SftftAft mm ■'xr.^A. tinftdri >A/\.fS A'Ar* iikflM^** r /s « 2 * & * < '. /- * H * . ' ,r\/V '/>AAr* . ... -n A. r,Ar,„, ^mmm l/taM .. .Afi^A^ ■ . A'- ffl'^A^ a LfPBfeH'-tv a'A1 ..-A'A; r Af "^^/v >%*! ^■vfcft Kf\ANt AAAOOrvfVA '■■■■•-■ ; c<< V « - ^ lc^' ^^ - >C < "" -■£- TfT c r«: >>^' _*£ j&-rf' ^ r < erg <^T CCCCCCC Cc^f^ ~5 c c f c c 9^ fir c rxi^CCCC " '-'• ^ V - cc« 3 cc ^cr^ ^c^ ^^^ « CCC cc c ; - <^rer c ccr x «c cc - c «C ^cV7' c CC' c <3C_^1 ^V" c«^' «r^ art of rich loam, and one part sharp sand. Let these be most thoroughly mixed, and let lay in a heap three or six days ; then fill up all the space left of your bed, level with the former brow of the hill, and outwardly forming a level at the top of the embankment of some two or three feet, which should be sodded to prevent the earth of your bed from sliding down hill. Now you can, after doing this, leave your bed over the win- ter, and in April, on some bright warm day, spade the whole over preparatory to planting out your Ehododendrons. You can always procure good plants from reliable nurserymen. If you want the cheapest of plants there are always humbugs enough to cheatyououtof your money. Having obtained what you be- lieve to be good plants, set them say from one foot to fourteen inches distant in rows lengthwise of your bed, or, a general rule adopted by some landscape gardeners is, "so that they shade the ground by their foliage just touching each other." This is as good a rule, perhaps, as can be given, and I adopt it whenever I set out grounds. If possi- ble to obtain, I prefer to mulch, say two inches in depth, over the plants as soon as set out, with ground tan-bark, always easily obtained, and there can be nothing better. Now let your bed alone, unless the summer should be extremely dry. Two copious waterings with the water-pot or hose will be all-sufficient, and nine chances out of ten you will not need any water. Because why? You have set out your bed as you should have THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 45 done, and they will probably live and thrive. As a protection from frost and cold in winter, we use boughs of cedar, hem- lock, or pine, the ends well sharpened, and a crow-bar to make holes to receive them, and the boughs firmly set about the bed is sufficient to shelter them from the coldest weather. More of these plants are killed from sunshine in winter than from the intense cold. Pro- tect them well from the winter sun. In the course of time, as your plants grow in size, you will of course make new beds by removing from the old bed every other plant year by year, until you have left one or two very large plants, whose value, singly, would pay a large percentage of time, care, and the mon- ey expended. — Forest and Stream. Our Flannels. — The value of flannel next the skin cannot be overrated. It is invaluable to persons of both sexes, and all ages, in all countries, in all cli- mates, at every season of the year, for the sick and the well — in brief, I can not conceive of any circumstances in which flannel next the skin is not a com- fort and a source of health. It should not be changed from thick to thin be- fore the settled hot weather of the sum- mer, which in our Northern States is not much before the middle of June, and often not before the first of July, And the flannels for the summer must not be three-cjuarters cotton, but they must be all woolen, if you would have the best protection. In the British army and navy they make the wearing of flannel a point of discipline. During the hot season the ship's doctor makes a daily examination of the men at unexpected hours, to make sure that they have not left off their flan- nels.— Bio Lewis in To-Day. INCEEASED DEMAND FOE CALIFOENIA TEEES AND PLANTS IN EUEOPE. The business of collecting seeds of trees and plants indigenous to the Pa- cific Coast has expanded at a surprising rate, during the last three years, in re- sponse to orders from Europe, and at certain seasons of the year furnishes remuneration, through arduous labor, for hundreds of people. One firm in San Francisco, who are special dealers in tree and shrub seeds, have their rep- resentatives in Oregon, "Washington Territory, California, Nevada, and even in the heart of Arizona, from whom are received valuable consignments of seeds at stated periods, generally in the fall and winter months. The mountain tree seeds of this coast, especially those of California, are deservedly popular abroad, on account of the beauty of the trees and the comparative ease and rapidity with which they grow and ma- ture. The procurement of these seeds is always attended with a great deal of hard work and not a little hazardous ad- venture. The gatherer must possess a certain amount of botanical knowledge, both theoretical and practical, as well as a fair share of vim and muscle. His calling often brings him to the very summit of lofty and rugged mountains, where no other footstep, save his own and those of his associates, are known; along giddy trails, across mountain tor- rents, over treacherous snow-banks, on the verge of leaning crags inaccessible to anyone but an experienced mount- ain climber; in fact, wherever the Fir, Spruce, Pine, and Cedar abound, he must go, in order to secure his harvest of seeds. These venturesome men of the mountains seldom come within the actual confines of civilization, and more rarely reach the bustling cities, or even the large towns. They learn to love 46 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. the grand old mountains they roam about, and after a few years have no de- sire to take up a permanent residence at any point near the sea-level. It was the good fortune of the writer to meet <3ne of these men of the mountains, an intelligent and adventurous young fel- low, a few days since, and hear from his own lips accounts of his various ex- peditions after seeds. With his father and several brothers, he removed to the valley of the Yosemite in 1867, and still makes his home there. It was during that year that the flood occurred which caused the only material change in the appearance of the valley that has been known since its discovery by the whites. Up to that time the bed of the valley was covered by a beautiful greensward that stretched as a carpet from end to end. The heavy fall of snow, melting in the spring, came booming down the canyon, in the form of a bread sheet of water, bringing with it particles of dis- integrated rock, and a debris that cut up and covered the grass and left the bed comparatively barren. Regarding the collection of seeds, the mountaineer said that his party, numbering four or five white men and fifteen Indians, who were provided with thirty horses and mules, made its excursions in the fall, generally occupying three weeks for the round trip, though at times protracting the absence to a couple of months. The cones are cut from the trees with prun- ing-knives attached to long poles. The pastoral suggestiveness of these imple- ments, which greatly resemble in ap- pearance the shepherd's crook, is dissi- pated by the sight of sundry bowie-knives and revolvers distributed about the per- sons of the bearers, and the ponderous Kentucky rifles, in hand or slung across the packs upon the animals. One of these trips netted five hundred sacks of cones. After the cones are gathered, they are often exposed to the sun for three weeks, or a month, according to their condition, though at times they ripen in a few days. The ripening of the cones to a nicety requires consider- able botanical knowledge on the part of the operator. If he makes a mistake in his calculations, and fails to remove the seeds at the proper time, he will find them worthless. And here a ques- tion of honor arises. He could send the seeds to market and sell them as be- ing healthy without fear of immediate detection. But eventually the fraud would be detected. A few years ago, certain persons, either through ignor- ance or indifference, palmed off a lot of inferior California seeds that never ma- tured, and thereby worked a serious injury to the business. Some time elapsed before confidence could be re- stored among the seed dealers abroad, on account of the swindle, and of course the then growing demand abated. Un- der favorable circmstances, the trade has brightened up, as already stated, and orders are now pouring in thick and fast. The mountaineer expatiated upon this point at great length, and evinced an irrepressible enthusiasm in his call- ing. The party of which he is a member ranges from the Big-tree Grove, in Mar- iposa, to the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, at altitudes from 4,000 to 13,000 feet above the level of the sea. The Pacific Coast is constantly yield- ing up botanical treasures, and attract- ing the attention of the scientific world. The -parterres of lovely flowers upon our hills and mountains are not appreciated until one has been abroad, and visited the gardens of Europe. In England, and in several countries on the conti- nent, wild flowers from this State, where they are found in boundless profusion, are cultivated under glass, and nurtured THE CALIFORNIA HOKTICULTUKIST. 47 as botanical novelties. There are seven- teen species of the Lupine in California, indigenous to the soil, and other wild flowers in proportion. Among the Cali- fornia plants held in high esteem by the Europeans, is the Ceanothas, or, "The Beauty of the Sierra," a charming flow- er, found in the mountains, as its name would imply, and also on the hills to the west of the city. The California Pitcher-plant, differing materially from the Pitcher-plant of the Eastern States, is also prized abroad as a novelty. Its leaves are in the form of tubes, and will hold water. Another popular plant is the Scoliopus Bigelowii, a plant dis- covered by the Mexican Boundary Com- mission, and named in honor of one of its members. This is a great botanical curiosity. It grows to the height of eighteen inches, has large green leaves, spotted with maroon, and bears purple flowers. Among the tree seeds in demand among the Europeans are those of the Sequoia gigantea, or Wellingtonia gigan- tea, in compliment to the late Duke of Wellington, which is best known as the Big Tree of California. The English naturalist Lobb is supposed by many to have first met with the tree near the source of the Stanislaus River, in Cala- veras County, though other writers at- tribute its discovery to Douglass in 1831 ; but perhaps the most probable state- ment is the one generally believed in California, and is, that a company of miners on a prospecting tour came acci- dentally upon the Calaveras group. In 1865 Mr. Sonntag sold two pounds of the seeds of this tree in one of the Ger- man States, at the rate of $125 per . pound. Other favorites are, the Pinus fiexilis, a hardy tree, found at the height of 13,000 feet; the Pinus insignis, a lovely grass-green Pine; the Gupressus macrocarpa, an evergreen; the Thuja gigantea, the gigantic Arbor Vitse, alias Ldbocedrus decurrens, a noble tree, with a straight and very robust stem; in color the foliage is a remarkably bright green, and the branches are long, flat, and frond-like; and many other Firs, Pines, Cedars, Cypresses, etc. The need of a good work on the Botany of the Pacific Coast has long been felt; and in this connection, we are pleased to learn that Professor Brewer, of Yale College, who was associated with Clarence King dur- ing the geological survey, is writing a book devoted exclusively to . this sub- ject.— S. F. Bulletin. FKUITS — ON WHAT DO THEIR QUALI- TIES DEPEND? BY E. J. HOOPEK. I am aware that this is a question which no person can answer, involving as it does so many considerations, and so many debatable points, which await a vast amount of inquiry before they can be determinately answered. Such, however, constitute no solid ground for avoiding an investigation. Our Horti- cultural and Pomological Societies in this State, conferring as they certainly do great benefits on the public, are not in the habit, at their meetings, of doing as much good in this respect as they undoubtedly might. They do not seem to be in the habit of appointing com- mittees whose duty should be, among other things, to judge of the correct nomenclature, character, qualities, etc., of those fruits which are, or ought to be, brought before them for such pur- poses. If they would attend to this more than they do, they would be ren- dering the State valuable service. No man, however experienced, but would have his mind enlarged by attentively perusing the statistical and other in- 48 THE CALIFOENIA HOETICUIiTTJEIST. formation that such reports would con- tain. I verily had thought that I knew all about the Winter Nelis Pear, a great favorite of mine for years, as it should also be of the public in general, but I could not but feel that I had acquired interesting information in comparing the various conditions, both above and below ground, which certain exhibitors at the late Horticultural Fair of last fall in this city furnished me. Added to this, there was the verifying of my own opinions as founded upon my own ex- perience. I do hope that those culti- vators who continue to exhibit at our % agricultural fairs, or attend regular meetings, whether monthly or weekly, will get into the habit of carefully re- porting a few of th» main conditions, as well as the correct names, under which some of their fruits are pro- duced, and that the horticultural com- mittees will report the same to the peo- ple. No man can put such information to better use than really good orchard- ists, gardeners, and fruitists — men expe- rienced in such things. There is no spoiling such men with crude notions; and after carefully digesting the reports, the above named committees are in a capital position to sum up the evidence, and, as Burns says, "prent it." On what conditions, then, does the quality of fruits depend? Let me first state what conditions are inimical to quality in the average of fruits. The ripening may be too much hurried; again, ripening in some cases is arrested through low temperatures, as, for in- stance, in the climate of San Francis- co, and other lands near the ocean; also, excess of root moisture; humidity in the air, (generally rather uncommon in Cali- fornia); by gross and succulent growths; or by deficiency of light through neg- lected pruning, etc. ; or stagnant air I through the want of a due circulation; and lastly, by the attacks of insects. Now, these remarks, although apply- ing, in some cases, almost exclusively to the preservation of in-door fruits, I in- tend to offer in such a shape as shall be common to out-of-door productions. A forced or hurried ripening, whether occasioned in-doors or out, is generally antagonistic to high qualities. This may be particularly observed in Peach- es and Melons, and is doubtless the reason why fine-looking fruits at our exhibition tables sometimes do not pos- sess those high qualities which their appearance and kind promise. We also know, that in hot climates and loca- tions, many of our fruits become vapid and worthless; but Nature has provided special kinds and adapted them to the climate and aspect. It is here necessa- ry to observe, that an over-slow or re- tarded ripening is, in some cases, pre- judicial; and this is perhaps most mani- fest in some of our Pears, which, if kept much beyond their natural ripen- ing period, sometimes assume the char- acter of petrifactions. Excess of root moisture is to be avoid- ed. Thorough drainage and a cautious use of irrigation are the means within our reach to avert this evil. Fruit- bearing plants are apt, like many of the animal creation, to prove gluttonous, especially when there is a heavy draw on the system; and in the ripening pro- cess, where very high flavor is desired, we do not need so much water. It is the high and perfect elaboration and as- similation of the stores of the plants that is to be desired. Nevertheless, it may be laid down as an axiom in fruit-ripening, that the foliage must be in a perfectly healthy condition when the fruit is ripening, or undergoing that change which forms a crisis in its histo- ry. Thus we find, that if melons — it matters not of what kind — have decay- THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 49 ing foliage when the fruit is turning for ripeness, the flavor is sure to be deficient, and the eye part becomes spongy. It therefore becomes necessa- ry, with all thin-foliaged fruits, (which of course are liable to sudden and pro- fuse perspirations), to keep up as much moisture at the root as will sustain a healthy foliage. Too much air moist- ure is of course not desirable; but we can seldom complain of this in our cli- mate. We will now come to succulent growth, which, in most cases, is a foe to intensity of flavor. The Peach is at once a good instance. How is it that we seldom obtain such large and fine Peaches from young and gross trees as we do from those arrived at maturity? Simply because the growth at extreme points being so exuberant, much of the collateral and subordinate wood is rob- bed for the sake of this great impulse. Pinching these robbers, therefore, by equalizing the sap, causes the inferior portions to receive a more regular sup- ply. In short, these remarks apply to almost every kind of fruit, especially to those of rapid and impulsive growth. Thus, we know that it is a common practice to stop or pinch vines, Melons, Cucumbers, etc., all of which are of rapid growth. Deficiency of light is the next consid- eration as concerns flavor and quality. It is well known that both flavor and color in fruits and vegetables can only be obtained through the influence of a liberal amount of solar light. "We have very little, however, to complain of in this our sunny clime. But, at any rate, it becomes us to avail ourselves of every cultural means, and not to place the plant or tree in such a position as not to receive with facility whatever light oc- curs. But not only is flavor in fruits dependent on a liberal amount of light; Vol. IV.— 7. their size and general character are also particularly concerned. Who has not noticed the inferior character of fruits, such as Apples, Pears, and other ordi- nary fruits, in the interior of badly pruned or neglected trees ? Freedom from insects is indispensable to flavor in fruits. Happily, we are not greatly troubled in California in this particular. Yet I learn that the apple- worm has been discovered in some parts of the country, and we shall be likely soon to import other noxious insects with trees, grafts, seeds, etc. Jute in Papek-making. — The use of Jute as a paper material will greatly in- crease the commercial value of this val- uable fibre. The Dundee Advertiser, (Scotland), on its appearance printed on Jute paper, after apologizing for its transparency and thinness, says: "A remarkable fact is, that it is the product of Mr. Watson's second experi- ment, and if we can attain to such a result on only a second trial there need be no fear with respect to further ex- periments. The thinness and transpar- ency will easily be remedied, as there is nothing to prevent paper made from Jute being of any degree of thickness and opaqueness. It may be explained that this sample is made almost entirely from old Jute bagging. We propose to have samples made entirely from Jute fibre. To some extent Jute bag- ging and waste have been used by pa- per makers for several years, mixed with other materials; and when we men- tion that nearly 50,000,000 Jute bags were exported last year — the demand for home requirements being also very large — it will be seen how large a quan- tity of manufactured Jute there is to work upon, especially as bagging is on- ly one class of the goods made from this material." THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. FOKESTKY. An "International Congress of Land and Forest Culturists," held at Yienna in September, presided oyer by the Austri- an Minister of Agriculture, passed reso- lutions petitioning the Austrian govern- ment to take measures for inaugurating international treaties with other Euro- pean states, intended to secure birds useful in agriculture; another series de- claring the lack of scientific basis for land and forest culture, and the neces- sity of official publications of exact sta- tistical comparative data illustrating the status and progress of each country in these departments of industry; and a third, relative to the necessity of action toward forest preservation, as follows: "1. We recognize the fact that, in or- der to effectually check the continually increasing devastation of the forests which is being carried on, interna- tional agreements are needed, espe- cially in relation to the preservation and proper cultivation (for the end in view) of those forests lying at the sources and along the courses of the rivers, since it is known that, through their irrational destruction, the results are great decrease of the volume of wa- ter, causing detriment to trade and com- merce, the filling up of the river's bed with sand, caving in of the banks, and inundations of agricultural lands along its course. "2. We further recognize it to be the mutual duty of all civilized lands to pre- serve and to cultivate all such forests as are of vital importance for the well- being — agricultural and otherwise — of the land, such as those on sandy coasts, on the sides and crowns as well as on the steep declivities of mountains, on sea-coasts and other exposed places, and that international principles should be laid down, to which the owners of such protecting or ' guardian forests ' be sub- ject, thus to preserve the land from damage. 3. We recognize further that we have not at present a sufficient knowledge of the evils (disturbances in nature) which are caused by the devastation of the forests, and therefore that the efforts of legislators should be directed to caus- ing exact data to be gathered relating thereto." It was stated, in the course of the pro- ceedings, that the Rhine, the Oder, the Elbe, and other European rivers, have lower water -marks than formerly; at Altenbruch, in Hanover, ten Hamburg feet lower in 1857 than a half century before; that part of the kingdom of Wurtemburg had been reduced to com- parative barrenness by the felling of trees; that droughts were increasing in severity in Hungary, a fact popularly attributed to the deforestation of the country. The case of the region near Trieste, on the Adriatic, was particularly refer- red to. It was stated that five hundred years ago a heavy forest covered that region, which was destroyed by the Ve- netians for the purpose of securing pile- timbers and lumber for commerce, and that after the trees were felled the un- protected soil was washed away by storms, and the whole face of the coun- try became a dreary waste. In August last we passed through that region, and noted it was one of the most desolate views presented by any country. The surface far away from the coast was completely covered with ledges and rough bowlders, was almost destitute of soil, and the heat radiated from the rocks was intolerable. In parts of this broad belt some millions of Olive-trees have been planted by the Austrian gov- ernment, the soil for the purpose being transported in baskets in some places. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 51 It is stated that the rains, which twenty- five years ago ceased to fall here, are again appearing to refresh the scene. Similar statements are made relative to local ameliorations by forest planting on the coasts of Germany, in Upper Egypt, and at Ismaila, and in other countries. — Monthly Report of the De- partment of Agriculture. FICUS ELASTICA— CAOUTCHOUC— GUM- ELASTIC OR INDIA-RUBBER TREE. BY THE EDITOE. This tree belongs to class 33, or- der 2, Polygamic/, Dioecia of Linnaeus, and Vasculares Dicotyledonce Urticce of Jussieu. It is a handsome evergreen, and is a native of the East Indies. It is by no means difficult to propa- gate, for which purpose cuttings of the ripe wood are necessary. These should be about two inches in length with a pair of leaves to each; the stem should be split down the centre, and the cuttings laid on the greenhouse shelf for a few hours to wilt. They should then be planted separately in pots filled with light sandy soil, the cutting to be plunged to the depth of an inch and secured by one of the leaves to a small stick to prevent its be- coming loose. The pot should be plac- ed in a warm corner of the greenhouse. The Ficus elastica is valuable for in-door decoration and for conservatories dur- ing the summer season, but requires rather more than the ordinary green- house temperature to keep it in health during the winter months, at which time it is essential that the plants be kept rather dry. A very handsome speci- men of this interesting tree adorns the conservatories at "Woodward's Gardens, San Francisco, which collection is re- plete with choice typical plants that render it a most valuable field of study for the botanical student. Caoutchouc is found associated with various essential oils and resinous mat- ters in the milky juice of the plants, and is procured from sundry species of Ficus, as Ficus elastica, F. radula, F. elliptica, and F, prinoides, by wounding the plants. A kind of caoutchouc, call- ed gutta percha, imported from Singa- pore and Borneo, is procured from Iso- nandria Gutta, one of the Sapotacece. Balata gum is also an elastic gum, ob- tained from the Mimusops belata, which is indigenous to British Guiana, where it attains large dimensions. This gum is of an intermediate character between India-rubber and gutta percha, as it possesses the elasticity without the in- tractibility of the India-rubber, and the ductility without the brittleness of pure gutta percha. It is employed as an in- sulating medium for telegraphic pur- poses. Many of the Euphorbiaceos , As- clepidacece, Apocynacece, Artocarpacece , and Papayacece contain caoutchouc or gum -elastic. The principal supjDiy, however, of this gum is obtained from Siphonia Brasiliensis, which is a com- mon tree in the forests of Para, Brazil. The genus Siphonia belongs to the Euphorbiaceae, and consists of some half dozen species, of which one is the S. elas- tica, a native of French Guiana, and the remainder of the Amazon and Rio Negro districts of Brazil. They are called Seringa -trees by the Brazilians, from the Portugese word seringa — a syringe, for the making of which article the caoutchouc was first used. The ge- neric name derived from the Greek, siphon, has reference to the same use. The species are trees varying from twen- ty-five to seventy, or upwards of a hun- dred feet in height, and all contain a milky juice in more or less abundance, though they do not all yield caoutchouc 52 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. of good quality, that from some species being brittle. Their leaves consist of three entire leaflets radiating from the top of a long stalk, and are clustered towards the end of the branches; and their flowers are borne in loosely branch- ed panicles, with numerous little branch- lets consisting of a few male flowers and a female at the top; both sexes have a bell-shaped five-toothed or five-parted calyx, and no corolla, the males con- taining a central stamen-column bear- ing five or ten anthers in one or two se- ries or whorls some distance below the apex, and the females a three-celled ovary bearing a more or less three-lobed stigma with or without a short style. Their fruit is a rather large capsule, composed of three one-seeded pieces, which split in halves when ripe. The raw seeds are poisonous to man and to quadrupeds, but macaws eat them greedily, and they are excellent bait for fish; long boiling, however, deprives them of their poison, and renders them very palatable. As we said before, the bulk of the caoutchouc exported from Para, whence the chief supply is derived, is obtained from S. JBrasiliensis, which is the one common in the forests of the province of Para; but that brought down to Para from the upper Amazon and Rio Negro is divided from S. lutea and S. brevifolia. These three species are slender smooth- stemmed trees averaging one hundred feet in. height. The Para species, how- ever, yields the greatest abundance of caoutchouc. Europeans first became acquainted with caoutchouc in the early part of last century, and its botanical history was made known by M. de la Condamine in 1736; but it is only within the last forty or fifty years that it has become such an important article in our manufactures and commerce. It exists in the tree in the form of a thin white milk, and is obtained by making incis- ions in the trunk, from which it exudes and is collected in little earthen vessels, and afterward converted into the black homogeneous elastic mass familiar to us as India-rubber, by pouring the milk upon molds and immediately holding them over the dense smoke caused by burning the nuts of the Urucuri Palms (Attalea excelsa and Cocits coronata) until it is sufficiently hard to bear another coating, when the process is repeated until the requisite thickness is obtained. The mold is then removed. Formerly these molds were always in the form of shoes and bottles, and hence one of the kinds of caoutchouc is known com- mercially as bottle-rubber; but they are now frequently shaped something like battledores for folding linen, only thin- ner. In 1863, 65,649 cwts. of caout- chouc were imported into Great Britain. The belt of land extending around the globe, from 500 miles north to 500 miles south of the equator, abounds in these trees producing caoutchouc. They can be tapped for twenty succes- sive years without injury. In their na- tive forest they stand so close that one man can gather the sap of eighty in a day, each tree yielding on an aver- age three tablespoonfuls daily. Forty- three thousand of these trees have been counted in a tract of country of eight superficial miles in extent. There are more than one hundred and fifty manu- factories of this material in Europe and America, employing between seventy and eighty thousand operatives, and using more than ten million pounds per annum; yet such is the extent of the field of produce, that however consid- erably the demand may increase, there will always be sufficient of caoutchouc to meet it. Tropical fruit is now free of duty. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST . 53 THE PLUM AND THE PRUNE. There is, we believe, no other of our more common fruits that can be made from year to year so certainly profitable as the Plum in its numerous varieties. As an early table and dessert fruit it is always in demand. As we have no cur- culio to mar the fruit in any stage of growth, it is always perfect. It can be dried upon the stone with perfect as- surance that no insect is inclosed; or the fruit can be stoned and then dried. It is one of the most certain fruits grown, and the most abundant upon the tree. While the Grape requires eve- ry year a large amount of labor in the pruning and general culture to obtain a crop, the Plum or Prune scarcely re- quires the touch of the knife. The dried product commands nearly as high a price per pound in New York as Raisins, the present quotation being for California Prunes, from twenty to twenty-five cents per pound. They are a fruit very easily managed; from the picking or gathering — for they can be shaken from the tree without injury — to the packing away of the dried fruit, the whole process is simple and easy. Some of the larger and soft-meated varieties, as table fruit, need a more careful handling, and should be picked from the tree; but the smaller, lighter kinds can be shaken and caught on the canvas laid upon the ground. The rather dry tough-pulped German Prune is of this character, and yet with the finest of these the utmost care is taken in the picking and handling in order to preserve the bloom, which adds so much to their merchantable appearance. There is not that extreme care or nicety required in the drying process as with Raisins, and they can be dried nearly as well upon a prepared bed of black soil, in our climate, as by any ar- tificial process. Excellent results, how- ever, have been obtained by the Alden process of fruit drying, which turns out a product perfectly unexceptionable. There would seem to be hardly a limit to the extent to which Prune growing and curing could be carried on in Cali- fornia, with certain and profitable re- sults. Our adobe soils, not entirely congenial to the production of many of our finer fruits, are the very best for large, perfect and sure crops of Plums and Prunes. We believe it would be one of the best investments in fruit growing that can be made, if, having adobe lands, the owner would turn his attention to the planting extensively of the Plum and Prune, and now is just the time to make the purchase of trees. — S. F. Chronicle. Orange Culture in Florida. — As evi- dence of what has been done in Orange culture in the State, we cite a few in- stances. Dummitt's grove, on Indian River, is perhaps the finest in the State. It cost its proprietor to take care of it last year, $1,000, and yielded 600,000 Oranges, for which he was paid $11,000. This grove has 3,000 trees, which, with proper care, would average 3,000 Or- anges each, and give an annual income of $50,000 to $75,000. H. L. Hart's grove, at Palatka, yields him an income of $15,000 to $20,000 per annum. Ar- thur Ginn's grove, at Mellonville, of 1,100 trees, pays him $12,000 to $15,000 yearly, and is worth $100,000. Besides these groves there are a great number of splendid promise; but having been planted of late years, the incomes de- rived from them are as yet of little mo- ment. Mr. DeBarry, of New York, has a grove, near Enterprise, of 20,000 trees. Mr. Charles S. Brown, of New York, has one opposite Palatka of 1,200 trees; 54 THE CALIFOENIA HOETICULTUKIST, and Mr. James Patterson, of Toronto, has a groye on Banana Biver of 8,000 trees. — Palatka (Fa.) Herald. GLACIAL ACTION UPON THE PACIFIC COAST. BY PROF. GEO. DAVIDSON, XT. 8. COAST SUEVET. In May last, I read a paper before the California Academy of Sciences, up- on' the terraces that disconnectedly bor- der on our sea-coast from latitude twen- ty-six or seven to Behring Strait, and with most of which I have been more or less familiar since 1856. These coast- terraces, or plateaus — the mesas, or ta- bles of old Spanish navigators and the late Spanish inhabitants — have general- ly been supposed to mark the ancient sea-levels, and to have been brought to view by an elevation of the continental shores. Some few of the smaller mesas, or terraces, composed of sand or gravel, may have been formed under the sea and subsequently elevated; but in near- ly all such cases we must suppose the elevation to have been irregular and sudden. But those that exhibit, on an extended scale, level plateaus of rock which have every degree of inclination and contortion of stratification, and an infinite variety of trfexture, can not have been so wrought by the agency of wa- ter alone. Other forces, more powerful and more uniform and constant in ac- tion, shaped these fiat -topped rocky benches ; and the forces, if more than one, abraded the present continental line of our coast and cut through the western part of the Santa Monica range of mountains, so as to form the north- ern tier of the Santa Barbara islands. Much of the sharp lines of this abrasion has been obliterated by subsequent causes, rjrincipally by water from pre- cipitation, alternations of heat and cold, and the action of the waves. * * * The upheaval of the continental shores by subterranean action can not produce such terraces and plateaus. If the shores of the Pacific were to-day to be raised, say 200 or 600 feet, we know from the contour of the bottom border- ing it, that such results would not be one of the consequences. The action of the water will not account for them. Whether by "continual dropping" or by storms, it first wears away the soft and more friable parts, leaving the harder; it destroys shores by undermin- ing, and then grinding it, leaves irreg- ular jagged surfaces. These irregular surfaces, if upheaved above the level of the sea, would not wear away regularly by the weather; the inequalities would in time be filled by disintegrated mate- rial, but the surface of the rock would not bear the impress of a planing-ma- chine. We must be guided in a great measure by experience, and judging by our knowledge of present local glacial action, I think we can appeal to the ac- tion of ice, moving slowly but surely, as a great planing or molding machine; its lines of movement perhaps controlled by masses and elevations of land not now existing as such, and by forces no longer acting on such a scale. We may suppose a great ice-belt to have existed contiguous to the continent and moving parallel with it, and existing at the same period with the ice-sheet that covered the continent or the lower part thereof. The mechanical effects of this belt may be those we see exhibited upon the isl- ands and the general coast-line; the effects of the latter in the gorges open- ing upon the shores in the interior val- leys, and on the mountain flanks when at right angles to the coast-line. Ikon nails in a flower-vase will aid to keep the water sweet and the flowers fresh. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 55 EPIPHYLLUM. BY P. A. MLLLEE. The Epiphyllum is a genus of Cactus frequently met with in greenhouses and conservatories, and by some popularly known as the " Lobster Cactus," and by others as the "Fuchsia Cactus." The former name originated undoubt- edly from the shape of the flower, which resembles the lobster, (particularly in the varieties of recent introduction); while the name Fuchsia Cactus is easily traced to the graceful flowers which, like Fuchsias, are pending from the ter- minal branches. All the Epiphyllums are natives of Brazil, where they are found abundantly growing upon the trunks of trees, like Orchids. One of the oldest varieties, and cul- tivated most extensively, is E. Busselli- anum, which is readily distinguished from all the others by its straight and regular flowers, the petals being dis- tributed in a regular manner. The col- or of the flower is a beautiful, vivid purple-crimson . Another old variety is the E. trunca- tum, which bears the flowers resembling ' ' lobsters," one side of the expanded flower being much larger than the other. Of this species, some very fine varie- ties have been produced, and are prom- ising to become extremely popular. The flowers of these new varieties are much richer in color, and present a number of shades, such as orange, crimson, purple, scarlet, pink, salmon, and violet, with white stamens. Last spring we imported the follow- ing varieties, which are now in full bloom, and have been so for the past two months. They are admired by ev- eryone who sees them; and I consider them of the best class of winter flower- ing plants — showy and pleasing: E. album violaceum, violet and white. E. laleritium album, crimson and white. E. roseum amabile, rosy crimson. E. Rucherianum, crimson. E. salmonianum, salmon color. E. grandifiorum marginatum, salmon, with white. E. grandifiorum rubrum, vivid crimson. E. tricolor, orange, crimson, and white. E. violaceum grandifiorum, violet and crimson. F. spectabile, rosy crimson, white edge. All of these are robust growers, and will flower when very young. With us they have done much better than could have been reasonably expected. As to their cultivation, I must can- didly say that they have not received any attention from us. They seem to thrive well in any soil; they are satis- fied with very small pots; and they may be placed in almost any locality in our climate, and will not fail to flower abundantly. Only one thing should be borne in mind, which is, to water them freely while the buds are forming, and until they have done flowering, after which period they may be watered more sparingly. Unlike other Cacti, they require more moisture, and are not easily hurt by the frequent application of water; yet it seems necessary to pro- vide for good drainage in the bottom of the flower-pot, by filling up one-fourth of the pot with broken pieces of crock. The best soil for them seems to be a light and porous mold, although we have them in excellent condition in common loam mixed with a small quan- tity of coarse sand and well-decomposed stable manure. The Epiphyllums are propagated with- out any trouble. Any of the branches taken off the plant when the flowering season is over, and inserted slightly in sand, will readily strike root within two or three weeks, and are likely to flower 56 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. within a year. What more could pos- sibly be required of a plant to make it one of the most popular and most de- sirable ? Among the plants we recently im- ported were two Epiphyllums grafted upon Pereskia stock, the trunks of which are about nine inches in height. Un- doubtedly much finer specimens can be obtained in this way, and a stronger growth may be expected; but as there is no Pereskia stock to be obtained on this coast, we can not expect to work up- on it; and instead, the stronger-growing Cereus may be used as stock to graft upon. I am convinced that fine speci- mens may be grown in this manner within a short time, producing a very large quantity of flowers, and I certainly think this modus operandi well worthy of a trial. ♦ ■ . A PLANT STAND. The lack of a desirable place to keep plants often prevents the pleasure of raising them. They must have light, and air, and sunshine, and it is not al- ways convenient to devote the brightest windows to their occupancy. If kept on the ledges, they are in danger of be- ing chilled on a frosty night; and it is a tax to be compelled to move the heavy pots every time the thermometer drops. A flower stand of some sort that can be readily moved from window to window is therefore a necessity. The old-fash- ioned wooden ones are clumsy, heavy, and take up too much room. The mod- ern wire frames are pretty and light ; but one of moderate size costs ten or twelve dollars, which is a great deal to put in the stand when we wish to put it in the flowers. We saw something the other day that seemed to serve both economy and con- venience. A box three feet long, a foot and a half wide across the bottom, and eighteen inches deep, is made of com- mon pine. The sides flare outward, so that, at the top, they measure six or eight inches more, from edge to edge, than at the bottom. This box stands on four legs with casters, and under the bottom of the box a piece of wood, fan- cifully cut on the edge ( a sort of pine valance), holds the legs firmly and sym- metrically together. The top of the box is nearly even with the window-sill, and, when the whole is constructed, it may either be painted in colors, or stained dark-brown, to match the furni- ture wood. The inside of the box is better preserved from decay, if lined with zinc or tin; but it will last one, possibly two seasons, without any lin- ing at all. Over the bottom is spread a three-inch layer of bits of broken flo w- er-pots, and on this is set a double row of pots, or as many as will stand evenly on the surface. Then a thick layer of sand is poured over the broken pieces, and the rest of the space filled up with earth till it is even with the top of the flower-pots. In the bed thus formed, bulbs and slips are planted between the pots, and vines are started at the cor- ners. When the latter are well under way, wires, on which the vines twist, are fastened diagonally from corner to corner, forming a beautiful, green arch over what seems to be a bed taken bod- ily from the garden. Sometimes a tiny hanging basket, or an Ivy growing in water, is hung from where the wires cross in the arch, but, even without it, there is no appearance of bareness. A carpenter will make the box for two dollars and a half, and the rest, painting and all, can readily be done at home. — " Home and Society ; " Scribner's for Feb- ruary. . * i » • In India, Jute is superseding Cotton . THE CALIFORNIA HOKTICULTUEIST. 57 INSURE THE GRAIN CROPS. Every year our farmers suffer the loss of hundreds of acres of wheat, burned upon the field before harvesting, gener- ally by the carelessness of sportsmen, smokers of cigars, or the spontaneous ignition of phosphorus used for the destruction of squirrels. These fires have sometimes proved destructive to that degree that some have had recourse to insurance to protect them against a total loss. For the last two years, so imminent has become the danger, that insurance companies refused to take the risk, and farmers were compelled to become their own insurers. It will doubtless be the same this year; sweeping fires will lay waste in a day the labor of months. To guard against such wholesale destruc- tion, there is no better mode of insur- ance or protection than belts of green trees or green herbage a hundred feet or more in width, interspersed at prop- er distances the entire breadth of the field. These belts should be prepared now, by plowing and seeding with something that will be sure to remain green till aft- er the harvesting of the grain. Alfal- fa, as one of the clovers, has this prop- erty in a remarkable degree, and would be an effectual bar to the progress of fire in a grain-field, and its product really worth more to the farmer than the same breadth of land sown to wheat. Among shrubs of taller growth, af- fording food for animals while green, and wood for the kitchen fire when dry, but remarkably juicy and succulent just when it would be wanted as a barrier against fire, there is nothing in • the range of our experience equal to the Malva. If we take a still larger tree, and grow a belt as a bar to the progress of fire,' as a wind-breaker, and for tim- Vol. IV— 8. ber, take the Eucalyptus globulus. These barriers, if miles in length and costing considerable sums, would be, nevertheless, a good paying investment, enhancing the value of the whole prop- erty, and adding security and insurance to broad, almost endless grain-fields; at least, only one section need be lost at one burning. It is a matter worthy and should receive the attention of our large landowners and grain-growers. — Chron- icle. ♦ ABOUT BEE PASTURAGE. With experience and fact both going to show the profitableness of bee-cult- ure on the Pacific Coast, the business nevertheless seems to be every year cen- tralizing, getting into fewer hands, or, at least, with our rapidly increasing ag- ricultural population, there is very little increase in the number who keep bees. We can account for this in no other way than that those who have attempted it in previous years and failed, either had really no taste for the pursuit, or were unfortunate in their location for its suc- cessful prosecution. Wherever pasturage can be obtained in tolerable abundance, bee-keeping, if scientifically conducted, is attended with large profit. Our long and severe- ly dry summers cut short the food of bees even more than would have been supposed ; and this fact has brought about the nomadic system now prac- ticed by our largest bee-keepers. How- ever necessary this may be to the owner of thousands of hives, there are still great numbers of localities where from fifty to one hundred hives can be kept upon a largely paying basis without re- moval. In the vicinity of towns and cities where vegetable gardeners grow their own seeds, and where fruit and orna- 58 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTUKIST. mental trees and flowers abound, our suburban residents should keep bees. For the benefit of those who would like to know whether they are in the vi- cinity of good bee pasturage, we annex a few of the more commonly grown plants, shrubs, and trees found in the suburbs of towns, which yield good bee pasturage. In early spring, Crocuses receive lively attention from bees ; but more pollen than honey is collected from these flowers. The border Hya- cinths of our gardens are honey-yield- ing, and are eagerly sought when in flower. The Raspberry, Gooseberry and Currant furnish excellent feed. The flowers of nearly all the different kinds of Beans are about as rich in honey as any flower can well be. A singular fact in regard to the flower of the Bean is, that being tubular-shaped and narrow, the bee can not get to the bottom of the flower on the inside, but will pierce the tubes near the bottom from the outside. Field Mustard not only continues a long time in bloom, but yields a clear and excellent honey. The flowers of Turnips and all the Brassica tribe are exceedingly tempting to bees, and yield them large supplies. The White or Dutch Clover stands the queen of hon- ey plants, but the large Red, though pro- ductive of honey, is useless, the bee be- ing unable to reach it. Plum-trees are among the very best of our fruit-trees for honey-yielding, but the Apple, Pear, Cherry, Peach, and Apricot are all largely honey -producing. The different varieties of Willow — salix — are always visited by bees in the spring. Maple, Sycamore — or Plane — and Lime-trees are of value to the bee farmer. From the foregoing list of the more common honey-producing plants, one can judge of the probable amount of bee feed for the season, in their re- spective localities. — Chronicle. THE BANANA. Mr. F. Curtis, a writer for the Prairie Farmer, from Louisiana, thus talks about the Banana : " The Banana is not properly a tree, but a plant of leafy, succulent growth, of the genus Musa. The stalk is form- of the stems of the leaves in concentric layers, reaching with its leaves a height of fifteen or twenty feet, aud eight or ten inches in thickness, and contains no woody fibre. From the centre comes the first bearing stem, which turns, and grows downwards. The end of it has the appearance of an ear of Corn, with purple shuck. This unfolds one leaf at a time, displaying two rows — eight to twelve — of tiny little fruit, with deli- cate blossoms, until it attains a length of two or three feet, covered with fruit. The leaves are a marvel for size and ap- pearance, sometimes reaching a length of six feet, and eighteen inches in width, of a glossy pea-green. The root is per- ennial. It is large and fleshy — some- times of the size of a half -bushel meas- ure, from which put forth numerous rootlets, half an inch in diameter. From the main root are constantly springing numerous suckers, which go to form new plants. This being its mode of propagation, they can be taken off to form new plantations, or remain, as may be wanted. "In a suitable soil, which should be rich and moist, and tropical climate, it requires about one year to mature its fruit, from the first appearance of the plant. When it is gathered, the stalk is cut down. Ten feet apart is a good dis- tance to plant them. This gives over four hundred per acre, and the second year there will be ten or twelve plants to each hill, and soon will occupy most of the ground. After the first year they require but little cultivation, the THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 59 old stalks and leaves acting as mulch and manure. Under favorable condi- tions there is no cessation of growth. New plants and ripe fruit are found at all times, and a plantation once started lasts for years. "It is probable that no plant ever cultivated will yield more food per acre, or result in greater profit to the owner, where there is a market for it. It is easily and cheaply gathered, requiring no packages, and bears handling and transportation well. Ten bunches a year per hill is a fair estimate for the yield of a good plantation. This would give over 4,000 bunches per acre. Many of these will contain over 100 Bananas. It is a favorite fruit in tropical coun- tries, and always in demand at the sea- port towns for shipment. There are some people, ,no doubt, who live on Bananas alone; but it is not probable that any great amount of work can be got out of a dozen of that fruit a day. Southern Florida and some of the isl- ands on its coast have proved to be suitable and profitable for the culture of the Banana, and instances are men- tioned where the receipts have been over $3,000 per year from a single acre, in- cluding some plants sold. The south- ern part of California is also said to be well suited to its growth. These are the only parts of the United States where it can be grown successfully. "Here it requires two years to perfect itself, and without winter protection, seldom matures its fruit." Garden Adornments. — Ornamental vases, rustic stands, and hanging bas- kets filled with choice growing plants, now form a prominent and comely fea- ture in the decoration of our flower gar- dens and pleasure grounds. They are elaborately bedecked, and add rich- ness and elegance to well-embellished grounds. In the smallest gardens there is room for one or more of them ; they are of various sizes, and sold largely by seedsmen. The successful culture of lovely plants in baskets, vases, etc., lies in the prop- er selection of plants; for example, all the plants set in one vessel shoxxld be such as will flourish under the same treatment. It is true that some species require more water than others — some thrive best in sunshine, others succeed best in partial shade. Any one at a loss to se- lect suitable plants may ask an honest florist to furnish such plants, and the right number to plant in a vase, stand, or hanging basket. State the size of it, and whether it will be placed in full or in partial shade — and whether creeping or upright plants are desired. The next point is, to use a rich, light, and friable compost for the plants to grow in, as their roots will be confined in a small space. Frequent waterings should also be attended to. When the weather gets too cold for the plants in fall, all the vessels may be taken into the house, and by special care the plants therein will flourish till the fol- lowing spring, when they should be thrown out, and the vessels refilled with new plants and fresh compost. Ferns, Ivies, Lysimachias, Periwin- kles, Lycopediums, Tradescantias, Sax- ifragas, and many other genera, grow well even where they never get a glimpse of sunshine. — The Evergreen. To Preserve Flowers. — Put a pinch of nitrate of soda into the water every day when it is changed. This will pre- serve flowers for a fortnight. Nitrate of potash in powder has nearly the same effect. 60 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTUEIST. ADORNMENT OF HOME. Home £as a meaning and intention beyond the simple necessities of life. It is made, or ought to be, for some- thing more than a place to eat and drink and sleep. Ifc is for cultivation, pleas- ure, rational enjoyment and improve- ment. Cultivated man generally ex- hibits some taste about home. It is generally the index to his degree of cul- tivation. The savage leaves his home unadorned. The barbarian deems it unworthy of him to study for rational adornments of his home; or even for ordinary comfort. Just as civilization advances, taste exhibits itself in the homes of the peo- ple. A cultivated mind craves a beau- tiful home. And what makes a beauti- ful home? It is not wealth, for we have just been told of a man worth $250,000, who never had a chair in his house or rather hovel. He and his family sat on rude stools. It is not professional honors, nor learning, nor talent, that makes home beautiful; for we have seen all these in homes dis- gusting to every idea of taste, order, or neatness. It is what is around and within our home that makes it beauti- ful— the evidence of taste, refinement and culture that encircles it. A home must have some things about it, or it can not be in the highest degree pleas- ant. The first of these is order. There must be order in the arrangement of the buildings. They must be situated in proper relation to the points of the compass. A house that faces no way in particular; neither north, south, east, or west, is sadly out of order, unless the road, or street, or hill, or valley, or stream, or some other prominent natu- ral object, be so important as to be its regulator. When a house is orderly established with respect to the points of the compass, or the scenery about it — the next thing is to have the land im- mediately around it so graded as to car- ry off all water and look pleasantly to the eye. Then the fences about the house should be square with the house and other buildings. They should be neat and trim, the best of their kind, and made both with respect to conven- ience and good taste. Fences may be cheap and in good taste, or expensive and out of taste. The yards, gardens, &c, about a home, when neatly fenced, add greatly to its appearance. Fine fences beautify a farm, and especially a home. When kept in good repair, painted or whitewashed, free from a hedgeway of weeds, briars, thistles, brushwood, &c, they remind every passer-by of thrift, taste, and happiness within. The next point of importance is walks to the road, garden, yards, and out- buildings. They are easily made, and when neatly made and well arranged, add greatly to the beauty of home. A puddle of water, a mud -hole, or any such pestiferous obstruction, in a fre- quented path or walk about a farmer's home is a great annoyance, and reflects seriously on his good taste and good sense. The walks made, and trees and shrubbery are then wanted. Trees along the road, trees about the yards, and shrubbery around the house, are so nat- ural, so graceful to the eye, so musical to the ear, so delicious to the taste, that a home without them scarcely deserves the name. We would not have it all trees about a home. That would create too much dampness. But just enough trees to make a sprightly contrast be- tween sunshine and shade, between heat and cold. But trees are not enough. There should be vines, an abundance of vines, those beautiful emblems of affection, THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 61 about every home. A home without vines, is like a man without a wife, or a bird without a mate. It wears a look of desolation. Vines come creeping about so lovingly, grow so thriftily, bloom so profusely, can be trained into so many beautiful forms, and are withal so fresh and fragrant, that they should be about every home, to remind its inmates of in- dustry, sprightliness and affection. Then commence the flowers, close along the walks, beside the doors, un- der the window, in the corners of the fences, sprinkled in profusely and yet orderly, so as to give an idea of finish as well as of beauty and happiness. A home without flowers! No, let it not be. Let every woman, every child with tiny hand and growing taste, plant flow- er seeds and roots in little nooks, and recesses, and beds, where they can grow as well as not. They love to grow and blossom. Who does not love to see them? Let the buildings all be paint- ed, then let the flowers challenge them to a contrast of colors. When all is in order, let it be kept in order. And when the outside is beautiful, let the in- side be, with order, neatness, comfort, taste, virtue, peace, good-will, love and happiness. — Ex. Value of Walnut Lumber. — As an illustration of the increasing value of Walnut lumber, the Indianapolis Jour- nal notes that the standing Walnut trees on a half section of land on Eel River, in Miami County, Indiana, were recent- ly sold to a lumber dealer for $17,000. There is a large amount of other timber on the tract which is not included, only the Walnut timber being sold. Walnut lumber is coming more and more into use throughout this country and Eu- rope, and at present a very large busi- ness is done in preparing and shipping it from Indiana. ©Mortal lortMitf. FERNS (F1LICES) AND THEIR CULTURE. We are much gratified to perceive among our amateurs a rapidly increas- ing appreciation of this wonderfully beautiful class of plants, whose con- summate grace and delicacy of fronds, and lovely shades of pure green, afford far more gratification and repose to the eye than all the gorgeous tints of Flora's kingdom. Ferns belong to the Cryptogams, and more especially to the division Acrogens of that class, of which they form one of the principal groups. They consist of arborescent and herbaceous perennials, and very rarely of annual plants; some of the tree Ferns having trunks from sixty to eighty feet in height, while others of the herbaceous varieties scarce- ly exceed an inch in height. All true Ferns may be recognized by the growth of their young fronds, which first make their appearance in the centre of the crown, clothed with a villous coating of light brown hair, and each closely en- rolled on itself; and by the development of their spores, which are produced on the under sides of the leaves. The Ferns offer so much variety of struct- ure, that they are necessarily subdivided into many groups. They are found in almost every part of the world. They grow to the greatest perfection in the shade of almost impenetrable forests, and generally delight in a humid atmos- phere— this habit must be specially noted in their cultivation. Like all other plants, they must have their sea- son of repose. Many varieties are spe- cially suited for rock cultivation; others are well adapted for hanging baskets. As a general rule, a compost of one- third of white sand, one- third of leaf- mold, and one -third of fibrous peat, 62 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. is the best soil that can be used for them. Their propagation is compara- tively easy — either by subdivision of the roots, or by raising them from the spores — while some few develop young plants upon their fronds. These latter, when they have put forth two or three fronds, should be carefully removed, potted into small pots, and kept in the shade. Many very beautiful varieties are indigenous to our State, and their collection and cultivation promise a de- lightful recreation to those of our ama- teurs who have the opportunity, and will embrace it. Very useful articles on their culture will be found in the California Horticulturist, vol. 1, p. 289; vol. 2, p. 26; vol. 3, pp. 17 and 165. WOODWARD'S GARDENS. Although the present season has hitherto been particularly unfavorable, owing to the closely alternating of heavy rain and sharp frosts, yet, by the indefatigable attention of the gardener, the conservatories and hothouses have maintained their flourishing appearance. Many choice plants are coming into bloom; and when a propitious change in the weather takes place, the display of floral beauty will be magnificent. The grounds are in excellent condition; considerable alterations and improve- ments are in progress; and notwith- standing the inclemency of the weather, all the sections of the zoological depart- ment have been kept on the advance. The birds, in particular, are highly interesting, for their variety and the rarity of many specimens. SOCIETY NOTICES. "Western New York Horticultural Society. — The Nineteenth Annual Meet- ing of the Western New York Horticul- tural Society was held in the Com- mon Council Chamber, in the city of Rochester, commencing on Wednesday, January 7th, at 11 o'clock a. m. Re- ports were received from the Standing Committees, and many of the most im- portant horticultural topics of the day were discussed. Northern Illinois Horticultural So- ciety. — The Annual Meeting of the Northern Illinois Horticultural Society was held in Farwell Hall, in the city of Sterling, Whiteside County, January 27th, 28th, 29th, and30th, 1874. The discussions embraced subjects in every department of Horticulture, both in theory and practice, new and old, and a most profitable and enjoyable season was had. NOTICES OP BOOKS. Purdy's Small Fruit Instructor. This is a really valuable work on the subject of which it treats, and we can fully recommend it to those of our readers who need such information. The fol- lowing are some of the subjects of which it treats: " Small Fruit for the Family," "Advice to New Beginners," "Profits of Small Fruits," "Gathering the Fruit," "A Plan for Laying-out a Small Family Garden," " Raising New Sorts," "Preparation of Soil for Straw- berries, etc.," "Plan of a Fruit-drying House," etc. The price, post-paid, is twenty-five cents. Address, A. M. Purdy, Palmyra, N. Y. OUR EXCHANGE TABLE. The Horticulturist. — In our notice of this valuable monthly magazine, in our December issue, we erred in the amount of annual subscription. It should have been two dollars. Henry T. Williams, 5 Beekman St., New York. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 63 The Ladies' Floral Cabinet is $1 25 per annum. Published by Henry T. Williams, New York. An excellent monthly periodical. American Farmers' Advocate. "We note that the address of this very use- ful journal is changed from Jackson, Tenn., to Jacksonville, 111. Subscrip- tion, $1 per annum. Chas. W. Green, Editor. Moore's Rural New-Yorker. — Pub- lished by D. D. T. Moore, 5 Beekman St., New York. Subscription, $2 50 per annum. This excellent periodical entered on its twenty-fifth year on the 1st of January, and is evidently in the full vigor of its manhood. "We can confidently recommend it to our readers. Live Stock Journal. — An excellent ex- ponent of its specialty, and well deserv- ing the patronage of every farmer. $1 50 per annum. Buffalo, N. Y. FAVORS RECEIVED. The Overland Monthly. — This is un- doubtedly one of the best numbers yet issued of this first-class magazine, abounding in excellent articles, of which ' ' The Vigilance Committee of 1856," "Salmon-fishing on the Novar- ro," "Seeking the Golden Fleece, No. 6," "Summering in the Sierra, No. 2," particularly attracted our attention. "Etc.," and "Current Literature," are also quite equal to any preceding. Schedule of Prizes offered by the Mas- sachusetts Horticultural Society for the year 1874, is to hand, per favor of E. W. Buswell, Esq., Treasurer and Cor- responding Secretary. Many thanks for the same. CATALOGUES RECEIVED. We have received catalogue of R. J. Trumbull, 427 Sansome street, San Francisco, Cal. A copious and well- illustrated catalogue, well worthy the perusal of such of our readers as need his specialties. His assortment of semi-tropical fruit-trees, from Garey's stock, are well worthy of attention. We have just had a casual look at the proof-sheets of F. Ludemann & Co.'s "Descriptive Catalogue of Plants," as they were going through the press of our publishers. These gentlemen are the proprietors of the Pacific Nursery in this city. We shall notice it more at lensrth in our next issue. Flowek Gardens for Children. — It is desirable on many accounts that chil- dren should cultivate flowers rather than fruits or vegetables. Most children are fond of flowers, and all can be taught to love them, and the hardier and com- moner sorts at least do not tax their en- ergies so heavily as either fruits or veg- etables in cultivation. Besides, since flowers appeal solely to the moral sense, they facilitate the inculcation of gener- ous habits. As children acquire strength and skill, they may gradually be intrust- ed with the care of vegetables or fruits; but they must be taught to use the pro- ducts of their little gardens as a means of conferring happiness on others; for thus can their own happiness be most effectively attained, since that which is selfishly enjoyed must ultimately result in discontent. But of all the lessons to be learned in a garden, the most valua- ble is the art of observing; for so varied, so delicate, so minute, and yet so uner- ring are the operations of Nature, that, though the closest study may fail to fathom her mysteries, the rewards of such study are so rich and so surprising, that even the student of tender years is perpetually stimulated to fresh re- searches. This interest in natural ob- 64 THE CALIFOENIA HORTICULTURIST. jects, once awakened, will prove an in- exhaustible source of pleasure while life lasts; for it is an interest that the com- monest heath can gratify; and he that has made good use of his powers of ob- servation, he that has trained his senses to bring him accurate information, can not "travel from Dan to Beersheba, and cry 'Tis all barren." — Home and School. FLORAL REVIEW. BY F. A. MILLEB. The weather has been unusually dis- agreeable during the last month or two, and has delayed work which necessarily ought to have been completed by us, before this time. Continual rain storms have kept the ground too moist for any outdoor work, and plants in the green- house and conservatories have suffered much from dampness. Usually we no- tice at this time, the approach of Spring, the buds begin to swell, seeds are veg- etating, and everything seems to make a start for new life. This year, howev- er, plants show as little life in Februa- ry as we are accustomed to notice in November and December. As we may reasonably expect some bright and warm days during the next few weeks, we should not lose sight of the most important work to be done without delay, such as working up the soil, enriching it with good old stable manure, planting trees and shrubs, wherever they are desirable, pruning and trimming of vines and flowering and ornamental shrubs, sowing hardy flower seeds, as Mignonette, Pansies, Stocks, Candytuft, Sweet Alyssum, G-ypsophila, Sweet William, Larkspur, Pinks, Sweet Pea, Snapdragon, etc. During bright and warm days it should not be neglected to ventilate greenhouses, conservatories, or rooms where plants are kept, thoroughly, ev- ery day, from nine in the morning until three in the afternoon. The damp and disagreeable weather made drying im- possible the past two months; the su- perabundance of moisture created a foul atmosphere, fungus makes its ap- pearance in all its various forms, the leaves of plants are rotting away, and all this acts again upon the soil in which the plants grow. Thorough ven- tilation, as I advised above, will, in a great measure, counteract all the evils referred to, and will keep the plants from perishing entirely. If you can keep them in fair condition for another month, they will amply repay you for all the attention and care you have be- stowed upon them. Flowers have been very few and far between during the past month; and our florists have not been able to sup- ply the demand. However, the worst is over undoubtedly, and a few days of fine weather will help materially. The chief bouquet material has been Camel- lias, Heliotropes, Lily of the Valley, Cineraria, Hyacinths, Primulas, Abuti- lon vexillarhim, Adiantum cuneatum, and Orange-blossoms, from the green- house; and Roses, Pinks, Violets, Stocks, Mignonette, Ageratum, Pansies,Diosma, Erica, Fuchsia, Candytuft, Antholyza, Gladiolus, and Laurustinus, from the open ground. For button-hole bouquets, the Lily of the Valley, Hyacinths, and Violets, are in greatest demand; while for ladies' hair- dress, the Camellia, with a spray of Smilax, or the Lily of the Valley, is used almost exclusively. During the coming month, the fol- lowing plants will be the chief attrac- tions in the house: Primula Chinensis (Chinese Primrose), Cinerarias, Lily of the Valley, Camellias, Hyacinths, Epi- phyllam (Fuchsia, or Lobster Cactus), THE CALIFOENIA HOKTICULTUKIST. 65 Cyclamen, Eupatorium, Begonia Ver- schaffelti, Streptocarpus Rexii, Libonia Penrhosiensis, Linum flawwi, Azaleas, Bouvardias, and Narcissus. The following bulbs may yet be plant- ed for early flowering, both in and out of doors: Hyacinths, Tulips, Anemones, Dielytra (Bleeding Heart), Lily of the Valley, Narcissus, Snowdrops, Erytln.ro- nium grandifiorum (a most desirable flowering bulb, and native of Califor- nia), Banunculus, and Crocus. All of these are early flowering bulbs, and adapted to house culture as well as for the border. If Boses are taken up from the ground, planted in pots or boxes, and placed in a sunny place in the house, they will flower in about a month. About two- thirds of the young wood should be taken off before taking them into the house. The same mode of treatment is applicable to Deutzias, Spirseas, Wiegel- ias, and other flowering shrubs. The result will amply remunerate for the little extra labor and care. Pelargonium Marie Lemoine as a Bed- ding Plant. — I would strongly recom- mend the above to the notice of flower gardeners for the coming season. I had two large beds of double pink Pelargo- niums last season for trial, each con- taining about sixty plants of Madame and Marie Lemoine : Madame is not worth growing in comparison with Marie — the growth was irregular, and most of the leaves spotted, and the trusses of flowers small, while in Marie the growth was regular, and the foliage handsome, and splendid trusses of bloom, which stood the rain. It is a continuous bloomer ( far preferable to Christine as a pink,) and requires liber- al treatment. I have been told it is a shy grower, but have not experienced it. — Gardener's Chronicle. Vol. IV.— 9. REPORT ON THE FEUIT AND VEGETA- BLE MARKET. BY E. J. HOOPEB. I continue the description of the dif- ferent kinds of nuts from the last re- port. Bitter-nut, Hog-nut, or Swamp-hick- ories, are the poorest of all the varie- ties; in fact the kernel is so harsh and bitter that even the squirrels will not eat them. All the varieties ripen about the middle of September. Horse-chestnuts, or Buckeyes, grow in fleshy, prickly capsules, and ripen in the fall months. These nuts are not edible without some preparation. The bitter green oil is removed by first grat- ing them to a pulp, then adding one fiftieth (1-50) by weight of carbonate of soda. The mixture is then thoroughly washed and racked by means of a clear fountain, and a white and agreeable paste subsides, which is manufactured into bread and cakes. In Paris they are manufactured into starch. Madeira or English Walnuts are an- nually imported here in moderate num- bers, and found in the fine groceries, fruit-stores, and markets. The Greno- ble nuts are considered the best, and are in season throughout the year. The nuts begin to arrive in January and continue until May, when they are con- sidered best. Peanuts, Earth-nuts, Pindar-nuts, or Ground-peas, are found for sale in all our principal cities and in most towns and even villages, and in all seasons of the year. They are brought principal- ly from the Southern States, the south of this State, Africa, &c, in large quan- tities, and may be found not only in fruit and grocery stores, but also at the corners of the streets, and, after having been roasted, everywhere, in the mar- kets, at apple-stands, from peddlers, &c. 66 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. The fresh or new nuts arrive here in October. In places where there are frosts, the first frost kills the vines and ripens the nuts. The annual importa- tion to the Northern States and Cana- da, and the States west of the Rocky Mountains, no doubt considerably ex- ceeds 200,000 bushels. A single plant- er in one of the Eastern States has ob- tained from their culture a yearly in- come of $6,000. He raises from fifty to seventy-five bushels to the acre, and cultivates five acres to the hand, where at one dollar a bushel, the ordinary price — though one dollar and twenty- five cents are frequently realized — yields an income of from $250 to $300 to the hand. No such result, under the old system of labor, could be obtained with the staples on similar soils. Our Cot- ton planters contented themselves with a crop yielding from twelve to fifteen dollars an acre, and it was the summing up on a large surface that gave a living result. The cultivation of no crop is so easy as that of the Peanut, and only the simplest implements are required; first the plow, to break the land, and then simply the sweep and weeding hoes. The average crop, as I have stated, is from fifty to seventy-five bushels to the acre, besides which, there will be left upon the ground enough to fatten 100 pounds of pork. The vine, when the Pea is removed, makes an excellent for- age for cattle — said to be equal to the best hay or wild Oats. From the nut is expressed a now valuable oil. Dur- ing the late war in the States this oil was universally used in our machine shops, and its lubricatory properties were pronounced by competent author- ities to be superior to those of whale oil, for the reason that it does not gum at all. One of the qualities of the oil is extensively employed in the composition of medicine; another is used for burn- ing purposes, and porsesses the virtue of not smoking; while still a third makes a really excellent salad condiment. Such, and so varied and important are the uses to which this simple product can be devoted; uses which the unin- formed, who have perhaps regarded it only in the light of an indigestible bulb, would never suspect to proceed from its cultivation. Pecan nuts are brought from the South and do well in California. They are taken by some for a species of the Hickory nut, known by them as the Illi- nois Hickory. It is almost an inch long, as large as the end of a common sized finger, with a smooth shell, and oblong shape. They are of an agreea- able taste and wholesome. Those that are brought here come principally from the Southern States and Texas, and are in season from November until April or May. Almonds and English Walnuts, with many others of the nuts just described, are now being grown extensively on this coast, and it will not be many years before we will probably have a large surplus quantity of many kinds of nuts, if not the whole of them, as we have now of Oranges, Grapes, &c. We im- port now Malaga Raisins, Zante Cur- rants, and Hungarian Prunes. Cur- rants, Prunes, Plums, &c. , are now dried here in large quantities; also Apples, Peaches, and many other fruits too nu- merous to mention. The Alden pro- cess of drying fruit will revolutionize this whole traffic. Raisins have also been successfully cured here the past season, and we are every year doing more in the way of drying and curing Figs. From the statistics furnished us, we condense the following as the operation of the Alden Fruit Preserving Works at THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 67 San Lorenzo; of which. Littlefield, Webb & Co. are the resident agents. In a work- ing season of 140 days, 790,000 lbs of fruits and vegetables have been preserv- ed, as follows: Apples, 333,700 lbs; Pears, 171,350; Peaches, 68,734; Corn, 49,208; Squash, 48,283; Currants, 42,- 209; Apricots, 37,091; Potatoes, 14,613; Onions, 8,871; Plums and Prunes, 5,- 368; Rhubarb, 4,742; Tomatoes, 4,192; Cherries, 3,401; Peas, 1,406; Beef, 671; Beans, 206; Miscellaneous, 2,000; total, 790,045 lbs. This being the first sea- son of its operation here, it is consider- ed quite a success. During the 140 days, an average of only four evaporators were used; if the factory had been worked to its full capacity, 1,000,000 poundswould have been the amount, thus showing an average of nearly four tons per day. Not having a full supply of fruit was the reason the factory was not run to its full capacity. The sales of the Alden product have been much better than was expected, the quality of the fruit far exceeding any ever offered for sale by the Eastern factories. The agents of the company in this city have re- ceived orders which they are unable to fill, being sold out of a fall line already. Orders were received for a lot of On- ions and Apples for the Navy Depart- ment, which would require 3,000 sacks of Onions and over 5,000 boxes of Ap- ples to fill it; but the order coming so late, they were unable to procure them in quantities to warrant accepting the order. From what we have seen of the Alden product, we are convinced of its excellence and superiority over any present method of preserving, and be. speak for it great success on this coast. Following is the price list of the San Lorenzo Fruit Preserving Company : Apricots, 32c to 40c per lb; Peaches, 12^0 to 30c; Pears, 12£c to 50c, the latter rate for Bartlett, pared; Currants, 32^c to 40c: Apples, 12^c; Plums, 25c; Rhu- barb, 35c; Corn, 30c ; Potatoes, 14c; Sweet do, 15c; Onions, 40c; Beef, 40c; Tomatoes, 75c; Squash, 25c. The above are put up in bulk in boxes containing 30 to 50 lbs, and also in 1-lb caddies in cases of two dozen each. Extra choice Apples, in 10-lb boxes, expressly for family use, 18c; do Pears, 22ic per lb. The first Cucumbers of the season ar- rived in the first week in January, from Vacaville, Solano County. They were grown under glass. Green Peas were at that time less plentiful, on account of the supply from the Mission Gardens being exhausted. The poor quality of those coming forward at that time, pre- vented any advance. The markets on the 10th of last month (January) were abundantly sup- plied with Los Angeles Oranges, the greater portion of which were of inferi- or quality, and sold at low prices. The stock of Mexican held out for some time, and had a depressing effect upon California fruit. Apples were abund- ant up to the middle of January; but Pears of all kinds were very scarce. Ban- anas were at 75c; Smyrna Figs, 35c per lb; Apples, by the box, were delivered at $1.25 to $2.50; Pears, $2 to $3. With the exception of a decline in Asparagus and Artichokes, prices in the vegetable markets underwent no change from the beginning to the end of Janu- ary. The last week in January, Green Peppers, from Mexico, retailed at $2 to 25c; Spinach, 8c; New Potatoes, 5c to 8c; Asparagus, 50c per lb; Lettuce, 20c to 25c per dozen; Salsify, 8c to 10c per bunch; Potatoes by the sack, delivered, $1.25 to $1.50 per 100 lbs. During the same period, the supply of tropical fruit was increased by the arrival of a cargo of Oranges, Limes, and Cocoanuts, from Tahiti; Bananas from Honolulu, and Bananas, Pineap- 68 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. pies, and Limes, by the Panama steam- er. Shipments of California Oranges from Los Angeles were liberal, and as the quality improved and the supply of Mexican decreased, the inquiry for them increased. Apples were abund- ant, and prices took a wide range. In the latter part of January, Bananas were at 75c; Smyrna Figs, 35c per lb; Apples by the box, delivered, $1.25 to $2.50; Pears, $2 to $3. The last of January the retail mar- kets continued dull under the depress- ing influence of wet weather. Oranges were the chief among fruits, and they were in abundant supply, especially from Los Angeles. The inferior de- scriptions of the latter were hawking in the streets at 25c per dozen, while the better description from the San Grabriel valley — from the Sunnyslope and Lake Vineyard orchards — commanded the highest price in the market, $1 per doz- en. Mexican Oranges were plentiful at 50c to 75c per dozen, and Tahiti Oran- ges at 50c. Pears were giving out, and were quoted at 6c to 8c. Pineapples sold at 75c to $1 each. Potatoes, Asparagus, Cabbage, and Cabbage Sprouts, remained firm at the quotations of a week before. Rhubarb from Petaluma retailed at 20c per lb. Mushrooms advanced to 35c and 50c per lb. Horse Radish was easier at 20c per lb. Improved Foliage Beets. — The gar- den Beet would be a beautiful orna- ment in the flower garden if it were not so common elsewhere. But there have been some variegated kinds produced, which are said to be as handsome as the Coleus. Mr. Bull thus talks about them — one in particular, which he calls " Multicolor": " This useful and handsome decorative Beet has been raised by Mr. Clark, gardener to "W. S. Mitchell Innes, of Edinburgh, where it has been carefully grown and selected for some years past. With reference to the origin, Mr. Clark states that a sin- gle variegated plant came up in a lot of the ordinary garden Beet. This plant produced seed which gave a numerous progeny of various colors. The seed saved from the second generation pro- duced plants in which the variegation was still further developed, and embra- cing the following colors: rose, orange, magenta, silver, bronze, crimson, with various shades of purple — and with the different colors blended, from the bright- est orange to the richest carmine; and when shown before the Royal Caledo- nian and Royal Horticultural Societies, twenty distinct varieties were exhibited. From its hardy character, and the vari- ety of color it produces, the use of this Beet as a decorative plant for flower gardens (apart from culinary purposes), can scarcely be over-estimated; plants potted in autumn would be extremely serviceable for cool conservatory deco- ration, their colors rivaling those of the brightest Dracsenas, with the advantage of not requiring a stove like the last- named. " ♦ Purple Cone-flower, {Echinacea pur- purea.)— A specimen of this plant in cultivation from Illinois, presented some features which commend it to attention for the garden. Although somewhat coarse in foliage, its large flower-heads terminating the naked peduncles are quite showy, from the dark-purple, al- most black, conical centre and the nu- merous (ten to fifteen) light-purple pen- dant rays. These rays are about two inches long by one-fourth of an inch wide. The plant is vigorous and hardy and is worthy of trial in the flower- garden. THE CALIFOENIA HORTICULTURIST. 69 (Mltcrriat (Stanton. A London Experiment with Sewage. — The Phosphate Sewage Company, of London, have patented a process which promises to solve the very troublesome question of the disposition of the liquid filth that flows through the sewers of every city. The process combines the saving of the rich manurial properties of the sewage for fertilizing purposes, with its disinfection, so that, instead of l^olluting some neighboring brook or river, the liquid portion that escapes is clarified into sparkling water, pure alike to smell and taste. The company is at present experimenting with a portion of the sewage of London, treating it in the following manner: The sewage, a turbulent mass of thick, black, and odorous water, is pumped out of the main into a wooden carrier, along which it runs for a few feet, till, passing a small pumping-engine, it receives the addition of a small quantity of phos- phate of alumina, specially prepared. The sewage continues its course along the carrier some distance, the phosphate meanwhile becoming thoroughly mixed with it, and visibly affecting its appear- ance in the direction of clarification. It next receives a further addition in the shape of milk of lime pumped into the carrier from another small pumping station, and the mixture is permitted to flow into two large tanks, where the process of precipitation takes place, the effluent water running off by carriers to perform its work of irrigation. New Paper-fibre. — According to the Agricultural Gazette of India, a common weed called Sida retusa, growing in great abundance in Queensland and New South "Wales, has recently been found to afford a very valuable material for paper-making. It is a species of Malvaceae, and the best specimens grow about Windsor, New South Wales, where it is known as American Lucerne. It is alleged to be of such vitality and vigor of growth as to be almost inerad- icable, and to grow in such profusion as to be a very troublesome weed; to be very superior to Esparto-grass, clean, easily bleached, and having all the best qualities of flax. " Samples of the Sida retusa having been submitted to the chief paper manufacturers in England, one and all have agreed in expressing their most favorable opinion of its per- fect adaptability to the purpose of pa- per-making, and all entertain a very high estimate of its market value." Va- rious species of Sida are represented to be common throughout India. One, Sida piliafolia, referred to by Dr. Forbes Boyle, in his work on Indian fibres, is said to be cultivated in China for its fibre, as a substitute for hemp and flax. Dr. Roxburgh describes its fibre as "strong and pliable, very silky in its nature, and the plant of very rapid and luxuriant growth, three crops being ob- tained in one year." Packing op Oranges and Lemons. — A full grown Orange-tree yields from 500 to 2,000 fruit annually, and arrives at the bearing state in three or five years, as does the Lemon-tree; and both grow luxuriantly in most soils. The planta- tions, in the Mediterranean countries, are called gardens, and vary in size, the smallest containing only a small num- ber of trees, and the largest many thou- sands. The fruit is gathered in baskets similar to peach - baskets, lined with canvas, the basket being held by a strap attached and passed around the neck or shoulders. From the garden the fruit goes to the repacking magazine, where 70 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. it is removed from the boxes in which it was picked in the gardens, and repack- ed for shipment by experienced female packers, after having been assorted by women, and wrapped in separate pa- pers by young girls. As many as 500 (mostly women and children) are em- ployed by some of the fruit-growers in their gardens and magazines, in gath- ering, sorting, and repacking for ship- ment, the wages paid them varying from nine to sixteen cents a day. In sorting, every fruit that wants a stem is rejected. The boxes are then securely covered, strapped, and marked with the brand of the grower, when they are ready for shipment. Twenty years ago this trade was nothing in its commercial charac- teristics, or the inducements it offered to capitalists. Now it is progressing with giant strides into prominence, and is a considerable source of revenue to the Government. Ditaine, New Substitute for Quinine. — The use of Eucalyptus globulus as a substitute for quinine has been quite thoroughly discussed, and now we find another plant which bids fair to make equally as great a stir in the medical world. The plant in question, Echisera scolaria, belongs to the family of the Apocynaceae, and grows quite abund- antly near Luzon, in the province of Bataugar, in the Philippine Islands. Its bark has for some time been em- ployed by the inhabitants of the prov- ince as a cure for all kinds of fevers. M. Gruppe extracted from the bark the active principle, which he called ditaine, and which has been used in the hospitals in the same manner and the same doses as quinine. It is said to be quite as ef- ficacious as quinine, without producing any of its disagreeable effects, and has been found very valuable as a tonic. "Sanfoin." — The Monterey Gazette has the following: "This is a French name of a grass, a species of Lucerne, which in France has long been culti- vated as the most profitable of grasses, whether for hay or for pasture. Victor Bidache has received ten pounds of the seed, and will take measures this season to propagate it. He informs us that ' Sanfoin5 will grow on lands having a dry constitution, and that it is remark- ably prolific, yielding, without irriga- tion, two crops of hay the season, and then serving for pasture. It grows two feet high, has a beautiful flower, and is full leaved. Besides its use as hay, it is employed as a fertilizer, like the red clover in the Eastern States. Should Mr. Bidache's experiment succeed, and there is no reason it should not, ' San- foin' will be a valuable addition to our grasses." The Tew Poisonous. — All the evidence on the subject of the Yew being poison- ous to cattle, horses and deer, leads to the conclusion that when eaten in its fresh state it is harmless, but when with- ered or partially so, it is poisonous. The clippings of Tew hedges, for instance, if laid within the reach of these animals and eaten by them, have invariably caused death ; but it is known that when they browse upon the fresh shoots in parks no such result occurs. — Cottage Gardener. Germination of Primula Japonica. — English florists find that the Primula Japonica retains its germinating power down to the third season. Seeds which were received direct from Japan by E. G. Henderson & Son, and germinated but small numbers the first year, pro- duced thousands freely the second year, and the same pans still produced the third year from the original sowing. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 71 The London Times sharply contro- verts the assertion made by Dr. Edward Smith to the British Association, that fish is rather a relish than food, and contains little more nutriment than water. As opposed to this statement, the investigations of Mr. Payen are cited, who proves that the flesh of fish on the average does not contain more water than fresh beef, and has as much solid substance as the latter. For instance, the flesh of salmon contains 75.70 per cent, of water, and 24.296 per cent, solid substances, while beef (muscle) contains 75.88 per cent, of water, and 24.12 per cent, solid sub- stances. The flesh of herring contains still less water than that of salmon, and some fish are as rich in nitrogenous substances as the best wheaten flour, weight for weight. The Esparto Grass. — At the Society of Arts recently, Mr. Johnson read a pa- per on Esparto Grass, Macrochola tena- cissima, now so largely used in the man- ufacture of paper. The leaf is the por- tion used, and the imports have ris- en from fifty tons in 1856 to over one hundred thousand tons in 1870, stand- ing second in this respect to cotton on- ly. The plant grows best on the sea- coast of southern Spain and northern Africa, and there seems to be no reason why the culture should not be largely increased both in the native country of the plant and in other regions of simi- lar climates, etc. The plant is repro- duced by seed, or transplanting. — Gar- dener's Chronicle. The Best Plants for Hanging Bas- kets.— A contributor to the London Garden says that plants with slender branches which naturally hang down, are most suitable for hanging baskets. "Mother of Thousands"— the "Wan- dering Jew " with its prettily marked leaves — the Lobelias, and some of the trailing Campanulas or Bell-flowers — the well-named "Rat-tailed Cactus," and the so-called " Ice-plant," are all more at home when suspended than when grown in any other position, un- less it may be when placed on brackets at each side of the window, where they have a very charming appearance. The same writer suggests that the suspend- ed basket or flower-pot should be sup- ported by a piece of cord passed through a small pulley, by which means it will be easily lowered down for the purpose of watering. Tree Lemon Verbena. — In these days, when effective plants are sought after, we should not lose sight of things at hand with which to produce as good re- sults as any new introduction can afford. The London Gardener's Chronicle calls attention to the pretty effects which can be had from the common Lemon Verbe- na when trained as a standard. The wavy spikes of flowers are very grace- ful, and the odoriferous character of the plant will always make it a favorite in any form. — Gardener's Monthly. Blackberries in California. — The Cal- ifornia Agriculturist notices an acre and a half Blackberry patch near San Jose, from which were picked sixteen tons of fruit, and adds : " This is the second crop that he has gathered, as the vines are but three years old. The soil is a rich, light alluvial, and he cultivates thoroughly and clean- ly. The plants are four to eight feet apart. He irrigates from the time of blossoming while the fruiting lasts, as often as once a week, and says that it pays to irrigate copiously. The variety 72 THE CALIFORNIA HOKTICULTUKIST. cultivated is the Lawton. One man will pick from 100 to 112 pounds per day, and it has required seven men con- stantly at work to pick the fruit from one and a half acres during the ripen- ing season." Health from Flowers. — It is report- ed that an Italian professor has discov- ered that perfumes from flowers have a chemical effect on the atmosphere, con- verting its oxygen into ozone, and thus increasing its health-imparting power. As the result of his researches he states that essences of Cheny, Laurel, Lav- ender, Mint, Juniper, Lemons, Fennel, and Bergamot are among those which develop the largest quantities of ozone, while Anise and Thyme develop it in a less degree. Flowers destitute of per- fume have no such effect. He very naturally recommends that dwellers in marshy localities and near places infect- ed with animal emanations should sur- round their homes with a profusion of the most odoriferous flowers — a recom- mendation which the Creator, through their beauty and fragrance, addresses to the senses of all sensible people. Adiantum Formosum. — The above named Fern is certainly an exceedingly useful variety. It is very easily cultiva- ted, and can be propagated freely; the mature fronds have also the good qual- ity of keeping longer after being cut than any other of the species; but that it is more beautiful than A. cuneatum I can not admit. It is quite as easy to grow. I noticed it in an article on Ferns last year. The method alluded to of inverting a small garden saucer inside a larger one, so that the bottom of the pot just touches the surface of the water, is good when the plants have quite filled their pots with roots. I have some Ferns which are grown for exhi- bition, and must not be shifted into pots larger than twelve inches in diameter; they require watering twice or thrice a day in summer, and often suffer from neg- lect when standing on the stage with oth- er plants; but when the pots are placed bodily in saucers of water, they are not a tithe of the trouble, and seem to do well with their treatment. — Gardener's Record. METEOROLOGICAL RECORD, Fob the Month Ending Jan. 31st, 1874. (Prepared for The Hoktictjltueist by Thos. Tennent, Mathematical Instrument and Chronometer-maker, No. 423 Washington Street, near the Post Office) . BABOMETEB. Mean height at 9 a. m 30.17 in. do 12m 30.17 do 3p.it 30.15 do 6 p. m 30.15 Greatest height, on the 29th at 12 m 30.45 Least height, on the 15th at 6 p. m 29.68 THEEHOMETEB. ( With north exposure and free from reflected heat. J Mean height at 9 a. m 46° do 12 m 50° do 3 p. m 50° do 6 p. m 46° Greatest height, on the 15th at 12 m 60° Least height, on the 12th and 22d at 9 a. m., and 12th at 6 p. M 39o SELF-BEGISTEBING THEEMOMETEB. Mean height during the night 41° Greatest height, on night of 16th , 54° Least height, on night of 23d 33° WINDS. North and north-east on 17 days; south and south-east on 2 days; south-west on 8 days; east on 1 day; north- west on 3 days. WEATHEB. Clear on 7 days; variable on 8 days; cloudy on 16 days; rain on 14 days. BAIN GAUGE. January 1st 1.54 inches. 14th. 15th. 16th. 17th., 18th. 19th. 20th, 21st. 25th. 26th. 27th. 28th. 30th. 0 06 0.35 0.20 0.59 0.07 0.36 0.32 0.08 0.25 0.12 0.13 0.45 0.33 Total 4.85 Total rain of the season up to date 17 .14 JOB PEIITIIfi OF EVERT DESCRIPTION Executed at this Office ! Group of Annuals. I. Double Petunia. 2. Phacelia. 3- Single Petunia. 4- Candytuft. THE AND FLORAL MAGAZINE. Vol. IV. MARCH, 1874. No. 3. ACHIMENES. BY F. A. MILLER. The Acliiinenes (Nat. ord. Gesneri- acece) is a bulbous rooted plant, exclu- sively cultivated under glass, and may be recommended as a very desirable house plant. It is found in the West Indies, Central America, and Mexico. The treatment necessary is simple; but the following rules must be observed: The best soil for it is a sandy leaf -mold, to which a small quantity of bone ashes should be added. Plant six to eight bulbs in a six-inch pot, at equal dis- tances; the pot to be filled up to within one to one and a half inches of the rim; as the plants grow up fill in carefully and gradually the same soil, until the pot is nearly full. If treated in this way, side-shoots will be formed from the main stems, and a compact growth will be the result. Set the pot close under glass. The planting may be done in February, or any other time un- til April. Two or three months after planting, the plants will be covered with rich flowers of various shades, as de- scribed below. After the flowering sea- son, and when the stems have decayed, the bulbs should be taken up and buri- Vol. IV.— 10. ed in sand of moderate dampness, where they may remain until the time for planting comes again. I would advise to plant bulbs of only one color in a pot, the effect being much better when in bloom. This is also preferable, for the reason, that some varieties grow taller than others, and uniformity is re- quired. The Achimenes is very easily propa- gated from cuttings. Very desirable varieties are : A. coccinea, native of Jamaica, fine scarlet. A. gloxiniceflora, (from Mexico), flow- ers large white, with yellow throat. A. grandifiora, lilac. A. longiflora major, beautiful blue. A. Ambrose Verschaffeltii, fine white. A. purpurea elegans, deep claret color. To Mend China. — Take a very thick solution of gum-arabic in water, and stir into plaster of Paris until the mix- ture becomes of proper consistency. Apply it with a brush to the fractured edges of the china, and stick them to- gether. In three days the article can- not be broken in the same place. The whiteness of the cement doubles its value. 74 THE CALIFOENIA HOKTICULTUBIST. OENAMENTAL SHEUBS— HOW TO TAKE CAEE OF THEM. Deciduous shrubs are propagated by cuttings, layers, offsets, or divisions of the root, and seed. Cuttings are made of the ripe wood of the same year's growth, -cut in November and heeled in — that is, the lower end of the cutting is planted in sand, in a cellar or some place where there is an even tempera- ture, above freezing, and yet not warm enough to start the buds before it is time to plant in the spring. Most of the new varieties are propagated by cutting off the young shoots. These are taken off when about three inches in length, and planted in boxes or shal- low pots, filled with sand, and placed in frames where there is a moderate de- gree of bottom heat. To be successful in raising cuttings in this way, the tem- perature should be kept as even as pos- sible. The sudden changes from fifty to sixty, and then down to thirty, caus- es the cuttings to damp off, as the gar- deners term it — that is, turning black and rotting. Other varieties of shrubs are raised from cuttings of the root, which may be cut up in small pieces of an inch in length, and planted in the same way. All varieties like a rich and deep soil. The Laburnum and Japan Quince have long roots, which run deep into the ground, and when grown in poor soil, they have a dwarf and stunt- ed appearance. Most shrubs, as a gen- eral rule, send out their roots not far from the surface of the soil; conse- quently, a slight surface manuring in the fall is all that is necessary to keep them growing and blooming luxuriant- ly. In pruning, some little judgment is required. Some varieties produce their flowers on the wood of last sea- son's growth; hence, care must be ex- ercised in removing wood, or the sup- ply of flowers will be limited. Others produce their flowers on the young wood made in the spring. These may be pruned more severely. As an illus- tration of this fact, the Spiraea pruni- folia bears its^beautiful white flowers on leafless shoots of last season's growth, while the Spircea opulifolia, which flow- ers later, blooms on young shoots of the same season's growth. The following is a list of twenty-five varieties of the best now in cultivation : BERRY-BEARING SHRUBS. Callicarpa Americana. — Flowers very small and insignificant. In October, the branches are covered with beautiful purple berries. Propagated by divi- sions of the root and cuttings. Daphne Mezereum — Most fragrant of all the flowering shrubs. Blooms in March, and is succeeded by bright scar- let berries. Propagated by layers and seeds. Euonymus Americanus, or Burning Bush, sometimes called Strawberry Tree. — A tall growing shrub, covered with bright scarlet berries. E. fructa alba bears white berries, and forms a pleasing contrast to the former. It is very easily propagated by seeds, cut- tings, layers, and division of the root. Symphoricarpus racemosus, more com- monly known under the names of Wax- berry and Snowberry; the flowers are insignificant, but the berries are rather pretty in the fall. Symphora vulgaris, commonly called the Coral Plant — the berries are red, and bear a slight re- semblance to coral beads, easily propa- gated by layers and divisions of the root. Berberis atropurpurea. — A variety of the common barberry, with dark pur- ple leaves. In spring it bears a profu- sion of flowers, of a yellowish color, quite pretty, succeeded by berries of a dark color, of no great beauty, yet it THE CALIFOENIA HORTICULTURIST. 75 should be in a collection, on account of its hardiness, retaining its foliage for a considerable length of time during win- ter. Propagated by cuttings and divi- sions of the root. Amygdalus Persica, or double flower- ing Peach. — The new crimson one is a splendid addition to our collection of flowering shrubs. It frequently bears double fruit, but they never mature. To perpetuate it, it requires to be bud- ded on the common Peach or Plum stock. Amygdalus pumila is the old double pink-flowered Almond, too well known to need any description. Amygdalus pumila alba plena, the new double white flowering Almond, is also a great addition. No choice selec- tion of shrubs is complete without it. It is extremely hardy, and easy to prop- agate by cuttings of the root. Andromeda calyculata — Is a dwarf shrub, retaining its leaves all winter, and covered with white flowers in the spring. Andromeda floribunda grows taller than the above, flowers larger and more abundant. Propagated by seeds, layers, or cuttings. Azalea calendulacea, Orange colored Azalea. — Very showy, but not as fra- grant as the Azalea viscosa or nudifiora, which grows wild in most parts of the country. Gercis, Japan Judas Tree. — This is probably the most showy of all the ear- ly flowering shrubs in cultivation. The flowers are of a rosy pink, and produc- ed so profusely as to cover the branches entirely. Propagated by layers. Cytisus scoparius — Scotch brown, a very graceful growing shrub, of medi- um size, foliage very small, and bear- ing a profusion of pea-shaped flowers of a bright yellow; not perfectly hardy, yet does well in sheltered positions. Propagated by seed. Cydonia Japonica, Japan Quince; a beautiful flower, but the plant, on ac- count of its thorny character, is no fa- vorite with us. Cydonia Japonica alba is a white, or, more properly speaking, a pink variety. Both, when planted to- gether, form a pleasing contrast. Prop- agated by layers and dividing the roots. Deutzia scabra grows eight or ten feet high, bearing an abundance of pure white flowers. The new double flow- ered variety is pretty, yet we think it will be some time before it supersedes the preceding one. Deutzia gracilis, a dwarf kind, suitable for early flowering in the house. Propagated by cuttings. Forsythia viridissima, Golden Bell, flowers very early in spring, and retains its foliage until quite late in the season. Easily propagated by layers. Forsythia suspensa, a new weeping variety, flow- ers similar to the above, but much smaller. Halesia Tetraptera, Silver Bell Tree, bearing thousands of white bell-shaped flowers. Propagated by seed. Spiraea. — A beautiful class of shrubs, commencing to flower early in the spring, and continuing until autumn. Spiraea prunifolia bears its flowers on long, delicate shoots. Spiraea Heevesii bears a profusion of white flowers. S. fl. plena, a double flowered variety of the former. Billardii, bright red. Gallosa, pink flowered. Propagated by cuttings, layers, and divisions of the root. Syringa, Lilac. — The new varieties are very fine. Syringa virginalis, a deli- cate white flower. Persian, purple flowers. S. laciniata, cut-leaved curi- ous foliage. These varieties are valua- ble, as they commence to flower when quite small. Propagated by layers, cuttings, and divisions of the root. Tamariscus Africanus. — Avery grace- ful shrub, growing quite tall, foliage 76 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. delicate, flowers in long spikes, of a pale pink; can be raised from layers of the branches. Weigelia rosea. — This shrub has be- come very popular. Its beautiful flow- er, extreme hardiness, and quick growth have rendered it a general favorite. Weigelia amabilis, a strong growing kind, of not much beauty, but it blooms occasionally during the summer. Weige- lia variegata, variegated leaves. Propa- gated by cuttings, layers, and divisions of the root. Viburnum opulus, the old-fashioned Snowball. There are several varieties of this shrub. It is propagated by cut- tings and layers. Hypericum, or St. John's Wort. — A dwarf shrub, bearing small yellow flow- ers, in bloom for quite a length of time during summer. Propagated by seed. Philadelphus coronarius, or Mock Or- ange, the most fragrant of all the Sy- ringas. Philadelphus grandiflorus, larg- er flower than the former, but not so fragrant. Nana, a dwarfish variety. Gordonarius, similar to grandiflorus. All the varieties named bear white flow- ers. Propagated by cuttings, layers, and divisions of the root. Hydrangea. — The new variegated leav- ed varieties are very ornamental. Ar- gentea variegata has white spots or stripes on its leaves. Aurea variegata, foliage, golden stripes. They require to be protected during winter. Easily propagated by cuttings and layers. Crataegus oxycantha, English Haw- thorn. The red and white are quite pretty, and well worth cultivating. Propagated by seeds. Kalmia latifolia, our native Laurel. — Its extreme hardiness and delicate flow- er has made it quite a favorite of ours. "When removed from its native woods, it should be planted in a similar soil. Calycanthus floridas — sweet scented shrub. The stems and flowers are both fragrant. The flowers are not remark- able for their beauty. Propagated by suckers, layers, and cuttings. Rhododendron — There are so many varieties of this beautiful evergreen shrub, that selection is & matter of taste. B. Cataivbiensis, large purple flower. Maximum, pink flower. Prop- agated by grafting, seeds, and layers. — Horticulturist. THE HOLLY. BY E. J. HOOPEE. The Holly (Ilex aquifolium) is a beau- tiful evergreen shrub, which I should like to see more cultivated than it is in California. It is essentially a winter ornament in almost every civilized coun- try, where it can flourish in the open air. At Christmas, especially, it is that the Holly-bush attracts the eye, sancti- fied by the customs of so many nations. Ever green and ever brilliant, now en- wreathed with snowy clusters of star- like flowers, now clad with glowing masses of deep scarlet berries, beaute- ous in every season, "It weathers every changing hour, And -welcomes every sky." And thus it commends itself not only to the variable climates of other lands, but even to our own happily climated State, rich as it is in numerous plants of both native and foreign growth; and notwithstanding that we possess so beautiful and indigenous a plant as. the lovely Madrona-tree, (Arbutus Menziesii), it is fully equal to it in the great beauty of its flowers, foliage, and red berries. The Holly is beauteous and inspiring even in its most commonly diminutive and OTishy state; but the effect is, of course, greatly enhanced when it is planted in some open spot, where it may THE CALIFORNIA HOETICULTUEIST. 77 stand in the perfection of its growth, an evergreen tree, displaying the verdure of summer amidst, as even in our mild region, the sombre and subdued expres- sion of the winter landscape. "Glossy-leaved and shining in the sun," it is indeed always a glad and cheering object, as may be seen in the handsome grounds of E. B. Woodward's country place in Napa Valley, where the brill- iant clusters of scarlet berries, which inwreathe its outer branches, contrast and embellish its cone-like mass of en- during greenness. The circumference of the stem and branches of the Holly is small in pro- portion to that of many other trees. This may in some degree be accounted for by the peculiar slowness of its growth, (at least in most countries), and the consequent hardness of the timber, the annual deposits of woody layers be- ing remarkably small and compact. The bark is smooth and of a grayish tinge, the lower branches spread hori- zontally, and when the tree is uninjured by cattle, etc., diverge regularly on each side of the trunk, while the upper and lower shoots assume a more ele- vated direction, so as to give the tree a cone-like appearance. "The branch- es," to quote the minute description of Hunter, "are garnished with oblong oval leaves, about three inches long and one and a half broad; of a lucid green on their upper surface, but pale on their under, having a strong midrib ; the edges are indented and waved, with sharp thorns terminating each of the points, so that some of the thorns are raised upward ; these being very stiff, can not be handled without pain. The leaves are placed alternate on every side of the branches, and from the base of their footstalks the flowers come out in clusters; standing on very short foot- stalks; each of these contain five, six, or more flowers." " 0 reader! hast thou ever stood to see The Holly-tree? The eye that contemplates it well perceives Its glossy leaves, Ordered by an intelligence so wise, As might confound the atheist's sophistries. "Below a circling fence its leaves are seen, Wrinkled and keen ; No grazing cattle through their prickly round Can reach to wound; But as they grow where nothing is to fear, Smooth and unarm'd the pointless leaves ap- pear." The meaning of the latter stanza is ex- plained thus : "When the tree is allowed to assume its natural form, the leaves on the lower branches alone are fur- nished with these prickles, while those on the upper boughs are, for the most part, destitute of them. Yet handsome as the Holly may be as a tree, it is especially valuable as a hedge-row plant. For this purpose it is most generally cultivated in England and many parts of Europe, and is pe- culiarly adapted, whether we regard its great durability, the impenetrable na- ture of its foliage, the facility with which it bears clipping, and the ever- green character of its tough and pol- ished leaves, unchanged by seasons or blasts, and almost impervious to the in- sect tribe. " A hedge of Holly, thieves that would invade Bepulses like a growing palisade ; Where numerous leaves such orient green invest, As in deep winter do the spring arrest." "Whether our comparatively dry climate would suit it as a hedge-row plant, ex- periment could alone decide. They have excellent hedges of it in many parts of Europe, where the climate is far colder than California. A rich and deep loam is the proper soil, a rather moist and sheltered, though not over-shaded place, the situation, in 78 THE CALIFOKNIA HOKTICULTUEIST. which the Holly thrives best; yet it has this further recommendation, that there are but few spots in which it will not grow. Even between the shade and drip of other trees, so uncongenial to almost every other plant, it is uninjured; and in this respect it is unequaled, ex- cept by the Dwarf or Tree Box. The timber of the Holly is hard, white, finely grained, susceptible of a very high polish, and easily stained with different colors : hence it is pe- culiarly suited for inlaying, veneering, and other ornamental cabinet work. It is, however, rather scarce everywhere, and rarely to be obtained in any quan- tity, even in the countries where it is most grown, being too much prized by the owners to be cut down for timber. It is considered to rank next after Box and Pear woods, for wood engravings. Many varieties and sub-varieties have been raised by accident or cultivation from the Holly. The name Holly is evidently a cor- ruption of the word holy, and applied in consequence of being for many ages, and in most European countries, asso- ciated with the sacred festival of Christ- Pkeserving Cut Flowers. — Cut flow- ers in vases will keep much longer if the vases are filled with white sand, and with water enough barely to cover it, or rather to keep it thoroughly wet. Wa- ter by itself rots the stems, so that they lose the power of drawing up moisture; but this does not occur so readily where they are thrust into the wet sand. The sand should be washed by having water poured on it and drained off before use; otherwise, the salt which all sea sand contains will prove injurious. As wet sand is an unhandy thing to put into vases, it is well to have it washed and dry beforehand. REMAKES ON THE CULTIVATION AND AFTER TREATMENT OF GLOXINIA, GESNERIA, AND ACHIMENES. BY THOS. L. WEBB. These are all natives of various parts of South America, and can be brought into bloom at any season by merely regulating their period of rest, so as to prepare them for starting into growth at any time of the year. The remarks that follow may be of some use to ama- teurs not possessed of a good hothouse, and who wish to grow a few of these fine objects in their greenhouse. Before remarking, however, upon the subject of treatment, it will, per- haps, be of some benefit to those who have not paid attention to the cultiva- tion of this class of plants, to state that the leaves are the agents of the bulbs' (or tubers') maturity, and by which they collect and lay up a store of matter so essential to perfection in the flowers; so that it will be readily understood, that whatever has a tendency to pro- mote healthy leaves, tends also to in- duce excellent bloom. The treatment these tropical herba- ceous plants require, so nearly agrees, that they can be classed together for cultivation. The Achimenes are the smallest, with scaly roots, and I find do best grown in shallow pans. The Gesnerias are larger tubers, and named after Conrad Gesner, a botanist of mer- it, of Zurich. The Gloxinias will form tubers from four to six inches in diame- ter. They were named after Gloxin, a botanist of Colmar. At the present time — January — all those that are not already started into growth, should be stowed away in a dry place on a shelf, at the back or darkest part of the house, or they may be put with their sides turned up, un- der the stage, in a temperature not low- THE CALIFOKNIA HOKTICULTUKIST. 79 er than 45° Fahrenheit, for it is not safe to keep the tubers colder, as they are liable to rot; if above 55°, to start into growth. There can, however, be some already started into growth if care has been taken to give the tubers a due proportion of repose. Debility, which is often seen in them, arises from improper management, the vital energies of the plant being nearly ex- hausted for the want of rest. There- fore, those who would cultivate them with success, must carefully attend to periodical resting. As to growing the plants, it is the system of some cultiva- tors to part them after they have com- menced to grow, others, directly after they are removed from their winter quarters. In starting the roots of Gloxinias, (which may be done every six weeks if you have a hothouse) they should be taken out of the old soil, and repotted into four or six-inch pots, according to the size of the tubers, in a compost of light sandy peat and leaf-mold, and a small portion of well-rotted cow-dung, which will enrich it, taking care to give plenty of drainage. The tubers of the Gloxinias and Ges- nerias will only require to be pressed on the surface of the soil. Achimenes will require to be covered with at least half an inch of soil; then placed in a warm, close frame in the greenhouse, so that they get plenty of light. There is nothing to beat a pit to grow them to perfection, with a good moist bot- tom-heat from a bed of tan, dung, or leaves — the latter is preferable, being easily procured — also a lasting, nice, sweet temperature of from 60° to 70°, when they will make a free growth; give them plenty of water. It is as easy to grow good Gloxinias, Gesnerias, and Achimenes, as it is a few Cucum- bers; and an amateur can have them to do well in his greenhouse or pit. Use the syringe rather freely as they grow; and, as the temperature rises it will, with these, as most other subjects, in- duce clean and vigorous growth. The thrip, one of the worst pests of our greenhouses, will attack this class of plants with avidity, more particularly the Achimenes. Even the bloom will not be spared if they are allowed to get ahead. They can also be well grown in ordinary frames, such as are used in the truck patch. About the middle of March prepare some good fresh stable manure, in the same manner as for ear- ly frame cucumbers, then let the same quantity of leaves be collected and mixed with the dung, sufficient to form a good substantial bed, with a steady heat of about 70° — let the dimensions of this bed be about three feet larger every way than the frame to be used — cover the whole with six inches of soil of any kind, or sifted coal-ashes, for plunging in the pots or pans. The end of March will be time enough to put in the tubers, taking care to use soil warmed to the temperature of your frame or pit; shut up close for a few days, and give no water. Open the sash every fine morning to prevent the heat rising above 75 deg. Aim at a night temperature of from 55 deg. to 60 deg. After a few leaves have shown themselves, water carefully, and sprin- kle over the leaves in the after part of the day, just before the sun is off the glass, and shut up immediately. Should we get a spell of cold weather, and the thermometer indicate a lower tempera- ture, renew the heating material by re- moving the outer portion of your bed by cutting quite to the bottom, then re- place with fresh, hot stable dung, or dung and leaves. This will not, how- ever, require so much preparation as the dung for the original bed, as the 80 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. excessive heat will not come in imme- diate contact with, your plunged pots, your object being at this time to main- tain a steady heat of 75 deg. Water of nearly the same temperature as the frame, or at least tepid, must always be used at this season — and shade from the mid-day sun. As they start into flower, give more air and plenty of water; and as they expand, remove them from the frame to the greenhouse, first to the warmest, then to the coolest part of the house, to prolong their sea- son of bloom. After they have done flowering, put the earliest batch in a warm place out of doors. Water mod- erately, each week giving less, to en- courage them to go to rest. Later batches, after flowering, can be placed on their sides under the partial shade of trees, or a wall, where they will get sufficient sun to thoroughly ripen them. By the end of September, or early part of October, they ought to be all brought into their winter quarters until want- ed to perform their routine of work again. The following are a few good showy Achimenes : — Ambroise Verschaffelt, white, with crimson eye; Carl Wool- furth, fine crimson; Carminata splen- dens, carmine; Longifiora major, violet blue; Longifiora alba, white; Margari- ta, pure white; Meteor, scarlet; Sir Trehern Thomas, crimson; and Mauve Queen. A few good Gloxinias: — Lau- retta, blue; Brilliant, crimson; Fairy, white and violet; Model, pink; Optima, dark rose; Sanspareil, pure white. Of Gresnerias there are Zebrina splendens, Cinnabarina, Donckelaari, Purpurea, Yelutina. There is a great variety of the three species, and all that is requir- ed is a trifling outlay in getting a col- lection, and care. There is a striking Gloxinia that re- quires especial notice, namely, the old, almost forgotten, Gloxinia tubifiora, which is a very distinct variety intro- duced from south Brazil. The tubers are not unlike potatoes in appearance, and throw out stems, which grow and produce white tube-shaped flowers from two to three inches long. The plant attains nearly two feet in height; flowers from the bottom to the top of the stem. No collection, however small, should be without this variety. It is also delight- fully fragrant. — Gardener's Monthly. PROTECTING YOUNG FRUIT -TEEES. Jonathan Shearer, of Wayne County, Michigan, tells us, that in planting or- chards he has found it an excellent practice to protect the stems of the trees from the direct rays of the sun (un- til the tops are sufficiently large to ac- complish the same purpose) by winding them with a rope of straw. He cites one instance where Apple-trees thus treated grew fully a third faster than those treated in the usual way. This simple precaution is deemed especially important in cases where persons pre- fer to keep the surface soil clear, as the intense heat reflected in summer from bare ground is thought to be a prolific source of disease in young trees. Some horticultural writers, with the view of obviating this difficulty, have advised planting much closer than is customary, even if part of the trees have in time to be cut away. One has gone a step far- ther, and suggested that it might be well to introduce " nurslings/' such as Alders, Poplars, or Willows — of course removing them before they become large enough to interfere with the roots of the fruit bearers — and thus secure the cool surface which, in orchards, is almost as important as a dry, warm subsoil. — N. Y. Tribune. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 81 ORANGE CULTURE. BY J. STEENZEL. [This interesting and valuable article on Orange Culture was corrected by the author from the Farmer's print, for in- sertion in the present issue of the Cali- fornia Horticulturist.] An Orange grove in the far off Sunset Land was one of the dreams suggested to my fancy on reading Fremont's nar- rative of travels in Upper California in 1846; it was the guiding star on that long journey across the untracked plains in 1849 — through the salty, waterless Llanos Estacados, in the knee-deep road-dust in our meanderings along the Gila River, and on the much dreaded Colorado Desert. When, after thirteen months of wandering, the wide-spread plain of the San Joaquin, gleaming with fiery brightness of fields of Escholtzia, greeted the gaze from the summit of Pacheco's Pass, we praised the Lord that permitted us to view this "Land of Promise." In 1853 I planted the first Orange seed; that grew well, and in 1873 I had realized my dream. During these many years the Farmer has faithfully and ably advocated the State's advancement in Horticulture especially, being always ready to promulgate the experience of workers. I take the liberty to profit by your further indulgence. It is now demonstrated that Oranges can be grown all over California; in fact, I suggest that every home could and should be graced by more or less of this golden fruit of the Hesperides. To insure this, it is well to guide the new-comers in those processes which, if well attended to, will secure in comparatively a few years that success towards which the ef- forts of their predecessors have been directed for a quarter of a century. Vol. IV.— 11. The Orange-tree under favorable con- ditions is a rapid grower; but when those are lacking may remain stationary for years. It requires the richest of mellow soil, such as is always well drained, and must have also an abun- dance of surface moisture. Originally a tropical fruit, it gets acclimatized in a more temperate zone, and, with some shelter and in a favorable location, will sustain without injury a temperature of a few degrees below the freezing point. It is a great feeder; the roots spreading over the surface of the ground absorb fertilizers readily, and require all the so- lar heat available; so the trees should have plenty of space, not less than fif- teen feet apart in the rows. They re- quire careful pruning and shortening in, even of the sharp spiny thorns; when this is done, innumerable bearing shoots take their place; thus not only is fruit- fulness promoted, but injury to the fruit during wind storms is avoided. The story of the early history in California fruit culture is repeating itself. Then the product of a Peach-tree was set at hundreds of dollars, and fortunes were made by the single rule of arithmetic. The consequences of this inflation are, fewer trees now and decidedly inferior fruit. Some count on two thousand Or- anges to a tree; this multiplied by the ruling price for the best fruit looks very handsome; so we see the market crowd- ed with little sour, half-ripened, per- fectly worthless fruit, to the injury of the careful grower. Now, in our lati- tude, anything like two or three hundred large, rich, perfect Oranges on a tree in its teens, should satisfy the cupidity even of a "diamond salter." Orange -trees can be bought now by the thousand, and at a very low price. Thus parties wishing to plant extensively can be easi- ly supplied and without a loss of time. But my object in writing this sketch 82 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. is to encourage the new-comer — the man of little means but sturdy arm and will — and more so, our girls, panting for extended spheres of labor. To those I would say, obtain a few of the best flavored and largest ripe Oranges, select the plumpest seed, and plant it fresh in boxes with perforated bottoms, and sides about eight inches high, filled up with rich mellow soil that will not bake, dropping the seeds five inches apart and covering one inch; keep the box in a warm room and the soil damp. When the young plants appear, give plenty of air and sunshine, and sprinkle them every evening with slightly tepid water; if there is no frost apprehended and the nights are warm, keep your boxes out- of-doors, sheltered from wind and burn- ing sun; a screen made of unbleached muslin will answer for both; fork over the surface between the plants occasion- ally, and mulch it toward the midsum- mer with well - decomposed manure. The seedlings should attain the height of twelve to eighteen inches during the season, but be not too ambitious to stimulate an exuberant growth; rather shorten in the rampant shoots and se- cure a stocky symmetrical growth. Dur- ing the winter keep them' in a dry airy place, with a temperature never under 33° and not over 60°, and in the spring transplant them to larger and deeper boxes. This is the time to graft them over, if you know of a tree bearing su- perior fruit, or a particular foreign va- riety from which you could obtain sci- ons— otherwise let them be, as the fruit is reproduced true from seed. Seed- lings are the thriftiest and hardiest, make larger and finer trees, and if carefully shortened in, and the forming of fruit buds promoted by nipping the ends of shoots, will bear early enough. All the grafted foreign varieties are more tender, of slender growth, and the few Oranges they bear a year or two earlier do not amount to much generally. Ex- cept in very favorable locations, the seedlings should remain in boxes the second year, affording a greater facility for sheltering them during the winter, and be transplanted out in the open ground the third year. The time of the year for transplanting small trees is im- material, provided it is not done during scorching midsummer days; but like other evergreens they should be always lifted with the earth adhering to and covering the roots in a lump. After transplanting, they should be copiously watered to settle the ground, and the trees shaded from the sun for a week and more. In choosing the site for an Orange-grove, former observation is nec- essary to indicate the spot exempt from freezing; a few feet of elevation above the surrounding surface, a few feet to the right or left of the prevailing cur- rents, make a vast difference in the cli- matic peculiarities of a given location. This was well understood by the Dig- ger Indians. Their ancient camps along the banks of creeks, in the innumer- able little valleys among the hills, are just the places; they invariably combine mellow soil, enriched by the offal of the camp, with nearness to water, and are always the most cozy and sheltered nooks in all the country. In these nooks vines, Tomatoes, Melons, etc,, will remain green nearly all winter, and young plants are not injured by spring frosts. Next, a free supply of water is essential. The holes for the reception of Orange-trees should be four feet in depth and the same in diameter, with a layer of old bones at the bottom, six or eight inches deep, filled up half way with the richest top soil well pulverized, and all drenched with water till thor- oughly settled. The tree with the ad- herent ball of earth is placed in the THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 83 centre a couple of inches higher than it stood before, and the hole filled in. The general rule as to further treatment and pruning must be adhered to. In most parts of the State, the tree when young will require more or less shelter during the cold spells; anything that will prevent a current of air around a plant, after sunset, and consequent reduction of temperature, or sudden thawing after the freeze, will answer; thus boughs of evergreens or even brush stuck around, or a frame of poles cov- ered over with discarded sacks, the shelter of a wall with an overtopping roof, can all be made use of to answer the purpose. The copious sprinkling of the trees at sunrise, after a cold freezing night, is also most effective; also the planting between in alternate rows of evergreen, for which purpose the different varieties of the Eucalyptus are eminently adapted. The foliage on the older trees and the ripe fruit is coated over during the summer with a black rust, considered by some to be a parasitic growth. It washes off easily, without leaving any trace whatever. It appears rather to be an accretion of dust mixed with the ex- uded volatile oil abounding in the leaves and outer rind of the fruit. By copi- ous showering during the summer any injury from that cause can be easily ob- viated. More serious, as affecting the growth of the tree, is the rapid increase of the scale insects; they don't mind the Chamomile recommended by some, but soapsuds or weak lye -washes subdue them effectually. The same processes are followed in raising Lemons. The tree is rather more tender than the Orange, but the fruit is often more profitable. I have Lemon seedling trees bearing as perfect and large fruit as the best of Sicily. Oranges and Lemons can be safely transported long distances, and the market for them is unlimited at remu- nerative prices. There is no possibility of overstocking. Nothing need be wast- ed from the products of this culture; the surplus leaves dried are used in pharmacy, and make a very palatable tea, and should supersede the nerve- unstringing Bohea; the drooping flow- ers are the source of the costly oil, neroli; the smallest green fruit finds a demand for the best of bitters, the larger for preserving, and the ripe fruit, a luxury in itself, is the best corrective of the injurious effects of a too nutritious and greasy diet; the wood is very firm, elastic and durable, and even the sharp thorns make the best and most fragrant toothpicks.. The culture of these two varieties of fruit can fill the full scope of available labor in our State. No girl need be idle, but can raise her dowery in Orange and Lemon trees, each bearing tree at the most moderate estimate represent- ing a capital of one hundred dollars in- vested at the highest per cent. Gkouping Plants. — There is no way in which the deadening formalism of our gardens may be more effectually de- stroyed than by the system of naturally grouping hardy plants. It may afford most pleasing results, and impress on others the amount of variety and love- liness to be obtained from many fami- lies now unused. Trees and shrubs, dis- tinguished for their fine foliage, collect- ed in a quiet glade ; and then bright foli- age trees should be set in contrast with quieter colors, and varied with bright beds of flowers and leaf plants, or hardy flowering shrubs. These groups should be irregularly, but artistically, planted. Then, on a knoll, plant a large bouquet of the rosaceous family — Hawthorns, 84 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. Cherries, Plums, Pears, Peaches, Al- monds, etc. There is so much that may be done to add to the bewildering beauty of a landscape by naturally ar- tistic planting, that we are often aston- ished that people do not "see it." — Rural New- Yorker. APPLES FOE FOOD. Apples are now considered to con- tain far more brain food than any other fruit or vegetable, and to be much more nutritious than Potatoes, which enter so largely into the component parts of every meal. At present, Ap- ples are principally used in the form of puddings, pies, tarts, and sauce, and are also eaten raw, in which state they are more wholesome than when mingled with butter, eggs, and flour. But they are served at every meal; and, substi- tuted for pickles and such condiments, they would surely be found beneficial. Sweet baked Apples are a most desira- ble addition to the breakfast and tea table, and are far more healthful, ap- propriate, and sustaining, than half of the dishes usually esteemed essential at such times. Served with milk and bread, they make the best diet that young children can partake of, and are very satisfying in their nature. Baked Apples, without meat, are far more substantial food than Potatoes can possibly be made, and to us the deli- cious aroma and flavor are always most appetizing. We would rather go with- out our daily bread than our daily bak- ed sweet Apples. Yet, although there is such an abundant crop of Apples this season, we presume there are many families who will not use a barrel of them for the table this season, but who will devour at least six barrels of Pota- toes. Let us beg of them to equalize the two a little more, and purchase at least three barrels of Apples to five of potatoes. They will find that less flour, eggs, sugar, and butter will be consum- ed in a family when a plentiful supply of Apples is stored in the cellar. One of the most celebrated physicians of Philadelphia eats two raw Apples every evening before he retires to rest, and thinks that they not only supply food to his brain, but keep the whole system in a healthy condition. For years I have followed his advice, and am confi- dent that the fruit has been of great service to me. There are dozens of recipes for pre- paring Apples for the table, almost all of them requiring the addition of but- ter, eggs, etc.; but to us either baking, boiling, or steaming makes the most palatable dishes. Our family favorite is prepared thus : Wipe the Apples clean, dipping them first into boiling water; then with a corer remove all the seeds and stem, by punching it through the Apple. Place the fruit in a deep bak- ing dish, put a tablespoonful of white sugar into the middle of each Apple; turn in a teacupf ul of boiling water, with three tablespoonfuls of sugar dissolved in it. Bake in a slow oven till quite soft, taking care not to burn the skins. Take out into a dish and serve with cream ; milk will do, but it is a poor substitute for the richer article; con- centrated milk, however, is as good. The Apples can also be pared, cored, and sweetened, and placed in a deep dish on the upper part of the stove; a large teacupful of boiling water poured over them, and a plate laid over the dish. Boil them until soft, and there is no trouble about removing the skins when eating them. Sweet Apples can be treated in this way, using molasses instead of sugar, if preferred; and they will be delicious in flavor. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 85 Pickled Apples are almost as appetiz- ing as pickled Peaches, and are easily prepared. Take one pound of coffee- crusked sugar, No. 1, and dissolve it in one quart of cider vinegar; add to it one tablespoonful of whole cloves, two of allspice berries, and two of stick cinna- mon, all broken fine. Boil and skim it for twenty minutes. Put into the syr- up small sweet Apples; let them cook until a broom straw will run through them, but do not let the skins break badly. Skim out into a jar, and turn over the boiling liquor. Small sour Ap- ples can be used, if desired, and the Siberian Crab Apple makes a delicious relish if thus prepared. The ingenious housewife can invent ways of cooking Apples; if the skillful French cooks have discovered three hundred and sixty-five ways of cooking an egg, surely our inventive brains can discover two hundred ways of cooking Apples. Apple short-cake is a "dainty thing to set before one's king," and most hus- bands appreciate it. Fair friends, let us cultivate the use of Apples for food, and not let them decay in our cellars for want of appreciation. — Cor. Coun- try Gentleman. Compost fokFloweks. — In cleaning off the garden and flower borders, there is more or less of leaves, litter, etc., that must be disposed of in some way. Take it and make the basis for a compost heap for the winter; empty all the coal and wood ashes of the house over it, as they accumulate from time to time; save all the bones and refuse of the kitchen, and all the greasy dishwater, and the cham- ber-lye, and add them daily to the heap. Gather, if you can, from the blacksmith shop or elsewhere, iron-filings or scales from the hammering of heated or rusty iron, the parings of horse-hoofs, and, with a little of sharp sandy soil, add them to the heap. This, well mixed, in the spring, will form one of the cheapest fertilizers for all kinds of flow- ers in the open border. — The Horticult- urist. m ■ »■ EPIPHYLLUMS. These remarkably beautiful flowers are much grown and well understood by all practical men, but there are many young gardeners and amateurs to whom a few words of advice may be of service. Epiphyllums are easily propagated by cuttings taken off at a joint and planted in light sandy soil in well- drained pots, and placed in a warm house, and the soil kept rather dry until they have roots. They should not be exposed at this stage to brilliant sunshine during the middle of the day, but a few hours' exposure to the sun each day is better than keeping them constantly shaded. They may be wintered in a warm green- house, if kept moderately dry at the roots, but they make a better and an earlier growth when wintered in a tem- perature not less than 50 deg. at night, and 55 to 60 deg. by day. It should be remembered that they are at all times impatient of too much moist- ure at the root, and that they like a free and open soil. For established plants there is nothing better than turfy loam, leaf-soil, peat, and very coarse sand, in equal parts. They do not require over- much pot-room : a shift into a pot two inches larger once in two years, if well drained, will suffice to keep them grow- ing and in good health. Those who have their forcing-houses at work, or the convenience of a stove, should shift their stock if required, and then give them the aid of more heat than they would enjoy in a common 86 THE CALIFOENIA HORTICULTURIST. greenhouse. Water sparingly until there are signs of their commencing to make a new growth. After they are fairly started let them have more water and air. By the beginning of June any house will suit them, provided it is airy, and not shaded. They will well repay the cultivator for a little extra care in the spring, as they make an earlier growth with the assistance of a little extra warmth at that season. This gives them more time to make and mature their growth, and larger and more blooms is the re- sult. There are different methods of grow- ing them. Some prefer them on their own roots, while others like to have them on stems a foot or more in height. They are easily grafted upon any of the larger-growing Cacti, so that the stem may be had of any height desired. For my own part, I like to have them on their Own roots and grafted on tall stocks, as a greater variety of form is obtained. Specimens on stems twelve inches high, in a six-inch pot, are admi- rable subjects for dinner-table and in- door decorations, as also are dwarf j}lants on their own roots for filling vases. I have not named any variety to be grown, for the reason that they are so beautiful that I am not acquainted with any one variety that is not worth grow- ing. If I have a preference, it is for E. truncatum albescens, E. truncatum omen- tum, and E. truncation violaceum. — R. P. B., in Gardener's Magazine. Remove the Flowers. — The Garden says: "All lovers of flowers must re- member that one blossom allowed to mature or "go to seed" injures the plant more than a dozen buds. Cut your flowers then, all of them, before they begin to fade. Adorn your room with them; put them on your tables; send bouquets to your friends who have no flowers, or exchange favors with those who have. On bushes not a seed should be allowed to mature." KAISLNS IN CALIFORNIA. The San Francisco Bulletin asserts that experiments have been carried far enough now to show that all the raisins needed for consumption in the United States can be made in California, and not inferior articles either, but equal to the very best imported. It says : "It does not even require artificial heat or costly machinery, although Grapes can be converted more rapidly by an artifi- cial process. The manufacture of rai- sins is about as simple as that of mak- ing dried Apples. The process is per- fect enough when the Grapes are laid on the dry warm ground. All the vines now in bearing, which do not produce Grapes suitable for raisins, can be changed rapidly by root-grafting. Even the common Mission Grape makes a good raisin, much better than the sec- ond quality of those known to com- merce. Of course, raisin -making re- quires considerable manipulation. It is a business requiring attention to many small details. The bunches of Grapes must be cut off at the right time, spread out to dry, carefully watched, turned over, assorted, packed, and finally put up in the most attractive way. But af- ter all there is not more attention to details than is required in the conduct of a successful dairy, There can not be much of a speculation about the busi- ness. Only so many Grapes can be raised on an acre, and if they are of the best sorts, the amount of raisins which can be made will be known in advance. It is doubtful if up to this time the THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 87 vine-growers of this State have realized their expectations of profit from their vineyards. Grapes have brought low prices. "Wine can not be made profita- bly except by experts. Many vineyards are remote from market. But if there be added this new resource, it will make little difference as to the remoteness of the vineyard. The fruit-growers have already found a way out of their diffi- culties, by a better process of drying fruit. The Grape-growers will yet find an important outlet in the same direc- tion." ■ — ♦ ■ Errors in Ornamental Tree Plant- ing.— A few days since, in passing through the pretty village of Warren, the capital of "Warren County, Penn- sylvania, I was forcibly, not to say pain- fully, struck by the utter want of taste and judgment displayed by some of the residents, in the matter of ornamental tree planting. In some of the instances referred to, evergreens were planted in the immediate front of the houses, and so near to them that, although they had obtained only a partial growth, the branches had already intruded them- selves into the veranda, thereby not on- ly inconveniencing the residents, but presenting anything else rather than a handsome appearance, and threatening, in the course of a few years, to almost entirely exclude the sunlight from that portion of the premises. Many old residences are open to similar objec- tions. No greater error in taste, or in the important matter of health, can be committed than this. Trees, however beautiful, should never be planted so near the house as to bar out the sun- shine. There is no more effectual meth- od of destroying their beauty, nor a bet- ter plan for introducing disease. I have known houses, thus crowded upon by trees of dense foliage, that became so unhealthy as to be regarded as almost untenable. They were restored to fit- ness for human habitation by removing a portion of the trees that obstructed the sunlight and the free circulation of the air. Another error in ornamental tree planting is the setting of trees of large growth in small yards, and espe- cially as is frequently done in cemetery lots. Just as lofty mountains dwarf ad- jacent hills, so large trees have the effect of lessening to the eye the size of small yards or small buildings. It is sound and seasonable counsel, therefore, to ad- vise all persons who are about to plant ornamental trees adjacent to dwellings, or in small yards or gardens, to have an eye to taste and health. Let them be in keeping, in point of size, with the building or plat they are intended to beautify; and, moreover, let the plant- ing be not so close as to shut out the blessed light of the health- giving sun. — Journal of the Farm. POTATOES AND POTATO CULTURE. A few weeks hence our farmers must commence planting Potatoes for this year's crop. Perhaps all have their own settled opinions in regard to the best va~ rieties and systems of culture, which no words of ours can change. But it may not be amiss for farmers to consider why changes both in varieties and culture have been made during the past few years; also whether we are really making progress, or merely repeating what has been done many times before. As is well known, the Potato is a native of cool climates, although not what we would term cold ones, being found growing wild in high mountain ranges in tropical countries; hence we find that it succeeds far better in the extreme northern part of the Union than in the Middle or Southern States. Vermont can beat 88 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. Virginia any time in growing our com- mon Potato, simply because the climate is more congenial to its growth. Soil certainly has some effect on the quality of the tuber, as well as its size, but Ver- mont soils are no richer or better adapted to the growth of Potatoes than much which can be found in regions where this plant does not thrive; therefore we must attribute more to the effect of cli- mate in the production of the best Po- tatoes which come to market, than to soils. There was also a time when a majority of farmers thought it necessary to plant whole tubers for seed in order to obtain a large yield, although there were a few equally successful who al- ways persisted in cutting up the tubers for planting. The thousands of experiments made in the past ten years to ascertain the truth in regard to all the old notions as to Potato culture, have proved conclu- sively that a moderate sized section of a large tuber was as good, if not better, for planting than a whole one. The largest yield of Potatoes on record was produced from planting single eyes of a tuber, only one in a hill. Science, the handmaid of all pro- gressive movements in agriculture, as well as in other departments of labor, has also fully demonstrated that a Po- tato tuber is not an individual seed any more than an ear of Corn is one, but that each bud is really a seed as much as a kernel of Corn, and as capable of producing as strong and vigorous indi- vidual plants when separated from the parent tuber, as Corn is when taken from the cob. If a tuber is planted en- tire, only a small number of the buds germinate; the others perish or are sup- pressed through an overgrowth of their fellows. Now these facts are patent to every man who has given the subject careful consideration, either theoretically or practically; and no matter who or how many may decry them, they will remain facts as firmly established as the Atlan- tic Cable, the Pacific Railroad, or any of the numerous other great achievements which were for years pronounced im- possible. We know that there are a few farmers who still adhere to the old plan of planting whole Potatoes, and claim that cutting the tubers is an un- natural process, which is likely to cause degeneration and disease; but we would remind them that cultivating plants at all is an unnatural process, though by its aid we have been able to surround ourselves with nearly all the comforts of civilized life. We have no more desire to see our cultivated fruits, flowers, and vegetables go back to their wild condi- tion than to see civilized nations relapse into barbarism. We have claimed, and still hold to the opinion, that thousands of bushels are wasted every year by planting whole tubers. This waste will probably continue until all learn, not economy merely, but the utter folly of planting whole tubers for seed. It is true that instances are not want- ing where whole tubers have produced more than pieces, but these are only ex- ceptions to the general rule, just as small, inferior tubers have occasionally produced as much as the large and per- fect ones; but no good farmer would at the present day advocate the continued use of small, half -matured Potatoes for seed. We would not, however, use the very large overgrown specimens, for these may not be any better than the very small ones; but the fully develop- ed, thoroughly ripened tubers are always the best, and these are generally of me- dium size, varying, of course, according to the variety. Whether it is best to plant early or late in.spring depends very much upon THE CALIFOBNIA HOBTICULTUEIST. 89 the locality and season; consequently there is little room for argument on this point. But, as a rule, if the Potatoes come forward before hot weather, they will not only yield better, but the tubers will be of better quality. There is, however, little to be gained by putting seed in the earth until it is warm and dry enough to work easily. Planting is another operation which should be varied according to circum- stances. In a light, dry, warm soil, the seed may be placed deeper than in a heavy cold one, but, as a rule, Potatoes are not planted deep enough to insure a healthy growth and large yield. The tubers are not produced upon the true roots of the plants, as many suppose, but on subterranean branches which spring from the principal stem, mainly above the roots. This being the case, we can readily understand how rather deep planting will facilitate the issuing of roots, and also afford a greater length of stem below the surface for the pro- duction of bearing branches. The hill- ing up of the growing plants so long- practiced by the cultivators of Potatoes produces similar results to deep plant- ing, and we have no doubt it came into use long before the reason why it in- creased the yield was known. It is still an open question among our farmers whether deeper planting and level cult- ure is not far preferable to shallow planting, followed by the usual hilling- up process. The tendency, however, among our- most extensive cultivators of Potatoes, is to adopt the former system, and we think it is preferable to the latter, es- pecially in warm climates and in dry- seasons. Under what is termed level culture, the soil remains comparatively cool and moist, whereas, if thrown up in ridges or hills, it is likely to become hot and dry. But climate and soil Vol. IV.— 12. should always be taken into considera- tion in adopting any particular method of culture. — N. Y. Sun. Winter Clothing of Children. — The outer clothing for children should be warm but not heavy, for it is a false notion to suppose that a quantity of heavy clothing is good for a child; it only tires, without infusing warmth. Air-tight materials and water-proofs are injurious to health. As a rule, loose textures are warmer and healthier than very close ones; and fluffy materials are infinitely better preservatives against the cold than close and smooth materi- als. Color has also a great influence on the warmth of clothing; thus white, which is coolest in summer, is also warm- est in winter, and black the reverse. To preserve health, it is also necessary to go out in all weathers; and in no case should the child be too much wrapped up. A short, loose jacket for cold days is a good outward covering, or a soft woolly polonaise — anything, in fact, which is warm without ; being too heavy, nor preventing. the free use of every limb. Heavy clothing engenders undue perspiration, which should be particularly guarded against in the open air, especially at this time of the year. During the time that children are out of their nursery or school-room, the windows should be left open top and bottom; thus the air of the room will be purified before they return to it. (The windows, of course, must be clos- ed before the children enter the room again.) These may seem very trifling and useless hints to many; to others, however, they may not be without value. Children are delicate plants, and to be reared into stalwart trees they need care and thought during the early years of their tender growth. — Daily Graphic. 90 THE CALIFOENIA HORTICULTUKIST. ANNUALS. — (See Frontispiece.) BY F. A. MILLEE. Much, brightness could be given to our flower-gardens by cultivating a few of the pretty annuals, which form such prominent features in European and Eastern gardens. The expense of ob- taining the seeds is but a trifle, and one package of seed will produce a great number of plants, which will flower dur- ing the summer if sown in the spring. The Double and Single Petunias are generally classed as annuals, but with us in California, they are hardy, and will hold out for several years in the open ground. Double Petunias are rarely produced from seed, yet seed can be procured from our seedsmen which will produce a certain percentage of double flowering plants. In reality, the single varieties are prettier than the double ones, and for bedding out are preferable. Many exceedingly fine col- ors are now produced — some of them variegated, striped, blotched, shaded, and mottled with pleasing colors and tints. All of the different varieties may be obtained from seed. The Rocket Candytuft is an improved variety of the old-fashioned Candytuft, and produces most perfect spikes of white flowers two or three months after the seed is planted. The leading colors of this flower are white and purple; of the latter, however, various shades have been produced of late. In our mild localities, such as San Francisco, Candytufts may be had in bloom all the year round, if the seed is planted from time to time. The Phacelia is a native of this coun- try, and its delicate blue flowers are pro- duced in spikes, not unlike the Helio- trope. As a border or bedding plant, it is most desirable, as it will thrive well without the assistance of irrigation. NUTKITIOUS FOOD. Upon this subject a writer in the Phil- adelphia Star says: " I submit the fol- lowing article on food, hoping it may do a little good to the poor class in these pinching times: Oatmeal contains 91 per cent, of nutritive matter; "Wheat, 85J per cent.; Potatoes, 28 per cent.; the best flesh meat, 25 per cent. It may be seen by the above that one pound of Oatmeal contains nearly four times as much nutrition as one pound of beef. We pay for the beef per pound 15, 20, 25 cents; for one pound of Oatmeal we pay 5 cents. "Nearly half the people of Ireland and Scotland live on Oatmeal and Po- tatoes. They do not taste flesh meat once a month. The writer of this arti- cle has not eaten flesh for a year ; he finds himself better physically as well as mentally. His dinner for one day consists of one cent's worth of oaten meal or cracked Wheat, made in the form of mush. He does not do this for econ- omy, but for health. " I would like to say a few words before I close this article on Wheat. Wheat contains of the carbonates, or heat and fat producers, sixty-two per cent. ; of the phosphates, the class that supplies the bones, the brain, and the nerves, and gives vital power, both men- tal and muscular, two and a half per cent. ; of the nitrates, the class that sup- plies the waste of muscle, twenty-one per cent. "If Wheat were eaten in its natural condition, without bolting, it would sup- ply all the needed elements in- the hu- man body; but in the process of bolting nearly the whole of the phosphates and nitrates are removed; so that bread made of superfine flour will sustain life only a few weeks. The best way to get good Wheat meal THE CALIFOKNIA HORTICULTURIST. 91 is to buy of any mill of our city, half a bushel of whole Wheat, thirty pounds. Either get the miller to grind it for you, or take it home and grind it in your coffee-mills." A New Vegetable. — The Gardener's Chronicle says : "In the current num- ber of the Journal of Botany, Dr. Hance describes a Chinese culinary vegetable, consisting of the shoots of a grass, Hydropyrum latifolium, wild in North- ern China and Amoor Land, and culti- vated in Southern China in standing water. As brought to market, the " cane shoots " occur in cylindrical pie- ces of a white color, 2J to 3J inches long, 1 to 1J inch in diameter, tapering upward into a conical point, and sur- mounted by the leaves and culm, from which they are readily detached. In taste, the raw shoot is not unlike a half- ripe nut, but it is never eaten uncooked. By the Chinese it is stewed with meat, and by foreigners cut longitudinally into two or three pieces, well boiled, and served with melted butter. Pre- pared in this way, it is stated by Dr. Hance to be one of the most agreeable of vegetables. "It is difficult," says the writer from whom we quote, "to describe its exact flavor, but it is, per- haps, nearer to that of unripe maize, as boiled and eaten by Americans under the name of green Corn, though it pos- sesses a richness and delicacy to which I know no parallel in any other vegeta- ble." The species in question is nearly allied to the American species, H. escu- lentwn, formerly grown in this country. There is little doubt that the Chinese plant would also thrive in our climate, on which account we are glad to hear that Dr. Hance intends to send home living plants. (Mtetal 10*1*0*10. THE CULTIVATION OF ANNUALS. By the term annuals we designate those plants which live but one year, and consequently require to be raised from seed every year; although in our favored climate some varieties may be induced to renew their growth a second and even a third season by careful cult- ivation, and by not permitting them to mature their seed. It is a singular cir- cumstance that on this coast so little attention is paid by amateurs to this class of plants, which, although they may require a little more attention than perennials, yet amply repay by the ad- ditional beauty they bring to the par- terre in their charming diversity of form and color, in the exquisite delica- cy of their tints, and the delicious fra- grance of many of them. The present time is the season for cultivating them, and to prepare for them it is only necessary to provide a liberal amount of well-decayed manure, which should be thoroughly mingled with the soil to the depth of nine inches. In sowing the seed it is necessary to remark that one of the causes of disap- pointment is the planting them too deep. For most of the larger seeds of annu- als from i to J inch is deep enough, while for the more delicate it is a good plan to press the soil with the back of a spade, then sprinkle the seed lightly on the surface and cover it slightly with fine earth, which should also be lightly pressed; it may be necessary from time to time to supply some moisture, but this will require great care, as frequent and heavy watering, particularly with some soils, tends to cake the surface and retard the growth of the young plants. Particular care is also necessary to re- move the weeds, which else will choke 92 THE CALIFOKNIA HOKTICULTTJKIST. tlie young plants. Many varieties will bear transplanting, but as a general rule it is better to leave them -where they have established themselves, mere- ly thinning them out, to permit and en- courage vigorous growth. Annuals may be divided into hardy, half -hardy , and tender annuals. The hardy annuals may be sown in the open garden where they are to finally remain; the half-hardy require to be sown either in plunged pots, or in a prepared bed of earth over a gentle hot-bed, in the early spring, and, when they have made some growth, transplant- ed into a like situation until the begin- ning of May, when they should be transplanted into the borders where they are to remain. Tender annuals should be sown about February or March, in pots of light mold, and plunged in a hot-bed. "When the young plants come up they should be transplanted singly into pots of the smallest size, and again plunged into the hot-bed as near the glass as possible, but shaded from the sunshine. In a week or two, if they have made sat- isfactory growth, they should be again transplanted into the next sized pots. These shiftings should be continued from time to time, according to their growth, until they are in pots of six or eight inches in diameter, according to theh nature. Very good varieties of the hardy are, Candytuft, (several varieties) Lobelia, Sweet Pea, Morning Glory, Marigold, Mignonette, with many others. Of the half-hardy we may mention Petunias, Asters, Zinnias, Delphinium, Ten-week Stocks, Phlox Drummondii Among the tender annuals we may mention the Balsams, Celosia, (or Cockscomb) Portulaoca, etc. Some plants though not strictly annual will bloom the first year, as the Tropeeolum, (Nasturtium) Pansy, Scabiosa, and Ver- bena. We call the attention of our friends to the group of annuals which adorns the present number, and for which our esteemed correspondent Mr. F. A. Mil- ler has written the descriptions. For the plates we are under obligations to James Vick, Esq., Eochester, N. V. WOODWAKD'S GARDENS. This Central Park of the Pacific is still increasing daily in interest for the recreation-seeking public. New ani- mals, new birds, and new fishes are constantly being placed in their several departments. These, with the rich and most attractive Museum of Natural History, aie in course of classification in accordance with the natural systems of arrangement of Linnseus, Cuvier, and others. The objects will all be labeled with the names in the usual Latin terms, with the English names generally added. The visitors, by this means, will be able to refer to the sev- eral objects so designated by the labels, in the several books of natural science or history, so as to obtain a more par- ticular knowledge of the external form, geographical habitation, and distin- guishing traits of individual species; and the further interest of the subject mainly resting upon anecdotes of ani- mal sagacity or ferocity, their instinct- ive and almost reasoning habits, and perils of adventure in the wilds of Na- ture; and vegetable forms and beauties in their wonderful diversity and mutu- al relations. Every department of science furnishes an abundant quota of materials for de- lightful observation and instruction, and it is found that every fresh step in discovery has made the conclusion more reasonable, if not more certain, THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 93 that the argument of design in the for- mation of Nature, as commonly present- ed, is cumulative, and adds new splen- dor to the illustrations of it. Every be- ing with which we are conversant — every limb and fragment of every being — every atom composing those frag- ments— is discovered to bear on it the stamp of purpose — the very autograph of mind. It is a means to an end, or both means and end. In this, as we conceive indisputably correct view of the case, how much ought we to appre- ciate the efforts of those who, like Mr. "Woodward, are continually adding to the pleasure and interest of the public, in collecting new objects, both animate and inanimate, for exhibition in these Gardens, and thus illustrating this boundless temple of the creation, very apparently the altar and service of an in- dwelling Deity — irresistibly indicat- ing by innumerable particular instances mind as the agency at work in the uni- verse. SOCIETY NOTICES. GeOBGIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. A new society with this title has been or- ganized and holds its sessions at Atlan- ta, Ga. At its meeting this fall, the members filled two tables, each 100 feet long, with fruit of most attractive de- scription— pears, apples, grapes, figs, etc. •» » » — FAVORS RECEIVED. The Overland Monthly for March is at hand, containing its usual amount of interesting articles, among which ' ' Or- ange Culture in California;" " Geologi- cal Surveys," and "Head- waters of the Sacramento," particularly interested us. "We have received a pamphlet entitled "Facts and Figures relative to Wool Growing," and " The History of the Angora Goat," by Landrum & Rod- gers, of Watsonville, Cal. It contains much useful and interesting informa- tion on the subjects treated. CATALOGUES RECEIVED. The Quarterly Catalogue of Briggs Bros., of Rochester, New York, is at hand; it is a very elegant affair, being handsomely and copiously illustrated on tinted paper. Descriptions are abun- dant, the catalogue of plants very full, and prices moderate. We have received the Spring Cata- logue of Neio, Bare, and Beautiful Plants. of Peter Henderson, 35 Cortland Street, New York; very copious and well il- lustrated; describing and offering many new and desirable plants at tempting prices. Also Seed Catalogue for 1874 of the same firm, equally copious and ele- gantly illustrated. The colored plates of both these catalogues are very beau- tiful. James Fleming, successor to Hender- son & Fleming, address 67 Nassau Street, New York, has obliged us with his Seed Catalogue, which is well worthy of careful perusal by intending pur- chasers. The Annual Catalogue for 1874 of Geo. H. Williamson, Gallatin, Tenn., lies before us; it contains a very good selection of seeds, both of vegetables and flowers. We noticed the Catalogue of Plants of F. Ludemann & Co., Pacific Nursery, San Francisco, Cal., in our last, but had not time to examine it. It is a source of pleasure to us to perceive that the nurserymen and seedsmen of the Pacific Coast are so far awakening to their interests as to publish and dis- tribute catalogues of their stock. We are convinced that this action must 94 THE CALLFOBNIA HOETICULTUEIST. conduce to the increase of their trade, by not only affording our own people the opportunity of selection at short notice, but also introducing to Eastern customers many of the indigenous trees, shrubs, and plants of this side of the continent. This catalogue, as well as those of Miller & Sievers and E. J. Trumbull, are well worthy of the attentive perusal of each person. OUR EXCHANGE TABLE. American Agriculturist, published by the Orange Judd Company, 245 Broad- way, New York. Subscription $1.50 per annum. An excellent monthly per- iodical. Prairie Farmer, office 118 Monroe Street, Chicago — a weekly journal of much merit, and well worthy of sup- port. Terms $2.50 per year. Boston Journal of Chemistry, devoted to the science of home life; this is a very useful paper. Terms $1 per an- num. Published by Billings, Clapp & Co., 34 Oliver Street, Boston. PLANTS FOB NOBTHEEN AND SHADY EXPOSURES. In reply to a request of a respected correspondent, we subjoin the following list of plants which will grow in a north- ern shady situation, which has been handed to us by our esteemed corres- pondent, Mr. F. A. Miller: Climbing Plants. — Ivy, nearly all the different varieties; Clematis, such varie- ties as integrifolia and tubulosa; Akebia quinata, excellent for this purpose; Jas- minum revolutum ( Yellow Jasmine ) ; Honeysuckle (Chinese Evergreen), sweet scented. Flowering Shrubs, etc. — Fuchsias, Erica Mediterranea and a few other hardy varieties, Hydrangea, Myrtle, Sollya heterophylla, Astilbe Japonica, Vin- ca of different varieties. Herbaceous Plants, etc. — Violets, Amaryllis lutea, Anemone, Lily of the Valley, hardy Ferns, Iris, Mimulus, Lo- belia, Myosotis (Forget-me-not), Nar- cissus, Pseony, Auricula, Eanunculus, Sedum of various sorts. German Ivt — Soil and Treatment. — The Rural New- Yorker answers a cor- respondent as follows: "The climbing vine known as ' G-erman Ivy ' is not, in fact, an Ivy, nor any relation of one, but a climbing species of Groundsel from the Cape of Good Hope. Its right name is Senecio scandens, and it resem- bles Ivy only in its leaves, which are heart-shaped or angled. The flowers are yellow, and produce abundantly on old plants which are exposed to the sun and dry atmosphere; but, under such conditions, the plants lose their beauty, as the leaves become brown and burnt in appearance. The plant grows rapid- ly in almost any good rich soil; but a light leaf mold, with a little decom- posed barn-yard manure added, is prob- ably the best. Shade is indispensable^ if a deep rich green color is desirable in ' the foliage, consequently it is very suit- able for room decorations, and may be trained on trellises or around the walls where the direct rays of the sun never reach it. It is readily propagated from cuttings or layers, any small piece of the vine taking root and growing with great rapidity." Mr. Ptnaert has discovered, it is said, that Lilium auratum is a grand specific against house-flies — that a small speci- men of it in an apartment will keep it clear of these troublesome insects. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 95 NEW AND BAKE PLANTS. La Belle Carnation. — Tree or per- petual-flowering Carnations are so val- uable for supplying, during the winter season, cut flowers for the button-hole and hand bouquet, that we gladly wel- come any addition to our present list of varieties which possesses either distinct- ness or superiority to those already in cultivation; hence the pleasure we feel in directing the attention of our readers thus prominently to the new white- flowering variety, La Belle, and which has been recently introduced to public notice by the raiser, Mr. James Black- ley, Ley ton. This variety differs from all other varieties in cultivation in pro- ducing very large and double flowers, possessing the most delightful fra- grance, combined with a remarkably ro- bust and free-flowering habit. As re- gards its constitution, it may be con- sidered the forerunner of a new race of varieties of the highest possible value. Hitherto the greatest drawback to the cultivation of these flowers has been their want of vigor; but in this variety there is no lack of 'vigor. The speci- men in question was trained to a trellis, about five feet in height and three feet in diameter in its widest part, which is completely covered. The trellis, not- withstanding its comparatively gigantic dimensions, was covered with a healthy growth, and, although the plant had been in full bloom for the last four or five months previously, it was fairly furnished with fully-expanded flowers, and the buds could be numbered by the hundred. From the manner in which it was trained, it was computed that the main stem had attained a length of not less than sixteen feet, al- though the age of the plant at the pres- ent moment does not exceed three years. The growth of this variety is slender and wiry, making rapid progress and producing fresh shoots or flower-buds at every joint. On some of the side-shoots buds were produced at every two or three inches, on shoots averaging from eighteen to thirty inches in length, so that the produce of a specimen of the size of the one to which allusion is here made would be simply enormous; and therefore two or three specimens should be grown wherever cut flowers are in request during the winter season. It may also be trained over the interior walls of the greenhouse where space could be spared for one or more plants; or it may be trained just under the glass if more convenient; but for gen- eral purposes it will probably be found that training to a balloon-shaped trellis will be the most preferable plan. The flowers, which are of the purest white, are very large and smooth, and perfectly double, and highly fragrant, and for either hand or button-hole bou- quets will be found of the highest val- ue. .,. "With respect to the means adopted for the production of this specimen, Mr. Blackley has been good enough to furnish us with the following particu- lars : ' ' The compost which has been used, and which would also suit the va- rieties already in cultivation, is prepar- ed by mixing a moderate proportion of road-drift with mellow turfy loam that has been laid by a sufficient length of time for the fibrous roots of the grass to decay. Before using the soil it is necessary to examine it carefully for wire-worms, which must be destroyed, for they are, as most cultivators are aware, great enemies to Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks. They must not be overpotted; and at each shift sink the ball of soil low enough in the pot to bury two or three joints underneath 96 THE CALIFOBNIA HOKTICULTUBIST. the soil. From the joints so buried healthy fibrous roots, which will be of immense value in promoting a healthy and vigorous growth, will be produced. Young shoots will also push from the joints, and from these flowers of the finest quality may be gathered. "When planted outside for training over trel- lises or up walls, the border should be top-dressed with a compost prepared as directed above, in such a manner as to bury several of the lowest joints, for the purpose of encouraging the produc- tion of new roots and fresh growth. — Gardener's Magazine. Arundo conspieua. — "We are sur- prised that the beautiful Arundo conspie- ua is not more frequently cultivated as an ornamental plant. To our mind it is far superior to the Pampas Grass, of which so much is thought. It has these advantages over the Pampas. Though nearly as large in stature it has much less foliage compared with the flowers, and therefore is not so lumpish in growth, whilst still it has sufficient to furnish it. Then the flower spikes come up in good time in summer, and are in full beauty for some weeks be- fore the bad weather sets in, while the Pampas barely comes into flower before the autumnal rains and frosts mar its beauty. The Arundo, moreover, seems to be quite as hardy as the Pampas, for in dryish situations on the Bagshot sand formation, it grows and flowers freely year after year, while the Pam- pas does no more. The lovers of the picturesque should be on the lookout for so fine a garden ornament. — Gar- dener's Chronicle. New Oleanders. — Great improve- ment is being made in the Oleander in Europe. White, yellow, and red, and numerous shades of color and forms of flowers. They are being named and distinguished as we distinguish Eoses or Dahlias. The Oleander suits our sum- mer climate so well, that a collection of them would be a beautiful sight to see in bloom. A New Race of Violets.— The Florist and Pomologist says, Mr. Lee of Hammersmith has succeeded in raising a new race of violets, in which the pet- als are flat like a Pansy. It is the re- sult of a cross between Czar and De- voniensis. The flowers are pale blue, sweet, and very large, and Mr. Lee is "not without hope that he will make them in time parti-colored like the Pansy." The best one he has named Victoria regina. "Golden Fleece" Thyme. — Gold- leaved bedding plants are scarce, the golden Feverfew being the best known. This yellow-leaved form of the garden Thyme is highly spoken of in the Eng- lish journals. Aquilegia chrysantha is the name finally decided on by Dr. A. Gray, for the long-spurred, golden Columbine, about which so much has recently been said in the horticultural journals. Cineraria eeratophylla is spok en of as a promising silver-leaved plant for bedding purposes. The Moniteur de VAlgerie states that, in 1871, the coral fishery employed 131 boats. In 1872, there were 80 more boats. Improved methods of fishing have, however, given equally good re- sults, when compared with those of former years; in fact, there has been an increase in quantity of coral put on the market. New beds of coral have been found near Sardinia, which have drawn many of the Algerian fishermen to the northern Mediterranean. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 97 KEPOKT ON THE FKTJIT AND VEGETA- BLE MAKKET. BY E. J. HOOPEE. The public, although there is of course at this season but a limited sup- ply, instead of standing in any fear from a generous consumption of all ripe fruits, as well as of most well cooked vegetables, may with confidence regard them as positively conducive to health. All physicians, of every school — Allo- pathic, Homeopathic, Hydropathic, or any other branch of the healing art — agree in this respect, however they may differ on other points of medicine, treat- ment, or diet. The very maladies com- monly assumed to have their origin in the free use of Apples, Pears, Peaches, Cherries, melons, and wild berries, are now well known to be quite as preva- lent, if not equally destructive, in sea- sons where there has been a scarcity of one or more of these fruits. There have formerly been so many erroneous ideas entertained regarding the bad effects of fruits, that it is better that now and for- ever a counteracting impression and a full and decisive settlement of the ques- tion should be definitely arrived at, it having its foundation in common sense, in all sanitary laws, and being based on the common observation of the most in- telligent and best informed physiolo- gists. No one, we are sure, ever lived longer or freer from the paroxysms of disease by discarding the delicious fruits of every season, and of every land in which he finds a home. On the contrary, they are necessary for the preservation of health, and are there- fore caused by a wise and munificent Providence to make their appearance at the very time when the condition of the body, operated upon by debilitating causes not always understood, requires their grateful, renovating influence. Vol. IV.— 13. That fruits are naturally healthy in their season, if rightly taken, no one who believes that the Creator is a kind and beneficent Being, can for a moment doubt. And yet, it is true, in some in- stances, of course, that the use of both summer and fall fruits appears some- times to cause fatal diseases, especially in children. "Why is this? Because we do not always conform to natural laws in using this kind of diet. These laws are very simple and easy to understand. Let the fruit be ripe when you eat it, and eat when you require food, but not so much just after dinner or any full meals. Let fruit form part of the meal, but not after satiety has ensued. Fruits that have seeds are much healthier than the stone fruits, though these latter may be partaken of in moderate or small quantities at a time. But all fruits are better for very young children if baked, or cooked in some manner, and eaten with bread. The French nearly always eat bread with raw fruit. Apples and winter Pears are very excellent food for children — indeed, for almost any per- son in health — but best when eaten for breakfast or during dinner. If taken in the evening, just before retiring, fruit often proves injurious. The old saying that Apples are gold in the morn- ing, silver at noon, and lead at night, is pretty near the truth. Both Apples and Pears are often good and nutritious, when baked or stewed, for those deli- cate constitutions which can not bear raw fruit. Much of the fruit which too often appears in our markets, evidently gathered when unripe, might be ren- dered fit for food by preserving in sugar. Eipe currants are excellent food for children, and an excellent remedy for thread and other worms. Mash the fruit for this purpose, sprinkle it with sugar, and with good bread (and no country affords better than California), 98 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. let the children eat of this fruit freely. Unripe vegetables are as insipid and unwholesome as unripe fruits. As to the quality of vegetables, the middle size are preferable to the largest or the smallest. But allowance must be made in this latitude, with its stimulating cli- mate and rich soil, for vegetables as well as fruits being naturally larger, nay, even gigantic, than in most other coun- tries. It is usually considered that most fruits and vegetables are more tender, juicy, and full of flavor, just before they are quite full grown. Freshness is their chief value and excellence — and one should as soon think of roasting an ani- mal alive, as of boiling a vegetable, or preserving or cooking a fruit, after it is dead. The eye may easily discover if they have been kept too long; they soon lose their beauty in all respects. Roots, greens, salads, etc., and the various productions of the garden, when first gathered, are plump and firm, and have a fragrant freshness no art can give them again, though it will refresh them a little to put them into cold spring water for some time before they are dressed. If vegetables are not thor- oughly boiled or cooked tender, they are tremendously indigestible, and much more troublesome during their stay in the stomach than the most under done meats or breads, etc. But, again, if vegetables are too long over the fire, they lose their beauty and flavor. As to our markets, toward the latter part of last month (February), the re- turn of pleasant weather brought in a more liberal supply of vegetables. Mushrooms and Cucumbers were cheap- er, and Rhubarb was more plentiful than before that time. Spinach was 8c. and new Potatoes 6c. per lb. ; Let- tuce, 20 to 25c. per dozen; Salsify, 8 to 10c. per bunch; Potatoes, by the sack delivered, $1.50 to $2 per 100 lbs. Prices in the fruit market, toward the end of last month, were without special change. Apples, Oranges, Lemons, and Limes were plentiful. Pears were very scarce, and commanded fancy prices. Bananas were 50c. per dozen; Smyrna figs, 35c. per lb.; Apples, by the box delivered, $1 to $2.50; Italian Chest- nuts, 50c. per lb. Mammoth specimens of Shaddock Oranges were offered about the 20th of February at 50c. each; Cit- rons from Los Angeles County, 15c. each; Oranges, Loreto and Los An- geles varieties, 25c. to $1 per dozen. Cucumbers were getting more plenti- ful and cheaper, being quoted at 35c. each; Green Peas were up to 20c. per lb.; Cabbage Sprouts quoted at 10c. per lb.; Artichokes, 75c. per dozen; Jerusalem Artichokes, 6 to 8c. per lb.; Asparagus, 50c; Mushrooms, 25c; Col- rabi, 25c. per dozen. On the 27th of February, vegetables improved slightly in quality, but the descriptions remained the same as they had been about the middle of the month. Some descrip- tions were getting scarce, and a stiffen- ing in prices was the result. About the 1st of this month (March) Pears were almost out of market, and the few offered were high in price. The price of Apples was very much re- stricted, and strictly choice pellow New- town Pippins retailed, by the box, at $3 to $3.50. Los Angeles Oranges came forward freely and met with an active demand. Bananas were 50c. per dozen; Smyrna Figs, 35c. per lb.; Apples, by the box delivered, $1.50 to $3.50; Ital- ian Chestnuts, 50c. per lb. The temporary suspension of the col- lection of the import duties upon for- eign semi-tropical fruits through the late construction of the revenue law re- lating to them, has resulted in a mark- ed depreciation in the prices of some descriptions, more particularly Lemons, THE CALLEOBNIA HORTICULTURIST. 99 which are selling at 25c. to $1 per doz- en. Imported Oranges are also much cheaper than native grown, partly on the same account, and partly owing to their being inferior in quality. Banan- as are selling all the way from $1.50 to $5 per bunch, and 50 to 75 cts. per dozen; Preserved Bananas, recent im- portation, 25 to 37J cts. per package. Domestic fruit, excepting Oranges and Lemons, is becoming scarce and poor. The last Oregon steamers brought down large consignments of Newtown, Spitzenberg, Bed Cheek, and Swaar Apples, which are offered in the stalls for 8 cts. per lb. The return of pleasant weather has brought a more liberal supply of vege- tables. Mushrooms and Cucumbers are cheaper, and Bhubarb is more plen- tiful at the last two weeks' prices. Prices in the fruit market are, about the middle of this month (March), with- out much change. Apples, Oranges, and Lemons are plentiful. Pears are very scarce, and command fancy prices. Variegated Vincas. — The best known Vine a (V. minor) is a common garden plant, and is known as Periwinkle or Bunning Myrtle. In old gardens, its creeping stems cover large patches with bright green foliage, from amongst which delicate blue flowers appear ear- ly in the spring. The large Vinca ( V. major) is less hardy and not so common. It has larger and more rounded leaves than the other. Both these species have produced varieties with the leaves marked with yellow in such a manner as to make them decidedly ornamental plants. These variegated forms are fre- quently used for hanging baskets, but they do not hold their leaves perfectly during the winter, and are not well suited for house cultivation . For bas- kets and vases outside it, they are most useful plants; and when planted in a basket or vase, they hang over the edge with a veiy fine effect. — Ex. POMONA AND CEEES AT HOME IN THE MOUNTAINS. by de. he:nby degboot. Weavebttt.t.ti, Tbinttt Co., Cal., Feb., 1874. Mr. Editor: — Though the Horticult- urist often reaches and never fails to in- terest at least a few of us in this far north country, we seldom see much in it de- scriptive of the floral beauties or of the horticultural and pomological resources of Trinity County. Nor is this at all strange, considering that she lies almost up to the forty-first parallel of north latitude, and that nearly the entire area of the county consists of lofty ridges and broken hills cut everywhere by deep and precipitous canons. To the world abroad, Trinity has been little known, except for its rich gold mines, its numer- ous streams, magnificent forests, and granite mountains; and while it stands to-day the foremost county in the State as regards its mining opportunities and prospects, it has still capabilities of soil and climate that rank it second to none as a fruit-growing district. Such Ap- ples as are raised here are never pro- duced at points much farther south, however favorable the location. Neither are the Peaches, nor other description of fruit, excelled by any grown else- where, either as regards size or flavor. SOME OF THE ORCHARDS HERE are marvels to see, even so late as De- cember and January. Of these or- chards, the most famous is that of Mr. Joseph McGillivray, on the Trinity Biv. er , fifteen miles below this place . Here were to be seen hundreds of bushels of 100 THE CALIFOKNIA HOKTICULTUBIST. Apples and Pears hanging on or lying underneath the trees throughout the entire fall and early winter, with no one to pick or care for them. And such Apples! I have never seen anything like them in the San Francisco market, nor even in Oregon— so large, so fair, and so luscious ! Not an Apple or Pear but was perfection itself — so immense, solid, juicy, and tender! — every one without spot or blemish! Here, for the first time, I found the Spitzenberg possessing the true old-time flavor, though the Ap- ple of New England growth, in which I so delighted in boyhood, was a pigmy beside these. The season of the earlier fruits was already over when I visited this spot about the first of December. But there had been gathered an extraordinary crop of Peaches, Apricots, Plums, Cher- ries, etc. — all splendid fruit, equally as fine as the Apples and Pears — while the Grapes still hung on the vines, and the Almond-trees, thrifty beyond measure and loaded to exhaustion, were covering the ground with their well-perfected nuts. The proprietor of this orchard has resided here, farming and mining, for over twenty years. He began set- ting out trees at an early day, selecting the very choicest varieties of fruits from the first; and having extended his plant- ing gradually, has now over sixty acres covered with this description of trees, the most of them in full bearing. For some years, at first, his orchard proved a source of profit to him; but latterly, this has not been the case, the market for these products having been limited. As time wore on, the most of the house- holders here betook themselves to plant- ing trees and vines, so that now nearly all have fruit enough of their own rais- ing, and there are few to buy of the large orchardists and viniculturists. Mr. McGillivray, a big-hearted, liberal- ly educated Scotchman who lives here with his family in a sort of baronial profusion, suffers whoever will to come and help themselves to what fruit they want — a privilege of which his near neighbors, more especially the miners, eagerly avail themselves. At the time I visited this place, the owner having filled many large bins in his barn with Apples and Pears of the varieties best suited to keej?, had turned his entire stock of horses, cattle, and swine into his orchard to feed on the fruit as it dropped off; and yet the ground under many of the trees was covered with it, there being more than the animals could devour. Only a little inferior to the McGilli- vray orchard, in extent, scarcely at all in variety and excellence of fruit, is that of Dr. "Ware, situated one mile above Weaverville, where also hun- dreds of well-filled bee-hives are to be seen — this insect thriving amazingly in a country so abounding in wild flowers and honey-bearing shrubs and trees. Over on the Hay Fork, a branch of the Trinity, are many fine orchards; also a large and thrifty one at the old Lowden Homestead, on the main river, with a great number scattered throughout the county — fruit being everywhere so plentiful as to have little or no sale. Here in "Weaverville nearly every house is buried in trees, vines, and flowers — the main street being lined with Cotton- woods, which, having been planted in the early days of the town, have now attained large proportions. "While fruits and flowers of nearly every kind grow so luxuriantly here, the cereal crops can be brought to per- fection with little laborj and often with- out irrigation. The most of the cereals sown are, however, cut for hay, as there are but few natural meadows in the county, except such as are located in THE CALIFOKNIA HORTICULTURIST. 101 mountain basins not easily reached. In the matter of wild flowers and forests, Trinity is not surpassed by any section of country on the coast, there being found here a greater variety of woods and shrubs than in any other part of Califor- nia; a feature due in part, no doubt, to the fact that the coast and the Sierra Ne- vada mountains come in together at this point, bringing each its peculiar growth of trees, plants, and flowers, and com- mingling them here. By this means both the flora and the botany of this region have been greatly diversified and enriched. Thus, we have here among trees, the Madrona, Alder, Chincapin, Laurel, Sycamore, and Redwood prop- er, with a great variety of berries, rare- ly found elsewhere than on the Coast Range, intermixed with several species of the Oak, Cedar, and Pine, common only in the Sierra Nevada, while such trees as abound in both these ranges are all met with in the mountains here, frequently growing in the greatest pro- fusion. The same peculiarity distin- guishes also, in a considerable degree, the grasses, the flowering plants, and the shrubs. In passing lately over Bulkey Hill, lying eight miles east of and between this place and the main Trinity, I no- ticed standing on the very summit of the ridge a low shrub-like tree resem- bling the Cypress, being thickly branch- ed and of perfectly conical shape, but of a species entirely unlike any I have before seen on this coast. I was after- ward informed by Captain George At- kins, who has traveled much over this region, being withal a close observer, that the tree is not only sui generis, but that it is the only one of the kind he has ever seen, and he is quite certain that it has not its duplicate anywhere in the neighborhood. Being very beauti- ful, and most likely an entirely new species, this tree should command the attention of botanists. Should this screed meet with favor- able consideration, I may hereafter have something more to say about the Pomol- ogy, Horticulture, Flora, and Botany of " Old Trinity." ^tutorial ®Umiu0. NOURISHMENT OF BUDS THROUGH THE Bark. — In Comptes Bendus for Novem- ber is an article of much interest, by M. E. Favres, detailing the results of some experiments made by him to determine the direct source of supply of food to the buds of trees. The trees selected for the experiments were the Mulberry, Walnut, and Cherry Laurel. Three kinds of experiments were instituted: 1st. The removal of a complete or partial ring of bark. 2d. Separating flaps or strips of bark bear- ing buds. 3d. A combination of the two preceding methods. On the Walnut and Laurel a complete ringing of a branch was followed by early death of the buds above it, but a narrow bridge left sufficed to secure continued growth. The exposed wood was in all cases protected from the air. If the ringing is performed around the bud instead of around the branch, the same results followed. In all these ca- ses starch is found in the buds below the ringing, but above it is soon ex- hausted by the growth of the bud, and when the supply of starch is exhausted the death of the bud follows. There is no difficulty, M. Favres ob- serves, in proving the ascent of nour- ishment by the bark, if a strip bearing a bud be detached, except its lower end, from a Mulberry during the season of active vegetation. A strip of bark with a bud separated the 20th of June, made a branch twenty 102 THE CALIFOBNIA HOKTICULTUKIST. inches long by the end of August. The Walnut gave the same results, with abundant cellular exudation on the in- ternal face of the ^strip, which must be kept from drying, but which did not show quite as great growth as normal branches. A strip of wood may or may not be left on the detached bark. If a branch be ringed at short intervals, the buds in the intervals will die in a time proportionate to their distance from the lower ring, and the starch will be found wanting in such intervals, conclusively proving the passage of starchy matter to the bud by means of the bark. Strength of Timber. — The strength of a piece of timber depends on the part of the tree from which it was taken. Up to a certain age the heart of the tree is the best; after that period, it be- gins to fail gradually. The worst part of the tree is the sap-wood, which is next the bark. It is softer than the other parts of the wood, and is liable to premature decay. The deleterious component of the sap-wood is absorbed, if the tree is allowed to grow for a long period, and in time the old sap wood becomes proper timber-fibre, similar to the heart-wood. Hence, the goodness of a tree for timber .purposes depends on the age at which the tree was cut down. "When young, the heart-wood is the best; at maturity, with the excep- tion of the sap-wood, the trunk is equal- ly good throughout; and, when the tree is allowed to grow too long, the heart-wood is first to show symptoms of weakness, and deteriorates gradually. The best timber is secured by felling the tree at the age of maturity, which depends on its nature, as well as on the soil and climate. The Ash, Beech, Elm, and Fir are generally considered at their best when at seventy or eighty years' growth, and the Oak is seldom at its best in less than one hundredl years, but much depends on surrounding cir- cumstances. As a rule, trees should not be cut before arriving at maturity, because there is then too much sap- wood, and the durability of the timber is much inferior to that of trees after they have arrived at their full develop- ment. The Petunia. — The Petunia is really one of the most valuable summer flow- ering plants we have. Not much for cutting from, it is true, but still they are so easily grown, and so indifferent to heat and drought, so continuously flowering, and flowering in so many of its shades of color so gaily, what in these valuable particulars can excel them ? There is, besides all this, some novel- ty in them. "We recollect very well when te hPetunia first came into gener- al notice as a cultivated flower. It was then a pale rose color, and not half the size that it is now. A few years after, the big, coarse, white flower kind got into our gardens, and since then there have been numerous forms and shades of color ranging between white and rose. The florist has taken hold of them and produced distinct races, and given them fancy names borrowed from aristocratic people, as if that is the proper course to pursue in making aris- tocratic caste in Petuniadom. Some of them are very sweet, especially at nightfall, and their odor attracts the night-moths, until a bed of Petunias of a light summer evening is by no means a small attraction in the most pretentious garden. And then they can be had so easily. A ten-cent paper will give plants which will flower where they are sown in six weeks afterwards. — German- town Telegraph. THE CALIFOENIA HOKTICULTUBIST. 103 Feeding Stock with Profit. — In theo- ry a fattening animal can not be overfed; but in practice the limit of excessive feeding is fixed by the animal's power of assimilation. The feeder must con- sider various circumstances, such as the quality of the food — for if it be rich and lavishly used, a large quantity will be ejected in an undigested state — the state of the animal, his age and condition. Lean animals, for example, are unable to appropriate an enormous amount of highly nutritious food, and they are liable to be very much upset if they are fed too fast until they have begun to move in the right direction. They should be kept on cheap and bulky food till their powers of assimilation have' improved with their condition, when they should be pushed on more rapidly. The art of fattening depends on sup- plying an excess of food judiciously. A mature animal needs a certain amount of food to maintain him in good condi- tion, and the greater amount he can be induced to take over and above this fixed quantity, the faster will the pro- cess of fattening proceed, and the small- er will be the waste of that portion of food which goes merely to maintain life, and which must, therefore, be lost in a sense to the feeder. — JV. Y. Herald. The Japanese Apple. — A correspond- ent writes The Tribune as follows : ' 'The Pyrus Malus floribunda is a very beauti- ful shrub when in bloom, and is covered with an extraordinary profusion of flow- ers. It has been flourishing in this country for the past two years, giving entire satisfaction in every way. All such additions to our list of hardy shrubs, combining all the requisites for general cultivation, should receive the notice that their merits deserve. A strong plant in the writer's collection, now just going out of bloom, has been one of the chief points of attraction to all visitors for the past two or three weeks." An Enormous Grape -Vine. — The "Lord Ealeigh Grape-vine," which was growing when Sir Walter landed at Eoanoke Island in 1610, and was then but three inches in diameter, is now spoken of as one of the largest vines in the world. It covers one and a half acres, and last year yielded 46 barrels of wine — 1,480 gallons in all — which sold for $2 per gallon, yielding $3,680. There is a Scuppernong Grape-vine in Terrell County, North Carolina, which is said to be much larger than the Ea- leigh vine, and to produce at least a fourth more wine. The wine from the vintage of last year from this vine meas- ured 2,520 gallons, and brought the handsome sum of $5,040. English Trade in Eoses. — A maga- zine writer says: "We could name sev- eral nurseries where from 120,000 to 150,000 Briers are budded annually, and several more where the number averages from 30,000 to 60,000. One of our friends in the trade invests annu- ally £2,000 in Briers and labor in mak- ing out-door Eoses. Having cast up a series of totals of this kind that we can pretty well rely on, we are satisfied the sale of Eoses must considerably exceed a million annually. If we reckon these worth one shilling each, the total cost to the public will be £50,000. But we have yet to consider the pot Eoses, and the new Eoses, and all kinds of odds and ends of a commercial nature of which Eoses are the subject, and we shall probably have to add an equal amount for these, which brings up the total to £100,000. That this is far be- 104 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. low the actual amount that changes hands in this country on Roses is made evident by the large sums our nursery- men pay to the French raisers every year for their novelties. Warming Small Greenhouses. — An English journal says that a gentleman who had a small greenhouse of half hardy, not tender plants, employed at first no heat but gas, during cold snaps. The gas was however found ruinous to the plants, and he substituted cheap paraffine lamps, distributed in different parts of the greenhouse, with entire success. In the colder winters of this country, the same means of soften- ing the severity of the temperature might be adox^ted, provided the half hardy plants selected were sufficient to bear some cold, or in smaller green- houses or plant cases. Button-Hole Bouquets. — These ele- gant little sprays are no longer confined to masculine use. Small gold and sil- ver tubes are constructed for ladies, with a pin at the back, by means of which they fasten a Tea Rose, a Gardenia, a sprig of Heliotrope, a leaf of Geranium, and a scarlet blossom of some kind, at the left of a lace necktie or tulle scarf, instead of a brooch. Of course the col- ors of flowers are chosen to suit the taste and the dress, but they are always small, choice, and fragrant. Violets are in great demand. Standard Honeysuckles. — An ex- change gives the following directions to trim the Honeysuckle into a bush form, giving it great beauty and effect: Buy a plant of it, train or tie to a stout stake, prune freely but not too severe- ly, give good soil and culture, and "it will grow into a plant that wjll aston- ish, by its flowering capacity, thousands who have not seen it so trained." A Fine Gingko Tree. — In the Botan- ical Garden, at Pisa, Italy, is a Gingko tree, Salisburia adiantifolia, which has attained the height of nearly ninety feet, and at three feet from the ground is nine feet seven inches in circumfer- ence. It was received from England, and planted in 1788. It is a splendid tree, and very remarkable for the rich golden color which the leaves assume before falling. METEOROLOGICAL RECORD, Foe the Month Ending Feb. 28th, 1874. (Prepared for The Hokticultubist by Thos. Tenuent, Mathematical Instrument and Chronometer-maker, No. -423 Washington Street, near the Post Office) . BABOMETEE. Mean height at 9 a. m 30.14 in. do 12 m 30.13 do 3p.m 30.12 do 6p.m 30.12 Greatest height, on the 5th at 12 m 30.37 Least height, on the 17th at 6 p. M 29.82 THEBMOHETEB. ( With north exposure and free from reflected heat.) Mean height at 9 a. m 47° do 12 m 53° do 3 p. m 54° do 6 p. m 49° Greatest height, on the 20th at 3 p.m 60o Least height, on the 18th at 9 a.m 42o SELF - BEGISTEEING THEBMOMETEB. Mean height during the night ... 41° Greatest height, on mornings of 2d and 9th 47° Least height, on mornings of 26th and 27th 36° "WINDS. North and north-east on 11 days; south and south-east on 4 days; south-west on 6 days; east on 3 days; west on 2 days; north-west on 2 days. WEATHEE. Clear on 13 days; cloudy on 10 days; variable on 5 days; rain on 10 days. BAIN GAUGE. February 1st 1.54 inches. 6th. 9th. 10th. 11th. 12th. 13th. 14th. 26th. 17th. 0 01 0.05 0.12 0.12 0.19 0.79 0.08 0.06 0.18 Total : 1.83 Total rain of the season up to date 18.97 OF EVERY DESCRIPTION Executed at this Office ! Jm Group of Annuals. i. Verbena. 2. Dianthus laciniatus flore-pleno. 4. Tropiatus flore-pleno. THE AND FLORAL MAGAZINE. Vol. IV. APRIL, 1874. No. 4. CAMELLIA CULTUEE. BY P. A. MTLLEB. While it is generally understood that the Camellia requires little care, as com- pared with other greenhouse plants, I find that but few persons succeed in re- taining their plants in good and healthy- condition for any length of time; and florists themselves seem still to adhere to the idea that their stock of Camellia plants has to be renewed every few years, on account of their dying off or becoming worthless. When we ask what the cause of all this is, we can not obtain any satisfactory explanation. One attributes the failure to unsuitable soil, another to the impurity of the wa- ter, a third to the peculiar climatic con- ditions of the locality, etc., etc. As far as I am concerned, I fail to see any objectionable ingredient in our soil, if properly prepared; nor in the water, if judiciously applied; nor in the climate, if the necessary protection is given. Within the past few years I have had frequent occasion to note the cause of sickness and loss of Camellia plants; and doubtless many other plants would have perished, possibly sooner, had they Vol. IV— 14. been exposed to similar ill-treatment. The various causes of failure in the cul- tivation of Camellias may be summed up as follow: 1st. Over-potting, which is practiced by amateurs as well as by professional gardeners, to a very great extent. This treatment is only desirable when grow- ing certain plants for specimens, or when a continuous development of young growth is desirable. 2d. Insufficient drainage, which has a tendency to sour the soil, and to pro- duce decay in the roots. 3d. Placing pots containing these plants upon dry shelves. This fre- quently results in the drying-up of the outer earth containing the spongioles, which are formed of very delicate tissue, and which alone enable the plant to ab- sorb the moisture and plant -aliment contained in the soil. To keep these spongioles in active condition, it is nec- essary to protect them from a dry at- mosphere, which can only be properly accomplished by plunging the pots to at least half their depth in sand, tan- bark, or almost any other handy mate- rial. Where amateurs cultivate but a few plants, and where nicety and neat- ness are most desirable, the pot contain- 106 THE CALIFORNIA HOBTICULTUKIST. ing a Camellia plant may be set into one of a larger size, and the space be- tween may be filled up with sand, which will answer every purpose as well as plunging. 4th. Exposure to violent heat, as di- rect sunshine. The Camellia requires partial shade and a cool temperature. Some of our florists are in the habit of forcing these flowers when they find a large demand for them; for instance, about Christmas and New-Year. I am of opinion that forcing is detrimental to the plants, and frequent forcing is likely to destroy them. Give your plants all the airing and ventilation you can, and protect them from the hot sun, and they will keep in a healthy con- dition. 5th. A close dry atmosphere, and the burning of coal or gas in the room where the plants are kept; this will kill almost any plant. When it is necessary to burn gas or coal, the plants should certainly be removed for the time be- ing; and during dry and warm weather, a frequent syringing with water will be most beneficial. 6th. Frequent surface watering, in not sufficient quantity to penetrate the soil to the depth of the pot. When you do water your plants, water them thoroughly, so that every particle of the soil may be moistened. If done in this way, not more than two waterings per month will be necessary, unless the weather is very warm and the atmos- phere unusually dry. Remedy all these defects in treatment, keep your plants clean and free from dust, and I am quite certain that Ca- mellia culture will be more successful in the future. Our climate is a most excellent one for Camellias, and they might be planted almost anywhere in the open ground, if proper shelter from strong winds and protection from the direct rays of the hot sun were pro- vided. "SCIENTIFIC GARDENING." The transition from grafting to bud- ding is natural enough. Those twenty white stakes stand as so many monu- ments of another horticultural disaster. On a September day, twenty buds, so rare that the original stock could not be bought at any price, had been deftly slipped into as many "suckers," which had come out from the roots of as many Rose-bushes. The next spring they were set and staked, and each was about as precious as the right eye of any ama- teur horticulturist. The small buds had developed into branches a foot long; great double peerless Roses had been hanging pendent from the original stocks — Roses with regal names and ti- tles. There would have been twenty glorified specimens of Floriculture to- day, but for that foreign gardener who had been " educated in the best schools in Europe," who knew everything, and could not be told anything. Roses must be cut in to make new wood. Be- fore night he had clipped those twenty standards each below the bud, and had taken himself off with his diabolical shears, his insufferable conceit, and his rustic innocence. He never came back to look at the work of his hands, nor to hear the wish mildly expressed that a pair of shears might be invented which would shorten the stature of that gar- dener at least a foot. There was a spe- cial aggravation of the case, because we had been nursing a theory for years, that by splitting two Rose-germs of dif- ferent kinds and putting the odd halves together, if growth could then be in- duced, there would be a hybrid Rose — either the color of the one would be distinct on one side, and the other THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 107 on the opposite side, or the Rose would be mottled, having red and white spots on each leaf. This Siamese bud had started finely. Bad luck to the garden- er's shears which abbreviated that ex- periment, and enveloped the vexed question again in darkness.. — Overland Monthly for April. FIG CULTUEE. BY DB. J. STEENTZEL. The tree of the Garden of Eden, pro- ducing one of the most luscious fruits, should be more largely cultivated in California. No fruit-tree is easier prop- agated, longer lived, or more thrifty under ordinary care; none a more pro- lific or abundant bearer. The fruit, wholesome and nutritious, is easily pre- served for future use by drying, and is thus adapted for a staple article of food in our favored clime. The Eig-tree thrives best in a rich, mellow soil, and requires a copious supply of water during midsummer, on any of our uplands or dry soils, to pro- duce large and well-ripened fruit. It is propagated from cuttings of the pre- vious year's growth, or by sprouts from stool-plants or around the butt of a tree. These last are partially rooted already, and will make a fine growth during the first season, and begin to bear the year following. This very facility of propa- gation appears to be a barrier to the further improvement of the Fig by the production of new and choice varieties from seed, which calls for the best ef- forts of our nurserymen in that line. Considering the great difference in the quality of the fruit and in the growth of the trees of the same variety, when raised under favorable conditions, it is presumed that the seedlings would also vary, probably with great improvement both in size and flavor of the fruit. The fruit of the Fig-tree forms in the axillae of the leaves. The so-called first crop is on the previous year's growth; the second crop is developed with the new wood during the season, and is checked only by lack of moisture in the soil, or by the autumnal frosts. This peculiarity of growth induces long and straggling branches, disturbing the sym- metrical beauty of a tree, and by which its vitality and power to produce fruit are also impaired; but with a little care in regard to proper pruning, as cutting out crossing branches, and shortening in one-third to one-half those of exu- berant growth, the whole tree is filled out and renewed with new fruit-bearing shoots. The ancient method of oiling the apex or eye of the fruit is not practiced here. It may be serviceable to varieties with an open calyx, as preventing the intru- sion of insects. There are about a dozen varieties of the Fig cultivated in our State, all suc- ceeding equally well. The Violette, Angelique, and White Ischia are of ex- cellent quality, but inferior in size; the large White Genoa is a splendid variety, but rather juicy and thin-skinned, and so more difficult to dry in the sun in the bay counties. Among the dark va- rieties, the Black Naples is the largest, but none is superior in quality to our Mission Fig, which will shrivel on the tree, and keep in fine condition, a lus- cious sweetmeat, until the rainy season, if not disturbed by the winged gour- mands. The improved processes of drying open a wide field for the profitable cult- ure of the Fig on the most extensive scale, to supply not only the Pacific Coast and Territories, but the whole Union. Here is another industry, re- 108 THE CALIFOKNIA HOETICULTUEIST. quiring for its inception but little capi- tal, and, with a minimum of labor, se- cure of quick returns and a continental market. THE BEIGHTON AQUAKIUM. The Brighton Aquarium, while emu- lated by several buildings of a similar nature in different parts of England and the continent, still holds its own in being on a scale of magnitude hitherto unsurpassed; more than one of its tanks, in illustration of this, being of sufficient size to accommodate the evolutions of porpoises and other small cetacea. The works were commenced in the autumn of the year 1869, but owing to various interruptions the building was not form- ally thrown open to the public until August, 1872. The area occupied by the aquarium, says the eminent naturalist, Mr. W. Sa- ville Kent, in Nature, averages 715 feet in length by 100 feet in width, running east and west along the shore-line. The building internally is divided into two corridors separated from one an- other by a fernery and considerable in- terspace. The approach to the first or western corridor is gained through a spacious entrance hall, supplied with reading-tables, and containing, between the pillars which support the roof, port- able receptacles of sea-water for the display of small marine specimens that would be lost to sight in the larger tanks. The tanks for ordinary exhibition be- gin on the left side of the western cor- ridor, and follow in consecutive order round the two corridors, the last imme- diately facing No. 1. The smallest of these tanks measures eleven feet long by ten feet broad, and is capable of holding some 4,000 gallons of water; while the largest, No. 6, in the western corridor, presents a total frontage, in- cluding the two angles, of 130 feet, with a greatest width of thirty feet, and con- tains no less than 110,000 gallons. Ev- ery gradation of size occurs between these two extremes, the depth of the water in all ranging from five to six feet. Supplementary to the foregoing, a series of half-a-dozen shallow octago- nal table-tanks occupies a portion of the interspace between the two corridors, these being especially adapted for the exhibition of animals such as star -fish, anemones, and others, seen to best ad- vantage when viewed perpendicularly through the water. Flanking one side of this same interspace are several ponds fenced off for the reception of seals and other amphibious mammalia and larger reptilia, while at its farther or eastern extremity artistic rock -work runs to a height of forty feet, thickly planted with choice ferns and suitable exotic plants, and broken in its course by a pictur- esque water-fall and stream. Tanks 12 to 17 in the eastern corridor, in addi- tion to the stream and basin beneath the water-fall, are set apart for the exclusive exhibition of fresh -water fish, the re- maining tanks being devoted to marine species. The bulk of water thus utiliz- ed in the fresh and salt water tanks col- lectively amounts to 500,000 gallons, and in addition to this several smaller store-tanks in the naturalist's room, ad- joining the eastern corridor, afford ac- commodation for reserve stock, or for new arrivals before their display to pub- lic view. The style of architecture dominant throughout the building is Italian and highly ornate, the arched roof of the corridors being groined and constructed of variegated bricks, supported on col- umns of Bath stone, polished serpentine marble, and Aberdeen granite ; the cap- ital of each column is elaborately carved THE CALIFOENIA HOKTICULTUKIST. 109 in some appropriate marine device, ■while the floor in correspondence is laid out in encaustic tiles. The divisions constituting the fronts of the tanks are composed each of three sheets of plate glass, each plate having a thickness of one inch, and measuring six feet high by three feet wide, separated from one another and supported centrally by up- right massive iron mullions ; in the smallest tanks the front is represented by but one of these divisions, while that of the largest, No. 6, consists of as many as eleven. Among other conspic- uous structural features of the aquari- um demanding notice, are the huge masses of rock entering into the compo- sition of the tanks and fernery. The system adopted at the Brighton aquarium for continually renewing the supply of oxygen, necessary for the well- being of the animals, is by streams of compressed air, which are constantly forced into the tanks through vulcanite tubes carried to the bottom of the water, each tank being fitted with a greater or less number of these tubes according to its size. THE WILLOW. The Willow (Salix, Nat. Ord. Salia- cece), belongs to the Linnsean class Dice- da, the distinguishing feature of which is, that the flowers bearing stamens, and those producing pistils and seed, are on two different trees, although the leaves and general appearance of each are the same. All the species are natives of the northern hemisphere, mostly within the temperate zone, though one or two are found within the Arctic circle. The catkins of the differ- ent species vary in length and size, as well as in the color of their anthers. The leaves, though greatly varied in size and form, are all more or less oval, and of a pale sea-green tint, and very frequently white, silvery, and downy on the under side. "Along the brink the path they kept, Where high aloft o'erarching Willows wept, Whose silvery foliage glistened in the beam, And floating shadows fringed the chequered stream." The many important uses rendered us by the different species of Willows and Osiers serve to rank them almost first in the list of our economical trees and plants. The timber is soft, light, and smooth, though tough. There are com- puted by some botanists to be about 250 species. There are not many that have much claim to an ornamental character, but most of them are of great utility. Among the several uses to which Wil- lows are applied, perhaps the most im- portant is that of basket-making, and the next in consequence is the applica- tion of the bark to tanning purposes. In some countries, too, their leaves are employed as food for stock. A sub- stance called ' ' salicine " is obtained by maceration of the bark of several spe- cies, which has been proved to be equal- ly efficacious with Peruvian bark in the cure of agues and other low fevers. The employment of Willow poles as supports in the garden hop-grounds and vineyards in the eastern part of the United States, and in other parts of the world, is well known. The bright yellow twigs of one variety of them at least — Salix vitellina — are among the toughest of the genus, and are grown by cultivators of the Grape, and market- gardeners, to bind their vines and oth- er produce. The Salix Babylonica, the Weeping Willow, is decidedly worth great consideration; it is most ornamen- tal, intermingled with other differently growing fine trees, in nearly all situa- tions; but, when enjoying the most ap- priate place for it, the margin of a 110 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. stream, or piece of water, is certainly one of the handsomest trees we possess. Salix annularis, or Ring-leaved "Willow, is another pretty pendulous species, more tender than the preceding in a severe climate, but well adapted no doubt for California. The Napoleon Willow, brought from the island of St. Helena, is a rather weak, pendulous sort, appears to be distinct from either of the above, and is, in all probability, a variety of S. purpurea, common as a woven hedge, well kept down, in some parts of En- gland. With regard to the planting of Wil- lows, nothing can be more easy. They may be increased to almost any extent by cuttings, in the manner of the Osi- ers, grown for fagoting, underwood, or brush, which have long and tough rods. These are vimenalis, rubra, Forbyana, Lambertiana, or purpurea. Their after management must of course depend upon the uses they are destined for. The very common mode of pollarding them, as in Europe, is objectionable on several accounts'. They are then spoil- ed either for timber or poles. The crowd of small stuff which rises on the head after each cutting suffocates one the other, and the trunk is rendered of little value by its being foreshortened. It must be decidedly more profitable either to cut them over near the ground, as is practiced with stools of Ash, Chest- nut, and other plantations for wood, the subsequent shoots to be thinned accord- ing to the strength of the stool and space they are allowed to occupy — or at once let them run up into perfect trees, tak- ing off only such lateral branches as may be required for repairs, etc., before the principal growths have attained a marketable size. The ground most suited to the forma- tion of Osier-beds, as they are called, is found on the margin of streams. It should be of considerable depth, and partake largely of a loamy character. The land should be sufficiently high to prevent more than occasional submer- sion, for although all Willows thrive in damp soils, few of them are naturally bog or even marsh plants, and never succeed where frequently saturated. Useful as I have proved the Willow tribe, and beautiful to the eye, it fills a scarcely less important place as afford- ing nourishment to bees. Its ornament- al catkins and delicate leaves, which embellish the earliest days of spring, furnish sustenance to those valuable insects. On those of the S. Caftrea, especially, the annual produce of the hives greatly depends. It is in flower in California in most years as early as February. During this time, whenev- er the thermometer is at or about forty- two degrees in the shade, accompanied with sunshine, the bees come abroad. This is a temperature which often oc- curs here, and if they have an opportu- nity during February of feeding a few days upon this Willow, or, perhaps, other kinds, the hive will soon become in a flourishing state. With regard to the estimation in which the Willow has been, and still is, held by poets, to enumerate them all would be impossible. A few, however, may be mentioned : " A hollow Tale where watery torrents gush, Sinks in the plain; the Osier and the rush, The marshy sedge, and bending Willow nod, Their trailing foliage o'er its oozy sod." Ovid. ' ' Poplars and Willows tremblin g o 'er the flood. ' ' Pope's Homeb. " The floating shade Of Willows gray close crowding o'er the brook." Thomson. " The thirsty Salix bending o'er the stream, Its boughs as banners waving to the breeze." MONTGOMEET. ' ' There is a Willow grows ascaunt the brook, That shows his hoar leaves in the grassy stream." Shakspeabe. THE CALIFOKNIA HOETICULTUKIST. Ill A CAEPET FOE SAND-HILLS. The report of the Engineer of the Golden Gate Park contains facts of great interest. We have in this city 3,000 acres of shifting sand, with a con- stant tendency to an increase of the area. The western or ocean side of the city is made nearly desolate by these sands. Every wave which beats on the shore, and every breeze, conspires to raise this sand and drive it inland. If the whole western side of the city were carpeted with verdure, insuring a com- plete fixation of sand, millions of dol- lars would be added to the wealth of the town. The engineer shows how this can be done. In fact, the experi- ments of the last year amount to a very conclusive demonstration. The average cost of reclaiming an acre of land at the Golden Gate Park has been $30.75 an acre for grass, or, with the addition of shrubs, $43.93. The most difficult part of the work of reclamation will be an embankment of nearly three miles along the beach, where now eight hundred cubic feet of sand are raised for every lineal foot. While this will be the most difficult feature of the work, the engineer does not anticipate any great difficulty in making an effectual barricade by means of shrubs, which will fix the sand and form a natural embankment. The in- side work could then be carried on by the lot-owners at comparatively small expense . The results thus far attained with the Yellow Lupine are very remarkable. It thrusts its roots into the sand, and, when once established, it in a short time covers the desolation with the most beautiful vegetation. A top soil is soon formed, and then grass will grow. There are other plants and grasses which are known to thrive in the sand. Along1 the beaches in the Atlantic States is a low bush bearing what is known as the Beach Plum. This shrub grows in the sand, and appears to form a complete barricade to drifts. With so many re- sources, it can hardly be doubted that all the sand-dunes in the city will be reclaimed. Now that successful exper- iments have already been made, and the approximate cost is known, it may be considered that this great work is fairly inaugurated. — S. F. Bulletin. ABUTILON BOULE DE NEIGE. BY A NEW CONTEIBTJTOE . The Plant Catalogue of John Saul, Washington, D. C, just received, has the following description of a new and rare Abutilon at the very head of the list of flowering plants : "Abutilon Boule de Neige. — The Floral Magazine says of it: 'Abutilon Boule de Neige was exhibited by Mr. Standish, of the Koyal Nursery, Ascot, and was received by him from France. He describes it as very free flowering, as indeed could be seen from the small plants exhibited by him being full of flowers; and he also states that it is very valuable as a sub-tropical plant, bearing exposure to the summer well, and in- teresting by the contrast of its pure white flowers and green foliage. This plant will be invaluable to our florists for cut-blooms, during summer when bedded out, and during winter in the forcing-house — a charming acquisition to this group. Price $1 each." This plant is figured in a very large and beautiful manner, in colors, as a supplement to the catalogue quoted above. This is the very same plant that our florists and nurserymen have been cultivating very extensively for at least six years past. Messrs. Ludemann & 112 THE CALIFOENIA HOETICULTUEIST. Co., nurserymen of this city, place it in their recent catalogue among the ever- green plants as ' 'Abutilon niveum, white, price fifty cents;" but by wholesale, it can be had for thirty cents. They have one in their nursery that is twelve feet in height, and is a constant bloom- er, having a profusion of white flowers the year round. Our nurserymen also cultivate a crimson Abutilon, called "Santana," which we have failed to find in any Eastern catalogue we have so far examined, and therefore presume it is also a "new and rare" plant there. It is "a beautiful plant either for green- house decoration, or for the open air, of rapid growth; leaves palmated, light green, glossy; deep crimson flowers, very distinct, and continually bloom- ing; the price is only fifty cents." It is exceedingly gratifying to us to be thus able to identify what we have cul- tivated for a number of years, as new and quite rare in the East. The above may seem like bringing the "shop" into notice by giving the prices, but this the reader will at once see is only done to make a comparison. GARDENING FOE CHILDEEN. Few parents probably ever think what an influence a few lessons on gardening would have on the future life of a child. Everyone knows how the acts of child- hood last in the memory, even into old age, and this influence may be either good or bad, like the act itself ; there- fore, knowing this, we have a good in- centive for teaching our children the knowledge which shall be useful to them in future years. Gardening is, however, seldom taught to children, al- though one of the most useful kinds of knowledge which they could obtain. Perhaps the reason why it is so is be- cause there are few able to teach ; but it needs only a beginning to make the next generation much in the advance of this. The boy is set at work hoeing or dig- ging, but no one explains any motive for the act, consequently his interest in the work does not reach beyond the mere manipulation of the soil, and what might become mental recreation and a pleasure, is the worst kind of drudgery. If he was told why the soil was stirred and its effect, there would be something more than the usual in- centive for work, and the lesson would be remembered. A child should never be allowed to do any work without first knowing its object; and the parent that is capable of explaining this clearly will not be very likely to permit an improp- er act. But what we here call gardening may well include more or less of farming, be- cause the farmer raises plants as well as the gardener. Neither do we believe in confining a knowledge of gardening to boys, for it will do girls no harm even if they should never have occasion to use it. Let the boy begin by raising plants himself, sowing the seeds and tending the plants as they appear, and progress soon becomes a constant source of delight as well as knowledge. Begin with annuals, for they come into perfec- tion soon, and will not tax the patience of the child too severely at first. A few perennials may also be started at the same time, and a few words of explana- tion show him the difference and how to distinguish the two classes. Gay flow- ers usually attract most, but melons, or other annual fruits, may well come in for a share of attention. One step in this direction will lead to others, and a boy or girl who would, under the usual course pursued by farmers, hate garden- ing, will become thoroughly imbued THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 113 with a love for it and all its surround- ings. The hoeing, raking, digging, and other operations in the garden, when their use is fully explained, become very interesting even to older persons, but they are remembered better if taught in youth. If we are ever to be a nation of good gardeners or farmers, we must have the science of the thing taught to children. Our common schools must be made more practical and interesting to chil- dren, for the science of every-day life and its surroundings are full of interest- ing and useful lessons, and these need to be placed foremost, and dry book- lessons second or last. A knowledge of how that weed by the school-house door- step grows is of more consequence to the child than the age of the Egyptian Pyramids or the height of Pompey's Pillar. We were taught when a child to repeat many a falsehood by the yard, because they were in school-books, but never had a teacher who could tell which way a Lima beanstalk turned around a pole, or why it turned at all. Now, while farmers are making war up- on those who oppress them, had they not better look into the school-houses and see that their children are being taught that which shall be most useful to them as farmers and farmers' wives? A Destructive Woem. — We hear com- plaint that a small worm has made its appearance in this vicinity, and is mak- ing disastrous inroads upon some of the grain. It resembles the army- worm somewhat. It eats in a circle, and takes the grain as it shoots above the ground, leaving not a spear in its course. Sev- eral farmers in this neighborhood will be compelled to sow their land over again, owing to the devastations made by these worms. — Gilroy Advocate. Vol. IV.— 15. GROUP OF ANNUALS- See Fkontispiece. BY F. A. MILLEE. We take pleasure in calling the atten- tion of the reader to another group of annuals, represented^in our frontispiece, for which the Magazine is again indebt- ed to James Vick, of Rochester, N. Y. The Verbena is not considered an an- nual with us here in California, as it is sufficiently hardy to withstand our win- ters. The production of new varieties is continually increasing, and the Ver- bena is now a most popular bedding plant, and indispensable for the flower garden. It is very important that the old plants should be well cut back in the spring of the year, so as to produce young wood and better flowers. The DianthiLS has also been wonder- fully improved, and many most exquis- ite and distinct varieties are under cul- tivation. The seed is sown early in the spring, and the young plants will pro- duce an abundance of flowers during summer and the following winter. The Dianthus also withstands our winters, holds out for several years, and ceases to be an annual in California. The Tropceolum has no less claim to our special attention. Hardly any ex- cept the oldest varieties are cultivated here, although the colors of the latest acquisitions are most superb. It is a pretty climber for trellis-work, and con- tinually in bloom. It develops its flow- ers the first season from the seed, but, like the other plants we have named above, continues to live and thrive for a number of years. We know of some plants in this city which have never stopped blooming for four years. Cer- tainly this fact must encourage the planting of these so-called annuals. Thorough cultivation is indispensable to success in gardening. 114 THE CALIFOBNIA HOKTICULTUEIST. EUCALYPTUS GEOVES. A Hayward correspondent of the Oak- land Transcript gives the following: — "Two miles north of Hayward are two remarkable groves of the Eucalyptus or Australian Gum-tree. They belong to J. T. Stratton, the present Surveyor- G-eneral, who resides in Oakland. One grove contains about sixty acres, the other ninety ; the whole comprising about 130,000 trees, big and little. The trees are only four years old, yet many of them are from forty to fifty feet high and a foot in diameter, and are planted in regular rows like an orchard, though closer together; in fact, the rows are too close for the general thrift, and the proprietor is about to cut away every other tree, which will afford firewood enough to pay for all expenditure here- tofore. When G-en. Stratton was set- ting out the trees, the neighboring farm- ers laughed at him, and advised him to desist and attend to his surveying, as he would be dead long before the tim- ber would amount to anything; but the laugh is now on the other side. Five years hence the available timber will be immensely valuable for manufacturing and for firewood. There are many spe- cies of the Eucalyptus, most of which are adapted to this climate. The tree grows to great size and height, and when seasoned is extremely hard, solid, and resembles hickory. It is well suit- ed for wagon and carriage making, and as firewood it creates a heat almost equal to coal, and deposits a cinder which will keep hot for a long time. No doubt General Stratton's foresight in planting these extensive and beautiful groves will produce not only cords of wood but cords of money; for, if cut down and sold now, at the age of only four years, the young forests would bring many thousands of dollars. Moreover, the successful experiment will be of vast importance to the people living in poor- ly timbered districts, as it has demon- strated that an abundance of valuable wood can be produced from the seed within five years from the time of plant- ing, while a period of nine or ten years will produce timber logs more than two feet in diameter. A FLOUEISHING EXPOET TEADE IN SEEDS AND PLANTS. A considerable trade, and one con- stantly increasing, has sprung up with Europe in plants indigenous to the Pa- cific Coast. Sonntag & Co. have the principal part of the business in their hands, and they have collecting agents at work from Washington Territory to Southern California, in Nevada, and also in Arizona. The Pacific Coast is constantly yield- ing up botanical treasures, and attract- ing the attention of the scientific world. The parterres of lovely flowers upon our hills and mountains are not appreciated until one has been abroad, and visited the gardens of Europe. In England, and in several countries on the continent, wild flowers from this State, where they are found in boundless profusion, are cultivated under glass, and nurtured as botanical novelties. There are seven- teen species of the Lupine in California, indigenous to the soil, and other wild flowers in like proportion. Among the California plants held in high esteem by the Europeans is the Ceanothus, or the Beauty of the Sierra, a charming flower, found in the mountains, as its name would imply, and also on the hills to the west of the city. The California Pitcher Plant, differing materially from the Pitcher Plant of the Eastern States, is also prized abroad as a novelty. Its leaves are in the form of tubes, and will THE CALIFORNIA HOKTICULTUEIST. 115 hold water. Another popular plant is the Scoliopus Bigelowi, a plant discov- ered by the Mexican Boundary Commis- sion, and named in honor of one of its members. This is a great botanital curiosity. It grows to the height of eighteen inches, has large green leaves, spotted with maroon, and bears purple flowers. Among the tree seeds in demand among the Europeans are those of the Sequoia gigantea, or Wellingtonia gigan- tea, named in compliment to the late Duke of "Wellington, which is best known as the Big Tree of California. The English naturalist Lobb is suppos- ed by many to have first met with the tree near the source of the Stanislaus Kiver, in Calaveras County, though oth- er writers attribute its discovery to Douglas, in 1831 ; but perhaps the most probable statement is the one generally believed in California, and is that a company of miners on a prospecting tour came accidentally upon the Cala- veras group. In 1865 were sold two pounds of the seeds of this tree, in one of the German States, at the rate of $125 per pound. Other favorites are the Pinus fiexilis, a hardy tree, found at the height of 13,000 feet; the Pinus insignis, a lovely grass-green pine ; the Cupressus macrocarpus, an ev- ergreen; the Thuja gigantea; the gigan- tic Arborvitse, alias Libocedrus decur- rens, a noble tree, with a straight and very robust stem — in color the foliage is a remarkably bright green, and the branches are long, flat, and frond-like ; and many other Firs, Pines, Cedars, Cy- presses, etc. The need of a good work on the botany of the Pacific Coast has long been felt ; and in this connection we are pleased to learn that Professor Brewer, of Tale College, who was asso- ciated with Clarence King during the geological survey, is writing a book de- voted exclusively to this subject. Morning Gall. MOUNT SHASTA FKOM STEAWBEEEY VALLEY. Isolated by the valleys around its base from the ridges of the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Range, which in this re- gion are conterminous, if not quite in- termixed, and showing so much of its real elevation, Mount Shasta has the finest exposure of all the lofty summits in California. Indeed, there are few mountains anywhere in the world which stand so apart, and are seen to such great advantage. Mount "Whitney, in southern California — its superior in height by 500 or 600 feet, and its only proved superior in the United States, outside of Alaska — is but one of a num- ber of companion peaks, of little inferior height, rising a few thousand feet above the general elevation of a long crest- line, accessible by a quite gradual ap- proach on horseback. The peaks about the railroad summit, having an eleva- tion of 9,000 to 10,000 feet, are reached by an ascent, on the railroad or wagon- road grades (which go within 3,000 or 4,000 feet of their tops), not less than 100 miles long. But arrived at the base of Shasta, you are only 3,567 feet above the sea, and make the remaining eleva- tion of nearly 11,000 feet to the top, on horseback and afoot, in the short dis- tance of fourteen or fifteen miles. Standing out so boldly, Shasta is a con- spicuous landmark over an area several hundred miles in extent, and the view of it from any of the valleys at its foot is alone ample reward for the long jour- ney necessary to obtain it. The study of it from Strawberry Valley is a con- stant source of pleasure, for many days in succession, from the early morning, when it is cold and austere, until the 116 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. evening, when it is warm and ruddy with a delicious Alpine glow, lasting forty minutes after the valley is in cool shadow. In the clearest atmosphere, and close as it is, the twin cones of its summit look soft and smooth, as if clad with soil, where they are not covered or streaked with snow. Innocent and in- viting as are those slopes, except for the steep angle of their inclination, we know they are rough piles of broken rocks, of toppling slabs, and sharp volcanic clink- ers. But how lovely they look ! How delicious in their prevalent tint of pink- ish drab, streaked with the red of lava edges and the white of frozen snow, and relieved so high up against the blue sky ; while low down is the abruptly termi- nating line of dark-green firs and pines, sloping to the bright grassy meadow at the foot of all. In some lights, and es- pecially when the atmosphere is hazy, the peak above the timber-line is a delicate mauve color; and then it is as airy and wonderful as the dome of Aladdin's genii-built palace, insubstan- tial almost as the fabric of a vision. — B. P. Aveky, in Overland for March. PROFITS OF ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. Seedling Orange-trees rarely bear fruit until seven years old, and frequent- ly not until eight years old. As a rule, the first crop is sufficient to pay all cur- rent expenses. The second crop will give a fair profit, while the third crop — worth at, say, $15 to $25 per 1,000, $10 per tree — is enough to pay back all the principal invested, allowing that noth- ing has been realized in the meantime from the space between the rows. Orange-trees fifteen years old will bear from 1,000 to 2,000 Oranges, netting the fortunate owner from $20 to $25 per tree, or $1,000 to $2,000 per acre. This is no fancy picture — the dream of an im- aginative mind. The Los Angeles and San Gabriel valleys, in Los Angeles County, afford ample proof of the truth- fulness of these assertions. From his orange-grove of seven acres, Mr. Wil- son nets the handsome sum of $2,000 per acre per annum. The fair owner of the Wolfskill orchard, covering an area of about thirty acres, is reputed to net from the Orange-crop from $45,000 to $50,000 per annum. Mr. L. J. Rose, of Sunnyslope, who has an avenue half a mile in length, leading from the coun- ty road to the door of his residence, lin- ed on each side by a double row of Orange-trees, five hundred of which are now bearing, sold the crop of 1872-3 for $30 per 1,000, which aggregated about $15,000. The trees in the San Gabriel Mission orchard yield from 2,000 to 3,000 Oranges per tree per an- num, which sell readily for the highest price in the market. — Taliesin Evans, in Overland for March. Rheumatism. — A correspondent in the English Mechanic gives the following remedy for curing rheumatic gout, from which he had long been a sufferer. He insulated his bedstead from the floor, by placing underneath each post a broken-off bottom of a glass bottle. He says the effect was magical, that he had not been free from rheumatic gout for fifteen years, and that he began to improve immediately after the applica- tion of the insulators. We are remind- ed, by this xDaragraph from our Eng- lish contemporary, of a patent obtained through this office for a physician some twelve or more years ago, which created considerable interest at the time. The patent consisted in placing glass cups under the bed-posts in similar manner to the above. The patentee claimed to have THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 117 effected some remarkable cures by the use of his glass insulators, but we have not heard from him for some time. "We can not vouch for any merit in the idea, but it is one easily tried; and as no harm can arise from the experiment, we hope some one will test it and give us the result of his experience. KEEP AMMONIA IN THE HOUSE. "We find the following sensible article credited to "Exchange," and we trans- fer it to our columns because our own experience teaches us that the advice is good : ' - No housekeeper should be without a bottle of spirits of ammonia, for be- sides its medical value, it is invaluable for household purposes. It is nearly as useful as soap, and its cheapness brings it within the reach of all. Put a teaspoonful of ammonia to a quart of warm soap-suds, dip in a flannel cloth and wipe off the dust and fly-specks, and see for yourself how much labor it will save. No scrubbing will be need- ful. It will cleanse and brighten silver wonderfully: to a pint of suds mix a teaspoonful of the spirits, dip in your silver spoons, forks, etc., rub with a brush, and polish with chamois-skin. For washing mirrors and windows it is very desirable: put a few drops of am- monia on a piece of paper, and it will readily take off every spot or finger- mark on the glass. It will take out grease spots from every fabric : put on the ammonia nearly clear, lay blotting- paper over the place, and press a hot flat-iron on it for a few moments. A few drops in water will clean laces and whiten them as well; also muslins. It is a most refreshing agent at the toilet table; a few drops in a basin of water will make a better bath than pure wa- ter, and if the skin is oily it will remove all glossiness and disagreeable odors. Added to a foot-bath, it entirely absorbs all noxious smell so often arising from the feet in warm weather, and nothing is better for cleaning the hair from dand- ruff and dust. For cleaning hair- brush- es and nail-brushes it is equally good. Put a teaspoonful of ammonia into one pint of water, and shake the brushes through the water. "When they appear white, rinse them in pure water, and put them in the sunshine or other warm place to dry. The dirtiest brushes will come out of this bath white and clean. For medicinal purposes ammonia is al- ways unrivaled. For headache it is a desirable stimulant, and frequent in- haling of its pungent odors will often entirely remove catarrhal cold. There is no better remedy for heart-burn and dyspepsia, and the aromatic spirits of ammonia is especially prepared for these troubles. Ten drops of it in a wine- glassful of water are often a great re- lief. The spirits of ammonia can be taken in the same way, but it is not as palatable. In addition to all these uses, the effect of ammonia on vegetation is beneficial. If you desire Roses, Gera- niums, Fuchsias, etc., to become more flourishing, you can try it upon them by adding five or six drops to every pint of warm water that you give them; but don't repeat the dose oftener than once in five or six days, lest you stimulate them too highly. So be sure and keep a large bottle of it in the house, and have a glass stopper for it, as it is very evanescent, and also injurious to corks, Success of an Ameeican Vegetable. — The Early Rose Potato has won a tri- umph even in Australia. In one place a single pound of seed produced 105 pounds in yield; another lot of two pounds of seed produced 300 pounds within seven months. 118 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. GKOWTH OF THE FRUIT TRADE. The domestic fruit trade of this State is increasing in a healthy way year by year. "We hear now and then that the fruit business don't pay. In some in- stances it does not; but this results, we suspect, from poor management. We hear the old story of fruit decaying on the ground, or not paying for boxes, freight, and commissions. This class of facts can be gathered up in any fruit- growing region, East or West. Prob- ably, those who have made fruit-grow- ing a specialty have realized the most satisfactory returns. They watch the markets, and they know what varieties sell best. As evidence that the fruit trade is in a prosperous condition, we have the facts that new orchards are set out every year, and at this time prepar- ations are making for the setting out of fruit-trees on an extensive scale, not only in the bay counties, but in other parts of the State. Besides Pears, Ap- ples, Peaches, Cherries, and Plums, orchards of small fruits, as Blackber- ries, Currants, and Gooseberries, will be set out. The Sacramento Union makes the following showing of the fruit business which centres in that city: " It is im- possible to get correct data of the total sales and exportation from this city. It will, however, be but little, if any, short of $750,000. A large proportion of this has been disposed of and for- warded from here by W. R. Strong, A. H. Cummings & Co., R. Levy, and Lyons & Barnes, fruit and commission merchants, Sacramento, and by C. W. Reed, an extensive grower in Yolo County. One firm, A. H. Cummings & Co., Sacramento, shipped for their share, during the fruit and vegetable season, 2,028 tons of fruit, 300 tons of vegetables, 45 tons of seed, 30 tons of dried fruit, and 400 dozen (2J lb. cans) canned fruit. Of the above, 400 tons of fruit were sent to Chicago and New York, and the balance to Nevada, "Utah, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska. Another, the house of R. Levy, shipped 6,000 boxes of Ap- ples, 6,500 boxes of Pears, 2,500 boxes of Peaches, 1,500 boxes of Plums, 1,250 boxes of Nectarines, 2,000 boxes of Ap- ricots, 16,000 boxes of Grapes, 5,000 boxes of Cherries, 2,000 boxes of Cur- rants, 6,000 boxes of Strawberries, 3,- 000 boxes of Tomatoes, and fifteen car- loads of assorted fruits and vegetables. Wolf & Adams, during the year 1873, shipped of Cherries and Plums 5 tons; of Blackberries and Strawberries, 10 tons; Peaches and Apricots, 25 tons; Pears and Apples, 60 tons. " The business of drying fruits and canning, both for home consumption and the Eastern markets, is carried on more extensively in San Francisco and in this vicinity. It is yet in its infancy, but is growing rapidly every year. A good fruit-orchard — that is, one which is stocked with the best varieties of fruit — yields a very certain income. The owner can sell the crop on the trees if he does not care to box and ship it to market. Many large sales are made in this way; the purchaser in the early part of the season buying the crop in bulk on the trees, and taking the chances of a good turnout and a good market. Those who maintain that the fruit business is overdone in this State will see that interest more than doubled during the next ten years. — Bulletin. The British Museum has cost the British Government nearly $20,000,000, and it now costs nearly $600,000 a year to maintain it, or more than a dollar for every person who visits it. THE CALIFOENIA HOBTICULTUEIST. 119 HOW TO PLANT PECANS AND CHEST- NUTS. There are very few species of our na- tive nuts that will grow after they have once become thoroughly dried, conse- quently fall is the time to plant. But in case it is not convenient to plant at that time, the nuts may be preserved in moist sand or soil until spring, and then sown in drills or wherever it is de- sirable to have them grow. The Chestnut is probably one of the most delicate of all, requiring careful handling in order to succeed in making the nuts grow ; but if taken fresh from the trees or before they get dry and shriveled, and placed in pure sand and then buried in the open ground where they will be kept cool and moist until spring, there is little danger of failure, provided they are not planted too deep and in heavy soils. We have found it a good plan to scatter the nuts in shal- low drills and merely cover them with sand or sandy soil, and then spread a little hay, straw, or some such light ma- terial over the bed. Not more than a half inch in depth of soil should be put over the nuts. Pecan and other species of Hickory nuts may be treated in the same man- ner, although they will withstand con- siderable hard usage and still grow. Pecans which have been kept in stores since last autumn may be made to ger- minate next spring if taken now and put in moist soil and placed where they will freeze during this month or next. The freezing and thawing open the pores of the shell, admitting moisture to the germ within. Collection of Oranges. — Says the Journal of the Farm : "It is not gener- ally known that the Superintendent of the Government Gardens at "Washing- ton has for some time past been mak- ing a collection of all accessible varie- ties of Oranges, and that he now has over fifty varieties, of which but three kinds have yet been distributed, viz: Tangerine, Maltese, and St. Michaels. It is proposed to have the different vari- eties tested, and when their qualities are ascertained, to distribute the best kinds for cultivation in the South and on our Pacific Coast. This branch of Horticult- ure is one which has made rapid prog- ress within the last few years, and we are glad to note that Mr. Saunders is thus assisting it." MOUNTAIN FARMING. The Amador Ledger has been giving some interesting items of actual results of farming in the foot-hills of that coun- ty. This week it gives the actual prod- uct of the ranch of Mr. C. J. Kuffner, situated at the north-western foot of the Butte Mountain, three miles east of Jackson. Mr. Buffher owns 160 acres, with Government title ; 20 acres of the tract is cultivated to grass, producing one ton per acre without irrigation. Hay is never worth less than $25 per ton; income from hay produced, $500. Eight acres are planted in fruit-trees and Grape-vines, and two acres in vege- tables. The fruit-trees embrace Apple, Pear, Peach, Plum, Apricots, Quince, and Nectarine. Erom the orchard last year were taken and sold the following products: Eight tons of Apples, at 2 cents per pound, $320 ; 2 tons Peaches, Pears, Plums, and other fruits, 3 cents, $120; 18 tons Grapes from 7,000 vines, 2 cents, $720 ; 1,000 pounds raisins cured and sold, 20 cents, $200; from eight acres fruits and vines, $1,360. From the two acres cultivated in vegetables, the 120 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. following sums were realized: 4 tons of Tomatoes at 2 cents, $160; from the sale of Cucumbers, Beans, Peas, Cabbages, Beets, • and other vegetables, $300. Product from 2 acres, $460. Whole amount realized from 30 acres, as fol- lows: From 20 acres to hay, $500; 8 acres of fruits, Grapes, and raisins, $1,- 360; 2 acres to vegetables, $400. To- tal sum realized, $2,320 ; being $25 per acre for land cultivated to hay, $270 per acre for land cultivated to fruit and Grapes, and $230 per acre in vegetables. The Eucalyptus. — Dr. William H. Gibbons, of Alameda, says of this tree : " Don't trim them. The Eucalyptus, in its natural localities, attains a height of from 300 to 400 feet, with a diameter of 40 feet. The first two years of its growth from the seed is largely employ- ed in making root. Cut off its side branches and you cut off the organs which supply the root with food. Dwarf the root and you produce an ill- shaped, ungraceful tree, which, having no firm hold in the ground, is liable to be blown over by every high wind. Our gardeners ball up the roots of the Eucalyptus like a mass of worms, and sell them in .this condition; the pur- chasers dig a small hole and cover them up. They grow awhile, blow over, are trimmed, reset, and replanted, to look as much like a Eucalyptus -tree as a jackass does like a philosopher. The hole for a tree should be always from eighteen inches to two feet square, and of like depth; it should be filled to within eight inches of the top with good vegetable mold or compost; the roots should be trimmed and spread out so as to have no accumulation of twisted roots, and the tree when planted should be about an inch below the earth line. So planted, it will rarely blow over." THE OREODOXA REGIA PALM. The splendid and luxurious flora of Brazil produces nothing more graceful than the lofty palm known as the Oreo- doxa regia. Straight and slightly tap- ering for over sixty feet in height (when fully grown), the tree then separates into a frond of remarkable beauty, as complete in form as the capital of a Corinthian column. A grove of these trees is to be seen in the public Botanic Garden at Eio de Janeiro, and it is diffi- cult to imagine an object more beauti- ful to the eye of a lover of nature. The trees are said to be between forty and fifty years of age. The trunk of each of them is about four feet in di- ameter at four feet from the ground, and it goes on tapering gradually to a length of more than fifty feet, when it becomes united with another smooth thinner trunk, from ten to twelve feet in height, formed of the bright green foot -stalks of the leaves, which again measure some twenty feet or more. In young vigorous trees the leaves are considerably longer. The great beauty of this Palm is its elegance and cleanliness of aspect; no ragged leaf beats about in the wind, even at that great height; the over -ripe yellow leaves unsheathe themselves of their own accord, and the trees look as clean as if they had been trimmed by hand. The color of the stem is of a whitish gray, like that of light stone in dazzling sun- shine; and although from top to bottom it is covered with lichens of all the col- ors of the rainbow, yet so small are they that you only perceive them by ap- proaching the tree closely. In the same grounds, says The Gar- den, exists the parent of these Palms, which was planted during the last year of the last century, and is. now about 120 feet in height. It is a noble tree, THE CALIFORNIA HOKTICULTTJKIST. 121 and, as it stands singly and at a con- siderable distance from other plants, its beauty and height can be seen to the best advantage. Strangers from northern countries are invariably struck with the appear- ance of this avenue, which is unrivaled for its regularity, extent, and beauty. It forms a colonnade of natural columns, whose graceful bright -green capitals seem to support an overhanging dome of bright blue sky. FKUIT- GROWING AND FKUIT - CURING. The following view on this new in- dustry is from the Marysville Appeal, of February 14th : ' ' California has already gained a na- tional reputation as a fruit-growing country, though fruit culture in our State may be said to be in its infancy. We have no accurate data as to the ag- gregate crop of our various fruits, but one fact seems to be demonstrated by experience, that our crops of green fruit are already in excess of home consump- tion, and that fruit-growers who are increasing and extending their orchards yearly, must resort to drying and can- ning, and that the coming year will find our fruit-growers making prepara- tions for disposing of their surplus in this way. Our attention has been call- ed to this matter at this time by observ- ing that extensive orders have been re- cently received from the East for dried Apples, at nine cents per pound; and also, that during the month of Decem- ber last, about 35,000 pounds of dried fruit were shipped by rail from San Francisco to the East. California is wonderfully adapted by its climate and soil to fruit-growing, and is already the greatest pomological State in the Un- ion. But our people are yet to learn Vol. IV.— 16. much about fruit-raising and fruit-cur- ing— learn how to utilize by economy, industry, and foresight, and adopt vari- ous modes of preserving and getting to market their fruits. Every novice in California can plant a tree, gather its fruit, and sell it for what it will bring in the nearest local market. But neces- sity compels us to learn how to do bet- ter than we have been doing the past few years. Early and late fruits are the only varieties on which our orchard- ists now realize good profits, and this demand lasts but a few weeks at the beginning and close of each season. The great bulk of our fruits ripen in midsummer, and are necessarily rushed upon the market, and bring but small prices, and frequently barely enough money to pay the expenses of picking, boxing, and freight. At this particular period of the season the general inter- ests invite some other way for the dis- posal of the surplus fruit, and it is plain to see that there is but one course left, and that is to preserve or dry our Peaches, Pears, Plums, Apricots, etc. Every extensive fruit-grower must there- fore provide ways and means for drying or preserving — and it is generally con- ceded that there will be most profit in drying. Then follows a secondary ne- cessity, which may be termed economy in labor. The work of picking, paring, and drying must be done with cheap la- bor— and what better employment for our boys and girls who are dependent upon some kind of occupation for their support? Fruit-drying can be made profitable when the people settle down to the conviction that they must labor in California as in other States, and rigid economy is adopted in every de- partment of the business. There will be a market for every pound of dried fruit we can put up in good shipping order. By drying our best fruits — for 122 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. the best is that which ripens in the middle of the season — the home market will be relieved of the surplus of green fruits, and millions of pounds will be saved which would otherwise rot or be fed to animals. We therefore believe, considering the increasing demand for dried fruits in the East, that our or- chardists may safely anticipate that a better time is coming." PLANTING SHADE -TREES IN SAN JOSE —AN EXAMPLE. San Jose is, says the Sacramento Record, we believe already the best shaded city in the State. The streets leading out of the city for miles, in al- most every direction, are lined with shade-trees to a greater extent than are the streets leading out of any other city in the State. The shade -trees in the streets of San Jose and along the roads leading into the country are the remark and admiration of every visitor to that section, and have done more to attract permanent settlers and capital to that county than any other one thing. The land is no better in that county than in many others in the State, and produces no more to the acre. Nor is the county any better situated as to market facili- ties than many other counties, and yet the farms are held at a much higher price and are in demand at higher rates than in most other counties. One of the principal reasons for this fact is found in the better taste and more en- terprise displayed by the citizens in the ornamentation of their city lots and farms in the country. Suppose, for in- stance, that all the citizens in the sever- al towns of Tolo and Solano counties, and all the farmers, were this season to plant out shade-trees along the line of all the public streets leading through or past their property, and should give them the necessary care to secure their thrifty growth, can anyone tell the ap- preciation of real estate that would take place in the county in the next four years? The trees themselves, for the wood alone, would be a good invest- ment, but the value they would add to the land could scarcely be estimated in dollars and cents, though we feel confi- dent that this additional value would scarcely be less than from 25 to 50 per cent, over and above the amount of in- crease that would accrue to the land without such improvement. How long will it take for the farmers of all the counties to learn the value of shade- trees in a country like this? If good judgment were used in selecting the trees, in ten years from the time of set- ting them out trees thus set along the highways of a county would, from the prunings alone, furnish their owners with a good supply of fire-wood. One hundred Cottonwood-trees would, after they should have attained the age of ten years, furnish from the limbs alone ten cords of wood per annum. The pruning could be so managed as not to interfere with, but rather preserve the beauty and symmetry of the tree. This is the season to plant trees, and we would urge all our readers to plant them wherever they have appropriate places, whether along the line of the streets or division fences, or in cultivat- ed fields. Ammonia fob Verbenas. — The sulphate of ammonia is an excellent manurial liquid to apply to Verbenas or other plants, giving the foliage a dark green, luxuriant, and healthy appearance. It is economical, clean, and easily applied. Prepare it in the evening before using, by dissolving one ounce of ammonia in two gallons of water. It may be ap- plied once a week. THE CALIFORNIA HOBTICULTUEIST. 123 THE PROTECTION OF PLANTS BY ARTIFICIAL CLOUDS. The practice among gardeners of pro- tecting vegetables from the effects of frost, by lighting fires at such points that the wind will carry the heated air and smoke over the plants, is not new, and in some countries is one of the commonest agricultural operations. In Chile, where large vineyards exist upon the slopes of the Cordilleras, the plan has been found of the greatest value in saving the vines from the cold wind which sweeps down from the mount- ains; and it is stated that even the ten- derest shoots are defended from the frost, at temperatures as low as 21° Fahrenheit. The most recent experiments in this direction, and perhaps also the most extensive of late date, have been car- ried on by M. Fiabre de Rieunegre, one of the largest vine-growers in France. It may be remembered that about a year ago we briefly adverted to this subject, and said that it had elicited commenda- tion from a congress of vintners in the above mentioned country. Since then, however, M. de Rieunegre's experi- ments have been made, and with such remarkably good results, that the mat- ter is invested with a new and at this season of the year timely importance to all engaged in the cultivation of the vine in our Northern States. The in- vestigator in the record of his research- es considers that fires of tar or heavy oils are not suitable, notably from the fact that cheaper and more efficacious material can be obtained, and also that, in order to keep the former burning over a considerable period of time, an amount of attention is required which eventually becomes very onerous. The chaff of Wheat, he says, answers the purpose better than any substance he has used, as it burns slowly, produces large quantities of smoke, and costs but very little. Moss, saw-dust, or worth- less hay may be employed when chaff is not conveniently to be obtained. The material is piled in heaps of about eight feet in diameter and forty feet apart. Three fires thus disposed are sufficient to protect two and a half acres of vines. In describing his mode of experi- menting, M. de Rieunegre says that, having selected a night when the ther- mometer appeared to be rapidly falling, he collected all his laborers, together with a large concourse of neighbors from the surrounding country. As soon as the mercury fell to 32° Fahrenheit, a signal was given, and the match was applied to 300 heaps of chaff and straw. The flames were carefully kept under, and in a very few minutes a dense cloud of smoke had settled over a plain of 360 acres. The fires were continued until the thermometer had risen above the freezing point of water, but were renewed within twenty-four hours, when one of the coldest nights of winter set in, with a strong breeze blowing from the north-east. New heaps were kin- dled in the direction of the wind, the great cloud was again formed, and, al- though it is stated the vineyards of the surrounding country presented after the frost a scene of desolation, those pro- tected by the smoke were unharmed. Thirty thousand dollars worth of plants were saved by the operation, at the sole expense of a quantity of worthless chaff and straw. — Scientific American. Heee is the latest prescription for the destruction of squirrels : Boil one-third of a pint of vinegar; add to this one ounce of fine pulverized strychnine, stir it well, put it into six quarts of water in an old tin pan. Half of this dose was sufficient to kill sixty-two squirrels in three days in Alameda County. 124 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. mitixM WMiM#, Bay District Horticultural Society. — At the regular monthly meeting of this Society, held at their rooms on the 28th ult., notice, in conformity with the fundamental laws, was duly given, that at the regular meeting of Saturday, 30th of May next ensuing, the Constitu- tion of the Society would be taken un- der consideration, with the view to the alteration and amendment of each and every clause thereof. This is a very necessary measure, as, owing to the somewhat precipitate man- ner in which the original document was framed, many crudities and incongrui- ties were embodied. Several wise and healthy amendments have been suggest- ed, and it is hoped that each and every member will carefully read his copy of the Constitution and By-laws, and make it a point of conscience to attend and assist at the deliberations. As some few of the members are slightly in ar- rears, it will be expedient for them to communicate with Mr. F. A. Miller, the Secretary, in the meantime, so that a full vote may be obtained on this im- portant measure. WOODWAED'S GA.EDENS. Many important alterations are now in progress in these Gardens, and many excellent improvements are contemplat- ed. The unpropitious weather has held much in check, but the genial influence of spring is visible everywhere in the grounds; trees and shrubs are putting forth their new leaves and blossoms, and the Acacias make the air redolent of fragrance. Animals and birds are benefited by the advance of the season; and the aquarium has received acces- sions of new fish. In the conservato- ries and tropical houses there is much improvement, and many choice plants are profusely in flower, filling the air with rich perfume, and delighting the eye with their elegant forms and brill- iant coloring. CATALOGUES EECEITED. We have received from William Bull, of King's Road, Chelsea, London, his exceedingly copious and well-illustrated Retail List of New, Beautiful, and Rare Plants for 1874. The descriptions are full and interesting, and much valuable information is supplied, making the catalogue a very desirable addition to the book -shelf of every amateur and nurseryman, while the prices are tempt- ingly low. We have also from the same establishment a retail list of Se- lect Flower, Agricultural, and Vegetable Seeds, and New Plants, for 1874; this is equally worthy for the same reasons as the above mentioned list. Messrs. Miller & Sievers, of 27 Post Street, San Francisco, have handed us their Catalogue of California and Foreign Seeds, Bulbs, and Plants. We recom- mend this list to the attention of nur- serymen and amateurs, as containing much valuable material for the flow- er garden, at reasonable prices. The Southern Fine Stock Company, of Gallatin, Tennessee, have forwarded us their Catalogue of Blooded Stock, etc. , well worthy the attention of our agri- cultural and stock-raising' friends. FAVOES EECEIVED. Report of the State Board of Agricult- ure to the Legislature of Kansas. We are indebted to Alfred Gray, Esq., Sec- retary to the State Board of Agriculture, for this report for 1873. Much valua- THE CALIFOKNIA HOETICULTUEIST. 125 ble and interesting information is con- tained in this volume. The April number of the Overhand Monthly has particularly interested us with several of its articles, among which "Wild Sheep of California," "Bamblesof an Ornithologist," "Nat- ure and Art," "Industrial Education in Country Schools," deserve special mention. "Etc." and "Current Liter- ature" are as usual good and telling. A writer in a French horticultural journal relates this suggestive experi- ence: "After sunset I place in the cen- tre of my orchard an old barrel, the in- side of which I have previously well tar- red. At the bottom of the barrel I place a lighted lamp. Insects of many kinds, attracted by the light, make for the lamp, and while circling around it strike against the sides of the barrel, where, meeting with the tar, their feet and legs become so clogged that they fall helpless to the bottom. In the morning I examine the barrel, and frequently take out of it ten or twelve gallons of cockchafers, which I at once destroy. A few pence worth of tar em- ployed in this way will, without any further trouble, be the means of de- stroying innumerable numbers of these insects, whose larvae are amongst the most destructive pests the gardener or farmer has to contend against." To Kill Osage Orange Hedge. — Cut off the hedge close to the ground, and then turn a furrow away from each side, after which take an axe and cut off the roots at the bottom of the furrow. In this way the hedge can be cheaply and entirely killed, and no other way that I ever saw tried will succeed. There will be almost wood enough to pay for the work. — Exchange. NEW AND BARE PLANTS. Another New Bouvardia. — Of late years the Bouvardias have taken a high rank among the class of plants general- ly cultivated for cut-flowers in winter. These small, delicate, tubular -shaped flowers being produced in compact clus- ters, are exceedingly convenient for ar- ranging either in large or small bou- quets. Besides, they are quite firm, retaining their form and colors well after separation from the parent plant. Most of the species and varieties bloom profusely and continuously through the winter months, and need only to be planted out in the open ground through the summer, to be in fine condition for blooming again the succeeding season. Until within the past half-dozen years, we had no free-blooming white sort, and this may have had something to do in lessening the popularity of these plants. The old Bouvardia jasminifolia would sometimes yield a few very good clus- ters of white flowers, but they were neither sufficiently abundant nor cer- tain to warrant extensive cultivation. We had plants of scarlet and crimson sorts, and the great desideratum ap- peared to be a white variety, with flowers equal in size, substance, and abundance to Hogarth or Leiantha; this was happily supplied in the B. Da- vidsonii, introduced a few years since, and several times referred to in our col- umns at the time and since. The flow- ers of this splendid variety are pure white, of large size, and produced in great abundance. Another new white variety, known as the B. Vreelandi, soon followed the former, our florists thereby being furnished the most ex- cellent white Bouvardias. The intro- duction of these varieties increased the popularity of the entire genus wonder- fully, and set all of our florists on the 126 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. lookout for other variations from origi- nal types. Now we have the Bride, flowers slightly tinged with flesh color, and Bridesmaid, a delicate pink color, and Bosalinda with a salmon-pink tinge; and now we have another new variety to add to the list, raised by Henry E. Chitly, of the Bellview Nurseries, Pater- son, N. J. It has been named Bouvar- dia elegans incarnata, and is a sprout from the well known B. elegans. The flowers are of a delicate flesh color, or what is usually termed among florists, incarnata. They are large, arid pro- duced in the greatest profusion. The plant is a strong and vigorous grower. We bespeak for this new sort a cordial welcome and high appreciation by all lovers of beautiful winter - blooming plants. New Double Poinsettia. — A new variety has been introduced in New York, and is now in the possession of Isaac Buchanan. The flower cluster is stated to be often fourteen to eighteen inches in diameter, and about six inches high. In the opinion of The Agricult- urist, ' ' It will certainly take high rank for conservatory decoration, especially as it holds its color so long, and for florists and bouquet-makers the clusters of small and brilliant bracts will be in- valuable. It was discovered by Louis Roezl, who found it in a small Indian village in the State of -Guerrero, Mexi- co, in May, 1873. — Horticulturist. Blue King is the name of a new and really good blue-colored bedding Pan- sy, just introduced in English gardens. The flowers are described as fine in form, of a deep vivid blue color, with a bright and conspicuous yellow eye. It is not liable to sport, nor to be scorched by the summer's sun. A Rare Plant. — The London Garden describes the Godwinia gigas, lately in full flower for the first time in that country. It is an Arold, with a large leaf and flower. The flower, or more properly, spathe, was nearly two feet long and a foot and a half in circumfer- ence, on a stem only eighteen inches high. It came from Nicaragua, where it is stated the petiole is often ten feet long. ^ i *i A Good Outlook foe Raisin- growers. — The value of the raisins imported in- to the United States in 1873, valued at the port from which they were shipped, was $2,498,457. Spain produced, in 1873, 2,000,000 boxes. Of these there were purchased for the United States up to January 1st, last, 1,032,605 boxes, against 1,009,270 boxes in 1872. Esti- mated stock on hand in Spain, January 1st, 1874, 265,000 boxes, against 565,- 000 boxes on hand same time in 1873. There have been lately sold for the Uni- ted States 80,000 boxes at 25 reals or $3.12J per box of 25 lbs. for common layers, and 25 to 27 reals or $3.25 to $3.37|- per box for loose Muscatels. The duty on raisins is five cents per pound, which adds to the purchase price $1.25 per box; add to this the freight and commission, insurance, etc., and these imported raisins must come very high — not less than $5 per box — to the consumer. We have, also, the information from Malaga that the price of raisins has gone up since the last transaction above referred to, to 31 and 33 reals per box. This is certainly a most encouraging exhibit for our Cal- ifornia producers of raisins, and should give an impetus to the planting of vines of the approved raisin varieties. Those who have large vineyards of common varieties should feel encouraged to graft them to the White Muscat of Al- exandria, White Muscatel, and other good kinds. THE CALIFORNIA HOETICULTUEIST. 127 FLORAL REVIEW. BY F. A. MILLER. After three months of almost constant rain, the latter part of March has be- come more kindly and genial, and the effect of the last few clear and pleasant days upon the vegetation of plants and trees is plainly visible everywhere, both within and out of doors. The spring- time is upon us, and if the change is not so remarkable here as in the colder climates of the East and North, we are nevertheless quite willing to bid fare- well to a long and dreary ' ' rainy sea- son." There have undoubtedly been planted not less than 250,000 evergreen trees, for shade and ornament, during the winter just past. Three-quarters of these consisted of Eucalyptus globulus (Blue Gum), Pinus insignis (Monterey Pine), Gupressus macrocarpa (Monterey Cypress), Gupressus Lawsoniana (Law- son Cypress), and Acacias. It is pleas- ing and significant of prosperity to see this growing disposition to plant trees, and I hope to see at no distant day our barren valleys and hills covered with these monuments of industry and civil- ization. When our farmers begin to plant trees, they will ere long ornament their homes with flowers and vines, and their dwellings, once barren and deso- late in appearance, will soon show signs of happiness and comfort. So far, the trade in flowering plants has been very dull, but this must be at- tributed to the lateness of the spring season, and I hope to see many thou- sands of them planted out during April and May. This is a good time to plant Eoses and other flowering shrubs; bedding plants, also, such as Verbenas, Petuni- as, Pansies, Pinks, Geraniums, Fuch- sias, etc. Gladioluses, Dahlias, Tube- roses, and other summer flowering bulbs, should be planted at once. I am often asked, "What shall I do with my Hyacinths after they have done flowering?" I advise to plant them in the ground, where they will thrive and flower for years to come. The Hya- cinths which have flowered with us dur- ing the winter of 1872-3 were planted in the open ground, and received no attention whatever. They flowered fine- ly during these last winter months. All kinds of annuals may be now sown. Some of the most desirable kinds are : Asters, Balsam, Phlox Drummondii, Delphinium (Larkspur), Zinnia, Stock Gilly, Sweet Pea, Portulacca, Mignon- ette, Candytuft, Gypsophila, etc. Cut -flowers have continued to be scarce during the month of March, and our florists had hard work to supply the demand, particularly for fine flowers. The supply from the greenhouses con- sisted chiefly of Camellias, Azaleas, Epiphyllums, Hyacinths, Heliotropes, Cinerarias, Eupatoriums, Chinese Prim- roses, Abutilon (vexillarium), Lilies of the Valley, Orange-blossoms, and Cy- clamens. From the open air, the bulk of flowers was made up of Violets, Eo- ses, Pinks, Pansies, Forget-me-nots, Hyacinths, Narcissuses, Antholyza (bi- color), Tulips, Candytuft, Stock Gillies, Fuchsias, Gypsophilas, Habrothamnus (elegans), Laurustinus, Polygalas, Dios- ma (alba), Ericas, Sweet Alyssum, and Abutilons. The prospect for an abundance of flowers during the month of April is good. "Under glass we may expect, in addition to those already enumerated, the following: Agapanthus (umbellatus), Begonias, Cactuses, Cape Jasmines, Eu- charises, Torenias, double Geraniums, Streptocarpuses, Dentas (carnea), Aphe- landras, Astilbe (Japonica), Chorezemas, Allamandas, andEhyncospermums; and 128 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. in the open air, Roses, Pinks, Deutzias, and other hardy flowering shrubs and plants, will furnish their full quota. Of rare plants, I noticed in bloom during last month, Strelitzia regince (Bird of Paradise), which is always admired for its most peculiar and effective flow- er, which remains in perfect condition for a long time; also, Phajus grandiflo- rus, a very showy Orchid, which has re- mained in constant bloom with us for about two months. This Orchid is of easy culture, and should be in every collection. ♦ Application of Liquid Manure in Holland. — The Hollanders are noted for their application of liquid manure directly to growing crops. It is applied particularly to transplanting crops, es- pecially to Cabbage, and it is the secret of their great success in raising Cauli- flowers. The application in these cases is made but once, and that at the time of setting, immediately when the plants are to start, but allowing it to settle away before setting the plants. To fruit-trees it is applied in the fol- lowing manner : An iron-shod stake of about three inches in diameter, with a spur on one side, to place the foot on, is used to make a circle of holes just under the ends of the branches, about eighteen inches or two feet apart, and from twelve to fifteen inches deep, and the liquid manure poured into them. After the liquid has settled away, the holes are filled up again, so that the liquid can not be evaporated, or the earth baked by the heat of the sun. In wet weather the liquid manure is applied alone, but in dry weather it is diluted with an equal quantity of water. The application is made from time to time, commencing when the fruit is well set, and ending when the fruit be- gins to mature. — Alia. EEMAEKS ON FEUIT CULTUEE, AND EEPOET ON THE FEUIT AND VEGETABLE MAEKET. BY E. J. HOOPEE. As the season for planting out small fruits is not yet passed, I would urge on every family having a small garden- plat in the country, or even in the towns where the climate is favorable, to raise at least a portion of their own fruit. There is no greater enjoyment than to get berries fully ripe (oftentimes a fail- ure in the markets), and freshly picked, on the table, instead of the much han- dled and often stale market fruit. Ev- ery farmer at least ought to have his home patch of Strawberries, Raspber- ries, Grape-vines, etc., enough to sup- ply the table, and can or preserve for winter use. Three or four hundred Strawberry plants, set out one by one and a half feet apart, kept free from runners, and well attended to, will fully supply any family. I would advise to plant either of the following kinds, for early as well as late use : Longworth's Prolific, Triomphe de Grand, or Victo- ria, Jucunda, Agriculturist, Kentucky Seedling, and Wilson's Albany. The Strawberry is one of the healthiest and most luscious fruits, and no family un- der favorable circumstances for it, would be without a small patch, after once properly trying it. Raspberries ought to follow, and a hundred plants, three by four or two by four feet apart, planted in hedge form, would give a fair supply. Let only three to four shoots grow to the stock; stop the growth of the principal shoots at about four feet, and of side shoots at six to eight inches. Manure yearly in the hill if the soil be rather poor or clay- ey, and, of course, keep the plants free from weeds. The Red Raspberry is generally, and especially in California THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 129 and Europe, considered better flavored than the Black. Here I would recom- mend the Falstaff, Red Antwerp, Or- ange, and Blackcap. These are superior varieties, but all kinds are hardy enough for this country. Farmers gather their Blackberries in the fields and woods generally, but they would get better fruit with as little trou- ble, by planting from fifty to seventy-five shoots, six by six feet apart, in their gardens, and cultivating them the same as Raspberries. Though the Kittatin- ny, Dorchester, and Wilson are perhaps preferable for marketing, as they are ripe when they color, yet, when fully ripe, no Blackberry is as good as the old and well-tried Lawton — none surpasses it in flavor, sweetness, or appearance. If a farmer, or a horticulturist in any way, has no vineyard, he ought to have an arbor, or at least a few vines raised near his house, or on some of his build- ings, where they take away no space, and give fair returns for little labor; but the kinds suited for arbors and buildings are the Catawba and Isabella, and a very few of the foreign descrip- tions. I would urge once more, upon every farmer and those who have even small yards in cities, to make a beginning at once, and start a small patch of Straw- berries and Raspberries immediately, before the rainy season is entirely over. Success in fruit culture, as in every- thing else, depends upon certain condi- tions. If these conditions are met, we are sure to succeed. Our climate is certainly right, and our soil generally is right, so as to make success attaina- ble in every part of our State. Blackberry as well as Raspberry bush- es should be well cut back as soon as convenient after bearing, to about four or five feet in height, and all side shoots pinched off at the tips every two or Vol. IV.— 17. three weeks, down to August; all suck- ers should be kept down, and all old wood removed. This will make them hardy, and the fruit will be earlier, larger, and more abundant. The Black- berry is a most valuable and neglected fruit, and far more worthy of attention for wine-making than it receives. If we consider the large amount of fruit that might be annually shipped by express and railroad companies, it seems strange that those corporations are not more ready to meet the wants of the public, or more awake to their own in- terest, in inducing still larger shipments than have hitherto been made, by al- lowing better living rates. By reducing the charges from the present extravagant tariffs to more reasonable figures, ship- ments would be more than double, and profits likewise. Our large fruit-raisers should, by united action, take steps to induce such modifications in freight rates as are necessary. Regarding the markets, the spring season is exceedingly backward. Last year, Strawberries and various kinds of early vegetables were in the market about the middle of March. New Po- tatoes were in from the Presidio weeks earlier than they are this year, but this season's crop of early new Potatoes has been destroyed by frost. The infamous practice of palming off on credulous housekeepers volunteer Potatoes for new, at prices the latter would pre- sumedly command were they in the market, has been extensively carried on by the retailers. A little care in the examination of the eyes and skin of the Potatoes offered for sale as new, will enable the purchaser to detect the fraud in time to prevent being victimized. Lots of genuine new Potatoes were of- fered for sale at 8 to 10c. per lb., but were very small and watery. They were readily recognized from the false tubers, 130 THE CALIFORNIA HOETICULTTJEIST. through the pale color and tenderness of their skins. Puget Sound Kidneys, old crop, sell at 4c, and Mendocino and Humboldt at 2Jc to 3c, per lb. String Beans and the new crop of Green Peas ought to have commenced making their appearance in the market by this time, but the prospects are not good for any for at least two weeks to come, and not even as early as that, unless we have warm weather in the meantime. Old crop Green Peas are offered at 20c to 25c per lb. Cabbages are scarce and dear. Mission Cabbages are very infe- rior. The best lots are now received from the San Pedro rancho, in San Ma- teo County, whence some very large heads have been lately received, weigh- ing as much as forty pounds, and sell- ing readily for 50c each. The range is 10c to 50c each. Spring Cabbages will soon be in the market. Asparagus is now plentiful; white from Sacramen- to is cpioted at 20c to 25c per lb., and green from Centerville, Alameda Coun- ty, at 25c. to 40c Cabbage Sprouts have advanced to 15c per lb. Horse- radish is 20c per lb; Eed Pepper, 50c per lb.; Green Artichokes, 75c per dozen; Jerusalem Artichokes, 8c per lb.; Rhubarb, the first of the season, 25c per lb. The fruit market remains about the same. Oranges continue at the head of the list. Recent extensive importa- tions of the new crop of Oranges from Tahiti have had no perceptible effect upon the market. The prices of Loreto and Los Angeles Oranges have under- gone no change, while they continue to command public favor. Following are the present retail prices of this kind of fruit: Los Angeles, 15c to 75c per doz. ; Loreto, 50c to 75c. ; Tahiti, 50c Bananas are still selling at from 50c to 75c per doz. ; Preserved Bananas, 25c to 37Jc per packet; Lemons, 25c to $1 00 per doz.; Citrons, 15c each; Co- coanuts, 12^c each; Dates, 25c per lb.; California Raisins, 25c; California Dried Figs, 25c to 30c; California "Walnuts, 25c; Eastern do., 25c; Al- monds, soft-shell, 40c; do., hard-shell, 25c; Butternuts, 25c; Hazelnuts, 30c. ; Peanuts, 25c. There have been some large receipts of choice Apples from Oregon during the week, which are now retailing at 6c to 10c per lb. Ship- ments from the mountain districts in the interior are daily expected. Apples and Pears are very scarce, and a really good article commands a fancy price. It is unusual for the sup- ply of Pears to give out at this season of the year. The reason is said to be the liberal shipments to the East last fall. Large consignments of Oregon Apples are received by each steamer, but they are inferior to the California fruit in consequence of being impreg- nated with the flavor of the pine boxes containing them. Oranges and Lemons are the only varieties of domestic fruit that are abundant. Los Angeles Or- anges are now coming forward in liber- al quantities, but the weather is rather cool for a large consumption, and they are selling slowly. We quote Bananas at 50c ; Smyrna Figs, 35c per lb. ; Ap- ples, by the box, delivered, $2 to $3 50; Italian Chestnuts, 50c per lb. The weather during the last week of March was more favorable than it had been, yet Spring vegetables made their appearance but slowly. New Potatoes, however, came up plentifully, but the price held firm at 8c. to 10c per lb. Volunteer or bogus new Potatoes were sold to the uninformed for 4c per lb., but the experienced would not touch them at any price. Old crop Potatoes were all the way from 2^c to 4c per lb. Asparagus became plentiful and cheap, and sold at 15c to 25c per lb. The THE CALIFOKNIA HOETICULTUEIST. 131 abundance and cheapness of this vege- table were the means of reducing the price of old crop Peas (which ruled the latter part of the month [March] at 20c. to 25c. per lb.), to 15c.@20c. Proba- bly we shall not have any Strawberries in market until about the middle of this month (April). The tardiness of the arrival of this delicious and healthy fruit is one of the strongest evidences of the backwardness of this season. Last year we had the first Strawberries in pretty good supply about the 12th of March. During the last of March there were several lots of Apples receiv- ed from the Sacramento Valley foot-hills which sold at $1.50 to $2 per box. Other fruits remained (27th March) the same as in the middle of that month. At the beginning of this month (April) vegetables were more abundant and cheaper. Asparagus dropped to 15c. @25c, and is still declining. Rhubarb is very plentiful, and 10c. lower than ten days since. Potatoes were firm the beginning of April, with no prospect of a decline for a week or two. Spinach is retailing at 6c; New Potatoes, 8c. to 10c; Lettuce, 20c to 25c per doz. ; Salsify, 8c to 10c per bunch; Potatoes, by the sack, delivered, $2.25 to $2.50 per 100 lbs. About the first week in March the frost ruined the then nearly ripe Straw- berries. The market is plentifully sup- plied with Los Angeles and Tahiti Oranges and Oregon Apples at former rates. We quote Bananas at 50c, and Smyrna Figs 35c, per lb. Apples by the box, delivered, at $2 to $3.50; Ital- ian Chestnuts, 50c per lb. Sir Samuel Baker says that fire can not advance through grass, even when it is blowing a gale, faster than six miles an hour. (ttomtyonHmt. VIGOKOUS CONDITION OF STOCKTON PLANTS. Mr. Editor: Some time ago we were exceedingly pleased to notice the fresh, healthy, and vigorous condition of a large climbing Rose, which a friend, who is an amateur cultivator, invited us to inspect on that account. It came from Stockton, and is undoubtedly iden- tical with some one of those prolific growers which flourish around the Asy- lum located in that city. It is almost incredible, but we are assured that the plants and fruit-trees in the rich loamy soil of Stockton and vicinity — and this may also be said of San Jose — make a growth of four and five feet in a single season, and that many bear fruit the very first year they are transplanted. It is rather strange, though, to notice that all kinds of shrubbery do not thrive so well in this region, the growth being slow — not more than an inch or so a year — while in this city (San Francisco) the contrary rule prevails, the humidity of the air and the evenness of climate no doubt combining to produce so good a result. While on this subject of shrubbery, and being a novice, we would ask in- formation about a shrub which years ago was very common in the gardens of the interior of Pennsylvania, and in all the Middle States. It was in every gar- den of any pretensions, where all the vegetables of the farm home were cul- tivated, with the flower-bed in the cen- tre. In the midst of this flower-bed flourished the favorite "Shrub-tree," whose fragrant little compact buds, of a deep purple color, could be carried in one's vest pocket for a week or more without losing their pleasant odor. We have never seen this shrub in California, 132 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. and would be pleased to gain some in- formation about it. Perhaps it will not thrive here. Keystone. CALIFORNIA LILIES. Editor California Horticulturist : Within the last few weeks my atten- tion has been called to repeated state- ments, appearing in print, in regard to the number of distinct species of Cali- fornia Lilies, all which statements seem to originate from one source. I have no fault to find with the veracity and good intention of the author, but think he would have come much nearer the mark if he had stated that he only knew four species. There are many good and desirable plants in California, not yet described by botanists; and, notwith- standing the statements referred to, I insist upon the fact that six or seven varieties of Lilies have been found on this coast. There may not be sufficient distinction, so far as the structure of the flower is concerned, between Lilium Humboldtii and Lilium Bloomerianum ocellatum of Santa Rosa Island, to in- duce a botanist to establish two species; but, as a florist, I certainly can perceive a very remarkable difference in the roots, foliage, and flowers of the two species above named. If the author referred to did not meet with more than four spe- cies of Lilies in his limited travels, some one else may have done so, and ought to be pardoned for bringing to notice a fifth or even a sixth species, if he hap- pened to discover them. Florist. A Fine Coral Teee. — In a nursery at Dorking, England, there flowered this summer a fine specimen of the Erythri- na cristagalli. It is supposed to be over fifty years old, and its stump was eight- een inches in diameter. The plant bore thirty spikes of bloom. — Horticulturist. MitmwX <$\mtimtii$. Preserving Zoological Specimens erom Insects. — The difficulty of preserving zoological specimens from the depreda- tions of insects is a matter of regret and anxiety to every collector, and various methods have been proposed for accom- plishing this desirable object. The compositions into which arsenic and corrosive sublimate enter are well known to be very effectual when properly ap- plied; but unless used with caution, they are apt to injure the natural plian- cy of the skins, and are hardly effectual in protecting collections of insects. I have known these substances, even in the hands of the most expert, to pro- duce such tenderness of the skins as to form a considerable obstacle in setting up specimens. To render them effect- ual they must be carefully applied to each specimen, by which the labor of collecting and preserving is considera- bly increased. Every substance which I have tried seems inferior in efficacy and ease of application to the rectified oil of tur- pentine, and my method of using it is as follows : I put the turpentine in a bladder, the mouth of which is firmly tied with a waxed string; and nothing more is necessary than to place the bladder thus prepared in the box with the birds, or to tie it to the pedestal on which the birds are perched in a case. If there are any maggots on the birds, I have invariably found that they will soon be dislodged from the feath- ers, fall to the bottom of the case, and die in the course of two days. I have also made the experiment of introduc- ing the common house-fly, the large blue-bottle fly, and moths, into a case of birds so defended, through a small hole in the bottom of the case. The moment the flies enter the box they be- THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 133 gin to vomit a whitish, glutinous mat- ter, they are much agitated, and the largest of them dies in a few minutes. I have repeatedly introduced, in like manner, active cockroaches; and these strong insects soon became uneasy, of- ten rubbed their sides with their hind feet, and usually died in about an hour and a half. I next got a bird-skin full of living maggots and placed it in my defended case; in about three hours, they were seen coming out in all direc- tions, and fell to the bottom of the case, where they died. For large cases of birds, a pig's or sheep's bladder is sufficient. The turpentine evidently penetrates through the bladder, as it fills the case with its strong smell. — Scientific American. The Weeping Sophora of Japan. — As yet we do not know the full value of weeping trees. It is a peculiarity of most weeping trees not to show their full beauty of character till they have attained a considerable age. Who- knows anything of a Weeping Beech who has seen only a young specimen re- cently planted? Why, it is passed by as a mere curiosity. But give it a gen- eration, and it becomes as picturesque as a gale-tossed ship. So it is with the weeping Mountain Elm. Some species, it is true, show their beauty from an early age; but the above named marked examples point to the probability that we can not judge of the effect that will finally be produced by kinds obtained in recent years. One of the most beautiful of all weep- ing trees is the weeping form of that fine tree, the Japanese Sophora, (So- phora japonica pendula.) When well developed, it is attractive in winter or summer. It is more picturesque in out- line than the Weeping Willow, while the shoots hang most gracefully. It is rather a slow grower, its only fault; like the normal form, it would thrive well on dry soils. As to the position suited for this tree, says The Garden, there is no fairer ob- ject for isolation in some quiet green bay of the pleasure-ground or lawn. It should never be crowded up in a plan- tation or a shrubbery with a number of ordinary trees, which, if they do not rob it at the root, or shade it at the top, will prevent its beauty from being seen. Trees as Historians of the Past. — It may have taken a French savant years to ascertain what is a matter of common knowledge with wood-cutters. I have understoodfor more than thirty years that a thin ring indicated a cold season, and a thicker one a correspondingly warm season. Another point which I have observed (and which is not mentioned in the Gros article) is this: In trees that are in an open field, or even in the forest where there is no particular pro- tection from the north wind, the rings will be thinner on the north side than on the south side of the same tree. The heart is seldom found in the centre of the body. I have no doubt that you would find a tree cut four or five feet from the ground will give a true record of the general meteorological condition of each year of its life. I have often sat down by a newly cut stump of a tree, to count the rings, to note the difference of thickness, and to point out the thin rings to those with me, as indicating a cold year. While speaking of trees, I will men- tion another fact, which I have not seen in print, but which I got from an old gardener. It is that all trees that are not trained out of natural shape will exhibit a profile in exact correspond- ence with the fruit. For extremes, take the Greening Apple and a long slim 134 THE CALIFORNIA HOETICTJLTUEIST. Pear. The leaves, even, have a gener- al resemblance to the fruit. — Scientific American. Lagerstrcemia Indica. — Though not so often found in collections as it ought to be, this is one of the finest and most profuse flowering of greenhouse or half-hardy shrubs. It blooms freely in the Palm-house at Kew, where the ends of even its smallest branches terminate in a mass of rosy-purple flowers. Indi- vidually, the blossoms are about the size of a shilling, and have six long- clawed, curled, or crumpled petals, not unlike those of the scandent yellow- flowered Stigmaphyllam ciliatum. When well grown this plant is one of the greatest ornaments one could desire, either for a plant-stove or cool conserv- atory. It will grow and flower freely, even when planted under a sunny wall in the south of England, and during the past summer we have seen it flow- ering very freely out of doors in several of the gardens around Paris. When grown in a pot or tub indoors it makes a shrub eight or ten feet high, and flowers freely every summer or autumn if cut back after blooming. It should have a moderately fresh sandy soil, and should be thoroughly drained. It re- quires a liberal supply of water when growing. In America it does well out of doors, and a plant of it stood fifteen degrees of frost in the Botanic Garden at Brest. It is a native of China. One species, L. regince, grows to a large size, and is much used in India for boat- building and similar purposes, as it lasts well when submerged. — Lon- don Garden. Evaporation by Leaves. — The follow- ing by an Austrian scientist is old, but it may aid our friends who are investi- gating the influence of trees on climate: ' ' Experiments made by Von Pettenko- fer on the amount of water evaporated from an Oak-tree, show that atmospher- ic humidity, in so far as it depends up- on the }Dresence of forests, is promoted rather by the roots of trees drawing moisture from the earth, than by attrac- tion exercised on rain -clouds by the leaves. The latter serve rather as out- lets through which the moisture drawn from the soil passes into the air. The Oak-tree observed by Pettenkofer was estimated to have between 700,000 and 800,000 leaves, and the total amount of evaporation in a year was computed to be 8;j times more than that of the rain- fall on an area equal to that covered by the tree; the moisture exhaled by the leaves being equal to 211 inches, while that from the rain-fall was but twenty- five inches. The Honeysuckle as a Standard. — A writer in the Villa Gardener thinks that the Honeysuckle is one of the most regularly flowered climbers in cultiva- tion, taking rank for effect, and surpass- ing in many points — odor, for instance — even the gorgeous colored Clematises which are in every modern garden. As a standard, the Honeysuckle merits the very foremost place in our villa gardens. ' ' We have seen it with thousands of flower umbels in pale yellow and pale pink, decorating villa grounds in a way that no single plant in the month of July can do." It is scarcely possible in words to portray its extreme beauty and effectiveness. Buy a plant of it, train or tie it to a stout stake, as one would do a standard Rose; prune it, not too severely, but in the way a hybrid China Rose ought to be pruned; give it a good soil to grow in, and it needs no further attention. It will grow into a plant that will astonish, by its flowering capacity, thousands who have not seen it so trained. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 135 Jute. — Jute is a fibrous plant that grows to a high stalk varying from six to twelve feet high. It is raised in the lowlands of the East Indies. The Jute plantations are operated somewhat on the system of the Rice plantations. The water used for flooding purposes is tak- en from rudely constructed reservoirs filled by the melting snow of the Hima- laya Mountains. The plant is kept growing in about eighteen inches of water, which prevents the parching rays of a tropical sun from destroying it. When the stalk has attained its full growth, it is pulled up by, or cut off near, the roots. It is then laid out in bales like Wheat or Rye, and prepared for market. The bark is removed, the root is cut off where it is pulled up with the stalk, and where the root is not originally kept, the hard lower end is cut off and thrown into a class commercially known as Jute butts. The remainder is then assorted with regard to length, strength, fineness, and lustre of fibre. The first quality is a beautiful, clear, long fibre, much of it resembling in appearance blonde hair. This is especially used for chignons, but it is also used in Scotland in the manufacture of fine Jute cloths. Charcoal for Poultry. — Fowls of all kinds are very fond of charcoal, and will eat it with great relish if properly prepared. Pounded charcoal is not the shape in which fowls usually find their N food, and consequently is not very en- ticing to them. To please their palate the charcoal should be in pieces of about the size of grains of corn, and if these are strewed around their quarters, they will readily eat thereof. Corn burnt on the cob, and the refuse (which consists almost entirely of the grains reduced to charcoal, and still retaining their perfect shape) placed before them, makes a marked improvement in their health, as is shown by the brighter col- or of their combs, and their soon pro- ducing a greater average of eggs to the flock than before. A Growing Demand for the Eucalyp- tus-tree.— At a recent meeting of the Board of Trade of Albany, Ga., the Eucalyptus-tree was taken up for spe- cial consideration, and letters concern- ing the utility of the tree and its value as an absorber of moisture in malarial districts, received from residents of New York and San Francisco, were read and discussed. Four trees, the gift of Sonntag & Co., of this city, were exhibited for inspection during the dis- cussion, and, after the adjournment of the meeting, an order for trees was tel- egraphed to this firm at the expense of the Board. We have frequently called attention to the adaptability of this tree to California, and its increasing popu- larity in this State. ' Retaining the Natural Colors of Dried Flowers. — Puscher recommends sticking the stems in the neck of a glass funnel, leaving the flowers in the wide portion, but leaving about aninch from the top unfilled. The funnel is then to be inverted over a few drops of aqua am- monia on a plate. In a few minutes most blue, violet, and crimson flowers change to beautiful green, dark crim- son to black or dark violet, and white to yellowish. If they are then immedi- ately placed in fresh water, they will re- tain their new color from two to six hours, according to the amount of am- monia taken up, but will gradually re- gain their original tints. The custom- ary way of treating blue, violet, and red Asters for winter bouquets with nitric acid gives irregular results, on account 136 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. of the wax on the leaves, and it is pref- erable to expose them to the fumes of hydrochloric acid, by hanging them, tied in pairs by their stems, heads down- ward on strings drawn across the inte- rior of a close wooden box, upon the bottom of which are several plates with hydrochloric acid, and with two glass windows, on opposite sides, through which the progress of the coloration may be noticed, so that the flowers may be removed as they acquire the desired tints, and hung in the same manner in airy, shaded rooms to dry. They should be preserved in a dry, dark place. Potatoes for Planting. — Professor Nobbe has published the following ex- periment : He has placed the potatoes intended for his experiment in a well- lighted and heated room until they be- come wrinkled and greenish in color. At the same time they were planted he also planted Potatoes taken direct from a heap that had been protected by straw and dirt. At the harvest the dried plant Potatoes produced thirty per cent, more in quantity, twenty-two per cent, more in number of Potatoes, and twelve per cent, more eyes. Similar results have been obtained at the Agri- cultural College of Worms. The rea- son for this result may be ascribed to evaporation of moisture, by which the sap of the cells is concentrated, en- abling it to develop itself with a greater sprouting power. Similar observations have been made with seeds. The Land- man's Blad publishes a trial that has been made with Flaxseed, which gave most positive results in the same direc- tion.— Danish Paper. An interesting question in plant-ge- ography is that as to the transport of seeds by ocean currents, and in other ways independent of human agency. M. Thuret has been experimenting on this in Antibes. Having tried two hun- dred and fifty-one different species, he knows of only two kinds of bare seed which are capable of floating, Mauran- dia, and Phormium. A long immersion in sea-water does not always destroy the vitality of seeds. Out of twenty-four species immersed more than a year, at least three germinated afterward, as vigorously as seeds kept quite dry. The noted Wolfskill vineyard, in Los Angeles County, is being uprooted to make room for an Orange orchard. METEOROLOGICAL RECORD, Foe the Month Ending Maech 31st, 1874. (Prepared for The Hoktictjltukist by Thos. Tennent, Mathematical Instrument and Chronometer-maker, No. 423 Washington Street, near the Post Office). BAEOMETEE. Mean height at 9 a. m 30.11 in. do 12m 30.11 do 3 P. m 30.10 do 6p.m 30.10 Greatest height, on the 31st at 9 a.m. and 12 m 30.26 Least height, on the 16th at 6 p. m 29.86 THEEMOMETEE. ( Willi north exposure and free, from reflected heal. J Mean height at 9 a. m 50° do 12 m 55° do 3 P. m 55° do 6 p. m 50° Greatest height, on the 27th at 3 p.m 64o Least height, on the 9th at 9 a.m 40o SELF - BEGISTEEING THEEMOMETEE. Mean height at sunrise 42° Highest point at sunrise on the 1st and 31st 47° Lowest point at sunrise on the 6th and 18th 35° WINDS. North and north-east on 4 days; south and south-east on 4 days; south-west on 11 days; north-west on 5 days; west on 7 days. WEATHEE. Clear on 8 days; cloudy on 11 days; variable on 12 days; rain on 15 days. BAIN GAUGE. March 1st 0.58 inches. 3d 0.24 " 4th 0.04 5th 0 13 7th 0.31 " 10th 0.04 11th 0.40 12th 0.57 13th 0.05 14th 0.51 " 15th 0.07 25th 0.14 26th 0.13 27th 0.20 28th 0.14 Total 3.55 " Previously reported 18.97 • " Total rain of the season up to date 22.52 " A short sharp earthquake shock occurred on the 5th at 4h. 53m. a.m.; direction from south-east to north-west. THE AND FLORAL MAGAZINE. Vol. IV. MAY, 1874. No. 5. STEMLESS LADY'S SLIPPEE. (Cypripedium acaule, Ait.) — See Fkontispiece. BY DB. A. KELLOGG. There are several species of Lady's Slipper found in California; for exam- ple, the white (C. pubescens var.), the yellow (G. Calif ornicum n. sp., Pro. A. A. of A. and Scs. 1867), and the red or purple rose -colored one here figured. We have devoted much time and labor in order to furnish some adequate out- line, by sketching, engraving, and elec- trotyping with our own hands, and coloring this plant, in aid of those who might have misgivings from a mere de- scription, which, however plain to the describer, often proves to another ex- ceedingly vague, apart from the form and color. The plant, as its name implies, has no branching or leafy proper stem, but only a flower -stem, with two oblong root-leaves. The pink or purple lower lip has a somewhat closed fissure down its whole length in front. The scape is one-flowered, bract greenish, and sepals more or less colored. Flowers in May and June. The roots of these plants are used as a nervine, being a good substitute for Vol. IV.— 18. Valerian, which also abounds in Cali- fornia. The exhilarant effects are very similar to those of Vanilla, one of the most delightful aromatics known, and which also belongs to the same family. Where venous congestion exists from irritation and loss of nervous energy rather than from repletion, it is of great service. Yet, after all, it is its charm- ing beauty that burns while it chariots the soul up in the blue — buoying the laggard body too aloft, balloon-like — prophetic of the good time coming, when all regions may be more safely navigated. Beauty forever, like the beloved bird of the ark, native of the skies, flies heavenward when rapine and dangers impend. So also the thoughts of aesthetic uses we most admire : these on willing wing oft seek serener realms to circumspect this petty, pestered, sin- worn world below; therefore, every nat- ural object that lures and aids one fee- ble, faltering step from the sordid mire is an angel sent to Lot, that he may, at least, reach the little city. The ruddy beauty, nymph-like, hides beneath sheltered and shady evergreen groves of freshening forest, far north- ward along the colder wind and fog line of the coast, and similar isothermal 138 THE CALIFOBNIA HOBTICULTUBIST. regions of the interior. The species must be rare, for, although it is said by an English collector to be found here, we, at least, have never been fortunate enough to meet with it. Should any one of our readers know of its locality, they would confer a favor on the writer by addressing to him a note (Post-office box 2350), and also much oblige many horticultural friends. Many rare Orchids are found near San Francisco: two Cypripediums, Ca- lypso, Epipactis, Habenarias, Platanthe- ras, Spiranthes, and others. LAG AND ITS PRODUCTS. Lac is a resinous substance formed on several different kinds of trees in the East Indies, and produced by the punct-, ures of an insect ( Coccus lacca), and by its formation of the exuding juices into cells for its eggs. These adhere to the branches in grains, completely incrusting them, and are either imported in that form, and called stick-lac, or the grains are gathered from the branches, their col- oring matter extracted, and formed in- to flat cakes, still preserving the granu- lar appearance, and called seed-lac, or the seed-lac is melted up into masses, and called lump-lac. Finally there is shell-lac, which is seed-lac further puri- fied by being put in bags of fine linen, and melted over a charcoal fire until it passes through them. The bags are squeezed and passed over a smooth sur- face of wood, on which the lac is depos- ited in thin layers. If pure, this kind of lac will take fire on a hot iron, and burn with a powerful smell. By pouring warm water on stick-lac a crimson coloring matter is obtained, which is made into square cakes for sale, and is called lac-dye, lac-lake, or cake-lake. These cakes when broken are dark-colored, shining, and compact, but when scraped they yield a bright red powder approaching carmine. The cakes of lac-dye from India are stamp- ed with certain marks, the best being D. T., the second best J. McB., the third C. E., which are the initials of different manufacturers. The cakes do not in general contain more than 50 per cent, of coloring matter, the rest being resin 25, and alumina, plaster, chalk, and sand 25. The dye above referred to, and which constitutes much of the value of lac, is due to the insect which makes the cells, and which is of the same family as the cochineal insect. The parent lac insect, after laying her eggs, becomes a mere lifeless bag, of an oval shape, contain- ing a small quantity of a beautiful red liquid. The young insects feed on this liquid, and their bodies assume the same hue, so that the branch which bears them appears to be covered with red powder. The cells of gum-lac which shelter them are more or less deeply tinged with the same color, and the best time for gathering stick-lac, so as to secure the coloring matter, is before the insects have made their escape. Previous to the discovery of the true cochineal, the coloring matter of the lac insect was universally employed for dye- ing red. The crimsons of Greece and Borne, and the imperishable reds of the Brussels and Flemish schools, were ob- tained from this source. The best quality of stick-lac is obtained from Siam; that from Assam ranking next. Of late years lac-dye has been again substituted for cochineal on account of its greater cheapness, and also on ac- count of its being less affected by per- spiration than cochineal. So abundant is the supply of lac among the uncultivated mountains of India, that it is asserted a consumption THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 139 ten times greater than the present might be readily met. — Cabinet Maker. THE ALDEE. BY E. J. HOOPER. The Alder (Alnus glutinosa, natural order BetulacceJ is one of the largest and most picturesque of the aquatic trees. Its very name points out the sit- uation most congenial to its growth. Some writers have considered it to be derived from the Celtic al, near, and Ian, edge of water. There are several species of this tree. They are found in most parts of the north temperate zone, and are principally distinguished from one another by variety in the form or color of the leaves. They all prefer a moist soil, and generally are found by the side of water. Its aver- age height is forty or fifty feet, though in a rich and damp soil it has been known to exceed sixty feet. The bark is of a blackish color, and as the tree advances in age this becomes rough and seems full of clefts. The leaves are of a deep bright green, from three to four inches long. The natural color of the wood is white; it is soft, easily worked, and extremely perishable if exposed to the weather. It can be ap- plied to many domestic purposes, be- ing soft, and easily worked into spin- ning-wheels (in old times), trenchers, bowls, dairy utensils, kneading-troughs, etc. The timber of the old trees is full of knots, and hardly inferior in beauty to the Maple. The bark possesses as- tringent qualities, and almost any part of the tree can be used in dyeing. The Alder is the most aquatic tree of the Sylva, even more so than the "Wil- low or Poplar. A damp marshy spot is most congenial to its growth; but though moisture is necessary, a rich soil is equally indispensable. If plant- ed in a dry and elevated situation, it dwindles to a dwarf stunted shrub. It is then by the standing pool, and the dank, cool marsh, the limpid brook, the full deep-flowing stream, and in the " cool, green, shadowy river nook," that we must seek if we would find the Al- der. "With such scenes and spots it has become as it were identified, and its dense shade and bright green f oliage well harmonize with the surrounding scene, and invite beneath their welcome shelter the wanderer or angler oppress- ed with heat and blinded by the rays of the summer sun. The poet "Wordsworth has thus depicted it : " I looked around, and there, "Where two tall hedge-rows of thick Alder boughs Joined in a cold damp nook, espied a well Shrouded -with Willow flowers and plumy Ferns. ' ' It is rare to meet in any country an old Alder, as they are generally cut down before they have attained perfection. Oeneral Fremont, in his narrative of his journey across the western plains, notices a species of green Alder (Alnus viridis) on the banks of some of the riv- ers he crossed. In England there is one seventy feet high, the diameter of the trunk four feet, and that of the space shaded by the branches sixty-five feet. The Alder is propagated by cuttings of the root, layers, or seeds ; this latter method appears to succeed better than any other. It is well calculated for planting in parks, and for ornamental aquatic scenery, not only from its pict- uresque form, and the vivid color and density of its foliage, but the length of time it retains its leaves. It is useful in such situations, for the shelter it af- fords is beneficial to the grass beneath it, and grateful to cattle, while they 140 THE CALIFOBNIA HOETICULTUEIST. will not touch its leaves if other food is within their reach. Some authors have characterized the Alder as "an ugly, melancholy tree, " and too many pass it by ignorant of its value and utility. But "in nature there is nothing melancholy," and with equal truth, I think, I may add, noth- ing without utility. The Alder does not hang over the limpid stream, or the reed-grown pond, merely to derive from them the sustenance it requires, cumbering without benefiting the spot. Its numerous fibrous and creeping roots serve to strengthen and support the bank on which it grows, and some wri- ters have considered that, like the Eu- calyptus globulus, now so much grown in California, it exhales properties which correct the unhealthy miasma generally prevailing in low and marshy grounds. On these accounts, the Al- der is often planted, when not natural- ly found in such spots, to serve as a rem- edy for the injuries which floods often produce. Like a true and attached friend, it repays, according to its pow- er, the benefits received; and hence poets, both ancient and modern, have adopted it as the emblem of gratitude and devoted affection: " There the Alder, darkly green, In such fixed attitude doth fondly lean O'er the clear brook, as t'would not lose one tone Of its sweet parley as it journeyed on. And then, what time the soft winds gently stirred Its darkling leaves, it too would breathe some word Of answering kindness. Ah ! in by-gone hours, When fancy, proud to try her new-born powers, From all she saw or heard stole some sweet thought, Oft has that tree some theme for musing brought. If harsh of mood, too hardly would she deem 'Twas in self-homage bending o'er the stream, Like beauty o'er her mirror, pleased to find Its image in the glassy stream enshrined. Anon, repenting of a thought so rude, 'Twould seem to her the type of gratitude, Shading the brook that fed it, lest the sun In mid career should gaze too fierce thereon ; And then a softer image it supplied, Forever bending o'er that crystal tide, Forever listening to its liquid chime. Though all the sights and sounds of summer time — , A sky all glory, and an earth all bloom, Gales breathing only music and perfume, Seemed all intent to win its love — but no ! It marked alone that streamlet's gentle flow." INFLUENCE OF THE STOCK ON THE CION, AND VICE VERSA. BY JOSIAH HOOPES. Both theory and practice teach us that the relationship existing between the root and the top of a tree can not be impaired to any great extent by any ar- tificial intervention of man. The very moment that an inserted bud or graft commences to granulate and then unite, that moment the two parts of the em- bryo tree struggle, as it were, for the mastery. That is, certain idiosyncra- sies, inherent either in the branches of the one or the roots of the other, will form a leading feature in the mature plant. Abundant proof of this is af- forded by examining the roots of nur- sery-grown Apple-trees, whether bud- ded or grafted. Take, for instance, some well-known variety, as the Bellefleur, and the roots will be found uniformly long, slender, and very fibrous; other kinds will prove exactly the opposite. If we place a graft of some well-marked variety upon any ordinary stock, say five or six feet high, in a few years cer- tain peculiarities of the bark will be found extending down from the branch- es to the body of the tree; as is instan- ced in the Newtown Pippin Apple, and Van Mons Leon le Clerc Pear. Another THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 141 curious feature respecting the influence of the cion upon the stock is notice- able in some of the so-called ' ' sports," or variegated-leaved plants. During the past season a Mountain Ash, upon which was budded a variety with variegated leaves, commenced to push forth young shoots from the main body of the tree, below the point where the bud was inserted. In every case these have variegated leaves. Now in view of the fact that these adventitious buds were there in advance of the orig- inal variegated bud, the presumption is that they were created green, and their normal condition yielding to the controlling influence of the new branch- es, caused the change to occur by the flow of sap from above. A case still more remarkable than the one above cited, was related some time since by a correspondent of the London Garden. He states that he procured cions of a diseased Horse Chestnut with yellow leaves, and worked them up- on strong, healthy young trees. Some time thereafter, upon examining the stocks where the cions had failed, young shoots were found down the body bearing the identical yellow-hued foli- age; and yet, where the buds originally .inserted had "taken," they produced perfectly healthy green leaves. The disease, for I hold that all varie- gation is in some manner unhealthy, had evidently been communicated from the bud or cion to the stock before the death of the former, and for a short time, during its vain struggle for exist- ence, contaminated the parts below. The Scientific Committee of the Roy- al Horticultural Society of England al- so records a like case with a yellow- leaved Laburnum. After the inserted bud had died, variegated shoots were noticed issuing from the stock, both below and above the inserted point. And Dr. Masters, the English botanist, has stated that an Abutilon had thrown out variegated shoots after grafting with a variegated variety, but ceased to do so after the inserted graft died. But, in some instances, the stock ex- erts a marked influence upon the cion, thus showing the co-operative system in use between them. The Gardener's Chronicle mentions the instance of a couple of Muscat vines worked on the Black Hamburg, in the same house with a Muscat on its own roots. Those worked on the Hamburg start fully five or six days in advance of the one on its own roots, although they are nearly a fortnight behind the Hamburgs they are worked on. It is a curious fact that there has never been seen any difference in the ripening season, nor any effect on the fruit. As we stated in the commencement, certain marked peculiarities will, soon- er or later, always make themselves known; sometimes it will be one thing, and again another and totally different feature assumes the superiority. The governing cause, involved in mystery as it is to a certain extent, affords us a clue by means of which we may study a very useful lesson in plant life. "We know that all vegetable growth arises from a cell, and what is termed young shoots, leaves, blossoms, etc., are, in fact, but an accumulation of cells, which, in time, develop woody fi- bre and other organs . The propagator of new varieties knows that a single bud, or a section of a young branch, may be inserted in a different tree, and these will unite and produce fruits and flowers similar to the kind from which the bud or graft was taken. Now, let us inquire into the changes that occur during this growing process, or, as hor- ticulturists term it, "taking." Between the wood and bark is where active 142 THE CALIFOBNIA HOETICULTUEIST. growth takes place, and the layer of young cells found here is known as the Cambium layer. All growth, of what- ever nature, is by cells, the origin of which is, however, at present unknown. But this cell-growth is accomplished by small protuberances making their appearance on the walls of the older cells, and these rapidly increase, and again, in turn, assist in the formation of others, and this is carried on so long as growth takes place. Without going into a long dissertation upon the sub- ject of cell-growth, which would form a long essay in itself, I will merely state that the question has been asked in re- lation to a budded tree, Can the cells, at the point of union, be partly of one variety, and a part belong to another? My theory is, that a cell, singly, is en- tirely a component part of the variety from which it originates, either from the cion or stock, and is invested with all the powers and principles inherent in that part. A single cell can not be of two varieties ; but a collection of cells, as, for instance, the cellular tissue, may be formed partly of both. The vascular ox fibrous tissue is governed by the same laws ; each separate, but the little bun- dles of woody tissue, uniting by their outside covering or walls, thus form a compact mass of wood, and the bud or graft has taken, which ultimately forms the future tree. A bud is, in fact, an embryo tree. It contains within its protective covering all the elements of tree growth, with all the organs of vegetation and reproduc- tion intact. Therefore, when a bud is inserted beneath the bark of another plant, the cellular growth at once takes place on both sides; these unite by their outside walls, and the so-called sap commences to circulate in the inrer- cellular passages from one to the other. It is, therefore, no wonder that certain peculiarities embraced in the root may be found developing in the cion or top, and vice versa. That the cion is enabled to reproduce its kind is due to the fact that its young growth is merely an increase of cells already formed, and the variations alluded to at the com- mencement of this paper are the result of constant currents of sap flowing be- tween the two remote portions of the tree, and at the same time imbuing the one with certain marked characters which were contained previously in the other. Thus, in a somewhat hurried, and I fear very imperfect manner, I have al- luded to the influence of the stock upon the cion, and vice versa. This interesting subject is by no means all theory, as many suppose, but is the result, for the most part, of close examination by means of the powerful lens. Future investigation will, un- doubtedly, reveal many novel features which we now know not of, and to ac- complish this fully the patient student of Horticulture is asked to join the bot- anist in the pleasant task. But there is another and more popu- lar aspect to this subject — the relative advantages of certain stock for particu- lar species of plants. Under this head- ing we may take for example the Plum worked on the Peach. Prejudice and distrust, on the part of many cul- tivators, have done this operation great injustice. To the owner of a heavy soil, where the Plum root thrives luxu- riantly, Peaches should be planted with caution; but on the other hand, in the great Peach districts, with a light mellow soil, the Peach root will suc- ceed far better than the Plum. Peach- es always make a large number of strong fibrous roots, and return to the top a vast amount of nutrition. The junction in certain varieties of Plum on THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 143 Peach roots is perfect, and the tree is long-lived and healthy. The testimony of some of our most noted pomologists go to show that the practice is correct, and a careful exam- ination plainly indicates that the theory is faultless as well. The subject of dwarfing fruit-trees is not properly understood. The Pear worked on Quince roots certainly dwarfs the tree to a certain extent and for a few years, but is the process caused by some inherent property contained in the Quince? We think not. Once allow the Pear to throw out a few roots above the point of junction, and the tree be- comes a standard. The abundance of sap or nourishment gathered up by the roots and forwarded to the top, causes in most cases a larger and finer growth of fruit, thus showing that the Quince is adapted to these kinds; but take an uncongenial variety, and mark the re- sult. The fruit is often in such cases worthless. Tears ago we were told that budding Cherries on the Mahaleb stock would cause the trees to become dwarf. Little did these propagators know that when they annually pruned their trees, this was what dwarfed them, and not the root. The junction in this case is always perfect, and it is a well- known scientific fact that excessive pruning causes debility in a plant, and that, when vitality is checked, the tree becomes dwarfed, as a matter of course. Excessive growth and productiveness seem to be generally antagonistic. A dwarf tree, after the first vigorous growth is over, will, if healthy, produce good crops and mature a reasonable amount of new wood. Some certain varieties of Pears, as for instance, the Bartlett, never unite properly on the Quince stock — the cellular tissue of each never seems to make a perfect union. Very many trees that we have examined under a strong lens reveal a marked line between the cell-growth of the two, and not, as is the case with other kinds, a lengthening of both cell- growths, one up and the other down, so that it is very difficult to determine where the exact point of insertion really is. There are causes, over which we have no control, that debar us from dwarfing some varieties, but science has not yet solved the mystery. Golden G-ate Park. — The Legislature has granted permission for the issue of thirty -year city bonds to the extent of $250,000 in aid of the next two years' work on the Golden Gate Park. This is but half the amount which was de- sired; but, upon the old principle that "half a loaf is better than no bread," we should be thankful that we will have even that much. Few of our citi- zens who have not visited this Park dur- ing the winter have any idea of the im- provements which have been made. A fine road has been run down through the sand-dunes, almost to the ocean beach. The hitherto barren hills of white sand have been covered with a rich green mantle of hardy Lupines which will effectually check the drifting of this unstable surface, and in time re- claim it for other and still more orna- mental growths of vegetation. The drives have been extended, new flower- beds laid out, a great number of trees and shrubs planted, and now exertions are being made to improve the approach- es to the Park. Already, at an outlay which seems almost insignificant when compared with the expenditures of some Eastern cities for their public grounds, and in view of the gigantic obstacles which had here to be over- come, we have a really beautiful Park, which is a credit to the city, and gives 144 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. good promise of being, at no very dis- tant day, one of the finest in the land. Its benefits will be more fully appreci- ated by the masses when street -car lines are so extended as to render it easy of access, and this will be done at least by the time that the new race- track is completed, which will be with- in a few months. CISTDS LADANIFERUS. BY F. A. MILLEE. It is with much satisfaction that I call the attention of the reader to this re- markable evergreen flowering shrub — one which, I am certain, will soon be- come a favorite in our gardens, judging from the success we have had with it during the last winter. The Gistus ladaniferus (known popu- larly as the "Rock Rose") is a native of Portugal and Spain, where it covers large tracts of land, and has been culti- vated very extensively in European gar- dens, but to my knowledge is rarely met with in the Eastern United States, while it is entirely new to the Pacific Coast. A pink-flowering species of Gis- tus was introduced here some time since; but in every respect it is inferior to the one now referred to, the flower of which is about three inches in diameter, of a pure white color, with deep purple blotches at the base of the petals. The flower is very showy and effective, and of an entirely different character from any of the flowering shrubs cultivated in our gardens. The blooms are pro- duced in great abundance, and there seems to be no limit to its flowering season in our climate. It is a free-growing shrub, and will do well anywhere, without any attention whatever. It probably will not require any watering at all, which would be a great point in its favor. It is readily propagated from cuttings, and strong plants can be produced in one year. However, they will not flower until the second or third year from cuttings. While in other varieties the flowers will not last more than four to five hours, I have noticed that the petals of this species remain in perfect condition for two days. The Gistus ladaniferus is also of com- mercial value as a medicinal plant. A gum is collected from the leaves and branches, well known as "Ladanum." The shrub is perfectly hardy, and as an ornament to our gardens it has few superiors, if any. Plant Olive -teees. — We have often wondered, when we consider how com- pletely the Olive is adapted to the soil and climate of this country, that more orchards are not being put out. The reason is, perhaps, that it requires years patient waiting to realize from them. Suppose it takes ten or fifteen years to get a crop, even then the investment of a little time, money, and labor in a few hundred trees would pay largely, for it must be remembered that young or- chards, though not in bearing, will in a few years add very materially to the ranch upon which they are planted. It will pay to plant Olives, Oranges, etc., even if one does not expect to eat the fruit off the trees himself; if he does not, his children may, or some one else who will be willing to pay a good price, too, for his young trees. The impor- tance of planting orchards is not appre- ciated by our citizens. No investment will pay a greater interest than young orchards. Eastern men will come along this season, and next, who will be will- ing to pay well for trees set and in good growing condition. — Ventura Signal. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 145 FRUIT CULTURE. We extract the following remarks on "Fruit Culture," from the pen of Wm. H. Nash, Esq., from the Napa Register and Reporter: " Having devoted much attention for many years to this particular branch of culture, and feeling deeply interested in its success, we have prepared the fol- lowing essay to supply it at least in part. The subject of this treatise is one in which almost all classes of the community are more or less engaged and interested. It is the desire of ev- ery man, whatever may be his pursuit or condition in life, whether he live in town or country, to enjoy fine fruits, to provide them for his family, and if pos- sible to cultivate them in his own gar- den with his own hands. Fortunately, the climate and soil of California being so favorable to the pro- duction of fruit, farmers, if they are not already, must become truly a com- munity of fruit-growers. People are but beginning to learn the uses of fruit and to appreciate its value. The rapid increase of population alone creates a demand to an extent that few people are aware of. The city of San Francis- co has added one hundred thousand (100,000) to her numbers in ten years; and see what an aggregate annual amount of new consumers it presents. After twenty years of experience in fruit-growing in California, we think it will be excusable in us if we presume to offer to the farmer a few suggestions relative to the soil and climate best adapted to the growing of fruit; as well as some suggestions as to the proper season and manner of planting the trees. In our Californian climate, our winters being so mild, it will do to plant any time from the commencement of the first rains till the first of March. It has now become a well-known fact that many varieties of fruit, when plant- ed near enough to the coast to be expos- ed to the winds from the ocean, are al- most total failures; but when this cause of defect is removed by planting these same varieties in the orchard lands of the interior, they become not only thrifty and productive, but the fruit is unsurpassed in its size and flavor. All trees should be selected with reference to the climate and soil where they are to be planted. The Pear-tree in California is much more hardy than the Apple-tree, and will grow and produce good fruit in al- most any locality, but succeeds best in a deep, rich, and moderately dry soil. The Peach-tree succeeds best where the climate during the summer months is warm, ranging from 60 to 90 degrees, and the soil rich, moist, and loose. In a cool place this fruit is often of an in- ferior quality, juicy, but insipid. The Plum-tree should have a rich, moist soil, and when planted in poor land, manure should be used unspar- ingly. The Cherry-tree may be grown to the highest state of perfection, when the soil is a deep, rich, sandy loam, the wa- ter at no time standing nearer than eight feet of the ground, where the temperature during the summer months ranges from 40 to 80 degrees. On Ma- haleb stock the Cherry can be grown quite successfully where the soil is much more wet and heavy. The Quince. — Valuable for preserves and jelly; can be grown on moderately low and wet land, and will yield enor- mous crops. The Almond. — We have been experi- menting with two varieties of this tree, for a few years, and have fruited to some extent. Like the Apple, it succeeds best when out of reach of the coast Vol. IV.— 19. 146 THE CALIFOKNIA HOETICULTTJEIST. winds, but can not stand the heat nor the late frosts of some of the interior valleys. "We know of no better recom- mendation than to say that, as a gener- al rule, where table Grapes can be grown the Almond will nourish. The Grape may be said to do well in almost any location in California; that is, out of the damp winds and fogs that prevail along the coast; even in some sheltered locations very near the coast they may be grown quite successfully, but not of the best quality for wine. The Currant is one of the most valu- able of all the small fruits, and is being used extensively for jelly as well as for table fruit and pies. Like the Cherry, it should have a good summer climate, and a loose rich soil. The Gooseberry should have a warm and moderately dry soil, with plenty of manure and good cultivation. If grown in cold damp places, the fruit will be subject to blight and mildew. The Hawton's Seedling, however, may be grown in almost any location. The Blackberry should have a warm, moist soil to succeed well. Plow the ground at least twice, and as deep as possible; the subsoil plow may be used to a great advantage, and when the ground is hard, its use should not be omitted. Pruning the Trees at the Time of Transplanting. — This important part of tree planting should be carefully attend- ed to. The ends of the roots, that are always more or less bruised in digging, should be cut off with a sharp knife, and the branches should all be cut back to a bud within two to four inches of the main stem, leaving them in a prop- er shape for the formation of the top. Planting. — "Will give our method of planting, and think it will do to work by, as a general rule. Dig the holes cir- cling, three feet in diameter and two feet in depth; the rich soil of the sur- face should be thrown out on one side, and the balance on the other side of the hole. In refilling the hole, throw in the surface dirt first, which will leave the richest part of the soil where the tree will receive the most benefit from it; fill up the hole to a proper depth to receive the tree without binding the roots, keeping it about the same depth that it stood in the nursery. Fill in about the roots with loose dirt until the ground above the tree is level, then the planting is done. From the time of planting, the ground should be kept well tilled and free from grass and weeds. A crop of Carrots, Beets, or Beans may be grown between the trees, but should not be nearer than four feet to the trees, until after they have grown at least one year, or Currants or Goose- berries may be planted between the trees in the same manner; and may be allowed to grow until the trees are ten or twelve years old. The distance the trees should be planted apart: Feet each way. Standard Apple 24 Pear 18 " Heart Cherries 24 " Duke " 16 Almonds, Peaches, Plums, and Necta- rines 20 Apricots 24 Gooseberry, (Eng) 3x5 Hawton's Seedling 6x8 Currants 2x5 Blackberries 8x8 English Walnut 40 Grape-vines 7x7 Manuring. — The very common prac- tice in regard to manure, is to apply a very large quantity immediately around the trunk of the tree, which is decided- ly wrong, as it creates an excess of heat and enfeebles the growth of the tree. The proper way is to apply a sufficient top-dressing broadcast between the THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 147 rows ; this should be well plowed in where it can reach the extremities of the roots. There are many rich soils where manure is unnecessary. Mulching. — This should be practiced in very dry soils, and only with newly planted trees. "Would recommend sand to be thrown around the tree to the depth of three or four inches, and about six feet in diameter; it should be ap- plied early in May. Protecting the Trees from the Heat of the Sun in Summer. — It is only necessa- ry to protect the trunk; this may be done by means of two boards set togeth- er, forming an angle ; then place them on the south-west side of the tree. Orange Culture in Santa Clara Val- ley.— The culture of the Orange is at- tracting great attention from the fruit- growers in this valley, many of whom have been planting extensive orchards this season. Mr. Babb has set out be- tween seven and eight hundred trees, General Smith a hundred, J. A. Buck two hundred, and various other parties a greater or less number. Mr. Buck, whose ranch adjoins the tobacco fields in the southern portion of the county, has just returned from an extended in- spection of the orchards, climate, and soil of Los Angeles, and says he is so confident that Oranges can be grown here in greater perfection than there that he proposes to spend a good many thousand dollars in their culture. The hearty growth of the few isolated trees set out for ornament around our city demonstrates their successful cultivation in this valley. The average net profit to an acre of bearing trees in Los Ange- les is about $4,500 in a favorable season; here it would be much greater, on ac- count of our superior facilities for irri- gation. Mr. Buck says that there is no better soil or climate for the Orange than that of our foot-hills and mount- ain sides. — San Jose Mercury. ON MANGROVES. BY DR. H. BEHR. "While in the temperate zone all arbo- rescent growth seems to get crippled by the immediate neighborhood of the sea, it never fails to strike the mind of the traveler, who for the first time enters the realms of the tropics, to see the lux- uriant forests extending far beyond the shore out into the salt water itself. The trees that compose these littoral forests are usually comprised by the name "Mangrove," which name by no means infers that said trees are botani- cally related among themselves. The word ' ' Mangrove " means noth- ing but a certain character or form of vegetation, in the same way as, for in- stance, the word "Heath," as it is in common use, does not exactly confine itself to Erica, but expresses a certain effect of landscape produced by a form of vegetation imitating or resembling in external structure an Erica. The word Mangrove comprises, first, the Bhizophorece. This is a group in- termediate between Onagrasice and the myrtaceous plants. It contains but few genera, viz: Rhizophora, Kandelia, Ce- riops, and the genera themselves are exceedingly poor in species. All are strictly littoral. Second, the genus Ae- giceras, belonging to the primulaceous plants ; subdivision, Sapotacece. It is a near relation to Diospyros ( the Persim- mon-tree). Third, genus Avicennia, be- longing to the labiate plants; subdi- vision, Verbenacece. These trees, either mixed together, or one species excluding all others, form the vegetation of the Mangrove districts . 148 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. There is no herbaceous vegetation what- ever found beneath these trees ; but clams, oysters, barnacles, and other marine animals, fixed on roots and branches, are substituted in the stran- gest way for the turf, the creepers, and parasites of common forests. It is no exaggeration that the traveler, standing in his boat, may pick oysters from the overhanging boughs. There is little difference in the gener- al appearance of the Mangrove, Ehizo- phora, Aegiceras, or Avicennia. They are all evergreens, with round, dark- green, shining leaves, resembling in growth our Alder (Alnus). All of them partake of two striking peculiari- ties ; the one is the peculiar growth of their roots, by which the trunk of the tree is lifted to high water mark, and is supported by a system of roots that spread like a gigantic broom, and pro- duce at low tide the strange aspect of a forest on stilts. At high tide, of course, when these roots are not visible, the Mangrove forest looks like any other inundated forest. The cause of this peculiar organization is easily to be un- derstood, as the elevated trunk is in- tended to adapt the tree to the chang- ing tides, whose currents would exer- cise a considerable pressure on solid trunks, which certainly would be injur- ed by them, while the many channels between the divergent roots allow the currents to pass without any harm to the tree. The second peculiarity of the Man- grove is the circumstance that their seeds are never in a dormant state. As soon as they are ripe they begin to grow. In the Ehizophora and its rela- tions, Ceriops and Kandelia, the seeds germinate even before they are separat- ed from the tree. The name Ehizophora (bearing roots) evidently is derived from the strange aspect of a tree from whose branches and twigs thread-like roots hang down and elongate themselves until they reach the marsh, where they fix themselves and form new trees. The seeds of the Aegiceras and Avicennia do not, at least as far as my experience goes, germinate before they are sepa- rated from the tree, but they separate the moment in which their development is complete. They then either fasten immediately in the mud, and grow like other plants, or they are carried about by currents in a state of preliminary de- velopment; that is, in the shape of a pair of fleshy cotyledons, resembling the shells of bivalves, and a radicala imitating in appearance the sipho of a Pholas or a teredo. There is scarcely any kind of Man- grove endemic ; they are more or less cosmopolitan between the tropics. Fre- quently the same species are found equally spread over the Old and the New World. The Ehizophora group scarcely ever transgresses the tropics. The Aegiceras does, but not as much as the Avicennia, which, of all Mangroves, extends to highest latitudes. Prof. Davidson states that he has seen Avicennia tomentosa in Magdalena Bay. I have seen the gerontogeic spe- cies Avicennia officinalis at Port Ade- laide, South Australia, latitude 35°; at the coast of New Zealand luxuriant for- ests of the same species extend as far as latitude 40°. Now this Australian, or rather gerontogeic species, certainly would grow well on overflowed marsh- ground in our bay. It would yield con- siderable fuel, would protect the ditches of reclaimed lands, and could be used for the manufacture of sod. The only difficulty in introducing this tree is the peculiarity of all Mangroves, the circumstance of their seeds never being in a dormant state. It is next to impossible to obtain them in growing THE CALIFOENIA HORTICULTURIST. 149 order, and it is only the last invoice of seeds that inspires me with the hope to introduce this valuable tree. VINEYAKD INTERESTS. We noted the other day the fact that some large vineyards in Los Angeles County had been uprooted because they did not yield a profit to the owners. The room was wanted for Orange-trees. There are many vineyards in the State which have not met the expectation of proprietors. They have not failed in production. But they have not, on the other hand, yielded a satisfactory revenue. Either they are too remote from markets or the Grapes are not of the most desirable sorts. Probably the most satisfactory returns have been re- alized by owners of small vineyards, stocked with the choicest varieties of table Grapes, and in such proximity to the city that the Grapes could be pla- ced in market within four or five hours after shipping. But there is a limit even to this trade. Prices come down as choice Grapes become abundant. The market can be easily overstocked. C. D. Brooks, of El Dorado County, writes to the Rural Press as follows: "I have seen several inquiries in the Bural for information in regard to rai- sins. I send you a sample of those I raise and cure. The raisins are made from the "Malaga Muscat," or Muscat of Alexandria; and, after a long and close investigation, I am satisfied in my own mind that this is the raisin of com- merce, and no other Grape will make a raisin at all, but will simply be dried Grapes when cured, except the "Royal Muscadine," which makes a fair raisin, though smaller and the seed larger. I have had several hundred boxes of these raisins in market the last two years, and have had many letters of commend- ation and inquiry in regard to them. I find it to be a profitable business. They have brought in the San Francis- co market, this winter, fifteen cents per pound, wholesale. I am extending my vineyard of them every year ; grow them on hill-slopes. "What cuttings I don't use I have been giving away for several years. I paid $12 per hundred for the first I set; and then cultivated for raisins. The habit of the Grape will have to be closely observed by the cul- tivator. I have been prompted to write these lines, because it is too bad for a person to set vineyards for raisins, and cultivate them for four years, and then have nothing but dried Grapes, that he can hardly sell at any price." The larger part of the raisins produced here last year was of the second and third qualities, but these have been de- sirable for cooking purposes ; while the really good raisins have brought good prices. An old vineyard can be grafted with the new varieties, which will come into bearing the second year from the graft. A vineyard once reconstructed in this way, all the troublesome ques- tions about remoteness from market and over-production are disposed of ab once. It is certain that our vineyard men must seek other outlets for their Grapes than such as they have heretofore found. They want more satisfactory returns, and something, also, to compensate them for waiting a great many years for only theoretical profits. It is not every- one who can turn his vineyard into an Orange orchard. But he can exchange inferior productions for the best in a short time. Where the Orange comes to perfection, the Muscat Grape also ripens, and only needs a skillful touch to turn it into the best raisin of com- merce.— Bulletin. 150 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. THE FEUIT PEOSPECT. The prospect for an immense fruit crop in this valley the present season is most propitious. The orchards, for the last two months, have been a cloud of blossoms — first the Almond, next the Peach and Apricot, then the Cher- ry, and now the Plum, Prune, Pear, and Apple. The yield promises to be beyond all precedent, and hundreds of tons of choice fruits would be left to perish upon the ground, as in times past, but for the increased facilities for preserving and shipping it. Two years ago, Mr. Dawson, then recently from the East, a gentleman of foresight and ability, conceiving the idea of starting a fruit cannery on an extensive scale, determined to preserve fruits in such a* manner and of such a quality as would necessarily commend them to public use. He put up the first year 10,000 cans. His fruit was select- ed with great care, all imperfect fruit be- ing rejected. It was carefully cleansed of all impurities, none but neat and tidy women being employed in its prep- aration, and preserved in the best possi- ble manner. This fruit found a ready sale, and demonstrated the future suc- cess of the enterprise. Last year he erected suitable buildings for the busi- ness, and put up in like superior man- ner 100,000 cans. But this is scarcely a priming to what the business will grow to in his hands. The present year he will probably preserve a quarter of a million cans. But we need in addition to this a fruit-drying establishment — in fact, a number of such establishments. The Alden process, now coming into use ex- tensively in the East, could not fail of meeting with success here. It pre- serves the fruit in all its perfection of flavor by simply expelling the water, and retaining all of the valuable prop- erties of the fruit. Last year our fruit- growers shipped a hundred car-loads of fruit — Pears mostly — from this valley to the East. By the Alden process they could save moving this immense bulk — finding it more profitable first to expel the useless water. We regard fruit culture as the most important industry that our farmers can engage in, wherever the land is well adapted to the business. With skillful management we believe it can be made to pay thrice the profit of grain growing. — San Jose Mercury. Nitrogen and Vegetation. — Our for- eign journals bring the usual number of accounts of agricultural investiga- tions, particularly in the experiment stations, of which some new ones have been lately established in Germany. Ritthausen and Pott, of the station at Poppelsdorf , in Prussia, have lately been studying the influence of manures, rich in nitrogen, upon the composition of plants fertilized by the same. Ritt- hausen concludes that by increasing the amount of nitrogen in the food sup- plied to the plant, the percentage of ni- trogen, both in the plant as a whole and in its different parts, may be increased. Deherain has investigated the rela- tions of atmospheric nitrogen to veg- etation by experiments on the absorp- tion of nitrogen by carbonaceous mat- ters, as glucose, decayed wood, etc., mixed with alkalies. He concludes that atmospheric nitrogen can, either in the cold or at the temperature of the soil, fix itself on carbonaceous matter analo- gous to that which is found in vegetable decomposition, and that the presence of oxygen is unfavorable to this reaction. He infers that carbonaceous matter in manure is advantageous, since it liber- THE CALIFOENIA HORTICULTURIST. 151 ates hydrogen in decomposing, and ren- ders the conditions for absorbing nitro- gen more favorable by removing oxygen from the air confined in the soil. — Har- per's Magazine. FOKEST TEEES FROM SEED. Every year advances our knowledge of forest culture, and convinces those who give the subject any attention that it possesses all the importance claimed for it. Those most directly interested are the dwellers on the treeless plains of the West, but the people of the East are waking up to the fact that their for- ests are going, and that they must bestir themselves if they would have shade and timber, to say nothing of water. There is no use in thinking that a plantation of young trees can in all, or even most cases, be raised without much care. There are a good many chances that a young tree, whether it be transplanted or grown from the seed, will fail to reach maturity, but raising from the seed is attended with less first cost, and this, at least, is an attractive feature. "We find in the American Agriculturist the following condensed statement of the properties and habits of various tree seeds, most of which may be ob- tained from any dealer who keeps a gen- eral assortment: "Evergreens we can not advise the ordinary farmer to undertake to raise from seed, they require so much care in shading and otherwise, and small plants are sold by those who make a business of growing them at such low rates that we are sure that 90 in 100 will find it much more satisfactory in the end to purchase. We therefore confine our remarks to deciduous trees. Tree Seeds that must be Sown as soon as Ripe. — Soft or Red, and Silver Ma- ple, Elm, and Red Birch. If kept ex- posed even for a few days after they are gathered, their vitality will be de- stroyed. These seeds are generally kept by seedsmen ; though some take orders in advance, to be filled when the seeds ripen. Those who wish to sow seeds of these should arrange before- hand with some friend to gather them, or dealer to supply them, and be pre- pared to sow the day they are received. The plants come up at once, and make nice young trees by fall. Tree Seeds to be Sown in Place — that is, the seed is to be sown where the tree is to stand — include the different Hickories, the Butternut, and Black Walnut. The seeds are collected in fall, made into heaps, and covered with sods, over which are thrown several inches of earth. In the spring the nuts are sown in place, putting in two or three near together; and if all start, re- move all but one. Seeds of Trees that may be Sown in Fall. — Ash of various species, Liquid- amber or Sweet Grum, Tulip-tree, Cu- cumber, and other Magnolias. These may also be sown in spring if properly kept through the winter in sand. Seeds better Sown in the Spring (they should be carefully kept through the winter in sand). — Maples of all kinds, including the Ash-leaf or Box Elder, and excepting the Silver and Soft; Birches, except the Red; Bass-wood; Kentucky Coffee-tree ; Ailanthus ; Ca- talpa; Paulownia. Seeds needing Preparation before sow- ing in spring. — Osage Orange, scald and keep warm and moist until it sprouts; Button-ball, soak; Honey Lo- cust, and Common or Black Locust, scald. Seedling trees require just as much thinning and weeding as a crop of Car- rots. If they suffer from the heat of 152 THE CALIFOBNIA HOETICULTUEIST. tlie sun, stick brush with the leaves on all over the bed sufficiently thick to give a proper shade, or use a screen of laths." "Will Cranberries grow in Califor- nia ? — We answer, yes, if properly culti- vated on suitable soil. There is but little such soil in this State as they use East for Cranberry culture. There are many Cranberries now produced in the boggy soils in Oregon and Washington Territory. In some of the high mount- ain valleys are those natural bogs, that might be reclaimed and made profitable for Cranberry culture, and we believe that by a few years' flooding in dykes, a suitable bed for Cranberries might be made upon our ordinary soils. The New York Horticulturist thus tells how the culture is managed East : " A sub- scriber having asked us what were the cost and profits of Cranberry culture, we answer him as follows : 1. A good cranberry marsh must be made out of boggy, peaty land; sand must be carted upon it to the depth of six inches, and then the plants set out. The bed must also be so situated that a stream of running fresh water may be turned up- on it at the proper time to flood it en- tirely, to prevent attacks of insects and frosts, and be as quickly shut off and drained. 2. The lowest cost per acre is $300 for a bed well prepared. From this upward to $600 and $1,000 per acre have often been expended. 3. The yield in bushels increases gradually from twenty bushels the first year up to 100 or more in the fifth year. Average price of Cranberries, $3 per bushel to the producer. It requires three years' time to get a good bed well planted in a producing condition, and the income is from $60 to $200 per acre for three years after that; after the sixth year, $300 to $600 per acre. " — Russian River I1 lag. Arrowroot. — The Arrowroot most esteemed in this country, is that grown and prepared in the Bermudas, whose salubrious climate more nearly resem- bles that of Persia, with the peculiar and agreeable addition of constant sea- breezes, and which appears best adapt- ed to produce the tubers in perfection. As the extent of these isles — nearly 500 in number — is only about 12,000 acres, occupying a space of scarcely twenty miles in length by six in breadth, but a small proportion of our supply is de- rived from them, and Jamaica Arrow- root, being nearly equal to it, comes largely in competition with genuine Bermuda. The East Indian is not so highly valued, it being too often adul- terated with substitutes for the genuine. The cultivation has also been profitably conducted in Africa, and in the south- ern United States, where a large quan- tity, though of inferior quality, is annu- ally produced. Sir S. W. Baker, in his journey through Arabia, speaks of a peculiar bulb resembling a Sweet Potato, but exceedingly long and thin, which was known to the Arabs as "baboon," and from which he "made excellent Arrowroot," in a somewhat primitive manner. The Arabs simply roast the roots on embers, and eat them as we do potatoes. — N. Y. Mercantile Journal. How to Measure the Length of a Tree. — Take a forked stick; measure the length so that it will come exactly up to your eyes ; then measure the length of the timber wanted — say forty feet — in a line out from the tree, and allow for the stump ; then set up your stake, and lie down on your back with your heels at the stake; look through the stake, and the place where the eye strikes the tree will be the length of the timber. The ground ought to be level; if not, allow- ance can be made. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 153 ACACIA GROYES ON THE UPPER NILE. The rich and varying vegetation of the valley of the Upper Nile is a con- stant source of delight to the botanical traveler. The shore on either side pre- sents a picture of tropical beauty; brill- iant colored flowers toss their gay blos- soms in the breeze, whole forests of Tamarisk and Acacia cover the hill- sides, and even the surface of the water is beauteous with the broad rich leaves and fragrant flowers of many varieties of aquatic plants. The Acacia groves ex- tend over an area a hundred miles square along the right bank of the stream. They produce gum in such unlimited quantities that, in the inter- ests of commerce, they are specially worthy of regard. In the winter-time, with the greatest ease, in the course of a day, a hundred-weight of this valua- ble article could be collected by one man. It is a curious fact, however, that the gathering of this gum is much neglected, and the merchants of Khar- toom are never able to supply a sufficient quantity to meet the demands of Eu- rope. These Acacia-trees are called by the natives "soffar," a word signi- fying a flute. From the larvse of insects which have worked a way to the inside, their ivory-white shoots are often dis- torted in form, and swollen out at their base with globular bladders measuring about an inch in diameter. After the mysterious insect has unaccountably managed to glide out of its circular hole, this thorn-like shoot becomes a sort of musical instrument, upon which the wind, as it plays, produces the reg- ular sound of the flute. In the winter season, when the trees are stripped of their leaves, the boughs, white as chalk, stretch out like ghosts, and the wind, sighing through the insect-made flutes, fills the whole air with soft, mel- vol. rv.— 20. ancholy tunes. One who has seen these " soffar" forests in a breezy moon- light night can never forget the strange and weird effect produced upon the im- agination.— Harper's Magazine. "Wonderful Tree in Australia. — The Brisbane (Australia) Courier of Dec. 30, 1873, publishes the following official telegram from Mr. Walter Hill, the Government botanist, dated from Card- well on the 27th, and received by the Queensland Secretary for Lands: " Since the -20th of November we have examined the banks of the Mul- grave, Russell, Mossman, Daintree, and Hull rivers, and have been more or less successful in finding suitable land for sugar and other tropical and semi-trop- ical productions. The ascent of the summit of Bellenden Kerr was success- fully made by Johnstone, Hill, and eight troopers. At 2,500 feet in height we observed an undescribed tree with crimson flowers, which excels the Poin- ciana regia, Colvillia racemosa, Lagers- strcemia regia, and the Jacaranda mimosi- folia. At 4,400 feet a Tree-fern, which will excel in grandeur all others of the alboreous class. A Palm-tree same height which will rival any of the Brit- ish India species in gracefulness. On the banks of the Daintree we saw a Palm-tree Cocoa, which far exceeds the unique specimen from Brazil in grand- eur and gracefulness. "While cutting a given line on the banks of the river Johnstone, for the purpose of examin- ing the land, an enormous Fig-tree stood in the way, far exceeding in stoutness and grandeur the renowned forest giants of California and Victoria. Three feet from the ground it measured 150 feet in circumference; at fifty-five feet, where it sent forth giant branches, the stem was nearly eighty feet in cir- 154 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. curuference. The river Johnstone, with- in a limited distance of the coast, offers the first and best inducements to sugar cultivation." THE JOYS OF A GOOD GARDEN. Let any farmer take say an acre of land, more or less, according to the size of his family, fence it so as to keep out fowls and all other depredators, make it thoroughly rich, and then plant one-half to Grrapes, Blackberries, Rasp- berries, Gooseberries, and Strawberries, Currants, Asparagus, and Rhubarb or Pie-plant. On the other half let him plant, as soon as the ground is fit, Peas, Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, and a few early Beets; also sow some early Cab- bage and Tomato seed for early plants, being careful as soon as they are up to cover them .at night, to prevent injury by frost. Peas, Onions, Radishes, Let- tuce, and Beets will stand considerable frost with little or no injury. Later, as danger from frost ceases, plant more Peas, Snap Beans, Parsnips, Carrots, late Beets, Summer, Fall, and Winter Squashes, a few hills of early Cucum- bers, and any other vegetable that the family may like. Sow late Cabbage seed, and later in the season plant Cu- cumbers for pickles. After the small fruits have come into full bearing, let us see what this acre of land will furnish a table. Very early in the season he will have Aspara- gus to whet his appetite on. Soon after, Radishes will be large enough to use. Anon, Currants and Gooseberries will have grown large enough to stew. He will soon after have the pleasure of eating green Peas and Beans, with On- ions for seasoning; and a few early Cu- cumbers, to put him in the humor for Strawberry shortcake, cream, and Straw- berries. And by the time he has finish- ed these the Raspberries will be waiting his pleasure. If he is now tired of fruit, he can have some early Beets and Summer Squashes. The early To- matoes should now be ripe, and Carrots and Parsnips large enough to dig, for a change. His Blackberries should now be ripe, soon to be followed by the de- licious Grapes. If he is fond of a good baked Squash, let him now try the fine Boston Marrow or the American Tur- ban, and he will have it. Let the surplus small fruits be dried or canned for winter use. Put up a keg, of Cucumber pickles; can, preserve, or put up in some way the surplus To- matoes; make a barrel of krout from part of the Winter Cabbage. Holding up the remainder of the Parsnips, Car- rots, and Fall and Winter Squashes, have an endless variety of green and good things, that will last all through the long and dreary winter. Some may think this a fancy and overdrawn pic- ture; but let such try the experiment, and see if they do not then say, with me, that in no other way can they have so good, so healthful, and so cheap liv- ing.— Exchange. California Coffee. — It has been re- cently discovered that the foot-hills in the northern portions of this State, no- tably in Placer County, are cohered with a hardy wild shrub, which, upon in- vestigation, turns out to be a Coffee plant. Those familiar with the genu- ine cultivated Coffee shrub grown in South America and the West Indies pronounce this unquestionably a plant of the same species, of course inferior, since it has been neglected and grown only in a wild state, but presumably susceptible of development to such a de- gree of perfection as to constitute its product a valuable article of commerce. THE CALIFOBNIA HORTICULTUKIST. 155 It is, at least, well worth the trouble of experiment to demonstrate the possibil- ity of such a result. Even should this wild Coffee bush resist the kindly influ- ences of cultivation and refuse to yield good berries, it may still prove of ser- vice in suggesting the exjDeriment of introducing the cultivation of the real Coffee. So far as we are informed, no attempt has been made to test the suit- ability of our soil and climate for this crop, and it is too important a matter for the suggestion to be permitted to pass unheeded. Should it be found that we are able to produce a fair article of Coffee, a branch of agriculture will have been opened more profitable than any now known in the State. — Chronicle. ORANGE CULTURE VS. VINE CULTURE. We have lately published some in- teresting communications upon the sub- ject of Orange culture in California. The facts set forth in the communica- tions prove beyond a doubt that the Orange may be cultivated in nearly all parts of the State as successfully as the Apple, Peach or Plum. They also prove that the cultivation of the Orange, wherever engaged in in the State, has proved more profitable than the cultiva- tion of any other fruit. The cultivation of the Orange in some of the Southern Atlantic States seems to have been attended with the same pecuniary success as here. In Georgia the introduction of this fruit, and the great success which has attended it, have raised the value of land adapted to its culture to the sum of $500 an acre. In Los Angeles, the home of the vine, a locality in which the vine flourishes, and produces a wine equal to the most renowned wine-growing districts of the Old World, so great has been the suc- cess in Orange culture, and so profita- ble has its culture proven, that owners of the oldest and best vineyards are dig- ging up the vines and planting the land in Orange-trees. The Los Ange- les Express, in announcing this fact, says : " It makes one sad to see vineyard after vineyard torn up by the roots, and the fine old trunks cut up into firewood. The Wolf skill vineyard, one of the finest in the county, planted thirty-five years ago, is among those that have been dug up. On account of the low price of Grapes during late years, this vineyard has been maintained at an actual loss of $2,000 a year to the proprietors. The manufacture of wines and brandies from the Grape have been so weighed down by taxation and the oppression and annoyance of government red tape, that capital has been actually driven out of the business, and when last fall the Grape crop ripened, there was no market for the vintage. Grapes were sold at from fifty to fifty-five cents the hundred pounds, a price which barely covers the actual outlay. It is not to be expected that people will continue to suffer this loss when they can appro- priate their lands to the cultivation of a fruit which is enriching all who have a few acres of bearing trees. Hence the movement to which we allude. It will take time for the trees to grow, but it is better that the lands should yield noth- ing for a few years than they should be an actual source of loss, and in this re- spect we can not but view the action of the vinemen as sound." — Sacramento Record. *- M. Beet states that compressed oxy- gen is not only destructive to animal life, but that it also hinders the germi- nation of seeds, the putrefaction of frag- ments of muscle, the change of starch into sugar by saliva, and the develop- ment of mycoderma aceti. 156 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. CEEEUS GRANDIFLORUS— THE NIGHT- BLOOMING CEREUS. How often have I been delighted to visit the collection of the intelligent cultivator of plants, to be warmed by his enthusiasm, to impart mutual in- struction, and to share the pure pleas- ure arising from the contemplation of the floral beauties of nature. When we take a view of the floral display of the vegetable kingdom, how can the human mind be otherwise than interest- ed? The grotesque forms of some ex- cite our wonder, the gorgeous display of others our admiration, the graceful and elegant bespeak our esteem, and the fragile and lowly command our care. When the magnificent flowers of Ce- reus graiidiflorus are expanded they at- tract the admiration of everybody; it never opens its blossoms whilst under the direct influence of the sun's rays, and they close never to open again as soon as the beams of the morning sun glance upon the house in which it is grown. I prefer growing this Cereus in a pot to which is affixed a cylindri- cal trellis from three to four feet high. The plant can then be moved to the positions in the house best adapted for its growth, or when at rest during win- ter for the maturation of the sap; and when in flower it may, with facility, be removed to the drawing-room. When in a growing state it delights in a warm, moist atmosphere, where it will length- en its stems, or produce new branches from one to two feet in length in one season. These should be tied to the trellis as regular as the contorted habit and brittleness of the stems will per- mit. As the stems advance in growth, numerous roots will be protruded from their under side, which will evidently reach the soil in the pot, and they will materially assist in the future growth of the plant, and the development of the flowers. As it is no easy matter to remove a plant of this description from one pot to another when once establish- ed on the trellis, care should be taken at first, to select a pot of sufficient size. The soil should be a rich and friable loam, mixed with one-third well-rotted and thoroughly dried stable-dung bro- ken into small lumps, to which should be added pieces of old mortar, to secure a good and sufficient drainage until the pot becomes filled with roots. When the plant has finished its growth for the season water should be gradually with- held, but it is by no means necessary to keep it so dry as to cause its succulent stems to shrivel. It should be placed during winter near the back wall of the house, and, that it may have the full in- fluence of the sun, the top of the trellis should be about eighteen inches from the glass. As the spring advances, the old and well-matured stems acquire a purple tinge, the color being more in- tense about those parts where the flow- eivbuds develop themselves. About the middle of May small fissures will be observed on the upper part of the stems, from which protrude what at first ap- pear to be small balls of coarse white hair, but in which is inclosed the rudi- ment of the flower; the enlargement of these balls goes on very slowly, becoming gradually more lengthened until they assume a conical shape. At this period the plant should receive a generous treatment; a more liberal supply of wa- ter may be given, with occasional appli- cations of liquid manure. The foot- stalk of the flower will now grow rapid- ly' until it attains the length of from seven to nine inches, when it will ap- pear as if covered with scales, bristled all over with hair^. Prom the middle to the latter end of June the first flow- THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 157 ers generally expand, but much de- pends on the previous brilliancy of the weather. The flower usually begins to open about five p.m., but in dull weather er it may be as late as eight or nine o'clock. It is an object of interest to the curious to watch the progress of the ex- pansion of the flower. The calyx or outer segments may be seen to move with a start or spring, now one, then anoth- er, until they are free from each other; they afterward expand imperceptibly, each segment standing apart and their points slightly recurved, forming a cir- cle from eight to ten inches in diame- ter. In the meantime the petals slowly expand, and are disposed in the shape of a bell at the tops; but they gradual- ly lessen downwards like a funnel, at the bottom of which is inserted the nu- merous stamens. These are beautiful- ly arranged around the corolla, but the greater part lie on the under petals and surrounding the pistils. The time from the commencement to the full expan- sion of the blossom is from an hour and a half to two hours. The appearance of the flower is peculiar and grand; the numerous narrow segments of the ca- lyx, which are yellow inside, appear like rays surrounding the corolla, which is itself a pure and delicate white, changing to green toward the bottom of the tube. It possesses a perfume which will fill the whole house in which it may be grown. The plant, after the flowering season is over, should have a short period of rest to recover its ex- hausted energies, and should afterward be stimulated with a moist and high temperature to promote its growth, and to fill its sap vessels with nutritious sap, to be elaborated in due time for the production of its splendid flowers. — Gardener's Record. Castoe Oil as a Leathek Preserva- tive.— A correspondent of the German- town Telegraph, who says he has tested all the patented preparations and popu- lar recipes for preserving leather, pre- fers castor oil to all of them. He adds: ' ' We have had boots a year old that we have oiled with it, and the leather was soft, smooth and water-proof to the last time they were used. We apply it clear, without heat. A little lampblack might be used on old leather, but it is seldom necessary on new, as the oil it- self seems to keep the blacking on, and renders the leather black and of fine ap- pearance. Those who have been annoy- ed with hard, cracked, water-soaked boots, the surface of the latter rough, without blacking, and the leather shrunken and wrinkled, so as< to chafe, gall, and otherwise punish the feet, will find castor oil, well applied, to be satis- factory. We have used it for wagons and buggies, and find it is in every way superior. It will wear longer, lubri- cate better, and is less objectionable than anything we know of." A garden well kept is easily kept. Corn Culture. — The Democrat in- forms us that the Sonoma County farm- ers are generally turning their attention to the cultivation of Indian Corn by way of rotation with Wheat, instead of sum- mer-fallowing their Wheat lands. It says: "Land in this vicinity, on which the yield had decreased from forty to eight bushels to the acre by successive Wheat crops, has been restored by Corn culture to nearly its original productive- ness. It is preferred to summer-fallow. Wheat land in the course of a few years becomes foul with weeds. The cultiva- tion^ requisite in a Corn crop in a single season destroys them; a succeeding Wheat crop is free of weeds, and is otherwise improved in quality and quan- tity." 158 THE CALIFOENIA HOBTICULTUKIST. (&mwM WMtiw. Notwithstanding the mildness and excellence of our climate in general, even in our rainy season of the year, the weather and temperature of our late winter and spring months have been quite exceptional. We certainly ought not to complain of the plenteousness and continual fall of the gentle and penetrating rains we have had, though they have somewhat interfered with our personal enjoyment, but the remarkable lowness of the thermometer from early in December to the present month (May) has been almost unprecedented in this State. Yet when we rightly appreciate the rain-fall, which has already up to date reached over twenty-three inches, the average fall in this city, and our al- most complete exemption from late and sometimes destructive spring frosts, such as we had last year, we have every reason to feel thankful for the blessings we have mentioned, rather than to dwell upon the (for California) extraordinarily long cold spell we have experienced. All our agricultural and horticultural productions are now almost beyond any possibility of failure, and will be im- mense in the subsequent wealth they will create sooner or later on our coast. WOODWARD'S GARDENS. Great improvements have lately been made and are still in progress in this upon many occasions quite crowded public resort. After our late fine rains all the beautiful vegetation in these de- lightful and interesting grounds is in a most flourishing and healthy condi- tion. A large portion of the walks have been laid down with asphaltum, and in dryness, solidity, and smoothness are a great improvement even upon the good gravel pathways. The aquarium is be- ing enlarged by some fine tanks near- it on the outside. The bird, fish, and other animal departments are continual- ly having new additions made to them. CATALOGUES RECEIVED. We have received No. 3 for this year of Mr. Vick's Floral Guide. It is re- plete with attractiveness and interest on many subjects useful to the horti- culturist. Some of the topics in it are "The Government Seed Shop," "The Post Office," "Bustic Ornaments," "Cold Pits or Conservatories," "The Blue Gum," "Gold-fish and Aquari- ums," "The Lily of the Valley," "Cage Birds," " Preparation for Winter Flow- ers," and "A Little Gossip," on vari- ous matters useful to the florist and gardener. We have received No. 7 (the April number for 1874) of the Flower Garden, a quarterly magazine, price $1 per an- num, published by Beach, Son & Co., of 76 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, N. Y. This is an excellent catalogue, possess- ing the especial advantage of many pages of excellent horticultural informa- tion, much of it original. Also, the April number of the Illustrated Quarterly Flor- al Work published by Briggs & Brother, Eochester, N. Y. , well worthy the atten- tion of the floriculturist. We were exceedingly gratified to take Mr. James Vice — the great seedsman, of Eochester, N. Y. — by the hand, the other day. This, we believe is his first trip to this coast. He comes to observe, and at the same time combine pleasure with observation. We wish him a most cordial reception and pleasant sojourn in our midst. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 159 OUR EXCHANGE TABLE. The Gardener's Monthly for May, pub- lished in Philadelphia, always welcome from its valuable contents, has come to hand. This is one of the few pub- lications devoted to Horticulture which has existed and flourished for many years, and with the Horticulturist (Xew York), is one of our standard works of excellent, practical, and useful in- formation for the florist, fruitist, and general horticulturist. The Cultivator and Country Gentleman is also, as usual, on our table. This favorite and elaborately furnished ve- hicle of knowledge on Agriculture, Horticulture, and their kindred scien- ces needs no encomium from us. It has been long known and appreciated by all cultivators. The Ladies' Floral Cabinet is a beauti- ful as well as an elegant and highly use- ful paper, devoted most especially to the home circle, with all the lovely adorn- ments of the garden, the mansion, or the cottage, and their grounds. Among other exchanges received are the Sural Nevj Yorker, Indiana Farmer, Texas Farm and Some, The American Farmer, Tlie Willamette Farmer, Rural Press, etc. Sefior Francisco 2 9. Casanueva, Con- sul-G-eneral of Chile for San Francisco, for a copy of the circular announcing the projected Second International Ex- hibition of Chile, in September next. The Overland is also at hand, with more than its usual amount of excel- lent reading; matter. A consignment of young Fig-trees, of the white variety, seeds of a peculiar kind of Locust-tree, and Egyptian "Wheat, were received at Stockton a few days since, direct from Dalmatia, Aus- tria. FAYOES RECEIVED. Monthly Report of the Department of Agriculture for April and May, 1874, on the condition of "Winter Wheat," "Farm Animals," "Diseases of Farm Animals," " French Schools of Agri- culture," "Facts from Official Sour- ces," "Entomology," "Chemistry," "Botany, "Microscopy," etc. NEW BOOKS. The Illustration Hokticole — Pub- lished at Ghent, Belgium, by Mr. Lin- den, and edited by Mr. Andre. This serial has had a world-wide reputation for the beauty of its colored plates and the excellence of its reading matter. Its circulation abroad has so increased that Mr. Linden now issues an edition in the English language, as well as the original in French. The number be- fore us has a representation of Oncidi- um fuscatum, a great beauty — the Cer- oxylon andicola, the Wax Palm of the Andes, and others, together with full accounts of the same. The Great Western is the title of a new monthly published in Philadelphia. It is literary in character, but takes in science and art, Agriculture, Floricult- ure, and everything about which an in- telligent person is supposed to care. It seems destined to take rank with the popular magazines of the day. A SniPLE Tree - Protector. — The Ironmonger, an English periodical, de- scribes a simple contrivance to protect ornamental trees and plants from the effects of frost. It consts of a conical frame of galvanized iron wire supported at its apex by a wooden post driven into the ground beside the tree; it is only needed to cover the wire with cloth, or even news paper, to render the tree safe from the frost. 160 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. NEW AND EAKE PLANTS. Taesonia insignis, — Tacsonia is a genus nearly allied to the Passion Flow- er, and some of our best winter bloom- ers are found among them. The Florist and Pomologist figures this species: It is from Bolivia. As many as a dozen flowers are borne from each hanging branchlet. The flowers are of a brill- iant carmine, and are sometimes six inches across. The Florist and Pomolo- gist thinks it will do well in a cool green- house. The White Salvia splendens. — Mr. Jos. Meloon, Bergen, N. J., contrib- utes the following note in regard to this plant: " I see in the January number of the Monthly, a communication from "W. L. Akers, of Johnstown, Pa., in which he criticises the White Salvia as being a very inferior variety of Salvia. And while I agree with him in part of his description, I must differ from him in other portions. ' ' The sporting tendency of the White Salvia was most prominently presented by the specimens cultivated by us the past summer. But while the color of the flower is not of the purest, and the blooms drop more readily than those of 8. splendens, still, it is nearest to the latter variety in all qualities combined, and bedded in alternate rows or masses makes a most brilliant contrast. With us the past season, its growth has equal- ed the most vigorous, and side by side with the splendens variety, the blooms stood until a very severe frost cut them both down. It also seeds quite freely, although the seed is apt to shed before fully ripe. " In cases of sporting, when the red mingles with the white on the same blooms, it is much handsomer than pure white or red specimens are, as the markings are very distinct. "Taken altogether, the White Sal- via, though not of great value by itself, is a superior bedding plant if used with the red varieties.": — Gardener's Monthly. Hybrid Begonias. — For some years attention was given to the improvement of the Begonia, with the view to the de- velopment of handsome foliage. Of late years hybridists have turned their attention to the production of novel colors, and other blooming attractions. Among these Mr. Bull announces in his new English catalogues : "From the seed now offered, not only will most beautiful varieties be produc- ed, but perfectly new kinds, for the flowers from which it was saved have all been carefully hybridized, pains hav- ing been taken that the varieties and colors were blended for that purpose. The Begonias from which this seed was saved are new kinds of the hand- some flowered bulbous-rooted section, many of them not yet sent out, and hav- ing been again hybridized, must give striking novelties of great merit. The flowers that this seed will produce will be of gigantic size, many of them as much as two inches in length by three inches in breadth, and the colors ex- ceedingly varied : crimson, orange, pink, carmine, salmon, orange-scarlet, cinna- mon, .blush, lake, rose, vermilion, and various intermediate shades. Brilliant, very rich bright orange, a fine showy flower. Caroline, deep rosy pink, with broad petals. Climax, deep rich rosy carmine, the two outer petals extremely broad. Corsair, rosy salmon, profuse bloomer. Dazzle, bright reddish crimson, a fine flower, with short broad petals. Ensign, bright pink, a very elegant variety. Gem, cream color, the reverse of the petals light pink. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 161 Glitter, vividi orange scarlet, attractive. Hennine, bright orange cinnamon. Irene, salmon, distinct and good. Lothair, deep rose, a fine flower, with short broad petals. Magnet, beautiful light pink, the re- verse of the petals deep pink. Maz&ppa, very light cream color, the reverse of the petals tinted with orange pink. Meteor, intense scarlet vermilion, very- bright and showy. Phillis, sulphur, shaded with pink. Seraph, soft pink, the exterior part of the two outer petals suffused with rose. Surprise, bright pink, a very pretty color. Trojan, bright rosy pink, very dis- tinct/' Calophaea Wolgariea. — This is a pretty little shrub with pea-shaped yellow flowers, which are very attract- ive, as are also the red-colored seed- pods. In its ordinary state it can not be regarded as a weeper, but when graft- ed about four or five feet high on Gara- gana aroorescens it forms a pleasing ob- ject. Its branches do not quite reach the ground, therefore " worked" plants are well adapted for fronts of shrubber- ies, or for the decoration of rock- work. — The Garden. Lilium Krameri. — This is a beauti- ful new Lily from Japan, recently fig- ured in the London Pomologist and Flor- ist. It is not clear whether it is a hy- brid, an evolution, or an original spe- cies. The flower figured is about six inches over, and of a beautiful rosy tint, with orange-red stamens. Double Lilies. — There have been double kinds of Lilies known for some time. The double Tiger Lily is always appreciated. We understand a double Lilium auratum has appeared in En- gland. Principles of Pruning Tkees. — W. H. Nash, in an article recently read be- fore the Napa Grange, set forth the fol- lowing as the principles to govern in pruning trees : 1. The vigor of a tree subjected to pruning depends in a great measure on the equal distribution of sap in all of its branches. 2. Prune the branches of the most vigorous parts very short, and those of the weak parts long. 3. Leave a large quantity of fruit on the strong part, and remove the whole or a greater part from the feeble. 4. Bend the strong parts and keep the weak erect. 5. Remove from the vig- orous the superfluous shoots as early in the season as possible, and from the feeble parts as late as possible. 6. Pinch early the soft extremities of the shoots on the vigorous parts, and as late as possible on the feeble parts, except- ing any shoots that may be too vigorous for their position. 7. The sap acts with greater force and produces more vigorous growth on a branch or shoot pruned short than on one pruned long. 8. The sap tending always to the ex- tremities of shoots, causes the terminals to push with greater vigor than the lat- erals. 9. The more the sap is obstruct- ed in its circulation the more likely it will be to produce fruit-buds. 10. The leaves serve to prepare the sap absorb- ed by the roots for the nourishment of the tree, and aid the formation of buds on the shoots. All trees deprived, therefore, of their leaves are liable to perish. ■» • — When Beans are preserved for the manufacture of sugar they give off car- bonic acid and obsorb oxygen. This result is owing to the oxidation of the sugar, and in the course of thirty days a very considerable portion of the sugar is lost. — Scribner'sfor May. Vol. IV.— 21. 162 THE CALIFORNIA HOETICULTUKIST. FLORAL EEVIEW. BY F. A. MILLER. The mild and pleasant weather of the past weeks has wonderfully advanced vegetation in and out of doors, and the hills and dales are everywhere covered with luxuriant green, intermingled with every imaginable color and hue of our native flowers. Our gardens begin to look bright and cheerful ; every day de- velops new attractions, and each plant is watched with more than ordinary care. It is true, our gardens need not be destitute of flowers during the win- ter months, if properly managed; but we do not find them so bright, perfect, and sweet as spring and summer makes them. Acacias are in bloom, and fill the air with their sweet perfume. As orna- mental trees, they have no superiors, and I am sorry to notice that they are much less in demand than they were some time since. The Lilac attracts much attention, and seems to become more and more popular with our people, now that some of the specimens planted a few years since are sufficiently grown up to pro- duce an abundance of flowers. While we meet the purple-flowering Lilac very frequently, the white seems to be as yet rather scarce. Both are most desir- able deciduous flowering shrubs, and their flowers are delightfully fragrant. The Snowball, the Deutzia, the Wie- gelia, the Spiraea, and the Almond, are all in full bloom, and if these flower- ing shrubs have heretofore been ne- glected and scarcely sought after, their popularity will increase from year to year. Eoses are in their full glory, and con- tinue to be everybody's pets. Unfortu- nately, the mildew, which has made its appearance on our Kose-bushes, seems to become more annoying every year. In many gardens Rose-bushes are af- fected to an alarming extent; so much, that all the blooms are crippled and the foliage destroyed. Our florists must give this matter their serious and im- mediate attention, for the case is a grave one. Many remedies have been sug- gested, and have been previously pub- lished in these columns. The applica- tion of black sulphur mixed with water has the desired effect, if applied twice a month. Sulphurous acid, mixed with fifteen times its quantity of water, has been used successfully. As the cheap- est and best method of curing mildew, we recommend the application of strong tobacco-water, which also has the good effect of destroying the green fly and other obnoxious insects. We put a lot of tobacco stems in a barrel, pour wa- ter over them, and after a day or two we sprinkle the affected bushes with the liquid early in the morning or late in the evening. The effect is as remarka- ble as it is successful. If this treatment is renewed every week or two, Rose- bushes can be kept clear of mildew. Pinks are producing their full quota of flowers; they are very much in de- mand, and the varieties now cultivated on this coast compare very favorably with any collection in the East. Fine varieties are as yet scarce in the mar- ket; there seems to be some difficulty unaccounted for in the propagation of many of the choicest kinds. The Clematis, Clianthus, Chorizema, Solarium jasminoides, and Wisteria sinen- sis are in bloom, and deserve notice as most desirable climbers. In the way of herbaceous plants we have the Forget-me-not, the Auricula, the Bleeding Heart (Dielytra spectabilis), some hybrid Amaryllis, Echium grandi- florum, Gypsophila elegans, and others, in perfection. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 163 In the greenhouse the Cape Jasmine is taking the place of the Camellia, which is rapidly going out of season. The very exquisite odor of the Cape Jasmine (Gardenia) makes it one of the most desirable plants under cultivation. To have it succeed well, it requires a warm temperature and somewhat moist atmosphere — a condition of things which can not readily be provided in this climate without artificial heat. It is for this particular reason, that ama- teurs do not succeed well with its culti- vation. Otherwise the Cape Jasmine grows very freely and is easily propaga- ted. Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Cacti, Rhyn- cospermum, Astilbe japonica, Eranthe- mums, Clerodendron Balfouri, Hoyas ( Waxflower), Jasminum Caialonicum, and Orange blossoms, are plentiful, and constitute the chief material for fine bouquets, etc. The Mulberry as a Shade Tree. — The Sacramento Record says : " It is said that the alba and moretti varieties of the Mul- berry make as pretty a variety of shade and ornamental trees as any that can be found," and gives many excellent rea- sons why they should be set out in pref- erence to the Locust and other trees, to which more favor is shown. Among the reasons given why the Mulberry should be preferred, the fact that it bears a palatable edible fruit, good for domestic use, or to divert the birds from the Cherries or more choice fruits, is mentioned, and also the probable val- ue in the future of the foliage for silk raising. The writer might have men- tioned that the foliage will also furnish a rich fodder which is much relished by all domestic stock; and were all our roadsides shaded by well-grown Mulber- ry-trees, they could largely help out the supplies for stock in times of scarcity. REMARKS ON FRUIT CULTURE, AND REPORT ON THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE MARKET. BY E. J. HOOPEK. Although Nature has beneficently be- stowed upon man, just as they are, ma- ny minor wild fruits, such as Huckle- berries and Cranberries, Persimmons and Papaws, etc., yet in many cases — such as the Crab Apple, Sloe, Pear, etc. — man may be said in many respects to have made the choicest fruits from these originals, and, always helped by Nature, has achieved wonderful tri- umphs of horticultural skill. Other fruits — such as Currants, Gooseberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Chestnuts, and especially Strawberries — have been received by man with their complete original flavor, and only required him to improve their size and quantity, or prolong their time of bearing. As the matter now stands, we owe most of our best fruits to what is called the Old World; but it is rather an in- teresting subject upon which to specu- late, as to what will in the future arise from the improvement of some of the native fruits of this our New World, or America. There are our Chicosa, the Peach Plum, and our wild red and yel- low Prunus Americana, which have al- ready shown great capacity for improve- ment. It would probably be hardly worth our while to pay any attention to improving our Wild Cherry, as any seedling from it would not be likely to be as large as the sorts of Cherry we now possess, although their flavor might be good. Why should we not have manifold and most luscious varieties of Persimmon and Papaw? The former might become, by cultivation, engraft- ing, or budding, equal to the Kaki we have lately acquired from the far East. With regard to wild Strawberries, Cur- 164 THE CALIFOBNIA HOBTXCULTUBIST. rants, and Gooseberries, by attention to their culture we might be able to ac- complish something, too, as we possess several promising species, differing from the European types, in different parts of the States and Territories. . As to Black- berries and Baspberries, particularly the first, we have already achieved a good deal, and we are likely by careful at- tention to create an earlier development, as well as a diversification, in these our native species. Indeed, many of our very finest kinds of both have already sprung from our American types, Fra- garia Virginiana with its varieties (which, as well as the Old World F. vesca, oc- curs all across the continent), and F. Chilensis, which is found all along the Pacific slope to Oregon, and probably to Washington Territory. How many other fruits of value there are in this country yet undiscovered we can not tell; but it is to be hoped, if only for mere curiosity, we shall at some future time know of them. As we in California, owing to our fa- vorable climate, can successfully culti- vate all the foreign Grapes, as well as nearly all the indigenous kinds of this continent, our wild varieties are not of so much importance to us as to the Eastern States; but if we needed them, they have such a start- with these al- ready in the East, and seedlings, wheth- er from crosses or otherwise, can be so easily produced and selected, and re- produced in so short a time, that they have nearly arrived at a state of perfec- tion, and we could if we wished avail ourselves of these. Attention may be paid to the low Blackberry or Dewberry, and to the Sand Blackberry of the South, in order to lay the foundation of a greater diver- sity of excellent sorts. Cranberries and Huckleberries will hardly admit of much improvement, unless it be increase of size, or greater change with respect either to acidity or sweetness. The Asimina (or Western Papaw) and the Persimmon are the chief of the wild fruits which have evidently many capa- bilities, that may in all probability be developed in the future. Several bet- ter varieties from spontaneous seedlings, of both Persimmons and Papaws, have been found, and can therefore be se- lected from. "The Custard Apple of the West Indies gives some idea," says a late writer on Pomology, "of what might be made of our Papaw, when ameliorated by cultivation and close se- lection from several generations." Our climate and soil, and general freedom from noxious insects and the "black-knot," on this slope, are much in favor of our American Plums im- proving upon their wild forms, if they were systematically attended to. In nuts, too, there is a considerable field for improvement; but we rather look, at present, for the older States to take the initiatory steps in these mat- ters, than a new and most productive State like California, successful in so many varieties of pomological and oth- er productions. This success and favor from Nature are apt to lead to content- ment and supineness, and we are in- clined to be very well satisfied with the advantages we so fortunately possess, instead of branching out toward further labor and speculation in the fruit way. The first Strawberries of the season (two pounds) appeared in the market on the 13th of April. They were raised by B. Syer, of San Jose, and shipped by him to Levy & Co., 310 Washington Street, and sold at $2 per pound. This is nearly a month later than usual, the first in 1873 having arrived on the 13th of March; but this fruit had not been received in any considerable quantity TEE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 165 up to the last of April, the present sea- son, and will not he in abundance until the first week in May. On the 10th of April other fruits had undergone no change since the previous week. The California Orange crop showed hut few signs of exhaustion up to the last of April. Tahiti Oranges were then plen- tiful at 25c. to 50c. per dozen. Vegetables were rapidly improving at the end of April. Green Peas and As- joaragus were abundant then, at greatly reduced prices. The former were quo- ted at 6c, and the latter at 5c. to 8c, per lb. New Potatoes were received in considerable quantities, much improved in size and quality; but prices contin- ued firm at 5c to 8c per lb. Rhubarb was down to 6c@8c per lb. Other vegetables were at the prices of the previous week. Another cargo of Tahiti Oranges ar- rived on the 10th of April, and, though prices were slightly reduced, they did not interfere to any great extent with the sale of the California product. Ba- nanas sold at 50c, and Mangoes at $1, per doz.; Smyrna Figs, 35c per lb.; Apples, by the box, delivered, $2@$2^; Italian Chestnuts, 50c per lb. As late as the 20th of April, Marrow- fat Squashes were very scarce, and pri- ces high. Tomatoes from Mexico sold at 25c, New Potatoes 5c to 6c, per lb.; Spinach 6c, Lettuce 15c to 20c, per doz.; Salsify, 6c to 8c per bunch; Potatoes, by the sack, delivered, $2 to $2J per 100 lbs. A few pounds of Strawberries were re- ceived daily along the middle of April, but brought fancy prices. The crop is very late, and the demand unusually large, the prices up to the 20th of April being double those usually obtained for the first lots received. The delay in the Strawberry crop has been very fa- vorable for the sale of Oranges. The receipts from Los Angeles were liberal, and the demand active, notwithstanding the abundance of Tahitian fruit. Con- signments of Eastern Cranberries -ar- rived by rail during April, and met with fair inquiry. The Australian steamer brought a shipment of Sydney Lemons and a few boxes of Oranges. The mar- ket is still well supplied, and the vent- ure did not prove very remunerative. About 400 pounds of Strawberries were received on the 21st of April, and sold from first hands at 35c to 60c per lb. About the 22d of April the weather set in warm, the berries ripened rapidly, and by the 25th liberal supplies of this delicious fruit began to come in. During the last week of April the market was thoroughly glutted with Asparagus, and although prices were reduced to low figures, the supply was too large for the demand, and consider- able quantities had to be dumped. The glut in Asparagus was due in part to the decreased consumption caused by the abundance of Green Peas. Rhu- barb was plentiful, but, owing to the light supply of fruit, was in good de- mand. Marrowfat Squash was very scarce at that time, and prices further advanced. On the 22d of April about fifteen chests of Strawberries were received, but the demand was very active, and prices were still high. The crop will, no doubt, be immense, and of good quality owing to the late favorable spring weather. The last of April the supply was plentiful enough to bring prices down to reasonable figures. Re- ceipts of Los Angeles Oranges kept well up, about 600 boxes having arriv-_ ed by steamer and many more expect- ed. Asparagus was, towards the last of April, only one cent per pound. Following are the quotations: Ap_ pies, choice, $1 50 to $2 50 per box; 166 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. common, 75c. to Si 25 per box. Or- anges, Tahiti, $18 to $20 per M. ; Los Angeles, $15 to §45 per M. Lemons, Sicily,[$10 to $12 per "box; Malaga, $10 to $12 per box; Los Angeles, $15 to $30 per M. Limes, $10 to $12 per M. Ba- nanas, $2 to $3 per bunch. Pine Ap- ples, $5 to $8 per doz. Cocoanuts, $7 per 100. Dried Fruit — Apples, 6c. to 7c. per lb.; Peaches, 9c. to 10c; Pitted Plums, 16c. to 18c; Figs, 6c to 8c per lb.; Strawberries, 20c to 25c per lb. Oregon Apples are in good supply. Oranges are plentiful, and of good quality generally. During the first part of this month (May), Strawberries arrived in great quantities, the crop being very large and good in quality. Berries, Currants, etc., will be very plentiful ere long, the past rainy season having been greatly in their favor, and the lateness of the spring also being rather an advantage to all fruits than otherwise. The receipts of Strawberries during the first part of May increased from 300 to 400 chests per day, but the demand still exceeded the supply. We expect that, in the height of the season, the shipments will reach 1,000 chests per day. The first Gooseberries of the sea- son were received about the 1st of May from the Sacramento River, and were retailed at 25c per lb. Cherries began to appear in small quantities the first week in May. The last steamer from the southern coast brought over 200,000 Los Angeles Oranges — an unusually heavy shipment for this time of the year. The demand for this fruit, although it is very fine, has somewhat fallen off since the advent of Strawberries, and prices are a shade lower. In other fruits, no change. (&Qxxt$\wm\mm. CALYCANTHUS. Editor California Horticulturist: A correspondent — Keystone — in the April number of this magazine, in his communication on the "Vigorous Con- dition of Stockton Plants," makes in- quiry about ' ' a shrub which was very common in the gardens of the interior of Pennsylvania, and in all the Middle States, etc." This is undoubtedly what is popularly called "The Sweet-scented Shrub," or Calycanthus, (Allspice-tree, Linn., natural order, Calycanthece), a small North American shrub, remark- able, chiefly, for the agreeable aromatic fragrance of its blossoms. There are five species; all are deciduous, and have chocolate-colored flowers, which, though destitute of petals, are not the less in- teresting, the loss being compensated in the large colored calyx. The plants are rather tardy of propagation, which is best effected by means of layers. I have noticed in the small ravines of Sonoma Valley, a wild species of this shrub. This was in bloom when I saw it, though the flowers were smaller and not so delightfully odorous as our culti- vated sort. E. J. Hoopee. San Francisco, April 21. Ashes invigorate all kinds of trees. Asphalt paper is employed for wrap- ping silks and other articles to be pro- tected from moisture. Tubes made of this paper are about one-fifth the weight of iron, and may be used for the con- veyance of water.' Silks are by some manufacturers treated with a solution of acetate of lead to increase their weight; poisonous properties are thus at times imparted to the tissue in question. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 167 TKABENKO. Last year, in the month of July, my husband, being disappointed in his city pursuits, proposed to me to retire into the country. "We purchased a tract of eighty acres of land in the Eden mount- ains, Contra Costa County, CaL, where we only found a beautiful view and a plenty of rocks. In the month of Au- gust we built a small cottage. My hus- band found some old lumber, and put up a chicken-house of unique architec- tural proportions, but after being white- washed it looked quite neat. In Sep- tember we bought three dozen chickens, paying $21 for them. I have charge of the chicken department. Many of the fowls are affected with scrofula in their feet and legs. This disease is contagious, and those that are suffering from it are not good layers, because they can not exercise enough One of the hens died from the disease; we dissected her, and found her choked with yolks. We took a cracker -box and converted it into a hospital for fowls affected with scrofula. I made a salve of white beeswax, lard, and turpentine, and by rubbing their legs with this preparation once or twice a day for one week, they soon became well. To keep fowls healthy, the chicken- house should be kept clean and dry, and the floor covered with sand. Morn- ing and evening I feed them with crack- ed wheat or barley; in the winter with cracked barley, adding fat and a little pepper to make them lay. Several times I found eggs without shells, so I burnt some bones to supply lime, and gave it to the fowls to eat. I have sufficient eggs for my own use daily, and, from the middle of Septem- ber to Christmas day, I received $18 from eggs that I sold during that time. I have also kept eggs for hatching, and now have the pleasure of feeding 100 beautiful fowls. At the same time we purchased a cow with a young calf. She was a fearfully wild animal. We kept her staked, and when my husband milked her he had to tie her head and feet. Many times she has run over the hills like an infuriated tigress, until she was entirely exhausted. Now we have so domesticated her that she is like a kitten, and no trouble to milk. We had milk all winter from this wild animal, and made a little but- ter Christmas week. Last November we planted Spinach, Lettuce, Peas, Radishes, and 130 hills of Potatoes. We had new Potatoes in the month of February for our own use, and the other vegetables all winter. Now we have planted vegetables of ev- ery kind, and soon expect to enjoy a fine vegetable garden. The ground is good; rocky in some places, but if the rocks are removed it is very fine land. We planted 250 Currant-bushes, 200 Grape-cuttings, Raspberries, Gooseber- ries, etc. They are all growing rapidly. We also put down some Olive-trees for experiment, and they are growing well. [The foregoing indicates plainly what can be effected among our foot-hills, al- most without means, even by inexperi- enced persons. There is no " Pike County" system of farming about such people. They work with Providence, and do not wait for Providence to do everything for them, as is too much the case in our prolific climate. — Editoe.] In a report on the enamels employed to coat the interior of cast-iron cooking utensils, M. Poggiale states that many of these enamels contain lead, and di- lute acids at the boiling point of water extract the lead in a majority of cases. 182 THE CALIFOKNIA HOKTICULTUKIST. GEAFTING APPLE -TEEES IN THE TOP. An Illinois correspondent of The Country Gentleman gives the following very sensible view3 of top-grafting Ap- ple-trees, which are of substantial prac- tical value: "As a means of obtaining an early bearing and hardy Apple or- chard, the following has been recom- mended by a friend of mine, a young and successful nurseryman and orehard- ist. "Whether his advice should be fol- lowed or not, I am not so sure about; but it is possible some of the facts he gives, and the reasons he offers, are worth repeating. It is a fact that from twenty to thirty per cent, of the bear- ing Apple-trees in this part of the State have been killed within the past three years; and it is another fact, that of the young budded or grafted trees planted out at the same time, seventy-five per cent, are either dead or in a dying con- dition. Moreover, it is to be observed here that there is-- a wide difference in the development of trees of the same varieties, coming from different nurser- ies. Some trees make only a moderate wood growth, commence bearing early, bear continuously, and, it must be ad- mitted, show early signs of decay; while others of the same varieties make a good deal of sprouty wood growth, a dense head, bear rarely before the tenth or twelfth year, never largely, and appear to be as much given to produc- ing wood as the other is to making fruit. My friend thinks this difference in development is due to the difference in the mode of propagating adopted in the different nurseries. Trees from a small nursery, where the buds and ci- ons for grafting are procured from ma. ture and bearing trees, make trees that have very moderate wood growth, and bear early and heavily; others from large commercial nurseries, being ne- cessarily propagated from the young and refuse sprouty growths of one, two, and three year old stocks, retain that habit when they get to be trees, and are therefore comparatively worthless. This striking difference in the character of trees procured from different nurseries, has never been sufficiently accounted for, and my friend's suggestion may help to solve the problem. His rea- sons, then, for recommending the set- ting out of seedlings, allowing them to remain one or two years in place and then top-grafting, are that native seed- lings are undoubtedly hardier than those brought from a distance, and that since it is almost impossible to ascertain at the time of purchasing whether the young trees have been- budded or graft- ed with buds or cions from bearing trees, or from the shoots or suckers of young ones, it is the shortest, cheapest, and surest way of procuring an early bearing orchard to procure cions from bearing trees and have them inserted. A seedling transplanted at three years may be grafted at four years and will bear two years after, while the average budded or grafted trees will not do as much at the tenth year. NEW TUBEKOUS- BOOTED BEGONIAS. "We feel assured that any plant bear- ing the name of Begonia will be receiv- ed with favor by a flower-loving public. The easy culture, extreme beauty, and delicacy of the old varieties, have made them special favorites with amateurs. The new tuberous-rooted plant, the bulbs and seeds of which are imported this year for the first time, far exceeds in its size of flowers and brilliancy of colors anything of the kind that we have before possessed. The bulbs pro- duce vigorous, branching, and at the same time sufficiently compact plants. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 183 These are, generally, from twelve to eighteen inches high, and are covered, during the whole summer and until frost fairly sets in, with bright and ele- gant flowers. B. Sedeni is, perhaps, the finest of these new varieties. It has large flow- ers, and is the most brilliant in color. Its reddish stems are furnished with a few long woolly hairs. The leaves are long, relatively narrow, unequal sided, and of a pale green color. The flowers have four to five petals — according to the sex — some of which measure an inch and a half or more in length. They are of a fine blood-red or flame color. If grown in a greenhouse or conservatory, it should have little heat and a great deal of air. It seems to thrive best in a rich, well-mixed soil of fresh earth and decayed leaves. It may be set out in the open border as soon as all danger from frost has passed, and it will succeed as well in the shade as in the sun. Although the flowering sea- son lasts for several months, the plants should be taken into the house or con- servatory as soon as frosty weather ap- proaches. As our seasons in this lati- tude are somewhat short, we would suggest the keeping of the plants in a pot, which may be plunged in the flow- er border during warm weather, and taken up, at any time, without retard- ing their growth. As soon as the flow- ers cease to, appear, the plant should be allowed a period of rest, and from this time they should be watered less and less, until the watering is stopped alto- gether. They should then remain un- disturbed until the next season. B. Sedeni may be increased by cut- tings, but the method of doing this is .somewhat peculiar. The cuttings must .not be buried, as thus they would be apt to die without rooting. Place a lit- tle sod on slightly raised and partly shaded ground, and there, in open air, prick the cuttings, and they will soon root themselves. If there is too much light, shade them with a sheet of paper, or other article. The cuttings should be started soon enough to have time for rooting and forming bulblets before the end of the growing season, as otherwise they would not endure the winter. The origin of B. Sedeni is not certain- ly known. The generally accepted opinion makes it a hybrid of B. Bolivi- ensis and B. Chelsoni, but it is superior in beauty and much richer in color than either of them. The culture of the oth- er tuberous-rooted varieties is about the same as that given for B. Sedeni. The Begonia Boliviensis has been long- er and is better known than B. Sedeni. Its flowers are not so large, and they do not correspond so exactly in color with the stems as do other varieties of Begonia — its stem being of a more green- ish tinge. — The Flower Garden. Don't Neglect the Trees. — Take care of the old ones, they are the connect- ing links between the present genera- tion and those who have lived before us. There is a certain sombre solem- nity that broods over the aged forest patriarch. Among its gray old boughs we read of other days, of an unremem- bered past, and a sort of grandeur steals into our contemplations, and a feeling of awe, akin to reverence, casts its un- sought and yet pleasing shadow upon our souls, and our thoughts revert back to the flitting generations of mankind which this old tree has so long outliv- ed. And so in the young trees, which we care for so gently, there dwells a nature that inspires delight, and distills it through all the gentler streams of life. And they too will live to inspire love, and awe, and reverence in com- 184 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. ing generations, which will be realized as " an emanation from the indwelling spirit of Deity." — The Evergreen. A FLYING VISIT TO SOME OF THE NURSERIES AND FLORAL ESTAB- LISHMENTS IN OAKLAND. BY E. J. HOOPEB. Going from San Francisco and its prevalent strong and cold winds and dense fogs, to Oakland, where these unpleasant visitants are moderated even in the small distance between the two cities — and consequently where the air is milder and more agreeable to both man and vegetation — one can not but be impressed with the difference in the general growth and luxuriant appear- ance of the trees, shrubs, and flowers, compared with those in our great me- tropolis. (It is true there are some exceptions to this in our city, in the locations of our nurseries.) It has been my pleasure lately, in the highest flush and glow of this delightful spring-time of the year, to view and enjoy the vast floral wealth for which this, as a second Brooklyn to New York, can most justly take credit to itself — or, rather, which she owes to a rich soil and a most geni- al climate ; although the earth, being adobe, has required many additions by man of fertilizing substances, and much mechanical labor. This beautiful suburb, if one may be permitted so to designate it, may very appropriately be called "The Garden City;" for these lovely gardens, in con- nection with princely mansions or hand- some dwellings, everywhere abound. What glorious masses of brilliant and variously colored plants and flowers ar- rest the enchanted and ravished eye, in whatever direction it may turn ! Nature here seems to possess the fullest oppor- tunity and greatest means to perform her best with her arborescent and floral powers. In the East, unless with great pains and labor, and only in rather ex- ceptional cases, can we witness any similar display to such as here meets our naturally impassioned gaze. In our much-favored clime and soil on this coast, every plant and flower in favora- ble locations grows and flourishes with a vigor, gigantic size, luxuriance, and even glow (because of abundance of efflorescence) of color, which we do not often witness in any of our Eastern States. In one of the best and most neat and systematically arranged and managed of the floral-sale places in Oakland — the Bay Nursery — I observed a large bed of Carnations so densely thick with flower shoots (it was too early in the season for them to be in full bloom) that they were almost as abundant as the ears in the most closely planted grain-field that could ever be seen, and these were mostly very choice varieties. It was the same with the Roses, Ver- benas, Gladioli, Heliotropes, Heaths, and indeed almost any of the families of flowers that can be named. The beds of all the Roses (even of one-year- old cuttings) and other flowers, in the nurseries I had time to visit — namely, of Messrs. Hutchison, Nicholson & Da- vis (successors of Mr. Kelsey) Nolan, and Hampton & Turnbull — were one dense and gorgeous mass of bloom, and each Rose individually of gigantic size according to its variety. Here there is no killing outright or cutting down of plants by the frosts of winter, nor any great care nor shelter needed. Here the soil, too, seems to suit them well, it being formed chiefly of a rather kind and favorable loam with the adobe foundation, in which, generally speak- ing, flowers of more substance and depth of coloring will be produced than in THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 185 that of a soil of a lighter or more sandy character. It is hardly necessary for me to say, that the establishments of the nursery- men and florists I have just named — especially Messrs. Hutchison, Nichol- son & Davis, and Hampton & Turnbull (although these latter gentlemen have commenced in a new location), are in a flourishing condition, and well supplied with an excellent stock of both old and new plants. This is mostly well known to the public at large. Among these florists, it is not too much to say, there are to be found as many as 1,500 varie- ties of plants; and at this time there are in these gardens, distributed more or less among these florists, 250 of them in full bloom and in the most luxuriant condition. Not less than 150 sorts of Roses are blowing in these establish- ments, 100 varieties of Pinks and Car- nations, twenty-five of Lilies, thirty of Tulips, seventy-five of Geraniums (the " double white" Geranium among them, now beginning to be in plenty), and many rare plants, among which is that beautiful plant the Atropodium citrahcm, Abutilon Thompsonii, A. camelio, and the attractive, fine-colored, striped or frin- ged, and costly plant, Yucca gloriosa, a large specimen of which in the gardens of an Oakland amateur is valued at over $100, and is much handsomer, at least in foliage, than the Yucca or Spanish Bayonet, now in bloom at the Military Academy, which has attracted much notice. Its flowers are similar in color and in lily or bell-like form to those of the Yucca filamentosa (which throws up several flower-stalks), but much larger in stalk and flowers; similar in habit to the Agave, and about one-fourth the size of a well-grown Century Plant. Among many other fine plants in these nurseries are Astilbe Japonica (Spi- raea Japonica), Eucharis Amazonica, Co- Vol. IV.— 24. basa alba (a fine climber), Cobcea scan- dens variegata, Salvia splendens alba, Pas- sifloraprinceps, Begonia Boliviensis, Stre- litzia regince (Bird of Paradise), Deutzia crenata, flore pleno, Dwarf Pomegranate, Spiraea Billardi (rose-colored flowers), Alyssummaritima fol. var., Clematis pur- purea grandiflora (the purple-flowering Clematis, large and beautiful), "White Wistaria, Purple Magnolia (very rare) from Japan, Double White Thorn, Dou- ble Red Thorn, etc. ALL ABOUT THE GLADIOLUS. It seems singular that all authorities should concur in deriving the word Gladiolus from the Latin Gladius, a sword; when the Latin word Gladiolus, a small sword, not only better indicates its habit, but is the very word itself. Its nominative plural, Gladioli, is cer- tainly more euphonious than the mon- grel sound, Gladioluses. Upwards of twenty years ago the first seedling Gladiolus was produced by Van Houtte, who named it Gandavensis, from its native town of Gand. It is a hybrid of Psittacinus and Cardinality which may be considered the parent stock of the almost innumerable hybrids that have been since produced in France, Germany, England, and finally in- the ; United States. Inexperienced amateurs are wont to consider the production of a new vari- ety by hybridization as a complicated process, understood and- practiced suc- cessfully only by professional florists. This is a sad mistake-, since the opera- tion is simple enough; and by the mis- take we deprive ourselves of the stirring delight of creating new combinations, which are all our own, and to which we are entitled to confer such names as fancy may suggest. It is true that a little of care, and a good deal of pa- 186 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. tience are requisite, as we watch and protect them ab ovo usque ad mala, but we are glad to forget this when, during the third or fourth season, a flower of rare beauty unfolds itself, unlike, in some of its features, any other flower upon the face of the earth. The simpler, though less reliable mode of hybridizing, is as follows: Suppose we wish to mix a Shakspeare with a Vulcan. Just as soon as a flow- er of each is fully opened, and the pol- len of the Vulcan is matured upon its anthers, remove the anthers by their fil- aments, and rub them carefully and persistently over the trifid stigmas of the pistil of the Shakspeare. But the fecundation of the pistil of the Shaks- peare may already have been accom- plished from its own pollen, so that, in order to feel confident that our union has been effected, (as in the safer meth- od) the anthers of the Shakspeare should be removed as soon as the flow- er has sufficiently developed to enable us to do this without injury to the co- rolla. A very fine clean brush may be used in collecting and spreading the pollen from the anthers of the Vulcan to the pistil of the Shakspeare, at a la- ter stage of maturity. The enlarge- ment of the ovary will soon afford us unmistakable evidence that our experi- .ment has proved a success. The seed-pods (three-celled and con- taining from fifty to seventy -five winged bulblets not larger than pin-heads) may be cut off with the peduncle when ri- pened, or left until the bulbs themselves are taken up for the winter. Separated from the cells of the pericarp, and plac- ed in envelopes or boxes in a tempera- ture not less than thirty-two, they will require no further attention. In the ensuing spring, as soon as the ground has mellowed, prepare a little plat four feet square in a warm exposure. This will be found ample for the growth of a thousand seeds or more. Two inches of soil (two-thirds sod soil or leaf-mold, one-sixth old manure, one-sixth pure sand) should be thoroughly mixed, sift- ed, and firmly leveled over the plat. In the latter part of May eradicate all grass and seeds that may spring up from the soil, and re-pulverize and level its surface. Sow the seeds ( it matters not how closely together so that they do not rest the one upon the other) and cover adequately — an eighth of an inch, - perhaps — with a reserved portion of the above compost. The first season's growth will consist of a single, slender, upright blade of grass, from two to four inches in height, and the seedling bulblet will be found, at its expiration, to have doubled, treb- led, quadrupled its size. It will be no- ticed, therefore, that bottom heat or protection of awnings or boughs, etc., so generally recommended, are as need- less as they are, sometimes, unattaina- ble. Dispose of them for the winter precisely the same as before, and pre- pare a plat for the second season's growth the same as for the first, only adding an inch to its depth and plant- ing the bulblets half an inch apart. The subterranean stem of the Gladio- lus is properly a corm destitute of fleshy scales, and yielding up its life in one season to the support of the progeny. Blooming bulbs vary from half an inch to four inches in diameter, and the flow- er of the one may be just as perfect as that of the other; so that we should not be influenced in our selection so much by size as by their depth, solidity, and symmetry. Specific rules as to the composition of the soil in which it is advisable to plant kthe bulbs of Gladioli need not be presented. Their unsqueamish ap- petites and robust health insure a vig- THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 187 orous growth, if we will but avoid all low, heavy, damp situations, and supply a liberal admixture of sand and a sur- face dressing of manure. The constit- uents of the soil and size of the bulbs determine the depth at which they should be planted. If the soil be loose and sandy, and the bulbs large, four inches, measuring from the top, will not be found too deep, and will afford a strong support to the plant when in its perfection. As the soil is less sandy, they should be planted nearer the sur- face, limited only by a depth sufficient for the development of the new bulbs without exposure. When stakes are deemed necessary, stick them so that the plant will incline away from the stake and rest upon the yarn, which must be fastened around the flowering stalk just below the first bud. If plant- ed in beds, they may be placed so that the bulbs almost touch each other, if so desired, since they derive very little lat- eral support, and their adventitious roots spread out scarcely beyond their own circumferences. To insure a constant bloom through the summer and fall, until severe frosts; begin planting from the fifth to the fif- teenth of April, depending upon the promise of settled weather. Nothing is gained by planting earlier: the bulbs re- main without a thought of germination, likely to rot or to invite the attacks of worms by their external decomposition. The following experiment, made in the spring of 1871, is relevant. Don Juan, Vesta, and Meteor were planted March 23. Don Juan and Vesta appeared April 30th, and Meteor rotted. John Bull, Stella, and Le Pousin were plant- ed April 5th, in the same soil, exposure, etc. , and they also appeared April 30th. Nor is it advisable, either, to start in pots. -Our season and climate are per- fectly adapted to their culture, and what is gained by forcing is more than lost by the check they experience when plunged into the open ground. Divid- ing our collection into sixteen parts, we may continue to plant one part ev- ery week until the 1st of August; leav- ing the largest number of bulbs in those parts which are to bloom when we de- sire our finest display. Remove the bulbs from the earth when it is evi- dent from the leaves that the plant has passed its fullest development. Those planted late in spring or early in summer need not be removed until after frost. Indeed, the fact that the surface of the ground may freeze without injury to the bulb, renders all solicitude upon this score unnecessary. Various methods of preserving the bulbs and bulblets during the winter have been suggested. Merely placing them in small boxes with a cover of rags, tissue-paper, sawdust or sand, and avoiding a temperature above sixty or below thirty-two, is plainly the sim- plest, and may be relied upon as insur- ing their best health and vigor. The bulbs should be dried in the sun under cover of glass or in the window of a room. Two inches of the stalks should be left upon each, and to this a little ticket, with the name, may be easily and securely attached. The bulblets, (varying in size from an eighth to a half inch diameter, and from one to fifteen in number) which form for the most part between the old and new bulbs, differ from the parents only in that they require one or more addi- tional seasons of growth before they can bloom. They are just as true to every characteristic of the parent as the new bulb or bulbs that form above it, and flower the ensuing season. If, hav- ing a rare bulb, we desire to induce the formation of bulblets, it is well to dig down to its surface, after the leaves 188 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. have grown a foot, and gently scratch its sides until the cuticle is penetrated in various places. Most of us, who are interested in plants, are possessed of an especial fond- ness for particular flowers, of which our friends, who view them through plain glasses, can feel but a slender appreci- ation. But, whether we view the Glad- iolus as regards its prolific reproduc- tion, its blooming period, its easy cult- ure, its compactness, its freedom from insects, or its incomparable spikes of bloom, if it does not justify the furious enthusiasm which made a Tulip worth its weight in gold, it certainly merits to be ranked among our choicest flowers. — The Flower Garden. TREE PLANTING. With the rapid destruction of our forest trees, it is none too early to agi- tate the subject of replacing the trees by cultivation in some practical form. This subject is receiving special atten- tion in some parts of the "West, and individual farmers, communities, and clubs are setting out trees on a large scale. Will it not pay in New England ? The production of wood for fuel and mechanical purposes would no doubt have a greater interest, but for the too vague ideas of the slowness of tree growth. There are trees that with proper cultivation will grow very rapid- ly; some, it is said, will acquire a cir- cumference in five years of from eight eto ten inches. With this rapidity of growth, it is easily seen that a few acres in a short. time, with the prospect of a scarcity and a high price of timber, would make a valuable product. We mention different kinds of trees which are especially valuable for their wood and fruit, and are easily cultivated. One is the Chestnut, which is already a specialty with nurserymen, who pro- vide the small trees. But they can be grown from the seed. This kind of tree is adapted to rough, untillable land, much of which has been cleared up and is now going to waste. The Maple, which is of a little slower growth than the Chestnut, yet grows rapidly, and the wood is very valuable; some varie- ties are especially adapted to wet and swampy lands. For ornamental foli- age and for sugar, the Maple should be one of the most popular of trees, and the timber is getting to be almost as valuable for mechanical purposes as some of the foreign woods. It was once stated that one Ash-tree in this country made over three thousand rake- handles. We have thus spoken of forest-tree culture as a source of profit; and much more will be said, we are sure, of the practicability of this culture after it has been tried, for it is comparatively a new subject, and needs at least to be exper- imented upon to get the facts. That it will pay, on a small or large scale, there can be no question, if there was no oth- er object but to raise trees for the tim- ber. But we want more trees for their fruit, for their shade and protection, for fuel, and especially for their climatic in- fluence; for the destruction of our for- ests has unquestionably had the effect to turn away the fall of rain, causing the drying up of springs, and the de- crease of supply for our water-power fed by the small streams. If trees were planted upon the hill-tops of New En- gland, they would break the force of storms, shield from the winds, and in- crease the fall of rain. Tree planting by the way-side or in orchards should receive more attention, and it may be- come a department in Agriculture that will be as successful as any other. — New England Homestead. THE CALLFOBNIA HOBTICULTUKIST. 189 A LESSON TO FBUIT- GROWERS. Last epring the bloom of the fruit- trees, as now, promised a very large crop of fruit of nearly all varieties, in all sections of the State. Then, as now, the weather up to the first of April indi- cated a plentiful supply of moisture in the ground to mature the crop promised. The orchardists therefore generally took no steps to thin out on those trees that were plainly setting too much fruit for them to mature in good condition, even for a favorable season. The season did not maintain during the summer the promises of the spring. The north winds of the latter part of April and May blew away the dampness from the soil, and even dried up the sap of the trees themselves. The fruit on the overloaded trees first felt the effects of the drought, and its growth was check- ed when not half size. The limbs of the trees, especially of the Peach, being deprived of the natural supply of sap and consequent elasticity, broke down under the burden they had been allow- ed to attempt to bear, and the orchard- ists and the country were great losers. The experience of the past season should teach our orchardists a lesson for a rule of action this. However this season may terminate, whether favorable or unfavorable to maturing the fruit, the only safe plan for our orchardists to pursue at this time is to thin out the blossoms, or the small fruit when set, on all trees indicating too great a quan- tity to well mature. The superiority in size and flavor of the fruit left after such thinning will abundantly pay for the labor of thinning, even should the season continue favorable to the end. However, should the present season fail to fulfill its present promises, as did the last, the precaution taken and labor ex- pended by our orchardists, in thinning out the present crop, will not only be well paid for, but their trees will be saved from injury and damage. "We know that orchardists may look upon the thinning-out process as slow and expensive, but it has been found to pay, and pay well, in every other country, and most certainly would in this. — Sac- ramento Record. The Feveb-tkee. — A recent number of the Scientific American has an inter- esting article on the Fever-tree of Aus- tralia. The article is illustrated by a very perfect drawing of a branch with foliage and seed. "We recognize at once in this cut our old friend the Blue Gum, with its botanical name of Eucalyptus globulus, whose virtues we have set forth in a number of articles. The sanitary qualities of this fever-tree were recently discussed by the French Academy of Sciences, with satisfactory conclusions. This tree is becoming very abundant in California. Probably not less than 100,- 000 young trees have been sold in San Francisco and Oakland this year. In the latter city there are trees of this species which were set out about twelve years ago. We judge that these trees are now about seventy feet high, and not less than twenty inches in diameter. But any one who will take the trouble to go out on Telegraph Avenue, to a point near the Military Academy, can verify these estimates. Now it is not to be denied that there is an undesirable amount of malaria in California. There is hardly a town in the State wholly free from it. In Kern County, and in the rich bottom lands of the interior, malaria, or chills and fever, is very common. The Blue Gum possesses anti-febrile qualities, and so probably does the whole family of aro- matic gum-trees. They will grow any- 190 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. where in the State where it is not too cold, and they grow with astonishing rapidity. The 160 acres planted with gum-trees two or three years ago by Mr. Stratton, now Surveyor -general, constitute a forest, with the promise of yielding more satisfactory returns than ordinary grain crops. If this fever-tree has this double value, it ought to be planted on every farm where it can be made to grow in California. — S. F. Bulletin. — * i » Birds in the Woods. — One can not go far into the woods in any direction without observing what a protest the birds utter at first. There are harsh screams, sharp notes of warning, and general scolding. Now, every bird has a great deal of curiosity to take a look at strangers. For a time they flit about in the tall tree-tops, and afterward be- gin to hop down to lower limbs, and, gradually descending, come to the ground, or on to low bushes. By re- maining quiet an hour or two, a dozen or more will circle around within a few feet, turning their heads on one side occasionally, and quizzing in a saucy, merry way. In a little while one may be on intimate terms with the very birds which protested so loudly at his coming. They will tell him a great many secrets. The leaves of his book on ornithology may be a quarter of a mile square, but what can not be read on one day may be read on some other. Even an owl burrowing with a ground-squirrel, and both agreeing very well as tenants in common with a rattlesnake, may sug- gest questions of affinity and communi- ty which it might be inconvenient to answer at once. If you prefer to have some readings in the book of nature, you can turn down a leaf and go back the next day with the certainty that no one has lugged off the volume. And if your finger-mark is a tree 250 feet high, there will be no great difficulty in find- ing the place. — W. G. Bartlett, in Over- land for April. FAST COLOES — HOW TO TEST THEM. This is a subject that we are certain will interest not only the dyers, print- ers, and dealers in cloth and glove- leather, but also many other classes of manufacturers and consumers. Profes- sor Stein, of Dresden, has recently pub- lished a little book on this subject, from which we extract a few tests which can be readily applied by persons who are not chemists, and who have no labora- tories to work in. Red. — A piece of goods is first boiled in soap-water, which should remain col- orless or nearly so. Secondly, it is boiled in lime-water, which should be colored but little, if any, while the col- or of the goods must grow paler, or become brown or yellow. These sim- ple experiments suffice to indicate the presence or absence of cam-wood, ar- chil, saf-flower, santel, and the coal-tar colors. Yellow. — The most permanent yellow is madder; the least so are Orleans and turmeric. Only those of the first class will stand washing. To test a yellow, it is first boiled in water, then in alco- hol, and finally in lime-water. If the former are colored quite yellow, and the latter a reddish-brown tint, the col- or is not fast. Blue. — This color is not fast, if on boiling with alcohol it gives to the liquid a red, a violet-red, or a blue color; or if, on warming it with muriatic acid and water, or alcohol, the liquid turns red or brown-red. Violet and Purple. — Madder violets, and those formed by combining indigo- carmine with cochineal, are fast. If THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 191 fast colors are combined with fugitive colors, they lose their value. All violets are to be considered poor if they give up a considerable amount of color when boiled in equal parts of water and alco- hol, and allowed to stand ten or fifteen minutes. Also, if they change to a brown or reddish brown by boiling in diluted muriatic acid. Orange. — The goods are first boiled in water; if this is colored, the colors are fugitive. If the water remains col- orless, the sample is next boiled with alcohol, to which it should give no color. Green. — Diluted alcohol should not be colored blue, green, or yellow, when boiled with the goods, nor should mu- riatic acid acquire a red or blue color. Browns. — Are not so easily tested. If, however, they give a red color to water, or a yellow color to alcohol, they may be considered as fugitive. Black. — If, on boiling the goods in water containing some muriatic acid, it only imparts a yellow color to the liquid, the color is fast. If on the other hand the liquid acquires a red color, and the stuff turns brown or reddish brown, the dye is not permanent, but nearly worth- less.— Journal of Applied Chemistry. Growth of Trees. — For the success- ful growth of trees, fruit, evergreen, and forest, it is essential that air and moisture penetrate to the roots. There- fore, unless the earth is made mellow upon the surface around newly planted .trees, they "languish and pine," and " languishing they die." Turf or grass sod is usually very close and dense, and not only very effectually prevents the necessary aeration of the soil, but in many cases prevents sufficient mois- ture reaching the roots. Then never dig a hole in greensward or grass land to plant trees in. MtoriaJ gflfiMw. The newness and freshness ofvCalifor- nia is a marked feature of interest to all visitors from abroad, and this inquiry is now rapidly extending itself, so that those who have been here once will sure- ly be the forerunners of many friends, to whom the details of delightful sojourns and the novelties encountered here will be a constant source of delight, only to be fully gratified by actual experience. Recently we have had among us some of England's brightest literary men, who were struck with the marvelously favorable conditions of so new a coun- try. These men were close observers; they inquired into the forces now here for the future development of so great a territory; they looked at the physical condition of the population, made com- parisons with other sections of the country, asked about the manner and mode of bringing our many acres to the notice of the immigrant, discussed the best manner of fostering all interests conducive to the welfare and better- ment of the working classes, and consult- ed our leading men upon a wide scope of topics. What specially attracted our attention was the interest they took in our flora, making close inquiry and preserving most rare plants that came in their way. Can we fully estimate the benefit to come to us from such careful observers ? Their associates are the learned of the world, and will not such investigations in a thousand ways come back to help us in our yet comparatively pioneer work? Beyond the seas, in crowded centres of population, they will appre- ciate the wide virgin domain here open for settlement. In another respect we are highly pleased, and that is the commendable effort making on the part of the Central 192 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. Pacific Railroad Company in gathering the plant-life of this coast, for exhibi- tion at the next Mechanics' Institute Fair to be held in this city. The com- pany will also make such an exhibition an important feature of the Centennial Fair at Philadelphia in 1876. In this laudable work the Express Company of Wells, Fargo & Co. will render assist- ance in collecting and forwarding. Let us all lend a helping hand, and the re- sults will, in a comparatively short pe- riod of time, greatly surprise us and the whole world. Wet and Dry Seasons. — We learn from Governor Stanford, President of the Central Pacific Railroad Company, that it is the purpose of the company to investigate the wet and dry seasons of California by felling one of the oldest Oaks to be found in the State ; the lo- cality to be well considered as to the distribution of the rainfall. They will take a tree that is say two hundred years old, make a clear horizontal saw- cut near the base (leaving well-defined faces), and by observing the layers or rings of growth of each year, they think it possible to note, with approximate accuracy, the rainfall during those two hundred years. This is an important matter for investigation, for it might to some degree foretell the future fall of rain on this coast — an all-absorbing subject to the agriculturist in this cli- mate. ^ ■ m Mechanics' Institute Fair. — Progress is rapidly being made with the extensive building for the next exhibition of this society. It is projected on a vast scale, and will undoubtedly be one of the finest exhibitions ever held in this city. The Fair will open on the 18th of Au- gust next. The Humea Elegans Purpurea. — This graceful biennial, with its showers of drooping, grass-like blossoms, may be charmingly used to give height and lightness to the centres of flower-beds and garden vases; serving, indeed, the same purpose as do ornamental grasses in a bouquet. It is also effective when used as a background, with standard Fuchsias, and other tall flowers, for beds that skirt the piazza and walls of the house. Though its minute blossoms are fascinatingly pretty when closely exam- ined, they are not at all showy in form or color, and, apart from their undeni- able grace, the plant may have few qualities to recommend it to general favor. But, in connection with more brilliant flowers, its mellow russet, wrought of tiny flecks of brightest hues, gives the effect of a Persian fabric, ton- ing and blending to a rich and pleasant harmony the sometimes startling con- trasts of the garden. The Humea is a native of New South Wales, and belongs to the extensive and intricate order of the Composites. The seed should b sown in a moderate hot-bed early in the summer ; then pot- ted off and kept in the open air until winter, when the plant must be remov- ed to the greenhouse to await its final setting out in the garden during the spring of the second year. It is well to repot the plants several times during the first summer, and each time into a somewhat larger pot. This process will so decidedly increase its strength and vigor as to amply repay the additional I trouble. — Flower Garden. The operator's activity, in spring, al- most regulates the whole season. Ev- ery weed ought to be cut down as soon as it appears, and the proverbial saying will be realized, "A garden that is well kept is easily kept." THE CALIFOENIA HORTICULTURIST. 193 REMARKS ON FRUIT CULTURE, AND REPORT ON THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE MARKET. BY E. J. HOOPEH. Take this year altogether, so far it is a most prolific one. There is a great abundance of all kinds of fruit except Apples. With regard to these, this is styled by some cultivators the odd or alternate year. In other words, it is found that Apples bear very fully only every other year. This does not refer to all sorts of this valuable fruit, but to the majority of them. From whatever cause this may arise, whether from the nature of some particular kinds, or from their habit of over -bearing one year and a consequent weakness and exhaustion the next, or for certain oth- er reasons, there can be no doubt of this fact. No matter how these trees may be pruned, and otherwise treated, they will fall off in their profuse bear- ing every second year to about one- third less than their full bearing. This of course may happen at different times, and to the different cultivators in dif- ferent localities. This year this hap- pens to be the case at the Suscol or- chards of Mr. Thompson. "With respect to Cherries this season, the north winds, although they have been far from frequent this spring, have diminished the productiveness of the May-duke, and some of the earliest sorts. These winds appear to have in- juriously affected the blossoms in their earliest stage, and, consequently, these kinds will have a diminished crop. All the later varieties are bearing as full as usual, and their profuse crop every year does not affect their productive- ness in this our favorable climate. Upon the whole, the generality of the fruits have been uninjured by frosts or blighting or drying winds. Vol. IV.— 25. Strawberries, though particularly late, when they did come came speedily, in vast quantities, suitable for eating but not for packing. I have for several years referred to the immense profits made by middle- men. It is a great pity that the enor- mous quantity of fruit that is wasted because the middle-men can not obtain the prices they put upon it, is not pur- chased by some, and sold cheaply at auction to the poorer classes of the peo- ple. This would be a great advantage to the growers, and would afford citi- zens of slender incomes a good chance of getting a healthy diet to be added to the other food on their tables. The Grape crop, in consequence of no injurious frosts, nor destructive in- sects, nor rot, will be vastly great this year, unless an inimical agent of some kind should arise between the present time and maturity. Every year the best kinds are being increased, and the more common, as the Mission, are be- ing less planted. As to the Eastern sorts — the Catawba, Isabella, Ives Seed- ling, etc., etc., native seedlings — they are not of a quality sufficiently good to compete with the foreign ones, and are merely raised chiefly in gardens on trel- lises as fancy fruit, and for their beauty and delightful shade. Their pulp is comparatively firm, solid, and acid,, and their juice, especially that of the Ca- tawba, is very agreeable to the palate. Our weather and climate this last winter and spring have been peculiar. "We have had a fine and plentiful rainfall, but it has been attended with unusual cold throughout the winter and spring months. This would lead us to speak of changes of climate, probably, in all countries. It would appear that the climate of any particular region is not persistently the same through a long series of years. It is liable to be affect- 194 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. ed by agricultural operations, drainage, tree-planting, destruction or denudation of forests, change of ocean currents, and other circumstances. "We have at some seasons cold when we should ex- pect heat, and warmth when we had every reason to look for cold or frost. Meteorologists who profess to speak scientifically, fail to enlighten us on the cause or causes of these phenomena. I have several times noticed that suc- cessful and deserving process of fruit and vegetable drying — the Alden—^now in full operation at San Lorenzo and five or six other points in this State. This process is now fast becoming generally known. It removes the wa- • ter from animal and vegetable substan- ces in a few hours, by pneumatic evap- oration. The conditions of the natural or common method of drying are such, that decay commences before evapora- tion begins, and continues through every stage of the process, until all the essential flavors, which constitute the charm of freshness, are lost. The most delicate fruits and berries, and the or- dinary products of the farm and gar- den, are, when subjected to this plan, in from two to four hours deprived of water, and become also greatly reduced in bulk (for instance, three ounces of Pears dried by this process would by the ordinary method of canning have weighed two pounds — a grand item in the expense of transportation), andean, at any time, by simply soaking in cold water, be restored (for cooking purposes) to their original flavor, form, and sub- stance. To quote the words of the cir- cular in this business, which it requires nothing but common sense to indorse : " There are thousands of acres in Cali- fornia where all the conditions are fa- vorable for the production, in the great- est abundance and perfection, of the finer varieties of fruits, such especially, as Prunes, Plums, Apricots, and raisin Grapes" [the Muscat of Alexandria, for instance]; "fruits which can not be successfully raised east of the Rocky Mountains, and for which there is, and always will be, an unlimited demand." Sun-dried fruit may be considered com- paratively a failure. There were about eighty evaporators in full successful operation during last year, located in twelve States. The improvements made in this business, and the reduction in the expense of the machinery, etc., will doubtless render the cost of this meth- od not too great for general introduc- tion and adoption. The superior excel- lence of the fruits, etc., so treated will always make them command higher prices than the common dried fruits. Since our last report all kinds of veg- etables, of course, are greatly increased in supply, and much cheaper. Cucun> bers have come in fast without protec- tion. The first Currants and Blackber- ries were received on the 15th of May from Alameda; the last from Mr. Aug- hinbaugh. This Blackberry is a seed- ling originated by Mr. Aughinbaugh, and its arrival in market in a perfectly ripe condition sustains his claim that it is a month earlier than any other varie- ty. The fruit is very large, and of fine flavor. Strawberries were still plenti- ful and cheap (at one time the market was glutted with them), up to the sec- ond week of this month (June). Cher- ries were received in great quantities all through the latter part of May, and are still in good plenty, and at reasona- ble prices. Gooseberries have been since the 15th of May sufficiently abun- dant and cheap. Currants became plen- tiful about the first week in June. About the 22d of last month the sup- ply of Strawberries reached from 600 to 700 chests, say 60,000 pounds per day, and prices showed an important decline. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 195 TAMARIX. These very elegant and hardy shrubs should be more extensively used in our gardens and lawnsv The flowers and foliage both are ornamental; the latter remaining till quite late in the season. Its numerous branches are profusely covered with very delicate, slender, thread-like leaves, which give them a feathery effect; somewhat like, but more elegant than those of the graceful Pines. The flowers are very minute, appearing in the spring before the foli- age, and covering the plant with long terminal spikes of pinkish blossoms. The shrubs bloom a second time in the autumn, but not so profusely. They re- quire a deep sandy soil, and present the best effect when planted singly in the grass. When once established, no fur- ther attention is necessary except an an- nual pruning. But this is of great importance. Cut them back, half way down, every spring, as otherwise the branches will grow scraggy and awk- ward. The Tamarix is supposed to have re- ceived its name from the Tamarisci, who, in ancient times, inhabited the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. It grows plentifully on the banks of the Tanaris, in Spain. There are not many species, but all are easily grown in any temper- ate climate. As they thrive better where both air and soil are impregnated with salt, they are especially adapted for the gardens and lawns of sea-port towns. In England it is frequently found on the south coast, and often at- tains a height of from twenty to thirty feet, with a stem twelve inches in cir- cumference, i It seems to be the only shrub that grows well in positions expos- ed to the spray of the sea. It is said to be particularly beautiful in France on the road from Pontorson to Mount St. Michel, where it forms high hedges to the extreme edge of the sea-sands. It was not originally a native of that place, but sprung up in its appointed time, when the salt waves took possession of the wide tract of meadow and forest. The twigs of the Tamarix are consid- ered slightly tonic, and its ashes yield a remarkable quantity of sulphate of soda. The celebrated manna of Mount Sinai is supposed to have been an exu- dation from one of the species of Tam- arix, and to have been caused by a small insect of the Coccus tribe, which sometimes covers the larger branches. This manna-like substance consists en- tirely of pure mucilaginous sugar — a singular production,, in view of the fact that the plants grow only in saline situ- ations. The Tamarix may be propa- gated by cuttings taken off in the au- tumn.— The Flower Garden. Orange Culture in Florida. — As ev- idence of; what has been done in Orange culture in the State, we cite a few in- stances. Dummitt's grove, on Indian River, is perhaps the finest in the State. It cost its proprietor to take care of it last year $1,000, and yielded 600,000 Oranges, for which he was paid $11,000. This grove has 3,000 trees, which, with proper care, would average 3,000 Oran- ges each, and give an annual income of $50,000 to $75,000. H. L. Hart's grove; at Palatka, yields him an annual income of $15,000 to $20,000. Arthur Ginn's grove of 1,100 trees, at Mellonville, pays him $12,000 to $15,000 yearly, and is worth $100,000. Besides these groves there are a great number of splendid promise; but, having been planted of late years, the incomes derived from them are as yet of little moment. Mr. De Barry, of New York, has a grove of 20,000 trees, near Enterprise. Mr. C. S. Brown, of New York, has one oppo- 196 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. site Palatka, of 1,200 trees; and Mr. James Patterson, of Toronto, has on Banana River a grove of 8,000 trees. — Palatka (Fla.) Herald. THE CLOTH OF GOLD EOSE. Andrew S. Fuller, of the Enrol New Yorker, expresses doubt whether any of the newly famous yellow Roses are at all superior to the old and well-known "Cloth of Gold," and speaks thus of his experience with it: "More than twenty years ago I purchased a plant of the beautiful Noisette Rose, known as the Chromatella, or Cloth of Gold. It has been a favorite of mine ever since, and, although many competitors of a similar color have been introduced, like the Marechal Niel and Isabella Sprunt, still our old Rose is without a superior. Like some other varieties of this class, the plants do not bloom very freely upon their own roots until two or three years old, but then they make up for lost time. When grafted or budded upon strong Manetti or other free- growing stocks, the plants will bloom when only a few months old.; but the novice in Rose culture is likely to allow suckers to grow from the roots of the stock, thereby robbing the graft of sus- tenance, soon destroying it. If a per- son can only have patience, and wait for a plant on its own roots to attain age or size, he will be well repaid in abundance of the most deliciously fra- grant, large, pale lemon-yellow colored Roses that the most enthusiastic admir- er of flowers could desire. A six-year old plant of this old Cloth of Gold Rose has been perfuming my greenhouse for several weeks, and to-day it is loaded with dozens of full-blown flowers, and half-opened buds; and, upon the whole, it is as grand an ornament as one could wish for conservatory or parlor. Plants of this old Rose can be had very cheap of our florists, and no person who loves Roses should be without it. If a per- son has no greenhouse in which to keep the plants in winter, they may be bent down and covered with earth, or dug up and heeled in and then protected with coarse litter or manure." (Mtoriat blaming*. Poisonous Plants. — Every year, and chiefly in the spring, we read accounts of poisoning by the eating of wild roots or plants. These cases are generally of children who meet with roots which they take to be familiar vegetables, such as the Parsnip or Carrot. The roots which are the cause of these acci- dents are usually those which belong to the natural order Umbelliferae, or the same family as the Carrot and Parsnip, and some are easily mistaken, by in- experienced persons, for those useful vegetables. "We have two species of Ehus which are poisonous to the touch. One of these is called Poison-ivy, and may be met with in almost any woods, running over rocks or ascending trees. The other species is a shrub which grows in swamps. Some people are much more susceptible than others to the poisonous influence of these plants. Indeed, many people .can handle them with impunity, while others are poison- ed by a touch, and some think that the neighborhood of the plant communicates the poison. The Poison-ivy vine is often confounded with Virginia Creep- er or Woodbine (Ampelopsis quinquefo- lia) which is perfectly harmless. They may be readily distinguished by observ- ing that the leaves of tlje Ivy are in threes, while those of the Creeper or Woodbine are in fives. A few of our native plants enjoy the reputation of being poisonous, rather THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 197 from their relationship to other poison- ous plants than from actual poisonous properties. This is the case with some species of Solatium and Physalis, which belong to the natural order Solanacece , to which also belong Tobacco, Henbane, Nightshade, and other poisonous plants. Solarium nigrum, sometimes called the Ground-cherry, is very common in waste places and cultivated fields, and is by some thought to be poisonous, but I have often seen its black berries eaten with relish and even made into pies, though they are not sufficiently tart to be agreeable. We have several species of Physalis or Ground-cherry, whose berries, when mature, are pleasant-tast- ing and harmless. The more general diffusion of botanical knowledge would undoubtedly be the means of avoiding much suffering, and many accidents which now occur from ignorance of the nature of the plants. — U. S. Agricultur- al Report. Nut Orchards. — W. W. Hubbell, of Rutland, Ohio, writes to an Eastern pa- per: "I have often wondered why some of your numerous patrons have not written you a line for publication con- cerning the cultivation of all kinds of nut-bearing trees. Little attention has thus far been given in this country to such culture. Now, as to the market value of nuts, it is known that the price of edible nuts has steadily increased as they have become more scarce, until at the present time our native Chestnuts sometimes bring in the market ten to twelve dollars a bushel, and Hickory- nuts as much as four dollars. Nuts of all kinds can be improved by grafting, by securing cions from bearing trees that are known to produce the largest and finest nuts. I have had some little experience in grafting Chestnuts and Persimmons from some of the largest sorts that I ever saw. They are twice as large as the common kind. Both the Chestnut and the Persimmon possess a superior flavor. I have a small young beari ig orchard of the Persimmon and Chestnut, five years from the grafting, and I would be happy to exchange, for some superior kinds, grafts from my large, superior Chestnuts and Persim- mons; also, a very large kind of Hick- ory-nut that I am cultivating in my nut- bearing orchard." Rest Necessary to Plants. — In an ad- dress given at the Agricultural College, Amherst, Mass., Col. Wm. T. Clark re- marks: "The distinction between decid- uous and evergreen species is, that the former lose their foliage at the end of the growing season, while the latter re- tain each perfected leaf one, two, or three years. Nevertheless, evergreens usually have their time of rest no less than deciduous plants, and those which are deciduous in one climate may be- come evergreens in another. Thus the Apple and the Plane tree have become evergreens in Madeira. Prof. Hoffman made a series of experiments from 1863 to 1870, to determine whether this pe- riod of rest was really necessary for or- dinary plants. He found that when the Lilac and other similar species were forced under glass to grow continuous- ly by the constant presence of heat, light, moisture, and proper soil, they ceased to blossom after the first year, and died in the second or third year. Hence the importance, so well known to skillful gardeners, of giving alterna- tions of heat and cold, moisture and drought, during their proper seasons of activity and repose, to plants cultivated under glass. The difficulty often expe- rienced in getting flowers from speci- mens of Cactus and other house-plants, by persons who, being ignorant of these 198 THE CALIFORNIA HOETICULTUKIST. facts, carefully water them alike at all times through the year, is thus readily explained. The plants have no oppor- tunity to ripen their tissues, and never are in a condition to blossom after the fall of the leaves. Pampas Geass. — (Gynerium argente- um.) This noble and now well-known ornamental grass deserves as much at- tention as any plant in cultivation, though thorough preparation for its perfect development is rarely made. What is there in the garden more nobly distinct and beautiful than the great silvery plumes of the Pampas Grass, waving in the autumn wind? It is well worthy of extensive use, if only for its foliage, which forms huge dense tufts, three or four feet high and as many feet across. These tufts are com- posed of long narrow leaves, very rough on the edges and of a pale-green color. The flower-stalks appear in autumn, and rise from four to ten feet, according to the strength of the plant. The blos- soms are produced in a very large, dense panicle, formed of little spikes of about six flowers each, covered with silky silvery hairs. It thrives best in a light, rich, deep loam, and in sheltered situations, where its foliage will not be injured by the wind. We rarely see so fine specimens as those in quiet nooks where well protected by the surround- ing vegetation. But the Pampas Grass, like the Yuc- ca, should stand alone. If grouped with other plants, the graceful effect of its fountain-like outline will be entirely destroyed. It is a native of the pam- pas or prairies of South America, chiefly in Paraguay, and thrives wonderfully well in Germany. In our Southern States it would probably grow without care, but in this latitude of short sum- mers we must give it much attention. Strong vigorous plants should be obtain- ed, if we wish them to flower before frost. — Flower Garden. Manure for Orange-trees. — We have repeatedly been asked: "What kind of manure is best for Orange-trees when planted in soil such as is found on the sea- coast?" We answer: After having made the holes for the trees to be planted in, take some wood-soil, such as consists of rotten and decayed wood and leaves, or well -rotted compost, consisting of dirt, lime, leaves, and road or lot scrap- ings (no fresh animal manure), deposit a bucketful or two in each hole, and plant the tree on top; or, which we consider a better plan, set the tree in the hole, and cover the roots with the above manure, shaking the tree while throwing it on, and finish with the orig- inal soil on top. There should be no manure on the surface. Where the soil is naturally strong, it is sufficient to cover the roots with the top soil taken out of the hole, and on this spread from two to three quarts of slaked lime. Aft- er planting, we would advise to mulch under all circumstances. Salt-marsh grass is the very best material; next, pine straw, dead weeds, etc. Burnt oyster -shells wiH answer the purpose where lime is desired. After having been applied for some time, and when weeds commence to appear, incorporate it lightly with the soil with a hoe, and then mulch. — Our Home Journal. Carpeting the Garden Bed. — Carpet- ing is a point in gardening which has received less attention than its impor- tance demands. Not only is it useful in heightening the general effect, but it is the means of saving very much other- wise necessary labor. Where green- house plants are used to decorate the ground — whether they be turned out, or THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 199 the pot plunged in the earth — carpeting becomes very desirable to cover the in- termediate soil. For permanent climb- ing, too, this is often a matter of great importance. For these purposes Por- tulaccas are often used, but the seed germinates so slowly that the plants make little show until near the end of the season. The Gnaphalium laustum answers very much better for the pur- pose. It is propagated with ease, grows rapidly, and soon covers the soil with a carpet of a neutral gray tint, against which bright foliage and flowers show to the best advantage. Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia), which grows rapidly enough, and makes as dense a mat as may be desir- ed when allowed to become a weed, and Gerastium Brebersteini (Mouse-ear Chickweed) are also said to promise well in the same direction. The com- mon Periwinkle {Vinca) and the Moss Pink {Phlox subulata) are deserving of trial, also. Low-growing plants, which would flourish well beneath the drip and in the dense shade of shrubs, cov- ering the surface and doing away with the necessity of weeding, are much to be desired. But we must not forget to so prepare the soil for the shrubs that they will not need the usual supplies of manure forked in. — Flower Garden. Strength or Timber. — The strength of a piece of timber depends on the part of the tree from which it was taken. Up to a certain age the heart of the tree is the best; after that period, it begins to fail gradually. The worst part of the tree is the sap-wood, which is next the bark. It is softer than the other part of the wood, and is liable to premature decay. The deleterious com- ponent of the sap-wood is absorbed, if the tree is allowed to grow for a long peri- od, and in time the old sap-wood be- comes proper timber-fibre, similar to the heart-wood. Hence, the goodness of a tree for timber purposes depends on the age at which the tree was cut down. "When young, the heart-wood is the best; at maturity, with the excep- tion of the sap-wood, the trunk is equal- ly good throughout, and, when the tree is allowed to grow too long, the heart- wood is the first to show signs of weak- ness, and deteriorates gradually. The best timber is secured by felling the tree at the age of maturity, which depends on its nature, as well as on the soil and climate. The Ash, Beech, Elm, and Fir are generally considered at their best when at seventy or eighty years. The White Willow has been used very successfully in Iowa for fencing. C. B. Mendenhall, of Marshall County in that State, has about thirteen miles of White Willow fencing, from three to seven years' growth, of which about half will turn cattle. He has also a grove of White Willows, set out about six years ago, which is considered worth five hundred dollars an acre. The prairie farmers of the West are evident- ly determined that the lack of forest trees shall not prevent them from hav- ing picturesque and well-protected fields. Oxalis. — Those who plant the pretty little summer-blooming Oxalis may be sure of satisfactory results. Whether it is sown out-doors or in the house, in the border, the vase, or the basket, the Oxalis always thrives and blooms well, and covers itself with pretty little blossoms the entire season. The bulbs should be planted an inch apart. In the autumn they should be taken up, dried, and kept in a dry place free from frost until spring. 200 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. Mildew on the Grapes. — Experience has proved that Grapes mildew much more in California in seasons when the soil is well saturated with water, as the present, than in seasons of less moist- ure. The only remedy yet discovered for this disease or enemy of the Grape is the flour of sulphur, or common ground sulphur. Those who wish to secure beyond a peradventure a good crop of well-grown Grapes, should not neglect to apply the sulphur to their vines as soon as the leaves are fairly out of the buds, and then again when the stems are formed and the blossoms fully open. If sulphur be well applied at these times, there need be but little apprehension of mildew. It h xs been ascertained that the sulphur thus ap- plied to the leaves of the Grape is ab- sorbed by them, enters into the circu- lating sap, and prevents the growth of the fungus called mildew. It is also one of the best and most effectual ma- nures for the vine, as it forms combina- tions which furnish the ingredients of vine growth. Protection to Strawberries. — A cor- respondent of the Nashville Rural Sun suggests the erection of marten -boxes among the Strawberry-beds as a sure preventive of the destruction of the berry by birds. He found it a success, and says that the marten never touches the berry, but drives off the blue- jay, cat, blue, and all other birds that feed upon the berry. He adds that while the parties living near him resorted to the scarecrow and a bell, his berries were fully protected, while theirs were almost totally destroyed. The seed farms at Erfurt, Prussia, cover many square miles, hundreds of acres being, in the season, gay with As- ters alone. Fuchsia Seed. — A party visiting a. Fuchsia house, on one of the seed farms of Europe, was asked to guess the weight of seed procured from that one house — about ten by thirty feet in size. Twen- ty, ten, and even as little as one pound were suggested, but the fact proved that the entire product was only one quarter of an ounce. The Fern-house at Kew Garden, near London, is furnished with green glass. Here the Ferns may imagine themselves in some shady dell never reached by the direct rays of the sun. If castor-oil is mixed with glycerine and a few drops of the oil of cinnamon added, the taste of the castor-oil can scarcely be recognized. METEOROLOGICAL RECORD, Foe the Month ending Mat 31st, 1874. (Prepared for The Hokticttlturist by Thos. Tennent, Mathematical Instrument and Chronometer-maker, No. 423 Washington Street, near the Post Office) . BABOMETEB. Mean-height at 9 a. m 30.09 in. do 12m 30.90 do 3 p.m... 30.08 do 6p.m 30.08 Highest point on the 1st and 2d, at 12 m 30.24 Lowest point, on the 4th at 9 a. m 29.94 THEEMOMETEB. ( With north exposure and free, from reflected heat. J Mean height at 9 a. m 60° do 12 m 64° do 3 p. m 64° do 6 p. m 59° Highest point, on the 30th, at 12 m 82° Lowest point on the 2d, at 9 a.m 52° SELF -BEGISTEEING THEEMOMETEB. Mean height during the night 49° Highest point at sunrise on the 30th 62° Lowest point at sunrise on the 7th 44° WINDS. North and north- we6t on 9 days; south and south-west on 3 days; west on 19 days. WEATHEB. Clear on 8 days; cloudy on 5 days; variable on 18 days; rainy on 4 days. EAIN GAUGE. May 4th 0.01 inches. 5th...„.. 025 " 6th 0.04 " 22d... 0.04 " Total .» 0.34 " Previously reported 23.56 " Total rain of the season up to date 23.90 " Climbing Annuals. i. Canary Flower. 2. Convolvulus minor. 3. Digitalis. 4. Scyphantus. THE AND FLORAL MAGAZINE. Vol. I. JULY, 1874. No. 7. ALPINE PLANTS. BY F. A. MILLEE. The term " Alpine plants" is applied to those herbaceous plants which are found in high altitudes, in mountainous regions. Most of the readers of the Horticult- urist are undoubtedly aware that the class of plants referred to includes many very beautiful varieties, and I really can not account for the fact that they are almost entirely excluded from our gardens. For twenty or more years past, English gardeners have given them much attention, and now they form most important features in every garden in that country. In the Eastern United States very little atten- tion is paid to these plants, and in California, where all of them are sup- posed to be perfectly hardy, hardly any have made their appearance, save here and there a specimen of Canterbury Bell, Primula, and Forget-me-not. The cultivation of Alpine plants is at- tended with less difficulties than that of most other plants; the majority of them are easily grown from seeds, and as they are hardy here, we could have ma- ny of them in bloom during our win- Vol. IV.— 26. ter months. I can vouch for this as- sertion, inasmuch as Auriculas, Myosot- is, Campanulas, Linaria, Pentstemons, and others bave bloomed with us in the open air during the past winter season. We cultivate these and several others, not for market (we know very well we have no market here for them), but part- ly for our own amusement, and partly for cut-flowers, of which we always ex- perience a scarcity during the winter months. I should like very much to see some efforts made to introduce more of the Alpines here, and if some of our gar- deners and amateurs feel disposed to give them a trial, I would suggest the selection of some of the following vari- eties, all of which are easily cultivated, and are really meritorious : Gentiana, including a number of va- rieties, all of which produce blue flow- ers ; Gentiana Andrewsii is one of the fin- est, its flowers being very large and of a rich deep purplish - blue color. A species similar in flower to the above I found near the summit of the Si- erra Nevada Mountains last summer, and I have seldom beheld a more beau- tiful sight. I counted over 200 flowers on one plant, standing about twelve 202 THE CALIFOKNIA HOKTICULTUKIST. inches high, and of eighteen inches in diameter, forming a compact growth. The flowers were one inch in diameter, one and a half long, and of a rich vel- vety blue color. I understand this spe- cies is described as Gentiana simplex, but am not certain on this point. I dug up five plants, and took them home with me. They kept on flowering for sever- al weeks. During last winter they were kept in the greenhouse by mistake, and unfortunately occupied a very damp place, which resulted in the loss of the plants. Nearly all of the Grentianas are well worth cultivating, but the two mentioned above are really exquisite. Gentiana Andrewsii is also, I believe, a native of North America. Astilbe Japonica has lately been intro- duced into this conntry, but is very rarely met with. The few plants which are cultivated here are treated as green- house plants, and although they do well under glass, if plenty of air is pro- vided; they do much better in the gar- den. Its feather- like spikes of white flowers are produced in greater abun- dance, and together with its graceful shi- ny green foliage form a pretty object in the garden or conservatory. If plant- ed out it soon forms a number of off- sets, which can be readily divided for the purpose of propagation. The Astil- be Japonica — sometimes called Spircea Japonica — is, as its specific name indi- cates, a native of Japan, and is perfect- ly hardy with us here. It should be in every garden. [To be Continued.] HANGING BASKETS. Best Time to Manure Trees. — Mr. Meehan says a top-dressing of good manure put under the trees soon after midsummer, when the second growth, which is always made soon after this season, is about beginning, produces marked good results. This graceful and convenient form of decoration increases in popularity from year to year. Many a city home which would otherwise be destitute of floral adornment is brightened by them, and in the country among people of taste and refinement they are becoming more and more common. Material. — The baskets themselves are made of wire, terra -cotta, or wood. The first named is the most usual, but the small terra -cotta baskets are ex- tremely neat and elegant for bay-win- dows or other interior situations. They possess with the rustic wood baskets the additional advantage over the wire of retaining moisture longer, and thus suffering less from neglect of frequent watering. The wood basket generally consists of a turned wooden bowl, cover- ed over with twigs and roots to give it a rustic appearance. When this kind of basket is used, care should be exer- cised to see there are a few holes in the bottom to permit drainage. The mat- ter is scarcely ever attended to by the makers, and florists who sell them ready filled with plants are apt to neglect it. The consequence is that the basket soon becomes water-logged, and the plants contained in it die of wet feet. Where provision for drainage has been neglect- ed until after the basket is filled, holes may be bored from the outside, and the dropsical condition relieved. The wire baskets are first lined with thick moss and afterward filled with earth, into which the growing plants are set. They must be watered every day, as the dry- ing air penetrates them on every side. A new style of wire basket is provided with a zinc reservoir beneath, which holds a week's supply of water. These are convenient but expensive. Selection of Plants. — The central THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 203 portion of the basket should be filled with upright plants of a neat dwarf habit, and around the edges those of creeping or trailing growth. But while a basket filled with any bright, thrifty- plants of suitable habit of growth, is a thing of beauty, it is far better to make such a combination of color as to pre- sent a harmonious living picture. The colors not only of the flowers, but also of the foliage employed, should be studied with a view to this effect. Our greenhouses furnish such a variety of plants with ornamental foliage — crim- son, golden, white, bronze-purple and silvery grey — that almost any desired effect of color can be produced inde- pendently of the blossoms. When a less complicated style is preferred, a basket may be made beautiful by its very simplicity. In such cases a single plant is sufficient, provided it makes up by its luxuriance of growth for the lack of variety. "We saw a very attractive basket recently, which was completely wreathed with the rich foliage and bright mauve-colored flowers of an Ivy Geranium. A plant of Saxifraga sar- mentosa, commonly called Strawberry Geranium, set in the centre of a small basket, will soon cover the surface with leaves, while the long tendrils and tas- sel-like stolons droop gracefully down the sides. Another useful plant in this way is the Convolvulus Mauritanicus, a single specimen of which will soon make the basket a rich mass of bright green foliage and blue flowers. Country Baskets. — No one need be deprived of hanging baskets on account of remoteness from greenhouses or in- ability to purchase greenhouse plants. No baskets are produced more exquisite than can be made by judicious use of the plants found in the forests and fields. The basket itself may be made of woven twigs, the end of an old keg covered over with rustic branches and roots, or the steel springs of a superan- nuated hoop-skirt. Then for filling, the forest furnishes abundance of moss, rich, light soil, and Ferns, Partridge- berry, Saxifragas, and all the immense variety of other plants which love to nestle in its shades or seek its open sun- ny banks. Care of Baskets. — The first and most essential requisite for the health and even the life of plants suspended in baskets, is sufficiently frequent water- ing. Their wants in this respect vary, of course, with the size of the baskets and the material used. Wire baskets, in addition to being sprinkled every day and the moss kept fresh, are great- ly benefited by an occasional dipping in water. Wood and terra-cotta bas- kets evaporate only at the surface, and therefore need less frequent watering. Partial shade is essential to the lush growth and luxuriance which are desir- able in a hanging basket. If exposed all day to the full glare of the summer sun, no amount of watering or of care can preserve them from a parched and shriveled-up appearance. Another re- quisite to the health and full develop- ment of plants in baskets is that they should not be overcrowded. Those which are bought from the florist's ready-made are almost invariably over- grown or overcrowded. This is not the fault of the florist, for the public taste demands a rich, luxuriant appearance. No possible promise of future beauty and perfection can atone in the market for the want of present thriftiness, and therefore the florists are compelled, in order to meet the public taste, either to crowd the baskets full of young plants, or keep them until the plants contained have reached the utmost limit of growth in the greenhouse. In either case the falling-off in appearance is certain and 204 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTUEIST. speedy. The only remedy is for the purchaser to choose those that contain an overabundance of vigorous young plants, and then thin out, removing such superfluous ones as can be spared with the least injury to the general ef- fect. The basket will look a little scraggy at first, but the subsequent growth will soon fill up the vacancies. — Country Gentleman. SUCCULENTS AS DECORATIVE PLANTS. BY CHAELES H. HOVEX. The class of plants known as succu- lents is now attracting much attention among gardeners and amateurs on ac- count of their decorative qualities for both the greenhouse and the garden. Their various, and often grotesque, forms, and interesting habit of growth, give them a peculiar interest, and afford a never-ending source of study and amusement. Many of them are desir- able additions to any collection of plants; some being fine bloomers, lasting in flower from two to three months, while others are indispensable for bedding purposes. Their great tenacity of life, or, in other words, the impunity with which they bear neglect, as also their rapidity of growth when cared for, ren- der them universal favorites. Of all the plants grouped under the title of succulents, the Echeverias will undoubtedly prove the most generally useful. They afford so great a variety in style of growth, and such decided contrasts in color, that in time we shall have our groups of Echeverias, produc- ing a more unique and as striking an effect as we now have from our masses of Geraniums, Coleus, and similar bed- ding plants. It may be remarked that some botanists include these plants in the genus Cotyledon; but as this is still a disputed point, it is best in the pres- ent article to use the names by which they are known in the collections of florists and in their catalogues. The following species and varieties are some of the most desirable for the greenhouse and garden : Echeveria agavoides. — One of the rarest and best of the Echeverias; a dwarf, compact grower, with leaves of a semi- transparent green color, tipped with red, exactly resembling in its appear- ance a miniature Agave. E. argentea vera. — A new variety from California; leaves six or seven inches long, and from one to two in width; the whole plant is completely covered with a thick white powder; this variety most generally grows in clumps, and is very showy. E. Calif ornica. — Also rather new, from the Pacific Coast; with long, nar- row, green leaves; somewhat resem- bling in style of growth E. agavoides; a dwarf, dense grower, and very distinct. E. farinosa. — Another recent intro- duction from California; leaves long, narrow, sharply-pointed, and of a beau- tiful white color; similar to E. argentea vera, and one of the best. E. lurida. — This variety is probably a hybrid from E. sanguinea, which it resembles in growth; the young leaves are of a bluish red, fading to a rusty brown; a promising species. E. metallica. — This is the most generally grown of all the Echeverias, and is perhaps the most effective for greenhouse and garden, its large, pink, metallic leaves showing off to great advantage; and its being a very free grower will render it the most popular of all the Echeverias. E. metallica glauca. — Somewhat simi- lar to the preceding, but more compact and regular; leaves large and of a blu- ish white color; fine for bedding, and a good flowering variety. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 205 E. Mexicana. — A new variety, after the style of E. secunda glauca, but much superior; of regular and compact growth, with leaves of a beautiful pale blue color; it forms a perfect rosette, and must supersede all others of its style for edging purposes; synonymous with E. rosularis. E. jjumila. — In growth similar to E. secunda; leaves long, narrow, and of a glaucous green color; a distinct variety. E. racemosa. — A variety said to be a hybrid from E. sanguinea, which it re- sembles in growth; leaves of a pinkish, salmon color. E. rosea. — Resembling the Cotyle- dons more than the Echeverias in growth; leaves green, slightly tinged or edged with red. E. retusa glauca. — A strong-growing variety, with glaucous green leaves; one of the best flowering varieties. E. retusa floribunda splendens. — The best of all the Echeverias for flowering; flowers a brilliant scarlet, and a very free bloomer; similar in growth to E. retusa glauca, but with narrower leaves. E. sanguinea. — A distinct species, with long, narrow leaves, slightly chan- neled, and of a dark red color; fine for bedding in contrast with the light- colored varieties. E. scaphophylla. — One of the newest of the Echeverias, a hybrid between E. agavoides and E. lingucefolia ; leaves blunt, and slightly channeled like the latter, but in growth and color similar to E. agavoides. E. secunda. — An old variety, with green leaves; a dwarf and compact grower, and fine for bedding. E. secunda glauca. — One of the best for bedding; similar to E. secunda in growth, with leaves of a bluish white color; next to E. metallica, perhaps the most generally grown. E. secunda glauca major. — New and fine ; a large variety of E. secunda glauca, with leaves not quite so light colored. E. secunda ramosa. — A monstrosity in habit of growth; stem flat, broad, and covered at the top with numerous small green leaves; in appearance re- sembling the flower of a Cockscomb. E.~ nuda, E. lingucefolia, E. lutea gigantea — are all very similar to E. re- tusa glauca, and all are good flowering varieties. Of the above varieties, the six most distinct in style of growth and contrast of color are E. metallica, E. Mexicana, E.farinosa, E. agavoides, E. sanguinea, o,uc\E. metallica glauca. All the species and varieties above described may be propagated from seeds and cuttings, and most of them from single leaves. If raised from seed, it should be sown and treated similarly to Cineraria or Calceolaria seed. If propagated from cuttings or leaves, they should be laid away on a dry shelf until they become thoroughly dry or callous, and then be potted in a light, sandy mixture, and sparingly watered until rooted. As soon as rooted, if they are re-potted in a mixture of leaf-mold or well-rotted manure and loam, with one-fifth part sand, they will amply repay the trouble of re-potting. — American Agriculturist. Prices of Cut Flowers in England. — There is a regular flower market in Lon- don— Covent Garden Market — in which the value of flowers can be regulated tolerably by that true measure, demand. In a recent report we notice that about the middle of March, Azalea flowers brought about 50 cents per dozen ; Ca- mellias about $1; Carnations, 75 cents; Heliotrope, 12 cents; Gardenias, $2 to $4; Roses, $1 to $2. The Stephanotus and Japan Spiraea are standard market flowers. 206 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. SILENCE OF THE FOREST. "We often read, in books of travel, of the silence and gloom of the Brazilian forests. They are realities, and the impression deepens on a longer ac- quaintance. The few sounds of birds are of that pensive or mysterious char- acter which intensifies the feeling of solitude rather than imparts a sense of life and cheerfulness. Sometimes, in the midst of the stillness, a sudden yell or scream will startle one; this comes from some defenseless fruit-eating ani- mal, which is pounced upon by a tiger- cat or stealthy boa-constrictor. Morn- ing and evening the howling monkeys make a most fearful and harrowing noise, under which it is difficult to keep up one's buoyancy of spirit. The feel- ing of inhospitable wildness which the forest is calculated to inspire, is increas- ed tenfold under this fearful uproar. Often, even in the still hours of midday, a sudden crash will be heard resound- ing afar through the wilderness, as some great bough or entire tree falls to the ground. There are, besides, many sounds which it is impossible to account for. I found the natives generally as much at a loss in this respect as myself. Sometimes a sound is heard like the clang of an iron bar against a hard, hollow tree, or a piercing cry rends the air; these are not repeated, and the succeeding silence tends to heighten the unpleasant impression which they make on the mind. With the natives it is always the Curupira, the wild man or spirit of the forest, which produces all noises they are unable to explain. Myths are the rude theories which man- kind, in the infancy of knowledge, in- vent to explain natural phenomena. The Curupira is a mysterious being, whose attributes are uncertain, for they vary according to locality. Sometimes he is described as an ourang-outang, being covered with long, shaggy hair, living in trees. At others he is said to have cloven feet and a bright red face. He has a wife and children, and some- times comes down to the rocas to steal the mandioca. At one time I had a Mameluco youth in my service, whose head was full of the legends and su- perstitions of the country. He al* ways went with me into the forest; in fact, I could not get him to go alone, and whenever we heard any of the strange noises mentioned above, he used to tremble with fear. He would crouch down behind me, and beg of me to turn back. He became easy only after he had made a charm to protect us from the Curupira. For this purpose he took a young palm-leaf, plaited it, and formed it into a ring, which he hung to a branch on our track. — Pen and Plow. EEPOET ON HOETICULTUEE FEOM CALIFOENIA TO THE AMEEICAN POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. BY DB. J. STEENTZEL. Twenty years only have elapsed since the culture of fruit in California has been earnestly engaged in. The liber- al recompense realized by the pioneers stimulated others in their efforts to excel. Money and toil were lavishly spent to obtain the best and rarest seeds; and the choice fruits of Eastern nurseries, transplanted here, found a congenial soil and a climate most favor- able for their development. Conse- quently, our best orchards and vine- yards are overcrowded with varieties, and the owners are forced, by the de- mands of their markets, to discard even good ones, if not embraced within pop- ular favor. As one of the most important labors THE CALIFORNIA HOETICULTURIST. 101 of the American Pomologieal Society is to perfect a list of the best varieties of fruits adapted to the greatest extent of country, and most profitable culture, your committee will be governed by the same action, and restrict itself to that consideration, as regards Califor- nia. Conditions predicated upon mean temperature, rainfall, component con- stituents of the soil, aspect, altitude, an atmosphere more or less infused with moisture, and other meteorological conditions, exercise the same influence here, and are so favorably arranged for fruit culture, that, upon any given spot in California, a greater variety of fruits can be well grown than under a corre- sponding latitude on the eastern side of the continent; thus, all the semi-tropi- cal fruits can be raised in conjunction with those of the northern clime. Our Astrachans, Baldwins, and Pippins, will be recognized as such wherever shown; but, if disguised, it is only by their Sunday clothing, more gorgeous with the tints of the unclouded solar rays; and fed upon the doubly-distilled moisture, derived mainly by condensa- tion, they are sweeter and richer. Be- sides, judicious irrigation can easily modify any deficiency of juiciness, and protract the season of their ripening. By the time another decade of national life is absorbed, the wastage of water will be economized and retained for the sustenance of plant life during the sea- son of drought. Human knowledge can hardly predict the modifications and the perfection fruit culture will ulti- mately attain by those efforts; but in California will be the throne of Pomona's most exalted realm — the hills clothed with the vine, every nook cov- ered with fruit-bearing trees, Mulberry groves skirting the plain, Oranges, Date Palms, Olives, and Pigs, along the grand irrigating ditches of the San Joaquin, will proclaim her dominion. A fortune will reward the originator of a first-class early Apple. The Har- vest, now heading the list, is only of second quality, and the gorgeously arrayed Astrachan still lower in our estimation. The Early Strawberry is in every way excellent, but ripening late. For cooking, during the months of June and July, the Dutch Codlin holds its sway. Fall Pippin, Holland Pippin, G-ravenstein, Lyscom, Maiden's Blush, Roxbury Russet, do well until late in autumn. Rhode Island Green- ing, Baldwin, Swaar, Newtown Pippin, Spitzenberg, and White Winter Pear- main, will fill the list for winter. Apples keep well all winter, piled under the trees, and sheltered from rain and sun. A choice selection of Pears would be covered by Bloodgood, Bartlett, Wash- ington, Seckel, Winter Nelis, Flemish Beauty. Duchesse and Easter Beurre attain great size, but they are not fa- vorites with the public. Belle Lucra- tive, Louise Bonne de Jersey, Beurre d'Anjou, Stevens' Genesee, Doyenne, are a drug in the market. Glout Mor- ceau and Yicar are worthless. Experiments in progress with seed- ling Pears are full of interest, and sus- tain the hope that some of our best varieties can be revivified as seedlings, thus producing a new generation to propagate from. By selecting a variety with large, full seeds, and hybridizing — artificially, or by chance — the seed- lings thus raised will at once equal, and possibly may excel in some desir- able qualities, the parental stock on either side. This will hold good with all other varieties of fruit. The Peach is the most hardy tree grown here; will survive the worst ill- usage, and repay it without diminution 208 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. of fruits. All it requires is close prun- ing, shortening-in, and chopping-down of the worn-out branches, to sprout from the ground with renewed vigor, and bear another series of superior crops. In wet years, the curl prevails, and recently a white fungus attacks the fruit, in blotches, and the ends of the shoots. A few Nectarines are raised, the fruit being inferior in flavor to the Peach. Apricots — the Large Early and the Peach are favorites, and bear profusely, but are often cut short by spring frosts. Peach stock preferred. Plums bear abundantly, and, so far, no curculio has appeared. All varieties do best on Peach stocks. Quinces produce regular crops. The largest fruit is grown on the Portugal, attaining the weight of over two pounds. The tree is subject to the black knot. Cherry-trees are very tender; the least bruise of the stem starts the ex- uding sap, and decay follows. To shade the stem any way most convenient or practicable will be found beneficial. A cement of clay and ashes plastered over the stem and thicker branches appears to answer well. Black vari- eties are preferred here. There are two varieties brought out under the name of Royal Ann. One is a black, superior to the Black Tartarian; i;he other a white. The Fig fairly luxuriates under our bright skies. Furnished with sufficient moisture, it produces enormous crops. Pomegranates thrive well. The Olive is, as yet, little appreciated. Grown easily from cuttings, requiring hardly any pruning, attaining the age of several centuries, and bearing regu- lar crops of Olives, as highly prized in the green state as for oil — it will be, by the next generation, more exten- sively utilized. Almonds, "Walnuts, Pecans and Chest- nuts, the most valuable of nut-bearing trees, come into bearing at an early age ; the Japan Chestnut fruiting the second year from graft. Oranges and Limes, with more or less protection, grow luxuriantly along and near our line of coast for five hun- dred miles. The Agave Americana, or Century Plant, is utilized as a hedge plant. Currants, Blackberries, Gooseberries, Raspberries, and Strawberries, bear abundantly. The lordly Banana begins to spread its mammoth foliage in many a garden spot. Thus, under the influence of skilled industry, and the vivifying flow of waters to be utilized, all the semi-trop- ical fruits will find here a congenial home. But the glory of California will be her vineyards. Innumerable little nooks and valleys, rich with the attri- butes of surrounding mountains, and under most favorable climatic condi- tions, are waiting for patient labor to clothe them with the clustering Grape. All the finest varieties succeed admi- rably, and the product — either to be utilized for wine or raisins — is all that could be desired. It is not to be inferred, nor is it claimed, that the horticulturist in Cali- fornia needs only to plant a tree or a vine to realize, in a few years, several hundred pounds of Apples per tree, or even a thousand pounds of Grapes to the vine. He has to contend with many evils, as in other climes, or avo- cations; constant vigilance and sound judgment are required to supply the most favorable conditions for the devel- opment of his nurslings, and destroy in the beginning their enemies. Differ- ent varieties of fungoid growths and injurious insects begin to multiply. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 209 All experienced viniculturists pro- nounce this the most favorite land of the grape; still, oidium is known: the borer, and especially the thrip, do con- siderable injury. Thus, every laborer in Pomona's realm is interested in the experience of his co-laborers. A new-comer opens a most willing ear to an oft-repeated tale, but full of novelty to him; so, to compare experi- ences, I take the liberty to make these deductions : That clean culture is indispensable for orchard and vineyard. That the raising of other crops be- tween trees, when abundant manures are not obtainable, is a killing of the goose laying golden eggs. Alkaline or earthy washes of the stem and larger branches are conducive to the health of the trees. By repeatedly scraping off the earth around the trees and vines, early in the spring, many insects, their eggs and larvae, are destroyed. That careful pruning and shortening- in of the shoots is indispensable to the production of fine and large fruits. All the pruning should be carefully hus- banded, and returned to the soil. To light bonfires for the destruction of insects, to raise smoke to avoid injury from spring frosts, are probably the most available and serviceable means for destroying fungoid and insect growths on foliage and fruit; by fumi- gation of the whole orchard and vine- yard, making numerous smoldering fires, with the addition of coal-tar, or asphalt- um and sulphur. Large Mignonette. — Mr. James Flem- ing, seedsman of New York, exhibited in his store -window this spring, spikes of Mignonette seventeen inches in length — almost all the length in full bloom. Who can beat this? THE BAOBAB. The Baobab is a plant of monstrous size, the most colossal and the most an- cient vegetable monument on earth. It_ has round, woolly leaves, which consist of from three to seven leaflets radiating from a common centre, and giving them somewhat the appearance of a hand, and a magnificent white flower. It is an enormous tree, holding among plants the place which the elephant holds among animals — a hoary witness of the last changes which the earth has under- gone, and deluges that have buried be- neath their waves the productions of early ages. Several Baobabs that have been measured were found to be from seventy to seventy-seven feet in circum- ference. From its branches hang, at times, colossal nests three feet in length, and resembling large oval baskets open at the bottom, and looking from the distance like so many signal-flags. It would take fifteen men, with their arms extended, to embrace the trunk of one of these great trees, which, in the countries through which the Senegal flows, are venerated as sacred monu- ments. Enormous branches are given off from the central stem a few feet from the ground and spread out hori- zontally, giving the tree a' diameter of over one hundred feet. c ' Each of these branches," says Mr. Danton, "would be a monster tree elsewhere, and taken together, they seem to make up a for- est rather than a tree." It is only at the age of eight hun- dred years that the Baobabs attain their full size, and then cease to grow. The fruit of this tree is oblong; the color of the shell passes in ripening from green to yellow and brown. The fruit is called "monkey bread." It contains a spongy substance, paler than chocolate, and filled with abundant 210 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. juice. The bark is ashy gray in color, and almost an inch in thickness. The ne- groes of the Senegal grind it down to powder, and in this state they use it to season their food, and to maintain a moderately free perspiration, which en- ables them to more easily withstand the heat. It serves also as an antidote for certain fevers. — The. Wonders of Vegeta- tion. THE EFFECTS OF ELECTRICITY ON PLANTS. In the March number of the Journal we gave some account of M. Blondeau's investigations with regard to the action of heat on plants. After completing the series of experiments there de- scribed, he was led to inquire whether electricity acts on plants in the same manner as heat — that is, as a toxical agent — or whether it kills them by de- stroying the organs necessary to the maintenance of life. The subject has hitherto been little investigated, obser- vations having been limited to the effects of powerful batteries or of light- ning. In these cases the plant has always been killed, but apparently from the laceration of its tissues. M. Blondeau employed electricity of feeble tension, from Bunsen cells, measured in each case by a galvanom- eter. The plant used in most of the experiments was the Balsam (Balsamina impatiens), which is very sensitive to external influences. Its juicy stem, moreover, is a good conductor of elec- tricity, and the delicate tint of its flow- ers is readily affected by that agent. The current from a single Bunsen cell was sent for half an hour through the lower part of the stem of a Balsam, the points of the wires being inserted two centimetres (.78 of an inch) apart. The plant showed no change during the experiment, but soon after withered above the part acted upon by the cur- rent. "With two cells the effect was more rapid, and the plant was quickly killed. That this was due to the de- composition of the tissues by the elec- tricity was proved by a further experi- ment. The current was sent through a part of the plant studded with roseate blossoms, the color of which could be changed to blue by the action of an alkali. It was found that the flowers near the negative pole became blue, showing that alkaline substances were accumulated there; and this could re- sult only from the decomposition of the plant-structure. The action of induction currents was also studied, the sensitive plant Mimosa pudica being taken fOr the first experi- ments. A slight shock closed the leaf- lets and depressed the petioles, but the effect was transient and the plant appar- ently none the worse for it. Exposed to heavier and more continuous shocks, the plant was killed, though its tissues showed no change. Experiments on single leaves showed that they would recover from the effects of a current acting for a few minutes, but not when it had been acting, though without any increase in tension, for fifteen minutes or more. In all cases flowers were more readily affected than leaves. Buds also were killed by the current. The action on the woody portions of plants was less marked than on the soft and pulpy parts. An induction current sent through the stem of the Nerium oleander did not perceptibly affect it; but, when sent through a branch bear- ing flowers, the latter soon withered. Similar results were obtained with Lav- ender and Fuchsia : the stem and leaves withstanding the effects of the current, while the flowers soon dropped off. M. Blondeau expresses the opinion that THE CALIFOKNIA HOKTICULTUKIST. 211 the ligneous tissues would be disorgan- ized by more powerful or more pro- longed currents, but he does not appear to have settled this point experiment- ally. Some experiments were also made on fruits and seeds. The current was sent for several minutes through an Apple, which was on a branch with several others, nearly ripe. After a few days it fell off, being apparently riper than the others, which remained on the tree. The electricity appeared not only to have hastened its maturity, but also to have affected its tissues, as it soon began to decay, and in a few days was completely rotten. Pears and Peaches were experimented upon in the same way, and with similar results. Peas and Beans that had been soaked in water were exposed to the action of the current, and then planted in pots; other non-electrified seeds of the same sort being planted at the same time for purposes of comparison. The former sprouted in three days, the latter only after six days; but though the plants stimulated by electricity at first grew more rapidly, the others soon overtook them. The current appeared to have hastened the disintegration of the sub- stances enclosing the embryo, which thus got its first supplies of food more readily, but its development was not otherwise promoted. On the whole, the induction current seems to act upon plants very much as it does upon animals. In both, if its intensity goes beyond a certain point, it tends to disorganize the tissues and prevent them from fulfilling their func- tions; and if the action is too long con- tinued, it may destroy them completely. — Boston Journal of Chemistry. The highest rate of interest that we pay is for borrowed trouble. THE AQUARIUM. Just now the aquarium on a grand scale is "the rage" in Europe, espe- cially in England. The success of the gigantic aquaria at Naples, at the Syd- enham Crystal Palace, and at Brighton, has been so marked that rival estab- lishments are being proposed in many other places. Liverpool is to have one that will not be inferior to any of its predecessors, if indeed it does not sur- pass them all. Another is in progress at the popular sea - side resort of Mar- gate, and the other leading watering- places are expected soon to follow the fashion. "We wish that the aquarium might become equally popular in this country, not only as a public exhibition, but on the amateur or parlor scale. Many of our readers can recollect the brief aqua- rial furor of some twenty years ago. The aquarium was then a new thing, and Gosse's books on the subject had a great run. His suggestions for starting and managing an aquarium were excel- lent for that day, and many people wanted to try the thing. Some suc- ceeded very well and kept their little tanks in good condition for months, but the majority had the "bad luck" that might have been anticipated in an un- dertaking requiring constant care and attention, and soon tired of the new scientific toy. The aquarium went out of fashion as suddenly as it had come in, and from that day to this a really good thing of the kind has been a rare sight in America. As we have said, we hope that the growing popularity of the aquarium abroad will awaken a fresh interest in the subject here. Much has been learn- ed in these twenty years with regard to the stocking and managing of aquaria, and the- amateur who makes his first 212 THE CALIFORNIA HOKTICULTUKIST. experiments now will have the advan- tage of this. With reasonable care and patience he is sure of success. A good book on the subject, suited to American shores and up with the times, is a de- sideratum. Of recent English books we know of nothing better than the re- vised edition of Canon Kingsley's Glau- cus, or the Wonders of the Sea-shore, just published by Maemillan & Co. It will be found very pleasant reading, wheth- er one is planning an aquarium or not. The descriptions of the strange marine creatures, like all of Kingsley's descrip- tions, are capital. Take this one: "Here are a group of milk-white slugs, from two to six inches in length, cuddling snugly together. You try to pull them off, and find that they give you some trouble, such a firm hold have the delicate white sucking arms, which fringe each of their five edges. You see at the head nothing but a yellow dimple ; for eating and breathing are suspended till the return of the tide ; but once settled in a jar of salt water, each will protrude a large, chocolate- colored head, tipped with a ring of ten feathery gills, of the loveliest white and primrose ; in the centre whereof lies perdu a mouth with sturdy teeth — if in- deed they, as well as the whole inside of the worthy fellow, have not been lately got rid of, and what you see be not a mere bag, without intestine or other organ; but only for the time be- ing. For hear it, worn-out epicures and old Indians who bemoan your liv- ers, this little holothuria knows a secret which, if he could tell it, you would be glad to buy of him for thousands ster- ling. To him blue pill and muriatic acid are superfluous, and travels to Ger- man Brunnen a waste of time. Happy holothuria ! who possesses really that secret of everlasting youth which an- cient fable bestowed on the serpent and the eagle. For when his teeth ache or his digestive organs trouble him, all he has to do is just to cast up forthwith his entire insides, grow a fresh set in a month or so, and then eat away as merrily as ever." Here is another passage which we can not refrain from quoting : "There lies an animal as foul and monstrous to the eye as ' hydra, gorgon, or chimsera dire,' and yet so wondrous- ly fitted to its work that we must needs endure for our own instruction to han- dle and to look at it. Its name, if you wish for it, is Nemertes; probably N. Borlasii ; a worm of very ' low ' organi- zation, though well fitted enough for its own work. You see it? That black, slimy, knotted lump among the gravel, small enough to be taken up in a des- sert spoon. Look now, as it is raised and its coils drawn out. Three feet — six — nine, at least; with a capacity of seemingly endless expansion; a slimy tape of living caoutchouc, some eighth of an inch in diameter, a dark, choco- late-black, with paler longitudinal lines. Is it alive? It lies motionless, trailing itself among the gravel; you can not tell where it begins or ends; it may be a dead strip of sea-weed, or even a tar- red string. So thinks the little fish who plays over and over it, till he touch- es at last what is too surely a head. In an instant a bell -shaped sucker mouth has fastened to his side. In another instant from one lip a concave double proboscis, just like a tapir's (another instance of the repetition of forms), has clasped him like a finger; and now be- gins the struggle — but in vain. He is being played with such a fishing-line as the skill of a Wilson or a Stoddart never could invent; a living line, with elastic- ity beyond that of the most delicate fly- rod, which follows every lunge, short- ening and lengthening, slipping and twining round every piece of gravel and stem of sea-weed, with a tiring drag such as no Highland wrist or step could ever bring to bear on salmon or on trout. The victim is tired now; and slowly and yet dexterously his blind assailant is feeling and shifting along his side, till he reaches one end of him; and then the black lips expand, and slowly and surely the curved finger be- gins packing him end foremost down into the gullet, where he sinks inch by inch, till the swelling which marks his place is lost among the coils, and he is probably macerated to a pulp long be- THE CALIFOKNIA HOKTICULTUEIST. 213 fore he has reached the opposite extrem- ity of his cave of doom. Once safe down, the black murderer slowly con- tracts again into a knotted heap, and lies, like a boa with a stag inside him, motionless and blest." This graphic picture will serve to show what strange scenes may some- times be witnessed in the miniature sea of a parlor aquarium. The follow- ing note is appended to the passage in this new edition of the book: "Certain Parisian zoologists have done me the honor to hint that this de- scription was a play of fancy. I can only answer that I saw it in my own aquarium. I am not, I hope, in the habit of drawing on my fancy in the presence of infinitely more marvelous nature. Truth is quite strange enough to be interesting without lies." — Boston Journal of Chemistry. THE OKIGIN OF THE DAHLIA. The first mention of the plant occurs in Hernandez, who published a history of Mexico in 1651, and who figured two separate species. Menonville, who was employed by the French minister to steal the cochineal insect from the Spaniards, was the second to notice its existence. The first scientific descrip- tion was given by the Abbe Cavanilles, from a specimen which flowered at Madrid in 1790, who named the plant after his friend Andrew Dahl, the Swedish botanist. The Dahlia was sent to Europe from the Botanic Gar- dens of Mexico to the Eoyal Gardens, Madrid, where it first flowered in 1789, from whence it was introduced to Eng- land by the Marchioness of Bute in the same year; but this single plant speed- ily perished, and it did not again ap- pear in this country till the old single variety, Coccinea, was flowered by Fra- ser at Chelsea, in 1803, and figured in Curtis' Botanical Magazine, plate 702. This plant also perished. Meantime Cavanilles sent specimens of the three varieties then known to the Jardin des Plantes, in 1802, where they were suc- cessfully cultivated, and numerous va- rieties were produced in France between that date and 1814, when, on the re- turn of peace, the improved flower cre- ated a great sensation among English visitors to Paris, which led to large im- portations of the root during the ensu- ing winter. Lady Holland sent seeds, not roots, from Madrid in May, 1805. The first plant flowered at Holland House in the September following, and was figured in Andrews' Botany. The seeds ripened in 1805, and were generally distributed in 1806. The original plants at Madrid do not appear to have yielded many varieties — not more than three are mentioned. Hum- boldt, however, who found the plant growing in sandy meadows, 5,000 feet above the sea, sent home fresh seed from Mexico in 1804 to Paris and Ber- lin, from which the numerous varieties subsequently obtained were derived. The first double flower was produced at Berlin in 1809, and even so late as 1818 Sabine was told of a double white, but " doubted its existence." It is inter- esting to remark that De Candolle ex- pressed his opinion that he should nev- er see a blue Dahlia, on the ground that blue and yellow, being the funda- mental types of colors in flowers, mutu- ally exclude each other. The root was included in the Bon Jardinier for 1817, among the Plantes potageres, but no mention is made of its use for Palestine soup. — John W. Ford, in the " Garden." Adui/tebated Peppee. — M. Bouchardat found that the most common adulter- ant of ground pepper in France was the dried refuse potato skins from the starch factories. 214 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. ABSORPTIVE POWER OF PLANTS. Recent researches and experiments upon plants, both in this country and in Europe, would seem to prove that the functions of leaves, or the aerial parts of plants, have not been clearly understood by vegetable physiologists. M. Adolf Mayer, of Wiesbaden, has lately been making a series of experi- ments on plants, which were grown in such a manner that access of ammonia through the roots was prevented, while the leaves were subjected to the influ- ence of this substance in either a gase- ous or dissolved condition. He found that a variety of plants subjected to these conditions all had the power of absorbing carbonate of ammonia by their aerial parts, both in the gaseous and the dissolved state, and of employ- ing it in the building up of their tis- sues. The plants, however, did not appear to thrive when all access of am- monia through the roots was prevented. The experiments did not indicate that plants belonging to the order Legu- minosce have any special aptitude for absorbing ammonia through their aerial organs, nor for assimulating the com- bined nitrogen of the atmosphere. It is a fact now well known, that a considerable number of plants have the power of absorbing through the leaves deleterious gases, and that malarious districts are rendered healthy through the presence of these plants. Thistles had rendered some parts of the cam- pagna near Rome healthy, and on the plants being cut down, those districts became again ' ' malarious." Sunflowers appear to have been first planted for a similar purpose in this country, and they are said to have been successful. Baron von Alsten, whose property was situated on the banks of the Scheldt, and liable to be flooded by that river, planted several patches of the sunflower (Helianthus) near his house, and with the result that for ten years his family continued exempt from fever, while on other estates, where no similar precau- tion was taken, this disease continued to prevail. The plant has of late years been sown in the Mauritius for a similar purpose, and in further recommenda- tion of its good qualities, the observa- tion has been made that it yields 40 per cent, of good oil; that the leaves from it are excellent fodder, and the stems, being rich in saltpetre, make good fuel. Marshes may also be rendered healthy by the presence of other plants. Among those that conduce to this happy result is the Pistia stratiotes. In India, the "West Indies, and Africa, the power ex- erted by this plant in absorbing the deleterious gases of muddy marshes is well known, and probably it is on this account that in the latter country the plant is held sacred. The Pistia is be- lieved to possess this power in a greater degree than any other plant, being ca- pable in a few days of rendering stag- nant water sufficiently pure for fish to live in; although it by no means follows that the water is thus rendered suitable for use by man. The contrary is indeed the case. In Jamaica, water in which this plant grows acquires so acrid a character as to give rise to intestinal fluxes in those who use it. Some trees and tree-like plants have, with greater or less reason, the reputa- tion of themselves evolving malaria, and consequently the natives of the coun- tries where they grow avoid sleeping or resting under them at night. Those that give off their branches at an incon- siderable distance from the ground, or the foliage of which is dense, have this reputation in the highest degree, and among them the Tamarind and Neem trees (Melia azedarachta). A similar in- THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 215 fluence is said to arise from the Papaw- tree (Carica papaya), and Dr. Living- stone states that in East Africa, near the Zambesi River, tracts are covered with the plant Pcederia fetida, a mem- ber of the Guettarda group of the Rubi- acece. Many of the people suffer in- convenience in various ways from odors arising from certain plants, although the effects are not in the nature of dis- ease of recognized malarial origin. In these cases the matter evolved, so far from being an invisible aura, is a sub- stantial exhalation. Thus, besides the well-known effects of ipecacuanha in in- ducing sickness in certain persons, even when brought no nearer to them than an adjoining room, and of flowering plants in producing "hay -asthma," nausea, sickness, and even death, has been attributed to the odors of some, as the Narcissus, and the Cheiranthus or Wallflower, not to mention the fraction of truth there no doubt is in the story of the Upas-tree (Antiaris toxicaria). The Manchineel-tree (Hippomane man- cinella, N. O. Euphorbiacece) of the "West Indies, and certain American and Chi- nese species of Rhus (N. O. Anacardi- acece) not only produce severe irritant effects upon the skin, but affect very severely such persons as are predisposed to suffer from malaria. The flowers of the Daphne mezereum also evolve odors which are more or less injurious to par- ticular persons, and a similar property is attributed to the Oleander (Nerium oleander). The mangrove, or Rhizophora, has ever had an unenviable notoriety, on account of the malaria - producing properties assigned to it. As a rule, probably without exception, localities where this plant flourishes, being for the most part marshes and low -lying tracts liable to inundation, are notori- ously unhealthy, but in all probability this reputation arises altogether from paludal causes rather than from the plant itself. — Boston Journal of Chem- istry. * Neglected Culture. — The annual re- port of the New Jersey State Agricult- ural Society gives neglected culture as having the strongest retarding influ- ence in that State on fruit culture and orchard planting. The old orchards, we are told, "are sorry sights to look at," simply for want of proper culture and rnamire. "We know many such, that, to our knowledge, have not had a shovelful of manure in fifteen years, re- moving during this time not only what Apples the trees bore, but also a cutting of hay once a year. This, too, by ex- cellent grain farmers, men who would 'not think of planting a crop of Corn or Potatoes without a full dose of manure for each. This has been the great diffi- culty everywhere; but few of those who plant orchards, whether large or small, being willing to give them the care they bestow on annual crops. No good farm- er would think for a moment of plant- ing his Corn in a grass sod, and giving no cultivation — a treatment which has been very common for young fruit-trees. "We are glad, however, to see of late years a great improvement in the man- agement of newly transplanted orchards as well as of bearing ones, and land- owners are learning that trees kept in vigorous and healthy condition bring finer and higher fruit, and more of it, than such as are allowed to become en- veloped in weeds, grass, and brush. — New England Homestead. Shade Teees foe Steeets est tee South- west.— A correspondent writes that in St. Louis he finds Elms, Planes, and Maples generally the most vigorous and valuable varieties for street planting. 216 THE CALIFORNIA HOETICULTUEIST. MATTERS IN TRINITY COUNTY. BT DR. HENRY DEGBOOT. "Weavervelle, Trinity Co., July, 1874. In my last communication to the Hoe- ticulttjkist, it was remarked that the late - lying snow upon the mountains in this section of country had the effect to preserve a rather low and even temper- ature throughout the spring months, thereby preventing a premature putting forth of the fruit and rendering it hardy. In the severe frost that prevailed here on the night of June 22d, this remark has found verification; none of the fruit, not even the Grapes, then about set- ting, having received any injury. The frost of April 4th and 5th, 1873, which so greatly damaged the Grape crop in most of the large valleys throughout California, did no harm here, nor, so far as I can learn, in any of the north- ern counties, all of which consist, like Trinity, of deep valleys, open foot-hills, and timbered mountains. Throughout all this part of the State, the fruit crop will this year be very abundant, and, as it always is, of excel- lent quality, no insect nor any form of disease having ever been known to cause it serious injury. This is true not only of the fruit, but also of the cereal crops, and, I believe, of every other product of the vegetable kingdom. Strawberries, Cherries, and Currants have already matured here, the crop of each being very prolific. Many of the Cherry-trees have borne with such pro- fusion that they have required artificial supports to keep the limbs from break- ing. The early varieties, which com- menced to ripen about the middle of June, sold at the rate of $1 a gallon. At present, they will not sell for half that price ; and, were it not that many will be dried, there would not in a short time be any market for them at all, the crop being so very abundant. Early Apples begin to make their appearance here, but Peaches and Apricots are not yet quite ripe. For all the earlier vari- eties of fruits there is a limited market, but, as the season advances, all kinds become so plentiful, three -fourths of the inhabitants raising more than they want, that there is no longer any sale for them whatever ; even the Chinamen being allowed to go into the orchards and pick what Apples and Pears they like. If only we had railroad communica- tion the entire distance, we could send many kinds of fruit to the San Francis- co market with profit, as its superior quality would always command for it a good price. With wagon transporta- tion for fifty miles over a high range of mountains this is impossible. Some of our orchardists have tried the experi- ment of sending Apples to your city, but they were too much bruised on the journey from here to Bedding — north- ern terminus of the railroad — to war- rant offering them for sale. These lots were sent over in freight-wagons, which, of course, subjected them to a good deal of jolting. If carried on springs, they would, no doubt, reach Redding in good condition, as the road during the dry season is not a rough one. In view of the fact that really good Apples are not over-abundant in the San Fran- cisco market, it is very probable that this fruit will before long be shipped thither in quantities from this county, as the high prices ruling there in the winter would make this a paying busi- ness. The Apples raised here, besides their superiority in other respects, keep well the year round. The very best you get toward the end of the season no one would think of using here; in fact, none so poor are ever to be seen. THE CALIFOKNIA HORTICULTURIST. 217 It would be thought, that, with all this superabundance of the raw mate- rial, a good deal of fruit would be dried or otherwise preserved for future use, and large quantities of wine be made. Such, however, is not the case — first, because much of the green fruit keeps so well that there is no great need for subjecting it to any preserving process; to dry or can it for exportation would hardly pay — that is, not sufficiently well to meet the ideas of our ease-loving and not over-thrifty population. As for wine -making, while we have several small vineyards and many vines scatter- ed about over the country, not more than half a dozen parties pretend to utilize the Grape to this end at all. What wine is made is excellent, and there is no doubt but this branch of business will yet be greatly extended here, as the vine thrives exceedingly throughout this entire north country. "We have here, almost to the tops of our mountains, the same generous red soil that covers the foot-hills of the Si- erra Nevada and is everywhere so com- mon on the mountains and upland dis- tricts of California. The vine planted almost anywhere will grow without irri- gation, as the rain-fall here extends fur- ther into the summer than in the more southerly counties. For the same rea- son fruit-trees, cultivated grasses, and the cereal crops can be raised here with- out this aid — at least, in most places. The region devoted here to fruit and grain culture has an altitude ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 feet above sea-level — mean altitude, about 3,000 feet. This, with the influences of the adjacent mount- ains, and the sea-air, and the fogs (which reach this far inland,) have an excellent effect upon the fruit during the season of its flowering and setting. The air- currents alternate through these deep valleys in regular land and ocean breezes Vol. IV.— 27. during much of the summer, the latter bringing with them a certain amount of mist and dampness. The dry north winds that sometimes so rapidly desic- cate the ground and blight the growing wheat farther south are unknown here. The cereal crops here, and also in the counties adjacent on the north, are good this year — much above an average. Hay, much of which is made from the grain cut while green, is therefore plentiful and cheap, and some flour will be made both in Scott's Valley, Siskiyou County, and also over on the Hay Fork, where is located the only flour -mill now run- ning in Trinity. As the mines are turn- ing out unusually well, the present will be a very prosperous season throughout this north end of the State. The wild Flax, indigenous in many parts of California, grows quite profuse- ly in some localities up this way. Hav- ing pulled and dressed some stalks of this plant lately, I find it to possess a long, soft, and glossy fibre. It is ex- ceedingly strong, and I do not see why it might not be cultivated to advantage, as it would grow well without irriga- tion, and on almost any sort of soil. It was from the fibre of this plant the In- dians made their bow-strings, nets, fish- ing-lines, etc., all noted for their dura- bility and strength, and there is no question but it would prove a very valu- able textile where cloth or cordage of unusual strength were required. Some portions of it are also nearly as flossy as silk, and might be wrought into wares of extreme delicacy and softness Care of Cions. — A writer who is a grafter by profession says the most suc- cessful method he has found to keep cions in a fresh healthy state is, to lay- er them down in good clean sawdust, slightly damp. He says they do far better than in earth or sand. 218 THE CALIFORNIA HOKTICULTUKIST. MEANS OF IMPEOYING LANDS. Rotation of crops is one of the means of improving land. Deep and deeper plowing every year, and incorporation of vegetable mold, even if you have to resort to two vegetable crops on the same land the same year ; returning the whole proceeds of the cotton plant to the soil, except the cotton lint; making as much manure under the shelter as possible; and using as much litter to absorb the whole of the urine and excre- ments of the stock and no more. These methods comprise my system of improv- ing land. All the scrapings from the low lands and fence - corners, swamp mud, muck out of the ponds and bottoms, use to the full extent you have teams and la- bor to do, spreading it over the land. Use commercial manures on all crops planted, from 100 up to 800 pounds to the acre of "Dickson's Compound." All land should be subsoiled, at least once in three or four years, and if you have the means, it will pay to subsoil every year. Tou should never run more than one course without subsoil- ing. I do not consider soil up to its full capacity, until you have twelve inches of soil, and six inches of subsoil. The greatest of all the means of im- proving land is to use the commercial manures every year, because you not only improve the land, but it will also pay you to use them, out of the crops grown. I consider this the philoso- pher's stone in all farming. ■ You may talk of machinery, but there is no such thing as labor-saving, if you neglect manures. These are the greatest labor- saving machinery that can be adapted to the planter's use. "While other ma- chinery might exhaust the land, these will draw greater crops and still im- prove the lands. But at the same time, while I consider them the greatest means of saving labor, they give you the capital to increase your labor - sav- ing machinery in the same proportion that they increase your crops. I would not deter the farmer from all labor- saving machinery. I look upon ma- nures and machinery as the best means that can add to our present labor. In all instances, before you commence improving land, the land should be well drained or hill -side ditched. There is no such thing as improving land without draining it where it needs it, or using the means to prevent the fertilizers from being washed off after they have been placed in the soils. There is another means of improving land, by turning in vegetable matter. Poor land will not produce vegetable matter sufficient to improve the land materially, without the use of commer- cial or other fertilizers, to increase the quantity of the green crops to be turn- ed in. By the use of fertilizers, you can get two green crops a year to turn in, either of grass, weeds, Peas, or Clo- ver, and cultivated grasses where they would succeed, where, otherwise, you could get but one. The object of turn- ing in these green crops is to gain all the crops need from the atmosphere, besides what they get from the subsoil. The carbon from the decaying green crops is a retainer of the ammonia un- til the crop draws it out, either from the rain or snow, or its own decomposition. We have already stated that rest is one of the means of improving land. While the land is at rest decomposition goes on all the time as though the crops were there, and the rest helps to make the decomposition of the vegetable mold ready for the crop that follows the year afterward. Best gives you a year's sup- ply of vegetable mold to make another crop with. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 219 PRESERVING BARN -YARD MANURE. A striking illustration of the value of manure made in the barn-yard, by pre- serving it from the influence of the weather, is presented in the experiment lately made by Lord Kinnard, a Scotch land-owner and farmer. Four acres of good soil well measured; two of them were manured with ordinary barn -yard manure, and two with an equal quantity of manure from the covered sheds. The whole was planted with potatoes. The product of each acre was as follows : Potatoes treated with barn-yard ma- nure.— One acre produced 272 bushels; one, 298 bushels. Potatoes manured from the covered sheds. — One acre produced 443 bushels; one, 471 bushels. The next year the land was sown with wheat, when the crop was as fol- lows: Wheat on land treated with bam - yard manure. — One acre produced 41 bush- els 19 pounds (of 61 pounds per bushel); one, 42 bushels 38 pounds (of 61 pounds per bushel). Wheat on land manured from the cov- ered sheds. — One acre produced 55 bush- els 5 pounds (of 61 pounds per bushel); one, 53 bushels 47 pounds (of 61 pounds per bushel). The straw also yielded one-third more upon the land fertilized with the ma- nure from the covered stalls than upon that to which the ordinary manure was applied. In view of these facts, we hope that our farmers will give this subject their full attention for their own benefit, and in making shelter or stalls for stock, it might be done with a view to the in- crease of manure under the cattle, as it is not removed before it is intended for use, if it is likely to remain there for months. AGAVE XALAPENSIS. The Agave family has not received the attention from lovers of plants that it deserves. It contains hundreds of species and varieties, some of which, for symmetrical habit and beauty of foliage, are excelled by but very few ornamental and easily cultivated plants. Agave Xalapensis, when well grown, is one of the prettiest. Its leaves grow about two feet long, of a dark green color, terminating with a large brown spine, with small ones thickly set along the edges. It is a native of Mexico, and requires a soil composed of turfy loam and cow manure — about two parts loam and one part manure. When potting, give plenty of drainage, as it requires plenty of water when growing, but when at rest should be kept moder- ately dry. If it gets saturated with wa- ter when at rest, it soon shows the evil effects by the leaves getting pale in col- or, and the bases of them shrivel. For filling vases this plant is well adapted, enduring the burning sun and severe drouths admirably ; the erect growing habit of the young leaves, which droop with age, giving it that graceful outline necessary for plants used for this purpose. During winter the leaves should be kept dry; at least no water should be allowed to lie on them, as it rots the parts covered, quickly destroying the injured leaf. When removing the plants, great care should be taken to prevent the leaves from rubbing on each other, as the spines on the edges puncture the fleshy part, leaving marks which, although not visible at the time, make their appear- ance afterward, greatly disfiguring the plants. — Country Gentleman. To a gentleman every woman is a lady in right of her sex. 220 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. FRUITS ADAPTED TO CALIFORNIA. Following is a list of fruits adapted to California, taken from the catalogue of the American Pomological Society: Apples. — Alexander, American Sum- mer Pearmain, Autumn Bough, Au- tumnal Swaar, Beauty of Kent, Ben Davis, Blue Peannain, Broadwell, Buck- ingham, Bullock's Pippin, Cannon Pear- main, Carolina Red June, Dutch Mig- nonne, Duchess of Oldenburgh, Dyer or Pomme Royal, Early Harvest, Early Pennock, Early Strawberry, Fall Jen- netting, Fall Orange, Fall Pippin or Holland Pippin (erroneously), Fall Wine, Fameuse, Golden Russet of "Western New York, Golden Sweet, Gravenstein, Hawthornden, Hewes' Vir- ginia Crab, Hightop Sweet, Hubbards- ton Nonsuch, Jersey Sweet, Jonathan, Keswick Codlin, King of Tompkins County, Lady's Sweet, Large Yellow Bough, Lowell, Maiden's Blush, Mc- Afee's Nonsuch, Mother, Newtown Pip- pin or Albemarle Pippin, Newtown Spitzenberg (Vandevere, of New York), Peck's Pheasant, Porter, Primate, Rambo, Rawle's Genet, Red Astrachan, Rhode Island Greening, Rome Beauty, Roxbury Russet, Smith's Cider, Summer Rose, Swaar, Talman's Sweet, Twenty- ounce Apple (Cayuga Red-streak), Wag- ener, Westfield Seek-no-further, "White Winter Pearmain, William's Favorite, Wine, Winesap, Yellow Bellefleur. Apricots. — Breda, Large Early, Moor- park, Red Masculine. Blackberries. — Dorchester, Kitta- tinny, New Rochelle or Lawton, Wil- son's Early. Cherries. — Arch Duke, Belle de Choisy, Belle d'Orleans, Bigarreau (Grafnon, Yellow Spanish), Bigarreau of Mezel, Black Eagle, Black Tartarian, Carnation, Coe's Transparent, Donna Maria (new), Downer's Late, Early Purple Guigne, Early Richmond, Gov- ernor Wood, Hovey, May Duke, Napo- leon, Red Jacket, Reine Hortense, Rock- port, Tradescant's Black Heart (Elk- horn, Large Black Bigarreau). Currants. — Black Naples, Cherry, Common Black (Black English), Fertile de Paluan, La Versailleuse, Red Dutch, Red Grape, White Grape, Victoria (Ruby Castle). Gooseberries. — Houghton, Big Eng- lish (occasionally). Grapes (Native). — Croton (lately in- troduced). Nearly all the foreign. Peaches. — Cole's Early Red, Cool- edge's Favorite, Crawford's Late, Early York, George the Fourth, Grosse Mig- nonne, Hale's Early, La Grange, Large Early York, Lemon Cling, Malta, Old Mixon Free, Old Mixon Cling, Smock, Stump the World, Troth's Early, Ward's Late Free, White Imperial, Yellow Rareripe. Pears. — Bartlett, Belle Lucrative, Beurre Clairgeau, Beurre d'Anjou, Beurre Diel, Beurre Giffard, Beurre Hardy, Beurre Superfin, Bloodgood, Brandywine, Buffum, Catillac, Clapp's Favorite (new), Dearborn's Seedling, Doyenne Boussock, Doyenne d'Alencon, Doyenne de Cornice, Doyenne d'Ete, Duchesse d'Angouleme, Easter Beurre, Flemish Beauty, Glout Morceau, Hen- kel, Hosenschenk, Howell, Josephina de Malines, Lawrence, Louise Bonne de Jersey, Nouveau Poiteau, Onondaga (Swan's Orange), Osband's Summer, Passe Colmar, Pound, Rostiezer, Seckel, Sheldon, Stevens' Genesee, Tyson, Ur- baniste, Vicar of Wakefield or Le Cure, White Doyenne, or Virgalie, Winter Nelis. Plums. — Bavay's Green Gage, or Reine Claude de Bavay, Bradshaw, Coe's Golden Drop, Columbia, Damson, German Prune, General Hand, Huling's Superb, Imperial Gage, Italian Prune, THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 221 (or Fellenberg), Jefferson, Lawrence's Favorite, Lombard, McLaughlin, Prune d'Agen, Royale Hative, Smith's Orleans. Quinces. — Apple or Orange, Portugal. Strawberries. — Large Early Scarlet, Longworth's Prolific, Triomphe de Gand, Wilson's Albany. CLIMBING ANNUALS. BX F. A. MTLLEB. (See Frontispiece.) In presenting a group of annuals we have selected two of a climbing habit. The others rank among the most meri- torious and least known on this coast. Tropceolum peregrinum (Canary-bird vine), is a most graceful variety of the Tropseolum or Nasturtium. Flowers, sulphur yellow; the petals fringed and well reflexed, resembling the wings of a bird. The blooms are produced in great abundance from June to Novem- ber, and have the peculiarity of chan- ging their color to a much darker tint toward autumn. The branches recurve in a most graceful manner, and the bearing of the whole plant is elegant. The seed can be sown here in April; or, if planted in pots with protection of glass, it may be sown earlier, and the plants can be transferred after a month or so to their proper places. Convolvulus minor, with its numerous varieties, is one of that hardy and free flowering class of plants which should be more extensively cultivated here. Most of them assume the character of trailing plants, and produce a most charming effect when fairly developed. The flowers of the various sorts vary in color from white to a rich violet, some kinds producing double flowers. The seed germinates freely, and should be sown where the plants are expected to remain. Scyphantus elegans is with us a peren- nial climber, and is rarely met with. The flowers are of a bright yellow color, and the habit of the entire plant is most elegant and interesting. The culture of the Scyphantus is not attended with any difficulties, but it is advisable to start the seed in pots under some slight protection, and transfer the plants, with soil attached to the roots, to their re- spective places in the months of April or May. In the greenhouse the Scy- phantus may be cultivated successfully as a perennial, and forms a pretty orna- ment. Digitalis (Foxglove), a hardy perenni- al with us, is very little known here, although as a herbaceous border plant it has but few superiors. It does not bloom until the second year from seed, when its Gloxinia-shaped flowers, pro- duced on long spikes, form a highly decorative object in the garden. The various colors of its numerous varieties are white, purple, rose, and yellowish brown, more or less spotted with darker colors. The best varieties are D. lana- ta, D. purpurea, D. gloxinioides, D. ma- culata, and D. grandiflora. The seed of the Digitalis is very fine, and should not be covered more than a sixteenth of an inch deep, with partial shading until the plants are strong enough to be transplanted or thinned out. Sow in autumn, or early (not later than April) in spring. ■ ■ m — Mending Watering-Pots. — Tin water- ing-pots much used in the garden often become rusted at the lower corners, and begin to leak. It is not necessary yet to throw them aside, as the holes may be effectually stopped without going to the tinker's, by covering them inside with a small piece of linen dipped in copal varnish, the tin being previously thoroughly dried. 222 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. MltotiM WmtMw. HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION. We are happy to announce that ar- rangements have been perfected be- tween the Mechanics' Institute and the Bay District Horticultural Society of California for a horticultural and floral display, in conjunction with the Me- chanics' Fair. The large and elegant pavilion now under construction on Market, Eighth, and Mission Streets, will be completed by the 1st of Au- gust, and the exhibition will open on Tuesday, August 18th. This will be the Fourth Annual Exhibition of the Horticultural Society, and it is believ- ed will not be inferior to any former display, while the decoration will prob- ably be on a grander scale than hereto- fore. The horticultural department will occupy about one-sixth of the en- tire building, a space fifty feet wide by 250 feet long, being a portion of the main building, which is provided with extra lights and ventilation. The arrangement of the horticultural department will be in the style of a modern flower-garden, while the out- skirts will be planted in grass. The most objectionable feature to the exhibition is, that it is to remain open for four weeks; but this difficulty has been removed by dividing the time into four weekly exhibitions, so that plants and articles of perishable nature can be removed at the end of every week, and be replaced by others. To accomplish this, the horticultural department will be closed every Monday, and until Tuesday noon, for the purpose of re- moving and entering articles. About $850 in premiums are offered for the various floricultural, horticul- tural, and agricultural products of the State, all of which, we hope, will meet a lively competition. There is little doubt but that floral displays have now become indispensa- ble entertainments to this community; and it is with great pleasure we per- ceive the very encouraging progress in the interest felt for this healthful and recreative pursuit, and for which we have been working earnestly during the past four years. We also hope that the horticultural display will be more general than here- tofore. All of our nurserymen and flor- ists should combine to make this a most complete success. All are invited to do their share. Competition is open to all. If amateurs would consent to bring some of their pets, a most pleasing feat- ure could be added to the exhibition. FAVORS RECEIVED. The Oveeland Monthly foe August. — We always enjoy the perusal of this magazine, from the fact that it comes from such a new and peculiarly rich field of literature. It may not be inap- propriate to mention that the Overland is certainly entitled to no small degree of credit to have produced such popu- lar American authors as Bret Harte, Charles W. Stoddard, Joaquin Miller, Stephen Powers, John Muir, Prentice Mulford, Benjamin P. Avery, and Miss Ina D. Coolbrith, and also that it is ap- parently advancing a number of its oth- er contributors to an enviable position in literature. Some of the contents of the present number are very instruct- ive, as follows: "Glimpses of the Court of China," by Bishop Kip; "Pioneers of Oregon;" "Mythological Zoology of Japan;" conclusion of Dr. Stillman's Argonautic papers; "Legislation on Railway Freight Charges;" the fourth paper on "Studies in the Sierra," by John Muir. The "Etc." department contains a very elaborate translation, by THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 223 the editor, of a criticism on the French Art Exhibition of 1874. $4 per annum. John H. Carmany and Co., publishers, San Francisco. We are again indebted to James Vick, of Rochester, New York, for the hand- some frontispiece of the present issue of this journal. A copy of the Pacific Coast Education- al Journal has been placed on our table. This is the first number of this quarter- ly publication, and is a very creditable production. It is alike instructive to the teacher, the pupil, and the home circle. $1.50 per annum. John H. Carmany & Co., publishers, San Fran- Everlasting Flowers. — The Immor- telle of the East (Helichrysum orientate), a native of Asia, has been known in Europe since 1620, but was only first cultivated in gardens about 1815. Its flowers, the symbols of friendship, or tribute to talent and genius, serve to make the garlands of Immortelles which ornament the tombs of the dead in Roman Catholic countries. It is culti- vated in France, in the communes of Lower Provence, where the soil slopes toward the Mediterranean Sea. It suc- ceeds very well on the slopes of Bandols and Cioto, which are exposed to the south and inclosed by walls of stone. It blossoms about the month of June. It suffers from heavy and continuous rains and strong dews, and only vege- tates well on light, stony and permeable soils. It is propagated by offsets, which are separated from the old stocks. The gathering of the flowers is made in the first days of June, before the bursting of the buds. As the flowers which are insufficiently formed or too full blown are rejected by the trade, it is impor- tant not to cut either too soon or too late. The collection is made by women, who tie them in small bundles, which are ordinarily dried on the walls of the inclosure. Finally, young girls are employed to remove the down which covers the ramifications. A kilogramme (2J lbs.) by weight of those plants con- tains about 400 stems, each containing about 20 flowers. Each growing tuft of Immortelles produces 60 or 70 stems. A hectare (2 J acres) will contain 40,000 tufts, producing annually 2,400,000 to 2,800,000 stems, yielding 16,000 to 20,000 bundles, or five and a half to' six and a half tons in weight of Immor- telles.— Gustave Henge. Mice in Hotbeds. — When mice get into frames, as they often do, they pro- duce a fearful amount of mischief in a few days, if not destroyed. This may easily be done by mixing sugar and butter or lard smoothly together, in which a little strychnine is incorporat- ed ; spread this on thin slices of bread, and cut in small cubes and distribute them among the plants, and at the same time place vessels of water in some con- venient place, where they may drink. Or, if preferred, the phosphorus com- pound sold by druggists for this pur- pose may be used, but we have always had the best success with the first-nam- ed mixture. In either case, care must be taken that the children do not have access to the prepared bits of bread. — Canada Farmer. The New Japan Primrose has already been broken by English florists into as many varieties as the old Chinese Prim- rose has been. We do not hear of any double ones yet; but the production of these flowers is now so much better un- derstood, that it will probably not be loner before we see them. 224 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. EEPOET ON THE FRUIT AND VEGETA- BLE MARKET. BY E. J. HOOPEB. There are now at work in this State some of the wisest and best cultivators of fruits and vegetables. Progress in this respect is now being rapidly made. Knowledge, through experience, is effecting very valuable results. Even in this section of country, naturally so very highly favored in its different cli- mates and soils, there are many things to contend with, and intelligence, judg- ment, energy, and continual vigilance, are necessary. Insects injurious to vegetation and fruit are becoming every season more numerous. "With respect to varieties, both of fruits and vegeta- bles, we are beginning to reject those which are unworthy, to treasure the best information, and to publish, for the benefit of our whole population, the conclusions arrived at in our re- searches. In another place in this number of the HoKTicui/ruKiST will be found a list of fruits best adapted for California, published in the excellent and carefully formed catalogue of the American Po- mological Society. In this catalogue they have mainly relied on those fruits which have originated on American soil. The clear skies and warm summers of our American climate, especially in Cali- fornia, are far more favorable for suc- cessful productions than the lands of Van Mons, Knight, Esperen, and others. There will occur now, as of old, decay and deterioration of certain sorts of fruits, and the causes which lead to these evils will still exist. The Pear and Apple have been more subject than any other fruit to degeneracy. All the other fruits are, fortunately, almost entirely exempt from these troubles; and even the Pear and Apple on this coast have suffered but little, if at all, as yet, from this deterioration. We can certainly do as much, if not more, here, in originating excellent fruits from seed, than in any other country. In- deed, it appears that some fruitists have already been successful in this process. We may, probably, in* time, and with patient industry, produce a better earlier or later Strawberry than the Wilson, or even the Longworth Prolific, or an Apple much earlier and better than the Early Harvest or Early Strawberry. Perfec- tion, or very near it, may be obtained in this, as in many other things. We must plant the seeds of our best varie- ties ; this may lead to vast improve- ment. Some cultivators, it is to be hoped, will be found, who, from their wealth and leisure, will be able to accomplish something lastingly benefi- cial to the community in this regard. Mr. Fox, of this State, has already made, in sowing Pear seeds from the improved kinds, a notable step in this matter, and the success he has met with demonstrates how favorable our climate is for such undertakings. That highly intelligent and noble authority, Col. Marshall P. Wilder, President of the American Pomological Society, in his late excellent address, stated : ' ' Were I never to address you again, I would repeat the counsel I have so often given in regard to the production of new and fine fruits, namely : To plant the most mature and perfect seeds of the most hardy, vigorous and valuable varieties; and as a shorter process, insuring more certain and happy results, cross or hybridize your best fruits." With regard to our markets : About the first week in July, Peaches were received in considerable quantity, but they were rather green and hard; price 15 to 25 cents per pound. Apricots were moderately plentiful, at 6c. to 15c. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 225 Strawberries were rather poor and seedy, retailing at 15c. Gooseberries continued to sell at 6c. per lb. Black- berries were offered at 20c. Currants were very abundant, and retailed at 8c. Raspberries, 15c. to 20c. j^er lb. Eating Apples, of somewhat improved quality, retailed at 15c. per lb. Cooking Apples were quoted at 5c. to 8c. ; Pears being 6c. to 8c. per lb. As to vegetables, Okra, Chile Pep- pers, and Egg Plants were quoted at 50c. per lb. Green Corn was improv- ing, and receipts were rapidly increas- ing. It could be bought at 15c. to 25c. Tomatoes were ripening rapidly, and retailed at 10c. to 15c. per lb. The first Watermelons of the season were received on the 5th of this month (July), from the Sacramento River and Putah Creek. The consignment from the river consisted of 235, and the retail price was 75c. to $1.25 each. Cool weather for the most part of the spring kept back the supply of Tomatoes, and prices were high. No variety of fruit had disappeared up to the 15th of this month, and the list in market up to that time was prob- ably greater than it will be at any other time during the year. About the 6th of this month, the display of some kinds, including Gooseberries and Cherries, was getting to be poor in quality and small in quantity. Peaches began to ar- rive from the Sacramento River, and the supply afterward soon became large. In the middle of this month, Apples were plentiful, and ripe Red Astrachan Apples could be obtained at 40c. to 50c. per basket. The Panama steamer brought, on the 7th, Limes, Alligator Pears, and Or- anges from Acapulco, and a few Bana- nas and Pine-apples from Panama. Ba- nanas sold at 50c. ; Mangoes and Alliga- tor Pears, $1 and $1.25 per doz. The first Figs of the season were re- ceived on the 6th of the month, from I. R. Wolfskill, Putah Creek, Sola- no County. The whole consignment brought $1 per lb. On the 5th, the first box of June Plums was received from Tehama, and the first Hale's Ear- ly Peaches this season from Solano County. The supply of Currants far exceeded the requirements of the mar- ket, and prices were ruinously low to the producer. Families could obtain the best at 35c. per drawer of 10 to 11 lbs. Apricots are very plentiful still, and the prices have been very low. During the writer's visit to Napa So- da Springs, on the side of a mountain 600 feet above Napa Valley, Blackber- ries were only fit to pick for market on the 14th of this month, being nearly four weeks later than last year. The bushes were laden down with the fruit, and they would certainly average more than forty pounds to the bush. From one acre and a half the owner expected to realize $1,000, clear of all expenses. A few Early Harvest and Red Astrachan Apples were ripe there about the 15th of this month (July). Fbutt Preserving- in London. — In an- swer .to inquiries from the editor of the Gardener's Chronicle, Messrs. Crosse & Blackwell state that in 1873 they pre- served 1,100 tons of fruits; namely, 300 tons of Raspberries, 200 of Straw- berries, 100 of Red Currants, 100 of Black Currants, and 400 of other kinds. These fruits are mostly grown within twenty miles of London, chiefly about Bexley Heath and its neighborhood. Although this is the largest quantity ptit up by any single manufactory, it forms only a small fraction of the whole amount preserved in London and other parts of the country. 226 THE CALIFORNIA HOBTICULTUKIST. NEW AND RAEE PLANTS. Verbena Glory of America is con- sidered by the Floral Committee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society as one of the best blue Verbenas ever raised. New Double Zonale Pelargoni- ums.— Jean Sisley, who sent out last year Asa Gray, Aline Sisley, and other good kinds, this season announces a new set. George Sand, flowers white in the house, but tinted with flesh color in the open air; Francois Pertusati, color "aurora/' bordered with white; Carl Vogt, salmon-orange, a " new shade of color;" Talabot, amaranth; Louis Blanc, a cherry lilac. White Pansies. — White Bedder ( Wil- liam Deans). — This is a very useful vari- ety; it is a very showy grower, thriving where others would die; it is a free, early bloomer, and is in good bloom in April when planted in autumn. It is profuse -flowering, the flowers rather small, but it makes a fine display in a mass. Mrs. Felton (Hooper). — The largest and finest white in existence, having a very large, quite peculiar, bluish-violet blotch. It is unequaled as a show vari- ety of this class, and as a bedder pro- duces an effect which at once places it at the head of the bedding whites, while its blotch renders it quite original and distinct. It is of very vigorous habit. Foam (Ware). — This is one of the very best whites. I have compared it for three years with all the rest, and believe this statement correct. It is of compact habit, has large, pale, showy, green foliage, and is a profuse bloomer. The flowers are of good shape, pure white, and of fine substance. It blooms well in May, This flower I have lately seen snubbed; but anyone who likes to view it here in May may judge for himself. It has a blotch of violet blue, free from stars. — Gardener's Magazine. The White Everlasting Pea.— This fine old plant is not nearly so much planted as the colored form, though the white one is really the better plant of the two. It grows as freely as the old form, often attaining eight or nine feet in height, and it is just now one mass of snowy blossoms. The flowers being borne on long, slender stalks, are well adapted for cutting, and they may be used along with the choicest exotics. It figures largely at present in some of the Covent Garden bouquets. When once planted, in good loam, it grows like a weed. — Garden. Early Flowering Chrysanthe- mums.— Large Flowering : Empress of India, Golden Queen, Alma, Lilac. Bev- erly, Christine, Aurea multiflora. Pom- pones : Andromedia, Drin-Drin, La Vouge, General Canrobert, Bose Tre- venna, Bose Marguerite. — Gardener's Magazine. New Variety of Christmas Rose. — Many of our readers are familiar with the Helleborus niger, or old Christmas Bose, which, in protected places, has been seen in bloom in winter, as it stood in the snow. A correspondent of the Garden describes a larger and earlier variety, known as Helleborus niger ma- jor, which produces larger blooms and flowers a month earlier, to which the old sort is a suitable successor. Pelargonium, Queen Victoria. — This new Pelargonium is now being sent out for the first time. To say that it is handsome conveys but an inade- quate idea of it, for it is the most mar- vellously beautiful and novel variety ever offered. The flowers have peculi- arly crispy petals; they are not really double, but from their fullness of form and extra number of petals, have the THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 227 appearance of being so. The color is a rich vermilion; all the petals broadly margined with pure white, and the upper ones blotched with maroon. The contrast of the broad white margin with the vermilion ground-color makes the flower extremely pleasing and attractive. A New Shrub. — That superb, new, hardy flowering shrub, Xanthoceras sor- bifolia, hitherto found to be so difficult to increase, has at last been successfully propagated by Messrs. Thibaut & Kete- leer, of Sceaux, near Paris. It will be "sent out" by that firm in 1875. — Garden. Planera RLehardi pendula. — This is the weeping variety of the Zelkona- tree. It produces long, pendent, slen- der branches, which are pretty well clothed with leaves. It is grafted sev- eral feet above the ground, on the erect growing variety. It forms a handsome ornament either for lawns, pleasure- grounds, or parks. — The Garden. Chamaepeuoe diaoantha. — This beautiful plant is known as the Fish- bone Thistle. It has glossy, dark leaves, with white nerves and brown spines. It is covered with white silky down, and is very beautiful. Primula Verticillata. — The flowers are sweet-scented, and the corolla has a very long tube before throwing out its spreading limb. The leaves are pow- dery, somewhat similar in this respect to the P. farinosa. New Double - flowered Pelargo- nium (Captain Raikes). — This variety will be found at once the most beauti- ful and useful Pelargonium ever sent out, more especially for bouquet makers and market purposes. In fact, its blooming properties, at all times of the year, both early and late, are so extra- ordinary, that it may, with all justice, be termed a perpetual bloomer. This Pelargonium belongs to the French type of flower, and on account of the blooms being double, the petals do not readily fall when cut for bouquet- making. This fact alone will render it simply invaluable, whenever cut blooms are required, at all seasons of the year. It is of a vigorous, free-branching habit, producing large and ample dark green leaves. The trusses of bloom are borne well up above the foliage, and are both numerous and large, whilst the individ- ual flowers are large and full, upper petals deep fiery crimson, flaked with purplish black and bordered with car- mine; lower petals clear, bright, fiery crimson. It has been awarded a first- class certificate by the committee of the Royal Horticultural Society, and also a special prize at the great horticul- tural exhibition at Manchester, where the blooms retained their full beauty, and without any petals dropping, for a whole week. — Garden. Pentstemon Palmeri. — Mr. Thomp- son, of Ipswich, states that the inflor- escence of this plant is of a delicate peach color, and occupies quite two feet in length of the main stem. It comes from Arizona, and probably also occurs in other Western American States. The foliage, which on the flower-stems is connate, is of a glaucous hue, and petiolate on the side branches. It is evidently a robust-growing plant, reaching, when in flower, to a very con- siderable height ; therefore, when the large number of flowers it produces is taken into account, it cannot fail to be a showy plant, either in the herbaceous garden or shrubbeiy border. — Garden. Vernonia noveboraeensis. — This vigorous-growing perennial is now pro- ducing rosy-purple flowers in abun- dance at Kew. Although the stems are somewhat naked, it might be used with 228 THE CALIFORNIA HOETICULTUEIST. good effect in shrubberies along -with such Asters as Novae Angilce, or among vigorous perennials in semi-wild situa- tions.— Garden. A New Hardy Bamboo. — Under the name of Bambusa sulphured, M. Carriere describes a perfectly hardy species of Bamboo now growing in the Jardin d'Acclimitation, in Paris. In general appearance, it resembles B. vir- idiglaucescens, but it is not so vigorous; the stems are somewhat spreading, and of a fine sulphur - yellow color ; the leaves are of a light green on the upper surface, and glaucescent underneath. M. Carriere states that he has never known this species to vary. Unlike the other yellow-stemmed kinds, which are very tender, it requires no shelter in winter. It was first introduced about 1865. — Garden. NEW AND RARE FRUITS. Pilot Apple. — In the Gardener's Monthly for March, a correspondent in- quired for information about this Apple. In the ' ' appendix " to Downing's Fruits, page 27, there is a figure, and the fol- lowing history and description: An accidental seedling, found upon the premises of John Bobbins, at the foot of Pilot Mountain, in Nelson County, Va. Tree hardy, of moderate growth, forming a round head, rather slow coming into bearing, but when estab- lished produces large crops alternate years, and a few the intervening ones, and is considered a valu- able variety in its locality. Young shoots reddish -brown. Fruit large, roundish oblate, slightly angular; skin pale yellowish-green, shaded, splashed and striped Avith pale dull red nearly over the surface, and thickly sprinkled with large areole dots; stalk short, small; cavity rather large; calyx half closed; basin large, deep, smooth; flesh yellow- ish-white, fine, rather firm, tender, juicy, rich subacid, slightly aromatic ; very good; core small. December, January. Cambridge Grape. — This is a new Grape, which has just been offered in Massachusetts. It is strongly recom- mended by Mr. Hovey, who says it7 re- sembles the Concord in many of the characters which give so much value to that popular variety. Mr. Hovey was the introducer of the Hovey Seedling Strawberry, which held a high place in public estimation for so many years; and also brought out the Concord Grape raised by Mr. Bull. These facts are worth remembering in connection with any fruit which they strongly recom- mend. Roots Adapting Themselves to Pbopeb Depth. — Observing farmers have seen the effects of deep planting in wheat fields, where the mass of roots first thrown out at the grain, several inches below the surface, is superseded by an- other mass much nearer the surface. A writer in the Pharmaceutical Journal gives some other examples of a more striking character. Snowdrop bulbs were planted twelve inches beneath the surface. Several of them succeeded in sending up leaves to the surface, and produced flowers. When the foliage began to decay, they were taken up, when the old bulbs a foot down were found to have decayed and perished, and new ones formed four inches be- neath the surface of the soil. On an- other occasion some Tulip roots had been left nearly uncovered, or almost on the top of the earth. After a year's growth, these were found to be only a skin or shell, but a tap-root had struck down and formed healthy bulbs four or five inches below. Thus roots in- struct us how they ought to be planted. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 229 ^tutorial (Stcawtofls. Acalypha Teicoloe. — Few plants ex- cel this for stove decoration all through the year, and yet it is very seldom one meets with a good specimen. Its dark fine foliage has a very pleasing effect among other foliage plants in the stove. Perhaps a few remarks on the culture of this plant may prove useful to some of our readers. The beginning of March is, I find, a very good time for striking cuttings. The compost we use for the purpose is fine peat, leaf -mold, and silver- sand. The pots we use for striking are the four -inch; they are half -filled with crocks to insure good drainage, filled within half an inch of the top with the above compost, and the remaining part filled up with silver-sand. The cuttings when put in are well watered, and are not watered again until they are rooted. The pots are plunged in a bottom-heat of 85°, with a top -heat of about 75°. When rooted they should be potted off singly into three -inch pots, and again plunged in bottom-heat, when in about three weeks they will again require shift- ing into five -inch pots. The compost we use in this stage consists of good turfy peat, loam, a little leaf-mold, and silver -sand, to which is added a few potsherds broken up to the size of peas. As soon as they begin to take hold of the new soil, the necessary steps should be taken to obtain bushy plants by pinching out the leading shoots. We find bottom - heat very beneficial to this plant, more especially in the growing state. If larger plants are re- quired, I strongly recommend employ- ing bottom -heat, and they require pot- ting as they advance, never allowing them to become pot-bound. This plant is very subject to green -fly and mealy- bug. These little pests must be kept under, th'e former by fumigating, the latter by using a little Gishurst Com- pound and plying the syringe freely. In the winter months they should be carefully watered, as drought is pecul- iarly injurious ; but on the other hand, excessive moisture is equally injurious. With the above treatment, we find the Acalypha to give every satisfaction, and I may state, when well grown, it will prove a great acquisition for exhibiting purposes as well as indoor decoration. — Gardener's Monthly. How Flowees becoite Naturally Dou- ble.— At the May meeting of the Phil- adelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, Mr. Thomas Meehan observed, that on several occasions during the past few years it had been noticed, among the variations in nature, that the tendency to produce double flowers was by no means the special prerogative of the florist to originate. Many of our com- monest wild flowers, which no one would think of cultivating, had double forms in cultivation which were, no doubt, originally found wild. Thus we had a double Ranunculus acris, R. bulbosus, R. Ficaria, R. repens, and some others. There were, in plants, two methods by which a double flower was produced. The axis of a flower was simply a branch very much retarded in its development, and generally there were, on this ar- rested branch, many nodes between the series forming the calyx or corolla and the regular stamens and carpels, which were entirely suppressed. But when a double flower was produced, sometimes these usually suppressed nodes would become developed, in which case there was a great increase in the number of petals, without any disturbance in the staminal characters. But at other times there was no disturbance in the normal character of the axis. The stamens 230 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. themselves merely became petaloid. This was the case in the Epigcea recent- ly found by Dr. Darrach. — The Garden. Mushroom Power. — We have referred before to the remarkable power that delicate rootlets have of penetrating the hardest soil. A correspondent of the Gardener's Chronicle, of London, gives an interesting account of the force exerted by the mycelium of the Mush- room in making its way through appar- ently impenetrable materials. He says: "I observed a few days ago in our Mush- room-house, with considerable interest, and I may say with surprise, the pene- trating power of Mushroom spawn. One side of the bed is brick four and a half inches thick, firmly set in hard lime, so close in the texture that it is impossible to introduce the point of a nail without considerable force. Never- theless, the mycelium found admission, and produced Mushrooms of a consider- able size on the outer side. The wall in several places contains joorous bricks, and there, too, the mycelium found its way right through." Flowers among the Ancients. — The custom of using flowers on occasions of mourning and festival is of high antiq- uity. Roses were especial favorites of the Romans; their floors and couches were strewn with them at feasts ; some- times the ceiling was arranged to show- er Roses on those below, occasional- ly almost to suffocation. Among the Greeks, " It •was the custom then to bring away The blushing bride from home at close of day, Borne in a chariot, heralded along With strewn flowers, torches, and a marriage song." The classic fables concerning them are innumerable. Daphne transformed to the Laurel; Syrinx to the Reed; Nar- cissus, emblem of self-love; Hyacinth, sprung from the blood of Apollo's mur- dered favorite, and Anemone from the earth where lay dead Adonis — are but few of those that might be mentioned. — Canada Farmer. The natives of Java are said to pos- sess a fatal poison, which acts in a pure- ly mechanical way, and yet, when ad- ministered to any animal, is said to pro- duce certain death. It consists of the small, black filaments obtained from the stalk of the bamboo. These fila- ments, or minute needle-shaped spines, are covered with an imperceptible furze, which acts as a propelling medium, so that when the needles are swallowed they catch in the victim's throat, from which they work their way into the res- piratory organs, and there produce ir- ritation, followed by a violent inflam- mation, and eventually death. The needles are so fine that they may be mixed with any form of solid food, and thus be administered to the victim. Sulphate of Iron and Vegetation. — M. Eusebe Gris has been making ex- periments on the influence of sulphate of iron on vegetation, and comes to these conclusions: That the salt is a stimulating manure; that it presents no danger when intelligently applied; that its action is evident upon the coloring principle of leaves; that from its cheap- ness a few cents' worth is sufficient to treat hundreds of plants; that it might be applied to cultivation on a large scale, and especially to the cultivation of fruit. His manner of applying the sulphate is as follows: A solution of two drachms to one quart of water is made, and with this the plants, previ- ously placed in the shade, are watered. It is presumed that the earth surround- ing the plant is moist; if this is not the case, a more dilute solution must be THE CALIFOKNIA HOBTICULTUKIST. 231 used. The solution may be applied daily for five or six days; about two and a half ounces are sufficient for each watering of an ordinary-sized plant, as a Calceolaria. Plants which have be- come sickly, colorless, etiolated, will, under this treatment, quickly recover a full green color, give finer flowers, send forth more vigorous shoots, and gener- erally show the good effects of the tonic. Vegetation Inside an Egg. — A foreign journal states that "Professor Panceri made an interesting communication to the Institut Egyptien, at its meeting in December, on the cryptogamic vegeta- tion which he had found within the egg of an ostrich. This egg had been given him at Cairo, and was still fresh, the air space having not even been formed. He soon, however, noticed the appear- ance of dark blotches within the shell, and having broken it open to ascertain the cause, he found that they were pro- duced by the growth of minute fungi. Instances of a similar kind had already been studied by him, and he had com- municated the results to the Botanical Congress held at Lugano in 1859. The believers in the reality of the sponta- neous generation of living organisms have not been slow to seize on these cases as an argument in their favor, since, a priori, it would seem that the shell of an egg would be quite imper- meable to germs derived from without. Panceri has succeeded in satisfying him- self, however, that the unbroken shell of an egg is permeable to liquids, and that these may introduce germs into its interior. He has, in fact, actually suc- ceeded in inoculating other eggs with a fungus which he had obtained from the interior of one in which it had made its appearance in a way apparently so mys- terious. He cultivated the fungus in egg albumen, and thus conveyed it to the uncontaminated eggs." The Vitality of Seeds. — A corres- pondent of the Bevue Eorticole, in sending the following notes to that journal, states that they were commu- nicated to him by a friend who had ample opportunity for making trust- worthy observations on the subject. The figures indicate the number of years in which the seeds may be de- pended upon as preserving their vitality or power of growth. They represent the periods of time after which the vari- ous seeds mentioned have been found perfectly good, and may be of some use as a guide to those who are uncertain whether to throw away or sow old packets of seeds: Seeds of Artichoke (globe) lasts good for 5 years; Aspara- gus, 4 ; Beans (garden), 6 ; Beans (French), 2 to 3; Beet, 5; Cabbage, 5; Carrot, 4; Cauliflower, 5; Celery, 7; Cress (garden), 5; Cress (water), 4; Cucumber, 5; Dandelion, 1; Egg-plant, 7; Fennel, 6; Gourds, 5; Leeks, 2; Lettuce, 5; Maize, 2; Melon, 5; Mus- tard, 5; Nasturtium, 5; Onions, 2 to 3; Parsnip, 1; Parsley, 3; Peas, 4 to 5; Pepper (long) 4; Potatoes, 3; Badish, 5; Bhubarb, 3; Salsify, 2; Spinach, 5; Strawberry, 8; Thyme, 2 to 3; Tomato, 5; and Turnip, 5. Sewage and Peppeemint. — According to the Bulletin Therapeutique, an attempt made by a Paris merchant to utilize the sewage of that city in the cultivation of labiate plants in the plain of G-enevil- lers has been so successful, that at the present time three hectares of land (7| acres) are devoted to the raising of Peppermint alone. The plant is said to grow with such vigor that three col- lections are made in each year, whilst the essential oil obtained from it by 232 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. distillation is asserted to be superior in delicacy of aroma and flavor to that imported from England. So satisfied are the directors of the Pharmacie Cen- trale with the results, that they express their readiness, should any pharmacian be sufficiently enterprising to extend the experiment to the neighborhood of the manufactory at St. Denis, to under- take to use all the produce. The Best Geeanitjms. — In the Report for 1873 of the Massachusetts Horticult- ural Society, is given the following list of the best G-eraniums for general bedding purposes : "The best golden tricolor is Mrs. Pollock; the silver tricolors are of lit- tle value. The Albion Cliff is the best silver - edged for bedding. In the bronze class, Moor, Harold, and Eeine Victoria, dwarf, are the best. The best scarlets are Orbiculatum, Coleshill, Gen. Grant, Kingcraft, Leonidas, and Sir John Moore. For darker shades of scarlet, Douglass Pearson and Welling- ton are good. Crystal Palace Gem is the best golden-leaved. The best pink Geraniums are May Queen and Master Christine. Ethee Glue. — An excellent liquid glue is made by dissolving glue in nitric ether. The ether will dissolve only a certain amount of glue, conse- quently the solution cannot be made too thick. The glue thus made is about the consistency of molasses, and has double the tenacity of that made with hot water. If a few bits of India-rub- ber, cut into scraps the size of buck- shot, be added, and the solution be allowed to stand a few days, being stirred frequently, it will be all the better, and will resist the dampness twice as well as glue made with water. Roses foe Peesia. — Sending Roses to Persia seems much like sending coals to Newcastle, but our English cousins have been doing this. The Gardener says that the floral decorations at Buck- ingham Palace, during the Shah's tem- porary residence there consisted almost wholly of Roses, selected with a view to recall to his mind his own Persian "gardens of Gul in their bloom;" and so struck was his majesty by the splen- did display of these flowers which daily met his eyes, that he has sent an order to London for an extensive assortment of the same kinds to be dispatched im- mediately to Persia. Thietx-one years ago, Corn sold at Mansfield, Ohio, for 12J cents, Oats at 10 cents, Wheat at 40 cents, per bush- el, and dressed hogs at one cent per pound. METEOROLOGICAL RECORD, Fob the Month ending June 30th, 1874. (Prepared for The HoRTicTJi/niBisT by Thos. Tennent, Mathematical Instrument and Chronometer-maker, No. 423 Washington Street, near the Post Office) . BABOMETEB. Mean height at 9 a. m 30.08 in. do 12m 30.08 do 3 p. it 30.07 do 6p.m 30.06 Highest point on the 5th at 9 a.m. , 30.19 Lowest point, on the 30th at 6 p. m 29.99 THEKMOMETEB. ( With north exposure and free from reflected heat.) Mean height at 9 a. m 62° do 12 m 67° do 3 P. m 66° do 6 P. M .' 62° Highest point, on the 13th, at 3 p.m 82° Lowest point on the 22d, at 6 p.m 55° SELF-EEGISTEBING THEEMOMETEE. Mean height during the night 50° Highest point at sunrise on the 10th 59° Lowest point at sunrise on the 17th 46° WINDS. North and north-west on 13 days; south-west on 2 days; west on 15 days. WEATHEB. Clear on 12 days; cloudy on 2 days; variable on 16 days; rainy on 2 days. BAIN GAUGE. June 6th 0.04 inches. 21st 0.04 Total 0.08 Previously reported 23.90 " Total rain of the season up to date 23 .98 " Aristolochia Sepho ( Dutchman 's Pipe.) THE AND FLORAL MAGAZINE. Vol. TV. AUGUST, 1874. No. 8. ALPINE PLANTS. BY F. A. MILLER. [Continued from the July number.] The Aukicula (Primula auricula) is one of the oldest and prettiest Alpine plants under cultivation, yet it is rarely met with here; in fact, very few of our amateur gardeners seem to know of its existence. In Europe we find the Au- ricula in every collection; in fact, wher- ever there is room for a flower -pot we generally meet with it. There is no reason why we can not grow the Auric- ula here in its full glory, our climate being exceedingly well adapted for it. During the last two years I have paid special attention to a collection of about 200 plants, and find that, without any care except watering them occasionally, they continue to flower through nearly all the year. Our rainless and cool summer favors its cultivation. The varieties of the Auricula are al- most endless; but the green-edged va- rieties are nowadays considered most desirable. Since making their cultiva- tion a special point, I have had the pleasure of seeing them admired by many visitors, and I have good reason to believe they will yet become favor- VOL. IV.— 28. ites in our gardens. The Auricula is a native of the European Alps. Pentstemons are another much -ne- glected class of herbaceous Alpines, and so well adapted to our mild climate that they may be had in bloom during winter as well as summer. They are easily raised from seed, and bloom with us in autumn and during the following winter, if the seed is sown in April or May. There are a number of distinct and good varieties, the leading colors of which are violet, rose, carmine, lilac, yellow, and blue. The Pentstemons are natives of America, mostly of Mex- ico. A very pretty variety, P. confer- tus, of a sulphur-yellow eolor, is found in Oregon; the best and most remarka- ble blue varieties, P. Gordoni and P. ccerulea, are indigenous to California; and the prettiest of all, P. spectabilis, is also a native of California, and found in the mountain range back of San Die- go. This variety produces large and brilliant flowers of a reddish purple, grows five to six feet high, and is a veiy prolific bloomer. Although our Californian varieties of Pentstemons are taken under cultivation with much eagerness in Europe, no one seems to care for them here. I am con- 234 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. tinually at a loss to account for the in- difference with -which so many beautiful native plants are treated at home, while imported plants of much less merit are eagerly purchased at a high price. This must be attributed, however, more to the producer than to the purchaser. It is true the nurseryman is compelled to cultivate that which is most in demand; but he should also make it his business to create a demand for anything which he considers meritorious, although its natural habitat may be within a stone's throw of his nursery. A little less of prejudice against "wild flowers" would perhaps give us a higher opinion of the country we live in. In concluding this second article on Alpine plants, I would mention the Phloxes, and particularly the Phlox hy- brida. An endless number of varieties of these are now presented annually in the catalogues of our eastern nursery- men. Nearly all the varieties are worth having, and it is difficult to select from the long list of exquisite colors and shades. Some of them grow from four to five feet high, while others assume a more dwarfish habit. They flower here from July until late in autumn. The flowers also vary much in the arrange- ment of colors. We have the pure, the striped, the light centered, the star- shaj)e centered, etc. The colors are bright, pure, and pleasing, varying from the clearest white to a dark red, shaded rose, violet, lilac, and blue. Nowhere can Phloxes be grown to greater perfection than in California, and no class of plants will thrive with so little care. They may be raised from seed, and are easily propagated by di- viding the roots in autumn or spring. They may also be propagated from cut- tings of the young wood during spring and early summer; but this mode of propagating requires to be done under glass. Few Phloxes are cultivated here now, but the day is not distant when they will be seen in every garden. [To be Continued.] CALIFOENIA FEUITS. The following article on the fruit crop of California will have some inter- est for all classes of the community, as it exhibits faithfully the resources of our State in this department of profit- able industry. If some of our wealthy capitalists are at a loss where to invest judiciously, the facts and figures there stated may give them an idea of a field for safe speculation which is widening every year. California Fkuits. — Any intelligent observer who will take the trouble to walk through the fruit market at this season of the year, can not fail to be favorably impressed with the great re- sources of California in this respect, and her claim to be considered foremost among the fruit-growing countries of the world. For size and beauty of col- oring, her fruit bears away the palm, not only for that which is grown in temperate regions, but for many pro- ducts of the tropics as well. In Grapes, for instance, he will find the Purple Isabella, the White Muscatel, the firm- meat Hamburg, and the rosy Tokay and Catawba. To an artistic eye, aes- thetically cultivated, these are among the most beautiful productions of na- ture. The rich glow seems as if just transferred from the sunset sky to the glossy skin of these delicious fruits, which appear to be bursting with the imprisoned sweets within — just as if a miniature summer, with rosy -tinted clouds, was incorporated into the ripened seed-bearer, giving it a soul of priceless and inimitable colors. The display of Raspberries, Strawberries, THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 235 Plums, and Cherries, is very tempting, the latter especially being of large size, and in flavor far superior to those of the Eastern and Southern States. Small Fruits. — Up to the 16th of June, 1,120,000 pounds of Strawberries were shipped to this city — a very large consignment. At present they are very- scarce. It has been remarked that the Raspberries of this year have a richer flavor than usual; but no increase in the yield has been noticed. This cir- cumstance may arise from the fact that in 1871 this fruit was much injured by the ravages of a small bug about the size of two lines, which can only be detected by careful scrutiny. When the existence of this diminutive animal was made known to the Raspberry- eating public, many persons conceived a violent prejudice against the fruit, and looked upon it ever after with dis- trustful and suspicious glances. The objection has not been removed this season, in spite of all assertions to the contrary: for the writer of this article, after having eaten half a pound last week, displayed considerable chagrin and stomachic anxiety upon discovering a dozen of the little bugs trotting a race against time up the sides of the saucer. They can do no harm, however, when taken into the stomach, because the chemical juices of the body instantly deprive them of life, and no alarm need be felt should anyone swallow them and ascertain the disagreeable fact afterward. They are selling (the Rasp- berries— not the bugs), wholesale, at 5c. to 6c. per pound, and, when prop- erly cleansed, make a palatable addi- tion to the dessert. The number of Strawberry-vines and Blackberry, Raspberry, Currant, and Gooseberry bushes, has been estimated at 40,000,000, and the value of the yearly crop at nearly $2,000,000. The Gooseberries are considered in- ferior to those of other countries, but they are rapidly improving. Mr. W. N. Steuben, of Gilroy, has grown some of the English variety this season, which measure three inches in circumference and an inch and a half long. Larger Fruits. — The Apricot is a healthier tree than the Peach, and has an advantage over it in the fact that the fruit of some varieties ripens earlier. The Apricot looks well this year, and is slightly improved in flavor. There are about 100,000 trees in the State in good condition. But few Peaches are in market. Hale's Early variety, from Briggs' orchard, Marysville, may be seen for sale. They are about three times the ordinary size, and weigh about fourteen ounces each. The Nec- tarine ripens later than the Apricot, but has not so sweet a flavor. It labors, also, under the disadvantage of not being so prolific, although it is a hardy fruit. There are about 60,000 trees in the State, and they appear to be thriv- ing. There are about the same number of Quince-trees. The Quince is hardy and prolific — not so much esteemed here as in the Eastern States, because the supply of fresh fruit is more varied and abundant here throughout the greater part of the year, and also for the reason that Quince jelly is not so much in demand as it is in colder cli- mates, where the snows lie upon the ground for three or four months every winter. Cutting & Co., C. James King of William & Co., and other firms, are putting up large quantities of this jelly and fruit in hermetically-sealed cans and boxes, and thus far have found it to be a very profitable branch of busi- ness. Plums and Cherries. — The different varieties of the Plum are represented by about 530,000 trees, of which num- 236 THE CALIFOENIA HORTICULTUKIST. ber Santa Clara claims 120,000. The fruit, as far as can be ascertained, has never been troubled by the curculio or plum-weevil, so destructive to this fruit in the Eastern States and in Europe. Lately vast quantities of this excellent fruit have been pitted and dried by the Alden process, in which shape they are sold in bulk at 25c. per pound, and in caddies at 40c. The California Cherries are the finest in the world, unquestionably, as regards size and flavor. A great deal of damage is done to them by the birds, who appre- ciate very much this luscious globule; but the loss is much less than would be sustained by the depredations of the curculio and other pests to vegetation which are destroyed by the winged messengers of the air. The crop this season is large and excellent. In Ne- vada County, two tons of Cherries will be sent this year to Colfax Station, at 10c. per pound. The Cherry culture is a very profitable one. One hundred trees will stand on an acre of ground, at twenty-one feet apart, and an acre of the red land of the foot-hills will yield a crop worth $1,000. The German Prune is represented by 7,000 trees. Several companies have gone into the business of drying this popular article of dessert, with great success, the dried fruit being equal to the best imported, and, in fact, some of it is palmed off and sold as the German Prune. The Fig. — The broad-leaved, green, and shady Fig-tree, with its clusters of pear-shaped, juicy, purple, and green fruit — next to the vine the historic pro- duction of biblical times, the favorite of the tropics, and the beautiful viand of all nations — is represented in California by nearly 90,000 trees. Frost is its great climatic enemy, and the genial warmth of the Sacramento basin and the southern counties are its greatest helps to prolific development. In the coast valleys, where not troubled with fog, it produces one good crop annually; but in the southern part of the State, and in other favorable localities, it yields two, three, and even four crops per year. As an instance of the remark- ably prolific power of this tree, it is related that Mr. Knight, by continued high temperature, produced in England as many as eight crops in twelve months. This hint may be taken by our Califor- nian fruit-growers, who can more easily achieve the same result. A Fig-tree on the estate of Mr. Clarken, in Folsom, Sacramento County, a few years ago, produced four crops of excellent fruit in one year, although no care whatever was taken of it. In the colder countries of Europe it is kept dwarfed, in order that it may receive the benefit of the heat of the sun reflected from the earth. The most common varieties in Califor- nia are the Old Mission Brown and the White Smyrna. The former is more prolific, but the latter yields larger Figs, with a better flavor. The dried Fig is equal in flavor, but does not pre- sent so fine an appearance as the im- ported article. The two varieties of the Almond (the Hard-shell and Paper-shell) are repre- sented by about 40,000 trees. This tree resembles the Peach very closely, and is subject to the curl. It is not so hardy as the Peach, being more easily injured by frost, but is a favorite in the market. The English Walnut, represented by 25,000 trees, is a very profitable nut. It falls from the trees when ripe, and can be left on the ground several months without danger of loss. It is exten- sively cultivated in Los Angeles, So- noma, Santa Barbara, Sacramento, and Solano counties. The Olive. — The consumption of THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 237 Olive oil on this coast is very great — so ranch so that the Olives raised in Los Angeles will not be sufficient to supply the demand for many years to come. Olives have never been extensively cul- tivated here, for the reason that there is no home market for the crude oil; but there is now a sufficient quantity grown to manufacture the oil for the local market. Speaking upon this sub- ject, the Los Angeles Herald says: "The same process by which Mr. Carreras, of the Los Angeles Petroleum Refining Company, reduces the heaviest crude oil to a first-class illumining fluid, at a cost of two cents per gallon, and within twenty minutes' time, will also refine Olive oil, and make it equal to the best article manufactured in Europe. This is an important discovery to the people of this valley. The cultivation of the Olive is very profitable where there is a demand for the crude oil; and the fact that we can, through Mr. Car- reras' method, produce an article supe- rior to that imported from Europe, for less money, will give an impetus to Olive culture not anticipated a few months ago. The fruit may be success- fully grown in almost any part of the valley. This discovery develops an- other important industry, which will enable us to retain at home many thou- sands of dollars now sent abroad ; to export an article of commerce instead of importing it, and will also enhance the value of real estate." The San Diego Union remarks: " The prevailing impression has been that the Olive will not bear until ten years old, this being the ordinary time of bearing in other portions of the world with most of the varieties cultivated; but in Cali- fornia, with the varieties here planted, the case is different. Hollister's exten- sive orchard, four miles back from the coast at Santa Barbara, was in bearing three years after planting. The Kim- ball brothers also have two -year -old trees full of fruit, on their lands at National City, upon the Bay of San Diego. Higgins' place is farther off from the coast, being about eight miles inland, where the air is less saline, and the winds from the ocean very much moderated. At these three places the trees are not planted in valley land, but on the mesa or table-land. At the Mis- sion of San Diego, the old trees planted by the missionaries, a hundred years ago, are in valley land, and they prob- ably never were irrigated. Their pres- ent flourishing condition, after many years of neglect, and the vigorous growth and healthy appearance of the trees at the Hollister, Higgins, and Kimball places, show that from Santa Barbara down to the Mexican boundary, all along the coast, and for at least ten miles back, the soil and climate, on up- land and in valley, are peculiarly adapted to the growth of the Olive." Peaks. — The different varieties of Pears most popular here are the Dear- born Seedling, Bonne Gifford, Bartlett, "White Doyenne, Seckel, Winter Nelis, and Easter Beurre. These mature in the order they are named — one coming in as the other goes out. The Bartlett Pear, for size and richness of flavor, is unequaled, and is held in high estima- tion in the East. The Pear-trees in Santa Clara this season have been very much injured by pests in the shape of small worms and spiders. In some in- stances these little worms, which are so small that they can hardly be seen by the naked eye, strip the trees nearly bare of foliage. Mi*. J. Q. A. Ballou, an experienced horticulturist, has ascer- tained that they appear in greater num- bers, and do greater damage, when the trees are close together, and where the land is wet and undrained. 238 THE CALIFOKNIA HOKTICULTUKIST. There are several hundred varieties of the Apple, as well as of the Pear, grown in the State. At our agricultural exhibitions the display of this fruit can not be matched by any other display in the New or Old Worlds. A large ex- port trade of Apples and Pears is car- ried on with the East. The California Apple is not equal to that from Oregon (although it possesses many points of excellence, maturing earlier and holding out later), but surpasses the European and Eastern Apple in size. Indeed, there are some varieties which more resemble Turnips in size than Apples. The Geape. — "Nowhere else in the world does the vine yield a more boun- teous or certain crop, and nowhere is the quality of the fruit surpassed. Though the production of wine, owing to carelessness in selecting the varieties, ignorance of proper modes of manu- facture, and unfriendly legislation, has not on the whole been profitable, the business is emerging from the clouds which encompassed it, and will soon take rank as one of the most reliable and profitable industries of the Pacific Coast. When this is the case, millions of acres in the foot-hills will be covered with vines, and the products of our vine- yards will be famous throughout the world. For years the production of table Grapes, and the manufacture of raisins, will be more profitable than the making of wine. The finest varie- ties of foreign Grapes grow on our hill- sides without irrigation, and produce bountifully such Grapes as can not be grown elsewhere on the continent. The demand for them, both at home and abroad, is every year growing larger, and as soon as we are able to do so, the teeming valley of the Mississippi, and even the Atlantic States, will be supplied from our gardens." The Grape crop in Los Angeles this fall will be larger than that of any pre- vious year. One of the largest vine- yards in Sacramento County is that of John Miller, located on the celebrated Florin wine -belt, which extends from the American Eiver to within a short distance of the Cosumnes, and spreads out east and west fully ten miles. Mr. B. Bernhardt, of Auburn, Placer County, has thirty acres of land, on which are 19,000 Grape-vines, ranging from two to twelve years of age. The vineyards this season have been attacked by two pests — one a green worm (the "tobacco worm "), and the other dark on the back, with yellow lines, called the Columbia worm. Each has a horn about one- fourth or one-half of an inch long on the posterior part of the back. In tobacco plantations they were destroyed by taking them by the horn, and dash- ing them on the ground, their size making it easy to find them. The making of raisins is destined to become one of the most important objects of horticulture. Millions of pounds are annually imported by the people of the United States, and it will not be long before all the money we are sending abroad for this article will be kept at home, and poured into the pocket of California fruit-growers. The Malaga and Muscat have both been thoroughly tested, and produce a Grape that can profitably be made into raisins excelled in quality by none in the world. The ease and rapidity with which they can be produced is a great inducement for every family t "ugage in their cult- ure. One does not, as with the Orange, have to invest large sums, and wait a long term of years for a return. In three years from planting the cutting, or two years after setting the rooted vine, a good crop can be counted on with certainty, and as the years go on it increases. With rapid communica- THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 239 tion -with the vast mining region lying between here and the Missouri River, and the agricultural districts in the West, there is no such thing as over- production. Many of the vines are very profitable, paying as much as §500 net per acre, and some even as much as $2,000. The Flame Tokay vines bear occasionally 12,000 pounds to the acre, making the gross yield equal to $2,400, at an ex- pense of less than $200. The White Tokay, the Muscat of Alexandria, the Black Malvoisie, the Golden Chasselas, the Rose of Peru, the Black Hamburg, and the White Hamburg, in places near San Francisco, have yielded more than $200 net per acre. The average crop in California is 8,000 pounds to the acre, in France 3,000, and in Ohio 5,000. Thirteen pounds of Grapes make a gallon of wine. This gives nearly 600 gallons per acre. There are many vineyards of more than 100,000 vines each in the State. The great wine as well as Grape region of Cali- fornia are the valleys of Sonoma and Napa. Some of the vineyards cover hundreds of acres, and much of the soil on which they thrive best is useless for other productions. Lemons and Oeanges. — The Calif ornia Lemon is not equal to the Malaga Lemon. It is too thick-skinned, and deficient in juice. From December last until June, there were received at San Francisco from Los Angeles 4,544,140 Oranges, 490,280 Lemons, and 22,000 Limes. We can not better conclude this arti- cle than by quoting Hittell, in writing of the fruits of California. He says : "As a fruit-growing State, California takes a high position. In this particu- lar, as in so many others, her climate gives her great advantages. In no part of the world do fruit-trees grow so rap- idly, bear so early, so regularly, and so abundantly, and produce fruit of so large a size. Nor is there any country where so great a variety of fruit can be produced in high excellence." — S. F. Gall. * ■ » THE PAULOWNIA B1PEEIALIS. BY E. J. HOOPEB. Paulownia, Siebold (Natural Order, Scrophulariacece didynamia angiospermia Linn). Calyx five-cleft; segments equal, coriaceous, covered with a rusty down; corolla two -lipped; imbricated in its cestivatise; the two upper lobes exter- nal; fruit ovate, with a sharp point. I have often been surprised to ob- serve so very few of these handsome shade and truly ornamental trees cul- tivated and raised in California. This climate will undoubtedly suit it. It is rather too tender for the Eastern States, although I have seen some fine speci- mens there flourishing healthily in shel- tered situations, with the exception of a few branches in some winters killed by severe frost. It does better in the milder climate of England, and parts of the continent of Europe. When quite young, its leaves are of gigantic size, often six or seven feet in diameter. In shape, the leaves are similar to the Ca- talpa ( Galalpa bignonoides). It is a na- tive of Japan, and is the only known species. It is as rapid a grower as the Ailanthus, the wood and trunk of the tree also resembling it. The leaves are rather coarse, looking like very large melon leaves; but the beauty of the large clusters of sky-blue flowers, shaped like the Gloxinia, and which make their appearance all over the tree early in the spring, before the leaves come out, cov- ers all blemishes. It will thrive in any good loam, and may be easily cultivated by cuttings of the roots. It was named 240 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. in honor of Paulownia, Empress of Rus- sia, having been first discovered in Ja- pan by a Russian traveler and botanist. This rare and handsome tree sometimes reaches the height of forty or fifty feet. Its head is round and regular, though its branches are generally like the Ca- talpa — somewhat curled and twisted. Its highly ornamental flowers, and thick, large foliage, will always insure it a place in every collection. THE VANILLA. The Vanilla is remarkable for its climbing habit, which is not common among Orchids. There are several species, most of which are natives of the hot and damp regions of South and Central America; the genus is also rep- resented in tropical Asia and Africa. The stems climb to the height of 20 or 30 feet, twining round the trunks of trees, and throwing out a profusion of aerial roots, some of which eventually reach the ground, as is the case with the Banyan, while others float in the air. The leaves are thick and fleshy, as also are the greenish-white flowers. The important part of the plant, however, is the pod, which, in some of the species, is an article of commerce, and yields the delicious fla- voring which is so well known. Some little uncertainty exists as to which of the species produces the most valuable fruit. It appears, however, that V. planifolia and V. aromatica are the most important, although V. guianensis, V. palmarum, and V. pompona also yield some of the Vanilla of commerce. The pods as imported are narrow and flat- tened, from five to ten inches long, and of a dark brown color; they are pulpy within, and contain a great number of very small dark seeds. A great part of the Vanilla of com- merce is brought from Mexico and Venezuela, and principally from Vera Cruz, whence, according to Humboldt, the value of the annual export in his time was §40,000. The cultivation is mainly carried on at Misantla, twenty- four leagues north-west of Vera Cruz, the inhabitants of which are the only people in Venezuela who cultivate the plant. The growth is, indeed, extreme- ly easy, as the ground requires no till- ing; slips of the Vanilla plant are set at the foot of a tree on the approach of the rainy season, and soon begin to spread up the trunk. The plantations are cleared once a year from weeds and undergrowth, and in the third year the plants bear fruit. Five varieties are recognized by the Vanilla-growers. One — the Vanille de Cochon — is so-called from emitting an offensive smell while drying. The har- vest begins about December, when the fruit becomes yellowish-green. There are two ways of preparing it for the market. In one method the fruit is allowed to dry until the pod loses its green color. Straw mats, covered with woolen blankets, are spread on the ground, and when these are warmed through, the fruits are spread on them, and exposed to the sun. After a time they are wrapped in blankets, and placed in boxes covered with cloths, after which they are again exposed. In about twelve hours the fruits should become of a coffee color; but if they do not, the process is repeated. After about two months' daily exposure, they are tied up in bundles of fifty, and packed in tin boxes . Five qualities of Vanilla pods are known. The best is the Primiera, the pods of which are twenty- four centimetres long, and proportion- ately thick. The second quality is called Chica prima, the pods of which are shorter, and two count as one; the THE CALIFOENIA HORTICULTURIST. 241 third, Sacate, and the fourth, Vesacate, are still smaller, four of the latter being reckoned for one; they are gathered before they are ripe. The fifth and poorest quality is called Basura; the fruit is very small, spotted, and much cut or broken about. The following is another method of preparing Vanilla for the market : About 12,000 of the pods are strung together by their lower end, as near as possible to the footstalk; "the whole are plunged for an instant into boiling water, to blanch them; they are then hung up in the open air, and exposed to the sun for a few hours. By some they are wrapped in woolen cloths to sweat. Next day they are lightly smeared with oil by means of a feather or the fingers, and are surrounded with oiled cotton to prevent the valves from opening. As they become dry, on inverting their upper end they discharge a viscid liquor from it, and they are pressed several times with oiled fingers to promote its flow. The dried pods, like the berries of Pepper, change color under the drying operation, grow brown, wrinkled, soft, and shrink to one-fourth of their orig- inal size. In this state they are touched a second time with oil, but very spar- ingly, because with too much oil they would lose some of their delicious per- fume." It appears somewhat remarkable that the cultivation of Vanilla in the West Indies has not been largely undertaken, as it would be attended with but little difficulty, and would be a source of much profit to the inhabitants. But even in Caraccas and Guiana, where the plant grows profusely in a wild state, it is almost entirely neglected. In the Isle of Bourbon, however, it has been cultivated with considerable suc- cess, and seventeen and one-half tons were exported from Reunion in 1871. At Liege it is grown on a small scale, to the value of 600 francs per annum; and a plant cultivated at Paris, in 1840, attained the height of three yards, and yielded 117 pods, which ripened in twelve months. In England, it has been in cultivation since 1759; fine ex- amples may be seen in the tropical and economic houses at Kew. Mr. Ewing, and Mr. E. Bennett, grew the Vanilla with considerable success at Osberton; the latter gathered no less than 300 ripe pods off a single plant in one sea- son. He considers a temperature of from 50° to 70° to be most suitable for it. He found it necessary to effect fer- tilization by artificial means, the stigma being prevented from receiving the pol- len of its own flower by the interposi- tion of an organ called the retinaculum. As the English-grown pods are very highly flavored, it is possible that it might be practicable to grow it for eco- nomic purposes. The annual import of Vanilla amounts to about five or sis hundredweight; its price varies very greatly, being sometimes as high as 125s. per pound, and at other times as low as 26s. The chief use of the Vanilla is in fla- voring perfumery and confectionery, and especially chocolate. One pod is sufficient to flavor one and one-half pounds of Chocolate, being ground with sugar for that purpose. The fra- grance is said to act upon the system as an aromatic stimulant, exhilarating the mind, and increasing the energy of the animal system. It is occasionally employed on the continent in cases of hysteria; and is used by the Spanish physicians in America as an antidote to poison, and to the bite of venomous animals, as well as in other cases. A liquid used in Peru, where it is known as Baume de Vanille, exudes from the open pods at perfect maturity. The 242 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. fruits in time become covered with an efflorescence of fine, needle-like crystals, which possess properties similar to those of benzoic acid; when viewed through a microscope with polarized light, they are very beautiful objects. De Menonville,who traveled to G-uaxa- ca in 1777, thus describes his discovery of Vanilla in that district. After vari- ous hindrances and disappointments, he says: "At length an Indian, with a hoe in his hand, made his appearance. 'Brother/ said I, holding out a dollar, 'show me some Vanilla, and this is yours.5 He coolly bade me follow him, and advanced a few steps through the underwood into a thicket, in which were a number of trees. He immedi- ately climbed up one, threw down to me two pods of Vanilla perfectly ripe, and pointed out to me a branch on which several others were hanging yet green , together with two faded flowers. The form of the leaves, the fruit, the peculiar smell of the plant — everything convinced me it was the real Vanilla, in everything corresponding with such as I had seen at Vera Cruz. All the trees of this little copse were covered with it. I saw a quantity of green fruit, but col- lected no more than six specimens of these, and four large pods which were ripe. I caused the Indian afterwards to part from the root some of the cions which had sprung up. These I tied well together, wrapping up the whole in the leaves of an Arum, which at their base are three feet wide. After thus packing a fagot, which weighed up- ward of thirty pounds, I placed it in my large sack, which I fastened on my horse. I was so well satisfied with my Indian, that, besides what I promised him, I gave him two reals in addition. For his part, unwilling to be outdone in generosity, he ran to his hut, and brought me three other pods of Vanilla." The Chica Vanilla of Panama is yielded by another Orchid, a sixties of Sobralia. The expressed juice of V. claviculata, a native of mountainous woods in the West Indies, is applied to recent wounds, and is hence called by the French in San Domingo Liane a blessures. There is a species known as Zizpic, in Yucatan, which is ,a great ornament of the cenotes or subterranean water -caverns of the countiy. These singular caverns are sometimes entirely subterranean, and are then of course without vegetation; frequently, how- ever, they are more or less open at the top, when they are often of surpassing beauty on account of the luxuriant de- velopment of vegetable life which they contain. To these cenotes the few Ferns of Yucatan are almost confined, and it is here that this Vanilla attains perfec- tion. The pods are occasionally taken to market at Valladolid, where they may be bought at an almost nominal price. — Gardener's Chronicle. COLOR IN FLOWERS. BY "AMATEUB." To cultivate the taste, to educate the mind to perceive and appreciate the beautiful in nature, is a duty which we owe both to ourselves and to the fair world in which we are placed. To at- tain to this refinement of taste may cer- tainly not be so indispensably necessary to us as to the poet and the painter, but it is eminently desirable that so pure and refined a pleasure should be ours, which may assist to wean us from infe- rior pursuits, to elevate our groveling minds above the low level of passion and care, and help us to feel more rev- erence and love for Him who has deck- ed the earth with such numberless and diversified beauties. In accordance with the invariable THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 243 simplicity of nature, from the three primitive colors — blue, red, and yellow — are produced all the varied tints we behold. These, compounded in the wondrous kaleidoscope of nature, are amply sufficient to produce the varied beauties of flowers, as well as the splen- dor of the rainbow. In no objects in nature have we such brilliant coloring as in flowers. In them we have colors in the most delightful combination, and tints, modified by dif- ference of surface and texture, in end- less variety. Perhaps yellow is the commonest color in flowers, and blue the rarest; red occupying the middle station. Of these, the tints of the red flowers are more diversified than those of either yellow or blue. The many shades of color between the Nasturtium and the Sweet-william could not, we think, be paralleled by either of the other colors. It is interesting to ob- serve how the flower of a plant invaria- bly harmonizes in color with its green leaves, some by similarity and others by contrast. How finely does the snowy blossom of the Convolvulus of the road- side harmonize with its large, well-de- fined, empurpled leaves. How beauti- fully do the rich warm orange flowers of the Nasturtium contrast with the light- green leaves on which they repose! How becoming are the cold green leaves of the double Poppy to its blossom ! How admirably do the little white stars of the Jasmine, or the elaborate Pas- sion-flower, contrast with the dark leaves behind them! But if the blos- som of the Marigold were viewed in connection with the green leaf of the Passion-flower, even an unpracticed eye would quickly detect the want of har- mony between the flower and the leaf. Some few plants, as the Marvel of Peru, strangely produce flowers of different colors from the same root, but this is of rare occurrence in the vegetable world. It is also interesting to observe how ex- quisitely the various tints are blended in the individual petals, and how sym- metrically these in their turn are arrang- ed so as to form a complete flower, as, for instance, in a well-developed Dah- lia. How inimitably, in the delicate tints of the Rose, does the blue or pur- ple in some kinds blend with the warm blushing red of the centre of the flower ! In other flowers, the colors are so soft- ly blended, as the Nasturtium, in which the red is dashed, as it were, on the orange, yet without the least harshness. In some the petals are striped and vari- egated, with a different color from the ground, as the Tulip and G-eranium; and in others each petal is of a differ- ent color at the inner part, as the Core- opsis. But, however fantastically the colors may be disposed, or however strangely they may contrast, there is al- ways a harmony of coloring and soft- ness of effect which must be pronounced faultless even by the most fastidious. ACTION OF CAMPHOR ON PLANT LIFE. In the year 1798, Benjamin Smith Barton described two experiments as to the stimulant action of camphor on plants. One was made on a Tulip, which, placed in a solution of canrphor, showed vigorous growth, and was longer in withering than other Tulip slips, of the same kind, placed in ordi- nary water. The other experiment was made on a withering yellow Iris; through treatment with camphor it seemed, for some hours, endowed with new life. Barton came to the conclusion that cam- phor has a greater action on plants than any other known substance; and he compared its action to that of spiritu- ous liquors, or of opium, on the human body, when taken in certain quantities. 244 THE CALIFOBNIA HOKTICULTUKIST. These almost forgotten experiments of Barton's have been repeated, in new forms, by M. Vogel of Munich ; and they have a considerable theoretic in- terest. This author, who has recently communicated his results to the Munich Academy, obtained a homogeneous solu- tion by rubbing camphor with water, and shaking camphor powder in a flask with distilled water. Two branches (alike in size, and similarly'conditioned) of a flowering Syringa were then intro- duced— one into ordinary water, the other into the camphor-water. Consid- erable difference soon appeared : in twelve hours the branch standing in pure water drooped, and was near with- ering ; the other branch in camphor- water stood upright, and without any sign of withering — some of its buds were even developed; it was not till three days after that this branch began to wither. In another experiment, a flowering branch of Syringa, which was nearly dead, was placed in the camphor- water, and a marked renewal and recovery was ere long observed, which lasted some time. Frequent repetition of the ex- periment with branches of Syringa showed the same result in varying de- gree. The camphor -water seemed to have less effect on vine shoots, and almost none on Sambucus nigra. The action of camphor on cut branches of living and fully developed plants having thus been established, at least for some species, the idea naturally occurred that camphor must also have an influence on the process of germina- tion of seeds. "With this view, several seeds of Lepidium sativum, and various other plants, were taken for treatment, and they were mostly old, as the germ- inative force in such appears to be weaker than in fresh seeds. The seeds were spread out on some moistened blotting-paper covering a porcelain plate, and a second moist paper was put over them. In all cases the seeds thus treated with ordinary water and with camphor -water were exactly in similar conditions, as regards tempera- ture and access of air. For the first experiments, seeds of Lepidium sativum, of the years 1869 and 1871, were taken. The entire duration of the germinative force of Lepidium sativum is known to be three years. The seeds of both the years mentioned, treated with ordinary water, showed a very imperfect, retarded germination, while the seeds moistened with cam- phor-water germinated very soon : those of the year 1869 in twenty-four hours, those of 1871 in seven hours. A simi- lar acceleration of the germinative pro- cess has previously been observed in treatment of seeds with chlorine and saline. A further experiment was made with different kinds of Baphanussativus major, the seeds being of the year 1866. As the duration of germinative force of this seed is three years, or four at the most, the sowing of these specimens in a gar- den would, of course, have been thought useless. Treated with camphor- water, however, the seeds germinated in four days, and thus some days earlier than fresh seeds under favorable circum- stances. Seeds of Pisum sativum of the season of 1865 showed in forty hours, under treatment with camphor- water, all the phenomena of the germinative process. Apart from the fact that Pisum sativum, even under the most favorable condi- tions, first begins to germinate after four or five days, the duration of germ- ination of the seed is two, or at the most three, years; so that seeds of the year 1865 could no longer be sown with advantage. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTTJKIST. 245 With like rapidity germinated seeds of Cucumis sativus under action of cam- phor-water. In ordinary cultivation of this species of seed in garden ground, not a single grain, out of a large num- ber sown, showed the slightest germin- ative movement after a long time. The example is thus a striking evidence of the peculiar action of camphor in revival of the germinative force of some species of seeds. The following flower-seeds were ex- amined in their relation to camphor- water : Schizanthus pinnatus, of the year 1869; Maurandia Barclayana, Coreopsis, Ipomopsis, Senecio elegans, of the year 1860; Silene pendula, Silene amoena, of 1867; Basilicum, Myosotis cdpestris, of 1866 ; Aster species, of 1868 ; Celosia cristata, of 1867. In all of them a re- markable influence of camphor on the germinative force was perceived. The after development of some of the seeds that were treated with camphor was observed by Dr. Raob, the seeds having been put into the ground. It is inter- esting to know that the traces of the camphor treatment were here also visi- ble, the young plants showing greater vigor and freshness. From all these facts, M. Vogel draws the inference that we have in camphor a kind of stimulant for vegetation, capa- ble both of strengthening the force and accelerating the time of vegetation. There are cases, however, it appears, in which the favorable action of cam- phor is not observed. Thus, M. Vogel found that Clover-seeds, which in gar- den soil germinated in twenty -four hours, showed no signs of germination after a longer time, when the earth had previously been mixed with camphor- powder. As oil of turpentine acts like camphor on the animal organism, M. Vogel made some experiments as to the action of water containing oil of turpentine on plants. The general result was, that this solution also accelerated the germ- inative process. But there was here, as evidently, an injurious action on the after development of the plants. Even in a few days the progress of the quick- ly developed seed ceased, and the plant deteriorated. M. Vogel remarks, in conclusion, that the process of germination, receiving of oxygen, and giving up of carbonic acid, is identical with animal respiration. From the agreement of the vegetable process in the early period of germina- tion with the animal processes, the thought arises that, precisely in refer- ence to this, stimulants are possible whose action resembles the known stim- ulants of animal life. — Gardener's Chron- icle. NATIVE FEENS. BY J. WABEEN MEBBHJG. [We copy the following from The Gardener's Monthly for May, believing it will be of interest to many of our readers. — Ed.] In your number for December I asked if any of your numerous readers could put me in the way of procuring four Ferns, which I named. The kind re- sponse which I received from many per- sons, to me unknown, has convinced me of a wide -spread interest in the "flowerless plants;" and although the communication was made at an unfa- vorable time of year, it resulted in pro- curing for me two of the four kinds which I had all summer tried in vain to secure. This induces me to say that I have for some time been making a col- lection of native Ferns — not of the fronds in an herbarium, but the live plants — and have, I think, sixty-nine varieties this spring in fine growing order. There 246 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. are, however, according to a list recent- ly published, one hundred and thirty- eight varieties in the United States and the British Provinces; so that I have but one-half of them. I can think of no way to secure any considerable num- ber of others, but by proposing an ex- change with persons who live in the South and West, and who are lovers of Ferns, that if they will send me, by mail, roots of the varieties growing in their vicinity, I will exchange for those peculiar to the Eastern States, or will cheerfully pay all expenses. I have, in my collection, some three hundred kinds of exotic Ferns, and some may desire to exchange for them or for dry fronds for their herbariums. I want particularly to get hold of Phegopteris alpestris, California and Ore- gon; Acrostichiimaureum, Florida; Gym- nogramma pedata, Notholcena ferruginea, N. Candida, N. Fendleri, Gheilanthes Alabamensis, G. Fendleri, G. gracillima, G. argerdea, G. Eatoni, Adiantum pilo- sum, Asplenium septentrionale, A. denta~ tarn, A. montanum. And if you have subscribers in southern Texas, I want to know if Adiantum JEthiopicum grows there. Plants can now be sent across the continent for two cents per ounce, if there is no other writing than the direc- tions. And I have just received in per- fect order a lot of Ferns from San Francisco, each root being wrapped in damp moss, with plenty of twine, and all leached in a cigar-box. A New Blackbeeey. — The Aughin- baiTgh seedling Blackberry promises to become an important addition to the fruits of this State. It matures about two weeks earlier than other varieties, which is a great advantage. The fruit is large and the flavor is excellent. COLOKING OF FEUITS. BY W. B. WILKES. This is a subject which has not re- ceived the attention its importance de- serves. "We find in some orchards that red Apples color very finely, present a fine waxen appearance, the fruit is crisp, and the flavor is excellent. In others, the same variety is of a dull, dingy brown, skin rough, almost russet, the flavor rather insipid. It is known in market that the deeper the color, the more the fruit is sought after, and the higher the price. Natural laws control this, as in everything else. This subject was forcibly presented in my orchard fifteen years ago. On one ridge the fruits colored finely; on another much less. There was a great diversity in comparing the fruits from other orchards in and around Aberdeen. In seeking the cause, that coloring most deeply was found to have a very red clay subsoil; the other was under- laid with a much lighter subsoil. If one contained more oxide of iron than the other, it was susceptible of proof, by applying iron, so the feeders could appropriate it. Anvil dust, cinders, and scraps of iron, were scattered under and around a few trees, extending just beyond the limbs, and incorporated with the soil. It was astonishing what effect was pro- duced on the first crop, and for several years after. The fruit on these trees was not only more richly colored, but the delicate tints were as distinctly brought out as if laid on with a camel- hair pencil in a lady's hand. This was not all : there was a peculiar, glossy, waxen appearance, the flavor much im- proved, and the fruit rendered decid- edly crispy. As the subsoil varies so much in im- THE CALIFOKNIA HOKTICULTUEIST. 247 mediate neighborhoods, these hints are presented that those not aware of this law, who contemplate putting out or- chards, may select the site with refer- ence to it; and also, where fruits do not color brilliantly, they may, at so little cost or trouble, remedy it. A few years ago we had a very un- usual season. Early in the spring the necessary amount of moisture was in the soil, Apples grew finely; then fol- lowed a few weeks of severe drought, the trees evidently drew most of their sustenance from the air, the ground much parched; then followed a fine sea- son of rain. The red Apples that year had a russet band around them; the stem end colored during the early sea- sonable weather; that near the bloom with the latter. No coloring matter was extracted from the soil during the drought, while the russet band was growing; this was not only russet in appearance, but decidedly rough; the flavor of the crop was very indifferent. — Illustrated Journal of Agriculture. VEGETABLE MANUKES. Dr. Pendleton, of the Agricultural University of G-eorgia, has made a re- port of certain experiments with ma- nures to the Georgia Agricultural Con- vention, which contains some facts that are of interest to farmers. In regard to vegetable manures he says : "The importance of vegetable mold to be used in conjunction with fertilizers was tested as follows: One row with enough mold from the woods to half fill the furrow, with ammoniated phos- phate at the rate of 200 lbs. per acre, made 990 lbs. of seed Cotton. The fertilizer without the mold made 742 lbs. ; the natural soil 432 lbs. The fer- tilizer with the vegetable mold made 128 per cent, on production; without it only 71 per cent.; showing that the presence of organic matter in a soil adds much to its production when fertilizers are used. 11 The importance of husbanding the vegetable matter of the soil can not be impressed too often or too deeply on the cultivators of the soil. Where a good crop of grass, weeds, or pea-vines, or other plants have decayed in a soil, there is enough of all the mineral sub- stances left in an available condition, except phosphoric acid, to make a fair crop of any of the farm products. One thousand pounds of grass decomposed in the soil will furnish four times as much potash as will be required to make one thousand pounds of Corn or Wheat, and half enough phosphoric acid, with quite an overplus of all the other mineral substances. The straw of the cereals will furnish more than enough of every one of them except magnesia and phos- phoric acid; nearly enough of the for- mer, and one-fourth enough of the lat- ter. To make peas there are enough of all the minerals in grass, with quite an overplus, except phosphoric acid; just half enough of this, and double enough of potash. Pea-vines furnish a superabundance of potash and lime to make both Corn and Peas; in fact of every mineral substance except phos- phoric acid. There is about half enough of this to supply the demand. There is a sufficiency in grass to make the seed and fibre of Cotton, of all these substances except magnesia and phos- phoric acid. The stalks of Cotton will also furnish enough of all the mineral food except potash, magnesia and phos- phoric acid. These three are quite de- ficient. Thus allowing that the stalks of Cotton left in a field weigh as much as the seed taken from them, for every thousand pounds there will be taken away eight pounds of phosphoric acid 248 THE CALIFOENIA HORTICULTURIST. in the seed, more than is left in the stalk; ten pounds of potash and sis pounds of magnesia. And when it is remembered that under our system of culture, the cotton stalk is about all the organic matter left in the field, and the cattle take off a good portion of this during the winter, it is not wonderful that our lands deteriorate, our crops rust, and purses remain empty. The inference is clear from the above facts; that a good crop of grass and weeds, or other vegetable matter, covered in the soil and properly decomposed, will fur- nish a sufficiency of all the mineral sub- stances, to make a good crop of Corn, Cotton or Peas, except phosphoric acid; That a piece of land run in Cotton for a number of years, will rapidly be depriv- ed, not only of its nitrogen but its phosphoric acid, and gradually of its potash and its magnesia: That in a system of rational agriculture, it is quite as important to husband the organic matter of the soil as it is to apply fer- tilizers of any kind: That one of the most important processes for obtaining soluble mineral food for plants, is to furnish the land with vegetable matter by a proper rotation of crops: That the mineral substances of plants become, in the very process which dissolves them, available for a succeeding generation of vegetable growth, by the extreme me- chanical fineness to which they are re- duced, and the action upon them of the ammonia and carbonic acid, escaping from their albuminoids during the pro- cess of decay." Training Petunias. — A writer in the London Garden says that a fine effect is obtained by this method of training Petunias: He procures a number of Hazel-rods, each about two feet long, bends them like hoops, and drives both ends into the bed, placing them at suit- able intervals all over it. On these he ties and trains his Petunias, which blos- som more abundantly than usual under this treatment. Petunias have been successfully treated as if Sweet Pea vines, and trained on a slanting trellis. The trailing habit of this plant, espe- cially late in the season, is not always sufficiently considered. FLORAL DECORATIONS IN BALL-ROOMS. These evidences of social refinement are certainly on the increase, and under the direction of our best decorators, are now brought to a high degree of per- fection. Bridgewater House, the other night, and also the conservatory and arcades of the Eoyal Horticultural So- ciety, at South Kensington, as arranged by Mr. Willis, on the occasion of the Prince and Princess of Wales' visit, were marvels of floral beauty. When it is remembered that our largest decor- ating firms use from 20,000 to 30,000 decorative plants every week during the London season, we can form some idea of the extent to which plant decoration is now carried. One novel feature in modern decorations is the introduction of huge blocks of ice, which, either in the shape of a simple obelisk three or four feet high, or in imitation of mas- sive rock work, have a unique effect when fringed with Ferns, and draped with the slender-growing sprays of dif- ferent kinds of trailing plants. On every hand are found pleasing groups of rare exotics, judiciously arranged as regards picturesque effect. Here is a bank of fresh Selaginella, forming a carpet, from which little groups of the Umbrella Sedge spring like miniature Palms; while here and there may be seen more massive succulent plants in association with fairy-like Grasses and Maiden-hair Ferns that tremble with THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 249 the softest breath of air. Here, too, are masses of Palms and Tree Ferns that spread their bright green feathery fronds over priceless groups of antique sculpt- ure, while soft masses of harmonious colors nestle here and there on cool green banks of Ferns and Mosses. Handsome mirrors, half-concealed by tasteful fringes of trailing plants, in- crease the effect by apparently augment- ing the space. At Bridgewater House, glowing crimson masses of Spiraea pal- mata, admirably set off with fresh green leaves, were highly effective beneath the subdued gaslight; while slender Palms sprung from the cool beds of Club Mosses, on which delicately per- fumed sprays of pearly-white Stephan- otis and Water Lilies rested in rich profusion. Here climbers drooped from every bracket and ledge, graceful in form and soft in color. Bouquets of choice exotics were here and there sus- pended beneath the crystal brackets and chandeliers; in short, every lobby, hall, and corridor was tastefully fur- nished with foliage, plants, and flowers. Stately groups of Dracsenas, and noble- foliaged Palms, harmonized well with the massive, cool, gray marble shafts and .columns that support the corridors and galleries overlooking the saloon. The saloon itself was likewise tastefully fringed with banks of choice Palms, Ferns, and flowering plants. At South Kensington, the decorations, though essentially similar in many respects to those just noticed, were carried out on a much larger scale. The rockery in the conservatory, formed of several tons of the finest ice, was a novel feature, and the centre of attraction during the evening. It was tastefully ornamented with choice Ferns, Grasses, and succu- lent plants, and fringed at the base with Maiden -hair Ferns, Lomarias, Pterin serrulata, and Isolepis gracilis, Vol. IV.— 29. on a deep crimson ground. The west- ern arcade was tastefully bordered with Palms, Tree Ferns and choice flowering plants, and the introduction of cool obelisks of ice at intervals, considerably heightened the effect. Not the least interesting features of the evening were the magnificent bouquets presented to the Princess of Wales and the Czarevna. These were remarkable for elegant sim- plicity, being composed of but a few of the choicest flowers, among which were softly -tinted Tea Boses, pure white Gardenias, half hidden amongst the most elegant drapery of fresh green Maiden-hair Fern, sprays of pearly Ste- phanotis and Tuberoses, the whole form- ing a charming collection of sweet- scented flowers. — Garden. SCUTELLAKIA MOCINIANA. BY F. A. MILLER. Of the flowering plants lately intro- duced into California, Scutellaria mocin- iana is a most desirable acquisition to an already extensive list. When we first received it, in the spring of 1873, we were led to believe that it was a warm-house plant, and cultivated it at such. In the autumn following it ex- panded its bright orange red flowers for the first time, and we were much pleas ed with its charming appearance; though we had great difficulty in keep, ing the red spider and other insects from devastating its foliage. It became then fully apparent that the plant would do better in a cool house, and we trans- ferred it to a house where we cultivate our hardy plants. There the plant began to improve, the foliage assumed a much healthier color, and from pres- ent appearances it will flower with us continually. I am now convinced that this Scutellaria will prove one of our 250 THE CALIFOKNIA HORTICULTURIST. hardy border-plants, and as such will become of great value. The extremely bright terminal clusters of salvia-shaped flowers remain in bloom for a long time, and attract the attention of every visit- or. It deserves general cultivation. FLESH DIET FOR PLANTS. The pretty little plant called Drosera, or Sundew, says the Providence Journal, develops some strange animal instincts. It is a charming plant, with its lovely pink blossoms, while the dew-like sub- stance issuing from its glands gives it a most cool and refreshing appearance on a warm summer's day. But though it looks the very picture of innocence and gentleness, it has a strange taste for seizing, killing, and sucking the blood of insects, and for grasping and eating raw beef. Mrs. Mary Treat has con- tributed to the American Naturalist some very curious observations made upon this remarkable plant. She found the specimens upon which she experi- mented in New Jersey. The plant was in full bloom, and growing very thick- ly on either side of an extensive Cran- berry plantation. The first exjDeriment was made with the best known species, the Drosera filiformis. Some living flies were pinned half an inch from the leaves near the apex, about 10 o'clock in the morning. In forty minutes the leaves had bent perceptibly toward the flies. In two hours the leaves had reached the flies and they were entan- gled among the bristles of the leaves and held fast. The flies were then removed three-quarters of an inch farther from the leaves. The leaves still remained bent toward the flies, but could not reach them at this distance. The ob- server thinks that the action of the flies' wings may have created sufficient force to bring the leaves near enough to en- tangle the flies, for dead flies failed to produce the same results as living ones. On the same day bits of raw beef were placed on some of the most vigorous leaves of another species of the plant, the Drosera longifolia. In two hours two of the leaves had folded around the beef, hiding it from sight. Living flies were also placed upon the same species of the plant. In a little more than one hour one of the leaves had folded en- tirely around its victim ; the other leaves had practically folded, and the flies had ceased to struggle. Two hours after, four leaves had each folded around a fly. The Drosera manifests a very de- cided choice in regard to its gustatory, fancies. Experiments were made with bits of dry chalk, magnesia, and pebbles, but the plant would have nothing to do with them, and after twenty-four hours neither leaves nor bristles had made the slightest movement toward clasping these articles. A similar result was produced upon the Drosera rotundi- folia. This variety has longer bristles around the edge of the leaf, and sim- ply curls its bristles around its victims, the glands on the ends of the bristles touching the substance, like so many mouths receiving nourishment. Some bits of raw beef were placed upon the leaves about 10 o'clock in the morning. In two hours the inner bristles were curv- ing about it, and the longest bristles at the edge of the leaf were curving upward. At 9 o'clock in the evening, the bristles of the three most vigorous leaves were clasping the beef, almost concealing it from sight. Nor is this ferocious plant contented with small insects. Flies of the largest size, moths without number, and butterflies, many of them measur- ing two inches across, were held cap- tive till they died, the treacherous flow- ers and shining dew luring them to de- THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 251 struction. The larger insects, after death, fell around the roots of the plants, as if to fertilize them, while the smaller flies remained adhering to the leaves. These curious plants thus seem to manifest a decided preference for meat diet, absorbing the animal sub- stance through their leaves. Mr. Dar- win says that by pricking a point in the leaf of the Drosera, he can paralyze half of it, and this indicates the existence of nerves. TKOPICAL VEGETATION IN CAL- IFOKNIA. The capacity of California for the production of tropical and semi-tropi- cal fruits and plants is by no means yet fully understood. The frequency of the announcement, however, that some new and useful fruit has been intro- duced by our enterprising orchardists, shows that this branch of business is re- ceiving the attention that its importance deserves. Among those who have faith in the success in this State of many heretofore untried tropical fruits, is Mr. D. B. Clark, of Santa Barbara. His catalogue contains several varieties of recent introduction that are likely to prove successful in this State, among which are the Banana, Guava, Date Palm, Tamarind, Chiramoya or Custard Apple, Licorice and Indigo plants. The Banana and the Guava are successfully grown in the Gulf States, with slight winter protection, where the frosts are much more severe than here. The Strawberry Guava was introduced into this State several years since, and now ripens its crop perfectly each year in Sonoma Valley. The larger varieties, however, are less hardy, and will prob- ably require some slight protection dur- ing the winter in the central and north- ern parts of the State. The Chiramoya- tree, producing one of the most delici- ous fruits of the tropics, has endured the frosts of the past winter with but slight injury, and will be likely to prove hardy in the southern part of the State, and in the middle portion with slight protection. The Date Palm is as hardy as the Orange, and will succeed in any of the interior valleys where that fruit can be grown. It may not bear fruit north of Point Conception; but a few trees for ornament will amply repay the cultivator for the little trouble they re- quire. This Palm, though ornamental when small, grows to a height of sixty feet, and with its upright trunk and ever-verdant feathery branches is pecu- liarly picturesque and attractive. It delights in a rich moist soil and hot dry climate, and, as the Orientals say, plunges its foot into the water and its head into the fires of heaven. The cli- mate of the San Joaquin Yalley is almost like that of some portions of Asia Minor, where the Date flourishes, and it is be- lieved it would there produce fruit. Lic- orice is an important product of Spain and Italy, and would undoubtedly suc- ceed equally as well here. Indigo was ex- tensively grown in Florida during the English occupation, and is well worth a trial in this State. Agriculture presents no more attractive field than that of ex- perimenting with new trees and plants, and though the cultivator fails with a dozen varieties, if he succeeds with one and provesits adaptability to the climate, he will be remembered as a public bene- factor.—£. F. Call. Faemees in the vicinity of Anaheim have set out a large quantity of foreign grape-cuttings this season, while new- comers generally ignore the Mission Grape. 252 THE CALIFORNIA HOETICULTUKIST. SCOTCH FAEE. Oat-meal is principally used in two ways — for the making of porridge and oat-cakes. Porridge is a principal arti- cle of food of the Scottish peasantry, generally accompanied with milk, when milk can be obtained, although when milk is scarce, butter is sometimes used, sometimes sugar, and sometimes trea- cle-beer. For most people in a sound condition of health there is no more wholesome article of food than porridge and milk; none contains a larger proportion of flesh-forming and heat- producing substances; while to almost all who have ever been accustomed to its use it is extremely palatable. Gen- erally speaking, there is no better arti- cle of food for the nursery, none more likely to maintain a healthy condition of the stomach or to give vigor to the frame, although there are exceptional cases, both among the young and among the adult, in which the use of porridge is unsuitable, producing pain- ful distentions of the stomach and in- digestion. While the caprices of chil- dren ought not to be heeded in such a matter, the actual conditions of their constitution ought to be carefully ob- served and regarded. Porridge is in general made by simply boiling oat-meal in water, stirring all the while to pre- vent singeing, and to secure the thor- ough mixture of the oat-meal and water into a homogeneous mass without knots. The quality of porridge very much de- pends on the amount of boiling it re- ceives. It can not be too thoroughly boiled. Imperfectly boiled oat-meal porridge is a very coarse article of food; and, unfortunately, much of the por- ridge eaten by the poorer classes in Scotland and elsewhere is of this char- acter, and that prepared for the nursery is often no better, through the careless- ness of servants, who wish to get through their work with as little trou- ble as possible. It is not nearly so di- gestible, and therefore not so nutritious, as porridge really well made. A com- mon mistake in the making of porridge must also here be noticed, as tending much to the deterioration of its quality — the adding of meal by degrees, while the boiling goes on, until the proper thickness is acquired, the result being that part of the meal is imperfectly boiled. The cook ought to know the proportions of meal and water — knowl- edge not very difficult to acquire — and mix them at once, so that all the meal may be equally boiled. But it is to be observed that the water must be boiling before the meal is put in, which is not to be introduced in a mass, but, as it were, strained through the fingers hand- ful by handful, as quickly as possible. — The Food Journal. FKUIT-DETING. A PBOCESS SIMHAK TO THE ALDEN PATENT IN USE TWENTY YEARS AGO. I have before me a bound volume of the Horticulturist, edited by P. Barry, and published at Rochester by James Yick, Jr. , comprising series from Janu- ary to December, 1854. On page 411 is an article headed "Drying Fruit," from the Country Gentleman. After speaking of the disadvantages of ordi- nary fruit-drying, it says: "In order to make a beginning in this matter, and to assist in the erection of good, cheap, rapidly operating and perfect fruit-dry- ing establishments, we present to our readers a figure and description of an apparatus for this purpose, which, al- though never patented, we believe to be far more valuable than any machines not thus thrown open to the public. Its peculiar advantages will be obvious as THE CALIFOBNIA HOKTICULTUEIST. 253 soon as the description is examined." [Alongside of the following description is a cut representing the apparatus, which, if we can not print, can be easi- ly conceived from the description.] " It consists of a tall, upright shaft, a b, represented in the annexed section of the apparatus, through which passes an endless chain, made of a number of strong frames securely hinged together at their corners. This chain should be strong enough to bear several hundred pounds without breaking. At every joint it is furnished with a braced shelf, each consisting simply of a square frame furnished with coarse twine netting — like a sieve. This endless chain, with its series of sieves, runs over an angular wheel above, another below, precisely like those of a common chain -pump, but wide enough to receive the full breadth of the chain. Its motion is quite slow, descending from a to 6 on one side, and rising on the other, and is accurately regulated by means of the pendulum d, connected to the notched wheel c, by means of an escapement like that of a common clock, but made very strong. A strong and broad India- rubber band connects the axle of this wheel to the drum e, on which the chain runs. As the chain is loaded with the drying fruit, and is therefore quite heavy, it must not, and indeed can not, be subjected to the successive vibrations of the clock-work, these vibrations be- ing broken and destroyed by the India- rubber band. The fruit is dried by heated air. The fruit is spread upon the sieves at the top, and descends as it is being dried. This description and process have been shown to many here, who have seen the Alden apparatus, and they al- lege it is almost the same in principle, the advantage, if any, being in favor of the former. This machine, twenty years ago, was thrown open to the public, without a patent. No doubt many have used it during that time. It is just as good as the Alden patent. Now come parties, who patent the process, and it can be used by the public at large no longer. Those interested here now wish to propound two questions: First, is this process about the same in principle as the Alden process? Secondly, could parties be enjoined from using this ap- paratus under the Alden patent? If they can, we would like to know how long a thing could be in use before any- one can go and secure the right of :t by patent. The Alden proprietors ask $15,000 for the patent for this county. It woul require the profit of many pounds of fruit to cover that. No one here is will- ing to risk so much. But if we are al- lowed to use the process above describ- ed, nearly every fruit -raiser can afford to build a machine. — Call. Fumigation for Plants. — Mr. J. C. Niven, of the Hull Botanical Garden, recommends tobacco fumigation (in London Garden) for cleaning green flies from certain house -plants infested by them. His plan is to lay the plant on its side in a wash-tub, throw over it a damp towel, or better, "a bit of glazed calico lining," and then, through an opening at the bottom have your hus- band insert the end of a pipe, and through it let him blow tobacco smoke until the plant gets a good fumigation. The flies will be found at the bottom of the tub when the operation is finished. The plants should be perfectly dry when the operation is performed, but, if a towel is used, it should be freely wash- ed and wrung out before using, and be without holes. The pipe -stem should reach to the bottom of the tub. 254 THE CALTFOBNIA HOKTICULTUEIST. ~luteum. — Another variegated form, of S. arboreum, having the yellow variegation in the centre of the leaf, upon, each side of which is a margin of green, S. tabulce forme.. — This is the most dis- tinct of the Sempervivums; it is called the Table-shaped Sempervivum, on ac- count of its manner of growth. It is of dwarf habit, with its top perfectly flat, the leaves being as close together as if pressed. "We have a specimen six inch- es high and ten inches in diameter, and as flat as a board. A very desirable kind. S. Canariense. — Somewhat similar to • S. tabulceforme in growth, but with larg- er leaves than in that species, and the cluster is slightly concave. S. Hawortliii. — A dwarf, free-branch- ing species, producing small clusters of leaves at the extremities of the branches, the plant forming one large round cluster of small tufts. S. Toungianum. — A tree-shaped varie- ty, with very wide, flat leaves, some- what after the style of 8. tabidceforme. Very distinct. S. decorum, S. ciliare, S. glulinosum, 268 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. S. rubicum, and S. cholochrysum, are all very good kinds, and worthy a place in any collection. Of the hardy Seinpervivums, those which are most distinct and desirable are the following: S. arachnoideum. — This, called the Cobweb Sempervivum, is one of the most curious species ; it has the pecul- iarity of being completely covered and interwoven from tip to tip of the leaves with filaments like a spider's web: It grows in very compact clumps, and gives a very striking effect. S. tomentosum, and S. Laggerii pre- sent the same peculiarity as S. arach- noideum, though in a less marked de- gree. The leaves of both are green, but in S. tomentosum they change to a dull red in spring; both are desirable. S. calcaratum, improperly known in collections as S. Californicum, is one of the best of all the hardy species. Its leaves are bright green, deeply tipped with red. Fine for bedding. S. soboliferum is called the "Hen and Chickens," for the reason that the young plants which it produces are as regularly placed around the old rosette as if planted by hand. S. hirtum, as also S. tomentosum, present the same pe- culiar growth. S. tectorum. — This is the regular roof . House-leek before alluded to. A large and remarkably robust grower, and a distinct species. S. umbilicum chrysanthum. — This is very dwarf and branching, producing a number of small round heads, with the leaves incurved. Very distinct. We may here mention S. acuminatum, S. Brauni, S. globifer- um, S. heterotrichum, S. montanum, S. Pittonii, 8. pilosella, S. Begince Amalice, and S. violaceum, as all distinct and good. There are some fifty more, all different and perfectly hardy, which present their peculiaritiesof growth and color more fully in the spring. The Sempervivums, as a whole, are very de- sirable. They are easily taken care of, requiring very little attention, especially the hardy ones, which, when once plant- ed, are quite able to take care of them- selves.— American Agriculturist. SUMMEE TREATMENT OF GRAPEVINES. A certain natural equilibrium exists between the roots and upper growth of the vine, which can not be disturbed to any considerable extent, especially dur- ing the growing season, without serious injury. To illustrate this, I have plant- ed a young and healthy vine, with smooth and perfect roots, in early spring. When it had made a growth of two or three feet, I have cut it back to a single bud and leaf at its base. After this, the plant remains apparently dormant for ten days or longer, when the bud slowly swells and breaks; and if it is a hardy and vigorous variety, is soon making a new growth, but with less than its former strength. When it has again attained a similar growth, I have again shortened it to one bud and leaf above the former cut. A longer period of rest now ensues, followed usually by a weak and spindling growth of a few inches, with scarcely vigor to ripen a bud or two at its base before the autumn frosts have destroyed its foliage. Now, if we take up this vine, we shall find that all the new roots which had formed previous to the successive cut- tings of the top, are dead and rotten. Only the old roots, which the vine had when planted, remain, and these rough, knobby, and diseased; the vine in no respect as good as when it was planted in the spring. The vine will bear, with- out apparent injury, any reasonable amount of pruning during its dormant THE CALIFOENIA HORTICULTURIST. 269 state, in fall or early spring. But I think the above experiment proves that any severe cutting during summer is an unmitigated evil. All the summer prun- ing I would recommend would be the early rubbing out of superfluous shoots upon their first appearance ; leaving only what is required for next year's bearing-wood. This, with the pinch- ing or stopping the ends of such shoots or canes as were disposed to be too ram- pant in growth, would be all I would ever consider necessary. Some of the most successful Grape-growers within my knowledge carefully prune their vines, in fall or early spring, and then leave them entirely without summer pruning. — G. W. C, in Horticulturist. THE POPLAK. BY E. J. HOOPEB. The Poplar (Populus alba, natural order Saliacece) is included in this natu- ural order, Saliacece, because in appear- ance and many other particulars it is identified with the Willow. Like all the varieties of that extensive species, it thrives best in the neighborhood of water. The blossoms are dioecious, and each seed is suspended to a long, silky tuft of hairs. The timber, too, like that of all other aquatic trees, is soft, light, and homogeneous. The most essential difference between the two species which compose the above- named order, is in the number of sta- mens in each flower: those in the "Wil- low rarely exceed five, while in the Poplar there are never less than eight; the margin of the flower-scale or' brac- tea in the former is entire, in the latter serrated; and the leaves of the one are more or less lance-shaped, in the other heart-shaped. The general appearance of the trees, however, is very different, and easily to be distinguished: the ma- jority of the scarcely -to-be -numbered Willow tribe being rather shrubs than trees, and, when cultivated for profit, kept low by continual cuttings, while the Poplars are large and stately tim- ber-trees. We have many species of the Poplar as natives of America. Many other species have been introduced into this country from Europe, Tartary, and oth- er parts of the north temperate zone, and are easily naturalized to our differ- ent climates, and all will flourish in California where the country is not too dry. Of those imported here the two most ornamental and generally known are the Lombardy and Balsam Poplars. As I have observed before, they all re- quire a rather moist and rich soil, and thrive best near running water, but nev- er in a marshy situation. The Gray Poplar (Populus canescens) is a tall, straight tree, growing from eighty to one hundred feet. The leaves are heart-shaped, deeply and irregularly notched, dark green, and covered be- low with a white cottony down. The young shoots are also covered with this down, but the general color of the bark is gray; hence the name of the species. The Abele-tree or White Poplar (P. alba), differs so slightly from this, that many botanists have considered them as varieties of the same species, and classed them together, being dis- tinguished from all other Poplars by this white down beneath the leaf, which, when the tree is ruffled by the wind, gives it a peculiar appearance. " The Poplar, that -with silver lines his leaf." — Coicper. " The White Poplar, from its foliage hoar Scatters forth gleams like moonlight, with each gale That sweeps the boughs." — Mrs. Remans. From the quick growth of this tree, 270 THE CALIFOBNIA HOETICULTUKXST. and the facility with which, after lop- ping, it reproduces long and strong shoots, it is invaluable in many places, as in Paris, France, where the wood is almost exclusively used in heating ovens, and known there as le bois blanc. It is an astonishingly hardy shade-tree, and free from insects, and is extensive- ly planted on the avenues near Cincin- nati and other Eastern cities. It throws up many suckers or root-shoots, which is an advantage for their increase, to form timber for plantations, but is somewhat objectionable on a lawn. The Black Poplar (P. nigra) is also a large and handsome tree. It reaches from fifty to eighty feet in height, and from the rapidity of its growth, the thickness and brilliancy of its foliage, and the vivid hue of its large and early flowering catkins, is one of the most valuable of its species in ornamental plantations. The catkins appear before the leaves. The foliage of this tree, though devoid of the silvery shade which makes the White Poplar so beau- tiful when agitated by a gentle breeze, is of a brilliant and glossy green, and reflects back the rays of the sun in a peculiar degree, which gives it a partic- ularly joyous and animated appearance. It is sometimes known as the Willow Poplar, and the Water Poplar. P. tremula is well known as the As- pen, from the trembling of its leaves, which are agitated by the slightest breath of air, and by the rustling noise produced by its incessant quivering. It is a native of every part of Europe. The leaf is small in proportion to the length of the foot-stalk, which, being vertically compressed, and in a contra- ry direction to that of the leaf, easily accounts for the tremulous motion. ' ' With every change his features played, As Aspens show the light and shade." — Walter Scott. For turnery-ware there is hardly any wood equal to these trees, especially the Abele, for their exceeding white- ness; so that trays, bowls, and many other household utensils, are made of it. The buds of the Black Poplar, like those of the Balsam Poplar, are cover- ed with a gummy balsam, which forms the basis of an ointment for wounds and cuts. P. fastigiata (the Lombardy Poplar) is more generally known than any other species of this tree. It was brought to England in 1758. Its average height is 100 or 120 to 150 feet. Its wood is inferior to that of the less lofty species, though more abundant. It is general- ly planted for variety and ornament, and although somewhat fatiguing to the eye when it lines the road for miles, as it does very generally in France, it is often a very beautiful and natural ac- companiment to buildings. It is a well- known rule in landscape composition that horizontal lines should be counter- balanced by perpendicular ones. Hence, in the neighborhood of bridges, aque- ducts, walls, roofs, etc., or even length- ened masses of buildings, the Lombardy Poplar, introduced with taste and judg- ment, produces a good and picturesque effect. In this respect our lately so- much -introduced Eucalyptus globulus effects much the same object. Among round-headed trees, too, or architectur- al scenes, both these fine trees, and par- ticularly the more valuable Eucalyptus, vary the monotony of the outline, and give a character to the scene, while their elegant and spiry forms quivering or wavering in every breath of air, em- bellish the landscape in no ordinary de- gree. Most trees in this circumstance are partially agitated; one side is at rest while the other is in motion; but the Italian Poplar waves in one simple sweep from the top to the bottom, like THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 271 an ostrich feather on a lady's head. All the branches coincide in motion, and the least blast makes an impression on it when other trees are at rest. " The Poplar's shoot, That, like a feather, waves from head to foot. "While those lofty Poplars gently wave Their tops, between them comes and goes a sky, Bright as the glimpses of eternity To saints accorded in their mortal hour," The trembling vibration which I have just alluded to, as so peculiarly distin- guishing the leaves of the Aspen, is, though in a less degree, partaken of by all the other species of Poplar, and is in every case to be attributed to the pe- culiar conformation of the petiole, or foot-stalk. This is not only large in proportion to the size of the leaf, and compressed in the upper part, but takes a different direction to that of the plane or surface of the leaf. And herein, as in all the works of Nature, we discern the simplicity with which cause and ef- fect are combined. Had it been pro- posed as a problem to find what should be the nature of a leaf that would quiver in the lightest possible agitation of the air, it could not have been more clearly or nicely or directly solved. The shade afforded by the foliage of all the Poplars, especially by the As- pen, is considered more wholesome than any other tree, unless it be the Eucalyptus. It thrives in the centre of towns, even among coal smoke, and from the rapidity of its growth is often planted as a screen for concealing any unsightly objects. This last observa- tion applies peculiarly to both the Lom- bardy Poplar and the Eucalyptus, which are admirably adapted for plant- ing along streets and among houses, in towns and villages, from the little space occupied by their branches, which are compressed about their trunks so as not to interfere with the walks, or to obstruct the access of light to the windows. Many of our broad streets in American towns are thus planted, form- ing avenues which refresh the passen- ger with their shade, while they shelter and protect singing-birds and the En- glish sparrow which has lately been in- troduced here to feed upon the worms which infest or are likely to infest our trees. •* ■ m A Useful Hint. — When your seeds are planted, unless the day is cloudy and showery, they will require shading from the heat ol the sun. I find old newspapers are the best protection; but, if the patches are small, flower-pots can be inverted over them. The newspapers must be laid over the seeds, after they have been well water- ed, and fastened at the corners by small stones or a handful of the earth. At night they should be removed to let the dew moisten the ground, and put back before it is dried in the morning. Con- tinue this until the tiny leaflets appear; then remove them entirely. If the ground is dry, the seeds must be thor- oughly wet every night. Moisture is very needful to germinate seeds; with- out its aid they can not sprout. You oft- en hear it said, "I planted fifty to six- ty varieties of annuals, and not half a dozen sprouted. I have no faith in the seedsmen; they send out old seeds." "Did you water them well, and shade them from the noontide heat?" is ask- ed. "Why, no, I never thought of that. I planted them, and supposed that was enough.'' My fair friends, un- less the clouds favor you and drop rain, or hide the sun for three or four days, your seeds will become baked, and shriveled, and you can not expect them to grow. — Every Woman her own Flow- er Gardener. 272 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. BOUQUETS— HOW TO AEEANGE THEM. Silvered wire is better for this pur- pose than copper, but either will do; though, as it takes but little of the for- mer, and the latter is not so easily handled, the silver has the preference. The circumference of a circle being three times the diameter, if the frame is to be six inches in diameter, the piece of wire for the outside circle should be eighteen inches long, and each succeed- ing length should be three inches short- er, until the last one makes a circle not much larger than a ten-cent piece, mak- ing in all six rows. An inch should be allowed for fastening the ends, so the ■wire can be cut into lengths of nine- teen, sixteen, thirteen, ten, seven,, and four inches. Each of these lengths of wire must be twisted neatly together, forming various-sized circles. These wires should then be attached to the smallest circle in the same way that they are fastened in parasol frames, or by twisting them closely over the circle at respective distances., and they should be each four inches in length. Lay the circles in order on the table, and pass the three frame-wires in and out of them, twisting them securely around the outer circle, and fastening the wires to each circle with coarse sewing-silk. The desired curve is ea- sily given afterward by gently bending the upper circles. Then attach two or three strong wires, at least eight inches long, to the centre circle, and the frame will look like a parasol frame widely extended. It would be well to have the wire cut in the desired lengths at the store where they are purchased, and they can be found at most jewelers' shops or at wiremakers' establishments. Such a frame can be enlarged at any time by adding another circle, and sup- porting it by two or three pieces of wire fastened backward and forward, and then hooked to the smallest circle. It is not a disadvantage when the frame, though otherwise nearly flat, rises seem- ingly a little too abruptly in the mid- dle. A large flower is best for that po- sition, and it is always better to have its petals rest on the outer wire. If very delicate flowers are to be used in making the bouquet, it is well to lay a small piece of cape lace or netting over the frame and fasten it all around the outer edge; and where wires are not to be obtained, the frame can be made en- tirely of netting, drawn over an osier or whalebone shape. Similar frames of wire can be made to cover over round, square, or oval glass dishes or cups. Zinc wire should be used for these, as it bends very easily to the fingers. The coverings for square or oval dishes can be arran- ged in the same manner as advised for bouquets, and a circular frame is more easily made, and the corners can be fill- ed in with interlaced wires. Bouquets in Patterns. — Flowers are often arranged in a mere succession of bunches, but they look very stiff and unmeaning. Again, they are shaped in stars, but excepting the starry self- shaped flowers of the Stephanotis, Jas- mine, Myrtles, etc., I have no pleas- ure in astronomical designs. Shaded bouquets are far prettier, unless artistic patterns are adopted. In many cases, if exceedingly small flowers are used the pattern can be very elaborate and perfect in taste and execution. A wreath of tiny bright flowers and leaves, arranged on a white ground, is special- ly lovely, and a wreath of Forget-me- nots, grouped on a white ground, is ex- ceedingly charming and sentimental; also a wreath of pink Rosebuds and Hy- acinths. Surely, such floral designs are far prettier than stiff, concentric THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 273 circles of one color following another! The groundwork can be varied — pale pink and porcelain blue can be substituted for white, but a ground- work of white Sweet Violets, double Chinese Primrose, or Deutzia gracilis, with scarlet, blue, pink or purple wreaths, is doubtless the most beauti- ful. One kind of flowers should form the groundwork, as it is more difficult to keep the surface level if different kinds of flowers are used. It is very essential to keep the shape exact, and the curve should be very slight, and the flowers kept carefully down to their proper level. In fastening them to the wires soft thread is the best. If the stems are long enough each one can be tied to the centre wires, and it is well to wind wet moss or cotton-wool along them to keep the flowers from wither- ing by the warmth of the hands. An outer border of leaves, feathery, varie- gated, of velvety texture, will add to the beauty of the design; scarlet Ge- ranium leaves, unless their perfume ren- ders them objectionable, the Fair Helen and the Oak-leaved being very unpleas- ant to many persons from their strong odor. Myrtle also makes a pretty strong edging, as its fragrance is so delicate. It is a vexed question whether, it is best to commence the arrangement of flowers from the top or from the outer edge. For vases or dishes it is best to begin at the outer edge and work toward the centre, always laying a frill of foli- age about the outside; but for the bou- quets, it is better, at least in my opin- ion, to commence at the centre, for no other way would secure the stalks in their proper position. In making a bouquet with a white groundwork and a scarlet wreath, a red Camellia could commence the bouquet and double white Primroses fill up the centre, with Vol. IV.— 31. a wreath of white Heath and scarlet Be- gonias or Poinsettias. After the wreath must come a band of the groundwork, and then a fringe of green and white. For a bridal bouquet, take a white Camellia for the centre; five or more Camellias at intervals, with a few Orange flowers interspersed, then white Heath or Lilies of the Valley. A very little green tells well with such a snowy- white group, and the pale green fronds of Maiden-hair Fern can hardly fail to add grace and beauty to such flowers. A mixed bouquet of Roses and Gerani- ums is very lovely. Commence with one half -blown white Rose, and surround it with five or six clusters of scarlet Gera- nium a little below the level of the Rose. Add Geranium or Rose leaves with some feathery white flower, and encircle with pale pink Roses closely grouped; then a border of pure white Roses filled up with fresh bright green, and then a close border of scarlet Ge- raniums mingled with their own velvety leaves. Such a bouquet is a miracle of loveliness! Try it, fair friends, and see for yourselves how brilliant and charm- ing it is. * ■ » Tropical Vegetation. — A Panama pa- per gives a striking illustration of the vigor and rapidity of vegetation in the tropics, by referring to the bushes and trees growing in the ruins of the burnt Aspinwall Hotel, at Panama. It is lit- tle more than two years since this con- flagration occurred, and yet there are now growing within the walls trees at least thirty feet in height. They belong to what are called Trumpet-trees (Ce- cropia), and the branches are said to be crowding out of the highest doors and windows. — — *-~-» Never allow flowers to be watered or sprinkled with cold water. Tepid wa- ter is always better, even in summer. 274 THE CALIFORNIA HOKTICULTUKIST. FEUIT GEO WING AND CUEING IN CALIFOENIA. BY DR. HENKY DEGROOT. The wonderful adaptability of Cali- fornia for the growing of almost every kind of fruit is now a fact of world- wide recognition. Few countries equal and none surpass it in this respect. Both the soil and the climate are admi- rably suited for this industry. Fruit- trees of nearly every variety, as well as berry- bearing bushes, and the vine, thrive here with the least possible care. They will grow well in this State, cov- ering nearly ten degrees of latitude, and at almost any altitude from sea- level to the tops of the mountains. They begin to produce early, yield abundantly, and enjoy almost entire ex- emption from disease. Fruits with us are apt to grow large, keep long, and are generally fair, sound, and well flavored. In all the more elevated portions of the State, Apples, Plums, Cherries, and the more hardy fruits, as well as all kinds of berries, are now successfully cultivated. Even in Alpine, Mono, and Inyo counties, lying at an altitude of from 5,000 to 7,000 feet, and crossed and inclosed by rugged mountains, enough of these comestibles are raised for home consumption, their production in nearly every other county being vast- ly in excess of that limit. Apple, Peach, Pear, and Plum trees begin to bear here within two years from the time they are set out, and the vine within one year; other fruit-bearing trees and plants being equally precocious. In most countries, fruit-trees are apt to bear only at a much later period, and then only in alternate seasons, or after other longer periods of sterility. Here, with the exception of the Apple, and perhaps some few other fruits, the yield of which is slightly abated in alternate years, these seasons of barrenness occur with no regularity, and, except through the intervention of accidental causes, can hardly be said to occur at all. That these products are generally sound and healthful is evinced by the fact that most of them can be left unpicked un- til early winter, and sometimes much later, without suffering decay; many varieties of Apples and Pears keeping the year through in a good state of preservation. Encouraged by the facility with which fruits of all kinds could be raised in California, our people have planted ex- tensively. Immense Pear, Peach, and Apple orchards are to be found in all parts of the State. Plum, Cherry, Ap- ricot, Quince, Prune, Fig, and other varieties of fruit-trees, have been set out in great number. Our vineyards are now measured by the acx*e rather than by the number of vines set out, though of these there must be nearly 50,000,000 growing in the State, with a still larger number of small fruits, such as Strawberries, Currants, Rasp- berries, etc. "With these millions of trees, and a fecundity so unexampled, the annual production of fruit in this State is enormous; so great, in fact, that in many localities destitute of fa- cilities for shipping it away, it possesses no market value whatever — the orchard- ist feeding it to his stock, and in some instances giving it away to whoever chooses to come and get it. There is no estimating the quantity of fruit, mostly of fine quality, that is allowed in this manner to go to waste annually. It literally amounts to thousands of tons, the waste this season, owing to an unusually abundant crop, being great- er than ever before. Now, as our climate is exceedingly favorable for the curing of fruit — great THE CALIFORNIA HOETICULTUEIST. 275 quantities of which in its dried state are every year consumed on the coast, cre- ating a ready market and good prices for the same — strangers would naturally infer that this branch of business had been largely engaged in by the pomolo- gists, vintagers, and gardeners of Cali- fornia; that with so many inducements for entering upon the business, and so many advantages for its successful pros- ecution, it would long since have at- tained to no secondary position among our domestic industries, and that we were shipping this sort of produce ex- tensively to other and less favored coun- tries. This, in view of the premises, is the conclusion at which almost any ra- tional mind would be forced to arrive. Dried fruit has not, however, figured prominently among our articles of ex- port, nor have our orchardists as yet greatly enriched themselves by the sale of these toothsome commodities. On the contrary, they have not produced near enough to meet home requirements. We have been importers of these staples not only during early years, when labor was scarce and dear and little or no fruit was grown here, but latterly, since it has become so superabundant and the State has been swarming with wom- en and children who, had they been disposed to make themselves useful, might have found in this business of fruit -curing a pleasant and profitable employment. Last year our importa- tions of dried Apples amounted to nearly 4,000 half-barrels, and our rai- sins to 27,692 boxes, besides more than 100,000 barrels, kegs, and boxes of these and other kinds of dried fruits, to say nothing of large quantities of fruits and vegetables preserved in other forms; last year's importations, though showing an increase on those of the pre- ceding year, representing the average of those made for many years past. These facts and figures are not at all creditable to California industry or thrift, nor are they any more creditable to the good judgment and taste of our people. When it is remembered how the most of these fruits have been cured in the countries whence we have in so large part derived our supplies, one is astonished that anybody should use them at all. That they should ever have been preferred to those of Califor- nia production can be explained only on the hypothesis that the consumer was ignorant of the processes to which they had been subjected in the course of preparation for market. In the Eastern States, from which most of our importations in this line have been drawn, much of the fruit continues to be prepared after the old- fashioned way — that is, by exposure to the out-door air, or by being strung on threads and hung up in the house to dry; this last method being adopted when the weather is damp or the work is being carried on in the winter. It is, moreover, the favorite plan with many families in the country, as these garlands, when suspended thickly about the house, serve the several purposes of fly-roosts, dust-catchers, and ornament- ation. Hence they are often suffered to adorn the kitchens and bedrooms of these rural dwellings for weeks and months in succession. When taken down they present, of course, a much bespeckled and dingy ajjpearance, and are not apt to smell well, either. This unsightly and ill-savored stuff is next sent to the country store, whence, after being forced into half -barrels by the aid of a stogy boot, it finds its way to the nearest port of shipment, and is there dispatched for San Francisco. During its long voyage in the ship's hold it imbibes largely the odor of bilge-water and other depraved smells; 276 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. this discoloring matter, meantime, be- coming released and coating the mass ■with a sort of syrup, which to the con- sumer seems to have exuded from the fruit itself. Such has been much of the dried fruit eaten by Californians in years past, and for -which, if they had not been the most indolent and shiftless people un- der the sun, they might easily have substituted a home -cured article of su- perior quality and at far less cost. It is in practices of this kind that we are to look for the causes of that money tightness, hard times, and general un- thrift of -which we have ever heard so much complaint; and what of mishap and misery might we not reasonably predict for a people who, with such an abundance of green fruits, with our long and rainless summers, our cloud- less days and dewless nights, will yet import their dried fruit from abroad rather than cure it for themselves ! If anything more shiftless than this was ever practiced among the primitive set- tlers of Arkansas, the fact has not been brought to public notice . Happily, we seem to be on the eve of a change as regards this shamefully neglected branch of industry. For the first time our people are this year be- ginning to turn their attention largely to the business of fruit - drying. Dis- carding the former slow and imperfect processes, they seem disposed to avail themselves of the several machines re- cently invented for effecting this pur- pose, and through the aid of which a much improved article can be turned out at a greatly reduced cost. Among these devices the Alden machine, per- haps because it was the first invented and brought into use, seems to have a general preference. Those who have tried the Cassidy drier, operating in the neighborhood of Petaluma, like it bet- ter than any other ; the fact being, that these patent driers, or evaporators, possess such advantages over the old methods, that a person using either style is sure to be pleased with it. Of the Alden pattern, about twenty have already been put up in California ; five of these being at San Lorenzo, three at Centreville, both in Alameda County; two at Yacaville, Solano County; two at Napa City, and several in various other localities. A number of the Cas- sidy machines, with a few of other pat- terns, have also been constructed and set to work in this State. In Oregon these evaporators are also being employ- ed, and there is no doubt but they will be rapidly multiplied throughout the entire fruit-growing region of the coast. These machines, when started, are usually kept running day and night. They employ from twenty to forty hands each, and have capacity to cure from one thousand to two thousand pounds every twenty-four hours. There will be cured in California three or four times as much fruit this season as in any pre- ceding year. What shall have been ac- complished the present year may, how- ever, be looked upon as a mere inaugur- ation of the business, now that the attention of our pomologists has been aroused, and the means been provided for making it a great success. Aspakagus Culture ln Germany. — It is asserted that near Brauneschweig, Germany, 25,000 acres are cultivated in Asparagus, most of which is canned. The variety cultivated is called ' ' Rose Hollande." We have received and eat- en samples of this German canned As- paragus, and it is most excellent. — Ex. Do not use fresh manure for bulbs; old, thoroughly decayed compost is far preferable. THE CALIFOENIA HOKTICULTUKIST. 277 TAN MULCH FOE FLOWER-BEDS. The color of fresh tan, and in par- ticular that of Hemlock, is just the tint to contrast favorably with the colors of grass and flowers, and to make them bright and conspicuous. A warm brick red, that of a well-burned and new flower-pot, or of the reddish clay — the common (Venetian) red of the painters — is the color found preferable in hor- ticultural exhibitions as a background on flower-pot stages. But almost any color resembling that of a wet soil will do, provided that it is uniform over the whole ground; for this prevents the eye from being distracted by a medley of tints, and thus the plants being seen with the full power of vision, both out- lines and colors are aj>preciated. When a bed of flowers or shrubbery is cut out of the grass-jDlat of a yard or lawn, a mulch of fresh, fine Hemlock tan, applied after planting, is equiva- lent to a painting of the surface, for it gives the whole one even and distinct shade. It has the great advantage, too, of saving nearly all of the often-recur- ring trouble of weeding and watering. Then it is so easily applied — so very easily surfaced smoothly with the back of a rake — and so pleasant to the feet as well as to the eyes. Dark-colored sand may be used in the same way, on heavy soils, with great advantage and effect. Knowing very well from trials how deleterious tan may become to the roots, if dug into the ground, we have been pleasantly surprised to find that even tender annuals, so far as we have ap- plied tan around them, are not injured by it, although just fresh from the vat, if it is applied only upon the surface. The edging round a twelve-by-fifteen- feet bed of shrubs here is formed by a row of Tagetes signata pumila, set a foot apart. These plants were almost in- conspicuous on the rather parti-colored earth of the bed, but when this was covered all over with an inch or two deep of fresh tan, everything growing in the bed seemed to be illuminated, and the long roAV of Tagetes stood out as distinct as a row of showy buttons on a new dress, or a row of the neatly matched Plane-trees on a Paris boule- vard. They began to grow more rapid- ly; and are now tipped and gilded with their golden blossoms, and more than ever like a pretty curving row of shin- ing border buttons. Behind these are peeonies and other perennials, not over eighteen inches high, and further back are lilies, etc., among shrubs of three or four feet of stature. All are hardy perennials, ex- cepting the one row of edging, so that the really beautiful bed requires only a little pruning in the spring, and a re- freshing of tan to be a continual feast to the eye. Of course the grass is kept short all around. If a hardy weed dares to appear here or there, a scrape of the foot in the tan, or a spud with a chisel- like push-hoe, puts it out of existence before it becomes large enough to spot and mar the even-colored carpet of the bed. The centre plant in this bed is a Spircea aurea about seven feet high, and from it the growth tapers in height down to the low border or edge of the bed. There are no evergreens in it, excepting that one front is edged with Euonymus radicans variegatus. Back of this are mounds of golden-veined Japan Hon- eysuckles, and farther back are taller mounds of the Belgian Monthly and Trumpet Honeysuckles between low, erect shrubs, such as Deutzia cornea, Hy- drangia paniculata, Spircea callosa and prunifolia, Japan Quince, Flowering Almond, etc. A variety of the red-ber- ried Elder — Sambucus pubens laciniatus, 278 THE CALIFOBNIA HOKTICULTTTBIST. with very finely cut leaves, extends its feathery spray from under the branches of a Josikea Lilac, with a peculiarly graceful elegance. It is an interesting and beautiful shrub, thrives in the shade, and does not sucker from the roots like other Elders. It was found a few years ago on Tussy Mountain by a botanical party from the Pennsylva- nia Agricultural College, and is unique. It has a profusion of bright red berries. When it is desired to plant anything new in this bed (as to renew the Ta- getes edging in the last of May), the tan is scraped away before digging, so that it may not be mingled with the soil, nor any of it covered out of reach of the oxidizing power of free air. — Country Gentleman. The Tamarix. — Of this pretty shrub, which in this part of the country is not often seen, the Flower Garden says: "These very elegant and hardy shrubs should be more extensively used in our gardens and lawns. The flowers and foliage both are ornamental; the latter remaining till quite late in the season. Its numerous branches are profusely covered with very delicate, slender, thread-like leaves, which give them a feathery effect; somewhat like, but more elegant, than those of the graceful Pines. The flowers are very minute, appearing in the spring before the foli- age, and covering the plant with long terminal spikes of pinkish blossoms. The shrubs bloom a second time in au- tumn, but not so profusely. They re- quire a deep sandy soil, and present the best effect when planted singly in the grass. When once established, no further attention is necessary except an annual pruning. But this is of great importance. Cut them back, half-way down, every spring, as otherwise the branches will grow scraggy and awk- ward.— American Farmer. TRAINING THE GEAPE. Following are some hints on Grape culture offered by the Home Journal, of New Orleans, which may prove of serv- ice to our California readers, although given in view of the special peculiarities of Louisiana: " Perhaps the most essential element to success in Grape culture is the prop- er mode of pruning and training the vine. The soil, location, and aspect may be all right; the varieties may be such as are exactly adapted to our pe- culiar climatic conditions, and yet, if some intelligent system of training is not adopted, and the pruning not done in accordance with the requirements of such system, we need not expect per- manently healthy vines or remunerative crops. It is of the very first importance to know, therefore, when we plant a vine, how we are going to manage it. "Our first lessons in Grape culture came from the Old World, where they cultivate an entirely distinct species of Grape, and one which, from long cult- ure under a universal procrustean sys- tem of pruning and training, has be- come pretty well reconciled to its stub- bing-in treatment. It was very natural that our early cultivators should follow the examples and instructions given to them by the great lights of European Grape culture, without investigating too critically the difference in species, hab- its, soils, and climates, that existed be- tween the two countries. "Our native species of the great Vitis family — great in importance, if not in numbers — prove refractory under the severe pruning to which the European Grape patiently submits, and fail when thus treated to yield the cultivator that THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 279 permanent income which is the legiti- mate expectation of every commercial fruit-grower. Our grapes require long- er training and more room, and with this condition must be coupled that other one of frequent renewals. Good stroug vines, one or at most two years old, should alone be planted, and these should be set four feet apart in six-feet rows. This distance will fulfill all the conditions of both systems, and will give a greater amount of crop than can be secured by setting the vines in wider rows or farther apart in the row . "We will suppose that strong one- year-old vines are to be planted. These should be cut back to two or three stout eyes, so that when planted about six inches of the cane shall be above the ground. Suffer two eyes to push, gen- erally the two upper ones, rubbing out all growth below them as soon as it manifests itself, and pinching the end of the weakest of the two shoots as soon as it has reached six or eight inches in length. Train the other shoot to a six- feet stake driven one foot in the ground, and when this growing cane has reached the top of the stake, pinch it also, and cut out entirely the weak cane that was pinched before. The vine will need no further care as to pruning or training the first year. In January, before the sap begins to circulate, cut the cane down to within two or three good eyes of the last cutting, and train up this year two canes, rubbing off all other growth and pinching out any laterals that may appear on the growing canes. "When these canes have reached the top of the stake, pinch them as before di- rected. If properly managed, these canes will be of nearly equal strength, and will correspond laterally with the direction of the rows. At the pruning in January, cut back the left-hand cane, as you face the row, to two strong eyes, leaving about four to six inches of spur according to the growth or variety. The other cane should be cut back from three to five feet, according to its strength. This is to be the bearing -cane for the ensuing or third year. A stake two and a half or three feet long should be driv- en firmly into the ground, one foot to the right of the vine ; the middle of the long cane should be tied to it loosely in two places some six inches apart, and then the top brought over and tied with the top down to the long stake, forming almost a complete circle. From the spur two new canes are to be trained up the long stake, to be treated next year precisely as directed for the two third-year canes, except that the fourth year the new bearing -cane is to be trained to a short stake upon the left of the vine. The bearing-cane of the third year is to remain another year, having its bearing side-shoots cut back to three eyes. This will give for each year after the third two bearing-canes, one a year old and one two years old, and two growing canes for future train- ing as 'spur' and 'bow.' In Janua- ry the two-years-old bearing-cane is to be cut entirely away." A True Variegated Rose.— The Hud- son (N. Y.) Republican notices the pro- duction of a new variegated Rose by a florist of that city, and says that this is the second one allowed to come into bloom of the cuttings from which he is propagating this rare novelty. It has been named the "Cora Macy," after one of his daughters, and promises to become a flower of great beauty and value. This Rose originated as a sport from an ordinary Monthly Rose, of deep red color, in Mr. Macy's dooryard last season. It was transferred to his greenhouse and judiciously forced until 280 THE CALIFOBNIA HOETICULTUKIST. several healthy plants have been ob- tained and found true to color. The form and fragrance of the parent Kose are fully preserved, while the leaves are all beautifully variegated in red and white, blending in the most perfect manner. THE VEGETABLE MABKET OF SAN FEANCISCO. If one hundred tons of vegetables were massed in one pile, and the be- holder were told that this is San Fran- cisco's regular daily ration in the veg- etable line, he would probably be some- what amazed. Yet such is supposed to be the case by those who have taken the dimensions of our daily vegetable mar- ket. This vast quantity, however, is not exhibited in one stack, but is placed on the sidewalks of Sansome Street in goodly sized mounds, or piled up on the wagons ranged along the sides of the street. This grand vegetable display commences on the south a little below Commercial Street, extending thence northward to the length of five or six blocks. In order to condense this bus- iness as much as possible, the great- est economy in space is used. Many of the wagons stand closely backed up to the curbstone, while those that stand lengthwise of the street are not allowed space for their poles, but are placed body against body as closely as possible. On a recent early visit to this market we counted eighty-eight of these wag- ons. Many of them bring to market ful- ly three tons, while scarcely any of them bring less than one ton. And be it re- membered that the "market days" here are six to the week, throughout the year. And it should be borne in mind that San Francisco does not ob- tain here its tons of Potatoes for its dai- ly consumption, for these are not in- cluded in the vegetables sold here. The smaller garden vegetables— Bad- ishes, Celery, etc.— are grown at the Mission; while the coarser grades — Cab- bages, Turnips, etc. — are brought from a greater distance, some of them fifteen miles. Many of these immense loads are brought to the city at night and placed in position, ready for the earliest morning customers. It is about day- break that this trade is most active; for the great number of local markets and groceries scattered through all parts of the city get their supply of vegetables here, and they must be in time for their early customers. It is almost exclusive- ly to dealers that the sales at this great market are made. Neither party has any spare time to waste in haggling, one being as impatient to buy as the other is to sell; consequently quick sales and a rapid transfer of stock follow. Later in the morning, a few men and women, smaller purchasers, appear and procure their daily supply for families, boarding-houses, etc. And from the opening to the close of the market, scores of boys and girls are going about amid the scene with sacks and baskets, into which they thrust all the refuse vegetable material, such as cabbage leaves, turnip tops, etc. The owners cut and trim freely; much of this refuse is undoubtedly available for table uses, though it is mostly gathered for feeding to cows, goats, and fowls. When it has been closely picked over, and as the wagons disappear, the sidewalk, gutter, and street are swept, and even these sweepings are bagged; and by half past eight or nine o'olock, when the mercan- tile business of the locality commences, these stirring Italian vegetable-grow- ers are returning to their distant ranch- es, and of those mountains of vegetables there is not left enough to " keep their memory green." THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 281 These vegetables are grown by those who sell thein, and who are almost ex- clusively Italians. Any person will, we think, at once admit that they deserve commendation, both as producers and as business men. They have done jus- tice to the horticultural resources of the country, and present the valuable products in a very attractive condition; and it will be difficult to find in any de- partment of trade the same amount of business done in so short a time and in so business-like a manner. There is evidently an idea prevailing in the little world outside of San Fran- cisco that we are given over to extrava- gance and waste. But we have abun- dant evidence wherewith to refute this charge, and may find one available point in this vegetable market. As we stated above, there is plenty of refuse here, bu^ no waste. Men and women, boys and girls (not the representatives of squalid want and misery, by any means), come here regularly with their baskets and bags, and carry off to their homes what would otherwise become a nuisance. Every leaf is utilized. There are several gratifying points brought out by a visit to this market. The display of vegetables there is fully up to the idea that has gone abroad concerning Calif ornian Horticulture. We are not so "green" as to claim that there is anything really practical in the sight of even such mounds of mammoth Cabbages and other vegeta- bles, yet we do claim that they are de- cidedly refreshing to behold, and while they are appealing to a wholesome ap- petite, they gratify other tastes and feel- ings. Regarding the eating habits of the people and their consequent healthi- ness, it is a satisfaction to know that they consume daily a hundred tons of vegetables, exclusive of Potatoes (and Vol. IV.— 32. this is too low an estimate), seven days in a week throughout the year; but they ought to consume still more. About the only complaint against our popular eating-houses is, that they do not fur- nish vegetables in sufficient quantity and variety. This is a want that should not remain unsatisfied in our great veg- etable abundance. — Pacific Rural Press. SUN-DKIEI> ESUIT A FAILUKE. Owing to the peculiarity of our cli- mate, a climate in which fruit may be dried as rapidly and with as little ex- pense as in any other country, the sys- tem of drying fruit in the sun is practi- cally a failure. It may strike those who have had no experience, as a strange proposition; but, to the practical man, the man who has dried fruit in the sun and kept the same any length of time before disposing of it, and to the mer- chant who has been dealing in sun-dried fruits and had box after box returned to him, it is very plain and easily un- derstood. In whatever country you dry fruit in the sun, exposed to insects, they will deposit more or less eggs upon it. If that country be a cold one, like the Atlantic States, for instance, the cold weather generally sets in so early that these eggs are not hatched out in the fall, and the fruit is consumed be- fore the warm weather of the following spring, and the consumers are none the wiser for having consumed with the fruit millions of insect eggs. In this State, however, these eggs hatch out in the fall, and very generally destroy the fruit before it is required for consump- tion . Our dealers generally understand the danger of dealing in sun-dried fruit, for many of them have suffered by so doing; and we, in the line of our busi- ness, have also had a little experience, which we will relate. "While Secretary 282 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. of the State Agricultural Society, we made an exhibition of some of the prod- ucts of our State, at the International Exposition at Paris. At the State Fair of 1866, Briggs Bros., the extensive orchardists of Marysville, exhibited a number of boxes of dried fruits of vari- ous kind's, put up in a good shape for commerce. The fruit itself was in splendid order, and attracted general attention at the fair, and we solicited and obtained the whole to send, among other articles, to Paris. After the fair, some two months elapsed before it was time to forward the goods to New York, and the boxes remained in a safe place, undisturbed. When ready to ship, we opened one of the boxes, and found the fruit had turned to a mass of worms. Not one box was found but was in the same condition. The peculiarity of our climate, there- fore, requires that our fruit be dried by artificial means, or that all sun-dried fruit, to keep or to ship, be put through some process by which the insects' eggs imay be killed. Unless subjected to some process that will effect this, it is neither safe to the individual, or good policy to ship it out of the State, or to sell it to those who desire to keep it for win- ter use. — Sacramento Record. Many persons fail with the Apricot on account of the situation selected. If we give it a southern exposure, the blossoms will likely enough expand be- fore the danger from late spring frost is past, and the consequence is a blast- ing of the prospective crop. A speci- men in a neighbor's collection* planted on the north side of the house, and where it can only enjoy a little sunshine late in the afternoon, has given good results. Place it in such exposures; attend to the "borer" at the root; wage a war of extermination against the curculio ; and gather Apricots almost as fine as do the Mormon horticulturists at Salt Lake City. BEAUTIFY YOUR HOMES. It should be our constant object and aim to render our homes and farm life attractive. A false idea seems to prevail among all classes that they can devote five, ten, fifteen, or twenty years to the accumulation of capital, wherewith to purchase enjoyment, and then sit down and enjoy it. He who builds upon such a basis founds his superstructure upon sand. It is a delusive hope, an ignis fatuus, that tempts us to sacrifice health and, it may be, that fine perception of the beautiful, which can only be strengthened and cultivated by its daily use and enjoyment. How often do we see farm-houses mere boarding-houses, not surrounded by a single ornamental tree, or shrub, or flower, when they might easily and cheaply have been made beautiful homes? If we have no regard for ourselves, and no ambition but to accumulate capital, we should, at least for the sake of our children, build up a pleasant home, whether it be a villa, a cottage, or even a log-house. The saddest thing of all is to hear it said of any man or woman, that he or she never had a pleasant home. The importance of a pleasant home, where love reigns su- preme, and where the external adorn- ments ever minister to the gratification of the nascent perception of the beau- tiful, the good, and the true, can never be overestimated, when we consider their influence upon the sesthetical and moral culture of our children. It is only by degrees that the young, hungry soulj born and bred in a hard, unlovely THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 283 home, accepts the coarse fate to which, not the poverty, but the indifference, of parents condemn it. A meagre, joy- less home often makes of the spirited boy a shrewd, narrow-minded, and self- ish man; and as the years pass by, these influences culminate in a covetous and unloving disposition, and he eventually disappears from the earth, uncared for and unloved. The home should be made so beautiful that the children would love it above all other places. It is by improving and beautifying our homes that we become contented with farm life, and contentment in this re- spect is great gain. Then let each child plant a tree, shrub, or flower, that it can call its own, something upon which they can bestow some care, something that in after years will call up some pleasant association connected with its planting — for it is such things as these that attract us in after years to the home around which so many fond asso- ciations will ever cluster. The habit which we as a people have acquired, of roving hither and thither over the face of the earth in search of happi- ness, should be checked. Happiness of the purest kind is not to be found in this way. It is to be found in making our earthly homes as near as possible like the ideal one which we are ever cherishing, ever hoping to create. All things must have a begin- ning; then why should we not begin at once, and without delay, to make every earnest longing for a beautiful home at no distant day an accomplished fact? < i aai ' > California Woods for England. — The superior character of California wood is attracting the attention of peo- ple living abroad, and visitors, who are fairly delighted with the fine grain and the high polish of the material used in the manufacture of furniture and the ornamentation of apartments in this State. A few months since Lord Skelmersdale, while visiting this city, was struck with the fine finish of the Lick House, and also with the rich pan- eling of Laurel and Redwood in the Capitol at Sacramento. He remember- ed his admiration of the woods after his return to London, and finally conclud- ed to send for a collection for the adorn- ment of his palatial residence in the great British metropolis. The order was received by Jacob Strahle & Co., who will forward by the bark Cuba some of the finest specimens of Califor- nia woods the market affords. The same firm recently supplied fine woods for the re-arrangement of the cabin of the clipper ship Carrollton, of New York. Fertilizing Plants. — A process in- vented by Hooibrenk, facilitating the fertilization of plants, has lately been successfully, tried, according to Les Mondes, in the Botanical Gardens of Vienna. This consists in simply touch- ing the extremity of the stigma of a flower about to bloom with a brush dip- ped in honey, or still better, in honey mixed with the pollen of the plant to be operated upon. This, in the case of Hibiscus Mexicanus, which had never borne fruit, resulted, in the production of perfect seeds. The operation has succeeded very well with certain fruit- trees, some of which have thus been caused to produce fruit for the first time. As an explanation of this result it is suggested that the honey keeps the grains of pollen upon the stigma, and thus favors the development of the pol- len-tube, which is indispensable to fer- tilization. The substitution of glycer- ine for honey in the experiment has been suggested. 284 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. ABUTILON YEXILLAEIUM VARIEGATUM. (see fbontispiece.) "We take pleasure in bringing this handsome foliage shrub to the notice of our readers. Although this Abutilon has been introduced several years since, it is not so frequently met with as it really deserves. Its golden -blotched leaves make it a conspicuous ornamental foliage plant, while its bell-shaped flow- ers, consisting of a bright red calyx and golden corolla, are most pleasing. The A. vexillarium var. should be treated as a greenhouse plant, and as such it is adapted to various purposes. Its climbing nature is well calculated to decorate a wall or trellis ; its grace- ful habit makes it an exquisite basket- plant, and if frequently cut back and pinched off, it will make an admirably compact pot -plant. The foliage may be much improved in color by keeping the roots rather dry and exposing the plant to the sun or light. It can be most effectively used to ornament a rus- tic flower-stand. All the Abutilons are readily grown from cuttings at any season of the year, .and no particular treatment is required in their cultivation. They may be had in nearly all of our nurseries at a small cost. ■•-*-♦ FLOWER CULTURE. As your flower seeds ripen, gather them, and after you have dried them good, clean all the seed -pods, trash, etc., out of them. Put them in neat paper or cloth bags, labeled with the name and color of the flowers. Put the small bags in a large bag or box, that you must have on purpose. Then next spring, when you want your seed to plant, you will know where to find them. So many folks put their seed in an old rag or paper, stick them in or on the top of the cupboard, or in some drawer, and never think anything more about them until the next spring, when they can't find them. So when you can save plenty of all varieties of flower seeds, you can make many a heart glad by giving them a few packages. I al- ways take the largest and prettiest, mark them, and save the seed. By do- ing this each year, my flowers, get larg- er and nicer. The Dahlias and Gladi- oli tie securely to strong stakes, to prevent them being broken by winds that are so destructive at times. Now is a good time to bud Roses. I have budded them quite late in August, but I would rather bud in July. I have a red running Rose at one of my bedroom windows that I budded one bud of a white in, and it does look beautiful when in bloom. Try budding different colors together once. Now is a good time to strike Rose-cuttings in any convenient place. Trim out all decayed blossoms and superfluous wood; prune Monthly Roses and they will bloom much nicer. Guard the Verbenas and Carnations. If they are too much in the sun, shade them. Hyacinths, Tulips, etc., should be taken up and the beds planted with annuals. Many plants can be trans- planted, and by good care and watering, can be grown with success. All creep- ers require constant care. Keep them tied and trained up their trellis; they grow so fast that they require constant care. Don't forget the potted plants; keep them well watered, they will need water every day this warm, dry weath- er. Give them a good watering of li- quid manure once a week. If you wa- ter them out of the well or cistern, draw the water in the morning or at noon, and set it in the sunshine so it will be warm by evening. It chills the plants to put cold water on them. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 285 (Editorial gvttioXto. THE HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION. As we announced before, the Fourth Annual Exhibition of the Bay District Horticultural Society, in conjunction with the Mechanics' Fair, opened on Tuesday, August 18th. The fact that the Exhibition was to continue for five weeks made it doubtful that many of our florists and nurserymen would par- ticipate, notwithstanding that the Hor- ticultural Exhibition was divided up in four weekly shows. All those concern- ed in our horticultural affairs seem to agree with us, that a Horticultural Ex- hibition can not be kept up for weeks at the expense, loss, and sacrifice of ex- hibitors. Circumstances, too well known to members of the Horticultural Socie- ty, made a co - operation with the Me- chanics' Fair desirable this present year, while we sincerely hope that sufficient strength will be developed in the ranks of our horticulturists and florists to in- augurate exhibitions of their own. As for the Exhibition, the space de- voted to horticulture was limited, and it was difficult to arrange with a view to produce effect. If we add to this that only certain classes of plants could be entered during the first week, to make room for other classes during the sec- ond week, then again to be replaced by others during the third week, and so on until the close of the Fair, it is surpris- ing that so creditable an exhibition has been made. "While but few of our most prominent nurserymen participat- ed, those few have done their work well, and deserve praise. The leading features of the Exhibi- tion were during the first week. Tropical plants were entered by R. B. Woodward and Miller & Sievers, the former carrying off the first prize. Ferns were shown very extensively. The very select collection of forty varie- ties exhibited by Miller & Sievers was awarded the first prize. Among these we noticed in particular some fine speci- mens of Adiantum Farleyense, Adiantum amabile, Ciboteuvi glaucum, and C. Cha- missoi (Pulu Tree-ferns from the Sand- wich Islands), Pteris argyrea, Lygodium scandens, Platycerium grande, Aspleniwm nidus avis, Gymnogramma chrysophila, G. Lancheana, and others. Greenhouse and conservatory plants were well represented, as usual. A collection of Japanese plants, by Miller & Sievers, was attracting much attention. During the second week, Roses, Fuch- sias, Geraniums, Coleus, Bouvardias, etc., were shown. The most prominent collections, however, were tender orna- mental foliage plants, shown by three competitors, R. B. Woodward, Miller & Sievers, and Mr. Thompson, of Oak- land. Colored Dracaenas, Caladiums, Crotons, Dieffenbachias, Alocasias, An- thuriums, and many other choice varie- ties, presented a charming appearance. Much interest was felt in the collec- tion of California native plants by Miller & Sievers, which was far superior and more numerous than on any former oc- casion. The third week brought out tender climbers, new and rare plants, Bego- nias, Pelargoniums, Pansies, Gloxinias, Marantas, Caladiums, and Verbenas. Ornamental foliage Begonias, in three collections, and new and rare plants, attracted the most attention, and were unusually good. The Cut-flower show was not as large- ly attended as might have been expect- ed ; however, the display of Roses, Dahlias, Gladioli, and Pinks was very fair. The fourth week's show consisted of 286 THE CALIFOKNIA HOBTICULTUKIST. bouquets, floral decorations, and fruits; also, Fern-cases, rustic stands, and bas- kets. The "Temple of Liberty," by August Duhem, in the employ of Miller & Sievers, was probably the best piece of work in the way of floral decoration ever exhibited. The fruit show was also creditable. "We were particularly pleased with the wine and table Grapes of "W. B. TTest, of Stockton, and the Apples and Pears of D. C. Young, of Sonoma, which have hardly ever been equaled. It is generally conceded, that if the various collections had been on exhibit at any one time, instead of being cut up into weekly shows, the Exhibition would have been equal to any former display, at least in point of quality and variety. m ■ m OUR EXCHANGE TABLE. The Oveelastd foe OctobeeIs at hand, and is remarkable for the unparalleled length of its table of contents, nineteen names appearing opposite headings suggestive of interesting articles; a promise well fulfilled by the body of the magazine. Too little attention is generally paid by readers to book re- views; but we promise anybody that turns to this month's Oveelaxd — espec- ially to the notice "The G-ods, and oth- er Lectures" — a treat of terse, instruct- ive, and severe v criticism. John H. Carmany & Co., Publishers, San Fran- cisco. §4 a year. Moon's Bee World- a monthly period ical, devoted to Bee Culture. A valu- able work in its department. A. F. Moon & Co., Publishers, Borne, G-a. Price, $1 per year. Vick's Floral Guide (No. 4), 1874. This valuable publication contains full and complete directions for fall work in the garden, much of which is useful in California. This work is published for the low price of twenty-five cents a year, and furnishes a vast amount of valuable information. CATALOGUES RECEIVED. The Descriptive Catalogue of the Dobroyde New-Plant Nursery, of Syd- ney, N. S. W. Premiums, Rules, and Regulations of the Berks Co. (Pa.) Agricultural and Horticultural Society. Woems in Feuit. — Heretofore Cali- fornia fruit has been exceptionally free from worms of all kinds. So much so, that this fact has been considered one of the best recommendations to our State as a fruit-growing country. We are sorry to learn, as we have, by report and personal observation, that this year worms are making their appearance among the Pears and Apples to an alarm- ing extent. These varieties of fruits are dropping from the trees much more this year than heretofore, and we have no doubt that the presence of the worms is the cause of it. Fears were express- ed by some of our fruit-growers when the Eastern fruit was sent out here and exhibited at our State Fair, some years since, that the fruit-worms would thus be introduced. If the fruits only about Sacramento are affected in this manner it is possible that these fears were too well founded and that they are being realized. We wish our contemporaries throughout the State would examine into this matter in their several locali- ties and report the result of their in- quiries. "We would also suggest that the fruit-growers of the State, at their meeting on the 27th instant, compare notes on the subject and publish the result of their comparison. — Sacramento Record. THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 287 NEW AND KARE PLANTS. A New Evergreen. — It is always a pleasure to record an addition to our list of really hardy new plants, and es- pecially so when they are very beautiful and desirable in all respects. We now urge the claims of a new evergreen from Japan, which as yet has no common name, but which is called by botanists Eetinispora obtusa. For the last five years, two of which have been more trying to our hardy plants than any within the recollection of our oldest horticulturists, this lovely tree has suc- ceeded as well as the Norway Spruce. It grows rapidly and forms a very grace- ful tree, having drooping silver- green branchlets, and appearing equally in- different to the extremes of heat and cold. So far as we have been able to judge, it is not affected by any particu- lar soil or situation, but succeeds well wherever placed. So many of the new- er evergreens have been injured of late years, that our horticulturists have been about ready to give up the whole fami- ly in despair, as too fickle for this cli- mate; but we think a fair test with this charming plant will assure them that one at least will prove desirable. — New York Tribune. Cyrtanthera Chrysostephana. — A new and very distinct species of the tropical American genus Cyrtanthera. It is of elegant habit, and conspicuous for the vivid red color of the midrib and nerves of the leaf beneath. The flowers, instead of being disposed in a dense thyrse, or in axillary cymes, as in most species of the genus, are col- lected into a crown-like corymb at the tips of the branches, and are of a bright golden color. It is a plant of easy cult- ure, and considered a most desirable acquisition, for it produces its showy flowers in midwinter. — Horticulturist. Singular and Rare.— There has been found recently in Southern Australia a remarkable flower, of the shape and size of our common Morning Glory, but having five streaks of color on its bell- shaped calyx. In the early morning, when it opens, the streaks are of a pale, delicate blue; as the day advances the color intensifies, and changes gradually to a dark, rich purple, which is suc- ceeded by a light pink tint. As even- ing approaches, the color fades gradu- ally, and when night comes on, the flower, from which all vestige of color has disappeared, closes and dies. The French Bishop of Canton has sent to the Jardin d'Acclimatation a plant whose flower changes color three times a day. This is mentioned as a remarkable instance of the skill of the Chinese florists. It is probable, how- ever, that this plant belongs to the same family as the first mentioned, and its wonderful changes are simply natural phenomena. A rare plant has lately been discov- ered in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, by Dr. J. S. Moyer, of Quakertown. It is the Trollius laxus, or Spreading Globe- flower. It is found in a very few other places, and is considered by all Ameri- can botanists as a great desideratum. — Park's Floral Gazette. Dracaena Shepherdii. — Originated and named by W. Bull after Mr. Shep- herd, a well-known nurseryman of Syd- ney. It is a very noble form of Dracae- na, and considered one of the finest in cultivation. Mr. Bull says: " Unlike most of the forms already known, which color most on the free young growth of vigorous plants, this plant takes on its distinctive coloring gradu- ally on the older leaves, the young ones being green, and showing paler green stripes on those parts which take on at 288 THE CALIEOENIA HOETICULTUKIST. a later period the peculiar bronzy orange hue. It is very free-growing, of ample proportions, the broad oblong linear leaves, 2J feet long and five inches broad, being arranged in a distinctly spiral manner, and having channeled marginate petioles, six inches long, tint- ed at the edge with the same bronzy orange color, which is continued along the marginal portions of the lower half of each leaf." New Liliputian Pelargonium Commodore Nutt. — This is one of a strain of liliputian Pelargoniums origi- nated by Hovey & Co., a few years ago, and the Commodore Nutt is of the same style as the Dolly Dutton. It grows only ten or twelve inches high; very compact in habit, with small leaves, and entirely covered with large trusses of flowers, of a deep rosy lilac, spotted on the upper petals — a very beautiful acquisition. Crocus Scharojani. — This new and hardy autumn -flowering bulb is very pretty, and produces its blossoms be- fore the leaves appear. The flowers are of a deep saffron color, and are devel- oped in the early autumn months. — Park's Floral Gazette. A new Geranium, the Pride of Mount Hope, is announced and highly spoken of. NEW AND RARE FRUITS. Seedling Gooseberry, from Mr. H. M. Engle, Marietta: "I send by to- day's express a few seedling Gooseber- ries. The variety originated on the grounds of a neighbor of mine. It is evidently a seedling of the American Cluster, or Houghton, as there were no other kinds on the premises. It has now been fruiting about four or five years, side by side of the above-named kinds, and has thus far proved itself as profuse a bearer, and as free from mil- dew as either of the above; and in ad- dition is a sweeter berry, and its fruit- ing is now over, just as the others com- mence to ripen. The samples which I send you are about the last that were on the bushes, and are not fully aver- age size." [There is no mistake about this being of the American species. The berries are very smooth — we think equal, and another to whom we submitted them thinks better in flavor, than the Hough- ton's Seedling. It probably averages larger, and we think well worthy of naming and disseminating. — Ed. G. M.] — Gardener's Monthly. A New Species of Fruit.— It is said in the English papers that a new species of fruit of a character that will place it among leading articles, has been introduced from Japan. We have seen no account of it, but that some of the plants were exhibited at the Eoyal Horticultural Society — awarded there a first-class certificate. It is called Pyrus Maulei, so it is probably allied to the Apple, Pear, or Quince. How to grow the Oleander. — The Oleander is a very ornamental plant when properly grown, but we seldom see fine specimens. There is scarcely one of my readers who has not seen dozens of tall, straggly plants. I pro- pose to give a few directions by which fine plants may be grown. Take a healthy cutting, place it in a bottle of water, and let it remain there till roots appear; then pot it, shifting it into larger- sized pots as its roots require more room. Do not try to have it branch until it blooms. It will then have a long, straight stalk — a good foundation for the plant you desire. THE CALIFOKNIA HOBTICULTUBIST. 289 After blooming, three shoots will start; allow them to grow, as they are the flower - shoots : but after these have bloomed, cut back all the shoots to within four or five inches of the former branching-place. Do this each time the plant blooms. — Kitty Clover, in Floral Cabinet. m ■ » EEPOET ON THE FRUIT AND VEGETA- BLE MAEKET. BT E. J. HOOPEB. One of the best reforms now much needed in the business of the sale of fruits is to dispense with the hurtful services of the middleman, who, at the expense of the producer as well as the consumer, reaps such immense and un- proportioned profits in this great and important trade. It would appear that it is very probable that those Grangers who are especially interested in fruit- growing will, by next season at least, mature a plan by which the existent evils of this middle traffic will be reme- died, and greater fairness be extended to the two parties chiefly interested, and who in this matter should not be so grossly imposed upon. To quote the language of a writer in one of our city papers : "A large amount of fruit is annually wasted from the lack of knowledge of an economical method of preserving it. Between the profits paid to middle- men and the actual destruction of fruit, there is little profit to the producer. For instance, a Grape-grower in Sono- ma sells his fruit in this city for fifty or sixty cents per box, but his profit on this sale is very small, as will be seen when the expenses are deducted. Pick- ing and packing costs ten cents per box, the boxes themselves cost ten cents each, the freight another ten cents, wharfage and dray age one or two cents, Vol. IV.— 33. and eight per cent, commission on the sales, making in all some forty cents per box, which the producer pays out of his own pocket. He makes from twenty-five to fifty per cent., while the retail dealer makes from two hundred to three hundred per cent, profit. The fruit-growers affirm that if suitable ar- rangements could be made in the city they could enable the consumer to ob- tain fruit at greatly reduced rates, and at the same time obtain a much larger profit on their sales than they do now." Now this certainly must appear fair and reasonable for the interests of the large majority of the people, who should be regarded in this important particu- lar, and who, next to the price of the " staff of life" — wheat — are concerned in that of fruit. As the old saying is, "Fair play is a jewel," and no one should complain when that "golden rule" is carried out. Two years ago the writer saw this crying shame in this af- fair between the persons who worked to raise the fruit and those — many of them poor persons — who had to provide it as a helpful and healthful diet for their households, and he spoke of it in his articles on the fruit and vegeta- ble markets, in order to lead the parties whose concern it was, to apply the proper remedies where the injustice ex- isted. Many of the cultivators of fruit are Grangers, and from their increase of numbers, power, and united efforts, they will soon be able to make arrange- ments to have their own depots in the cities under suitable agents for the sale of their productions. About the 21st of last month (August) fruit was very plentiful, especially Peaches, and the supply of Grapes was increasing. Flaming Tokay was added to the list then in season, and was quot- ed at 6c. to 10c. per lb.; Black Ham- burg and Bose of Peru retailed at the 290 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. same price, while the poorer descrip- tions of Muscat of Alexandria command- ed a couple of cents more, the range be- ing from 8c. to 10c. Sweetwater were in little demand, superior varieties in- creasing in supply; retailed at 4c. to 6c. per lb. There was an abundance of ripe Figs, and a corresponding reduc- tion in price was the result. Pears were improving; fine ripe Bartletts were com- ing in in large quantities, but there was no change in price compared with last week. The Bellflower variety was con- spicuous among the exhibit of Apples, and retails freely at 6c. per lb. Rasp- berries found few purchasers at 10c. to 15c, and Apricots were pretty much neglected at 5c. to 8c. Plums were the rage, and commanded, as a rule, good prices. Egg Plums were quoted at 8c. ; Cherry do., 6c. to 8c; Peach do., 8c; Oreen Gages, 3c. to 5c; German Prunes — the favorites — 8c to 10c; Damsons, 5c to 6c Clingstone Peach- -es were in season, and offered at 5c to 8c Immense quantities of the early freestone varieties were begging on the market. From 3c to 10c per lb. will cover the range. Crab Apples were quoted at 5c to 6c per lb. Sweet Potatoes increased in supply and improved in quality, while there was a steady decline occurring in pri- ces, which ranged at 4c to 6c. Okra is to-day retailing at 15c. per lb. ; Chile Peppers, 15c to 25c. ; Egg Plant, 5c to 6c; Marrowfat Squash, 2c to 3c; Sum- mer do., 5c to 6c; Artichokes, 25c per doz.; Kale, 50c per dozen bunches; Green Corn, 10c to 25c per doz.; Can- taloupes and Watermelons, 10c to 25c each; Nutmeg Melons, 8c to 10c; As- paragus, 10c to 12Jc per lb.; Butter Beans, 4c to 5c; Lima do., 4c to 6c; Garlic, 15c The only addition to the list of sea- sonable fruits during the latter part of August was the Quince, two varieties of which could be had at 6c to 8c per lb. Seckel Pears were more plentiful and cheaper. There were few Peaches in market except Clings, some of which were very fine. Grapes were very plen- tiful and the varieties numerous. Pri- ces of some of them were as follows: Sweetwater, Chasselas, and Mission were plentiful at 4c to 5c ; Rose of Peru and Black Hamburg, 5c to 8c; Muscat of Alexandria, 8c to 10c; Flame Tokay, 8c per lb. Plums and Blackberries were very plentiful and cheap, especially when purchased by the box. Raspberries were getting scarce. Apples, by the box, retailed at 75c to 1 75; Peaches, by the basket, $1 to $1 75, delivered. About the 12th of this month (Sept.) the market was abundantly supplied with Tomatoes from across the Bay. Artichokes were a shade cheaper, and with this exception vegetables were un- changed. Spinach was quotable at 8c; Lettuce, 20c to 25c per doz.; Salsify, 8c to 10c per bunch; Potatoes, by the sack, delivered, $1 25 to $1 50 per cental. Bartlett Pears were very scarce, and brought fancy prices; Seckels were in better demand in consequence. Black- berries will be out of market before the end of another week, and although very scarce show no advance. A few Currants were still coming forward, but there was little inquiry, and prices continued low. Mountain Peaches were in fair supply, and brought high prices. Grapes were plentiful and cheap. "We quote some of the varieties as follows: Mission, Sweetwater, and Chasselas, 5c; Rose of Peru, Black Hamburg, and Catawba, 6c ; Isabella, 8c. ; Muscat of Alexandria, 6c to 8c ; Flame Tokay, 8c to 10c A cargo of Tahiti Oranges is just at hand, and the THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 291 market is still plentifully supplied with the Australian variety. Sailing vessels have brought consignments of Bananas from Honolulu during the week, and the Panama steamer Pineapples and Limes from Mexico. Apples, by the box, retail at 75c. to $1 50; Pears, 75c. to $2 25; Peaches, by the basket, $1 to $1 75, delivered. Following were the retail prices of Grapes: Isabella, 8c. per lb.; Tokay, 6c. to 8c; Catawba, Black Hamburg, Muscat, and Rose of Peru, 6c; Sweet- water and Mission, 5c Plums were as follows: Egg, 6c to 8c per lb.; Peach, 5c to 6c; Damsons, 5c to 6c; Green Gages, 5c to 6c Prunes are repre- sented to be worth from 6c to 12c per lb.; Hungarians retail at 8c to 10c; Germans, 6c to 8c; Italians, 8c to 12^c Several lots of Prunes have been received by recent steamer from Oregon, but they are no better than those grown in this State, notwithstanding they command higher prices. We quote Quinces at 5c to 6c per lb.; Blackber- ries at 10c tol2^c; Clingstone Peaches, 5c. to 12^c ; other kinds, 5c to 8c Pears — Bartletts, 6c to 8c; Flemish Beauties, 4c to 5c; Seckel and Sugar, 6c; Winter Nelis, 6c to 8c Pome- granates, 10c. each. Nectarines, 8c to 10c per lb. Apricots and Raspberries are no longer in season. SACRAMENTO WINE IN GERMANY. On the 10th of March last,. Jacob Knauth, of this city, shipped a barrel of wine to some friends in Eltville, Ger- many, for the purpose of getting an opinion on it from the wine experts of that country. The wine was made from. Grapes from the vineyard of the O. H. V. A., at Cache Creek, Yolo County. It was in a pure state, with no addition of spirits, and was sent by steamer by way of Panama. When shipped the wine contained 13 2-10 per cent, of al- cohol and .005 part tartaric acid. The climatic temperature of Germany was 90ij degrees Fahrenheit when it arrived there, yet it had lost nothing of its fine- ness, and the experts pronounced it ex- cellent It was expected that the wine would arrive in Germany in April, but it did not reach there until June. On opening the barrel it was found that some one had taken a great deal out — the space of "eight thumbs" was gone. They suspected that the wine was spoil- ed— it was "bath warm" — but it was found in good condition. A general invitation was extended to the neighbor- ing wine-men. to test the wine. It was kept for three weeks before the test, and it was desired to keep it longer, but the wine-men became impatient, and it was decided to try it. As the men placed the glasses under their noses and to their lips, they uttered exclamations of surprise — that wine so excellent should come from a State so young. They dis- cussed as to which of their own wines it came nearest, and concluded that it was something like the Hungarian wine,, but finer and more delicate, and that it was just as good as any Rhine wine. They expressed great respect for the wine, and were surprised that it had lost nothing in quality on its voyage and after being opened. After the bar- rel had been emptied it was discovered that it had been tapped in seven places, by removing the hoop and boring through the staves. They recommend- ed that whenever wine is shipped in barrels hereafter, that an outer barrel be put on the wine-barrel proper, with several inches of room between the two, which is to be filled with straw, to pre- vent this bens with another of John Muir's Sierra studies, entitled, "Post-glacial Denudation." We have also one of Miss Coolbrith's exquisite poetic thought- studies, entitled, " Unto the Day." Stephen Powers gives us a very-graphic description of "A City of a. Day," refer- ring to the California Pompeii — Meadow Lake. Charles Hinton, a young and new contributor, furnishes a rather re- markable poem, under the title of "A Dream of Doubt." John H. Carmany & Co., Publishers, San Francisco. $4 per annum. Now is the time to renew subscriptions. The new volume com- mences with January, when postage will be prepaid by the publishers. The Gardener's Monthly: Charles EL Marot, 814 Chestnut Street, Philadel- phia; $2 a year. One of the best. The American Farmer : Samuel Sands & Son, 0 North Street, Baltimore, Md.; §1.50 per annum. An excellent monthly. The American Gardener: Beach, Son & Co., 76 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; $2 a year. This is a monthly publi- cation succeeding the Flower Garden (quarterly), and is' full of interesting matter. The American Agriculturist: the Or- ange Judd Company, 245 Broadway, New York; $1.50 per annum. The Monthly Report of the Department of Agriculture for August and Septem- ber, 1874, is before us, filled with sta- tistics and correspondence relating to the crops, from all parts of the United States. ■* CATALOGUES RECEIVED. From E. G. Henderson & Co., Well- ington Boad, St. John's Wood, London, N. W.; William Bull, King's Boad, Chel- sea, London, S. W. Also, Briggs & Brother's Floral Work Catalogue, Bochester and Chicago. NEW AND RARE FRUITS. New Strawberries. — The follow- ing are Pennsylvania seedlings, which have good reputations. The account is by Mr. Amos Miller: Cumberland Triumph. — In this berry there is a most beautiful blending of the fine form, high flavor, and large size of Jucunda, with the vigorous growth, hardihood, and productiveness of Grreen Prolific. The past season it has been fairly tested alongside of a number of popu- lar varieties, new and old, and combin- ing very large size, perfect form, ex- ceedingly fine flavor, vigor of growth, and productiveness, it stands unrivaled — berries under ordinary field culture, without stimulating manures, or prun- ing, or thinning out, measuring five inches in circumference, and maintain- ing a more uniformly large size through- out the season than any berry I have' THE CALIFOKNIA HORTICULTUKIST. 319 ever grown. Plant very vigorous and* productive; fruit of the finest flavor; color light; perfect form; a few days earlier than Green Prolific, and contin- ues bearing longer, thus prolonging the season. Springdale. — Plant low set, fruit stem heavy; berries very large and perfect, thirteen berries filling a pint measure; remarkably firm, will stand distant shipping and rough handling equal to Black Defiance or Triomphe de Gand; dark colored, and in flavor one of the best for so large a berry under cultiva- tion. Not as strong and vigorous a grower nor as productive as the Cum- berland, but its fine form, rich color, large size, firmness and exceedingly fine flavor gives it the highest rank in market; does very well by promiscuous culture. Golden Defiance. — Plant vigorous, fruit large, of the most brilliant golden hue, fine flavor and firm, moderately productive, very late. Last season we gathered some of the finest fruit when other varieties were over, and this sea- son shows the same lateness. IKohocken. — Plant very vigorous; in point of size, productiveness, flavor, and firmness, equal to Green Prolific. A few days later. Early Queen. — A seedling grown from Metcalf s Early. Moderately vig- orous and productive, as large as Wil- son, second-rate in flavor, but for the past two years has been four days earlier than Wilson. Its earliness and fine appearance makes it a marketable variety . — Garde ner's Mo n th ly . NEW AND RARE PLANTS. Varieties of Viola corcmta. — This Violet, which has more the habit of a Pansy — Viola tricolor — than any other in cultivation, has been much improved by English florists, and is very popular. Mr. B. S.Williams, of Upper Holloway, London, has a figure of one of these in his pretty catalogue, now before us, of which he says: " Viola cornula 'Sensa- tion.'— Although we have been success- ful in distributing several fine forms of this beautiful plant, all have been dis- tinct and capable of being used in con- junction with each other, and the pres- ent one is not an exception. It is quite distinct from any other variety yet sent out, robust in habit, and a most profuse bloomer; flowers large and of great substance, standing" well up above the foliage; upper petals intense deep violet purple, lower ones clear violet; eye small, yellow, and rayed with purplish violet, and flowers a month earlier than any other Violet." — Gardener's Monthly. Diplopappus chrysophyllus. — X. says: "The new evergreen shrub, Dip- lopappus chrysophyllus, described by L. Van Houtte as being entirely hardy in Belgium, has proved to be the same in New Jersey. Plants — even those that were severely cut back for cuttings — withstood the cold of last winter un- protected, without injury, and made a strong growth during the spring and summer. The flowers are white -and inconspicuous, resembling Sweet Alys- sum in appearance, but smaller. The plant, although having ' a heath-like appearance' as described, does not pos- sess the delicate and graceful beauty of the Ericas, and is not, in our estima- tion, a handsome shrub. However, its marked oddity, hardiness, and strong growth, make it desirable as an ever- green shrub, and entitle it to a place in all extensive collections." — Garden- er's Monthly. Chrysanthemum catananehe. Nat- ural ord., Composite. Linn., Syngenesia superfiua. — Dr. Hooker says: "This, 320 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. which is one of the most beautiful plants of the Greater Atlas, was discov- ered in 1871 by Messrs. Ball, Maw, and myself, in valleys of that range, at ele- vations of 7,000 to 9,000 feet, flowering in May, and has since been cultivated both in Mr. Maw's garden and at Kew, where it flowered for the first time in April of the present year. In its native country it forms patches of a silvery green hue, and of considerable size, in rocky valleys, and on mountain slopes exposed to the sun. The [flowers are yellow and the] broad white involucral bracts are conspicuous for their silvery whiteness, hyaline texture, and trans- parency, relieved by a narrow purplish herbaceous central band; their resem- blance to the bracts of Catananche has suggested the specific name." — Botani- cal Magazine. Lilium Washingtonianum Purpu- reum. — This fine Lily was imported by Mr. W. Bull, and was distributed in considerable quantity last year under the name Lilium Purpureum. Mr. Bak- er, however, in his notes on the Tidijoece published in the Journal of the Linnean Society, makes it a variety of L. Wash- ingtonianum, as no doubt it is, notwith- standing some discrepancy in the bulbs. He describes it as smaller and more slender than the type, with a stem from 1 to lij foot high, and whorled leaves 1 to lij inch long, as having from four to eight flowers on an umbel, the peri- anth being of a wine-purple and covered with minute dots. Our illustration, prepared from a small specimen flower- ed and exhibited by Messrs. Veitch & Sons at one of the meetings of the Roy- al Horticultural Society r shows its pe- culiar pyramidal habit of growth, with one of the flowers of the natural size; but in a specimen of much finer growth exhibited by Mr. Gr. F. Wilson, the flowers, which were several in number, were distinctly racemose: the color, moreover, on their first opening, was nearly white, with purple spots, becom- ing, in age, suffused with a purplish tint not deep enough to obliterate the spotting. It is a native of Humboldt County, in California, which enjoys a climate of perpetual spring. — Garden- er's Chronicle. We are glad to notice that this dis- tinct and beautiful California Lily has found its way to European gardens. This is the same Lily which has been introduced by Messrs. Miller & Sievers, of this city, as the "Lilium sp. Eel River." We are informed by Mr. Miller that this Lily is very scarce, and only a very few of the bulbs were obtained this season.. Hydrangea Japoniea speeiosa. — This is a beautiful sub-evergreen va- riety; the leaves are broad and dark green, beautifully striped along the centre with pure white. It forms a dwarf and compact plant, admirably adapted for conservatory decoration, or for use in the flower garden during the summer months. — B. S. Williams, in Gardener's Monthly. New Potato- — Br. Glynn has pro- duced a new variety of Potato that excels nearly all the known varieties in most respects. This variety was propagated from the seed three years ago, and this season the doctor has raised nearly half a ton of them in his garden at the lower end of town. In appearance and taste they resemble the Kidney Potato, but are larger than any we ever saw, are very solid, cook beautifully, and are as good as we have ever eaten. The inside is slightly flecked, similar to the Nesha- nock. They come to maturity in from three to four months after planting, and are very prolific, a single seed-end producing from eight to ten pounds. They have been kept until the first of June in perfect condition, and no rot has ever appeared. They have been named the Glynndales. — El Dorado Republican. THE CALIFOENIA HOKTICULTUKIST. 321 EEPOKT ON THE FKUIT AND VEGETA- BLE MAEKET. BY E. J. HOOPEB. It is now high time, considering the increasing importance of fruits in this State, that more attention should be paid to their nomenclature; and it is greatly to the interest of both the pro- ducer and consumer that the public should be better educated than it is to a knowledge of the correct names, char- acter, color, flavor, and value of the different varieties of each kind. There were placed by me in the art depart- ment of the late Mechanics5 Institute Fair, three picture-frames containing colored illustrations from life of a large number of the chief productions of Pomona, in great variety. They were taken from one of the first editions of Downing's work, the Fruit and Fruit Trees of America. They are drawn and painted on fine paper, and the book is now very rare and valuable, with il- lustrations so handsomely and truly en- graved and colored. Every fruit is properly named and shaped according to nature, and their inspection forms quite a delightful study to many per- sons, but, of course, more especially to pomologists. But, as few can have access to this splendid edition of Down- ing, we need other modes by which a complete knowledge of our fruits can be gained. One good plan is to have all the fruit shown at our fairs labeled by the exhibitors, as perfectly and plainly as possible; better that the names should be printed, to be readily deciphered by visitors. A writer in the Alta makes a capital suggestion, I think, when he says: "Fresh fruit decays so rapidly, and suffers so much from han- dling and thieving, that a question arises whether we should not have a collec- tion of samples of the chief varieties of Vol. IV.— 37. our fruit in wax, each sample to be marked with its name, its year, and its producer. Such a collection could be best made and kept in this city, and would be of much service in educating the people. Wax fruits, skillfully made, are scarcely distinguishable from the genuine articles. Inclosed in glass cases, they would occupy little space, and lose nothing by time. Kitchen vegetables might also be imitated in wax or plaster, and thus we might at any time see the most singular and wonderful specimens grown in a series of years. The different kinds of grain should be represented by the berries in bottles, and the little sheaves of heads in glass jars." I would add to this, there is no association could perform this better, or to whom it would be more appropriate, or could afford it better,, than our intelligent and now rich Academy of Sciences. It would be a noble performance for them to under- take and accomplish, and would be a grand accession to their cabinet, by and by to be removed to their new hall and edifice. Money is often applied to much less useful objects than this would be. It would be expensive, but the result would be magnificent. How much such knowledge has been neglected! But it is to be hoped that better times are in store for the people, and that in the future, science of all kinds will be pro- vided for them for their progress in education; and nothing can be more beneficial to them than to have cabinets of all natural history, and specimens exhibited to them for their amusement, edification, and instruction. I am sure this would meet the approval of the munificent Mr. Lick. It would only be carrying out his object in one of its best phases. It is to be hoped that next year we shall have a more extensive display of 322 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. fruits at the Pavilion than we have had at the late exhibition. Four or five ex- hibitors, however, deserve great credit for their displays, both in flowers and fruits. Mr. Young, of Sonoma, sent sixty -seven varieties of Grapes. The collection of Apples, Pears, and Peaches, was also commendably good. The show of Japanese and Chinese fruits, nuts, cones, seeds, etc., by Miller & Sievers, was interesting. At the State Fair at Sacramento, J. R. Nickerson, of Lineoln, had the largest display of Grapes. It comprised nearly two hundred and fifty varieties. Among these was a limb from a two year-old 'Black Hamburg vine with one hun- dred and twenty- one pounds of Grapes on it, and a solid cluster of White Mal- agas, which, with none of the wood of the vine, weighed ninety pounds. But the most varied and interesting exhibition of fruit was that made by Ira S. Bamber, of Placerville. It consisted of seventy- four varieties of budded Apples, ten varieties of seedling Apples, sixteen of Pears, twenty-four of budded Peaches, eighteen of seedlings, and nineteen va- rieties of Plums. Mr. Bamber has spent nearly twenty years on his little orchard, which consists of ten acres, in collecting from all parts of the world the choicest fruits, and his fruit bears ample testimony to the success of his labors. About the last of September there was no change in the price of Plums. The lot of Prunes then received from Oregon was very superior to any fruit of that description before offered. Blackberries were numbered, then, among the fruits that had disappeared for the season. Strawberries, from San Jose, became once more in season, re- tailing at 12Jc. to 15c. per lb. Apples became lower in price. The various descriptions of Pears were in good sup- ply at unchanged prices. Choice Cling- stone Peaches commanded as high as 20c. per lb. Red Currants were once more offering at 5c. to 10c. per lb. The market was glutted with Toma- toes, and large quantities were dumped. By the box the price was very low. Other vegetables were steady at the former quotations. Spinach was quotable at 8c; Lettuce 20c. to 25c. per doz. ; Salsify, 8c. to 10c. per bunch. ; Potatoes, by the sack, delivered, $1.25 to $1.50 per cental. Eastern Cranber- ries came to hand about the 30th of September, retailing at $1.00 per gallon. The last Peaches, probably, from Sacra- mento, were received. Bartlett Pears from the mountains still come forward. Apples and Grapes were very plenti- ful in the beginning of this month (Oc- tober). Considerable quantities Of late Plums continued to come forward, but most of the varieties had disappeared. Small quantities of Strawberries con- tinued to come forward. We are sorry to have to quote the fol- lowing .from the Bulletin's Fruit and Vegetable Report of the 25th of Septem- ber, an evil which we trust is not gen- eral: "It has recently transpired that considerable of the late fruit (such as Apples and Pears) received, has been packed with deliberate intent to defraud. The upper and lower layers in the boxes, which are the only ones exposed to the view of the wholesale and retail dealers, are made up of good fruit, and corre- spondingly good prices are realized, but when opened the interior is found to be stuffed with the most unmarketable trash. No one but the fruit-grower can be responsible for this, as the pack- ages undergo no change until they are broken at the retailer's stall. Retailers, of course, complain of the cheat, and housekeepers grumble at the poverty of the fruit and the unreasonableness of THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 323 tlie price, as they have to foot the bill, being charged extra for selected fruit and full price for inferior. No terms of censure can be too severe to denounce these dishonest practices. The evil can be readily cured by retailers positively refusing to purchase packages of fruit other than those bearing responsible brands, in which case commission agents will take more care to ascertain what is the character of consignments." The rains which fell about the first week in this month (October), were the means of giving the markets new vitality for some time to come, and there was, in- deed, immediately after them, a visi- ble improvement in many descriptions of vegetables, resulting in an increased demand. There was a notable change since the last part of September. Fruits in season were in good supply. Fine mountain Clingstone Peaches were very abundant. A few Freestones oc- casionally found their way on the stands. Grapes were selling at prices ruling the latter part of September. A few small lots of Bartlett Pears were offered at 12Jc per lb. The range for other va- rieties was from 4c. to 8c. The receipts of Wisconsin Cranberries about the 9th inst. were large, but prices remained steady. Strawberries were quoted at 20c. to 25c. per lb., but supply and de- mand were very limited. Vegetables were firm. Cabbage Sprouts are among the week's receipts; quotable at 6c. to 8c. per lb.; Red Cabbage 10c. each; Green Corn, 25c. perdoz.; Spinach, 8c. per lb.; Chile Peppers, 15c; Egg Plant, 8c; Horseradish, a trifle easier — 20c. to 25c per lb ; also Cantaloupes, being 15c to 35c each.; Watermelons, 25c An English company is at work re- claiming abont 20,000 acres of swamp land near Alviso. A large force of Chinamen is employed. The Zante Grape - currant. — J. E. Browne, a well-known viniculturist, whose vineyard is about a mile out from San Jose, has recently been paying at- tention to the cultivation of the above- named variety of Grapes. Zante Currants form an important article in our commerce, large quantities being every year imported into this country from the Ionian Islands, on the west- ern coast of Greece, formerly under the protection of Great Britain, who ruled them under a Lord High Commissioner, but since formally ceded to Greece. The Currants form the principal article, of export from the Ionian Islands, immense quantities being sent yearly to Great Britain and the United States.. Calif ornian Grape-growers are now turn- ing their attention to curing Grapes for raisins, which bids fair to become an important industry among us. But the consumption of Currants is little less than that of raisins, and if we can cure the latter and make a profitable trade from it, there is certainly no rea- son why the Zante Grape-currant can- not be extensively grown and utilized in a similar manner. As yet, Currants do not form an item in California com- merce, but they will do so before long. Mr. Browne has several of these Zante vines grafted on to old Mission stocks under ground. They yield as prolifically. as the Mission Grape. The Zante Grape grows in large handsome clus- ters, is white in color, is very sweet and juicy, the Grape itself being but little larger than a good sized Pea. Some few that had dried on the vine I tasted, and no person could have recognized the difference from the imported article. The cultivation of the Zante Grape is worthy the attention of viniculturists, for supplying the Californian and East- ern markets with the dried fruit. — San Francisco Call. 324 THE CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST. 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