Remarkable Watermelons

Messrs. J. M. Thorburn & Co. say that the OEmler's Triumph Watermelon has seeds so small that fifty-five will go into a number 6 thimble; and that the Volga Watermelon, while hard and solid, has scarcely any rind. They are introductions from the Caspian country on the lower Volga River.

Old Orange Trees

According to a writer in in El Diario de la Marina, there is still flourishing in the porch of the Convent of Santa Sabina, in Rome, an orange tree that is said to have been planted in A. D. 1200. Another, in the Monastery of Tondi, is supposed to have been planted by Sir Thomas Aquinas in 1278. In the Moorish Alcazar, at Seville, Spain, exists one that was planted during the reign of Pedro I, between 1350 and 1366. Others there are known to be three hundred and forty years old.

Witloof

A few years ago, Messrs. Vilmorin introduced a new vegetable to be used as a salad - an improvement of the common chicory - under the name of Witloof. It seems to be growing in favor in the old world. Have any of our American readers had experience with it?

The Beauty Of Hebron Potato

This American variety has become one of the leading kinds for general culture in Great Britain.

Lettuce, Butterhead

This is a new variety introduced by Neidhardt, of Erfurt. It is claimed for it, that it is remarkably hard, matures early, and with good manure has given hard solid, cabbage-like heads, weighing one pound. The outer leaves are light green, and the inner ones golden yellow.

American Mist Tree And Juglans Rupestris

In our last, at page 326, there should have been two references to the Country Gentleman - one in relation to the American mist tree, the other to the California walnut, Juglans rupestris. Unfortunately, the last heading was omitted, and the whole paragraph given to the mist tree. The context will show that the whole extract relates to the walnut, and has no relation to the mist tree.

The Groundsel Tree

A correspondent writes that this should have been Baccharis, and not Bacharis, as given at page 330. We are glad to find this spirit of accuracy pervading our readers. The plant was so named from some association of the plant with Bacchus, the god of wine : so that we see how important it is to those who wish to follow the history of plants, that the orthography should be correctly rendered.

Improved Pansies

The pansy became a florists' flower little more than 50 years ago. The varieties then had names like roses and carnations. Lord Gambier was the name of the first pansy so distinguished. George IV. was about the second named kind. During the last ten or fifteen years it has been found so easy to raise good pansies from seed that they do not now receive distinctive names.