Fir Tree Oil

This insecticide seems to be gaining steadily in favor. It is certainly a great boon to amateurs, furnishing a safe and easy application. Plant culture by amateurs loses a great portion of its pleasure through the trouble with insects. Almost all remedies heretofore proposed have involved much preparation on every occasion of applying. It is a great thing to have something effectual ready at hand.

Rose, Merveille De Lyon

The new rose, Merveille de Lyon, exhibited by Edwin Lonsdale at the May meeting of the Germantown Horticultural Society, is a sport from the famous rose, Baroness Rothschild. This makes the third sport which the Baroness has produced, viz.: Mabel Morrison, White Baroness and the one above referred to. The William Francis Bennett is a seedling from Baroness Rothschild.

A Fine Variety Of Mignonette

A red flowered Mignonette is very popular in England. But we are afraid its appellation - its name, would be too common to say - Reseda odorata pyramida-lis grandiflora, is too long to pronounce in an American flower market. The purchasers would forget what they asked for long before the seller could tell them the price.

A Pear Blight In California

A very bad "blight" has appeared among the pear trees in California, but it is not yet determined whether it is identical with the "fire" blight, the terrible scourge of the pear growers in the Eastern States.

The Peach Knot

Knotted roots are among the troubles of Pacific peach growers.

Canker On Apple Trees

We believe the disease called canker, so annoying to the English apple grower, is not common in America. It seems to have been finally determined that the disease is, like so many similar ones, due to a minute fungus named Nectria ditissima.

A Large Souvenir Du Congress Pear

Mr. Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, England, has raised two of these which weighed 17 1/2 oz. and 15 oz.

American Peaches In France

The Wilder, Cumberland, Musser, Alexander, and Concord, receive much praise from French growers who fruited them last year.

Boston Marrow Squash

In Italy what appears to be this vegetable is known solely by its botanical name, Zucca. We believe our common form is Zucca Commersoniana. The Italians have now a new one which they much praise, which they call Zucca oliva.

The Earth Almond

This is the Cyperus es-culentus. a sort of tuberous rooted sedge grass, and has been under culture as the "Earth Almond" for at least two thousand years. It has been put into commerce recently as the "Zula nut," which gives occasion to the Florist and Pomologist, to reflect on the confusion the free encouragement of indiscriminate coining of popular names causes.