TREE-SEEDS. - When these can be gathered in the autumn, they should be mixed with sand, and kept through the winter in some place secure from mice. Some of the coniferous trees do not ripen their seeds until spring. The cones will generally open of themselves, but may be very much assisted by placing them before a fire for a few hours. When the spring is fairly open, the smaller and more delicate seeds should be sown in a bed prepared specially for them, composed of sand, loam, and leaf-mould, in about equal parts. This bed should be so situated, that the plants will not be exposed to the burning heat of noonday, and dry, scorching winds, during the early summer. The seeds should be sown in drills, and covered with leaf-mould or light loam. These beds will require watering quite often, both before and after the plants come up. Some use meadow-moss, which retains the moisture well as a mulch. A great many are raised in frames placed in a cool, sheltered position; so that, while a few years ago we were entirely dependent upon the nursery-men of Europe for young evergreen and other trees, now we raise them in large quantities.

DELAWARE GRAPES. I have noticed frequent complaints in your Journal concerning mildew on the Delaware vine. I have a vine four years old, that gave thirty-five bunches this year of thoroughly-ripened fruit, at the same time making many new canes, twenty of which were over fifteen feet long; while but very few leaves mildewed, and those only after the fruit had ripened. I attribute my success to thorough drainage, frequent stirring of the soil with a gardenfork, and training so as to fully expose the vine to the full blaze of the sun; though we had but very little sunshine the past season. I have no fault to find with this variety. G. S. G.

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COVERING STRAWBERRIES. I have, for the last five years, used corn-stalks for covering my strawberry-beds. Straw and hay often contain seeds, causing much inconvenience the next summer. These, as also leaves, frequently make a covering too compact, especially where the snow is deep. We have no evergreen boughs. I consider corn-stalks as decidedly the best as well as the most convenient material for such a purpose. The stalks may be removed in the spring, leaving the brittle, broken leaves as a mulch for the summer.

The covering should be light, permitting the snows of winter to be sifted through the stalks upon the vines.

GALENA, ILL

BEURRE D'AREMBERG PEAR.- - This is a very fine winter-pear, of medium size and excellent quality, but rather difficult to raise. The tree is a very poor grower; and the variety should, in all cases, be grafted on the top of a large tree. We have tried for years to push forward a young tree we have in our orchard, but in vain; and we fear we never shall gather much fruit from it: while we have a few scions, which were put into the top of a large tree a few years ago, that yearly yield large crops of fine fruit. Let those who admire this excellent pear just try the plan we have adopted, and they will not be ready to give it up as utterly incorrigible.

MELONS.

We continue our extracts from Burr's "Field and Garden" this month, giving a valuable chapter on melons:

Carolina.- Fruit of large size, and of an oblong form, usually somewhat swollen towards the blossom-end; skin deep green, variegated with pale green or white; flesh deep red, not fine grained, but crisp, sweet, and of fair quality; fruit frequently hollow at the centre; seeds black. This variety is extensively grown

in the Southern States for exportation to the North, where it appears in the markets about the beginning of August, and, to some extent, in July. Many of the specimens are much less marked with stripes and variegations than the true Carolina; and some shipments consist almost entirely of fruit of a uniform deepgreen color, but of the form and quality of the Carolina. Downing mentions a sub-variety with pale-yellow flesh and white seeds.

Mountain Sweet. A large, long, oval variety, often contracted towards the stem in the form of a neck; skin striped and marbled with different shades of green; rind rather thin, measuring scarcely half an inch in thickness; flesh scarlet, and solid quite to the centre; seeds pale russet-brown, but often of great depth of color in perfectly-matured specimens of the fruit. A popular and exten

sively-cultivated variety, quite hardy, productive, and of good quality. For many years it was universally conceded to be the best market sort cultivated in the Middle States, but of late has lost some of the properties that recommended it so highly to favor. Its deterioration has probably been owing to the influence of pollen from inferior kinds grown in its vicinity.

Green Citron Melon.

Fruit nearly round, but flattened slightly at the ends, deeply and very regularly ribbed; size medium or rather small, average specimens measuring about six inches in diameter, and five inches and a half in depth; skin green and thickly netted,-when fully mature, the green becomes more soft

and mellow, or of a yellowish shade; flesh green, quite thick, very juicy, and of the richest and most sugary flavor. It is an abundant bearer, quite hardy, and remarkably uniform in its quality. It is deservedly the most popular as a market sort; and for cultivation for family use, every thing considered, has few superiors.

Large Ribbed Netted. Common muskmelon. Fruit very oval, large, strongly ribbed; skin yellow, very thickly netted, sometimes so closely as to cover nearly the entire surface; flesh salmon-yellow, remarkably thick, sweet, but not

fine grained or melting when compared with the recent and improved varieties. Hardy and productive. In good soil and favorable seasons, the fruit sometimes attains a length of fifteen inches, and weighs upwards of twenty pounds.

White Japan.-A recently-introduced, roundish, medium-sized, or rather

small variety; skin cream-white, and very thin; flesh thick, remarkably sweet,

and fine flavored,—if the fruit is well matured, almost rivalling that of the green citron. It ripens early, and is quite productive.

Of the numerous new sorts that have been offered to the public within the past two or three years, this appears to be one of the most desirable.

Nutmeg. Fruit oval, regularly ribbed, eight or nine inches in length, and about six inches in its broadest diameter; skin pale green, and thickly netted; rind thin; flesh light green, rich, sweet, melting, and highly perfumed. The

nutmeg melon has been long in cultivation, and is almost everywhere to be found in the vegetable garden, though seldom in a perfectly unmixed state. When the variety is pure, and the fruit perfectly ripened, it is of most delicious excellence, and deservedly ranked as one of the best.

Black Spanish Watermelon. - Fruit of large size, roundish or oblong, generally more or less distinctly ribbed; skin very dark or blackish green; rind half an inch thick; flesh deep red (contrasting finely with the deep-green color

of the skin), fine grained, sugary, and of excellent flavor. The variety is hardy, productive, thrives well, matures its fruit in the Northern and Eastern States, and is decidedly one of the best for general cultivation. Seed dark brown or nearly black.

Christiana.

This variety was originated by the late Capt. Josiah Lovett of Beverly, Mass. Form roundish; size rather small, average specimens measuring nearly the same as the green citron; skin yellowish-green; flesh yellow, sweet, juicy, and of good quality. Its early maturity is its principal recommendation; the green citron, nutmeg, and many other varieties, surpassing it in firmness of flesh, sweetness, and general excellence.

It would probably ripen at the North, or in short seasons, when other sorts generally failed.

WORMS IN STRAWBERRIES. - During a very dry spell of weather in October, I planted five hundred Wilson's Seedling, and three hundred Triomphe de Gand; the first-named on the western portion of my garden, and the latter on the eastern. They were planted in hills (the ground having been prepared in August), spaded thirty inches deep, and manured with leaf-mould and hen-manure; both squares receiving the same treatment. In the first-named square, tomatoes and corn had been raised; on the eastern square, okra had been cultivated. As it was dry weather when the plants were received and transplanted, the leaves and roots were clipped very close; but, with daily waterings, the plants grew, a very few dying, and, up to first of January, were thriving — the Wilson's blossoming, and several plants having berries. I noted a number of the blossoms on the Wilson's falling aside, and the new leaves also dying; and I examined several plants, and found worms were eating them, buds and plants. The worms were of several kinds, the largest of a dun-color, and another, a size smaller, of a black hue (probably the male and female), and numerous small ones of various colors, black, brown, and red.

The square of Wilson was badly affected by these worms, that resembled a cabbage-worm nearer than any worm I know of. I wish to know how to rid my plants of these pests. And can any one account for the reason they are on the Wilson plants, and not at all on a square of Russell's Prolific adjoining, although the Russell are full of young berries and blossoms, and the foliage much more luxuriant? Nor are they on any other variety of berries on my place. The Triomphe de Gand plants came from same place, were treated in every respect the same; the only difference being, one was on the eastern, and the other on the western side of the garden.

MOBILE, ALA., January, 1868.

John Hickson.

Test for ALKALIES. — A new and highly sensitive re-agent for alkalies and alkaline earths has recently been discovered by Prof. Böttger, in the leaves of Coleus Verschaffeltii. The re-agent is prepared by digesting the fully-developed leaves of this plant in alcohol, and impregnating slips of Swedish filter-paper with the solution obtained. This test-paper is of a beautiful red color, which becomes green under the influence of an alkali or alkaline earth. It is not affected by free carbonic acid; so that it may be used for detecting carbonate of lime in water.