Mr. Editor: - One of the chief difficulties with many who cultivate flowers is, that they so often fail to get what they order from nurserymen. I feel constrained to state a recent experience of mine (last spring) in dealing with an establishment near Philadelphia (the name of which I do not care to injure the proprietor by giving.) I sent six dollars with a memorandum of some articles I wanted - same as what follows: one Tea Rose and five Moss Roses - the Tea Rose is right, I think. Of the five Mosses, three died immediately, or were dead when they arrived - the box of plants being little more than a mass of broken pottery and earth - the two now living are, I think, common annual roses; not having the appearance of Moss Rose bushes on the stems or foliage; they have not bloomed. I see on one of them a mark of a bud having been inserted but with no sign of life when it arrived here. I ordered some Dahlias- - one white and the rest fancy or variegated. Four or five sprouts were sent, three of which are now living - two of them blooming - both solid purple, almost exactly like what I had previously; one is about half double.

I ordered three Fuschias, stating I already had one purple and red, and that I wanted one white one and the others pink 6r light Of the three sent me, two have bloomed, and are not only just like each other, but almost exactly like the one I previously had and had described to the dealer. Some other little things were sent - Kniphopia uvaria among them - they have not bloomed and I cannot pronounce upon them.

Can so many mistakes be accidental? - perhaps so, - but I cannot run the risk of buying where three-fourths of a little invoice came wrong by accidents.

Please oblige me by publishing this; - perhaps the seller may see it, and do better with other customers. J. R. G.

King and Queen County, Va.

Mr. Editor: - On page 368 are some observations in reply to mine in April, on Foreign Strawberries in which I may safely say my remarks are misrepresented. The magnificent fruit brought to our market when the "little Scarlets" were also there, might have convinced the most incredulous. As to fruit being fine in the "cloudy atmosphere of London and worthless here" - deteriorating in a dry one, I will not stop to remark on. The writer is surprised to find me placing the Alice Maud as superior; not so the Editor of the Horticulturist and others (see pages 329 and 387; see also the Farmer and Gardener for September.) D. M. R. will do well to make a note now and then from such pages. Alice Maud is a very deep crimson or mulberry color, instead of a "dull greenish red," and pray refer to the colored plate, Horticulturist, 1858, drawn and colored correctly from nature. D. M. R. admits that he has never appeared in competition at the Horticultural exhibitions, yet he ventures to instruct Strawberry growers of 30 or 40 years' standing. When he has a little more experience we shall be happy to have it in print. As to hardiness he mistakes my position.

I said that many varieties were unsuited to this climate, but I made a discrimination; in 1852 Mr. Fierce brought to the notice of the Pomological Society, the extraordinary crops of Alice Maud, and never was it better than the past season; Congress not being in session fruit was then cheaper, but at the same time the "little Scarlets" were to be had for three and four cents the quart. I gave Dr. Bayne full credit as a gentleman and Horticulturist, but I cannot abandon my convictions when superb Foreign Strawberries are so much cultivated and liked. Testimony in plenty could be adduced from persons who never grew a foreign sort, but I submit that their testimony is valueless.

As regards my exhibiting strawberries, - I am a nurseryman, whose great object is to grow my strawberries free from mixing, and produce good large early runners for my customers, - these latter are very injurious to the formation of strong plants, or large fruit; market gardeners and exhibitors on the contrary destroy their runners and produce the largest fruit; notwithstanding these drawbacks at the Exhibition of the Washington Horticultural Society in 1857, strawberries were shown in two classes - one the largest fruit, and the other class highest flavor * in this last class I received first prize for a dish of "Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury" - at the exhibition of the same Society, in 1858,1 showed a collection of strawberries for which I received first prize, - but exhibited in no other class: there was no exhibition of the Society the current year. These are the facts of the case from records in my possession, having acted as corresponding secretary of the Society from its organization; the writer of that article, I believe, was never a member of the Society, hence the error he has fallen into, - unintentional, of course, as I believe he would be the last knowingly to do any man an injustice.

The article is wound up by recommending some varieties for general culture, namely: "Hovey's Seedling, Prince's Scarlet Magnate, McAvoy's Superior, and Bayne's Favorite;" let me ask who has grown "Prince's Scarlet Magnate," and "Bayne's Favorite " in this neighborhood, save Dr. B.? and are the strawberry growers of this city bound to accept them at once and reject varieties which they have so long successfully and extensively cultivated, because Dr. B. has failed and Mr. D. M. R. says they cannot be profitably grown? I presume Messrs. Cammack, Slater, Little & Co., can balance their own ledgers at the end of the season.

I purposely avoided saying anything about good culture, conceiving it unnecessary in the middle of the nineteenth century, the great age of horticultural progress; those who stick to the cheap system of strawberry growing, had better hug their little scarlets, and follow the old beaten path which, however, has now become very rutty. John Saul.

Washington City, D. C.

Mr. Editor: - Let it be known that New Rochelle and its vicinity nave a horticultural society, recently formed, and if you practise what you preach, yon most be interested in the movements of all newly organized societies, and ours in particular, for your periodical is extensively read hereabouts. Indeed, you should stand godfather (the Horticulturist) to this newly born youngster, and patiently listen to what we can truly say of him. You were not present at the auspicious moment when he was ushered into being. Wish yon had been - we had a high time - all the old folks were there and some of the young; many ladies were present who of course could not keep the secret, so it leaked out that this new thing was alive and doing well. After it was dressed, word was sent out for everybody to come in and see this prodigy; they all came, and were mightily pleased with the little fellow, and said he would do to raise; but he being a kind of half orphan, and a stranger, it was uncertain if he could be supported; but he was fine looking for one so young, and had a winning way with him; therefore an appeal was made to the noble and generous present, to take care of him, bring him up, and make him what he should be.