Advertising Sheet of the Mag. of Horticulture.

GRAPE VINES FOR GRAPERIES.

HOVEY & CO.

OFFER FOR SALE

1000 GRAPE VINES IN POTS,

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Raised from eyes, from 2 feet to 4 feet high, and sufficiently strong for planting out the ensuing spring, suitable for Graperies, Greenhouses, &c., comprising the following varieties, true to name: some of them new, rare and valuable.

Prices 75 cents each, or $6 per dozen, except those marked (*), which are $1 each.

30 other new varieties are under cultivation and will be offered for sale in the fall of 1847.

Plants carefully packed for safe transportation to all parts of the country. HOVEY & CO.

BOSTON, Jan. 1, 1847,

NEW WORK ON THE ROSE.

On the 1st of May, 1847, will be published,

PART 1 OF

THE ROSE GARDEN,

BY WILLIAM PAUL, OF THE ROSE NURSERIES,

Cheshunt, Herts., England.

This work will be published in ten or twelve Half-crown monthly parts; each part will contain a colored plate of some new or popular Rose, executed by the most eminent artists. The text will also be liberally illustrated by Wood Engravings, to elucidate particular operations necessary to be observed in the cultivation of this popular Flower.

Prospectuses are now ready and may be had from Messrs. Sherwood & Co., 23 Paternoster Row, London, or of Hovey & Co., Boston, U. S. A. JAN. 1, 1847.

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Advertising Sheet of the Mag. of Horticulture.

NEW AND CHOICE VARIETIES OF FRUITS.

HOVEY & CO.,

CAMBRIDGE NURSERIES, NEAR BOSTON, MASS.

RESPECTFULLY invite the attention of amateur cultivators to their immense collection of Fruits, embracing every variety to be obtained in Europe, selections of which were made from the English, Scotch and Continental nurseries, in the autumn of 1844, during a personal visit, and other new and rare kinds since received from their established correspondents in London, Paris and Brussels. No pains or expense have been spared to render their collection unequalled in the Pomological department, both in extent and variety; and specimen trees of every kind are planted out, thus affording an opportunity to inspect the fruit as the trees are yearly coming into bearing.

20,000 Pear trees, on both the quince and pear, are now ready for sale; and in addition to the established and well known sorts, the following very rare kinds are now offered,-several of them for the first time in the country.

PEARS.

LANGELIER'S BEURRE.-Raised or introduced to notice by M. Langelier, who first introduced Van Mons Leon le Clerc. He describes it "perfectly melting, ripe in January, larger than the Napoleon, trees very vigorous, and one of the best flavored in cultivation, otherwise it would not be recommended by him." The original trees cost one guinea each, and fine young trees are now offered at $2 each.

JERSEY GRATIOLI.-Described by Mr. Thompson to have a "melting flesh, like honey, exceedingly rich; in its decay, not becoming mealy or insipid, but still retains its honied nature: ripe in October." Highly esteemed in Jersey, where it is considered the "finest pear ever met with." Fine trees, $2 each.

VICOMPTE DE SPOELBERCH.-Raised by Van Mons, and described by himself as one of his finest seedlings. $1 each.

EPISCOPAL.-Raised by M. Bougere, near Lyons: a highly recommended, very late pear: May to June. $1 each.

HILL'S FALL BUTTER.-Originated in Ohio. Fruit medium size, with a white, highly perfumed, buttery flesh. $1 each.

HULL.-An American seedling of high reputation. Fruit exhibited in 1843. Ripening in September. $1 each.

LOCKE. A first rate American pear, ripening in November and December. $1 each.

OLIVER'S RUSSET.-Another fine American seedling, exhibited in 1843, and pronounced "equal in flavor to the Seckel." Ripe in October. $1 each.

DUNMORE, KNIGHT'S MONARCH, VAN MONS LEON LE CLERC, SIEulle, STONE, (of Ohio,) &c., with other VERY NEW kinds. Trees of various size from $1 to $2 each.

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APPLES.

BROADWELL. -A very superior sweet apple, large and handsome, keeping till May. 50 cts. each.

ORNE. A very fine early apple, yellow and excellent, coming in just before the Porter. 50 cts. each.

NORTHERN SPY.-A large and superior apple, keeping till May. 50 cts. LINCOLN.-A new fruit from Maine, ripe before the Porter; of medium size, yellow, and of superior quality. 50 cts.

THE MAGAZINE

OF

HORTICULTURE.

JANUARY, 1847.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

ART. I. A Retrospective View of the Progress of Horticulture in the United States during the year 1846. By the EDITOR.

IT has not been our good fortune, since our first annual summary of Horticultural Improvement, in 1838, to record such a general interest and wide spreading taste in Horticultural and Rural pursuits, as at the present period. The rapid changes in national prosperity from 1835 to 1845, a period of ten years, were attended with equally great fluctuations in the tastes and pursuits of large classes of the community, and until the last year or two, it can scarcely be said that a rapidly progressing zeal has been manifested in Horticultural and Rural occupations.

But a better day seems to be dawning: alive to the important benefits which result from a more thorough knowledge of the art of cultivation, we find a more active interest taken in every thing which relates to gardening. He who possesses a spot of ground, even if his taste has not been cultivated sufficiently to fully appreciate it, feels it no less his duty than his pride to go forward in the march of improvement, and plant trees, either for profit or ornament, that they may be valuable at a future day, if not at the present moment. It is not an individual taste which impels the public now, but a general coöperation to carry out improvements which have too long been left neglected or abandoned. Such a state of prosperity is cheering to every cultivator, and it should be the aim of all interested in a pursuit so conducive to the morals and happiness of a people, to encourage and foster so laudable a zeal.

The yearly advancement in an art like gardening must be necessarily limited: improvements constantly arise, but there are few startling discoveries, or wonderful achievements, to record. Science is always unfolding something new to the cultivator, but experience only will confirm the value or importance of innovations upon established rules and systems. The old routine of practice is not to be thrown aside at once; neither should customs be pertinaciously adhered to which had their origin at an early period, and have become part and parcel of our knowledge. But the cultivator who would aim to excel, must make himself familiar with all the principles. of the art; continual study and research, united with observation and experience, will then enable him to attain the most satisfactory and successful results.

The season of 1846 has been throughout New England as dry, or drier than the three previous dry ones of '43, '44 and '45; that is, there has been less rain during the summer of 1846, than during that of 1845; yet vegetation has gone on as if the season had been nearly an average one as regards moisture; trees have made a most remarkable growth; crops have been generally exceedingly good; there was a good yield of grass, and the fruit crop was far above an average one. All this, however, has taken place in the absence of actual rain; but if we could know exactly the atmospheric moisture, we should find that it has been very much greater than in 1845; there has been a constant succession of cloudy, misty and hazy weather throughout the summer and fall, which has so far prevented evaporation, that what rain has fallen has had the greatest effect.

The winter of 1845 and 1846 was considerably colder than that of 1843 and 1844. It commenced very early in the west; large quantities of snow fell; and a series of severe frosts injured all kinds of roots and plants, killing many, which had stood out for years, quite down to the ground. January was tolerably mild, with one heavy drifting snow which, however, nearly disappeared the latter part of the month. February was a cold and stormy month, with two drifting snows, and good sleighing the whole month; the thermometer indicating 6° below zero. March, on the contrary, was a month of more than ordinarily mild weather, the

snow disappearing under a warm sun, leaving the ground with but little frost at the close. April continued the same, with scarcely a moderate rain during the entire month; planting commenced early in consequence of the dry and fine weather, and fruit trees were in bloom the latter part of the month, promising an abundant crop. The month of May continued favorable; one or two rather severe frosts occurred, which injured the blossoms of fruit trees in some low and cool situations; at the close, several refreshing showers were highly beneficial to advancing vegetation. In June, cool weather set in, and the whole month was accompanied with cloudy, misty, and showery days, without, however, any great quantity of rain; this was highly favorable to grass crops, which had begun to suffer. July continued nearly the same with easterly winds. In August, hot weather set in, the thermometer attaining 100 degrees in the shade; and, but for cloudy and lowery days, vegetation would have suffered severely. September continued favorable, though still without rain. October was mild with no very severe frost until the Sth or 10th. November was quite different from the corresponding month in 1845, when 11 inches of rain fell: It continued mild till the 25th, when a light snow fell; this was succeeded by rain, but not sufficient to keep the ground open. Early in December more snow fell, and now (15th) covers the ground about 4 inches, with but an inch or two of frost in the earth beneath.

The season has been on the whole favorable. Apples were smaller than usual, owing to the drought, but the aggregate crop was heavy. Pears were not near so numerous, large, or handsome as last year; in some locations, the blossoms were injured by the early frosts. Peaches were never more abundant in the Middle and Western States, and there was a fine crop in New England. Plums were as plentiful as usual. The potato crop was but little affected by the rot in comparison with the season of 1845.

HORTICULTURE.

Under this head, we may refer to the strawberry question, as one of importance, and which at last has been satisfactorily settled. Four years has the subject been agitated, and during