The tree is very

DUCHESSÉ DE BORDEAUX OR BEURRE PERRAULT PEAR. vigorous: it makes fine specimens either on quince or free stocks; but the disposition to form fruit-buds is such, that, to have the best trees, it should be grafted on free stocks, when it forms fine pyramids. The fruit measures about two and three-quarters inches in height by three and a half inches in diameter; form roundish, slightly flattened; stem strong, woody, slightly curved, and placed in a large and deep cavity; calyx large, open, irregular, divisions unequal, short, of a clear brown color, placed in a large and deep cavity; skin of a clear green, almost wholly covered with russet, passing to yellow touched with sienna at the time of ripening; flesh very fine, yellowish, very melting, juice very abundant, well sugared, and agreeably perfumed. This beautiful and excellent fruit has the advantage of ripening well, and keeping a long time without change or decay. I have tasted it from the end of November until February, 1866.

This variety owes its origin to chance, having been found among some stocks furnished by M. Perrault, nursery-man at Montrevault, to M. Sécher of Montjean, near Angers. It was called by M. Perrault "Beurré de Perrault," and under this name was presented to the pomological congress; but was christened by M. Sécher " Duchesse de Bordeaux." It was planted in the garden of M. Sécher in 1854, and first fruited in 1857.-F. de Liron d'Airoles.

66

[We extract the above description from the "Revue Horticole," as the variety is now attracting considerable attention. We have seen the fruit in the collection of Hɔn. Marshall P. Wilder, where it is hardy and productive; but the precise quality is not yet ascertained. The skin is remarkably coarse and granulous. It has been suspected to be an old variety, but proves quite distinct.]

H. M. V. of St. Joseph, Mo., writes, that they "have an excellent country for almost all kinds of fruit. Apples do finely, bear early and abundantly; and the fruit is large, and of most excellent quality. The varieties cultivated are Early Harvest, Sweet Bough, Summer Queen, Red Astrachan, Fameuse, Maiden's Blush, Fall Wine, Rome Beauty, Rambo, Fall Pippin, Ortley, Rawle's Janet, Winesap, New-York Pippin, White Winter Pearmain, Swaar, and Smith's Cider. Pear-trees are hardy, grow well, bear early, and the fruit is large, and of fine quality; but, in some instances, the trees blight badly. Peaches generally do well; but the trees are likely to be winter-killed. Sweet cherries do not succeed here; the Early Richmond and other acid varieties do well. Grapes have never failed. We can raise such grapes as the Concord, Hartford, Virginia Seedling, Delaware, and Diana, without failure. We are trying many varieties. Grapes are being largely planted here; and, if they continue to do as well as they have for the last few years, wine-making will be one of the leading interests of the State. The wine made here is of excellent quality, and finds a ready market. A hundred thousand grape-vines are now growing in the vicinity of St. Joseph, and the number will be greatly increased this spring."

ASPARAGUS. - We commend to the attention of such of our readers as contemplate making a plantation of asparagus the following experiment, made for the purpose of ascertaining the relative value of old and young roots for planting. The result seems to prove most conclusively the great superiority of plants of the growth of one year over those of more; and answers, if it does not settle, a question often raised and much discussed. F. B.. Relative Success with Plants of One, Two, and Three Years Old. — There are still many persons who think, that, in planting roots that are two or three years old, they will gather asparagus sooner than if they plant those which are but one year old. To disabuse them of this idea, we shall put under their eyes the results of several experiments which we have made. We planted (No. 1) twelve roots of a year old, (No. 2) twelve of two years old, and (No. 3) twelve of three years old. The results were as follow: First Year. - Of No. 1, all had made growth before May 4, and the vegetation was fine. No. 2, ten plants started before May 4, one on the 10th, and the other failed. The shoots were a little stronger than those of No. 1. No. 3, eight plants started before May 4, one on May 12, and the other three failed; and although, at first, the shoots looked well, they afterwards declined; and on Sept. 15 they were feebler than those of No. 2.

Second Year.

No. 1, fine vegetation; shoots strong and regular on the 15th of September. No. 2, good growth, shoots irregular, and a little feebler than those of No. I. No. 3, growth mediocre; shoots very irregular, some roots having eight or ten, but all feeble: another plant died after having produced

two stems.

-

Third Year. No. 1, growth magnificent; stems measuring on the 10th of May from two inches to three and a half inches in circumference. No. 2, growth passable, but irregular; some tufts small and weak; the finest had shoots on the 10th of May not more than two and a half inches in circumference. No. 3, growth very middling and irregular; some tufts gave off shoots no bigger than quills, and the best reached little beyond an inch and a half in circumference. Fourth Year. No. 1, growth remarkable; the shoots appeared from the 3d to the 10th of April, some as many as four inches in circumference; they afforded fifty shoots, which formed a bunch weighing more than six and a half pounds. No. 2, growth passable, but a little later than that of No. 1, and with plenty of small shoots; fifty made a half-bunch, weighing little more than the half of that cut from No. I. No. 3, vegetation poor, one plant not starting till the 22d of April; fifty shoots formed only half a bunch, and did not weigh more than two and a half pounds.

To resume, we have seen that the plantation formed with plants a year old has given at its fourth starting, or at the end of three years of plantation, a bunch of asparagus twice as large as that of either of the others. In other terms, the plantation made with plants a year old produced double that of the one where two-year-old plants were used, and nearly treble that made with plants of three years old. The conclusions are easy to form. — V. F. L., in 66 The Field."

THE DIXIE TOMATO. - This variety is more prolific than the Tilden, Keyes's Early, or any other known to me. It is larger than either of them; one pulled yesterday weighing sixteen ounces, and measuring fourteen inches. It is uniformly large, though not as smooth and round as the Tilden. It is a new variety, and will be much sought after for its immense yield. In deep, rich soil, the stalks grow large and strong, bearing their heavy loads well up off the ground. I think the yield per acre must be almost twice as great as any other. It ripened, this summer, the same day as Keyes's Early; both of which ripened a week earlier than the Tilden. — Dixie Farmer.

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D. W. BEADLE of St. Catharine's, C.W., in a report to the Directors of the Fruit-Growers' Association of Ontario, speaks as follows of the Philadelphia Raspberry :

“In flavor, it is not quite equal to most of the Antwerp class. The Brinckle's Orange stands at the head of all the raspberries growing in these grounds for richness and delicacy of flavor; and Franconia, Hornet, Imperial, and Naomi all take precedence, in the writer's estimation, of the Philadelphia, in point of flavor not that there is any thing unpleasant in the latter variety; but it lacks the richness of the others.

"It is much more pulpy and juicy than the Black-cap, — and in this respect is a decided advance on that variety, — yet not quite as juicy as the other varieties above mentioned.

"It is also larger than the Black-cap, — considerably larger, — yet not equal in size to the Franconia, and much short of the great Hornet. 0

"In productiveness, it far exceds any of the sorts mentioned in this report, and is in this respect far superior to any variety that has been cultivated here. Indeed, the load of fruit is quite surprising; and, were it not that the canes are more stout than most varieties produce, the burden of fruit would drag upon the ground. In abundance of fruit, it is (as was stated by Mr. Arnold of Paris at the last meeting of the association) among the raspberries what the Wilson is among strawberries, head and shoulders above its fellows.

"The test of five winters leads the writer to believe that the Philadelphia is perfectly hardy, as hardy as our native Black-cap. It has not killed back at all in some winters, and in others only the extreme tips have suffered. The blossoms are not injured, but come out along the whole length of the cane: hence the very abundant crop it produces every year.

"It also endures perfectly the heat and drought of summer, growing luxuriantly and perfecting its fruit much better than the Franconia. Not that, in such an extreme drought as has prevailed in this vicinity for the past five weeks, it perfects every berry, or shows no lack of moisture, or that in hard or nearly sterile soils it will not flag under such intense heat and continued drought; but in the same row with the Franconia, in the same soil, and receiving the same treatment, it suffers less from heat and drought, and brings to perfection a heavier crop.

"The habit of growth is unusually vigorous, stout, and upright, enabling the plant to sustain its enormous crop; the foliage is deep-colored and heavy; and, thus far, there has no disease, or symptom of disease, appeared."

AN INTERNATIONAL HORTICULTURAL AND FLORICULTURAL EXHIBITION is to be held in Hamburg at the commencement of September, 1869. The subjects of exhibition are to be arranged in three principal classes: the first is to embrace cultivated vegetables, fruits, and flowers; that is to say, all kinds of produce of the kitchen-garden, flower-garden, conservatories, hot-houses, and greenhouses, including shrubs, conifers, and nursery-plants; also cut and dried flowers, and selected baskets of fruits. The second includes garden-buildings and appliances, such as greenhouses, hot-houses, screens, water-carriers, transplanting-machines, syringes, heating-apparatus, cutting-tools, and cutting-machines, contrivances for fumigating; also rustic bridges, summer-houses, rockwork, fountains, &c. The third, for produce not included under the preceding divisions, is to include cereals, seeds, fruits, and produce occupying an undetermined place between gardening and agriculture; embracing forest and vegetable produce of all kinds, and from all countries, as employed for food, medicine, or other purposes. The guaranty-fund has been arranged, and a site secured in the south-western suburb. It is in the form of a park, on very high ground, which commands a picturesque view of the River Elbe and of its shipping, and of the surrounding scenery. Dr. C. H. Merck is chairman of the committee; Senator C. De Chapeaurouge, vice-chairman; Mr. Edward L. Behrens, treas urer; and Dr. Donnenberg, Dr. Götze, and Dr. H. Merck, secretaries. Communications are to be addressed to Dr. Donnenberg and Dr. Götze, advocates, Hohe Bleichen 16, Hamburg.

THE RAVAGES OF INSECTS. The following remarks by N. C. Meeker, from the proceedings of the American Institute Farmers' Club, "New-York Tribune," Aug. 25, 1868, deserve attention:

"We may say positively that destructive insects are increasing every year, and that they destroy as great an amount of food as is saved. To meet these scourges will require our best efforts. The science of entomology, by which insects are classified and their nature studied, is becoming of national importance; and we are sure, that, without its help, little will be done. The first step in every pursuit is analysis, by which we separate a whole into parts; upon each of which, attention is to be fixed. Here progress commences. One of the first results in this study is to make distinction between insects which are useful and injurious; for, unless this be done, one will be as likely to destroy his friends as his enemies. At present, this study is so far from being popular, that the greater part of educated men, so called, are as ignorant as the unlettered. It is manifest that the elements of this science should be taught in our common schools, if it is to become of much use; for the transmission of learning directly from the learned few to the common people, without the intervention of a teacher, is impossible. In fitting teachers for their duties, a knowledge of this science should be included among their qualifications, as much as of arithmetic or grammar. At present, however, we have no colleges where studies of this practical nature are pursued, except incidentally; but, when the agricultural universities shall be fairly established, we may expect that the need indicated will be fairly supplied."

W. F. RADCLIFFE, in the English "Journal of Horticulture," gives the following account of his experience in 1868:

A SELECTION OF ROSES. - As the catalogues of roses are generally long and bewildering, and as the new roses sent out annually are, to a great extent, worthless, it may be of service to persons unacquainted with roses to give a selection of the best, and of such as are good growers, of hardy constitution, and free and constant bloomers. I am now about to speak of roses on the Manetti stock, unless otherwise specified.

Hybrid Perpetuals. For beginners, Achille Gonod, Alfred Colomb, Anna Alexieff, Antoine Ducher, Baron Adolphe de Rothschild, Baronne Prevost, Caroline de Sansal, Charles Lefebvre, Comte de Nanteuil, Duc de Cazes, Exposition de Brie, John Hopper, Jules Margottin, La Ville de St. Denis, Lord Clyde, Madame Alfred de Rougemont, Baronne de Maynard, Madame C. Crapelet, Madame Clemence Joigneaux, Maréchal Vaillant, Madame Boutin, Marguerite de St. Amand, Maurice Bernardin, Prince Camille de Rohan, Senateur Vaisse, Souvenir de Dr. Jamain, Triomphe de Paris, Victor Verdier, and William Griffiths.

The preceding are beautiful roses; and, if beginners cannot cultivate them successfully, the sooner they take to cultivating something else, the better.

For older hands, I add Abel Grand, Alpaïde de Rotalier, Baronne Pelletan de Kinkelin, Black Prince, Charles Rouillard, Charles Verdier, first-rate; Comtesse de Chabrillant, Dr. Andry, Duchesse de Caylus, Duchesse d'Orleans, Empereur de Maroc, Eugène Verdier, François Lacharme, Gloire de Ducher, Gloire de Vitry (on its own roots), a noble rose; Jean Rosenkrantz, John Keynes, Monsieur de Montigny, a noble rose; Lady Suffield, La Duchesse de Morny, Leopold Premier, Lord Macaulay, Madame Alice Dureau, a beautiful first-class novelty in the style of Lælia; Madame Rolland (not the same as Madame Roland), Madame Charles Wood, Madame Émile Boyau, Madame Freeman, Madame Julie Daran, Madame Knorr, Madame Victor Verdier, first-rate ; Pierre Notting, first-rate; Prince de Portia, Sœur des Anges, Souvenir de Comte Cavour, superb, but not full; Souvenir de la Reine d'Angleterre, and Vicomte Vigier.

I now put down two unsurpassed roses; but they are delicate, and require genial situations and first-class loam: they are Madame Rivers and Madame Vidot.

I am very averse to recommending roses that I have not fully proved; but I fancy we shall eventually find some good roses among the following: Paul Verdier, Monsieur Noman, La France, Marie Cirodde, Prince Humbert, Reine du Midi, Felix Genero, François Treyve, Marie Baumann, Mdlle. Jeanne Marix, Madame Martine de Besse, and Merveille d'Anjou. I also fancy these three of this year's novelties, Monplaisir (Tea), and Hybrid Perpetuals Madame and Jacquier Thyra Hammerick.

Bourbon and China Roses. - These are scentless roses; and I will only put down distinct and essential ones.

Bourbon. - Acidalie, Baronne Gonella, Souvenir de Malmaison; and, for poles, Sir J. Paxton.