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CONTENTS.

Floriculture.

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THE MAGAZINE

OF

HORTICULTURE.

JUNE, 1847.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

ART. I. Guano, and its Application to Fruit Trees.
By the EDITOR.

THE use of Guano for Horticultural purposes is steadily gaining friends, and, although much has already appeared in our pages upon the subject, and numerous pamphlets published, there is still, with many, a great prejudice against its use in any form in gardens. Some allege that it possesses no virtue; others, that it is altogether too powerful; while by far the greater part of cultivators have not made any experiments with it, but quietly await the results, after others have failed or succeeded in their endeavors to introduce so economical and valuable a fertilizer.

Since the first introduction of Guano, we have annually made use of considerable quantities, and tried it upon a variety of trees, shrubs, plants, flowers, vegetables, &c., and in no case but with the most marked success, unless we except some few pot plants, when it was used, through negligence, too strong. We have an account of an experiment we tried in laying down an old pasture to grass, the results of which were so much beyond our expectations that we intend soon to publish it. For the present, we have only room to offer a few hints on its application to Fruit Trees, this being just the season for that purpose.

Mr. Teschemacher, whose articles on the use of guano have occasionally appeared in our pages, formerly recommended its application in a liquid state, but more recently, in his treatise on the subject, he has advised its direct application to the soil, as the insoluble portion contains the chief substance of

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which the seed is composed. Separate from the extra labor which its application in a liquid state would require, we are decidedly of opinion that the trees are much more benefited by its incorporation with the soil, where the roots may find food as they require it.

The object with all judicious cultivators is to keep the roots of trees as near the surface of the ground as possible, where they will more readily receive the benefit of light rains, the genial warmth of the surface soil, and the action of the air upon the roots, a subject too often lost sight of, especially in heavy soils. It is for this reason that, in such soils, we do not recommend the use of guano alone, but only in connection with some well decomposed manure, which, acting mechanically, by loosening the soil, and rendering it more permeable to air, the roots can more readily extend in search of nourishment.

Reasoning thus, we have applied Guano to our specimen fruit trees, particularly pears, which are planted on the borders of the walks, six to eight feet apart, at the rate of a pound to each tree, (four to six years old,) strewed equally over the width of the border, and immediately dug in, a thin coat of manure having been first given. This is done early in June, when the borders are usually dug.

The results of this single application have been surprising. The trees have grown with rapidity, making short-jointed and stocky shoots, and, with a judicious summer-pruning, ripening perfectly well. A portion of the trees are on the quince stock, and the others on pear; but we make no difference in the application of guano to each.

Our advice, therefore, is, to all who have fine trees which they are desirous of forwarding in a vigorous and healthy manner, to apply guano as we have recommended. On trees planted the present year, a half pound to each tree will be ample, spreading it within a circle of three feet from the tree: to those two years planted, a pound each may be applied; and to those older, the quantity may be increased slightly; always strewing it on evenly, and digging it in to the depth of a few inches with the spade.

At a future time, we shall continue an account of our experiments with guano on forest trees, shrubs, grape vines, roses, &c.

ART. II. Descriptions and Engravings of Select Varieties of Pears. By the EDITOR.

IN the series of articles which we have, from time to time, presented to our readers, describing all the choicest varieties of pears which have fruited in American collections, we have generally placed those of native origin together. This arrangement we have thought preferable as long as practicable, in order to bring them more immediately before amateur cultivators, with a view to show their comparative merits, and to give a better estimate of their number, than if they were indiscriminately intermixed with foreign kinds. Until the number of choice native pears is so reduced, as to delay our descriptions, this arrangement will be continued.

67. SWAN'S ORANGE. Gen. Farmer, Vol VII. p. 25.

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In the winter of 1845, in looking over the Genesee Farmer, the Horticultural department of which is under the supervision of our correspondent, Mr. P. Barry, of the Mount Hope Nurseries, Rochester, N. Y., we were somewhat interested in an account of a new pear described and figured under this name. A very high encomium was bestowed upon it; but we supposed its merits were overrated, or it would not have been so long confined to the locality of Rochester without being better known. Believing it to be either some foreign variety, under another name, as Mr. Barry expressed his doubts about its native origin, or only a new fruit of fair quality, we made no exertions to procure a tree for our collection, and the name, for the time, was partially forgotten.

In the summer of 1846, our correspondent, J. W. Bissell, of Rochester, kindly offered to send us specimens of the various new or little known fruits of western New York; and, on the 10th of October, we received a box containing a variety of apples and pears, accompanied with the following note :"Swan's Orange Pear, sometimes called the Onondaga. The first scions were brought here, some years since, by L. B. Swan, from a tree upon the farm of his father in Onondaga

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