ty more than any other kind; they were the largest we ever saw.

"Besides the interest we took in examining the fruits and flowers, we do not forget the plants, of which there were so many kinds that it was impossible for us to remember the names of all. Our principal and teachers kindly made us acquainted with several large ones, which delighted us very much. We have often seen ferns in the country, but none to equal those which we saw at your exhibition, either in size or beauty.

"Besides the fruits, plants, flowers, and all we saw, we did not forget to take a good survey of the building; and while doing so, observed that much improvement had been made during the last year. The walls and ceiling presented a very fine appearance, and the gallery above afforded a good place for observing all that was going on below.

"Now that we are so well pleased with our visit this time, we sincerely hope that if we ever enjoy such a pleasure again, we may not be less gratified, and be assured that we will never forget the debt of gratitude we owe to you, our kind benefactor.

PEACHES IN MICHIGAN.-D. D. Waters, Esq., gave an interesting discourse on peach culture at Grand Rapids in December last before the Michigan Pomological Society. They seem to bear there as abundantly and with about the same regularity as in the Middle States. He speaks of the vicinity of Spring Lake. Here Early York mildews, Morris White is of inferior His choice are size, and Smock is too late. Hale's Early, which does not rot here, Crawford, Barnard, Old Mixon Free, Late Crawford, and Hill's Chili, also called Stareley's Late. In culture he advocates a thoroughly clear surface. The peach should be richly fed. An abandoned hog-pen makes one of the best peach soils. Manuring the fruit is an important operation. Overbearing and starvation are the chief sources of disease in the peach.

The prices of peaches there was from $1.00 to $1.75 per basket.

EARLY BEATRICE PEACH.-Mr. Myers, Bridgeport, Delaware, gives us the following account: "In a former number of the Monthly you ask for information about the Early Beatrice Peach.

"Having understood that it was in fruiting in Halifax County, North Carolina, I visited that county last June. I found a Mr. Bellis shipping the fruit June 25th. The fruit was small to medium size, well colored, and free from rot. Even the fruit stung by Curculio did not show rot.

"In passing over the orchard several times, I saw but four as fine peaches of either Early Beatrice or Early Louise, rotting. Five or more thousand of different ages, from two to three years,-a few I think older-all had fruit on. Had born a crop the year previous. Had not had very good attention last year. former owner having failed, Mr. Bellis will put them in good order. This orchard was planted by Mr. S. Bilyou. Mr. Bilyou has done the country great good in being the first to make known these valuable peaches.

The

"Mr. Bellis was shipping the Beatrice, at the time I was there, to New York. I wrote to Fuller & Pullen, 146 West Washington Market, to go and see in what condition the fruit arrived, directing by mark on crates sent by Mr. B. Messrs. F. & P. wrote me the fruit arrived in fine order, and selling at $4.50 to $5.00 per box. Boxes not overin. scant; that should suffice. A few days later, received another letter from

F. & P., saying fruit came in good order. One crate, larger fruit than others, brought $8.00. A few days since I received a letter from Mr. Bellis, saying his Beatrice paid him $1.00 net a crate better than any other kind. And he says he picked the last Beatrice twenty days after he commenced; and the fruit then was in good order. I consider it the most valuable peach in the world, he says.

"I brought with me a small basket of the fruit, through the kindness of Mr. B. I kept a few of them up to the morning of the ninth day, when children got to the basket and ate them. Were in good condition on that morning. I placed a few in the show-case of D. F. Ball & Son's store, one of them keeping fourteen days. Hale's Early, picked at the same time, rotted in a day or two. Hale's was rotting on trees side by side of Beatrice, and at least twelve to twenty days in ripening. Early Louise is larger than Beatrice. I should consider them enormous bearers. Never saw young trees so loaded. The fruit is a beautiful light straw-color-pink cheek next sun. I think the Louise of very high quality, and from what I saw, consider it the second best very early peach known; in fact I am not sure but it may be placed ahead of all others. Ripening as it does, but a few days later than Beatrice, and appeared entirely free from rot. Part of the fruit I kept nine days was of that variety. In conclusion, I would say I think the world is greatly indebted to Mr. T. Rivers, of England, for introducing some of the most valuable very early peaches ever known."

PERSIMONS.-Some one without explanation sends us a box of excellent persimons. We ate them, and wished for more. They were first class persimons, and in striking contrast with those which, in conjunction with onions, some hypocritical people use at funerals, according to some "reliable gentlemen," though not of the "old school."

LATE PEACHES.-Mr. L. Blodgett sends a box of fine specimens. The yellow freestone referred to was especially fine in size and flavor. "I am not fortunate in showing fruit, but I have never failed to produce for my family and my friends, an abundant supply of such peaches as I send you to-day, for the entire season from August 15th to the last days of October.

"These are four of No. 3, which I regard as the first peach for its season, (Oct. 1st to 20th) I ever

saw. I have four trees of this variety, bearing in 1871 and 1872 about twenty-five bushels each year, and this year about three bushels. The White Melting peaches and Yellow October Clings, were more abundant this year. Enclose four peaches of the Yellow October Cling, No. 11, of my list of seedlings."

TOUCHING NAMES OF CHERRIES AND OTHER FRUITS.—Mr. F. R. Elliott writes: Thank you! Here you are, my good energetic public friend of all connected with rural life-even to the skimming and thinning down of superfluity of nomenclature. I read your calm and judicious notes touching the name of "Caroon" for a special name or designation for a distinct variety, but confess I fail to see your substantiation. Can you make the Caroon from any reliable record other than the old Merry or Mazzard, giving to it as you must or should, the position of growth, soil, location, etc.; and have you not, when completed, the type parent of the Black Heart of the book list description ? I have no desire to touch the matter, for I am done with pomology. What I know I know; but it dont pay to keep up a hullabaloo with men who have each an axe to grind, when you are only working for the public good and correction of names, by which fruit growers shall know truly the varieties most profitable to you.

Here in your "foot notes," friend editor of Gardener's Monthly, you have a man giving record of the Napoleon as Caroon, and you seem to accord with him "

[Mr. Elliott seems to have overlooked the main point of the note in the last Monthly, which was to show that the Mazzard was not the Merry of the English gardens. The Merry is one distinct variety, cultivated and propagated as any other variety, while the "Mazzard" comprizes all sorts of hardy wildlings. The true Caroon may be the same as the English Merry; but our New Jersey correspondent, and we thank him for the information, showed pretty clearly, we think, good reason for supposing that what is called Caroon by eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is the Napoleon Biggareau.

CULTURE OF FRUIT TREES.-C. J. R., Richford, Tioga County, New York, writes: "I have been for thirty years a close student of horticulture; and besides being a cultivator of fruits myself, have watched the general course of

other fruit growers, and the result is to make it seem truly strange, that any 'level headed' fruit grower should advocate plowing each year among fruit trees. It seems to me that in spite of the observation that they do best in grass, the most cursory examination of the roots would show that the small feeders are all very close to the surface, where the most nourishment is."

TIMBER TREES FOR KANSAS.-A correspondent makes the following inquiries: May I trouble you to inquire about the value of some trees that I am wanting to try? 1st. Can you tell me anything of the value of the Southern Yellow Pine (Pinus Mitis) for planting as a forest tree in this latitude? and can it be started easier than the Northern Pines? I want to - plant some of the seed, and perhaps some young plants next spring, but I shall go light about it unless I can feel pretty sure that it will be a valuable tree here.

2d. What do you think of the Deciduous Cypress for this latitude, where we have water at 4 to 10 feet below the surface?

34. Can you tell me anything about the value of the Blue Ash as a forest tree? The White Ash does not please me here. The tree is small and the timber poor, and the " green ash," which is native here, is not much better.

perhaps, Celtis occidentalis. The variations used to puzzle the botanists of the past age, and thus we had F. lutea, F. epiptera, and F. acuminata, which are now admitted as the same; and F. pubescens, which, though regarded by Gray and others as a good species, is not, we think, more than a form, and not a very decided orm of F. Americana. It is when the forms approach F. pubescens that the White Ash is The forms "at the a worthless timber tree. other end" are just the reverse.]

CLIMATE OF CHESTERTOWN, MARYLAND.Massey & Hudson say: "Frost holds off well here, and we are getting an abundance of stock for bedding plants from the open ground yet (October 14).

Our locality is peculiarly exempt from early frost in autumn. Three years ago geraniums lived and bloomed in our garden until December 15th. This Peninsula is too little known North. Would be glad to see some editors and publishers here."

[(1). One Southern Yellow Pine" is Pinus palustris sometimes also called the long leaved Yellow Pine, and is the timber from which floorboard is made This would not do well in Kau

sas.

Pinus mitis, another yellow pine, would be hardy in Kansas, but whether or not it would do well as a timber tree is a matter for experiment. Is there any trees of it of any size in the State? We should be glad to know what is the largest. The timber is excellent if it will do well. The plants are not raised as easily from seed as northern species.

(2). The Deciduous Cypress ought to do well in the situation described. Perhaps even better than in the South. Though naturally found in "swamps," it does not like the locality, and prefers dryer ground in spite of the orders of

nature.

(3). The Blue Ash will, without much doubt, do better than the White Ash in Kansas We have seen them together in the woods of Ohio and Indiana, always to the advantage of the Blue Ash. It must be remarked, however, that the White Ash Fraxinus American is more variable than any other American tree except,

G. W. THOMPSON.

[On looking over Mr. Thompson's article, we note that it might possibly be construed into the meaning, that Mr. Thompson imputed to Mr. Saunders the motives referred to. This was not his intention, nor did we understand it. Mr. Thompson was referring to this malicious rumor-combatting, not endorsing it,-—and our remarks were intended as aiding Mr. Thompson in his effort. We supposed every body understood this; but as we see there is a possibility of the misconstruction, in justice to all we are thus explicit.

Since the above was written we have a note from Mr. Saunders, with his thanks for the unsought testimony we gave in his behalf. Mr. S. reminds us that before the order of Patrons of Husbandry was talked of, he had the offer of a

nomination to the office of Commissioner of Agriculture, and that he positively and absolutely declined, as he has always done. Few persons have had a more intimate acquaintance with Mr. Saunders than the writer of this; and no one can more fully feel the injustice of the suggestion that he ever had any aspirations to the office, much less used his position to further the end.

HORTICULTURE AT SALT LAKE. In reference to the note in the Gardener's Monthly last month that the bronze medal of the Pomological Society was awarded to the Utah collection, a correspondent writes: "We were a little surprised at not so much as receiving a letter of acknowledgment of the receipt of the fruits we sent to Boston. And all the information we have received as yet, has been through the Monthly.

"Mr. J. S. Houghton has been kind enough to forward to me extracts of proceedings of your Fair in Philadelphia. Our Fair closed on the 9th inst. My time has been taken up entirely with the business of the Fair for the last two weeks. Exhibition of fruits was not as large as I expected it would be. But horses and horned stock were better than ever before. Financially it was a success. We had a severe frost two weeks ago to-day, (Oct. 11th) which spoiled our Dahlias. Cold winds visit us, and warn us that winter is near."

SMILAX HISPIDA.-Mrs. S. E. N. Corning, South West Iowa.-We give above the name represented in the following note. It is pleas

ant to note so much attention drawn to our beautiful native climbers. A near relative to his, growing further south, Smilax Walteri, is

one of the most beautiful things possible to grow; but we know no one who has a plant :

"I send you from this comparatively new country, a leaf or two with stem of plant for name. I found it climbing by tendrils to trees, and growing about fifteen feet high. The stem, when fresh, looks much like that of some of the white moss roses. Vines of all kinds seem to luxuriate in this part of the country, though I fear for my favorites, the Fuchsias. Probably the dryness of the atmosphere does not suit them."

han: In your October issue, speaking of some remarks of mine before the Academy of Natural Sciences, you have the following, the italics being mine:

Prof. Leidy inquired of Mr. Riley the true position of the insect in scientific classification; Prof Riley replied that it was not yet well settled. Its appearance brought it somewhere near the aphids, but it did not have successive broods from one impregnation; aphids did. In this respect it approaches coccus. He thought it between the two families.

I am sure I said no such foolish thing. What I did say was that the insect belonged to the sub-order Homoptera, and that while it was at present classed with the plant-lice (Aphididœ) it bears close relation to the bark-lice (Coccidæ.) Phylloxera multiplies agamically like all the Aphidido, and therefore does produce successive broods from one impregnation.

Yours truly,

C. V. RILEY.

RANDOLPH PETERS' CATALOGUE, WILMINGTON.-The catalogues of our nursery friends are always very welcome. At one time we gave with pleasure brief notices of them; but they came in such shoals, that we could not spare the room. Then we limited them to a mere notice