Our readers have already been made aware of the change in the editorial department of the Horticulturist. Mr. Smith, in his "Card," has said, and well said, about all that is necessary on this point He retires gracefully, and with the respect and good wishes of all; with ours especially. We have the satisfaction of knowing that his interest in the Horticulturist remains unabated, and that it will receive his assistance as far as time and circumstances will permit; and we venture to hope that his friends will be ours, and will cooperate with us as they cooperated with him. Mr. Smith expects to go abroad, and in this event we shall be favored with some valuable communications from him, embracing the most recent and interesting intelligence, gathered at the best points and from the best people.

Whatever pertains to the Publishers will be done in the most thorough manner, and they will spare no pains to make the Horticulturist one of the best and most useful publications of the day. With the assistance of some of the best talent the country can afford, they hope that its present high and well-earned character will be maintained, and that it will merit and receive a cordial and generous support from old friends and new.

We shall endeavor to keep our readers thoroughly posted in regard to all novelties as they appear, whether in this country or Europe. The world is progressing; improvements are daily being made in rural architecture and the construction of horticultural buildings; new modes of heating and ventilation are being introduced; and in all departments of rural taste we perceive a pervading spirit of activity and inquiry which must produce its fruit in due season. We shall help on this good work to the best of our ability, and hope to be cheered by the approval and cooperation of our friends. And thus, having said our "say" we retire to our "sanctum," wishing all our friends "A happy New Year!"

We would call the attention of our friends to the peculiar facilities afforded by the advertising columns of the Horticulturist. We shall hereafter place four advertising pages in front of the Magazine; these will possess most of the advantages of a cover page, and our charge will accordingly be at the rate of $15 per page. Advertisements should be sent in before the 20th of the current month.

Correspondence #1

The following from Mr. Downing, correcting a statement of his in the January number for 1859, seems to us conclusive as to the distinctness of Hyde's Eliza and York Madeira, and we shall therefore have one synonym the less, and this is a great point gained:

Correspondence #2

On taking our teat at the "Table," we desire first of all to thank our friends for the handsome manner in which they have come to our support From all parts of the country we have received letters from friends, containing the most hearty congratulations and good wishes. These we had intended to answer, but they have accumulated so fast and to such an extent, that, for the present, we find the thing quite impossible. We therefore take this occasion to thank them one and all; we have them in our heart, and we feel greatly encouraged and comforted by the many good things they have said. We shall endeavor, by our labors on the magazine, to deserve it all.

We have lost a few of our old subscribers, chiefly on the ground that the magazine is not practical enough. This cause of complaint we shall in good time remove, and thus hope to win them back again. The accession of new subscribers, however, has been ten times greater than all we have lost, and they are still coming in. Let the good work go on.

Several communications, which we should have been glad to publish in this number, must necessarily go over to the next, in consequence of the pressure on our columns and the late hour at which they were received.

Correspondence #3

The spring has been an exceedingly untoward one. Many sections of country have suffered from long-continued drought, and all more or less from cold and frost. We gather from our correspondence that the Peach crop will be a small one; in many places it has been entirely destroyed. The prospect for Apples does not, on the whole, seem to be very promising; but of Pears we are more hopeful. Let us be thankful for what we. have - In our notice of Mr. Bright's book, we stated that the single cane system was entirely new to us; yet at the time we were impressed with the idea that we had somewhere seen something on the subject; but being ill, and away from our books, we gave Mr. Bright the benefit of the doubt. We have since given some attention to the subject, and find that Mr. Saunders, on p. 422 of the Horticulturist for 1859, recommends the single stem system, or, in other words, close planting, and cutting down the alternate vines each year. In this, and all other matters, we simply wish to give credit where credit is due. We also have an impression that we have seen something else on this subject, and we think in Mr. Meehan's Gardener's Monthly; and we shall find it, of course, if we are right.

It may be that Mr. Bright wrote on the subject in the Monthly.