Title: Meehan's Monthly, v. 9 Place of Publication: Phila. PA Copyright Date: 1 899 Master Negative Storage Number: MNS# PSt SNPaAg110.3 FILMED WHOLE OR IN PART FROM A COPY BORROWED FROM: CORNELL UNIVERSITY v^ MEEHANS' MONTHLY. A Magazine of Horticulture, Botany and kindred subjects. CONDUCl*ED BY THOMAS MEEHAN, FORMRRLY KDITOR OF THE ** GARDENERS' MONTHLY," AND AUTHOR OF THE " NATIVK FF^OWRRS AND FERNS OF THE UNITED STATES." VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAI^ SCIENCES OF PHII,ADEI.PHIA, BOTANIST TO THE PENNSYI^VANIA STATE BOARD OF AGRICUI.TIJRE, ETC. THOMAS B. MEEHAN, ASSISTED BY J. FRANKLIN MEEHAN. S. MENDELSON MEEHAN. VOI^UME IX, 1899. HXUSTRATED WITH COLORED LITHOGRAPHS, BY L. PRANG & CO., AND NUMEROUS COPPER AND WOOD ENGRAVINGS. COPYRIGHTED. THOMAS MEEHAN & SONS, GKRMANTOWN, PHILA., PA. Preface to Volume IX UST 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. \(H..LX PLATE N'-' 1. 1 f \ n' \ '\ f^i in ^ CHIMAPHILA MACULATA. SPOTTED WINTERGREEN. NATURAL ORDER ERICACE^. CHIMAPHILA MACULATA, Pursh. — A Span or more in height, more simple (than Chimaphila umbellaia) ; leaves oblong, 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 Notlfh America. See also Gray's Manual of ihf Northern United States, Wood's Class-Book of Botany, and Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora of the Northern United 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 earliestof 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 utrinque pet longi- tudinem discurrente:' But this white line, run- ning down the nerve, scarcely warrants the designation of " maculate," or spotted, which lyinnaeus gave it. There is, however, a strong disposition to retain the original form of the names of plants 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 Pytola, proposed the name Pseva for them. But by a para- graph in his " Medical Flora," he states that Pstseva was the name he proposed. The diffi- 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) \ t \ / % /M •! ATA eR PLAT \i'l.,L\ h'l.ATE N'' 1 \ CHIMAPHILA MACULATA. SPOTTED WINTERGREEN. NATURAL ORDER ERICACE^. CHIMAPHILA MACULATA, Puish. — A Span or morc in height, more simple (than Chimaphila umbellaid) ; leaves oblong, 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. Orgy's Synoptical Flora of Nor Hi America. See also Gray's Manual of ih^ Northern United States, Wood's Class-Rook of Botany, and Brittou and Brown's Illustrated Flora of the Northern United 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. Linnceus named it Pyrola maculata, evidently as suggested by the description of the old author, Plukenet: ''Pyrola 7naria?ia * * ad nervium linea alba iitrifiqiie per longi- tudiyiem disairrefite.'' But this white line, run- ning down the nerve, scarcely warrants the designation of " maculate," or spotted, which lyinn^eus gave it. There is, however, a strong disposition to retain the original form of the names of plants 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 Pytola, 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 diffi- 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 Jour?tal 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 uynbellata. Chimaphila he would retain as the name of a sub-section, under which only our present C. ^naculata should be placed. Rafinesque was fond of abbreviations in writing. It is more than likely he origin- ally wrote P'ssivay 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) II I I ! I < , I I I • > \A \i LOR PLAT TMTi:?M'TT/~»M A T CC/-'r\XTT~» t7-vr>/-vCT Tr>r: MEEHANS* MONTHLY — CHIMAPHILA MACULATA. [ January maphila maculata, affords an interesting study. In this direction variations are remarkable, yet no one would suggest a mixture of Chima phila umhellata 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 maculata. 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 Chimaphila umbellata has become a citi- zen of a great part of the world, our pretty species is distinctively American, and confined, 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, 1 759, Peter Collinson remarks: "Pray send me a sod or two more of thy pretty Pyrola,W\\.\i 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 Pytola, — 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 difficulty 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 anything 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 money came to hand, but says he "as I have made up ray 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 I 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 Moork. White Cypripedium. — Some one, who has the not over-common thought fulness 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 Cypripedium spectabiU. 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 diffused. 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 Lilium candidum, 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 106 (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 ffowers, 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, Bignonia 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, Symphoticarpos 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 Carolina, 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 Sapindus marginatus, 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 yUis fruit abund- antly, and beside being ornamental on the vine, they are gathered and made into jelly. Menispermum Ca?iadense, Moon-vSeed, occurs frequently, but its beauty is far out-done by other plants. Species of Viburnum also bear attractive fruit. Toward the holiday season, the Phora- dendron fiavescens, 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 among 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, OkUhoma. 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 SymphoricarpoSy'' 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 Catolina, Cocculus 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 feature of 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 lo, 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 days 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 concolor^ *' 16, 1898. ccrsia^ speciosa, arguia^ juncea, serotinay var. giganteay «< «« « CI II II II ti <( II 11 II 11 netnoraliSy Canadensis^ lanceolatay ruga say patulay 16, 1898 24, 1898. 14, 1898. Aug. 14, 1898. 8, 1898. 28, 1898. (< It (( rugosa and CanadensiSy varying considerably. I came across a variety of Canadensis y some time ago, quite floccose, or wooly. 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 spring 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 <:ontrary 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 w^ell 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 Marchantia and Chrysosplenium spread below an ice-coated dripping ledge. These attract the eye, perhaps, — but there istheTrailing 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 UCW bird, to me, seemingly of the Black Martin family (the Hirundo labica)y 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. Yesterday, 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 WI88AHICKON WINTER SCENE. 1 1 II I I MEEHANS' MONTHI.Y— WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. 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 different looking bird, with long and narrow wings. F. K. Steele. Festus, Jefferson County, Missouri, October 24, 1898. October 29, the Chimney Swift, Cypsilus pelasgius, 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. p, k. S. [January 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 w^ool or hair and is dragged from the ripe receptacle or calyx. Newlin Williams. 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 densely 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, yields 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 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 Americana there mentioned is the one now adopted by those in favor of the '♦New Nomenclature" for the plant formerly known as Hosackia Ameticatta. As I under- stand it, the change was made by Prof. E. ly. 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 fitting that one who did so much for botanv 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 Bischoff 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 years, and the name Hosackia has become part of universal literature. Another expert now has a different view from his fellow experts, and I 1 1 I \ 1 II J I I 1899-] 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 scarcely 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. They 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 says : — " 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. JU 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, no difficulty will be found in growing it to perfection. Jno. Thatcher. Wynnewood, Pa. 18) 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 tbe 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 1899-] 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 op 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 iiardy trees, shrubs, vines, evergreens or 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 effort to make his home as beautiful and attractive as possible, both in summer and winter. "A garden should tell the reasons 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 Aquifolium. Daphne Cneorum, all kinds of Berbetis, Rosa tugosa, wild roses, Sweet Briar Roses, Viburnum Oxycoccos, Eu- onymus 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, they 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- tily-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, zo 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. Bgan'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 ? K. 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 flat 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 under 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 Walnut 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 dianthi), 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: "Imoved a hawthorn from the woods five miles away, to day, taking four horses, six men and about 1899.] meehans* monthly— general gardening. II 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. INIEW ©1 l/^RIE FL/^NTSo 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 by illus- tration. It goes by the botanical name of Myosotis alpestris robusta grandiflora 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 Semaine 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 Countv 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 1 4 lanterns on, and each lantern from 2^ 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. l>arn 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 plants 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 Frafichetti 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. cycla aurichalcea, commonly known as "ped- dlers,*' as they carry on their backs their cast- off 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- osc as standards and Howell, Ducluss, Clair^eau and d'Anjou as dwarf A BANANA FLOWER. H 'reNTIONAL SECONDEXPOS ' I I i 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. — Pbrcivai,. Pyxidanthera barrulata.— The beauti- ful wreath of Pyxidanthera batbulata, 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 Landreth in 1784, 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- (14) 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 everyday life, as sub- jects for the artist's skill. 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,— will 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, ' Lone 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 Sun 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, ofcourse,— 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 wn . 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 college, 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 Gz^dening. 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 MBBHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND UTERATURE. [Januarys 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 t^ie 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 I OS." 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 years, 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 Libani is of interest to Massachusetts people. Its companion, plant- ed by Senator Evarts, is doing nearly as well."^ <^ElMEKi^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 glaucum, 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. I ( k \V)|..IX !^> ATVV V"'-' O 1 1 .ATr 111! :| f) \ Q V I ! : i .^ ! ) \ t \ • / ' / ■ •. i , \ ' \ PASSIFLORA INCARNATA. COMMON AMERICAN PASSION FLOWER. NATURAL ORDER, PASSIFLORACE^. PASSIFLORA INCARNATA, Linnieus— Leaves palraately 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 States, 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 sufficiently distinct to form a natural order by itself, under the name of Passifloracece. The botanical name of the genus, Passiflora, seems to have been first used by Plukenet, in 1705, and to have been adopted by Linnaeus, though most botanists tell us '*it was altered by Linnaeus from the old name Flos Passiojiiis, or Passion P'lower." Our species, Passiflora incarnata, and one from South America, Passiflora carrulea, 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 '^Paradisus" 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 ( icrarde was writing in England, seems to have been the earliest writer extant who refers to the flower as ' 'repre- senting the PavSsion 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'Auxere, translated into English in 1705, we give as fol- lows: "'Tis not without Reason this Plant is called the Passion Floiver, for this Plant cannot be thought other than a miracle, seeing it bears a Flower on which God has been pleased to imprint the chief Mysteries of the Passion and Death of our Blessed Saviour. 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 truly 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 bloody Threads, that we see thereon, do they not figure 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 P'lower, 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 Iveaves 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- (17) fMW \niJX PASSIFLORA INCARNATA. COMMON AMERICAN PASSION FL0WP:R. NATURAL ORDER, PASSIFLORACE^. PASSIFLORA INCARNATA. T.innieus.—Leavespalmately three-lobed, acute, serrate; petioles bi-glandular; peduncles three- bracted; sepals with a horn-like point below the apex, whitish within; filameuts of the crown in about five rows, the twoouter 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 Botan\ , and Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and British Possessions.) I ^ ^ Few plants show better the ji^reat projj^ress which has Ijeen made in ])otanical knowledge than this, for when it was first introduced from the New World to the Old, it was classed with Climatis by the ])est botanists of those times. Now it is known to be widely different from that t\ pe of flower. It is indeed very closely related to the cucum- bers; but is regarded as sufficiently distinct to form a natural order by itself, under the name of Passijloracew. The botanical name of the genus, Passijlora, seems to have been first used by Plukenet, in 1705, and to have been adopted by Linnreus, though most botanists tell us "it was altered by Linmeus from the old name Flos /\issiofius, or Passion Flower." Our species, Passijiora iucaruata, and one from vSouth America, Passijiora ca^riilca, 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 Parkinscm, who issued his famous "Paradisus" 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 i)lenty 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 vS'panish P'riars with great imagination in calling it Fios Pas- sionus. Monardes, a ])hysician of Seville, in vS])ain, about the time that Gerarde was writing in Ivngland, 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 P>ench writer, Louis Liger d'Auxere, translated into HnglivSh 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 Ood 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 P)dges show us as it were sharp Prickles? Do they not truly 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 ]\Iark of his wrong'd Innocence? And these lit- tle bloody Threads, that we see thereon, do they not figure 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 jxirt below it represent the vSponge 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 vSide. Would not all this be a perfect Image of all the Instruments of his PavSsion, if this Saviour of Mankind would have ])ermitted his Cross, that is indeed wanting, to ])e ex- pressed on it?" In Catholic countries, how- (17) TNTRNTTONAT SFrOND FYPOSTTRR |: 'II H i8 MEEHAXS' MONTHLY — PASSIFI.ORA INCARNATA. [P'ebruary ever, the Passion Flower is used in the memo- rial services of the 14th of vSeptember, which is the day set apart for the festival of the Holy Cross. By modern floral emblematists, the Passion Plower has been selected to represent the most contradictor}- emotions. It is most commonly used as an emblem of "Hope" — probably 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 displav 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 poetry. 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 w^hich Tous- saint L'Ouverture — the once slave and finally 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 holy, Twining its tendrils long and lowly. — " Our species, Passiflora incarnata, does not climb over trees, as its West Indian relatives do, for it is herbaceous, dying to the ground every year; 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 always present in plants of the order Passifloracece, and are one of the ready marks by which it may be distinguished from neighboring orders. The flowers open early in the morning, and last only one day; but the plant is ver>' 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 diflerences has not been understood. Humble bees, which are verv fond of visitinsr the flowers for their sweets, become denseh' covered by 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 hours 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 vStates south of the Potomac River, where it is commonly known as ;'May-pops," and sometimes "May- apple," though in the North this name is used for the Podophyllum peltatum. 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 open the fruit as they do ^^'g^. and the liquor is supped off with great delight." It has not attained any great reputation in medicine, though Dr. Phares, a botanist and physician of :\Iississippi, believes it to have remarkable powers in cases of lockjaw. With possibly 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 already, and explor- ations are continually adding to the livSt. Only 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- ly insignificant. So far as mere beauty is con- cerned, interesting as our common American Passion Flower is, it is far inferior to many of the tropical ones. vSonie of these are superla- tively grand. Many have found their way into cultivation and are popular for conservatory decoration. Explanation of Plate.— i. Specimen 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, SUNRlvSE. 'Tis early morning, ere the Sun His golden course has yet begun; The pale gray dawn ascends the skies As struggling darkness slowly dies. And seems the hovering soul of Night, Wliic^, e'er to Heaven it takes its flight. Still lingering hangs, 'tween fear and hope, To watch the golden portals ope. — Mary Bav.vrd Clarke The PoIvSOX 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 clov^er 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 high, 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, they turn orange and red in the fall. The berries are all alike, a very 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 by contact. Many cannot go near it without being affected. Others, myself among them, seem to enjoy a perfect immunity from it. I can pull it up by handfuls — and do. It is very plentiful on the shores and islands of the River des Milles lies. Thoreau says '*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 — especially after rain. John Hugh ROvSvS. 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 evidently 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 honejsuckles have verj' different No. I.— RHUS TOXICODENDRON. Low or Grass Variety, (^size.) (19) I'l IIH 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 say, all of a sudden vSend 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 hereditary, and can be reproduced innumerably, just as the parent plant can. Many new roses have been raised in this way. 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 been 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 may 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 simply says 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 naturally feel like the one man who held out on the jury 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 firmly believe that it does cease from its rocking to absolute rest. No amount of figuring would lead even the one man on the jur>' to believe that it really kept rocking for ever. Particularly is this true in scientific dis- cussion. We can only reach approximate truth — and the other fellow may have a good share of it. 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHLY— WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. 21 Immediate Effect of Pollen on Fruit.— A gentleman called on me, a day 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 7ni^ht not be good. He thought the melon grown the first year would be affected by the bad pol- len. I told him no. 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 with the white com — evidently affected by that year'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 you can do it. What do you think? Minncapolin, Minu. R. J. MENDENHALL. You are right in all these observ^ations. The seed is affected directly by 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 by that act. A grain of corn is the actual seed. It has no coverings as the melon, apple, cherry and other fleshy fruits have, or as those have with dry seed-vessels. The corn grain can be affected, — the others named cannot. This fact was ascertained many years ago, by 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. P:xamining 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, and says : "I have never seen No. 3— RHUS VENENATA. (% size) See page 19. any article on the question. My idea is that, while nature could, /;/ time, change the func- tions of root and branch, as a rule the tree would die during the interval. 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 recently by you, it would be of interest to your readers to have you treat it. ' ' Cuttings of willow, poplar, gooseberries, cur- rants, and many other things which get planted upside down by accident, occasionally grow, II ^ 'If 22 MKEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURP:. [February just as well as if put right side up. There is, therefore, no physiological reason why a tree might not grow when planted as described, if there were not too great a head of roots to evaporate moisture rapidly. There is little doubt that a willow, planted upside down, would grow very easily, if the roots were cut back as severely as we sometimes do branches at transplanting. Smilax Walteri 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 Smila,v may be noted: .S". lauri- folia and S. Ual/eri, — both climbing vines, whose favorite habitat, in New Jerse3\ is the wet ground at the edge of Pine Barren swamps. There they are objects of beauty and interest, in winter-time quite as much as at other sea- sons. 6^. IValleri, 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. S. 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 horizontally 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 ln Connecticut.— While renewing his subscription to the magazine, under date of December i8, a Hartford corres- pondent says: "Though nearl}^ eighty-four years' old, I still retain a great deal of horticul- tural ferv^or, and enjoy it exceedingly. I am in the blessing of a ver>' fair amount of health, am out in the open nearly every day, and often go to my farm on Cedar Mountain, 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.— Mr. Timothy Wheeler, whose acute obserA^ations and intelligent writ- ings have interested the readers of Meehans* Monthly, has a paper in the Slowe (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 maybe 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 fonned on the side of the tree where the thick wood rings are than on the other. That this explanation is undoubtedly sound may be proved from cutting- across the old stems of creepers on walls — the ordinary poison vine furnishing a good illusr 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 may 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 of a Catalpa tree, which we know would make nearly half an inch in some years, might reach that diameter in less than fiftv vears. 1H99] MEEHANS' monthly— WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. 23 The Staff-tree or Bitter-sweet.— Ct'/^^- irus scandens belongs to the order Celastracea;, and has also the name of Roxbury Wax-work in some places. It is a twining shrub, leaves ovate, oblong, finely-serrate pointed. Along streams and thickets; June, 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 vSometimes see in our drives over country roads and lanes, covering broken- down stone walls and unsightly 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 dainty racemes of blossoms, blend- ing so hannoniously with the gray of the mature wood, gives the whole shrub such an air of thrifty independence that is wholesome to look at. It would add oftentimes to the beauty of our home surroundings, comparing favorably with more pretentious vines and climbers. But its crowning glory 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 country 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. Sarah Ballantine Bowerman. Abnormal C^rass.— You will find enclosed a few heads of Timothy {Phlcum pralensc) showing a substitution of vegetative for sexual 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 leafy." 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. Maiichesur, Illinois. 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 by 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 Timothy grass, is very striking. Abnormal Orchid.— Mrs. L. Goodrich sends a 3 -flowered specimen of an Odonloglos- sum, 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 completely 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. vSchmeiske, Dorrance- ton, Pa., observ^es 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. Ladrone Plants.— Ct. 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." i ' 1 1 I • ' 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 pruning 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 by-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 Philadelphia because winter-pruned by the frovSt. Disease in Lily Bulbs.— The Harris Lily has of later years suffered 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 Gardeners' Chroniele took diseased bulbs, dried them thor- oughly, and then stored them in flower of sul- phur. It proved to be a complete cure. 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHIvY — 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 undoubtedly some are more desirable than others. To say the least, Livistona rotundifolia is one of the most pleas- ing of all. In general character of leaf, it re- sembles the well-known Latania Borbonica, which has broad leaves, the segments almost entirely connected, like a fan; but as the speci- fic name — rotundifolia — implies, the leaf is ver>' 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 h'entia Relmoreana does best of any in a house, as it stands more neg- lect; while the graceful, narrow-leaved Coeos Weddelliana is perhaps most popular. It is becoming quite the thing to plant three in one pot of kinds like the Coeos, Kentia and Areea, 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 they to go through the greenhouses of florists before purchasing, 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 vSouth Pole than any other 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 lady's honors are likely to be taken from her by the new naniers of plants, who insist that our plant should be Howea Belmoreana. But, as often stated in these pages, it is impossible to change names after they have become b 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 Centropogon Lueianus. Its long, bright, rosy carmine, tubular flowers appearing, as they do, all through the dead of winter, make it a very desirable acquisition to any collection of plants, however small. The plant is a hybrid between C fastnosus and Siphoeampylus betuloef otitis, and was raised from seed by M. Desponds, of Marseilles, in 1856. The genus to which it belongs is a very small but handsome one of herbaceous greenhouse perennials. It belongs to the order of Lobeliaeea. 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 easy of propagation either by cutting or divi- sion. The plant in this collection was im- vtIBB^x >.^... ^^^^HpPK'^^ff^^^^ 7^ ^ 1^^^ ^^ • Br— ^^PM^ ^ f^t^\ \ l^^^s^^^^^lRv^B^^^^^I^^^^^B^Ri^Sil^^K^^IW '" 1 • USHY MADE-UP PLANT OF KENTIA BELMOREANA. GENERAL GARDENING. A PIvACII TRlvl': WITH -Tin{ VI{LL()\VvS." 'I\'ike them editors that\s crowin' Like a cockerel three niontlis" old — Don't ketch any on 'em iroin". Thon^ij^h they be so blasted bold ; Ain't they a prime lot o' fellers? 'Fore they think on't^uess they'll sprout, (Like a peach that's j^ot the yellers) With the meanness bUvStin out. — Bic.Low Papkks. PRrNixc, PoKCH ViNKS. — The object in prun- 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 chiefly, of course, to those vines, like the honeysuckle, that make a thick, branching growth. The toi)s 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 ai)]jearance by mid-summer, but fault in the pruning is rarely recognized then. The best method of i)runing summer-flower- ing vines, like the honeysuckle and clematis is to cut them down as near the ground as ])ossi- ble, in the winter, allowing the young vigorous shoots to cover the trellis each year, which they will (piickly do. In the s})ring, when the new growth attains about two feet in height, go carefull\- over them, select four or five of the strongest or as many as may be needed to cover the recpiired s])ace, train them i)r()])erly on the wires and an\ unneeded shoots rub off. Hy the time the shade is needed in summer, the vines will be high enough, and will not have the unsightl\ bunched ai)pearance of other neglected ones. Tlie clematis is not as stronplies. to a certain extent, to the aristolochia, trumpet creeper, llowering grape, ])itter-sweet and ku'l/.u vine, thouji-h (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 very 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 creejjer and aristo- lochia should especially ])e trained to admit light and air to get good results. In the ca.se 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 ])art 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. Hut the things to be ke])t prominent is that heavy, healthy canes are desired, and that ])runing is best done in late winter, in addition to a little shortening in after blooming, a thing which is well accomi)lished by cutting the flowers. There is a class of early flowering vines the pruning of which must be differently dcme if flowers are wanted. The akel)ia is one ofthe.se — and bv-the-way, this is one of the choicest vines for a porch. I 'lowers are produced from old wood, and if the vines be i)runed in winter, the flowers must go to the extent of the ])run- ing. The chief time for ])runing is just after flowering. vSimilar plants are the Carolina Jas- mine. Yellow Jasmine and Wistaria. As an illu.stration, the .sweet Carolina Jasmine rarely flowers as far north as Philadeli)hia becau.se winter-pruned by the frost. I)iSK.\sic IX Lii.v lUijiS.— The Harris Lily has of later \ears suffered .seriouslv from a fungus disea.se. That the spores, or ])rol)ably the mycelium, of the fungus is distributed with the bulbs, has been with good reason assumed. A c()rresi)ondent of the Londcm Caniours' Clironiiic took di.sea.sed Imlbs. dried them thor- oughly, and then .stored them in flower of sul- phur. It proved to be a complete cure. INTENTIONAL SECQNErEXPOS li^ T899] mki:h.\ns' moxthlv— -(.knkkal (..VRDHXIXC, 25 % House Palms.— When it comes to selecting plants for the house, many ])ersons will difter 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 numy a palm is a palm and nothing more; variety makes no difterence. Of course, one cannot be displeased with any of the common- ly cultivated kinds, but undoubtedly .some are more desirable than others. To say the least, IJvistona rotiiudifolia is one of the most i)leas- ing of all. In general character of leaf, it re- sembles the well-known Latauia Borhofiica, which has broad leaves, the segments almost entirely ccmnected, like a fan; but as the speci- fic name — yotiiudifolia — im])lies, the leaf is very 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 Koitia Ikimorcaua does best of any in a house, as it stands more neg- lect; while the graceful, narrow-leaved Cocos Weddclliana is ])erhai)S most i)oi)ular. It is becoming ([uitc the thing to plant three in (me pot of kinds like the Cocas. Koitia and Arcca. which are rather erect-growing and do not fill out low with foliage. To those not posted, it would seem like one plant jnishing u]) from the root. To illustrate this method, through the kindness of Mr. Henry A. Dreer, of Philadel])hia. a photograph of a pot of Kentias is rei)ro- duced. It would ])lea.se intended ])uyers were they to go through the greenhouses of florists before ])urchasing, and see the many beautiful things that are suitable for house culture. The ])()])ular name of the class of ])alms to which the Kcntia belongs, is leather Palm, and they are interesting as travel- in- are all natives of Mexico and vSouth 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 dejrrees lower will not hurt it.. The soil used is a light one, consisting of equal parts of loam, manure, vSand and leaf mould. The drainage must be thoroughly efficient. It is easy of propagation either by cutting or divi- sion. The plant in this collection was im- J BUSHY MADE-UP PLANT OF KENTIA BELMOREANA. I il Nil #: 26 f>' MERHANS MONTHLY — GENRRAL C^ARDRXING. [February ported, and althoncrh (as usual) it had a hard time before it arrived here, it soon recuperated and is a g^reat source of satisfaction. It has been in bloom this season since November 2^, and shows promise of being so air winter. RHhway. N. J. AlFRRD PRARCR. A Pi.ra for Naturr in Landscapr 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 \^,the preser- vatio7i 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 beaut}', 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 beds and shrubbery', and straight and crooked paths galore; but, have we enough of the higher sense of rural beauty, that can stay 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 easily destroyed, but never, no, 7ieTer 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 Master Hand. Where is the shaven lawn that has so restful and peaceful an aspect as a mossy carpet in some woodland dell; or, the artificial waterfall that has the wooing w4tcher>' 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. Vet, how many delightful rocks and rills, grassy knolls and shady glens are utterly destroyed 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 sufficient skill, he can do much to prCvServe the beautiful. It certainly becomes him, and is worthy of his deepest study, to appropriate icitJiout 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 country places give more heed to the inspirations of nature and less to those of art. Indeed, it is the truest and highest art that uses and does not abuse the beauties of nature. June 14. 1S98 H. E. Van Drman. Growing Chimaphila. — 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. The\^ 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. PlrAvSant Railroad Travrl. — Why do not our railroad companies pay more artistic regard to their right of way along their tracks and about their vStations? Is it because horticul- turists do not jog them enough ? True, some commendable steps have been taken by not a few companies, but as a rule the wayside grounds of railroads are a desert waste. The travelling public is largeh' made up of the better and aesthetic classes, 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 weary 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 country, 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] MRRHANS MONTHLY — GRNRRAL GARDRNING 27 of what has *al ready been done, and urges its continuance. (^Ro. B. Mouldrr. The suggestions of our correspondent are worthy 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 any 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 slovenly, and every 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. Lravrs 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 president of the Acad- emy of Natural Sciences, and one of the lead- ing biologists. His remark w^as 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 planted a Balsam Fir tree where the waste water from the pump would run, but on ground dryer than that from which we had taken it. It was very small and therefore liable to be tramped down by 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 May, 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 vSonie peculiar manner, what delight we might have taken in telling our neighbors what to do when they wished to run 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 May, 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 manured my strawberry plants this season when they were jUvSt coming into bloom and had the best crop I ever grew. RodolfiTS Bingham. Early Spring in thr Grrrnhousr. — With the advent of spring, everything in the stove and greenhouse will want attending to, espe- cially adian turns 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, Drac^nas, and, in fact, nearly everything can now be increased more successfully that at any other time, as the bottom heat and tem- perature in the house are more regular and not liable to such great changes as may occur later. F I Roxboro, Phila. ^ ' ^• Turf-madr 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.^.na 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 Draemia terminalis. Its peculiar charm is the new and growing central shoot, the leaves of which are brilliantly colored — "crushed strawberry," the ladies w^ould call it. It is a good house plant of easy culture. Manurincv Asparacus SprRngrri. — The comparatively new^ Asparagus Spren^^eri fur- nishes excellent sprays for bouquets. To en- courage good growth, it should have a heavy application of manure and a regular supply of water while growing. ilii I Plii II rni! 28 MEEHANvS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [ Feb r liar}' EW OR R^RE FL/^NTS, AcALYPHA Sanderi. — One of the most re- cent novelties in decorative flowering plants is Acalypha Sanderi. It is properly described as being always in flower, and these very 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 conserv^atory. The flowers are of the nature of colored bracts as in Poinsetta, which establishes the long character of its flowering season. Ouvirandra fenestralis, — Lace-leaf Plant. — What an interesting aquatic this is ! Any one having a warm greenhouse should certainly have one. All it requires 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 about 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. Wynnewood. Jno. ThATCHER. Antigonon leptopus. — Please permit me to say something about Antigonon leptopus, of which the December number has a description. I have raised Antigonon leptopus 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 could 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 l:wo-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 my 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 \\\y 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 east, north and west. I have no seed or plants for sale, but seeds are offered in many of the seedmen's catalogues. Ocean Spriogs, Miss. C. FORKERT. TIME Mi^RfeT f LOWEH ^^RJDiEN. The Polyantha Rose. — With this I mail a small package of Polyantha rose hips, which look at present so wonderfully pretty on my bushes that I must praise them a little, although they may not be unknown to you. A few years ago, I received three such tiny, dried up seeds in a letter from (lermany, 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 thev grew to the height of about four feet without branching much, but showing plainly signs of being climbers, and also very thorny. They kept long their small green and shining foliage in the autumn, and without any 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 bloom. Shoots grow from twelve to sixteen feet high 1899] 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 blue birds during snow-storms in the early spring. These hazy, but frosty mornings, on each seed capsule hangs a crystal drop of dissolved ice, or frozen vapor, which makes it look like a jewel-strewn tree of fairyland. What more can we wish from a rose so diminu- tive ? I saw recently, in your charming Monthly, a correspondent had not succeeded in getting blossoms in three months time from the seed, and so was disappointed. My 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, chrysanthemum, larkspur, bleeding-heart, day-lily, flag, laven- der, lily, forget-me-not, pseony, poppy, phlox, pyrethrum, golden-rod, spider-wort, veronica, periwinkle, and scores of others? TK^IITS ^ WE^ETi^PLES. The Pine-apple.— It is a trite saying, that we know the least about things that are always A FLORIDA PINE-APPLE. seedlings in all lines is not to lose patience. They generally turn out somewhat different than expected. Wilhelmina Seliger. Planning Herraceous (iArdens. — While most herbaceous plants can be safely trans- planted at any season, the best immediate re- sults are obtained from early si)ring 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, Japanese 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 really 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, they must ^:H 30 MEKHANS' MONTHLY — GENP:rAL GARDENING. [February be close fertilizers and not dependent on insects for aid. But as the fruits never perfect seed when grown artificially 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 prett}' pic- ture here used in illustration. It is a native of the wanner 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 English King, Charles the Second. Its general cultivation in "Pine stoves" in England only dates back to about 150 years. Mr. Edward Meehan, 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 pine 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 Jersey 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. They were *simply suffer- ing from the operations of a minute fungus, resulting in what is known as the potato scab. These little parasites reproduce themselves just as the higher plants do. They can increase by division of the little plant itself, or by spores which, with them, act as seeds in the higher organisms. These propagative agencies were probably on the seed potatoes. Progressive people, in these days, never risk any large crop without steeping the seeds to destroy the enemy. Simple copperas water has been found efficient. P^or those w^ho prefer to try other methods, the following from J^opular Science .News may be acceptable. "Formalin, a non-poisonous, non-corrosive substance, will practically free seed potatoes from scab germs, by an immersion for two hours in a solution of the approximate strength of 1:300. It is equal to corrosive sublimate in efficiency, 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. — vSome three years ago, Mr. W. H. S. W^ood, of New York, handed 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- cultural Experiment vStation, under the name of Dolichos sesquipedalis, the Chinese name being Tonkok. Mr. 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 deserves to be better known and will be greatly relished by any lover of such a vegetable. Greenwich, Conn. JOHN W. DUXCAN. Keepin(; Snaii^ from Hot-beds. — Chim- ney-soot is an obstruction to snails, and if placed thickly around hot-beds, will prevent 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 years 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 Kinct. "(iLEN Mary," the Old Home ok N. P. WiLLLS. — In Meehans' Monthly for October, the gem of poetry at the beginning of "Wild flowers and Nature" was from the pen of N. P. Willis, — called an "October Morn." I spent some months, the past 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 lovely poem in this sunshiney 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 lub' ring herd was grazing upon the hill-side cjuietly," 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 wa}', pouring its waters into the SuvSquehanna not far away. Great maples, oaks and chestnuts cast their shadows into its clear waters; wild grape vines, clematis and creepers climb here and there in lovely 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 iUvSane asylum "Glen Mary." The grounds are laid out beautifully; 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 conies 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 way. 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 lovely 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 vStrife of the busy world in this wild-wood glen they sleep. Beautiful "Glen Mary." Couklin, N. Y. MrS. FREDERICK C. JOHNvSON. 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 b}- 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; every where, — 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 very different meaning to fgx of our time. Among other names, Mr. Alexander says that in the south of Scotland it is called bloody fingers, farther north, dead men" s bells, and on the east- ern borders ladies' thimbles, ivild mercury and Scotch mercury. In Wales the synonyms are clve's gloves, foxes' gloves, red fingers ^.nd dogs' fingers, and that the name of Digitalis, first given to the plant by Leonard P^uchs, in 1542, had reference to fingers, — and we should rather (31) il ; I III! 'Nl 32 MKEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITP^RATURH. [Febniary look to fingers than gloves, possibly, for the meaning of fox-glove. The English Hornbeam. — A distinguished son of the commonwealth 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 Car pi mis Bet til us growing about a stone's throw from the Senate chamber. Alas, his warning was in vain, for the tree is now dead! Its successor, planted by his friend, John A. Bingham, twenty-five years ago in the Botanic Garden, is a rather handsome speci- men. Voltaire was a great lover of this tree. If, when you visited his home at Ferney, you did not admire the hornbeam hedges and trees, 3'ou were not invited back. It is much used for hedges and wind-breaks in France and Germany. 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 w^as Louis Philippe's wish to have this his- torical tree transferred to the botanical garden at Paris, but the project w^as never carried out. Now, the proud palm is sold for fire-wood. With it disappears from St. Helena the last remembrance of the F)mperor. The house in which he lived, is fast crumbling away, and no one thinks of repairing it. The bed-room is UvSed 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 Dicentra spectabilis is a type, is known in England as Lyre-flowers, from the resem- blance to a lyre or ancient harp. Pursh's Botanical Labors. — A correspon- dent of the Lotidon Journal of Horticulture says that the Hortus Cantabrif:^iensis, by James Donn, had an edition prepared by Frederick Pursh. « ^EINllE^/^L MOTES- Jiit ■ Plants Poisonous to Cattle. — A vScotch paper says that the law in that country recog- nizes the following plants as poivSonous to cat- tle: foxglove, hemlock, colchicum, henbane, wolfsbane, fools' parsley, dropw^ort, 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 vSued 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 plaintifl*. It w^as a three days' 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 they 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. Encouragement 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. Pearly irf 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 Day, the Maitland House had to provide plates for 1,136 children. They were called "The little tree-planters." Such a sight as a grand hotel taken by storm by an army of joyful children, was probably never seen before on earth. A real hotel din- ner, to be waited on by 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 Hawaii. — The U. S. Government ought surely to establish two or more botanic gardens and arboretums in our newly-acquired tropical possessions. C. W. G. ^tttmt-MmmM VOL.IX Plate N^ ."^ M ECHINOCACTUS WHIPPLEI. WHIPPLE'S ECHINOCACTUS. NATURAL ORDER, CACTACE^ ECHINOCACTUS WHIPPLEI, Eugelmann.- 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 Z?o/aw_v 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 many respects, but the flowers afford less varyinor characters than any other part of the plant. When, therefore, this beautiful specimen pre- vSented itself, with its bright purple flowers and large size, it was accepted as belonging to Echiuocactus Whippki, 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 Kngelmann, in the report on the Hotany of Whipple's Expedition, the flowers had not been vSeen. It was collected again during vSimp- vSon's Exploration of the great l^tah Basin in 1859 — but still without flowers, or at least the withered remains only were found. During Clarence King's expedition, in liSji, it was again found, and described by 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 Echino- cactus Wlupplci. Specimens were collected in Southern Utah, and sent to Eastern gardens by Dr. C. C. Parry and Mr. A. L. vSiler, 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 rely 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 singularly 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 twenty-five species, wholly new, being described by Dr. PyUgelmann in the report of the expedition, this Echiyiocactus being one. Dr. PvUgelmann there says of it, ''E. Whipplei evidently belongs to the section hfamati, found in numerous forms on the middle and lower Rio Grande; with E. polyancistrus, it is, so far as at present known, the only representative of this section this side of the Rocky Moun- tains. It is more nearly allied to E. breviha- matiiSy from Eagle Pass, the seeds of which are as yet unknown. It is, howev^er, easily dis- tinguished by the arrangement of the spines; the eastern species {hrcvihamatits) 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 ninety miles west of Zuni, in sandy plains, December 3d and 4th, 1853." What the uses are to plants of many 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 by those who contend that all organs are wholly to aid in *'a vStruggle for life' (33) ^ V I I n '4 V HCHINOCACTUS WHIPPLEI. WHIPPLE'S ECHINOCACTUS. NATURAL ORDER, CACTACE.^C ECHINOCACTUS WHIPPLEI, KnRelinanii. - Heads solitary, globose or ovate, middle-si/ed, with i.vi.s compressed and ititer- rui)ted ribs; of the 7 to ii 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 .1 quarter inches lon^, yellow; few (one to five) roimded. fring^edsei)als on the ovary, ten to fifteen oblong ones on the tube; petals about eii^ht, stijj^mas five to seven, slu)rt; seeds large, tninutely 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 iuter- rui)ted a])pearance. Watson's liotuny of thr Geological Survey of Califot nia. As a nik' llR'ie is no luoiv constant cliaractcr in a nR'inbcr of the cactus faniilN- than the coh)!' of tlic llowers. Cactnscs arc variable in many rcs])ccts, but the (lowers afford less varyini:^ characters than any other ])art of the ])lant. When, therefore, this beantifnl s])ecinien ])re- sented itself, with its brii^ht ])uri)le flowers and laru'e si/e. it was acce])te(l as beloninin^ to luliuiocactus Whipplci. with some hesitation. Mr. Watson, in the descri])tion noted, i^ixes N'ellow as the color of the (lowers, as do some other authors. In the tlrst descri])tion by Ivnire-lin.nin. in the report on the ]iotan\- of Whipple's b!\])edition. the (lowers had not been seen. It was collected a.^^ain dnrin.n" vSimp- son's l!\])loration of the ^reat I'tah liasin in iS5() — but still withont flowers, or at least the withered remains onlx' were found. Diiriiiii^ Clarence KiniLi's expedition, in 1S71. it was ajLTain fonnd. and described by Watson as "j^reenish-red." That Mr. Watson makes no comment on the variation in color between the flowers in the ])lants of I'tah and the ])lants of California. iL^ives confidence as to the accnracy of the determination of onr s])ecimen as luhino- cactits Wliipf^lci . »Specimens were collected in vSouthern Ttah. and sent to 1 Eastern jj:ardens by Dr. C. C. Parry and Mr. A. K. Siler, of Kanab. The drawinjj: was made from as])eciinen in bloom kindly fnrnished by Mr. Jackson Daw.son, of the Arnold Arb;)retnm. A marked character on which to rel\' is the fewer nnnd)er of sepals and petals than are fonnd in allied s])ecies. The broad y:reen .sepals of the tnbe are also charac- teristic. Its native home is vSontheni I'tah, and vSonth-eastern California. TheexjK'dition of bientenant Whi])i)le was for the purj)ose of snrveyinj^: a route for a railroad between the Mississi])pi River and the Pacific Ocean. It was sin^nlarly ])r()liflc in .L^ood're- snlts, and botany ])articnlarly ])rorited larj^ely. The cactns family, es])ecially, yielded ii]) a very lar^e number of s])ecies hitherto nnknown, — some twentN'-flve s])ecies, wholly new. bein<^ described 1)\- Dr. lCn^5r«//^//5), 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 they certainly often do protect other things. This remarkably 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 Chancellorville, 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 comparatively woody centre, is all that such a plant as Echinocactus Whipplei presents to the ordinary observer, and yet it is formed on the same plan as any ordinary plant where dis- tinct stems and leaves are constructed. For- tunately 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 currant are close relations of the cactus,— the fruit of the gooseberry, indeed, having few differing charac- teristics from those of the cactus. A study 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 much arrested as not to reach — or barely reach — the apex of enclosure, we should have what actually occurs in the make up of the cactus. In the Echino- cactus here portrayed, the downy mass at the apex covers the point we denominate the areole. This is the apex of the fleshy 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 they 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 Echinocactus illustrated, it is an Echinocactus,— hwt if it started from the base instead of the apex of the tubercle, it would be considered a Mannnillaria. A cactus may therefore be wholly covered with long tubercles or mammae and yet not be a Mam mil- iaria. If the flower proceeded from any posi- tion on the tubercle itself, and not from the base, it would be an Echinocactus, or some other genus than Mammillaria. In the arborescent forms of cactuses, the pulpy succulent matter, which envelops the woody portion, 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 easily retained, and it is thus not only able to provide for self-preserv^a- tion, but to aid in preserving the lives of numerous creatures which, by burrowing under the sandy 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 family 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 thcvse fleshy 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 lar^e size, with a small portion of the root attached. WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. LOOKING FOR SPRING. The meadows don their green arra}', The streams in purer currents flow; On sunny knolls the lambkins pla\', 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. — PERCIVAIv. Thp: Winter Plumage of Plants. — We have just had a week of wann, pleasant weather, and yesterday it was ver>' nice and warm, comfortable without fires. I saw, flit- ting from post to post, Mrs. Jennie Wren. She was very busy hunting spiders on the shady 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 b>' this icy north wind. I took advantage of the pleasant weather and took several walks to the vSand rocks to gather ferns and phlox and any other nice interesting forms of vegetation for my wildflower pit. I met with a new form of the Walking-Leaf Fern, Camptosorus rhizophyllus, in that it had its fruit dots on the margin in a single row without indusia, round and oval, with inconspicuous veins. The stipes are very short, V2 an inch or less in length, many fronds to a plant, growing regularly 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 vSee no signs of any now with a magnifying 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 vSection, 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 summer plumage for a winter g'rowth w^hich 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 \'ear. Among herbaceous plants, the Phlox pilosa, procumbens, reptans, 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 evergreen, — 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 /»^ to 2>^ inches in length, colored pink-purple, whorled at their tops, stem bare of foliage. They are generally top-heavy, and are fond of lying 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. Festus. Mo Wild Flowers of Wisconsin. — The com- munication in the January* number of your Monthly, by an anonymous correspondent, reminded me that I have been wanting to write to you for some time. I remember having read in an earlier number of the Monthly of New Jersey 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 my good fortune to visit last summer. The place referred to is a piece of rolling prairie, quite frequently found in the south-easterly part of the State, and the pro- fUvSion of flowers on same was marvelous. They seemed to thrive best on the high ground, as (35) 36 MEEHANS' MONTHIvY — WILD FLOWERvS AND NATURE. [March 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHLY— WII.D FLOWERS AND NATURE. 37 i 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 thickly carpeted with Viola pedata, cue u I lata and var. palmata, Sisy- rhinchiiun Bermudiayium .Hypoxis erecta.Oxalis violacea and stricia and Cornandra umbellata. In good numbers, but not quite so plentiful, were found Geuni trifloruni, Lithospcrmum hirtiim, caiiescens and longijlorum. 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 Castillcja 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 vStore for us. The week previous, I made a trip to the Scuppernong Marsh, between Kagle and Palmyra, in this State, to get some specimens of Cypripedium candidum, which, I had been informed, grew there. I spent the entire day there and found three specimens. Afterwards, I learned that for years gardeners have taken up Cypripedi- unis 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. The}' grew on a part of the ridge, together with the Castil- lejas and Dodecatheon Meadia, and in such pro- fusion that it was impossible for us to avoid crushing them as we walked along. They 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, l^alcriana cdulis, Baptisia Icucoplura, Vicia Caroliuiana and . hiicricafia, ThaspiuDi aureufn and cor datum and Poly gala Senega in considerable numbers. In Jvily and in August, I visited the place again. The bright flowers of Castilleja, Dode- catheon and Phlox were faded and gone, but in their places had sprung up large colonies of Allium cernuum, Petalostemon violaceutn, also candidum, Amorpha canescens, and acres of Euphorbia corolla la, and the tall stalks of Sil- phium laciniatum, terebinthinaceum and iutegri- folium and Krynginm yucccrfolium were sway- ing in the breeze. With these mingled the brilliant colors of IJatris scariosa, spicata and cylindracea , and the graceful stalks oi Helianthus Occident a lis. In the nioist places, we found Lilium Canadense and further on Philadelphicum^ A cerates viridijlora, and longifolia, Cacalia tuberosa, Parthenium integrifolium, Aster ptar- micoides, Linum rigidum, Asclepias Cornuti, incarnata, and one which I took to he Sulli- vantii. In August, the yellow flowering Com- posites were predominating. Rudbeckia hirta, laciniata dXi^ pinnata, Heliopsis Uevis, Helen iutn autumnale, Helianthus rigidus, decapetalus, strumosus and tomentosus, with Eupatorium several species, Lythrum alatum, Hypericum perforatum, Desmodium acuminatum and Cana- dense, Lespedeza capital a. Cassia Chanurcrista, Campa?iula aparinoides, I^obelia spicata and Kaltnii, and Gerard ia purpurea and tenui/olia. In September, the Asters succeeded the earlier composites, among them, ericoideSy azureus, Novce-Anglicc, laevis, pun ice us and others, and with them came the Solidagos, prominent among them ►S'. rigida, in all about 8 or ten species. The Rattlesnake Root, /Vt'- nanthes alba, also came into flower, and with /^. racemosa and aspera, Centiana quinquejlora, detonsa, Andreicsii and puberula, Polygala san- guinea, Iirigeron strigosum, Poltonia glastifolia, Parnassia Carol iniana and Spirant hes cernua concluded the floral procession. W. F. PiNUS Ric.iDA. — 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 vSeed- lings, like little toddling children, clinging about their feet. These are principally, 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, every branch tense and unyielding. The resistless blast forces them aside as it rushe . along, but it cannot make them bow." Anemone patens. — One of the advantages in change of location, to the vStudent in Botany, is the new field for work which opens up before him. However, unless he is thoroughly 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. They 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 many, of different lengths and arranged around the numerous thread-like pistils. tup v/ictV Side ^\^^ 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 may 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, Minn. 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, but 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 only attempt I made to transplant it to eastern soil proved unsuccessful. One of the common names I heard for it was Crocus. It has but a slight resemblance, however, to the Crocus and possesses none of the characteristics of the Iridacece. . Millington.N.J. Au.ETTA R. RUNYON. 38 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [March 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHLY— WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. 39 ijlljr 'I t 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 Mr. 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. Truly 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 played and w^orked in maple sugar camps from my earliest recollection until a few years ago, and have often observ^ed that all that a tapped tree seemed to require 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 always threw awa}' 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 by 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 very low temperature. I heard of a case where the cider had become "hard," (fermented), and some thoughtless boys 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 punched in the ice, that they became drunk. I have cut down many 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 way from where my axe first touched the wood. The ice cr>^stals 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 my 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 way. 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 from 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 why 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. K. 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. 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 gingery 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 Mr. Wheeler says, as if they were allowing room for expansion, as in hardy cactuses and the rhododendron. They would furnish good material for microscopic examination. The stoppage of flow in the vSugar 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 Xanthitim 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 gray 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 destroyed it, as we wanted nothing of the weed. A few 3'ears 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 years 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. "^ • ^' ^^LD. The Hart's-tongue Fern.— Mr. H. p:. Ransier writes to the Manlius Eagle, of Onon- daga County, N. Y., that the Hart's-tongue Fern, Scolope?idrium vulgare, has been found near Manlius, N. Y. A number of localities for 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 yellow seem to be a little narrow- er, and there are always 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. M. West. Escanauba, Mich. Mrs. 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 countr>^ evidently 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. \ w\^\ m -J 111 GENERAL GARDENING. GRANDMOTHERVS 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 shrubs they loved and grew, Still make it sweet and fair. The modern grower, who insists On novelties from seedsmen's lists, With barbarous names by botanists, Will find small pleasure there. — lVesttni?ister Gazette. ScARLKT Runner Bean and Humming-bird FivOWERS. — 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 your maga- zine. The Scarlet Runner is, in Germany, 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 daih', and very 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. My 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 only 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 only the bean blossoms. I have never seen them hover over the open sun -flower, but the effect of decoration is very good when 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- (40) beans near a quince bush, and as they were high enough to climb on the pole I had set for them, they 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 by all who saw it. I shall do so again this coming summer. Sun-flowers are very much visited by the hone^' bees as also b}^ 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, undismayed, English vSpar- row. He 00m es 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 very 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 quickly hum over their flowers) do not pay much attention to sweet pea blossoms, although growing near Scarlet Runners. Another northern scene, very novel to south- ern eyes, is our present deep snows all over the country, which drive the Blue Jay, 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. Wii.helmine Seliger. Hartford, Conn. The writer finds that by standing quite still among a mass of plants of the Jewel Weed, the humming-bird will rest on the shoulder, or even the hand if it be extended, and held quite still among the flowers. It does not vSeem 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 was the custom, in the gardens of the wealthy, to have a greenhouse or greenhouses 1899] MEEHANS MON'lIILY — GENERAL GARDENING. 41 and a conservatory. The greenhouses 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 conservatory. 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., Irvington-on-Hudson. The plan of it is half a polygon connected to the house by a straight section, the extreme width being 42 ■■ liimwiw.iywi '^ 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 coUvServatory. A remarkably pretty one is attached to the residence of Mr. Charles W. Henry, 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 GENERAL GARDENING. (;raxi)M()Tiii{r\s (iARi)i':x There ivS a constant, nanielevSS ;- the summer covered it all over its crown with hundreds of .scarlet blos.soms, niakin*;- a most wonderful ])icture, which was admired by all who saw it. I shall do .so a.i»ain this cominjj: summer. Sun-tlowersare ver\ much visited by the honey bees as also by the l)um- ble bees. Autumn birds eat their seeds when rii)e. The Yellow Hammer is one .seen often. — al.so our domesticated ])roh'tarians of the street — tlie sauc\-, undismayed, bjii^iiish vS])ar- row. He c<)mes in flocks to feed on it. Of other flowers which the hummiujLi-birds here in our northern .Li:ardens frecpient, there are notably the columbines, nasturtiums, :-bird will rest on the shoulder, or even the hand ifit be extended, and held (juite still amonjr the flowers. It does not .seem to be able to detect the livinj^ man under these conditions, for it would surely fear to make such clo.se ac- (piaintance if con.scious of the dan% in the early part of the century, as there is even to this day; but in a general way, 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 thCvSe 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 Anyajitinm the orange. Citrus Medica the lemon, and Citrus dccumaria the Shaddock, represent a family 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 they grow in Florida will testify. They are known to northern people as Grape-fruit, though we believe the most conmion name among the 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 47 growers is pomelo. The name Grape-fruit 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 tlris Asiatic plant to the West Iffdfes. 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, Onnond, Fla. ■ 1 ; 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 vShaddock is in dispute, some say- ing it was some one named Shaddock 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 enjoyable in time. 46 MKEHANS' MONTHLY — GENKRAL (iARDKNING. [INIarch 1899] MP:KHANvS' month I A' — (.KNHRAL (VARDKNINO, 47 Galtouia candicaus. They coiniiienced to bloom in the beginning of Juh^ and were wholly 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 vSeptem- 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 already bloomed. M. Philadelphia. fK'yillTS MS ¥E^ET/^PLES. CrcuMRKR Cui/rrRK. — Mr. A. H. Hill, Keene, New HampvShire, writes under date of January' 3rd : — '* Can you tell of the application of Nitrate of Soda to the cucumber ? T have, in my cucumber house, four (4) water tanks, 4 feet 5 inches long, i. notes that up to that date the vSloe, a species of ])lum. liad been "in the countrx the.se fifty \ ears. The blossoms are ])r()digious full, but never one ri])e fruit. They are bit with the insect, as all our .stone fruit is but the ])eaches, — and .some kinds of cherries do over-grow them." This carries back our correspondent's date for Phila- delphia by one hundred \ ears. (iRAiM-: Imu IT. — The Citrus . lni iintiitiu the orange, Citrus Mcdiui the lemon, and Citrus dccuuiaria the vShaddock, re])re.sent a family of which tro])ical Asia may l)e ])roud to count among its native ])lants. The one now illus- trated is one of the most beautiful of these worthy members of the vShaddock fiunily, as all tho.se who have .seen the trees as they grow in Morida will te.stif\'. They are known to northern ])e()])le as ( irape-fruit. though we believe the most common name among the growers is pomelo. The name (irape-fruit has been a puzzle to even cloptedists, 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 i)hoto kindly furnished by Messrs. Anderson and Price, (^rmond, P^la. GRAPe FflUiT. ge.sted by the round fruit hanging in clusters like grapes, so diflerent from its sister si)ecies. the orange and lemon. In like manner, the family name vShaddock is in (lis])ute, some sav- ing it was s )me 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 ])artake of it for the first time, — but, as in other instances, it be- comes enjoyable in time. •1 TENTIONAL SECOND EXPOS Oa^i Ill BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. A MARCH DAY IN ITALY. The sky 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. Nomenclature. — I am sorry to learn that my notes on page four of the January number gave any trouble to the publishing 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 synonyms but considered that it would be an imposition on space. The synonomic names of Symphoricarpos Symphori- carpos are given in Britton and Brown's "Illus- trated Flora," Vol. 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 vSons, New York. The synonomy of Cehatha Caroliniaiia is also given in the works named. If all will consent to use Index Kciv- ensis as standard and will bring all plant names to that or any other work of equal value, I shall be happy 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. Several correspondents have written to the same effect as Mr. Bogue, —but the main point made in the original criticism still holds good, namely, that the names quevStioned 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 hidex Keivcnsis. 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 should have been adopted. But they have a hard task in trying to upset the accepted nomenclature of the whole world, throwing everything into con- fusion, and utterly demoralizing general litera- ture, because some generations ago somebody blundered. In every other affair of life, — even to the col- lection of an honest debt, — there is a period when it becomes outlawed. The justification is that by the failure of the creditor to collect in time, too many innocent interests become involved. In like manner, there can be no reason why thousands should be made to suffer by a clmnge in plant names, because credit for the original was suffered to sleep for a century. Alfred Bkii>(;eman. — The firm of Alfred Bridgenian, vSeedsman, of New York, is another instance of the long-continued business of a worthy founder. Thomas Bridgenian was an English gardener, born in Berkshire, who came to New York in 1S24, leased land on what is now S74 Broadway, and at once built green- houses, and sold seeds. Like so many of the gardeners 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 Oardener's Assistant" went through several editions, and has a good sale even unto this day. He died in 1850. His son, Alfred Bridgenian, succeeded to his father's business, and well maintains the father's record. At present, Mr. Bridgenian gives his personal interest to the greenhouses and nursery at Astoria. Mr. Oeo. Lorenz is the manager of the city seed house. Vol. .IX FLAa'E N° 4." I Jl SOLI DAGO NEMORALIS. GROVE GOLDEN-ROD. NATURAIy ORDER, COMPOSlT.ii:. SoMDA<;o NKMORALis. Aitou.-Stetu ofteii coiymbose at the summit; leaves spathulate oblong and oblauceolate. renate serrate or entire, roughish-pubescent. Darlington's Flora CrsMca. See also Gray's Synoptical Flora, Gray s Mamml of the Botany of the Northern United States, Chapman's Flora of the Southern United States, Wood's Class-Book of Jiotany, 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 ])retty golden-rod illus- trated is taken from the local hMora of Chester County, Pennsylvania, by Dr. Darlington, because the specimen chOvSen for the drawing grew in the adjoining county, — ^and, mainly to draw attention to the different methods em- ployed by botanists in describing plants. The one botanist, above all, who has studied the family of the golden-rods, is Professor Asa (;ray. In his ''Synoptical 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: — " Mostly low, with a fine and uniform dos*^' 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 mort^ long) ; radical and lower cauline sparingly serrate: thyrsus 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 (api)earing rather early) deep yellow: rays 5 to 9, usually more numerous than the disk- flowers: akenes closely pubCvScent." The dif- ference in the l*-ngth of the two descriptions for the same species is striking. Put the larger number of species in Dr. Gray's work, makes a diflerent method of treatment necessary. Dr. Darlington has but sixteen species to describe to us, while Dr. (^ray has seventy-four. We speak of artificial systems of botany, and of natural systems. But all systems 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 positively define a spe- cies. The descriptions are merely compara- tive. P'or all the elaborate detail of Dr. CVray, no one could positively identify the Solidago here outlined if he had never seen one of the seventy-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, corymbosely panicled'* would be considered a valid description for either. But such a brief description would not entitle an author to a name for a vSevent> -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 vSections, in order to make des- criptions intelligible. In the limited list of Darlington's I-lora Ccstriai, he would first make a section with the racemes secund,— that is, the flowers all turned to one side, anclsjiread- ing out from the rachis or common peduncle or even recurved. Then there w(mld be sub-sec- (49) .SoUDAno NKM()l a Cctrua. See also (Cray's Sxnopiical Flora, Cv^y ^ Mauual Of the )uua»v of thr SoUhn u United States. Chapman's Flora of the Sonthrn, Cnitrd States, WooiV^ Chxs>-hook of h'otariv, atul Hrilton and Hrowu'.s lilusttated FUna. The plan of this work is to i^ivc in ihc lirsl ])l.'icu ])ictnivs of onr native llowcrs. l)()tanioal- 1\ aocnraU'. and as ncarl>- ])Lrfc*ct artislicallx as tlR- (IrawiniiS can W made, — and in IIk- next ])lace to take tlieni as ol)jeet lessons in the broad field of hnnian interest wherein the ])lant illnstrated may have a share. In this instance, the description ()!* the ])retty .golden-rod illns- tr.ited is taken from the local Mora of Chester Conntv. i'ennsylvania. 1)> Dr. I )arlin.Lrt<>ii. ])ecanse the s])ecimen chosen for the drawing- "■rew in the adioinin-j, connty. -and, mainly to draw attention to the different methods eni- ]>love(l 1)\ botanists in describini^ ])lants. The one botanist, above- all, who has stndied the famih of the golden-rods, is Professor Asa (;ra\. In his •' Synoptical Mora of North .\merica." he describes seventy-fonr si)ecies, besides a lar.u\ nnmber of varieties so marked- Iv distinct from their parent s])ecies, as to be worth V of distinctive- botanical names. I lis description of the s])ecies nnder consideration is as follows:-*' >b)stly low. with a fine and nniform clos" pnbescence cither soft or (in a«;e and in dried specimens) minntely scabrons : leaves from s])at\date-obovate to oblanceolate or somewhat linear; n])i)er entire and small (half- inch or mor-lon!^); radical and lower canline s])arin«.':ly serrate: thyrsns and its com])'ict racemiform clnsters .secnnd. commonlx re cnrved-si)readin^^: heads two or three lines Ion"-: bracts of the involncre oblon«^-linear or narrower, obtnse. smooth and ^labions: flowers (a])])earin.u rather early) deep \ellow: rays 5 to (). nsnall\ more nnmerons than the disk- llowers: akenes closely pnbescent." The dif- ference in the l"n.u:th of the two descri])tions for the same s])e!.ies is strikini,^ Ihit the larLi:er nnmber of species in Dr. Cray's work, makes .1 different method of treatment neces.sarx . Dr. Darlin.L!.ton has bnt sixteen s])ecies to of l)oth classes. Th(m<;h we can arran^^e ])lants so that there are .i;r<)n])S with .so close affinities that we can place them in orders, anicled'* woidd be considered a valid (lescri])tion for either. Hut such a brief descri])tion would not entitle an author to a n.ime for a .seventx-fiftli s])ecies, where ,seventy-four had ahead} been described. We learn from this that the methods of descri])tion are in the main artifi- cial; are de])endent on the number of s])ecies in the uenus to be described; and that there is nothinii delinite that will cover the idea of a s])ecies in nature. A larire '•enus, \W<: Solidinyo, has to be di\id«.-(I into artificial .sections, in order to make des- criptions intelli.nible. In the limited list of DarliuLiton's llora Ccstrica, he would first make a section with the lacemes secnnd. that is. the flowers all turned to one side. an(ls])read- inj;" out from the rachis or common ])e(luncle or even recurved. Then there would be sul) sec- (49) IP \ aiiMjUiyiriili TNTFNTTmVFAT QPr'nNTn PYPriQTTDC 50 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — SOLIDAGO NEMORALIS. [April tifll 'It 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. Gra3''s arrangement, notwithstanding 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 minutely 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 discription of the species itself. He has to go back still further to a division which is st3'led the Paniculate^, which has an equall}' long diagnosis. But further back still we come to the divisional character under the head of Virgaurea, — or those species of Solidago having the ''receptacle of the head alveolate, — rays commonl}' fewer or not more numerous than the disk-flowers. " It is very interesting to note that for all the fulness of description which this method involves, nature refuses to be circumscribed by it. In Texas, lyindheimer discovered a form with more disk- florets than rays, and which DeCandolle named Solidago dccemflora, or the ten-flowered, — and the ray-florets so very small, that it comes nearl}' being discoid. But Dr. Oray is forced to give it as a synonym of Solidago fiemoralis. Even the generic character will not be circum- vScribed. Of the whole genus, it is said "Flowers yellow, 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 Torrey Botanical Club," that near Klizabethtown, Essex Co., New York, a plant of the species now under consideration had been found having purely white instead of yellow rays ! Our species, Solidago uemoralis, enters large- ly into the beautiful American autumn scenery known as "Indian Summer", so well noted by many, 'and Miss Kmbrey especially- 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, — f 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 w411 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 Mexico. 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 netno- ralis, var. incatia. This variety is of dwarf habit, rather more downy than the typical 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 variety worthy of a distinctive name, which they term arenicola. This is said to be depressed or prostrate, grow- ing only about six inches high. Sand hills; Cape Cod to Long Island. Several 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 by the descriptions of L^r. Gray and others. For all its abundance, it does not appear to have been distinguished by Linnaeus. It was first described by Aiton as among the plants of the Kew Gardens, in 1789; though it is said by Aiton to have been introduced into England twenty years pre- viov!sly, namely, in 1769, by Dr. Samuel Martin. Explanation of the Plate. — i. Lower portion of flower .«tem, from a plant of Eastern Pennsylvania. 2. Upper section of flower stem. 3 Outline of the root-leaf system, much reduced. 4. Magnified floret with its akene. 5. Magnifled head of flowers. WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. THE GLADNESS OF SPRING. I feel the spring in every thrilling vein. As if with nature's vernal mood at once; vSweet trembling through the drops of April rain, Shimmers the golden sun. And far o'er hill of blue and hazy 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 of Ferns. — The beginner in botany rarely 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 hardly be called amateurs. There is a charm connected with ferns which few persons fail to appreciate, and it is sur- prising that they are not more generally studied. Authorities differ somewhat in the classifica- tion of flowerless plants, or Cryptogams, 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 sub-divisions. Everyone 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 dust. These dots are called vSorus, (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 Adiantum, or Maiden-hair, the sori are scattered on the margins of the leaflets, or pinnules, their indusiums being attached at the sides; in Pier is, 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; Poly podium has scat- tered sori without indusiums. Besides the rooting character, the branching and generally formation of the leaves must have attention. Some leaflets have a forking, or dichotomous, character, which in some cases continues on the same leaf for several years, — as for instance the Nephrolepis; others, like Nephrolepis ex alt 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 bulbifera furnishes an example of this charac- ter— a viviparous character. There are ferns to be found in all places, such as the Climbing Fern, Lygodium palmatum; the Resurrection Fern, Polypodium incanuni, an epiphyte inhabiting tree trunks; Camptoso- rus rhizophyllus, the Walking Fern, found on wet rocks; Woodsia obtusa on dry rocks; and Ceratopteris thalictroides in water. Then there is a dwarf worthy of mention, because of its being difficult to find — Schizcpa pusilla. 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 ?nacu- lata, — that the flowers are fragrant. (51) (a I . . 52 MERHANS' MONTHLY— WII.D FLOWERS AND NATURE. [April 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHLY— WILD FLOWERvS AND NATURE. 53 tl Antediluvlxn Corn erom Norrlstown, Pa. — The mildly cautious incredulity with which the Editors of Meehans' Monthly 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 by the facts. If the writer is not mistaken, the correspondent of the Record who signs himself " T. K." is either identical with or ver^^ closely akin to one J. K., of Norristown, who has announced the same discovery at various times since 1893. Quantities of the " white flint gourd variety" of presumably the same "antediluvian com" 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 an 3' variety. The result appears only to have been to convince the Norristown botanist (?), w^ho cited the inclusion of the moss in the moss agate in proof of his views, that the scientists of the Smithsonian were unworthy of credit. It may be interesting to note that the bed rock, from which the quartz crystals probably 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 3'ears 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 corn fake goes far toward proving the existence of Rquus hem ion us on the Western Hemisphere at the end of the Nineteenth Century. D. W. Washiugton, D. C. vSiCEDS OK Xanthu'm. — I was ver3^ much in- terested in reading the excellent article on Xanthium Canadense, by 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 P'xperiment Station, for a number of years, resulted in showing that a large percentage of both seeds germinate. [Arthur, Proc. Soc. Prom. Agr. vSc. : 70-79, 1895.] Only one vSeed, however, was found to o-erminate the first vear, the remaining one germinating the following vseason. In a few instances, both seeds germinated the first year, while in other cases, some seeds failed to germinate the second year. 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 Xanthium Canadense 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 up 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 destroyed 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 occasionally one with more. 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 underside sends down perpendicularly numerous rope- SCRUB OR SAW PALMETTO. of the North Pole, but are now found there only in a fossil state, having been destroyed during the ice age. Now, North America has left but some half-do/en species, and these, with but one exception,— the Sabal Palmetto— are confined to our extreme southern borders. The one herewith illustrated is the Florida vScrub-Palm, Brahea serrulata, or Sal)al scrru- /^/^ 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- ally, 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 > 52 Ml-KIIANS' MONTHLY— WILD I-LOWHKS AND NATlklC. [April AxTlCDlLrVIAN COUN 1-R()M NoRRISTOWN, I*A. — The mildly canlious incredulity with which the Ivditors of MivHHANS' Monthly coni- meiit on the extract, in the January number, from the Philadelphia RcconU announcino^ the discovery of "antediluYian corn" of the "white flint .i^ourd variet> " at Norristown, is i)roba- bly more than justified by the facts. If the writer is not mistaken, the corres]X)ndent of the Record who sii^ns hiuLself " T. K." is either identical with or very closely akin to one J. K.. of XorrivStown, who has anncmnced the same discovery at various times since 1S93. Quantities of the " white flint i^ourd variety" of presumably the same "antediluvian corn" were shi])])ed, presumably by the same i)ervSon, to the vSmithsonian Institution that year in the vain effort to convince the ])ale()-botanists and mineralo,ii:ists of that iiLstitution that the stuff in (luestion, which is nothino^ in the world but atliing. 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 traflSc 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 wdde further than ten or eleven hundred feet per daj'. In the pastures there is an Asckpias that resem- bles Curassavica a good bit. There is also an Asckpias 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 are ver>' good. A Medicinal Cactus. — There is a cactus re- lated to Ma7nmillaria, namely Echinocactus Williamsi or Anhalonium Williamsi of Lem- 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 particularly efficacious 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 Afi^avc) pro- duces visions, and effects of colors, forms, and pictures similar to the effects produced bv opium. It is made into cigarettes, and used with sugar. In fact, it is a special stimulant which acts on the brain. — Trafislated Frofn 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, NarthecUnn Ameri- canum. According to the books, indeed, it has been reported from none but 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 my privilege to find the plant in fine fruit, and the sight was one long to be remem- bered. It grew open to the sun in a broad, shallow depression, the sandy floor of which was carpeted with lycopodiums, and about whose edges the famous little fern, Schizcr pusilla, found a congenial home. Close by, 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 Heknium autinn7iak, Solidago stricta.Rud the Narrow-leaved Sunflower, Helian- thus angustifolius, all in full bloom. Within a stone's throw, the rare Coreopsis rosea lifted its pretty head aboye 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, — 6Vr/r?/- 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 by conspicuous seed vessels, slender pointed and of a bright vermilion color, while the whole stem is suffused with an orange-red glow. The effect of several hundred of these warm-hued plants growing all about among the grasses was singularly beautiful; and lighted up as th«y 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.— Mr. F. K. vSteele 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 crystals are more abundant in the sap-wood than in the heart-wood. Splitting of trunks in the winter he regards as wind-shakes, and not from ex- pansion of the water by freezing. The point in dispute, however, is, whether the living protoplasmic matter in the cells freezes, when these cells are not destroyed in winter. The PoIvSON Ivy. — I notice in your valuable monthly for Februar\% 1899, an article by INIr. John Hugh Ross, on "Poison Ivy, " 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 Linnaeus is a shrub of the South, with cre- nately-lobed, very 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. Whiting. 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 you 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. vSeries 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. F>ery 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. !;1 ¥\' 1 r i: GENERAL GARDENING. DEPARTURE OF THE DAFFODIL. Fair DaffodiLs, we weep to ; ee You haste away vSo soon. As yet the rising sun Has not attained his noon. Stay, stay, Until the hasting day has run But to the evensong. — Herrick. Covering Wounds In Trees. — Mr. Peter Van Vechten, MilwauTvee, Wis., agrees with Meehans' Month lv, that the wounds, made in the stems of trees by pruning or otherwise, should have the wood preserved to keep it from decay 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 may 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 vScar. Any limbs cut off square on to]) will leave a dead end frojn 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. BuRYiNc; THE Trunks oi' Trees. — H. A., Toronto, vSays : — " I trust you will not think me over-critical with so many queries, but desire to be regarded as an honest learner. In the notice of Milton's mulberry tree, you vSay to help it a mound of earth has been erected around the trunk. I have always understood that, in filling in around large trees, care has to be exercivSed to keep the earth from the trunk. How, then, is Milton's mulberry tree aided by that which kills other trees ? " No intelligent gardener teaches that earth around the trunk of the tree will injiire the tree. The leaving of a cavity around the trunk when earth is filled in under the branches of a tree, is for a very 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 TreEvS and Patent 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 only 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 pavement, 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 acce])table; 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 will be improved. A layer of well-rot- ted manure placed just above but not next to the roots will hold moisture, at the same time giving food to the roots. Hrick pavements are not as objectionable to trees, as there are many openings to admit the elements needed. QuAvSsia. — The trees which furnish so many economical ])roducts from the more tropical regions are, in many cases, getting scarce, and those who deal in drugs are continually kej)t on the watch for other species of trees having similar properties to re])lace the original ones. There is the Quassia, which is a small tree grow- ing in British Ouiana, botanical ly known as Quassia amara, and is getting nearly exter- minated; and another tree, known as the Bit- 1S99] meehans' monthly- -general gardening. 57 ter Ash,— botanically as Pkrauia eAre/sa,—\s largely used for the same purpose that Quassia chips are used. An infusion or tea made of Quassia chips is especially destructive to the green fly and other insects, which are so trou- blesome to the ladies who grow their own flow- ers in conservatories. The usual 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 efi'ective. 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, kindly furnished 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." Rah.road vStation Gardens.— In Meehans' Monthly for February, mention is made of SCENE IN MIDDLESEX FALLS RESERVATION, MASS. should be so destructive to the lower orders of animal life, and yet be so harmless to the human system. One may drink it as we drink Chinese tea witlumt any serious conse- (luence. Natire in LanDvSCApe (Gardening.- We are taught that art is but nature better under- stood ; but the deni/ens 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 scenery 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 the evensonii'. — Hick KICK CovKKiNC. \V(^i'M)S In TKia-iS. — Mr. Peter Van Veehten, Milwaukee. Wis., will leave a dead end from six inches to a foot. which will eventuallx die and rot off. I.imbs sliould be cut off slanting- newr stjuare on lop — as is often ;lone. r.im'iNC 'nil. Tkinks m 'fKi:i:s.-- K. A.. Toronto, .says : — '' i trust you will not think ine over-critical with so many (|ueries. but desire to be re,Liar()es. Ivvery jj^ood jj^ardener knows that earth around a trunk is a benefit, so lonjj: as the roots under the spread of branches are not covered u]). Stkickt Tki:hs .xnp P.\ti:nt T.wivmi-.nts. — It is to be expected that everyone in plantin^r trees will exerci.se the usual care to see that draina^"e conditions are .satisfactory; but when the street ])avement and sidewalk are as])hal- tum or other ])atent materi;d. unusual care is necessarv to have not only t;'ood unass through for the su])i)ort of the tree. Two feet width is better, and six inclus niori- will be accc-ptable: and il tlu- sur- face be dei)res.sed towards tlu- tree, to attract rain water, so mnch tlu- better. .\dd a t<»]>- mulch kA ha\ or strawy maiiuie. and the eon ditious will be im proved . .\ layer of will -lot ted minim- ])laeed jnst aboxt- but not tuxt to the roots will hold moisture, at the same tiiiu- ^Liixin.ii' food to the- roots. IJrick ])a\ements arc- not as •>bjectionable to trec-s. as there ai\-man\' openings to admit the elements neeit- i-^Wj .Mi:i:n. \Ns' monthly — gi;ni:k.\l c.vkdivNixc.. 57 ter -Vsh. — botanically as riciirna <■.l7v7.^v^— is laruely used for the same pur]K).se that (Juassia cliips are used. .\n infusion or tea made oi Ouassia chips is es])eciallv destructive to the SC\l'l. ( '. AKIUCNINC. We are tau^iht that art is but nature better under- stood ; but the deiii/ens of laruc cities raiel\ see wild scener\ . The\ have little chance- to com])are art with nature. Philadeli)liia has manajLied to retain a consi(krable portion ol natural scener\ in her I-'airmount Park, and within the boundaries e»f lari;e tracts near other the care and decoration of the ,iirounds about lailroad stations. On inan> of the western roads, tiiis is beini; done -perhaps more than on eastern. .Xinon.n the nio.st noted that come to mind, is the Michii^an Central. A yi'ar a.uo last suniiue:. we were oil one of the throuiLih trains for New N'ork. It wa.s hot and du.sty, and the car full of ])eoideoiit from Chica.n'o. We ]»assed iiunier(»us small stations with well-kept urounds ; but when the train slowed u]) for Niles. .Mich., what an exclamation of deli,u:ht and surprise came from the passenj^ers as the\ saw the .^leeu. velvety lawn, with beds and cluin])s of beautiful flowers on ever\- hand! . I . INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE I Hi Im! NT ' ■ ••i n 58 MKEHANvS' MONTHLY — GENKRAL GARDENING. [April Every head was at the window, if possible. Soon another surprise : 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 ^lichigan Central lost noth- ing by this little act of courtesy. Mrs. Frederick C. JohNvSon. Conklin. N. Y. Mistakes in Landscape Work. — To the student in landscape effects, mistakes appeal < almost as forcibly as do meritorious features. Evefy landscape gardener has ideas about cer- tain effects, some of which are peculiarly his r own, yet the main idea of harmony prevails — or should prevail. ^^ The endeavor of this article is to point out a few mistakes, that have come imder 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 Avork 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 vShut off" to observ^ation for perhapjj a few hundred yards. Other work shows the extreme — a great ex- panse of lawn closely bordered with an irregu- lar mass of shrubbery, 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 general!}' as a whole, the lawn lacks the beauty of individuality. In planting a large lawn, several objects mUvSt be continually in sight, i. e. : — provide for a sufficient stretch of lawn to show its real size; protect views not only of certain surrounding territory, 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, trUvSting to "thinning out" or trans- planting when necessary. 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 frequently are old places met with, the specimens, that should command admiration, running ruinously into each other, the dense shade and dryness from crowded roots killing out turf and generally showing a kind of age that is not appreciable ? 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 trtes in general, with particulars of their growth, such as ever>' 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 vSeemed possible that any study could have been here, but rather, it had been in the hands of one lacking an eye 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 1899] MEEHANS' MONrHLV — GBNERAI. GARDENING. 59 sow grass seed. The invaluable 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, Bethayres, Pa. vSugges- tions of paths wind through it, revealing an abundance of interesting material in the shape of ferns, wild flowers and shrubbery. Choice vSpecies ok Pine. — The selection of pines will always varj', according to the needs of the purchaser. Some want rapid-growing kinds, others dwarf and compact; some will piefer certain vshades 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- grey buds which contrast well with the dark green foliage. Very similar to this is Pinus Thunbcrf^ii. in fact, one would frequently pass for the other if not side by side. Among the species hardy in the North, none excel P. den- sijiora in rapidity of growth. Its needles lie rather close to the stems, and are very bright green. The names densiflora and Thunbergii are frequently exchanged, though the two species are very distinct. For rapidity of growth, the White Pine also ranks high in popularity, besides which it is very hardy, and vStands 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 gray, 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 vScotch Pine is a great favorite. Its needles arevShort, slightly greyish in color, and the habit of growth rather compact. It and the White Pine are frequently 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 Cembra — ascends very 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 flexilis and P. ^fl^w//.? are native species rare in cultivation, 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 bCvSt. Its foliage is of a dark green color, and strangely twisted, giving it a distinctive character quite desirable. This should be more generally planted. South of Philadelphia, the beautiful long- leaved pines, — as P. Tada, 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 />«/?/5/r/5 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. MEW OR 1/^I^E FLINTS- PLUMBAGO ROSEA. — I would like to say a few words in praise of a nice little winter bloomer that might interest your readers. When the Plumbago rosea was announced, a good many 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 yet with its beautiful racemes of red flowers. I really 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 year. It is from the beautiful variety. Empress, that this new one v/as obtained, though onl}' half the height of the parent, say 4 to 6 inches, I Iliiii/ ill 60 MEEHANvS MONTHIvY — GENKRAI. (iARDKNING. [April forming just as massive spikes of large, pure white flowers, which, standing erect, are grouped candelabra-wise around the main stem. Of extremely 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. Philadelphia. The Japanese Quince. — There is an old story of the grumbler who thought everything was made wrong, that, in one of his examples SILCNE CO LOR ATA. -Flowers Rose Color. he thought it would have been wiser to have ordained a big strong tree like an oak to bear large ])umpkins, 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 3'ears in an old (iermantown garden, where are so many rare trees introduced by lovers of good things in the last generation. It is a beauty in the fall of the 3^ear, the leaves rival- ing the pepperidge in crimson brown of their tint. The Chinese Quince is Cydojiia Sinensis. It must not be confounded with the Japanese Quince, which is Cydonia Japonica. TIHIE IfH^B^l^T f LOWEl ^^ll^EM. SiLENE COLORATA. — The genus of plants; comprising what are popularly known as catchflies, has a number of very ornamental species, — and not by any means the least among t^hese 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 UvSeful in rock-work, vases, hanging baskets or any place where a pendulous character is desirable. It is a native of Southern Europe. From its deeply divided petals it has been known as Silene bipartta, Silene bifida, and perhaps by some other names, — all now referred to .S". color at a. SniRLKV 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 Knglish clergy- man, the Rev. W. Wilks. The petals fall early, — the chief and well-known weakness of the poppy. To have them last as long as j)os- sible, a correspondent of the London Ctardeners' Chronicle vSays : — Cut them early in the morn- ing, as soon as they open, and at once ])lunge 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 yet in- vented in the wa>' of flower-tints and forms can equal their fa.scinating beauty. They should preferal)ly be placed in a cool room." rSl^ITS i55 ME^ETiflPLES. Parsnip Culture. — Many think parsnips cannot be sown too soon, and go to much trouble to vSecure exhibition roots. The ground 1899] MEEHANS' monthly — GENERAL (.ARDENING. 61 for parsnips is best if of a loamy nature, but in soils where these root-canker at the crown I would certainly 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 cro wiling; a space of ]S inches between the rows is none too much. Probably the best medium-sized parsnip is The Student, though 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 (piality to the older kinds. — Ga rden ing Illustrated. who has d larger tract, and can afford to employ a skilful gardener to oversee things, adds largely to his sum of human pleasures. Just now thcvse facts impress one strongly by a basket of tomatoes, received this first of P>bruary, from Mr. 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 Cilture. - Pecan nut culture is found profitable in some localities. The Swin- den Pecan Orchard Company has 780 acres in an orchard. It is at Hrownwood, situated 1 20 miles vSouthwest 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. Only 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 cultivated varieties, illus- trations are presented with this through the kindness of The Swinden Pecan Co. vSprayin(; 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 the strength 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 i Swinden. Forced Fruits and Vegetahles. — Referring recently to the vast difference in the quality of a pine-apple, when grown under the supervision 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 treavSures no market can supply, wholly aside from the [)leasure the occupation gives him; while the ( ne Figure 2. Stuart. Figure 3. Van Demau. I'igure 4. Ccmu'on Wild Pecan. il 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 by 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, Parry 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. They have in hand the Japanese, Spanish and American species, from which many varieties have already been obtained. They are a recog" nized authoritv 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. Saunders upon the ascent of warm air, for a text, you seem inclined to ques- tion the idea of protecting orchards from light frosts by smoke, and express the opinion that spraying with water would be more philo- sophical. I think that item must have been written on the spur of the moment, and that you will hardly endorse it yourselves. I be- lieve it is a well established fact that even quite tender plants will go through a pretty severe frost unscathed, if the raj's of the sun are intercepted in the early morning by 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 quantity and continuous through the night) produce a similar effect ? I really cannot vSee what the principle of the ascent of warm air has to do with either case. Hamtuontoa, N. J. Wm. 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 with 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 Snyder. Prof. Bailey says of it: "A variety resembling Snjder and derived from it. Some four years ago the originator noticed an extra large, strong bush among his Snyders a^d 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 societ\'. Circulars with pro- gramme and particulars may be had of the Secretary-, W. A. Taylor, 55 Q vStreet, N. E., Washington, D. C. New Plum, Mary. — While the comparative- ly new Japanese plums have become deservedly popular, many persons still feel attached to the flavor of the European class, and like to have a few trees in their orchard. The Mary is a new yellow variety' strongly- 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 merits 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\ novelty is in the result of a fair test. BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. SPRING'S GREETING. The zephyrs after lengthy frost, how mild ! Lo, violets fresh bring me a begging child. 'Tis sad, that thus Spring's greetings finst should be Presented me b}' hand of poverty, And yet, the pledge of happy days the more I prize, since offered by affliction sore. Thus to posterity our ills do bring, P'oreboding better times, the hope of Spring. Lenau. (Translated from the German by Henry I). Wireman.) Rkv. J. Hermann Wibbe. — 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 vSchen- ectady. New York. His love for plants had a wide influence on all around him. The Globe of Utica sa\'s of him: — "Father Wibbe maintained a conservatory which cost him many 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 study 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 German}-, vScp- tember 25, 1848, and came to America in 1870. He died on the 7th of January. Anemone. — The value of good poetry, 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, instead of A-nem-o-ny, 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 luse. Fox-GivOVE. — B. A., Toronto, says: — "The history- 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 7 hales, as the old Romans might say. It is, however, admitted that the word, glove, is a corruption of an old continental word signify- ing bells. Another continental word is faux y 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 y??/^-, 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 Parks and Open Spaces.— The Second Report of the American Park and Out-door Art Association should be read bv ever3' 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 body of men and women banded together for a less selfish purpose. It is pleasant to note by this report that the society is meeting with encour- agement. One of the difficulties the society finds in the way is the utter ignorance of gardening matters that everywhere prevails. One speaker, at the annual meeting of the society, reported that they 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'ly, he could not find one who knew (63) 'I ' m m I « ' 64 MEEHAXS' MONTHLY— BIOaRAPHV AND IJTKRATURF;. [April any name for it, though it was the common Ailantus. Copies of the report may be had by enclosing a stamp for postage to Warren H. Manning, Secretary, ii46Tremont 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. Lorenz 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 ^Ir. Edward A. Peth. Flora ok Pennsylvanl\. — Mr. Joseph Crawford, Chairman of the Committee on Bot- any of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, has prepared a catalogue of the Flora of Penn- sylvania. He enumerates over 2000 species. The pamphlet is entitled "I'ennsylvania Pterid- ophyta and vSpermatophyta, " which, ])eing in- terpreted, means the flowering plants and ferns, though the allies of ferns are included in the lists. Plants ok the Cape of (iooD Hope. — In noting the death of Mr. John I^e, of the Ham- mersmith Nursery, near London, on the 20th of January, in his ninety-fourth year, the London Gardeners' Chro?iiele states that he and the PvUipress Josephine of France, in partnership, sent Francis Masson to the Cape of Good Hope, to introduce the beautiful flowers of that region to PUiropean gardens. In this connec- tion it may be of interest to note that a large portion of Masson s Herbarium is preserved in the collections of the Academy of Natural vSciences of Philadelphia. Nature Teaching in the Puhlic Schools. — The modern idea that education is best served 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. Pu])lishers 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. Thev are issuing in serial form, "Wayside P'lowers," 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 easy" might be an additional title to these • ' Wavside Plowers. ' ' CiEO(iRAPHV OK the PAvSSION FloWICK. — 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 vSame chapter says: " with possii)ly vSome 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 I^iivSt Indies, and thirteen in Aus- tralia and the Islands of the Pacific Ocean. ^EMEI^/^L INIOTES. New P.vrk at Harti'ord. — The reproach of America, that it has not profited ])y the ( )ld World civilization, as to the actual necessity of parks and breathing places for its growing cities, is being rapidly and hap})ily wiped cmt in various directions. Newspapers continually bring word of the openings of new ])arks in various directions. One of the most recent is Riverside Park. Hartford, Connecticut. This is 6S acres in area, and cost for its im])r()ve- ment about S750 an acre. It is situated in the most densely populated part of the city, where such a park should be, and combines play- ground ideas with park beauties. It a])pears to be one of a chain of connected parks that this enlightened city proposes to form. '4lie Park Commission of Hartford a])])ear to be an enlightened body of men. Mr. Patrick Oarvin, the President of the Board, and our good correspondent. Dr. Oordcm Russell, one of the oldest members of the Board, made happy addresses at the opening. II Hvhriditv. — The Royal Horticultural Soci- ety of London has arranged for a congress to meet in the first week in July, in which the subject of hybridity 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. pi^ Voi.lX Plate W 5. ]| , . C\l,i.liNA Vi;|(iAi^lS CALLUNA VULGARIS. HEATHER. NATURAL ORDER, ERICACE^:. Calluna vulgaris, Salisbury.— a foot or less high, in broad tufts, more or less whitish-toraentose or glabrale: branches four-sided by the imbricated leaves: these minute, three-sided, grooved on the back; flowers appearing in summer, crowded on the branchlets, as if spicate or racemose, commonly i^ecund, rose-colored or sometimes white. Gray's Synoptical Flora of North America,— a\&o Manual of Botany of the Northern United States, by the same author; and Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States. It was the scope of this undertaking to illus- trate only the native flowers and ferns of the United States, in its strictest seUvSe. 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 century. There is no evi- dence satisfactory 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 b}' Dr. Asa dray 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 scarcely say that Calluna vulgaris is the famous "Heather" of the Old World, — a plant which, under this name, has entered into English literature to an e.xtent which even the rose or the violet could scarcely lay claim. In the early ])art of the nineteenth centur>', it was known as Erica vuli^aris. Erico was the name applied by Pliny to the heath, — the one now known as Erica Mcditerraneana being probabh' the one with which he was acquainted. Travellers speak of its striking beauty in the natural .scenery of the Mediterranean region. It is the species our poet Percival refers to when describing Greece from Mount Helicon. " now the mountain. Lifted above the forest region, glows With flowering shrubs, that scatter odorous airs. Sweet as from Ivden, — purple heath and balm. And lushing beds of thyme, and bright laburnum." Pliny says that from this erico the bees made a very fine kind of honey which went under the name of Mel ericcriuu. But Salis- bury, 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 jet it is remarkable that of the many hundreds of species of Erica known in the Old World, 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 rosy pink tinge the corolla ought to have had. To replace the ordinar}' calyx, four normal leaves have become enlarged and sers^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 generally 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. (65) ;i I I ^PLA ,') I CALLUNA \UL(;ARIS HKA rHER NATURAL 0RI)P:R, RRICACK.l Calluna vui-(;akis, Salisbury.— A foot m lesshijfh, in broad tufts, more or less whitish-tonieutose or <,'labrnle; branches foiir-sided by the imbricated leaves: tliese minute, three-sided, grooved on the back; flowers appearing in summer, crowded on the branchlets, as ifspicateor racemose, commonly .«^ecuud, rose-colored or sometimes white, (hays Smop/ical Fl'ta i>f North Aviet ica,—?i.\s(^ Miumal of lUytatiy ofthrNotthnn f'H /.'/'(/ S/afr\ hy Hie same aiithor; and Britton autl Brown's Ulustuited Floi a of thr Not flirt n I'ttitrd Statrs. ll was the scope of this underlakinir to illus- trate only the native lowers and ferns of the United vStates. in its strictest sense. Those introduced from other countries since the ad- vent of the white man were to he excluded. The heautiful and famous ])lant now illustrated was not known in our countr\- till the middle of the nineteenth century. There is no evi- dence satisfictor\ to the author that it is truly an indi.ii:en()us ])lant. and not a waif from the Old World. Hut as it has been admitted as a lrul\- native plant 1)\ Dr. .\sa Cray and other eminent botanists, and will for all time ])r()l)- abl\- api)earas such in their works, there is no alternative but to admit it to a place in our col lection. ( )ne need scarcely say that ( \jlliina rub^aris is the famous ' Heather" of the Old World,— a ])lant which, under this name, has entered into ICniilish literature to an extent which even the rose or the violet could .scarcely lay claim. In the early i)art of the nineteenth century, it was known as hlrica r/d^aris. I'lriio was the name ai)i)lied by Pliny to the heath. — the one now known as /'I rial Mcditciyancana beinj;- probablv the one with which he was accptainted. Travellers speak of its striking beaut\ in the natural scenery of the Mediterranean rej^ion. It is the species our poet IVrcival refers to wlun describiuL!^ ( iieece from Mount Helicon. " now the mountain. Lifted above the forest ivi^ion. ^^lows With llowerin'' shrubs, that scatter odorous airs. Sweet as from ICden, — ])ur])le heath and balm. And lushiuji;; beds of thyme, and bri<.cht laburnum." made a very fine kind of honey which went under the name of Mel criuffnn. Hut vSalis- bury, an eminent Ivn^ngo {Eryngium Vir- giyiianuni), 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 blossoms oi Helenium autumnale, one of the most charming of our native flowers, inter- mingled with the scarcely less attractive Coreop- sis trichosperma. Upon both margins of the river, the Withe-rod {llbiirnum fiudum) 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 display. As the boat drops further down the stream, purple Gerardias give a dash of lively 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 fiery signal to us from the bank. The Arrow Arum {Peltandra Virginicd) 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) I I 6S MKKHANS' MONTHLY— WILD 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 junced) which, when cut and dried, becomes the "salt hay" well-known in the cities; and, dotted through the grass, are the clustered brown spikelets of the Sea Clubrush {Scirpus maritimus). The bright-eyed flowers of the Sea pink {Sabbatia stellaris) nod gaily at us from the river's brink, and with them is a low composite with thickish leaves and flat corymbs of rayless, 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 subidatus, a maritime species with very narrow leaves, becoming awl -shaped on the branches, and bearing numerous heads of dull flowers apparently 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 Highwater 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'. sempervirens) displays its rich, green foliage and lifts its cheerful panicles of golden flowers, very children of the sun. Nearing the bay side, we find the meadows all blushing with the presence of the ruddy Samphire {Salicorjiid), 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 vSea Lavender or Marsh Rosemary {Staticc Caroliniand) — 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 vSlender-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 polystachyd) 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 conies to a close. C. F. Saunders. Philadelphia. Variations in Strawberries. — 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 Chilcean vStrawberry, received froni 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 Chilocnsis 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 inth:grikolia. — Coontie, or Florida arrow root. 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 cycads to which they 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. ZAMIA I NTEGRI FOLI A.— Coontie of the Indians. America. To-day this is the only representa- tive in the United vStates, 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, many The pith furnishes a fine form of arrow root, — the *' White meal" of the Indians, on which, it is said they 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 Blncephalartos . V ! ,1 i .: i 1 li 1 ft 6S MKKHANS" MONTHLY— WILD KL()\VI«:kS AND NATrHK. [May When we reach the salt water that flows in from the Bay, there is a distinct chanjj^e in the shore flora. The broad, wet meadows are here covered with a 1S99] MKKHANS' MONTHLY— WILD FLOWKRvS AND NATURK 69 Zamia intkokiI'^olia. — Cooutic, or Florida arrow root. The Zamia seeuLS to be a sur- vival of the old order of vegetation, of which we now find representatives in a fossil state. As connecting the i^rCvSent with the past, these plants are especially interesting. The order of cycads to which they belong had Hianv S])ecies, and their remains in a fossil con- ditioti are found over the greater part of North crood 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 vSeminoles. ZAMIA INTEGRIFOLIA.—Coontie of the Indians. America. To-day this is the only rejiresenta- tive in the United States, and indeed there are but 9 g^enera and 45 good species found over the whole earth. Our s])ecimen is illustrated from a photo, kindly sent by Anderson and Price, ()rnu)nd, iHorida, 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 diflicult to get at, many The i)ith furnishes a fine form of arrow root, — the " White meal" of the Indians, on which, it is said they ahnost wholly subsisted during the Seminole war. It is only found in lower ])ortions of Florida. Zamia proper is now confined chiefly to the New World. The African fornus, formerly in- cluded in the genus, are now removed to /uiaplialarios. \ '! t i'l W'\ I i 70 MEEHANS* MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [May Lindens and Honey Bees. — Mrs. Wilhel- niine Seliger says: — *' Page 39, in your March number, about trees and flowers, my observa- tion goes that our honey bees find their espe- cial favorites without their being guided by colors. Then just our colorless blossoms are notably visited by great numbers of bees. Their flowers are those of /^/i?is copallina, and of our sumachs, — also the native woodbine when in bloom, Ampelopsis or Virginian Creep- er. The Linden trees, too, are humming from the swarms of industrious bees, when they are in bloom, and we cannot really 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 ciichlora, (Koch), or the Krim Linde, (Cri- mea). Also one named Tilia foment osa or the Hungarian Silver Linde. ' ' What has been known as the Hungarian Silver Linden is catalogued in the Meehan nurseries as T. Europcpa 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 Hungary; and the T. arge?itea 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. CHchlora. Wild Hawk weeds. — One of our Philadel- phia subscribers reports finding Hieraciufu aurantiacum in a wild state at Saratoga Springs, N. Y. This rather pretty, orange-red hawk- weed is a European species 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 freely 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 — arid 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. Passiflora incarnata. — A correspondent from Winter Park, Florida, says: — ** I was much interested in the article on Passiflora incarnata in the February- number of the Monthly. This is a very 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 people here, and it is often made into jelly, jellifying easily, and yielding a ver>^ palatable product. There are five other species of Passiflora found in Florida." Lycopodium inundatum, and Fairy Rings. — Dr. B. L. Robinson notes in Rhodora, that the Marsh Club-Moss, Lycopodiujn inwidatum, when growing in damp sand, and with an un- obstructed field before it, grows in circular patches resembling a cart-wheel, the living por- 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 fair^'-rings, caused by a species of fungus which progresses, from year to 3^ear from one original centre, beneath the surface of the ground, in the same manner. Premature 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 supposed these trees are suff*ering 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 White Pine that the owner was especially anxious to save. In this case, sul- phur liberally applied was successful. 4 GENERAL GARDENING JOY FOREVER. A thing of beauty 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 Plea 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 extremely 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 gum from the old spruce in the "door yard" of my childhood home, there has been a tender spot in my heart for all the evergreen family. While they have their place, in town, no country landscape is complete without them. While the great varieties admit of individual choice, all are ])leasing 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-vitae, 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 country 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 hoUvSehold mat- ters, the male bird has made the air reverber- ate with his song — and far into the summer night, has he sung on for very gladnCvSS,— 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, every 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 shapes as the Yew trees of England. The dark green foliage of these trees is such a fine background for shrubbery 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. What more exquisite study in color could one ask for than that given by the soft warm gray of the vine of the bitter sweet, clamber- ing over the Arbor-vit^e hedge, the pale green leaves, and green and white blossom and seed pods, 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 Barberry 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 vSpindle Tree (71) !l m ■i m Ml blji N If II 72 MKKHANS' MOXrur.Y -GENKRAL (iARDKNING. [May Family," are very effective. We have never had given us 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 days gone by. If we were only 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. Y. S. W. BOWERMAN. Entrance to a Carriage Driveway.— The approach to a residence is one of the most im- portant considerations that confront the land- vScape 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 truly 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 afford opportunit3' 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 shrubber}-, 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 very 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. X'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 Ivy 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 dwarf nature or small specimens of larger ones, like Himalayan Pine, Lawson's Cypress and Scotch 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 harmony. Destruction of the Mole.— A subscriber inquires if the mole is strictly carnivorous, and also how to destro}^ them. It is customarv^ to consider them carnivor- ous, though as recorded in a previous volume, they have been known to live entirely 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. Ground 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. Some 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 Kentucky correspondent claims to have caught five and six a day with such traps. Others recommend poisoning meat and placing it in their runs. Bisulphide of carbon is also recommended. It is poured into a run, the entrance being immediately covered, while the fumes extend for a' considerable distance, kill- ing //le animals 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 any disturbance of the soil occurs. This is a sure way, and not so expensive and tedious as it may seem without trial. F:arth Worms.— a correspondent of the . London Gardening 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 by 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. i«99] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 73 The Magnolia Lotus. — Nelumbium album GRANDiKLORUM.— 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 pearly white, the outside of the outer petals being blended with cream at their bases; the texture is fine and uniform, as in A^. roseufn; the stamens are long, numer- ous and prominent; color bright, sulphur yel- low. The seed pod is of the same rich color, harmonizing exquisitely with the beautiful waxy pistils. Both foliage and flower are stronger and more bulky than the F^gyptian 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 Caladiinn escu- lentiim, and ver>' 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 September. It is one of the best to cultivate in tubs or half-barrels, and finds no equal in tanks or open ponds. It has proven perfectly hardy everywhere 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 days old, and one of the brown, mature seed- pods with one of the large leaves in the back ground. I have cultivated every variety 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 our 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.' vSee 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 Jackmanni, 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, MAGNOL'A LOTU8--NELUMBIUM ALBUM GRAN Dl FLORU M^ I Hill 74 MKEHANvS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [May Douglas Spruce. — A western evergreen specialist, D. Hill, Dundee, Ills., gives high- est praise of the Douglas Spruce. He says: — ' ' This is emphatically the tree for the mil- lion. While on a visit to the eastern nurser- ies, I noted in almost every 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, yet on my 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 Forestry, B. E. Femow% 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 Slope 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 Hemlock, it is easily split. In color it is like the Red Wood of the Pacific Coast. I want to call your 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 pungcns. ' ' •George Peabody Arbor-vit.e. — Thearbor- vitae is a useful evergreen in many ways. It is ver>^ hardy, besides standing a great deal of heat. For 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 useful for hedging, being of dwarfish, compact growth. Then there are the several kinds of "globe" Arbor-vit^, which assume a perfect, globular shape. These are valuable in certain forms of gardening. One of the prettiest, perhaps, of the Arbor- vitaes, 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 ^reat 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 very ornamental specimens. The character of growth is of the upright kind, similar to its parent, though it is a much slower grower. A very interesting variety, which should not be overlooked, is Tom Thumb. From its delicate-looking, heath-like foliage, one w^ould not suppose it an Arbor-vitae. 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 scarcely any lateral growth. Would you advise me to cut off 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 many persons would prefer that character for a lawn specimen as being natural and unique. They would not consider making it bushy any more than they would lombardy poplar or deciduous cypress. In fact such a character is distinctly desirable in its place as breaking the sameness of the landscape. As an excellent street and shade tree, the Gingko 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 early 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. Spraying 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. 1899] MEEHANS' monthly — GENERAL GARDENING, 75 INIEW ©1 li^lE FL/^IMTS be to plant seed in a row, to make a neat, even hedge, when no support will be required. HYDRANGEA PANicuLATA.— It is souic fifty Flowers, in form and color, are a reproduc- years since Siebold made us acquainted with tion of the famous^Gray Friar— watered purple Hydrangea pariiculata, a native of the woods on white ground." of Japan. This is still comparatively unknown " to cultivators, though the variety known as yj^g Mi^Rl)T FLOWEl <^/^Rl^ElN. paniculata grandiflora \s\Qvy common. It is certainly more obtrusive than the parent SuccessioNal-blooming Bed of Iris. — 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 grandijiora . The plant also is a stronger grower, and it makes a far more ornamental shrub, than does the well- known varietv. New Dwarf 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 says 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, by 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 HYDRANGEA PAN ICU LATA.— Flowcra Pinkish-white Several 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 hy 2)4 feet wide. This w^ould 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 2or2>^ 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 (/. IcFvigafa) 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 Gerynanica 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. -JJ I i III! miSii 76 MEEHANvS' MONTHLY GENERAL GARDENINCi, [Ma3 Louis Van Houtte is a tall (jerman variety, and very pretty, the petals being white, prominently margined with veins of blue. Belamcanda pmictata, 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 florentifia, white, is also early, as well as /. Pallasii and f^raminea 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. They are or should be well-known, but in CLEMATIS DAVIDIANA. Flowers Blue. America the}- have not been very generally used, his cristata is a charming native species, growing to less than 6 inches in height. Iris pmniia is a dwarf European which, with cris- tata, is one of the first to bloom. These fur- nish many variations of color. Iris a lata is practically unknown in American gardens. It grows just a little taller and blooms latest of all. In arranging the border, it would be well to have every- second plant alata, alternating the other two, and setting alata back a little from the line of the others. Spanish Iris, /. Xiphiii7n and /. Histrio may be interspersed throughout the bed. They both bloom early, 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 j^ou 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 mav not break it off. — Journal of Horticulture. Clematis Davidiana. — 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 Gardcuiu^ Illustrated is a very prett}^ 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 vSome 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. heraclceefolia , by De Candolle. fl^miTS ^B ¥E^ET/^I5LCS. 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 by those who make virgin spawn a business. Spawn is the real mush- room plant of which the mushroom itself is the inflorcvscence. This is the cob-web-like materi- 1899] MHKHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 77 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 dryness. 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 entirely dried. These bricks are broken in pieces about the size of w^alnuts, 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 vshould 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, vset out the brick pieces between one or two inches deep, treading the loosened earth compactly after the planting. Old grassy 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, Kleanor. — Several months ago, an item headed "Kleanor Strawberry," strayed from its caption, and said nothing about that berry. Although we did not directly introduce this variety, 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 berry in quality, either early or late. It is a vigorous-growing sort, making plants ciuite 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 e(iually well every where, and in watching reports from various sections, we find Kleanor very highly praised by some and con- demned by others. Hammonton. N. J. Wm. F. BaSSETT. size: Sample, 461 oz.; Brandywine, 362 oz.; Howard No. 14, 350 oz.; Gandy Belle, 327 oz.; Glen Mary, 326 oz. ; Maximus, 309 oz. ; Isabella, 306 oz. ; Clyde, 299 oz. The Clyde did not do as well as it promised on account of wet weather. The Sample we class as medium in quality and above average in size. This is for rather heavv soil." Prolific Strawberries. — Prof. S. T. May- nard, of Amherst, Mass., says: "The yield of eight leading (strawberry) varieties this sea- son stands as follows, each plant all the same Close Root-Pruning Trees.—U must be evident to all who grow wise with years that the true philosophy of success in tree planting is not yet 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 very poor roots. Why 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 Kxperiment Station, 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, Karly Richmond cherr3', 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 tre^s 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 way, 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 I ! ! ;j'l! I IM ! v i 78 MREHANvS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [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 very little growth, barely enough to maintain life. The quinces both died." There is one thing we may 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. Hybridizing Apples and Pears. — At the recent meeting of the New Jersey State Horti- cultural Society, among other things was dis- cussed the tendency of the Kieffer Pear to bear shyly when planted by itself. The experience of many present tended to show that when the same pear is planted in close proximity 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 was 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 while the hybridization of the pear and the apple may not be an accomplished fact, they are not so widely separated, botanically speak- ing, as to render such a thing an impossibility and without parallel. The pear, Pyrus com- munis, and the apple, Pyrus Malus, 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 bj^ the pollen of the apple contrary to nature's laws and without a parallel ? Morris Plains, March 10, 1899. E. REAGAN. Pyrus communis, 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. Guess w^ork, such as comes from planting trees side by side, is unworthy of true science. New Lafayette Peach. — 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 Meehans' Monthly cheerfully endorses." New Hardy Edible Oranges. — Under the auspices of the U. S. Department of Agricul- ture, effort is being made to produce hardier varieties of the orange by hybridizing with what is commonly known as the Hardy Orange, Citrus or Limonia trifoliata (properly Triphasia Aurantiola). Already, about 150 hybrids have been secured between them. Marshall Strawberry.— A favorite straw- berry with T. J. Dwyer& vSon, Cornwall, N. Y. who are large growers of small fruits, is the Marshall, which they claim brings a better price with them than any other variety, — a good recommendation. Marvin Crystal Currant. —J. C. Vaughan, Chicago, 111., says the comparatively new Mar- vin Crystal Currant is a very strong grower and exceedingly prolific. The white fruit is moderately sweet and contains few seeds. BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. THE VIOLET QUEEN. The violet in her green-wood bower Where birchen boughs with hazels mingle, May 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 away. 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. H. Bailey, New York, Published by The MacMillan Co. This is a duodecimo volume of 536 pages, giving Professor Bailey's views of the advantages, dis- advantages, and the whole philosoph}^ of prun- ing as he understands it. It is confined mainly to the management of fruit Itrees, and will be found a UvSeful manual of reference to all inter- ested in fruit culture. Dr. I. A. Lafham. — Dr. I. A. Lapham, 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 by the pretty genus of compositae, Laphamia, which Dr. Asa (rray 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 pay tribute to the memory of one w^ho did so much for our city and state, and did it in a manner so quiet, so modest, so unobtrusive, 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 dynasties and the shock of armies. ' ' He was born in Wayne County, New York; and died in Milwaukee, in September, 1875. Fertilizers.— By 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 Station. 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 different crops and conditions made in each instance. Nicholas Ohmer. — ''Rotation in office" is th'i battle cry of the politician,— not so much advocated, however, by the Ins as the Outs. Horticulturists, however, usually follow the vScriptural advice to hold on to that which is good. This is well illustrated by the election, for the 31st time, of INIr. N. H. Ohmer, as President of the Montgomery 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 Supervising Committee of the Experiment Farm at Southern Pines, N. C, have just issued a very valuable and important work on "Plant P^ood." 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. (79) li illl 80 MHKHANS' MONTHLY — H 0C;R \1»HV ANP LITHRATURK. [May Fox-(iU)VK. — As yon have already state:! in the February number of your nia«:azine, that Mr. A. Alexander, in a paper upon the fox- glove, appearing in the Canadian Horticulturist ''thinks that the name fox-glove comes from being like the finger of a glove, but like all authors, omits to tell us how foxes wear gloves. It perhaps may prove interesting to hear the explanation of the first half of the name given by one author. According to Burgess, in his "English Wild Flowers," this name of fox-glove is but a cor- ruption of folks- (/. c. 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 Reynold. Brooklyn. N. Y. AUCE ClARY FlXRT.K. Landscape Gardening, as Applied to Home Decoration. — By Samuel T. Ma^^nard, New York, John Wiley & vSons. — 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 enjoyment out of their care and cultiva- tion. An admirable index, makes the book one of great value for reference. The PrinciplEvS 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 really 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 Spruce. — The Forester says there is a Douglas Spruce, near Astoria, Oregon, 39 feet in circumference, and 300 feet high. American Park and Out- door Art Asso- ciation.— Copies of the reports of this aSvSO- ciation are for distribution to members onlv. ^EIMEI^/^Fl IMOTESo AbiEvS Nordmanniana. — Abies Nordnian- niana is the chief favorite fir of M. Everaerts. He says it is the most picturesque of all and very 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 reply 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 mone}' when goods did not come up to rep- resentation." Our correspondent thinks this an iuvsufiicient* defence, and we agree with him. The opportunities 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 quarters, of giving new and sensa- tional common names to plants, by catalogue- makers, when they 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 merel}-. I Ml Climate of South Africa.— P. M. O., Capetown, South Africa, writes: — " Our dry atmosphere is very hard on American decidu- ous trees with their stomatic vSystem, 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 excCvSsive evaporation." W^ART Cures. — Our grandmothers' gardens were not complete without vSome species of milk- wort to take away worts. The one most fre- quent was Euphorbia Cyparissias. Popular Science Ne^ivs says that a piece of fat bacon, rubbed once on the wort and thrown away, is just as effective. sis .01.1/ Plate J. ;ii llllll IV ! \>' I I II '11 I ! • \ • '( ,f ;■ -.^ :' s!-"Ti.sr>i\rs ECHINOCACTUS SETISPINIS. PINE-APPLE CACTUS. NATURAL ORDER, CACTACE^. ECHINOCACTUS SETISPINIS. Kngelmann.-" 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 globosc-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, tjie 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. Engclmann. in the " Cactac^^^ of the Mexican Boundary Survey. This pretty cactus was first named and des- cribed by Dr. Engelmann in an account of the plants collected by Lindheimer in Texas, — Echinocactus setispinis.—th^ 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 many points of variation noted by Dr. Engelmann, it will be observed that Engel- mann's figure represents the flower as having a somewhat tubular, trumpet-shaped outline ; the one given here is nearly bell-shaped. The edges of the ribs are somewhat wavy in our illustration,— while in Dr. Engelmann's they are perfectly straight. A number 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 w^hich the original was col- lected not being recorded. The field note, dated June 14th, saj^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. m. 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 style 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 yellow 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 IMr. 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 upper 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 yellow, orange crimson at the base. Filaments extremely slender, lower portion crimson, upper portion yellow. The outer stamens expanding only, 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- (81) \ R PLA ^ A M-^ X V II ECHINOCACTUS SETISPINIS. PINE-APPLE CACTUS. NATURAL ORDER, CACTACE.^. ECHINOCACTUS SETISPINIS, Kngelmaiiu.-" 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 tubeiciilated 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 Kagle Pass, much longer than the others, and erect, sometimes hardly curved. Seed usually 0-6 of a line long. Engelmann, in the " Cactacecr of the Mexican Boundary Survey. This i)retty cactus was first named and des- cribed by Dr. lvn% occasion- ally damp oak woods. Lupine, Uipinus perejinis, PapilionacecE ; blue and white; May and June; in dry, sandy soil. Wood Betony, Pedicularis Catiadensis, Scro- phulariacecE : red and yellow; May 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, Lhiifolium Cana- dense, Convallariacecp ; white; May 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, May and June; damp thickets. Arethusa, Arethusa bulbosa, Orchidacece ; pink; last of May and June; damp thickets or bogs. Larger Blue Flag, Iris versicolor, Iridacece; purple; May, June and July; salt or fresh marshes. Slender Blue Flag, Iris prismatica, Iridacece; blue; May and June; wet ground. Wild Pink, Sileyie Caroliniana, Caryophyl- lacecE: pink; May, June and July; woods. Ervthronium, Dog's-Tooth Violet.— Dr. Gray mentions Erythrojiium Americantim and E. albidum as the two species in the eastern coun- try, with E. bracteatuvi as an accidental state of the first mentioned, and the E. graridiflorum of the West. These two latter have yellow flowers. The E. albidum. White Dog's-Tooth Violet, he describes, "perianth bluish-white," "leaves less or not at all spotted." The plant we have here has leaves ver>^ 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 lyi 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 MEEHANS' MONTHLY-WILD ELOWERS AND NATURE. 87 1899] take turns with other plants in blooming, owing, possibly, to its numerous seeds m 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 {Cypripedium acaule,) 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 whole 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 thirty-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-hke 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, Q. obtusiloba, Q. macrocarpa, Q. bicolor, Q. Prinus, Q. Prinus pnmila, 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 poUeniferous 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 ot 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 years. A Climbing FERN.-In a letter to the Senior Conductor, a South Carolinian correspondent says- "I know you 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 quite famUiar 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 lofeethigh, with no leaves,-but delicate as mist, with branches; over 18 inches wide at base." I/>ng ago, a botanist from Rugby, 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 no 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 Pentstemon lavigatus, 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. r 1^ tiiiil m 1 1 I > II fli GENERAL GARDENING. SWEET PEAS. What gracious thoughts hath God, and beauti- ful! The elder drifted by still meadow ways, 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 way, but to make them behave as we want them to do. Vines, generally, 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 by noting whether he allows the honeysuckles 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. (88) And yet, the art is verj^ simple. It is simply to pinch out the apex of the strong growing shoots that w^ant to get up still higher, and leave the struggling shoots at the base alone. The growth force, suddenly 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 may 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 a boy 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 extremely abundant. In the latter, they can be worried very 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 supply, 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. 1899] meehans' monthly — general gardening. 89 Viburnum plicatum.— The following account of the above "bush" is taken from '* The Ornamental Flower Garden," by Lindley and Sweet, published in lyondon, 1854. "Mr. Fortune, who procured this among many 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 iHf 4? ' I VIBURi4UM PLICATUM.— Japanese Snowball. GENERAL GARDENING. SWlvIvT PICAvS. What <^racious tliougiits hath ('.od, and beauti- ful ! The ekler drifted by still meadow waVvS, The rii)pling- wheat fields of these sniiinier days, Whereover float far clouds like new-washed wool : The glow of suUvSet, and the after lull When white stars tremble thro' the twilight ha/e, And, weaving webs of fiery -golden rays, The fireflies glitter in the shadows didl. His thoughts are very beautiful, ah, yes, In rose and lily, and in bright heartsease; In thevSe, no less, is .seen His loveliness, ThevSe fragile vshells, delightful mysteries, Sweet miracles that so their I.ord confess Who giveth us Himself, anew, in these. — Inc. RAM Crockictt. Henderson, Ky. Pruninc. \^inks IX vSuMMiCR. — The chief art in gardening consivSts in not allowing our plants to have their own wilful way, but to make them behave as we want them to do. \'ines, generally, make desperate attem])ts to get to the top of a bush or tree that they twine around, and the lower ])ortion 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 u])i)er ])ortion of the ])ole or frame on which they are su])p()rted. The edu- cated gardener understands how to do this. The grower of grai)es under glass has to know how to do it as otherwise he would have gra])es in the a])ex of the roof and nowhere else. He ap])lies the same princijAe to the growth of flowering vines out of doors as to his grapes under glass, or to the gra])es in the out-door garden, for that matter, with ecpial results. Indeed, there could be few better methods of learning whether one has a real gardener or only a wolf in vSliee])'s clothing, than by noting whether he allows the honeysuckles to grow in crow's nests under the coping of the ])iazza front, or whether the branches are of equal strength from apex to the ground. (88) And yet, the art is very sini])le. It is sini])ly to ])incli out the a]K'X of the strong growing shoots that want to get u]) still higher, and leave the struggling shoots at the base alone. The <»T()wth force, suddenlv checked bv the to]:)])ing of the ui)per shoots, has to be ex- ])ended somewhere, just as the sudden stop- I)age of water being forced through a pipe may burst that pipe. It is diverted to the lower and weaker shoots, which become, before the vSeason is over, as strong as the u])])er ones. In the hands of a good gardener, a gra])e vine trellis will have fruit over every ])art of its surface, — and have as fine fruits at the apex as at the base. Hut how rarely do we see these masters of the art; and how sim])le the art is, after all! Wiij> (lARi.ic. — Among all weeds, tho.se which sim])ly make bulbs or bulblets are readi- ly eradicated. One of the easiest is the wild garlic, .llli/nu vi)icaU'. The green leaves a])i)ear early ins])ring, and a boy or chea]) labor ofany 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 extremely abundant. In the latter, the\' can be worried very much by the hand or lu^rse cultivjitor during the grow- ing .season, and then to have the hand-lifting in the following s])ring. I'ossibly a few may a])])ear the following s])ring, but their accounts are easily settled, by the same hand-lifting process. W.\ti:rinc, (iR ass in vScnsiiini:. — It is a well worn fallacy that lawns should not be watered while the sun shines. Perha])S the only gain from this statement is to the owners of the water supjfly, as there will be less waste from sprinklers going all day long. Where deemed necessary, the water may be used in unlimited (piantity in full sun-light .so far as danger from the latter .source is concerned. vSome heavy, poorly-drained .soils will not .stand too much w^ater, and this .should be considered. vm K 1899] IviKKHANS' MONTHLV — GENKRAI. (;ARI)1CNIN(^,. 89 ViHrRNiAi PLicATrM.— The following account of the above " bu.sh" is taken frcmi " The Ornamental Mower (;arden," by Ijndley and Sweet, ])ublislie(l in London, 1S54. "Mr. h'ortune, who procured this among many other fine iflants for the Horticultural vSociety. says that it is a ' native of the North- ern part of the Chinese h:m])ire, and was found cultivated in the gardens of the rich, by whom it was much admired. It will doubtless prove ii VIBURNUM PLICATU M.— Japanese .Snowball. 90 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [June perfectly hardy in England; and on account of its neat habit, will probably 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 Teniari, indicates that it inhabits the most southern province of Kinsia; it was probably in the beginning im- ported from China * * * ^ ^ but 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, very beautiful. As yet no insects or disease has attacked my plants. Why was it so long in coming into general cultivation ? H. Heaton. Amhci'st, Mass. Treatment of Bulbs. — It is a well-known fact that bulbs, brought from Holland and forced in our country, 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 buib is composed of the bases of leaves which have become thickened and succulent. To make good, strong bulbs, therefore, it is neces- sary that they should have had good, strong leaves for their parents. Our bulb growers commence to dry 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 by the grower. Bulbs generally have the flowers plucked out, until they have reached the size desired. that its foliage is partly 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 ver>' 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 may be considered hardy in this vicinity, and the Lebanon and Atlantica glauca are known to do w^ell even further north. J. M. Hardiness of Deodar and Other Cedars. — Enquiries are frequently 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 rarely car- ries its foliage through the winter without in- jury. There is enough harm to the leaves that as soon as the sap moves in spring they fall off". This cedar is one of the first to make new growth in spring, an.d is altogether a most desirable evergreen. Cedrus Atlantica glauca has passed through the last and previous winters unscathed, save 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 thoroughly. The preparation should be at least % 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 years, he is inclined to go into planting trees on an extensive scale as a n'^st egg for an income in his old a^ e, and desires to [know where he can obtain informa- tion on the art of American Forestry. 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 1899] meehans' monthly— general gardening. 91 best suited to the soil and conditions, no one could tell certainly 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 fcrush 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 many 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, they 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. cuts back the strong shoots at the apex severe- ly, and thus manages to have the hedge as thick at the bottom as at the top. Unfortunately, the tree-butcher is usually at his day'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 Agnus-castus.— 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 ver>^ pretty sight in one of our shrubber>' beds last sea- son. The pale blue panicles of flowers make a beautiful showing above the pretty, divided leaves. John W. Duncan. Greenwich, Conn. NEW 01 R^Wt FL^NTSo New Aster. Hohenzollern.— The new aster, Hohenzollern, is considered by Mr. Henry F. Michell as his best introduction for 1899. It is claimed to be the largest yet intro- duced, and pure white. Forming Low-branched Trees.— Some fast growing trees get finally too tall for the pur- poses for which they were originally plant- ed. Through the winter season, when employ- ment for what are popularly 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. Any 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 vigorously, 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 they have come to be termed with us, live fences, understands this ver>' well. He Ulmus serotina,— a New Elm.— In a list of newly-discovered American trees, chiefly palms, recently described by Prof. Sargent, in the Botanical Gazette, is an elm, which he terms Uhnus serotina. It is one of the autumn- al flowering section, first collected by 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, tady tulip that bears bulbs in the axils of the lowest leaves, and flower stems in axils of upper leaves. There are usually three branches, but once I found five. I paid but little attention to the plants, as the flowers on these additional stems were not fully developed until last year, when the oldest bulb produced a plant having three branches, and the terminal stem, even, bearing well de- veloped flowers. Among my single, late tulips, I found one that branched differently, the branches being divisions of the main stem; I ' II, 92 MEEHANS' MONTHIvY — 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 plant:: to "branch" in that way. 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. TME M/^I^l^T rLOWEH ^/^Hl^EN, 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 scenery. 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. Miellez's Revelation is a variety bearing the recommendation of Mr. Edw. Gillett, Southwick, Mass., who says: "It is of extraordinary 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 extremely hardy, 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. Ivcave it in the spring to serve as mulch." JAPANESE IRIS. Native Bulbs^ for the Garden. — It is frequently 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, biit 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 vScattered in natural profusion. In the writer's neighborhood, the chief delight of children — and of many grown persons, too — is to "go for" violets, or blue-bells, but- tercups, daisies or "Day-wakers" (more generally termed Stars of Bethlehem — botanically, Ornithog- alum mnbellatuni). 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. 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHI.Y — GENERAL GARDENING. 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 shrubbery borders ver>' acceptably. Bare soil may be kept to look neat, but otherwise there is no attraction. They cannot be planted in the lawn, as their rapid increase may prove noxious; but anywhere that they may easily be kept in bondage, they 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. ANb Old and Good Varieties of 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 Wyoming Co., N. Y., never failed to give us a good crop — some years not so heavy, but enough. The vines had no pruning except in an occasional year, when they got too rampant — except the dead branches. It was manured every fall. POvSts were driven into the ground and wire strung across was the support. It was very seldom they 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? Mrs. Frederick C. Johnson. Couklin, 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. is sending out a variety he calls Mikado. 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 Chinense, but on this we are not informed. Pomelo, versus Grape-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 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 Capsicum are termed, is of the combined class. Mr. Burpee April uth, 1899. 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, w4th 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. VanDeman. ■!■ BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. THE HUMBLE-BEE. Aught unsavory or unclean Hath my 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, catchfly, 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 philosopher ! Seeing only what is fair. Sipping only what is sweet. Thou dost mock at fate and care. Leave the chaff and take the wheat. — Emerson. Dr. a. W. Chapman. — 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 remarkably modest and retiring habits, but he will belong remembered for his eminently 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 centur>' 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 yet sound and progressive in ever>' line. Edward A. Rogers. — The introduction of Rogers' hybrid grapes marked a new era in American grape culture. The death of the originator, Mr. Edward A. Rogers, of Salem, 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 Naudin. — Charles Naudin, a French botanivSt 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 (harden" 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 w^orld. 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] mkehans' 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 oW. The accidental variation becomes heredi- tary, and we have the new species. This is the essence of the Darwinian doctrine, and seems plausible, especially 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 enjoy 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 history; and this may be said in spite of the fact that later views of the theor>^ 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 mys- tery. Guide to the Study of Common Plants. — An introduction to botany, by Volney 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 study. It had to be gone through with as one of the courses, but in the old book stores, near the colleges, the text books may 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 by the graduates for burning on the festivities of their college end- ings, instead of Xenophon, for botany must, after all, be nothing but "Greek" to them. But it has become popular. The P.ublic Schools especially, with their ''nature stu- dies," which consist chiefly in observing, comparing and judging of any 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 service than making a collection of buttons. Now it is the fashion to look more into their nature, their history, 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 formerly abstruse science is advancing, the number of books appearing on the subject will show. This "Introduction to Botany," 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 generally, and treats the topics in popular language; but refers, in foot-notes, to those works wherein the advanced student may 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 Stript 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 you, in your 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— A^'w/>^^rt!— very pretty, 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 m^ .(■:. I ■Hi'' lii;' I 96 MEEHANS' MONTHLY— BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. [June not generally there, I think. Soluta^o— Europe has but one species, while we have nearly 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, O:\ralis Acetosella, is now exterminated in Ireland. They use Trifo- lium repens—vi\i\t^ clover— instead. These qualities constitute a stronger claim than can be made for any other plant. Zea 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 Bartram.— 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 by the beauty 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 story 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 says:— " Kingsess gardens were begun about the year 1720, by John Bartram the elder, at a time when there were no establishments of this nature in Pennsylvania, if in any of the colonies, unless we may except that of Dr. Clayton, in Virginia, which though inferior in extent, was furnished with a considerable variety. They are situated on the west bank of the Schuyl- kill, four miles from Philadelphia, and con- tain about eight acres of land. ^ * The worthy founder of these gardens, discovered in his early youth, a love for philosophy and natural history in general. He was, however, particularly drawn to the study of botany from considering the importance of vegetables in the practice of medicine, and their indispen- sable use 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 American Encyclopaedic Dictionary: Fox 'glove, Folks-glove (Folks diS foks.) English Fox and Glove; Anglo Saxon Foxes glofa. 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-hut; 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 rt^iv/^// a thimble, and in French, Gafit dc Notrc-Damc, "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 encyclopaedias and diction- aries is unsatisfactory to most scholars in philology. An imitation thimble - false-thimble — would not be so far-fetched as "false glove." The Sassafras.— 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. , I s i It I rr I II I ■ Vo.iJX Plate N^ 7 I I t i \'A\)VXS (;oNNAi;\ BIDENS CONNATA. CONNATE BUR-MARIGOLD. NATURAL ORDER, COMPOSITE. BIDENS CONNATA Willdetiow.-Glabrous. a foot or two high, loosely branched, leaves either all undivided, oblong or broadW tanceolate. acuminate at both ends, sharply serrate, tapering into margined petioles or the "PP-Jf^-^^' °^ some with a pair of lateral divisions which are sessile and decnrrent on the petiole. Akenes f b^°"8^-^""^f 1 ^^^^^^ ou" rmost obovate nearly glabrous but retrorsely hispid-ciliate. commonly three-awned. Gray's Synopttcal Flora of TrirLerZ See also Gray's Manual of tHe Botany of the Northern United 5/a/... Chapman's Flora of tke Southern United States, Wood's Class-Book of Botany, and Britten 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 Bidens frondosa, a close relative of the one here illustrated, but which never or rarely becomes a weed, -as Bidens Jrondosa does. Many years 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 probably no better de- finition to-day. Bidens connata 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 had sought ! " In the first volume of the Botatiical Gazette, Professor John M. Coulter describes a scene in September, on the line of the Ohio River, in which our plant is represented, and whith must have been very beautiful. It had for companions, besides other species of Bidens, richly-tinted Polygonums, Polanisias, large clumps of the purple Baptisia australis, the rosy Hibiscus militaris, various species of gol- 0 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 I.innseus. 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 illustrated, 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 (97) ill r: ,ii t . . \» SJVLVJ TNTPNTTTnTMAT QPnONTT^ PVDrkCTTDC » i BIDENS CONNATA. CONNATE BUR-MARIGOLD. NATURAL ORDER, COMPOSIT.ii:. R.nPNS CONVATA Willdeuow.-Glahrous. a foot or two high, loosely branched, leaves either all undivided, oblong or """-rroXta-olate. ac.ninate at both ends, sharply serrate tapering into ,nargi.ed P-ioJ- o^ t^e ^ some with a pair of lateral divisions which are sessile and decurrent on the petiole. Akenes oblong ^""^'^^ :r^-mosto 'ovate, nearly glabrous but retrorsely hispid-ci.iate. commonly three-awned ^'^^^^^'^^f^/^Z North Amnica. See also Gray's ^/.:./«a/ of the Botauy of the Northern I nUed Stales Lhaptu^n s I io; a o/ Southern rutted States, Wood's Class-nook of Botany, and Britten and Brown's Illustrated Flora. At the first si^^ht of our picture, the reader luij^ht l)elieve he was introduced to a fauiiliar weed, having i" mind the connnon " stick- ti^^ht" of cultivated j^nound, 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 /iich'NS frofidostT, a close relative of the one here illustrated, but which never or rarely becomes a weed, -as Bhiciis frofiih)sa does. Many years ago. the author su<»<'ested that a weed could only be defined as a plant growing where the cultivator did not want it, and there is i)robably no better de- finition to-day. Jiiiicus (onnata 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 Avhich nature had assigned it. If one had not some i)re-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 nuiss of infloresence. Kven in the coloring, the rosy tinge of the petioles and adjacent portions of the stem brightens up the whole picture. Heauty 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 i)leas- ure to river scenery. Near the mouths of some of our large streams, there are often areas of fiat 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 vSeptember, 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 L^lances at Flora when in the proper mood. " Oh I 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 had sought ! " In the first volume of the Botanical Gazette, Professor John ]\I. Coulter describes a scene in vSeptember, on the line of the Ohio River, in wdiich our plant is represented, and which must have been very beautiful. It had for companions, besides other species of lUdens, richly -tinted Polygonums, Polanisias, large clumps of the purple Baptisia australis, the rosy Hibiscus militaris, various species of gol- den-flowered Ilelianthus 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, nidens, was given by Tournefort, and adopted by Linujuus. It is a (^reek name sug- gestive of the two teeth-like awns that crown the akenes, though some species, as in the one here illustrated, may have more than two. The student interested in (luestions 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 (97^ i Ji 98 MEEHANS' MONTHI.Y— BIDENS CONNATA. [July it is No. 641 of Linnaeus' Genera Plantarum of 1737; but Dr. Gray gives No. 932. The lat- ter number is employed 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 Linnseus 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- alus and quotes Decandolle, 1836, as the authority; but this is but a reference, the name having been given in Acta Gallica, 1720. This would, therefore, antedate the Linnsean 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 by the species. Bidens connata 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 by Muhlenberg; but the mere suggestion does not carry with it the right to be quoted as the author, under botanical rules. The species is a very 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 Bidetis lanceolata\ but when he des- cribed it as a new species, in the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, it appears as Ridens 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 by 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 many 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 by the absence of ray 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 by pecu- liarities of foliage; but the student will have difficulty. Variations are very great. In Min- nesota, leaves of some variations are cut into comb-like sections. Its range is given by McMillan as ''North America, New Bruns- wick to Saskatchewan and Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, Georgia and Texas." It has been found useful in medicine as an expectorant in bronchial troubles. The family of Bidens has managed to make its way widely through the world,— and to a degree that other families might envy; and yet, 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 Paraguay, 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 any special locations. Mexico, however, seems to be the great central family home, there having been no less than twenty-five species described as claimed by that region, and more are continually being found and named by 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, ^/V/tv/^ leucantha, is one of the most widely distributed of the whole family. Explanation of the Plate.— 1. Lower section of a flowering stalk, a. Upper section of the same showing the transition from a tripartite leaf to the simple form. 3- Single floret with akene, somewhat enlarged. WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. THE MOUNTAIN SAXIFRAGE. There cleaving to the ground, it lies With multitude of purple eyes, Spangling, — a cushion green like moss. Anonymous. 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 every plant of which had a two-leaved involucre; and since then I have seen many in other places. On May 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 many 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. Amherst, Mass. L,. H. ElWELL. The study 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. Elw^ell, made by observers since Darwin's time, tend to show that variation results from varying phases of life-energy, 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 hereditary four-leaved character; but the most enthusiastic believer in this form of evolution would hesitate on the possibility of a palmate leaf, like a lupine, ever being evolved in this way. Habenaria grandiflora.— Having occa- sion, lately, to refer to an herbarium of dried plants which I collected perhaps fifty-five years ago, I noticed that one of them, which was a prime favorite with me in my boyish days, was no longer recognized as a species by Gray. In the last pocke.t 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 fitn- briata. My feelings were a little like those expressed to me on one occasion by my valued friend, the late Isaac Burk, who grumbled at the necessity 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 Hortiis Kewensis, which is recognized as a standard authority, retains both H. grandiflora and H. fimbria ta 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. grandiflora, he says: " Flowers twice the size of H.fitnbriata, from which it also difl*ers 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 1 83 1, on the Westtown school farm, in a low piece of swampy ground, over-grown with trees and bushes, among which I waded up toi (99) I llMill " I : I lOO MEEHANS' MONTHLY— WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [July my knees in mire. This locality has since b^en cleared, drained and ploughed up, and though it has yielded corn and grass, it may well be supposed that the Habenaria has dis- appeared. Yet there is something mysterious in the disappearance and return of plants of this class. A botanical friend, with whom I was closely 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 H. 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, boggy soil for the plants to grow in. Although nearly sixty years have elapsed, I think I could still go to some of the spots where H. grandiflora formerly 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-known 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 possibly be ascribed, in part, the fact mentioned by Edward Tatnall of the disappearance of Habenaria from a well- stocked locality. I^- Walton. ChevterCo., 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 observations in England, with native species of that country, that the tuberous-rooted orchids will, at times, remain dormant several years, without making any foliage. • - Krigia amplexicaulis. — - 1 send you a specimen of Adopogon Virginicus (L.) Kunze; Kyigia amplexicaulis, Nutt; Cynthia Virginica, Don; Virginia Goatsbeard. This showy little perennial Compositce, 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 by botanists. It was not known to belong to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, until 1884, when it was found growing along the Conestoga Creek, be- low Churchtown, and again in 1892, along a stony, unused road on the Welsh Mountain, near Beartown, in the same State. It can be cultivated. One plant, brought from Beartown in 1892, and planted in a flower bed in a yard in Lancaster City, has increased to four plants, the leaves with a spread as large as a tea plate. After its removal to Lan- caster, it blossomed profusely in June; and this year, 1898, it blossomed again in Septem- ber. It has been collected in Berks and Chester counties. Mrs. Amelia F. Ebv. Lancastrr, Pa. Besides the names quoted by our correspond- ent, it was classed by Linnaeus wdth the Salsify family, and known to him as Tragopogon Vir- ginicus, literally, the Virginian (Goatsbeard. Index Kewensis adopts the name originally given by Nuttall, Krigia amplexicaulis. Rosa rugosa in a Nursery Catalogue.— In a prominent nursery catalogue, the cover appears so dainty it might be adorned with lace and embroidery, upon w^hich 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," may 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 any 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 sw^eeter monument than the fragrance and beauty of roses? ^- ^- ^• 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHLY— WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. lOI Spanish Palmetto.— '' The Spanish Pal- metto is a species of palm tree growing in the West Indies and Southern United States, of the genus Chajncerops. By the natives of Florida, it is called the Cabbage Palmetto, or more commonly simply 'cabbage'. It is not, however, the true cab- bage tree, Euterpe montana or Areca oler- acea, found 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 embryo leaves, the real end of the trunk, above and around which the leafstalks 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- ally be used as isuch. 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 pretty picture is prob- ably Yucca aloeifolia, a tnie native of Florida. The Death-Cup Mushroom. — Of the genus Amanita, to which the Death-Cup belongs, authorities say that it is responsible for the majority of deaths from mushroom poisoning. Strange to say, some species of this genus are also pronounced edible, making delicious dishes. According to plates prepared by Dr. Taylor, an authority on the subject, the Death-Cup, Amanita phalloides, is of a dusky brown color, not as gaudy as the Fly Mushroom which is less poisonous, nor yet as delicately colored as the Orange Amanita, A. Coesarea, an edible one. Dr. Taylor figures two other edible spe- cies : Amanita rubescens. The Blusher, a dark 111 SPANISH PALMETTO lOO MKKHANS' MONTHLY— WILD FLOWKRS AND NATURE. [July my knees in mire. This locality has since b^en cleared, drained and ploughed up, and though it has yielded corn and grass, it nia>- well be supposed that the Habcnaria has dis- appeared. Vet there is something mysterious in the disai)pearance and return of plants of this class. A botanical friend, with whom I was closely associated sixty years ago, the late lulward Tatnall, of Wilmington, Dela- ware, wrote to me respecting localities. "The Orchidaccce are among plants what the gipsies are among people, and are seldom found twice in the same locality. I once found a locality of //. fimbviata in which there was probabl\- 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, boggy soil for the plants to grow in. Although nearly sixty years have elapsed, I think I could still go to some of the spots where //. f^randijloya formerly grew, although it would be with but faint hoi)e of ever meeting with specimens. Two of these l^laces 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-known 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 possibly be ascribed, in part, the fact mentioned by Edward Tatnall of the disappearance of Habcnaria from a well- stocked locality. I^. 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 observations in England, with native species of that country, that the tuberous-rooted orchids will, at times, remain dormant several years, without making any foliage. • - KRUilA AMPLKXICAULLS. — I Send you a specimen of Adopogon Virginuus (L.) Kun/e; h'rigia amplc.vicaulis, Xutt; Cvfit/iia llrginica, Don; Virginia (loatvsbeard. This showy little perennial Compositcc, 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 l)y botanists. It was not known to belong to Lancaster County, Tennsylvania, until 1SS4, when it was found growing along the Conestoga Creek, be- low Churchtown, and again in 1S92, along a stony, unused road on the Welsh Mountain, near Heartown, in the same State. It can be cultivated. One plant, ])rought from Beartown in 1S92, and planted in a flower bed in a yard in Lancaster City, has increased to four plants, the leaves with a spread as large as a tea plate. After its removal to Lan- caster, it blossomed ])rofuscly in Juul-; and this year, 1S9S, it blossomed again in Septem- ber. It has been collected in Herks and Chester counties. Mi<-^- Amkllx 1'. ICnv. Lancaster, Pa. Besides the names (luoted by our correspond- ent, it was classed by Linnieus with the vSalsify family, and known to him as '/Yaoopo-oH I'ir- gif/iafs, literally, the Virginian (^oatsbeard. /f/dt'A- A'rurnsis adopts the name originally given by Nuttall, A'r^'vV? awplc.viiatdis. Rosa ruoosa in a Xi'rskrv Catalocik.— In a prominent nursery catalogue, the cover appears so dainty it might be adorned with lace and embroidery, upon which a star has fallen. Rosa rugosa is illustrated within. The rose has been named the (^ueen of flow- ers, and as lulmund Spenser has been called ''the poet's poet," may 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 any garden. Once were brought me eighty- large, old- fashioned red roses, from a field from which the hcmse had long since disa])peared, but the roses fl(nirished still, a monument to departed love and care. Who would desire a sweeter monument than the fragrance and beauty of roses."^ n. H. (). COND EXPOSURE 1899J MKKHANS' MONTHLY --WILD FLOWKRS AND NATURE. lOl Spanlsh Palmkttc).— " The vSpanish Pal- metto is a species of palm tree growing in the West Indies and vSouthern United vStates, of the genus Chanucrops. By the natives of morida, it is called the Cabbage Palmetto, or more connnonly simply 'cabbjtge'. It is not, however, the true cab- bage tree, Euterpe moutana or Arcca olcr- acra, found in the West Indies and northern part' of vScmth America, but, like the terminal bud, is tender and succulent, and edible either raw or cooked, being a white whorl of embryo leaves, the real end of the trunk, above and annmd which the leafstalks 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 iSjf), both the ])re.sent managers of the Hotel Ormond lived in log canii)S thatched with these leaves, and at the timecani])S made of long pole frames covered en- tirely (sides and roof) with ])almctto leaves were common and known as * Palmetto vShanties. ' The divided l)a.se of the leaf stalk, that clings to the trunk even after the leaf has dried and ])art of the stem has broken and fallen ofl', is called a l)oot-jack, and wlien sound can actu- ally he 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 «S: Price, Ormond, IHorida, it may be added that the other ])lant in the pretty picture is prob- ably )'/f(ra a loci folia, a true native of h'lorida. Thk Dkath-Cup Mushroom.-— Of the genus Amanita, to which the Death-Cup belongs, authorities say that it is responsible for the majority of deaths from mushroom poisoning. vStrange to say, some species of this genus are also pronounced edible, making delicious dishes. According to plates prei)ared by Dr. Taylor, an authority on the subject, the Death-Cup, .Inianita phalloidcs, is of a dusky brown color, not as gaudy as the Fly :Mushr()om which is less poisonous, nor yet as delicately colored as the Orange Amanita, A. Civsarca, an edible one. Dr. Taylor figures two other edible spe- cies : Amaiiita rnl)csccns, The Blusher, a dark SPANISH PALMETTO IB > 11^ pi 102 MEEHANS* MONTHLY— WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [July ■II II i: brown species, and A. strobiliformis. Fir- cone Mushroom, the latter being particularly characterized by 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 positively able to identify the mush- room he gathers for the table. The work of Dr. Taylor, referred to, is valuable for refer- ence in identifying 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 by its rings, and here let me say, there are three ways to tell: two by the inside, and one by the out- side. The methods of counting the 3'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 any one can do. Another way is to split the block open and count the sections on a medullary 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 betw^een 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, \vhether on a mountain or in a valley, also the color and nature of the soil, amount of sun- shine, temperature, moisture, etc. 1 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 diiFerence, 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 leaf, I notice these barometric conditions. When the tree is not in leaf, by a few experi- ments, especially duringsap-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-Rays used inBotany. — "Dr. Van Heurck, well-known in the world of learned men, ' ' says, La Semavie Horticole, " has lately become dis- tinguished by his remarkable work in radio- graphy. The learned lecturer of the Botanical Gardens at Anvers, showed recently the results he had obtained by X-rays in the plant world. He had successively photographed a flower of Pavo7iia Brakoyana, fruits of Arachis, 7a?fiar- indus Indica (here the embryo was seen with surprising clearness), Papaver somniferuvi (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 Proteacecp. 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 conimunitv 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 year 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 sedys sowe Of every moneth he must knowe Both of wortys and of leke Ownyns and of garleke Percely, clary, and eke sage And all other herbage Wt a dybble pu schalt ham sette That pe dybble before be blunt and grete Three ynches depe they most sette be And thus sayde Mayster 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 city, 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 employ of the Com- monwealth of ^Massachusetts, and the object for which they work is the extermination of the gypsy moth, Porthetria dispar, 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 by people living in that vicinity, 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 any 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 Medford, 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 twenty 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 devour the foliage of nearly all species of trees and plants, and in the worst infected districts, when the trees are stripped of their leaves, the fruit itself is partially 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 by individual effort. Vast areas of woods, attacked by the moths, looked as though they had been swept by forest fires. Finally, 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 year. Professor H. H. Goodell, president of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, wrote to Governor Brackett, urging that meas- ures be taken by 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 by the selectmen of Med- icos) ir I" ^--— ^-■- - ■- t! 1 Ifl l! II « ) ni i lO MEEHANS' MONTHLY- -GENERAL GARDENING. [July ford, January 15, 1890. Other petitions fol- lowed from some half a dozen towns and cities, also from the Massachusetts Agricultural Col- lege, the Essex Agricultural Society and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. In ac- cordance with the provisions of an act passed by the Legislature that year, the Governor appointed a salaried commission. This com- mission began its labors by a partial inspec- tion of the known infected district for the pur- pose of discovering 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 May, the spraying 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 day. 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 March 20, 1 89 1, actual field work was begun, under the supervision of entomologists from the various colleges. Later in this year, the commission was superseded by the State Board of Agricul- ture, from which a committee was appointed, to continue the work. In apportioning the territory 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 into 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 by 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 destroy 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 employed was increased. Each inspector was instructed to make out a daily written re- port of the work done by 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 Paris green for spraying, manifested by many people living in the infested towns. A mass meeting of the opponents of spraying was held in Med- ford. One citizen, who attempted to cut the hose attached to one of the spraying tanks and threatened with violence the employee of the board who had entered upon his land, was arrested and fined. Others neutralized the effects of the spraying by turning the garden hose upon the trees and shrubs that had been sprayed, thus washing off the solution. Important entomological 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 gypsy 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 study 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' 3I0NTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. 105: plants Utilized by the moth for food, it is capa- ble of subsisting in almost any 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 w^ork 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 greatly re- duced. Still, the end of the work is by 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 by 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 lead are used for spraying, and power spraying 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 measures 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 carrying 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 Miiller's Gart- ner-Zeitung, in an article written for that paper by Mr. Rudolph Krause, a nurseryman of Thomberg, near Leipsic, will interest our read- ers : — ''Liriodendron hdipifera, the Tulip-tree, a native of the United States, is found in parks very frequently, 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 only 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 family, demands careful planting on account of its thick and fleshy roots. '*A notable variety, w4th varigated leaves, is the Liriodendron tulipifera fol. aureo-margi- natis. ' ' Cut-leaved Beech.— Among the especially 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 highl}^ 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. i|) il It m esides enjoying their pretty blossoms all sum- mer. poetry and history have all equally celebrated them. In Wajshington, 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. Hardiness of Lavender Plants. — It would be quite correct to say that lavender is very hardy, though the past winter, unusually -severe, killed some plants. A correspondent inquires if it will thrive in a shady location and moist. Very few ever- greens like such a position, and lavender is not known to be one of them. In sunny gardens and dry 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. iThe small flowers make that wonderful color = so popular with the ladies. But all stems, leaves and flowers have that pleasant aroma I which makes it so useful. •i. i 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 bands in the quidnunc '!nianfe^,.as they now Stand in the valley on .Mo^nt Lebanon; we^'^n^ill not venture an opinion. Lamartine, who visited these trees in 1832, very properly says: •' They are the most renowned natural monuments in the universe. ' ' Religion , NEW 01^ RARl, TLAnrS. California Yellow Violet.— California has given us many desirable flowering plants, — some have become very 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 Nemophila, Collinsia, Eschschol- zia, and others too numerous to mention. Cheney. V ashington. SUSAN TuCKER. White Caryopteris, and 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 without 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. John W. Duncan. i 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 107 Yucca alceifolia variegata. — The Yucca aloeifolia 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 probably over one hundred years 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 Society. 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 7iobilis, it was a beautiful sight, and could be admired from a long distance away. This is the second time the plant has flowered. It seeds freely, appar- ently without any aid from insects. THE MflRI^T TLOWER ^i^R^EN. 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 ni}' garden, a flower, a round club- like head, at whose point a few little ray blos- soms of whitish color open, set on a bare pink- purplish stalk. What concerns their color, they are hardly Improved China As- ter.— The China Aster is not an aster, but be- longs to a very different genus. It is Callistephus • Chine nsis. It is being improved, — or one might say distorted in- to all sorts of queer forms by German flor- ists, as the chrysanthe- mum has been by the Japanese. Quilled-petal kinds are now among the rest, — the flowers looking very much like a similar freak among the chrysanthe- mums. YUCCA ALOEIFOLIA VARIEQATA. io5 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING, [Jub^ IIow TO Keep Dahijas.— 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 dry. INIany people winter them in a cave, but they 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 dry sand, and kept in a dry place sheltered from the frost. — La Semainc H or tic ok. 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 everyone is the pansy — and well may 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, nicely 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. poetry and history have all equally celebrated them. In Washington, 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- buro-h, 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. Hardiness of Lavender Plants. — It would be quite correct to say that lavender is very hardy, though the past winter, unusually severe, killed some plants. A correspondent inquires if it will thrive in a shady location and moist. Very few ever- greens like such a position, and lavender is not known to be one of them. In sunny gardens and dry 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 vSolomon planted the Cedar of Lebanon with his own hands in the (luidnunc manner, as they now stand in the valley on IVIoilint Lebanon, we will not venture an opinion. Lamartine, who visited these trees in 1832, very properly says: " They are the most renowned natural monuments in the universe. ' ' Religion , EW ©1 li^lE FLi^NTS California Yellow Violet.— California has given us many desirable flowering plants,— some have become very 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 purchased by the no less cele- brated horticulturist Caleb Cope, at Holmes- burg, near Philadeli)hia. On the dispersion of his collections at the end of the fifties, it came into pos.session of Mr. Thomas Meehan, and has been a choice deni- zen of Mrs. Meehan's conservatory for many 3'ears i)ast. When in flower on the lawn last summer, backed by a pretty specimen of the beautiful western coni- fer, Picea nohilis, it was a beautiful sight, and could be admired from a long distance away. This is the second time the plant has flowered. It seeds freely, ai)par- ently without any aid from insects. THE BHi^IKI^T FLOWEl ^/^Hl^EN. Petasites OFFICINALIS. — Relative to the article of mine on bees and their guidance to insignificant blossoms, in the INIay number of your valuable :\Ionthlv, 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 flower, a round club- like head, at whose point a few little ray blos- soms of whitish color open, set on a bare pink- purplivSh stalk. What concerns their color, they are hardl}' Impr()vi:d Chlva As- ter.— The China Aster is not an aster, but be- longs to a very diflerent genus. It is C 'allistcp/ins • ChincHsis. It is being improved, — or one might say distorted in- to all sorts of queer forms by (icrman flor- i.sts, as the chrysanthe- mum has been by the Japanese. (Juilled-i)etal kinds are now among the rest, — the flowers looking very much like a simihir freak among the chrysanthe- mums. YUCCA ALCEIFOLIA VARIEGATA. io8 MEEHANS' MONTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. [July discernible from the yet bare ground of the surrounding earth and dry vegetation. Yet the honey 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 Petasites officifialis- {3.- l^wroi^^^n species). With this guide, I looked over my German catalogue of plants, and found the fol- lowing: Petasites vulgaris, Compositse — X. Eupatoriae. Common name. Pestilence-wort. No doubt it has been used for medicinal pur- poses. The roots of it are plenty and ver>^ 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, always open 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 fully grown. It needs plenty of room to expand in. Mrs. Wilhelmine Seliger. Hartford, Conn. 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, may be a fair set-off" to the plea of the beautiful evergreen. MiCHAUXIA CAMPANULOIDEvS. — ThoUgll a French botanist, the name of Andre IVIichaux is inseparable from the history of American botany. Not 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 genus Michauxia^\\viS^,r^.\.Qd on page 109, and which illustration has been transferred from the French magazine Lyon-Horticolc. As will be seen from the picture, 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. It 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 November, 1796, in the 50th year of his age. AHb Rosa rugosa. — Coming into bloom at the same time with the rhododendron, the Rosa rugosa puts in a claim for the prize of beauty. It would be hard to decide, for a bush 6 or 8 Hybridizing Apples and Pears.— In Mee- HANS' Monthly, May '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 w^ork has yet 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. They were pollinat- ed with pollen of Oldenburg apple and kept covered with paper bags to exclude other pol- len. Each set fruit, but by 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 symmetrical in shape. It contained 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 109 ' 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 hybridizing with the Oldenburg apple. The seeds were stratified in a pot ol sand and buried in a frame. In the spring they were 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. But 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, imder my direction, with pollen from Shel- don, Clairgeau and Bosc pears, and one cluster of Seckel pear with pollen from Rome Beauty apple. None set fruit except onecluster 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 will set fruit freely when supplied with none but apple pollen. S. A. Beach. New York Agricultural Experimeut 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 diflfi- 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 by E. W. Reid, Bridgeport, Ohio. MICHAUXIA CAMPANULOIDCS.-scc faos loa REvSui^ts of Pear- grafting. — G. S. wTites : * ' 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 emploj'ed. The tree bore fruit last season, but was quite a disappointment, fruit more resembling the original small, round, sour pear. Can j^ou 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 trying again. J I in i I! I 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. — Byron. Sabbatia. — In the last issue of Meehans' 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 Hortus Romaiius, which the authors of Hortus Kewensis very properly declined quoting on the avowed ground of its inutility. Adanson^ . indeed, writes the word Sabatia, 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 etymology 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- out w^ho 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) glieiv), 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 Fairy- cap, Fairies' Thimbles, Fairies' Petticoats, Fairies' Glove and • Fairies' 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 by your correspondent, Alice Clary Earle, in the May number. Philadelphia. C. F. SAUNDERS. How TO Plan the Home Grounds. — Pub- lished by Doubleday & INIcClure 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 & Sons '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 proud, as w^e all are, to have this use- ful w^ork in hand. It is a practical, helpful book, as the publishers are fully justified in saying, telling popularly and in detail how to beautify home grounds, be they 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 sixty-four species. The first part, covering twenty-seven species, appears in the April issue of the Botanical Gazette, 1899] meehans' monthly — biography and literature. Ill The Boulder Fern. — The readers of Meehans' Monthly will be of the opinion that the following lines, contributed by some anonymous 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 by 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. She has grace and beauty in every line And the fragrance of the flowers. But oh, she loveth the free wdlds best And the cold gray boulder's side; And there, adorning the rugged steeps, Forever she will abide. Origin of the Potato — Solanum tuber- osum. — Potatoes are also included in a collection recently examined. They are usually small, about an inch in diameter, and are much like the tubers of the wild plants found by the waiter in the mountains of Mexico, at an elevation of 1 0,000 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 w41d 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, by 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. Harshberger. University of Peuusylvauia. 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 Krrol, 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. Hyams, an herb collector for a drug agency, though is- sued by the North Carolina Experiment Station. Prof. W. F. Massey 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 mouldy name. Many names are du- plicated. We have Hepatica Hepatica, Alliaria Alliaria, Bar bar ea Barbarea, A but Hon A butt- lo7i, Opu7itia Opuntia, Foeniculum Foenictilum^ Hypopitys Hypopitys, Sassafras Sassafras, Ben- zoin Benzoin. Phragmites Phragmites, Scolopen- drium Scolopeyidrium , 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 Sassafras," and so on. But the new nomenclature goes further than this. In this list we have Polypodium poly- podoid€S, — \}^2X is to say, "the polypodium that is like a polypodium." This may be meant in an emphatic sense, as when the Boston clergy- man, anxious to give a truthful opinion of ever>' 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 w^ealthy lady, who rejoices in a comparatively small garden, -r-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. 112 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" may 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- ^erv^es a place in the amateur's library. 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 by 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, Minnesota. This is a booklet of 38 pages, with designs and descrip- tions suggestive of beautifying small gardens and grounds, that are usually not thought worthy 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 prepai:e .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 enjoyable one. Each species is illustrated in good form, so that there will be no difficulty in deciding what the descriptions Jiave endeavored to prove. ^ENEI^/^L MOTES. 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 onlj' 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. Meehans' Monthly, — Its contents. — One of the merits claimed for Meehans' 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 Ferns 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 temporary character, though well suited to mere newspaper publications, they give way to numerous substantial topics that might have a place in an encyclopaedia 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 worthy 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 vState such world-wide eminence. I VoiJX Plate N^S, * I . SOLIDAGO STRICTA. SLENDER GOLDEN-ROD. NATURAL ORDER, COMPOSITE. SoLiDAGO STRICTA, Aiton.— Very smooth throughout. Stem strict and simple; wand-like, not one-sided; slender, beset with small and entire appressed lanceolate-oblong thickish leaves, which arc gradually reduced upwards to mere bracts,— 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 United States, and Wood's Class-Book of Botany— hXI under the name of Solida£o virgata. Gray's Synoptical Flora of North A merica as Solidago stricta. This pretty Golden-rod was first described by Aiton in the * Hortus Kewensis," under this name apparently from specimens ' ' cultivated in 1758 by Mr. Philip Miller." When Michaux explored our country 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 Aiton 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 angusti- folia of Elliott, and which by Aiton was re- garded as distinct from his Solidago stricta. Under this modern view. Dr. Gray describes the latter as Solidago stricta, var. angustifolia . When 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 sonpervirens ; 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 sempervirens is one of the earliest to flower. In P'lorida 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 distinguish- ing marks, which are absent in dried illustra- 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- positcB, 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 cylindrical and not cam- panulate ; while the purely triangular seg- ments of the corolla are erect, and not recurved. 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 compositae generally, are united into a sort of crown, while the filaments are (113) M W SoiilWCiO .STKr"''\. '^ Pt.ate \'*rt It i !! SOLIDAGO STRICTA. SLENDER GOLDEN-ROD. NATURAL ORDER, COMPOSITE. SoLiDAGO STRICTA, Aiton.— Very smooth throughout. Stem strict and simple; wand-like, not one-sided; slender, beset with small and entire appresscd lanceolate-oblong thickish leaves, which are gradually reduced upwards to mere bracts,— 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 United States, and Wood's Class-Book of Botany — all under the name of Solidago virgata. Gray's Synoptical Flora of North America as Solidago stricta. This pretty (iolden-rod was first described by Aiton in the ' Hortus Kewensis," nnder this name ai)i)arently from specimens "cultivated in 1758 by Mr. Philip Miller." When Michaux explored our country he met this i)lant, and, regardinji^ 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. (iray was able to show that Aiton's and Michaux's i)lants were specifically the same, except that Aiton's plant had a rather more branching form of inflor- escence than usual. As variation in such j)articulars is common in the genus, there is no reason for maintain- . ing two distinctive names, and the prior one of Aiton 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 So/idago a/igt/s/i- folia of l^lliott, and which b\' Aiton was re- garded as distinct from his Solidago stricta. Under this modern view. Dr. (iray describes the latter as Solidago stricta, var. augustifolia. When these more branching forms of in- florescence are met with, the first impres- sion is that they are to be referred to the sea (iolden-rod, Solidago scmpcrvirens : but they are easily distinguivshed by the latter having long narrow leaves, similar to the root- leaves, all along the stem, — while our species, as seen in the ])icture, has the leaves reduced to mere bracts when in that position. Aside from this, the Solidago scvipcrvircns is one of the earliest to flower. In IHorida it is fre- quently found in early Spring, and so far north as Atlantic Cit}', 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 distinguish- ing marks, which are absent in dried illustra- 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- posit ce, as well as of Solidago itself. If, for instance, the enlarged floret (Fig. 3 in the plate) be compared with a floret of Solidago ne mora I is, 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 cylindrical and not cam- panulate ; while the purely triangular seg- ments of the corolla are erect, and not recurved. In like manner the bristly pappus is somewhat appressed, while in other species it would be more or less expanding. It is difficult 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- posit (€. The method adojjted in this instance is shown in the enlarged drawing. Fig. 3. The anthers, as in composite generall}', are united into a sort of crown, while the filaments are h OLORPLATl INTF.NTTONAT SFmMn PYPr>QTTDC lilHIiil 11^ I 114 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 up 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, carrying with it the pollen grains. When the stigmas get wholly through, the elastic filaments draw back to their normal position, and the empty pollen cases are found at the mouth of the corolla again. Those who are imbued with the idea that all flowers are so arranged that they can be cross- fertilized when self-fertilization fails, contend that the two lobes of the style 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 ready to receive that which visiting insects may bring from outside sources. But careful exclusion of visiting insects, by the use of gauze netting, results in ever>^ 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 by way 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 physiological 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 sunny skies and cloudless times, enjoy 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 year 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 stricta, takes its place in the lower levels near the sea-coast, where the autumnal beauty is of a very 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. Meeting 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 decay. A yellow 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 grassy plain. The grasses were chiefly species of Andropogon. The comparatively dwarf Heli- anthus ayigusiifolUis 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 beauty 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 by the brook, Amid our earnest parley." — Howard Worcester Gilbert. The Pleasures of Wild Nature. — A cor- respondent says: "Out of the many occupa- tions, pleasures, fads and fancies of the present day, few occupy' space 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. Always new surprises at every turn, — no one can read the depths of wonderful Nature. We delight in the beautiful and mysterious, 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 joyously 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 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. ' * 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 lovinglj- 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 (115) f 'rr. T* 1 I 1 , Ii6 MEEHANS' 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. Mr. 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 any 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 yet been positively de- termined. Conditions for Fungus Growths. — The chapter on the nice conditions, or we might say combination of nice conditions, required before mushroom spawn will grow, as noted recently in Meehans' Monthly, 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 everywhere about us. Numerous diseases spring from invisible members of the fungus family. The terms, bacillus and microbe, that everyone is now so familiar with, simply represent a low order of cryptogamic growth, which we may as well call funguses. Of these low orders of vegetation that can be well seen by microscopes only, over forty thou- sand have already 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 they under- stand by 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 very different 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 every mouthful of food or drink, spores of yellow fever, typhoid fever, diphtheria, small pox and many other dreadful diseases, which spores abound in the atmosphere and everywhere 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 expensively tyrannical as at times to tempt the legislative bodies to wipe them out wholly in spite of the limited amount of good they certainly do. When the diseases die out for lack of the nice food required by 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 many hundreds of square feet of dewberries and the common blackberry mixed. The dewberry is so com- pletely covered by a species of blackberry rust that one might take it to be a patch covered with gold dust spread out to dry. But not one leaf of the common blackberry has a spot of rust. All as healthy as health could show. 1899] MEEHANS* MONTHLY — WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. 117 Now the dewberry 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 dewberry leaf, but it meets with something we cannot detect on the black- berryleaf that forbids its development. After awhile, however, some other species of rust, n-ith 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 many things. Out of these forty 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 wisely arranged to protect us directly 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 Cypripedium acaule as growing in dry oakwoods. The only places where I have found it here are tamarack swamps, where it grows in the wet sphagnum, together with C. arietinum, Pog07iia ophioglos- soides, Arethusa bulbosa and Calopogon pulchel- lus. I was out recently but found Arethusa very scarce, where they were plentiful a year ago. Many Cypripedium pubescens 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- cently." Geography of the Cranberry. — I send you a specimen of Vaccinium macrocarpoji. Ait, collected June 22, 1899, in a meadow near Mt. Gretna Park, Lebanon County, Pa. In 1893, I collected it at the same place ; and, in June, 1892, in a meadow near Beartown, Lancaster County, Pa. I sent specimens from both local- ities to Prof. Coville, at Washington, D. C, who informed me that they had not been re- ported to him from those localities. They used to grow in a meadow in Chester County, Pa. , and I find you have figured and reported a specimen of it from Germantown. Could they be cultivated and made profitable by cov- ering them with sand ? Do you know of any other localities in Pennsylvania in which they grow ? Amelia F. Eby. Lancaster, Pa. 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 botany. Long in the past, before the glacial epoch — probably 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, especially 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 Jersey, but for this departure of the stream. Now botany confirms this geological proposition. The flora of New Jersey is of a distinct type from that of Pennsylvania. This is especially noted in what are known as companion plants. Numer- ous species are found in close relation to each other, that are anything but neighbors else- where. This readily recognized New Jersey flora exists to-day 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 cranberry patch, the facts proved it to be originally of New Jersey. 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 by gradual modifica- tion. Just how many 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 possibly the most east- wardly aboriginal station for the plants. lil[ II ill I) GENERAL GARDENING. THE MOUNTAIN ASH. The IVIountain 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 very valuable magazine, a correspond- ent is desirous to know of the art of American Forestry, and how it can be made a ''nest ^gg' ' for his declining years. 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 Forestry, 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 systematic effort or order. That the coming generations will severely suffer, and the whole country be put in danger of the fury 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 judiciously 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 duty 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 scientifically taught in all its branches. There, the forest lands are systematically regulated and always made a source of revenue, without diminishing the area or the product of it. If always 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 (ii8) general purposes. We 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 surely 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-day. 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 iSIecklenburg-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) $52,370. The cost of the city is $43,826. 1 will give only a few remarkable items : Income from rent of lands. From meadows and gardens, Hunting permits, Forest income. From the villages. From sheep pasture. City taxes. $ 4,000 4.500 500 10,800 13.500 700 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, $12,- 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. Streetlights, $1,296 Night Watchmen , 800 Pavement of streets, 1,000 Repairing roads, 400 The Municipal Government consists of two Burgomasters, 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. Little drops of water form the great ocean. INIay 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 Mrs. 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. The Gypsy Moth. — I notice in the Month- I.Y for July, page 103, second column, 5th line, an apparent confusion of dates. The date there given should probably be 1889 instead of 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 *'45o to 600" eggs that one female deposits. ^' ^' S- 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 chrysanthemum 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 easy 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 type, is a good white, shaded pink. Shearing Trees and Shrubs. — The annual winter shearing of trees and shrubs, so pain- fully evident in most parts of our countr\% 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. YeIvLOW 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 unfortunately too many buds were produced on each stem. Since then, there have been improvements, until now we have, among several good ones, Eldorado, Mayor Pingree and Gold Nugget. They are all three good, Eldorado perhaps the best, though the Illi I :il I 20 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAI. GARDENING. [August others are still comparatively new. Pingree is a lighter yellow than Nugget and of a some- what different type. Eldorado is daintily striped with carmine. Borers in the Norway Spruce. — A wes- tern Pennsylvania correspondent sends us samples of two-year old branches of Norway Spruce, in which the centres are bored up and down by the larvae of a beetle. There is scarcely 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 early in June, and the infested branches cut oft 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. Ever^^where 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 my garden." Flowering Shrubs for Decoration Day IN the West. — Decoration or Memorial 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 ]\Ieniorial 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, Detitzia gracilis and Exochorda. Around Philadelphia, snowballs and weigela are looked upon as the principal flowers to be counted 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 Botayiical Gazette S2iys, "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 may be taught in colleges, but it never w^ould be suggested by any 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] meehans' monthly — GENERAL 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. They 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, twenty 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 country, 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 early-raised plants is given in the illustration. 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 yards and gardens. Its beautiful wine-colored foliage adds a charm to its habit of growth. So far, what is written refers to the Blood- leaved variety, Acer polymorphum atropurpur- eum, or, as it is sometimes called, Acer Japon- ic2im atropMrpureum. Since our intercourse with Japan has become so close, there are numerous varieties of these dwarf maples, all so beautiful, that it would be difficult 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. *L^A It ii ' 4l1 liMifl M ( 120 MEEHANS' MONTHLY— GENERAL GARDENING. [August others are still comparatively new. Pingree is a lighter yellow than Nugget and of a some- what different type. Eldorado is daintily striped with carmine. Borers in the Norway Spruce. — A wes- tern Penns^dvania correspondent sends us samples of two-year old branches of Norwa}^ Spruce, in which the centres are bored up and down b}^ the larvoe of a beetle. There is scarcely an}- 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 early in June, and the infested branches cut oft and burned, trouble could be averted. Gardenin(; and Old Age. — With business cares, the comparativel}' 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. PvVerywhere around us we ma}- 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 ni}^ garden." Flowering SiiRuiis i-or Decoration Day in the West.— Decoration or :\Iemorial 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 Memorial Day would soon become a thing of the past. Above all things, we want an abundance of flowers at this time, and the (piestion arises, — * ' what ? ' ' A corresijondent from Washington State asks for a suitable list for that section. As regards latitude, a list suitable for Maine should answer for Washington; ])nt there are other considera- tions locally that may make a great difference between such widely-located i)oints. Without referring to any positive records, it would be safe to say that the earliest spring flowers w^ould be timely, such as Bridal Wreath Spiraea, Lilac, Spir(Fa Van Houttci, Deutzia gracilis and Exochorda. Around Philadelphia, snowballs and weigela are looked upon as the principal flowers to be counted 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 spineas, other than those mentioned, and mock orange. I Longevity OK RooT-FiiiRES. — The Botanical Gazette S3.ys, ** In the Wisconsin report for 1897-8, are important botanical studies by F). 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 i\Ir. Ooff is opposing may be taught in colleges, but it never would be suggested by any practical and observing gardener. It has long been known that these fibres are annual. This was taught as early as 1S53. INIeehans' " Handbook of Ornamental Trees," sa^'s : — "There are two sets of roots to most trees, ])erha])S to all. One consivSts of fibres, the sole oflice of which is to draw matter fn^n the vSoil 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 b}' the fibres. P'ibres 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 po.ssibly more than in any other vSeason, 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. Fi])res are annual. The exact i)eriod of their death has never been accurately deter- 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL 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 185S, the ^leelian Nurseries received, from one of its Belgian cor- respondents, five plants of the Blood-leaved Japanese ^laple. They 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, twent}' 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 country, and until trade w^as 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 early-raised plants is given in the illustration. 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- abilit}' to the ornamentation of small city yards and gardens. Its beautiful wine-colored foliage adds a charm to its habit of growth. So far, what is written refers to the Blood- leaved variety, Acer polynwrphiun atropurpnr- enm, or, as it is sometimes called, Acer Japofi- icuni atropurptirenni. Since our intercourse with Japan has become so close, there are numerous varieties of these dw^arf maples, all so beautiful, that it w^ould be difficult to decide which is the best. The blood-leaved, however, still holds its own in popularity, indeed, w^here onh' one plant is desired, it is the one selected for the start. JAPANESE BLOOD-LEAVED MAPLE. NnONAL SECO ^10 XPOSURE Tliiil i ill III' 122 MEEHANS* MONTHLY- -GENERAI. GARDENING. [August MEW 0!^ R/^RC FLiflMTS. The Hazel-Leaved Wych Hazel.— 0?r^- lopsis spicata. The Wych Hazels form a rather small natural order, of which our common Hamamelis is the type. The order is known as Hamamelidaceoe. 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 by a genus of some half a dozen species, known as Cory lopsis, — literally growing for some years past in the choice col- lections of the United 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 contemporary that we have trans- ferred the illustration. CORYLOP8I8 SPICATA. plants "like the hazel.'* This refers to the foliage and habit of the shrub, which has very much the appearance of a hazel bush. It would seem as if the botanist who first dis- tinguished our Hamamelis as resembling the Wych 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 HovENiA DULCis. — Mr. Theo. D. Rand, Rad- nor, Pa., sends flowering specimens of this Asiatic tree of comparatively recent introduc- tion. It has flowered in the IMeehan 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 slightly fragrant. But it is of the Rhamna- ceous, or Buckthorn family. 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. THE M/^l^I^T FLOWED ^^R1D)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, they will frequently be found very useful. But there is one variety, OrientaliSy 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 lather narrow foliage, like the type, and is a neat grower. P^ONiA. — In our grandmother's gardens, Paeonies — "pinys," 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 year to year. It might 18993 MEEHANS* MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 123 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. ]\iost 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. AND Mushrooms with Tomato Sauce. — The fol- lowing recipe has been found so excellent that it is offered to the readers of the Bulletift. The mushrooms used were Hypholorna sublateri- //WW, Schaeft, 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 PiEONIES. Th! |t m I , n »ii i!i|. 122 MEEHANS' MONTHLY- -GENERAL GARDENING. [August EW 01 li^mS FL/^MTS, The Hazel-Leaved Wych Hazel.— Ory- /^/>j/5 spicata. The Wych Hazels form a rather small natural order, of which our common Harnamelis is the type. The order is known as Harnaynclidaceoe . 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 by a genus of some half a dozen species, known as Corylopsis, — literally growing for some years past in the choice col- lections of the United 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 contemporary that we have trans- ferred the illustration. CORYLOPSIS SPICATA. plants "like the hazel." This refers to the foliage and habit of the vShrub, which has very much the appearance of a hazel bush. It would seem as if the botanist who first dis- tinguished our Hamamelis as resembling the Wych 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 HovENL\ DULCis. — Mr. Theo. D. Rand, Rad- nor, Pa., sends flowering specimens of this Asiatic tree of comparatively recent introduc- tion. It has flowered in the INIeehan nurse- ries for several years past, and we believe it has also bloomed for some seasons past in the vicinitv of Baltimore. The flowers are in greenish - white clusters, resembling, some- what, a bunch of Elder blossoms, and are slightly fragrant. But it is of the Rhanina- ceous, or Buckthorn family. 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, ditlcis^ is derived from this fact. It is said to be a profitable item on Chinese fruit stands. TME M/^KI^Y f L®WE1 ^i^I^ID)EN. SiBERLVN 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, they will frequently 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 lather narrow foliage, like the type, and is a neat grower. P.KoxL\. — In our grandmother's gardens, Pjeonies — "pinys," 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 year to year. It might 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 123 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 w^e 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. INIost 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. ri^lTS fflE ¥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 Hypholojua sublateri- tiiun, Schaefl, 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. 1 1 ill TENTIONAL SECOND EXPO Itil'lil'l ! 1 124 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 you will find you 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 worthy of mention, the Colorado Potato-bug, " Colorado bugibus,'' (that's good Latin, is it not ?) is very plentiful, not hurt in the least by 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 they are in easy 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 mosquitos; and the young 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 pity 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 year; but grapes, somehow, are a stand- by. They are never killed or hurt to any ap- preciable extent. Grapes, we will have with us always; and they are always so plentiful that in their season they become an unsalable commodity. 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- mally. It is well to assume this to be the work of fungus, and to apply sulphur accordingly. For the potato scab-fungus, about 500 pounds to the acre may 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 R^d Astrachan, — not full Russians, by-the-way, — had found none w^orth 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 Meehans' Monthly has frequently noted, and northern amateurs will consequently be glad of the following recipe, for drying the fruit, an extract from the Florida Farmer and Fruit Grower : ' 'Gather the figs when entirely ripe and par- tially dry 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 dry place until dry weather, when it will be found that sugar has been formed on the out- side, and if well done they are in no respect 1 889 J 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 sugar." 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, glossy, bright red, and of good quality. 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- cyatnus niger, is his favorite food. The leaves of young 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 very 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 ^%% 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 eyes, which he has the power of telescoping to avoid obstructions in his] way as he moves along on his greasy, 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. Fcstus, 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 anywhere 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 yet tested. It is among the most hardy. A freestone of the North China type." \ I i 1 1 , i ■i 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 Sycamore 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 body, 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 K7iaves, 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 Sycamore of Europe is a kind of maple called, by botanists, Acer Pseudo-Platanus, which means False Plane Tree. In Egypt and Arabia, the Sycamore changes and takes the name of Ficus Sycamorus, which means, simply. Fig Mulberry Tree, because of the similarity of its leaves to that of the Black Mulberry. Like the False Plane-Maple, 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 day 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 off" the branches of the trees and threw them in the road. It is in memory of this occasion, that (126) Weeds. — The definition, originating with the senior conductor of the Monthly, that a weed is a plant growing where the cultivator does not want it, seems now generally accepted. Mountain Beauty or ' *Rosa de Montana. ' ' — A European subscriber asks the botanical name of a vine catalogued as " Mountain Beauty. " It is Antigofto?i leptopus, 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 Public 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, hyacinths 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. Certainly Washing- I 1899] meehans' monthly - biography and literature. 127 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 beauty 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 usually follows public usefulness. New York Botanical Garden. — Bulletin No. 4, of vol. ist, shows the great Botanical Garden in Bronx Park, New York, to be in a condition of remarkable progress. It may 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 usually placed after a plant's name, — and what is the object? He is in error in supposing that it is " usuallj'" done, — that is to say, by people in general. It serves no purpose whatever in any case but botanical monographs. In these cases, it serves good purposCvS — " 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 may 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 histor^^ 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 by Kelpius, w^ho estab- lished a monastery in the then wilderness of the Wissahickon, on what is now Monastery 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 j^ear before John Bart ram was born. They were celibates, combined together to exercise piet3% do good to humanity, and prepare for the second coming of Christ. They cleared the land and formed a fine garden, in which were cultivated plants, apparently 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- munity 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 younger brethren. After the death of Kelpius, the fraternity gradually pined awaj'. Some of the individuals re-joining the world they had abjured, until Dr. Witt was the 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 memor>' of his good deeds to suffering humanit}' 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 difl&culty 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. • iiitii! It s :li'ii I , I' ! 1 I i| ' '■< 1 GENERAL NOTES. The Upheaval in Plant Names.— " Profes- sor Harms, in his pamphlet on nomenclature agitation during the latter years, compiled by 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 the^e views had already gained ground to some extent and Kuntze's labors were there- fore received with approbation by many 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 many 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 (128) 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 century 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 unjustly 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 $10,000 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-ways 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. r i: n I Vol. IX Plate NV 9. \ .\MNil.i.,x!x \1\"1H.\K.\ MAMMILLARIA VIVIPARA. VIVIPAROUS MAMMILLARIA. NATURAL ORDER, CACTACE^ Mamillaria VIVIPARA, Ha worth.— Simple or csespitosc ; the almost terete tubercles bearing bundles of five to eight rcddish-brownspines.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 vety pretty member of the cactus family received the name it now bears from Adrian Hardy Haworth, a botanist who made a special study of succulent plants. He de- scribed this for the first time under the name of Mamillaria, in a work entitled Supple- ynentum Plantar urn Succulentum , 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 18 1 3, in which our plant appears as Cactus viviparus. 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 Jiagelliformis.'' 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 cylindric-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 "nearly allied to Cactus mam- millaris, (now known as Mammillaria Missou- riensis), but different, probably, from other species of this section by the remarkable pro- liferous tendency of its leaves, which not un- frequently multiply to the destruction of the parent plant. It consequentl}^ never becomes so large as C. mamjnillaris . 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 dry, excessively spiny, and almost juiceless ; in the spring, numerous shoots issue from th^ 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 wath his hooves. The flowers are generally central, more than an inch in length ; seg- ments of the calyx 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 family 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 sufficiently 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 OpunticB. Nuttall *s "Genera," issued in 1818, as already noted, followed this arrangement. The following (129) ,ORPL MAMMILLARIA VIVIPARA. INTENTTOKTAT cnr-r^vTiS r^^ T m VIVIPAROUS MAMMILLARIA. NATURAL ORDER. CACTACE/E Mamili.aria vivii'ARa, Haworth.— simple or cicspitose ; the almost terete tubercles bearing bundles of five to eight reddish-brown spines, surrounded by fifteen to twenty grayish ones in a single series, all straight and very rigid; flowers purple, with lance-sul)ulate petals and fringed sepals; berry oval, green ; seed pitted, light brown. Coulter's Manual of the Botany of the Rocky Mountain R^-gion. This very pretty nieniber of the cactus family received the name it now bears from Adrian Hardy Haworth, a botanist who made a special stndy of succnlent plants. He de- scribed this for the first time nnder the name of Mamillaria, in a work entitled Supple- mcfitum PliDitanim Snaulcutiini, j)nblished in London, in 1S19. Hnt the first anthor to bring it to the attention of botanists was the cele- brated Xnttall. John Fraser made a collection of living plants and seeds in America, and col- lected this i)lant, introdncing it to British gardens in iSii. A catalogue of hVaser's ])lants, ])re])ared by Xnttall, was issued in iSi;^, in which our ])lant ai)pears as Cactus viiipiirus. This is the date of its first a])pear- ance in ])nblished form. The full description appears in Nuttall's own work, "The Genera of North American Plants," still as Cactus Z'iz'iparus. He says of it that it was found ^ "on the high hills of the Missouri, ])roba])ly to the mountains, flowering from June to August ; flowers large and bright red, almost similar (in color, he means) to those of Cactus J/ai^ctli/onnis/' His descri])tion of the ])lant is interesting as showing that it is almost as characteristic as the more modern one of Prof Coulter. " C<'L'S])itose ; glomendi sub-globose ; tubercles cylindric-ovate ; bearded, marked above by a ])roliferous groove ; flowers central, large and exserted ; exterior segments of the calyx ciliate; fruit ficiform. greenish." He adds that it is " nearly allied io Cactus uia fii- viitlaris, (now known as Mam})iillaria Missou- riensis), but diflerent, ])robably, from other species of this section by the remarka])le pro- liferous tendency of its leaves, which not un- frequently multiply to the destruction of the parent plant. It consequent!}' never becomes vSo large as C. mammillaris. 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 ])lant becomes dry, excessivel}' si)iny, 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 ciespi- tose, forming maSvSes, 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 calyx linear ; exterior ones revo- lute, with a fringed margin ; petals numerous, narrow, linear and acuminate ; berr}' about the size of a grape, smooth, and eatable; vSeed 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 family 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 ])lants were in one section and were named Echinomclocacti ; those which were upright, and sufliciently strong to stand alone, were Cerci ; those like the others in general character, but had to lie on the ground, were Ccrci rcpcntcs, or creeping cereuses ; while those with compressed-jointed fronds were classed as Opuuticr. Nuttall's '•(Tcnera," issued in 1818, as already noted, followed this airangement. The following (129) \\ \^ i! ; '■'i Hi 130 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — MAMMILLARIA VIVIPARA. [Sept. year, Haworth's work appeared, using the word Mammillaris to form his new genus Mamillaria. The word is derived from Mamma, a teat ; but Haworth used but a sin- gle m 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 Kewensis is follow^ed. 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 mammae, by 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 caespitose state described by Nuttall. The stems or heads under his observation were often cylin- 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 evidently about assuming that condition. The habit of the plant is, however, very changeable. Engelmann, 4escribing the Cacta- cece collected during Emory's survey of the Mexican boundary, 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 ultimately do, he calls variety radi- osa, though, in his time, found only in North- ern New Mexico. Another variety he names borealis, collected in that period in Western Texas, which was ovate or sub-globose and but little branched. Another variety, New-MexU cana, was ovate or sub-cylindrical and usually much branched. Still another variety is termed Texafia, quite a large form, from a tributary of the Guadalupe 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 survey 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, gooseberry-like fruit of the first flowers being mature before the flowering season is quite over. One of the most interesting features in the history of the plant is its ability to endure a very low temperature, such as it meets with in the Rocky Mountains, — while the greater number of species, in the genus, die under a single degree of frost, and many 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 around 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 f If we could look on plants as sentient beings, how puny the vast army 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 Opuntia 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 Rocky Mountain Mammillarias. Explanation of the Plate.— Whole plant, of tmall size, originally from near Idaho Springs, Coloradb. WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. AUTUMN. •Gayly chattering to the clattering Of the brown nuts downward pattering, Leap the squirrels, red and gray. 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 Linnieus 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 generally 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 insects, 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 throw.s 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-Khusshines, gives forth a bright light, before w^hich horses and other grazing animals stop in surprise and fear. A certain Virgin 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 they were shut up in carbonic acid gas. We may conclude that the light emitted was due to a slow combustion of a particular sub- stance existing in the tissues of the plant. From La Semaine Horticole. Translated by S. M. Lanning. Nut-Galls. — Dr. C. W. Greene, :\Ierchant- ville. New Jersey, says : "During a recent win- ter w^alk, I found many oaks, apparently 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 worthy of the attention of those interested in the development of the economic products of our country. Surely among our many species of oak there should be some that would produce the useful nut- gall without our having to look to the gall-oak of the Old World to suppl}^ them. Appearance of the Katy-did. — I am, this balmy evening, sitting near an open window, being amused by the Katy-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 ist. 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, merely to see how true or false one of the many sayings is. In 1894, frost did not come (131) II! I! 132 MEEHANS' MONTHLY— WILD FLOWERS AND NATURE. [Sept. until October 14th, or over ten weeks. In 1895, the conspiracy between Mrs. 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, they 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 naturally 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.— Many 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. Mr. 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 year after year to the same spot. How they can retire hundreds of miles, and yet 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 seemingly fragile and short-lived, typical em- blems are they 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 Milan of mountain cathedrals ; and the glorious glow of the sunset clouds as beyond the power of language to describe. The beauty of inanimate nature and the vastness of mountain scener>' 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." Mrs. E. E. Orcutt. Our Native 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 Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and added to its already unique collection. The number in the Academy is now 43.460. Mr. 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 Sayres sends a specimen of the common let- tuce in which two leaves are united by the mid- ribs, leaving the blades free. They are young leaves from the heart of the head. This union must have occurred in a very early stage, and probably before the parts could have been detected as distinct even by 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 embryonic 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 Vaccinimn that inter- ested me, and may be new to you. 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 morphology. B}^ this is under- stood that every organ of a plant is but modified leaf-blade. As Dr. Lindley once ex- pressively 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 corymbosiim 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 sue- I 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 carry seem perfect. These "freaks," as they were once termed, are now eagerly sought for by students of morphology. They are the keys 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 study of this plant. It is one of the most valuable of the Huckleberry family. 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 may be the at- tractive force. As noted by corres- pondents of MEE- HANS' Monthly, honey or pollen- collecting insects come long dis- 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, Pardanthus Chi- ncjisis, has no per- ceptible odor, — vet it is visited in large numbers by carrion flies, that within every huntsman's ex- perience, must be guided mainly by the fetid odors of the substances to which they hurriedly flock when in reach of them. There seems to be nothing in these flowers, either as food or in any 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 way 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, only again to be tricked as one might imagine they were. flf i! Ilili h GENERAL GARDENING AUTUMN. Comes next Brown autumn in her turn, Oh ! not unwelcome cometh she ; The parched earth luxuriously Drinks from her dewy urn. And she hath flowers and fragrance, too, Peculiarly her own ; Asters of every hue-perfume. Spices rich with Clematis and Broom, And Mignonette late blown. — Mrs. Southey. Second Blooming of Easter Lily. — The flower represented in the accompanying illus- tration is from a bulb of Lilium Harrisi that bore a stem about five 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 slowly, but eventually showed a bud. The plant as shown was photographed on July ist. The bud, just opening at that time, was 5 ^ inches long and the stem 10 inches high. This may 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 way, — or, indeed, for any bulb, — though the hyacinth will occasionally have two flower-shoots from one bulb. Drying of the Ground by Tree Roots. — A correspondent of American Gardening gives the following apt illustration of the drying of the ground by the roots of plants : — "It is an undisputed fact that some plants require more moisture than others, and the gardener will profit by careful observation 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 evenly. In less than twenty-four hours, along the whole row, the soil was dry to a space of one and a half inches on either side." Few lessons are more valuable to the practi- cal man than that conveyed by the above para- graph. In our every-day 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 pr.eservation of old forests on the ground that snow melts slowly under the shade qf 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, simply stored there for the use of trees in dry weather. Thus we see that the simple story of a row of garden radishes has an influence on great problems. The Ash as a Street Tree.— Maples, but- tonwoods and poplars have become the staple street trees in many towns and cities. Their chief recommendation is that they grow fast, and can be raised and sold for low figures. But they 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 very well. The White is known by the very dark upper surface of the leaf. Carolina Poplar. — The poplar, commonly known as Carolina, is sometimes designated as Noith 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 Populus Caroliniensis, and while 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. 135 the common name of Carolina has clung to it, it has been decided to be P. monilifera. It is said to have been probably forty years since this poplar was introduced to general usage by a New Jersey nursery, finding favor because of its great rapidity of growth. While still very largely in use, people are rapidly beginning to appreciate the fact that rapidity of growth is not always 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 Eurayle ferox, with water-hyacinth growing on either side ; and just back of it is a specimen of NymphcEa Devoniensis. The next is a group of Marliaceas, followed by a nice plant of N. superba ; while in the extreme rear, is a clump of the white Japanese Lotus, Nelumbium album grandiflorum. The banks are beautifully set with Aruyido, Thalia and other nice moisture- loving plants." Aquatic Flower Culture. — It is nearly forty years since special attention was given to Water Lily culture, through the first flowering of the fa- mous Victoria regia 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. When, a year later, the beauti- ful pink Egyptian 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 scenery are wrought through the agency of water lilies, 'and other aquatic plants. Few deserve more credit for this advance in the beautiful art of gardening than Mr. Geo. B. Moulder. The readers of Meehans' Monthly have already been instructed and gratified by papers from his pen. We have now pleasure in giving an illustration of a scene on his grounds at Smith's Grove, Kentucky, with description as kindly furnished by himself: * ' The illustration is of a bit of natural water, Destroying Trees and Vines.— A Chester County, Pennsylvania, correspondent has a fifteen-year old Osage Orange row, formerly a AQUATIC GARDENING. line fence dividing two fields, that he wants to destroy. It is a rule understood by 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. Hybridizing 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 : — GENERAL GARDENING ji AUTUMN. Comes next I^rown autumn in lier turn, Oh ! not unwelcome cometli she ; The parched earth luxuriously Drinks from her devv\' urn. And she hath flowers and fragrance, too, Peculiarly her own ; Asters of every hue-perfume, Spices rich with Clematis and ]5room, And Mignonette late blown. — ^Iks. Southkv. Skcond I^LooMixci OF Rastkr Lilv. — The flower represented in the accom])anying illus- tration is from a bulb of Lilium Harrisi that bore a stem about five 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 slowly, but eventualh' showed a bud. The plant as shown was photographed on July ist. The bud, just opening at that time, was 5^8 inches long and the stem 10 inches high. This may frequently occur with this plant, i)ut has not before come to the writer's notice. \\. K. Boc.UK. Stillwater, () T. The ])hotograi)li shows a full formed flower on the top of the stem. It is unusual for lilies to behave in this way, — or, indeed, for any bulb, — though the hyacinth will occasionally have two flower-shoots from one bulb. I! I)KVix(i ()!• Tine (fRorxi) liv Thki<: Roots. — A corresi)on(lent of AmcnctDi (ianh'fiino gives the following a])t illustration of the drying of the ground by the roots of plants : — "It is an undisputed fact that some i)lants recjuire more moisture than others, and the gardener will ])rorit by careful observation looking to a better arrangement of the garden antl grounds to best withstand drouths. The writer was interested recently in noting how rai)idly a row of radishes sucked u]) the moust- 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 i^retty evenly. In less than twenty-four hours, along the whole row, the soil was dry to a space of one and a half inches on either side." Few lessons are more valuable to the i)racti- cal man than that conveyed by the above para- grai)h. In our every-day work ])lants that love shade are ])lanted near large trees, forget- ting how the ground will be dried out by the tree roots. In forestry articles, also, much stress is })laced on the preservation of old forests on the ground that snow melts slowly under the shade q/" trees, and thus vSoaks into the ground, and sup])lies the springs, in.stead of melting rapidly in sunlight, and the water coursing to the streams. Hut the fact is, that, as a general thing, the water taken into the ground under forest trees is, in great measure, simply stored there for the use of trees in dry weather. Thus we vSee that the sim])le story of a row of garden radishes has an inlluence on great problems. Till': Ash .\s .\ Stri:i;t Tki:i:.— Maples, but- tonwoods and ])oj)lars have become the stai)le street trees in many towns and cities. Their chief recommendation is that they grow fa.st, and can be rai.sed and sold for low flgures. Hut the}' soon become larger than the owner wants them. One can learn useful thine Japonica. Funkia Jap. alba. Calimeris incisa Physostegia denticulata. Lilium tigrinum splendens. " auratum. *' specie >um. Bed D. White Hollyhocks. Vernonia Arkansana. Monartla didyma. Rudbeckia Golden Glow. Pyrethrum roseum. Aquilegia cierulea. Anemone. Aster Novae-Angliae. Digitalis purpurea alba. Coreopsis grandiflora. Pyrethrum uliginosum. Hibiscus white. Vernonia Baldwini. Delphinium Chinensis. Hemerocallis fulva. Galtonia candicans. B«d e. Aster Tatar icas. Helianthus mollis. Tritoma uvaria. Platycodon grandiflorum album. Aquilegia caerulea alba. Lythrum Salicaria Silphium laciuiatum. Lysimachia vulgaris. Achillea "Pearl." Galtonia candicans Lilium speciosum. B«d F. Helianthus Maximilliani. Physostegia denticulata. Hibiscus militaris. Digitalis purpurea. Chrysanthemum, hardy. KEY NO. NAME KEY NO. NAME 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 o x fl. pi. Pseonies, dbl. red. Delphinium. Lythrum ?^alicaria. Hemerocallis Kwanso Veronica Hender.*>oni. Santolina incana. Iris graminea. Coreopsis grandiflora. Funkia Jap. alba. Lilium tigrinum splendens. " caudidum. Bed a. 1 Rudbeckia Golden Glow. 2 Boltonia gl-stifolia 3 Alleghmy Hollyhocks. 4 Delphinium. 5 6 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 o X I 2 3 4 5 6 7 I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I a 3 4 5 6 7 I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 I X X I o X I 3 3 4 Iris Germanica. It < t Phlox, white (tall) dr " Henry Murgher," Phlox, red Monarda purpurea. Belaracauda Chinensis Iris florentina. Paeonies, single, pink. Veronica Teucrium Hemerocallis graminea. Gaillardi* grandiflora Aquilegia chrysantha. Anemone Anthemis tinctoria. Lilium tigrinum splendens. ** caudidum. Bed H. Arundo Donax. '♦ " variegata. Hulalia Jap. gracillima. Hollyhocks, Allegheny. Paeonies. dbl. white. Lysimachia verticillala Baptisia tinctoria. Bed I. Hypericum Moserianum. Aquilegia truncata. Geranium sanguineum. Anemone Coreopsis grandiflora. Heuchera sanguinea. Lobelia syphillitica. Paeonia tenuifolia fl. pi. Dianthus barbatus. LiHum caudidum. Bed J. Lychnis chalcedonica. Spiisea Ulmaria fl. pi. Plumbago Larpen'ae. Achillea tomentosa. CEnothera macrocarpa. Armeria marititna. Achillea 'The Pearl." Bed K. Pent*temon Digitalis. Tritoma uvaria. Achillea millefolium rubrum. Alyssum argeuteum. Coreopsis ro.sea. Iberis fens Lychnis Flos cuculi femperflor- Hypericum calycinura. Bed L. Iris laevigata. Papaver orientale. Lilium caudidum Bed M. Iris laevigata Papaver o'ientalc. Lilium speciosum. Bed N. Aquilegia caertilea. Veronica He-nder.soni. Physostegia den'iculata. 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 elalum. 15 Platycodon grandiflorum album. 0 Lilium auratum and speciosum. Bed O. 1 Platycodon Mariesii. 2 Kupatorium ageratoidcs. 3 Veronica villosa. 4 Tritoma uvaria. 5 Aquilegia caerulea. 6 Aster longilolius Lady Trevelyn. 7 Delphinium elatum. 8 Asclepias tubero.sa. 9 Vernonia Baldwini. 10 Iris orientalis. 11 Chelone Lyoni. 12 Tradescantia Vir alba. 13 Coreopsis rosea. 14 Gerantum sanguinea. 15 Gaillardia grandiflora. 0 Lilium auratum and speciosum. Bed P. 1 Anemone Jap. 2 Dictamnus Fraxinella. 3 Vernonia Balawini. 4 Iheris. 5 Alyssum argenteum. 6 Plumbago. 7 CEnothera riparia. 8 Lobelia syphillitica 9 Monsrda purpurea. 10 Tradescantia Virginica. 11 Tritoma uvaria. 12 Betonica officinale. 13 Valeriana dioica. 14 Psoralea sub-acaulis i.S Aster oblongifolius 16 Aquilegia Canadensis 17 Biptisia australis. 0 Lilium speciosum and auratum. Bed Q. 1 Phlox decus.«ata 2 Funkia Jap. alba. 3 Paeonia tenuifolia fl. pi. 4 Dianthus plumatius. 5 Anemone Jap red. 6 Asclepips tuberosa 7 Delphinium formosum. 8 Iris florentina. 9 Digitalis purpurea. ID Aquilegia chrysantha, 11 Ara is albida. 12 Betonica rosea. 0 Lilium auratum and speciosum, Bed R. 1 Hemerocallis flava. 0 Gladiolus communis. Bed 5. 1 Hemerocallis graminea. 0 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 Gaillardia grandiflora. 4 Armeria maritima. 5 Dianthus barbatus. Bed V. I Gynerium argenteum I40 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — GENERAL GARDENING. [Sept. rK'UlBTS AND ¥E^ET/^PLE5. Cold-Frames and Hot-Beds. — The value of frames to a small garden is seldom esti- mated. Very 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 fully supply his table with fresh things, tries to get all that he possibly can out of his limited space. By 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 early ones. Of course, this sounds more extensive than it really 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, — especially that grown in early win- ter,— is liable to draw upward to the light, a very undesirable thing where good, solid heads are wanted. Therefore, the pit should be shal- low to bring the plants fairly near the glass. This also applies to all seedlings intended for transplanting ; they must not be drawn up, spindling and weak, but 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. They must be prepared in August ready for early 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, by 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 " must be furnished. 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 by 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 handy, 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, ai^ removed when the sun is well up in the following morning. Sash are not profitably made at home, but can be procured from any horticultural builder or wood- working mill. Suitable mats are also bought ready-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 autumn mourn Among the rustling ruches sere. And reached at last the churchyard-bourne, Whose oaks were fading with the year. — Howard Worcester Gilbert. The National Flower. — In regard to the national flower, I would say I think it should be Aquilegia Cajiadensis (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 very pretty. C. A. Pitkin, Jr. Willow Glen, Santa Clara Co., California. When, some years ago, Meehans' Monthly 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 — signifying 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 by the Legis- lature of the Centennial State by a special act declaring the Columbine the State 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 diflference of opinion with the authorities, he was in- duced to leave this honorable position a few years ago, and accept a similar responsibility 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 68th year. German Garden Manuals. At the small price of 1.20 marks each, Karl Siegismund, bookseller, Berlin, Germany, is issuing small, prettily-illustrated volumes, forming a com- plete series of garden manuals, each volume by well-known and eminent authors. Though founded on the practice in German gardens, that practice is so generally intelligent that any one in America interested in gardening, 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, Zimmerbliitenpflanzen ; 7, Der Garten- rosen ; 8, Die Farnpflanzen ; 9. Der Zwerg- obstbau; 10, Die Standengewachse ; 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- ('41) \ 142 MEEHANS' MONTHLY — BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. [Sept. 1899] MEEHANS' MONTHLY— BIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE. 143 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 observations 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 nearly all plants shrink instead of expand, as cold weather pro- gresses. Healthy growing trees have a less girth in winter than in summer, 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 necessary to avoid rup- ture, the former problem is rendered ver}^ clear. History of the Violet. — A South Caro- lina correspondent says : — "It is long past the season in this hot cli- mate for violets to flower, but I wish 3^ou could see my violet plants — ' ' Russian ' ' variety. Their foliage is superb — at least, in my eyes. The dark, rich, green leaves on petioles 14 to 16 inches long, measure from 5 to 6 inches long and proportionately broad. But the plants in season never yielded many flowers. Why did they simply run to herbage ? Apro- pos of the subject, I am deeply interested in its history, 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 you tell me anything of its ancient asso- ciations, history or tradition — or suggest to me what to read on the topic ? I will thank you sincerely." The Russian 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 by our correspondent is one of the distinguishing characters. The history of the violet goes far back into antiquity. 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 anything about her. And we should 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 Tuesday, that possibly gave the name ''March 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. Yes ! 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 very inviting to a busy person. New North American Plants. — 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, twenty-nine new ones found in California. One of these forms a new genus, named in honor of Dr. Perpus, Per- pusia. It is related to Potent ilia. Vomx new Pentstemons are included in the list, and sev- eral others will doubtless ornament our gardens in time. Flower Festivals ok Japan. — The flower festival, or rather holiday season, of Japan be- gins with the first spring blossoms. In early 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 spicy odors. In early April when the cherry trees are glorified, Japan has another holiday, when all, 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 , happy people. The hill-sides blazoned with scarlet azaleas, the lily, iris, peony, lordly lotus, reddening maple, chrysanthemum and camellia form a stately 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 coun- try which are taken in natural sequence and by study and culture made the source of health- ful national enjoyment. These flower fetes are a sort of bank holiday, business being gener- ally suspended and the people given over to merry-making. Nothing surprises the intelli- gent traveler more than the simplicity 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 cherry-- 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 arrayed in their brightest kimonos and obies, flower- crowned geishas or dancing girls, all with careless happiness and gayety depicted upon their faces. There are hundreds of cherry trees, some of them great in size and gnarled with age, their bare, gray branches covered with myriads of snowy 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 beauty, outlined against the soft, blue sky, enjoying every minute of their holiday. The shimmer of the blossom-crowned trees, the changing shadows, the bright cos- tumes, the life and movement of the happy- hearted people, it is a dream of delight. At night many hundreds of varicolored lanterns swing with the breeze, showers of rosy-white petals sift through the semi-darkness. Hid- den electric lights play upon the largest trees, bringing out the pearly, scintillating beauty. INIats or low^ platforms are arranged beneath the branches, and picnic feasts are enjo3^ed 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 canopy whole families wander hand in hand, happ}^ 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 youth. 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 May no less in- teresting. One of the most celebrated is at Kameido, in Tokio, located on the confines of the temple grounds. There you will see the same light-hearted, happy people ; but the coloring of the myriad 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. I •«il} 'ilM I m II J I i 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 literary world in the various publications issued everywhere. 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 memory 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 day, 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- rie;s. — When founding Meehans' Monthly, the proprietors had to meet the difficulty of not being in the publishing business. They had not the organized machinery 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 agency. The fact that it was continuing in exactly the same form as the work of the popu- (144) lar " Flowers and Ferns of the United States," was a sufficient foundation for the belief that it must eventually 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 heavy 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 Courses 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 efficiency 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. M) .iX Plate 10. 1 o \ \^ri ^i--uns\' ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA. ORANGE SWALLOW-WORT. NATURAI. ORDER, ASCLEPIADACE.^ ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA. Linnaeus—Hirsute or roughish pubescent, a foot or two high, very leafy to the top ; leaves from lanceolate-oblong: to linear-lanceolate, sessile or slightly petioled; umbels several and 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, Chapman's Flora of the Southern United States, Wood's Class Book of Botany, and Britton 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 showy of our native flowers. We could scarcely 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 territory- 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 w^here, 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 Hirimdo, the swal- low. The Asclepias, 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 with nectar at certain times, and is so readily accessible that insects have little difficulty in appropriating it. (145) *TtTT* ■ *?l ^f'l*i|, "^ yt,~- !■-,—• > '•- H ill h 10. 4 ITVS 'RPLATE — INTENTIONAT SPrnMr* T:7vr>/^OTTT^ ASCLEPIAS TUBEROSA. ORANGE SWALLOW-WORT. NATURAL ORDER, ASCLEPIADACE^ ASCLEPIAS TUHEROSA. Linmeus.—Hirsute or roughish pubescent, a foot or two high, very leafy to the top ; leaves from lanceolate-obloug to linear-lanceolate, sessile or slightly petioled; umbels several and 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 Avicrica. See also Gray's Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States, Chapman's Flora 0/ the Southern United States, Wood's Class Bool- of Botany, and Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. In the Orange vS wallow-wort we have one of the most show\' of our native flowers. We could scarcely say one of the most beautiful, for it is wanting in all the elements that go to make uj) the science of beauty except the minor element of color. The foliage is rou