suit his taste and fancy. Most of them are perennials, and, when once established in the garden, will require but little labor to keep them in thriving condition.

A few annuals or semi biennials, such as Collinsia verna and the scarlet painted-cup, require somewhat different treatment. Beds for these should be in portions of the grounds not likely to be disturbed by hoe or spade. Here they will bloom and ripen, and sow their seeds, without our meddling, year after year, thickening and spreading their flowering masses; only requiring the weeds and grass to be kept out, and the surface lightly stirred about midsummer. The young plants will appear in September, and get sufficient strength to winter safely. The Collinsia feels the first impulses of spring, and becomes a thick show of pretty blossoms about the time of the crocus and hepatica, following them closely.

I hope something may have been said in this brief article to awaken some interest in the cultivation of our native plants, these old-time heritors of glebe and wold, which only wait our call to embellish many bare and unsightly places, where people stay, but do not really live.

And now, lady-reader, will not you stir up husband or brother or some one to the heavier task of the trees and shrubs, and also to lend a helping hand to you in the lighter labor of the flowers? As spring opens, and the season advances, you will take basket, trowel, and light spade, and go forth collecting successively the flowers, and placing in your grounds whatever of these floral gifts may contribute to the enjoyment and attractiveness of home. Burgess Truesdell.

ELGIN, ILL., Dec. 2, 1867.

CAULIFLOWERS.

We hope all our readers who are fond of this most excellent vegetable (and those who are not should be) will make arrangements to grow it for home-use at least, and so plant as to have successive crops from early to late. For early, they should be started in hot-beds, and set out as soon as the ground is in prime condition, and treated very much as cabbages are treated. Those for later use may be sown or planted in the hills where they are to grow. Procure the best of seed, if you would raise good heads.

NEW APPLE.

WOODLAND APPLE. - This is one of the Southern fruits introduced into Illinois by Dr. Crain of Pulaski County. Fruit full medium size, flat, regular; surface smooth, yellowish-green, somewhat striped with red; dots

minute, rare; basin deep, abrupt, regular; eye small, closed; cavity deep, lipped, brown; stem medium to long; core medium, wide, regular, closed, not clasping the eye; seeds numerous, pointed, dark; flesh yellow, rather tough, but juicy; flavor sub-acid, rich; quality good; season, midwinter; a promising variety.

THE CULTIVATION OF FRUITS IN CITY GARDENS.

MANY years ago, it was the custom or fashion of the residents of this city (New York) to grow grape-vines, peach, plum, nectarine, apricot, or fig trees, and also gooseberries and strawberries, in the small yards or gardens attached to their houses; the cultivation of which was a source of great pleasure to the proprietors, especially as it was attended with great and gratifying success, enabling them to obtain fruit of superior quality at far less cost than it could be obtained in the markets.

To show what has been done, and therefore what can be done, in cultivating fruits in city gardens, I propose to give some extracts from the Minutes of the Inspecting Committee of the New-York Horticultural. Society (now in my possession) from forty to forty-five years ago :·

1822, June 4. One quart of "Carolina Chili ” strawberries were exhibited, which were remarkably fine : some of them measured 3§ inches in circumference. (A note appended to the minutes states that they were raised from seeds of the Chili Strawberry, crossed by some other variety.)

June 25.— Gooseberries were presented by different parties, the best six weighing over 2 ounces avoirdupois: the best one is noted as weighing an

ounce.

Aug. 6.

-Ten Bolmar (Washington) plums, each measuring 6 inches in

circumference.

1823. The records show exhibitions of strawberries, commencing May 27; raspberries and gooseberries, July 1.

Aug. 26.

presented.

A number of fine peaches, and also a fine bunch of grapes, were

Sept. 2. Several gentlemen presented peaches; and one gentleman presented four bunches of the Muscadine Grape, one bunch weighing 12 ounces. Sept. 9.One gentleman presented three sorts of grapes: other gentlemen exhibited grapes and peaches.

Sept. 16.- Peaches were exhibited, two of which weighed 15 ounces; also three bunches of grapes, which weighed respectively 161, 171, and 25 ounces.

Sept. 23.- A peach weighing 123 ounces was presented; and the remark is made, that the tree had between fifty and sixty of nearly the same size this season. At this meeting, several bunches of the Isabella Grape were exhibited. This is the first instance, I believe, of their being shown at a society meeting.

Oct. 7. A bunch of grapes was exhibited raised from seeds of grapes imported from Malaga in 1819. It is noted as being very compact and solid, and a very fine bunch.

The Cultivation of Fruits in City Gardens.

281

1825, June 7. — Twelve strawberries were presented, the aggregate measurement being 381⁄2 inches.

June 28.- Gooseberries were presented by different persons, the best twelve weighing 4 ounces.

Aug. 7.- Peaches were exhibited.

Aug. 15. — Six bunches of Black Sweet-water grapes, and peaches, were presented.

Aug. 23. — Peaches were again presented.

-

Aug. 29. — A gentleman presented one bunch each of St. Peter's, White Sweet-water, Frontignac, Black Prince, Black Muscat of Lunel, White Muscadine, White Constantia, Black Hamburg, and Isabella grapes. Another gentleman presented eight bunches of White Sweet-water grapes, one bunch weighing 13 ounces. A third gentleman presented twelve bunches of the same variety, the largest bunch weighing 15 ounces. Fine well-ripened nectarines were also presented. At the other meetings in this month, peaches, grapes, and figs were exhibited.

1826. Passing over such fruits as were presented which were not more noteworthy than those presented in previous years, I find, that, on

July 11, A dozen fine apricots in two sorts were presented. At the anniversary dinner, Aug. 29, two gentlemen each presented twenty-five bunches of grapes, and another presented nectarines, and another peaches.

Sept. 5. — Twelve peaches were presented weighing 5 pounds. Other gentlemen presented nectarines which were noted as very fine. At the other meetings in this month, six nectarines, weighing 4 ounces each, were presented by two different gentlemen; and Black Hamburg and other grapes from other gentlemen, noted as very fine.

1827, July 3.-A gentleman presented twelve gooseberries weighing over 5 ounces. The show of grapes was but small this year, in consequence of injury done to the vines by frost on the night of June 23. The usual presenta

tions of peaches, plums, and nectarines, were made.

1828, July 8. Apricots (Moorpark) were presented "quite ripe."

Aug. 5. Four bunches of Muscatel grapes, "nearly ripe," were presented. At the anniversary meeting, Aug. 26, several gentlemen presented peaches, nectarines, and grapes. During the September meetings, grapes were exhibited; and, at the meeting of Sept. 30, notice is made of “a remarkably fine bunch of grapes which was raised by Mr. P. W. Engs (at his garden in Grand Street) from the seed of the Malaga Grape. The vine was five years old, and the sample of fruit the first that was produced. The grape was remarkably firm and well flavored; and the bunch, although not large, contained very perfect and wellripened fruit."

Oct. 7. — Three remarkably fine bunches of Black Hamburg grapes were presented one bunch weighed 14 ounces, another weighed 37 ounces !

Oct. 14. A Heath Cling Peach was presented perfectly ripe, measuring 10 inches in circumference, and weighing 9 ounces. Red Madeira and other grapes were also presented.

I could go on and make many other extracts to show what has been done in the way of city-fruit gardening, but presume the above will suffice to show what can be accomplished in that way. All the articles noted as above were grown in city gardens, and without the aid of glass or artificial

structures.

It will be observed that the grapes exhibited, with two exceptions, were all foreign varieties, which do admirably in such situations; the solar heat absorbed by the surrounding walls and pavements during the day, and again given out at night, so tempering the atmosphere as to prevent those sudden thermometrical changes which give birth and such destructive activity to the mildew, the great enemy with which we have to contend in grape-culture. To this we may also add the shelter afforded by the buildings against the cold winds so frequent in our spring season, preserving peaches, nectarines, and apricots from curl in the leaf, and other injurious effects produced by sudden checks when in a tender, growing state. Besides this, the curculio is seldom seen in cities.

Having shown that it is feasible to grow fruit in city gardens, I would urge upon persons having properly exposed situations in our large cities to make the endeavor; knowing well, both from experience and observation, that they will be amply rewarded for their labor. The situation should be such as to have at least three or four hours' sunshine during the day, although plums do not require even as much as this; and, where the natural surface has been taken away in making excavations for the buildings, an artificial border of fresh soil from the country should be made, from four to six feet wide and about two feet or thirty inches deep, mixing, say, one-fifth or one-sixth of common stable-manure with it, or a barrel of coarse bonedust to every ten or twelve cubic yards of soil. I have seen vines do well in the coarse, sandy débris of buildings full of brick-bats and lime; but these were exceptional cases.

Peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and figs may be grown as standards; but it is better to train them on the fences or walls. The free use of the syringe or garden-hose where water is introduced into the house will guard against the red spider, the only insect likely to give any amount of trouble. The pruning and training can be according to the taste or fancy of the proprietor: only, for grapes, the Thomery system permits of a greater number