A great number of new strawberries are noticed in some of the agricultural journals; Dr. Brinkle, of Philadelphia, having raised two hundred and fifty varieties since 1842, and Mr. Burr, of Ohio, about fifty. We await the opinions of our friends in regard to their merits. At least three years will be required to accurately test their value before offering to the public. To raise a strawberry from seed one year, bring it into fruit, with a dozen or two berries the second, and name, describe, and offer it for sale the third, will not be a sufficient guaranty to induce cultivators to buy. Princess Alice Maud, the Swainston seedling, Prince Albert, the British Queen, and other foreign kinds, though some of them are tolerably good, have proved far inferior to American seedlings, and they cannot be relied upon for principal crops.

The establishment of a class of premiums by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, through the liberality of some unknown amateur cultivator, must have a good tendency in the selection of fruit; these premiums being for the best two or three varieties during a series of three years; and those kinds which gain two out of the three, will have the standard of superiority, so far as the fruit alone is concerned; something must then be allowed in regard to the growth and hardiness of the tree, and the general qualities of productiveness, beauty, &c. &c. Good results, however, must follow, as the committee will, at the close of each year, publish a list of the names of the fruits which take the premiums.

FLORICULTURE.

The increasing interest in Pomology, and especially a desire for information relative to new pears, has induced us to devote much of our room to that subject; consequently our last two volumes have not contained so many articles upon the cultivation of plants as those which preceded them; with an increase, however, of the number of pages, we shall again look well to the interest of the Florist, and endeavor to devote our usual room to the cultivation of rare and beautiful plants.

Our last volume, however, contains some excellent articles. The phlox, which has recently attracted more attention from the increased beauty of the Belgian seedlings, has been the subject of a notice, and we have described twenty-four of the

best varieties, and given some remarks upon their cultivation. A capital article on the tulip has been contributed by one of our most successful amateurs, and also one upon that beautiful, but too much neglected flower, the pansy, by the same writer. These have been in such detail, that we trust they have been found of great value to cultivators.

A reference to our reports of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society will show the variety of new flowers and plants which have been exhibited. Among the number, will be found many of the newest fuchsias, gloxinias, gladioluses, roses, achimenes, pelargoniums, &c. The fuchsia has been shown in fine condition, and some of the new sorts have been great improvements upon the older kinds. Some of the new gladioluses have been extremely fine, particularly belvidèrus, a fancy striped variety. Achimenes picta has been the gem of pot plants, and will always be a favorite.

Of new and rare plants which deserve particular mention, we may name Verónica speciosa, a very handsome summer flowering plant with spikes of violet blue flowers. Búddlea Lindleyana, a shrubby plant with pretty clusters of purple and lilac flowers; Gloxínia tubiflòra with fragrant flowers, and G. Cartoni with exquisite white and pink blossoms. Some of the new pelargoniums have been exceedingly fine, but we hope to see them another year better grown, and brought forward with greater care; in another page we have offered some remarks upon the cultivation of this family to which we refer our readers. Some fine new pæonies have been exhibited, and in particular one of the shrubby kinds, called Hissiana, a remarkable improvement upon the old ones. In our Floricultural notices, some new plants of remarkable beauty have been described, particularly the yellow tree pæony; Gardenia Stanleyàna, and the fine things found by Mr. Fortune in his China expedition, an interesting account of which (p. 445) we have already given.

The production of seedlings of all kinds is yearly increasing, and good results must follow these numerous experiments. Mr. Wilder has been successful with the camellia, and has raised two very fine varieties, for which the Massachusetts Horticultural Society awarded a handsome silver pitcher. A great quantity of Japan lilies have been raised

from seed, and we have no doubt that, in a year or two, some beautiful new kinds will be added to our gardens. The high price which these superb lilies have been held at, owing to their slow increase, and great demand, has prevented their finding their way into general cultivation; but in a year or two we hope to see them in every collection. The Chinese azalea is the flower next to the camellia which is attracting great attention in England and on the Continent, and many superb new seedlings have been recently produced. We hope our amateurs will try their hand at the production of new kinds.

We stated, in our annual summary last year, that we should not let a season pass by without impressing upon cultivators the necessity of more attention to the culture of hardy rhododendrons and azaleas; and we are happy to know that what we have already said has induced many gentlemen to introduce several plants into their gardens. Only let a good collection once be seen in full bloom, and, our word for it, they will be more eagerly sought after than any other flowering plant. They are so perfectly hardy, and easily cultivated, that it is only surprising that their great beauty has not been recognized before. Our nurserymen have only to furnish themselves with a good stock, and dispose of them at reasonable prices, and then their introduction into every garden will speedily follow.

Our extracts from foreign journals, particularly the Gardener's Chronicle, contain some valuable hints relative to the art of cultivation. We allude particularly to the advice on watering out of doors,-the drainage of pots, (p. 265,) and the general treatment of greenhouse plants (p. 66). The oneshift system of potting, which a year or two ago attracted so much notice in England, having lost its novelty, is numbered among other theories of the day applicable to some plants, but of no general utility. Guano has attracted less attention among cultivators of plants, but this arises from a settled conviction of its value, after the many details of experiments of the three or four preceding years. We are most happy to notice that Dr. Lindley has paid a merited compliment to our friend Mr. Teschemacher, in extracting several columns from his excellent pamphlet on Guano. Some valuable hints on 2

VOL. XIII.-NO. I.

the use and application of Guano will be found at p. 168, by our correspondent, Mr. Robinson.

ARBORICULTUre.

The introduction of ornamental trees and shrubs of the more scarce and rare kinds is rapidly extending, and nurserymen are making greater efforts to add to the very limited number which their collections have heretofore contained. It is gratifying to see the experiments which are now being made to test the hardiness of many trees which have recently been introduced to Great Britain, and some of which, from the elevated regions of warm countries, will be likely to prove hardy in the climate of the Middle and Eastern States. Among those more particularly noticeable, we may name the Cedrus Deodara or Deodar Cedar, from the East, where it forms one of the most majestic trees. In the notes of our foreign tour, we have repeatedly spoken of this cedar, and urged its introduction into our gardens, where it will undoubtedly prove hardy. A small specimen in our collection, little protected with straw, stood the last winter well: as soon as it has acquired more strength, we shall try it unprotected. The Lucombe Evergreen oak we have proved to be quite hardy; and specimens now before us, (Dec. 15,) are nearly as green and beautiful as the holly. The Paulownia is another tree, of the habit of the catalpa, producing large purplish flowers about the same size, with very large leaves, and of a growth as rapid as the ailantus. It has stood out quite unprotected on Long Island, and we have no doubt it will prove hardy around Boston. The original tree, which stands in the Jardin des Plantes, of Paris, has very much the appearance of the catalpa, the leaves not being near as large as has been stated, when the tree acquires a moderate size.

The London Horticultural Society, perceiving the great good which must eventually result from the production of seedling trees and shrubs, has introduced into its schedule of prizes for 1847 two or three liberal ones for the best hybrid trees or shrubs: within a few years great improvements have been made in the lilac, magnolia and some other plants, and no doubt this movement of the Horticultural Society will aid much in inducing amateurs and nurserymen to extend their

experiments to all those ornamental trees and shrubs which are most likely to give improved varieties.

Under this head, we may allude to the excellent article on transplanting large trees, by our correspondent, Mr. Henderson (p. 248); not that we are great advocates for removing large specimens, but merely to show that it can be done,—and successfully,-when it is desirable to plant in some exposed situation, or produce immediate effect in landscape scenery.

The Public Garden in Boston, it is stated in the papers, intend to rearrange their grounds, and plant at least one specimen of every American tree which will stand in this latitude; if such is the intention, we hail it as the first really progressive step which has been made since its organization. Had the amount been laid out for the improvement of the grounds, and the planting of trees, which was expended in purchasing a large collection of plants, the proprietors, as well as the public, might now have enjoyed the luxury of umbrageous walks and shady groves, which a judicious arrangement of trees would, in five or six years, have produced.

GARDEN ARCHITECTURE.

The improvements in the erection of greenhouses and other structures for plants, are rapidly extending. To aid in this, we have given, agreeably to our promise, a full account of the mode of constructing grapehouses on the Curvilinear plan, first adopted by Horace Gray, Esq., of Newton, which has succeeded so well, that a large number have been erected, and others are now building in the same style. Our engravings at pp. 379 to 383 represent the manner of construction so plainly, that any carpenter of moderate ability could erect a building.

To test its applicability for the purpose of forcing, in our climate, as well as for grapehouses merely, we have recently erected a hothouse, eighty-four feet long, fifteen wide, and twelve feet high at the back; with a roof facing the south only, the ventilators being in front, and in the back wall. We shall endeavor to give a plan of it hereafter; it is now, as we write, just put in operation. Grapes are intended to be planted for forcing. It is fitted up with a pit the whole length, bottom