I think highly of two articles in your August number - the one on " Shelter," and the other on "Raising Fruits from Seeda" On these views I have been humbly practicing, as you may recollect by my private letter a year or more ago. I will only say now that my additional obser vation and experience greatly strengthen the views I then expressed, and which you have so ably advocated in your very useful periodical. I set it down as an axiom, that the two great points are, to improve the climate on the one hand, and on the other, by a reproduction from seeds, to adapt the finest fruits to our climate.

My wood, of which I wrote you, and which I am leaving around my small orchard lots, is deciduous, and it has been, and still is, a part of my plan to change it gradually, so as to be in considerable part evergreen. For this purpose I have been looking considerably, to the common Hemlock, White Pine, and Red Cedar, as being indigenous, and I have now a lot of young Cedars from seed, and thousands of small Hemlocks, on which I have been experimenting, and I intend planting pretty largely the coming spring. But small Pines are not easily got, and I shall be greatly obliged to you, or your correspondents, for the best and cheapest mode of procuring -

1. White Pine seeds, including the time of their ripening on the trees, and the time and manner, and most suitable soil, for sowing.

2. The same of Pitch or Yellow Pine.

3. Where, and at what probable prices, the following seeds can be had, viz: Arbor Vitae (native and foreign), Norway Spruce, Fir, and the Himalayan Cedar, and any other evergreen the seeds of which can be readily procured and easily grown. Those who are desirous of sheltering gardens, can well buy; but those who want to plant large numbers, will do best to grow them from seed, and have them on the ground at the right period for planting.

4. The best soil, time, and manner of planting. Eli Nichols.

The White Pine, Yellow or Pitch Pine, and American Arbor Vitae, can be easily collected in many parts of the country. We do not know the usual prices. Mr. John Dick, of Kingsessing, Philadelphia, has occasionally supplied us with seeds of native trees. The Chinese Arbor Vita, Norway Spruce, Ac., you must import. Mr. G. G. Sheppard, of New York, who is agent for some of the best foreign seedsmen, can obtain them for you. The most successful way we have tried of growing evergreens from seed in the open air is, to select a strip of light sandy soil, say eight feet wide, surround it with boards, to make it like a box. Sow the seeds in this, and make a cover or awning of heavy sheeting to place over it at the distance of eighteen or twenty inches from the surface of the ground. This keeps off the hot sun, and not only promotes the vegetation of the seed, but prevents the young plants from being scorched when they push through the ground. Of course, the beds must be kept regularly and very carefully watered.

The awning might be withdrawn at night.

Ok the street in front of my residence is a handsome row of Elms and Button Balls of some fifty years growth, with two Ash trees included On either side of these two Ash trees the Elm is sickly, and only about half the size of the others. It has been suggested that the Ash injures the Elm and other trees, when brought into immediate proximity. Can you enlighten me on that point ? If it is so, I will remove the Ash trees to save the Elms, which I think will soon die. (L)

I have an Osage Orange hedge, planted a year ago last spring, about twenty rods long, separating my lawn from my carriage-road. I want to make a hedge about four feet high. How much wood should I leave each year in cutting it down ? and as it is very vigorous, would it answer to cut it down twice each season ? and if so, what time in the summer ? (2.) J. W. F. - Milford, Conn,

(1.) The Ash, having immense masses of fibrous roots that rise nearly to the surface of the ground, is injurious to the growth of grass, or any other plants in its shade or near the roots. We have never known or heard of it being otherwise injurious to trees or plants growing near it. If the roots of the Ash trees on your grounds are injuring the neighboring Elms by appropriating their food, cut a trench around them pretty close up to the tree, and the difficulty will be remedied.

(2.) Your Osage Orange hedge should have been cut down last spring (April), within four or five inches of the old wood; then, if it grew freely, it should have been cut again in July, leaving about three or four inches of this season's growth. We cut ours three' times a year, and it has a good effect. Instead of allowing long shoots to be made and cut away, the frequent shearing throws the growth into the lateral shoots and thicken* the hedge, which is the great point aimed at. The time to cut is when a crop of strong shoots have been thrown up from the top of the hedge, like a brush, and when these shoots have attained maturity enough to show perfect buds on the lower parts intended to be left.

If it is conceded (as it seems to be) that iron filings, bone dust (or some constituent of that kind), and unslaked lime are the best ingredients to apply to pears on quince stocks, will you have the goodness to inform me (and I dare say many of your readers may also be profited by this information) how to proportion these materials, and how much of the preparation "Should be applied to small Pear trees one year from the bud: also, how much to large standard Pear trees ? An Old Subscriber. - Sand Hill.

We have no particular experience in the application of these materials to Pears. Bone dust, however, we know to be a valuable fertilizer, and in poor soils we should think a quart worked into the surface of the soil as a top dressing would be sufficient for a yearling tree, and a peck would not be too much for a large standard tree. Perhaps some of our readers may have experience in these matters.

I was much annoyed last spring with a large reddish-brown bug, dark on the back and reddish on the under side, that attacked many of my young trees, stripping them entirely of their leaves and blossoms. The Plum and Cherry they seem particularly attached to, though they prey upon Pears, Roses, Horse Chestnuts, Abeles, Elms, Ac., etc, eating all young and tender leaves as fast as they make their appearance. From one Cherry, about eight feet high, I picked off over two hundred and fifty in one evening. I endeavored to save a few kinds of cherries that I was anxious to test, but after destroying from 1000 to 2000 a night for over a week, and seeing no diminution of numbers, to appearance, I gave it up in despair. Should they increase in numbers another year in the ratio bags and caterpillars usually do, they must do an immense damage, as they work nights when it is less convenient to fight than it would be by day. Now I with to ask if you can tell what the habits of the bug are, and how much we shall have to fear from them hereafter, and if any thing can be done toward extermination ? - Trumansburg, N. Y.

The insect referred to most be the May beetle (Phyllopbaga quercina, of Harris' Treatise,) very destructive both in the perfect and grab state. The grub is whitish, with a brown head, living in the earth and feeding on the roots of plants. Last spring it was unusually abundant - entire garden crops, strawberry beds, young trees, etc., were indiscriminately destroyed by it in all quarters. In gardens the grub should be continually sought for and destroyed in spading the ground. Add to this throwing up the ground to the action of frost in winter, and apply salt, soot, etc., this pest may in a great measure be got rid of. The perfect insects attack the leaves, operating in the night. They may be shaken from the trees either at night or early in the morning upon cloths spread out to receive them, and, as Prof. Harris suggests, be killed by throwing them into boiling water.

In your August number, page 866, you say thus: " We do not believe it impossible for pistillate plants to produce fruit without the aid of staminates, for we have abundant evidence to the contrary." And in your September number, page 899, you say: "It is well understood, and has been for fifty years, that no variety wanting in stamens will bear a crop by itself." Please state which of these is your actual opinion, for when such contradictions appear we don't know which side you are upon. Wm. R. Prince - Flushing, L. I

Our actual opinion is this: that a pistillate by itself may, and often does, produce fruit to some extent, but that to ensure what is called a crop it is absolutely necessary to plant staminates near them. This is plainly enough what was meant by the remark you have quoted.