UMASS/AMHERST 312066 0333 2921 0 >ifyH^wvvyyyju m^^&i^. j\^ '^ W ■•\- '\ iNJ\J\J~o^v" ^^^o^ > K-.,. ^^Vu. ''W^Pyh^^^>'}^:Mj-B'i ^v^,wl'-^r^^ '^JrJrkl^ :S!U^Wg\;^\j vy^'y;>^v- B^raS^^(^,uf --■i- ., A U ♦ r UV JI-- A , ■^ =. s.- ^ V y v^ v;^ >te 2^^!^^^^^Wu.^ WsJ^mjm. ^mmizm^mm W\i^'^^ i^iffiW^iww^ >'^^^^^,v' te'v^S.^-'v/v to»» ?5P3^«73rvMiR W^\/'^)d'^ 116, 177, 197, 226 Potato stem borer 170 Potentilla fruticosa 184 Prinos verticillata 32 Priorit)' a rule for plant names 240 Pruning trees and shrubs, notes on.... 1 1, 15, 37, 70, 87, 96, 135, 190, 212 Privet in southern Illinois 148 Public squares 108 PulT balls 16 Pyrelhrum, new double 92 Quince, Bourgeat 36, 57 Quince culture 76 Quince, improving the Japan 156 Rafinesque 18, 79 Ramie 120, 190 Rare plants in Dakota 25 Raspberry, Gault, Columbian and Older 137 Raspberrv, notes on the 196 Redfield,'john H 78, 158 Reservoirs, citv 229 Rex, Dr. Geo. A 59 Rhododendrons, notes on 67, 143, 210 Ribcsacerifolium S3 Riley, Prof. C. V 98, 237 Roads, good 187, 227 Robinia hispida 207 Rodents, destruction of 188 Roots, lifting power of 85 Rose cuttings, to make 90 Rose, Cemetery T09 Rosemary at fuiicrals 120 Rosenberg Park 47 Roses, notes on 120, 188, 194 Roses, climbing 230 Rubus sorbifolius 72 Rubus spectabilis 54 Ruscheiiberger, Dr. W. S. W 98 Russian Thistle, the extirpation of. 40 Ryder, Dr. John A 98 Sago — plant, the 233 Salmon berry, the 216 Sand Cherry for fruit stocks 31 San Jose Bark Scale 95 Sargent, Prof. C. S 218 Sargent's Silva of North America 38 Saxifrage, the derivation of. 159 Scale on branches, effects of. 206 Schenley Park Conservatories 52 School gardens 20 Scolopendrium vulgare 70 Sedum and saxifrage 219 Seeds, jumping 166 Seeds, notes on 40, 52, 73, 156, 160 Seeds, notes on vitality of...., 6, 43, 163, 170 Selby, Prof 119 Sensitive plant 83 Shade trees for southern cities 30 Shamrock, the 179 Shepherdia 1 2 , 43 Shrubbery, careof. 107 Shrubs and trees, classification of 18 Shrubs, proper arrangement of. 90 Shrubs, variegated leaved 233 Shrubs, with colored bark 27 Sigourney Square, Hartford 192 Siphon in gardening, the 32 Snake root not seeding 143 Snowdrop tree 194 Snow flower 200 Soil, good garden 230 ' ' Soil , the' ' 237 Solea Concolor 125 Sophora Japonica and 233 Solidago, succession of flowering of. 234 "Southern Florist and Gardener," the 119, 179 Species, origin of. 126 Spines to plants, uses of. 203 Spleen wort, variation in the dwarf. 223 Spraying 107 Spring flowers in fall 206 Springs, influence of forests on 19 Sprouts from tree trunks 48 Spruce, Hemlock 20 Spruce, Siberian 188 Steam heating 92 Sterculia platanifolia 5 Stokesia cy anea 214 Strawberry culture 116 Strawberry, Lady Thomson 115 Straw'oerry, Lehigh 117 Strawberry, Parker Earle 56 Strawberries, fertility of pistillate 106 Strawberries, new 135, 156 Strawberries, planting 155 vStrawberries, protecting early 176 Strawberries, sexes of 128 Street trees, care of. no Stylophorum diphyllum 33, 103 Sugar beet culture, profits of. 195 Sunstroke, death of trees by 153 Swainsonia galegifolia alba 54 Sweet briar, the 210 Sweet gum, the juice of. 146 Sweet peas, notes on 34, 53 Syringa ligustrina Pekinensis pendula 148 Teaberry 23 Tephrosia Virginiana 153 Thomas, John Jacob 78 Titian as a landscape painter 79 Tomatoes, notes on 15, 36, 57, 77, 216 Training to odd forms 31 Tree guards m Tree leaves, charts of 79 Trees, general notes on 28, 44, 68, 71, 80, 150, 180, 228, 232 Trees, profits of planting 120 Trees, root fungus in 117 Trees, transplanting large 32, 212 Trichostemma dichotoma 161 Trillium, a malformed 85 Trillium, the yellow 24 Truckee Valley, early flora of. 238 Truffles 77 Tuberoses, increasing I74 Vanilla bean, the 64 Variation 159 Veitch, James H 39 Vegetables, notes on.. 36, 108 Venus fly trap, the 206 Verbena, the 211 Veronicas, nomenclature of. 155 Viburnum odoratissimum 14 Viburnum plicatum rotundifolium 92 Victoria regia 93 Vines on trees, climbing 8 Vines in garden, climbing 47 Violet culture 60 Violet, hardy sweet 15 Violet, " The California " 54 Violet, the early white 46 Violet, the English Sweet 94 Virginia, beauties of' 200 Virginia creeper, the 185 von Mueller, Baron Sir Ferdinand 239 Walnuts, barren English I57 Walnuts for timber 188 Water garden, a delightful 73 Water-melon, a new I57 Water plants, notes on 481,93 Weeds, notes on 49, 88, 100, 191 Wild flowers, cultivation of our 139 Wild flowers in winter 3 Willow of Babylon, the 132 Willow, history of the weeping 39 Willow, scale on the Kilmarnock 187 Willow, the goat 19° Willow trees told, story the 124 Wimpole Hall, sale of. 39 Window plants, watering 30 Winter gardens in America 191 Winter in the garden 91 Winters of northwestern Iowa 112 Wissahickon, evening on the 85 Wistarias, notes on 211, 208 Women in botanical honors 59 Wood ashes I34 Woodruff", the sweet scented 178 Woods, sections of American I97 Writing, good English 180 Yucca filamentosa 31. 120 Xanthoceras sorbifolia 233 Zinc labels, penciling on 191 D,\Kl,ING'rO> DARLINGTONIA CALIFORNICA. DARLINGTON'S PITCHER PLANT. NATURAL ORDER, SARRACENIACE^. DARLINGTONIA CALIFORNICA, ToRREY.— Calyx without bracts, of 5 imbricated, narrowly oblong sepals, persistent. Petals 5, ovate-oblong, erect, with a small ovate tip answering to the blade, and a larger oblong lower portion answering to the claw. Stamens 12 to 15 in a single row; filaments subulate; anthers oblong, of two unequal cells, turned edgewise by a twisting of the filament, so that the smaller cells face the ovary. Ovary somewhat top-shaped the broad summit being truncate or concave and abruptly dilated, higher than the stamens, 5-celled ; the cells opposite the petals ; style short, 5-lobed ; the lobes short-linear or club-shaped, recurving ; stigmas thickish introsely terminal. Capsule loculicidally 5-valved. Seeds very numerous, obovate-clavate, thickly beset with soft slender projections. A single species. (Brewer and Watson's Botany of California.) This is probably one of the most wonderful productions of the hand of nature. Not only is the structure of the plant in a measure unique, but its whole behavior seems a contradiction to general experience. Flowers, as a rule, may be said to be in love with insects. In many cases they are at least fast friends, — and many of the processes necessary to the very existence of plants, are made dependent on insect agency. But in Darling- tonia we have a case where the whole course of its life is spent in collecting and destroy- ing these creatures. It is not, indeed, known whether the flower derives any assistance from insects in the pollination of its flowers. The insects, however, if they could have thoughts might congratulate themselves on the fact, that their enemy has not been able to make its w^ay very wndely through the world. It is believed that the object of the plant in entrapping insects, is that they may serve as food, — but as there is abundance of food such as plants normally require, the use in the great economy of nature of insect-devouring plants, is not apparent. Such seeming con- tradictions in nature are not uncommon. As Percival makes one of his characters say in " Prometheus" — Rapture is not the aim of man ; in flowers The serpent hides his venom, and the sting Of the dread insect lurks in fairest bowers ; We were not made to wander on the wing, But if we would be happy, we must bring Our buoyed hearts to a plain and simple school ; We may, as the wild vines their tendrils fling, And waste their barren life, o'erleap all rule. And grasp all light, till age our fruitless ardor cool. In so far as the history and peculiarities of the plant are concerned, no better account has , been given than that by the authors of the " Botany of California," which is here trans- ferred. They s,Q.y it grows in "mountain swamps and borders of brooks, at 1,000 to 6,000 feet, from Truckee Pass to the borders of Ore- gon ; first collected near Mount Shasta, by W. D. Brackenridge, of the Wilkes Exploring Ex- pedition party, with foliage and vestiges of fruit, and next, in blossom by Dr. G. W. Hulse. The 'pitchers' are 18 to 34 inches high, and an inch or less in diameter, except near the top, tapering downward, and spirally twisted about half a revolution, the twist being most often to the left. Expanding near the summit it is vaulted into an inflated sac or hood 2 to 4 inches across, with a circular opening an inch or less in diameter on the under side. The dome of this hood is spotted with large, thin, translucent areolae, which are usually colored somewhat orange or yellow. A wing two to four lines wide runs along the inner side of the pitcher, clasping the rootstock below and entering the orifice above. At the upper and outer edge of the orifice, a blade or appendage ' arises which is narrow at its base, but rapidly widens and divides into two equal and divergent lobes. It is something like a fish-tail in shape, spreading 3 or 4 inches pointing downward, and beset with sharp and short stiff" hairs, all pointing toward the ori- fice, the lobes twisted outward about half a revolution. The green of this blade is vari- ously blotched with red and yellow. The inte- rior of the pitcher is polished above, but the lower part is beset with stiff", sharp, slender, transparent hairs pointing downwards at a sharp angle. Within and about the orifice and on the colored ' fish-tail ' there is a sweet secretion very attractive to insects. A line of this honey has sometimes been found to ex- (I) MEEHANS' MONTHLY — DARLINGTONIA CALIFORNICA. LJati. tend along the wing from the orifice down to the ground. The base of the pitcher contains a clear secreted liquid. This whole contri- vance constitutes one of the most curious natural fly-traps known. An insect roaming over the outside soon finds the wing like a fence to guide him to the orifice, and a line of honey enticing him that wa3^ The blade at the opposite side is mottled and gayly colored to catch the eye and fancy of the flying insect. The lobes are so twisted that he may alight on the outside, and by traveling along the blade finds himself within. It is a broad and open road at first, curving and narrowing as the two lobes converge, and leading directly into the orifice. Moreover, the sharp bristles in the path all pointing one way make that the natural direction to travel, and the honey sweetens the path where the dangerous open- ing yawns above the narrowed way. The 'honey pastures' just within the orifice now tempt him, and are next visited. "When satiated and he would leave, the translucent areolae above, like numerous lighted windows in the roof, entice him away from the darker door in the floor by which he entered. The captive sees no way of escape, and from the shape of the pitcher and the needle-like hairs pointing ever downwards, his destruction is sure. By this elaborate contrivance he was first attracted to the plant, then enticed within, then imprisoned and ultimately consigned to the lake in the bottom of the pit. From the experiments of Dr. Hooker, and from some interesting homologies, it is not difficult to believe that this liquid digests the insect for the nourishment of the plant. The fragmen- tary remains of dead insects in great variety are always found in the mature healthy leaves, often filling the tubes to the height of several inches, and tainting the air with their decay. From the observations of the entomologist Edwards, it seems that more species of flies are caught than of other insects. But bees, hornets, butterflies, dragon-flies, beetles, grass- hoppers, etc., and even snails, are entrapped. For fuller details of the behavior of this ' in- sectivorous plant,' see Proc. Am. Assoc. 1874, B, 64, and Proc. Calif. Acad. 1875. The secre- tion upon the edge of the wing was detected by Mrs. R. M. Austin, of Butterfly Valley. The plant is gregarious, and the hoods and blades are strikingly conspicuous when seen in the bright sunshine of their places of growth, strongly suggesting the unromantic name Calf's Head, by which the local moun- taineers know it." After reading this pathetic account of the manner in which insects are lured to destruc- tion by the beautiful blossoms of an innocent- looking flower, we feel that they may join Whittier in exclaiming : Our witches are no longer old And wrinkled beldames, Satan-sold, But young and gay and laughing creatures, With the heart's sunshine on their features ; Their sorcery — the light which dances When the raised lid unveils its glances, And the low-breathed and gentle tone, Faintly responding unto ours. Soft, dreani-like as a fairy's moan. Above its nightly closing flowers. Although it has been assumed, and with strong reason, that the plant catches insects, with the direct object of using them as food, they are not essential to the well-being of the plant. The carnivorous habits resulting in the enticing arrangements that seem to have no other purpose than baits to the trap, are more evidences of a luxurious taste, than the result of dire necessity, for the plant is fully able to live to perfection bj' the aid of its roots alone, as other plants do. In the earlier stages of its history it was thought incapable of cultivation, confirming, as it was supposed, the absolute necessitj' of insect food to its ex- istence. As noted in the extract from the " Botany of California," it was first gathered by Mr. W. D. Brackenridge. This gentle- man was the botanist of the expedition. He had been led by his enthusiasm as a plant gatherer, further awa}' from his party than was prudent, when he suddenly came on a body of Indians with hostile indications. He thought it wise to run with all possible speed to safer quarters. During his flight he caught sight of the plant, and delayed long enough to snatch a handful. It was from these fragments, liter- ally caught on the wing, that Dr. Torrey was able to diagnose a new genus, and to satisfac- torily describe the plant. These interesting facts, in connection with its history, were com- municated to the author of this paper by Mr. Brackenridge himself Explanation of the Plate. — i. Plant of average size. 2. Unopened flower, called " Calf 's-head " by the people. 3. Flower the .second day. 4. Flower the fourth day. WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. WINTER MUSIC OF THE WOODS. Alas ! how changed from the fair scene, When birds saug out their mellow lay, And winds were soft, and woods were green, And the song ceased not with the day ! But still wild music is abroad. Pale, desert woods ! within your crowd ; And gathering winds, in hoarse accord, Amid the vocal reeds pipe loud. — LONGFEI.LOW. Nelumbium luteum. — Mr. Ernest Walker, New Albanj^ Ind. , notes : " Two years ago this plant held almost com- plete possession of a long willow-fringed pond of about five acres in extent in the southern outskirts of I^ouisville, Ky. The great leaves, many of them over two feet in diameter, quite hid the water out of which they grew. In August, when studded with the great golden buds, the pond was a sight worth a journey to see. "Early in September of the present year the writer revisited the place. But the pond had been drained, and there was scarcely a vestige to tell of its former glory. " To the northward of Jeffersonville, Ind., a few miles from the Louisville location in one of the ponds known as the ' Brick-yard ponds ' — the remnants of a small natural lake which originally occupied the spot — there is about a half acre covered with the plant. As this pond is in the suburbs of the city it will not be long before the Nelumbo will have disappeared here also. ' ' It is but fair to our correspondent to say that we have changed his heading Nelumbo lutea to Nelumbium hdemn, because under this name the plant is known through botanical, horti- cultural and polite literature all over the world, and has been for nearly a century ; and though it might be truly shown that Linnaeus ought to have " established nomenclature on some other than a personal basis," as Prof. Conway Mc- Millan would say, when he rejected Adamson's name of Nelumbo, or Morison's still earlier name of Umbilicus, the naked fact remains that we cannot now weed the name of Nelumbium.- out of the literature of the world. There are grave apostles of the church of latter-day scientists who feel equal to the task . Meeh ans ' Monthly hesitates to join them, while honor- ing the motive which prompts the hopeless- effort. Winter Pleasures for Lovers of Wild* Flowers. — In the chapter on the fern Aspi- dium thelypteris, note was made of the abund- ance of interest winter afforded to lovers of wild flowers. The following note from a Phila- delphia subscriber, Mr. C. F. Saunders, happily illustrates this point : " There is, I think, a special charm about the woods and meadows of the waning year. People who grow melancholy at the sight of the falling leaves, should stir around among them more, and if they look closely, may find much to put them in better spirits. The bright leaves of the Hepatica shine out cheerfull}' from amid the brown ones that carpet the ground, and intend staying till spring. Aplec- ti'Tint hiemale has put up its parchment-like winter leaf, and Goodyeara nestles in round,, pretty bunches close to its mother-earth. Ar- butus is in bud, mosses are greening, and the catkins of the alder are hanging stiffly from the branches, ready to soften and open under the March sun that will surely be shining by- and-b3^ On rich banks, a stick poked about in the loose mould, will likely as not disclose the roots of the wild ginger, with next year's flower bud set on, clasped in the little sheath ; and in marshy spots the spears of the skunk- cabbage plants have already appeared above the ground. These harbingers of spring — a few out of many that any one may notice in an afternoon's walk in the late autumn — show that nature does not wait until winter is passed before beginning her spring work. Like a ' forehanded ' workman, she already has her vernal flowers under way, and the knowledge of it ought to make the thought of winter a little easier for us to bear. " (3) MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS ASD NATURE. [Jan. The Grape Apple-Gall. — Every now and then a paragraph appears in the secular papers, about a grape vine which has wonderfully pro- duced hickory nuts ! The supposed fact has even been used to prove that pollen has an immediate influence in modifying the char- acter of a fruit ! If anj' one would onl}- take the trouble to cut one across, he would see into the little channels the insects have made for themselves. The gall is formed by a small fly of the genus Cecidomyia. It is a remarkable GRAPE APPLE-GALL. fact that each species of the gall-fly family has its own form of the gall. In some way this results from the varying power which obstructs the growth energy. A large rock falling into a stream turns a larger and difl"erently formed current than a smaller one. The acid deposited by one insect is more or less obstructive to the formative energy than the acid of another. This is only the general principle. No one, so far as the writer knows, has worked the matter out in detail. Desert Flowers. — Animal life is by no means scarce in deserts where rain seldom falls — the creatures which exist there feeding on the juicy, succulent plants which usually abound in those locations. Species of turtle are not uncommon. They mine into the earth under large cactuses, and in that way are enabled to reach the centre of the plant, which may be protected on the outside by numerous spines ; in fact, the different species of cactuses aflford the chief means of obtaining liquid. A writer has stated that he has seen horses crush- ing open thorny cactuses by their hoofifjro- tected feet so as to get at the juicy interior. Many kinds of cactuses are so illy protected by spines that herds of sheep can be maintained in some of these arid regions. As a matter of agriculture, cactuses are often flayed by fire so as to destroj' the small spines before cattle feed on them. Travelers across the desert espec- ially use cactuses in this way for their horses. The fruit also is eaten by man — the small spines being destroyed in much the same way. Most cactus fruit has much the flavor of gooseberries.- In some parts of Mexico thousands of goats are maintained entirely on some varieties of Opuntia. We are apt to look upon cactuses in cultivation as objects of curiosity merelj' ; but in the countries where thej^ grow wild they are properly among the benefactors of man. Honey and Wax. — Bees not only convert the nectar of flowers into honey, but also manufacture wax from it. A correspondent of the U. S. Department of Agriculture states that it takes 24 >^ pounds of food to produce one pound of wax. Experimenting with the Melilotus alba, he found that its chief period of bloom was from Jul}^ 20th to September ist. The bees were continually busy among these flowers, and yet, from the 24th of July to the loth of August, there appeared to be no increase in the weight of honey in the hive. Although much has been written about the habits and the work of the honey bee, it is evident that very much more has yet to be learned. Male Orchid Flowers. — The stamens and pistils of an orchid are so completely united, that only those familiar with the structure of an orchid flower can appreciate the fact of the union, or, indeed, to easily point out which ought to be considered as part of the stamens and which the pistils. It is not, therefore, remarkable that until recently the fact has been overlooked that there are separate sexes among orchids, as among other classes of plants, occasionally. Cases of orchids being entirely barren or destitute of a pistil struc- ture, are not now uncommon. 1895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. Cultivation of the California Pitcher Plant. — In relation to the California pitcher plant, it may be noted in regard to its cultiva- tion that in 1872 Mr. James Taplin, of South Amboy, N. J., succeeded in growing them to great perfection in pots of sandy peat soil, — the pots set along side of a stream, an interest- ing account of which he gave in the London Garden, vol. i, page 396. Since then it has been cultivated to such great perfection in the Old World that plants in a Dublin garden gave leaves larger than any recorded in a wild condi- tion, namely fully three feet. Sterculia platanifolia. — Mr. John Kin- nier calls attention to this beautiful tree as growing finely in the vicinity of Lynchburg, Va. The leaves, in outline, are very much like the common plane tree, whence it is named platanifolia. But it belongs to a very different family of plants — Sterculiacece . Its fruit is particularly singular. When a pea-pod bursts the peas may be noted adhering to the edges of the pod,— the sterculia, however, bears its seeds on the outside of the edges, with the appear- ance of a pea-pod split open on the back, with the seeds arranged on either side of the valves. There are few more remarkable and interesting methods of seed bearing in the vegetable kingdom. Absorption of Moisture from the Soil BY Plants. The manner in which the roots of plants absorb moisture from the soil does not seem to have been clearly established. For instance, an oak tree, which by an estimate, may have seven hundred thousand leaves, is said by chemical biologists to give off into the atmosphere seven hundred tons of water dur- ing the five months it carries its foliage, — yet an examination of the soil about the roots of the tree would result in finding nothing that we could reasonably call water, — indeed, under- neath all large trees the earth at any time dur- ing the growing season will be found compara- tively dry, and even if we could comprehend that the soil contained water in the literal sense, it would be hard to imagine that the amount of the said water ever reached seven hundred tons dur- ing the period named. To illustrate the point still further one may recall some immense building, the sides of which are covered with the leaves of the Japan ivy — Ampelopsis Vcitchii, — the leaves, in number, probably far exceed those on the largest oak, — and yet with a stem at the ground not thicker than one's finger. If we cut the stem at that point no water seems to ooze out, and j-et one would suppose that in order to evaporate seven hundred tons of water in five months it would be necessary for a com- paratively strong stream to be continually flow- CARYOPTERIS M ASTAC A NTH US. -see page ia. ing through the long stem. It is well known that not only the leaves of plants, but also the roots, must have atmospheric air around them in order to properly perform their functions. Water as water is not so essential for that excess as the humidity of the atmosphere. Can it be possible that the plant by the aid of its vital power can transform the gaseous elements into liquids ? MEEHANS' MONTHLY — ^WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [Jan. Disease in the Lombardy Poplar. — Few trees have been so persistently cleared away by disease, in America, as the Lombardy poplar. It is extremely rare to find any in Eastern Pennsylvania that have not been nearly destroyed, out of the many thousands that have been planted at various times. It does not seem to attack the tree in its younger years, but after it has grown to some twenty or thirty feet in height the trouble begins, until the tree graduall}- becomes a little more than a huge stump. The Usefulness of the English Sparrow. — Some people contend that there is a very useful place for satan, even in the worst con- structed theological system, and this must be said of the English sparrow when we are con- sidering the usefulness of the feathery tribe. While it attacks grain and many fruit crops, it finds all kinds of smooth caterpillars a very toothsome dish. Wherever sparrows abound, this class of troublesome insects is very well kept down. Unfortunately the hairy caterpil- lars are as carefully avoided, and only the smooth ones are destroyed. On the whole there would seem little gained, from this point of view, in the introduction of the English sparrow. Vitality of Seeds — Mr. Tillinghast in- quires : — "How do the seeds of hardwood trees, — acorns for instance, get onto the ground, and generate after soft wood trees have been cut and removed from the ground ? Are the seeds of the hardwood trees there before the softwood trees are removed, or are they brought there afterward by some agency- ? There seems to be an idea in some minds that the new growth is a result of ' spontaneous generation. ' By showing how the seeds get to the place in which they germinate the fallacy of the spon- taneous generation argument will be shown." In a deep shad}- pine or similar wood, seeds are brought by birds or other animals, or the wind, — and when they reach the ground sprout and grow at once. But the conditions are so unfavorable, that thej^ make but a few leaves each year, and when a dozen years or more old, would be but a few inches high. The writer took a disbeliever in this to a red cedar wood once upon a time, and satisfied him by ocular demonstration, that these things were so. That piece of woods was eventually cut awaj', and then the "hardwood" had a chance to grow. It is a "hardwood" forest now, — the tulip tree chiefly prevailing. This is not saying that seeds will not live in the earth, if deep enough to exclude air, for an indefinite time. The evidence that they will is too strong to be doubted. But this will not help the point suggested by Mr. T. , as seeds would have to be near the air or could not sprout. In brief the change occurs because young plants are already there. Unusual Vigorous Growths, -r- In your Monthly for November, 1893, page 171, you make mention of some large leaves oi Magnolia aaiminata . While collecting, the past summer, I noticed some large leaves of sycamore {Pla- tafius occidentalis) and hard maple {Acer sacchar- inum) on young shoots of the season's growth. I brought them in to preserve, and made mea- surements which were as follows : One of the sycamore leaves measured in extreme breadth i6}i inches and extreme length (excluding petiole of 2 inches) ii|s inches. Another 16^4 XII inches, directions respectively. By cal- culations made by triangles it was found that the larger one would cover 116 square inches, approximately. The hard maple leaf, from the same place (an old cemetery where some of the dates on the tombstones are 181 2), measured from attachment of the petiole to point of right lobe •j}i inches, to point of middle lobe " yi inches, to point of left lobe "Jli inches ; petiole 5;^ inches in length ; extreme breadth 10 's inches. By triangle it was found to cover 40.5 square inches of surface. I recently measured the season's growth of a cane of rose bush of the Baltimore Belle variety that is 18 feet long. Other canes on the same plant have been allowed to grow at will. The plant stands on the north side of a building where the soil has been moist all summer. On November 2nd, m}^ attention was attracted to some beautiful white flowers growing by the roadside. On investigation they proved to be the Canada violet {Viola Canadensis). The divaricate branches formed a circle, the largest diameter of which was 42 inches, and the smallest 36 inches. The plant was taken up and planted in the flower garden. Orwell, Ohio. ERNEST E BOGUE. GENERAL GARDENING. THE GARDENS OF MT. LEBANON. Fair gardens, shining streams, with ranks Of golden melons on their banks, More golden where the sunlight falls ; Gay lizards, glittering on the walls Of ruin'd shrines, busy and bright As the}!- were all alive with light ; And, yet more splendid, numerous flocks Of pigeons, sitting on the rocks, With their rich restless wings, that gleam Variously in the crimson beam Of the warm west, as if inlaid With brilliants from the mine, or made Of tearless rainbows, such as span The unclouded skies of Peristan ! And then, the mingling soitnds that come. Of shepherds' ancient reed, with hum Of the wild bees of Palestine. — Thomas Moore. AZA.LEA AMCENA. — In gardens, there is a lovely form of hardy azalea, which has the calyx turned into a corolla, so that the flowers appear like two tea-cups or two saucers, the one set within the other. It is one of the handsomest earl 3^ flowering ornaments of American gardens. It is stated that the orig- inal species, and to which this form belongs, is really Azalea Indica, although it has been considered by some botanists sufiiciently dis- tinct from this well-known class of green-house plants, to have a specific name, and hence it is sometimes figured in catalogues as Azalea obtusa, and, occasionally. Azalea calyciflora. Sickly House Plants. — How difl&cult it is to advise by letter, a recent instance illus- trates. A Philadelphia lady applied to MeE- HANS' Monthly for advice about a Cypripedinm insigiie, the leaves of which were turning yel- low. From the description, "too much water" was the decided answer. An opportunity occurred for a call on the inquirer, when it was found that the large plant had been in a six-inch pot for several years, so matted with roots that no amount of watering would injure it. It was yellow simply from starvation. It would not do to re-pot at this season of flower- ing ; but very fine rich manure, reduced to powder, and sprinkled on the surface in among the leaves, would be the best advice. Drainage in Flower-Pots. — Although all persons are familiar with the fact that the flower-pot must have a hole in the bottom, very few understand why it is necessary that the water should be allowed to escape. The usual thought is that water is essential to plant life. To some extent ho plant could live in thoroughly dry earth, — at the same time atmos- pheric air is of quite as much, if not of more, importance than water, and the change of air is as necessary for the roots of plants as for human beings. Air in the earth in a flower- pot, soon loses its life-giving powers, and has to be changed for fresh air. Watering accom- plishes this, — it drives out all the foul air, and then after the water passes away, a new supply of air takes the place of the water. In this way continual watering thoroughly aerates the soil. A plant, in a flower-pot, which seldom needs watering, is in a bad condition. Care of Forest Trees. — A large number of fine trees meet with an earlv death, on account of rotting in the center. This rotting is brought about in all cases, by stumps of broken branches. When these rot, the decay soon permeates the whole trunk. No stump should ever be left on a tree, whether the branch be cut off" with a saw or broken off" by the wind. It should be taken away clean to the trunk, and the scar painted over so as prevent decay, until the wound is wholly cov- ered by the new growth of wood and bark. W'hen trees commence to fail, many persons imagine it is owing to some trouble at the roots, and if the tree is much valued, the earth around the roots may be dug up and disturbed. It is a good practice to apply fertilizing mate- rial, even to an old tree, as an abundance of food helps it to sustain its vigor ; but all this is of no avail as long as dead stumps are left to decay the center of the tree. It is chiefly on this account that so much injury lesults from cutting back large branches. In a large number of cases the stump dies, with the results alieady enumerated. (7) MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Jan. Mulching. — It is a good plan to mulch small plants in borders, or even larger trees and shrubs on the lawn, that have been recently transplanted, with well rotted stable manure, leaves or other litter. This will prevent the continuous freezing and thawing, which would otherwise " heave out " small plants that have not as yet secured a good root-hold. In the case of larger plants, it lessens the opportunity of the frost to sink as deeply about the roots as would be the case if the mulch were not put on. Care should be taken to do this while the ground is frozen, as mice are less likely to make a harbor of it at that time. Climbing Vines on Trees. — A young man onceofiFered his services to a daily paper with which the writer of this paragraph was con- nected, giving, as his great qualification, that he " could write the most learned articles on subjects of which he was totally ignorant." The horticultural literature of the day is full of this class, and they are sure to rail at intel- ligence,—never tiring of praise of the " prac- tical man." One of this class has an article in a leading serial on climbing vines over trees. We are to set our plants " in rich soil " near the trunk, tack the branches with a nail and shred to the trunk, and wait for the floral glory. It will be a long wait. To get a vine to grow up a large living tree, get a plant several feet long. Plant it six or eight feet from the tree trunk, or so far that by burying the branch of the vine under ground the top of the vine can be bent up at the tree trunk, so as to be just above the surface of the earth. The earth is too dry and poor near a huge tree trunk for a vine to grow. This paragraph will make food for the "practical writers " for some years to come. Sickly Palms.— Mrs. R. M., New York, has "An Areca hitescens, a keepsake from a friend, placed with a florist for care during a trip to Europe, and which has been returned yellow and sickly, and covered with black scales. What is best to do for it .? I have cleaned the scales several times, but they come again." The scales are mostly dead, covering by their dead bodies numerous eggs beneath. These eggs are very small, and enough are missed at the cleaning, to produce a new brood. Several cleanings are usually necessary before they are wholly exterminated. Washing with whale-oil soap is the best for palms or any other hard- foliaged plant. Palms are often sickly from the water not draining away rapidly in the pot or tub. This must be remedied by turning the pot upside down, so that the ball falls out of the pot, and enough earth taken ofl"the bottom to admit of broken pots, bricks, or stones to be filled in the place. Then place the ball back into the pot again. After this, not much water should be given, till new fronds appear. Hard- leaved plants do not usually need much water, except in the growing season. It would help to put the palm in a hot, sunny place in summer. Lawtst and Garden Plans. — When a new piece of land is to be plotted, it is often the prac- tice to get the architect who draws the plan for the dwelling and outbuildings, also to make a plan of the grounds ; but these plans are gener- ally deceptive. That which may look pretty from a bird's-eye-view on paper, has a very dif- ferent appearance on the ground. A beautifully planned picture may be anything but pretty when it comes to be worked out. The regular landscape gardener well understands this, and though his picture may not have the beautiful lines and curves which the architect's plan has, it will often be found to bring more pleasurable and practicable results. Convenience must always claim superior attention, and after convenience has been well studied, then ornamentation comes in. The paths and roads are, of course, a great element in convenience. In manj' parts of the Union, where the winters are long and severe, paths for pedestrians should be bricked, flagged or be formed of some kind of lithogen, it being essential to convenience in the winter time or wet weather, or board-walks where the other material is not easily obtained. For drive- ways nothing has yet been found vsuperior to macadam. In the material for surfacing maca- dam roads, tough stones are superior to a stone which is hard or brittle. A brittle stone soon grinds to mud ; but much depends on the manner of laying the stone, — the looser the surface, the more easily the stones grind. If the surface stones are comparatively small, and can be well pressed together, so as to make a smooth surface, there is no grinding, and consequently little wear. 1895] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. lo MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Jan. Pruning Deciduous Hedges. — The last trimming of hedges should have been done early in the fall, before the wood hardened ; but many people find it necessary to leave it until winter, on account of pressure of other work. A properly trimmed hedge is one that is broad at the base and narrow at the top. One that is pruned flat on the sides — like a wall — will in time lose the lower branches. The general tendency of growth is always toward the top of the plant, and unless that part is pruned heavilj' it draws the vitality from the lower branches which soon grow weak and finally die. Hedges that have grown too large, or are devoid of lower limbs can only be brought into proper shape or size by cutting them down to within a few inches of the ground. Strong and vigorous shoots will then push up. which can quickly be trimmed into a new hedge of the desired size. The early training of the hedge has much to do with its beauty in the future. The plants should be cut down within a few inches of the ground, for two or three succeeding years after setting out, if but a small, bushy hedge is desired ; but if it is the intention to grow a large hedge, then the plants should not be cut down until about two or three years after plant- ing, so that strong, vigorous shoots will push up. Hedges that were set out last spring or the past fall, would be greatly benefitted by a mulch of well rotted manure, for the winter. This can be worked in the soil in the spring, enriching it, and inducing a strong, healthy growth. Sequoia gigantea in the East.— R. W. M., Chester, Pa., asks : "Will the Seq2(oia o;iga?itea, or, as it is some- times called, the Wellmgtonia or Washingtonia, succeed in this section ? " The Seqtioia giga?itea will grow in Pennsyl- vania ; but it succeeds only in exceptional instances, owing to the attacks of fungus dis- ease which destroys the branches in the sum- mer time. The trees do not die oflF the first year, but the lower limbs keep going oflf, until finally the whole tree is destroyed. There is a specimen growing in Germantown, on the grounds of the late William Norton Johnson, which is probably twenty-five feet high. The fungus does not seem to have made as great strides on this tree as it has on some in the Meehan nurseries here. The tree seems to be doing very well, though somewhat troubled by the fungus. The attacks of this fungus can be checked, if not wholly prevented, by spraj'ing the tree about half a dozen times through the growing season. The solution used is what is known as the Bordeaux mixture, consisting of blue cop- peras, ammonia, lime and water. The solution can be purchased from any of the seedsmen who advertise in Meehans' Monthly. Pruning Young Hedges. — Mrs. J. H. B., Chester Co., Pa., writes : "Last autumn I planted out a number of privet plants in a hedge. They have grown to be about eighteen inches or two feet high, and I write to ask if it is the right time to cut them down now, and to what distance from the ground this should be done ? Will you also kindly tell me whether I could this month transplant a large white pine tree, or if I must wait until March ? " Whether or not you ought to cut back the privet hedge, depends upon how large you will want the hedge to grow. If it is to be a low, dwarf hedge, 5^ou can cut it back now, and trim again into shape after they grow, — say next June or July; but if you want a strong hedge, to reach several feet high, you must not prune the plants for two or three 3'ears. With- out knowing exactly these requirements, it would seem that there was no great necjessity for cutting now ; but the proper time would be early in the summer. In trimming, take care to keep the lower branches always wider than those towards the top, otherwise the hedge will get thin at the base. In relation to transplanting the white pine, this also depends on circumstances. If the tree is very heavy, stands by itself, and you can dig it up with all the roots, that is to say, by commencing to dig at some distance from the tree, so as not to have the main roots nothing much but stumps, it might do to transplant now ; but on the whole it would probabl}-^ be best to defer the matter until the spring comes. The proper time in spring will be as soon as possible after all the frost is out of the ground. 1895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. II DEUTZIA SCABRA--UNPRUNED Pruning of Flowering Shrubs. — It is at this season that much of the pruning of flow- ering shrubs is performed, and usually the operation takes with it all the flower buds that should clothe the plant with a mass of bloom during the spring and early summer. This is because gardeners do not consider the flower- ing habits of the various shrubs with which they have to deal. To prune away, in winter, the young wood from a weigela, deutzia, mock orange, lilac, or bush honeysuckle, takes with it all the bloom for the following spring. This is usually the case, however, when indiscrimi- nate pruning is practiced. There are very few shrubs that may be severely cut in winter. The hardy hydrangea, althaea, and some smaller shrubs like the hypericum, form their flower buds on the young growth made in the summer of the same year they bloom, but nearly all other shrubs make their flower buds on the young growth made the season previous to their expanding. The proper system of pruning is one that will induce an abundance of young wood, and this can only be accomplished by thej:rimming out of all two year old growth, — that which has already flowered, — cutting out the old shoots close to the ground, so that the new growth will push out from the root of the plant. If the bush make too strong and rank a growth, a moderate amount of pruning in winter will not lessen the bloom to any extent, especially as the extreme ends of the young wood do not flower. Summer pruning of flowering shrubs is practiced by some gardeners with success, — after the plants have done blooming, — but in this case it must be done with great care, as the cutting away of wood when in full leaf, tends to weaken the plant, while the object to be gained is to foster a strong and vigorous growth. Top-dressing Lawns. — To make a bright green sward next season, a good top-dressing on the lawn, during the winter, should not be neglected, and the earlier the work is accom- plished, the greater will be the result. The continuous mowing during the summer, with- out giving any stimulant to the soil, soon weakens the grass until it finally dies out. Well rotted manure for the winter is probably the best remedy, though many prefer to use wood-ashes, guano, ground bone or other com- mercial fertilizers, as being less likely to intro- duce seeds of noxious weeds. DEUTZIA SCABRA--PROPERLY PRUNED. MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Jan. Raising Cuttings in Water. — Almost any plants with comparatively hard wood, can be made to root by being placed in bottles of water. The oleander is a familiar illustration, — the ivy also can be easily raised this way. After the roots have become strong in the water, the plants can be taken out and placed in earth. For this, perhaps it is better to let the water continue stagnant in the bottles — a change of water is not beneficial. In these cases, the gases necessary to aid in the life of the plant, are furnished by the decaying materi- als which cause the water to become stagnant. Even soft-wood cuttings will root readily in sand with water, A saucer of sand, for in- stance, filled with water, is all that is needed to root many soft-wood cuttings. These saucers with the cuttings should be kept shaded for a day or two, and then placed in the full light. If placed at once in the full light they are liable to wilt. Fertilizing Large Trees. — W. H. J., Rosemont, Pa., writes : " I have a chestnut tree, said to be over two hundred years old. The trunk is over ten feet in circumference. I have been advised to dig around the roots and manure the same. Would you advise me to do that, or manure on top of the ground ? " It may not be necessary to manure the chest- nut tree, unless it does not seem to be doing well. You can easily tell this by noting whether the growth made this last summer was strong and vigorous, or light and weakly looking. If the latter be the case, then a good mulching will be of great benefit to the tree. Manure should be spread thickly over the surface of the ground, covering the area that you think is occupied by the roots, and this should be worked into the soil with a garden fork, working it into the ground to the depth of about one foot. This may disturb some of the small fibrous roots ; but that will not in- jure the tree as long as you do not cut the heavy main roots. Well-rotted stable manure is what should be used for the purpose. Budding. — A very interesting occupation, for the lover of gardening, is the process known as "budding." This is simply taking a bud on a shield of bark, cutting from just above to below the bud, and inserting it under the bark of another plant. Budding can be performed, of course, on different plants of the same species. One may desire to have the branch push out from an open place on a trunk or branch in order to fill the space, and this can be done by inserting a bud from the same tree^ in the place where we want the branch to push * out. This is often resorted to where trees are trained to some particular form. A variety of fruit or plant, not particularly desirable, can be changed to that which is preferred, by bud- ing. The particular time to bud can hardly be given in a paragraph of this kind, because the same tree will be fit to bud in one locality, when it will be fit only at some later or earlier time in another,— it depends upon the health and vigor of the plant to be operated on, and can only be told by experiment. The experi- ment is performed by raising the bark with a thin-bladed knife— for convenience a cut shaped like a " T "' on the bark is the best. The bark will either adhere or can easily be lifted. The operation can only be performed when the bark lifts freely, but even this may be done too early. If the bark and wood appear to be watery it is usually too early,— the appearance should be rather dry than otherwise in order to strike a successful time. The shield, with the bud from the desirable plant, is then slipped underneath the bark and tied down lightly, so as to be secure against evaporation. No amount of written illustration will make a good operator, but a few attempts to actually do the work will soon teach a learner to succeed. Shepherdia.— In the northern portions of the Rocky Mountains, even as far north as Denver, the traveler often comes across a dwarf shrub loaded with oval scarlet berries which are fairly toothsome, especially if one is hungry — Shepherdia Cayiadensis. It is said some fruit growers intend to introduce it to cultivation for its fruit. Unfortunately the plants are separately sterile and fruitful, so that no one would be certain from seed, that he had a fruit- ful plant. Some years ago its beautiful rela- tive, Shepherdia argenUa, was grown in gar- dens for its berries, — but this trouble with separate sexes, led to its disappearance from choice collections. NEW CHRYSANTHEMUM--MRS H. H BATTLES (Reduced one-third, i 14 MEEHANS' MONTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. [Jan. Caryopteris Mastacanthus. — For the past five years this dwarf shrub has been under trial in the Meehans' nurseries, and found to be one of the most desirable of late summer and autumn flowering shrubs. It is closely allied to an old inhabitant of our gardens, — the chaste bush, — Vitex Agnus castus, and belongs to the same natural order, VerbenacecE . The flowers are of a much darker blue than the Chaste bush, and the plants make a greater show. It is a native of Northern China, and though the extreme twigs may be injured in high northern regions, it is not injured suffic- iently to prevent a good show of bloom the succeeding summer. Though in no way what- ever resembling or related to the spiraea family, it is being circulated as "Blue SpircCa." See page 5- be very similar to that of the sweet olive. By the way, it is an interesting fact that in almost all large families of plants only one or two species are odoriferous. Among the migno- nettes, of several dozens of species, onlj^ one is fragrant — the same with the violet, — and similar instances could be given among many other families of plants. This fact has often struck thoughtful people when discussing the relation of insects to flowers, of which so much has been made under the name of botan- ical science by sensational writers during the few past years. Just why one or two species in a large genus should be singled out as favorites for the gift of odor, while the large number of species in the same family should be odorless, cannot be explained by those who talk so glibly about the insect relationship. Improved Chrysanthemu.ms — Mrs. H. H. Battles. — It is fifty years since the chrysan- themum was taken in hand for improvement, by Europeans. One, Webber, in the Island of Jersey, sent out .some remarkable novelties at that time, among which "Webber's Queen" was prominent. After Fortune introduced some new races from China, another advance fol- lowed, — an English florist, named Salter, settled at Versailles, in France, taking the lead. In recent years, America has taken a leading hand,— and Philadelphia especially is the home of many new and popular seedlings. A remarkable one is Mrs. H. H. Battles, on page 13, (figured yi, size,) to show its enormous pro- portions. It is white, relieved, however, by a tinge of blush on the lowermost petals. An interesting peculiarity, and by which it may be readily distinguished when any doubt of its identity exists, is a small tuft' in the centre, which Shakespeare would perhaps call ' ' the button on the top of fortune's cap." It has proved a good fortune to the raiser, Wm. K. Harris, of Philadelphia, not only for its size and beauty, but from its flowering somewhat later than some others, thus prolonging the chrysanthemum season. Viburnum odoratissimum. — This is a Chinese species with singularly sweet flowers, which so very few viburnums possess. It is a native of China, and should be perfectly hardy in the northern part of the Union, except, per- haps, the extreme edge. The odor is said to FuNKiAS. — There are few more beautiful or more useful plants to the gardener than those known as funkias, or sometimes hemerocal- luses. The}' will grow in the deepest shade, if notverj' dry, and flower profusely, taking care of them.selves from year to j'ear, but will still be thankful for a little fertilizing material being placed around them. They are very well known under the common name of "day lilies," — a name, however, which some are endeavoring to supplant b}' another common name — "plantain lily." It is often said to the reproach of botanists that they occasion- ally change the botanical name, and it is a misfortune when such changes occur ; but the changes in common names are with less reason and are found aggravating. Fringed Gentian — Mr. Frank E. Lord, of Chicago, notes the difficulty which some have experienced in raising or cultivating plants from seed of the fringed gentian. He states that it is being driven from the vicinity of Chicago, through the introduction of city im- provements. There ought to be no difficulty in raising it from seed, as we see by the chapter on the fringed gentian, that the old English botanist, Collinson, had no difficulty in raising it. Though it has not been tried on the grounds of the conductors of Meehans' Monthly, there is little doubt but what if the I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. 15 seeds were sown as soon as ripe, just before the winter sets in, in a place selected for cool shade the seeds would grow well. Many persons fail to raise seeds of garden flowers, through saving them until spring. Nature's time for sowing seeds is when the seeds aie ripe. A similar inquiry is made about Lobelia cardinalis, and the same remarks apply, — they do not require to be sown in wet places, as much as in partially shaded places, and in the fall of the year. FK'miTS ^g ¥E<5iET^PLES. Hardy Sweet Violet. — Mrs. Wilhelmine Seliger, Hartford, Connecticut, places on the conductors' table the last week in November, some of the wild sweet violets of the old world, Viola odorata with the following timely note : — " I mailed to-day a small box containing a few plants of our German native wild violets. In j'our October issue of Meehans' Monthly you note that so few species of these little flowers are odorous. This I have often hefc regretted when I found them in quite a number of varie- ties, all scentless ; then from earliest 3'outh at home in Germany I cannot remember of having ever picked violets than those of lovely per- fume, of which I send to-day a sample. I brought them in from my garden to- day, where they grow, unprotected by anj'thing, in the open air, not even sheltered against sweeping winds; they are very hardy, the plants, as well as little blossoms, never die during our severest winters here. I know there are better and larger flowers sold here, but doubt their hardi- ness as compared against these wild ones. They grow under the thorn hedges in North Germany, and often our dresses have been torn when we searched for them as early as March, and the beginning of April. A few plants originally brought from home have spread here wonderfully as you may see on their thrifty growth. They will continue to bloom all winter in the house and next spring the plants can be set out again in the garden where they will multiply rapidly by runners and also by seed." It may be useful to add that nothing seems to suit the wild sweet violets so well as partial shade. Any one who has a clump of decidu- ous shrubbery can have these delightfully sweet flowers to perfection. They would thrive well under an osage orange hedge. A Large Tomato.— T. R. Haines, Abbott, Nebraska, claims to be the raiser of the largest tomato — 3 pounds, 3>2 ounces, and 8;^ inches in diameter. NoN bearing Fruit Trees.— Mrs. J. C. B., Harrisburg, Pa., writes : — " I have several large pear trees, planted about five years ago, which have made an enormous growth ; but up to this time have not produced d,r\y fruit. Can you give me a reason for this, and is there any thing that I can do to force the trees into bearing ?" The trouble with these trees is that all the energ}' is being excited to making growth, probably on account of the soil being particu- larly rich, and this prevents the formation of fruit buds. If this energy is checked, buds will form, and fruit produced the follow- ing year. In order to do this, you should dig a trench around the trees, about two feet from the trunk, cutting ofi all roots. If large roots are not found this far from the tree, work in closer to the trunk, until sufiBcient roots have been pruned. Fill up the trench again, pack- ing the earth in tightly. Pruning Grape Vines —That pruning is a great art, seldom mastered by even good gardeners, may readily be noted by the condi- tion of grape vines, in most places. All the lower portions of the main shools are compara- tively naked, and the few stronger branches grow from the upper portion of the vine ; but a well pruned vine will be covered with strong branches from the base to the summit. This is really the leading object in grape vine pruning ; but not one in a hundred knows how to bring it about. It is wholly accomplished by summer pruning. The upper branches are usually the strongest, and if left run they will draw the nourishment from all the rest. The well instructed grape pruner watches his vines during the season of growth, and whenever any one branch is inclined to grow stronger than its neighbor, it is either pinched back, in order to check its ambition, or else broken oft entirely. The social problem of the "rich becoming richer and the poor poorer " applies here. We check the strong branch and the weaker is strengthened thereby. i6 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Jan. An Ever Bearing Orange —It is said that an orange which bears continuouslj' has been raised in Florida, and much comment is made on its possibility for profitable culture. In the more northern part of our country, however, no ever-bearing fruit has been profitable. There are ever-bearing strawberries and ever- bearing raspberries, besides some other ever- bearing things in the gardens of the curious, which have not had a very wide popularity. Raising Fruit Cuttings. — There is scarcely anything but what can be raised from cuttings, if one can only get the exact secret of suc- cess. Our common maple trees never grow from cuttings, when planted in the open air, as other cuttings are, — yet when florists use branches of maple, for stakes for roses or similar plants, under glass, the maple shoots root like willows. It is just the same with peach and pear trees. In the South the Japan pears are nearly all raised from cuttings, —that is to say the Le Conte, the KiefFer, and the Gar- ber ; but in the North they would not grow in this way. Just why this difference should exist no one knows. Puff Balls— Much attention recently has been given to the question of poisonous mush- rooms. A few are injurious ; but the larger number are healthful. Still the fact that a few of the mushrooms, when poisonous at all, are extremely dangerous, deters many persons from using anything but the common mush- room so well known. There is one class, how- ever, known as " puff balls," not one of which is poisonous. The larger ones, when cut up in slices and fried as egg-plants, are just as delicious as the common mushroom. They must be taken when entirely fresh, so that the whole of the interior is of a clear white color. In this respect they do not differ from the com- mon mushroom, which are by no means whole- some when stale. Large Mushrooms.— In the cultivation of fruits and vegetables there are varieties which produce large variations in their fruits and, in- deed, in nature it is the same. Oaks have large acorns and trees of the same species oc- casionally have very small acorns, and what is true of trees and plants in general, is also true of the lower order of vegetation known as cryptogamic plants. For instance, a whole field may b^ found producing only small mush- rooms,— another nearby will have larger ones. Some there will be with dark pink gills, and some with gills comparatively' pale, and so on; but there are many other grades of variation. In size especially, the larger varieties are the exception. If any practical horticulturist would possess himself of these facts he could produce mushrooms of such large proportions as would lead him to get the monopoly of the trade. He would, of course, have to guarantee that the spawn he sold would produce the large mushrooms. It is still a question what is the largest mushroom that has ever been produced, — the l^on^on Jojwfial of Horticulture describes one placed on its editorial table, that was nine and one-half inches in diameter, and thirty- one inches in circumference, and weighed over one pound. A Chapter on Pears. — On my father's farm in western New York, was a pear orchard of 250 trees, half each of- standard and dwarfs, set alternately in the row. It was located in a natural basin — hills surrounding it on all sides, also a wooded ravine on two sides. The trees were all on the level land except one row which was on the side hill or a gentle slope ; here grew six standards of the Sheldon variety. They were fine shaped trees, made so by thorough pruning, and bore every 3'ear good crops of russet coated pears. At the top of the hill was the dwelling, and on the south the garden ; but in the sod joining the garden proper three dwarf Sheldon trees were planted, which in a few years were banked up and grew into standards — tall, straight, large trees. They never received anj' cultivation or manure to mention. They bore every alternate year ver}' heav}' crops, but never failed to bear some fruit each year — and such pears, so delicious, melting in one's mouth almost at once, and their dark bronze coats, smooth and glossy, were a delight to the eye. The trees in the orchard received cultivation, ever}' year being in heav}' crops for some length of time, and far more attention given in way of pruning, manur- ing, etc., but the fruit was so different, being more acid and of coarser grain. But for can- ning they were preferable to the others ; but for dessert they were not to be compared. The soil in both cases was heav}' clay loam. In the i895.] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 17 garden were dwarf trees of Virgalieus and Louise Bonne de Jersey. The Virgalieus in the orchard cracked badly, and were often spotted, small and unfit for market, while those in the garden were always without exception large, fair fruit, but never as highly colored, as rich and buttery as those in the orchard. The Louise Bonnes in the orchard were pictures of beauty in gold, crimson, and green, and a richness in the acidity that was lacking in the garden tree, but it was always loaded with large, smooth fruit but never any golden tints in the color- ing. There were no stones in the garden ; but the pear orchard was a natural rockery. Every spring for many years they were picked off, but after each following more appeared. As a child I used to think they must grow. My theory is that these stones drew and concentra- ted the sunshine, making the difierence in the coloring and richness of the fruits mentioned. There were several orchards in the town, but no Bartletts, Virgalieus, or Bonnes compared with ours in high coloring and flavor ; this was noted in the markets. In a trip through Arkansas a year ago last fall, I noted the land through the fruit region was mostly rocky soil, of different shades of red and yellow. Wild grape vines grew to enormous size. Arkansas is the seedling ground of the world. No one can account for the extraordinary quality of her seedling apples and pears, some of them being of surpassing excellence and beauty. I saw specimens of Le Conte and Kieffer pears that were wonderful in size and coloring. The Howard County seedling pear ought to be better known, as its fine flavor and beautiful coloring is unusual. Mrs. Frederick C. Johnson. Improved Nuts. — R. M. G., Philadelphia, asks : ' ' What can you tell me of the Paragon and any other varieties of cultivated chestnut? May I inquire also of hickory, walnut, or any other varieties of nuts that can be cultivated in this latitude? " The Paragon chestnut was raised on the grounds of the late W. L. Schaeffer, near Phil- adelphia. It was a seedling, and the nuts were of somewhat larger size than the ordinary Spanish chestnut seedling usually produces ; but it was supposed for some time to be an American chestnut of unusual size. It was largely propagated and sold as such ; but though it is still claimed by some growers to be an American seedling, it has been clearly shown that it is merely a large sized form of the Spanish. Like all other grafted trees, the fruit is produced earlier on young trees than those raised from seedlings, and this fact caused it at first to be claimed to be an early bearing variety. It is doubtless a good sort of the Spanish chestnut. There is also another variety of the Spanish chestnut, of large size, — it is called the Numbo. It is even of larger size than the Paragon. Both of these varieties have been largely planted through Pennsylvania and New Jersey for commercial purposes. The Japan chestnut is also a very desirable sort, — the fruit is very much larger than either of those named above ; but perhaps not of as good quality. Its great value lies in its very JAPAN CHESTNUT early bearing qualities, it being a common occurrence for trees of but four or five year's growth to fruit. The nuts can always be dis- tinguished from the Spanish or American chestnut by the receptacular scar which extends to near the medium line of the nut, as repre- sented in annexed cut. It does not make a large tree, and can be trained either as a tree or left to grow as a large bush. The shellbark, black and English walnut, and the filbert will also thrive in this state. Of the English walnut there is an improved variety called the Prasparturiens. It is a very early fruiting sort, and does not make as large a tree as the ordinary English walnut, Trees of five or six years growth will bear fruit. The quality is about equal to the English. Of the filberts, there are many improved sorts ; but the best varieties are probably the Bergeri^ Geante de Halle and Merville de Bollewieller . BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. SWEET MEMORIES. " Give us again the crazy, clay-built nest, Summer, and soft unseasonable spring, Our flowers to pluck, our broken songs to sing, Our fairy gold of evening in the West ; — Still to the land we love our longings cling. The sweet, vain world of turmoil and unrest." — Mr^. Graham Tomson. Dr. J. Bernard Brinton. — The wide circle of botanists in correspondence with Dr. J. B. Brinton, of Philadelphia, will regretfully re- ceive the news of his sudden demise, from neuralgia of the heart, on Thursday, Decem- ber 6th. He was born at New Hope, Pennsyl- vania, on August i6, 1835. He was a graduate in medicine, was a surgeon in the regular army, and medical purveyor of the Army of the Potomac under General Meade. He was a member of the Council of the Academy of Natural sciences of Philadelphia, of the Bota- nical Section, and one of the chief foundeis of the Philadelphia Botanical Club. Rafinesque. — Few great men have been so much misunderstood as Rafinesque. In some respects he deserves a great deal more praise than he has received, — in other respects he has been over-praised. Professor Richard Ells- worth Call, of St. Louis, Ky., has had unusual opportunities of studying documents in rela- tion to Rafinesque, and in January, he will issue, through John P. Morton, & Co., Pub- lishers, of Louisville, a life of this celebrated man, which will, no doubt, be received with much interest by the whole scientific world. Dr. Chapman.— Dr. Alvan Wentworth Chapman, the well known and estimable author of "The Flora of the Southern United States," is another illustration of the fact that an industrious pursuit of science tends to longevity. He was born at Southampton, Mass., in 1803, and graduated at Amherst, in 1830. He removed to Appalachicola, man}' years ago. He is still hale and hearty and has nearly completed a third edition of his great work on Southern Botany. (18) Shrubs and Trees. — There seems to be a difficulty in the minds of some horticulturists, as to how to distinguish a tree from a shrub. Some plants which are usually classed as shrubs, occasionally grow up to have trunks of considerable size. This is true of the common white dogwood, the Judas tree, the snowdrop tree, and many others. The rule in nurseries is, to classify all those plants which have a tendency to branch out from the base, and to flower freely when quite young, as shrubs, while a tree is one which grows straight up with a leader, having no tendency to branch until it gets of mature size. It is almost im- possible in nature, to drawa dividing line any- where. There will always be some individuals to overlap the finest drawn distinctions. It is then that description and differences of opinion come in. There is never any difference of opin- ion as to when it is day or when it is night, except when twilight occurs, then some would consider that the twilight ought to be classed with the day, while other parties would insist that the twilight really belongs to the night class. It is in this border land that a diflfer- ence of opinion always arises. KlEFFER OR "Keiffer" Pear. — In the appendix of Downing 's fruit book this famous pear is spelled ' ' Keiff"er, ' ' while the proper orthography should be "Kiefler." There is no use naming anything in honor of another unless the name be correctly spelled. There are a large number of persons of the same name in this section of Philadelphia all spelling their names " Keiffer." It is strange that so many persistently spell the name so differently from that in which the raiser of this pear spelled it. Geo. Pinney. — Mr. Geo. Pinney, well known in connection with the introduction of evergreens in the West, and who made a credi- table exhibit of evergreens at the Columbian Exposition, died on the 2nd of November, at his home at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., in his sixty- second year. 1 895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. 19 The Peach in America.— One of the mis- fortunes of history is that it is not attracted to any subject until something occurs to show that the event which it records ought to have been one of importance. When we look at the vast importance of the peach industry of the United States, history naturally aims to dis- cover to whom is due the credit of starting an enterprise of so great a value. Just how the peach was first introduced into America no one seems to know ; but history just now is trying to find out. The Baltimore peach growers contend that it was first introduced into this country by Thos. Robins, who planted some peach stones obtained from Prussia on some land which he owned in Maryland, about two hundred years ago. There seems to be no direct evidence of this, and we are safe to venture an assertion that it was introduced as early as any of our fruits, through the medium of the French and English colonists, who had plenty of stones from the cultivated trees in their old world homes . Influence of Forests on Springs — The senior conductor of Meehans' Monthly has been a life-long advocate of forest preservation and forest planting, but could never see much force in the argument that forests did much to fill up the springs. Trees store the rain or melting snows for their own use. It is broken rocks on mountain ridges that help springs. Usually there is no ground so dry in the sum- mer season as that under a forest. The note appended, from Mr. J. D. Lyman, Exeter, New Hampshire, states this fact exactly : "The ground under thrifty forests is not damp during the warm months — the trees suck it dry — the fast growing trees drain their mother earth dry as the hungry child does its mother's breast. The same with all rapid growing plants." The Grape Culturist, by A. S. Fuller. — The test of a good book is in the public demand for it. A third and revised edition of Mr. Fuller's book shows its value. Mr. Fuller is widely known as an eminent horticulturist. It was in connection with grape culture that his first prominence in that line was recognized. Orange Judd Company, New York, are the publishers. Bacteria. — Most of the diseases that afflict plants and animals are now attributed to small minute organisms called bacteria, and yet the manner in which the work is performed is something of a mystery. Many believe that, in animals, the injury which bacteria do, comes from their power to introduce nitric acid, in in- jurious quantities. One singular feature about them is that different kinds do not seem to be able to live in harmony together. Vinegar, for instance, is the result of the action of a species of bacterium, and yet it is able to destroy almost all, or perhaps all other species with which it comes in contact. It is bacteria which first by their presence turn sweet apple juice into cider. After this has been accomplished they disappear, and a new set takes their place, which changes the cider into vinegar. It is on account of this peculiarity of a bacte- rium of insisting on having the whole field to itself in disease, that vinegar is so useful in various disorders of animals, as this bacterium is found to destroy others of its family. In cases of cholera or similar diseases in animals, vinegar has been found to easily destroy the other bacteria which cause so much trouble. The Sexes of Flowers. — The Reverend Professor Geo. Henslow. tells the London Journal of Horticulture, that the production of the different sexes in flowers largely depends upon nutrition. The rule is that male flowers appear on the weaker stems, while the female flowers appear on the stronger ones. The practical result of this lesson is that by con- centrating the energy which the plant is ex- pending on a few vigorous branches instead of scattering it over many weak ones, plants which usually produce male powers only, may be made to bear female ones. This value of the law prevailing in the production of the sexes of plants was first annunciated by the writer of this paragraph in an address before the American Association for the Advancement of Science, at Salem, Mass.. about a quarter of a century ago. It was strongl}' opposed at that time by Professor Agassiz, but was sup ported by Professor Russell and E. D. Cope. It is gratifying to find that time has sustained what was then regarded with hesitation. The principle is now assumed b}' the Encyclopedia Britannica and other leading authorities, as the undoubted law of nature. GENERAL NOTES. BusHNELL Park, Hartford, Conn. — Nothing is more gratifying than to note the progress which public parks are making in connection with larger American cities. We give with this on page 9, a view of Bushnell Park, at Hartford, Conn., taken from a point at the corner of High and Asylum Streets, looking towards the south, and showing the State Capitol, which is built on the old Trinity College grounds, and showing also the Soldiers Memorial Arch. It is considered one of the most beautiful of our American public parks. School Gardens. — Mrs. Henrietta L. T. Wolcott, reports to the Massachusetts Horti- cultural Society, that the old "window garden" committee of that society was not so much of a success, but that it has drifted into a com- mittee on " school gardens," and that this is becoming a valuable adjunct in school educa- tion. The children love to sow seeds in pots or boxes in the school windows and watch them grow. It is said that the observing facul- ties of the children are wonderfully enlarged by this little experience, and that the subse- quent education becomes much easier. The old idea, of having little gardens for children to look at, has not proved the wisest one ; but giving little children something to do them- selves, as in sowing seeds and watching their growth, makes a great difference. The Cost of Commissions . — The recent com- ment in Meehans' Monthly, on the useless waste of public money involved in the so-called "Russian thistle bill," is calling public atten- tion to the great evil of costly commissions for all sorts of subjects, which seems to be a craze, at present, with most legislatures. A Cali- fornian paper states that various commissions in that state have cost the tax payers in fifteen years, $2,222,181. Strange to say that the larger proportion of this money goes to public prin- ters. Over $300,000 of the money having been spent for this purpose. The larger portion of the documents printed by these commissions, (20) goes to the waste paper mills. It is very rarely that they contain anything more than appears in the regular agricultural or horticultural journals, and in a general way are not really up to the information which these serials give. The Colored Plates in Meehans' Monthly. — A Nevada correspondent says : ' ' The gentian in the November number of your magazine is lovely. I do not know but it is finer than the ' Trillium. ' ' ' Botanically accurate pictures of flowers are common, — but the pictures in Meehans' Monthly are, in addition, works of art that, it is pleasant to know, are widely appreciated. American Columbine. — In selecting plates for illustrating our native flowers, the effort is to represent as many natural orders and widely separated localities as possible. Lessons are thus furnished on plant geography, as well as in plant structure. This month the Pacific Coast has a lovely illustration of its flora, — next month the eastern part of our country will have a representative in its beautiful spring-flower, Aquilegia Canadetisis, the dis- tinctively American columbine. Change in Meehans' Monthly. — It will be noticed that the additional four pages have been given to the General Gardening depart- ment as it seemed to the conductors that the general demand was for an extension in this line. Additional changes will be made as they seem needed, and suggestions in this line from subscribers will be appreciated. The Name of Hemlock Spruce. — It is said that the name of Hemlock, given to this spruce by^the early settlers in the east, was suggested by the great difference between the foliage of this tree and the ordinary pine, the ordinary Hemlock leaves suggesting some resemblance. This, however, is a mere guess, as there seems to be nothing on record in relation to the matter. AQUILEGIA CANADENSIS. CANADIAN COLUMBINE. NATURAL ORDER, RANUNCULACE^. Aqdilegia Canadensis, Linn^us.— Glabrous ; spurs straight, longer than the limb; stamens and styles exserted. This beautiful plant grows wild in most of the states, in dry soils, generally on the sunny side of rocks. It is culti- vated with the greatest ease, and is much more delicate in its foliage and in the hues of its flowers than the common blue columbine. Stem branching, a foot high. Leaflets 3-9, cuneate, lobed. Flowers terminal, scarlet without and yellow within, pendulous, much embellished by the numerous descending, yellow stamens and styles. Fruit erect. (Wood's Class-Book of Botany, See also Gray's Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States, and Chapman's Flora of the Sottthern Stales.) Plate 7, in series I, vol. I, of "The Native Flowers and Ferns of the United States," is a representation of one of the Rocky Moun- tain columbines, Aquilegia chrysantha. Its eastern sister, Aquilegia Canadensis, now worthily takes a place beside it. Each has its separate district. The Canadian columbine does not extend far beyond the Mississippi, and the golden columbine appears as we ap- proach the Rocky Mountains. In the Atlantic states the Canadian columbine has a wide range, being found far to the northward in Canada, and has been found, though spar- ingly, in rocky places as far south as Florida. It is seldom found anywhere except among rocks, though it has been noted in some low sandy places in New Jersey, though not in considerable quantity. It was among the earliest of our wild flowers to attract the notice of Europeans, and it is said to have been obtained for King Charles' gardeu by Tradescant, his gardener, from Vir- ginia in the early part of the seventeenth cen- tury. One author puts the exact date as 1640. All the European forms were of bluish or purple shades, and the introduction of the bright and beautiful American must have been a sur- prise. Before the time when Linnseus took in hand the task of cutting the names of plants down to a noun with its adjective, — that is, intro- duced the binomial system, — this was known as ' ' Aquilegia nectariis rectis staminibus corolla longioribus." The long straight nec- taries, and the much exserted stamens and styles were seen to divide the species charac- teristically from European forms. Cornutus, who wrote of Canadian plants, however, wrote of it as "Aquilegia pumila prsecox Cana- densis," and it is easily seen how Linnaeus ob- tained the specific name. In many cases, as in this, the last word in the old descriptions was retained for the specific designation in his binomial plan. The derivation of the name Aquilegia has been the subject of speculation. The follow- ing quotation from Dr. Bromfield gives in a condensed form the substance of what is gen- erally said on the subject: "Columbine, from cobimba, a dove, — and the Latin generic one of Aquilegia, may, with as much prob- ability have been intended to designate a gathering together of eagles, from the same bird-like conformation and grouping of the flowers." The inverted flowers have pre- cisely the look of the conventional representa- tion of the Roman eagle, — and there could be no difficulty in surmising that the name is de- rived from Aquila, an eagle, and lego, to gather, — a gathering or collecting together of a company of eagles. This form of the words is preserved in the ancient Roman city of Aqui- legia, founded a little before the birth of Christ, and for a time a rival to Rome itself, — the name implying [that it was at first the resi- dence of a deputy or legate of the Roman eagle. The name as applied to our flower is fully accounted for by a pretty story in ancient mythology, which cannot be better told than in the quaint language of an English author of the seventeenth century : "Aquilegia was the Daughter of Jupiter, by the Nymph Moria, who proved to be the cele- brated Beauty of her Age. She thought no Mortal worthy of her, unless he sprung from (21) MEEHANS' MONTHLY — AQUILEGIA CANADENSIS. [Feb. Divine Blood. This indeed was but keeping up to the Dignity of her Rank. But she for- got herself very much, when disdaining to hear Ganymede that courted her, — she had the folly to give the preference to the Eagle that carried him, and could not look upon her but with a wild fierce Eye. Ganymede, with all the attractive Qualities granted him from Heaven, could not influence her affection, — and tho' she often gave him the Meeting, 'twas only to have an opportunity of seeing the Eagle, whom she lov'd. Things troul'd on after this rate for some time, till Ganymede, tir'd out with Aquilegia' s Affronts, did justice to himself, by taking care always to keep the Eagle out of her sight, that she long'd so passionately to see, — upon which she wither 'd and died of Grief. Jupiter turn'd her into a Flower, and perceiving that as the Flower blow'd, part of her Leaves form'd a sort of Eagle's Beak, (so deep was the Impres- sion of that Animal upon her when she died) he gave it the name of Aquilegia from Aquila, an Eagle.'' The ancient author, seeking to draw a moral from the story, sagely remarks : ' ' We never forget ourselves more, than when we give way to unreasonable Love, — for then 'tis not Love that works within us, but Pas- sion, that aims at nothing but a Shadow, and being only capable to decieve and disappoint us, can't, in the end, but cause great uneasi- ness." Perhaps, after all, had Aquilegia had any premonition that she would live as such a beautiful flower to the end of the world she might have felt some compensation for her broken heart, and might not have deeply regretted the ' ' Passion ' ' which brought her to her mortal end. As our species is always found among rocks or steep craggy places, the home of the eagle, there is yet room for some poetical flight of fancy to commemorate the American plant. The strong woody roots (Fig. 2) descending deeply into the earth, enable it to feel at home in the wild places that it adorns, — while the rocks themselves gather the leaves which, rot- ting, make the rich food in which it delights. Along the Wissahickon, from whence the speci- men illustrated was taken, no prettier floral scene could be imagined than one that came under the eye of the writer. Among the loose rocks at the base of a huge crag, some blue hepaticas, spring beauties, and the whitish- pink flowers of the Sanguinaria, or blood-root, mixing with the green of a number of the evergreen fern, Aspidium acrostichoides , was equal to a mass worked out in a flower garden by some artist in landscape gardening. Higher up in the crevices of the crag, mixing with a number of the common polypody, Corydalis glauca, was blooming profusely. The great variety of trees and shrubs had about fully ex- panded that portion of their annual foliage that had been partly formed in the autumn, and protected by the bud-scales during the long winter season, and made the sort of half- shade which gives a peculiar charm to forest scenery at that spell-binding season of the year. But few items added more to the scene than the Canadian Columbine afforded, often endeavoring to crowd down some projecting rock, which would rear its head proudly above the flowers for all. This was more than a quarter of a century ago. The rapid advance of the crowded city, and with it an army of wild flower gatherers, have seriously interfered with its efforts to beautify the scenery. An outline of the five-lobed seed vessel is given at Fig. 3. It much more nearly resem- bles the ' ' talpn of an eagle ' ' than the nec- taries, but no author seems to have suggested the likeness. There has been much specula- tion in regard to the relation between insects and flowers, and the peculiar structure of flowers in special cases, as in this of Aquilegia, has been accounted for by suggesting that the long spurs or nectaries were arranged as they are in order that some particular long tongued creature only should get at the sweets. The nectaries are filled with sweets, which do not seem to flow out, for all the inverted position. Bees visit the flowers freely, both for honey and for pollen. Other species of columbine, especially those from the Rocky Mountains, seem to hybridize freely with the European, when grown together in gardens. It is supposed that this is through the agency of bees. This species, however, does not vary from seed in this way, possibly from the early flowering — in advance of other species. Near Philadelphia it is one of the earliest of April flowers, — though a few are produced so late as the end of June. Explanation of the Plate.— i. Full-length branch of a Wissahickon specimen,— the balance of the branch, with the upper portion of the root at Fig. 2. 3. Outline of seed vessel. WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. A WINTER SCENE. Winter is now around nie, and the snow Has thrown its mantle over herb, tree, flower : The icicle has tapestried the bower, And in a cr^-stal sheet the rivers flow ; And mustering from the north, at evening, blow The hollow winds, and through the star-lit hour Shake from the icy wood a rattling shower, That tinkles on the glassy crust below. — PERCIVAL. Teaberry. — Miss M. S. Foote, Woodbury, N. J., inquires what is the derivation of the word "teaberry" as applied to Gaultheria j>roci(mbens. No work at our command gives the information, but we take it for granted that during the Revolution, when so many plants were used instead of Chinese tea, which was cut oflF by the Revolutionary War and many plants were tested as substitutes, this was probably one. The aromatic flavor is not unlike some brands of Chinese tea. A Twin Dahlia.— Mr. H. K. Morrell, of Gardiner, Me., sends a twin dahlia, growing back to back on a single stem. This is in the same line of instructive lessons which were furnished recently in \^i.^ Q.as>Q. oi 'i\x& Rudbeckia . We are taught by these cases that the flower stem is really a huge bunch of leaves, stems or flowers, — or rather of elementary structures which may take on these forms. The com- pound flower itself, illustrates this to some de- gree, for the little florets which make the com- pound flower must have some independent platform, so to speak, of their own. Their individual stalks have all been absorbed into one common flower-stem. In the case of the dahlia, here referred to, there is really a leaf and axillary bud just beneath the point of union of the twins, showing that the whole flower stalk might very easily have been a branch, if only nature had so determined. Climatic Effect. — The effect of climate on the flowering periods of plants, varies re- markably with the plants themselves. During the season of 1893. the common Mountain or Moss pink, Phlox subulata, which is among the earliest of our spring flowers, blossomed again profusely, in October. The beds of these plants were ablaze with blossoms, just as thty might be expected in March or April on their mountain -sides. This season, however, not a solitary blossom appeared in the autumn, on the same beds. On the other hand in 1893 Daphne cneorum had not a blossom in the fall, but this year the beds were more abundantly in blossom than they were in the spring time. Both seasons were famous for their summer droughts, and it is inexplicable why such dif- ferent results should occur in the two cases. The reasons for these behaviors of plants are becoming one of the most interesting pursuits of the lovers of gardening. Individual Hardiness of Plants. — If one will examine an osage orange hedge, after the first frost, some plants may be noticed as having retained all their leaves perfectly green, while the other plants have had their leaves frost-bitten and destroyed. We say these plants are hardier than those which have lost their leaves. This variation in degrees of hardiness is common to all kinds of plants. The common Purslane, after the first frost, may be noted as having a few plants still green and fleshy, while the majority are killed, though still retaining the green leaves, often to be found intertwined with those which have been killed. This shows a few plants hardy enough to resist a little frost, while the rest are more tender. This fact can be taken ad- vantage of by the improver, for all variations in plants have a more or less hereditary ten- dency. If a very hardy race is desired, these hardy ones should be selected for seed. There is, of course, a limit to even this form of variation ; and species usuallj' killed by frost, or which may have a few individuals capable of resisting two or three degrees, are not likely to get much beyond this. Cultivators of the orange or lemon in California or Florida, might well profit \)y facts like these. (23) 24 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [Feb. Polymorphic Forms of Fungi. — It is not so many years ago that it was clearly demonstrated that the rust which attacks wheat and the rust which attacks berberry leaves could all be pro- duced by the same spores, — yet when growing on wheat and when growing on the berberry they seem so distinct as to be regarded as difierent genera. This is now found to be true of many of these similar organisms. The fungus which is so destructive to the leaves of the quince, the hawthorn, the Indian cherry, and some other fruits, can be produced from the same fungus that produces the cedar galls of the red cedar, — Juniper us Virginiana. The fungus which produces the cedar galls has been called Gymnosporangium davipes, while when it attacks the quince it has been regarded as Roestelia aurantiaca. Some say, therefore, that to have healthy apples and quinces one should cut away all the red cedars that may be grow- ing near ; but the question should first be set- tled whether it is the cedar that starts the trouble with the quince, or whether it is the quince that first starts the trouble with the cedars. California Poppies. — True poppies may be said not to exist in California, for although among the wild flowers one species has been found, it is comparatively rare, and no one but leading botanists know of it. But the poppy family furnishes many of the beautiful wild flowers of California. One of the most beautiful of these is named Romneya Coulteri, but which as yet has no common name. The Pacific Rural Press gives the following account of its origin and habits : — "The genus was named Romneya, in honor of the Rev. Dr. T. Romney Robinson, a noted astronomer of Armagh. It is a shrub, usually from 5 to 15 feet in height, half- woody at base and does not die down, but needs to be pruned well back in the fall. It is one of the finest of California plants. In early spring vigorous shoots start from the dormant roots and grow from 6 to 10 feet high. The large hairy buds open at daylight ; the crimped petals slowly unfolding from over the huge bunch of stamens (the bunch as large as a walnut) until they spread out from 6 to 9 inches. They last several days, the buds opening well in water. The foliage is very effective, and makes with the flower a very beautiful and artistic study. There is a delightful harmony between the much-divided glaucous foliage and the waxy- white flowers, which makes it much admired as a decorative plant. The Romneya occurs from Santa Barbara county, southward into San Bernardino and San Diego counties, and below the Mexican boundarj' nearlj' to San Quintin bay. Lower California. It is seen at its best in San Diego county and in Lower California, where it may be found growing along the borders of streams, in the richest and most fertile portions of our valleys, or on the dry mountain or hillsides and in sheltered canyons on the warmest, driest and most unapproachable slopes. It is mainly confined to the foothills and valleys near the coast." Besides this pretty member of the natural order of Papaveracece there are numerous other beautiful representatives, of which the well known golden poppy, Eschscholzia Calif ornica, well known in gardens, also belongs. This has also the distinction of being confined wholly to California, and some believe that on this account it might be taken as a floral em- blem to represent the State of California, should such State emblems ever be adopted. Ecclesiastical Bees. — In California, where there are comparatively light winters, and flowers to be had all the year, the honey bee does not seem to care about the fostering pro- tection of man, but makes its home in the wilds where it chooses. A California paper speaks of a large colony having taken posses- sion of the roof of an Episcopal church, but as they interfered with nobody, nobody inter- fered with them ; but when the recent hot weather came, and the honey melted and flowed in streams down the walls of the building it was considered a little too much of a good thing, and some one had to be found to clear out the little workers. He got one hundred pounds of honey for his fee, without the necessit}' of scraping the walls to get the overflow. The Yellow Trillium. — Thos. G. Harbison, of Highlands, N. C, writes that the yellow flowered species of Trillium is occasionally found in that locality. The species is probably Trillium erectum, which in North Carolina is often yellowish. iSqs.] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. 25 HELIOTROPIUM CURASSAVICUM AND RARE Plants in Dakota. — Mr. J. M. Dunlop kindly furnishes the following note : " This elegant heliotrope can be found on the saline margins of Long Lake, South Dakota. The lake recedes during the summer months, leaving a wide margin made so rich with alkali from the washings of the burnt prairie that little else grows upon it. In many acres of heliotrope the only other plant I observed was Amnian?iia latifolia. It grows about a foot in height, with pure white flowers and a lemon The Fruit of the Bitter-Sweet. — The "Brazen berries of the Bitter-Sweet" is a pretty alliteration employed by E. Newlin Williams, of New Hope, Pa., describing the fruit of Celastrus scandens, in an essay before an association of popular science inaugurated in that town. How arose this common name ' ' Bitter-Sweet ? ' ' The name is employed in Europe to Solatium Dulcamara as the Latin specific name implies. Is the name given to the celastrus merely a transfer from some resemblance in the fruit ? A GARDEN IN AN ATTIC, -see page 27. colored eye. It is very fragrant. The leaves are of a light green color, and veinless. A few acres of it are a sight worth traveling some distance to see. Long Lake. is six miles south of Woonsocket, S. D., and is worth a visit to an 5' plant enthusiast. The six mile walk is delightful in July or August. In that walk I have found many plants new to me, but com- mon there. Among them are Malvastrum coccineum, Schrankia uncinata, Grindelia squarrosa, Lepachys columnaris and Dalea alopecuroides.'' Black Scale on Palms. — Mr, Edwin Lons- dale, the genial President of the Society of American Florists, has this to say of a recent inquiry about the palm scale insect : ' ' After trying everything that has been recommended we have found nothing to equal sponging. When once clean they can be kept so by an occasional syringing with fir tree oil, or even tobacco water or whale oil soap say once a week. But to kill these insects outright we have never yet been able to use anything strong enough without injuring the plants." 26 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [Feb. Studies in Plant- life. — Among the re- ports which regularly issue from the Agri- cultural Experiment Stations, none reach a higher plane than those issued by the New Jersey Agricultural College Experiment Sta- tion. The annual report for the year 1893, Fig. I. part first, is now before us. Particularly in- structive is the portion of the report devoted to plant diseases. This portion of the report is from the pen of Dr. Byron D. Halsted. It deals with the different parasite fungi which attack the strawberry leaf, cabbage, turnip, cauliflower, bean, watermelon, cucumber, pea and various kinds of vegetables, and consider- able attention is given to the various fungus parasites that attack the apple. A number of ornamental flowers such as the carnation, hollyhock and various bulb-bearing plants are also dwelt upon, and the little organisms that induce many diseases are beautifully illus- trated. Few people understand how these Fig. 2. parasites get to work in -their destructive business. They all spring from invisible spores which seem to be continually floating in the atmosphere,— just as little particles of organic matter may be found floating in water, — and when they reach a satisfactory place for germination, they then develop into little plants which are as beautiful when seen under magnifying power as any tree which we can see by the naked eye in any large forest. Fig. I shows the surface of a leaf of a lily with one of these spores in the act of entering the leaf. On finding itself in contact with a stomata, which is popularly known as the breathing pore of a leaf, it enters and then develops rapidh*. Fig. 2 is a magnified por- tion of leaf-surface tissue showing the spore's condition when it has developed to a perfect plant, and is now again ready to cast its pro- portion of spores into the atmosphere, to float away to some other field of labor. Fig. 2, is a species of Botrytys which delights to live on the lily family; while Fig. i, is another species of the same genus which prefers the onion for its food. This valuable work is distributed to all who apply to the Director of the Experiment Station, at New Brunswick, N.J. A Midget among Fringed Gentians — Mr. C. F. Saunders, Philadelphia, hands in the following very interesting note : "Yesterday, Oct. 28th, near Lenni, Pa., I came across some plants of the Blue Fringed Gentian {Gentiatia crinita) in bloom, which in- terested me because of their Lilliputian dimen- sions. I had the curiosity to measure the smallest and found it to be a shade over half an inch from the ground to the base of the solitary terminal flower, while the flower from base to tip was five-eighths of an inch more, making a total height of i 's inches. The diminutive plant seemed perfect in everj- respect, of a good healthy color, and enjo5nng' life quite as much as its normal sized brothers. ' ' Crotolaria retusa. — This is known as the Florida Sweet Pea. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful of southern wild fiowers, and is rapidly finding a place in flower gar- dens. The flowers are of a bright golden yel- low color. Carnivorous Animals. — There is no flesh- eating creature but will turn to vegetable food in an emergency, and some rather enjoy the change. Many a dog will steal to the corn- field for a meal of the grain, — and will often go a long distance to get a taste of a persimmon. GENERAL GARDENING. THE GRAPE ENDURES. The Grecian mound, the Roman urn, Are silent w hen we call ; Yet still the purple Grapes return And cluster on the wall. A Garden in an Attic. — It has often been noted that some of the most successful gard- eners, and the shrewdest introducers of new thoughts in gardening are from the ranks of amateur flower-lovers who had no early train- ing in that direction. But this is in accord with the general natural law that labors of love are more productive of good results than labor for hire. Mr. Rudolphus Bingham, on Marlton avenue, Camden, New Jersey, is a case in point. Starting with no other horticultural capital than a love for flowers, he has arranged one of the most successful of aquariums on the whole of the third story of the back buildings of his residence. In this he grows to the greatest perfection, the various forms of African water lilies known as Nymphcea Zan- zibarensis, Capensis (commonly known as ccerulea, azurea, etc.,) rosea, dentata, etc. Some of the plants in this dwelling ' house aquarium have leaves sixteen inches in dia- meter, while the plants produce flowers contin- uously from early June till the end of Novem- ber. The aquarium room is covered by a glass roof The heat from the sun is nearly sujBfi- cient, but waste heat from the kitchen and dining room is passed up by ventilating flues. A few other plants, such as geraniums and abutilons are grown with the others. These lilies bloom by day, and close at night, but by passing a circle of wire round the base of the stamens, and fastening this wire between the petals around the stem, Mr. Bingham forces the flower to remain open at night, and prides himself on the belief that November the 5th, 1894, marks a calendar day when the first ex- panded water lily was made to expose its beauty and shed its delightful fragrance for the entertainment of an evening party ! It will be taken for granted that the person represented in the picture, see page 25, is Mr. Bingham in his "robes of office," attending to his pets, and he may well wear the self-satisfied expression that dwells on his countenance as he looks on his successful work . Shrubs with Colored Bark. — It is during the winter months that shrubs having bright colored bark are appreciated. There are now several different plants having this peculiarity, and it is possible to plant groups, giving a variety of color. The red-stemmed dogwood has long been planted on this account ; but more recently, varieties of willows have been used to a large extent. Salix Britzensis has bright red bark ; much brighter than that of red-stemmed dogwood ; while the bark of the Salix vitellina is yellow. The purple-leaved plum can also be utilized in this way, as the bark of the young shoots is of a dark purple color. As the brightest coloring is always on the young wood, the plants should be severely pruned during the winter, in order to force a strong and vigorous growth. A large group of the two willows named, planted quite a half mile from the residence of the writer, gives a pleasing touch of color to the land- scape throughout the winter. Surface Manuring. — The "German Kali Works ' ' issue excellent instructions for restor- ing exhausted soil. A point they make in regard to a crop of clover is so true of most other crops that it will bear repeating. "In order to get the land in good condition for clover or alfalfa, it will be necessary to make a good rich surface soil." When we dig up a plant in- numerable hair-like rootlets are seen. These are technically called fibers, — though the term is often used by tree-planters to designate small rootlets. These fibres are feeders. They will always be found in greater numbers near the surface. It follows that the best position for food in the case of any plant is near the surface. (27) 28 MEEHANS' MONTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. [Feb. True Taste in Landscape Gardening, — To illustrate incongruities in landscape garden- ing, a well-known author has stated that "every one laughs at a silk dress on a beg- gar." Truly the sense of fitness is one of the guides to an appreciation of beauty. The aim of the true landscape gardener, is to make nature seem more natural when she is in her own sphere, and to delegate the more artificial expressions of the gardener's art to help along the artificial works of man. Too often this appropriateness is violated. Instances may be seen where a natural rivulet through a gar- den is "illustrated" by artificial gardening that " the silk dress on the back of a beggar' ' comes forcibly to mind. But there are in- stances of the reverse. With this is a repre- sentation of a scene in Fairmount Park, in Philadelphia, after a design by Mr. Charles H. Miller, the landscape gardener of the Park. The bridge over the stream is a necessary work of art. This renders some relation between art and nature desirable which is well secured by a few clumps of rhododen- drons and other shrubs, until gradually the naturalness of the stream and surroundings asserts itself. The picture furnishes a good lesson in harmony in landscape gardening. Variations in Hardiness of Trees. — Apropos to your note on Araucaria imbricata in your issue of November, 1894, page 171, would say that this plant is entirely hardy in Dublin, Ireland, and I have heard of it being hardy in Aberdeen, Scotland. There is a plant of it — or was very lately — in Trinity College Botanical Gardens, Dublin, under the care of that great plant lover and botanist, W. F. Bur- bridge. In the winter of i879-'8o, the thermometer went down as low as 4° Fahrenheit, in that vicinity, and killed plants of Eucalyptus glob- ulus, 15 feet high, and several fine plants of Cordyline {Draccena) indivisa, which till then had passed, uninjured, many winters. Bay laurels {Laurus nobilis) were cut to the ground that winter, but Araucaria imbricata stood un- scathed. It is strange how some plants will stand a degree of cold in one country which they will not endure in another. Thujopsis dolabrata is scarcely hardy in Dublin, yet here in Mr. Wm. Barr's gardens, in Llewellyn Park, they have lived outside, entirely unprotected, these last six years. Azalea amoena, or, as some prefer to call it, Azalea obtusifolia, blooms finely with us ; yet it does not succeed so well in the northern districts of Ireland. Wm. Fitzwilliam. Baronald, Llewellyn Park, Orange, N. J. This important paragraph brings strongly prominent a fact discovered some years ago, that it is the loss of moisture, rather than the degree of cold, that enters into the compara- tive hardiness of trees. They dry up. Bright light is a great aid to evaporation and trans- piration. This is why so many evergreens do better in the shade than in the sun. They do not dry out so easily on a sunshiny winter day. Hardiness in Evergreens. — There are often conflicting reports as to any particular variety of evergreen being hardy. In some cases they are said to resist any amount of cold, in other cases they are reported as dying under comparatively little frost ; but in most cases, exposure has more to do with these results than low temperature. Almost all of the evergreens will grow together in woods or forests, or perhaps form underbrush, where they are somewhat protected from cold winds. A very large number of beautiful evergreens, now regarded as tender, would prove perfectly hardy when set out in groups together, or if planted where they would not be exposed to severe wintery blasts. Protection from wind is what they mostly desire. The English Ivy. — Evergreens suflfer in winter much more from sunlight than from low temperature. Indeed, both with deciduous and evergreen trees, destruction in the winter is more from evaporation of the juices than from low temperature itself. Light is as great an evaporator as heat, when it comes to dealing with living things. The English ivy will endure extremely low temperature if grown where sun does not reach it in winter time. So far south as Philadelphia it is usually killed when on southern exposures ; but on the north side of buildings it is absolutely hardy under any circumstances. There is nothing better for clothing the side of a building than this beautiful evergreen creeper. Its green flowers are not showy; but they are very attractive to bees and other insects, and in this way possess an interest welcomed by lovers of nature. i895 J MEEHANS* MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 29 30 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Feb. Shade Trees for Southern Cities. — A correspondent in New Orleans inquires which of the popular northern trees would be desira- ble for shade trees in New Orleans. This is a diflficult question to answer in the absence of actual experiment. It is more than likely that in some of the private gardens and grounds about that city many trees common in northern gardens have been tried and would afford the positive evidence that such trees would grow well in that city. At present the most popular trees in New Orleans, for shade trees, are the Tallow Tree, Stillingia sebifera, and the China Tree, Melia Azederac/i,hutthere certainly ought to be a much larger variety to choose from. One of the most desirable shade trees in the Middle States is the sweet ^■m—Liquidambar styraciflua. As this grows abundantly in parts of Mississippi, there seems to be no reason why it ought not to be entirely successful as a shade tree in that city or other cities of the South. It is found naturally in swamps ; but horti- cultural experience has discovered that it grows even better in dry garden soil than in its native swamps. It is a most beautiful tree in any situation. Chrysanthemum, Mrs. H. H. B.\ttles. — Mr. Wm. K. Harris, the originator of the new chrysanthemum, Mrs. H. H. Battles, figured in the January number of Meehans' Monthly, says : " I got the seed from chrysanthemum Ivory, but do not know by what variety it was im- pregnated, but am inclined to believe that it was impregnated by its own pollen. I got the seed in the fall of 1891, sowed it in the follow- ing spring, and bloomed it in the fall of 1892, with many others from the same source, of which several of them were good, but none having the high qualities of perfection required in these days of so much excellency. " In describing this chrysanthemum last month it was stated that the illustration was figured one-third size. This was an error, the illustra- tion represents the flower two-thirds its natural size. Planting and Good Planting. — Tree plant- ing claims prominent attention in spring work. Whether a tree should be pruned or not when transplanted, depends, in a mea- sure, on the health and vigor of the tree to be planted. A weak tree, or a tree with mossy bark, or one which in any way seems to have been somewhat neglected, requires more prun- ing than a tree showing a lusty and health}- growth. In fact, a tree which shows excellent vigor and appears to have been well cared for before transplanting, seldom needs much help from the pruning knife. Then the question of good planting comes in. What many people imagine to be good planting is frequently v^ry bad planting. If a tree leans over after a rain or wind storm, it is a proof that it was badly planted. If the soil had been packed in properly about the roots, it could not lean, — a tree only leans under these circumstances, from their being vacancies which the settling of the earth finds out. It is almost impossible to pack the earth in too firmly about the roots, at transplanting, and it should be done as the hole is being filled. Watering Window Plants.— Care must be exercised when watering house plants not to overdo it. If this care is not taken the soil becomes sodden, the leaves turn 3-ellow and begin to fall, and the plant becomes generally sickly. It is a great deal better to give too little water than to give too much, — merely enough to keep the soil moist is in most cases sufiicient. It must be remembered that the soil naturally dries immediately on the surface much quicker than it does lower down in the pot, and is, therefore, very apt to be de- ceiving. Grass Mixtures in F.-vrming. — Mixed species of grasses for lawn making have been popular in gardening, — the theory being that when one kind finds itself not in its most suitable element, another will. It is on the plan of not having all the eggs in one basket. The John A. Salzer Seed Company of La Crosse have started a similar idea of mixed grasses., for regular agricultural hay crops. Cactus Cuttings. — Cuttings of cactuses are nearly sure to rot if planted like other cut- tings just as they are taken from the parent plant. They should be laid aside for a week or two before planting so that the wound can dry. In many cases the cutting will root bel- ter by being placed on its side on the sandy earth, than upright in the ground. 1895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 3r Yucca Filamentosa. — Individual plants of " Adam's needle and thread" have often been illustrated, but its effect in a mass is beauti- fully shown by the illustration from the grounds of Mr. Jacob Manning, of Reading, Mass. The plant has a more than ordinary in- terest from the fact developed by Drs. Riley and Engelmann, that the plant has a special insect to fertilize it, and that the plant does not seed unless the insect does the poUenizing work. Training to Odd Forms. — In former times, a style of gardening prevailed by which trees or shrubs were trained or pruned into odd forms, such as of birds, beasts, or peculiar build- ings. The revulsion has been so severe that these attempts are not made in modern times, and the only shearing that seems to be done now is to make evergreens ap- pear like Christmas toys — still some work of this kind is not always out- of- place. Arch -ways, made of trees and shrubs, in front of door- ways, are by no means objectionable. Trees and shrubs, naturally pendulous or trailing on the ground, may be grafted on tall stems so as to present a unique and pleasing appear- ance. The writer saw recently an odd method of training the Hy- drangea paniculata gra?idiflora, without being able to decide whether it should be considered in good taste or not. A heavy cedar pole, some twenty feet in height, had been planted, and the hydrangea tied to this pole, until it reached the summit. This induced a somewhat droop- ing habit, and the appearance of this heavy stem, with the drooping head, on the pole, pre- sented an appearance totally unlike any usually seen in gardens. It may be that when the plant becomes more aged, the effect would be more pleasing. At present the heavy pole seemed entirely out of proportion to the little weight of flowers borne at its summit. The Sand Cherry for Fruit Stocks. — The stronger growing varieties of the sand cherry are now being selected and used for dwarfing the cherry. The Mahaleb was supposed at one time to make the garden cherry dwarfer, — and indeed a cherry on the Mahaleb stock is usually of dwarfer growth than the cherry on the Mazzard stock ; but the differ- ence is not very remarkable, and the object in having cherries grafted on these separate stocks is not so much for dwarfing, as because the roots of the Mahaleb or the roots of the Mazzard are better adapted to different soils and conditions. ._A r ^^K - ju^^^^iSiHiHHkflMK-c^KK^f^p w ^ ^' ' ' 'v'"' . * -^ 'a'^f^ "^ ' • ^K*^ ■^t^^^s^ ■*' ^^ .^^jitSSKKk^ PSF""' K^ ■ ^' .. ;';«.','SC<'?^-* YUCCA FILAMENTOSA. Edible Hawthorns. — Mr, G. Newlin Wil- liams says : ' ' Nearly all of our edible fruits are of the rose family. The strawberry, cherry, rasp- berry, blackberry, plum, quince, pear, peach and apple are of the order rosaceae. Besides these we have the currant, gooseberry and the grapes. Pomologists must have despaired of training and subduing the Crataegus, for hardly any wild fruit, which could be called fruit in a consumer's sense, has a more acrid, disagree- able taste than the Cock-spur Thorn, and, be- sides, the fruit seems to be, without exception, worm-riddled." But some specimens of the scarlet-fruited thorn, C. coccinea, produce good fruit, and are worth attention from the improver. 32 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Feb. Preparing Large Trees for Transplan- ting.— Large trees that are to be moved next fall should be dug around before spring, in order to induce additional root growth. The method is to dig a trench around the tree about two feet or more from the butt, — the exact dis- tance depending on the size of the tree, — undermine the tree without disturbing the ball of earth, cutting off all roots encountered. The trench should be dug to a depth of not less than two feet ; carefully fill up the trench again, packing the earth firmly around the ball. The following fall it will be found that very many new roots had been formed that will make the transplanting of the tree quite successful. A number of large Scarlet Oaks and Ameri- can Beeches were treated in this way last winter, and the additional root growth made since that time was remarkable. At the same time the tree is dug around, the tops of the trees should also be pruned, though it is not necessary to cut the tree as severely as though transplanting was to take place immediately. Chrysanthemums. — The suckers from old plants of chrysanthemums are readily rooted in sand in the green-house or hot-bed during the late winter and early spring ; use only the soft tips, and keep them well watered. They can be potted into small pots in good, rich soil as soon as rooted, and shifted from time to time as the roots fill the pot. Care must be taken that the plants do not become pot-bound. The best plants are those that are kept growing from the time they are rooted until they bloom. A check in the growing season is a severe blow from which they will not quickly recover. For plants to be grown merely for cut flowers it is usual to take soft-wooded cuttings, early in summer, and grow them on, but not allow- ing them to make more than three or four shoots. By disbudding them during the sum- mer, leaving only the strongest center bud, very large flowers can be secured. Falling OF India Rubber Plant Leaves. —Mrs. R. M., New York City, writes about the falling off" of rubber plant leaves, in the house during winter. Though these leaves will re- main longer on the plant under some circum- stances than others, they cannot last longer green than two or three years. It is no sign of unhealthiness that the lower ones turn yellow occasionally, and fall. They will last longer however, when iiot stinted in food, as they often are when confined to small pots. Prinos verticillata. — The bright red berries of the PHnos veHicillata , commonly known as the black alder, have been unusually attractive this winter, and in arranging plant- ing plans for the coming season this plant should not be overlooked. While it thrives in dry soil, yet it delights in a low, boggy spot, which is really its natural element. There are male and female plants, and in planting one must be sure to use both, or the object for which the plants are set out will be defeated. It is believed that occasional plants are her- maphrodite. Destruction of Insects in Plant Houses. — Mr. H. Cannell, the well known nurseryman and seedsman, of England, writes that they have made a discovery in England by which insects in plant houses can be destroyed by peculiar smell or odor otherwise than by tobacco, which is so offensive to most people. He states that it will even destroj' the mealy bug, causing it to drop lifeless on the floor, which tobacco will never do ; but he gives no particulars as to what the substance is which is so employed. The Siphon in Gardening. — In many cases cisterns and other bodies containing water could be very easily emptied or the water conveyed from place to place by siphons, where it is now conveyed by hand utensils. A common garden hose will do this as well as anything else. All that is necessary is to fill the hose entirely with water first before placing it in the cistern, and then to be certain that the outlet is lower than the source of supply. Moisture in Conservatories. — Many owners of conservatories cannot grow plants successfully, because they do not provide for sufficient moisture. Plants will not thrive in a hot dry atmosphere, and in order to secure more moisture, a can of water should be kept steaming over the radiator, and when watering the plants the heating pipes should be sprinkled as well. I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 33 Palms for House Culture. — Replying to an inquiry by a correspondent as to whether Latania borbonica {Ltvistofiia chinensis) or Livistonia rotundifolia is best suited for house culture, Mr. Edwin Lonsdale, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, one of the most successful grow- ers of palms, and one of the first to com- mend their growth for commercial purposes, on a large scale, writes : — " So far as I know the latter has not had a very extensive trial for house culture, as it has been rare until the last few years, and some- what high in price compared to the old Latania borbonica. Until given a more extended trial, I should pin my faith to the older species. One advantage which the L. rotundifolia pos- sesses for room decoration over the L. chinen- sis is, that it is of a much more compact form of growth. It also requires a higher tempera- ture to keep it growing and in good condition than chinensis.'' MEW ©1 1/^lE FL/^MTS, A Plaited Fern. — One of our correspond- ents, Mr. Jonathan Jones, has a fern from Japan. The stoloniferous roots have been woven into a close lattice or basket work. It is deservingly considered a remarkable com- bination of nature and art. By the description, the fern appears to be Nephrolepis bulbifera, a very common fern used for growing in baskets, and which sends out numerous long, thread-like stolons bearing bulblets from which new plants may be produced. Scarlet Bracted Euphorbia. — The bright scarlet bracts of Poinsetta pulcherrima — now regarded as Euphorbia pulcherrima by ' ' Index Kewensis, " are well known in greenhouse or window gardening. There is an American species which has some scarlet on the bracts, Euphorbia heterophylla. By selecting seed- lings that have a special tendency to the scar- let bracts, Mr. A. W. Smith, of Americus, Ga., says, American florists have secured a race quite as handsome as its Mexican proto- type. Stylophorum diphyllum. — Mrs. Susan Tucker, Spokane, Washington, has the follow- ing interesting note regarding this plant. The conductors have taken the liberty to change the title from Meconopsis diphylla to Stylopho- rum diphyllum, in correspondence with "In- dex Kewensis." She says, the common name in her locality is "Wild Perennial Poppy." She adds : ' ' The botanists say, ' leaves glau- cous beneath, segments 5-7, ovate oblong, sin- uate, cauline leaves opposite ; peduncles aggre- gated, terminal ; capsule four-valved, echinate- setous ; woods. Western States ; plant 12 to 18 inches high; leaves large, 8x6 inches, on petioles about the same' length ; terminal segment somewhat confluent ; pedicels about 3 inches long ; petals deep yellow (just the color of Hemerocallis flava), orbicular, i inch diameter ; May. This plant is one of the very first to appear in the spring, blooms soon, very full, and continues to throw up bloom stalks throughout the entire summer. It loves a cool, half shady place, and a clump is seldom with- out flowers ; leaves exceedingly pretty, and remain fresh until after being repeatedly frozen in fall.' " I lifted a small clump in fall of 1892, and potted with my hyacinths and spiraeas to force. When brought up to the light, they were the first to start, and almost as if by magic, were a mass of green ; buds soon appeared and turned yellow when but two or three inches above the earth. I thought them blighted, but they soon opened all right, the color only showed through the calyx ; bloom closed at night, and opened for five days in succession, with five flowers to each stalk. By two or three weeks it was a blaze of bloom, and when I tried to count the stalks they were so numer- ous that I failed, but thought there were about thirty. It continued until those out doors were in full flower, full as at first, when I turned it out. I have wished since I had kept correct data until it ceased flowering." AcONiTUM AUTUMNALE. — Under this head Mrs. Seliger has a good word to say for the autumn-flowering monkshood : "This is one of the first-rate herbaceous perennials that flower at this late season. It grows to a height of some three feet, is well furnished with glossy foliage, and bears at the summit branching spikes of very dark blue flowers which last a long time. It is worth noting that since this plant blooms at the same time with the white Japanese anemone, a very 34 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Feb. pleasing- combination can be made of the two. Aconitum auiumnale, the name under which it is generally known, is easily multiplied by dividing the roots. Those who have tried sow- ing the seed as soon as it ripens on plants grown here, have found that it germinates much more surely and quickly than imported seed.' ' It may be noted that there are two kinds which have been described under the name of Aconitum autumnale, — one of which is reallj' Aconitum Fischeri oi Alaska,— the other a late flowering variety of the European A. napellus. Possibly the one referred to is the latter. New Japan Birches. — Mr. Lemoine, a well known French nurseryman, has two Japan birches, which he thus describes : — " Betula alba Japonica. A Japanese variety of the common birch, with greenish-bronze stems, studded over with whitish specks or knubbles, which make it quite rough to the touch, especiall}' in the young state ; the petioles are rosy-red, and also lenticillate, and the leaves twice as large as those of B. alba, are heart-shaped at the base, and ending in a point, deeply indented and waved at the edges, and in color dark, dull green. This tree grows in the island of Yezo, and is very rare." ''Betula Maximowiczii. In Yezo, Japan, this tree grows to a height of over 80 feet (25 metres), and measures over 3 feet (i metre) across the base of the stem. The bark, smooth to the touch, bronzy-orange in color, thicken- ing at the base of old trees, peeling off in long narrow scales, and turning to an ashen-grey color, the leaves widely oval, cordate at the base, toothed, thin, and almost membranous, are bright dark green above, and yellowish- green below, larger than those of any other birch, sometimes measuring as much as 534' inches (15 centimetres) long." garden ornaments for the fall of the year, noth- ing can exceed them. The asters go by the name of "Michaelmas daisies," in the Old World. THE IHIi^IRI^Y FL©WEi ^/^liD)EM. Asters and Golden-rods in Gardens. — To the popular mind an aster is an aster, and a goldenrod a goldenrod, and it is often surprised when beginning to understand that there are numerous species and varieties of both, in habit and general appearance. They are so indistinct that one with little botanical knowledge would fail to distinguish them. As Sweet Peas for Early Spring Flowering. — By planting seeds of the sweet pea in pots in the green-house or windows, not allowing them to become pot-bound, and transplanting them out of doors as early in the spring as possible, bloom will be secured a great deal earlier than when the seed is sown right out of doors. The sweet pea does not require much heat, — in fact a degree or two of frost will only temporarily check its growth. One of the best varieties for early flowering is the Blanche Ferry, a pink and white sort, and very floriferous. Special Culture for Sand-loving Plants. — INIany beautiful flowers grow in what are known as "pine barrens," or in localities where the soil is stony or otherwise of a light or porous character, and which it is very desir- able to cultivate in gardens where the soil is heavy and stiff. This can easily be accom- plished by making a wooden frame — as one might say, "a box without a bottom," — set- ting it on the ground and partially filling it with light, sandy, porous soil. The plants can be set in the ordinar)- garden soil, and the sand or light material filled in around the plant. In this waj' the main roots will get a hold in the natural earth without drying out in summer time ; while the small, fibrous roots will grow luxuriantly in the open, porous soil filled into the little wooden frame. The common trailing arbutus, the partridge berry, the little pyxi- danthera, and numberless other plants of this character, which people frequently require, can be transplanted successfully in the gardens and thrive well under this treatment. Again such frames are useful in the cultivation of shade- loving plants, as something to give shade can be supported over them during the hot season. Double P.EOnies. — Probably one of the most satisfactory of all the classes of herba- ceous plants is the paeony. If plants are utterly neglected they still grow and bloom, while if well treated they reward the flower- lover more abundantly than anj' other kind of flower. In former years nothing but double •I 895.] MEEHANS' MONTHLY GENERAL GARDENING. 35 ones were cared for, but in more recent times single flowered ones have been given attention, and many are quite as beautiful, in some respects, as the doubles. After all this, the double forms will always have admirers. The raising of new varieties from seeds is a source of pleasure. The method of obtaining ' ' doubles ' ' from the ' ' singles ' ' is very simple. The "doubles" usually have perfect pistils, "but the stamenshavingbeen turned into petals, produce no seed ; but if the pollen of the single varieties are placed on the pistil of the double ones, the seeding is perfect, — and a seedling from this mostly produces double varieties. Some single varieties flower much earlier than the double ones, and have passed away before the double ones open ; but a scientific fact has been developed of late years which ought to be of great use to the practical raiser of new vari- eties of pseonies, namely, that pollen will keep its vital power for an indefinite time, if kept per- fectly dry. Some pollen has been saved for two years, and yet found potent, when applied for fertilizing purposes. Dahlia Cuttings. — Varieties of dahlias, the stock of which it is desired to increase, should be potted and put in the green house early in spring. When the young growth is made, cut- tings can be taken of them the same as gerani- ums and similar plants. If kept growing and potted, these cuttings will make plants of fairly large size by the time they are ready to plant out of doors, and will bloom the same year. Annuals for the Garden. — Seeds of annuals should be planted in pots in advance of spring, and the seedlings pricked ofi" into boxes or pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. They can be grown in a cool part of the green- house, in hot-beds or even in rooms. There are a great many pretty annuals that can be utilized to brighten the garden next summer, and from a large list the following can be especially recom- mended,— they are all familiar sorts to nearly every one : German aster, balsam, portulaca, single chrysanthemum, morn- ing glory, candy tuft, amaranth, cosmos, nasturtium, mignonette, cockscomb, marigold and stocks. Fruit Trees in Pots. — Many persons sup- pose that there is little gained in the artificial cultivation of fruits, because, as a general thing, most kinds can be readily left to nature in the favored climates of most parts of Amer- ica ; but besides the mere desire to get some- thing to eat, there is a great pleasure attached to the artificial culture of fruits, — quite as much so, in fact, as in the cultivation of flowers for their beauty alone ; and in many cases, one can have the fruits so raised at a comparatively low cost, and at seasons of the year when it is almost impossible to have the natural fruit. This is particularly true of the apricot. In the earlier part of the century it was just as easy to have apricots from trees growing in the open air, as apples or peaches ; but the increasing abundance of the plum wevil or curculio, has driven the apricot completely out of cultiva- tion in the Atlantic states. Yet apricot trees can be grown to perfection in comparatively small pots, and in this condition will yield an abundance of fruit, and the fruit itself being quite as beautiful as the flowers of many plants. We give with this an illustration, from the London Joiimal of Horticulture, showing how productive apricot trees may be under these conditions ; and it is not because they cannot ^be grown in the open air in England that the APRICOTS GROWN IN POTS. 36 MEEHANS' MONTHLY - GENERAL GARDENING. [Feb. fruits have been raised in this way, for the apricot is very productive in that country when trained on walls or fences, having an eastern or southern aspect. It is simply found to be a matter of profit and pleasure to grow them in this way. The Bourgeat Quince. — Mr. F. E. Young, of Rochester, N. Y., calls attention to this new quince as being one of the healthiest known. The leaves are nearly double the size of those from other quinces, very thick and leathery on full grown trees. Another correspondent in- quires whether it is a fact that some varieties of fruit trees are more susceptible of disease than others, and this question may be an- swered in connection with the point raised by Mr. Young. It it undoubtedly true that some of the minute funguses do prefer one variety to another. This is a well known fact in con- nection with the old Butter Pear. Minute funguses have fastened themselves to this species and seem to pursue this variety where- ever it goes in America ; and yet a variety like the Bartlett, grafted on a diseased Butter Pear tree, remains in perfect health. Although no one can say as yet that this variety of quince is constitutionally able to resist the disease which sometimes attacks the quince, yet analogy would show that a fungus-resisting quince is within the bonds of probability. Early Tomatoes. — Tomato seeds sown in boxes, in the green-house or window, and the young plants shifted into pots from time to time as they seem to require it, will make strong, vigorous plants by the time the sea- son arrives for planting them in the garden, and will fruit much earlier than those started later. The Champion gave exceptionally good results last season, the fruit being of extra large size and very heavy. The flesh was solid and contained remarkably few seeds. It is a strong grower in good soil. Apple Bark-scale. — Mr. C. L. Longsdorf, of Floradale, sends specimens of apple wood covered with one of the species of apple bark- scale, and inquires for a remedy. A number of years ago the writer of this paragraph, whose orchard was badly infested, so much so, indeed, that the trees appeared to have been white-washed, had them painted with thin lin- seed-oil,— the smaller branches that were infes- ted being cut oft and burned. It was thoroughly efi"ective, — not a scale having appeared to this day. Others who tried the remedy complained that the bark was injured by the application ; but this probably arose from using linseed oil that had been adulterated with mineral oil. There can be no doiibt but what pure linseed oil, the real vegetable article, while in no way injurious is a certain remedy against the bark- scale. Renewing the Fertility of Vegetable Gardens. — In the vegetable garden, deep soil is of great importance, and for vegetables valued for their leaves and succulent roots, the soil can scarcely be too rich, and j^et after a few years of heavy manuring, it is a frequent experience that the garden becomes unproduc- tive. This is usually from the exhaustion of the mineral constituents,— a form of fertilizer which the stable manure does not supply. In this case, lime, wood-ashes or some other simi- lar fertilizer is of great value where the vege- table garden is worked by a plow rather than the spade. Sub-soil plowing is of immense value. This does not mean that the heavy sub-soil devoid of all vegetable remains should be brought to the surface. This is not good gardening ; but the plow which simply loosens the sub-soil, should follow in the same furrow made by the surface plow. There is no better way to double the surface area of a piece of ground than to loosen up the sub-soil. Vegetables under Glass. — The growth of vegetables under glass, which for a time it was thought could not be remunerative under southern competition, is now found to be pro- fitable, and its growth in every direction is a general topic of interest. In the west as well as in the east, winter culture is extending. Mr. F. Bush, of Richfield, Minnesota, has a house 200 feet long by 28 feet wide, wholly devoted to cucumbers and tomatoes. The Market Garden of Minneapolis has recently given a full account of it. Feeding Apples to the Mother Country. — The English must be enormous apple eaters. Secretary Morton says that we sent to Great Britain, between January and September, 1894,. apples for which they paid us $2,500,000. 1895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 37 The Air Potato. — A notice of this in a recent issue of Meehans' Monthly has brought a sample from Mr. Julius Schnadelbach, of Grand Bay, Ala., which is herewith illustrated. Inquiry is made as to whether or not it be the Dioscorea bulbifera, long ago so named by LinUcCus. But it is not possible to say any more than that it is a Dioscorea. There are some two hundred and fifty species of this genus, and as many more have been named but Pruning Currants and Gooseberries. — Do not overlook pruning currants and goose- berries before spring sets in. Cut out all the old wood upon which the fruit was borne last year, leaving only the young, thrifty growth made the past season. A little top-dressing of manure will also be of benefit and induce the plant to make stronger growth next sea- son ; it also keeps the roots cool in summer, which the gooseberry especially delights in. THE AIR POTATO. reduced to synonyms, and a good herbarium of type specimens would be necessary to give an authoritative name. A number bearbulblets in the axils of the leaves, but this is the largest bulblet of any species that has come under the writer's observation. It appears as if it would be a valuable addition to the list of garden vegetables. The common Japan yam has bulblets as large as coffee berries. Early Potatoes. — Some varieties of potato mature earlier than others ; but it is said that this earliness may be enhanced by putting a lot of potatoes into a shallow box, with earth, and letting them sprout,— setting out the sprouts as in the case of the sweet potato. Some, however, assert that the check by trans- planting allows the regular potato set to nearly catch up with the sprout. Care must be taken to prevent wilting. BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. SHARING HAPPINESS. I think the bees, the blessed bees, Are better, wiser far than we. The very wild birds in the trees Are wiser, far, it seems to me ; For love and light and sun and air Are theirs, and not a bit of care. What bird makes claim to all God's trees? What bee makes claim to all God's flowers? Behold their perfect harmonies, Their common board, the common hours ! Say, why should man be less than these, The happy birds, the hoarding bees ? —Joaquin Miller. Dr. Robert H. Lamborn. — One of the best patrons of intelligent American gardening, Dr. Robert H. Lamborn. died suddenly of heart failure in New York on the 17th of January, in his 59th year. The readers of Meehans' Monthly will recall the account he gave in our last volume of a visit to the grounds of Mr. Ephraim Bull, the originator of the Concord grape, and the suggestion made by him that a national benefactor of this class deserved as much honor as military' or civil benefactors often received. He was a man of remarkable S3'mpathy with every move for the advancement of human intelligence and hap- piness,— and his good works in connection with museums, public libraries, public grounds and parks will live long after him. At the time of his death he was studying some method by which the difficulties surrounding the naming of plants in public grounds might be overcome. He was born on a family estate near Kennett Square, Chester County, Penn- sylvania. Professor Edward L. Greene — It is an- nounced that this distinguished botanist, favor- ably known by his labors among the wild flowers of Colorado, and more recenth' in con- nection with the Flora of the Pacific Coast, will resign his position in the University of Cali- fornia, in order to take the chair of botany in the great Catholic University at Washington. For a long time this institution was devoted to mere collegiate work in connection with edu- (38) eating the 50ung men for the ministrj'; but it has been decided to advance it to an institu- tion of learning, in which all the higher branches of scholarship will receive recogni- tion. Although the removal of this well known botanist from the Pacific shores to eastern fields of usefulness will be welcomed by his co-laborers in science in that section, the Professor does not intend to lessen his in- terest in the botany of the Pacific coast, in which there is still so much to be developed in connection with the advancement of botanical science. The Sex of Flowers. — Why some flowers should be wholly starainate and others wholly pistilate, has long attracted the attention of biologists. It is in some way or another con- nected with nutrition. Any one maj^ note on the spruce tree that the cones are always con- nected with the stronger and most vigorous branches, while the male flowers are almost always in association with the weaker ones. There is still ver3' much to learn in connection with the subject, and the matter is being gone over again by Mr. G. Harold Powell, of Ithaca, N. Y. In view of the many facts relating to this question that have been placed on record during the last quarter of a century, and since the above noted discoveries were made, very interesting results ought to follow Mr. Powell's labors. Sargent's Silva of North America. — Few works are of more lasting value and do greater credit to our country than Professor Sargent's Silva of North Afnerica, — no greater work has ever been issued in any country. We are pleased to say that the National Agricultural Societ}' of France has given to Professor Sar- gent a gold medal as their appreciative testi- mony of this grand work. It comes with a good grace from this French society, consider- ing that one of the grandest works before the present one on American trees was by a French- man, namely, Michaux. I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. 39 Sale of Wimpole Hall — A Celebrated English Gardening Establishment. — " Which do you like best, — this place, or Wimpole Hall ? ' ' said the writer of this, once, some fifty years ago, to a bright young lad, now Earl of Hardwicke. " This is pleasant," was the reply, " but this place is mj^ mother's, and it is natural I would feel interested in Wimpole Hall, which will be my own some day." It is sad to learn from recent English papers, that on account of millions of debt and interest, the place has "gone under the hammer. " It was one of the most famous of English gardens, comprising some 8,000 acres, and at the end of the last century was under the charge of a famous gardener- botanist James Donn, who finally became curator of the Botanic Garden, at Cambridge, more famous for its collection of plants at that time than Kew. Donn wrote the Horttis Cantabrigejisis, the earliest of garden dictionaries, and which was so popular as to go through twelve editions, two of which were edited by our own Frederick Pursh. Donn's services to garden botany have not been well recognized, through a similarity of name to the famous Scottish botanists, David and George Don, who overshadowed him. The Hardwicke family always seemed proud of Donn's reputation in connection with their estates and many anecdotes were told about his devotion to science. One was in connection with his marriage day. He had engaged to go with his bride-elect at a certain hour. He had taken a short trip in the morn- ing to a neighboring swamp, where he found for the first time a species of sun-dew, Drosera longifolia. Not returning in time, a messen- ger was sent in the direction he had taken. He was found scratching among swamp moss, looking for more sun-dews, oblivious of how rapidly the time had departed. The writer may be pardoned for sympathizing with the Earl's misfortunes, in view of the goodness of the Earl's father in offering "to pension off old Legg," (the successor of Donn), and place him in charge, — and which only for the allure- ments of Robert Buist, of Philadelphia, " might have been." that is an interesting article which Mr. J. A. Erskine Stewart contributes to an English periodical on the willow of Scripture. He identifies the Hebrew Oreb or Oribin with the Salix Babylo7iica, or the weeping willow. This plant was introduced into England at Twick- enham by the poet Pope, who observed that a basket containing figs which he had received from Turkey was budding. He planted the twig, which soon became a fine tree, from which stock many of the weeping willows of this country have sprung. We find it in Scripture associated with J03- and sorrow. The Israelites are enjoined at the Feast of Tabernacles to use boughs of willows of the brook and to rejoice before the Lord seven days. When the Jews were captives in Babylon, they hanged their harps on the willow trees, and refused to accom- pany any Hebrew melodies on the harp, or sing for Nebuchadnezzar or Belteshazzar. They might have sung a little for Cyrus, though." This story has been contradicted over and over again. There were no willows growing in the neighborhood of Babylon, — nothing but poplars, — no baskets were ever made of the weeping willow, for the branches snap like glass and could not be worked into baskets. If the weeping willow had been a native of Sj-ria it would have been known in England long, long ago, before Pope's time. Moreover, it has been shown conclusively that Pope's willow came from an original tree in Hampton Court, and that the Hampton Court willow was made a present to Royalty from Holland. The weeping willow is a native of China. No one but the Dutch were allowed to trade with China for many years, and although the exact indi- vidual who introduced the weeping willow to Holland has not been known, it is clear that to Holland we owe the introduction of the weeping willow. Though this story has been refuted over and over again, it will probably continue to be a part of "veritable" history for all time. The History of the Weeping Willow. — A correspondent sends us the following extract from the Christian at Work : " Relating to this subject of the Bible flora, James H, Veitch. — Among the distinguished English horticulturists of the Old World America may expect a visit from shortly, will be Mr. James H. Veitch, of the famous firm of James Veitch & Sons. The firm has been emi- nent in spreading a knowledge of evergreens among our English friends. America's decidu- ous trees will present a newer topic of interest. GENERAL NOTES. Care of City Trees. — The street trees of Wilmington, Del., are hereafter to be cared for at the expense of the city. Good Carnations. — Mr. Kifttellsthe Amer- ican Florist that the most popular carnations about Philadelphia are Daybreak, Portia, Lizzie McGowan, Sweet Briar, Buttercup, Golden Gate, Wilder, Thomas Cartledge and Mrs. Fisher. Progress of Ornamental Gardening. — It is gratifying to know that the taste for orna- mental gardening is growing rapidly. In order to accommodate their growing business, the well-known firm of greenhouse architects and builders, the Lord & Burnham Co., will open an office at i6o Fifth Avenue, New York, as being more convenient for furnishing prelimi- nary plans and estimates of garden work. The Extirpation of the Russian Thistle. — Some comment has been made on the fact that Secretary of Agriculture Morton opposed the appropriation of a million of dollars to various states "to be applied in connection with such other sum as the said states may raise ' ' for the extirpation of the Salsola Tragus. But the Secretary is right. As a practical man he knows that legislation against weeds has always proved a farcical failure, and in the nature of the case always will. Sentiment in Flowers. — Andrew G. Cur- tin, the great war governor of Pennsylvania, once said in the hearing of some friends, that he only cared to have some one place red flowers on his grave. General Owen Jones of Philadelphia, journe3^ed from Philadelphia to Bellefonte, and placed red carnations over the burial place of his departed friend. The same underlying thought originated the strewing of flowers over the dead on Memorial Day. And yet there are occasionally some who carp. A recent notice of the Count of Paris, spoke of his "theatrical action" in gathering a white (40) rose from the grave of General McClellan at Trenton, and placing it under his vest over his heart. "No one but a Frenchman, could have done this. " Those who knew the Count personally, well understood there was nothing theatrical about his "sentiment." He once stated to the writer that he never realized so much the peaceful n ess of nature in comparison with the angr}^ passions of man, than when he saw the pure white flowers of the dogwood be-spattered with human blood at the battle of Williamsburg. How few would make such a note at such a fearful moment, but it shows how deep and how natural was manly senti- ment planted m his breast. The Cost of Commissions. — Mr. W. Boeck- lin says ; "I read with approval your remarks when speaking of weeds in reference to Government Commissioners. These officials whether running after Russian thistles or in- specting our markets are nuisances." Pro- fessor Rothrock has recently observed notwith- standing all the laws against setting fire care- lessly to brush in forests they have all become dead letters. It is indeed difiicult to recall any case where the employment of government officials has been worth the expenditure in matters connected with forestry or agricultural matters. It is not contended that no good at all has resulted ; but simply that the work has not been worth the cost. Government Seeds. — Secretary Morton is doing good service by discouraging the free distribution of garden seeds by the government. The best of all reasons is that there is no more reason why seeds should be sent away by the thousands of dollars worth, than that it should give away pen knives or scrubbing brushes. Indeed, it would be more sensible to send these useful things, for not one package of seeds in a hundred is ever sown . The distribution is simply a fad of Congressmen to keep them- selves in the memory of the electors. Good work is the best road to popularity. y A ^ I y /■ .4 / ', ASTER SPECTABILIS. SHOWY ASTER. NATURAL ORDER. COMPOSITE. Aster spectabilis, aiton. — Stem corymbose and glaudular-pubescent above; leaves oblong, lanceolate, rough on the upper surface, sessile and entire; the lowest tapering into a petiole, and sparingly serrate; heads not numerous, single terminating the branches; involucre hemispherical, as long as the disk ; the scales linear oblong, with obtuse and spreading glandular tips. (Chapman's Flora of the Southern United States. See also Gray's Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States, and Wood's Class-Book of Botany.') The large and beautiful class of asters or star-flowers enters extensively into popular literature. Although there are about two hun- dred species now known, and most of these we should have to consider among the wild flowers of the United States, they are generally known in connection with way-sides or public way- places, or, perchance, as part of the beautiful autumn scenery that makes our country so lovely. The poet is almost sure to see them in his woodland walks, or to make use of them in painting some pretty piece of river-bank scen- ery. References to the star-flower in American poetical works are very numerous, as we might expect from a class of plants at once so showy, so varied in species, and so abundant every- where. We recall, as we write, the sweet lines of Bryant in his "Burial of Love," wherein the star-flower has an important part in the description of the spot where the love-child was laid. " Close softly, fondly, while ye weep, His eyes, that death may seem like sleep. And fold his hands, in sign of rest, His waxen hands, across his breast. And make his grave where violets hide, Where star-flowers strew the rivulet's side. And blue-birds in the misty spring Of cloudless skies and summer sing." Our present species, though so beautiful as to merit well its specific name — spectabilis, — being I.atin for " showy," can scarcely be recognized among the many references to the star-flower in polite literature. It is not very widely' dis- s:minated through our territory, being con- fined chiefly to the sea-coast States, from Mas- sachusetts to the Pine Barrens of Florida. It is rather abundant in New Jersey, which maj^ perhaps, be regarded as its central home. We cannot find that it has anywhere crossed the AUeghenies, and if it has, it is probably very rare. Pursh, who, in his "Flora of North America," issued in 1814, is probably the first American author to refer to it, says he found it growing in ' ' low meadows on the sides of woods, from Pennsylvania to Virginia." — but the general experience will probably be, that it grows freely in open and dry sandy places. But, though few references are made to the plant by collectors, or by popular writers, it deserves notice in a popular work, as being among the nearest to the European form, which has found a place in ancient history, being referred to by Dioscorides, Virgil and Pliny, — Aster Amellus. Virgil, in praising country life, is describing the pleasure that fol- lows from watching the habits of bees, and he speaks of a "meadow flower whose name is Amellus,'" as among those popular with these industrious little workers, and which plant has been identified as really the one now bearing this name. Aster, the Grecian name for star, though, according to some authors, supposed to be applied to the plant from the ray florets giving to the plant some resemblance to a star, is by some supposed to have reference to Aster, a celebrated character in ancient Grecian history. He was an adept in archery' in the time of Philip of Macedon. During the siege of Amphipolis, by Philip, his aim at the king was so true, that his arrow struck and des- troyed one of the eyes of the king, and, for which, when the town was taken. Aster was hung. Our species resembles the ancient aster in the size and color of the flowers, — and also in having few flowers on each stalk ; but it is a much taller plant, and, so far as we can judge from the specimens growing in their native (41) 42 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — ASTER SPECTABILIS. [March condition, is not inclined to be so stocky. It might improve in this respect, under cultiva- tion ; but it does not appear anywhere as a garden flower, though it was introduced to English gardens, according to Aiton, in 1777, by Dr William Pitcairn. It is, however, not referred to in any recent work on garden plants. Mr. Robinson's " Hardy Flowers in English Gardens" makes no mention of it; and it is nowhere cultivated in American gardens, though it well deserves to be. In the Old World, where facts are drawn from local areas, floral calendars have been so nicely constructed that certain flowers are expected to have their first openings on reg- ular fixed da5's. The twentj'-ninth of Sep- tember has been fixed for the great birthday festival of the Aster. But a floral calendar in America, with its vast range of floral dis- tribution for any single species, would not be dependable. As already noted Asters gen- erally are fall bloomers. In New Jersey we should look for Aster spectabilis in the early part of September, — rather earlier than some of its brethren. But as we get south the season is later, as if it were waiting for the cool weather to come. Some specimens from Florida beautifully in bloom early in March, suggested the selection of the plate for this issue. The botanical history of Aster spectabilis is comparatively modern. It seems to have been unknown to our earlier authors — even Michaux, in the early part of the present century, mak- ing no mention of it. It was named by Aiton in his account of plants growing in the royal gardens at Kew, and, as we have already seen, referred to under Aiton 's name, by Pursh, in 1814. It seems to have been noted by Elliott, in 1 8 16, but confused with Aster surculosus, — but Nuttall, in 181 8, pointed out the differ- ences. He says, " the viscidly pubescent calyx (involucre) and peduncle, with the numerous flowers, and the approximating equality of the leaves, distinguish this species readily from A. surculosus ; while the hemispherical calyx, and numerous rays (more than 20), likewise separate it from the variety bellidifolitis. The stem is never pilose as well as glandular above." It may, however, be remarked that modern botanists do not regard the variety bellidifolius as worthy of being kept separate, and hence we read in the description taken from Chapman, that "glandular-pubescent" is part of the character of the species. Even the hemispherical involucre is not a very constant character. We see in our illustration, that on the same plant there is a variation from hemi- spherical to ovoid, according to the stage of development of the flower. The whole tribe of Aster is a somewhat diffi- cult one to study from the point of classifica- tion, but these difficulties, to the S5'stematist, render them the more acceptable to those who love to study the unities of nature. There is good ground for believing that forms now dis- tinct are descended from other forms once closely related, and that the distinction often comes about from the disappearance of the intermediate forms which once connected them. Therefore, those genera like Aster, which have in these our times a great diversity of form, and yet, these innumerable and wonderfully distinct forms so closelj" related that the stud- ent can scarcely tell where one species begins or the other ends, are invested with special interest, for in modern botany mere classifica- tion is by no means the chief feature of interest. So far as Aster itself is concerned, their study is much simplified by dividing them into artificial sections, though with a certain degree of natural resemblance. For instance, the group of Asters to which Aster spectabilis belongs, has most of its members with large flowers, and hence Dr. Gray gives the section the sub- name of Calliastnini — or " the beauti- ful aster. " In addition to this the section has the green involucral scales under the flower, leathery, and with small green, and (in our species) spreading tips. Then the achene is narrower than in some other asters, and the pappus formed of rigid bristles of unequal thickness. Besides this, though not noted by Dr. Gray, the corolla-tubes of the disk flowers are also slender, and there are some other char- acters, which, when taken together with the showy flowers, would bring a plant, supposed our species, down to some half a dozen, from which finally to decide. By such minute care the study of asters will be found to be very pleasant, — quite as much so as many other genera, and more profitable. Explanation of the Plate.— 1. Top of a flower stem sent by W. F. Bassett, of Hammonton, N. J. 2. Disk flower just overblown, showing achene, pappus and corolla. WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. A WORK OF IvOVE. While the water cresses slumber, While the birds are few in number, Spring is busy at her loom Weaving for the time of bloom : For the trees, a bright green awning, For the time of vernal dawning; With a warp of living green, With a weft of flowery sheen, Bright the wreaths to deck her pillow — Hanging from the oak and willow — Soon her robes of living green In their beauty will be seen. Watch the swiftness of her fingers Weaving, where the sunlight lingers In the mossy meadow nook By the gently purling brook. Soon we'll see the sweet unveiling Of the pink arbutus trailing ; Then the snowdrop will peep up And the yellow buttercup — When the days are soft and hazy — Smile beside the nodding daisy, And her shuttle she will ply 'Neath a sunny, azure sky, 'Till her weft and warp she closes With the blooming of the roses. J. W. Wilson, in Boston Globe. Vitality of Seeds. — Mr. Wra. F. Bassett, of Hammonton, N. J., says, " In the January number, you intimate that seeds may retain their vitality for an indefinite length of time, when buried in the earth, so as to exclude air. Without any careful experiments to test the matter, it has yet appeared to me that seeds do not retain ther vitality nearly as long here as they did in Massachusetts, and I have thought that our comparatively hot and dry climate caused the diflference. With only a ' theoreti- cal view,' it would seem that enclosing them in close, metallic cases, should hold them longer, and with this idea, I have been put- ting seeds, when carefully dried, in old cocoa cans, and storing them on shelves in a dry, cool cellar. Have you ever had any experience in this line, and if so with what result, and if not, what do you think of it theoretically ? " It is to be regretted that important questions such as this one, are not made the subject of direct experiment. It would be useful work for experiment stations. Nearly all that is known has been derived from accident on the casual observation of some chance observer.. The writer of this paragraph, accustomed to demand proof such as was required by a celebrated " Thomas" of old, before conceding a point, was not for many years satisfied with^ the accounts of seeds retaining vitality in the earth for an indefinite time, under certain con- ditions. In the statement of the recorded facts there always seemed a possibility of cir- cumstances escaping the eye of the observer. But finally the fact seemed incontestable that, deep in the earth, seeds will retain vital power long after they would have lost it near the sur- face. The exact manner in which this is ac- complished is not clear. It may be that a cer- tain low temperature is of itself sufficient to prevent chemical change, or it may be that the bacterial germs which induce rot or decay, are not present, or have no chance to develop. Careful experiment might answer these ques- tions. One might hazard a hypothesis, but it is impossible to formulate any theory, at least so it seems to Meehans' Monthly. Northern Range of the Shepherdia AND Other Plants. — Observing the note on page 12, of the January number of the Monthly, I write to tell you that Shepherdia is found growing wild very much farther north than Denver. I saw it growing plenti- fully on the Rocky Mountains last summer, over 150 miles north of the most northern boundary of the United States, (except Alaska). The pistillate plants were heavily loaded with red, and not seldom yellow berries. I had not before known that the berries were ever yellow. 300 miles (3000 feet altitude) north of our northern boundary, I found abundance of fine strawberries, wild salal berries (Gaultheria Shallon), red and black raspberries, Juneber- ries, — there called "Saskatoons" — wild black: currants, red currants and blue spicy currants ,. wild bird cherries, hazel-nuts, some kind of Arctic dewberry, a lily, — probably a variety of Philadelphicum, true lilies by the hundred acres, etc. Luther Burbank, Santa Rosa, Cal. (.43^/ 44 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [March The Primitive Corn.— Mrs. W. A. Keller- man offers the following interesting specula- tion on the origin of Indian corn : "In Meehans' Monthly, January, 1892, there was a note concerning the primitive corn — with an illustration. There was also an article published last year relative to the devel- opment of the ear. In both articles we find practically the same thought, viz. : ' If we draw the branchlets of the ' tassel ' upwardly with the hand we shall see exactly the resem- blance to an eight-rowed ear of corn. No one can fail to see that the ear of corn is nothing more than the tassel which has had power to unite its branchlets and become succulent.' ' ' I have taken great interest for several years in studying the development of Indian corn, and it seems to me that the many abnormal specimens which may be considered reversions, point to a somewhat diflferent method of devel- opment of the ear. To tell the whole story as concisely as possible — as the corn told me — I would say that the primitive Indian corn was a grass-like plant (a grass in reality) with a branch springing from the several nodes or joints. Each branch was crowned with both staminate and pistillate organs. The central stem of the ' tassel ' borne by the primitive branch by virtue of its more favorable position, drew into itself the main force of the branch, and became more highly developed at the ex- pense of the surrounding tassel-branchlets, the latter becoming finally entirely aborted. Natural selection lifted the staminate flowers to the tassel of the main stalk and left the pistillate below on the side branches. These branches became shortened, and form the shank or footstalk of our present ear. The shorten- ing of the branches brought the sheaths close together, thus forming the husk or general protective envelope of the ear. The blades not being necessary here, nature lopped them off ; though occasionally heredity tags them on. Especially do we find them on the sweet corn. Now instead of a cohering of the branchlets to form the ear, it seems quite clear that such reversions as the sketch on page 53, illustrates plainly how the ear was developed from the central stem ol the primitive lateral tassel, while the branchlets became aborted. The woody substance became the cob, and the pistillate flowers, having here gained a monopoly, im- proved their opportunity, and made the most of themselves. Under the kind guardianship of Nature the Indian corn traveled along up through the centuries ; but long continued cul- tivation has been an important factor in per- fecting the splendid ear of the present. ' ' The ears of ' pod corn ' figured as the 'primitive corn,' in the article referred to, represent a primitive condition of the com ; but at this stage it was alread}' on its way towards the present. This ' pod corn ' seems to be a sort of reversion to the time when the nodes of the branch were 5'et too far apart to admit of the sheaths forming a protective cov- ering. When this general envelope was pro- vided the individual 'husks' were no longer produced. ' ' The elongation of the pistils is an interest- ing illustration of adaptation. Before the general covering was furnished for the ear there was probably no such remarkable elonga- tion— it was not necessary until the whole ear became enveloped in the ' husk ' or sheaths. " I know of no plant which is so suggestive of interesting 'speculations,' but one must not try the patience of the kind conduct orhy saying anything further in a note." Hybrid Trees. — Professor Sargent, know- ing the. natural range of variation in vegeta- tion, believes that authors see by far too many hybrids in their walks through the woods, but concludes that real hybrids in nature are of occasional occurrence. The Bartram Oak, long supposed a hybrid, is but a remote form of the Pin Oak. TUBER OF STACHYS FLORI DAN A. --see page 4e. ^yrc 1895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. 45 Caterpillar Funguses and Mimicry. — Few serials come to our table so replete with intelligent horticultural material of practical value as the proceedings of the Columbus (Ohio) Horticultural Society, edited by the secretary, Mr. Augustus O. Selby. Some of the chapters are as exhaustive as if writ- ten for an encyclopaedia, and deserve to be in a position to be referred to when a refer- ence is required. The sub- ject of vegetable parasites among insects is a particular instance of this superiority. The author of the paper, Mr. F, M. Webster, completely covers the interesting topic. With this is an illustration of a case in which a fungus, after permeating the larv« of one of the May beetles, sends up its fructiferous branches in the shape of two horns. It is known as Cordyceps Melolonthce. Just why this species should not grow on other kinds of insects is not known, but it serves to em- phasize a point often made against those who frighten a community with alarming stories of dangerous microbes, that it is only under very nice conditions that the represen- tatives of the lower orders of vegetation develop to any alarming extent. As these lines were being penned there came to hand from our obliging friend, Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, of Melbourne, Australia, another species of this curious genus of iviXi,^\— Cordyceps Ber- keleyi — if the memory of a misplaced label does not deceive the writer — growing from an- other species of caterpillar of that region. In this case the fungus takes the form of the antlers of a _ deer. It must be again noted ' how curious is the fact that spores of the various species of fungi should be wandering cordvceps melolontha: through the atmosphere or lying dormant in the soil for years until it comes across, appar- ently by accident, just the right kind of crea- ture to start the spore into growth. Still more interesting is the thought as to how the pecu- liar fungus and the peculiar creature ever came to be co-related. Closely connected is the subject of mimicry in plants and animals. Now it may be a bird, a grasshopper, or some other creature with color so like the earth that the arrangement seems especially with the view of protecting it from predatory neighbors. Some insects have wings formed like the leaves they feed on, and others with wings netted and veined and brown just like the dead leaves of the tree it frequents. Then again there are some roots that are so much like caterpillars that one is lost in wonder why they should want to mimic these living things. One of these, and for which we are indebted to the Bulletin of the Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station, Horticultural Division, Bulle- tin 6i, is the tuberous root of \ St achy s Florida- «fl,(seepage44), a plant much i resembling, and the roots proba- bly quite as use- ful as the much vaunted chorogi — Stachys Sie- boldii — of Asia. The resemblance to the Austra- lian caterpillar isstriking, while the stolon or thread which at- tached the tuber to the parent plant looks like the starting out of the fungus parasite. ■' ^-<' CORDYCEPS BERKELEY). 40 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [March A CORRESPONDENT sends us the following bit of etymology which may interest some of our readers : — " Meehans' Monthly has done, and is still ■doing much towards fostering among Ameri- cans that love and intimate knowledge of natural beauty which is so eminently charac- teristic of English-speaking people. Take the case of the Bellis peretims for example. We find it mentioned away back in the Anglo- Saxon times as ' dayes eaye,' that is 'day's eye,' which appellation graduall}' assumed the form ' daisie.' It was a great favorite of Chaucer, who wrote of The Daisie, That well by reason men it may call The Daisie or els the eye of the day.' In later times we find Burns describing it as the ' Wee, modest, crimson-tippit flower,' and Montgomery sings of it as ' A little flower With silver crest and golden eye.' In spite of numerous corrections of the error, many people persist in the belief that the larger and coarser ox-eye daisy, (which is not without beauty) is this favorite of the poets. The Bellis perennis never grows wild in this country. I have found it on the summit of the chalky cliffs of the south coast of Eng- land, so dwarfed that the foliage was entirely' undeveloped, and the flower itself poor and stunted, the ray-florets without the least crim- son on their tips. To develop the fine color a rich soil seems necessary. The various allusions to the daisy, \iy the English poets, show perfect familiarity with the flower. Rhj^msters who write of nature at second-hand find the Trailing Arbutus in July, and sweet-scented violets in the September woods. And I have seen carvings in which the forget-me-not was represented with a six- cleft or four-cleft corolla, according to the fancy of the carver." To the above interesting note may be added the fact that this English daisy has become abundantly naturalized in British Columbia. The writer has seen it in great numbers about Victoria. Local Habits of the Fringed Gentian. — The writer was much surprised on reading the article, in the Monthly for November, on the Gentiana crhiita (which, by the bye, is accom- panied by a beautiful reproduction of the plant) at the statement that it was " one of the rarest plants of that district," alluding to the district embraced within "ten miles around Philadel- phia," by Dr. W. P. C. Barton, published in 1818, and that the writer of the article in the Monthly ' ' had never collected it at all near Philadelphia." Your present correspondent has not only known it to be collected in large quantities on the Upper Wissahickon, above the Red Bridge, on the south side of the stream, but has col- lected it himself, in succeeding years, on a field where its abundant growth gained for the locality, amongst its frequenters, the name of ' ' Fringed Gentian Corner. ' ' This favored spot was a piece of cleared woodland, which appar- ently had never been upturned hy the plough, or in any way cultivated, and was sparsely covered by a growth of coarse grass, weeds and brush wood, amongst which cattle roamed at large. It is situated at the crossing of the City Line and Willow Grove Roads. No house was in sight, but following the former road in a westerly direction a quarter of a mile, an old but substantial farm house appeared, opposite which stood a large stone barn, — a " Pennsyl- vania barn, ' ' — surmounted by a cupola contain- ing a large bell used to summon the farm hands to their meals from distant fields. The road here, or slightly beyond, being the brow of a hill, commanded an extended and most attract- ive view of the surrounding country, being a part of the Chestnut Hill range ; bounded by the blue distant hills in all directions. All this peaceful rural scene, except the view, is past and gone now — the farm house, the quaint old barn, the lonely fields and the sympathetic gentian with them, for the hand of the spoiler has reached them and in their stead have sprung up out of their ashes pretentious coun- try-seats, palatial stables, with all their artificial belongings. C. J. W. The Early White Violet. — Miss Rose E. Babcock, of Rock Haven, Georgetown, D. C, has a good word for the early white violet. Its blossoms are open before the snow is scar- cely gorue, being a companion to the trailing arbutus and other flowers of spring. By the description the lady evidently refers to the wild form of the common pansy, which has the first appearance of being wholly white. GENERAL GARDENING. SUNSET IN THE VALLEY OF CASHMERE. "Who has not heard of the Vale of Cashmere, With its roses the brightest that earth ever gave, Its temples, and grottos, and fountains as clear As the love-lighted eyes that hang over their wave? Oh ! to see it at sunset, when warm o'er the Lake Its splendor at parting a summer eve throws. Like a bride, full of blushes, when lingering to take A last look of her mirror at night ere she goes ! — Thomas Moore. The Beauty of Mahonia. — No low, dvparf shrub is capable of giving so much garden pleasure as the mahonia. The holly-like leaves are evergreen ; but with the advent of cold weather, take on a bright, purple tint, which is always as pleasing as many blossoms would be. Before the spring has fairly come, it is covered with a profusion of bright golden flowers ; and towards the end of summer, the bluish, grape-like fruit gives an additional charm. In its native place of growth, namely : the woods of Oregon and Washington, it forms a large portion of the underbrush, growing frequently under evergreens, where it never re- •ceives a ray of sunshine. This hint should be profitable to cultivators. The proper place for the mahonia is under the shade of trees, walls or fences. When exposed to sunlight in win- tery weather, it often loses the greater portion of its foliage, and then is rather shabby, considering its general beautiful appearance. When a mahonia is reported as not being a success, we may understand that the plants referred to have been growing in sunlight. It is wholly a shade growing plant. Rosenberg Park, Copenhagen. — A corres- pondent of the New York Observer, who re- cently visited Copenhagen, describes Rosenberg Park as being in the centre of the city, and as a favorite playground for children . The old trees are moss-grown and the shade made by the branches very dense. No sun can penetrate the foliage. A statue of Hans Christian Andersen, reading to children one of his own stories, has a place in the centre of the Park. Preparing Ground for Lawns — In pre- paring lawns, much will depend on the locality. In districts where the summers are hot and dry, very deep soil is of importance ; but where the grass will not die out in the more moist regions, this point is not so essential. A heavy clay soil requires different treatment from a light soil, as heavy clays dry out rapidly in summer time. Any care given to making the under-stratum deeper will be an advantage. Manures must also be studied in connection with the soil. In light soils, stable manure is as good as anything ; in stiff soils, the arti- ficial fertilizers will do quite as well. Climbing Vines in Gardens. — Climbing vines have many different methods of attach- ing themselves to their support, — some encircle a branch of the host by twining their main bodies around the support. A hop vine is a familiar illustration of this. More delicate ones cannot twist around thick stakes, but have to have string or some similar material to cling to. The ordinary morning-glory is an illustration of this class ; but there are some which simply climb by twisting the leaf stalk around the support. This is especially true of the different kinds of clematises, yet it is not unusual in some gardens to see stakes as thick as walking-canes, put for the clematis to run up on ; but as it is unable to do this they have to be tied to this pole by twine, while the leaves go on twisting themselves in order to find some- thing to cling to, and as a consequence the vital powers of the plant are exhausted. In many cases the clematis, especially the variety known disjackman7ii, will die completely and suddenly from the attack of a minute fungus ; but it is more likely that this occurs oftener in cases as described, for want of the proper means of support. Thread or twine for the leaves to twist around, or even a little brush wood, such as we would give to a crop of peas, is much more likely to produce healthy and vigorous clematises than when they are deprived of all means of using their leaf-stalks as tendrils. (47) 48 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [March Sprouts from the Trunks of Trees. — Many varieties of weeping trees are grafted on stems, five or six feet in height. The first j-ear the grafts will push out more weakly than they will in future years, when they gain more strength, — in the meantime,' sprouts are very apt to come out from the stem' on which the weeping varieties have been grafted. A prac- tical man will strip these sprouts off, because he well understands that if allowed to grow, they rob the graft of its proper nutrition. There is no surer way to have a graft des- troyed, than to let the sprouts from the trunk grow as they will. It is the same in vegetation as some philosophers say is true of their lives, that ' ' the rich can get richer, and the poor can get poorer," when they once start in those several directions. Certainly a shoot which once gets to be a little stronger than the others eventually draws nearly all the nutrition to it- self, and yet it is of great service to have foli- age along the stem, because the sap cannot be drawn up without there are leaves actively engaged in the process. Instead, therefore, of pulling out the sprouts altogether, the wisest plan is to pinch out the apex or points of these growing shoots, so as to prevent them from becoming very strong. In the fall then they may be cut off altogether. A good illustration of the danger of allowing strong sprouts to grow from the stems of grafted plants, is seen in the rose. These are frequently grafted on a variety named Manetti. If the grafted part is very strong, it will easily sustain itself; but if there is any tendency to weakness, a strong shoot, or as it is often called, "sucker," will sprout from the stock near the ground. When this is the case it soon draws all the nutrition to itself, and the graft dies. The good rose- grower is continually on the look-out to cut away sprouts which may come out from the stock. Variegated Evergreens. — A large num- ber of the arbor vitse family and some families from Japan closely related, often produce plants which are tinted with various shades of yellow, brown or white. In the summer season those colors are not well brought out ; but in the winter time they seem to be well marked, and a collection of them, judiciously massed, makes one of the most interesting winter adornments of the flower garden. LiLiUM Wallachianum superbum. — In a recent number of Garden and Forest the hardi- ness of this new variety was questioned. My experience with it is as follows : In the winter of 1892-3 one bulb was overlooked and re- mained in the ground unnoticed and unpro- tected throughout the winter. We were sur- prised the following season by the appearance of a healthy, flowering stalk. Encouraged by this instance, I left half my stock of young bulbs in the open ground during the winter of 1893-4. The bed received a generous covering of pine needles, so much so that I do not sup- pose the ground froze very deeply throughout the winter. The result was that not a bulb was injured and the entire bed flowered as strong as the bulbs which were stored in the cold cellar. This test, in my judgment, settled the point that they are reasonably hardy. It is doubtful whether the bulbs would endure the freeze of a bare ground in our Northern States. None of our choice varieties should be sub- jected to such treatment. But with the usual generous covering of leaves, or needles, this variety shows marked vigor and healthiness. The bulbs will also keep as well as a gladiolus, if lifted and placed in a cold cellar. When re- planted in the spring they start with such vigor as to insure strong flowering stalks. They show no trace of mildew, or other disease, and must be regarded as one of the most rugged and healthy of the species. Wm. C. Strong. Wabaii, Mass. The Proper Season for Planting Ever- greens.— ' ' Is early or late planting best ? " is a question often asked, and it is frequently said of evergreens that they are better planted after the buds are started ; but this again depends on locality. As a general rule an evergreen should be transplanted as soon after the spring opens as possible. It may be said of late planting of evergreens, that they are usually more successful when planted late, than decid- uous trees would be. Water-plants in Deep Water. — A Dela- ware correspondent asks whether water-plants would grow on the sloping sides of a cistern at the depth of 25 or 30 feet. SomePotamogetons and the Vallisneria would no doubt grow well at that depth, and probably others. I895-] MEEHANS* MONTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. 49 Destroying Noxious Weeds. — A paragraph in Meehans' Monthly states in relation to the common poison vine, that any plant, poisonous or otherwise, can be easily destroyed by being cut off just beneath the ground, after the young leaves have pushed out, and before they are thoroughly matured. The California Fruit- grower asks whether this would be effective with the Russian and Canadian Thistles, and states that the Editors have seen the method tried on the ordinary Canadian Thistle, with little or no beneficial result. It so happens that the thought to try this method of destruc- struction first occurred through the writer having to grapple with the Canadian Thistle question. Soon after the leaves had pushed on some of these pests he cut them beneath the crown once. Possi- bly half a dozen other sprouts may have ap- peared some six weeks or two months after- wards, when they were again cut, and no sign of a Canadian Thistle was ever seen after- wards. The principle has since been practiced on other vicious weeds, which in view of the intercourse between so many countries, will oc- casionally appear. On the grounds of the Meehans' Nurseries, no difficulty whatever is found in exterminating the most vicious weed by this method. If the practice has been found to fail, it is probably through leaving the young leaves on the plants too long, so that they could absorb food and send it to the roots. If cut early enough every root dies. Those who are uncertain of the effectiveness of this can try it on a tree stump, — a tree may be cut down in the winter season, and will throw out a lot of sprouts from the stump in the spring. Let these sprouts be wholly taken off within two or three weeks after they commence to sprout, and the whole of that stump, root and trunk will most surely die. PiNUS MuGHus.— For clothing spots with dark green, dwarf, evergreen foliage, nothing equals the Swiss Mountain Pine. The speci- men illustrated is from one growing in the garden of Mr. Jacob Manning, of Reading, Mass. The Scotch Laburnum. — Travelers in Scotland and the North of England must have been struck with the great beauty of the Scotch Laburnum in the early spring time, — the long bunches of bright golden flowers equalling the wistaria in size, and the luxuriance of the green foliage must have strongly impressed them with the extraordinary beauty of this PiNUS MUGHUS. In the garden of Mr. Jacob Manning.) large shrub or small tree, — for it may be classed either way. In our drier climate it is never equal to its Scotch beauty, but still is suf- ficiently handsome to make it a very desirable plant. For city yards, especially where the soil is cool, it does remarkably well, and on private grounds, wherever a cool, shady spot can be selected for it, there are few things more desirable. In the full open sunlight, however, it is liable to get bark-bound. A very good common name for the plant is ''Golden Chain' ' — the name, of course, referring to the long racemes of golden flowers. 50 MEEHANS' MONTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. [March Suitable Plants for Hedges, — In select- ing plants for evergreen hedges, there is now a good list of varieties to choose from. In the central portion of the Eastern States, the Nor- way Spruce, Hemlock Spruce and arbor-vitae, are the three favorites among evergreens ; but really, any kind of bush-growing evergreen will make a good hedge, if care be taken not to let the stronger leading shoots get the ad- vantage over the lower ones. Arbor-vitae is popular on account of its requiring less trim- ming to keep into shape. Among deciduous hedge plants, the Japan Privet is of late be- coming a general favorite. The English Privet, so many years popular in the North- east, became subject to a fungus disease, which made heavy gaps in the line. The Japan Privet seems free from these troubles. It is often called "California Privet," though a native of Japan. For deciduous hedges of a protective character, the Osage Orange and the Honey Locust are still the most popular ; but no one should think of this unless with a determination to give the annual trimming, and this must be done so as to keep the stronger shoots from gaining an ascendency. There is little diflference in the value of one of these over the other. Naturally, they make trees, but if properly trimmed, that is to say, trimmed so that the lower portion is wider than the other, and so as to check the leading shoots, a first-class fence may be had, which will last for half a century, and yet not be more than five or six feet in height. As re- marked about evergreens, almost any shrub will make good hedge plants. There is a very wide field to choose from. The barberry, buckthorn and Japan quince are well known illustrations of the adaptability of many shrubs for hedge purposes. Planting with a Ball of Earth. — It would not do to say that a ball of earth, in transplanting, is never of any value to a tree, but it is certain that more trees are lost under the idea of preserving a ball of earth, than planters generally have any idea of. Within a mile of the writer there was a beautiful avenue of sugar maple trees, possibly 1 8 or 20 inches in circumference The street grades were changed which left these trees on the side- walk, about four feet above the surface. An experienced planter was employed to lower these trees. Great care was taken to preserve the ball of earth, and little by little the earth was taken out from beneath this ball, until the tree reached the lower grade desired. A few of these trees put out a weak growth the following year, but nearly all were dead before the year was over. It is forgotten that the best roots of a tree are the young and vigorous ones, the farthest away from the trunk. The large, thick, coarse roots, many years old, are of ver}' little value, — and yet these old stumps are about all that are left, under the ' ' ball of earth ' ' system. To move large trees successfully, a circle should be started nearly as far away from the trunk as the branches extend. It is at that point that we find the young and vigor- ous roots which it is important to save. Hav- ing gone down in this circle some two feet, the earth beneath these young roots can be taken away with a digging fork. All that is then required, is to be sure in transplanting that the earth is packed in thoroughly around the roots so as to leave no air spaces whatever. Large trees moved in this fashion do just as well as smaller ones. Trees 25 or 30 feet high, with trunks 18 inches or 2 feet in circumference, may be taken up and transferred several miles at a comparatively small cost. Plenty of young roots, and packing in all the earth tightly, is about all there is in the success of transplant- ing trees. Necessity of Having Air for the Roots OF Trees — It is a well-known fact, that when plants are growing it is just as necessary to have air for the roots as for the leaves, and the failure to meet desired success is often as much due to compactness of the soil, thereby exclud- ing air, as to the want of proper food. Under- draining, for instance, is of more value in furnishing air to the soil than in merely getting rid of the water ; because when the water goes away, air fills the places occupied by the water. When plants are not growing. — that is to say, when they are in a dormant condition, air is not necessary. Plants will live under water for weeks, in winter time, without injurj', when to be a couple of days without water when they are growing, would cause their immediate death. This les- son is of immense value to the practical culti- vator,— it is at the bottom of the greater part of a plant-grower's success. 1895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 51 Evergreen Beds. — The great labor and ex- pense of setting out flowering plants each year, lias had much to do with the introduction of the evergreen bed. Used in this way, ever- greens not only serve the purpose of creating a more natural appearance to the landscape in summer, but also afford a pleasing object to look upon during the bleak winter months, when a touch of green is such a grateful sight. By careful selection, a great variety of color- ing can be combined in beds of this kind. For large beds, specimens of the retinospora, arbor-vitae, yew, spruce and fir should be used for a back-ground, while in front of these places, the dwarfer evergreens, like the Irish Yew, Retinospora compada, R. obtusa na?ia, R. squarrosa and R. Sieboldi, the Little Gem and Globe Arbor-Vitaes, dwarf yews, junipers and cupressuses, and small plants of the stronger growing varieties of the Retinospora. These varieties will combine many colors, — yellow, ^reen, purple, gray, and light and dark green, making a most pleasing combination. The plants should be set rather close together, and a judicious use made of the shears, yearly, will keep them from growing too large, and as the brighter coloring is always on the young growth, it will also in- crease the attractiveness of the bed. It is not well to trim evergreens during the winter ; about the middle of April is a very good time, or just before they push out their new growth. An Orchid for Room Culture. — A wonder- fully pretty plant, well adapted for room cul- ture, is the well-known Mexican orchid, Cypri- pedium insigne. In its native country it grows in the deep shade of woods, so that the obscur- it}' of a dwelling house is rather agreeable to it than otherwise. Then it is in our country a natural winter-flowering plant, and needs no forcing to make it bloom. One plant will not yield many flowers ; but they are almost fade- less. A lady of the writer's acquaintance has a plant, in an eight-inch pot, with seven flowers. These opened early in December, and lasted until the early part of February. The curious slipper-like lip, which has suggested the name Cypripedium, — that is to say the "Slipper of Venus," — is always interesting. When the afternoon sunlight is shed on the flower, the colors are well brought out. It is a plant of the easiest culture, as all summer long it can be placed under the shade of some tree or wall. If it gets an abundance of water, it seems thankful ; but if exposed to drought, it seems to enjoy life all the same. The plant above referred to had been in the same pot for many years. Besides the interest derived from the study of the curious and beautiful flowers, there is the additional one of testing the remarkable fact that orchids generally cannot fertilize themselves. The central portion of the orchid flower, which is technically known as the column, is a combined mass of stamens and pistils, with the anthers so placed that the pollen — which is arranged in solid club-shaped masses — cannot reach the apex or stigma without external assistance. One can easily find these pollen-masses. When placed on the stigma in this species, seed vessels follow in almost every case. The raising of the seed is a more difficult matter, — but to actually produce the seed is alone a pleasurable feat to the window-plant grower. The Bearberry, Arctostaphylos uva- URSi. — It is interesting to note how the same species of plant will choose different conditions, when growing in widely different localities. Along Lake George we see it pushing out of the clefts in the rocks, covering the surface as with rich paper hangings. In New Jersey we find it trailing over sand. In the Rocky Moun- tains we find it sending its roots deep down into the mass of rotten porphery that one sinks almost knee deep into along the foothill sides. On Lake Michigan they form hummocks in the drifting sands four or six feet high, giving the sandy plains the appearance of a meadow with piles of new-mown hay. The drifting sand covers the plant, but the branches push through and again get covered, when they again push through, maintaining all that collects between its branches, until the immense heaps are built. One of the prettiest sights in nature IS to see these hillocks in spring when in bloom, and in autumn with their colored foliage and red berries. One scarcely needs a garden when Nature lays herself for such art as this. The botanical name is rather hard — Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. But hard names get easy by prac- tice. 52 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [^larch Sowing Seeds. — As the period of seed sow- ing is approaching, it will be well to remind inexperienced gardeners that seeds require air as well as moisture in order to grow properly. If the seeds are beneath the reach of the atmos- phere they will remain a long time in the earth without growing. A good plan for sow- ing small seeds is therefore to choose a day for sowing when the ground will powder a little, and then to sprinkle the seeds lightly on the powdered earth, pressing them into the ground with the flat side of the garden trowel. Mr. Peter Henderson, who was one of the most successful practical gardeners we have ever had in America, was so sensible of this fact that he used to recommend for many seeds that they be simply dropped along the outstretched line, and then simply trodden into the ground. This also would have to be done when the ground is dry enough to crush. Very few seeds fail to germinate under these circum- stances. Where seeds have been buried a considerable distance in the earth it is well known that they will lie without vegetating for a number of years. Clethra alnifolia.— Notwithstanding the large numbers of species that bloom suc- cessively, so that flowers may be had in abundance for most periods of the year, there is a time, about the end of July, mid-way be- tween spring and autumn flowers, when scarcely anything is open. One of the best things for this spare time is Clethra abiifolia,— sometimes known under the common name ot Pepper Bush. The long spikes of pure white flowers with the bright yellow anthers render it a particular ornament. In the Meehans' Nurseries there is a bush twenty years old, which is now twelve feet high, and fifteen feet wide. It is impossible to find anything prettier at that season of the year. It has in addition a delightful fragrance. On account of the scarcity of other flowers at that period, it is visited by a very great variety of insects, so that what with butterflies, bees, hornets, and other winged insects of many kinds, the flower has an additional attraction to those which its own beauty affords. ScHENLEY Park Conservatories. — As a rule, park conservatories are arranged more as a permanent exhibition of foliage and tropical plants ; but Mr. A. W. Bennett, the Superin- tendent of the Bureau of Public Parks of Pitts- burg, believes in making special attractions each month, and to show that these special ex- hibitions are appreciated by the public it is only necessary to state that last fall, when the chrysanthemums were in bloom, they were viewed by thirty thousand people in one Sun- day afternoon, the walks through the conser- vatories being so arranged that visitors entered at one door, passing along the various walks and finally out of the door adjoining entrance, making a complete circuit. While the great- est number of visitors were on Sundaj-s, 3et large crowds thronged the place every after- noon and evening during the week. The man- agers of the Traction Company employed a string orchestra at the greenhouses during the entire time the exhibition was going on, and this naturally added greatly to the entertain- ment of the visitors. At this writing, February ist, probably the finest exhibition of cyclamens ever seen in this country is being held there. It consists of no less than 2,000 plants, showing the greatest state of health and perfection. Many plants can be seen having from thirty to thirty five blooms open at one time, while there are sufficient buds unopened to continue the show in perfection for some weeks to come. The arrangement of colors is particularl}"- effective ; here and there a number of plants of the Chinese primrose in full bloom add to- the beauty of the scene. By the time the Cyclamens are past their best, the house of Cinerarias, containing some 1,800 plants, will be the attraction. At this time a few blooms are open and some of the most beautiful colors can be found in this col- lection. One flower of deep royal purple is particularly striking. Later, the Easter lilies will be ready and with them, a great number of tulips, hj'acinths- and other bulbs, counted b}' the thousands, and at the same time the azaleas, genistas and Chrysanthemum foe^iiculaceum , or more properly- speaking, C. anethifolijim , will be in their per- fection. An adjoining house has some 2,000 plants of Calceolarias, not yet showing bud but calculated to prolong the flower show later in the season. The main conservatory is devoted to the usual collection of palms, ferns and other I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 53 tropical plants, but the unusual condition of health and the thrifty appearance of the plants show that great care and attention has been given to their culture. Particularly noticeable in the collection was a large specimen of Phcenix spinosa at one end of the house, cover- ing a space of not less than 20 feet in diam- eter. At the opposite end of the house, in a similar position, and of equally as large size, is a specimen of the Phcenix dadylifera or common date palm. In the centre of this building stands a plant of Catyota urens, at least 20 feet tall. On each side" of one of the entrances are magnificent specimens of the Mtisa Ensete, many of the leaves being at least 12 feet in length. Another house contains large specimens of Australian tree ferns, pur- chased by prominent citizens of Pittsburg, from the Australian Government, who had them in their exhibit at the World's Fair. The appearance of this house must reward Mr. Bennett for the care and attention necessarily expended upon it, for certainly in their native element they could not look better. The col- lection of cactuses, though not large, contains several fine specimens, one clump of Mammil- laria bicolor having no less than twenty-five of its succulent branches well developed. Mr. Bennett looks forward to the time when he can have an entire house devoted to these interest- ing and unique plants. The conservatories are built on the most approved plans, and were designed and erected by the Lord & Burnham Co., in 1892. The entire cost was $110,000 which was given by Mr. Henry Phipps, Jr., for the pur- pose. Plans are now prepared for the build- ing of a range of houses of the most modern type, for the growing of bedding plants, and for starting and growing on the plants which are to be used throughout the winter for the continuous exhibitions, and embellishment of the parks. The money for building these is also to be given by Mr. Henry Phipps, Jr. It is the good fortune of some people to have their lot cast in pleasant places and this is certainly the case with Mr. Bennett, who by his unerring judgment and thorough knowledge of his business has endeared him not only to the oflScials with whom he comes in contact, but also with the people of Pitts- burg, who thoroughly appreciate the beauti- ful exhibitions which he prepares for them. ©1 li^lE FL/^MTJ A Dwarf Sweet Pea. — Magazines similar to Meehans' Monthly must often regret that their limited soace prevents them from review- ing catalogues as they do books especially designed for library purposes, for many of these catalogues are quite as instructive, and deserving of as much consideration. It is dif- ficult to take hold of any one without finding a large amount of material which is quite as novel as that which appears in the best maga- zines. Taking up the catalogue, for instance, of W. Atlee Burpee & Co., of Philadelphia, we find a very interesting novelty spoken of, in a sweet pea which does not climb, but re- mains as a bush onl}^ a few inches in height. This is not the first instance of climbing flowers losing their character and becoming bushy, as we have had the dwarf nasturtium and other similar cases ; but a dwarf sweet pea would certainly seem a novelty to most of us. Gaillardia grandiflora. — Nurserymen and florists have long called in the engraver to convey information to their customers, but the lithographers' art is a little too expensive yet, for general application. "When attempts have been made they mostly resulted in mere daubs. But a remarkabl}^ good specimen of SEE PAGE AA. THE PRIMITIVE CORN. (Sexual abuoriualism in au ear of Indian Coin.) 54 MEEHANS' MONTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. [March workmanship appears in Dreer's Garden Cal- endar for 1895, in Gaillardia grandiflora. which looks as natural as life. It seems to be a large and showj^ variety of Gaillardia pul- chella, which in itself is no mean ornament of the flower garden. Violet, the " California." — New violets have often had to travel under national protec- tion. The Neapolitan Violet carried the Italian ensign, — and the Russian had an equally national significance. The Pacific Coast now presents the California Violet, as ready to enter the lists in the great floral tour- ney. It is described as a wonder. Flowers immense, colors intense, prolific, several hun- dred flowers on a single plant, which are borne on fourteen inch stems, etc. It seems to be a first class variety. Crataegus cuneata. — Mr. Wm. B. Alwood, of Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, Blacksburg, Va. , sends a specimen of this one of the evergreen thorns, belonging to the same class as the Pyracantha, which they are culti- vating under the name of Crahegiis spathulata. It is a native of Japan, and with its scarlet berries hanging on through the winter, among its evergreen leaves, ought to be a specially ornamental plant. We did not know before that it had been introduced from Japan. Centrosema Virginiana. — So many of our beautiful native flowers have been neglected, that are as worthy of cultivation as those which grow in distant lands, that it is pleas- ant to notice the eSbrts of the Lovett Co., of Little Silver, New Jersey, to introduce the lovely and curious Centrosema Virginiana, of which they have issued a colored plate. The name of Hardy Perennial Sweet Pea has been suggested as a pet name, but a more appro- priate one may be found. Swainsonia galegifolia alba. — A Phila- delphia florist made a great hit the past winter in growing a whole houseful of the white Swainson flower of New Holland. The flowers are like long spikes of pure white sweet peas, and are well set oft by delicate, ferny foliage. They became popular at once when placed on the market. Usually the plant grows too tall, but the florist in question, Mr. David Cliffe, succeeded in dwarfing it without any loss to its free blooming character. The critical, gram- matical student would perhaps contend that Robert Brown should have written the name galegcefolia, and not galegifolia, but we have to take names as the authorities give them to us. RuBUS SPECTABiLis. — Mr. Blanc sends us a colored Chinese drawing of what appears to be referable to Rzibus speclabilis, of the Pacific coast, which is also a native of Asia. The golden fruit is depressed globose, about an inch broad. This species has already' been taken in hand by California improvers, and good reports may be expected from the experiments. This class of the rubus family is so nearly on the boundary line of the raspberry and blackberry, that, for garden use, a new classification for it seems to be desirable. It is said to fruit earlier than other species, — and on this account, Mr. Blanc proposes for it the name of "May Berrj'," which, perhaps, is as good a designa- tion as any other. China Berries. — Under the name of ' 'China berries," Mr. Frank H. Lattin sends some of the pretty amber-colored berries of the Sapiti- dus margiyiatus. " The fruit grows in grape- like clusters, on small trees along creeks, in Oklahoma," he says. TmiE M^^I^Y FL@WEi ^i^IliS)EiNI. Lavender. — Among low-growing shrubs, the common garden lavender deserves a place in gardens. It is an evergreen bush, with greenish gray leaves, usually reaching two feet in height. The flowers of a lavender-blue, of course, are not showy, but always interest by their sweet perfume. It is of the easiest culture. A Young Girl's Experience with PansiEs, — I planted pansies in my flower bed last spring expecting many blossoms later. In the morn- ings when I visited my bed I noticed that the leaves and often the young tender stems of the pansies were drawn down into the ground and sometimes were broken off". They would be all right when I left them the evening before. I thought it must be the grub or cut worm and commenced to dig, but not one could I find. I 1^95-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING, 55 spoke of the occurrence to one of my neighbors and they said fish worms were the cause of my trouble, and that I should use Paris Green. I doubted it, but decided to try, so I made a dredge box out of a tin baking powder box and put in about equal parts of Paris Green and flour (little less of Paris Green). In the evening I sprinkled the ground well around the plants, being careful not to get any on the leaves. The next morning I went out to see the eflFect, when I found the dead worms by the handful and my pansies looking nice and fresh as could be, the leaves and stems being in their natural positions. I was not troubled again for about two weeks, when I found the leaves and stems being drawn down again, and broken, and, of course, my choicest plants. I again used my dredge box several nights in succession, and was rewarded by more worms and better plants. I continued to use m}^ dredge box every time I saw the leaves drawn down, and had no more trouble during the summer. Elmira E. Noyes. This good letter from one only just entering in her " teens '" is a good lesson for older folk. To trace the relation between cause and effect is one of the best steps to a successful practice. Paris Green is not only useful in destroying pests that can be induced to partake of it, but being a compound of copper, destroys mil- dew and blights that often play sad havoc with our floral pets. Plants to Grow in the Shade. — The late Peter Henderson, in his Practical Floticultufe, says that the following plants will grow and bloom in the shade, though of course, none will do as well as if they received sunshine a part of the day : fuchsias, pansies, forget-me- nots, violets, lobelias, lilies -of- the -valley, phlox, and some varieties of herbaceous plants. To this list we can add the tuberous- rooted begonias, which thrive especially well in a shady, moist spot, and bloom profusely. Mr. Henderson also includes the following foliage plants for a similar situation. Gold and silver variegated leaved geraniums, achy- ranthuses, alternantheras, begonias, centau- reas, caladiums, coleuses, etc. This is well worth noting, as the amateur is frequently perplexed to find plants to brighten just such spots as these, which are to be found more or less in every garden. F^METS m, ¥E"^ETi^PLES. Filberts. — The planting of nut trees is a subject that is receiving a great deal of atten- tion, not only by amateurs, but by others, as a source of profit, and it is a subject opening many possibilities from a commercial stand- point. Among all the varieties of nut trees none will afford a greater source of revenue than the filbert. The plants do not attain a very large size, consequently a great number could be planted to the acre ; or they could be profitably planted in the orchard, among fruit trees ; and as they bear when quite small, about three feet in height, they very quickly pay th e cost of cultivation, until they attain sufficient size to become profitable. Care should be taken to select a suitable spot for the plantation, as the bush is monoe- cious,— that is to say both the male and female flowers are on the one plant ; and if the plants have an unbroken southeastern exposure, the warmth of the sun in the winter and early spring will cause the male flowers to open, and the pollen would be lost before the female flow- ers expand in the spring. For this reason a northwestern exposure is preferable ; but i f the plants are set among other trees or shrubs, so that they are somewhat protected from the sun in winter, any exposure will suflfice. Amateurs, in planting filberts should bear this in mind. There is always a spot north of the house or stable, or among clumps of trees and shrubs, that would be just suited for the cultivation of the filbert. The varieties Bergeri, Gea?ite de Halle and Merville de Bollewieller are probably among the best sorts. The nuts of these varieties are large, and the plants seem unusually prolific. Brussels Sprouts. — Nothing is more re- markable than the many varied products of the one original of the cabbage tribe. The writer of this has collected the cabbage in its native localities. It is a spindling plant with a few grayish, succulent leaves usually not more than three or four inches in diameter at the base ; and yet from this one wild stock has been pro- duced the various forms of the cabbage trihe, including the red cabbage, savoy, various kinds of Scotch kale, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and many other similar plants which the cultivator of vegetables can 56 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [March readily recall. Probably no wider range of variation can be found anywhere in the vege- table kingdom Some of these vegetables, however, are not nearly in as common use as they deserve to be, and this is particularly true of the Brussels sprouts. Comparatively few, indeed, know of it at all. We were strongly impressed with this while looking through the admirable vegetable catalogue of J. M. Thor- burn & Co., of New York, and they have kindly allowed us to reproduce here the illus- tration which they have made, in order not only to show its manner of growth, but also the manner of its cultivation. The stem in reality is a nest for scores of 3'oung cabbages. The little heads, as will be seen by the illustra- tion, are produced abundantly along the stem. They are all the better for being eaten afier a JASMTi(ORByRNvCo.N.Y little frost has occurred, the frost seeming to give some sweetness which does not exist before the low temperature occurs. The seeds are sown in the spring, without any more care than is usually given to other cabbage seed ; but still more detailed instructions will be found in seedmen's catalogues. Mushroom Culture. — A Berlin correspond- ent of the Gardeners'' Chronicle says that ' ' a new mode of mushroom culture was shown at the last meeting of the Verein fur Befoerderung des Gartenbaues at Berlin, November 29th. Old cement casks are filled one-third with half- rotted horse-dung, and in this dung is laid the spawn of the Agaric. The casks are laid on their sides in rows one above the other, the spaces between them being filled in with fresh horse dung, which affords regular warmth, and is afterwards employed for filling the casks. The casks are laid in a cellar, and furnish after a short time a good and regular crop. This mode of growth may be recommended for its cheapness. If one or another cask becomes by any cause unproductive, it may easilj- be with- drawn. The grower said that the warmth pro- duced by the horse-dung is far better for the growth of the fungus than any artificial warmth, and the dung, after its warmth is spent, is used as a substratum in the casks. Cement casks are cheap, being sold here at 2>d. each. The casks are covered over with the horse-dung after spawning and soiling." The Productiveness of the Bartlett Pear — It is said, by some good authorities, that the Bartlett Pear is one of the varieties that sometimes produce weak anthers, and that for want of pollen, the tree is sometimes unpro- ductive. In this case it has to depend on pollen from other trees. This can scarcely be the case in the Central States, for there trees entirelj' isolated, regularly bear full crops. Sometimes, instead of the want of pollen, the infertility arises from a difference between the maturing of the pollen and the appearance of the female flower. In those localities where there are oftentimes warm spells in winter, the pollen will mature far ahead of the development of other parts of the flowers. When the flower is, therefore, really in bloom, the pollen has all been perfected and blown away. This is probably the real reason why many fruit trees are occasionalU^ infertile. The Lorentz Peach. — Mr. Reid, of Bridge- port, Ohio, states that the Lorentz Peach originated in the orchard of Mr. Fred Lorentz, Marshall Co., W. Va. It is a yellow fleshed peach with a bright red cheek, free stone, and ready for market in that part of Ohio, by the 25th of October. It is of a medium size, and is said to keep well for two weeks after being gathered. Parker Earle Strawberry. — Professor L. H. Bailey has a good word to saj' for this new variet}' of strawberry', Parker Earle, wh'ch was raised in 1SS9 by Mr. T. V. Munson, of Denison, Texas. i89S.] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 57 Thinning Out Young Crops. — Few prac- tices are more profitable in the amateur's vege- table garden than thinning out garden crops as soon as the young plants are above the sur- face. If the knowledge of the proper sowing of seeds was more widely prevalent, when the number of seeds required to make plants only need be sown, no thinning would be needed ; but so many persons sow the seeds, fearing that numbers will fail to grow, and therefore, many more seeds are used than is necessary. But sometimes all these superfluous seeds grow, in which case it is desirable that they should be thinned. Not only do the vegetable plants grow larger under these circumstances, but in many cases they come earlier into use. Drying Pears. — W. C. Fuller, of Colton, Califor- nia, finds that pears can be dried in the shade, in the climate of California, and that they are a better article than when dried in the sunlight. Early Tomatoes. — Most amateur gardeners hail the gathering of the first tomato of the season as an epoch in the garden culture of the year. In the Central States it is a great event if the first ripe one can be gathered on the Fourth of July, the Nation 's holiday. The ' ' New Im- perial " is put forward as a variety bound to distance all competitors the coming season. Copper Solutions for Fungus Diseases. — Though the ingredients for copper mixtures have been so often published, inquiries still come for a formula. The usual mixture is six pounds of copper sulphate and four pounds of lime, to twenty-two gallons of water. Sprayers are so numerous that it is difficult to name any one that is better than another. The Bourgeat Quince. — In 1872, a variety of the common quince was intro- duced directly from Asia, and described by M. Car- riere, in the Revtie HoHi- cole, as a sub-variety of the species, and naming it Cydo7iia Bourgeatii. It can scarcely merit the distinc- tion of being more than a marked variety. In the February number of Mee- HANs' Monthly, p. 36, some notice of it appears, and its large, healthy leaves referred to. Mr. Young kindly sends some of the fruit, which well sustains the character given as an excellent vari- ety. The annexed illustration represents a fruit of an average size from among those sent. THE BOURGEAT QUINCE. BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. ISRAPHEL. A dreamer 'midst the stars doth dwell Known to the gods as Israphel. His heart strings are a lute ; And when, the magic notes outpouring, He parts his lips, the gods, adoring, Listen in transport mute, Subdued and softened by the spell Of the dreamer, Israphel ! And mortals, when they hear him start, And full of wonder, call him — Art, And fain his gift to gain, Essay to imitate the fashion Of his rare song, and breathe its passion, — But, ah, they strive in vain ; For hi's song is more than art, Whose lute-strings are his heart ! And others, unto whom he wings The sweetest melodies he sings — In worship, name him — Love ; Yet longing the pure strain to capture. When at the very height of rapture, A sadness oft approve, And fancy, strangely, that he wrings The music from their own heart strings ! — Florence Earle Coaxes. The Growth of the Mistletoe. — A recent writer has attempted to explain the reason why the mistletoe is now found so rarely on the oak, in England, when in the time of the Druids it was undoubtedly found in considerable abun- dance. The Druids in times past never had any difficulty in finding all the mistletoe on the oak that was desirable for their religious ceremonies ; — but they would have hard work to find enough on oaks in England to perform their ceremonies in these days, — on the other hand the mistletoe is found in extreme abun- dance upon apple trees. To such an enormous extent is this the case that it is almost as essential to fight the mistletoe from the apple trees as we have to fight weeds from any gar- den crops. The author referred to, points out that the apple tree was apparently unknown in England until taken there by the Romans, and therefore this transition of the mistletoe to the apple tree from the oak must have occurred since that time. Hitherto the cause of this transi- tion has been a mystery ; but the writer calls to mind the well-known fact that the seeds of (58) the mistletoe are carried to trees by birds. Birds feed on the berries, and then on account of the sticky nature of the pulp clean their bills against the branches. The seeds then sprout, and grow where the birds place them ; and further it is shown that birds frequent those trees near which they get the greater supply of food or greater protection. This they find to a greater extent in apple orchards than among oaks. The birds, therefore, having transferred their homes from the oak to the apple tree, this naturally accounts for the absence of the mistletoe from the oak, and for its abundant presence in the apple orchard. The Love Vine. — Mr. E. E. Bogue, of Orwell, Ohio, has the following note about the Love Vine : " In the magazine for January, 1892, p. 6, I notice your query in regard to the ' Love Vine.' It strikes me that the plant may be some species or variety of the genus Vinca. I used to be told that V. minor was called ' myrtle,' and supposed that was true, until I came to know that ' myrtle, ' {Myrttis commu7iis,) is altogether a different plant. " It is well known that some people try to express their sentiments through the so-called ' language of flowers.' The language of the true myrtle is 'love,' and that of Vinca — sometimes known as 'periwinkle' — is 'early friendship.' Is it not possible that some inno- cent, ignorant, inconsistent people enwreathed the spirit of love with a species of Vinca, because they had heard it called myrtle and thought they had the genuine article? While Vinca is an introduced genus I can not explain how the Indians should have any legend in regard to it, unless it was introduced by some of the very early explorers. It has but few roots and grows spontaneously, just as likely as anything else. " The Vinca minor goes by the name of "myrtle'' almost altogether in the Eastern States. The true myrtle of the poets, as Mr. Bogue says, is an entirely different plant. i«95.] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. 59 Pomology. — The frenzy which has recently seized so many botanists, pushing them to turning upside down the accepted names of plants, on account of the abstract law of prior- ity, in some cases a dead letter for a century, seems to be extending to other branches of intelligence. In a paper by a famous horticul- turist, published recently, objection is taken to the word "pomology." He insists that it should be dropped, and that we should adopt the term Fructiculture. This of course, is from the 'L.z.Mwx fnictus (a fruit). But even this will scarcely bear critical support, for although, the moderns connect the word pomum with apple, in the days when the Latin was a living lan- guage, pomum simply meant an edible fruit ; and it is even charged that the word " apple, " as used in the Bible account of the Garden of Eden, is not a fair translation of the original word. On the other hand, frudus as a fruit, is by no means to be confined to that which is edible, — the seed vessel of any plant might fairly be classed under the word frtichis ; but there seems to be no end to the effort for a pure nomenclature no matter to what absurdities the effort may lead. Dried Plants of California. — It was stated a year ago, in Meehans' Monthly, that Mr. George Hansen, of Jackson, Amador Co., Cal., proposed to collect specimens of the native flowers in the vicinity of the groves of the Mammoth Trees, so as to have them for travelers who might like to carry away with them, these flowers as mementoes of that re- markable region. Mr. Hansen has really done more, and made a complete collection of the flora of that region. Many of these are extremely rare, and as they are all named with strict botanical accuracy, they are already in demand for some of the leading herbariums of the Old World. Collections have been ordered for Berlin, London, Geneva and St. Petersburg. Mr. Hansen is offering them for sale at $8.00 a hundred species. Women in Botanical Honors.— The high- est graduate in botany in the recent biological examination at the University of Pennsyl- vania, was a woman with an average of 100. The next, averaging 99, was also a woman. A man also received 99, the next in honors, — 95, was a man. Diana as a Goddess of Agriculture. — Diana is usually regarded as the patroness of the chase, and is often represented with bow and arrows, hunting in the woods. At the Columbian Exposition, she was made to "roost," (as a correspondent expresses it,) on the Agricultural Building, and the question is raised as to what business she had there. A lady answers the question by an extract from Alexander Murray's " Manual of Mythology." "Originally, Artemis, or Diana, was the divine personification of the moon, just as her twin brother, Apollo, was God of the Sun. It was observed that the vegetation of warm southern climes, spread and flourished most under the quickening influence of the coolness of night ; and the fall of dew, which often for whole months was a substitute for the missing rain. It was known by experience that the fall of dew is most copious when the sky is clear and the moon sheds her pure light, and hence to Diana or Artemis was ascribed the CZMSQ of fertility 171 this direction y Our irreverent correspondent, who has evi- dently been the victim of an unpopular microbe — Bacillus tributivorus — expects to get relief by praying to the "goddess of duesy Dr. Geo. A. Rex. — Cryptogamic botany suffers a severe loss in the death from heart- failure of Geo, A. Rex, of Philadelphia, which occurred on February 5th. He was in his fif- tieth year. He was recognized as a leader in the knowledge of microscopic fungi, and espec- ially as a colleague of Mr. John B. Ellis, the famous mycologist of New Jersey. He was a native of Philadelphia, and a member of the council of management of the Academy of Natural Sciences. This is the second council- lor the Academy has lost within a few months, the death of Dr. J. Bernard Brinton, being re- cently chronicled. Mrs. Kate N. Doggett. — The Chicago papers state that a public memorial is to be erected to that admirable woman, Mrs. KateN. Doggett. Amateur botanists were proud of her. She had a warm interest in all the sciences that bear on popular gardening and rural affairs. A welcome leader in Chicago society, she yet found abundant time and means for efforts in the good of humanity, and in the advancement of her sex especially. GENERAL NOTES. Advancing Plant Growth. — It is said that tricksters in India will plant a seed in the earth, cover it with a cloth, and a young plant will ap- pear and grow several feet high in a few minutes. Few believe in this report to its fullest extent ; but a French observer. Monsieur Bagonneau, declares that he has seen it, and that these Hindoos bring special soil prepared, in which the seed has to be planted ; and that he dis- covered that the earth was brought from the vicinity of ant hills, and that the earth con- tained a large amount of formic acid. He says he has repeated the experiments. He placed a quantity of ants in boiling water, and in that way obtained strong formic acid, and that by watering the seeds with this acid, he obtained as extraordinary a growth of the plant as attributed to the Hindoos. The so-called ex- periments of this Frenchman are being widely quoted in the daily newspapers, yet it must be familiar to most observers, that the vegetation in the vicinity of our American ant hills is no stronger than the vegetation elsewhere. If however there be any who have faith in the result of these so-called experiments, it might be well to suggest that they test their faith again the coming season. Preserving Fruits by Carbouc Gas. — The Pacific Rural Press states that actual ex- periments have been made in sending fruit to Chicago from California, preserved by means of carbonic acid gas, which proved a great success, and that the fruit reached its destination in a much better condition then when brought. in the usual refrigerator cars ; that the cost was not one-half that which is incurred under the regular refrigerator system, and that the price realized for the fruit was higher than that received in the old way . Violet Culture. — Violets are grown on a large scale in California. For these flowers Mr. Robert Armstrong, of Mountain View, Santa Clara Co., has two acres, — the varieties being Czar, and Marie Louise. {60) Alg.e — Sea weeds and the lower order of water weeds known as Algae, whether growing in salt or fresh water, have an interest for the lover of the curious and the beautiful, as well as to those who dive deeply into the secrets of Nature. Mr. F. S. Collins, of Maiden, Mass., has prepared sets of dried specimens on 12 by 9 inch paper, botanically named, which he will exchange for species of other districts, or possibly sell to those who have nothing to exchange. New Parks in Cleveland. — Cleveland, Ohio, is falling into the popular ranks in favor of additional city parks. They already have beautiful avenues lined with trees, which give portions of the city a park-like appearance. It is proposed to secure two difierent plots, — one to be called " Indian Mount Park," — the other "Cleveland Park." The former is supposed to cost about thirty thousand dollars, — the latter, ninty-three thousand dollars. The Copper-colored Iris. — The remark- ably rare and singular copper-colored iris. Iris aiprea, will come up for the colored pl^te in April. It is the object of the publishers to give representations of the flora of every sec- tion. California, New England and New Jer- sey have been favored recently, and now a place is given to Missouri. Darlingtonia Californica. — It was over- looked when writing the chapter on this curi- ous plant, to state that the specimens, from which the drawings were made, were kindly furnished to us by Miss M. Davis, of Birming- ham, Pa. The Arboretum of the Ohio State University. — Mr. Ernest E. Bogue, of Or- well, Ohio, writes that there is an excellent col- lection of trees and shrubs on the grounds of the Ohio State University. IRIS CUPREA. COPPER IRIS. NATURAL ORDER, IRIDACE.E. Iris cuprea, Pursh. - Stem simple, furrowed and angled on oue side ; leaves linear-sword-shaped ; flowers axillarj-and termi- nal, single or by pairs, crestless, dull yellow : lube of the perianth somewhat inflated, as long as the six-angled ovary ; stigmas scarcely longer than the anthers, about half as long as the petals, the lips nearlv entire; capsule tumid, six- angled. Swamps in the lower districts of Georgia ("/rz/zo/if) and westward. April and ]\Iay. Stem, three feet high; leaves, two feet long; flowers, t%vo inches long. (Chapman s Flora of the Southern United States. See also Gray's Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States, and Wood's Class-Book of Botany.) The natural order to which Iris has given its name, Iridacece, is a somewhat extensive one, there being over seven hundred well recog- nized species included within it. It has a wide distribution, being represented in some form or another over the whole world, — tropical regions as well as temperate ones having some species recorded in their flora. Of these, about two hundred are represented by Iris proper, while the balance are more nearly allied to the section represented by our "Blue-eye grass," Sisyrinchium. Of the two hundred more closely related to Iris, about one hundred would be considered true Irises ; but comparatively few ofthese are natives of the New World. The well known "Tiger flower" of gardens, Tigridia Pavonia, a Mexican bulb, is a fair representa- tive of the section in South America. Of true Irises, Dr. Chapman recognizes only seven species as native to the Southern States. Gray's Manual of Botany gives only six, only one of these — Iris laaistris — being different from those already recorded by Chapman. In the central portion, or Rocky Mountain region, Coulter records only one species, Iris Misso7irie?isis, while the " Botany of California' ' names but six, one of the.se being the /. Missouriensis already nottd. The species now illustrated. Iris cuprea, is especially limited in its range, being con- fined to a tract between the Mississippi at about St. Louis and western Georgia. Nothing was known of the Copper Iris till the beginning of the present century, when it seems to have been found nearly simultaneously by two <'f dur zealous collectors, Lyon and En.^lrn. 'I he tirst account of it occurs with a coloied plate in the Botanical Magazine, with th-i following note of its history : " An unre- corded and singular species, differing from any known to us in the color and inflection of the corolla Found spontaneously on the banks of the Mississippi, in low ground not far from the town of New Orleans. Introduced into this country in 1811 by Mr. Lyon, a very intel- ligent and industrious collector of North Amer- ican plants. It is hardy, blooms in June, seeds freely, and is easily propagated by divid- ing the root stocks." This was in 1812, plate 1496, and is there described as Iris fulva. But Pursh, in his Flora of North America, published in 1814, describes it as Iris cuprea, and says it grows " on the banks of the Mis- sissippi near New Orleans, discovered by Mr. Enslen, collector to Prince Lichtenstein of Austria." Little discrepancies, such as these, are often deemed too trifling to discuss. But often it is the little truth that in history influ- ences the greater. In this case, Lyon, the botan- ical collector died, while he was on his travels, and was buried in Asheville, North Carolina. The exact route of his journey has always been considered of great interest in botanical circles. From the note in the Botmiical Magazine it might be inferred that he collected in New Orleans ; but it is pretty certain he was never in that direction. Pursh, as appears by the " Introduction " to his "Flora," was on terms of intimacy and friendship with both of these collectors, — it is more than likely that his account is the proper one. The same year that Pursh reached England to prepare and publish his work, the plant was described as Iris fulva. Pursh must have known of this, when two years later he described it as Iris cuprea. The care which he takes to repeat just what the other said, changing only Enslen for Lyon, (61) 62 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — IRIS CUPREA. [April and St. Louis for New Orleans, and naming the plant as the other did, on its peculiar color, looks as if the re-naming was intentional ; but the reason may ever remain a mystery. All American authors have followed Pursh in the nomenclature of the plant, though well know- ing that the law of priority should rule. Iris fulva, under the rules strictly enforced, should be the adopted name. Perhaps if the whole undercurrent could be revealed there might be found some reasons satisfactory to them why the earlier name was .set aside. In everyday life, strict law or rule is often made to give way to what seems to be sterner justice. Though the species was first discovered near St. Louis, it was soon after noted by Stephen Elliott in hi.s work on the Flora of South Carolina, and specimens are not uncommon in herbaria from many collectors. The drawing for this chapter was made from specimens kindly communicated by the late Dr. Geo. Engelmann, from St. Louis. As a matter of artistic taste, it is probably one of the most successful of Mr. Lunzer's paintings, and will serve as a model for floral pictures. The whole plant is represented from its strong rhizome to the latest undeveloped flower bud. To give this on so small a sheet the specimen had to be cut into four sections ; yet these are so deftly arranged as to make the picture far more beau- tilul than Nature painted it. Iris — the Rainbovi' — the flower of Juno, has entered so extensively into polite literature that a large treatise would be necessary to cover all that relates to it. The flame color of our present species recalls the love of the Germans for the species common to their land, of which a German author says : "The Yellow Iris is a rustic plant that the German peasants culti- vate on the tops of their cottages. When the air agitates its beautiful flowers, and the sun gilds their petals, mixed with gold, purple and azure, it seems as if light and perfumed flames rested on the tops of these rustic cottages." Another curious story is told in connection with this power of the German Iris to grow amongst the mortar of old walls. It refers to an Iris growing out of an old tomb in which a good man was buried. The plant is occasion- ally called Ave Maria flower, on account of a knight who devoted himself wholly to prayer to the Virgin. He had vSo little education that the two words of the Latin prayer, Ave Maria, were all he learned well and all he repeated. From his grave an Iris sprung, and in its flowers the words Ave Maria could be distinctly traced. Struck b}^ the circumstance the grave was opened, when it was found that, though the body of the hoh' man was mouldering, the lips were still perfect, and that the main root of the Iris proceeded from the lips that had so often uttered the holy words. In the drawing of /. aiprea, given with this, it is not difficult to trace some of the letters of Ave Maria, and it is not difficult to believe, with a little play to imagination, some one gifted with a mind to detect resemblances, and impelled by religious fervor, could readil}- believe all the letters could be made out among the various flowers of a good-sized plant. The study of the flower presents some points of interest. As in endogenous plants generally, the parts of the flower are arranged in whorls of three. The stem is somewhat three-angled. The whole flower would be called a perianth, in the strict langu'ge of botany, but the three narrower of the segments would form the calj'x and be the analogues of sepals in exogens. The three broader ones would form the corolla proper, consisting of three petals. The next series, stamens in the Iris, have retained the usual form, and aie in the picture hidden under the pistils, which have a narrow petal-like appearance in the centre of the flower. It is this peculiar petaloid char- acter of the pistils of iris that furnishes one of the chief distinguishing characters of the genus from other genera. But the greatest surprise is to find the styles on the same line with the stamens. Analog}- and the laws of morphology should represent them as alternating. Every distinct series alternates with that below. In this Iris we see that the broad petals alternate with the narrow sepals. The stamens should then alternate with the petals and be opposite the sepals ; but they are not. The mystery is rendered deeper by the styles being opposite the stamens. No botanist has, therefore, been able to explain exactly the plan on which Nature formed the flower of an Iris. It is a satisfaction to feel that all has not been dis- covered, and that something of interest is left to be found out by the younger generation, A comparison with an orchid is instructive. Expi.AXATiON OF THE Pl.ate.- A Complete plant from St. Louis, furnished by Dr. Geo. Engelmann. WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. THE TRAILING ARBUTUS. Of all the sisters of the meadows far Widening out under the vernal sun, Or in the woods and lields that dwellers are, There is not one,— Not e'en the low and downy wind-flower blue, That overjoys the heart with beauty more, Or sends a sweeter thrill the spirit through. Than thou. Thy name doth ever unto me Bring thoughts of early beauty silently — Of the sweet springtime when, the winter past, The flowers unfold at last." — Howard Worcester Gilbert. Fragrance of the Trailing Arbutus. — Mr W.J. Petty, Bradford, Pa., writes that a bunch of the pistillate flowers of the Epigcea repens is not as sweet as a bunch of the statni- nate ones. ECHINOCACTUS WiSLIZENI AS A VEGETABLE. — Mrs. Drennan tells the Southern Florist and Gardetier that the Indians use the spines of the great cactus, Echinocactus Wislizem, for fish hooks, — and that the Mexicans cut off all the spines, cut up the head into small pieces, and drop them into boiling sugar. The head is often washed and made into cough syrup, — which, the Indians say, is useful in cases of consump- tion. Death of Ferns from Old Age. — "Do ferns ever die of old age?" is the startling question of a Washington correspondent. Most ferns have a creeping root stock, or rhizome as it is technically called Foots go down from the ape.x, as the new fronds push up, and eventually the under part of the rhizome die,-^. Ferns of this class may live for ever, in a certain sense, though really no part, alive to da3', may have been living ten years ago. But some ferns have been ambitious and in- stead of groveling underground, have learned, as the evolutionists might say, to straighten the rhizome and lift it into the air. Then we have the tree fern, or one with an erect crown at any rate. It is not possible for ferns of this class to live forever. They must eventuall}" die of old age. The Fragrance of Flowers. — During the past year or so, much has appeared in Meehans*^ Monthly regarding the var\ing character of flowers in regard to fragrance. Attention was first drawn to the subject from the contradic- tory reports regarding the Wood Honeysuckle, Azalea fiudiflora. Experiments conducted by the Meehans' Monthly staff, show that a number of kinds of flowers are fragrant only when they first expand. — only a very few like the rose " continue faithful to the end." Many flowers have their regular time of open- ing. It may be in the morning or evening. It is now easily understood how varying must be each one's experience. It depends on what time of day the obseivation is made. Hibiscus Moscheutos. — Regarding the adaptability of this plant to dry ground, as noticed in Meehans' Monthly for November, it may be added that such conditions, rather than those which are strictly swampy or marshy, are the prevalent ones, where I have met with it in a wild state in the West. It is found in the neighborhood of Chicago, where its habits are quite different from those in the brackish marshes of the sea coast. It generally grows near the borders of ponds, and along rivers, sometimes where the ground is wet, but away from any influence of salt water or salt springs. By the subsidence of water in ponds or their obliteration by ditching, as in some cases in the sandy, wet lands at the head of Lake Michigan, it vaKy bs left quite remote from standing water, persisting and thriving in the midst of the grass which springs up around it, and in stich situations as may be natural to the meadow lilies. I have seen it a near neighbor to such dry- land trees as the Black Oak and the Overcup Oak. Last sum- mer, plants were observed by the Nankakee River, in Indiana, growing by the side of Hibiscus militaris, so that both had the san.e habit, and were so high up on the gravelly bank as to be beyond the reach of the waters of the stream, except at flood stages. E. J. H. (63) 64 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [April Diseases through Parasites. — Minute ani- mal and vegetable parasites are now known to be the immediate cause of many of the diseases of plants and animals, but we do not 3'et know what are the direct causes which set these low organisms in motion. But this will come in time. What was once called influenza, or latterly "grippe" — a low fever with many of the symptoms of what is ambiguously termed "a cold," is caused by a small bacterium, Asthjnatos ciliaris. The germs of these lit- tle organisms seem to be continuously exist- ent in localities where they have once been known. But they are not active, and conse- quently not observed, except when some pecu- liar combination of conditions occur. There is no difference, in this respect, between them and the common mushroom. Spores, or reproductive organs of the mushroom, will lie in the ground for many years in a per- fectly torpid state. It is only when the exact temperature, the exact degree of humidity, the exact quality of food, all meet together in con- junction, that the spores develop, and a full blown mushroom, with its cobwebby mycelium underground, rapidly grows. The millions of dollars spent, by municipal corporations, in "stamping out diseases", by various contri- vances to destroy germs or spores, are usually wasted. Though millions may be destroyed, millions can never be reached, and these will make matters lively when the conjunctive con- ditions meet. Fortunately Nature does not per- mit this often. The true effort lies in prevent- ing the meeting of these conditions for germ- ination ; but until science tells us just what they are, we are powerless. But it will come in time. Erythronium Americanum. — Professor Bonser, Superintendent of Education, Carey, Ohio, writes that he has observed a difference in the stamens of the American Dog-tooth Violet, Erythronium Americayium. He notices that the flowers of some plants have yellow stamens, while in other flowers the stamens are brown. It is just possible that there is a tendency to abortion in the stamens of some flowers, and that the different colors are all in this line. If the anthers alone, and not the whole stamen, were referred to, the brown ones would undoubtedly be considered as a sign of barrenness. The Vanilla Bean. — What is known in commerce as the Vanilla Bean is the seed vessel of a species of orchid called Vanilla planifolia^ which creeps up trees as ivy does over a wall. It grows in the warmer parts of Mexico, where there is a mean annual temperature of about 86°. Though much is gathered from the wild plants, it is largely cultivated. U. S. Consul Shaeffer says : "The bean grows on a vine larger than the hop vine, but similar in its growth. Slips of the vine are planted, about three in number, at the foot of small trees, in ground prepared by spading or turning over the soil close to the tree ; no other cultivation seems to be needed. These trees are planted eight or ten feet apart, the vine running or climbing to the top, whence it is conducted by poles from one tree to another, resembling a hop field. The ground between the trees is not disturbed, except immediately about the roots, where it is cultivated twice yearly. The vine does not produce during the first year, and verj' little the second, but in the third it is supposed to bear a full crop, which is about ten to twelve ounces of first-class beans, ten to six- teen ounces of second-class beans, and fifteen to twenty ounces of third-class beans. This weight is after curing. The life of the plant is ten 3'ears." Variation in the Bitternut. — Mr. S. J. Gallowaj', of Eaton, Ohio, sends a sample of the bitternut, — Carya atnara — with the nut rather longer than and somewhat varying from the normal form. He believes it a hybrid between the bitternut and the pecan, which is an opinion somewhat justified by the deviation from the regular form. Those, however, who are in the habit of collecting seeds of forest trees, are familiar with similar variations in other species of hickory, and indeed in all the different kinds of forest trees. Some have more upright and others more spreading branches ; again the leaves will be more lobed in some cases, and less lobed in others. Dif- ferences especially occur in the fruit ; in some oaks, the acorns will be longer and slender, and in others shorter and thicker, or the cups will be deeper or shallower ; and what is true of the oak and the hickory is true of almost every kind. The range of free variation is so great that there is no necessity for calling in hybridiza- tion to account for it. I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. Origin of the Kalmia "Pockets." — One of the beautiful sights of summer is a hillside pink, white and green with the lovely flowers and rich glossy leaves of the kalmia. One cannot resist the temptation to carry home with him an armful of the lovely flowers. Besides the pleasure of visiting the flowers in their wild-wood home, and the satisfaction of possessing myself with the coveted bloom, I took much interest in trying to solve the problem of the little ' ' pockets ' ' found in the kalmia blossom. The anthers seem to be sleep- ing, even after the flower opens, until a little sudden jar, produced oftenest, perhaps, by the alightening of an insect, arouses them from their slumber, when out they fly. ready to spring out of the "pockets," upon the slightest provocation. While looking and wondering and question- ing how these "pockets" could have origi- nated, I accidentally pulled the flower apart ; or, perhaps, Nature, b}^ some slight-of-hand, tore the lobes asunder, that I might see into the mystery of the " pockets." It .seemed, at least, that here was the key to the solution. If we take a flower, such as shown in Fig. 3, and separate the lobes as far down as the "pockets," it gives us Fig. 6. We flnd, by repeated trials, that these lobes separate thus far quite readily Now, if we take another flower, and instead of separating the lobes, we tear carefully down •^ ORIGIN OF THE KALMIA POCKETS. What was the origin of the "pockets"? How came they to be so exquisitely made that each anther fits into its "pocket" so exactly? If the little curious " pocket " was just a little deeper, the anther would be retained too long ; if it were a trifle shallower, it would fly out too soon, and hence we recognize that it required a skillful tailor to fashion them. If we examine a bud of the kalmia, as shown in Fig. I, we find that the lobes of the corolla cohere more or less firmly; even at this stage, however, the lobes will spring apart, if a slight pressure be made upon the apex of the bud. As the flower matures, the lobes spread apart, as in Fig. 2; and in Fig. 3, the anthers are through the middle of the lobes as far as the " pockets," we get a corolla like Fig. 5. We find, here, that the division is not as readily made as between the lobes ; but it is quite ob- vious that coalescence has had something to do with the formation of these puzzling "pockets." Taking still another flower, and tearing down between and through the lobes to all the "pockets," we have a corolla such as shown in Fig. 4. This, it seems to me, is the foundation, — the original, or better perhaps, an earlier type of flower. I would say, therefore, that it was by the union of the segments of the corolla that the in- cipient "pockets" were formed. Judging from. 66 MEEHANS' MOXTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [April the manner in which the lobes of the corolla now separate, when torn apart, the middle pockets were earliest formed, i. e., these middle segments (marked M.S. in Fig. 4) were the first to coalesce, and this coalescence occurred so long ago that all traces of the union are almost obliterated. The fact that we can so readily pull apart the lobes of the corolla, seems strong evidence that here the coales- cence is of more recent date. I do not mean to claim that the presence of the present perfected "pockets" can be wholly accounted for by the coalescence of the segments of the corolla, but this seems to have been the wa\' in which they were initi- ated. "All things work together for good," and so here, when the lobes of the corolla were becom- ing united, the anthers were naturally looking out for their own interests, and by persistent effort brought themselves in harmony with their changing environment. They thus " lent a hand, " perhaps, towards the perfecting of the "pockets." Or, naturally, those flowers in which the anthers tucked themselves away in the little " pockets,"' until the auspicious moment arrived, made the best use of their pollen in fertilization ; and so we have coalescence, primarily, as the origin of the "pockets ;" then, natural selection, and the agency of insects, have fashioned them into special contrivances for the mutual benefit of the flov\er and the visiting insect. — Mrs. W. a. Kellerman. Separate Sexes in Plants. — Mr. F. N. Tillinghast, Green port, N. Y., observes: "Is not the separation of the sexes in monoecious and dioeceous plants supposed by man}^ bio- logists to have been effected by a process of evolution ? And are not the hermaphrodite flowers, which are sometimes found on monoe- cious and difjecious plants, regarded as sur- vivals of, or reversions to, the original tj'pe of the flowers of such plants ? I think this view reasonable, as greater specialization and ' di- vision of labor ' characterize progressive development among plants as well as ani- mals." Mr. T. has correctly' presented the views of ' some eminent biologists. But it is so easy to d-ceive ourselves by borrowed phrases. In human affairs a " division of labor " is some- times an advantage, but it often has great dis- advantages. So far as plants are concerned, no one can show anj' advantage gained to those plants which by "a division of labor " have come to have separate sexes in separate plants. On the other hand, many are at a clearly seen disadvantage. A mistake made by many evo- lutionists is in looking at the behavior of plants as being directed by self-interest merely. But the same wisdom that has life in one hand holds death in the other. Arrangements are provided with as much wisdom for the cutting off of individuals and of species, as for their introduction, and a short-time preservation. When one sees the great inconvenience and severe straits that plants are often put to, by reason of the separation of the sexes, we are as fully warranted in believing it a develop- ment in favor of an early destruction of the soecies, as that it is a development " progres- sive." Self-sacrifice is as much an ordination of Nature as self-interest. An Iron Tree. — Mr. W. E. Armstrong, Waco, Texas, sends an account, from a well- known serial, of a tree discovered in Africa by ' ' a well-known professor, ' ' which only feeds on metal. The natives "worship it," and when they get any coins bury them as sacrifices beneath the ground around the tree, and which the tree feeds on. The trunk is like iron, the leaves like tin, and every part of it simulat- ing some form of metal. The only surprise is that such intelligent magazines should be taken in by such transparent newspaper jokes. Every once in a while something like this is gotten up to the astonishment of the world, attributed, of course, to "the well- known German," Professor Moenshein, or some other equally well known myth. They are prett}' to read, but hard to believe in. Gymnogramma triangularis. — Mr. George Fraser, of Craigends, near Mount Tolmie, Vic- toria, B. C, writes that one of the prettiest little wild ferns in that vicinity is Gymnogramma triajigularis. To those of us who only know this pretty fern from cultivated specimens it will have to be imagined what a beautiful element this little fern must be in the wild- flower scenery of that distant region of North America. GENERAL GARDENING. A SCENE IN PALMYRA. Upon the palace colonnade Beneath the bamboo's flickering shade. High o'er a mass of foliage green, With gorgeous tropic flowers between, A fountain shoots its sparkling spray, Weaving bright rainbows in its play. Below% the water-lily spreads Its flowers, like nymphs who lift their heads To gaze upon a scene so fair, And then, enraptured, linger there. — Mary Bayard Clarke. English Ivy on Trees. — Mr. John R. Hooper, of Richmond, Va., inquires if the English Ivy is injurious when running up the trunks of Red or White Oak trees, as they do occasionally in the vicinity of that city. The only cases of injury to the trunks of trees are when woody vines twine around the trunks. When vines travel perpendicularly in the same direction with the trunk they are a benefit rather than an injury. Nature has to make a special provision in every tree for getting rid of useless bark, and the roots of vines like English Ivy, all help Nature to get rid of this useless, dead bark, — and moreover, the shade, which the leaves of the English Ivy afford, is a direct benefit to the living bark. These remarks apply to all vines that grow perpen- dicularly up tree trunks. When, however, these vines reach the top of the trees, and spread over the branchlets, shading, and in any ways interfering with the healthy develop- ment of the tree foliage, then they are injuri- ous. The English Ivy seldoms does this ; but the American Ivy, — that is to say, the Virginia Creeper, or Ampelopsis virginicn, will often grow so vigorous as to entirely crowd out the leaves of the tree on which it grows. The grape vine will also do this, and many other climbers. It is only when they reach this mature state, that vines injure trees. The Japan Orange. — It is said that hedges of Citrus or Triphasia trifoliata, the Japan Orange, can be made with the branches so close as to be absolutely proof against cats, dogs or rabbits. Preparing Beds for Rhododendrons. — The rhododendron, when grown successfully, is one of the most beautiful of all ornamental flowering shrubs ; but under unfavorable con- ditions, it is exceedingly disappointing. It frequently occurs that sufiicient care and fore- thought are not given to the preparation of the beds to receive it. The rhododendron possesses numerous small, hair-like fibers, — in fact it has no strong roots to speak of, — and these small rootlets require air as well as moisture and nutrition. To prepare a bed such as the rhododendron will best flourish in, dig out the earth to a depth of three to four feet : fill the bottom with stones, to afford good drainage, and the balance with good top-soil, sand and well-rotted cow or stable manure, allthoroughly mixed, — about one-half soil and one-fourth each of sand and manure. If the soil be partly or wholly of sod, it will be all the better with the addition of the sand. After the plants are set in the bed, the surface should be covered with from about four to six inches of stable manure. This acts as a mulch, and serves to keep the roots of the plants cool and moist during the heat of sum- mer, and prevents frost penetrating deeply in winter, both of which will result in increasing the health and vigor of the plants. Azaleas, kalmias, heaths, andromedas, and, in fact, all Ericaceous plants delight in a light porous soil ; and in planting them, the beds should be prepared in the manner as for rhodo- dendrons. Daphne Cneorum. — For plants with a low, creeping habit, none can surpass the beautiful DapJuie Cneorum . For edging of rhododendron, azalea, or other beds of that character, or as a mass on a bank or partly shady spot, it is ex- tremely useful. It delights in a loose, but rich soil, just as rhododendrons do, and in such a spot it will bloom through early summer and frequently again in the fall. The flowers are rosy pink and quite fragrant. Cneormim was once its generic name. (67) 68 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [April Entrance to Girard College, Philadel- phia.— The Girard College, for orphan boys, in Philadelphia, is world-renowned. It is doubtful whether there is a better managed institution anywhere. It was founded by Stephen Girard, who came as a poor boy from Bordeaux, France, aboiit loo years ago. He had few early ad- vantages, but managed to gain for himself an education as good as if he had been a school boy from early life. He took an active interest in good works, and when the population of Philadelphia fled to the suburbs on account of the fearful ravages of yellow fever, he remained behind and exposed his life in nursing the sick. He took charge of one of the fever hos- pitals, and when the scourge abated, found himself with 200 orphans on hand. It is be- lieved that this experience led him to look forward to the institution which has made his name famous, — about two millions of dol- lars being left for the purpose. Though not a professor of any denominational religion, he was a liberal contributor to churches of every kind that applied for aid, though his sympa- thies were more within the lines of practical benevolence. Many stories circulate among old Philadelphians, illustrating this. One says, a man whose all was his horse and cart, met with an accident in which the horse was killed. Expression of sorrow and sympathy were abundant ; and one by-stander, saying to Gir- ard how sorry he was, the old man remarked, ' ' Yes, I am sorry five dollars ; how much sorry are you ? ' ' For fear his college might be hampered by denominational influences, his will provides that no clergyman or ecclesiastic shall ever enter the building ; but the boys are to be taught sobriety and industry, and to be left to their mature years in their choice of denom- inational truths. Some fifteen hundred orphan boys find a home here, until they grow large enough to care for themselves ; and it is one of the most remarkable facts of history, that rarelj'^ has a Girard College boy disgraced himself. The gardening of the college is under the charge of Mr. George Huster, and is a model of fitness and good taste. The ornamentation of the entrance, of which we give an illustration, is so inviting that even the prohibited clergy- man is often tempted to try his fortune, in gaining admittance, though it is believed few escape the lynx-eyed cerberus who stands guard in the entry-way. Some amusing stories, probably some apocryphal, are told of the occasional mistake of the janitor spotting the wrong person, but being subsequently convinced of his mistake by the use of lan- guage, which, though scriptural, is not con- sidered proper in every day use. Growing Flowers for Perfumery. — In connection with the subject of the growth of flowers, for perfumes, in France and Spain, the following interesting facts were recently given by a member of one of the largest firms of essential-oil distillers at Grasse, in the Chemist aftd Druggist. He states that the industry is still extending very largely in the south of France ; within the last ten j^ears the area under this culture has trebled, in spite of the fact that in Algeria, in Spain, and in some other parts, the industry has also made great progress. The Pelargonium culture, however, which was the chief occupation of the Algerian distillers, is becoming less and less important in that colony every year, chiefly because the produc- tion in the Island of Reunion has taken away many customers from Algeria ; but Reunion in its turn is beginning to abandon the culture, as it has ceased to pay. The French Geranium- oil, however, is far and away the best, and so far as reallj' high-class trade is concerned neither Algeria nor Reunion can compete. American Trees in Europe. — Europeans traveling in America are surprised at the great wealth of variety in trees and shrubs over the list in their own countries, — English travel- ers especially. It is not that American trees will not grow, but that English nurseries do not keep them. A few English gentlemen are getting them direct Irom America, and seem thoroughly astonished that they should cross the ocean in perfect condition. When Amer- ican nurserymen have to pack trees often for a four or five week's journey in their own country, it would be strange if the short trip across the Atlantic had anj' diflSculties. A Lover of Cactuses. — C. O. Hunt, of Chattanooga, Tenn., is an enthusiastic lover of cactuses, and has a large greenhouse devoted to their culture. I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY GENERAL GARDENING. 69 70 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [April SCOLOPENDRIUM VULGARE. — Miss Ella K. Barnard makes the excellent suggestion that the Hart's Tongue Fern, Scolopendrium vul- gare, is one of the best house-plant ferns there possibly can be. She has two specimens which are a "joy for ever " to all who behold them. Pruning Newly-planted Trees — While it is often^the case that trees that die after trans- planting'do so because the earth has not been packedjin tightly about the roots, yet a great many fail from ex- haustion from lack of pruning. A tree in full vigor has enough roots to supply it with all the sap it needs ; but as soon as it is transplanted, it is unable to draw moisture from the earth until new roots are made, and the tree again becomes estab- lished. All this time the branches and leaves are drawing "on what sap there is in the tree, and when this becomes exhaus- t e d , if new- roots have not yet growii, the tree dies. This explains why tiees die after PIN OAK. they have pushed into leaf, and in fact, sometimes into growth. All trees need more or less pruning when transplanted, just how much depends a great deal on the tree to oe pruned. A maple, poplar, birch or elm will do with very little pruning, while an oak, beech, chestnut, wal- nut or ash requires severe cutting. The roots that a tree has must also be taken into con sideration. If it is well furnished with roots and fibers, it will require less pruning than if it has but a few stout roots devoid of fibres. In a general way, it may be said that hard- wooded trees require severe pruning, while those having a soft, sappy wood need but a light pruning. This does not always apply. A Pin Oak has very fibrous roots, as a rule. and moves quite easily without much pruning, though some will consider it advisable to do severe cutting even in its case. On the other hand, the larch, which has a very soft, sappy wood, but practically' no fibres, and in fact, but little root, must be pruned closeh', to get it to transplant well. The illustration shows what quantities of fibrous roots the Pin Oak has. Pruning Shrubbery. — I think your notes in the January issue of Meehans' Monthly, page II, are well timed, and, I am sure, will do a lot of good. That they were needed, there can be no doubt to any one who knows anything about spring flowering shrubs. Even in this city of beautiful parks, we see "wholesale trimming " of the worst kind go on. Last spring I was pained to see the way whole shoots of flowering shrubs were cut away, which, in two or three weeks, would have been one mass of beautiful flowers, to the very tips of the same shoots. I cannot see why people will sacrifice the earlj'-flowering shrubs so, unless it is done in ignorance. I have seen shoots of Forsythia, three and four feet long, ruthlessly cut away, just three weeks before the time for them to be in their glor}-; and what is a more beautiful sight than a well grown shrub oi Forsythia in full bloom? And yet, owners of places submit \.o projessional '' tri7n>ners'' shearing away all this wealth of flower, and leaving, instead, a bush that, to me, has no beauty, — either a close, round head or some other hideous shape. This is true not only of Forsythia, but right on all through the various classes of spring-flowering shrubs. Everj'thing is treated the same. It seems the people have the idea that the various shrubs must be pruned in the spring, which is a great mis- take, and I am sure if they will just leave the shrubs alone, only cutting out all dead wood, they will be well repaid for their non-interfer- ence. When the various shrubs are in flower, we generally like a few sprays in our dwell- ings, and, in m}- opinion, this is the time to do a little pruning (not trimming). Let every flower spray that is cut be one shoot pruned, and when all the flowers are gone, go over and shorten back all straggly or extra strong branches, giving the bush a natural outline, — in fact, assist Nature, and don't destroy it. P. BisSET. Washington, D. C. 1895] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 71 Magnolia grandiflora as a Southern Street Tree. — In your February number of 1895, a New Orleans man asks about shade trees for that and other southern cities. The trees named in the article, except the Sweet Gum, have but few points to recommend them. 'Tis a strange thing to me that the finest of all the shade, a swell as ornamental trees, for New Orleans or any city south from the line of Tennessee, the JMagnolia grandi- flora, should be overlooked. It is an ever- green, and grows statel}-, tall and of beauti- ful proportion and appearance, besides hay- ing an array of bloom for about four months in the year. It grows in almost any soil, and with any reasonable training and care in youth, it forms a perfect tree, subject to no insect or ailment. In this city (Memphis, Tenn.) are an array of as stately and as lovely shade tree magnolias as ever an eye beheld ; though only few of them are planted on the streets. J Stewart. We have now two good street trees named for the South, — Magnolia grandiflora and the Sweet Gum. For the benefit of those who would tire even of Paradise itself, it would be well to add to this list. Box Edging. — In many gardens the box edging is still an essential element in border- ing ; but it frequently gets too large to be con- venient. In this case it is taken up and re-set, and the old plants are torn to pieces just so much as to leave a few rootlets to some of the branches, — then it is re-set so that three or four inches of the green portion is above the surface of the ground. This is best done in the spring of the year in those portions of the countrj' where the ground is likely to freeze, because if done in the fall, it is apt to be drawn out in the winter season. As a general rule, people prefer to do all they can in the fall, although it may not be quite as well done as in the spring, — because spring always brings with it more work than can be properly attended to. Where there is such pressure, box edging can be laid in the fall ; but in this case it is best to place straw, or some other material over it, in thin layers, and on this a little earth is thrown. This keeps it from being drawn out by the frost, — of course, the material must be taken off when spring comes. Planting Trees in Heavy Clay Soils.— Every once in a while the attention of the con- ductors of this magazine has been called to failures in tree-planting in heavy clay soils. The reason of this is that the trees do not have sufficient drainage, and the water lies around the roots, excluding the air. Trees must have air at the roots in order to thrive, and it is only in loose soil that this can be ob- tained. Where it is impossible to secure drain- age in soil of this character, the better way to plant is to loosen what little top soil there may be, set the tree on this, and cover over the roots with rich top-soil brought to the ground for the purpose. This will set the tree in a mound, and though the appearance of trees planted in this way may not be such as would be preferred, yet it is better than to have con- stant failures by planting in the heavy clay soil. The value of this method was particularly noticed recently on a place where considerable planting had been done. All the deciduous trees were planted in the natural earth ; but the beds of shrubbery and hardy herbaceous plants were set in mounds of top soil. There was scarcely a failure in any of the plants planted in these raised beds ; but at least ninety per cent of the trees planted directly in the ground was dead. 72 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [April RuBus soRBiFOLius.— There is little differ- ence, botanically, between a strawberry and a raspberry. They are both of the genus Rubus. In the strawberry, the seeds are naked on the fruits, — in the raspberry, they are covered with pulp. When it comes to distinguishing a rasp- berry from a blackberry, where in both cases the seeds are covered by pulp, the manner in which the fleshy pari falls, is the distinction. The raspberry falls off like a thimble,— the blackberry breaks off from the base, leaving a flat instead of a conical receptacle. Rubus sorbi- folius is a species from the North of Asia, and so named by Maximowicz. It is not quite clear from a Chinese painting sent to us by Mr. Blanc, whether it will have to be classed as a raspberry or blackberry, though the bright scarlet fruit, held upright by the strong stalk, is more suggestive of a strawberry or rasp- berry than of any well known member of the blackberry family. Mr. Blanc suggests for it the garden name of strawberry-raspberry, to which there seems little objection. The leaves are thrice-pinnate, with an odd leaflet some- what resembling in outline the leaf of the mountain ash, which has suggested the name sorbifolius. Its place in the American fruit garden will hAve to be tested. If not of high value as a fruit, it will certainly be a good addition to the lists of ornamentals. Cephalanthus occidentalis. — The Ceph- alafitJms occidentalis is commonly known as the Dwarf Button-ball. It is usually found in swamps and other damp places ; but like swamp plants of every kind, with almost no exception, it thrives much better in drj' ground than in its native place There is quite a demand for it by ornamental planters, many thousands having been sold by leading nur- serj-men during the past ten or twenty years. They grow much larger in cultivation than in nature, and plants may frequently be seen seven or eight feet in height, covered with many hundreds of its sweet-scented, white heads of flowers. It is quite a favorite with insects ; but for all their visits, it is adapted to self-fertilization. PLANT ROOT I N J ECTO R.-ece page te New Species of Lycoris. — China and Japan have furnished us with manj' beautiful trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants ; but have not been particularly bountiful with bulbous- rooted plants ; but of late, a number of species of Z.ji'f6»m have been introduced. Lycoris is a genus verj' closely related to the Amaryllis. They are described as being particularly beautiful . Lycoris squamigcra is said to throw up a flower stem to the height of three feet, and to have from four to seven large flowers of a pale satiny rose with a dash of cobalt, something resembling the old belladonna lily. Lycoris sangui?iea is a dwarfer kind, growing a little over a foot in height, with about six flowers of an orange red color. Lycoris aurea is described as remarkabl}' beautiful, having a head of from six to ten golden yellow flowers, produced in the fall of the year. Lycoris radiata is rather an old species, better known in the past as Neriiic Japonica ; but with its spike of pretty, pink flowers is well worth cultivating, I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 73 although for some reason or another it is not as common in gardens as it was a quarter of a century ago. THE H/^lKl^Y FLOWEl ^i^ii^ElNio New Varieties of Carnations. — Both Eng- land and America seem to have a growing admi- ration for the beautiful carnation, notwithstand- ing it has been for centuries a popular denizen of the garden. Over a couple of centuries ago it was used in chaplets to crown the statues of some of the Roman Divinities, and in this way obtained its classical name — "Dianthus," or "Flower of the Gods." Before us is a list of new varie- ties raised bj^ F. Dorner & Son, of Lafayette, Ind. They speak of the Bridesmaid as a bright clear pink, with a flower from 2 s^^ to 3>^ inches across ; and what is very important to the American grower of cut flowers, it has a very strong, stifi" stem. Another — the Meteor, — is described as a deep brilliant scarlet — also with strong stems, and flowers sometimes reaching three inches in diameter. Storm King is described as snow white, and so large as sometimes to reach 3 to 33^ inches. The same firm sent out last year some very good varieties, especially Uncle John — a pure white. The Stuart — a geranium scarlet, E. A. Wood, — a variegated ; and Goldfinch — a yellow one, edged with pink ; but on our table also is an account of a variety named Uriah Pike, so named after the raiser, residing near London, England. It is remarkable to note how vari- ous are the grounds on which flowers will obtain popularity. In the account of the origin of this variety, it is stated that the Duke of York was going through some great horticultural exhibition when he saw this dark red carnation, and inquired of the President of the Society, Sir Trevor Lawrence, about it, and was told that it was a new variety, — whereupon the young Prince said," Why, it is lovely ! Carna- tions are my favorite flower." The account says that the Prince smelled it and at once fixed it in his button-hole, — which one might think a very natural thing to do even if it were not a prince who had received the flower ; but still being a prince the variety is very much endeared. Possibly a smile of the President of the United States might encour- age some raiser to believe that his productions were of a very high standard, but few would expect to see this smile recorded as among the flower's chief recommendations. Seeds Without Fertilization. — Some years ago, Mr. John Smith, the curator of the Kew Gardens, had a plant of the Euphorbia family, which was wholly pistillate, — not another plant was known in Europe, and yet it produced perfect seeds. On this account, the plant being of a new genus, he named it ' ' Ccelebogyne, " — a Greek term representing this curious behavior. Peculiarities of this kind seem incomprehensible, and yet they are generally believed in by scientific men. Mr. David H. Day, of Buffalo, writes that he is quite sure a pistillate plant he has of Thalidrum Fendleri produces seeds, without being pol- lenized, — and the writer of this paragraph, one year, cut off" all the pollen-bearing flowers of the Castor Oil plant, so that not a particle of pollen perfected, and yet the plant produced its complement of seeds. The whole experi- ment, however, can be so easily repeated, that it is much better to consider this result as only a possibility until further experiments have been made. A Delightful Water Garden. — Among those amateurs who have taken a pride in growing aquatics, few have reached more glory than Mr. S. C. Nash, of Clifton, N. J. In his garden, last year, he had a Victoria regia, the famous water lily of the Amazon, which had no less than twenty leaves above the water, without crowding the undeveloped ones just below the surface, — the grand flowers opened freely under this general skillful culture. Mr. Nash has prepared a number of beautiful pho- tographs of various scenes in his water garden, which he will send to any one desiring them, for the mere cost of the photographs. They will furnish some very excellent suggestions. Hardy Perennial Plants.— Probably no class of plants has made as great strides into popular favor within so short a period as has that consisting of Hardy Perennials. A few years ago perennial plants were comparatively little used in landscape work, beyond a few well-known sorts. Now it is quite different, and "Wild Flowers," as many call them, are cultivated. Their beauty has been increased by hybridization and the production of new varieties, so that at the present time, the ab- MEEHANS' MO-VTKLY — GEXER.AL GARDENING. [April breviated list of choice sorts of a few j'ears ago. has become a ver\" lengthy one. And this is as it should be, for sureh^ no class of plants affords such a variet\' of color, both in flower and foliage, as do these. By careful selection of varieties, it is possible to have something in bloom from early in the spring until late in the fall. The most effective beds of Hardy Perennials are planted in masses. Groups of three plants of one variety are quite effective, though it is perhaps better to use five plants of a kind, if the bed to be planted is a large one. The accompanj-ing plan is given to assist those who are not familiar with the habits, growth and time of flowering of the various varieties. The taller-growing sorts, attaining a height of about five feet, are grouped in the background, and are planted on an average of about eighteen inches apart, while the dwarfer sorts are planted in the front, about nine inches apart. The plan represents a border on the edge of a lawn, with a line fence or a garden at the back of it ; but the same plan can be used for a border along a walk, by making a straight line along the front, and filling in the vacant places with other dwarf-growing plants. The sorts named in this list have been selected to give as great variet}' of color as possible, and at the same time, to produce as much bloom as possible from spring until fall. The following is the list called for in the plan. The reference numbers are also given. Number on Plan. Color. Uuntion of Floweiiii^-. Aster tartaricus, Purple, September. October Phlomis; tuberosa. Purple, June. July. Silphium coiinatum. Yellow, July, August. Hollyhock assorted'), July-Septembf-r. .\quilegia assorted). May-July. Agrosterama coronaria, Crimson June. Vernonia angustifolia, Purple. August, Sept mber Heliopsis lasvis, Orange, August, Sepiemtier Chelonebarbata, Scarlet, July. Lychnis chalcedonica, Scarlet, June-August Monarda purpurea, Purple, August, Septcmlier Physostegia Virginica, White, July. Funkia Sieboldiana, Blue. July- Hetnerocallis fulva, Reddish yellow, June. Campanula alba, White, July. Betonica rosea, Rosy pink, June, July. La%-eDdula vera. Blue, Augu-t-October Iris florentina, White, May. Papaver orientale. Orange-red, June. Rudbeckia incisa, Yellow, Au.au-f, October. Iris virgiuica, Blue, May, June. Viola striatum. Cream white, May. Dracocephalum nutans alpina, Blue, May-July. Veronica rosea. Pink, Augu-;t. Sedum hybridum, Yellow, July. Bellis perennis, White and pink. May. Plumbago I.arpentse, Purplish blue, September, October Phlox procumbeus rosea, Pink, May. Sedum album. White, July- Armeria maritima. Pink, May. Viola cucullata, Blue, May. Phlox procumbeus alba, White, May. J«95j MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING, 75 AHb fE'^ET/^PLES. A 'Plant Root Injector — Directions for relieving 3'oung grape vines or other plants, the roots of which are infested by phylloxera or insects of any kind, are common ; but good appliances for getting the poisonous solutions to the roots are b}' no means well-known. In the Bulletin 78, of the Entomological Division of the Cornell University Agricultural Experi- ment Station, a very simple and effectual im- plement is described and figured, which we have been kindly allowed to reproduce on page 72. It is called "The McGowen Injector," and the " Bulletin " thus describes its use : "The method of inserting the injector is shown in the figure. The hole should always begin at a distance of 3 or 4 inches from the plant and run horizontally downward to a point little below the roots. To accomplish this, the injector must be inserted at an angle as shown in the figure. Force it down until you think the point is a little below the roots, then let out the charge of liquid. In operating the injector, first pull the piston up as far as it will go ; this loads the measuring chamber between the valves ; then push down the piston until it stops, and the instrument is ready to be pushed into the ground. Push it into the ground as far as desired, hold it there while 30U pull up the piston ; by this operation you let the charge out of the lower chamber into the ground, and at the same time the measur- ing chamber is again filled. Hold the injector in the ground a few seconds after the piston has been pulled up, in order that all the liquid in the charge may have a chance to run out. Then pull the injector out of the ground , and quickly, with the foot, fill the hole with earth and step on it to pack it down. Press down the piston, and you are ready to treat the next plant. Never push the injector in the ground unless the piston is clear down , because if the lower end is not thus closed, it will immediately fill with soil, which is not easily removed." Diseases of Peach Trees — Some j^ears ago, a gentleman residing near Cincinnati created a sensation by what he regarded a new method of keeping peach trees healthj-. All that he did was to pile up eaith about the trees, the mound reaching up to the branches. It took several cart loads of earth to make these mounds, and the little orchard had the appearance of bushes growing out of the top of the cone of earth. Every one used to look on and laugh at the thought of burying up the trunk of a tree in order to make it healthy ; but there were the trees, and undoubtedly models of health. Those who saw, simply stated their belief that it was only a coincidence, and that the trees would probably have been as healthy without the mound of earth as with it. Since, it has come to be well recognized that many of the diseases of plants, not merely of the peach tree, but of other trees, are caused by the m3-celium of a minute fungus attacking the roots, it is not at all unlikely that this mound of earth operated beneficially, by preventing the growth of the fungus which preys on the roots of trees. It is now well understood that all plants of a low order of vegetation, which we know as fungi, will only grow under a peculiar combination of circumstances. Among other things they must be very near the sur- face of the earth, and if buried to the depth they would be under a mound, it is unlikely that fungi would find a satisfactory home. Some will say right here that they thought burying up the trunks of trees and covering the surface roots with earth was destructive to health ; but the burying by itself is not the reason trees die when earth is piled over them to a considerable depth, but from the fact that the young, growing roots do not get air. These 3'oung, growing roots, are almost all at the ex- tremities, and the mound of earth around the trunk w^ould not in the slightest degree injure these outer roots. Whenever a valued tree is somewhat buried, it is customary to leave a space around the trunk, perhaps building a dry wall, in order to keep the earth from get- ting near the trunk : but this is not that the earth is injurious, but to give a chance for water to flow freely down into the soil, and the flow of water always leads to a flow of air fol- lownng the water. These remarks are sugges- ted b}- an article in an agricultural paper, stating that the apple borer and the peach borer have been kept out of the trunks of trees by making a mound of earth around the trunks The Phylloxera in Australia — Baron Mueller says the dreaded Phylloxera has ob- tained a foothold in Australia. 1^ MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [April Sowing Peas. — It has been developed by the experience of intelligent cultivators during the past few3'ears, that plants which require stakes or poles to grow on, have much more vigor and are in every way more healthy when they have these natural supports than when they are left to struggle along without them. The reason for this has been explained by Mr. Darwin, who shows that when a plant of a naturally climbing character has not found the support it desires, it continues twining and twisting in every direction for several days, and it requires nutrition to sustain this motion. When, therefore, they do not find supports, all this nutrition is wasted, This is well illus- trated in the case of the garden pea. With a little brush-wood over which the pea plant can climb, it is amazing to note how rapidly the pea plant grows, and what heavy crops it will bear in proportion to plants which are left to straggle on the ground without stakes to twine upon. Wherever it is possible to obtain twiggy branches for the pea, it is very profitable to use them. There is quite an art, indeed, in stak- ing peas, — they climb by little tendrils no finer than hair, which grow from the extremity of the leaf stalk. They cannot twine around a thick branch, therefore, the vegetable gardener who understands his business, when he is staking the peas, breaks oft a few of the little slender twigs and puts them in the ground near the pea plant. In this way they get their first good assistance in climbing up the thicker portion of the peabrush. Quince Culture.— Trof. L. H. Bailey, of the Cornell University, has recently issued, in Bulletin 80, one of the most complete accounts of quince culture that we have met with for some time. Probably few persons have any idea of the great extent to which this fruit is being cultivated in western New York as a matter of commerce. T. C. Maxwell & Bro., of Geneva, N. Y., have a tract of about thirty acres, which is used expressly for growing this fruit for commercial purposes. Professor Bailey states that though the quince will grow on light soil, it will do best on heavy land, providing it be well drained. On ac- count of the shallow roots, which are always near the surface, it is found best to keep the .soil continually stirred about the trees. A heavy manuring is judicious. The Maxwell orchard is fertilized chiefly with stable manure. Two-thirds of the annual growth of the trees are cut away each winter, — the branches left for fruit-bearing are short- ened in. About three hundred trees occupy an acre, which gives them an area of ten by fif- teen feet each. A bushel of fruit to a tree is considered a fair crop. The Maxwells sort their quinces, before marketing, into three grades, — the best grades are shipped in grape baskets of about a peck each, or in kegs hold- ing a bushel, while the second grade is shipped in barrels or half barrels. They bring about two to two and a half dollars a barrel. The third grade, or "culls," are not very profit- able. The Orange, the Champion, the Meech and the Rea are the principal varieties culti- vated in the state of New York. The leaf blight and the fruit spot are the chief enemies of quince culture. The brown spot on the leaf is caused b}' one of the spe- cies of microscopic fungus named Entomospo- rium maailatum. When attacked by this fun- gus, the leaves fall early, in which case, as with the pear and other fruits, the product is inferior in size and quality. In a perfectly' healthy tree of any varietj^ of fruit, the leaves should remain on, until their natural period of falling, in the autumn. Spraying with the various copper solutions recommended is found to be a complete remed}- against the attack of this or any other fungus. The quince borer would be very troublesome if not kept away from the plant ; but no good cultivator now is annoyed by this insect, as care and watchfulness prevent them from operating. Truffles. — Of all the delicious species of the fungus family the truffle probably heads the list. The writer believes he has seen a truffle of American growth in the long time ago, but not having met with one in more re- cent times, is inclined to believe he ma}' have been mistaken. Has any one reall}' seen a real American -grown truffle ? In the Old World they are found chiefly in oak forests. Growing wholly underground they can only be found by the aid of dogs, carefully trained to scent them. The dogs indicate where they are, and the hunter digs them up. There is no reason why they might not be introduced, — but it is said it is difficult to get the dog.= . I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY GENERAL GARDENING. 77 The Cabbage Root Maggot. — In olden times the husbandman felt that with scare- crows and a few mouse traps he was pretty well equipped for warfare against his garden enemies. When plants died it was mostly from " poor soil," "wet feet," "lightning," or the " prov- idence of God." The microscope has revealed to him a new world mightier than the one Columbus found, in which both friends and enemies vseem to be manifold. An observing youth, of the writer's acquaintance, sitting on an old cherry log " waiting for a train," pulled his lens from his pocket (no one goes without a pocket lens in these daj's) and investigated a piece of leathery lichen which he pulled from the log. He was surprised and delighted at the discovery of hundreds of miles (in minute insect measurement, of course) of roadways which an insect, almost invisible even through the lens, had burrowed through the lichen. Such liliputians are really the great enemies of the gardener. We cannot know too much of their habits and ways. Many a cabbage grower has found his plants to "go oft in some mysterious manner, " but Mr. M. V. Slinger- land, of the Cornell University Experiment Station, brings out his microscope and finds no mystery about it. Annexed he gives a cut in which the enemy is plainly seen. The mag- gots seen in the picture are from the eggs of a small fly, which is named Phor- bia brassiccE. In Bulletin 78. of the publication of this Station, is a history, — probably the most com- plete ever penned — of everything in connection with this pest. It occu- pies over 100 pages, and the beauty of it is that the book can be had simply for the asking. paragraph once saw Queen Victoria biting at an osage ball, under an assurance from Sir William Hooker, who was evidently in earnest, that they "were eaten by the natives. " At the conclusion of the war for the Union, on the opening up of communication with the Southern States, the answer to an application for seed, brought the reply that "it was too late, the balls have been all eaten by the negroes." This is all that Meehans' Month- ly can tell "an inquirer" about the Osage Orange as an edible fruit. There ought to be more to be told, and the information would be welcome. The Largest Tomato. — Efforts are yet being made to discover the largest tomato that has ever been known. The Home and Farm Compayiion, Milwaukee, has seen a specimen of May's Mammoth, that weighed three pounds. The Air Potato. — Mr. F. H. Burnette, of Baton Rouge, La., sends some specimens of the Dioscorea recently figured in Meehans' Monthly, with a note indicating that its native country is probably Guatemala. The species cannot yet be determined. Osage Orange as a Fruit Tree. — In a list of fruit trees cultivated in England, in 1825, the well- known English writer on agricultural topics, Sin- clair, includes the Osage Orange. The writer of this THE CABBAGE ROOT MAGGOT. BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. NATURE'S COMFORTER. If thou art worn and hard beset With sorrows, that thou wouldst forget, If thou wouldst read a lesson, that will keep Thy heart from fainting and thy soul from sleep Go to the woods and hills ! No tears Dim the sweet look that Nature wears. — Longfellow. M. P. DucHARTRE. — One of the most prom- inent of the botanists who make plant life a study — M. P. Ducbartre — died suddenly in the second week in November, in his 84th year. He was editor of the Journal of the National Horticultural Society of France. A Year's Work at Fordhook Farm. — This little book, published by Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia, illustrates and describes the work of a year on a large seed farm. Few have any idea of the great amount of care and watchfulness, aside from money capital, which it requires to keep in the advance in the seed business. The book is for gratuitous distribu- tion. John Jacob Thomas. — Mr. J. J. Thomas, author of Amencan Frjiit Culturist, and other books on rural affairs, died at his home at Union Springs, New York, on the 226. of Feb- ruary, in his 85th 3'ear. For nearly 60 years he had been editorial contributor to the Country Gentlema?i. Like most good men connected with editorial life, he had come to regard the impersonality of these positions, and to sink his own individuality in the work done. Had he been a writer of books, his good and useful work would have brought him among those famous ' ' for all time. ' ' John H. Redfield. — The Botanical Section of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- delphia has, for the fourth time within the present year, had a visit from that grim reaper, Death, — this time gathering in the Conservator of the Academy's Herbarium, Mr. John H. Redfield, who died on February the 28th, from a light attack of influenza, in his 8oth year. (78) In many respects he was one of the most re- markable men who have ever done honor to botanical science. He was born in Connecti- cut, of parents comparatively poor, but who were remarkably acute observers of Nature. The early education he received in boyhood was in a Lancasterian school, which he left when twelve years old, for employment as an errand boy in a dry goods store. He spent his even- ings in study, and particularly in learning lan- guages, of which he was particularly fond. He became a fair master of Greek, Latin and French, and had some insight into German, to which, however, he did not well take. He kept up this taste, for the study of languages, through life — Italian and Spanish being mas- tered only in comparatively recent years. He left the dry goods store with much satis- faction, in his iSth year. His earliest tastes in science were in the direction of mineralogy and conchology ; but as a mem- ber of the New York Lyceum of Natural History, he got acquainted with Dr. Torrey, and his then young student, Asa Gra^^ and he was led to botany. He always refused every honor in connection with his favorite pursuit, as he desired to be known only as a business man — a member of the firm of Whitney & Sons, the leading car-wheel manufacturers of Philadelphia. Retiring from business when he reached his 70th year, he gave all of his time to botanical work. The great Herbarium of the Academy of Natural Sciences, now in ex- cellent condition and, mainlj' through his work , has about 35,000 species of flowering plants and ferns, — not by "estimation," as in so many cases, but by actual count. In the knowledge of ferns he was regarded as among the highest authorities. As a man, he was universally beloved. His main idea of Chris- tianity was to do all the good possible while in this life, — few men more perfectly filled this ideal. By vote of the Academy, the writer has been detailed to prepare a memoir of this remarkable man; but he cannot forbear offering this brief tribute here. i«95-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. 79 Titian as a Landscape Painter. — When my eye first rested upon the notes relating to this topic, in some back numbers of Meehans' Monthly, I had just been reading Sir Thomas Lawrence's emphatic testimony on the same point. The passage occurs in a letter wiitten by the great English portrait painter in 1828, to a young artist then studying in Rome. " The best historical painters," he says, " have always been good painters of landscape, — and perhaps there are examples in Titian of a greater style in that department of art than can be found in the Poussins." Lawrence's estimate of the great Venetian landscape seems a strange forecast of that of Ruskin given to the world froth fifteen to thirty years later. Ruskin boldly declares Titian the "Master of heroic landscape." Whatever Nicolo Poussin, whom he considers incompara- blj' the superior of Claude, had done, had already been better done by Titian. He dwells upon the ' ' mossy leaves of the Titian forest. ' ' "We obtain the nobler effects on foliage," he says, " where the leaves are grouped concentri- cally, as in the chestnut." "So fondly and frequently drawn both by Titian and Tintor- etto. ' ' Although the great art critic sees fault- less models in the foliage of some Venetian portrait painters of lesser note, yet he concludes — "beside Titian and Tintoretto all landscape grandeur vanishes." That Titian's landscape was most rarely drawn from Venetian localities may excite still more stfrprise. It is rather, Mrs. Jamison tells us, ' ' the scenery of his mountain home, the scenery of Pieve di Cadore, that is reproduced in his works, — the towering cliff, the castle, the wild broken ground, the huge plane and chestnut-trees, with their great wreathed roots." So it is not alone by the professed landscapist that the great verities of the material world are betrayed. With many, to cite Gainsborough as a landscape painter, might excite equal sur- prise with Titian. In spite of the celebrity of Gainsborough's portraits of ladies with hat and feather — the Siddons or the Duchess of Devonshire — his first drawing was a clump of trees from the Sudbury forest. " What frankness and feeling in Gainsbor- ough's landscapes!" exclaims Walpole, "which entitles them to rank in the noblest collec- tions !" "Portrait painting like the poet with two mistresses," says another, "had his visits, but landscape and music had his heart." K. L. Hayden. The Forest Flora of Japan. — It will be remembered that Professor Chas. S. Sargent took a journey to Japan a few years ago, ex- pressly to study the forests of that interesting country. Through the Garden and Forest we have already had glimpses of what the Pro- fessor had seen in his interesting journey. It is now announced that the full results of this remarkable journey will soon be given to us under the title of "Japan Forest Flora." It will be an octavo work, matching the Silva of North America, and besides, the full descrip- tion of the Forest Flora will be illustrated by twenty-six pictures of the trees of Japan. It will be published by Houghton, Mifflin & Co., of Boston, Mass. Rafinesque. — The "Life and Writings of Rafinesque," which it was noted in Meehans' Monthly would soon appear from the pen of Dr. Richard Ellsworth Call, of Louisville, Kentucky, has at length come to the conduc- tors' table. It contains all that has become known, and much more than has been written, about this remarkable but eccentric man, to whom, whatever may have been his peculiar- ities, the early history of natural history in our country will be perpetually indebted. Only a limited number of copies have been printed and a few extras are sold by the author, at $2.50 each. Charts of Tree Leaves. — Miss Grace Anna Lewis, of Media, Pa., well known in con- nection with ornithology and botany, has pre- pared charts of leaves for public schools, where natural object lessons are in order. Nothing can be more perfect, or to the instructive point than these charts, as one might expect from one of Miss Lewis' ability. Samuel W. Hoover. — The founder of the famous Hoover & Gaines Nursery Company, Samuel W. Hoover, died on the loth of March. He was a clergyman as well as a nurseryman, and died suddenly while preaching. He was a good man and universally beloved. GENERAL NOTES. American Oaks in the Old World. — A recent writer in a French horticultural journal notes that • American species of this grand genus are rarely seen in gardens or plantations, and with the exception of Quercus rubra, Q. Phellos, and Q. macrocarpa, which are met with in rare instances, are comparatively unknown. Appreciation of Meehans' Monthly. — The hard times are charged with being very severe on magazines ; but the manner in which Meehans' Monthly is sustained is peculiarly gratifying. Not only are the subscriptions promptly paid, but are accompanied by letters of praise of the work, which is extremely gratifying to all concerned. The young men of the firm, to whose ambition to be useful the magazine owes its birth, are particularly pleased with these substantial evidences of its success. Charleston Public Park. — The city park movement seems expanding everywhere — Charleston, South Carolina, is the latest to fall into line, having purchased a site embracing 500 acres. Destruction of Forest Trees. — Mrs. Seliger notes in the Hartford Daily Times, that when criminals are sent up to the House of Correction, they are employed in cutting down the old trees in the enclosure. In other cities the criminals are employed in breaking stone, or similar work ; but it does seem strange that they should be employed in the destruction of forest trees when the public feeling is generally the other way. The usual thing to do would be to send to the House of Correction those who cut down forest trees without good reason. The Giant Grape-Vine at Hampton Court. — A correspondent who recently visited Hampton Court Palace, near London, states that the figures given in a recent number of Meehans' Monthly in regard to the wonder- ful longevity, and still remarkable productive- ness of this grape-vine, were not in the least exaggerated. He found that this one single vine covered an area of thirty by seventy- five feet, every part of it being in the healthiest possible condition, and every part of the vine bearing a bunch of fruit. Twelve hundred bunches was certainly a moderate estimate. {80) Meehans' Monthly as an Educator of Botanists. — A correspondent kindly says when renewing his subscription, " I have great pleasure in mentioning that use of the maga- zine has aroused quite an active love of Botany among some of va.y summer neighbors. I be- lieve that the 5'oung ladies have found almost all of the rich flora growing within a few miles of Elberon, through the encouragement fur- nished by the magazine." Small Parks. — The Call, of Newark, N. J., gives in detail some interesting matter con- nected with the proposed great park in Essex County. Just as it occurs elsewhere, the Park Commission is finding many legal obstacles in the way of success. One point made by a speaker we can heartilj' endorse ; it was stated by some applicants of the park that the better plan was to secure it in some out-of-the-way place, so that it could be purchased at small cost, and then improved in the far-away future, and the reply was that the present generation which paid for these properties, has some right to some of the enjoyment. This was found to be the case with the Philadelphia movement twelve years ago. The thought then was, to place a large number of parks on the city plan, in order to get possession of them in the future ; but it was found by experience that no sooner was a little park plotted than the pressure to take it at once immediately arose, and as the financial question could not be ignored, the result has been that instead of placing a few secured plots on the city plan, some three or four only are placed on the plan annually, and these are taken possession of by the city within a year or two afterwards. Judging from experi- ence this must be the plan to be pursued by all municipalities. BAPTISIA TINCTORIA. FALSE INDIGO. NATURAL ORDER, LEGUMINOS^. BAPTISIA TINCTORIA, Robert Brown.- Glabrous, branching; leaves subsessile; leaflets small, round ish-obovate, acute at base, very obtuse at apex ; stipules setaceous, caducous ; raceme loose, terminal ; legume subglobous. A plant witlt bluish green foliage, frequent in dry soils, Canada and United States Stem very bushy, about 2 feet high. Leaflets about 7 Hues by 4 to 6 lines, emargiiiate ; petiole, i to 2 lines long. Flowers, 6 to 12 or more in each raceme. Petals, 6- lines long, yellow. Legume about as large as a pea, on a long stipe, mostly 1-seeded. (Wood's Class-Book of Botany. See also Gray's Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States, and Chapman s Flora of the Sotithern- Sta:es.) Possibly few wild flowers are better known than the one now illustrated, as it is one of the chief elements in wild flower scenery along the whole seaboard of Canada and the United States, having a range of latitude accorded to few of our other wild flowers. Though not a gay flower, it is showy enough to be seen by all, and most of those who live in rural districts can point out the wild indigo. It loves to grow on rocky hillsides, or, when in lower elevations, in the drier or sandy spots, where many other species of plants could not sustain themselves. The roots penetrate to a great depth, and the plant is thus enabled to exist in a dry time when species rooting only near the surface would suffer from drouth. So far as the observation of the author goes, the plant is not gregarious. There may be sufiicient plants to give a special character to the wild flower scenery ; but, in a general way, each plant has a space to itself, with no apparent disposition to crowd itself on to the plot occu- pied by its neighbor. The plants are thus generall}^ well developed, and make hemi- spheres which, in July and August, in Pennsyl- vania, are completely covered with bright golden flowers. The peculiar blue green of the foliage makes the wealth of golden blos- som still more conspicuous. This peculiar character of the foliage attracted the attention of the earlier botanists of our country. We find Banister, in 1680, sending a catalogue of Virginian plants to Ray, and remarking that it was " a shrubby trefoil with subccerulean leaves." There was, however, doubt among these early lovers of the science. In 1 69 1, so soon as Banister regarded it as a trefoil, Plukenet described, and gave a fairly good figure of it, as a species of broom, '' Cytisus proaimbens Anicricanus flore hiteo," and even Clayton, who sent to Gronovius, and' who wrote an early Flora of Virginia, in 1762-,. regarded it as an "ally of the broom." In' this work Clayton is quoted assaying the plant was used in the preparation of indigo, and Colden, of New York, quoted as saying that the plant "is our wild indigo." The many transitions to different genera are somewhat curious. Linnaeus, in his earlier work, //i^^^^^^' 'til'^inA^ Tree Support with Wire Guard. Tree Support without Wire Guard TREE GUARDS OR PROTECTORS packed about the roots and pounded in as firmly as good planting required. Scale on Abutilons. — A correspondent has tried lime-water to destroy scale on abutilons, without effect. She would be very glad if any one, who has really tried something that is easily applied, and has been effectual against scale insects on house plants, would give their experience. MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [June The Winters of Northwestern Iowa. — Mr. H. A. Terry notes that numbers of pretty plants that add pleasure to eastern gardening are denied to the people of his section, so far as flowering is concerned. Among these are Corchorus, Deutzia, Euonyitius Europcsus, For- sythia, Hibiscus, Prufius Pissardt, Pyrus japon- ica, Rhodotypus, Siyrax, Vibtimjim plicatiwi, Weigela, Xanthoceras. Most of these are hardy in root, but kill back in top, and never bloom unless protected by snow or artificially. Beech Hedges.— R. P. Jeflfery & Son, Bell- mare, Long Island, N. Y., say: "Speaking of American Beech hedges, we have one which has been a perfect hedge for ten years or more, kept down to five feet. In places it is shaded by large apple trees, yet it does not die out under them. The growth, of course, under the trees is uot as strong, yet it cannot be noticed in summer." A little surface manure to the weaker ones would bring them up to their stronger com- panions. The Olive in California. — It is only of recent years that the olive has been introduced as a large and paying crop in the horticultural features of California ; and it is another illus- tration of how long it sometimes takes people to see advantages which abundantly exist about them. The Pacific Rural Press states that in some parts of California, there are large trees over a hundred years old, that were intro- duced by the ancient missionaries, from which it ought to have been easily seen how readily the olive would succeed on the Pacific coast. It gives a picture of one which is nearly as large as some of the oaks in the eastern section of the country, although it does not give its dimensions, but judging from the pictures of human beings standing around, it may be judged that the trunks are seven or eight feet in circumference. Hardy Evergreens. — When we speak of hardy evergreens we have to bear in mind that there are two active causes of injury during the winter season. One is cold winds, and the other a specifically low temperature. Light, feathery trees, such as the Hemlock Spruce, are often badly injured in winter, even when the temperature is not very low, by being exposed to heavy winds ; while the stift, sturdy growing kinds, such as the Austrian Pine, for instance, will endure a low temperature for a considera- ble length of time, even under a stiflf, wintry breeze, without the least injury. In fact, any variety of evergreen that has a very close habit of growth, and does not easily bend its branches to the wind, is hardier than one of looser charac- ter. Take, for instance, the Irish and English Yews. The Irish Yew will oftentimes pass through a winter without injur3% while the English Yew will severely suffer, and the reason is that the Irish Yew has a stiff, compact habit of growth which prevents the wind from get- ting through the branches. An Irish Yew will stand in a snow drift as in a basin, the current taking the snow all around instead of through it, while the snow will drive completely through the more open English Yew. In other words, the Irish Yew is more hardier than the English Yew on account of its wind-resisting power. Planters should bear in mind in se- lecting trees for the ornamentation of their grounds, that the strong, sturdy kinds should be placed where the wind is likely to cut more keenly in the winter time, while the most feathery varieties should be in a position of shelter. The Fruit of the Allamanda. — There is in cultivation a beautiful class of plants known as Allamanda, a climbing set, having very large showy yellow blossoms, and of the family of plants known as Asclepiadaceae. This class has rarely the power of fertilization without insect agency. As a result, they rarely bear fruit under cultivation ; but one has fruited in France, and is figured in the Lyo?i Horticole, and seems to bear an exact resemblance to a large chestnut burr. Those who are quick to see the uses of prickles will have to study out what are the uses of this prickly burr in this genus of plants. Polygonum Sachalinense. — So much is being said of this plant, that it may be well to repeat that its specific name is derived from Sachalin Island, in a part of Asia, which is somewhat of a desert, though there are damp places on which this species of knotweed grows. Its habits and general character is so nearly allied to another Asiatic species, P. I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHIvY — GENERAL GARDENING. 113 cuspidatum, that only an acute botanist can see the difference. The latter has proved a very ornamental plant in American gardens, — but is such a terrible pest, by reason of its wide spreading, creeping roots, that ornamental gardeners keep shy of it. CoB.-EA MACROSTEMMA. — Under the name of Cobesa macro steni7na, a species from San Salva- dor, in Central America, has been introduced to European gardens, and may be useful for American summer gardening. The foliage is like our common cobaea ; but the stamens and style project for more than double the length of the corolla, and presents a remarkable ap- pearance. Lycoris souamigera. — Mr. Isaac Myer, New York City, says : ^ ^ Lycoris squamig era, called, also, Amaryllis Hallii, is hardy in this country. A hole should be dug about two and a half feet deep, the bot- tom for six inches filled with broken bricks or stones, and good rich loam on top. The bulb should be planted at least ten inches deep, in the fall. In early spring it will throw up about six bright green leaves. These die down, and in August, a thick flower stem arises about two feet high. The blooms are three or four inches long ; the flowers are fleshy, pink, bell- shaped and fragrant. ' ' THE M^KI^Y FLOWEl ^/^H^EMo Double Jonquils Becoming Single. — A correspondent says : "I send you, herewith, four little flowers of what are called at our old place down in Maryland "double jonquils." There is something that seems to me a little queer about these flowers, and I would like to have your opinion on the subject. The original bed of them has been there at least seventy- five years, and always bears dou- ble flowers, and perhaps 100 or more. As the bulbs increase, they have become crowded to- gether, and of course the bed is extending. Still, in the original bed, there is only very occasionally a single flower. The singular thing about them is that any removal, even of a sod of the bulbs, causes them to go back to the single flower. I some years ago brought some of them up to my place at German town, and they came up single. A removal to another spot, within a few feet of where the original bed is, causes them also to go back to the single type. The bed is rather a celebrated one in the neighborhood, and several of the neighbors have tried to transplant them, always with the same result, — they are no longer double. Now, what I want to ask you is : why is this so ? Will they resume their double form when they get crowded together as they are in the original old bed ? Is it, therefore, that the doubling is caused by the fact of the roots being crowded ? The oldest inhabitant of the neighborhood tells us it has always been the wonder of the whole neighborhood, the fact that only in this one spot would the double jonquil grow. I would like very much to know what you think about this little thing. It seems a rather singular thing to me that they should all of them run back when moved." That plants usually producing double flow- ers, will occasionally revert to the single con- dition, is well-known. Those who raise tube- roses largely have frequently to weed out the single ones that now and then appear. But we have never known the reversion to occur under regular rule as described in this note. Has any one had a similar experience ? Beauty in the Garden. — A correspondent writes that one need not wait till the flowers bloom to see beauty in the garden. It has an interest for him at any season of the year, especially when the leaves are pushing up from the ground in spring. He thinks that no gaudy flower will equal in interest and beauty the unfolding leaves of the Columbine. With- out granting all he claims, it must be conceded that his enthusiasm in this line has very much to sustain it. Hardy Chrysanthemum. — Pitcher & Man- da, the well-known florists of Short Hills, N, J., call attention to a fact not generally known, that there are two distinct species of this popu- lar flower in cultivation. The common large flowered varieties, which have been for over half a century in cultivation, are derived from the species known as Chrysanthemum Indicum ; but those with small flowers which we know as Pompons, and which were introduced by Mr. Fortune, from China, about 1840, belong 114 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [June to an entirely different species, and have proved to be perfectly hardy in our climate, while the ordinary Chinese Chrysanthemum has not. There is an immense variety of form and color among this class, and there is no reason why they should not become as popular in herbace- ous flower gardening as the phlox or similar plants. Herbaceous Plants in Summer. — The great majority of hardy perennial flowers are natives of woods or grassy places where the earth is shaded from the hot summer suns. When thej'^ are removed to open borders they suffer seriously from summer heat. It is, therefore, good practice, in these open sunny situations, to have the ground mulched, — that is to say, covered with something like decayed leaves or half-rotted straw, or anything that will prevent the scorching rays of the sun on the earth. Herbaceous plants do not care so much for bright sun as they do for cool soil at the roots. For the same reason, a loose, open vsoil is better for growing herbaceous plants than soil of a heavier character, because having more air spaces, it is cooler. In short, it is cool soil more than shade that herbaceous plants require. Renewing Herbaceous Plants. — There is a very slight difference in nature between annual and perennial plants. An annual dies chiefly because the effort to produce seeds exhausts the vital power. Many annuals can be made to live for a number of successive years if the flowers are pinched off" and the plants not allowed to bloom. This is well known in the case of the common mignonette. Plants have been made to live for a number of years by picking off" the blossoms as fast as they appear. The petunia is another plant which can be made to live an indefinite number of years by preventing it from flowering for several seasons. Even the sun-flower will live if the heads be cut off and the plant prevented from flowering. There are some herbaceous plants that are so nearly annuals that, if they flower very freely, they are very apt to die out entirely. The foxglove is a well known plant which is of this character. In these cases it is best to have several plants, and let some of them go to seed, while the other plants should have the flower heads cut off" as fast as they fade, so as to prevent seeding. In this case the plants readily assume a perennial character. Those who are very fond of herbaceous plants, and make themselves well acquainted with their characteristics and habits, always save a few seeds of every kind, so as to be prepared for the loss of any which may fall back on their annual characteristics. If the seeds of these perennials are sown in the fall, they Mill make plants strong enough to flower, in most cases, the ensuing year. Propagating Rare, Hardy Perennials — Many perennial herbaceous plants are propa- gated by taking up the roots and divid- ing them in the fall of the year. Others are easily propagated bj- letting them seed and sowing these seeds ; but even these methods of propagation are not always rapid enough for the desired increase of any particular plant. It is not generally known that plants can be made by cutting up flower stems. For this purpose, the flower stem is allowed to grow up to a blooming point ; but when that is reached the flower buds must be entirely cut away. This throws more vital energy into the flower stem, and well-developed buds form in the axils of the leaves. In a few weeks, after the flow- ering heads have been pinched out, the flower stalks may be separated for cuttings. Pieces with two or three buds are suflBcient. In this way such plants as the hard}' phlox may be very rapidly increased. The various kinds of lilies can be propagated in the same manner. Hardy Phloxes. — Possibly no class of hardy perennials is better adapted to American flower gardens than the general varieties of the hardy phlox. In their native places of growth they are usually found in damp situations ; but it is found by experience that the}' take well to the comparatively dryer ground in our flower bor- ders. They wither, to some extent, under a very hot sun, butgenerally come up again with the dews of the evening. A great deal of interest may be found in trying to raise new varieties of the hardy phlox. Where three or four kinds have been growing together the pollen intermixes freelj', either bj' the wind or b}- bees, or perhaps i)artly by both, and the young seedling plants will produce flowers of a great variety of form and color. Nearly all of the named varieties in the catalogue of Old 1895-] MEEHANS" MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 115 World florists have been produced in this way. There is a very wide range of color in the differ- ent varieties of these plants, and so many differ- ent forms of the same shade of color that the varieties seem endless. One may also get good experience in breeding to a certain standard when trying to improve the phlox. The chief effort of Old World growers is to have plants as dwarf as possible, with large, heavy leaves, the flower stalks bearing large trusses of bloom, and each individual flower to have a perfectly round outline, but broad and overlapping. For this purpose varieties are selected which already show a tendency in that direction. By sowing seeds of such for several generations, the habit becomes fixed, and the race is success- fully established. riK'miTS MS WE^ETi^PLES. Strawberry, Lady Thomson. — The Lady Thomson Strawberry is being introduced among strawberry-growers, by Mr. John R. Neflin, of Norfolk, as one of the most pro- ductive for that region. He states that, from one acre, 6,000 quarts were gathered within seven days, from five pickings. It was raised by a Mr. Thomson, in Wayne Co., North Carolina. Campanula grandiflora. — A large class of Campanulas, the bell-flower family, have fleshy roots, which enable them to withstand heat and drought pretty well. In consequence, they are among the most valuable of border flowers. Many of them come into bloom about mid- summer and continue until autumn. One of the best of these is a Siberian species, known as Campanula grandiflora, which has large bell-shaped blossoms an inch or more in diameter. It is a native of Siberia. The ordinary form is blue ; but there is a w^hite variety very common in cultiva- tion. Sometimes it presents flowers striped blue and white in the same blossom . It usualh' grows to a height of about two feet. Recently, a very dwarf and free flowering variety has been introduced from Japan. It is known as the variety Mariesi, having been introduced from Japan by Mr. Maries, the collec- tor for the Veitches, of England. This dwarf variety is especially valuable, because it has a more bushy character than the original species. The stems are seldom sufficiently strong enough to be self-sustaining, and hence the character is very different from the upright form hitherto com- mon in our gardens. Tree Cranberry.— Mr. Green, the well- known nurseryman of Rochester, N. Y., trains the cranberry up to a single stem, allowing it to reach several feet high before forming a head. In this way, the bright red berries, which give the plant so much interest in orna- mental gardening, show^ off to great advan- tage. Although called a cranberry, the plant is really one of the Viburnum family, indeed, is the parent of the old-fashioned snowball, the latter being merely a barren form of the spe- cies. The bright red berries are edible when made into sauces or preserves. AN AGED ENGLISH OAK. (From Gardeners^ Chronicle.) ii6 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [June Strawberry Culture. — There is a great difference, as to the best method of growing strawberries, between the amateur grower and the one who cultivates for market. Almost all horticultural writers, in garden periodicals, of course view the matter from the stand-point of the greatest product at the smallest cost in cash. If the grower for market finds it more profitable to have a variety that will produce an enormous crop in two or three picking, than to have that crop scatter over a long time, and a variety that may not be quite so excel- lent, he will take the fruit that is more profit- able than the one which gives more labor in picking, though the fruit ma)' be inferior. In the cultivation, the fruit grower for market usually has the plants set out so as to grow close together in one long row, while the amateur cultivator would find it more to his interest to cut off the runners as they grow, and have the plants in hills, that is to say entirely separate — one plant from another. But this requires more care, and in a certain sense more cost, for the plants when grown in this way must have some shading material placed around them. The strawberry does not mind hot sun, but the leaves insist on having the earth cool in which the plant grows. This covering, or mulching as it is technically called, is also of use in preserving fruit from getting splashed with earth by the falling rain. Those who desire the largest, sweetest and best strawberries, without caring for a little extra labor and cost, always prefer the hill culture. Potato Culture. — It may be well to remind the potato grower of what has been brought to his attention in former issues of Meehans' Monthly, that the potato's greatest enemy, in these modern times, is the stem borer. A little wevil, no larger than that which bores into the garden pea, deposits an egg in the stem of the potato, just beneath the surface of the ground. This produces a little worm which works sometimes upward, but generally down- ward ; and the result is that the stem becomes so weakened that a few days of warm weather dries it up before the tubers have become much larger than walnuts. Generally no attention is paid to this, and the insect, after matur- ing, leaves the stem and enters again into the ground, in order to pass its time until spring as a chrysalis. Some growers, who understand that their plants have died from the effects of the borer, and not from dry weather, bum their stalks after digging the crop; but if true that the larvae have mostly left the stems, no good is gained by the burning. It would probably be a safety to have the potato sets dredged with Paris-green, before planting ; and if one would take the time to place a little Paris-green around the potato stalks as soon as they appear above the ground, it would doubtless be an additional protection, as the beetle probably feeds on the potato leaves, The plants themselves, when 3'oung, might also have the application of Paris- green. With a little care in these particulars, a full crop of potatoes could in all probability be secured — so far, at least, as this great potato enemy is concerned. Phellodendron pertuosum. — In the first volume of Meehans' Monthly appears an illustration of this remarkable plant, it being probably the only one of the family of AracecB that can bear the distinction of producing edible fruit. It has only been known, so far, through its cultivation as an ornamental plant in conservatories ; but the Southern Florist and Gardener has a correspondent in Florida who states that it is being extensively cultivated in the open air in the extreme south, and that it is popularly known there under the name of the Cerimon. Although originally described under the botanical name above given, the name is not adopted by Index Kewensis, Monstera deliciosa being the name used. This will probably come into general use. Disease in Chestnut Trees. — French journals state that a disease, called in France, "Javart, " has appeared among the chestnut trees in France, and is doing considerable in- jury. It appears on the bark of the young shoots about the time when the branch is about to complete its growth for the season. The first appearance on the bark is like a bruise, and a short time afterwards, it be- comes dry and cracks into thin plates. It resembles, in some respects, the canker in the apple tree. Two French microscopists, Pril- lieux and Delacroix, have found that the dis- ease is due to a microscopic fungus of the genus Diplodina. 1895.] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 117 Japan Plums. — Whoever plants plum trees generally has fair crops for several years after the trees commence bearing. But the great enemy of the plum, the curculio beetle, even- tually finds them out, and unless the tree re- ceives assistance from theorchardist, the plum crop is a failure. Just now there is much in- terest in the Japan Plums, and those who are growing them report that they are free from curculio ; but as this is the experience with most varieties of plum, as already stated, it will not do to conclude that the curculio will not injure them. Some specimens of plums have been exhibited on which curculio marks were visible, and yet the plum perfected, and this has been taken as an indication that the attack of the curculio will not injure these plums ; but it is by no means uncommon to find in an ordinary plum tree, fruit so marked, which did not rot. The explanation of this is that the beetle did not deposit the egg after making the mark, or that the egg failed to hatch to a larva, in which case there is no reason why the plum should rot. If any one has time to give a little attention to plum trees, by shaking ofi the plum wevil before it has deposited its egg, or perhaps by spraying the trees with the various solutions recommended, it is very easy to get a crop of plums ; but labor of this kind is usually not convenient, except where there are large orchards and one person can be employed regularly and continuously to do the work. It is by regular attention of this kind that the plum growers of New York State have made the culture of that fruit so profitable. The English Sparrow. — Californians are comforting themselves with a belief that the English Sparrow will never be a great pest to the fruit grower in their part of the country, from the fact that the towns are distantly apart. They have an idea that the sparrow is completely a city bird, and will not wander far into the rural districts. When an orchard oc- cupies one whole square mile, it is not believed that the sparrow will wander into such a lone- ly region. It must not be forgotten, however, that the love of life, which is so strongly im- planted in every living creature, is always a strong inducement for such creatures to change their habits and their ways. The English Sparrow, in its own country, builds its nest in holes in ruins, and in stacks of hay or grain. even taking to the thatched roofs of old build- ings, or perhaps the ivy-covered walls of churches or old castles. When these birds were first brought to Philadelphia, and they found no old ruins, nor anything like the conditions under which they had been in the habit of building in their own country, they took to making nests in the trees of the public squares, just as other birds do. The instinct of self-preservation is a great factor in the change of habit of any or all creatures. Root Fungus in Trees. — A correspondent states that a peach tree standing near a dwell- ing, was entirely cured of a disease known as "yellows," by having boiling water poured around it. This fact has been known for many years past, not only in connection with the fungus which produces the disease known as the "yellows" in the peach, but also in connection with similar diseases in other trees, which are also the result of root fungus. The hot water cools a little before reaching the roots ; but it is sufficiently hot when it reaches the root, to destroy the fungus, without injur- ing the root tissue. Unfortunately, a remedy of this kind is scarcely practicable in large orchards, or where peach growing is done on a large scale. For a few trees, in small yards, where they are convenient to the hot water range, no practice can induce healthier fruit trees than an occasional pouring of hot water around them. Lehigh Strawberry. — The Lehigh Straw- berry is a new variety introduced by W. B. K. Johnson, of Allentown, Pa. It is a seedling of the Crescent, which was fertilized by one of a half dozen other sorts grown with it. It is said to be extremely productive. In i8p4, a patch of three-year old plants, 226 feet by 21 feet, or 4746 square feet, yielded 292 quarts of berries, from one day's picking. This same patch, together with a one-year-old bed, con- taining 9,600 square feet, or 14,346 square ieet in all, yielded in eight pickings, 5.248 quarts. This is an extraordinary amount to gather from the space occupied. The berry is larger and of a brighter red color than the Crescent, and is more pleasant to the taste. The foliage is good and strong, and of large size. It ripened in 1894, on the 26th of May. BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. GENEROSITY. The very flowers that bend and meet In sweetening others grow more sweet. — Oliver Wendell Holmes. History of the Garden Pea. — ' ' Although authorities affirm," says the Gardeners' Chronicle, " that the true origin of the pea has been lost in obscurity, certain it is that several kinds were largely grown by the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans. Its introduction into this country is somewhat mysterious, some of our old time writers stating that it came from France, others from Holland, and there is no doubt it found its way to Britain through these countries, becoming acclima- tized according to local surroundings. It was not until the reign of Henry the Eighth that we learn of its cultivation in gardens." P. J. Berckmans. — Belgium was, for many years, the great home of improved pear culture. It was even enough to say that a pear was '"' a new Belgian variety " to get for it a demand at once to popular favor. A generation ago Dr. Louis Berckmans, a gentleman of superior education and prominence in Belgium, decided to make America his future home, and brought with him that love of fruit culture, and espec- ially that interest in pears, so prominent in his countrymen. He settled at Plainfield, in New Jersey. He was one of the intimates, and one might also say coadjutors, in helping along the knowledge of fruit culture, which at that time was illustrated in the person of Dr. Wm. D. Brinckle, of whom all who have known of the Brinckle's Orange Raspberry will have some pleasant remembrance. In 1857, on account of the severity of the northern winters, Dr. Berck- mans moved his family to Augusta, Ga. The son. Prosper J. Berckmans, has inherited his father's love for fruit culture and horticulture in general, and is to-day one of the best known and most highly esteemed pomologists, as well as for the interest which he takes in every matter (118) connected with the advancement of horticulture. He was born in Belgium, at Aerschot, near Brussels, in 1830, and was long enough there, before his father moved to America, to obtain the degree of Bachelor of Arts. The famous Album de Pomo logic, of Bivort, one of the most famous of all illustrated pomological works, had considerable aid from young Berckmans, although then but eighteen years of age. He has recently been re-elected president of the American Pomological Society, with general good wishes from friends all over the Union, that he may long retain health and strength to occupy the position he so aptly adorns. The Study of Mosses. — Anj'one armed with a good pocket-lens may derive much botanical pleasure, even in the severest winter, by the study of mosses. These insignificant little plants deserve as great attention as the trees of our forests or the flowers of our fields. Mrs. Elizabeth Britton, of Columbia College, New York, is the leading authority on mosses to-day, in America, and has, what is not com- mon among scientific people, excellent ability in bringing scientific matter down to a degree admitting of a clear conception by the popular mind. In a monthly magazine, called Prac- tical Microscopy, published at Portland, Conn., she is giving a series of articles on how to study mosses. The articles are beautifully illustrated by magnified drawings of the dif- ferent species. Possibly no more useful work in connection with the knowledge of mosses has been issued in this country. Jean Francis Boursault. — There are few more valuable hardy climbing roses than the crimson Bours^lt. Little is known of the raiser, Jean Francis Boursault, but Garden atid Forest for January 25th, has a brief biography. He raised the rose from the species known as Rosa alpina. He was a wealthy amateur gardener, born in Paris in 1752, and died in that city in 1842. An everblooming Boursault, would make the raiser famous. I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. 119 Horticulture in Public Schools. Super- intendent of Public Instruction for the State of Pennsylvania, Dr. N. C. Schaeffer, in a re- cent address, states that in France there are no less than 50,000 little gardens attached to their schools, and he thinks that the reason why there are not more of these beauty spots in connection with our public schools is from the lack of public sentiment in that direction, and the lack of knowledge on the subject, by teach- ers. He intends to have school gardens at- tached to the Pennsylvania State and Normal Schools, where teachers can be properly in- structed in sufficient gardening to look after them. Whatever may be the condition of affairs in other parts of the State, in the first school district, which comprises the City of Philadelphia, it would be the janitors who ought to be instructed in horticulture, and not the teachers, as it is they who have the charge of all the surroundings of the public schools. In many of the schools in Philadelphia, the teachers are now giving the children lessons in the line of botany and horticulture, by grow- ing seeds in the school windows, and by object lessons from the plants themselves. It does not require any very high degree of education to train the eye to look closely at what it ob- serves, and very successful work in this line is done by teachers who never had any instruc- tion in the normal schools, as to the elements of botany. Indeed, botany or horticulture, as taught by books alone, seldom makes any last- ing impression on students, — they will learn more in a few weeks by actually observing how plants grow, or by studying and comparing plants and fruits that they may casually gather in a few hours, than by studying botany or gardening as diluted by the text-books, for a month. Les Fleurs de Pleine Terre, — Prepared l)y Edouard Andre, and published by Vilmorin- Andrieux & Co., Paris, France. Those who read French will enjoy this work. It is one of the most comprehensive books on flowers and flower-garden matters ever issued; and must do much to place open-air gardening on that high plane which the lovers of the beautiful art so fondly desire to see. It occu- pies over 1,300 pages, and there are few that have not colored plates or wood engravings illustrating the text ; being arranged in dic- tionary fashion, any plant or flower on which information is desired is readily found. They are not only described, but their value in gardening is estimated. Plans for gardens and flower beds are included, and lists of plants out of which beautiful combinations can be made. One can scarcely suggest a topic that has not received attention. Even the technical terms used in gardening and garden botany, and the full names of the authors responsible for plant names, are in- cluded. We may congratulate the author and publishers on producing the greatest floral work of the century. Luther Burbank.— Mr. Luther Burbank, of Santa Rosa, Cal., is well known by reason of the great success which has attended his efibrts to improve fruits and flowers. He is one of those in whom a taste for horticulture was developed at an early age. The famous Burbank Potato was raised by him, from seed, when he was but sixteen years of age. He became a resident of California twenty years ago, starting at first in the general nursery business. His love for new productions, how- ever, was so intense that he finally gave up the business, spending his whole time in hy- bridizing and raising, by selection, new fruits and flowers. In this he is doing admirable work, and it is a satisfaction to know that his successful labors are having popular support. As a raiser of popular new plums he has been particularly successful. Two of these, called the Giant and the Wickson, are regarded as among the best of the plum family. The Southern Florist and Gardener. — The first number of the Southern Florist and Gardener gave evidence of filling a useful field. It has now gone through six issues, and fully bears out its promise. It brings more original and useful matter regarding Southern garden- ing than any periodical that comes to our table. It is published by Geo. M. Brandt, Chattanooga, Tenn., monthly, at |i.oo a year. Professor Selby, to whose good work as Secretary of the Columbus Horticultural So- ciety Aleehans* Monthly has had occasion to compliment, has now been appointed botanist to the Ohio Experiment Station, at Wooster. Good work in this quarter may be looked for. GENERAL NOTES. Ramie. — Some years ago there was great hope of bringing this into successful culture in the Southern States. There is no question about the strength and beauty of the material that can be manufactured from it. It is almost a rival of silk in this respect. The conductors have seen some admirable productions made from it. The chief difficulty has been in the manufacture of machinery to prepare the fibre cheaply. This ought not to be an insuperable difficulty. If the matter were taken up in earnest, by some state -authorities or associa- tion, improved machinery would no doubt soon be forthcoming. It is said that the authorities of Jamaica are entering into ramie culture, with some enthusiasm ; but as before noted, it is not so much the culture as the cost of pre- paring the article which has been the trouble. The Rosemary at Funerals. — It was the custom in the rural parts of England, and probably is yet to a great extent, for every attendant at a funeral, to carry a sprig of rose- mary, which is thrown in the grave when the last look is taken. Mrs. Seliger states that this custom is also followed in Germany, and that the rosemary is grown as a pot plant in many windows, and thus furnishes many a sprig for the mournful occasions. It is believed that the custom originated in a belief that Rosemary had the power of aiding the depart- ing soul in its struggle against evil spirits. Yucca filamentosa. — This beautiful orna- ment of northern gardens seems deserving of far more attention than it receives, as a valu- able fibre plant. In glancing over an account before us of the disasters and troubles of a southern traveler, he refers to his trace chains having broken without anything at hand to serve the purpose of the link for his heavily loaded wagons ; but the leaves of the yucca were gathered and hammered soft on the wagon tire, so as to separate the pulp from the fibre, and that with this fibre the missing link was supplied, — and so great was its strength, that (120) it served its purpose perfectly during the whole of the long and wearisome journey. English and American Roses. — The great difierence in taste, between English and Amer- ican people, is in no waj' better illustrated than in the popularity of various florist's flowers. In the rose, for Instance, the long, oval shaped, is the popular form, — a roundish rose bud would scarcely have sale in America. On the other hand, the large globular, or even somewhat flattened kinds, are popular in England, and what is true of the rose is true of almost all other flowers that are in use by florists. In carnations, for instance, the heavy, coarse variet}' known as Souvenir de la Malmaison, is the popular variety in England. Copperas. — It is generally understood that when the word " Copperas " is used as relating to a fungicide, " sulphate of copper " is meant. In common language, this is known as blue vitriol. A correspondent suggests, however, that as so many persons know copperas simply as "sulphate of iron," it is better to use the word "blue vitriol " always, when sulphate of copper is referred to. It is just possible that some of the differences reported in results arise from the fact that copperas or "sulphate of iron " is used instead of blue vitriol or sulphate of copper. A Lantana as a Weed. — It is said that the planters of the Hawaian Islands, are troubled as badly by an introduced species of La7ita7ia, as western farmers are by the Rus- sian Thistle. The particular species is not given. Birds eat the berries, and thus scatter the seeds. Profits of Tree Pl.'^nting. — One wants to know whether it would be more profitable to give up growing regular farm crops, and grow young trees. One might as well ask whether he had better turn his barn into a cotton mill. It depends on his knowledge of the business. SITUATIONS WANTED. Advertisements under this head, not exceeding 50 words, will be inserted once for 50 cents, or three times for $1.25. OARDENERS:— We shall be glad to furnish names of competent gardeners adapted to large or small places. Gardeners wishing situa- tions should correspond with us. THOMAS MEEHAN & SONS, Nurserymen, Germantown, Philadelphia. (^ARDENERS— On our register will be found ^-^ names of Competent Gardeners, and we will take pleasure in sending these to any one requiring their services. Henry A. Dreer, Seedsman and Florist, 714 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. f^ARDENER — Wants situation. Competent ^^ to take charge of large place ; first-class refer- ences ; understands growth of both foliage and flowering plants. Two sons, also, can work on place if desired. Can refer to Thomas Meehan & Sons. Address, John Gaynor, Harrisburg, Pa. WA NTED— A position as Head Gardener, by a married man, age 36 ; no family ; twenty-one years' experience in this country, ten of which I spent on commercial and ten on private places. I have been chiefly engaged in the cultivation of choice stove and greenhouse plants, roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, violets, iorcing bulbs, etc. Had considerable practice in carpet and ornamental bed- ding, and all kinds of lawn decorating, also a general assort- ment fruits and vegetables. The past year I spent with Mr. A. W. Bennett, 'Supt. of Phipps' Conservatory, and Bureau of Parks, Pittsburg, Pa., to whom I can cheerfully refer those who may need my service ; also first-rate recommendations from previous employers. Address John A. Boyle, 4517 Fil- more St., Pittsburg, Pa. JHE ELKHART INSTITUTE, of Art, Science, and Industry, Elkhart, Ind. In- structions thorough and eminently practical. Terms very reasonable. Expenses low. Both sexes admitted. Careful home training. Location attractive and healthful. Day and evening sessions. Diplomas awarded. Students can enter at any time. Circulars free. Address, H. A. MUMAW, M. D., Sec'y, as above. AGE NTS. — Greatest sellerout. Something new. Big profits. Boys and girls make good agents. Write now. Address, Dr. H. A. Mumaw, Elkhart, Indiana. QEND 25 cents to the Currency Pub. House, 178 '^ Michigan Street, Chicago, for a copy of the " Financial School at Farmerville." Everybody is reading it. LARGE STOCK LOW PRICES FRUIT ARE NECESSARY TO A SUCCESS- FUL FRUIT CROP Be sure you get the best Davis Sprayer has all latest improvements of merit and doesthe work best. We guarantee satisfaction. Our catalogue Is a BOOK that every fruit grower should have, SENT IFU/EE if you mention this paper Write Now. DAVIMOHIICON CO., 45 Jackson St., Chicago, 111*. Hires, Turner Glass Co., PLATE Q LASS W"^POW Manufacturers and Importers Colored and Enameled Glass. Looking Glass. French Sheet. English Sheet. Removed to 626 Arch St., Philadelphia, Pa. factories: , The only House in Philadelphia that car- auiNTON. N. J. ries a full Stocic of Polished Plate Glass. Prevents and checks MILDEW and BLACK ROT on Grapes, Fruits, and Plants S01.D BY C. K. nJOO&TBlN 3 Coenties Slip, New York Bowker's Flower Food Makes house plants grcnv luxuriantly atid blossom abundantly. Clean, odor- less, made/rom chemicals, to be applied once or twice a tno?ith in solution. Package enough for jo plants J tnonths, 25 cts. ; for a whole year, JO cts. We pay postage, and send book on " Window Qardening-" free with each packag:e. Bowker Fer- tilizer Co., 4S Chatham St., Boston. IT WILL PAY YOU to send for our new cata- logue, which tells of Hardy Trees, Shrubs, Plants, Roses, Fruit, and our special stock ot Rhododendrons. It will interest all who are inter- ested in such matters. ANDORRA NURSERIES, •^""♦""^ "'" Philadelphia. Pa. Wm. Warner Harper, manager -K- ONE DOLLAR MAGAZINE FOR 30 CENTS To any one sending us 30 cents and six names of friends who might subscribe for our magazine, we will mail you our one dollar magazine a full year. The 8t. Louis Maga- zine has now entered upon its 25th year, and if we may judge by the many complimentary letters we receive from subscribers, we know they must like it. At 30 cents we lose money the first year, but hope you will continue to be a subscriber after seeing twelve numbers. If you wish to see the Magazine before subscribing, send 10 cents and receive a sample copy and a free gift of an aluminum dime-size charm, with the Lord's prayer coined in smallest characters, bright as silver and never tarnishes. We do not send sample copies free, so save your postal cards as no notice will De given them. Address, T. J. GILMORE, Publisher St. Louis Magazine, 2819 Olive Street, St. Louis, Mo. In the part of France where I was born, ladies of every age have good complexions, and they never use cosmetics, but a simple domestic remedy prepared in nearly every household. There is nothing disagreeable in its application or harmful in its effects, and a change will be noticed in the skin in one day When first discovered it was only supposed to bleach the skin, but the friction used in applying it Eradicates Wrinkles and leaves the face firm at d smooth. After a few applications PIMPLES, TAN, BLACKHEADS AND SUNBURN will entirely disappear. During its use all powders and lotions are to be avoided, nothing being used but soft water and OXYSALTS, for it is a process ot cleansing, not covering up impurities. Full directions for use accompany the OXYSALTS— by mail. One month's treatment, only 25 cents OXYSALTS. E. C. LrtCOrVBE Agents wanted 3819 OLIVE ST., ST. I.OCIS, MO. WHEN WRITING TO ADVERTISERS, TELL THEM YOU SAW THEIR CARD IN MEEHANS' MONTHLY. A i)prfi'( t w iti r '^nI^I>lJ' in roniitrv nr 'iiihnrhan homps is now easily within tlu> rtatli of all, and cm be had in snch an ornamental form as to give an added charm to the landscape. The galvanized steel tank and other new features of the system brought out l)y the Aermotor Co. this season leave little to be desired. These tanks have tight covers, and do not shrink, leak, rust, give taste to water, nor admit foreign substances. We have twenty branch houses. One is near you. Tell us what yon think you want and allow us to submit origi- nal plans and estimates. These, at least, will cost you nothing, and an outfit will not cost much. Tf yon w > tr u iil t ni i by wind power, ■w( have ■- u i it r m tli liii ■ also. PU-ase bear in mind th it the Ai rniotor ( o < riginated the manufacture of sti i 1 wmdmills, steel tilting and fixed towers, and steel tanks, and Ks the only concern that galvanizes all its work after all the cutting, shearing and punching is done, so that every portion of the steel is covered with an indestructible coating of zinc and alluminura. We believe we make more than one-half of the world's supply of wiiidiuills. To add to our out- put one more for your convenience would give ns pleasure. AERMOTOR CO., Chicago. WHEN WRITING TO ADVERTISERS, TELL THEM YOU SAW THEIR CARD IN MEEHANS' MONTHLY. Plate ^ f V OXALIS VIOLACEA. VIOLET WOOD-SORREL. NATURAL ORDER, GERANIACE^. OxALis VIOLACEA, Liuiiaeiis.— Pereuuial bulb-scales stemless. Leaves radical, trifoliolate ; leaflets about half an iuch long, and wider than long ; common petiole two to six inches long. Scapes four to six or nine inches high, naked, sub-umbellate, two or three to six or nine-flowered. Flowers violet-purple, nodding. Sepals* callous at the apex. (Darlington's Flora Cesirica. See also Gray's Manual of the Botany of the ." -- ■ - - Flora of the Southern i'njtfd States, and Wood's Class-Book of Botany.) Northern United States, Chapman's In taking up this very pretty wild flower we may be reminded that beauty is but a matter of taste, and that what is regarded as beautiful in one generation or in one part of the world, would not be so regarded in other times or places. But this is not strictly so. There is a science in beauty, and one who has studied this science not only admires that which may €xcite his aflTections, but is able to give very good reasons why he does so, and to which all may assent. In the violet wood-sorrel we have a plant which every one will pronounce beauti- ful, and in every line and feature the critical student will find all that he could desire as a model in its special type. The whole Oxalis family is a particularly beautiful one. There are nearly two hundred species of the genus in different parts of the world, Africa especially having numbers of them, and there is scarcely one that has not some interesting feature. The colors of some of them are very brilliant, and among these colors are white, red, yellow, crimson, violet, and frequently several colors in one flower. The common species of Europe, and which is also found on this continent, has made a mark in history. It is said that St. Patrick, failing to convey the idea of the doctrine of the Trinity to a powerful Irish ruler, was able to explain it by using the leaf of the wood- sorrel, the three leaflets on one stalk affording him the illustration. The plant is the real Shamrock, though in modern times the clover answers the purpose as well. Its very early -flowering has also caused it to be associated with Easter, the coming of the cuckoo, and other evidences of the advent of spring. An anonymous French writer, referring to these associations says : " It is vulgarly called Cuckoo-bread because it appears about Easter. Ever3' evening this pretty plant shuts its leaves, closes its corollas, and hangs its flowers ; it seems too wild to sleep, but, at the first approach of day, unfolds its petals, and opens its flowers. It is probably for this reason that the country people say it gives praise to God, and has been held in the Language of Flowers to be emblematical of joy . " The Euro- pean species has pale whitish flowers streaked with light purple, and, in common with many other species, draws back the scape after flower- ing is over, as if it would actually place the seeds in the ground. Referring to this pretty incident in the plant's life, the poet Lisborne describes the plant as one that hangs her cups, — " Ere their frail form and streaky veins O'er her pale verdure, till parental care decay. Inclines the shortening stems, and to the shade Of closing leaves her infant race withdraws." Our Violet Wood -Sorrel has all these inter- esting features. The flowers and leaves close at night, and what is very remarkable the leaves close — that is droop just as freely under very bright light, as at the approach of dark- ness. Mr. Nuttall notes that the leaves are " sensitive, as in Mimosa, " but the writer has not been able to confirm this except in rela- tion to light as already noted. In earliness of flowering it also shares with the Wood-sorrel of Europe. In Marcy's exploration of the Red River country it is stated that it was found there in April, and Pursh notes in his Diary of Travels through the Northern States that it was in flower on the 2Sth of May in the ele- vated regions of the Bushkill Creek. Our specimen was gathered along the Wissahickon near Philadelphia, not more than fifty feet above tide water, and there it is among the (121) MEEHANS MONTHLY— OXALIS VIOLACEA. [July earliest spring flowers, blooming with the Houstonia coendea. Spring Beauty, and other more familiar things. It has the peculiarity, however, of flowering at dia"erent periods of the season, and our specimen was taken about mid-summer, and Mr. Nuttall notes that it will sometimes flower in autumn, after all its leaves have died away. The common species of Europe, Oxalis Acetosella, and which, as already noted, is found in our country in northern regions, and on the more elevated pastures of our high mountains, has contributed its share to an interesting branch of modern botanical study, the fertilization of flowers. It not only has petal bearing flowers, but others which never open, but yet perfect seed while the floral organs are yet in the bud. These are known as cleistogamic flowers — that is to say flowers having secret marriages. The petal-bearing flowers were at one time supposed to be intro- duced in such cases in order to afford the plant a chance for cross-fertilization by attracting insects which it was thought brought the pollen from flowers on other plants. But it has since been discovered that where plants have these double methods of flowering the petal-bearing flowers are usually barren. The plant seems to depend chiefly on the cleisto- gamic flowers for seed reproduction. This later discovery opens up agam the whole question of the object and uses of color in flowers ; and it gives those plants which have this double character an especial interest to the students of plant life. Though this char- acter has not been noted in Oxalis violacea, it may reasonably be looked for, and the search for them will give it additional interest to the plant collector. It is a fact that large numbers of the flowers are infertile, and this has some hidden meaning. In its geographical relations it is interesting from its very wide distribution. It is found in almost every state on the Atlantic side of the United States from Canada to Florida, ex- tending west on our northern boundary to Minnesota, and is sparingly found in the Rocky Mountains. Dr. Rothrock found it on Mount Graham, in Arizona, at the height of 9,250 feet above the level of the sea. The genus has long been famous in history. Pliny, the old Roman writer on natural history, refers to the European species as Oxys, and to its value as medicine. The leaves have a pleasant, acid taste, and this accounts for Pliny's name which means simply sharp. In the middle ages plants were grouped more from the appearance of the leaves than from the structure of their flowers, and hence we find Bauhin and others about that time classing it with Trifoli7an, by which we should now un- derstand the clover family. But even in those days we see that they had a glimpse of the binomial or two - name system which was finally adopted by Linnaeus, for Bauhin divides his Trifolium into sections such as Trifolium pratense, Trifolium spicatutn, and many others including Trifolium acetosum, for those, like Oxalis, with sour leaves. Oxalis was the name given to the common Field- Sorrel, now Rumex acetosa. When plants became better understood this name was given to the genus it now bears as we find in Tourne- fort, and afterwards 'adopted b}- Linnaeus. It was a very appropriate transfer as more in association with the original name of the great Roman writer. Oxalic acid of commerce is not however wholly obtained from these plants as one might infer from the name, but from the "original Oxalis," the Sorrel. Large quantities of Sorrel are used in Switzerland for the manufacture of this article. BinoxaUte of potash is manufactured in Switzerland from the Wood-Sorrel. Griffith says that our Violet Wood-Sorrel possesses and contains this salt as well as the European species. Oxalic acid is a deadly poison, but as distributed through Rhubarb, Sorrel and the Oxalis, does rot appear to be injurious when cooked, or evt n in its raw state in moderate quantities. Some of the species produce roots large enough to be worth cooking. In former times American botanists made of these plants a distinct natural order. — Oxalid- acecE. Of these Dr. Lindley, though still re- taining the distinction, remarked, " These plants were formerl}' included in the order of Cranes' bills {Geraniacece ,) from which thej' are in the opinion of man3^ not sufficiently distinct." In more recent times American botanists have abandoned attempts to keep them distinct, and the}' are now classed with Geraniums. Though affording no characters which botanists consider suflScient to found an order on, they have a peculiar appearance which distinguishes them. WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. THE MERRIMAC RIVER. Sing soft, sing low, our woodland river, Under thy banks of laurel bloom ; Softly and sweet as the hour beseenieth. Sing us the songs of peace and home Bring us the airs of hills and forests, The sweet aroma of birch and pine ; Give us a waft of the north wind laden With sweetbrier odors and breath of kine. Sing on ! bring down, O lowland river. The joy of the hills to the waiting sea; The wealth of the vales, the pomp of the mountains, The breath of the woodlands bear with thee. — Whittier. The Seventekn Year Locust. — Those who love to vratch the operations of nature will find much interest in observing how the locust leaves the case in which it has lived for seven- teen years in the earth. One who watched them thus tells his story : " Naturalists say they come out only in the night. For almost two weeks I watched them nightly, and they made their appearance an hour before sundown, increasing in numbers until dark. Crawling by thousands through the grass and over the bare ground in their brown casing, which they are about to throw off, they are often covered with mud. Ascen- ding weeds, posts, fences and frame work in droves, and particularly trees, they fix them- selves to the bark and on the leaves. At this time they encounter many enemies, as chickens, hogs, squirrels and birds are very fond of them. Our cat was seen every evening watching in the grass, seeming to relish them as a dainty. One evening I secured seven on one branch, and witnessed the operation of their new birth by lamp light. They were some time running up and down selecting a position. Once fairly fixed the back part of the head soon becomes smooth and glossy, as if stretched to its utmost tension. In five minutes from the time of set- tling in position a longitudinal fissure, show- ing a threadlike white line where the split oc- curs, on the back of the head first, extending finally from the first joint, connecting the pro- boscis or forceps to the body joint, half an inch in length. In three minutes more the head had pressed its way out. Graduallj' the forelegs were withdrawn from their sockets, — say in one minute. Then the whole body swung slowly backward, head down and feet outward, sus- pended with an occasional tremor, as if trying to extricate the hind part and legs. When it had hung for three minutes it then very slowly, like an acrobat, brought its body up to the original position, withdrew the hind legs and body, and in two minutes more stood outside the pupa skin in full form, an inch long, of a white, waxy appearance, with red eyes like rubies. The wings showed only as a mass of cramped up white film. In a minute the wings had grown to three-quarters of an inch, by measurement ; in three minutes to one inch, and in six and a half minutes to the full size of one and a quarter inches in length and half an inch in breadth. In twenty-two minutes the whole process was accomplished." The yearly " locust," would be as well worth watching. Mertensia Virginica. — Mrs. Octavia R. Polk, Hickory Valley, Tennessee, says :— " Will you please tell me if the sample I send is a kitchen salad ? Has it been used as such ? It grows wild here in Tennessee. We call it 'cowslip,' which seems to be the proper name." It was a very beautiful specimen oi Mertensia Virginica. Does any reader of Meehans' Monthly know whether it has been used as suggested ? Morphology op Leaves and Flowers — A correspondent sends a flower of Clematis coccinea, in which the sepals, or outer cup of the flower has developed large, heart-shaped, green leaves at the apex of each sepal. It gives the flowers a very unique appearance. Still it is not unusual among flowers, and can be fre- quently seen on the sepals of the rose. In this case the crimson color of the sepals makes the green termination more striking. (123) 124 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — VnhT) FLOWERS AND NATURE. [July A Twin Asparagus.— The readers of Mee- HANs' Monthly have often been told that vegetable freaks convey lessons in plant-life that could be taught in no '^Itkw other way. Here is a twin asparagus shoot. When we look at a cucumber, we can scarcely believe that nature formed it out of three leaves, which, however, were never permitted to develop to per- fect leaves, — or that an orange is made up of ten. It is difficult for the student to understand that one set of three leaves can be made to i do duty for a number of '|, others which have become so i| consolidated that one can .'' scarcely suspect their original ,„4 individuality. But in this ill asparagus freak , this truth can 11 be clearly perceived. The ijl leaves, or scales, individually, ijli are attached to both stems. It 7 follows as a logical necessity ijly that these leaves were origin- Ill ally distinct from the stems, IjL and that they became united J to both in some very earl j^ ,'/ period of their life-career, — / so early, in fact, that no microscopist, so far as known, has been able to detect the beginning of the operation. But we can see from the re- sults what the beginning must have been. The Story the Willow Trees Told.— In a pretty description of a winter stroll in the woods near Philadelphia, written for the Public Ledger, Dr. C. C. Abbott describes a group of aged willows and interprets for us the story the willows told. " When I stood in the weedy hollow between the five huge trunks, the spot was still as the sleepy church yard with its charge. For the first time, though often here before, I noticed how strangely shaped were the trunks of the two willows, and closer investigation showed that they had overgrown a stile until at last they had quite concealed it. The wood of the two old willows was now so rotten that the last efforts of a racoon or opossum to eflfect a lodgment had broken away large pieces of the trees, and so exposed the stile. A path then had passed between these trees, and I could see the probable direction it extended ; but why a path here, and from what point did it start and whereto did it lead ? These were hopeless questions. I doubt if anyone now living knows ; but what of the people who had passed to and fro in years long gone ? Here, indeed, must have been a favorite spot for people to meet — by accident, of course — and we know that young Friends were equal to falling in love, and have been known to flirt. I have read of one ancestor who was reproved for levity, and married out of meeting as a consequence. In a quiet way, this was a lively neighborhood, and the onetime foot-path and stile in a little grove could tell a pretty story if they would but speak." The Indian Shot or C.'^nna. — It has been stated that the only difference between a weed and a wild flower is, that it is a weed when it comes up where the cultivator doesn't want it. A wild flower, then, becomes a weed when grow- ing in cultivated ground. One would hardly suppose that the Canna of our gardens, a beautiful wild flower of Florida, is often a great pest to the Florida horticulturist, and is classed there as among the worst weeds. It seems it appears persistentlj- in low ground, known to cultivators as hummock soil ; its root stocks grow so deep in the ground, that the plow does not turn them out, so that they grow up as bad as ever in newly plowed ground. The roots have to be dug out with a spade, in order to get clear of them. OsMUNDA regalis. — Mr. Thomas Roberts, at Green Cove Springs, Florida, writes : — " With this I mail you tips of fronds of one of the most graceful of the larger ferns of this section. Ordinaril)^, the fronds run from 3 to 4 '^ feet in length and from i to 2;, feet in breadth. The best specimens are found in wet swamps. I have also met with it in sunny locations." The fern is evidently the Royal Fern, Os»iu?i- da tegalis, but much more slender and grace- ful than when growing in more northern locali- ties. i895.] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. 125 Note on Solea concolor. — On this curi- ous, half-shrubby violet, Mr. E. N. Williams says : — *"' I have found some rare and beautiful plants among the abrupt hills of Delaware County, one no less remarkable than the green violet {Solea concolor). I found the flower in late May, and the pods and ripening seeds later in the season. There it stood, an acre of it, on a rich wooded hillside, each plant more than two feet high, the long, spreading leaves bear- ing little green, peduncled flowers in their It could not build in chimneys until the white man in America made the chimneys in which they could build these nests. In these chimneys the nests are built of small twigs neatly glued together with vegetable gum. This gum is obtained for the nests built near Philadelphia, from the garden cherry, peach, or plum. In many places the gum could be obtained from native gum-yielding species, but it is proba- ble the bird must have at one time built its nests outside of the gum producing region, when its nests would have had to be differently EASILY CULTIVATED O RCH I DS. --stE page 130. axils at intervals up the stem. On close inspection, the flower exhibited the saccate spur ; the slender, pointed sepals and large stamens characteristic of its order, and the oblong, wooly pod enclosing the shiny, brown seeds, seemed just like a larger edition of the downy yellow violet." Adaptation in Animals. — The ease with which creatures can adapt themselves to new conditions is in no way shown to better advan- tage than in the case of the chimney swallow. constructed. Audubon concluded that the gum used was of animal origin, secreted by the bird itself, — but this belief is now known to be erroneous. The Poison Oak of California. — A Cali- fornian correspondent states the Poison Oak of California is just as poisonous as other species of Rhus on the Atlantic slope, just as is the case in the East. It is everywhere, and he often gets slightly poisoned when on flower-collect- ing excursions. MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [July The Origin of Species. — Modern students of nature have concluded that species have come into existence from other species, by change, through gradual modification, over a long series of years. The writer of this produced a number of instances, and worked them into a paper entitled ' 'Change by gradual modification not the universal law, " which the American Association for the Advancement of Science, over a quarter of a century ago, did him the honor to publish entire in its proceedings. Though there is a gradual modification in some cases, as in the change of leaves to bracts, and bracts to involucre or calyx-leaves, the greatest changes occur suddenly. In these cases, the botanical canon 7iatura noti facit saltutn is not true, she sometimes hobbles along on crutches ; but her best work is done on the leap. To-day we give an illustration of a corn plant, which grew among hundreds of others, which branches from near the ground, and bore as fine large ears as any ordinary corn plant would do. The central stem goes on and makes the usual tall stalk, with its male flow- ers or tassel. Nowhere in the field was there any gradual modification leading to this result. There were some with ears on shorter stalks, others a little longer and lower on the stem, — and others longer and lower than these. It is a wide and sudden leap, with no gradations. The explanation is simply this. There is no condition of environment — no external circum- stance at work to influence the change. En- vironinent operated on scores of grains of corn in the same ear as on the one which produced this plant, — and in a similar manner on all the plants in the field. The plants' own inter- nal energj" effected the change. The force usually directed upwardly along the main stem, and diverted usually when near the end of its growth, was diverted earlier in the life-stage. This acceleration was undoubtedly dependent on nutrition, — just how is not clear, but there is enough open to us to see in what direction to search. The Duckweeds. — The curious plants that often cover pools and stagnant water with a living sheet of scum-like green, known to botanists as Lemna, and commonly termed Duckweeds, are little understood so far as their morphology, habits and general character are concerned. Judging by morphological charac- ters, they ought to be nearer the arum family, — AtacecB — than an)' other. Mr. Tillinghast finds that "there seem« to be not less than three modes of reproduction in these plants, viz., I. B}^ a process of budding or ' germina- tion,' 2. By 'minute bulblets ' which sink to the bottom of the water in autumn, but rise and ' vegetate ' in spring, and 3. By flowers, in summer." Green Leaves Inside an Orange. — Some- time since Meehans' Monthly had before it an orange in which the seeds had germinated. An interesting physiological question arose, — how did these young roots, cut oflF from the earth, know how to send their roots downwards, — and how did the leaves become green in total darkness ? About the last point a correspondent suggested that there might be light enough through the rind of the orange. This the con- ductor could not verify. Miss Pinckney now says : — "Do you remember about the orange with a green sprout within ? Well, I tried the peel of two which had lost all juice, and were only pulp3', and the shadow thrown by them was not quite yellow. GENERAL GARDENING. FLOWERS ON RUINS. Sweets of the wild : that breathe and bloom, On this lone tower, this ivied wall ; Lend to the gale a rich perfume, And grace the ruin in its fall ; Though doom'd, remote from careless eye, To smile, to flourish, and to die. In solitude sublime ; Oh ! ever may the spring renew Your balmy scent and glowing hue, To deck the robe of time. — Mrs. Hemans. Planting or Sowing Lawns. — " Plant Blue Grass! " That was a brave saying in The Monthly for May. But is it not about time to remind the public of the wealth of grasses under their noses? Of the blankets of pro- visions let down to Peter? Of the "Little Trooper " Festuca you can sell pure stock of? (It covers 20 or 30 x 7 feet in this Turf-garden , which is not in trade, and there may be 20 or 5o "Sheep's Fescues" in it, all different and just as good ! ) When 3'ou say "Plant Blue Grass" — why not, for variety, tell the people to select a good blue grass ? We show fifty — perhaps a hundred — sorts this spring, selected over half the world, and " variety is the spice of life." Then, how could the Mo?ithly, while the lawn-ground was all bare and feasible, fail to put in a word of caution about weeds ? And say, beside, how fine the surface of it might be made, as regards smoothness and settle- ments, if the whole busine.'^s is sprinkled, hoed and rolled and kept fallow till towards the last of August, while the ladies of the family were selecting a grass just suited to their com- plexions I You know how much easier and cheaper it is to clean your land before you plant or sow it than afterwards to be thumb and fingering for- ever, and never getting the ground clean, on your hands and knees. J. B. O. P. S. — About a thousand turves, from all over, are going into the ground here this spring. There were forty-three cases on forty different steamers, without the loss often sods, because the New York Custom House let them alone. (Thanks to the Treasury Department and Secretary Morton.) An enemy of mine has an electric railway, to be running next week within three minutes of us. Scribner writes that he is coming to see the grasses "early" this season, but the time for earliness is past already. There are, however, more lessons in turf-culture anyday in the year than anybody can hold. J. B. Olcott, The Ranche, South Manchester, Conu. Mr. Olcott is right. Wherever it can be done conveniently the best and most satis- factory lawn can be had by planting one variety, instead of sowing the seeds of the species, however good that species ma}^ be. But there are some who are satisfied with that which is good, or are not in a condition to get the best, and seeding seems all that is left to these people. Growing Aquatics. — Once upon a time the writer of this paragraph was invited to a nurserj' celebrated for its large business in connection with the growing of water plants, or, as thej^ are commonly called, aquatics. As the locality was far awaj- from lakes or ponds, much curiosity was felt as to how the large quantity of plants was cared for. It was found that nearly everything was being raised in old kegs or barrels, sunk deep into the earth, and where water could be led into them by a hose or other methods. The hint ma}^ be taken advantage of by those who read of the beaut}- of aquatics, but do not have lakes or ponds of their own to grow them in. Old paint kegs, or any vessels that will hold water, can be buried parth' in the earth, filled with water, and seeds sown, or j-oung plants planted in mud placed at the bottom of the water. Many of the smaller kinds of water plants can be grown in this way without an}^ serious difl5cult3\ The vessels need not be water- tight. (127) 128 MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [July The Sexes of Strawberries. — In looking over my garden to see the efiFects of last night's frost (which did very little damage so far as I could see), I was attracted to a small patch of strawberry plants, a seedling that I have fruited for several years, and always regarded it as a strong staminate variety ; and noticing some pistillate flowers, I suspected some spu- rious plants being amongst them ; but upon close examination I was surprised to find both S. and P. flowers on the same plants, usually, however, on separate branches or trusses. A few of them show the pistillate flowers along with those that have a full complement of stamens. I take the liberty to inclose a few of the flowers for your examination. This may not be a new freak, though I don't remember ever seeing it. B. L. Ryder, Chambersburg, Pa. This reminds one of the controversy of forty years ago, of which the agricultural and horti- cultural journals of that time were full. In the specimens sent by Mr. Ryder, some of the pistillate flowers had a single perfect stamen, others two, three or more, others almost the normal number for an hermaphrodite. The late Mr. Nicholas Longworth, Wm. R. Prince, Dr. William D. Brinckle and many leading authori- ties contended that such a "change of sex ' ' as they termed it, was impossible ; and when the change was proved, as in Mr. Ryder's case, to actually occur, that it was " normal to that variety and none other. " Like many other con- troversies, there was some truth on all sides. Some varieties may be of such a strong stami- nate or pistillate character, that a disposition to abort or reproduce aborted stamens would be rare ; while other varieties, on the border line would easily vary the characteristics. Mr. Ryder's observation indicates that the one variety referred to modified its character more readily than other varieties under his notice. It is really the case with all kinds of plants and trees. Individual trees are often more fertile than others, and others more sterile ; yet some will vary in there sexual characteristics, under varying conditions, while others will not. Some fruit trees will blossom freely when young, but on account of weakness in stamens or pistils, will have few fruit. But with age the tree bears abundantly. Other varieties will bear well whether young or old. Public Play Grounds. — Mr. B. Frank Leeds, Hackettstown, N. J., says : "In your June number (Meehans' Monthly), after quoting from Mr. Doogue, the Boston gardener, about the damage done to the public parks of Boston by trespassers, you make a remark ex- actly to the point when you say of all such public grounds that their use as playgrounds should nevet be lost sight of. That is to say a section of such parks should be set aside for physical exercise and pla}', ard paved, or not, to suit. Boston also objects, as you maj^ know, to public speakifig on its grassed areas and very properly, though, there again the citj' fails to provide opportunities — vent places — for a form of exercise quite as legitimate as those above referred to. Open spaces should be furnished adjoining parks or public thoroughfares where such speaking might not cause obstructions to travel or prove a nuisance to those seeking only the rest for eye and mind obtainable from tree and shrubber}- — decorated lawns." It is a pleasure to note that the seeds sown in favor of the young in connection with pub- lic parks and squares is Showing signs of vigorous growth. Though Philadelphia has secured a large number of open spaces the past . ten years, it has not voted a dollar for their "improvement" — one of the finest of these, Stephen E. Fotterall Square, a tract of twelve acres in a populous centre, is a perfectly level tract, without seat, or a tree for shade. But thousands of youngsters have had pleasure the past two years in romping over it, until people have come to hope it never may be " improved," and the children ordered "ofi"the grass." Another beautiful spot, "Vernon Square," has trees and grass, but being " unimproved " there is no restriction, and a local paper had recently to rejoice that it was so, because " the green grass stains on the children's clothing" showed how the youngsters had enjoyed them- selves. It is pleasant to note that Philadel- phia's Chief of city property, Eisenhower, is fully alive to this desirable reform, and though he has no expert aid from the city in laying out and caring for city trees and squares, the children will be cared for in what may be done in the arrangements of the new places. A recent ordinance allows children under 12 years to play on the grass in the summer months. i-J MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 129 A Study of Begonias. — Mr. John Coulson, gardener to Hon. Stephen Salisbury, is a lover of Begonias, and has made the ultimate forms a special study. He has a rare collection of photographs, blue prints, and drawings of the numerous species and varieties ; and has pre- pared accounts of their characters and histories. The species hybridize so easilj' and florists' varieties are therefore so numerous that the mast wide awake horticulturist or botanist is uncertain as to their nomenclature. The love of the Begonia, and the desire to know more of them, is widely dififused, and it might be worth while for Mr. Coulson to publish an illustrated work some time. It cer- tainly would be a treasure to Begonia lovers, if not ver}^ profitable to the author. Annexed is an account he gives of a well-known and very beautiful vari- ety, which will serve to show how admirably Mr. C. covers the literary field. " Begonia manicata au- rea-niaculata. — This is a beautiful and effective Begonia, and is worth growing for its fine varie- gated foliage. It is a good free grower, and blooms similar XoBegOfua mafiicata. It was ob- tained by M. M. Roggero and Son, Turin, Italy. The variety illustrated was from Mr. Brasen, Charlotte Street, Worces- ter, Mass , who is a great admirer of Begonias. Photographed November 13, 1892. Descriptio7i : Stems twisted when old, very short jointed, green with light streaks, glabrous. Petioles, 8 inches long, light green, glabrous, with brownish horizon- tal streaks of cilise, and with perfoliate — laciniate scales at the apex, — these of a bright garnet color. . Leaves, 6^ inches broad by 8 inches long, glabrous, green, with lighter green midribs, some leaves being light green, marbled with a yellowish green, on a light background ; others dark green, blotched and marbled with a good white, and blotched with bright garnet. Edges, ciliate. Underside of leaves a light gre3'ish green showing the markings through, with the midribs furnished with bright lacini- ated scales. Flowers dipetalous, both male and female ; y% to }.{, inches in diameter. Color, a light pink. Peduncles, 16 to 20 inches in length." PAUL BRUANT BEGONIA I30 MEEHANS' MONTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. [July We give a cut on the preceding page of a very pretty but little known hybrid, "Paul Bruant," showing how beautiful the illustra- tions are. Begonias usually var}' much in fertility. Some forms have a great preponder- ance of male, others of female flowers. The female flowers are more desirable, as remain- ing longest without withering than the males. In this illustration the female flowers can be readity distinguished by the thickened imma- ture seed vessels under the corolla. • A Few Cultural Notes on Some Easily Cultivated Orchids. — Orchids are considered the elite of flowering plants, and justly so. The curious and varied forms of the flowers, the richness and variety of the colors, embrac- ing almost every shade, their exquisite and aromatic fragrance, their peculiar habits and manner of growth, all combine to make them objects of interest to the thoughtful and to the lover of nature. Even the most superficial observer is stricken with wonder as well as admiration on first beholding these beautiful plants in bloom. Orchid culture improves our taste equally as much as a study of statuary or paintings, for what art is superior to nature ? The close observation of the habits of the plants cultivates in us the faculties of attention and reflection. So that orchid culture is not an idle fad, but has effects truly educational. The folloTt'ing brief notes are not intended for the professional gardener or trained orchid culturist, but they may be of some help to those beginning the culture of this class of plants. They are the personal experience of the writer, extending over a number of years. The indispensable conditions for orchid cul- ture are : Suitable temperature, a pure buoy- ant atmosphere, proper potting and careful watering ; attention to the periods of rest and growth ; and, for the«majority of the species, shade from the direct rays of the sun in this latitude, together with freedom from insect pests, and general cleanliness. He who can command these conditions, and faithfully attend to them, can become an orchid culturist. The orchids here described require a minimum temperature of 55° at night, except in very cold weather. As the sun increases in power the temperature may be raised gradually to the normal summer tem- perature. The rule is, with the increase of light and the approach of the growing season, which for most species happens at the same time, increase the temperature. But in dull weather do not force the thermometer up by means of fire heat. The atmosphere of the orchid house must always be pure and buo5'ant, or as the gardeners say " live," never stagnant nor foul. In dull, wet weather in summer, if long continued, a fire must be lighted and plenty of ventilation given to start the air of the house in motion — this is a very important point. Never admit cold draughts, but change the air of the house every day by giving ventila- tion on the inside. Potting. — Proper potting is more important in orchid culture, than in that of any other class of plants ; it is the founda- tion of success. The proper material for potting is, for the majority of the species, a compost consisting of two-thirds peat fibre and one-third of clean, live sphagnum moss. Shake out the earthy matter from the peat fibre till it feels to the touch like horse hair, then mix in the sphagnum. For Vandas, Phalfenopses, etc., living sphagnum and broken bricks, with a few nodules of charcoal, are the best materials for a compost. The pots must be two-thirds filled with broken pot-sherds for drainage. If baskets are used they must not be too large, and very shallow, about two inches deep. Place a layer of pot-sherds in the bottom of the basket. Do not have too great a bulk of potting material in pot or basket, as it is more liable to become sour. The correct principle in potting orchids is, that the compost should hold water by absorption only, like a sponge, and must pass freely through it. Pot firmly, as a firmly packed compost holds less water than a loose one. When the plants are at rest they require very little water — some none at all, such as are deciduous — just enough to keep the pseudo- bulbs from shrivelling, but the atmosphere must alwaj'^s be moist. As soon as the plants show signs of growth they must receive more water. At the period of their greatest activity they should receive their maximum amount of water, atmospheric moisture and heat. When thej^ have finished their growths they must be graduallj^ ripened by witholding water, and allowing more air, and keeping the house cooler and dr)'er. Orchids require shade from the direct rays of the sun from the first of March to the first of October, but a little all I89S-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 13T along will do them no harm, only do not have it too dense in winter. A painting of naptha and white lead put on in spring will have been sufficiently washed oflf against wintertime, by the rains, as to be harmless during the dull months. They should be sponged frequently with soft water and a little carbolic soap, four times a year, at least, to keep them free from scale and aphis. In winter time, when the fires are going, keep fresh tobacco stems on the pipes. The fames kill thrips and ahpis. In summer time fumigate once a month, by burning tobacco stems. Do not fumigate too strongly. Slate benches are the best, as they do not har- bor woodlice. slugs and other pests. These pests must be dilligently sought after, by night, with candle, if necessary. Keep every- thing around and about the plants scrupulously clean. lyist of Varieties. — Cypripedmm insigne is one of the longest known and most easily cul- tivated orchids. It is a winter bloomer, and lasts six weeks in perfection. Pot it, and all the Cypripedes, in a compost of half peat fibre and sphagnum moss. Cypripedmm Rozli, C. Sedefti and C Lawrenceana are also of easy culture. Vajida ctrrulea—^ow&rs pale blue and borne in graceful racemes, Cattleya TriancE — a beautiful winter bloomer with a large number of varieties, none of which are pi)or ; blooms from December to February and March, and lasts long in perfection. Cattleya Percivnliana C. Skimieri, C. Mossice, C. Bow- ringiana, C. Mendelli, C. labiata and Gaskel- liana can all be recommended. Ccelogyne cris- tata — lovely pure flowers with j'ellow crested lips ; valuable for wreaths. Dendrobiums nobile, chtysotoxum and thyrsifiorurn. Lcelia pjirputata, sometimes designated the " king of orchids, " with large white flowers and crimson- purple lips, blooms in early summer. Lcelia anceps is a fine winter bloomer. Phajus grandifolius — free-flowering terrestrial species, blooms in March and April. Pot in two-thirds peat fibre and one third sphagnum, after it has done flowering. Sobralia inacrayitha, a reed- like species with cattleya-like flowers. Oncid- ium Cfispum and O sphacelat7im — basket cul- ture. Burlingtonia fragraiis, suspend from the roof in a shallow basket. The following are also worthy of culture: Brassavola glauca, Cymbidium Lowianum, Epidendrum ciliare and E. raniferum, Lycaste aromatica, L. Lawren- cea?ia and L. Skinneri, Odontoglossum pendulum and Maxillaria tenuifolia. The beginner may safely enter into the culture of any or all of this list ; they are all cheap. And the amateur will find more pleasure in caring for a half-dozen plants of each kind than in a solitarj^ specimen, as sometimes a plant fails in the most skillful hands. Wm. Fitswilliam. Baronald, Orange, N. J. Some time since the Gardener's Chro7iicle ga.\% an illustration of a Dendrobium deyisiflorum, as grown by an English culturist, Mr. Prinsep, a species closely related to those named in the excellent paper of Mr. Fitzwilliam, and which is introduced here (see page 125) to show what lovely objects result from practice such as Mr. Fitzwilliam describes. In the species figured, the orange and yellow flowers, with the tongue-like green leaves distributed through them ; make a living picture difficult to excel in beauty. Orchids are always interesting, but when well grown, few flowers will compare with them in any point of view from which a flower may be regarded. CypRIPEDIUM INSIGNE, AND OTHERS. — G. A. H., Providence, R. I., notes: "I had understood Cypripedium insigne to be an East Indian orchid instead of Mexican as stated in the March number of the Monthly. B. S. Williams gives its habitat as north-eastern India. My flowers last much longer than the time you intimate, rarely fading short of four- teen weeks. C. villosum does nearly as well, in fact, one flower of the latter lasted sixteen weeks with me this season ; but this never happened before. I should say twelve was about the limit. Messrs. Pitcher and Manda tell me that C. insigne will give more flowers if gradually exposed to full sun in summer. I shall try the experiment this season, but think it will be very necessary to see that the plant does not lack for water. ' ' It was a slip to quote Cypripedium insigne as a Mexican species, it being East Indian as stated. Mr. H. has the conductors' best thanks for the correction and additional points of interest. The species is largely grown for cut-flower purposes, — and its dura- bility favors its use. 132 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [July Andromeda floribunda. — The natural order Ericacece gives us some of the handsom- est and most interesting ornaments of our gar- dens. We find here the rhododendron and kalmia, the trailing arbutus, the manzanita of the Pacific slope, the gaultheria or teaberry of the East, the azalea, clethra and others, among which, certainly not the least in value, is the large genus which in nurseries generally goes under the name of Androyneda. The greater part of these are natives of upland regions, and are among the earliest of our flowering ANDROMEDA FLORIBUNDA. shrubs, some opening in March, if circumstan- ces favor. The species now specially noted, Andromeda floribunda, will often be beautifully in flower by March when favorably situated, though in its native location, the Southern AUeghenies, it is seldom seen with its beauti- ful white waxen globes open before April. It thrives anywhere in our gardens where the soil is not stiff". It must have an open, porous soil, even though it be made porous by broken stone only. It is not then particular about the rest of the soil composition. The general name, Andromeda, is here given because this is the name employed in Horti- cultural literature. The critical botanist would probably insist that it should be Pieris flori- bunda. But there is no such thing as a genus in nature, and the determination of the limit of a genus is simply the opinion of an expert, which other less informed botanists agree to adopt. In the case of Afidromeda, even the experts do not agree. Some think there should be several score of Andromeda, — others divide them into half a dozen genera, — while still others retain the names others would have for the genera, to indicate generic sections mereh*. It has been thought best for the present to fol- low the nursery literature. The Willow of Babylon. — A correspon- dent from Newport, Vermont, says : — " I notice in your last issue the statement that the wood of the Weeping Willow is "as brittle as glass." Allow me to say that the Russian form (a slip of which I enclose) is on the contrary verj- tough indeed ; small limbs like that enclosed being as unbreakable as hemp twine of the same size." The note shows how careful one should be in the use of terms. "Weeping Willow," as used in the article on the Willow of Babylon, may mean many different things. But the " Willow of Babylon," and " Pope's Weeping Willow " are intended to mean the Salix Baby- lonica of botanists. This is pre-eminently known as the Weeping Willoiv, — and when not qualified bysome other term, is the one usually referred to. If a nurserj- correspondent wrote for a Weeping Willow merely, this one would be sent. Otherwise he would say Kilmarnock Weeping Willow, or some other Weeping Willow. The specimen sent is the purple wil- low, Salix purpurea, — and is not even a weep- ing willow naturally ; but has a somewhat pendulous habit when grafted on a tall stem. It is, as our correspondent says, so tough, that nurserymen use it for tying, and it is in exten- sive use in some parts of the world for the finer classes of basket work. Hardy Evergreens in Illinois. — Mr. E. H. Smith finds that at Peoria, Illinois, with a very severe winter, the thermometer going to 25° below zero, Retinospora obtusa and Retinos- pora fllifera were wholly uninjured. ^895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING, 133 FORSYTHIA SUSPENSA AS A CLIMBER. — A year or two ago I wrote you that I was train- ing up a plant of Forsythia Fortunei as a climber, and I now want to tell you of my perfect sue" cess. It has been planted three years and has reached the top of the trellis, ten feet high. I have allowed only a single stem to grow, but that is full of spurs and sprays of a foot or so long, and it is now and has been for a week, a perfect blaze of beauty. F. viridissivia, after a trial of more than twenty years, I have had to discard, for although the plant itself is perfectly hardy yet the flower buds almost invariably get winter killed. F. Fortunei, however, seems to be more hardy as to the blossom buds, and the past two winters has freely flowered in the spring, although fully exposed and without any protection ; and the past winter has been quite disastrous, as many of my herbaceous plants have been killed outright, or very badly damaged, and that, too, notwithstanding my garden was covered with snow all through the very severe weather. The trellis on which my plant is, is back of my kitchen and fronts to the west, and is built high in order to get the top over my kitchen windows so as to get protect- ing shade to the kitchen in the hot weather. Having got the plant to the top of the trellis I shall now let it wander over the top according to its own will. Of course, I have other plants for the same purpose, as wistaria. Clematis pa7iic7ilata, Virginiana, etc. While I am writing, I must tell you of another satisfactory success. On the north of my house is a strip of about six feet of land, which has always been used as a place to store rubbish. About four years ago I cleared it out, lefc a path next to the house, and made a three foot bed against the picket fence — it was a stiff" clay loam, which I lightened up with sand and muck and enriched with stable manure and fertilized. It took a whole season to get it in order, and three years ago I filled it with Polyanthus, Primulas, Auriculas, Bloodroot, Trillium, Hepatica, Jack in the pulpit. Spring beauty. Ferns, etc. It always gets covered with snow, and having so little sun, the snow is sure to stay, and it keeps frozen up till very late in the spring, so that there is no thawing and heaving out. Along side of the plants, I planted small stones, and put some on top between the rows. Hardly ever has a plant been killed, and a few of the very earliest are now beginning to bloom, and in another week or so I shall have a fine show. I am very proud of my success. George S. Conover, Geneva, Ontario County, N. Y. Forsythia suspensa has sometimes trifoliate leaves, and when first seen in this condition it was regarded as a distinct species and named Forsythia Fortunei, and Forsythia suspe?isa is only a female form oi F. viridissima, — seeds of F. viridissima, which occasionally produces seeds, give us plants of both species so-called. Mr. Conover's experience is in the line of modern biology, — that the females are hardier than males. This is true both of the animal as well as of the vegetable kingdom. The American Licorice. — I noticed in the current number of The Monthly your remarks on my article on the cultivation of Licorice Root in the United States. It affords me pleasure to send you to-day a sample of Licorice Root grown in the San Joaquin Valley, Cal. An attempt was made some few years since to introduce this plant into California on a commercial scale, but for some reason the experiment was abandoned. The plant, how- ever, took kindly to its surroundings, and there is said to be now growing in the valley about twenty-five acres of it. Here, then, is the nucleus of the new industry already to hand. Cheap labor, — 75 cents to $1.00 per day, — cheap land, suitable for it, |io.oo to $15.00 per acre, and the plants at hand to start the plan- tation Money to invest and ability to wait for returns only being yet required. H. N. RiTTENHOUSE. The samples sent were pronounced by good judges to be fully equal to any produced in the Old World. Mr. Rittenhouse is doing a good work by keeping this subject prominent. One of the greatest of public benefactors will be he who finally persuades the American cultivator that licorice can be profitably grown at home. America is one of the greatest licorice consum- ers, it being largely used in connection with the preparation of tobacco, in summer drinks, and in many other ways. A market could probably be found before the grower undertook to raise it, if proper effort be made. The agri- cultural experiment stations should take up the subject, and show just what are the localities wherein the plant will certainly thrive well. 134 MEEHANS' MONTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. [July Dogs grass.— Mr. G. C. Watson, Philadel- phia, says : ' ' Answering your query in the last issue of the Monthly,— what is Dogs grass ? I would suggest that the grass referred to is the crested Dogstail grass or crested Dogstail, {Cynosurus cristatus) a highly esteemed variety for lawn making. The seed has been rather high priced and fluctuating for one or two seasons back." Is there any great demand for this South- wardh' — Mexico for instance — the district of country in which this term is used? The Cynosurus can hardly be adapted to a warm country. Wood Ashes.— Save the ashes from the fire- pile. The fertilizing value of wood-ashes is becoming more recognized. In every garden- ing establishment there is a considerable quan- tity of prunings, old lumber, etc., burned to get rid of. While this has not got the manurial value of hard-wood ashes, still it contains a considerable percentage of potash, as eviden- ced by the fact that the farmers obtain their lye from it to make their home-made soap. Remove it to a shed before the rains leach it, and render it valueless, or, if nothing better can be done, cover it with old shutters, till you have time to screen it and spread on the land. Wm. Fitz\villla.m, Orange, N. J. The Post Oak and Others in Missourl — Mr. Jos. G. Barlow, Cadet, Missouri, whites : ' ' There is a species of oak that grows here mostly along the sides of rocky ravines, es- pecially along the brooks, that is unusually beautiful, graceful and delicate. When the leaves are fully grown, I will send you some ex- amples. Now I think of it, I wonder whether you have noticed or seen any specimens of the post oak, Queraisobhisiloba, that have had room to develop naturally, how gracefully the lower branches curve to the ground, and what a handsome pyramidal shape the tree assumes, as well as being something of the weeping order. Rather a queer idea, you will probably think, in respect to the generally stiff looking oak." This brings to mind a pleasant incident in the experience of the senior conductor of Meehans' Monthly, which occurred many years ago. He was collecting plants in the lonely woods of Missouri, when not expecting to meet a human being, he suddenlj' saw a man on his knees before a little spring, rubbing his knuck- les together in the stream, much as he had seen French women when washing clothes along the coast of Brittanj'. Supposing the man was a lunatic, he was cautiousl}' approached, and found to be rubbing handfuls of nettles — Laportea Canadensis — so as to get the green pulpy matter out, and have the clear fibre ex- posed. Mutual introductions followed, when it was found that two men who had long heard of each other but had never met, had come to- gether,— Thomas Meehan and Benedict Roezl. The reader may be sure that the vegetation around us formed part of the subsequent talk. Overhanging the huge rock on which we sat were oaks exactly fitting Mr. Barlow's descrip- tion, and which we decided to be Ozierciis cas- tanea, of Muhleuberg. It is certainly a beauti- ful tree, and deserves introduction to cultiva- tion. The finest post oaks the writer has ever seen were in the Indian Territorj-, but he has no recollection of seeing them anj- where of the curving character referred to. Large Chestnut Trees. — Mr. Theo. D. Rand gives the Public Ledger, of Philadelphia, dimensions of some large chestnut trees in the vicinity of Philadelphia, as follows : " On the place of Mr. Joyce, northwest of Rosemont Station, Montgomery County, Pa., is one measuring over 25 feet, four feet from the ground. This giant is clearly visible from Pennsylvania Railroad trains. "In Newtown Township, Delaware County, is one measuring 24 feet, four feet from the ground. " On the line between Delaware and Mont- gomer)?^ Counties, about half a mile east of Upton Station, is a very fine chestnut, and, to the praise of the supervisor be it said that, although in the highway, it is permitted to stand. It measures nearly 21 feet. There is one of 20 feet a quarter of a mile north of St. David's Station. Botanical Gardens. — Professor Seelye reports to a Boston paper that the botanical gardens connected with the Smith College, of Northampton, Mass., is probably second in interest only to that at Cambridge. '«95J MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 135 rK^DTS MB ¥E^ET/^PLES. The Apple as a Timber Tree. — In some sections of this country, the apple tree is looked on for its product as a piece of tim- ber, as well as a fruit-producing article. For this reason the old German fruit growers in the vicinity of Philadelphia, always aimed to get a nice straight trunk to an apple tree and train it up comparatively high before allowing it to form a head. Moderns have supposed that the chief object to be gained by this method of training, was in order to facilitate plowing operations, but the ultimate end in having a good trunk for timber purposes was not forgot- ten. In this particular region, the wood was used chiefly for shoemakers' lasts, — a business which, in the earlier history of Philadelphia, did much to help the trade of that famous manufacturing centre of population. The apple regions have mostly disappeared from that vicinity ; but other sections of the country seem to understand the value of apple tree wood. It is stated in the Country Gentleman that a fruit grower of Cayuga sold to a well- known firm of saw-makers of Philadelphia, — Disston & Sons, — the trunks of some of their trees, which were cut away because the trees had grown too closely together, to the value of $500.00. In this case, the wood was of course used for the handle of saws. New Strawberries. — There is no truth in the old saying that " varieties will wear out, " — that is to say there is no truth in it as a general principle, for there are many varieties of plants which have been increased for ages, by cuttings or grafts, that are just as healthy to-day as they ever were. The common banana is a good illustration. This is never raised from seeds, for it produces none. No one ever saw a seed in a banana, so far as the records go. Every plant, probably, that is grown to- day, in any part of the world, has been raised by offsets from some one original plant that lived several thousands of years ago, and yet the banana plant to-day is just as healthy as it ever was ; but we find that when under cultivation, some varieties do deteriorate. There is scarcely a variety of strawberry grown to-day that was popular ten or twenty years ago. The Down- ing, the Wilson, the Cumberland Triumph and many others will be remembered by the straw- berry-grower. It is not because of any innate wearing out ; but simply because of the at- tacks of minute funguses, which fasten them- selves on to some variety after it has been grown for several years. It may be that the methods of growth lessen the vital power of these varieties, and in that case these minute funguses attack them much more readily than they do those with a greater vital power. At any rate, it seems to be necessary that con- tinual introductions of new varieties should occur, to take the place of the older ones. Marketing Fruits and Vegetables. — Most raisers of fruits and vegetables, who grow them with the expectation of turning them into profit, find little difficulty in producing them ; but are utterly at a loss when the time comes to find a profitable market for them. Even beginners in fruit and vegetable raising find this difficulty, and it is only after con- siderable experience that they are enabled to find out how to dispose of their crops to the best advantage. The more prudent beginners find out before hand where they can sell, and it is said that in some towns where the florists raise mushrooms as well as flowers, bargains are made with certain city storekeepers or market men, to take all they can raise, at a certain figure. Of course, the price is coni- purativel}' low when arrangements are made in advance this way ; but it gives a beginner a certainty of something for his efforts, and in the meantime it adds to his experience as to where the best markets can be had. Summer Pruning.— Intelligent horticultur- ists have almost given up trying to educate the public to put away the hatchet, saw, shears and to a great extent the pruning knife, and do all with the finger and thumb in May and June. In the old world this knowl- edge is more diffused. Writing of orange cul- ture in Italy one of our consuls says that there the object aimed at in pruning is to bring the greatest surface of the tree possible to the direct action of air and light. The spherical form is considered best. To keep this form shoots are pinched off" in June each year. In the early spring weak and dead wood, and for- gotten useless shoots, are cut out to let the light and air in among the branches ; a sharp knife must be used. 136 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [July Varieties OF Agricultural and Garden Seeds.— It is common to talk of hybridization as a factor in the great number of varieties of farm and garden seeds which exist. It is said, for instance, that seven hundred varieties of grain have been produced by hybridization, and there are probably four hundred still in existence. Very few attempts at hybridization have been made with either grains or garden seeds, — almost all were a result of selection. There is naturally a power in plants to vary as in human beings, — they can run from one extreme to the other. The improver simply selects the forms that come nearest to his ideal of improvement, and these selections when made usuallj- reproduce themselves with toler- able accuracy. For instance, a plant of a bush bean, usually producing yellow beans, may without any explanation that we can under- stand, produce a plant which will have white beans. If these white beans are saved and sown, white beans will result, except perhaps in a few instances when there will be a ten- dency to turn to the original yellow ; but as a general rule any variation of this kind is truly hereditary. It is important to notice the distinction between hybridization and selec- tion, as it gives us a better idea of the varying powers of nature. Growing Cucumbers for Pickling. — Growing cucumbers so as to have a large quantity of small ones for pickling, is quite a distinct art of culture from growing them for ordinary uses. In order to have them bear abundantly, and not get large, they are -usually sown in long ridges, and suffered to grow up rather thickly together. The vines are continually being pinched back, in order that they may produce a large number of comparatively small shoots, which naturally produce weaker cucumbers than larger and stronger shoots would. They usually bring, at wholesale, from fifteen to twenty dollars a bushel . MoRELLO Cherries. — Birds are said to have a sweet tooth, as well as members of the human family, and can tell a sweet cherry from a sour cherry better than the average boy, who is supposed to know more about cherries than any other creature. They certainly let alone the sour class of cherries, as the Morellos are usually termed, when they have the chance of foraging on the sweeter kinds. For this reason the Morello or "pie" cherries, are much more popular around cities where birds and boys are likely to be troublesome. A point not gene- rally known is that these trees usuall}' grow as dwarfs, but make quite large trees when grafted on the Mazzard stock. The}- grow dwarf, and are verj' productive when grafted on the Mahaleb. If not quite as productive as when grown on the latter, the fruit is much finer in ever\- respect, and for this reason as well as from the fact that they make larger trees, thej' are more popular for the situations indicated. Fire Blight in the Pear. — This fearful disease, which often blackens the leaves of large branches in the course of a few days, was more severe on pear trees in Pennsj'lvania last year than it has been for a number of years past. Like the epidemics that afflict the human race, this disease seems to come and go with- out any apparant reason. It is more than likely that for a number of years to come, it will not be as severe as it was last ■)'ear, and then again will come a season when it will exist to a destructive extent. The pear-grower has learned not to be frightened by its appear- ance to such an extent as to abandon pear-cul- ture. The diseased portions are cut awaj*, and the tree seems to go on as well as ever. If the disease has been very destructive, so as to ren- der the taking out of the tree necessary, another is planted in its place. Nothing has yet been discovered that will prevent the ravages of this disease, simply because no one knows when it is coming. The Eldorado Blackberry. — The Eldora- do is said to be an accidental seedling black- berry growing in Preble Countrj-, Ohio. It is a large, somewhat conoidal fruit, bearing large clusters, and ripening well together. It is said to be remarkably healthy, and on that account proves very hardy. The Keepsake Goosberrv. — The Keepsake is a large oval variety of the English race of gooseberries. It is said to be quite as large as the Industry-, and it does not seem to mildew as easily as some other varieties of the foreign race. i«95- MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 137 Thinning Out Young Fruits. — The greedy fruit-grower hesitates to thin his apples, pears, peaches or similar fruits, looking only to quan- tity as his reward ; but the edible qualities of the fruit of the over-bearing tree is never good. Those who have the courage to thin their fruits in the early stage of growth, not only get larger and finer fruit, but also fruit of better quality. In the pear tree one who tries the experiment will be surprised to find how vastly superior in quality is a pear from a tree in which a larger number were thinned while the fruit was still young. The proper time to commence thinning is as soon as the fruit commences to swell. Nature herself throws off" large numbers which she feels she will be unable to bring to perfection, and in a week or so after this has taken place will be the time for the good gardeners to help her still further by thinning out some of the rest. Peas in the Fall. — Although canned peas have got into such general use that they are continually on the table from the beginning to the end of the 5'ear, no method has been devi- sed by which the canned product will equal the freshly gathered article. In brief, every good amateur gardener likes to grow his own peas. In the warmer parts of our country, it is ex- tremely difi&cult to get them late in the year. The pea is a cold-country lover, and soon be- comes weak and sickly, where the summers are hot ; but if the soil is dug or loosened to the depth of a foot or more, so that the roots can get down into the colder soil, and a cool spot in the garden be selected, very good peas may be had by sowing as late as mid-summer. The Gault and Columbian Raspberries. — The Gault is a variety of the Blackcap, found wild by Mr. W. C. Gault, of Ruggles, Ashland, County, Ohio. The terminal or "crown" berry is described as being an inch across. From a photograph sent to the conductors, the branches are often flattened, as we see some- times occur in asparagus, and similar plants, when the bunches of fruit are enormously large. It is said to have the property of bearing good crops several times a year. The Columbian is a variety introduced by the well known firm of James Vicks' Sons, Rochester, N. Y. It is said to have been raised from the Cuthbert, and will sometimes grow so tall that the fruit has to be gathered from chairs, in an amateurs garden. It is presented chiefly as a profitable variety for canning, evaporating, as well as for general market purposes. The Beach Plum.— It is interesting to note that plants usually dwarf when in a state of nature, occasionally produce varieties that take a somewhat tree-like form. This is not only true of woody plants in general, but of varie- ties of fruits. Recently Mehhans' Monthly called attention to the fact that a very fine tree- like formofthe Sand Cherry had been introduced in Michigan. The Beach Plum is usually but two or three feet in height, and almost trailing on the ground ; but the variety known as Bassetts' Plum will make a tree as large as an ordinary plum tree. This variety was intro- duced by Messrs. Wm. F. Bassett and Sons, Hammonton, N. J., and was found to be a valuable addition to garden fruits. Dwarf Beans in Autumn. — Much is said about the value of deep soil for vegetables, which is never better illustrated than in the case of a crop of dwarf beans in the fall. These may be had in almost any part of the Continent, quite late in autumn, by being sown at mid- summer, provided the ground be loosened up to a depth of a foot or more, and especially if this deeply-loosened earth is very highly manured. They may be sown as late as mid summer, and will then come into bearing late in the autumn, and continue until frost without the slightest stringiness. Stringine? s in the dwarf bean mainly results from growing in shallow or poor soil. Grapes for Dinner-table Decoration. — Grape vines can be successfully fruited in com- paratively small pots, and American Gardeti- ing makes the good suggestion that the European varieties might be grown this way for decorating tables at great dinner parties ; and the delicious fruit, "cut fresh from the vine," would be a point much appreciated. The Older Raspberry. — Of a new intro- duction, the Older Raspberry, of the "Black Cap" race, Mr. J. N. Cotta, of Carroll County, Ills., reports that it is one of the earliest of the "Black Cap" race, ripening six to ten da\ s- before the Gregg and is more productive. BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. CAMPING OUT, When o'er the distant line of hills The rosy morning peeps its head, And stars that through the night have watched Now quench their light and go to bed. I rise from couch of perfumed pine And seek the purling brook that flows Between its fringe of velvet moss, When tin}' turquoise blossom blows. I need no marble fountain rare To purify and lave and clean, And when I say my grateful prayer, 'Tis in His mighty dome of green. I love the woods. — Richard Mansfield. Organography, for Classes in Botany. — A particularly useful, twenty-five cent tract has been issued by Dr. A. L. Benedict, of Buffalo, New York, which will be of great value to botanical students. All the terms used in botanical descriptions are illustrated by reference to some plant easily obtained. For instance, in reference to the outline of leaves he says Acerose — the pine. Aristate — the thistle. Acuminate — the Elm. Acute — catalpa. Truncate — Tulip tree. Obcordate — white clover, and so on through all terms used. Intelligence IN Plants. — Mr. Mendenhall, of Minneapolis, Minn., suggests that there is some intelligence in the vegetable kingdom, although, of course, of a very low type. It will be necessary, perhaps, to define what is meant bj' intelligence, in its broadest sense. There was at one time a distinction made be- tween the intelligence of man and that of animals. The intelligence in animals was des- cribed as instinct. It is now understood that the difference is only in degree, — animals have the power to compare facts and make deduct- ions from the facts. This, of course, is a function of intelligence. It would be hard to saj'^ whether plants have or have not power of discrimination of this kind. Mr. Mendenhall's question is probably one that will never be in- telligently answered. (138) The French National Flower. — A cor- respondent remarks, in relation to the Iris, as follows: "In your leading article on Iris, I regret that you did not mention the botanical fact that the French National Flower is Iris Germanica. Thousands of Frenchmen would go into hysterics if they knew it." It is, indeed, remarkable that a flower exclusively German should be the national emblem of the French people. Polygonum Sachalinense. — Mr. Blanc sends us a rather lengthy article protesting against Meehans' Monthly discouraging the extensive cultivation of Polygonum Sachalin- ense, which it is not necessarj' to publish, as it is not the province of this magazine to dis- courage the planting of anything. As a mere matter of information to the readers it was stated that those who had alread}' grown Polygonmn cuspidatum would have some idea of the habits, character and value of the new species, as they were botani- cally closely allied. If we are not as enthusi- astic as to its general value to the American cultivator as some of its advocates, it is chiefly from experience with former "booms," and we do not think caution misplaced. Changing Plant Names. — Mr. C. F. Saun- ders, of Philadelphia, writes approvingly of the conservatism that is against the change of the names of plants which have once obtained a wide place in literature. He makes the sound observation that if even it were advisa- ble for critical botanists to change names in their scientific vocabulary, it is too discourag- ing for amateur botanists to have to follow these changes, because of the want of works of reference. He thinks that in general litera- ture the changing of names would lead to a babel of confusion. While the position is sound that the prior name given by an acknowledged authority ought to be the one generally adop- ted, the fact that it has not been generally adopted deserves equal consideration. I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. 139 Horticulture and Longevity. — The love of gardening seems productive of long life. We rarely hear of an active garden lover dying young. On the table is a letter from Mr. H. A. Terrj^ of Crescent City, Iowa, who must have passed the allotted term of three score and ten, but whose letter is as full of enthusiasm on gardening aflfairs as if he were just entering on life's career. Another pleasant instance of horticultural longevit}' is illustrated in Friend Isaac Hicks, of Westbury, Long Island, who has passed his eightieth year. Guide to Finding all the Wild-Growing Trees and Shrubs of New England by their Leaves, by E. Knobel, Endicott, Mass. — A very cheap and useful little guide book. It is not always possible to tell with absolute certainty a species by a leaf ; but one can in most cases, and the illustrations of leaves of every species, as given in this guide, will be a great aid in every case. Love Vine. — In Meehans' Monthly for March, I notice an article by E. E. Bogue, on the "Love Vine. " It seems queer to me to have it confounded with " Myrtle " or Vmca. It has been several years since I have seen any of the true ' ' Love ^^ine. ' ' I do not now remember its botanical name, although I have seen it in print, but twenty years ago, on the prairies of Illinois, I have seen quantities of it growing on weeds and bushes. It is a parasite — that is, has no roots in the ground ; but grows on other plants. As I remember it, it is about the size and color of Vermicelli, only more of a yellow, has no leaves. I have heard that it bloomed, but have never seen a blossom myself, so cannot tell what they are like. It grows near the top of plants, and I have seen patches of this Love Vine six feet across, and so thick that it hid the original plants it grew upon. Children and young people would pull bunches of it and tie it around a weed or bush and name it. If it grew, it was a sure sign that that person ' ' was true, " " loved me, ' ' " will marry me," or what other thought was in their mind at the time. I, myself, have tried the charm many a time in my girlhood. "Lover's Vine" was another name for it then. A friend, who has traveled extensively. tells me he has seeyi it growing in Tennessee, Virginia and Texas. The way he has seen the spell woven was for the lover to take some of the vine in his hand, whirl it three times around the head, and throw it behind ihim, and let it lie wher- ever it fell ; and if any of it grew, the person named loved him, and the love was in propor- tion to the quantity which grew. The vine winds itself around the stem of a plant, and sends out branches which reach up and take hold, and in turn send out more, and so it spreads as far as it can reach. I am sure this is the true Love Vine of the Indians. Mrs. M. A. Bucknell. New Douglas, 111. The conductors must compliment the lady on the excellent popular description of a plant, which the botanist will see at a glance refers to the family of Cuscuta, or the Dodders, as they are known in the Old World. The flow- ers are very small, but are like minute morn- ing glories. The plant, indeed, belongs to the natural order Co7ivolvtdacece , to which the morning glories belong. The Cultivation of Our Wild Flowers. — Miss Bessie L. Putnam says : "I, too, rejoice that native flowers are gradualy finding a place in cultivation." Concerning Coitrosema Virginiana, Vick's Floral Guide for '95 states that ' ' this plant is the one which was formerly sent out as Centrosema grayidiflofa. The identity of the plant was then not known to us. It was introduced by a party who claimed that it was of foreign origin. Since then we have had the opportunity to exam- ine more particularly the claims made by the introducer, and are satisfied that the plant is C. J 7rgi?iiana, a native of the Southern States. The growth and blooming of the plants the past two seasons have fully confirmed this view, and we now offer the seeds under their proper name. That one of the so-called foreign novelties proves to be an American plant should enhance rather than detract from its value in popular estimation." There is little excuse, in these days, for send- ing out plants under wrong names. A refer- ence to any plant dictionary would show that Ccfitrosema gra^idiflora is a Brazilian plant, and no more likely to be found in New Jersey than a pineapple. GENERAL NOTES. The Illustrations in Meehans' Monthly. — Mr. C. F. Saunders, of Philadelphia, kindly sends the following extract from an educational work, "Flowers in Pen and Ink," with the complimentary remark that the drawings in Meehans' Monthly aptly illustrates the senti- ments expressed : " The great charm in copying (our native ferns) lies in absolute fidelity to nature. When the fern is before j'ou for study, do not begin by pulling off a little dried stalk here or a half withered frond there ; but rather seize upon such imperfections, being sure that 3'ou will have a result all the more attractive by being true to life. We make, indeed, a great mistake when we imagine that any drawing of a plant must give only perfect flowers and leaves . The object in drawing it at all is to recall to the observer the plant as it is in nature ; and cer- tainly it is the exception to find plants of any kind rigidly perfect in branch, flower and leaf." The compliment is a pleasant one, though it has long been known that our illustrations are used as models in drawing schools. It is, however, cheering to have the fact generally recognized. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle of May 12th, reviewing a work on flowers beautifullj^ illustrated, incidentally remarks : "The drawings by Marion Satterlee are admirable. Nothing better has been published, except the color plates of The Native Flowers and Ferns of the United States, published by Prof. Meehan, of Philadelphia" of which, as the reader knows, Meehans' Monthly is practically a continuation. It is gratifying to feel that it is so freely recognized, that Meehans' Monthly is doing much to sustain the high character of floral art in America. A Large Oak. — An illustration in . the London Gardetiers' Chronicle, which we repro- duced in the June issue, pictures what is believed to be the largest oak in England. Its history is away back in the dark. It is 78 feet in girth at the ground and 48 at 3 feet. It is hollow with age, and some of the branches are (140) supported by props. It is known as the Cow- thorpe oak. Eighty-four persons — holiday children, teachers and friends have stood, with- out crowding, in the hollow of the trunk. It will be noted that this specimen of the English Oak, like most trees of England and the north of Europe, though with a large trunk, is low and squatty. Though the American White Oak, the near neighbor of the English, may not be as wide, it could probably present a much larger trunk, in proportion to width, than the English. It would gratify Meehans* Monthly to have figures regarding fine speci- mens of American White Oak, describing not merely the diameter, but the height at which the head appears to dispute attention with the trunk. Knowing When WE Have a Good Thing. — A correspondent notes that a fine specimen of a tree was commented upon favorably by Meehans' Monthly. A few months before the owner would have gladly sold it as fire wood for a few dollars. Since the appreciative notice of the Monthly, no money can buy that tree, and the owner's family takes pride in showing it to any one who cares to look and see. After all, this is the way of the world. The wife of the writer of this paragraph bought for a few cents, at a public sale at which she was accidentally present. Rush's "Winter," one of the carvings which made Rush famous, and for which he probably obtained $500; and many a florist or fruit grower has some variety of fruit or flower which would make his fortune, if he only had intelligence enough to know a good thing when he saw it. The Camellia Japonica. — It is surprising that these once popular flowers, have so nearly disappeared from the collections of the florists. Almost all nurserymen had to keep them in the early part of the century. At the present time Parsons and Sons Company, at Flushing, N. Y., are possibly the only northern firm that grows them largely. Ahfthitsa V['[ MHn \ ARETHUSA BULBOSA. ARETHUSA. NATURAL ORDER, ORCHIDACE^. ARETHUSA BULBOSA Linnacus. — Flower ringent ; the lanceolate sepals and petals nearly alike, united at the base, ascend- ing and arching over the column. Lip dilated and recurved spreading toward the summit. Column adherent to the lip below, petal-like, dilated at the apex. Anther lid-like, terminal, of two approximate cells ; pollen masses powdery-— granular, two in each cell. (Gray's Manual oj the Botany of the Northern United Stales. See also Chapman's Flora of the Southern United States, and Wood's Class-Book of Botany.) As there is but one species of this beautiful genus, the description of the genus has been given from Dr. Gray instead of the description of the species only, as usually given. In addi- tion to this description, Dr. Gray adds, " beau- tiful, low herbs, consisting of a sheathed scape from a globular solid bulb, terminated usually by a single, large, rose-purple flower. Leaf solitary, linear, nerved, hidden in the sheaths of the scape, protruding after flowering. Dedi- cated to the Nymph Arethusa." In regard to the name Arethusa it may be noted that, though a name serves its purpose if it have no meaning at all, it is always pleasant to know what it was that suggested the application ; and, if it had a previous his- tory, to know all about it. The student of classical history will remember the story of Arethusa as told in the fifth book of Ovid's Metamorphoses. Arethusa was one of the Nymphs who served in the train of Diana. She is represented as being very beautiful, but so modest withal as never to be conscious of her superior loveliness. She was very fond of the babbling brooks and running waters, and was never so happy as when under the shade of the willows watching the waters as they ran along. On one of these occasions she was made love to by Alpheus, the god of one of the rivers, which was naturally very objec- tionable to a young lady who, as the servant of Diana, had foresworn the society of men ; so she hastened from the spot followed by Alpheus. Fearing she might be overtaken she appealed to Diana for protection, who, know- ing her love of the waters, turned her into a fountain, and in this way she escaped her lover's importunities. The name was first given to our plant by Gronovius, who was fond of giving classical appellations to plants. He seems to have been led to this by a remark of Clayton, who sent the plants from Virginia to that distinguished botanist in the early part of the last century. He observed that ' ' this orchid had a great afl&nity for damp places," and this expression compared with the flower's modest beauty no doubt brought the classical story of Arethusa to the botanist's mind. Under the laws of priority, by which we are compelled to accept the oldest name which accompanies a good description, it would appear that we came near losing this pretty name. Gronovius named it in 1739. Dr. John Mitchell had noted that this plant was distinct from the genus with which it had been asso- ciated, and described and named it Orchidion. This, with the names and descriptions of other plants, he sent to Collinson in 1740, just after the appearance of Gronovius' name. Gronovius appears to have named it Arethusa Claytoni, — but the name of " bulbosa " had entered into the prior descriptions, and Linnaeus preserved it in the form we now have it, Arethusa bul- bosa. By Bauhin and others of the older botanists it was classed with the Hellebores. Plants in those days were associated together very often from their leafy resemblances. The Veratrum was then one of the Hellebores, and as many orchids have leaves very much resembling these, they were classed in that way. As ' ' Helleborine Mariana Monanthes ' ' our plant is figured in Plukenet's great work, — the specimens having probably been fur- nished to this learned author, as so many others were, by Virginia's early botanist, David Banister. All orchids have a special fascination to botanists ; but to the critical student Arethusa (141) 142 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — ARETHUSA BULBOSA. [Aug. is one of unusual interest. The degrees of union among the floral parts very often decide diflferent natural orders. In the Lilies and Amaryllids the flowers are all formed on the same plan. The perianth or sepals and petals originate from beneath the ovariums in both cases. But in Liliacece the ovarium is not united with the perianth, and a capsule en- tirely disconnected is the result. Botanically, it is said the ovary is superior. But in AmaryllidacecB the lower part of the perianth is united to the ovarium, and the perianth is thus made to appear on the apex. We say then the ovary is inferior. It is wholly a matter of union of the parts. Orchids approach Amaryllids in having the ovary inferior ; but while the latter usually have the parts of the perianth united for a con- siderable distance beyond the ovary, orchids have the sepals and petals quite distinct. In Arethusa, however, there is as much union of these parts as in an Amaryllis, and, so far as this goes, it may be taken as a connect- ing link between these natural orders. From another allied natural order, Iridacece, the difference is also one of union. In the Irids, the stamens and pistils are distinct ; but in Orchids these are united, and are known col- lectively as the column of an orchid flower. Usually the stamens are a little larger than the stigma, and in the case of Arethusa the anthers lie down over the stigma like a lid. This has been taken as the chief distinguish- • ing mark of a large collection of genera of Orchidece scattered all over the globe, and which are known as the sub-tribe Arethusese. It is difficult for the student to believe in the theoretical structure of an orchid flower. The union of stamens and pistils into the central column, for instance, seems unsupported by any evidence except such as may be inferred from a comparison with an iridaceous flower. But there are often opportunities of verifying these deductions by actual observations, and we have the rare opportunity of illustrating one of these in our plate. It is well known that the pistil is more enduring than the stamens. It often remains long after the stamens have disappeared, and frequently forms a portion of the capsule. One of the plants from which our drawing was made was placed in a flower pot and kept in a green- house in order to draw a capsule, should one ultimately form. In this process the stamens decayed away, and all that was left of the column was the slender united style as in figure 2, a, almost as in an Amaryllidaceous plant. In this figure, the inclination of the capsule is rare in Orchidacece. It has not been the good fortune of the writer to meet with Arethusa in fruit in its native locations, and he cannot therefore say how far the characters here given are usual in the species. It seems to be a plant given to variations. Sometimes the scape produces two distinct flowers, and sometimes two united back to back. In the production of leaves also there is much varia- tion. Some botanists describe it as wholly aphyllous, or having no leaves. After the flower has finished its growth, a leaf, how- ever, proceeds from the upper sheath as repre- sented in our plate. The Arethusa is not found much below the range of the Southern Alleghenies. It reaches Canada to the north, and extends westwardly to the Mississippi. It is one of that growing and remarkable list, which, confined for the most part to the Atlan- tic United States, re- appear in Japan. This fact indicates great antiquity, and, indeed, Mr. Darwin believes that the ArcthusecE section of the great family of orchids have many of them departed from some very ancient type. The sweetness and beauty of the flowers render them much sought for by the curious. Once very abundant in New Jersey, near Philadel- phia, they have been almost eradicated. The one drawn was a chance specimen found by Mr. Isaac Burk. It is sometimes contended that all plants were once adapted only to self-ferti- lization, and that they became adapted to cross- fertilization through insect agency in pursu- ance of some good believed to be gained by cross-fertilization over the self- fertilizing arrangements. By the language used in these teachings, one might almost imagine there was a special instinctive for knowledge in plants of what is to be in the future. At any rate the belief is that future good induced the change in this respect. The bright color of the flower is believed also to have been for the purpose of attracting the insect agent. Unfortunately it attracts at the same time the ruthless denizens of large cities, and is an agent in its extinction. Explanations of the Plate.— i. Complete plant with capsule. 2. Nearly mature. 3. Scape with leaf commenc- ing to develop. 4. Back view of a flower. WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. A SUMMER EVENING It is the hour when from the boughs The nightingale's high note is heard, — It is the hour when lovers' vows Seem sweet in every whispered word ; And gentle winds, and waters near, Make music to the lonely ear. Each flower the dews have lightly wet, And in the sky the stars have met, And on the wave is deeper blue. And on the leaf a browner hue. And in the heaven that clear obscure, So softly dark and darkly pure, Which follows the decline of day, When twilight melts before the moon away. — Byron. Sporting in Chrysanthemums. — It is vpell known that new varieties of roses, bouvardias and others, have been raised by bud-variation ; but this has not been known of Chrysanthe- mums. Our excellent French contemporary, Lyon- Hot ticole, notes that a distinct variety has been raised from a kind known as " Viviand Morel," and some from other kinds. M. Leveque, President of the Horticultural Society of Cote-d'Or, exhibited a chrysanthemum plant on which were some branches with rose colored flowers, and others with flowers of a pure, creamy yellow. The; Night Blooming Cereus. — A great difference has to be made between the " night blooming Cereus " and the night blooming Cac- tus, as it is often called.. The night-blooming Cereus is Cereus gratidifiotus, while the night blooming Cactus is Phyllocactus latifrons. The former has rope-like stems, covered with lines of small spines, — the latter has flat, frond-like stems. The latter is an interesting flower, but not nearly as interesting or rare as the former. We learn from a list published by Mrs. Theo- dosia B. Shepherd, of California, that the com- mon name of the leafy form, or Phyllocactus, is "Queen Cactus," — and if the botanical names are considered too difi&cult, and a common name desired, it would be much better to dis- tinguish the two by adopting the California name. Why the Snake-Root Does Not Seed. — It has often been noted that the Cimiafuga raceniosa often fails to perfect seed, and imper- fect flowers have been called in to account for it. The following interesting note from Mr. E. Newlin Williams gives a good reason : " Last spring I brought to light a fact which has eluded me for several seasons, namely, the cause of the holes in the mussel-like pods of the snake-root {Cimicifuga racemosd). Last July, as the flowers were just bursting into bloom, I found a little pale-green worm, a trifle larger than a chestnut worm, on almost every budding raceme, and invariably with his head buried in the flower bud. On examination, I found he bored quite through the parts of the still closed flower, and feasted upon the tender sub- stance of the pod which was to be. Were it not for the raids of this little fellow, the under- growth of our woods might be chiefly snake- root, and the unique odor of its fluffy blossoms would possess our thickets all July. Some seeds mature in spite of the green enemy. They are dark-gray and prismatic, with one rounded side like a slice of melon." " Cimicifuga'" means a driving enemy of bugs, — but it would seem as if the "bugs" were revenging themselves. Range of the Rhododendron. — In the nth Volume of The American Garden, page 595, Mr. Walter S. Deane states that he and a party met with a fine area of it, of from 12 to 13 acres, on the farm of S. M. Follensbee, near Fitzwilliam, in New Hampshire. This is ']'] miles from Boston. He describes it as a literal forest of rhododendrons amidst a grove of spruces and pines. The plants were growing from 10 to 15 feet in height ; the flowers vary- ing from rose- colored to white. They were growing in a rich, peaty loam, varying from comparatively dry to a swampy character. This locality is isolated by many miles from others. Mr. Follensbee had a large premium for plants exhibited by him in Boston in 1885 and 1886. (143) 144 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — ^WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [Aug. The Flora of the Mountains of North Carolina. — Dr. Hanford A. Edsonsays, in the Independent : ' ' The flora produced under these conditions is exceedingly varied — ' composed of a greater variety of genera and species than in any other temperate region, excepting Japan,' said Dr. Asa Gray, in his address before the British Association at Montreal, 1884. Dr. Gray delighted to explore these mountains, and among his pupils are many who have inherited his love for them. The little plant which bears his name {^Lilmm Grayi) is sought by all tourists ; but, like the Edelweiss among the Alps, it is in danger of extermination, unless, indeed, our tailors learn to manufacture it, as Swiss tailors make the Edelweiss from cast-oflf coats of Austrian infantrymen. On the moun- tain summits, at an elevation of from five to six thousand feet, are great parks oi Rhododen- dron Catawbiense, Nature's own planting, and about June 20, these parks are aflame with color. Only a few days later the woods glow with Azaleas, the Rhododendron cale?idulaceum often overarching the brooks and trails with splendor. The lily family greatly prospers throughout the region, and I have had days of excitement in May when every step seemed to put me near some new floral glory. Long shall I remember a steep bank teeming with green life in the midst of which clumps of Uvularia perfoliata, with their nodding j'ellow blossoms, bade me welcome, while near by the gorgeous Lilium superbum was just starting its buds where two months afterward I found its whorls of flowers in perfection. Later in the season whole fields of red and gold are seen, Monardas and Rudbeckias maintaining a com- plete monopoly. The line dividing the ever- green from the deciduous zone is often as dis- tinct and straight as if a landscape gardener had drawn it. Balsam Fir {Abies Fraseri) is the characteristic tree of the summits, attain- ing most noble proportions. Under the peculiar conditions, some familiar herbaceous plants are quite transformed. ' Why ! ' exclaimed Dr. Charles Mohr, of Mobile, one of our authori- ties in botany, ' this Houstonia purpurea is magnificent. I did not recognize it. See what the altitude has done — the supression of the stem, the broadening of the leaves, the enlarge- ment of the flower. On the breakfast table this morning I saw the blossoms of Oxalis acetosella without the leaves, and I did not know the plant although it is a cosmopolitan. We have it in Germany. I have found it in the Sierra Nevadas. Here, however, there is not onlj'the enlargement of the flower, but the painting in of distincter purple lines — the magic of the sunny South. ' " The Life of a Bee. — Every year, may be seen in papers of considerable pretension to scientific accuracy, statements about various flowers poisoning bees ; the only reason for the statement being that the bees are found dead in considerable number beneath the trees. It does not seem to be known generally that the life of a bee is extremely short. Every bee that leaves the hive in the spring is dead before fall, and those which live over the fall die very soon after the spring opens. The death of a bee is usually very sudden — they have been known to fall even in their flight, and to be dead in a few seconds after reaching the ground. This fact about the life of the bee is supposed to be generally known, yet the fact that the statement above quoted is so often referred to in intelligent works, shows that the knowledge is not as widely spread as it deserves to be-. Origin of Phosphate Beds. — Professor E. T. Cox, formerly State Geologist of Indiana, and who for many 3'ears past has made a study of the phosphate beds of Florida, shows conclu- sively the fallacy of the prevailing belief that they have resulted from shell deposits. He says that with the evidence before us, of causes now in action that produced the immense de- posits of guano on the islands off" the rainless coast of Chili and Peru, the islands of the Caribbean Sea, and elsewhere where the drop- pings of numberless birds are converted into guano, both pulverulent and rock-guano, it is not necessary to construct strange theories to account for the phosphate-deposits in Florida. Unlike Peru, the climate here was humid, and washed out of the guano the soluble salts, leaving the insoluble phosphate of lime. The isolation of the deposits, their occurrence in detached pockets of greater or less extent, as well as the conformability of the phosphate- rock to the very jagged surface of the limestone on which it rests, all point to the bird origin as guano. I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. 145 The Flight of Birds. — It has often been a subject of inquiry by what manner migratory birds find their way southward or northward at various seasons. A strange proposition has recently been made by a prominent naturalist, that they travel by the stars, as mankind earth, could not be able to see a mountain, a lake, or even a collection of buildings, which would be quite sufficient to guide them on the return journey. There seems to be, there- fore, no reason for calling in the aid of the stars to help them along. One may take a EL/EAGNUS PARVI FOLIA. --see page i4t. would do. This, however, can be regarded as simply a guess. It is well known that birds have a very keen vision, and can no doubt readily take in the various features of their surroundings. There is no more reason why a bird, at some distance above the surface of the horse on a hundred- mile journey and turn him loose, and he will find his way home without looking at the stars. They have evidently the gift of taking in the surroundings as they go along, just as easily as a human being would do, and probably very much easier. 146 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [Aug. The Manzanita in Nevada. — Under date of May 5th, a Washoe County, Nevada, cor- respondent, refers to the Manzanita. a near neighbor of the eastern Trailing Arbutus, and which is there equally regarded as the harbin- ger of spring. "The Manzanita is in fine bloom this year and looks lovely growing among the granite rocks. The mountain behind our house rises on a slope of about 35°, and is covered with large patches of the Manzanita ; and under that, in places, the Ceanothus, a trailing variety with lilac flowers. The pink of the bloom can be seen to the top of first ridge, about 500 feet or more ; then higher, it looks a greyish pink, — later the white shrubby Ceanothus will show. Our fruit trees are looking fine. I am sure you would think it strange to see an orchard in full bloom and the mountains just beyond covered with snow. The whole scene looks lovely when the sun shines." Fungus Diseases.— The black-knot in the plum, the fire-blight in the pear, and many other similar diseases to which plants are ex- posed from the attacks of minute fungus germs, all originate from a single spore, which finds the conditions in the plant favorable to germi- nation ; but it requires very nice conditions to get them to grow, and it is that which renders them so harmless in proportion to the vast injury which they might do if conditions for growth were not nice. Take, for instance, the little germ which causes Yellow Fever, it is utterly harmless after undergoing a tempera- ture below 32°. The germ which causes Small- pox is also destroyed when under a tempera- ture of about 70°, while the young Typhoid Fever plant is literally drowned after being two days in water of a low temperature. When, therefore, any sign of these diseases appear, the best practice is to cut the affected branches away, so that the baleful influence will not spread through the plant system. This is very often the best cure. Some recommend that the spores should be burned ; but this rather adds to the number of atmospheric spores, if anything, because the heat carries the spores away before they have been consumed, and tends to spread rather than destroy. During the last few years a great advance has been made in our knowledge of these little organisms, but still there is very much to learn . The Carolina Jasmine. — It is doubtful whether the reputation of " Araby the blest " for an atmosphere permeated with odors from myriads of fragrant flowers is not in a great degree fabulous. One might almost venture to back our Southern fields and forests against the whole of Arabia, when the jasmine of that region, Gelsemuim sempennrens, is in full bloom. On the conductors' table, is a branch kindly sent by Miss M. Pinckney, of Charleston, two feet and a half in length, and with two hundred expanded flowers, to say nothing of unexpan- ded buds. The specimen employed in decora- ting the title page of Meehans' Monthly can give but a faint idea of the beauty of such a specimen as now described. The odor is somewhat similar to that of the English Wall- flower. Unfortunately it is not confined to South Carolina, or it would have given the Pal- metto a close race in the choice of a floral em- blem for the State. The Juice of the Sweet Gum. — Referring to the Sweet Gum, the American foutnal of Phatmacy says : Liquidatnbar styracijiua, Lin., exudes a sweet gum through cracks in the bark and wounds in the trunk, during all seasons of the year, which hardens on exposure to the air. It is much esteemed by children for chewing, and is solu- ble in water. This gum yields a balsam more terebinth! ne in odor, but almost as pleasant as Tolu balsam. This syrup is pro- duced in the Southern States of America. It is transparent, amber-yellow, has the consist- ence of a thick oil, and an aromatic, bitter taste. It has been used in the form of oint- ment for healing indolent ulcers and for cuta- neous diseases. Poison Grape. — Mr. J. R. Fleury, Belle- ville, Pa., inquires : — " Please let me know if there is such a thing as a poison grape, and if so, how can I distinguish the vine from the other." No true grape vine is poisonous. The words "vine" and "grape" are often synonymous. Grapes are often spoken of as the fruit of the vine, and in this sense, probably the Poison Vine has come to be occasionally spoken of as the "Poison grape". It is sometimes called " poison oak," or, one species, " poison ash," — though it is neither an oak nor an ash. GENERAL GARDENING. THE GARDEN-LOVER. ' ' I love my garden well And find employment there ; In tending every shrub and flower With still unwearied care." El^agnus parvifolia. — So much attention has recently been given to various species of Elceagnus as ornamental plants, and so much confusion of names in the various species has occured, that a word or two on one of the best known in our gardens may be of service. This was introduced from the East Indies to the Meehan Nurseries forty years ago, under the name of Elceagnus reflexa. De Candolle's ♦ ' Prodromus ' ' gave this as a synonym of E. par- vifolia, and under this name it has been spread far and wide over our country. Since intro- ductions from Japan have become common, we have E. umbellata from that country, and our botanies tell us the other two names must be regarded as synonymous with this. It is just here that a di£&culty between bota- nists and horticulturists arises. For the pur- poses of botanical classification, there is proba- bly not differences enough between the East Indian and Japan plants to keep them separate as species ; but surely the nurseryman who sells his customer the one for the other, will get into trouble. And it is so of many other things that botanists regard synonymous. Nursery- men must keep them separate under their dis- tinctive names. This is why the pretty plant figured on page 145 is still given under the name of E. parvifolia. Any nurseryman can see a difference between it and E. umbellata. It has been listed in catalogues as "Silver Thorn," and been found to make excellent hedges, specimens used as such on the Meehan grounds have been in existence for over a quarter of a century. Though useful in this respect, it is hardly stiff enough to compete with honey locust or osage orange, — but it comes in well as an ornamental element. As a shrub, its abundance of mottled pink and white berries, which follow the sweet jasmine- scented flowers, gives it prominence. In connection with this confusion of names, it may be noted, that the E . longipes is now pronounced not different from the older E. multiflora. Hybrid Orchids. — The family of orchids are extremely remarkable from the fact that they are so constructed as, in almost all cases, to be unable to receive their own pollen. They have to be fertilized by the aid of insects, or in some other way. In addition to this, they are extremely sensitive of foreign influence, and not only do species readily hybridize, but even what are considered by botanists as very distinct genera will intermix ; and hybrids have been produced, by cross-fertilization, of such a distinct character, as to be regarded as distinct genera in themselves. The critical botanist is so completely puzzled, in order to classify orchids, that he has to know by actual knowledge that a form before him has been produced by hybridization. In other words, it is impossible to tell a hybrid from what might be called a natural species. A French author. Monsieur Bonhof, has come out with a dictionary of hybrid orchids. In the Old World, the book is regarded as essential to every one who desires to make a critical study of this beautiful genus. Sacaline. — Mr. Falconer, the able and intel- ligent editor of Gardenifig , states that he has had the. Polygonum Sachali7iense under culti- vation since 1879, and that it is a much more gigantic plant than the P. aispidatum, and is not as useful for ornamental purposes as the latter. He also finds that the former is not as pestiferous a runner as the latter, and this is very much in its favor, as one of the chief objections to the plant has been that it would prove as bad a thing to get rid of as the Canadian Thistle. He says he has had no experience with it as a forage plant, for which it is being much commended. (147) MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Aug. Tree Planting.— In your issue of Meehans' Monthly for June is an interesting article on guarding trees. In this article j^ou have made a complimentary reference to the Tree Planting and Fountain Society of Brooklyn, and honored it by using its cut to illustrate your article. Your remarks to the effect that nothing used as a guard for a tree should be firmly driven into the ground, and your reasons given for the same meet with our hearty approval. Please see pages 21 to 24 inclusive of our Bulletin No. i, a copy of which I send to you. You will see there that we draw a clear distinction between a guard and a support. By guard we mean any contrivance used to protect a tree from the dangers to which its location renders it liable. By support, we mean something to hold a newly transplanted tree erect until it is able to support itself. We hold that every tree transplanted into its final place should be supported in an erect position, and against winds, until it is firmly rooted— and able to support itself. Only such trees need guards as are in danger of injury. Guards should protect from injury, and not cause it. For further remarks upon supports and guards see Bulletin as referred to above. That you may clearly understand the method of fastening a tree to its support by this Society let me say that, according to our standard, a tree suitable for transplanting into streets should have been grown in a nursery suflficiently far from other trees that when it is nine or ten feet high it will be ready to transplant. It should be from one and one-half to two inches in diameter one foot from the ground, and a point the thickness of one year's growth at the tops, tapering gradually all the way. The shaft should be straight. It should have been transplanted in the nursery several times, according to variety, and pruned to a single main shaft. This has reference to trees to be planted along streets, and does not include the American Elm and a very few varieties of like habits. You have defined ideal planting. The ideal tree with ideal planting would be quite suf- ficient ; but experience has taught us that the actual tree is apt to differ from the ideal tree, and that actual planting is liable to differ from ideal planting. Our support is intended to correct both differences. If the shaft be not straight it can be fastened to the support so as to nearly, and perhaps quite, straighten it. !t will also hold the tree in a vertical position until it has become firmly rooted and is able to support itself. By this time the shaft will have grown straight. If a guard is needed, the support will hold that until the tree is able to hold it. The artist in making a drawing of our model for the cut did not represent our method of fastening the tree to the top of the support. We use listing, such as cabinet makers use, about three and one-half inches wide, and quite thick. We cut it in pieces about one foot long. A piece is looped around the tree at the top of the support and firmly tacked to one side of the support. Another piece is looped around the tree in like manner below and against the first and is tacked firmly to the other side of the support. If the shaft be crooked, other pieces of listing may be so applied as to hold it straight. This anange- ment will hold the tree in proper position, will not interfere with its growth and will prevent chafing against the support. There will be no danger of the tree breaking against the top of the support by the wind if proper care be taken in pruning and if the support be removed in due time. Allow me here to extend to j'ou sincere thanks in behalf of this Society for the uniform kind- ness shown by you in your answers to our numerous letters of inquiry and also for the valuable information you have given. Very respectfully, Lewis Collins. Syringa ligustrina Pekinensis pendula. — The White Chinese Weeping Lilac is a beau- tiful acquisition to our garden, and fully realizes all the catalogues have said in its favor. It commenced to bloom here about June loth. The feathery white inflorescence has a beautiful odor, though rather a little heavy. Wm. Fitzwilliam, Baroiiald, Orange, N. J. The Privet in Southern Illinois. — A correspondent reports that the privet, which makes such a beautiful hedge in the North, fails to give satisfaction at Alton, 111., and, presum- ably, elsewhere in that region. This refers probably to the English Privet. It would be well to know how the Japan Privet behaves there. I895-] MEEHANS* MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 149 Cactus Garden at Fairmount Park. — A cactus bed, or, rather, a bed formed of succulent plants, was among the last year's attractions at Fairmount Park, and of which we give herewith an illustration. They love hot and somewhat dry places during their growing season, and the raised bed, faced by echeverias, suits them exactly. Being themselves more like the work of man than the work of nature, the artificial character of the mass will be deemed as good taste in landscape gardening. Some one or another is in flower at all times, so that there is a continual interest in a visit to the queer things. It is difficult to answer questions like these, except in a general way. There are, in the vicinity of Philadelphia, California Privet hedges that are intended only for boundary marks about one foot high and as much wide, — so thick that a bird could scarcely get through. To get such hedges, a pruning at midsummer as suggested, the year following planting, would be just the thing. But if a hedge with as much strength as possi- ble be desired, the hedge should not be cut at all in any way for two years after planting, — then cut to the ground in the winter or early spring. The result would be the springing up of a CACTUS GARDEN AT FAIRMOUNT PARK. Pruning Hedges.— Under date of June 21st, a Ivong Island correspondent inquires : "I wish to ask for a little information about the treatment of a California Privet hedge set out the past spring. The plants are from 18 inches to 2 feet high, and about all the twigs and leaves are at the top of the plants, — leav- ing the bottom very open. Of course I know the bottom will fill up more or less in time, but would it not be better to cut off all the plants now, say three or six inches from the ground and let them " break" below? Would it not have been better to have so cut them back at the time of planting ? Is now the proper time to trim an established Califor- nia Privet hedge ? ' ' large number of very strong shoots, which, the midsummer following, could be cut to the ap- proved conical form found to be the best for the greatest success with hedges. This is the rule for all kinds of hedges. The Alabama Snow Wreath. — This beau- tiful ornamental shrub, named by Dr. Gray in honor of its discoverer, Rev. Dr. Nevius, was first introduced to cultivation by Mrs. W. M. Easby Smith, of Washington, D. C, who dis- tributed it to the Washington nurserymen, Mr. John Saul chiefly sent it out to the trade. It is a remarkable plant, from the fact that it only grows in a limited locality, among rocks almost inaccessible, in Alabama. ISO MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Aug. Trees for Narrow Streets. — The Secre- tary of the Town Council of Driftwood, Pa., writes for a list of shade trees for comparatively narrow streets, — trees that have a tendency to make spreading heads, not growing, when mature, to more than 25 or 40 feet high. It is pleasant to get such a sensible inquiry. Silver and Sugar Maples, Poplars and similar lofty and upright growers are wholly unfit for street trees in a majority of cases in which they are employed. The following will come with- in the scope of Mr. Langston's query : The Colchican, Norway, Sycamore and Ash- leaved maples, Koelreuteria pa7iiculata, the American Yellow Horse Chestnut, Bird Cherry, Red, White and Yellow Birches, the Western and Eastern Catalpas, Nettle Tree, or, as it is called in Virginia, when used as a street tree, "Sugar Berry," several Ashes — , especially the Flowering Ash, Fraxinus Omus, — the Euro- pean, the blue and the green ; the Sw-eet Gum and the Sour Gum, Paulownia or Empress Tree, the Balsam Poplar. Some of the more spread- ing oaks, — as the Pin, Red, Turkey, Scarlet, Shingle or Laurel and the English (in the north), Sophora japonica, European Linden. The English Bird cherrj' makes one of the most beautiful of intermediate spreading trees, if the fruit is not objectionable, though the birds usually carry them away. For a rapid growing cheap tree of this class (9) there is probably nothing better than the Western Catalpa, Catalpa Speciosa. FIG. 1. --DAMPING OFF. Root Fungus. — Microscopic researches have been of immense service to practical gardening. The knowledge of microscopic fungi and their behaviour has enabled us to dispel many a former mystery. That these small organisms follow disease, is as true as it ever was, — but that they originate disease, in many cases, is now beyond dispute. Especially is this true of those fungi which attack the roots of plants. The garden-lover can now tell by a change in the tint of green in the leaves of a plant that some little fungus robber is rifling the roots of its natural food. Why the color should change before the fungus itself reaches the foliage is not clear. No trace of the fungus can be found in the leaf tissue ; but that some zymotic influence reaches the whole circulation of the plant after the root has been attacked is well illustrated by the peach, carnation and other plants, where this change following the root attack is well known. How cuttings will "damp off"" in the propa- gating bench is well known. It was formerly believed to be due to bad soil, bad ventilation, bad watering, or bad something or other at the hands of the operator. But when we re- member how it will start in a single spot, and spread to others around this centre, — cuttings in a perfectly healthy condition — while others under just the same conditions are free from the attacks, there ought to be no question as to whether a fungus parasite can destroy healthy vegetation. Among the many useful papers in the Bulletins of the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station is one on this very subject of " damping oS"," from the pen of Mr. Geo. F. Atkinson, with some illustrations which are transferred to these pages. Fig. i shows a pot of seedling cucum- bers which have suf- fered. The plant itself is named Artotrogus de- baryafius — so named from the celebrated biologist, De Bary, — though from the want X895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. ^51 of a capital letter to indicate a proper name as its root, one might waste some time in hunting through a Greek or Latin lexicon to get at its meaning. These minute plants have to go through the same processes of growth and re- production as the mistletoe on the apple tree. The technical description given in the Bulletin is also transferred as follows : — " Figs. I, 2 and 3, different stages in fertiliza- tion ; a antheridium, oog. oogonium, e. c. ^%%, cell, gon. gonoplasm, oosp. oospore. Figs. 4 and 5 intercalary oogonium with stalk antheridium {s, a.) and branch anther- idium {b. a.), in 4 with gonoplasm separated from the periplasm, and in 5 fertilization complete. Fig. 6 terminal oogonium with stalk and branch antherid- ium. Figs. 7 and 8 diflferent stages in development and fertilization of sex- ual organs ; /5 in 7, oogonium before the formation of the egg cell. Fig. 9 oogonium with stalk antheridium {a) which has fertilized the ^gg cell, and branch antheridium {b) from another hypha than that which bears the oogonium. In this branch antheridium the gonoplasm has sepa- rated, and the fertiliza- tion tube has formed ; but fertilization took place from the stalk antheridium first and the wall of the oospore prevented the use of the gonoplasm from the branch antheridium. All the figures drawn with aid of camera lucida and magnified 50 times more than the scale. Scale — i milli- meter. •' Powdered sul- phur stops its'progress . The Empress Josephine. — The proprietor of McClure's Magazine, New York, has had, running through many numbers of that serial, a complete life of Napoleon, illustrated by 250 pictures. This has been now re-published in a separate form. One would scarcely expect to find in the life of Napoleon much to interest the botanist or horticulturist, but one of the first pictures to strike the writer, on opening the pages, was one of the Empress Josephine, who was one of the best patrons of botany and horticulture that ever honored French society. She was a pattern of botany and horticulture, and her conservatories were famous for the number of rare plants which were continually brought together from many FIG. 2.--ARTOTROGUS DEBARYANUS (HESSE). 152 MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Aug. parts of the world. She received honor, for her work, from leading botanists all over the world. One of the most beautiful works issued on botany, in France, was the one by Ventenat, describing the many new plants which bloomed continually in Josephine's gardens at Malmaison. One of these plants he named after her, Josephinia imperatricis, — that is to say, "Josephine, the Empress." This plant was a native of Australia. Other species have since been found in Australia and tropical Africa. It is said that, even in this history, Josephine's greatest delight was to work in her garden. Parks and Pl.^y- Grounds. — Recently a correspondent in Meehans' Monthly stated that Boston objects to public speaking on the grassed areas in its public parks, and he would also have your readers believe that provisions are not made by the city for all forms of recre- ation. ' ' Public speaking is permitted under proper restrictions, and this week there are many thousands of Christian Endeavorers holding public meetings on the common. I have visited the parks of most of our important cities, and I know of none in which provision has been made for all forms of recreation in such an intelligent, adequate and thoughtful manner as has been done in Boston. "In Franklin Park, aplaystead of many acres is provided for the little children, and hundreds of them are to be seen upon it daily, playing all sorts of games. A shelter and dressing- room is near at hand with a matron in charge to attend to their needs. Near Franklin Park is Franklin Field, where ample accommodations are to be provided for all forms of active out- door recreation indulged in by men and boys. A shallow pond for safe winter skating is pro- vided in the Park, and skating is also per- mitted on Jamaica Pond, and every precaution is taken to provide for the comfort and safety of the skaters. " At the Charles Bank, an open-air gymnas- ium with apparatus, a running track, a dressing room, and attendants, is provided for men and boys, and another for women and girls. Even the babies are provided with sand courts. Provision is made for fresh and salt water bathing ; also for boating, canoeing and sailing in the waters controlled by the Park Commission. All this, and much more, is provided for active and vigorous men, youth and children, who are able to take care of themselves, and who could and would find a play-ground even if the city did not provide it. "The city also provides quiet walks, fresh, broad and beautiful landscapes, wild woods where Nature's works are undisturbed. It protects the birds, animals and flowers. All this and more is provided for those who are most in need of refreshment, but are not able or disposed to make their wants known. It is the exhausted brain -worker, the tired mother, the invalids and the aged that are most bene- fitted by the quiet and beautiful parts of public recreation grounds, and too often it is this class that is least thought of by the advocates of the all play ground idea. " Warren H. Manning. The last paragraph in Mr. Manning's letter is especially timely. In many cities the necessity for play-grounds for children has been wholly overlooked in arranging for small parks or gardens, and open spaces for general public accommodation. But the public which has now been awakened to this great want, is running wild over it, and the opposite extreme will be reached without such timely warning as Mr. Manning presents. Dog's-Grass. — Mr. E. E. Bogue observes : " In answer to your question in regard to what plant is meant by 'Dog's Grass,' I beg leave to refer you to Chambers' Encj'olopedia, Web- ster's Dictionar)', Henderson's Handbook of Plants, or Gray's Manual, sixth edition. It is more frequently given as the ' Dog's-tail Grass ; ' but the author of the circular you had in hand, evidently cut off the caudal ap- pendage from the name and left only the dog. He should, of course, have inserted the scien- tific name {Eleusine indicd), and anyone would have known what plant was meant. Gray re- marks that it received its generic name from the name of the town where Ceres, the goddess of harvests, was worshipped. If it is as trou- blesome a weed in all places as it has been in my experience, the price of the seed will never run very high. However, what is one man's salvation is another man's destruction. The plant is a native of southern Asia, and in this country is variously known as Crab-Grass, 1895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 153 Yard-Grass, Dog's-tail Grass, Dog's Grass, Wire Grass, and, I think we may say, ' and so forth'." Neither the Eleusine Indica nor Cynostinis cristatus, both of which go under the common name of Dog's-tail Grass, can be the plant in question, l^he catalogue referred to was evi- dently gotten up by one who had a trade in the warmer part of our continent, and the cat- alogue had reference to these southern orders. Eleusine is too common in these countries to be quoted as a rare and valuable grass on which quotations are too variable to be fixed ; while the Cynosurus will hardly grow at all in a warm climate. The question is still open, — what is the "Dog Grass," so valuable in Mexican cultivation ? Death of Trees by Sunstroke. — During the late extraordinary warm spell, the writer of this paragraph was called upon to see a large Sugar Maple tree that was supposed to have been destroyed by a leak of the city gas main at the root ; but an examination showed that the tree died, literally, from sunstroke. It is strange that close observers of trees are unable to see when anything is out of the common run of things, and consequently note that something is going wrong. This Sugar Maple had been planted on the street probably a quarter of a century ago, and was about four feet in circumference ; but the trunk was almost triangular, and yet this peculiarity seemed to attract no attention. The tree was simply triangular because on three sides of the tree the bark and wood had evidently been destroyed years ago, while the outer bark still continued to cover up the injury, and the only live wood was on the angles of the trunk. Only about one third of the trunk was prac- tically^ alive. When the exceedingly warm spell came, it was impossible for these limited ducts to supply the moisture required for such a large surface of foliage, and the tree, there- fore, literally died from inability to furnish the moisture required for transpiration. It may be alwaj^s taken for granted, that when the trunk of a tree, naturally cylindrical, takes an angular form, there is something wrong be- neath the bark, and an examination should at once be made. The flatter portions will usually be found dead. In this case, the bark should wholly be cut away from the dead portion, and the denuded part painted, in order to check rotting awa)'. In time, the healthy wood may grow over the wound or lifeless part, and the life of the tree be eventually saved. MEW ©1 1/^lE FL/^NTS, Pinus Banksiana. — The Banksiana Pine is one of the most beautiful of American Pines in regard to delicacy of foliage and habit. In some parts of this country, it has a dwarf, scraggy habit of growth, which is not pleasing ; but in the Northwest, it will make a small tree, and it is when in this condition that it is referred to here. In the vicinity of Lake Superior, the writer has seen specimens of ex- treme beauty. Large tracts in that section are completely covered by this species, growing as thickly together as the well known White Cedar in certain parts of New Jersey. The Banksiana shows no beauty when in a dense mass like that, and it is probably from the fact that it is in this condition that lovers of coniferae have usually seen it, and no attempt has been made to introduce it into our gardens. At least it may be supposed that it has not been introduced, from the fact that no catalogue, known to the writer, offers it for sale. Tephrosia Virginiana. — A Coatesville, Pa. , correspondent says : — " Please state, in Meehans' Monthly, what plant the flower is from which I send by this mail in small box. It looks just like a small sweet pea, but they grow in clusters on the ends of branches. Plant is a little over a foot high, and grows wild on south edge of woods, on north hill, of Chester Valley near here. It was in full sunshine on a dry bank." This beautiful plant is Tephrosia virginiana, ' and has already been painted in the ' ' Native Flowers and Ferns of the United States." It usually grows in low levels, in dry sandy places, and it is unusual to find it in higher elevations on the borders of woods. Tmi M^I^lbY FL@WE1 ^i^l^EM. Celosias as Bedding Plants. — So many plants grown under glass in the Old World come to us as pot plants, merely, that they are seldom tested in the open air. Yet many of 154 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Aug. these supposed tender plants may be made to be among the brightest ornaments of our gar- dens. The common cockscomb is a grand il- lustration of this. It thrives grandly in the open air, — and a mass of them continues the whole of the summer to present a literal blaze of beauty. It is not generally understood that the cockscomb, Celosia cristata, is only slightly crested in its native condition, though it was often enough so to warrant Linnaeus in giving it the name cristata. It is found more frequently growing in loose, panicled spikes, as prettily shown by an illustration which we have -li^f^W^^^ taken, by permission, from the catalogue of Messrs. Vilmorin-Andrieux & Co. Though the huge crested forms, especially known as the cockscomb, finds more favor with flower growers than the loose, wild forms ; to many people's minds, the feathery purple spikes of the latter are lovely, — and as they endure the heat of our summers so well, the plant deserves a good place in ornamental gardening. Many old fashioned flowers, such as Batchelors' but- tons, Prince's feather, and various Amaranths, are near relatives of the Celosia. The Mexican Columbine. — One of the pleasures of the cultivation of herbaceous plants is the large collections of various things which will produce a successional bloom over a long period of the summer season. There are probably few genera of plants which will do this with more pleasant results than the various species of columbine. The family relationship of the different species is so clear that few will mistake a columbine when they see it ; but the different species are so closely related that botanists can scarcely mark out their distinctive characters ; — but the cultiva- tor can see great differences, and possibly in no particular respect are the differences more marked than in their time of flowering. The American Columbine, Aquilegia Cafindensis, is possibly among the earliest to flower, and then different forms from the Old World follow. After this the mountain forms come in. The Aquilegia Olympica is an especially beautiful one, the white and the purple ofthe flower being so distinct, and can be seen in full bloom usually' about the end of May. By the begin- ning of June the Mexican Columbine, Aqjiile- gia Ski?ineri, comes in, and would perhaps be regarded as the most beautiful of the whole family. It is a very strong grower, and in the various shades of'j^ellow and red, makes an at- tractive appearance- Then follows our yellow columbine of the Rocky Mountains, with its long, spreading spurs and bright yellow blos- soms, extending the flower season of the family into early June. These scarcely begin to pass their best before the columbine of our north- west coast, Aquilegia truncata, follows, remain- ing in bloom until the end of July. This is a particularly beautiful species, the red being particularly rich. It is much brighter, in fact, in color, than the early flowering Aquilegia Canade?isis. There are few families of plants which will aflbrd so close a succession for fully one-half of the floral season. The Armerias. — In Olden Times, the lovers of gardening bordered their flower beds with some one particular plant in the same manner as Box Edging is now employed, and even in these days such edgings are far from uncom- mon. The object is to get a close, stocky plant that will flower freely, and will require no trimming or dressing to keep in shape. Few better plants could be employed for this pur- pose than the forms of Statice Armeria, though some botanists take the specific name and make of it a distinct genus under the name of Armeria. The onl}' popular name we ever heard for them was ' ' Thrift. ' ' Why this is popularly so named, is questionable ; but it makes a little, stocky mass of grasslike leaves about six inches in diameter, throwing up numerous leafless stalks from six to ten inches high with a head of purple flowers at the apex. Underneath the flowers is a portion of the calyx, which is extended downwards, embracing the stem, and which I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 155 the children call the " flower bracelets". Some of the flowers open among the earliest in the spring, and a succession^ is continuously pro- duced until past midsummer. One of the species is found naturally in sandy places near sea-coasts, and is known as Armeria niaritima; but like so many other plants found under natural conditions, it grows possibly better in ordinary garden soil, than in its native sandy wastes. There is another species called Armeria plantaginaefolia, which has somewhat broader leaves, and taller flower stems, and which con- tinues later in bloom than the other species ; but not quite so well adapted as the others for bordering purposes. The Nomenclature of Veronicas. — There are few more handsome hardy herbaceous plants than the species of Veronica. But the distinctions between the species are so slight, that one is never sure whether he has the cor- rect name. Receiving from what would be regarded as an authoritative source, a kind as Veronica rupestris, it proved to be Veronica Teucrium. A recent monograph of Veroyiica does not include V. rupestris. A correspon- dent who keeps the run of good herbaceous plants, furnishes the following note, — but it is not yet clear that Veronica rtipestris is anything more than a garden name. In the collection of the writer are numbers of supposed species, that are scarcely dis- tinguishable from V. Teucrium . " I find in catalogue of James Backhouse & Co., of York, England, — Alpine Plants ' Veronica rupestris.^ One of the handsomest rock plants, habit dwarf and free. Flowers bright blue.' I also find it in catalogues of Pitcher & Manda, Short Hills, N, J.,— Shady Hill Nurser- ies, Boston, Mass., and Woolson & Co., Passaic, N.J. It is cited inacatalogueof Hardy Flowers, of Reading Nursery, Reading, Mass., as ' V. rupestris (Rock Speedwell) Europe. Flowers like V. cercceoides, etc. Not in Robinson's ' Alpine Flowers ' In Robinson's ; ' The Eng- lish Flower Garden,' Ed., 1893, p. 731, but not much about it. It is not in Nicholson's Dictionary under V. rupestris. It seems to be covered by V. saxatilis, yet I am not sure of the correspondence from my memory of the plant. The whole subject of Veronica, is worth a botanical study." S ^ ¥E<^ET/^PLES. The Smith's Cider and Baldwin Apples. — Apple growers in Pennsylvania still con- sider the Smith's and the Baldwin Apples two of their most productive varieties. There is scarcely a season that passes without these two bearing full crops, — neither of them are apples of first quality, from the point of view of a dessert table, but they are at least good enough when other varieties are scarce. Sun-Printing Fruit. — The rosy cheek of an apple is on the sunny side — the colorless apple grows in the leafy shade. Advantage may be taken of this to have a pleasant surprise for children. A piece of stiff" paper placed around an apple in the full sun will shade it, and if the "Mary'' or "Bobbie" is cut in the paper so that the sun can color the apple through these stencilled spaces, the little one can gather the apple for itself with the name printed on the fruit by Nature herself. Planting Strawberries. — Strawberry plants fail to grow more frequently from being set too deeply, than from any other cause. The crown should always be above the surface of the ground. A dibble is better than a trowel for planting, — when the hole is made the long, fine roots should be placed in the hole, and the earth pressed very tightly about them. If there is danger of a dry time, — water may be put in the dibble hole, and allowed to soak away before the plant is set in. Celery Culture. It is well known that the celery plant delights in a rich and moist soil, and those who have the opportunity to use liquid manure in the cultivation of this plant have a great advantage over others. In addition to this, some cultivators who grow the celery for market are introducing water artificially, and find it to be a profitable prac- tice. In Allegheny City, Western Pennsylvania, one grower has a supply pipe from one of the city water mains, so arranged that at the end where the flow commences, guano or some other artificial fertilizer can be placed in the water pipes. He can get double the crop from the same ground, as by the ordinary methods, and stalks that bring a much higher price in market. 156 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Aug. Barreling Apples. — Many of the most profitable operations in commercial life depend in the first instance upon very simple facts. Most persons would pass by without observing the barreling of apples as a case in point. If apples were placed loosely in barrels, they would soon rot, though passing over but a very short distance of travel ; and yet, when pro- perly barreled, they can be sent thousands of miles, — even over the roughest ocean voyage, in perfect security. This is owing to a fact discovered years ago, without any one know- ing particularly the reason, that an apple rotted from a bruise only when the skin was broken. An apple can be pressed so as to have indenta- tions over its whole surface without any danger of rotting, providing the skin is not broken. In barreling apples, therefore, gentle pressure is exercised so that the fruit is fairly pressed into each other, and it is impossible for any one fruit to change its place in the barrel on its journey. Apples are sometimes taken out of the barrels with large indentations over their whole surface, and yet no sign of decay. In these modern times, we understand the reason. The atmosphere is full of microscopic germs which produce fermentation, and unless they can get an entrance into the fruit, rot cannot take place. A mere indentation without a rupture of the outer skin does not permit of the action of these microbes. This is a simple reason why the early observation ena- bled the barreling of apples to be so successful. Cultivation of Currants. — A correspond- ent from Asheville, N. C, complains that the common red currant grows remarkably free and vigorous in a rich vegetable garden, and yet from twelve bushes scarcely gathers a couple of quarts of fruit ; and the question is asked as to what can be the cause of such un- fruitfulness. The currant is a native of north- ern climates, and usually desires a cool tem- perature ; but the temperature ought to be just suited to the currant at Asheville, and it can scarcely be a question of temperature that the plants are so unproductive. It might-be well to place them, however, in as cool and shady a position as possible ; but care must be taken not to have the soil or situation too dry. Dry soils are usually warm. It might be noted that those who have observed the cur- rant in its wild condition, have noticed how fond it is of growing among dead trees or rotten wood, and this hint might be profitable in regard to the culture of the currant. Rotten wood, generally, is rather injurious than other- wise to most plants, but the currant seems to be an exception, unless, perhaps, the raspberry might be included in the same list. Much of the fertility of the currant bush, however, depends upon the pruning. It is an art which cannot be well taught with the pen, but the experienced currant-grower could make the most unproductive currant very productive by judicious prunning. The Spitzenberg Apple. — The Spitzenberg apple always brings a better price per barrel than others, and the question was recently asked of the conductors wh}' it was that, as this apple brought a higher price, more of them were not grown, and by thus well stocking the mar- ket with them, bring the price down. This is a question which could be answered only by those who grow this apple. Some say that the reason why it is grown at all is that it comes into market at a time when other varieties are scarce, — while others contend that the peculiar flavor, so grateful to most tastes, is what gives it more appreciation. It does seem that only orchardists can answer this question. Improvement of the Japan (quince. — The ordinary Japan Quince, CydofnaJapo?itca, which is almost entirely grown for ornament, has a much more agreeable odor than even the com- mon quince has ; but as a general thing it has been too small and too tough to put to culin- ary uses. Mr. William Parry, of Parry, N. J., has taken in hand the making of selections, with the hope of improving it ; and it is said that he has one that produces fruit from nine to twelve inches, in circumference. He has named it the Columbia. Strawberry, Tennessee Prolific. —Straw- berries are somewhat local in their tastes and habits. The Cleveland Nursery Company of Rio Vista, Virginia, claims that the Tennessee Prolific is one of the best for that region. Marshall Strawberry. — Mr. B. M. Wat- son, of Plymouth, Mass., considers this new variet}^ as one of the largest and finest ever grown. I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 157 Early Fall Planting. — The following paragraph is going the rounds of the papers : "Professor Bailey disapproves the practice of some nurserymen of stripping the leaves from nursery stock in order to stop growth and enable them to deliver trees in the early fall. He saj's this practice weakens the trees and causes many of them to fail in the orchard." Professor Bailey has, no doubt, been misun- derstood, and charged with sentiments he never entertained. Nurserymen do not dig trees in any event till the wood is mature, and when it can make no possible difference to the tree whether the leaves are taken off by the hand of Jack Frost or by the hand of man. And again an early transplanted tree makes new fibres which supply the branches with moisture, which a late planted tree does not. The loss by evaporation in a late planted t;ee is therefore much greater than in one planted in the fall early. Barren English Walnuts. — Mr. E. C. Williams, Chapman, Snyder Co., Pa., writes : ' ' Having in our orchard two large trees, nearly 30 feet high, well developed and branched, of English Walnut, we have not had in all these years since we grew them, a bushel of nuts from trees . I have seen them growing and bearing abundantly when trees were not half the size that ours are ; seen them all over France and Germany with abundance of nuts in the fall of the year. Our soil is heavy loam with a slight mixture of limestone ; the land lays at least 30 feet above the water level on the Pasqualana — we have tried everything to induce these trees to Ifear, but without result. Can you state cause, and and will you kindly inform us of the same, as we tried to introduce the growing of same for profit ; but our own poor results have prevented us from doing so." A few warm days in early spring will often cause the catkins or pollen-bearing flowers to advance and mature before the female or nut- bearing flowers are ready to receive it. Being unfertilized, they cannot bear. In the Old World, where spring does not come till it intends to stay, this difference in time does not occur. A single tree, or a few scattered trees, are more liable to suffer from want of pollination than a number of trees growing together, because no two trees flower at pre- cisely the same time. In a group of trees, the late-flowering male blossoms furnish pollen to the female blossoms of the more susceptible, earlier flowering trees. Most early-flowering kinds of trees are apt to suffer in this way, as male flowers, or even the anthers of hermaph- rodite flowers, will mature under a warmer temperature than will induce growth in the pistillate or female organs of flowers. It is for this reason that the recommendation is often made to plant such trees on northern or western aspects, so that the pollen-bearing organs may not be unduly excited till spring has actually arrived. There is probably no remedy for such large trees as Mr. Williams describes. It would be some years before other trees, planted now, would have pollen. Perhaps some rapid- growing poplar trees, planted so as to shade from early spring sun, might be of benefit in a few years. Beurre Clairgeau Pear. — Among the higher classes of fruits, as well as among straw- berries and other small fruits, there are changes in popularity from one variety to another, often without any apparent reason ; while there are some that continue in popular favor for a long time. Among pears, one of the compara- tively old varieties, known as Beurre Clairgeau, is still in as much demand to-day as it ever was, and is one of the standard winter pears. Its large size has recommended it, as well as good color and comparatively high flavor. A New Water Melon. — The daily papers have learned articles on a water melon, which a grower in Georgia has a plant of, produc- ing melons without seeds. It is regarded as a great discovery, the parent of a new race, ridding us of the trouble of picking out seeds. We can be congratulated on the chance to gulp the mouthful. It will be welcomed by the " 20-minutes-for dinner " traveler. But none of the editorials tell us where we are to get the seeds for planting of this seedless water melon. Koonce Pear. — Mr. Wm. Parry, of Parry, New Jersey, is introducing this as a remarka- bly early pear. Usually, early pears are small. This is as large as a Bartlett, and with a pretty, ruddy tint. BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. BELOVED COMPANY. A Book of Verses underneath the bough, A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread — and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness — Oh ! Wilderness were Paradise enow ! — From the Persian of Omar Khayyatn. The Late John H. Redfied. — A correspon- dent who met this lamented botanist during his explorations on Mount Desert Island everj' summer has this pleasant sketch of the amiable gentleman : " At Mount Desert I saw him in the field ; knew him in the out-of-door side of his nature. Every hour showed me something new in him to love and admire, whether it were his love for the beautiful, his poetic as well as his scien- tific botanical spirit, or his appreciation of all that was fit and seemly. I remember once being somewhat astonivshed to see him take off his hat and bow to a huge tree stump. When I asked for an explanation, he remarked that he always did so whenever he passed that way, for the tree must have been such a king among trees. No one can forget his spare figure, the little gray hat and the kindly face beneath it, passing actively along the roads, over the hills, kneeling beside the path in examination of the plants he loved so well, the worn portfolio, and the arborvitae staif that were such constant companions. It was his custom to ascend Barr Hill at Seal Harbor alone each year before he left Mount Desert, on the very morning of his departure. No one can dare imagine how beautiful and touching must have been his thoughts as he looked over the island he loved so well. The morning of his departure last September (Sep- tember 24) was a perfect day — no day was ever fairer. As usual he went to the summit of the hill alone, and looked over land and sea, as it proved for the last time in his bodily presence. I met him as he came down, and shall ever remember the expression of great peace and happiness that shone from his face. He may have known all." If Mr. Redfield had, at that time, any presenti- (158) ment as suggested, it must have vanished subsequently, as but a short time before his death he was looking forward to. a pleasant time the coming summer in looking over the Island for plants possibly missed in the "Flora" latelj- published by Rand and Redfield. It was his habit to finish every task, day b}' day, as if he might never take it up again, and this might lead to an appearance of presenti- ment. The Use of the Word " Cultivated." — A good correspondent, while sending an ad- mirable, practical note for the magazine, observes . — "If you think proper, substitute {ox cultiva- ted— as applied to plants — the intransitive verb and its participles grow, grown, etc., if you think it permissable in a journal of the literary standing of Meehans' Monthly. ' ' By the way, is this use of the word allow- able ? Plants grow, grew, are growing, have grown ; but the power to grow is innate, and is limited to the individual. Might we not as logically say that we grow horses, cattle and sheep ? But perhaps the word as a technical term is allowable, as we also speak oi flowering a plant, which is more concise than saying, causing it to bloom. It is only another illus- tration of English as she is spoke. "I enjoy Meehan's Monthly very much, and wish it success. It is the literary monthly of horticultural journalism, and supplies a link between the purely trade paper and the super-scientific journal." It is proper to use the word " grow' ' as sug- gested. Custom is the only law in language ; and the use of a word by any well-known author stamps it as usable in the sense he employs it, for all time to come. There are orchid-growers' manuals, and wool-growers' conventions, with other good and sufficient authorities for "plant-growing." The com- pliment to the work of Meehan's Monthly is particularly appreciated. It is the reputa- tion aimed at by its publishers. I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. 159 The Derivation of Saxifrage. — An in- stance of the way in which plant names often get confounded occurs in a work on " Myths," by an American author. He says : " The an- cient Romans had their rock-breaking plant called Saxiffaga or ' sassafras.' " Saxifraga is derived from two Latin words, saxum, rock, a.nd /rangere, to break, from the supposed power of the plant when growing in the crevices of rocks to split them asunder. But " Sassafras " is not Saxifraga (Saxifrage). Although the word "Sassafras" may have been derived from the word Saxifraga, the two words are now used to designate two very different genera of plants ; and to use them as this author has, leaves an impression on the mind of the reader, unless he be a bota- nist, that the Sassafras is the plant to which the ancient Romans attributed the power of rock-breaking, which is not the case. Greenport, N. V. F. N. Tillinghast. The derivation of ancient names is usually the work of shrewd guessing, and sometimes of guessing by no means shrewd. In the writer's researches in connection with the wild flower chapters, he found that the ancients named plants more in connection with their supposed medical or other properties, and he would be more disposed to believe that a plant was called Saxifrage from a supposed power to break up the stone or the gravel, than from breaking up rocks on which it grew. An anala- gous case is that of Sedum. Even so broad a scholar as Dr. Gray would tell us that it was given to the plant from its seeming to sit on rocks, and he accents it accordingly asSe dum. But the writer found it was not derived from the Latin sedo, to sit ; but sedeo, to assuage, from the use of the leaves of some of the species in assuaging the pain of burns or scalds. The pronunciation is therefore Sed'um. •it is in this line we have to look for the deri- vation of ancient names. Easter Lilies. — As often noted in Mee- HANS' Monthly, there is no objection what- ever to common or English names to flowers. No one would think half so much of pansies or sweet williams if they always went by their botanical names ; but one inconvenience is that the names are so readily changed from one thing to another, that it is difiicult sometimes to know what the other party is talking or writing about. For many years, the calla has been known as " Easter lily," and it is ques- tionable whether, if an order were sent to some distant florist for Easter lilies, the one who ordered would not receive the Calla yEthiopica. Recently a form of the Japan Lilitim longi- florurn, known as the variety Harrisii, which is grown in Bermuda, has received the name of Easter lily, and considerable confusion arises therefrom. For a while it was known as the Bermuda lily. It is, however, one of the most popular plants for Easter decorations. For several pears past, there has been a large trade in the bulbs from Bermuda to the United States ; but during the present year, success- ful efibrts have been made to introduce the cut flowers, and, it is said, with considerable suc- cess. ]Many thousands were received from Bermuda during Easter week, and distributed to many florists in various parts of the Union. In New York, they were sold as low as $2.50 for a box of five dozen. In Philadelphia they brought about $2,-00. Some of these were suc- cessfully carried to Nebraska, Colorado and many of those far western States, where they were sold for $5.00 a box. Notwithstanding these low figures, it is stated that the venture was a commercial success. Variation. — Prof. L. H. Bailey, of Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., is about to make a special study of Bud-variation, and anyone having knowledge of such sports, will do good service to horticultural science by reporting them to the Professor. The nectarine is one of these sports, and came, by this method of bud-variation into existence ; and the case where new varieties originated in this way are well known among bouvardias, roses, carnations and other plants. Daniel C. Eaton. — The severe losses Amer- ican botany has suffered the past year has another addition in the death of the eminent Professor of Yale, Daniel Cody Eaton, which occurred on the 29th of June. He was espe- cially an authority on the diflScult genus Aster, and his superb work on the Ferns of the United States will long remain a monument of fame. He was one of the most genial of men. As a teacher of Botany in the college he was very successful. A goodly number of the younger race of botanists owe much to him. GENERAL NOTES. Horticultural Investigation. — The State of New York has placed $16,000 in the hands of Professor L. H. Bailey for investigations in the diseases of plants. A Shortia School. — A few years since, when the pretty Shortia, which had not been known since Michaux's time, was re-dis- covered in some abundance, many northern purchases of plants were made. From the pro- ceeds of these sales, a school in North Carolina was established, which goes under the name of the Shortia School. Government Seeds. — "Why don't the Secretary take his share, as his predecessors have done, and let the thing go along ? Why not have added book reports, and all the rest of it? Don't it all help to keep up the National debt ? " says James Stewart ; and this would doubtless be echoed by the man who pronounced a "National debt a national blessing," espe- cially as he had the money to lend. A Large Elm Tree. — Curiosity has been aroused as to the largest specimen of any of our forest trees, so far as known. Among elms this eminence is claimed, — one in Portland , Connecticut, standing near St. John's Chapel, a mile from Gildersleeve, which is twenty-two feet in circumference ; but one is reported from Ledyard on the " Larrabee Farm," which is twenty-four feet, and the spreading branches cover half an acre. Tjie Peary Expedition. — It was arranged, when Lieutenant Peary decided to remain in Greenland another year, that a vessel should be sent to bring him home this Autumn. The collecting of money for this has been mainly the work of Mrs. Peary. A few weeks ago the same vessel that was used on former expedi- tions, the " Kite," started for the purpose. Again a Philadelphian, this time Mr. R. Le Boutilier, volunteers as botanist and naturalist in general to the expedition. (160) Ginger Ale. — Everyone who has taste or a weakness for ginger ale well knows the differ- ence between the native and the imported article. It is said that the reason for the differ- ence is that in the Old World apples are used instead of lemons. The apples are roughly sliced to boil in water, and made into a paste, with a small quantity of ginger. In the Old World, where great economy has to be practiced in order to make many matters of business profitable, wind-fall apples are used — about one pound of apples is used to a gallon of liquid. Other fruits which contain tartaric or carbonic acid are used,and found to dojust as well as citric. Commendations of Meehans' Monthly. — It is extremely gratifying to the Publishers, to find the high appreciation expressed for the magazine, in intelligent quarters everywhere. The plates and descriptions of our native flowers, it is believed, have never been excelled by any similar attempt anjwhere ; and though the high character of the work will never pro- duce the remuneration to the Publishers which so many productions do that come down to the people instead of aiming to elevate them, usuall}^ return to their proprietors, it will always be a satisfaction to the Publishers to feel that the intelligent and best people everywhere appreciate the work the magazine is doing. Priority in Plant Names — "What you have said about correcting erroneous orthog- raphy in plant names seems sound. If we are not to correct a slip of the pen in writing Ailajttfuis, when the gendtr glafidulosa and the derivation ' ailanto, — tree of heaven. ' given clearly show that the describer intended Ailan- tus ; — and if we must write Scoria, because a proof-reader could not make out Rafniesque's manuscript Hicoria, we shall have a pretty list of names to correct in our herbariums. We shall have to change the monster cactus of New Mexico from Cerezis giganteus to Cereus gigmitens, for this is the orthography in Engel- mann's original publication." R. Triu TRICHOSTEMMA DICHOTOMA. BLUE CURLS. NATURAL ORDER, LABIATE. TRICHOSTEMMA DICHOTOMA, Liiinaeus.— Stem six to twelve inches high, bushy, hrachiately branched, clothed with a short cinereous roug^hish pubescence ; leaves one to two inches long, lance oblong, or rhombic-lanceolate, rather obtuse, petiolate, the petiole, one-quarter to half an inch in length ; flowers solitary, on peduncles one-quarter to half an inch long, in the axils of the leaf-like bracts, the terminal ones di-or tri-chotomous ; bracts lanceolate, shorter than the peduncles ; corolla bright blue, rarely purplish. (Darlington's Flora Cestrica. See also Gray's Manual o/ the Botany of the Northern United States. Chapman's Flora of the Southern United States, and Wood's Class-Book of Botany.) The critical student of botany, if investi- gating the history of this plant, would find many leading authors difiering in opinion as to the derivation and consequent orthography, as well as in the gender and therefore the spel- ling, of its specific name. Of course, the student knows that the specific name stands in relation to the generic as an adjective does to a noun, and in the Latin language the adjective must agree with the noun in gender. Now many Latin nouns ending in a are femin- ine, and taking Trichostema as of this gender, the specific name would be dichotoma. It was thus written by Linnaeus in his earlier works. But in this case Trichostema is of the neuter gender, and thus requires the neuter form of the adjective dichotomum. Linnaeus corrects his early mistake in his later works ; but still we often find the incorrect form in use to this day. In Decandolle's "Prodromus," the name is written Trichoste^nma , and Buck, in his " Index" to Decandolle, says it was done to "correct Gronovius' name Trichostema,'" Gro- novius being the real author of the name, and not Linnaeus as usually quoted. Trichostema means hair- like stamens, while Irichostemma should be derived from hair-like crown. Turning to Gronovius,' "Flora Vir- ginica," we find he was very much impressed with the peculiar stamens. (See Fig. 2.) In the original Latin, it reads Stamifiibus setaceis longissimus. So it is not difficult to decide that he had these hair-like stamens in view when he coined the name, and that Decandolle's "correction" was in this instance incorrect. It is well to take occasion as these instances offer to show the general student how much may depend in botany on a seemingly super- fluous letter in a name. In like manner, there are diflferences of opinion about the common name. The original common name appears to have been Bastard Pennyroyal. Modern boi-anists give as the common name " Blue Curls." This is a much prettier and more appropriate name ; but per- haps it is a name suggested by some botanists for this species, and, though an English one is not yet common as a name. Again some botanists give the name " Blue Curls" to the whole genus, and describe this one as the "Common Blue-Curl." It has not been the practice with authors to be very particular as to what is right or wrong in the adoption of common names ; and much therefore must be left to the reader to choose what he likes for himself. Of its further botanical history, it may be noted that Plukenet, a learned English author, who wrote in 1691, gives a drawing of it, and calls it "a ScutellaHa from Virginia;" but says little more of it than that its common name is " Tothemochitl in New Spain." Ray, an author who followed Plukenet in 1704, describes it as "a blue Scutellaria, with the leaves like marjoram, — from D. Banister's catalogue." So it would seem that to this early collector the credit falls in this, as in so many other cases, of being the first to make the plant known to the botanists of the Old World. This reference of the plant to Scutel- laria, by the older botanists, is another illus- tration of the progress in the knowledge of the true relationships of plants, which have been made since their day. Now our plant would be associated with Teucnum rather than with Scutellaria, for this last named genus has the upper lip projected upwards, much as Stachys has ; while, as we see at Fig. (161) l62 MEEHANS' MONTHLY— TRICHOSTEMMA DICHOTOMA. [Sept. 2, all the divisions of the corolla have a more or less downward tendency as compared with the stamens. For this, among other charac- ters, Trichostema would be referred to the sec- tion of Labiates, known as AJugece, while Scutellaria will be found in StachydecE . In connection with the botanical characters of this plant, there is one of great value to us in this chapter as aflfording a lesson not often taught in botanical works, in relation to the peculiarities of plant growth. Plants do not grow in one continuous ratio, but by a series of advances and rests, — or, as we say, growth is rhythmical. This can be observed better in the inflorescence than in any other parts of plants. The peduncle, for instance, may elongate, and while this is proceeding, the parts of the flower already formed, will re- main without any advance till the elongation has reached its limits. By that time some of the floral parts that have been resting, may again grow, and as these rest some others advance. Very often the peduncle will not proceed again after resting ; butnotunfrequent- ly it moves on again to greater lengths after the petals have fallen, and generally moves to some other position if it does not actually elongate. Each species has its own peculiar- ity, but it is seldom that there is not rhythm- ical motion of some sort, in a growing flower. In the case of our present plant one of the most interesting fieatures of this motion is in the twist which the peduncle makes after the corolla has fallen, by which the part of the calyx which was the lower becomes the upper- most. As we know, in most Labiate plants there are two upper divisions and three lower to the calyx. In this plant, after the twist has taken place, the three segments seem at the top, while the part with two is beneath. As a general rule, we have to believe that the various forms of flowers have a two-fold object. One is evidently merely to give variety to vegetation, so that each after its kind may be readily distinguished from its neighbor. Beyond this there is generally some special use to the individual in the peculiarity of its form. In a large number of cases, flowers are so arranged that it is difficult for the plant to receive its own pollen ; while it is rendered easier for it to receive it by the aid of an insect from some other flower. Trichostema is believed to be of this latter class. A correspondent of Foote's Leisure Hour, S. T. Isaman, referring to a Californian species, says: "The tube of the corolla is bent upon itself, when in its normal condition. On inserting a pin or small splint, the tube is straightened, and the stamens and pistil are thrown forward and strike very forcibly on the back of any intruding insect. I have watched bees for hours, gathering honey from these plants, and have been very much amazed by the performance. ' ' As the structure of our species is similar, it may have a similar beha- vior. Of course the bee would carrj^ pollen on its back, and when entering another flower, this pollen would be communicated to the exserted stigmas. As an element in wild scenery, it is one of our most valuable plants. It endures the heat in its places of growth, not because it can resist evaporation as succulents do, but because it sends its long but slender root deep down into the earth. One plant, but six inches high, was found, by careful tracing, to have a root two feet in length. Aside from its beauty, what is its use ? Our medical books say nothing about it, nor do we know of anything that it has contributed to any of the arts. But after all it may have its uses, says Tennyson : " So Ladv Flora, take my lay, And if you find no moral there. Go look in any glass and say, What moral is in being fair O, to what uses shall we put The wildweed-flower that simply blows ? And is there any moral shut Within the bosom of the rose ? But any man that walks the mead. In bud or blade, a bloom may find. According as his humors lead, A meaning suited to his mind. And liberal applications lie In Art like Nature, dearest friend ; So 'twere to cramp its use, if I Should work it to some useful end." To be sure our pretty " wildweed-flower" simply blows ; but the lesson it teaches of perseverence through the dryest obstacles, in order to do this successfully and well, is a lesson of usefulness not to be thrown away. It is found flowering in August, through most of the Atlantic portion of the United States. Explanations of the Plate.— i. A i>lant from a rail- road bank near Philadelphia. 2. Side view showing the slender exerted stamens. 3. Full face view of a flower, showing the arrangement of the divisions of the corolla, with the stamens projecting upwards. WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. THE MOUNTAIN STREAM. " Cold and clear from the mountain- wells, Mirroring brightly the green arcades, Shattered to foam in the mossy dells, Then gliding again through the silent shades, The immemorial mountain-stream With murmur sweet to its kindred calls, And hastes to the river with distant gleam And fills the forest with waterfalls." —Howard Worcester Gilbert. Vitality of Seeds. — Dr. I. A, Bachman, Augusta, Ga., writes : " Kindly name the enclosed samples, marked A and B, and give an explanation of their origin in oats, based on the following partic- ulars : Last October a tract of fertile, river bottom land, of about 75 acres, which had been in alfalfa for six consecutive years, was sown in oats ; in February the intense cold killed most of the winter oats here, excepting, apparently, this particular lot, which seemed to have stood the freeze better. They were well cared for, harrowed and top dressed, and altogether the outlook for a fine crop of oats was very good, until they started to head out, when it was observed that 75 to 90 per cent, of the growth was that of the enclosed sample, of which the proportion was about ten A to one B. The questions that arise in my mind are : Was the original seed of the cheat in the ground before the oats were sown ? Could the seed have lain dormant six years, without exhibiting itself to some extent, for example, after the freeze of March, 1895, which killed the alfalfa close to the ground, requiring some- time to recover itself. The seed oats used were the product of that farm, and had been used over and over again for many years without the introduction of foreign seed. Could it be possible that the seed could have so degenerated that in ordinary circumstances (I mean without the interven- tion of a freeze) the product would have been the same as stated." The specimens were of the common Darnel and Cheat grasses, which have so often tempted farmers to believe that wheat or oats could he- transmuted into these species. Transmutation' is, of course, wholly out of the question, but the farmer has rarely been satisfied as to how the intruding plants get there. There are twc methods by which the occurence could be" accounted for. When plants are starved, the growth is very much arrested. Darnel and cheat, when crowded by the taller growing wheat or oats, might reach an inch or less only in height, and yet produce perfect seeds. This has often been proved. In such cases they would be overlooked, and the cultivator par- doned for believing that no plants were there. If the wheat or oats are killed, these minute plants would grow into observation. In many cases they were probably growing in this con- dition unobserved. But aside from this, seeds will retain their vitality in the earth for an in- definite number of years, when deep enough to be protected from atmospheric influences. Many of the supposed facts to sustain this view are not attested by such strong evidence as true science requires — but there is incon- testable evidence of the right sort, that when deep enough in the earth, the vitality of seeds will be retained for many years. Even under the eye of the writer, while penning these lines, is a solitary specimen of a Kansas plant, Euphorbia hexagona, from seed which is known to have been fifteen years in the ground. The spot where the original plants grew was covered with cellar dirt at that time. Deep digging this spring brought the seed to the surface. The Poppy Family in Washington. — Mrs. Susan Tucker, of Cheney, Wash., says : "By the June number of Meehans' Month- ly, I learn that I did not make myself under- stood when I corrected a mistake made in a previous number. What I meant to say was that I have found ?io plants belonging to the Poppy family in this state. "On Uncle Sam Mountain, Lake County,, Cal., I found Meconopsis heterophylla, etc." (163) 1 64 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [Sept. Wild Buttercups of Michigan. — Those remaining constantly in one locality are apt to think that their peculiar flora and fauna exist everywhere. I was surprised to meet a competent botanist from Indiana who had never met with the spicy wintergreen Gaultheria procumbcfis, one of the most common plants of Michigan, covering thousands of acres, and highly ap- preciated for its beautiful coral-red, berry-like fruits and spic}' leaves, though those familiar with both are apt to prefer the beautiful white fruit of the white wintergreen {Chiogenes his- pidula), abundant here in swamps, as it has an acid flavor with the same spiciness. So in glancing over the Meehans' Monthly for June, 1892, page 86, I notice the statement that the wild buttercup of Pennsylvania. Mary- land and New Jersey, is chieflj', if not wholly, Ranimculus bulbosus ; but in North New Jersey and most of the eastern states, Ranunadus acris prevails. So far as I know Ranunculus bulbosus is only found in two places in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and not in the Lower Peninsula, while Ranunculus acns, single-flowered, wild variety, is a new intro- duction in Michigan. Fifteen or sixteen species of Rafiunculus are found in Michigan, all yellow-flowered but two, R. circinatus and R. aquatilis var. iricophylhis , the former most abundant. On dry lands and hills R.fascicularis prevails in the south-eastern portion of the state. It is only 3 to 6 inches high ; but has flowers of much beauty, often double when wild, and well deserves cultiva- tion. Needs very dry soil. R. septentrionaUs in its many forms prevails inmost places, and is also handsome, but, unlike R. acris, of a sprawling habit. There is also a species or variety of R. sep- tentrionaUs, as some claim, (I must consider it a distinct species) that grows in lowlands by streams, etc. It is very rank in growth, with very large leaves, and sends out many thick, cord-like runners, 5 to 10 feet long, and has very large yellow flowers in June ; while R. septe?itrionalis flowers in May. I feel sure two species are confounded. Its heads of acheniums are twice larger than those of R. septentrionaUs. It is without doubt a pure native. It would be fine, in cultivation, to cover a moist slope. It does not seem to be R. repens, as R. repens grows at Pontiac, Mich., naturalized. R. multifidus, the Yellow Water Crowfoot, or Buttercup, probably is the handsomest species here. It has flowers nearly ij4, inches in diameter, and sometimes full double, while its finely divided shining leaves are very prettj'. — Aquatic. Our other species oi Rayiunculus are either very rare or lack in beauty. They are R. Cymbalaria, Pursh, R. ambigeris, Watson, two varieties oiR.flaynmula, L., R. rhojuboideus, Goldie, two varieties of R. abortivus, L., R. sceleratus, L., R. recurvatus, Poir, R. Pe?insylvaniaiS, L. f. Only eight species of Ramaiculus are found throughout the state. Five or six species have handsome flowers, but R. multifidus and R. fascicularis are the handsomest, although en- tirely opposite in habits, as one perfers the water while the other prefers the dryest hills. Wilfred A. Brotherton, Rochester, Mich. Influence of Climate on Foliage — Pro- fessor Strasburger is one of those eminent European botanists to whom students in plant life have looked up to as among their greatest teachers, and it is therefore with some surprise that Americans read a recent paper of his in connection with the influence of climate on the structure of leaves. He takes, for an illus- tration, the European Beech. He says that when the beech produces its leaves in the deep shade of the forest, they are larger and finer than the leaves of the same tree exposed to full sunlight, and from this he deduces a general principle that abundance of sunlight to a dry atmosphere is the reason why leaves are thick and small. Yet it has been for over a quarter of a century placed on record, and admitted as an undeniable fact, that in the case of allied species of European and American trees, the leaves of the American are larger and thinner than the leaves of the European. The American Linden has larger and thinner leaves than the European Linden. So has the American Sweet Chestnut, American Oak, American Ash, American Button wood or Syca- more, and, in fact, all American trees that have close European allies. And yet no one will contend for a moment that the English climate is dryer, or that there is more light or more long continued sunlight in England than America. It is unfortunate when great authori- ties like Strasburger attempt to found great scientific truths on such slender materials. 1895.] MEEHANS' MONTHLY— WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. 165 The Massachusetts Hills.— When the great Roman Conqueror declared 7iihil 7iisi labore — without labor nothing comes — he was only reiterating the older sentence that man shall earn his bread by the sweat of his brow. After all, labor is more of a blessing than a curse. The rocky hills of Massachusetts re- quire great labor to prepare for a crop of fruit or grain. But this very labor resulted in pro- ducing a hardy race of men of whom the whole Union is proud. Mr. Warren H. Manning has Horticulturists, however, have to keep them separate, and consequently to keep up both names. In Oregon and further north — even to Alaska — Mahonia aquifolia grows some- times four feet high, forming underbrush so thick that a man can scarcely get through ; but the one from Nebraska, M. repefis, seldom exceeds a foot in height, and creeps underground considerably. Our correspondent also sends specimens of Calochortus Nuttalliana , the beau- tiful Mariposa Lily of that section. Both of THE MASSACHUSETTS HILLS. kindly sent to us a photograph of one of these craggy hils , which is in one of the Reservations, which we reproduce here as illustrating this characteristic feature of the noble State. The Oregon Grape. — Mr. F. Huot sends a specimen from Pine Ridge, Neb., of what is there called the Oregon Grape. It is Mahonia repens. The true Oregon Grape is Mahonia aquifolia. Botanists do not regard them as distinct, and use M. repens as a synonym. these species are representatives of the Flora of the Pacific coast, and Pine Ridge is probably the eastern limit of these two species. An Early Buttercup. — Mrs. Susan Tucker, of Cheney, Washington, says that Ranunculus glaberritnus is the earliest buttercup of that section. Flowers here and there might have been gathered as early as February 14th, though the winter in Spokane County has been unusually mild. i65 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [Sept. An Androgynous Pine. — Dr. J. H. Melli- champ sends, from Blufiiton, S. C, one of the tnost remarkable departures from the normal form that has probably ever been noted in the pine family. The species is the one named by Dr. Engelmann, Pinus Elliotii, but which is now considered the same as the older named one, Pinus Cubensis. The male flowers of this pine usually appear in clusters at the ends of the branches. In this case, the lower portion of these male catkins is composed of female flowers. Just as in some portions of Carex, or common sedge grasses, the lower portion of the spike will be female, and the upper portion male. The appearance is very pretty, the lower portion being composed of scales, as in a very young cone, and the upper portion con- sisting of the staminate scales. It is come to be a belief, that through the whole vegetable kingdom, it is extremely difficult to draw the line anywhere, as one organ is continually found to be running into or taking the place of some other organ ; but, so far as recorded, no case has been before brought to the atten- tion of the scientific world, where a male catkin had taken on this bi-sexual character. Jumping Seeds. — "Along every little brook in Eastern Pennsylvania, in autumn days," says Mr. E. Newlin Williams, ' ' the pods of the jewel-weed are ripening. Each valve of the pod has an inwardly-exerted elasticity, which increases with age, so that at a certain point, which happens to be when the seed is fully ripe, the force exerted overcomes the cohesion of the valves, and from that instant valves and seeds may be searched for in vain by mortal eyes. It is fascinating to stand by the plant, to touch the primed pods, and see them go off"; or, better, see the end of the stem from whence they disappeared, for thej^ vanish with a start- ling abruptness if fully ripe. The plant is well-named Impatiens, or touch-me-not. An- other of this explosive class is our witch-hazel. We have often seen mouth like pods with their jaws locked as though in gaping surprise at the sudden departure of the long, white-tipped, black seed. They must be cooped up if you wish to catch the seed, for they fly out with some force. Thoreau speaks of having them in his room at night, and hearing the seeds drop out upon the floor from the catapult jaws of this natural pop-gun." Formation of Glaciers. — The present con- dition of the earth, and, indeed, the fertility of soils, owe much to the existence, in early times, of immense glaciers, — that is to say creeping rivers of ice — which covered many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, grinding up the rocks, and making deposits of rich earth in which to grow our farm and garden crops ; but the manner in which these glaciers are formed is still a matter of speculation. The accepted theory seems to be that the glacial ice is nothing more than closely com- pacted snow ; but no one has ever been able to make ice out of snow by any amount of pressure that can be artifically applied, and those who have had the opportunity of closely inspecting glaciers, as they now exist, can readily see the difference between snow which has been pressed severely by the passage of a glacier through a narrow pass, and the clear blue ice which forms the great block of the glacier itself. It has come to be a maxim in general natural history, that the same laws which prevail in cases of great magnitude are nothing more than what we may see every day, on a small scale ; and there is no reason why those who are in districts of abundance of snow and ice, might not for themselves work out actual experience of these small operations. These suggestions occured on reading the annual report of the Geologist of the State Survey of New Jersey, for 1893. The specu- lations in regard to the formation of the ancient glaciers that covered portions of New Jersey are very ingenious and interesting, and those desiring to pursue the subject intelli- gently could do no better than study this valuable report. Presumably, it can be ob- tained on simply asking for it from the office of Professor John C. Smock, State Geologist, Trenton, N. J. CoRDYCEPS Taylori. — At page 45, in the number for March, 1895, there is an illustrated chapter on fungi that grow out of cater- pillars. A remarkable one from Australia is figured as Cordyceps Berkeleyi. The conduc- tors accidentally noted, recently, that a por- tion of this name had been omitted. Will the reader kindly correct, by writing under the picture, Cordyceps Taylori, of Berke- ley, instead of Cordyceps Berkeleyi? These occasional slips are annoying. GENERAL GARDENING. AUTUMN. 'Tis golden Autumn, and a somber haze Envelops all the dreani}- countryside ; Soon o'er the world will sweep a crimson tide Of fairy fire and set the woods ablaze With sullen splendor. By the dusty ways The golden rod is drooping, and beside The wall the grapes are swelling in their pride Of purple lusciousness. The drowsy days Are almost silent, save where orchard trees Are dropping down their ripe and ruddy store, Or where the farmer beats the threshing floor With rhythmic flail. Sweet nature's symbols these, That mark the evening of the dying year And prelude the approach of winter drear. —J. RussELi. Hayes, in Friends' Intelligencer. Couch Grass — In a recent issue I note a wish to know what "Dog's grass" is. It is properly written Dog-grass, and does fluctuate in value. Its proper name is Triticum fepens, and is sometimes called " Couch grass ' ' — it is used in medicine. I enclose you a sample, — the way it comes to market. The genus Triticum is divided into two groups, one composed of annual plants, of which wheat is the type ; and the other perennials, lead by the officinal species. T. repens — originally a native of Europe, — now abounds in meadows and cultivated fields in the United States, where it is found very troublesome as a weed. It is specifically char- acterized by its creeping rootstock, by its awns being absent or not more than half the length of the flower, and by its rough, flat leaves. (United States Dispensatory — Wood, Reming- ton & Sadtler.) I don' t know that it is ever gathered for market in this country, but am under the impression that the entire marketable product comes from Germany. A. Robinson McIlvaine. The original inquiry was for "dog-grass" merely. It arose from a correspondent sending us a Mexican catalogue of grass seeds, in which all the seeds were priced except one, and which read "Dog-grass seed being so exceedingly variable in price is not quotable. " It is doubt- ful whether couch grass, the crested dog-tail grass, or any that have been mentioned, is the "dog-grass" of Mexican agriculture. There must be a good demand for it in Mexico, and it must be difficult to obtain, or there would be no difficulty in making quotations. The Elm-leaf Beetle. — What is to be done with the ravages of caterpillars in public squares and parks is a great question, — and not only for city trees, but for trees on private grounds. The Elm-leaf Beetle, for instance, has been very troublesome everywhere this year, skeletonizing the leaves to an extent scarcely experienced in other years. When those who sufler ask for a remedy, they are told ihey must spray the trees with water in which Paris Green has been dissolved, or else with a kerosene emulsion ; but it is not easy to do this with large trees, and if even the trees are not too large to be assisted in this way, and we destroy the crop of beetles or of cater- pillars, a new crop will conie next year from some neighbor's tree. Unless everyone com- bined to act at the same time, it is almost impossible to expect much relief from this great scourge. Perhaps in cities and in public grounds, where expense is not so much of an object as the absolute preservation of the tree, spraying might be done. It would have to be done, however, every year, and several times a year. Such trees would certainly be protected, and perhaps they ought to be. If this course is to be practiced, however, it has to be done very early in the season, either while the beetles are feeding or else while the young caterpillars which follow the beetle are eating the leaves. It was amazing, recentl}', to see a party spraying a tree all skeletonized on which not an insect was to be seen, they hav- ing gone from the tree to some vshelter to undergo their transformation, so as to be ready for the beetle stage next season. This party will probably report that the spraying system is worthless. It does not do to trust to the birds, although they do much in the way of keeping down insects of this character. (167) 1 68 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Sept. Peach Yellows. — A correspondent inquires whether it is possible to cure a peach tree afflicted with the disease known as the "yellows". It is scarcely possible that an infested tree can ever be cured, and the only advice anyone can give to the owner of the peach tree, so afflicted, is to dig it up and throw it away. The disease is produced by a very vicious species of the mushroom family, known botanically as Agaricus melletis. This fungus commences its work at the roots of the tree, and the whole mass of roots will be covered by the cobwebby mycelium, or, as it is popularly called, spawn, before it is noticed, and the fermentation produced by its work will ruin the whole tree before any one has any knowledge of its existence. A year after the attack, its presence is made known by numbers of small sprouts, which come out from the main trunk, and usually with some- what deformed leaves. Before the year is over these sprouts will come out at many places along the main trunk. It is rarely that this sprouting condition extends through the whole tree the first year. These sprouts being deficient in vital power, get winter killed, and the tree will therefore show, the next spring, a large number of dead twigs. If the tree is comparatively large it may take three years before the whole tree becomes infested with this fermentation. This particular fungus is very partial to dead wood ; but it will leave the dead wood for living roots when it gets an opportunity, — and it seems to be especially fond of trees which have a gummy character. It attacks many spruces and pines with as much virulence as it does the peach, with the result of producing the same yellow tint that follows the attack on the peach roots. It is therefore not wise to plant peach trees near old wooden fences, or in places where there is likely to be much dead wood in the earth. The "yellows" is not often seen in cities or towns, because of the freedom of the soil from decaying vegetation which gives these funguses a chance to spread. Although it is not possible to cure a tree badly infested with "yellows," it is possible to destroy the fungus at the roots during the first year or season of its attack, and before it has had the opportunity to vitiate the whole circulation. Anything, therefore, popularly know as a fungicide, which can be so applied as to reach the roots attacked, will be successful. For a few single trees near a house, where hot water can be applied, this has been found extremely useful in destroying this fungus spawn. The earth can be taken away a little so as to form something of a basin, and the hot water poured in. If the water is soapy, or contains other matters in solution known to be destructive to fungus life, so much the better. Although the water may be boiling when applied to the ground, it cools sufficiently to prevent any injury to the roots, while the same temperature will be destructive to fungus life. As no one knows when the roots of the peach tree are attacked by this fungus, until they actually see the effects on the trees, no one would care to go to any great trouble with peach trees. No one likes the idea of throwing labor and cost away, and with this prevalent feeling, it is not likely that this great disease will ever be materially checked b)^ any root applications. In a general way it may be done b}' careful watchfulness against the introduction of dead wood in the soil. Forestry for Profit.— Mr. J. D. Lyman, Exeter, N. H., says : " While I have demonstrated that man can greatly assist Nature in the growing of a crop of timber, I have seen some pungentl}' truthful thrusts in extracts from j'our paper upon for- estry matters. I have said, repeatedly, that there is no more danger of a forest famine in this country during the 20th century than of a water famine in the oceans. And to almost its full extent I agree with you when you say that the climate makes the forests, and not the forests the climate. That is a general truth a little, — only a little overestimated, — yet I be- lieve in forestry and the growing of timber as a crop." The correctness of the position occupied by Mr. Lyman is well illustrated by annual forest fires. When forestry becomes, as it will be- come some day, a branch of intelligent agricul- ture, there will be no forest fires, because there will be no dead underbrush left lying around to burn. Timber, as a crop, can be made to pay as well as any other crop, but it will have to be managed by intelligent agriculturists, and not by " Fire Wardens," or other political ap- pointees. Fifty years would grow a good forest. I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 169 The Carnation Rust. — The man with the microscope was often an object of mirth with cultivators a half century ago. To day he is in the highest esteem. When, inthenot very long ago, he told the practical man that some plant disease was merely the work of a fungus parasite, he was laughed at. The grower knew better. The plant was suffering from bad soil, want of ventilation, "wet feet," or a defici- ency in the proper mixtures. Now he knows and believes that the healthiest plants, under the most perfect condi- tions, can become deranged from nothing more than the growth of fun- gus parasites in the tissue, which some- how effected an en- trance into the sys- tem by means of spores. It is the germination of these spores, under congenial condi- tions they have found, that pro- duces the diseased structures. In the proceed- ings of local socie- ties, or of experi- mental gardens, are frequently papers of great value that deserve a wider cir- cle of readers. Of these the value of the Proceedings of the Columbus Hor- ticultural Society, has already been adverted to. A full account of the Carnation rust in a recent issue is so full of interesting facts, that the following abstract is prepared for the readers of Meehans' Monthly. It lyo MEEHA.NS' MONTHLY — -GENERAL GARDENING. [Sept. is from the pen of Prof. W. A. Kellerman : In a bed of carnations, or in a carnation house, a plant suffering from the parasite loses its bright glaucous color, and can be distin- guished at once from its neighbors by its duller hue. It will most likely be found suffering from a fungus named by botanists Uromyces caryophyllinus . With a pocket lens it will have the. appearance in Fig. A, and more closely magnified, as in B. The powdery masses seen inside are the reproductive bodies called spores. As magnified, the spores are shown at C. Later in the season, these take another form, as shown at D. They are then termed winter spores. The earlier ones are, techni- cally, uredo spores, and the later ones, telento spores. The various solutions of copper are effective, but they must be applied early, so as to de- stroy the spores before they effect an entrance. After the 'rust' has appeared, it is difficult to check it. Good cultivators spray their plants before it appears, — at least before it has obtained headway. Seeds from a Mummy. — A correspondent has some grains of corn, taken in his presence, from a mummy case, and inquires as to the best way of planting them, so as to insure growth. So far as the conditions that might be furnished by the seed sower are concerned, it may be observed that an experienced seeds- man could tell at once, without planting, whether the seed ought to grow. If it failed then to germinate, it would be from too little air, or too much or too little heat, or some such condition. Certainly, a very fair and almost correct conclusion could be reached by an ex- THE POTATO STEM BORER Trichobaris 3-uotata— larva, pupa and adult. Enlarged. amination of the seeds themselves as to whether they were in germinating condition or not, and this is really all that is desired to be provided by the sowing of the seeds. The corn used by the Egyptians in their ceremonies was subject to heat, and it is not believed pos- sible that any seed could escape so as to be preserved in germinating condition through all the long centuries, if even the seed had the power of preserving its vitality under ordinary conditions. The Potato Stem Borer. — A friend just returned from the Eastern States speaks of the pitiful condition of the orchards, — the leaves being brown as in autumn, through the attacks of fungus diseases and predatory insects. When he spoke to the owners about spraying with cop- per solutions or arseniates, they were aston- ished, and had never heard of such thing. This friend thinks it is a public dutj' that magazines, like ours, should educate the public up to these things. But our friend does not know how long it takes the world to learn. The use of Paris Green, to save the potato crop from the Potato Beetle, was first made known in the Gardeners'' Monthly, of which the senior conductor of Meehans' Monthly was then editor ; but it took nearly twenty years of repetition before Paris Green came into general use. In like manner the immense evil doings of the Potato Stem Borer, then called Baridius trinotatus, was brought to light by another correspondent of the Gardeners' Month- ly, Miss Margaretta Morris — but to-day the majority of suffering potato growers complain of the " hot weather" that has " burned up the potatoes," and have no knowledge of the real cause of the trouble. Knowing the value of iteration and re-iteration, a full sketch of the trouble and its cause is given to-day, with what the magazine has had to say about it. It is an abstract from the very valuable reports of the New Jersey State Agricultural Experiment Station, New Brunswick. Its name has now been changed to Trichobaris trinotata. The latter, or specific name, is given from three notes or spots which appear in the magnified beetle given in illustration. Its leil size is repre- sented b}^ the upright line, the curved line is the length of the larvae. These latter can be found in the potato stalks in the middle of I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 171 July, though they have been insidiously at work long- before. An examination will often show the whole stem with the heart eaten out, as shown in the reduced drawing given. No plant can stand the evaporation of the leaves under a hot sun, with the stems hollowed as these are, and they therefore turn brown and mostly die. They have really succumbed to the hot weather, though the heat would not have injured them in the least if the stem borer had kept away. As the potato tubers do not grow after the stem dies, the grower is left with a small crop of useless potatoes instead of the larger, profi- table ones he was entitled to — usually about the quarter of a full crop. The best remedy has not been made a serious question with potato growers. It is more than likely that an application of Paris Green made to the potato set before planting, some of which would come up with the sprout, and another just as the leaves appear above the ground, would be effec- tive, but no known experiments have been recorded. The usual advice given is to burn the haulms or dried stalks. The writer was under the impression that the larvae left the stalks and hibernated in the ground ; but the excellent ento- mologist, Prof. J. B. Smith, who pre- pared the original from which the extract is made, says they remain under this protection all winter. It would at least be worth while to pull up and burn the stalks as soon as they turned brown, when the insects would surel}' be de- stroyed. AsTiLBE Japonica. — This lovely, hardy, herbaceous plant is not only one of the most ornamental border flowers in early summer, but is largely in use by florists for cut flower work, and especially as a decorative plant where pot specimens are desired. It received its name from Prof. Asa Gray, in 1843, and which is still retained by leading botanists, though it has been referred to Sptrcsq, Hofeia, and perhaps other genera by some. Florists have looked to im- proving it, and there are now several marked varieties, the variations being mostly in the line of larger flowers and greater show in spikes. One of these known in the trade as the ^'ariety grandiflora, is here illustrated, see page 174, as it serves, not only to show to those not acquainted with the original species, how beautiful it is ; but also to those who know the old sort in what respect it has been improved. It will be noted that the flower spikes are equal in length to the leafy portions of the flower stems. Progress of Public Park Movements. — Kansas City has recently amended its city charter. The new document makes especial provision for establishing parks and boule- vards. Kansas City, in many ways, is prov- ing the earnestness with which it is pressing to be the leading city in the great west. It was a village not long ago. POTATO VINES EATEN OUT BY THE POTATO STEM (Somewhat reduced.) 172 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Sept. F. Mussel- Planting Evergreens.— Mr man, Middletown, Pa., asks : " What is requisite for the successful plant- ing of an arbor vitae hedge J I have for the past three years, each spring, planted a certain portion of my ground with Siberian Arbor Vitaes. My experience thus far has been very discouraging. My percentage of loss has been from twenty-five to fifty percent, and this not- withstanding I have exercised — as I supposed — the greatest care in planting, giving per- sonal supervision to the work ; having each tree put in carefully ; mulched the ground and watered regularly during dry weather. Does an arbor vitae re- quire diff"erent -^i treatment than the planting of some of the other evergreens ? ' ' Besides the query above, we have another from a Delaware cor- respondent, who writes of bad suc- cess with trees apparently first- class in every re- spect. He knows they were w£ll planted, because he had manure brought, plenty of water given, and so forth. But a tree can have all these given, and yet not be well planted. To be well planted a tree needs to have the earth in as close contact with the roots as it was before removal. It is extremely rare that this is done. Even a good planter will leave hollow spaces. To plant a tree pro- perly is simply to be sure that the earth gets into every hollow space, and is in close contact with every root. It must not only be in close contact with the roots, but tightly in contact. A small pointed pole should be con- tinually worked as the earth is being filled in, and when enough earth has been filled in, to fairly cover the roots, the whole should be pressed down vigorously by the feet. Even a paving rammer might be used to advantage in many cases in good tree planting. In a vast majority of cases supposed good and very careful tree planting proves very bad planting. Arbor vitaes, Hemlock Spruce, and other trees with matted roots fail generally from nothing but want of care in filling in everj' cavity. OPUNTIA OPLOCARPA. The Elm-leaf Beetle. — The daily papers say the grand old Elms in the President's grounds at Washington, were recently cut down because the leaves were Weletonized by a " worm very much like a caterpillar. " Hardy Cactuses. — Many who have taken it in hand to make large collections of cactuses in our country have abandoned them, for the stated reason that they are difficult to keep healthy. One grower remarked to the writer: "It is nonsense to talk of cactus spines being given to cactuses for their protection, — they were furnished by Nature to protect the numerous insects which Nature furnished with mouths expressly designed to feed on cactuses." But whatever may be said of the tenderer kinds, the hardy species can take good care of them- selves, and collec- tions of them make interesting ornaments in the flower garden. When hardy species are re- ferred to, it is understood as those which will live during the winter in the Middle States. The following have been long grown in Eastern Pennsyl- vania,— but there are probably others that would give as much satisfaction if tested. One of the most common is Opuyitia Rafin- esq^di. The Opuntias are those usually with flat, thickish fronds, and the flowers coming from the edges. But it is difficult to draw the line between one section and another, as the lines that may be drawn often overlap. O. Rafinesquii is the commonest kind. It is found naturally in many places along the Atlantic States, even to Canada. It produces numerous yellow flowers at the end of June or beginning I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 173 of July. Opu7itia vulgaris is nearly like it, but the fronds, as the segments of the plant are called, are usually smaller, thicker, and rather more oval in outline. In Cactuses, what would be leaves in other plants, are united together and form a succulent envelope to the woody stem. The clusters of spines are arrested branches. From the base of these branches very small, imperfectly-formed leaves are occa sionally produced. They look like small, green worms, and soon wither and fall. Critical botanists can tell Opuntia Rafinesquii from Opuntia vulgaris by a difference in the form of these depauperate leaves. A verj' pretty Opuntia was sent to the writer some 3'ears ago under the provisional name of O. Rafinesquii var. oplocarpa. It is so different in appearance from other forms of O. Rafitiesquii that it must have a distinctive name with nurser3'men. It has, therefore, been listed in Meehans' catalogue under the name of O. oplocarpa, for some years past. Inquiring of Prof. Trelease whether he knew of any change in Dr. Engelmann's views, as might be gathered from his papers, as to its specific rank, he kindly supplies the annexed note : " The Opxintia oplocarpa was collected near Golden, Colorado, by Greene, in October, 1870, and, so far as Dr. Engelmann's notes show, he was in a little doubt as to its distinctness from symochila ; while he was also disposed to look on it as a variety of Rafinesqtiii. His memor- andum description of it runs in this way : 'Joints transverse or orbicular, deep green, like Rafinesquii, 3 or 3^^ inches in diameter. Areolae rather close, oval, all the upper ones spiny, lower ones unarmed, all with a pencil of long brown bristles at upper end. Spines almost always in twos, rather stout, straight ; upper one red-brown, especially towards the base, stouter, erect or porrect, lower one paler or white, deflexed, usually weaker. Fruit two inches long, pulpy, rather dry, clavate, with hemispherical umbilicus, brown red, like Rafinesquii, with about 20 very small areolae, now naked, but said to bear one or two red-brown spines, three to six lines long, one horizontal, the other shorter and deflexed and quite deciduous. Seed twisted, wavy.' " Should you wish to refer to this again, will you not please cite page 1479 of theEngelmann Notes as giving the reference here quoted." To our mind, making all allowances for the variations in species of Cacti known to be common, it deserves the full rank of species, and might fairly be known as Opuntia oplocarpa. The red-brown spines referred to on the fruit, and which probably suggested the name, have not been noted on the cultivated plant. The " deep green " of the joints or fronds is not " as in Rafinesquii,'' but they are of an ashen grey. The fruit is rather cylindrical than ' ' clav- ate " as in Rafinesquii, and the joints are gen- erally spathulate, and somewhat angular at the widest part. The flowers are pale straw color on the upper half of the petals, and of a red- dish-brown at the base. Rafinesquii is seldom as spiny as this is, and it has often the long thread-like silvery bristles common to 0. Mis- so7iriensis. O. Missourieyisis is another beautiful hardy Cactus, — ashen grey, and covered with silvery hair and bristles. , Of the nipple cactuses, or Mamillaria, three endure the severest winters. One of these, M. prolifera, has very large flowers, riv- aling in color (as Nuttall remarked when first describing it) the famous "cattail cactus," Cereus flagelliformis. Mamillaria Missouri- ensis, which has had no end of names given to it and its little variations, is remarkably prett3\ The bright yellow flowers are produced in abundance ; but, strange to say, makes no effort to form the fruit the same season. The fertilized ovaries are dormant for 12 months. When the new crop of flowers push up the next year, the resting ovariums also take a start and mature, and hence we have the pretty red, holly-like berries and the flowers all at the same time. More might be written, but enough is given to show how much in ornamental gardening may be made of hardy cactuses. ©1 I^/^IE FL/SMTSo BouGAiNviLLEA GLABRA. — Some magnifi- cent specimens of this showj' Brazilian plant comes to the conductors' table from Galveston. What a chance the people of this section have to cultivate in the open air what northeners have to coddle under glass. By-the-way, this is generally grown under the name of Bougain- villea spectabilis, which is a distinct and less showy species. 174 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Sept. Improved AbutiloNvS. — Mrs. Theodosia B. Shepherd, who has done so much towards helping women to attain a reputation as seeds- men and florists on the California side of our continent, has been giving attention to the improvement of Abuttlo?i, and has raised a large number of beautiful varieties, which she is now oflfering to lovers of flowers. She makes a good point in their favor that they will last a good while after cutting without wither- ing. The plants also keep long in bloom. ^^^g^n'W'' -' ^ - ■^j/ ^^^^^^gl^^Mjfl^^' H^ .i^Jt^ ' -^^ B^K^' ^^ ^^^^^9SS^a^M£!^ ""^-tM ^^•si, ^ -'"■^"•^S m.LM m t ^w^ ¥.^' ,^i,. ■:...-,,. r-j-u^enij wm k,' i^^^K:^ L A8TILBE JAPONICA.-sec PAoeiTi. They are very useful therefore for the adorn- ment of the hair, or for the dresses of ladies and gentlemen at parties, or other public enter- tainments, where many other flowers would soon wither. Bletia hyacinthina. — In former times, when the cultivation of ornamental plants in great variety was very common in green- houses, one of the most interesting was a dwarf purple orchid from Japan, called Bletia hyacinthina, and of so easy a culture that gardeners used to say that it was almost im- possible to kill it, no matter how bad the treat- tment. It was one of the prettiest and most desirable of all winter-flowering plants. It only reached some six or seven inches in height, with about three or four leaves on a flowering stem ; but the flowers were comparatively large, with some six or eight of its bright purple flowers on the stem. It seems to have almost disappeared. At any rate the writer has not met with it for several 5-ears. When attention is being given to hardj^ flower border plants, it might be well to look it up and again bring it forward, as, with perhaps a slight protection of leaves in the winter time, being from Japan, it would doubtless prove hardy in our climate. THE M/^KI^Y FLOWEl ^/^li^EN, The China Aster— Those of us who are no longer young will remember the rapid strides taken by florists for the improvement of this pretty flower. Not a half centurj' ago, it was little more than our ordinary, wild Ox-eye Daisy in size and shape, the color only being a lightish blue. In that condition it had remained many years before. It was introduced into Europe as early as 1731. Varieties of a lighter color, somewhat rosy and white, found their way into England from France about twenty years later ; but although a few addi- tional shades of color were introduced, they were practically the same up to the incoming of the present century. So far as our own country is concerned, it w^as not until nearly 1840 that the numerous varieties, as improved by the Germans, were cultivated. It is scarcely fifty years now since what we knew as the " double forms " were introduced. Since that time progress has been very rapid. Not only the flowers are better formed, but attention is given to the habit also, and an aster which has a good, dwarf habit, and is very floriferous, is very acceptable. Increasing Tuberoses. — The advice usu- ally given, to throw away tuberose plants at the end of the flowering season, and get new bulbs, if one is anxious to have flowers the next season, is good advice, because it takes two years of growth before a tuberose bulb is strong enough to flower ; but one does not always care to throw away a plant on this account, — a bulb is often a present from a friend, and for other reasons it is desirable to retain the original stock. The old bulb, after flowering, is of no more use, — nor is any bulb, for that matter. Every bulb dies after flowering, and i»95] MEEHANS' MONTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. 175 the side shoots, or some other new section of the plant, has to make flower bulbs for the future. This is the way with the tuberose. Though the central bulb does not exist any more after flowering, numerous small bulblets are thrown up around the old stock. If a larger one of these be taken oflF and planted in the spring, in good rich earth, with an area all to itself, it will make a very strong bulb that may flower the year following. No doubt under some circumstances these off-sets of the previous year will flower the next. It is only the small and inferior ones which take a longer time than a year to come to a perfect blooming condition. Daffodils. -Many old-fashioned flowers con- tinue in popular estimation, notwithstanding the changes in fashions, for there are fashions in flowers as well as in dress or manners ; but the old-fashioned daffodil is just as highly esti- mated as ever. No good garden is considered complete without its clump of daffodils. If there are any gardens in which the daffodil has not yet made its appearance, it is well to remind the owners of these unfortunate places, that the autumn time is coming, and that this is the proper time to plant them. The daffodil sends out its roots throughout the winter time, no matter how hard the ground may be frozen. The young fibres have internal heat, or they would not be alive, and this heat is sufl&cient to thaw enough moisture to keep the bulb alive. It is this work of the roots during the winter which makes it necessary t6 plant the bulbs in the fall of the year. The earlier they are planted, the stronger they will flower the ensu- ing spring. The Alaska Fern. — There is in cultivation a remarkably pretty fern known as Aspidium aculeahim, which is generally known as the Alaska Fern. It grows naturally in Alaska, but is by no means confined to Alaska, for it is found in nearly all the hyperborean regions. The form in cultivation has the power of pro- ducing bulblets in various portions of the frond, and for that reason occasionally goes by the name of Aspidium proliferum. It is subject to the attacks of the thrips ; but good managers of house plants keep it down very well by spraying the plants occasionally with tobacco water. FlK'MllTS ^a WE^ET^PLES. THE WATERMELON. The last of the gay summer sisterhood blushing. Ascends her green throne where the fruit clusters vie — And rejoices at eve when Apollo is flushing With sapphire and rosetint the stream and the sky. No more o'er the grain field the Zephyrs are play- ing With light and with shadow in hurried career : And though there is scarcely a green leaf decaying, The field is a desert, rough, yellow and sere. 'Tis the reign of Pomona, whose treasures . are glowing Ripe, ruddy and juicy on long pendent boughs ; 'Tis the time of tall grass which the laborers are mowing, While the hay scented zephyrs are fanning their brows. But the glory of August, not quite so capricious — Yet red as a girl's lip and cool as a well, Is the green coated-melon, so plump and delicious, With the brown mottled seeds in their roseate cell. I ask not a peach, like the cheek of a maiden. Downy and soft as a Georgian's may be ; I care not for boughs with their golden apples laden. When the heart of a melon is blushing for me. If this life has a care, 'tis not then that I know it ; If the day oppress others, for me it is bland ; I seem to be Ariel, Puck, or a poet Who feasts with Queen Mab in her own fairyland. I make the sweet melon my favorite topic — Thou chief of the offspring of sun and of dew : In spite of bananas, the pride of the tropic, Of famed Chirimoyas the boast of Peru. Give us cold " Mountain Sweets" from New Jersey, Nor ask us to sigh for the grapes of some orient land — The peaches of Persia ; the figs of Damascus ; Or the idolized fruits of remote Samarcand. I have shaken ripe oranges oft, where they fell on Floridian flowers ; I have dreamed of the date ; But dearer to me is the dew-tempered melon. Fresh from the sand of my loved native state. Old State, ever dear to the farmer and florist, I love thy broad grain fields and worm fences too : Rosy laurels that light the green caves of thy forest, Where the pines scatter diamonds from raindrops or dew. And truly that man so unlucky, I pity Who never has seen the grand spectacle, when The fruit Saturnalia reigns in our city — The loved of Pomona, the city of Penn. The poet may sing of the Orient spices, Or Barbary 's dates in their palmy array — But the huge rosy melon in cold juicy slices. Is the Helicon font of a hot summer day, Where I bathe the dry wings of the spirit, and sprinkling Sweet drops on the pathway of dusty old Care, I hold father Time trom his villainous wrinkling Of features that never had graces to spare. — Timothy Abbott Conrad, 176 MEEHANS* MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Sept. Pecan Culture.— Mr. F. G. Sampson, Boardman, Fla., saj-s : "I notice item, in the June issue of this magazine, on the " Grafted Pecan." We have a piece of land with thick growth of large hickories. Has there been any practical success made in grafting pecans on them, — if so, can you give me directions? Get- ting our oranges so thoroughly wiped out by freeze, makes us look about for another string to our bow. We have a small grove of seed- ling pecans ; but there is such an uncertainty of quality when they come into bearing, and it takes a good many years to grow them to bear- ing size. If we could use these old roots, it seems as if it would be a great gain if they can be grafted. Any information you can give me will be very much appreciated." Scions taken from bearing trees of any kind, grafted on seedling trees, produce fruit much earlier than the seedling trees left ungrafted. This would be as true of the pecan as of other trees. The method of grafting is the same as for other kinds of fruit or nut trees. The best variety of pecan might be selected from trees bearing in a wild state, from which to take the gralts. It is barely possible there may be some little niceties in pecan grafting and cul- ture not generally known, for which Meehans' Monthly would be obliged. IvOGan Blackberry.— This singular fruit ripened a few berries in the vicinity of Phila- delphia, and prove* a welcome addition to our list of fruits. It is derived from the Californian wild species Rubus ursimis. It is the only true blackberry in California, the other species of Rubiis native there being classed with the raspberries. But the line between a blackberry and a raspberry is very finely drawn. The raspberry, as it ripens, drops from its recep- tacle as a thimble might from one's finger. The blackberry remains fast to its stem or re- ceptacle. The wild Rubxis Jirsinus of the Pacific cost has a black, shining berry. The improved variety in question has a pur- plish red fruit, and about the size of a moder- ate Lawton Blackberry. One might take it for a raspberry instead of a blackberry by its general appearance, but it has the blackberry character as noted above. The canes which bore these few berries were nearly killed to the ground by the winter, so that to get a full crop, the canes will have to be buried under the earth. As the habit is somewhat of a trailer, this will be easy to do. The flavor is pleasantly acid, and will be grateful to most palates. Protecting Early Strawberries. — The Minnesota Horticulturist states, that in that un- certain climate, careful strawberry growers pro- vide themselves for an emergency in case of early frosts. Large quantities of useless hay is kept close at hand, and when there is a chance of a late frost, the hay is sprinkled lightly over the whole of the strawberry field. On May 14, of the present year, the thermometer went eight degrees below the freezing point, and there was frost on five successive mornings. The straw- berry fields were white with blossoms. On the Thayer Fruit Farm, there were more than one hundred acres of strawberries, and a score of men and teams were at once employed when the thermometer neared the freezing point, to work in scattering the haj' over the field. Ninety per cent, of the area was covered before the litter gave out. The result was that the strawberry crop of the covered portion was un- injured, while the uncovered part was ruined. This is one of the most valuable experiments for protecting strawberries from early frosts that have come to our notice. Market Gardening in Northwest Louisi- ana.—Col. W. B. Hillyard says : " A model Louisiana farm may furnish beef, pork, mutton, veal, butter, cheese, eggs, chickens, etc., in abundance. Also corn, wheat, buckwheat, oats, rye, barley, mi'.let, hay, beans, peas, broom corn, castor oil beans, cotton, sugar, rice, tobacco, pumpkins, sweet and Irish potatoes, pindars, choufas, melons, red and other clovers, grasses of numerous kinds, ramie, jute, flax, cashaws, gourds, bene plant, indigo, arrowroot, ginger, cabbages, turnips, okra, Jerusalem and bur artichokes, cucumbers, onions, and all other garden vege- tables that can be produced in the Northern States. "All the fruits of the Northern States, except perhaps gooseberries, damsons, and one or two others, can be raised in the north- ern part of this State, and many tropical fruits in the southern part, as we have else- where noted more particularly." 1895.] • MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 177 The Winter Nelis Pear. — The Winter Nelis Pear is one of the most popular pears that come from California ; but it is seldom grown by eastern orchardists. The general impression is that it is not generally a success. Ellwanger & Barry, of Rochester, N. Y., seem to have more success with it than others in the East. It is more likely that the reason for its scarcity in eastern orchards is some other than that it will not grow well. It is not a hand- some looking pear, — the splotches of brown and yellow giving it rather a freckled appear- ance ; but the flavor is so delicious that, if there is not difficulty in its adaptability • to eastern climate or soil, it ought to be more generally grown. Sometimes the scarcity of the variety is more dependent on the nursery- men than on the orchardists. The nursery- m.en like a fast growing, thrifty tree, which is more satisfactory to a majority of customers than the variety of slow growth and scrubby appearance. The Winter Nelis Pear is not a rapid grower, and possibly this and not the inadaptability is the cause of its scarcity. The Eicke, Milwaukee and Hamilton Apples. — Western orchardists have endeavor- ed, by raising seedlings, to introduce varieties suited to their western climate. Mr. J. V. Cotta, of the town of Nursery, in Illinois, reports that three excellent varieties, among some others, have been produced. The Eicke Apple originated at Omaha, Nebraska, and is a depressed — globose fruit, about 12 inches in circumference, its season is the winter, and it is enormously productive. The Milwaukee Apple was raised by Geo. Jeffery, of Mil- waukee, from the Duchess of Oldenburg, and is also nearly four inches across. It is a bright colored apple, yellowish on the shady side, in season from January to May, and desirable for either cooking or table use. The Hamilton Apple, also raised by Mr. Jeffery, is rather smaller than the other, greenish yellow, with a rosy blush. It is also a winter apple, desirable for the dessert or for cooking. Canned Peas. — Most persons must be aware of the enormous increase in the industry of canning green peas ; and the growing of peas for the sake of canning is getting to be one of the most improved of market gardening in- dustries. As usual, California is getting to be foremost in this branch of industry. In some parts of California, hundreds of acres are planted for the sake of the green peas. The Pacific Rural Press states that one planter, near Yuba City, had, last year, one hundred and fifteen acres. It kept two hun- dred and fifty men, women and children em- ployed for two weeks. Half a cent a pound is paid for the pods. Thirty persons are engaged in hulling and picking the peas. The closing or capping of the cans is done by machinery. Six thousand cans were packed, capped and corked in a single forenoon. Altogether, the prospects for green pea growing in California seem very bright. Planting Potatoes. — The potato tuber is very little more than a bud. In the ordinary branches of trees, the stronger the bud the more vital power it contains, the better is it for propagating purposes ; and it is just the same with the potato. Sometimes, indeed, the plant itself produces small potatoes in the axils of its leaves, as if it were anxious to tell those who were ignorant of the true nature of what we call potatoes. It is frequently the habit to let the potato sprout in warm cellars, and before planting to pull out the sprouts and cut the potatoes into sets ; but it has been found by experience that the tubers are weakened, and the potato set that has once had its sprouts torn off will only result in weak plants. Potatoes intended for seed should be kept in a very cool place all the winter, so as to encourage no sprouting until the plant- ing time comes. The Spineless Gooseberry, — Mr. C. H. Joosten, of New York, sends a branch of a gooseberry that produces no thorns. The smooth red gooseberries were as large as the wild American plum. It is a variety of the European race. It will probably thrive wherever the kind known as the Industry does well. The Worden Grape. — The Worden Grape did not appear with an army of trumpeters before it, as did some others, but it is a general favorite and is considered to produce almost, — if not quite, as successful a crop, in every respect, as the Concord. They were in Phila- delphia markets the first week in August. BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. AUTUMNAL DREAMS. When the maple turns to crimson And the sassafras to gold ; When the gentian's in the meadow And the aster's on the wold ; When the moon is lapped in vapor And the night is frosty cold ; When the chestnut burs are opened And the acorns drop like hail . And the drowsy air is startled With the thumping of the flail — With the drumming of the partridge And the whistle of the quail ; Through the rustling woods I wander, Through the jewels of the year, From the yellow uplands calling, Seeking her that still is dear ; She is near me in the autumn, She, the beautiful, still is near. — Bayard Taylor. Note on the Sweet-Scented Woodruff — With a plant of Asperula odorata, kindly sent by Mrs. Seliger, of Hartford, Conn., is the following interesting note : — "I have mailed a sample, with roots, of Asperula odorata, to your address. It is the German " Waldmeister, " the spring flower of the green woods of beech and oak, much sought for by all the people for the Pfingst festival, when the houses and rooms, even the kitchens, are decorated with wreaths of it and the young birch bushes, all which imparts a woody fragrance through the house. The origin of this custom dates back to the times of Druid worship of the pagan people. The greens, if kept in desks and wardrobes, will impart its sweet odor for a whole year to its contents. It delights to grow in clean, open places. I have a large bed of it in my garden. " The French National Flower. — As a Frenchman, it is with much surprise I learn, through Meehans' Monthly for July, that Irns gerrtiariica is the National Flower of France * * * *. France has no national flower that I ever heard of. The Lily is the flower of the ex-royal family of France, and neither Iris nor any other plant is a national (178) emblem. So I really think no Frenchman need go into hysterics over a fact which does not exist, and 3'ou were quite right not to mention a circumstance which is mere imagin- ation. Henry de Varigny, Paris. A question has often been raised as to whether the floral emblems of the French Monarchy represented the Lily or the Iris. The term " Fleur de Lis, " that is Lily flower, would settle the question only for the repre- sentation of the flower itself. These are not always alike, but none ever represent Lily flowers. They mostly look like Iris flowers. A short time before his death, the late Count of Paris had a souvenir made specially for the writer of this paragraph, with the floral em- blems of his house the "fleur de Lis," moulded thereon. These could scarcely be anything but Iris germantca. But there is nothing in this but the name, so far as the underlying sentiment is concerned, as this Iris is a native of France as well as Germany. Electrical Horticulture. — Bulletin No. 37, of the West Virginia Agricultural Experi- ment Station, of Morgan town, W. Va., has an unusually interesting essay on the use of in- candescent lamps in plant culture. Many papers have been published to show that plants can be made to double their growth in a short time by the use of incandescent lamps ; but for some reason or other the statements made in these papers are not received with strong conviction. The experiments detailed in this paper, however, show conclusively that the growth of plants is remarkably accelerated by the use of electric light. The author remarks that there is no such thing as a plant becom- ing worn or tired out, because of the stimula- ting influence of continuous light. This is quite reasonable, on reflection. While with animals rest is required once in twenty-four hours, plants require rest but once a year. Winter is their season of rest, — the " night " of plants, so to speak ; and the summer, is their " day" in which they have to grow. I895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. 179 AiLANTHUS. — It is hard for the botanical flock to keep pace with their shepherds. One corrects Meehans' Monthly for spell- ing Ailanthus ''Ailantus," and quotes the Monthly's own authority, "Index Kewen- sis. ' ' The whole question turns on whether it is right to correct a manifest error in the spell- ing of the original, or whether " once in error always in error," should be good law. The original describer of the Ailanthus tells us that in its native country, it was known as Ailanto, the Tree of Heaven, from its rapid growth towards the sky. He should have written "Ailantus," but by an evident slip, he wrote "Ailanthus," which means some- thing about a flower, if it has any meaning at all. That this was the intention of the author, is clear from the specific name, written, glan- dulosa. If the author had intended Ailan- thus, the specific name would have been written glandulosus. De Candolle long ago made the correction, and Ailantus has come into general use, as the author intended. But "Index Kewensis " puts it back to the original, and we have to write Ailanthus gla?idulosa, A. excelsa, A. moluccana, and so on through the whole list of species, exposing us to the criti- cism of every Latin schoolboy who has gone through his Latin genders, and who is not sup- posed to know anything of botanical customs. For once we must look over "Index Kewensis, " and stick to Ailantus. appointed by Messrs. Vilmorin as the author of this special chapter of their volume." Vilmorins' ' ' LEs Fleurs de pleine terre. ' ' — Mons. Edward Andre, of Paris, kindly sends the following correction : " Allow me to thank you for the congratula- ting manner in which you have spoken of Vilmorins' Les Fleurs de pleine terre in your issue of last June (p. 119). ' ' But a heavy mistake occurred in that short note. The book has not been " prepared ' ' by me, but really written and published by Messrs. Vilmorin, who have a legitimate claim to be praised for their beautiful work. "My only contributions to this work has been to add some samples of parks and gardens, public and private, specimen plans of rock and alpine gardens, together with detailed specifications and explanations of the proper planting of the said parks and gardens, in accordance with my personal theories on the subject. I am greatly honored to have been The Southern Florist and Gardener. — America has the best horticultural trade jour- nals in the world ; but until a few years ago the garden lover, the lover of gardening for its own sake, had but a meagre representation in the literature of horticulture. Even the "Hor- ticulture" of many of our colleges had far more of the farm than the garden about it. The appearance of Garden and Forest marked a new era, and since then we have the Amer- ican Garden, Gardening, and others doing ex- cellent work in fostering true gardening taste and intelligence. Southern gardening, almost a field to itself, has now a worthy representative to take a place in this excellent list, in the Southern Florist and Gardener, published at Louisville, Kentucky. It has just entered on its second volume. Meehans' Monthly offers it a hearty welcome. The Shamrock. — C. E. S. says: "The Irish Shamrock was originally Oxalis Aceto- sella. During the O'Connell agitation for repeal it was the custom of the repealers, when attend- ing one of the monster meetings, to wear a few stems of it under the shoe string or hat band, by which they could recognize each other as '^ repealers'^ in the crowd, without speaking. This soon exhausted the stock of Oxalis. They then adopted Trifolium repens as a substitute. It is now the Shamrock. It is called Shamrock in Ireland, Dutch Clover in England, and White Clover in the United States." Sections of American Woods. — Another installment of these wonderfully beautiful sections of American woods has been received from Dr. Romeyn B. Hough. When the Japanese had such sections in book form at the Centennial Exposition they were regarded as marvellous, — but Dr. Hough's are still more remarkable. They are so thin as to be used for invitation cards ! Bound in book form, they can be placed on library shelves. Prof. BABiNGTON.^One of the foremost of British botanists and author of "Manual of English Botany," died on the 27th of July. He was born on November 23, 1808, GENERAL NOTES. Good English Writing. — A New York daily recently expressed the opinion that we had to look to newspaper work for the best specimens of good English. In another part of the same issue, it has the following : "Men buy more flowers than women, for several reasons. One is that the men bu)' them for the women, and another is that men like flowers and are not disposed to deny themselves anything they like if money can get it. In the same way as a man will take a drink with- out considering whether he can aSbrd it, so he will step into a florist's and spend two or three dollars for flowers if they strike his fancy. Women will not do that. They make a mental calculation of the change in their pocketbooks even before they buy ice cream or soda water, and it is the same way with flowers. ' ' We have only to add a few more words to the last part of the sentence, so as to make it read : "It is the same way with flowers, which make the same calculations that the ladies do, ere the money goes from their floral purses," to see the good English. Wooden Street Pavements. — The wooden street pavements have been generally aban- doned in American cities, posssibly from poor materials being used, leading to early decay. In Philadelphia hemlock and pine were ignor- antly employed ; but the locust of Cincinnati and the arbor vitae of Toronto were not much greater successes. European cities seem to have better success. Wooden pavements are popular in London. The Blue Gum of Aus- tralia is being employed there. Indian Rubber Plants. — A large number of plants in gardens known as "rubber plants " are not among those which furnish the chief amount of rubber used in the arts, and the Indian Rubber, — so called, — and so common in gardens, furnishes but a very small part, if any, for the rubber of commerce. There are quite a large number of plants which furnish this gum. In Africa they have discovered (i8o) that plants of the genus Landolphia furnish immense quantities of rubber equal to any in the market, and that it can be collected at a comparatively low cost. Africans are, how- ever, not disposed to be industrious, and only six hundred pounds were collected last year, although Europeans have offered strong in- ducements to the natives to collect. It is believed, however, that in a few years rubber from the Landolphias will play no mean part in commerce. Trees in the City of London. — Within the memory of many persons, London was once, like many American cities, absolutely tree- less,— nothing but brick, stone and mortar being seen anywhere. Of late years intelli- gent horticulture has been drawn into service, and trees and shrubs are being planted every- where, and not merely planted, but well cared for afterwards. Experts are employed espe- cially for this purpose. A census has recently been taken by order of the London City Council, — a census easily taken by reason of the expert tree men who are regularly emploj^ed to look after them. The number of trees grow- ing in the public highways of the City of London is found to be fourteen thousand seven hundred. These are on the public highways alone, and not in the parks. This shows pro- gress in a sensible direction. The Forests of Alaska. — The forests of Alaska get so much assistance from the atmos- phere, in comparison with trees growing in dryer climates, that the trees grow so close together as to be in many cases comparatively worthless for timber. Abies Menziesii and A. Mertensiana, together with a considerable sprinkling of the Arbor vitae. Thuja gigantea, form the bulk. Though of little service for timber, they are of immense value to the natives, as from the roots of these trees they obtain fibre which they emploj- in making baskets, twine, and cord for many valuable purposes . LVGODIUM PALMArUM LYGODIUM PALMATUM. SNAKE TONGUE FERN. NATURAL ORDER, FILICES. Lygodium palmatdm, Swartz.— stem flexuous, climbing; fronds conjugate, palmate, five-lobed, lobes entire, obtuse; spikelets oblong-linear, from the upper fronds, which are divided and contracted into a compound spike. Wood's Class-Book of Botany. See also Gray's Manual oj Botany of the Northern United States. Chapman's Flora of the Southern United States, and Eaton's />; Mi of the United States. According to Linnaeus, the pretty climbing fern here illustrated was figured by James Petiver in a work called ' ' Gazophylacium Naturae et Artis," issued in five volumes, between 1702 and 1704. This seems to have been the earliest notice of it on record. But little was known of it by the earlier of more modern botanists. It is not mentioned in Gronovius' " Flora Virginica," where the col- lections of Clayton are described. By Lin- naeus, it was regarded as an Ophioglossum, — O. palmatuni. Swartz, a leading authority on matters connected with fern-life, seems to have been the first, in Schrader's Journal for 1800, to divide these plants as Lygodhini from Ophio- glossum ; though Cavanilles, Willdenow and others, about the same time, made efforts in the same line. Willdenow's name, Hydro- glossum, is still retained, in some classifica- tions, as the name for a sub-division of the genus, — and Steudel accepts Hydroglossum palmatum for this plant. The original genus, Ophioglossum, has re- ceived the common name of " Adder's- tongue," — from some fancied resemblance, Prior says, in the fertile spikes, to the tongue of that serpent. Nuttall, in his " Genera," when describing the difierences between Ophio- glossum and Lygodium, retains " Adder 's- tongue" for the former, and applies " Snake's tongue" to the new division — Lygodium ; but does not say whether this name is a sugges- tion of his own, or that it was already a common name. But haviag been used by him, it is adopted here. So far as any sugges- tiveuess of snakedom is concerned, the spike- let (Fig. 4) is more appropriate to the tail of a rattlesnake, than to the tongue of any of these creatures. Our fern is of more than usual interest in connection with the history of the past. At the present time the genus embraces about fifteen species, and these are thinly spread over many widely-separated portions of the Earth. Some are found in the East and the West Indies, — there are a few in Mexico and South America, and there are representatives in New Zealand, Madagascar and Japan. They all agree closely in general appearance, though botanists can readily see differences on which to name and classify them as distinct. Lygo- dizim palmatum, the one here figured, is the most northerly of all, and is found sparingly scattered over most portions of the Eastern Atlantic States, but scarcely extending beyond the Allegheny Range. After a disappearance of many thousands of miles the genus reappears in Japan, in the form oi Lygodium Japonicum, the only species in Eastern Asia. But a re- markable feature is the appearance in the intervening territory of numerous species in a fossil condition, now wholly extinct, but so near to some existing species that it is diffi- cult to decide for their distinctness. A num- ber of these are found in Colorado. The facts go with many others to show the close rela- tionship, in former times, of Eastern Asia with our country ; and that great cosmical changes have occurred in the more western portions that did not effect the eastern, — changes sufficient to destroy the existing vege- tation, leaving these on the eastern slope, and those in Japan, to tell, by their survival, of the catastrophe that involved their brethren. Some extinct species are also found in a fossil condition in England and other parts of the Old World. The more numerous species in tropical regions indicate that those portions of (181) I82 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — LYGODIUM PALMATUM. [Oct. the earth have not undergone serious changes since the great epoch which saw the land sink beneath the Pacific Ocean, and the more northern portions of the earth experienced great change. Our species is not in great abundance any- where along the sea-board States in any one place, though in comparative plenty in some parts of Connecticut. It became an article of trade, at one time, to a considerable extent, and there was some danger of extinction. It was then known as the Hartford Fern. The legislature was called on to protect it ; not so much from any love for the beautiful plant, or for any especial care for its preservation, as from pecuniary motives on the part of land owners, who saw profit in it for themselves. It was enacted in 1869, that a fine of $100 and imprisonment for not more than twelve months should follow conviction for taking from the land of others any cranberries, fruits, vege- tables, produce of any kind, or Creeping Fern. The great strong-hold of the feru appears to be in Kentucky. Michaux seems the first to note it particularly. He had started from Pittsburgh for a voyage down the Mississippi to New Orleans ; but seems by his journal to have been dissuaded, on reaching Tennessee, by Governor Clark ; and he diverged from his former course, and went up the Cumberland River to take a new route back to New York. Under date of March 5, 1796, he notes that he commenced his exploration of the Cumberland Mountains, and noticed when four days out from Knoxville, " une fougere grimpante," of an unknown genus, that he had seen on the 14th of November. His entry at that date is " A six miles du Poste Middleton et dix-huit miles avant d'arriver au haut de Cumberland Gap ou une fougere grimpante qui occupoit plus de six acres de superficie du terrain pres de la route. A cette saison ou la gelee avoit produit de la glace de trois a quatre lines d'epoisseuro, cette plante n'avoit nullement ete endommages." It must have been in the same region that that enthusiastic lover of nature, John William- son wrote of seeing it, in a paper contributed to the ' ' Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club" for 1880. " The Cumberland River," he says, " is a beautiful stream of clear water, flowing through a very wild country, and having high sandstone cliffs on each side. The mountains are well wooded. Hemlocks, oaks, chestnuts, and birches, two magnolias and the Tulip Tree, predominating, — vacciniums, laurels and rhododendrons forming the undergrowth. My first ramble was over the hills, under the falls. I had not proceeded far, when I found a few plants of Lygodium palmahim, an old favorite that I first met with a few years ago in Rock- castle Co., Ky. Tramping carelessly along, the climbing beauty seemed to haunt me. If I looked up, there it was hanging in heavy tresses from the clifis above, away out of reach. If I looked under my feet, there it was ready to entangle me in a mazy web. Move in any direction, it would stare me in the face and seem to say, ' you need not pass laws for va.y protection, — you will never uproot me from my mountain retreat.' I wondered sometimes whether the Virginia Creeper, or this beautiful fern, would have the mastery. One bench of rock projecting out from two perpendicular clifis was just one mass of Lygodium. It was impossible to separate the plants, they were so entwined and twisted and matted together." During recent years, renewed interest has been taken in vegetable morphology, — or that section of botany which treats of the manner in which the various parts of plants are de- veloped. Assuming that a few cells uniting to form leaf blade is the earliest condition of a plant, — all subsequent conditions, even to the mature seed, may be regarded as modified leaf- blades. These lessons are often well illus- trated by the complete pictures of our native flowers given in this work, and few have been more instructive than the fern here portrayed. The manner in which the fruiting portion has been evolved from the pinnae can be clearly traced. It is also in evidence that the whole of the fertile frond is but a barren frond in a condition of metamorphis. But it is not often that any plant will go so far as to show that the rhizoma of a fern is little more than a frond, which has taken on a creeping or geo- tropic habit, as this indicates. Many ferns show this to some extent. A tree fern never has a creeping rhizoma, because the stem itself might have been the rhizoma. Explanations of the Plate.— i. Specimen from New Jersey. 2,3 Root sj'.stem showing its creeping rhizome and habit of sending up its primary rhachis. 4 Enlarged spikelet with sporangia. 5. Forked secondarj' frondlets.one of which subsequently becomes fertile, the other eventually disappearing. WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. THE FRINGED GENTIAN. "With thee, frail azvire flower, come dreamily The golden fading of the yellow fern, And the sad notes of birds far through the sky That to the sunshine of the line return. For on these woody swells are shimmering wide The slumberous Indian Summer's hazy beams, — The fallen leaves all slow and silent glide Adown the misty, blue autumnal streams. Among the trembling aspen's amber leaves A sobbing spirit dwells with visible sign ; And with perpetual moan the dryad grieves In the deep shadows of her mountain-pine." — Howard Worcester Gilbert. Some Lakeside Beauties. — Among the pleasant memoriesof abrief triptothe Southern Adirondacks, in New York State, this summer, is one of a few hours spent on the margin of one of the mountain lakes, which are so numerous in that beautiful region. Of the many plants growing there which I had never met with in my more southern home, there were three or four which particularly interested me. One of these was Lobelia Dortma7ina, growing in the shallow water, its tufted leaves, hollow and linear, and divided longitudinally into two cells, securely rooted several inches below the surface of the water, above which the stiff, blunt stalk stuck up with a white blossom or two dangling from near the sum- mit. Altogether it was an ungainly looking plant ; but I found myself somehow involun- tarily attracted to it again and again. I found the long, white roots — a thick bunch of them to each plant — especially interesting to look at, the cells seeming to show through the outer integument, if my memory serves me. The stalks, bare save for the scanty, short- pedicelled flowers, rising above the surface of the lake, suggest a floral shipwreck, the masts still above water, but the hull submerged. On the beach, rooted in the mud, the tiny Utricularia resupiiiata was growing thriftily, and, nearby, the fragrant U. cor?iuta — the latter spurred and helmeted ; but, like man}' a doughty warrior who makes a brave show of burnished accoutrements, with heart devoid of war. It is curious to note the almost complete absence of bladders from the roots and leaves of these plants, which, unlike so many of their kindred, root firmly in the soil, and generally in unsub- merged ground. Did bladders once exist, losing their occupation, and hence their absence, when the plant took up its habitation on terra firma ? Or were the bladder-bearing species once like them, bladder-less, and taking to the water, have since became bladder-bearers to fit them to their new home ? At another spot, the sandy beach was twink- ling with the bright, little yellow stars of Ranuncubcs repta?is, the plant bending itself into bows, and rooting and doing it over again, until it might pass as a vegetable contor- tionist. But most beautiful of all, in my eyes, was a colony of Polygonum amphibium, float- ing close to shore. It seems to me this plant, though not uncommon, I believe, is deserving of a good word, and of encouragement by growers of aquatic plants. The gracefully formed leaves lie flat on the water, and from their midst arose the spikes of little rosy flowers, riding upright on the lake, and seem- ing fairly to glow like small torches, the effect of brightness being heightened by the exserted styles and stamens, which stood out on all sides of the spike, not unlike rays from a light. C. F. Saunders. Gum in the Nests of the Chimney Swift. — Mr. Willard N. Clute, Binghamton, New York, says: "On page 125 of the present volume of the Monthly, the statement is made that the nest of the Chimney Swift is stuck together with vegetable gum. Will you not state, through the magazine, upon what authority this conclu- sion is based. It was a surprise to me, and though I may be mistaken, I find that the principal ornithologists are with me in think- ing that the glue for the nest is secreted by the bird itself. The latest editions of Thomas Nut- tail's work say the material is secreted by glands in the bird's stomach ; while Oliver (183) MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [Oct. David, in the ' Nests and Eggs of North Ameri- can Birds,' says, ' the glue is a sort of saliva that is secreted by glands in the side of the bird's head, and instances are on record where a nest, torn from a brick wall, brought pieces of the brick with it, so tenacious was the glue. ' All the works on the subject that I consulted said the glue is of animal origin ; and one ven- tured the remark that it is almost identical with the material of the edible swallows nests. The Chimney Swift very seldom, if ever, alights on trees, fences or houses. All its food is gleaned in flight, and even the sticks which compose the nest are broken oflf from dead branches as the bird dashes through them. It would seem, therefore, that the vegetable glue theory would be hard to prove ; and something further on the subject would, I am sure, interest every reader of your magazine." Audubon is probably the originator of the notion that the gum used is secreted ^by the bird. But the man who would draw sketches of fictitious fishes, and give them to another naturalist as a joke, knowing that they would be published as genuine creatures, can- not be regarded as a conscientious naturalist. This must be said with regret, considering the great work he undoubtedly accomplished. Again, it must be said with regret, that a statement like this, once started, is usually adopted without re-examination by subsequent book makers ; and too often purposely changed a little to make the story appear original. Even as quoted by Mr. Clute, one author "finds" the glands in the "stomach," the other " finds " them " in the side of the bird's head." It would seem from these statements that the bird must be glandular all over. The assertion may be ventured that no anatomist ever found these glands in the bird anywhere. If so, the fact has not been placed on record. On the other hand, a nest was exhibited before the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, many years ago, and carefully examined by the naturalists present, in which lumps of the gum had not been dissolved. It was found to be vegetable gum, and not animal gum — gum from the cherry tree, without ques- tion, the fact could not be disputed, and the Audubon !' secretion" story was at once dis- solved. Again, our correspondent is correct in the conclusion that the gum in the nest is almost identical with that found in the edible nests of certain swallows, for that has been also ascer- tained to be vegetable gum, and to be obtained from certain species of marine algae, brought from long distances. POTENTILLA FRUTICOSA. — Mr. T. S Gold, Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture of Connecticut, sends the following caution : " I note your recommendation of the Poten- tilla fruticosa as a shrub for cultivation. It is well known in Litchfield County, Conn., and Berkshire County, Mass., as the most noxious plant that exists within our knowledge. It covers, and has rendered valueless, thousands of acres of our strong, moist pasture land. This has all come to pass within my memory. It was rarely seen in my boyhood. The U. S. Dep't of Agriculture has recommended it for planting, and the farmers have protested and derided the whole thing time and again. If you want to destroy- a good grass farm in a mountain region, start a colony of ' Goshen hardback. ' Plants free, with signal of cau- tion." It is remarkable how some plants seem to assert themselves in special localities. There are few plants more widely distributed by nature over the face of the earth than this same Potentilla fruticosa , — but no complaint of its dominancy over other plants comes from any part but this small corner in its wide domain. In other sections, another "Hard- hack," Spima tomentosa, crowds out even the " Goshen Hardback.' ' The Dogwood in the South. — Miss Pinck- ne3', writing from Charleston, South Carolina, under date of April 15, describes a scene in a forest where the Carolina Jasmine has run over a dogwood, Comus floHda, and the rich yellow of the Jasmine, and the white bracts of the dogwood, blooming together, make a charming picture. She describes it as a scene, once enjoyed, a never-to-be-forgotten one. ECHINOCACTUS POLYANCISTRUS. — A Cali- fornian correspondent writes in praise of the Echinocadus polyancistrus . Meehans' Monthly recently gave an illustration of this species, and the reader can readily appreciate the praise accorded it. 1895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. The Virginia Creeper. — In the general make up of the grand autumn coloring for which American forest scenery is so famous, the Virginia Creeper, Ampelopsis quifique/olia, is often an important element It is in many respects a much more charming plant in every way than the Japan Ivy, Ampelopsis Veitchii, which is popular chiefly because of its ready adherence to walls, — the Virginia Creeper sometimes falling off. But its greatest pride is in its native woods, when it has had a chance to run up the trunks of trees, and cover the otherwise naked main branches of its sturdy supporters. The winey pink and golden tints often add a deeper bril- liancy to the trees of the forest's own gay foliage. Our good correspon- dent. Dr. Schneck, of Mount Carmel, Illinois, claims for woods of his section a high place in this department of Nature's workshop. Judging by the annex- ed illustration, he has good reason for the faith that is in him. One can easily imagine what a pretty picture it would make if only the colors could be given with the rest of the picture. day, and that the workman does not make his appearance at the grounds on that day, yet regularly every Sunday, for all these many years, they come to meet him, only to be doomed to disappointment. It would seem from this that cats have not the power to count, or they surely would be able to know by this time that there is a seventh day when the}' would be doomed to disappointment in their daily meal. Seed-Scattering Plants. — A number of plants have the power of projecting their seeds, on their maturity, long distances. Dr. E. Huth writes from Frankfurt, that an American Can Cats Count ? — A friend has several cats which have been taught to make their homes in a barn. One of the workmen in the establishment has been for a number of years in the habit of bringing food from his house, after every dinner time, for these cats. A remarkable fact is that they go from the barn to the entrance of the gate property always about fifteen or twenty minutes before the workman makes his appearance. Just how they come to learn this exact time of day is not clear, although it goes to show that these animals have reason and judgment to some extent. Strange to say that although this has been going on for several 3'ears, the cats do not seem to know that every seventh daj' is Sun- THE VIRGINIA CREEPER IN AN ILLINOIS FOREST. author claims this power for the common Dead Nettle of cultivated grounds, Lamitan pur- pureum. Dr. Huth thinks this must be a mis- take. Have readers of Meehans' Monthly made any observations on this plant ? A Purple-Fruited Blackberry. — There seems no end to natural varieties of the common blackberry. Mr. E. E Bogue, of Orwell, Ohio, notes : — " Last summer, while traveling through the berry bushes, I noticed two plants of Rubus villosus of a singular nature. I did not distin- guish much difference in leaves ; but the ripe fruit was not black, but purple." MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [Oct. A Twin Peach. — The point has been made in Meehans' Monthly that what are often passed over as mere curiosities or monstrosities in the vegetable kingdom are often special lessons which Nature spreads before us, to teach us the manner in which she usually performs her regular operations. The twin peach, which is illustrated on page 191, gives just such an interesting lesson. Taking an apple we find that it has five cells. The inside surface of these cells is smooth and somewhat bony, just as is the inside of a peach-stone. But there are more than one seed in the apple cell, — though in a peach cell, — or we may say "stone," — there are often two, and sometimes three, kernels. It may be said that the peach-stone is the equivalent of one cell in an apple. When nature makes species she often does it by simply suppressing parts that are developed in others. And this is just what occurs when Nature makes a peach. Four of the five cells we have in the apple are abortive, and one only is developed. But the power to produce the suppressed cells is still there ; and it is sometimes exercised. In this twin peach this has been done. Two carpels have come to perfection. What is known as the suture in the peach is the line where the original leaf which forms the carpel is folded. This lesson is sometimes better taught in the case of the double- flowered peaches. In these the usual stability has already been disturbed by the passage of stamens back to petals. The carpellary system also becomes disturbed. Double-flowered peaches occasionally fruit, and in these cases there are always two, and sometimes three carpels brought to perfection. The writer has seen four ; but the fourth very small. The fruits of these double-flowered monstrosities are tough, and the stones open out of dryish shells, like the almond, — and we see by this another illustration of a propo- sition often taught, that a peach is but a more highly developed almond. We are glad, to take these opportunities of initiating our readers into the great mysteries of Nature. It is where much of the pleasures of botany and gardening come in. Wild Flowers and Gardening in Geor- gia.—Mr. J. H. Leffler, Tallapoosa, Ga., gives the following sketch of gardening in his sec- tion: "This place, of about 3,000 residents, is located some 65 miles west of Atlanta, on the railroad from there to Birmingham, Ala., and is rapidly settling up with northern people, who come here for health and business both, the grape industry being so far the leading one. There are, to a man from the far north, of short resi- dence here, like myself, a good many curious, amusing and pleasing sights to observe down here. To see, on my ]and, a wild grapevine running up and over the top of a wild seedling peach tree, loaded down so that one cluster crowds the other over the vine, is a wonderful sight to me. Close by in the vineyard (belated beyond cultivation) is a species of Passiflora, with fine, large light-blue flower; bearing green, smooth seedballs about the size of an apple, which are said to be edible. The Morning- glories {Convolvulus major) are growing wild down here, of same size, colors and markings as those bought from the seedhouses ; but peo- ple are training them up to cover their porches, the same as in the north. These Convolvulus keep the Passijlofa company in good soil ; and some of the newly planted Niagara and Con- cord grapevines had a hard time for their exist- ence between being smothered bj- the large growing Passiflora and the tight-gripping Co7i- volvuhis, both encircling the tender shoot up along the stake, both striving for the mastery. Of the many nice and interesting wild flowers, I notice a good perennial phlox ; and a large flowering, pure, yellow Coreopsis is found everywhere. Blackberries, of which this country is overrun on good ground, or alorg fences, have bent over with their loads of fruit. So are fruit trees of their kinds. But the grapevines, both wild and cultivated, are loaded down with clusters of fruit in gardens and vineyard as I have never seen anything like before." The Passion Flower referred to, Passiflora in- camata, was beautifully in bloom in the con- ductor's garden when the letter arrived, — and gave some impression of the beauty Mr. Leffler describes. Though called in catalogues the "hardy Passion Flower," the roots are occa- sionally killed in severe winter. The apple- like fruit is edible ; though it has no strength of character. What the Coreopsis is suppos- ed to be, is a very beautiful species, often seen in gardens, and will be the subject of the next colored plate. GENERAL GARDENING. OCTOBER. When comrades seek sweet country haunts, By twos and twos together, And count like misers, hour by hour, October's bright blue weather. O suns and skies and flowers of June, Count all your boasts together. Love loveth best of all the year October's bright blue weather. — Helen Hunt Jackson. Common Names of Plants. — Scientists generally hold that in speaking of plants their scientific names only are of use; while many who love flowers, and know considerable about their haunts and habits, persist in holding to the common names. Most of us, I believe, have a liking for the common names when they are appropriate, as bloodroot, daisy, leatherwood, goldthread and many others. Indeed there is scarcely a common name which study will show to be devoid of interest. The properties and characteristics of a plant; its uses in medicine and surgery; its supposed connection with gods, heroes, fairies, saints and the people of the under world — all these are revealed in the common names of plants. Perhaps it has not occurred to those who would still retain the every-day names for plants, that it is possible to combine them with the scientific ones. The ornithologists have settled this in regard to the birds by giving each a common name in addition to the proper scientific one. Thus a bird can be mentioned by either one, and the hearer be able to understand. A list of the plants could be arranged in the same manner, doubtless with good results. W. C. Most botanists recognize the desirability of acceptable common names. Hooker's ' ' Botan- ical Magazine," in describing a new plant, al- ways coins a common name for it. Dr. Gray used to do the same. But possibly no common name, as so suggested, ever became common. The common people like to make common names for themselves. It is the scores of common names for the same thing that make trouble. The Early Shedding of Leaves. — A Phil- adelphia correspondent says : "A friend of mine has a Teco7na radicans growing over her house, and is a good deal troubled by its shedding its leaves, which for some days past have been falling off in show- ers. I enclose a few leaflets, and thought I would ask you whether there is anything specially the matter, or whether if we keep patient, it will all come right again." The leaves indicated the attack of a minute fungus near the base of the petiole. The appearance is similar to that which afflicted Norway Maples in 1894. But they seem free this year. It may not occur again, — but there is no telling when these pestilential microbes undertake such tasks. There seems no practi- cable precaution, — because we do not know when to expect them. Good Roads. — When travelers go to Italy, they are struck with amazement with the remains of ancient roadways, which they tell us are evidently far superior to the roads which we. in modern times, construct. Those who are interesting themselves in the history of the Peruvians, find precisely the same thing to admire. The remains show that their roads, even in these days of engineering, we should think almost impossible to build ; and it is believed that some of these first-class roads extended for many hundreds of miles. Even sheet asphalt, or bituminous cement of some kind, was used for surfacing. Scale on Kilmarnock Willow. — A cones- pondent from Scranton, Pennsylvania, sends samples of Kilmarnock Weeping Willow, com- pletely covered with the mussel-shell scale, and asks the remedy. The weaker branches may be cut out and burned, — those left can only be killed hy some oily solution. Oil itself will not mix with water ; but if the oil be first mixed with soap, this diflBcuity is removed. This Kerosene Emulsion, as it is termed, is usually efiective against all scale insects. (187) MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Oct. Destruction of Rodents. — Osage Orange hedges, and hedges of Honey Locust, are often mined in severe winters by the work of field mice or other gnawing animals. In California, a wicked creature, the gopher, is equally des- tructive. The Californians get rid of the crea- tures by placing a few crystals of strychnine carefully inside of a raisin, and then putting it in the runs made by the animal. They eat and die. In the East, for field mice, peas are treated in the same manner with arsenic. The peas are first soaked, so as to render them soft, and arsenic placed inside. Budded Roses. — The stock employed by most florists and others, on which to graft roses, is known, commercially, as the Manetti. This is increased by cuttings. Those who un- derstand, critically, the management of roses, find much satisfaction in these grafted plants. They grow much more vigorously, and have finer flowers on these stocks than on their own roots, — that is to say, in a general way, this is true. Unfortunately, rose stocks raised from cuttings have a great tendency to throw up suckers from their underground buds, and unless one is very well informed in rose cul- ture, these suckers are apt to be mistaken for parts of the budded plant, and eventually grow so strong as to draw all the nourishment away from the graft. It is no uncommon thing to see what was originally a bed of beautiful roses consist of nothing at all but a mass of Manetti plants. In the Old World, the stocks are raised from seed. The common wild rose is Rosa canina^ and is employed for the purpose of grafting, and is commonly called the Dog Rose. These throw up suckers occasionally, and especially if the kind grafted on them is a weak growing variety; but the foliage is so different that any common observer can tell it from the garden rose, and therefore thej' are easily observed and detached. Unfortunately, this Dog Rose has not been found well suited to the American climate, and only the Manetti is usually employed for stocks. Growing Walnuts for Timber. — A corres- pondent from Kentucky desires to know the best distance to plant trees with a view to making timber trees. It is a fact that the raising of timber in our country has never received the careful attention, from a practical point of view, that it should have. In the Old World, where forestry is made a regular business, the thinning of plantations is a prominent feature. Trees are planted comparatively thick, at first, and a thinning takes place, after a few years, for hoop poles. When they get a little larger, another thin- ning may occur for hop poles or for poles for similar purposes. As they get larger, other thinnings occur for various uses ; but, in our country, it is very doubtful whether any work of this kind would be profitable. Labor is too expensive, and again there is difficulty of get- ting rid of the brush. In the Old World, where the climate is damp, there are no forest fires. In our dry climate, dead brush is too dangerous, and, before we know it, the whole forest goes up in smoke. Now, if we planted at once, at the distance to which we expected the trees ultimately to reach, they would branch out too low, and we would get short, stumpy trunks of little value. If we planted them comparatively thick, they would run out tall and straight; but, b}' being thick, the under-branches die, and make the dead brush-wood which we try to avoid in order to be secure from forest fires. Possibly the best thing for us to do, in our country, in the midst of all these difficulties, is not to plant as thickly as thej' would do in the Old World, nor so wide apart as to encourage side branches. Possibly about 20 feet apart would be the best thing under all circum- stances. The Siberian Spruce. — Possiblj^ the finest specimens of the Oriental or Siberian Spruce in the Country are in the vicinity of Philadel- phia, where there are occasional specimens that have been planted forty years, and are at least forty feet high. It has a much closer habit ot growth than the Norway Spruce, and keeps its beauty longer than that species. The Philadel- phia ones have been cone bearing for several years, and have had male flowers many more. The male flowers are usually of a bright red, and as the leaves are of a very dark green, give it a beauty few coniferae can aspire to. The specimen illustrated is from the Pinetum of Mr. Josiah Hoopes, of West Chester, Penn- sj'lvania, author of the " Book of Evergreens." He says: "The one in the picture on the right is Picea obovata. Picea orientalis is on the left. The}^ were planted forty years ago, iSg;.] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING 189 and have been bearing cones for several years. There is little distinction between these two species, though the cones of Picea obovata are more obovate, as its name implies." This spruce grows further north than any other coniferous plant, — unless, possibly some junipers may once in awhile straggle up. Mr. William E. Meehan, of the original Peary re- lief party, saw one of these — for it seems diffi- cult to decide which, — the most Northern of all the coniferae in that part of Greenland searched by them. We have come to the use of the changed names of Picea for the spruces, and Abies for the firs, with much regret, as it is found almost impossible in the nursery trade to appreciate the change. Disputes about ' ' getting the wrong plants " are continuous, although it is twenty years since the effort at change, — and all because Linnaeus did not understand the old Roman writer, Pliny. We shall soon learn that some ancients did not call the sun "he," or the moon ' ' she, ' ' and the whole English literature must be upturned accordingly. THE SIBERIAN SPRUCE. 190 MEEHANS' MONTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. [Oct. The Goat Willow. — One of the most beau- tiful of spring-flowering shrubs, of compara- tively large growth, is the male form of the Goat Willow, Salix caprea. Before the frost is hardly gone, the large ovate spikes of yellow anthers make a brilliant show. In addition to its good appearance, it has a fragrance which is agreeable to most persons. The female form is far less handsome. What is known as the Kilmarnock Willow belongs to this species, — this being the female form, of the same species, which has assumed a weeping habit. This is almost destitute of fragrance. Considering the great beauty of the male form, it is rather sur- prising that it is not more generally employed in ornamental gardening. The weeping variety of the female form is grafted on the male, and very often the grafted portion dies away, leaving only the stock living, and it is chiefly from these stocks that the male plants, occasionally seen, have been distributed, for there has been very little demand for the male plant directly from American nurser- ies. Pruning Trees at Transplanting. — It should not be forgotten that the branches of trees have varying degrees of vital power. Strong, vigorous, healthy branches would endure unfavorable circumstances when the weaker ones would give way. In growing trees, it is always the weaker wood which we find among the dead branches. In transplanting a tree, we want all the branches that are full of life and vigor, and not those that are already half-dead. The practice generally followed, therefore, of shortening back the strong, vigorous branches, and leaving the half-dead ones, is a mistaken course. If all the half- dead branches were cut away, and the stronger ones left without any shortening, transplant- ing would often be more successful than it is. Disease in a SeckelPear — A correspond- ent says that some Seckel Pear trees, planted last spring, pushed into leaf freely ; but subse- quently the leaves turned black, and there were occasional black patches on the younger shoots. This usually comes from the attack of a minute fungus, perhaps allied to the fungus which causes the more serious disease known as "Fire- blight." It was once called "Frozen sap blight." It is now known that fungus, and not frost, is the author of the trouble. Usually, a severe pruning, so as to force out a strong growth, brings complete relief. Washes of some fungicide, to be applied after the pruning, have been recom- mended, and some say with good results, though it is difficult to understand how any thing applied externally can reach inside so as to aflect the plant's structure. Ramie. — There is no question about the value of the fibre of the Bcehmeria 7iivea, com- monly known as "Ramie.' The finished arti- cle prepared from it rivals many lines of silk or satin, and could be produced at half the cost, if only a satisfactory decorticating ma- chine could be invented. There have been many futile attempts ; but it is now said that an entirely satisfactory machine has been brought out in New Orleans. It will be wel- come news to southern land owners, where Ramie thrives so well. The Corn Flower. — The pretty blue Cen- taurea which comes from Germany, and used in such large quantities in florists' decorations, is sold as the German Corn Flower ; but it appears that the whole family of Centatirea is now getting the name of "corn flower" from the Germans. Our pretty Texan species, C Miss Rutledge, of Flat Rock, North Carolina,, for this very enjoyable treat. (203) 204 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [Nov. Abnormal Growth in Indian Corn. — The abnormal corn plant described and figured in the July number of the Monthly, seems to me to be a case of "reversion" and not of progressive development. Mrs. Kellerman, in an article on " The Primitive Corn" in the March number, says : " I would say that the Primitive Indian Corn was a grass -like plant (a grass in reality) with a branch springing from the several nodes or joints. Each branch was crowned with both staminate and pistillate organs. * * * Natural selection lifted the staminate flowers to the tassel of the main stalk and left the pis- tillate below on the side branches. These branches became shortened, and form the shank or footstalk of oiir present ear. " This, I think, clearly explains the " freak" if we regard it as an instance of atavism. Frank N. Tillinghast. Greenport, N. Y. Platanus occidentalis. — In the February and April issues of the Monthly for 1893, as to large Plane trees, we are led to believe that in the Mississippi and Ohio valleys have been found the largest specimens ; notably in south eastern Missouri, southern Indiana and Illinois and in Kentucky. Fine specimens have been reported from western New York. The Plane is found along many of the Texas creeks and rivers east of the Pecos. West of that stream it is seen in a few localities along the Rio Grande. I have not seen Plane trees of any remarkable size in Texas ; the largest between four and five feet in thickness of trunk. It may be that the species {P. occidentalism in the Southern states is represented by trees shorter lived than those farther North. The leaves seem to be smaller. They also show perhaps a greater diversity than the Northern forms. I send two deviations from the type. The three pointed leaf is from a tree near Houston. The leaf with dentate margin is from the north border of Llano County. The Plane has long been cultivated in por- tions of the East, West and South as a shade and lawn tree, but it does not seem to be as popular as in former years. (i) In New York several years ago, it was much esteemed as a shade tree. I do not know that it has been grown or succeeded well in California. The two native species of Cali- fornia and Arizona {P. racemosa and P. Wrightii) do not seem to have been cultivated to any great extent. The same may be said of the two or three Mexican species that do not range north into the United States. The Oriental Plane has been introduced into the United States and cultivated with success. I believe it is regarded as a more vigorous tree than its Occidental relative. Both species have been cultivated in Europe in different portions. Perhaps the American species is less popular than its Oriental kin. Though it has been of little value in the arts, the Ameri- can Plane has (2) of late come into demand for the inside finishing of houses. Doubtless the old world species is fully as well adapted for the purpose. Reports have been sent forth that some of the Plane trees cultivated in Europe are suffer- ing from a peculiar disease; the tips of the branches attacked by a fungus similar to that which injured so many of the trees in America about forty years ago; when thousands of trees died and many others were injured. I think it has been stated that before it was afflicted by the disease, the American Plane was a more vigorous tree than it has been in the past thirty or thirty-five years. A writer has noted in the Gardeners' Chroni- cle that the stellate hairs of some of the Planes cause irritation to the mucous (3) membranes of the throat and nose ; a fact known to Galen, Dioscorides and Plato. An article in the Bul- letin of the Torrey Club, " On the casting off" of the tips of branches of certain trees," as to a habit common to many species, (4) mentions P. occidentalis as a striking example. All facts relating to our forest trees are interest- ing. We can be convinced that many facts in reference to the Plane trees can be collected. The Genus Platanus is of special interest on account of the late published records (5) as to the fossil species. Much knowledge has been gained of late years on the palaeontological history of the genus. Several (6) new species have been named. As to the common names. Plane tree, But- tonwood. Sycamore, the most appropriate may perhaps be the Plane. In Europe they speak of the Oriental or Eastern Plane, and our species as the American or Western Plane. Works consulted, referred to by numbers in parenthesis : 1895-] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. 205 1. Bulletin, TorreyBot. Club, Oct.'8opg.io8. 2. Garden and Forest, No. 262, pg. 108. 3. Gard. Chron., Vol. 3, pg. 370. 4. Bulletin, T. B. C, Apr. '93, pg. 163. 5. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. Vol. 11, '88 (L. F. Ward.) Bot. Jahrbuch, Vol. 11, pgs. 412 and 458, {Abstammu7ig der Platanen by Johann Janko.) 6. Bulletin T, B. C, March '93, Platanus Newberyana, pg. 94, Platanus Aquehongen- sis, pg. 135. Texan climate has undoubtedly to do with the shorter life and vagaries of form. The late Dr. Engelmann was a close ob- server of plant life. In a letter to the writer many years ago, he expressed the opinion that the ribs and veins of leaves were in a certain sense ' ' after thoughts. ' ' Growth first appears in the form of cells. In time these cells need some strengthening frame, and then the ribs and veins follow for that purpose. They need protection from without. PLATANUS OCCIDENTALIS, FROM TEXAS. A catalogue of large trees in Missouri I think was prepared about 20 years ago by Prof. Swallow of the State College, Columbia, Mo. I have not the entire pamphlet. G. C. Nealley. San Diego, Texas. We have had engravings made of the leaves sent by our correspondent. The point made that vital power has much to with the lon- gevity and characteristic forms of plants is jus- tified by the observations of others, — and the unsuitability of the Northern Plane to the and then they turn themselves into bark layers and so on through the whole chapter. The various degrees of energy decide the nature of these changes. The degree of energy de- cides the special form. In other words the degree of energy decides the species. In the illustrations we see that the trilobed leaf has the weakest petiole. A lessened vital energy originates the form. The disease of the Eastern Plane referred to has appeared on trees growing in America this season. 2o6 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [Nov. Effects of Scale on Branches of Trees. — It is not usual for scale insects to so injure the cells engaged in the work of forming a new layer of wood to so thoroughly destroy them that the outer layer of cells has to grow over laterally, just as they have to do when the bark is wounded externally. Some Azalea branches were pitted in this way. Prof. L. O. Howard, the United States Entomologist, has this in- teresting note regarding them :— " The phenomenon which you mention, viz., the development of cells laterally, so as to produce elevation about the barklouse, is a not uncommon result of the work of certain forms of Coccidae, although it is not produced by our commonest species of the northeast. The particular insect on this branch is a species of Prosopophora, and this, sunken-in appearance, is to a certain extent characteristic of most of the insects of this genus. We have a species on the Cottonwood from the southwest which