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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10426, 26 April 1897, Page 3

According to thelllustrirteGartenZeitung for January, King John's Pear-tree at Toulon was overturned by a hurricane in the last week in November, 1896. The tree was supposed to be 600 years old, and the bole had a circumference of 10 feet. M.Chabaud, upon whose ground the tree had stood, has inquired of all the botanical garden authorities in Europe if trees of similar age and dimensions are known to exist elsewhero. It) is said that probably the best of recent contributions in horticultural lines from American Experiment Stations is Professor Kinney's bulletin on "Spinach." Be reviews critically the history of the development of garden varieties, their botanical origin, and gives a classification as the result oi his field study, embracing practi-» cally all varieties known. According to Professor Kinney, all the garden varieties of the commonest species (Spinaceai oleracea) may be reduced to four typesl, Norfolk, or Bloomsdale group; 2, round-leaved ; 3, thick-leaved; and 4, prickly-seeded spinach. Besides these there are occasionally grown New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia expansa), and Mountain spinach (Atriplex hortenai?), A thorough study of cultural methods for marked gardeners is added.