is a cross-section exhibiting the semi-oval form of the styles. The ends of the rounds turn on iron pins, slightly riveted outside. The rounds resting on shoul. ders, when the ladder is opened, render the whole stiff and firm. A ladder of this construction is found very useful, not only in fruit houses, where a common ladder could not be conveniently carried but in pruning standard trees, because it can be thrust through the branches like a round pole, without the least difficulty, and when once there, it is easily opened." Fig. 11. Autumnal Flowers. From an unpublished Address before the Aurora Hort. Society. By DAVID THOMAS, President. -The blossom is the tenderest part of the plant; and such as can long withstand severe frosts, are very rare. The Snow-drop indeed, often stands in the frozen soil-supposed to have thawed a passage through it by pressing up its head-and the flower remains unsubdued by all the lingering storms of winter. The Eranthis may also be given as another instance of great hardiness; but the most remarkable of these exceptions to a general rule is found in Helleborus niger from Austria, which blooms on the edge of winter; and I have seen the same flower come forth in the spring from under the snow, after a repose of four months. It is white on the inside, touched with red externally, and some times nearly three inches in diameter. In England it is called the Christmas Rose, but it has no affinity to any other rose; and though very pretty, is considered poisonous. This trait, however, is scarcely objectionable; it is selected for its beauty, like most other flowers, and not for its esculent qualities. Such plants indeed, may indirectly assist in the education of children, and even some of a larger growth, by having them taught to keep their fingers to themselves in strange places-a lesson highly useful in after life. From the milder climates of the Eastern continent, we have several plants that always bloom in autumn-some earlier, some later-such as Cyclamen hederafolium, several species of Colchicum, Yellow Amaryllis, and two species of Crocus-one yielding the genuine saffron of commerce. These are all bulbous or tuberous rooted, and never flower at any other season. There are late-blooming plants however, that require all the genial months to prepare their stems and flower buds,-as some of the Asters and Gentians; and this reason seems sufficient to account for their lateness; but what should cause the others to anticipate the spring, is a mystery not easily explained. That climate has had something to do with it, is highly probable,-for I know of no instance of the kind among American plants with bulbous or tuberous roots. The Witch * This description is copied from the Am, Fruit Culturist. Hazel indeed, flowers late in autumn; but it stands apart and remote from the former class, and constitutes a remarkable exception to the general laws of vegetable life. At the very time that the sap ceases to nourish the leaves, and while they turn yellow and drop from the branches, which indicate in other trees a dormant state-those identical branches burst into bloom, and impart a cast of cheerfulness to the solitary woods. There are other plants from Europe, besides the former, that in mild, wet autumns begin to flower, although they commonly wait till the following year, such as the Auricula, the Primrose, and the dwarf yellow Iris; but with withered leaves lying round them, and chilling winds blowing over them, they have less power to cheer and exhilarate, than when they shine out in spring. From a lower latitude than ours, where the au tumnal sun dispenses a warmer ray, and continues longer above the horizon, the Chinese Chrysanthemum was brought to extend our season of flowers. I believe these numerous varieties have generally been treated as house plants; but they are said to do better in the open ground where they receive the reflected heat from a building, and are protected from those frosts that precede the approach of winter. Near Philadelphia, where the growing season is longer, such protection is less needed; and there I have seen them in great glory; but even here the warmth of a small stove enclosed by a thick curtain, might carry them safely through this period of trial, for we all know that after some severe weather in autumn, we have often many fine days, and some. times even weeks, in which such a mass of bloom, so varying in its tints-would gladden the heart of a florist. Connected with this subject-I mean the guarding of plants in frosty nights,-science was for a long time in the rear of practical knowledge. Within the present century, however, the radiation of heat has become better understood; and it is now known that every clod and stone and plant,-exchanges heat with every other thing that a direct ray car reach, until, if not interrupted, the temperature between them becomes equalized. A plant however, radiating to the open sky from which there is scarcely any return, will cool off in half the time that another will at the foot of a high wall, because half the sky is shut out from the latter. Now if over this plant a tile project horizontally from the wall, a still greater portion of the sky is excluded; and in frosty nights, this shelter would often be suf ficient to protect tender flowers; but it would be an improvement to have a shelf with hinges-dropping down to admit the sun and rain, or spreading out to preserve the radiated heat. The value of such projections was known in the early part of the last century, perhaps earlier. LAWRENCE, in his volume on Gardening, printed more than 120 years ago, said "they were found to answer to a wonder," and to secure the trained fruit wherever they were placed. In attempting to explain this result, however, he has given us a rare specimen of philosophy. He says: "Most of our frosts and blasts, both in spring and autumn, fall perpendicularly; and therefore, the more any thing lies open and exposed to this perpendicular descent of vapors, the more will it be subject to be frozen and blasted. When a fruit tree has been trained against a slope wall, [not upright] we always find that that is the first and most blasted. This therefore being the true state of the case, horizontal shelters are the best guard and defense against perpendicular blasts." American Pomological Congress. ITS LISTS OF SELECT FRUITS. Our readers will doubtless remember that the American Congress of Fruit Growers, more than a year ago, adopted a list of select fruits, "worthy of general cultivation," prepared by a committee of nine. The list, though small, comprised all that the committee could then agree upon, three negative votes out of the nine, being regarded sufficient to exclude any sort. At the late meeting of the same body the past autumn, a considerable number were added; and we give below the combined results of these two years' deliberations, which, though not wholly perfect, may be regarded as a selection by the highest American authority. Scraps about Trees. Pennsylvania castle, the residence of the late Governor Penn, is the only place in Portland assu 1. CHERRY TREES SPLIT BY FROST.-It is well ming the dignity of " a seat;" and is also the only known that the trunks of cherry trees, and espe- spot on which any thing like a clump of trees is vicially those of the most vigorous growth, are often sible. An old historian speaking of this circumsplit in the winter by the severity of the frost. stance says ( there be very few or utterly no trees This is probably owing to the quantity of sap being saving the elms about the church. There would disproportionate to the wood, which being overcharged by the distension, and incapable of expan-isle very bleak.' This simple remark has been am. grow more if they were there planted; yet is the sion, bursts in the direction of the grain, (as it is ply verified in the grounds before us. The common called) and sometimes lays open the wood to the sycamore will stand the severest sea breezes, and centre of the tree. I have been informed of instan- under the shelter it affords, almost any forest tree ces where this has proved fatal. I am able, howev- may be grown. By surrounding his land with a er, to report from my own observation, an instance ring fence of them, Mr. Penn succeeded in embos. where no serious injury followed. A cherry tree a sing his house with a very agreeable variety of dozen years old, and ten or twelve inches in diame. trees and shrubs, while all around him was a deter, in the severest frost of winter was split so that sert." one's hand might be thrust to the centre of the tree. The fissure extended from the ground entirely up to the first offset of branches. The remedy applied was to protect the wounded part by a thick covering of woolen cloth closely wound round the tree, and kept there until late in the spring. The parts united the same season, and neither the growth or fruitfulness of the tree seemed to be affected. Two years afterwards, in the coldest weather of the winter, the tree split again in the same manner, and was treated as before. It flourished and bore the following summer as well as ever, yielding some eight or ten bushels of cherries. The shores of Narragansett Bay, in this State, though beautiful in some of their features, are defi. cient (and especially the islands) in trees. I am assured that many of the farmers down the bay would border, if not surround their lands with these same "ring fences," if they had any confidence that the trees would grow when there planted. 4. THE APHIS ON APPLE TREES.-This insect has been very destructive to the fruit all along the New England sea coast the last season-more so than ever before. The disease or blight occasioned by it is often mistakenly ascribed to other causes. A friend has related to me his experience in the application of the Whale-oil soap to the trees early in the spring, by which he prevented a recurrence of the plague. If I can obtain the details with sufficient accuracy, I will forward them for publication. J. H. W. North Providence, R. I., Dec., 1849. Osage Orange Seed. difficulty, as soaking the seed, exposing it to frost, 2. SEEDLING CHERRY TREES.-The tree above mentioned is a seedling, the fruit of which has some affinity to the Black Mazzard, but is larger, thinnerskinned, and more pulpy than any known variety of that cherry. The tree itself is not excelled in size or bearing by any in this vicinity. Eleven bushels of choice fruit have been gathered from it the past year and measured, besides some three or four bushels by estimation, not measured. The yield has Much difficulty having been experienced in causing been not less than eight bushels in any year, for the the seed of this celebrated hedge plant to vegetate, last five years; and the tree, being now about eigh-various expedients have been devised to remove the teen years from the seed, is still rapidly growing. I mention these particulars as suggestive to our nur- &c. We are induced to believe that the failure to serymen, upon the subject of experimenting with grow has often resulted from the long time that has seedling cherry trees. If seedlings are apt to be elapsed after gathering till the seed is planted, most more vigorous, longer lived, and greater bearers of it being procured in Texas, and often a year or than grafts; though but one in a thousand should two old. Under such circumstances, it must come up prove of a quality worth preserving, is it not worth more thinly than when fresh. The best success ever while to try them more extensively? I do not mean experienced by the writer was with seed gathered in to insist that the above instance proves that a seedone of the Southern States by a careful friend, and ling is in any respect better than a grafted tree, forwarded immediately. It was planted with no because the favorable circumstances of soil, shel-preparation, and came up very thickly. We would ter, supply of moisture, &c., which might be mentioned, may have been so combined as to have produced a similar result without regard to the character of the tree as a seedling. It is adduced as one instance of many, the comparison of which may be of use in connection with the favorite theory of some tree-growers in favor of seedlings. 3. TREES EXPOSED TO SEA-WINDS.-What species of tree is best for places exposed to the rude winds from the Sea? The Savin is undoubtedly best adapt. ed to these situations, but it is a slow grower, and the method and proper time of transplanting and rearing do not appear to be well understood, at least in these parts. I have tried the Elm with indifferent success, perhaps from want of proper care. Have any of the patrons of The Cultivator on Long Island, or elsewhere on the sea coast, succeeded with the Elm on the immediate bank of sea water, and where there is no shelter from the winds? Let us have the results of their experience. I find the following in that valuable work, "Sears' Pictorial Description of the British Islands:" suggest the propriety of dealers employing reliable agents where it is grown, who will forward it when fresh. The Curculio. Many persons adopt some particular remedy, to the exclusion of all others. Paving under the tree, repelling by the odors of fermenting manure, jarring down on sheets, shutting out with a high tight fence and destroying by geese and swine, all have imperfectly or wholly succeeded, as the remedy has been partially or vigorously applied, or as the insects have been few or numerous. A combination of two or more of them will often be found most efficacious. Paving, and a high fence are costly, large heaps of manure are not neat, and swine do not always do the work up wholly. Jarring down too often fails from beginning too late, and intermitting too frequently. We have secured completely large crops, in seasons when the curculios were so abundant as that single trees would yield 15 or 20 at a single jar ring. The work was, however, begun early, and continued twice or three times a day. Yet the whole la. bor for 20 trees was not more than equal to the cost of paving one tree. Probably a combination of this mode, with the employment of swine, would answer in nearly all instances. FREEZING OUT THE CURCULIO.-It is not unfrequently recommended to invert the soil by spading, just before winter, to freeze out the dormant curculios. The writer has pursued this course for several years past, with a number of plum and apricot trees (not, however, with any reference to the curculio,) without the slightest apparent effect on the operations of these depredators. Wire Fence. found, during which time I captured thousands of the foe; and the result was that I had the satisfaction of seeing my plum trees loaded with an abundant crop of fine ripe fruit, while those of my neighbors were nearly or quite destroyed, especially those of the choicer varieties, which seem to be more subject to the attacks of the curculio than those of less merit; and I believe any one who will take the pains to try the above plan, will find his labors crowned with success. R. H. DRAKE. Bloomingburgh, Sullivan Co., N. Y., November 14, 1849. The Everbearing Raspberry. EDS. CULTIVATOR-Your correspondent in The Cultivator for November, has not, I believe, cultivated the Ohio Everbearing Raspberry sufficiently Much has been said in the papers in favor of the to judge of its bearing qualities, and the best soil cheapness and durability of wire fences. We fear for it. I have cultivated in my garden for 17 years, that a few years' trial will disappoint many who this plant, in a rich, deep, porous soil, and the first have erected them. If the wire is so light as to be crop is a very large ore. But my soil is too dry for afforded at less than two dollars per rod, heavy cat- it during the summer and fall, and my vines bear tle will frequently snap it by accidentally plunging sparsely the residue of the season. In the gardens against it, if it is tightly stretched. If slack, its of Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Ernst and others, in the vifrequent swaying motion serves in the course of time cinity of the city, where the soil is a natural oneto crack it off at the post, which tendency is great-rich, but not deep,-stiff, with a subsoil of clay,ly increased by the water which lodges in the holes and gradually diminishes its strength by rusting. Hardiness of the Buckthorn. A hedge of three year old plants was set out last year, four hundred feet long. It was done quite late in the season, most of the trees having already made shoots four or five inches long. They were cut down to within two or 3 inches of the ground, and although the roots were not mudded, scarcely one in a hundred failed to grow. The dense mats of small fibres which constitute the roots of the buckthorn, are removed from the soil with very little loss, and contribute to success. The Curculio. they have an abundant supply till frost, and the fruit of the succeeding crops is much larger than the first. In Newark, New Jersey, in the garden of my sis. ter, where the soil is poor, but stiff, the shoots de not grow half the length that they do in my garden, yet the fruit is larger, and the crops four fold, com pared with mine. A majority of persons at my ta ble prefer it to the Antwerp, when both are on the table. I prefer the Antwerp. It certainly belongs to the Black Cap family. Could it not be crossed with the Fastolff or Antwerp, and its everbearing character retained? I concur with your correspondent in opinion about the Alpine strawberry. In some climates and soils it may succeed better than with us. I believe this to be a distinct kind, and that from a cross with our EDS. CULTIVATOR-In this section of the coun- scarlets, bearing seedlings cannot be produced. By try, for some time past, the plum crop has with but the way, have your Eastern cultivators come to any few exceptions, fallen a prey to the curculio or plum settled opinion, about the absolute necessity of culweevil; so much so at least that the fruit-growers tivating pistillate plants, where an abundant crop, in this neighborhood have become quite discouraged or even half a crop is an object. Mr. Ernst informs in attempting the cultivation of this valuable fruit, me, that the present President of the Boston hortifrom the fact that their labor is lost, their expecta- cultural Society, is of opinion that in an average of tions blasted; and they have the mortification of years, he can raise as full crops from the hermaphseeing nearly all, or indeed, often, the whole crop rodites alone, as where 11-12th are pistillate. I fall from the trees when half or two-thirds grown. know that the opinion of the late President was diI have tried several remedies to preserve my plums rectly the reverse of this. With us, not one of your from the ravages of this uncompromising foe of all hermaphrodites, will average one-fifth of a crop. smooth-stoned fruits, such as the use of salt, and I shall this fall, move all my Ohio Everbearing gathering up the punctured fruit, &c., with but lit-raspberries, to the gullies in the Garden of Eden, tle success until this season. Having read in your valuable journal, The Cultivator, of June, 1848, on page 182, a plan for destroying the curculio, and preserving the fruit, which was the jarring down of the insects on muslin, and so destroying them, I adopted the plan; and having furnished myself with an umbrella eight feet in diameter, covered with white muslin, with an opening between the arms to receive the trunk of the tree, and a mallet cushioned at the end to prevent its injuring the bark of the tree; as soon as the blossoms had fallen and left the newly formed fruit exposed, I commenced a vigor. ous attack upon the wily foe, which had already commenced the work of destruction, by jarring them down on the umbrella spread under the trees to receive them. This I repeated every day for nearly two weeks, or as long as a curculio could be where the soil is thin and stiff; where the blackber ry grows and bears much finer than in my garden, and an abundant crop through the season will be certain. N. LONGWORTH. Cincinnati, O., Nov. LARGE APPLE TREE.-The Boston Traveller says a large apple tree at Duxbury, sixteen feet in circumference a foot or two above the ground, (5 ft. in diameter) and over a hundred years old, bore in one year fruit which made ten barrels of cider, in addition to thirty barrels of apples put into the cel lar. HEDGES FOR FLOODED LANDS.-M. B. Bateham, of the Ohio Cultivator, states that a two-year-old osage orange hedge was submerged a week without injury, where peach trees were killed by the flooding. Which received the prize of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. The Cheviot Breed of Sheep. wool. For many situations, it is desirable to ob. tain a breed more hardy than either of these. The Cheviot breed, represented by our cut, is not at present, much known in this country. We have heard of only two importations; one by Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER, of Massachusetts, and one by Col. T. J. CARMICHAEL of Wisconsin. From the loca There are various reasons why, in a country like ours, it is expedient to keep several breeds of sheep. Different qualities of wool are required for the manufacture of different kinds of goods; and for our great range of climate and diversity of soil and aspect, animals of different characteristics, as to con- lity they occupy in their native country, and from stitution and habits, are required for the different all we can learn of their qualities, we think they locations. The sheep which produce the finest sta- would be valuable for many parts of the United ple of wool, are unsuited to coarse food and expo-writes us in regard to his Cheviots, as follows: States. In answer to an inquiry, Mr. WEBSTER sure to great changes of weather. So too, in regard to the production of mutton; those breeds which attain the greatest size, and fatten most readily, with an abundance of food in a mild climate, have not the hardiness and muscular vigor necessary to adapt them to cold and mountainous districts. Hence, in Great Britain we find the Leicesters, Lincolns, and other heavy long-wooled breeds, oc. cupying the warm and fertile valleys and rich grass lands; the South Downs and similar breeds, the intermediate uplands; while lighter and more active breeds are kept on the heaths and mountains of Wales and Scotland. From the increasing demand and enhanced price of mutton in this country, many farmers have lately turned their attention to the production of this article. With this view, different breeds of English sheep have been procured. The Leicesters and South Downs have been considerably tried, and with varied success. In some instances both have failed from improper management. But in general, we think the Leicesters have hardly sufficient hardiness to endure the extremes of temperature, from the heat of summer to the cold of winter, which occur in our climate. It is true they vary in this respect, and some skillful breeders have given to their sheep much better constitutions than those of this breed in general possess. The improved Cotswolds, or New Oxfordshires, though derived from crosses with the Leicester, are more hardy and produce more They are very handsome, coming fully up to the cuts of them which you find in the English publications. I do not think mine are very large, as my pastures are not rich, and I have taken no particular pains with them. I have had no very great experience of them, as to their mutton, as yet; but some wethers have proved very good. I think the breed fattens readily." They take their name as a breed, from the Cheviot range of hills, on the border of England and Scotland, where they have existed from time immemorial. They have lately been improved by a cross with the Leicesters; and have been adopted with great success in many parts of Scotland, heretofore occupied by the black-faced mountain sheep. In relation to the breed, Martin gives the following description: "They are full behind the shoulder, and the forequarters are justly proportioned to the hind; they are straight in the back, round in the rib, clean and small boned in the limbs; the wool, which is of a quality useful for many combing purposes, comes forward behind the ears, but leaves the face uncovered. The Cheviot sheep is capable of enduring much cold and privation; it possesses considerable fattening properties, the wethers being ripe for the butcher at two years of age; and averaging from 15 to 18 lbs. the quarter. The mutton is excellent. This description applies to the Cheviots with a cross |