The Biggest Peach Orchard In The United State

Is that of Col. Edward Wilkins, who now has thirteen hundred and fifty acres, with one hundred and thirty-six thousand trees. The peaches from his orchard, which is located near Chestertown, Md., are packed in crates and sent to Baltimore by the Col.'s own steamboat, to one canning factory who contracts for the whole crop. In 1869 they netted him $1.10 per crate; this year only thirty-fire cents, or 17 ½ cents per basket. Yet at this price he esteems it more profitable to grow peaches than to grow corn at the rate of sixty cents per bushel for a crop of sixty bushels per acre. Some of his trees, three years old, yielded him two crates to the tree. This is unusual, for a basket per tree is a fair average. Each crate holds two baskets.

Bignonia Radicans

A hardy, rapid growing climber, with large, trumpet-shaped, scarlet flowers in August.

Bignonia Venusta

P. P. T. - The treatment of this fine stove-climber requires that it should not have too much pot room. Confine the roots, give it poor soil and plenty of water during the growing season, and keep the temperature at that time at about 75° by day and 10° less by night, and you will have no reason to complain of want of bloom. In autumn it requires to be cut in rather freely, as bloom is produced on shoots made the same year. The branches should be spread out so as to cover a trellis, or hung below the glass to show the full effect and allow plenty of light to get to the leaves, instead of being tied in a bundle, as is often done. It is one of the frost showy and beautiful objects that you can possess.

Bilbergia Idboniana

A very handsome bromeliaceous plant, producing a spike of highly colored bracts, with flowers of a scarlet and purple color, which are very ornamental; requires the temperature of the hothouse. Streitzia Regina. An old but a noble ornament of the hothouse, with a flower resembling a bird's head, the colors of which are a bright orange and purple, lasting in perfection a long time. This is one of the brightest ornaments of our hothouses.

Biographies Of Distinguished Horticulturists

We have commenced in this number a series of articles under this heading. We think this an improvement that will be very acceptable to our readers. Each article will be accompanied with correct portraits. We commence the series, we think very appropriately, with the biography and portrait of Hon. Marshall P. Wilder. We are now preparing a beautiful portrait of the late Thomas Hogg, of Yorkville, which will appear soon, accompanied by an interesting biography.

Bishop's Early Dwarf

Blooms freely. Short pods. Eighteen inches high. Not profitable.

Black Ant

These marauders are of. ten extremely troublesome in gardens where they make their nests ; and from thence prowl into the larder or the fruit garden, even at considerable distances from their home. Last year, in the Cultivator, I mentioned having carried off a large detachment in a basket of apples; and I have just been reminded of it by the girl bringing me a tin can of sugar into which the ants had found their way. Taking them to a broad smooth stone, I let (hem out, in such numbers as I could manage, and soon destroyed about two hundred and fifty. That happened yesterday; and this morning a similar scene occurred, though only about 100 were now killed, indicating that their family was much reduced. D. T.