1853 . 
THE CULTIVATOR, 
313 
Most of our readers are familiar with the Agave 
ainericana , (or Century Plant, as it is improperly call¬ 
ed,) in the form that it usually appears as a compara¬ 
tively small, or pot or tub plant, but it is quite a rare 
sight to see it in full bloom. Very few plants, indeed, 
have ever bloomed in the northern states, but one of 
the finest of these was the specimen near this city, kept 
by the late Stephen Van Rensselaer, and which flowered 
in 1842. The flower stalk, which was some three or 
four inches in diameter, shot up when it began to grow, 
with great rapidity, and in some days actually rose 
about four inches. The whole height, some twenty- 
two feet, was attained in about two months. During 
its growth, as it was found to be making such rapid 
upward progress, it became necessary to remove the 
roof of the hot-house which held it, and build a second 
story above. Its flowers being of a greenish yellow, and 
not large, were not showy ; but their great number— 
several thousand borne on so majestic a peduncle, ren¬ 
dered the plant one of great interest. 
The opinion is a very common one that the American 
Agave blooms but once in a century. This is quite an 
error, as under the best culture some twenty or thirty 
years are sufficient; and without good care, more than 
a century would be required. A high hot-house heat 
is needed for a few years before the time of flowering. 
New Fruits. —We have been favored by Dr. II. 
Wendell of this city, with samples of Van Mons ’ 
Elizabeth pear, which has borne on his grounds for the 
first time the present season. It is of small size, but of 
fine flavor, and should it prove productive, will be a 
valuable addition to our list of early pears. 
* Pronounced A-gav’-y. 
The Japanese Wind Flower. 
The Japanese Wind Flower, (Anemone japonica ,) 
recently introduced from China., by Mr. Fortune, is a 
fine herbaceous perennial of great beauty; it is very 
readily increased from suckers that spring up plentiful¬ 
ly around the old plant. This plant would doubtless 
improve from seed ; as it is, no garden should be with¬ 
out it. Its flowers are purplish red, from eighteen 
inches to two feet high ; flowering from end of July till 
August or September. Any good garden mold will suit 
New Early Plum. 
We have received a box of plums from J. B. Perry 
of Schaghticoke, of a sort much valued in that neigh¬ 
borhood for its gGod qualities. The tree is described as 
“very hardy, thrifty, and well proportioned in growth, 
productive, and ripening its fruit the first week in 
August, and hanging during all the month the fruit 
possessing the desirable qualities of good size, good 
quality, early ripening, and smallness of stone. 
The specimens received were much injured by the 
intensely hot weather at the time they were sent, but 
making allowance for this, we should think them an 
agreeable but not high-flavored sort, and they may 
prove on further trial, on account of the above men¬ 
tioned good qualities, worthy of cultivation. Their 
success in a single locality would hardly be a suffi¬ 
cient test. The specimens were full medium size, or 
quite as large as the Lombard or Lawrence ; ovate, 
blue, with a dense bloom, suture moderate, stem con¬ 
siderably sunk, flesh thick, mild agreeable but ra¬ 
ther insipid, free from the small stone. It appears to 
be quite distinct from any old sort, but we should think 
not equal in flavor to the Royal Hative, Imperial Ot¬ 
toman,- Howell’s Early, and Hudson Gage, all of these 
ripening nearly at the same time. It may, however, 
be a better grower and a more productive tree. 
