This section is from "The Horticulturist, And Journal Of Rural Art And Rural Taste", by P. Barry, A. J. Downing, J. Jay Smith, Peter B. Mead, F. W. Woodward, Henry T. Williams. Also available from Amazon: Horticulturist and Journal of Rural Art and Rural Taste.
We have the following note from Mr. Snow, and are pleased to record such success. The idea of taking up a simple popular plant, and devoting exclusive attention to it, was new, and deserved to succeed. His letter is as follows: - Chicoper, Mass., May 19,1857. " I forward you a box of one hundred varieties of verbenas, for the purpose of showing you I have some fine ones, and that you are not assisting and countenancing a humbug I Your notice in the March Horticulturist has been a great assistance to me, and has done more to encourage mo than anything I have had done tor mo before; it has seemed to inspire confidence in the people, as many hare stated your work caused the orders. With snch assistance, my business cannot be otherwise than a success; and I am quite unable to pack and got off my plants fast enough, my orders being now two thousand plants ahead of me, and two men packing all the time, and am sending them into every State in the Union, Canada, and New Brunswick - -in fact, wherever the Horticulturist circulates. Please place them in one bed, to see how they compare with other cellections.
I pat in a good stock of sweet scented varieties".
City of san Jose, Cal., Dec. 10,1856.
Mr. Editor. - Dear sir: We have started a State Horticultural Society in California. I have sent you a copy of our Constitution. It was organised at our last State Agricultural Exhibition, held, in San Jos6, in October last. We intend to meet in San Francisco, in April next, and complete our Constitution and By-Laws, and after that we shall no doubt have monthly, and perhaps semi-monthly, exhibitions of fruit and flowers, as they come in season.
Horticulture, in all its several branches, will, no doubt, in course of time, be developed, In California, in all its beauty, richness, and grandeur. The congeniality of its climate, the almost endless variety of its soil, and Its scenery; the countless number of its indigenous plants, of almost every name and gender; indicate plainly that all that is wanting is industry and science (and that is fast coming on), to collect, arrange, and display, the rich treasures scattered throughout its valleys, plains, and mountains. Flowers cultivated here appear to have brighter tints, a more delicate fragrance, and a more contented appearance than the same varieties have in other countries; fruits have a richer flavor, and are generally much larger in size than they commonly have, I am afraid to tell you the size and weight of some of the fruits exhibited at our last annual Agricultural and Horticultural Exhibition. What think you of winter pears weighing a pound each? Bartletts weighing twenty-seven ounces, and measuring sixteen and one-half inches by seventeen and three-fourths? ' Tours, respectfully, Wm. Daniels.
 
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