Field culture of the strawberry is very simple. The plants are set in rows four feet apart, and one foot in the row. This requires about ten thousand plants to the acre. A large part of the fields now in fruit have been set much closer; but the above is now the most approved mode. During the first season, they are thoroughly cultivated, and allowed to make all the runners they choose.

At the south part of the State, the late annual grasses give them all the mulching they need; but, in the north part, they must be mulched with prairie hay or straw. In the spring, the mulching, if too thick, is turned from the plants; but it is intended to be put on just thick enough for the plants to grow up through it: this keeps the berries clean, and the soil moist, -a very important item in strawberry culture; for a drought is highly disastrous to the crop.

No attempt is made at culture until the crop is harvested; when narrow furrows are run through one way about three feet apart, and the weeds are pulled out by hand, or cut off with a scythe. If blue grass (Poa compressa) or June grass (Poa pratense) gets a strong hold, it is better to give up the plantation, and make a new one. In the south part of the State, these grasses are not natural, and, of course, not in the way.

Whatever may be thought of the Wilson at the East, here at the West it is not only the market-berry, but is rapidly becoming almost exclusively the one for family use. Our hot suns appear to elaborate its rich acid juice; and although it may require more sugar than the soft varieties, yet it suits the taste of our people.

The heart-cherries commenced blooming May 1; Early-May, 5th, -dropped the bloom May 19. Apples in full bloom, May 20. Pear and plum out of bloom, 20th. Strawberry beginning to bloom, 10th; bloom killed, 12th; in full bloom, 20th. Purple-cane and Doolittle Raspberry beginning to bloom, June 4. Pear crop moderate; plum crop the same. Early-May cherry, full crop; large English Marvels, the same; other cherries of little value. Gooseberry and currant, partially injured by frost. Apple crop, full. Peach, fair crop. Grapes promise full crop. Season full three weeks late: weather improving.

CHAMPAIGN, ILL., June 5, 1867.

-

M. L. Dunlap.

GLADIOLUS CULTURE.- - Bulbs. Be sure that the bulbs which you save yourself, or those which you purchase, are thoroughly well dried; and, in planting, reject any that have black spots around and on the base of the bulb. They may be planted in a separate corner of the garden, if you are anxious to save the variety; for such a bulb may produce a tiny offset that may be planted: but it is sure to make a blank in your best bed, if you plant it there. Do not choose, for planting, the largest-sized bulbs, but those of a medium size: they will flower better, and give more satisfaction.

Soil. Manure highly in the autumn; dig in plenty of old cucumber-frame dung, and let it remain until planting-time, unless there be much frost, when turning it up, and sweetening it by exposure, will be of great benefit.

Planting. Let this be done according to the season. The end of April, or middle of May, is a very good time. Even if the bulbs have speared a

little, do not be afraid to keep them out of the ground until you have a favorable opportunity. When planting, open the place where the bulb is to be; put in a little light soil, with a considerable quantity of silver sand, and plant the crown of the bulb about three inches below the surface. Let the space between the bulbs be about a foot each way. You will lose nothing by giving them plenty of room: it is more easy to go amongst them. Of course, you may plant them more thickly if you are pressed for room.

-

After-Cultivation. — Keep all clear of weeds. If the weather is dry for a long time, give copious waterings: they are of great value. Top-dress if you think your soil is not good enough. The effect of shading has not been much tried: I am inclined to think, if judiciously managed, it would be of great advantage. Tie up the flower-stems by placing stakes, and then weaving list in and out amongst them.

Propagation. You will generally obtain, although not always, an increase of large bulbs, some breaking into two or three: but this cannot be expected from small bulbs; and, indeed, some large-sized ones never break, and only one large corm is again formed over the old one. Where there is an increase in the small fry, what is done with them must depend on the sorts, and the desire to increase stock. If it is a scarce or good variety, my plan is, immediately on taking the bulbs up, to separate the young bulbs, and at once plant them in small pots, using good light soil, and keep them in a cold pit during the winter. This gives them a great advantage, and insures, I think, their starting. If the kind is a common one, and yet increase is wished for, then keep the young bulbs, and sow them in drills, in the spring, like onions; and, if no increase is desired, simply cut them off, and throw them away.

AQUILEGIA FORMOSA. Several years ago, I received from an English seedsman a packet of seed, marked with the formidable name, Aquilegia formosa violacea plena. Of the seedlings which resulted, only one was handsome enough to be worth keeping. This answered to the name, being perfectly double, and of a clear violet-color. It was, moreover, very symmetrical. I sowed all the seed which it produced, and obtained more than a hundred young plants. These flowered in due time. The greater part were like the parent, and equally handsome; but others showed an interesting diversity. Some were of a deep blackish purple, two or three were of a pure white, several were flesh-colored, and others of a light purple. The form was in every case similar to that of the parent, and often quite perfect. I have no doubt that the best specimens of each color, planted apart from the rest, will produce seedlings of the same shape and color. At all events, I shall try the experiment. F. P.

MAGNOLIA Seedlings. - It may be worth while to note the time of blooming of magnolias raised from seed. M. macrophylla, sown six years ago and twice transplanted, is now four feet high, and just coming into flower (June 12), with one large bud to each plant. M. glauca, sown at the same time, is four feet high, and covered with flower-buds. M. tripetala, also six years old, from seed, is ten feet high, and bears six or eight large blossoms. F. P.

DURAND'S COLUMBINE (Aquilegia Durandii).—The flower of this variety is white, streaked with a bright maroon approaching crimson. It is clearly a hybrid. I saved seed from it two years ago. Some of them were white, and others black. The white seed produced the true Durand; but the black produced a "self-colored" variety, of a uniform maroon-color. All the flowers alike were double, and very handsome. Durand's Columbine is one of the most orna

mental of its race.

F. P.

THE NEW Weigelias. For most of these we are indebted to Van Houtte, the celebrated horticulturist of Ghent, who has raised seedling Weigelias by the acre. Having tried most of his new varieties, my experience may be of use as a guide to others. He has taken as his parent stock Weigelia rosea and W. amabilis, of which the former is universally known; and the latter, after extraordinary puffing from nursery-men interested, has deservedly fallen into the background. But, though a rather poor thing in itself, is has given birth, probably with the aid of hybridization, to good offspring.

W. Desboisii (named after Desbois, one of Van Houtte's foremen, who raised it) is a very fine variety, being covered with an immense profusion of flowers, far surpassing, both in number and color, those of W. rosea; often hiding the foliage, and wrapping the whole bush in crimson. W. Stetzneri is much like it; but. W. Desboisii, contrary to the experience of Van Houtte, is, with me, the better of the two. W. splendens is even more robust in growth. The flowers are remarkably large, and very abundant. They appear to the most advantage in a slight shade. They are marked, like those of W. Desboisii, with a deep crimson streak in the throat of the corolla. These three varieties are all of extremely vigorous growth, and partake largely of the habit of W. amabilis, from which they are no doubt sprung.

W. Isoline is a very distinct and beautiful variety; for the flowers, when first open, are pure white, though the sun afterwards tinges them with pink. Another white Weigelia, under the name of W. hortensis nivea, has lately been introduced, and is now in bloom before me. The flowers, though small, are of the purest, white, which remains unchanged under the hottest sun.

There is a dwarf variety of W. amabilis with variegated leaves, and also a dwarf variety of W. rosea with the same peculiarity. The last is much the best, and is a very striking variegation.

W. striata, W. Van Houttii, and several other varieties, are also in bloom here; but there is nothing in them very distinct. The foregoing are much better. I have raised about a hundred seedlings of my own, but rejected them all, as being no better than the parents. F. P.

RASPBERRY CULTURE. - The cultivation of this fruit seems rather to have diminished than increased during the past five years. Many of the marketfarmers are now neglecting it who formerly raised large quantities of this excellent fruit. The reasons assigned are, that it is a good deal of trouble to raise them; that they usually sell at a rather low price, lower than strawberries, which can be raised at less expense; that they require protection in winter; and that

the crop is not very certain then. Now, it cannot be expected that one can raise any fruit without pains; but the raspberry requires as little care as most any of the small fruits, and gives good results. The fruit comes just after the strawberry has disappeared from the market, and before the blackberry has made its appearance to any considerable extent, and fills up what would otherwise be a gap or break in the succession of summer fruits. The fruit is certainly delicious; second, it is true, to the strawberry, but still good enough for the season; and may be used in every form that the strawberry is used. The Red Antwerp was formerly raised to considerable extent for market, but gave way to the Franconia, which has been the variety principally raised for Boston market. The Knevett's Giant is a very much better variety as respects quality of fruit; but the berry will not bear transportation equal to the Franconia. For home use, it is difficult to find better varieties than Knevett's Giant, Fastolff, and Brinckle's Orange. The fruit of the Fastolff is red, like that of Knevett's Giant, which it resembles somewhat. The color of the Brinckle, as its name indicates, is a beautiful orange; a great bearer, and moderately hardy; though, like all we have named, it needs protection in winter, which is easily given by laying down the plants, and covering with earth.

Some new kinds of great promise have recently been introduced. Judging from the representations made concerning them,

The Clarke is one of these; a red raspberry of fair size, vigorous grower, productive, and quite hardy. Whether it will endure the winter without protection, we are not yet informed.

It is claimed that the Philadelphia is hardy enough to stand the winters without protection. It is a large purple fruit, of pretty good quality. This variety is quite extensively cultivated about Philadelphia.

Among other new ones of which we have heard are the Ellisdale, Surprise, Fancy, Naomi, and two or three new foreign varieties. We have no doubt but great improvement is yet to be made in this fruit; that it still remains for some successful horticulturist to originate a raspberry, of large size and excellent quality, that shall prove fully able to endure all ordinary winters. But even now, with what varieties we have, it seems possible to make the raspberry a profitable fruit to raise for the market, as we know it is for home use. It will doubtless be with this, as it has been with many other things, that, in years of great plenty, the price will be low, — perhaps lower than they can be afforded; but this should not at all discourage the grower. We well remember when apple-trees were a drug at twenty to twenty-five cents each, and many were destroyed on the brush-heap for want of purchasers; and yet, within five years from that time, they were very scarce at fifty cents each. And so it has been with many other things. And this is true of fruits. Currants sold so low a few years ago, that they were hardly worth picking; and yet, since that time, there has been a very good demand for this excellent fruit. The true way is to lay out to raise a certain amount of fruit every year; and in this way the grower will get the sweet with the bitter, and, in the long-run, will receive an ample reward for all his trouble. Let this course be adopted in relation to the raspberry, and our markets will be better supplied, and this fruit will be seen on our tables much oftener than it

VOL. IL

15

ww

now is. This fruit may be grown pretty well under trees where most every thing else refuses to give any returns; so that it cannot be called difficult in regard to location. It prefers a cold moist soil rather than a dry one, and, in many locations, is greatly benefited by liberal mulching. Brother fruit-grower, please take hold of this matter of raspberry-growing with renewed zeal and courage.

CULTURE OF HOYA BELLA. Of the several species of this genus, none is more worthy of careful cultivation than the subject of the present notice. It requires a free, porous soil, composed of loam and turfy peat, the latter chopped up with the spade, or broken with the hand, but not sifted ; one-fourth leaf-mould; and as much white or silver sand as will give the whole a grayish appearance. In this compost the plant will grow luxuriantly, and produce its lovely wax-like flowers in profusion. The pot must be carefully and efficiently drained, as a sour soil occasioned by an undue retention of moisture is extremely detrimental to the plant. Bits of broken bricks and lime-rubbish form a superior drainage ; and, if a handful of the latter is mixed up with the soil at the time of potting, all the better.

During its season of active growth, the Hoya bella delights in a moistureladen atmosphere, and a temperature of 70° and upwards. With plenty of moisture in the air, only a very limited supply will be required at the roots; and hence the moist atmosphere of the plant-stove or orchid-house is that most congenial to the habits of the plant. In a well-managed vinery, however, the plant may be pretty successfully cultivated. If grown in the stove or any other glass structure where a high, moist temperature is steadily maintained, the plant should be removed to a dryer and somewhat cooler atmosphere; say, one with a temperature of 65°, when the flowers are on the eve of expanding. The blooming season will thus be very much prolonged; the high, moist temperature of the stove speedily causing the flowers to drop off.

In order to secure a proper ripening of the wood, a late autumn growth should not be encouraged; but, if the plant has been kindly treated during summer, this important result will, in general, have been pretty well accomplished by the time its blooming season is over. In winter, it should be accorded a dry shelf pretty close to the glass, where the temperature ranges from 55° to 60°.

When grown as a specimen pot-plant, it is not unfrequently trained to a balloon-shaped wire trellis; and, for certain purposes, it suits very well. It is also occasionally used to cover the end wall of a stove; but, if we are desirous of showing flower and leaf to the greatest advantage, it should be plunged in a wicker basket of moss, and suspended from the roof of the stove or vinery. It here assumes a semi-pendent habit, and has an extremely graceful appearance.

Almost the only management which the plant requires is to pinch the points of the leading shoots or branches during the growing season, so as to induce the production of laterals, and thereby secure a bushy habit. If this pinching be duly attended to, a severe knife-pruning will rarely be necessary. Early in spring, the plant should be top-dressed or repotted, as may be necessary, and then placed in moist heat, and treated as above directed. It is propagated from cuttings, which root freely in moist heat.