Last year our experience with early peas was given in favor of Carter's First Crop. This year again we planted Carter's First Crop, McLean's Advancer, and Tom Thumb, all the same day, and covered them all the same depth. As we write, Carter has bloomed and is setting its pods, while the other two are just commencing to bloom.

The Slug on cherry and pear trees may be easily destroyed by simply dusting over with fine slaked lime or dry dust. Where cultivation is pursued and the ground kept light and loose, a tin cup tied to the end of a stick, by which the dust can be scooped up and scattered over the tree, is a rapid and easy way of doing the work.

Suckers around the crowns of apple and other fruit trees can now be removed, with little prospect of their ever again sprouting. If removed in early spring, the buds remaining start and grow again, rather increasing than lessening the difficulty; but at this time, just as the lengthening growth is closed, nearly all the vitality is laid up in the leaves and stem, and if removed now, no further trouble will be likely to occur from their sprouting.

Paxton's Strawberry Crinoline made of wire, in circular form, and supported by bending three ends of the wire down as legs or standards of support, and leaving the center open for the plant to exhibit itself, we have seen used in one or two instances, and with success, but for any but amateur gardeners or those preparing new sorts for exhibition, we do not think it will ever come into use.

Pelargoniums should be struck from cuttings this month, to produce the best blooming plant for next spring. Old plants should be headed in, but be careful not to cut too close, as often plants are thus destroyed. Keep the old plants rather dry for two or three weeks after heading in. The cuttings, if planted in a half-spent hot-bed, will root readily and freely; and if each cutting is inserted in a very small pot, and the whole of it plunged, giving to the pot good free drainage, it will afterward be little work to re-pot. As the plants grow, they should be occasionally stopped in, to make them form bushes rather than single stems.

Sweedish and other upright junipers that occasionally become too open, may be induced to grow more compact by winding them up with a fine wire at this season of the year, so that as the branches and stems harden and mature, they will more readily retain the upright habit.

Verbenas to cause continuous flowering should never be permitted to seed. As soon as a bloom begins to fade, pick it off, pinching the shoot back two buds from the flower.

Knowledge in fruit culture, as in other matters, we do not think is all in the Old Country; and although we frequently make quotations from works there published, occasionally we come across a writer admitted into their journals without comments, whose teachings belie the practice of older men so much that we wonder at its admission. However, it is done perhaps as a Western writer once told us he wrote, viz., for the purpose of drawing others out. In a recent number of the Cottage Gardener, a writer asserts, that to get pears early, they must be grown on quince stock, ignoring the root pruning which may be practiced on pear stocks, as well as the fact of some varieties fruiting early, no matter on what stock they are grown.

East Bethlehem, Penn., June 10, 1867. Messrs. Woodward : In response to your request for notes on the ripening of strawberries, I cheerfully give a few for this section. The season being backward, the fruit is ripening a week later then usual; yet it has been peculiarly favorable for the production of this delicious fruit almost to perfection Copious showers of rain every few days have caused the fruit, generally, to grow to an enormous size. The yield will be large, the flowers of most varieties having miraculously escaped the effects of severe frosts.

The following account of ripening, etc., I give only for this section: The first to ripen was a variety I received under the name of "Philadelphia Scarlet;" ripened June 6th, bears well, but is purely pistillate, and on that account is not worth cultivating. Next to this, and three days later, came "Wilson's Albany" and "Knox's 700;" of the merits of the former I need not speak - they are all well known. I will only say that it is a wonderful bearer of beautiful berries with entirely too much acidity. "Knox's 700;" ah! here is the prince among strawberries. If it succeeds with you and elsewhere as it does here, then I may safely say perfection is reached. Such berries it were a pleasure to look upon - much greater to feast upon. If I could have but one variety for market or for family use, "700" would stand far, far in advance of all others within my knowledge for these purposes. The fruit is enormously large, and the plant wonderfully productive. Fruit is very solid, and is the richest and most highly flavored of any strawberry I ever tasted. The large number of monster berries to the plant appears to be one of the most prominent features of the variety. Advise every friend and reader of the Horticulturist to plant a few. If they succeed, they will soon neglect or discard all others.

That Jucunda is not 700, and 700 not Jucunda, is a settled fact here.

Fig. 117.

Fig. 118.

Triomphe de Gand is now ripening its second crop of flowers. It blooms too early for us. Frost always takes the first crop. The fruit is very fine.

Agriculturist will be ripe in one or two days. From present appearances this variety is going to give a good account of itself. Plant not very vigorous; fruit stalk very short; a good bearer of very large, handsome, and uniform berries.

Russell will not rank high here. Is purely a pistillate variety, but easily fruited. Not not more than half as prolific as Wilson's Albany, and at least eight days later.

I have seen and tasted the fruit of many other varieties, but for good points in every respect give me "Knox's 700." I can not commend it too highly.

I have sketched one of "Knox's 700" berries (fig. 117), about the average size, and I assure you it is correct. They are generally wedge-shaped or conical, never round. Fig. 118 is the shape of many of the conical ones.

Very truly yours,

John H. Jenkins..