This section is from the book "The Gardener's Monthly And Horticulturist V27", by Thomas Meehan. See also: Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long.
A remarkable dwarf variety, covered with enormous flowers of a beautiful lilac pink color; very double.
Forestry says that among the dangers which follow wire fences in that part of the world is the death of cattle from lightning strokes conducted by the fences.
There seems to be several species under this name in cultivation. Certainly the one figured in the London Garden of June 16th, last year, is not the one so known in American gardens. The American is much prettier as a shrub than that can be.
In reply to an objection that the eyelet hole in a zinc label soon wears away when it is suspended by copper wire, "J. R. S." says: "The points of contact are so minute between the wire and the label, that I think enough moisture could not lodge there to set up a galvanic action. Soft galvanized wire or lead wire might be used".
"D. R. W.," New Brighton, Pa., writes: "I send you a seed received from a correspondent in Texas, who calls it "Umbrella Tree" or "Pride of India." If you know it will you please give Botanical name, and state if in your opinion it is desirable for cultivation?"
[This is botanically Melia Azederach. It is an excellent street tree for the South, but only with difficulty stands the winter at Philadelphia. - Ed. G. M].
Why do not the "victims" of gas tar use lampblack and linseed oil mixed to the consistency of paint, for painting their hot-water pipes? It will prevent rust and improve the looks of the pipes without injury to plant or foliage. Certainly gas tar will not do more. After the preparation has thoroughly dried, a going over once a fortnight of the exposed portions of the pipes with cotton waste saturated with oil will brighten them up like new.
Berwyn, Pa.
After the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, they wrote home their experiences. The pea was pronounced a total failure in the New World. They planted of course in the time of year they had been accustomed to plant. But in a few years after they wrote to the old folks at home of their wonderful success with many vegetables, and then we find the pea in this wonderful list of success.
For some reason silk culture has fallen off considerably in France. The most remarkable feature of the decreased product is that prices have also fallen with decreased production. It would seem to show either, that there is not the same demand for silk as there once was, or else that the competition from other countries has driven the French from the world's market.
 
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