same spot it has gradually become 
