THE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET. 
in 1787, but never have been so generally cultivated in 
Europe or America as the herbaceous varieties. 
A late writer in the London Garden says: “ I have a 
Tree Paeony on my lawn which has now on it about two 
hundred blossoms. It is nearly thirty feet round and has 
not had any protection for years.” This was a remark¬ 
able growth, surely. An account is given of one in a 
suburb of London, which was six or eight feet high and 
eight feet in diameter. Another seven feet in height and 
fourteen in diameter, planted thirty years ago, and has 
borne sometimes nearly one thousand flowers in a single 
season. 
The first plant of P. Moutan was brought to England 
through the influence of Sir Joseph Banks, in 1787. He 
learned of its existence in Chinese gardens through some 
illustrations. It was first cultivated in the Kew Gardens. 
The experiments with this species were not very success¬ 
ful for a time, but when grafted on the fleshy roots of 
15 
the herbaceous kinds the result was very satisfactory. 
The colors were mostly light and the flowers not very full 
and perfect, but now they are found in dark, rich hues 
and large, finely shaped flowers. Gloria Belgium and 
Souvenir de Gand are spoken of as remarkable for the 
beauty and size of their blossoms. 
The following are some of the finest novelties among 
Belgian Peeonies : Comte de Cussy: Exterior petals clear 
purple, centre petals white tinted with carnation. Edmund 
Lebon: Bright rose, very long and full. Faubert: Red¬ 
dish purple, almost black, double, a superb flower. 
Madonna: Pure white centre, lightly tinted with salmon. 
Magnifica : White, tinted with rose. Mad. Crouisse: 
Pure white, very large and full. Bose Quintal: Carmine 
rose. Tenuifolia: Fern-leaved, color crimson. Mad. 
Dhour: Bright rose bordered with white, very large and 
M. D. Wellcome. 
CROSS-FERTILIZATION. 
I T seems to be well established that in size and general 
appearance Strawberries grown on pistillate plants 
will resemble those grown on the hermaphrodite plants 
that produced the pollen which impregnated the pistillate 
sorts. This principle, which appears to be new when 
applied to Strawberries, has long been recognized when 
applied to vine truck. It is well known that the size and 
quality of Watermelons are materially influenced if a 
few seeds of Pumpkins, Squash, or preserving Citrons, be 
planted among them. May not the same principle hold 
true with other fruits under certain circumstances ! Let 
facts determine. 
About the year 1878 when planting an orchard of 
standard Kieffer Pear trees, we set a few dwarf Bartlett 
trees among them, thinking that would be a favorable 
plan for having the blossoms on the low-growing Bartlett 
trees impregnated with the pollen falling from the taller 
standard Kieffer trees in the natural way, which is much 
preferable to the artificial plan of mutilating the pistil in 
trying to cut away the stamens around it with an un¬ 
steady hand. My theory was to plant the seed of the Bart- 
letts thus subjected to showers of pollen falling from the 
Kieffers, and wait the result of the new seedlings grown 
therefrom. But this year we noticed some of the Bart- 
letts had the shape and outward appearance of Kieffer 
Pears, and hung on the trees about one month later than 
other Bartletts grown here, and attained a larger size, 
measuring 10 A inches around crosswise, by ii% around 
lengthwise ; flavor and quality of flesh and color of skin 
like the Bartlett; size and shape of fruit and time of 
ripening more corresponding with the Kieffer. 
We have carefully planted the seed taken from those 
supposed crosses which showed a marked change in out¬ 
ward appearance, hoping some of the offspring may pro¬ 
duce fruit equal to that from which the seed was taken, 
and if we get a new seedling Pear, or an improved Bart¬ 
lett, larger in size, of the same quality, and three to four 
weeks later in ripening than its female parent, the Bartlett, 
crossed with the Kieffer, it will be of some value to fruit¬ 
growers, who have no retarding house to keep back their 
Bartletts. 
Another illustration of the same principle : Last winter 
Charles Parry, who lives adjoining here, removed a 
standard Bartlett Pear tree, which had borne fruit for sev¬ 
eral years, to make room for moving his barn. The Bart¬ 
lett tree thus removed was planted close by and nearly 
between two large standard Kieffer Pear trees. All three 
bloomed profusely, and bore an abundance of fruit very 
similar in outward appearance to Kieffers. The Bartlett 
fruit was mostly double turbinate, pointed at both ends, 
like Kieffers, yet when cut open it had the natural Bartlett 
taste. The Bartlett tree having been recently moved, 
which checked its growth and weakened its reproductive 
powers, there was not strength and vigor enough to pro¬ 
duce a sufficient supply of pollen to impregnate the pistils 
of the Bartlett blossoms, and they were in a suitable state 
to receive pollen from the more vigorous Kieffer trees near 
by, which furnished an abundant supply for themselves 
and the Bartletts also. There were but few seeds in the 
crossed Pears ; some had none, and others were defective. 
We have grafted the Bartlett in the tops of Kieffer 
Pears, so as to bring the blossoms close to each other, 
the most favorable position for cross-fertilization in the 
natural way. We have likewise grafted the Lawson, the 
largest and most beautiful Pear ripening in July, in the 
tops of Manning’s Elizabeth, a smaller Pear of excellent 
quality, ripening nearly at the same time. If we can by 
this system of cross-fertilization obtain a new Pear com¬ 
bining the large size and great beauty of the Lawson with 
the delicious quality of the Elizabeth, it will be an acquisi¬ 
tion well worth the care and attention necessary to 
accomplish so desirable an object. 
Twenty years ago I thought I was too old to plant 
Pear seeds with any prospect of seeing the fruit grown 
from them; but I have now changed my opinion, and I 
agree with an elderly gentleman, 81 years old, who came 
here some time since to purchase trees, and said to me, 
while they were being dug for him, “ Some people might 
