The edible-fruited mountain ash, Sorbus domestica, is a beautiful tree, and in France is much admired, says Le Jardin, from which we translate. For our central and southern states it would seem equally desirable. It has odd pinnate leaves, white flowers in clusters and small pear-shaped fruits or berries. The latter are yellow, flushed with red, and though they are less brilliant than those of the common mountain ash, yet in September and October, when the graceful pyramidal tree is covered with them, they present a very ornamental appearance.

The fruit is much appreciated in the south of France, where it commands a high price. It is found in the shops of Bordeaux and Toulouse from October to January, both ripe and unripe. It is most commonly eaten in the ripe condition, but certain varieties are excellent when they are just beginning to ripen and retain a certain degree of firmness of flesh and brilliancy of tint. Six or eight varieties of different sizes are known. Among the best are those known as the Large Gray, the Large Pink and the Large Red. A variety of especial excellence is represented by a venerable tree on the estates of Madame Dufresne, near Bordeaux. The fruits are large, pear-shaped, yellow, marked with crimson, and of delicious flavor when just ripening.

Another excellent variety with very large ovoid fruits, pale yellow flushed with rose color, was discovered on the property of M. Lafitte, near Agen.

The Cormier may be grafted on wild stocks of the same species, on the hawthorn, the common mountain ash, and probably on the apple and pear. It is of rather slow development, producing no considerable crop until after six or seven years from the graft. The tree is easy of cultivation.

The wood is pink, fine-grained, bard and susceptible of a high polish. It is much in demand for carpenters' tools and engravers' blocks, and com -mands a higher price than the best oak. The bark, when added to wine, promotes the acetous fermentation and rapidly produces excellent vinegar.

From the fruit a beverage similar to honey is made. The slow growth of the Cormier seems to be its only bad quality, but despite this it deserves much more attention than it has received, both because of its ornamental and its useful properties.