I have been a looker-on in Venice, Mr. Editor, during the well conducted little joust we have had regarding pear culture on the quince, and have not a little applauded the course of the Horticulturist, which seems to me to have bad but one object, to elicit the truth. Yon have said throughout, "the dwarf for the garden, the standard for the orchard." Some cultivators and editors who had committed themselves and their, nurseries to the quince stock, took fire and threatened war and devastation, blight and destruction, to all who did not think at least that dwarf pear trees were salable. I acknowledge I was doubtful which bad the best of the argument, and trembled sometimes for the good periodical which admitted such arguments as Dr. Ward's, and when I saw the following, signed "Editor," in Hovey's Magazine, I was frightened, for I considered the field in possession of the dwarfs, if somebody did not come to the rescue. I had no idea, then, that the call from the battle field would come from Boston! But it has!!

At page 500 of vol. xxii. of Hovey's Magazine (1850) will be found the annexed little bit of criticism. It has since been referred to by the Editor as embrac-ing his decided views, as, in fact, to use his own language, " an answering of all the objections which have been made to trees of this kind, and do not deem it worth the time and space we might occupy to enter into a defence of dwarf pears again".

Fortunately for science, I have found the number, "page 500, vol. xxii.," and here it is, the whole of it, being the editor's comments on the communication of a correspondent: -

A more satisfactory answer to the tirade of nonsense which, is going the rounds of the papers in reference to the cultivation of "dwarf pears," viz., the pear upon the quince, could not well be-given. It is to the point, and coming as it does from one who is amply able, after many years of observation in France and Belgium, where the pear has so long been cultivated, as well as in our own country, to give an opinion, will have the influence to which its sound common sense duly entitles it.

It is one of the most serious drawbacks to all progress in horticultural art, especially in our country, that so much empiricism is mixed up with a thorough scientific knowledge of cultivation; that those who do not know the first principles of a science should attempt to teach those who have made it a life-long study. If is from this fact that such contradictory statements are constantly made, which mystify the new beginner, lead him astray, and force him to rely on his own experience, often dearly bought, and always with great loss of time. With so much apparent information before him, and without the necessary knowledge to enable him to decide where the truth lies, he adopts first one course of culture and then another, until at last, if his zeal holds out, he finds at his cost that he has been following the visionary notions of some fancy theorist, rather than the true principles of horticultural science.

This attempt to write down the quince stock is a sample of a thousand similar attempts in the literature of gardening to assail some of the soundest principles of physiological science, and practical art; and it will end, as all similar attempts have, in more thoroughly convincing those who resort to the proper sources of information, how egregiously they have been deceived in following the notions of those who write well enough, or criticize wonderfully wise, but whose practice is as barren as some of the ideas which they attempt to advance.

It is not really, at this late day, worth while to waste time and paper to attempt to con-trovert such statements as our correspondent briefly reviews in his excellent article; at least we have not thought so. Those who can be induced to believe them, must know but very little of the experience of the past, er be sadly deficient in that knowledge which every one must possess to be a successful cultivator.

We are ready to admit that the quince has been brought into unjust repute by the practice of some inexperienced nurserymen, who recommend many varieties which will not succeed upon that stock; but this is the exception to the rule,* and is acknowledged by all who fully appreciate its usefulness.

In conclusion, we need only refer to an article in a previous volume (xvii. p. 385), upon the cultivation of the pear upon the quince stock, in which our views are fully expressed, and satisfactory evidence adduced to show its very great value in the culture of this delicious fruit. Subsequent experience has more fully confirmed the opinions recorded in the volume referred to. - ED.

This is but a recent flare up, Mr. Editor; it is only so late as November, 1856. Let us see how times change, and we with them. The refutation of the above appears in July, 1857, reminding one of the parody of Shakspeare - "And the funeral baked meats Served for the wedding dinner.

Now let us hear Mr. Hovey's opinion from his own pen, and in his own Magazine of July, 1857: -

Were it not for the amateur cultivators, who send their surplus crop to market, it would be difficult to procure superior fruit, notwithstanding the very high price which it always commands. Fortunately, the fine specimens which have occasionally been offered, have shown to what perfection our best fruits may be grown; and those who can profit by example have done so, and fine specimens, though by no means abundant, are less so than formerly.\ We can only hope that continued attention to the rearing and management of.

*Compare this with the subsequent article in which Mr. H. says quite the reverse, if language means anything. - Q. † "And what," said Mr. Hovey, only in May last, page 212, "is the result of the conflicttrees will result in a liberal supply of that which is good, in place of the inferior products of our gardens and orchards.

To accomplish this, however, especially with the pear, which stands at the head of onr hardy fruits, it is scarcely possible to do so only under what may be termed artificial culture - that is, growing the trees as pyramids or espaliers; so many of the choicest kinds require shelter or protection from our cold winds, that as orchard trees, only in highly favored situations, they cannot be relied upon for constant crops of the finest fruit. We may, in time, possess such varieties, but at present there are but a few which give good results under such treatment. Other fruit trees are less capricious in their growth and produce.

Sancho Panza, having just returned home after a long absence, the first thing which his wife, Teresa, asks about, is the welfare of the steed. "I have brought him back," answers Sancho, "and in much better health and condition than I am in myself." "The Lord be praised," said Teresa, "fo* this his great mercy to me".

Then follows an essay on pruning, thinning, and mulching, and we are introduced to the subject of "watering," in which he says: " There are few sorts of pears which do not, in our climate, at some period of the summer need watering." If one's orchard needs mulching and watering, besides high manuring, digging, trenching, root-pruning, thinning and mulching, and now and then a little guano and a little super-phosphate, I am very much afraid it will be cheaper to import pears from France or purchase oranges. But here I leave it to others to say whether our advocate for the " Pear on the Quince" gives it up in the 1857 evidence of his opinion or not, and sing with the children, "Oh I Mr. Brown, dont give it up so!"

[" Querist" is rather harsh in his article, from which we have been obliged to strike some severe irrelevant remarks. We scarcely anticipated such a recantation, and perhaps Mr. H. will say he has been misunderstood. - ED].