THE CULTIVATOR. 
4/ 
of the proposed location, the addition of fifty or a hun¬ 
dred acres would make but a small item in the expense. 
The subject of a Pattern or Model farm, in connexion 
with an Institution for the instruction of youth, in the 
State of Nevv-York, has been at different times considera¬ 
bly agitated, and two or more bills granting charters for 
this purpose, have been passed by the Legislature, but 
different circumstances have combined to prevent any 
active measures being taken for the commencement of 
the enterprise. The difficulty of bringing into operation 
an institution, embracing in its plan and design aWthat it 
is desired to effect, has induced the suggestion that it is 
better, for the present, to attempt something on a less ex¬ 
tended scale, but with a greater certainty of its practica¬ 
bility and accomplishment. We allude to the proposition 
of purchasing a farm for making experiments and deci¬ 
ding doubtful points in husbandry. The project need not 
involve an expensive outlay—the farm may consist of 
about fifty acres—and all that would be requisite to carry 
it on, after the first expense of putting it in order, would 
be the hands to perform the labor, and a competent su¬ 
perintendent to conduct the experiments and all opera¬ 
tions, under the direction of a suitable board of officers. 
The proper object of all inquiry, is the establishment 
of facts— such only being of practical utility—and by no 
other means within our knowledge, can this object be so 
well promoted, as by some plan like what is here propo¬ 
sed. It is certain that much good has already been effec¬ 
ted by various laudable exertions which have been made 
in behalf of agriculture; but there are questions of the 
most important consideration-questions involving points 
on which the prosperity of the farmer actually depend, 
that have not been, and cannot be decided by any thing 
short of systematic and careful experiment. By the aid 
of an establishment like this, a series of experiments 
might be instituted that could be relied on—we need not 
be left to guess at the results, as is too often done in what 
are called experiments. The operation of different ma¬ 
nures, and the application of substances for the preven¬ 
tion of diseases in plants, or to ward off the attacks of in¬ 
sects, would here be tested on the same soil and under 
precisely the same circumstances. Comparative trials 
would be made with plows and other implements. The 
superiority possessed by one breed of animals over ano¬ 
ther, if any really exists, would be demonstrated in the 
the actual profits given under an impartial and just expe¬ 
riment. Free from the bias of individual selfishness, or 
preconceived and favorite theories, the trials would be 
fairly conducted, and the results as fairly made known. 
The grand object being the acquirement of truth, Na-' 
ture, in every operation would be asked a question—her 
answer would be promptly noted and treasured up in the 
storehouse of knowledge for the future benefit of all. 
For an object like this, we think there can scarcely be 
a doubt that the Legislature would grant the necessary 
appropriation. The trifling sum required w ould certain¬ 
ly be but a small return for the liberal aid which has been 
received from the agricultural class, in support of insti¬ 
tutions from which they have derived but little compar¬ 
ative advantage. 
HORTICULTURAL NOTICES. 
ALPINE STRAWBERRIES. 
C. M. Hovey, in a late number of his Magazine, 
speaks of the abundant supply of this variety of strawber¬ 
ry, in the markets of Paris, during the early part of au¬ 
tumn. He states the price at about 15 cents per basket: 
the basket containing a quart or more. We infer from 
his remarks that it is not well known in this country; its 
merits as a free grower and a great bearer, should make 
it more known. As with the Wood strawberry, there is 
a red and white sub-variety, which it also strongly re¬ 
sembles in the peculiar sweetness of the fruit, too much 
so to please some palates. It differs from the Wood in 
its more oblong fruit, and by its long continued season 
of bearing. It often yields but little during the heat of 
summer, but with proper culture, bears freely during a 
large part of autumn. We have seen good fruit picked 
in a rare case, on the sixth day of 12 month, (Dec,,) and 
a good dish of them on the table the first of the same 
month, in both cases from a garden in Western New- 
York. They often succeed best when partially shaded, 
as under a high fence, or fruit trees. Hovey says, “ In 
the gardens of Luxembourg, we saw nearly quarter of an 
acre, planted out in rows, three feet apart, and a row of 
dahlias between every other row, the alternate spaces 
answering for walks. The dahlias afforded some shade, 
though it is less needed in the climate of Paris, and the 
vines [stalks] were loaded with fruit.” From a long ac¬ 
quaintance with this variety, we venture to recommend 
their very general culture. 
NEW ORNAMENTAL SHRUB. 
A new and handsome shrub is noticed in the Botanical 
Register, a new species of Ceanothus, (Ceanothus thyrsi - 
Jlorus ,) “ a perfectly hardy shrub [or small tree] with 
evergreen foliage of a beautiful glossy green, and dense 
panicles of bright blue flowers,” from California. Though 
hardy in England, it might not be wholly so here. “ The 
plant grows freely in any good soil, and is readily increa 
sed by cuttings [under glass ?] of the half ripe wood. 
Those who are familiar with our common native ceano 
thus, or American white fringe tree , can easily conceive 
the beauty which a large evergreen species with dense 
panicles of bright blue flowers would present. 
GRAFTING CURRANTS. 
The Gardener’s Chronicle recommends, for the pretty 
appearance presented, as well as for improved flavor, to 
graft currants of different colors, as the red, black, and 
white, variously intermixed, on stocks trimmed up to a 
single stem three or four feet high. The tops may be 
headed down to a dense compact head, or trained as es¬ 
paliers in the horizontal or fan method, the two latter 
modes of training, by the free exposure to sun and air, 
much improving the quality of the fruit. The impor¬ 
tance of trimming the bushes up to a single stem to im¬ 
prove the fruit and facilitate clean culture, instead of suf¬ 
fering two hundred and fifty suckers to shoot up all round 
into a dense brush heap, is very obvious to those who 
have tried both. 
BUDDING ROSES. 
A correspondent of the Gardeners’ Chronicle is very 
successful in budding roses, by (t leaving a small piece of 
j ivood, as a protection to the bud when cut from the 
branch.” This prevents drying before adhesion. He 
finds white worsted the best ligature, and the common 
Boursault a good stock. 
BARREN AND PRODUCTIVE STRAWBERRIES. 
The fact that many varieties of the strawberry, without 
being strictly dioecious, have, from imperfect fructifica¬ 
tion, distinct barren and productive plants, is more or 
less understood among cultivators. Some interesting 
facts, relative to this point, are given by S. S. Jackson ot 
j Ohio in a late number of Hovey’s Magazine. 
He says, “ the first that I planted of Hovey’s Seedling, 
I put no male [staminate] plants with them. They grew 
and blossomed very fine, anti I thought I should have 
some mammoth fruit; but there was not a perfect berry 
on them, and very few imperfect. The next year I put 
male plants among them, and they bore beyond my ex¬ 
pectation; and I now think Hovey’s Seedling is the best 
market strawberry that we have; but they would not be 
worth growing here without the male plants among 
them. Last spring I had about one hundred Hovey’s 
Seedling in a border, without any male plants near them. 
They flowered as fine as could be wished, but there was 
only three perfect fruit on them, and those three I im¬ 
pregnated.”-“ I do not think that an acre of ground, 
planted with Hovey’s Seedling, Keene’s Seedling, Hud¬ 
son, and Elton, without male plants among them, would 
produce a bushel of fruit. I one year picked thirty bush¬ 
els of the Hudson strawberry from thirty square rods of 
ground; they were about one-tenth male plants.” 
It is to the general knowledge of this property of the 
strawbeny among the market gardeners of Cincinnati, 
according to the same writer, that, they are there indebted 
for the perfection, abundance and cheapness of this fruit 
in the markets of that city. “ It is,” says he, “ a know¬ 
ledge and practice on this principle, that enables one of 
our market gardeners to bring one hundred bushels a day 
t-o our market .” 
