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7
LIBRARY
OF THE
MASSACHUSETTS
AGRICULTURAL
COLLEGE
Tcr
MEEHANS' MONTHLY.
A Magazine of Horticulture, Botany -, '^r^
and kindred subjects. *V>>' ' '^^^\
CONDUCTED BY
THOMAS MEEHAN,
KORMERr,Y EDITOR OF THE " G.VRDENERS' MOXTHLY," .\ND AUTHOR OF THE "NATIVE FI,OWERS AND
FRRNS OF THE UNITED STATES." VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL
SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA, BOTANIST TO THE PENNSYLVANIA
.STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, ETC.
ASSISTED BY THOMAS B. MEKHAN, J. FRANKLIN MEEHAN, S. MENDELSON MEEHAN.
VOIvUlVIE IX, 1899.
ILLUSTRATED WITH COLORED LITHOGRAPHS,
BY
U. PRANQ & CO.,
AND NUMKROUS COPPER AND WOOD ENGRAVINGS.
COPYRIGHTED.
THOMAS MKKHAN & SONS,
GERMANTOWN, PHILA., PA.
Preface to Volume IX.
UvST WHY a completed volume should be expected to be given a preface, has never been demonstrated. Everyone knows that it is not begun till the work is finished. It is like as if we should say "Good-bye" when we meet a friend, or, "How is your health?" when we part. It is, however, more appropriate in a work on flowers, than elsewhere, — for the introduction to a flower's beauty is by the expansion of its petals, when the vigorous growth ends.
And so in this preface we commend our work to the good will and admiration of the reader, — hoping to have many more pleasures of a similar task in the years to come.
\
INDEX TO VOLUME IX.
COLORED PLATES.
PAGE
Asclepias tuberosa 145
Bidens connata 97
Calluna vulgaris l 65
Chimaphila maculata .^„ i
Echinocactus setispinis 81
Echinocactus Whipplei 33
PAGE
Hibiscus niilitaris 161
Manimillaria vivipara 129
Oxybaphus hirsutus 177
Passiflora incarnata 17
Solidago nemoralis 49
Solidago stricta 113
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
Anemone patens 31
Aquatic gardening 135
Banana flower 13
Beech, cut-leaved 105
Browallia speciosa major 184
Cherry, Napoleon Bigarreau 157
Chrysanthemum, Golden Shower 137
Clematis Davidiana 76
Clematis paniculata 167
Conservatory of C. W. Henry, Esq 41
Cor ylopsis spicata 122
Fungus, a vicious 149
Gaillardia grandiflora compacta 449
Geranium, Hall Caine 171
Grape fruit 47
Hydrangea paniculata 75
Iris, Japanese 92
Kentia Belmoreana 25
Linden, white-leaved 169
Lotus, the Magnolia 73
Maple, Japanese blood-leaved 121
Michauxia campanuloides IC9
Middlesex Reservation, Mass., a scenein 57
Moccasin flower 88
Myosotis alpestris robusta grandiflora alba 11
PAGE
Oak, Live , 167
Pcconies, clumps of herbaceous 123
Palmetto, Spanish loi
Palmetto, the Scrub or Saw 53
Pear, Anjou 155
Pecans 61
Pepper, Mikado 93
Pine-apple, a Florida 29
Plan for a long, narrow plot 151
Plan for a hardy flower garden 138
Rhus Toxicodendron 19, 20
Rhus venenata 21
Rose garden, an arched 185
Rose garden, a portico 186
Saunders, William 15
Silene colorata 60
Snowflake, the Summer 45
Strawberry, Wm. Belt 125
Vacciniuni corymbosum 133
Viburnum plicatum 89
Wissahickon winter scene, a 5
Yew tree of Germantown, the old 182
Yucca aloeifolia variegata 107
Zamia iutegrifolia 69
POEMS.
PAGE
A March Day in Italy 48
An Autumn Dirge 150
An Autumn Walk 141
An Autumn Wood 147
A Peach Tree with " The Yellows" 24
Autumn 131, 134
A Winter Scene in England 179
Departure of the Daffodil 56
Grandmother's Garden 41
Forest Song 163
Hiawatha on the Prairie 67
Joy Forever 71
Lookingfor Spring 35
Nature's Preaching 126
Nature's Tranquility 190
October 158
Sunrise 19
Spring's Greeting 63
PAGE
Sweet Peas 88
The Active Worker 31
The Boulder Fern m
The Explorer no
The Garden in Old Age 174
The Garden in Winter 181
The Gentian by the Brook 115
The Gladncssof Spring 151
The Gladsome Sunshine 3
The Good Gardener 103
The Humble-Bce 94
The Lesson of Life 14
The Mountain Ash nS
The Mountain Saxifrage 99
The Violet Queen 79
The Wild Columbine 83
The Wind in the Evergreens 8
Winter's Approach 166
GENERAL TOPICS.
PAGE
Abelia io6
Abies Nordmanniana 80
Acalypha Sanded 28, 136
Acer niacrophyllum, hardiness of. 169
Alexander, R. A m
AUanianda Schottii 136
American Park and Out-door Art Association.. 80
Ammonoosuc River, the 7
Anemone 63
Anemone patens 31
Anemone Queen Charlotte, Japanese 181
Angelica hirsuta 148
Animals, fruit-eating 189
Antigonon leptopus 28, 44, 126
Apple, Opalescent 173
Apple, origin of the Smith's Cider 187
Apples, purple-fleshed 15
Apples, Russian 124
Aquatic flower culture 135
Arbor Day 176
Arbor-vitae and salt water 181
Arbor-vitse, George Peabody 74
Asclepias tuberosa 145
Ash as a street tree 134
Asparagus Sprengeri, manuring 27
Aster, HohenzoUern 91
Aster, improved China 107
Banana, the 46, 113
Banks, postal savings 16
Bartram, History of John 96
Bean, the Scarlet-runner 46
Beech, cut-leaved 105
Beech leaves, perforated 148
Bees, notes on 39, 70
Begonia, Gloire de L,orraine 8
Bidens connata 97
Birds, notes on 132
Blackberry, Cumberland 30
Blackberry, Mersereau 62
Bloom, beds of successional 12
Blooming season and temperature 45
Blossom Day 112
Blossoms, abnormal apple and pear 23
Botanists, Philadelphia 79
Botanical Gardens, earliest American 127
Botanical Garden, New York 127
Botanical Gardens in Hawaii 32
Botany, X-rays in 102
Bottle-brush flower 45
Bridgeman, Alfred 48, 64
Browallia speciosa major 185
Bud variations 20
Bulbs, notes on 90, 92, 135
Cabbage, Van Namen 62
Cactus, a medicinal 54
Calluna vulgaris 65
Camphor tree, the 168
Candytuft, Little Prince 59
Cape of Good Hope, plants of the 64
Carnation, Evalina 44
Carnation, notes on 10, 119
Caryopteris 106
Catalogue exaggerations 80
Cedar of Lebanon 106
Cedars, hardiness of. go
Cedrus Atlantica glauca 1S5
Centropogon lucianus 25
Chapman, Dr. A. W 54
Cherry, Napoleon Bigarreau 157
Cherry, Weeping American 137
Chestnuts, notes on 62, 155
Chimaphila maculata i, 26, 51
Chrysanthemums, notes on 119, 126, 137, 150
Cibotium Schiedei 45
Clematis Davidiana 76
Clematis, double 73
Clematis paniculata 167
Clifton Park, Baltimore 43
Clivia nobilis 152
Clover for manure 153
Coffee-raising in Florida 188
Cold-frames and hot-beds 140
Connecticut, rural scenery in 22
Conservatory, the modern 40
Corn, antediluvian 7, 52
Cornus florida 174
Cranberry in Pennsylvania 117, 149
Cucumber culture 46
Cucumber, " Extra Long" 125
Curculio, the 46
Currant, Marvin Crystal 78
Cypripedium acaule 147
Cypripedium spectabile, white 55
Cypripedium, white 3
Daffodils, Hybridizing 76
Dahlias, how to keep 106
De Vilmorin, Henry L 158
Dogwood, weeping 128
Downingia 148
" Downing's Fruits of America" 79
Dracaena terminalis 27
Echinocactus setispinis 81
Echinocactus Whipplei 33
Entrance to carriage driveway 72
Erythronium, the dog's-tooth violet 86
Euphorbia fulgens for winter flowering 137
Evergreen, a pleafor the 71
Evolution of Plants, the 94
Fences, garden 10
Fern, a climbing 87
Fern, the Boulder m
Fern, the Hart's-tongue 39
" Ferns, How to Know the" 112
Ferns, the study of. 5^
Fertilizers 19
Fig tree, the 124, 189
Flies 112, 160
Floral calendars 12
Flora of Pennsylvania 64
Flower customs, Japanese 142. 192
Flower-hunting 83
Flowers and insects 133, I79
Flowers and plants, luminous 131
Flowers, colors of. I59
Flowers, wild 84
Florida I59
Food by injection 187
Fontanesia phillyraeoides 168
Forestry 90, 118, 156, 190
Forests and rainfall, relation of 182
Forget-me-not, compact white n
Forked River, a little voyage down 67
Fox-glove 31, 63, 80, 96, no
Frames, excluding rats and mice from 10
Fruits, notes on. ...4, 7, 21, 61, 93, 125, 160, 188, 189
Fungus, notes on 116, 149
'•Fungal Flora of the Lehigh Valley" I75
Gaillardia grandiflora compacta 44
Galtonia (Hyacinthus) candicans 138
Garden pests 150
Garden manuals, German 141
Garden, in winter's wild 164
Gardening, notes on 120, 159, 185
Garlic, wild 88
Geraniums, improved 170
Gingko, pruning the 74
" Ginseng" 42, 158
"Glen Mary," the old home of N. P. Willis... 31
Golden-rods, notes on 4, 95, 116
Grape fruit 46, 93
Grape, the Charlton 172
Grapes, selection of. 172
Grass, abnormal 23
Grass, watering 88
Greenhouse, early spring in the 27
Growth, inverse 21
Habenaria grandiflora 99
Hartford, new park at 64
Hawkweeds, wild 70
Hawthorn, moving a 10
Heather in America 115
Herbaceous plant borders 138
Herbaceous gardens, planning 29
Herbariums, school-children's 7
Hibiscus militaris 161, 163
Hirundo riparia. Bank Martin 5
Hickories, the 55
Hollies, yellow-berried 39
Home grounds, suburban 150
Hornbeam, theEnglish 32
Horticultural societies 153, 159, 176, 192
Horticulture, progress of. 159
Hosackia Purshiana 6
House-plants, selection of. 8
Hovenia dulcis 122
Hyacinth in Southern waterways, the water 128
Hybridizing 64, 78, 108
Hydrangea paniculata 75
Hydrangeas, new 45
Indians as soil cultivators 160
Insects, State aids against 128
Iris and Kentucky flowers, pleasure in 179
Iris, thejapanese 92
Iris , Siberian 122
Iris, successional-blooniing bed of. 75
Ivy, the poison 19, 55
Katy-did, appearance of the 131
Krigia amplexicaulis loo
Labels, permanent tree 150
Ladrone plants 23
Landreth & Sons, David 14
Landscape Gardening 80
Landscape Gardening, notes on 26, 57, 58, 158
Lapham, Dr. I. A 79
Larkspur, poisonous 16
Latham, Edward T 174
Lavender, hardiness of 106
Lawns, notes on 27, 91, 181
Leaf chart, Lewis' 191
Leaves as food agents 27
Lettuce, nature-graited 132
Leucojum aestivum 45
Lilies 24, no, 127, 134
Lily-of-the-valley, " Miellez's Revelation" 92
Linden, European 168
Lindens and honey bees 70
Logan 191
Lotus, the Magnolia 73
Loudon, F. W 192
Lupine, yellow tree 181
Lycopodium inundatum 70
Lyre flower 32
Mammillaria vivipara 129
Manna of Scripture 157
Maple as a natural barometer, the 149
Maples, Japanese 121
PAGE
McMillan, William 141
Medicinal Plants in N. C in
Meehans' Monthly 112, 144
Memorial Day, flowers for 120
Memorial trees 16
Michauxia campanuloides 108
Mistletoe, growing the ... 168
Moccasin flower, odor in the purple 87
Mole, destruction of the ... 72
Morphology 133
Moss, fruiting of Spanish 165
Moth, the Gypsy 119
Moth hunters of Massachusetts 103
Mountain Beauty 126
Mueller, Aloys 175
Mulberry, Milton's 16
Mushrooms, notes on 77, loi, 123, 172
Napoleon's palm at St. Helena 32
Narthecium Americanum 55
National Flower, notes on 95, 141, 174, 190
Nature, pleasures of wild 115
Nature teaching in public schools 64
Naudin, Mr. Chas 94
Nicaraguan Expedition, with the 54
Nomenclature 48
North Carolina, autumn in 180
Nursery interests in America 160
Nut-galls 131
Nutmeg, Jersey 165
Oak, th2 Willow 158
Oak, notes on the 73, 87, 165
Ohmer, Nicholas 79
Onions, prolific 172
Oranges, hardy edible 78
Orchard protection from frosts 8, 62
Orchid, abnormal 23
Orchid Cultivator's Guide Book, the Amateur. 173
Orchids, Native 117
Ouviraudra fenestralis 28
Oxybaphus hirsutus 177, 179
Paeonia 122
Palmetto, Spanish loi
Palms, house 25
Palm, the Florida scrub 53
Pansies 106
Parks and open spaces 63
Park for St. Paul, a new 176
Parsnip culture 60
Parsons, Robert B 14
Passifiora incarnata 17, 64, 70
Passion-flower, yellow 179
Peach, introducer of the Elberta 157
Peach, Lafayette 78
Peach, Waddell 125, 173
Pear, Anjou i55
Pears, notes on 13, 109, 176, 189
Pecan culture 61
Peppers, ornamental 93
Pepper tree, the Australian 152
Persimmons in Japan, preparation of. 155
Petasites ofl&cinalis 107
Photographs 126
Physalis Franchetti n, 44
Phytophilist I75
Pine, choice species of. 59
Pine-apple, the 29
Pines, notes on 70, 180
Pinus rigida 36
Plan the home grounds, how to no
Planting trees too deep 156
Plant food 79
Plant names, notes on 127, 128, 144, 192
Plants, guide to the study of common 95
Plants, freezing of sap in 20, 38, 55
PAGE
Plants, new North American 142
Plants, poisonous 32, i44
Plants, the use of hardy 9
Plants, notes on 35. 15°. I74
Plum, new Mary 62
Plumbago rosea 59
Poisoning, manchineel 3
Pomelo versus Grape Fruit 93
Pomological Society, the American 62
Poplar, Carolina I35
Poppy, Dolly Varden i^5
Poppies, Shirley 60
Potato-beetle and fruit destroying insects 124
Potatoes, notes on 12, 30, iii, 173
Prang's Illustrated Calendars 14
" Principles of Agriculture, the" 80
Pruning Book, the 79
Pruning, notes on 12,24, 186
Pursh's botanical labors 32
Pyxidanthera barbulata 14
" Quarter Acre Possibilities" 112
Quassia 5^
Quercus virens, the live oak 166
Quince, thejapanese 60
Railroad Station Gardens 26, 57
Raspberries, covering 157
"Relation of Public Parks to Public Health,
the" 112
Rhododendron, the 141
Rogers, Edward A 94
Root-fibres, longevity of. 120
Root-fungus, sulphur for 124
Root, James A 190
Rose, the polyantha 28
Rosa rugosa 100, 108
Roses, notes on 153, 154, 170, 186
Rudbeckia Golden Glow 154, 172
Sabbatia no
Santolina incana 187
Sap in winter, freezing of. 141
Sassafras, the 96
Saunders, Wm 15
Seeds' distributing organs 39
Shamrock 95
Silene colorata 60
Sniilax Walteri and S. laurifolia 22
Smith, Benj. G 158
Snails, keeping from hot-beds 30
Solidago nemoralis 49
Solidago odora 164
Solidago stricta 113
South Africa, trees in So
Spartan mrg, S. C 16
Species, notes on 99, 175
Spiraea Van Houttei 152
Spraying, notes on 61, 74, 173
Spruce, the Douglas 71, 74, 80
Spruce, borers in the Norway 120
Staff-tree or bitter-sweet, the 23
Stems, dropsical.... 87
Strawberry, Carrie 173
Strawberry, Eleanor 77
Strawberry, Wm. Belt 125
Strawberry, Marshall 78
Strawberry, Star 109
Strawberry, notes on the 68, 77, 188
Stuart, Prof. A. P 174
Sumach, fondness of bees for 180
Sweet Pea, new dwarf. 75
Sycamore tree, the 126
Sycamore, Bird's-eye 176
Tea culture 153
Thorburn, James M 94
Tires, wagons with broad 184
Tobacco, a new 185
Tomato, Livingston 189
Tree wounds 10, 56, 181
Trees and gardens of Philadelphia, historic 190
Trees and shrubs, pruning 91, 119
Trees, notes on planting 56, 77, 137, 183
Trees, notes on... 22, 90, 102, 135, 163, 165, 168, 180
Tulips, branching • 91
Tulip tree, the 105
Turnip flea, the 125
Ulmus serotina 91
Vegetable, a new 30
Vegetation, dormant 151
Verbesina 1 92
Viburnum plicatum 89
Vines, pruning in summer 88
Violet, California yellow 106
" Violet Culture, Commercial" 192
Violet, history' of the 142
Violets, the wild 39
Vitex Agnus-Castus 91
Walnut, black ." 176
Walnut, grafting the English 10
Wart cures 80
Washington the beautiful 126
Weeds 126
Wibbe, Rev. J. Hermann 63
Wild flowers, notes on 35, 68, 132, 170
Winter courses discontinued 144
" Wood and Garden" in
Wood growth, annual 102
Woods in winter, the 5
Worms, earth 72
Wych Hazel, the hazel-leaved 122
Xanthium Canadense 6
Xanthium, seeds of. 52
Yew, the English 181
Yucca alceifolia variegata 107
Zamia integrifolia 69
^..mSJ.>AwI8MI
r LK I c : '.
CHIMAPlillA MAClllATA
CHIMAPHILA MACULATA.
SPOTTED WINTERGREEN. NATURAL ORDER ERICACEAE.
CHIMAPHILA MACULATA, Pursh.— A Span Or more in height, more simple (than Chimaphila umbellaia) ; leaves obloug, or ovate-lanceolate, obtuse at base {an inch or two long), sparsely and very sharply serrate ; the upper surface variegated with white ; peduncle two-fifths flowered; bracts linear-subulate; filaments villous in the middle; flower compara- tively large, three-fourths inch in diameter. Gray's Synoptical Flora of North America. See also Gray's Manual of th' Northern United States, Wood's Class-Book of Botan\, and Britten and Brown's Illustrated Flora of the Northern Utiited States, Canada and the British Possessions.
This remarkably pretty species is figured in Hooker's " Botanical Magazine," plate No. 897, but ■with more of a pink tinge than is usual here, — where it is generally of a pale, waxy white, assuming a slight pinkish tinge only when the flowers begin to fade. It is found not rarely in woods composed of conif- erous trees, but seems most at home in decid- uous forests,
"Where the leaves, that are plaited, and woven above,
Shut out every glimpse of the sun and the sky, And the flowers are pale as a mourner in love,
And ever are wet like the lids of her eye."
— to quote from our American poet, Percival. It is in these obscure recesses that the "flowers are pale, " and the most vigorous and health- ful specimens are found. It was among the earliest of our native flowers to become known to the botanists of the Old World. It was then known as a Pyrola, and Gronovius, who from Clayton's specimens wrote the Flora Virginica, describes it as the Pyrola, with only one or two flowers at the apex of the stalk. Linnaeus named it Pyrola maculata, evidently as suggested by the description of the old author, Plukenet: ''Pyrola mariana * * ad nervium linea alba u/rinque pet longi- tudinevi discurrefite." But this white line, run- ning down the nerve, scarcely warrants the designation of " maculate," or spotted, which Linnaeus gave it. There is, however, a strong disposition to retain the original form of the names of jplants however meaningless they may be, though in modern times some con- sider this to be carried to excess. In relation to this very plant, Rafinesque, in a paper in 1809, (according to Prof. McMillan, for the author has not been able to verify this by
an examination of the original), following Michaux's suggestion, that the American forms should be divided from Pyrola, proposed the name Pseva for them. But by a para- graph in his " Medical Flora," he states that Psiseva was the name he proposed. The diflfi- culty in ascertaining just why Rafinesque proposed this distinction is enhanced by care- less citations. Professor McMillan gives it as "Jour. Phys., vol. 79 (1809)." Rafinesque sometimes contributed to a French Journal de Physique, edited by Desvaux, but there is nothing of his in this volume or at that date. Rafinesque, himself, states in the "Medical Flora, " that he proposed the name in 1808, but does not indicate through what medium it was published. In the "Flora," however, he admits he was wrong in proposing it as a sub- stitute for Pyrola, — that at best it ought to be reduced to a sub-genus, and then to have re- ference to one species only, the one now known as Chimaphila umbellata. Chimaphila he would retain as the name of a sub-section, under which only our present C. maculata should be placed. Rafinesque was fond of abbreviations in writing. It is more than likely he origin- ally wrote P'ssiva, and it was so printed, — he intending Pipsissewa — the Indian name.
Under the Indian name of Pipsissewa, (Pursh, by the way, writes it Sipsisewa), the plants have become well-known ; Pursh iden- tifies it with the present species, though all other authors refer it to Chimaphila umbellata.
Up to comparatively recent times, botanists did not admit of any great power in a plant to vary. In many cases, a marked departure from the general form would be attributed to hybridization. An examination, of a long suite of specimens in an herbarium, of Chi-
(I)
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — CHIMAPHILA MACULATA.
[ January
maphila maculata, aflfords an interesting study. In this direction variations are remarkable, yet no one would suggest a mixture of Chima phila umbellata in any of them. In a collec- tion before the author, is a specimen gathererd by Schweinitz, in Salem, North Carolina, in which the root-leaves, two inches in diameter, are nearly round. Another specimen, labelled by Pursh as having been " collected in North America, by J. Fraser," has the upper pair of leaves broadly ovate and with only four pairs of small teeth.
On another specimen, locality not given, are broad, ovate leaves, and long slender ones on the same plant. A specimen, marked by Nut- tall as having been collected near Philadel- phia, has leaves three inches long, and less than half an inch wide, edged with numerous long and sharp teeth. There are many other variations, but no one would venture to suspect hybridization, — or indeed any thing but normal Chimaphila maculaia. It would seem, from such an examination, that nature — abhorring monotony, apparently, had provided for varia- tion within very wide limits, and yet without disturbing the autonomy of the species.
While Chhnaphila umbellata has become a citi- zen of a great part of the world, our pretty species is distinctively American, and conJSned, in a great measure, to the Atlantic States. It seems to have been first known to the Old World, in a living state, through the indefatigable John Bartram. In a letter to him, dated April 6, 1759, Peter Collinson remarks: "Pray send me a sod or two more of thy pretty Pyrola.^Wh. variegated leaves. It flowered finely last year, but I see no young shoots, which makes me think it will go off after flowering." Dame and Collins, in their Flora of Middlesex Co. , Massachusetts, say that though it is freely scattered over the county, only a few plants are ever seen in one place. It flowers there in July.
Few plants cheer the traveling botanical col- lector like the species of Chimaphila in the dark forests where they grow. A chapter in the life of Pursh, the famous explorer, giving a pathetic account of his meeting these, — then called Pyfola, — may be introduced here. He had been attacked with influenza in what were then real wilds in Pennsylvania and New York. But he could not rest. In his diary of August 13, 1807, he notes: "Having been informed about a very high fall of water at Pratt's Mills,
I went to see it, it is about three miles from the place I staid at over night, I crossed several high lands, interrupted by valleys and came to the little stream which forms those falls, when I came to it, I could not perceive where it could have so powerful a fall, as it was told me, as the ground seems to fall very gently downwards as far as the eye could reach, and bordered at the East and West or rather hemd in by a ridge, over which it could not run, and through which there was no opening to go through; but when I came to the mill I was very agreeably surprized, by seeing the water fall down a precipice nearly perpenticulare to the depth of 300 feet in a deep gloomy hollow all at once. I was anxious to get down to the bottom, which I with some difiiculty dit and indeed a more romantick scene I never beheld.' ' He there, as usual, names the plants he found including the Pyrolas in the list. Without "cloathes," friends, or money he was nearly helpless. He had to sell his "fowling piece" to pay his board bill. He says "my anxiety of getting away from here is intense;" but he goes on noting, from day to day, the plants he saw. On the 19th, 20th, and 21st, he gave way "I have not the heart of doing an3'thing for spleen and sorrow." On the 22d, he re- ceived $20 from Dr. Barton, and determined to go into Vermont; but the influenza struck him again. But he pushed on to Utica, and wonder- ed what he should do if "deprived of going on with my pursuits." Still sick, he journies towards Rutland, still noting the plants as he goes, reaches Balltown on the 3d of September, and gets to Glen Falls on the evening of the 4th. Sick and tired, he "steals a ride, " as the school boys say, in a farm wagon, and reached Rutland disheartened. But he pushes on "feel- ing very unwell to day" as he continually ex- pressed himself. "Cold and without cloathes and money, and no letters" made him heart- sick. The "fever and bloody flux alarmed him' ' — "worn down with vexation of mind at re- ceiving no support whatever, "he determines to "rough it through to Philadelphia the best way I can." Just as he was about to leave, a letter and monej' came to hand, but says he "as I have made up my mind, I will return to Philadelphia as quick as possible, the letter notwithstanding. ' '
Explanation of the Plate.— Full-sized plant from the Wissahickon. 2. Anther, showing the opening by a pore.
WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
THE GLADSOME SUNSHINE.
Blest power of sunshine ! genial Day, What balm, what life are in that ray ! To feel therein such real bliss, That had the world no joy but this, To sit in sunshine calm and sweet, — It were a world too exquisite For man to leave it for the gloom, The deep, cold shadow of the tomb!
— Thomas Moore.
White Cypripedium. — Some one, who has the not over-common thoughtfulness to send a stamp for reply, forgets to sign his name to the following communication : —
" Recognizing your position as very high authority relating to our native plants, I wish to get information about the rareness of the pure white variety of Cyptipedmrn spectabile. I have collected this species West and East in many localities. It differs somewhat as to rankness of growth, and the depth of the tint- ing of the flowers. Near St. Louis, the plants were not over eighteen inches in height and the coloring of the flowers quite pale pink and evenly diff"used. Near Chicago, I found plants over three feet high with very large flowers richly blotched with deep rose. In this local- ity of New York, I find pale and also extreme- ly deep coloring. I knew that a pure white variety was mentioned in some Manuals, but until two years ago, though I had collected so widely, I had never seen a truly white form. You may imagine, then, my delight to unex- pectedly find a plant with flowers of as pure a white as that of Liltum cmtdidum, and of about the same beautiful, waxy texture, also of unusually large size and great substance. One bright spot of yellow adds to the beauty of the blossom. Of course, I removed my prize to my garden. It bore transplanting well, even the flowers lasting a week or more, exciting general admiration. It flowered well again this summer.
Mentioning Lilium candidum above, reminds me of a great find of Cypripedium candidum in a suburb of Chicago. This is always pure white, I believe, and accounted rather rare ;
at any rate, in all my botanizing I have found it but this once. Crossing a wet place, I sud- denly came upon more than a hundred of this little beauty, with flowers like pigeon eggs. What a delightful surprise ! I gathered about a dozen plants only, but told a friend of the remarkable locality. Imagine my surprise and disgust when a few weeks later he exhibited io6 (one hundred and six) finely prepared specimens, for exchange with botanists ! Another visit to the spot revealed the fact that he had collected every plant.
I have never seen it growing since.
Will you please let me know, from your own experience and that of others, whether the white form of Cypripedium spectabile is very rare ? It certainly is a very beautiful flower, growing fully as tall and lank as the ordinary form.
I might mention, also, the collection of a plant of Lobelia syphilitica, with pure white flowers, as clear a white as that of candytuft. I grew this for years in the garden. This is the only specimen I have ever found.
I am told Lobelia cardinalis is also rarely found in a white form. I have my eyes open for this, but it eludes me."
It is not uncommon, with all plants with colored flowers, to have plants with white flowers occasionally. But it is probably not known that the Cypripedium is so often in that class.
The writer does not remember meeting with one. It must be very beautiful, and no won- der our nameless correspondent is enthused thereby.
Manchineel Poisoning. — It is commonly said that the plant, Big?io?iia leucoxylon, grows in the shade of the manchineel-tree, and that it is a sure antidote for its poison. The late Asa Gray believed this to be true.
In like manner, it is thought that the plant Colocasia macrorrhiza is an antidote to the poison of Laportea moroides, an Australian tree. . C. W. Greene.
(3)
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[January
Autumnal Fruits in Oklahoma. — The wild plants that produce attractive fruit in autumn here (Oklahoma) seem worthy of mention.
The small shrub, Symphoricarpos Symphori- carpos, Indian-currant, has racemes of bright red berries. The plant occurs on the banks of streams in moist places. Phytolacca decandta, Poke-root, is loaded with its racemes of black fruit which make the stems bend down. It is found in rich soil. Smilax hispida, Green- brier, grows in tangles over bushes along streams. The dark green fruit remains nearly all winter. One of the most ornamental is Celastrus sca?idens, Bitter-sweet, which does not confine itself closely to the streams, but may be found in rich places which are not too dry. It fruits abundantly and is often col- lected for decorative purposes. Perhaps a handsomer one than the Bitter-sweet is Cebatha Caroli?ia, Coral-berry. It is found in situa- tions similar to the Green-brier, and the short, thick racemes of coral red berries are indeed beautiful. Another one that should be in- cluded is the Sapivdus margmatus, Soap- berry. It is a small tree or large shrub found along the banks of streams. The fruit hangs in large panicles from the ends of the branches and is yellowish, — nearly transparent, except the large seed in the center. It remains all winter. Various species of l/itis fruit abund- antly, and beside being ornamental on the vine, they are gathered and made into jelly. Memspermunt Canadense, Moon-seed, occurs frequently, but its beauty is far out-done by other plants.
Species of Vibjitntim also bear attractive fruit. Toward the holiday season, the Phora- dendron ffavescens, American Mistletoe, can be seen as tufts of green in the otherwise defoli- ated elm trees. In the fruiting stage, it is becoming scarce in the central part of the Ter- ritory, but is still abundant in the southern part. It surpasses all other native plants in the beauty of its fruit. The berries are trans- lucent white, and are massed amon^ the yel- lowish-green leaves. Residents, here, send it to their relatives and friends in the north and east, who have never, perhaps, seen any.
Stillwater, Oklahoma. E. E. BOGUE.
In all large establishments, it is impossible to get along without dictionaries and works of reference for the use of subordinates. For the
use of the proof-reader of Meehans' Month- ly, Webster's Dictionary is used for general subjects, and Index Kewensis for plant names. The proof-reader was sorely exercised over our correspondent's choice of names. He declared there never was such a name as ''Symphoricar- pos Symphoricarpos,'' and proudly pointed to Index Kewensis for the proof.
As reference is made to Indian-currant, the repetition of the name Symphoricarpos twice is no doubt a mere slip of the pen, the name employed in all the dictionaries being Sym- phoricarpos vulgaris. By Cebatha Carolina, Coccuhis Carolinus is no doubt intended. In spite of the protests of the proof-reader, the names have been allowed to stand as written by our correspondent.
Golden-Rods. — An interesting featureof the monthly meetings of the Morris County (N. J.) Gardeners' and Florists' Club, held in Madi- son, was the competitive exhibition of wild flowers, ferns and grasses. Number to count ID, and correctness of name to count 5. At first, there were quite a few competitors, but it eventually simmered down to A. Herrington, of Madison, and E. Reagan, of Morris Plains. Honors were pretty evenly divided. About six hundred species and forms were staged during the season. Considering that those were picked up at odd times a few da3S previous to the meeting, it does not speak badly for flora of Morris County. A list of the Golden-rods collected might not be uninteresting, though, it is not a complete list of what is here:
Solidago squarrosa, Sept. 14, 1898.
" bicolor, " 9, 1898
" " var concolory " 16, 1898.
*' ccEsia, " 16, 1898
" speciosa, " 24, 1898.
" arguta, " 14, 1898.
" juncea, Aug. 14, 189S.
serotifia, " 8, 1898.
" " var. gigantea, " 28, 1898.
" netnoralis, " 28, 1898.
" Canadensis, '' 28, 1898.
" lanceolata, Sept. 9, 1898.
" rugosa, •* 9, 1898.
" patula, " 9, 1898.
There are at least two species growing here, rugosa and Canadensis, varying considerably. I came across a variety of Canadensis, some time ago, quite floccose, or w^ooly.
Morris Plains, New Jersey. E. R.
1899.]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
The Woods in Winter. — The woods in winter have a peculiar charm, and one who walks with nature from springs to frost and rests, loses a period of continuity, which mars the perfectness, and destroys the symmetry of the whole.
In winter the woods are not dead, — on the contrary they are very much alive. There, on every side, life is abundant, and often is obtrusive, — inanimate things appear animate. Vegetation dormant and active is everywhere. The Possom curls himself in the roomy cavern at the base of a hollow dead tree ; rabbits bound through the scrubby underbrush courting no risk ; in the trees over-head the squirrels are never absent ; the birds flit quietly through the clearing seeking shelter in the hemlocks. The snow stretches up through the laurels to the top of the hills and reflects a dazzling light; from the highest plane to the stream, the springs are replenished, and gorged to over-flowing, they bubble down the slope, endowed with a life which would seem their own. This is winter in the woods, and sensi- bly present, there is ever to a lover of nature, that indefinable companionship of nature, — a presence as personal as nature is real, both alike being spiritual, — if spiritually discerned.
It is during the fall and winter that vegeta- tion prepares for spring, and then it is that nearly all — if not quite all — our early flower- ing plants perfect their buds.
Not a few of our spring plants disappear after they flower, and where there are "wood flowers" and rare, one must be on the alert to discover. A dry wood in winter is a most fertile retreat for a botanist.
Many of our common plants are evergreen, and their number and beauty unite to brighten the woods.
One cannot well imagine a sight much prettier than a group of Christmas Ferns projecting through the snow ; or a scarlet dotted run- ner of patridge-berry against a bank of white ; or a mat of Marcha7itia and Chrysosple^iiuvi spread below an ice-coated dripping ledge. These attract the eye, perhaps, — but there is the Trailing Arbutus, wild honey- suckle, and rhododendrons, bud- bound, silent, waiting to burst into
life, mystical and wonderful, — obedient to the supreme law, — appealing to the thought.
The accompanying illustration is a nook in the "upper Wissahickon, " Philadelphia. If a fragment of a wood appeals to you, is not a whole wood more complete ? and is not every wood a unit in itself? — and does not every treasure stored, strengthen and insure the Fount ? Edwin C. Jellett,
HiRUNDO RiPARiA, Bank Martin. — A new bird, to me, seemingly of the Black Martin family (the Hiru?ido labica), imigrating to its southern home, I met with on October 19, upwards of two hundred in a flock. They cir- cled around me several times, alighting on the tops of weeds and bushes, on the telegraph wires, approaching so near to me as if devoid of all fear to man I was walking on the St. Joseph Railroad at the time, and the land was comparatively level; a stream passed me on the east and a wet-weather gully on the west, with willows about fifteen feet high growing in the gully. After circling around awhile, as if to locate their position, they all with one accord alighted or disappeaied in the willows. YesterdaJ^ the 21st, I met with a smaller flock of the same sort of birds, about fifty, on the same road, but not at the same place. I got a nearer view of this flock, and found they had blue backs, white breasts, with black and brown heads. A smaller bird than the Black Martin, with broad and short wings. Maybe
A WISSAHICKON WINTER SCENE.
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLO^WERS AND NATURE.
[January
they are the Bank Martin, Hirundo riparia. In connection with their disappearing in the willows, brings to mind what people used to say about the swallows. They said that they went down into the mud on the appearance of cold weather and remained there all winter, — deep down into the mud; when the sun's heat reached them, they came up out of the mud again. I would like to know how far north these birds go for nesting purposes. Our bank swallow is a diflferent looking bird, with long and narrow wings. F. K. Steele.
Festus, Jefferson County, Missouri, October 24, 1898.
October 29, the Chimney Swift, Cypsilus
pelasguis, is still here at this writing. It seems
to be able to stand a quite low degree of tem-
. perature, as we have had ice twice over in the
past three weeks. F. K. S.
Xanthium Canadense. — I have been ex- amining one of the spiney fruits of Xanthium Canadense, found along the city street. It is a little less than an inch long, light green, ellip- tical in out-line and den selj' covered with quite long spines hard and incurved at the tip, the hooks all directed toward the apex of the fruit except the topmost row, where directions vary. The seed and lower third of all the spines are beset with translucent hairs, and the whole, when crushed, 5'ields a peculiar aroma. I carried the seed in my pocket a few days and while there it become entangled with a long, fine hair, which, try as I would, I could not remove from the ensnaring hooks without breaking it. At the tip of the seed are two beaks like the mandibles of a ''pinching bug," somewhat divergent and also hooked, the hooks being turned toward each other.
The oval husk is tough and offers much re- sistance to being torn open; but, when it does yield, reveals a pale, shining lining and con- tains two spindle-shaped black seeds, flat — flatter on one side than the other, — which, on cross section, reveal two straight cotyledons.
About the middle of last May, I found these queer seeds sprouting and growing, — found them in all stages from a softened pod to plants several inches high. The tough husk is soft- ened and blackened by the exposure to the snows and wet of winter; and, in late spring, a blunt, stout caulicle puts out. Only one of the two seeds seem ever to mature — reaches earth, sends down a few rootlets, and then with
this anchorage, withdraws the fleshy seed- leaves from the rotten husk and expands them' to the sun.
The fact of hairs catching so inextricably in the hooked spines suggests the possibility of the dissemination of seed on the hair or wool of animals or on the clothing of men, in the same general manner as do the seeds of Avens, Tick Trefoil, Beggar Ticks, Hound's-tongue and certain knot-grasses; the secret is all the same, — a hook or a barbed point which catches in the wool or hair and is dragged from the ripe receptacle or calyx. Newlin Williams.
HoSACKiA PuRSHiANA. — Apropos of your mention of Dakota Vetch, on page 176, of the current volume, I would say that the scientific name of Lotus Ainericatia there mentioned is the one now adopted by those in favor of the "New Nomenclature" for the plant formerly known as Hosackia Ameticana. As I under- stand it, the change was made by Prof. E. L. Greene, after studying the Old World species of Lotus, from which he concluded that the genus Hosackia was not distinct from the other. New nomenclature or not, it is much to be regretted that the genus which commem- orates Dr. Hosack can not stand, as it is fittings that one who did so much for botany should be remembered in this way. Dr. Hosack was the originator of one of the first botanical gardens in New York, its site being on the grounds so long occupied by Columbia Col- lege in New York City.
WiLLARD N. CLUTE.
Referring to Britton & Brown's Illustrated Flora, it appears to be Bischofi and not Greene that is credited with the new name Lotus Ameticanus . It does not appear to have ever been called Hosackia Americana, but Hosackia Purshiana. The facts show the impolicy of a change of name, — not on a ques- tion of priority, but on the value of a charac- ter. There is certainly something in this plant different from all others, or it would not be a separate species. Nuttall, Bentham, and other expert botanists, closely familiar with what a true Lotus should be, regard this "something" as distinct from Lotus. Their decision has been accepted for many j^ears, and the name Hosackia has become part of universal literature. Another expert now has a different view from his fellow experts, and
I899-]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
changes the name. What guarantee have we that some other expert will not again present his opinion that Hosackia should still prevail? At any rate, the point we made is still unas- sailed, — that, on account of the use of an un- explained name for an old one in general use, the costly government publication was in a great measure valueless.
Ancient Corn. — A correspondent sends the following from the Philadelphia Record:
"While studying geology from nature, I recently discovered a large deposit of corn, of the white flint gourd variety, embedded in con- glomerate rocks composed of carbonate of lime and silica. The grains are beautiful crystals, but the cobs are not so transparent.
The corn was evidently grown by the ante- diluvians, and from all appearances was husk- ed and gathered by them and is evidently over 4.000 years old.
The deposit is in the extreme northeast part of the borough of Norristown.
The above discovery goes far to prove the existence of man on the Western Hemisphere during the antediluvian period." T. K.
Norristown, Pa.
Statements of this character require close analysis. "What is the antediluvian period?" What is "white flint gourd seed corn?" With farmers, generally, flint and gourd seed are separate races. They could scarcel}^ be both in one.
A quantity of botanical material collected by an expert naturalist, in one of the caves near Norristown, was placed in the hands of the writer for identification some little time ago. Among these were supposed grains of corn. It was evident that this supposed corn was not botanical, but were the teeth of some animal. The}' were turned over to Professor Cope just before his death, who decided not only that this was correct, but that the teeth belonged to the peccary, an animal now ex- tinct in this part of the world. These resem- blances are so frequent, as to render all similar finds liable to doubt.
Fruit and Flowers at the Same Time. — Mrs. Kellerman, Columbus, Ohio, sends a branch of a pear tree, the fruit as large as small figs, with a spur on the same branch in full flower. The flowering cluster terminated
a growing branch. In forming flower buds out of possible branches, the previous autumn, this particular prospective branch had not been wholly arrested. It had to grow a little before the flower buds at its apex were allowed to blow.
School- children's Herbariums. — Of the premiums offered for Herbariums to the school- children of Hartford, Connecticut, noticed heretofore in Meehans' Monthly, Mrs. Seli- ger saj'S : —
" We have had our Herbarium exhibition of what the school children brought together. It was the centre of attraction at the Chrysanthe- mum show, and a more pleasing feature one can not well imagine. Notably perfect was the arrangement of displaying the flower sheets on double screens, hooked together and standing free with a passage between the rows. This showed to great advantage the specimen collected. About 6,000 of such had been sent in for the contest. All of them had some merit of more or less degree, and con- sidering this is the first occasion that this has been set in motion, it was a grand success. Many visitors were surprised that we have so many native flowers, but you know the least and often most noxious weeds make the pret- tiest specimen for herbariums ; while bright and showy flowers mostly show to disadvan- tage on account of having lost their colors."
The Douglas Spruce. — An Oregon paper says that the Douglas Spruce of the Sierra be- comes 400 feet high, with a trunk of 12 to 15 feet in diameter. It is used wherever strength and durability are desired, such as in the manu- facture of ship timber, wharves, and piles, as well as for general building purposes, as beams, gir- ders, joists, flooring, etc., usually called by lumber dealers Oregon Pine, the slender, tallest specimens being found in the Puget Sound region, but not the largest nor best.
The Ammonoosuc River — The conductors are annoyed to find that due credit was not given to the gentlemen who permitted the use of the illustration of the Ammonoosuc in the December issue of the Monthly. They are indebted to Messrs. Anderson and Price, Mount Pleasant House, New Hampshire, for this and other beautiful illustrations which may hereafter appear.
GENERAL GARDENING.
THE WIND IN THE EVERGREENS.
When the drifted snow has hidden
Roads and fences from the sight, And the moon floats through the heavens
Like a frozen thing, at night, Flooding all the frigid stretches with a ghostly,
bluish light, I like to lie and conjure
Up old half forgotten scenes, As the savage wind goes howling
Through the sighing evergreens.
There's a cottage i remember,
With an orchard in the rear ; There's a winding pathway leading
To a spring that bubbles near — Ah, the dipper that I drank from bears the rust of
many a year ! — There's a peach tree near the window
Of the room where oft I lay In the long ago, and listened
To the wild wind howl away.
—P. Riser.
Selecting House-plants. — Like "apples of gold in pictures of silver" is the good advice given in that recent article, and happy will they be who heed it.
Also by an amateur botanist, the same advice might well be heeded. A few plants, collected with care and given proper attention, with correct date, locality, etc., upon future exami- nation will give much more satisfaction than many more specimens hurriedly put in press and neglected which will be looked upon later without pleasure and finally discarded as use- less. Mrs. E. E. Orcutt.
San Diego, Cal.
Begonia Gloire de Lorraine. — The beau- tiful, winter-flowering Begonia Gloire de Lor- raine deserves every word of praise it has re- ceived, and any one who has a greenhouse where the temperature is kept at about 50 degrees in winter, should certainly have it. When not in bloom, the shining, dark green leaves are as beautiful as any "Rex." Good, turfy loam, plenty of leaf mould, well drained pots, the plants near the glass, and shaded from strong sunlight, nodiflSculty will be found in growing it to perfection. Jno. Thatcher.
Wynnewood, Pa. (8)
Death in Plants by Freezing. — In the Monthly for October, p. 148, we were told that the sap of trees does not freeze even at as low a temperature as 12° below zero, and hinted by Mr. T. Wheeler, on page 149, that some " noted men," (I presume scientific, was meant), discredit the belief that moisture is absorbed from the atmosphere by the trunks of trees. This led me to ask the question, if these things be so, upon what part of the tree does the frost work, to cause them to split open in cold weather — not zero?
Can you enlighten us on that point ?
A. McL.
The living cells of a tree are those immedi- ately below the bark ; all the interior of a tree is dead cells. They are the skeletons in the closet. Moisture in these dead cells will freeze. It is the freezing in these dead cells that induces trunks to split in severe weather. The moisture in the active living cells be- neath the bark can scarcely have the liquid in their cells freeze, or they also would split by expansion. The very fact that they can get through without splitting is evidence that they do not freeze.
A geranium dies under frost because in these, and similar instances, the liquid does freeze in the living cells.
Protecting Orchards from Light Frosts. — It was, we believe, William Saunders, the enlightened chief of the Government Experi- ment Gardens at Washington, who, some fifty years ago, insisted, in leading magazines, that the text books were wrong in teaching that heated air ascended, — that is, ascended in an active sense. It was, rather, pushed up by the heavier cold air pressing against it. It seems a slight distinction but it has immense practi- cal importance. For instance, those who under- stand this, smile at the Florida orange grower who builds fires around his orchard to make smoke when he fears a frost is coming. He lightens the atmosphere at the same time among the trees, and makes it all the easier
I899-]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
for the heavy cold air to push in and take its place.
The modern thought to spray with water is more philosophical. Water is a good conduc- tor of heat, and would add to the chances of resisting cold by the heat it would abstract from its surroundings. Horticulturists have long known that evergreens are quite hardy in a moist atmosphere, when they would easily succumb under the same temperature in a dry one.
The Use of Hardy Plants. — That the in- creased use of hardy plants has already created a noticeable improvement in the gardens of Lake Forest, as well as in the parks of Chica- go, and that, as they become better known, they will be more appreciated and more exten- sively planted every year, is certain. The progress made in the cultivation of hardy shrubs and plants in our vicinity, is remark- able when it is remembered that most of them have been neglected and almost forgotten. This, at least, we must say about the hardy flowers, that our grand-mothers cared for, with the utmost delight. Give us plenty of those good old flowers, walls clothed with vines and climbers ; and if we can have a rustic seat under a bower of foliage, let us have it.
Hardy plants, indeed, are far superior to tender ones, as, when a garden is once planted, it is permanent and does not, as in the case of the tender plants, require the expense of annual renewal ; yet we should not abandon the annuals, as there are some very lovely ones amongst them, and that should find a place in our gardens.
Remarkable are the expenditures that go to- wards permanent arrangement and planting of hardy shrubs, vines, flowers and evergreen trees on the newly broken grounds in our vicinity
The most interesting summer-home is that of Mr. Byron L. Smith, who has named it "Sweet-Briar Hall." There are few hardy trees, shrubs, vines, evergreens ^r flowers listed in any of the many catalogues in this country that Mr. Smith has not tried in his extensive grounds of about forty acres. It is Mr. Smith's eSbrt to make his home as beautiful and attractive as possible, both in summer and winter. " A garden should tell the seasons by its flowers, " is an old saying ; but
how about winter, when all our beautiful flowers and plants have seemingly disappeared after a few October frosts, and when we awake in the morning and find our plants, like Sen- nacherib's army, all dead men ? I am glad to say Mr. Smith's home grounds have at least an army of live men — hundreds of fine ever- greens, Siberian Dogwood, native and blood- red dogwoods, Italian, Russian and Colorado Willows, Indian Currant and snow-berry, Mahonia Aquifoliutn, Daphyie Cneortim, all kinds of Berberis, Rosa fitgosa, wild roses. Sweet Briar Roses, Viburnum Oxycoccos, Eu- onynius red and white- fruited, we find making a beautiful winter prospectus. A few more have taken up the idea, in Lake Forest, and are carrying it out with enthusiasm.
One thing is wanting yet in the beautiful ravines and along the banks thereof, as well as on the shores of Lake Michigan, and that is " Natural or Wild Gardening," as one may call it. We find wide and bare belts of grass that wind in and around the shrubberies in nearly every country place, which are merely places to be roughly mown now and then ; but if planted here and there with the snowdrop, the Japanese Anemone, the crocus, scillas and narcissus, they would, in spring, surpass in attractiveness the finest of gardens, and would pay its cost in one season, as, when once care- fully planted, they need very little care. Even along the banks in the lawn, the}' would cause no trouble whatever ; their leaves die down so early that they would scarcely interfere with the moving of the grass, if that were desired. On borders where one need not run the lawn mower, the prettiest results could be achieved. In grass not mown at all, we may have the narcissus and even the lilies, besides a great number of hardy wild flowers, which should be planted in natural groups or pret- tilj'-fringed colonies, spreading as they like after planting. Once established, the plants soon begin to group themselves in a way that leaves nothing to desire.
Many of our finest herbaceous plants, such as irises, Canadense and Superbum Lilies, thrive in the moist soil found in or near the bottom of the ravines or springs ; numbers of hardy flowers, also, that do not naturally pre- fer moist soil, would exist in perfect health and grow freely among grass on the banks, and for this purpose, we might use day-lilies,
lO
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[January
phloxes, irises, — especially the Germanica type, — many of the lilies, golden-rods, cam- panulas, tritomas, yuccas, hardy ferns, asters, and a host of other fine things. In Highland Park, on Mr. W. C. Egan's place, the most beautiful effects may be found half-hidden in the grass in just such locations as above des- cribed. Why should we not have it in Lake Forest ? E. Bollinger.
Excluding Mice and Rats from Frames. — In a note in October number, you say that a correspondent asks how to keep rats and mice out of frames. When the frame is set, scrape away the earth from the outside four to six inches deep and lay a board fiat all around the frame, bringing the edge close to the frame. The board should be ten to twelve inches wide. Bring the earth back over it and tread it down. The varmints always try to dig close to the frame, and when they strke the board they quit. Not one has ever become sharp enough to back up and dig ijnder the flat board.
This is an original device and has worked perfectly for twenty-five years in my garden. — No patent.
Louisville. Ky. M. M. GrEEN.
Garden Fences. — The old idea that a gar- den is a place in which to retire from the world and enjoy our pleasures was rather a selfish one. To enjoy a garden in the olden time was to retire between high walls or dense hedges, through which no prying eye could penetrate. The modern idea is to have everything exposed to public view, and this is probably as great an extravagance in one direction as the old prison wall system was in the other. In many of the suburbs of our cities, the idea of no hedges, fences or other boundary marks to gar- dens has prevailed to a great extent. The lawns and gardens have no boundary marks be- tween them and the public streets. The drive- way is made to appear as a portion of some great public park. Certainly this gives some advantage to the general traveller; but it does seem that one cannot abolish the idea of the "mine" and "thine" in human nature; and to give up one's garden to the public as if it be- longed actually to them is a violation of a proper sentiment in human nature. A low hedge or ornamental fence of some kind, which
does not absolutely exclude our garden treasures from the public; but yet marks a distinction to that which is ours, and that which is every- bodies, seems more in accord with the proper order of things. The total abolition of these line fences or garden boundaries does not seem to be natural, and therefore not to be recom- mended.
Painting Tree Wounds. — Many a valuable tree is lost by the neglect to paint the scar left where a branch has been sawn off or broken by the wind. Insects and fungi will also des- troy patches of bark on the trunks of trees, and the wood will rapidly decay, and the trunk become hollow. To prevent this rotting, ex- posed wood should be painted, dead bark taken off and the wood beneath also painted.
The object is to prevent decay till the new wood grows over it.
Grafting the English Walnut. — A cor- respondent from Dover, Delaware, desires to know whether any one has attempted to graft the English Walniit on the Black Walnut or Butternut? If successful, many a grove of Black Walnuts could be turned into great profit.
It is said that in the vicinity of Homosassa, Florida, large plantations are being made of the English Walnut. These plantations have not yet come into bearing, and the healthy, vigorous growth is all that can be desired.
New Carnation Disease. — Mr. Douglas exhibited specimens of Carnation plants badly attacked by a species of bacterium {Bacterium dia7ithi), giving a silvery appearance to the leaves. It had previously proved to be very destructive in America, and it is probable that it will now be so here. If the leaves are cut away when first attacked the disease may be arrested ; spraying with a weak solution of ammoniacal copper carbonate may be tried, but the only remedy if it be more severe is to burn the plants. The fungus attacks the mid- dle of the leaf, and then spreads both ways. — London Gardeners' Chronicle.
Moving a Hawthorn Tree. — Mr. W. C. Egan, Highland Park, Illinois, notes: "I moved a hawthorn from the woods five miles away, to day, taking four horses, six men and about
1899.]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY—GENERAL GARDENING,
11
three pocket-books, to get it in place. The frozen ball was six feet in diameter and two feet deep. But few roots were cut, so that, with judicious thawing out, I feel certain it will succeed. It is the finest, thriftiest haw- thorn I ever saw, having a trunk 4 inches in diameter, branched to within four feet of the ground, and low and broad. The young, vig- orous shoots are so numerous that a bird couldn't fly between them, unless it could dodge branches as scientifically as a Chicago alderman dodges investigations, I presume it is twelve feet high and fifteen feet broad.
R^RE FLi^nrSo
Compact-flowering White Forget-me- not. — The tiny, charming Forget-me-not is so frequently forgotten when selections are made for the garden, that its name comes to us in almost a pleading way. But recently, Mee- hans' Monthly made mention of a white variety, recommending it in contrast with the blue. Now, it is with pleasure a compact- flowering variety is brought to notice b^' illus- tration. It goes by the botanical name of Myosotis alpestris robusta gtayidlflora alba — quite a good deal for such a little thing.
Most Myosotis prefer a slightly shaded situa- tion, cool and more or less moisture; the species figured is adapted to rock-work; and all may be readily forced. We are indebted to La Seniaine Horticole for the illustration.
Phvsalis Franchetti. — I have read with no little interest, the article on the above-named plant in Meehans' Monthly for November, by L. C. L. Jordan.
Had your correspondent seen the specimens exhibited at the Morris County Gardeners' Society's Meeting, in September, he might have modified that expression of "monumental fake."
The specimens referred to were three feet long, with 12 to 14 lanterns on, andeach lantern from zYz to 3^ inches in diameter; and from plants set out the past spring in good soil, and ordinary care the above result was attained. It is therefore evident, your correspondent's plants, after two seasons' trial, are under wrong condi- tions.
Learn to know your plant and you will know
then what conditions it requires. The plant, I say, is worthy the boundless encomium with which it was introduced.
Madison, N. J. Wm, DuCKHAM,
The notes of your correspondent, L. C, L. Jordan, concerning the above plant, have been read with interest, and would have been replied to in the spring, but I had hoped that the past summer the plant would have vindicated itself in your correspondent's estimation.
Of the many "fake" plants your correspon- dent has tried, he thinks this is the monumen- tal one, but on the contrary, there is no doubt in my mind, that, grown as it can be grown, there is no hardy ornamental-berried plant that grows out-doors that is as good as it. We have
MYOSOTIS ALPESTRIS ROBUSTA
GRANDIFLORA ALBA.
had the growths this summer three feet long, and from two to three dozen large "lanterns" on each shoot, of the brightest possible color, and when they are dried, they last for months on the shoot, in a very ornamental condition for indoor decoration.
Physalis Fra^ichetti is a plant that needs rich soil and good treatment, otherwise, it is truly a poor thing that "drags on a miserable exis- tence;" it is true that it spreads by under- ground stems, — so do many other good things, still it is easy to transplant, or to eradicate.
If your correspondent had examined his plants a little closer, "the undiscoverable fly- ing insect" would have proved to be nothing more than the larvae of the Gold-bug, Copto-
12
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[January
cycla aurichalcea, commonly known as "ped- dlers," as they carry on their backs their cast- oflF clothing in addition to other impedimenta; he would also have found that this trouble is easily overcome by the application of a dose of Hellebore, or even Paris green, as any insect that eats the leaf is most easy to be rid of.
We have, it is true, in the past, had many fake plants foisted upon us under new or fan- ciful names, but this is not one of them, or the firm that sent it out would not have put it in commerce. We are indebted for it to a son of the great firm of Veitch, who collected it him- self in his travels in Japan.
For the description of the Coptocycla, lam indebted to Professor Smith's (Rutgers) in- valuable "Economic Entomology," p. 222.
South Lancaster, Mass. E. O. OrPET.
I/ittle more need be said about this plant. It seems to be one of those cases where treat- ment has much to do. It often happens that plants which show to advantage in one situa- tion, will fail to give satisfaction in another; while there are other plants pleasing every- where.
TIHIE M^Kl^T FLOWEl ^^I11D>E1NI.
Beds of Successional Bloom. — Where a little careful thought is given in the selection of plants for beds, splendid combinations may be made. There are few plants that are not more brilliant if massed, and it is possible to have masses of bloom in the same bed several times during one season. The writer has chiefly in mind the utilization of hardy bulbs of a permanent character, and a good example of succession is ofi"ered with these and her- baceous paeonies. There are many kinds of bulbs from which to select and plant, amongst the pasonies — say daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, snowflakes, snowdrops, crocus, etc. — and these will spring up and bloom early, just as the beautiful red shoots of the paeonies are extend- ing. Lilies, to furnish bloom in the fall, after the pseonies have done their part, ma3^ also be interspersed. It is perhaps a more common thing to see seed of annuals sown in beds of bulbs, and by reason of the large assortment that may be considered suitable, this plan offers many possibilities.
month, we can get flowers to tell us of the sea- sons. There are surely spring flowers, sum- mer flowers, and fall flowers. The fall or autumn season commences, the astronomers tell us, on the 21st of September. By the beginning of that month, Desmodium pendu- liflorjim, or, as it is sometimes called, Lespedeza bicolor, comes as a charming herald of the advance of the ripening time. Few plants make so grand a display, and a plant will in- crease in gorgeousness from j'ear to year. A plant in the Meehan nurseries, that has been left in the same spot a number of 5'ears, was this year five feet high, and nine feet in diame- ter. The bright purple flowers so completely covered the plant, that its beauty could be seen a long distance away. Though of a shrubby character, and classed and planted as a shrub, its dies to the ground annually. The enor- mous mass of foliage and flowers cited above was all the work of about four months.
FKMBTS ^ ¥E^ET/^PLES.
Winter-pruning Small Fruits. — Such fruits as the raspberry, blackberry, currant and gooseberry, need winter-pruning most par- ticularly after they are beginning to age. One is very liable to let them over produce or over- grow while they are still young, which makes them weak and unproductive of good fruit before their time. Old shoots thus weakened should be pruned entirely out, as well as the weaker branches that are too abundant to allow free circulation of air and light among the leaves.
Of raspberries and blackberries, only strong, sound young canes should be left. Gooseber- ries and currants fruit only from branches at least one year old, so judgment must be exer- cised to have a few young branches left to take the place of ones that may depreciate by age. Don't encourage more growth than needed, as the other branches will have more strength to give better and more fruit. Plants handled carefully have long lives before them.
Floral Calendars. — Though we cannot make a floral calendar to mark the days of the
Planting for Early Potatoes. — In St. Louis, potatoes for early use are planted about the middle of February. The Early Ohio is a popular variety for this purpose.
1899.]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY; — GENERAL GARDENING.
13
The Banana. The beautiful picture of a spike of banana flowers is fiom a photo taken at Daytona, Florida, kindly sent to us by Messrs. Anderson & Price, of Mount Pleasant House, New Hampshire. It is customary to say of the banana, that only the female plant is cultivated, and therefore the banana never seeds. But as the picture shows, this is not exactly the case. The stamens are there, but the anthers are not polleniferous. Under Prof. Meehan's discovery, first announced at the Salem meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, now many years ago, that where a branch is in condition to produce female flowers, a little shortening of the supply of nutrition would favor the development of male and the suppression of the famale organs, it would not be impossible for the extreme end of the spike to produce perfect pollen. If so, it might be used on the female flowers, and new varieties of bananas be raised .
In the form in which it is now known, it has been under cultivation before human his- tory begins, having been propagated from suckers in all that long time. Indeed, some have thought its appearance was coeval with the origin of man, and from its supposed prominence in the garden of Eden, it was named Rhisa paradisiaca. For all this long- time culture without seed raising, it continues healthy, and this fact is sometimes used in support of the argument that varieties do not run out.
Under greenhouse culture, it seldom bears fruit, though the writer of this paragraph has not overpleasant recollections of a successful instance. He was a student in Kew. It was over fifty years ago. A fine bunch had been successfully produced in one of the hot-houses. The young Queen of England was fond of visiting the gardens. Sir Wm. Hooker, always fond of the proprieties, said, " I want to pres- ent that bunch of bananas to Her Majesty. Go as fast as you can to such a house and get it. Hurry, or she will be gone. " Of course the messenger dropped everything and ran, re- turning with its fruit in time to catch the Queen and Sir William just as her carriage was about to drive through the gates. The young Queen was an apt listener for informa- tion. The writer of this held the huge bunch up with one hand, and kept his hat in the
other, while Sir William gave its history much as has been narrated above. It came difficult to hold, the hat was put on, and the bunch held by both hands. When the Queen had departed, the writer was sent for by Sir Wil- liam. " How dare you, sir, appear in your shirt sleeves before the Queen ; and then to put your hat on in the presence of Her Majesty ! "
It was no use to plead his orders to haste, — or the difiiculty of holding up the bunch for his lecture. The coat could have been put on while running, and the hat dropped on the ground. At any rate, the incident is firmly fixed on the writer's mind, after these many long years, that very fine bunches of bananas have been successfully raised under glass in the Old World.
Market Pears. — Mr. Zimmerman, of Buf- falo, N. Y., has been known for man}'^ years as a successful grower of pears for market. His dependence is chiefly on the following varieties: Bartlett, Howell, Beurre Bosc, B. Clairgeau, Duchess d' Angouleme, Beurre d' An- jou — Bartlett and Bosc asstandards and Howell, Duchess, Clairgeau and d'Anjou as dwarf.
A BANANA FLOWER.
BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
THE LESSON OF LIFE.
And life is but a fairy tale:
Its fondest and its brightest hours
Are transient as the passing gale,
Or drops of dew that melt in flowers.
— PERCIVAL.
Pyxidanthera barbulata. — The beauti- ful wreath of Pyxidanthera barbulata. Flower- ing Moss, in last month's number, is a pretty reminder of Lord Tennyson's "Queen o' the May," — Tho'he was not Lord Tennyson when he wrote it. I have read that it was so popular and he heard it so often, that at times he re- gretted having written it. This brings to mind the story, that Dante was very angry when he heard his songs sung out of tune. Popularity must have its antidote.
E. E. O.
David Landreth & Sons. — There are few nursery or seed firms that can boast of over a hundred years of existence. Most die out after a few generations. David Landreth & Sons, of Philadelphia, commenced with David Landret,h in 17S4, and, dropping the nursery business and confining itself to seeds and im- plements, has not only passed its century of existence alive and well, but has prospered from good to better all right along. It has re- cently made a new move of its retail depart- ment to Tenth and Market Streets, and now occupies one of the finest seed establishments in America, in the most prosperous business centre of the city. The honorable record of this famous firm, will induce a welcome from all good friends of horticulture for the pro- gress indicated.
Prang's Illustrated Calendars. — The mission of art is to illustrate that which is use- ful. To our mind there can be no true art un- less founded on utility, but we seldom see this recognized. Printed calendars are now essen- tial,— not merely in business offices, but every where, up to our private houses. They are usually adorned, now-a-days, — but the illus-
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trations have little relation to a calendar, and are usually anything but specimens of true art. It was a good thought in Prang to take up these necessities for every-day life, as sub- jects for the artist's slcill. Specimens before us are admirable in every respect. Even the little glazed pocket postage and revenue stamp book, finds a place in the collection. In the olden-time, one would not think of handing a friend a calendar as a present, — but there could be no more appreciative New Year or Easter gift than a Prang calendar. There are numberless styles to suit all tastes.
Robert B. Parsons. — The firm of S. B. Parsons & Co. — Samuel B. Parsons, and Robert B. Parsons, — wil! have a high place in the history of American gardening. The Flushing Nurseries followed close in the wake of the Princes in introducing rare trees and shrubs. Their nurseries comprised some two hundred acres. With the view to bringing this into real estate operations, rare trees were planted to permanently remain, and in 1872, the land was divided, and two nurseries estab- lished on each part, each brother still retain- ing an interest in each. Aside from business interests, the brothers took an active interest in any matter of national or humanitarian interest. It is sad to reflect that a life so valu- able to mankind as Robert B. Parsons, should have suddenly ended on November ist, by a railroad accident at Newton Station, Long Island.
Purple flesh' D Apples. — Apples, with a more or less pink tinge to the flesh, are com- mon enough, but are great wonders to the ill- informed. The New York Siai has a wonder- ful story, dated at Monroe, New York, March 3d, about an apple tree, with fruit which has "crimson tints almost to the core," from the blood of an Indian maiden, — a love-lorn one, of course, — who was slain by an irate parent under the original of the present tree on the Turner farm. We may now believe the story
1899.]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
15
that the Judas tree had once white flowers, but that they afterwards became red in shame that Judas selected that tree on which to hang him- self.
William Saunders. — The soldier, the sailor or the statesman, is the hero of the times; but in numerous walks of life are men who deserve as well of their country, but who usually pass away as nine-day wonders with regret. Few have done more to merit honor at the present, and remembrance in the very far future, than the gentleman whose portrait ap- pears with this. Mr. William Saunders, the Chief of the United States Ex- periment Gardens at Washington, the Capitol of our Na- tion. As founder of the great order of The Patrons of Husbandry, — as the designer of the National Cemetery Grounds at Gettys- burg, and as one of the three Parking commissioners that have made the streets of Washing- ton the envy of the world, his name, if not his modest per- sonality, is widely k no w n . In his favorite department of gardening, his
usefulness has been unique. For twenty years, in the earlier part of his career, his great ambition was to elevate gardening, and his in- telligent and instructive writings, given freely for the public good, did yeoman service in this direction. Of all men, he had the happy faculty of turning scientific abstractions to practical uses. One of the most practically useful lessons ever received by the writer was derived from Mr. Saunders, as stated in another column, namely, that heat did not ascend in an active sense, as one might imagine from the text books, but in a passive sense, being forced
WILLIAM SAUNDERS
Upwards by the colder air getting under and lifting it. Millions of dollars to-day are yearly lost in abortive attempts at ventilation by reason of not noting this simple fact.
William Saunders was born at St. Andrews, in Scotland, on December 7, 1822, — the seat of a great university. His father was a gardener for a wealthy gentleman who resided chiefly in India, so that the gardener had his home in the mansion, amidst pleasant and refined sur- roundings. He was sent to college with the design of entering the ministry, on which his
mother had set her heart. William's taste for gardening was, however, strong. He left the divinity col lege, and became a gard- ener's apprentice bound for four years. Freed from his apprenticeship, he came to London to still further per- fect himself in prac- tical gardening, and engaged himself as a journeyman un- der the famous gar- dener, Kinghorn, at Richmond, about two miles from Kew, about the time that Thomas Meehan entered as a student in the Royal Gardens . While other stu- dents, in what may be termed university plans, spend much of their spare time in frivolities, William Saun- ders' occupations in these days were chiefly devoted to perfecting himself in architectural and map drawing in connection with Land- scape Gardening. In 1848, he married in Lon- don, and his honeymoon was spent in a voyage across the Atlantic. The beautiful Clifton Park, now Johns Hopkin's University, was his first great work in America. Following his profession of Landscape Gardening, he accepted, from Isaac Newton, the first commissioner of agriculture, the position he now occupies.
i6
MEEHANS' MONTHLY— BIOGRAPHY AXD LITERATURE.
[January
It is to the credit of the Nation, so proverbial for political changes, irrespective of the right man in the right place, that through all the changes of administration in these long years, no thought of a change in this department seems ever to have been suggested.
Milton's Mulberry Tree. — An English paper tells us that in the gardens of Christ's College, Cambridge, stands a venerable mul- berry tree, which, tradition says, was planted by Milton during the time when he was a stu- dent at the University. This would be between the years 1624 and 1632, for the following copy, from the Latin, of his entry of admis- sion, accurately fixes the former date, and his admission to the degree of M. A., to which he proceeded in the latter year, ended his intim- ate connection with the University : — "John Milton, native of London, son of John Milton, was initiated in the elements of letters under Mr. Gill, Master of St. Paul's School ; was admitted a lesser pensioner February 12, 1624, under Mr. Chappell, and paid entrance fee 10s." He was then sixteen years and two months old. The tree, so intimately associa- ted with his name, is now much decayed, but, in order to preserve it as much as possible from the ravages of time, many of the branches have been covered with sheet lead, and are further supported by stout wooden props, while the trunk has been buried in a mound of earth. The luxuriance of the foliage and the crop of fruit which it annually bears are proof of its vitality, but to insure against accidents and perpetuate the tree, an offshoot has been planted close by. In the event of a bough breaking and falling it is divided with even justice among the Fellows of the College, and many pieces are thus preserved as mementoes of the poet. It was during his residence at Cambridge that he composed his ode, " On the Morning of Christ's Nativity." " Lycidas," too, is intimately connected with Milton's life at the University, since it was written in memory of Edward King, his College friend and contemporary, with whom he, doubtless, shared the same rooms. In those days stu- dents did not, as now, occupy separate apart- ments, as witness the original statutes of the college: — " In which chambers our wish is that the Fellows sleep two and two but the Scholars four and four * » * * "
in consequence of which a much closer inti- macy was formed among them than is now pos- sible. Dr. Johnson relates that Milton was flogged at Cambridge, but the fact is doubtful, though there is reason to suppose that he had differences with the authorities in the earlier part of his college career since he was trans- ferred from his original tutor. This tree is still pointed out to visitors, and was, until recent j^ears, especially marked by a bough of mistletoe growing upon it.
Memorial Trees. — Says Mr. W. R. Smith, "I am very much in favor of memorial tree planting in public parks. In the Botanic Gar- den, at Washington, D. C, we have fifty trees thus made more interesting. Senator Hoar's fine plant of Cedrus Libaiii is of interest to Massachusetts people. Its companion, plant- ed by Senator Evarts, is doing nearly as well."
<qiEINIEI^^L MOTES.
Larkspur Poisonous. — There seems no end to plants supposed to be sheep-kills. The Montana Experiment Station places the pretty western larkspur, Delphinium glmicum, on the proscribed list.
Spartanburg, South Carolina. — A cor- respondent says : — " I was particularly pleased with a visit to Spartanburg and Glen Springs, in the upper part of this State. The plants and flowers were delightful. It is a remark- ably pretty town of about 12,000 inhabitants, and its beautiful residences and lovely flower gardens, remind me very much of Orange, New Jersey. I was told, in Spartanburg, that the common name of the pretty, yellow orchid, Habenatia ciliata, was " old-woman-in-a-cap" from the sort of frill around the flower. "
Postal Savings Banks. — Mr. Horace J. Smith, son of the late John Jay Smith, former- ly Editor of Downing' s Horticulturist , is de- voting his chief energies in the endeavor to get our country to copy from England her very successful Postal Savings Banks. That he may succeed is the wish of all who know that there is no better foundation for morality than the habit of saving. It induces industry. Lovers of gardening are proverbral for industry.
VOL.iX.
i j_.y \ 1
i )A CJ'^i t_| I \[.
I- , \ - \ ■ I ■
rti
PASSIFLORA INCARNATA.
COMMON AMERICAN PASSION FLOWER.
NATURAL ORDER, PASSIFLORACE^.
PASSIFLORA INCARNATA, Linnccus.— Leaves palmately three-lobed, acute, serrate; petioles bi-glandular; peduncles three- bracted; sepals with a horn-like point below the apex, whitish within; filaments of the crown in about five rows, the two outer ones as long as the sepals; berry large, oval. (Chapman's Flora of the Southern United States. See also Gray's Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States, Wood's Class-Book of Botany, and Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora of the Northern United Stales, Canada and British Possessions.)
Few plants show better the great progress which has been made in botanical knowledge than this, for when it was first introduced from the New World to the Old, it was classed with Clematis by the best botanists of those times. Now it is known to be widely different from that type of flower.
It is indeed very closely related to the cucum- bers; but is regarded as sufficienth' distinct to form a natural order by itself, under the name of Passijioracece. The botanical name of the genus, Passiflora, seems to have been first used by Plukenet, in 1705, and to have been adopted by Litinteus, though most botanists tell its "it was altered by Linnaeus from the old name Flos Passionus, or Passion Flower."
Our species, Passiflora incar7iata, and one from South Ainerica, Passiflora ccerulea, seem to have been the earliest known, though now the species are found to be comparatively num- erous. All are natives of the American conti- nent, though only eight species are as yet known within the boundaries of the United States.
Our species is recorded as having been known in England in 1629; but Parkinson, who issued his famous ' ' Paradisiis ' ' then makes no mention of it. An old letter, written about this time, and published in "Notes and Quer- ies," tells us that "Mistress Tuggy hath it in good plenty growing in her garden at West- minster." Gerarde, however, who wrote some thirty years before Parkinson, makes brief allu- sion to it, and charges some Spanish Friars with great imagination in calling it Flos Pas- sionus. Monardes, a physician of Seville, in Spain, about the time that Gerarde was writing in England, seems to have been the earliest writer extant who refers to the flower as ' 'repre- senting the Passion of Christ." Hernandez,
an early writer on Mexican plants, says "it is the flower of the Passion of the Italians. ' ' But the earliest and most complete account of the flower, as it appeared to our forefathers, is given by a French writer, Louis Liger d' Aixxere, translated into English in 1705, we give as fol- lows: " 'Tis not without Reason this Plant is called the Passion Flower, for this Plant cannot be thought other than a miracle, seeing it bears a Floiver on which God has been pleased to imprint the chief Mysteries of the Passion and Death of our Blessed vSaviour. All that behold it cannot but be astonished to consider how it was possible that Torments should be repre- sented to us on a Flower. What shall we say of those Leaves, that round their Edges show us as it were sharp Prickles? Do they not trvily represent to us the Thorns with which our Divine Master was crown'd? The white- ness that appears on the Leaves, is it not a Mark of his wrong'd Innocence? And these lit- tle blood}- Threads, that we see thereon, do they not figvire to us the Scourges Jesus Christ received from the Hands of the Jews ? And what Reflection can we make on this little Mark, in the shape of a Column, that rises in the middle of the Flower, but that it is a Pic- ture of that to which our mild Redeemer was bound? How well does the little part below it represent the Sponge dipt in Gall ? How well do the Threads that stand out beyond the Col- umn, figure to us the three Nails that nailed him to the Wood of the Cross? And, lastly, do not the Leaves that are pointed at the end, give us a perfect Idea of the Lance that pierced his Sacred Side. Would not all this be a perfect Image of all the Instruments of his Passion, if this Saviour of Mankind would have permitted his Cross, that is indeed wanting, to be ex- pressed on it?" In Catholic countries, how-
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i8
MEEHANS' MONTHLY-^PASSIFLORA INCARNATA.
[February
ever, the Passion Flower is used in the memo- rial services of the 14th of September, which is the da}- set apart for the festival of the Hoh- Cross. B\' modern floral emblematists, the Passion Flower has been selected to represent the most contradictory- emotions. It is most commonl}- used as an emblem of "Hope" — probabl}- from some lines of Cartwright, who, alluding to the fact that the flowers last but one day says: —
" Thus hope, the passion-flower of human life, Whose wild luxuriance mocks the pruner's
knife, Profuse in promise makes a like displa}- Of evanescent blooms — that last a day."
It is remarkable that a flower which so affected the religious spirit of its first obser- vers, has failed to make its mark in modern poetr}-. Lines in reference to it are numerous, but little has appeared of a high order. Whit- tier makes good use of the Passion Flower in his picture of the wild swamps in which Tons-, saint L'Ouverture — the once slave and finalU- general commander-in-chief of the successful armies of San Domingo — had his earliest dreams of liberty-.
" The white cecropia's silver rind Relieved by deeper green behind, — The orange with its fruit of gold, — The little paullinia's verdant fold. — The passion-flower with symbol holj-, Twining its tendrils long and lowly. — "
Our species, PassiJ7ora incarnata, does not climb over trees, as its West Indian relatives do, for it is herbaceous, d5-ing to the ground ever}' 3-ear; but it will sometimes ramble over low bushes, occasionally to the height of 20 feet or more. Its roots are creeping, and will travel long distances under ground. The leaves are always deeply divided with three parts, which obtained for it the name of Cle- matis triloba from the earlier botanists. At the base of the leaf-blade are two glands (see fig. 4.) These are alwa^'S present in plants of the order PassiJioracea\ and are one of the ready marks by which it may be distinguished from neighboring orders. The flowers open earl}^ in the morning, and last only one day: but the plant is very floriferous, and is never without bloom when it once commences. In our flowers, Figs. 2 and 3, it will be noticed that in the former the three "pistils are erect, while in 3 they are bent down over the stamens.
This different condition seems to be character- istic of each separate flower. The subject of these differences has not been understood. Humble bees, which are very fond of visiting the flowers for their sweets, become densely covered b\' pollen, and one might imagine that the stigmas in No. 3 would be more likely to receive pollen from other flowers in this way than in Fig. 2, which have the stigmas more out of reach ; but in the writer's garden, it is extremely rare that any plants produce seed, — though other cultivators report that it fruits abundantly with them. It is remarkable what a fascination the honey secretion has for hum- ble bees. One will remain for honrs on the same flower, sometimes resting as if intoxi- cated, but flying away easily and returning to the same flower when disturbed.
It is a native of the vSeaboard States south of the Potomac River, where it is commonly known as "May-pops," and sometimes "Ma}-- apple." though in the North this name is used for the Podophyllum pcltatum. The fruit is pleasantly acid, but is not ranked as highly among edibles as those of some other species, of which it is said "the Indians ()])en the fruit as they do eggs, and the liquor is supped off" with great delight." It has not attained an}* great reputation in medicine, though Dr. Phares, a botanist and physician of Mississippi, believes it to have remarkable powers in cases of lockjaw.
With possibU- some half-dozen exceptions, the passion-flowers are natives of the New- World,, and are most abundant in the tropical regions. Brazil presents them in great num- bers. There have been between two and three hundred species described alread}-, and explor- ations are continually adding to the list. Onh* some half dozen extend into our territory, and none are found wild north of the Potomac. The one illustrated is the most beautiful of all, — indeed, the other species are comparative- \y insignificant. So far as mere beaut}- is con- cerned, interesting as our common American Passion Flower is, it is far inferior to many of the tropical ones. Some of these are superla- tively grand. ]\Iany have found their way into cultivation and are popular for conservatory decoration.
Explanation of Plate.— 1. Specinieu from Virginian seed. 2. Front view of flower. 3 Side view of flower. 4. Glands on the leaves. 5. Bud with bracts at the base.
WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
vSUNRIvSE.
'Tis early morning, ere the Sun His golden course has yet begun; The pale gray dawn ascends the skies As struggling darkness slowl}- dies, And seems the hovering soul of Night, Which, e'er to Heaven it takes its flight, Still lingering hangs, 'tween fear and hope, To watch the golden portals ope.
— Mary Bayard Clarke
The Poison Ivy.— In regard to the article on Poison Ivy, I beg to enclose you three draw- ings from nature, full size (now reduced one- third.) No. I is of the low-growing or grass variety— it runs under the ground, rising every now and again, as shown. The stems of the leaflets, which are always in threes, grow to 5 and even 7 inches high, light green and shiny. In hot weather they droop like clover leaves. The berries in all three varieties are alike in form.
The other variety (marked 2) will climb over stone fences and often clings to trees; the rough bark seems to afford it a hold. In this variety, the stems are often as thick as a lead pencil and smooth. They will rise 3 to 5 feet above the ground. It is reputed as being more dan- gerous than No. i.
No. 3 is a tall shrub often, here; 6 to 10 feet liigh, close in habit, the leaves 9 to 1 1 in. , wrinkled and de- cided, turned up or sideways at the apex. The leaves are darker than No. i and 2, and of all three, thej- turn orange and red in the fall. The berries are all alike, a ver}' light green, or pale straw color. There is no rule as to size, as large berries are often found on 2, — as large
as peas; but they are generally smaller. The flowers (see 2) are pale green, nearly white, in all the varieties.
The best remedy I know of is the Rhus Tox. of the homeopathists. A strong lather of common soap is also useful. Apply with a shaving brush until the itching stops.
I think the infection comes from spores as well as b}- contact. Many cannot go near it without being affected. Others, m3'self among them, seem to enjoy a perfect immunity' from it. I can pull it up by handfuls — and do. It is ver\- plentiful on the shores and islands of the River des Milles lies.
Thoreau sa^^s "It blazes its sins as scarlet." This is so in the fall, but its sins are as appar- ent in their effects at any time — especialh* after rain. John Hugh Ross.
Montreal, Canada.
Note. — In No 2 the terminal leaflets are always larger than the others; in No. i they are generally smaller.
By "variety" our correspondent evidenth' means condition, as it is well known that the creeping form climbs when it gets the oppor- tunity, and changes its character with the new condition. This is the case with similar climb- ing plants.
The English ivy, wild strawberry tree, and even many honeysuckles have very different
No. I.— RHUS TOXfCODENDRON, Low or Grass Variety. (J^size.)
(19)
20
MEEHANS' MONTHLY— WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[February
foliage when shoots trail along the ground than when climbing poles. And "spores" indicate particles of organic matter given off by the plant.
Bud Variations. — Of late years, much has been learned of the manner in which nature works; but the amount of secrets which nature has carefully locked up is in vast proportion greater than the little scraps of knowledge we have been able to secure. Bud variation is one of those mysteries yet unsolved. It is not an uncommon thing to find a plant or tree, which
No. 2— RHUS TOXICODENDRON, High-Growing or Tall Variety. {% size.) See page 19
for years has borne flowers or fruit according to rule, as one might sa^-, all of a sudden send out branches of a character often widely different from that of those which have preceded them. It is more remarkable, as a fact, that when these different branches are cut from the parent tree and rooted as cuttings or preserved by grafting, this wandering from the original form continues hereditarv-, and can be reproduced innumerably, just as the parent plant can. Many new ro.ses have been raised in this wa^-. Some of them have been of the most distinct character. In fact, those who watch for these variations or, as they are technically called.
sports, can secure as many new varieties as those do who look for new variations from seed- lings. Fruit trees are especially subject to these variations. Sometimes a pear tree will have a branch with fruit which look as if they might be apples, and again apple trees have b<='en known to produce pear-like fruit. Not only is this difference in form but also in color. Plum trees, that for years will bear nothing but the normal purple-fruited plums, will send out branches occasionally with yellow-colored plums, and others ma}- differ also in form, — that is to say, we may have round, yellow plums instead of egg-shape, purple ones. One of the most striking instances of this is in the case of the nectarine. A well informed biolo- gist simph- sa^'s he does not know what causes these wild wanderings from normal forms, — he merely tells the student there is a chance for you here in original investigation which may bring you fame if you can work out the cause.
Freezing of the Sap in Living Plants. — "It takes time for the secrets of nature to be developed and understood. Life is a great gift, both in the vegetable and animal world, and in it resides much power of resistance to both cold and heat. Investigation often proves it were not well to scorn the investigations of others. ' '
O.
The last idea expressed by "O" is worthy of more thought than it usually receives. When we note the millions of people on the earth who have beliefs and moral sentiments wholly different from ours, — and the myriad millions who in the past have entertained them, we naturall}" feel like the one man who held out on the jur\' of twelve, — he never met with such obstinate men as the eleven in all his days. There seems, in fact, nothing that any of us believe, but may in some way receive a rebut- al. We are taught that matter and its proper- ties are infinitely divisable and believe it from one point of view; but when we start a rock- ing chair, we firmh' believe that it does cease from its rocking to absolute rest. No amount of figuring would lead even the one man on the jurv' to believe that it really kept rocking for ever. Particular!}' is this true in scientific dis- cussion. We can onlj^ reach approximate truth — and the other fellow may have a good share of it.
1899]
MEEHANS MONTHLY — WII,D FLOWERS AND NATURE.
21
Immediate Effect of Pollen on Fruit. — A gentleman called on me, a da}- or two since, and said: "I would go to growing fine musk- melons, if I could get to some isolated place where the bees and insects would not mix up the melons." I said to him that, if he could get new, good seed every spring, it would make no difference, for good melons would grow from the good seed the first year and not be affected by fertilization — that year, — meaning that the melon that year would be good, but that melons grown from seed from that melon might not be good. He thought the melon grown the first 3ear would be affected hy the bad pol- len. I told him // (7. Was I correct? (You were. Conductors.)
Well, after retiring to bed that night, I was thinking over the matter of melons and good seed, and I remembered that, when a boy, I occasionally found red kernels of corn mixed wath the white com— evidently affected bv that 3-ear's fertilization, and so I began to feel as though I was mixed myself Then, I remem- bered again, that our old, sweet apple tree always bore fine, yellow, mellow, sweet apples, and although there were red apple trees in the same orchard and near the sweet apple tree. If I am mixed, I would like to be unmixed, if ^-ou can do it. What do 30U think.*
Minneapoli.'!, Minu. R. J. MENDENHALL.
Yovi are right in all these observations. The seed is affected directly b}- fertilization, — the fruit is not. The covering of a melon — botani- cally the consolidated carpels — is the modi- fied leaves of the original plant. The seed, inside the fruits, is the after-product of fertili- zation, and is the essential part of the new plant, which is the result of pollenization, and is of course affected b^- that act. A grain of corn is the actual seed. It has no coverings as the melon, apple, cherry- and other flesh\' fruits have, — or as those have with dr}- seed-vessels. The corn grain can be affected, — the others named cannot.
This fact was ascertained man}- ^-ears ago, b}- some careful experimenter in raising im- proved German stocks. Florists know that in pink varieties of flowers the stems will have a purple tint, while the light ones have pale stems. Examining the seeds of the stocks, he noted that this fact embraced the cotyledons or seed leaves of the plants as well. He could therefore tell at once which of the seeds would
produce crosses or hybrids by this test alone. But though there was this change in the seeds after fertilization, there was no change in any single character from the parent plant in the seed-vessel itself.
Inverse Growth. — A correspondent sends a newspaper slip, stating that some one had made a tree grow by planting the branches and leaving the roots in the atmosphere where the branches should be, andsa3's: "I have never seen
No. 3— RHUS VENENATA, {resize.) See page 19.
any article on the question. M3' idea is that, while nature could, iti time, change the func- tions of root and branch, as a rule the tree would die during the inter\'al. I've noticed that exposed roots in time become possessed of a bark similar, in looks, at least, to that of the branches proper. If this subject has not been treated recenth* by \'ou, it would be of interest to 3-our readers to have 3'ou treat it. ' ' Cuttings of willow, poplar, gooseberries, cur- rants, and man3' other things which get planted upside down 133- accident, occasionallv grow,
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FI.OWEKvS AND NATURE.
[February
just as well as if put right side up. There is, therefore, no physiological reason wh}' a tree might not grow when planted as described, if there were not too great a head of roots to evaporate moisture rapidh\ There is little doubt that a willow, planted upside down, would grow very easily, if the roots were cut back as severeh- as we sometimes do branches at transplanting.
Smilax Walter: and S. laurifolia. — In the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, many south- ern plants are found which reach their most northern limit in that State. Among these, two species of Smilax may be noted: .S". lauri- folia and S. H'alleri, — both climbing vines, whose favorite habitat, in New Jersey, is the wet ground at the edge of Pine Barren swamps. There the\' are objects of beauty and interest, in winter-time quite as much as at other sea- sons. .S". U'alh'ri, indeed, has an especial at- tractiveness in the late fall and winter; for then, although stripped of leaves, the brilliant clusters of ripened berries, a bright coral-red in color, are showier than ever leaves and blos- soms were. Glowing against the dusky back- ground of the swamp, the fruit makes a picture of rare loveliness, worth a long trip to see.
^. laurifolia is an evergreen whose winter glory is its leaves — laurel-like in shape, and in texture thick and leathery. In their axils, the berries grow, immature and green in winter, ripening the following summer. It is a stout vine, whose stem is armed with savage thorns. Sometimes found climbing high upon the trees of the swamp, it is quite as fond of lying stretched horizontalh' along the tops of bushes, its rich, green leaves standing upright on their stalks, and making the plant a conspicuous sight in the season when the shrubs over which it clambers are bare of foliage.
Philadelphia.
C. F. Saunders.
Rural Scenery in Connecticut. — While renewing his subscription to the magazine, under date of December i8, a Hartford corres- pondent says: "Though nearly eight^'-four years' old, I still retain a great deal of horticul- tural fer^'or, and enjoy it exceedingl3^ I am in the blessing of a very fair amount of health, am out in the open nearly everv^ da}', and often go to my farm on Cedar IMountain, four miles south of the city. There is nothing like it
around Hartford; the two vallies, the one on the west, and the other, the Connecticut River valley, are most charming. Yesterday was cold, clear, with a piercing wind; the sleighing was excellent, and the contrast between the clear white snow and the deep green of the hemlocks, was enchanting. By the way, what more graceful, and beautiful evergreen have we than the hemlock, so neglected, perhaps, because it is so common, valuable as a tree standing alone, or useful as a hedge?"
The Age of Trees. — I\Ir. Timothy Wheeler, whose acute observations and intelligent writ- ings have interested the readers of jNIeehans' Monthly, has a paper in the Stowe (Vermont) Journal in regard to ascertaining the age of trees. In the course of his remarks, he com- ments on the fact that the annual rings are often wider on one side of the trunk than the other, — and that at times there max be two fine rings in one year, instead of the usual wide one. He explains the former occur- rence to the fact that there has been more food at the command of the roots, and more vigorous leaves and branches to elaborate the food from which wood has to be formed on the side of the tree where the thick wood rings are than on the other. That this explanation is undoubtedh- sound ma\- be proved from ciitting across the old stems of creepers on walls — the ordinary poison vine furnishing a good illus- tration. The roots can, of course, be only on one side of the stem, and all the wood is on that side. It is very interesting to see a piece of wood with the pith near the circumference instead of in the centre of the stem.
In regard to the age of trees, an approximate knowledge ma\- be gained by fair knowledge of the comparative ratio of the thickness of the annual growth. The writer of this, for instance, had noticed that the annual growth of the wood of the Mammoth Sequoias in Cali- fornia was little more than the sixteenth of an inch, thus adding but one-eighth of an inch to the diameter of the tree. Finding thus that an inch was made in eight years, it would take six hundred and seventy -two years to construct a trunk of seven feet in diameter.
A three feet thick trunk ofaCatalpa tree, which we know would make nearly half an inch in some years, might reach that diameter in less than fiftv vears.
I899J
MEEHANS MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
23
The Staff-tree or Bitter-sweet. — Celas- trj(s scandens belongs to the order Celastracece, and has also the name of Roxbury Wax-work in some places. It is a twining shrub, leaves ovate, oblong, fineh'-serrate pointed. Along streams and thickets; Jnne, according to Gray's Botany, and may have had the name of Staff- tree from stems, making pretty walking-canes. We have too long neglected this beautiful, clean vine, that we sometimes see in our drives over country roads and lanes, covering broken- down stone walls and unsighth- fences with its charitable mantle of green, and later with bright berries. It has been known to waste its "bitter-sweetness" by the wayside, only appre- ciated by some nature-lover who passes it with lingering regret that cultivators do not appre- ciate it.
This vine has a fashion of twining in and out over itself and whatever object its delicate twigs can reach, and in the most fantastic manner. The glossy green of its wax-like leaves, its daint}- racemes of blossoms, blend- ing so harmoniously with the gray of the mature wood, gives the whole shrub such an air of thrifty independence that is wholesome to look at. It wovild add oftentimes to the beauty of our home surroundings, comparing favorably with more pretentious vines and climbers.
But its crowning glor}- is in the autumn time, when the whole vine is ablaze with glory. The yellow fruit pods, round and smooth, that change to deep orange, hang in clusters. When fully ripe, they open, disclos- ing the bright scarlet seed covering. These remain on the vine all winter, — eaten to some extent by the birds, who use them as a tonic, — may be, who knows?
We never think the year full and complete without our annual gathering of the Bitter- sweet "to make glad the winter of our discon- tent." When our countr}- landscape looks gloomy and forlorn, our berries are a perennial joy and gladness. Florists are beginning to learn their value and have used them this sea- son in quantities for their holiday decorations, with fine effect.
S.arah Ball.'^ntine Bowerman.
reproduction. I have a flower-pot covered on the soil with well rooted plants raised or grown from one of these heads.
Britton & Brown say ' ' scales sometimes leaf}-. ' ' I send samples of both conditions.
I have not had time to give these heads a close inspection. They furnish a good botani- cal study.
Mamhesttr, lllinoi."!. JOHN C. ANDRUS.
The flowers of grasses occasionally produce young plants instead of seeds. This is called a viviparous condition. This, as Mr. Andrus puts it, is a substitution of vegetative for sex- ual reproduction. A careful examination of the specimens sent shows that this is neither a case of that kind, nor of a scale becoming foliaceous, as noted b\- Britton and Brown. It is the palea, this time, and not the scale or ' ' chaff, ' " that have become leaves. The stamens are perfect, but the gyncecium seems abortive. The little leaves, with even their sheaths per- fect, projecting from the usual limits of a head of Timothv grass, is verv striking.
Abnormal Orchid. — Mrs. L. Croodrich sends a 3 -flowered specimen of an Odontoglos- siim, in which the terminal flower has a double lip, and a double column. There are eight petals instead of six, as in a normal orchid flower. It is interesting to note, in connection with this, that what appears to be a terminal flower in this triad is an axillary flower which has thrust aside the normal axis, and assumed the position of the main stem for its own pedicel. It has so completeh' absorbed the normal main stem, as to leave but a small pin- like point. This unusual power of absorption explains the proliferous tendency exhibited.
Abnormal Apple and Pear Blossoms. — Refering to the paragraph on page 190 of the last volume, Mr. Wm. F. Schmeiske, Dorrance- ton, Pa., observes that the dormant bud being already formed there, was only awaiting the necessary nourishment to start. It happened to be short at the proper season, and continued dormant until the full supply arrived.
Abnormal Grass. — You will find enclosed a few heads of Timothy- {Phleum pratense) showing a substitution of vegetative for sexual
Ladrone Pl.-vnts. — G. says: "The Ladrones being at some distance from the Micronesian Islands proper, ought to have some peculiar plant-forms. I am not aware that their native products have been specially examined. ' '
GENERAL GARDENING.
A PEACH TREE WITH "THE YELLOWS."
Take them editors that's crovvin'
Like a cockerel three months' old — Don't ketch any on 'em goin',
Thoug-h they be so blasted bold; Ain't they a prime lot o' fellers?
'Fore the}' think on't gue.ss they'll sprout, (Like a peach that's got the yellens)
With the meanness bustin out.
— BiGLow Papers.
Pruning Porch Vines. — The object in prim- ing vines is to keep them neat and vigorous, and not permit a dense mat of growth, exclud- ing light and air from the porch. To accom- plish this, it is customary to cut back, in win- ter, the last season's growth to within a bud or two of the previous year's wood, leaving the stems close to the trellis — referring chiefl>-, of course, to those vines, like the honeysuckle, that make a thick, branching growth. The tops are usually trimmed off near the porch roof, and the operation is ended. The effect is to produce a strong, dense growth from the tops, giving a top-heavy, unkempt appearatice by mid-summer, but fault in the pruning is rarely recognized then.
The best method of pruning summer-flower- ing vines, like the honeysuckle and clematis is to cut them down as near the ground as possi- ble, in the winter, allowing the }oung vigorous shoots to cover the trellis each year, which they will quickly do. In the spring, when the new growth attains about two feet in height, go carefully over them, select four or five of the strongest or as many as ma}' be needed to cover the required space, train them properly on the wires and any unneeded shoots rub off. By the time the shade is needed in summer, the vines will be high enough, and will not have the unsighth' bunched appearance of other neglected ones. The clematis is not as strong growing, and if on the same trellis with other vines, should not be cut so low.
The same practice applies, to a certain extent, to the aristolochia, trumpet creeper, flowering grape, bitter-sweet and kudzu vine, though
(24)
their growth is different — more rampant and less twiggy. The strong, rampant growth makes it all the more desirable that they should be trimmed low. It is ver>' essential in all winter- pruning to attend to the young growth the fol- lowing summer; and also in the foregoing method to prevent more branches starting than are wanted. The trumpet creeper and aristo- lochia should especially be trained to admit light and air to get good results. In the case of the latter plant, it is supposed to not flower until the growth is large. If flowering is wanted, the vines must be let go, though a topping during the latter part of their growing period might bring the flowers the following season.
The pruning of running roses is a subject of which experience is the best teacher, But the things to be kept prominent is that heavy, healthy canes are desired, and that prvming is best done in late winter, in addition to a little shortening in after blooming, a thing which is well accomplished by cutting the flowers.
There is a class of early flowering vines the pruning of which must be differently done if flowers are wanted. The akebia is one of these — and b^'-the-way, this is one of the choicest vines for a porch. Flowers are produced from old wood, and if the vines be pruned in winter, the flowers must go to the extent of the prun- ing. The chief time for pruning is just after flowering. Similar plants are the Carolina Jas- mine, Yellow Jasmine and Wistaria. As an illustration, the sweet Carolina Jasmine rarely flowers as far north as Philacfelphia because winter-pruned b}' the frost.
Disease in Lily Bulbs. — The Harris Lily has of later 3'ears siiffered seriously from a fungus disease. That the spores, or probably the mycelium, of the fungus is distributed with the bulbs, has been with good reason assumed. A correspondent of the London Gai'deiiers' Chronicle took diseased bulbs, dried them thor- oughh', and then stored them in flower of sul- phur. It proved to be a complete cure.
i899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
25
House Palms. — When it comes to selecting plants for the house, many persons will differ on the subject of what is choicest; but nearly all unite on the palm, — and certainly it is most effective at all times and in all places.
To many a palm is a palm and nothing more; variety makes no difference. Of course, one cannot be displeased with any of the common- ly cultivated kinds, but undoubtedh- some are more desirable than others. To say the least, Livist07ia rofundifolia is one of the most pleas- ing of all. In general character of leaf it re- sembles the well-known La/ania Borbonka, which has broad leaves, the segments almost entirely connected, like a fan; but as the speci- fic name — rotiuidifoha — implies, the leaf is ven,' round, in a way resembling a ribbed water-lily leaf. The specimens are more compact, and make charming table center-pieces. It is a native of Java.
Mr. Dreer thinks Kentia Bdmorcana does best of any in a house, as it stands more neg- lect; while the graceful, narrow-leaved Cocos Weddelliana is perhaps most popular.
It is becoming quite the thing to plant three in one pot of kinds like the Cocos, Kentia and Anra, which are rather erect-growing and ■do not fill out low with foliage. To those not posted, it would seem like one plant pushing up from the root. To illustrate this method, through the kindness of Mr. Henr\- A. Dreer, of Philadelphia, a photograph of a pot of Kentias is repro- duced.
It would please intended buyers were the}' to go through the greenhouses of florists before pvirchasing, and see the many beautiful things that are suitable for house culture.
The popular name of the class of palms to which the Kentia belongs, is Feather Palm, and they are interesting as travel- ing nearer the South Pole than any othei palm. They were not distinguished from Areca until about 50 years ago, when the Dutch botanist, Blume, named it after a popular authoress of that day, Miss Kent. vStill, even this lad3''s honors are likely to be taken from her b}- the new naniers of plants, who insist that our plant should be Ho'cea Bclmorcana. But, as often stated in these pages, it is impossible
widely in use, and this pretty plant will prob- ably be always Kentia in gardening.
Centropogon Lucianus. — Though so sel- dom seen in cultivation, few plants, if any, are more deserving of general cultivation than Centropoffon Lucianus. Its long, bright, rosy carmine, tubular flowers appearing, as they do, all through the dead of winter, make it a verj- desirable acquisition to any collection of plants, however small. The plant is a hybrid between C. fastuosus and Siphocampylus bet ulo'f alius, and was raised from seed b}- i\I. Desponds, of Marseilles, in 1856. The genus to which it belongs is a ver^- small but handsome one of herbaceous greenhouse perennials. It belongs to the order of Lobeliacecc. They are all natives of Mexico and South America. The plant re- ferred to is not (at least with me) at all difficult of cultivation. It thrives well in a temperature of about 60 or 65 degrees during the day and about 5 degrees lower at night, although 5 degrees lower will not hurt it..
The soil used is a light one, consisting of equal parts of loam, manure, sand and leaf mould. The drainage must be thoroughly efficient. It is eas\- of propagation either by cutting or divi- sion. The plant in this collection was im-
to change names after they have become
BUSHY MADE-UP PLANT OF KENTIA BELMOREANA.
26
MEEHAXS MONTHLY — GEXERAL GARDENING.
[F'ebruary
ported, and although (as iisital) it had a hard time before it arrived here, it soon recuperated and is a great source of satisfaction. It has been in bloom this season since November 25, and shows promise of being so all winter.
Rahway, N. J. ALFRED PEARCE.
A Vlza for Nature in Landscape Art. — There is one department of the general subject of landscape gardening, that is well worth much more thought than is usually bestowed upon it, either by landscape artists in their work, or, by those who write, — it is, f/ie prese?-- vafifl)/ of the beautiful in natural landscapes.
We have many illustrious examples in landscape work, of .something made out of almost nothing; and all praise is due the noble spirit, the genus and the skill that can work out such wonders of beauty, where before there was barreness or monotony of scene, if not positive ugliness. We have a surfeit of so- called landscape gardeners, who can make geo- metrical designs in bed?? and shrubbery, and straight and crooked paths galore: but, have we enough of the higher .sense of rural beauty, that can sta^' the hand of the destroyer of what God has made in forest and prairie, in stream and lake, and in mountain and hill? Have we enough applied skill, in the way of appropriat- ing those things in nature which may be easih^ destro^-ed, but never, no, never made by the hand of man ?
To my mind, there is no artificial landscape work in all the public parks and private grounds that I have seen that can favorably compare in pleasing aspect with the countless works of the :\Iaster Hand. Where is the shaven lawn that has so restful and peaceful an aspect as a nioss}- carpet in some woodland dell; or, the artificial waterfall that has the wooing witchery of a wild brook as it tumbles over its rocky bed ? The former has a manu- factured look, that is far from pleasing, in com- parison with the free and easy style of Nature's handiwork. Yet, how many delightful rocks and rills, grassy knolls and shad}- glens are utterly destro^-ed to make way for something less charming to the lover of true beauty ?
It is not always possible to save all the delightful parts of a natural landscape, in mak- ing a new home on a suburban lot, or, in the country proper; but, if the heart of the land- scape gardener is right and he has suihcient
skill, he can do much to preserve the beautiful. It certainly becomes him, and is worthy of his deepest study, to appropriate zcit/ioiit destroying the gems of beauty which it has taken many years, if not ages, to create. Let those who may be entrusted with the planning of countr}- places give more heed to the inspirations of nature and less to those of art. Indeed, it is the truest and highest art that u.ses and does not abuse the beauties of nature. June 14. 1S98 H. E. Van Deman.
Growing Chimaphil.\. — The Chimaphila sends its roots down deep in the ground, and it increases by subterranean suckers. These are often taken for the real plants, and this doubt- less accounts for the difficulty some find in get- ting transplanted stocks to grow. They should be treated almost as cuttings for a little while. Robinson, in his "Hardy Flowers in English Gardens," notes the difficulty cultivators there find in getting it to grow. The tendency to extend by these runners is the reason, proba-^ bly, that it is never seen abundantly in any one place.
Plea.s.\nt R.^ilro.-vd Travel. — Why do not our railroad companies pay more artistic regard to their right of way along their tracks and about their stations? Is it because horticul- turi.sts do not jog them enough ? True, some commendable steps have been taken b}- not a few companies, but as a rule the wayside grounds of railroads are a desert waste.
The travelling public is largely made up of the better and aesthetic clas.ses, and while it does not fail to appreciate the commodious stations, cars and general business accommoda- tions of the various roads, still nothing so pleasantly relieves the wear}- eye as a bit of landscape work, geometrical flower beds, nice trees, walks, and lawns, which could be intro- duced instead of chaos that prevails along many of our railroads. These grounds all have regular attention, anyway, and our ex- perience is that it is about as cheap to keep a lawn and shrubbery- as it is to be continuously^ battling with briers, bushes, and weeds. The millions of unused acres of the railroads of this countrv^ afford extravagant possibilities for landscape and ornamental garden work, and it will be realized when the public, through its journals and otherwise, shows its appreciation
1899]
MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
27
of what has already been done, and urges its continuance. GEO. B. Moulder.
The suggestions of our correspondent are worth}' of serious consideration by railroad offi- cials. When attention has been called to the desirability- of some improvement in this direc- tion, the answer has been given that the road does "not now pay an}- dividend to the stock- holders, and it is not fair to tax them still more. But as our correspondent well suggests, it often costs less to keep things neat than to have them go slovenh', and ever}- good busi- ness man knows that good appearances attract trade. It would seem that no one goes by rail merely to see a side show, — and yet figures prove that the same line, made attractive, car- ries more passengers than the same line would with poor cars and poor surroundings.
Leaves as Food Agents. — "How Little WE DO Know." — I quote the title from a conver- sation on biology a friend of ours had with Dr. Dixon. The Doctor is ])resident of the Acad- emy of Natural Sciences, and one of the lead- ing biologists. His remark was no doubt in- tended to give an idea of how much there was to learn, as compared with what has already been discovered.
Several years ago, I })lanted a Balsam Fir tree w-here the waste water from the pump would run, but on ground dry-er than that from which we had taken it. It was ver}- small and therefore liable to be tramped down b}- the horses or cows, and as I was anxious to have it run up fast, I cut away the lateral branches in order to throw, as I thought, the whole life energy into the terminal shoot or top. It per- sisted, however, in sending out lateral branches nearly twice as far as it sent the terminal branch up. I was puzzled, and wondered if, as the leaves of the tree had to perform the functions of the lungs, stomach, etc., of the animal, we were not starving our tree. It got up in the world only fourteen inches in five years and the lateral branches five years ago extended twenty-five inches. This last INIay, the terminal shoot made seven inches, more than double that of former years, and twice as much as the lateral branches. Now, had we given it some special food, or cultivated it in some peculiar manner, what delight we might have taken in telling our neighbors what to do w^hen they wished to ri;n a tree up fast. But
we did nothing of the kind, all the conditions were the same as in former years, except that there was an excess of rain in ^Nlay, the month in which that family of plants makes its growth for the season. My conclusions are that we should feed plants most when they are in the greatest need of nutrition. I manvired my strawberry plants this season when they were just coming into bloom and had the best crop I ever grew. Rodolfus Bingham.
Early Spring in the Greenhouse. — With the advent of spring, ever}-thing in the stove and greenhouse will want attending to, espe- cially adiantums and other ferns. Cut off all dead fronds close to the soil, and any plants that require a larger pot, see that they get it.
Propagation will also be in full blast. Cro- tons, Dracaenas, and, in fact, nearly evervthing can now be increased more successfulh that at any other time, as the bottom heat and tem- perature in the house are more regvilar and not liable to such great changes as may occur later.
Roxboro. Phila. ^- ^•
Turk-made Lawns. — A lawn that had been several years since put down under ordinary mixed lawn grass seed, was brought to the writer's attention as the snow was departing in early spring. The different species of grass had had time to spread into patches several feet in width. These patches were of as many shades of color as a crazy-quilt might be. The time will come when Mr. Olcott's method of planting a lawn, by one kind of grass only, will be the only method of making a lawn capable of competing for a beauty prize.
Drac.Ena terminalis. — One of the most attractive plants on the Christmas market this season was a dark purple-leaved decorative plant, Cordyline terminalis — perhaps better known as Dracaena teryninalis. Its peculiar charm is the new and growing central shoot, the leaves of which are brilliantly colored — "crushed strawberr}-," the ladies would call it. It is a good house plant of easy culture.
Manuring Asparagus Sprengeri. — The comparativel}- new Asparagus Sprengeri fur- nishes excellent sprays for bouqtiets. To en- courage good growth, it should have a heavy application of manure and a regular supply of water while growing.
28
MEEHANS'
MOXTHLV — GENERAL (>ARDENIXG.
[February
IIEW ©H H/^IE FL/^INITS,
AcALYPHA vSanderi. — One of the most re- cent novelties in decorative flowering plants is Acalypha Sanderi. It is properh- described as being always in flower, and these ver>- flowers are the source of interest. They are in long, slender, rope-like racemes, of a light red color. It makes an interesting ornamental plant that every one should have in their conservatory. The flowers are of the nature of colored bracts as in Poinsetta, which establishes the long character of its flowering season.
OUVIRAXDRA FENEvSTRAUS, — LaCE-LEAK
Plant. — What an interesting aquatic this is ! Any one having a warm greenhouse should certainly have one. All it recjuires is a good, rich, turfy loam and plenty of cow-dung. It should be grown in a pot, plunged in a tub of water, where the hot sun does not strike it. The lattice-like leaves float just under the sur- face of the water, and, when well grown, measure aboiit three inches wide and about twelve inches long. It is a native of Mada- gascar, and is rarely met with in private gar- dens around Philadelphia.
Wyunewood. JnO. Th.VTCHER.
Antigoxon LEPTOPrs. — Please permit me to say something about Autigonou Icptopiis, of which the December number has a description. I have raised Aritigonou Icptopns from seed and had some bloom the first year without any special care. I plant the seed in small flower pots and keep the plants in same until the weather permits to plant them out. But please give me permission to describe to you a large plant which grows here on a private place against the side of the house. This plant is about six years' old. It never gets any care, and withstood the winter of '95 to '96 (when orange and many other trees and plants were killed) without any other protection than its own leaves. In April, when the ground gets "warm, the plant begins new life. It climbs up a wire trellis the best it can; its tendrils will cling and hold fast to anything in reach (like the tendrils of a grape vine). It grows up to six feet or a little more and then hangs over — and I wish you coiild have seen the mass of beautiful rich rose-red sprays of flowers. The sprays are about twelve inches long, and literal-
ly cover the plant on the upper two-thirds of the trellis. It begins to bloom the latter part of September, and will keep in bloom about two months. The plant is worth going to some trouble to get to bloom further north and east. I have not met with it in \\\\ travels in the east. I would advise putting the seeds in small pots in not too rich soil; keep the pots in a warm place and shaded, until the plants appear above ground (I raised \\\\ plants in a cucumber frame). I would plant the seedlings, after they are strong enough, in a larger pot or box, and sink it to the rim in the ground. Take them into the house in the fall ; or plant directly in a place in the greenhouse, where the plant gets plenty air and light (at least in sum- mer). Keep them away from stove heat. A small trellis will suffice for the first year or two, — in fact, the overhanging vines will pro- duce flowers sooner. I should be glad to see you have success with this beautiful climber in the ea.st, north and west. I have no seed or plants for sale, but seeds are offered in man}- of the seedmen's catalogues.
Ocean Spriogs, Miss. *^- rORKERT.
THE H^I^lbT FLOWED <^/^[l^ElNI.
The Polyantha Rose. — With this I mail a small package of Polyantha rose hips, which look at present so wonderfully prett}' on nn- bushes that I must praise them a little, although they may not be unknown to you. A few years ago, I received three such tin\-, dried up seeds in a letter from (yermany, which were planted out of doors, and in due time pro- duced miniature rose seedlings, two in number; they reached the height of four inches, and during their first winter, I covered them with a little flower pot. The second summer thej' grew to the height of about four feet without branching much, but showing plainly signs of being climbers, and also very thorny. The}- kept long their small green and shining foliage in the autumn, and without an^- protec- tion came out the next spring ahead of every- thing, and also blossomed the earliest of all, — very small single roses, the size of a ten-cent piece, but clustered in masses so as to cover the whole post, against which I had trans- planted them, with a snowy mantle, at a time when hardly any other shrubs were in bloouL Shoots grow from twelve to sixteen feet high
i899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
29
on them now in one season. I have to cut them back a great deal. The hips stay on all winter and serve as a food for the newly arrived bine birds during snow-storms in the early spring. These hazy, but frosty mornings, on each seed capsule hangs a cr^Jital drop of dissolved ice, or frozen vapor, which makes it look like a jewel-strewn tree of fairyland. What more can we wish from arose so diminu- tive 1
I saw recently, in Nour charming Monthly, a correspondent had not succeeded in getting blossoms in three months time from the seed, and so was disappointed. 'Sly experience with
Iris, etc., and these properly claim every one's attention; yet there are also many old-fashion, well-known flowers that must not be forgotten. What garden is complete without the fox-glove, anemone, columbine, aster, chr3-santhemuni, larkspur, bleeding-heart, day-lily, flag, laven- der, lily, forget-me-not, pfeon}-, poppy, phlox, pyrethrum, golden-rod, spider-wort, veronica, periwinkle, and scores of others?
FIRqilTS MS ¥E<^ETi^PLES.
The Pine-apple. — It is a trite saying, that we know the least about things that are alwaj-s
A FLORIDA PINE-APPLE.
seedlings in all lines is not to lose patience. They generally turn out somewhat different than expected. Wilhelmina Seliger.
Planning Herbaceous Gardens. — While most herbaceous plants can be safely trans- planted at any season, the best immediate re- sults are obtained from early spring planting. It is therefore quite appropriate to lay plans at once, that orders may be sent in good time, and the stock received for early planting.
There are constantly improvements in garden flowers, as instance the double rudbeckia, Alle- gheny Hollyhock, Napoleon III pink, Jajianese
before us. This is true of the pine-apple. Who can tell us its story? We may guess that it is called pine-apple because the fruit looks like a huge pine cone; but who knows that it is realh^ made up of a number of little fruits that have become succulent and consoli- dated into one huge mass ? These single flow- ers are formed around the stem, and the crown is but the upper portion of the branch. Very little is known, yet, about the formation of these flowers in producing the fruit. It is believed that the fruit will not form at all unless they are first fertilized. As no attempt is made to artificially pollinate them, thev must
30
MEEHAXS" MOXTHLV — GENERAL GARDENING.
[Februar\'
be close fertilizers and not dependent on insects for aid. But as the frnits never perfect seed when grown artificialh' in hot houses, the ar- gument would be that this is owing to the absence of insects to aid in the work. The original plant dies after fruiting, and is replaced by suckers or sprouts, as seen in the pretty pic- ture here i;sed in illustration.
It is a native of the warmer parts of the New World. It is said that the first specimen of fruit that traveled safely to the Old World came from Barbadoes, and was a valued pres- ent to the Knglish King, Charles the Second. Its general cultivation in "Pine stoves", in England only dates back to about 150 years. Mr. Edward IVIeehan, father of the senior con- ductor of this magazine, was among the noted in bringing pine-apple culture to a successful issue at the end of the past century.
Steamships and rapid transit have interfered with the great profits of the English pine- growers under glass, and rendered such ])ine growing an unknown art in America, but it seems that the English growers can still beat nature in regard to good quality-, — and on this score pine-apple culture is still profitable in England.
The illustration is produced through the kindness of ^Messrs. Anderson and Price, Or- lando, Fla.
Potato Scab. — A New Jersej- correspondent sends samples of potatoes so pitted with holes, and roughened on the skin, as to be unmarketa- ble. He thinks the special fertilizer he used caused the trouble. The}- were simply suffer- ing from the operations of a minute fungus, resulting in what is known as the potato scab. These little parasitesreproduce themselves just as the higher plants do. They can increase by division of the little plant itself, or b^- spores which, with them, act as seeds in the higher organisms. These propagative agencies were probably on the seed potatoes. Progressive people, in these da3'S, never risk an}- large crop without steeping the seeds to destroy the enemy. Simple copperas water has been found efficient. For those who prefer to try other methods, the following from Popular Science News may be acceptable.
"Formalin, a non-poisonous, non-corrosive substance, will practical!}- free seed potatoes from scab germs, b}- an immersion for two
hours in a solution of the approximate strength of 1 1300. It is equal to corrosive sublimate in efficienc}', and is without its dangerous and troublesome properties. Seed material of seemingly good quality, as well as that much affected with scab, shows beneficial results from treatment. The recipe for its use is to add 8 fluid ounces (about one-half pint) of formalin to 15 gallons of water, and soak the seed tubers in it for two hours before planting. This solution mav be used several times."
A New Vegetable. — Some three years ago, Mr. W. H. S. W^ood, of New York, Jianded us to be tried in his gardens here, a package of vegetable seeds which he had received from a friend in North China. Among them were several varieties of bean, but the most valuable turned out to be a bush variety with pods from eighteen to twenty-four inches in length.
The pods are slender and the beans, which are of a brown or black color, wide apart in the pod.
The first year's product was saved for another year's crop; but the last two seasons we have been growing it for table use and consider it a delicious string bean. It requires a long season to grow and comes in late when a good string bean is highly esteemed.
Professor Bailey describes a similar pole bean in Bulletin 67 of the Cornell University Agri- cviltural E;xperiment Station, under the name of Dolichos scsquipedalis, the Chinese name being Tonkok.
]\Ir. Charles Allen informed me that such a bean was grown by his father forty years ago. I have no doubt but it has occasionally been grown in this country, for the last century; but, however that may be, it deser\'es to be better known and will be greatly relished by any lover of such a vegetable.
Greenwich. Conn. JOHX W. DUXCAX.
Keeping Snails from Hot-beds. — Chim- ney-soot is an obstruction to snails, and if placed thickly around hot-beds, will pre\ent their securing entrance.
Cumberland Blackberry. — It is claimed for the new Blackberry, Cumberland, that it is the largest blackberry as yet introduced.
BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
THE ACTIVE WORKER. ■"What matters it though eighty ^^ears or more Crowd close upon us, if in mind and strength We hold our place intact in active life? And then what matters when our work is done If summons sudden come to call us home?
— Horatio King.
"Glex Mary," the Old Home of X. P. WiLLi.s.— In Meehans' Monthly for October, the gem of poetrj- at the beginning of "Wild flowers and Nature" was from the pen of N. P. Willis,— called an "October Mom." I spent some months, the pa.st season, close to the old home of the poet, and was in the house several times. Although the house has been remodeled, the room which he occupied and called his den has been kept as he left it, and I can imagine he wrote that loveh' poem in this sunshine^- room, with doors opening into porches east and west — broad hospitable porches they are, with creepers and clematis climbing over them in wild profusion.
The bridge, under which he wrote a series of letters, is gone, the stream having been filled in, and only a stone arch culvert takes the place of the bridge of long ago. But on the hill-side above the house, "The lu1)'ring herd was grazing upon the hill-side quietly," as in days agone. The wind whispered among the branches of the same old trees. At the foot of the garden, beautiful Owego Creek, calm and placid as a summer's day, kept on the even tenor of its way, pouring its waters into the Susquehanna not far awa^•. Great maples, oaks and chestnuts cast their shadows into its clear waters; wild grape vines, clematis and creepers climb here and there in loveh' aban- don. Wild bits of scenery that would set an artist wild — gems of dainty beauty — poems of Nature.
On the hill, a little beyond the house, is the private insane asylum "Glen Marj-. "
The grounds are laid out beautifulh-; but much is left as Nature formed it. The most magnificent oak tree I ever saw is on these grounds. In rambling about the grounds, one
comes suddenly to a weed patch among the trees — these are burdocks, yellow dock, this- tles, mulleins and plantain in profusion. The trees are closer together — Nature is left to her own sweet wa^".
It strikes one as being out of the common order of things. A little further on, we come to a wooded ravine — a real tangle of wild beauty; further up are loveh" falls and cas- cades; and in an enclosure are two graves where are buried some of the loved ones of the poet — away from the turmoil and strife of the bus>- world in this wild-wood glen they sleep. Beautiful "Glen Mar}'. "
Couklin, N. Y. MRS. FREDERICK C. JOHNSON.
The Fox-glove.— That there is in botany and gardening a much wider scope for intelli- gent human pleasure than repeating hard plant names, or trimming a rose bush with a pair of shears, is well illustrated by a paper on the fox-glove, in the November number of the Canadian Horticulturist, by Mr. A. Alexander. He tells how, when a lad, he first was struck by the beauty of the blossoms from plants growing in the clefts of rocks near Dunsinane Hill, where Macbeth 's Castle stood. But he afterwards found it at home everywhere, — even among the heather in sandy plains. Spikes were sometimes 4 feet high, with 100 bells on them. He thinks that the name, fox-glove, comes from the flower being like the fingers of a glove, — but like all authors omits to tell us how foxes wear gloves. To the writer of this paragraph, it has always seemed that "fox" was a corruption of some ancient word of ver}- different meaning to fox of our time. Among other names, Mr. Alexander says that in the south of vScotland it is called bloody fingers, farther north, dcadmen' s bells, and on the east- ern borders ladies' thimbles, ivild mercury and Scotch mercury. In Wales the synonyms are elve' s gloves, foxes' gloves, red fingers and dogs' finger-f, and that the name of Digitalis, first given to the plant by Leonard Fuchs, in 1542, had reference to fingers, — and we should rather
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
[February
look to fingers than gloves, possibly, for the meaning of fox-glove.
The English Hornbeam. — A distinguished son of the conTnionwealth of ^Massachusetts, an idealistic lover of trees — Charles Sumner, once made an eloquent memorable appeal in the United States Senate, to the improvers of the Capitol grounds, to spare the splendid speci- men of Corpiiius Befulus growing about a stone's throw from the vSenate chamber. Alas, his warning was in vain, for the tree is now dead! Its successor, planted l)v his friend, John A. Bingham, twenty-five years ago in the Botanic Garden, is a rather handsome speci- men. \'oltaire was a great lover of this tree. If, when you visited his home at Ferney, you did not admire the hornbeam hedges and trees, you were not invited back. It is much used for hedjjes and wind-ljreaks in France and
Germanv.
W. R. Smith.
Napoleon's Palm tree at St. Helena. — The St. Helena Palm, which was valued so highly by Napoleon I,- has been dead for some time. The Emperor often sat in its shade, dreaming of his glorious past.
It was Louis Philippe's wish to have this his- torical tree transferred to the botanical garden at Paris, but the project was never carried otit. Now, the proud palm is sold for fire-wood. With it disappears from St. Helena the last remembrance of the Emperor. The house in which he lived, is fast crumbling away, and no one thinks of repairing it. The bed-room is used for a pig pen.
— From La Semaine Horticole.
Lyre Flower. — The class of plants known with us as Breeches-flower, of which the well- known Dicetitra spedabilis is a tj'pe, is known in England as Lyre-flowers, from the resem- blance to a hre or ancient harp.
Pursh's Botanical Labors. — A correspon- dent of the London Journal of Horticulture says that the HortJis Cantabrigiensis, by James Donn, had an edition prepared b}- Frederick Pursh.
<^ElNiEI^/^L MOTES,
Plants Poisonous to Cattle. — A Scotch paper says that the law in that country recog- nizes the following plants as poisonous to cat-
tle: foxglove, hemlock, colchicum, henbane, wolfsbane, fools' parsley, dropwort, thornapple, monkshood, deadly nightshade, yewtree, labur- num, rhododendron. Ranunculus acris, and cer- tain classes of mushrooms. There was a law case in which the foxglove. Digitalis purpurea, figured. Sixteen acres were rented for pasture, where there were 150 plants 4 feet high, — of 16 cattle turned in, 10 died. The tenant sued the landlord for the value on the ground that he should not have rented the pastures with pois- onous plants on them. The verdict was for the plaintiff It was a three da^'s' trial with 68 witnesses. The plea of defense seems to have been that the landowner did not know the plants were poisonous, or did not know they were there. The court decided that ignorance was no excuse. In our country, we should think ignorance on the part of the tenant was as bad as ignorance on the landlord's part, and the decision would probably have been "six of one, and half a dozen of the other."
The Florists' Exchange records the fact of chickens being poisoned by seeds of Bocconia cordata which the}' ate. This is not to be won- dered at considering the family relationship with the poppy, from a species of which opium is extracted. The Bocconia is known com- monly as the Plume Poppy.
Encour.vgement to Tree Planting. — The absence of trees on the original tree-less prairies, has stimulated methods for encourag- ing tree-planting. Arbor Day originated in Nebraska. Kansas is alive to the same good work. Early in the fall, the Kansas City Star announced that a real good hotel dinner should be given to any boy or girl who would plant a tree. On Thanksgiving Da}-, the Maitland House had to provide plates for i, 136 children. They were called "The little tree-planters." Such a sight as a grand hotel taken b}' storm b}' an arm}' of joyful children, was probabl}- never seen before on earth. A real hotel din- ner, to be waited on b}- hotel waiters, in a grand hotel, will no doubt be something in connec- tion with tree-planting that will make a last- ing impression' on the youthful mind.
Botanic Gardens in Haavaii. — The U. S. Government ought surely to establish two or more botanic gardens and arboretums in our newly-acquired tropical possessions.
C. W. G.
VOL^IX,
Plate N^ 3.
ECHINOCACTUS WHIPPLEI.
WHIPPLE'S ECHINOCACTUS.
NATURAL ORDER, CACTACE^
ECHINOCACTUS WHIPPLEI, Engelmann. - Heads solitary, globose or ovate, middle-sized, with 13-15 compressed and inter- rupted ribs; of the 7 to 11 outer and 4 inner spines, the ivory-white upper ones are the longest and broadest and re- curved or twisted; the lower are shorter, darker, and terete, and the lowest middle one hooked; flowers one to one and a quarter inches long, yellow; few (one to five) rounded, fringed sepals on the ovary, ten to fifteen oblong ones on the tube; petals about eight, stigmas five to seven, short; seeds large, minutely tuberculated. Heads three to five inches high; spines three to twenty or twenty-four lines long, on prominent tubercles, which give the ribs a wavy or inter- rupted appearance. Watson's Botany of the Geological Survey of California.
As a rule there is no more constant character in a member of the cactus family than the color of the flowers. Cactuses are variable in man^- respects, but the flowers afford less varyin<2^ characters than any other part of the plant. When, therefore, this beautiful specimen pre- sented itself, with its bright purple flowers and large size, it was accepted as belonging to Echinocadus W'liipplei, with some hesitation. Mr. Watson, in the description noted, gives yellow as the color of the flowers, as do some other authors. In the first description by Engelmann, in the report on the Botany of Whipple's Expedition, the flowers had not been seen. It was collected again during vSimp- son's Exploration of the great Utah Basin in 1859 — but still without flowers, or at least the withered remains onl\" were found. During Clarence King's expedition, in 1S71, it was again fotmd, and described b\- Watson as "greenish-red." That Mr. Watson makes no comment on the variation in color between the flowers in the plants of Utah and the plants of California, gives confidence as to the accuracy of the determination of our specimen as Echiiio- cactus Wliipplci. Specimens were collected in Southern Utah, and sent to Eastern gardens by Dr. C. C. Parry and Mr. A. L. Siler, of Kanab. The drawing was made from a specimen in bloom kindly furnished by Mr. Jackson Dawson, of the Arnold Arboretum. A marked character on which to reh' is the fewer number of sepals and petals than are found in allied species. The broad green sepals of the tube are also charac- teristic. Its native home is Southern Utah, and South-eastern California.
The expedition of Lieutenant Whipple was for the purpose of surveying a route for a railroad
between the ^Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean. It was singularh' prolific in good re- sults, and botany particularly profited largely. The cactus family, especially, yielded up a very large number of species hitherto unknown, — some twent\--five species, wholly new, being described b^^ Dr. Engelmann in the report of the expedition, this Echinocactus being one. Dr. Engelmann there says of it, "£". Whipplei evidently belongs to the section Hamati, found in numerous forms on the middle and lower Rio Grande; with E. polvancistrits, it is, so far as at present known, the onh- representative of this section this side of the Rocky ]Moun- tains. It is more nearly allied to E. breviha- matus, from Eagle Pass, the seeds of which are as yet unknown. It is, however, easih' dis- tinguished by the arrangement of the spines; the eastern species {brevihatnatiis) has eleven terete radial spines all around, and four cen- tral ones, the uppermost one being smaller and narrower than the lower hooked one. It was discovered on Lithodendrow Creek, near the Colorado Chiquito, about ninet}' miles west of Zuni, in sandy plains, December 3d and 4th,
What the uses are to plants of man}- of their organs is a prolific source of argument, and sometimes it would seem that those who con- tend that creation is one harmonious whole, and that each individual does not wholly work for itself but has some of its organs merely to aid in the good of the whole rather than itself, have some good ground to work on. Much, for instance, has been brought forward in rela- tion to the use of spines to a cactus. It is assumed b}' those who contend that all organs are wholly to aid in "a struggle for life'
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34
MEEHANS' MONTHLV—ECHINOCACTUS WHIPPLEI.
[March
that the spines are merely for protection. Dr. Kennedy, the physician of this very expedi- tion, observes: "We frequently passed the bur- rows of small quadrupeds, with their heaps of spiny cactaceae piled over them to prevent the coyote from destroying them and their habita- tions. The long- and barbed spines of these plants are sufficient to deter the wolf from com- mitting his depredations, but the small rabbit {Lepus artemesicB), not resorting to this impor- tant expedient for protection, often falls a victim to the rapacit}' of this animal by being chased or scented to its burrow and then dug out. The Jackass-rabbit (^V/><7.!rr<7/A?//,s"), being much more swift than the small one, is less liable to be overtaken by its untiring enemy." It is some- times said, in support of the more selfish view, that we can see that they certainly often do protect the living plant, — and it may with equal truth be remarked that we can see that the\- certainly often do protect other things.
This remarkabh' valuable scientific explora- tion had few soul-thrilling experiences, which occasionally- serve to bring the prominent actors fame and an extended biography-. Very little has been recorded of the able commander, and in whose honor this beautiful cactus, as well as some other flowers, were named. Even the date and place of his birth in Massachu- setts does not seem to be of public record, but he died fighting for his country at the battle of Chancellor\'ille, supposed to be about forty-six years of age.
A cactus plant seems an anomaly in the king- dom of flowers. A mass of cellular matter, with a comparativeU' woody centre, is all that such a plant as Echinocadus Whipple! presents to the ordinary' observer, and yet it is fomied on the same plan as an}- ordinary- plant where dis- tinct stems and leaves are constructed. For- tunateh- for those who love to be admitted into the secrets of nature, a study of the allies of any plant will often furnish the key to many a mystery-. The gooseberry and cvirrant are close relations of the cactus, — the fruit of the gooseberry-, indeed, having few differing charac- teristics from those of the cactus. Astud}- of the thorns of a gooseberry- will suggest to us how the spines of a cactus might be evolved. If these were to become fleshy-, and enclose the branch which made a start from the axil, and this branch in turn become so 4nuch arrested as not to reach — or bareh' reach — the apex of
enclosure, we should have what actually occurs in the make up of the cactus. In the Ec/iuio- cactits here portraj'ed, the downy mass at the apex covers the point we denominate the areole. This is the apex of the fleshj- envelope that has encircled the arrested branch. The spines are arrested branchlets, and perhaps ar- rested stipular thorns. The flowers, which appear on cactuses, are in like manner arrested leaves and branches, which have to appear from some axillary point in a cactus, just as the\- would have to appear in any ordinary- plant destitute of succulence. The point from which these arrested branches appear, often decides the genus to which the plant belongs. If it starts at, or just below, the areole referred to, and as seen in the Eiiiinocactus illustrated, it is an Echiuocactus, — but if it vStarted from the base instead of the apex of the tubercle, it would be considered a Mammillaria. A cactus may therefore be wholU' covered with long tubercles or mammte and yet not be ?i Mammil- laria. If the flower proceeded from any posi- tion on the tubercle itself, and not from the base, it would be an Echinocadus, or some other genus than Matmnillaria. In the arborescent forms of cactuses, the pulpy succulent matter, which envelops the woody i)ortion, parts as easily as bark from an ordinary tree, and its true relation is readily seen. The epidermis or outer skin is constructed so as to resist evapo- ration. What little moisture the plant re- quires is therefore easih- retained, and it is thus not onh- able to provide for self-preserva- tion, but to aid in preserving the lives of numerous creatures which, by burrowing under the sand\' earth in which the plants grow, avoid the spines, and get a share of the mois- ture, which, we may reasonably suppose, nature provided for them as well as for the plant itself It is said that a species of the tortoise familj- is supported almost wholly, by boring under the cactuses, and getting their food in this sur- reptitious manner, — and that horses and mules that may have become wild on the arid plains where cactuses abound, have learned to get both food and moisture, by breaking apart these flesh 3* forms of cactuses with their hoofs, so as to reach the interior in spite of the spiny protection the plants present.
Explanation of the Plate. — A plant of rather large size, with a small portion of the root attached.
WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
LOOKING FOR SPRING.
The meadows don their green array, The streams in purer currents flow; On sunny knolls the lambkins play, And sport amid the vales below.
The humble Anemone blows, The blue-bird now is on the wing; How soon will breathe the blushing rose, How soon will all around be spring.
— Percival.
The Winter Plumage of Plants. — We liave just had a week of warm, pleasant weather, and yesterday it was very nice and warm, comfortable without fires. I saw, flit- ting from post to post, Mrs. Jennie Wren. She was ver}- busy hunting spiders on the shadj- sides of the pickets. She had her regular brown-spotted dress on, and she still wore her tail feathers long. To-day, the wind is from the North, freezing and growing colder all the time. I feel confident that Mrs. Jennie Wren is now on her return journey' to the orange groves, helped and hurried along by this icy north wind. I took advantage of the pleasant weather and took several walks to the sand rocks to gather ferns and phlox and an3' other nice interesting forms of vegetation for mj' wildflower pit. I met with a new form of the Walking-Leaf Fern, Caviptosorus rhizophyllus, in that it had its frviit dots on the margin in a single row without indusia, round and oval, with inconspicuous veins.
The stipes are very short, ;-< an inch or less in length, many fronds to a plant, growing regularl}' from a common center and hugging the moss-covered rock closely-. The fronds in their growing stages are blunt-(obtuse) pointed and short. This plant may have an indusium over its fruit dots in summer, but I see no signs of an 3' now with a magnif\-ing glass.
This plant is a most interesting one. It is new to me, and I was not aware of its growing on the sand rocks in this section, and the find was totally unexpected. Among the beasts of the earth, the birds of the air and the herba-
ceous growth of wood and field, we find some of each to change their svimmer plumage for a winter growth which is entirely different. The Ermine of the North grows a plumage suited to its snowy surroundings. The Reed-bird, Cow-bunting, Rice-bird, Bobolink, Dolichonyx orizyvorus, local names, all the same bird, has a different plumage for every season of the year. Among herbaceous plants, the Phlox pilosa, prociimbt'HS, reptaus, divaricata, bifida, all grow- ing here, yet each a little different in their markings, have a winter plumage and a sum- mer one. The Phlox pilosa winter garment is everg;reen, — large, round oval leaves blotched and spotted with purple, smooth without mar- ginal jags or notches. A person seeing this pilosa in the summer would never recognize its winter plumage as the same plant. P. bifida winter garments are long, narrow leaves, i},4 to 2)4 inches in length, colored pink-purple, whorled at their tops, stem bare of foliage. They are generally top-heavy, and are fond of Ij'ing on the ground, seldom erect. These plants begin to bloom in April and keep it up until midsummer, each species having a differ- ent time to bloom, yet the most of them are in bloom at one time. The P. divaricata is the earliest to bloom ; this plant and the P. pilosa have the most fragrance. F. K. Steele.
Festiis, Mo.
Wild Flowers of Wisconsin. — The com- munication in the January number of 3'our Monthly, by an anonymous correspondent, reminded me that I have been wanting to write to 3-0U for some time. I remember having read in an earlier number of the Monthly of New Jerse3- as a far-famed collecting ground for botanists, and wondered whether it is richer in floral treasures than some places in this State, which it has been m3' good fortune to visit last summer. The place referred to is a piece of rolling prairie, quite frequentK' found in the south-easterl3' part of the State, and the pro- fusion of flowers on same was mar\'elous. The3' seemed to thrive best on the high ground, as
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36
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[March
the low places are quite wet in spring and the species most abundant on the ridges apparent- ly do not thrive below a certain level, where they would be exposed to the spring floods. We visited the place on May 30th. The first meadow we crossed was thickh- carpeted with / 'iola pcdata, cuctillata and var. pa I ma to, Sisy- r/iinchiiiiii BcrmudiaiiuDi J lypoxis erecta, Oxalis violacea and stricta and Comandra umbcllata. In good numbers, but not quite so plentiful, were found Geum triflorum, Lithosperviuni hirtum, cancscois aniX loniiijlontni. Proceeding along the higher ground, we noticed some dis- tance ahead large patches of a reddish hue, and on reaching them, were surprised to find them made up of Castilli'Ja coccinea, growing there by thousands and forming patches sever- al acres in extent. Among the plants were some of a deep scarlet, some yellow and some with bracts yellow at the base with scarlet tips. Yet another surprise was in store for us. The week previous, I made a trip to the Scui)pernong jMarsh, between Kagle and Palmyra, in this State, to get some specimens of CypripcdiiDii candidniii, which, I had ])een informed, grew there. I spent the entire day there and found three specimens. Afterwards, I learned that for years gardeners have taken up C>'i)ripedi- ums from that place, and exported them, and naturally they became scarce. We were there- fore more than delighted to find at this place the long sought for Cypripediums. They grew on a part of the ridge, together with the Castil- lejas and Dodecatheon Mcadia, and in such pro- fusion that it was impossible for us to avoid crushing them as we walked along. The>- generally grew in little bunches of about half a dozen and the flowers were delightfully frag- rant: Besides the above, we found there Phlox pilosa, I'aleriai/a cdidis. Baptisia Icucophcra, Vicia Caroliniana and Americana, Thaspiitiii aureuvi and cordatiim and Polygala Se7iega in considerable numbers.
In July and in August, I visited the place again. The bi'ight flowers of Castilleja, Dodc- catheon and Phlox were faded and gone, but in their places had sprung up large colonies of Alliiim cernuum, Petalostemoii violacciim, also candidiim, Amorpha cancscois, and acres of Euphorbia corollata, and the tall stalks of Sil- phium laciniatum, terebinthinaceum and integri- foliuni and Eryngium yucccefolium were swag- ing in the breeze. With these mingled the
brilliant colors of Liatris scariosa, spicata and cylindracca, and the graceful stalks oi Hclianthus occidcntalis. In the moist places, we found Lilitim Canadensc and further on JViiladclphicum, Acerates viridifiora, and longifolia, Cacalia tiiberosa, Parthcniiim intcgrifoliuni. Aster ptar- micoidcs, Linitm rigidnm, Asclepias Cornuti, incarnata, and one which I took to he Sulli- vantii. In August, the yellow flowering Com- posites were predominating. Rudbeckia hirta, laciniata and pinnata, Hcliopsis Icevis, Pleleniuni aiititmiialc, Hclianthus rigidus, dccapetalns, strumosus and tomentosns, with Eupatoriiun several species, Lythriim alatum, Hypericum perforatum, Desmodium acuminatum and Cana- dense, Lespedeza capitata. Cassia Chamcecrista, Campanula aparinoides. Lobelia spicata and Kalmii, and (ierardia purpurea and tcnuifolia. In Se})tember, the Asters succeeded the earlier composites, among them, ericoides, azureus, Novcc-Anglice, laevis, puniceus and others, and with them came the Solidagos, prominent among them .S". rigida, in all about S or ten species. The Rattlesnake Root, Pre- nanthes alba, also came into flower, and with /'. racemosa and aspcra, Gentiana quinqueflora , detonsa, Andreivsii and puberula, Polygala san- guinea, Erigcron strigosum, Boltonia glasti folia, Parnassia Caroliniana and Spiranthes cernua concluded the floral procession. W. F.
Pixrs RiGiD.\. — In regard to the name of rigida, the Rigid Pine, given to this species, Mr. C. F. Saunders, describing a visit in win- ter to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, says : —
" In the white light of a January dawn, we sally forth down a frozen road of sand into the pines. Covered with their tufted green need- les, the trees stretch away on every hand in long avenues of restfulness, with bushy seed- lings, like little toddling children, clinging about their feet. These are principal!}-. Pitch Pines — Pinus rigida — literally, the rigid pine. How well named rigid, one sees as he notices their action before a high wind. Where the White Pines would bend gracefully and toss their branches with an elastic motion, these rigid pines doggedly jerk backward and for- ward, their trunks stiff" as ramrods from top to bottom, and as graceless, ever\- branch tense and unyielding. The resistless blast forces them aside as it rushe > along, tnit it cannot make them bow."
1899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
37
Anemone patens. — One of the advantages in change of location, to the student in Botan\-, is the new field for work which opens up before him. However, unless he is thoroughh- acquainted with all the nooks and spaces about his own home he may find on his return just the same plants he has discovered, growing in some little unexplored corner, some hillside or some marsh near his own locality-.
The botanist enjoys seeing and studying new species, growths, and combinations of plants in just the same way that the traveler enjoys seeing new countries and studying strange people. On the other hand, the return of the plants with the season, brings to the student the same pleasure that the greeting of
they are cut and divided into many narrow linear lobes.
Only one flower appears on the short pedun- cle. This is about two and a half inches across when expanded and of a delicate lavender. The number of sepals is from five to seven. The}' are darker on the outside and covered with soft hairs.
About an inch below the flower are a great number of slender bracts, one and a half inch long, which cover the flower in the bud, and in bloom extend beyond the receptacle. They, too, are covered with soft hairs.
The stamens are man}-, of different lengths and arranged around the numerous thread-like pistils.
Side '/'icia/
stamens \]p.5>ti\5.
ANEMONE PATENS.
old friends and visits to old haunts do the re- turned traveler.
To the person living east of the Appalachian Mountains, a new friend ma}- be found in the Pasque flower Anemone patens. This is a prairie flower not found east of Illinois.
I found it for the first time on April 7, 1894, growing on the prairie a short distance out of Winona, jNIinn. We left the city and followed the many children who are always anxious to get the earliest flowers. The anemones were thickly dotted all around us in the dead grass, which had been kept closely cut the fall before.
The leaf does not grow till the plant has finished blooming. It is like our Hepatica in that, biit unlike the Hepatica the leaves of the Anemone are quite brown and dried, resemb- ling the dead grass about them. Then, too.
There is a pleasant, though not sweet, perfume.
Later in the season while out on a tramp we came across the Anemone in seed. The little peduncle had grown to a proud height, and bore on its summit a ball of beautiful feathery tails. Half-way down the stalk was the invo- lucre which had protected so carefully the dainty flower while in the bud. Its usefulness was gone but it remained to add grace and beauty to the fruit now nearly ready to be borne about by the wind.
The onl}^ attempt I made to transplant it to eastern soil proved unsuccessful.
One of the common names I heard for it was Crociis. It has but a slight resemblance, however, to the Crocus and possesses none of the characteristics of the Iridacece.
Millington.N. J. AlLETTA R. RUNYON.
38
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[March
Freezing or Non-freezing of Sap in Plants. — In the December number of your magazine, which I have just been able to read after my return from a western trip, I notice with interest the article of ]\Ir. Timothy Wheel- er and the editorial comments upon the subject of the "freezing of sap in plants," which might, perhaps, be better titled, the non-freez- ing of sap in plants.
In the absence of cumulative evidence upon the subject, from actual, careful experiments, we can do little better than theorize about the matter. Truh^ there are " two sides," and the larger one is the blind side. However, there are some things we do really know touching upon the subject.
I have placed and worked in maple sugar camps from va.y earliest recollection imtil a few years ago, and have often obser\^ed that all that a tapped tree seemed to re(iuire was a lit- tle external thawing to start it to running sap abundantly. A sharp freeze would seal up the surface of the wound whether made with the axe or augur. Maybe this was only the water of the sap which was frozen, and the part having sugar and mineral salts in solution did not freeze. I have often broken holes through the ice in an old-fashioned sugar-trough and drank the sweetened water below. When a thaw came after a cold snap in the sugar camp, which caught us with a lot of ungathered sap, we alwa3S threw away the ice, counting it a saving of so much water that need not be evap- orated at the furnace.
As to cider, which is, as the editor says, "the sap of a tree," only the water content will freeze. How many times I have seen this tested. A barrel of cider left out in the fall, standing on end, and with no upper head, that was allowed to freeze and thaw, could be con- densed the same as by boiling, and I was taught bj' my father to watch for such chances and throw out the ice as each thaw came on. We have thus made "boiled" cider at a ver^- low temperature. I heard of a case where the cider had become "hard," (fermented), and some thoughtless boj-s drank so much that had been thus condensed in the bottom of a barrel, which they sucked out through long straws, poked down a hole pvmched in the ice, that they became drunk.
I have cut down man}* trees of all sizes, up to three feet or more in diameter, in Ohio,
northern Michigan and Kansas, in winter-time, that seemed frozen to the heart. There was ice all the waj- from where ni}' axe first touched the wood. The ice crystals were made from the water no doubt; while the true sap that re- mained within the living cell walls of the outer layers may not have been frozen. There is free water as well as true sap inside every tree, and it is m}' opinion that the former greatly predominates. It is as doubtful in my mind that the protoplasmic sap within the cell walls of a plant freezes without causing death as that the blood within the veins of an ani- mal may freeze without death resulting. I have caught fishes through ice on the northern lakes that seemed to freeze as hard as chips of wood before I got them to the house. When I put them in cold water they thawed out and some of them were alive and swam about in a natural waj'. Others were dead and had doubt- less been so deeply frozen as to no longer have living cells sufficient to renew the necessary functions of life. There is a limit of cold as well as of heat beyond which life cannot exist. This limit varies with the nature of the plant or animal. The high temperature that makes the Date Palm flourish would cause an arctic willow to die in a short time; and vice versa.
The physiological reason for death by severe cold that comes to tender succulent growth is something I would like to know. Is it froni rup- ture of the cell walls ? Actual freezing tem- perature is usually the limit of life, but it is not always so with many kinds of leaves and other apparently tender growth.
Will some one tell us wh3- frost will kill a tomato leaf and not that of a cabbage or let- tuce plant ? What are the scientific changes or conditions occurring in each case ?
Parksley, Va.^ H. E. VAN DEMAN.
From experiments that I have made, I am compelled to believe that the water of the sap freezes in all parts of the tree.
When the contents of the outer cells are known, the reason why no damage follows by freezing will be apparent.
The contents are water, sugar, air and gases. The water alone freezes, and of course expands, but the same law will equally con- tract the air and gases, thus equalizing or balancing the forces, so no damage is done. The sugar, of course, does not freeze.
Timothy Wheeler.
1899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
39
Since the former notes appeared, the writer saw a number of bottles of ginger ale that had been exposed one night to a temperature of 12° above zero. Some two-thirds of the upper por- tion of the contents were of grumous ice. The lower portion was still liquid, but of an in- tense brown, and the saccharine character and ginger\' elements were intense. The ice when melted was merely water.
As suggested, the whole subject needs care- ful study. Some plants shrink under cold, as ]\Ir. Wheeler says, as if the}- were allowing room for expansion, as in hardy cactuses and the rhododendron. The}' would furnish good material for microscopic examination. The stoppage of flow in the Sugar Maple, under severe frost, has often been used to show that " sap" does freeze, but as it flows again imme- diately on a thaw, it is not reasonable to sup- pose that a huge trunk, frozen through, could thaw out in a few hours. As conjectured in the foregoing articles, it is probably only the water in the sap at the orifice that freezes and stops the flow.
Seeds' Distributing Organs. — Your corres- pondent on Xanthiiim Canadense suggests as a possibility what I know to be a fact in refer- ence to the dissemination of the seed in the hair of animals.
We bought a graj' wolf robe more than fifty years ago, and entangled in the hair I found one of these spiny seed pods. I planted the seed and raised a plant and identified it, and then destroj-ed it, as we wanted nothing of the weed.
A few years later I found it quite common in waste places near woolen mills, and I think I am justified in charging this to the trade in western wools that began about that time.
As I begun botanizing more than sixty ^-ears ago, I have noted the arrival of many strange guests, not only from seedsman's stocks, but also from the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
West Cornwall, Conn. T. S. GOLD.
The Hart's-tongue Fern. — Mr. H. E. Ransier writes to the Manlius Eagle, of Onon- daga Count}-, N. Y., that the Hart's-tongue Fern, Scolopcudriuin vulgare, has been found near Manlius, N. Y. A number of localities fpr this rare fern have been noted in different places since Pursh first observed it in New York.
Yellow-berried Hollies. — In Meehans' Monthly I noticed recently an article record- ing the existence of a holly bearing yellow berries. On my annual journey to the Gulf Coast, I have several times noticed such a holly at two different points on St. Andrew's Bay, Florida, and thinking perhaps you might be interested in seeing it, I to-day send you a few branches, together with a few branches of the red which grew adjoining. I cannot see any dif- ference in the habit of the trees, though the leaves of the 5-ellow seem to be a little narrow- er, and there are alwaj'^s a cluster of the shrubs, instead of the tree-like character of the red. The yellow berries are never oblong, like the red growing here, but are invariably round, and smaller than the red. G. INI. West.
Escanauba, Mich.
^Irs. Thompson, of Spartanburg, S. C, also sends yellow-berried hollies, — but these are larger and rounder than the ordinary red form. Another correspondent inquires about propa- gating hollies. Some of the American species are barren. The berried plants should be graft- ed on young seedlings of the species. In selec- ting berried plants, it is well to select isolated individuals that can only seed through having perfect flowers. Some plants, wholly pistillate, will bear berries if in the vicinity of staminate ones.
Bees and Flowers. — In reference to the paragraph in a recent number of this Maga- zine, in which Sir John Lubbock expresses a belief that the color in flowers is intended as a guide to insects in their search for honey, a correspondent says: ' ' In this particular part of the world, wherever a small portion of fruit syrup is lying around, bees and other living insects will find it, although traveling a long distance in order to reach it. Sir John would probably suggest that the syrup should be en^ closed within a colored circle in order to aid the bees in finding it. This may be a fact to the bees of the Old World, but the bees of this country evidentl}- can readily find the honey secretions without having any colored sur- roundings to guide them in their search."
Wild Violets. — Dr. LeConte made species of Eastern Violets, that the generation passing away abandoned as mere varieties. The younger botanists, are restoring some as good species.
GENERAL GARDENING.
GRANDMOTHER'vS GARDEN
There is a constant, nameless grace About the dear old-fashioned place
I never can forget. I find it in the Hollyhocks, And in the scented rows of Phlox, The beds of Asters, fragrant Stocks,
And darling Mignonette.
The dear old flowers our grand-dams knew, The dear old shrnbs they loved and grew,
Still make it sweet and fair. The modern grower, who insists On novelties from seedsmen's lists, With barbarous names b\- botanists,
Will find small pleasure there.
— lVest7ninste7' Gazette.
Scarlet Runner Bean and Humming-bird Flowers. — Some southern readers of the Monthly have written to me concerning the Scarlet Runner Beans and Sun-flowers. They wish to know how I plant them, and also what northern blossoms will attract their native humming-bird. I promised, if space could be spared, to give my experience in N'our maga- zine.
The Scarlet Runner is, in German}-, called Turkey or Oriental Bean , no doubt from its being native of Said. It is the glowing color of their blossoms which attracts the humming-birds, which hover over them daily, and ver^- often sip of their nectar. The vines are great run- ners, if given support enough, covering easily the second story windows if planted underneath them. INIy mode is to plant them ever}- three feet apart in a hill, — 2 or 3 beans in a hill, — and in the middle space between them some sun-flower seeds. If the latter come up, I leave onh- the strongest one standing, on which in due time, the bean vines twine and profusely bloom till frost in the autumn cuts them down. The little birds frequent onlj^ the bean blossoms. I have never seen them hover over the open sun -flower, but the effect of decoration is ver\- good w-hen these two kinds bloom together at the same time, which they do when planted at the same time. Last summer I put a few seed-
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beans near a quince bush, and as the\- were high enough to climb on the pole I had set for them, the\- preferred to run up into the quince bush, and during the summer covered it all over its crown with hundreds of scarlet blossoms, making a most wonderful picture, which was admired b\- all who saw it. I shall do so again this coming summer. Sun-flowers are ver}- much visited by the hone}' bees as also by the bum- ble bees. Autumn birds eat their seeds when ripe. The Yellow Hammer is one seen often, — also our domesticated proletarians of the street — the saucy, undisma5-ed, English Spar- row. He comes in flocks to feed on it.
Of other flowers which the humming-birds here in our northern gardens frequent, there are notably the columbines, nasturtiums, gladiolus, cannas and the pretty scarlet Oswego Tea or Bee-balm, Monarda didyma; and on the roadsides, it is a constant visitor to the ver}'^ pretty Jewel- Weed, Impatiens pallida. I noted, especially, that these little winged blossoms of the air (as we often call these birds while they so quickh- hum over their flowers) do not pay much attention to sweet pea blossoms, althoiigh growing near Scarlet Runners.
Another northern scene, very novel to south- ern eves, is our present deep snows all over the country, which drive the Blue Ja}-, our large winter bird, out of the woods, on account of scarcity of food, to seek the dried up apples which have been left on the trees near the house. Mrs. Wilhelmine Selioer.
Hartford, Conn.
The w-riter finds that b}- standing quite still among a mass of plants of the Jew^el Weed, the humming-bird will rest on the shoulder, or even the hand if it be extended, and held qviite still among the flowers. It does not seem to be able to detect the living man under these conditions, for it would surely fear to make such close ac- quaintance if conscious of the danger.
The Modern Conservatory. — In former times, it w-as the custom, in the gardens of the wealth}-, to have a greenhouse or greenhouses
i899]
MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
41
and a conservaton'. The g^reenhouses were generally- placed in connection with other glass houses in some separate portion of the grounds, and when anything was in flower it was taken to the conservatory- where it re- placed the faded ones that were returned to the greenhouses. This is the origin of the term conservator}-. It was attached to the dwelling
hickon Heights, near Philadelphia, of which an illustration is given herewith.
The accompanying illustration of a small conservatory connected to a dwelling is one built by the well-known firm of Lord & Burn- ham Co., Ir^dngton -on -Hudson. The plan of it is half a polygon connected to the house bj' a straight section, the extreme width being 42
CONSERVATORY OF C. W. HENRY, Esq.
house, and was indeed an essential part of it. No work on the plants was done there, but watering, heating, and ventilation. In modern times there is no distinction between the two terms. A greenhouse, large or small, for growing plants, if connected with the dwell- ing, is usually termed a conservator}-.
A remarkably prettj- one is attached to the residence of :\rr. Charles W. Henrv, of Wissa-
feet, and its depth about 32 feet. On either side the straight section, which is about twelve feet wide, opens out through double doors upon a piazza. The conservatory is used for growing palms and other ornamental plants and pres- ents a very attractive appearance as seen from the dining room through a number of large windows extending down to within a few inches of the floor. One of these is used for
42
MKRHAN.S MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[March
access into tlie conservatory and is provided with two swinging French windows. Such a conservatory is a very attractive addition to a dining room, and as it has a very well adapt- ed system of direct radiation by means of which the temperature may be regulated to that of the house, the windows connecting it with the dining room ma}- be thrown o])cn, allowing the odor of sweet flowers to fill the whole house.
Mr. Henry is one of the Commissioners of Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, and is a rare lover of gardening. Besides the conservatory, he has quite a range of glass covering grapes, peaches, violets, vegetables, and miscellaneous stock.
The American Ginseng (Panax quinque- FOLiA.) — The United States exports annually something over 25,000 pounds of Ginseng at an average price at present of over $3.00 per pound, or an aggregate of nearly one million dollars per j^ear.
Practically speaking, China is the only market for it;, all we sell reaches the Chinese directU' or indirectly. These people believe it possesses properties or has the power to allevi- ate every suffering the human race is heir to. It is said to be administered in almost ever\' description of disease; that "it is a sovereign remedy for all weakness occasioned b>" excess- ive fatigue, either of mind or body; that it cures weakness of the lungs and pleurisy; that it stops vomiting, strengthens the stomach and helps the appetite; that it disperses fumes or vapors; that it is a remedy- for short and weak breathing and strengthens the vital spirits; that it prolongs life in old age," in short they afiirm it makes man immortal if anything on earth can do so. While the}' re- gard it as a panacea, their faith is based whol- ly on fanciful grounds, for other nations esteem it of but little medical value.
There are several species. The INIanchurian or " Imperial Ginseng" is the most highly prized, chiefly because of its fancied resem- blance to the human form. The main root re- presents the body, a fork which it often makes represents the legs, the side roots furnish the arms and shoulders, while the stem sup- plies the head and neck. The more complete this likeness, the more virtue the roots are said to possess. The district where it grows has
long been guarded by Imperial authorit}-, while its collection and dispensation are gov- erned by agents of the Sovereign. Choice large roots of the desired shape are worth their weight in gold and often bring as much as $300 to $400 per ounce. The general bulk of this variety ranges in price from $50 to $200 per pound.
The Korean variety stands next in their estimation, averaging in price about $20 per pound. It is similar to the Manchurian Gin- seng but more plentiful. The Japanese and native grades are not in much demand except by the cunning dealers who use it to adulter- ate the better grades, for here as ever^'where else, " for ways that are dark and tricks that are vain the Heathen Chinee is peculiar."
Our American Ginseng commands a price at from $2. 00 to $6. 00 per pound, dependent largely upon the size and appearance of the roots. The demand seems As great as the supply and the market is promising at least for several years to come..
Culture: — The steady decrease in the suppU^ of the wild Ginseng anJ the increase in the price have stimulated attempts at its culture in this country for many years, but so far as I am able to learn, never, until recently, has any effort been rewarded with any degree of suc- cess. Within the last few years, however, practical and scientific experiments have been made sufficiently to j^rove be3ond doubt that it can be cultivated profitably.
Ginseng is indigenous to the woods, luxuri- ating in shade, rich, loose soil and cool air, with a protection of leaves or brush during winter. Under cultivation, the more nearly these con- ditions are adhered to, the more complete will be our success. Then, evidenth', the best loca- tion for the beds is in the forest or orchard. If planted in the woods, the ground should have preparation, the crop protected and given a chance if we expect favorable results. True, seed scattered in the wild brush, and left to fight the battle alone, will, in the cour.se of time, give us a crop; but in this as everything else we are rewarded in proportion to our efforts.
Clear out sufficient of the undergrowth to admit of freedom to work, and pulverize the soil to a depth of two inches, plant the seed either by sowing broadcast or in drills and cover an inch deep. Keep watch over the
i899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
43
patch not allowing the young plants to be choked out b}' too free a growth of weeds, etc., but do not stir the soil. See that the crop is not destroyed by stock or carried off b}^ persons digging the wild root.
To cultivate in the garden our first attention should be the soil. vSelect light, rich, loose soil or make it so by hauling partially deca3'ed leaves and virgin soil from the woods and adding liberally well-rotted horse or cow manure. It may be grown either in beds or patches. If in beds, plant the seeds in drills two or three inches apart and one inch apart in the drills. Cover one inch deep, and firm the ground well. When the plants have grown large enough to become crowded, thin out to six inches apart, transplanting those taken up to other beds.
If sown in patches where it is to grow until dug for the market, have the drills a foot apart and plant the seed five or six inches apart in the drills.
The only cultivation after planting is to keep the weeds pulled out. Do not stir or hoe the soil, Ijut keep it loose by an occasional coat of hen manure or leaf mold.
The best time to plant seed is in October and November. They ripen in August and Sep- tember. After being gathered, they should be kept continuall}- moist until planted. If once allowed to become dry, they lose their vitality- and will never germinate. If kept damp until planted, nearly ever}- one will germinate, though seldom the first year after planting, so do not be disappointed when you sow seed this fall, if you have to wait eighteen months to see the 3'oung plants coming up. There are about 500 seeds in an ounce, sufficient to sow a bed 3x4 feet.
Having prepared the ground and sowed the seed, some means of protection and shade must be provided. Generally, the wits of the owner can suggest a plan that will be more economical to himself than that of any other, each person utilizing the means most conven- ient to himself We find this an excellent plan. As soon as the seeds are sown, throw on a lot of brush, leaves or litter to afford protection over winter, keeping always a keen lookout for mice and ground squirrels. At the approach of spring, set in posts eight or ten feet apart and four feet high and on these make a cover of laths, brush, or other convenient
material for shade. Hop vines planted and trained over this scaffold will make an excel- lent permanent shade.
With proper care, the roots will be read}- for market at three to four years' old, or longest at five or six years. A well-grown plant will produce 100 seeds and yield a root which, when dried, should weigh an ounce.
To bring the best prices the roots must be large, free from bruises, washed clean and well dried. In the process of drying, roots lose about two-thirds their weight.
To have a rotation of crops, a new bed should be sown every fall. Then, as the plants are taken out of the old beds for market, their places may be filled by young ones from the new beds.
I am of the opinion that Ginseng will in a great measure, yield its wild habits of growth to the wily hand of the culturist; and may, after several years of patient selection and at- tention, be made to thrive in partial shade or full sunshine. In fact we have grown speci- men plants without shade and to a great degree of success, by giving the young plants full shade and gradually removing same as the jilants grow older.
The Ginseng and its culture are not thorough- ly understood and still affords abundant oppor- tunity for study and experiment.
Geo. B. Moulder.
In regard to the growth of Ginseng in the full sunlight, it may be noted that when the writer, with a part}- of friends, made a wagon trip through the mountains of Virginia, Tenn- essee and North Corolina, in the garden of a farm house where the}' were hospitably re- ceived one night. Ginseng plants were growing with the greatest lu.xuriance in the farm garden in full exposure, as all the other denizens of the patch were. It is clear the plant has no natural aversion to full sunlight, if other con- ditions are favorable.
Clikton Park, Baltimore. — Permit me to correct the erroneous impression produced by the statement, (found in the interesting biog- raphy of Mr. W^m. vSaunders, in the January number of the Monthly) that ' ' the beautiful Clifton Park (is) now Johns Hopkins Univer- sity." It was so intended to be, the late Johns Hopkins having on more than one occasion so- stated to the writer; but the Trustees, in whose
44
MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[March
charge the matter was placed by the Will of Mr. Hopkins, exercised the discretion given them with the result that the buildings of the University are located in the heart of the Cit}- of Baltimore, whilst Clifton, which, bj^ the ex- tension is now within the city limits, has become, by purchase from the Trustees, the property' of the Cit}' of Baltimore, for use as a Public Park, for which purpose it is under- going changes which, if the numerous com- plaints which have appeared in public print have any foundation, must cause pangs of re- gret in the breast of Mr. vSaunders: these pro- tests being urged against what is claimed to be the wanton destruction of many of the valuable trees which have heretofore adorned the beauti- ful property.
J. Harmanus Fisher.
H/^HE FL/^INITS.
Gaillardia grandiflora comp.\cta, — Dwarf Blanket Flower. — It is just about a hundred j'ears ago that the beautiful denizen of what'^were then known as the American Western plains, Gaillardia piilc/uila, was made
GAILLARDIA GRANDIFLORA COMPACTA.
known to European botanists, and given the name it bears. Since then, other still more beautiful species have been discovered in differ ent parts of the North American Continent, — notably, Gaillardia aristato. This was collect- ed by those eminent explorers, Lewis and Clark, in the Rocker Mountains, during their famoits expedition across the Continent. German florists have improved it amazing!}-, and under
the name of Gaillardia grandiflora, have brought them to be among the most popular of our hardy herbaceous plants. We saj- "them" because there are numbers of varieties, and it seems more are to come. The usual forms have somewhat a sprawling character; the one now illustrated is remarkable for a dwarf compact form which will make it ver\- acceptable for certain positions in the flower garden.
Antigonon lepTopus. — A correspondent from Crown Point, Indiana, remarks: "I was much interested in Mr. Jordan's words about the Aii/igono?i lcptof>us in the December num- ber. How can the ordinary amateur know how incorrect the statements ma\' l)e of certain firms who have an apparent good standing? — and the busy amateur forgets the failures — fortunately for the .seller of novelties. Could we not hear from Mr. Jordan's friend in Mobile, concerning his Antigonon^ I did not suppose that bananas were hardy in Mobile. The only plant of Antigonon that it has ever been my good fortune to see, was in luxuriant bloom in the cemeter\' at Nassau, (Bahama Islands) in January of '92. It was clambering over an old-fashioned iron railing, and was at least 15 inches broad at the top, a solid mass of bloom, of a most vivid coral pink — a very beautiful sight, but not at all such a grower as the cata- logues illustrate — no real tendrils, and not really graceful, because all parts of the vine have a certain thickness. It was difficult to find a spray suitable for a pressed specimen."
Phvsalis Franchetti. — It is evident that if we had more space, much more of interest might be said on Physalis Franchetti. On the table is a very good note from Mr. C. L. Jordan, of New York. He makes a fair point, that if a plant is only good under special conditions it is hardly fair to represent it as adapted to general culture. He thinks those who fail under these representations have a right to complain.
EvALiNA — A White Carnation. — It has been the serious endeavor of florists for some 3'ears past to produce a good, white carnation. Lizzie INIcGowan is a good producer, and was largely grown, but flowers were not large and the plant weak-growing. Flora Hill came and was in one sense an improvement; the flowers
1899]
MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
45
were large and full, but the stems too weak. In 1897, Alba vStiperba was introduced, and in growth and stem it was all that could be de- sired; for other qualities, its value has yet to be determined. Evalina has the appearance of being a popular candidate. Its stems are suffi- cienth" stiff and long, — the plant vigorous, and productive.
Bottle-brush Flower. — A not inappropri- ate name for the genus Metrosidcros is Bottle- Brush Flower, the flowers being grouped on the stems peculiarly like the household brushes used for cleaning out lamp-chimneys or bottles. The wood is very hard, giving it also the name of Cape Ironwood. The flower spikes are use- ful for cutting, and ma\' be produced in the greenhovise from November on. ^[. semper - florens was exhibited at the Philadelphia Chr\- santhemum Exhibition last fall, and attracted considerable interest. Though of the class of hardwood Cape plants, usually difficult to cultivate, these are comparativeh' easy.
CiBOTiUM SCHiEDEi. — One of the best ferns for decorations is the Mexican tree-fern, Cibo- tiiim Schiedei. It is of a light green color, and of open-spreading character. Mr. Flenry A. Dreer, of Philadelphia, has been chiefl}' instru- mental in giving it prominence. At the recent annual exhibition in Philadelphia, this, com- bined with other ferns, of which Mr. Dreer's collection is large, formed one of the finest ex- hibitions of this class ever staged in Philadel- phia.
New Hvdrange.\s. — We notice, in the latest catalogue of Wilhelm Pfitzer, of Stuttgart, three new varieties of the h3-drangea: monstrosa, which has large umbels, of a pretty reddish pink tint; compacta, large umbels with enor- mous pinki.sh lilac glossy flowers; Souvenir de Claire, with umbels like that of mofistrosa, ex- cept that the flowers are a magnificent deep pinkish red.
— From La Seniai/ie Horticole.
TttHE M^IK^T rL®WEi ^^^^EiNi,
lyEucojuM .ESTivuM,— The Summer Snow- KL.\KE. — Few hardy border flowers are more acceptable than the summer Snow-flake, bloom- ing, as it does, in the middle of siimmer when
other border flowers are scarce. ]\Iany take it to be of the lily family as the}- see it growing, but it realh- belongs to the Amaryllis tribe. In the former class, the perianth is outside the seed vessel, while in the latter the fruit is below the floral envelopes, as seen in the illus- tration, which is taken from the London Gar- dening Illustrated, though the plant has long been a favorite in American gardens. The flowers are white with a greenish spot on the tip of each petal. It is a native of north-eastern Europe.
This dainty little flower has several charms of considerable utility, — the successive appear-
THE SUMMER SNOWFLAKE.
ance and opening of the flowers, which are at first concealed within the green sheath, and their lasting power and especial adaptability for cutting purposes. Cut and placed in water when the first flower or two opens, others will open before the others fade. The flower spikes are from six to eight inches tall and stiff", only the flowers drooping gracefulU".
Temperature and the Blooming Season. — Connective with the paragraph in the Sep- tember number of Meehans' Monthly, it may be noted as among the difficulties of construct- ing floral characters, that not onh- will plants bloom later than others in some seasons and earlier in others, but plants, themselves, varj- the same season. In ni}' garden, I have a dozen plants of the beautiful summer hvacinth,
46
MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[March
Galtonia candicans. They commenced to bloom in the beginning of Jnly and were wholh' out of bloom by August ist. But at the latter date, three plants, two of which had not hitherto flowered, sent up two extra strong shoots, which kept up the bloom till Septem- ber. I had thought they must be marked varieties but for the fact that one of the three started from a root-stock that had alread}' bloomed. M.
Philadelphia.
Cucumber Culture. — Mr. A. H. Hill, Keene, New Hamp,shire, writes under date of January 3rd : —
" Can you tell of the application of Nitrate of Soda to the cucumber ? I have, in my cucumber house, four (4) water tanks, 4 feet 5 inches long, 18 inches wide and 17 inches deep, from which I water so as to use liquid manure of a temperature of 72°. How much Nitrate of Soda should I put in those tanks, each ? I am a great believer in liquid manure. I ship my cucumbers to New York Cit}', — sent my first 100 yesterday for this winter. Ther- mometer here yesterday- was from 30 to 42° below zero, mine 35° above."
The conductors have had no experience with Nitrate of Soda as suggested. There are many expert cucumber growers among the readers of the magazine. Possibly some have had the experience desired.
BANANAS. — In the issue of Meeh ans' Month- ly for Januar}^, an interesting article on the banana arrests my attention. As I have at this time a j^oung banana tree — a three-year-old sucker — with a fine bunch of fruit on, and its mother and grand-mother likewise bore fruit of an excellent qualit}', I hardly understand, if I understand the article aright, why bananas do not fruit under glass. The plant in ques- tion alwaj-s remains in the cool house. Ther- mometer during the daj- is 50° to 55°, — at night, falling often to 45°. It is never taken out in summer to be beaten hy storms and wind- lashed. After having been taken from the mother plant, while she was bearing fruit, it was given a large tub, where it grows vigor- ously, and this, is three years from parent. The long flower stem has hundreds of flowers.
but my plant usually matures about 70 to 80 well-formed, small bananas, w'hicli are much more finely flavored when allowed to ripen on the stem.
If this is a rare specimen, I take much pleasure in calling your attention to it, and would be glad for you to see it.
Sharon Hills, Pa. MARY B. CoNARD.
Very common in greenhouses is a compara- tively dwarf variety of the Chinese Banana, Musa Cavendishii. This is probabh- the one OLir correspondent cultivates. The large ban- ana of commerce, and the one .in mind when the former paragraph was written, is Musa sapient um.
Thk Curculio or Plum Wevil. — A Phila- delphia correspondent says, in reference to what has recently been said in IMeehans' Monthly about the Plum Wevil: — "Where did this destructive insect come from, and when introduced ? Is it not true that there was none of this trouble about Philadelphia in the early part of the centurj^? " ' There seems to have been localities that had not been dis- covered by the curculio, in different parts of the country, in the early part of the century, as there is even to this day ; but in a general wa}-, the insect seems to have been with us from all time, — not abounding, probably, because its desirable food or egg-raisers did not abound. John Bartram, in a letter to Peter Collinson, dated April 12, 1746, notes that up to that date the Sloe, a species of plum, had been "in the country- these fifty years. The blossoms are prodigious full, but never one ripe fruit. They are bit with the insect, as all our stone fruit is but the peaches, — and some kinds of cherries do over-grow them." This carries back our correspondent's date for Phila- delphia by one hundred years.
Grape Fruit. — The Citrus Aurantiuni the orange. Citrus Mcdica the lemon, and Citrus dccumaria the Shaddock, represent a famih' of which tropical Asia may be proud to count among its native plants. The one now illus- trated is one of the most beautiful of these worthy members of the Shaddock family, as all those who have seen the trees as the}- grow in Florida will testify'. They are known to northern people as Grape-fruit, though we believe the most common name among the
i899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
47
growers is pomelo. The name Grape-fniit has been a puzzle to even clopoedists, who tell us it is because the fruit tastes like that of grapes. The writer could never detect such a resem- blance. It is more likely to have been sug-
introduced this Asiatic plant to the West Indies. There will be no difference of opinion, however, as to the beauty of our picture which is taken from a photo kindly furnished by Messrs. Anderson and Price, Ormond Fla.
GRAPE FRUIT.
gested by the round fruit hanging in clusters like grapes, so different from its sister species, the orange and lemon. In like manner, the family name Shaddock is in dispute, some saj^- ing it was some one named vShaddock who first
The flavor of the fruit, is very different from either the orange or the lemon, and, is seldom agreeable to those who partake of it for the first time, — but, as in other instances, it be- comes enjo3'able in time.
BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
A MARCH DAY IN ITALY.
The skv was blue; without oue cloud of gloom, The sun of March was shining brightly,
And to the air the freshening wind gave lightly Its breathing of perfume.
— Longfellow.
NoMENCLATURK. — I am sorry to learn that niv notes on i)age four of the January number gave any trouble to the i>ublishing force of the Monthly.
I used the names that are sanctioned by good authority and those that seem to be destined to designate in future the plants referred to. I might have included synon\nis but considered that it would be an inijiosition on space. The synonomic names of Sy)iiplioricarpos Symp/iori- carpos are given in Britton and Brown's "Illus- trated Flora," Yol. Ill, page 236, and the same is in the catalogue of the plants of Northeast- ern U. S., as authorized by the botanical sec- tion of the American Association for the Ad- vancement of Science, page 306. The latter was published by the Torrey Botanical Club of New York City and the former by Chas. Scrib- ner's Sons, New York. The synonomy of Ccbatha Caroliniaiia is also given in the works named. If all will consent to use Index Keiv- ensis as standard and will bring all plant names to that or any other work of equal value, I shall be happ>- to agree. The botanist in America to-day needs no less than six cata- logues of plants and an equal number of dic- tionaries in order to intelligently carry on his work, and sometimes even these fail to give the desired information. E. E. Bogue.
vSeveral correspondents have written to the same effect as Mr. Bogue, —but the main point made in the original criticism still holds good, nanieh', that the names questioned are not in the general dictionaries, which must be refer- red to by employees in printing establishments, and the general public who are not botanists, and yet must have at hand works of reference on general topics. If such a one, for instance, becomes interested in some popular story about the Indian Currant, he is not expected to look
(48)
up "six catalogues" or a report of the Ameri- can Association, "page 306," but he goes to the general library, and is handed down a dictionary. He will not find the "catalogue"' name there. At the present time, the only dictionary of the plants of the whole world with their synonyms down to date is Index Keivensis. Britton and Brown, and others cited, are excellent authorities. They are undoubted- ly correct in their position that many of the names they propose to be adopted shoiild have been adopted. But they have a hard task in trving to upset the accepted nomenclature of the whole world, throwing everything into con- fusion, and utterly demoralizing general litera- ture, because some generations ago somebod3' blundered.
In every other affair of life, — even to the col- lection of an honest debt, — there is a period wlien it becomes outlawed. The justification is that by the failure of the creditor to collect in time, too maiiy innocent interests become involved. In like manner, there can be no reason why thousands should be made to suffer bv a change in plant names, because credit for the original was suffered to sleep for a century.
AlfkHD Bridgeman. — The firm of Alfred Bridgeman, Seedsman, of New York, is another instance of the long-continued business of a worthy founder. Thomas Bridgeman was an English gardener, born in Berkshire, who came to New York in T824, leased land on what is now 874 Broadway, and at once built green- houses, and sold seeds. Like so many of the srardeners of the Old World, at that date, he was a man of broad intelligence, and he wrote valuable works on fruits, vegetables and flowers. His "Young Gardener's Assistant" went through several editions, and has a good sale even unto this day. He died in 1850. His son, Alfred Bridgeman, succeeded to his father's business, and well maintains the father's record. At present, Mr. Bridgeman gives his personal interest to the greenhouses aud nursery at Astoria. Mr. Geo. Lorenz is the manager of the citv seed house.
VOL.IX
Pr,^^E K
l> ,.. i^^ A,-.^-s VM""'^'''''''*A1 IC
1 1 -• k A
SOLI DAGO NEMORALIS.
GROVE GOLDEN-ROD. NATURAL ORDER, COMPOSIT.^.
SOLIDAGO NEMORALIS, Aitoo.— Stem often corymbose at the summit; leaves spathulateoblong and oblanceolate, renate serrate, or entire, roughish-pubescent. Darlington's Flora Cestrica. See also Gray's Synoptical Flora, Gray's Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States, Chapman's Flora of the Southern United States, Wood's Class-Book of Botany, and Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora.
The plan of this work is to give in the first place pictures of our native flowers, botanical- ly accurate, and as nearly perfect artistically as the drawings can be made, — and in the next place to take them as object lessons in the broad field of human interest wherein the plant illustrated may have a share. In this instance, the description of the pretty- golden-rod illus- trated is taken from the local Flora of Chester County, Pennsylvania, by Dr. Darlington, because the specimen chosen for the drawing grew in the adjoining county, — and, mainly to draw attention to the different methods em- plo^'ed by botanists in describing plants.
The one botanist, above all, who has studied the family of the golden-rods, is Professor Asa (iray. In his " S3noptical Flora of North America," he describes seventy-four species, besides a large number of varieties so marked- ly distinct from their parent species, as to be worthy of distinctive botanical names. His description of the species under consideration is as follows: — " JNIosth" low, with a fine and uniform clos'=' pubescence either soft or (in age and in dried specimens) minutely scabrous : leaves from spatulate-obovate to oblanceolate or somewhat linear; upper entire and small (half- inch or more long) ; radical and lower cauline sparingly serrate: th3'rsus and its compact racemiform clusters secund, commonly re- curved-spreading: heads two or three lines long: bracts of the involucre oblong-linear or narrower, obtuse, smooth and glabrous: flowers (appearing rather earh") deep yellow: ra3'S 5 to 9, usually more numerous than the disk- flowers: akenes closely' pubescent." The dif- ference in the length of the two descriptions for the same species is striking. But the larger numl)er of species in Dr. Gra^-'s work, makes
a different method of treatment necessary. Dr. Darlington has but sixteen species to describe to us, while Dr. Gra^' has seventy-four. We speak of artificial systems of botany, and of natural s^-stems. But all s^'stems are made up of both classes. Though we can arrange plants so that there are groups with so close affinities that we can place them in orders, genera, and species, we have to use artificial lines in dividing them. This is particularly true of species. No one can positiveh- define a spe- cies. The descriptions are merely compara- tive. For all the elaborate detail of Dr. Gra}-, no one could positiveh^ identify- the Solidago here outlined if he had never seen one of the sevent3'-four species described. He would have to see others, or compare the plant with her- barium specimens before absolute certainty could be reached. If there were but two species of golden-rod, " flowers few, spicate," and "flowers numerous, corymboselj-panicled" would be considered a valid description for either. But such a brief description would not entitle an author to a name for a seventy-fifth species, where seventy-four had already been described. We learn from this that the methods of description are in the main artifi- cial; are dependent on the number of species in the genus to be described: and that there is nothing definite that will cover the idea of a species in nature.
A large genus, like Solidago, has to be divided into artificial sections, in order to make des- criptions intelligible. In the limited list of Darlington's Flora Cestrica, he would first make a section with the racemes secund, — that is, the flowers all turned to one side, and spread- ing out from the rachis or common peduncle or even recurved. Then there would be sub-sec-
(-19)
50
MEEHANS MONTHLY — SOLIDAGO NEMORALI.S.
[April
tions in which the heads are " rather large," ' ' rather small , ' ' and ' ' middle sized. ' ' It may be seen by this arrangement that the student would have to be acquainted with some one or more species, before he could decide on the value of these comparative terms. With this knowledge gained, the brief description of the species becomes more intelligible. Our species would come under the " middle-size flower" section.
In Dr. Gray's arrangement, notwith.standing the elaborate description as already- given, the student would have to go back to a number of divisions under sub-sectional, sectional, and tribal heads. In addition to the points already given, he would have to note that it was associ- ated with others, that are ' 'cinereous to canescent with fine and soft or at length minuteh- scab- rous pubescence, and leaves firm but seldom very rigid," — and to a section in which the characters to be noted are as numerous as those which are given under the discrij)tion of the species itself. I le has to go back still further to a division which is stj'led the Paniculata-, which has an equally long diagnosis. Hut further back still we come to the divisional character under the head of I'irgaurea, — or those species of Solidago having the "receptacle of the head alveolate, — -rays commonly fewer or not more numerous than the disk-flowers. ' ' It is ver\' interesting to note that for all the fulness of description which this method involves, nature refuses to be circumscribed b}- it. In Texas, Lindheimer discovered a form with more disk- florets than rajs, and which DeCandolle named Solidago deccmjiora, or the ten-flowered, — and the ray-florets so very small, that it comes nearlj' being discoid. But Dr. Gray is forced to give it as a s\non\m of Solidago nemoralis. Even the generic character will not be circum- scribed. Of the whole genus, it is said "Flowers j^ellow, or in one species whitish in the disk, and white in the ray." But it is re- corded in vol. 17 of the "Bulletin of the Torre\' Botanical Club," that near Elizabethtown, Essex Co., New York, a plant of the species now under consideration had been found having purely white instead of yellow rays I
Our species, Solidago >if?iioi-alis, enters large- ly into the beautiful American autumn scenery known as "Indian Summer", so well noted by many, and Miss T'mbrey especiall>- so well describes:
"But in that season, when the haze The purple light the distance fills As if old autumn in his flight,
Had dropped his mantle on the hills, —
When forest trees, with regal pomp
Their wealth of gem-like leaves display And earth in gayest garb puts on The glory that precedes the day. ' '
It is among the earliest of the species — and indeed of Autumn flowers — to usher in the season of these glorious days. It seems to de- light in comparatively dry soil, and, if it can find a field which the cultivator has abandoned, it will be but a few years when it will cover the whole surface with its "golden mantle." It is one of the most widely distributed of all American species, nearly all of which indeed are American. It is found in comparative abundance over the whole of eastern North America, entering even Northern jNIexico. Though prevailing in so many localities under a great variety of conditions, the variations, from what would be termed the typical form, are not numerous. One of these only is suffi- ciently marked as to be regarded by Dr. Gray as worthy of distinctive rank as Solidago ?iemo- ralis, var. incana. This variety is of dwarf habit, rather more downy than the topical forms, and confined to the Rocky Mountain region from Dakota to the Mexican boundary line. Britton and Brown, in the work above cited, make another marked varietj- worthy of a distinctive name, which they term arcnicola. This is said to be depressed or prostrate, grow- ing only about six inches high. Sand hills; Cape Cod to Long Island. vSeveral species were made of some of the forms by the earlier botanists, — one named Solidago hispida, by the Pennsylvania botanist, Muhlenberg, from its rougher character than usual, — but these are now fully covered bj- the descriptions of Dr. Gray and others. For all its abundance, it does not appear to have been distinguished by Linnaeus. It was first described b}' Aiton as among the plants of the Kew Gardens, in 1789; though it is said b}' Aiton to have been introduced into England twenty jears pre- vio'isly.namelv, in 1769, by Dr. Samuel Martin.
Explanation of the Plate. — 1. Lower portiou of flower stem, from a plant of Ea.stern Pennsj-lvania. 2. Upper section of flower stem. 3. Outline of the root-leaf system, much reduced. 4. Magnified floret with its akene. 5. Magnified head of flowers.
WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
THE GLADNESS OF SPRING.
I feel the spring in even' thrilling vein, As if with nature's vernal mood at once;
Sweet trembling through the drops of April rain, vShimmers the golden sun,
And far o'er hill of blue and haz}- plain Pours its warm tide again.
The bluebird's tender warble now once more I hear — his wings have April's azure hue;
The waters crinkle on the sanded shore And a forefeeling puLses nature through:
The spring is here — the sunless winter o'er.
— Howard Worcester Gilbert.
The Study ok Fern-S. — The beginner in botau}- rarel\- pays much attention to ferns, perhaps because of their seeming total separa- tion from flowering plants. In reality there is a gradual modification from one class to the other, though the connection rarely if ever interferes with the amateur botanist, and even many who could hardlj- be called amateurs.
There is a charm connected with ferns which few persons fail to appreciate, and it is sur- prising that the}' are not more generalh' studied.
Authorities differ somewhat in the classifica- tion of flowerless plants, or Crjptogams, as they are known in botany, — some basing their system on the root-character, and others on the shape of what in the botany' of flowering plants might be called seed-cases or vessels. The latter is perhaps more generally adopted, though there are still differences in grouping the svib-divisions.
Ever^'one at all familiar with ferns, knows of the dots usually located on the under side of the fronds. At first green and firm, they final- ly become brown or emit a brown diist. These dots are called sorus, (sori in the plural) and are groups of cases or sporangia, each of which contains quantities of minute spores — the "dust."
The character of the sporangia is a distin- guishing one, as is also their location. In some instances, the sporangia are covered by a mem-
brane, or indusium, which, with its manner of attachment, is also a distinguishing character.
In the Adiautum, or Maiden-hair, the sori are scattered on the margins of the leaflets, or pinnules, their indusiums being attached at the sides; in Pteris, they are united in one long line directly on the margin of the pinnules; the Aspidium has its sori covered by indusiums fastened by their centres; Polypodium has scat- tered sori without indusiums.
Besides the rooting character, the branching and generalh' formation of the leaves mvist have attention. Some leaflets have a forking, or dichotomous, character, which in some cases continues on the same leaf for several j-ears, — as for in.stance the Xephrolepis; -others, like Nephrok'pis exalt at a, the Sword Fern, have fronds indefinite in their growth. That is to say, the "tip" of the frond is always capable of unrolling further. Some ferns have the power of begetting offspring in a peculiar manner, — though not uncommon in flowering plants also, — namely, by producing bulb-like growth on the margins of the pinnules. These drop off" and take root independently or are maintained by the parent plant. Cistopteris bulbi/era furnishes an example of this charac- ter— a viviparous character.
There are ferns to be found in all places, such as the Climbing Fern, Lygodiinii palviatiivi; the Resurrection Fern, Polypodium iiicaiiiim, an epiphyte inhabiting tree trunks; Camptoso- riis rhizophyllus, the Walking Fern, found on wet rocks; Woodsia obtusa on drN- rocks; and Ceratopteris thalictroides in water. Then there is a dwarf worthy of mention, because of its being difficult to find — Scliizcra piisilla. Its fronds are but two or three inches in length.
An ordinary pocket magnifying glass will reveal , in most cases, the character of the sori, and their examination cannot but interest everyone.
Chimaphila maculata. — Mr. Steele, Fes- tus, Missouri, notes a point overlooked in the description with the plate of Chimaphila macu- lata.— that the flowers are fragrant.
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52
MEEHANS' MONTHLY— WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[April
Antediluvian Corn from Norristown, Pa. — The mildly cautions incredulity with which the Editors of Mhehans' INIonthlv com- ment on the extract, in the January number, from the Philadelphia Record, announcing the discovery of "antediluvian corn" of the "white flint gourd variety" at Norristown, is proba- bly more than justified b}- the facts. If the writer is not mistaken, the correspondent of the Record who signs himself " T. K." is either identical with or very closelj' akin to one J. K., of Norristown, who has announced the same di.scovery at various times since 1S93. Quantities of the " white flint gourd variety" of presumably the same "antediluvian corn" were shipped, presumably- by the same person, to the Smithsonian Institution that year in the vain effort to convince the paleo-botanists and mineralogists of that institution that the stuff" in question, which is nothing in the world but agglomerations of crystals of quartz, was petri- fied corn of anj- variety. The result appears onl}- to have been to convince the Norristown botanist (?), who cited the inclusion of the moss in the moss agate in proof of his views, that the scientists of the Smithsonian were unworthj' of credit.
It may be interesting to note that the bed rock, from which the quartz cr^-stals probabl}- came, about Norristown, Pa., is one of the most ancient geological formations in the Appala- chian province ; and its antiquity' — far more than twice as great as that of the earliest Angiosperms can possibly have been — is much nearer 35,000,000 years than 4,000 as " T. [J. ?] K." would have us believe. Although it may not be true that ' ' the discovery goes far to prove the existence of man on the Western Hemisphere during the antediluvian period," as your correspondent remarks, the remarkable vitality and persistent stubbornness of the Nor- ristown antediluvian white flint gourd com fake goes far toward proving the existence of Equus hciniouus on the Western Hemisphere at the end of the Nineteenth Centiir}-. D. W.
Washington, D. C.
Seeds of Xanthium. — I was verj- much in- terested in reading the excellent article on Xanthium Canadcnsc, hy Newlin Williams, contained in Meehans' Monthly, 2: 6, 1899. I beg, however, to take exception to the state- ment that but one of the seeds ever mature.
A careful investigation of the germination of the seed, carried on by the botanical depart- ment of the Indiana Experiment Station, for a number of j^ears, resulted in showing that a large percentage of both seeds germinate. [Arthur, Proc. Soc. Prom. Agr. Sc. : 70-79, 1895.] Only one seed, however, was found to germinate the first 3'ear, the remaining one germinating the following season.
In a few instances, both seeds germinated the first j^ear, while in other cases, some seeds failed to germinate the second 5-ear.
Those connected with the work were soon able to determine by a glance at the bur, which of the two enclosed seeds would germinate the first season. A few words of explanation will also enable those familiar with the fruit of Xanthiitni Canadcnsc to select the seed which will germinate first.
If we examine the fruit carefully, we will observe that it is not elliptical, but that one surface is convex and the other slightly con- cave. Let the student now hold the bur in a horizontal position, with the convex surface uppermost, and he will find that the pistils of the two seeds will lie in the same vertical plane. If he will now make a vertical section of the bur while held in this position, it will be ob served that the two seeds do not occupy the same relative position in the bur, the upper seed being placed higher uj) in the bur than the lower one.
B}- numerous germination experiments, both with the seeds enclosed in the burs and re- moved from them, it was found that the lower seed, or the one nearest the basal end, was the one which germinated the first year. A few instances occurred where both germinated the first season, and again other instances where the upper one germinated first. Usually, how- ever, when the latter case occurred, an examina- tion of the bur showed that the lower seed had either been destro^-ed by insects, or from some unknown cause had failed to develop.
As to all outward appearance, the two seeds are exactly alike. We must assume that the cause of delay in the germination of one of the seeds must be an inherent one, and thus enables the distribution of the seed through time rather than space.
It is not an uncommon thing to find burs containing three seeds and occasionalh- one with more.
i899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
53
It is interesting to note that in these in- stances the seeds germinate in the same order as in the paired seed, — that is the lower first, then the middle, and lastly the upper one.
Wm. Stuart, Assistant Botanist,
Exp Sta. Lafayette, Ind
The Florida Scrub-palm. — In prehistoric times, palms grew pretty well up to the region
it one of its names. This saw will cut flesh or clothing like a knife.
It grows in vast quantities on the ocean side of the Ormond Peninsula. Its main root, from the end of which spreads the group of leaves, is like a prostrate trunk lying just on top of the ground or partly buried or just beneath the surface, and from its under side sends down perpendicularh" numerous rope-
8CRUB OR SAW PALMETTO.
of the North Pole, but are now found there onh- in a fossil state, having been destroyed during the ice age. Now, North America has left but some half-dozen species, and these, with but one exception, — the Saba I Palmetto — are confined to our extreme southern borders. The one herewith illustrated is the Florida Scrub-Palm, Bralica scrriilata, or Sabal serru- lata of the last generation.
The sharp saw on the edge of the leaf gives
like roots from a quarter to three-quarters inch in diameter and often ten feet long. Occasion- al h^, a -part of the main root rears its head a few feet above the ground, but this only in wet places or where a great many crowd together. The root is rich in tannin, salt and potash; the leaf has a valuable fiber and the flower is one of the best and most generous honey blossoms known. The groups of the leaves are pictur- esque features in the Florida landscape and yet
54
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[April
the Florida settler, in wrestling with the wild- erness when clearing a place to set his orange grove, considers the vScrub Palmetto as the great curse of the country-.
The Palmetto berry, produced in great quan- tities bj^ the Saw Palmetto, is about the size of a small olive, has a large seed or stone like a thin olive and a sweet oily flesh exceedingly nasty to those not hardened to it. Bears are very fond of the berries and fatten upon them. A valuable drug is now being made from this berry, and large quantities are gathered, dried and shipped.
For all this it is a very pretty sight when in flower, as one may judge from the illustration which is made from a photo through the kind- ness of Anderson & Price, Ormond, Florida.
With the Xicaraguan P'xpedition. — A Philadelphian, attached to the (Government Surveying Expedition, for the Nicaragua Canal, who is an ardent student of nature, sends the following interesting letter: —
" At last I am in the tropics and on the shores of Lake Nicaragua. One peculiar thing about this part of the country is the fact that it is about one hundred and fifty feet above the level of the sea yet exceedingly swampy. Our work often leads us into water up to our arm pits. Occasionally a hill about four or five hundred feet will rise up in front of us, and as we plod up the steep incline it is not only in- teresting to watch the gradual change in the plant life from the water kinds to those that grow on terra firma, but the various shapes the plants have taken on to suit their environ- ments. The water hyacinth is quite a nuisance around here, and in the construction of the canal some attention will have to be paid to it, for already some of the smaller streams that flow into the lake have been choked up. Some- thing that looks like duck-weed floats around in great abundance. Every now and then we will see some water lilies quite similar to our northern ones. As we get into shallow water, a 3'ellow flower, somewhat like a lupi^ie, but not one, is sure to be found. Soon we get to palms and find ferns growing on them; and a wild morning glory covers everything. As to Acacias, there are any number of them. Soon you get to the high ground and have the big trees that are over a hundred feet high and ten and fifteen feet in diameter. Magnolias and
Cedars and Monkey Puzzles and all sorts of tropical trees. Orchids -and parasitic plants live here in perfection. One cannot turn his head without seeing some. There are lots of rain and plenty* of heat, here, and this forces the plant life extraordinarily. We cannot go outside of the regular lines of traffic without cutting our way. To give an idea of the density of the vegetation, I will give an instance, the like of which occurs again and again. In our party we have sixteen natives, and often they cannot cut a path about three feet wide further than ten or eleven hundred feet per day. In the pastures there is an Asclcpias that resem- bles Curassavica a good bit. There is also an Asdepias with the habit of a vine. The fruit of this is about six inches long and about four wide. The shell to the pod is thick and fleshy and about an inch thick. The bloom I have as yet been unable to find but will send a few seeds. From one pod I took about two ounces of seed. As to fruit, there is any amount of it. Bananas grow everywhere. There are two kinds, the ordinary and a larger and coarser one called plantain. The latter is only eaten boiled or fried. Lemons and limes are so com- mon that the natives do not bother themselves enough to pick and try to sell. Oranges are quite plentiful and are sold in town. For ten cents Nicaraguan money (4 cents ours), you can get as many- as you can carry. Yams and Yuccas are eaten instead of potatoes, and they ctre ver>' good.
A Medicinal Cactus. — There is a cactus re- lated to Ma III 1)1 ilia ria, namely Echinocactus Williamsi or Anhaloniuni Williamsi of Leni- aire, described in 1845. The American Indians considered the plant as a panacea for all the ills of mankind, a source of inspiration, and the key to the glories of the next world. They believed it to be particiilarly eflicacious in cases of hemorrhage and consumption. They^ used it also for fevers, -headaches, etc. The "mescal" or "mescal-bud" (not to be con- founded with the mescal of the Apaches, obtained from the juice of an Agave) pro- duces visions, and effects of colors, forms, and pictures similar to the effects produced by- opium. It is made into cigarettes, and used with sugar. In fact, it is a special stimulant which acts on the brain.
— Translated From the French.
1899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
55
Narthecium Americanum. — Among the many rare plants for which the flora of New Jersey is noted, one of the least common is the American Bog-asphodel, Narthecium Ameri- canum. According to the books, indeed, it has been reported from none bnt that one State, and its known habitat is limited to the south- ern half of that. Last autumn, while spend- ing a few days in the Pine Barrens, it was vox privilege to find the plant in fine frnit, and the sight was one long to be remem- bered. It grew open to the sun in a broad, shallow depression, the sand}' floor of which was carpeted with lycopodiums, and about whose edges the famous little fern, Schiztr pusilla, found a congenial home. Close hy, on one side, was the dark shade of a cedar swamp; on another, rose a treeless acclivity of sand, gay with a luxuriant growth of Helenium autumnale, Solidago sfricfa,ar\([ the Narrow-leaved Sunflower, Hcliati- tlms angustifolius, all in full bloom. Within a stone's throw, the rare Coreopsis rosea lifted its pretty head above the still waters of a small pond, upon whose beach the sharp-eyed might detect that curious vegetable imitation of a black pin stuck upright in the mud, — Utricu- laria subulata, variety' cleistogama. In this select fellowship, the nartheciums were grow- ing by hundreds. From a creeping rootstock bearing a few delicate, short, sword-shaped leaves, the plant sends up a smooth, wiry stem, a foot or more in height and bearing at its summit a dense spike-like raceme of small flowers. At maturity, the flowers are replaced b}- conspicuous seed vessels, slender pointed and of a bright vermilion color, while the whole stem is sviffused with an orange-red glow. The effect of several hundred of these warm-hued plants growing all about among the grasses was singularU'^ beautiful; and lighted up as they were on the afternoon of my visit, by the soft beams of the autumnal sun, they were reminiscent of some spring meadow upon which the Painted-cup has poured its scarlet flood of color. C. F. Saunders.
Philadelphia.
Frozen Sap. — ]\Ir. F. K. Steele adds some additional facts to the collection. He notes that rail-splitting is easier in frosty weather; that there is more ice in the sap-wood than in the heart-wood, — that heart-wood burns more
easily than sap-wood, — and that in winter when twigs are brittle by frost, ice cr3'stals are more abundant in the sap-wood than in the heart-wood. Splitting of tranksin the winter* he regards as wind-shakes, and not from ex- pansion of the water b}- freezing.
The point in dispute, however, is, whether the living protoplasmic matter in the cells freezes, when these cells are not destro3^ed in winter.
The Poison Ivy. — I notice in your valuable monthly for February-, 1899, an article b}- I\Ir. John Hugh Ross, on "Poison Ivj-," giving cuts of what purports to be Rhus Toxicodendron. You will find, on close inspection, that the cut is Rhus radicans L. The Rhus Toxicodendron of Linnteus is a shrub of the South, with cre- nateU'-lobed, ver\' pubescent leaflets.
Please make this correction in the next num- ber of your Monthly, and oblige. We can furnish typical specimens of each, in verifica- tion of the above, if desired.
G. H. Whitinc;.
North Carolina College, Raleigh, N. C.
White Cypripedium spectabile. — It ap- pears that my communication to you, relating to Cypripedium spectabile, which I found in a pure white form, was without any signature. I think I must have sent 3'ou a copy, instead of the original which I intended to send you. I am pleased to know that it is a very rare form, though I hope others of your correspondents will give further information about this and other unusual forms of various species. I may later on send you a few notes myself which may be of interest to you and some others of the fraternity of plant observers.
Henry A. Warne.
Henwood, Madison Co , N V.
Cypripedium candidum was the subject for a lithograph and text in the "Flowers and Ferns of the United States," Vol. II. Series 2.
The Hickories. — Mr. C. L. Lochman, of Bethlehem, Pa., has prepared photo's of the various species of hickory that are marvels of botanical accuracy. Ever}- part of the plant is shown in one plate. As the different species over-lap each other in their several line of variations at times, illustrations such as these are of inestimable value.
GENERAL GARDENING.
DEPARTUKE OF THE DAFl-ODIL.
Fair DafToclils, we weep to ; ee
Yoti haste awa^" so soon. As yet the risin^^ sun
Has not attained his noon. Stay, sta}-, I'ntil the hasting day has run Tiut to the evensong.
— Herrick.
Covering WouxDS Ix Tkhes. — Mr. Peter Van Vechten, Milwaukee, Wis., agrees with ]\Ikeh.\ns' Moxthia', that tlie wounds, made in the stems of trees by pruning or otherwise, should have the wood preserved to keep it from decav till the new bark and wood extends over it, but he thinks gum shellac dissolved in alcohol far better than paint. He advises to put the shellac into a wide-mouthed bottle, cover it with alcohol, and let it stand twenty- four hours, when it ma\" be applied with a swab or brush. It serves, as nearly as may be, as the substance of bark; is not affected by heat or cold or wet or dry weather; and retains the sap up to the cut, healing the wound with- out a scar. Any limbs cut off square on top will leave a dead end from six inches to a foot, which will eventually die and rot off. Limbs should be cut off slanting — never square on top — as is often done.
BuRviNG THE Trunks ok Trees. — B. A., Toronto, says : — " I trust you will not think me over-critical with so many queries, but desire to be regarded as an honest learner. lu the notice of Milton's mulberrj- tree, 3'ou saj- to help it a mound of earth has been erected around the trunk. I have alwaj'S understood that, in filling in around large trees, care has to be exercised to keep the earth from the trunk. How, then, is Milton's mulberry- tree aided bj- that which kills other trees ? ' '
No intelligent gardener teaches that earth around the trunk of the tree will injure the tree. The leaving of a cavitj' around the trunk when earth is filled, in under the branches of a tree, is for a ver\' different
(56)
reason. The feeding roots are always near the surface, and the gases of the atmosphere, are necessary- to prepare the food. Covering these roots deeply deprives them of this air. They are smothered. The cavity around the tree is to aid in supplying air. The rains go down this cavity easily, and air follows where water goes. Ever}- good gardener knows that earth around a trunk is a benefit, so long as the roots under the spread of branches are not covered up.
Street Trees .\xi) P.vtent Pavements. — It is to be expected that everyone in planting trees will exercise the usual care to see that drainage conditions are satisfactory; but when the street pavement and sidewalk are asphal- tum or other patent material, unusual care is necessary to have not onl\- good underdrainage but also good conditions above for the encour- agement of moisture.
A hole one foot in diameter is insufficient if cut directly through the ])avement, as both air and water must pass through for the support of the tree. Two feet width is better, and six inches more will be acceptable; and if the sur- face be depressed towards the tree, to attract rain water, so much the better. Add a top- mulch of hay or strawy manure, and the con- ditions wnll be improved. A layer of well-rot- ted manure placed just above but not next to the roots will hold moistvire, at the same time giving food to the roots. Brick pavements are not as objectionable to trees, as there are many openings to admit the elements needed.
Quassia. — The trees which furnish so many economical prodiicts from the more tropical regions are, in man\' cases, getting scarce, and those who deal in drugs are continualh' kept on the watch for other species of trees having similar properties to replace the original ones. There is the Quassia, which is a small tree grow- ing in British Guiana, botanically known as Quassia amara, and is getting nearh' exter- minated; and another tree, known as the Bit-
1 899]
MEEHAXS :\IOXTHIA' — GENERAL GARDENING.
57
ter Ash, — botanically as Picnoia cxaisa, — is largeh' used for the same purpose that Quassia chips are used. An infusion or tea made of Quassia chips is especially destructive to the g-reen fly and other insects, which are so trou- blesome to the ladies who grow their own flow- ers in conservatories. The iisual remedies ap- plied by commercial men in the shape of kero- sene emulsion, tobacco smoke, tobacco water, and other things, are more or less offensive, while Quassia tea has no objectionable features whatever, and is just as efiective. It is a re- markable fact that an infusion of Quassia
large cities, advantage has been taken to secure plots and retain them just as nature made. Annexed is a representation from a photo, kindl\- furni.shed by Mr. Warren H. ^Manning, of a scene in the ]Middlesex Falls Reservation. It comprises chiefly Red Cedar, Paper Birch, and alder. It is to be hoped that it will be a long time before the " landscaper's" art starts in to make this gem of nature ' 'better understood. ' '
Railro.\d Station G.\rdens. — In Meehans' Monthly for February-, mention is made of
SCeNE IN MIDDLESEX FALLS RESERVATION, MASS.
should be so destructive to the lower orders ol animal life, and yet be so harmless to the human system. One may drink it as we drink Chinese tea without any serious conse- cjuence.
Nature in Landscape Gardening. — We are taught that art is but nature better under- stood ; but the denizens of large cities rarely see wild scenery. They have little chance to compare art with nature. Philadelphia has managed to retain a considerable portion of natural scener\- in her Fairmount Park, and within the boundaries of large tracts near other
the care and decoration of the grounds about railroad stations. On many of the western roads, this is being done — perhaps more than on eastern. Among the most noted that come to mind, is the Michigan Central. A year ago last summer, we were on one of the through trains for New York. It was hot and dusty, and the car full of people out from Chicago. We passed numerous small stations with well-kept grounds ; but when the train slowed up for Niles, ^lich., what an exclamation of delight and surprise came from the passengers as they saw the gieen, velvety lawn, with beds and clumps of beautiful flowers on ever^- hand !
58
MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL CARDENING.
[April
Every head was at the window, if possible. Soon another snrprise : just before the train started, a young boy, with a large market- basket, passed through the train giving all the passengers a bit of the floral beauty to take with them, — little bouquets containing a bit of green and two or three flowers. Mine was sweet peas, an aster and geranium leaf. Those hot, tired, dusty people forgot for the time how un- comfortable they were. It gave them some new ideas, and the Michigan Central lost noth- ing by this little act of courtesy.
Mrs. Frederick C. John.son.
Conkliu. N. V.
Mistakes in Landscape Work. — To the student in landscape effects, mivStakes appeal almost as forcibly as do meritorioiLS 'features. Ever3' landscape gardener has ideas about cer- tain effects, some of which are peculiarly his ow^n, 3'et the main idea of harmony prevails — or should prevail.
The endeavor of this article is to point out a few mistakes, that have come under the ob- servation of the writer, in hopes the exper- ience may be of some use to those who have landscape work in contemplation. Generaliza- tions sometimes work harm if not treated right, and particularly in a study of this kind must the artist keep in mind that rules are made for guidance merely and must occasionally be modified to fit certain conditions.
First of all, the preservation of natural ad- vantages should be studied. A large expanse of lawn, for instance, is not always held in sufficient appreciation. Instead of arranging the planting to permit of long, open views from the chief points, groups are placed almost promiscuously, until the residence is shut off" to observation for perhaps a few hundred yards. Other work shows the extreme — a great ex- panse of lawn closely bordered with an irregu- lar mass of shrubber\-, as it were a picture- frame, and a very few specimen trees here and there near the belt to break some of the monot- ony-. This planting is in some cases effective, but generally as a whole, the lawn lacks the beauty of individualit}-. In planting a large lawn, several objects must be continually in sight, /. e. : — provide for a sufficient stretch of lawn to show its real size; protect views not onh^ of certain surrounding territor}', but of any choice object on the same place, such as
fine, old specimens of trees, or a strip of wood- lands which will afford pleasant autumn color- ings : — avoid crowding the residence ; don't make the outlines unnecessarily formal.
Another phase of arrangement is proper distances considering the future development and effect. Some of the most able landscape gardeners advocate planting for immediate effect, tru.sting to "thinning out" or trans- planting when necessar^^ But is this not a case where it will be best to consider what will likely be done rather than what can be done ? How frecjuently are old places met with, the specimens, that .should command admiration, running ruinousl\- into each other, the dense shade and dryness from crowded roots killing out turf and generally showing a kind of age that is not ajipreciable ? And the owners are not strictly to blame, for even old trees become familiar friends, and cannot be cut out without a great deal of nerve. With an extensive knowledge of trees in general, with particulars of their growth, such as every efficient land- scape gardener should have, it would not be difficult to make a pretty acceptable effect for the time being, sacrificing, perhaps, a few years of early perfection for many years of the future.
Evidences of hasty selection are remarkably plentiful, and especially in the matter of selec- tions as respects form and color. The writer has seen beds of colored-leaved shrubs all leaning to one color without the needed green for contrast; beautiful beds of grasses spoiled for the simple reason that the light-green arundo donax, comprising the centre, was not sufficiently strong in contrast with the varie- gated Eulalia which made up the rest of the bed.
Recently, while .standing on a prominence overlooking several private grounds, ^ — large estates, — a grievous error was disclosed. A beautiful lawn was completely dotted in almost a regular and incomprehensible manner. It hardly seemed possible that any study could have been here, but rather, it had been in the hands of one lacking an e3e for the artistic as well as utility. Such work never pays under any consideration.
Where an estate is graced by a piece of natural woods, it quite frequently attracts the owner as an untidy, overgrown spot, and orders are issued to clear away all small growth and
IS99]
MEEHANS MONTHLV — GENERAL GARDENING.
59
SOW grass seed. The invahiable native dog- wood is liable to go under such instructions, and an unnatural, ineffective piece of land is the result. In marked contrast with such a condition is a piece of woods on the property of Mr. John Pitcairn, Betha^res, Pa. Sugges- tions of paths wind through it, revealing an abundance of interesting material in the shape of ferns, wild flowers and shrubberv.
Choice vSpecies of Pine. — The selection of pines will alwa3^s vary, according to the needs of the purchaser. Some want rapid-growing kinds, others dwarf and compact; some will prefer certain shades of color, and others select according to the character of the leaves (or needles). One of the greatest favorites is the Austrian Pine, perhaps on account of its bold- ness of growth, long needles and whitish- gre\- buds which contrast well with the dark green foliage. Very similar to this is Pinus T/iu)ibergii\ in fact, one would frequently pass for the other if not side by side. Among the species hardy in the North, none excel /'. den- siflora in rapidity of growth. Its needles lie rather close to the stems, and are very bright green. The names dcnsijiora and Thunbergii are frecpienth^ exchanged, though the two species are ven,' distinct.
For rapidity of growth, the White Pine also ranks high in popularity, besides which it is very hardy, and stands transplanting well. Its needles are soft and light in color. In strict point of beauty, the Bhotan or Himalayan Pine is surpassing fine. Its color is silvery graj-, which the long, abundant needles well display. It is a graceful species, of medium-rapid growth; does not grow too tall, but is rather compact. Too much cannot be said in its favor respect- ing its beauty as a specimen for the lawn.
The Scotch Pine is a great favorite. Its needles are short, slightly greyish in color, and the habit of growth rather compact. It and the White Pine are frequentU' to be had in dwarf, compact form. P. Mugho is by nature a dwarf, rarely at great age reaching six feet in height, and forming a compact broad mass. In direct opposition to the latter, the Swiss or Stone Pine — Pinus Cent bra — ascends ver}' erect like a Deciduous Cypress. It has soft needles, like the White Pine, and is sufficiently valua- ble to demand greater attention than it gets at present.
Pinus flc.vilis and P. cdulis are native species rare in ciiltivation, though choice and interest- ing. The latter is famed for its edible seeds, which are cooked or eaten raw by the Indians.
For ornamental purposes, P. contorta is one of the best. Its foliage is of a dark green color, and strangeh- twisted, giving it a distinctive character quite desirable. This should be more generally planted.
South of Philadelphia, the beautiful long- leaved pines, — as P. Tcpda, or Loblolly Pine, and P. palustris, distinguished by the name of Long-leaved Pine, — ^are perfectly hardy, and would doubtless make attractive lawn speci- mens while small and if well clothed with foli- age. The branches of />^7 ///.?/;-« are well-known to Northerners in decorations about Christmas time.
The question is frequently put: "Which do you recommend as most desirable?" and the best answer is "All of them" — referring to those enumerated in the preceding paragraph.
^lE FL/^INITS,
Plumbago rosea. — I would like to saj- a few words in praise of a nice little winter bloomer that might interest your readers. When the Plumbago rosea was announced, a good manj- persons, thinking it was only a variety of the P. capensis, gave it the same treatment and were disappointed; some jumping too hastily at the conclusion it was a humbug. I have raised it for three or four years and I am well pleased with it. It is strictly a winter-bloomer; consequently, by putting it in some warm room in winter, it keeps in bloom all the cold season. Ours, up to to-day, has been blooming for nearly two months, and is covered ^-et with its beautiful racemes of red flowers. I reallj' can't praise it too much. J. Reverchon.
Dallas, Texas.
As Mr. R. , says, this beautiful plant has been singularly overlooked.
New Candytuft, Little Prince. — I saw growing in Erfurt (Germany), last summer the new dwarf candytuft Little Prince, and I con- sider it one of the most desirable introductions that will be made this j^ear.
It is from the beautiful variety, Empress, that this new one was obtained, though only half the height of the parent, sa^* 4 to 6 inches.
6o
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDKXINC.
[April
forming just as massive spikes of large, pure white flowers, which, standing erect, are grouped candelabra- wise around the main stem. Of extrenieh- robust constitution, it continues longer in full bloom than the Empress. When planted in masses it produces a splendid snow-like effect. Henry F. Michell.
Pliiladelphia.
The Japanese Quince. — There is an old story of the grumbler who thought everything Avas^made wrong, that, in one of his examples
SILENE CO LOR AT A. — Flowers Rose Color.
he thought it would have been wiser to have ordained a big strong tree like an oak to bear large pumpkins, than little acorns of no material weight at all, — but when an acorn fell on his head from a height of 30 or 40 feet, he was ready to thank Providence that pumpkins grew on the ground. And yet nature does seem to delight in opposite experiences. Here before us is a specimen of a Chinese Quince that weighs 18 ounces. The tree bearing them is about 25 feet high, and has been for many years in an old Germantown garden, where
are so many rare trees introduced by lovers of good things in the last generation. It is a beaut}- in the fall of the year, the leaves rival- ing the pepperidge in crimson brown of their tint. The Chinese Quince is Cydojiia Shiensis. It must not be confounded with the Japanese Quince, which is Cydonia Japoiiica.
TIHIE BH^IK^Y FL€)WEi ^/^ili>IElN!.
SiLENE COLORATA. — The genus of plants, comprising what are popularly known as catchflies, has a number of very ornamental species, — and not by an\- means the least among these pretty members of the family is the one now illustrated. It is among the brightest colored of the lot; the deep, rosy flowers being continuous from early spring till fall. Besides its beauty as a border plant, its somewhat trailing habit makes it very useful in rock-work, vases, hanging baskets or any place where a pendulous character is desirable. It is a native of vSouthern Europe. From its deepU' divided petals it has been known as Silene biparlta, Silenc bifida, and perhaps by some other names, — all now referred to ^. color ata.
Shirley Poppies. — Few things have burst on the floricultural world in more pleasant sur- prise than the Shirley Poppies. Is it possible anything can be more beautiful .-• The improve- ment has been the work of an E^nglish clergy- man, the Rev. W. Wilks. The petals fall early, — the chief and well-known weakness of the popp3^ To have them last as long as pos- sible, a correspondent of the Lofidoti Gardeners' Chronicle says : — Cut them early in the morn- ing, as soon as they open, and at once plunge their stems in a jug of water, and carry them inside the house for the decoration of the rooms, and arrange them in vases with delicate ferns or other light foliage. Nothing j-et in- vented in the way of flower-tints and forms can equal their fascinating beaut}'. They should preferably be placed in a cool room."
F^METS *SS ¥E^ET/^PLES.
Parsnip Culture. — ]\Iany think parsnips cannot be sown too soon, and go to much trouble to secure exhibition roots. The ground
i899]
MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
6i
for parsnips is best if of a loamy nature, but in soils where these root-canker at the crown I would certainh" defer sowing till early in April, as then growth is quicker, and I think the roots are of better flavour. I am aware roots sown in April lack the size of those sown earli- er; but for home use I fail to see their value. In no case should these roots be given freshly- manured land, as in such the roots fork badly and lack quality. Avoid crowding; a space of 1 8 inches between the rows is none too much. Probably the best medium-sized parsnip is The Student, thovigh the new Tender and True, given a trial last year, is a gain in the right direction. It is smaller, but of perfect shape and superior in quality to the older kinds.— Gardening Illustrated.
who has a larger tract, and can afford to employ a skilful gardener to oversee things, adds largely to his sum of human pleasures.
Just now these facts impress one strongly by a basket of tomatoes, received this ^first of February, from INIr. Lawler, gardener to A. C. Harrison, of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. There is about as much difference between these and the ordinary market fruit, as there might be between a peach and a pumpkin.
Pecan Culture. — Pecan nut culture is found profitable in some localities. The Swin- den Pecan Orchard Company has 780 acres in an orchard. It is at Brownwood, situated 120 miles Southwest of Fort Worth, Texas. Some wild trees are from 40 to 60 feet high, and from two to three feet in diameter. The culti- vated trees commence to bear at from seven to ten years' old. A fifteen year old tree will bear from 8 to 10 bushels. Old trees have been known to produce 40 bushels. The timber is valuable as well as the nuts. The 780 acres were bought for $125,000. Onh' 400 acres, however, are as yet planted with the trees.
That the readers of Meehans' Monthly may see the vast difference between the wild pecan and cviltivated varieties, illus- trations are presented with this through the kindness of The vSwinden Pecan Co.
Spraying Fruit Trees. — The spraying of fruit trees in order to destroy injurious para- sitic fungus and destructive insects has now almost become as regular a part of gardening work as weeding and in other ways cultivating the garden crop; but it requires just as much judgment as any other department of garden- ing. Sometimes injury results from thestrength of the copper solution. It is well, therefore, to use a small portion of lime, which is believed to be a security against the excess of the other articles. And again, spraying is often a failure through the application not being thorough.
Figure 1 Swiuden.
Forced Fruits and Vegetables. — Referring recently to the vast difference in the quality of a pine-apple, when grown under the super\-ision of an intelligent gardener, and the ordinary- market fruit, reminds us to say that the same is true of many other fruits and vegetables, — and this is one of the strongest arguments for amateur gardening as distinct from the business of growing for market. The one who has a small patch and cultivates it himself has treasures no market can supply, wholU" aside from the pleasure the occupation gives him; while the one
Figure 2. Stuart.
Figure 3. Van Deman.
Figure 4. Comtnon Wild Pecan.
62
MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[April
The under surface will sometimes be missed, or the spraying machine put in a position where the upper surface of the leaves receives little of the spraying mixture. It is not wise to spray when there is a probability" of rain soon following, as in that case the mixture is washed off, and, if b}" chance rain does follow, another application should be made. Many of these suggestions come to persons of good judgment, but unfortunately these are not in the majority of those who have to do garden work.
Improved Chestnuts. — The persevering ef- forts of the Parrys, Parr}- P. O., N. J; towards the improvement of nuts, and chestnuts in par- ticular, call for considerable praise, as, to these efforts is doubtless due the popularity' of nut culture which is constantly increasing. Thej- have in hand the Japanese, Spanish and American species, from which many varieties have already been obtained. They are a recog" nized authority on nuts, and have issued a pamphlet on the subject, "Nuts for Profit."
Fires to Protect Orchards. — On page 8 of your January number, with some observa- tions of Wm. vSaunders upon the ascent of warm air, for a text, you seem inclined to ques- tion the idea of protecting orchards from light frosts b}' smoke, and express the opinion that spraying with water would be more philo- sophical. I think that item must have l)een written on the spur of the moment, and that you will hardh' endorse it yourselves. I be- lieve it is a well established fact that even quite tender plants will go through a prett}- severe frost unscathed, if the rajs of the sun are intercepted in the earlj' morning bj- clouds, until the temperature rises sufficiently to thaw out all the frost, and a dense cloud of smoke will produce the same result. I believe it is an equally well established fact that when our first autumn frosts follow a severe drouth, it requires a temperature about 5° lower to pro- duce a killing frost than in a wet season, because of the greater evaporation of moisture and the consequent increased abstraction of heat; and why will not spraying with water (unless in large quantit}' and continuovis through the night) produce a similar effect ? I really cannot see what the principle of the
ascent of warm air has to do with either case.
Hammoutou.N. J. WxM. F. BASSETT.
Mr. Bassett's position is correct as regards a cloud of smoke. If a cloud of smoke could be retained over an orchard, until the temperature advanced beyond the freezing point, it should be beneficial. But dealing wdth the question of a fire, aside from the smoke question, the points are that warm air could not rise until cooler and heavier air forced it upwards. In other words, rarifying the air lets the cool air in.
Mersereau Blackberry. — The Mersereau is said to be a sport from the Snj-der. Prof. Bailey says of it:
"A variet3' resembling Snyder and derived from it. Some four 3'ears ago the originator noticed an extra large, strong bush among his Snj'ders and began to propagate from it. He is now gradually changing his whole planta- tion over to this new variety; it is one of the most promising varieties I know."
The American Pomological Society. — The meeting of the famous American Pomo- logical Society is to be held in Philadelphia this year, on September 7th and 8th. It promises to be one of the most popular in the history of the society'. Circulars with pro- gramme and particulars may be had of the Secretary, W. A. Taylor, 55 Q Street, N. E., Washington, D. C.
New Plum, Mary. — While the comparative- h- new Japanese plums have become deservedlv popular, man}- persons still feel attached to the flavor of the European class, and like to have a few trees in their orchard.
The Mar}- is a new yellow variet}- strongl}- recommended by Storrs & Harrison Co., Painesville, Ohio. It is of the delicious Gage class.
New Cabbage. — Van Namen's Excelsior Dutch Cabbage is one of the new candidates for public favor. Its chief luerits are said to consist in its lateness, and the round, .solid snow-white heads. Like the old saying, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating," the best recommendation of an}- noAelty is in the result of a fair test.
BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
SPRING'S GREETING.
The zeplijTS after lengthy frost, how mild I Lo, violets fresh bring me a begging child. 'Tis sad, that thus Spring's greetings first
should be Presented me by hand of poverty". And 3'et, the pledge of happN- daNS the more I prize, since offered by affliction sore. Thus to posterity our ills do 1)ring, Foreboding better times, the hope of Spring.
Lenau.
(Translated from the German b\- Henry I).
Wireman.)
Rev. J. Hermann Wiube. — The ablest bot- anists are not always among those the best known. Of these humble but able devotees of the amiable science, was the Rev. J. H. Wibbe, rector of the Roman Catholic Church at Schen- ectady, New York. His love for plants had a wide influence on all around him. The Globe of Utica sa3^s of him: —
"Father Wibbe maintained a conservator\- which cost him wxd.ny thousands of dollars and which contained the finest collection of palms, orchids, banana plants and other rare and trop- ical species in this vicinity. He had made this phase of nature a life stud}- and was regarded as one of the leading botanists in this country. At one time he was assistant botanist at the vSmithsonian Institute and the Ignited vStates Department of Agriculture at Washington, and in 1877, President Hayes appointed him to classify the flora of the far west."
He was born at Munster, in Germany, Sep- tember 25, 1848, and came to America in 1S70. He died on the 7th of January-.
Anemone. — The value of good poetr\-, as a guide to correct pronunciation, is well illus- trated in the quotation from Percival in the March issue of Meehans' Monthly. It will be noted that the poet pronounces the name of the flower An-e-mo-ny, iUvStead of A-nem-o-nv, as is the general practice. Percival is right from the classical standpoint ; but it is custom that gives law to language, and the latter is the pronunciation in general use.
Fox-Glove. — B. A., Toronto, saj-s:— " The histon,- of plant names has an interest for all persons of intelligence. Would it be asking for too much space that the conductors give their own version as to the derivation of Fox-glove ? From what word could ' fox ' possibly be cor- rupted, as suggested in the recent chapter on this plant ? "
It is not safe to appear plus sapit quam Thales, as the old Romans might say. It is, however, admitted that the word, glove, is a corruption of an old continental word signif}-- ing bells. Another continental word isfaitx, which signifies false. False, or imitation, bells, would have a fair meaning in connection with these flowers. The objection might be that the modern French people pronounce faux, fo, — but old-time English people, when they adopted foreign words, often put their own style of pronunciation to them, as in Paris, and other instances. That they should come to pro- nounce yfl'//.r, fox, is not more improbable than many other far-fetched explanations of the name fox-glove. Fox-glove may stand for false bells, as for something else.
City P.\rks and Open Srvces. — The Second Report of the American Park and Out-door Art Association should be read bv every one inter- ested in this great element in the progress of public parks as aids to civilization. The work undertaken by this Association is wholly for the public good. It is rare to find any bod 3- of men and women banded together for a less selfish purpo.se. It is pleasant to note b\' this report that the society is meeting with encour- agement. One of the difficulties the societ\- finds in the wa\- is the utter ignorance of gardening matters that everj-where prevails. One speaker, at the annual meeting of the societ}', reported that the^- prepared labels for the park trees, but could find no one who knew the trees — and another reported that he asked a number of citizens supposed to be intelligent, the name of a remarkably beautiful tree near their homes. But though thousands passed the tree da'l\', he could not find one who knew
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64
MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AN'D LITERATURE.
[April
any name for it, though it was the common Ailantus. Copies of the report may be had b\- enclosing a stamp for postage to Warren H. Manning, Secretary, 1146 Tremont Building, Boston, Mass.
Alfred Bridgeman.— Usually, honors are sought, — and, too frequently, the parties them- selves write their own laudations. Hence there is seldom need of corrections. In our volun- tary tribute to the honorable career of the Bridgemans, a correction is necessary. Mr. Geo. Ivorenz is not the manager of the City Seed-house, but of the greenhouses in Astoria. The proprietor and manager of the "Alfred Bridgeman Seed-house." now, is Mr. ICdward A. Peth.
Flora ok Pennsylvania. — Mr. Joseph Crawford, Chairman of the Committee on Bot- any of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy-, has prepared a catalogue of the PMora of Penn- sylvania. He enumerates over 2000 species. The pamphlet is entitled • 'Pennsylvania Pterid- ophyta and Spermatophyta," which, being in- terpreted, means the flowering plants and ferns, though the allies of ferns are included in the lists.
Plants of the Cape of Good Hope. — In noting the death of Mr. John Lee, of the Plam- mersmith Nursery, near London, on the 20th of Januarv, in his ninety-fourth year, the London Gardeners' Chronicle states that he and the Empress Josephine of France, in partnership, sent Francis Masson to the Cape of Good Hope, to introduce the beautiful flowers of that region to European gardens. In this connec- tion it ma}" be of interest to note that a large portion of Masson 's Herbarium is preserved in the collections of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
N.vture Teaching in the Public Schools. — The modern idea that education is best ser\^ed by teaching the young to see, compare, and judge for themselves, is producing remarkably good fruits. Nature studies are now an essen- tial part of a school curriculum. Publishers are not slow to see the trend of the stream, and books of this class are numerous. An able contribution is by the Prang-Taber Art Co. , of Boston. They are issuing in serial form.
"Wayside Flowers," by L. Schuyler Mathews. The illustrations are in pen and ink studies, and the descriptions so brief and pointed as to be intelligible to a child. ' ' Botany made eas3^" might be an additional title to these " Wavside Flowers.'"
Geography of the Passion Flower. — A correspondent kindly calls attention to a para- graph in the chapter on the Passion Flower, which states that all the many species of Pas- sion flowers are natives of the American Con- tinent; while another paragraph in the same chapter sa^'s: " with possibly some half dozen exceptions the Passion flowers are natives of the New World."
The exact facts are that one species has been found in China, one in the Himalayan Moun- tains of the Iva.st Indies, and thirteen in Aus- tralia and the Islands of the Pacific Ocean.
^lElNilEI^/^L MOTES,
New Park at Hartford. — The reproach of America, that it has not })rofited by the Old World civilization, as to the actual necessity of parks and breathing places for its growing cities, is being rapidly and happih- wiped out in various directions. Newspapers continuallj' bring word of the openings of new parks in various directions. One of the most recent is Riverside Park, Hartford. Connecticut. This is 68 acres in area, and cost for its improve- ment about $750 an acre. It is situated in the most denseh- populated part of the city, where such a park should be, and combines play- ground ideas with park beauties. It appears to be one of a chain of connected parks that this enlightened city proposes to form.
The Park Commission of Hartford appear to be an enlightened body of men. Mr. Patrick Garvin, the President of the Board, and our good correspondent. Dr. Gordon Russell, one of the oldest members of the Board, made happ}- addresses at the opening.
Hybridity. — The Royal Horticultural vSoci- ety of London has arranged for a congress to meet in the first week in July, in which the subject of hybridit}^ alone is to be discussed. Professors Bailey and Meehan, from this side of the Atlantic, have been invited to be pres- ent and give addresses.
V ' .'1..1, \.
Plate N^ 5.
Lv\
■^ VULGy\Rl5.
CALLUNA VULGARIS.
HEATHER. NATURAL ORDER, ERICACE^.
Calldna vulgaris, Salisbury. — A foot or less high, in broad tufts, more or less whitish-tomentose or glabrale; branches four-sided by the imbricated leaves: these minute, three-sided, grooved on the back; flowers appearing in summer, crowded on the brauchlets, as if spicate or racemose, commonly f^ecund, rose-colored or sometimes white. Gray's Synoptical Flora of North America, — also Manual of Botany of (he Northern United States, by the same author; and Britton and Brown's lilustrated Flora of the Northern United Slates.
It was the scope of this undertaking to illus- trate only the native flowers and ferns of the United States, in its. strictest sense. Those introduced from other countries since the ad- vent of the white man were to be excluded. The beautiful and famous plant now illustrated was not known in our country till the middle of the nineteenth centurj-. There is no evi- dence satisfacton,' to the author that it is truly an indigenous plant, and not a waif from the Old World. But as it has been admitted as a truly native plant by Dr. Asa Gray and other eminent botanists, and will for all time prob- ably appear as such in their works, there is no alternative but to admit it to a place in our collection.
One need scarcel}^ say that Callutta vulgaris is the famous "Heather" of the Old World, — a plant which, under this name, has entered into English literature to an extent which even the rose or the violet could scarcely lay claim. In the early part of the nineteenth century, it was known as Erica vulgaris. Erico was the name applied by Pliny to .the heath, — the one now known as Erica Mcditerraneana being probably the one with which he was acc^uainted. Travellers speak of its striking beaut}^ in the natural scenery of the Mediterranean region. It is the species our poet Percival refers to when describing Greece from iSIount Helicon.
" now the mountain.
Lifted above the forest region, glows
With flowering shrubs, that scatter odorous
airs, Sweet as from Eden, — purple heath and
balm, And lushing beds of thyme, and bright laburnvim."
Plinv savs that from this erico the bees
made a ver\- fine kind of honey which went under the name of Mel ericceum. But Salis- bur\', an eminent English botanist, called at- tention to some peculiar characters, distin- guishing it from all other Ericas. He pro- posed for it a distinct position in classification, — and Erica vulgaris of Linnaeus thus became Calluna vulgaris of Salisbury. The distinc- tion is certainly very striking, and \'et it is remarkable that of the many hundreds of species of Erica known in the Old W^orld, the South of Africa, especially, only this one should present these special characters. This is connected with the calyx. Ericaceous flowers are monopetalous, but one would think that the flowers of Calluna were divided into four petals. To illustrate this point, the enlarged flower. Fig. 3, 'may be examined. But in truth, what appears to be four pink petals are four sepals or divisions of the calyx, which have been unusually enlarged, so as to enclose the monopetalous corolla, and has assumed the rosj' pink tinge the corolla ought to have had. To replace the ordinar}' calyx, four normal leaves have become enlarged and serv^e as calyx-like bracts to the real calyx. The com- mon name, heather, however, clings to it yet. It was proposed when Calluna was separated from Erica proper, that it should be known as Ling,, while Heather should be retained for the other three species of the old genus, which is found to a limited extent in various English localities. But this has not been generall}^ adopted. When heather is referred to in Eng- lish literature, the plant here illustrated is understood. The well known lines of Sir Walter Scott in "Lady of the Lake," describ- ing the Stag hunt, may be given in illustra- tion.
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66
MEEHANS MONTHLY- -CALLUNA VULGARIS.
[May
'"As chief, who hears his warder call, 'To arms! the foemen storm the wall,' The antler'd monarch of the waste
Sprung from his heather\- couch in haste.
* * * " * *
Then as the headmost foes appeared With one brave bound the copse he cleared, And, stretching forward free and far vSought the wild heaths of Uam-var. "
In prose as in poetr}' this species is the heather. Dickens sa3\s, in "David Copperfield," "And now the unseen heather lies in mounds and bunches underneath a covering of snow." English literature would weaken its inspira- tion if, for Heather, Ling were to be substituted. In the ancient English language, a broad waste piece of land was known as a Heath, and the common name, heather, is supposed to be derived from this. Hundreds of acres of sandy or gravelly ground would be completely covered b3' it.
The idea of our plant being a true native of America would have been deemed ridiculous. When the poet Percival first referred to it as a native of Vermont, in his "Ode to a dried up Lake," his inclusion of the heath among the flowers which suffered was criticised b\- botan- ists, and considered allowable only under the "poet's license," though still with the reser- vation that Shakespeare would not have blundered so.
"There the dark fern flings on the night-wind's
wings Its leaves like the dancing feather, And the whip-poor-will's note seemed gently
to float From the deep purple-brown of the heather. ' '
But about the middle of the centurj- a few plants were found in a bog about 20 miles from Boston. Other plants have since been found in other places, but no one found any plants that appeared to be over twelve gears' old when discovered. But the desire, to feel that America as well as the land of Burns had a vested right to the famous plant, was ver}- strong, and there sprung up an unusual interest in the subject. Whittier's pretty lines were felt to be real — both in bod}' as well as spirit. —
"No more these simple flowers belong To Scottish name and lover, — Sown in the common soil of song They bloom the wide world over.
In smiles and tears, in sun and showers
The minstrel and the heather. The deathless singer, and the flowers
He sang of life forevei.
Wild heather-bells and Robert Burns!
The moorland flower and peasant! How, at their mention memory turns
Her pages old and pleasant. ' '
Since these discoveries the plant has spread so much that it threatens to destroy some cran- berr}- plantations. It would have done this ages ago, if it had been a true native. The locality given in the meeting of the Torre}' Botanical Club of September 10, 1878, near Egg Harbor Citj-, New Jersey-, was visited by the author, and the plants were proved to have been introduced.
An interesting ])oint in the history- of many plants is the peculiar geological tastes that so man}' of them indicate. In the present in- stance there seems to be a special love for soil that contains a more than usual store of oxide of iron. The barren heaths of the Old World are said to owe this reputation to the large pro- portion of this mineral that it contains. But this just suits the heath, — and thus we find it abounding in those localities where this condi- tion prevails. Those who desire to cultivate the plant will do well to remember this fact. It has been stated b}' some of those who argued in the first instance, that the plant was not a genuine native of our countr}', that they had failed to get it to grow, and it was hastily con- cluded that the heather would not grow in America. The fact was that the plant's require- ment had been overlooked. Planted in soil uncongenial to its growth, it exhibited its dis- like of that treatment. On the grounds of the author, where it has decomposed gneiss abound- ing in per-oxide of iron, it thrives in great luxuriance.
Another useful lesson is, however, conveyed by a study of the heather. Plants will, at times, make sacrifices of some conditions favor- able to growth, when others desirable are pres- ented. In this case we find a plant that seems especiall}- adapted to dr}', barren wastes in Eng- land, favored b}- a mineral element they en- jo}', thriving with equal luxuriance in New England cranberr}' bogs. In this case the feeding rootlets are not in the water, but in the moss on the surface. The air in the moss, is the mineral equivalent.
ExpLAN.^TioN OF THE Pi.ATE. — I. A flowcritig bracch painted from s^pecimeu sent by Mr. Jack.sou Dawson, in August. 2 Branchlet with ripening fruits. 3 Enlarged flower showing the enlarged caly.K lobes. 4. Anther enlarged.
WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
HIAWATHA ON THE PRAIRIE.
All the air was full of freshness, All the earth was bright and joyous, All before him, through the sunshine, Westward toward the neighboring forest Passed in golden swarms the Ahmo, Passed the bees, the honey-makers. Burning, singing in the sunshine.
Toward the sun his hands were lifted, Both the palms spread out against it. And between the parted fingers Fell the sunshine on his features, Flecked with light his naked shoulders. As it falls and ilecks an oak tree Through the rifted leaves and branches.
— Longfellow.
A Little Voyage down Forked River. — Forked River, in New Jerse}', is one of numer- ous tributaries of Barnegat Ba}', and is so- called, I believe, because the confluence of several streams from the Pine Barrens into one, a short distance from the Bay, suggests a fork with its prongs. A mile or so back from the Bay, and situated on one of these "prongs," is the village of Forked River, known from time immemorial to lovers of rod and gun as one of the best sporting resorts on the coast. To the botanist, it presents unusual advantages for the study of the rich flora of southern New Jersey. Pine barrens, cedar swamps and peat bogs; fresh water ponds and meadows, and flowing streams; salt marshes and seabeach sands — such are the varied hunting grounds accessible in a few minutes' walk from any of the several comfortable hostelries with which the place is provided.
Spending a couple of daj's there, early last September, I was much interested, one morn- ing, in noting the floral panorama that gradu- ally unfolded itself along the shores of the river as the stream wound through the meadows to the Ba}-. Embarking in a rowboat at "mine host's" barn, where the "river" was but two or three feet deep and hardU^ wide enough to ad- mit of the use of the oars, I began the voyage se Award in the dark shadow of a great cedar
swamp, from whose shrubby borders the grace- ful forms of asters would now and again rise to view, or drop their pretty flowers over the limpid, amber waters. Aster ncmoralis and A. Novi-Belgiiy\?iX. dodes were especiallj^ interest- ing and beautiful, with good sized heads bear- ing violet rays. The narrow-leaved sunflower (Hclia)ithus angiistifolius) was also here, its large yellow blooms growing like suns, sure enough, in the woods' shade. And here, too, were some plants of Er>-ngo {Eryngmni Vir- ginianinn), the gray balls of umbelled flowers jewelled with drops of dew.
As we get clear of the woods and emerge in- to the meadows bathed in the pleasant sun- shine of the early autumn morning, the shores are bright with a luxuriant display of the yel- low hXossomsoi He leni urn aidumnalc, one of the most charming of our native flowers, inter- mingled with thescarcel}^ less attractive Coreop- sis trichosperma. Upon both margins of the river, the Withe-rod {]'iburnum rmduni) is abundant, the bushes at this season adorned with a profusion of half-ripe fruit, arranged in flat-topped clusters of red and white — a strik- ing displa3\
As the boat drops further down the stream, purple Gerardias give a dash of livel}- color to the broad expanse of green meadow, to which, too sober tints are given by patches of brown-fruit- ed rushes and sedges (notably Cladium maris- 'coides), and by the Eryngo's gray heads, which appear again in greater abundance than they did a while ago back in the cedars. Everywhere, along the low shores, dots of white betoken the presence of the modest but ever graceful little Break-rush {Rhyncospora alba); and now and then the Cardinal-flower {Lobelia cardinalis) flashes a fier}- signal to us from the bank. The Arrow Arum {Pdtandra Virgiuica) forms popu- lous colonies in the shallows, its fruit-enclos- ing spathes bent point downward, as though contemplating standing on their heads in the mud. They do, it is said, immerse the fruit, at maturity, in the water in which the plants stand.
(67)
68
MEKHANS MONTHLY — WIT.D FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[May
When we reach the salt water that flows in from the Bay, there is a distinct change in the shore flora. The broad, wet meadows are here covered with a growth of Salt-meadow grass (Spartina Juncea) which, when cnt and dried, becomes the "salt ha^-" well-known in the cities; and, dotted throngh the grass, are the clustered brown spikelets of the Sea Clnbnish {Scirp2is maritimus). The bright-eyed flowers of the Sea pink {Sabbatia stellaris) nod gail}' at us from the river's brink, and with them is a low composite with thickish leaves and flat corymbs of ray less, flesh -colored blossoms, which is found to be the Marsh Fleabane {Pluchea camphorata.) Growing all about in the grass, and liable to be overlooked unless we run our boat close alongside the bank, are the fat little plants of the Seaside Gerardia {G. maritimd) — a miniature double of the Purple Gerardia — with corollas a quarter to half an inch across, but with leaves of fleshy texture. Here, too is the curious Aster subulatus, a maritime species with very narrow leaves, becoming awl-shaped oi: the branches, and bearing numerous heads of dull flowers apparentlj^ ray- less, but found, on examination, to possess nearly a double row of ray florets, which, how- ever, do not project beyond the disk. Con- spicuous along the banks, are bushy clumps of a plant with the habit of the common elder, but with fleshy leaves and numerous small heads of greenish composite flowers, disposed in racemes and nodding on their stalks. This is the Marsh Elder or Ilighwater Shrub {Iva frutescens,) — a characteristic plant of the sea- coast. Both by the river and far away across the salt marshes, the Seaside Solidago {S. scmpervirens) displays its rich, green foliage and lifts its cheerful panicles of golden flowers, * ver}^ children of the sun.
Nearing the bay side, we find the meadows all blushing with the presence of the rudd}- Samphire {Salicornia), three species of which are found on the New Jersey Coast. But a far prettier denizen of these salty meadows, and one which we now find in full bloom amidst the Salicornias, is the Sea Lavender or ]\Iarsh Rosemary {Staticc Caroliniana) — a plant that sends up from amid a cluster of root-leaves, which are delicately reddened and yellowed by the autumn weather, a much branched, leafless stem covered with a multitude of exquisite little flowers, lavender-colored. " Gathered and
set in a slender-necked vase at home, these flowering branches are among the prettiest of decorations for a mantel or shelf, retaining throughout the winter all their original grace of form and much of their delicacy of color. Close to the water's edge, the tall Salt Reed-grass {Spartina polystac/iya) grows in pro- fusion, crowned with great spiked racemes of flowers. The rank stalks are six or eight feet or more high, growing in dense masses, and looking from afar like patches of close-sown corn. They bend gracefully before the rising breeze from the bay, whose waters being now in sight, our voyage down Forked River comes to a close. C. F. Saunders.
Philadelphia.
Varl\tions in vStrawherries. — Prof Bai- ley shows the Independent how a new species of strawberry was made. He remarks that he was taken to task for calling it a new " spe- cies." He set out plants of the Chiloean Strawberry, received from Oregon, and they — the same plants — developed, in three years, " far away" from the original form. The "far away" consisted in this that instead of a squat, blue-leaved, short-trussed, densely hairy plant, the leaves the third year were " tall growing, green-leaved, high-trussed, and thinly hairy,"
As the writer has seen it growing on the Northern Pacific Coast, the Fragaria Chilo'ensis is generally found on barren sandy wastes formed by erosion through the glaciers. They are then ' ' squatty ' ' and so on as Prof Bailey describes his plants to have been. But when some plants are found in richer soil, they grow as the Professor's three-year plants appeared, and many other variations may be seen. That luxuriance will somewhat change characters indicated, is well known to gardeners; but these changes would hardly warrant the claim that it was an argument for evolution. That evolution, in some form, may be a fact, is con- ceded; but arguments drawn from mere luxur- iance do not help the cause.
Rooting out Rare Wild Flowers. — Par- ties who go to well-known localities for rare plants, to root out specimens, write to the papers that some vandal had been there and rooted them all out in advance of their own visits.
1899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
69
Zamia INTEGRIFOLIA. — Cootitic, OX Florida arrow roof. The Zamia seems to be a sur- vival of the old order of vegetation, of which we now find representatives in a fossil state. As connecting the present with the past, these plants are especially interesting. The order of cj'cads to which tliej^ belong had many species, and their remains in a fossil con- dition are found over the greater part of North
good botanists have never seen the whole plant.
The sexes are on separate plants. This appears to be male, but we have no direct knowledge of the fact.
It is occasionally known as Tuckahoe, though this name properly belongs to quite another thing. Its most usual designation is "Coon- tie, ' ' the name applied to it by the Seminoles.
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ZAMIA INTEGRIFOLIA.— Coontie ot the Indians.
America. To-day this is the only representa- tive in the United States, and indeed there are but 9 genera and 45 good species found over the whole earth. Our specimen is illustrated from a photo, kindly sent by Anderson and Price, Ormond, Florida, and is fastened to a stake in order to show the whole root structure. As the trunk or root is almost wholly under- ground, and the plant difficult to get at, man}'
The pith furnishes a fine form of arrow root, — the " White meal" of the Indians, on which, it is said thej' almost wholly subsisted during the Seminole war.
It is only found in lower portions of Florida.
Zamia proper is now confined chiefly to the New World. The African forms, formerly in- cluded in the genus, are now removed to Encephalartos.
70
MEEHAXS' MOXTHLV — WILD FLOWERS AXP XATURE.
[May
Lindens .vnd Hoxev Bees. — Mrs. Wilhel- niine Seligrer says: — " Page 39. in your March number, about trees and flowers, my obser\-a- tion goes that our honey bees find their espe- cial favorites without their being guided by colors. Then just our colorless blossoms are notably A-isited by great numbers of bees. Their flowers are those of Rhus copallina. and of our sumachs. — also the native woodbine when in bloom, Ampt'lopsis or Virginian Creep- er. The Linden trees, too. are humming from the swarms of industrious bees, when they are in bloom, and we cannot realh- say that their flowers have a guiding color.
In speaking of lindens, I do not find a cer- tain species of it catalogued which of late has received great praise in Germany. — it is the Oriental Linde. Tilia dasystyla Stev. {Tilia cuchlora, (Koch), or the Krim Linde, (Cri- mea). Also one named Tilia tomentosa or the Hungarian Silver Linde."
WTiat has been known as the Hungarian Silver Linden is catalogued in the Meehan nurseries as T. Europcra var. argentea, and a large tree is on the specimen grounds. It was originally introduced from the Old World as Tilia alba of Waldstein's plants of Hungar\-; and the T argentea of D. C. both of which are now referred to T. tomentosa of Moench. But seedlings from this tree have a large num- ber of the common English Linden, pure and simple, among them. The name adopted in the catalogue is therefore, that of DeCandolle reduced to a varietal rank.
Usually it is of no importance to a horticul- turist to have the author's names quoted, in connection with a name in general use. In the case of these Lindens, it is. For instance, it is not Tilia dasystyla of Stev.. but the T. dasystyla of Loudon, that is synonymous with T. cuchlora.
Wild H.\wkweeds. — One of our Philadel- phia subscribers reports finding Hieraciiim aurantiacum in a wild state at Saratoga Springs, X. Y. This rather pretty, orange-red hawk- weed is a Europ>ean si>ecies that has become naturalized in the New England States. — to such an extent, in fact, that it has become one of the farmers' pests in some parts. It is a com- posite, somewhat resembling a dandelion, its near relative, and seeding freeU' it is easily .scattered. It also increases rapidly by stolons.
Another hawkweed. better known as Rattle- snake-weed, is Hieracium venosum. It is plen- tiful in woods around Philadelphia and throughout the eastern, central States. The growth is taller — about two feet — and there are few or no leaves beyond those directly at the base, which are rather attractive by their pro- nounced purple veins. Both species bloom all summer.
P.A.ssiFLOR.\ rNC.\RN.\T.\. — A Correspondent from Winter Park. Florida, says: — " I was much interested in the article on Passi flora incarnata in the Februar\- number of the Monthly. This is a ver\- common plant in this region, growing along fences, in vacant lots, and in other waste places, and with its odd and conspicuous blossoms is one of our most attractive and interesting spring flowers. The fruit is called ' ' May Pop' ' by the country |>eople here, and it is often made into jelly, jellifsing easih', and j-ielding a ver\- palatable product.
There are five other species of Passiflora found in Florida."
Lyco podium inl'nd.xtum, and F.\iry Rings. — Dr. B. L. Robinson notes in Rhodora. that the Marsh Club-Moss, Lycopodium intnidatum, when gro\\'ing in damp sand, and with an un- obstructed field before it, grows in circular patches resembling a cart-wheel, the living f>or- tion at the outer edge of the circle being the rim of the wheel, and the dead portion of previous years resembling the spokes. The appearance is suggestive of the fain,--rings, caused by a species of fungus which progresses, from 3-ear to year from one original centre, beneath the surface of the ground, in the same manner.
PRE>LATt'RE DEATH OF FOREST PiNES. — A
Luzerne Co., Pa. correspondent writes that many native pine trees in that section are de- caying prematurely-, and inquires the cause and a remedy-.
Without detailed information, it may be supp>osed these trees are suffering from a root fungus to which they are occasionally' subject. Lime spread on the surface of the ground would destroy such a fungus. The writer knew of a \Miite Pine that the owner was especially anxious to save. In this case, sul- phur liberalU- applied was successful.
GENERAL GARDENING
JOY FOREVER.
A thing of beaiit\- is a joy for ever; It's loveliness increases. It will never Pass into nothingness. In spite of all Some shape of beauty moves away the pall From our dark spirits. Such the sun. the
moon. Trees old and young, sprouting, a shady boon For simple sheep: and such are Daffodils, With the green world they live in.
— Keats.
A Ple.\ for the Evergreen. — "There are three objects in nature." remarked the quaint old doctor, alive to all he may see or hear on his drives through the country-, "that are beau- tiful in infancy, but e.xtremely ugly when grown up, a little pig, a negro baby, and an evergreen tree."
Not denying the truth of the assertion in regard to the first two. I put in my plea for the evergreen. Ever since I gathered the gupi from the old spruce in the ' 'door yard' ' of m\- childhood home, there has been a tender spot in my heart for all the evergreen family, ^^'hile they have their place, in town, no countr%- landscap)e is complete without them.
While the great varieties admit of individual choice, all are pleasing from the lofty wide- spreading pine to those suitable for the lawns of the most unpretentious homes. The spruce, fir, balsams, cedar, Irish Junipers, not for- getting the arbor-vitje, so useful as screen or hedge.
I delight in the evergreen in the warm sum- mer time as a nesting place for birds. Blue- bird, Robin, Oreole. Brown Thrush. Yellow bird, and Fly-catcher for the past three years have enjoyed the seclusion of the sheltering evergreen surrounding our countr\- home, and a friendly pair of Cat-birds have made them- selves happy amid the boughs of a large spruce overshadowing our piazza. While his mate has been busy attending to household mat- ters, the male bird has made the air reverber- ate with his sone — and far into the summer
night, has he sung on for ver\- gladness. — his lapses, now and then, into catlike calls, only making his clear notes more delightful.
I love the sound of the wind sighing among the branches of the pines. Trees seem like friends with whom you can hold sweet converse without danger of being misunderstood, and the evergreen is no summer friend, but is at its best, when the other trees are leafless and bare.
Was there ever a more beautiful sight than has greeted the eyes looking from our window when "snow bound" some bright sparkling winter morning, the earth so pure and white, even.- object covered with its mantle of snow. The evergreen, with its pliant boughs droop- ing with its beautiful burden, all glistening and glinting in the sunshine.
But an evergreen, to be ' 'a thing of beauty, must grow as nature intended. — not with the lower branches lopped off in a mutilated man- ner, nor trimmed in fantastic sha|>es as the Yew trees of England.
The dark green foliage of these trees is such a fine background for shrubber\- and herbace- ous plants. Peonies, lilies, the Yucca and the like. — all flowering bulbs, roses, and many an- nuals, give the needed coloring to relieve the otherwise too sombre green. By a little care- ful thought, we can do so much to relieve the dreariness of our long, cold northern winters, by a judicious transplanting of some of our native shrubs and vines.
^^"hat more exquisite study in color could one ask for than that given by the soft warm gray of the ^■ine of the bitter sweet, clamber- ing over the Arbor-\-itie hedge, the pale green leaves, and green and white blossom and seed p)ods. such a pleasing contrast to the deep green of the hedge, all through the winter, what a glow of orange and scarlet from the beautiful berries.
Among the shrubs, we have Barberrv- and Black Alder, and some of our native thorns. The hips of our June roses and the Sweet-briar, and some of the Wahoo. •The Spindle Tree
72
MEKHANS .MDNTUUY -GENKKAL (lARDENING.
[May
Family, " are very effective. We have never had given ns for our personal adornment any jewel or gem, that has surpassed the glorified brightness of those strings of coral we made from Wahoo berries in the da^'s gone b}-. If we were onl)' willing to give a few hours of time, and a little labor, and transplant from the woodland a few shrubs, plant a few bulbs, and sow some seeds with the beautiful evergreens, our country lawns can be made very cheerful and at all seasons a joy, and a delight.
Rochester, N. V. vS. W. BOWERMAN.
dwarf nature or small specimens of larger ones, like Himalayan Pine, Lawson's Cypress and vScotch Pine.
The main idea should be to construct the entrance as a whole bringing in pretty features to enliven it and connect all with the estate in harm on v. '
Kntraxce to .V Carri.vge Driveway.— The approach to a residence is one of the most im- portant considerations that confront the land- scape gardener, as first impressions will natur- ally have effect on later ones.
Some tastes will lead persons to construct massive gate-ways, which in themselves may be trul}- magnificent, but which in relation to landscape effect will appear out of place unless the artist can so arrange trees and plants near- by to bring all into harmony.
In the case of a large estate, nothing should appear cramped, hence the entrance will be broad and the corners well-rounded. On the lawn, these corners aflfbrd opportunity for massing shrubbery; and a little further in from these may be an open group of well- selected trees. The choice of these trees and the future of the shrubbery, are matters of con- siderable importance. To the writer's eye, the absence of strict formality is desired, and the trees should therefore be graceful, like the elm, Wier's Maple, Cut-leaved Birch, Yellow Locust, etc. ; and the shrubs be not continually sheared and rounded.
Evergreens in careful assortment take the place of the shrubs ver\' acceptably-, and make the entrance attractive summer and winter; and larger ones may also be used in place of the deciduous trees, — pines are perhaps most fit- ting.
\'ines on walls and gate-posts are always pretty; but especially desirable are the loose- clambering ones like the Virginian Creeper. Let the latter be mingled with English Iv}- for a back-ground and winter effect.
Flower boxes for stone posts filled with sum- mer plants and vines can be easily and tastily arranged and are admired by every one. In winter, they may be replaced by evergreens of
Destruction of the Mole. — A subscriber inquires if the mole is strictly carnivorous, and also how to destroy them.
It is customary' to consider them carnivor- ous, though as recorded in a previous volume, they have been known to live entireh'' on vege- table food from necessity'. Just like human beings, they have a preference, and in all prob- ability roots are seldom touched for food. CTround mice are very destructive, and should be blamed for much that is now laid at the door of the mole.
From various reports, it is evident that the same method of destroying moles will not always answer. vSome people have success with traps consisting of steel prongs set to spring downward when the mole passes be- neath them, the trap being placed over a recent run. A Kentuckj' correspondent claims to have caught five and six a da}- with such traps. Others recommend jjoisoning meat and placing it in their runs. Bisulphide of carbon is also recommended. It is poured into a run, the entrance being immediatelj' covered, while the fumes extend for a' considerable di.stance, kill- ing the ani»ials it may reach.
The greatest success of others is to take notice of the times when the moles usually work, set a boy with a spade to watch the ground and dig up where anj- disturbance of the soil occurs. This is a sure way, and not so expensive and tedious as it may seem without trial.
Earth Worms. — A correspondent of the London Garde/iing Illustrated, calculates that in some parts of England, there are 53.800 worms on an acre of ground, and that the total weight of this number would be 356 pounds. They are on the surface at night-time; and one of the pleasures he finds in gardening is watch- ing the work of the earth-worms b}- lantern light at night. He ranks them among the friends of the gardener, on the whole, though, like other friends, they may prove troublesome at times.
1899]
MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
73
The Magnolia Lotus. — Nelumbium album GR ANDiFLORUM. —It is not the privilege of every- one to enjoy the lovely magnolia, and but few know it is possible for them to have a flower, magnolia-like, though larger, more fragrant, more graceful and of a richer color than our southern magnolias. Such a rival is found, however, in this noble aquatic plant. Its color is of the clearest pearlj^ white, tjie outside of the outer petals being blended with cream at their bases; the texture is fine and uniform, as in JV. roseutn,- the stamens are long, numer- ous and prominent; color bright, sulphur yel- low. The seed pod is of the same rich color, harmonizing exquisiteh' with the beautiful waxy pistils. Both foliage and flower .are stronger and more bulky than the Egyptian Lotus; the flowers open out wider; the petals are broader and less pointed. It is the largest of all the lotuses, often measur- ing three to twelve inches across.
The foliage, in itself, is as showy as that of Caladiutn escu- lentuni, and very attractive aside from the flowers. The seed pods are interesting and the seeds pretty; while its whole culture and habit afford a pleasant fascination about it, rarely pos- sessed by other plants.
Its blooming period extends from June to last of vSeptember. It is one of the l)est to cultivate in tubs or half-barrels, and finds no equal in tanks or open ponds. It has proven perfectly hard}- ever>-where in the United States or Southern Canada, when planted in natural ponds.
The accompanying photo shows a bud, a half open flower, a full bloom four dajs old, and one of the brown, mature seed- pods with one of the large leaves in the back ground.
I have cultivated ever}' variet}' of water lilies and think this the finest of the lotuses.
Geo. B. Moulder.
Washington, D. C, is planted in the mid- dle with Quercus palustris. They are doing well. It is to be regretted that it was not made uniform, as suggested by oiir dear departed friend Mr. Stiles, who saw, approved, and ad- mired the two rows, a half mile long, of this oak, and said 'how grand it would be if con- tinued to the Capitol.' See Garden and Forest, 1893, for his notes on this subject. Quercus rubra, on 12th street, will be a grand double row in the near future, planted four feet from the curb in a continuous strip of parking. ' '
Double Clematis. — Mr. J. P. Server, Phila- delphia, kindly sends a double flower of Clema- tis Jackinauni, from a plant that has hitherto borne the normal single flowers only. The stamens have become petals. It is not known by what law nature works out these vagaries.
Oaks as Street Trees. — Mr. W. R. Smith says: "Pennsyl- vania avenue east of the Capitol,
MAGNOLIA LOTUS--NELUMBIUM ALBUM GR A N Dl FLORU M.
74
MEEHANS MONTHLY GENEKAI, (.ARDEXINC.
[May
Douci.AS vSpruce. — A western evergreen specialist, D. Hill, Dundee, Ills., gives high- est praise of the Douglas Spruce. lie says: —
' ' This is emphatically the tree for the mil- lion. While on a visit to the eastern nurser- ies, I noted in almost everj' instance that it was the most rapid grower of all the conifers. Sometimes the complaint is made that it grows too fast and is not compact enough for the lawn tree, j'et on mj' grounds they seem to have the perfection of form. The foliage is soft and somewhat resembles the Hemlock. In the mountains it is a grand tree. It reaches from the Rockies to the Pacific slope, and our Chief of Forestr}-, B. E. Fernow, tells us that he never on earth saw such a burden of lumber to the acre as that produced by this tree in the west. We are of the mind that the seeds from the Conifers gathered on the Pacific vSlope are tender, while those gathered in Colorado pro- duce hardy trees, which endure both drought and cold.
The lumber of this tree is very strong and is invaluable for timber, joists and scantlings, and makes good lumber for finishing, though like the Plemlock, it is easily split. In color it is like the Red Wood of the Pacific Coast.
I want to call 3'our attention to one feature of this tree. In the deep gorges and on the north side of the mountains, as you reach the high altitudes, you will find them of the deep blue type — literally sparkling with silver. Seen at a distance they are often taken for pioiffct/s.''
George Peabodv Arbor-vit.e. — Thearbor- vitcC is a useful evergreen in many ways. It is ver}' hardy, besides standing a great deal of heat. P'or the South, the Chinese kinds are hardly excelled. The common American species is largely- used for hedges where a quick upright growth is desired: and as a spe- cimen plant, even, it is rather nice where it is permitted to develop properly. The Siberian Arbor-vitae is \iseful for hedging, being of dwarfish, compact growth. Then there are the several kinds of "globe" Arbor-vitse, which assume a perfect, globular shape. These are valuable in certain forms of gardening.
One of the prettiest, perhaps, of the Arbor- vit^es, is one of the several golden forms of the American called George Peabody. The true plant is of a very bright yellow color, making it of great value to include in evergreen groups.
Messrs. Chas. B. Hornor & Son, Mt. Holly, N. J., write that they have specimens six to eight feet in height, which, of this variety, must make verj- ornamental specimens. The character of growth is of the tipright kind, similar to its parent, though it is a much slower grower.
A very interesting variety, which should not be overlgoked, is Tom Thumb. From its delicate-looking, heath-like foliage, one would not suppose it an Arbor-vit?e. Like its name- sake, it is a dwarf.
Pruning the Gingko. — " Some time ago I obtained a Gingko tree. It is growing well, but the main stem has shot up very high and there is scarcel}' any lateral growth. Would you advise me to cut oft' three or four feet from the main trunk in order to induce the growth of the side branches ? ' '
The above inquir\- from a correspondent can only be answered after consulting the taste of the owner of the tree. The description corres- ponds with the usual habit of growth of the Salisburia, and therefore manj- persons would prefer that character for a lawn specimen as being natural and unique. They would not consider making it bushy an}' more than they would lomliardy poplar or deciduous cypress. In fact such a character is distinctly desirable in its place as breaking the sameness of the landvScape.
As an excellent street and shade tree, the (iingko is becoming well-known, and it de- serves all the praise that has been given it. When so used, it follows that the leader must be stopped to induce bushiness. Then our cor- respondent's question would be answered in the affirmative, the operation being best per- formed in earh' summer when the tree is making growth. The few lateral branches will then be encouraged to extend their growth. If pruned when at rest, the tendency of growth is to become more erect than ever.
vSpraying for Insects with a Fertilizer. — There is a two-fold benefit in spraying for scale and similar insects with a solution in which Potash Whale Oil Soap is used. Potash is one of the essential foods of plants, and as much of the spraying mixture reaches the soil as well as the branches and foliage of the trees, the soil is benefited by its application.
1 899]
MEEHANS MOXTHIA' GENERAL CARnKXTNC.
75
Hydrangea paniculata. — It is some fifty years since Siebold made lis acquainted with Hydrangea paniculata , a native of the woods of Japan. This is still comparatively unknown to cultivators, though the variety known as paniculata grand/flora is \&ry common. It is certainly more obtrusive than the parent species by reason of the fact that, as in the common Hydran- gea, or Hortensia, al- most all the flowers are of a petaloid, bar- ren character. In the original species, as shown in the illus- tration, most of the flowers are perfect, only a comparatively few having the bar- ren characteristics. The flower cymes are, therefore, of a much lighter and more graceful charac- ter than in the variety grandijlora. The plant also is a stronger grower, and it makes a far more ornamental s h r u b , than does the well- known variety.
New D w a r v Sweet Pea. — Bur- pee's Bush Sweet Pea is a novelty on this year's market. As the name implies, it is introduced by W. Atlee Burpee &
Co., the noted introducers of sweet peas, of Philadelphia. Their description sa^-s of it : "Grows in perfect bush form. Requires no trellis like tall peas, neither does it hug the ground like the Cupid race. An aver- age bush grows sixteen to eighteen inches high, b}^ from twelve to fourteen inches wide. All the flowers are borne on top of the plant, and the proper way to treat this new type will
be to plant seed in a row, to make a neat, even hedge, when no support will be required. Flowers, in form and color, are a reproduc- tion of the famous Gray Friar^watered purple
on white ground.
THE IH!/^KI^T FLOWEl ^i^l^IEfl.
HYDRANGEA PA N I CU LATA. — ^'oweis Pinkish white
SrCCESSIONAL-BLOOMING BED QF IrIS. —
vSeveral correspond- ents having inquired for information re- garding arrange- ment of iris beds, borders, etc., the fol- lowing is given in response.
A narrow bed along the center of a walk is requested — dimensions 50 feet long by 2 ]/■, feet wide. This would be such a narrow bed, the plan must necessar- ily be carefully made. Different species of iris vary in height of growth from 3 or 4 inches to 3 feet ; and flowers may be had from early spring until late summer. The bed as a whole should be made up of plants that range 2 or 2 Yz feet in height, taller ones being in- terspersed, where de- sired, in ver>' small groups or clumps, and the dwarf ones will form the border. The Japanese Iris (/. liPvigata) are among the tallest of the species, averaging perhaps two and a half feet. The flowers of this type are distinct and remarkably beautiful. Either this or varieties of the Germanica will be the promi- nent feature of the bed — the choice may rest with the owner. Another tall species is /. pseudo-acorus, flowers a pure yellow; it blooms later than the German and before the Japanese.
76
MKEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[May
Louis Van Houtte is a tall German variety, and very pretty, the petals being white, prominently margined with veins of blue. Belamcanda punctata. Blackberry Lily, a close relative of the Iris, is excellent to intersperse, furnishing bloom (in the locality of Philadel- phia) from June to September. Height 2 >^ to 3 feet, slender.
The arrangement of varieties of German or Japanese will depend on the colors obtainable. The writer of this has found a difference in the blooming season between varieties of the Ger- man, the earliest preceding the latest by six weeks. Iris Jiorcntina, white, is also early, as well as /. Pallasii and graminea I. cuprea and Sibirica are among the later ones.
Coming to the border or edging of the bed, we have more uncommon species to deal with. Thev are or should be well-known, but in
CLEMATIS OAVIOIANA. Flowers Blue.
America they have not been very generalh- used. Iris cristata is a charming native species, growing to less than 6 inches in height. Iris piimila is a dwarf European which, with cris- tata, is one of the first to bloom. These fur- nish many variations of color. Iris alata is practically unknown in American gardens. It grows just a little taller and blooms latent of all. In arranging the border, it would be well to have ever}' second plant alata, alternating the other two, and setting alata back a little from the line of the others.
Spanish Iris, /. Xiphium and /. Histrio may be interspersed throughout the bed. They both bloom earl}^ the latter in advance. Being small-rooted, inclined to bulbous, they take but little room, and need not have space pro- vided for them in the plan .
In allotting space, nine inches square each for the main portion, and not more than six for the border, would make an effective bed soon without crowding^ them.
Hybridizing Daffodils. — By crossing the different species or forms, we get some lovely hybrids. Some are splendid in form and color combined, with sweet-scented properties. There is no very great difficult}^ in hybridizing the Narcissi, as there is in some of our stove and greenhouse plants. All that is necessary is to remove the stamens of the flower you are going to operate on with a pair of tweezers or sharp- pointed scissors before it is fully expanded.
Morning is the best time, as the pollen is not so ripe as later in the day, when the flowers are expanded. Dust the pollen of the variety you are going to cross with on the stigma of the flower that is to be the seed-bearing plant; label it, and put a stake to each flower so hy- bridized, so that the wind may not break it off". — Journal of Horticulture.
Clem.vtis D.\vidi.\n.\. — Clematises are well known as handsome woody climbing plants, — but there are a number of them that are beau- tiful herbaceous plants, and among these the one now figured from Gardening Illustrated is a very pretty example. It is a Chinese plant, and received its name in compliment to Mr. David, an eminent botanist, who has done much to enlighten us on Chinese botany.
The leaves resemble some of the umbelli- ferous plants, — indeed, C. Davidiana is be- lieved not to be essentially different from the cow-parsnip clematis, described many years ago as C. heraclcee/olia, by De Candolle.
FKMITJ
AMb
:^ET/^PLES.
Mushrooms on Lawns. — A Philadelphia correspondent desires to have Mushrooms grow among the grass on his lawn, and asks how to go about "sowing the seed." The mushroom "seed" is the fine black dust that is expelled from a ripening mushroom. It takes profound gardening skill to get these to grow, and it is only attempted bj' those who make virgin spawn a business. Spawn is the real mush- room plant of which the mushroom itself is the inflorescence. This is the cob-web-like materi-
1899]
MEEHAXS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENINCi.
n
al that gives the mushroom-odor to the earth in which mushrooms grow. It is not destroyed by dessication; but will live for years in a con- dition of absolute dr\-ness. In this state the plant is sold by seedsmen in the form of mush- room bricks, — the plant having been made to grow thoroughly through the brick material, before entireh' dried. These bricks are broken in pieces about the size of walnuts, and plant- ed by those who cultivate mushrooms. Broken in pieces and planted in the lawn, the corres- pondent could have mushrooms. But, a little gardening knowledge is necessary. If planted at the wrong time, the spawn would rot away. It will only start to grow under a temperature of 60°, — and should be planted only when the soil is in a condition for the spawn's growth. The proper course to take is to test the earth by a thermometer about mid-summer, and^ when the earth is found to be about this tem- perature, set out the brick pieces between one or two inches deep, treading the loosened earth compactly after the planting. Old grass}- lawns are better than young ones, for it is believed that the fungus on dead grass roots favors the development of the mushroom fungus.
Strawberry, Eleanor. — Several months ago, an item headed " Eleanor Strawberry," strayed from its caption, and said nothing about that berry. Although we did not directh^ introduce this variet\-, it originated here, and we first brought it to the notice of the intro- ducer, and naturally take a special interest in it; but independent of all this, I have never found a better berrj- in qualit}-, either early or late. It is a vigorous-growing sort, making plants quite freely, but on very short runners; and the foliage is very healthy and the ber- ries, with us, are large and hold their size well through the season. As a second early, we give it first place, and we have tested a great many varieties. Of course, no one variety will succeed equallj- well ever}' w'here, and in watching reports from various sections, we find Eleanor very highly praised b}* some and con- demned by others.
Hammonton, N. J. Wm. F. BASSETT.
size: Sample, 461 oz. ; Brandywine, 362 oz. ; Howard No. 14, 350 oz. ; Gand}- Belle, 327 oz. ; Glen Mar\', 326 oz. ; Maximus, 309 oz. ; Isabella, 306 oz. ; Clyde, 299 oz. The Clj'de did not do as well as it promised on account of wet weather. The Sample we class as medium in qualit}- and above average in size. This is for rather heavv soil."
Prolific Straw^berries. — Prof. S. T. M^a.y- nard, of Amherst, Mass., saj's: "The yield of eight leading (strawberry) varieties this sea- son stands as follows, each plant all the same
Close Root-Pruning Trees. — It must be evident to all who grow wise with j'ears that the true philosophy of success in tree planting is not 3'et perfectly understood. It is not un- common to see trees furnished with what the planter regards a magnificent mass of roots, and planted with the utmost care and skill prove astounding failures. Indeed, deaths among well rooted trees are often in greater proportion than trees that have what might be termed ver}- poor roots. Wh\- should this be?
This question derives more importance from statements made by responsible parties that fruit trees with the roots severely pruned are more successful than trees with the ordinary supply. Old planters shrug their shoulders at this, and well they may. Still, it is proper to see what there may be in the novel sugges- tions.—
Prof J. Troop, of the Indiana Experiment vStation, says: —
"In order to determine whether close root- pruning would be suitable for this climate or not, an experiment was begun on a small scale last spring in which four trees each of standard and dwarf pears, Pearly Richmond cherry, Ger- man prune, peach and quince were selected for trial. The trees were two years' old and as uni- form in size as it was possible to get them. Two trees of each of these varieties were pruned so that not more than an inch or two of the roots remained, and the tops were entirely removed. A hole with a two-inch stick was all that was needed in setting. The other two trees were planted in the ordinary wa}', leaving all the roots on the tree. Before plant- ing, the trees were all photographed, and after they had completed the season's growth they were taken up and photographed again.
The result of this experiment showed that the peach was capable of producing a magni- ficent root system and a top to correspond, even after being deprived of all its roots and
7i<
MEKHANS M()Nrni,V — GKNHKAI, CAKDKXINC.
[May
branches at the start. The dwarf pear also made a fine growth, producing a finer root development than the trees which were not pruned. The standard pear was not quite so good, and the German prune and cherry were next in order. The cherry' made but ver}- little growth, barely enough to maintain life. The quinces both died."
There is one thing we ma}' remember in all this, that is, until the old roots throw out the new white fibres they are of no manner of use to the transplanted tree. This being granted, it is a fair question whether pruning roots will or will not favor the desirable new white fibres. Continued experiments may result in great practical value.
HvRUiniziNG Ai'i'i.KS .\Ni) I'k.vks. — At the recent meeting of the New Jersey' State Horti- cultural Societ}', among other things was dis- cussed the tendency of the Kieffer Pear to bear shyh' when planted by itself. The experience of man}' present tended to show that when the same pear is planted in close proximit}' to other varieties of the same fruit, the defect is remedied and the result is a full crop.
One man stated that he cross-fertilized an isolated tree of this variety by taking the flow- ering branches of other varieties, while in the proper condition, and putting them in jars filled with water and suspending them on the tree, letting the insects and the elements do the rest.
The result was a full crop from a tree that before had never given satisfaction.
The climax w-as reached, however, when a certain gentleman claimed that his trees were abundantly and successfully pollenized by the flowers of an adjoining apple-orchard. His as- sertions were met by a storm of the loudest pro- test,the point taken against him being that such a pollenization or hybridization was contrary to nature's known laws. Now I claim that w^hile the hybridization of the pear and the apple may not be an accomplished fact, the}' are not so widely separated, botanicalh' speak- ing, as to render such a thing an impossibilit)' and without parallel. The pear, Pvrus covi- wiii/is, and the apple, Pyrus Mains, are in the same genus, (some recent authorities, I believe, separate them.) Hybridization is one of the great advancements of the times. The condi- tions must be favorable and often times deli-
cate manipulation and great skill are necessary- to bring them around. But the question I would like to ask is : Do you consider that the fertilization of the pistil in the pear by the pollen of the apple contrary to nature's laws and without a parallel ?
Morris Plains, March lo, 1899. E- REAGAN.
Pyrus ioinmitnis, the pear, and Pyrus Sinen- sis, the Sand Pear, are distinct species; yet the seed from the Sand Pear growing near the Bartlett variety of the common pear produced the Kieffer. It is conceded to be a hybrid, though this has never been demonstrated. It is not improbable that the apple and pear might hybridize, and it is surprising that no actual test has been made, (ruess work, such as comes from planting trees side by side, is unworthv of true science.
New Lafayette Pe.vch. — E. C. Rogers, Ohio, says: "The evidence of our best men testifies and time will prove that our Lafayette seedling peach exceeds in strength and growth of tree, beauty and productiveness of fruit, the famous Elberta Peach."
It would be no mean accomplishment to ex- cel the Elberta — a variety which meets with so much favor everywhere and which Meeh.\ns' MoxTHi-Y cheerfully endorses."
New Hardy Edible Oranges. — Under the auspices of the V. S. Department of Agricul- ture, efibrt is being made to produce hardier varieties of the orange b}' hybridizing with what is commonh' known as the Hardy Orange, Citrus or Limonia trifoliata (properly Triphasia Anrantiold). Already, about 150 hvbrids have been secured between them.
Marshall Strawberry. — A favorite straw- berry with T. J. Dwjer & Son, Cornwall, N. Y. who are large growers of small fruits, is the INIarshall, which the\- claim brings a better price with them than any other variety, — a good recomniendation.
]\Iarvix Crystal Currant. — J. C. \'aughan, Chicago, 111., saNS the comparatively new ^lar- vin Crystal Currant is a very strong grower and exceedingly prolific. The white fruit is moderatelv sweet and contains few seeds.
BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
THE VIOLET QUEEN.
The violet in her green-wood bower
Where birchen boughs with hazels mingle,
Ma}' boast itself the fairest flower In glen, or cope, or forest dingle.
— Scott.
Downing's Fruits of America. — It is said that Prof. J. L. Budd, is to prepare an edition of Charles Downing's Fruits of America. No labor more acceptable to fruit culturists could Prof Budd undertake.
Local Botany. — Dr. J. \V. Harshberger, of the University of Pennsylvania, has prepared a biography of some 93 botanists, who have been useful in advancing the science in and around Philadelphia, during the century just passing awa}'. There will be photographs of 50 of these. If he get enough subscribers at $4.50 each, the work will be published.
The Pruning Book. — By L. II. Bailey, New York, Published by The IMaclNIillan Co. This is a duodecimo volume of 536 pages, giving Professor Bailey's views of the advantages, dis- advantages, and the whole philosophj^ of prun- ing as he understands' it. It is confined mainl}' to the management of fruit Itrees, and will be found a useful manual of reference to all inter- ested in fruit culture.
Dr. I. A. Lapham. — Dr. I. A. Laphani, one of the great men of science of whom our coun- try is proud to honor, is not forgotten by his adopted State of Wisconsin. A bust to his honor was recently unveiled in Milwaukee, in connection with the great museum, there, which Dr. Lapham did so much to found. To botanists, he will be ever remembered b\' the pretty genus of compositie, Laphamia, which Dr. Asa Gray named for him. The great public may hold him in grateful memory by the grand weather predictions which he orig- inated. In the language of the orator of the day at the unveiling: —
" I think it is well to turn aside an hour from
the din and bustle of the city," said he, "and pa}^ tribute to the memory of one who did so inuch for our cit}' and state, and did it in a manner so quiet, so modest, so vmobtrusive, so self-sacrificing and so unselfish. I have some- times thought that there is more to be learned from such a life than from all the ponderous volumes filled with the rise and fall of empires, the changing of d3'nasties and the shock of armies. ' '
He was born in Wa^-ne County, New York; and died in Milwaukee, in September, 1875.
Fertilizers. — Bj- Edward B. Voorhees, New York, Published by The MacMillan Co. This is a small duodecimo volume, comprising 327 pages, and goes over the whole question of fer- tilizers. The author is well-known as the Director of the New Jersey Agricultural Ex- periment vStation. As well expressed on the title page, the source, character and composi- tion of natural, homemade, and manufactured fertilizers, are thoroughly investigated, — and suggestions as to their use for difterent crops and conditions made in each instance.
Nicholas Ohmer. — "Rotation in oflice" is th^i battle cry of the politician, — not so much advocated, however, by the Ins as the Outs. Horticulturists, however, usually follow the Scriptural advice to hold on to that which is good. This is well illustrated by the election, for the 31st time, of Mr. N. H. Ohmer, as President of the INIontgomery Co. , (Ohio) Hor- ticultural Society. Possibly no one can show so long a period of popular appreciation ex- pressed in so pleasant a manner.
Plant Food. — The Super\'ising Committee of the Experiment Farm at Southern Pines, N. C, have just issued a very valuable and important work on "Plant Food." The book is well printed and handsomely illustrated with many fine pictures. It would pay cultivators to read this book, which, we understand, can be ob- tained free by sending to the Director, Experi- ment Farm, Southern Pines, N. C.
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8o
MEEHANS MONTHLY BIOGR Xl'HV AND LITERATURE.
[May
Fox-GLOVK. — As you have already stated in the February number of your magazine, that Mr. A. Alexander, in a paper upon the fox- glove, appearing in the Canadian Hortiadturist "thinks that the name fox-glove conies from being like the finger of a glove, but like all authors, omits to tell us how foxes wear gloves. It perhaps ma}- prove interesting to hear the explanation of the first half of the name given by one author.
According to Burgess, in his "Knglish Wild Flowers," this name of fox-glove is but a cor- ruption of folks- (/'. e. fairy) glove.
Knowing this, we can easily see how the name has become corrupted, and how, in the beginning, it was in no way intended to be connected with Sly Rej'uold.
Brooklyn, N. Y. ALICE CLARV F^ARLE.
<^E1N1E^/^L INICOTES.
Landscape Gardening, as Applied to Home Decoration. — By Samuel T. INIaynard, New York, John Wile}- & Sons. — Prof May- nard, in this treatise on Landscape (iardening, does not enter deeply into the abstract princi- ples that underlie the art, — but devotes him- self mainly to the instruction of those home- makers who are trying to beautify their own grounds, so as to aid them in their selection of ornamental trees and fruits, and get the most real enjo5'ment out of their care and cultiva- tion. An admirable index, makes the book one of great value for reference.
The Principles of Agriculture. — Edited by L. H. Bailey, New York, Published by The MacMillan Co. Prof. Bailey notes that since the establishment of agricultural colleges, agriculture has come to be regarded as a science, — but that it is realh' a business and not a science. A knowledge of scientific principles related to any business is, however, an aid to success. Business, Prof. Bailey says, cannot be taught, but the laws of science applied to farm management can be taught. These laws constitute the Principles of Agriculture, — the object of this useful work.
Douglas vSpruce. — The Forester says there is a Douglas Spruce, near Astoria, Oregon, 39 feet in circumference, and 300 feet high.
Abies Nordmanniana. — Abies Nord)nan- niana is the chief favorite fir of M. Everaerts. He says it is the most picturesque of all and ver\- accommodating to conditions. Its aspect is noble and it is at the same time graceful. — La Semaine Horticole.
Catalogue Exaggerations. —A correspond- ent sends us a letter received from a respect- able firm, in reph' to a remonstrance against a grossly exaggerated account of a newly intro- duced plant. The reply seems to indicate that, as they simply copied the account of the plant as formulated by the original introducer, they were not blameable, as they always ' ' returned the money when goods did not come up to rep- resentation." Our correspondent thinks this an insufficient defence, and we agree with him. The op])ortuiiities for getting accurate infor- mation are now so abundant that there is no need of depending on second-hand informa- tion.
Another source of complaint is the practice, in some (juarters, of giving new and sensa- tional common names to plants, by catalogue- makers, when the}- already have well-known popular ones. In defense of this, it is argued that any one has as much right as another to give a plant a common name; on the other hand, it is argued that when a name is changed in this manner, the catalogue-maker must not complain if the public* should suspect the change was made especially to deceive and not to give a name merely.
Clim.\te ok South Africa. — P. M. O., Capetown, South Africa, writes: — " Our dry atmosphere is very hard on American decidu- ous trees with their stomatic system, suited to a semi-saturated atmosphere. Our native trees are not deciduous, except in rare instan- ces, and these few are up to all sorts of dodges to avoid excessive evaporation . ' '
American Park and Out-door Art Asso- ciation.— Copies of the reports of this asso- ciation are for distribution to members onl\-.
Wart Cures. — Our grandmothers' gardens were not complete without somespecies of milk- wort to take awa}' worts. The one most fre- quent was Euphorbia Cyparissias. Popular Science Neivs says that a piece of fat bacon, rubbed once on the wort and thrown away, is iust as effective.
VoiJX.
Plate W 6.
IxHlNOCACTUS 5ETISP1NUS.
ECHINOCACTUS SETISPINIS.
PINE-APPLE CACTUS.
NATURAL ORDER, CACTACE^.
ECHINOCACTUS SETISPINIS, Engelmaun.— " All the forms of this species collected by this commission are characterized by thirteen narrowly-compressed ribs, slender flexible spines, small red globose fruit, and globose-obovate oblique strong- ly tuberculated seeds, with an almost circular basilarhilum. The heads are globose, or usually lengthened or almost cylindrical when old, but sometimes depressed ; spines short or long, the central spine usually somewhat longer than the others, but, in some specimens from the Rio Grande, shorter, in others from Eagle Pass, much longer than the others, and erect, sometimes hardly curved. Seed usually 0-6 of a line long. Engelmann, in the " Cactacece of the Mexican Boundary Survey.
This prett}' cactus was first named and des- cribed by Dr. Engelmann in an account of the plants collected by Lindheimer in Texas, — Echiiiocadus setispinis, — the specific name being suggested by the setiform or slender thread- like spines. The later description, from the report of Lieut. Emory's Mexican Boundary Survey, issued in 1859, is chosen to accom- pany the illustration, because it has a good plain figure of the plant, — and because it shows the reader how much and in what lines variations may be expected. In addition to the manj^ points of variation noted hy Dr. Engelmann, it will be observed that Engel- mann's figure represents the flower as having a somewhat tubular, trumpet-shaped ovitline ; the one given here is nearl}- bell-shaped. The edges of the ribs are somewhat wavy in our illustration, — while in Dr. Engelmann 's the}- are perfectly straight. A nvimber of species have been formed on the strength of these slight variations ; but are remanded to the list of synonyms in Watson's " Bibliographical Index."
It may be here remarked that not only do plants differ in many respects individually in the characters which distinguish them as spe- cies and varieties, but also in their behavior. A good illustration is furnished by this species in comparing the author's field notes with the notes made on the specimen illustrated, the plant for which was furnished by Mr. Robert Phifer, of Danville, Virginia, the exact local- ity in Texas from which the original was col- lected not being recorded. The field note, dated June 14th, sa3'S : — " The plant is some- what oval, and the flowers come from the apex. Expanded flowers about three inches
across. Flowers commence to open at about 9 a. ni. Sepals very narrow, greenish yellow, gradually tapering to a sharp point. Base of the petals brownish red, as are also the base of the filaments, — while* the upper part of the filaments and the anthers are yellow. The stjde extends from a quarter to half an inch, beyond the stamens, — the lobes of the style are about eight lines wide by four lines long. The sepaline scales are 3'ellow shading to pink, with white margins. The same flower appears to close and open on three successive days."
The notes made on the plant from Mr. Phifer were made on August i6th, — the plant flower- ing in Philadelphia. "Plant globose. Flower about three inches long. Petals and sepals about the length of the tube. Upper part of the tube about an inch wide tapering to less than a quarter at the base. Scales short, ovate, sharp-pointed, green with a white transparent border, the ttpper portion pink. Sepals and petals linear, green on the outside, tipped with purplish-brown, about 30, tapering to a sharp point. The flowers commence to expand at 12 M. and close about 3 p. m. Expanded flower greenish 3'ellow, orange crimson at the base. Filaments extremelj' slender, lower portion crimson, upper portion 3-ellow. The outer stamens expanding onlj^ and sensitive when touched. Style rather thick for the genus, ex- tending a quarter of an inch beyond the stamens. Stigmatic lobes rather slender and recurved, about a quarter of an inch long, yellow. There are twelve radial spines, the three upper ones shorter than the rest, all slender and hairlike (setiform), — the central spine is about an inch long, blackish, the upper portion whitish and hooked. ' ' The difference in the time of open-
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82
MEEHANS MONTHLY — ECHINOC ACTUS SETISPINIS.
[June
ing may be due to atmospheric conditions. INIr. Geo. Long, of Tronpe, Texas, informed the author that, in that section, the flowers only open under sunshine. They are usually ovate oblong as growing there, and from that fact receive the common name of "Pine- Apple Cactus." ]\Ir. Blanc, of Philadelphia, a well- known amateur in cactus cultivation, reports the flowers as delightfully sweet-scented, a fact overlooked b}- the author, and a circumstance rare among da3^-flowering species of the order.
In other respects, this beautiful species has characteristics peculiar to itself A large num- ber of the members of the family open all their flowers during a few days in the year only, and then rest for another season, — but this one commences to flower in earl}- spring, and flowers can be found on large plants from thence on through most of the summer season. Others' again, after the flower fades, have the fertilized seed-vessel remain at rest till the j^ear following, when a second growth occurs simul- taneously with the opening of the new season's flowers, when ripe fruit and flowers are seen together, — only those whom nature has favor- ed with the secret knowing that the fruit made its start the preceding year. In this case, the fruit goes on at once, perfecting after the flowers wither, and thus the bright holly-like berries add through the whole season to the beaut}' which the flowers furnish.
Of late years, the behavior of plants and flow- ers, has become one of the most interesting stud- ies in popular botan\% and the reference made, in another paragraph, to the sensitive stamens in this species of cactus, brings up the curious ques- tion as to the object or purpose of this motion. Sensitive leaves have long been known; but so far as the author believes, sensitive stamens constitute a modern observation. The author of this chapter published his first contribution to scientific literature, in 1841, detailing the movements of the stamens, when irritated, in Portulaca; and has since observed that the same movement occurs in the stamens of the com- mon Purslane, Portulaca oleracea. It was fur- ther noted that the stamens of the common hardy cactus, Opuntia Rafiiiesquii, had the same peculiarit}', — and since then it is found to oc- cur in other members of the cactus family, biit onh- in those that open broadly under bright sunlight. Just why this movement is correlated with the sun's rays is" a problem j-et
unsolved, and is a good theme for some wide- awake student in vegetable biology. When these movements were first recorded, shrewd guessers saw the explanation in a special at- tempt.of the flower to secure fertilization. On being touched, the irritated stamen rose and embraced the stigma and deposited pollen there. Since then the tide of fancj^ hypotheses has flowed in the opposite direction. The pre- vailing notion is that flowers seek to avoid self-fertilization. There is yet a chance for some fame-loving investigator to clear up the m^•ster3^
\^ery little has been placed on record of a popular character in relation to this pretty species. The systematic botanists have given us nearly all we know of it. Dr. Engelmann states, in the work cited, that the geographical range of this species is from the Brazos south to the Rio Grande, and west to neartheSan Pedro. As regards its behavior at home, Mr. \Vm. Tell, of Austin, Texas, tells the author that it is not found scattered here and there as so many species are, — but when found they are in groups of a few hundreds together, and often in compau}^ with E. caespitosus and E. Texen- sis. When growing under large trees, they are usuall}' alone, and are often found close up to the trunks. Thej^ continue to flower and mature their berries all summer, the flowers continviing open nearly all day, and are not at all particular about the condition of the weather as to their opening. Mammillaria Nuttallii is often a companion plant in that section.
In the dry deserts of the southwest, numer- ous species of the genus are found. Some con- fine themselves to low levels, others clamber rocky mountain sides, and often are the only ornaments of some cragg}- rock.
"They tremble on the mountain height
The fissured rock they press, The desert wild, with heat and sand,
Shares, too, their blessedness, — And whereso'er the wear}^ heart
Turns in its dim despair. The meek-eyed blossom upward looks
Inviting it to prayer. ' '
The desert traveler would feel lonely indeed, without the company of cactuses, — at least in America.
Explanation OF THE PLATE.— I. A whole plant painted at mid-summer. 2. Showing the arrangement of the spines, and the position of the flower-bud.
WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
THE WILD COLUMBINE.
"And from the rock-cleft rude
Up springs, with nodding bells, the colum- bine,— And round her ever, in the solitude, The wild bee's winglets shine.
Aiound ye we may hear
A slumberous summer-murmvir faintly swell. Like that which melteth in the listener's ear,
From winding ocean-shell. ' '
— Howard Worcester Gilbert.
Unscientific Flower Hunting, and Notes FROM A Botanist's Book-shelf, During August and vSeptember, Near Elberon, N. J. — "Ye don't know nothing, and what ye du know ye don't know sartain." This is our text, and we must beg our readers, if we are fortunate enough to have any, to bear it in mind.
At this season, people sadly shake their wise heads and say, "the Avild flowers are over," and we add under our . breath for politeness' sake, " Oh, yes, all over the fields and meadows." The wild flowers of New Jersey are a constant delight to a flower hunter and it is good to know that our lines have fallen in pleasant places. At Pleasure Bay the flower- ing Spurge and Sea Pinks are in their best gowns, and there you can find at least two kinds of Sabbatia, or Sea Pink. The Sabbatia anguloris, much the largest and finest, seems to love Bay Head better than either Elberon, or Pleasure Bay. " Garden and Forest" is very interesting about it, and tells this pretty story. ' ' No more beautiful flower grows in New England than the Sabbatia, and at Ply- mouth, where it is especially profuse, and lux- uriant on the borders of the ponds so charac- teristic of that part of Eastern Massachusetts, it is held in peculiar affection, and one may almost say reverence. It is locally called 'The Rose of Plymouth, ' and during its brief season of bloom is sold in qviantities on the streets of the town, and used in the adorn- ment of houses and churches. Its name comes
from that of an early botanist, Tiberatus Sab- batia; but this well established truth is totally disregarded by local tradition. Almost every one in Plymouth firmly believes that the title is due to the fact that the Pilgrims of 1620 first saw the flower on a Sabbath day, and, en- tranced by its masses of pinkish lilac color, named it for the holy day. Indeed, this belief is so deeply ingrained in the Ph^mouth mind, that, we are told, strong objections are made if any other flowers are irreverently mingled with it in the church decoration. Yet the legend was invented not more than twenty-five years ago by a man whose identity is still well re- membered, and that it is of even more recent origin than the one still more ixniversally cred- ited, which says, ' that the Pilgrim Fathers landed upon Plymouth Rock.' " Shark River could tell many a tale of the Sundews and dear little American Cranberry vines on its green, mossy banks. The thread Sundew with its charming pink flower is always a wonderful sight growing in great masses along this river's edge at Avon. The round-leaved Sun- dew has a white flower, and is a study with its funny ways and curious appetite for insects on which it likes to dine and sup. It lived on First Avenue, Asbury Park, last year, but like many a good neighbor, may have changed its abode since then.
The "Garden and Forest" for August 18, 1897, says, "Among the Desmodium of the hour, there is one exceptionally delicate beauty. This is D. acuminatum, with large three- foliate leaves, and rising far above them, a long, and very slender stalk bearing a loose panicle of little pea-shaped blossoms of the loveliest rosy hue. Growing on the border of the woods a cluster of these Desmodiums looks like a swarm of tiny bright pink butterflies poised at some distance from the leafy level be- low them."
This delightful little flower is dancing away in most of our woods, and can be seen from a carriage with great comfort as it has roadside tastes; and near by grow the Iron Weed, Bone-
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[June
set, Joe-Pye Weed, Beggar-ticks, and Butterfly Weed the most cheerful of wild flowers. Mrs. Wm. Starr Dana tells us that ' ' few if any of our native plants add more to the beauty of the Midsummer landscape than the Milk Weeds, and of this family no number is more satisfy- ing to the color craving eye than the gorgeous Butterfly Weed, whose vivid flower chisters flame from the dry sandj' meadows with such luxuriance of growth as to seem almost tropi- cal." Then, as a shock to a Philadelphian, she tells us "Oddly enough, at the Centennial Exhibition, much attention was attracted by a bed of these beautiful plants which were brought from Holland. Trulj', flowers, like prophets, are not without honor save in their own country." Then we must not forget the Michaelmas daisies, although it is early daj'S for them. " Their beaut}' has given them a place in English shrubberies, where they bloom at Michaelmas, when the farmer eats his goose, and thej^ are gathered to trim the church on the double festival, the purple being called Michaelmas daisies, and the snowy white spe- cies. All Angels." St. Andrew's Cross and St. John's Wort, both of the same faniilj' are now as yellow as gold, one close to the woods, and the other in meadow and field. Catnip is read}' to serve its cup of tea, and the cats that live nearby are enjoying the feast, fit for the gods, the}' think.
The Cardinal Flower, if it runs on schedule time, is due in August. This plant is strictly indigenous to America, and, as Caroline A. Creevey says, "Cannot hide, if it would, any more than a scarlet tanager can hide itself in the trees;" and while I am quoting, I will add but another line from Mrs. Dana: " The early French Canadians were so struck with its beauty that they sent the plant to France as a specimen of what the wilds of the New World could yield. Perhaps at that time it received its English name which likens it to the gor- geously attired dignitaries of the Roman Church. ' ' The funny yellow or orange-colored Dodder is now feeding upon many an innocent plant, and sapping its meadow life. In Eng- land, they call it by many an unpleasant name " Strangle-tare, " etc., and then as if to throw a crumb of comfort to the Dodder family, in certaiii places it is known as Lady's Lace, and Love Vine. Dr. Erasmus Darwin wrote about it a hundred years' ago.
" The fair Cuscutae please with labored ele- gance and studied ease,
With shy approach they spread their dangerous charms.
And round their victims wind their wiry arms. ' '
The Arrow-head and blue Pickerel Weed are both in their glory and add to the wealth of stream and marsh; and near by them may be found the Turtle-head and Traveler's Joy.
In Gerarde's Herbal, London, 1597, in speak- ing of Clematis Vitalba, he says, "These plants have no use in Phisicke as yet found out, but are esteemed only for pleasure, by reason of the goodly shadows which they make with their thick busling and clyming, as also for the beauty of the flowers and the pleasant scent or savour of the same. ' ' Lucky the mortal who finds the white fringed Orchis, and the nymph- like Adder's ]\Iouth with its smell of violets. Both are holding high court in the swamps near Asbury Park. The Sweet Alder or Clethra alnifolia is filling the woods with fragrance, and adds to our Midsummer list of good things. Golden-rod is beginning to wave its head above its neighbors, biit it seems almost rude for it to appear at this season, suggesting packing and homegoing; but, on they go, there really seems no end to our wild flowers, and yet the wise old heads shake, and shake, say- ing, "The flowers are over, we must wait for another year." Ask the fields if they are over, and they will give you a true answer and tell each one of us more than book or pen.
Elberon, August i, 1898. E. W. L.
Some of Our Wild Flowers. — Few per- sons, I think, realize the beauty and wealth of our native wild flowers, although I have noticed with the iitmost pleasure, a fast growing inter- est in botany, which seemed first manifested in the great project of our New York Botanic Gardens at Bronx, and which has since been steadily increasing.
At this season of the year and, indeed, until November, the country abounds in a succession of flowers, the beauty of which surprises many floriculturists; and if we expect to derive our full measure of enjoyment during the summer months, we should not fail to provide ourselves with a specimen box, microscope and Mrs. Dana's invaluable little book, entitled, "How to Know the Wild Flowers."
Thus equipped, the country lies open before
1899]
MEBHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
US, rich in uniinagined treasures, species in- numerable and to be had only for the search- ing. Long Island, the great garden of our northern orchids, at this season affords the student ample means of studying. Cypripe- diums, Arethusas, Calopogons, all in their first bloom in wood and swamp.
To the flower enthusiast, probably no one flower possesses a rarer charm than the Pink Lady's Slipper, Cypripediuvi acaulc. Growing, as it does, fairly in our pathway through the oak woods, it seems strange that it should escape general notice. Yet a friend, last spring, seeing a huge bunch of these orchids upon my library table, exclaimed at their beauty and asked their name, adding, "cer- tainly they are from the greenhouse and I sup- pose would not live out of doors."
This same friend, I met a few days later, driving through the wood where I had come to gather a fresh supply of the ]\Ioccasin Flow- ers, but apparently her eyes were not suscepti- ble to their strange attraction and she passed them by, unnoticed.
The Moccasin Flower, pale lavender-pink and fr3,grant, springs up through the fallen oak leaves bearing a solitary flower on a scape from six inches to a foot high. Two leaves, close to the ground, are always present, stiff" and green and rather hair^^ They are deeply ridged. The flower, itself, a true Cypripedi- um, may be easily recognized as such by any- one who is familiar with the cultivated C. insigne and C. Spicerianum displayed in such profusion in the shop windows of Messrs. Siebrecht and Wadley, New York.
The perianth is six-parted, the sepals being of a dark, purplish brown which contrasts strikingly with the large pink lip, sometimes more than two inches long and heavily veined with purple.
Blooming often in proximit}' to the Mocca- sin Flower, is the wild lupine, Lupimis per- ennis ; its bright blue and pink-striped, pea like flowers, however, seek a sunnj^ place and I find a long line of them just upon the edge of a wood, where they thrive every' summer, in a very dry, sandy soil.
In early June, we are fortunate if we suc- ceed in finding the dainty, pale, pink-rose pogonia {Pogotiia ophioglossoides) and the darker Magenta Calapogon {Limodonim tuber - osnm). The former grows on a stem from four
to twelve inches high, generally bearing one leaf; the flower is small, sometimes not an inch in length, but exceedingly fragrant, and although it seeks, like the Arethusa, dangerous company, in poison Sumac and Ivy, yet one is tempted to brave many dangers to procure it.
The Calapogon I have found in very marshy places, growing, in fact, in the water where later appear the white and green fringed or- chids. Sometimes as many as a dozen flowers are borne on one stem, which usually is about sixteen inches in height. Their construction is so marked that little description is neces- sary, save to say that the fringed lip seems almost to turn upward, the sepals and petals being about equal.
Another interesting flower is the Wood Betonj^ Pedicularis Canadensis, its uneven red
MOCCASIN FLOWER.
and yellow flowers easily serving to identify it as one of the SchophulariacecE or Figworts. The Wood Betony, as its name suggests, is found in damp, shady places growing with Jack-in-the-pulpit, Star-flower and Cinnamon Fern. The short spikes are formed of many small flowers, consisting each of a calyx in one piece, split in front, and corolla two-lipped, the upper narrow and arched, the lower three- lobed. There are four stamens and one pistil. The plant grows about twelve inches high, bearing deeplj^ incised leaves. Coming, now, to the swamps, we are sure of finding great clumps of the Marsh Marigold, and our trouble in obtaining them is fully repaid, since aside from their cheerful beauty, they last most satis- factorily in the house.
When the Marsh Marigolds have faded, we may look for the orchis, Arethusa, more rare than the Cypripediums and considered by
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MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[June
some, much more beautiful. The flowers ap- pear singh', on a vStem from six to eight inches high, bracted and bearing a man^^- veined leaf which does not disclose itself until after the flower has perished. The flower is about one inch long; in color, a dull magenta with the protruding lip heavilj' bearded and crested with yellow and white. It grows in wet, shady situations, often dangerously' near the Poison Sumac.
The Arethusa is particularly interesting as being the sole representative, in this coixntry, of its genus, only two known varieties exist- ing, the one here, Arethusa bidbosa, and the other a native of Japan.
Our early summer wild flowers are indeed too numerous to permit of mention, but let it sufiice if these few lines have drawn attention to some of the most beautiful, and caused them to be more readily known and discovered by those lovers of nature who seek them in their quiet haunts.
Botanical Calendar.
Moccasin Flower, Cypripedium acaule, Orchi- dacetz; pink; May 15th to June; dr}', occasion- ally damp oak woods.
Lupine, Lnpinus perennis, Papilionacecr; blue and white; Maj^ and June: in dn,-, sandj' soil.
Wood Betonj', Pedicularis Canadensis, Scro- pJudariacece ; red and yellow; Maj' and June; damp woods.
Jack-in-the-pulpit, Ariscema triphyllum, Ar- acece: green and purple; May and June; moist thickets.
False Lily-of-the-Valley, Utiifolium Cana- dense, Convallariacece; white; j\Iay and June; damp or dry woods and thickets.
Bird's- foot Violet, Viola pedata, Violacece; lavender; May and June; pine barrens.
Sessile-leaved Bellwort, Uvularia sessilifolia , Melanthacece ; whitish; April, Maj' and June; damp thickets.
Arethusa, Arethusa bulbosa, Orchidacecr ; pink; last of May and June; damp thickets or bogs.
Larger Blue Flag, Iris versicolor, Iridacece; purple; Maj-, June and Jul}-; salt or fresh marshes.
Slender Blue Flag, Iris prismatica, Iridacece; blue; Ma}' and June; wet ground.
Wild Pink, Silene Caroliniana, Caryophyl- lacece; pink; May, June and July; woods.
Viola Atlantica, Violacecr; pink; ]\Iay and June; sunn}-, dry soil; (Coast Violet.)
White Violet, ]^iola lanceolata, Violacece: white; May and June; marshes and meadows.
Robin's Plantain, Erigeron bcllidifolius, Covipositcc ; blue; May and June; woods or fields.
Books Recommended to Beginners.
"How to Know the Wild Flowers," by Mrs. Wm. Starr Dana.
"Flowers of Field, Hill and Swamp," by Caroline A. Creeve}'.
' • Flora of North Eastern America, ' ' Britton & Brown.
"Newhalls' Trees of N. Eastern America."
"Newhalls' vShrubs of N. Eastern America."
"Our Native Ferns and the Allies." Under- wood.
" Natural Histor}- of Plants," from the Ger- man of Anton Kerner von Marilaun, by W. F. Oliver.
Augusta Schenck K.vlbfleisch.
Babylon, L. I.
Erythronium, Dog's-Tooth Violet. — Dr. Gray mentions Erythroniuvi A^nericanum and E. albiduvi as the two species in the eastern coun- trj', with E. bracteatum as an accidental state of the first mentioned, and the E. grandiflorum of the West. These two latter have yellow- flowers. The E. albiduvi. White Dog's-Tooth Violet, he describes, "perianth bluish-white," "leaves less or not at all spotted." The plant we have here has leaves verj' much spotted or marbled with brownish-purple, and the blotches are very- large, although there are some plants whose leaves are plain green without spots. These latter are only variations, for they are found intermingled with plants of the blotched varieties. They all produce a large flower of the same size and color. The perianth is about I Yz inches in length ; and the three outer sepals are brownish-green near the base, shading off into purple, and a pale red towards the apex. The sepals are reflexed and the style, though fine and thread-like near the germen, gradual- ly increases in size to the apex, bearing three spreading stigmas. The inner side of the flower is white as well as the ends of the lobes on the outside. It would be called a white bloom, and there is nothing like blue about it. There is a groove in the middle of the inner sepals, but no tooth or bract. This plant is satisfied with one single blossom and seems to
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take tvirns with other plants in blooming, owing, possibly, to its numerous seeds in the pods, and every seed seems to grow, judging from the immense beds of it, wherever found, growing so thickly together most of the plants do not bloom. The bloomers are those on the outer edges where they have more room to in- crease and multiply. F. K. STEELE.
Festus, Jefferson Co., Mo.
Odor in the Purple Moccasin Flower. — In collecting this pretty orchid (Cypripediiim acatile,) I have more than once noticed a delicate, sweet perfume exhaled by the fresh flowers. This season, on bringing some of the plants into the house, I was surprised to find that not only the flower but the w^hole plant was thus odorous. The short hairs with which the leaves are thickly covered are tipped with tiny glands, giving to the leaves a clammy feel, and I have thought that the nectar-like perfume might be traceable to that source. It would be interest- ing to know if others than myself have had a similar experience with this species.
Another point that interested me in the plant I brought indoors was the change from bud to flower. The bud showed plainly the form of the curious lip, but half size and almost white. Over night it grew perceptibly, and in thirtj'-six hours, was full size and blushing rosy purple. Now, where did that color come from? C. F. Saunders.
Philadelphia.
Fruiting of Oaks. — It is not generally known to the average lover of trees, though botanists are well acquainted with the fact, that some oaks take over a year to mature the acorns. The little flower in the axils of the leaves, when the new growth is just starting, receives the pollen from the long, twine-like catkins that hang like tassels all over the branches, and then go to rest for the season. The next year when the new flowers are going through the same process, the little germs fer- tilized the season before, take on renewed activity and by the fall of this second season are mature acorns. Only the section classed as white oaks go through the whole process from fertilization to maturity the same season. Of those that are native to the Atlantic States are Quercus alba, O. obtusiloba, 0. macrocarpa, Q. bicolor, Q. Primis, Q. Prinus pumila, and
the Live Oak, Quercus virens. All the other species take two seasons to perfect their acorns. In some seasons, the male flowers, which are more susceptible to heat than the females, come to a polleniferous stage before the fruit- bearing flowers have advanced sufficiently to profit by the pollen. In these cases the crop of acorns fails for a season. And this is true of all amentaceous plants. A crop of nuts of any kind is dependent on the period of maturity of the catkins. In the more northern regions, where there are but few extra warm days in the winter season, the nut crop is more uniform in successive 5^ears.
A Climbing Fern. — In a letter to the Senior Conductor, a South Carolinian correspondent sa3-s: "I know j^ou have traveled and collected in our North Carolina and South Carolina Mountains, and I want information from you of a climbing fern — some wise body here calls it Hartford Climbing Fern (which I am qiiite familiar with), — but describes to me a plant I fully believe to be a climbing asparagus." It is "filmy and lace-like, and grows from 4 to 7 and 10 feet high, with 710 leaves, — but delicate as mist, with branches; over 18 inches wide at base." Long ago, a botanist from Rugb}^ England, discovered this plant here, and said, to the lady who saw him gather it, 'this is the rarest fern known on earth, and, so far as lam informed, it grows in only one spot on earth, — here. ' Now, can you tell me what this find is ? Of course, I know Hartford Fern well, but it has 710 branches, nor are its fronds branching; but has long, slender-stems, with opposite or alternate, trifoliate leaves."
This cannot be recognized from the descrip- tion, and a specimen would be thankfully re- ceived.
Dropsical Stems. — Mr. W. C. Egan sends a specimen of Pentste7)i07i Icevigatus, which we can best describe as being afflicted with dropsy. The middle of the stem, usually the size of a straw, is as large as a cigar, and twisted as a well-made cigar might be. It illustrates the spiral growth of plants, which cannot be well traced in the normal condition. Stu- dents ask why growth is spiral instead of direct, — the answer is that under dynamical laws, they have to grow in that manner.
GENERAL GARDENING.
SWEET PEAS.
What gracious thoughts hath Ciod, and beauti- ful ! The elder drifted by still meadow wa3's, The rippling wheat fields of these summer
days, Whereover float far clouds like new-washed
wool : The glow of sunset, and the after lull When white stars tremble thro' the twilight
haze, And, weaving webs of fiery-golden rays. The fireflies glitter in the shadows dull. His thoughts are very beautiful, ah, yes. In rose and lily, and in bright heartsease; In these, no less, is seen His loveliness. These fragile shells, delightful mysteries, Sweet miracles that so their Lord confess Who giveth us Himself, anew, in these.
— Ingram Crockett.
Henderson, Ky.
Pruning Vines in Summer. — The chief art in gardening consists in not allowing our plants to have their own wilful wa\-, but to make them behave as we want them to do. Mnes, generalh', make desperate attempts to get to the top of a bush or tree that they twine around, and the lower portion is nothing but a series of naked stems. When we set them to trellises, we want this proceeding reversed. We desire as many branches close to the ground as at the extreme upper portion of the pole or frame on which they are supported. The edu- cated gardener understands how to do this. The grower of grapes under glass has to know how to do it as otherwise he would have grapes in the apex of the roof and nowhere else. He applies the same principle to the growth of flowering vines out of doors as to his grapes under glass, or to the grapes in the out-door garden, for that matter, with equal results. Indeed, there could be few better methods of learning whether one has a real gardener or only a wolf in sheep's clothing, than b3' noting whether he allows the hone^-suckles to grow in crow's nests under the coping of the piazza front, or whether the branches are of equal strength from apex to the ground.
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And 3'et, the art is verj^ simple. It is simply to pinch out the apex of the strong growing shoots that want to get up still higher, and leave the struggling shoots at the base alone. The growth force, suddenlj^ checked by the topping of the upper shoots, has to be ex- pended somewhere, just as the sudden stop- page of water being forced through a pipe maj'^ burst that pipe. It is diverted to the lower and weaker shoots, which become, before the season is over, as strong as the upper ones.
In the hands of a good gardener, a grape vine trellis will have fruit over every part of its surface, — and have as fine fruits at the apex as at the base. But how rarely do we see these masters of the art; and how simple the art is, after all!
Wild Garlic. — Among all weeds, those which simply make bulbs or bulblets are readi- ly eradicated. One of the easiest is the wild garlic, Allium vineale. The green leaves appear early in spring, and aboj- or cheap labor of any kind with a three-tined handfork can lift them out without leaving a particle to make a new start. It does not take long to clear an acre of ground unless they are extremeh' abundant. In the latter, they can be worried ven,^ much by the hand or horse cultivator during the grow- ing season, and then to have the hand-lifting in the following spring. Possibly a few may appear the following spring, but their accounts are easily settled, by the same hand-lifting process.
Watering Grass in Sunshine. — It is a well worn fallacy that lawns should not be watered while the sun shines. Perhaps the only gain from this statement is to the owners of the water supph', as there will be less waste from sprinklers going all day long. Where deemed necessary, the water may be used in unlimited quantity in full sun-light so far as danger from the latter source is concerned. Some heavy, poorly-drained soils will not stand too much water, and this should be considered.
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Viburnum PLiCATUM.— The following- account of the above " bush" is taken from " The Ornamental Flower Garden," b}^ Lindle3^ and Sweet, piiblished in London, 1854.
' ' Mr. Fortune, who procured this among
man}' other fine plants for the Horticultural Society, says that it is a ' native of the North- ern part of the Chinese Empire, and was found cultivated in the gardens of the rich, by whom it was much admired. It will doubtless prove
VIBURNUM PLICATUM.— Japanese Snowball.
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MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[June
perfectly hardy in England; and on account of its neat habit, will probabl}' become a great favorite in our gardens. ' ' '
' ' Siebold and Zuccarini, speak of it as one of the most beautiful plants that are cultivated in Japan. Its name, Salsuma Temari, indicates that it inhabits the most sovithern province of Kinsia; it was probabl}- in the beginning im- ported from China ***** ])ut it only grows from four to ten feet high."
I have plants that are ten and twelve feet high. It is one of the most valuable shrubs in cultivation. Perfectly hardy; foliage most pleasing. When in bloom, ver}- beautiful. As yet no insects or disease has attacked my plants. Why was it so long in coming into general cultivation ? H. He.\ton.
A'mherst, Mass.
Treatment of Bulbs. — It is a well-known fact that bulbs, brought from Holland and forced in our countrj', are comparatively use- less for flowers the season following. This is really owing to the fact that the leaves have not been permitted to mature properly. A bulb is composed of the bases of leaves which have become thickened and succulent. To make good, strong bulbs, therefore, it is neces- sar}' that they should have had good, strong leaves for their parents. Our bulb growers commence to dr3' them off almost at once after flowering, instead of allowing them to grow as long as possible. Even then, they will not flower as freely as newly imported bulbs, because they are only allowed to flower until the bulb has reached a size desired b\- the grower. Bulbs generally have the flowers plucked out, until they have reached the size •desired.
Hardiness of Deod.\r and Other Ced.\rs. — Enquiries are frequenth' made as to the hard- iness of the Deodar Cedar. In the vicinity of Philadelphia it appears to be entirely hardy so far as its wood is concerned, but it rareh" car- ries its foliage through the winter without in- jury. There is enough hanu to the leaves that as soon as the sap moves in spring thej- fall off. This cedar is one of the first to make new growth in spring, and is altogether a most desirable evergreen.
Cedrus Atlantica glaiica has passed through the last and previous winters unscathed, save
that its foliage is parth' browned. Its shoots are firm to the top. It is much in the favor of this beautiful evergreen that it is so hardy. When young it makes but few branches, and these are of more than usual length, but as it adds to its years, its branches become more numerous. When of fair size, because of its silvery- foliage, it is \^x\ attractive.
Strangely enough, the Lebanon Cedar, looked on as the hardiest of all, which it usually is, had its wood hurt more than either of the others in the past winter. It carried its foliage better, but some of the latest growth was killed back here and there.
All three maj- be considered hard}- in this vicinity, and the Ivebanon and Atlantica glauca are known to do well even further north.
J. M.
Protecting Trees from Caterpillars. — One of the great nuisances, about trees in summer, is the ravages of insects, and to suc- cessfully combat them requires careful and vigorous action. A quite common method is to wrap a band of cotton around the trunk saturated with some liquid obnoxious to the class of insects that crawl up the trunk; but perhaps better is the more modern prepara- tions, such as Caterpillar Lime, which being thick and sticky, are almost positive barriers if put on thoroughh'. The preparation should be at least yi inch thick on the tree and in a band 5 or 6 inches wide.
American Forestry. — A Philadelphia cor- respondent states that in view of the evident scarcity of timber in a few jears, he is inclined to go into planting trees on an extensive scale as a n-^st &%% for an income in his old a^ e, and desires to; know where he can obtain informa- tion on the art of American Forestrj'. So far as Meehans' Monthly understands the situa- tion, American Forestry has not reached the position of an art. All that has been done so far is the creation of a public sentiment in favor of protecting the native forests, and for the general planting of trees. But how to plant for profit, or how to get the most timber out of trees in the shortest time, has not been studied. Indeed, the whole subject of reducing American Forestry- to an art is surrounded by great difficulties. For instance, suppose we select a piece of ground and decide on the tree
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best suited to the soil and conditions, no one could tell certainU' how wide apart to plant them. If too wide, they would make strong side branches, and not have the long trunks so desirable. Hand-pruning, to get tall trunks, would hardly be profitable. The trimmings would have to be removed, or dead brush would surely end in a forest fire. The trees could be planted but four or six feet apart. In this state, the side branches would be killed as the trees grew and no hand pruning would be needed. The stronger ones would towards the end kill out the weaker ones, — but again ■we have a mass of dead material to encourage the forest fire. It is in these lines that fores- try', as an art, comes into existence. So far it has not shown life.
Dandelions on the Lawn. — To man}- per- sons, the sight of the pretty, golden dande- lion blossoms amongst the grass on a lawn is a pleasing sight, while to others it is a nuis- ance. If kept in check and not permitted to seed, thej' can certainly be called attractive.
If the lawn be mowed constantly, as it should be, and occasionally weeded, intruders of this kind will hardly be ill-considered.
Forming Low-BRA"NCHED Trees. — Some fast growing trees get finally too tall for the pur- poses for which they were originallj' plant- ed. Through the winter season, when employ- ment for what are popularh- known as tree butchers is scarce, the axe and saw are vigor- ously plied to head back these trees. It is thought this is the proper method to make the trees throw out wide-spreading branches. An}- careful observer may see that this is never ac- complished. The butchered tree only endeav- ors to go up more rapidly than before. If this topping business were to be done late in spring, or in early summer, when the tree is in mature leaf, and starting to grow vigoroush', the effect would be very different. The growth- force is not sleeping at that period as it is in the winter season; but in. active operation. The force intended to be expended in the upward growth must exhaust itself somewhere. Sud- denly checked in its upward course, it is diver- ted into the lateral branches, which are strengthened accordingly. The care taker of hedges, or, as thej- have come to be termed with us, live fences, understands this ver}- well. He
cuts back the strong shoots at the apex severe- I3', and thus manages to have the hedge as thick at the bottom as at the top.
Unfortunateh-, the tree-butcher is usually' at his da3''s work in the summer time. It is only under the starvation stress of the winter season that he whispers in the owner's ear, that his trees need pruning.
ViTEx Agnis-c.\stus. — It seems to me that this shrub does not receive as much apprecia- tion as it ought to, perhaps from the fact that it has not been considered hardy in this lati- tude. A large clump of it was a very pretty sight in one of our shriibben.- beds last sea- son. The pale blue panicles of flowers make a beautiful showing above the pretty, divided leaves. John W. Duncan.
Greenwich, Coun.
lEl
i^lE FL/^INITSo
New Aster, Hohenzollern. — The new aster, Hohenzollern, is considered by Mr. Henr}- F. Michell as his best introduction for 1899. It is claimed to be the largest yet intro- duced, and pure white.
Ulmus serotin.\, — A New Elm. — In a list of newlj'-discovered American trees, chiefly palms, recentlj' described by Prof. Sargent, in the Botanical Gazette, is an elm, which he terms Ubmis serotina. It is one of the autumn- al flowering section, first collected b}- Rugel on the French Broad River, in 1842, and again by Dr. A. Gattinger, near Nashville, in 1879, but who supposed it was Ulmus racemosa. It is a tree about 40 or 50 feet high, and 2 to 3 feet in diameter, and there are some in Huntsville and Rome that have been planted as shade trees.
Branching Tulips. — For several seasons, I have had a double, earl}- tulip that bears bulbs in the axils of the lowest leaves, and flower stems in axils of upper leaves. There are usuallj' three branches, but once I found five. I paid but little attention to the plants, as the flowers on these additional stems were not full}' developed until last 3-ear, when the oldest bulb produced a plant having three branches, and the terminal stem, even, bearing well de- veloped flowers. Among ni}' single, late tulips, I found one that branched differently, the branches being divisiojis of the main stem;
92
MEEHAXS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[June
the flowers all the same size. One plant had two — another three flowers. I never heard of branching tulips, but do not consider the first is a real freak, for it is natural for plants to "branch" in that wa}-.
Fritillaria pudica, one of our wild flowers, has quite often the stem divided so that there are two or more flowers instead of only one.
The habit seems to be transmitted indefinite- ly, as I have had them continue to bear double stems for years. Susan Tucker.
Cheney, Washington.
THE M^IKI^Y FLOWEl ^i^^i)EM.
The Japanese Iris. — The Japanese Iris is probably well-known to admirers of Japan paintings of landscapes, as it seems to be a favorite element in pictures of garden scenerj-. During recent years, it has found a place in the affections of American flower lovers, — and the demand for it is very great. During a visit made by 'the writer to ]Mr. H. A. Dreer's establishment, at Riverton, New Jersey, one of the striking features was an immense area devoted to this Iris. A "snap-shot" taken in passing, and reproduced here, may give a slight idea of the unique scene.
MiELLEz's "Revelation" Lily-of-the- Valley. — The Lily-of- the- valley is a plant in which one hardly looks for improvement, yet several promising varieties are in cultivation to a small extent. Miellezs Revelation is a variety bearing the recommendation of Mr. Edw. Gillett, Southwick, Mass., who says :
"It is of extraordinarj' size and vigor, of the most exquisite fragrance, and does well under all conditions and all sorts of soils, growing just as well in full sun as partial shade and is extremeh' hard)', and while not increasing quite as fast as the common kinds is still of good increase. It is well to cover it in December with a good coat of barnyard manure — cow or horse — green is just as good as old. Leave it in the spring to ser\'e as mulch."
JAPANESE IRIS.
Native Bulbs for the G.vrden. — It is frequenth' the case that in planning gardens, pure nature is in a great measure overlooked. Catalogues are crammed with novelties and varieties, most of which are doubtless worthy of a place, but yet which should not claim un- divided attention.
The surroundings of a home should be made lovely and attractive to those who dwell there. If there be paths designed for com- forting strolls, every step should be pleasing. A charming custom is that of planting snowdrops and crocuses singly and scattered through the grass of a lawn, from which they peep in early spring. It should not be regularly planted like a calico print, but scattered in natural profusion.
In the writer's neighborhood, the chief delight of children— and of man\- grown persons, too — is to ' 'go for' ' violets, or blue-bells, but- tercups, daisies or "Day-wakers" (more generally termed Stars of Bethlehem — botanicall)', Ornithog- alum umhcjlatuvi). The gathering does not end the pleasure, for it is pleasant for others to watch the interest which the young folks take in nature's gifts; and these flowers, for many weeks, brighten and cheer up a great number of homes.
1 899]
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93
These flowers will yield almost as much pleasure if arranged on the home grounds in a natural way. Blue-bottles {Muscari) and orni- thogalums might be scattered through the shrubber}' borders ver\- acceptably. Bare soil may be kept to look neat, but otherwise there is no attraction. The}' cannot be planted in the lawn, as their rapid increase ma}- prove noxious; but an^-where that they may easilj- be kept in bondage, the\- will give pleasure.
The writer has seen whole pastures a mass of white with the flowers of the ornithogalum, and a prettier sight (to any one but the farmer, although cattle will eat them) can hardly be imagined.
P^^flTS ^ MS^ET^PLEJ).
Old and Good Varieties ok Fruit. — Is there an apple better than a Gravenstein? A pear better than a Sheldon? or a grape than the old and now neglected Isabella?
Two vines of this grape, at my old home in W3-oming Co. , N. Y. , never failed to give us a good crop — some years not so heav}-, but enough. The vines had no pruning except in an occasional 3'ear, when the}- got too rampant — except the dead branches. It was manured ever}' fall. Posts were driven into the ground and wire strung across was the support.
It was ver\- seldom the}' did not ripen per- fectly; and such delicious grapes! I remember one fall we had so many that we packed ten bushels of clusters in oats in a bin in the cellar, and we had grapes into February. How sweet they were! and rich in flavor! It is rarely I see this old grape mentioned in the list of grapes. Why is it? ^Irs. Frederick C. Johnson.
Coukliu, N. Y.
The Isabella was one of the first of the older varieties of grape to succumb to the attacks of the root-gall aphis — Phylloxera. Where it con- tinues free from these attacks, it, with its sister Catawba, is scarcely excelled by the newer varieties.
Ornamental Peppers, — The Mikado. — The useful and the beautiful are not always combined in vegetables, but they are not the less welcome when they are. The pepper family, as the various forms of CapsicuDi are termed, is of the combined class. ^Ir. Burpee
is sending out a variety he calls INIikado. It is flat on the upper surface, and four of the five lobes would represent a ^Maltese cross. From the name, it might be thought to be a variety of the Asiatic Capsicum Chine nse, but on this we are not informed.
Pomelo, versus Gr.\pe-Fruit. — In the March issue of Meehans' ^Monthly, there was a beautiful picture of a portion of a Pomelo tree, with the large fruits hanging upon the pen- dent branches. Of all the citrus fruit, there is none that makes a more beautiful showing on the tree than the Pomelo. Its size is more than three times that of the orange, and its clear lemon-yellow shines against the background of dark green foliage. The taste is delicious when one understands how to eat this fruit. The rind is bitter, and should never come in
MIKADO PEPPER.
contact with the mouth, — nor should the in- side skin and septiments. The proper way to eat a Pomelo is to cut it through crosswise of the axis, and, with a spoon, dip out the juice. Some prefer a sprinkling of sugar over the cut surface before eating.
But the name Pomelo is that which should be used instead of the ridiculous and absurd title Grape-fruit. There is no sensible reason why the former should not be used under all circumstances. It is the name by which it is called in its East Indian home, with such slight variations as "pummelo," "pomelow, " etc. It is short, simple, euphonic and historic. There is no remote resemblance in either tree or fruit to the grape, but the pomological sin committed by some one in Florida, who started the name Grape-fruit, has descended to the present day. Let us not perpetuate and propa- gate it. Talk, write and eat Pomelos, and en- joy one of the best and most wholesome things of life. H. E. V.\nDem.\n.
April icth, 1899.
BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
THE IIUMBLE-BEE.
Aught unsavory or unclean Hath ni3' insect never seen; But violets and bilberry bells, Maple sap and daffodils, Grass with green flag half-mast high, Succory to match the sky, Columbine with horn of honey. Scented fern and agrimony. Clover, catch fly, adder's tongue And brier roses, dwelt among; All beside was unknown waste. All was picture as he passed.
Wiser far than human seer. Yellow-breeched ])hilosopher I Seeing onh- what is fair. Sipping onl)' what is sweet, Thou dost mock at fate and care, Leave the chaff" and take the wheat.
— Emerson.
Dr. a. W. Chapm.an. — The able and well- known botanist. Dr. A. W. Chapman, author of the " Flora of the Southern United States," which has passed through several editions, died at his home in Apalachicola, Florida, on April the 6th, nearly reaching his ninetieth birth-day. One of the greatest of American botanists, he was of remarkabh- modest and retiring habits, but he will be long remembered for his eminentlv useful life.
James M. Thorburn. — Few names connect- ed with gardening have been more widely known than that of J. M. Thorburn, of New York, the grandson of Grant Thorburn, the founder, over three-quarters of a centur3- ago, of the famous seed-house. His death occurred in New York, on the 24th of April. He was in his 79th year. He was a gentleman of re- markably modest and retiring disposition, — and 3et sound and progressive in everj- line.
Edward A. Rogers. — The introduction of Rogers' hybrid grapes marked a new era in American grape culture. The death of the originator, ]\Ir. Edward A. Rogers, of vSalem, Mass., hast just been announced. This occur- red at Peabody, Mass., on the 30th of March.
(94)
It is remarkable, considering the grand results of Mr. Rogers' experiments, that more work in the same line has not been attempted. All he did was to plant under a hot-bed frame a vine of the European race, and one of the American Fox grapes. They then hybridized, naturally, as one might say, as the results proved. If the path marked out by Mr. Rogers had been followed further, valuable results might have rewarded the explorer.
Mr. Charles Naudix. — Charles Naudin, a French botanist equally- famous in horticul- tural circles, died at Villa Church, at Antibes, on the 19th of March, in his 84th year. He was then occupying the position of Director of the Experiment Garden there. His "Amateur Garden" and "Treatise on Horticulture" are among the ablest books on French gardening. There have been few abler laborers in the science and art of horticulture during the pres- ent century, — and he passes away carrying the love and admiration of garden lovers over the wide world.
The Evolution of Plants,— By Douglas Houghton Campbell, New York. Published by The MacMillan Company. — Few topics have met with more wide-spread interest than the evolution of plants and animals. That num- berless forms of organic being that now exist had no place on the earth at one time, — and that a large number that once existed exist no longer, is an established fact. In what man- ner these appeared and disappeared, — and es- pecially where, when and how the human race did appear, are, to use a common expression, burning questions.
Examining plants, as they are to-day, we find some, as in bacteria, merely single cells, — others with compound cells, others with a con- tinuous addition of cells, and these cells finally taking on numberless forms, and with many special functions, and all these can be traced, as so many successive links in a* chain, from an oak or a palm, down to a moss or simple bacterial cell. It would certainly seem as if,
1899]
MEEHAXS'
MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
95
in some way, that which is worked out on such a plan, must have had a unity of origin. The grand palace must surely have had a beginning in the original brick.
While this must be true, the manner in which it has been all brought about is the popular question. Darwin and his followers contend that plants and animals are liable to accidental variations and that when these variations come at a time when the plant has a struggle for existence, the plant or plants that can turn this accident into practical use against its enemies, triumphs over the rest, — and thus a new race comes in at the expense of the old. The accidental variation becomes heredi- tary', and we have the new species. This is the essence of the Darwinian doctrine, and seems plausible, especialh- when brightened by the brilliant platitudes of Grant Allen, and writers of the sensational class.
These views are all presented in a remark- ably clear light in this work by Dr. Campbell. It is in a clear and popular style. Any intelli- gent person will enjo}- it without the need of a Greek or Latin dictionary- at the elbow. Even those who believe they know what evolu- tion means, will derive pleasure and profit from a perusal of this succint historj'; and this may be said in spite of the fact that later views of the theory- of evolution seem to show, that while the views of Darwin and Grant Allen have a foundation on a limited number of facts, they are ver\' far from solving the great m^s- terv.
Guide to the Study of Common Plants.— An introduction to botany, by \'olne3- M. Spalding, Prof, of Botany in the University of Michigan. Published by D. C. Heath & Co., Boston, Mass.
Botany, as taught in schools in general, in the last generation, was rather a dry stud}'. It had to be gone through with as one of the courses, but in the old book stores, near the colleges, the text books ma}' be found in great numbers, which the students were glad to dis- pose of, as soon as the graduation papers were signed. It has been a wonder that some of these were not selected bj' the graduates for burning on the festivities of their college end- ings, instead of Xenophon, for botanj' must, after all, be nothing but "Greek" to them..
But it has become popular. The Public
Schools especialh', with their ' ' nature stu- dies," which consist chief! 3' in observing, comparing and judging of an}' natural object brought before them, have done wonders in popularizing a love of plants and flowers as the leading object of interest in nature. The mere collecting of plants and making herbariums, without the subsequent study of the material, is of no more ser\-ice than making a collection of buttons. Now it is the fashion to look more into their nature, their historj-, and to listen to the many stories of the present and the past that they are fond of whispering to those who love them.
How this popular treatment of the formerlj' abstruse science is advancing, the number of books appearing on the subject will show. This "Introduction to Botau}'," by Prof. Spalding, is the newest addition to the useful list. It is prepared in the form of exercises for pupils, with suggestions to teachers for guiding the students in their studies. It deals chiefly with the subjects that are commonly before the eyes of people generalh', and treats the topics in popular language; but refers, in foot-notes, to those works wherein the advanced student maj' pursue the more learned details.
Shamrock. — Some say the original Shamrock was the White Clover; some the Wood-sorrel, or oxalis: some the Dutch Clover; some the Medick or Black Nonesuch; some the Buck- bean; some the Water-cress. It is curious that Arabs have a trefoil called Shamrock.
George Wither, in his "Abuses vStript and Whipt," speaks of the Irish people as eaters of "Shamrootes. " Is not the Shamrock, here re- ferred to, the water-cress? I find record of it as being so named. C. W. G.
The Golden-Rod as the National Flower. — A correspondent says: "I regret that 3'ou, in 30ur article on Solidago, did not advert in- cidentally to the proposal to make it the national flower — to which place its claims are very strong. Some plants have been sugges- ted that are absurd — NyviplKsa — very prett}', but not found in California, I think. It wilts in a few minutes after it is taken out of the water — a fatal defect. The national emblem must hold up its head.
Epigcea is too scarce — and, in a sense, local. It is found in the mountains in the South, but
96
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
[June
not generally there, I think. Solidago — Europe has but one species, while we have nearl}' a hundred. It grows all over the country abundantly — coloring our Autumn landscape yellow as the gorse colors England. It is showy, and some species are fragrant. It holds up its head well. Abundance is a vital quality. The original Shamrock, Oxalis Acetosella, is now exterminated in Ireland. They use Trifo- lium repens—vihW.^ clover — instead. These qualities constitute a stronger claim than can be made for an}- other plant. Zca Mays, the Indian corn, has also been named. To suggest a corn stalk as a button hole flower is enough to kill it.
History of John B.\rtram. — In the past ages, when any one became famous, it was too often the practice to collect the most improb- able gossip, and give it out as veritable his- tory'. The "letter of a Russian gentleman" in relation to a visit to John Bartram, bears in- trinsic evidence of its fictitious character, — and yet it is used continually in biographies of the old botanist as veritable truth. He is des- cribed therein as an ignoramus, but resting for a few moments from the hard work of plough- ing a field one hot summer day, he was struck b}' the beaut}- of an Ox-eye Daisy he had turned down, and determined from that day to know something more about nature around him. He bought a botany book, and from this day his life as a botanist began. The exact stor}' is not before the writer while penning these lines, but this is the substance. In contrast with this is an account of the gardens by his son, written in 1801, which saj's: —
' ' Kingsess gardens were begun about the year 1720, b}' John Bartram the elder, at a time when there were no establishments of this nature in Pennsylvania, if in an}- of the colonies, unless we ma}^ except that of Dr. Clayton, in Virginia, which though inferior in extent, was furnished with a considerable variet}-. They are situated on the west bank of the Schujl- kill, four miles from Philadelphia, and con- tain about eight acres of land. * * The worthy founder of these gardens, discovered in his early jouth, a love for philosophy and natural history- in general. He was, however, particularl\- drawn to the stud}- of botany from considering the importance of vegetables in the practice of medicine, and their indispen-
sable vise in various departments of human economy. * * * In this condition it des- cended to his son, whose care it has been to preserve its well earned fame. * * "
It is further well known, that he took a course in medicine, before deciding to devote himself to botany only. He was anything else than an unlearned farmer, as the biographies would have us believe.
Fox-Glove. — In the April number of the Monthly (page 63), you endeavor to give the derivation and meaning of Fox-Glove, and further to elucidate the subject, I will quote from the America?/ Encyclopaedic Dictionary: Fox-glove, Folks-glove {Folks a.sfoks.) English Fox and Glove; Anglo Sa.-s.or\ Foxes glo/a. Or folks and glove — fairies' glove. So fairies, folks (foks) came to be fox, which is evident from the lines of W. Browne:
"To keep her slender fingers from the .sun. Pan through the pastures oftentimes hath run To pluck the speckledFox-glovefrom the stem, And on those fingers neatly placed them."
In the German Digitalis, from the Latin Digi- tate, a thimble, is purpur-rother Finger-htit; that is purple thimble, and as thimbles are pro- tection for fingers, it is not unnatural to a change into glove. ' '
In all European languages, as far as I have been able to examine, the common name of Digitalis is either a glove or a thimble. In Spanish it is dedalera, from dedal a thimble, and in French, Gatit de Notre-Danic, "Our Lady's Glove." C. L. Lochman.
Bethlehem, Pa.
The reason for offering the suggestion in the April number, that Fox-glove originally meant "imitation bells" or "false bells," was that the explanation of the encyclopcedias and diction- aries is unsatisfactor}- to most scholars in philology. An imitation thimble — false-thimble — would not be so far-fetched as "false glove."
The Sass.\fras. — The American Druggist tells us that soon after the American continent was discovered, there was a belief that wonder- ful virtues resided in the Sassafras, and ships were sent from the Old World especially for the wood and root. All sorts of virtues were at- tributed to it, — even to a belief that it would make salt water drinkable. Though it lost its wonderful reputation, it is still used to a con- siderable extent in pharmacy.
VoiJX,
Plate N- /
BiDi^v'^ connaj:^
BIDENS CONNATA.
CONNATE BUR-MARIGOLD.
NATURAL ORDER, COMPOSITE,
BiDENS CONNATA, Willdenow. — Glabrous, a foot or two high, loosely branched, leaves either all undivided, oblong or broadly lanceolate, acuminate at both ends, sharply serrate, tapering into margined petioles or the upper sessile; or some with a pair of lateral divisions which are sessile and decurrent on the petiole. Akenes obloug-cuueale or the outermost obovate, nearly glabrous but retrorsely hispid-ciliate, commonly three-awned. Gray's Synoptical Flora of North ■ America. See also Gray's Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States, Chapman's Flora of the Southern United States, Wood's Class-Book of Botany, and Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora.
At the first sight of our picture , the reader might believe he was introduced to a familiar weed, having in mind the common " stick - tight" of cultivated ground, the seeds of which, when attached to the clothing of some hapless trespasser on what the plant regards as its own domain, fully justifies the familiar name. That species is Bidcns frondosa, a close relative of the one here illustrated, but which never or rarely becomes a weed, as Bidens fro7idosa does. Many j-ears ago, the author suggested that a weed could only be defined as a plant growing where the cultivator did not want it, and there is probablj' no better de- finition to-day. Bidens comiata grows in waste places, but seldom trespasses on the, culti- vator's ground. Occasionally, where a crop of corn has been carried too near a swamp or a water-course to be of much value to its owner, the plant will stray a little over the borders to which nature had assigned it. If one had not some pre-conceived idea of weediness, a first view of our drawing would convey an idea of elegance few flowers could afford. The slen- der pedicels are somewhat stiff", and this is in strict harmony with globose heads; but this stiffness is admirably relieved by the general arrangement of the whole mass of infloresence. Even in the coloring, the rosy tinge of the petioles and adjacent portions of the stem brightens up the whole picture. Beauty does not consist of a mere glare of coloring, but in harmonious combinations such as this species in our drawing happily presents.
In American autumnal scenery, it is one of the elements that often give unbounded pleas- ure to river scenery. Near the mouths of some of our large streams, there are often areas of flat
land subject to occasional overflows, and on the newly-deposited soil, our plant and a score or two of others grow to rank perfection. Dur- ing August and September, these plants to- gether often make a picture, once seen is never to be forgotten. What Moore has said of some chance human glance, is just as true of these glances at Flora when in the proper mood.
" Oh! there are looks and tones that dart An instant sunshine through the heart. As if the soul that minute caught Some treasure it through life h*ad sought ! "
In the first volume of the Botanical Gazette, Professor John M. Coulter describes a scene in vSeptember, on the line of the Ohio River, in which our plant is represented, and which must have been very beautiful. It had for companions, besides other species of Bidens, richlj'-tinted Polygonums, Polanisias, large clumps of the purple Baptisia australis, the rosy Hibiscus militaris, various species of gol- den-flowered Helianthus and Coreopsis, with numbers of others which gave beauty of form if not as brilliant in coloring as their neigh- bors of a gayer mould.
Passing from the aesthetic character to the botanical history of our plant, there is much of interest to the student. The name for the genus, Bidens, was given by Tournefort, and adopted by Linnaeus. It is a Greek name sug- gestive of the two teeth-like awns that crown the akenes, though some species, as in the one here ilhistrated, may have more than two. The student interested in questions of nomen- clature, in which the matter of priority comes in, will be puzzled by the figures and dates of different authors. Prof McMillan tells us that
(97I
98
MEEHANS MONTHLY — BIDENS CONNATA.
[July
it is No. 641 of Linnaeus' Getiera Plantarum of 1737; but Dr. Gray gives No. 932. The lat- ter number is emploj'ed in the edition of 1767. In the author's copy, issued in 1743, the num- ber is 776. It will be seen that the particular edition of Linnaeus will be of importance where the verification is to be traced up. So in relation to the authors themselves. Vail- lant gives to this genus the name of Ceratoceph- abis and quotes Decandolle, 1836, as the authority; but this is but a reference, the name having been given in ^^/a Gallica, 1720. This would, therefore, antedate the Linnrean name, if it had been the absolute creation of Linnaeus, in 1737, and not of Tournefort, so much earli- er. The difficulty the student will find in get- ting at the exact priority of dates and num- bers, is also illustrated b}' the species. Bidens counnta is referred to Muhlenberg; but in no work of Muhlenberg is the plant found des- cribed. It appears first in De Candolle's Pro- dromus, of 1803, as having been suggested to him b}^ Muhlenberg; but the mere suggestion does not carry with it the right to be quoted as the aiithor, under botanical rules.
The species is a verj- variable one. Before the extent of* variation was known as well as it is now, several species were made out of these variations. The one herewith illustrated is not the form taken in hand by Muhlenberg, when he first proposed the specific name now generally adopted. It is a form which Nuttall regarded as distinct. His specimens are marked Bidens lauceolata\ but when he des- cribed it as a new species, in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, it appears as Bidens petiolata. There is also little difference in the one illustrated from the form named by Bigelow, in the " Flora of Boston," Bidens tripartita, though not the same as the European species of this name as originally determined bj' Linnaeus. Bidens cernua seems to have been the first species to be placed under the genus by Linnaeus, who noted it in his tour through Lapland. It has a wide distribution through both hemispheres. In man}^ respects, other species show connect- ing links with it, and if there is truth in the speculation that many species of plants have sprung from progenitors still existing, it would not be difficult to imagine that Bidens cernua was the parent of the subject of our present sketch. In connection with Bidens
frondosa, it forms a section _ of the genus dis- tinguished b}' the absence of raj^ petals, and several other minor characters. It is easily distinguished from Bidens frondosa, by the akenes being somewhat triangular and three- awned, as seen in our Fig. 3. One familiar with both species can recognize each bj- pecu- liarities of foliage; but the student will have difficulty. \'ariations are very great. In Min- nesota, leaves of some variations are cut into comb-like sections. Its range is given by ]\IcI\Iillan as "North America, New Bruns- wick to Saskatchewan and Nebraska, Illinois, IMissouri, Georgia and Texas." It has been found useful in medicine as an expectorant in bronchial troubles.
The famih' of Bidens has managed to make its w^ay widely through the world, — and to a degree that other families might en v^-; and 3'et, what is remarkable, the .--pecies themselves are in some degree more localized than usual. Out- side of the species that are native to North America, three are found in Europe, two in the East Indies, three in China, one in New Zealand, two in Southern Africa, and four in Tropical Africa, five in the Sandwich Islands, and one generally over the East Indies. Scattered over the New World, two are credited to Cuba, two to San Domingo, two to Argentine, one to Paragua}-, one to Costa ^Rico, three to Bolivia, one to Guiana, six to Eucador, two to Guatamela, four to Venezuela, three to Chili, eight to Peru, ten to
*
Brazil, and five to the Pacific Islands. There is, however, one that grows over most of the West Indies, and four South American ones that dis- dain an}^ special locations. IMexico, however, seems to be the great central famil}- home, there having been no less than twenty-five species described as claimed by that region, and more are continually being found and named bj' explorers. There are few families of plants that can show a record for localization equal to Bidens, and yet have so wide-spread a distribution over the world. Yellow is the prevailing color, though there are some white- flowered species. One of these, Bidens leucantha , is one of the most widel}' distributed of the whole family.
Explanation of the Plate.— i. Lower section of a flowering stalk, a. Upper section of the same showiiig the transition from a tripartite leaf to the simple form. 3. Single floret with akeue, somewhat enlarged.
WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
THE MOUNTAIN SAXIFRAGE.
There cleaving to the ground, it lies With multitude of purple e\'es, Spangling, — a cushion green like moss.
ANONA'MOUS.
evolution would hesitate on the possibilit}' of a palmate leaf, like a lupine, ever being evolved in this way.
Variation in Species. — I have been inter- ested in your notes on variations from the common forms of plants; for I suppose there is no species that does not at times present these variations in a more or less pronounced form. Two years ago I ran on a patch of wind-flowers, in South Hadley, nearly ever}- plant of which had a two-leaved involucre; and since then I have seen many in other x^laces. On jNIaj' 6th, my child Florence, while looking for violets, found a patch of wind-flowers of which nearly all the plants had a four-leaved involucre, while several were five-leaved — in fact, there were more five-leaved than three- leaved involucres in the patch. The flowers also had an unusually large number of sepals — almost tending toward a double form; and the under side of the visible sepals was, in man}^ cases, a deep pink.
I have also noted a Painted Trillium (found in Belchertown) that had four leaves, four sepals, and an apparently four-celled ovary.
Anilierst, Mass. L. H. ELWELL.
The stud}- of variations among the individ- uals of species has become one of peculiar in- terest, since Darwin suggested that species came into existence by the hereditary- persist- ence of such variations as gave an advantage in a "struggle for life." But such as these noted by Mr. El well, made by observers since Darwin's time, tend to show that variation results from varj-ing phases of life-energ\-, which becomes weaker, till it finally expends itself Change can, therefore, go only so far and no further. It is possible to find a "four- leaved' ' clover. It is possible by sowing seeds of the plant bearing four leaves to get a plant with an hereditar}- four-leaved character; but the most enthusiastic believer in this form of
Habenaria grandiflora. — Having occa- sion, lately, to refer to an herbarium of dried plants which I collected perhaps fift3--five years ago, I noticed that one of them, which was a prime favorite with me in my bojish da^'s, was no longer recognized as a species by Gray. In the last pocket edition of his Manual, the name of Habenaria grandiflora no longer appears, and in the previous edition it is only mentioned as a synonym of Habenaria fim- bria ta.
My feelings were a little like those expressed to me on one occasion by my valued friend, the late Isaac Bvirk, who grumbled at the necessitv of going to school again in his old age, in order to keep up with the changes in botanical nomenclature. But it was some com- fort to find that the Hortus Kewensis, which is recognized as a standard authority, retains both //. grandiflora and H. fimbriata as separ- ate species.
My early determinations of these species were based on the descriptions of Darlington and Beck, both careful botanists, the latter of whom is remarkable for the brevity and accur- acy of his descriptions. In a note appended to the description of H. grandijlora, he says: " Flowers twice the size of H. fimbriata, from which it also differs in the form of the lip. " Darlington also alludes to the resemblance between the two species, remarking, " This is a superb plant, and allied to the preceding, — H. fimbriata — though doubtless sufficiently- distinct."
I suppose this "superb plant" is more abundant to the eastward than it is here. I know of but four localities in which it grew in former years in Chester County, Pa., the scene of my early exploration. I first found it about 183 1, on the Westtown school farm, in a low piece of swampy ground, over-grown with trees and bushes, among which I waded up to
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MEEHANS MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATL'RE.
[July
my knees in mire. This locality' lias since b^en cleared, drained and ploughed up, and though it has j'ielded corn and grass, it max- well be supposed that the Habcnaria has dis- appeared. Yet there is something m3^sterious in the disappearance and return of plants of this class. A botanical friend, with whom I was closeU" associated sixty years ago, the late Edward Tatnall, of Wilmington, Dela- ware, wrote to me respecting localities. ' 'The OrchidacecB are among plants what the gipsies are among people, and are seldom found twice in the same locality. I once found a locality of //. fimbriata in which there was probably a hundred plants; but although I have visited the place a number of times since, I have never seen a single plant. ' '
The favorite localities for Habenarias are along rivulets, where the upswelling of springs furnishes a loose, bogg}- soil for the plants to grow in. Although nearly sixty years have elapsed, I think I coiild still go to some of the spots where H. grandifiora formerlj^ grew, although it would be with but faint hope of ever meeting with specimens. Two of these places are in the vicinity of Westtown, in the gneiss formation, and another in the hydro- mica shales of the South Valleyhill of Chester County.
It is a well-knowxi fact that some plants re- quire the visits of insects to so bring the pollen •of the stamens into contact with the pistils as to ensue their fertilization and the perfecting of the seed. Thence a condition of the weather that prevents the visits of such insects is one of the causes that may operate to prevent a succession of plants in any definite locality; and to this may possiblj' be ascribed, in part, the fact mentioned b}^ Edward Tatnall of the disappearance of Habetiaria from a well- stocked localit}'. L. Walton.
Chester Co., Pa.
It is now conceded that Dr. Gray was mis- taken in regard to these plants.
In reference to the non-appearance of orchids in some seasons, it was found by accurate obser\-ations in England, with native species of that country', that the tuberous-rooted orchids will, at times, remain dormant several years, without making an}- foliage.
Krigia amplexicaulis, Nutt; Cynthia Virgvika, Don; Virginia Goatsbeard.
This showy little perennial Composites, having a large cluster of root leaves and a stem from one to two feet high ; a single clasp- ing leaf, and bearing reddish-yellow flowers, has had a number of names conferred on it b}' botanists.
It was not known to belong to Lancaster Count}', Pennsjlvania, until 1884, when it was found growing along the Conestoga Creek, be- low Churchtown, and again in 1892, along a stou}', unused road on the Welsh ISIountain, near Beartown, in the same State.
It can be cultivated. One plant, brought from Beartown in 1S92, and planted in a flower bed in a yard in Lancaster Cit}-, has increased to four plants, the leaves with a spread as large as a tea plate. After its removal to Lan- caster, it blo.ssomed profuseh' in June: and this year, 1898, it blossomed again in Septem- ber.
It has been collected in Berks and Chester counties. INIrs. Amell\ F. Ebv.
Laucaster, Pa.
Besides the names quoted hy our correspond- ent, it was classed by Linn:eus with the Salsifs- family, and known to him as Tyagopogon J 'ir- gitiicus, literalh', the \'irginian Goatsbeard. Index Kezi'ensis adopts the name originally given by Nuttall, Krigia amplexicaidis.
Krigia amplexicaulis. — I send you a specimen of Adopogon Virginiais (L.) Kunze;
Ros.\ rugosa in a Nursery Catalogue. — In a prominent nursery catalogue, the cover appears so daint}- it might be adorned with lace and embroider}', upon which a star has fallen. Rosa rugosa is illustrated within.
The rose has been named the queen of flow- ers, and as Edmund Spenser has been called " the poet's poet," ma\' not as well Rosa rugo- sa, the Roses' Rose ? Judging from its appear- ance in this catalogue, it is pre-eminent in beauty, in foliage, fruit and flower. And in bloom or out of bloom, must be an ornament to an}- garden.
Once were brought me eighty large, old- fashioned red roses, from a field from which the house had long since disappeared, but the roses flourished still, a monument to departed love and care. Who would desire a sweeter monument than the fragrance and beaut}' of roses? E. E. O.
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MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
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Spanish Palmetto. — " The Spanish Pal- metto is a species of palm tree growing in the West Indies and Southern United States, of the genus Chamcvrops.
By the natives of Florida, it is called the Cabbage Palmetto, or more commonlj- simplj- 'cabbage'. It is not, however, the true cab- bage tree, Euterpe montana or Areca oler- acea, foxmd in the West Indies and northern part of South America, but, like the terminal bud, is tender and succulent, and edible either raw or cooked, being a white whorl of embrj-o leaves, the real end of the trunk, above and around which the leaf stalks of the frond pro- ject. The leaves are often from four to six feet long, and three to four feet wide, and the stems six to eight feet long.
In 1876, both the present managers of the Hotel Ormond lived in log camps thatched with these leaves, and at the time camps made of long pole frames covered en- tirely (sides and roof) with- palmetto leaves were common and known as ' Palmetto shanties. '
The divided base of the leaf stalk, that clings to the trunk even after the leaf has dried and part of the stem has broken and fallen off, is called a boot-jack, and when sound can actu- alU' be used as such. As the tree matures, the boot-jacks fall, the lower ones first, and leave the clean, light gray trunk of the older trees. ' '
To the above, kindly communicated by our friends, Anderson & Price, Ormond, Florida, it may be added that the other plant in the prett}^ picture is prob- abU" Yucca oloeifolia, a true native of Florida.
The Death-Cup INIushroom. — Of the genus Amanita, to which the Death-Cup belongs, authorities sa}- that it is responsible for the majority of deaths from mushroom poisoning. Strange to sa3', some species of this genus are also pronounced edible, making delicious dishes.
According to plates prepared b}^ Dr. Taylor, an authorit}' on the subject, the Death-Cup, Amanita phalloides, is of a dusky brown color, not as gaud\^ as the Fh- INIushroom which is less poisonous, nor 3-et as delicately colored as the Orange Amanita, A. Ctvsarea, an edible one. Dr. Ta^-lor figures two other edible spe- cies : Amanita rubescens. The Blusher, a dark
SPANISH PALMETTO
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MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[July
brown species, and A. strobilifonnis. Fir- cone INIushroom, the latter being particular])' characterized b)' white warts scattered over the upper surface.
The chief distinguishing points between the Death-Cup and the common edible mushroom, are the absence in the case of the edible one of the white cup-shaped wrapper in which the stem appears to stand and the presence of pinkish (in young specimens —brown or black in older) gills on the under side of the head or cap. A very small portion is sufficient, in many cases, to cause death, and the amateur should be positive!}' able to identif\' the mush- room he gathers for the table. The work of Dr. Taylor, referred to, is valuable for refer- ence in identif\dng them.
Trees Record their own History. — Strange though this may seem, yet it is true, whether we are able to read it or not.
Most any one can tell the age of a tree hy its rings, and here let me say, there are three ways to tell: two b)- the inside, and one b}' the out- side.
The methods of counting the j'ears of a tree from the inside are first by cutting a tree down and sawing off a section or block and counting the rings or circles, which an)' one can do. Another way is to split the block open and count the sections on a medullar)- ray; it will be found that each section corresponds to each ring, or one year's growth. The third way is to count the spaces between the rows of limbs on a standing tree. This is easily done on the spruce, pine, etc. It will be observed that some spaces are longer than others, correspond- ing to a thicker growth of the corresponding ring and a longer section of the medullary ray. I have a large number of bits of wood, both of maple and beech, illustrating these statements.
So much for the tree's record of its own age. Trees also indicate their locality where grown, whether on a mountain or in a valley, also the color and nature of the soil, amount of sun- shine, temperature, moisture, etc.
Again, trees reveal the points of compass, especially the hemlock, by its extreme top leaning to the East. It has often been noticed that the heart of some trees is far from the center, near one side. In such a case, the tree is well fed on one side and lacking food on the other. A ledge on one side, and fruitful soil
on the other, makes the difference, and accounts lor the position of the heart.
A tree also indicates barometric conditions, by absorption of moisture through the roots, on certain days, and from the atmosphere through the body of the tree. It also indicates the days on which they will not absorb.
So a tree, especially the maple, indicates the difference between a heavy and a light atmos- phere or when the mercury is high or low in the barometer.
By a certain experiment I have with the maple, in the summer, when the tree is in leal, I notice these barometric conditions.
When the tree is not in leaf, by a few experi- ments, especially during sap-flow, I can not only tell when the tree is in pressure and suction, but I can tell the amount, in pounds, to the square inch.
So we see a tree has a wonderful record of facts, whether we are able to read them or not.
Moscow, vt. Timothy Wheeler.
X-R.wsusED inBotany. — "Dr. Van Heurck, well-known in the world of learned men," says, La Semaine Horticole, ' ' has lately become dis- tinguished by his remarkable work in radio- graphy. The learned lecturer of the Botanical (Tardens at Anvers, showed recently the results he had obtained by X-rays in the plant world. He had successively photog'raphed a flower of Pavofiia Brakoyana, fruits of Arachis, Taniar- indus ludica (here the embryo was seen with surprising clearness), Papaver sonDiifcnttn (an admirable proof, giving a desirable drawing of cells and seeds enclosed in the head of the pop- py) a pea-pod, and the fruit of a ProteacecB.
These recent efforts demonstrate, without doubt, that in the domain of botany, the X-or Roentgen-Rays will render service as well as in zoology, embryology, surger)' etc.
Annual Wood-growth. — It was shown in a paper published by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, some thirty years ago, that the annual deposit of wood in tree- trunks is all formed during a few weeks at midsummer. Practical knowledge moves slow- ly. There is a large amount of valuable facts stored away in the annals and proceedings of institutions awaiting some industrious com- piler who would earn the gratitude of the communitv for his task.
GENERAL GARDENING.
THE GOOD GARDENER.
Ho so wyl a gardener be
Here he may both hyre and se
Every tyme of the 5-ear and of the mone
And how the crafte shall be done
Yn what manner he schall delve and sette
Both Yn drowth and Yn (the) wette
How he schall hys sedj's sowe
Of ever}" moneth he must knowe
Both of wortys and of leke
Ownyns and of garleke
Percely, clarj-, and eke sage
And all other herbage
Wt a dybble pu schalt ham sette
That pe dybble before be blnnt and grete
Three ynches depe the}- most sette be
And thus sayde I\Ia3ster Jon Gardener to me.
— An English Work of 1440.
Moth Hunters of Massachusetts. — In the spring, summer and autumn, the sojour- ner in the suburbs of Boston and the towns within a radius of about ten miles of the cit^^ will see, in the woods and fields, in gardens and lawns and private grounds and along the roadsides, men carefully scrutinizing the trees, shrubs, fences and stone walls.
These men are in the emploj^ of the Com- monwealth of Massachusetts, and the object for which thej- work is the extermination of the gypsy moth, Porthctria lijspar, a pest of European countries, introduced into Massachu- setts in 1868 or 1869, by Leopold Touvelot, a French artist, naturalist and astronomer. M. Touvelot now living in Paris, was at that time residing in Medford, a few miles west of Bos- ton, where he attempted some experiments in raising silk from our native silk-worms, and also introduced European species for the same purpose. It is said b}" people living in that vicinit}^ in 1869, that some of the eggs that M. Touvelot had imported, were blown from a window of the room in which he kept them. Others state that some of the insects escaped in larvae form. At an}' rate, its escape appears to have been accidental, and Touvelot, being aware of the dangerous character of the pest, and finding his efforts for its eradication futile,
gave public notice of the fact that the moth had escaped from his custody.
For several years after the moth escaped it attracted no attention. People who witnessed, in 1869, the first extensive outbreak of the moth in INIedford, and thus became acquainted with its voracious habits, and its productive powers, were unable to understand how so destructive a creature could have existed un- noticed for twent}" years; but its lack of con- spicuous markings, which to the common eye would distinguish it from other species, and its habits of concealment and night feeding will explain its unheeded distribution. With- in twenty years it had spread into thirty town- ships and gained a foothold in each without attracting public attention.
The caterpillars devovir the foliage of nearlj- all species of trees and plants, and in the worst infected districts, when the trees are stripped of their leaves, the fruit itself is partiall}- eaten. At first the citizens residing in infect- ed districts spent their leisure time fighting the insects, thus for a time in a great measure protecting their shade and fruit trees and shrubs. Finally the moth spread to waste land and great tracts of woods, where it grew apace, until the advances of the ravenous larvae could no longer be stayed b}' individual effort. Vast areas of woods, attacked b}" the moths, looked as though they had been swept by forest fires.
Finall)\ in 1889, specimens of the moth were sent to Professor Fernald, entomologist of the Hatch Experiment station at Amherst, who, after exhaustive investigations, identi- fied it as the " gypsy moth." In December of that 3'ear, Professor H. H. Goodell, president of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, wrote to Governor Brackett, urging that m.eas- ures be taken bj^ the incoming Legislature to provide for the extermination of the moth. The Governor treated the subject in his inaug- ural message, and a petition for legislation for the extermination of the moth was presented to the Legislature b}' the selectmen of Med-
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MEEHANS MONTHLY- -GENERAL GARDENING.
[Jul7
ford, Janiiar\- 15, 1S90. Other petitions fol- lowed from some half a dozen towns and cities, also from the iNfassachiisetts Agricultural Col- lege, the Essex Agricultural Societ}- and the INIassachusetts Horticultural Society. In ac- cordance with the provisions of an act passed by the Legislature that 3'ear, the Governor appointed a salaried commission. This com- mission began its labors b}- a partial inspec- tion of the known infected district for the pur- pose of divScovering and marking the infested trees, shrubs and other objects. The infested trees were marked with a red tag. This dis- trict did not exceed one-half mile in width and one and one-half miles in length. The exam- ination of 1890, justified the commissioners in the assumption that fifty square miles of ter- ritory were more or less infested. To an ap- propriation of $20,000, another of $25,000 was added and the force of men employed was in- creased to eighty-nine. During the month of April many eggs of the moth were scraped from the trees, and destroyed. Early in 'Slay, the spra3-ing of infested foliage with Paris green was begun and continued until about the middle of the month. This was the principal work of the summer, and fifty teams were used. Another feature of the season's work was the guarding of the highways leading from the infested districts, with a view to further preventing the dissemination of the moths by vehicles; and officers were kept on duty along the roads twelve hours in the da\-. Large kerosene torches were used to burn the clustering caterpillars, and considerable cut- ting and burning of infested bushes was also done. The cavities of trees along the high- ways were closed with cement. On ISIarch 20, 1891, actual field work was begun, under the supervision of entomologists from the various colleges. Later in this 3'ear, the commission was superseded by the State Board of Agricul- " ture, from which a committee was appointed, to continue the work.
In apportioning the territorj^ to the different inspectors, it was found necessary to make a hasty survey of the field and plat it on maps. These maps were divided ipto sections of such size as could conveniently be carried by the men engaged in field work. For convenience these maps were drawn so as to be bounded by town lines, streets and railways, or b}- natural bounds, such as streams and lakes. A fore-
man was responsible for the work on each tract or section. When field operations began the eggs of the moth were the only form of the pest. The men were taught how to recognize and destro)' them, and to distinguish them from those of native moths. When eggs were formed on a tree or other object, certain characters were marked upon it with white paint, and the locality was designated on the map. As the season advanced the number of men emplo^'ed was increased. Each inspector was instructed to make out a daily written re- port of the work done b}- himself and men, and to incorporate in these reports his observations on the habits of the moth and its parasites, notes on its distribution and all useful infor- mation acquired by him in regard to the moth or methods of eradicating it.
The operations of the moth hunters were accompanied by some amusing features. The first was during the rigorous police patrolling of the roads, when all teams and carriages were halted and inspected, to the amusement of some and the disgust of others. Then there was considerable opposition to the use of Pari? green for spraj'ing, manifested b3' many people living in the infested towns. A mass meeting of the opponents of spraying was held in INIed- ford. One citizen, who attempted to cut the hose attached to one of the spra^'ing tanks and threatened with violence the emplo^'ee of the board who had entered upon his land, was arrested and fined. Others neutralized the effects of the spraj-ing b}^ turning the garden hose upon the trees and shrubs that had been sprayed, thus washing off the solution.
Important etitomological work was mean- while accomplished, and several parasites of the moth were discovered. Dead pupae were saved in order that the parasite might be stud- ied. In fact, no source of knowledge, which might aid the work, was disregarded. The committee even went so far as to secure full in- formation with regard to European experiences with the gj'psy moth, and the methods em- ployed in Europe to combat it; and all infor- mation gained, from all sources, was tersely embodied in a report to the Legislature.
The studj' of the productive powers of the moth is most interesting. The number of eggs deposited by the female averages 450 to 600, and each egg cluster produces about 1000 caterpillars. Because of the great number of
1899]
IviEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
105;
plants utilized bj^ the moth for food, it is capa- ble of subsisting in almost an}^ locality. It is worthy of note, however, that the most dense- ly infested areas very nearly coincide with the centres of population, and the 'moth colonies are larger or more numerous in or near thickly populated districts.
The work of exterminating the moth has continued to the present time, under annual appropriations by the I^egislature ; and the numbers of the moths and the extent of terri- tory occupied by them has been greatlj' re- duced. Still, the end of the work is b}- no means in sight. In the work, a great number of specially devised implements and tools are used; and beside the methods of destruction already mentioned, chemicals are used to kill the eggs, hand-mirrors being used to inspect the undersides of fence rails, door-steps and other similar places. Trees are bandaged b}' encircling the trunks with some substance .which the larvae cannot cross; and burlap and tarpaulin bands are also utilized. Besides Paris green, London purple and arsenate of Jead are used for spra3-ing, and power sprajing machines are used for orchard and field crops.
There is no doubt in the minds of those ac- quainted with the facts, that the gypsy moth can be held in check where it now is, and that it can be exterminated if suffi- cient resources can be secured and vigorous aieasures taken; for it is known to a certainty that the moth is confined to Massachusetts. It would seem that the general government should interest itself in helping to continue the work which Massachusetts is now carrjdng on at her own expense.
Allan Eric.
on the grounds of a rare lover of gardening, Mrs. Berwind, of Wynnewood, Pa.
The Tulip Tree, — Liriodendron tulip- IFERA. — We often learn more about familiar things by noting how they strike strangers. The following, translated from iNIiiller's Gart- ner-Zeituug, in an article written for that paper by Mr. Rudolph Krause, a nurser>'man of Thomberg, near Leipsic, will interest our read- ers : —
'' Liriodendro7i tuUpifcra, the Tulip-tree, a native of the United States, is found in parks very frequenth-, but not to the extent it de- serves. This ornamental, shade-giving tree attains a height of from 30 to 35 feet, and should be more considered, as it is not onh- as a single or group-tree, but also for row-plant- ing along walks and carriage roads. The yel- low flower resembles a large tulip, appears in June and July, and is well liked in bouquets.. The seeds are winged, standing around a cen- tral axis, forming a cone. This tree, belong- ing to the Magnolia familj', demands careful planting on account of its thick and flesh}' roots.
"A notable variet}-, with varigated leaves, is the Liriodendron tuUpifcra fol. aureo-inargi- uatis. ' '
CuT-LEAVED Beech.— Among the especialh' beautiful orna- ments of our gardens, the Cut- leaved Beech holds a high place in common with its ally, the Fern -leaved Beech. A fine speci- men is the more highh^ valued from the variety being of rather slow growth. Few finer speci- mens may be seen than the one here illustrated, which is growing
CUT-LEAVED BEECH.
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY GENERAL GARDEXIXG.
[July
How TO Keep Dahll\s. — As soon as the roots are taken out of the ground, shorten them one-half, then spread them out in a covered place to keep them dr\-. Many people winter them in a cave, but thej* are liable to suffer from dampness. It is therefore better to place them in a shed covered in such a way that the frost cannot touch them.
The young tubers of the first year are put in a box, covered with drj' sand, and kept in a dry place sheltered from the frost.
— La Semame Horticole.
Pansies. — There are so many beautiful garden flowers that no one need be criticized for being unable to name a preference. One that is con- sidered choice by ever5-one is the pansy — and well ma}' it rank high. Improvers have brought it to a beautiful stage where almost any color and shade may be had, from a total black to a pure white, — and even various petals are in separate colors, niceh' blended. The}- are almost of a hardy character and can be brought to bloom in cold-frames during winter, besides enjoying their pretty blossoms all sum- mer.
Hardiness of Lavender Plants. — It would be quite correct to say that lavender is vers- hard}-, though the past winter, unusuall}' severe, killed some plants.
A correspondent inquires if it will thrive in a shad}- location and moist. Ver}- few ever- greens like such a position, and lavender is not known to be one of them. In sunn}- gardens and dr}- soil it thrives perfectly, and it is only strange that it is not more common.
The foliage and stems are not lavender color, as usually recognized, but are silvery gray. The small flowers make that wonderful color so popular with the ladies. But all stems, leaves and flowers have that pleasant aroma which makes it so useful.
Cedar of Lebanon. — Whether the arch- bishop of Damascus is correct or not in his assumption that Solomon planted the Cedar of Lebanon with his own hands in the quidnunc manner, as they now stand in the valley on Mount Lebanon, we will not venture an opinion. Lamartine, who visited these trees in i832,ver}- properly says: " They are the most renowned natural monuments in the universe. ' ' Religion ,
poetry and history have all equally celebrated them. In Wa.shington, they have flourished forty years without injury. At Claremont and Sion House in the neighborhood of London, these cedars are over loo years' old and eighty feet in height. At Hopton House, near Edin- burgh, and at Beaufort Castle, in the highlands of Scotland, there are trees over loo years' old. At the latter place it is said the tree rises with all that boldness of outline and perma- nence of aspect which renders it the glory of Lebanon and the boast of Palestine. It is to be hoped that this tree will be more planted in the future. It is especially adapted to cemeteries.
W. R. Smith.
iEW ©K Rm.'t rL^MTS.
Califorxia Yellow Violet. — California has given us many desirable flowering plants, — some have become ver}- common ; but I do not find in any florist's or seedsman's catalogue, that I have seen, one plant that I admire so much — the Yellow Violet. We have a yellow violet here, but not as pretty as its California relative. I remember finding the yellow violets growing with Xcmophila, Co/lifisia, Eschschol- zia, and others too numerous to mention.
Cheney, V ashington. SUSAX TuCKER.
White Carvopteris, axd»the Abelia. — Caryopteris Mastacanthus alba is a white form of the well-known shrubby verbena introduced a few years ago. Though not as showy as the blue-flowered variety, still it is worthy of a place in every collection, especially as it blooms at a season when flowers are not so plentiful in the shrubbery. It commences to bloom about a month earlier than the blue-flowered variety, and is to be hoped will prove as hardy.
Abelia rtipestris, as far north as here, (Conn.,) has generally been considered a greenhouse shrub; but we have had it in the shrubbery bed withoiit any protection for several years. What a beautiful little shrub it is, too! From midsum- mer till late fall, it is one glorious mass of pretty pink blossoms. True it is not a large growing plant; still it is one of those gems which the lover of hardy plants will always find a suita- ble corner for, and what a delight to show the visitor who takes an interest in hardy plants.
Johx W. Drxc.vN.
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MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
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Yucca alceifolia variegata. — The Yucca alceifolia is well-known as an ornamental pot plant in northern conservatories, especially the variegated-leaved variety', the one in the annex- ed representation that flowered last year in the Meehan Nurseries. The plant is probabh' over one hundred j-ears old. It formed part of a magnificent collection of succulents owned by an amateur, J. B. Smith, of Philadelphia, who was one of the early patrons of the Pennsyl- vania Horticultural Societj-. On his death the collection wa-^ purchased by the no less cele- brated horticulturist Caleb Cope, at Holmes- burg, near Philadelphia. On the dispersion of his collections at the end of the fifties, it came into possession of Mr. Thomas Meehan, and has been a choice deni- zen of Mrs. Meehan 's conservator}- for many years past. When in flower on the lawn last summer, backed by a pretty- specimen of the beautiful western coni- fer, Picea Hobilis, it was a beautiful sight, and could be admired from a long distance awaj-. This is the second time the plant has flowered. It seeds freely, appar- enth- without an}- aid from insects.
TME H/^IR1D>Y FLOWEi "^i/^ HID) EM.
Petasites officinalis. — Relative to the article of mine on bees and their guidance to insignificant blossoms, in the May number of your valuable Monthly, I must tell you of another observation, that color of bright hues is not always necessary- for them to find their nectar.
In the middle of April, almost before crocus and snowdrops appear, there lifts, from the ground in my garden, a fiower, a round club- like head, at whose point a few little ra}- blos- soms of whitish color open, set on a bare pink- purplish stalk.
What concerns their color, the}' are hardl}-
Improved Chin.\ As- ter.— The China Aster is not an aster, but be- longs to a very different genus. ItisCallistt'phus Oiinciisis. It is being improved, — or one might sa}^ distorted in- to all sorts of queer forms by German flor- ists, as the chr\santhe- mum has been b}- the Japanese. Quilled-petal kinds are now among the rest, — the flowers looking very much like a similar freak among the chrysanthe- mums.
YUCCA ALCEIFOLIA VARIEGATA.
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[July
discernible from the >-et bare ground of the surrounding earth and dr}- vegetation. Yet the hone}' bees in great numbers find them, al- though I am not aware that in any near neigh- borhood such are kept. What mystery guides them from afar to this coveted spot? Truly it is a most wonderful fact to meditate over. And now I must describe this interesting flower a little more. I have had about 20 blossoms from it this season. The leaves expand later, and as the hollow flower stalk grows higher, the little flowerets gradually grow, too; and open all in a circle around it. For two seasons, I had it not knowing the correct name; but this spring, I made an effort to obtain it, and Mr. James N. Bishop, in Plainville, Conn., who is an authority on botanical matters, tells me that its name is Pctasift's ojfici/ialis (a Kuroi)ean species). With this guide, I looked over my German catalogue of plants, and found the fol- lowing: Petasifes 7'uli^aris. Composit;e— X. Eupatoria?. Common name. Pestilence-wort. Xo doubt it has been used for medicinal jnir- poses.
The roots of it are plenty- and very spread- ing underground. I find new shoots coming up from the main plant as far as six feet away. It has stood our severe winter unprotected, and blossoms so early in all our cold, that it is de- sirable alone on this account. I know of no other flower whose top blossoms open first and later the lower ones follow. Hyacinths and such, as you will know, alwaj'sopen the lower flowers first.
The leaves grow to immense size and 3 feet high, wooly stalks, and are about that broad and long, heart-shaped and the whole resemb- ling a large rhubarb plant when out of bloom and fulh' grown. It needs plenty of room to expand in. Mrs. Wilhelmine Seliger.
Hartford, Coun.
This Striking foliage-plant has a fine effect, and, as our correspondent suggests, is de- liciously fragrant in flowering time. It has a deeply-rooting and defiantly-spreading charac- ter,— but this has no terrors to those who understand the business of getting rid easily of a troublesome customer.
feet high is an impressive sight. The rhododen- dron may plead its evergreen leaves as adding to its flowering claims, — on the other hand the bright red haws, which in the fall the Rugosa Rose displays, ma^' be a fair set-off to the plea of the beautiful evergreen.
MiCH.vi xi.v c.VMi'.vxrLoiDES. — Though a French botanist, the name of Andre Michaux is inseparable from llie histor}' of American botany. Xot only the man of abstract science, but the lover of flowers, is continually con- fronted by his name. It is to be regretted that some fine American genus was not dedicated to him, but L'Heritier commemorated him in the curious gen\is J//V//^?/,t'm, illustrated on page 109, and which illustration has been transferred from the French magazine Lyon-Horticolc. As- will be seen from the jncture, it differs from ordinary bellflowers in having the corolla deeply divided, with the segments reflexed, as in the Tiger Lily. It has reddish flowers, which is rare in campanulaceous plants. Tt requires the same treatment in our country that would be given to a fox-glove.
After all, the travels of Michaux extended to Syria and Persia, and he died in Madagascar on the 23d of Xovember, 1796, in the 50th year of his age.
AHb
^E^IET^PLES.
Ros.\ RUGOSA. — Coming into bloom at the same time with the rhododendron, the Rosa rugosa puts in a claim for the prize of beaut}-. It would be hard to decide, for a bush 6 or 8
Hybridizing- Apples and Pears. — In Mee- HANS' Monthly, INIay '99, page 78, comment- ing on the hybridizing of apples and pears, is remarked that "it is not improbable that the apple and pear might hybridize and it is sur- prising that no actual test has been made." Permit me to state that such a test has already been made, although no account of the work has 3-et been published. For several years, there was growing in one of the apple orchards at this station, a Flemish Beauty pear top- worked on an apple tree. In 1892, four clusters of blossom buds on this tree were emasculat- ed before the buds opened. The^-were pollinat- ed with pollen of Oldenburg apple and kept covered with paper bags to exclude other pol- len. Each set fruit, but b}- July all of the fruits, except one, had dropped. One fruit de- veloped normally, except that it was small as compared with the other fruits on the tree, and was not sj-mmetrical in shape. It contained.
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three plump seeds, two that were slightly filled and three that were abortive. Several other fruits from the same tree were examined, but none contained more seeds than this one which resulted from hj-bridizing with the Oldenburg apple. The seeds were stratified in a pot ot sand and buried in a frame. In the spring they Avere sown in flats. One seed grew. It was potted and afterwards transplanted to a cold frame, but finally damped off.
At the time when the blossoms were pollina- ted with the Oldenburg pollen, six of the Flemish Beauty clusters, hav- ing been prepared as before, were pollinated with Rhode Island Greening pollen, five with Tompkins King pollen and two with Transcendent Crab pollen. Hut two of these blossoms set fruit, and they were pollinated with Rhode Island Greening pollen. By July, thes fruits had drop- ped.
In 1898, a few clus- ters of Ben Davis ap- ple were pollinated, under my direction, with pollen from Shel- don, Clairgeau and Bosc pears, and one cluster of Seckel pear with pollen from Rome Beaut}' apple. None set fruit except ■o n e c 1 u s t e r of Ben Davis by Sheldon. These fruits dropped during the summer.
We have, as a result of these tests, positive evidence that the pear will hybridize with the apple; but we have not sufficient evidence to show that the pear w^ill set fruit freely when supplied with none but apple pollen.
S. A. Beach.
New York Agricultural Experiment Station.
For this particularly interesting paper by Professor Beach, the hope may be expressed that the experiments may be continued. It is now well-known that there is a wide range of
variation in the individuals of any species, wholly independent of what is understood by hybridization. It becomes necessary-, therefore, to repeat experiments before hybridization is established. There are those who doubt the Kieffer Pear to be anything more than a varia- tion, independent of hybridism. The evidence so far, as is well indicated by Prof Beach's paper, favors the view of the possibility of the occurrence.
New Strawberry, Star.— The list of straw- berry varieties is get- ting so large, it is diffi- cult for an intending purchaser to select among them. Perhaps the best plan, after first engaging well- tried, standard kinds, is to give the new can- didates a trial. The Star is one of the latter, introduced b}^ E. W. Reid, Bridgeport, Ohio.
MICHAUXIA CAMPANULOIDES.
-SEE PAGC loe
REvSults of Pear- grafting. — G. S. writes : ' ' Four or five years since, I grafted some pear trees, eight to ten years' old, in healthy condition but which bore unsatisfac- tory fruit. They were cut back to within about one foot of the trunk, and scions taken from a vigorous Bartlett growing near, side-grafting being the method employed. The tree bore fruit last season, but was quite a disappointment, fruit more resembling the original small, round, sour pear. Can you in- form me as to the cause ? ' '
Such a result is unnatural and would seem to point to an unnoticed failure of the scions, and a continuation of the old growth. If the scions were true, the fruit should have been true Bartlett. Without personal observation, it is difficult to form a positive opinion. It is worth trj-ing again.
BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
THE EXPLORER.
To sit on rocks, to muse o'er flood and fell, To slowly trace the forest's shady scene, Where things that own not man's dominion
dwell. And mortal foot hath ne'er, or rarely been; To climb the trackless mountain all unseen, With the wild flock that never needs a fold; Alone o'er steeps and foaming falls to lean; This is not solitude; 'tis but to hold Converse with Nature's charms, and see her
stores unroll 'd.
— BVROX.
Sabbatia. — In the last issue of Mhkhans" Monthly, a correspondent quotes the state- ment made by modern botanists in regard to the person to whom the genus was dedicated. Sir. J. E. Smith, writing in the early part of of this century, says it was " named by Adan- son after two Italian botanists, editors of part of the expensive but useless Hortiis Ro)uan7(S, which the authors of JHorhis Keivensis ver}^ properly declined quoting on the avowed ground of its inutilit}'. Adanson, indeed, writes the word Sahatia, but we presume that was his intention." How modern botanists came to modify this harsh criticism of Sir J. E. Smith so as to make the genus apply to "an eminent Italian botanist," does not appear.
Fox-glove Again. — If a few words more anent the etymolog\' of this plant name may be permitted, I would call attention to the explanation given by Dr. Prior in his excel- lent book, " On the Popular Names of British Plants," a work which no one should be with- o^3X who is interested in the common names of our flowers. He speaks the word of fox- glove as " a name that is so inappropriate to the plant, that many explanations of it have been attempted, by which it might appear to mean something different from the glove of a fox. Its Norwegian names, Rev-bielde, fox- bell, and Reveleika, fox-music, are the only foreign ones that allude to that animal: and they explain our own as having been in the first place foxes-glew or music, _ (Anglo-Saxon
(no)
fflieiv), in reference to a favorite instrument of earlier times — a ring of bells hung on an arched support, a tintinnabulum — which this plant, with its hanging bell-shaped flowers, so exactly represents." Britten and Holland, also good authorities on English plant names, state that in various parts of England and Wales, the flower goes by such names as Fair}'- cap, F'airies' Thimbles, Fairies' Petticoats,. Fairies' Glove and Prairies' Fingers, thereby showing a connection in the popular mind between this plant and the " good folk," as the fairies are called by the superstitious. This latter explanation supports the views advanced b3' your correspondent, Alice Clary Earle, in the May number. Philadelphia. C. F. SAUNDERS.
How TO Plan the Home Grounds. — Pub- lished by Doubleda}- & IMcClure Co., New York. Among those who have worked for the advancement of intelligent horticulture in America, few deserve to be specially held in more grateful remembrance than Samuel Par- sons, the founder of the great nursery- firm of Parsons & vSons Co. , of Flushing, New York. It must be gratifying to this venerable patriarch among garden lovers, that his son, Samuel Parsons Jr., is continuing the great labor of love to which he dedicated his own life. He will be proiid, as we all are, to have this use- ful work in hand. It is a practical, helpful book, as the publishers are full}- justified in sa^-ing, telling popularly and in detail how to beautify home grovmds, be the}- small or large. It does not, however, stop here, but a good share of attention is given to public grounds in villages and larger cities.
The Lilies. — Prof. F. A. Waugh has com- menced a description of all the known lilies of the world. He recognizes sixt^^-four species. The first part, covering twenty-seven species, appears in the April issue of the Botanical Gazette.
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MKEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
Ill
The Boulder Fern. — The readers of Meehans' Monthly will be of the opinion that the following lines, contributed b}' some anon^'mous New York friend, are, in beauty of thought and rhythmic construction, far above the average of magazine poetry :
the boulder fern.
Dicksonia groweth in thickets deep, Where the grouse and the rabbit hide
But she loveth best the boulder rock On the desolate mountain side.
And there, though shaken bj^ wind and storm,
The glint of her fronds is seen As she wreathes about the lichened rock
A circle of delicate green.
Fitted by Nature's loving hand
To dwell in the fairest bowers, vShe has grace and beauty in ever}- line
And the fragrance of the flowers.
But oh, she loveth the free wilds best
And the cold gray boulder's side; And there, adorning the rugged steeps,
Forever she will abide.
Origin oe the Potato — Solanum tuber- osum.— Potatoes are also included in a collection recently examined. The}- are usually small, about an inch in diameter, and are much like the tubers of the wild plants found by the writer in the mountains of Mexico, at an elevation of i o, ooo feet, and which occur from the United States to Chili along the Cordilleras. The size of the potatoes would argue that the Indians of Peru derived their supply from the wild plants of the mountains, as any primitive people might do: but Dr. Uhle informs me that it is a cus- tom among the Andean Indians to prepare their potatoes, which are as large as our own cultivated forms, b}' a special preservative pro- cess, which much reduces their size. How- ever this may be, it is not at all unlikely that the culture of potatoes has been much im- proved since the discovery, by contact with white men. Dr. J. N. H.\rshberger.
Univer.'-ity of Peuiisylvauia.
R. A. Alexander. — Mr. R. A. Alexander, one of the well-known scientific men of Canada, one of the chief founders of the Herbarium in the Hamilton, Canada, Scientific Association, was in early life a gardener, and had charge of the gardens of the Marquis of Northampton, in England. He was born at Errol, in Perth- shire— the " Carse O'Gowrie" — Scotland.
Medicine in North Carolina.— When a prospective purchaser questioned the salubrity of the surroundings, the promoter, boomer, or whatever the agent of the new settlement is termed, protested that if there were any place on Earth where one did not get sick and die, he would like to go there to end his days. He probably had never heard of North Carolina. Sickness and death should at least be rare there if there be any virtue in medicine. Here is a catalogue of the medicinal plants of the State, and the list comprises over 450 species. It appears to have been compiled by Mr. Hj^ams, an herb collector for a drug agency, though is- sued by the North Carolina Experiment Station. Prof W. F. iSIasse}' has evidently prepared the very careful and accurate index, but the main matter is astonishing. Still the attempt is made to employ the new nomenclature, — and what appears to be a tremendous mass of typo- graphical errors, may be a grasp at some newly- polished mould}- name. ]\Iany names are du- plicated. We have Hepatica Hepaiica, Alliaria Alliaria, Barbarea Barbarea, Abtitilon Abiiti- lon, Opuntia Opu?itia, Foeniculiim Foetiicnhim, Hypopitys Hypopitys, Sassafras Sassafras, Be?i- zoin Benzoin. Phragmites Phragmitcs, Scolopen- drium Scolopendriuni, as samples. In botany, the generic name is the noun and the specific the adjective, so we have to translate these as "the Hepatica that is the Hepatica," "the Sassafras that is the vSassafras," and so on. But the new nomenclature goes further than this. In this list we have Polypodiiim poly- podoides, — \.\iSit is to say, "the polypodium that is like a polypodiiim." This ma}- be meant in an emphatic sense, as when the Boston clergy- man, anxious to give a truthful opinion of every new born baby among his flock, assured the doting mother, "well that is a baby if ever* there was one!" And there may be in the new style of plant names a hidden meaning for good after all.
Wood and Garden. — By Gertrude Jekyll. Published by Longmans & Co., New York. This is an American edition of an English work. It is written by an apparently wealthy lady, who rejoices in a comparatively small garden, — but who, though keeping her gar- dener and assistants, loves her garden, and takes an active part in doing as well as directing the garden work. Starting with the introduction.
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
[July
the reader may feel he is entering on a prosy • story. The author is apt to deal in long sen- tences; "or," "and" ma}' occur half a dozen times in a single one.
But as we get along, we become interested in the story, and read them just as if we have in hand the natural correspondence of some familiar friend, whose heart is in the labor it is telling us all about. Just what she does in her own garden from month to month, and the comments on the gardens or garden work of others, is naturally and instructively told. Though some of her suggestions would not apply to many parts of our country, it is yet a work profitable to the general reader, and de- serves a place in the amateur's librar}-.
"^EINIE^/^L MOTES,
The Relation of Public Parks to Public Health, — is the title of a phamphlet prepared by Mr. Orlando B. Douglas, of New York, and issued bj' the "American Park and Out Door Art Association." It is unquestionable that the nearer we keep ourselves in contact with nature, the more we favor bodily health, — and that the general public health is favored by small parks and open spaces in towns and cities, has been demonstrated by actual experi- ence. Numerous facts in support of this view are set forth in this able paper.
Quarter acre possibilities. — By Nutter and Keith, Minneapolis, ISIinnesota. This is a booklet of 38 pages, with designs and descrip- tions suggestive of beautifj'ing small gardens and grounds, that are usuallj- not thought worthj^ of the employment of a skilled land- •scape gardener. No more useful aid to those who are planning suburban homes has come before us. It was a good thought to prepare the work, — and the thought has been well em- bodied.
How to Know the Ferns. — How to know the Wild Flowers, by Frances Theodora Parsons, has filled a useful place in popular botany, and the same authoress now gives us "How to Know the Ferns." As in the former work, it is written in pleasing style, that makes the -Study itself an enjo\-able one. Each species is illustrated in good form, so that there will be no difficulty in deciding what the descriptions iiave endeavored to prove.
The Plague of Flies. — A correspondent says : —
"Can you inform me of an efficient and in- offensive way of destroying and preventing the propagation of flies about stables in the country- ? They sometimes become so numer- ous as to constitute a pest — not onl}' about the stable but about the house. ' '
In dwelling houses nothing has been found more efficacious, in keeping down the plague of flies, than catching them on fly-paper. It should be as useful in stables,— but it would be a pretty big undertaking, for it is under- stood that the chief breeding ground of the house-fly is the manure pile. Perhaps other more satisfactory methods can be given by some readers.
^Ieeh.vns' Monthly, — Its contents.— One of the merits claimed for IMeehans' Monthly is that it is to be a permanent work of refer- ence for all time. It is believed that no refer- ence library can afford its absence from its shelves. That was the idea in issuing the "Flowers and P'erns of the United States." This is the object of its continuance as Meehans' Monthly. The reading matter in connection with popular science and gardening is selected with a similar object. Instead of a few elaborate articles collating what has already been gone over, or presenting views or notes of a temporar}^ character, though well suited to mere newspaper publications, they give way to numerous substantial topics that might have a place in an encjxlopaedia and be of value for all time. This paragraph is written through a complimentary notice of our annual index. The conductors believe themselves that the compliment is deserved. For the number of pages given, we doubt whether such a list of topics worth}' of permanent record is often given within such a space.
Blossom Day. — Under this style, the State Horticultural Society recommends that Cali- fornia shall have an annual legal holiday, when special honor shall be paid to the State's inim- itable wild flowers, and blooming orchards, that give the State such world-wide eminence.
ry
V'8
SOLIDAGO STRICTA.
SLENDER GOLDEN-ROD.
NATURAL ORDER, COMPOSIT.E.
SOLIDAGO STRICTA Aiton.-Very smooth throughout. Stem strict and simple; wand-like, not one-sided; slender, beset wUh small a^d entire appressed lanceolate-oblong thickish leaves, which are gradually reduced upwards to mere Tracts -the lowest oblong-spatulate. feather veined; heads crowded in a very narrow compound spicate raceme ; rays 5 to 7 Gray's Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States, Chapman's Flora of the Southern LnUed StatlUL wood's Class-Book of Botany-M under the name of SoHdago vtrgata. Gray's Synoptzcal Flora of North A merica as Solidago striata.
This prett5- Golden-rod was first described bj- Alton in the •' Hortus Kewensis," under this name apparently from specimens ' ■ cultivated in 1758 by :\Ir. Philip Miller." ^^^len Michaux explored our countrs- he met this plant, and, regarding it distinct from other species already described, named it Solidago virgata, from its remarkably slender or virgate inflorescence. This distinction was recognized by most of our botanical authors, until Dr. Gray was able to show that Aiton's and :Michaux's plants were specifically the same, except that Aiton's plant had a rather more branching form of inflor- escence than usual.
As variation in such particulars is common in the genus, there is no reason for maintain- ing two distinctive names, and the prior one of Alton has of necessity to stand for all the varietal forms. But, as often happens in the reorganizations of species, this conclusion ren- dered it desirable to take in the more branch- ing form, hitherto known as Solidago augusti- folia of Elliott, and which by Alton was re- garded as distinct from his Solidago stricta. Under this modern view, Dr. Gray describes the latter as Solidago stricta, var. angiistifolia. WTien these more branching forms of in- florescence are met with, the first impres- sion is that they are to be referred to the sea Golden-rod, Solidago sempcrvircns ; but they are easily distinguished by the latter having long narrow leaves, similar to the root- leaves, all along the stem,— while our species, as seen in the picture, has the leaves reduced to mere bracts when in that position. Aside from this, the Solidago sempervirc7is is one of the earliest to flower. In Florida it is fre- quently found in early Spring, and so far north
as Atlantic City, on the New Jersey coast, the author has collected it soon after midsummer. Our species, Solidago stricta, is, however, among the latest to bloom.
In studying Solidago, most of the descrip- tions in our text-books are found to have been drawn from herbarium specimens ; but the living plants will often aid us to dlstlnguish- ine marks, which are absent in dried lllustra- tions. There is much Individuality of char- acter in the little florets which the dried speci- mens do not show. This is true of most Com- posites, as well as of Solidago Itself. If, for instance, the enlarged floret (Fig. 3 in the plate) be compared with a floret of Solidago nemoralis, it will be noted that the sudden expansion of the upper portion of the tube occupies more than one-half the length, and that the lower or slenderer portion is thicker in proportion to the upper half. The upper and thicker portion is c^'lindrical and not cam- panulate ; while the purely triangular seg- ments of the corolla are erect, and not recur^-ed. In like manner the bristly pappus is somewhat appressed, while In other species it would be more or less expanding. It is difiicult to get at these characters in dried specimens without a careful soaking in warm water, and the help of a good glass ; but in fresh specimens they can readily be determined by the help of a pocket lens.
The florets are admirably arranged to insure self-fertilization,— as indeed is the case with the greater portion of the large order of Com- positce. The method adopted in this Instance is shown in the enlarged drawing, Fig. 3. The anthers, as in composltse generally, are united into a sort of crown, while the filaments are
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY — SOLIDAGO STRICTA.
[August
entirely free. This crown of stamens is in- curved at the apex, and presses over the top of the cloven stigma. While the young flower is being developed the stamens and pistil grow in equal ratio. But a period is reached when the stamens mature, and cease growing. The immature pistil continues its growth, and, by the aid of pressure against the incurved apex of the anther-crown, the latter is lifted iip far beyond its place at the mouth of the corolla. But a period arrives when the filaments have been stretched to their utmost tension. When this point is reached, the still elongating style pushes the cloven stigma through the anther- crown, carr3'ing with it the pollen grains. When the stigmas get whoUj^ through, the elastic filaments draw back to their normal position, and the empt3' pollen cavSes arefound at the mouth of the corolla again.
Those who are imbued with the idea that all flowers are so arranged that thej^ can be cross- fertilized when self-fertilization fails, contend that the two lobes of the stjde are of necessity- closed when engaged in clearing the anther cells of their pollen grains,— that the stigmatic surfaces are on the interior of the clefts, and that, on expansion, the lobes will be clear of own-pollen, and readj' to receive that which visiting insects ma}- bring from outside sources. But careful exclusion of visiting insects, b}- the use of gauze netting, results in every floret producing perfect seed for all the apparent absence of pollen grains on the interior faces of the cloven stigma, — and the inference is reasonable that the pollen tubes find an en- trance b}^ wa}' of the margins of the cleft during the stigma's passage through the an- ther-crown. Thrips are often found in the heads of compound flowers, and these have been suggested as agents in cross-fertilization when winged insects have been excluded,— but as these do not travel from flower to flower, but locate themselves for the time being in a single head, there would be no ph5^siological advantage in one floret receiving pollen from its fellow floret. In fact, it would not be re- garded as cross-fertilization at all. In our illustration (Fig. 3) the floret is represented at that stage where the pistil has burst through the staminal crown, and the latter is with- drawing itself to its home within the corolla tube.
The American Autumn in North America
furnishes scenes of wondrous beauty. Poets never tire of singing its praises. Longfellow observes :
"With what a glory comes and goes the year ! The buds of Spring, those beautiful harbingers Of sunn)' skies and cloudless times, enjo}' Life's newness, and earth's garniture spread
out, — And when the silver habit of the clouds Comes down upon the Autumn sun, and with A sober gladness the old 3'ear takes up His bright inheritance of golden fruits, A pomp and pageant fill the splendid scene."
But a strong element of beauty in this great autumnal pageant would be missing if the Golden-rods were removed. The species here described, Solidago strida, takes its place in the lower levels near the sea-coast, where the autumnal beaut}* is of a verj- different char- acter from that in the higher elevations, or more northern regions. In what are known as the marshes of Southern New Jersey, the Salicornias and other Chenopodiaceous plants make a brilliant show of reddish brown. But there are purple Asters and deep yellow Golden-rods to give a great variety of tints. INIeeting these on rather drier, but still level sandy spots, the slender Golden-rod here illus- trated takes its place. The author has a beau- tiful picture in mind, from the original of which the drawing was made. It was quite late in October, — so late that the root-leaves (Fig. i) were commencing to deca3^ A j^ellow tinge had settled on their tips, but the spike of flowers (Fig. 2) was only just in its prime. It is probably the latest to bloom of any spe- cies extending so far north. It was not ex- actly a "pine" barren, but an open grass}' plain. The grasses were chiefly species of Andropogon. The comparativelj' dwarf Heli- anthns a?igustifolius had a good space, and showed off" its orange-colored blossoms to great advantage ; while the bright blue bells of the narrow-leaved Gentian were in the greatest abundance. The rocks and hills, with the undulating contours of surface, among which other species set off" their beaut}' in more northern localities, was certainly wanting ; but for all the special beauty of this autumnal scene made a deep and lasting impression on the memory.
Explanation of the Plate. — The plant obtained from Southern New Jersey, i. A pair of root-leaves. 2. Upper portion of the flower spike. 3. Complete floret, very much enlarged
WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
THE GENTIAN BY THE BROOK. "We sauntered, full of thoughts of that which
was,
And that which ought to be, and scarcely saw The mighty vistas down the river dim, Or the blue-budded gentian bj- the brook, Amid our earnest parley. ' '
— Howard Worcester Gilbert.
natural gifts, and those who may not have ac- cepted these opportunities, could find that they have missed much in refusing the gifts Nature has placed at their disposal."
The Pleasures of Wild Nature. — A cor- respondent sa3's: "Out of the many occupa- tions, pleasures, fads and fancies of the present day, few occupy ^pace in a greater number of hearts than those connected with Nature. And, indeed, what other is more entitled to rank so highly in public estimation and love, — the mysterious beauties of creation, everywhere abounding and affording the greatest possibili- ties for research and pleasure. Alwaj'S new surprises at everj' turn, — no one can read the depths of wonderful Nature.
We delight in the beautiful and mj^sterious, and all pertaining to natural life. What is more engaging than a stroll through natural woodlands; the mighty trees swaying overhead in the breezes; the brooks rippling jo\'ously along through the glades, here and there form- ing cascades resounding in romantic music touching the very depths of the heart; the birds twittering and fluttering gaily about; the wild flowers, peeping out in modest beauty, and surprising the stroller at unexpected turns. And then beautiful spring, when trees and flowers awake, putting forth their leaves and buds, the birds return to their summer haunts, and the thrill of renewed life and vigor is given to all. To those who are denied the advantages of this out-of-doors life, other opportunities are given. The poorest hovel may contain window plants, beautiful in leaf or flower, and filling the rooms with the wonderful perfumes with which they are endowed, and brightening many a home otherwise neglected, — tenderly cared for as does a mother with her children.
To no one therefore is denied the great privi- lege of enjoying the great benefits of these
Heather in America. — The current num- ber of Meehans' Monthly, a publication de- voted to general gardening and wild flowers, contains an interesting article, with illustra- tion, on the subject of ''Calluna vulgaris,'' or common heather, which, it appears, there is now a disposition to claim as a plant indige- nous to the New World. The writer of the article, who we have some reason for thinking is a Scotchman, confesses his doubts on this point, and in fact goes so far as to express the belief that it is more properly to be regarded as a waif from across the Atlantic ; but on the other hand he is confronted by the fact that Dr. Asa Gray and other eminent botanists have admitted it among native American plants, and as it will probably for all time appear as such in their works he is forced to the conclu- sion that it is almost hopeless to contest the claims. He then proceeds to descant both learnedly and lovingly on the heather of the Old World, showing that it has entered into English literature to an extent not equalled by even the rose or the violet, and touching on some of the associations which make it pecu- liarly dear to emigrants from the ' ' Land of Cakes. ' ' Regarding its history in this country he refers to the poet Percival's allusion to it as a native of Vermont only to prove that that was due simply to the poet's license, the intro- duction of the word being necessitated by the requirements of rhyme. About the middle of the century, however, he adds, a few plants were undoubtedly found in a bog about twenty miles from Boston, and gave an excuse to Whittier to introduce some beautiful lines in his " Ode to Burns." Since its first discovery in Massachusetts the plant has grown so much that it threatens to destroy some cranberry plantations; but for the fact that it has not done
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MONTHLY— WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[August
so long ago is regarded by the writer of the article as an evidence that it is not a genuine native. Near Egg Harbor City, N. J. , there are also some famous plants of heather, but these have' had their origin traced back to the time when an exotic plant was introduced. Ameri- cans have shown their love for our games (from rounders to golf), until they have come to re- gard them as peculiarly their own. They have also sought to make common property of some of our most popular Scottish songs. It will, however, be necessary for them to adduce better proofs than they have yet done before they succeed in depriving Auld Scotia of her claim to be regarded as the real home of the heather. — Scottish- American.
Fertilization in the Golden Rods. — The meaning of the several behaviors of plants has attracted attention in recent times. The lobes of the pistil in the golden-rods have a papillose or brush-like character. INIr. J. S. Chamberlain, in the eighteenth volume of the "Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club," remarks that ' ' the function of these brush- hairs is to thrust out and collect the pollen from the anther-tube. " ' That this is the result is certain, but it is not clear that this is their special use. It is tare that anj- particular ar- rangement in nature is for any one particular function alone. So far as the good of the plant or its race is concerned, there seems no par- ticular advantage gained by collecting the pol- len in this manner, and this leaves the infer- ence that the leading object to be gained by the collection has not 3et been positively de- termined.
Conditions for Fungus Growths. — The chapter on the nice conditions, or we might sa\' combination of nice conditions, required before mushroom spawn will grow, as noted recently in jNIeehans" ^Ionthlv, has been widely copied, and variously commented on. It is remarkable that this knowledge is not more universal, as the same law can be seen in operation everj-where about us. Numerous diseases spring from invisible members of the fungus famih'. The terms, bacillus and microbe, that everj^one is now so familiar with, simph' represent a low order of cr^'ptogamic growth, which we may as well- call funguses.
Of these low orders of vegetation that can be well seen by microscopes only, over fort}- thou- sand have alreadj^ been described and named. But these, like the mushroom, will only de- velop to a growing condition when the nice combination occurs. The pathologist calls these growing plants germs, but thej' under- stand b}' this that they are the germs of dis- ease. What the botanist terms the germs of the plant, and the physician the germs of disease are two verj- difterent things. In the eye of the botanist, the most minute of these organisms, though composed of but a single cell, springs from a germ which he calls a spore. It is only after these spores have de- veloped and become living plants that they become the germ of the pathologist. It is only after this growing cell increases in immense numbers that they concern the path- ologist. In their truly germic stage they are wholly harmless. It is safe to say that ani- mal organisms are taking in with every breath or with ever)'^ mouthful of food or drink, spores of yellow fever, typhoid fever, diphtheria, small pox and man}' other dreadful diseases, which spores abound in the atmosphere and ever3-where at all times. But the proper con- dition of temperature, food, and other circum- stances which are necessary for their develop- ment do not exist for them, and they pass through the lungs or the bowels wholly un- changed. It is the want of this knowledge that makes the various public bodies known as Boards of Health so expensivelj^ tyrannical as at times to tempt the legislative bodies to wipe them out wholh' in spite of the limited amount of good they certainly do. When the diseases die out for lack of the nice food required bj- the little vegetable organisms, the credit is given to the health authorities ; and thousands of dollars are demanded to extend the work by them that should be credited to nature.
An apt illustration is now before the writer of this. It is a field, once cultivated but now abandoned. Among other vegetable occupants of the waste is a patch of man}' hundreds of square feet of dewberries and the common blackberr}' mixed. The dewberr}' is so com- pleteh- covered by a species of blackberrj- rust that one might take it to be a patch covered with gold dust spread out to dr}'. But not one leaf of the common blackberr\- has a spot of rust. All as healthy as health could show.
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MEEHAXS MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
117
Now the dewberrj' and blackberry are so closely allied that in some of the variations a botanist can scarcely tell to which species to refer a given form. If we chew the leaves or stems, test the plants by smell, or eat blindfolded the fruit of either, we can detect no difference. But this little fungus knows. The spore, float- ing in the atmosphere, rests on the blackberry' leaf as well as on the dewberrj' leaf, but it tneets with something we cannot detect on the black- berrj'leaf that forbids its developmer.t. After awhile, however, some other species of rust, with its spore floating in the atmosphere, meets the blackberry- plant. It has its desires, and then we have blackberry rust.
And thus it is with man}^ things. Out of these fort)' thousand minute organisms a dozen or so have been found dangerous to human life. But as Providence has not enabled us to see them with the naked eye, and protect our- selves as we might from wolves or snakes, it has wisel)' arranged to protect us directlj' by ordaining that the conditions for their actual development shall be so rare that we are just as safe as if we could use knife or gun on them.
Native Orchids. — A correspondent from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, observes: "I noticed, with surprise, that a correspondent in a recent number of the ^Monthly, reports Cypripcduim acaule as growing in dr}' oakwoods. The onh' places where I have found it here are tamarack swamps, where it grows in the wet sphagnum, together with C. arietinum, Pogonia ophioglos- soides, Arethusa bulbosa and Calopogou pulchel- lus. I was out recentl}' but found Aretluisa very scarce, where they were plentiful a year ago. ^lany Cypripediuvi pubescetis were found with blighted buds. Both circumstances, I presume, are due to the intense cold of last winter, as also the fact that I found no flower- ing specimen among some 25 or 30 specimens of Orchis spectabilis, which I examined re- centlv."
Geography of the Cr.\nberry. — I send 3'ou a specimen of Vaccinium viacrocarpon, Ait, collected June 22, 1S99, in a meadow near Mt. Gretna Park, Lebanon Count}', Pa. In 1893, I collected it at the same place ; and, in June, 1892, in a meadow near Beartown, Lancaster Count}', Pa. I sent specimens from both local- ities to Prof. Coville, at Washington, D. C,
who informed me that the)- had not been re- ported to him from those localities. Thej^ used to grow in a meadow in Chester County, Pa., and I find j'ou have figured and reported a specimen of it from Germantown. Could they be cultivated and made profitable b}^ cov- ering them with sand ? Do 5'ou know of any other localities in Pennsylvania in which thej'
grow .■' Lancaster, Pa.
Amelia F. Eby.
The above letter was not intended for publi- cation, but it is presented because of the oppor- tunity' of a note on the growing importance of geographical botanj'.
Long in the past, before the glacial epoch — probabh' before man made his appearance on the earth — the Delaware River ran on the west side of what is now Philadelphia. Dammed up in its course by the melting ice, it forced for itself a new channel at the Delaware Water Gap, and struck out the course as it is now, on the eastern line of Philadelphia. Geology, especiall)' through the labors of the late Pro- fessor Carville Lewis, presents this to us as a fact. To do this it would have to leave on its western bank, a strip of territor}- that we should now call a part of New Jersej-, but for this departure of the stream. Now botanj'' confirms this geological proposition. The flora of New Jersej' is of a distinct tj'pe from that of Pennsj'lvania. This is especiall}' noted in what are known as companion plants. Numer- ous species are found in close relation to each other, that are an3'thing but neighbors else- where. This readiU' recognized New Jersej'' flora exists to-da}' on this strip that we are told formed part of ancient New Jersey, thus confirming the position geology has occupied.
When the writer first settled near the Ger- mantown cranberr}' patch, the facts proved it to be originalh' of New Jersej'. We see how botany aids geology in tracking ancient river beds. But this illustration does more. It is believed that plants change through the ages, and become new species b}^ gradual modifica- tion. Just how man}- ages are required to effect a material change, has not been ven- tured on. It is clear, however, from this ex- act CO- relation of the plants of this cut-off", with those of the mainland, that there has been no change since the glacial epoch. Mrs. Eby's plant shows it to be possibl}' the most east- wardl)' aboriginal station for the plants.
GENERAL GARDENING.
THE MOUNTAIN ASH.
The Mountain Ash No eye can overlook, when, mid a grove Of yet unfaded trees, she lifts her head, Deck'd with autumnal berries that outshine Spring's richest blossoms.
— Anonymous.
American Forestry.— In the June number of your verj'^ valuable magazine, a correspond- ent is desirous to know of the art of American Forestry, and how it can be made a ' ' nest egg" for his declining j^ears. Alow me, please, if space permits, to answer, in a general way, this momentous question, as I understand the subject from practical observation. The art of American Forestr}-, as practiced, consists simply in annihilating, radically, all woodlands, with- out renewal of corresponding areas. What is left to chance to grow up again as sprout-land, is without sj'stematic effort or order. That the coming generations will severely suffer, and the whole countrj' be put in danger of the hiry of the uncontrollable elements, while the pro- tecting forests fail, seems no concern of the single individual. To create forests, demands centuries of time; to use judiciousl}^ the exist- ing ones, common sense and reason are great factors for their protection if applied.
With no forest schools, no practical instruc- tion in forest management at our colleges or universities, the art of forestry will yet re- main, for a long time, an unknown but em- inently necessary dut}^ for every person inter- ested in the well-fare of this country.
Japan has long ago^more than twenty years at least — sent its brightest youths to Germany for the practical study of forestry, as it is there scientificall}' taught in all its branches. There, the forest lands are sj'stematicall}- regulated and always made a source of revenue, without diminishing the area or the product of it. If alwa3's the best trees are cut for use in a woods, the danger is that, if the stumps are left for reproduction, they cannot attain, in so short a time as is given to them, a useful size for
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general purposes. W^e do not understand, here, the national use of forest lands; neither does the farmer realize that the poorest land, if sowed or planted to forest growth, will bring surel}' the best returns if he can afford to wait for it.
Long before the Anglo-Saxons left Germany, the forest lands were then existing, in which the Druids held their heathen worship with the Pagan people. These same forests are in existence to-daj'. The smallest hamlet has a forest, for use of the people, under regulations which protect its existence. How forestry is organized by the respective City on Municipal government, may perhaps interest your readers, and to hear of a certain example with which I am perfectly acquainted, it being my native place. Parchim, in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, has about 10,000 inhabitants and a land area of about 2,396,000 square rods of the city proper and fields, gardens, meadows and moors, etc. There is also a forest area of 1,290,000 rods. It also owns 14 villages, which all have their separate forests besides their lands, combining a village, area of 2,365,581 square rods.
The income of the city is (I give it in a round sum, as space does not permit a speci- fied account) 852,370. The cost of the city is $43,826. I will give only a few remarkable items :
Income from rent of lands, $ 4,000
From meadows and gardens, 4,500
Hunting permits, 500
Forest income, 10,800
From the villages, 13,500
From sheep pasture, 700
City taxes, 2,800 etc,
Perhaps after all this is not a subject for your magazine, but as I have commenced I think it will personally interest you, and therefore I beg leave to add only a few more facts. The cost of the government is in their diverse main items. Salary of officials, S12,- 683. High School, $2,108. As a help, all school expenses are borne by the parents, indi-
1899]
IviEEHANS' MONTHLY —GENERAL GARDENING.
119
vidually, who send their children to school, where attendance is compulsory, in either pub- lic or private schools.
Street lights, $1,296
Night Watchmen, 800
Pavement of streets, 1,000
Repairing roads, 400
The Municipal Government consists of two Biirgomasters, they must be first-class jurists to be able to administer the laws of the city as judges in the different courts. Also, the senior Burgomaster has to attend to the Lantag or Legislature of the States as a member. Two Senators, one of them a lawyer or jurist, the other a practical engineer and surveyor, direct all work in field and forests. The City Coun- cil is of 36 members, with a President. Of these, six serve in the Field Department, six in the Forest Department, and so all have their stated duties, which for a term of six years they must perform as citizens. The city owns a number of horses and wagons for the members of the field and forest depart- ment, who must personally supervise all work to be done, such as mark the tress and select them for cutting (the big ones). They direct the certain areas where the younger forest growth and new seeded lands have to be thin- ned out, etc. lyittle drops of water form the great ocean. May my few remarks give a vague idea how, in a Monarchial country, the rights and interests of the people are taken care of, which in many cases is to be recom- mended for imitation here.
Mrs. Wilhelmine Seliger.
Hartford, Conn.
The so-called science of political economy' is so bound up in the question of forestry that INIrs. Seliger may well be pardoned for the wide latitude covered in her very interesting article. As she well shows, forestry is one of the few institutions that thrive well under a monarchial system of government, and this of itself is one of the difficulties in making the art of forestry find a home with us. But no system claims every good thing.
1869. On the next page, at bottom of second column, I fail to see how, unless more than one female deposites eggs in the same cluster, "about 1,000 caterpillars" can be produced from the "450 to 600" eggs that one female deposits. G. G. B.
Oklahoma.
Two Chrysanthemum Favorites.- It is no wonder that one is thrown into confusion when he attempts to select a few chrysanthemum varieties upon being confronted with a list of perhaps 3,000 kinds. In 1896, the " American Florists' Directory" listed about 2,700 varie- ties, and this has been largely added to in re- cent years.
The annual chr5'santheniuni exhibitions held in most large cities are helps toward selection if the individuals be noted, though frequent unnamed exhibits greatly interfere.
Those who are fond of oddities and extreme variations will find it easj^ to choose; others may like their attention directed to certain choice kinds. One that is sure to please is Mrs. Perrin, a Japanese with bright rose pink, incurved petals. It is an exquisite shade of color. Mrs. H. McK. Twombley, of the same tj'pe, is a good white, shaded pink.
Shearing Trees and Shrubs. — The annual winter shearing of trees and shrubs, so pain- fulh- evident in most parts of our countrv^, the only good thing in connection with which is that it furnishes bread to poor men who might otherwise starve, seems not to be confined to this side of the Atlantic. Horticultural papers complain bitterly of the prevalence of the prac- tice in England, notwithstanding true horti- cultural knowledge is supposed to be so widely disseminated there.
The Gypsy Moth. — I notice in the Month- ly for July, page 103, second column, 5th line, an apparent confusion of dates. The date there given should probably be 1889 instead of
Yellow Carnations. — If the writer's memory serves him correctly, it was the But- tercup Carnation that first encouraged the pro- duction of yellow-varieties. The flower itself was good, but nnfortunatel}^ too many buds were produced on each stem. Since then, there have been improvements, imtil now we have, among several good ones, Eldorado, Mayor Pingree and Gold Nugget. They are all three good, Eldorado perhaps the best, though the
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[August
others are still comparativel}' new. Pingree is a lighter yellow than Nugget and of a some- what different tj'pe. Eldorado is daintil}' striped with carmine.
Borers in the Norway Spruce. — A wes- tern Pennsylvania correspondent sends us samples of two-3'ear old branches of NorAvaj^ Spruce, in which the centres are bored up and down by the lar\f£e of a beetle. There is scared}' any kind of tree that is not liable to the attack of some boring insect, and the cul- tivator, ever since the curse in Eden, has to use the sweat of his brow to keep them down. The larvae were still at work on the date re- ceived, June 28th, and the puncture where the egg was deposited could be plainly- seen. If, therefore, an examination of the plants are made earl}' in June, and the infested branches cut off and burned, trouble could be averted.
Gardening and Old Age. — With business cares, the comparatively young may be ex- cused for but little attention to gardening. But love for it should never die. It is the best in- vestment for a happy old age. Everywhere around us we may see its evidence. When age brings relief from toil, nothing replaces busy life like a few hours in the garden. Our mail abounds with happy letters from garden lovers in old age. One remarks : " In my 77th year, I feel as young as ever in mj' garden."
Flowering Shrubs for Decoration Day IN THE West.— Decoration or IMemorial Day, in most of the States about May 30th, is a happy time, though it is accompanied by sad memories of loved ones departed in battle and in peace. It is Dame Flora who makes it a happy time, without whom :\Iemorial Day would soon become a thing of the past.
Above all things, we want an abundance of flowers at this time, and the question arises, — "what?"
A correspondent from Washington State asks for a suitable list for that section. As regards latitude, a list suitable for Maine should answer for Washington; but there are other considera- tions locally that may make a great difference between such widely-located points. Without referring to any positive records, it would be safe to say that the earliest spring flowers
would be timely, such as Bridal Wreath Spiraea, Lilac, Spircea Van Houttei, Deiitzia gracilis and Exochorda.
Around Philadelphia, snowballs and weigela are looked upon as the principal flowers to be covmted on in abundance; but this past season, they had just about finished blooming at the close of May, lilacs had disappeared long before; but in New York City, not much further north, lilacs were seen. The difficulty of providing a correct list for another State can, therefore, be recognized.
Paeonies and iris come in about the same time as the preceding, followed by deutzias and spiraeas, other than those mentioned, and mock orange.
Longevity of Root-Fibres. — The Botanical Gazette says, "In the Wisconsin report for 1897-8, are important botanical studies by E. S. GofF. The first is an investigation of the resumption of root-growth in spring, showing that the rootlets of trees and shrubs do not die always during winter, as usually taught, but that growth is resumed in spring where it ceased in the previous autumn."
What Mr. Goff" is opposing ma}' be taught in colleges, but it never would be suggested by an}' practical and observing gardener. It has long been known that :these fibres are annual. This was taught as early as 1853. Meehans' " Handbook of Ornamental Trees," says : — "There are two sets of roots to most trees, perhaps to all. One consists of fibres, the sole office of which is to draw matter from the soil for the use of the tree; the other of true roots, which extend and keep the tree in position, affording at the same time channels for the conveyance of the matter absorbed by the fibres. Fibres are annual, dying out after a season's service." This is very different from teaching that these fibres ' ' die in the winter." They are needed in winter and spring possibly more than in any other season, to supply the evaporation which is as severe in cold weather, as the draft on transpiration is in the summer. In early fall planting, the success is dependent on a crop of new fibres sent out at that time, and in tree digging in spring the white tips are easily observed at the end of the fibres.
Fibres are annual. The exact period of their death has never been accurately deter-
1899]
MEEHAXS MONTHLY — GEXERAL GARDENING.
121
mined, but it is probable that event happens about the time 'when a new crop appears from the main roots, which is about mid-summer. The main roots are fibres of more than usual vigor. These are a small percentage of the fibres formed. If a fibre gets through one year safely, it becomes a permanent root. This is the teaching that is practically taught.
Japanese Maples. — About 1858, theMeehan Nurseries received, from one of its Belgian cor- respondents, five plants of the Blood-leaved Japanese Maple. Thej- were but three or four inches high, and appeared to have been raised from soft-wood cuttings. It was regarded as a special favor to get them, and the price for the five, twentj' dollars, not thought unreasonable. They were potted in four-inch pots for a season. One was subsequently stolen — another was re- served to grow as a specimen and is still in existence on the grounds. The other three were grown for propagating purposes. All of
the earlier distributions in our countrj', and until trade was opened with Japan, came from these three originals — the first 100 plants, about twelve inches high, being sold to a Boston dealer for $100. One of the successors to these earlj'-raised plants is given in the illvistration. It is growing on the grounds of ex-Council- man Mackie of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. It is given to show its habit of growth and adapt- ability to the ornamentation of small city 3'ards and gardens. Its beaiitiful wine-colored foliage adds a charm to its habit of growth.
So far, what is written refers to the Blood- leaved variety', Acer polynnorphiim atropnrp7ir- cnm, or, as it is sometimes called, Acer Japon- icum atropiirpiireum. Since our intercourse with Japan has become so close, there are numerous varieties of these dwarf maples, all so beautiful, that it would be difiicult to decide which is the best. The blood-leaved, however, still holds its own in popularity, indeed, where only one plant is desired, it is the one selected for the start.
JAPANESE BLOOD-LEAVED MAPLE.
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY- -GENERAL GARDENING.
[August
lEw ©1 R^RE fL^nrs,
The Hazel-Leaved Wych Hazel. — Cory- lopsis spicata. The W5'ch Hazels form a rather small natural order, of which our common Hamamelis is the tj'pe. The order is known as Hamarnelidaccce . The Wych Hazel is al- ways interesting from the fact that the while the fruit is ripening as winter approaches, the flowers for the next year's crop appears.
Japan and Northern Asia have a good repre- sentative in the order hy a genus of some half a dozen species, known as Corylopsis, — literally
CORYLOPSIS SPICATA.
plants "like the hazel." This refers to the foliage and habit of the shrub, which has ver>' much the appearance of a hazel bush. It would seem as if the botanist who first dis- tinguished our Hamamelis as resembling the W^-ch Elm in foliage, had suggested to the other who named this genus, to name it from the suggestive Hazel bush. The spikes of yellow flowers curving gracefully in the spring, before the frost has fairly gone away, make the shrub very desirable for ornamental grounds. Like other Japan plants, it thrives nobly in American gardens. It has been
growing for some years past in the choice col- lections of the LTnited States, and is now attract- ing attention in Europe. The "London Gard- eners' Chronicle," has recently drawn special attention to it, and it is from the pages of our excellent contemporarj^ that we have trans- ferred the illustration.
HovENL\ DULCis. — INIr. Theo. D. Rand, Rad- nor, Pa., sends flowering specimens of this Asiatic tree of comparatively recent introduc- tion. It has flowered in the Meehan nurse- ries for several years past, and we believe it has also bloomed for some seasons past in the vicinity of Baltimore. The flowers are in greenish - white clusters, resembling, some- what, a bunch of Elder blossoms, and are slighth' fragrant. But it is of the Rhamna- ceous, or Buckthorn famih-. It is a middle- sized tree, with what might be termed an apple-tree growth. Its fine, glossy leaves are attractive. A remarkable feature is. that after blooming, the pedicels or flower stalks become succulent, and, when mature, resemble bunches of coral or sea-weed of a pinkish color. These are sweet as licorice. The specific name, dulcis, is derived from this fact. It is said to be a profitable item on Chinese fruit stands.
TMIE
.I^T FL©WEt <^/^ll^EN,
Siberian Iris. — As a class, the Siberian Iris have never been very popular, though there is really nothing objectionable about them. Their fault lies, no doubt, in small flowers. On the other hand, being taller than most other iris, the}- will frequenth" be found very useful. But there is one variet}-, Orientalis, which is truly excellent, and invariably pleases. To begin with, the unopened buds are dark reddish-blue, cropping out from amongst the leaves which are almost the same height. The flower appears late, and is a dark rich blue. It has rather narrow foliage, like the type, and is a neat grower.
P.EONiA. — In our grandmother's gardens, Ppeonies — "pinj's," the good dames called them — found a prominent place. And no won- der, for it is one of those pretty things that grow in beauty from \-ear to 3-ear. It might
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
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be a boast in one quarter that her "piny" had twenty flowers on, but she was only to be dumbfounded at the assertion that in a neigh- boring garden was a plant with thirty. But a plant would have to be grown a number of years, without removal, to have a claim to these figures. Annexed is an illustration of a noble specimen, growing in the Central Ex- perimental Farms, Canada, which we have through the kindness of the director. Dr. Wil- liam Saunders. It must have been a beauti- ful sight when in bloom. The handsome hedge of Hemlock Spruce, as a background, adds to the interest of the picture.
Most of the varieties under cultivation are from the Siberian species P. officinalis. The somewhat woody kinds, known as Moutans, are Chinese.
They thrive in any good garden soil, but have no objection to such ground as may re- ceive an extra supply of good manure.
F^'mrS *iS ¥E^ET/^PLES.
Mushrooms with Tomato Sauce. — The fol- lowing recipe has been found so excellent that it is offered to the readers of the Bulletin. The mushrooms used were Hypholoma sublateri- tiiim, Schaeff, which is very abundant in late autumn about the base of old stumps through- out most of the Northern and Eastern States. Other species may do equally well, but those having a firm texture are best.
Take one quart of well-cleaned mushrooms, place over the fire in a stewpan. Let them
CLUMP OF HERBACEOUS P/EONIES.
I 21
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[August
come to a boil in their own juice, then add one cupful of tomatoes and one-half teaspoonful of mustard rubbed smooth in water, season well ■with salt and pepper, and cook well for half an hour. About five minutes before serving add a tablespoonful of butter. Serve hot, and j'ou will find 3'ou have an appetizing dish.
This mushroom keeps well, prepared as above and placed in sealed vessels.
Mrs. C. L. Shear, in Asa Gray Bulletin.
Potato Beetle and Fruit-Destroying Insects. — Among insects worth}' of mention, the Colorado Potato-bug, " Colorado btigibus,'' (that's good Latin, is it not ?) is very plentiful, not hurt in the least b}' the extreme cold of the past winter. I have read somewhere that this beetle chooses the weakest potato plant on which to deposit its eggs. This is all nonsense. This insect cares not where it places its eggs, nor on what substance, provided thej' are in eas3' distance of the potato vines. Their eggs are found on strong as well as the weak shoots, on stems and leaves of weeds or grass or dead sticks or straws. The Currant Worm was not hurt by that cold wave, either, as well as the niosquitos; and the j'oung cut- worms are hatching out fast. As for the Curculio, I should not wonder that he will clean out the balance of the fruit which the cold in pit}' left for us. There will be only half a crop of straw- berries, a few gooseberries, a few raspberries, blackberries and apples, and possibly a good crop of persimmons, are all we can count on this 5'ear; but grapes, somehow, are a stand- b}'. They are never killed or hurt to any ap- preciable extent. Grapes, we will have with us alwa)'s; and they are always so plentiful that in their season they become an unsalable commodit}'. F. K. Steele.
Festus, Jefferson Co , Mo.
Sulphur for Root-fungus. — Many trees and plants suffer from various species of micro, scopic funguses. Sulphur has long been known to be one of the best of remedies. Usually, one can tell that fungus is at work by the leaves being of a lighter color than nor- mall3^ It is well to assume this to be the work of fungus, and to apph' sulphur accordingly. For the potato scab-fungus, about 500 pounds to the acre ma}' be employed.
Russian Apples. — Wide-awake nurserymen and seedsmen, and live societies in which representatives of these classes take an ac- tive part, do not leave much of value for State or the National Governments to dis- cover. This is also true of agricultural edi- tors, and the conductors of live magazines. What they fail to tell their readers, is scarcely worth knowing. There is no more reason why governments should undertake to distribute agricultural seeds, and circulate freely agricul- tural magazines than that it should edit daily newspapers for the people. The writer of this has never taken strong ground against these practices, however, preferring to wait and see. Let a tree be judged by its fruits. One of these quixotic enterprises seemed to be the sending of an agent to Russia in search of fine Rus- sian apples and other fruits. The nursery- man had been there generations before the agent. He had carefully gone over the whole subject, and with the exception of the Alex- ander and Red Astrachan, — not full Russians, by-the-way, — had found none worth listing in his catalogues. The agent, however, did his best. Numerous varieties were brought to America for trial. Now Mr. C. L. Watrous, of Iowa, tells us just what we already might have known, that " after ten years of extensive trial, it must be said that for the south half of Iowa, at least, the experiment with Russian fruit has been not only a disappointment, but a serious and costly failure. To recommend the extensive planting of these fruits in this district would now seem little less than crim- inal."
Method of Drying Figs. — Fig-growing is not necessarily confined to southern districts, as ]Meeh.\ns' Monthly has frequently noted, and northern amateurs will consequently be glad of the following recipe, for drying the fruit, an extract from the Florida Fanner and Fruit Groii'cr :
"Gather the figs when entirely ripe and par- tially dr}' them, so that they will not burst when pressed ; then pack them in layers in a box ; have a board fitting close on the inside on which place a weight, then keep them in a dr}- place until dr}- weather, when it will be found that sugar has been formed on the out- side, and if well done they are in no respect
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY -GENERAL GARDENING,
25
inferior to the foreign article. This method is in very common use in California and is said never to fail when properly followed. It is a mistaken idea that figs and raisins are packed in sugar ; they form their own svigar. ' '
Wm. Belt Strawberry. — There are several strawberries of comparatively recent introduc- tion which have gained a stronghold on pop- ular favor, and are recommended in highest terms. While a good idea of the value of a berry cannot possibly be had from an illustra- tion, yet the outline has some attraction, so Wm. Belt is here reproduced.
It is described as a luxuriant grower and re- markably productive. Flowers perfect ; fruit
WM. BELT STRAWBERRY
large, gloss}', bright red, and of good qualit}'. Ripens about mid-season, and is considered excellent for the home garden.
The Turnip Flea. — The turnip flea is still alive and shows this season that he has tastes for all sorts of meat, although Henbane, Hyos- cyavius niger, is his favorite food. The leaves of j^oung sugar corn he attacked this season, .in force, causing the young plants to grow slowly, and the outer ends of the leaves to turn brown. I used a dilution of whale oil soap, but found that frequent stirring of the soil every day or two, and one or two visits a day and brushing them from the leaves, was of the most service. This insect is verj' fond of the
tobacco leaves all through the growing season, from the small plants in the bed until frost comes in the fall. All plants of the night- shade family, this insect is found feeding on ; and the ^gg plant, it is almost impossible to grow in this neighborhood without using Paris green freely. This insect cuts pin holes in the leaves and thus eats the poison and is killed. But eating corn is something new to me. Lately I have found out what is the food of the slug — his favorite food. The slug I have reference to is a snail without a shell and hav- ing protruding from his forward end two mov- able prongs with what seems to be e3'es, which he has the power of telescoping to avoid obstructions in his.'way as he moves along on his greas}-, glistening road. I caught the little black fellow eating the tender leaves of the tobacco plants. So he is a vegetarian. How can such a small mass of mucilaginous matter eat a plant ? Has it teeth ?
F. K. Steele.
Festus, Jeff. Co., Mo.. May 10, 1899.
Fruit Tree Borers. — Nearly all fruit trees are subject to attacks from stem-boring insects. In the orange, the attack may be an5'where between one and five feet from the ground. The larva is small, and the holes made are about the size of pin heads. No serious result follows from this insect's attack.
New Cucumber, "Extra Long." — A new and very distinct cucumber is this season in- troduced by D. M. Ferry & Co., Detroit, Mich. Their description of it claims vigor, production and earliness. Fruit long, cylindrical, dark green, with very white, crisp and tender flesh. An excellent sort for culture under glass.
New Peach, "Waddell." When the famous peach grower and introducer of the variety' Elberta, J. H. Hale, South Glastonbury, Conn., stakes his reputation in praise of a new peach, it may be considered as already having a good standing. Mr. Hale says: "Waddell is the largest, most beautiful, finest flavored, longest-keeping peach of its season 3'et tested. It is among the most hardy. A freestone of the North China type."
BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
NATURE'S PREACHING.
Your voiceless lips, O flowers, are living preachers, Each cup a pulpit, and each leaf a book. Supplying to my fancy numerous teachers. From loneliest nook.
Horace Smith.
Photographs. — The conductors of Mee- HANS' Monthly are always grateful for good photographs of anything that will likely prove interesting to the readers of the magazine. At times, excellent photos are received but can- not be used at once, for reasons connected with the makeup; all, however, will appear in good time.
Chrysanthemums. — " How to grow Chrys- anthemums," is the title of a neat little 25-cent booklet, published by the American Gardening Co.
the Church maintains the custom of blessing the branches of the S3'camore Tree.
It is also called Pharaoh's Fig. In remote times the wood was used for making vessels or coffins for mummies. One coming from The- bes was examined; its grain was very sound, not at all decayed; but it seems that the method used for preserving this wood was the same as that used for preserving the bod}^ which was by the dryness and heat of the sand in that country'.
The figs of the Sycamore are products large- ly used in Egypt, and formerly there were in- spectors, called h'naz'es, who were charged with overseeing the harvests of this fruit. The common name. Sycophant, is derived from these inspectors.
Sarah D. Lanning. Translated from Lyon-Horticole.
The Sycamore Tree. — The S3'camore of Europe is a kind of maple called, b}' botanists, Acer Pseudo-Platanus, which means False Plane Tree.
In Egypt and Arabia, the Sycamore changes and takes the name of Ficus Sycamorns, which means, simply. Fig Mulberry Tree, because of the similarity of its leaves to that of the Black Miilberrj'. Like the False Plane-INIaple, the Sycamore is a tall tree with thick trunk, having numerous branches, forming a large and thick head.
The leaves are heart-shape; the fruit resem- bles the common fig; firm, transparent and sweet flesh, of a yellowish white, inferior in quality to the common fig.
In the Scriptures is a story about this tree. Zaccheus, Chief of the Publicans, intermin- gled with the multitude on the daj^ of the triumphant entrance of the Saviour into Jerusa- lem, and, that he might better see Jesus Christ, climbed a Sycamore Tree. The people cut oflf the branches of the trees and threw them in the road. It is in memory of this occasion, that (126)
Weeds. — Thedefinition, originating with the senior conductor of the Monthly, that a weed is a plant growing where the cultivator does not want it, seems now generallj- accepted.
Mountain Beauty or ' 'Rosa de Montana. ' ' — A European subscriber asks the botanical name of a vine catalogued as " IVIountain Beaut}'. " It is Aiitigonon leptopiis, and has been a subject for discussion in previous pages of this current volume.
Washington the Beautiful. — Under date of April 2 ist, the Washington correspondent of the Philadelphia Piiblic Ledger says : ' 'Washington is rapidly becoming the 'Place Beautiful' that it always is in the spring, though the season is fully three weeks later than usual. Crocuses, hj'acinths and pansies make great patches of color in the parks; magnolias and fruit trees are in blossom and the tender green of the bud- ding trees seems to envelop the avenues and streets in a delicate mist. . Certainl}' Washing-
1899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY - BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
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ton cannot be surpassed in loveliness by any city in the world at this season, for then it is that its 300 parks and circles bring the exquis- ite ethereal beauty of the springtime into the very heart of the city. ' '
It should not be forgotten that the Nation •owes this enviable picture of floral beaut}' pri- marily to the so-called "Boss Shepherd," — and for the chief working out of the plan to the three "Parking Commissioners," Messrs. Wm. R. Smith, William Saunders, and John Saul, the two former of whom are still living to en- joy the results of their great labors, — for after all, this silent contemplation is about all the reward in the end that usuallj- follows public usefulness.
New York Botanical Garden. — Bulletin No. 4, of vol. 1st, shows the great Botanical Garden in Bronx Park, New York, to be in a condition of remarkable progress. It ma}- well be termed "great," for it bids fair to rival some of the famous institutions of the Old World.
Authors and Plant Names. — A corres- pondent inquires why the abbreviations of the names of botanists are usuall}' placed after a plant's name, — and what is the object? He is in error in supposing that it is " usuall}'" done, — that is to saj-, by people in general.
It serves no purpose whatever in any case but botanical monographs. In these cases, it serves good purposes — "Nutt.," for instance, meaning Nuttall, would indicate that the name used was given by Nuttall, and the reader could, if he desired, hunt up the works of Nut- tall to find what he said about it. Occasion- ally, more than one species has received the same name, and the authors' names niaj- set- tle a doubt as to the plant referred to. Outside of these strictly botanical papers, the use of an author's name after the botanical one should not be tolerated. The accepted name is all the general reader cares to know, or has any inter- est in knowing.
The Earliest American Botanical Gar- den.— History records only that which is known, and, generally, only that which is known as being useful. In the history of American botanical gardens, that of John Bar-
tram stands prominently forward, and is un- doubtedly the first to be well worthy of the name. Plants from any part of the world were invited to a home there.
Possibly the earliest botanical garden in our country was founded bj^ Kelpius, who estab- lished a monaster}- in the then wilderness of the Wissahickon, on what is now ISIonastery Lane, in the 21st Ward of the City of Philadel- phia. He and a few others came to America and settled on this tract in 1700, one year before John Bartram was born. They were celibates, combined together to exercise piety, do good to humanit}', and prepare for the second coming of Christ. They cleared the land and formed a fine garden, in which were cultivated plants, apparentl}' keeping in mind such as could be applied to medical purposes. He was a man of profound learning, and he and his associates ministered freely both to the mental and bodily weaknesses of the com- munit}' around them. It is recorded that when he was near his end, in 1708, he was carried out into the gaiden that he so much loved and expired there.
The garden's chief fame, however, was from the work of Dr. Christopher Witt, one of the 5'ounger brethren. After the death of Kelpius, the fraternity graduall}- pined away. Some of the individuals re-joining the world they had abjured, until Dr. Witt was tlie only one left. He died on Feb. 7th, 1765, and was buried in the monaster}' grounds. But Witt's Garden was the talk long after its great patron had gone back to the arms of Mother Earth, and only the memory of his good deeds to suffering humanity remained. Local history says he was a pupil of the ' ' eminent John Fabricius, ' ' but whether it was the great German entomol- ogist, or the great theologian of the same name, is not clear.
Lilies. — With the May 'number of the Botanical Gazette, Prof. F. A. Waugh con- cludes a view of all the known species of lily. Gardeners have given botanical names to so large a number of forms, that Prof Waugh has had some difficulty in listing these varie- tal names as separate from the accepted species. He describes 64 good species included in the genus, many of which are illustrated by wood cuts.
GENERAL NOTES.
The Upheaval ix Plant Names. — "Profes- sor Harms, in his pamphlet on nomenclature agitation during the latter years, compiled b\- request of the commission on nomenclature, refers in nine chapters to the lively agitation among botanists since the publication of Kuntze's work, 1891, and the numerous dis- sertations of the subject. As the views of the various writers are divergent, he compiles some of their most important expressions on the sub- ject during the last few years. He, himself, does not express his own ideas, but refers to others — for instance, O. Kuntze, who advocates the necessity of unconditional adoption of the priority' principle, and holds that this principle should be introduced into the nomenclature question to establish the mental property of " first discoverer or describer " of genera and species. He even demands this right to authors from a judicial standpoint. In Amer- ica these views had already- gained ground to some extent and Kuntze's labors were there- fore received with approbation by man}- American botanists. Greene, F. V. Miiller, Lejolis, and others, maintain the same opinion.
As the nomenclature agitation has not so far reached decided results, after man^- consulta- tions and publications, von Wettestein pro- poses, as the best means to arrive at a conclu- sive end, an international botanists" congress to consider the ground features and reforms and eventually adopt the same. To facilitate this work he desires proposals, in writing, for the new laws for nomenclature, at least six months in advance of congress and to serve as basis for the dissertations. Kuntze sustains V. Wettstein in this proposal, advocating an international congress at Paris (or elsewhere), in 1900, and volunteers to act as general re- porter, and besides promises to publish, not later than 1905, a corrected nomenclation for all plants, provided certain conditions are guaranteed him (cash ?), etc., etc."
The above translation, from a German source, so evidently means that the convention is not to be called to discuss the question without
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prejudice. It is to be called by those who have failed to convince botanists in general that it is wise to endeavor to upturn names of plants that have been accepted for half a centurj' or more, and have become part of the general lit- erature of the whole world. Such a conven- tion would do little more than endeavor to prop a failing cause.
No one objects to the proposition that pri- ority should have prevailed. But in the numerous cases complained of it did not pre- vail. It should have been the duty of those authors unjusth' treated, to protest before so long a lapse of time. In all the affairs of every day life, there are limitations to actions for damages. This is common sense as well as law. The whole world that has accepted cer- tain names of plants should not be put to no end of trouble, loss and confusion, because somebody blundered generations ago.
The Weeping Dogwood. — The weeping variety- of the common Dogwood, Cornus florida, was found in a wood at Warren, Balti- more county, ^Maryland, in 1874, by Dr. W. S. Thompson, of that place.
State Aids Against Insects. — The State Assembly, of California, has appropriated Si 0,000 to send an entomologist to Australia to import such insects as will feed on such species as trouble the fruit grower.
_ The Water Hyacinth in Southern- Water-ways. — There is much trouble with the Water Hyacinth impeding navigation in the St. John's River and other water-waj-s in the South. In the destruction of weeds that root in the mud and come to the surface, human invention has succeeded by the adap- tation of a mowing machine that works under the water. In the case of the Water Hyacinth, which grows as it floats, something will surely be invented to overcome it before long.
Vol.. IX
i-^LATE ;\t V.
^lAMMiLLA
\'1V1B\RA.
MAMMILLARIA VIVIPARA.
VIVIPAROUS MAMMILLARIA.
NATURAL ORDER, CACTACE^
Mamillaria VIVIPARA, Haworth.— Simple or csespitose ; the almost terete tubercles bearing bundles of five to eight reddish-brown spines, surrouuded by fifteen to twenty grayish ones in a single series, all straight and very rigid; flowers purple, with lance-subulate petals and fringed sepals; berry oval, green ; seed pitted, light brown. Coulter's Manual of the Botany of the Rocky Mountain Region.
This verj- pretty member of the cactus famih' received the name it now bears from Adrian Hardy Haworth, a botanist who made a special stud}' of succulent plants. He de- scribed this for the first time under the name of Mamillaria, in a work entitled Siipple- metituvi Plantaruvi Succulenhim , published in London, in 1819. But the first author to bring it to the attention of botanists was the cele- brated Nuttall. John Fraser made a collection of living plants and seeds in America, and col- lected this plant, introducing it to British gardens in 181 1. A catalogue of Fraser's plants, prepared by Nuttall, was issued in 181 3, in which our plant appears as Cactus vivipartis. This is the date of its first appear- ance in published form. The full description appears in Nuttall 's own work, "The Genera of North American Plants," still as Cactus viviparus. He says of it that it was found "on the high hills of the Missouri, probably to the mountains, flowering from June to August ; flowers large and bright red, almost similar (in color, he means) to those of Cactus flagelliformis.''' His description of the plant is interesting as showing that it is almost as characteristic as the more modern one of Prof. Coulter. ' ' Caespitose ; glomeruli sub-globose ; tubercles cjdindric-ovate ; bearded, marked above by a proliferous groove ; flowers central, large and exserted ; exterior segments of the calyx ciliate ; fruit ficiform, greenish." He adds that it is " nearh* allied to Cactus mam- viillaris, (now known as Mamniillaria Missou- riejisis), but difterent, probabh', from other species of this section bj' the remarkable pro- liferous tendenc}- of its leaves, which not un- frequentl}' multipl}' to the destruction of the parent plant. It consequently never becomes
so large as C. viammillaris . Inhabiting a cli- mate which is scarcely temperate, from the great elevation of the land above the level of the sea, it produces long and somewhat fusi- form roots, penetrating deep into the earth. Towards the approach of winter, the upper part of the plant becomes drj% excessiveh* spin}-, and almost juiceless ; in the spring, numerous shoots issue from the root and those glomeruli which have withstood the intensity of the frost. Thus the plants become caespi- tose, forming masses, sometimes of two or three feet in breadth. In spite of its armature, the wild antelope of the plains finds means to render it subservient to its wants by cutting it up with his hooves. The flowers are generally central, more than an inch in length ; seg- ments of the calj'X linear ; exterior ones revo- lute, with a fringed margin ; petals numerous, narrow, linear and acuminate ; berry about the size of a grape, smooth, and eatable ; seed small, cotyledons none (in the seeds which germinated with me, merely a tubercle similar to those of the parent plant)."
It may be remarked here that, up to this time the cactus faniilj- had not been divided into distinct genera as now, — though some sub-division was seen to be desirable, and these sub-divisions received Latin names.
The somewhat round plants were in one section and were named Echinomelocacti ; those which were upright, and sufficientl}' strong to stand alone, were Cerei ; those like the others in general character, but had to lie on the ground, were Cerei repentes, or creeping cereuses ; while those with compressed-jointed fronds were classed as OpuuticE. Nuttall' s "Genera," issued in 1818, as already noted, followed this arrangement. The following
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I30
MEEHANS MONTHLY — MAMMILLARIA VIVIPARA.
[Sept.
year, Haworth's work appeared, using the word Mammillaris to form his new genus Mainillaria. The word is derived from Mamma, a teat ; bi:t Haworth used but a sin- gle VI in forming the word, and the spelling is at times retained as Haworth wrote it. Sometimes botanists agree to correct these manifest errors, — at other times the imperfect names are adopted. There seems no general rule in practice. In this chapter the orthog- raphy of Index Keivensis is followed.
The origin of the name vivipara can be gathered from Nuttall's account. The plant is often viviparous, — that is to say, bears buds from the apex of the mamm?e, b}- which the plant is often increased. The author of this chapter has often met with the species in different parts of Colorado, but never saw it in the viviparous condition, or in the coespitose state described b}' Nuttall. The stems or heads under his observation were often cj'lin- drical, reaching, sometimes, a length of six inches or more, with a few smaller heads push- ing out around the base. The specimen from which the, painting was made, is one of these side branches, planted in the author's garden, and which has not had time to form the fusi- form roots Nuttall describes, though some are evidentl}- about assuming that condition.
The habit of the plant is, however, verj- changeable. Engelmann, describing the Cacta- cecB collected during Emor3''s surve}- of the Mexican boundar}', remarks on this variability, some of which he considers distinct enough to bear varietal names. One somewhat cylin- drical and with but a few heads branching from the base, as the one figured in this chap- ter would ultimatel}- do, he calls variety' t'adi- osa, though, in his time, found only in North- ern New ISIexico. Another variety he names borealis, collected in that period in Western Texas, which was ovate or sub-globose and but little branched. Another variet}-, New-Mexi- cana, was ovate or sub-cylindrical and usually much branched. Still another variety is termed Texana, quite a large form, from a tributarj' of the Guadahipe in Western Texas. All have some minor differences in the number of spines, and in other respects. But as he, himself, re- marks in Bigelow's report on the surve}^ of a route to the Pacific, "it is found in many dif- ferent forms, from the plains of the Canadian, in longitude 100°, to the Aztec Mountains, in
longitude 112° west. It occurs in the greatest variety of altitudes through twelve degrees of longitude. Specimens of it were collected on the top of the Sandia Mountains, near Albu- querque, upwards of 13,000 feet above the level of the sea, September 4th, 1853, to Janu- ary 17th, 1854." In cultivation at Philadel- phia, it commences to bloom about mid-sum- mer, and produces the flowers, successively, for several weeks, the green, gooseberr3'^-like fruit of the first flowers being mature before the flowering season is quite over.
One of the most interesting features in the histor}' of the plant is its ability to endure a very low temperature, such as it meets with in the Rock}'^ Mountains, — while the greater number of species, in the genus, die under a single degree of frost, and man}- fail under a low temperature, though above the freezing point. The species already known and de- scribed number over three hundred, and are found chiefly on the hot plains of Mexico. None are found outside of the New World. What has, in recent times, been termed the science of Ecology, or the study of the rela- tions of plants to the conditions arovmd them, affords no explanation why a few should have reached such a stage of exemption from injury by cold and the multitude fail. Supposing that a number of species in their warm Mexi- can home had advanced to the frost line, why not individuals of other species succeed in being "fit to survive" in the struggle with the frost king, as well as of the individuals that were the progenitors of Mammillaria vivi- para ? If we could look on plants as sentient beings, how puny the vast arni}^ of cactuses must have regarded themselves, when these little Davids alone were able to conquer the great giant against whom they were strug- gling ! Possibly ecology may make this all clear to us some day, and then ecology will be a science indeed. In Oputitia Rafinesquii the water in the cells seems to recede into the in- tercellular species, and permits of contraction instead of expansion under frost, so as to resist North Atlantic winters, — and it is barely pos- sible that some such process may be found acting in the case of the Rock}^ Mountain Mammillarias.
Explanation of the Plate.— Whole plant, of small size, originally from near Idaho Springs, Colorado.
WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE
AUTUMN.
"Gayly chattering to the clattering Of the brown nuts downward pattering,
Leap the squirrels, red and gra}-. On the grass land, on the fallow, Drop the apples, red and yellow, Drop the russet pears and mellow.
Drop the red leaves all the day."
— Whittier.
Luminous Flowers and Plants. — Every one knows that certain insects are luminous ; but it is not so well known that some plants and flowers produce phosphorescent lights. It was Linnaeus who first made known this fact. He discovered it on a branch of common Capuchin. A Swedish naturalist, Haagren, afterwards made some observations on lumin- ous plants, and stated that the phosphorus was produced after sunset, and ceased in rainy weather. The lights appeared generall}' in July and August, about half-an-hour after sun- set. He examined the flowers through a microscope, to see if the phenomenon might not be due to the presence of invSects, but found it to be attributable to the flowers alone. The leaves of the Capuchin were very bright, and the phenomenon very persistent even after separating the leaf from the plant. The Fraxinella throws quite an intense light over the other plants of the garden.
In tropical countries, quite a number of plants are luminous. The Meadow Lily, which grows in abundance in the marshes of Africa, is one of the most perfect types of vegetable phosphorescents. In Brazil, a kind of grass, which the inhabitants call Khus-Kliusshhies, gives forth a bright light, before which horses and other grazing animals stop in surprise and fear.
A certain Mrgin vine, called in its country' Cypo, lets fall a train of light like tears of fire the length of its stem.
Some ferns, mosses, and mushrooms are equally phosphorescent. In the charcoal mines in the environs of Dresden may be found a luminous fungus which carpets the wood and
sides of springs. In France, it often covers the trunk of olive trees.
According to the experiments of several botanists, the phosphorescence of these fungi disappeared when they put them in a vacuum or even if thej^ were shut up in carbonic acid gas.
We may conclude that the light emitted was due to a slow combiistion of a particular sub- stance existing in the tissues of the plant.
From La Seniaine Horticolc. Translated by
S. M. Lanning.
Nut-Galls. — Dr. C. W. Greene, Merchant- ville. New Jersey, says : "During a recent win- ter walk, I found many oaks, apparentl}' the common Black Oak, whose smaller branches were covered with galls. If these galls were gathered in their green state, would they not be useful as nut-galls?"
The suggestion is worth}- of the attention of those interested in the development of the economic products of our countr}-. Surely among our many species of oak there should be some that would produce the viseful nut- gall without our having to look to the gall-oak of the Old World to suppl}^ them.
Appearance of the K.-^ty-did. — I am, this balmy evening, sitting near an open window, being amused by the Katj'-dids' dispute. Ever since I have lived here, one member, or his legal successor, of this chattering tribe, has engaged a reserved seat in a neighboring oak, and occupies it with unusual regularity. My record extends only back as far as 1894, when he (or she) opened up the controversy August 1st. In '95 and '96, it was July 29th, but in 1897, my belated friend did not appear until August 3rd. but made it up this year by being on hand with his saw-mill July 29th. Our local paper notes the appearance of this prophet, and says, "look out for frost in six weeks,"— which is good advice to follow, merel}^ to see how true or false one of the man J' sayings is. In 1894, frost did not come
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132
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[Sept.
until October 14th, or over ten weeks. In
1895, the conspirac}- between iNIrs. Katy-did and Jack Frost worked to a charm, as in six weeks, to a day, he came and did his work. In
1896, frost was eleven weeks in appearing. I have no record for 1897, but know that we had an unusually long fall, free from frost.
What is interesting to me, is the regularity in time of their appearance. My record gives dates of when I first heard them. Circum- stances might be such that in 1897, the)' might have arrived a few days earlier and I not have noticed them. As to the frost question, I must confess to being situated within six hundred feet of Lake Michigan, on the east whose water level is ninety feet below me, and, on the west, my grounds are bordered by deep ravines. These lower levels naturalh' attract the lighter frosts, and, as a rule, the level lands, a mile or so west of me, are frosted much earlier than mine. W. C. Egan.
Highland Park.
Return of Birds. — INIan}- persons believe that birds, returning to their summer quarters, are the same that were at the same spots the year previous ; but exact proof is rare. I\Ir. John B. Crowson, of Germantown, Pa., saw a robin struggle to get free from some string in which it had got entangled, resulting in a broken leg. It was lame, accordingly. The lame bird returned jear after \-ear to the same spot. How they can retire hundreds of miles, and 5'et return to the same spot, is truly won- derful.
Beautiful Wild Flowers of the Colo- rado Mountains. — Doctor Boynton, having ascended the Colorado Mountains to about fourteen thousand feet, remarked that the miners there, after becoming accustomed to the high altitude, seemed to work without dis- comfort, but added, ' ' the first time a man finds himself at this height, he must move with great caution, or soon he will not move at all. "
Further on, he says, that after the timber line ends, " all beyond is blank barrenness and gray desolation, save small tufts of stunted grass, and here and there a dwarfed shrub. But even here there is one redeeming feature in these otherwise desolate heights, and that is the profusion of wild flowers, which seem to flourish wherever there is the smallest bit of
soil, and even to spring from clefts in the rocks where no soil at all can be seen. Though seemingl}' fragile and short-lived, typical em- blems are thej^ of the sweetest human lives and affections, which flourish to make exist- ence endurable under the most bitter circum- stances. Patches of blue and scarlet violets, tender buttercups and purple-petaled daisies look up and greet with a smile the man who has had the courage to climb these Alpine regions."
Then the author goes on to describe the view as one vast forest of mountain peaks, and calls the numerous pinnacles of Colorado the ISIilan of mountain cathedrals ; and the glorious glow of the si;nset clouds as beyond the power of language to describe.
The beaut)' of inanimate nature and the vastness of mountain scenerj'^ leads us to in- quire if we alone of all the universe enjoy and understand it. Something akin to the awe that comes over us when looking at the planets, Saturn and its rings — because not events of daily occurrence like the blushes of Aurora, and yet —
"The daisy fresh from its winter sleep Tells of God's power in lines as clear."
Mns. E. E. Orcutt.
Our N.\tive Birds. — The great series of North American birds, made by Mr. Josiah Hoopes, of West Chester, Pa., and numbering 7,250 specimens, has been secured by the Academj' of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and added to its already unique collection. The number in the Academy' is now 43,460. ^Ir. Hoopes has been long known as an able and enthusiastic horticulturist and botanist ; but his ornithological accomplishments have not been a matter of such public record.
Nature-grafted Lettuce. — Mrs. Edward Sa^-res sends a specimen of the common let- tuce in which two leaves are united by the mid- ribs, leaving the blades free. Thej- are young leaves from the heart of the head. This union must have occurred in a ver}' early stage, and probably before the parts could have been detected as distinct even b)' the aid of a pow- erful microscope. These cases are particularly instructive as showing that the general con- ception by close students of plant life, that the
1899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
133
whole plan of the future plant is laid out in the early embr3-onic stages of life, is actually a fact. There can be no other explanation of this case of the united lettuce leaves.
Morphology. — Mr. Warren P. Adams, Ab- ington, Pa., says : —
"I send with this a Vacciniian that inter- ested me, and may be new to 3-ou. The over- grown calyx and flower looks like the turnip flowers the Germans cut. You note that the most mature one is splitting up into leaves, a demonstration of Goethe's theory."
The poet Goethe was a great botan- ist, also, and was one of the chief founders of the very interesting department of the science of botany, known as vegeta- ble morpholog)'. B3^ this is under- stood that every organ of a plant is biit modified leaf-blade. As Dr. Lindley once ex- pressivel}' put it, a luscious peach is neither more nor less than a bundle of leaves. Facts, such as this presented by Mr. Adams, were what led Goethe to see the light. In this case, the flowers of Vaccinium corymbosum in an early stage were attacked by a fungus. This prevents the for- mation of berries as in the cut annexed, — and what should have become consolidated and suc- culent, continues as exaggerated leaves ! even the stamens have become foliaceous so far as the filaments are concerned, though the anthers that the leafy filaments carrj' seem perfect.
These "freaks," as they were once termed, are now eagerly sought for b\' students of morphology-. They are the ke5'S with which nature's strong box of secrets are to be opened to the view of ardent explorers.
Aside from the intellectual study afforded by our correspondent's specimens, it might be well to add that material pleasures are equally involved by a stud}- of this plant. It is one of the most valuable of the Huckleberr}- famil}-. Appended is an illustration of a branch in fruit, from a photograph kindly presented by Mr. Luther Burbank, the well-known fruit improver, of Santa Rosa, California.
VACCINIUM CORYMBOSUM
Flowers and Insects. — Much discussion has arisen as to whether insects are attracted to flowers by color or fragrance. The truth is
that both or either ma^- be the at- tractive force. As noted by corres- pondents of Mee- HANs' Monthly, hone}- or pollen- collecting insects come long d i s- tances to lindens, sumachs, and other plants with inconspicuous flowers, — but no doubt color has, in its own line, persuasive pow- ers. The beauti- ful border flower, Pardauthus Chi- nensis, has no per- ceptible odor,- — yet it is visited in large numbers by carrion flies, that within e \- e r y huntsman's ex- perience, must be guided mainly bj- the fetid odors of the substances to which they hurriedh^ flock when in reach of them. There seems to be nothing in these flowers, either as food or in an}- other way useful. The color and appear- ance of the flowers are highly suggestive of raw meat, — and unless we assume that the color has deceived the flies, there seems no wa}' of accounting for their presence.
It really looks as if they were deceived, for they remain but a few moments on each flower, darting to others successively, onh' again to be tricked as one might imagine they were.
GENERAL GARDENING.
AUTUMN.
Comes next
Brown antumn in her turn, Oh I not unwelcome coraeth she ; The parched earth luxuriously
Drinks from her dew%' urn.
And she hath flowers and fragrance, too,
Peculiarh- her own : Asters of ever\- hue-perfume, Spices rich with Clematis and Broom,
And Mignonette late blown.
— Mrs. Southey.
Second Blooming of E.\ster Lily. — The flower represented in the accompanying illus- tration is from a bulb of Li/iia/i Harris i that bore a stem about fiYe feet high, with four flowers, which were open April loth. The plant was placed on a north veranda, and watered a little from time to time, to encourage the development of the second stem that was appearing from the bulb. It grew slowh", but eventualh' showed a bud. The plant as shown was photographed on Juh- ist. The bud, just opening at that time, was 5 H inches long and the stem 10 inches high. This ma}" frequently occur with this plant, but has not before come to the writer's notice. E. E. Bogue.
Stillwater, O T
The photograph shows a full formed flower on the top of the stem. It is unusual for lilies to behave in this waj-, — or, indeed, for any bulb, — though the hyacinth will occasionalh- have two flower-shoots from one bulb.
Drying of the Ground by Tree Roots. — A correspondent of Atnericaii Gardening gives the following apt illustration of the drj-ing of the ground b3' the roots of plants : —
"It is an undisputed fact that some plants require more moisture than others, and the gardener will profit by careful obser\-ation looking to a better arrangement of the garden and grounds to best withstand drouths. The writer was interested recently in noting how rapidly a row of radishes sucked up the moist- ure from the ground. The tops were too small
(134)
to keep the soil from getting well soaked by a good rain, so the moisture was spread pretty evenl)'. In less than twent3--four hours, along the whole row, the soil was dr^' to a space of one and a half inches on either side."
Few lessons are more valuable to the practi- cal man than that convej'ed by the above para- graph. In our even,--da3- work plants that love shade are planted near large trees, forget- ting how the ground will be dried out by the tree roots.
In forestry- articles, also, much stress is placed on the preservation of old forests on the ground that snow melts slowh* under the shade of trees, and thus soaks into the ground, and supplies the springs, instead of melting rapidly in sunlight, and the water coursing to the streams. But the fact is, that, as a general thing, the water taken into the ground under forest trees is, in great measure, simplj' stored there for the use of trees in dr>- weather.
Thus we see that the simple story of a row of garden radishes has an influence on great problems.
The Ash .\s a Street Tree. — Maples, but- tonwoods and poplars have become the staple street trees in many towns and cities. Their chief recommendation is that the^'^ grow fast, and can be raised and sold for low figures. But the}- soon become larger than the owner wants them. One can learn useful things from trees in public places. In Philadelphia the ash seems to be able to hold its own against all enemies. The true White Ash is the best, — the Red and Black do verj- well. The White is known b}' the ver}- dark upper surface of the leaf
C.\ROLiN.\ PoPL.\R. — The poplar, commonlj- known as Carolina, is sometimes designated as North Carolina and at others South Carolina, the impression being that there are two kinds. This mistake is but another instance of the ease with which names get altered. Someone once named it Popiilus Caroliniensis, and while
i899]
MEEHANS MOXTHLY GENERAL GARDEXIXG.
135
the common name of Carolina has clung to it. it has been decided to be P. moyiilifera.
It is said to have been probably fortj* 3'ears since this poplar was introduced to general usage b\- a New Jersey nursery, finding favor because of its great rapidity- of growth. WTiile still very largely in use, people are rapidlj- beginning to appreciate the fact that rapidity- of gfro'^-th is not alwavs the best character for a street shade tree, and trees of more beautiful and permanent character are being sought.
cleaned out and planted with aquatics. The large, round leaves in front are of EurayU ferox, with water-h^-acinth growing on either side ; and just back of it is a specimen of NymphcEa Devoniensis. The next is a group of rSIarliaceas, followed by a nice plant of JV. superba : while in the extreme rear, is a clump of the white Japanese Lotus, Xehimbium albuin graiidiflorum. The banks are beautifulU' set with Aruiido, Thalia and other nice moisture- loving plants."
Aquatic Flower Culture. — It is nearh- fortv ^ears since special attention was given to Water LiU' culture, through the first flowering of the fa- mous Victoria rcgia at Springbrook, the seat of Caleb Cope, near Philadelphia. It was thought to require special care and skill, and a costly house was built for its de- velopment, and a spe- cial structure with hot water appliance ar- ranged to germinate the seeds. \\'hen, a 3-ear later, the beauti- ful pink EgN'ptian Lotus was brought to grow and flower in the open air, it was thought to be the opening of a new era in American gardening.
Since then different cultivators have
shown how simple and easy the culture can be made, — and some of the most beautiful effects in garden and park scenen,- gire wrought through the agency of water lilies, and other aquatic plants.
Few deser\-e more credit for this advance in the beautiful art of gardening than Mr. Geo. B. Moulder. The readers of Meehaxs' Moxthly have alread}- been instructed and gratified b5' papers from his pen. We have now pleasure in giving an illustration of a scene on his grounds at Smith's Grove, Kentuckv, with description as kindly furnished b\- himself: ' ' The illustration is of a bit of natural water.
Destrovlxg Trees axd Vln'es. — A Chester CountN", Penns3'lvania, correspondent has a fifteen-3'ear old Osage Orange row, formerU* a
AQUATIC GARDENING.
line fence dividing two fields, that he wants to destroy. It is a rule understood b^* all in- telligent gardeners, that anything, even the persistent Poison Vine, can be destroyed readily by cutting down while the spring leaves are still immature. — say within three weeks of the bursting of the buds in spring. The Osage Orange could be no exception.
Hybridizixg Bulbs. — Mr. Oberwetter, of Austin, Texas, succeeded a few years ago in obtaining a cross between two distinct genera of bulbs. In reply to an inquiry as to final results, Mr. O. replies : —
136
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[Sept.
"The hybrid plant between Criiium and Hippeastriim, raised nine j^ears ago, I lost, perhaps by mismanagement. It grew splen- didly till July or August, when one of the leaves began to rot at the top. I cut it off to prevent the rot spreading further ; but one after the other the leaves died in the same way. During winter I kept the plant drj' and as warm as possible ; but in March, from anxiety to see the plant grow again, I watered it with warm water, liut the little bulb became smaller alwaj's and never made an effort to grow again. ' '
The thought occurs that a lessened vital power to resist fungus attacks may often lead to failures such as Mr. O. met with. A few years ago, the writer crossed a flower of Rosa rugosa with ])ollen of General Jacqueminot. Onl^- two plants grew from this one seed- vessel. One was strong and vigorous, and was Rosa rugosa pure and simple, — the other had every appearance of the General Jacqueminot. This last, however, was attacked by a fungus parasite, and, in spite of all efforts to save it, it dwindled and died before flowering.
]EW ©1 ^aWt rL/^!?flTS.
Allamanda Schottii. — A vigorous speci- men oi AUamanda, in the full glor^^ of its yel- low bloom, is a sight not easily forgotten. The species Schottii is a very free bloomer, and its bunches of funnel-shaped flowers con- trast well with the whorled, evergreen leaves. These flowers greath' resemble, in size and shape, the well-known Trumpet Vine flower, Big/ionia, being also arranged in terminal bunches whose individuals open in successions of two or three; but in examining a specimen ' recentl}'-, it occurred to the writer that the lobes of the five-cleft corolla over-lapped each other more than do those of the bignonia, and were, therefore, more effective. The flowers are bright 3'ellow in color with a brown striped throat. The specimen referred to is standing at the end of a rose house, trained closeh^ to the glass, where it receives full benefit of light and heat, which it well appreciates. Being a rather graceful climber, — or runner, — it is read- ily placed to occupy but little room in the house. Flowers are borne on the growth of the same year, so a close pruning is very desir- able; two or three buds are sufficient to leave
in pruning. Unlike most plants, the All.i- manda seems willing to do double duty, as it may be trained on a wall or porch for summer flowering, continuing to bloom in the winter after removal to the house, always retained in a tub for convenience. Doubtless pruning when the transfer is made, furnishes a certain amount of rest, making the apparent reversal of custom more clear. Water should be plenti- full}^ supplied when the plants are growing, and for this reason the tub should not be com- pletely filled with the soil; for the same reason, a light compost of sand, peat or leaf-mold is desirable.
The general appearance of the AUamanda would not lead one to the fact of its belonging to the same family as the oleander, which is in the Natural Order Apocynacecr. The leaAes, contrarj' to the oleander, are rather broad or oblong and not erect, though both are equally ornamental in their place.
This plant, with so many merits, should be more extensivelj' cultivated, as it is said to propagate very easily from cuttings placed in a bottom heat of from 75 to 80 degrees. There are eight or ten species, yellow being the pre- dominating color of the flowers, and doubtless many of them would prove equally as desirable as Schottii.
Ac.VLVPH.\ S.\nderi. — This has recently been figured as No. 7632 in the Botanical Mag- azine. Referring to this, the Gardeners' Chron- icle sa3^s : —
''Acalypha hispida, Burmann. — This is the very remarkable and ornamental plant de- scribed in our columns in 1896 as A. Sa?ideri, which name we expect it will still bear in gar- dens. It appears that A. hispida has not until now been met with in a wild state, the plant figured and described in old books relating to Malayan botan}' being cultivated only. ISIessrs. Sander & Co. received their plants from the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, where it was found by Micholitz. At present, onlj'^ the female plant is in cultivation, and its long, pendulous, crimson spikes are produced throughout the entire j-ear. It is probable that when the male plant is introduced and pollination is effected, that the duration of the brilliant color will be limited by the produc- tion of fruit and seed. ' '
i899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
137
New Race of Chrysanthemums. — The Japanese gardeners seem to show greater skill in producing new races of old stand-by flowers than do the florists of the New World or of Europe. In the Chrysanthemum, especially, we find striking variations. Now we give an illustration from our excellent contemporar}-, the London Gardeners' Chronicle, of a novel type, of striking character. It was raised from seed sent from Japan to Mr. J. H. Witty, of Nunhead, England.
After describing one of no especial value for ornamental purposes, it says : —
"In the case of Golden Shower, the case may be differ- ent. Indeed, the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticul- tural Society- have alread}^ bestowed an Award of Merit upon the variety, which will afford novel and attractive flowers for decorative effects. The thread-like flor- ets are mostly gold- en-yellow, but some are red.
"In Golden Show- er the long thread- like florets are really flattish ribbons (lig- ules), and the recep- tacle or dome-shaped cushion from which the florets spring is thickl}' covered with membranous pointed floret."
is by no means new, but it has had its wave of popularity years ago, and is not now generally grown. Euphorbia JacquincEJiora is the name by which it is generally known, thovigh prop- erly E. fulgens. Its flowers or bracts are small but numerous, of an orange-scarlet color, and are produced continuoush^ throughout the winter. For winter flowering, it is scarcely excelled. It likes plenty of heat and little
root-distvirbance.
Weeping Ameri- can Cherry. — One of the most beaiitiful of weeping trees is the variety of Pru- nus serotina, P. serc- tina pendnla of cata- logues. It was found among some thou- sands of seedlings of the ordinar}^ Wild Cherry in a nursery near Dresden, in Saxony, and intro- duced in 1886 by C. W. Mielzsch of that city. Unfortunately, the branches are ver>- brittle, and nursery- men cannot handle it to satisfaction. By the time it is deliv- ered to a customer, there is little remain- ing of the head but the stock on which it was grafted.
GOLDEN SHOWER CHRYSANTHEMUM.
bracts — one to each
EuPHORBi.\ fulgens for Winter-Flower- ing.— It is pleasing to notice the interest some florists take in making popular comparatively unknown, desirable plants. One of these par- ticularly impressed the writer on a recent de- lightful visit to the extensive greenhouses of Mr. Robert Craig, one of Philadelphia's most intelligent and progressive florists. This plant
Death by Suffo- cation.— Trees, and, indeed, all terrestrial vegetation, will live for months in winter when their roots and stems are wholly under water, — but are killed in a few days if a sudden over- flow keeps the roots under water in the grow- ing season. The roots, needing air at that season, are suffocated. The practical cultiva- tor, of an observ^ant turn of mind, makes admirable use of this knowledge in many gardening operations. Plants desired in low situations, where they would not under usual conditions survive, should not be set deeply.
138
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[Sept.
THE H/^l^^Y FLOWEl <^^^ID)E1N1,
Herbaceous Plant Borders. — It is prob- able that mass bedding, in which one or a few more kinds of plant are set for eifect, — and mosaic culture, which means the planting to arrange in artistic work like carpets or other fancy work, — will never wholly depart from lis. For grand effects in parks and large gar- dens, or even on small grounds in special cases, no system could well supply the place of this form of garden art. But it has ran to such an extreme that real lovers of flowers liave become dissatisfied, and there is a general longing for a return to the "grandmother's
Penna. The main walks to the arbor are of gravel, — the narrower ones of neatly mown grass. The list of the kinds growing there are given with corresponding numbers.
The list may be suggestive in a general way, though of course the selections for each garden must vary with soil, character of the spot, and latitude.
Galtonl\ (Hv.\cinthus) c.\ndic.\ns. — As a hardy, summer-flowering bulb for introducing into beds of shrubbery or herbaceous borders, Galtonia candica7is deserves to rank with lilies in utilit}^ and, in some degree, in beauty. The sturdy stalk of flowers attains a height of from
X-^SSSJVJ^.
_^*o**^»w ^fe^J'>a/y Osrx/tSt^/^A
PLAN OF HARDY FLOWER GARDEN.
gardens" of the olden time. These little " flower knots," with their neat borders of box or other edgings, were certainh- attractive for what they contained, though termed stiff and unnatural b\" the cultivated, artistic eye.
There is, however, no reason wh}- a collec- tion of hardy herbaceous plants should not be so arranged as to have prett}', flowing lines to the ground they occupj'. All that is required is for the landscape gardener to keep in mind that the flowers have to be examined closeh', and that length, but not breadth, should pre- vail in the design.
With this is given the plan of one on the grounds of Dr. Chas. H. Thomas, of Devon,
three to five feet, the white bell-shaped flowers hanging gracefully in character, not unlike the Yucca, though of course smaller. Like the flowers of most bulbs, thej^ are ver}^ lasting, and make a continuous display for at least four weeks about mid-summer ; and occasionally a second stalk will be thrown up succeeding the other. Frequently this bulb is called a hya- cinth, though it is not in verj' general culti- vation. It is a native of South Africa, and perfectly' hardy in the United States. As the individual flowers are only an inch long, the displaj^ will be greater where several bulbs are planted within a foot of each other. Closer than that is unnecessary.
1899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY —GENERAL GARDENING.
139
KEY TO PLANTING PLAN.
KEY NO.
NAME
KEY NO.
NAME
KEY NO.
NAME
Bed A.
1 Hypericum Moserianum.
2 Delphiuiuni hybridum.
3 Helenium autumnale.
4 Convallaria majalis.
5 Vernouia Arkansana.
6 Lysimachia clethroides.
7 Iris Gerraanica. S Phlox decussata. 9 Anemone.
10 Coreopsis grandi flora
11 Lychnis flos cuculiseraperflorens
12 Verouica Hendersoni.
0 Galtonia candicans. X Lilium speciosum.
Bed B.
1 Gaillardia grandiflora.
2 Betonica rosea.
3 Helianthus multiflorus plenus.
4 Aster N. B Robt. Parker.
5 Anthemis tinctoria.
6 Aquilegia Skinneri
7 Lychnis chalcedonica alba.
8 Convallaria majalis.
9 Digitalis purpurea.
10 Platycodon grandiflorum album.
11 Iris graminea.
12 Physostegia denticulata.
13 Dicentra spectabilis.
14 CEnothera riparia.
0 Galtonia candicans.
Bed C.
1 Aster Novse-AngliiS.
2 Helianthus Maximilliani.
3 Coreopsis grandiflora.
4 Aquilegia Skinneri.
5 Ins Germanica
6 Boltonia gla.stifolia.
7 Vernonia Baldwiui.
8 Asclepias tuberosa
9 Phlox decussata
10 Gaillardia grandiflora.
11 Chry-anthemum, hardy.
12 Astilbe Japonica.
13 Fuukia Jap. alba,
14 Calimeris incisa
15 Physostegia denticulata.
0 Lilium tigrinuni splendens. X " auratum.
X " speciosum.
Bed D.
1 White Hollyhocks.
2 Veruonia Arkansana.
3 Monarda didyina.
4 Rudheckia Golden Glow.
5 Pyrethriim roseum.
7 Aquilegia crerulea.
8 Anemone.
9 Aster NovEC-Anglioe. .
10 Digitalis purpurea alba.
11 Coreopsis grandiflora.
12 Pyrethrum uliginosum.
13 Hibiscus white.
14 Vernonia Baldwin!.
15 Delphinium Chinensis.
16 Hemerocallis fulva.
0 Galtonia candicans.
Bed E.
1 Aster Tatar icas.
2 Helianthus mollis.
3 Tritoma uvaria.
4 Platycodon grandiflorum album.
5 Aquilegia caerulea alba.
6 Lythrum Salicaria.
7 Silphium laciniatum.
8 Lysimachia vulgaris.
9 Achillea "Pearl."
o Galtonia candicans
X Lilium speciosum.
Bed P.
Helianthus Maximilliani. Physostegia denticulata. Hibiscus militaris. Digitalis purpurea. Chrysanthemum, hardy.
6 Pasonies, dbl. red.
7 Delphinium.
8 Lythrum .-^alicaria.
9 Hemerocallis Kwanso fl. pi.
10 Veronica Hendersoni.
11 Sautolina incana.
12 Iris graminfa.
13 Coreopsis grandiflora.
14 Funkia Jap. alba.
0 Lilium tigrinum splendens. X " candidum.
Bed G.
1 Rudbeckia Golden Glow.
2 Boltonia gli-stifolia
3 Allegheny Hollyhocks.
4 Delphinium.
5 Iris Germanica. 6
7 Phlox, white (tall) or " Henry
Mursher."
8 Phlox, red
9 Monarda purpurea.
10 Belaracauda Chinensis
11 Iris florentina.
12 Paeonies, single, pink.
13 Veronica Teucrium
14 Hemerocallis graminea.
15 Gaillardi-H grandiflora.
16 Aquilegia chrysantha.
17 Anemone
18 .'\nthemis tinctoria.
0 Lilium tiarinum splendens. X ■' candidum.
Bed H.
1 Arundo Douax.
2 " " variegata.
3 Eulalia Jap. gracillima.
4 Hollyhocks, Allegheny.
5 Pseonies, dbl. white.
6 Lysimachia verticillata
7 Baptisia tinctoria.
Bed I.
1 Hypericum Moserianum.
2 Aquilegia truncata.
3 Geranium sanguineum.
4 .■\nemone
5 Coreopsis grandiflora.
6 Heuchera sanguinea.
7 Lobelia syphillitica.
8 Paionia tenuifolia fl. pi.
9 Dianthus barbatus. 10 Lil'um candidum.
Bed J.
1 Lj'chnis chalcedonica.
2 SpitKa I'Imaria fl. pi.
3 Plumbago LarpeniK.
4 Achillea tonientosa.
5 Oenothera macrocarpa.
6 Armeria maritima.
7 Achillea -'The Pearl."
Bed K.
1 Pentstemon Digitalis.
2 Tritoma uvaria.
3 .\chillea millefolium rubnim.
4 Alyssum argenteum.
5 Coreopsis rosea,
6 Iberis [ens
7 Lychnis Flos cuculi semperflor-
8 Hypericum calycinura.
Bed L.
I Iris Isevigata.
X Papaver orientale.
X Lilium candidum.
Bed M.
I Iris laevigata
0 Papaver orientale. X Lilium speciosum.
Bed N.
1 Aquilegia cserulea.
2 Veronica Hendersoni.
3 Physostegia denliculata.
4 Stokesia cyanea.
5 Spiraea Ulmaria fl. pi.
6 Anemone Jap white.
7 Lobelia cardinalis.
8 Achillea "The Pearl."
9 Dicentra spectabilis.
10 Digitalis purpurea alba.
11 Dianthus barbatus.
12 Hypericum patulum.
13 Pyrethrum roseum
14 Delphinium elatum.
15 Platycodon grandiflorum album.
0 Lilium auratum and speciosum.
Bed O.
1 Platycodon Mariesii.
2 Eupatorium ageratoides.
3 Veronica villosa.
4 Tritoma uvaria.
5 Aquilegia caerulea.
6 Aster longitolius Lady Trevelyn.
7 Delphinium elaium.
8 Asclepias tuberosa.
9 Vernonia Baldwini.
10 Iris orientalis.
11 Chelone Lyoni.
12 Tradescantia Vir alba.
13 Coreopsis rosea.
14 Geranium sanguinea.
15 Gaillardia grandiflora.
0 Lilium auratum and speciosum.
Bed P.
1 Anemone Jap.
2 Dictamnus Fraxinella.
3 Vernonia Brtldwini.
4 Ilierts.
5 Alyssum argenteum.
6 Plumbago.
7 CEnothera riparia.
8 Lobelia syphillitica
9 Monnrda purpurea.
10 Tradescantia Virginica.
11 Tritoma uvaria.
12 Betonica ofl!iciuale. :3 Valeriana dioica,
14 Psoralea sub-acaulis.
l.S Aster oblongifolius
16 Aquilegia Canadensis
17 Baptisia australis.
0 Lilium speciosum and auratum.
Bed Q.
1 Phlox decussata
2 Fuukia Jap. alba.
3 Paeonia tenuifolia fl. pi.
4 Dianthus plumaiius.
5 Anemone Jap red.
6 Asclepifls tuberosa.
7 Delphinium formosum.
8 Iris florentina.
9 Digitalis purpurea.
10 Aquilegia chrysantha.
11 Ara' is albida.
12 Betonica ro.'ea.
o Lilium auratum and speciosum.
Bed R.
Hemerocallis flava. Gladiolus communis.
Bed 3.
Hemerocallis graminea. Tulipa sylvestris.
Bed T.
1 Coreopsis rosea.
2 Iberis.
3 Anemone Jap. rubra.
4 Betonica officinalis.
5 Platycodon Mariesii.
Bed U.
1 Heuchera sanguinea.
2 Anemone Jap alba.
3 Gaiflardia grandiflora.
4 Armeria maritima.
5 Dianthus barbatus.
Bed V.
I Gynerium argenteum
I40
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[Sept.
F^sJliTS ^ ¥E^ET/^PLES.
Cold-Frames AND Hot-Beds. — The value of frames to a small garden is seldom esti- mated. \"ery few large gardens but contain them, yet in a way they are of more value where land for garden purposes is not plenti- ful. In the latter case the owner, who wants to full}' supply his table with fresh things, tries to get all that he possibly can out of his limited space. B}- means of a moderate size hot-bed, lettuce, radishes and other quickly maturing plants may be raised for winter use. Other plants may be started in late winter, for transplanting to the open ground in spring, thus securing the earliest crops possible, and opening the way for a succession of crops to take the place of the earh- ones. Of course, this sounds more extensive than it reallj^ is, for all vegetables cannot be handled alike ; but sufficient that it can be done to some extent by a careful and studious gardener.
Considerable judgment must be exercised to make thorough success, — for instance, the depth of the pit must be regulated to agree with the plants to be grown. As an example, lettuce, — especialh'^ that grown in early win- ter,— is liable to draw upward to the light, a verj' undesirable thing where good, solid heads are wanted. Therefore, the pit should be shal- low to bring the plants fairlj' near the glass. This also applies to all seedlings intended for transplanting ; thej' must not be drawn up, spindling and weak, hut encouraged to grow solid and stocky. Even such slender things as peas could be started a trifle earlier by sow- ing the seed in pots plunged in the frame, and transplanted later. This would not pay on a large scale, but to obtain a few dishes for the table it would be desirable. Then care must be taken in the regulation of air and protection from frost, for, raised in this way, plants are delicate.
Cold-frames are chiefly of use as hot-bed feeders, or for giving plants a slight start in spring. The}- must be prepared in August ready for earl}' fall sowing. The seedlings are hardened off" and held until transplanted to hot-beds or to the open ground. Such nearly hardy plants as corn salad and lettuce may be raised in cold-frames in the fall and early winter by protecting them slightly on frosty
nights.
Frames designed for vegetables may be brought into further utility, where the owner is so inclined, by putting in a few easily-forced flowers, such as violets, pansies, bulbs, etc.
As to the making of the frames, it is an easy matter. The chief requirements are shel- ter, drainage, light and proper ventilation, and, in hot-beds, regulated temperature. A spot sheltered on the north and west, free to the sun, is considered ideal. If there is danger of rains washing in, the bed level must be raised, and earth and coarse litter banked around it. The back, which will be towards the north- west, should be higher than the front, the slope permitting the water to shed from the glass. The top is of glass, fit in sash about four feet wide by six long, made to slide back or raise, b}' which means the beds are ven- tilated.
The bed for a cold-frame should be finely pulverized loam, obtained from the surface of some land that has been standing at least two or three years ; or any good, light soil with which may be well mixed some well- rotted horse manure, — a desirable addition in either case. The bed should be from i8 inches to 2 feet in depth, and be closely placed in the frame.
A hot-bed is something similar, excepting that the "hot " nuist be furni.shed. The heat is derived from fermenting horse manure, which is placed in a bed to the depth of a foot or two. This manure should not be strictly fresh, but first heaped up and forked over several times before it has chance to burn, which can also be prevented b}- watering. The manure finally placed, its temperature must be kept until it is reduced to about 75° Fahr. In the meantime, about six inches of fine loam is spread on the bed. • A thermometer should always be kept hand}^ and the tests made by plunging it in the bed.
When in use, a mat of some kind must be placed over the closed sash late in the after- noon, and removed when the sun is well up in the following morning.
Sash are not profitabh' made at home, but can be procured from any horticultural builder or wood-working mill. Suitable mats are also bought readj^-made, though excellent ones can be made of straw, and light ones, easily dried, are preferable.
BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
AN AUTUMN WALK.
'Twas on a mild autumnal day,
We slowly wandered, arm in arm,
Through fields and woodland, far away, Lured by the season's subtle charm.
We heard the air of autixmn mourn Among the rustling ruches sere,
And reached at last the church^-ard-bourne. Whose oaks were fading with the 3'ear.
— Howard Worcester Gilbert.
The National Flower. — In regard to the national flower, I would saj^ I think it should be Aqiiilt'oia Ca?iadcns!S (Columbine), for the reason that on the ends of the flowers that long projection turns over like the liberty cap ; and then, too, it is found throughout the United States. I have seen it growing in Connecticut and California. It is called the "wild Columbine of the United States." It is one of the national colors red, and ver}' pretty. C. A. Pitkin, Jr.
Willow Glen, Sauta Clara Co., California.
When, some years ago, Meeiians' ISIonthlv suggested that some association with human events was necessary to make a flower essen- tial to human veneration, it referred to the Columbine as being eligible. Columbo — the root of the name Columbus — signif\-ing dove, — and the story of the Columbo being sent out of the ark to find land, being analogous to the modern Columbo starting from Spain and dis^ covering the New World. It seemed to Mee- HANS' Monthly to be one of the few flowers that could be brought into any association with American history.
But Meehans' Monthly and our corres- pondent have been over-reached bj^ the Legis- lature of the Centennial State b\' a special act declaring the Columbine the vState flower of Colorado.
William McMillan. — Public gardening has lost an able representative in the death of Mr. William McMillan, for many years the leading spirit in the development of the beautiful pub- lic parks of Buffalo. Through some difference
of opinion with the authorities, he was in- duced to leave this honorable position a few 5'ears ago, and accept a similar responsibilitj^ in the Essex County'' Park, at Essex, New Jersey. He was born in Scotland, and died at Newark, N. J., on the ist of August, in his 6Sth year.
German Garden Manuals. At the small price of 1.20 marks each, Karl Siegismund, bookseller, Berlin, Germany, is issuing small, prettilj'-illustrated volumes, forming a com- plete series of garden manuals, each volume b}' well-know-n and eminent authors. Though founded on the practice in German gardens, that practice is so generally intelligent that anv one in America interested in srardeningf, who can read German, will find them instruct- ive and of importance in a library collection. Of those before us the titles are as follows : Vol. 5, Zinimerbliitenpflanzen ; 7, Der Garten- rosen ; 8, Die Farnpflanzen ; 9, Der Zwerg- obstbau; 10, Die vStandengewachse ; 12, Pfirsiche und Aprikosen.
The Rhododendron. — Freezing of Sap in Winter. — Rhododendron leaves, as is well known, curl and droop in severe weather, just as they do in summer under a drouth. The subject is investigated by Dr. J. H. Harsh- berger in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadel- phia. He finds the object to be to check trans- piration, which is as severe a strain on vegeta- tion as drouth in summer would be. His ob- servations on the process are very interesting. The leaves on a frozen plant brought into a temperature of 75° to 80° commenced to move in one hour and a half; and the curled leaf commenced to unroll in two hours. The leaves on the main leader responded more promptly than those on the laterals, vital energy being greater there. Taken again to the cold, shrinking commenced in three min- utes, and in ten had reached the ultimate close coil. Under the microscope he finds the inter-
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142
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
[Sept.
cellular spaces of importance in the move- ment. The sap leaves the cells for the inter- cellular spaces, and contraction follows the movements.
Dr. Harshberger's valuable experiments are all in line with the obser\'ations of modern gardening. It has long been obvious to intel- ligent observers that, under known physical laws, the juices in the cells of plants could not freeze without rupturing them, — and it also has long been known that nearh' all plants shrink instead of expand, as cold weather pro- gresses. Health}' growing trees have a less girth in winter than in svimmer, and the hardy cactuses, that one might think surcharged with moisture, as a bladder is with air, shrink one- half in volume, without losing weight in the winter season. With Dr. Harshberger's ex- planation, that the water passes from the cells to the air spaces, when necessarj'^ to avoid rup- ture, the former problem is rendered ver\- clear.
History ok the Violet. — A South Caro- lina correspondent sa3's : —
"It is long past the season in this hot cli- mate for violets to flower, but I wish you could see mj'- violet plants — "Russian" variety. Their foliage is superb — at least, in m^- eyes. The dark, rich, green leaves on petioles 14 to 16 inches long, measure from 5 to 6 inches long and proportionatel}' broad. But the plants in season never 3-ielded many flowers. Wh}' did they simply run to herbage ? Apro- pos of the subject, I am deeph' interested in its historj^ and will take it as a very great favor if you will help me to a knowledge of it. Has there ever been written a monograph on the violet ? I remember once to have read of ancient Athens as "Violet crowned." Was it the chosen floral emblem of the classic city ? Can 30U tell me anything of its ancient asso- ciations, histor}'' or tradition — or suggest to me what to read on the topic ? I will thank you sincerely."
The Rvissian Sweet Violet is regarded as a distinct species from the ordinary sweet violet of England and the Continent. This is Viola odorata, while the Russian is Viola taurica. The large, luxuriant foliage referred to b}- our correspondent is one of the distinguishing characters. The historj'^ of the violet goes far back into antiquit}'. We should have to go into the stories of the gods and goddesses of
Olympus, and tell how lanthe was beloved by Phoebus, much to the horror of Diana, in whose train she served. She was turned into a violet so as to be hidden from Phoebus' warm attractions, and where she could modestly bloom in March without the sun -god knowing auN'thing about her. And we shovild have to go over the charms of Cytheraea, and her famous sweetness of breath among the sum of these charms, and all obtained by feeding on violets ! And then we might speculate on the Norsemen's annual feast of violets, — on that INIarch Tuesda}^ that possibh' gave the name " i\Iarch Violet" to the plant; — and those fond of showing chronological imper- fections, and with a love for picking old stories to pieces by the sharp weapon of logic, might argue that it was the Russian Violet, after all, that should claim the credit of the Norsemen's veneration, and that the modern reference of the March Violet, to the violet of English lit- erature, is all apochryphal.
Ves ! there is much that might be popularly said in a work on the violet, — but we do not know that it has ever been attempted.
As to a botanical monograph, — when it is understood that there are over five hundred recognized species, besides any number of syn- onyms, such a task would not be ver\' inviting to a bus}- person.
New North American Pl.ants. — Collecting botanists in our country need not fear their chances of finding new species fading. Mr. T. S. Brandegee describes, in the June issue of the Botanical Gazette, twent3'-nine new ones found in California. One of these forms a new genus, named in honor of Dr. Perpus, Per- piisia. It is related to Potentilla. Four new Pentstemons are included in the list, and sev- eral others will doubtless ornament our gardens in time.
Flower Festivals of J.\pan. — The flower festival, or rather holida}- season, of Japan be- gins with the first spring blossoms. In earlj- March, the local papers note the swelling buds on the naked gray branches of the plum trees, that foretell the dainty blooms that are soon to enshroud them. All Japan rejoices when the buds cast off the last winter wrap and scent the air with spicj^ odors.
In earh' April when the cherrj' trees are glorified, Japan has another holida}', when all.
i899]
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
143
from the Mikado to the meanest beggar, need go and visit the gardens of this queen of spring.
The wistaria comes next on this floral holi- day calendar, and when the papers announce at last that her lustrous robes have purpled and the tender green is showing on the branch, she receives in her gardens the homage of a grateful, happj' people. The hill-sides blazoned with scarlet azaleas, the lily, iris, peon}-, lordh- lotus, reddening maple, chrj^santhemum and camellia form a statel}^ procession, each receiv- ing devotion and eulogy in turn.
First in the heart of every traveler who has been so fortunate as to visit these simple floral fetes are the cherr}^ blossom and wistaria gardens. The Japanese love nature, not as a matter of dollars and cents, but because they have found reposeful happiness in the devo- tion. Their taste is correct and refined ; it is not the rare, gaudy exotic that is most highly prized, but the common flowers of their coim- try which are taken in natural sequence and by study and culture made the source of health- ful national enjoj-ment. These flower fetes are a sort of bank holida}', business being gener- ally suspended and the people given over to merry-making. Nothing surprises the intelli- gent traveler more than the simplicit}' and poetic refinement of these popular pleasures of the Japanese.
Many of the most famous gardens of Japan surround the temples. This is true in Kioto, the City of Flowers, where the great red, carved gateway of the ancient temple of Chionin gives entrance as well to the cherrj-- blossom garden. The blossoms last in perfec- tion for about a week, and from early dawn to the midnight hour the throngs are passing to and fro. Staid merchants, with their families. Government officials, girls and children arraj-ed in their brightest kimonos and obies, flower- crowned geishas or dancing girls, all with careless happiness and gaj-et}' depicted upon their faces. There are hundreds of cherr3' trees, some of them great in size and gnarled with age, their bare, gray branches covered with myriads of snow}- blossoms. An aged tree, the size of a large oak, is enthroned upon a circular mound. The people crowd the sur- rounding circle of seats, and they look at this tree's wondrous beaut}', outlined against the soft, blue sky, enjoying everj' minute of their holiday. The shimmer of the blossom-crowned
trees, the changing shadows, the bright cos- tumes, the life and movement of the happ}^- hearted people, it is a dream of delight. At night many himdreds of varicolored lanterns swing with the breeze, showers of rosj'-white petals sift through the semi-darkness. Hid- den electric lights play upon the largest trees, bringing out the pearly, scintillating beauty. ]Mats or low platforms are arranged beneath the branches, and picnic feasts are enjoyed to- the fill. It is true that there is an occasional drunken or "sake man" to be seen making grotesque efforts to amuse, but he is not so soddon or incapable as the drunken American, on such occasions.
At Uyeno Park, Tokio, the festive spectacle is re-enacted, if possible, more beautiful, more charming. Under the thick floral canopj^ whole families wander hand in hand, happj^ and free from care. Out on the banks of the broad river the people also congregate beneath the ancient cherry trees, whose gnarled branches are gray with age but powdered with the blossoms of recurring 3-outh.
There are gardens and' walks and drives throughout Japan too numerous to mention, which, at this season, are famous for their beauty. Every Japanese home, as well, has its lesser shrine of blooming tree or flowering branch.
The wistaria gardens are in ]\Iay no less in- teresting. One of the most celebrated is at Kameido, in Tokio, located on the confines of the temple grounds. There j-ou will see the same light-hearted, happ}- people ; but the coloring of the mj'riad drooping clusters is lilac and purple, instead of white and pink. The picnic parties sit in the flickering shadows of the blooms ; two and three feet deep of sus- pended lilac drapery, relieved by the twisted trunks and branches of these ancient vine- trees. The children sit on their heels, munch- ing sweetmeats from little lacquer boxes ; or lean over the railing and clap their hands, the signal for huge, lazy golden carp to rise to the surface to be fed with some tidbits. There is a soft, radiant beauty, a brilliance and gayety about the scene that are luxuriant and restful. There is a bridge in view which affords much amusement. It describes a little more than a semi-circle and it is a bit of a joke to success- fully traverse it without mild accident.
Emory E. Smith.
GENERAL NOTES.
Poisonous Plants. — One of the misfortunes of our time is that there is no attempt made to collate the large amount of facts spread over the literar}- world in the various publications issued everj'where. The United States Govern- ment, State establishments, and wealthy so- cieties might well undertake tasks of this kind, but instead, they spend time in experi- menting, suggesting and noting about matters that have been abundantly testified to genera- tions ago.
Just now before us an official document notes the bare possibility that precocious ripening in the peach may indicate the beginning of the disease known as the yellows, — and another, giving a list of the poisonous roots of plants growing in the State, without the slightest reference to the roots of the common elder, and expressing doubt about the noxious character of the edible parsnip in its wild state.
When ]Mr. Hovey, the President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, died, res- olutions for the perpetuation of his memor}- covered many suggestions. The writer of this paragraph suggested that that Society' could do no better honor to his memory than to make an index of his valuable magazine ; that facts recorded through this great work would be in- valuable to the cause of horticulture. Even at this late da}-, the writer feels the immense im- portance of such a task, and is making a sub- ject index of " Hovey's Magazine " at his own expense.
Meehans' Monthly for Reference Libra- ries.— When founding INIeeh.^ns' INIonthlv, the proprietors had to meet the difficult}- of not being in the publishing business. They had not the organized machinerA- to make it at once generally known through the book-sell- ing trade. All they could do was to let the merits of the work be its chief advertising agenc}-. The fact that it was continuing in exactly the same form as the work of the popu-
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lar " Flowers and Ferns of the United States," was a sufficient foundation for the belief that it must eventuall}- become a necessary work of reference for every library that would be abreast of the times, and that the back numbers would be in demand when the existence of the work became known. A fair stock was held to cover this contingency. The past year has made heav}' drafts on this surplus. As a large num- ber of the new subscribers make the inquiry as to whether the back volumes may be ob- tained, it has been thought well to make this announcement, that they can still be furnished.
Winter Coirses Discontinued. — On ac- count of insufficient appropriations by the Legislature, the Trustees of The Pennsylvania State College have been compelled, along with other measures of retrenchment, to discontinue for the present the twelve-weeks Winter Lec- ture Course in Agriculture and the Cheese- making Course. The Creamery Course will be given as heretofore, beginning January 3d, and the work of the regular four-years' course and of the special, one-year course, will go on as usual. Special efforts will also be made to increase the efficiencj' of the Correspondence Courses in Agriculture.
Changing the Names of Plants. — A bot- anical journal explains that the name of one of our California spruces must be changed, be- cause it has just been discovered that "in an obscure circular, in 1852," some other name was proposed. If one, who believes he has a new plant to describe, must wait, "under the laws of priority," to be sure that he has at command even ' ' obscure circulars ' ' before he dares do anything with it, the sooner some other law takes it place, the better for the ad- vancement of botanical knowledge. As Gen- eral Grant once said, the best way to break up a bad law is to enforce it.
I L.K i i:.
ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA.
ORANGE SWALLOW-WORT.
NATURAL ORDER, ASCLEPIADACE^
ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA, Linnaeus. — Hirsute or roughish pubescent, a foot or two high, very leaf}' to the top ; leaves from lanceolate-obloug to linear-lanceolate, sessile or slightly petioled ; umbels several an,d mostly cymose at the summit of the stem, short-peduncled ; column short; hoods narrowly oblong, erect (two or three lines long), deep bright orange, much surpassing the anthers, almost as long as the purplish- or slightly greenish-orange oblong corolla-lobes, nearly equalled by the filiform-subulate horn ; follicles cinereous pubescent. Gray's Synoptical Flora of North America. See also Gray's Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States, Oaapm&n's Flora of the Southern United States, Wood's Class Book of Botany, and Britten and Brown's Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions.
In the Orange Swallow-wort we have one of the most show^y of our native flowers. We could scarcelj' say one of the most beautiful, for it is wanting in all the elements that go to make up the science of beauty except the minor element of color. The foliage is rough, and the habit of growth stiff ; while the irreg- ularity of the leaves on the branches, and of the branching itself, continually impresses the beholder that he is looking at something that ought not to be. In combination with other kinds of flowers, however, it adds largely to the beauty of our wild flower scenery'. Trav- ellers in the more uncultivated portions of our eastern territorj^ always speak of it with ad- miration. As they look back on the pleasures of the past vigorous enjoyment of field and forest, our showy plant acts as a memorizer. When Oliver Wendel Holmes exclaimed -
"O where, O where, are life's lilies and roses Nursed in the golden dawn's smile ? Dead as the bulrushes 'round little Moses, On the old banks of the Nile, ' '
"he would probably have missed our Swallow- wort, if he had sung of some American pic- ture, instead of the visions the classical train- ing ' ' in his golden dawn ' ' impressed on his imaginative mind. It is to be regretted that so few of our native flowers have had a seat by the poet's fire, — and that we have to look to the genii of the Old World for much of the floral sentiment that holds so high a place in the human mind.
A figure occurs in Edwards' "Botanical Magazine" for 1815, wherein is said it is "a plant generally native in most of the States of
America, where it goes by several denomina- tions— such as 'Butterfly-weed,' from being a favorite resort of the insects of that tribe ; ' Pleurisy ' or ' Ache-in-the-side plant, ' from its medicinal virtues, said to be of consider- able activity ; besides some others."
The name of Swallow-wort comes down to us from the old herbalists. Plants were classi- fied according to external resemblances. A number with curious seed-vessels, supposed to resemble swallows, formed the tribe Hirundin- aria, from the Latin word Hirundo, the swal- low. The Asckpias, especially, had pods of this character, and the common name followed this plant, when more natural arrangements of plants were made.
A narrow-leaved form occurs in the Southern States, which Mr. Pursh thought worth a varietal name as decumbens. Of this, the ' ' Botanical Register ' ' above cited remarks : ' ' Mr. Pursh mentioned to us that he had found it growing on mounds of sand which had gradually accumulated by the wind to a con- siderable height, having a root which de- scended to near two fathoms in depth ; that in such situations the stem was decumbent ; in sheltered, fertile ones generally upright. ' '
According to Pursh, the common name of ' ' Butterfly- weed ' ' is derived from the flowers being a favorite resort with insects of that tribe, — but it does not appear to be any more of a favorite than many other flowers. The nectaries — the upper portion of the flower (Fig. 3) — is filled wdth nectar at certain times, and is so readih' accessible that insects have little difiicult}' in appropriating it.
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I.'. 6
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA.
[Oct.
The structure of the flowers is an extremely interesting subject with the student in botany. It is much more simple than might be inferred from some attempts that have been made to explain it. There is no special plan, but a modification of the general plan on which all flowers are formed. Flowers are usually con- structed on a uniform plan under a given numeral. If, for instance, on a plan of three, we should expect to find three sepals, three petals, three stamens, and three stjdes. If there were more, they would be in sets of six or nine. When the numbers were interme- diate, we should look for abortion, or consoli- dation of parts.
This is the condition of things in Asclepias. Both abortion of some parts, and a consolida- tion of others, prevail. Nature starts on a plan of five. The five small, green sepals are shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 4 represents the five petals. Fig. 3 is five stamens ; but the an- thers have not been normally developed, and appear as nectaries, — the nectariferous organs comprise a series of five petaliferous stamens. Next we have five more perfect, pollen-bearing stamens, — and, finally, two stj les. We expect the series of organs, as detailed, to alternate with each other. That these do so alternate, is additional proof of the correctness of the diagnosis. We maj' say that the flower of an Asclepias consists of five sepals, five petals, ten stamens, and two styles,— and the reason why there are not five styles, is because three have disappeared by abortion. It would be legiti- mate to look for five carpels in some closely- related natural order. It is usual to describe Asclepias as having a five-lobed stigma. This is morphologically impossible. There may be a five-lobed stigma from a single style when that style is formed from five consolidated carpels, but not from two. The supposed um- bonate stigma is composed of the five incurved points of the stamens, which have become consolidated and succulent. This cap com- pletely covers the two stigmas. It effectually prevents pollenization by insect agency. The anther-cells are in close relation to the imbed- ded stigmas, and there is no difficulty in tubes from the pollen mass reaching them.
Aside from the knowledge gained by a dis- section of the flower, the abundance of seed vessels produced by most species of Asclepias point to self-fertilization. The production of
seed vessels seems wholly a question of nutri- tion. The flowers that fail to produce seed, fail simply from the exhaustion of the nutri- tive powers of the plant.
In the motions of plants, much pleasure may be taken. Asclepias tziberosa has some that are peculiar. The flower buds open their petals rapidly, and, in a few minutes, take the drooping but incurved character represented in Fig. 2. When about to fade, they assume an erect position, especially after the flower has been fertilized. When the ovary develops, it is erect ; but soon afterwards the pedicel of the fertilized flower curves downwards. The ovary, however, turns upwards. At maturity, the seed vessel is perfectly erect, the pedicel remaining curved, the whole representing the curved bracket of a chandelier. In some cases the pedicel has a somewhat tortuous character, as if it were in the initial stage of some twin- ing plant.
Asclepias iuberosa was one of the earliest of our native flowers to invite culture in English gardens. Two or three hundred years ago, the Roj'al Gardens at Hampton Court, in England, were, what Kew later became, the great centre for novelties. It is on record that our plant was in the collection, there, in 1690. The plants for this collection came largely by way of Holland. It was described by Paul Her- mann, about this time, as an Apocynum from New England, hairy, tuberous-rooted, and with orange flowers. When later it came to be known as Asclepias tuber osa, the origin of the name may be traced to this description by Hermann.
In connection with geographical botany, the curious fact has been demonstrated, that in many instances, where there are a number of species to a genus in Eastern North America, one or more of the species may be found also in Japan. The whole territory west of the Rocky Mountains may have different species of the same genus ; but the identical Eastern species appears in Japan. In the case of. -/5- clepias, not only is there no Eastern American species in Japan, but no Asclepias of any kind, — though the genus Vincetoxicum, from which Asclepias has been divided, is abundantly rep- resented there.
Explanation of the Plate.— i. Upper portion of a spe- cimen from Pennsylvania, a. A flower with its slender pedicel,— and {3) the erect nectaries, with (4) the reflexed petals. 5. The small five-parted calyx.
WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
AN AUTUMN WOOD.
' ' The leaves fell brown and dead upon the streams And in the many winding woodland-ways. And the blue haze again upon the hills And o'er the sleeping waters spread its veil All faint and dim, and from the misty deep Of the great stream was heard the lonely cry Of the solitary loon that lingered still upon its bosom."
— Howard Worcester Gilbert.
must have some support, or a " School of Ecol- ogy " would not be founded thereon, — but the opposing facts are no less curious.
Cypripedium acaule. — Your correspond- ent, on page 117, August number, expresses surprise that Cypripedium acaule should be found growing in dry oakwoods. I found them in mixed oak, chestnut and laurel woods, mostly under chestnut sprouts near laurel.
Lancaster, Pa. A. F. E.
It is much to be regretted that the many valuable facts recorded by observers in regard to the habits of plants, published from time to time in magazines like Meehans' Monthly, are not scheduled by the leaders in science who draw generalizations as regards the laws of nature. When writing of the unchanged cranberry under different "environments," lately, so much more might be said of other plants. The writer has seen, in the West, as our correspondent noted, Cypripediiun acaule in swampy places, — in fact, often in bogs, — while it is well known, as the paragraph from Lancaster County notes, that its favorite home is in shady woods. In the writer's experience, it has been seen abundantly in Hemlock for- ests, where little other vegetation could live at all ; yet, under these very diflferent conditions of "environment," for so many ages, no change of characters can be seen. The Bear- berry, Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi, clothing the heights of Pike's Peak, and the Lciophylliim buxifoliufn, in North Carolina, evidently exist- ing on the spot when these great mountains were raised, are precisely the same j'et as the plants we admire so much in the pine barrens of New Jersej'. "Change by environment"
The Maple Tree a Natural Barometer. — For nearly twenty years I have experimented with the maple and its sap during spring flow, and for three seasons last past I have continued the experiments through the summer with some variation. Probably I have made nearly or quite one hundred experiments during this time. For some years past I have noticed analagous conditions existing between maple trees and the barometer, both in winter and in summer, while the tree is at rest and also when in active growth.
A gauge attached to a maple in the time of sap-flow measures the amount (in pounds) of pressure upon a square inch, and a mercurial gauge will measure also the number of pounds suction. These conditions of the tree do not exist in the summer, so a gauge would be of no use at this season. In good sap weather the tree is in pressure during the day and it is in suction through the night. I reason that pressure and suction are equal, though I do not know it. A low barometer indicates zero in the maple. A rising barometer indi- cates pressure or sap-flow. The faster sap runs the higher the mercury rises in the ba- rometer.
By watching these conditions of the maple in connection with the barometer, the one can be told from the other. A glass tube, two feet in length, attached to a tree and filled with water in summer, or while the tree is active, will indicate the relation existing between the tree and the atmosphere as relates to evapora- tion and absorption. This is done by watch- ing the movement or non-movement of the water. When the water is descending in the tube rapidly (as, for instance, twenty-four inches in twelve hours), the tree is rapidly evaporating, and, also, it is as rapidly absorb- ing water from the soil and air. At such a time the mercury will stand high in the barom-
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MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[Oct.
eter. When the water in the tube does not settle, then the moisture in the tree and at- » mosphere are in equilibrium. The tree and atmosphere are equalh' saturated and the mer- cury in the barometer is low. B,y looking at the tube I can tell when the tree is evaporating and absorbing ; these processes go on together. When a tree does not evaporate it will not absorb.
In conducting these experiments in winter and summer five instruments are necessary — a gauge, glass tube, thermometer, barometer and hygrometer. I have all but the latter. I theorize that the tube and the hygrometer will agree. These two instruments will indicate the condition of the tree and the atmosphere as to saturation. Timothy Wheeler.
Moscow, Vt.
The above original and valuable contribution to vegetable physiology is transferred from the New York Wee/:l}' Tribune.
DowNiNGiA. — In the books of botany that I have, I find onlj' in one— "A Popular Cali- fornia Flora " — any mention of a pretty little flower that somewhat resembles Lobelia. Dowtiingia (of two species) is what I refer to. I have seen the flower described in seed cata- logues as Clintonia clcgans and C. pulcJuila, just the two species. Imagine, if j'ou can, how much I was surprised, one daj', to come across a patch oi Dowtiitigia, so mixed that I could not name the different shades of color, but they ranged from white to dark blue and from pink to purple. Since then I have seen, in a seedsman's catalogue, ''Clintonia, mixed, col.," but I will venture to saj- that no florist has ever seen as prettj" a collection of the flowers as the one I found hidden in an unfre- quented corner of our pasture.
Cheney, Washington. SuSAN TuCKER.
Clititonia was so named by Douglas, the noted Pacific coast explorer, in 1S29. But Rafinesque had previously — in iSiS — estab- lished a genus of North American Liliaceous plants under the name, now familiar, and of which Clintonia borealis is a well-known t3-pe. Douglas' plant had to be re-named, and Torre}- dedicated it to Andrew Jackson Downing, America's great landscape gardener.
Besides the two North American species, there is another, Dowymigia pnsilla, found in Chili.
Perfor.'VTEd Beech Leaves. — Mr. W. C. Egan, Highland Park, Illinois, sends samples of English Beech leaves, that have taken no- tion to have the upper half perforated — if a longitudinal space may be termed a perfora- tion. The}' resemble combs, only with a bor- dering at the margin, as if to preser\-e the comb-teeth from breaking. In some cases, the leaf-blade seems so much eaten away, that little but the veins are left.
Even this phenomenon may have a bearing on the problems of plant-life. The popular impression would be that the veins of the leaves would first be constructed and then the cellular mass be drawn over it. First the skeleton, then the flesh. But phytologists insist on the reverse. Their view is that the ribs and veins of leaves are the result of a necessity for strengthening the expansion. The cellular tissue then changes its form to provide for this, — and the forms of leaves re- sult from the degrees of energy expended in the task. Now, in the beech-leaf case, there seems to be veins formed with no tissue to support, and it would seem to contradict the general principle as to the origin of leaf-ribs.
But here we have to remember another prin- ciple of plant-life, that is being laid bare to us in recent times, namely, that nothing in nature is governed by a single law, but depends on the operation of laws acting in concert, and sometimes one will become abnormally active, leading the observer to a seeming contradic- tion in results.
Angelica hirsuta. — Last summer, while analyzing a plant of Angelica hirsuta for the benefit of a lover of " wild plants," I encoun- tered what I feared would prove an insur- mountable difficulty. The book I used — Gray's Manual, 6th ed. — described calyx teeth as obsolete; whereas, in the dozen or more plants at command, calyx teeth were plainly ininute, but unmistakably present. I then turned to Chapman's "Southern Mora," 3d ed., and the description was practically the same. It was hard work to undertake to dis- pute two such authorities, so in my despera- tion I turned to an old edition (1859) of Gray, and that bore me out ; and finally a still older edition of Wood (1845) described it also as calyx teeth minute. Now, had I not been for- tunate enough to have those older books at my
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command, I am very much in doubt about being able to convince my friend that the plant in question was really Angelica hirsuta.
Edward Reagan.
Morris Plains, March 4th, 1899.
This instructive note reminds the writer that when, some years ago, a work by Dr. Asa Gray appeared with a cut of Ampclopsis quinquefolia as a prominent illustration, he sent a note to this eminent botanist to say that this plant never had an axillary bud at the same node that furnished the tendril. The reply was a specimen just as illustrated, with the brief line, "never is an unsafe term for a botanist to use."
Injurious Funguses. — Of the many ad- vances that have been made in garden art dur- ing the past half of the centurj', few compare in practical value with the knowl- edge of the rela- tion which the fungus tribe holds to health and disease in plants. There are species that are indispensa- ble to health, while others are the enemies of plant-life, — many, indeed, absolutel}^ causing disease. Some of these are more vicious than others ; while some will attack the healthiest vegeta- tion. Just as the mistletoe will fasten itself to the most vigorous tree, there are others that commence life by fastening themselves on weak or dead portions, — but, when once started, make sad work on parts of the structure that are sound in every respect. Of this latter class is the one illustrated.
It may be noted here, that what is popularly known as a fungus, — for instance, a mush-
A VICIOUS FUNGUS.
room or toad-stool, — is but the flowering con- dition. The real plant is usually in the form of a cob-webby substance, known to gardeners as spawn.. . What good or evil is to be done is done by this spawn, before the mushroom or toad-stool appears. In the case illustrated, we have one that starts on decay, but spreads rapidly by its spawn on, and destroys the bark and j'oung wood cells, for a long distance around. Its work is done in such secrecy that the injury is not discovered until it reaches the condition seen in the picture. When it is
seen in this case, an examination will show a large space on and under the bark dead and decaj'ed.
The only rem- edy in this case is to cut out all the decayed por- tion to where the living wood and bark is found, and coat the exposed por- tion with some- thing that will keep out air and water, arresting decay until the sound bark and wood has had time to grow over.
The experi- enced gardener does not wait for the appearance ol the fungus to warn him of danger. If the trunk does not seem to increase in girth equally all round, he suspects some- thing wrong, and a tap with a knife handle tells him by the sound that he is right.
Cranberry in Pennsylvania. — In answer to the inquiry of Amelia F. Eby, in the August Meehans' Monthly, page 117, about cran- berries, I would repl}' that I have found wild cranberries, fruit and plants, in July, on the margin of Highland Lake, Lycoming Co. , Pa.
Philadelphia, Pa. DANIEL W. HOWARD, M.D.
GENERAL GARDENING.
AN AUTUMN DIRGE.
A spirit haunts the j^ear's last hours, Dwelling amid these yellowing bowers :
To himself he talks. For at eventide, listening earnestlj', At his work you may hear him sob and sigh.
In the walks.
Earthward he boweth the heavj- stalks Of the mouldering flowers ; Heavily hangs the broad sun-flower ; Over its grave in, the earth so chilly ;
Heavily hangs the hollj'hock,
Heavily hangs the tiger lilj'.
— Tennyson.
Permanent Tree Labels. — Mr. Chas. L. Druery, Acton, near London, England, sends specimens of tree labels made of cast iron with raised enamelled lettering. Others are black lettered on a white ground. Those who have collections of trees, shrubs or flowers that it is desirable to have permanentU' named, need onh- send on the lists desired, and the labels with the names are prepared for them.
A Long-keeping Chrysanthemum. — A good 5'ellow chrysanthemum. Major Bonnaffbn, is recommended bj- INIr. Robert Craig, an authorit}', as one of the best for lasting after being cut. It is one of the Japanese incur\'ed type.
Winter-flowering of Hardy Pl.\nts, — AsPHODELiNE LUTEA. — There are manj- hardy plants that are superior for winter-flowering, and were more attention paid to introducing such to greenhouse culture, the assortment of available stock would be materially improved. A hardy herbaceous plant was favorably brought to the writer's notice recenth', viz : — Asphodelme hitea. It has a bright, conspicu- ous flower, that can be brought in b\' Christ- mas.
American Forestry. — A correspondent some months since inquired where he could get a work that would teach him the art ot
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American Forestry, so that he could derive profits from his labors v.dth as much certainty as could be expected from other agricultural in- vestment. It could onh' be answered that American Forestry had not reached that stage. A correspondent of American Gardetiing be- lieves this reph'^ will do more harm than good, and refers to the successful forestry of Hol- land. Unfortunately for us, in the Old World, Forestrj', in the real sense of the word, is mostly the concern of the State ; but here we have to do with individual initiative. To our mind, the art in America must have a different basis to the art in the countries referred to.
The Pests of the Gardener. — The con- ductors receive continuallj' some fungus, in- sect, or weed, that has startled cultivators in some district. The senders want to know its name, its history-, and what is to be done about it. As a matter of botanical or entomological interest, it is profitable to know the name or history, — but as to what is to be done about it? the answer is verj' simple, and can be told without any of the more strictlj- scientific matters being called in.
As for the weed, no plant can live if not al- lowed to mature its early spring leaves. The garden-hoe or field-cultivator started early is a sure remed}' against even the most pestiferous. In the case of insects, all that chew can be killed b}' a careful use of Paris Green ; and all that suck, b}' having their breathing pores clogged by kerosene emulsion. As for parasi- tic fungi, which includes mildews, molds, rusts, and similar minute organisms, solutions of copper are effective against any or all.
Watchfulness to note the first appearance of trouble is an essential ingredient in these recipes. They are of little service after the damage has been done.
Suburban Home Grounds. — Questions in regard to laying out deep and narrow lots in the subvirban sections of large towns frequently come to the conductors' table. It is not easy
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to answer them, as local conditions require peculiar adaptations. Still one may learn a good deal from what another does. Annexed is a plan with description of the house and grounds of L. F. Loree, Esq., of Pittsburg, Pa. The design herewith presented shows an ar- rangement for a long, narrow piece of ground. The house is set about 65 feet from the front building line, and is surrounded by a " Cali- fornia ' ' or Japanese Privet hedge which forms a pleasing division between the adjoining properties and roadwaj-. The front approach is from the railroad station and is 5 feet wide to the porch, the rear walk being reduced to 3 feet. Stone steps are provided at the ter- race, the lawn being about 12 feet above the grade. The approach from the rear is by the carriage drive, which is so located to give room for planting on either side ; the planting ar- rangement being open and principally of specimen plants. To the left, the stable and small vegetable garden are located ; the latter is screened from view by a privet hedge. The centre walk through the garden leads direct to the stable, where an entrance is provided to the carriage room. The mass planting in the vicinity of the house is made up of Spircra, Vibiinmni, Cornels, Pyruses, Weigelas, etc., with a goodlj- proportion of hardy perennials, to give an abundance of bloom when the shrubs are out of flower during the summer months. The shade trees are so placed to partially shade the living apartments of the house and at the same time to give ample room for sunlight at certain hours of the day. At the rear, the tennis court is provided, shaded bj^ an old walnut tree which shows very indistinctly in the sketch.
Dormant Vegetation.— Mr. J. H. Fisher, Ruxton, Md., makes the following interesting observation :
Early last spring I planted an Agapanthus umbellahis. I planted it in a good sized pot and placed on the grass plot in a half shady position, in May, last year. I watched it, but no growth appeared, and when moving to the city, November ist, emptied out of the pot, supposing it to be dead, and was surprised to find it in just the condition in which it reached me, alive but having made no growth. I showed to Wm. Frazier, florist, who was un- able to advance a clear reason. He took it
PLAN or A LONG, NARROW PLOT.
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MEEHANS MONTHI^Y — GENERAL GARDENING.
[Oct.
over to his greenhouse, potted .in fresh soil, and has had all winter in the moist atmos- phere. I went for it this morning, expecting to see fresh, green growth, but was surprised to find it in the same condition as when re- ceived, and when delivered to him— live roots, but having made no groivth. Is not this a strange case, and how to be explained ? Had it been in my hands only, I would have been willing to attribute to my own ignorance.
May 6th, 1899.
There seems to have been no record of such behavior in the Blue African Lily, as the Agapanthus nmbeUatus is popularly termed ; but a similar dormancy has been noted in other plants, — especially in some of the fleshy-rooted species of British orchids, which have been known to remain in the earth several seasons without sprouting. This reason has been given for the great abundance of some species at times, with their comparative scarcity' in other seasons.
This irregularity has been noted in trees and seeds, — in seeds especially. Some will not sprout when the temperature is either above or below a certain point. If from not having absorbed enough moisture, or from other con- siderations not well understood, as seed sown in spring passes its own special temperature, it will not germinate under a higher one, but remains dormant until it has a chance the
m
next season.
We may carry this along as a probable rea- son for the behavior of the lily. It was not quite ready to grow when its special Require- ments came around, so it had to remain dor- mant for a more propitious occasion.
considerable resemblance^'tO" the. Maiden-hair Fern, which at once speaks favorably for it.
Spir^a Van Houttei. — Frequent praise is bestowed on various spiraeas, and, in fact, as a whole they are indispensable among shrubs. But it is seldom that \ 'an Houttei is mentioned. In the writer's estimation, — and many others would willingly concede its worth, — it is the best of the shrubby spiraeas. It is supposed to be a hybrid, but its parents are not positively known. But from the foliage and flowers, one would pick out Reevesiana {cantoniensis) as a possible parent. In grace and beauty, it far surpasses the one mentioned by its part-pendu- lous habit, forming a beautiful, S3-mmetrical specimen with a maximum height of six feet, and fully the same breadth. The leaves have
pLiviA NOBiLis. — Among the most satisfac- tory of all plants for conservatory decoration ax^'Clivia nobilis and its near relative Clivia miniata, the latter sometimes known as Iniatophyllinn miuiatiun. They are fleshy- rooted plants, but continue to increase in the number of offsets from year to year, with in- creasing showiness each 5^ear. One of the finest specimens we have heard of is being grown by Mrs. J. B. Park, of Greensboro, Georgia. It has seven flower stems, and when it is remembered that these stems bear umbels of from 15 to 30 flowers, the brilliant orange mass 'is gorgeous in the extreme. It is from South Africa, and of easy culture.
The Australian Pepper Tree. — The Aus- tralian pepper tree, — botanically known as Schinus Malic, — is one of the most popular shade trees of California. The leaves have been found desirable for decoration by Eastern florists, — and a good trade in them with Cali- fornia has sprung up.
Dead Patches in Tree Bark. — The bark of some maples as well as that of some dpple trees, which are all j^oung and thrifty, about 20 years' old, is decaying and falling off". ; Some trunks of maple trees are completely. denuded of bark and the wood appears to decay ; but the trees themselves are, to all appearance, thrifty and making a fine growth. What can be the cause of the trouble? There is evi- dently a fungus present, and I propose to cover all diseased spots and naked wood with a mixture of cow dung, clay and bordeaux mix- ture, covering the same with mosquito netting to keep it intact, thus keeping the air from the wood. Can you suggest a better remedy ?
Cloverley.
Dead patches, at times of considerable ex- tent, often exist in trees, and are unobserved when once the trunk is covered by rough bark. This is usually the work of a parasitic fungus, that spreads by its cob-webby spawn, and kills as it goes. Occasionally, it fructifies, and in this mushroomy condition may be seen on the siirface telling the sorry story of what may have been going on within. Its presence may, however, be known to close observers,
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by the paler leaves on the affected trees than on neighboring ones of the same species. A closer examination of the tree may then show that some portion of the trunk is not uniformly round. Then tapping the flattened portion with a knife handle, the sound indicates hol- lowness. This is the dead part.
All that can be done in these cases is what our correspondent is doing, cut away all the dead portion of bark until the living is reached, — then wash the exposed part with some fungicide, and finally painting or covering with some material, such as dissolved shellac, to keep out the weather and prevent decay in the old wood, until there has been time for the new wood and bark, from the border line, to cover the wound.
Clover for Manure. — In the report of Dr. Wm. Saunders, Director of the Dominion Ex- perimental Farms, he says : —
' ' The experiments which have been con- ducted in the growing of clover to plough under to enrich the soil and add humus to the land have shown that clover can be sown with wheat, barley and oats without lessening the grain crop for the current year. They have also shown that when ten pounds of red clover seed is used per acre, sown with the grain, and a fair catch is the result, the clover after the grain is cut makes a vigorous growth, serves the purpose of a catch crop diaring the sum- mer, gathers a large quantity of nitrogen from the air and stores this up in its leaves, stems and roots ; that the roots range far and deep to gather food, going deeper than most other plants can go, and converting considerable quantities of unavailable plant food into avail- able forms. The stores of nutritive material so gathered are, when the crop is ploughed under, of great advantage to the land and add materiall}^ to its fertility. The experience of another year has added fresh testimony along this line and confirmed these conclusions."
Raising New Varieties of Roses. — For those who desire to experiment with raising new varieties of roses, a variety, known as General Jacqueminot, is almost essential. The pollen has strong tendency, and the pistils are also healthy and vigorous to such an extent that it frequently bears abundant seed vessels of its own. It can therefor plaj^ an important
part either as'^male or female. pareiiC'.iii cross- ing for new varieties. There are some roses that it would be very desirable to improve ; but, on account of lack of vitality in some of the organs, it is impossible to improve. The common Crimson Boursault is one of this character. Any one who would take it in hand to improve, and really effected an improvement, would make his fortune. It is of the hardiest of our roses, and 5'et of a very remarkably vigorous character. When in bloom with its multitude of bright crimson flowers, it is a source of genuine pleasure to the lover of roses. But it cannot be improved because its stamens are always without perfect pollen. The anthers are there, but they do not pro- duce a single pollen grain. If, however, it was taken in hand by some enthusiastic rose grower, the pollen of some strong hardy variety used to fertilize the flowers, it might possibly be improved, — indeed, the probabili- ties are all in its favor. The raising of new roses, at any rate, is very interesting employ- ment, and the American gardener would find it to aid materially to his gardening pleasures.
Tea Culture. — Attention is again being given to the propriety of extending tea culture in America. The plants thrive as well along the lines of the Allegheny Mountains as they do in their native country. About this, there is no need for any further experiments by the Government Stations. What is needed, how- ever, is to find out how to gather the leaves and prepare them as cheaply as they do in China. It is said we can have Chinamen here to do the same work for us that they do in their own native land, but it is found that when a Chinaman emigrates to this country, he soon finds out that his labor is " alle samme Melican man."
Sociable Horticulture. — The social feat- ures inaugurated by the Alton (Ills.) Horti- cultural Society, nearly half a century ago, has been one of the causes of its vigorous longev- ity. The monthly meetings are held at the home of some one member, where the teach- ings of the society are practically illustrated. To this society may be attributed the honor of making plum culture a marked success, by simply shaking the trees and capturing the curculio.
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E fL^MTS,
RuDBECKiA Golden Glow. — The history of that beautiful herbaceous plant, Rudbeckia Golden Glow, is thus given by the Rev. C. Wolley Dod, in the London Journal of Horti- culture :
" With your remarks on page 363 concern- ing the merits of this as an ornamental plant, I quite agree, but it is not a very new plant to English gardens. It was introduced from North America nearly twentj* years ago by Messrs. Smith of St. John's Nurseries, Wor- cester, and offered in their catalogue by the name of Rudbeckia IcBvigata ; thence it came into my garden, and though it does not in- crease fast, it has had time to find its way into most of the cottage gardens in the parish.
I sent the plant some years ago to Kew for identification, and it was there considered to be a variet}'^ of R. laciniata, though it differs in many respects from the tj'pe of that species. Asa Gray, in his "Flora of North America," considers R. IcEvigata of Pursh to be a dwarf form (a foot or two high) of R. laciniata, though he does not seem to know the variety. Our plant does not fit any Ritdbcckia described b}- Asa Gray. Perhaps it may be a hybrid, sa\- between R. laciniata and R. pintiata, or R. maxima. This seems more likely, as I have never been able to find or hear of a fertile seed on the plant, whilst R. laciniata ripens seeds freelj' in English gardens. It was figured in The Garden as R. nitida, a species the charac- ters of which it will not fit, though that, too, has a var. Icevigata (Nuttal), said to be distinct from the R. Icevigata of Pursh.
The provisional name, Rudbeckia Golden Glow, is safer than a conjectural specific name ; but I think I have seen it in Barr's catalogue called Autumn Glor}^ and it would be well to obtain consistency in these fancy names. The flowers last remarkably long, often well into November, and few plants make so large a show from so small a base ; it has also the merit of flourishing for many j^ears in the same spot without interference."
Aside from the interesting sketch of its origin, it will be noted that the genial old gentleman still carries along the fiction of the last generation, that hybrids are necessarily sterile. In the light of what his own countrj-- men are doing in orchids, and manv other
things, it is surprising how the old notion sticks. Compositse, with tubular disk flowers, do not seed when they become strap-shaped or, as we say in gardening, double — and this is because the sexual organs become purelj^ pistillate, instead of hermaphrodite, as when in the normal condition. Instead of being im- potent, they seed freely when pollen is per- mitted them.
It is surprising, also, to read the statement "It does not increase fast." In America, a small ofF-shoot set out one year will be an im- mense stool the next.
THE IHI^I^ID)! f L©WIEI1 ^^I^^EINl.
Transplanting Roses. — The natural season for transplanting roses is the spring, though with due precaution, the}' may be safely handled in the early fall. Some are more sus- ceptible to cold than others ; and all object seriousl}' to careless treatment.
Most 3'oung roses are scantily rooted, which necessitates a severe pruning of the tops in transplanting. Three or four inches of healthy 3'oung growth is all-sufiicient to leave. The wood shrivels and weakens if the roots be ex- posed verj- long, hence when received from the nursery' thej' should be at once planted out or heeled in.
Some roses are budded or grafted on a strong- growing stock ; while others are on own roots. The former require watching to prevent sucker- ing from the stock, which soon robs the plant of its vitality. To lessen the effect of such a contingency, it is wise to set the plant deep enough that the junction of the graft or budded portion ma}' be covered, that it may be allowed to throw out roots for its own support. IManetti, Dog, and Multiflora roses are the most common stocks, and may be usually readily distinguished from the cion. At times, buds will be present on the stock. If they be rubbed off before the plant is set, immediate sprouting will be prevented.
With most roses, particularly the hybrid re- montant varieties, a deep, rich soil is requisite for good results. Roses planted in sod will prove failures. Make a bed for them, dug two or three feet in depth and made rich with manure — cow manure is excellent. Do all that is possible to encourage a strong heavy growth.
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and to this end let the bed be located in the full sunlight, away from large trees.
The hardy, common roses are perhaps less particular, though they show appreciation for care. The beautiful trailing rose, Wichuraiana, is adapted for almost any situation, on margin of beds, on banks and rockeries, or can be trained to a trellis or stake. The abundance of pretty flowers which it presents calls forth the following remark from an ardent lover of gardening : "I welcome the hybrids of Wich- uraiana. I have a bed, 12 feet in diameter, of the t3'pe, that takes ten years off the age of any man each time he looks at it. ' '
Chestnuts for Winter Use. — A good plan for storing chestnuts for winter use is to place a small quantity- of salt in the bags with the nuts. They will then become soft and sweet, and any worms which may happen to be among them will be driven out. The bags will be- come covered with sweat, caused by the salt, but this will not impair the quality of the nuts in the slightest degree. This plan is followed by many persons and is considered one of the best. — P7<blic Spirit, Hatboro.
ri^^lTS m, ¥E<^ET/^PLES.
The Anjou Pear. — The tendency of the modern English-speaking peoples is to shorten words and titles. Hence it has come about that the famous old French pear, Beurre d' Anjou, in practice has been deprived of the fore- part of its original name. It was originall}', and yet stands, at the head of the list of pears, as a first- class, all-round variet}', though it has so long been known that its early histor}- is lost.
The fifth annual report of the Fruit Experiment Station of Ontario, from which we secured our pic- ture, regards it as rather of Belgian than French origin, and gives the date of its discovery as about 1823. In our own country it seldom reaches the size given in our picture, though Ell w anger & Barry, ofRochester,N.Y., usually surprise their friends with samples quite as good when the Novembers come around. Though many varieties seem to have local pref- erences, the Anjou is re- ported as doing well wherever pear-growing is a success.
Preparation of Persimmons in Japan. — We give the following information from an in- teresting report of the Agricultural Mission in the extreme Orient, by M. Rouget, vice-presi- dent of the Horticultural Society in Hyeres :
''Diospyros Kaki, of which there is a consid- erable number of varieties, may be divided into two great sections. The first comprises fruits of a pronounced astringencj' ; the second is sweet fruits. Fruits of the first section are
ANJOU PEAR.
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[Oct.
scarcely edible fresh, and are submitted to the following special preparation : Heap them in a cask containing good brandied rice ; press as closely as possible, at once turning up the other end of the cask, which must be pierced with holes above a litre (1.760 pints) of bran- died rice, repeatedly each day for three weeks. The alcohol is not lost ; it is received from a bung-hole in the lower part, but is unfit for use, because of the acrid property of the fruit. Finally, the persimmons are taken out, dried in the sun, and put in boxes the same manner as figs.
Sweet persimmons may be immediately dried in the sun, therefore they are gathered with care a short time before they are ripe, when the flesh will feel soft to the finger ; they are hung in pairs, by passing a pin through the stem, and fastening to a very flexible reed and laid on bamboo stalks. It is not necessary that thej' be exposed directly to the sun ; they ma^' be put in a warm place, near a wall, shielded from the sun's rays by a straw mat of reversible mesh.
At the end of twenty days, the fruit, al- though hard at first, has become soft and sweet, and diminished one-half its size. The time for boxing it is when no hardness re- mains, and the pit may be easilj' pressed out by the fingers ; it is then flattened and boxed. A slight fermentation is produced, causing the sugar to ooze from the fruit. Persimmons thus prepared will keep for a year. ' '
Translated by Sarah D. Lanning from Lyon Horticole.
Planting Trees too Deep.— I had occasion to dig up three small peach trees, as they were in the way of the plow. To all appearances, they had been planted two years. The tops had been broken down by stock, and they had one summer's growth on them, — a bushy growth, made last year. Most of this growth was allowed to remain, cutting out the leading, inside shoots. In removing them, I found that they had been planted one foot too deep in the ground, and that they had thrown out sur- face roots near the top of the ground. As the surface roots were good ones on two of the trees, I planted them at the same depth that they had occupied. The third one I planted, after cutting away the small surface roots, at the depth it should have been planted two
3'ears before. As I was planting these trees, it occurred to me that possibly you may in- struct myself and others on a point or two. These points are as follows :
As I understand it, the sub-soil roots or tap roots are those which occupy the sub-soil and draw their nourishment from the sub-soil. They also serve as anchors to the tree. The surface roots draw their nourishment from the surface soil and also serve as braces to hold the tree to a vertical position against the winds. Now here are two classes of roots to every tree. They each have certain functions to fill. To digress a little, all horticulturists and books say: "When filling in the earth around the tree roots, place the surface soil at the bottom of the hole and the sub-soil around the surface roots at the top of the hole." Does this look to 3'ou all right ? This is the point which I wish you to consider. It does not look right to me, for the sub-soil roots are used to the sub-soil, and for which they were created to occupy, and the surface roots for the surface soil. The two soils are dissimilar in every way.
I send 3'Ou a newspaper clipping. I find that the peach limbs are brown inside; that "I hallowed before I got out of the woods." I was "too previous." The tops of all the hardy rose-bushes are killed and black to the snow-line. Twenty-two degrees below zero is the coldest weather that I have ever partaken of knowingly. F. K. Steele.
The points suggested by our correspondent are in the main correct. Plants are enabled ta make use of manure and fertilizers only by the aid of the ox3gen of the atmosphere. Food placed near the surface of the ground is, there- fore, better oxidized than when placed where the atmosphere cannot reach it. The object of plowing or loosening the soil is to aerate it, or, we may say, to supplj^ it with oxygen to ope- rate on the food.
Another interesting point in the history ot plant-life is, that root fibres multiply in pro- portion to the supply of food at command. Fibres are not produced where there is no work for them to do. Fibres are not produced from the main roots deep in the ground, be- cause there is no food for them to work on. Fibres are formed abundantly' near the surface, because there is where the feeding is mainly done.
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The deeper roots send out the annual work- ing fibres where there is food. Putting the surface soil at the bottom of the hole incites the fibrous growth as long as the earth con- tinues aerated, and, what is of still more con- sequence, the surface soil remains aerated longer than compact earth would do, and by capillary attraction draws moisture from the more compact material. It is in a sense a reservoir of moisture during a dr}- spell of weather.
In planting, holes should be made deep, and filled with porous material to form reservoirs of air and moisture ; but the trees should be planted with the feeding roots as near the surface as compatible, with a firm pres- sure of the soil about them.
roots answer as well ?" There are a few varie- ties that are not perfectl}' hard^^, and should be put down in the Northern States ; but these (mostl}- European) are so seldom cultivated in our gardens, that it is safe to saj-, generally, that covering is not necessar3^ There are some varieties called hardy that may receive partial injur}-, 3-et not affect the crop as a whole. Experience with some covered and some not would demonstrate this. Bunching up the canes is a slight protection.
Manna of Scripture. — The manna re- ferred to in the history- of the wandering of the Jews towards Canaan, is be- lieved to be a species of small puff"-ball, which is still found on the Arabian des- erts, and behaves precisel}' as de- tailed in the Jew- ish history. Its botanical name is Canotia es- culenta. It is about the size of a pea, but comes out in such numbers as to be often in small heaps. It must be collected in earlj^ morning, as it dries up and disappears before night. It can, however, be kept for some time if preser\^ed from evaporation. It appears after heavy dews, or the rains that fall occasionally in the deserts. Nearly half its weight consists of nutritious matters, fit for human food.
NAPOLEON BIGARREAU.
Cherry — Napoleon Bigarreau. — There are many excellent varieties of fruit that do
remarkablj' well in limited areas, and it becomes the province of our Pomological Society' to note the special local- ities where the several varieties thrive. But there are kinds that do well ever5'where, and which it is al- ways s a f e f o r the unskilled to plant. Among cherries, the Na- poleon is one of this class. Its origin is un- known. Though with a French name, there is room for believing it is a German production. In California it is known as the Royal Ann, and is the leading Californian cherrj^ as seen in our Eastern market. It thrives in the Atlantic region as well as on the Pacific. In Canada it ranks as one of the best, — indeed, we have been tempted to this notice b}' an illustration in the report of the Ontario Experiment Sta- tion, wherein it receives high praise.
Covering Raspberries. — F. S. writes : "In reference to raspberry canes, do you think it better to turn them down (cover with soil) ; or would tying them together and mulching the
Introducer of Elberta Peach. — Atten- tion is called to an error in the August issue where Mr. Hale is named as the introducer of the Elberta peach. Mr. Samuel Rumph, Mar- shallville, Ga. , raised and introduced it.
BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
OCTOBER. •
Ay, thou art welcome, heaven's delicious breath. When woods begin to wear the crimson leaf, And suns grow meek, and the meek suns grow
brief, And the year smiles as it draws near its death.
Wind of the sunny South ! O, still delay In the gay woods and in the golden air ; Like to a good old age released from care. Journeying in long serenity away.
In such a bright, late quiet, would that I Might wear out life, like thee, 'mid bowers and
brooks ; And, dearer yet, the sunshine of kind looks. And music of kind voices ever nigh ; And when my last sand twinkled in the glass. Pass silently from- men, as thou dost pass.
— Brvant.
Benjamin G. Smith. — Some days after our August number appeared, a cordial letter was received from ^Ir. Benjamin G. Smith, of Cam- bridge, Mass., endorsing a statement made in Meehans' Monthly, that to cultivate a love of gardening through life was one of the best provisions for happy old age.
He referred to his being in his 84th year, and that the greatest pleasure of his life was in his garden. He felt that his fulness of years, and strong health was in a measure due to his love of gardening. It is a sad commentary on the uncertainty of human life, that for all this happy disposition his heart suddenly gave out on August 22nd, and ceased to beat on the 24th.
The Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the American Pomological Society, and many similar associations, will mourn his loss as one of the brightest examples in amateur garden- ing.
Henry L. de Vilmorin. — The head of the famous firm of Vilmorin-Andrieux & Co. , of Paris, H. L. de Vilmorin, died suddenly on August 22nd, in his 56th year. He was the great grandson of the founder of the firm which had its rise over 150 years ago. The
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whole series has been remarkable men, not the least, by any means, being the one horti- culture has now lost. He was one of the foreign commissioners to our Columbian Ex- position, and won the esteem and admiration of all who came into contact with him, by reason of his affability, broad intelligence, and unselfish devotion to the cause.
Landscape Gardening, — by F. A. Waugh, published by Orange Judd Co., New York. It costs no more to have one's home beautiful, than to have it neglected. It often costs less. The number of treatises, helping the good work of beautif^-ing one's home, follow each other so frequently, as to show a growing de- velopment of the lovely art. This little work is one of the best. It is a good story, briefly told, and will be of value to all, no matter how limited their aspirations for the beautiful may be.
Ginseng, — by Maurice G. Kains. Published by the Orange Judd Co., New York. The heavy demand, by China, for American ginseng roots, will probably last for many years to come. The wild plant is getting scarce. It should be a profitable article for farm culture. This cheap and yet beautifully illustrated booklet covers the whole ground of culture.
The Willow Oak.— Mr. W. R. Smith says of Quercus Phellos :
" President Jefferson's favorite tree was the Willow Oak, his enthusiasm for which is graphically narrated by his biographer, R. S. Raynor. Unless well supplied with food it grows slowly. A few are planted on the street in front of the Treasury Building, Washington, D. C. We would recommend groves of it be planted in the various parks or public places throughout the country- by its admirers, each individual planting a tree ; none to be allowed to plant one who has not reached his high in-
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tellectual plane of love for trees. A magnifi- cent specimen stands as a sentinel near the monument of that intellectual aristocrat and truly great and good man, Professor Henry. It is seventy feet high and eleven feet in cir- cumference six inches from the ground. ' '
Journal of the Columbus (O.) Horticul- tural Society. — Formerly, members of Hor- ticultural Societies depended wholly on the exhibitions for instruction, — some of the lead- ing modern institutions give, in addition, ' ' Proceedings ' ' with matter of great value to the members. The Columbus (O.) Society's Journal is always instructive. The present issue has an able paper on the commercial value of forced rhubarb, and the flower lover is treated to a chapter on the distribution of plants over the surface of the earth.
Progress of Horticulture. — The num- ber of bulletins, pamphlets, reports, and papers on horticulture, botany and the kindred sciences that are being issued in these daj's is astounding. National, State and even city governments, and societies innumerable have their issues mostly filled with valuable facts. But they are too numerous to mention, and most of the editions pass away unread for sheer want of time. Many of these go over and over again what has been already recorded. It is to be regretted that there is not some society with the necessary means at command to annually index the subjects treated.
The Colors of Flowers. — That all flowers were originally green, may be accepted as an abstract proposition. Considering that, mor- phologically, the floral parts are but modified leaf-blade, is a proposition that may be accept- ed,— but that the change to brilliant colors was brought about by insect agency, may well be questioned. The hypothesis of Grant Allen and similar reasoners, that there never would have been colored flowers, had not the visits of insects been of benefit for cross-fertilization, stands on the slenderest foundation.
As against this view, Mr. E. Williams Her- vey has brought together a large number of facts, and detailed them in a hundred-page work. The interest in the relation between in- sects and flowers is wide-spread, and Mr. Her-
vey's work should be read by all who desire to get a clear understanding of this topic. He has arranged with H. S. Hutchinson & Co., New Bedford, Mass., to supply copies at 75 cents each.
Florida. — As to why Ponce de Leon gave the name Florida to the territory now known by that name, the Florida Farmer and Fruit Grower quotes from an old book published in 1763 : "Gave it the name of Florida because it was first seen in Easter, called Pasqua de /lores in the language of his country, or as Herrera alleges, because it was covered with flowers and the most beautiful blossoms." And the Farmer adds : ' ' Those who have seen the Easter season in Florida and the wealth of flowers which still commemorate and adorn its return, can well believe that both these reasons influenced the giving of its name."
Elevating Influence of Gardening. — In an address before the Peoria (Ills.) Scien- tific Association, Dr. J. T. Stewart gives the following beautiful sentiments : —
' ' The cultivation of ornamental plants is one of the distinguishing marks of civilization. Search the world over and you will not find among the lower order of people a single flower, tree, or shrub cultivated for ornament or even for shade.
Nature is the great teacher— the elevator of man ; but man must rise to a certain degree before he will hear her voice. Then her influ- ence is all pervading. Then her power for elevating and refining is unbounded. Then the myriads of opening buds, the unfolding leaves, the bursting flowers, the green fields, lift the soul from earth to heaven.
It is scientifically true that when we have advanced far enough to see and appreciate nature, she will then permeate us, lift us up, refine and elevate us in the scale of being. What better can we do ? What better can the Scientific Association do, than to learn our- selves, and teach others the beneficent influ- ence nature has over us, if we will but put ourselves in unison with, and learn of her. No man is so poor he cannot do this. No man is so rich he can afford not to do it. Every house should have some of nature's favorites growing in and around it."
GENERAL NOTES.
Flies. — The head-lines of the great daih^ newspapers are marvels in their way. One from Chicago in magnificent tj'pe tells us "Electricity- may banish flies. Automobiles maj' give relief" It goes on to sa}' that when the automobiles — ' ' Tommies ' ' the street Arabs of Philadelphia call them — have banished all the horses, there will be no horse manure in which they can lay their eggs, — and when the Tiouse-fly lays no more eggs the race will die out.
Naturalists look to the suppl}' of food as governing the abundance of life. Creatures will find the nesting places. They readily suit themselves to conditions if the^- can get enough to eat. It is to be believed that faith in the "Tommies" will be in vain, and that the price of flj'-paper will not fall for a long time yet.
Fruit and Medicine. — "Fnnt," says Mod- ern Medicine, ' ' is chiefl}- water, the amount of nutrient material it contains varj'ing from five to eight or ten per cent, in most fruits, rising to a higher figure only in dried fruits, such as dried grapes, prunes, dates, etc. The writer has succeeded in reducing excessive weight in the most satisfactory'- manner by prescribing a diet consisting almost exclusively of grapes or apples, allowing only a small bit of thoroughly- dried bread or zweiback in connection with the fruit. In some cases the fruit may be allowed as often as three or four times a da}-, to relieve a sensation of emptiness.
Remembering the interesting fact pointed out by Bouchard, that rheumatism is really a toxemia, resulting from the decomposition of food stuffs in a dilated or prolapsed stomach, we ma}' also attribute the beneficial effects of a fruit diet in rheumatism and allied conditions to its value in suppressing the formation of poisonous substances in the alimentary canal. "
We must remember that an article in a maga- zine is but the opinion of one person, — and that in medical magazines, esp,eciall}% we find the truth of the saying that ' ' doctors differ. ' '
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In practice, the last thing taken is too often regarded as the cure. A large series of obser- vations is necessary before a fair deduction can be made. In relation to the use of natural fruits in rheumatism, it maj- be said, however, that there is good reason for the belief that they are very useful.
Indi.vn Cultivators of the Soil. — Those, who contend that the Indian is incapable of becoming a good agriculturist, take their cue from a few isolated cases. In most cases where failure has been recorded, the failure comes more from the inabilit}' or incapacity of those who are appointed b}' the Government to lead them. Whoever has had the opportunity of travelling through the country settled by the Cherokees and Choctaws, must have seen quite as frequent evidence of agricultural success among those people as could be seen among white people anywhere. It is, however, to be suggested that this is chiefly on account of the countr}' being more favorable to agriculture than localities further north. But we learn, from the Helena Independent , that the Crow Indians are rapidl}' advancing in industrial agriculture. Crops have been raised, in the Crow region, chiefly by irrigation. In less than ten 3'ears, these Indians have constructed eight large irrigating canals, sufficient to irri- gate from two thousand to ten thousand acres each, and are now working on another that is even larger. It is to extend for probably fifty miles. A few white men are employed as skilled artisans by the Indians ; but the work itself is done bj- them. It is said that they are remarkably thrifty, not spending all their mone}^ but saving some which is invested in truly sensible and business ways.
American Nursery Interests. — Over 1000 nursery and seedsmen and fruit growers in Ger- man)' have petitioned the Government for a protective tariff against American horticultural productions.
u
..l\
Plate
HIBISCUS MILITARIS.
THE SOLDIERLY HIBISCUS.
NATURAL ORDER, MALVACE^
Hibiscus militaris, Cavanilles. — Smooth ; leaves thin, on long and slender petioles, serrate, slightly cordate, the lower ones roundish, three to five-lobed, the upper ovate-lanceolate, entire or somewhat hastate, with rounded lobes ; pedun- cles shorter than the petioles ; calyx inflated ; corolla tubular-campanulate, pale rose color with a red centre ; seeds silky. Stems three to four feet high. Leaves three to five inches long. Corolla two and a half inches long. Chap- man's Flora of the Southern United States. See also Gray's Manual of the Botany of the Northern United Stales Wood's Class-Book of Botany, and Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora.
The plants of the great mallow famil5^ to ■which Hibiscus belongs, have attracted the attention of polite writers by the ephemeral character of the flowers. Thej'^ mostly last but a day, and some species open in the morn- ing and begin to wither before night-fall. But thej^ are mostly beautiful ; and, for all the fleeting nature of their charms, are generally admired. They have come to be emblematical of transient beauty as often met with in our daily lives. Mrs. William Wirt suggests that Shakespeare must have had some kind of mal- low in mind when he penned these lines : —
" Beauty is but a vain, a fleeting good,
A shining glass that fadeth suddenly ; A flow'rthat dies when almost in the bud, A brittle glass that breaketh presently. A fleeting good, a gloss, a glass, a flow'r Lost, faded, broken, dead, within an hour."
But generally the flowers are produced in such rapid succession, .that the transient character of each is scarcely noticed. The species here illustrated, for instance, usually throws up a number of flower-stalks from a single root- stock, and maintains a brilliant show of blos- soms from the end of summer till the end of autumn. It is, indeed, one of the gaj^est of our wild flowers. It was probably from this showy appearance that the Spanish botanist, Cavan- illes, gave it the specific name of militaris, as indicating a gay, soldierly bearing.
The flowers of Hibiscus 7nilitaris commence to unfold their petals about two hours after sunrise, and face the southeast while doing so. This has been found to be the case with manj^ of our wild flowers whose time of active growth is at that hour of the day. The reason for this is probably to be found in the action of the sun's
rays. The side of the flower receiving the warm rays may be encouraged to a more rapid development than the shadier side, and the bend would be in that direction, consequently. No actual experiment has, however, been re- corded, though shading some of the opening flowers could easily be effected. The only absolute fact is that the opening flowers face the point indicated. Another interesting fact, in connection with the life-history of our plant, is the change in the direction of the spiral twist when the petals begin to fade. This has long been noticed in connection with the leaves of plants, and is then technically known as antidromy. One might suppose that a flower, represented as the one in the plate appears, with one petal convolutely over-lapping another while expanding, would only have to draw in on the same lines when closing for the wither- ing stage. But, in this flower, it does not. The petal seen in the upper part of the picture as being in front of the other, gets behind when read}' to wither, and the coiling then follows that direction. There is much more to be learned about the behavior of this plant, and it is a department of botany fraught with the highest interest.
In gardens, where Hibiscus militaris is grown in the vicinity of other species, such, for in- stance, as Hibiscus Moscheutos, H. grandiflorus, and H. incanus, seedling plants often show evidences of hybridization in their variations. The species varies considerably in its native localities, but under all its variations one can readily see that the main specific characters are present to enable one to identify the species ; but in these garden cases, variations are found that indicate a relationship to its neighbors.
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY — HIBISCUS MILITARIS.
[Nov.
The natural variations are, however, very striking, and have led inexperienced botanists to name some of them as distinct species. Thus we find, in the botanies written during the earlier part of the century. Hibiscus Icevis, H. hastatus, and H. riparitis, all of which are now regarded as forms of one species. Walter, the southern botanist, writing in 1788, re- garded it as H. Virginicus, which Linnaeus had already described ; but, that being an error, the name of Cavanilles, given in 1791, has been adopted. Sometimes, the seed-vessels are somewhat downy, and, at other times, smooth. The leaves, trilobed as seen in our picture, are often so divided the lobes are nearly equal, instead of being halberd- shaped, — that is, with the middle lobe much the longest, and the lateral lobes spreading. Some forms, which the author has seen, had the lateral lobes wholly absent, and all the leaves were simply narrowly lanceolate ; while again, there are forms without lateral lobes, and the whole outline roundish-ovate. IMuch more is now allowed for variation hy modern botanists than by the earlier ones ; though, even to this day, striking variations are often regarded as involving hj^bridism. What is or is not a species, is simply the opinion of an expert ; and one can scarcel}^ be regarded as an expert, until experience has been had with the plant under many conditions. It is chiefly the lack of this experience that has loaded down botanical nomenclature with such a host of synonyms.
INIost of the related species of Hibiscus, though attractive, when in full bloom, by their large and showy flowers, have a coarse vegeta- tion which, at other seasons, detract from their beauty. But the subject of the present illus- tration has considerable gracefulness in com- parison with the others. The stems, besides being more slender in growth, have a glau- cous tint resembling that of its near relative. Hibiscus incanus. Like other members of the family, the bark is exceedingly tough in its fibre-like texture, and, on the ground of the author, is a favorite with the oriole for material wherewith to weave its beautiful nests.
In common with other malvaceous plants. Hibiscus viilitaris has points of special inter- est to the student of structural botan3^ Start- ing with the conception that all the parts of a plant are but leaf-blade modified ; and that it is
by the union, separation, rapid increase, or slow development that we have innumerable forms in plants, we see in Hibiscus that rapid increase and cohesion have had the chief part to perform in giving its character. The species, for the most part, have a circle of foliaceous organs beneath the calyx, which is known as the involucre (Fig. 2). These might have been leaves only for the sudden arrest of longitu- dinal growth. In the usual condition of arrest- ed growth, five of these leaflets would have been formed ; but the arrestation, in this case, must have been more than usually sudden, so that the whole coil took a lateral develop- ment as leaflets. The resumption of active growth, less intense at the start, gives us the five-lobed calyx (Fig. 3.) But here we see the cohesive force coming into activit}', by the union of the leaf-parts to form this five-lobed character. A similar moderate move gives us the cycle of five petals. The next rhythm of growth is one of intense activity ; greater even than the one which resulted in the pro- duction of the involucre, and the immense number of stamens, each one of whidh repre- sents a modified leaf-blade, is the result. (Fig. 5.) Here, again, we see cohesion taking a prominent part in the formation of character, for the filaments have united to form a column, leaving onl}^ the anthers free. This great rhythm is followed by a comparative rest, which results in giving us a five-lobed capsule. The tendency to cohesion is not, however, con- fined to the primary floral leaves. It is not unusual to find the petioles and peduncles united for a considerable distance. The Fig. 4 in the plate shows this tendency in a small degree. In some cases there will be an inch or more of this peculiar union.
The studies here indicated, go far to add to the pleasures of the lover of our native flowers. In the present case, the lesson teaches us how, by mere variation in the degree of rhythmic force, genera and even natural orders are con- structed by nature in the most simple way. A less vigorous rhythmic activity and a slighter cohesive character seems to have been her only method of establishing Geraniacece as a distinct order from Malvacece.
Explanation of the Plate — i Flowering shoots from a garden specimen, origin unknown. 2. The involucre. 3. The calyx. 4. Flower bud showing union of peduncle with petiole. 5. Opening flower showing the united column of stamens with the five-lobed stigma projecting from the apex.
WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
FOREST SONG.
A song for the beautiful trees, A song for the forest grand, The garden of God's own hand,
The pride of His centuries.
Hurrah ! for the kingly oak,
For the maple, the forest queen,
For the lords of the emerald cloak, For the ladies in living green.
For the beautiful trees a song The peers of a glorious realm, The linden, the ash, and the elm.
So brave and majestic and strong.
Hurrah ! for the beech tree trim. For the hickory staunch at core.
For the locust, thorny and grim, For the silvery sycamore.
A song for the palm, the pine, And for every tree that grows, From the desolate zone of snows
To the zone of the burning line. Hurrah ! for the warders proud Of the mountain-side and vale.
That challenge the lightning cloud. And buffet the stormy gale.
A song for the forest aisled.
With its Gothic roof sublime.
The solemn temple of Time, Where man becometh a child. As he lists to the anthem-roll
Of the wind in the solitude, The hymn that telleth his soul
That God is the Lord of the wood.
So long as the rivers flow.
So long as the mountains rise. May the forests sing to the skies.
And shelter the earth below.
Hurrah ! for the beautiful trees ! Hurrah ! for the forest grand.
The pride of His centuries,
The garden of God's own hand.
Prof. W. H. Venable.
This song was written expressly for Cincinnati "Arbor Day," 1882.
Hibiscus militaris. — In addition to the points detailed in the main chapter, the fol- lowing may be added : —
Hibisais militaris does not seem to have been well known to botanists until comparatively modern times, though a figure of a small
branch appears in the Phytographia of Leonard Plukenet, which was published in London, in 1691. This, he says, he had " from the collec- tion of Boisianus." Scopoli, a Swiss natur- alist, figured the variety IcBvis, which was then supposed to be another species, in 1778. In 1 79 1, Cavanilles described and figured the main form, known as Hibiscus militaris, with which the minor varieties have been subse- quently united ; but it was not till the early part of the century, when Michaux, Pursh, and others made a thorough exploration of the eastern part of our continent, that it became well known. In 1823, it was figured by Sims, in the " Botanical Magazine," who gives the following account of it : ' 'Hibiscus militaris is a native of the banks of rivers in Louisiana (then most of our western territory) and the western part of Pennsylvania and Carolina, where it flowers in August and September. It is said, by Pursh, to have purple flowers ; but all the species in the collection of Spoffbrth, from whom our specimen was taken, are in- variably white with a red centre." So far as the purple flowers are concerned, it may be noted that towards evening, when fading, the purplish tint is prominent.
The change in color, when fading, is charac- teristic of many of the species of Hibiscus, and to such an extent, in some instances, as to at- tract the attention of polite writers. It is often referred to as among the peculiar characteristics of vegetable nature.
Trees of the Pacific Coast.— Next to the ' ' sounding sea, ' ' are the ' ' dim aisles of the forest," for filling the whole being with new life. The salt sea breeze, the undulating waves of the ocean and the pine clad forest both bring us into a sanctuary, where we listen and almost hold our breath lest we mar the more than mortal speech of the whispering waves or the sighing leaves. 'Tis grand to be for a time on the briny deep and quaff" the pure air, or to be on mountain tops and inhale the very breath of the growing trees and fill the whole being
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[Nov.
with newness of life. Let us be grateful for the breeze of ocean and for the breath of the mountain pine.
After coming to California, we had seen no running water or fir trees until we took a camping trip to the mountains.
' ' A glowing scene of leaves and water and light, ' ' one might well exclaim upon Cayamaca Mountains, where running water made music, and various kinds of mistletoe with their pearl- like fruit adorned the oaks, cedars and pines.
In the tenth United States census report, there are given thirteen species of pines as growing East of the Mississippi River ; twen- ty-three oaks, six maples, four elms, seven magnolias, eight hickories, and six species of ash. Mrs. E. E. Orcutt.
San Diego, California.
desirable for the purpose. It is ver}^ common in New Jersey woods, and is readily detected by the odor of crushed leaves.
A few years ago, the dried leaves, used as tea, were quite an article of commerce.
SOLIDAGO ODORA, AITON. — Sweet Golden- Rod, Blue Mountain Tea. Stem slender, from two to three feet high, nearl}' smooth, often reclining, leaves linear-lanceolate, pellucid, dotted, emitting a pleasant odor when bruised. Racemes in small, one-sided panicle.
This plant was first brought to my notice in 1857, bj' a gentleman residing in Conestoga Valle5^ who collected it for medical purposes, in one of Clark's meadows, situated near Jones' Iron Mine, in Berks County, Pennsyl- vania. The place is now known as Kenney's Station, on the Wilmington and Reading Railroad. In 1869, it was reported growing below Peach Bottom, where it was again col- lected in different years from 1880 to 1890. In 1884, it was found growing on a spur of Chest- nut Hill, and in 1892, on an island in the Susquehanna River, near Fite's Edde}-, Lan- caster County, Pennsylvania. In 189 1, it was again collected on an elevated part of the mountain near Mt. Hope Furnace. The people living in the neighborhood used it for medicinal purposes. One gentleman informed me that he owed his recovery to health after a severe sickness, to drinking tea made of the stem and leaves of it.
I have several circles of it growing in our yard in Lancaster, brought from the different localities in which I found it in its wild state.
Lancaster, Pa AMELIA F. EbY.
Golden-Rods are now becoming favorites for garden culture, — and the Sweet Golden-Rod is, as our correspondent notes, one of the most
In Winter's Wild Garden. — IMost of the petals are shut, for this is not the season of ' ' the soft west wind wandering at its ease. ' ' We are en route to the months of frost and snow. Let us fill up the acorn cups and drink to the health of the winter. If we use our eyes well we can still find some green leaves and red berries to brighten the coldest day. Once, Richard Jeffries gathered twenty-six flowers on October 19th, in a hilly English country ; but how small our visiting list is ; how few flowers we know ; how seldom we go to their homes ; and it is our loss. Little aris- tocrats of the fields, they care not, — besides, the}' hate our picking, stealing ways, and fear us as vegetarians, for not a few old folks have gathered Wood Betony for herb tea ; and have eaten dandelion leaves between slices of dr>' toast. And, like the Spanish Fleet, the Witch Hazel finds itself bottled up awaiting orders from the American people. Could anything be more unpleasant ? How many of us know that the dandelion changes its color in the autumn, and is pale .-• But surely all know that it can be seen almost anj' time during the year, with its brave little head full of sunshine.
Clematis or Traveller's Joy turns into Old Man's Beard and ' 'still journeys on the hedge. ' ' Partridge-berries are red for the birds, and in the marshes, stem after stem is full of color. That great favorite, the dog-wood, does its part well, onl}' it blushes in the winter, and turns white when spring touches it again.
Once a dear little child asked if it was called Dog-wood because dogs loved it ; but the answer was not loud enough to hear.
Wood-Sorrel can often be discovered, with its acid taste, folding its leaves at night like little hands in pra3^er. Bitter-sweet climbs the trees as long as it can hold on, and proves a good friend after it is brought indoors, often looking quite gay for a j'ear or two.
Lubbock saj's, " ants carrj- violet seeds into their nests and so propagate them."
We mortals wish it were as easy to bring these fragrant flowers into our nooks ; but thej' will not always do our bidding.
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In wet places, the pitcher plant is full of muddy water, not only because it is some- times Philadelphia water, but because it is a queer housekeeper, and likes untidy things, such as spiders and flies.
Thoreau saj-s, "Give me the poverty that enjoys true wealth' ' — and he made himself rich, indeed, not with dollars and cents, but gold he had from nature and which he most gladly shared with all his friends. He was not like the pitcher plant, he loved things clear as cr5stal.
Like the asters, let us be among the last to enter the wintery land of Nod, slow to hide away under the frost and snow, and then with them let us patiently wait, with one eye open, for the Spring Beauties, and green banks of summer. E. W. L.
Elberon, N. J.
Woody Structure of Trees. — It has been clearly ascertained that the carbon which, when other elements are eliminated, we call charcoal, and which enters so largely into the structure of a tree, is taken from the atmosphere through the medium of the leaves ; but how it is rsent down the structure so as to add to the size of the most distant root, is yet an un- solved problem.
Fruiting of the Spanish Moss. — A Charles- ton, South Carolina, correspondent says : — "In looking over the descriptions, in Wood's and Darby's text books, of Tillandsia usneoides, nothing is said abovit its fruit. I was greatly interested, last winter and spring, in observ- ing, in the gray moss of Summerville, and nearer our city, numerous capsules, long, nar- row, horny, usuallj^ about three-quarters of an inch long ; many seed pods (apparently of this character) and many sterile, withered flowers. I had never seen anj-thing of the sort before. Was it unusual ?
I had interesting samples to send you from beautiful Magnolia Gardens, twenty miles dis- tant upon the Ashley River, from jNIiddleton Place, the fine old Colonial seat of Arthur Middleton, Signer of the Declaration of Amer- ican Independence, eight miles higher up the river from our Chicora Park, here on the Cooper River, and from Summerville ; but it has gone the way of general rubbish, and I have but a poor fragment now left, which I gathered near or on Dr. C. U. Shepard's Tea
farm, near Summerville. It escaped the fell swoop of the housemaid's broom by clinging to a splendid pine cone I picked up near Dr, Shepard's residence. Break open the pod and observe the pappus or something similar to the ' down ' of a composite. 1 would like to know if the Tillandsia reallj' does fruit and just how it is propagated. ' '
So far as the writer's experience goes, the Spanish IMoss seeds freelj^ in most parts of the South, whatever it may do in the vicinity of Charleston. In examinations made in the South, the small seeds were found sprouting on the smooth bark of orange trees ; and small seedling plants noted on the branches of the Live Oak. It is not a parasite, but seems to , attach itself to trees as a kind of anchorage. At least, this is the orthodox version of its behavior in life. But the writer believes that it does derive some nourishment b}- the attach- ment made to the bark. It does not penetrate, as a true parasite does, but may have the power of absorbing at the point of attachment from dead bark and other material. This is but a surmise, as opportunities for careful in- vestigation have not been afforded the writer.
Hybrid Oaks. — Every once in a while, notes appear in botanical journals, describing hybrid oaks, and especially hybrids between the Black, Red, and Scarlet oaks. The writer has made oaks a close study for half a century, and never has had reason to suspect hybridity in any individual oak tree. That thej^ vary, is true enough, just as variations may be found in Tulip Tree, Sweet Gum, and other monotyp- ic genera where there is nothing to hybridize with. The fact is, that, for some reason as yet not well understood, hybrids in nature are extremely rare. Nature seems to have taken good care that the universal confusion that would occur from a general mixing up of things in her handiwork, as would occur shoiild natural hybridization be easily effected, shall not take place.
Jersey Nutmeg. — One common name for the tuberous roots of the Smilax glauca is "Jersey Nutmeg. ' ' I am not quite sure whether this originated with the old Jerseymen or with the newcomers here. Many species of Smilax have woody or tuberous roots. Briar pipes are from Smilax roots. W. F. B.'VSSETT.
Hainnionton, N. J.
GENERAL GARDENING.
WINTER'S APPROACH.
Autumnal leaves and flowerets ! lingering last — ,.. Pale sickly children of the waning year ! **A lovelier race shall 3'et succeed ye here, When nature, (her long wintr\- torpor past,) O'er the brown woods and naked earth doth cast Her vernal mantle.
— Anonymous.
The Live Oak, Quercus virens. — With a pretty photograph of the celebrated Live Oak,
long. Its age is supposed to be between 500 and 1,000 years' old, it was here when Colum- bus discovered this country, and it is supposed that many a war conference has been held under it b}' the Indians ; that they hung their dead in its branches, and that bears would run up and down it at their pleasure. There is no ten feet of it that is perfectly straight.
You will see the Superintendent sitting on the large limb, his daughter Mary at its trunk,
LIVE OAK.
in the Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina, kindly furnished by Superin- tendent Charles W. Stein, we have the fol- lowing note concerning it : —
' ' I mail you a photograph of our pet Live Oak. It is a grand tree. It is twentj'-one feet in circumference, covers an area of 10 x 192; superficial feet, 112 x 91 -; the largest limb is 9 feet in circumference and is 65 feet
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his son, S. Lawrence Stein, Jr., assistant supt., on horseback."
When Michaux named this species of oak virens, — that is to say, " in vigorous youth," he could not have selected a better designation for a tree that bears its great age so well. The great Frenchman would have been enthusias- tic at the sight of it. He sa3's, ' ' The Live Oak is commonly 40 or 45 feet in height, and
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from one to two feet in diameter ; but it is sometimes much larger. Mr. S. , President of the Agricultural Society of Charleston, assured me that he had felled a trunk, hollowed by age, which was 24 feet in circumference." He re- gretted its disappearance for commercial uses, and prophesied that it would be practical!}' extinct in 50 j'ears.
We can get some idea of the age of a tree, by the measurement of its annual additions to the woody circle. It would be slow in age, — possibly not over one-eighth of an inch. Grant- ing it to make a total of a quarter of an inch per year, this would make 1,152 years for a tree of 24 feet across. But in the earlier years of the life of the tree, there might be a quarter of an inch addition, or half an^inch for the whole diameter. We may safely place 600 years as the minimum age of the tree Michaux referred to.
tion is from a specimen growing in Pelham, Philadelphia.
It may be as well to note here the proper pronunciation of Clematis, as practice varies much. The accent is on the first syllable, Clem'a-tis. It is a word of Grecian origin, and simply means a rope-like branch to bind with. Opinions differ as to the plant to which the name was originalh- applied. Modern her- balists supposed it to refer to some species of what we now know as Clematis, either Clema- tis cirrhosa, or Clematis Vitalba, both of which grow in Greece,— but Pliny, the Roman his- torian of natural history, seems to apply the name to some plant of the Apocynaceous fami- ly, as Periploca or Vinca. It is difficult, how- ever, to identify positiveh', in man}' cases, the plants noted hy the ancients.
Clematis paniculata. — What would flower lovers do without Japan ? New and beau- tiful things from that countrj' are looked for as regularlj^ each year as the Fourth of July or Christmas Day. The present pretty climbing plant. Clematis paniculata, has long been known to botanists, having been de- scribed under the name it now bears b}' Thunberg, in his Flora Japonica issued in 1784 ; but it has been only of recent date that it has come into cultiva- tion. He says that the Japan- ese call it Kara Tade, and that it is closely related to the American Clematis Virgi?iia7ia ; but has the leaflets attenuate, and not cordate ; flowers cylin- drical and not ovate, — and these flowers pedunculate. It is, how- ever, in ever}' waj' a handsomer plant than its American rela- tive, and, besides, flowers much later. Thumberg says that, in Japan, it flowers during August and September, and it has re- tained this character in its new American home.
The accompanying illustra-
CLEMATIS PANICULATA.
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[Nov.
Growing the Mistletoe. — " I would like to be informed if mistletoe can be propagated, and if so, how ? I have seen it growing in southern California, on both live and dead trees. I was told then, that the seed, or some kind of fungi, was carried by the wind, and where it lodged on trees, it attached itself to the branches and then grew there. Any information on this subject will be thankfully received."
New York. R. H. W.
The conductors do not know of any attempt to propagate the mistletoe in America.
In the Old World, it is said to be propagated by birds. They eat the sticky berries, and then clean their bills on the branches of trees. The sticky seeds, thus fastened to the branches, sprout and grow.
Seeds sown — as we may say — in this way, are, of course, subjected to the same laws as seeds of those plants that grow in the earth : — that is, there must be the conditions of temper- ature and moisture that the seed requires for germination. So far as known, these condi- tions, required by the mistletoe, have not been definitely ascertained. Actual experiment only could decide this.
Trees and Shrubs in Canada. — Canada seems to be very favorable to the growth of trees and shrubs, for all the supposed severity of its winters. In the catalogue of the Arbor- etum of the Experimental Farm at Ottawa, of which Dr. William Saunders is Director, 3,071 species, that have been tested, are enumerated, the greater number of which are found to be quite at home there.
The Camphor Tree.— Mr. W. R. Smith says : — " It may interest you to know that the Camphor Tree {Laurus Camphord) is being planted as a street tree in New Orleans. A tree in a four-inch pot, presented to the beauti- ful niece of :Mr. R. INIaitre, the distinguished horticulturist of New Orleans, in 1883, is now thirty-five feet high and fifty-two inches in cir- cumference at the butt. From this tree, we receive a liberal supply of seeds each j-ear. "
European Silver Linden. — For those who like regularity in growth, few trees are more desirable than the European Silver Linden, a portrait of which, taken from a tree forty years' old, growing in the Meehan nurseries, is
given herewith. In the ordinary forms of European Linden, the leaves are green on both sides. In this one, the upper surface is of a deeper green than usual, and bright silvery sheen characterizes the leaf below. It is often called Hungarian Linden, and is even classed as Tilia alba in some European works, as if it were a distinct species ; but the seeds from this tree produce as many plants of the common form of European Linden, as of the silvery-char- acteristic parent. In nurseries, it is propa- gated by grafting. The one illustrated was grafted on the common Ameiican Linden. It will be noted that the American stock, which forms about the lower half of the trunk, has not reached to nearly the girth of the Euro- pean. Dendrologists may, therefore, safely say, that under equal conditions the European Lin- den is much more adapted to profitable timber culture than the American, so far as the single item of rapid growth is concerned.
The contrast between the dark and light surfaces of the leaves gives much pleasure to those who delight in ornamental foliage ; while the delightful odoriferous flowers are grateful alike to human beings and the bees.
A singular fact was noted and placed on re- cord, by the writer, in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, some forty years ago, that in all closely allied species of American and European trees, the comparative characters are all in the same line. The close, compact, formal habit, seen in our illustration, as compared with the allied species of America, also characterizes the English Oak, and all trees so related.
Mr. Darwin refers to this paper in his work on the "Domestication of Plants and Animals," and candidly confesses that the facts cannot be accounted for by his hypothesis of natural selection. Our illustration is, therefore, as in- teresting to the devotee of science, as well as to the lover of beautiful trees.
lE^
Foxtanesia phillyr.Eoides. — The Fontan- esia, a near relative of Lignstrurn, is an un- common plant in the United States. It resem- bles the privet very much and has been so classed by some. But it has not the privet's value as an ornamental shrub. During the past severe winter, about six inches of the
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growth were killed, in the vicinity of Phila- Hardiness op Acer macrophyllum.— It is
delphia. It has a variety, Fortunei. For large not generally known that the beautiful Oregon collections, it will be found interesting. It is Maple, Acer macrophyllum, does well in these
5V * ■'
WHITE-LEAVED LINDEN --SEE DESCRIPTION, PAGE 168.
indigenous in Asia Minor. Flowers appear in parts, (Philadelphia). There are specimens of axillary racemes about August — color, creamy it in this city twenty feet in height and as many white. in spread of branches, and since their planting,
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[Nov.
some twenty years ago, no winter has injured them. I am told that in their seedling state they feel a hard winter by losing the ends of the shoots, but not after two or three j'ears have passed.
Those familiar with the European Sycamore Maple would recognize a resemblance to it in this species. There is the same red leaf stalk and five prominent divisions of the leaf, and the seeds are in drooping racemes. But a notable difference exists in the underside of the leaf The European Sycamore Maple has leaves almost silver}- on the under side, while those of the macrophyllum are of a shining green, much like those of the Norwa}'.
The name viacrophylliim is well bestowed. An average leaf on a healthy tree is a foot in width ; while from the base of the leaf-stalk to the tip of the leaf it is fifteen inches.
Many Oregon trees and shrubs do well here. There comes to mind, as I write, I^awson's Cypress, Maho?iia Aqiiifolium and Castanopsis chrysophylla . J. M.
Philadelphia.
Improved Ger.\niums. — What are known in gardening as the familj' of geraniums, really belong to the neighboring genus. Pelargonium, and the branch that is popular in gardening represents the Pelargonium Zonale, the zoned or " horse-shoe "-leaved, though they usually go under the name of Scarlet or Bedding Ger- aniums. There are a large number of species in the Cape of Good Hope, of which the Rose Geranium, the Pepper Geranium, and the Apple Geranium are familiar examples. By selection from natural departures, or " Sports," as the gardeners say, or h\ crossing one sport by another sport, innumerable varieties have been produced during the two hundred 3'ears since the original species was introduced from the Cape of Good Hope to English gardens.
Now and then the florists take a good point to aim at, and then we have races, breeds, or sections, as they are familiarly termed. The illustration, given herewith, is of the English round petal' d section. The variety is known as "Hall Caine," and is appreciated for its great size and showy character generally. Mr. C. W. Ward, of the Cottage Gardens, Queens, New York, gives the following account of it : " The Geranium, Hall Caine, belongs to the English round-flowered section. This section
is not, as a rule, suitable for bedding out in American climate, but should be used for con- servator}^ decoration alone. We have, on our premises, about thirtj' varieties of this section covering a wide range of color. In fact, it covers the widest range of color of any section of the single-flowered zonale Pelargonium. Individual florets of this section sometimes measure 2^4 inches to 3 inches in diameter. The trusses are not very large ; the habits of the plants are generall}' dwarf, and the trusses are usualh' borne on strong foot-stalks held well aloft."
TME nm^W^ PLOWED "^^l^^EINl.
^Manuring Roses. — Plants growing in well- prepared quarters do not require the roots dis- turbed annually by digging in large quantities of manure amongst them, but judiciously applied top-dressings are of the utmost advan- tage. Bone manure is applied by taking a lit- tle of the surface soil from around the .stem, and shaking a handful or two over the roots, and then return the soil. The finest rose growths and blooms I ever produced were secured in this way. Many persons think their roses will degenerate if the whole of the surface near them is not deeply forked or dug, and much natural manure added every spring, but nothing is gained by disturbing the roots very much. Roses properly planted by the begin- ning of INIarch, rightly pruned and top-dressed, are sure to give their owners satisfaction from the beginning to the end of the flowering season ; and after cultivation will be conducted with little or no expense. — Jorirnal of Horti- culttire.
Wild-Flower Cultivation. — There is very much pleasure to be gained in growing the common wild flowers found near our individual homes. We walk out to the woods in spring and early summer and we find the ground carpeted with Phlox pilosa, the rocks green with moss and pines and the air redolent with the perfume of the flowers and the odors from the trees and earth. And we leave them there year after year, because the}' are so common, and yearn for the flowers which the florist sells because they are so uncommon. I have for several 5'ears attempted to make these common flowers uncommon, b}' growing them in a pit and having them to bloom ver}- much earlier
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than they do in their natural times and places. Between the pots, near the outer edge, difter- I have a two-sash pit about 18 inches deep. ent species of ferns are placed with moss On its three highest sides, I made a shelf with planted on the leaf-mold. The ferns in time
NEW GERANIUM, 'HALL CAINE."--SEE DESCRIPTION. PAGE 170.
a narrow board in front. On this shelf I have imbedded three-inch flower pots filled with wild pansies with loam around them and black sandy leaf-mold on the top of the loam.
will grow and hang down and over the outer side of the shelf, partly hiding it. On the earth bottom, pots of different sizes are placed in which are planted Phlox of different colors
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[Nov.
and species, Spring-beauty Claytoiiia I Irginica, and several others. On the shelf at its western end are planted Viola odorata, both wild and tame ; and between is the Maiden-hair Fern, Adiantuvi pedatian and Lip Fern, Cheilanthes vestita. The Walking-leaf Fern, Camptosorus rhizophyllus, is planted in pots which have two thirds of their depth filled with broken stone, with two inches of sandy leaf-mold, on which this plant is placed so as to have perfect drain- age and be more like home to them. Then I have a few pots with summer blooming bulbs — florists' flowers. As the daj'S lengthen, more sun finds its wa3- down amidst these plants and the air becomes warmer and more moisture- laden, and the plants commence to grow. Long before the phlox and wild pansies bloom in their native homes, these plants bloom. Thus I make common plants uncom- mon, and it is a real pleasure from the taking them up through the ^vinter, and the pleasant walks hunting them, potting them and caring for them, until they unfold their blossoms. And lastlj', the pleasure of giving them away to people who love and appreciate them. Festus. Mo. F. K. Steele.
RuDBECKiA "Golden Glow."— Mr. W. C. Egan, Highland Park, Ills., SAys oi Riidbeckia "Golden Glow '" : — Ever\'one should have it. How it likes moisture !
"The flowers are splendid for cutting — last well and arrange well. " It is really difficult to find anyone having plants not pleased with them. They grow and bloom so prodigiously, and can be arranged in masses or shrubbery- beds so effectively. As 'Mr. Egan suggests, they like moisture, j^et, aside from an extremely dry location, they will do well anywhere.
FIK^DTS ^ ¥E^ET/^PLES.
Mushroom Cultltre in Germ.\nv. — An ex- periment to transplant to Germany the growing of mushrooms has been made in Wiesbaden, after the method of the Paris catacombs. A large cellar under storage rooms was fitted out for the purpose. The cellar is 500 square metres, and contains three times 400 square metres of surface for beds, as three wooden frames with bed surface have been placed one over the other. The temperature is kept as
uniformly as possible at + 15° Reaumur (or 66° Fahr.) during summer and winter. The pro- cess of growing, says the Globe, is as follows : The prepared horse manure, which has to fer- ment, is packed into the beds on wood frames in the cellar, then the mushroom spawn is em- bedded into the horse manure, and is left untouched for three weeks, until the seedlings appear to view. Then a layer of earth is placed over them, and the entire mass is kept damp by watering, and after a fortnight the picking can begin. Through a varjdng course of pro- cedure the daily picking amounts to about 25 pounds. Whether the quality of these mush- rooms come up to the standard of the French, is not yet known.
Selection of Grapes for Small Arbors. — As regards the varieties to plant, much will depend on personal favor ; but in such cases the season of ripening should be considered. As a rule, one does not want fruit ripening in quantities at once. IMr. Geo. S. Josselyn, Fredonia, N. Y. , a high authority on grapes, suggests and recommends the following groups to give fruit in succession, the order running from early to late : — Campbell's Early, Concord and Niagara, Moore's Early, Delaware and Catawba; Green Mountain, Vergennes and Jefl^erson.
From most persons' choice, the first selec- tion will be decided the best, including the two old standards and the promising new one, Campbell's Early. This latter has large fruit, said to greatly resemble Black Hamburgs, for which it is frequently mistaken.
The Charlton Grape. — From John Charl- ton & Sons, we have specimens of their new grape. One bunch weighed ten ounces. It ^ has all the appearance of a fair bunch of the well-known and famous foreign grape, the Black Hamburg. As a fine table grape, it ranks with the best of the native varieties so far produced. It is said to be as vigorous a grower as the Concord. It is on these and similar characters that its popularity will have to compete. It certainly promises well.
Prolific Onions. — Mr. Timothy Wheeler sends a sample of an onion no bigger than a large pea, which has two smaller ones from its
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base. An onion is presumabh'' a brancli or stem, that Has been suppressed it its upward growth, and each ring in the onion is merely' the succulent base of leaf-stalk. There will, therefore, be an axillary bud at the base, or should be, though to our senses it is not developed. In this case, through some inter- ference with the normal growth energy, the invisible buds have become visible, and de- veloped to j'oung onions. There is a varietj' in gardens known as the Potato Onion, that will make a number of good sized onions from one. This character of forming lateral buds is called proliferous.
Waddell Peach. — A correspondent at Glen Cove, New York, writes : —
" I was much interested b}^ the note in Meehans' Monthly, (August number), on the new Peach, 'Waddell,' for I had that day, August 5th, picked fifteen fine fruits from a 3'oung tree bought of J. H. Hale, April 30, 1898.
The fruit reminds me of Oldmixon, in shape and color ; but these were not so large, of course. The main points are its earl 3- bearing , freedom from rot, and excellent flavor. I have a tree of Carman, the same age, which has 14 larger fruit, with a decided ros}' side — no sign of rot, the ban of earh' peaches. ' '
These were full}- ripe August 21st, and three of them weighed 19 ounces and measured each, 8^ inches in circumference.
Compared with Elberta, it is larger, not so pointed and is of a more livelj' red, flesh creamy white, flavor not quite equal to Elber- ta. In short, a vigorous grower, bearing fruit that will sell on sight at this season of the j-ear. ' '
Carrie Strawberry. — Another strawberry' candidate for popular favor is the Carrie, which Messrs. J G. Harrison & Sons, large growers of fruit, describe as follows : —
"A seedling of Haverland, which it resem- bles, but is an improvement on that variety in color and firmness. It has been on trial three seasons and proves satisfactory^ in every res- pect. Ever}' fruit grower will appreciate the improved Haverland because it is prolific and reliable, hence it seems safe to recommend the Carrie to their consideration. In a field of
strawberries the past season , the Carrie was one of the very best and perhaps the most prom- ising new variety in that collection of probab- ly more than seventj^-five varieties. The fruit was of good color, foliage green, and ripening all of its fruit. It seems to hold up well for several da^-s after being picked. We consider it one of the best among the new varieties. Flowers imperfect."
Apple Opalescent. — From the Dayton Star Nurseries, Dayton, Ohio, we have a sample of the Opalescent Apple, a seedling from an old orchard near b}'. It is rather larger than our best specimens of Baldwin, but resembling it in all other characters, and this is high praise.
Self-mixing Spraying Machines. — A spray- ing apparatus of comparativelj* recent intro- duction is one which has separate compart- ments for the several ingredients, the mixture being made as the pumping proceeds. Each compartment is drawn upon at one time, the fluids finallj' mixing in the one pipe, the pro- portions being regulated bj' an indicator on the top of the tank. Prof H. E. Wood, of the ^lississippi Agricultural College, and the Dem- ing Co., Salem, Ohio, have been chiefly instru- mental in introducing this apparatus.
A Swiss Potato Pie. — Choose medium- sized, sound potatoes, and after boiling or steaming them in the usual waj', allow them to cool ; then cut them in slices a qitarter-of-an- inch thick, and arrange a single layer of these at the bottom of a well-buttered pie-dish ; sprinkle the potatos well with salt, pepper, fineh'-chopped onion, minced parslej', and grated cheese, then cover with a few table- spoonfuls of thick white sauce, and repeat in this order until the dish is suflliciently full, let- ting sauce form the last addition, except a sprinkling of grated cheese, which should be added just before putting the pie in the oven ; see that the latter is well heated, then, as soon as the pie is thoroughh" hot, and colored a nice golden -brown, serve tastefull)', the surface being sprinkled with a mixture of finely- chopped parsle}' and sifted egg-yolk, the pie- dish being placed upon a prett}- dish-paper, with a border of parslej'-sprigs arranged round about. — Gardeners' Chronicle.
BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
THE GARDEN IN OLD AGE.
O blest retirement, friend to life's decline, Retreats from care, that never must be mine, How blest is he who crowns in shades like these A youth of labor with an age of ease ; Who quits a world where strong temptations
try, And, since 'tis hard to combat, learns to fly.
— Oliver Goldsmith.
CORNUS FLORIDA, — A NATIONAL FlOWER. -
In the various proposals for a national flower, I have not seen the Dogwood — Cornus florida — mentioned. Yet, it would be, in several ways, an admirable one.
It is sufficiently well known.
Its range is sufficiently wide, when its kin- dred forms are included with it. That is to say : Cornus florida is indeed a tree of the Atlantic coast only, and seems not to grow north of IMassachusetts ; but on the Pacific coast it is represented by Cornus Nuttallii, which differs appreciably from it in size merely. The space between — unless in the deserts of the Great Basin, or in New Mexico and Arizona — is filled by Cornus Canadensis, which also extends all over Northern New England, and though almost an herb, resembles Cornus flor- ida wonderfully in the form of its blossoms. The three species might indeed be counted as one flower quite as well as the species of colum- bine. Their clusters of berries are also alike.
The blossoms, leaves, and clusters of berries, are admirably suited for representation in any sort of decorative design, or in architectural ornament. The only possible objection to them is that the blossom-like bracts might be mis- taken by a careless person for a four-petalled wild rose ; and this is not a vital objection, and does not applj' to the leaves or berries.
Elizabeth Winthrop Johnson.
West New Brighton, N. Y.
Professor Ambrose P. Stuart. — Professor Stuart, well known in connection with horti- cultural and agricultural chemistry, died at his
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home in Lincoln, Nebraska, on the last week in September, having- nearly reached his 80th year. He was born in Sterling, Massachusetts, November 22, 1820, graduated from Brown Universit}', supporting himself by teaching while there, and after taking his degree of Bachelor of Arts, subsequently studying three 3'ears at Heidelberg, and commenced his active work as instructor in chemistr}- in the Law- rence Scientific School. For many years he was one of the brightest contributors to the meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Edward T. Latham. — Among devoted amateur horticulturists who have been among the earnest patrons of gardening, we are sorry to have to record the loss of Mr. Edward T. Latham, of "Llangollen," New Brunswick, New Jersey, whose death occurred on the i6th of September.
The Wanderings of Plants. — How wonder- ful is the progress of Botany ! It started as a mere aid to medicine, and even down to a couple of centuries or so, great botanical works were simply " Herbals," in which the vegeta- tion was considered chiefly from the druggist's standpoint. Now the science is divided into numerous sub-sections, everyone with its devoted band of enthusiastic followers. Botan- ical geography is become one of the most allur- ing sections, and that part which deals with the wandering of plants to and fro over the earth, is by no means the least element in the pleasurable studj'. If every evidence of the white man's presence on the continent should be blotted from the pages of written history, the plants that have accompanied him in his migration would tell the whole story over again.
A verj- pleasant sketch of our foreign floral settlers, appears in the Churchman of Septem- ber 2nd, from Mr. C. F. Saunders, whose pleas-
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175
ing pen has on several occasions instructed and entertained the readers of Meehans' Monthly. He points out that all four quarters of the globe are represented, and those who have acquired the language of flowers may fanc3' the)' hear the foreign accents of the various nations in every weed the)- meet. Some, like the dandelion, seem satisfied with ever\- kind of treatment, and " welcome, or welcome not " is all the same to them, as he well sa^-s. But others are more sensitive. The "wee, modest crimson-tippit" dais)' of Burns is seldom seen. Our climate is general!)- too dry to suit its refined taste. On the moister shores of the Northern Pacific, where atmospheric moisture is as abundant as in Britain, the lovely little flower is almost as common, in the meadows and pastures, as in the green fields of Northern Europe. There is unbounded interest in the study of these things.
Fungal Flora of the Lehigh Valley. — By Dr. William Herbst, published by Berke- meyer, Keck & Co., Allentown. Pa. Funguses, in their genera and species, have such a wide distribution, that even a local flora relat- ing to them has a general interest. It will not be a surprise, to those conversant with this order of vegetation, to be told that no less than 152 genera are described in this book of Dr. Herbst. There is one feature of this work especially commendable, that though strictly scientific, and the language of science strictly adhered to, the popular reader would hardly recognize the fact, so clearly and distinctly is everything presented. With this book in hand, even a novice would have little difficulty in working out even the most unfamiliar ' ' toad- stool" that might come before him.
The following extract, from the introductory- chapter, is a fair specimen of the instructive style.
" Fungi are by far the most numerous of the group ; it is easier to tell where they do not grow than where the)- do grow. To say that fungi are to be found everywhere would not be strictly true ; but to say where they are not to be found would be puzzling. Not only are they to be found in the shady woods, mossy dells, secluded lanes, fence corners, etc.. but we meet them in all situations where vege- table life is possible. They are both sapro- phytic and parasitic — saprophytic, growing on
dead vegetable and animal matter. We need not travel far from home to find specimens of our research. The unwelcome dry rot beneath our kitchen floors ; the different species of mould infesting our preserved fruits ; the yeast for raising our bread and brewing our beer ; the mother of vinegar for our vinegar; all are due to fungi. From cesspools and sewers the minute dust-like spores rise into our dwellings unseen ; they float into the air, producing disease and death. It is strongly proved that diphtheria, consumption, typhoid fever, are nothing more nor less than the ravages of fungi spores."
Aloys Mueller. — Some of the ablest and most useful botanists are not the most promi- nent. Few did more for the amiable science, in New Brunswick, than Aloys Mueller, though to the general public he was known simply as in the florist's business, which he had carried on there for thirty years. He died October 8th, in his 59th year.
Origin OF Species. — Mr. H. G. Shelby, Bur- lington, Iowa, sends specimens of the common Black Walnut, that mainly on the same tree produces fruit that are practically hickor\' nuts. It shows, more conclusively than in the case of the Tangerine and Navel oranges, the method by which nature makes species or marked varieties, and will be the subject of a chapter in Mr. Meehan's next series of " Con- tributions to the Life-histories of Plants."
The AM.vrEUR Orchid Cultivators' Guide Book. — By H. A. Burberr)', with a pre- face by Dr. J. W. M. Kitchen, New York, Published by G. P. Putnam Sons. This is a new edition of a popular English Book, adapt- ed to American cultivators. Every one loves orchids, but there is a prevailing impression they are hard to cultivate. Certainly, it re- quires special knowledge ; but this knowledge is not hard to acquire. This book covers all any one may want to know, — and with it any amateur will find orchid culture among the pleasantest of floral occupations.
Phytophilist. — Papers by eminent men abound with newly-coined names, though too often barren of ideas. The learned term for a lover of flowers is that he is a phytophilist.
GENERAL NOTES.
Ornamental Hoticulturists. — Ladies will of general gardening) than at present. I would
add materially' to membership in the ' ' Society of American Florists and Ornamental Horticul- turists." There will be no place for plain or ugly featured men here.
Arbor Day. — Italy has followed America in establishing an Arbor Day. It is to be held in the October month of each year. In the parks, or some other public place, lessons in tree cul- ture will be given children on the occasion.
Pears in Canada. - Canada has been found very favorable to pear culture, as it has long been known to be favorable to apple culture. The great number of pear orchards have, how- ever, reduced prices beyond a profitable point. But it has been found to be quite remunerative to ship to England, and the export trade is lively.
Black Walnut. — Those who have Black Walnut groves, at this time, find there is a profit in forestry. The timber is bringing almost fancy prices.
A Fuller Meaning for Horticultural Societies. — To be popular and useful, horti- cultural societies should be not only founded on a broad basis but should maintain a general interest in all subjects that come under that head. In an address before the Germantown Horticultural Society, Mr. Albert Woltemate made some terse remarks on the subject, which might be profitablj' cultivated b}' manj^ exist- ing societies of like character.
' 'We, as a society, in the present management of our affairs, can advance but small claim to our title of Horticultural Society. We might more properly be termed a Floricultural Society. Our efforts in the way of discussions, exhibi- tions, etc., are almost all directed to the wa3'S and means of cultivating flowers ; far more attention should be given to the cultivation of fruits and vegetables (and even broader subjects
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not have less flowers, by any means ; let us have more, if possible, but also have more of those other products of the earth which our title commits us specially to encourage."
New Park for St. Paul. — It has been found, by experience, that there can be no more popular movement in towns or cities than the extension of public parks. It has become a common saying, in all the larger cities, that, while the mass of the people virtually pay all the taxes indirectly, the}' get directly little more than the parks and the public schools. It is gratif3'ing to find the movement for these public grounds growing with increased vigor from year to year. The latest addition to the long list comes to our attention from St. Paul, Minnesota. A patch of some 100 acres is to be condemned for park purposes. It fronts on Lake Phalen, whence the city derives much of its water, and will be called Phalen Park. In this, the City Council is performing a double public service, for while providing a place for the health and recreation of the people for all time, by keeping control of the borders of the Lake, they aid in guarding the water source from pollution, — a point all cities that would be in the advance are aiming to secure.
Birds-eye Sycamore. — That evil often has attendant blessings, is well illustrated by the Buttonwood or Sycamore disease.
It is well known that this American relative of the Oriental Plane suffers seriously in early summer by a fungus attack that destroys the young shoots, and other buds have to push into new growth to replace the ones destroyed. But the woody bases, of the dead spring- branches, are grown over by the increase in the woody girth, and form small " knots," or "birds-eyes" in the timber. This gives the timber a great value in the preparation of fancy furniture, and the wood brings a high price in the lumber market.
niJX.
Plate [/^,
^'^!'i"^ UlKSU'lVS.
OXYBAPHUS HIRSUTUS.
HAIRY OXYBAPH.
NATURAL ORDER, NYCTAGINACE^
OxYBAPHUS HIRSUTUS, Sweet. — One foot high, very densely pilose, with long, spreading, articulated hairs; leaves lanceo- late, the lower short-petioled ; involucre pubescent-tomentose ; fruit hirsute. Coulter's Botany of the Rocky Motin- tain region. See also Britton and Brown's ///i<j/»a/^a /7o)-a o/ /A« Northern United States, Canada, avd the B} Hi sh Possessions, VM^^x Vac name oi Allionia kirsuta.
For the earl}- history of this plant, we have to go to that of some of its allies with which it was once associated, especiallj^ the prett}'^ Mar- vel of Peru of the Gardens, Mirabilis Jalapa. This is one of the oldest plants of the American continent known to our forefathers, as it was introduced to cultivation four hun- dred 3^ears ago. Clusius, who wrote a history of rare plants, in 1601, refers to it as the Admirabilis Peruviana. Linnaeus, when he, reconstructed botan}', and reduced plant names to two, — the noun and its adjective, — usually managed to employ terms already asso- ciated with the plant. Here he had an easy task. Mirabilis was shorter, and just as ex- pressi\-e as AdrnirabiUs. An allied species, of the West Indies, Mirabilis dichotoma, is known as the " Four-o'clock-flower," from its opening about that time, and this has been transferred to the Marvel of Peru. The plant is known by either term in American gardens.
The tracing of the common names of plants is often as interesting as ■Axvy other part of their histor3\ The INIarvel of Peru is referred to, by another ancient avithor, as the Admirabilis Jasmini rosa, or the Wonderful Rose Jasmine ; but this seems to have become wholly obscure. The plants, now known to us as Oxybaphiis, were originally classed with Mirabilis. We have representatives of both sections among our American wild flowers. Occasionally, our plant is described as an Allionia, and this is the name adopted by Britton and Brown as above cited. The differences are not very strongly marked, and have difibrent values for classification according to the views of experts in classification. All three have a calyx-like involucre, formed of a single membrane ; while
others, closel}- related in the Natural Order Nyctaglnaccce, have this involucre divided into separate bracts. Taking this group with a membraneous, single division, Mirabilis re- tains it unchanged to the last ; bvit in Oxyba- phus, it continues to enlarge until the seeds ripen. Now comparing Oxybaphus with Alli- onia, we find, in the former, the tendencj^ is to an arrangement of the parts in fives, while in the latter they are arranged in threes. As we see in our fig. 3, the enlarged involucre is di- vided into five lobes. There are the rudiments of five stamens, in the flowers, which, in some species, as in the present one, are alwaj^s per- fect, (fig. 4) ; and there are the rudiments of five flowers, though the}' do not all perfect — in the specimen here illustrated, onl3'two have reached the seed-bearing stage. In Allionia, the involucre is uniformly three-lobed, the flowers are in threes, and the stamens three, — though occasionall3% one will abort. Pursh, who was already familiar with the species grouped under the Linnaean name of Allionia, found our plant in a collection, in the " Upper Louisiana, ' ' made b>' Captain Bradburj'^, about the time he was preparing his Flora AmeiHcce Scptcntrionalis ; and as the flowers in the speci- men were " sub" -three-flowered, it was refer- red to that genus as Allionia hirsuta. There would seem to be as good reason for retaining the genus Oxybaphiis as distinct from Allionia, as in the cases of numerous others that are j'et regarded as distinct by those who would drop this one. The peculiar monophyllous involu- cre of these plants, early attracted the atten- tion of botanists, and Casimer Gomez de Ortiges, who published a work on the new or rare plants in the Royal Garden at Madrid, in
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY — OXYBAPHUS HIRSUTUS.
[Dec.
i797> proposed the name of Calyxhymenia for them, from this circumstance. This was shorten- ed, a few years later, to Caljmenia, by Persoon, but was rendered meaningless b^' the change.
The whole histor}' of these plants shows the impossibility of establishing an absolutely stable nomenclature. Professor Conway Mc- Millan, and Professor N. Lord Britton, are two of the strongest advocates of the law of prior- ity, which it is thought would surely bring about such a very desirable end ; yet we find the former, in his "Higher seed- plants of the Minnesota Valley," issued in 1892, describing our plant as Mirabilis hirsiita, while his com- panion in the campaign. Prof Britton, gives it to us as Allionia hirsuta, only four j-ears later. Possibly the wisdom of Pursh, as expressed in 1814, is applicable to-day, that new names to replace long established ones, however fault}', should be carefull}^ avoided, and only done in special cases by an eminent authority. Oxyba- plms has a similarmeaning to Calyxhymenia, re- ferring to the saucer-shaped involucre, and was applied to this section b}- L'Heritier, in 1806.
The author first collected this interesting plant on the plains, near Denver, in 1873, and in Southern Colorado, in 1883. Its sudden opening, in the afternoon, seemed so peculiar, that plants were brought home from the latter region and planted in the garden for continu- ous observation. These observations were con- tinued till 1SS7, when they were jjublished in the "Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia." On August 5th, of that 5'^ear, at 4 p. m., the flowers were prepar- ing to open, as evidenced bj- a glimpse of the pink filaments through the involucre. By 4.30, the stamens and pistil were fully ex- serted. By 5 p. m. , every flower \^as expanded to perfection. It was a pretty sight to note hundreds of these flowers keeping time with the precision of a regiment of soldiers.
In these flowers, only three of the five em- bryonic flowers were perfected. What appears to be a central one, opens the first day, — the others follow in due course. The stamens have the filaments curved in the bud, and are first protruded, loop-like. In developing from 4 to 4.30 p. m., they keep to this condition. At 4- 30. however, they straighten them- selves with surprising suddenness. The five do not become erect simultaneoush', but follow each other, occupying five minutes forthe whole
series. On the 9th of August, they were again under observation to note the time of closing. This was found to be at the approach of day- light.
On the nth of August, the afternoon obser- vation was repeated. It was a dark and cloudy afternoon. Thepreliminary signs of opening, as noted before at 4.30, did not appear till 5, indi- cating that flowers ma}', like watches, keep bad time occasionally. Only a solitary flower was open at 6 ; and not till 7.30 p. m., were they in the condition noted previouslj' at 5. Usually, flowers opening at evening are favored in unfolding b\' a moist atmosphere and com- parative absence of light, and this experience was surprising.
The anthers burst and scatter the few large grains of pollen the\- contain during the sud- den straightening of the filaments. The stjie is of the same length as the filaments ; and the receptive stigma receives the pollen in this way. I^ater in the evening, the flowers are \isited by several species of night moths. The flowers seem to be odorless to our senses ; but the moths evidently trace the flowers hy power of scent more acute than we possess. They grasp the filaments with their feet, and seem to enjoy the repast, as they give several minutes to each flower.
Like most species of plants that owe their leading characteristic to a more than usual abortion or cohesion of parts, the whole plant shows remarkable variations. Nuttall found a form, so very different from the one originally- described, which would be termed the tpye of the species, that he proposed for it the dis- tinctive name-term of procumbens. A speci- men, collected by Bradbury himself, and now before the author, has the root-leaves broadly ovate, spatulate, and obtuse at the apex. Another specimen, with a label by Fraser, who calls it Calymcnia pilosa, has the leaves very large and broad, — some three and a half inches long by one and a half wide ; and triangularly hastate in outline. A specimen, collected in Wet ^lountain Vallej', Colorado, in 1873, by Mr. Brandegee, is very stocky, leafy, and re- markable for its dense hairiness. The usual forms are narrow, as represented in our plate.
Explanation of the Plate — i. IvOwer portion of a flower stem of a plant originally from Southern Colorado. 2. Branchlet from the upper portion of the panicle. 3. En- larged involucre with flowers advancing to maturity. 4. The fine exserted stamens, with pistil and clavate stigma.
WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
A WINTER SCENE IN ENGLAND.
Soon as the silent shades of night withdrew, The rudd}- morn disclosed at once to view The face of nature in a rich disguise, And brighten 'd every object to ni}- e3-es ; For ever\- shrub, and every blade of grass. And every pointed thorn seem'd wrought in
glass ; In pearls and rubies rich the hawthorns show. While through the ice the crimson berries glow.
— South EY.
OxYBAPHUs HiRSUTUS. — Supplementary to what is noted in the main chapter, it may be said that though Oxybaphns hirsjitus was not known till discovered by Bradbury, and de- scribed by Pursh in 1814, it has a remarkably wide range of distribution west of the INIissis- sippi River. Hooker, in his Flora Borcale AfHericatia, notes it as being collected far north- wardly. He describes it as the AUionia hirsuta of Pursh, and says: "Found about Carlton House, on the Saskatchewan, Drummond. Bradbury (from whom there is an authentic specimen in my herbarium), discovered this plant in upper Louisiana. The present in- habits a much more northern station, — the most northerly of any of the genus, of which the species are more frequent south." This was in 1840. Prof McMillan observes that it is found in the north, from Saskatchewan and Assiniboia to Colorado, Nebraska, Western Texas, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and in the IMin- nesota Valley throughout, being abundant in prairie districts, and on rocky, dr}' banks.
Insects and Flowers. — Referring to the remarks concerning flowers and insects in the September Meehans', it might be possible to add another point to the discussion b3' suggest- ing that perhaps insects have another and, to us, totally unknown sense which directs them to their food. In a city I have caught as many as a dozen night-flying moths in a single even- ing by using one of the same species, newlj^ hatched, for a decoy. These moths are native of the woods and fields rather than of the city,
and are seldom seen, even in the country ; vet mj' moth was able at once to rally a dozen to her assistance. This phenomenon is, of course, familiar to all entomologists ; but no one, so far as I know, has given a satisfactory- explana- tion of how the one attracts the others. But if an insect, a mile or more away, is able to locate another, is it not possible that it may locate its food by similar means ? :\Iight this not more easily explain the flies upon Pardan- tlius Chinensis, which is said to be without odor ? It is to be assumed that these flies were not common enough originally in this plant's vicinit3' to have been attracted by sight alone.
W. N. C.
The point, suggested by W. N. C, is well taken, and in addition it might be added that the carrion flies would not busy themselves so man}' hours under the impression the}- were allured b}' raw meat. It would take but a short time to find their mistake. It fact, the suggestion was not intended to be strictly serious, but presented just as good a reason as numerous others offered to us b}^ eminent authors who treat on the relations between in- sects and flowers.
Yellow P.\ssion-flower.— The well-known Passion-flower has earned for itself the rank of a beautiful flower ; but its yellow sister is less important beyond the line of interest because of its connection, the flowers being small and of merel}- a greenish-3-ellow. It is found chief- I3- in the South— Florida ; although said to ex- tend northwardly to Pennsjdvania and west to Missouri.
Pleasure in Iris and Kentucky Floavers. — The true lover of flowers often takes most pleasure in making observations along one particular line of plants, where there are num- erous species and closely allied members of the family. A particularly interesting class of plants is that of Irids. The Iris may be found in various sections of the United States, in a
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MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE.
[Dec.
few interesting species ; while the European kinds furnish more varied pleasure. In almost ever}- (juarter of the globe some species ma}' be found. It comprises about 175 species and in- numerable varieties. Groups may be formed according to certain characters. The roots, for instance, are in some cases rhizomatous — creep- ing ; in others, almost bulbous. The latter require special care and conditions. The}' have a garden value, outside of mere pleasure in their stud}', because different kinds give bloom from spring until fall.
One of our Louisville (Ky.) readers has a large collection oi Iris in which he takes much pride and personal interest. He writes the fol- lowing regarding some wild species and other flowers :
" We have here /. versicolor, differing some- what from that I saw at Avalon, N. J., in that the leaves of our plant are narrower. I did not see the New Jersey form in bloom. Also, /. cristata, in abundance ; but I have never found /. verna, and doubt its growing near here.
Near this city is a range of hills known as the "Knobs," which are vestiges of the sub- carboniferous formation, the surrounding plain on which the city is built belonging to the Devonian. On these knobs grows a peculiar flora ; Ericas, Phlox pilosa, Lit/iospermum, Lia- iris, Viola pedata, and other interesting plants found nowhere else in this section.
The most interesting of all, perhaps, is I'iola pedata, of which there are two forms, the type and var. bicolor, Pursh. The two kinds grow in most intimate association, though 1 have found but one plant that showed clear evidence of crossing. These violets are found on the western slope of these hills growing in a stra- tum of tenacious yellow clay, not over twenty- five feet in thickness — neither above nor below it, though they do fairly well when transplanted to other situations and sometimes bear seed ; but I have not been able to find any young plants among them on my grounds."
Fondness of Bees for Sumach. — It is often recommended that linden trees be set out that bees may feast from the flowers ; bvit has it ever been observed by others how uncommonly fond of sumach these insects are ? Let a piece of bark be taken off" a Rhus typhina in early summer while the sap is active, and at once
the whole surface of exposed wood becomes so fully covered with bees that nothing whatever of the scar can be seen. The visits of the in- sects are kept up until quite late in summer.
I have not observed whether the flowers of this species are visited or not ; but it is a sight to see them on those of the R. copallina, which are in display in August, When the heads of flowers are fully open they are so full of bees that hardly is there room for a new comer to alight. J. M.
L.\RGE Pine Trees. — British Columbia has many species of large, cone-bearing trees. One of the most interesting of these is the Sugar Pine {Finns Lambertiana^, so called because its resin, when half burned by the passage of a fire, is sweet. Ford notes a fallen tree of this species 215 feet in length and 57 feet 9 inches in diam- eter. The same writer speaks of pines of a certain species growing on the Columbian River that attain the height of 240 feet.
In running the boundary between British Columbia and the United States, the axe-men had, in one locality, the herculean task of hewing out the line through patches of gigan- tic Douglas Spruce, many of which were 30 feet in circumference and from 200 to 250 feet
in height.
-Canadian Horticulturist.
Trees Encircling Foreign Substances. — I became acquainted with a man who, some years ago, in working up a wood-pile, found one block (of clear wood, free to split) which he could not split. He chopped into it to see what the trouble was, when, to his astonish- ment, he found a trace chain encircling the inner part. The same man found, in another tree, an iron bar. T. Wheeler.
Moscow, Vt.
Autumn in the Mountains of North Caro- lina.— A correspondent writing from Blowing Rock, North Carolina, in the early part of October, says : — " I have never seen so glorious a fall — we had a wet spell followed by sharp cold, and every tree took on some shade of red, yellow, or bronze, — the maples adopting all. "
Since the manner in which nature operates in coloring leaves and flowers has been made plain, the study of her works, in connection with the glory of American autumn scenery, has a new interest.
GENERAL GARDENING.
THE GARDEN IN WINTER.
My very heart faints, and ni}^ whole soul grieves At the moist, rich smell of the rotting leaves,
And the breath Of the fading edges of Box beneath. And the year's last Rose. — Tennyson.
New Wood Over Wounds. — I notice, with interest, " Cloverly's " note, "Dead Patches on Tree Bark." I would like to say, in such cases, and in cases where trees have been wounded by careless lawn-mowing, I have found that the "patches" will cover over much sooner if one takes a sharp knife, while the tree is making its soft-wood growth in spring, and draw the edge of the knife along the line of the patch, cutting into the new growth. The elaborated sap seems to ooze out and a surprising amount of new wood is the result. This operation may be necessary two or three years in succession, according to the size of the patch ; but the result will be a complete union of the new wood over the patch.
Morris Plains, N. J. E. REAGAN.
Yellow Tree Lupine. — The yellow Lupine of California, Lupimis arborens, is one of the grandest of ornamental plants, when it finds itself in localities suited to its tastes. Gar- deyiing Illustrated refers to a specimen in an English garden that is already a grand bush eight feet high. The hundreds of spikes of brilliant yellow flowers must be " a sight to see, ' ' as the expression goes.
Top-dressing Lawns. — Much valuable fer- tilizing material is wasted where applied on frozen ground that is sloping. The rains and melting snow carrj^ it off. Stable manure affords protection to the surface roots of grass, and is in that way beneficial, even though the fertilizing constituents are largely lost.
Considering the matter solely in its rela- tion to fertilization, unleached wood-ashes are largely taking the place of manure, as they are
less offensive, unsightly, and do not make pos- sible the spreading of weed seeds. To get the most benefit from ashes or any other fertilizer, they should be applied about the time the roots may be expected to use them, or when the soil will readily accept them. Therefore, apply ashes before the ground freezes, that they may work into the soil ; or in early spring, in time for the roots to make use of them.
Arbor-vit.e and Salt Water. — The ques- tion of what evergreens will thrive along the sea-coast frequently arises, a direct answer being impossible. A correspondent writes : —
' ' Can you give me any information as to the arbor- vitae's sensibility to salt? We wish to plant a hedge where the salt or brackish water will be within four feet of the svirface. ' '
The conductors have seen a very general assortment of evergreens growing well along the coast — retinisporas, firs, junipers, etc., but none were so close to the water as four feet. The juniper seems to thrive admirably, and in smaller sizes looks well. Among broad-leaved evergreens, the Japanese Euonymus is an ac- knowledged leader at the sea-shore. Japanese or Californian Privet, though not entirely ever- green, is nearl}^ so, and has been seen as close to the water as our correspondent describes. The Chinese Arbor- vitse is a very sturdy ever- green, and ought to stand a great deal.
The English Yew. — The famous English Yew does admirably well in the Middle States, and would probably succeed in the far north when planted so as to be secure from cutting winds in the winter season. One of the oldest trees in America grew in Germantown, Phila- delphia, up to a few 3-ears ago, when it was destroyed in the march of building improve- ments. It was almost as large as the two-and- a-half-story building adjoining, and the trunk was many feet in circumference near the ground. An illustration of this tree is given herewith. The Germantown Horticultural
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Society initiated measures looking to the pvir- chase of the corner lot, so as to preserve the tree. The public feeling for its preservation w^as so strong that this part of the programme promised success. But the care of the tree for all time, subsequently, was a problem that could not be solved, and the grand old j^ew had to be left to its fate.
Surface Water .\nd Springs. — Please ac- cept my thanks for the publication of your truthful contention, that the roots of trees take up a great amount of water and make the
than when the ground is moist ? Provided the rainfall is the same, will not more water be used up bj' the plant growth in a highl^^ culti- vated river valley than there would be if the valley produced less plant growth ? If the entire valley of the INIississippi j-early pro- duced double its present annual amount of plant growth, would the river discharge its present amount of water ? I think increased crops may diminish streams, unless they in- creased the rainfall, and I think the atmos- phere is so vast, and moves so rapidly, that it would require a great increase of plant growth
THE OLD YEW TR£E IN GERMANTOWN.
soil under them dr}-. The same is true of all growing land plants. I suppose trees with needle-shaped leaves take up much less water than trees with broad leaves, and that the faster a tree grows the more water it takes from the ground. I think the ground upon which a thrift}^ forest is growing (in June, Jul}' and August), will be drier than it would be were it ntide. So you and I think alike upon the above points. Do not deciduous trees, when forming their leaves in the spring, use more water than in midsummer ? Do not trees duiing summer droughts use much less water
in a vast vallej- to increase the rainfall per- ceptibly. Our White Mountain region, which is one source of the INIerrimac River, was chiefl}' covered with forests. Millions of dol- lars were invested in manufacturing establish- ments upon this river. No investor in these establishments said a word about having the White Mountain forests preserved. Some thirty-three 3'ears ago, the Governor proposed the selling of the White Mountain lands, and they were sold at a ver}' nominal sum without a word of protest from the mill-owners. The purchasers found means to utilize the lumber.
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and after they had been lumbering several years, not the tnill-owners, but certain the- orists, began to preach that the cutting of the White Mountain forests would ruin, or at least greatly damage, the Merrimac as a water-power for manufacturing purposes.
Three points were urged by these theorists : (i) That it would diminish the rainfall ; (2) that it would cause higher freshets ; (3) that it would cause the river to be lower during dry weather. Perhaps thej^ have generally given up the first, — the second and third they still contend for, and urge that the State prohibit the purchasers from felling most of the trees which the State sold to the purchasers ; and another of their propositions is for the State to take possession of the land which it sold a few 5ears ago.
The aesthetics protest against the lumber- men without stopping to think that the forests are kept more thrift}', and consequentlj' more beautiful, as well as more profitable, by re- moving the full-grown trees so that the young ones may grow. Of course, the lumbermen, cutting all the trees, injure the scenery for quite a number of 5'ears, and this is especially so when fire follows the axmen, as it too often does.
If the water that falls in the valle}' of the Mississippi could be furnished to each and every acre of the valle}-, to the extent required in order to make it 3'ield the greatest amount of farm and forest crops, would there be much left to run off in the river ? Would not the valley, then, cultivated as well as some market gardens are cultivated, suppl}^ the world with food ? Malthus may have had a great amount of University learning and culture, but he knows little of the possibilities of scientific agriculture. J. D. L,yman.
Exeter, New Hampshire.
The senior conductor of Meehans' Monthly lias been preaching the doctrine presented by our correspondent for nearly half a century. But so few understand the geological condi- tions as affecting underground water courses, that sound deductions make little progress against sentimentalism. Local rainfall has little to do with springs. The great rivers of the world owe their chief volume to the rains and melting snows of high mountain ranges, that fall above the timber line. Following the incline of the rock, the water flows, often
hundreds of miles, through the rifts in the strata, before it finds an* outlet at the earth's surface. Even though there should be extra- ordinary falls of rain more than the surface earth could retain for the use of vegetation, only in rare instances could this surface water get through the underlying rock so as to reach the streams below. Here and there clefts might be found for percolation ; but it could have no appreciable influence on the great volume below.
Feeding Roots of Trees. — Referring to your answer to my questions in my article of "Planting Trees too Deep," it brings up sev- eral more questions, one of which is : How does anyone know that there are no fibrous roots belonging to the subsoil roots ? Fibrous roots, as I understand them, are feeding roots. You sa}' that ' ' fibres are not produced from the main roots deep in the ground, because there is no food for them to work on." Now, we say, regarding the clover roots, that they send down their feeding roots, deep down into the ground, and bring up the food which is stored there. This is what is said of the Alfalfa, also. To let a little light in on this question, we must remember the fact, which all of us know, but we all do not think about it as we go along, that forest trees, as well as other trees, draw the most of their sustaining food from the depths of the earth, and there must be fibrous roots as deep down into the ground as they can go. If they cannot find food down there, they would perish, for, in the dense woods the surface roots have to compete with the surface roots of all other trees in their vicinity ; but, down below is an unexplored country^ and the riches have been sinking down for centuries. These roots follow down as deep as the tree is tall.
Can anyone controvert this claim of mine .? I have seen the roots of a willow tree at the bottom of a fifty-five-feet well, and the tree, itself, was not forty feet tall. I have ex- amined the forest trees on the edge of a caving- in bank, — river bank, — and have traced the long, slim roots, at its foot, forty or fifty feet below.
You say, in planting, the "holes should be made deep and filled with porous material, to form reservoirs of air and moisture." Such, for example, as straw or coarse manure, or
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[Dec.
brick-bats or rock, then the trees to be planted on top, I suppose, in clean earth well rammed. I think, with j'ou, that the reservoir plan is a good one, and the next trees I have to plant I will try it. I suppose old tin cans would answer as well as straw, for I can get several wagon -loads quite handy. I wonder if we cannot get that idea patented?
Festus, Missouri. F. K. STEELE.
Mr. Steele touches on a theoretical question of immense practical importance. To appre- ciate it properl}^ one must follow facts care- fully. For instance : When a large tree, grow-
class of rootlets practically disappear in pro- portion to the depth from the surface. The roots found deep beneath the surface, — and which are sometimes found at long distances, as noted bj'' INIr. Steele, — bear so small a pro- portion to those near the surface, that for all practical purposes we say the feeding roots do not extend far underground.
It would probably be extravagant to say that the few roots deep beneath the surface aided, in no respect whatever, in furnishing food to the tree. A rootlet, that may be one in a thou- sand to secure a permanent lease of life, should
surely be able to carry with it a power as a food preparer, possess- ed by its less fortunate annual brother.
Beyond all this, it is a well-known fact that, if the surface iinder a tree be filled in several feet with compact earth, the tree dies; but if a layer, a foot deep, of ' 'tin cans' ' were placed over the surface before the filling in, the tree trunk might be filled in twenty feet deep without injury.
The principle is, therefore, demonstrat- ed that, as a general principle, the feeding roots are at the surface.
BROWALLIA SPECIOSA MAJO R. - -SEE DESCRIPTION, PAGE 185
ing in an undisturbed position for manj^ years, is examined, the earth, at and just below the surface, is found a mass of dead, thread- like fibres, resembling sponge, through which living ones may be seen working their wa}". These living ones seem to start into growth soon after midsummer, and before next mid- summer are mostly dead, — the stronger sur- viving to become permanent roots. These are known as the feeding fibres or rootlets, as they undoubtedh' are. When we get a chance to see a section of the earth below the trunk of a similar tree, — as we often can. in a railway or similar cut through a forest, — we note that this
Wagons with Broad Tires. — It has been conceded that wagons with broad tires take more horse-power to pvill than wheels with narrow tires, all other things being equal. On a smooth, brick roadway, or on a properly made i\Iacadam with a smooth surface, as often noted in the Old World, the tractive force certainly favors the narrow tires. This has been dem- onstrated over and over, and accords with mechanical principles. The IVIissouri Agri- cultural Experiment Station now presents a statement that this is all wrong. Broad tire wheels, they say, have the lightest draughts. Surely [the tests must have been made when other things were not equal.
1899]
MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
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]EW ©1 R^RE wL^nri
Browallia speciosa major. — Mr. John Coulson, Worcester, Mass., sends a beautiful photograph, which is here reproduced, illus- trating the pretty Solanaceous plant from New Granada, Browallia speciosa major. Mr. Coul- son sends with it the following note : "In Meehans' Monthly, of Sept., 1898, page 139, is an excellent article on Broivallia speciosa major, signed A. ]\I. P. It is also very valuable as a basket plant, blooming the entire winter."
New Poppy, Dolly Varden. — Nothing brightens up a flower garden more than pop- pies. Single-flowered kinds are common, but
A New Tobacco. — Tobacco worshippers may be glad to know that, although there are some one hundred species already described by botanists, a new member of the family ha.s been discovered on the Pacific Coast, and named by Mr. Brandegee, Nicotiana Stocktoni. Mr. A. L. Stockton discovered it on Socorra Island.
TIHE 1HI(^IR1D)Y FLOWEl '^mM
Artificial Gardening. — There are two recognized chief styles in gardening — the arti- ficial and the natural. At one time, the art of gardening was simply art, — art that deemed nothing in gardening worthy of the name that was not bent to some form by human
AN ARCHED ROSE GARDEN.
few double varieties are seen. A new strain of double flowers is being introduced by Peter Henderson & Co., New York, the colors rang- ing from flesh-pink to rose, crimson, maroon, white, etc. They continue blooming for some time, and are presumably annual.
Cedrus Atlantica glauc.a.. — The owner of a large specimen of Cedar of Lebanon usually considers it a matter of pride, — and it is. But the possessor of a fine Blue Atlas Cedar, Cedrus ■Atlantica giauca, may be considered particu- larly fortunate. A reader in Greenwich, Conn., reports having a very large specimen, of which he may feel justly proud. The glaucous color of the foliage is similar to that of the Colorado Blue Spruce.
hands. Trees had to be clipped or twisted intO' various shapes ; and even a handful of flowers was not worthy of consideration unless with some formal outline, — as Thomas Hood would say : —
" The bridal nosegay of early bloom, About the size of a birchen broom ' '
was considered the proper thing.
The flower-beds and the lawns followed the same rule, and Dutch gardens, and French gardens, — gardens laid out by foot-rule and compass, were the order of the day.
The natural style came in as a revolt against these straight-laced customs. The result, as is usual in such protests, is an extreme on the other side. There is scarcely any art at all. There may be a plot of grass, to be kept short
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MEEHANS MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING.
[Dec.
bj' a lawn-mower, and trees and slirnb.s scat- tered around, as if one had thrown a handful of stones, and set in a plant on the spots where the stones fell. Intelligent people are already' tiring of this, and on all sides come cries for "our grandmothers' gardens," with their neatly-trimmed box-edgings around little plots in which real flowers grew.
These remarks are inspired just now by reading, in the Revue Horticole, an account of a French gentleman, named Haj^ who has a wonderful garden in which the rose pla5'S the leading part. Not only all the varieties that are popular with florists are gathered together
them. B}^ a due introduction of frames, artistically^ arranged as this Frenchman has arranged his rose frames, pleasure and delight would be brought in nvimerous waj'S, of which garden lovers to-daj^ are wholly deprived.
No one would desire a return to these old styles to the exclusion of natural beauty. We would not ask, as a verdant son of the Emerald Isle is reported to have asked, that if a few quinces made a pear pie taste so good, how delicious would it not be if the pear pie were made wholh^ of quinces ? But there can be no question that a judicious mixture of both styles would be no disad- vantage to good gar- dening ?
A PORTICO ROSE GARDEN.
here, but everr,^ species that maj' have been described by botanists finds a home on the grounds. The}- are not scattered pell-mell, in ' ' natural stj'le, ' ' in everj' direction ; but are gathered together in the most artistic waj^ and in many ways. Two of these are trans- ferred from our French contemporarj'. One presents a view of the " Garland Garden," the other the " Portico Walk."
What is being done here with roses, can be applied to numerous other classes of plants. Ornamental flowering vines, suited to Ameri- can gardening, are numerous, — but American gardening to-day derives little advantage from
ROSE-PRUNING. —
This needful operation will now, of course, be much in the mind of the grower, and it is astonishing, consid- ering all that has been written on this sub- ject, and the number of questions that have been asked and an- swered, that so much ignorance should still prevail on the subject. An amateur would never entrust this op- eration to the gar- dener unless he is one whom he has specially trained for it, and upon whose careful- ness and intelligence he ma}^ thoroughly rely ; for a man may un- derstand all about vines, stove plants, etc., 3'et put him into a rose-garden, it is certain that he will make a muddle of it. He has learned that hard-pruning is necessary, and so he treats all alike, whether they are strong or weak growers ; whereas an amateur usually knows that the hard-pruning applies to the weaker growers, and if he applies it to the stronger ones, he will get plent}' of shoots, but few flowers. After such a season as we have just gone through, where in this south-eastern part of England we have had neither frost nor snow of any consequence, the grower may be
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tempted, when he sees the extremities of his rose-shoots covered with foliage, to think it is time for him to apply the knife ; he will be unquestionabl}' wrong if he does so, because I do not think an3-thing should be done to en- courage a too earU' start of the buds towards the base of the shoot, on which he will reh' for his blooms in the coming season. If the shoots are left long, there maj' be growth at the ex- tremity which will absorb the sap, and so pre- vent the lower buds from swelling. — Garden- ers' Chronicle.
r^<mDTS ME ¥E<^ET/^PLES.
Santolina INC ANA. — I see in a catalogue a perennial plant named SaiitoUna incana. Will 5'ou not, some time, give us a picture of it, if possible, in your magazine, to make it better known to the people ?
One German author of Egyptian stories, Herr Georg Ebers, tells of a little Beytharan plant, so-called in Egj'pt, which grows in the desert. He sa\^s about it : —
'How often in the desert I have seen The small herb, Beytharan, in modest green, In ever}' tin}' leaf and gland and hair. Sweet perfume is distilled which scents the air. How is it, that in barren, sandy ground. This little plant so sweet a gift has found, And that in me in this vast and desert plain The sleeping gift of song awakes again ?' '
This rare little plant is catalogued b}' Haage & Schmidt, in Erfurt, Saxon\-, as Saiitolina fragra?itissima, or Heiligenpflanze (plant of the Saints). It is a succulent, and fineh- adapted for edging. This corresponds w'ith j-our de- scription of the same plant, and consequenth' my calling attention to it.
Hartford, Conn. ]MrS. W. SeLIGER.
The Santolina incana is a very dwarf, grayish bush, and distinct from the ver>' interesting plant now being introduced hy Haage & Schmidt. Indeed, the latter is not regarded by modern botanists as a Santolina at all, but one of the milfoils, and is quoted bj- recent authorities as Achillea fragrantissima.
Japanese Anemone, "Queen Charloi^te." — At the recent annual Exhibition of Plants and Chrysanthemum Show, of the Penns3'l- vania Horticultural Societ}', in Philadelphia, Mr. Henry A. Dreer exhibited a new Japanese Anemone, variety "Queen Charlotte." It bids fair to become a verj' popular variety, on ac- count of the size and coloring of the flowers.
Food by Injection. — Your correspondent was so fortunate, the present season, as to have raised a mammoth pumpkin which was exhib- ited at the October meeting of the Germantown Horticultural Societj'. It measured five feet two inches in circumference, and weighed 80 pounds.
One of the members of the societj' enquired what treatment the vine had received that might account for so unusual a grow'th of its fruit ; whether anj' stimulant had been applied to that end, adding that "up the country," amongst the farmers, when mammoth pumpkins were desired, milk was poured down the hol- low stem of the vine, it having been cut off a short distance bej'ond the fruit, and that he had known a pint of milk at a time to be fed in this way, daily. In repeating this, an in- credulous critic maintained that the growth could surel}' not thus be stimulated, for nutri- tion could only be applied through the root, that being the stomach or digestive organ of vegetation ; and since the milk, probablj', did not reach the root and return to the fruit, the growth of the latter would not thereby be in- creased. The writer was not sufficientl}^ ac- quainted with the biology of the vegetation to decide this question ; but the case of the Fly- trap occurred to him as an analogous instance, for surely the fl}-, or the morsel of beef, as it ma}- happen, cannot be first carried to the root before it nourishes the flower or plant. Will the editor of the INIonthly furnish his readers with his views on this subject ? W.
We agree wdth our correspondent that the milk could scarcely aid,— but that it is not impossible. :Matters of this kind are so easily tested by experiment, that opinions seem of little value.
Origin of Smith's Cider Apple.— One of the famous apples of the vicinity of Philadel- phia, is Smith's Cider ; but, though in a gener- al way it is ascribed to ' ' Bucks County, ' ' its real origin is not known. The following ex- tract from a letter placed in our hands by a Philadelphia friend, carries its historj^ back to a remote period, at anj' rate, and maj- bring out other facts. The apple sent has all the general characters of Smith's Cider, as grown here ; the onl}- differences being that it is
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[Dec.
brighter and better looking, ripening earlier, and with a more mellow and sweeter flesh. But the southern locality may explain this : —
"Baltimore, Md., September 22, 1899. As you are aware, in 1776, a number of Friends were banished from Philadelphia to Winches- ter, Va. , among them I mention James Pem- berton, Henry Drinker, Thomas Wharton, John Hunt, William Smith, Samuel Fisher, Miens Fisher and others. After they reached Winchester the Friends of the neighborhoods took them in their families. Among the latter was Isaac Brown, great grandfather of the writer. While they were with him, they planted an apple orchard, sending to Philadel- phia for the trees. The farm on which they planted the trees came from mj^ great-grand- father. The trees have been bearing apples for one hundred and twenty years, and annu- alh^ my two cousins, maiden ladies, Eliza and Kate Brown send me a few apples as a remem- brance of our childhood, seventy years ago.
The farm has never changed ownership.
Thinking that you may know some of the descendants of the P'riends, I send j'ou an apple known as the Smith Apple, which is supposed to be named after one of the Friends I have never seen the apples out of the neighborhood of Winchester. They may be interested in seeing an apple from a tree their ancestors planted a hundred and twenty-three years ago. ' '
It may be added that the word ' ' cider' ' is a later addition, and misnomer, as it is about the least fitted of any apple for cider-making.
Coffee-raising in Florida. — An article in one of our contemporaries, calling attention to the first production of coffee in the United States, (in Porto Rico and Hawaii), brings to the writer's remembrance a pleasant experi- ■ence when in Southern Florida about eleven 5'ears ago.
Along the south-eastern coast of Florida, there is a long and narrow strip of land between Lake Worth and the Atlantic Ocean, one of the principal sections of which is known as Palm Beach. It is a delightful spot to one unaccustomed to real tropical scenes. Here may be seen large, graceful cocoanut trees, their branches somewhat re- sembling our pretty little house palm, Cocos, only on a magnificent, large scale. Some of
our readers may recall an illustration in Meehans' INIONTHLY sonie years ago from a photograph taken at that time. Besides being planted in groves, where the cocoanuts, huge in their husks, hang thickly on the trees in all stages of growth, they line avenues, or walks, the graceful fronds arching overhead.
But, concerning the coffee, it was in a private garden, where visitors were made welcome, coffee plants were seen growing nicely and producing the seeds — or simply coffee, as we usuall}' speak of it. Two are encased in one thin husk, the flat sides together. The owner of this property, a northern man, took consider- able pride in his southern garden, and especi- alh^ in testing various commercial plants, like the coffee, not seen outside of more tropical climates.
Visitors to I-'lorida should not fail to go to this section, where there is so much of interest unlike anything else in the South.
Strawberries Under Glass. — The London Journal of Horticulhire notes that growing strawberries under glass for marketing is tak- ing on large proportions. They are grown in pots, and in houses in which other things fol- low in succession. Strawberries occupy the space from a little before Christmas to the mid- dle of June, — tomatoes or cucumbers take their place up to the middle of October, — chrysan- themums follow to Christmas. One grower has mushrooms for a connecting crop, the mush- rooms coming vip in the spaces between the flower pots. Another grower has 40,000 plants under glass, and commenced marketing tlie fruit in early April. There was about a quar- ter of a pound to each pot. They simply come on in a sort of natural way under glass. Real forcing has not been found profitable.
It is said that a great drawback to this cul- ture is the cost of marketing. Each grower seems to paddle his own canoe in this matter. If the business were large enough and steady enough to warrant a communit}' of interest in a distribution plan, the profits would be enor- mous.
Fruits and Vegetables Among the Sh.'VKERs. — It is said that the remarkable lon- gevit}' of the Shakers is claimed by them to be due entirely to the self-enforced rule of regular sleeping hours and meals, the kind of clothing
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worn, the manual occupation and the food par- taken of at the settlement. The most of the Shakers are enthusiastic vegetarians. Con- trary to the opinion of man}- food authorities, the)^ consider tomatoes as exceptionally health- ful. They use them for breakfast, dinner and supper all through the tomato season, while the Lebanon Shakers put up about 400 gallons for their own use every winter. As these Shakers have not had a case of fever in the family for thirt}' 3'ears, have almost no other sickness, and scarcely ever a doctor, it looks as though their diet agreed with them. Another vegetable that they especially prize is celery, which the}^ think good for the nerves. Apples in abundance are also a staple article of diet, served baked, in a warm sauce or even in pies and puddings.
Hybrid Sand Pears. — Since the Kieffer Pear appeared, — a supposed hybrid between the Sand Pear and the Bartlett, — the list of good kinds of this class has increased. Besides this, there is now the Le Conte, Garber, and Cincinnis.
Livingston Tomato. — Livingston Co., Co- lumbus, Ohio, are introducing the Livingston Tomato, claimed an advance in good qualities ; five inches across and very smooth.
The Fig Tree. — The fig is one of the few fruits that seem, in a measure, disease-proof. For ages it has held its own as the great friend of man. Excellent crops were raised from winter-protected trees in the open ground, near Philadelphia, last year.
Fruit Eating Animals. — The sweet and luscious grapes are eaten with great relish bj' horses, cows and sheep. Deer are fond of grapes, and often do much damage in California vineyards. Hogs fatten upon grapes, rabbits love them, and a number of the wild animals, as the elephant and camel, will eat them.
The apple ranks high in favor, and horses, cows, sheep, goats, hogs, and many of the wild animals eat apples with avidity. The elephant and deer are fond of them, while others become accustomed to them after a trial or two. All the domestic fowls and manj^ of the wild birds are fond of apples.
The fig is the favorite fruit among animals, and camels, horses, cows, hogs, sheep and
goats, will eat this fruit as readily as man. The elephant considers it a dainty, while all the fowls greedily devour figs.
The esquimaux dog will eat almost any of the dried fruits. The sour or acid fruits, as the orange, lemon, lime, shaddock, etc., as well as sour plums, and the bitter olives, are rarely eaten.
Nothing, perhaps, is so bitter as olives freshl}' picked, 5'et after thej' turn purple and black, hogs soon learn to devour them.
Peaches are not a favorite except with a few animals, though rabbits fanc}- them.
The cherrj' is a delicac}- much sought after b}' the whole feathered tribe, (and by boys who are not feathered.)
It is well known that rabbits, rats and squir- rels all eat apples.
The ostrich will consume half a dozen kinds of fruit. — JVaverfy Magazine .
First-class Fruits and Vegetables. — Ignorant writers are fond of ridiculing the cul- ture of fruits and vegetables under glass, as if the sole object were to get something out of season. They do not know that the skillful gardener can beat nature ever}' time in qualit}' as well as in the time when the article may be said to be in season. We have come to learn that, to some extent, in the house culture of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and some other things, — and those acquainted with the results, understand full well that mere out-door culture could never have product of equal quality, — the prices obtained, by those who grow for market, compensate for all the extra trouble involved. Grape culture under glass was once very popular in America ; but the easy produc- tion of the foreign grape in the open air of California, dampened the ardor of our cultiva- tors. But no one has ever yet found a bunch of California grapes to equal the results of a first- class grape-grower of the article under glass. Even in German}^ and France, where the grape does well in the open air, the glass house grape-grower finds a good profit in his occupa- tion, if he is a real gardener and not an empiric. La Semaine Horticole notes that a cultivator of this class, near Brussels, produced a bunch that weighed over seven pounds. It was sold at auction and brought about $5.50, which we suppose is about the highest price ever paid for a single bunch of grapes.
BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
NATURE'S TRANQUILITY.
Ah, fading joy ; how quickh- thou art past !
Yet we thy ruin haste.
As if the cares of human life were few,
We seek out new ;
And iollow fate, which would too fast pursue.
See, how on ever^^ bough the birds express,
In their sweet notes, their happiness.
They all enjoy, and nothing spare ;
Bvit on their mother Nature lay their care ;
Wh}' then should man, the lord of all below.
Such troubles choose to know,
As none of all his subjects undergo ?
Hark, hark, the waters fall, fall, fall,
And with a murmuring sound
Dash, dash upon the ground.
To gentle slumber's call.
— John Drydkn.
James A. Root. — Mr. James A. Root, the well-known nurserjMnan and seed-dealer of Skaneateles, New York, died earh' in October, from a stroke of apoplexy. The nursery, of some twenty-seven acres, and the beautiful home in the midst, will eventually have to pass into other hands, their only son, who would have continued the business, having passed awa3^ before the father. For the present, the widow will continue the business.
Corn as a National Flower. — Every season, when the waj'side is ablaze with the glory of the Golden-rod, interspersed with its complement of color in the purples of the aster, we have renewed the discussion : what shall be our national flower ?
All honor to the Golden-rod, the "yellow- top " of our grandmothers, used so successfully by them in dj^eing. We welcome its blossom- ing time ; but a national flower has demands that our golden favorite cannot satisfy. It is, indeed, a free bloomer in many sections ; but so is tobacco, if we must have a " weed," and the latter is certainly more tA^pical. A flower chosen as the flower par excellence of a great nation, should be emblematical in the best sense. What so fully answers all requirements as the maize, or Indian corn, beautiful from its
(190)
beginning, with its tiny blades to the "full corn in the ear ?' ' There is an air of grace and grandeur in a field of growing corn, from the waving tassel to the silken ear. With what diversity of coloring it readily lends itself to art decoration, and has wonderful possibilities in a conventional way !
Then, from the practical side, as a food pro- duct and its uses in the arts and sciences, it is marvelous. The Indians, from whom came to us this wonderful flower, plant and grain, fully appreciated its value, honoring its harvest time with the great corn-dance.
Then it has both a historical and a political interest, while the very name, maize (bread), is emblematical. What more appropriate motto for a nation founded on truth and righteous- ness than " We feed the world ?" We love the Columbine of the springtime and the Golden- rod that gladdens the time of the falling of the leaf; but all simple wayside flowers must twine their bright blossoms for the coronation da3% and proclaim corn as King !
Sarah Ballantine Bowerman.
Forestry. — "A Primer of Forestry'" is the title of a neatly bound and profusely illustrated book, issued by the United States Depart- ment of Agricultvire, and prepared by Giffbrd Pinchot, forester to the Department. It is Part the 1st, of which a second is to follow. The present part deals with the units that compose the forest, with its character as an organic whole, and with its enemies. Part the 2nd, is to deal with Practical Forestrv.
Historic Trees and Gardens of Phila- delphia.— Philadelphia has .been the home of many famous old gardens, the histories of which abound in interesting facts and legends. Where now brick and mortar are dominant, and the bustle of business life out-crowds all thoughts of the different conditions that were, once could be seen large mansions and, then spacious, grounds. Old inhabitants are yet to
i899]
MREHANS' MONTHIvY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE.
191
be found to tell of the farms sittiated within a few blocks of what is now one of the busiest trade thoroughfares. With the solid blocks of houses extending for miles in many directions, it is not strange that the younger generation finds it difficult to take in the situation por- trayed and handed down from one generation to another.
One of the most interesting works recount- ing the state of things from the time of the early settlers of Philadelphia to comparatively modern times, is "Watson's x\nnals," a rare old book in two volumes. The following par- agraphs were compounded from a hasty glance through its pages, and are reproduced because of the interesting reference to the introduction of the Lombardy Poplar ; and to the similar feeling of the present day against certain legis- lation affecting trees, and to the enclosing of grounds by means of tall fences or walls. In- teresting notes might also have been made of the description of Norris' Gardens, where un- usually large catalpas were a prominent feat- ure and the " Yellow Willow" was introdiiced.
" The chief trees .seen in the streets of the city, before the Revolution, were buttonwoods and willows ; several were used by the British for fuel. Such as remained were attacked by an Act of the Corporation ' to guard against fire and stagnant air.' In William Penn's time, they also talked of cutting off" trees to purify the air.
"The tall sky-piercers, called Lombardy Poplars, were first introduced among us by William Hamilton, Esq., of the Woodlands, who brought them with him on his return from Europe in 1786-7. William Bingham, Esq., first planted them in long lines, and closely set, all round his premises in the city. As they were easily propagated and grew rapidly, they soon became numerous along all our streets. In time they were visited by a large worm, the bite of which was considered poi- sonous. It received the name of the ' Poplar Worm. '
"The 'Mansion House' [Fourth and Spruce], built and lived in by William Bingham, Esq., about the year 1790, was the admiration of that day for its ornaments and magnificence. The grounds, generally, he had laid out in beautiful style, and filled the whole with curi- ous and rare clumps and shades of trees ; but in the usual selfish style of Philadelphia im-
proved grounds, the whole was surrounded and hid from the public gaze by a high fence. An occasional peep through a knot-hole was all the pleasure the public could derive from such a woodland scene. After Mr. Bingham's death, the whole was sold off" in lots, and is since filled up with houses."
Lewis' Leaf-chart, No. 7.— The Leaf-chart, No. 7, prepared by Miss Graceanna Lewis, Media, Pa. , which series she is publishing for use in schools, is devoted to the willows and poplars. As great care is used to have the species accu- rately determined, the charts are as useful to students in dendrology, as well as in schools.
.Logan. — It will interest botanists every- where to know that the dwelling and part of the grounds of James Logan, in whose honor Logaiiia was named, and which stands as the type of the beautiful Natural Order of Logani- acecE, has practically come into possession of the City of Philadelphia, and will be preserved for all time as a public park.
When Councilman Meehan began his suc- cessful movement for sn'iall parks in Philadel- phia, in 1885, he selected, as far as practicable, famous gardens that the cold hands of brick and mortar had not already seized. In this way, Bartram's, MacMahon's, and Logan's grounds were among the first to be prepared for jury proceedings. The first two have been taken and paid for.
After Logan's had been placed on the plan, it was found that two ladies, descendants of lyOgan, owners of the grounds, anxious to pre- serve a small private grave-yard in which rested the bones of their ancestors, had pre- pared a deed of the house and eight acres of the plot now placed on the plan of the city as a park, conditional only that the graves should never be disturbed. These ladies are now de- ceased, and the trustee has turned over the deeds of this portion of the park to the city.
James Logan was Secretary of the Common- wealth to William Penn, and an admirable bot- anist. A paper on the sexes of flowers drew to him the especial regards of European botan- ists. He was as popular with the Indians as was William Penn. As the highest mark of respect an Indian could pay to a white man, Wingo, a chief, off"ered to change names. Logan explained that the white man's rules
192
MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL NOTES.
[Dec.
required the perpetuation of the family name, but he might take his name, and the beautiful .stream running through his grounds should bear the name of the Indian, — and thus we came bj' the famous Pennsylvanian Indian Chief Logan, and the (then) beautiful Wingo- hocking, — now wholl}' covered for public uses. The property will be known as Stenton Park, — this being the name of the estate, — there being already a Logan Square in the city.
F. W. Loudon. — The originator of the Lou- don Raspberry', Jessie Strawberry, and other fruits valuable but not largel}- known, Francis William Loudon, died at Janesville, Wis., on October 2nd, at the age of eighty. He was born at Troj^ N. Y. , living a rather retiring" life, though one of hard service in his devotion to new fruit productions.
Commercial Violet Culture, — by B. T. 'Galloway. Published by the A. T. De La Mare Company. A beautifull}'^ illustrated and prac- tically useful work, covering the whole subject of violet history and violet culture.
Verbesina. — According to Robinson and Greenman, in new series No. XVI of "Contri- butions from the Gray Herbarium," Verbesina, a genus of which we have numerous repre- sentatives among our Southern wild flowers, has no less than 109 well-defined species.
^EINlE^i^L MOTES.
Horticultur.\l Exhibition in Egypt. — Under the patronage of the Khedive of Egj'pt, who is a rare lover of gardening, an exhibition is to take place at Ghezireh, Cairo, on the 30th and 31st of March and April ist, 1900, at which Americans are especially invited to be com- petitors. A program in vQxy good English has been prepared, which maj' be had by address- ing W. Wilfred Care}^ Sec'y, Kasr-el-Doubara, Cairo, Egypt. Carnations, lilies, pansies, phlox, stocks, violets, roses, and " any good thing not specified," are among the special articles to be exhibited by florists, for which silver medals and sums of money are offered. Fruits named are bananas, and forms of citrus fruits, — and preserved fruits and vegetables are
freely quoted. There is also a chrysanthemum show, at which other articles of a general character are also invited, on Nov. 3d, 4th and 5th, but the notice is too short for Americans to profit thereby.
Flower-pots and Matrimony in Japan. — Strolling through the streets of Japan, Euro- peans wonder wh}' empty flower-pots are sus- pended by three chains from the windows, and empty fanc}^ vases are placed on the verandas. They are told that it is a way of signifying that there are marriageable young girls within.
In Japan, the flower-pot is an important symbol in matrimonial customs ; epistolar}^ declarations and nocturnal serenades are not the fashion. Etiquette demands that the suitor shall, under the window of the niousme, or young girl, with whom he is enamored, fill the vase with earth and the plant of his choice.
Before proceeding in this little operation, Romeo assures himself that Juliet and her mother are at home ; these ladies naturally affect not to see the 3'oung man adorning their pot with his flowers.
The young girl is free to act as it pleases her ; if she takes care of the plant, watering it with her own hands, the young man may present himself without fear, being assured that his suit will not be rejected. On the other hand, if on the morrow he finds his plant, bruised and withered, at the feet of the passers- by, his course has been unfavorable. — La Semaine Horticole. Translated by S. D. Lantmig.
Orthography of Plant Names. — A cor- respondent inquires why the names of species are sometimes written commenced with a capital and sometimes not. Linnaeus introduced it with his binomial system to indicate that the adjective or specific name had been once used as a proper or generic name. There is no other way to convey this information. For instance, in the pretty Western composite, Bigelowia Bloomer i, we write the adjective with a capital, to convey the information that it was named in honor of Mr. Bloomer, the botanist ; but if written Bigeloivia bloomeri — and a zoolo- gist might so write it — it might indicate that the flower had some connection with a special article of ladies' dress. Botanists seem right in adhering to Linnaean rule in this respect.
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