Mr. Manning has already noticed, (XII. p. 147,) are now producing large and fine specimens: as Mr. Manning received permission from Van Mons to name any of the numbered kinds which he received from him, we trust his son will avail himself of the opportunity to do so, not only with these two fine varieties, but with all the numbered ones which may prove worthy of cultivation. Nothing seems more objectionable to us than the dissemination of fruits under numbers instead of names.

Passing a Baldwin apple tree in full bearing, Mr. Manning stated that it was one on which he tried the experiment of changing the bearing year. It is well known that the Baldwin only bears every other year. To obviate this was the object of Mr. Manning; and, in the spring of 1846, he spent nearly two days in cutting off all the blossoms. It had the desired effect; this year, the tree is completely loaded with fruit. This experiment is valuable, for it shows that, in a large orchard, when the trees, by chance, nearly all fruit the same year, any number of them can be made to fruit in the alternate year simply by the labor of destroying all the blossoms. A tree of that delicious apple, the Minister, was full of fruit, and of very fine size; Mr. Manning thinks that this, as well as the Porter and Williams, only need a good rich soil and high cultivation to make the fruit free from the defects which many cultivators complain of in regard to these

sorts.

A great number of apples were in bearing; but we had not time to examine them. Mr. Manning pointed out an English variety which he thinks a decided acquisition, being about equal to the Porter, of large size, roundish form, and with a pale yellow skin; it is the Golden Noble. The Garden Royal, a native variety, is also a superior early apple: the last specimens had just been gathered; it is deserving a place in the most select collection.

The trees generally have greatly improved in vigor during the last two years; but the constant cutting of scions has had the tendency to make many sorts unfruitful. Where the trees have had all the young wood taken off, the remaining buds, which ordinarily form fruit spurs, spring into growth, and make very long shoots. A Beurié d'Aremberg was one com

plete and compact head of wood. Mr. Manning's grounds are in excellent order, and afford a rich treat to pomologists.

Garden of the Hon. J. S. Cabot.-The most extensive collection of fruits among our amateur cultivators is that of Mr. Cabot. Not only does it contain a very large number, but they are all of the very choicest kinds, and,-what is of more consequence,-grown so as to show what the real characters of the fruits are; all experienced cultivators are aware, that a pear frequently does not attain its true size and excellence the first or even second year of its bearing; the tree may be feeble, or it may be the peculiar habit of the variety; and, in consequence, many pears have been discarded, even before they had produced a perfect specimen.

Mr. Cabot's grounds in the city are about an acre in extent, and are filled with large trees, some of which have several kinds on each, and probably nearly a hundred kinds are in fruit. A short distance from the city, he has another garden, stocked with young trees of all the new pears to be had, several of which are already in bearing.

Among the new pears, he has one which he received from us as the Monarch, which we noticed some time since, (p. 155); it is a graft on the top of an old tree, and has upon it only three fruits; they now look like the true sort; but, in the course of a month, we shall be able to decide this; after so many attempts, it will be gratifying to know that we possess the genuine kind which Mr. Knight praised so highly. The Flemish Beauty, and Louise Bonne de Jersey are the handsomest objects among the pears: the latter, on a quince stock, was loaded with very large specimens, while, at Mr. Manning's, on the pear, they were not more than two thirds as large or as fair. The Flemish Beauty, we are induced to think, will prove to be the true Beurré Spence, which Dr. Van Mons thought was the best pear he ever raised; we have some speculations to offer on this head at another time. The Andrews here, as well as at Mr. Manning's, were large and splendid; this pear has never been properly appreciated; we place it at the head of our native varieties. Gendesheim is a great bearer, handsome and good; the Cabot is very handsome this year; Pailleau, first noticed by Mr. Manning in our Magazine, Mr. Cabot thinks a very desirable variety. The

Columbia, Winter Nelis, Beurré d'Aremberg, Van Assene, and others, were full of noble specimens. Indeed, we might enumerate fifty kinds, all of which were producing beautiful fruit.

Mr. Cabot has one of the choicest collections of herbaceous plants; but, with the exception of the phloxes, few were in bloom. Clématis Sieboldii, trained to a trellis, was covered with its beautiful flowers, and, with a little protection, it stands our winters without injury.

Mr. Cabot has entered zealously into the cultivation of seedling pears. Of seedlings of this year from selected seed, he has more than five thousand, and, of previous years, a large quantity, some of which are nearly old enough for bearing: all of them he intends to set out or graft with a view to the production of new varieties. With a few such cultivators, we might soon hope to have many additions to our collections of this fine fruit. Mr. Cabot's garden is a model of neatness in every part.

Grapery of J. F. Allen.-The culture of the grape is carried to a much greater degree of perfection than in former years, and especially in cold houses. Four years ago, (Vol. IX. p. 425,) we noticed Mr. Allen's place before the spanroofed grapery was completed. This house is upwards of eighty feet long, about twenty wide, eight feet high at the sides, and sixteen in the centre. It is planted with vines on each side, and the ends, about three and a half feet apart; and with two rows on each side of the central walk, about three feet apart, making in all upwards of one hundred vines in the grapery. Most of them are now in a bearing state, and embrace a variety of kinds. We noticed very handsome. specimens of Wilmot's Black Hamburgh, Wilmot's new Hamburgh, (No. 16,) Tottenham Park Muscat, Aleppo, Syrian, Zinfindal, White Frontignan, Rose Chasselas, &c. These were all nearly ripe.

In the retarding house, which we have particularly noticed in our Review of Mr. Allen's work, (p. 410,) the early grapes were just beginning to color, while the latest ones appeared quite green: by the aid of the flue, these will be ripened off in November, and, with an occasional fire, will hang till January, thus continuing the supply for about ten mouths of the year.

The peaches in the peachery had all been cut, and the trees were ripening off a fine crop of wood for next year. Mr. Allen has raised a seedling peach of much merit, which he has called the Manning, in honor of the valuable labors of his townsman, the late Mr. Manning: its production was quite accidental; a sucker from a budded tree had made a very large growth before it was noticed, and Mr. Allen concluded to let it bear fruit: the result was, as we have stated, a very handsome peach only of medium size, but very high flavored. Mr. Allen has succeeded in producing very handsome grapes, and amateur cultivators will be much interested by an inspection of his house when full of fruit.

Bridgewater, Sept. 1847. Residence of N. Stetson, Esq.We have more than once alluded to the influence which railroads have exerted in the dissemination of a taste for horticultural pursuits, bringing together, as they do, town and country, and affording an opportunity for the more frequent inspection of collections in and around large cities, by which a taste is fostered and cherished, and imparted to all whose leisure permits them to avail themselves of the facilities of travel.

It is not often that we have been so highly gratified with a visit to our suburban friends, as in a recent trip to Bridgewater, and an inspection of the garden of Mr. Stetson. We were aware that he did not undertake any thing but what he carried out, but we were not prepared for so complete an exhibition of gardening zeal. It reminded us of our friend Johnson's fine place at Lynn, where it would require a very good opera glass to detect that pest of every ambitious gardener, a weed. Perfect neatness prevailed every where. This is the true secret of an attractive garden; for, no matter how rare or how extensive the collection, if slovenliness is shown. at every step, the eye soon tires, and the mind becomes insensible to every thing which would otherwise astonish and delight. Mr. Stetson's garden we might term a bijou in its way.

The garden and houses cover about two acres of land situated nearly half a mile from the station of the Fall River Rail-road at this place, just within a proper distance to catch a glance of the cars as they go and return, and commanding a fine view of a prettily wooded country to the east, with the

Taunton River in the distance. The house is a substantial building, of some years' standing, but additions and alterations have been made by Mr. Stetson, which afford all the convenience and comfort which a country residence can possess. The ceilings and walls of the drawing-room have been elegantly done in fresco by an Italian artist.

Descending the steps from the veranda of the drawingroom, we alight opposite to the greenhouse; this, of course, at this season, was only a show of tasteful arrangement in the stage, consisting wholly of strips of cherry wood, running lengthwise, about half an inch apart, which covered the risers as well as the steps, a very neat mode of completing a greenhouse for an amateur : it is about fifty feet long, and fifteen wide, and the grapes which are intended to cover the rafters, have pushed about half-way up, having been planted last spring.

From the greenhouse, a walk leads to the grapery, which is a neat building, with a span roof, constructed on the curvilinear plan, precisely as described by us in our last volume, (XII. p. 377.) It is fifty feet long, and twenty wide, and built in the most thorough manner. The vines were planted out in the spring of 1846, and have made a very vigorous growth, with some of the strongest shoots nearly an inch in diameter. On each side of the centre walk, there is a row of vines, and some of them have been allowed to ripen a few bunches of fruit. Among the kinds, Mr. Stetson has the Prince Albert, Cannon Hall Muscat, Wilmot's Black Hamburgh, &c. &c.

Mr. Stetson has quite a number of wall trees, particularly of pears, embracing the newest and best kinds, such as Colmar d'Aremberg, which was producing two splendid specimens, one of them more than four inches long: this is stated to be a remarkable variety, and, if its quality corresponds with its size, it will be a great acquisition. Winter Nelis, Beurré d'Aremberg, and others of equal merit, had all made very vigorous growths, although only planted last year, and quite small trees. They are trained with much skill.

In the open quarters, the trees are vigorous and in fine health, particularly the peaches, which are entirely free from gum, canker, or that great pest the borer; although the stems are at least four inches in diameter. Mr. Stetson is some