Skip to main content

Full text of "The Gardener's monthly and horticultural advertiser"

See other formats 


iliMliiil: 
312066  0326   7434   8 


•^    'W 


?  w 


*^  i*-  V. 


»^^ 


.,^.:.:  y 


1-.;:^ 


^^$3^ 

'■'V^-^ 


4  ,4Pi  TA 


^"-1.1    ^  -=■  O  "yir 


LIBRARY 


OF  THE 


MASSACHUSETTS 

AGRICULTURAL 

COLLEGE 

No._.^_Z.Ca.O____  DATE..L.:-J.S.85: 
souRCE^A  iLLinni kivud. 

CHAPEL 


This   book   may   be  kept  out 

T  \y  O     WEEKS 

only,  and  is  subject  to  a  tine  of  TWO 
CKXTS  a  day  thereafter.  It  will  be  due  on 
the  day   indicated  below. 

■        ;03 


,^  *•  ■■ 


®\xt  dSardeiur'^  Pontlilir, 


AND 


HORTICtTLTURAL    ADA^EKTISP^^R. 


DEVOTED  TO  HORTICULTURE,  ARBORICULTURE,  BOTANY  AND  RURAL  AFFAIRS. 


Edited   by  THOMAS  MEEHAN, 


'ORMKRT.Y  HkAD   GaRDEXER  TO  CALEB    COPE,   ESQ.,  AT  Sl'lUNOWKOOK,   AND    AT   THE    BARTUA3I    BOTANIC  GAR- 
DEN,  NEAR  PlIII-ADELPHIA  ;   GRADUATE  OF  THE  ROYAI.  BOTAXIC  GARDENS,  KeW,  (LONDON.)  ENGLAND, 

Member  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciencfj^.    Author  of  "The  American  Hand 
Book  of  Ornamental  Trees,"  &c. 


VOT.TJMTT.    XIIT,    1871. 


TERMS. — Two   Dollars  per  Annum,  Invariably  in  Advance 


IMIILADEI^rniA: 
BRINCKLOE  &  MAROT,   PUBLISHERS, 

No.  23  NoKTH  Sixth  Stheet. 
1871. 


c 

CHAPEL 


iilie  (Sard^itjjr'^i  MaittHir. 


DEVOTED  TO 

Rorticultiire,    Arboriculture,    Botany    and    Rural    Affairs. 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEHAN. 
Old  Series,  Vol  XIIL         JAJ^UARY,   1871.        New  Series,  Vol.  IV.    No.  1. 


HIISTS    FOE  JANUARY. 


FLOTVER  GARDEN  AND  PLEASURE 
GROUND. 

This  is  the  head  under  which  we  give  monthly 
hints  for  a  certain  department  of  gardening,  but 
as  to  flower  gardens  we  can  of  course  say  little  at 
this  season.  Not  so,  however,  with  the  pleas- 
ure ground,  which  indeed  every  garden  should 
be,— for  here,  to  our  mind,  we  derive  as  much 
enjoj'nicnt  as  in  any  season  of  the  year.  In  no 
season  can  we  so  well  appreciate -the  beauty 
which  the  spray  of  deciduous  trees  afford.  The 
Larch,  for  instance,  beautiful  as  it  ever  is, wheth- 
er when  pushing  forth  its  brilliant  crimson  flow- 
ers in  spring,  or  bending  later  in  the  season  be- 
neath a  burden  of  green  foliage,  is  still  anoth- 
er thing  in  winter  when  its  cone-covered 
branchlets  swing  in  the  storm.  The  Beech,  the 
Sassafras,  the  Tupelo,  the  Oak, — indeed  almost 
all  trees  have  distinctive  and  peculiarly  striking 
features,  which  can  never  be  so  well  admired  as 
when  a  crisp  carpet  of  snow  covers  the  ground, 
and  there  is  just  cold  enough  to  make  one's 
cheeks  ruddy,  and  give  elasticity  to  our  steps 
And  as  for  Evergreens, — winter  is  their  grand 
fuatival  time.  AVe  plant  them  for  winter  in  a 
great  measure.  We  have  green  enough  in  sum- 
mer time  ;  it  is  not  that  we  want  them  to  be 
over  green, — but  that  Ihey  furnish  their  color  tor 
the  painting  of  nature's  winter  scenes. 

But  the  varying  forms  of  evergreen,  as  exem- 
plified in  the  Pine,  the  Spruce,  and  the  Fir, — or 
in  the  Rhododendron,  Box  or  Yew,  arc  not  by 
;iny  means  the  chief  sources  of  winter  garden 
l)leasures.  To  us  there  is  nothing  more  beauti- 
ful than  all  trees  when  covered  with  frost  crys- 
tals, or  even   when  bending  lightly  under  the 


icicles  which  a  half  rainy,  half  frosty  morning 
breeds.  Their  forms  and  attitudes  are  then  as 
various  as  their  natural  specific  differences, 
and  many  a  time  we  have  looked  at  the 
sweet  picture,  wondering  why  the  warm  sun 
should  need  to  ever  come  again  and  make  it  all 
a  dream.  I  am  quite  sure  that  all  who  have  a 
heart  to  enjo}^  the  delightful  phases  of  each  sea- 
son's garden  scenes,  will  find  much  to  feed  their 
souls  with  at  this  season  of  the  year.  They  will 
note  well  the  various  beautiful  features  they  see 
everywhere  about  them, — and  will,  when  the 
spring  season  comes  around,  plant  to  produce 
the  best  effects  for  another  season.  It  may  be 
well  to  remark  here  that  one  of  the  great  pleas- 
ures of  gardening  is  the  creation  of  beauty.  It 
is  very  nice  to  have  handsome  flowers  or  beauti- 
ful trees, —but  even  the  "heathen"  has  these. 
Any  one  who  walks  the  woods  or  the  wilds,  has 
trees  and  tlowers  for  the  journey.  It  is  the  com- 
bination of  these,  so  as  to  make  effects  never 
seen  in  a  state  of  nature,  that  gives  the  charm  to 
gardening,  and  makes  it  really  an  art.  It  is 
well  enough  to  plant  to  give  us  shade— to  screen 
disagreeable  objects— to  make  our  places  look 
larger— to  break  the  force  of  strong  wind  cur 
rents— to  have  a  fine  botanical  collection — to 
possess  some  rare  gems  which  the  uttermost 
ends  of  the  earth  have  been  ransacked  to  find, — 
but  to  plant  so  that  a  joyous  thrill  shall  leaj) 
within  us  every  time  we  behold  the  fairy  scene, 
is  not  often  thought  of,  yet  very  easy  to  do.  It 
is  part  of  our  mission  to  suggest  these  things, 
and  to  urge  thinking  about  them  now.  Wc 
want  to  learn  our  readers  how  to  bud,  and  graft, 
and  reap,  and  sow,— but  what   is  the  use  of  all 


2 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOKTHLll.        January, 


the  material  after  we  get  it  together,  if  we  make 
no  joyous  use  of  it  ? 

Turning  now  to  more  practical  matters,  we 
would  say  that  before  any  walk  is  located,  te 
^ure  it  is  absolutely  required.  A  pretty  outline 
\  i^hould  be  subservient  to  this.  Utility  is  the  es- 
sence of  beauty  in  a  garden  walk.  "With  these 
general  hints  on  first  cost  and  maintenance,  we 
can  only  give,  this  month,  the  more  practical 
advice  to  get  ready  for  regular  work. 

The  manure  heap  is  one  of  those  items  that 
can  receive  attention  at  this  season  to  advan- 
tage. Without  a  good  pile  of  rich  compost,  very 
little  success  can  be  hoped  for  in  any  kind  of 
gardening  alHiirs.  Leaves  and  litter  of  every 
tiescription  should  be  collected  whenever  possi- 
ble, and  stored  in  suitable  places,  where  they 
will  not  be  offensive  by  their  littery  appearance. 
For  flowers,  generally  leaf  mould  from  the 
woods  is  very  acceptable — not  the  half-rotted 
leaves  that  are  immediately  on  the  surface,  but 
such  as  have  been  powdered  b3'  age,  and 
amongst  which  the  roots  of  the  trees  have  al- 
ready penetrated,  and  rendered  of  a  spongy 
consistence.  We  like  all  manures  to  be  thor- 
oughly decomposed  before  using,  if  the  garden 
soil  is  already  light  and  friable;  and  to  this 
purpose  the  manure  heap  should  be  occasionally 
turned  over  and  lightened,  to  assist  fermenta- 
tion. This,  also,  is  aided  by  watering  the  heap 
with  a  solution  of  potash,  and  which  also  gives 
additional  value  to  the  manure. 

It  is  a  very  good  practice  to  cover  lawns  with 
manure  at  this  season.  Two  good  results  tlow 
from  this  course :  the  frost  is  prevented  from 
penetrating  so  deeply,  and  the  ground  being 
warmed  much  sooner  in  spring,  is  green  and 
cheerful  some  lime  before  unprotected  lawns, 
and  ihen  the  grass  itself  is  strengthened,  and  its 
color  brightened  by  the  operation.  But  stable 
manure  has  the  objection  of  introducing  many 
coarse  kinds  of  weeds,  that  would  not  otherwise 
exist  on  the  lawn  ;  and  so  where  the  grass  grows 
poorly,  and  strength  and  luxuriousness  are  de- 
aired,  guano  and  the  phosphates  are  preferred. 
Many  use  bone  dust,  ashes,  etc.;  but  the  mowers 
are  apt  to  feel  somewhat  indignant,  in  mowing 
time,  through  this  material  taking  the  edge  of! 
tlneir  scyllu'S. 

Manure  for  flower  beds,  borders,  etc.,  may  be 
hauled  convenient  to  where  it  is  likely  to  be 
wanted  in  spring.  aMany  spread  it  on  at  once— 
but  if  the  soil  is  frozen   very  thick,  it  prevents 


the  early  thawing  of  the  soil  in  the  spring,  and 
so  no  time  is  gained. 

Evergreens  set  out  last  fall  in  windy  or  ex- 
posed situations,  will  be  benefited  by  a  shelter  of 
cedar  branches,  corn  stalks,  or  mats  set  against 
them.  Whether  hardy  or  tender,  all  will  be 
benefited   thereby. 


GREENHOUSE  AND  PLANT  CABINETS. 

The  season  of  the  year  has  arrived  when  this 
department  of  gardening  is  more  attractive  than 
any  other.  It  is  one  that  calls  for  a  great  part 
of  a  gardener's  skill— indeed  intelligent  garden- 
ers can  seldom  be  found  willing  to  accept  a  situ- 
ation where  there  is  "no  glass." 

The  best  kind  of  earth  to  use  is  the  surface 
soil,  containingthe  spongy  mass  of  surface  roots, 
from  a  wood  ;  the  first  two  inches  of  an  old  pas- 
ture field ;  the  turfy  spongy  mass  called  peat 
from  sandy  bogs  or  swamps  ;  a  little  well  de- 
cayed hot-bed  manure;  some  sharp  sand  ;  are 
now  about  the  only  "elements  "  that  the  most 
skillful  gardener  cares  to  have  beside  him  ;  and 
many  a  good  gardener  has  to  find  himself  minus 
of  some  of  these,  and  be  satisfied. 

The  soil  for  potting  should  be  used  rather  dry; 
that  is  it  should  be  in  such  a  condition  that  it 
will  rather  crumble  when  pressed,  than  adhere 
closer  together.  Large  pots — those  over  four 
inches,  should  have  a  drainage.  This  is  made 
by  breaking  up  broken  pots  to  the  size  of  bean*:, 
putting  them  in  the  bottom  a  quarter  or  half  an 
inch  deep,  and  putting  about  an  eighth  of  an 
inch  of  old  moss  or  any  similar  rough  material 
over  the  mass  of  "  crocks  ''  to  keep  out  the  earth 
from  amongst  it.  Little  benefit  arises  from 
draining  pots  below  four  inch,  the  moisture  fil- 
tering through  the  porous  pots  quite  fast  enough; 
and  the  few  pieces  of"  drainage  "  often  thrown 
in  with  the  soil  placed  right  over,  is  of  little  or 
no  use. 

Ferneries  are  now  so  deservedly  popular,  that 
we  must  have  a  word  to  say  for  them  at  times, 
though  their  management  is  so  simple  there  is 
little  one  can  say.  It  is  probably  their  ease  of 
management,  and  the  great  results  obtained  for 
the  little  outlay  of  caro  that  has  rendered  them 
so  popular.  It  should  not,  however,  be  tbrgot- 
ten  that  the  case  in  wliich  they  are  enclosed  is 
not  to  keep  out  the  air,  but  to  keep  in  the  mois- 
ture, as  ferns  will  not  thrive  in  tiie  dry  atmos- 
phere of  heated  rooms.  A  few  minutes'  airing 
every  day  will,  therefore,  be  of  great  ben^'tit  to 


U71. 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S   MO^THLL, 


3 


them.  Decayed  wood,  (not  pine),  mixed  -with 
about  half  its  bulk  of  fibrous  soil  of  any  kind, 
and  a  very  small  proportion  (say  a  tenth  of  the 
bulk)  of  well-rotted  stable  manure,  makes  a  good 
compost.  Most  kinds  particularly  like  well- 
drained  pots.  This  is  usually  effected  by  filling 
a  third  of  the  pots  in  which  tbe  ferns  are  to 
grow  with  old  pots  broken  in  pieces  of  about 
half  an  incli  square,  on  which  a  thin  layer  of 
moss  is  placed,  before  filling  the  pots,  to  keep  out 
the  soil  from  choking  the  drainage. 

Daphnes  like  a  cool,  humid  atmosphere,  and 
are  very  impatient  of  heat.  The  best  we  ever 
saw  were  grown  by  a  farmer's  wife,  who  had  an 
old  spring-house  converted  into  a  grecnhou-se  to 
preserve  her  oranges,  oleanders  and  daphnes 
over  the  winter.  The  natural  heat  from  the 
spring  was  quite  sufficient  to  keep  out  frost,  and 
it  was  surprising  how  charmingly  the  plants 
throve  in  this,  to  a  gardener,  rough-looking 
plant-case. 

Where  the  air  is  dry,  if  rooms  or  greenhouses,  j 
frequent  syringings  are  of  much  benefit  to  plants. 
Besides,  cleanliness  keeps  down  insects  and 
checks  diseases  in  plants  as  in  animals.  Most 
old  flishioned  lady  gardeners  (and  may  we  ever 
l)lessthem  for  the  many  lessons  they  have  taught 
us  !)  take  every  opportunity  to  set  their  window- 
plants  out  of  doors  whenever  a  warm  shower  hap- 
pens to  occur  In  winter  a  rain  at  a  temperature  of 
40''  or  45^,  which  often  occurs,  might  be  called  a 
"warm  shower.''  Cold  water  does  not  have 
half  the  injurious  effect  on  plants  that  cold  air 
has.  When  plants  get  accidentally  frozen,  the 
best  remedy  in  the  world  is  to  dip  them  at  once 
in  cold  water  and  set  them  in  the  shade  to  thaw. 
It  is  better  to  keep  in  heat  in  cold  weather  by 
covering,  where  possible,  than  to  allow  it  to  es- 
cape, calculating  to  make  it  good  by  fire-heat, 
which  is,  at  best,  but  a  necessary  evil.  Where 
bloom  is  in  demand,  nothing  less  than  55^  will 
accomplish  the  object ;  though  much  above  that 
is  not  desirable,  except  for  tropical  hot-house 
plants.  Where  these  plants  are  obliged  to  be 
wintered  in  a  common  greenhouse,  they  should 
be  kept  rather  dr}',  and  not  be  encouraged  much 
to  grow,  or  they  may  rot  awaj'. 

After  Cyclamens  have  done  blooming,  it  is 
usual,  at  this  season,  to  dry  them  off;  but  we 
do  best  with  them  by  keeping  them  growing  till 
spring,  then  turning  them  out  in  the  open  bor- 
der, and  repot  in  August  for  winter-flowering. 

Mif;nonettc  is  much  improved  by  occa.«ional 
waterings  with  licjuid  manure. 


In  managing  other  plants,  where  there  arc 
several  plants  or  varieties  of  one  species,  and 
command  of  different  temperatures,  it  is  a  com- 
mon plan  to  bring  some  forward  a  few  weeks 
earlier  than  others  in  the  higher  heat,  thus 
lengthening  the  season  of  bloom.  This  applies 
particularly  to  camellias  and  azaleas;  the  former 
are,  however,  not  so  easily  forced  as  the  latter, 
being  liable  to  drop  their  buds,  unless  care  be 
taken   to    regulate   the   increased    temperature 

gradually. 

There  is  a  plan  of  making  some  plants  bloom 
very  early,  that  is  not  generally  known,  namely, 
by  pruning  them.  There  are  two  classes  of 
flowering  plants,— one  perfects  its  buds  on  the 
wood  of  the  past  season's  growth  ;  the  other 
flowers  on  the  new  growth  of  the  present  season. 
AVhenever  you  want  the  latter  class  to  flower, 
all  that  is  necessary  is  to  prune  the  plant  in 
closely  and  induce  a  new  growth.  This  is  fre- 
quently practiced  with  roses  to  get  a  fine  fall 
bloom,  but  it  is  not  often  done  with  house-plants, 
though  the  principle  and  advantages  of  the  prac- 
tice are,  in  both  instances,  the  same.  Watering 
of  pot-plants  should  be  always  done  as  early  in 
the  morning  as  possible,  and  the  water  be  as 
warm  or  warmer   than   the  temperature   of  the 

house. 

Window  plants  suffer  much  at  this  season 
from  the  high  and  dry  temperature  at  which  it 
is  necessary  for  human  comfort  to  keep  our 
dwellings.  Air  can  seldom  be  admitted  from  the 
lowness  of  the  external  temperature.  Saucers 
of  water  under  the  plants  do  much  to  remedy 
the  aridity  under  which  room  plants  sufier.  In 
such  cases,  however,  so  much  water  must  not 
be  given  to  plants  as  to  those  without  saucers. 
The  water  is  drawn  up  into  ihe  soil  by  attrac- 
tion ;  and  though  the  surface  will  appear  dry, 
they  will  be  wet  enough  just  beneath. 

The  more  freely  a  plant  is  growing,  the  more 
water  will  it  require  ;  and  the  more  it  grows,  the 
more  sun  and  light  will  it  need.  In  all  cases, 
those  which  seem  to  grow  the  fastest,  should  be 
placed  nearest  the  light  The  best  aspect  for 
room  plants  is  the  south-east.  They  seem  hkt; 
animals  in  their  aflection  for  the  morning  sun. 
The  first  morning  ray  is  worth  a  dozen  in  the 
evening.  Should  any  of  our  fiiir  readers  find  her 
plants,  by  some  unlucky  calculation,  frozen  \i\ 
the  morning,  do  not  remove  them  at  once  to  a 
Avarm  place,  but  dip  theui  in  cold  water,  and  set 
them  in  a  dark  spot,  wlieie  they  will  banily  es- 
cape freezing.  Sunlight  will  only  help  the  frost"s 
destructive  powers. 


^ 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLY, 


January, 


COMMUNICATIONS. 


BEAUTIFUL  FRUIT. 

BY    "DELAWARE  COUNTY." 

I  suppose,  Mr.  Editor,  you  know  all  about  the 
old  Scotchman  who  was  opposed  to  his  son  mar- 
rying a  poor  girl.  "You  know,  Sandy,"  he  said, 
'it  is  as  easy  to  get  a  good  girl,  and  a  pretty 
<'irl,  and  one  who  has  got  money,  and  to  love 
her,  too,  as  to  get  one  who  has  none."  I  don't 
know  how  this  may  be,  being  a  bachelor,  and 
never  having  been  in  love,  but  it  seems  like  com- 
mon sense,  and  I  believe  in  it.  If  I  were  about 
to  marry,  I  should  try  it ;  that  is,  if  I  were  a 
student  of  girldom  with  a  view  to  wedlock,  for 
in  truth,  I  am  a  marrying  man.  I  am  wedded 
to  Pomology,  and  those  various  branches  of  gar- 
dening which  have  occupied  my  whole  heart  so 
for  to  the  exclusion  of  all  else. 

At  any  rate,  I  believe  the  Scotchman's  maxim 
is  true  in  Pomology.  I  would  say  it  is  as  easy 
to  '^et  a  good  fruit  with  beauty,  as  a  good  fruit 
with  a  villainous  look.  I  have  a  contempt  for 
the  man  or— for  lam  independent  of  the  sex- 
woman  either,  who  hands  mc  a  sort  of  green 
jmmpkinoid  affair,  with  the  apology,  "Dont 
mind  its  looks,  you  will  find  it  first-rate  fla- 
vor." There  is  no  reason  at  all  why  the  mis- 
erable looking  things  we  see  should  be  handed 
about  and  praised  and  rated  No.  1  in  the  fruit 
catalogues,  merely  because  under  their  harsh 
and  austere  looks  a  little  sugar,  cinnamon  and 
honey,  should  get  mixed  with  the  watery  juice. 
Look  at  some  Pears,  for  instance.  What  could 
jiny  one  see  in  a  Chancellor,  a  Dcs  Nonnes,  a 
AVinterNelis,  a  Glout  Morceau,  Bleeker's  Mead- 
ow •,  a  Lodge,  Duchesse,  Totleben,  Fulton,  Leon 
le  Clerc,  Merriam,  Monarch,  Jones,  Vicar,  St. 
Germain,  Ilosenshenk,  Selleck,  Rutter,  Moya- 
mensing,  Philadelphia,  and  similar  things  which 
occur  to  me  as  I  write  V  Even  a  Belle  Lucra- 
tive 1  regard  as  a  libel  on  the  Pear's  good  name. 
I  don't  want  the  old  objection  made  to  me  that 
it  is  better  to  have  a  good  eating  fruit,  with  a 
poor  form  or  skin,  than  it  is  to  have  the  one  with- 
out ihe  other.  I  want  both  in  one.  I  want  my 
table  to  look  well,  as  well  as  to  be  well,  and  I 
a<'rec  with  the  Scotchman  as  aforesaid,  — that  it 
is^as  easy  to  have  both  together,  as  to  have  one 
alone.  Some  of  our  pretty  fruits  are,  to  be  sure, 
mere  passing  flashes— not  good  to  the  core.  No,  j 


I  one  would  tolerate  the  B3urre  de  Montger- 
ons,  the  Zoar  Beauties,  Marie  Louise,  Kuigsess- 
ings  and  Brandywines,  Bilboa  Beauties,  and  so 
on.  But  there  are  others  which,  like  the  Seckel, 
Bartlett,  Clairgeau,  Bosc,  Tyson.  Washington, 
and  Beurre  d'Anjou,  are  pretty  and  good,  and 
well  worth  any  one's  having. 

Mr.  Editor,  I  wish  to  protest  against  the  in- 
sult to  Pomona,  in  the  naming  and  disseminating 
these  ugly  looking  things.  I  believe  the  Pomo- 
logical  Society  have,  or  once  had,  rules  for  nam- 
ing and  describing  fruits.  Why  cannot  they 
place  "  Beauty  "  as  their  article  No.  one  ?  If  a 
fruit  presented  for  their  consideration  has  a  hog- 
gish look,  at  once  let  it  go  to  the  hogs.  If  it  has 
this  first  essential,  then  handle,  weigh,  smell, 
cut  and  taste,— inquire  about  its  vigor,  its  har- 
diness, its  productiveness,  and  its  other  virtues, 
and  set  it  down  accordingly.  Many  of  our  fruit 
growers  already  have  a  horrid  sense  of  disgust 
at  an  ugly  tree.  They  will  go  through  a  thou- 
sand trees  in  a  nursery  to  get  a  handsome  one. 
A  crooked  one  they  cannot  bear,  and  yet  they 
pretend  to  go  intoecstacies  over  a  so  called  fruit 
that  has  no  more  claim  to  admiration  than  a  sua 
ripened  potato.  Yerily,  man  is  a  curious  ani- 
mal, but  his  tastes  are  more  curious  still. 

Yet  I  do  not  deem  the  cause  hopeless.  So  at 
this  season  I  ask  a  corner  in  your  magazine  for 
ray  protest.  This  is  the  season  when  schedule 
committees  of  exhibitions  sit.  They  could  help 
in  this  good  work  if  they  would.  For  instance, 
let  them  offer  some  premiums  for  the  best  look- 
ing fruit,— this  to  be  the  first  quality,  and  then 
flavor  and  other  points  to  rule.  Of  course  there 
would  be  some  ditliculty.  A  little  discretion 
would  have  to  be  left  to  the  committee.  Some 
beautiful  looking  fruit  might  be  but  as  whited 
sepulchres,  —  all  loathsomness  within,  and  in 
such  cases  one  not  quite  so  pretty,  with  excellent 
other  properties,  would  commend  itself  to  the 
Judge's  decision  ;  but  there  would  be  no  ditli- 
culty in  this,  that  those  fruits  which  iiad  no 
beauty  of  form  or  color,  should  be  absolutely 
ruled  out  of  competition  in  such  a  class  as  con- 
templated here.  I  do  not  know  how  the  propo- 
sition strikes  you,  l)ut  I  do  want  to  see  the  idea 
of  hcaulfid  fruit  something  more  than  a  mere 
pi  1 rase. 


1S7L 


THE    GAEDEJVER'S   MOJVTULY. 


ENGLISH  WATER  CRESS. 

BY  MR.    C.  W.  HALL, 

Gardener  to  Captain  Cooper,  Sunni/side,  Baltimore. 

Permit  me  to  recommend  throui^h  your  valu- 
able Monthly  the  most  wholesome  and  most  pro- 
ductive of  all  salads  grown  in  winter  and  spring, 
and  yet  the  cultivation  of  it  is  little  known,  and 
almost  entirely  neglected  by  those  who  do  know. 
This  AVater  Cress  is  a  native  of  Great  Britain, 
and  is  found  wild  in  the  small  streams  more  or 
less  through  the  whole  country,  and  is  cultivated 
on  a  large  scale  around  London.  Although  this 
Cress  is  considered  amphibious,  it  thrives  better 
in  an  ordinary  hot-bed,  from  October  until 
April,  than  it  will  at  any  season  growing  in  its 
natural  element,  exposed  to  the  climate.  I  find 
three  sash  ample  for  a  moderate  family  from 
October  until  April,  and  requires  no  re-plant- 
ing. I  vvhitewash  the  glass,  and  give  very  little 
air  except  when  raining,  which  saves  watering, 
which  it  requires  at  least  once  a  week.  A  full 
crop  can  be  cut  every  three  weeks.  I  generally 
cut  one-third  of  a  sash  each  time,  so  always  get 
a  succession.  About  the  first  of  April  a  quan- 
tity of  plants  should  be  transferred  to  some  cool, 
wet  place,  where  they  will  live  during  summer 
and  be  ready  for  the  hot  bed  in  the  fall. 

[We  are  very  much  obliged  to  Mr.  Hall  for 
this  valuable  hint.  It  will  be  news  to  the  great 
body  of  gardeners  that  the  Water  Cress  can  be 
grown  in  this  way ;  and  no  doubt  it  will  be 
found  that  the  quality  is  improved  by  this  mode 
of  culture.  In  some  parts  of  the  United  States 
the  AV^ater  Cress  has  been  naturalized  in  ditches 
and  running  streams, — about  Philadelphia  es- 
pecially it  has  become  rather  common.  But  it 
is  found  that  the  plant  is  much  more  "  peppery" 
when  grown  in  an  American  climate  than  in  the 
shadier  one  of  Great  Britain— hence  many  who 
have  rejoiced  at  the  prospect  of  enjoying  this 
great  English  luxury  here  have  soon  lost  the 
taste.  We  think  it  quite  likely  that  the  shade 
of  the  sashes  as  employed  by  Mr.  Hall  would 
give  a  more  tender  and  delicate  flavor  to  it,  and 
if  so,  there  is  a  prospect  of  its  getting  as  great  a 
popularity  on  our  tables  as  it  enjoys  in  England. 
—Ed.] 


CIDER. 

BY   W.    n.    W.,  NEW  WIXDSOn,  CONN. 

Under  the  above  name,  great  quantities  of 
fluids  are  sold  and  drank  daily,  much  of  which 


is  quite  unwholesome,  and  shows  its  effects  on 
the  human  system  in  various  ways.  No  wonder 
that  so  many  think  and  claim  that  cider  is  an 
unhealthy  drink,  observing  the  results  from 
drinking  the  beverage  so  freely  sold  as  cider. 

Cider  is  the  expressed  juice  of  apples  without  any 
admixture,  pure  as  pressed  from  the  apple,  hav- 
ing passed  the  vinous  fermentaticm  under  favor- 
able circumstances.  The  manufacture  of  good 
and  pure  cider  is  a  simple  process,  requiring  no 
very  great  amount  of  labor  or  extraordinary 
skill,  yet  it  is  one  wherein  very  many  fiiil  who 
make  the  attempt.  Why  they  fail,  I  leave  for 
others  to  judge,  or  say. 

The  great  abundance  of  apples  the  past  season 
has  caused  considerable  inquiry  concerning  the 
mode  of  making  cider,  and  preparing  it  so  that 
it  will  keep  good  and  palatable  the  longest  time. 
I  think,  from  experience,  that  if  the  following 
processes  are  strictly  followed  there  will  be  little 
difficulty  in  making  and  preserving  cider  for 
almost  an  indefinite  period  of  time,  and  it  will 
be  good  too : 

First,  we  must  have  apples  ripe  and  sound,  I 
care  not  how  kuarly  or  uneven  the  surface,  as 
the  best  part  of  the  juice  comes  from  near  the 
surface.  An  apple  that  is  bruised  has  com- 
menced a  decaying  process,  the  juice  has  com- 
menced to  deteriorate,  and  such  juice  cannot 
make  the  best  of  cider,  if  far  along  in  the 
change.  The  warmer  the  weather  the  more 
rapid  the  decaying  process. 

Gather  the  apples,  clean,  free  from  leaves  or 
any  other  foreign  matter,  put  them  in  piles,  not 
very  deep,  or  they  will  heat  too  much,  let  them 
lie,  in  cool  weather,  four  to  eight  days  before 
grinding,  etc.  Grind  or  mash  them  fine,  with- 
out crushing  the  seed,  in  a  wood  mill-fluted 
cylinders— without  any  metal  of  any  kind  to 
come  in  contact  with  the  apples,  pomace  or 
juice.  As  the  apples  are  crushed  let  the  pomace 
fall  into  a  suitable  vat  of  capacity  for  a  middling 
sized  cheese  ;  grind  it  full  and  stir  to  mix  it  well 
befonj  commencing  to  "lay  up  cheese.''  Let 
the  press  bed  and  follower  be  wood,  — oak  or 
chestnut,-  also  the  vat  or  tub  to  catch  the  juice  ; 
let  there  be  no  metal  to  come  in  contact  with 
the  juice  at  any  time,  especially  any  that  will 
oxydize  or  corrode.  The  press  bed  should  have 
a  channel  cut,  an  inch  deep,  around  the  outer 
edges  with  a  projecting  lip  at  one  side  to  carry 
the  juice  off  and  conduct  it  to  the  tub.  Lay  up 
the  cheese,  in  cakes,  with  rye  straw  cut  in  two 


6 


TEE    GdRDEJ^ER'S   MOJ\rTELl.         Januarjj, 


lentrths,  between  to  bind  the  cheese,  and  also  to 
facUitate  extracting  the  juice.  Lay  on  sufficient 
])omace  to  form  a  cake  four  inches  thick  ;  have 
a  board  four  inches  wide,  long  as  the  press  is 
■wide  ;  set  this  on  edge  one  side,  and  draw  the 
pomace  to  it,  pressing  it  firm  ;  go  around  in  like 
manner,  on  the  four  sides  ;  fill  up  the  centre 
level ;  now  spread  on  a  thin  layer  of  straw,  buts 
out  two  inches  all  around,  a  little  scattered  over 
the  middle;  lay  up  the  whole  cheese  in  like 
manner,  finishing  with  straw  on  top ;  put  on 
follower  and  press  gently,  be  in  no  hurry,  see 
that  no  pomace  falls  out  to  obstruct  the  flow  o^ 
the  juice  in  the  channel  on  the  press.  Increase 
the  pressure  gradually  as  long  as  there  is  a  good 
How  ;  remove  the  follower  and  cut  off  about 
three  inches  of  the  outside  of  the  cheese,  pick  it 
in  pieces,  and  lay  on  top,  evening  all  around  ; 
J^PPly  pressure  again  as  long  as  juice  flows.  It 
will  often  pay  to  cut  again  and  press  for  vinegar. 

The  apple  juice  will  need  be  dipped  from  the 
tub,  filtered  through  straw  and  flannel  into  goofi, 
.sound,  srveet  and  dean  casks.  Chestnut  makes  the 
best  cider  and  vinegar  casks  ;  rum  and  brandy 
casks  make  good  casks  for  cider,  if  they  are  fresh 
and  clean.  The  middle  running  of  the  cheese 
makes  the  best  cider  and  should  be  saved  by  itself. 
The  great  secret  of  good  cider  is  to  remove  all 
pomace,  etc.,  and  then  to  place  the  cider  at  once 
in  a  cool  cellar,  never  allow  it  to  be  disturbed 
while  fermenting.  As  soon  as  it  has  ceased  its 
most  violent  ferment,  and  thrown  ofl"  all  foreign 
matter,  which  it  does  in  a  few  days,  insert  the 
bung  tight  with  a  syphon  tube,  one  end  in  the 
bung  and  the  shorter  leg  dipped  in  a  cup  of  water, 
to  exclude  all  access  of  air  to  the  cider,  while  it 
admits  the  escape  of  the  carbonic  acid  gas. 
When  the  cider  has  about  ceased  fermentation, 
which  may  be  known  by  only  an  occasional  bub- 
ble escaping  from  the  tube,  remove  the  bung 
and  put  in  another  air-tight,  and  do  not  disturb 
again  till  the  following  April,  when  it  should  be 
drawn  into  bottles  and  corked  tight.  No  rack- 
ing off  is  necessary,  as  it  only  causes  the  cider  to 
absorb  oxygen  of  tin;  air,  causing  it  to  acidify. 

To  make  cider  keep  the  best,  the  latest  ripen- 
ing apples  are  the  ])est,  and  then  made  in  No- 
vember, or  after  cold  weather  comes.  Tliere  is 
a  great  difference  in  apples  in  making  cider; 
Honic  will  make  cider  with  a  heavy  '"body," 
rich  and  good,  while  others  will  make  it  thin, 
watery  and  flavorless.  A  great  difference  will 
])e  found  in  apples  of  the  same  variety  grown  in 
different  soils  and  different  locations.     Crab  or 


natural  fruit  I  have  always  found  superior  for 
making  good  cider  to  grafted  or  finer  fruit. 


NOTE  ON  GROWING  VIOLETS. 

BY  S.,  STOCKBRIDGE,  MASS. 

While  renewing  my  subscription  to  your  val- 
uable magazine,  I  offer,  if  you  think  worth  pub- 
lishing, the  following  in  respect  to  growing  the 
Violet.  It  has  ever  been  one  of  my  favorite 
window  flowers.  In  former  years  when  brought 
into  the  house  from  the  cold  pits  to  flower,  they 
were  placed  at  once  in  the  sitting-room  window, 
where  we  had  a  regular  temperature  of  about 
sixty  degrees  ;  but  the  stalks  were  always  slen- 
der, and  the  flowers  rather  small.  Thinking  it 
was  too  hot,  I  kept  them  other  years  in  a  cooler 
room,  w^here  the  heat  might  perhaps  not  range 
over  between  45  and  55,  and  the  result  has  been 
much  healthier  looking  plants  and  finer  foliage. 
Besides  this,  they  were  not  much  behind  what 
I  have  had  in  warmer  places  in  other  3-ears.  I 
am  sure  they  want  very  little  heat  to  do  well. 
Another  fact. — I  have  learned  that  a  manure 
water  made  of  rotten  wood  is  a  capital  fertilizer 
for  them.  Once  I  thought  as  shady  places  were 
the  natural  places  where  Violets  grow,  rotten 
wood  would  be  a  good  thing  in  the  soil,  but  they 
sometimes  get  sick  in  it ;  but  the  liquid  of  steeped 
wood  does  not  seem  to  have  this  effect ;  on  the 
other  hand,  a  lively  green  is  the  result.  We 
never  water  them  excejjt  when  they  show  signs 
of  drying :  in  our  room  this  is  about  twice  a 
week.     This  may  not  be  new,  but  it  is  true. 

[And  therefore  the  more  acceptable.  It  is 
just  the  sort  of  any  article  we  like.  We  wish 
'•subscription  time''  came  twice  a'year.— Ed  J 


DISEASE  IN  PEARS. 

BY  W.  P.  P.,  ONARGO,  ILLS. 

In  the  note  under  the  above  head  in  the  No- 
vember number  of  the  Month?)/,  1  studiously 
avoided  advancing  any  theory  as  to  the  cause  or 
origin  of  the  disease  that  had  made  its  appear- 
ance among  my  pear  trees.  As  there  are  proba- 
bly many  thousands  of  pear  trees  now  in  the 
grounds,  gardens  and  orchards  of  the  coun'ry, 
in  a  condition  similar  to  that  of  those  described 
in  the  aforesaid  note,  I  have  thought  it  might  be 
well  to  give  a  more  detailed  history  of  the  trees 
since  the}-  came  into  my  possession,  and  as  far 
as  is  known,  previous  to  that  i)eriod,  in  the  hope 
that  light  may  be  elicited  in  regard  t^  the  oriij  n 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLI. 


7 


of  the  disease,  and  that  remedies  and  preven- 
tives may  be  suggested. 

The  trees  in  question  were  grown  in  a  nursery 
ill  central  New  York,  and  were  shipped  to  me 
soon  after  the  occurrence  of  the  seveie  cold 
weather  that  prevailed  throughout  the  country 
about  the  15th  of  October,  18G9.  A  large  pro- 
portion of  the  trees  had  made  a  growth  during 
the  summer,  of  from  four  to  five  feet;  and  in 
Color,  thrift  and  general  appearance  thej*  resem- 
bled much  the  succulent  water-sprouts  that  often 
put  out  from  an  apple  tree  after  a  severe  prun- 
ing. A  portion  of  the  trees  were  set  out  in  the 
fall,  and  the  remainder  were  heeled  in  and  set 
out  in  the  spring.  The  trees  were  in  the  main 
of  the  following  varieties,  to  wit :  Seckel,  Law- 
rence, Bartlett,  Sheldon,  Belle  Lucrative,  Doy- 
enne Boussock,  Beurre  Clairgeau  and  Howell, 
all  standards. 

COXDITION^  OF   THE    TREES   THE  FOLLOWING 
SPRING. 

On  the  opening  of  spring  a  ring  of  bark  about 
one  inch  wide  peeled  off  around  many  of  the  trees 
just  at  the  surface  of  the  wound.  The  bark  also 
of  man}-  of  the  trees  had  a  pinched  and  shriveled 
appearance.  In  a  large  proportion  of  the  trees 
the  pith  or  heart  of  the  wood  of  the  previous 
summer's  growth  was  black. 

CONDUCT  OF   THE  TREES  DURING  THE 
SUMMER  OF  1870. 

About  one-third  of  the  trees  in  which  the  black 
heart  made  its  appearance  only  in  the  tips  of  the 
branches,  have  made  a  moderate  growth,  and  I 
have  some  hopes  that  I  may  be  able  to  make  foir 
trees  of  them.  But  a  large  proportion  of  them 
have  simply  put  forth  their  leaves  and  remained 
stationary  throughout  the  summer.  Quite  a 
number  have  put  up  a  vigorous  sucker  just  be- 
low where  the  ring  of  bark  peeled  off.  About 
one-sixth  of  the  two  hundred  trees  have  died. 
The  outside  bark  on  the  south  side  of  many  of  the 
trees  that  still  have  life  in  them,  has  crumpled  up 
and  peeled  off,  and  the  wood  under  this  crumpled 
bark  is  in  a  condition  of  only  semi-vitality. 
The  provoking  cases  are  those  that  will  neither 
grow  nor  die,  nor  put  up  a  sucker.  For  the 
most  part,  however,  I  vote  all  such  as  good  as 
dead,  and  dig  them  up  and  throw  them  away. 
One  more  statement  and  I  have  done  with  the 
history  of  the  trees.  A  portion  of  the  trees  were 
well  heeled  in  during  the  winter  of  1860.  Near- 
ly the  entire  tree  was  covered  with  earth.  In 
the  s-pring  they  came  out  looking  plump,  fresh 


and  fair.  The  condition  of  those  trees  is  now, 
however,  much  the  same  as  that  of  those  that 
were  set  out  in  the  fall. 

TIIEJRY   AS    TO  THE  ORIGIN   OF  THE  DISEASE. 

These  trees  were  undoubtedly  stimulated  to 
an  unnatural  growth  in  the  nursery.  A  young 
tree  in  California  or  southern  Illinois,  may 
make  a  growth  of  four  and  five  feet  in  a  season 
and  mature  its  wood,  but  not  so  in  central  New 
York.  The  severe  October  freeze  of  18139  found 
these  trees  in  a  succulent  and  immatured  con- 
dition. Their  wood  of  the  summer's  growth 
was  about  as  readily  frozen  as  the  apples  then 
upon  the  trees.  For  the  same  reason  the  stems 
of  thousands  of  Osage  Hedge  plants  in  central 
Illinois,  six  and  eight  feet  high,  were  killed 
down  to  the  ground.  For  a  like  reason  the  new 
wood  of  many  of  the  young  and  thrifty  apple 
orchards  of  the  country,  and  especially  on  the 
lich  prairies  of  Illinois,  had  died  during  the 
summer  just  past.  I  do  not  call  this  malady 
the  '■  Frozen  sap  blight  or  the  frozen  wood 
blight,"  nor  do  I  give  it  any  other  name.  In 
the  case  of  the  pear  trees  it  is  believed  that  the 
wood  and  sap  of  the  trees  were  simply  frozen  be- 
fore the  wood  was  matured,  and  that  they  were 
thus  more  or  less  disorganized  ;  and  that  the  de- 
gree of  injury  thus  sustained  by  the  different 
varieties  of  trees  was  just  in  proportion  to  the 
degree  of  immafuruy  of  their  neio  wood  at  the 
time  this  freezing  took  place.  The  Howell  sus- 
tained the  least  injury,  while  the  Bartletts,  the 
Boussocks  and  the  Beurre  Clairgeaus  were  dam- 
aged the  most.  These  three  last  varieties  had 
also  made  the  largest  growth  of  new  wood  of 
any  of  the  lot. 

Item  1.  Had  these  trees  all  been  set  out  in  the 
fall,  there  Avould  have  been  room  for  the  infer- 
ence that  they  were  damaged  during  the  winter. 
But  such  was  not  the  case,  and  hence  the  infer- 
ence can  not  be  made.  The  winter  was  more- 
over very  mild,  and  trees  that  could  not  endure 
such  a  winter  must  have  been  immaturo  and 
worthless. 

Item  2.  The  black  heart  of  these  trees  is  con- 
fined to  the  new  wood,  the  heart  of  the  old  woo  i 
of  the  previous  year's  growth  being  of  the 
natural  color  and  appearance.  But  while  this 
is  true  of  the  heart,  the  new  wood  that  was  put 
into  the  stem  of  the  trees  during  the  summer  of 
1869,  was  apparently  about  as  succulent  and  im- 
mature as  the  new  growth  at  the  top. 

Item  3.  I  do  not  find   on  the  surface  of  the 


8 


THE    GARDEJVER'iS  MOJ^TELY. 


January. 


bark  of  these  trees  the  "black  blotches"  of 
which  mention  is  made  in  the  comments  upon 
my  note  in  the  November  number. 

Query.  Is  it  probable  that  the  new  stem  that 
is  putting  up  from  some  of  these  trees  from  near 
the  ground,  can  ever  make  a  health}'  tree  ?  Can 
the  roots  of  such  trees  be  in  a  perfectly  healthy 
condition  ? 


GARDENING  FOR  THE  YOUNG. 

BY  JAMES  LAMONT,  PITTSBURGH,  PA. 

How  is  it  that  we  have  no  millionaires  in  our 
profession  ?  Often  I  have  thought,  and  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  because  we 
have  not  taught  the  young  and  rising  genera- 
tion the  arts  of  gardening.  There  is  not  de- 
mand enough  for  our  wares.  Look  how  the 
dry-goods  men  decoy  both  old  and  young  into 
the  love  of  dress.  Therefore  they  have  mil- 
lionaires amongst  them. 

See  how  quick  even  a  candy  shop  rises  from  a 
few  shelves  to  a  well  filled  "store;"  and  the 
small  window  has  to  give  way  to  a  large  and 
beautiful  one,  filled  with  the  best,  and  made 
showy  with  French  plate-glass  Then  follows 
plenty  of  work  to  the  dentists,  and  doctors,  and 
druggists,— some  of  these  are  millionaires. 

Have  we  one  young  lady  in  America  that 
could  take  a  bouquet,  and  dissect  it,  and  name  all 
the  flowers  in  it  ?  I  think  we  have  not  one  ;  but 
we  have  plenty  that  can  tell  us  all  the  names  of 
dry-goods  and  candies. 

Mr  Editor,  by  your  teachings  you  have  done 
wonders  for  horticulture  among  the  old ;  and  I 
think  you  might  do  as  much  among  the  young. 
The  young  must  be  taught  and  when  they  are 
old  they  will  not  depart  from  the  way  they  were 
started  in. 

I  wonder  if  it  would  do  for  a  lesson,  for  Mr. 
Greeley  to  ofler  a  prize  of  one  hundred  dollars  to 
all  the  young  ladies  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
at  their  next  floral  exhibition,  to  have  a  bouquet, 
made  for  that  purpose,  and  the  young  lady  who 
could  take  it  in  her  hands,  and  name  all  the 
flowers  in  it,  to  give  her  the  bouquet  and  the 
hundred  dollars.  I  think  this  would  do  more  for 
horticulture  than  the  Greeley  prize  for  the  best 
grape.  "We  all  knew  the  Concord  was  king,  but 
we  do  not  know  who  wuuld  be  queen  among  the 
flowers  and  bouquets. 

Had  Mr.  Osgood  been  a  lover  of  horticul- 
ture, he  certainly  would  have  given  a  wood- 
cut of  a  green-house  for  the  edification  of  our  ! 


children  here.  I  must  confess  it  is  scriptural  for 
it  says,  "the  first  shall  be  last,  and  the  last  shall 
be  first."  So  we  muft  be  contented  with  our 
lot.  We  would  rather  know  about  the  flowers 
first  and  green-house  after. 

It  is  evident  that  the  people  who  are  lucky 
enough  to  take  up  the  hint  afforded  by  the  fig 
leaves  and  Adam's  needle,  as  a  profession  are  the 
luckiest  so  far  as  cash  goes. 

Have  we  not  great  evidence  of  the  needle  and 
leaves  in  all  our  large  cities,  in  all  the  show  win- 
dows,—some  of  them,  truly  it  is  beautiful  to 
look  at,  but  I  am  sure  a  nice  sized  green  house, 
filled  with  the  new  varieties  of  Azaleas,  and  all 
in  full  bloom,  is  the  loveliest  show  one  could 
see. 

Mr.  Editor,  for  over  twenty  years  you  have 
been  teaching  the  people  of  these  United  States 
all  the  branches  of  horticulture,  and  you  have 
done  it  well.  But  I  think  we  have  too 
much  orthodox  and  not  enough  of  orthodoxy, 
and  I  think  if  you  would  take  this  in  hand,  I  am 
sure  you  could  help  it  very  much. 

I  hope  this  will  not  find  its  way  into  the  scrap 
basket ;  but  I  must  conclude,  for  fear  I  am  in- 
truding on  your  columns.  I  think  there  is  a 
good  deal  of  roguery  in  all  trades  but  ours,  and 
we  must  have  a  good  solid  head  of  cabbage,  or 
the  cooks  would  condemn  it  and  us,  whether  we 
have  flowers  or  no.  The  useful  before  the 
beautiful,  you  mitjht  say, — but  let  us  have  even 
utility  clothed  in  beauty  at  least. 


RHODODENDRONS  IN  NATURE. 

BY  EDWARD,    BALTIMORE,    MD. 

Can  you  or  any  of  your  numerous  correspon- 
dents account  for  the  following  facts  :  Some  two 
weeks  since  I  was  travelling  on  the  Philadelphi.-i 
and  Erie  railroad  through  the  Allegheny  Moun- 
tains, where  the  Rhododendron  is  at  home,  but 
for  150  miles  I  did  not  see  a  single  jilant  grow- 
ing in  the  vicinity  of  the  white  pine,  except  in 
one  case,  and  then  the  pine  was  as  yellow  as  a 
peach  with  that  disease.  Its  home  seems  to  be 
with  the  hemlock,  th)ugh  some  were  growing 
amongst  other  varieties  of  pines,  but  not  so 
vigorous  as  with  the  hemlock.  In  last  June 
number  you  have  a  chapter  on  the  culture  of  the 
Rhododendron,  the  mode  of  growing  them,  etc.; 
but  to  see  them  in  their  natural  state  would  sur- 
prise those  vvho  think  so  muc;h  extra  care  neces- 
sary ;  for  there  you  see  them  growing  in  every 
conceivable  way,  soil,  shade  and  full  sun  ;  stifl' 


1S71. 


THE    GdRDEJ^ER'S    MOJ^THLY. 


9 


clay,  soliil  rock,  sand  and  every  variety  of  soil 
you  can  name.  There  was  one  thing  I  particu- 
larly noticed,  which  was,  those  which  were  in 
the  full  sun  were  the  best  color,  and  healthiest 
plants,  and  ten  to  one  more  flower  buds  on 
them.  I  learnt  to  plant  the  Rhododendron  in 
the  sun  and  as  you  remark,  not  too  dry  a 
situation. 

Should  any  lover  of  Rhododendron  wish  for  a 
rare  treat,  let  him  take  a  trip  from  Sunbury, 
in  Northumberland  county,  to  Warren,  in  War- 
ren county,  as  I  did,  the  2d  of  last  July ;  my 
word  for  it,  he  never  will  regret  it.  It  eclipsed 
an3'thing  I  have  seen  since  I  used  to  visit 
Waterer's  exhibition,  in  London  ;  with  this  dif- 
ference, his  were  artificial,  but  this  was  natural. 
Picture  to  yourself  150  miles  of  flower  garden,  in 
one  full  blaze  of  beauty,  such  as  art  never  could 
accomplish.  But  it  must  be  seen  to  be  appre- 
ciated. 

[We  never  heard  before  that  there  was  any- 
thing antagonistic  between  the  white  pine  and 
the  Rhododendron.  The  writer's  impression  is 
that  he  has  seen  the  pine  and  Rhododendron  to- 
gether in  their  native  localities— that  is  with 
young  pine,  for  nothing  will  live  under  a  forest  of 
dense  white  pine.  But  we  are  not  sure  about 
this  —  only  certainly  they  exist  in  the  same 
region  of  country  and  not  very  far  from  these 
trees. — Ed.] 

ESSAY  ON  HORTICULTURE. 

BY  JACOB  STAUFFER. 

Read  before  the  Lancaster  County  (Pa )  Agricultural 
Society. 

Mr.  Presfdrnt  and  Gentlemen  :  We  all 
know  that  the  word  Horticulture  is  compounded 
from  the  Latin  hortiis,  a  garden,  and  colo,  1  cul- 
tivate—the culture  of  the  kUchen  garden  and 
orchard  Consequently  the  subject  would  prop- 
erly confine  my  remarks  to  all  kinds  of  roots, 
herbs,  flowers  and  fruit  used  in  cookery  ;  that 
is,  culinary  vegetables  and  fruits.  This  might 
be  called  gardening. 

Floriculture,  which  includes  the  culture  of 
ornamental  and  curious  flowers,  shrubs  and 
trees.  Arboriculture,  which  implies  the  culture 
of  trees  and  shrubs,  used  for  various  purposes  in 
the  arts  and  general  economy  ;  and  may  also  be 
embraced  as  separate  and  apart  from  agricul- 
ture, a  name  also  from  the  Latin  aycr,  a  field, 
and  colo.,  I  till  or  cultivate.  This  properly  in- 
cludes all  the  field  crops,  and  the  rearing  and 


managing  of  domestic  animals  on  a  large  scale, 
and  constitutes  the  farm  or  farming. 

I  will,  however,  endeavor  to  glance  rather  at 
the  history  and  peculiarities  of  the  kitchen  gar- 
den, and  things  connected  therewith,  that  I 
may  deem  to  be  new  to  some  of  you  at  least, 
and  either  of  interest  or  instruction,  without 
entering  into  a  minute  description  of  the  plants 
referred  to. 

In  order  to  make  a  beginning,  I  will  introduce 
the  natural  order  of  plants  known  as  the  "cru- 
ciferffi,"  or  the  '■  mustard  family."  The  flowers 
are  composed  of  four  leaves  or  petals,  with  claws 
or  prolonged  ends,  forming  a  cross,  hence  the 
name  "cruciferoe."  They  have  six  stamens, 
four  long,  and  two  shorter,  called  "  tetradynam- 
ons."  Fruit,  a  pod  or  capsule,  two  celled  by  a 
partition  ;  when  the  pod  is  elongated  it  is  called 
a  "silique,"  when  short  and  broad,  a  "silicle." 
This  family  includes  our  cabbages,  turnip,  water 
cress,  etc. 

It  may  be  new  to  some  that,  botanically,  the 
mustard  ranks  in  the  same  genus  with  the  cab- 
bage ;  brassica,  which  is  the  ancient  Latin  name 
of  cabbage. 

Brassica  oleracea— Our  cabbage.  The  original 
is  a  sea-coast  plant  of  Europe,  with  thick  and 
hard  stem,  and  pretty  large,  pale,  yellow  flow- 
ers ;  the  leaves  collected  into  a  head  through 
cultivation,  which  blanches  the  inner  leaves  and 
renders  them  so  desirable  for  the  table.  The 
variety  called  broccoli  is  a  state  in  which  the 
stems  divides  into  short,  fleshy  branches,  bear- 
ing clusters  of  abortive  flower-buds;  the  name 
is  from  the  Italian  and  French,  and  means 
"sprouts:'  it  is  only  a  variety  of  the  "cauli- 
flower ;"  French,  chou-jleur.  Webster  says  from 
the  Italian,  cavolfior,  also  caulis,  a  stem  and 
flower  ;  have  the  nourishing  matter  mainly  con- 
centrated in  short,  imperfect  flower  branches, 
col'ccted  in  a  flat  head.  The  variety  "kohl- 
rabi" has  the  nourishing  matter  accumulated  in 
the  stem,  which  forms  a  turnip-like  enlargement 
above  ground,  beneath  the  cluster  of  leaves. 
The  "  kale "  or  crambe,  which  is  the  Latin 
name  for  cabbage  ;  the  Crambe  maritlma  is  the 
wild  British  plant,  which  yields  sea-kale  under 
the  hands  of  the  gardener,  and  furnishes  one  of 
the  most  delicate  esculent  vegetables  ;  the  parts 
used  being  the  blanched  leaf-stalks,  with  more 
or  less  of  the  young  stem,  all  in  a  succulent, 
crisp  condition. 

Before  I  continue  the  list  of  these  remarkable 


10 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^TELY. 


January, 


jJterms  and  its  varieties,  I  will  glance  at  some 
historical  notes. 

The  close-headed  variety,  which  is  now  more 
I)cculiarly  called  cabbage,  was  for  many  years 
imported  into  England  from  Holland.  Sir  An- 
thony Ashley  first  introduced  its  cultivation, 
and  made  the  English  independent  of  their 
neighbors  for  a  supply.  This  planter  of  cabbages 
likewise  rendered  his  name  known  by  other 
deeds  less  creditable  to  his  character.  It  is  re- 
lated that  lie  had  a  command  at  Cales  (Cadiz), 
where  he  got  much  by  rapine,  especially  from  a 
lady  who  entrusted  her  jewels  to  his  honor ; 
whence  the  jest  on  him  (like  on  Butler  about  the 
spoons,  whether  true  or  false).  The  saying  is 
that  he.  Sir  Ashley,  got  more  by  "Cales"  than 
by  "Cab"  and  cabbage.  As  tailors  are  said  to 
be  fond  of  "cabbage"  (my  worthy  friend  S.  S. 
will  excuse  me)  may  not  this  circumstance  have 
given  rise  to  the  accusation  of  "cabbaging," 
When  cloth  entrusted  (o  them  was  appropriated 
to  their  own  use. 

It  is  recorded  that  cabbage  was  first  intro- 
duced into  the  J^orth  of  Scotland  by  the  soldiers 
of  Cromwell.  Scotland  is  more  peculiarly  the 
"  land  of  Kale."  Old  Scotch  songs  point  to  the 
fiict.     The  poet  says  : 

"There's  eauld  Kale  in  Aberdeen, 
An'  castock's  in  Stra'  bogie." 

These  castocks  are  the  cabbage  stems,  having 
the  fibrous  parts  jieeled  off,  and  the  remainder 
softened  by  boiling.  Sauer  Kraut,  that  excel- 
lent preparation  of  the  Germans,  is  merely  fer- 
mented cabbage.  The  history  is  lengthy  and 
the  varieties  of  cabbage  numerous,  which  I  can- 
not take  time  to  record,  unless  I  meant  to  de- 
vote two  hours  to  cabbage  alone ;  but  will 
hasten  to  other  varieties  of  this  genus  of  Bras- 
sica. 

Brassica  campestris,  of  the  Old  World,  like 
the  "kale,''  but  with  brighter  flowers:  these 
are  represented  in  cultivation  by  the  var.  Volza 
or  Bape  with  small  annual  root,  cultivated  for 
the  oil  of  tlie  seed.  This  is  the  parent  of  the 
turnip  li.  napus,  yielding  the  nourishing  napi- 
form  white  root.  The  variety  Rutabaga  or 
Swedish  Turnip  has  a  long  and  yellowish  root. 
Then  comes  (he  Brassica,  Sinipaitrum  or  Sinapis 
nrrensis,  the  "charlock,  a  troublesome  weed  of 
cultivation  in  grain-Melds,  a  rough-lcavod  an- 
nual." The  white  mustard  or  Sinapis  alba  is 
also  a  Brassica  as  well  as  the  black  mustard, 
Sinapis  nigra. 

My  object  in  bringing  this  wonderful  genus  to 


your  notice  is  to  show  the  diversity  of  the  varie- 
ties, apparently  so  diflerent,  and  yet  in  reality, 
in  the  flower  and  fruit,  by  which  plants  are 
classified,  they  are  inseparable  and  necessarily 
form  one  genus.  This  shows  how  cultivation 
has  made  the  single  talent,  that  God  has  be- 
stowed upon  us,  five,  yea  tenfold,  in  its  yield 
and  utility  to  man,  who  is  thus  a  co-laborer  with 
the  Creating  power,  as  man  should  be,  to  pro- 
mote the  natural  and  spiritual  kingdom,  by  his 
diligence  and  close  attention  lo  the  means  placed 
to  his  hands. 

I  must  pass  over  several  kinds  of  Cress, 
Scurvy  Grass.  The  lladish,  Raphanus  sativus,  a 
native  of  China.  The  Horse  radish,  Cochlearia 
armoracia,  which  is  now  called  by  its  older 
name,  "Nasturium  armoracia."  The  pun- 
gency is  in  the  root.  The  water-cress,  "Nas- 
turtium officinale,"  has  the  pungency  in  the 
leaves.  The  mustard  in  the  seed,  showing  a 
diversity  of  location  in  the  uuit3'  of  the  principle. 

Being  on  Root  Plants,  the  Beet  suggests  it- 
self: Grafting  the  Beets.  Ex  President  Dr. 
Allen  Maclean,  of  Colchester,  grafted  the  White 
Silesian  on  Red  Beet,  and  Red  on  AVhite,  when 
as  thick  as  a  straw,  unite  by  mere  junction  of 
cellular  matter ;  each  class  of  cells  secretes  its 
own  matter  and  color. 

Beta  vulgaris,  the  common  Beet,  from  south 
Europe,  is  cultivated  in  many  varieties.  The 
IMangel  Wurzel,  or  scarcity  root,  is  a  mere  va- 
riety used  for  feeding  cattle.  The  beet  was 
known  as  an  esculent  root  in  the  time  of  Pliny, 
who  has  given  an  accurate  description  of  it  in 
his  work.  One  kind,  called  the  great  white  or 
sweet  beet,  is  esteemed  for  the  foot  stalks  and 
mid-ribs  of  the  leaves,  which  are  stewed  and 
eaten  under  the  name  of  Swiss  chard. 

Sugar  is  manufactured  from  a  variety  of  this 
beet,  which  has  a  red  skin,  but  is  white  intern- 
ally. The  beet  belongs  to  the  natural  order  of 
Chenopodiacea,  or  goose-foot  family,  as  does  the 
"Spinach,"  Spinacea  oleracea,  which  latter 
comes  from  the  Orient.  The  blight  and  pig 
weed  come  here. 

Among  the  plants  that  have  their  flowers  and 
seed  in  an  umbel,  the  natural  order  umbellifera; 
cultivated,  is  the  Carrot,  Daucus  carota.  These 
have  run  wild  and  become  a  pernicious  weed. 
It  is,  however,  suspected  that  the  garden  carrot 
dilfers  since  the  attempt  to  cultivate  the  wild 
has  proved  unsuccessful.  This  ma}'  arise,  how- 
ever, from  the  fact  that  the  long  continued  cul- 
ture and  coming  from  a  warmer  climate  makes 


1. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MOJ^^TELY. 


11 


the  difference.  Dioscorides  describes  it  as  grow 
iug  wild  as  \vc41  as  beinu  cultivated  for  an  escu- 
lent root.  The  central  portion  of  the  root  being 
naturally  wood}',  cultivation  in  1  ght,  mellow 
soil,  inixed  with  sand  made  friable  by  being  well 
mixed  to  prevent  the  root  from  sp'itting  or 
growing  forked,  and  to  increase  the  outer  por- 
tion, or  so  to  speak,  the  bark,  and  dimiuish  the 
central  portion  or  woody  fibres. 

The  carrot  is  used  in  cookery — but  it  is  af- 
firmed that  for  stock,  especially  for  horses,  for 
preserving  and  restoring  the  wind,  it  is  adminis 
tered  in  Suffolk,  England,  as  a  secret  specific  for 
the  complaint  of  wind-broken  horses.  Cows  fed  on 
carrots  increase  the  quantity  of  milk.  They  are 
liighly  recommended  for  calves,  sheep,  and 
swine.  In  the  short  space  of  ten  days,  says  an 
emjnent  writer,  a  lean  hog  was  fattened  by  these 
roots,  having  consumed  during  that  period  196 
pounds.  Its  fat  proved  very  white,  fat  and  firm, 
and  did  not  waste  in  the  dressing. 

Tiie  parsnip,  "  Pastinaca  sativa,"  runs  wild 
also  in  low  meadows,  and  then  rather  jwisonoits. 
The  word  pastinaca,  from  "pastus,''  nourish- 
ment, is  one  of  the  names  given  to  the  daucus  of 
the  Greeks. 

The  skerret,  Slum  sisarum,  is  a  perennial  tap 
root,  like  the  two  former  introduced  from  Chi- 
na, and  little  known  among  us.  Our  slum  li- 
neare,  or  water  parsnip,  growing  in  water  or 
wet  places,  of  which  both  root  and  herbage  are 
poisonous. 

The  parsley,  Petroselinum  sativum,  or  pro- 
perly carum  Petroselinum  variety,  curled- 
leaved  ;  the  foliage  is  used  in  cookery.  The  cara- 
way, "Carum  carui,"  yields  the  caraway  seed, 
Fennel  anethum  foeniculum.  The  garden  cel- 
ery, Apium  graveolens,  and  variety  "Rapaceum 
turnip  rooted  celery,''  as  also  the  coriander,  Cori- 
andrum  satirra,  all  belong  to  the  umbelliferous 
plants  ;  besides  others  used  medicinally,  and 
not  enumerated. 

In  the  order  compositse,  we  find  the  artichoke, 
"  Cynara  scolymus.''  The  receptacles  of  the 
young  flower  heads  are  fleshy,  and  edible  when 
cooked.  This  must  not  be  confounded  with  the 
Jerusalem  artichoke,  which  belongs  to  the  sun- 
flower genus,  and  is  the  Ilelianthus  tuberosus, 
the  tubers  of  which  are  pickled  and  edible. 

In  the  privy-purse  expenses  of  Henry  VIII, 
of  England,  in  reference  to  the  first  named  nrti- 
choke,  is  this  entry  :  "  Paid  to  a  servant  of 
Maister  Trcsorer,  in  reward  for  bringing  arche- 
cokks  to  the  King's  grace  to  Yorke  Place,  4s.  and 


4d  "     A  treatise  was  -written   in   the  reign  ot 
Mary  on  it. 

Our  salad  or  lettuce  (La^tuca  sativa)  belongs 
to  this  family.  Turner  mentioned  the  lettuce  as 
being  in  16.V2  well  known.  In  the  privy-purse 
expenses  of  Henry  VIII.,  in  1530,  it  is  stated 
that  the  gardener  at  York  Place  received  a  re- 
ward for  bringing  "  lettuze  ''  and  cherries  to 
Ilaniptcm  Court.  We  have  a  wild  lettuce — the 
lactuca  canadensis,  but  tliis  does  not  form  in 
heads  or  dense  leaves.  Wliat  a  series  of  years 
under  cultivation  would  efl'ect  is  not  known,  nor 
likely  to  be  tried,  so  long  as  better  sorts  are  to 
be  had. 

The  endive,  "Cichorium  endivia ;"  the 
blanched  leaves  are  used.  Succory,  chicory  or 
wild  endive,  cicorium  entybus,  is  cultivated  in 
England  and  Britain.  The  root  is  used  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  coffee,  or  mixed  with  the  exotic  ber- 
ry. The  Cichorium  intybus,  so  common  along 
roadsides,  and  a  pernicious  weed,  has  a  deep 
root,  and  is  used  as  a  substitute  for  coflFee  by 
many  persons  in  this  country. 

The  rhubarb  family—"  Rheum  "—belongs  to 
the  order  polygonese.  But  alas!  what  shall  I 
say  of  the  order  leguminosse,  including  the  pea, 
bean,  kidney  bean,  Vetch,  lentel,  &c.,  with  nu- 
merous varieties  obtained  through  long  culture. 
The  solanacejB,  or  night  shade  family;  embra- 
ces the  potato,  Solanum  tuberosum.  The  toma- 
to, Lycopersicum  esculentum.  The  cayenne  or 
red  pepper,  "Capsicum  annum,''  and  the  C.  ce- 
rasiforme  has  an  ornamental  cherry-like  fruit, 
either  bright  red  or  yellow,  of  peppery  taste. 
This  differs  from  the  Jerusalem  cherry,  "  Sola- 
num pseudo-capsicum,"  a  shrubby  house  plant 
from  Madeira,  cultivated  for  the  ornamental 
bright  red  berries,  resembling  cherries. 

The  strawberry-tomato,  "Physalis  alkekengi," 
or  ground  cherry  closed,  within  the  bladder-like 
inflated  calyx  in  fruiting,  with  a  red  beri-y,  edi- 
ble ;  is  an  introduced  species,  but  differs  little 
from  our  native  species,  P.  Pennsylvanica  and 
P.  viscosa,  which  are  also  edible.  This  family 
embraces  the  tobacco,  many  medicinal  plants 
and  ornamental  flowers. 

Before  leaving  this  family  I  would  notice  the 
potato  more  fully.  Loudon  wrote,  many  years 
ago,  that  "the  varieties  of  the  potato  are  innu- 
merable," they  differ  in  their  leaves  and  bulk  of 
haulm  :  in  the  color  of  the  skin  of  the  tubers  ; 
in  the  color  of  the  interior,  in  time  of  ripening  ; 
in  being  farinaceous,  glutinous  or  watery  ;  in 
cooking  readily  or  tediously,  etc.,  etc. ;  and  final- 


n 


THE    GARDEJSTER'S   MOMTHLT.         January, 


ly,  in  the  soil  which  they  prefer.  The  m.inner 
of  raising  now  varieties  and  their  culture  are 
treated  at  ijreat  length  Anionu  other  things 
he  says  :  "  It  is  ascertained  beyond  a  doubt  that 
sefs  taken  from  the  top  or  watery  end  of  the  po- 
tato, planted  at  the  same  time  with  sets  taken 
at  the  mot  or  mealy  end,  will  ripen  their  tubers  a 
fortniirht  sooner.  It  is  ascertained,  also,  and 
accounted  for  on  the  same  general  principle, 
that  the  i)lants  raised  from  unripe  tubers  are  both 
vigorous  and  more  early  than  such  as  are  raised 
from  tubers  perfectly  ripe  Sets  should  always 
be  cut  some  days  before  plantincr,  that  the 
wounds  may  dry  up  ;  but  no  harm  will  result 
from  pcrformincr  this  operation  several  weeks  or 
months  beforehand,  provided  the  sets  are  not 
exposed  too  much  to  the  drought  so  as  to  de- 
prive them  of  their  natural  moisture." 

After  enlarging  on  the  various  modes  of  cul' 
ture,  he  says  :  "  Pinching  off  the  whole  of  the 
potato  blossoms  is  a  part  of  after-culture  not  un- 
worthy the  attention  of  the  farmer.  This  mav, 
at  first  sight,  appear  indifferent.  But  when  we 
consider  that  the  seed  is  the  essential  part  of 
every  plant,  to  perfect  which  the  ultimate  efforts 
of  nature  are  always  directed,  it  will  be  allowed 
that  an  important  part  of  the  nourishment  of 
every  vegetable  must  be  devoted  to  this  purpose, 
since  the  weight  of  the  potato  apples  grown  by  a 
single  plant  is  considerable.  Apples  may  be 
produced  instead  of  tubers  in  early  potatoes; 
hence  more  tubers  will  be  produced  in  late  ones 
by  preventing  the  growth  of  the  apple." 

He  mentions  the  mode  of  afterculture  in  De- 
vonshire, England,  which  is  somewhat  singular, 
and  deserves  to  be  noticed;  it  may  be  new  to  you, 
as  it  was  to  me.  He  says  :  "  The  sets  are  there 
generally  cut  with  three  eyes,  and  deposited  at 
the  depth  of  three  inches  with  the  spade  or  dib- 
ber ;  when  the  first  shoot  is  three  inches  high, 
prepare  a  harrow  with  thorns  interwoven  be- 
tween the  tines,  and  harrow  the  ground  over  till 
all  the  weeds  are  destroyed,  and  not  a  shoot  of 
the  potatoes  left.  It  may  seem  strange  that 
such  an  apparent  destruction  of  a  crop  should 
cause  an  increa'^e  ;  but  it  may  be  affirmed  as  an 
incontestable  fact,  that  by  this  means  the  pro- 
duce becomes  more  abundant;  the  reason  ap- 
pears to  be  this :  although  these  eyes  are  left  to 
a  piece  of  potato,  cne  always  vegetates  before  the 
others,  and  the  first  shoot  is  always  single,  that 
being  broken  off,  there  is  for  the  prejcnt  a  cessa- 
tion of  vegetation.  The  other  eyes  then  begin 
to  vegetate,  and  there  appear  fresh  shoots  from 


the  broken  eye,  so  that  the  vegetation  is  trebled, 
the  earth  made  loose,  and  the  lateral  shoots 
more  freely  expanded.  If  these  hints  are  ob- 
served, the  produce  of  potatoes,  it  is  said,  will 
exceed  a  fifth  of  the  crop  obtained  by  the  usual 
mode  of  cultivation." 

Much  more  useful  information  for  sprouting  in 
order  to  raise  earh'  crops  :  it  is  common  among 
the  corn  raised,  after  a  crop  of  potatoes,  to  find 
plants  that  sprung  from  tubers  preserved  there 
all  winter  in  consequence  of  having  been  buried 
by  the  plow  dee]>er  than  the  frost  could  reach, 
is  evidence  that  they  may  be  planted  ver}'  early 
in  spring. 

Before  closing  the  subject  of  the  potato,  I  would 
state  an  opinion  that  presented  itself  to  my 
mind  in  the  study  of  the  potato  disease  so  prev- 
alent— which  is,  that  by  excess  of  culture,  or 
using  tubers  for  sets  that  were  large  and  thor- 
oughly ripe,  there  was  not  enough  vegetating 
principle  left  to  yield  a  healthy  plant,  and  pre- 
mature rotting  was  the  consequence.  Apart 
from  insect  devastaticm,  those  intended  for  seed 
should  be  taken  up  before  fully  matured,  as  in 
that  case  a  latent  energy  will  be  left  in  the  tuber; 
this  I  am  aware  may  seem  exceptionable,  as  all 
other  seeds  seem  to  require  to  be  thoroughly 
ripe  ;  but  a  potato  is  not,  strictly  speakinir,  a 
seed  ;  it  is  rather  a  8eed-root,  and  this  makes  a 
difference. 

The  Sweet  Potato  belongs  to  the  natural  order 
of  convolvulaceK,  which  includes  the  morning- 
glory:  the  Batata  edulis,  a  native  of  India.  It 
is  remarkable  that  this  belongs  to  the  same  ge- 
nus as  the  "Batata  Jalapa,"  which  is  a  Mexi- 
can purgative  species— the  Jalap  of  the  drug 
store.  The  sweet  potato  is  also  known  as  the 
"  Ipomoea  batatas,"  and  the  root  yielding  the 
Jalap  as  "Exogonium  pnrga,''  butisgenerically 
the  same  in  the  estimation  of  some  authors.  Dr. 
Gray  includes  it  among  the  Ipomoea  Morning- 
glory  fjimily,  among  which  are  many  ornaniental 
flowers.  The  Cypress  vine  is  the  Quamoelit 
vulgaris,  formed}'  included  among  the  Ipomrea 
— the  cucurbita,  cucumber,  pumpkin,  squash, 
&c  ,  verbal. 

The  order  Lilacerc,  containing  so  many  differ- 
ent genera  and  species  of  pretty  flowers,  also 
embraces  the  Onion,  Leek,  Garlic,  Shallott, 
Chives,  &c. 

The  onion,  "  Allium  cepa,"and  its  numerous 
varieties  The  garden  garlic,  "A.  sativum." 
The  garden  leak,  "  A.  porrum. ''  ThcShallott, 
"A.  ajscalonicum.'"  The  chives,  "A.  schoenopra- 


i8'n. 


THE    GAT^BEXEB! i^    MOJ^TELl, 


IS 


sum.''  The  asparagus  is  a  sub  family.  The  A. 
officinalis,  cultivated  for  its  esculent  spring 
shoots.  The  liliacea;  is  a  very  extensive  order, 
grouped  in  families  :  Trillium,  Melanthium,  bell- 
wort,  asparagus,  lily  proper,  as  types;  each  fam- 
ily has  numerous  genera,  and  these  each  again 
numerous  species.  As  I  have  said  so  much 
about  culinary  vegetables,  I  may  be  allowed  to 
be  a  little  liowery,  and  simply  refer  to  the  culti- 
vated genera  of  the  lily  family  proper  :  first,  the 
orange  red  and  southern  red,  wild  species  of 
sandy  soil  ;  the  wild  species  in  moist  meadows 
and  bogs  :  the  Canada,  American,  Turk's  cap, 
and  Carolina.  Among  the  introduced  is  the 
bulblit,  bearing  in  the  axils  of  the  scattered 
leaves,  and  the  tiger,  bulblit  bearing,  with  its 
cottony  stem  ;  the  turban,  flowers  small,  some- 
what bearded  inside,  from  Europe ;  the  Turk's 
cap  or  martagon  ;  the  Japan  ;  the  golden  band- 
ed ;  the  common  white  ;  the  Japan  white,  and 
the  long-flowered  white,  also  from  Japan— all 
beautiful  flowers  ;  and  the  lilies,  the  crown  im- 
perial— Petilium  imperialc,is  the  fritillaria,  from 
the  Latin  fritillus,  a  dice  box,  from  the  shape  of 
the  flower'  F.  iraperialis."  Theguinea-henflower, 
mostly  solitar}-,  purplish,  tassellated  with  blue 
and  purple,  or  whitish,  is  the  F.  meleagris.  The 
common  and  the  svveet  tulips,  of  all  colors,  sin- 
gle and  double.  The  dog-tooth  violets,  growing 
wild ;  Erythroneum,  including  the  "adder's 
tongue,"  yellow  and  a  white  species.  The  Star 
of  Bethlehem,  called  ornithogalum — the  name  in 
Greek  means  "  bird's  milk,"  a  current  expres- 
sion for  some  marvelous  thing.  On  the  first  of 
April  I  have  heard  of  boys  being  sent  for  "  pig- 
eon's milk."  Why  the  plant  was  so  named,  I 
do  not  pretend  to  know. 

The  hyacinth,  dedicated  to  the  fiivorite  of 
Apollo  hyacinthus.  The  "  Agapanthus,"  which 
in  the  Greek  means  "amiable  flower"  The 
Funkia,  named  after  a  German  botanist,  Funk, 
is  a  white  day  lily.  The  F.  ovata  has  blue  or 
violet  flowers.  The  "  day  lily  "  also  refers  to 
two  sj^ecies  of  "  Hemerocallis,''  which  in  the 
Greek  means  "beauty  of  a  day,"  as  the  flowers 
speedily  wither.  The  II.  fulva,  a  familiar  spe- 
cies, with  tawnj'.  orange  flowers;  II.  flava,  fls. 
light  yellow.  The  curious  flower  tritoma,  as  the 
Greek  signifies,  thrice  cut.  The  T.  uvaria,  from 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  a  specimen  was  given  me  by 
H.L.  Zahm,  the  name  of  which  I  could  not  find 
nor  make  out  till  after  a  long  search.  Then 
comes  the  yucca,  "Adam's  Needle,'*  or  com- 
mon bear  grass,  tall  and  beautiful  plants.     The 


Yucca  aloifolia,  or  Spanish  bayonet  or  daggers, 
I  saw  in  flower  for  the  first  time  last  summer  in 
the  garden  of  C.  B.  Grubb,  Esq.,  of  this  city. 
He  had  it  about  nine  years  growing,  but  it 
never  bore  flowers  till  last  summer— truly  a 
beautiful  plant,  with  its  pyramid  of  white  flow- 
ers ;  terminating  a  bushy  stem,  with  the  leaves 
all  elevated  about  ten  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
pointing  nearly  vertically  above,  gradually  de- 
clining to  horizontal ;  then  more  depressed  till 
almost  vertical  again,  in  regular  order,  forming 
a  singular  top  of  rigid  leaves  tipped  with  a  spine 
strong  enough  to  kill  with,  while  above  these 
spreading  leaves  is  a  large,  dense  pyramid  of 
flowers,  a  very  interesting  ornamental  tree  ;  but 
like  the  century  plant,  it  takes  too  long  to  flow- 
er, and  it  is  said  that  after  it  has  flowered  it 
loses  its  pretty  form,  and  flowers  "no  more." 
An  excellent  closing  sentence. 


NOTE  OX  POTATOES. 

BY  J.  M. 

Great  diflerence  may  be  observed  in  the  rais- 
ing of  Potatoes.  In  planting  ray  sets,  last  spring, 
of  Early  Goodrich,  I  was  compelled,  from  scar- 
city, to  use  some  very  small  ones,  and  some 
made  from  what  is  called  a  second  growth.  The 
yield  was  very  poor,  and  the  quality  inferior. 
Very  many  of  them  were  knotty,  and  showed 
a  disposition  to  make  many  additional  growths, 
lessening  the  value  of  the  crop  very  much.  My 
slight  experience  will  lead  me  to  the  selection  of 
sets  macle  from  Potatoes  of  fair  size,  and  cut  in- 
to one  or  two  eyes.  It  is  no  matter  if  they  are 
cut  small  so  that  the  cut  is  from  a  good  sized 
Potato, 

The  soil  should  be  ploughed  or  dug  very  deep 
for  their  culture.  Some  sets  planted  in  a  lot  of 
ground  much  poorer  than  a  lot  opposite,  pro- 
duced a  better  crop,  though  planted  later.  The 
cause,  I  think,  being  in  the  former  having  been 
ploughed  deeper. 


THE  LOMBARDY  POPLAR  TREE. 

BY  CHRONICLER. 

Popiihia  dllatafa'xs^  native  of  Italy,  and  by  be- 
ing distributed  first  from  nurseries  in  Lonibardy, 
it  got  its  common  name,  "Lombardy  Poplar." 
It  has  been  grown  as  an  ornamental  tree  through- 
out Europe,  for  the  past  six  score  of  years,  and 
is  still  a  deserving  favorite  there.  It  is  one  of 
the  fastest  and  tallest  growing  trees  we  have  in 
cultivation,  and  flourishes  in  a  great  variety  of 


u 


THE   GARDEJ^ER'S  MOJVTELY.        January, 


soils  an:l  situations.  It  thrives  well  upon  the 
Isle  of  Alalta  and  the  Island  of  Orkney  ;  and  af- 
ter beinj^  properly  set  out,  it  requires  no  further 
care.  In  habit,  it  is  erect,  lean,  stiff  and  very 
lofty,  with  a  comely  transparent  foliage.  Dur- 
ing the  first  twenty-five  years  of  its  growth,  it 
forms  a  very  ornamental  tree,  and  retains  its 
beauty  for  ten  to  twenty  years  longer,  according 
to  circumstances  ;  after  that,  it  rapidly  declines, 
and  becomes  an  eye  sore  among  other  trees.  Im- 
provers may  set  out  a  ^avf  young  trees  every  ten 
years  to  keep  up  the  species  and  maintain  the 
fullness  and  beauty  of  their  arboretums,  and 
eradicate  the  old  trees  when  they  fail.  The 
young  trees  should  not  be  set  near  to  buildings, 
nor  near  roads,  as  their  surface  roots  are  half 
above  the  ground,  and  make  the  surface  around 
them  ver}'  rough  and  uneven. 

During  the  past  ten  years,  the  Lombardy  Pop- 
lar has  been  extensively  set  out  as  street  shade 
trees  in  cities  and  towns,  and  seems  admirably 
suited  for  the  purpose;  being  of  rapid  growth, 
and  by  the  annual  pruning  it  gets  there,  it  forms 
a  round  headed  and  bushy  tree,  and  free,  so  far, 
from  insect  ravages. 

In  the  early  quarter  of  the  present  century, 
our  wealthy  citizens  were  smitten  with  a  sort  of 
mania,  by  the  healtliy,  rapid  growth  and  simple 
growth  of  the  Lombardy  Poplar  tree,  and  set  it 
out  plentifully  as  embellishments  to  pleasure 
grounds,  and  long  lines  of  it  were  set  on  river 
fronts  and  alongside  principal  roads  leading  out 
of  cities  and  towns.  They  all  grew  handsomely 
in  their  early  years,  but  were  not  time  *iiroof. 
So  now,  wherever  we  go,  we  see  the  ghosts  of 
those  early  planted  trees  standing  like  shadows 
of  death  to  bring  discredit  upon  our  arboricul- 
ture. We  earnestly  beseech  all  patriotic  citi- 
zens, who  love  the  beauties  of  modern  rural  im- 
provements, to  have  those  old,  unsightly  trees 
uprooted,  and  plant  young  trees  of  the  same  spe- 
cies upon  other  spots  of  their  pleasure  grounds. 
To  let  those  leafless  and  half  leafless  emblems  of 
death  stand  longer,  will  bring  us  national  dis- 
grace, and  a  slur  upon  our  boasted  civilization. 

[We  have  recently  seen  it  stated  in  an  Knglish 
periodical,  that  the  J-,ombardy  Poplar  is  subject 
to  a  disease  in  the  United  States,  which  is  car- 
rying them  oil'.  This  is  surely  a  misinforma- 
tion. As  our  correspondent  well  says,  they  soon 
arrive  at  maturity,  and  then  decaying  branches 
die  away,  and  give  an  unsightly  look.  But  for 
a  quarter  of  a  century  at  least,  young  trees  keep 
up  as   healthy  an   ap['earauce  as   any  tree   can  i 


have.  In  the  AVest,  they  are  being  largely 
planted  as  street  trees  and  wind  breaks  on  farms. 
Some  towns  in  Illinois  have  little  else  but  the 
Lombardy  Poplar  in  them. — Ed.] 


BEAUTIES    OF    AMERICAN    FOREST 

CLUMPS  OF  DECIDUOUS  TREES 

IN  SPRING. 

BY  WALTER  ELDER,  LANDSCAPE  GARDENER, 

rniLADELPniA. 

They  are  in  winter  like  "desolated  wastes."' 
"Yet  soon  reviving  plants  and  flowens 

Anew  shall  deck  the  plain. 
The  woods  shall  hear  the  voice  of  spring 

And,flourish  greon  again." 

Early  in  April  before  any  of  the  trees  expand 
their  foliage,  the  Judas  Tree  garnishes  the  skirts 
of  the  clumps  with  its  deep,  rosy  blossoms,  like 
a  glowing  fire  to  warm  up  a  wintery  desert ;  and 
before  its  blooms  fade,  the  Doijivood  puts  forth, 
and  illuminates  with  its  large  blossoms  of  spotless 
white.  The  famous  limber  Cheriy  tree,  of  gi- 
gantic stature,  accompanies  the  Dogwood,  also 
with  blossoms  of  white.  The  Sheepherry  follows 
in  rotation,  with  hawthorn  like  blossoms  of 
white  in  profusion.  Next  comes  the  White  Lo- 
cust with  blooms,  both  gorgeous  and  grand,  and 
delightfully  perfumed.  The  Tulip  tree  so  lofty 
and  wide,  expands  its  large  tulip  like  blooms  of 
yellow  ;  a  masterpiece  picture  magnificently 
grand.  The  Wild  Cherry  next  puts  forth  neat 
spikelets,  with  florets  of  white.  Then  the  Ca- 
taJpa  tree  is  clothed  in  gorgeous  profusion,  with 
blossoms  of  rich  waxy  white.  The  EUler  and 
Sumach  accompany  each  other,  with  blooms  in 
large  clusters,  of  yellowish  green  and  sweet 
scented  white.  T-he  Magnolia  glauca,  so  famous 
for  beauty  and  fragrance,  displays  its  glory  in 
June.  Then  comes  the  noble  At)ierican  Linden 
with  florets  of  yellow  so  sweetly  perfumed.  t)ur 
native  Chestnut,  magnificent,  comely  and  grand, 
brings  up  the  "vanguard,''  with  spikelets  of 
blooms  of  yellow  and  green,  in  great  abundance. 

Among  imder  shrubs,  the  Azaleas  of  various 
species  and  colors,  blooni  in  April  and  May. 
The  Kalmias  are  also  of  various  species  and 
shades,  from  pink  to  deep  rosy  red,  and  come 
on  in  time  to  succeed  the  Azaleas  ;  the  beauties 
of  both  are  almost  indescribable.  The  humble 
Bramble  (Blackberry)  is  also  very  showy  with 
its  white  blossoms. 

The  surface  of  the  ground  is  also  clothed  with 
dwarf,  showy,  herbaceous'flowers,  which  are  the 
Violets,    both    white    and   blue.     Anemones    of 


1871. 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S   MOJ^'THLY. 


15 


white,  and  Ilejmtkas  of  blue.    FiitiUaria(<^  white 
and  pale  yellow  ;  and  along   with  them  are  Tril-  \ 
Hums  of  various  species  and  colors.     The  Epiycea 
repens  creeps   upon   the   ground  with  its   white  ! 
waxy  blooms  of  Hyacinth  perfumes.     Theie  are  ! 
many  other  species  of  beauty,  but  too  numerous  ^ 
to  mention.     Oh  1  that  we  could  induce  our  peo- 
ple to   teach   the   rudiments  of  botany   to   our 
youth  in  our  common  schools,  then  they  would 
admire  the  beauties  of  vegetation  in  all  their 
travels,  and   exult  in   their  praises   of  the  great 
Architect,  who   first  commanded   the  ground   to 
bring  forth    "the  grass,    the  herb  and  the   fruit 
tree." 


NOTES   FROM    CONTINENTAL 
JOURNALS. 

BY   THE  EDITOR. 

Diseases  of  Plaxts.— TVe  think  we  in 
America  suffer  some  from  Plant  diseases,  but 
Linden's  Illustration  Horticole,  published  in  Bel- 
gium, says:  "The  number  of  maladies  which 
ravage  cultivated  plants  is  truly  disheartening." 
"There  is  the  grape  oidium,  the  potato  disease, 
the  Verbena  rust,  the  China  Aster  trouble,  mil- 
dew of  all  kinds,  the  Phylloxera,  and  many 
others  forming  a  vast  army  which  is  daily  rein- 
forced by  new  recruits."  Perhaps  our  lot  in 
America  after  all  is  not  so  bad  as  we  often  think 
it  is.  AVe  did  not  know  before  that  the  Ver- 
bena rust  prevailed  in  Belgium, — we  suppose  it 
is  an  introduction  from  thence  to  our  shores. 
They  now  complain  that  there  is  serious  trouble 
with  their  Aucubas,  from  a  disease  which  baf- 
fles all  treatment. 

Plum  Insects. — In  France  the  plums  and 
cherries  are  being  damaged  to  an  alarming  ex- 
tent, by  a  small  insect  [Hyponomenue  pudtlla). 
Oil  floated  on  water,  and  applied  with  a  syringe, 
is  the  most  popular  remedy. 

Irises.— The  Continental  Journals  report  that 
the  collection  of  Iris  grown  by  M.  Max  Lichtlin, 
whose  articles  in  past  numbers  of  the  Gaidener''s 
MontJdij^  on  Lilies,  have  interested  so  many  of 
our  readers,  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world. 
M.  Duchartre  is  getting  out  a  descriptive  cata- 
logue of  them. 

M.  LINGER,  an  Austrian,  and  one  of  the  rising 
botanist  of  Europe,  was  recently  assassinated  at 
Vienna.  He  had  barely  reached  middle  age. 
It  is  surmized  that  a  prejudice,  that  his  science 
was  opposed  to  established  trutlis,  was  the  causo 


of  the  violence  offered  him.  lie  was  as  out- 
spoken in  what  he  believed  truth,  as  Huxley,  in 
England. 

The  Botanic  Garden  at  Brussels,  in  Bel- 
gium, has  been  purchased  by  the  government  for 
the  benefit  of  the  people,  as  the  Kew  Garden  is 
in  England.  L^ Illustration  Ilfrrticole  says,  that 
the  names  of  the  commission  entrusted  with  the 
matter  is  a  guarantee  that  science  as  well  as  the 
community  will  profit  by  the  change. 

Egyptian  Agriculture.— A  new  work  en- 
titled the  Egyptian  Agriculturist,  was  started  at 
Cairo,  in  Egypt,  on  the  1st  of  June.  This  looks 
like  returning  toward  its  ancient  glory,  when 
there  was  "  corn  in  Egypt,"  though  other  lands 
failed. 

A  NEW  German  Horticultural  Journal  has 
been  started  in  Hanover,  at  Ringelhiem.  It 
has  a  French  title,  Beveu  Horticole,  the  same  as 
one  already  in  existence  in  I'aris.  It  has  the 
peculiarity  of  being  published  in  three  lan- 
guages—English, French  and  German. 

Changing  the  Colors  of  Flowers.— The 
Mirror  of  Science  says,  that  a  case  is  known  of  a 
yellow  primrose,  which,  when  planted  in  a  rich 
soil,  had  the  flowers  changed  to  a  brilliant  pur- 
ple. It  also  says,  that  charcoal  adds  great  bril- 
liancy to  the  colors  of  Dahlias,  Roses  and 
Petunias  ;  carbonate  of  soda  reddens  pink  hya- 
cinths, and  phosphate  of  soda  changes  the  colors 
of  many  plants. 

PoLYMNiA  EDULis.— Last  year  we  noticed 
the  introduction  of  this  new  vegetable  to  the 
United  States,  and  that  seeds  were  for  sale  by 
Thorburn  and  other  leading  seed  men.  If  any 
of  our  readers  succeeded  in  raising  any,  wo 
should  be  glad  of  their  experience  for  the  readers 
of  the  Monthly.  It  continues  to  attract  much  at- 
tention in  Europe,  where  it  was  introduced  from 
Bolivia. 

Dactylanthus  Taylorl— This  is  a  won- 
derfully curious  plant,  from  New  Zealand  ;  and 
is  there  a  parasite  on  the  branches  of  Pittos- 
porum  tataka.  It  forms  in  appearance  a  lar<^e 
warty  excrescence,  without  any  leaves,  but  has 
very  sweet  white  flowers,  which  are  sometimes 
tinted  with  rose.  The  odor  is  rei)re;ented  as 
being  like  a  well  ripened  melon.  No  very  clear 
descriptions  have  been  seen  by  us,  but  we  sup- 
pose  it  may  be  a  Loranthaceous  plant,  which 
abound  in  that  quarter  of  the  world,  and  to 
I  which  order  our  mistletoe  belongs. 


16 


TEE    GARDEJSTER'S   MOMTELJ,        January, 


EDTTOH lAL. 


TRAVELLING  RECOLLECTIONS. 
As  long  as  we  can  recollect,  Syracuse,  N.  Y., 
has  always  been  a  point  we  wished  to  reach. 
Its  extensive  nurseries,  its  wonderfully  healthy 
trees,  and  the  great  reputation  of  Brown  Smith 
for  intelligence  and  business  integrity,  made  a 
call  on  the  firm  now  known  as  Smith,  Clark  & 
Powell,  a  necessary  part  of  our  ride  through 
New  York  State.  We  found  the  firm  still  young, 
notwithstanding  the  length  of  time  the  busi- 
ness has  been  going  on.  Mr,  Powell  is  son-in- 
law  to  Mr.  Smith,  and  will  be  a  Avorthy  successor 
when  the  hand  of  time  shall  tell  more  heavily 
on  the  senior  than  it  has  yet  done, 

Syracuse  is  a  remarkably  pretty  town,  deriv- 
ing its  chief  commercial  importance  from  its 
salt  springs.  Salt  manufacture  is  carried  on  to 
an  enormous  extent,  and  adds  largely  to  the 
wealth  of  the  place.  A  very  curious  study  for 
the  naturalist  is  the  salt  plants  of  this  region ; 
that  is  plants  which  are  usually  only  found  by 
the  sea  shore,  and  are  usually  denominated  in 
works  on  botany  as  marine.  When  the  first 
settlers  came  to  Syracu.se,  there  was  but  one  small 
.salt  spring  known,  and  that  not  flowing  freely. 
The  Indians,  it  is  said,  used  this  spring.  It  is 
most  pi'obable  that  the  water  from  this  little 
spring  did  not  cover  many  yards,  and  the  ma- 
rine plants  one  would  expect  to  be  very  few  if 
any.  Now,  since  wells  have  been  sunk,  and  the 
water  pumped  to  the  surface,  of  course  salt 
streams  flow  every  whex*e.  These  salt  water 
plants  now  abound.  We  had  not  time  to  note 
how  many  spt-cies  could  be  found  there  ;  but  it 
seemed  as  if  one  might  find  as  many  as  there  is 
in  any  average  locality  by  the  sea  side.  But  it 
is  not  set  down  in  the  works  that  species  can 
originate  in  different  places,  and  yet  be  of  the 
same  kinds.  That  is  spontaneous  generation,  and 
it  will  not  do, — or  it  is  not  in  accordance  with  an- 
other modern  view,  that  species  are  the  result  of 
circumstances,  the  one  species  outgrowing  from 
something  else.  The  circumstances  are  never 
exactly  the  same  in  two  distant  localities,  there- 
fore, all  individuals  if  one  species  must  be  emi- 
grants from  one  central  point.  It  is  hard  to 
believe  all  these  maritime  plants  of  Syracuse 
emigrants, — harder  yet  to  suppo.sc  they  are 
spontaneously  generated,  — and  yet  if  not  here 
at  the  foundation  of  the  town,  how  did  they 
come  y 


But  to  more  horticultural  recollections.  It  is 
pleasant  to  note  that  Syracuse  is  fast  becoming 
a  horticultural  (own.  Unlike  many  places  we 
saw  in  New  Y  ork  State,  there  was  a  very  large 
amount  of  gardening  amongst  the  wealthier 
classes,  and  many  of  them  exhibit  admirable 
taste.  The  town  gardens  of  the  following  gen- 
tlemen were  amongst  some  that  arc  particularly 
worthy  of  mention  :  Hon.  E.  W.  Leavenworth, 
Hon.  Allen  Munroe,  Messrs.  John  Greenway, 
Frank   Hiscock,  J.  W.  Barker,   N.  S.  Geddes, 

Harvey  Stuart  Geddes, Thompson,  George 

M  Kennedy,  Hon.  George  Comstock,  Hon.  C.  B. 

Sedgwick, Fowler,  D.  P.  Wood.     This  last 

had  a  particularly  pretty  place.  It  seems  to  be 
about  six  acres,  and  was  laid  out,  if  we  recollect 
Mr.  Wood  right,  by  Mr  Hastings,  of  Connecti- 
cut. The  surface  is  made  beautifully  undulat- 
ing, and  the  directions  of  the  walks  combining 
utility  with  elegance,  in  a  very  unusual  degree. 
Excellent  use  is  made  of  arbors,  weeping  trees, 
masses  of  shrubbery  and  single  specimens.  Even 
the  common  hop  was  turned  into  an  object  of 
beauty  by  being  mxde  to  run  over  an  octogonal 
wire  frame,  and  then  led  on  to  wires  connecting 
over  head,  forming  at  once  an  arbor,  and  grow- 
ing the  hop  at  the  same  time. 

On  the  ground,  a  little  distance  from  the 
house,  and  on  a  slightly  elevated  spot,  showing 
vvell  as  an  object  of  great  beauty,  is  a  block  of 
plant  and  fruit  houses.  I'caches  and  grapes 
were  chiefly  grown  in  the  main  wings, — the 
smaller  one  was  tastefully  arranged,  for  the 
plant  department.  Usually  a  place  planted  for 
effect  affords  little  scope  to  the  lover  of  rare  frees 
and  plants.  Here  the  two  tastes  were  happily 
blended.  The  number  of  rare  trees  and  shrubs 
was  remarkably  large— a  specimen  of  Virgilia 
lutea,  a  more  properly  Cladastrus  tinctorea  was 
particularly  fine.  Mr.  Wood  is  quite  an  enthusi- 
ast in  rare  trees,  and  takes  as  much  priilc  in 
them  as  in  the  general  beauties  of  the  place.  It 
is  rarely  tiiat  we  enjoy  so  much  pleasure  as  our 
visit  here  afforded  us. 

Quite  near  to  Mr.  Wood's  is  the  residence  of 
Dr.  Boynton,  who,  to  a  very  high  fame  as  a  geolo- 
gist and  man  of  science,  unites  a  great  love  of 
fruit  culture.  In  pear  culture,  the  name  of  Dr. 
Boynton  is  particularly  well  known.  Some  of 
the  finest  pears  ever  exhibited  at  the  Pomolf)gi- 
cal   Society's  meetings,  were  undoubtedly  those 


1S7L 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S 


MOJVTEL  Y. 
— ^ 


17 


from    Dr.   Bovnton,  which   were    exhibited    in 
Philadelphia  at  one  of  its  past  meetings.     We 
did  not  expect  mu(;h  here,  because  it  was  gener- 
ally conceded  that  his  fruit  trees  were  "gone  to 
the  dogs,"  as  remarked  by  a  speaker  at  one  of 
our  horticultural   meetings.     It  was,  therefore, 
with  extra  pleasure   that  we  noted  that  they 
were  on  a  very  prosperous  return  from  the  said 
canine  excursion.     There  were  indeed  traces  of 
a  severe  struggle— many  of  the  trees  had  passed 
away  altogether,  and   a  few  were  still  stunted 
and  sick,  but  the  majority  had  recovered,  and 
those  which  were  fully  in  bearing  had  the  most 
lovely  fruit,   and    the  most  healthy,  vigorous 
leaves  and  branches  it  was  ever  our  good  fortune 
to  see.     The  story  of  this  orchard,  its  troubles, 
and  its  recovery  is  not  without  its  moral, — both 
to  that  class  which  advocate  the  "  Luciferian,'' 
as  well  as  to  those  who  adhere  to  the  "  Nebu- 
chadnezzarian  "  manner  of  culture.     Dr.  Boyn- 
ton  was  at  one  time  a  zealous  advocate  of  clean 
surface  treatment, — and  perhaps  rather  disposed 
to  persecute  those  who  did  not  adhere  to  the  laws 
of  the  pomological  prophets  of  the  past  times. 
His  phosphates  and  peculiar  manures  had  an 
undoubted  effect ;  but  in  spite  of  some  theories 
about  the  injury  of  over  manuring  fruit  trees, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  they  are  benefited  by  high 
feeding,  if  the  food  is  given  them  in  a  proper 
manner.      Then   another   advantage  was,   that 
the  trees  had  all  been  set  on  terraces  made  for 
them  on  a  hill  side — not  deep  terraces,  which 
often  hold  so  much  moisture  as  to  defeat  the 
ends  for  which  they  were  formed,  but  shallow 
lines  but  a  few  feet  at  the  deepest  point.     Until 
the  roots  extended,  so  as  to  get  pretty  well  in 
the  way  of  the  cultivator,  all  went  right.     The 
growth  of  the  trees  was  all  one  could  wish,  as 
they  generally  are  under  such  circumstances. 
Gradually,  however,   they  began  to  sutler,  and 
every  year  more  and  more,  until  one  year,  about 
seven  years  ago,  if  we  recollect  right,  after  the 
usual  heavy  summer  cultivating,  the  trees  had 
evidently  received  a  severe  shock.    The  leaves 
were  red  long  before  the  proper  time  for  them 
to  fall  in  autumn,  and  the  next  winter  and  sum- 
mer  many   had   an   immense  number  of   dead 
branches  amongst  them.     The  doctor  was  dis- 
heartened, and  about  this  time  Mrs.   Boynton 
dying,  and  other  matters  iesseuing  his  zeal,  the 
whole  orchard  was  abandoned  to  utter  neglect. 
Canada  thistles,  wild  carrots  and  other  coarse 
weeds  grew  up  about  them  in  every  direction, 
and  came  up,  grew  and  died  away  just  as  they 


came,  without  any  interference  from  the  owner. 
But  a  few  years  ago  he  noticed  that  under  this  neg 
lect  they  were  gradually  mending.     His  interest 
was  renewed.  He  cut  the  dead  and  half  sick  bran- 
ches away.  In  many  cases  they  Avere  cut  down  to 
just  above  where  they  were  budded, and  the  result 
is  marvellous.     He  cares  nothing  more  for  clean 
surface.     He  top  dresses,  using  considerably  of 
salt,  in  spring ;  and  all  or  nearly  all  pruning  is 
done  by  hand   as  growth  is  going  on.     He  is 
very  anxious  to  always  have  a  good,  vigorous 
growth,  continually  renewing  itself  from  near 
the  ground,  if  possible.    Hence  if  he  sees  a  strong 
shoot  coming  out  from  the  trunk,  instead  of  pul- 
ling that  shoot  out  as  most  people  would  do,  he 
encourages  it  to  grow  more  and  more  ;  and  this 
is  how  he  docs  it :   He  pulls  or  breaks  oflT  all  the 
strong  shoots  on  the  branch  above  it,  leaving, 
however,  all  the  leaves  possible  which  are  neces- 
sary to  ripen  the  fruit  on  it,  and  after  a  year  or 
so  when  this  sprout  is  strong  enough  to  bear  its 
own  fruit  the  part  above   it  is  cut  off.     This 
shoot  itself  is  to  go  away  if  it  is  at  all  probable 
a  better  one  can  be  got  out  from  below  it  at  any 
time.     He  thinks,  and  we  are  half  inclined  to 
agree  with  him,  that  by  this  species  of  renewal 
system,  any  old  sickly  trees  can  be  rejuvenated 
and  recovered,  as  thpse  certainly  have  been.   On 
the  southwestern   side  of  the  orchard  is  what 
was  once  a  carefully  pruned  and  trained  vine- 
yard.    The  annual  expense  of  "'  culture  ''  of  this 
was  some  hundreds  of  dollars.    Under  the  pres- 
ent system  grapes  were  particularly  abundant, 
and  of  excellent  maturity  and  quality.     Certain- 
ly we  think  that  some  little  attention  more  than 
what  they  now  received,  would  have  been  better 
for  them,— but  here  was  the  self-evident  fact 
that  they  were  much  better^  even  under  a  totally 
let    alone   system,  than    they  were   under   the 
generally  received  plans,  while  there  was  the  ad- 
vantage of  no  expense.    The  ivpple  and  the  plum 
were  equally  luxuriant.     We  think  that  for  pro- 
ductiveness and  quality  Combined  we  never  saw 
a  better  tree  of  the  Primate  apple.     We  are,  by 
the  way,  astonished  that  this  good  variety  does 
not  rate  higher  as  a  very  early  variety. 

Now  we  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  that 
this  orchard  should  be  held  up  as  a  model  to 
copy  after.  We  should  not  like  to  have  an  or- 
chard in  which  we  had  to  beat  the  th(>rus  and 
thistles  away  before  we  could  get  near  the  tree 
to  gather  the  fruit.  We-  arc  too  fond  of  beauty. 
It  would  suit  us  even  to  sacrifice  a  little  of  the 
health  of  the  tree  for  the  sake  of  appearances 


18 


THE    GARBEJ^^EKS   MOJ^TELY. 


January 


But  we  do  hold  tliat  the  Dr.  Boynton's  experi- 
ence here  illustrates  the  true  principle  on  which 
nm  orchard  should  be  managed,  if  we  would  have 
the  best  results  in  health  and  productiveness, 
namely,  the  best  possible  encouragement  of  the 
fibrous  feeding  roots  at  the  surface,  with  tlie 
least  loss  of  food  to  the  tree.  This  last  point 
Pr.  B.  still  thinks  an  unsettled  problem.  lie 
does  not  think  grass  altogether  the  best  thing. 
Of  all  vegetable  matter  he  thinks  so  far  the  wild 
carrot  is  the  best.  When  it  comes  up  in  spring, 
its  leaves  spread  many  inches  flat  on  the  ground 
on  each  side,  and  smuther  out  every  particle  of 
vegetation  but  its  own.  Its  own  roots  go  deep 
do\^-n,  and  bring  up  its  food  from  some  depth, 
leaving  considerable  of  the  surface  food,  for  the 
fibrous  roots  of  the  pear.  Hence  there  is  the 
greatest  possible  surface  covered  with  darkness, 
and  a  cooling  vegetation,  whilst  there  is  the 
least  possible  quantity  of  roots  to  dispute  on  the 
food  question  with  the  pear  tree.  Then  the  im- 
mense amount  of  decaying  vegetable  matter  left 
by  the  decaying  mass  of  carrot  stalk,  which  he 
would  suffer  to  lie  as  it  fell,  helps  to  increase 
rather  than  to  decrease  the  fertility  of  the  soil. 
He  thought  that  under  some  such  a  system  as 
this,  the  soil  might  annually  be  kept  up  in  fer- 
tility, without  the  addition  of  much  top  dressing, 
and  with  a  perpetual  health  and  vigor  in  the 
trees.  Of  course  these  are  mere  ideas,  aS  we  did 
not  understand  Dr  Boynton  that  he  should  ac- 
tually sow  his  orchard  in  carrots  ;  but  we  were 
much  struck  with  the  view  of  true  philosophy 
with  which  he  discussed  these  things,  and  have 
no  doubt  our  readers  will  profit  by  them.  Al- 
together our  visit  to  Dr.  Boynton  was  one  of  the 
pleasaniest  experiences  of  our  visit  to  this  inter- 
ebting  town. 

But  we  must  not  •forget  a  call  on  Mr.  AV.  Da}', 
an  English  gardener,  who  has  been  very  success- 
ful in  establishing  himself  as  a  florist.  He  is 
famous  in  the  place  for  the  superior  native 
grapes  he  raised.  Truly  they  were  marvels  of 
beauty.  They  were  trained  on  rather  tall  hori- 
zontal trellises.  They  were,  we  believe,  in  the 
second  year  of  their  bearing.  It  is  said  that 
Mr.  Diy  has  often  been  pressed  to  communicate 
to  his  friends  and  visitors  the  secret  of  his  won- 
derful success  in  producing  such  fine  bunches, 
but  always  has  decline  d  to  satisfy  this  natural 
curiijsity.  On  the  pn;sent  occasion,  however,  feel 
ing  honored  b}'  a  representative  of  the  Gardener  s 
Montlily  being  so  much  interested  in  them,  he 
communicated  to  us  in  a  whisper  what  the  mys- 


tery was:  "  I  lets 'em alone."  He  didn't  know  of 
anything  else  he  did.  His  soil  was  one  through 
which  water  passed  rapidly  awaj*.  He  "laid  in" 
all  strong  3'oung  wood  he  could  get  room  for,  cut- 
ting away  the  small  useless  spray, — and  perhaps 
cutting  off  a  few  bunches  at  the  end  of  a  bearing 
shoot,  when  there  was  perhaps  too  many  to  ma- 
ture properly — only  this,  and  nothing  more  It 
was  not  a  great  secret, — yet  judging  by  what  we 
hear  and  see  all  round,  it  is  one  which  with  many 
seems  very  hard  to  understand.  As  we  said  of 
Dr.  Boynton's  orchard,  we  don't  know  that  we 
should  follow  it  exactly.  We  are  too  much  en- 
raptured with  a  little  art,— but  it  is  only  the 
principle  we  would  illustrate.  Mr.  Day's  vari- 
eties were  the  Delaware,  Israella  and  lona,  and 
Hartford  Prolific,  besides  another,  a  seedling  of 
that  town  raised,  if  we  remember  right,  by  a 
Mr.  Latham,  which  was  as  good,  but  seemed 
much  earlier  than  Hartford  Prolific. 

Grapes  do  very  well  about  Syracuse  as  a  gen- 
eral rule.  Across  the  way  from  Mr.  Day's  were 
some  very  fine  vines  trained  on  upright  stakes. 
Here  we  saw  the  Allen's  Hybrid,  finer  than  we 
ever  saw  it  in  the  open  air  before.  We  feel  like 
taking  back  an  opinion  that  Ave  have  given  be- 
fore in  our  magazine,  that  this  is  not  a  true  hy- 
brid. Of  course  Mr.  Allen  applied  the  pollen  of 
two  species,  and  raised  this  as  the  result,  but 
our  idea  was  that,  the  cross  impregnation  was 
not  real.  The  pollen  did  not  "  take  "  as  ene 
might  sa}',  though  supposed  to  have  done  so. 
But  here  in  these  vines,  there  were  much  less  of 
the  characteristics  of  the  foreign — more  of  the 
native  than  we  had  ever  seen  before.  We  begin 
to  feel  that  we  know  nothing  at  all  about  the 
sj^ea'es  of  grapes,  and  .shall  leave  the  classification 
of  varieties — that  is  the  referring  the  varieties  of 
our  native  grapes  to  their  original  species, — to 
those  who  know  more  about  the  matter  than  we 
do.  We  had,  as  we  thought,  tolerably  clear 
ideas  about  this  ten  years  ago  ;  but  we  have  lost 
confidence  in  our  own  wisdom  now. 

But  the  great  centre  of  Horticultural  attrac- 
tion is  the  Syracuse  nurseries  These  contain 
over  500  acres,  and  are  chiefl}'  devoted  to  fruit 
trees,  of  which  the  pear  and  apple  are  grown  in 
immense  quantities.  Some  varieties  — the  Bart- 
lett  and  Seckel  pears  for  instance  — arc  grown  by 
the  acre.  The  soil  and  climate  here  seem  es- 
pecially adajited  to  fruit  trees,  for  we  have  never 
seen  nursery  stock  healthier,  and  very  few  in 
fact  so  healthy  as  those  we  saw  here.  The  ex- 
tent of  the  busiucs?  done  by  this  firm  may  be 


18'fl, 


THE    GABDEJ^^ERb    MOJ\''THLy. 


JO 


appreciated  in  no  way  better  perhaps  than  by 
the  fact  that  they  use  one  thousand  of  those 
large  eight  or  nine  feet  packing  boxes  a  year  for 
the   transportation   of  their   trees.      No   doubt 
much  of  the  fertility  of  the  soil  is  due  to  the 
presence  of  saline  particles  in  the  soil  or  atmos- 
phere ;  but  in  addition  to  this  Mr.  Smith  tells 
us  he  employs  salt  freely  in   many  ca.ses  as  a 
manure,  and  tinds  it  of  jiarticular  benefit  to  the 
plum  and  peach.     He  had  often  recommended  it 
to  di.stant  customers,  but  finding  a  general  im- 
pression that  his  advice  was  given  because  "pos 
sibly  he  was  interested  in  some  salt  works,  '  he 
had  not  said  much  about  it  of  late  years.     His 
first  discovery  of  the  great  benefit  of  the  use  of 
salt  was  in  the  treatment  of  the  larva?  of  the 
cockchafer  or  May  bug,  that  terrible  scourge  of 
many  a  nursery.     He  found  them  in  large  num- 
bers devouring  the  roots  of  the  peach  trees — and 
drawing  a  drill  on  each  side  of  the  row,  put  in  a 
little  salt.     The  grubs  left  in  disgust      He  ex- 
pected some  injury  to  the  trees,  but  they  grew 
as  never  trees   grew  before, — and  he  has  since 
profited  b}'  the  lesson. 


A  feature  of  the  nursery  of  which  Mr.  S.  is 
justly  proud,  is  a  hedge  of  Honey  Locust,  along 
the  turnpike  road,  bounding  his  nursery.  It  is 
strange  that  such  examples  as  is  before  the 
public,  showing  how  cheap  a  live  hedge  is— how 
beautiful  they  are — how  easy  they  are  managed 
— how  really  protective  is  their  character  instead 
of  the  "get  over  me  if  you  please"  look  of  a  post 
and  rail  fence— should  have  so  little  effect.  It 
would  seem  as  if  the  whole  world  delighted  to 
spend  money  for  the  fun  of  it,  and  have  nothing 
to  show  for  the  money  spent  The  Honey  Lo- 
cust is  an  admirable  plant  for  cold  climates,  and 
is  lar  better  than  any  other  plant  where  the  soil 
is  rather  poor  or  thin.  There  is  one  advantage 
in  the  Honey  Locust  which  no  other  plant  has. 
The  Osage  Orange,  for  instance,  has  thorns  on  its 
young  growth,  and  that  is  the  end  of  them, — 
but  thorns  come  out  of  the  old  wood  and  con- 
tinue to  come  out  year  after  year, — branching 
and  growing  simply  as  thorns,  and  nothing  will 
ever  dare  to  go  through  a  hedge  of  this  plant 
even  though  there  should  be  a  tolerably  large 
gap  invitingly  open. 

Across  many  parts  of  the  nursery,  breaking 
off  the  cold  winds  from  the  rough  quarter,  are 
hedges  of  Norway  Spruce.  These  are  left  to 
grow  up  rather  larger  than  usual,  but  this  we 
think  rather  an  advantage  where  land  is  abun- 


dant. We  would  rather  let  them  grow  up  to  be 
trees,  thinning  them  out  as  they  approached  each 
other,  until  at  last  we  should  have  timber  of  val- 
uable size  for  use.  Land  is  however,  not  so 
very  cheap  now  at  Syracuse.  It  always  goes  up 
in  the  vicinity  of  an  active,  enterprising  nursery 
firm.  At  Geddes,  a  small  suburb  of  Syracuse, 
land  worth  only  S200  per  acre  four  years  ago, 
when  these  gentlemen  bought  some  for  their 
nursery  purposes,  sells  for  S400  now. 

The  trees  about  the  beautiful  residence  of  the 
senior  member  of  the  firm  shows  how  rich  is  the 
soil  of  Syracuse.  The  Horse-chestnut  is  particu- 
lai-ly  a  good  measurer  of  a  soils  fertility.  Here 
they  grow  with  an  unsurpassed  fre.';hness,  as 
also  does  the  Mountain  Ash— a  specimen  of  the 
English  variety— or  rather  Scotch,  for  it  is  not  a 
native  of  England,  is  the  largest  we  know  of— 
perhaps  one  of  the  largest  in  the  Union. 

Not  by  any  means  the  lightest  of  the  attrac- 
tions of  Syracuse  to  a  horticulturist,  is  Oakwood 
Cemetery— a  tract  of  about  100  acres  very  well 
laid   out   with   walks    and   drives   through  the 
prettily  rolling  ground,  covered  rather  thickly  in 
many  places  with   a  natural  timber  of  red  and 
white   oak  and  hickory.      These  have  of  course 
been  thinned  out  considerably  to  allow  of  burial 
purposes,— and  in  many  of  the  more  open  spaces 
evergreens  of  the  more  common  nursery  form 
planted.     The  Norway  Spruce  is  of  course  em- 
ployed, but  it  is  kept  cut  down  to  form  a  thick 
bush   in   many  cases,  which,  if  continued,  will 
keep  it  from  growing  too  large  to  be  an  annoy- 
ance.    There  is  here  one  of  the  prettiest  pieces 
of  natural  scenery  we  have  ever  seen  of  a  perfectly 
rural  character.     The  main  road  winds  around, 
in  one  place,  the  base  of  a  rather  steep  hill,  clothed 
thickly  with  the  deciduous  trees  bef  )re  said.    The 
under-brush,  however,  had  all  been  taken  out, 
and  its  place  completely  occupied  with  mosses, 
ferns  and  herbaceous  plants  like  Solidagos,  As- 
ters and    others  which  are  at  home  in  such  a 
shaded  situation.     Natural  as  the  efiect  was,  it 
was  yet  like  no  natural  woods  one  geiierally  sees. 
The  woods  were  well  kept,  and  the  grass  matly 
mown,    and   what    good    landscape    gardeners 
would  call  an  easy  blending  of  nature  and  art, 
was   never  better  secured   than   as  we   saw  it 
here.     Still,  art   has  not  been  content  to  yield 
quietly  the  palm  to  nature,  for  there  is  a  magni- 
ficent  reception  vault,  the  cost  of  which  is  said 
to  have  been  about  $10,00^. 


20 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MO^fTHLY.         January, 


SCEATS   AND     aUERIES. 


Use  for  Tree  Trimmings.— What  to  do 
with  the  clippings  of  trees  need  never  be  a  ques- 
tion. The  rough  twisted  and  gnarled  pieces 
make  excellent  rustic  work,  which  always  gives 
a  garden  much  interest.  The  worst  of  thislind 
of  mechanism  is,  that  if  exposed  to  all  weathers  / 
it  soon  rots,  and  it  does  not  seem  worth  the  la- 
bor it  takes  to  put  it  together.  So  only  that 
should  be  made  up  with  the  bark  on,  which  can 
be  placed  under  cover  in  winter.  Where  rustic 
work  is  to  be  left  out  at  all  seasons,  it  should  be 
built  of  pieces  with  the  bark  removed.  This,  to 
be  sure,  detracts  from  its  interest.  The  bark 
rough  and  shaggy,  is  one  of  the  charms  of  rustic 
work.     But  this  effect  may  in   a  measure  be  re- 


stored to  the  denuded  branches,  by  painting  with 
various  shades  to  simulate  diflering  barks  as 
much  as  possible.  All  this  is  for  ugly  and 
twisted  pieces.  But  neat  artistic  things  of 
many  designs  can  be  made  of  straight  pieces. 
To  make  a  long  settee,  for  instance,  the  kneed 
pieces  make  the  back  and  legs,  and  a  seat  is 
made  of  rough  pine  boards.  Then  various  fig- 
ures which  can  bo  made  of  straight  pieces,  such 
as  diamonds,  squares,  octagons,  or  any  fancy 
forms  whatever,  are  chalked  on  the  frame,  and 
the  straight  pieces  are  sawed  to  the  lengths  re- 
quired, split,  planed  with  a  knife,  and  nailed  on 
— the  whole  when  finished,  varnished.  Even 
tree  roots  may  be  made  into  very  nice  garden 


ornaments.  Wc  saw  a  combined  aquarium  and 
plant  vase  recently  made  entirely  of  roots  of 
Bronible  and  wood  laurel,  of  which  we  have 
made  the  sketch  wc  give  herewith.  Even  the 
little  fisherman  standing  on  the  edge  is  a  natu- 
rally formed  root,  the  which  if  any  such  had 
btcn  dii^covcrtd  in  ancient  limcSj  would  assuredly 


have  been  supposed  to  portend  some  great  dis- 
aster to  the  human  race,  as  so  many  similar 
things  in  plants  have  done.  On  the  two  sides 
of  the  aquarium  are  the  two  vases,  formed  by  a 
hexagon  of  boards,  two  of  the  sides  havingjmir- 
rors,  and  the  rest  faced  by  the  little  pieces  of 
roots  aforesaid. 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJfER'S   MOJfTHLY, 


^1 


Now,  the  straightened  brush  wood,  or  trim- 
ming, can  be  turned  to  other  useful  purposes. 
Of  course  everybody  knows  how  nice  it  is  to  have 
plenty  of  rough  stakes  to  tie  up  things  to  ;  but 
aflcr  all  this  remains  the  small  twiggy  stuff", 
which  is  usually  burned.  But  recollect  what  we 
have  before  said  in  the  Gardener''s  Monthly  about 
its  value  in  growing  llhododendrons.  You  have 
to  dig  out  the  ground,  say  two  feet  deep  ;  put  in 
a  layer  a  few  inches  of  this  small  trash,  then  a 
few  inches  of  the  soil  thrown  on  it,  more  brush, 
more  soil,  until  the  hole  is  full,  and  you  have  the 
best  Rhododendron  bed  in  the  world. 


^Ir.  S.   iliLLER,   formerly   of  Lebanon,  this 

State,   is  now  associate  editor  of  the  Western 
Gardener. 


Death  of  a  Nurseryman. — Mr.  Wills,  a 
well  known  and  respected  Nurseryman  of  Blooni- 
ington,  Illinois,  is  among  the  recently  deceased. 


The  Trophy  Tomato  seems  to  bear  out  a 
very  good  reputation,  after  a  year's  trial.  We 
hear  it  well  spoken  of  all  round. 


Vitality  of  Evergreen  Seeds. — A  Cana- 
dian correspondent  says:  '"I  had  some  ever- 
green seeds  tried  for  me  by  a  friend  in  his  green- 
house two  years  since.  The  pans  were  laid 
aside  with  the  seeds  as  it  was  tlio\ight  they 
would  not  groAV.  More  than  a  year  after,  they 
all  came  up  in  full  trim  " 

[These  were  probably  sucii  as  Holly,  or  Juni- 
por,  or  Yew.  They  will  reniain  several  years 
sometimes  in  the  soil  before  they  grow, — but 
such  evergreens  as  Pines  and  Spruce  soon  die  in 
the  ground, — generally,  if  they  do  not  sprout 
within  two  months,  they  will  never  come.  This, 
too,  is  remarkable,  as  out  of  the  ground,  in  a 
place  that  is  not  very  hot  or  dr}',  their  vitality 
remains  for  several  years  ] 


Castor  Oil  Pomace.— JF,  1L  G.,  St.  Louis, 
3/0.,  says  :  "There  is  nowoflered  in  our  market 
as  a  fertilizer  the  pomace  of  the  castor  bean,  or 
the  residuum  after  the  oil  has  been  expressed. 
It  is  claimed  for  it  that  if  spread  upon  a  lawn 
the  moles  will  leave  the  premises  ;  also  that  a 
small  portion  of  it  spread  about  the  roots  of  cab- 
bage, egg  or  totnato  plants,  in  the  spring,  will 
drive  ofl' the  cut- worm.     Will  you  please  let  me 


know  what  truth  there  is  in  this,  and  what  value 
it  possesses,  if  any,  over  ordinary  barn-yard  ma- 
nure. All  in  this  neighborhood  last  year  lost 
almost  their  entire  potato  crop  from  the  ravages 
of  a  yellow  strii^ed  bug.  I  have  thought  of 
sprinkling  this  over  the  ground  next  spring 
after  planting  my  potatoes,  if  you  think  it  ad- 
visable. A^^ould  it  do  any  good  to  spread  it  un- 
der peach  and  apple  trees  to  drive  off  the  borer 
and  curculio.  If  valuable,  any  amount  of  this 
pomace  can  be  had  here  at  a  low  price.'' 

[We  have  had  no  experience  with  this  article, 
and  can  lay  our  hand  on  nothing  that  gives  any 
information  about  it.  We  know  that,  as  a  gen- 
eral rule,  all  oily  matters  are  very  odensive  to 
insects  ;  and  if  there  is  any  left  in  the  Pomace, 
it  is  very  likely  to  have  the  effect  claimed  for  it, 
and  will  be  of  much  value  as  a  manure.] 


St.  Louis  Tower  Grove  Park  —We  see  it 
stated  that  this  is  going  on  to  very  nearly  com- 
pletion. §200,000  was  the  sum  appropriated  for 
the  purpose,  and  the  total  cost  will  be  within 
this  sum.  This  is  a  very  unusual  thing  in 
works  of  this  description,  and  is  highly  credit- 
able to  all  concerned. 


Viburnum  plicatum.— This  beautiful  plant, 
so  named  by  Thunberg,  is  now  getting  pretty 
we'd  known.  It  is  found,  however,  not  to  be  a 
good  species  ;  but  the  sterile  form  of  anr»ther 
kind,  also  named  by  Thunberg,  namely,  Vibur- 
niivi  tomentosum.     It  is  a  native  of  .Japan. 


Woods  of  Cnix a.— Southern  China  was 
once,  in  all  probabilit}^  a  densely  wooded  coun- 
try ;  but  the  populousness  of  the  country  has  de- 
manded every  strip  of  ground  for  cultivation. 
Almost  all  the  arboreal  vegetation  of  China  is 
confined  to  the  grounds  around  the  temples. 
Liquidamhar  formosanitm  exists  near  Canton, 
but  <;)nly  in  the  shai)e  of  sprouts  ;  as  soon  as  they 
push  up  to  be  half  an  inch  in  diameter  they  arc 
again  cut  down  for  fire  icood. 


Cor.FAX  Strawuehry.- "We  saw  some  beds 
of  this  last  year,  without  a  single  berry,  and  the 
owners  were  denouncing  it  in  high  terms.  It  is 
a  pistillate,  and  must  have  another  near  it  to 
fertilize.  In  this  respect  it  is  like  Ilovey's  Seed" 
ling,  and  others  of  that  class.  Where  it  has 
had  this  opportunity,  we  have  seen^it  with  very 
hcav}'  crops,  and  every^way  satisfactory. 


9.9. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJVTHLY. 


January, 


Pjeak's  Emperor  strawberry  is  very  much 
like  Agriculturist.  Mr.  Purdy,  of  Palmyra,  says 
it  docs  well  on  the  sandy  soil  of  South  Bend, 
%vhile  the  Agriculturist  does  not.  It  seems  bet- 
ter suited  to  this  than  the  Agriculturist.  In  the 
sandsof  New  Jersey,  however,  the  Agriculturist 
docs  very  well. 


The  Sxow  Cactus. — xVu  exchange  says: 
'•  Along  tlie  Sierra  Nevada,  close  to  the  line  of 
snow,  a  plant  grows  of  sizes  varying  from  an 
inch  to  two  inches  in  thickness,  and  height  to 
the  dimensions  of  the  largest  cabbages.  It  is 
known  as  the  snow  cactus,  and  depends  for 
moisture  upon  the  melted  snow.  It  has  been  re- 
cently proposed  to  treat  the  plant  as  a  table  veg- 
etable, and  it  is  said  that,  boiled  and  served  up 
as  asparagus,  this  cactus  is  found  equally  suc- 
culent and  satisfactory." 

We  suppose  this  is  the  new  cactus  recently 
named  by  Dr.  Engleman  Ediinocoxtas  Simpsoni. 
"We  are  fortunate  enough  to  possess  a  living 
plant  of  this  species,  and  it  is  truly  beautiful,— 
round  as  a  globe,  and  completely  covered  with 
snowy-white  spines.  Its  hardiness  will  be  a 
great  point  in  its  favor.  It  has  the  appearance 
of  a  mammillaria,  but  Dr.  Engelman  is  sure, 
fr,)m  an  examination  of  its  tlower  and  fruit,  that 
it  is  an  Eddnocactus. 


Xames  of  Plants.—^.  H.  C,  Shepherds- 
town,  Pa.:  "  Enclosed  I  send  you  a  small  ever- 
green vine  and  branch  of  a  small  tree  and  shrub, 
with  bright  red  berries,  for  name.  The  small 
evergreen  vine  with  red  berries  grows  mostly 
in  partly  shaded  situations,  banks  of  streams, 
&c.  The  other  is  always  found  in  low,  wet  pla- 
ces, margins  of  streams,  ttc.  Please  give  names 
through  Gardener's  Monthly,  and  oblige  " 

[The  red-berried  shrub  is  a  kind  of  Holly, 
only  that  the  leaves  are  deciduous.  It  is  the 
Prinos  verticillatus.  We  often  wonder  it  is  not 
more  often  seen  under  culture.  Its  red  berries 
give  much  beauty  to  a  winter  scene.  There  are 
three  kinds — (me  with  mnle  flowers,  which 
never  bears  berries,  the  other  female,  which  re- 
quire the  other  kind  to  be  planted  nearby  to  get 
berries  ;  the  other  with  perfect  tlowers. 

The  creeping  plant  with  the  berries  is  the 
Mitdtella  repcni^,  in  Pennsylvania  called  Teaber- 
ry  ;  but  tlieTeaberry  of  New  Jersey  is  Gaulthe- 
ria  procumbens] 


Patent  Laws  and  Seedling  Fruits.— 
We  have  the  following  note  from  Mr.  Haskell  : 

"It  has  been  often  suggested,  during  the  last 
few  years,  that  the  originators  and  discoverers  of 
new  and  valuable  fruits  and  plants  ought  to 
have  protection  for  their  productions  similar  to 
that  which  the  law  provides  for  authors  and  in- 
ventors. The  Justice  of  such  protection  is  gen- 
erally conceded  ;  but  it  is  often  said  that  the 
patent  and  copy-right  laws  cannot  be  thus  ap- 
plied. 

To  meet  this  objection,  a  Bill  has  been  pre- 
pared, the  provisions  of  which  are  all  taken  from 
the  patent  and  copy-right  law  passed  at  the  last 
session  of  Congress,  with  only  such  modifications 
and  changes  as  are  necessary  to  adapt  its  pro- 
visions to  a  new  subject-matter. 

A  copy  of  such  proposed  bill  is  sent  herewith, 
to  which  your  attention  is  respectfully  requested. 
If  you  think  this  or  any  similar  law  for  the  pro- 
tection of  Horticulturists  desirable  and  just,  it  is 
hoped  you  and  3'our  neighbors  who  concur  in 
that  opinion,  will  petition  Congress  therefor.'' 

AVe  believe  as  strongly  as  any  one,  tliat  the 
originator  or  discoverer  of  a  new  fruit,  or  flower, 
should  be  as  fully  rewarded  for  it,  as  he  who 
studies  out  a  new  principle  in  the  arts,  or  stum- 
bles over  any  other  good  thing.  Our  objection 
to  the  proposed  plant  laws  is  not  here.  But  it  is 
that  there  is  no  way  to  define  a  new  plant  or 
fruit  so  clearly  that  the  officers  of  the  patent 
office  can  judge  by  the  record,  whether  it  is  new 
or  not,  and  there  would,  as  we  think,  be  no  end 
of  litigation.  Lawyers  would  thrive  on  it  much 
more  than  the  originators  of  new  fruits.  Take 
Ilomeyn's  Seedling  Strawberry,  for  instance. 
The  "Patentee"  of  Triomphe  de  Gand  would 
assert  that  it  was  identically  the  same  as  his, 
and  that  to  call  another  llomeyn  Seedling  was 
an  infringement  of  his  "right"  in  the  sale, — 
but  the  latter  would  prove  that  he  raised  it  from 
seed,  if  even  it  w;is  the  same.  What  then  could 
be  done  ?  This  is  only  one  case  of  hundreds 
that  would  arise.  We  should  be  glad  to  know 
from  the  friends  of  the  bill  what  they  would  do. 


"Ground  Pine."— S.  A  Co.,  Quinc;/,  111. 
"  Enclosed  please  find  sprigs  of  an  evergreen. 
If  it  is  not  asking  too  much,  please  inform  us 
its  name,  where  plants  can  be  had,  and  how 
propagated." 

["Ground  Pine" — Lycopodiuin  cnmplnnntum. 
This  is  the  material  so  largelv  used  in  Philadol- 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJVTHLy. 


28 


phia,  New  York,  Boston  and  Baltimore  at 
Christmas  times  for  decorations.  It  has  never 
been  tried  under  cultivation,  but  in  view  of  its 
growing  scarcity,  it  is  quite  likely  it  might  be 
found  profitable  b}-  those  who  have  dense  shady 
woods  under  which  it  grows.  It  is  found  more 
or  less  in  almost  every  State  of  the  Union,  but 
most  abundantly  in  New  Jersey.  Rooted  plants 
could  no  doubt  be  easily  furnished  by  New  Jer- 
sey Nurserymen.] 

Mildew.— yl.  S.  (?.,  31ansJieJ(l^  O.,  asks  for  a 
remedy  for  mildew  on  Roses.  The  best  remedy 
for  mildew  is  that  for  which  the  premium  was 
awarded  to  the  discoverer  of  the  cure  for  the  vine 
mildew,  or  Oidium  Tackeri  of  Europe.  A  little 
fresh  lime  is  put  into  a  tub  or  barrel  ready  for 
slacking,  and  a  small  quantity  of  powdered  sul- 
phur put  on  it.  ^Vater  is  then  added,  and  the 
lime  slaked  with  the  sulphur.  It  stands  till  all 
settles  and  the  water  is  clear.  This  yellowish 
water  is  then  syringed  over  the  diseased  part, 
and  it  certainly  checks  the  progress  of  the  dis- 
ease. The  vine  mildew  of  Europe,  as  has  been 
before  noticed  in  our  columns,  has  never  made 
its  appearance  in  our  country  yet ;  but  we  have 
found  that  this  remedy  is  as  good  against  our 
form,  which  is  little  less  destructive  than  the 
OiVZami  of  the  Old  World.  It  does  not  seem  to 
kill  insects,  but  we  have  noticed  that  where  this 
water  is  occasionally  syringed  over  greenhouse 
plants,  inst  cts  are  not  near  as  numerous  or  ac- 
tive as  in  ordinary  cases.  It  is  a  good  thing  to 
alwa3's  have  about  in  a  plant  establishment. 


commences, 
an  injury. 


But   in  heavy,  clayey  soil,  salt  is 


Late  Blooming  Apples  — "We  have  from 
time  to  time  furnished  lists  of  late  blooming  ap- 
ples, which  are  useful,  inasmuch  as  such  kinds 
are  more  liable  to  e<<cape  injury  from  late  frosts. 
Nothing  has  yet  been  done  for  the  Pear,  Mr. 
Parker  Earle  has  commenced  this  useful  work, 
by  noting  in  the  Journal  of  Ilorticnlture  that  the 
Lawrence  is  more  likely  to  open  earlier  than  the 
Bartlett,  and  thus  the  latter  escape  when  the 
former  is  injured. 


Salting  Asparagus.— O.  T.,  Genera,  Kane 
(^0.  III.,  asks  :  "  Is  it  necessary  to  use  salt  on 
Asparagus  beds?"  "Where  the  soil  is  of  a  light 
or  sandy  nature,  salt  is  an  excellent  manure,  ap- 
plied so  as  to  be  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch 
thick  over  tlie  bed  in  Spring,  just  before  growth 


Pears  at  Boston.— The  Journal  of  Horticul- 
ture notices  that  at  the  annual  exhibition  at  Bos- 
ton, there  were  99  contributors  of  Pears.  O' 
varieties,  Duchess  and  Bartlett  were  the  most 
numerous,  there  being  C5  plates  of  the  former, 
and  4(3  of  the  latter, — the  Seckel,  however,  had 
45.  Of  others,  the  most  numerous  dishes  were 
in  the  order  as  named.  It  serves  to  show  which 
are  the  most  popular  varieties  there.  Beurre 
d'Anjou,  Urbaniste,  Beurre  Diel,  Sheldon,  Law- 
rence, Belle  Lucrative,  "VYinter  Nelis,  Beurre 
Clairgeau,  Beurre  Bosc,  Andrews,  Swann's 
Orange,  Beurre  Superfin,  Vicar  of  "Winkfield, 
Beurre  Hardy,  Doyenne  Boussock,  Ilowell, Marie 
Louise,  Doyenne  du  Comice,  De  Tongres,  Dana's 
Ilovey,  Beurre  Langelier,  Merriam,  St.  Michael 
Archange,  Buffum. 

Of  grapes,  the  highest  number  of  dishes  were 
of  Delaware. 


Double  Philadelphus  — M.  Carriere  of 
the  Reveu  Horticole  has  some  original  notions 
about  describing  plants.  "We  not  long  since 
noted,  that  although  he  knew  Messrs.  Ellwanger 
&  Barry  raised  "Tom  Thumb''  from  our 
American  Arborvitse,  Thuja  occidentalis,  he  de- 
scribed it  as  a  new  Retinospora  !  Recently  he  has 
taken  the  double  Mock  Orange  of  our  gardens 
—well  known  also  in  German  gardens,— and 
catalogued  as  Philadelphus  cor onarius  fl.pl.,— 
and  re-named  it  Philadelphus  primulaiflorus. 
This  naming  things  over  again  is  an  unmitigated 
nuisance,  leading  purchasers  to  buy  over  and 
over  again  what  they  already  have.  In  Ameri- 
can gardening  this  Philadeli)hus  has  not  proved 
very  valuable,  owing  to  a  tendency  to  go  back  to 
the  single  state.  By  the  way,  it  is  a  matter  of 
surprise  that  the  old  Philadelphus  coronarius 
is  not  more  grown  It  is  the  only  one  that  is  de- 
cidedly sweet ;  and  is  alone  worthy  of  all  the  ge- 
nus to  the  appellation  of  "  mock  orange." 


Coal  Gas  and  the  Roots  of  Trees.— The 
Gardener  s  Chronicle  says  that  a  Dr.  Posclger 
has  "shown  by  repeated  experiments"  that 
coal  gas  escaping  from  pipes  under  ground  near 
the  roots  of  trees  will  not  injure  them.  A\'e 
should  like  Dr.  Poselger  to  come  to  Philadel- 
phia, and  try  its  gas.  We  rather  think  his  ex- 
periments would  take  another  turn. 


2J(. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^^TBLY.        January, 


PrCKA  picnxA  — Dr.  Moore,  in  a  recent  num- 
ber of  the  Proceedin2;s  of  the  Royal  Dublin  So- 
ciety, Hays  that  any  English  tourist  fond  of  ar- 
boriculture, on  arriving  in  Russia  is  particularly 
struck  with  the  grand  appearance  of  the  Sibe- 
rian Silver  Fir,  which  he  says  grows  there  to 
the  height  of  70  or  80  feet. 


Purple-leaved  Poplars. —Dr.  Moore  says, 
in  Russia,  in  spring,  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
plants  of  the  season  is  a  purple  leaved  Poplar, 
which  he  thinks  is  not  known  to  arboriculture 
outside  of  that  country. 


AsPAKAGUS  IN  Soup— Dr.  Moore  says,  that  in 
Russia,  Asparagus  is  the  most  popular  of  all  veg- 
etables. It  is  especially  a  favorite  for  soups. 
The  white  part,  and  not  the  green,  is  the  part 
chiefly  used  for  this  purpose. 


The  Yello^v  Locust. — A  native  of  the 
United  States,  is  now  cultivated  almost  all  over 
the  world  ;  but  it  thrives  better  in  Prussia  than 
anywhere  else,  not  excepting  its  own  native 
country.  Berlin  travelers  speak  with  enthusi- 
asm of  its  great  beauty  there.  It  is  very  popular 
among  the  Germans,  and  they  have  scores  of 
garden  varieties. 


'I'liE  Radishes  of  Russia  are  not  quite  like 
ours  in  general  cultivation.  They  are  more  pur- 
ple. It  is  the  custom  in  Russia  to  eat  Radishes 
before  dinner  proper,  in  order  to  sharpen  the  ap- 
petite. 


TIybuidizixg. — European  writers  seem  to  use 
this  term  at  random.  Mr.  Ad;iir,  in  a  scientific 
paper  before  the  Royal  DuV)lin  Society,  says  the 
Peach  shows  what  hybrldi/ation  will  do  — as  hy- 
bridization is  understood  to  be  a  crossing  of  dif- 
ferent species  together,  it  would  be  worth  know- 
ing what  two  species  originally  produced  the 
peach.  It  is  generally  supposed  to  be  a  mere  de- 
velopment by  selection  from  the  Almond,  with- 
out the  intervention  of  any  other  species  what- 
ever. 


on  acclimatization  in  the  Royal  Dublin  Societj', 
says  that  the  Tomato  would  not  at  one  time  ri- 
pen in  the  gardens  of  North  America,  where  it 
is  cultivated  for  its  fruit, — but  now  it  docs,  and 
is  extensively  used  in  consequence.  We  suppose 
once  no  one  thought  of  forwarding  the  plants  in 
hot-beds,  and  now  they  do,  and  that  makes  all 
the  difference. 


Propagating BouvARDiAS.—>4.  P.  S..  Pho?.- 
nixvillp,  Pa. — These  are  raised  from  roots  cut 
into  pieces  about  half  an  inch  long,  buried  in  soil 
about  one-quarter  of  an  inch, — and  the  pot  of 
roots  put-inio  heat  of  about  60  degrees. 


Acclimatization.— It  is  strange  how  men  of 
science,  usually  so  careful  of  their  facts,  some- 
times take  up  with  the  merest  surmise  on  which 
to  build  up  a  theory.  Thus  Mr.  Adair,  in  a  paper 


Hardiness  of  Deodar  Cedar. — .1/.,  Har- 
rhbuni^  O.,  inquires  about  the  hardiness  of  Deo- 
dar and  Cedar  of  Lebanon.  About  Philadel- 
phia, most  of  those  exposed  have  been  killed, — 
but  it  has  been  found  by  experience  that  where 
they  have  the  protection  of  other  trees  from  cold 
winds  they  do  very  well.  There  is  a  very  fine 
Deodar  Cedar  on  the  grounds  of  Mrs.  G.  "\Y.  Car- 
penter, at  Germantown,  and  Cedar  of  Lebanon 
at  Laurel  Hill,  both  thus  sheltered. 


CoL.  Harris  stirts  the  now  year  in  the  Bu- 
ral  New  Yorker.  His  energy,  uprightness  and 
intelligence  has  endeared  him  to  agriculturist^ 
and  horticulturists, — and  he  has  our  best 
wishes  wherever  he  goes. 


Propagating  Irish  Junipers.— -4.  P.  /S , 
Phcenixville,  Pa  —It  makes  no  difference  how  old 
the  shoots  of  Irish  Juniper  or  Siberian  Arborvi- 
tre  are  for  propagating  purposes.  They  will  root 
at  any  age.  Usually,  however,  propagators  use 
only  well  ripened  one  year  old  wood,— that  is  to 
say,  wood  on  which  the  bark  has  just  turned 
brown.  It  is  not  essential  that  tliey  h:ive  heat, 
so  that  they  are  iirotected  from  frost,— but  heat 
makes  them  root  quicker,  and  one  saves  a  year 
by  it.  Sometimes  "fungus"  gets  in  among  a 
lot  of  cuttings,  and  destroys  large  numbers  be- 
fore they  root,  and  it  thus  is  another  advantage 
of  heat  that  it  roots  them  sooner,  and  gets  them 
out  of  tlie  ^v•^y  of  this  enemv. 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^'TRLY. 


25 


BOOKS,    CATALOGUES,    &C. 


Lancaster  Codxtt  Farmer.— Lanrasfe'-,  Va. 

We  havu  before  noticed  this  excellent  monthly 
magazine.  Its  articles  generally  are  very  origi- 
nal, and  are  written  by  practical  men  who  unite 
great  intelligence  with  their  work.  The  Editors 
are  ever  alive  to  good  matter.  The  essay  of 
Mr.  Staufter  on  Horticulture,  first  appeared  in 
this  paper.  "We  should  like  to  know  that  the 
Farmer  had  a  "big''  subscription  list, — perhaps 
it  has.     It  at  least  well  deserves  it. 


Wkstern  Faemer. — Madison,  Wi^. 

There  are  few  papers  we  read  with  more 
pleasure  than  this.  It  is  the  only  agricultui-al 
paper  published  in  Wisconsin, — but  it  covers  the 
whole  ground  so  well,  that  there  is  no  room  for 
any  more.  The  editors  are  industrious  and  not 
afraid  of  work  ;  and  hence'the  paper  is  a  perfect 
encyclopedia  of  a  full  week's  news. 


Horace  Greiley's  Essays,"  What  I  Knzw  oj  Farming,"' 

"Which  have  been  published  in  The  Tribune 
every  week  during  1S70,  are  to  be  printed  in 
book  form,  and  a  copy  will  be  sent,  post-paid,  to 
each  subscriber  who  sends  SIO  for  the  Daily, 
S4  for  the  Semi-Weekly,  or  S2  for  the  Weekly 
Tribune,  and  requests  the  book  at  the  time  of 
subscribing.     This  will  enable  old  subscribers  to 


secure  the  Essays  for  preservation,  on  renewing 
their  subscriptions,  and  new  subscribers  will,  of 
course,  be  glad   to   obtain   them,  free   of  cost. 


Proceedisgs  cr  tbe  Fruit  (i rowers'  Society  op  Pa. 

We  do  not  think  that  any  publication  of  this 
kind  will  surpass  in  interest  the  present  issue. 
Beautiful  lithographs  of  insects  have  been  given 
which  arc  engraved  in  Uie  highest  style  of  art. 
The  essays  of  the  President,  Josiah  Iloopes, 
and  of  the  Entomologist,  Prof.  S.  S.  Rathvon, 
have  long  been  looked  for.  The  copious  ex- 
tracts of  Mr.  Iloopes'  address,  in  which  he 
enters  so  minutely  into  the  fungoid  diseases  of 
fruit  trees,  which  have  appeared  in  so  many  of 
our  Agricultural  papers,  have  only  whetted 
public  interest  to  see  the  whole.  Usually  the 
proceedings  are  for  the  use  of  members  only — 
one  dollar  per  annum  constituting  one  a  mem- 
ber—but in  this  case,  the  Publishing  Committee 
has  decided  to  sell  to  outside  parties  for  50  cents 
per  copy.  This  can  be  sent  to  Alexander  Har- 
ris, Secretary,  Lancaster,  Pa.,  or  to  Brinckloe 
&  Marot,  the  Printers,  Philadelphia.  We  hope 
the  efforts  of  the  Publishing  Committee  to  give 
a  wide  publicity  to  the  Proceedings,  will  meet 
with  the  success  which  the  volume  undoubtedly 
deserves. 


NEW  AND   KAHE   ERUITS. 


Fortune's  Double-Floaverixg  Peaches. — 
The  two  double-flowering  peaches  known  as 
"  Fortune's,"  though  by  no  means  the  least  im- 
portant amongst  the  many  v.aluable  plants  in- 
troduced by  the  great  explorer  of  the  far  east, 
have  certainly  obtained  less  attention  than  most 
others  which  are  known  in  connection  with  his 
honor.able  name.  These  peaches  are  remarka- 
bly ornamental  when  in  flower,  and  not  sur- 
pa.ssed  by  any  early-flowering  trees  known  in 
the  effect  they  produce  when  freely  planted  along 
the  front  lines  of  shrubberies.  Mr.  Gibson,  of 
]}attersea  Park,  has  so  shrewd  an  eye  for  good 
things  that  he  embraced  an  early  opportunity 
of  adorning  the  shrubberies  there  with  these  two 
trees,  and  in  their  season  of  flowering  tlu^y  con- 


stitute conspicuously  beautiful  features  of  plan 
tations  that  are  in  other  respects  richly  and 
plentifully  furnished.  During  the  past  season 
they  have  produced  an  abundance  of  fruit, 
which,  we  are  glad  to  say,  is  by  no  means  de- 
spicable, though  not  to  be  compared  with  such 
peaches  as  are  grown  for  the  dessert.  The  fruit 
of  the  double  red  is  ol)liquely  conical,  with  a  pro- 
found suture,  the  skin  greenish  yellow  on  the 
shaded  side,  soft  rosy  red  on  the  side  next  the 
sun.  The  flesh  of  this  fruit  is  dry,  mildly  sweet, 
and  pleasant,  freely  parting  from  the  stone.  It 
is,  in  fact,  an  eatable  peach,  but  as  such  scarcely' 
to  be  desired  ;  the  peculiar  dryness  of  the  flesh, 
however,  suggests  that  it  might  be  turned  to  ac- 
count to  make  an  excellent  preserve.     The  fruit 


^e 


TEE    GAREEJs'-EB'S   MOJVTELl.        January, 


of  tlio  (lonlile  white  is  smaller,  nearly  round 
with  a  shallow  suture,  the  color  pale  green  h\\ 
clinin^;  to  white,  resembling,  in  fact,  an  imma- 
ture and  unripe  ISToblesse.  The  flesh  is  slightly 
juicv,  and  decidedly  sub-acid.  The  white  vari- 
ety does  not  ripen  so  perfectly  in  this  climate  as 
the  red,  and  can  scarcely  be  described  as  eat- 
able ;  yet,  no  doubt,  if  these  trees  were  planted 
for  ornament,  means  would  be  found  of  utilizing 
the  fruit  of  both  sorts,  and  we  cannot  doubt  that 
they  might  be  made  the  base  of  a  compote  that 
would  be  valued  in  th^  household.— S.  II.,  in 
Gardcner''s  Magazine. 

A  New  Gkape. — I  send  you  a  bunch  of  a  new 
grape,  and  would  like  your  opinion  of  it.  It 
took  the  prize  at  the  Essex  County  Fair  last 
week— is  a  splendid  grape,  vigorous  grower,  and 
a  very  prolific  bearer. — J,  T.  Doxoiioo,  Port 
Henry,  K.  Y,  Oct.  10. 

[A  dark  black  grape  with  double  shoulders 
and  of  excellent  quality.  If  it  should  always 
come  as  good  as  the  specimen  received,  we  think 
it  will  be  an  useful  addition  to  the  list  of  grapes. 
— Ed.I 


Speckled  Apple.— This  beautiful  fruit, 
brought  prominently  to  notice  by  Mr.  Lorin 
Blodgett,  is  again  coming  into  our  market,  from 
western  Xew  York.  They  generally  come  here 
without  any  name,  though  some  have  supposed 
them  to  be  the  Fall  Orange.  They  are,  however, 
we  believe,  quite  distinct  from  this. 


Fkee  Mason  Peach— I  sent  to  the  express 
office  this  morning  a  small  box,  containing  three 
specimens  of  the  "Free  Mason"  peach,  (as  first 
brought  to  notice,  and  named  by  Rev.  R.  W. 
Todd,  of  this  county,)  addressed  to  you  at  Ger- 
mantown.  Pa.  The  aforenamed  gentleman  has 
favored  me  with  a  history  of  this  valuable  mar- 
ket i)each,  in  which  is  stated,  that  from  a  small 
quantity  of  seed,  sowed  from  an  Early  Rareripe 
variety,  by  his  father,  (since  deceased)  trees 
were  raised,  from  which  Avas  planted  a  small 
orchard  (about  one  hundred  trees.)  In  this  were 
varieties,  good  and  worthless,  early  and  late, 
yellow,  white  and  red,  cling  and  freestone.  All 
from  the  seed  of  the  Rareripe.  Among  this  lot 
of  trees,  was  the  original  "Free  Mason  tree." 
It  truly  and  evidently  is  a  very  fine  and  valua- 
ble fruit  of  its  kind.  In  1808,  having  then  but 
a  single  tree  in  bearing  of  the  kind,  it  was  the 
only  tree,  of 'an  orchard  of  1000,  that  produced 


fruit,  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Todd.  Ripening  three 
days  later  than  the  Smock,  is  another  strong 
point  of  merit  in  its  favor.  The  tree  is  very 
vigorous,  and  somewhat  spreading  in  its  habit, 
leaves  serrated  without  glands. 

Living  in  the  centre  of  the  greatest  peach 
growing  district  in  the  world — where,  too,  the  in- 
terest, in  reliable  market  varieties,  as  exhibited 
by  the  many  extensive  cultivators,  determines 
justly  the  merits  in  that  relative  of  all,  we  are 
thereby  aflbrded  opportunity  to  d^cide  with  cer- 
tainty as  to  the  character  and  value  of  new  va- 
rieties, in  comparison  with  the  old  and  well- 
tried.  A  large  majority  of  the  people  in  the 
metropolis  of  the  "Keystone,"  and  New  York, 
who  consume  the  fine  peaches  shipped  there 
from  the  peninsula,  have  little  idea,  in  respect 
to  the  magnitude  of  the  peach  groicing  business 
here.  And  methinks  that  if  the  efficient  and 
courteous  editor  of  my  favorite  journal  of  horti- 
culture [The  Oardener'>s  3lonthly)  was  to  take  a 
trip  through  this  section,  while  the  car-loads  of 
kind  old  mother  nature's  juicy  and  luscious  pro- 
ductions are  daily  being  gathered  from  the 
loaded  boughs  of  thousands  of  trees,  and  have 
his  palate  moistened  with  the  rich  juice  of  a 
"Golden  Drop,''  or  the  spicy  sweetness  of  a 
"Stump  the  Woi'ld,"  freshly  plucked  from  the 
tree,  he  would  5'ield  agreement  in  the  opinion, 
that  though  Pennsylvania  and  the  north  can 
raise  heavier  crops  of  wheat  and  corn,  they  are 
far,  far  back  in  the  rear  in  point  of  truly  ex- 
cellent peaches  ;  that  is  when  put  in  comparison 
with  this  favored  peninsula.  Try  it,  Mr.  Mee- 
han,  if  you  and  we  live  till  next  year,  me  would  he 
VERY  glad  to  see  you  here. 

And  would  it  be  selfish  pride  for  me  to  here 
state  the  truth,  that  Caroline  County,  Md.,  bids 
fair  to  lead  all  her  thriving  sisters  on  the  shore, 
in  this  relation  ?  The  natural  adaptability  of 
her  soil  to  the  peach,  (both  tree  and  fruit),  and 
her  facilities  for  prompt  and  speedy  shipment, 
of  the  productions  of  her  very  rapidlij  increasing 
orchards,  both  by  land  and  water,  gives  to  her 
"  the  long  end  of  the  stick."  There  arc  numer- 
ous facts  relative  to  the  orchard  culture  of  the 
peach,  that  are  daily  developing  themselves, 
under  my  observation,  which,  should  leisure 
time  present  itself,  I  will  perhaps  try  to  classify, 
and  send  you.  AVith  very  high  regard,  I  am 
sincerely  yours. — J.  W.  Keru,  .Denton,  Md  , 
September  l.'J,  1870. 

[Unfortunately  this  fruit  did  not  reach  us,  but 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MOJs^THLY. 


0,'y 


we  have  heard  such  good  accounts  of  it  from 
others,  that  we  have  uo  doubt  it  warrants  the 
enthusiasm  Mr.  Kerr  exhibits  in  writing  about 
it.— Ed  ] 


The  Wealthy  Apple.--!  lieheve  that  you 
gave  some  account,  some  montlis  ago,  of  the 
Wealthy  apple,  a  seedling  raised  by  Peter  M. 
Gideon,  of  Excelsior,  ^linnesota,  a  few  miles 
west  of  Minneapolis.  He  also  had  another  seed- 
ling, which  he  thought  about  equal  to  the 
AVealthy,  called  Molly.  It  is  a  large  red  apple, 
very  fair  and  handsome;  its  quality  is '"  best." 
AVe  class  apples  "  good,"  "very  good,"  "best." 
I  think  its  quality  will  not  stand  high  in  the 
first  class,  but  too  good  to  go  in  the  second  class. 
It  had  a  very  beautiful  shade  of  light  red 
through  the  Hesh  of  the  apple,  and  very  distinct 
streaks  of  red  towards  the  core. 

Such  being  the  character  of  the  Wealthy— its 
tree  and  fruit— it  cannot  fail  to  be  of  very  great 
value  to  a  large  portion  of  our  whole  continent, 
in  the  latitude  of  St.  Paul,  and  a  long  distance 
south  of  that,  and  how  far  north  it  will  stand 
the  climate  remains  for  trial. 

I  omitted  to  mention  in  the  proper  place, 
that  the  apple  appeared  to  be  at  its  proper  stage 
of  maturity  when  I  cut  it,  on  the  first  day  of  Oc- 
tober. It  had  been  picked  some  days,  and 
bruised  a  little  by  its  long  carriage  in  the  mail. 
It  is  prob;ibl3'  a  mid-autumn  apple.  And  even 
here,  in  latitude  44p,  it  may  take  the  place  of 
our  very  excellent  and  popular  variety,  the 
Maiden's  Blush,  which  is  rather  tender  for  this 
latitude.— SUEL  Foster,  in  Western  Farmer. 


The  Ouachita  Grape— The  Southern  Sfand- 
nnl,  published  at  Arkadelphia,  Ark.,  says  :  "It 
is  not  generally  known  that  we  have  growing 
wild  in  the  woods  of  the  Ouachita,  one  of  the 
best  wine  grapes  in  the  world.  It  is  known  as 
the  "  Ouachita  Grape,"  and  is  of  large  size,  and 
delicious  flavor.  Several  years  ago  it  was  intro- 
duced into  France  by  layers  from  this  country, 
and  is  now  the  most  popular  grape  in  France, 
their  finest  wines  being  made  from  it.  It  is  not 
subject  to  diseases  as  other  varieties  of  grapes,  is 
much  liardier  and  does  not  require  as  much  cul- 
tivation. Mr.  Win.  A.  Brown  exhibited  to  us  a 
sp'cimen  of  this  grape  a  few  days  since,  which 
he  has  been  cultivating,  which  demonstrates  its 
susceptibility  of  improvement,  it  being  large  and 
luscious  as  the  best  varieties  of  what  is  general- 
ly known  as  the  English  grape." 


New  Grape  from  Ellwanger  &  Barry. 
—We  send  you  a  bunch  of  our  new  seedling 
grape.  We  think  it  is  now  the  sixth  year 
fruited,  and  it  has  been  uniformly  of  high  char- 
acter.    Many  bunches  weigh  a  pound. 

[This  is  a  bunch  of  remarkable  beauty.  It 
has  two  shoulder;',  and  thus  makes  a  symmetrical 
bunch.  The  berries  are  about  the  size  of  Diana, 
with  the  color  of  a  well  ripened  Catawba,  and 
are  remarkable  for  tapering  very  suddenly  to  a 
small  narrow  point  at  the  junction  with  the 
pedicel  or  stalk.  We  counted  one  hundred  and 
sixty  perfect  berries  on  the  bunch.  The  skin 
was  thick  and  the  fle-sh  pulpy,  but  sweet  and 
good.     The  leaves  are  coarse  and  strong. 

We  do  not  think  it  will  take  rank  with  the 
best  n-e  have  in  quality  ;  but  its  beauty  and  evi- 
dent vigor  will  we  think  ensure  for  it  as  wide 
spread  popularity  as  the  Concord,  Hartford,  and 
other  good  kinds  of  that  class. — Ed.] 


President  Wilder  Straavberry.— A  few 
days  before  starting  to  California,  Col.  Wilder 
very  kindly  presented  us  with  a  dozen  plants  of 
this  variety.  This  is  the  first  opportunity  we 
have  had  of  seeing  the  plants  since  we  saw  them 
a  couple  of  years  ago  on  his  own  ground.  Not- 
withstanding the  extraordinary  hot  and  dry 
weather  to  which  they  have  been  subjected, 
their  vigor  and  health  is  remarkable.  To  be 
sure  "we  don't  grow  strawberries  for  their 
leaves  ;"  but  vigor  and  health  of  foliage  under  a 
trying  ordeal,  we  regard  as  a  good  augury  of 
success. 


The  Jaxie  Wylie  Grape.— In  1800,  I  pro- 
cured pollen,  by  mail,  from  Lyon's  Grapery, 
Columbia,  S.  C,  of  mixed  foreign  varieties,  with 
which  I  fertilized  a  number  of  native  varieties, 
and,  among  other,  several  blooms  of  Clinton. 
From  the  seed  thus  impregnated,  I  raised  three 
Clinton  and  foreign  hybrid  plants  in  1861,  one 
of  which  was  Clinton  Hybrid,  No.  1,  since 
named  by  Mr.  II.  W.  Bavenal,  Janie  Wylie. 

'i'he  formula  of  its  parentage  is— F.  Clinton 
[Cordlfolia).     M.  Foreign  [Vdis  Vinifcra). 

It  was  planted  in  most  unfavorable  soil— a  te- 
nacious yellow  blackjack  clay— which  cracks 
widely  in  dry  weather,  and  is  sobbed  with  water 
in  wet  weather.  In  this  soil  it  grew  until  18G4, 
when  it  showed  its  first  fruit.  In  180^,  owing 
to  the  destruction  of  my  fence  by  soldiers,  it  was 
broken  down  and  almost  destroyed  by  cattle  ; 


^8 


THE    GARDENER'S   MOKTRLY.         January, 


but  still  it  survived,  and  lias  borne  ever  since. 
Until  recently  I  bad  no  otbcr  vine  of  tins  vari- 
ety except  one  grafted  on  a  strong  Isabella  stock. 
This  floui-isbed  and  bore  for  two  j'^ears  and  then 
died.  I  have  now  two  vigorous  young  vines  in 
a  better  locality,  which  have  borne  this  season 
for  the  first  time,  one  of  which  bore  the  bunch 
represented  in  the  painting  sent  you. 

Owing  to  various  circumstances,  which  I  will 
not  take  space  to  detail,  it  has  never  been  fairly 
tested  anywhere.  A  few  plants  have  been  dis- 
tributed, but  sufficient  time  has  not  elapsed  to 
get  a  report  of  their  bearing.  In  the  part  of  my 
lot  where  the  old  vine  grows,  about  one-fourth 
of  an  acre  of  hybrid  seedlings  were  planted  at 
the  same  time  with  this  hybrid,  but  owing  to 
bad  soil  and  drainage,  the  greater  part  are  en- 
tirely dead,  whilst  this  vine  has  survived  with 
scarcely  a  sign  of  mildew  or  disease. 

The  vine  is  a  pretty  vigorous  grower  ;  wood, 
short  jointed  ;  foliage  resembling  the  foreign, 
except  that  the  leaves  are  thicker  and  heavier, 
and  not  inclined  to  mildew  or  scorch  ;  bunch 
very  large,  shouldered  ;  berry  very  large,  some 
of  the  largest  ones  globular,  (and  an  inch  in  di- 
ameter,) but  mostly  oblong  ;  color,  dark  purple; 
flesh,  crisp  and  solid. 

The  fruit  hangs  well  on  the  vine.  During  the 
incessant  rains  this  season  about  the  time  of 
ripening,  where  too  much  shaded,  it  inclined, 
for  the  first  time,  to  rot.  It  has  proved  much 
more  reliable  with  me  than  Herbemont,  or  Ca- 
tawba, and  has  been  pronounced  b}^  Parsons, 
Bcrckmans  and  Ravenal  of  excellent  quality. 

Upon  the  whole,  we  think  it  may  proVe  quite 
an  acquisition,  particularly   at   the   South.     It 


will,  probably,  be  too  tender  for  the  North  with- 
out laying  down  and  covering  during  the  win- 
ter. I  only  raised  two  other  Clinton  Hybrids 
during  18G1,  the  fruit  of  both  of  which  has 
proved  worthless. 

But  I  have  many  new  Clinton  Hybrids  just 
coming  into  bearing,  which  are  of  the  most 
promising  character.  All  my  Clinton  Hybrids 
set  their  fruit  well.  Bad  setting  of  fruit  renders 
many  hybrids  of  the  finest  qualities  in  other  re- 
peats worthless. 

A.  P.  Wylie,  M.  D  ,  in  Carolina  Farmer. 


A  New  Crab  Apple— Mackies  Beauty. 
— Matthew  Mackie,  Clyde,  Wayne  Co.,  N.  Y., 
sends  me  a  seedling  from  the  small  Siberian 
crab,  which  I  have  never  seen  equalled  in  size  or 
beauty,  except  by  the  Astrachan  crab — a  varie- 
ty I  had  and  fruited  j'ears  since,  but  of  late  fail 
to  find  in  an}'-  catalogue.  This  crab  of  Mr. 
Mackic's  is  truly  beautiful.  It  is  roundish  oblong, 
oblate  in  form.  Specimens  grown  in  the  s tin  are 
of  a  deep,  rich  red,  with  a  blue  bloom,  and  scat- 
tering light  dots  and  marbled  lines.  In  the 
shade,  the  color  is  of  a  pinkish  red,  with  a  gray 
bloom.  The  stem  is  long,  moderately  slender, 
set  in  a  broad,  deep,  open  cavity.  The  calyx  is 
closed,  with  long  or  half-long  segments  clasped,  as 
it  were,  by  the  lower  ribs  or  furrows  of  the  basin, 
which  is  broad  and  moderately  deeji.  The  flesh  is 
white,  tinged  in  its  lines  with  faint  3'ellow  ;  is 
crisp,  only  moderately  juicy,  and  a  pleasant, 
mild  subacid— better  than  many  a  well  recog- 
nized apple.  Tlie  core  is  medium,  or  small, 
with  flattened,  obtuse,  pyramidal  seeds.— F.  K. 
Elliott,  in  Hural  New  Yorler. 


TsEAY    ATsD    HARE    PLA]\TS. 


The  .Japanese  Hydrangea.s  have  long  been 
familiar  in  gardens  as  ornamental  shrub-,  the 
old-fashioned  11.  Hortensia  being  one  of  the 
fnost  popular  of  decorative  i)lants.  II.  Japonica, 
too,  is  a  handsome  species,  but  the  comparative 
paucity  of  its  neuter  flowers  renders  it  less  orna- 
mental Uian  II.  Hortensia.  We  had  before  us 
a  few  weeks  since  specimens  of  two  others  of  re- 
cent introduction,  which  arc  subjects  of  great 
beauty,  namely  : 

H  YDUANGEA  Otaksa  and  Hydrangea  pan- 
ICULATA   OUANDIFLORA.      The   former  is   ad- 


mirably figured  in  Sierold  and  Zuccarini's 
ItOncs  ct  De)<crip/iones  Hifdrangcarum,  forming  a 
portion  of  the  Florcn  Japonkce.  It  is  a  bold 
shrub,  with  obovate  serrated  leaves,  cuneate  at 
the  base  and  shortly  cuspidate  at  the  apex,  and 
bears  great  globose  cymes  of  pale  or  sky-blue 
flowers,  which  are  all,  or  nearly  all,  radiant 
with  five  (or  sf)metimes  four)  roundish,  ol)()vate, 
entire  sepals.  In  the  work  just  noted  the  cymes 
are  said  to  measure  8  to  12  inches  across,  and  in 
the  sample  referred  to— the  ramified  termination 
of  a  natural  shoot— the  compound   fioner-luad 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJVTnLl. 


29 


measured  just  42  inches  in  circumference.  It  is 
a  grand  ornamental  plant,  very  nearly  related  to 
11.  Ilortensia,  and,  like  it,  having  the  whole 
head  composed  of  radiant  or  neuter  flowers. 
The  flowers  themselves  are  somewhat  smaller 
than  those  of  the  common  Hydrangea,  being 
1|  inch  in  diameter,  but  they  are  more  numer- 
ous, and  of  a  moi'e  elegant  form,  and  more 
pleasing  color^  the  flne  pale  blue,  which,  more- 
over, pervades  all  the  ramifications  of  the  pani- 
cle, being,  it  would  seem,  natural  to  them,  since 
they  are  5o  described  by  Siebold,  and  the  speci- 
mens sent  us  entirely  confirm  his  statement. 
Otaksa  is  the  native  Japanese  name.  It  is  a 
plant  of  great  beauty,  and  will  prove  to  be  one 
of  marked  utility,  about  equalling  the  other 
Japanese  Hydrangeas  in  respect  to  hardiness. 
The  Hydrangea  paniculata  grandijlora  is  an- 
other remarkably  ornamental  plant,  but  of  a 
totally  different  character,  approaching  in  its 
inflorescence  nearer  to  the  IT.  quercifolia  of 
Xorth  America.  II.  pauiculata  itself  is  a 
branching  shrub,  with  ovate,  or  ovate-oblong 
acute  leaves,  and  the  flowers  in  small  cymes, 
disposed  so  as  to  form  a  pyramidal  panicle,  but 
mostly  fertile  and  inconspicuous,  with  a  few 
large,  white,  sterile  or  radiant  flowers  on  the 
outer  part  of  the  panicle.  II.  paniculata  grandi- 
flora  diflTers  in  having  a  much  larger  proportion 
of  radiant  flowers,  the  whole  of  the  small,  color- 
less, fertile  flowers  of  the  type  becoming  enlarged 
and  converted  into  while  petaloid  blossoms,  so 
that  instead  of  bearing  a  sparse  inflorescence, 
each  branch  produces  a  dense  panicle  of  white 
flowers  of  about  a  foot  in  depth  and  two  feet  in 
circumference.  As  a  hard}',  deciduous  flower- 
ing shrub,  blooming  in  August,  it  has  few 
equals,  while  it  entirely  supplants  the  old  II. 
paniculata.  For  the  opportunity  of  noticing 
these  choice  novelties  we  are  indebted  to  ]Mr. 


Anthony  Waterer,  of  the  Knap  Hill  nurseries. 
—  Gardener''s  Chronicle. 


Rare  Maples  in  Europe.— The  London 
Journal  of  Horticulture  say  :  We  find  a  series  of 
Acers  of  which  we  have  heard  from  time  to  time 
during  several  years  past,  all  the  several  names* 
of  which  appear  to  be  condensed  into  the  new 
specific  designation  ornameiUum.  These  Acers 
are  related  to  a  type  which  may  be  said  to  have 
only  a  hypothetical  existence;  we  ma}- call  it  — 
using  established  technology — 

Acp:r  polymorphum,  and  under  that  head  we 
group  a  lot  of  beautiful  trees  with  decply-lobed 
palmate  leaves,  some  of  them  delicately  lacini- 
ated  and  almost  fern  like  in  their  divisions,  all 
of  them  displaying  splendid  tints  of  golden  green 
or  bronzy  purple,  or  brilliant  crimson  or  car- 
mine. Many  of  our  readers  will  lemember  a 
purple-leaved  maple  called 

Acer  japoxica,  which  nobody  could  propa- 
gate, and  of  which  there  is  scarcely  to  be  found 
any  authentic  record.  It  is  highly  probable  that 
if  a  tree  of  the  so-called  A.  japonicum  could  be 
found,  it  would  prove  to  be  one  of  the  polymor- 
phum  section,  an  old  friend  under  a  new  name. 
At  all  events,  these  maples,  varieties  of  A.  poly- 
morphvim,  are  deserving  of  a  place  in  every  gar- 
den where  beautiful-leaved  trees  are  appreciated ; 
and  no  doubt  we  shall  soon  see  them  planted  out 
in  groups  in  the  promenade  gardens,  in  the  same 
way  as  the  ghostly  variegated  negundo  has  been 
employed,  but  to  produce  the  different  effect  of  a 
brilliant  display  of  color.     Some  new  forms  of 

A  CER  PSEUDO-PLATANUShave  been  introduced 
with  the  palmate  maples,  one  of  which,  named 
Frederici  Guiliehni  is  notable  for  its  brilliant 
colors,  the  leaves  being  streaked  and  splashed 
with  tones  of  rich  brown,  red,  rose  and  creamy 
white. 


DOMESTIC    IISTELLIGENCE. 


Effects  of  Changf^s. — If  any  one  were  to 
write  a  treatise  on  the  laws  of  life,  and  include 
change  amongst  them,  he  would  be  very  likely 
be  laughed  at.  Yet  how  much  do  we  owe  to  it  I 
A  sick  person,  after  every  effort  of  medicine  and 
kind  attention  fails,  is  ordered  to  travel,  and 
he  gets  cured.  So  also  of  plants.  We  may 
grow  them  on  the  same  soil,  year  after  year  and 
they  fail  to  produce  a  crop,  though  we  are  as 


careful  as  possible  to  return  to  the  soil  the  ele- 
ments supposed  to  1)e  taken  away. 

AVc  know  what  chemists  tell  us.  They  say 
that  though  we  do  not  know  it,  thei-e  is  still 
something  lost  Avhich  we  have  not  altogether  re- 
stored. But  the  practical  f;\rmer,  though  he 
cannot  controvert  this,  hardly  believes  it,  as 
there  are  so  many  things  which  scarcely  come 
out  right  under  the  explanation.     For  instance, 


'0 


TEE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJVTHLY. 


January, 


he  grows  a  certain  variety  of  potato  year  after 
year,  until  it  fails  to  produce  the  Siime  good 
crops  it  once  did.  lie  sends  a  few  hundred  of 
miles  for  new  seed  of  the  same  variety,  and  it 
will  at  once,  and  without  adding  anything  to  the 
soil,  produce  as  good  crops  as  it  ever  did.  We 
have  hoard  agriculturists  deny  the  possibility  of 
this,  but  we  think  that  most  practical  farmers 
know  that  this  is  really  the  case.  Yet  surely 
the  same  variety  of  potatoes  require  only  the  self 
same  elements.  There  has  been  no  other  differ- 
ence but  the  change. 

So  also  in  the  matter  of  manure.  People 
sometimes  find  benefit  from  phosphates,  or 
guano,  or  some  other  commercial  fertilizer. 
But  in  a  few  years  it  turns  out  to  be  no  better 
than  brick  dust  ;  but  any  other  kind  of  manure 
will  have  a  wonderful  effect.  We  knew  a  friend 
once  who  used  to  raise  enormous  crops  in  his 
vesetable  garden,  which  was  anually  manured 
from  his  horse  stable.  It  failed  at  last.  Even 
weeds  seemed  to  despise  it.  lie  changed  from 
horse  to  cow  manure,  and  again  wonderful  crops 
rewarded  him.  Chemically  there  was  not  much 
difference  in  the  manure.  The  change  was  more 
than  all. 

It  is  well  to  remember  this  as  a  general  prin- 
ciple. Nature  loves  change.  There  is  a  seem- 
ing contradiction,  for  we  speak  of  the  certainty 
of  nature's  laws.  But  those  who  know  her  best, 
know  that  she  has  laws  which  seem  contradic- 
tory. The  same  elements  that  make  fire,  largely 
make  water,  which  is  the  enemy  of  fire  ;  and 
some  of  her  most  harmless  elements  will  often 
unite  to  make  the  deadliest  poisons.  At  any 
•rale,  constant  as  she  generally  is,  we  know  she 
sometimes  likes  a  change— J^orwe^'s  Press. 


Mammoth  Peaches.— Mr.  W.  F.  ITowell,  of 
Lexington,  sent  us  a  box  of  Peaches,  recently, 
which  astonished  us.  The  peaches  would  aver- 
age fully  one  half  pound  each  in  weight.  We 
considered  them  rather  large  until  presented  with 
some  by  Mr.  D.  L.  Shead,  of  this  city.  The  lat- 
ter were  of  tlic  same  variety — late  Crawfords  — 
and  twelve  of  them  weighed  just  seven  pounds. 
Tluy  measured  from  0]  to  10^^  inches  in  circum- 
ference. We  doubt  if  that  can  be  beat  — San 
Jose{Cal.)  Mercury. 


Knox  Nurseries,  at  Pittsburg,  has  passed 
to  II.  Cummings  &  Co.  Mr.  K.  has  done  a 
valuable  work  in  showing  how  much  can  be  done 


with  small  fruits,  v^'hen  managed  with  judgment 
and  good  sense.  It  was  a  great  work  for  him  to 
do,  for  we  think  that  when  once  a  man  is  placed 
on  the  grandfathers  list,  it  is  time  for  him  to 
take  the  world  easy.  But  it  seemed  necessary 
for  him  to  set  young  men  an  honorable  example, 
and  we  have  no  doubt  those  who  succeed  him 
will  profit  by  it.  They  have  commenced  very 
well.  Their  descriptive  and  illustrated  catalogue 
of  fruits  will  interest  any  one  at  all  horlicultu- 
rally  inclined. 


ErCE  Paper  Plant. — The  beautiful  Paper 

Plant  or  tree,  Tung-tsau  of  the  Chinese.  This 
grows  wild  in  the  forests  of  Formosa,  and  often 
attains  a  height  of  thirty  feet.  It  grows  much 
like  the  palm,  with  a  slender  trunk  and  corru- 
gated bark.  At  its  top  it  is  crowned  with  large 
leaves,  and  above  these,  on  slender  stems,  is  a 
profusion  of  clusters  of  small,  but  delicate  yellow 
flowers.  In  the  flowering  season,  the  tree  is 
very  pretty.  But  its  value  consists  not  in  its 
ornamental  qualities.  Like  the  elder  (Samhu- 
cus.)  it  has  a  large  pith;  this,  in  a  full-grown 
tree,  is  not  less  than  two  inches  in  diameter. 
This  is  driven  out  by  a  punch,  after  the  tree  has 
been  cut  into  sections,  and  then  put  into  hollow 
bamboos,  where  it  dries  straight.  After  this  it 
is  removed,  and  by  a  machine,  something  like 
that  by  v.iiich  leather  is -split,  is  by  a  spiral  mo- 
tion cut  into  sheets  about  four  feet  long.  These 
are  then  pressed  until  they  become  firm  and 
smooth,  after  which  they  are  cut  into  sheets  of 
the  desred  size. 

This  makes  a  very  good  paper,  and  is  exten- 
tensively  used  in  eastern  countries  It  has  the 
peculiar  quality  of  swelling  w  hen  it  is  wetted, 
and  then  of  retaining  its  enlarged  size.  This 
makes  it  very  desirable  for  fancy  work,  such  as 
taking  the  impress  of  leaves  and  flowers  ;  also 
for  draAvings,  as  the  moistened  surface  rises  and 
gives  the  cflect  of  relief. 

This  paper  has  been  in  use  for  a  long  time  by 
the  Chinese,  though  they  make  other  kinds,  of 
different  materials.  ^ome  is  made  of  bark, 
which  they  macerate  and  then  work  into  a  thin 
pulp,  that  is  allowed  to  settle  upon  a  fine  sieve 
placed  in  the  bottom  of  the  trough.  This  is 
then  brouglit  up  and  dried,  and  beaten  witii 
mallets  until  it  is  firm  and  smooth.  1  have 
often  seen  the  n  itives  at  work  at  this,  and  a 
very  usable  paper  they  make.  By  i)utting  color- 
ing matter  in  the  pulp,  it  can  be  made  of  any 
shade  they  desire. 


I 


1871. 


THE    GARDEjy-ER'S    MOJ^'THLY. 


Paper  of  some  kind  has  been  long  in  use,  but 
probably  at  the  first  the  skins  of  animals  were 
generally  used. 

We  ar^  told  that  the  early  Arabs  made  their 
inscriptions  on  the  shoulder-blades  of  their 
sheep. 

The  papyrus  was  early  used  in  Egj-pt  for 
jiaper,  and  continued  in  use  for  a  long  time  after 
the  Cliristian  era.  This  paper  was  prepared  by 
separating  the  different  layers  of  tlie  bark,  and 
then,  by  pressing  several  of  them  together,  with 
each  alternate  one  laid  crosswise.  This  is  said 
to  have  made  a  strong  and  durable  paper. 

But  this  gradually  gave  way,  and  some  form 
of  vegetable  pulp  was  used  in  its  stead,  and  this 
will  probably  be  used  in  all  coming  ages  by  the 
civilized  world.      Doubtless  most  would  be  as- 


tonished to  see  how  well  the  world  got  along  be- 
fore the  days  of  paper  mills,  and  how  neatly 
paper  was  prepared  for  public  and  private  use. 

The  budhist  priests  of  the  East  still  write  their 
sacred  literature  cm  sections  of  the  leaf  of  the  sa- 
cred palm.  I  have  often  seen  them  reading  from 
these  books,  and  have  a  part  of  one  now  in  my 
possession.  They  are  neat  in  appearance,  and 
not  inconvenient. 

Modern  invention  has  done  much  for  the 
world,  but  not  as  much  as  one  at  first  would 
naturally  suppose.  —  Ohio  Farmer. 


Hutchinson  Peach. — Fruit  of  medium  size 
and  quality,  much  like  old  Red  Rareripe  ;  said 
to  have  borne  regularly  for  forty  years  in  the 
vicinity  of  Reading,  Mass. 


HOETICUTURAL    NOTICES. 


FRUIT  GRO\VERS'  SOCIETY  OF  PENNA. 

As  announced  in  our  last,  the  winter  meeting 
of  this  society  is  to  be  held  this  year  at  Cham- 
bcrsburg,  Pa.,  and  promises  to  be  one  of  the 
most  interesting  ever  held.  It  will  begin  on  the 
18th  of  January.  The  Cumberland  Valley  R  R. 
will  reduce  their  fore  for  the  occasion.  It  is  so 
very  seldom  that  eastern  roads  will  make  this 
concession  in  such  cases,  that  it  is  worthy  of  par- 
ticular praise.  In  the  West  the  roads  always  do 
the  handsome  thing,  which,  considering  that 
most  of  those  who  attend  these  meetings  do  so 
in  a  great  measure  for  the  public  good,  is  just  as 
it  should  be.  It  may  be  added  that  to  get  the 
benefit  of  the  reduced  rates,  parties  must  apply 
at  the  ticket  oftice  at  Harrisburg  for  the  Fruit 
Growers'  excursion  ticket.  The  meeting  of 
friends  is  always  in  itself  pleasant,—  it  is  hoped 
that  the  interchange  of  ideas  will  be  also  profit- 
able lo  all. 

In  addition  to  this  liberality,  the  citizens  of 
Chambersburg,  propose  to  entertain  as  many 
members  as  possible  at  their  private  homes. 


PEXXSYLVANIA  HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 

A  few  years  ago  the  Penn«;ylvania  Society 
suffered  terribly  from  the  burning  of  their  grand 
liall.  Every  year  afterwards  it  took  all  they 
could  collect  to  extemporize  a  place  for  the  an- 
nu\l   exhibitions.     However  they  built  one   for 


themselves  ;  but  still  they  could  not  raise  enough 
to  reward  contributors  for  their  generous  sup- 
port to  it.  Every  year,  however,  the  revenues 
of  the  society  has  been  increasing,  and  the 
society  feel  encouraged  to  offer  for  next  year 
something  commensurate  with  the  liberality  ex- 
tended to  them.  We  understand  that  it  is  in 
contemplation  to  appropriate  over  thirteen  or 
fourteen  hundred  dollars  for  this  purpose,— a 
larger  sum  it  is  believed  than  has  ever  before 
been  offered  in  one  3-ear  in  the  United  States. 
Several  premiums  of  from  §25  to  $30  are  amongst 
them,— and  we  understand  there  will  be  some  of 
S'jO,  and  silver  watches  suitably  engraved  for 
successful  competitors. 

Although  this  Society  was  established  for  the 
encouragement  of  Horticulture  in  Pennsylvania 
alone,  with  a  liberality  which  does  them  honor, 
the  eompefitiou  is  entirely  free  to  the  whole  United 
States. 

In  order  to  give  every  chance  to  exhibitors  to 
grow  especially  for  competition,  the  schedule 
committee  is  now  engaged  in  preparing  one, 
which  we  believe  will  be  ready  early  in  February. 
It  can  be  had  of  A.  W.  Harrison,  Secretary.'  If 
wc  might  make  a  suggestion  to  the  Sf)ciety,  it 
would  be  to  advertise  the  whole  schedule  in  the 
Gardencr''s  MonVihj.  It  would  save  much  time 
to  their  hard  worked  secretary  in  mailing,  re- 
quire a  less  number  of  copies  to  be  printed, — 
and  let  the  whole  world  of  horticulturists,  ex- 


32 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^THLl.        'January, 


hibitors  or  not,  see  exactly  what  the  Society  is 
doing. 

ILLINOIS  STATe'iIORTICULTURaL 

SOCIETY. 
The  great  number  of  intelligent  horticulturists 
in  the  Stale  of  Illinois,  always  renders  their  an- 
nual meetings  particularly  instructive.  As  we 
go  to  press  we  find  some  account  of  the  recent 
meeting  at  Galena,  in  the  Chicago  Tribune,  from 
the  pen  of  the  Hon.  ]\I.  L.  Dunlap. 

President  Flagg  delivered  the  annual  address. 
From  reports  of  committees  we  gather  that  the 
fruit  crop  was  Ught,  except  grapes,  which  were 
better  than  usual.  The  pear  blight  has  been 
severe  "but  no  cause  can  be  assigned  for  it." 

Robert  Douglass  read  a  paper  favoring  shelter 
of  evergreens  for  orchards,  which  seemed  to  meet 
the  approval  of  members.  Half  hardy  varieties 
live  well  under  the  shelter  of  the  more  hardy 
ones.  On  transplanting  Mr.  Douglass  gave 
some  very  excellent  advice  ;  he  would  prefer  the 
spring  season,  before  the  swelling  of  the  buds, 
and  in  planting  pack  the  earth  on  the  roots  very 
solid.  In  case  the  soil  is  a  little  dry,  it  should 
have  water  poured  into  the  hole  so  as  to  form  a 
puddle ;  after  filling  up  with  earth,  it  is  to  be 
rammed  down  firmly.  lie  obsei'ved  that  this 
was  not  very  scientific,  yet  it  was  good  for  the 
trees.  This  is  a  point  that  should  not  be  ne- 
glected in  the  planting  of  evergreens. 

Dr.  Warder  lectured"  on  variations.  The  Rus- 
sian apples  were  discussed,  aud  opinion  favored 
the  value  of  many  of  them. 

C.  Y.  Riley,  Entomologist  of  Missouri,  read  a 
paper  on  snout  beetles,  embracing  only  the 
plum,  quince  and  apple  curculios.  The  number 
of  insects  that  prey  upon  the  plants  of  culture 
are  almost  like  the  sands  of  the  seashore.  These 
attack  the  plant  in  all  stages  of  its  growth  as 
well  as  in  all  its  conditions. 

The  plum  curculio  is  the  most  destructive  of 
any  member  of  this  family  of  insects.'  He  stated 
that  it  is  single  brooded,  and  passes  its  winter 
in  the  beetle  state,  under  rubbish,  and  never 
under  ground.  Mr.  R.  presented  a  bottle  with 
several  of  these  insect.s,  all  alive,  and  ready  to 
feed  on  the  apple. 

Another  habit  of  this  insect  is  that  it  flies, 
feeds  and  lays  its  eggs  at  night ;  in  short,  is  a 
nocturnal  insect.  The  Michigan  method  of  cap- 
turing this  insect  under  the  chips  was  com- 
mented upon,  and  shown  to  be  neither  new  or 

very  useful,  unless  it  be  resorted  to  early  in  the 
season. 


lie  described  two  insects  that  feed  on  the 
larvse  of  this  curculio,  from  which  he  had  hopes 
of  great  good. 

Apple  Curculio. — This  insect  differs  from  the 
former  ;  it  is  smaller,  aud  never  infests  tlie  stone 
fruits,  and,  like  the  former,  is  a  native  American 
insect. 

Quince  Curculio,  Mr.  R.  stated,  was  very  in- 
jurious to  the  quince  and  pear — very  common  at 
the  East. 

Arthur  Bryant  showed  the  profitableness  of 
timber  when  planted  on  forms. 

Dr.  Yiele,  of  Rock  Island,  showed  the  im- 
mense advantage  of  birds  to  the  husbandman. 

Prof.  Turner  showed  that  horticultural  edu- 
cation had  made  a  great  gain  during  the  past 
few  years.  An  university  education  was  not  as 
necessary  now  as  in  the  past  to  distinguish  a 
man  in  the  social  position  or  the  iuduslrial  pur- 
suits of  life.  Parker  Earle  spoke  on  pears  ;  Mr. 
Dunlap  says,  one  of  the  best  and  most  instruc- 
tive ever  he  heard  on  the  subject. 

Mr.  Talbot,  of  Burlington,  and  Shaw,  of  Lewis- 
ton,  spoke  of  pear  orchards  productively  success- 
ful about  them  when  not  treated  to  surface 
stirring. 

A.  M.  Brown  road  a  paper  on  this  transporting 
fruit.  Close  packing,  to  avoid  injury  from 
railroad  friction,  is  deemed  essential.  Close 
packages,  such  as  barrels,  are  best  for  the  pear. 
In  case  they  are  fully  ripe,  wrap  in  paper  or  soft 
grass.  Grapes  should  be  exposed  to  the  sun 
some  hours  before  putting  into  boxes  of  from 
three  to  five  pounds. 

Dr.  Spalding  would  place  the  grape  directly 
from  the  vine  into  the  boxes.  In  this  way  the 
bloom  is  preserved,  and  the  fruit  presents  a  bet- 
ter appearance.  The  boxes  are  placed  in  the 
shade  lor  the  day,  in  orjcr  to  allow  them  to 
throw  ofl'  the  extra  moisture,  and  then  closed  up 
for  shipment.  In  all  cases  of  harvesting  the 
grape  crop,  the  weather  must  be  dry. 

The  wine  question  raised  an  exciting  discus- 
sion. It  was  thought  horticulture  ought  not 
to  favor  anything  that  tended  to  drunkenness. 
The  pure  wine  men  denied  that  it  did.  Mr. 
Dunlap  says,  the  discussion  was  very  earnest  ;^ 
but  in  good  temper,  just  as  such  discussions 
ought  to  be.  Mr.  Manning,  of  Boston,  made  .an 
address  on  the  cflTects  of  fruit  culture,  which  wa8 
highly  ajipreciatcd. 

Arthur  Bryant  was  elected  next  President, — 
and  the  next  place  of  meeting,  Jacksonville. 


ded 

fine 

best 

able 

arly 

ong 

and 

lap- 

irub 

able 

not 

The 

this 

dra- 

:hof 

^nus 

tion 

:om- 

ec  is 

wers 

lyas 

urea 

as  it 

seen 

I  dry 

)il  it 

use 

The 

and- 

on — 

.awn 

d  its 

very 

itioii 

)iuca 

sira- 


s 


hib 
doi 

I 

1 

nuf 

go 
mei 

llie 

I 

rr( 

fru 

bet 
scv 

I 

off 

the 

live 

one 

sor 

spr 

an( 

sol 

lia'' 

pui 

rar. 

wa 

tre 

gle 
I 
sia 
the 
C 
pa] 
pill 
of 
are 
att 
wc 

r 

an; 
thf 
in 
un' 

8C\ 

fee' 
J 
fee 
no( 
tui 
mc 
vei 
sea 


^'■^»"LLE. HUDSON  ^° 


l^oUVAKDIA  \  ivlvi'.J.ANI) 

PURE    WHITE. 


DEVOTED  TO 

Horticulture,    Arboriculture,    Botany    and    Fiural    Affairs. 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEHAX. 


Old  Series,  Vol.  XIII.       FEBRUARY,    1871.       New  Series,  Vol.  IV.    No.  2. 


HINTS    FOE    FEBRUARY. 


FLOWER  GARDEN  AXD  PLEASURE 
GROUND. 

In  most  parts  of  the  Union  planting  does  not 
commence  till  March  ;  but  as  in  many  sections 
it  is  getting  in  order,  we  may  as  well  make  a  few 
suggestions  here  as  in  the  next  month.  And 
lirst,  as  regards  selections  of  trees  and  shrubs. 
We  are  very  glad  so  much  more  attention  is 
given  now  than  formerly  to  the  matter  of  variety; 
not  only  for  the  many  more  prettj'  combinations 
which  can  be  made,  but  also  for  the  pleasure 
^vhich  so  many  forms  of  stately  trees  and  beautiful 
)lower  bushes  give.  AVe  are  particularl}'  pleased 
that  shiubs  are  so  increasingly  popular. 

If  we  have  any  truly  beautiful  natural  land- 
scape scenery  pointed  out  to  us,  and  analyze  the 
materials  that  go  to  make  it  up,  we  sh  find 
shrubberj',  or  '■  buslies,"  as  we  should  then  term 
it,  going  far  towards  making  the  place  so  charm- 
ing, unless,  indeed,  it  is  a  distant  view  ;  when, 
of  course,  masses  of  vegetation  in  wiiich  trees  are 
undistinguished  from  shrubs,  play  a  more  im 
porta nt  part.  Not  a  wall  is  built,  or  a  fence  set 
up,  but  bushes  and  shrubber}'  of  various  kinds 
spring  up,  and  take  from  the  view  the  roughness 
of  the  outlines.  This  observation  will  furnish  a 
good  guide  as  to  the  proper  positioJf  and  uses  of 
shrubbery.  There  are  now  fine  collections  of 
slirubbery  in  most  nurseries  to  select  from.  Of 
those  which  are  bciutiful  and  can  be  readily  and 
cheaply  obtained,  we  may  name  Dwarf  Horse 
Chestnut,  flowering  in  June.  The  different  Dog- 
woods, particularly  Cornus  florida,  C.  sanguinea, 
C.  mascula,  C.  alba,  and  particularl}'  the  varie- 
gated English.     The  Hawthorns  are  very  pretty 


when  in  a  cool  soil,  and  situation  partially  shaded 
from  the  sun  in  summer.     There  are  many  fine 
double  varieties  of  the  English  which  do  best 
when  grafted  on  American  stocks.     The  Double 
White  and  Double  Red  and  Pink  are  particularly 
desirable.     The    Laburnum  is  a  rather  strong 
growing    shrub,   also   wanting  a  cool  soil  and 
situation.     When   the  season,  as  the  last,  hap- 
pens favorably,  it  is  the  most  ornamental  shrub 
we  liave.     The  Sea  Buckthorn  is  very  desirable 
for  its  pretty  silvery  foliage  ;  but   it  should  not 
be  set  on  a  lawn,  as  it  suckers  somewhat.     The 
shrubbery   border  is  the   place  for  it.     Of  this 
silver-leaved  class  the  Oleasters  are  very  desira- 
ble.    The  yellow  is  not  hardy,  probably  north  of 
New   York  ;    but   the   small-leaved   (^Eleagnus 
parvifolia)  is  perfectly  so.     It   has  in  addition 
very  sweet  flowers  and   pretty  berries  to  recom- 
mend it.     The  Silver  Bell  or  Snow  drop  tree  is 
also  a  large  shrub  ;  but   iis  early  white  flowers 
give  it  a  claim  on  most  shrubberies,  especially  as 
it  blooms  quite  young.     The  magnolias  purpurea 
and  glauca  are  very  desirable.     The  latter,  as  it 
grows  in  swamps  when  wild,  is  not   often  seen 
cultivated,  as  it  is  supposed  it  will  not  do  in  dry 
soil.     This  is  a  mistake.     In  a  deep  rich  soil  it 
thrives    amazingly.       It    requires    a    free    use 
of   the   pruning-knife   on  transplanting.      The 
European    Bird    Cherry    is   one  of   the  hand- 
.somest   strong-growing   shrubs   of  its  season- 
June.       For    a    single    specimen     on    a    lawn 
it  is  not  well  excelled.     Its  habit  is  good,  and  its 
flowering  abundant.     Its  berries  are   also  very 
enticing  to  birds,  which  form  no  mean  addition 
to  the  pleasures  of  a  garden.  The  Pyrus  japonica 
every  one  knows.     The  white  variety  is  desira- 


3Jf 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOKTELY.      February, 


ble,  though  it   is   more   pink   than  white.     The 
Mist  tree  is  indispensable,  Ironi  its  striking  pe- 
culiarity of  flowering.     The  White  Fringe,  with 
leaves  like  the  lilac,  and  large  pendent  clusters 
t)f  white  flowers,  no  less  so.     There  are  several 
Willows  which,  as  shrubs,  we  would  on  no  ac- 
count be  without,   for   their   flowers   large  and 
sweet,  so  early  that  the  first  sun  that  thaws  the 
March  snow,  brings  them    out  also.     The  Goat 
Willow,  and  the  Villars  Willow— male  varieties 
of  course — are  especially  to  be  mentioned.     The 
Indian    Cherry   (Amelanchier),    following    the 
AVillow  in  flowering,  and  very  beautiful ;  and  the 
Double  Pink,  and  Double  White  Dwarf  Almond, 
are  also  early  and  pretty.     The  Yellow,  Wliite, 
and   Crimson   Azalea.s  are   magnificent,  but  so 
scarce  in  nurseries  we  are  almost  afraid  to  have 
them  in  this  list.     The  different  Berberries  can  be 
scarcely  spared  for  their  pretty  red  berries  in  fjxll 
The  Sweet  Shrub  or  Virginia  Calycanthus,  is  one 
of  the  sweetest  of  all  flowering   shrubs,  though 
its  color  is  dull.     The  Bladder  Senna  is  very  de- 
.•-irable  for  its  love  of  our  summer  heat,  flowering 
profusely  during  July  and  August.     The  Meze- 
reon  is  particularly  sweet  and  attractive,  bloom- 
ing very  early,  but  like  the  azalea,  rather  scarce 
in  nurseries.     The  Deutzias  are  w^ell   known— 
scabra  and  gracilis  are  the  two  best.     The  Burn- 
ing bushes  are  beautiful  in  the  fiill ;   the  Mis- 
sissippi Purple  (a^rojjurjHu-ea),  and  the  European 
are  two  most  desirable.     The  Golden   Bell  and 
early    Spiroeas,    as    prunifolia,    Blumeana  and 
Ileevesii,  everyone  wants,  as  well  as  the  Wiegelia 
rosea.  The  public  taste  is  divided  onthe  Althea, 
yet   there  are    few   gardens  without  some  one 
variety    or    other.      The    variegated-leaved    is 
scjirce,  but  as   desirable   as  any  shrub  grown. 
The  Oak-leaved  Hydrangea  makes  a  very  striking 
object  in  a  collection  ;  and   the  common  garden 
Hydrangea  indispensable  for  dense  shade.     For 
flowering  in  August,  and    for  dwarf  compact 
liabit,  Hypericum   Kalmianum,  or  the  H.  pro- 
lificum,  is  perhaps  unrivalled.     A  rather  scarce, 
but  particularly  i)retty  native  shrub  is  Itea  Vir- 
ginica,  which,  like  the  Magnolia  glauca,  a  swamp 
plant,  cultivates  well  in   dry  ground.     The  Jas- 
minum  nudiflorum  should  be  trained  to  a  stifl' 
stake,  and  get  a  pruning  with  the  shears  twice 
a  year;  it  then  grows  very  compact,  and  will 
support  itself  after  the  stake  rots  away.     Then, 
it  makes  (tne  of  the  ])i('lticst  shrubbery  bushes 
imaginable.     As  an  oriental   looking  plant,  the 
common  Privet  is  good  ;  indeed,  its  pure  white 
flowers,  fragrant  ae  they  are,  and  jet  black  ber- 


ries, always  attract  attention.  It  is  a  plant  also 
that  will  thrive  in  the  most  gravelly  soils.  The 
Upright  Honeysuckles  are  perhaps  the  most 
common  in  gardens  ;  the  Tartarian  deservedly  so, 
few  things  are  prettier.  The  Fly  Honeysuckle 
also  is  desirable,  for  though  the  flowers  are  not 
quite  as  showy  as  the  Tartarian,  the  habit  is 
more  graceful.  Then  the  Mock  Oranges  or  Phil- 
adelphus,  though  all  white  flowering,  afford,  by 
their  diversity  of  habit,  many  good  shrubs.  The 
sweet  one,  (P.  coronarius^)  one  of  the  oldest  and 
best,  is  least  common.  The  Large-flowered  and 
Gordon's  upright  are  the  two  next  beat.  The 
Tree  Pa^onies,  though  rather  expensive,  every 
one  wants.  The  Red  and  White  Snowberry 
make  a  good  show  in  winter  by  their  interesting 
fruit.  As  for  the  Lilacs,  we  need  scarcely  recom- 
mend them.  Common  as  they  are  no  garden  is 
complete  without  them.  The  Persian  is  a  very 
distinct  one  from  the  common  kinds.  There  are 
many  new  varieties,  but  they  are  but  shades  of 
old  colors.  The  Tamarix  is  not  often  seen,  but 
a  great  favorite  of  ours.  In  the  class  of  Vibur- 
nums the  Snow  ball  is  well-known  ;  also  the 
high  bush  or  false  Ci-anberry ;  the  Black  Haw 
and  the  Wayf;iring  tree  are  the  best. 

Amongst  large  sized  trees  of  the  evergreen 
class,  that  are  almost  indispensable  in  grounds 
of  any  size,  ar6  the  White  or  W^eymouth  Pine, 
Austrian  Pine,  Scotch  Pine,  all  well  known  ; 
but  there  are  a  ^c-w  others  which  are  scarcer,  but 
which  when  common  enough  to  be  cheap,  will  be 
quite  as  much  appreciated  as  these.  Amongst 
these  are  the  Bhotan  or  Himalayan  Pine,  Pinus 
excelsa.  This  has  been  unpopular  because  of  a 
few  fine  specimens  having  been  killed  by  some 
insects  or  fungus,  it  is  not  clear  which  ;  but  we 
know  some  specimens  thirty  feet  high,  and  be- 
lieve they  are  no  more  subject  to  disease  than 
the  White  Pine.  Pinus  Australis ;  the  long- 
leaved  Pine  of  the  South,  is  hardy  in  Philadel- 
phia, but  it  has  to  get  strongly  rooted  before  it 
grows  fast,  and  has  to  reach  age  before  it  branches 
much  ;  we  cannot  speak  of  its  value  in  orna- 
mental gardening.  Pinus  maritima  is  somewhat 
like  it  in  it.f  long  leaves,  but  is  the  most  rapid  of 
all  pines.  It  is  not  pretty  when  young  ;  but 
makes  a  very  striking  appearance  with  age  on 
large  lawns.  It  is  just  hardy  in  Philadelphia, 
but  we  suppose  would  be  too  much  injured  to  be 
poj  ular  north  of  this  generally.  Pinus  mitis 
and  Pinus  r/'yida,  arc  two  very  pretty  native 
Pines  of  large  growth,  equal  in  beauty  to  any 
foreign  kinds,  but  so  rarely  grown  in  nurseries 


1S7L 


THE    GARDEJ\rER'S   MOJ^TRL  Y. 


35 


that  wc  are  afraid  to  name  them  here,  as  we  do 
not  know  Nvhere  the  planter  could  obtain  them. 
Pimts  pyrenaka.  is  much  like  the  Austrian,  but 
has  longer  and   finer  foliage,  and  the   wood   is 
reddish  instead  of  a  grey  brown,  as  in  the  com- 
mon Black  Austrian.     Amongst  the  spruces  the 
best  known  and   most  essential  is  the  Norway. 
Then  we   may   use   the   White  Spruce,  and,  in 
Northern  regions,  the  Black  Spruce.  AVe  believe 
it  does  no  good  .south  of  this  point.     The  Hem- 
lock  Spruce  is   very   desirable  so  far   south  as 
North  Carolina,  below   that   it   dwindles  away. 
Amongst  the  rarer  ones  are  A.  Menzicsii,  and 
south  of  Philadelphia,  A.  Doiiglasii.     Of  the  fir 
tribe  the  Silver  is   extremely  desirable,  and  the 
Balsam  Fir  in  northern  regions,  or  in  low  rich 
soils,  but  not  wet.    Amongst  the  rarer  ones  very 
desirable  is  the  Siberian,  the  Nordmanu,  and  the 
Cephalonian  Silvers  — the  last  the  tenderest  we 
believe — the   nchilis  and  (/ranr/Zs  will  also  prove 
very  hardy  and  desirable,  although  we  have  seen 
no  very   large  specimens.      We  think  we  may 
class    the    Crypt'-nieria  jnponica    amongst  the 
larger   class   of  Evergreens  which  is  hard^'  and 
desirable,  and  then  close  our  list,  no  very  exten- 
sive one.     Of  Evei'greens   which   make  only  a 
medium  sized  tree,  we  also  hav^e  Pines,  Spruces, 
and  Firs  ;  of  the  former,  the   Cembran  Pine  is 
indispensable  ;  and  if  we  could  find  them  in  our 
nurseries,  we  would  like  to  add  Pinus  inoj)s  and 
Pinus  Banl-stana.     Of  Spruces  we  have  no  com- 
mon ones  of  medium  height,  but  a  rather  rare 
one,  Abies  orientalis  ought  to  be  in  every  small 
garden  where  choice  and  good  things  are  desira- 
ble.   When  we  get  to  the  smaller  size  evergreens 
or  dwarfs,  we   have  a   great   variety    amongst 
.Junipers,  Arborvitces,  Yews.  Of  this  class  how- 
ever are  three  which  deserve   especial   mention, 
because  we  think  that  any  one   who  will  make 
them  common  enough   to  plant   cheaply  every- 
where, will  be   public   benefactors.     We   mean 
Lawson's  Cypress,  Nootka  Sound    Arborvitce, 
and  the  Llbocedrus  decurrens,  all  hardy  and  very 
beautiful  evergreens  of  medium  growth. 

For  a  collection  of  desirable  trees,  not  par- 
ticularly scarce,  but  which  could  be  had  in  most 
nurseries,  we  would  telect  the  Norway,  Red, 
Sycamore  and  Sugar  Maples  ;  English  Horse 
Chestnut,  where  the  soil  is  not  too  hot  or  dry  ; 
Elnglish  White  Birch  ;  English  Hornbeam,  a 
rather  small  tree  ;  Judas  tree,  either  English  or 
American  ;  European  Beech,  also  the  blood- 
leaved  variety  ;  European  Ash,  including  the 
weeping  variety  and  flowering  Ash  [ornus];  Euro- 


pean Larch,  and  the  American  to  make  a  pretty 
tree  when  mature;  the  Sweet  Gum;  Magnolia  tri- 
petela  ;  Mimosa  tree  {Jullbrissln),  south  of  Phil- 
adelphia ;  Paulownia  for  those  who  like  sweet  or 
showy  flowers  regardless  of  an  ugly  growth  ; 
Oriental  Plane  for  grandeur  and  rapid  growth  , 
and  of  the  Oaks,  the  English,  Scarlet,  Mossy- 
cup  and  Swamp  White  are  the  best.  The  de- 
ciduous Cypress,  American  Linden,  and  where 
the  Elm-worm  is  not  troublesome,  the  American 
Elm. 


FRUIT  GARDEN. 


Pruning  of  fruit  trees,  when  required,  should 
be  proceeded   with   at  favorable  opportunities. 
AVe  write  when  required,  for  in  our  climate,  more 
injury  is  done  by  the  knife  than  by  the  neglect  to 
use  it.     Gooseberries,   for  instance,  are  usually 
ruined  by  pruning.     In  Europe,  it  is  customary 
to  thin  out  the  centre  well  to  "  let  in  the  sun  and 
air."   Here  it  is  the  sun  and  air  that  ruin  them, 
by  inviting  mildew  ;  and  so  the  more  shoots,  the 
better.     Our  country  farmers  are  the  best  goose- 
berry growers,  where  weeds  run  riot,  and  grass 
and  gooseberries  affect   a   close  companionship. 
Wherever,  in  fact,  the  gooseberry  can  find  a  cool 
corner,  well  shaded   from   the   sun,  and  with  a 
soil,   Avhich,   never  wet,  nor  yet  by  any  means 
dry,  there  will  gooseberries  be   produced   unto 
you.     The  English  kinds  mildew  so  universally, 
as  to  be  almost  gone  out  of  cultivation  south  of 
the  St.  Lawrence.     Nor,  indeed,   is   it  to  be  so 
much  regretted,  since  the  improved  seedlings  of 
large   size  and   fine    quality,    raised   from   the 
hardier  American  species,  are  becoming  known, 
and  their  merits  appreciated  by  growers. 

The  rule,  in  pruning  grape-vines,  is  to  shorten 
the  shoots  in  proportion  to  their  strength  ;  but,  if 
the  advice  we  have  given  in  former  summer  hints 
has  been  attended  to,  there  will  be  little  dispro- 
portion in  this  matter,  as  summer  pinching  of 
the  strong  shoots  has  equalized  the  strength  of 
the  vine.  1  hose  who  are  following  any  particu- 
lar S3'stem  will,  of  course,  prune  according  to  the 
rules  comprising  such  system.  As  a  general  rule, 
we  can  only  say,  excellent  grapes  can  be  had  by 
any  system  of  pruning  ;  for  the  only  object  of 
pruning  in  any  case  is  to  get  strong  shoots  to 
push  where  they  may  be  desired,  or  to  increase, 
with  the  increased  vigor  of  the  shoot,  which 
pruning  supposes  will  follow  the  act,  increased 
size  in  the  fruit  it  bears. 
All  fruit  trees  like  a  rather  dry,  rich  soil.     On 


36 


THE    GARDEJVEIl'S   MOJ\fTHLY.       Fehmary, 


a  cold,  clayoy  boltoni,  diseases  are  usually  fre- 
quent. Do  not  plant  deep;  cut  ofl'tap  roots,  and  do 
all  you  can  to  encourage  surface  fibres.  Surface 
manuring  is  the  best  way  of  doing  this  after  the 
tree  is  planted.  Do  not  allow  anything  to  grow 
vigorously  around  your  trees  the  first  year  of 
l)Ianting,  uor  allow  the  soil  to  become  hard  or 
dry.  Let  trees  branch  low,  and  prune  a  little  at 
transplanting. 

The  Strawberr}',  where  it  has  been  covered 
during  the  winter,  should  be  uncovered  as  early 
as  possible  in  spring,  that  the  warm  spring  suns 
may  exert  all  their  intluence  on  producing  an 
early  crop.  As  soon  as  growth  commences,  a 
sowing  of  guano  has  been  found  to  be  of  great 
benefit  to  the  crop  of  fruit. 

Easpberries  and  Blackberiies  may  be  planted 
towards  the  end  of  the  month  ;  they  should  be 
cut  down  to  within  a  foot  of  the  ground  at 
])lanting  ;  they  will  of  course,  not  then  bear  the 
next  season  after  planting.  But  this  is  a  benefit ; 
no  fruit  tree  should  be  allowed  to  bear  the  same 
season. 

As  to  the  best  varieties  of  fruits  to  plant,  that 
is  a  question  which  a  woi'k,  intended  as  ours  is 
for  the  whole  United  States,  cannot  answer. 
We  are  continually  publishing  fruit  lists  adapted 
to  the  different  sections  in  the  body  of  our  work, 
and  to  them  we  refer. 


VEGETABLE  GARDEN". 

The  work  for  February  will,  for  the  most  part, 
consist  of  preparations  for  future  operations,  and 
particularly  for  dealing  with  the  manure  ques- 
tion. All  those  kinds  that  are  grown  for  their 
leaves  or  stems,  require  an  abundance  of  nitro- 
genous manures,  and  it  is  useless  to  attempt 
vegetable  gardening  without  it.  To  this  class 
belong  cabbage,  lettuce,  spinach,  etc.  The  other 
class  which  is  grown  principally  for  its  seeds  or 
pods,  as  beans,  peas,  etc.,  do  not  require  much 
manure  of  this  character,  in  fact,  they  ai'e  in- 
jured by  it.  It  causes  too  great  a  growth  of  stem 
and  leaf,  and  the  earliness— a  great  aim  in  vege- 
table growing— is  injuriously  afiected.  Mineral 
manures,  as  wood  ashes,  bone-dust,  etc.,  are 
much  better  for  them.  For  vegetables  requiring 
rich  stable  manure,  it  is  best  that  they  have  it 
Avell  rot'.ed  and  decayed.  IS'othing  has  yet  been 
found  so  well  fitted  for  the  purpose  as  old  hot- 
bed dung  ;  though  to  the  smell  no  trace  of  "  am- 
monia" remains  in  it. 


One,  of  the  most  interesting  parts  of  a  vege- 
table garden  is  a  hot-bed  for  starting  seeds  early. 
The  end  of  the  month  will  be  time  enough  for 
those  who  have  not  command  of  a  large  supply 
of  stable  manure,  as  the  very  low  temperature 
we  often  get  at  the  end  of  the  month,  soon  ab- 
sorbs all  the  heat  the  hot-bed  possessed.  It  is  in 
any  event  best  to  put  up  the  beds  in  the  warmest 
and  most  sheltered  spots  we  can  find,  and  to  keep 
cold  winds  from  the  manure,  by  covering  it  with 
branches  of  trees,  or  mats  ;  and  the  glass  shou'd 
always  be  covered  with  mats  at  night.  Tomatoes, 
egg-plants,  peppers  and  cucumbers,  are  the  first 
seeds  to  be  sown  this  vfa.y.  Cooler  frames  can  be 
got  ready  for  cauliflower,  lettuce,  beets,  celery 
and  Early  York  cabb.age,  a  little  of  which  may 
be  sown  about  the  end  of  the  mouth  for  the  ear- 
liest crops.  The  Cauliflower  is  a  particularly 
valued  vegetable,  and  no  expense  spared  to  get 
them  in  perfection  will  be  regretted  when  one's 
efforts  ara  successful. 

Those  who  have  hot-bedis  will  now  sow  Toma- 
toes, Egg-plants,  Peppers,  and  other  vegetables 
that  can  be  forwarded  by  this  means;  and  those 
who  have  not,  will  sow  them  in  boxes  or  pans, 
and  forward  them  in  windows.  Every  garden 
ought  to  have  at  least  a  few  hot-bed  sashes  to 
forward  early  vegetables  ;  for  if  they  have  no 
means  of  applying  artificial  heat  to  them,  the 
sash  will  of  itself  forward  some  things  consider 
ably. 

Many  parties  like  to  have  Turnips  sown  in 
spring.  The  only  way  to  succeed  with  them  is 
to  sow  as  early  as  possible,  and  on  a  very  rich 
piece  of  ground,  where  they  may  grow  speedily. 
If  they  do  not  swell  before  the  hot  weather  comes, 
they  will  certainly  run  to  seed. 

About  the  middle  or  end  of  the  month,  or  still 
later  at  the  Xorth — say  the  middle  of  March — 
Celery  and  late  Cabbage  may^  be  sown.  Here 
we  usually  sow  the  second  week  in  March. 

All  gardens  should  have  beds  of  herbs.  Tliey 
are  always  looked  for  in  the  fall,  and  nearly  al- 
ways forgotten  in  spring.  N'ow  is  the  time  to 
plant  Thyme,  Sage,  Mint,  Balm,  and  other  per- 
ennial herbs,  and  Parsley  and  other  seeds  of 
hardy  kinds  may  be  sown.  When  we  say  now 
it  is  of  course  understood  to  mean  where  the 
frost  has  evidently  broken  up  for  the  season. 
Our  readers  in  less  favored  climes  will  not  forget 
it  when  it  does. 


187L 


THE    GARDEJ\i^ER'S   MOJVTHLy. 


37 


GREENHOUSES. 

This  is  the  season  when  many  things  will  re- 
»iuire  ro-ijotting.  Many  have  a  set  time  and 
season  to  do  this  ;  but  some  things  require  re- 
potting at  various  seasons.  The  best  time  is  just 
before  they  are  about  to  make  a  new  growth. 
Camellias,  Azaleas,  and  many  plants,  for  in- 
stance, start  at  this  season.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  repot  so  often  as  some  think,  especially  if 
bloom,  and  not  very  large  specimens,  is  chiefly 
wanted.  If  the  pot  is  very  full  of  roots,  and  the 
plant  growing  weak,  it  maj'  need  re-potting. 

In  potting,  sec  that  some  provision  is  made 
for  allowing  the  water  to  readily  escape,  by  put- 
ting broken  crocks  over  the  hole.  Use  soil  rather 
dry,  and  ram  it  firmly  about  the  oKl  ball.  Prefer 
pocs  only  a  little  larger,  to  very  large  shifts,  as 
less  liable  to  accidents.  Trim  the  plants  in  a 
little,  if  unshapel}',  toeacourage  the  new  growth 
where  wanted. 

Many  who  have  but  small  houses  and  wish  to 
have  a  variety,  are  troubled  with  valued  plants 
becoming  to  large.  To  keep  them  low,  as  soon 
as  the  plant  has  niatured  its  growth,  cut  it  down 
as  low  as  may  be  desired.  As  soon  as  it  shows 
signs  of  breaking  foz-th  into  a  new  growth,  turn 


it  out  of  the  pot  ;  shake  or  tear  away  the  old  ball 
of  roots,  and  put  it  into  a  small  pot  as  it  can  be 
got  into,  and  when  it  grows  again,  and  fills  the 
pot  with  roots,  re-pot  again  as  before. 

Sometimes  the  plants  get  "sick,"  which  is 
known  by  unhealthy,  yellow  leaves.  This  is 
usually  by  over-watering,  generating  a  gas,  or, 
as  gardeners  term  it,  a  "  sourness,"  destructive 
to  the  roots.  The  remedy  is  to  cut  the  plant 
back  a  little,  shake  out  the  soil,  and  put  the  plant 
in  a  small  pot  with  new  soil,  and  place  the  plant 
in  a  house  only  moderately  warm,  and  which  is 
naturally  moist,  so  that  the  plant  can  live  for  a 
while  without  requiring  nuich  water.  It  will 
generally  recover. 

Every  one  interested  in  plant  growing  must  be 
continually  on  the  watch  for  small  insects,  which 
destroy  more  i)lanls  than  many  are  aw\are  of. 
The  little  Black  Thrip  is  very  troublesome  to 
Azaleas  ;  the  green  fly  to  all  soft-wooded  plants  ; 
the  scale  to  CameUias,  Oleanders,  Cactuses,  and 
the  mealy  bug  to  almost  all  hot-house  plants. 
Continual  syriiigings  with  warm,  greasy  watei, 
in  which  svilphur  has  been  mixed,  is  the  best 
remedy.  Tobacco  smoke  is  still  the  most  ap- 
proved mode  of  destroying  green   fly  and  thrip. 


COMMUNICATIONS 


A   FLOWE?t    snow  IN  THE  YEAR  1830. 

EY  3IU.  W.  T.  IIAKDING,  PIIIIvA. 

Some  forty  years  ago,  when  a  novice  in  the 
profession  I  had  selected  to  follow,  I  was  placed 
under  the  instructions  of  an  uncle,  who  was 
celebrated  in  his  day  as  a  skilful  landscape 
cardener,  and.  successful  nurseryman.  "Fair 
Flora,''"  with  whose  charms  I  was  early  smitten, 
liad  wooed  and  won  my  youthful  heart,  and  "  for 
better,  for  worse,"  we  have  since  been  united  for 
so  many  long  i'ears.  It  has  been  said  "the 
course  of  true  love  never  did  run  smooth;' 
probably  not,  as  most  of  us  are  aware  who  have 
crossed  the  stream.  Yet  throiigli  all  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  life  which  the  writer  has  since  e\'i)cri- 
enced,  he  can  truly  say,  his  afTections  have  Jievcr 
been  estranged  from  his  first  love. 

"  F<»rtlie  \wM-l  that  hns  truly  loved  never  forgets, 

But  will  fondly  love  on  to  life's  close; 
A*-  the  Hiinflower  turnp  to  tier  Go'l  when  he  pete, 

Tlic  Willie  look  which  she  irave  when  he  rose." 


But  I  am  wandering  from  the  subject,  and 
what  I  wanted  to  say  when  I  began  this,  is  not 
what  I  have  been  saying,  as  my  intentions  were 
to  describe  a  Flower  Show  which  took  place  long 
ago.  In  those  days  there  were  no  "Grand  Hor- 
ticultural Exhibitions,"' like  the  last  September 
one,  held  in  this  city ;  v.-hich  was,  indeed, 
a  grand  affair.  In  those  days  they  were 
simply  called  ''  Flower  Shows,"  where  prizes 
were  awarded  to  the  growers  who  showed  the 
best. 

Early  in  5k[ay,  1830,  I,  in  company  with  a 
relative,  went  to  Crigglestone,  to  the  Annual 
Show  of  Tulips,  Ranunculuses,  Polyanthuse:=, 
and  Auriculas  ;  also  fruits  and  vegetables.  Of 
the  two  judges,  my  iustructor  was  one,  who 
awarded  the  premiums  to  the  successful  ex- 
hibitors and  whose  decisions  were  as  binding 
as  the  laws  of  ancient  Media  and  Persia. 
Gravely  tliey  seemed  to  discharge  a  serious  and 


S8 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJYTELY      February. 


important  duty,  "  without  either  fear  or  favor." 
A  singing  match  between  canary  birds  and 
meadow  larks  was  announced  to  take  place  in 
the  room,  after  the  show  was  over,  as  an  inter- 
lude while  supper  was  preparing,  which  was  to 
conclude  the  day's  doings.  The  rector  of  the 
parish  presided  as  chairman  ;  just  such  a  man 
I  f-hould  think  as  would  compare  well  with 
'•  The  Vicar  of  Wakefield." 

Good  and  benevolent  old  man,  I  think  I  see 
him  now,  in  his  old  style  habiliments;  knee 
breeches,  black  silk  stockings,  and  silver-buckled 
shoes. 

He  addressed  the  members  of  the  society  and 
visitors  present,  and  in  his  remarks  alluded  to 
the  antiquity  of  gardening,  and  the  first  gar- 
dener, Adam,  who  lost  his  situation  from  a 
strange  propensity  he  had  for  eating  unwhole- 
some fruit ;  and  during  the  time  he  was  out  of 
the  business  he  tried  his  hand  at  tailoring,  which 
was  something  new  to  him,  and  so  unlike  the 
gentle  art  he  formerly  followed,  that  after  making 
liimself  a  garment,  he  returned  to  his  former 
occupation,  with  this  diflerence  :  that  at  first  he 
was  gardening  for  pleasure,  but  afterwards  for 
profit.  I  thought  then,  what  a  lucky  thing  it 
was  for  me  to  have  chosen  so  desirable  a  calling, 
as  to  live  among  fruits  and  flowers  like  our  pro- 
totype. He  also  spoke  of  the  humanizing  effect 
the  love  of  hcrticulture  had  upon  society,  and 
remarked  that  wherever  it  attained  to  a  high 
standard  of  perfection,  it  proved  the  people  to 
be  refined,  peaceful  and  good.  A  list  of  the  suc- 
cessful competitors  having  been  handed  to  the 
chairman,  their  names  were  called  out,  and  the 
premiums  announced  somewhat  as  follows  : 

"To  John  Goodman,  Avho  has  exhibited  the 
best  collection  of  Tulips,  five  shillings  and  a 
strong  pruning  knife  ;  which  knife  should  ad- 
monish him  to  cut  a  becoming  figure  through 
life,  in  the  iwsitiou  God  had  called  him  to." 

(Jeorge  Digwell  was  the  winner  of  a  similar 
sum,  lor  the  best  display  of  llanunculuses,  and 
a  new  spade,  which  implement  was  to  remind 
him  of  the  words  addressed  to  the  "father  of 
gardening,"  "in  the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou 
cat  bread."  Notwithstanding  it  has  been  so 
8aid,  honesty  and  patient  labor  would  surely 
meet  with  its  due  reward. 

]Jichard  Smoothraker  was  the  recipient  of  four 
shillings,  a  rake,  reel  and  line,  for  the  best  twelve 
I'olyanthuses  exhibited.  One  of  the  three  im- 
plen>ents,  the  rake,  should  call  to  his  mind  the 


evil  results  of  "The  Tfakc's  Progress,"  a  course 
of  folly  he  hoped  he  would  endeavor  to  shun  ; 
and  thfit  when  cultivating  the  soil,  to  rempmber 
that  although  it  had  been  decreed  that  "thorns 
also  and  thistles  shall  it  bring  forth,"  yet  with 
industry  well  applied,  both  fruits  and  flowers, 
would  flourish  in  place  of  weeds  ;  a  fact  so  plain 
that  all  present  could  see. 

The  reel  and  line  were  fit  emblems  to  point  out 
how  to  make  "The  crooked  straight,  and  the 
rough  {)laces  p'ain,"  as,  no  doubt,  he  would  find 
frequent  opportunities  for  so  doing. 

Thomas  Potwell  obtained  the  highest  premium 
offered,  namely,  ten  shillings  and  «i  copy  of 
j"  Abercrombie's  Gardener's  Callcndar,''  for  the 
best  twenty-four  varieties  of  Auriculas,  which 
embraced  white-edged,  alpines,  green-edged  and 
selfs,  as  they  were  then  designated. 

It  was  there  I  first  saw  the  famous  and  beau- 
tiful Auricula,  Colonel  Taylor,  which  was  never 
excelled  by  any  other  kind  of  ils  class,  and  al- 
ways maintained  its  price,  f\xG  pounds  per  plant. 

I  much  regret  having  lost  sight  of  such  really 
beautiful  flowers  for  so  many  j'ears.  Athough 
frail  and  naturally  d,>licate.  they  may  be  culti- 
vated with  success  when  properly  managed. 

Fruits  and  flowers  were  well  represented,  for 
which  suitable  premiumswere  given,  and  similar 
remarks  -made  by  the  chairman,  who,  after  in- 
voking a  blessing  upon  all  present,  mingled  with 
the  pleasant  company.  "  The  merr}- larks  "  and 
canary  birds, -were  next  called  "^  for.  The  little 
cantatrices  were  "famed  in  song,"  prima  donnas 
in  feathers  Several  mysterious  looking  bundles, 
covered  with  dark  colored  cloth,  were  brought 
in  and  placed  upon  the  tables,  which  afterwards 
proved  to  be  cages  containing  the  birds. 

All  the  time  I  was  wondering  how  they  could 
be  induced  to  sing  for  a  Avager  or  premium,  but 
was  soon  made  aware,  for  "  when  the  cloth  was 
opened  the  birds  began  to  sing,"  they  having 
been  kept  in  darkness  for  some  time  previous, 
and  when  suddenl3'  exposed  to  the  light  began 
such  a  warbling,  piping  and  singing,  as  was 
truly  astonishing 

The  canaries  followed  suit,  after  removing  the 
larks,  and  such  a  thrilling,  ear-splitting  chorus 
was  given,  wMiich,  for  the  time,  was  almost 
deafening.  Wiiether  it  was  the  loudest  or  sweet- 
est singer  that  won  the  i\\v  shillings  and  a  brass 
wire  cage,  I  do  not  now  remember.  Well,  .ificr 
flowers  and  music  came  .supjjer,  the  grind  finale 
of    the   occasion.      The   venerable  and   worlhv 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJSTER'S    MOJs'TELY. 


89 


rector  took  a  seat  at  the  head  of  the  table.  On 
his  right  hand  was  seated  one  of  the  judges, 
while  vlza-viz  from  the  opposite  end  looked  uj) 
the  associate  judge,  and  Boniface,  the  joll}^  host 
of  the  "  Red  Dragon  "  Inn,  where  the  show  was 
held.  O,  mighty  roast  beef  of  Old  England,  and 
strong  October  ale  ;  with  what  a  gusto  it  seemed 
to  be  relished  by  all,  as  it  disappeared  from  view  ! 
A  more  jovial  or  happy  party,  never  met  to  dis- 
cuss the  merits  of  beef  and  ale,  than  had  assem- 
bled there.  Song  and  sentiment  followed  after 
the  inner  man  had  been  comforted,  which  was 
equally  shared  and  enjoyed,  with  the  happy  old 
rector  as  well  as  the  merry  laymen.  Such  was 
the  first  Flower  Show  I  attended,  little  thinking 
then  of  the  grand  gala  days  of  Chiswick  an(f 
Regent  Park,  where  we  exhibited  in  after  j-ears. 

IIow  changed  are  the  times  since  then,  and 
h  )w  varied  has  been  the  writer's  experience  ! 

The  good  old  rector  has  left  us,  and  gone  to  a 
higher  life  ;  to  bliss  unchanging,  and  the  goodly 
company-  over  which  he  presided,  are  one  by  one 
passing  awa}',  and  resigning  their  situations  for 
more  exalted  positions  in  the  mystical  Eden, 
where  all  good  gardeners  go. 


REMARKS  ON  THE  DAPHNE  CNEORUM. 

BY  MR.  ANTOINE  WINTER,  WEST  GROVE,  TA. 

This  little  plant  is  hardy,  and  retains  its 
foliage  during  winter.  It  is  a  perpetual  bloomer. 
The  flowers  are  of  a  pink  color,  and  very  fragrant. 
Its  best  season  for  bloom  is  in  the  month  of 
April  and  late  in  the  fiall,  when  other  flowers  are 
nearly  all  gone.  No  good  garden  should  be 
without  a  few  plants  of  it. 

It  can  be  propagated  several  ways.  In  the  bed 
it  can  be  layered,  or  the  large  plants  may  be 
divided.  Biit  the  best  plants  by  far  are  those 
grown  from  cuttings.  There  are  several  ways  of 
doing  this.  The  best  plants  that  I  ever  raised 
were  cuttings  made  from  plants  in  the  open 
ground,  in  November.  They  were  planted  in 
sand  on  a  table  with  some  bottom  heat,  tluMi  I 
])otted  them  as  soon  as  they  were  rooted,  and 
planted  them  in  the  open  ground  in  the  month  of 
IMay.  In  November  they  bloomed,  and  had 
roots  enough  to  fill  a  six-inch  tlower  pot.  In  my 
experience  I  found  that  a  good  sandy  loam  is  the 
best  soil  for  this  ])lant.  "When  grown  from  cut- 
tings, they  are  easily  transplanted.  I  have  often 
moved  them  in  spring,  when  they  were  in  full 
bloom,  and  it  would  not  even  aflfoct  the  flowers. 


The  plant  can  also  be  propagated  from  green 
wood,  the  cuttings  being  taken  off,  and  tin' 
plants  forced  in  the  green-house  during  winter. 
This  I  consider  the  surest  way  of  rooting  them. 
When  potted  and  planted  with  care,  they  will 
make  good  plants  by  fiiU. 


ON  THE  RAISING  OF  NEW  VARIETIES 
OF  POTATOES  FROM  THE  SEED-BALL. 

BY  MR.   GEO    STJCn,  SOUTH  AMBOY,   N".  J. 

No  doubt  since  the  excitement  about  the  Early 
Rose  and  other  new  seedling  potatoes,  many  per- 
sons have  been  inclined  to  try  their  luck  at  pro- 
ducing new  varieties.  It  is  also  doubtless  a  fiict 
that  they  have  generally  been  deterred  from 
making  the  trial  from  the  supposition  that  it 
would  be  a  long  and  tedi  )US  operation  to  begin 
with  a  small  seed,  no  larger  than  a  pin's  head, 
and  grow  it  on  till  full  sized  potatoes  resulted. 

The  directions  usually  given  for  raising  these 
seedlings  certainly  tend  to  encourage  this  idea  ; 
and  Mr.  Patterson,  to  whom  the  English  are 
indebted  as  the  originator  of  man}'  good  potatoes, 
gives  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  production  of  new 
varieties  from  seed,  is  attended  with  so  much 
labor  and  expense  that  it  should  be  undertaken 
by  the  British  Government,  and  not  by  indi- 
viduals. 

But  the  supposed  difficulties  could  hanll}-  be 
more  absurdly  exaggerated  than  thoy  are  in  a 
late  number  of  a  well-known  English  horticiil 
tural  journal.  The  article  on  the  subject  is  long 
and  most  elaborate— specific  (firections  being 
given  for  the  exact  proportion  of  each  kind  of 
enriching  material  to  be.  used  in  the  seed-bed  ; 
also  suggestions  as  to  the  shape  of  the  bed,  the 
sort  of  cotton  covering  it  should  have  over  it  ; 
the  composition  of  a  wash  to  be  used  on  the  cot- 
ton,- in  fact,  details  almost  without  number — 
the  upshot  of  the  whole  being,  that  if  the  writer's 
directions  are  followed  with  care  for  two  years, 
some  potatoes  may  be  had  large  enough  to  pass 
judgment  on. 

I  cannot,  of  course,  say  decided'y  that  no  one 
will  be  found  bold  and  self-sacrificing  enough  to 
submit  himself  to  this  two  years'  discipline  ;  but 
I  am  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  if  the  experi- 
ment should  be  made,  it  will  be  in  the  garden  of 
a  Lunatic  Asylum,  where  one  of  the  occupants 
has  a  piece  of  ground  set  aside  for  his  anmso- 
ment. 

Now,  the  simple  fact  i.-<  that  it  is  an  easy  mat- 


40 


THE    GAUBEJ^EWS   MOJVTHLl.       February, 


ter  to  get  a  tolerably  good  crop  of  potatoes  within 
five  or  six  months  from  the  time  (the  small  seeds 
are  sown.  I  have  now  in  my  cellar  more  than 
two  hundred  varieties  of  potatoes — very  many 
of  full  size— all  of  which  were  produced  from 
seed  taken  from  the  potato-ball  a  year  ago.  All 
who  have  seen  these  potatoes,  differing,  as  they 
do.  in  shape,  color,  and  in  various  other  ways, 
have  been  so  much  interested  that  I  cannot  re- 
frain from  detailing  to  your  readers  the  very 
simple  means  by  which  such  gratifying  results 
can  be  obtained. 

I  bought  the  potato  seed  from  a  seedsman.  It 
was  said  to  be  "  Early  Rose,  fertilized  with  white 
peach-bLow  and  other  varieties,"  w^hich,  from  the 
appearance  of  the  seedlings,  is  probable.  The 
seed  was  planted  about  the  end  of  March,  just 
as  tomato  seed  is  planted.  It  germinated  readily, 
and  the  little  seedlings  were  soon  pricked  out  into 
pans.  In  fact,  the  plants  were  treated  precisely 
as  tomato  plants,  except  that  they  were  moved 
to  a  cooler  position  than  the  tomatoes  required. 

Toward  the  end  of  May,  the  potato  plants 
were  set  out  in  rows,  just  as  potatoes  are  usually 
planted,  plenty  of  room  being  left  between  the 
rows.  Only  this  difference  was  made  — very  im- 
portant, however,  I  think— the  potato  plants 
were  not  set  on  the  level  of  the  ground,  but  four 
or  five  inches  below  it,  like  celery  in  trenches. 

They  soon  struck  root  vigorously  into  the 
good  soil  prepared  for  them,  and  grew  rapidly— 
the  soil  being  gradually  filled  in,  as  fast  as  the 
strength  of  the  stalk  seemed  to  admit  of. 

By  the  end^f  .Tune  the  trench  was  all  filled  in 
to  the  level,  and  after  that  only  one  slight  earth- 
ing up  was  given.  In  August  the  potato  vines 
were  as  large  and  flourishing  as  if  grown  from 
sets.  In  this  month,  too,  the  first  of  the  potatoes 
were  dug,  and  from  that  time  others  matured, 
some  varieties  being  early,  and  some  late,  until 
the  last  of  October. 

Every  variety  has  been  kept  separate.  Many 
show  decided  evidence  of  Early  Hose  parentage, 
as  they  vary  in  color  from  the  very  slightest 
flush  of  pink  to  nearly  the  redness  of  a  scarlet 
radit^h.  Several  have  the  dark  and  distinct  ap- 
pearance of  the  old-fashioned  "  Blue  Mercer.'' 
Among  the  whites  some  are  extremely  promising. 
>«'carly  all  show  distinct  characteristics  ;  in  seme 
the  eyes  being  deep  set,  and  in  others  hardly  to 
be  noticed.  One  variety  was  particularly  re- 
markable, as  all  in  the  hill  were  about  the  same 
size,  smooth  in  skin,  and  shaped  cxactl}'  like  a 
hand. 


As  regards  flavor,  those  that  we  tried  were  very 
satisfiictory.  Some  were  really  excellent,  many 
very  good,  and  but  few  abominable ;  none,  I 
think,  so  bad  as  the  Cusco. 


EVERGREENS  FOR  WINTER. 

BY  WALTER  ELDEIl,  LANDSCAPE  GARDENER, 
PIIILADELPUIA. 

We  are  now  in  the  "dead  of  winter,"  as  the 
phrase  goes,  but  nature  is  neither  dead  nor 
asleep  ;  although  deciduous  vegetation  has  gone 
to  rest,  to  recuperate  its  exhausted  vitality,  so 
as  to  come  forth  again  in  spring,  with  great  vigor 
and  beauty,  to  adorn  the  earth  with  foliage  and 
4  blossoms  afresh. 

The  evergreen  trees  and  shrubbery  are  still  in 
life,  and  decorate  the  general  landscape  and  or- 
nament private  grounds,far  more  beautifully  than 
they  did  in  summer.  In  hedges  and  groups,  or 
singly  set,  they  are  all  beautiful ;  and  now  hav- 
ing the  whole  field  to  themselves,  their  verdant 
hues  shine  with  greater  lustre,  and  we  admire 
them  the  more.  We  have  a  very  numerous 
and  diversified  list  of  evergreens  in  culture,  to 
make  embellishments  with,  and  very  many  new 
species  and  varieties  are  3'early  introduced  by 
our  enterprising  nurserymen  —  some  of  them 
make  a  tour  among  the  nurseries  of  Europe 
every  year,  and  bring  home  every  new  and  valu- 
able plant  they  can  purchase,  so  as  to  keep  our 
arboretum  in  the  front  rank.  Henry  A.  Dreer 
made  a  tour  in  1869,  and  Robert  Buist  made  a 
tour  in  1870,  (both  of  Philadelphia.)  We  have 
seen  their  importations,  and  highly  admire  them. 
Other  nurser3'men  throughout  the  union  also 
make  tours,  and  appoint  agents,  to  send  every 
plant,  choice  and  new.  The  catalogues  of 
nurserymen  lor  1871,  will  give  details  of  late  im- 
portations—  improvers  should  get  and  study 
them. 

Let  us  contrast  a  few  cf  the  species  and  varie- 
ties we  have  in  cultivation.  Some  of  the  I'ines, 
Piceas,  Spruces,  etc.,  attain  nearly  a  hundred 
feet  in  height.  Some  of  the  large  Arborvitais, 
Cupressus,  Cedars,  Libocedrus,  etc.,  grow  less 
in  height,  Lut  form  largo  massy  columns  of 
glossy  foliage.  Some  lesser  Arborvita's,  Biota, 
Juniporus,  Yew,  lioxwood-lrec,  Evergreen  Pri- 
vet, Thujnpsis,  Euonymus  japonica,  etc.,  make 
stately  shrubbery.  Then  the  dwarf  Aiborvil.'es, 
Cephalotaus,  CotdUeaster,  Kalmia  latitblia, 
Retinospora  and  Rhododendron,  of  species  and 
varieties,  Mahonia.  dwarf  Boxwoods  and  creep- 


18'fl. 


THE    GARDE J^EB!b    MOJVTHLY. 


41 


in«;  Junipers,  are  classed  as  dwarf  shrubbery. 
Of  th(  ir  hues,  Boxtree,  Yew  and  some  Pines 
and  Piceas,  are  very  dark.  Some  of  the  Juni- 
pers, Cedrus  deodara,  etc.,  are  of  light  lively 
hues.  Biotas  are  pale  grass  green  ;  then  there 
is  a  numerous  class  of  various  Genera,  with 
variegated  leaves  ;  some  have  mixtures  of  green 
and  white,  others  have  yellow  and  green  variega- 
tions, others  again  are  splashed  with  white  and 
yellow  over  their  greens  ;  some  are  tinged  with 
3'ellow,  and  look  as  if  gilded  with  goM.  What  a 
beautiful  picture  the  evergreens  make  in  winter, 
when  they  are  judiciously  arranged  upon  a  fine 
lawn,  and  ail  in  sight  of  each  other  !  the  con- 
trast of  their  various  statures,  forms  foliage  and 
hues  of  verdure  ;  makes  rich  food  for  the  intel- 
lect—area?  rural  feast. 

Our  wealthy  citizens,  who  intend  to  make 
arboral  decorations  at  some  future  time,  should 
take  notice  of  the  evergreen  trees  and  shrubbery 
on  the  way  of  their  walks  and  rides  in  winter, 
and  note  down  such  species  as  they  may  most 
admire,  and  let  them  read  and  study  the  "Book 
of  Evergreens,"  by  .Josiah  Iloopes,  Esq.,  and  the 
'•  Hand  Book  of  Ornamental  Trees,"  by  Thomas 
Mechan,  Esq  ,  then  they  will  observe  the  beauties 
of  trees  and  shrubs  wherever  they  go,  both  in 
summer  and  winter. 


DISCOVERIES  OF  ANCIENT  BONES  AT 
WAUKEGAN,  ILLINOIS. 

BY  MR.  K.  DOUGLAS. 

You  know  that  I  am  a  believer  in  scientific 
men,  especially  when  they  ti'cat  on  bones;  and 
that  I  did  not  doubt  our  friend,  Dr.  Warder, 
when  he  picked  up  the  bone  on  my  grounds  and 
said  it  was  a  horse's  bone;  nay,  when  he  picked 
up  a  second,  and  called  it  an  ox's  bone.  I  did  not 
doubt,  but  only  asked  him  how  he  knew  it;  and 
when  he  turned  it  over  and  showed  me  where 
the  butcher  had  sawed  oflf  the  roast,  I  did  not  go 
back  to  examine  whether  there  was  a  ring-bone 
or  spavin  on  the  horse's  leg-bone,  by  which  he 
might  have  distinguished  it,  but  took  it  for 
granted  that  scientific  men  (especially  directly 
after  attending  a  meeting  of  the  American  Asso- 
ciation, in  Chicago)  knew  whereof  they  aflirmed 
by  other  modes  than  those  resorted  to  by  ordin- 
ary mortals  ;  and  for  this  firm  belief  in  scientific 
men's  opinion  on  old  bones,  as  you  will  yet  re- 
member, I  was  rewarded  with  a  good  joke  at 
my  expense  in  the  Piiiladelphia  Press. 

I  bore  the  joke  bravely,  supposing  that  science 


would  never  again  disturb  my  old  hones  ;  but  I 
was  mistaken.  They  have  been  ground  througli 
the  Chicago  papers  several  times  within  the  past 
three  or  four  months.  They  have  been  boiled  in 
glue  at  Chicago,  and  sent  labelled  to  Washington, 
but  these  are  not  the  bones  used  by  yourself  and 
the  doctor  to  get  the  joke  on  me.  They  are  the 
bones  of  an  Elk  (or  Moose)  that  our  men  dug 
out  of  a  bed  of  peat. 

You  seemed  so  much  interested  in  all  that 
appertained  to  the  Indians  and  the  first  settle- 
ment of  the  country,  by  white  men,  when  you 
Avere  out  here,that  I  incline  to  think  the  following 
facts  may  amuse  you  ;  I  will,  therefore,  try  to 
give  you  the  details  seriously,  although  it  is  bet- 
ter worth  a  laugh  than  the  bones  you  saw  here  : 

We  have  a  peat  bed  or  muck  hole  in  a  corner 
of  one  of  our  nurseries,  from  which  our  men  dig 
muck  in  summer  for  composting,  throwing  it  up 
in  ridges  to  be  dried  by  the  sun  before  hauling  it 
out  in  winter.  We  usually  dig  as  deep  as  the 
water  will  allow.  Three  or  four  years  since,  be- 
ing a  very  dry  summer,  we  were  able  to  dig  to 
the  bottom,  six  or  seven  feet,  when  we  dis- 
covered what  appeared  to  be  the  bottom  of  a 
lake,  showing  clear  sand,  gravel  and  small 
shells,  exactly  like  the  shores  of  the  lakes,  so 
common  in  this  county.  Imbedded  in  this  gravel 
we  found  a  boulder,  and  around  it  were  charred 
sticks,  looking  to  all  appearances  like  the  re- 
mains of  a  camp  lire,  and  near  to  it  we  found 
several  poles  that  had  evidently  been  pointed  at 
the  thickest  end  with  an  instrument  noi  very 
sharp,  proving,  at  least  to  my  satisfiiction,  that 
Indians  had  camped  there,  and  that  the 
sharpened  saplings  were  their  tent  poles  cut 

with  a  stone  hatchet. 

While  digging  last  summer,  about  three  rods 
from  the  spot  named,  we  found  the  bones  of  the 
Elk,— the  horns,  a  jaw-bone,  a  leg,  etc.,  and 
would  have  got  them  all,  but  the  water  pre- 
vented. They  are  the  bones  of  a  good-sized  Elk, 
but  I  think  I  have  seen  larger. 

A  neighbor  asked  for  them  to  take  to  Chicago, 
thinking  them  a  great  curiosity.  I  advised  him 
not  to  trouble  himself,  as  the  Elk  was  recently 
in  this  locality,  and  is  yet  to  be  found  at  no 
great  distance  ;  that  an  old  Elk  could  easily  get 
mired  in  that  slough,  even  as  it  was  when  I  first 
knew  it,  twenty-five  years  ago  ;  that  the  Indians 
might  have  killed  it  there,  or  possibly  it  had 
died  of  old  age.  lie  took  them,  however,  and 
judge  of  my  surprise,  on  reading  in  the  Chicago 
papers,  that  this  is  a  diflTerent  species  from  any 


J^- 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJVTHLY,       February, 


ever  foiinil  on  this  continent,  that  it  is  identical 
witli,  or  very  closely  resembling  the  Irish  Elk, 
and  that  it  is  much  larger  than  the  American. 
Tlien  in  a  few  weeks  we  read  of  it  again  as  be- 
lonfring  to  a  pre-Adamite  race,  etc. 

Now,  if  these  writers  had  examined  the  bones, 
on  the  ground  where  they  wei'e  found,  as  you 
and  the  Doctor  did,  they  might  have  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  pre-Adamite,  Darwini- 
an and  Erinian,  theories  would  apply  to  tliem 
about  as  consistently  as  to  the  horse  and  ox 
bones  above  spoken  of. 

The  slough  of  which  this  muck  hole  forms  a 
part,  is  about  a  mile  long  by  a  half  mile  in 
width,  the  adjoining  land  rising  gradually, 
from  five  to  fifteen  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
muck  deposit.  It  is  undulating,  several  points 
jutting  out  into  the  slough,  forming  small  bays. 
The  bones  of  the  Elk,  and  traces  of  Indians,  lie 
between  two  of  these  points. 

Across  the  outlet  to  the  slough,  or  former  lake, 
the  remains  of  a  very  strong  Beaver  dam  could 
be  seen  for  several  years  after  I  came  here  to  le- 
side,  and  after  a  great  deal  of  digging  and  plow- 
ing and  leveling,  it  is  not  obliterated  yet.  I 
think  this  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with  the  change 
in  the  deposit  in  the  bed  of  the  then  lake,  for  it  is 
plain  to  be  seen  that  the  surplus  water  found 
another  channel  on  the  east  side  of  where  the 
bones  were  found,  while  the  channel  dammed  by 
the  Beavers  is  on  the  west  side,  and  in  digging 
we  find  in  some  places  rank  vegetable  matter 
pressed  solid  but  not  decayed,  lying  under  three 
or  four  feet  of  clear  muck  with  little  or  no  fibre 
— indeed  within  the  past  few  years  we  have  had 
freshets,  carrying  haycocks  nearly  a  mile  and 
depositing  them  near  the  same  spot,  and  also 
filling  up  ditches,  four  feet  wide,  with  a  deposit 
of  muck  brought  from  over  a  mile  up  stream. 
Now  it  is  easy  to  be  seen  how  his  Elkship  might 
have  been  caught  on  an  island,  (tlierc  are 
several  in  the  slough)  and  carried  down  stream 
and  swamped,  much  easier  than  to  see  how  he 
could  liave  lain  there  for  ages  on  ages,  or  even 
to  have  swam  over  from  Ireland.  Now  I  have 
told  you  how  this  Elk  may  have  got  there,  tak- 
ing a  common-sense  view  of  the  matter,  but  I 
cannot  tell  how  the  Indians  managed  to  camp 
on  the  bottom  of  the  lake  ;  can  you  ? 

P.  S. — Nine  p.  M.  and  down  to  zero.  We 
have  had  three  days  of  very  cold  weather,  and 
no  let  up  yet. 

[This  letter  was  not  intended  for  more  than 


the  editor's  personal  enjoyment, — but  so  many 
I  of  our  readers  take  an  interest  in  every  branch 
I  of  natural  history,  that  we  could  not  resist  the 
[  temptation  to  publi-sh  !Mr.  Douglass'  pleasant 
epistle.  In  regard  to  traces  of  Indians,  we  have 
often  seen  and  heard  of  pieces  of  wood  dug  up 
from  wells  in  Ills., which  were  supposed  to  have 
been  sharpened  by  stone  hatchets,  but  which  we 
prefernsd  to  believe  were  peron  by  beavers.  "We 
have  seen  specimens  certain!}-  done  by  Beavers, 
which  any  one  would  believe  to  be  done  by 
stone  hatchets,  if  not  aware  of  the  Beavers'  great 
skill  in  this  matter.  As  to  fire— well,  fire  ex- 
isted before  the  Indians, — but  even  granting  the 
Beaver,  it  shows  that  some  extinct  species  like 
this  Elk  existed  down  to  modern  times,  and  are 
not  perhaps  quite  so  ancient  as  supposed.  "We 
should  like,  for  some  of  our  Philadelphia  pala;- 
ontologists,  to  have  a  chance  at  some  of  these 
bones.  Send  some  to  Professors  Leidy  or  Cope, 
Philadelphia   Academy  of   Natural    Science. — 

^^•^  - 

«•«•* — 

WELL  RIPENED  TOMATOES. 

BY  L    B  ,  PniLA. 

I  veuture  to  send  you  a  basket  of  tomatoes, 
illustrating  the  capacity  of  this  fruit  for  keeping 
beyond  the  season,  when  the  grocer's  boy  re- 
ports, in  his  emphatic  jihi'-ise,  that  ^'■tomatoes  is 
done^'''>  and  refuses  to  bring  you  more  from  the 
market.  I  have  had  no  difficult}',  in  former 
years,  in  securing  the  keeping  of  two  or  three 
bushels  until  near  Christmas,  and  this  year  I 
have  been  more  successful  than  usual ;  cutting 
most  of  them  from  the  vines  Nov.  7th,  and  the 
last  Nov.  IGth,  after  which  date  they  would  no 
longer  grow  out  of  doors,  even  in  this  unequaled 
season. 

The  secret  of  being  able  to  preserve  them  is  to 
train  them  off  the  gi'ound.  I  will  not  insist  that 
thoy  shall  be  trained  on  a  wall,  as  my  preference 
is,  but  in  some  manner  train  them  up,  and  give 
them  light  as  well  as  heat.  I  did  not  spade  up 
five  square  feet  of  ground  for  tomatoes  this  year, 
giving  them  room  only  in  nooks  and  corners,  on 
walls  and  on  grape  vines,  yet  I  had  a  larger 
crop  than  ever  before,  and  cut  some  eight  or  ten 
baskets  of  gi'een  and  half  ripened  ones  on  the 
dates  named  abov«^.  Of  (hese  I  liave  lost  per- 
haps thi'ee  per  cent,  by  decay,  not  more  ;  and  I 
think  have  enough  left  to  see  good  specimens  of 
my  own  in  hand  when  Bermudas  are  first  shown 
in  our  market. 


1871. 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJVTELY. 


43 


Canned  fruit  does  much  to  relieve  us  in  the 
winter,  but  I,  of  course,  find  it  very  pleasant 
to  be  able  to  extend  the  use  of  fresh  tomatoes 
from  July  to  January,  with  no  cost  beyond  a 
little  care,  and  I  venture  to  assure  any  one  who 
will  plant  afjainst  the  south  or  cast  side  of  a 
wall,  and  will  fertilize  highly,  that  he  can  also 
gather  an  abundant  crop  from  August  1st  to 
November,  and  can  keep  what  he  last  gathers  at 
least  a  month  longer, 

[Xever  on  any  Christmas  day  did  we  enjoy 
tomatoes  as  delicious  as  these.  "We  are  pleased 
that  L.  E.  keeps  this  plan  of  perfectlnr]  tomatoes 
before  the  public.  As  we  have  before  said,  it 
may  not  be  the  most  profitable  way  for  a  market 
gardener, — but  for  all  those  with  whom  quality 
is  worth  paying  for  by  a  little  extra  pains,  there 
is  no  way  of  raising  tomatoes  like  this  — Ed.] 


BUD  YARIATIOXS. 

r.Y  MR.  CIIAKLES  ARXOLD,  PARIS,  ONTARIO, 
CAXADA. 

I  -end  you  by  mail  two  specimens  of  fruit,  and 
wi.^h  you  to  give  your  opinion  of  them  as  to 
whether  the3^are  apples  or  pears. 

You  will  observe  by  the  accompanj'ing  letter 
from  Dr.  Lawrence,  that  they  grew  upon  the 
branch  of  a  pear  tree.  "When  the  Doctor  first 
showed  me  the  fruit,  I  thought  there  must  have 
been  some  mistake  as  to  their  origin,  and  said, 
that  even  if.truc  as  to  their  growing  upon  a  pear 
Ijranch,  the  case  was  so  extraordinary,  that  to 
make  it  puWic,  would  be  at  the  ri.sk  of  our  repu- 
tation for  veracity.  The  Doctor,  however,  is 
very  positive  ;  therefore,  after  some  further  con- 
versation with  ^Irs.  Lawrence,  we  took  the  fruit 
to  C.  Whitlow,  Esq.,  Mayor  of  the  town  and 
President  of  the  Horticultural  Society,  and  after 
calling  together  several  other  members  of  our 
society,  with  the  Secretary,  Mr.  Henry  Hart,  we 
j)roceeded  to  examine  and  taste  the  fruit.  All 
l)arties  present  were  of  opinion,  that  the  fruit 
much  more  resembled  apples  than  pears,  both  in 
llavor  and  appearance.  Some  fancied  they  could 
])erceive  quite  a  pear  flavor,  but  all  were  unani- 
mously of  opinion  that  there  was  no  trace  of  11. 
I.  Greenings  in  the  fiavor. 

The  readers  of  the  Monihiij  will  doubtless  ask, 
arc  the  statements  of  Dr.  Lawrence  correct  ?  I 
will*  only  say,  th;it  no  one  who  is  acquainted 
with  the  Doctor  or  his  wif',  will  for  a  moment 
doubt  their  veracity.  This  year  seems  to  have 
been  remarkal)lc  for  the  production  of  sports  in 


cereals  and  fruits,  in  this  section  of  countrv. 
Several  varieties  of  my  cross-bred  wheat   have 
shown  a  disposition  to  sport  in  every  direction. 
One  gentleman  in  this  vicinity  has  a  Spitzenberg 
apple  that  was  grafted  in  the  root  long,  long  ago, 
and  for  many  years  it  has  borne  genuine  Spit- 
zenberg  fruit ;  but  this  year  one  branch  of  this 
old  tree  produced  fruit  that  had  no  resemblance 
to  the  fruit  of  former  years.     This  last  men- 
tioned case,  is  no  doubt  an  instance  of  bud  vari- 
ation.    It  will  be  observed  that  the  pear  tree  of 
Dr.  Lawrence  was  full  of  blossoms  in  the  si)ring, 
but  that  the  fruit  did  not  set.     This  would  seem 
to  indicate  that  some  portion  of  the  fiower  was 
defective.     If  then  we  venture  to  assume  that 
this  fruit  did  grow  upon  a  pear  branch,  may  we 
not  conjecture  that  the  defect  in  the  pear  blos- 
som, was  remedied  by  the  perfection  and  super- 
abundance of  the  same  material  in  the  a]>ple  ? 
We  all  know  that  if  we  plant  a  few  grains  of 
dark  purple  corn,  and  near  by  we  plant  white 
sweet-corn,  that  we  will  find  in  the  fall  both  va- 
rieties of  corn  in  the  same  ear.     These  two  vari- 
eties of  corn  are  as  unlike  each  other,  as  apples 
are  unlike  pears.     Therefore  it  may  not  be  amiss 
for  all   of  us,  who  have  been  in  the  habit   of 
treating  such  statements  as  those  now  made  by 
Dr.  Lawrence,  as  absurdities,  or  as  facts  existing 
only  in  the  disordered  imaginations  of  a  few,  to 
ask,  are  such  phenomcnons  possible  under  cer- 
tain circumstances,  although,  perhaps,  very  rare 
and  improbable  ? 

The  following  is  the  letter  of  Dr.  Lawrence  re- 
ferred to  : 

Paris,  21st  Dec,  1870. 

Chas.  Arnold,  'Esq— My  Dear  )S/V.--The 
two  specimens  of  fruit,  which  I  handed  you  a 
day  or  two  ago,  were  picked  from  a  small  pear 
tree,  (dwarf,)  I  have  reason  to  think  a  Tyson, 
on  or  about  the  10th  of  October  ult.,  by  myself 
in  company  with  my  wife.     The  tree  had  been 
'  full  of  fiouri.sh  in  spring,  but  I  had  not  seen  any 
!  fruit  on  it  till  that  day,  when  we  were  picking 
I  apples  from  a  Rhode   Island   Greening,  which 
grew  near  it— to  my  astonishment  I  saw  what 
I  appeared   to  be   two  apples   on   the   pear  tree. 
1  They   had    a   very  slight    resemblance    to  the 
Greening,  but  yet  were  not  the  same.     I  imme- 
diately suspected  that  it  might  be  a  twig  of  the 
!  (Jreening   mixed   with   the   pear  branches.      I 
'  therefore  got  my  wife  to  hold  them  quite  separ- 
ate, and  convinced  myself  that  they  grew  on  the 
pear  tree  when  1  removed  t'.iem.     I  would  have 


M 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MONTHLY, 


Febrii  ctry, 


called  the  attention  of  yourself  or  some  other  of 
our  fruit  growers  to  the  phenomenon,  but  I  did 
not  think  it  anything  extraordinary,  considering 
it  a  case  of  hybridizing,  having  heard  so  much 
of  it  1  itcly,  and  not  myself  have  given  tlic  sub- 
ject any  consideration.  I  am,  my  dear  sir,  yours 
very  truly, 

John  Lawrence. 

[Tills  is  a  highly'  valuable  communication. 
There  is  no  mistake  here,  for  on  opening  the 
specimen  sent  the  seeds  furnished  undisputed 
evidence  that  the  fruit  is  a  pear,  and  not  an 
apple.  Then  the  insertion  of  the  stem  is  not  the 
insertion  of  an  apple.  In  the  apple  we  know 
that  the  stem  gradually  fits  in  tlie  cavity, until  it 
is  tigiitly  clasped,— tliat  is,  the  basin  is  funnel 
shaped,  the  i'unnel  scarcely  having  any  outlet  at 
the  point  as  one  would  say,— but  in  this  speci- 
men the  basin  is  rather  bell-shaped,  just  as  one 
could  imagine  it  would  be  if  a  pear  had  its  stem 
pushed  in,  the  pulp  and  skin  <.'o'ng  with  it.  In  the 
seed  and  the  stem  cavity  or  basin,  there  is  not  the 
slighest  relationship  to  the  apple.  The  curious 
part  of  the  affair  is,  tliat  the  pulp  is  undoubtedly 
that  of  an  apple.  The  apples  were  rotten  when 
they  got  here,  we  could  not  judge  of  the  perfect 
flesh,— but  there  is  one  character  by  which  the  de- 
cayed pulp  of  an  apple  can  be  always  distmguish- 
ed  from  that  of  a  pear.  Apple  pulp  is  fibrous — 
pear  pulp  is  granulated.  We  carefully  washed 
this  pulp,  and  there  was  not  the  slightest  trace 
of  the  gritty  masses  whicli  characterize  pear  pulp. 
It  was  apple  pulp  most  undoubtedly. 

AVe  regard  this,  therefore,  as  one  of  the  most 
wonderful  discoveries  in  all  our  experience. 
We  hold,  as  our  readers  know,  rather  advanced 
views  of  the  important  part  played  by  bud  vari- 
ations in  the  origin  of  species— what  importance 
this  new  item  will  have  in  this  discussion  re- 
mains to  be  seen. — Ed.] 


NEW  FOREIGN  GRAPES. 

I5Y  MR.  JAMES  TAPLTN,  MANAGER  TO  GEORGE 
SUCH,  ESQ.,  SOUTH  AMBOY,  N.  J. 

A  few  remarks  on  the  new  varieties  of  English 
grapes  may  be  possibly  acceptable  to  some  of 
your  reaflcrs,  and  also  answer  the  numerous  in 
quiries  we  receive  as  to  tlie  qualities  of  varieties 
as  yet  but  little  known  in  tliis  country. 

The  Royal  Ascot  cannot  be  called  a  very  new  va- 
riety in  England— there  it  is  generally  well  spoken 
of.     I  had  the  pleasure  of  tasting  it  from  the 


original  seedling  vine,  and  then  considered  it  a 
valuable  grape,  and  since  its  extra  free-bearing 
qualities  have  been  proved,  it  has  increased  in  fa- 
vor. I  am  not  prepared  to  call  it  a  perpetual 
bearer,  but  it  will  show  bunches  at  every  eye,  or 
in  some  cases  four  or  more  from  a  small  side 
shoot  and  also  from  the  laterals.  It  is  one  of 
the  most  prolific  varieties  for  pot  culture  I  have 
seen.  This  season  we  had  a  few  small  plants 
left  over,  which  we  considered  too  weak  for  sale. 
They  were  left  in  an  old  cold  frame, with  only  wa- 
tering each  plant,  and  they  not  only  showed  fruit, 
but  ripened  nice  bunches.  It  is  a  beautiful 
black  grape— very  juicy  and  refreshing — very 
thin-skinned,  but  not  liable  to  crack  from  that 
cause,  but  will  rot  if  allowed  to  get  wet  from  any 
cause  after  it  is  ripe.  That  is  the  only  fault  I 
have  heard  complained  about  in  English  garden- 
ing periodicals. 

"Mrs.  Pince's  Black  Muscat  "  This  is  an- 
other excellent  variety  which,  previous  to  being 
sold  to  the  public,  was  not  dene  justice  to  by 
the  growers,  who  looked  at  the  number  of 
bunches  grown  m  'a  certain  space  in  preference 
to  fine  show  grapes.  A  fact  which  I  mentioned 
to  Messrs,  Pince  on  receipt  of  some  fruit  for  my 
opinion.  I  advised  them  to  place  some  plants  in 
the  hands  of  Mr.  ileridith,  the  noted  grape 
grower,  near  Liverpool.  The  next  time  I  visited 
Mr.  Meridith  he  had  the  fruit  in  perfection  ;  it 
looked  like  a  totally  different  variety.  It  is  a 
fine  black  grape  with  a  full  muscat  flavor.  It 
requires  a  hot  grapery  to  bring  out  the  full 
flavor.  Yine  freely  growing  and  fruiting.  Fruit 
keeps  well. 

"Golden  Champion.''  AVithout  doubt  the 
handsomest  of  all  the  white  grapes— large  bunch 
and  immense  berries.  Mr.  Thompson  the  raiser 
of  it  sent  me  berries  of  it  when  ripe,  which  wei'C 
certainly  the  largest  grapes  I  ever  saw,  but  those 
were  not  perfectly  ripe,  but  I  should  judge  them 
equal  to  Black  Hamburgh.  The  growth  of  vine 
is  short-jointed,  like  the  Champion  Hamburgh, 
from  which  I  believe  it  was  a  seedlin.i. 

"Dutchess  of  Buccleuch.''  Anotlier  of  ^Ir. 
Thompson's  seedlings,  and  named  after  his  em- 
ployer. It  is  one  of  the  finest  flavored  grapes 
grown  ;  in  fact  it  has  taken  ihe  prize  in  open 
class,  wherever  shown  for  flavor.  It  is  a  long 
bunch  of  small  berrii^s  wliere  I  have  seen  ij;,  hue 
&ome  growers  in  Scotland  arc  saitl  to  exhibit  it 
with  quite  large  berries. 

Madrcsfic'ld  Court  Muscat.     This  is  a  splendid 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S    MOJ\''TBLY. 


45 


grape.  Mr.  Cox,  the  raiser,  when  visiting  me 
fit  Chatsworth,  told  me  he  had  a  grape  that 
would  beat  Mrs.  Pince,  and  on  receipt  of  some 
^ruit  some  time  after,  it  certainly  did,  at  least  in 
ippearance,  for  these  had  been  grown  for 
quality;  but  since  seeing  I^Irs.  Pince  well  grown, 
I  have  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  they  are 
both  excellent  varieties,  which  would  give  satis- 
faction to  the  most  foslidious  taste  if  well  grown 
in  a  n^arm  grapery. 

Frankenthal.  Although  not  a  new  variety, 
this  docs  noc  appear  to  be  generally  known  in 
this  country  —  growers  generally  planting  the 
old  Black  Hamburgh  in  their  cold  graperies. 
The  above  is  a  ti.ne  variety  of  the  Black  Ham- 
burgh ;  in  fact  the  variety  is  exclusively  grown 
by  English  exhibitors  for  competition. 


FUNGI  AND  ITS  STBUCTUEE. 

BY  JOSIAn  HOOPES. 

From  an  EiSdy  Read  Before  the  Peiina.  Fruit  Groivers' 
Society. 

Gentlemen,  we  will  now  pass  to  another  source 
of  disease  in  our  fruit  trees,  and  one  which  is 
nmking  terrible  depredations  in  most  sections  of 
our  co\mtry, — it  is  no  less  than  that  of  Fungi, 
the  lowest  forms  of  vegetation. 

The  minute  parasitic  species  are  so  insiduous 
in  their  approach,  so  infmitessimal  in  size,  and 
increase  with  such  fearful  rapidity,  that  they 
prove  no  mean  enemy  indeed  to  contend  against. 
And  now  some  remarks  on  their  general  struc- 
ture and  mode  of  propagation. 

Of  the  larger  species,  including  Puff-balls  of 
various  kinds,  Mushrooms  both  edible  and  pois- 
onous ;  the  delicious    Iruffle  (Tuber  cibarium) 
and  the  highly  nutritious   Morel  (Morchella  es- 
culenta),  1  shall  have  nothing  to  say,  although 
exceedingly  interesting   in   their   structure   and 
classification.     I  merely  propose  to  inquire  into 
the  microscopic  members  of  the  fivmily, — those 
parasites  which  cause  the  pomologiat  so  much 
vexation  and  loss  in  various  ways.     Our  notifi- 
cation of  their  existence,  is  mainly  visible  in  the 
form    of  Mould,   rust,  mildew,  smut,  etc.,  and 
wherever  these  are  detected,  disease  will  surely 
follow.     The  reproductive  fragments  of  fungoid 
plants,  known  as  spores,   are  not  unlike  the 
seeds  of   flowering   plants,   inasmuch  as  they 
germinate  and  produce  a  new  generation  after 
their  kind.     They  are  unlike,  because  the  spores 
contains  no  embryo  as  in  the  higher  orders.     As 
the  manner  of  reproduction   in  these  crypto- 


gramic  jjlanls  is  not  altogether  fully  known,  my 
remarks  on  this  subject  will  have  to  be  some- 
what speculative,  although  founded  on  scientific 
fiicts  It  is  often  questioned  among  horticultur- 
ists, how  the  spores  of  one  season  can  contami- 
nate or  find  its  way  to  the  young  plant  of  a  suc- 
ceeding season's  growth.  The  prevailing  theory 
is  as  follows  :  "When  we  closely  examine  the 
spores,  we  find  they  are  not  unfrcquently  larger 
than  the  stomates  or  breathing  pores  in  the  cu- 
ticle of  the  leaf,  which  it  is  destined  to  destroy ; 
thus  admittance  in  this  direction  is  rendered  im- 
possible. The  next  plausible  suggestion  is,  can 
they  not  penetrate  into  the  roots  ?  But  here, 
another  barrier  is  interposed,  the  spores  being  as 
large  as  the  root  celh.  Wc  now  call  to  our  aid 
a  mycological  fact,  which  will  assist  us  in  our 
inquiries  :  Spores  undergo  a  primary  change  he- 
fore  forming  young  plants,  as  after  falling  to  the 
ground,  and  coming  in  contact  with  moisture, 
they  throw  out  slender  hair-like  fibres,  which 
enter  the  apertures  in  the  roots,  and  thus  work 
their  way  into  the  tree  itself.  Or,  as  is  some- 
times the  case,  changed  into  a  fluid  state,  be- 
come absorbed,  and  thus  enter  into  the  vessels 
of  the  plants.  Some  species  are  reproduced  in 
the  same  manner  on  the  external   portions  of 

trees. 

It  has  also  been  surmised  on  reliable  grounds, 
that  seeds  of  plants  not  unfrcquently  become  in- 
oculated with  the  poisonous  virus,  and  during 
germination  and  growth,  carry  with  them  the 
destroying  power,  which,  not  until  maturity 
shows  its  baneful  presence  The  first  process  of 
development  of  fungi,  is  from  the  spore  or  seed- 
like fragment,  to  the  mijcelium ;  the  latter  cor- 
responding to  the  roots  of  plants.  This  is  in  the 
form,  either  of  fine  silky  threads,  or,  more  or 
less  closely  compacted  cells.  Says  Berkele}',  the 
eminent  English  Mycologist,  "there  can  be 
neitlier  a  perfectly  free  mycelium,  nor  free  or- 
gans of  reproduction,  except  in  aquatic  rerial 
species,  which  are  of  very  rare  occurrence  ;  even 
if  floating,  there  will  be  something  in  the  shape 
of  roots,  and  the  spores  will  always  spring  di 
rectly  from  the  threads  at  the  expense  of  the  end 
ochrome.'' 

By  some  naturalist.  Fungi  have  been  considered 
capable  of  spontaneous  generation  ;  but  I  firmly 
believe  this  view  to  be  diametrically  opposed  to 
those  beautiful  and  unchanging  laws  that  Na- 
ture has  so  plainly  shown  in  all  the  higher 
orders  of  creation,  and  which  arc,  at  the  same 
time,  so  essential  to  vitality. 


AG 


-H- 


THE    GARDE jYER'S   MOXTRLl.       Fehiuary. 


"  Tliat  Fungi,"'  acconling  to  Berkeley,  "should 
spring  up  everywhere  under  fitting  conditions, 
is  readily  explained  by  the  enormous  quantity  of 
fruit  ■wliich  they  produce." 

•'Multitudes  of  spores  find  at  once  a  proper 
nidus,  and  throw  out  their  mycelium,  which  in 
some  cases,  may  exist  for  years  without  produc- 
ing fruit,  and  in  other  instances,  is  essentially 
perennial,  yielding  an  annual  crop  for  almost  an 
indefinite  period."  "Other  spores  are  wafted 
about  in  the  air,  where  they  may  remain  for  a 
greater  or  less  period,  till,  obeying  the  natural 
laws  of  gravity,  they  descend  in  some  distant 
region."  It  is  said  the  Trade  winds  carry  spores 
of  Fungi  thousands  of  miles  before  they  are 
deposited. 

The  reproduction  and  dissemination  of  most 
fungoid  plants,  depends  very  materially  upon  the 
condition  of  the  atmosphere  ;  hence  we  find  that 
many  of  the  diseases  caused  by  their  presence, 
have  been  attributed  to  atmospheric  changes. 
The  terrible  Potato  disease  is  the  result  of  a 
very  destructive  mould,  which,  during  warm 
and  moist  weather,  luxuriates  in  a  wonderfully 
rapid  manner  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  soon 
perishes,  should  a  drought  set  in.  It  has  been 
proven  that  this  disease  is  caused  by  a  mould, 
but  it  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  enter  into  its 
history  at  this  time.  Somes  pecies  of  Fungi,  how- 
ever, grow  as  readily  during  a  dry  season,  as  if 
it  were  rainy,  but  as  a  rule,  they  are  far  more 
immerous  in  wet  weather.  "  A  moist  autumn, 
after  a  genial  summer,  is  most  conducive  to 
their  growth,  but  cold  wet  summers  seldom  are 
productive.''  Again,  quoting  from  Berl-eley, 
"The  localities  they  effect,  are  as  various  as 
their  forms.'' 

Wherever  there  is  moisture  combined  with  a 
proper  degree  of  temperature,  together  with  or- 
ganic matter.  Fungi  ax'c  cajjable  of  existence 
The  spores  of  the  FenicilUum,  which  infested  the 
bread  some  years  ago  in  Paris,  to  such  an  alarm- 
ing extent,  were  capable  of  sustaining  a  heat 
equal  to  that  of  boiling  waier,  without  losing 
their  power  of  germination,  and  it  is  certain  that 
they  can  bear  many  degrees  of  frost  without  in- 
jury. Som"^-  species  at  least  are  to  be  found  in  a 
growing  state,  wherever  the  soil  is  actually  free 
from  frost,  and  many  seem  to  flourish  most 
vigorously  at  a  low  temperature.  Sweden  with 
its  various  soil,  large  mixed  forests,  and  warm 
summer  temperature,  seems  to  produce  more 
species  than  any  part  of  the  known  world  ;  and 
next  perhaps   in  order  is  the   United  States,  as 


far   as   South   Carolina,  where   they  absolutt'ly 
swarm.''     As  a  general  rule,  they  decrease   in 
numbers  as  we  approach  the  colder  regions,  and 
increase  toward  the  temperate.     In  Torrid  cli- 
mates they  are  prevalent,  but  much  less  frequent 
than  further  north.      Several  species  of  fungoid 
plants  present  two  distinct  and  dissimilar  states, 
before  arriving  at  maturity,  and  what  were  form- 
erly considered  diflerent  plants,  are  at  present 
known  to  be  one  and  the  same.     This  is  termed 
dimorphii^m.     An   excellent  illustration  of  this 
change,  is   presctited   in  the  Fungus  familiarly 
known  as  the  Barberry  Mildew,  and  at  the  same 
time  affords  a  useful  hint  to  the  practical  ob- 
server.    English  farmers  for  many  years  have 
contended  that  this  disease  was  contagious,  and 
liable  to  be  introduced  into  their  wheat  fields 
from  the  Barberry,  when  growing  in  near  prox- 
imity.    The  Cryptogramic  botanists  endeavored 
to  prove,  that  the  mildews  affecting  each,  were 
two  entirely  distinct  plants,  nowise  related,  and 
therefore  the  contagion  was  simi)ly  impossible, 
and  the  farmers  were  voted  by  unanimous  con- 
sent, ignorant  and  superstitious.    Unfortunately 
for   the  assertions  of  the  scientific  gentlemen, 
what  were    formerly   considered    two    aistinct 
plants,  are  now  known  to  be  only  forms  of  one 
and  the  same  species,  and  able  to  disseminate 
the  disease  from  Barberry  to  Wheat.    This  same 
character  is  often  illustrated  on  the  leaf  of  the 
Rose  :  the  under  side  being  covered  with  a  com- 
plete net  work  of  mildew,  whilst  above  are  seen 
numerous    spherical    yellow   bodies,    producing 
spores.     Both  states  belong  to  the  same  plant. 
The    mildew  is    merely   a    primary   condition, 
which  afterward  developes  into  beaded  bodies 
bearing   spores.     Fungi,  when   in   the   form   of 
mildew  or   mould,  although   but  in  the  earlier 
stages  of  growth,  produce  disease  and  deatii  by 
appropriating  the  juices  of  the  plant  \ipou  which 
they  are  found,  as  in  the  case  of  all  parnsites. 
They  also  impede  a  free  circulation,  by  destroy- 
ing the   I'espiratory   organs    in   the  epidermis, 
known  as  the  stomata.     In  regard  to  the  very 
small  size  of  the  seed-like   bodies  produced  by 
Fungi,  an  Engish  Mycologist  has  recorded,  that 
"  a  single  spore  of  the  PoJifporus  cceaius,  meas- 
ures one  10,000th  of  an  inch  in  extreme  length, 
and  in  width,  one  20,000th  of  an  inch,  thus  tak- 
ing the  inconceivable  number  of  200,000,000  ot 
spores   to   cover   one  inch  superficial.''     M.  C. 
Cook,  in   his   interesting  little  wo.k  on  Fungi, 
says  :  "On  the  Goatgbread  (Tragopogon  praten- 
sisj  the  leaves  have  the  appearance  as  if  sprinkled 


7871. 


THE    GARBEJfER'S   MOJVTELl. 


47 


with  goUl-diist.  and  each  speck  of  dust  is  a  little 
cup  containing  spores,  or  more  properly  proto- 
spoves.  Each  of  these  bodies  is  doubtless  capa- 
ble of  reproducing  its  species,  and  if  we  compute 
2000  cluster-cups  as  occurring  on  each  leaf,  and 


it  the  specific  name  of  Tuckeri,  in  honor  of  the 
gentleman  bj^  whom  it  was  first  brought  to 
notice.  The  presence  of  this  Fungus  is  first  de- 
tected by  the  appearance  of  the  vine,  which 
changes  to  a  j-ellowish  hue,  soon  a  white  stud- 


■v\-e  have  found  half  as  many  more  on  an  ordin-  '  like  substance  is  noticed,  and  the  little  parasite 


ary  sized  leaf,  and  suppose  each  cup  to  contain 
250,000  spores,  which  again  is  below  the  actual 
number,  then  we  shall  have  not  less  than  500,- 
000,000  of  reproductive  bodies,  on  one  leaf  of  the 
Goalsbread,  to  furnish  a  crop  of  parasites   for 
the  plants  of  the   succeeding   year.     We  must 
reckon  by  millions,  and  our  figures  and  faculties 
fail  in  appreciating  the  myriads  of  spores  which 
compose  the  orange-dust  produced  upon  one  in- 
fected cluster  of  plants  of  Tragopogon  "     *'Xor 
is  this  all,  for  our  number  represents  only  the 
actual  protospores  which  are  contained  within 
the  peridea  ;  eacli  of  these  on  germination,  may 
produce    not    only   one,   but    many   vegetative 
spores,  which  are  exceedingly  minute,  and  indi- 
vidually may  be  regarded  as  embryos  of  a  fresh 
crop  of  cluster  cups  "      Most  of  you  are  ac- 
quainted with  the  sooty  patches  on  wheat.     It 
has  been  computed  that  8,000,000  spores  of  this 
fungus,  would  merely  cover  one  square  inch  of 
surface.     "For  every  ear  of  diseased  wheat," 
says  Cook,  "  10,000,000  spores  have  been  dis- 
tributed for  a  future  crop."     A  curious  feature 
in  Fungi  is,  that  they  exhale  carbonic  acid,  and 
absorb  oxygen,  thus  being  diametrically  opposed 
to  Floicering  or  Phcenogamous  Plants;  and  ren- 
dering them  useless  in  keeping  up  the  balance 
between  animal  and  vegetable  life.      To  this 
cause  is  attributed  the  absence  in  their  cells,  of 
chlorophyll,— the  green  coloring  matter  seen  in 
the  higher  orders  of  vegetation. 

FUNGOID  DISEASES. 

We  will  now  pass    to    the   consideration  of 
the  disease  caused  by  the  presence  of  Fungi ; 
but,  in   so   doing,  I  will  merely  select  such  as 
have  proven  the  most  injurious.     The  Grape  ap- 
pears to  offer  a  fair  field  for  these  pests,  for  we 
find  different   species    luxuriating   upon    it,   at 
every  period  of  the  vine's  growth,  and  in  various 
ways  preying  upon  the  fruit  with   remorseless 
avidity.     Commencing  with  the  terrible  Grape 
disease,  that  ravaged  the  vineyards  of  all  Europe, 
and  which  was  entirely  unknown  previous  to  the 
1(545.    "We  are  informed  that  it  was  at  first  attrib- 
uted  to  numerous  foreign  agencies,   until   the 
true  cause  was  di.scovcred  by  Berkeley.     Find- 
ing it  belonged  to  the  old  genus  (Jidium,  he  gave 


then  emits  a  musty  odor,  and   spreads  with  al- 
most inconceivable  rapidity.     In  the  later  stages, 
when  the  Fungus  is  about  developing  its  fruit 
and  discharging  its  spores,  dark-colored  spots 
take  the  place  of  the'mildew, — the  leaves  curl  up, 
and  the  grapes  split  open,  or  dr^'-  up  in  most  in- 
stances.    The  very  valuable  paper  on  this  sub- 
ject by  a  French  Vineyardist, — II.  11.  Mares — 
has  lately  been  incorporated  in  Flagg's  work  on 
European  Vineyards,  which  is  well  worth  a  care- 
ful perusal.     In  regard  to  the  species  of  mildew 
aftccling  our  hardy  grapes,  I  am  afrail  I  cannot 
give  you  any  very  definite  information,  but  I  am 
decidedly  of  the  opinion,  that  they  are  all  quite 
distinct   from    the   Oidiion  Tuckeri  of  Europe, 
although  nearly  related  to  it.     Of  the  many  va- 
rieties of  grapes  grown  in  the  Northern  States, 
those  of  foreign  parentage,  are  the  most  su.scepti- 
ble  of  mildew  and  rot,  so  that  by  our  glass  struc- 
tures we  are  enabled  to  produce  an  atmosphere, 
uncongenial  to  the  growth  of  these  cryptogams. 
Dr.  Engelmaun,  of  St.  Louis,  describes  two  forms 
of  our  Grape  disease  under  the  names  of  "Brown 
rot,"  and  "Black  rot,"  both  of  which  I  have  de- 
tected in  this  State.    ForafuUdescription  of  these, 
I  will  refer  you  to  the  "Trans,  of  the  Acad,  of 
Science,  of  St.Louis,"  vol.  2,  p.  165,  1803.    Prof. 
Silliman  also  refers  to  the  same,  in  the  Horticul- 
turid,  vol.  18,  No.  10.     During  the  past  summer, 
my  attention  was  called  to  a  curious  disease  in  the 
vinery  belonging  to  our  worthy  Secretary  at  Ger- 
mantowu.       I  procured  a  few  specimens  of  the 
fruit  of  a  Black  Hamburg,  and  placing  a  portion 
of  the  diseased  skin  under  a  microscope,  I  soon 
found   unmistakable   signs   of    Fungus,    which, 
upon   examination,  presented  two  very  distinct 
forms.    One,   which   I   presume   to  be  nothing 
more  than   the    ^lycelium,   was   very   like   the 
usual  grape  mildew  in  general  character.     The 
other,  and  more  dangerous  form,  was  of  a  na- 
ture to  create  suspicion  in  the  minds  of  every 
giape  grower,  for  it  answered  in  many  particu- 
lars the  greatly  to  be  dreadi  d  Oidium  of  Europe. 
The  small  rust-like  spots  and  patches,  were  not 
unlike  the  puff-hall  family,  on  long  stems, — those 
most  advanced,  splitting  open,  and  discharging 
their   myriads   of  dust-like   spores.      This   last 
form  I  take  to  be  the  culmination  of  the  disease, 
and  was  similar  to  many  species  of  our  worst 
parasites. 


48 


TEE    GARDE^'ER'S   MOJ^THLY.       February, 


E  D  T  T  0  ]ll  A  L  . 


TRAVELING  RECOLLECTIONS. 

The  early  morning  of  a  fine  summer's  day  at 
the  end  of  Augnst,  found  us  in  the  midst  of 
Geneva,  New  York. 

Much  has  been  said  and  written  in  praise  of 
tbe  Geneva  of  the  old  world  ;  but  if  its  beauties 
arehalf  so  attractive  as  its  American  namesake, 
it  must  be  a  pretty  place  indeed.  There  is  no 
doubt  but  that  the  accumulations  of  art,  which 
give  ripeness  to  the  scenery  of  the  old  world, 
add  much  lo  the  interest  of  the  famous  places 
there.  There  may  be  a  softness  in  the  skies,  a 
dreaminess  in  the  air,  ghostly  whisperings  from 
the  dead  past  in  every  breath  that  stirs  about 
'  one  ;  but  in  these  young  places  there  is  a  virgin 
beaty  peculiarly  their  own, — a  living,  acting 
force  of  growing  strength,  far  more  enticing  to 
those  who  would  be  heroes  in  life's  battles,  than 
in  any  place  other  parts  of  theAvorld  can  offer. 
After  seeing  the  beauty  of  Seneca  Lake  and  its 
pretty  little  village  of  Geneva,  we  can  appreciate 
the  sentiment  of  an  eminent  Philadelphian,  who 
after  a  two  year's  tour  in  Europe,  remarked 
that  an  American  who  could  not  live  in  his  own 
country,  was  not  fit  to  die. 

But  we  have  a  good  friend  tugging  at  our  coat 
?leeve,  whispering  to  "  stop  this  nonsense,  and 
tell  us  something  about  the  horticulture  of  the 
place."  So,  standing  on  the  platform,  we  shut 
our  eyes  to  the  lovely  beauty  of  the  lake  scenery, 
and  turning  in  the  opposite  direction,  find  at 
once  two  capital  subjects  for  our  editorial  pencil, 
in  the  shape  of  Messrs.  Willard,  of  Graves, 
Selover,  Willard  &  Co.,  and  T.  W.  Smith.  The 
latter  gentleman  was  on  his  way  West,  on  some 
foraging  expedition,  in  which  kind  of  business 
he  is,  as  is  well  known,  so  eminently  successful, 
lor  he  has  been  one  of  the  most  prosperous  of 
the  many  hundred  nursery  firms  in  the  United 
States.  But  he  grac(!fully  yielded  to  the  mag- 
netic influence  of  Willard's  buggy,  and  afforded 
us  a  chance  to  pick  a  good  many  valuable  ideas 
out  of  him,  of  which  our  readers  will  reap  the 
benefit  all  in  due  time. 

A  half  hour's  drive  up  the  beautiful  Washing- 
ton street,  brings  us  to  the  nurseries  of  Graves, 
Selover,  Willard  <&  Co.  A  handsome  oflice,  with 
which  all  who  get  their  catalogues  are  familiar, 
welcomes  the  visitor  at  the  entrance.     It  is  sit- 


uated on  an  eminence,  and  from  a  turret  on  the 
top,  a  magnificent  view  of  the  surrounding 
country  is  obtained.  On  the  east,  a  lake  ;  on  the 
west,  another;  on  the  south,  the  beauti full}' culti- 
vated farms  for  which  this  section  of  the  country 
is  so  famous,  and  of  which  those  of  Messrs. 
Seldon  and  John  Johnson  are  types  ;  and  on  the 
north,  the  two  thousand  acres  of  nursery  land,  of 
which  Geneva  boasts. 

The  village,  we  should  suppose,  does  not  con- 
tain over  two  thousand  inhabitants,  and  so  ixt 
as  we  could  see,  carries  on  little  business  but 
that  of  the  nurser}'  trade,  boarding  visitors, 
and  furnishing  homes  for  retired  f)rtunes,whch 
come  to  close  the  autumn  of  their  daj-s  in  this 
lovely  spot. 

Of  course,  one  of  our  first  efforts  was  to  solve 
the  problem  what  had  made  Geneva  come  to  be 
one  of  the  leading  centres  of  the  nursery  trade. 
We  had  always  heard  fabulous  stories  about  the 
"  soil,"  in  order  to  account  for  it.  And  truly 
the  soil  was  good  ;  but  we  found  that  not  half 
the  story  had  been  told.  Just  as  good  soil  and 
plenty  of  it  can  be  found  in  almost  any  part  of 
the  Union  ;  but  this  spot  was  fortunate  iu 
having  half  a  dozen  good  men  settle  on  it  a 
quarter  of  a  century  or  so  ago,  who  loved  their 
business,  who  never  allowed  their  love  for  it  to 
be  distracted  by  other  loves,  and  who,  remain- 
ing true  to  it,  have  been  rewarded  by  that  pros- 
perity which  true  love  always  brings  forth. 

The  Smith  Bros,  and  the  Maxwells  have  made 
Geneva  what  it  is ;  and  even  Graves,  who, 
though  not  amongst  the  oldest  in  Geneva,  must 
come  in  for  a  fair  share  of  the  praise,  for  though 
not  exactly  of  Geneva,  is  the  oldest  nurseryman 
of  that  section  of  the  country. 

We  have  said  that  the  land  is  good  ;  but  hard 
manual  labor  is  spent  to  get  it  into  good  nursery 
condition.  It  is  a  happ}'  mixture  of  gravel,  sand 
and  cla}^  which  contains  all  the  elements  of 
fertility,  but  holds  water  very  near  to  its  surface. 
Hence  most  of  it  has  to  be  under-drained  with 
tile,  at  some  expense,  before  trees  can  be  planted 
on  it.  Yet,  with  all  this,  it  did  not  appear  to  us 
that  trees  suffered  to  grow  up  to  orchard  pur- 
poses throve  by  acy  moans  amazingly.  Wher- 
ever we  go  we  get  some  fun  poked  at  us,  for 
being  supposed  to  advocate  "  neglecting  trees  iu 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJyER'S  MOJ^THLY. 


40 


grass."  If  there  should  be  a  half-starved  speci- 
men of  a  fruit  tree  anywhere,  with  its  owner  out 
at  the  knees,  or  with  the  remains  of  his  old  felt 
hat  smashed  over  his  shaggy  brows,  staring  at 
us  aloug  our  route,  it  is  sure  to  be  particularly 
pointed  out  to  us  as  the  "  results  of  Meehan's 
system  of  fruitgrowing." 

But  our  friends  here  were  more  considerate. 
They  took  us  to  an  apple  orchard  to  show  the 
good  results  of  clean  surface  culture.  "We  had 
heard  of  this  orchard  before  ;  but  the  trees  were 
young,  not  over  twelve  years  of  age,  and  had  not 
time,  in  our  opinion,  to  show  the  merits  of  any 
system,  for  it  is  only  when  trees  are  about  bear- 
ing abundantly  that  constitutional  vigor  tells. 
At  any  rate,  we  did  not  note  anything  very  re- 
markable about  these  trees,  except  the  handsome 
deep  green  of  their  foliage,  which  certainly  was 
typical  of  good  health,  but  the  growth  was  not 
very  vigorous.  It  struck  us  as  not  having  aver- 
aged over  a  foot  a  year  during  the  past  six  or 
eight  years.  We  did  not,  however,  lay  this  to 
the  charge  of  any  system,  but  took  it  as  an  indi- 
cation that  there  was  nothing  so  very  far  ahead 
of  other  places  in  the  soil  of  Geneva,  and  it  was 
therefore  the  men  themselves  whom  we  had  to 
thank  for  the  marvelous  results  we  saw. 

The  leading  items  in  the  nurseries  here  are 
fruit  trees,  and  especially  the  Standard  Pear. 
These  seem  to  be  propagated  much  in  the  old 
way,  but  in  apples,  a  very  large  number  of 
growers  had  returned  to  the  old  practice  of  sum- 
mer budding,  instead  of,  or  rather  in  addition  to 
winter  root-graftmg.  The  idea  seemed  to  be 
not  that  the  plants  were  any  better  budded  than 
root-grafted,  but  that  a  stronger  and  straighter 
stem  could  be  had  in  this  way,  than  from  root- 
grafted  trees,  and  they  were  therefore  more 
saleable.  The  plants  used  for  budding  were  not, 
however,  as  the  catalogues  say,  "too  small  to 
graft,  but  good  enough  for  budding."  The  very 
best  stocks  are  used,  as  would  be  for  root-grafts. 
One  would  suppose  that  this  would  not  be  so 
profitable  as  root-grafts  ;  but  the  general  way  in 
which  the  plan  was  being  followed  by  new  be- 
ginners, showed  that  there  was  "  something  in 
it." 

The  most  extensive  nurseries  here  are  those  of 
the  Maxwells,  Smith,  and  Graves,  Selover  & 
Willard.  But  these  deal  considerably  in  orna- 
mental things,  while  the  scores  of  others,  whose 
names  are  familiar  to  the  public,  keep  chiefly  to 
fruits.    The  Maxwells,   particularly,  are   very 


enterprising,  and  add  to  their  collection  every- 
thing new.  The  new  Golden  Arborvitje,  not 
yet  sent  out,  was  being  largely  propagated,  but 
will  not  yet  be  ready  for  sale  for  a  year  or  two. 
Gladiolus,  Roses,  and  similar  things  were  grown 
by  the  acre.  At  Graves,  Selover  &  Willard's, 
the  ornamental  stock  was  particularly  inter- 
esting, not  only  for  the  amount  under  nursery 
culture,  but  for  the  many  fine  specimen  plants 
which  they  are  getting  up  about  the  ground. 

Very  reluctantly  we  took  our  leave  from  so 
much  horticultural  enjoyment,   and    so  many 
good  friends,  and  took  the  steamer  down  the 
celebrated  Seneca  Lake,  for  the  little  town  ot 
Watkins,  which  bristles  at  its  head.  It  is  s"!iid  that 
this  lake  never  freezes  over  ;  but  some  residents 
along  the  shores  whom  we  found  on  board, 
spoke  of  having  walked  across  sometimes  during 
their  lives.  Still  it  seldom  does  so,  audits  almost 
fathomless  depth  makes  the  foundation  of  many  a 
long  story.  The  banks  on  each  side  were  frequent- 
ly clothed  with  healthy  fruit  trees,  of  which  the 
grape  appeared  to  thrive  in  wondrous  luxuriance. 
Arriving  at  Watkins,  we  had  a  warm  recollec- 
tion of  our  first  Tompkins  county  King  Apples, 
which  we  ate  at  the  hands  of  our  friend.  Colonel 
Frost,  who  did  so  much  to  make  this  excellent 
variety  widely  known  ;  and  we,  of  course,  step- 
ped aside  for  an  hour  or  two,  to  see  what  other 
good  things  he  had  to  put  in  our  way.    We 
found  him  still  in  the  harness,  pushing  along  his 
nursery  business  in  his  old  energetic  and  success- 
ful way  ;  and  yet  devoting  much  of  his  time,  as 
a  good  citizen   should,  to  the  general  welfare  of 
his  fellow  citizens  at  large.     His  capacious  and 
hospitable  dwelling  is  quite  an  ornament  to  the 
little  town,  and  the  ground  in  front  of  the  house, 
with  its  little  fountain,  evergreens,  walks,  and 
flower-beds,   have  a  very  cheerful  look  to  the 
passer-by.     The  colonel  and  his  good  wife  enter- 
tained us  with  such  fascinating  stories  about  the 
beauties  of , Watkins'  Glen,  that  in  spite  of  the 
twittings  of  our  conscience,  for  having  been  too 
long  away  from  our  editorial  stool,  avc  could  do 
no  less  than  hold  over  for  another  day.     Any 
one  who  has  seen  this  beautiful  spot  need  not  be 
told  how  heartily  we  tlianked    our  kind  host 
and  hostess  for  persuading  us  to  stay.     Every- 
body should  of  course  see  Niagara,  the  falls  of 
Minnehaha,   and  the  pictui-ed  rocks  of  Minne- 
sota—the grand  blufls  of   the   Illinois  and  the 
Missouri,  Harper's    Ferry,    and   the    beautiful 
scenery  of   the   Virginia   mouutaius,   and   the 


50 


THE    GARDEJfER'S  MOJ^THLY.       February, 


drives  of  the  "Wissahickon  and  Fairraount  Park. 
All  these,  and  other  places  as  celebrated,  will 
always  be  worth  a  traveler's  attention.  Yet  we 
doubt  whether  any  one  can  say  they  have  seen 
the  beauties  of  the  American  continent,  until 
they  have  seen  Watkins'  Glen.  Here  is  a  rift  in 
a  mountain,  only  a  few  hundred  feet  wide  at  the 
best,  and  often  but  a  few  score,  and  yet,  with  its 
walls  from  one  hundred  to  perhaps  three  hun- 
dred feet  high.  A  stream,  which  has  formed 
this  chasm,  flows  over  its  bosom,  now  forming  a 
small  lake,  now  a  rapid,  now  a  whirlpool,  now  a 
rushing  cascade,  and  now  eddying  around  in 
caves  and  chambers  of  wondrous  architectural 
beauty.  A  "mountain  house"  for  summer 
boarders  has  been  established  hei-e,  and  the  pro- 
prietor has  spent  considerable  money  and  in- 
genuity in  enabling  visitors  to  explore  this  en- 
chanting spot.  After  wandering  along  some 
narrow  ledge  of  rock,  until  it  becomes  impossible 
for  art  to  do  any  more  for  a  foot-hold,  a  bridge 
or  stairway  to  some  ledge  on  the  other  side  is 
skilfully  thrown  across,  until  again  we  have  to 
cross  to  the  other,  back  again.  In  this  way  we 
managed  to  proceed  several  miles,  until  both  art 
and  nature  gave  out,  and  we  had  reluctantly  to 
retrace  our  steps,  with  the  poor  satisfaction 
in  regard  to  the  unseen  beauties  beyond,  of 
having  trod  our  foot  as  high  up  the  ravine  as 
any  other  man  ever  did. 

While  we  were  there,  the  geologists  were  fight- 
ing terrific  battles  over  the  origin  of  the  chasm. 
Paper  bombs  of  awful  power,  in  the  shape  of 
pamphlets  and  newspaper  articles,  abounded, 
and  it  seemed  to  us  that  some  body  would  un- 
doubtedly get  hurt ;  yet,  to  our  unprofessional 
eye,  the  matter  seemed  simple  enough.  Here 
was  an  immense  deposit  of  lower  Silurian  rock, 
which  had  been,  at  one  time,  the  bottom  of  a 
still  water  lake,  but  subsequently  thrown  up,  as 
many  similar  deposits  in  other  places  had  been. 
The  sand  and  mud  which  formed  tlys  rock,  had 
been  deposited,  in  the  ancient  times,  in  annual 
or  periodical  layers  of  from  a  quarter  of  one,  to 
one  or  two  inches  thick.  These  layers  are  harder 
or  softer,  according  as  their  mechanical  com- 
position— more  sand  or  more  clay — composed 
them ;  and,  of  course,  the  softest  wears  away 
the  easiest,  making  the  bays  and  inlets,  we  now 
see,  under  the  dominion  of  modern  elements. 
But  the  i)resent  stream,  say  the  geologists,  even 
when  at  its  highost  volume  of  water,  could  never 
make  the  chasm  as  wide  as  it  now  is.  IJut  to  us 
frost  would  do  all  this.     The  freezing  water  in 


the  innumerable  crevices  throws  out  the  loose 
pieces,  which  fall  on  a  thaw,  and  are  little  by 
little  carried  away  by  the  rapid  water  flowing  at 
the  base. 

There  is  one  great  attraction  which  Watkins' 
Glen  possesses,  almost  alone,  and  which  will 
ever  attract  the  lover  of  nature  to  it— the  natural 
history  of  the  place.  While  at  Niagara,  one  has 
to  be  satisfied  with  stunted  arborvitiies,  and 
wild  raspberries,  perchance  a  few  asters, 
Penguiculas,  and  Buffalo  berries,  as  the  vegeta- 
tion of  the  place.  Here  we  have  a  remarkably 
varied  and  interesting  flora,  and  the  other 
branches  of  study  offered  as  rich  material  ;  and 
though  there  is  mineral  water  here  as  supremely 
nasty  as  any  to  be  found  at  Saratoga,  that  spe- 
cies of  society  which  makes  it  unfashionable  for 
people  to  enjoy  themselves  naturally,  as  rational 
beings  should  do,  has  not  yet  been  established, 
so  that  for  years  to  come  we  expect  Watkins' 
Glen  will  be  the  resort  of  people  whom  the  sen- 
sible portion  of  the  community  love  to  meet. 

Watkins'  Glen  has  also  another  advantage.  It 
is  on  the  line  of  the  Northern  Central  Railroad, 
between  Harrisburg  and  Canandaigua,  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  railroad  routes  in  the  world, 
and  one  which  many  a  traveler,  who  has  time 
on  his  hands  for  pleasure,  goes  miles  out  of  his 
way — which  he  might  save  over  shorter  routes — 
expressly  to  enjoy. 


BOUVARDIA  VREELANDI. 

( See  FronUs2)iece . ) 

Almost  every  gardener  of  the  past  generation 
is  familiar  with  a  plant  known  to  many  of  them 
as  Hoiistonia  coccinea,  and  to  most  as  Bouvardia 
iriphylla.  The  former  name  was  given  to  it  by 
Andrews,  in  the  Bepository  of  Botany,  and 
the  latter  b}'  Salisbur}^,  a  more  recent  writer. 
But  it  had  been  previously  named  by  Humboldt 
and  Bonpland,  who  were  the  discoverers  of  the 
plant  in  Mexico,  Bouvardia  Jacquini,  by  which 
name  it  is  known  in  herbariums  and  botanical 
works,  though  few  gardeners  ever  heard  it  so 
called.  It  is  yet  one  of  our  handsomest  fall 
blooming  plants,  and  an  old  plant  grown  for 
many  years  in  a  tub,  and  set  out  on  a  lawn,  is 
possibly  one  of  the  handsomest  ornaments  one 
could  have  in  a  garden. 

But  it  was  about  twenty  five  years  ago  that 
the  Bouvardia  first  became  popular  as  a  winter 
flower,  through  the  introduction  of  B.  leiantha. 
This  is  now  so  well  known,  and  is  so  indispensa- 
ble to  professional  florists,  that  near  lai'ge  towns, 


1871. 


TEE    GARDEJfER'b    MOJ^THLY. 


51 


greenhouses  are  often  entirely  filled  with  it.  Its 
beautiful  crimson  flowers  are  particularly  striking 
in  combination  with  white  camellias,  and  then 
the  blossoms  are  produced  in  succession  so  easily, 
that  it  may  be  said  to  be  always  being  cut,  and 
yet  always  in  bloom.  It  was  often  said  that  if 
one  could  only  get  a  good  white  one,  with  all 
the  good  points  of  leianiha,  a  florist's  fortune 
could  be  made. 

Eventually  Bouvardia  longijlora,  a  white  spe- 
cies, was  introduced,  but  its  almost  solitary 
flowers  on  the  ends  of  the  branches  did  not  suit 
the  ends  of  the  bouquet  maker,  but  it  served  a 
good  purpose  in  making  a  parent,  for  hybridiza- 
tion ;  and  the  European  improver,  soon  produced 
a  race  of  intermediates,  of  which,  perhaps,  the 
variety  called  "Hogarth"  is  the  best  known 
and  most  useful. 

It  has  been  left  to  art  to  do,  what  all  Mexico 
has  not  so  far  been  able  to  furnish— a  good 
white,  equal  in  all  respects  to  B.  leiantha  ;  and 
of  this  we  furnish  to-day  an  illustration. 

B.  Yreelandi  is  all  one  can  wish,  and  no  doubt 
another  year  will  And  it  in  every  collection  in  the 
land.  An  account  of  its  origin  has  already  ap- 
peared in  our  magazine. 

In  regard  to  the  culture  of  Bouvardias,  it  is 
about  as  simple  as  anything  can  be.  Few  plants 
are  more  easily  grown.  No  special  directions 
need  be  given  for  potting,  and  as  for  flowering,  a 
heat  of  over  sixty  degrees  will  bring  them  on  rap- 
idly. Usually,  they  are  very  hard  to  propagate. 
This  is  best  done  by  little  pieces  of  roots,  made 
into  lengths  of  about  half  an  inch,  and  the  pots 
containing  them  plunged  into  heat  of  about 
sixty  or  seventy  degrees. 

Most  of  the  hybrids  hitherto  raised  have  so 
much  of  the  character  of  the  original  B.  longi- 
jlora, that  they  do  not  flower  very  freely — or  at 
best  have  not  many  flowers  open  at  a  time  ;  but 
in  the  case  of  this  new  variety  of  Mnyrceland's 
we  have  seen  beds  which  had  over  two  hundred 
expanded  blossoms  at  once  on  a  single  panicle, 
more,  indeed,  than  we  believe  we  have  in  B.  lei- 
antha. 


HOT-WATER    BOILERS. 

It  is  not  so  common  as  it  was  once,  to  hear 
scientific  education  decried.  It  is  now  found 
that  exact  knowledge — which,  after  all,  is  what 
science  really  amounts  to— is  far  more  profit 
able  than  the  mere  smatterings  of  what  is 
generally  called  education.     But  yet,  how  little 


of  exact  knowledge  exists  in  horticulture  is 
painfully  evident  in  every  thing  about  us.  But, 
perhaps,  in  nothing  is  the  immense  loss  which 
we  suffer  for  want  of  true  science  more  apparent 
than  in  the  usual  experience  with  hot-water 
boilers,  and  hot- water  apparatus  in  general. 

We  go  into  some  establishment  which  has  the 
houses  heated  by  hot  water,  and  it  is  a  rare 
chance  if  we  are  not  to  hear  complaints  about 
the  apparatus.  Something  docs  not  work  right. 
A  hot-water  man  has  been  consulted,  and  he 
advises  a  new  boiler — such-and-such  an  im- 
proved one  will  do  all  the  work  easily  and  well. 
Another  thinks  there  is  not  enough  pipe,  or  too 
small  pipes,  or  too  level  pipes,  or  something 
another  of  this  character.  But  if  we  question 
why  any  of  these  things  are  suggested,  we  find 
that  they  know  nothing  of  the  principles  of  the 
circulation  of  hot  water.  Strange  as  it  may 
seem,  we  find  men  who  make  a  business  of 
fitting  up  hot-water  boilers— men  who  are  noted 
as  improvers— geniuses — who  mistake  entirely 
the  law  on  which  success  depends.  They  tell 
you  that  hot  water  ascends,  and  all  the  machinery 
is  arranged  with  this  one  thing  in  their  mind. 
^Now,  water  does  ascend,  but  not  in  the  way  all 
these  men  understand  it.  When  Pat.  Murphy 
up  the  ladder  treads,  with  a  pile  of  mortar  in 
his  hod,  he  does  ascend — he  is  the  motive 
power.  The  mortar  in  Murphy's  hod  also  as- 
cends, but  the  ascent  of  the  mortar  and  the 
ascent  of  Murphy  are  two  very  difierent  affairs. 
There  is  no  motive  power  in  the  mortar  ;  Mur- 
phy's ascent  is  an  active  principle — the  mortar's 
ascent  is  a  purely  passive  one.  Hot  water  ascends 
as  the  mortar  does,  and  in  no  other  way.  It  is 
a  purely  passive  action  ;  but  no  one  that  we  have 
met  with  ever  imagines  that  this  is  the  case — 
has  the  slightest  suspicion  that  there  is  a  Mur- 
phy behind  it. 

Now  the  active  power  in  hot-water  circula. 
tion  is  cold  water.  Water  when  warmed  does 
not  ascend  because  it  is  the  warmest,  but  that 
the  colder  water  pushes  it  up  ;  not  because  warm 
water  is  the  lightest,  but  because  cold  water  is 
the  lieaviest.  It  is  a  simple  act  of  gravitation. 
The  cold  water  displaces  the  lighter  bulk. 

But,  says  the  boiler  man— and  we  have  heard 
it  argued  scores  of  times  in  this  way — what  dif- 
ference does  this  nice  distinction  make  ?  If  the 
hot  water  flows  out,  the  cold  must  come  in  to 
take  its  place.  Just  so,  but  the  trouble  is  start- 
ing with  the  idea  that  hot  water  is  the  motive 
power  of  the  circulation,  little  or  no  considera- 


5^ 


THE    GARDEJ^MR'S  MOJVTHLl.       February, 


tion  is  given  to  the  cold-water  force.  Examine 
any  case  we  may,  where  any  complaint  is  made 
that  things  don't  work  right,  and  we  see  at  once 
that  there  is  something  ofvakie  in  the  distinc- 
tion. We  would  most  likely  find  that  the  boiler 
has  been  so  set  that  the  return  pipe  gets  heated 
nearly  as  much  as  the  flow,  and  the  full  flow  of 
cold  water  is  thereby  checked.  It  is  almost  im- 
possible to  get  water  to  "  circulate"  freely  under 
such  circumstances.  Hundreds  of  boilers  are 
torn  out  or  changed  for  others,  or  pipes  set  up  or 
pulled  down,  when  there  has  been  nothing  at 
all  the  matter  but  a  simple  warming  of  the  re- 
turn pipe. 


N'ow,  what  is  the  result  of  application  of  this 
simple  principle  ?  Simply  that  tvater  can  be 
made  to  go  along  a  level,  or  up  or  down,  or  any 
way,  if  only  care  be  taken  to  get  a  good  volume 
of  cold  water  behind  it.  Take  care  in  setting 
the  boiler  to  have  the  place  of  entrance  of  the 
cold  water  as  far  away  from  the  fire,  and  as 
carefully  guarded  from  the  heat  as  possible.  It 
is  very  well  to  seek  for  the  best  boilers  and  the 
most  approved  size  or  style  of  pipes,  but  all  these 
are  of  no  use  without  cold  water.  In  short, 
we  would  lay  down  this  maxim  for  all  young 
gardeners  to  get  by  heart :  Look  after  the  cold- 
water  pipes  and  the  fl,oio  will  take  care  of  itself. 


SCRAPS   AND    aUERIES. 


The  Promises  of  the  Monthly.— We  sel- 
dom like  to  refer  to  the  good  things  our  friends 
say  of  us,— as  we  do  not  want  any  one  for 
readers  unless  they  themselves  are  fit  to  judge 
whether  the  magazine  is  worth  reading  or  not, 
—but  we  have  been  tempted  to  let  the  following 
letter,  written  by  a  professor  in  Cornell  Univer- 
sity speak  for  itself : 

"I  am  reminded  b}''  the  non -reception  of  your 
January  number,  that  my  subscription  has  ex 
pired,  and  that  for  a  continuance,  the  necessary 
yearly  remittance  must  be  made,  which  please 
find  enclosed.  On  looking  over  my  list  of  publi- 
cations there  are  several  that  can  be  dispeiised 
with, — chiefly  those  promising  largely,  but  per- 
forming little— those  that  have  borrowed  both 
illustrations  and  matter,  too  frequent  without 
credit,  and  are  filled  with  cuts  and  descriptions 
of  fruits  and  flowers,  with  which  every  school 
boy  in  gardening  is  familiar.  We  have  in  this 
section  of  country,  far  away  from  horticultural 
exhibitions,  fine  gardens  and  greenhouses,  and 
arc  dependent  on  horticultural  magazines  for  in- 
formation. 

On  my  list  are  two  journals  that  give  it  to  us, 
and  do  not  make  any  particular  parade  about  it 
either, —  The  Gardener'>s  Monthly  and  Shirley 
Hibberd's  Gardener'' s  Magazine.  Both  are  in- 
dependent, and  give  their  own  prac^tcaZ  experi- 
ence, that  all  may  profit. 

The  very  modest  promises  of  the  Oardener^s 
Monthly  to  its  readers,  for  1871,  are  sufiicient ; 
for  those  of  1870  were  kept.    Without  larger  pre- 


tensions of  being  better  than  ever,  it  is  content 
to  rest  its  future  success  on  its  record  of  the 
past.'' 


The  German  Eevtje  Horticole.— In  our 

last  we  gave  notice  of  a  new  German  Horti- 
cultural magazine,  printed  in  English,  French 
and  German.  The  idea  was  an  excellent  one. 
When  we  made  that  note  we  did  not  know  that  it 
could  be  had  in  this  country,  but  we  see  by  an 
advertisement  in  this  number,  that  Mr.  Raoux, 
can  obtain  it. 


How  Leaves  are  Formed.- A  correspon- 
dent sends  us  the  following  quotation,  which  he 
says  he  finds  amongst  some  manuscript  which 
has  come  into  his  possession,  and  asks  us  who  is 
the  author.  We  are  not  sure  ;  but  it  reads  like 
Herbert  Spencer  : 

"Every  leafofa  Phanerogamous  plant  begins  as 
a  cellular  out-growth,  the  base  of  which  em- 
braces a  portion  of  the  stem  proportioned  to  the 
space  which  will  form  the  insertion  of  the  leaf  at 
a  later  period.  Thus  the  leaves,  whose  sheath 
envelopes  the  axis  on  all  sides  (Platanus  occi- 
dentalis)  commences  by  an  annular  out-growth 
surrounding  this  axis.  This  is  likewise  the  case 
with  certain  opjjosite  and  sheathed  leaves,  which 
.appear  simultaneously  under  the  form  of  a  singu- 
lar annular  out-growth  [Oalium).  The  highest 
powers  of  the  microscope  show  nothing  in  this 
out-growth  but  a  homogenous  structure,  which 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLl. 


63 


is  called  the  primordial  leaf.  From  this  primor- 
dial leaf,  are  developed  all  the  parts  which  make 
up  the  adult  leaf.  These  parts  appear  in  suc- 
cession. Those  first-formed,  which  arc  called 
plants  of  the  first  order,  spring  directly  from  tlte 
primordial  leaf ;  and  those  of  the  second  order 
spring  from  the  first,  and  so  on  in  succession. 
Parts  of  the  same  order  form  themselves,  some- 
times from  below  upwards, —  sometimes  from 
above  downwards.  Moreover,  the  formation  of 
plants  of  the  same  order  may  take  place  in  the 
same  direction,  or  in  an  opposite  one  to  those  of 
the  order  preceding.  The  primordial  leaf  can 
produce  appendages,  not  only  on  the  lateral 
margins,  (stipule)  etc.,  but  also  on  its  posterior 
surface  (facing  the  axis,  the  anterior  faces  the 
observer).  Ordinarily  the  appendages  of  the 
posterior  surface  grow  after  those  of  the  side. 

Such  is  a  brief  resume  of  the  five  researches  of 
Steinpeil,  Trecul,  Xegali,  Schacht  and  Eichler. 

Stipules  are  appendages  of  the  primordial  leaf, 
and  not  the  products  direct  of  the  stem. 

The  successive  development  of  parts  of  the 
leaf,  often  in  a  basifugal  direction,  lead  to  its  be- 
ing likened  to  a  branch  of  limited  growth.  Such 
a  definition  would  be  inconvenient,  as  it  takes 
no  account  of  the  fact  that  many  leaves  do  not 
appear  to  possess  appendages  except  on  their 
lateral  margins,  and  that  these  appendages  often 
grow  from  above  downwards,  while  the  leaves  of 
a  branch  are  always  developed  from  below  up- 
wards. 

A  leaf  is  a  branch  with  the  posterior  surface 
atrophied. 

Primordial  leaves  are  primordial  oflf-shoots  of 
the  terminal  cone,  the  auxiliary  branches  of 
which  represent  subsequent  oflF-shoots.  Each 
primordial  off-shoot,  or  primordial  leaf,  can,  in 
its  turn,  produce  other  oflf-shoots,  primary,  sec- 
ondary, tertiary,  etc.  Sometimes  throughout 
its  circumference,  (Acer  pseudo  platanus,)  some- 
times on  one  side  only  (as  in  most  leaves). 


Road  Making,  etc.— A  Subscriber,  Tonl-ers. 
— Will  you  please  state  through  the  Monthly  the 
title  of  an  American  work  whi(!h  gives  estimates 
of  the  cost  of  road-making,  ditching,  draining, 
paving  and  moving  of  soil  by  hand  and  team, 
and  of  all  those  various  operations,  which  occur 
in  the  laying  out  of  places,  and  greatly  oblige  an 
old  subscriber. 

[What  you  want  is  scattered  through  many 
works.  Mahan's  Civil  Engineering  will  help 
you  for  the  general  principles  of  mechanical 


work.  French's  Farm  Drainage  will  do  more 
On  the  cost  of  moving  soil,  we  know  of  no 
other  work  to  which  to  refer  you.] 


Arnold's  Grapes.— These  have  given  great 
satisfaction  in  the  northern  parts  of  our  country. 
Further  south  the  reports  are  not  so  encourag- 
ing. A  Maryland  correspondent  planted  most 
of  them  last  year,  and  does  not  find  any  as  good 
as  Clinton.     Xo.  16  he  thinks  was  the  best. 


Pruning  Pear  Trees.— -F.,  Odorora,  Md., 
says,  "  I  am  a  little  at  a  loss  between  the  ad- 
vice of  some  to  prune,  and  of  others  not  to  prune 
at  all.  I  have  some  very  fine  Duchess  Pears, 
now  six  years  in  bearing.  They  have  not  grown 
as  much  the  two  past  years  as  before,  and  the 
fruit  is  fixiling  in  quality.  I  was  told  that  a  good 
pruning,  which  they  never  have  had,  would 
help  them;  what  say  you?''  [Those  of  our 
readers  who  have  followed  us  closer,  will,  we 
think,  not  find  that  we  recommend  "  not  to 
prune."  Our  opinion  is,  that  a  thorough 
surface  manuring,  a  thinning  out  of  weak  and 
inferior  branches,  and  possibly  a  shortening  of 
the  stronger  ones,  would  be  a  benefit  to  you.] 


After  the  Pirates.— We  find  that  there  is 
a  wide  spread  movement  amongst  the  nursery 
and  seed  trade,  to  protect  themselves  from  the 
fangs  of  those  reptiles  who  have  so  long  preyed 
on  them— in  many  cases  bringing  honest,  hard- 
working firms  to  the  verge  of  bankruptcy  by  their 
enormous  losses.  It  is  indeed  time  that  the 
Xorrisses  and  Colics  and  similar  well-known 
"firms,'' should  find  the  length  of  their  ropes, 
and  if  anything  can  be  done  to  aid  in  so  goodly 
a  consummation  the  whole  fraternity  will  be 
l)lessed. 

The  programme,  as  we  have  seen  it,  is  a 
friendly  interchange  of "  experience.''  A  high 
court  in  Pennsylvania  has  recently  decided,  that 
such  a  "confidential"  communication  of  experi- 
ence between  mutual  friends  is  "privileged" 
and  within  the  law,  and  does  not  constitute  a 
libel.  The  greatest  care  is  to  be  exercised  to 
prevent  anything  like  malice  to  operate  in  pre- 
paring the  "black  list." 

In  spite  of  all  this,  those  having  the  matter  in 
charge,  must  use  great  care.  It  is  often  hard  to 
judge  of  the  merits  of  a  disputed  case.  Both 
parties  often  think  they  are  badly  treated.  We 
would  recommend  that  no  one  be  placed  on  the 


54 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MONTHLY.       February, 


list,  on  the  testimony  of  anything  less  than  half 
a  dozen  witnesses,— unless  the  testimony  of  a 
single  witness  is  so  direct,  as  to  leave  no  room^ 
for  doubt  as  to  the  swindling  nature  of  the  trans- 
action. 

After  all,  the  best  security  is  strict  business 
rules.  Sell  to  no  stranger  without  care  first  to 
know  his  means  to  pay,  and  disposition  to  do  so. 
Ko  one  whose  custom  is  worth  having,  objects  to 
this  test.  Above  all  do  not  be  too  easily  tempted 
by  a  show  of  good  conduct.  It  is  a  very  com- 
mon thing  to  buy  twenty  or  even  fifty  dollars' 
worth,  and  pay  well ;  and  then  order  one  or  two 
hundred,  which  is  never  settled  for, — or  trees 
are  ordered,  sent  C.  O.  D.,  and  then  on  arrival 
fault  found  with  something,  and  rather  than 
risk  getting  back  perishable  goods,  the  shipper 
agrees  to  take  anything  ;  or  references  are  given 
to  unknown  parties  ;  or  to  good  parties  for  that 
matter,  the  swindling  concerns  knowing  that  it 
is  not  likely  the  shipper  will  seek  for  the  neces 
sary  knowledge.  We  know  of  a  firm,  for  in- 
stance, who  was  referred  to  '^  Peter  Henderson." 
Shipping  was  almost  over,  as  summer  was  ad- 
vancing, and  to  save  time,  one  hundred  dollars' 
worth  of  goods  were  sent.  A  few  days  after- 
wards several  hundred  dollars  more  were  or- 
dered. Henderson  was  then  referred  to,  and  in- 
stead of  recommending  him,  he  reported,  that 
he  had  been  actually  swindled  by  him.  The 
balance  was  saved ;  but  these  parties  should 
have  sent  at  first  to  Mr.  Henderson.  But  even 
then  he  might  have  paid  Henderson  a  small  bill 
in  order  that  he  might  praise  him  to  others,  and 
thus  be  made  an  agent  in  the  transaction.  It  is 
a  difficult  subject,  and  we  wish  those  who  are 
studying  it  evei-y  success  in  their  labors. 


The  Vine  Mildew  of  Europe.— A  friend 
thinks,  contrary  to  the  opinion  given  in  a  former 
number,  that  the  Oiclium  TucJceri,  does  exist  in 
this  country.  We  have  made  arrangements  with 
a  friend,  skilled  in  fungoid  microscopy,  and  who 
is  acquainted  with  the  European  plant,  to  ex- 
amine the  matter  closely  next  year, — and  wo 
shall  be  particularly  obliged  by  specimens  of 
what  any  reader  may  suppose  to  be  this  plant. 


Pears  for  Market.— Jlf.,  Rarrishurg,  Pa., 
asks:  "What  eight  Pears  would  you  plant  for 
market,  standard  ?"  [So  much  depends  on  lo- 
cality in  answering  this  question.  But  for  cen- 
tral Pennsylvania,  we  should  certainly  have 
some  Bartlett,  and  then  Howell,  Beurre  Clair- 


geau,  Yicar  of  Winkfield,  Beurre  D'Anjou,  Buf- 
fum,  Lawrence,  and,  though  slow  to  come  into 
bearing,  a  few  Seckels,  for  when  toell-gi-ovm, 
there  is  nothing  pays  better  than  Seckel  pears. 


The  CoisrMissiONER  or  Agriculture.— Gen- 
eral Capron  takes  every  opportunity  to  prove 
that  he  is  the  right  man  in  the  right  place.  No 
sooner  was  the  San  Domingo  Commission  a  cer- 
tain fact  than  he  urged  the  President  to  add 
naturalists  to  it.  The  result  was,  that  Dr. 
Parry  as  principal,  and  Mr.  Brummel  as  assis- 
tant, were  appointed  botanists,  and  Prof.  Blake, 
geologist.  The  knowledge  gained  by  science,  is 
always  of  a  permanently  useful  character.  Po- 
litical information,  of  course,  has  its  uses,  but 
"all  things  should  work  together  for  good." 


Eire  Blight  in  Pear  Trees.— We  supposed 
that  the  old  theory,  that  "fire  blight"  was 
caused  by  anything  in  the  constitution  of  the 
tree  ;  was  about  given  up.  But  we  note  that 
Dr.  Warder,  in  a  recent  address,  still  thinks  that 
some  varieties  are  more  liable  to  it  than  others. 
We  were  surprised  at  this,  as  we  think  experi- 
ence has  proved,  that  every  variet}'^  in  some  place 
or  other  is  about  equally  liable.  In  this  immedi- 
ate district  we  may  say  none  are  "liable  "  We 
have  never  seen  a  case  in  Germantown.  Though 
it  has  been  within  four  miles  of  it. 


Mr.  Meehan's  Nursery.— jEJ.  S.  B  ,  Galena, 
says  in  a  note  to  Mr.  Meehan  :  "  I  send  subscrip- 
tion through  you,  in  order  to  suggest  whether  it 
would  not  be  a  good  plan  to  send  your  nursery 
catalogues  to  every  subscriber  of  the  Monthly.''' 
[We  note  this  for  the  purpose  of  saying,  that 
Mr.  M.  has  never  seen  the  subscription  books  of 
the  Gardener''s  Monthly,  and  does  not  know  who 
are  subscribers  to  the  Monthly,  except  as  he  may 
gather  from  outside  sources,  as  "  any  other 
man "  may  do.  The  reason  for  this  is,  that 
when  the  Monthly  was  first  started,  many 
friends  of  it  in  the  nursery  trade  furnished  lists 
of  their  correspondents  and  customers,  most  of 
whom  became  sul)scribers.  Mr.  M  has  always 
felt  that  it  would  be  dishonorable  under  such 
circumstances  to  profit  personally  by  an  act  in- 
tended solely  for  the  good  of  horticultural  litera- 
ture. For  the  same  reason  we  have  always  de- 
clined tempting  ofters  to  allow  our  books  to  be 
used  for  the  purpose  of  mailing  catalogues  for 
any  firm.  Mr.  ^Moehan  is  paid  for  his  services 
on  the  Monthly ;  and  in  his  nursery  and  seed 


1871. 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S    MOJSTTHLY. 


55 


business  his  relations  to  the  Monthly  are  pre- 
cisely the  same  as  that  of  any  other  nursery  firm. 
AVc  are  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  make  this  ex- 
planation, as  we  find  the  idea  not  uncommon, 
that  Mr.  Meehan  has  a  proprietory  interest  in 
the  magazine. 


RoBiNsoK's  Parks  and  Gardens  of  Eu- 
rope.—G.  A.  Z.,  Waltham,  il/ass.— "Willyoube 
so  kind  as  to  inform  me  where  "  Robinson's 
Parks,  Promenades  and  Gardens  of  Paris,"  can 
be  procured.  Please  answer  through  the  Gar- 
dener^s  Monthly,  if  it  does  not  interfere  with  your 
rules  to  notice  this  publication." 

[There  is  no  American  edition, — but  it  can  be 
had  through  any  bookseller,  who  imports  from 
Europe.  Any  of  your  large  Boston  importers 
would  get  it  for  you.] 


Dr.  Hall's  Curculio  Catcher. — We  are 
glad  to  note  that  this  useful  invention,  which  we 
saw  in  such  successful  operation  on  the  Doctor's 
grounds  at  Alton,  is  now  being  manufactured 
by  a  firm  in  Ottawa,  Illinois,  for  the  general 
public — we  rejoice  particularlj'^  as  we  know  this 
means  more  plums  for  us  all,  and  we  hope  the 
sale  will  prove  a  "good  plum'' to  the  ingenious 
inventor  of  the  machine. 


SrEVA  Bean. — In  our  notice  of  things  about 
Troy,  N.  Y.,  we  noticed  a  very  early  bean  liav- 
ing  relationship  to  the  Lima  ;  but  which  the 
market  men  who  sold  it  called  "Selah,''  and 
considered  it,  in  the  north  a  month  earlier  than 
the  Lima.  The  southern  Planter  and  Farmer 
thinks  it  recognizes  an  old  acquaintance,  the 
"Carolina  Sieva,"  extensively  grown  in  the 
South  on  account  of  its  earliness  and  prolific- 
ness.  It  is  hardly  six  weeks  earlier  than  the 
Lima,  however. 


Dr.  Wylie's  Hybrid  Grapes.— A  corres- 
pondent from  Aiken,  South  Carolina,  writes, 
that  so  far  the  hybrids  of  Dr.  Wylie,  of  Ches- 
ter, exhibit  great  promise. 


Disease  of  HoLLYnocKs.— 2?.  S.,  West  Phil- 
adelphia, Pa.,  inquires,  what  is  the  matter  with 
his  Hollyhocks.  The  leaves  get  8i)otted  during 
the  summer,  and  appear  as  if  burnt,  and  the 
spikes  of  flowers  are  poor  and  weak  in  conse- 
quence. We  have  before  noticed  thi.s  in  our 
pages     We  suppose  it  results  from  the  attacks 


of  a  minute  fungus.  The  best  way  is  to  raise 
fresh  plants  occasionally  from  seed.  With  care, 
the  varieties  usually  come  true  from  seed.  The 
improved  English  varieties  are  very  beautiful, 
and  the  seeds  are  usually  ofl'ered  every  spring  by 
our  leading  seed  stores. 


Grape  Culture  in  Virginia. — An  intelli- 
gent correspondent  of  the  Southern  Planter  and 
Farmer  referring  to  some  remarks  of  ours,  says  : 
"Is  it  true,  as  Mr.  Meehan  says,  that  'we  still 
go  on  failing  day  after  day  under  our  old  sys- 
tems. '  I  am  inclined  to  think,  Mr.  Editor,  that 
grape  culture  has  been  and  is  a  great  success  in 
all  portions  of  this  continent,  lying  betweasn 
those  parallels  of  latitude  within  which  the 
grape  has  ever  been  known  to  flourish.  Canada 
and  Maine  do  not  produce  grapes  abundantly  it 
is  true,  but  they  do  pretty  well  in  Virginia,  and 
Mr.  Husman  doubtless  thinks  they  do  well  in 
Missouri.  One  thing  is  certain— there  has  not 
been  a  failure  reported  in  Virginia  during  the 
past  five  years." 


Rocky  Mountain  Evergreens. — An  Oma- 
ha correspondent  sends  us  branches  of  Coniferse 
from  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  is  not  easy  to 
name  them  from  branches  alone  ;  but  we  believe 
the  foUowmg  is  near  right  : 

1.  Pinus  contorta.  2.  Abies  Menziesii.  3 
appears  to  be  a  form  of  a  common  white  spruce, 
Abies  alba.  4.  Abies  Engelmanni.  5.  Pinus 
flexihs,  or  it  may  be  P.  aristata.  6.  Abies  Doug- 
lasii.  7.  Abies  Williamsoni,  but  it  may  be  A. 
Albertiana  ;  no  body  seems  to  know  how  to  dis- 
tinguish these, — and  yet  they  appear  different. 
The  Juniper  appears  J.  occidentalis,  although  it 
is  much  like  western  forms  of  J.  communis. 

The  broad-leaved  small  evergreen  is  arctos- 
taphylos  uva-ursi,  and  this  is  one  reason  why 
we  think  the  Juniper  and  the  arctostaphylos 
growing  together  is  perhaps  but  a  form  of  J. 
communis. 

We  should  like  another  specimen  of  this  Juni- 
per. Our  Postmaster  was  friendly  enough  to 
let  us  examine  the  specimens  a  few  moments  at 
the  post-office  ;  but  the  whole  bundle  was  "  con- 
fiscated, "  in  default  of  our  willingness  to  pay 
letter  postage  on  it,  because  there  was  writing 
inside — when  will  our  correspondents  learn  this? 


Fruits  in  Kentucky.-A  correspondent  from 
Calhoun,  Ky.,  says  :  "  While  you  have,  from  ac- 
counts, plenty  of  apples  and  pears  on  your  side 


56 


THE   GARDEJfER'S   MOJYTELl:.      February, 


of  the  mountains,  we  have  very  few  here.  Our 
apples  nearly  all  fell  from  the  trees  during  the 
warm,  dry  weather  of  summer.  My  pears  and 
grapes  did  as  well  as  usual,  but  were  not  much 
in  demand  during  the  summer.  I  sold  all  of  my 
best  winter  pears  at  15  cents  per  lb.  They  were 
nearly  all  winter  Xelis,  which  I  consider  the 
most  valuable  of  any  other  winter  pear. 


OiTR  Colored  Plates.— Few  magazines  have 
ever  received  more  kind  notices,  unsought,  than 
ours.  Though  not  in  the  habit  of  parading  our 
friends'  good  opinion  of  us,  their  good  feeling  is 
not  the  less  appreciated.  But  we  feel  particu- 
larly their  kind  commendations  of  our  colored 
plates,  and  quote  them  occasionally,  inasmuch 
as  the  editor  had  no  hand  in  getting  them  up, 
he  can  refer  to  Messrs.  Sinclair's  excellent  work 
without  feeling  that  he  is  helping  to  "blow  his 
own  horn."  We  copy,  therefore,  the  following 
from  the  Philadelphia  Iforninrf  Post,  with  much 
pleasure,  and  particularly  because  it  was  very 
much  of  an  experiment  that  we  introduced  them. 
We  were  told  by  numerous  friends  that  they 
"  could  not  be  done  creditably  in  this  country," 
and  we  had  better  not  try.     But  the  Post  says  : 

"In  addition  to  the  usual  excellent  table  of 
contents,  this  number  presents  an  admirable 
colored  engraving  of  the  "Martha"  grape,  one 
of  the  best  specimens  of  the  art  we  have  seen  in 
any  magazine." 


Passiflora  arborea  {Bot.  Mag.,  t.  5864).— 
"Though  displaying  none  of  the  beauty  of  the 
commoner  cultivated  Passion-flowers,  and  want- 
ing their  scandent  habit,  copious  festoons  of 
leaves,  aud  elegant  tendrils,  the  subject  of  the 
present  plate  is  still  a  very  interesting  one,  from 
its  erect  habit  and  large  foliage,  in  which  re- 
spect it  stands  almost  alone  amongst  its  120  con- 
geners." It  grows  from  one  to  twelve  feet  high, 
"bearing  few  but  beautifully  smooth  dark-green 
pendulous  leaves,  one  to  three  feet  long,  and 
looking  like  a  green  umbrella  stuck  in  the 
ground."  The  flowers  are  two  or  three  inches 
broad,  greenish-white. 


Catalogue  of  C.  L.  Allen  &  Co.,  N'ew 
York. — We  often  take  occasion  to  notice  im- 
provements in  catalogues,  which  are  amongst 
the  best  methods  of  spreading  information 
amongst  the  people.  This  one  has  9,  very  interest- 
ing feature  in  addition  to  its  other  merits,  that 
it  gives  with  the  derivation  of  the  names  of  the 
plants,  little  bits  of  history  which  always  please. 
Many  names  seem  to  novices  hard  and  mean- 
ingless, that  are  reasonable  enough  when  their 
derivation  is  explained.  Messrs.  Allen  are, 
however,  in  error  in  giving  for  Poh/anthiis  the 
tuberose,  the  derivation  Poly  many,  and  anthos 
a  flower.  But  we  have  corrected  this  so  often  in 
the  Monthly  that  we  tire  of  referring  to  it. 


NEW  AND  EAEE  EEUITS. 


Grape— Morrell's  Seedling— Raised  by 
a  gentleman  of  that  name  in  Germantown,  has 
been  placed  on  our  table.  It  is  a  blue  grape  of 
medium  size,  sharp  and  pleasant  flavor,  not 
equal  to  the  best  grapes  now  out,  but  superior 
to  a  very  great  number  which  have  been  dis- 
tributed of  late  years.  It  is  certainly  a  better 
grape  than  Hartford  Prolific  or  Concord,  but 
not  equal  to  them  in  earliness. 


Burlington  Grape,— Mr.  A.  Taylor,  of 
Burlington,  Vermont,  exhibited  a  new  seedling 
grape  at  the  State  Fair  recently  held  at  that 
place,  which  seems  to  be  a  real  acquisition  to 
the  small  list  which  are  hardy  in  northern  New 
Englaad,,and  at  the  same  time  of  good  eating 


qualities.  This  grape,  which  Mr.  Taylor,  origi- 
nated, and  which  he  has  named  "  Burlington, 
from  the  place  of  its  origin,  is  perfectly  hardy, 
being  entirely  exposed  throughout  the  winter- 
As  a  table  grape  it  is  full}^  ccjual  to  the  "  Adiron- 
dack,''and  approaches  the  "  Delaware,"  while 
it  is  much  more  hardy  tlian  the  latter.  This 
grape  deserves  the  attention  of  horticulturists. 
It  is  not  understood  that  Mr.  Taylor  has  any 
vines  for  sale  at  present. 


"Parks'  Cling"— A  New  Peach.— The 
"  Parks"'  originated  in  the  grounds  of  Mr.  A.  L. 
Parks,  at  Alton,  111.,  from  a  chance  seed.  This 
is  a  magnificent  looking  peach,  and  in  point  of 
beauty  is  not  surpassed  by  any  of  the  earlier 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJVER*S   MOJVTELl. 


57 


peaches.  Specimens  were  exhibited  at  the  late 
Fair  of  the  IlHnois  Asricultural  Society  that 
measured  eleven  inches  in  circumference.  The 
tree  last  year,  and  acrain  this,  bore  well  ;  leaves 
with  globose  glands  ;  fruit  of  the  largest  size 
and  heavy,  broader  than  deep  ;  suture  deep, 
extending  quite  around  the  fruit,  dividing  it 
equally ;  skin  not  verj'  downy,  light  creamy 
yellow,  mostly  covered  with  red  ;  flesh  also  of  a 
light  creamy  color,  stained  with  red,  but  deeper 
red  at  the  stone ;  very  juicy,  but  not  of  the 
highest  flavor ;  ripens  eight  to  ten  days  later 
than  the  Heath  Cling. — Prairie  Farmer, 


New  Pear— Bkockwokth  Park. — This  is 
an  English  seedling,  and  far  in  advance  of  nine- 
teen-twentieths  of  the  continental  trash  which  is 
year  by  year  forced  upon  us.  It  is,  indeed,  a  first- 
class  pear,  and  the  standard  is  now  placed  high. 
It  has  been  awarded  a  first-class  certificate  by 
the  Fruit  Committee  of  the  Koyal  Horticultural 
Society.  At  the  first  glance,  it  greatly  resem- 
bles the  Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey.  The  fruit  is 
large,  pyriforra,  rather  bulged  in  the  centre ; 
skin  smooth,  pale  yellow,  slightly  flushed  and 
streaked  with  crimson  on  the  exposed  side  ;  eye 
small,  close,  segments  of  the  calyx  pointed,  set 
in  a  shallow  basin,  the  end  of  the  fruit  being 
frequently  blunt ;  stalk  about  an  inch  long, 
stoutish,  obliquely  inserted  without  any  depres- 
sion ;  flesh  white,  delicate,  buttery  and  melting, 
very  juicy,  rich  and  vinous,  exceedingly  pleasant 
to  eat,  greatly  resembling  in  texture  the  well 
known  Marie  Louise.  This  we  welcome  as  a 
valuable  addition,  and  congratulate  the  raiser 
on  his  success.  We  believe  it  will  be  sent  out 
by  Messrs.  J.  C.  Wheeler  &  Son,  of  Gloucester. 
— London  Journal  of  Horticulture. 


Fulton  Apple. — We  received  from  Mr  T. 
W.  Willson,  Iowa  City,  Iowa,  by  his  daughter, 
Mrs.  Coolidge,  of  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  a  very 
fine  specimen  of  this  handsome  apple,  for  a 
name,  it  not  being  recognized  there.  The  fol- 
lowing is  the  description  of  the  apple 
sent  us,  which  is  fully  worthy  all  we  say 
of  it :  Fruit  large  ;  weight  ten  ounces  ;  form 
round,  truncated,  or  flattened,  slightly  oblique, 
compressed  and  faintly  ribbed  ;  skin  rich,  bright 
deep  yellow,  with  a  soft  buff"  blush  ;  dots  numer- 
ous, small,  green  and  gray  ;  stem  short,  slender  ; 
cavity  wide,  deep,  regular,  green  ;  eye  large, 
open ;  basin  wide,  abrupt,  deep,  furrowed, 
ribbed  and  leather  cracked  ;  core  small,  slightly 


open,  regular  ;  carpels  wide  ;  seeds  large,  mostly 
imperfect,  dark  brown  ;  flesh  yellow,  tender, 
rich,  juicy,  sprightly,  subacid  and  fragrant ; 
quality  very  good  ;  use,  table,  kitchen  and  mar- 
ket ;  season,  October  to  February.  Tree  very 
thrifty,  healthy,  upright  grower  when  young, 
making  a  handsome,  symmetrical  tree,  very  / 
productive  when  about  twelve  years  old,  and 
then  becomes  spreading  and  bending  to  the 
ground  with  its   weight  of   handsome    yellow 

fruit. 

The  above  is  a  good  average  specimen,  except 
they  are  generally  more  oblate  and  compressed, 
dots  irregular,  indented,  and  sometimes  crimson 
cheek,  and  often  deeply  cracked  at  the  eye.  This 
fruit  is  worthy  of  cultivation  not  only  for  its 
size  and  beauty,  but  it  fills  a  place  in  the  sea- 
son when  we  have  but  little  ripe  fruit  and  very 
few  good  varieties  to  fill  its  place.  The  fine 
specimens  raised  by  Mr.  Willson  prove  that  the 
tree  succeeds  well  in  Iowa,  at  least  under  his 
cultivation.  It  does  remarkably  well  here.  We 
have  seen,  at  Mr.  Mackamer's  and  other  places, 
trees  loaded  to  the  ground  with  fruit,  and  some 
specimens  raised  by  Mr.  Van  Winkle,  of  Pleas- 
ant Ridge,  weighing  fourteen  ounces.— Dr.  Stay- 
man,  in  Pomologist. 


A  Sweet  Quince.— T,  B.  Jenkins,  Cham- 
bersburg,  Pa.,  sends  F.  R.  Elliott  specimens  of 
the  quince,  of  which  the  flesh  is  almost  sweet 
and  nearly  void  of  astringency.  It  is  new  to 
me,  and  for  the  purpose  of  the  sauce  of  the 
quince  alone,  must  be  of  value,  and  per- 
haps prove  superior  to  the  Japan  or  Sand 
pears  for  such  use.  But  for  the  purpose  of 
flavoring  the  apple,  for  which  the  quince  is  often 
used,  I  doubt  its  value  as  compared  with  the 
orange  or  apple-shaped  variety.  Mr.  Jenkins 
writes  that  "the  variety  was  raised  from  seed 
some  forty  years  since,  and  has  been  bearing 
regularly  ever  since.  The  tree  is  a  good  grower 
and  abundant  bearer."  Description:  Fruit  oi 
medium  size,  oblate,  somewhat  ribbed  ;  color 
much  like  the  apple-shaped,  but  when  the  bloom 
is  rubbed  off"  it  is  not  a.s  bright.  The  stem  is 
set  in  a  broad,  dull  brown,  rough,  knob-like  pro- 
jection, while  the  calyx  has  large,  long  seg- 
ments, set  in  a  deep  basin;  the  flesh  is  deep 
yellow,  coarse  grained,  not  very  juicy,  a  little 
tough,  and  of  a  mild  subacid  character.— Eura? 
Neio  Yorker. 


58 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


February, 


NEW    AND    MIIE    PLANTS. 


Anemone  Japonica— When  passing  Ken- 
dall's nursery,  Queen  Elizabeth's  Walk,  Stoke 
Newington,  a  few  days  since,  I  observed  this 
noble  autumnal  flower  to  be  quite  a  wonder  in 
its  Avay.  There  stands  near  the  entrance  gate  a 
specimen  which  must  be  full  a  yard  high  and  a 
yard  through,  and  there  cannot  be  fewer  than  a 
hundred  flowers  fully  expanded,  with  perhaps  as 
many  more  in  bud  to  keep  up  a  succession.  The 
flowers  are  of  a  paler  tint  than  the  common 
variety,  a  sort  of  very  pale  i)inky  rose,  most 
fresh  and  charming.  I  make  note  of  this  in 
order  to  arrest  the  attention  of  cultivators  of 
hardy  plants,  not  for  the  purpose  of  advertising 
Kendall's  nursery,  which  is  not,  so  far  as  I 
know,  managed  with  any  other  view  than  to 
supply  the  markets,  and  is  therefore  (probably) 
beyond  being  benefited  by  publicity.  The  au- 
tumnal anemones  are  all  blooming  earlier  than 
usual,  and'  as  I  have  at  least  half  a  dozen  varie- 
ties, I  will  venture  to  say  of  them  that  they  are 
the  handsomest  autumnal  hardy  plants  we  have. 
Mr.  Kendall's  plant  is  the  largest  I  have  seen, 
and  no  doubt  has  been  left  undisturbed  many 
years  past,  that  being  the  way  to  secure  the  full 
development  of  such  a  handsome  specimen. — 
Passer-by,  in  Gardener's  Weekly. 


Leptosiphon  ROSEUS.— "If  an  exception  be 
made  in  favor  of  the  admirable  Phlox  Drum- 
mondii,  none  of  the  annual  Phloxworts  are  more 
popular,  or  so  well  deserve  popularity,  as  the 
plants  included  in  the  genus  Leptosiphon.  Of 
dwarf  and  compact  habit,  yielding  profusely 
their  star-like  blossoms  of  various  shades,  and  of 
the  easiest  cultivation  in  almost  any  soil,  it  can 
scarcely  be  a  matter  of  surprise  that  they  have 
from  their  earliest  introduction  taken  place  in 
the  first  rank.  For  twenty  years  the  genus  was 
represented  in  our  gardens  only  by  the  well 
known  L.  androsaceus  and  L  densiflorus,  with 
their  white  varieties.  To  these  were  at  length 
added  the  charming  L.  Inteus  and  its  variety 
aureus,  both  introduced  by  Messrs.  Veitch,  of 
Chelsea  ;  and  another,  though  it  may  be  hoped 
not  a  final  addition,  may  now  be  chronicled  in 
the  Leptosiphon  roseus,  a  most  charming  plant, 
closely  related  in  habit  to  the  two  last  named, 
which  it  equals,  if  not  exceeds,  in  beauty  and  in 
usefulness. 

This  elegant  and  attractive  little  annual  dif- 


fers from  L.  aureus  almost  solely  in  its  color 
which  is  a  most  pleasing  tender  rose,  a  shade  by 
no  means  easy  to  represent  adequately  on  paper. 
Like  that  of  its  congener,  its  habit  is  very  dwarf, 
rarelj''  exceeding  3  or  4  inches,  with  similarly 
palmate  foliage,  the  flowers  being  produced  in 
clusters  terminating  the  stems  and  branches. 
The  elongated  corolla  tube,  so  characteristic  of 
the  genus,  is  fully  three  times  longer  than  the 
limb,  which  is  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in 
diameter.  In  most  of  the  specimens  the  rose- 
color  is  uniform,  but  in  some  there  is  an  ap- 
proach to  a  stripe  or  flake,  which,  however,  in 
no  degree  detracts  from  the  appearance  of  the 
plant.  Well-grown,  strong  plants  -ivill  yield 
their  flowers  for  several  weeks  in  succession.  To 
obtain  specimens,  however,  that  will  give  the 
maximum  number  of  flowers,  it  is  essential  with 
this,  as  with  the  other  species,  indeed  with  all 
other  annuals,  to  sow  thinly,  or  to  transplant 
the  seedlings  while  young  to  such  a  distance 
from  each  other  as  will  afford  full  space  for  de- 
velopment. When  the  same  care  and  attention 
that  are  bestowed  on  bedding  plants  are  given 
to  the  hardy  annuals,  then,  and  then  only,  will 
their  capabilities  be  discerned." — Florist  and 
Pomologist. 


CoRONiLLA  Glatjca.— The  flowering  of  the 
nerine  reminds  me  of  one  of  its  companions  in 
misfortune.  This  is  an  old  plant  of  Coronilla 
glauca  with  a  head  about  as  large  as  an  ordin- 
ary umbrella.  It  is  in  a  32-size  pot.  In  that 
same  pot  it  has  stood  for  fully  seven  years  with- 
out the  aid  of  a  particle  of  fresh  soil.  When  I 
say  it  has  "  stood,'' you  perceive  that  I  over- 
shoot the  mark,  for  it  cannot  stand  ;  it  has  to  bi^ 
held  up,  being  outrageously  top-heavy  for  the  sizo 
of  the  pot.  How  it  lives  I  know  not,  for  it  be- 
longs to  the  company  referred  to  above,  a  ne- 
glected lot  that  are  simply  not  dead  because  they 
won't  die,  and  we  cannot  spare  time  to  kill 
Ihom.  But  why  make  a  note  of  this  ?  Just  for 
this  reason,  that  the  plant  not  only  lives,  but 
thrives  and  flowers  twice  a  year  profn.sely.  Last 
winter  a  lot  of  these  unfortunates  were  packed 
close  together  on  the  floor  of  a  cold  lean  to,  and 
there  the  Coronilla  made  himself  at  home  by 
rooting  through  and  forming  a  perfect  mat  of 
fibres  under  the  pot,  and  he  bloomed  so  magnili- 
cently,  that  when  I  went  to  that  house  on  a 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJSTER'S   MOJVTELY. 


59 


destroying  expedition  (which  was  disguised  un- 
der the  designation  of  "  a  clear  out"),  it  was 
simpl}^  impossible  to  wring  his  neck,  he  was  so 
beautiful.  Since  writing  thus  far  I  have  been 
out  to  have  a  look  at  him.  He  stands  near  a 
north  wall,  propped  up  by  a  few  empty  pots  to 
prevent  the  wind  blowing  him  over,  and  looks 
as  nearl}'  dead  as  can  be,  having,  as  1  guess,  had 
no  water  for  at  least  a  week.  Kot  a  word  have 
I  said  about  it,  but  I  would  wager  "Lombard 
Street  to  a  chaney  orange  "  (as  O'Connell  used 
to  do)  that  in  the  next  spring  he  will  be  found 
stuck  in  a  corner  of  one  of  the  houses,  rooting 
through  as  before  to  suck  moisture  from  a  damp 
tile,  with  his  head  gloriously  bedight  with 
healthly  leafage  and  brilliant  flowers. —  Gar- 
dener''s  Weekly. 


Crat^gus  Crus-galli  (Cockspur  Thorn 
— The  family  of  the  Crataegus  embraces  amongst 
its  members  some  of  the  most  ornamental  as 
■vfell  as  useful  of  our  flowering  trees  and  shrubs, 
from  the  beautiful  and  more  choice  scarlet,  pink 
and  white  flowered  varieties  of  the  gardens  down 
to  the  common,  but  scarcely  less  beautiful  sweet 
May  of  our  English  hedgerows.  It  is,  however, 
to  the  particular  variety  named  at  the  head  of 
this  note  that  I  now  wish  to  draw  especial  atten- 
tion. It  is,  in  my  opinion,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  the  whole  family,  forming,  as  it 
does,  so  conspicuous  and  striking  an  object  in 


autumn  scenery,  owing  to  the  bright  tints  of  its 
leafage  at  that  season  of  the  year.  Probably, 
most  readers  of  the  Magazine  are  acquainted 
with  the  rich  colors  of  the  foliage  of  the  Virgiviia 
Creeper  as  it  is  dying  oft"  in  the  autumn.  Well,  let 
those,  then,  who  have  not  seen  or  not  noticed 
a  plant  of  C.  crus-galli  at  this  season  of  the 
year  picture  to  themselves  a  tree  some  20  feet 
or  more  high,  clothed  with  foliage  of  the  same 
hue  and  tints  as  that  worn  by  the  leaves  of 
the  Virginia  Creeper,  and  they  will  then  be 
able  to  form  a  fair  idea  of  its  beauty,  as  re- 
gards its  foliage.  The  claims  of  this  plant, 
however,  for  autumn  effect  do  not  end  with  its 
foliage  ;  it  also  bears  abundantly  large  clusters 
of  bright  red  berries,  which  are  retained  on  the 
tree  (birds  permitting)  far  into  the  winter,  thus 
prolonging  its  season  of  beauty  for  some  time 
after  its  foliage  is  shed.  Some  large  trees  here 
are  at  this  moment  (Sept.  27)  is  really  magnifi- 
cent, and  have  been  so  for  nearly  a  fortnight 
past.  To  any  one  about  forming  new  shrub- 
beries, or  who  may  not  possess  in  their  present 
collections  any  specimens  of  the  Cockspur  Thorn, 
I  would  strongly  recommend  the  planting  of  a 
few  specimens  in  conspicuous  positions,  amongst 
plants  having  dark  sombre-colored  foliage,  and 
the  effect  will  be  grand.  I  ought,  perhaps,  to 
add  that  where  the  plants  are  young  the  foliage 
is  not  so  richy  colored  as  it  is  upon  old  and  well- 
established  specimens.— J.  H.  Mason,  in  Gar- 
dener's Weekly. 


DOMESTIC    INTELLIGENCE. 


The  Organo Cactus. —The  "cactus  fence'' 
is  an  institution  peculiar  to  Mexico.  The  va- 
riety of  the  plant  used  for  this  purpose  is  called 
the  Organo.  It  is  eight  sided,  and  shoots  up 
straight  as  an  arrow  from  ten  to  twenty-five 
feet  in  height  and  five  to  eight  inches  in  thick- 
ness. The  fence  builders  cut  the  cactus  in  sec- 
tions of  the  right  length,  stick  the  cut  end  into 
a  trench,  cover  the  eartli  around  it  to  the  depth 
of  a  foot,  and  the  fence  is  made.  The  pieces 
are  set  as  closely  together  as  possible,  and,  as 
they  take  root  and  grow  for  centuries,  the  fence 
improves  with  age  instead  of  going  to  decay  like 
other  fences. — Daily  Paper. 


The  Codlin  Moth. — The  larvae  of  the  Cod- 
lin  moth,  such  as  leave  the  fruit  late  enough  in 
the  season  not  to  transform— that  is,  become 
winged— remain  over  winter  in  the  pupa  state, 
and  about  the  time  the  trees  bloom  in  the  spring 
they  change  to  winged  moths,  and  a  few  days 
afterward  the  females  are  ready  to  begin  to  lay 
their  eggs.  These  are  deposited  low  down  in 
the  calyx  of  the  young  apples  or  pears,  and  are 
hatched  by  a  few  days  of  warm  weather.  The 
young  worm,  a&  it  emerges  from  the  egg,  imme- 
diately begins  to  eat  its  way  into  the  centre  of 
the  fruit,  which  it  soon  reaches  and  remains, 
consuming  the  interior  until    it  has  perfected 


60 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^TELY      February, 


itself  as  a  larvae,  when  it  bores  its  way  out.     It 

then  crawls  down  the  branches,  or  lowers  itself 

to  the  ground  by  a  web  from  the  mouth,  and^  larger  beads  were  called  roses. 

after  crawling  about  for  some  time,  it  goes  under 

cover  of  some  loose  substance,  where  in  a  few 

days  it  surrounds  itself  with  a  pupa  case,  in 

which   it   rejuains  until  it  takes  on  the  winged 

form.— Dr.  Hull,  in  Prairie  Farmer. 


Color  in  Autumnal  Foliage. —  Mr.  I. 
Warton,  in  the  American  Journal  of  Science, 
observes :  If  chlorophyl,  the  green  coloring 
matter  of  leaves,  should  be  like  many  other 
greens,  a  compound  color,  it  must  have  for  one 
of  its  elements  a  vegetable  blue,  capable  of 
being  reddened  by  acids.  If  the  juices  of  leaves 
kept  in  a  neutral  condition  by  vital  force,  or  by 
alkaline  matter  brought  in  the  sap  from  the 
earth,  should,  when  the  circulation  ceases,  be- 
come acidified  by  the  atmospheric  oxygen,  those 
juices  would  then  be  capable  of  reddening  the 
vegetable  blue  of  the  chlorophyl.  If,  however, 
the  vegetable  blue  should  be  thus  reddened,  it 
ought  to  become  blue  again  when  exposed  to  an 
alkali ;  or  in  other  words  if  green  leaves  should 
be  reddened  in  the  autumn  in  the  manner  here 
suggested,  by  the  action  of  the  oxydizing  at- 
mosphere, they  ought  to  return  from  red  to 
green,  if  immersed  in  an  alkaline  atmosphere. 
He  exposed  under  a  glass  receiver,  in  the  light, 
with  a  capsule  containing  ammonia,  a  variety 
of  autumnal  red  leaves,  and  had  the  gratifica- 
tion to  perceive  that  in  most  cases  the  green 
color  was  restored,  the  restored  green  color  re- 
maining from  some  minutes  to  hours. 

Prost  probably  plays  no  other  part  in  causing 
the  autumnal  tints,  than  merely  to  arrest  the 
circulation  by  killing  the  leaves.  When  a  sharp 
frost  occurs  early  in  the  fall,  while  the  pulp  of 
the  leaves  is  still  full  and  plump,  the  red  colors 
come  dut  brilliantly,  because  there  is  plenty  ol 
the  blue  substance  to  be  acted  upon  by  the 
juices  then  also  abundant.  When,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  leaves  die  slowly,  and  are  at  the 
same  time  slowly  dried  in  a  late  and  dry  au- 
tumn, the  pulp  becomes  so  meagre  and  the  cuti- 
cle of  the  leaf  so  dry  and  hard,  that  an  abundant 
production  of  fine  red  tints  is  impossible,  and 
brown,  the  color  of  decay,  predominates. 


The  Rose — Some  of  the  Leyencls  Connected 
Therewith. — The  Catholic  "  rosary,"  which  the 
Germans  call  Rosenkranz,  or  rose-wr^th,  sug- 
gests  that  originally  the  worshipers  may  have 


counted  their  prayers  with  roses  ;  at  any  rate, 
it    seemed  certain    that    for  a  long    time    the 

But  this  was 
the    case   in    Germany    before    the    introduc- 
tion of  Christianity.      The  rose  Avas    held    to 
be  the  fevorite  flower  of  the  maternal  goddess 
Holda,  who,  as  we  have  before  seen,  was  often 
called  "Frau  Rose,"  or  "Mutter  Rose."    It 
was  partly  transferred,  with  all  other  symbols 
of  Holda,  to  the   Madonna,  who  is  frequently 
called    "Marienroschen.''       Mary,   it    is    said, 
dries  her  veil  on  a  rose  bush,  which  thenceforth 
bears  no  more  roses.     But  there  has  been  a  ten- 
dency to  associate  the  white  rose  particularly 
with  the  Virgin  Mary,  that  being  chiefly  chosen 
for  her  fete  days,  while  the  warmer  and  more 
earthly  feelings  associated  with  "Frau  Rose" 
are  still  represented  in  the  superstitions  con- 
nected with  the  red  rose.   If  a  white  rose  blooms 
in  autumn,  it  denotes  an  early  death  ;  if  a  red, 
an  early  marriage.     The  red  rose,  it  is  held,  will 
not  bloom  over  a  grave.     In  Pozen  the  rose-ap- 
ple  is   carried   by  the   country  maiden  in  her 
breast  to  keep  her   lover  true.     In  Thuringia 
she  who  has  several  lovers  may  name  rose  leaves 
after  them  and  scatter  them  on  water  ;  the  leaf 
that  sinks  last  is  that  of  her  truest  lover,  or 
predestined  husband.     Some  of  the  superstitions 
concerning  the   rose   in  Germany  are   singular  •, 
as  for  instance,  the  custom  found  in  some  places 
of  throwing  rose  leaves  on  a  coal  fire  for  good 
luck,  and  the  saying  that  a  rose  bush  pruned  on 
St.  John's  Day  will  bloom  again  in  the  autumn. 
The  relation  of  the  flower  to  blood  is  widely  be- 
lieved.    Thus  one  may  find  in  France  and  Italy, 
as  well   as   Germany,  the  saying  that  a  drop  of 
one's  blood  buried  under  a  rose  bush  will  bring 
rosy  cheeks.     The  rose  is  also  associated  with 
an  ancient  charm  once  universal  in  Germany, 
still  frequent  in  Swabia  and  Westphalia,  against 
nose-bleeding,  and  indeed   all   kinds  of  hemor- 
rhages.   This  formula  in  Westphalia  runs  thus  : 
"  Abek,    Wabek,    Fabek :    in    Christ's    garden 
stand   three   roses  —one   for  the  good  God,  the 
other  for    God's  blood,  the  third  for  the  angel 
Gabriel :  blood,  I  pray  you,  cease  to  flow."     In 
Swabia  it  is  said  :  "  On   our  Lord  Jesus'  grave 
sprang  three  roses — the  first  is  Hope,  the  second 
Patience,   the  third  God's  Will :  blood,  I  pray 
you  be  still."     Sometimes  again  it  is  '"  In  God  s 
garden  bloom   three  roses— Blood-drop,  Blood- 
stop  and  Blood-still,"  etc.     These  runes  have 
curious   modifications.     In  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
a  German  named  Stretgcr  last  year  committed 


187L 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^TELY, 


61 


murder,  and  afterward  suicide.  In  his  room 
was  found  the  following  charm  against  hem- 
orrhage :  "At  the  grave  of  Christ  bloom  three 
flowers— the  first  is  Jugend,  the  second  is  Tu- 
gend,  the  third  is  Gubel  (Uebel)  ;  repeat  three 
times  and  the  blood  will  cease  to  flow.''  I  have 
somewhere  met  with  a  legend  that  the  thorn- 
crown  of  Christ  was  made  from  the  rose  briar, 
and  that  the  drops  of  blood  that  started  under 
it  and  fell  to  the  ground  blossomed  to  roses.  The 
fable  has  been  recalled  to  me,  though  I  cannot 
trace  it,  by  the  felicitous  lines  of  the  most  gifted 
American  poetess  (Mrs.  Howe): 

"  Men  saw  the  thorns  on  Jesus'  brow, 
But  angels  saw  the  roses." 

A  similar  idea  pervades  the  story  of  "  Doru- 
roschen,"  known  to  English  readers  as  "The 
Sleeping  Beauty,'' or  "Rose  Bud,"  who, it  will 
be  remembered,  sleeps  in  a  palace  surrounded 


by  formidable  thorn  thickets,  in  which  all  who 
approached  perished,  save  the  true  prince,  to 
whom  the  thorns  were  all  roses,  through  which 
he  passed  with  ease.  There  is,  by  the  way,  in 
the  same  legend,  as  it  originally  appears  in  the 
Edda  of  SaMiiund,  a  curious  remembrance  of  the 
original  symbolism  which  connected  the  rose 
with  silence  and  sleep.  When  Sigurd  there 
enters  the  castle  and  arouses  Brynhilda  she  tells 
the  story  of  her  trance  in  these  words  :  "  Two 
kings  contended  ;  one  hight  Hialragunner,  and 
he  was  old  but  of  mickle  might,  and  Odin  had 
promised  him  the  victory.  I  felled  him  in  fight, 
but  Odin  struck  my  head  with  the  sleepy  thorn, 
and  said  I  never  should  again  be  victorious,  and 
should  be  hereafter  wedded. —Prom  the  "  Sacred 
Flora,"  by  M.  D.  Conway,  in  JETarper's  Maga- 
zine for  December. 


FOREIGN     INTELLIGENCE. 


Fruiting  of  the  Blue  Laburnum.— What 
is  the  Blue  Laburnum  ?  you  will  ask.  Well  I 
venture  this  as  a  popular  name  for  that  glorious 
old  climber  or  twiner,  Wistaria  or  Glycine  sinen- 
sis. The  flowers  are  not  blue,  and  the  tree  is 
not  a  laburnum  ;  nevertheless  we  want  popular 
names  for  popular  plants,  and  "  blue  labur- 
num'' is,  to  my  thinking,  not,  altogether 
outre.  To  see  fruit  on  this  tree  is  a  rare 
event,  and  its  occurrence  should  therefore 
be  chronicled.  The  past  season  appears  to  have 
wrought  up  to  the  utmost  pitch  of  possi- 
bility the  fruiting  powers  of  all  kinds  of  trees, 
and  at  Mr.  Xoble's  Nursery,  Bagshot,  a  Wistaria 
produced  and  matured  two  good  pods  of  seed. 
It  happened,  too,  that  the  fruiting  plant  was  a 
seedling  raised  from  seeds  brought  home  by 
Fortune,  which  gives  to  the  occurrence  addi- 
tional interest. — S.  II.,  in  Gardener' s  Weekli/. 


Insects. — It  requires  a  philosophical  mind  at 
a  time  like  the  present  to  contemplate  the  havoc 
which  in.sects  make  among  our  choicest  wall- 
fruits.  Though,  fortunately,  all  gardeners  are 
not  tormented  with  hosts  of  hornets,  as  we  are 
here  in  Herts,  I  doubt  not  they  have  enough  to 
do  to  contend  with  the  many  other  pests.  The 
question  is  asked  over  and  over  again,  "  What 
is  to  be  done  to  save  my  peaches  and  necta- 


rines?" Many  advise  covering  with  hexagon 
netting.  I  think  it  is  patent  to  all  who  have 
tried  this,  that  any  protection  which  is  capable 
of  keeping  away  w^asps,  blue  flies  and  earwigs, 
so  impedes  the  circulation  of  air  and  light  as  to 
cause  the  fruit  to  be  flavorless.  The  last  plan  I 
have  adopted  is  to  hang  some  old  and  almost 
worn  out  fish  netting  in  front  of  each  tree,  fast- 
ened securely  at  a  short  distance  from  the 
foliage,  and  to  paint  the  meshes  carefully  over 
two  or  three  tiiaaes  a  week  with  gas  tar.  The 
odor  given  ofi"  by  this  exceeds  that  of  the  ripen- 
ing fruit,  and  consequently  neutralizes  the  fra- 
grance emitted  from  the  fruits,  and  which 
entices  the  enemy.  Should  any  Avasp  approach, 
the  chances  are  that  when  entering  between  the 
meshes  of  the  nets  it  will  come  in  contact  with 
the  tar,  which,  from  its  caustic  properties,  will 
give  the  insect  a  hint  that  it  is  not  likely  to 
want  aiinin.— Gardener' s  Chronicle. 


American  Potatoes  in  England.— All 
Bresee's  potatoes  have  been  fairly  tried  with  us 
once  more,  and  now  forever  and  forever  have  we 
done  with  them.  The  crops  raised  in  our  new- 
ly-broken pasture  land  are,  in  respect  to  size  and 
numbers,  the  grandest  we  have  ever  seen  ;  for,  as 
good  luck  would  have  it,  we  planted  early  and 
iu  a  perfect  seed-bed,  and  they  made  a  free 


62 


THE   GARDE^EWS  MOJVTHLy,      February, 


growth  before  the  drought  could  tell  upon  them. 
If  I  were  to  keep  any  one  of  them,  it  would  be 
Climax,  a  large,  round,  handsome  root,  as  per- 
fect in  form  as  a  cricket-ball,  and  when  served 
on  the  table  white  as  snow.  It  is,  perhaps,  the 
whitest  potato  in  cultivation.  Early  Base  is 
handsome  and  immensely  productive  ;  Prolific  is 
prolific.  In  every  case  the  haulm  grows  like  a 
tree,  a  few  frosty  nights  in  May  scarcely  injure 
it ;  and  those  who  want  potatoes  may  pretty  well 
make  sure  of  obtaining  them  b)--  planting  any  of 
this  peculiar  strain.  We  shall  discard  them 
henceforth  because  they  are  not  eatable.  If  well 
cooked,  Ihey  are  waxy,  and  would  that  they  were 
tasteless  ;  but  in  truth  they  exhibit  (as  a  medical 
critic  would  say)  a  mild  flavor  of  earthiness  that 
no  one  who  has  been  accustomed  to  eat  good  po- 
tatoes could  endure.  If  badly  cooked  (as  pota- 
toes too  often  are,)  they  are  wet  pasty  things, 
emitting  a  sickly  odor,  offensive  alike  to  sight, 
smell,  and  taste.  It  may  be  that  in  America 
these  potatoes  are  better  in  quality  than  with  us, 
and  it  may  be,  too,  that  the  Americans  are  not 
fastidious  on  the  subject  of  good  potatoes,  and 
value  quantity  above  quality.  On  tlia4  matter 
I  can  say  nothing,  for  the  good  reason  that  I 
know  nothing.  But  judging  these  potatoes  fair- 
ly as  candidates  for  garden  culture  in  Great  Bri- 
tain, I  must  record  my  opinion  that  they  are 
worthless,  save  and  except  that  they  are  im- 
mensely productive  and  handsome,  and  adapted 
very  well  for  pig  and  poultry  food. — Shirley 

HiBBERD. 


Large  Wistaria  Sinensis. — I  quite  agree 
with  !Mr.  'I  horpe  when  he  says  that  a  few  notes 
on  the  Wistaria  sinensis  will  be  interesting,  and 
accordingly  send  the  measurement  of  a,  standard 
specimen  now  growing  in  my  nursery  at  Kirk- 
dale,  Upper  Sydenham.  It  has  been  in  its  pre- 
sent position  twenty-three  years,  and  was  for- 
merly trained  over  an  outhouse,  The  measure- 
ment is  as  follows  :  Height  of  stem,  5  feet  3 
inches  ;  height  through  head,  4  feet ;  total  height 
9  feet  3  inches  ;  girth  of  stem  at  base,  2  feet  3 
inches  ;  diameter  of  head,  which  is  the  shape  of 
an  open  umbrella,  1.5  feet.  The  number  of  race- 
mes, 5,000.  The  first  flowers  expanded  this  year 
about  the  10th  of  May,  which  is  rather  later  than 
others  in  the  neighborhood,  it  being  on  the  north 
side  of  the  house.  The  magnificence  of  its  ap- 
pearance when  in  full  flower  can  be  more  easily 
imagined  than  described.— George  Selby,  in 
Gardener's  Magazine. 


DnMORPHisM  IN  Gladiolus.— Is  it  generally 
known  that  there  are  two  distinct  forms  of 
flower  in  Gladiolus  gandavensis  ?  In  the  one, 
all  the  parts  are,  as  it  were,  upside-down,  the 
stamens,  of  course,  are  attached  to  the  outer 
petals  ;  in  one  they  are  •.* — in  the  other  .  •.  The 
lower  "  labellum"  is  outside  in  the  one  case  and 
inside  in  the  other,  but  that  this  structure  is  not 
a  mere  turning-upside  down  of  the  parts,  is 
proved  by  these  lower  segments  being  orna- 
mentally marked,  while  the  top  segments  never 
are.  As  a  rule,  one  form  of  flower  belongs  to 
one  set  of  spikes,  and  the  other  form  to  another 
set ;  the  two  forms  are  very  seldom  seen  in 
company  on  one  spike,  although  at  times  thei-e 
appears  to  be  both  forms,  because  the  flowers 
are  often  a  little  pushed  aside.  The  ovary  and 
stigmas  are  also  reversed  from  the  beginning. 
It  gives  the  spikes  quite  a  diflerent  aspect  from 
each  other  when  once  noticed,  but  the  charac- 
ters should  be  sought  for  in  good,  well-grown 
specimens — not  ill-grown  ones. — W.  G.  Sinqth, 
Gardeners''  Chronicle. 


Scarlet  Laburnums. — Having  noticed  an 
observation  by  the  editor,  at  page  270,  ^o.  12, 
of  The  Record,  relating  to  the  flowering  of  pur- 
ple Cytisus  and  yellow  Laburnum  on  the  one 
plant,  I  am  induced  to  give  you  the  result  of 
some  observations  made  by  me  in  relation 
thereto.  About  seven  or  eight  years  ago,  I 
observed  an  old  scarlet  laburnum  commence  to 
produce  purple  cytisus  blossoms,  at  the  same 
time  that  it  was  bearing  scarlet  blossoms.  The 
following  season  the  plant  bore  scarlet  and 
yellow  laburnum  blossoms,  and  at  the  same  time 
purple  cytisus  blossoms,  and  continued  to  do  so 
until  the  plant  was  headed  down  a  few  years 
later.  The  reason  for  this  last  operation  I  in- 
tend to  explain  further  on,  together  with  some 
curious  results — at  least  to  me — which  followed. 
Now,  in  this  particular  instance,  can  any  one 
say  whether  this  "  sporting"  was  the  result  of 
the  influence  of  the  stock  or  the  scion,  or  was  it 
the  tendency  which  many  plants  exhibit  of  re- 
turning to  the  parentage  from  which  they 
have  sprung  ?  that  is,  if  it  be  true,  as  I  have 
read,  that  the  scarlet  laburnum  was  the  produc- 
tion of  the  union  of  the  yellow  laburnum  and 
purple  cytisus. 

As  I  have  stated  above,  it  became  necessary 
to  head  down  the  scarlet  laburnum,  owing  to 
the  crowding  in  of  two  plants  on  each  side  of  it, 
which  it  was  determined  should  stand  ;  and  be- 


187L 


TEE   GARDE  JEER'S   MOMTRLY, 


68 


ing  anxious  to  preserve  it,  I  grafted  a  few  yellow 
laburnums  with  it.  Two  of  these  latter  were 
old  plants,  one  having  four  arms  or  boughs.  On 
one  of  each  I  put  a  scion  of  scarlet  laburnum, 
and  the  result  is,  that  this  year  and  last,  three 
grafts  were  scarlet,  the  other  one  yellow  ;  but 
the  blossoms  of  this  last  were  of  such  unsual 
proportions  that  I  have  been  reluctant  to  re- 
move it.  It  was  about  three  times  the  length 
of  the  common  j^ellow,  and  remained  longer  in 
bloom.  But  what  was  to  me  the  strangest  por- 
tion of  the  grafting  operation  was  that  which 
took  place  on  a  young  and  very  robust  stock  of 
common  yellow,  and  grafted  on  at  the  same 
time  as  the  old  ones  were  done.  Last  year  this 
graft  showed  scarlet  blossoms  ;  this  year  it  was 
covered  with  yellow  blossoms,  and  possessing 
the  fine  length  of  flower  mentioned  above.  Now, 
if  any  of  your  readers  have  any  knowledge  of  a 
like  occurrence,  I  shall  feel  much  obliged  and 
interested  by  their  giving  me  the  benefit  of  it. 
Before  I  close  this  paper,  I  may  remark  that 
the  old  headed-down  laburnum  has  produced 
this  year  the  foliage  of  the  purple  cytisus  and 
scarlet  laburnum. — W.  D.,  in  Gardener's  Becord. 


Best  Pot  Plants  for  Summer  Exhibi- 
tion".— The  following  from  the  report  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society,  July  exhibition, 
indicates  the  most  popular  plants  for  exhibition 
purposes  : 

'•  Stove  and  Oreenhouse  Plants. — Mrs.  Cole  & 
Sons  also  send  the  best  collection  of  nine  stove 
and  greenhouse  plants  in  flower.  This  consists 
of  excellent  specimens  of  Ixora  coccinea,  Dipla- 
denia  amabilis  in  fine  bloom,  Aphelexis  macran- 
tha  purpurea,  Kalosanthes  punicea,  Dipladenia 
crassinoda,  Gompholobium  polymorphuiu  splen- 
dens,  and  fair  examples  of  Ixora  javanica,  Alla- 
manda  grandiflora,  Dipladenia  crassinoda,  and 
PhcEnocoraa  prolifera  Barnesii.  The  second 
prize  goes  to  Mr.  F.  Perkins,  Leamington,  who 
has  fine  plants  of  the  large- flowered  AUamanda 
Ilendersoni.  Statice  imbricata,  Vinca  rosea,  and 
others  of  less  note.  Messrs.  Bell  &  Thorpe  also 
show  in  this  class,  and  have  a  very  good  plant 
ot  Dipladenia  amabilis,  the  yellow-flowered  Cas- 
sia corymbosa,  and  well-bloomed  Statices.  The 
special  prize  oflered  by  F.  J.  MorrcU,  Esq.,  for 
the  best  specimen  stove  plant  in  flower  is  taken 
by  Mr.  Balnea,  gardener  to  II.  MichoUa,  Esq., 
with  a  specimen  of  AUamanda  cathartica,  form- 
ing a  balloon  5  feet  by  at  least  4^  feet  across  ; 
3.nd  the  second  prize,  given  by  the  same  gentle- 


man, goes  to  Messrs.  Standish  &  Co.,  of  he 
Royal  Nurseries,  Ascot,  for  AUamanda  Hender- 
soni,  not  large,  but  in  excellent  bloom ;  while 
the  third  prize  is  awarded  to  the  singular-look- 
ing Aristolochia  ornithocephala,  fi'om  Mr.  F. 
Perkins,  nurseryman,  Leamington.  Me.ssrs. 
Gill's  prizes  for  the  best  and  second  best  speci- 
men greenhouse  plants  go  to  Mr.  Baines,  for  a 
very  fine  plant  of  Erica  Fairreana,  four  feet  in 
diameter  ;  and  the  second  to  Mr.  A.  Wright, 
gardener  to  C.  H.  Crompton  Roberts,  Esq., 
Regent's  Park,  London,  for  a  very  good  speci- 
men, though  rather  past  its  best,  of  Kalosanthes 
Madame  Celeste  Winans.  In  the  local  class  for 
six  stove  or  greenhouse  plants,  Mr.  G.  Harris, 
who  is  first,  has  a  very  well-grown  Clerodendron 
Thomson EE,  but  its  bloom  over,  a  very  good 
Rondeletia  is  also  exhibited,  and  Asclepias  cur- 
ra.savica,  a  showy  plant,  but  seldom  seen,  and 
in  this  instance  straggling  ;  the  others  do  not 
require  notice.  The  second  prize  goes  te  Mr.  J. 
Walker,  for  a  good  pot  of  Lilium  eximium,  Cala- 
diums,  and  Coleuses.  The  "-Florist  aud  Pomol- 
ogisV  prize  for  soft-wooded  greenhouse  plants 
was  awarded  to  Messrs.  Bell  &  Thorpe,  Strat- 
ford-on-Avon,  for  a  collection  in  which  there  is 
Abutilon  Thompson!  with  a  few  flowers,  two 
Petunias,  a  Lantana,  Diplacus  grandiflora  in 
good  bloom,  and  Lilium  auratum. 


The  Swallow's  Flight,  Thirteen  Hun- 
dred Miles  in  Twenty  Hours. — On  the  pas- 
sage from  China,  on  board  Her  Majesty's  ship 
Donegal^  upon  the  27th  of  August  last,  when  in 
9  deg.  north  latitude  and  19  deg.  west  longitude, 
about  250  miles  oft'  Sierra  Leone,  I  observed  a 
flight  of  six  swallows,  flying  about  and  resting 
on  the  ship.  As  there  had  been  no  strong  winds 
to  blow  them  off"  the  land,  concluded  they  were 
en  route  from  Africa  to  America,  or  vice  ver^a. 
On  the  28th  I  caught  one  ;  he  was  in  good  condi- 
tion, and  voided  a  quantity  of  white  natural  col- 
ored feeces,  so  apparently  was  not  long  from  land  ; 
therefore  I  inferred  that  the  party  were  crossing 
from  Africa,  that  being  the  nearest  coast,  and  I 
was  confirmed  in  this  opinion  from  my  captive 
showing  no  signs  of  fatigue,  such  as  swallows 
exhibit  after  a  severe  flight.  I  found  the  adven- 
turous voyageur  to  be  our  mutual  friend  Hirundo 
rustica,  whose  family  is  so  familiar  to  English 
homes. 

They  continued  following  and  roosting  upon 
the  ship  for  several  days  and  nights,  during  which 
time   I  watched   them  very  narrowly,  as  I  was 


ejf- 


TEE   GARDEJ^ER'S   MOXTHLJ.      Eehruary, 


very  curious  to  ascertain  upon  what  they  fed, 
there  being  no  flies  about  the  ship.  They  spent 
their  time  in  "hawking''  over  the  waves,  pretty 
much  the  same  as  they  would  on  shore,  but  I 
never  saw  them  touch  the  surface.  On  the  3rd 
of  August  curiosity  got  the  better  of  humanity, 
and  I  Ivilled  one  and  held  a  post  mortem  on  him. 
Very  diflerent  indeed  was  he  from  the  first  one  ; 
he  smelt  like  a  sea  bird,  his  tail  was  draggled  and 
covered  with  greenish  yellow  faeces,  his  feathers 
were  becoming  rough,  and  he  felt  clammy  and 
sticky,  and  a  miasma  of  gnano  pervaded  him. 

Upon  the  4th  of  August  the  remainder  of  the 
flight  had  disappeared,  having  traversed  a  dis- 
tance of  1,022  knots.  When  they  left  we  were 
going  10  knots  on  a  strong  "north-east  trade," 
and  I  have  no  doubt  they  reached  America  in 
20  hours,  as  a  trip  of  1,300  miles  is  a  mere  baga- 
telle to  birds  able  to  fly  50  knots  an  hour  easily, 
with  a  strong  wind  behind  them.  Possibly  in- 
stinct warned  them  to  stay  by  the '  'floating  island ' ' 
until  it  blew  strong  enough  to  waft  them  across 
the  Atlantic. 

I  see  no  reason  why  at  sea  they  should  not  be 
supposed  to  eat  the  Queen  Fly  and  Crustacea, 
which  must  form  the  food  of  the  petrel,  a  bird 
similar  in  shape  and  form  and  flight  to  the  swal- 
low. Many  atfirm  that  they  cannot  take  flies  on 
the  water ;  but  as  not  only  myself  but  others 
have  seen  them  do  it  frequently  on  jjonds,  that 
does  not  hold  good,  as  surely  they  can  do  the 
same  on  the  sea.  I  certainly  did  not  see  them 
do  so  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  ship,  but  what 
they  did  beyond  that  I  cannot  say.  Messrs. 
Buckland  and  Lee,  of  Land  and  Water ^  to  whom 
I  have  forwarded  "the  intestinal  canal,"  I  sin- 
cerely trust  may  throw  some  light  on  the  subject. 
Virgil  says : — 

"Aut  arguta  lacus  circumvulitavit  hiruudo" — 

"The  twittering  swallow  skims  the  dimpled 
lake  ;"  but  the  brave  and  dashing  way  in  which 
these  tiny  birds  navigate  the  air  and  iiiake  long 
and  rapid  passages  across  the  "wide,  wide  ocean" 
is  worthy  of  the  admiration  of  a  nation  of  sailors. 
Apologizing  for  intruding  on  your  valuable  space 
what  may,  after  all,  prove  idle  conjecture. — Cad- 
VVALLAUER  Waddy,  in  the  Times. 


/  How  TO  Cook  Vegetables.— There  is  one 
important  objection  which  has  often  been  made, 
through  ignorance  of  the  first  rule  in  cooking 
vegetables.  It  is  observed  that  a  meal  from 
them  is  not  satisfying.    I  have  found  it  frequent- 


ly happen  that  the  persons  who  thus  objected  did 
not  know  even  how  to  boil  a  vegetable.  The  rule 
is  simple,  but  must  never  be  forgotten.  Every 
kind  of  vegetable  intended  to  be  served  whole 
should,  when  put  to  boil,  be  placed  at  once  in 
boiling  water  ;  and  this  applies  especially  to  po- 
tatoes and  vegetables  from  which  the  outer  cover 
has  been  removed.  Now,  it  often  happens  that 
potatoes,  &c.,  are,  to  save  time,  placed  in  cold 
water  and  left  to  boil  gradually.  It  is  just  this 
which  allows  the  nutritious  matter  to  escape,  and 
renders  the  meal  unsatisfying.  AVhen.  on  the 
contrary,'  the  water  boils  from  the  moment  the 
vegetable  is  immersed  in  it,  the  albumen  is  par- 
tially coagulated  near  the  surface,  and  serves  to 
retain  the  virtue  of  the  vegetable.  The  reverse 
is,  of  course  the  rule  for  making  soup,  or  any 
dish  from  which  the  water  will  not  be  drained. 
By  placing  the  vegetables  in  cold  water  the  albu- 
men is  slowly  dissolved,  and  actually  mixes  with 
the  water— a  process  most  necessary  for  the  pro- 
duction of  nutritious  soup.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  poor,  who  have  a  special  need  for  the 
most  their  money  can  produce,  will  learn,  in 
whatever  haste  they  may  be,  not  to  boil  all  the 
albumen  from  their  potatoes,  reserving  for  their 
need  only  the  starchy  matter. -^!Foo(Z  Journal.    / 


Gardening  Notes.— If  you  find  people,  un- 
invited, planting  their  foot  in  your  garden,  run 
the  roller  lightly  over  their  potatoes — likewise 
their  corn.     You  will  be  sure  to  find  them  groan  ; 
so  the  process  promotes  vegetation.     We  haven't 
tried  the  following,  but  commend  the  notion  to 
our  readers'   attention      By  boiling  your   peas 
before  planting  them  you  ought  to  ensure  their 
produce   being  ready  boiled.      Boil  a  few  and 
plant  them.    If  they  don't  come  up  at  once,  you 
can  soon  get  them  up.    With  a  spade.     This   is 
the  cheapest  mode  of  forcing.     The  ordinary 
marrow   may  be  grown  without  glass.     Spinal 
marrow   requires   a  frame — in   fact,   a   human 
frame.     It  will  not  do  much  without   it,  indeed. 
Don't  mix  your  mustard  before  planting.     Once 
mixed  it  will  go  to  (mustard)  pot.     Water-crease 
jnust  of  course  be  cultivated  in  water.     Popi)ing 
crease   will   be   found   to  flourish   best   in  fields 
where  cricket  is  cultivated.     Don't  grow  onions 
for  sale,  if  you  do  not  wish  to   be   compelled  to 
hawk  them  about.     The  influence  of  these  plants 
is  so  great  that  we  have  seen  people  who  wished 
to  sell  them  forced  to  cry  in  the  streets  all  day. 
—Fun. 


DEVOTED  TO 

Horti  cult  are,    Arhori  culture,    Botany    and    Rural    Affairs. 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEIIAX. 
Old  Series,  Vol.  XIII.  MARCH,     1871.  ^^^^  Series,  Vol.  IV.    No.  3. 


HIKTS    FO]l    MARCH. 


FLOWER  GARDEN  AND  PLEASURE 
GROUND. 

It  is  often  said  by  those  who  have  plants  to 
set  out,  that  they  give  so  much  more  satisfaction 
than  sowing  seed.  "We  hardly  think  so  ;  and 
then  see  the  thousands  who  can  have  some 
flowers  from  seeds,  who  could  have  no  plants  in 
other  ways.  In  going  among  amateur  horticul- 
turists, we  scarcely  find  a  place  where  we  are  not 
shown  some  choice  flowers  which  we  are  told, 
with  a  pardonable  air  of  triumph,  was  bought 
of  Henderson,  or  Drcer,  or  Thorburn,  or  Bliss, 
or  Vick,  or  some  other  of  the  well-known  names 
familiar  to  the  readers  of  our  advertising 
columns.  During  this  month  of  March,  and 
the  next  April,  millions  of  little  packages  will 
have  traveled  through  the  mail,  and  find  their 
resting  place  on  the  bosom  of  mother  earth  ;  and 
here  we  find  we  are  giving  a  hint  unconsciously, 
but  one  which  is  a  capital  one  to  the  seed  sower, 
namely,  to  sow  the  flower  seeds  on  the  surface, 
and  not  beneath  it.  Much  of  the  ill  luck  with 
them  comes  from  rotting  in  the  ground.  A  rain 
comes  after  sowing,  and  if  the  seed  has  partly 
swelled,  it  easily  rots  by  being  a  few  hours  under 
water.  To  avoid  this,  sow  on  the  surface,  and 
close  the  earth  over  with  a  trowel.  It  is  even  a 
benefit  i$)  make  a  little  mound  of  a  half-inch  or 
80,  before  sowing.  Then  it  will  make  no  dilTer- 
ence  if  the  rain  continue  for  a  week,  the  seeds 
will  always  be  above  the  level,  and  never  get  satu- 
rated. Another  little  thing,  often  neglected  by 
seed  sowers,  is  to  mark  the  place  where  the  seeds 
are  sown.  A  little  stick  set  in  will  always  be 
found  useful,  as  all  who  liave  not  done  so  will 
readily  understand.     In   olden   times  this   was 


always  attended  to,  and  a  little  slit  made  in  it, 
in  which  the  name  on  the  paper  was  neatly 
folded  and  set.  Of  course  a  neat  label  looks  pret- 
tier, but  somehow  those  people  of  the  olden  time, 
who  followed  these  primitive  ways  of  naming 
their  plants,  knew  more  about  them  than  many 
of  the  moderns.  Only  the  hardy  Annuals  must 
be  sown  in  March  ;  those  which  are  tender  mu.st 
be  reserved  until  the  soil  and  weather  is  settled 
warm.  AVe  need  not  give  a  list  of  these,  as  every 
seedsman  has  now  these  particulars  on  every 
package  he  sends  out. 

If  flowers  have  been  growing  in  the  ground 
for  many  years,  new  soil  does  wonders.  Rich 
manure  makes  plants  grow,  but  they  do  not  al- 
ways flower  well  with  vigorous  growth.  If  new 
soil  cannot  be  had,  a  wheelbarrow  of  manure  to 
about  every  fifty  square  feet  will  be  enough.  If 
the  garden  earth  looks  grey  or  yellow,  rotttn 
leaves— quite  rotten  leaves — will  improve  it.  If 
heavy,  add  sand.  If  very  sandy,  add  salt— about 
half  a  pint  to  fifty  square  feet.  If  very  black  or 
rich  from  previous  year's  manurings,  use  a  little 
lime,  about  a  pint  slacked  to  fifty  square  feet. 

Prune  shrubs,  ro^cs  and  vines.  Those  which 
flower  from  young  wood,  cut  in  severely  to  make 
new  growth  vigorous.  Tea,  China,  Bourbon 
and  Noisette  roses  are  of  this  class.  Whjit  are 
called  annual  Howering  Roses,  as  Prairie  Queen 
and  so  on,  requires  lots  of  last  year's  wood  to 
make  a  good  show  of  flowers  Hence,  with  these 
thin  out  weak  wood,  and  leave  all  the  stronger. 

To  make  handsome,  shapely  specimens  of 
shrubs,  cut  them  now  into  the  forms  you  want, 
and  keep  them  so  by  pulling  out  all  shoots  that 


66 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^TELl. 


March  ^ 


grow  stronger  than  the  others  during  the  sum- 
mer season. 

Do  not  transplant  extensively  till  the  ground 
is  warm  and  the  buds  are  about  to  push.  Many 
things  die  by  exposure  to  winds  for  a  few  weeks 
before  they  have  warmth  to  push  roots  and  leaves 
into  growth. 

The  rule  for  pruning  at  transplanting  is  to  cut 
in  proportion  to  apparent  injury  to  roots.  If  not 
much  Ihe  worse  for  removal,  cut  but  little  of  the 
top  away.  Properly  pruned,  a  good  gardener 
will  not  have  the  worst  case  of  a  badly  dug  tree 
to  die  under  his  hands.  In  a  nursery,  where 
these  matters  are  well  understood,  trees  "  never 
die." 

Box  edgings  lay  well  now.  [Make  the  ground 
firm  and  level,  plant  deep,  with  tops  not  more 
than  two  inches  above  ground. 

Eoll  the  grass  well  before  the  softness  of  a 
thaw  goes  away.     It  makes  all  smoo  h  and  level. 

Graft  trees  or  shrubs  where  changed  sorts  are 
desirable.  Any  lady  can  graft.  Cleft  grafting 
is  the  easiest.  Split  the  stock,  cut  the  scion  like 
a  wedge,  insert  it  in  the  split,  so  that  the  bark 
of  the  stock  and  scion  meets  ;  tie  a  little  bast 
bark  around  it,  and  cover  with  Trowbridge's 
Gralting-wax,  and  all  is  done  :  very  simple  when 
il  is  uuderstof  d,  and  not  hard  to  understand. 

Chrjsanthemums  are  now  indispensable  for 
autumn  decoration  of  the  tlower  garden.  Now 
is  the  time  to  procure  a  supply.  They  do  well 
in  any  rich  garden  soil  that  is  not  too  dry.  The 
Lilliputian,  or  Pom  pone  class  are  still  popular 
for  conservatory  or  pot  culture,  but  the  large 
flowering  kinds  still  remain  the  gems  of  the  open 
ground. 

Hyacinths,  Tulips,  Liliums,  and  other  hardy 
buUsset  out  in  the  fall,  and  covered  through 
the  wintir,  should  be  occasionally  examined, 
aod  wh»:n  they  show  "signs  of  active  growth, 
must  be  uncovered,  in  this  latitude  this  is  not 
safe  until  towards  the  end  of  the  month. 

Most  things  have  been  pruned,  but  Koses  are 
alwa}  s  left  to  "  see  what  damage  the  winter  may 
do."  In  ihe  "  summer"  roses,  or  those  which 
bloom  only  once  in  the  season,  the  rule  is  to  thin 
out  the  weak  shoots  and  leave  the  stronger  ones, 
merely  shortCHing  their  tops.  If  pruned  severe- 
ly in  the  usual  shortening  style,  they  will  not 
bloom  freely.  The  hybrid  perpetual  roses,  if 
wanted  for  early  flowering,  should  also  be  served 
much  in  the  same  way  ;  but  as  their  chief  value 
is  as  fall  flowerers,  a  severe  pruning  now  pro- 
duces a  vigorous  autumn  growth,  bearing  large 


and  luxurious  blooms.  The  Tea,  China,  Bour- 
bon and  Noisette  roses  which  flower  best  on 
young  wood,  should  be  well  cut  in. 


FRUIT  GARDEN. 

It  will  ofi.en  be  found  that  Pear  trees  blo.«som 
freely  without  producing  fruit.  At  one  time,  it 
was  thought  this  failure  resulted  from  late  spring 
frosts.  It  is  now  known  to  result  from  weak- 
ness, a  "general  debility,"  a  disease  of  which 
our  best  poraologists  of  the  last  generation  never 
heard.  The  best  temporary  remedy  for  this  is  a 
vigorous  pruning.  Trees  which  have  this  bad 
habit,  should  have  many  of  their  weaker 
branches  thinned  out,  leaving  the  stronger  ones, 
many  of  which  will  then  bear.  But  a  permanent 
remedy  must  be  sought  in  encouraging  the  sur- 
face roots  to  feed.  This  is  done  by  heavy  top 
dressings,  and  not  injuring,  more  than  can  be 
helped,  the  surface  roots  during  the  growing 
season.  There  are  differences  of  opinion  as  to 
whether  the  soil  about  fruit  trees  should  be  kept 
stirred,  or  left  entirely  under  grass  or  mulch  ; 
but  there  is  no  difference  about  the  value  of  not 
destroying  the  roots  during  the  growing  season. 

If  Pear  or  Apple  trees  are  infested  with  white 
scales,  cut  away  all  the  weaker  shoots,  and  wash 
the  bark  with  a  composition  of  lime  and  sulphur. 
Sometimes  Pears  are  affected  with  a  disease, 
known  in  nurseries  as  frozen  sap  blight.  In  this 
case,  just  as  the  leaves  are  pushing,  the  branches 
will  have  spots  of  slimy  black,  and  the  leaves 
often  have  this  appearance  also.  The  only 
remedy  is  to  cut  back  below  any  of  these  appear- 
ances. 

Grape  vines' in  the  open  air,  on  arbors  and 
trellisses,  should  have  their  pruning  finished  be- 
fore warm  spring  days  set  in,  or  they  will  bleed. 
It  does  not  injure  them  much,  but  it  looks  bad. 
The  pruning  must  be  regulated  by  the  condition 
of  the  vine.  If  the  vines  are  young  and  the 
shoots  weak,  cut  them  all  back,  to  make  a  new 
and  vigorous  growth.  If  already  a  fair  quantity 
of  strong  shoots  of  last  season's  growth  exists, 
cut  out  the  weaker  ones,  so  as  to  leave  enough 
of  stronger  ones.  The  cane  system,  slightly 
modified,  is  best  for  arbors  and  trellissrs  in  the 
hands  of  amateurs  generally.  This  implies  a 
new  set  of  canes  every  year  or  two.  If,  as  fre- 
quently happens  from  bad  management,  all  the 
young  and  strong-bearing  wood  exists  only  at 
the  end  of  the  vines,  and  these  latter  have  be- 
come nothing  but  long,  ropy-looking  apologies 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   M0J^TEL1[. 


67 


for  what  a  vine  should  be  ;  the  whole  cane  may 
be  buried  down  in  the  soil  to  where  the  strong 
shoots  spring  from,  and  the  young  wood  of  last 
season  trained  up  from  this.  The  plant  will 
then  recover  its  good  appearance  quite  as  well 
as  by  cutting  down,  with  the  advantage  of  not 
sacrificing  a  year's  crop  of  fruit.  Grapes  that 
have  become  weak  from  age  may  be  renewed  by 
layering  down  a  branch  some  feet  just  under  the 
surfjico,  and  then  cut  back,  so  that  one  good  eye 
only  he  loft  at  the  surface  of  the  soil. 

Apple  trees  in  orchards  are  often  so  thickly 
matted  with  branches,  that  none  of  the  leaves 
get  their  full  share  of  light  and  air.  This  should 
never  have  been  permitted,  but  as  it  is,  a  vigor- 
ous thinning  should  be  effected,  though  the  axe 
and  saw  be  called  in  to  effect  it.  Sprouts  will 
come  out  thick  next  summer,  after  such  pruning, 
but  they  should  be  torn  out  while  green. 

Peaches,  it  is  said,  grow  too  strong  generally, 
and  should  not  be  pruned  ;  but  the  same  rule 
holds  good  as  with  apples.  Thin  out  all  weak 
or  crowded  shoots.  Our  experience  is  that  if  a 
Peach  tree's  constitution  is  not  impaired  by  bad 
treatment,  it  seldom  grows  too  strong  for  its 
own  good. 

Plum  and  Cherry  trees  are  often  injured  by 
the  knot.  These  can  often  be  renovated  by  a 
eevere  pruning.  Cutting  away  all  branches  on 
which  the  swelling  came  the  last  season,  a  new 
growth  will  follow,  which  never  has  any  knots 
on  that  season.  The  spores  of  the  knot  fungus, 
however,  find  their  nests,  and  the  next  season 
prow,  and  then,  if  the  trees  are  examined  in 
May,  the  swelling  will  appear  as  soft  frothy 
masses,  which,  if  then  taken  out  by  the  finger 
and  thumb,  usually  destroys  the  crop  at  once  and 
forever.  Horticulture  has  made  great  progress 
the  few  past  years  in  many  of  these  things  ;  and 
now,  if  Entomology  shall  prove  its  great  value 
to  gardening,  by  fixing  the  end  of  curculio,  as 
mycology  has,  in  its  way,  done  us  good,  America 
will  be  the  paradise  of  fruit  growers. 

In  setting  out  Raspberries  and  Blackberries, 
remember  the  hints  we  once  before  gave,  not  to 
set  out  deeper  than  the  plant  grew  before.  A 
currant  or  gooseberry  set  deep,  will  root  from 
the  cane,  but  a  raspberry  will  not.  The  new 
buds  have  to  come  up  from  the  roots.  Thousands 
of  these  plants  die  every  year.  In  nurseries 
there  are  two  kinds  of  plants— plants  which  are 
simply  suckers,  taken  off  in  winter,  and  plants 
taken  up  as  they  sprout  during  summer,  and  set 
out  to  grow  awhile  before  fall.     These  are  called 


transplanted  plants,  and  are  worth  much  more 
than  others.  Transplanted  plants  seldom  die. 
Both  Raspberries  and  Blackberries  should  be  cut 
down  within  six  inches  or  a  foot  before  planting. 
Transplanted  plants  may  be  left  longer,  and  be 
allowed  to  bear  a  little  ;  but  if  these  plants  are 
allowed  to  produce  much  the  first  year  after  set- 
ting out,  the  suckers  for  next  year  are  very  weak. 
Little  is  gained  by  having  fruit  the  first  year. 

Strawberries,  like  Raspberries,  are  often  de- 
stroyed by  planting  deep.  Only  the  fibrous  roots 
should  be  set  under  the  ground— never  the  bud. 
Sometimes  the  excuse  is  that  the  plant  will  not 
set  firm  in  the  ground  without ;  in  this  case, 
make  the  ground  firm  by  rolling  or  beating  down 
before  planting. 

People  often  complain  that  their  Currants 
drop  their  leaves  early,  in  which  case  they  don't 
mature  a  very  large  crop  the  next  season.  The 
Currant  is  a  native  of  cool  regions,  and  the  cool- 
est ground  should  always  be  devoted  to  it.  The 
leaves  do  not  fall  early  then.  In  this  section  the 
currant  borer  is  the  worst  insect  pest  About 
this  season  the  larva?  will  be  found  in  the  pith, 
and  the  shoots  containing  them  should  be  cut  off 
and  burned.  If  the  shoots  look  weak  and 
starved,  like  on  plants,  v/hich  have  some  of  them 
very  strong  and  vigorous,  it  is  quite  likely  they 
have  the  larvpe  of  these  borers  in  the  weak  ones. 
This  can  then  be  determined  by  examination. 


VEGETABLE  GARDEN. 

In  the  open  ground  Peas  and  Potatoes  receive 
the  first  attention.  Then  Beets  and  Carrots. 
Then  Lettuce,  Radish,  Spinach,  Onions,  Leeks 
and  Parsley.  Beyond  this,  unless  in  more 
favored  latitudes  than  Pennsylvania,  little  can 
be  done  till  the  first  week  in  April  There  is 
nothing  gained  in  working  soil,  until  it  has  be- 
come warm  and  dry. 

Those  who  have  no  Spinach  sown  in  the  fal 
should  do  that  right  away  ;  no  amount  of  stab'e 
manure  but  will  be  a  benefit  to  it,  though  guano, 
in  even  smallish  doses,  will  kill  it.  (ruauo  i  re- 
duces excellent  Cabbage,  mixed  with  the  ground 
while  it  is  being  dug  for  that  crop.  Cabbage, 
by  the  way,  may  be  put  in  as  soon  as  the  ground 
is  ready  ;  and  Potatoes  are  better  in  before  the 
beginning  of  next  month,  if  the  ground  is  not 
too  wet ;  many  plant  Cabbage  between  the 
Potato  rows. 

Onions  are  better  put  in  early,  but  the  ground 
ought  to  be  dry,  and  trodden  or  beaten   fiim 


68 


TEE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MONTHLY. 


March, 


when  the  sets  are  planted  ;  the  ground  ought 
not  to  have  rank  manure — wood-ashes  and  pure 
undunged  loam  will  alone  produce  an  excellent 
crop. 

Where  new  Asparagus  beds  are  to  be  made, 
now  is  the  time  ;  the  ground  should  be  rather 
moist  than  drj',  and  be  trenched  two  feet  deep, 
mixing  in  with  it  a  good  quantity  of  stable  dung, 
and,  if  the  ground  be  inclining  to  sand,  add  some 
salt ;  the  beds  should  be  marked  out  four  feet 
wide,  and  the  alle3-s  about  two  feet.  If  pegs  are 
driven  down  at  the  corners  of  the  beds  perma- 
nently, they  will  assist  operations  in  future 
years.  Having  marked  the  positions  of  the  beds 
and  procured  a  stock  of  two  year  old  plants, 
place  them  on  the  soil  nine  inches  apart  in  rows 
one  foot  asunder,  making  three  rows  in  each 
bed  ;  then  cover  the  whole  with  soil  from  the 
alleys  and  rich  compost  a  couple  of  inches. 

To  have  Turnips  good  in  spring  they  must  be 
sown  very  early  ;  they  are  hardy,  and  must  be 
put  in  as  soon  as  the  ground  can  be  caught 
right. 

Parsley  delights  in  a  rich  gravelly  loam,  and 
should  be  sown  very  early. 

Parsnips,  another  crop  which  should  receive 
early  attention,  also  delights  in  a  deep  gravelly 
soil,  but  detests  rank  manure. 

Lettuce  and  Radishes  continue  to  sow  at  in- 
tervals. 

ITirbs  of  all  kinds  are  best  attended  to  at  this 
season — a  good  collection  is  a  good  thing. 

The  Carrot  will  thrive  in  soil  similar  to  the 
Beet ;  lime  is  an  excellent  manure  for  it— we 
use  the  long  Orange.  Celery  may  be  sown  about 
the  end  of  the  month,  in  a  bod  of  very  light  rich 
soil,  and  Tomatoes,  Egg  Plants  and  Peppers 
sown  in  pots  or  boxes,  and  forwarded.  It  is  as 
bad  to  be  too  early  with  these  as  too  late,  as  they 
become  stunted. 


GREENHOUSE. 


This  is  the  season  when  the  most  plants  will 
require  re-potting  previous  to  their  making  their 
new  season's  growth.  The  difficulty  always  is 
to  find  the  increased  room  the  re-potting  requires. 
Usually  room  is  made  by  turning  out  the  bed- 
dinj;  plants  into  hot-bed  frames,  protecting  them 
Irom  frosts  at  night  by  mats.  Much  may  be 
gained  also  by  not  increasing  the  size  of  pots,  as 
pointed  out  by  a  correspondent ;  but  merely 
changing  the  soil  ;  where,  liowever,  plants  are 
not  shortened  in  previous  to   the  repottal,  care 


must  be  exercised  in  shaking  out  the  soil,  or 
serious  results  may  follow.  The  ball  of  roots 
should  be  soaked  in  water,  so  that  the  particles 
of  soil  may  fall  away  easily  from  the  roots.  The 
soil  for  potting,  too,  should  be  nearly  quite  dry, 
and  then  rammed  into  the  pots  about  the  roots 
very  hard  and  tight.  Immediately  after  potting, 
the  plant  should  be  well  watered,  and  placed  in 
a  close  and  partially  shaded  atmosphere  till  the 
roots  take  hold  of  the  new  soil  again.  Where 
the  roots  are  not  much  disturbed  these  precau- 
tions are  unnecessary.  In  addition  to  dry  soil 
for  potting  it  should  be  fibrous,  that  is,  it  should 
have  a  good  portion  of  old  fine  roots  through  it 
to  give  it  a  spongy  texture.  It  is  this  which 
gives  the  top  soil  of  a  pasture  such  value  in  the 
eye  of  a  good  gardener  for  potting  purposes,  as 
the  innumerable  fine  roots  of  the  grass  through 
it  renders  it  particularly  spongy  or  "  fibrous  "  as 
the  technical  term  is. 

Look  out  for  a  good  stock  of  bedding  plants 
in  time  ;  by  striking  cuttings  of  such  things  as 
grow  rapidly  and  speedily,  and  sowing  seeds  of 
such  annuals  as  may  be  advanced  to  advantage. 
Fuchsias  may  now  be  readily  struck  from  the 
young  growth  of  the  old  plants,  which  will  make 
excellent  blooming  plants  for  the  next  summer 
season. 

Dahlias  should  now  be  brought  forward.  A 
good  plan  is  to  shorten  the  extremity  of  the  roots, 
put  them  in  six  inch  pots,  and  place  in  a  warm 
greenhouse.  In  a  few  weeks  they  will  sprout, 
when  they  should  be  sliaken  out,  divided  with  a 
piece  of  root  to  each  sprout,  and  separately  pot- 
ted in  4-inch  pots. 

Pansies  are  coming  now  into  flower.  They 
like  an  airy  frame,  where  they  will  not  be  roasted 
at  mid-day  nor  exposed  to  drying  winds,  and  yet 
have  a  free  circulation  of  air  and  plenty  of  light. 
Planted  out  in  such  a  frame,  and  the  old  shoots 
cut  away  as  soon  as  the  plant  has  done  flower- 
ing, the  plants  will  keep  healthy  over  till  the 
next  season.  Superior  varieties  can  be  raised 
from  seed.  Choose  those  with  the  roundest 
petals,  best  colors,  and  the  first  flowers  that 
open,  to  raise  seed  from. 

Camellias  will  require  rather  more  water  while 
growing  than  at  other  times.  Just  before  they 
grow  is  a  good  season  to  graft.  Cut  down  the 
stock,  cleft  graft  in  the  crown,  wax,  and  plunge 
in  a  bottom  heat  of  70".  A  great  many  kinds 
may  be  had  on  one  plant  by  the  bottle  system  : 
A  shoot  about  to  grow  is  obtained,  and  attached 
to  the  stock  as  in  inarching,  the  end  of  the  shoot 


U7L 


TEE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


69 


being  put  in  a  small  phial  of  water  suspended 
beneath  it.  This  plan  does  best,  however,  with 
the  young  wood  in  July. 

Geraniums,  Pelargoniums,  Cinerarias,  and 
Chinese  Primroses,  must  be  kept  as  near  the 
glass  and  light  as  possible  ;  they  do  little  good 
in  shad}^  places.  Keep  ofTthe  green  Aphis— for 
this  on  a  small  scale  there  is  nothing  like  hot 
water ;  on  a  large  scale,  tobacco  smoke,  in 
several  successive  light  doses,  is  still  the  best  | 
remedy. 

Azaleas  succeed  well  by  grafting  with  the  half 
ripe  shoots  of  the  present  season's  growth  on 
plant-;  raised  either  by  seeds  or  cuttings.  Old 
wood  does  not  take  readily. 


Auriculas,  Carnations,  Pinks,  and  Polyanthus 
—the  prettiest  of  tlorist's  flowers,  must  be  kept 
cool,  just  free  from  frost,  with  plenty  of  air,  if 
the  best  results  are  desired. 

Chrysanthemums  should  n  w  be  raised  from 
cuttings  for  fill  flowering.  They  make  better 
blooming  plants  than  olT-setts. 

New-Holland  and  Cape  plants,  such  as  Epa- 
cris,  Acacia,  Heaths,  etc  ,  are  now  the  glory  of 
the  greenhouse  ;  hot  bursts  of  sun  on  them 
should  be  avoided,  as  it  lays  in  them  the  seeds  of 
"consumption,"  which  frequently  carries  theiu 
ofl'  the  following  summer. 


COMMUNICATIONS. 


PEARS. 

An  Address  d'>  v'^ed  hr'n^e  'hf  Pn.  F'u't  Grmre  s'  Society,  at 
C>tfrnbertbwg,  Januarp  Idtli,  1871. 

BY  E.   SATTERTHWAIT,  OF  MONTGOMERY 
COUNTY,  PENNA. 

At  the  request,  or  to  speak  more  properly,  by 
command,  of  our  most  worthy  President,  I  have 
prepared  some  remarks  on  the  subject  of  Pears 
and  Pear  culture,  which  are  submitted,  however, 
with  great  difiidence,  because,  as  I  must  confess, 
I  found  the  task  more  difficult  than  I  had  sup- 
posed it  would  be.  I  could  very  easily  have 
written  an  article  on  this  subject  for  the  general 
public,  that  would  have  been  satisfactory,  at 
least  to  myself,  if  not  to  the  public.  But  to 
produce  an  essay  to  be  submitted  to  the  criticism 
of  a  body  of  skilled  and  professional  fruit  grow- 
ers, and  which  must  be  supposed  to  be  either 
interesting  or  instructive  to  such  a  company,  is 
a  quite  different  matter.  If  I  have  not  suc- 
ceeded in  doing  this,  the  only  excuse  I  have  to 
offer  is,  that  the  task  is  not  of  my  own  seeking, 
and  that  I  have  done  the  best  1  could  under  the 
circumstances  ;  having  been  able  to  snatch  but 
very  little  time  from  the  cares  of  business  to  de- 
vote to  the  purpose. 

It  would  be  very  desirable,  if  it  were  possible, 
at  these,  our  annual  gatherings,  to  be  able  to 
present,  each  year,  a  statement  setting  forth  the 
progress  that  has  been  made  from  year  to  year, 
and  the  exact  state  of  each  important  branch  of 
the  science  which  it  is  our  object  to  promote. 


But  from  the  nature  of  things,  this  is  not  possi- 
ble. 

Fruit  growing,  in  common  with  every  other 
branch  of  horticulture,  does  not  belong  to  the 
exact  sciences.  We  cannot  in  that,  as  we  may, 
with  many  other  branches  of  knowledge,  pro- 
ceed, step  by  step,  to  add  to  our  stock  of  infor- 
mation, and  by  reasoning  from  ascertained  Hicts, 
arrive  at  certain  and  infallible  conclusions. 
Here,  on  the  contrary,  all  is  vague  and  uncer- 
tain. Xot  only  are  there  no  well  settled  prin- 
ciples established  ;  but  we  find  the  greatest  dis- 
crepancy existing  amongst  the  most  intelligent 
observers  as  to  matters  of  every  day  observation. 
Accordingly  I  find,  on  taking  a  survey  of 
the  field,  an  immense  mass  of  crude  observa- 
tions, and  conflicting  theories,  a  vast  amount  of 
which  has  the  tendency  only  to  confuse  and  dis- 
courage the  honest  inquirer  after  truth.  To  at- 
tempt to  reconcile  these  conflicting  theories,— to 
bring  order  out  of  chaos,— to  sift  the  few  grains  of 
wheat  from  the  many  bushels  of  chaff,— would  be 
a  herculean  task,  which  I  shall  not  attempt ;  but 
shall  confine  myself  to  noting  such  facts  and  ob- 
servations as  have  occurred  to  me,  that  seemed 
to  be  practically  useful :  and  I  shall  endeavor  to 
do  this  without  being  biased  for  or  against  any 
disputed  theory  ;  but  with  one  single  object  in 
view,—  to  find  out  the  truth. 

Taking  up  the  subject  in  the  order  in  which  it 
is  commonly  treated,  I  suppose  I  must  say 
something  in  regard  to  soil  and  cultivation.     On 


70 


IHE    GARDEJV'ER'S  MOJ{TELY. 


March, 


this  brancli  of  the  subject  I  shall  be  brief,  as  I 
have  had  occasion  frequently  before  this  society 
and  elsewhere  to  express  my  views  on  this  sub- 
ject. In  regard  to  the  kind  of  soil  and  cultiva- 
tion most  suitable  for  Pears,  I  have  only  to  say, 
that  the  results  of  my  observation  and  experi- 
ence are  all  favorable  to  "high  culture.''  I 
mean  by  that,  bountiful  manuring,  and  constant 
tillage  of  the  soil.  In  this,  as  iu  every  other 
branch  of  productive  industry,  I  know  of  no 
royal  road  to  success.  Hence  I  have  no  consola- 
tion to  offer  to  those  who  expect  to  grow  good 
crops  of  pears  in  a  grass  sod.  But  I  do  not  pro- 
pose to  argue  this  question.  It  is  one  that  has 
been  already  sutficiently  discussed,  and  can  be 
determined  only  by  actual  experiment.  As  it 
would  seem  to  be  proper,  however,  to  give  the 
results  ot  my  own  experience,  I  would  state,  that 
I  give  my  trees,  as  a  general  rule,  a  good  ma- 
nuring annually,  with  stable  or  barn-yard  ma- 
nure, and  cultivate  by  plowing  alternatety,  to 
and  from  the  rows  uf  trees  with  a  light  plow. 
My  trees  that  have  been  so  treated,  have,  thus 
far,  generally  produced  satisfactory  crops.  It  is 
proper  for  me  to  state,  however,  that  I  have 
but  few  trees  that  have  been  planted  more  than 
ten  or  twelve  years,  which  is  not  long  enough  to 
establish  any  theory  conclusively.  And  it  may 
be,  that  older  trees  will  not  do  with  this  kind  of 
treacineut.  All  that  I  can  say  at  present  about 
that  is,  that  the  older  my  trees  get,  the  better 
they  seem  to  flourish  under  it. 

I  would  not  be  understood  as  contending,  that 
Pears  will  never  do  well  in  a  sod  ;  on  the  con- 
trary, I  have  seen  many  old  and  flourishing  pear  j 
trees,  bearing  valuable  cr,.ps  of  fruit  too,  that 
stood  in  grass,  or  in  situations  where  they  could 
not  be  cultivated.  But  these  have  always  been 
in  peculiarly  favorable  situations,  often  near 
the  farm  buildings,  where  the  drainage  from  the 
barn-yard  or  kitchen  found  its  way  ;  sometimes 
in  city  yards,  where  the  roots  can  seek  out  rich 
spots  of  ground  under  the  pavements  of  gutters, 
and  among  sewers  and  foundation  walls  ;  and  it 
must  be  borne  iu  mind,  that  the  roots  of  an  old 
tree  will  run  for  hundreds  of  feet,  where  they 
find  a  congenial  soil. 

IVar  trees  in  such  situations  will  often  thrive 
and  bear  good  crops  in  spite  of  the  grass  ;  but  I 
liavc  yet  to  see  the  first  Pear  orchard  in  grass 
that  was  either  thrifty  or  productive. 

I  am  Well  aware  that  there  are  those  who  are 
considered  high  authority,  who  strt'nuously  ad- 
vocate the  system  of  keeping  a  pear  orchard  al- 


ways in  grass ;  and  when  I  consider  what  an 
easy  and  common  thing  it  is  to  slide  into  the 
practice  of  allowing  an  orchard  to  become  a  sod 
by  lack  of  cultivat  on,  I  confess  I  am  not  as- 
tonished at  finding  advocates  foj-  the  practice  ; 
but  if  it  was  not  for  the  fear  of  being  thought 
personal,  I  should  be  tempted  to  say,  that  in  many 
of  these  cases,  ''the  wish  was  fother  to  the 
thought.'' 

However,  as  I  have  said,  success  alone  must 
be  the  test  in  this  question  ;  and  when  those 
who  practice  on  the  grass  theory',  show  the  best 
crops  of  fruit,  then  I  also  will  "go  in''  for  grass. 
For  of  one  thing  I  am  positively  certain,  that 
the  eternal  laws  of  the  Creator  will  not  change, 
not  even  to  suit  the  theories  of  the  most  wise 
and  astute,  and  no  matter  how  stubbornly  they 
may  be  insisted  on. 

A  word  more  in  regard  to  manuring.  The 
pear  is  unquestionably  one  of  the  most  hardy, 
as  it  is  the  longest  lived  of  all  fruit  trees  ;  but  it 
is  unreasonable  to  expect  that  a  tree,  standing 
for  generations  in  one  spot,  can  continue  to 
draw  from  the  same  soil,  year  after  3-ear,  the  in- 
gredients requisite  for  a  large  crop  of  such  high- 
flavored  and  delicious  fruit  as  a  fine  variety  of 
pear,  unless  the  soil  happen  to  be  of  inexhausti- 
ble fertility,  or  has  its  supply  of  plant  food,  in 
some  way,  frequently  renewed. 

It  is  easy  to  imagine  a  tree,  (like  the  pine  for 
instance)  that  produces  no  edible  fruit,  to  thrive 
and  continue  to  grow  for  centuries  in  a  soil  al- 
most destitute  of  fertility,  but  the  requirements 
of  food-producing  plants  are  different.  They  re- 
quire a  soil  containing  more  or  less  of  organic 
matter.  Fruit  trees  I  believe  require  to  be 
fed  as  much  as  domestic  animals.  Everybody 
knows,  for  instance,  that  dairy  cows  to  yield 
abundantly  must  be  constantly  supplied  with  a 
liberal  amount  of  nutritious  food  ;  and  I  think 
this  as  necessary  for  pear  trees. 

I  have  been  speaking  now  of  soils  of  moderate 
natural  fertilit}',  such  as  the  average  soil  of 
Pennsylvania  or  New  Jersey :  of  course  the 
same  amount  of  manuring  will  not  be  necessary 
in  deep  alluvial  or  otherwise  unusually  fertile 
soils. 

The  question  is  frequently  asked,  whether  a 
stifl'  clay  soil,  or  a  light  sand}-  soil,  is  suitable 
for  pears  ?  I  cannot  answer  these  questions  ;  but 
am  inclined  to  the  opinion,  that  almost  any  soil, 
that  is  not  too  wet,  will  do,  if  made  sufficiently 
fertile  by  manuring. 

I  have  seen  it  frequently  recommended  to  seed 


IS71. 


TEE  gardejYeh's  monthly. 


71 


down  nn  orchard  with  clover.  Probably  this  tage  in  it. 
might  do  well  if  nothing  but  clover  would  grow  ;  drained, 
but,  as  every  one  knows,  who  has  tried  the  ex- 
peiiment,  clover  will  only  live  a  year  or  two, 
and  then  if  the  soil  is  good  enough  to  grow  pears 
at  all,  a  dense  sod  of  other  grasses  will  succeed 
it.  I  know  of  no  way  of  keeping  an  orchard 
in  clover,  but  to  plow  and  re-sow  at  least  every 
other  year,  and  this  practice,  I  apprehend,  would 
be  liable  to  all  the  objections  which  are  urged 
against  constant  tillage.  "Mulching  is  also  fre- 
quently recommended.  But  I  have  never  known 
it  tried  to  any  extent ;  and  I  suppose,  simply  for 
the  reason  that  it  is  too  expensive. 

There  is  one  advantage  that  I  must  claim  for 
tlie  system  ot  culture  whicli  I  practice,  that  has 
great  weiglit  with  me,  and  must  be  an  impor- 
tant consideration  wherever  ground  is  very  valu- 
able, and  that  is,  that  I  get  large  and  valuable 
crops  ofotiier  products  from  my  pear  orchards  ; — 
almost  the  same,  in  fact,  as  if  there  were  no 
Pear  trees  there  ; — the  space  in  the  rows  between 
the  trees  being  filled  with  currants,  gooseberries, 
raspberries,  rhubarb,  etc  ,  and  the  rest  of  the 
ground  planted  with  other  small  fruits,  vegeta- 
bles, and  nursery  trees.     And  it  is  a  remarkable 
fact,  that  pear  trees  do  not  seem  to  injure  other 
crops  growing  near  them,  as  apple,  cherry  and 
other  fruit  trees  do.     Some  of  my  pear  trees  are 
now  five  or  six  inches  in  diameter  and  twenty- 
five  feet  liigh,  and  yet  I  cannot  perceive  that 
they  injure  anything  growing  near  them.      In 
fact,  I  am  convinced,  that  the  protection  afforded 
by  rows  of  pear  trees,  at  intervals  through  the 
vegetable  and  nursery  grounds,  is  a  decided  ad- 
vantage to  many  things  ;  and  as  my  trees  get  no 
manure  and  no  labor  in  cultivation,  except  what 
is  applied  to  the  other  crops,  the  pears  would 
seem  to  be  almost  clear  gain. 


Soils  that  are  wet,  of  course  must  be 


I  find  I  have  forgotten  to  say  anything  about 
tlie  preparation  of  the  soil  before  planting,  and  I 
confess  that  I  do  not  attach  as  much  importance 


I  have  already  spoken  of  one  prolific  cause  of 
failure,  to  wit :  starvation  ;   and  I  will  now  pro- 
ceed to  notice  such  others  as  have  occurred  to 
me  :  Of  diseases  of  the  Pear,  properly  so  called. 
I  know  nothing,  having  had  no  experience  with 
an}^  unless  the  premature  shedding  of  the  leaves 
of  trees  otherwise   apparently  healthy,  and  the 
consequent  failure  of  the  fruit  to   ripen,  be   a 
disease.     Whatever  this  may  be,  or  whatever  its 
cause,  it  is  certainly  the  most  serious  drawback 
to  pear  growing  that  I  have  to  contend  with. 
The  mischief  from   this  cause  varies  with  the 
season  and  with  varieties  amounting  sometimes 
to  a  total  failure  of  some  varieties,  and  greater 
or  less  injury  to  most  other.     As  nothing  seems 
to  be  known  of  the  cause  of  this  malady,  it  will 
be  very  difficult  to  sugest  a  remedy ;  and  per- 
haps it  is  useless  to  speculate  upon  it ;  but  as  it 
seems  to  be  a  difficulty  of  so  serious  a  nature, 
anything  that  can  throw  any  light  upon  it  would 
seem  to  be  interesting.     And  in  connection  with 
this,  I  will  mention  what  has  always  appeared 
to  me  to  be  very  remarkable,  and  well  worthy  of 
the  most  careful  investigation.     I  allude  to  the 
fact,  that  Pears  grown  in  cities  appear  to  be  en 
tirely  exempt  from  this,  and  every  other  malady 
that  Pears  growing  in  the  country  are  subject 
to.     There  would  seem  to  be  some  mysterious 
atmospheric  influence  in  cities  which  is  pecu- 
liarly favorable  to  the  growth  of  pears  ;  not  only 
rendering   the  trees  exempt  from   disease,  but 
causing  the  fruit  of  every  variety  to  bo  free  from 
blemish,  and  of  a  complexion  so  brilliant  and  per- 
fect as  to  be  recognized  with  diflRculty  as  the  same 
fruit,  when  compared  with  the  same  variety  grown 
only  a  few  miles  distant  iu  the  country.     This 
influence,  whatever  it  may  be,  seems  to  be  en- 
tirely atmospheric,  as   no  ditlerence  in  soil   or 
culture,  seems  to  produce  the  effect  mentioned. 

In  the  present  state  of  our  knowledge  on  the 


to  this  as  is  generallv  done  by  writers  on  this  subject,  the  only  remedy  for  this  leaf-blight, 
subject.  I  have  said 'enough,  I  think,  to  show  seems  to  be,  in  the  selection  of  such  varieties,  as 
that  I  consider  a  highly  fertile  and  well  culti- !  appear  to  be  least  liable  to  it.  And  here  I  can- 
vated  soil  essential ;  and  I  certainly  should  not  !  not  refrain  from  maVlng  a  suggestion  in  regard 
advise  any  one  to  think  of  planting  a  pear  or  |  to  a  pear,  which,  from  its  remarkable  vigor  and 
chard  in  ground  that  was  not  in  a  good  state  of  |  exemption,  under  all  circumstances,  from  leaf- 
tillage,  such  :i8  would  be  necessary  for  garden  1  blight,  would  seem  to  be  well  worth  experiment- 
crops  ;  but  I  consider  that  much  more  depends  ing  with.  I  allude  to  the  Chinese  sand  pear, 
on  the  after  treatment,  than  on  the  original  pre-  And  I  would  like  to  enquire  if  any  one  has  ever 
paralion  of  the  soil.  And  as  to  deep  su'  soiling  tried,  either  by  hybridizing  with  other  kinds, 
and  trenching,  I  had  never  found  any  advan-  I  or  otherwise  to  obtain  from  seedlings  oi  this  va- 


72 


TEE    GARBE^/'ER'S   MOJVTRLl. 


March, 


riet}'  and  edible  fruit,  with  the  very  desirable 
properiies  of  this  tree. 

Another  serious  evil  that  I  have  cnoounlored, 
is  injur}'  to  the  trees  from  severe  cold  I  have 
had  whole  rows  of  Bartletts,  cither  killed  out- 
right or  so  injured  as  to  require  years  to  recover, 
from  the  effects  of  an  unusually  severe  winter. 
There  is,  of  course,  no  remedy  for  this  ;  but  I 
have  reason  to  hope  that  as  the  trees  advance  in 
ai?e  their  liability  to  injury  from  this  cause  will 
diminish. 

In  consequence  of  the  injury  from  cold,  I  have 
found  a  northern  exposure  not  desirable  for 
pears,  and  for  the  same  reason,  I  would  recom- 
mend protection  from  winter  winds  in  any  way 
liossible. 

The  Apple  or  Quince  borer  has  become  very 
destructive  with  me  of  late,  and  I  have  lost 
many  fine  pear  trees  by  them  ;  the  mischief  being 
mostly  done,  before  T  had  made  the  discovery 
that  the  borer  would  attack  the  wood  of  the 
pear.  In  localities  where  this  insect  is  trouble- 
some, it  will  be  necessary  to  take  the  same  pre- 
caution with  the  pear,  as  with  the  apple  and 
quince,  to  guard  against  its  ravages.  This, 
however,  is  so  easily  done  that  no  further  mis- 
chief ought  to  result  from  this  cause,  when  once 
it  becomes  known  that  the  borer  will  attack  the 
pear. 

The  cracking  of  the  fruit  of  some  varieties, 
worse  some  seasons  than  others,  is  a  very  seri- 
ous objection  to  those  varieties  subject  to  it. 
As  no  cause  or  remedy  has  ever  been  dis- 
covered for  this,  the  only  way  to  avoid  it,  seems 
to  be,  to  discard  the  varieties  subject  to  it.  I 
might  say  here,  however,  that  I  have  noticed 
tliat  tiie  fruit  of  trees  that  are  unthrifty  from 
any  cause,  appear  to  be  most  liable  to  crack, 
and  this  would  seem  to  be  another  argument  in 
favor  of  high-culture. 

The  pear  seems  to  be  less  subject  to  the  at 
tacks  of  insects  than  other  tree  fruits,  but  cur- 
culio  and  other  similar  insects  arc  sufliciently 
troublesome  to  make  a  remedy  very  desirable, 
if  such  were  possible  :  and  I  will  repeat  here  the 
opinion  that  I  have  often  before  urged,  that  the 
true  remedy  for  this,  and  most  other  insect 
l)csts,  is  to  be  found  in  the  protection,  cncour 
agement  and  domestication  of  insectivorous 
birds,  and  I  earnestly  advise  attention  to  this 
subject.  1  intend  myself  experimenting  with 
the  European  sparrow,  and  I  hope  others  will 
also. 

I  have  every  year  many  bushels  of  fine  pears 


spoiled  by  wasps,  hornets  and  bees  eating 
into  them  ;  but  I  feel  satisfied  from  experiments 
that  I  have  made,  that  these  can  be  almost  en- 
tirely destroyed,  by  catching  them  in  wi<le- 
mouthed  bottles,  hung  in  the  trees  for  the  pur- 
pose, half  filled  with  vinegar  and  water. 
{To  he  Continued.^ 


RUSTIC  TREES. 


BY  CHRONICLER. 

Platanus  occidentalism  is  the  American  Button- 
wood  ti-ee.  "While  young,  and  growing  in  forest 
or  nursery  rows,  it  forms  a  straight,  regularly 
branched  tree,  but  when  set  out  singly  upon 
good  soil,  it  frequently  throws  out  a  few  over- 
vigorous  branches,  nearly  as  large  as  the  main 
stem  above,  and  thereby  becomes  an  object  of 
deformit3\  If  the  ends  of  the  rampant  branches 
are  nipped  off"  every  three  feet  of  their  growths, 
the  main  leader  will  shoot  upwards  more  rapidly, 
and  the  other  branches  will  be  made  to  grow 
equally.  The  tree  will  then  become  a  model  ot 
perfection— a  colossal  leafy  column,  a  hundred 
feet  hi^h  :  an  ornamental  arboral  giant.  The 
tree  is  of  rapid  growth  upon  various  soils  and 
situations,  the  leaves  being  pale  green,  and  the 
bark  nearly  white  ;  it  contrasts  beautifully  with 
other  trees  of  darker  shades. 

Populus  nlba,  is  called  Abele  tree,  and  white- 
leaved  Poplar.  It  is  of  quick  growth  upon  vari- 
ous soils  and  situations  ;  both  bark  and  foliage 
are  pale  green.  It  is  seldom  that  we  can  get  a 
tree  Avith  strai£;ht  stem  ;  it  too,  throws  out  a  few 
rami)ant,  horizontal  branches,  which  it  thrusts 
into  the  heads  of  other  trees  within  its  reach, 
and  deforms  both  them  and  itself ;  but  by  nip- 
ping off  the  ends  of  over-strong  branches,  every 
two  feet  of  their  growth,  the  tree  assumes  a 
handsome  form,  and  becomes  highly  ornamental. 
It  throws  up  many  suckers  from  its  roots,  wliich 
disfigure  a  fine  lawn  ;  they  should  be  pulled  up 
as  the}-  appear,  for  that  reason  they  siiould  be 
set  far  off  from  the  roads. 

Paulotcnia  imperialis,  is  a  rapid  growing  tree, 
with  very  large  leaves,  and  blooms  of  bright 
blue  in  Ma}',  whicii  are  produced  in  great 
profusion,  and  very  fragrant.  AVhen  ton  to 
twenty  feet  high,  it  branches  out  and  makes  no 
leading  stem  upwards,  leaving  the  heart  open 
and  bare ;  but  by  nipping  ofl'  the  ends  of 
branches  every  two  feet  of  their  growth,  the 
tree  will  then  send  up  a  strong  main  leader,  and 
by  a  continuance  of  tlic  nipping  process,   the 


ISll. 


THE    GARDENER'S   MONTHLY . 


/v  ay 


tree  will  become  very  ornamental,  and  attain  a 
great  size.  AVe  can  perceive  its  fragrance  a 
hundred  feet  oft' on  still  evenings. 

Catnlpa  syringa^oUa,  takes  the  same  habit  as 
the  Paulownia,  when  left  to  itself,  and  can  be 
made  handsome  by  the  same  practice.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  showy  and  profuse  blooming  trees 
in  existence  ;  grows  thirty  feet  high,  upon  good 
soil,  and  having  its  branches  checked  frequently. 

GMitschia  horrida,  commonly  called  Thorny 
Acacia.  When  grown  singly,  It  requires  its 
over-luxuriant  branches  checked  by  nipping  off" 
their  ends.  "When  well  trained,  it  forms  one  of 
our  most  ornamental  trees  ;  thrives  upon  vari" 
ous  kinds  of  soil  and  in  different  situations.  The 
leaflets  are  very  small  and  transparent,  clothing 
the  wood  admirably.  It  is  well  suited  for  mak- 
ing strong  hedge  fences  ;  its  many  strong  thorns 
makes  it  a  sure  bai'rier  against  trespassers  and 
live  stock.  It  is  a  blessing  that  it  does  not  bear 
oranges,  as  it  would  be  hard  to  get  at  them  for 
the  dreadful  thorns. 

"We  have  chosen  these  few  rugged  trees,  for 
our  subject  this  time,  to  show  unskilled  im- 
provers how  beauty  can  be  evolved  from  the^ 
most  awkward  lookincr  trees. 


BOTAXY  AXD  ITS  INFLUENCE  ON 
HORTICULTURE. 

BY  THOMAS  MEEHAN. 
Read  before  the  Wisconsin  St  He  Horticulturcl  Socie't/. 

I  have  received  an  invitation  from  your  es- 
teemed Secretary  to  be  with  you,  or  at  least  to 
prepare  an  essay  for  your  winter  meeting.  No- 
thing would  delight  me  more  than  to  be  able  to 
accept,  but  I  am  nearly  borne  down  by  the 
weight  of  work.  The  alternative  I  will  try  at 
least  briefly  to  do.  I  am  frequently  forced  to 
decline  even  such  requests, — but  I  have  so  often 
received  kindnesses  from  Western  Horticultur- 
ists, far  beyond,  as  I  have  thought,  my  ability  to 
requite,— that  I  gladly  avail  myselfof  any  oppor- 
tunity when  it  is  at  all  iiossible  for  me  to  render 
a  trifle  in  return. 

Your  Secretary  suggests  that  a  fevv  thoughts 
"on  the  necessity  of  a  botanical  education  to 
the  success  and  greatest  enjoyment  of  the  Horti- 
culturist," might  not  be  unacceptable.  I  am 
not  80  sure  about  the  necessity  to  the  success  of 
a  Horticulturist,  as  that  success  is  generally  un- 
derstood. 

I  remember  that,  when  a  young  man,  and  in 
the  midst  of  a  very  large  circle  of  young  men, 


all  studying  horticulture,  it  was  often  that  we 
heard  the  taunt,  '■  What  is  the  use  of  all  your 
botany  ?  can  we  not  grow  cabbage  and  potatoes 
as  well  without  all  this  nonsense,  as  you  can 
with  it?''  j-t  was  true.  And  to  this  day,— 
and  I  often  think  of  it,— they  are  doing  nothing 
but  growing  potatoes  and  cabbages,  mostly  toil- 
ing day  by  day  for  their  daily  bread,  and  hardly 
knowing  to-day  what  to-morrow's  field  will 
bring  them  forth.  The  little  band  of  botanical 
students,  however,  then  with  no  means  nor  any 
desires  beyond  a  thirst  for  knowledge,  are  all  in 
positions  of  honor,  trust  and  profit.  One  of 
these  poor  horticultural  students  Is  the  present 
Dr.  Berthold  Seemann,  whose  title  of  L.  L.  D. 
has  been  awarded  to  him  for  his  distinguished 
services  in  Horticultural  Science,  and  whom,  as 
the  editor  of  the  leading  botanical  journal  in  the 
world,  is  probably  not  unknown  to  many  of  you. 
At  the  present  moment  he  is  in  the  wilds  of 
Central  America,  seeking  what  he  may  find  use- 
ful or  ornamental  to  add  to  the  pleasures  or 
comforts  of  his  fellow  man.  Another  of  these 
poor  gardeners  has  charge  of  a  considerable 
tract  of  land,  used  for  scientific  experiments  by 
the  East  India  Company,  at  Otacamund  in  the 
East  Indies-a  position  of  the  highest  responsi- 
bility and  usefulness.  Another  is  director  of 
the  celebrated  gardens  of  the  Britsh  government, 
at  Melbourne,  in  Australia,  and  so  on  all  of  the 
others.  Indeed,  whether  in  professional  life,  or 
as  mere  amateurs  in  Horticulture,  I  never  knew 
one  who  united  to  mere  practical  gardening  a 
love  of  botany,  who  did  not  succeed  in  produc- 
ing results  far  beyond  his  fellows. 

I  hate  egotism,  and  for  fear  of  fostering  it  in  my- 
self, say  little  of  my  own  personal  career.  I  de- 
part from  this  rule  now,  only  in  the  hope  that  I 
may  teach  from  experience.  I  will  then  say, 
that  if  I  have  achieved  any  success  in  horticul- 
ture, it  has  been  all  owing  to  the  love  of  botany 
which  was  communicated  to  me  by  niy  honored 
father,  himself  an  humble  working  botanist,  and 
at  the  same  time  one  of  the  most  successful  of 
the  practical  gardeners  of  his  day.  He  was  one 
of  the  pioneers  in  the  wonderful  success  in  the 
culture  of  the  grape  and  pine  apple  under  glass, 
which  has  of  late  years  made  English  gardening 
so  famous,  that  even  Italian  potentates  have 
borne  testimony  to  the  fact,  that  the  fruits  of 
their  clear  and  nature  favored  skies,  could  not  be- 
gin to  compare  with  the    artificial  products  of 

these  island  gardeners. 
Botany,  1  know,  as  often  taught,  fails  to  carry 


'Jf 


TEE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLY 


March, 


with  it  any  idea  of  utility.  In  my  wanderings 
throux'h  the  Union,  during  the  few  weeks  of 
what  I  call  my  summer  vacation,  I  often  come 
to  some  country  town,  and  in  reply  to  inquiry,  am 
directed  to  some  one  locally  celebrated  as  a 
botanist.  After  introducing  myself,  it  is  quite 
likely  he  says:  "Yes,  I  studied  botany  closely 
once,  but  I  collected  all  the  plants  of  the  place, 
and  as  there  was  nothing  more  to  learn,  I  have 
given  it  up;  but  here  are  my  specimens." 

Poor  fellows  !  they  h  id  but  really  got  together 
the  letters  of  the  alphabet.  At  the  point  when 
the  real  botanist  begins  to  understand  the  true 
language  of  the  science,  they  gave  up  the  ghost, 
—or  rather  kept  the  "  skeleton  in  the  house,"  in 
the  shape  of  an  useless  herbarium. 

Collecting  specimens  is  an  excellent  help  to  a 
beginner  in  botany.  It  educates  his  eye  to  see 
differences,  in  a  way  which  nothing  can  better  ; 
and  by  preserving  the  specimens  he  is  enabled 
to  refer  to  these  differences  whenever  his  mem- 
ory fails  him.  Then  he  learns  to  combine  re- 
semblances into  groups-^ike  with  like— and  thus 
commences  the  education  of  the  reasoning  flicul- 
ties,  without  which  no  great  undertaking  ever 
succeeds.  Any  aid  to  reason  helps  one,— but  in 
our  daily  undertakings,  those  things  aid  most 
which  are  in  the  nearest  relationship,— and  what 
is  nearer  to  horticulture  than  botany  ?  Chemis- 
try, Geology,  Entomology  all  have  intimate  con- 
nection with  plant  culture,— but  the  knowledge 
of  the  plant  itself  is  the  crowning  glory  of  them 
all. 

Powers  of  reasoning  and  of  judgment  on  the  dif- 
ferences one  sees  in  plants,  being  once  awakened, 
he  will  be  sure  not  to  stop  there.  He  will  want 
to  know  the  causes  of  these  differences.  Then 
he  fuels  that  he  must  know  something  of  the 
structure  of  plants ;  how  they  grow  and  how 
they  feed,  and  of  the  laws  which  control  their 
organization  and  their  functions. 

It  is  well  known,  that  when  a  man  knows  the 
nature  of  his  horse,  or  the  parent  the  character 
of  his  children,  he  is  better  able  to  manage  them 
than  without  this  knowledge.  So  it  is  with 
plants, —  the  one  who  understands  all  about 
them,  is  at  once  prepared  to  act  in  an  emer- 
gency, where  one  who  knows  not  is  entirely  in 
the  dark. 

It  is  hard  to  .show  to  one  who  knows  nothing 
of  botany,  how  great  is  the  assistance  to  be  de- 
rived from  its  knowledge  in  his  horticultural 
operations,   or    how   much  it   will  add   to  his 


pleasures.     But  I  will  try  one  or  two  illustra- 
tions. 

One  not  acquainted  with  botany  would 
hardly  suppose  there  was  any  close  relation- 
ship between  the  Tulip  tree  and  the  Magnolia. 
Now  we  have  in  American  gardens  a  beauti- 
ful tree, —  the  Chinese  Magnolia  —  which  ia 
clothed  with  numerous  fragrant  white  flowers, 
before  the  leaves  are  out,  or  other  things  much 
in  blossom,  in  spring.  It  is  in  great  demand 
rom  its  surpassing  loveliness  ;  but  because  it 
does  not  perfect  seeds  here,  will  not  root  from 
cuttings,  and  layers  take  two  years  to  root, 
is  scarce  and  dear.  Knowing  from  botany 
that  the  Magnolia  and  Tulip  trees  are  closely 
allied,  I  last  year  tried  to  graft  half  a  dozen 
of  this  Chinese  variety  on  the  Tulip.  They 
are  so  far  alive,  and  the  experiment  prom- 
ises to  be  a  complete  success.  If  it  should  this 
rare  tree  will  become  comparatively  common, 
much  lower  in  price  because  tulip  trees  can  be 
more  readily  obtained  than  even  more  closely 
allied  magnolias,  and  thousands  enjoy  this 
beautiful  flower  who  would  not  perhaps  but  for 
this  little  bit  of  botanical  knowledge  as  to  the 
affinities  of  the  tulip  tree. 

And  now  as  to  the  pleasure  which  a  knowl- 
edge of  botany  confers.  During  the  past  year  or 
so  cases  have  occurred  where  a  potato  has  b3en 
found,  apparently  growing  out  from  and  origin- 
ating in  the  centre  of  another  one.  Leading 
New  York  papers  have  even  illustrated  this  as 
something  wonderful.  It  would  be  wonderful  if 
it  really  occurred  ;  but  it  is  only  apparently  so, 
and  yet  how  is  this  appearance  made  so  plausi- 
ble. A  lady  botanist  took  it  in  hand.  "First," 
says  she,  "a  potato,  by  the  laws  of  botany,  is 
but  a  thickened  stem,  filled  with  starchy  matter. 
If  it  grew  above  the  ground,  and  lengthened  out 
a  little,  with  less  starch,  it  would  be  woody,  and 
with  its  eyes  and  buds  be  like  any  other  branch. 
In  this  case  the  centre  of  the  potato  represents 
the  pith.''  Now  we  know  that  a  bud  cannot  form 
and  develop  within  the  pith  of  a  tree,  therefore 
this  inside  potato  did  not  originate  there.  This 
of  course  sot  her  to  watch  for  other  instances 
where  the  development  of  the  mystery  could  be 
better  traced.  She  was  successful,  and  found 
that  a  young  stolon  or  thread  of  a  potato  will 
strike  against,  and  penetrate  another  potato 
already  formed,  and  as  you  know  the  potato 
forms  at  the  end  of  this  thready  stolon,  the  new 
potato  was  thus  formed  inside  of  its  elder  fellow. 
All  this  resulted  from  her  botanical  ku  )wledgo 


187 1. 


THE    GARDE^'ER'S   MOKTELY. 


75 


of  the  nature  of  pith.  Think  you  no  pleasure 
resultetl  from  this  discovery  V  Scores  had  passed 
by  tliis  mysterious  sepulchre,  within  which  was 
laid  up  a  treasured  bit  of  knowledge,  and  saw 
nothing.  For  her  the  stone,  which  barred  the 
entrance  was  rolled  away,  and  she  was  permitted 
to  sit  therein,  an  angel. 

The  untutored  savage,  who  sees  a  spirit  in 
every  huge  rock,  or  numberless  gods  in  the  un- 
usual occurrencesof  regular  natural  phenomena, 
is  not  more  to  be  pitied  than  they  who  with  the 
most  beautiful  processes  of  nature  as  exhibited  in 
plant  life,  go  to  their  graves  as  ignorant  of  them 
as  a  still  born  babe. 

But  I  would  not  urge  its  study  on  the  ground 
of  pleasure  alone.  For  me  I  know  it  has  laid 
bare  the  successful  practice  of  horticulture  in  a 
way  nothing  else  has  or  could  have  done, — and 
this  has  brought,  if  not  wealth  exactly,  yet  a 
omfortable  competence,  I  should  certainly  not 
have  had  without  it.  But  beyond  all  this  is  the 
wonderful  pleasure  the  knowledge  itself  brings. 
I  can  honestly  say,  that  if  it  were  a  bare  choice, 
either  to  go  through  the  world,  and  die  worth 
millions,  or  have  a  knowledge  of  all  the  beauti- 
ful things  about  me,  with  only  the  bare  neces- 
saries of  life  otherwise, — I  should  not  hesitate 
which  side  to  choose. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  say  that  if  my  poor  pen 
could  have  the  weight  equal  to  my  will,  every 
fruit  grower,  gardener,  or  tiller  of  the  soil  in  any 
shape,  should  be  a  student  of  botany,  as  one  of 
the  surest  means  of  making  his  practice  lucra- 
tivel}-  successful,  as  well  as  adding  to  some  of 
the  dearest  pleasures  of  his  life. 


DBYXESS  OF  SOIL  AN  AID  TO  THE 
RIPEXING  OF  WOOD. 

BY  J.    M.,  rniLADELPIIIA. 

I  sent  you  some  notes  a  few  months  ago, 
under  the  above  heading,  which  you  inserted. 
My  object  was  to  show  that  in  the  cultivation  of 
grape  vines  in  pots,  it  was  sometimes  an  object 
to  get  them  stored  away  for  winter,  before,  un- 
der the  usual  treatment,  the  leaves  would  have 
been  shed.  I  advocated  the  withholding  par- 
tially of  water  from  them,  believing  there  would 
be  no  injury,  and  finding  they  would  shed  their 
leaves  earlier.  As  an  illustration,  I  mentioned 
the  case  of  some  Silver  Maples.  Three  of  them 
were  growing  in  front  of  my  house,  and  the 
ground  being  very  dry,  had  shed  the  greater 
part  of  their  leaves,  before  another  tree  of  the 


same  kind,  growing  near  a  wall,  had  shed  a  leaf. 
The  communication,  together  with  your  remarks 
disagreeing  partly  with  what  I  said,  having  re- 
ceived some  attention,  I  again  refer  to  the  sub- 
ject. Soon  aftur  I  wrote  the  former  letter,  came 
on  a  heavy  rain,  soaking  the  parched  ground, 
and  the  effects  of  it  on  the  three  Maples,  with 
leaves  partly  shed,  was  to  infuse,  as  it  were, 
new  life  into  them,  and  in  the  end  the  one  near 
the  well,  which  had  not  at  the  previous  writing, 
shed  a  leaf,  was  the  first  to  be  entirely  clear  of 
leaves.  The  facts  to  be  learned  from  this  seem 
to  be,  that  the  three  having  a  certain  amount  of 
duty  to  perform,  could  not  for  a  time  do  it,  from 
lack  of  water,  ultimately  obtaining  it  the  few  re- 
maining leaves  had  double  duty  to  perform,  which 
required  the  presence  of  the  leaves  long  after  the 
one  by  the  well  had  dispensed  with  its  foliage. 
This  would  seem  to  imply,  that  the  withholding 
of  water  from  grape  vines,  that  they  may  ripen 
their  wood  quicker  is  an  injury ;  but  is  it  so 
much  so  as  to  counter-balance  the  advantage 
above  as  desired  ? 

Would  not  the  wood  of  Roses,  some  Ever- 
greens, Paulownias,  and  plants  of  like  nature,  be 
killed  back  less  in  winter,  if  their  place  of  growth 
had  been  a  tolerably  dry  one,  not  favorable  to 
late  growth,  rather  than  a  wet  situation,  foster- 
ing late  growths  ;  or  in  other  words  would  partly 
tender  ^ilants  winter  better  after  a  wet  or  dry 

fall? 

••••* 

FUNGI  AND  ITS  STRUCTURE. 

BY  JOSIAH   nOOPES. 
From  an  Eisayrcai  before  the  Pennn.  Fruit  Orowes'  Soeiity 

{ Concluded. ) 

In  passing  to  the  Apple  and  Pear  (for  the 
species  of  Fungi,  that  attack  them,  are  almost 
one  and  the  same),  I  desire  first  to  call  your  at- 
tention to  the  very  dangex-ous  disease,  popularly 
known  as  the  fire-hliyht.  Our  observing  Secre- 
tary, in  a  paper  read  before  the  American  Pomo- 
logical  Society,  at  its  eleventh  session,  minutely 
described  this  malady  in  all  its  stages  ;  and  in 
fact,  was  the  first  to  take  decisive  ground  in  fa- 
vor of  the  fungoid  theory.  Subsequent  research 
has  fully  proven  to  my  mind,  how  true  was  his 
reasoning.  Certain  requirements  are  undoubt- 
edly necessary,— or  rather  the  little  parasitic 
plant  greatly  prefers  some  particular  condition 
in  the  growth  of  a  tree  to  locate,  for  we  find  it 
destroying  some  varieties,  to  the  total  exclusion 
of  others.     lu  large  blocks  of  Nursery  trees,  it 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOXTIILY, 


March. 


will  frequently  follow  a  particular  row  its  whole 
length,  and  studiously  avoid  all  others  in  the 
near  vicinity.  Thus  we  see,  as  in  all  other 
species  of  fungus,  the  form  under  notice,  acts  in 
precisely  the  same  manner.  Early  in  the  season, 
this  microscopic  pest  commences  its  operations, 
and  at  the  point  where  it  first  makes  its  appear- 
ance, a  slight  discolorization  will  he  apparent ; 
which,  rapidly  working  its  way  round  the  tree, 
in  fact  completely  girdles  it,  and  produces  stran- 
gulation. As  the  hark  darkens  and  dies,  we 
need  not  then  examine  the  locality,  for  the 
criminal  has  performed  its  mission  antl  departed. 
Those  who  suppose  the  withering  leaves  and 
shriveling  tender  twigs  embrace  the  diseased  por- 
tion, are  wonderfully  mistaken.  All  the  func- 
tions of  the  branch  above  the  girdled  parts  will 
be  found  uncontaminated.  This  particular  para- 
•ite  propagates  itself  in  the  following  simple 
manner,  according  to  my  observation.  The 
spores  falling  upon  the  bark,  soon  change  into 
little  thread-like  rootlets  (if  I  may  be  allowed 
the  term).  These  soon  work  their  way  into  the 
openings  of  the  epidermis,  or  outside  skin  of  the 
tree,  winding  down  through  the  cellular  fibre  of 
the  bark,  and  here  in  the  form  of  mycelium, 
grow  directly  on  the  wood.  Occasionally,  how- 
ever, they  ])enetrate  the  wood-cells,  and  in  that 
case  the  disease  is  alwa5's,  and  quickly  fatal. 
Berkele}'  asserts,  in  corroboration  of  this  fact, 
that  "  the  wonderful  power  of  penetration  pos- 
sessed by  Mycelium,  may  be  easily  seen  in  any 
dark-colored  Fungus,  by  making  thin  vertical 
sections  through  the  wood.  Xot  onl}"^  do  the 
threads  penetrate  between  the  cells,  but  into 
their  cavities  themselves,  at  length  completely 
blocking  up  their  apertures,  after  traversing 
them  in  every  direction."  But  while  the  little 
pest  is  rapidly  spreading  by  means  of  its  root- 
like formation,  it  is  also  developing  lar^e  num- 
bers of  little  capsules  with  their  millions  of 
spores,  to  reproduce  its  species  in  other  spots 
So  that  the  sooner  the  branch  is  eradicated  and 
burned,  the  better  it  will  be  for  neighboring 
trees. 

A  few  weeks  since,  I  had  an  opportunily  of 
examining  a  twig  from  a  pear  tree,  which  was 
thickly  m  irked  with  indentations,  closely  resem- 
bling the  result  of  insect  depredations.  Under 
the  lens,  it  showed  an  occasional  remnant  of 
Mycelium  ;  but  the  plant  itself  had  perfected  its 
growth,  burst  through  the  skin  of  the  bark,  and 
disappeared,  thus  causing  the  disfigurement 
mcnlioncd  above.    As  it  appears  to  be  an  entirely 


new  form,  or  at  least  it  works  on  a  new  method,  I 
should  like  to  obtain  fresh  specimens  at  an  earlier 
season.  Meehan,  in  the  paper  referred  toin  speak- 
ing of  leaf-blight,  alludes  to  ihe  theory  of  its  un- 
der-ground introduction.  In  this  I  think  he  is 
entirely  correct.  English  Mycologists  have  as- 
serted, that  many  species  of  Fungi,  that  appear 
in  their  perfect  state  on  the  external  portion  of 
plants,  have  first  intruded  themselves  into  the 
roots  — up  through  the  body, — out  the  branch. 
— and  become  apparent  on  the  leaves  ;  there  to 
flourish,  throw  out  their  spores,  and  perish; 
leaving  always  behind  them,  a  devastating  mark, 
after  they  have  passed  away.  Such  I  firmly  be- 
lieve to  be  the  nature  and  habits  of  the  leaf- 
blight  fungus,  as  in  nearly  every  instance  the 
Mycelium  will  be  found  on  the  roots  of  such 
diseased  trees  or  plants.  Growers  of  Pear  Seed- 
lings should  note  this  fact,  and  apply  some 
powerful  remedy  to  the  soil,  and  thus  destroy 
the  seeds  of  growth.  Canker  and  cracking  of 
the  fruit,  have  each  been  attributed  by  the  afore- 
said writer  to  the  presence  of  fungus,  and  justly 
so,  according  tom}'  own  observations  during  the 
past  year. 

The  disgusting,  sooty  patches  on  the  skin  of 
the  apple  becomes,  under  the  microscope,  one  of 
the  most  enchanting  sights — resplendent  with 
all  the  i-ainbow  tints  At  one  point,  we  see  a 
rich  golden-yellow  ;  then,  merging  into  a  brilli- 
ant orange,  or  a  charming  shade  of  red, — the 
whole,  forcibly  reminding  one  of  a  bright  mass 
of  Fuugi,  consisting  of  thousands  of  dots  and 
fibres,  radiating  in  every  direction  from  the 
outer  edge,  whilst  in  the  interior,  the  djnse  bulk 
becomes  confluent.  To  the  n  iked  eye  this  im- 
mense multitude  of  miniature  plants  covered  a 
space  no  larger  than  a  niedium-sized  pea  We 
frequently  hear  complaints  of  the  Apple,  Pear, 
etc.,  rotting  on  the  tree.  Thisisnotunfrequently 
the  work  of  an  Oiiliam,  allied  to  the  origin  of  the 
Grape  disease  of  Europe.  It  commences  with  a 
small  dot  or  speck  on  the  skin  of  the  fruit,  and 
as  the  Mycelium  rapidly  increases,  the  decaying 
portion  soon  marks  its  course,  until  at  last  the 
whole  fruit  is  in  a  manner  diseased,  and  ren- 
dered worthless.  The  terrible  pest  of  the  silk 
growers,  that  occasionally  sweeps  olf  their 
worms  by  thousands,  is  also  closely  related  to 
the  Oidium,  and  can  be  transferred  artificially 
from  one  insect  to  another,  thus  proving  its  true 
character.  My  own  views  relative  to  the  disease 
in  the  Peach,  known  as  the  "  Yellows,"  are,  I 
admit  purely  speculative  at  present,  but  at  the 


187  L 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^TBLY. 


77 


same  time  founded  on  personal  examination  and 
comparison  with  not  unsimilar  aflections  in 
other  trees.  For  some  years  past  I  have  care- 
fully considered  the  many  theories  advanced  in 
regard  to  this  mysterious  malady,  but  all  proved 
unsatisfactory  to  my  own  experiments.  The 
idea  occurred,  can  it  possibly  originate  from  the 
presence  of  Fungi  ?  I  immediately  commenced 
a  series  of  critical  observations  on  the  organic 
structure  of  the  wood  of  such  unhealthy  trees, 
and  allho'.igh  I  detected  very  many  suspicious 
traces  of  these  minute  pests,  I  candidly  admit 
that  ni}-  labor  was  not  rewarded  with  success. 
'i'he  Yeiloios,  to  my  mind,  present  every  feature 
of  an  organic  disease,  caused  by  some  poisonous 
species  of  cryptogamic  plant ;  as  we  find  like 
traces  of  their  existence,  commencing  in  the 
roots,  up  through  the  main  body  of  the  tree, 
working  their  way  out  the  various  branches,  and 
finally  ending  their  career  externally  on  the 
leaves  and  tender  twigs  of  the  present  season's 
growth.  During  the  life  of  the  fungus,  it  makes 
scarcely  a  perceptible  sign  to  the  unaided  eye  of 
the  observer,  but  after  its  functions  have  been 
performed,  and  the  plant  itself  has  ceased  to  ex- 
ist, then  the  change  in  its  victim  becomes  ap- 
parent. The  dissection  of  various  portions  of 
the  tree,  plainly  shows  that  a  poisonous  virus 
has  penetrated  into  every  part  of  its  organiza- 
tion. This  theory  is  sustained  by  many  facts  ; 
as  for  instance,  orchardists  are  well  aware  that 
a  knife  used  in  dissecting  one  of  these  diseased 
trees,  will  communicate  the  Yellotos  to  a  healthy 
one,  by  the  simple  act  of  pruning.  This  is  an 
undisputed  fact,  and  is  an  excellent  argument 
in  favor  of  the  transfer  of  mycelium  from  one 
point  to  another.  I  feel  confident  that  future 
and  careful  investigation,  will  confirm  all  that  I 
have  advanced  in  this  direction.  Some  varieties 
of  the  Peach  and  its  curious  sport  the  Nectarine, 
are  liable  to  mildew  ;  in  a  few  instances,  injur- 
ing the  tree  alone,  but  occasionally  destroying 
the  fruit,  whilst  ignoring  the  limbs  and  foliage. 
This  fi>rm  of  fungus  is  exceedingly  partial  to 
particular  organizations,  and  will  not  spread 
from  its  chosen  variety  to  another,  whether  near 
or  distant  therefrom. 

The  knot  on  IHums  and  Cherries  is  so  evidently 
caused  by  the  presence  of  Fungi,  that  it  seems 
scarcely  necessary  to  refer  to  it  at  all.  But  only 
80  late  as  the  past  summer,  I  read  in  one  of  our 
Agricultural  magazines,  an  article  by  a  corres- 
pondent, arguing  strenuously  that  the  excre- 
scences were  caused  by  insects  ;  "for  had  he  not 


seen  them  in  all  their  various  stages  disorganiz- 
ing the  cells  of  the  Plum  and  Cherry  ?"  It  is 
merely  necessary  to  say  that  the  insects  in  ques- 
tion select  these  soft  spongy  excrescences  to  de- 
posit their  eggs,  as  they  would  the  young  fruit, 
and  if  the  writer  of  the  article  in  question  had 
commenced  his  observations  sufficiently  early  in 
the  season,  he  could  readily  have  satisfied  him- 
self that  another  enemy  was  already  at  work. 
Our  worthy  honorary  member.  Dr.  Ezra  Mich- 
ener.  a  cryptogamic  botanist  of  high  standing, 
emphatically  asserts  in  the  columns  of  the 
'•  Medical  and  Surgical  Reporter,"  that  this  di- 
sease is  caused  in  the  manner  which  I  have 
stated.  The  spotting  of  the  leaf  in  Plums  and 
Cherries,  is  caused  by  a  similar  species  of  Fungi 
to  that  found  on  the  Apple  and  Pear,  only  dif- 
fering in  a  few  unimportant  points,  of  no  parti- 
cular interest  to  the  fruit-grower. 

On  the  smaller  fruits,  we  have  numerous  an- 
noying diseases,  classed  under  the  general  head- 
ing of  mildew;  as  for  instance,  the  foreign 
varieties  of  Gooseberries  are  often  completely 
disfigured,  by  a  fine,  meal  like  dust  or  w^eb-likc 
growth,  covering  every  portion  of  the  plant  and 
fruit,  and  rendering  the  latter  entirely  useless. 
Then  again  we  find  the  leaves  of  Currants  spot- 
ting badly,  and  Raspberry  leaves  shriveling  and 
falling  off  prematurely.  A  very  pernicious  spe- 
cies of  fungus  has  occasionally  been  found  on 
Raspberry  leaves,  cup-like  in  character,  and  of  a 
beautiful  orange-color.  I  judge  it  belongs  to  a 
class  of  parasitic  plants,  which  ascend  from  the 
roots,  up  through  the  whole  structure  of  the 
canes  ;  as  we  have  ample  evidence  in  the  numer- 
ous weakened  shoots  usually  forced  into  growth, 
as  the  result  of  its  presence.  I  am  informed, 
however,  that  it  rarely  occurs  on  properly 
drained  soils.  On  Blackberries,  both  high-bush 
and  trailing,  in  a  wild  state,  I  have  frequently 
noticed  this  pest ;  but  never  in  cultivation  in  the 
eastern  portion  of  our  'State.  I  understand  in 
some  sections  of  New  Jersey,  it  is  presenting 
rather  a  formidable  appearance,  and  increasing 
rapidly.  I  should  feel  obliged  for  specimens 
next  year,  and  will  gladly  give  any  information 
in  regard  to  it,  that  I  may  possibly  discover. 

9EMEDIES. 

There  are  various  receipts  for  destroying  these 
pests  ;  but  the  most  certain  and  least  expensive, 
is  to  cut  away  and  burn  all  diseased  portions  of 
the  tree  or  plant,  as  soon  as  the  malady  is  de- 
tected.    Sulphur  is  perhaps  the  most  powerful 


78 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOKTHLl. 


March, 


remedy  for  destroying  them,  but  heat  is  abso- 
lutely essential,  as  in  a  volatile  state,  it  will 
penetrate  into  the  most  difficult  places.  A 
writer  in  the  Gardener^s  ClironkJe  says:  "The 
crude  sulphur,  it  should  seem,  combines  with 
oxycen  in  a  nascent  state,  and  so  forms  sul- 
phurous acid,  which  is  eminently  destructive  to 
nuicedinous  bodies,  as  appears  from  its  eflfect  in 
stopping  fermentation.  The  more  finely  the 
sulphur  is  divided  the  better,  and  therefore  it  is 
more  efllracious  when  applied  in  such  a  form,  as 
to  cause  a  chemical  deposit  of  sulphur,  or,  as  it 
is  called  in  the  old  chemistry,  a  mafjisterinm  on 
the  leaves."  Lime,  air-slacked  to  a  powder,  is 
likewise  a  valuable  destructive  power,  either  ap- 
plied to  the  diseased  spots,  or  incorporated  with 
the  soil.  A  combination  of  the  above  two 
agents,  is  occasionally  used,  and  regarded  by 
some,  as  more  serviceable  than  either  separately, 
for  in  solution,  it  forms  a  hydro-sulphate  of 
lime. 

English  writers  say  that  a  successful  agent  in 
destroying  smut  on  wheat,  is  a  strong  solution 
of  GUn^ler's  Salts  applied  to  the  seed,  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  a  dusting  with  quick-lime,  a  short 
time  before  planting.  Caustic  Soda  is  also  bene- 
ficial in  ridding  us  of  some  species  ;  and  Carbolic 
{icid  has  proven  useful  as  well.  According  to 
Berkeley,  "substances  which  would  prove  fatal 
to  many  other  vegetables,  as  solution  of  arsenic, 
opium  and  many  other  poisonous  chemical  sub- 
stances, do  not  prevent  the  growth  of  moulds.'' 

USES  OF  FUNGUS. 

Before  leaving  this  subject,  I  wish  to  add  a 
few  words  in  favor  of  this  class  of  vegetation. 
In  addition  to  the  many  nutritious  esculent 
species  which  are  valued  as  articles  of  food, 
Fungi  have  another  useful  ofilce  to  perform, 
and  may  be  classed  among  the  most  beneficial 
scavengers  of  decomposing  bodies.  The  moment 
vitality  eeases  in  any  organized  matter,  whether 
animal  or  vegetable,  millions  of  spores  floating 
in  the  air,  are  ready  to  alight  upon  it,  and  assist 
in  its  dissolution.  Whether  Fungi  is  tiie  cause 
of  disease,  or  merely  a  natural  consequence  of 
some  disarrangement  of  the  organs  of  a  tree  or 
plant,  has  long  been  a  much  disputed  point  ; 
many  scientific  gentlemen  being  arrayed  on 
cither  side.  Of  late  years,  however,  the  ques- 
tion appears  to  have  been  pretty  generally  set- 
tled in  favor  of  the  advocates  of  the  former  be- 
lief. Yet  it  is  an  undisputed  fact,  that  these 
pests  will  attack  a  feeble  tree  or  plant,  in  prefer- 


ence to  one  in  a  healthy  condition,  after  the 
manner  of  all  parasites,  whether  animal  or  vege- 
table. 


THE  PEOPLE'S  FRUITS. 

BY  MR.  C.  ANDREWS,  MARENGO,  ILLS. 

The  Early  Richmond  Cherry  is  now  consider- 
ably disseminated,  and  may  fairly  stand  as  a 
representative  of  all  the  other  classes  of  what 
are  termed  "iron-clad"  fruits,  which  have  of 
late  been  attracting  so  much  attention  in  the 
northwest.  The  value  of  this  hardy  fruit  is  at- 
tested by  the  fact  that  it  is  being  planted  exten- 
sively even  in  some  districts  where  the  best 
cherries  flourish.  Asa  canning  and  cooking 
cherry  it  is  not  excelled  by  any  other ;  and 
when  well  ripened,  both  birds  andmen  accept  it 
as  a  desirable  dessert  fruit.  It  is  the  cherry  for 
the  million  everywhere.  If  either  species  were 
to  be  annihilated,  doubtless  the  Morello  would 
be  retained  as  being  of  the  greatest  value  to  the 
human  famil}',  on  account  of  its  intrinsic  worth 
and  the  greater  extent  of  territory  in  which  it 
flourishes. 

We  lately  saw  it  stated  that  "  Sweet  Cherries 
bring  two  or  three  times  as  much  as  the  Early 
Kichmonds,"  in  Chicago.  It  also  appears  that 
they  cost  two  or  three  times  as  much  ;  for  among 
the  expenses  of  their  cultivation  in  Southern 
Illinois,  we  find  the  items  of  "  carefully  bugging 
the  trees  to  destroy  the  curculio,  and  using 
proper  care  to  prevent  the  bark  from  being  rup- 
tured." 

The  same  writer  gives  figures  to  show  that  the 
Early  Richmond  Cherry  has  already  "  in  some 
districts  been  planted  so  extensively,  that  the 
fruit  brings  but  little  more  than  the  cost  of 
marketing.''  Now,  we  aver  that  this  is  just  the 
condition  of  things  to  be  desired  in  regard  to  all 
our  fruits.  Give  us  plenty  of  fruits  even  if  they 
become  so  cheap  as  to  bring  down  the  profits  of 
the  commercial  orchardist.  The  more  fruit 
grown  directly  by  the  consumer,  and  the  cheaper 
it   can   be   furnished  to  ail  classes,  the   better. 

Horticulturists,  as  a  class,  are  supposed  to  be 
public  spirited  citizens,  not  a  close  corporation 
of  craftsmen.  Is  it  not  proper  to  "sink  the 
ship"  in  our  estimation  of  the  pul)licgoi>d  ?  Tl  e 
fact  that  the  Early  Richmond  Cherry  has  been 
produced  so  plentifully  in  Northern  Illinois,  as 
to  render  them  cheap  in  the  Chicago  market,  is 
the  strongest  reason  why  every  farmer  or  cot- 
tager who  owns  a  half  acre  of  land,  should  plant 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLY, 


79 


this  variety.  It  shows  that  they  will  get  returns 
for  their  outlay,  while  the  sweet  cherries  cannot 
be  ,c:rown  here  at  all. 

The  same  principle  holds  true  of  all  our  other 
so  called  "  iron  clad  "  fruits— the  native  plums, 
the  wild  crab  of  the  country,  and  more  especially 
of  the  improved  varieties  of  that  hard  and  ex- 
cellent race  of  apples — the  Siberians.  The  value 
of  fruits  grown  for  home  use  and  for  commercial 
purposes,  is  two  distinct  questions.  In  our  sec- 
tion, the  question  of  what  to  plant  for  the  first 
is  liable  to  be  complicated  by  the  rival  interests 
of  the  latter.  This,  we  take  it,  occasioned  the 
comparison  of  the  writer  alluded  to,  between 
the  Sweet  and  Early  Richmond  Cherries.  Now, 
we  are  always  glad  to  see  our  markets  supplied 
with  the  best  fruits  grown  in  other  sections  ;  but 
we  want  no  monopoly  or  influence  from  any 
quarter  to  discourage  the  growing  of  such  fruits 
as  are  adapted  to  our  climate,  by  the  masses  of 
our  people.  Let  "  rings  "  of  this  sort  be  gotten 
up  in  the  interests  of  whisky,  or  whatever  else, 
but  let  us  have  none  of  them  in  Horticulture. 
"What  becomes  of  the  ''humanizing  influences 
of  Horticulture,"  if  we  are  to  regard  fruit-plant- 
ing  invariably  as  a  mere  matter  of  pecuniary 
profit  to  a  limited  class  ?  The  Early  Richmond 
Cherr}'  and  the  other  classes  of  fruits  mentioned 
above,  are  of  incalculable  value  to  the  people  of 
the  Northwest,  both  in  a  pecuniary  and  social 
point  of  view  ;  and  knowing  the  leadioLr  char- 
acter and  influence  of  your  journal  as  authority 
in  Horticulture,  we  hope  to  see  its  sphere  of  in- 
fluence con'^tantly  widened,  by  discussing  the 
questions  which  belong  to  the  Horticultural 
necessities  of  all  sections. 


PRUNING  WITH  REFERENCE  TO 
FRUIT  PRODUCTION. 

BY  MR.    WILLIAM  SAUNDEIiS. 
Read  htfiyre,  the  Penna.  Fruit  Growers'  Soricli/,  Jnnunry  20.  ^^'^. 

Natural  laws  are  constant  and  unvaried  in 
their  operations.  Our  knowledge  of  these  laws 
is  derived  from  accurate  observations  of  causes 
and  eflects  Science  is  the  systematized  expla- 
nation of  these  observations.  The  science  of 
pruning  fruit  trees  is,  therefore,  the  explanation, 
or  concentrated  evidence  of  effects  produced  by 
manipulation  on  the  branches  and  other  por- 
tions of  plants,  derived  from  the  accumulated 
knowledge  of  centuries  of  observation  and  ex- 
I)erience  ;  and  when  we  consider  the  lengthened 
period,  during  which  pruning  has  b;en  per- 
formed —the  general  intelligence  of  the  operators, 


and  the  countless  repetitions  of  similar  processes 
ending  in  similar  results,  it  is  reasonable  to  sup- 
pose that  a  suflTicient  number  of  facts  have  been 
observed  to  establish  a  very  perfect  science. 

I  do  not  propose  entering  into  an  extended 
review  of  modes  of  pruning  ;  neither  do  I  intend 
to  discuss,  what  is  of  far  more  importance,  the 
principles  that  science  has  established  for  our 
guidance  in  performing  the  operation,  but  will 
at  once  proceed  to  state  that,  so  far  as  the  pro- 
duction of  fruit  is  concerned  on  trees  that  form 
fruit  buds  on  short  spur  branches,  such  as  the 
Apple,  Pear,  Plum  and  Cherry,  I  am  convinced 
of  the  evil  of  shortening  in,  as  it  is  technically 
termed,  the  young  growth  or  points  of  shoots, 
at  any  season,  either  summer  or  winter. 

When  we  wish  to  form  a  thickly  branched, 
bushy  plant,  such  as  we  desire  in  a  hedge,  the 
end  is  accomplished  by  frequently  pruning  or 
cutting  back  the  growing  shoots  as  they  project 
beyond  the  ideal  limit,  thus  encouraging  lateral 
twigs  or  side  branches,  slender,  but  numerous, 
as  the  object  of  a  close  hedge  requires  ;  but  when 
the  development  of  numerous  lengthy  shoots  is 
the  aim,  as  in  willows  for  basket  making  and 
similar  manufacturing  purposes,  pruning  is  per- 
formed during  winter  only,  and  the  more  decided 
or  severe  the  operation,  the  stronger  and  better 
the  resulting  gx'ovvths. 

Similar  treatment  to  the  above,  will  produce 
similar  results  when  applied  to  fruit  trees. 

I  will  take  the  Pear  as  an  example  ;  and  cer- 
tainly no  variety  of  fruit  tree  has  been  so  tor- 
tured under  the  sanction  of  both  science  and 
ignorance,  as  this  has  been.  When  the  tree  is 
submitted  to  a  regular  course  of  winter  pruning, 
together  with  a  regular  pinching  of  young 
growths  during  summer,  a  thicket  of  slender 
growths  is  produced,  and,  if  it  U  followed  up 
with  skilful  persistence,  may  produce  that  great 
desideratum,  a  beautiful  pyramidal  shaped  tree. 
On  the  other  hand,  when  summer  pruning  in 
its  every  shape,  is  abjured,  and  thorough,  or 
severe  winter  cutting  the  s^'stematic  rule,  a  pro- 
fusion of  upright  growths,  of  more  or  less  luxuri 
ance,  are  yearly  produced,  and  yearly  removed, 
just  as  practiced  in  the  culture  of  willows,  ex- 
cepting that  the  pear  growths  are  useless,  and 
the  willows  are  valuable. 

All  who  are  familiar  with  pear  culture, will 
recognize  these  widely  ditferent  modes  of  treat- 
ment, and  the  distinct  forms  so  produced  ;  also 
that  they  both  agree  in  one  important  particular, 
that  is,  they  produce  but  very  little  fruit. 


so 


THE    GABDEJYER'^    MOJVTHLY, 


March, 


Ilfivin;^  practised  both  of  these  systems  to  my 
entire  satisHiction  or  rather  dissatisfaction,  it  oc- 
curred to  me  some  twelve  years  ago,  to  let  the 
trees  alone.  I  had  pruned,  pinched  and  disbud- 
ded, until  my  trees  were  acknowledged  to  be  as 
finel}'  formed  as  any  in  the  country,  and  they  cer- 
tainly were  as  perfectly  outlined  as  the  most 
beautiful  of  Norway  Firs.  I  felt  the  risk  of 
abandoning  an  orthodox  custom,  and  of  being 
classed  among  negligent  cultivators,  but  my  eyes 
were  opened,  I  saw  that  these  orthodox  managed 
trees  were  naked  of  fruit,  and  resolved,  that 
however  much  it  might  shorten  in  my  reputa- 
tion, I  would  not,  for  the  future,  shorten  in  my 
fruit  trees. 

To  illustrate  more  particular  the  plan  now 
pursued,  I  may  state  that  in  the  spring  of  1863 
I  planted  a  collection  of  60  varieties  of  pears, 
those  were  set  in  duplicate,  one  half  being  on 
the  quince  roots,  the  other  on  pear  stocks. 
These  have  received  the  same  general  treatment 
throughout.  AVhen  planted  they  were  pruned 
down  very  closely,  many  of  them  cut  so  as  to  re 
semble  a  smooth  walking  cane  from  two  to  three 
feet  in  length.  In  the  fall  of  tbat  \ear,  they 
were  cut  back  in  order  to  establish  a  proper 
spread  of  branches,  but  with  the  exception  of 
taking  a  few  scions  from  some  of  the  varieties, 
the  branches  have  not  been  shortened  since ; 
some  few  tall  branches  have  been  removed  en- 
tirely where  they  have  become  crowded,  and  a 
young  shoot  encouraged  at  the  point  of  cutting, 
which  ensures  the  healthy  healing  over  of  the 
cut  and  is  essential  in  this  mode  of  management, 
to  take  the  place  of  future  removals. 

During  the  second  and  third  years'  growth, 
young  shoots  of  three,  four  and  live  feet  lengths 
were  not  uncommon,  and  it  required  some  firm- 
ness to  repress  the  inclination  to  prune,  but  the 
pruning  resolution  had  not  been  lightly  formed 
and  was  not  to  be  lightl}'  abandoned  ;  and  even 
the  longest  of  these  shoots  became  thickly  stud- 
ded with  fruiting  spurs,  and  in  due  time  fur- 
nished wi.h  blossoms,  and  subsequently  with 
fruit. 

Tf)  show  the  Society  what  I  mean  by  a  thickly 
studded  system  of  fruit  buds,  and  the  rapidity 
with  which  they  form  when  allowed  to  grow  as 
nature  designs,  T  have  here  a  few  branches  of 
various  ages  which  I  submit  for  inspectiou. 


GRAPE  SEEDLINGS  AND  HYBRIDS. 

BY    MR.    G.    W.    CAMPBELL,    DEL  A  WAKE,    OniO. 

Your  remarks  on  the  Concord  and  Martha 
grapes,  in  the  December  number  of  the  Monthly, 
induce  me  to  offer  a  few  words  upon  the  same 
subject,  and  to  expi-ess  the  belief  that  we  have 
more  reason  to  hope  for  real  improvement  in 
hardy,  native  grapes,  through  seedlings,  and 
crosses  upon  the  Concord  than  from  any  other 
source,  the  Delaware  not  excepted. 

The  Martha  seems  to  have  been  the  first  "new 
departure,"  from  the  Concord  in  the  way  of  a 
white  grape  that  has  come  into  general  notice  ; 
but  it  is  by  no  means  the  only  one.  And  it  is  a 
somewhat  singular  and  remarkable  fact,  that 
Concord  seedlings  exhibit  not  only  an  unusual 
tendency  towards  improvement,  but  also  to  pro- 
duce a  large  proportion  of  white  grapes.  One  of 
the  most  interesting  of  these,  within  my  knowl- 
edge, is  a  natural  seedling  which  I  have  had  an 
opportunity  of  testing  for  two  years  past ;  in 
bunch  and  berry  somewhat  larger  than  the 
Martha  grape,  in  flavor  and  quality  fully  its 
equal,  and  without  apparent  foxincss,  either  in 
taste  or  odor.  The  vine  seems  admirable,  both 
in  hardiness,  health  offoliage  and  vigorof growth  ; 
and  I  can  really  see  no  reason  why  this  variety 
should  not  become  one  of  the  most  popular  and 
valuable  grapes,  unless  its  thin  skin,  and  ten- 
der, delicate  flesh  may  unfit  it  for  handling  and 
shipping  profitably  as  a  market  fruit.  It  has  re- 
ceived from  its  owner  the  name  of  "Lady,"  and 
I  believe  will  be  found  an  advance  in  improve- 
ment upon  Martha,  and  worthy  of  especial  at- 
tention. I  feel  less  hesitancy  in  speaking  favor- 
abl}'  of  this  variety,  as  it  is  not  of  my  own  pro- 
duction. I  am  not  permitted  to  give  the  owner's 
name  at  present,  as  he  has  no  vines  to  dispose 
of,  and  does  not  wish  to  be  annoyed  by  corres- 
pondence. 

As  an  indication  of  the  tendency  of  the  Con- 
cord to  produce  white  grapes,  I  will  mention, 
that  several  years  since  I  grew  a  lot  of  hybrids 
or  crosses  between  Concord  and  Chasselas 
Musquc,  from  Concord  seed.  From  this  lot  I 
saved  seven,  whose  habits  of  growth  and  foliage 
were  satisfactory  ;  and  three  of  these— all  which 
have  yet  borne — have  produced  white  grapes, 
and  have  also  proven  as  perfectly  free  from  foxy 
odor  or  taste  as  their  foreign,  or  male  parent. 
One  of  these  was  the  grape  sent  you  last  fall  ; 
and  which  must  be  regarded  as  promising. 

I,  at  one  time,  regarded  the  Delaware  as 
probably  the  most  promising  variety  from  which 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MOJ^THLY. 


81 


to  raise  seedlings,  as  its  unsurpassed  quality  and 
perfect  hardiness  required  only  the  addition  of  a 
better  and  more  enduring  foliage  to  render  it 
adapted  to  the  most  extensive  cultivation. 
Mauy  years  of  experimenting,  however,  pro- 
duced little  but  disappointment.  Out  of  hun- 
dreds of  seedlings,  nearly  all  thai  showed  any 
improvement  in  vigor  of  growth,  or  health  of 
foliage,  produced  also  grapes  of  the  wildest  and 
most  worthless  character,  resembling  very  close- 
ly the  small,  acid  and  seedy  varieties  of  the  aes- 
tivalis as  found  in  our  forests. 

With  me,  a  majority  of  Delaware  seedlings 
have  been  black  grapes ;  a  few  white,  and  less 
still,  red.  The  black  ones  have  been  invariably 
worthless  ;  and  none  of  the  red  ones  equal  the 
parent  Delaware.  The  white  ones  have  been 
the  best ;  and  I  am  glad  to  say  one  of  these  now 
promises  to  be  a  substantial  improvement,  in 
that  it  is  of  much  stronger  habit  of  growth,  with 
large,  thick  and  heavy  foliage,  while  in  flavor 
and  qualit}'  of  fruit  it  is  certainly  equal,  and  to 
my  taste,  even  superior  to  the  Delaware.  The 
only  lack,  so  far,  is  in  size.  It  has  borne  but 
two  seasons,  and  only  upon  the  original,  or 
parent  vine  ;  the  bunches  and  berries  not  ex- 
ceeding in  size  those  of  the  Delaware  under 
similar  conditions.  It  is  not  unreasonable  to 
expect  an  improvement  in  this  respect,  as  the 
vines  acquire  age  and  strength,  and  should  ray 
hopes  in  this  particular  be  realized,  I  shall  feel 
that  I  have  achieved  a  result  for  which  I  have 
long  and  patiently  labored— a  genuine  imprwe' 
ment  on  the  JJelaioare  Grape. 


EDITORIAL  NOTES. 

FOREIGN. 

Horticulture  in  Berlin.— Vrov'ided  the  war  is 
over,  it  is  proposed  to  hold  a  grand  exhibition 
at  the  end  of  June,  in  Berlin,  open  to  all  the 
world,  similar  to  what  was  held  in  Hamburg 
and  St.  Petersburg,  a  few  years  ago. 

Horticulture  in  Portugal. — At  a  meeting  held 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Royal  Portuguese 
Agricultural  Society,  at  Lisbon,  last  autumn, 
Monsieur  Jose  Martiuo  Pereira  de  Lucena  Nor- 
trona  a  Faro,  the  leading  nurseryman  of  Lisbon, 
exhibited  one  hundred  and  fifty  species  and 
varieties  of  Begonia.  This  beats  Philadelphia 
collections  of  this  interesting  plant. 

Hardy  Palms.— "M.  Xaudin,  at  Montpelier,  in 
France,  has  found  Ph'.enix  reclivata  withstands 


the  severe  weather  whichsometimesoccurat  that 
place,  making  no  less  than  thirty-one  species  in  the 
open  air  there.  Our  Southern  nurserymen  should 
take  this  hint  and  add  to  their  collections.  The  fol- 
lowing is  the  full  list :  Brahea  diUcis,  Chamcerops 
excelsa,  C.  arborea,  C.  Fortuni,  C.  Ghiesbrechtii,  C. 
humilis,  G.  palmetto.,  C.  macrocarpa.  C.  tomtn- 
tosa,  Corypha  australis,  Gorypha  gebangce.  Gory- 
pha  sjjmo.sa,  Gocos  australis,  G.  campestris,  G. 
chilensis,  G.  flexuosa,  G.  coronata,  G.  lapida,  G. 
Peruviana,  C.  Ttomanzoffiana,  Diplothemium 
maritimum,  Jubea  spectabilis,  Phoenix  dactylifera., 
Farinifera,  sylvestris,  teneis  and  canariensis ; 
Rhapis  flahelliformis,  Sabal  Adamsoni,  S.  Black- 
burniana  and  S.  palmetto;  Thrinax  jjari'(/!ora. 
These  were  all  out  unprotected  during  the  severe 
winter  of  1869-70,  when  the  thermometer  de- 
scended to  12°  (Reaumur.) 

Phylloxera  vastatrix,  the  insect  which  is  so 
alarming  European  vine  growers,  is  said  to  be 
an  introduction  from  "des  Etats-Uuis  d'Amer- 
ique,"  but  it  appears  more  is  laid  to  its  charge 
than  it  deserves.  Another  chai>—Dactylo2jius 
longispinis  of  Targoni— M.  Planchou  says,  is  the 
cause  of  the  "JBZacA-  eviV  {ihaladie  noire)  in  the 
grape  vine. 

Glasses  of  Foreign  Grapes. — In  Europe  these 
are  divided  into  five  classes  :  The  Ghasselas, 
the  Muscats,  the  3forillons,  the  Goulards  and  the 
Gonais. 

Death  of  Baron  HugeJ. — This  gentleman's 
name  is  associated  with  so  many  plants,  that  it 
will  be  familiar  to  many  of  our  readers.  He 
was  founder  of  the  Imperial  Society  of  Horti- 
culture at  Vienna,  and  was  Austrian  Ambassa- 
dor to  the  Court  of  Belgium.  His  death  has 
recently  been  announced. 

The  Senasqua  Grape,  raised  by  Mr.  Stephen 
L^'nderhill,  of  New  York,  is  receiving  notices 
from  horticultural  works  in  Germany. 

Pomology  in  England. — This  department  of 
horticulture  has  not  had  the  attention  given  in 
the  United  States,  but  it  is  proposed  to  have  an 
International  Fruit  Show  in  Liverpool  next 
autumn. 

Plants  as  Gharity. — Miss  Burdett  Coutts,  the 
philanthropist,  presented  plants  as  a  Christmas 
gift  to  the  people  of  the  poor  house  in  her  dis- 
trict, and  it  is  said  nothing  could  be  more  highly 
prized  by  them  than  these  were. 

Neic  Vegetables. — These  are  attracting  unusual 
attention  in  England.  The  leading  agricultural 
journals  are  all  filled  with  portraits  of  new  peas 


82 


IHE    GARBE^fEWS   MOJVTHLY. 


March, 


and  snap-short  beans,  as  ours  are  with  outlines 
of  apples. 

Hardines:^  of  Selac/inella  denticulata.  —  This 
Lycopodium,  the  commonest  and  oldest  in  cul- 
tivation of  all  the  kinds  in  our  greenhouses  and 
hanging  baskets,  has  been  found  quite  hardy  in 
England. 

Standard  Boses  are  still  popular  in  England. 
These  are  made  by  budding  the  ai)provcd  kinds 
on  the  Dog  rose,  which  is  a  specie?  very  clo.sely 
allied  to  the  Sweetbrier.  This  is  trained  up  to 
a  single  stem,  and  budded  about  four  feet  from 
the  ground.  The}'  form  pretty  heads,  and  are  a 
nice  bordering  to  walks  in  geometrical  gardens. 
They  have  never  been  a  success  in  the  United 
States,  our  dry,  hot  summers  injuring  the  stems, 
which  soon  die. 

Ifeio  Late  Caidiflotcer,  Veitch's  Giant,  is  highly 
praised  in  the  English  papers. 

A  Rival  to  Coffee  has  appeared  in  the  seeds  of 
the  Paullinia  sorbilis,  a  native  of  the  Amazon 
region. 

Giapes  to  King  William. — Mr.  Meredith,  prob- 
ably the  best  grower  of  foreign  grapes  in  Eng- 
gland,  referred  to  in  our  magazine  recently  b}' 
Mr.  Taplin,  sent  one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds 
to  the  King  of  Prussia,  at  Versailles  Palace,  and 
received  an  autograph  letter  from  the  King, 
saying  they  were  the  best  he  had  ever  seen. 

The  Mannetti  Stock,  which  became  popular  in 
England  after  it  was  abandoned  here  for  Rose- 
grafting,  is  now  experiencing  the  same  fate  there. 

The  Ktw  Collection  is  the  finest  living  in  the 
world.  No  modern  catalogue  exists.  The  writer 
of  this  has  one  he  made  for  himself  in  1845, which 
is  jirobably  the  latest  one  ever  made. 

Botany  in  Africa. — They  have  a  thriving 
Botanic  garden  at  Natal.  Mr.  McKean  is  the 
director.  They  have  just  started  a  Society  of 
Natural  History.  Its  first  publication  gives 
much  attention  to  Botany.  A  new  climbing 
Scrojjhxdariaceous  plant,  to  which  our  well  known 
MaurandiaBarclayana  belongs,  is  described  in 
it,  under  the  name  of  Buttonia  Natalensis. 
I.  Awpelopsis  Vietchii  is  getting  to  be  better  known 
in  Europe  under  its  prior  name  of  A.  tricuspidata. 
It  is  one  of  the  many  new  plants  of  Japan  intro- 
duced by  J,  Gould  Veitch,  recently  deceased. 

rarks  in  America. — A  lecturer  before  one 
of  the  English  scientific  societies  says  America 
is  now  forming  public  parks  about  the  principal 
towns,  equal  if  not  superior  to  the  best  in  Eng- 
land or  on  the  continent. 


The  Wines  of  California — We  see  by  French 
sources  that  attention  is  excited  in  Europe  to  the 
'  wines  of  California.  Count  Toucher  de  Careil, 
who  examined  particularly  the  vine3'ards  of 
Sonoma  county,  reports  that  the  returns  from 
wine  culture  are  undoubtedly  "  more  certain, 
and  more  permanently  so,  than  placers  d''or. 
He  refers  to  Dr  Wetherell's  analysis,  that  the 
white  wines  of  Sonoma  yield  eight  and  a  half 
per  cent  of  alcohol,  the  red  ten,  and  Hock  often 
fourteen. 

Htat  in  the  Flower  of  Philodendron. — This 
curious  plant  is  well  known  to  lovers  of  rare 
plants,  both  by  its  curious  leaves  and  by  its 
delicious  fruit.  A  new  interest  is  being  found 
in  it  in  Germany,  on  account  of  the  discovery 
of  M.  Brogniart,  that  a  considerable  amount  of 
heat  is  evolved  during  the  expansion  of  the 
flowers.  It  is  not  a  mere  temporary  burst  of 
heat,  but  the  temperature  is  higher  for  five  or 
six  hours  about  the  flower,  than  in  other  parts 
of  the  atmosphere  of  the  house. 

A7nmonia  from  Mushrooms.  —  Dr.  Eugene 
Fournier,  in  the  Revue  Bibliographique  de  la 
Societe  Botanique  of  France,  says  that  Mons  El 
Borscow,  of  St.  Petersburg,  has  discovered  that 
mushrooms  give  off"  ammonia  during  their 
growth.  It  is  thrown  off"  from  the  mycelium  or 
spawn,  as  well  as  from  the  complete  mushroom  ; 
also,  in  light  as  in  darkness.  The  exhalations 
increase  with  the  development  of  the  plant. 

Cider  Makers'*  Society. — They  have  in  Flan- 
ders a  society  for  the  study  of  cider  fruits.  The 
last  meeting  was  held  at  Ypres,  on  October  9th. 

DOMESTIC. 

Horticulture  i7i  loxva. — Iowa  was  admitted  into 
the  Union  in  1846.  She  has  now  nearly  a  quar- 
ter of  a  million  of  people.  The  Legislature  and 
people  of  the  State  have  always  fostered  every 
art  and  science  having  a  bearing  on  the  culture 
of  the  soil  ;  but  the  Legislature  does  not,  any 
more  than  in  Pennsylvania,  aid  the  Agricul- 
tural or  Horticultural  Societies.  In  the  State 
Agricultural  College,  however,  they  have  a 
Professor  of  Horticulture  and  a  Professor  of 
Pomology.  Professor  Bessey  fills  the  chair  of 
Horticulture  and  Matthews  of  Pomology. 

Over-production  of  Fruit. — Our  exchanges  are 
discussing  whether  this  is  possible  They  all 
agree  that  su2)erior  fruit  always  sells,  and  at 
highly  remunerative  prices. 

Death  of  Mr.  McMinn. — This  gentleman,  for- 
merly of  Williamsport,  Pa.,  and  well  known  to 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJfTHLY. 


SS 


the  horticulturists  and  botanists  of  Pcnua., 
died  a  fevv  months  a^o  in  Virginia,  where  he 
settled  soon  after  the  war.  He  was  the  author 
of  valuable  papers  relating  to  agriculture,  and 
especially  known  as  a  writer  on  the  grasses  of 
Pennsylvania. 

Grasses  in  yebraska.— It  was  at  one  time  sup- 
posed the  ordinary  grasses  of  agriculture  would 
not  thrive  in  jSTebraska.  Col.  Furnas,  who  has 
resided  there  for  fifteen  years,  finds  this  to  be  an 
error.  They  do  as  well  there  as  in  any  part  of 
the  Union. 

Primrose "JV/7-s.  John  Saul.'^ — Thisnew variety 
is  becoming  very  popular.  Mr.  John  Saul,  of 
Washington,  is  the  raiser. 

Oravge,  or  Golden  Sweet  Apple,  Dr.  Housely, 
of  Kansas,  thinks  one  of  the  most  desirable 
September  apples  for  that  State. 

Fall  Queen  Apple,  Dr.  Housely  decides  to  be 
the  same  as  the  Buckingham. 

White  Winter  Pearmain  Apjyle  is  known  in 
eastern  Kansas  and  western  Missouri  as  the 
Campbellite. 

Pryors  Bed  AjyjAe,  Dr.  Housely  tinds  one  of 
the  best  winter  apples  for  Kansas. 

Blue  Grass,  in  Kentucky  and  Missouri,  is  the 
same  as  June  grass,  or  Green  grass  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  the  East — that  is,  botanically.  Poapra- 
tensis. 

Making  Honey.  —  Mr.  Quinby  thinks  bees 
gather  honey,  according  to  popular  thought, 
and  do  not  make  it  out  of  the  sweets  they  collect, 
as  some  believe. 

A  Seedless  Grape. — The  currant  of  commerce 
is  but  a  seedless  form  of  the  European  grape. 
A  Mr.  W.  M.  Lausfield,  of  some  place  in  Kan- 
sas, is  said  to  have  a  seedless  variety  of  a  native 
kind. 

Screw-flmvered  Camellias. — These  are  occa- 
eionally  seen  in  the  usual  varieties,  but  some- 
times they  are  produced  from  seed,  and  are 
characteristic  of  the  variety.  In  the  collection 
of  the  Hon.  Mr.  Macpherson,  near  Toronto, 
Canada,  the  local  papers  report  a  beautiful  red 
variety,  the  "Count  Esterhazy,"  as  attracting 
much  attention. 

Australian  Ivy. — This  is  often  called  German, 
or  Austrian  ivy.  It  is  a  species  of  Mikania.  and 
is  a  native  of  Australia.  We  suppose  it  may 
have  been  used  asa  parlor  plant  first  in  Germany. 

The  American  area  of  Grapes  has  been  put  at 
2,000,000  acres,  of  which  California  claims 
200,000,  or  one-tenth  of  the  whole. 


Stamens  and  Pistils  of  the  Grapevine. — There 
are  three  distinct  kinds  of  flowers  on  the  grape- 
vine. Some  time  since, Dr.  Engelman  wrote 
to  us  to  know  if  any  one  had  ever  seen  a 
purely  pistillate  grape.  He  never  had.  We 
now  think  it  does  not  exist.  But  there  are 
certainl}'  three  forms :  First,  purely  stami- 
nate,  in  which  there  are  no  trace  of  ova- 
riuras  ;  secondly,  small  ovaries,  with  defective 
stamens,  which  never  produce  seeds,  though 
often  swelling  enough  to  make  small  grapes 
with  no  seeds  ;  thirdlj'^,  hermaphrodite,  which 
we  believe  alone  produces  fruit.  We  suspect 
all  the  male  flowers  throw  their  efforts  away. 

Cost  of  Wooden  Fences. — In  Illinois  it  costs 
11,000  to  fence  160  acres,  and  S4,000  more  for 
repairs  during  the  next  twenty  years— S5,000  in 
all,  according  to  M.  L.  Dunlap. 

The  acreage  of  Central  Park,  N'ew  York  is 
843 — 1.36  being  water.  The  cost  of  land  and 
improvements,  $12,000,000.  Up  to  this  time 
politics  have  not  been  heard  in  its  management 
but  we  are  very  sorry  to  note  that  that  <^ood 
time,  like  so  many  others,  is  passing  away. 

A  Californian  Horticultural  Society  has  been 
established.  Dr.  Bolander,  of  San  Francisco  is 
President.  Amongst  the  active  members  are 
R.  Turnbull,  C.  Schuraan,  El.  Reimer,  and  T. 
Suiedeman,  all  of  the  same  place. 

The  Eumelan  Grape  is  not  the  product  of  skill 
but  a  chance  seedling  of  Fishkill,  New  York. 

Rudheckia  hirta  and  B.fulgida,  two  coarse- 
growing  weeds,  are  said  to  be  considerably 
spreading  over  the  United  States.  Ihe  seeds 
are  distributed  with  grass  and  clover.  Thev 
give  "beauty  to  the  landscape,"  however,  which 
is  more  than  some  weeds  do;  and  if  the  "rass  is 
cut  as  early  as  it  suould  be,  the  flowers  t^et  their 
"  taking  off''  before  their  seeds  mature. 

Sprouts  of  Ailanthus  and  other  suckerin^  trees 
are  often  troublesome  By  cutting  off  the  sprouts 
two  or  three  times  during  the  growino-  season 
they  may  be  destroyed.  We  have  noticed  this 
before,  but  have  it  again  suggested  by  an  ex- 
change. 

Loam. — This  is  a  technical  term  used  in  <Tar- 
dening.  All  know  what  is  sand  and  what  clay 
is.  Loam  is  a  mixture  of  both.  Light  loam  has 
more  sand — heavy  loam  more  of  clay. 

Hanging  Basket>f,  to  grow  plants  in,  can  be 
made  of  bark,  thin  wood,  branches,  wire  shells 
pottesy  ware,  or  even  of  roots  hollowed  outj 
such  as  carrots,  turnips,   beets,  etc.,  but  in  all 


8Jf 


THE    GARDENER'S    MONTHLY. 


March, 


cases  holes  must  be  provided  for  water  to  escape. 
Root  baskets  are  very  pretty  things.  Of  course 
they  should  be  inverted,  and  then  the  beet,  car- 
rot, or  whatever  it  may  be,  pushing  out  its  own 
leaves,  unites  with  the  plant  grown  in  the  hol- 
low of  its  own  root,  to  add  to  the  interest. 

Dryincj  Succulent  Plants  for  herbarium  speci- 
mens, is  often  difficult.  Dip  them  momentarily 
in  hot  water  ;  let  them  nearly  dry  before  putting 
between  the  paper  to  press,  and  afterward  run  a 
hot  iron  over.  Too  much  artificialal  heat,  how- 
ever, may  makes  them  brittle. 

White  Wine  Vinegar  is  made  from  light  colored 
wine,  just  as  cider  vinegar  is,  or  colored  dark  as 
cider  is— that  is  it  should  be,  for  it  is  often  uncer- 
tain what  any  particular  brand  of  vinegar  is 
made  from,  unless  made  by  oneself. 

Vinegar  3Iaking.—A  capital  article  of  cider 
vinegar  is  made  by  setting  a  barrel  of  cider  in 
the  full  sun— on  blocks  of  course— taking  out 
the  bung,  and  in  its  place  inserting  an  inverted 
porter  bottle.  This  will  admit  light,  but  not 
insects  or  vermin,  which,  though  they  may  not 
affect  the  quality,  spoil  the  mental  enjoyment  of 
the  liquid. 


A  Successful  Professor  of  Horticulture. — Prof, 
Beal,  of  Chicago,  is  lecturer  on  botany,  at  Lan- 
sing, Michigan.  This  is  one  of  the  earliest  and 
most  successful  Agricultural  Colleges  in  the 
United  States.  It  is  said  that  sixty  per  cent  of 
the  students,  after  leaving,  go  into  horticulture 
or  agriculture,  or  some  kindred  pursuit.  What 
a  contrast  to  Pennsylvania.  It  has  an  Agricul- 
tural College,  at  an  expense  of  thousands  of 
dollars  a  year,  and  about  half  a  dozen  students 
to  each  professor.  But,  so  far  as  we  know, 
none  of  them  •'  follow  the  soil"  after  leaving  it. 
But  here  is  the  difference  :  In  one  case  the 
students  are  taught  to  love  science — in  the  other 
case  the  result  is  their  despising  it. 

TheYelloio  Corchorus. — This  pretty  plant,  now 
nearly  banished  to  old  farm  houses  and  other 
out  of  the  way  spots,  has  recently  been  illus- 
trated by  the  American  Agriculturist,  of  which 
honor  it  is  well  worthy. 

The  Double  Blackberry  is  another  very  pretty 
old  thing  brought  prominently  to  notice  by  an 
illustration  in  the  Jmerican  Agriculturist. 


EDITOR lAL. 


TRAVELLIXG  RECOLLECTTOXS. 

Why  people  dislike  to  travel  in  winter,  we 
could  never  understand.  To  us  all  seasons  have 
an  equal  interest,  and  certainly  the  winter  is 
capable  of  affording  much  more  pleasure  than 
many  people  imagine.  Moralists  have  a  fashion 
of  likening  Avinter  to  death.  Its  "  icy  hand  '"  is 
a  favorite  simile,— and  "  cold  as  death  ''  a  com- 
mon phrase  ;  but  neither  cold,  nor  ice,  nor  snow, 
convey  a  death  scene  to  us.  The  delicate  pallor 
of  the  snowy  field,  is  enlivened  by  the  little  rills 
of  water,  which,  like  dark  bhie  veins  course  over 
it.  We  do  not  miss  the  birds,  the  green  fields, 
or  the  little  (lowers, —their  voices,  to  be  sure, 
whisper  nothing  to  us,— but  seasonable  nature 
tells  us  of  a  thousand  things.  Rocks  and  stones, 
— hills  and  valleys,— earth,  sky  and  water,  with 
their  hundreds  of  forms  and  circumstances, — 
and  moreover  the  living  people,  from  all  of  whom 
we  can  learn  something,  make  as  much  pleasure 
as  any  one  of  us  can  enjoy  at  once.  This  last 
consideration  is  especially  one  of  the  best  fea- 


I  tures  of  winter  traveling.  Persons  are  always 
j  more  sociable,  and  every  way  more  communica- 
tive, when  gathered  around  the  cheerful  fire, 
than  when  wishing,  as  Sidney  Smith  was  wont 
in  hot  summer  to  do,  that  he  could  get  out  of  his 
flesh,  and  sit  in  his  bones,  in  order  to  enjoy  him- 
self seasonably  as  a  human  being  should. 

Early  in  February  we  were  on  a  train  which 
was  making  its  way  through  the  beautiful  Cum- 
berland Valley,— one  of  the  choice  bits  with 
which  Pennsylvania  tempts  the  soul-hunger  of 
those  who  famish  on  the  husky  sameness  of  many 
other  States.  It  is  her  boast  that  no  other  belt 
of  similar  extent  in  the  Union  can  show  as  fer- 
tile a  soil,  combined  with  as  much  natural 
beauty.  In  former  times,  so  it  is  said,  the  In- 
dians reserved  this  as  one  great  hunting  ground. 
Young  trees  grew  up  on  it,— but  every  few  years 
the  brush  was  burned  off.  This  grew  again, — 
and  as  often  as  it  grew  was  again  burned  ;  and 
so  on  through  countless  generations.  This  is 
the  way  much  of  the  fertility  is  accounted  for ; 
but  it  is  doubtful,  we  think,  that  the  facts  were 


7^77. 


THE    GABBEKER'S   MOJV'THLl. 


85 


quite  as  represented.  At  any  rate  some  excel- 
lent modern  philosophers  credit  the  utter  ab- 
sence of  trees  on  the  prairies  to  the  ijroat  and 
repeated  prairie  fires.  Timber,  mostl\'  of  oak 
and  hickory,  is  very  abundant  all  through  this 
region,  and  the  belief  is  that  it  has  all  appeared 
since  the  advent  of  the  white  man.  Evergreens 
are  very  scarce.  To  a  stranger,  the  immense 
quantity  of  Yellow  Locust  (Bohinia  psued- 
acada)  is  a  very  interesting  sight.  It  seems 
here  to  bid  defiance  to  its  great  foe  in  other  re- 
gions, the  locust  borer,  perhaps  through  the  im- 
mense quantity— it  is  "too  much  for  it.''  The 
wood  is  used  for  ever}'  purpose  but  nailing  to. 
This  is  so  hard  that  after  the  nail's  expan- 
sion by  the  heat  of  summer,  the  wood  does  not 
follow  the  nail's  contract  in  winter,  and  thus 
the  hold  is  loosened  and  the  nail  drops  out. 
Another  peculiarity  of  the  locust  is  that  the 
T0]ie-like  roots  seems  to  prefer  to  feed  on  the 
subsoil,  and  hence  a  crop  can  be  grown  almost 
up  to  the  trunk  of  the  tree  without  much  injury 
by  "robbing  of  the  food"  as  other  trees  do. 
Amidst  all  the  natural  beauties  and  advantages 
there  is,  however,  one  thing  which  stril<es  the 
horticultural  stranger  painfully.  Along  the 
whole  route,  from  Harrisburg  to  Chambersburg, 
there  is  barely  any  sign  that  any  one  knows 
■what  horticulture  means.  The  contrast  with 
the  line  of  the  Pennsylvania  Central  Railroad, 
in  this  respect  is  very  marked.  There  we  see 
some  little  gardening  every  where  from  Pitts- 
burg to  Philadelphia, — here  we  believe  that 
ninet}'  nine  hundredths  of  the  inhabitants  would 
look  with  as  much  wonder  on  a  Norway  Spruce, 
or  even  a  well-managed  osage  hedge,  as  our 
friend  Hoopes  did  last  year  on  the  mammoth 
Sequoias,  or  the  great  surprizes  of  the  Yosemite 
Valley,  as  described  in  his  Calfornian  trip  in 
our  magazine. 

But  things  are  not  destined  long  to  be  this 
wa}'.  Breaking  through  this  frozen  sea,  we 
found  open  water  at  Chambersburg.  Here  was 
the  great  polar  basin  of  liorticulture, — tliawing 
by  its  own  inherent  warmth,  the  icy  circle  which 
bound  it,  and  stretching  away  towards  the 
gulph  waters  on  its  eastern  and  southern  lines. 

There  is  here  a  very  earnest  Horticultural 
Society,  which  i.s  doing  good  work.  Previous  to 
its  organization  there  was  very  little  horticul- 
tural or  agricultural  literature  received  here  ; 
now  we  were  informed  there  were  many  hun- 
dreds of  wliich  over  one  hundred  were  credited 


to  the  American  Agriculturist,  and  nearly  as 
many  to  the  New  Torh  Tribune,  which  was 
taken,  we  were  told,  solely  for  the  agricultural 
and  horticultural  information  which  it  conveyed. 
The  Horticultural  Society  is  indebted  chiefly  for 
its  success  to  the  great  interest  taken  in  it  by 
citizens  generally.  Some  of  the  chastest  horti. 
cultural  addresses  we  have  ever  listened  to  were 
deUvered  here  by  the  Eev.  Mr.  Davis,  of  the 
German  Reformed  church.  As  we  have  often 
said,  much  in  all  these  social  improvements  de- 
pends on  one  man.  Here,  a  quarter  of  a  century 
or  more  ago,  Mr.  Jacob  Heyser,  a  leading  citizen 
of  the  place,  did  much  to  develop  horticultural 
taste,  and  at  various  times  established  nurseries, 
though  actually  engaged  in  other  business.  He 
still  does  considerable  in  this  way,  although  oc- 
cupied with  an  extensive  paper  mill,  which 
turns  out  about  a  thousand  tons  of  paper  a  year. 
Mr.  B.  L.  Ryder,  near  Chambersburg,  has  also 
done  much.  He  was  the  originator  of  the 
'  Nursery  Association"  of  the  place,  which 
is  now  managed  by  Mr.  T.  B.  Jenkins,  for  the 
gentlemen  who  now  constitute  the  Association. 
They  have  a  very  handsome  office  in  the  town,  con- 
nected with  which  is  a  considerable  tract  of  land, 
on  which  thev  have  their  greenhouses  and  other  at- 
tractive departments.  The  houses  were  well 
filled  with  flowers,  which  we  were  glad  to  learn, 
found  a  ready  sale  amongst  the  citizens.  The 
tree  nurseries  are  about  a  mile  out  of  town,  and 
we  found  them  well  filled  with  thriving  nursery 
stock,  of  which  the  apple  seemed  the  great 
staple.  The  nurseries  do  a  very  large  business 
for  so  young  a  firm,  and  with  their  admirable 
location  and  good  soil  and  climate,  will,  no 
doubt,  soon  rank  with  the  leading  firms  of  the 
country. 

The  great  fertility  of  the  soil  here  cannot  per- 
haps be  better  indicated  than  by  the  fact,  that 
though  immense  quantities  of  straw  are  annu- 
ally sold  ofl'  the  farms  here  to  supply  the  paper 
mills,  the  crops  seem  to  ])e  nearly  as  good  as 
ever.  Heyser's  mill  uses  about  1500  tons  a  year. 
There  was  a  circumstance  in  regard  to  the 
refuse  of  this  paper  mill  as  a  manure  which  is 
worth  recording.  In  preparing  the  straw  for 
paper,  lime  water  is  used.  The  straw  is  thrown 
inio  large  vats,  and  Jets  of  steam  introduced,  by 
which  it  is  rapidly  boiled  down.  The  lime  water 
is  then  poured  in.  The  straw  is  afterwards 
wheeled  out  into  a  large  square  heap  like  ma- 
nure. It  heats  very  rapidly,  and  in  the  course 
of  a  few  days  goes  in  as  pulp  to  the  cylinders 


SG 


THE    GARDEJYER'S   MOJVTHLl, 


March, 


around  which  il  gathers  to  form  the  paper 
sheets.  The  thickest  and  coarsest  of  this  matter 
forms  the  refuse,  and  altliough  nothing  but  Hme 
and  straw,  makes  a  compost  of  the  richest  fer- 
tilizing nature.  Mr.  Ileyser  informed  us  that 
crop  after  crop  of  the  same  kind  could  be  raised 
on  the  same  ground  by  its  aid. 

In  the  fields  about  here,  were  immense  quan- 
tities of  the  troublesome  weed  Camellna  sativa, 
which,  as  a  "pretty  flower,"  the  seed  depart- 
ment of  the  Patent  office  so  extensively  dis 
tributed  through  the  Union  some  years  ago. 
We  supposed  it  would  be  called  Patent  office 
weed,  Washington  weed,  or  some  such  designa- 
tion ;  but  found  it  called  Skuter  weed,— so  we 
suppose  some  unfortunate  Mr.  Shuter  will  have 
his  name  handed  down  in  ignominy  to  future 
generations,  through  being  unfortunate  enough 
to  be  in  advance  of  the  government,  in  the  intro- 
duction of  so  vile  a  thing. 

Here,  as  in  most  places  where  no  immense 
wealth  has  accumulated  in  the  hands  of  any  one 
family,  and  many  are  well  off,  without  being 
rich  in  a  large  city  sense,  small  gardens  are 
numerous,  and  of  a  pretty  uniform  character. 
Flowers  and  fruit  ti'ees  are  combined  without 
any  thought  of  a  separate  system.  Pears,  apples, 
cherries,  grapes,  crowd  up  to  tlie  back  doors,  or 
sitting  room  windows,— but  beneath  all  these 
are  well  kept  patches  of  grass,  neat  flower  beds, 
— or  tasteful  walks,  with  roses  or  perennial 
flowers  bordering  on  them.  Some  have  evi- 
dently wished  for  more  style  without  the 
requisite  knowledge  to  carry  it  out  tastefully. 
There  was,  for  instance,  one  very  handsome 
4)uilding,  now  used  as  a  seminary  for  young 
ladies.  The  former  owner  of  the  building  had 
evidently  been  educated  to  the  knowledge  that 
architecture  was  an  art  demanding  genius.  The 
building  was  as  near  faultless  as  the  generality 
of  our  best  ones  are.  Landscape  gardening, 
however,  seemed  to  have  been  placed  in  the 
hands  of  some  one  who  could  do  the  work 
"cheapest  and  best"  The  result  was  seen  in 
some  "highly  original"  ideas.  A  summer  house, 
for  instance,  is  an  idea  with  which  we  are  ac- 
customed to  associate  cool  and  shady  tlioughts,  in 
some  quiet  nook,  where  unseen  and  alone,  a 
party  can  have  together  a  pleasant  chat  Here 
we  liave  tiu;  structure  set  between  the  house 
and  the  road,  — along  the  side  of  the  turnpike  in 
fact, — and  as  if  the  designer  had  in  his  mind,  that 
the  extreme  of  publicity  was  the  essential  idea 


of  an  arbor  or  summer  house,  the  earth  had 
been  first  elevated  into  a  mound  of  some  ten  or 
twelve  feet  before  building  on  it.  Probably  this 
was  a  ruse  to  sell  the  property  ;  for  it  has  since 
been  bought  for  a  female  seminary,  in  which, 
judging  by  advertisements  we  often  see,  it  is  a 
part  of  the  duties  of  madame,  the  principal,  t» 
"keep  a  watchful  eye"  on  the  young  ladies 
committed  to  her  care.  This  certainly  was  the 
spot  for  such  a  one  to  secure. 

In  all  these  places,  small  or  large,  there  was 
something  to  learn.  At  Dr.  Seusserott's,  for  in- 
stance, we  came  across  a  plan  for  blanching  and 
preserving  celery,  which  has  never  been  in  print, 
and  now  we  think,  to  those  who  don't  know,  it 
will  be,  as  some  publishers  would  say,  "  alone 
worth  the  price  of  the  magazine  for  a  year." 
Ko  care  is  taken  to  blanch  celery  as  it  grows  ; 
but  before  frost  it  is  taken  up  and  put  into  bar- 
rels in  this  wise  :  A  few  inches  of  slushy  mud  is 
put  in  the  bottom  of  the  barrel ;  the  roots  of  the 
celery  put  in  the  mud,  and  the  tops  upright  and 
dr5^  The  plants  are  crowded  in  by  the  help  of  the 
spade  until  the  barrels  are  full.  Then  the  bar- 
rel is  sunk  in  the  open  ground,  and  when  severe 
weather  is  likely  to  set  in  the  top  is  protected. 
The  affair  is  then  frost-proof;  stalks  can  be 
taken  out  as  wanted,  and  the  earth  heat  is  suf- 
ficient to  blanch  the  stalks  beautifully. 

As  we  have  said,  rare  trees  and  plants  are  not 
yet  found  here  to  any  extent.  The  Nursery  As- 
sociation, however,  is  taking  up  these  things,  and 
the  taste  will  soon  grow.  On  the  grounds  of 
Mr.  Chambers,  there,  was  one  of  the  finest 
Sophora  japonica  we  know  of  It  was  about  20 
j^ears  old,  and  had  not  bloomed  yet. 

We  have  left  ourselves  little  room  to  speak  of 
the  surroundings  of  Chambersburg, — of  Mercers- 
burg  with  its  wonderful  fruit  gardens — one   of 
them  of  200  acres,  where  the  pear  trees  grow 
with  the  freedom  of  willows,  and  thousands  of 
dollars  are  invested  in  fruit  with  better  prospects  of 
success  than  have  followed  many  suchenterprizes, 
— of  Hagerstown,  with  its  orange  and  camellia 
houses,  where  growing  in  the  open  air,  under 
glass,   the   trees   laden  with   golden   fruit,   and 
lovely  flowers  rival  the  magnolia  of  Carolina  or 
the  celebrated  groves  of  Florida.    At  some  other 
time   our   thouglits    may   tuin    again   to   these 
pleasant  impressions,  when  we  will  note  them 
for  the  reader. 


1871. 


TEE    GARDEJYER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


87 


ROSE  GARDENS. 

There  are  few  things  sweeter  or  prettier  than 
roses, — nothing  more  interesting  than  a  Rose 
Garden.  A  small  plot  devoted  exclusively  to 
their  eulture,  can  be  set  apart  even  in  a  very 
small  place. 

The  chief  objection,  is  that  unless  one  have 
some  of  the  tender  kinds,  they  will  not  keep  in 
bloom  all  the  year  round.  For  the  hardy  ones, 
known  as  pei'petuals,  do  not  flower  very  freely 
more  than  once  a  year.  This  does  not  apply  to 
the  South,  of  course,  where  even  a  Devoniensis — 
the  "  Magnr>lia  Rose"  of  many  Northern  gar- 
dens— though  one  of  the  tendercst,  lives  out  in 
all  seasons.  Roses  in  the  North,  as  a  general 
thing  are  not  the  ever-blooming  "dailies,'' or 
"monthlies,"  they  are  supposed  to  be  ;  and  yet 
there  is  some  ground  for  the  idea,  and  quite 
enough  to  make  us  all  try  to  have  them,  and  as 
much  more  as  we  can. 

Now,  though  we  say  we  would  have  exclu- 
sively a  place  set  apart  for  ro-es,  we  mean  not  to 
have  it  distinctively  a  place  for  roses  ;  but  be- 


tween the  roses,  to  have  verbenas,  or  other  low- 
growing  annual  flowers,  which  will  not  interfere 
with  the  stronger  bushes,  for  which  the  garden  is 
designed.  This  will  make  it  a  point  of  interest 
for  the  whole  season,  and  not  interfere  with  the 
growth  or  flowering  of  the  Roses. 

We  thought  to  call  attention  to  this  now,  be- 
cause we  have  recently  seen  some  plans  for 
Rose  gardens,  in  a  horticultural  channel  of  some 
pretentions,  which  are  uot  at  all  adapted  to  the 
purpose.  Large  circular  beds,  the  very  worst 
for  the  purpose,  enter  largely  into  the  idea. 
Everybody  wants  to  cut,  or  at  least  handle,  or 
closely  examine  the  tiowers,  and  to  get  in 
through  the  mass  of  twigs  ;*  is  enough  to  make 
any  lady  feel  that  she  is  a  rose  between  thorns, 
as  the  young  men  often  tell  them.  Whatever 
plan  is  adopted,  the  beds  should  for  this  reason 
be  as  narrow  as  possible.  The  best  walks  be- 
tween the  beds  is  grass  kept  neatly  mown.  We 
give  with  this  a  very  good  design,  taken  from 
the  Enajdojjedia  of  Cottage  Architecture. 


BOOKS,    CATALOGUES,    cS^  C. 


Gray's  School  and  Field  Botany.    By  Asa  Gray.  Ivison,  Blake- 
man,  Taylor  A  Co.    New  York,  1870. 

It  is  very  rare  that  one  who  reaches  the  head 
of  any  science  is  able  to  descend  to  the  average 
intellect,  and  make  the  most  abstruse  subjects 
plain  to  the  commonest  understandings.  Prof. 
Lindley,  in  England,  had  much  of  this  rare 
power, — and  in  our  own  country  Prof.  Asa  Gray 
in  a  remarkable  case  of  this  kind.  Any  one  con- 
versant with  the  history  of  Botany  is  satisfied, 
that  without   Prof.  Asa   Gray,  this   interesting 


.study — the  amiable  science — would  be  far  behind 
what  it  is  now, — and  this  not  so  much  for  his 
own  mastery  of  the  subject,  as  for  his  wonderful 
capacity  for  teaching  it  understandingly. 

All  who  have  read  Prof  Gray's  former  works 
will  feel  the  force  of  these  remarks,  and  yet  they 
will  be  particularly  struck  with  the  clearness  of 
the  present  work,  A  child  capable  of  reading 
well,  would  get  a  good  idea  of  Botany  by  read- 
ing this  book  ;  while  the  most  advanced  botan- 
ist will  find  pleasure  and  profit  from  its  perusal. 


88 


THE    GARBEJ\''EWS   MOJVTHLY 


March, 


It  gives  an  account  of  the  growth  of  the  plant 
from  the  seed,  through  all  its  phases,  of  stem, 
leaves  and  fruit, — of  how  one  organ  is  morpholo- 
gizedorchangediutoothcrorgans,— of  how  plants 
grow,  and  in  what  way  the  various  tissues  are 
formed, — and  of  plant-life  in  general.  Then  there 
are  directions  for  collecting  plants, and  forforming 
them  into  herbariums, — a  glossary  of  all  the 
"hard''  words  used  by  systematists,  —  and 
finally,  a  description  of  all  the  leading  plants, 
whether  wild  or  cultivated,  which  the  student  is 
likely  to  meet  with  east  of  the  Mississippi  river. 
It  is  hard  to  understand  how  Botany  could  be 
made  more  pleasing,  or  its  study  made  easier  by 
any  other  work  than  this.  It  seems  all  that  is 
wanted,  and  we  could  wish  no  better  for  the  suc- 
cess of  scientific  horticulture,  than  for  everybody 
to  possess  a  copy. 

Dr.  Gray  has  now  passed  the  meridian  of  life 
— his  three-score  has  been  reached.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  understand  what  more  he  can  do  in  this 
especial  field  of  Elementary  Botany,  to  make  it 
clearer  or  plainer ;  but  the  hundreds,  who  will 
become  botanists  by  the  reading  of  this  little 
book,  will  heartily  wish  that  he  may  yet  live 
many  years,  so  that  they  can  thank  him  for 
the  great  pleasures  which  only  those  who  have 
been  fortunate  enough  to  be  led  into  the  study 
knows  how  heartilv  they  enjoy. 


Iransactions  of  Worcester  Cgunty  (Mass.)  Horticultural  Soc'y 

"We  are  always  pleased  to  receive  this  annual 
document,  giving  the  doings  of  the  year  of  one  of 
the  most  prosperous  societies  in  the  country. 

During  the  past  ten  years  there  has  been  an 
average  increase  of  40  new  members,  and  the 
roll  embraces  over  800.  Amongst  the  grapes 
we  note  that  the  variety  Fedora,  recently  noticed 
in  our  pages,  is  called  by  the  committee,  a 
"beautiful  white  grape,  reputed  hardy." 

Amongst  the  exhibitors  of  plants,  01m  Broth- 
ers, of  Springfield,  figured  largely. 

In  ]iears  there  is  great  competition,  and  we 
should  judge  their  culture  is  a  great  success 
thereabouts.  There  were  242  contributors  of 
4441  articles  at  the  annual  exhibition  last  year. 
The  lil)rary  is  increasing  largely  in  size,  and  the 
demand  for  loans  very  active — 544  volumes 
being  taken  out  last  year,  The  Secretary's 
notes  on  Piasj)berries  are  interesting.  The  Phil- 
adelphia has  been  discarded,  simply  because  the 
finer  foreign  varieties  can  be  grown  to  perfec- 
tion.    Brinckie's  Orange  is  the  most  prolific.    A 


letter  of  Charles  Downing  is  quoted,  which  says, 
with  him  the  B.  Orange  is  "the  highest  flavored 
and  most  productive  of  any,"  we  presume  of  the 
foreign  kinds. 

Grape  success  has  been  unexampled.  Roger's 
Seedlings,  and  lona,  seem  to  be  the  favorites. 

The  pear  and  apple  crop  was  wonderful, — the 
Secretary  intimating  his  opinion  that  the  ab- 
sence of  rain,  while  in  blossom,  had  much  to  do 
with  this  success. 

The  report  closes  with  a  i^arting  shot  at  the 
unfortunate  robin,  which  seems  to  be  to  the  Bay 
State  what  the  curculio  is  to  us. 


The  CMpyrnii  HorVculturist. 

We  have  to  hand  the  first  three  numbers  of  a 
new  magazine  to  be  devoted  to  horticulture,  pub- 
lished at  San  Francisco.  The  editor's  name  is  not 
announced,  but  we  suppose  it  is  managed  by  Mr. 
F.  A.  Miller,  who  has  quite  an  excellent  reputa- 
tion as  a  landscape  gardener.  With  his  talent 
and  intelligence,  the  California  Horticulturist 
ought  to  be  a  great  success. 


Catalogue  of  a  .lapnn  Nursery. 

And  only  one  month  getting  here  !  both  cir- 
cumstances seem  strange.  All  who  want  Japan 
plants  should  write  to  Mr.  C.  Kra-mer,  Yoko- 
hama, Japan,  care  of  W.  H.  Smith,  Esq.,  for  his 
catalogue. 


Catalogue  of  Grasses. 

Many  of  our  nursery  and  seedsmen  are  adding 
features  to  their  catalogues,  which  give  them  the 
value  of  regular  w^orks  published  at  high  prices. 
We  have  from  time  to  time  referred  to  some  of 
these  as  they  caipe  before  us.  We  now  have  be- 
fore us  the  catalogue  of  Messrs.  J.  M  Thorburn 
&  Co  ,  of  New  York,  in  which  there  is  an  excel- 
lent description  of  grasses.  This  will  make  the 
catalogue  extensively  sought  for. 


CATALOGUES. 

As  usual  at  this  season,  our  tables  arc  loaded 
with  catalogues  of  the  nursery  and  seed  trade. 
Wc  are  pleased  to  notice  the  marked  improve- 
ment in  typographical  accuraov  and  general 
beauty  of  most  of  t1icm.  They  far  excel  the 
average  catalogues  of  the  Old  World.  Many  are 
l)rofusely  and  expensivel3-  illustrated,  and  give 
information  worth  the  price  of  many  volumes. 

Wc  do  not  give  addresses  in  full  of  these,  as 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S    MOJVTHLY. 


89 


our  space  is  limited,  and  especially  as  they  all 
advertise  in  our  columns.  Amongst  the  best 
are  the  following,  received  : 

Allen  &  Johnson,  general  nursery  slock ; 
Graves,  Selover,  AVillard  &  Co.,  general;  B.  K. 
Bliss,  seeds;  R.  Buist,  Sr.,  general  nursery 
stock  ;  P.  J.  Berckmans,  nurser3'  ;  Bird  &  Co., 
nursery ;  R.  Douglas  &  Son,  wholesale  ever, 
greens  ;  Dingee  &  Conard,  nursery  ;  Evans  & 
Co  ,  nursery ;  Ellwanger  «&  Barry,  general  nur- 
sery ;  Dr.  John  E.  Ennis  &  Co.,  general  nursery  ; 
Frost  &  Co.,  general  nursery  ;  E.  C.  Frost,  gen- 
eral nursery ;  Gould  Bros.  ;  .] .  H.  Gregory, 
seeds;  Harden,  Cole  &  Co.,  trees,  etc  ;  Joseph 
Clark  &  Co.,  grape  vines,  small  fruits  ;  Peter 
Henderson,  new  and  rare  plants  ;  Bennett  & 
Davidson,  new  and  rare  plants,  etc.;  J.  M. 
Thorburn  &  Co.,  trade  list  of  seeds,  and  retail 
list  ;  R.  Buist,  Sr.,  rare  plants,  etc.;  Henderson 
&  Fleming,  vegetable  and  tlower  seeds  ;  AV.  H. 
Lyman,  new  plants ;  "W.  P.  Robinson,  general 
stock;  J.  AVentz,  general  wholesale;  J.  Knox's 
Successors,  fruits,  etc.;  Brown  &  Templin, 
fruits,    etc.;    A.   F.   Chatfield,    orchids;    Olm 


I  Brothers,  tlower  seeds,  etc.;  J.  W.  Manning, 
fruits,  evergreens,  roses  ;  Otto  &  Achelis.  wliolc- 

j  sale  ;  Pellet  &  Conovcr,  seeds  ;  C.  L.  Allen  & 
Co.,  seeds,  plants,  etc.;  Hargis  &  Sommer, 
wholesale  nursery ;  S.  S.  Jackson,  general  nur- 

[  sery  ;  Louis  Ritze,  general  list ;  Charles  Black, 

I  fruits  ;  Iloopes  Bros.  &  Thomas,  general  list ; 
J.  M.  Jordan,  trees,  fruits,  etc  ;  Miller  &  Hayes, 
roses,  plants  and  trees  ;  Hubbard  &  Davis, 
plants,  roses,  etc.;  F.  K.  Phoenix,  wholesale, 
etc.;  L.  C.  Baumann,  roses,  etc.;  Wm.  Grassie, 
plants,  etc. ;  Sulzer  &>  Bro  ,  general  fruits,  trees ; 
George  Such,  orchids  and  rare  plants;  Smith, 
Clark  &  Powell,  general  nursery  ;  W.  C.  Strong, 
nursery  and  Florist ;  James  Yick,  seeds ;  T.  G. 
Yeomans,  nursery  ;  D.  Land  re  th  &  Son,  vege- 
table seeds;  Collins,  Wetherill  &  Co,  seeds; 
Thos.  J.  PuUen,  fruits  ;  H.  A.  Dreer,  seeds, 
and  nursery  ;  E.  Moody  «&  Son,  nursery  ;  Gould 
Bros.,  wholesale  trade  list ;  Wood  &  Hall,  trade 
list ;  Storrs,  Harris  &  Co.,  American  Chestnuts  ; 
Hovey  &•  Co.,  seeds  and  plauts  ;  Washburn  & 
Co.,  seeds  ;  Joseph  Breck  &  Co.,  seeds  ;  Feast 

1  &  Sons,  rare  plants. 


SCRAPS   ATS^D     aUERIES. 


PiCEA  Frazeri.— It  is  singular  that  this 
beautiful  tree  does  not  get  more  into  cultivation. 
Very  few  persons  can  distinguish  it  from  the 
common  Balsam  Fir  ;  but  it  is  very  distinct.  We 
have  seldom  seen  it  so  well  defined  as  in  some 
specimens  received  from  Mr.  J.  M.  Nelson, 
gathered  in  Huntingdon  county,  Pa.  In  the 
common  BalsamFir  the  leaves  are  inclined  to  be 
what  botanists  call  spathulate,  or  thicker  at  the 
upper  end  than  the  lower  ;  but  in  these  the 
leaves  taper  at  both  ends  Tlie  habit  of  the  tree, 
also,  is  spreading,  much  as  in  the  European 
Silver  Fir.  Mr.  Nelson  says  the  lower  branches 
which  trail  on  the  ground,  root,  as  the  Yew 
does. 


Seedling  Geraniums.— We  have  received 
from  Mr.  Philip  Shteffer,  gardener  to  Jay  Cooke, 
Esq.,  specimens  of  nine  Seedling  Geraniums, 
some  of  which  are  fully  equal  to  many  of  the 
popular  named  kinds.  It  is  very  dillicult  to  get 
Seedling  Geraniums  distinct  from  the  man}" 
varieties  in  cultivation.  We  should  hardly  look 
for  one  in  a  thousand.    Or.e  of  these,  however, 


strikes  us  as  being  worthy  of  separate  mention. 
It  is  labelled  "Mr.  Cooke,  Jr."  The  truss  is 
large,  the  flowers  of  good  size,  and  the  petals 
tolerably  well  formed.  There  are  many  like  this 
of  the  full  scarlet  class  ;  but  this  is  a  rosy  pink, 
not  a  usual  shade  in  these  large  bunched  varie- 
ties. 


Writing  for  Copies  of  the  Monthly. — 
Every  spring  we  receive  innumerable  letters 
from  friends,  offering  to  write  for  us  if  we  will 
send  the  Magazine  in  exchange  Many  of  these 
are  from  friends  whose  writings  we  highly  value. 
But  xre  have  no  li.-^t  of  the  kind.  The  vast  amount 
of  voluntary  matter  we  receive,  renders  it  out  of 
the  question.  AVe  did  it  the  first  year  or  two, 
but  it  seemed  to  us  great  injustice  to  send  the 
Magazine  to  those  correspondents  who  asked  for 
it,  and  not  to  those  who  did  not,  and  it  was 
too  much  to  send  to  all.  AVe  have  endeavored, 
as  the  most  .jusc  plan,  to  give  muck  more  than 
the  two  dollars''  xoortk  in  our  Magazine, 
and  to  trust  to  the  consciences  of  those  who  are 
able  to  return  the  overplus  in  hints  and  other 
pen  contributions. 


90 


THE    GJnDEJVER';^    MOJSTTHLy. 


March, 


Varieties  OF  Asparagus.— ,7.  E.  H.  Man- 
alapan,  K  J.,  says,  "  T  wish  to  have  your  oi)in- 
ion  in  regard  to  Asparagus  ;  whether  there  is  so 
much  differeuce  in  kinds,  or  is  it  in  cultivation  ? 
Some  writers  say  it  is  in  the  variety  ;  others  say 
it  is  in  culture,  while  others  say  it  sports.  If  so, 
the  plants  from  one  pound  of  seed,  (of  any  sort' 
there  will  be  likely  to  be  many  varieties.  I 
want  to  set  a  patch  for  market  next  spring,  and 
wish  to  set  the  best.  If  there  is  much  difterence. 
the  price  is  nothing  ;  if  not,  it  will  make  quite 
an  item.  Mr.  Dreer  says  his  Mammoth  is  equal 
to  the  "  so-called  Conover's  Colossal."  He  asks 
$G  per  thousand.  Mr.  Bliss  says  there  is  a  very 
great  difference  in  favor  of  C.  Colossal.  He  asks 
S25  per  thousand;  but  I  can  buy  it  much  cheaper, 
or  what  would  be  cheaper  yet,  buy  the  seed  and 
wait.  If  the  Grant  or  Mammoth  is  as  good,  it 
is  better  to  get  the  roots,  as  America  is  fast,  and 
cannot  wait  without  extra  pay." 

[There  is  no  more  reason  why  Asparagus 
varieties  should  not  come  true  from  seed,  than 
corn,  or  wheat,  or  beans.  All  these  have  been 
raised  from  one  common  stock,  and  yet  they 
come  true.  Our  opinion  is  that  Asparagus  varie- 
ties, when  the  variation  has  become  fixed,  will 
repeat  themselves  tolerably  true  from  seed.] 


A  Ne-w  Hickory.— .7.  L.  writes  :  "  In  a 
Cyclopedia  recently  published  in  this  city,  under 
the  caption  '  Hickory,'  it  is  stated  with  regard 
to  one  of  the  species,  that  '  it  is  also  known  as 
the  KM-;/  Thomas  nut.''  We  suspect  that  a 
'period  after  the  first  word,  and  a  tall  syllable  to 
terminate  the  last,  would  bring  the  features  of 
this  old  friend  of  our  boyhood  into  better  shape. " 


Pruning  Evergreens.— ",!5'it6.scr<7>e/-,"  Pitts- 
huryh,  says  :  '•  The  Park  Commissioners  of  our 
sister  city  of  Allegheny,  are  now  planting  a 
large  number  of  Austrian  Pine  trees  throughout 
their  City  Park.  The  trees  are  very  large,  but 
vigorous  and  fine-looking — fully  fifteen  years  old. 
The  proportion  of  top  to  root  is  about  same  as 
enclosed  rough  sketch.  Tlie  writer,  being  ig- 
norant in  such  matters,  would  like  to  have  your  j 
opinion,  through  the  columns  of  the  Montkh/, 
about  planting,  without  pruning,  such  large 
trees.  It  is  customary  to  prune,  when  trans-  ' 
planting,  deciduous  trees.   Why  not  Evergreens  ? 

[The  evaporation  from  such  a  large  mass  of 
foliage  will  be  much  against  the  success  of  the 
experiment,  and  very  much  benefit  would  result 


from  pruning  them.  AVe  should  cut  away  one 
half  the  branches  This,  however,  must  be  done 
judiciously.  It  must  be  remembered  that  Pine 
"  needles  "  are  not  leaves,  but  branchlets  acting 
in  the  place  of  leaves  ;  and  are  not  reproduced 
as  readily  as  true  leaves  on  regular  flower-bear- 
ing plants.  Hence,  Pines  suffer  more  from  the 
loss  of  this  substitute  for  foliage  than  other 
things  with  true  leaves  do.  If  the  tree  be  cut 
too  much  to  curtail  evaporation,  it  may  suffer 
for  want  of  enough  leafy  matter.  Great  judg- 
ment is  necessary. 


Oil  for  Insects— F.,  Walworth,  K.  T., 
writes:  "I  wish  to  inquire,  through  the 
Gardener''s  Monthly  or  otherwise,  whether  oil 
— animal,  vegetable  or  coal  oil — are  known  to 
be  injurious  when  applied  to  the  body  or  branches 
of  trees  ;  and  if  not,  whether  thei'e  may  not  be, 
in  some  of  these  oils,  the  best  protection  against 
a  large  part  of  the  insects  which  are  so  injurious 
to  fruits  of  various  kinds," 

[Some  oils  have  been  found  injurious  to  the 
bark  of  trees  ;  others  not.  Again,  the  same  oil 
has  been  found  an  injury  in  some  stages  of 
growth,  and  not  at  others.  No  doubt,  if  accurate 
experiments  were  made,  and  oils  graded  so  as  to 
guard  against  these  exceptions,  something  might 
result  of  great  benefit  to  horticulturists,  as  oils 
in  general  are  destructive  to  insect  life  ] 


The  Codling  MoTii.  — A  correspondent,  re- 
ferring to  a  quotation  from  Dr.  Hull  in  our  last, 
says  the  larvfe  of  this  insect  never  remain  over 
winter  in  the  pupa  state.  Also,  where  Dr.  Hull 
says,  "  it  surrounds  itself  with  a  pupa  case,"  it 
should  more  correctly  read,  "It  transforms  to  a 
pupa,  and  surrounds  itself  with  a  cocoon." 


WiLLOAV  Trees. — J.  P.  S.^  Frankford,  Pa  , 
writes  :  "  A  road,  crossing  my  property,  will 
take  down  a  willow  tree  some  twenty  years  old. 
which  we  value  very  highly.  Is  there  any  way 
to  transplant  this  without  any  great  expense  ? 

[You  can  do  this  without  tranf<2)lanting  at  all, 
in  the  common  sense  of  the  term.  Willow 
branches  of  any  age  or  size  will  grow  as  cuttings, 
as  well  without  as  with  roots.  For  this,  we 
have  to  head  back  all  the  branches,  leaving  only 
the  main  stem.  In  this  ca.se,  we  should  cut  off 
the  tree  close  to  the  ground,  and  then  cut  away 
from  the  top  all  excepting  the  main  stem  ;  plant 
this  heavy   piece  so  as   to   be  two    feet   under 


1871. 


TEE    GARnE.]\rER'S    MONTELJ. 


91 


ground,  and  it  will  grow  as  well  as  if  you  were 
to  spend  much  money  in  transplanting  root  and 
top  in  the  usual  way.] 


Transplanting  an  Osage  Orange  Hedge. 
~J.  P.  iS.,  FranJcford.  Pa.,  says  :  "I  have  an 
Osage  Orange  Hedge,  now  ten  j^ears  old,  which 
I  value  very  much.  The  line  of  road  along 
which  it  is  planted  issomewhat  undulating  The 
road  is  now  being  graded,  and  in  the  hollow  part 
the  earth  will  come  up  nearly  to  the  top  of  the 
hedge.  Could  T,  in  any  way,  lift  these  plants 
without  destroying  their  value  as  a  hedge  ?'' 

[You  cannot  lift  them,  but  you  can,  what  is 
much  better,  cut  notches  or  tongues  upward  in 
each  main  branch.  Cut  into  the  pith,  that  is, 
halfway  through.  Do  this  in  several  places,  all 
the  way  up  as  high  as  the  earth  is  likely  to  be 
filled  in.  Roots  will  then  come  out  from  them. 
and  be  near  the  surface  just  the  same  as  if  they 
were  seedling  plants.  You  can  then  let  the  new 
growth  grow  up  as  high  as  you  require,  and  it 
would  soon  form  a  hedge  as  high  as  desired. 


Trial  of  a  Seedsman. — A  case  of  much  in- 
terest to  seedsman  was  tried,  a  few  weeks  ago, 
before  .Judge  Hare,  in  the  District  Court  of 
Philadelphia.  A  Mr.  Kessler  sued  Mr.  Dreerin 
damages  somewhere  about  S1500.  for  the  loss  of 
his  cabbage  crop.  Tn  the  fall  of  1868,  he  bousht 
seed  of  Early  York  Cabbage  of  Mr.  Dreer.  The 
next  season  the  cabbage  yielded  only  soft  heads, 
and  Mr.  Kessler's  conclusion  was  that  it  was  not 
Early  York  Cabbage.  On  this  ground  action 
was  brought.  Mr.  Dreer  might  have  s<  ttled  the 
matter,  to  avoid  trouble,  but  he  preferred  to 
vindicate  his  honor  as  a  seedsman  before  a  Jury. 
It  was  clearly  proved  in  evidence  that  the  soft- 
ness was  owing  to  culture  and  season,  and  the 
verdict  was  in  favor  of  Mr.  Dreer. 


In  Florida.— Messrs.  Ellwanger  &  Barry, 
and  numerous  other  Horticulturists,  are  winter- 
ing this  year  in  Florida. 


A rPLE Insects— r.  O.  Y.,  Walworth,  N.  Y.: 
We  will  endeavor  soon  to   give  the  p<per  you 

suggest. 


Botanical.—"  At  the  last  meeting  of  the 
American  Philosophical  Society,  Mr.  Thomas 
Meehan,  editor  of  the  Gardener's  Monthly, 
and  agricultural  editor  of  the  Weekly  Press,  was 
elected  a  member  of  that  time  honored  institu- 
tion as  a  tribute  to  his  botanical  researches,''  — 
Philadelphia  Daily  Paper. 


Credit  to  tiik  Kural  Carolinian.  — 
"The  Gardener's  Monthly  copies  Dr.  Wylie's 
article  on  "  The  Janie  Wylie  Grape, "  and  gives 
credit  to  The  Carolina  Farmer.  The  article 
appeared  originally  in  The  Eural  Carolinian." 


Our  Colored  Plates.— ]Sro  one  has  had 
more  experience  with  the  Martha  Grape  than 
Mr.  Campbell,  of  Delaware,  O.  He  "knows'' 
what  a  good  representation  of  it  should  be.  The 
following  note  from  him  is  therefore  very  agree- 
able to  the  publishers  : 

"  The  chromo  of  the  Martha  is  truly  a  '  distin- 
guished success  '  I  think  it  is  the  best  and 
most  truthful  grape  plate  I  have  ever  seen  pub- 
lished in  this  country,  and  your  publishers  may 
justly  feel  proud  of  it." 


HoopES'  Trip  to  California— .7.  G  ,  El- 
mira,  N.  Y. ,  writes:  Josiah  Hoopes'  account 
of  his  trip  to  California,  and  what  he  saw,  is 
alone,  worth  a  year's  subscription  to  the  Month- 
ly ;  but  on  reading  his  account  of  the  Yo- 
semite  Valley,  was  quite  anxious  to  hear  how 
the  Merced  river  got  out  of  said  valley,  but  of 
which  he  does  not  inform  us.  Please  have  the 
goodness  to  have  him  inform  your  readers  how 
said  river  gets  out  of  the  valley,  for  if  it  has  to 
pass  over  that  rocky  band  of  4,000  feet,  there 
certainly  o;ight  to  be  quite  a  deep  lake  in  said 
valley. 


American  Pomological  Society.  —  The 
next  meeting  will  be  held  at  Richmond,  Virginia, 
on  Septemper  Gth,  7th  and  8th.  The  horticul- 
turists of  that  section  are  making  efforts  to 
render  the  occasion  worthy  of  themselves,  and 
we  hope  they,  in  time,  will  be  seconded  by  our 
friends  everywhere. 


Dendrobium  J^obile.- In  our  notice  of  Mr. 
Geo.  Such '8  place  last  year,  we  referred  to  a 
magnificent  plant  of  Dendrobium  nohile  in  his 
collection,  and  suggested  that  Mr.  Newett,— who 
perhaps  might  claim  the  honor,  if  his  modesty 
would  allow  him,  of  being  the  "orchideaking"  of 
this  country,— should  look  to  his  (TOWu.  This 
.seemed  to  put  him  on  his  mettle.  His  plant  has 
.seven  hrmdred  and  fifty-seven  flomers..  Now  let 
us  hear  from  South  Amboy. 


9^ 


TEE    GARDEJSTER'S   M0JVTHL1, 


March, 


NEW    AND    RARE    PLANTS. 


Centaurka  Clementei.  —  The  beautiful 
Silvery-leaved .'  Centaureas  have  proved  admira- 
bly adapted  to  our  climate.  C.  ragusina  was 
the  first  of  great  merit.  Then,  last  year  we  had 
O.  gymnocarpa,  Avith  leaves  much  finer  divided. 
"We  have  now  another,  with  foliage  of  still 
greater  elegance.  We  hope  to  see  it  introduced 
next  season. 


f^^     ... . 


New  CiiiMsox  Flowered  Mignonette.— 
l^ecently  we  gave  an  account  of  a  new  Mignon- 
ette. Any  improvement  of  this  popular  llower 
always  interests.  AV' e  now  give  give  an  illustra- 
tion of  another.  The  anthers  are  of  a  dark 
crimson  instead  of  a  brown,  as  in  the  common 


variety.  Our  illustration  is  from  an  European 
source,  but  we  note  that  it  is  already  offered 
for  sale  in  this  country. 


187  L 


TEE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


93 


DOMESTIC    INTELLIGENCE. 


Productive  Pear  Orchard. — Many  of  our 
readers  will  remember  the  fine  collection  of  pears 
exhibited  at  the  State  Fairs  and  Ilorticnltnral 
shows  in  years  past,  by  John  Morse,  of  Cayuga, 
X.  Y.,  and  the  first  premiums  which  he  was  in 
the  practice  of  carrying  off.  His  young  trees 
have  now  become  more  mature,  and  his  fine 
orchards  of  some  three  thousand  standard  pears 
are  now  bearing  full  crops,  A  few  days  since, 
in  company  with  several  horticultural  gentlemen 
of  Geneva,  we  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting  his 
grounds.  His  fruit  farm  is  three  miles  north  of 
the  Cayuga  station  on  the  Central  road,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Seneca  river.  A  few  of  his  trees 
have  been  planted  nearly  forty  years,  but  the 
most,  from  twelve  to  eighteen  years.  An  orchard 
of  about  five  hundred  trees,  planted  eighteen 
years  ago,  was  bending  under  heavy  crops.  The 
Bartletts  were  most  conspicuous,  and  the  fruit 
was  all  that  the  trees  could  hold.  The  proprietor 
thought  it  would  have  been  better,  both  for  the 
specimens  and  for  the  trees,  if  they  could  have 
been  thinned  early  in  the  season.  The  Yirgalieus 
had  been  worked  over  to  the  Beurre  Bosc,  which, 
for  market  value,  stands  next  to  the  Bartlett,  if 
not  its  equal.  The  tender  character  of  the  tree 
has  been  obviated,  at  least  in  some  degree,  by 
being  worked  standard  height  on  the  Virgalieu. 
These  trees  were  bearing  heavy  crops  of  large 
and  handsome  pears.  Some  of  the  Bosc  trees 
had  been  grafted  in  the  nursery  rows  near  the 
ground,  but  they  were  not  so  fine  as  the  others, 
the  growth  of  this  sort  being  somewhat  crooked 
and  feeble.  The  Doyenne  Boussock,  although 
a  free,  hardy  grower  and  good  bearer,  and  which 
Mr.  Morse  formerly  regarded  as  one  of  the  best 
^orts,  has  not  proved  profitable  for  market,  as 
the  pears  do  not  sell  well  in  New  York,  and  he 
intends  to  work  them  over.  The  Autumn  Para- 
dise, an  excellent  pear,  is  not  profitable,  and  will 
l)e  changed  to  other  sorts.  The  Winter  Nelis  is 
largely  planted.  Many  trees  of  the  Anjou  have 
been  recently  grafted.  Another  orchard,  about 
twelve  years  planted,  contains  over  two  thousand 
trees  ;  many  of  them  were  heavily  loaded. 

These  orchards  afford  a  strong  contrast  to 
most  of  the  trees  in  this  region,  in  their  profuse 
crops  the  present  season,  while  pear  trees  gener- 
ally bear  very  scantily.  Mr.  Morse  has  found  of 
late  years  that  he  gets  more  pears  and  better 


ones  by  keeping  the  ground  cultivated  instead  of 
allowing  it  to  run  to  grass.  The  corn  crop  proves 
one  of  the  best  for  this  purpose,  as  it  represses 
the  growth  of  weeds,  and  in  this  respect  is  l)et- 
ter  than  potatoes.  Buckwheat  is  likewise  re- 
garded as  well  suited  to  these  orchards,  as  the 
ground  may  be  kept  mellow  and  clean  during  the 
first  part  of  the  season,  before  the  grain  is  sown. 
When  gathering  time  arrives,  such  of  the  buck- 
wheat as  happens  to  be  in  the  way  is  trodden 
under  foot,  where  it  mulches  the  ground,  and 
the  rest  is  cut  and  threshed. 

Lime  has  been  found  decidedly  beneficial,  be- 
ing first  slacked  into  powder  and  then  spread 
broadcast  over  the  ground,  at  the  rate  of  over 
a  hundred  bushels  per  acre.  The  time  of  year 
for  applying  is  not  important.  The  trees  thus 
treated  had  a  perceptibly  better  growth  and  bore 
better  than  the  others. 

Nearly  all  the  trees  are  standards,  but  some 
dwarfs  were  growing  on  a  low,  rich,  alluvial 
spot,  among  which  we  saw  trees  of  the  Duchess 
d'Angouleme  fourteen  feet  high,  and  of  corres- 
ponding spread  of  branches,  bearing  each  several 
bushels  of  fine  pears.  They  had  not  been  cut 
back,  and  appeared  scarcely  to  need  it,  although 
the  fruit  would  probably  have  been  larger  and 
the  trees  of  better  form,  if  the  operation  had 
been  performed  as  needed.  Possibly  they  would 
have  been  less  productive. 

We  did  not  learn  what  annual  revenue  had 
been  received  from  this  pear  orchard  of  nearly 
three  thousand  trees  ;  but  if  one-half  the  trees 
should  bear  each  year,  and  yield  a  bushel  each, 
which  must  be  below  the  actual  product,  and 
the  net  receipts  amount  to  only  three  dollars  a 
bushel,  the  returns  would  be  from  three  to  four 
thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Morse  said  his  pear  trees 
yielded  him  five  times  as  much  as  his  apple  trees, 
and  he  has  certainly  established  the  truth  that, 
under  bis  good  management  and  fine  locality, 
"pear  orckardswillpaij.''^— Country  Gentlemmi. 


California  Evergreens.  —  The  Abies 
Douglassii  extends  from  Mexico  to  Alaska  along 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  west  to  the  Pacific  and 
east  to  the  "  1000  mile  tree,''  on  the  Pacific  rail- 
road, which  is  a  Douglass  Spruce  or  Fir,  though 
the  "guide  book  "  calls  it  a  Pine.  This  tree  is 
described  as  straight ;  but  it  has   the  habit  of 


94 


TEE    GARDEJSTER'S    MOJYTHLi. 


March, 


being  what  botanists  denote  ascending.  It  never 
rises  perpendicular  from  the  ground,  but  grows 
obliquely  for  ten  or  twelve  feet,  (as  seen  in  trees 
one  foot  and  more  in  diameter )  and  then  becomes 
perpendicular.  In  using  many  hundred  trees, 
it  was  always  necessary  to  reject  a  portion  of 
the  butt  when  a  long,  straight  stick  was  wanted. 
This  peculiarity  is  most  obvious  where  the  tim- 
ber is  somewhat  scattered  ;  but  never  wanting 
in  dense  forests,  so  far  as  my  observations  ex- 
tended during  three  years  spent  for  the  most 
part  amid  forests  of  this  tree.  The  branches  in 
dense  forests  are  slender,  and  scattered  along  the 
main  shaft  near  the  top  ;  but  in  open  places  are 
much  larger,  and  the  tree  assumes  a  form  more 
or  less  ovate. 

The  Douglass  Spruce  should  be  called  the 
Douglass  Fir,  as  it  has  more  affinity  with  the 
firs  than  the  spruces.  It  has  numerous  balsam 
blisters  on  the  bark  of  young  trees  as  the  other 
firt?,  and  its  cones  have  bracts  like  some  of  the 
American  firs,  as  Picea  nohoUs.  The  bark, 
branches  and  general  appearance  of  this  tree  are 
so  much  like  the  hemlock,  that  a  casual  observer 
would  think  them  the  same. 

The  lumbermen,  mill  wrights  and  carpenters, 
•who  cut  and  work  this  timber,  call  it  Red  Fir. 
The  wood  contains  a  large  amount  of  pitch.  In 
other  respects,  it  resembles  the  hemlock  more 
than  any  other  eastern  wood. 

In  Prof,  Newberry's  excellent  report,  (Vol. 
VI.  of  the  P.  li.  R.  Reports,)  the  fine  portraits 
of  Abies  Williamsonii  and  Abies  Douglassii 
have  evidently  been  exchanged,  as  the  figure 
labelled  Williamson's  Spruce  is  a  perfect  figure 
of  the  Douglass' Spruce,  growing  in  open  forests; 
but  the  figure  labelled  Douglass'  Spruce  is  very 
diflerent  from  any  tree  of  that  species  I  ever 
saw. 

The  Abies  Menziesii  usually  grows  in  places 
more  wet  and  shaded  than  the  Red  Fir,  and 
ranges  higher  up  the  mountains.  The  wood  is 
said  to  be  like  the  Red  Fir  ;  but  it  is  much 
whiter,  softer,  lighter  and  not  so  strong,  and 
much  less  durable.  It  contains  no  pitch,  save 
in  some  small  lenticular  cavities  in  a  semi-fluid 
state.  The  Red  Fir  is  more  durable  than  the 
Pitch  Pine  ;  vvhile  the  Menzie's  Spruce  decays 
nearly  as  quick  as  the  Balsam  Fir. 

Prof.  Newberry,  in  Vol.  VI  of  the  P.  R.  R. 

Reports,  gives  a  very  good  portrait  of  this  iree  ; 

but  it  often  assumes  the  form  of  the  figure  given 

as  the  Douglass  Fir. 

The  wood  of  this  Spruce,  save  in  very  old  trees, 


j  is  very  white,*  and  receives  a  very  fine  finish 
j  with  a  marked  satin  or  pearly  lustre.  No 
I  coniferous  tree  of  the  American  forests  furnishes 
any  more  beautiful  finishing  lumber  than  this — 
i  save,  perhaps,  the  Pinus  coniorta  The  wood  of 
i  this  pine  is  harder,  about  as  white,  and  receives 
I  a  fine  polish  with  a  satin  lustre  which,  with  its 
I  numerous  bird's  eye  markings,  make  it  very 
I  beautiful.— G.  C.  S.,  in    ColmaWs  Bural   World. 


*lt  is  called  "  White  Spruce  '■   or  "  While  Pine  "  in  the  moun- 
tains. 


Thick    Grass    a    Protection    against 
DROUTn. — One  of  our  best  farmers  makes  it  a 
business  always  to  have  a  thick  close  set  of  grass 
I  — this,  for  one  thing,  to  guard  against  the  drouth 
j  which   becomes    so  frequent ;  and  he  succeeds. 
His  land  is   drained,  either  natui'ally  or  other- 
wise, and  this  helps.     It  is  well  cultivated,  pul- 
verized, and  rich  when  put  in,  so  that  it  is  sure 
I  to  ''  catch,"  and  equally  sure  to  grow.    The  first 
crop  is  clover  ;  then  timothy,  which  is  sown  with 
the  clover;  and  other  grasses  come  in,  and  they 
form  a  thick  mat.     To  do  this  they  are  aided  by 
plaster  and  ashes,  and   manure  rotting  in  heaps 
on  the  farm.    Hence  there  is  a  thick  sod,  a  dense 
growth,  affording  a  great  amount  of  pasture  and 
good  tender  feed.     The  drouth  never  overcomes 
this  growth  ;  it  is,  in  all   the  lots  devoted  to  it, 
green,  and  affords  fresh  cropping  ;  but  it  is  never 
permitted  to  be   cropped    too   close.     It   is  this 
thick  turf,  soft  as  a  cushion,  that  defies  the  sun. 
A  little  rain  greens  it  up  at  once  ;  it  is  not  evap- 
orated as  on  a  barren  soil.     The  ground  is  less 
hard,  porous  and   somewhat   moist.     The  thick 
grass  prevents  the  ground  from  being  heated,  not 
coming  in  contact   with   the  sun  a.s  in  the  case 
with  thin  set  herbage.     Grass  itself  is  cool ;  it 
keeps  the    earth  cool ;  hence  less  evaporation. 
The  winter  receives  this  turf  with  much  grasg 
upon  it,  much  feed.     But  the  spring  finds  it  in 
resurrection,  early,   and    early  to  be  turned  on, 
springy,  yet  firm.     Better  have  half  or  a  third  of 
the  land,  and  have  it  like  this,  than  to  have  the 
stock  starving  over  large   areas.     The  drouths 
will  come,  almost  yearly,  either  early  or  late,  or 
in  the   middle   of  ihe  season  ;  seldom  that   we 
have  no  drouth  at  all.     And  in  a  rainy  time  this 
turf  is   a  good  protection  against  the  tread  oi 
cattle,  so   that  it  is  good  all   round — good  for 
drouth,  good  for  rain,  good  for  feed,  and  most 
excellently  good  to  turn  down  for  grain. — F.  G., 
in  Country  Gentleman. 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJfER'S    MONTHLY. 


95 


F  0  ]^  E  T  G  N     T  N  T  E  L  L  I  G  E  TS  C  E  . 

Introduction  of  the  Potato  in  France.  |  moulds  in  which  bronze  is  cast.  M.  Hazard  re- 
— There  has  been  an  extremely  interestino;  con-  [  ferred  to  a  bishop's  charge  of  the  seventeenth 
versation  at  a  recent  meetinir  of  the  Societe  Cen-  |  century,  in  which  the  cultivation  of  the  potato 
trale   d'Asrriculture   upon   Parmentier   and   his  i  was  recommended   to  the  whole   diocese.     M. 


share  in  introducintj  the  Irish  potatoes  into  gen- 
eral use.  I  hope  some  notice  of  this  conversa- 
tion will  not  seem  out  of  place  here,  especially 
as  the  bibliography  of  this  question  was  touched. 
Marshal  Yaillant  opened  the  conversation  by 
mentioning  that  one  of  his  friends  had  discovered  a 
treatise  dated  1749,  which  contained  some  curi- 
ous details  about  the  potato,  and  indicated  the 
various  methods  of  preparing  it  for  food  It  is 
consequently  an  error  to  say  Parmentier  was  the 
first  person  who  introduced  the  potato  ;  for  he 
merely  propagated  it.  M.  Boussingault  shared 
Marshal  Yaillant's  opinion  upon  this  subject ; 
Parmentier  had  not  done  as  much  to  introduce 
the  potato  as  was  commonly  beHeved.  It  was 
while  returning  from  the  siege  of  Mayence,  Par- 
mentier discovered  the  potato  in  the  fields.  M 
Boussingault.  referring  to  a  previous  discussion, 
added  :  Maize  is  a  native  of  South  America,  but 
has  never  been  found  in  a  wild  state,  and  has 
always  lived  under  man's  protection.  M.  Chev- 
reul,  President  of  the  Societe,  said  Duhamel  du 
Monceau  is  the  first  person  who  mentioned  the 


Payne  confessed  Parmentier's  merit  did  not  lie 
in  the  introduction  of  the  potato,  but  in  its  pro- 
pagation by  ingenious  means,  and  successful  at- 
tempts to  overcome  the  prejudices  of  his  day 
which  opposed  the  general  use  of  this  vegetable 
as  an  article  of  human  food.  In  the  "Grande 
Encyclopedia,"  which  was  commenced  in  1750, 
it  is  stated,  at  the  close  of  the  article  Pommes  de 
terre,  which  was  published  in  17G5,  tliat  potatoes 
are  eaten  in  various  ways  by  peasants  of  differ- 
ent provinces,  but  they  were  coarse  food  and  ex- 
tremely indigestible.  All  Parmentier  really  did 
was  to  make  this  vegetable  popular  by  a  curious 
stratagem.  He  planted  a  field  of  potatoes,  and 
had  it  guarded  by  gendarmes,  spreading  the  re- 
port that  it  was  an  exceedingly^ valuable  article 
of  food,  to  attract  public  attention  to  it.  In  a 
short  time  he  ordered  the  gendarmes  to  relax 
their  watch.  Some  peasants  stole  a  few  pota- 
toes ;  others  imitated  them  ;  and  at  last  the 
whole  crop  was  disseminated  among  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  neighboring  villages,  and  the  good 
qualities  of  this  article  of  food  were  sufficiently 


potato ;  M.  Boussingault  is  right  in  saying  Par-  |  well  proved  to  efiace  all  traces  of  old  prejudices, 
mentier's  share  in  the  introduction  of  the  potato  i  Parmentier  likewi.se  introduced  the  potato  to 
has  been  exaggerated,  and  that  he  first  saw  it  in  the  tables  of  the  wealthier  classes.  One  day  he 
Germany  as  he  returned  from  the  seige  of  May-  ;  appeared  in  Louis  XVI. 's  presence  with  a  nose- 
ence.  AI.  Renou.  Professor  of  Natural  History  j  g'lj  of  the  modest  tlower  of  the  Solanum  tube- 
at  the  Ecole  Centrale  of  Angers,  told  him  (M.  I  rosum.  The  king  questioned  him  about  it,  and 
Chevreul  i  how  his  friend  Parmentier  had  studied  |  he  easily  persuaded  his  majesty  to  introduce  its 
the  cultivation  of  the  potato  in  Germany.  Upon  cultivation  upon  the  royal  estate.  The  courtiers 
Parmentier's  return  to  France  he  exerted  him-  soon  imitated  the  royal  example,  and  the  ne- 
self  to  bring  by  every  means  of  publicity  the  j  glected  plant  was  carefully  cultivated.  It  is 
potato  into  use.  to  recommend  it  as  an  article  of  \  consequently  incontestable  Parmentier  made  the 
food,  and  to  propagate  it.  Justice  should  be  potato  popular  not  only  among  the  poor,  but 
done  Parmentier  in  this  matter  ;  but  Parmentier  '<  among  the  wealthy  classes.  The  potato  was  in- 
believedjlhe  potato  was  equal  to  wheat  in  nu-  troduced  into  Germany  in  1710;  it  was  then 
tritive  properties,  because  he  had  not  compre-  confined  to  gardens  ;  it  was  introduced  slowly  to 
hendedjthe  importance  of  gluten  (which  Beccaria  farms,  and  nothing  less  than  the  famines  of  1771 
had  discovered  in  wheaten  flour  in  1727)  in  nu-  '  and  1772  were  necessary  to  overcome  the  pre- 
trition.  Marshal  Vaillant  said  manufacturers  judices  which  militated  against  its  general  use. 
could|  not  use  potatoes  to  powder  with.  M.  |  M.  Pepin  said  there  were  few  varieties  of  pota- 
Chevreul    replied,   the    coarseness    an<l    trans-  I  toes  at  the  beginning  of  this  century,  and  these 


parency  of  the  grains  of  potato  stanh  prevent 
its  being  used  for  this  purpose,  but  that  this 
very  coarseness  of  its  grains  enables  it  to  be  used 


were  cultivated  almost  exclusively  for  animals. 
It  was  only  in  1818  or  1820  potatoes  appeared  on 
the  tables  of  the   wealthy.      Several  members 


insteadJ,of    powdered   charcoal   to   powder  the    combated  this  assertion,  and  declared  potat^^es 


96 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


March. 


were  to  be  seen  on  the  tables  of  the  rich  long  be- 
fore the  dates  indicated  by  M.  Pepin. — Corres- 
pondence of  Publishers''  Circular. 


Cultivation  of  Tree-Carnations.— It  re- 
quires a  considerable  amount  of  care  and  judg- 
ment to  grow  these  delightfully-fragrant  flowers 
satisfactorily.     The  cuttings  should  be  struck  in 
February,  March  and  April,     Take  cuttings  of 
two  or  three  joints  in  length,  remove  the  lowest 
leaves  only,  put  them  into  pots  or  pans  in  sand 
alone,  and  place  the  pots  in  a  brisk  moist  heat — 
like  that  aftbrded  by  a  melon  or  cucumber  frame, 
for  instance.     When  well  furnished  with  roots, 
put  them   into  thumb-pots,  and  then  shift  from 
thumb-pots  to  three-inch  size,  and  so  on,  always 
observing  that  they  should  not  be  shifted  till 
they  really  need  it,  nor  be  allowed  to  become 
pot-bound  for  want  of  a  shift.     As  soon  as  they 
have  recovered  from  the  first  shift,  nip  out  the 
growing  points,  and  then  stop  no  more.     Con- 
tinue to  shift  as  required  till  the  middle  of  July, 
when  they  may  be  in  either  eight  or  ten-inch 
pots,  as  both  are  good  sizes  in  which  to  flower 
them.     After  the  plants  are  established  in  the 
thumb-pots,  they  should  be  grown  with  fls  little 
artificial  heat  as  possible,  and  after  they  have 
had  their  last  shift  put  them  out  of  doors  in  an 
open  situation,  and  stand  the  pots  upon  a  bed  of 
coal-ashes  not  less  than  six  inches  in  thickness. 
When  the  pots  are  well  filled  with  roots,  water 
with  very  weak  liquid  manure.     The  pots  must 
be   drained  efliciently,  and  the  compost  should 
consist  of  good  turfy  loam  quite  free  from  wire- 
worm,  with  about  a  third  of  its  bulk  of  old  cow- 
manure,  and  a  liberal  proportion  of  sharp  silver- 
sand.     House  from  the  21st  of  September  to  the 
7th  of  October,  regulating  the  exact  date  by  the 
time  they  ai'e  wanted  in  flower    and    by  the 
weather.     Keep  them  near  the  glass  in  a  cool 
airy  house  for  a  fortnight ;  then  transfer  them 
to  a  warm  greenhouse,  where  they  will  begin  to 
bloom  towards  the  end  of  November,  and,  by  ju- 
dicious management,  continue  in  flower  through- 
out the  winter. — Gardeners''  Weekly. 


notice  should  be  given  on  either  side.  After  re- 
maining in  the  employ  about  16  months,  and 
having  been  generally  paid  by  the  week,  he  re- 
ceived notice  to  quit,  signed  by  the  defendant's 
mother.  He  lived  with  his  wife  and  family  in 
the  lodge  on  the  grounds.  The  son  of  the  de- 
fendant said  he  gave  notice  to  the  defendant  to 
leave  his  mother's  employ  personally,  and 
handed  him  a  week's  wages  in  advance.  (The 
notice  to  quit  was  in  three  places  dated  1869. 
and  his  honor  said  it  could  not  be  held  a  good 
one.)  The  defendant  was  also  called,  and  she 
denied  that  any  words  had  passed  between  the 
plaintiff"  and  herself  as  to  notice  being  given  oa 
either  side.  She  engaged  him  in  the  ordinary 
way,  at  so  much  per  week.  His  honor  said  a 
gardener  with  a  family  living  in  a  lodge  could 
not  be  disposed  of  so  readily  as  a  cook  or  house- 
maid, or  a  single  man,  as  they  could  get  into 
lodgings  directly.  The  law  was  in  favor  of  a 
yearly  hiring  in  this  case.  Payment  by  the 
week  was  merely  the  mode,  as  such  persons  re- 
quired their  money  as  early  as  they  could  get  it, 
and  he  was  strongly  of  opinion  that  a  man  who 
brought  his  wife  and  children  into  a  lodge  on  the 
premises  really  came  under  the  ordinary  mean- 
ing of  a  domestic  servant.  In  that  case  he  was 
entitled  to  a  month's  warning.  He  was  inclined 
to  think  that  gardeners  hired  generally,  without 
any  special  agreement  being  entered  into,  were 
entitled  to  a  month's  warning,  and  therefore  he 
should  give  a  verdict  for  the  plaintiff"  for  the  full 
amount  claimed. — English  Gardeners''  Weekly. 


Can  Gardeners  Claim  a  Month's  No- 
tice.— The  plaintiff"  in  this  case,  which  was  re- 
cently tried  in  the  Tunbridgc  Wells  County 
Court,  is  a  gardener,  and  an  action  was  brought 
to  recover  th(^  sum  of  t'3  6s.,  three  weeks'  wages. 
Plaintiff"  said  he  was  engaged  by  the  defendant  , 
as  gardener  and  farm  bailiff"  at  the  rate  of  22s  | 
per  week,  on  the  understanding  that  a  month's  '• 


Love  of  Flowers  in   New  York.— The 
passionate  love  of  flowers  the  New  Yorkers  have 
borowed  from  the  French.     Flowers  enter  very 
largely  into  all  the  solemnities,  fetes,  and  events 
of  New  York  life.     The  gentleman  who  wishes 
to  testify  his  devotions  to  a  young  lady  does  so 
by  dail}^  off'erings  of  magnificent  flowers.    States- 
men, orators,  opera-dancers,  divines,  are  alike 
accustomed  to  receive  these  floral  tributes.     The 
bride  is  married  beneath  a  magnificent  floral  bell ; 
the   coftin   is   decorated   with  exquisite  crosses, 
crowns  and  wreaths  of  flowers.     The  Rev.  H, 
Ward  Beecher  preaches  with  a  floral  basket  by 
his  side.     Mr.  George  Francis  Train  has  equally 
floral  tributes,  which  he  waves  in  the  course  of 
his  denunciation  of  British  influence  and  the  old 
fogies  of  the  Bible.     On  the  occasion  of  a  bene- 
fit-night to  a  favorite  actress  lately,  a  basket  of 
choice  flowers  was  brought  on  to  the  stage,  as 
an  oft'ering  from  some  of  her  admirers,  which 
had  to  l)e  carried  by  four  men. — Behjravia. 


DEVOTED  TO 

horticulture,    Arboriculture,    Botany    and    Rural    Affairs. 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEHAK. 
Old  Series,  Vol.  XIIL  APRIL,     1871.  New  Series,  Vol.  IV.   No.  4. 


HUNTS    FOE    APEIL. 


FLOWER  GARDEN  A^'D  PLEASURE 
GROUND. 

Some  one  has  said  that  men  are  but  children 
of  a  larger  growth.  Possibly  the  writer  of  that 
wise  sa3'ing  had  been  visiting  Philadelphia,  and 
been  amongst  the  gardens  there.  The  child 
thinks  the  little  conical  bits  of  green  which  the 
toy  maker  calls  trees,  just  the  thing  trees  should 
be  ;  and  the  children  of  a  larger  growth,  in  the 
Philadelphia  gardens,  have  their  trees  clipped 
and  shaved,  just  as  these  toy  trees  of  infancy  are 
made  for  them.  LIr.  Robinson,  in  one  of  his  En 
glish  letters,  says  he  saw  very  little  real  gardening 
in  America,  excepting  Germantown  as  one  of  the 
places  creditable  to  the  art.  We  are  sure  he  forgot 
the  outrageously  clipped  trees  when  he  wrote  this 
paragraph.  Now  we  like  a  little  trimming  on 
some  trees.  It  often  helps  to  restore  a  certain  de- 
gree of  uniformity  which  is  pleasing.  But  this 
regularity  of  form  and  thickness  of  foliage,  is 
only  pleasing   when  it  looks  natural. 

Where  evergreens  can  be  benefited  by  prun- 
ing, April  is  a  very  good  month  to  attempt  it. 
If  a  tree  ia  thin  in  foliage  at  the  base,  the  top  of 
the  tree,  leader  and  all,  must  be  cut  away.  It 
makes  no  difference  what  the  kind  is,  all  will 
make  new  leaders  after  being  cut  back,  if  pro- 
perly attended  to.  We  make  this  remark  be- 
cause there  is  a  prevalent  idea  that  Pines  will 
not  stand  this  cutting.  Of  course  the  trimming 
should  be  done  in  a  conical  manner,  so  as  to 
conform  to  the  conical  style  of  the  evergreen 
tree.  Sometimes  an  evergreen,  especially  a 
Pine,  will  rather  turn  up  some  of  the  ends  of  its 


side  branches  than  push  out  another  leader ; 
when  this  is  the  case,  cut  these  away,  and  a  real 
leader  will  form  the  second  year. 

Evergreen  hedges  should  be  trimmed  now, 
cutting  them  conically,  so  as  to  give  light  to  the 
lowermost  branches. 

There  is  so  much  to  be  done  in  April,  that 
the  briefest  hints  must  suffice.  First,  of  course, 
we  must  prepare  the  ground  for  planting.  Soil 
loosened  two  feet  deep  dries  out  less  in  summer 
than  soil  one  foot  deep.  Rich  soil  grows  a  tree 
larger  in  one  year  than  a  poor  soil  will  in  three. 
Under-drained  soil  is  cooler  in  summer  than  soil 
not  under-drained.  The  feeding  roots  of  trees 
come  near  the  surface  ;  therefore  plant  no  deeper 
than  necessary  to  keep  the  tree  in  the  soil.  If 
there  be  danger  of  its  blowing  over,  stake  it,  but 
don't  plant  deep.  One  stake  set  an  angle  is  as 
good  as  two  set  perpendicular.  Straw  or  mat 
set  round  the  tree  keeps  the  bark  from  rubbing. 
Laige  stones  placed  around  a  transplanted  tree 
are  often  better  than  a  stake.  They  keep  the 
soil  moist,  admit  the  air,  and  encourage  surface 
roots.  Shorten  the  shoots  at  transplanting. 
This  induces  growth,  and  growth  produces  roots  ; 
and  with  new  roots  your  tree  is  safe  for  another 
season.  Unpruned  trees  produce  leaves,  but 
little  growth,  and  less  new  roots. 

Place  broad-leaved  evergreens  where  they  will 
get  no  sun  in  winter,  yet  away  from  where  the 
roots  of  trees  will  make  the  ground  dry  in  sum- 
mer. Deep  soil,  but  shallow  planting,  is  all  im- 
portant for  them.  In  transplanting,  take  care 
of  the  roots.  Good  roots  are  of  more  importance 
than  irood  ''balls."'     Balls  of  earth  are  useful  in 


98 


2 HE    GARDEJVER'S   MONTHLY. 


April, 


keeping  fibres  moist ;  but  don't  sacrifice  the  best 
fibres  five  or  six  feet  from  the  tree  for  the  few 
fibres  in  the  ball  at  (he  base.  "When  roots  are 
rather  dry,  after  filling  a  portion  of  soil,  jwur  in 
water  frcel}-.  After  all  has  settled  awa}',  fill  in 
lightly  the  balance  of  the  soil,  and  let  it  rest  for 
a  few  days.  This  is  as  a  remedy,  not  as  a  rule  ; 
for  watering  this  way  cools  the  soil,  ultimately 
hardens  it,  and  in  other  respects  works  to  the 
injury  of  the  transplanted  tree. 

Unless  inside  of  a  round  ring,  or  circular  walk 
don't  plant  trees  or  shrubs  in  formal  clumps. 
They  are  abominations  in  the  eyes  of  persons  of 
taste.  Meaningless  iri'egularities  form  the  oppo- 
site extreme.  Eemember,  "art  is  nature  better 
understood." 

In  your  flower-beds,  if  the  plants  sickened  last 
year,  change  the  soil.  Renovated  earth  is  re- 
newed health  to  consumptive  flowers.  Sow  An- 
nuals as  soon  as  the  ground  is  warm.  Too  early ; 
sowing  and  deep  covering,  rots  seeds  very  often. 
This  is  frequently  the  cause  of  one's  seeds  being 
"bad."  Prepare  flowers  in  their  winter  quar- 
ters for  the  summer  campaign,  by  gradually  in- 
uring them  to  the  air  before  setting  out  finally. 
Set  out  when  all  danger  of  frost  is  over.  Don't 
set  out  a  plant  with  a  dry  ball  ;  but  water  well 
while  in  the  pot  an  hour  or  so  before. 

In  arranging  flowers  in  beds,  aim  at  varying 
from  last  year.  And  to  obtain  this  everchanging 
and  pleasing  variety,  annuals  are  the  very  things 
for  the  purpose.  But  they  must  have  good  soil 
and  careful  attention,  or  the  seed  will  be  sure  to 
furnish  a  good  excuse  for  neglect  or  bad 
practice  in  many  instances.  Very  Sue  seeds 
may  be  sown  quite  on  the  surface,  and  a  little 
moss,  dried  and  powdered,  spread  thinly  over 
the  seeds.  The  common  cause  of  failure  is  deep 
sowing.  The  nearer  the  .surface,  the  better, 
provided  they  do  not  ever  become  dry — which  is 
as  fatal  as  deep  planting.  It  is  a  happy  practice 
that  can  just  hit  the  middle  way.  Climbing  an- 
nuals are  particularly  interesting  Tuberoses 
are  best  planted  out  as  soon  all  danger  of  frost 
is  over,  in  a  rich,  moist,  warm,  .sandy  soil,  if 
perfection  is  desired.  Roots  that  flowered  last 
year  will  not  flower  again  for  two  seasons. 

FRUIT  GARDEN. 

Fruit  trees  that  have  proved  undesirable  from 
any  cause,  may  be  re-grafted  with  more  favored 
kinds.  This  is  an  advantage  with  some  varie- 
ties—it takes  an  age,   for  in4ance,  to  get  the 


Seckel  Pear  into  bearing  condition  from  a  nur- 
sery raised  tree  ;  but  by  grafting  it  on  one  that 
has  already  "arrived  at  years  of  discretion,"  the 
advantage  of  placing  a  young  head  on  old  shoul- 
ders, in  this  way  is  soon  made  manifest. 

Grafting  can  be  continued  till  the  buds  of  the 
trees  are  nearly  pushed  into  leaf  Sometimes, 
from  a  pressure  of  other  work,  some  valuable 
scions  have  been  left  on  hand  too  late  to  work. 
It  may  be  interesting  to  know,  that  if  such  scions 
are  put  into  the  ground  much  the  same  as  if 
they  were  cuttings,  they  will  keep  good  for  six 
weeks  or  two  months,  by  which  time  the  bark 
will  run  freely,  when  the  scions  may  be  treated 
as  buds,  and  will  succeed  just  as  well  as  buds 
taken  from  young  summer  shoots. 

Those  who  have  vineries  will  have  them,  at 
this  time  of  the  year,  in  various  stages  of  growth. 
The  "extra  earl}'''   houses  will  have  their  fruit 
ripe ;  but  we  suppose  most  of  our  readers  whom 
these  hints  are  likely  to  benefit,  will  have  the 
crop  about  coloring  as  their  earliest  efforts.     It 
is   the  critical   period,  as  if  any  check  be  expe- 
rienced by  the  roots,  they  will  not  color  well. 
Hence,  great  care  must  be  taken  to  keep  the  fo- 
liage healthy.     Sudden  bursts  of  sun  on  tender 
foliage,  or  red  spider,   are   the  chief  points  to 
guard  against.     The  roots  in  the  outside  borders 
also,  if  the  borders  have  been  covered  with  lit- 
ter through  winter,  should  be  aided  by  having 
the  covering  removed.     If,  however,  any  of  the 
litter  has  decayed,  it  should  be  left  as  a  covering 
to  the  roots.     The  outside  grape  border  should 
never  be  disturbed  by  digging.     Hundreds  of 
graperies  are  ruined  by  this   "surface  culture." 
No  grape  grower  of  any  excellence  digs  up  his 
vinery  boi'ders  that  we  know.     The  importance 
of  keeping  grape  roots  at  the  surface  is  now  so 
well  understood,  that  it  is  very  common  for  good 
grape  growers  to  uncover  and  lift  their  roots  oc- 
casionally ;  and  to  do  this  and  j'ct  get  a  first- 
class  crop  of  grapes  the  same  season,  is  consid- 
ered by  the  English  journals  an  eminent  achieve- 
ment.    With  reference  to  the  coloring  of  grapes, 
most  good  gardeners  use  the  syringe  very  spar- 
ingly, and  admit  more  dry  air  during  this  pro- 
cess than  at  any  other  period  of  grape  growth. 

Other  houses  of  early  vines,  started  later,  have 
the  berries  about  setting,  as  soon  as  which  is 
accomplished,  thinning  out  of  the  berries  with  a 
slender  nosed  scissors  should  be  forthwith  pro- 
ceeded with.  The  bunches  should  not  be  han- 
dled in  the  operation,  as  it  predisposes  the  ber- 
ries to  rust. 


i8n. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^TELY. 


99 


In  late  houses,  where  there  is  no  artificial 
heat,  grapes  are  often  injured  by  the  houses 
being  kept  too  close.  The  temperature  rises  un 
der  warm  suns,  and  the  buds  burst  only  to  be 
sadly  affected  by  our  cold  March  and  April 
nights.  Many  try  to  remed}'  this  by  flues  ;  but 
the  best  way  is  to  keep  on  all  the  air  possible  to 
keep  down  the  temperature  of  the  house,  and 
where  practicable,  the  canes  may  be  laid  down 
along  the  front  of  the  house  out  of  the  sun's 
reach. 


VEGETABLE  GARDEN. 

South  of  Philadelphia,  the  more  tender  kinds 
of  garden  vegetables  may  now  be  sown,  beans, 
corn,  cucumbers,  squashes,  etc.,  that  it  is  not 
prudent  to  plant  in  this  latitude  before  the  first 
of  May  ;  and  tomatoes,  egg  plants,  etc.,  may  al- 
so be  set  out  in  those  favored  places.  Cucum- 
bers, squashes,  and  such  vegetables  can  be  got 
forward  as  well  as  tomatoes,  egg-plants,  etc.,  by 
being  sown  in  a  frame  or  hotbed,  and  potted  off 
into  three  inch  pots.  They  will  be  nice  plants 
by  the  first  week  in  May.  Kotten  wood  suits 
cucumbers  and  the  squash  tribe  exceedingl}^  well 
as  a  manure.  Tomatoes  and  egg-plants  that 
are  desired  very  early  are  best  potted,  soon  after 
they  come  up,  into  small  pots.  They  can  then 
be  turned  out  into  the  open  air  without  any 
check  to  their  roots.  Of  course,  they  should  be 
gradually  inured  to  the  open  air— not  suddenly 
transferred  from  a  warm  and  moist  air  to  a  very 
dry  one. 

Bean  poles  may  be  planted  preparatory  to 
sowing  the  Lima  Bean  in  May.  AVhere  bean 
poles  are  scarce,  two  or  three  hoop-poles,  set  in- 
to the  ground  one  foot  from  each  other,  and  tied 
together  at  the  top,  make  as  good  a  pole,  and 
perhaps  better. 


Dwarf  b3ans  should  have  very  warm  and  deep 
soil,-  sow  them  only  2  inches  apart.  The  Val- 
entine is  yet  the  best  early,  take  it  all  in  all. 

Peas  should  be  sown  every  two  weeks  for  a 
succession,— do  not  make  the  soil  very  rich  for 
them. 

Lettuce,  for  a  second  crop  of  salad,  should  be 
sown  about  the  end  of  the  month.  The  Drum- 
head cabbage  is  usually  sown  for  a  summer  crop  ; 
but  the  old  kinds  of  Cos  lettuce  would,  no  doubt, 
be  found  very  valuable  in  rich  soils. 

Early  York  Cabbage  for  early  use  should  be 
set  out  early  this  month.  It  is  an  excellent  plan 
to  make  the  holes  with  a  dibble  first,  where  the 
cabbage  is  to  be  set ;  then  fill  up  the  holes  with 
manure-water  ;  and,  after  the  water  has  soaked 
away,  set  in  the  plants.  It  is  rather  more  labo- 
rious than  the  old  way  ;  but  the  cabbage  grows 
so  fast  afterwards  that  it  pays  pretty  well. 

It  is  not  a  good  plan  to  cut  all  the  asparagus 
as  soon  as  they  appear.  A  few  sprouts  should 
always  be  left  to  grow  from  each,  to  strengthen 
the  plants. 

Celery,  with  most  families,  is  an  important 
crop,  and  should  be  sown  about  this  period.  A 
very  rich  moist  spot,  that  will  be  shaded  from 
the  mid-day  April  sun,  should  be  chosen  ;  or  a 
box  in  a  frame  by  those  who  have  the  conveni- 
ences. 

Few  things  mark  a  well-kept  garden  better 
than  an  abundance  of  all  kinds  of  herbs.  Xow  is 
the  time  to  make  the  beds.  Sage,  Thyme  and 
Lavender,  grows  from  slips,  which  may  be  set  in 
now  precisely  as  if  an  edging  of  box  were  to  be 
made  of  them.  They  grow  very  easily.  Basil 
and  Sweet  Marjoram  must  be  sown  in  a  rich 
warm  border. 

Salsafy  and  Scorzonera  like  a  damp  rich  soil. 


COMMUNICATIONS. 


COLOR  IN  AUTUMN  FOLIAGE. 

BY  PROF.  AL15ERT  N.    TRENTISS,  CORNELL    UXI- 
•        VER.S1TY,  ITHACA,  N.  Y. 

In  the  Gardener^s  Monthly  for  February,  page 
60,  some  very  interesting  statements  are  made 
in  regard  to  the  color  of  autumn  leaves,  based 
upon  the  observations  and  experiments  of  Mr. 


'  Warton  as  related  in  the  American  Journal  o 
Science.  That  the  oxidation  of  the  chlorophyll 
is  the  principal  cause  of  the  varied  tints  of  au- 
tumnal foliage,  I  think  there  can  be  no  doubt  ; 
but  the  subsequent  remarks  in  regard  to  the  ac- 
tion of  frost  do  not  agree  with  my  own  observa- 
tion.    The  statement  is  there  made,  that  when  a 


100 


THE    GARDEJYER'^    MOJVTELy. 


April, 


sharp  frost  occurs  early  in  the  fall,  while  the 
pulp  of  the  leaves  is  still  full  and  plump,  the  red 
colors  come  out  most  brilliantl}-.  I  do  not  agree 
with  this  opinion,  but  think  that  our  most  bril- 
liant autumnal  tints  occur  in  those  seasons 
when  frosts  hold  oflT  until  very  late— never  when 
vegetation  is  arrested  suddenly.  The  maturing 
of  the  leaf  is  a  ripening  power,  which  reaches 
its  greatest  perfection  in  rather  warm  and  dry 
autumns,  especially  when  there  is  a  considerable 
proportion  of  that  beautiful  weather  known  as 
Indian  summer.  Fruits  of  all  kinds  ripens  most 
perfectly  during  similar  seasons. 

The  richest  color  I  have  ever  observed  in 
leaves,  were  in  some  seedling  maples,  growing 
in  rich  open  woods,  the  colors  being  developed 
before  the  appearance  of  fiost.  In  the  soft  ma- 
ple, I  have  sometimes  observed  a  single  branch 
take  on  the  most  brilliant  crimson,  while  the  re- 
mainder of  the  tree  was  still  green.  Apparently 
some  injury  to  the  branch  had  caused  it  to  ripen 
its  leaves  in  advance  of  its  neighbors.  Xext  to 
the  soft  maple,  the  sassafras  of  our  northern 
woods  takes  on  the  most  brilliant  color.  During 
several  years,  I  noticed  in  a  grove  of  these  trees 
that  the  lower  branches  colored  earlier  than 
those  higher  up.  Gradually  the  change  in  color 
progressed  upwards  until  the  whole  seemed  al- 
most like  a  mass  of  llame.  In  some  seasons, 
when  an  early  frost  has  killed  the  upper  leaves 
of  small  trees,  they  turned  brown  without  ex- 
hibiting the  bright  colors,  while  the  lower  ones, 
protected  from  ihe  frost  by  those  above  them, 
are  left  to  ripen  during  the  succeeding  warm 
days,  and  subsequently  took  on  the  usually  vivid 
hues.  Even  in  the  tropics  the  foliage  of  some  of 
the  few  deciduous  trees,  properly  so  called,  be- 
comes quite  richly  colored  during  the  process  of 
ripening.  Some  of  the  Palms  display  rich,  if  not 
brilliant  colors  in  the  ripened  foliage.  I  call  to 
mind  especially  the  foliage  of  the  Assai,  that 
most  graceful  of  all  the  Palms  of  the  Amazon 
valley,  on  which  I  have  observed  the  lower  and 
ripened  leaves  to  he  of  the  softest  and  richest 
brown,  passing  imperceptibly  into  bronze,  thus 
pre.sentinii  a  striking  and  beautiful  contrast  to 
the  mass  of  green  foliage.  For  the  most  part, 
however,  it  is  the  young  and  tender  foliage  of 
tropical  plants,  especially  of  exogens,  which  pre- 
sents the  brightest  colors,  as  though  it  needed  ex- 
posure to  sun  and  air  before  the  chlorophyll  could 
assume  the  exact  chemical  composition  most  fa- 
vorable   0  plant  growth. 


In  our  northern  deciduous  trees,  the  fall  of  the 
leaf  is  provided  for  by  a  joint  formed  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  base  of  the  petiole  and  the  surface  of 
the  stem  on  which  it  rests  ;  this  joint  does  not 
exist  at  the  time  the  leaves  unfold  from  the  bud, 
but  is  formed  during  the  season's  growth.  If 
now  an  early  frost  arrests  vegetation  before  this 
joint  has  been  completely  formed,  we  might  ex- 
pect that  the  leaves  would  not  fall  at  the  usual 
time, and  this  is  actual!}-  what  occurs.  A  few  yeai'S 
ago,  in  this  vicinity,  a  severe  frost  occurred  at 
an  unusually  early  date  ;  the  leaves  being  thus 
killed  became  brown,  or  in  many  instances  re- 
tained their  green  color  more  or  less  perfectly, 
and  remained  for  a  long  time  attached  to  the 
tree.  In  i-ome  instances  apparently  the  entire 
foliage  remained  upon  the  tree  until  the  succeed- 
ing spring.  None  of  the  usually  bright  colors 
were  observed. 

Prof.  AV.  W.  Daniells,  of  "Wisconsin  Universi- 
ty, Madison,  says,  that  on  the  20th  of  October, 
1809,  the  thermometer  sank  to  VT  in  that  vicin- 
ity. This  severe  and  sudden  freezing  had  a  very 
injurious  efliect  upon  orchards,  nurseries  and 
vineyards  ;  freezing  the  plants  so  suddenl}'  while 
the  season's  growth  was  still  incomplete,  that  in 
many  cases  the  leaves,  perfectly  green,  dried 
as  if  heated  in  an  oven,  and  remained  on  the  trees 
all  winter. 

It  very  frequently  occurs  that  small  trees  at 
the  edge  of  a  forest,  and  second  growth  trees  gen- 
erally, retain  their  foliage  for  .some  time,  not  un- 
frequently  until  spring,  when  it  appears  to  be 
pushed  otr  by  the  expanding  buds.  This  may 
be  attributed  to  the  vigor  of  growth  of  such 
trees,  which  continues  until  late  in  the  season, 
and  thus  prevents  the  perfect  ripening  of  the 
leaves.  Very  often  the  leaves  are  for  some  time 
retained  on  the  lower  branches  of  certain  trees, 
while  those  of  the  upper  branches  have  fallen 
off.  As  the  sap  in  man}^  plants  tends  most 
strongly  to  the  upper  parts,  these  become  more 
perfectly  ripened,  and  the  leaves  fall  at  the  usual 
time  ;  while  the  leaves  on  the  lower  branches  are 
less  perfectly  matured,  and  are  retained  more  or 
less  firmly  according  to  the  degree  of  ripening. 
It  would,  therefore,  seem  possible  that  a  lack  of 
sufficient  nourishment,  as  in  the  latter  case, 
where  certain  parts  of  a  plant  receive  less  than 
their  due  share,  would  present  the  mo*  perfect 
maturation  of  the  leaves ;  while  on  the  other 
hand,  an  overstimulus  to  growth,  as  is  sometimes 
seen  in  highly  manured  orchards,  especially  dur- 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJYER'S    MOJ\'THLY. 


101 


ing  warm  and  wet  falls,  -would  produce  a  similar 
effect.  Of  course  the  greater  or  less  exposure  to 
wind  will  have  an  influence  wpon  the  fall  of  the 
leaf;  but  this  cannot  be  a  detcrnuning  cause,  as 
the  branches  most  protected,  and  small  trees 
quite  thoroughly  protected,  very  often  retain  the 
greatest  number  of  leaves. 


BEDDING  GERANIUMS. 

BY  MR.  J.  TAPLIN,  MANAGER  TO  GEO.  SUCH, 
ESQ.,  SOUTH  AMBOY,  N.    J. 

From  seeing  fine  masses  of  Geraniums  in  flow- 
er out-of-doors  for  a  number  of  years  in  England, 
I  was  disappointed  to  find  that  few  varieties 
made  even  a  tolerable  appearance  in  this  coun- 
try, the  sun  spoiling  both  flowers  and  foliage  I 
was  pleased  to  see  a  few  variet'es  doing  well  in 
the  neighborhood  of  both  Boston  and  Philadel- 
phia. On  inquiry,  I  found  these  sorts  were 
American  seedlings,  evidently  raised  from  some 
of  the  old  varieties  which  were  grown  before  the 
present  strain  of  fine  shape  and  large  sized  flow- 
ers were  raised.  "When  I  found  that  some  few 
varieties  did  well,  I  concluded  that  there  was  no 
reason  why  some  of  the  fine  European  sorts 
should  not  do  well  also  ;  to  test  which,  I  planted 
a  number  of  plants  of  all  the  varieties  we  grow, 
and  of  which  we  are  continually  receiving  fresh 
varieties  from  Europe.  These  plants  were  plant- 
ed in  the  full  sun  without  any  ext^-a  preparation 
of  the  ground,  and  never  watered  or  mulched, 
and  I  find  we  have  five  varieties  of  rose  and  pink 
colors,  about  twenty  distinct  varieties  of  scarlet, 
five  various  shades  of  salmon,  and  one  fine  pure 
white,  which  grow  and  flower  fine  all  through 
the  summer  until  cut  with  the  frost.  The  above 
are  all  fine  large  and  good  shaped  flowers,  worth 
growing  as  pot  plants,  their  hardiness  adds  very 
much  to  their  value. 

I  do  not  admire  the  taste,  or  rather  want  of 
it,  which  requires  Scarlet  Geraniums  and  yellow 
Calceolarias  to  be  planted  by  the  hundred  thou- 
sands, which  is  done  in  some  English  gardens. 
My  friend,  Mr.  "\Vm.  Robinson,  calls  it  the  thun- 
der and  lightning  style.  But  a  few  good  beds 
of  fine  Geraniums  are  indispensable  in  a  garden 
of  any  pretemions,  and  not  out  of  place  in  the 
smallest  flower  plot. 


ASPARAGUS  AND  MUSHROOMS. 

DY  MR.  .JOHN  JAY  SMITH,  GERMANTOWN,  THILA. 

Why  is  it  that  these  two  delicious  articles  for 
the  table  arc  either  so  de\r  or  so  rare  ?  is  a  ques- 


tion often  asked.  I  fear  the  cultivation  of 
neither  is  understood.  Lately  coming  into  the 
possession  of  a  large  farm  in  Montgomery  coun- 
ty, almost  within  stone's  throw  of  Philadelphia, 
I  found  on  it  an  acre,  more  or  less,  of  Aspara- 
gus, but  it  was,  according  to  my  preconceived 
and  book  knowledge,  good  for  little  and  probably 
nothing.  It  was  overgrown  with  the  worst  kind 
and  most  persistent  of  grasses,  inclu  :ingthe  couch 
— the  farm  having  been  rented  to  a  careless  fellow 
—and  I  expected  nothing  less  than  to  plough  up 
the  whole,  and  try  to  get  rid  of  the  nuisance. 
In  this  frame  of  mind, came  on  the  Asparagus  sea- 
son of  1870,  when,  behold  !  I  had  the  most  deli- 
cious crop — so  declared  by  all  who  partook  of  iti 
that  they  had  ever  tasted  ;  abundant  and  most 
succulent  and  flavorsome.  I  gave  it  away  by 
bushels  daily,  and  had  an  over-supply  besides. 
Now  how  is  this  ?  We  learn  from  books  that  it 
must  be  planted  so  and  so  ;  stones  must  be  placed 
to  keep  the  roots  from  roaming,  no  grass  or 
weeds,  plenty  of  manure,  and  hogsheads  of  salt. 
The  two  latter  are  no  doubt  very  useful,  as  I 
proved  on  a  small  corner,  where  the  product 
was  larger,  but  no  more  toothsome,  as  I  thought 
on  one  year's  trial. 

Soon  after  the  cutting  season,  it  became  neces- 
sar}'  to  make  a  deep  road  through  the  bed  We 
cut  down  five  feet  in  some  parts,  and  everywhere 
the  Asparagus  roots  were  to  be  seen,  often  four 
feet  deep  and  more.  Here  was  the  secret :  the 
covering  of  grass  on  the  top  seemed  to  have  no 
influence  whatever,  the  roots  strayed  and  re- 
joiced in  their  liberty,  and  derived  nourishment 
from  great  depths.  I  was  willing  to  believe  a 
discovery  had  been  made.  Now  how  does  this 
tally  with  Mr.  Editor's  theory,  that  surface  stir- 
ring is  so  all  important  ?  [Which  Editor  ?— Ed. 
G.  il/.]     Let  him  answer.     And  now  for 

Mushrooms  I  find,  like  m}'  own  case,  very 
few  are  able  to  get  Mushrooms  from  their  own 
greenhouses,  or  to  buy  them,  except  where  na- 
ture^provides  f )r  a  few  short  day's  supply.  Tell 
us  why  ?  Every  gardener  your  engage  says  he 
knows  the  secret — that  they  can  be  grown  any- 
where and  everywhere,  in  cellars  and  oulhouses, 
and  under  the  slats  of  the  walks  of  the  green- 
house ;  and  in  all  these  situations  have  I  seen 
them  ;  but  the  sight  was  the  exception,  and  I 
have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  gardeners  either 
don't  like  to  gratify  their  employers,  or  don't 
like  the  trouble.  To  say  I  have  spent  many  dol- 
lars for  spawn — very  many — would  be  to  say  the 
truth  ;  but  I  never  had  more  than  a  tureen  full 


102 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ\rTHLY, 


April, 


of  the  fruits  all  told.  A  lady  near  Baltimore, 
some  years  ago,  did  find  a  gardener  who  under- 
derstood  the  culture,  and  undertook  to  pay  the 
cost  of  a  fine  greenhouse  and  large  garden  by 
selling  mushrooms.  She  did  so,  and  showed  me 
her  accounts,  with  a  profit  on  the  right  side. 
Xow  we  liave  in  our  great  cities  fruit  stores 
selling,  in  winter,  readily,  long  cucumbers  at  75 
cents  each,— and  by  the  way  I  priced  Yicar  of 
Winkfield  pears  there  in  January,  and  the 
modest  price  was  75  cents  a  piece,— they  were 
large  and  fine.  ]^ow  let  somebody  who  don't 
mind  a  little  trouble,  engage  in  raising  Mush- 
rooms, which  it  is  easy  enough  to  do.  I  will 
take  at  once,  product  to  the  value  of  two  dollars 
a  week,  and  be  thankful. 


DOUBLE  GLAZING. 

BY  MR.  W.  C    STRONG,  BRIGHTON,  MASS. 

If  my  recollection  is  correct,  you  have  quoted 
me  as  having  found  the  double  glazing  of  green- 
houses to  be  a  saving  of  coal  in  one  3ear  equiva- 
lent to  the  extra  cost  of  glass.  This  is  putting 
the  case  twice  as  strongly  as  I  ventured  to  do  it, 
and  as  my  experience  will  permit ;  and  indeed 
no  uniform  rule  can  be  given  for  all  positions 
and  every  kind  of  structures.  High  and  exposed 
positions  would  be  more  benefited  by  double 
glass  than  low  and  protected  houses.  Still  it  is 
very  apparent  that  a  second  covering  of  glass 
will  insure  a  great  saving  of  coal  in  all  houses, 
and  the  only  questions  are,  whether  the  saving  is 
sufRcient  to  warrant  the  extra  cost,  and  also 
whether  attendant  evils  are  more  than  counter- 
balanced by  benefits.  You  state  your  experi- 
ence, Mr.  Editor,  to  be  confined  to  hot-beds.  Of 
course  such  a  trial  must  be  considered  as  made 
under  most  unfavorable  circumstances.  Hot  bed 
sashes  are  almost  invariably  so  flat  that  the  sun's 
rays  strike  very  obliquely.  The  rule  is  well 
known,  that  as  the  angle  of  the  rays  with  the  glass 
becomes  more  acute  the  deflection  rapidly  increa- 
ses. This  is  a  sufficient  reason  why  frames  with 
sash  of  single  glass  even  are  so  unsatisfactory  for 
growth  when  the  sun  runs  low.  It  is  because 
the  sun  rides  high  in  March,  equally  as  because 
of  the  higher  temperature,  that  frames  then  warm 
up.  For  any  such  flat  surface  it  is  unquestion- 
ably best  to  give  the  least  possible  obstruction 
to  light  and  heat,  securing  protection  by  outside 
cover  iigs.  And  for  roofs  facing  east  and  west, 
it  is  to  be  presumed  that  a  second  covering  of  glass 
would  deflect  and  obstruct  the  sun's  rays  too  se- 
riously,  except  for  plants   recpiiring    a  partial 


shade.  But  there  are  houses  where  the  sun's 
direct  rays  are  not  wanted,  such  as  Camellia- 
houses,  propagating  houses'  and  the  like.  For 
these  I  have  no  hesitation  in  re-affirming  that 
double  glazing  is  a  very  great  economy.  For 
roofs  looking  southerly  and  of  ordinary  pitch, 
my  opinion  is  that  there  is  a  decided  gain,  suf- 
ficient to  warrant  the  cost.  The  advantages  are  as 
follows  :  First,  a  very  great  saving  of  coal  and 
consequently  an  ease  and  certainty  in  manage- 
ment of  the  house  ;  and  secondly,  an  increase  in 
the  humidity  and  a  softening  of  the  fierce  glare 
of  the  sun,  which  is  better  than  any  shading  can 
be. 

On  the  other  side,  what  are  the  objections  ? 
Snow  does  not  melt  and  slide  from  the  roof  as 
readily  as  upon  a  single  roof  This  is  not  a  seri- 
ous objection  Dust  is  liable  to  accumulate  on 
the  under  sheet,  so  that  in  the  course  of  time  the 
house  might  become  too  much  darkened.  This 
evil  can  be  remedied  by  cleaning  the  glass,  which 
Avould  not  be  an  expensive  process,  since  the  un- 
der glass  is  made  to  slide  and  could  easily  be  re- 
moved. And  indeed  I  have  never  found  the  ob- 
struction of  light  any  objection  whatever  where 
I  have  used  two  thicknes.ses.  Our  houses  are 
large  and  light,  so  that  the  softening  of  the  glare 
is  a  positive  benefit.  My  experiments  have  been 
conducted,  as  the  great  majority  of  experiments 
are  in  this  country,  where  a  multiplicity  of  cares 
and  various  interests  prevent  careful  compari- 
sons. Yet  I  have  been  so  impressed  with  the 
economy  and  advantages  of  double  glazing,  that 
we  have  had  all  our  new  structures,  amounting 
to  an  acre  of  roof,  constructed  for  double  glazing. 
Onl}'  a  part  is  as  yet  supplied  with  the  inner 
sheet,  but  it  is  our  intention  toadd  it  as  we  need. 
It  may  be  of  service  to  give  a  section  of  the  sash 
bar  which  indicates  the  simple  mode  of  con- 
struction. 


h 


which  the  under 
is  made  a  one-six- 
deeper  than  the 
of  usual  form  for 


The  groove  h  in 
glass  is  to  slide, 
leenth  of  an  inch 
rabbet  n,  which  is 
glazing.  The  work  being  done  at  the  mill,  the 
groove  does  not,  in  the  slightest  increase  the  cost 
of  the  work,  as  it  is  done  with  the  same  run  as  the 
rabbet ;  hence  the  only  extra  cost  of  double  glaz- 
ing is  in  the  cost  of  thin  glass  and  the  labor  of 
sliding  it  in  from  the  top  of  the  bar.  This  can 
be  done  from  time  to  time  after  the  house  is  in 
use.  It  occurs  to  me  to  add,  that  possibly  a 
heavier  sash  bar  might  be  required  for  double 


1S71. 


TEE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


103 


glazing  than  would  otherwise  be  used,  and  in 
that  case  the  extra  cost  of  stock  would  require 
to  be  taken  into  account. 


HOT-WATER  BOILERS. 

BY  JIR.  JOHN  ELLIS,  WHITE  PLAINS,  N.  Y. 

With  3'our  permission,  T  propose  to  reason  a 
little  on  the  theory  advanced  by  you  in  the  Feb- 
ruary issue  of  the  GanJ€ner\s  Monthly^  relating 
to  tlio  circulation  of  hot-water,  its  motive  pow- 
er, and  the  causes  of  imperfection  in  structures 
where  this  medium  is  eniploj-ed.  Should  Idilfer 
in  opinion  from  you  in  some  points  that  I  may 
advance,  it  originates  from  the  fact  that  I  see 
the  matter  in  question  in  a  different  light,  and 
also  that  I  feel  a  great  interest,  as  well  as  many 
of  3-our  readers,  in  getting  at  the  positive  truth. 
If  I  understand  you  correctly,  Mr.  Editor,  your 
theory  is  that  circulation  through  the  pipes  and 
from  a  boiler  is  solely  dependent  on  the  specific 
gravitation  of  the  water,  or  the  difference  be- 
tween the  heated  water  and  cold.  All  the  au- 
thorities I  have  read  on  this  subject  entertain 
the  same  theory,  including  the  English  author 
Hood,  who,  I  think,  has  written  the  most  prac- 
tical work.  To  open  this  question  clearly,  I 
take  the  ground  that  '"cold  water''  is  not  the 
"active  power  in  circulation."  Let  us  now  see 
where  the  "Pat  Murphy"  is, and  whether  the  pas- 
sive mortar  ascending  in  the  hod,  and  that  as- 
cending in  the  boiler  are  both  on  the  same  plan 
of  passivity.  I  think  that  it  is  perfectly  legitimate 
to  say  that  the  first  particle  of  water  that  moves  in 
a  boiler  in  which  there  is  fire,  is  that  particle 
that  has  absorbed  heat,  and  a  particle  of  water 
cannot  absorb  heat  without  expanding,  and 
where  expansion  occurs,  is  the  evidence  of  power 
and  force.  What  does  this  power  and  force  in 
expansion  do  ?  Press  against  the  non-expanded, 
and  compel  it  to  move  up  and  down  in  all  di- 
rections, until  its  positive  power  and  heat  be- 
comes absorbed  or  given  off.  Xow  is  there  not 
some  dilference  between  the  passive  mortar  going 
up  the  ladder  in  the  hod  on  the  shoulder  of  Pat 
Murphy  and  the  heated  particle  ascending  in  the 
boiler  ?  Can  we  say  truthfully  that  the  particle  of 
water  after  receiving  power  and  force  from  the 
agency  of  heat,  is  as  passive  as  the  sleepy  mortar 
in  Pat  Murphy's  hod  ?  If  water  has  the  property 
to  expand  by  the  absorption  of  heat  and  thereby 
manifest  a  positive  power  and  force,  are  these 
properties  after  being  cre;ited,  (I  use  this  term 
figuratively)  and  brought  into  existence  in  the 
conditions  found,   to  be  of  an  illegitimate  use  ? 


If  cold  water  were  the  motive  power,  these  forces 
in  question  certainly  could  be  of  no  use  ;  the 
first  thing  in  nature  without  a  use. 

"Hot-water  ascends  as  the  mortar  does,  and  in 
no  other  way."  This  statement  seems  to  me  to 
entirely  ignore  the  principles  and  properties  of 
the  real  positive  motive  power  heat,  and  gives 
all  power  to  cold  water.  This  seems  to  be  quali- 
fied in  the  statement,  "water,  when  warmed, 
does  not  ascend  because  it  is  the  warmest,  but 
that  the  cold  water  pushes  it  up."  Now  if  I  in- 
terpret this  quotation  correctly,  in  other  words 
it  means  this;  warm  water  has  no  inherent  pi'O- 
perties  that  will  cause  particles  to  ascend,  but 
they  are  pushed  up  by  some  power  inherent  to 
cold.  Now  what  is  this  power  that  pushes  up 
cold  water  ?  We  see  from  the  statement  that  it 
has  to  be  puslied  up  ;  that  it  is  puslied  up,  is  our 
belief,  and  that  this  pushing  force  is  produced 
by  and  from  heated  particles  of  expanded  water 
behind  it. 

Again,  it  is  further  stated  that  "water  can  be 
made  to  go  along  a  level,  or  up  or  down,  or  any 
way,  if  only  care  be  taken  to  get  a  good  volume 
of  cold  water  behind  it. ''  Now  let  us  ex- 
amine the  "up  and  down"  principle  for  a 
moment  and  see  how  this  is.  To  illustrate, 
suppose  a  boiler  to  be  set  up  in  the  gar- 
ret of  a  house,  and  the  flow  pipe  carried  directly 
down  into  the  cellar,  and  from  there,  by  what  is 
termed  the  return  pipe,  back,  and  up  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  boiler;  how  is  it  possible  for  the  water 
to  circulate  on  the  theory  alone  of  specific  grav- 
ity, when  it  is  self  evident  that  the  column  of 
water  in  the  so-called  return  pipe  is  so  much 
heavier  than  that  contained  in  the  other?  It 
certainly  appears  evident  to  my  reasoning  facul- 
ties, that  if  circulation  is  dependent  alone  on  the 
pushing  force  of  cold  water,  it  would  push  both 
ways, — push  up  at  the  flow  pipe  warm  water,  as 
well  as  at  the  boiler  warm  water,  for  there  is  no 
law  under  the  theory  to  prevent  it,  and  if  so, 
there  would  be  a  statu  quo  in  the  circulation. 
Now  the  common  sense  of  this  is,  that  if  a  body 
of  water  in  a  return  pipe,  the  upper  portion 
being  cold  and  of  course  so  much  the  heavier 
than  the  flow  pipe,  it  must  take  some  force  to 
push  it  up  into  the  boiler,  for  its  seems  evident 
tliat  it  cannot  get  there  on  the  theory  of  specific 
gravitation  In  the  demonstration  of  this  theory, 
we  must  look  directly  to  first  cause,  and  in  the  fig- 
urative illustration  of  Pat  ^lurphy  carrying  up 
the  mortar  in  the  hod,  you  have  shown  the  first 
cause  in  that  particular  case  ;  but  the  simile  is 


lOJf 


THE    GARDE^'ER'S   MOJ^TELl. 


April, 


not  a  just  comparison  as  to  the  moving  agency 
of  water.  Let  us  look  a  little  more  steadily  at 
frst  cause  in  the  boiler ;  the  particles  of  water 
first  heated,  are  those  resting  immediately  on 
the  iron  surface  presented  to  the  hottest  fire,  they 
then  move  up.  Was  there  any  cold  water  un- 
der these  particles  to  cause  the  upward  move- 
ment, or  did  they  move  up  through  the  agency 
of  heat  expanding  them,  and  thereby  giving 
them  the  power  and  force  to  pass  up  and  through 
to  the  top  of  the  boiler,  where  the  specific 
gravitation  of  all  the  particles  of  water  at  the  to}) 
of  the  boiler,  as  icell  as  that  at  the  hottom  of  it,  in- 
cluding the  end  of  return  pipe,  presented  a  sur- 
roundinrj  heavier  weight  ?  "We  must  not  forget 
that, when  the/i  st  particle  ofjheated  water  moves 
up  from  the  heated  iron  surface  of  a  boiler,  it 
has  much  weight  against  it  at  the  lop  of  the 
boiler  as  it  has  at  the  bottom  of  it,  or  at  the 
point  where  the  return  pipe  or  pipes  enter  it.  If 
we  look  calmly  at  this  fact,  we  think  it  will  be- 
come self-evident  to  any  rational  understanding 
that  these  particles  of  water  first  heated  are  the 
first  particles  that  do  move  ;  and  that  they  move 
themselves,  in  and  of  their  own  power,  depen- 
dent on  a  property  of  their  nature — absorbing 
heat  and  then  becoming  forcibly  expanded  by  it. 
If  then,  the  first  particles  of  water  move  through, 
having  a  power  to  do  so,  (power  by  expansion) 
the  following  particles  come  under  the  same 
natural  law,  and  instead  of  being  a  passive  ele- 
ment, like  the  passive  substance  going  up  the 
ladder  on  the  shoulders  of  a  man  ;  it  really  is  the 
positive  motive  power  causing  circulation.  If 
it  were  a  truth,  that  the  colder  the  water  at  the 
return  pipe  entering  the  boiler  the  better  the  cir- 
culation, what  would  be  the  use  in  trying  to  im- 
prove the  heating  capacity  of  boilers?  The  in- 
tention or  design  of  improvements  in  boilers  by 
their  makers,  is  to  heat  agivennumbcrof  feet  of 
pipe  in  a  shorter  space  of  time  than  other  boilers 
in  use,  and  this  fact  can  only  be  determined  by  as- 
certaining the  amount  of  time  it  takes  to  bring 
the  return  pipe  at  the  boiler  to  nearly  the  same 
temperature  as  the  flow  pipe  at  the  top  of  the 
boiler,  length  of  pipe  and  bore  being  tlie  same  in 
various  boilers  to  be  tested.  Now  if  all  our  boil- 
ers in  use,  after  driving  their  fires  for  half  a  day, 
had  no  better  effect  than  the  finding  of  the  re- 
turn pipe  at  the  boilers  cold,  who  could  deter 
mine  the  superiority  cf  one  boiler  from  another  ; 
or  where  would  be  the  use  in  trying  for  improve- 
ment if  it  be  necessary  to  perfect  circulation, 


that  the  return  pipe  at  the  boiler  must  be  cold  ? 
Rapid  circulation  is  what  we  want  through  the 
boiler  and  pipes,  and  my  experience  in  the  mat- 
ter has  taught  me  that  the  colder  the  return  pipe 
at  the  boiler  is,  the  slower  is  the  circulation,  and 
vice  versa. 

I  have  endeavored  to  show  in  this  article,  that 
cold  water  is  not  the  motive  power  in  circulation, 
but  on  the  contrary,  that  it  is  the  expansive 
power  that  circulates  water  ;  and  on  these  two 
questions  rests  the  theory  of  construction  of 
boilers  with  the  practical  results  manifested  of 
heat  given  off  from  a  given  surface  of  pipe  ;  or  in 
other  words,  one  man  purposes  to  heat  one 
hundred  thousand  cubic  feet  of  air  in  a  glass 
structure  with  a  boiler  and  a  given  number  of 
feet  of  pipes,  whose  return  pipeat  the  boiler  shall 
be  cold.  Man  the  second,  with  his  boiler  and 
the  same  length  of  pipe,  but  possesses  the  power 
of  heatnig  the  return  pipe  at  the  boiler  to  nearly 
the  same  temperature  as  the  flow  pii)e,  heats  the 
body  of  air  to  a  much  higher  temperature  in  a 
given  time,  whereas  man  the  firstcould  not  effect 
the  same  result  were  he  to   fire  up  a  whole  year. 

This  is  the  difference  that  would  result  from 
the  application  of  the  two  theories.  Cold  water, 
motive  power  of  circulation,  and  Expansion  the 
motive  power  of  circulation. 

Having,  we  fear  encroached  already  too  much 
on  your  valuable  space,  we  are  led  to  cr}',  halt ! 
for  the  present,  and  say  a  little  more  next  mouth 
on  other  points  of  the  same  subject,  if  deemed  of 
use. 

[We  are  not  convinced  by  our  correspondent's 
reasoning,  but  as  he  proposes  to  continue  the 
subject  in  our  next,  we  may  think  differently  af- 
ter reading  his  further  remarks. — Ed.] 


PEARS. 

An  Address  d'l-vrrei,  be''o-e  'he  Pi.  F-nit  G'-o^re  s'  S/cift;/,  at 
Cfuimbersburg,  J^munri/  19t/j,  1S71. 

BY  E.   SATTERTIIWAIT,  OF  MONTGOMERY 
COUNTY,  PENNA. 

{ Concluded. ) 
Before  proceeding  to  consider  the  question  of 
varieties,  it  would,  perhaps,  be  better  to  say 
what  I  have  to  saj-,  upon  the  relative  merits  of 
standard  aud  dwarf  trees.  It  will  probably  be 
recollected  that  I,  years  ago,  before  this  Societ}', 
expressed  my  disbelief  in  the  existence  of  dwarfs 
to  any  extent  worth  talking  abmit  ;  and  I  have 
since  seen  no  reason  to  change  this  opinion.  I 
long  ago  discovered  that  all  my  quince-rooted 


isri. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^'THLY. 


105 


trees,  soon  took  to  themselves  pear  roots,  and 
abandoned  the  quince ;  and  though  there  is 
probably  a  difference  in  soils  in  regard  to  it,  my 
belief  is  that  this  will  always  be  the  case  sooner 
or  later,  where  they  are  planted  as  always 
recommended,  with  all  of  the  quince  stock  below 
ground.  Some  varieties  strike  root  sooner  from 
the  pear  than  others  ;  the  Bartletts,  for  instanc;->, 
will  root  in  a  year  or  two.  IIow  pears  would  do, 
worked  on  the  quince  so  high  as  to  prevent  them 
from  getting  pear  roots,  I  do  not  know.  I  have 
never  tried  it,  for  the  reason  that  it  would  be  | 
troublesome  to  save  them  from  being  killed  by 
by  the  quince  borer,  and  I  never  had  faith  that 
they  would  live  or  thrive  very  long.  A  good 
deal  has  been  said  about  keeping  trees  dwarf  by 
root-pruning  and  other  such  appliances,  but  I 
presume  this  is  not  much  practised  in  this 
country,  nor  will  it  be,  at  least  till  we  get 
a  plentiful  supply  of  Coolies,  or  some  other  sys- 
tem of  cheap  labor.  It  will  be  seen  from  what  I 
have  said,  that  I  do  not  make  much  account  of 
dwarfs,  and  in  treating  of  varieties,  I  would  be 
understood  as  speaking  entirely  in  reference  to 
trees  on  pear  roots.  And  here  I  would  remark, 
that  I  do  not  find,  in  my  own  experience,  the 
difference  that  I  was  led  to  suppose  there  would 
be,  in  some  varieties,  when  grown  on  the  pear 
or  quince. 

I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  from  what  I 
have  said,  as  wishing  to  discourage  the  planting 
of  quince-rooted  pear  trees.  On  the  contrary,  I 
think  it  a  very  good  way  of  getting  standard 
trees :  the  habit  of  bearing  they  acquire  when 
on  the  quince,  seems  to  stick  to  them  for  some 
time,  and  is  an  advantage,  where  it  is  considered 
more  of  an  object  to  have  a  few  pears  soon,  than 
it  is  to  get  trees  a  few  years  later  large  enough 
to  bear  a  great  man}'. 

I  have  thought  these  remarks  on  the  subject 
of  dwarfs  proper,  in  order  to  put  planters  on 
their  guard  against  the  mistake  that  I  was  led 
into  myself,  of  planting  quince-rooted  pear  trees 
too  close,  under  the  mistaken  idea  that  they 
would  never  get  large.  I  give  it  as  my  deliber- 
ate opinion,  though  I  know  it  is  not  generally 
admitted,  that  pears  on  quince  stocks  will,  in  a 
few  years,  if  they  live  at  all,  be  found  to  have 
nothing  but  pear  roots,  and  then,  if  the  ground 
is  good  enough  to  grow  pears,  they  cannot  be 
kept  dwarfed,  without  a  great  deal  more  labor 
than  will  be  likely  to  be  bestowed  on  them.  So 
that  very  close  planting,  less  than  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet  should  not  be  practised,  unless  it  is 


done  with  the  intention  of  thinning  out  in  a  few 
years. 

An  interesting  question  here  occurs  to  me, 
which  would  seem  to  have  an  important  bearing 
upon  the  relative  merits  of  pear  or  quince-rooted 
trees ;  and  that  is,  whether  there  is  an  advan- 
tage or  otherwise  in  having  the  cultivated  varie- 
ties of  pears  on  their  own  roots,  or  on  the  roots 
of  wildlings,  as  is  the  case  with  all  standard 
trees  as  they  come  from  the  nursery.  I  am  un- 
able to  throw  any  light  on  this  question,  and  it 
is  one  that  I  have  never  heard  discussed.  There 
is  at  least  one  disadvantage  in  the  wild  stock, 
and  that  is  its  tendency  to  sucker,  which  is  often 
troublesome.  It  might  seem  probable  that  the 
wild  seedlings  used  for  stocks  would  be  more 
hardy  and  make  more  thrifty  and  longer-lived 
trees,  but  I  do  not  know  that  there  is  anything 
in  this.  I  have  never  yet  observed  any  diflcr- 
ence  either  in  vigor  or  hardihood. 

I  now  come  to  consider  the  most  important 
branch  of  my  subject  :  the  selection  of  varieties. 
Unfortunately,  this  question  is  as  difficult  as  it 
is  important.  So  much  has  already  been  said 
and  written  upon  this  question  of  varieties,  that 
I  should  feel  like  skipping  it  altogether,  if  it  was 
not  that  I  believe  that  very  many  of  the  opinions 
that  have  been  put  forth  on  the  subject,  have 
not  been  derived  from  observation  and  experi- 
ence sufficient  for  so  difficult  a  question.  It  is 
very  common  to  hear  the  most  decided  opinions 
on  this  subject,  urged  by  those  who  have  had  no 
experience  worth  mentioning.  For  my  own  part, 
I  must  confess,  that  I  feel  that  my  experience 
is  entirely  too  limited  to  speak  upon  it  with 
much  confidence. 

In  considering  this  subject,  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind,  that  varieties  vary  very  much  with  soil 
and  location,  and  from  this  cause  alone  it  is  im- 
possible to  lay  down  any  positive  rule.  And 
then  there  are  few  localities  where  many  of  the 
numerous  known  varieties  have  as  yet  been 
fairly  tested.  From  my  own  experience,  extend- 
ing over  about  a  dozen  years,  and  with  about 
six  hundred  varieties,  I  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion, that  the  most  skilled  and  experienced 
have  much  to  learn  on  this  subject.  And  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  proper  course  in  treating 
'  of  varieties,  unless  one  has  had  far  more  cxperi- 
ence  than  I  have,  is  to  simply  state  the  results 
'  of  their  own  observations,  with  varieties  that 
j  they  have  tested,  without  recommending  any. 

And  this  is  what  I  propose  to  do. 
I      In  giving  my  estimate  of  a  variety,  I   confess 


106 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLJ. 


April, 


that  I  am  governed  to  some  extent  by  its  value 
as  a  market  fruit.  I  do  not  consider  any  apology 
necessary  for  this,  though  I  know  that  it  is 
strongly  objected  to  by  some.  I  will  say,  how- 
ever, that  as  it  has  always  been  my  practice  to 
attend  personally  to  the  sale  of  my  own  fruit  in 
the  market ;  I  have  had  the  best  possible  oppor- 
tunity of  judging  of  the  value  of  the  different  va. 
rieties  for  this  purpose  :  and  though  I  am  aware 
it  is  very  distasteful  to  some,  to  recommend  a 
fruit  because  of  its  value  as  a  saleable  com- 
modity, yet  knowing  tbat  there  are  many  situ 
ated  Hke  myself,  who  follow  fruit  growing,  in' 
part,  for  a  livelihood,  and  who  might  be  bene- 
fited by  my  experience,  I  do  not  feel  at  liberty  to 
withhold  it.  And  T  will  here  state  what,  in  my 
opinion,  are  the  desirable  properties  in  a  pear 
for  a  market  fruit.  These  are,  good  color,  size 
and  flavor,  and  above  all,  it  should  keep  well.  I 
have  placed  color  first,  for  without  this  no  fruit 
is  of  much  value  for  market.  A  handsomely 
colored  pear  of  medium  qualit}',  is  much  more 
valuable  for  market  purposes  than  one  of  first 
quality  that  has  no  beauty  of  color.  Size  is  of 
great  importance  in  estimating  the  value  of  a 
fruit  for  market,  not  only  because  large  fruit 
sells  better  than  small,  but  the  time  spent  in 
handling  small  sized  fruit  is  a  serious  drawback. 
There  are  many  pears  of  first  rate  quality  in 
other  respects,  that  seem  to  rot  the  moment 
they  are  ripe,  these  are  of  course  worthless  for 
market  purposes. 

In  giving  m\'  experience  with  different  varie- 
ties, I  do  not  propose  to  tire  your  patience  by 
going  over  a  very  long  list,  but  shall  confine  my- 
self to  those  that  are  most  generally  known  and 
recommended,  and  to  such  others,  as  I  have 
found  upon  trial  to  be  worthy  of  particular 
notice. 

There  are  a  few  varieties  of  indisputable  ex- 
cellence, that  are  so  well  known  as  to  need  no 
comments,  and  are  justly  considered  indispensa- 
ble in  every  collection.  These  are  IJartlett, 
Seckel,  Lawrence,  Duchesse  d'Angouleme  and 
Beurre  d'Anjou.  And  since  they  cover  the 
greater  part  of  the  pear  season,  and  are  found  to 
do  well  in  most  situations,  the  question  will 
naturally  be  asked,  why  not  stop  here  V  since, 
to  multiply  varieties  unnecessarily,  only  makes 
confusion  and  trouble.  Mr.  Quinn,  in  his  "Pear 
Culture  for  Profit,"  names  these  and  one  or  two 
others,  and  argues  strongly  against  increasing 
the  number  of  varieties  AVhile  T  admit  the  force 
of  the  objection,   I  must  contend  that  I  have 


found  advantages  in  having  a  much  larger  num- 
ber, and  this  for  several  reasons.  In  the  first 
place,  we  want  early  pears,  ripening  before  the 
Bartlett ;  and  as  summer  pears  last  but  a  short 
time,  it  takes  several  varieties  to  fill  up  the  sea- 
son. I  do  not  agree  with  Mr.  Quinn,  that  early 
pears  are  of  not  much  account  for  market.  This 
may  be  the  case,  where  they  have  to  be  sent  a 
long  distance  ;  but  I  have  found  a  number  of  the 
early  sorts  quite  profitable.  The  worst  time  to 
sell  pears,  I  find,  is  just  when  Bartletts  are  in 
season,  for  it  is  then  that  peaches,  melons, 
grapes  and  other  fruits  are  most  abundant. 

Another  advantage  in  having  a  number  of  va- 
rieties, is,  that  it  seems  to  be  the  only  way  to  in- 
sure a  supply  every  year ;  for  as  the  most  pro- 
ductive are  liable  to  fail  in  some  seasons,  by 
having  only  a  few  sorts,  you  may  miss  a  crop 
entirely. 

Another  advantage,  I  think,  I  have  gained  by 
testing  a  great  many  sorts,  is,  that  I  have  d  s- 
covered,  by  that  means  several  varieties,  not 
much  known,  that  I  think  will  prove  more  valu- 
able to  me,  than  the  most  of  those  that  are  uni- 
versally recommended.  And  besides  all  this, 
there  is  a  satisfaction  in  having  a  number  of 
sorts  to  suit  all  tastes ;  "variety  is  the  spice  of 
life,"  and  there  is  as  much  difference  in  the 
flavor  of  pears  as  there  is  in  their  shape  and  ap- 
pearance, no  two  being  alike. 

I  propose  now  to  take  up  the  list  in  the  order 
of  their  ripening  :  commencing  with  the  earliest, 
and  treating  first  of  the  leading,  well-known  va- 
rieties : 

Doyenne  d'Ete — generally  does  well ;  it  is  of  a 
fine  color,  good  quality  and  productive,  but 
small  and  sometimes  cracks. 

Madeleine— fair  size  and  qualit}'' and  produc- 
tive, but  does  not  commonly  color  well,  and  soon 
rots. 

Beurre  Giffard — one  of  the  very  finest  of  early 
pears,  fine  size,  first-rate  quality  and  productive, 
and  colors  beautifully,  but  sometimes  cracks 
badly. 

Osband's  Summer — does  well,  good  color, 
fair  quality  and  productive. 

Manning's  Elizabeth— rather  small,  but  first- 
rate  in  every  other  rcspert,  very  productive  and 
profitable. 

Ott's  Seedling— variable  in  quality,  sometimes 
equal  to  Seckel,  fair  color,  but  rather  small,  a 
splendid  grower. 

Doarbi)rn's  Seedling— fine  color,  fair  quality 
and  productive,  but  too  small. 


1S7I. 


TEE    GJlRBE^^EWS    MOJ^TELY. 


107 


Early  Catharine— valuable  on  accout  of  its 
vigor  and  productiveness  and  good  quality. 

Rosticzer — productive,  but  of  little  value  for 
market  on  account  of  its  poor  color  and  ten- 
dency to  rot. 

Bloodgood — fair  color,  size  and  flavor,  pro- 
ductive, but  a  poor  grower. 

Julienne— has  proven  one  of  the  most  valua- 
ble of  early  pears,  a  regular  and  good  bearer, 
fair  quality  and  size,  colors  most  beautifully  and 
keeps  well. 

Tyson — fine  size  and  color,  and  of  the  very 
best  quality,  but  a  very  poor  bearer. 

Kirtland— a  beautiful  russet  color,  fair  size 
and  quality,  productive,  and  a  splendid  grower. 

Of  most  of  the  above  named  I  have  had  a 
number  of  trees  in  bearing  for  several  years  ; 
and  will  now  mention  a  few  others,  which  pro- 
mise well  so  far  as  can  be  judged  from  two  or 
thi'ee  trees  of  a  kind  : 

Pendleton's  Early  York — very  early,  hand- 
some and  good. 

Puhifer— fine  color  and  size,  handsome,  pro- 
ductive and  good. 

Jefferson — large  and  handsome,  fair  quality. 

Muskingum — fine  color  and  size,  handsome, 
productive  and  good. 

Beurre  Benoist — A  most  beautiful  and  good 
pear  of  fair  size,  would  seem  to  be  valuable. 

Hull— medium  size,  fair  color,  good  quality 
and  productive. 

The  above  all  ripen  before  the  first  of  Septem- 
ber, and  are  mostly  gone  before  the  market  is 
glutted  with  peaches,  melons,  and  grapes,  and 
on  that  account  are  more  valuable  than  they 
would  be  a  few  weeks  later. 

We  next  come  to  a  season  comprising  the  last 
few  days  in  August,  and  the  first  half  of  Septem- 
ber, when  varieties  of  good  pears  are  so  numer- 
ous, and  peaches  and  other  fruit  generall}'  so 
plentiful  that  nonebut  the  very  best  are  of  much 
account.  This  is  the  season  of  the  Bartlett,  and 
it  must  be  a  very  fine  fruit  indeed  that  can  com 
pete  with  it ;  and,  as  a  consequence,  there  are 
many  good  varieties  ripening  about  this  time 
that  are  hardly  worth  mentioning,  and  I  will 
notice  only  the  most  prominent,  commencing 
with  the  earliest,  which  ripen  about  the  first  of 
September : 

Ananas  d'Ete— a  fine,  large  and  beautifully 
colored  pear,  of  good  quality  ;  valuable. 

Andrews— fine  size  and  color,  fair  quality,  but 
rots  too  soon. 

Gushing— beautiful  light  lemon  color,  medium 


size,  first-rate  quality  ;  productive  and  valuable. 

Golden  Beurre  of  Bilboa— a  most  beautiful  and 
first-rate  pear  in  every  respect,  but  the  tree  ap- 
pears to  be  tender  and  does  not  thrive. 

Doyenne  Boussock— this  would  be  a  first-rate 
pear,  but  it  rots  so  quickly  as  to  be  utterly 
worthless.  [Note.— This  is  one  of  Mr.  Quinn's 
select  few,  one  of  six,  I  think]. 

Beurre  d'Amanlis-poor  color,  medium  quaU- 
ty,  and  rots  quickly. 

Belle  Lucrative— good  size,  of  the  best  quality, 
and  exceedingly  productive,  bui  does  not  often 
color  well ;  and  on  that  account  not  a  valuable 
market  fruit. 

Bartlett— of  course,  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
Ust  in  its  season  ;  being  first  rate  in  every  re- 
spect, though  its  peculiar  flavor  is  not  liked  by 
every  one  ;  and,  with  me,  the  tree  has  proved 
more  tender  than  most  other  varieties. 

Steven's  Genessee— not  satisfactory  ;  tree  not 
thrifty. 

Flemish  Beauty— a  splendid  large  pear  of  the 
very  best  quality,  but  does  not  commonly  color 
well,  and  rots  very  quickly ;  the  tree,  although 
a  very  vigorous  grower,  one  of  the  worst  to  shed 
its  leaves  prematurely. 

Ananas,  or  Henry  IV  —an  insignificant  little 
green  pear  of  no  account. 

Washington— a  beautiful  and  first-rate  pear, 
but  the  tree  appears  to  be  tender,  and  does  not 
thrive  well. 

Onondaga,  or  Swan's  Orange-a  very  large  and 
showy  pear  of  medium  quality  ;  very  produc- 
tive, but  rots  badly. 

Howell— a  very  productive  and  very  beautiful 
pear,  of  foir  quality  ;  a  profitable  variety. 

White  Doyenne— always  cracks. 

Kingsessing— a  fine  large  pear,  of  excellent 
quality,  but  does  not  often  color  well ;  a  splendid 
grower, 

Beurre  Capiaumont— a  very  beautiful  and  pro- 
ductive pear,  of  poor  quality. 
'      Des  Nonnes— an  exceedingly  productive  and 
excellent  pear,  of  medium  size  ;  does  not  often 
color  well. 

1  Marie  Louise— a  fine,  large  and  very  produc- 
tive pear,  of  good  quality,  and  sometimes  colors 
beautifully. 

I  have  given  my  experience  in  the  above- 
named  sorts,  because  they  are  amt)ngst  the  va- 
rieties  that  are  most  recommended  in  the  books 
and  nursery  catalogues  ;  and  as  1  cultivate  most 
of  them  largely,  I  have  had  good  opportunity  to 
judge  of  their  merits.     I  will  now  mention  a  few 


1G8 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S   MOJVTHLl. 


April, 


that  ripen  about  the  same  time,  that  are  not  so 
common,  but  wiiicli  seem  to  do  remarkably  well, 
so  far  as  I  can  judge  from  a  few  trees  only  of  a 
sort : 

Boston,  or  Pinneo— very  fine  ;  like  Golden 
Beurre,  but  a  more  thrifty  tree 

Clapp's  Favorite— I  consider  this  quite  an  ac- 
quisition ;  it  is  a  splendid  large  pear  of  the  best 
quality,  and  colors  even  better  than  the  Bartlett, 
having  a  beautiful  red  cheek ;  it  has,  however,  a 
bad  fault,  it  rots  too  soon. 

Ananas  de  Courtrai— a  fine,  large  and  most 
beautiful  pear,  of  good  quality,  and  a  regular 
bearer  ;  would  seem  to  be  valuable. 

Apothecary— a  very  large  and  showy  pear. 

Gerhard's  Butter— a  large  and  very  handsome 
pear,  good  quality,  and  productive. 

Wredow — a  remarkably  handsome  and  good 
pear,  but  an  unthrifty  tree. 

Westcott— a  handsome,  good  and  very  produc- 
tive pear  ;  fair  quality,  medium  size. 

Beurre  de  Montgeron,  or  new  Frederick  of 
Wurtemberg— the  few  trees  I  have  of  this  va- 
riety, have  proved  the  most  valuable  of  any  that 
I  have.  It  is  the  most  beautiful  pear  I  ever  saw; 
size  from  medium  to  large  ;  quality  generally 
good  ;  most  remarkable  for  coloring  uniformly, 
with  a  brilliant  red  cheek,  and  remaining  this 
way  on  the  tree  for  weeks,  a  most  beautiful  sight. 
It  has  always  proved  to  be  a  regular  and  good 
bearer,  and  an  excellent  keeper,  after  it  has  col- 
ored ;  tree  thrifty  and  vigorous  A  large  dish 
of  this  variety  that  I  had  on  exhibition  last  fall, 
at  the  exhibition  of  the  Pennsylvania  Horticul- 
tural Society,  attracted  more  attention,  and  was 
more  admired  than  any,  out  of  three  hundred 
varieties  I  had  on  exhibition.  Its  season  is  a 
little  later  than  the  Bartlett. 

We  next  come  to  a  season  comprising  the  lat- 
ter part  of  September  and  the  remaining  fall 
months,  when  pears  are  far  more  valuable  than 
they  are  at  the  heighth  of  the  peach  and  melon 
season. 

Seckel— stands  at  the  head  of  the  list  at  this 
season,  on  account  of  its  remarkably  high  flavor. 
It  unquestionably  has  no  superior  in  this  re 
spect.  It  is  not,  however,  a  very  valuable  mar- 
ket fruit,  on  account  of  its  small  size  and  gener- 
ally poor  color,  and  tendency  to  rot  before  ripen- 
ing. 

Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey— has  not  proved  satis- 
fiictory  ;  it  bears  abundantly,  but  is  often  of  poor 
quality,  and  sometimes  cracks. 

Buffam— a  very  productive  and  profitable  va- 


riety ;  the  tree  is  remarkable  for  its  vigor  and 
beauty  of  growth,  though  rather  small  and  not 
of  the  highest  flavor,  its  fine  color  and  produc- 
tiveness make  it  a  valuable  fruit  for  market  pur- 
poses. 

Urbaniste — has  generally  proved  good  in  every 
respect. 

Duchesse  d'Aagouleme— does  wonderfully  well 
some  seasons,  but  has  not  proved  a  regular  bear- 
er, probably  from  being  allowed  to  overbear. 
[Note. — I  think  it  would  pay  well  to  thin  out 
the  fruit  of  this,  and  perphaps  also  of  many  other 
varieties,  when  the  trees  are  overloaded]. 

Beurre  Diel — has  not  proved  satisfactory  ;  it 
is  sometimes  first-rate,  but  generally  of  a  poor 
color,  and  sometimes  cracks. 

Dix — remarkable  for  being  the  only  sort  out  of 
five  or  six  hundred  that  never  bears.  I  have  a 
number  of  quite  large  trees  of  this  variety,  one 
of  them  more  than  twenty  years  old,  and  nine 
inches  in  diameter,  and  they  have  neer  borne  a 
dozen  pears. 

Napoleon— very  productive  ;  of  a  good  color, 
but  often  spoiled  by  being  spotted  with  a  sort  of 
mildew. 

Oswego  Beurre — productive,  but  often  cracks. 

Beurre  Superfin— a  splendid  large  pear,  of  ex- 
cellent quality,  but  does  not  often  color  well,  and 
rots  too  soon  ;  tree  a  very  handsome  grower. 

Sheldon  —generally  does  well ;  productive  and 
good  but  sometimes  cracks. 

Beurre  Bosc — A  very  fine,  large,  handsome, 
productive  and  good  pear  ;  one  of  those  sub-acid 
pears  that  are  preferred  by  many.  It  seems  to 
have  one  fault,  however,  that  I  think  is  common 
to  all  dark  russet  pears,  that  of  rotting  badly  be- 
fore ripening. 

Paradise  d'Automne — very  like  Beurre  Bosc, 
but  smaller,  and  seems  to  be  no  better  in  any 
respect. 

Beurre  d'Anjou— has  proved  first-rate  with 
me  in  every  respect ;  I  consider  it  one  of  the 
most  valuable  of  all  pears. 

Beurre  Clairgeau — a  very  large,  showy  and 
productive  pear,  of  poor  quality,  and  very  liable 
to  be  spotted  with  mildew,  and  oflen  drops  pre- 
maturely from  the  tree.  [Note — Another  one  of 
Mr.  (^uinn's  pet  varieties]. 

Some  of  the  above  varieties  will  sometimes 
keep  half  through  the  winter.  They  are  all 
from  among  the  sorts  in  common  cultivation, 
and  such  as  I  grow  largely.  I  will  now  name  a 
few  others  ripening  at  the  same  season,  that  are 
not   so   well  known,  but   have   proved   valuable 


1S71. 


THE    GARBE^fER'S   MOJVTHLY. 


109 


with  me.     I  have  not,  however,  growQ  many  of 
them  extensively  : 

Doyenne  de  Fais-exceedingly  productive,  good 
quality,  valuable  for  keeping  long  after  it  has 
become  3'ellow. 

Doyenne  Rose— a  beautiful  and  productive 
pear,  also  keeps  well  after  it  has  colored. 

Oswego  Incomparable— a  fine  large  and  beauti- 
ful fruit,  keeps  well  after  it  has  colored  ;  tree  a 
splendid  grower. 

St.  Micliael  Archange— alarge,  handsome  and 
good  pear ;  tree  a  most  beautiful,  erect  and  vigor- 
ous grower. 

Baronne  de  Melo— a  very  handsome,  dark  rus- 
set pear  of  good  quality  and  productive. 
Philip  Goes — very  like  the  preceding. 
Bezc  de  Quassoi  d'Ete— a  beautiful  and  very 
productive  pear,  good  size  and  first-rate  quality, 
appears  to  be  quite  a  valuable  variety. 

Surpasse  Virgalieu — almost  equal  to  "White 
Doyenne,  and  does  not  crack. 

Butter— a  splendid,  large  and  exceedingly 
productive  pear  of  first-rate  qualit)'^,  very  re- 
markable for  bi  aring  enormous  crops  from  the 
time  the  tree  is  first  planted,  and  the  tree  all 
the  time  making  the  most  vigorous  growth.  It 
is  also  an  excellent  keeper.  I  consider  this  a 
fruit  of  great  promise. 

AVe  come  now  to  winter  pears.  !N'ot  having 
paid  as  much  attention  to  the  ripening  of  these 
as  I  might  have  done,  I  do  not  remember  but  a 
few  varieties  that  I  think  worth  mentioning 
here.  I  have  quite  a  number,  however,  on  trial, 
some  of  which,  I  am  in  hopes,  will  prove  valu- 
able. 

Lawrence — without  dispute  stands  at  the  head 
of  the  list  of  early  winter  pears,  and  probably 
taking  all  things  into  account  it  is  the  most 
valuable  of  all  pears.  It  is  not,  however,  a  late 
keeper,  and  frequently  commences  to  ripen  the 
the  first  of  October.  It  has  done  with  me  ex- 
ceedingly well. 

Winter  Xelis— a  good  early  winter  pear,  does 
not  keep  late. 

Doyenne  d'Alencon — very  productive  and 
sometimes  very  good. 

Vicar  of  Winkfield— very  productive  and  valu- 
able as  a  market  pear  for  cooking  ;  has  never 
been  anything  more  than  that  with  me. 

Glout  Morceau  —  sometimes  first-iate,  does 
not  often  do  well,  a  splendid  growing  tree. 

Easter  Bcurre — productive  and  sometimes  very 
good,  but  does  not  generally  ripen  well. 
I  shall  not  trespass  further  on  your  time,  by 


extending  this  list,  though  I  might  have  men- 
tioned many  others  that  I  have  on  trial, 
that  I  consider  well  worthy  of  attention,  quite 
a  number  of  them  having  done  better  for  me 
than  the  majority  of  those  on  the  lists  generally 
recommended  for  cultivation. 

If  I  had  been  writing  a  book  instead  of  only 
an  essay,  I  should  have  treated  this  branch  of 
my  subject  with  more  minuteness  and  at  much 
greater  length.  But  knowing  how  exceedingly 
tiresome  and  uninteresting  these  dry  details 
must  be  to  all  but  the  very  few  who,  like  myself, 
have  made  this  a  specialty,  I  feel  that  I  owe  an 
apology  already  for  having  extended  my  remarks 
beyond  the  limits  proper  for  an  occasion  like 
this  ;  and  I  shall,  therefore,  be  compelled  to 
omit  a  number  of  minor  topics,  and  some  of 
more  importance,  such  as  planting,  pruning, 
gathering,  ripening  and  marketing  the  fruit,  all 
of  which  would  be  interesting  in  a  more  ex- 
tended treatise. 

Before  concluding,  however,  T  desire  to  reiter- 
ate, that  it  was  not  intended  that  the  foregoing 
remarks  should  be  taken  for  anything  more  than 
what  they  really  are,  the  views  and  opinions  of 
a  single  individual.  In  preparing  them  I  have 
consulted  with  no  person,  and  have  looked  into 
no  books  or  authorities  on  the  subject ;  had  I 
done  so,  I  could  have  compiled  a  treatise  that 
would,  doubtless,  have  been  entitled  to  more 
weight  and  consideration.  But  I  did  not  sup- 
pose that  that  was  what  was  required  of  me.  I 
understood  my  instructions  to  be,  "  to  give  my 
views  on  the  subject ;"  and  what  I  have  done, 
is,  at  least,  as  far  as  it  goes,  emphatically  just 
this,  "  what  I  know  about  pears  ;''  and  for  that 
let  it  be  taken. 

One  word  more  in  conclusion,  in  regard  to  the 
general  subject  of  pomology.  At  the  commence- 
ment of  my  remarks,  I  hinted  at  the  difhculties 
there  were  to  contend  with  in  the  advancement 
of  this  science ;  and  while  it  is  undeniable  that 
in  our  attempts  to  investigate  the  hidden  secrets 
of  nature  in  this  direction,  we  are  met  at  every 
step  by  the  most  discouraging  obstacles  ;  that 
those  of  us  who  consider  ourselves  the  most 
practical  and  the  least  likely  to  be  carried  away 
by  subtle  and  plausible  theories,  find  ourselves 
constantly  at  fault,  and  often  compelled  to  turn 
back  and  take  a  new  departure.  But  while  ad- 
mitting all  this,  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood 
as  taking  a  discouraging  view  of  the  situation. 
On  the  contrary,  I  see  much  to  encourage  and 
stimulate  us  to  future  efforts.    That  pomological 


110 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S  MOJ^THLY 


April, 


science  is  making  rapid  progress,  in  spite  of  all 
obstacles,  (Iocs  not  admit  of  a  doubt.  (But  I 
should  be  traveling  entirely  out  of  my  province 
to  speak  of  that  here.)  It  is  these  very  diffi- 
culties, when  viewed  in  their  proper  light,  that 
are  in  reality  the  greatest  stimulus  to  exertion 
It  is  wisely  ordered,  that  the  road  to  success  in 
every  useful  and  laudable  pursuit,  is  beset  with 
difficulties ;  if  it  were  not  so,  there  would  be 
little  to  stimulate  to  that  exertion  and  industry 
which  developes  the  higher  and  nobler  qualities 
of  our  nature  ;  the  ignorant  and  the  slothful 
would  be  equally  successful  with  the  industrious 
and  the  skillful. 

Pomology  is  so  far  from  being  a  perfect  science, 
that  those  who  have  made  the  greatest  progress 
in  it  must  admit  that  they  a)-e  only  beginning 
to  see  how  much  there  is  to  learn.  There  is 
then  every  inducement  to  persevere  in  the  good 
work,  and  if  we  do  this  properly,  and  are  actuated 
by  motives  that  are  higher  than  merely  selfish 
considerations,  and  in  that  spirit  that  loves  the 
truth  for  its  own  sake,  and  above  everything 
else,  we  will  surely  have  our  reward ;  and  not 
only  will  these  meetings  continue  to  be  an  an- 
nual source  of  agreeable  recreation  and  pleasant 
social  enjoyment,  but  we  will  have  the  far 
greater  satisfaction  of  beholding  our  efforts  suc- 
cessful in  assisting  in  the  advancement  of  a 
science  which  is  behind  no  other  in  practical 
usefulness  and  in  the  bcnefi'ts  it  confers  in  im- 
proving the  health  and  happiness  of  our  race. 


MALE  FLOWERS  ON  THE  EAR  OF  CORN. 

BY  PROF.  HENRY  SHIMER,  MT.  CARROLL,  ILLS. 

The  Editors  of  llie  American  Naturalist,  page 
125,  in  the  April  number,  have  mentioned  this 
phenomenon  as  being  so  rare  that  they  would  like 
to  see  specimens.  It  then  occurred  tome  as  not 
very  rare,  and  that  I  had  frequently  observed  it 
from  a  youth  up  ;  and  I  presume  the  same  is  true 
of  everybody  who  has  ever  husked  corn  on  a  farm. 
I  asked  an  intelligent  farmer  if  he  had  ever  no- 
ticed the  corn  tassel  on  the  ear,  he  replied  often, 
and  turning  to  his  son  of  11  or  12  years  standing 
by,  said  I  guess  that  boy  has  noticed  it  ;  the  boy 
replied  that  lie  liad  frequently  seen  it,  sometimes 
so  long,  holding  his  hands  6  inches  apart. 

In  August,  while  we  were  gathering  and  dry- 
ing about  an  acre  of  sweet  corn,  I  observed  great 
numbers  of  si)ik('S  of  male  flowers  on  the  end  of 
the  ear,  perhaps  hundreds  of  them,  compar- 
ing well  in  numbers  Avith  the  ears  on  the  stanii- 


nate  spike  (?)  in  the  same  patch.     It  is  usually  a 

single  spike  of  flowers  from  one  to  six  inches 
long,  being  a  prolongation  of  the  receptacle  or 
"cob,"  and  may  be  produced  by  an  arrest  in  de- 
velopment, or  by  any  cause  that  weakens  the 
extremity  of  the  cob,  so  that  it  transforms  its 
usual  habit,  and  developes  male  instead  of  fe- 
male flowers. 

Mr.  Meehan,  (Proceedings  of  the  Academy  of 
Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  1870,  page  71 
and  72,)  has  shown  that  in  certain  docks  the 
male  flowers  gradually  increase  with  the  weak- 
ening of  axils,  until  only  male  flowers  were  pro- 
duced at  the  end  of  the  racemes ;  and  that  in 
coniferous  plants  female  flowers  are  only  born 
on  strong  vigorous  shoots,  and  that  "these  vig- 
orous shoots  would  in  time  be  crowded  and  weak- 
ened b}^  shade,  when  they  would  eease  to  bear 
female  and  produce  male  flowers  onl3\" 

If  weakness  was  the  cause  of  this  unusual  pro- 
lific development  of  abnormal  or  misplaced  or- 
gans, what  were  the  weakening  causes  in  this 
instance  ?  I  can  observe,  four.  First,  the  seed 
was  old — 3  or  4  years  old.  Second,  the  corn  was 
planted  entirely  too  thick.  Third,  the  season 
was  very  dry, unusually  dry.  Fourth,  the  cultiva- 
tion was  not  entirely  perfect,  a  great  deal  of  fox- 
tail grass  grew  among  it.  The  ground  was  well 
manured  as  a  counteracting  cause. 

On  the  page  of  the  Naturalist  ?CooyQ  alluded  to, 
Mr.  D.  Milliken  believes  that  after  rains  in  a  dry 
summer,  plants  make  haste  to  produce  new  or- 
gans, regardless  of  all  order  and  harmony.  But 
it  becomes  us  ever  to  bear  in  mind,  that  law  and 
order  is  the  rule  in  every  department  of  nature, 
and  when  we  behold  a  departure  from  the  usual 
course  of  things,  we  may  also  see  in  that  the 
beauty  of  Divine  law,  if  we  are  onl}'  wise  enough 
to  search  it  out.  In  this  case,  the  theory  of  Mr. 
Meehan,  in  my  judgement,  is  more  applicable 
and  consistent  with  the  laws  of  nature  than  that 
of  Millikin. 

From  the  specimens  before  me,  I  sometimes 
find  perfect  grains  scattered  here  and  there  along 
the  spike  among  the  male  flowers.  The  male 
flowers  in  other  instances  are  mingled  among  the 
grains  on  the  last  inch  of  the  well  formed  ear, 
the  power  of  development  being  about  equally 
divided  between  the  male  and  female  forces  ;  and 
on  this  ear  is  a  very  robust  spike  of  male  flowers 
about  two  inches  long.  Sometimes  at  the  end 
of  a  spike  of  male  flowers  five  or  six  inches  long, 
a  small   receptacle  of  imperfect  female  flowers 


JS71. 


THE    GABBEXEE'S   MOJVTBZy. 


Ill 


appears,  but  seldom  develops  grain,  or  this  oc- 
curs at  the  middle  of  the  spike  ;  sometimes  the 
spike  of  male  flowers  springs  from  the  side  of 
the  ear  at  the  base.  More  than  all  this,  I  some- 
times find  all  the  grains  of  an  ear  developed  into 
long  membraneous  tubes  like  the  blades  of  the 
husk  with  the  edges  joined,  proving  that  even 
the  grains  arc  but  modified  leaves. 

Mr.  Milliken,  I  think,  might  more  safely  con- 
clude that  abortive  ears  are  more  frequently  pro- 
duced through  lack  of  fertilization  of  the  pistil 
on  account  of  isolation  ;  a  lateness  in  the  devel- 
opment of  the  ear,  it  appearing  only  after  the 
male  flowers  had  all  shed  their  pollen  ;  than  to 
refer  it  to  any  hasty,  irregular  or  ungoverned 
action  on  the  part  of  the  plant  itself. 

I  herewith  enclose  you  a  few  short  spikes  of 
male  flowers  that  I  have  broken  from  the  ears, 
and  will  gladly  send  you  the  cars  with  the  spikes 
on  if  I  can  find  a  convenient  way. 


MAJEURES  OR  PLANT  FOOD. 

BY  MR.  JACOB  STAUFFER,  LANCASTER,  PA. 

The  two  iraportanr  elements  in  the  food  of 
plants,  are  carbon  and  nitrogen  derived  from  the 
atmosphere,  the  other  elements  are  found  in  wa- 
ter, oxygen  and  hydrogen. 

The  dark  substance  called  hiiraus,  is  the  fin  d 
result  of  the  decomposition  of  animal  and  vege- 
table matters.  It  forms  an  important  manure 
or  element  of  plant  food,  and  where  abundant, 
constitutes  a  rich  soil.  This  humus  is  rich  in 
carbonic  acid  and  anmionia.  These  two  are  the 
sources  of  nitrogen  and  carbon,  for  the  supply  of 
plants,  and  are  produced  in  immense  quantities 
on  the  globe,  and  diffused  through  the  atmos- 
phere. 

There  is  a  law  of  proportions  in  the  combina- 
tion of  one  element,  with  that  of  another  ;  thus, 
carbonic  acid,  a  compound,  is  always  composed 
of  16  parts  of  oxygen,  with  6  of  carbon,  by 
weight.  Ammonia  always  contains  3  of  h^'dro- 
gen  and  14  of  nitrogen.  Water,  oxygen  8,  hy- 
drogen 1.  Carbonic  acid,  ammonia,  and  water, 
are  believed  to  constitute  the  food  of  plants,  con- 
taining an  excess  of  oxygen,  which  is  set  free  to 
restore  the  balance  necessary  for  animal  life,  as 
the  great  supporter  of  respiration. 

Thus  plants  elaborate  the  various  products. 
Some  compounds  arc  rich  incarbonand  h3'drogen, 
but  devoid  of  nitrogen,  such  as  starch,  gum,  su- 
gar and  the  various  fiitty  matters  ;  while  others 
are  rich  in  nitrogen,  such  as  the  albumen,  fibrine 


and  casicn.  These  compounds  drawn  from  the 
atmosphere  through  the  mediation  of  plants, 
are  for  the  service  of  animals  by  which  their  cor- 
poral frames  are  built  up,  so  that  in  one  sense, 
man  "Krcs  wpon  the  c«"r."  But  as  Schleiden  ob- 
serves, in  connection  with  this  subject,  on  the 
combustion  so-called  in  the  respiratory  process, 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  necessary  heat: 
"But  from  these  slow  invisible  flames, there  rises  a 
new-born  Phoenix,  the  immortal  soul,  into  re- 
gions Avhere  our  science  has  no  longer  any  value  " 
I  quote  this  here,  since  I  find  modern  scientists 
prone  to  preach  up  materiality  in  such  a  man- 
ner, as  if  spiritual  relations  between  the  creature 
and  creator  was  a  myth  and  a  mental  delusion. 
All  is  chemical  action,  say  they,  and  the  growth 
and  decay  of  tree  or  animal  without  exception. 
Man,  himself,  it  is  argued  by  such,  is  only  a  de- 
veloped monkey,  in  like  manner  as  some  of  your 
choice  apples  were  only  crab,  originally,  etc.  But 
to  my  subject.  Ilumus  is  considered  a  most  valua- 
ble element  of  soils,  being  carbon  in  a  state  of  mi- 
nute division,  and  almost  indestructible  ;  its  im- 
portant action  is  to  absorb  water  and  retain  it 
for  the  use  of  the  plants.  The  carbonic  acid 
and  the  ammonia  from  the  air,  this  combination 
of  gaseous  matters  constitute  this  humus  into  a 
food  bearer,  the  store-house  to  supply  the  plant 
as  circumstances  demand  its  use. 

There  are  also  mineral  elements  wanted  that 
do  not  come  from  the  atmosphere,  but  from  the 
soil  ;  each  peculiar  class  of  plants  demands  cer- 
tain peculiar  accessory  food.  Liebig  (a  good  au- 
thority) tells  us  that  wheat  does  not  flourish  on 
soils  that  are  rich  in  pure  vegetable  mould,  be- 
cause this  plant  needs  Silex  as  an  element  ne- 
cessary to  its  healthy  constitution,  and  without 
which  indeed  it  cannot  exist.  This  substance  it 
does  not  find  in  vegetable  mould.  By  burning 
plants,  the  organic  elements  are  dissipated  by 
forming  gaseous  compounds  that  escape,  while 
the  ashes  remaining  are  found  composed  of  lime, 
silex,  soda  and  potash,  salt,  bone-earth,  gypsum, 
&c.,  substances  that  are  not  vitalized;  each 
class  produces  a  diflerent  composition  of  uniform 
mineral  constituents,  all  things  equal,  so  as  to 
determine  the  specific  plant  subjected  to  the  or- 
deal. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  efllcacy  of 
manures  lies  in  the  inorganic  constituents  ;  and 
startling  as  it  seems,  it  is  essentially  diflerent, 
whether  we  convey  manure  to  the  field  or  burn 
it  first  and  strew  the  ashes  on  the  soil,  since  its 
eflicacy  is  dependent  solely  on  the  constitution 


m 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^'TELY. 


Arpil, 


of  the  ashes,  if  we  admit  that  manure  is  plant 
food,  tlioiigh  the  mechanical  effect  of  some  kinds 
of  manure  would  not  be  had  by  their  ashes  alone. 

The  fcedingof  stock  for  the  sake  of  making  barn- 
yard manure, and  itsapplication  to  the  soil, guided 
by  experience,  is  well  enough  ;  but  .science  de- 
mands some  attention  not  to  rob  the  soil  of 
some  necessary  elements  which  is  not  returned  to 
it,  and  which  is  essential  to  the  perfect  develop- 
ment. Large  exposed  manure  heaps  lose  much 
by  fermenting, — the  best  or  volatile  portions  are 
dissipated  in  the  air.  Heaped  up  during  sum- 
mer, the  ammonia  which  wasted  from  the  ma 
nure  can  be  chemically  fixed  or  rendered  non- 
volatile, by  making  a  compost  of  loam,  sods, 
road-scrapings,  swamp-muck,  etc.,  and  to  apply 
cypsum  to  the  mass  whenever  they  could  detect 
ammonia  escaping  from  it.  Some  cover  their 
heaps  of  manure  by  sheds,  and  even  supply 
pumps  to  return  the  drainings  from  a  well 
back  upon  the  pile  ;  thus  the  manure  is  greatly 
improved,  the  woody  fibres  decomposed,  and 
many  seeds  of  noxious  weeds  loose  their  vitality. 
A  compost,  half  loam  and  half  peat,  is  thought 
better,  load  for  load,  than  fresh  yard  manure. 

We  may  divide  vegetables  into  four  classes, 
according  to  Leibig,  as  one  or  the  other  of  the 
Important  inorganic  elements  predominates  in 
the  ashes. 

1st.  AlJcali plants,  those  that  contain  double 
alkaline  salts,  such  as  beets,  potatoes  and  the 
vine. 

2d.  Lime  plants,  containing  lime  and  magne- 
sia, as  clover,  peas,  beans,  etc. 

3d .  Sikx  plants,  those  containing  silex,  wheat 
and  the  grasses. 

4th.  Phospjliorous pdants,  those  containing  the 
phosphates,  also  wheat,  corn,  rye,  oats,  etc.,  in 
short  the  cereals  and  fruits. 

"With  these  guides  understood  and  considering 
all  ntanurcs  as  plant  food,  with  the  stimulus  of 
heat,  light  and  perhaps  electricity,  we  may  have 
some  basis  to  exercise  our  judgement  upon  what 
may  be  the  most  conducive  to  producing  good 
results. 

It  will  1»e  our  duty  first  to  a.scertain  the  chem- 
ical character  of  the  whole  of  the  plant  to  be 
fed  or  manured  ;  in  other  words,  the  crop  to  be 
grown  :  then  whether  the  soil  upon  which  we  in- 
tend to  sow  the  seed  contains  the  needed  inor- 
ganic elements  for  said  crop ;  if  deficient,  let  it 
be  supplied  at  once,  guarding  against  excess.  It 
is  well  also  to  ascertain  whether  there  may  be 


an  excess  of  alkaline  earth  in  a  caustic  state, 
that  may  prove  injurious  to  certain  plants.  Lime 
is  soon  neutralized  by  exposure  to  the  air,  hence 
the  needful  constituents  demanded  by  the  vege- 
table is  a  matter  of  serious  consideration.  In 
ihe  application  of  manures  of  any  of  the  various 
kinds,  care  should  be  exercised  to  have  these 
well  incorporated,  and  when  mingled  with  com- 
mon soil,  they  can  be  more  regularly  distributed, 
especially  such  as  guano,  boiled  or  ground  bones, 
oil-cake,  poudrette,  etc. 

As  to  the  application  of  barn  manure,  whether 
fresh  or  green,  or  well  fermented  and  compost- 
ed, much  depends  upon  the  character  of  the  soil 
and  upon  the  nature  of  the  crop.  For  corn,  po- 
tatoes and  other  field  crops,  apply  it  green  and 
in  the  spring,  especially  on  clayey  soils.  For 
gooseberries,  currants,  shrubbery,  etc.,  as  a 
mulch  on  the  top  of  the  freshly  dressed  soil,  in 
the  fall  is  better  than  in  the  spring  of  the  year. 
So  with  grass  lands,  without  regard  to  the  moon's 
phase— gai'dens,  vineyards  and  the  like,  where 
the  soil  needs  not  the  disintegrating  influence  of 
decaying  vegetable  fibre,and  to  avoid  introducing 
weeds.  The  manure  thoroughly  fermented  and  in- 
timately incorporated  with  the  soil  and  in  close 
proximitj'  to  the  roots.  Manure,  during  fermenta- 
tion, loses  ammonia,  which  is  great ;  let  it  be 
understood,  that  the  soil  is  so  wonderfully  con- 
stituted as  to  absorb  and  retain  all  the  plant  food 
contained  in  the  manure,  and  that  the  rains  do, 
in  no  wise  leach  it  out,  but  remains  fixed  in  the 
soil  ready  for  supplying  the  roots  of  plants. 
This  wonderful  plan  of  Divine  wisdom,  Baron 
Leibig  announces  thus :  "There  is  not  to  be 
found  in  chemistry  a  more  wonderful  phenom- 
enon, or  one  which  more  confounds  all  human 
wisdom,  than  ii  pi'esented  by  the  soil  of  a  gar- 
den or  field.  By  the  simplest  experiment,  any 
one  may  satisfy  himself  that  rain  water,  filtered 
through  a  garden  or  field,  does  not  dissolve  out  a 
trace  of  potash,  silicic  acid,  ammonia  or  phos- 
phoric acid.  The  soil  does  not  give  up  to  the 
water  one  particle  of  the  food  of  plants  which  it 
contains.  The  most  continuous  rain  cannot  re- 
move from  the  field,  except  mechanically,  any 
of  the  essential  constituents  of  its  fertility.  1  he 
soil  not  only  retains,  firmly,  all  the  food  of  the 
plants,  which  is  actually  in  it,  but  its  power  to 
prcbcrve  all  that  may  be  useful  to  them  extends 
further.  If  rain  or  other  water,  holding  in  solu. 
tiou  ammonia,  potash,  phosphoric  and  silicic 
acids,  be  brought  in  contact  with  the  soil,  these 


1871. 


THE    GARDEjYER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


113 


substances  disappear  almost  immediately  from 
the  solution  ;  the  soil  draws  them  from  the  wa- 
ter. Only  such  substances  are  completely  with- 
drawn by  the  soil  as  are  indispensable  articles  of 
lood  for  plants,  all  others  remain  wholly  or  part 
in  solution. 

If  a  funnel  be  filled  with  soil,  and  a  dilute  so- 
lution of  silicate  of  potash  be  poured  upon  it, 
there  will  not  be  found  in  the  filtered  water  a 
trace  of  potash,  and,  only  u»der  certain  circum- 
stances, silicic  acid.  If  freshly  precipitated 
phosphate  of  lime  or  phosphate  of  magnesia 
be  dissolved  in  wa  er  saturated  with  car- 
bonic acid,  and  filtered  in  like  manure  through 
soil,  there  will  not  be  found  a  trace  of 
phosphoric  acid  in  the  filtered  water.  So  al- 
so with  phosphate  of  lime  in  diluted  sulphuric 
acid,  or  of  phosphate  of  magnesia  and  ammonia 
in  carbonic  acid  water.  The  phosphoric  acid 
in  each  case  remains  in  the  soil.  Charcoal  re- 
acts in  a  similar  manner  with  many  soluble  salts 
—by  chemical  attraction  acting  from  its  surface, 
in  which  the  constituents  of  the  soil  perform 
their  part. 

This  wonderful  property  found  to  exist  in  the 
soil,  only  in  reference  to  such  substances  required 
for  plant  food,  is  such  an  evidence  of  the  good- 
ness and  wisdom  of  God,  as  to  excite  our  adora- 
tion. Every  reflecting  mind  must  see  the  value 
of  these  interesting  facts  in  an  agricultural  point 
of  view. 

Clay  is  well  known  for  possessing,  in  a  high 
degree,  the  absorbent  and  purifying  properties 
in  earth«closets,  and  for  absorbing  the  properties 
of  liquid  manure;  and  for  arresting  the  escape  of 
amraoniacal  vapors,  it  is  of  great  value.  Thus 
soil  may  be  saturated,  and  form  the  very  best 
manure. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  all  plant  food 
must  be  reduced  to  a  liquid  state,  in  order  that 
the  rootlets  (spongioles)  should  be  able  to  appro- 
priate them.  Water  is  indeed  essential  as  a  sol- 
vent. But  Liebig  contends  that  the  roots  have 
the  power  of  taking  in  these  matters  without 
their  previous  solution,  and  adds,  'these  sub- 
stances arc  present  in  the  soil,  in  a  condition  fit 
for  absorption  by  the  rootlets  of  the  plants, 
though  not  themselves  soluble  or  removable  by 
the  rain  water,  until  the  soil  is  saturated  with 
them.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  the  major- 
ity of  our  cultivated  plants  receive  their  nour- 
ishment directly  from  these  portions  of  the  soil 
which  are  in  immediate  contact  with  the  root- 


let, and  that  they  die  when  their  food  is  pre- 
sented to  them  in  solution.  The  action  of  co)i- 
centraied  manures  burning  the  young  plants, 
seems  to  support  this  supposition."  The  plants 
themselves,  in  the  absorption  of  their  food,  select 
from  the  soil  those  substances  which  they  re- 
quire, by  and  through  the  co-operation  of  a  cause, 
which  resides  in  the  capillary  attraction  and 
the  rootlets.  Plants,  as  organized  living  struc- 
tures, are  yet  not  fully  comprehended  in  their  in- 
tricate yet  simple  functions. 

In  presenting  the  foregoing,  I  claim  no  origin- 
ality, but  deem  the  facts  set  forth  of  such  value, 
that  they  cannot  be  repeated  too  often,  nor  be  too 
widely  spread  for  the  benefit  of  a  large  class  of 
intelligent  and  progressive  farmers. 


BOILERS. 

BY  A.  L.  PENNOCK,  PHILAD'A. 

Being  a  "Boiler  man,"  your  article  on  hot- 
water  boilers  particularly  attracted  my  attention; 
but  not  agreeing  with  your  conclusions  as  ex- 
pressed in  the  Monthly^  I  give  my  reasons.  So 
far  as  I  am  acquainted,  all  persons  who  make  a 
business  of  putting  up  hot-water  apparatus,  un- 
derstand that  the  greater  weight  of  the  cold  wa- 
ter displaces  the  hot,  and  causes  circulation  ;  and 
because  the  circulation  is  so  caused,  your  maxim, 
taken  literally,  "Look  after  the  cold  water  pipes 
and  the  flow  will  take  care  of  itself,''  will  not 
answer.  The  flow  pipes  require  more  care  in 
setting  than  the  return  pipes,  because  they  are 
under  less  pressure,  and  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten, 
where  the  water  does  not  circulate  properly,  the 
trouble  is  in  the  flow. 

Last  season  I  put  up  a  boiler  heating  3500  feet 
of  4  inch  pipes,  which  worked  admirably,  but 
during  the  summer,  the  ground  under  the  flow 
settled,  and  on  firing  up  for  winter,  three  of  the 
houses  were  not  heated.  We  raised  the  flow, 
and  all  went  right  again.  On  another  occasion, 
where  the  pipes  dipped  under  a  road,  the  water 
stopped  circulating,  on  account  of  air  which  a 
little  dirt  in  the  air  cock  of  the  flow  prevented 
from  escaping.  Again,  where  there  was  an  ele- 
vation in  the  flow,  and  the  water  was  allowed  to 
get  too  low,  the  circulation  was  stopped,  and 
upon  filling  up  the  water,  the  return  pipes  acted 
as  flows,  and  continued  to  do  so  for  several  days, 
until  the  fire  was  put  out,  when  the  circulation 
ceased,  and  the  cold  water  settled  to  the  lowest 
part,  and  on  firing  up,  the  water  circulated  pro- 
perly again.     I  could  give  a  number  of  instances 


lljf 


IHE    GARDE  JEER'S   MOA^TELY. 


Api  il, 


of  trouble  from  the  flow  pipes,  but  have  never 
yet  seen  difficully  (although  such  a  case  could 
readily  be)  where  the  cold  water  pipes  alone  were 
the  cause.  As  you  say,  "water  may  be  made  to 
go  along  a  level  or  up  or  down,''  and  upon  that 
idea  my  first  boilers  were  constructed ;  but  I 
have  taken  them  all  down.  Experience  has  also 
taught   me  that   the  flow   should  rise   to  its   ex- 


tremity without  a  depression,  and  to  a  great  ex- 
tent the  return  should  follow  the  same  rule. 
I  believe  it  to  be  the  most  satisHictory  plan. 

I  should  not  have  noticed  the  article  in  any 
other  magazine,  but  I  consider  the  Monfhlu  the 
Horticultural  Journal  of  America,  and  desire 
that  the  fullest  experience  shall  be  given  for  the 
benefit  of  its  large  circle  of  readers. 


EDITOR lAL. 


EMBRYONIC  INARCHING. 

Some  years  ago,  we  regarded  the  idea  that  two 
cells  of  distinct  kinds  would  unite  ar;d  form  a 
third  variety,  as  a  fable.  Thns,  when  Mr. 
Blodgctt  represented  that  his  sweet  and  sour  ap- 
ple resulted  from  an  union  of  buds  in  grafting, 
we  dissented.  It  was  not  that  we  doubted  that 
the  experiments  were  made  as  represented,  but 
that  we  thought  the  results  obtained  were  due 
to  other  laws  than  that  of  cell  union  ;  and  that 
the  manner  in  which  the  two  buds  were  united, 
in  the  one  budding  operation,  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  case.  It  has  always  been  our  custom, 
however,  not  to  feel  too  sure  that  our  own  notions 
of  things  are  right,  and  in  this  spirit,  though 
starting  with  the  idea  of  this  cell  union  being 
impossible,  we  have  looked  about  to  see  what  the 
wild  waves  of  nature  are  saying  about  the  ques- 
tion ;  and  gradually  we  have  been  brought  to  be- 
lieve that  this  cell  union,  and  consequent  pro- 
duction of  new  forms,  is  not  the  absurd  thing 
we  once  thought  it  was. 

The  writer  of  this  has  at  various  times  called 
the  attention  of  scientific  institutions  to  facts 
which  cannot  be  explained  in  any  other  way, 
than  that  the  appearances  were  due  to  Embry- 
onic inarcliing.  This  has  gradually  taken  shape, 
until  with  similar  observations  in  Europe,  both 
prior  and  subii-equent  to  his  own,  we  think  the 
point  is  fully  established  ;  and  the  great  point 
contended  f(jr  by  Mr.  IJlodgett  is  gained,  name- 
ly, the  pcrlect  possibility  of  the  fruit  production 
for  which  ho  contends. 

Some  of  the  renuirks  of  the  writer  before  the 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  riiiladelphia, 
have  been  the  occasion  of  other  valuabli^  notes  in 
addition  by  the  Editor  of  the  Loudon  Gardener^s 


CJircnicJe  and  one  of  its  correspondents.  As  it 
will,  no  doubt,  interest  a  large  number  of  our 
readers,  we  give  the  paragraphs  in  full : 

"In  a  previous  number  (p.  104)  we  reprinted 
some  observations  of  Mr.  Mcehan's  on  the  sub- 
ject of  Embryonic  Inarching,  a  point  of  some  in- 
terest horticulturally,  as  certain  anomalous 
"mixed  products,"  as  a  chemist  would  call  them, 
have  been  supposed  to  have  originated  in  such  a 
manner.  In  reference  to  the  same  subject  we 
have  received,  through  the  courtesy  of  an  un- 
known correspondent,  the  following  extract  from 
the  Frieiich''  JnttlUyencer,  accompanied  by  a 
specimen,  on  which  we  shall  make  some  com- 
ment further  on  : 

'At  the  last  meeting  of  the  Academy  of  Nat- 
ural Sciences,  Thomas  Mcehan  exhibited  several 
specimens  of  the  Madura  aurantiaca,  t^  com- 
mon Osage  Orange,  in  which  the  plants  were 
inarched  together  in  pairs  in  a  remarkable  way. 
He  said  : — The  Osage  Orange  was  extensively 
grown  as  a  hedge  plant,  and  in  digging  up  the 
one-year  plants  these  united  twins  were  usually 
found  in  the  proportion  of  about  one  score  in  ten 
thousand.  Double  kernels  were  common  occur- 
rences in  many  seeds.  There  were  double 
Peaches  and  Almonds,  but  these  bad  their  sepa- 
rate seed  covering  or  membrane,  consequently 
the  separate  embryos  produced  distinct  plants. 
But  these  indicated  that  there  had  been  two 
separate  embryos  under  one  seed  covering,  and 
that  the  radicular  portions  of  this  double  em- 
bryo, having  no  membrane  to  separate  them, 
had  inarched  themselves  together  while  passing 
to  the  ground.  If  this  were  the  true  explana- 
tion, he  thought  there  was  no  such  case  recorded. 
That  it  was  true  seemed  probable  from  the  fac 


7cS7i. 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S   MOJVTHLl. 


115 


that  all  the  specimens  were  uuited  in  exactly  the 
same  manner,  showing  that  time,  place,  and  the 
circumstances  of  the  union  were  uniformly  the 
same.     The  scars  showed  that  there  were  four 
cotyledons  and  two  germs,  and  that  the  place  of 
union  was  midway  between  the  pairs  of  cotyle- 
dons.    From  the  base  of  the  cotyledons,  extend- 
ing the  whole  length  of  the  radicle,   the  union 
existed.     The   length   of  this  united   part   was 
from  half  an  inch  to  an  inch,  according  to  the 
vigor  of  the  plant.     Another  lesson,  he  hoight, 
was  afforded  by  these  specimens.     Dr.  Asa  Gray 
had  recently  remarked  in  "Silliman's  Journal," 
that    European    botanists   still    believed    what 
American  botanists  had  learned  to  doubt,  that 
the  radicle  was  a  true  root  rather  than  a  mor- 
phologized  point  of  stem.     Here  was,  he  believed, 
au  illustration  of  the  American  view.  These  radi- 
cles, which  had  evidently  united  together  under 
the  seed  coat,  hadelougated  after  protrusion,  just 
as  a  young  shoot,  with   all  its   parts  formed   in 
the  bud,  elongates  after  the  bursting  of  the  bud 
scales.     They  com pi-ised  the  half  inch,  or  inch 
united  portions  referred  to.     If  these  radicular 
portions  of  the  seed  were  of  the  nature  of  root 
rather  than  of  stem,  we  might  expect  to  see  lat- 
eral fibres  push  from  them  as  we  see  do  from  the 
true  roots  which  start  out  below  the  union.   But 
these  parts  are  as  free  from  rootlets  as  any  por- 
tion of  the  true  stems  above  the  cotyledon  points, 
indicating,    as  has  been   suggested,   that   their 
properties  were  rather  of  stem  than  of  root.     S. 

B.  7?.' 

"The  double  Almonds  and  Peaches  referred  to 

by  Mr.  Meehan  are  of  course  due  to  the  devel- 
cpmentoftwo  ovules  or  two  seeds  in  place  of 
one  ;  but  in  the  case  of  the  Osage  Orange,  as  we 
understand  it,  two  embryo  plants  were  produced 
in  one  and  the  same  ovule.  This,  though  as- 
suredly unusual,  is  yet  easily  intelligible,  from 
the  fact  that  under  ordinary  circumstances  there 
are  several  germinal  vesicles  in  the  same  embryo- 
sac,  though  usually  only  one  of  these  vesicles 
becomes  fertilized  and  developed  into  a  new 
plant.  Plurality  of  embryos  in  the  same  seed 
has  been  noticed  in  several  genera,  and  is  indeed 
frequent  in  the  seeds  of  the  Orange  Several 
such  instances  are  recorded  in  Dr.  Masters'  work 
on  'Vegetable  Teratolgy,'  wherein  instances  of 
the  adhesion  of  the  double  embryos  so  produced 
are  alluded  to,  though  Mr.  Meehan  seems  to 
have  overlooked  them,  in  particular  one  case 
cited  by  Mr.  Thwaites,  'wherein  two  embryos 
were  contained  in  one  seed  of  a  Fuchsia,  and 


had  become  adherent.  What  is  still  more  re- 
markable, the  two  embryos  were  different,  a 
circumstance  attrilnUablc  to  their  hybrid  or  igin 
the  seed  containing  them  being  the  result  of  the 
fertilization  of  Fuchsia  coccinea  (Ilort.),  i.  e., 
magellanica,  by  the  pollen  of  F.  fulgens.'  This 
last  is  a  very  important  fact  for  horticul  liritt 
as  bearing  on  the  question  of  graft  hybridiza- 
tion. Potato  grafting,  and  the  like,  while  it  af- 
fords confirmation  of  the  much  doubted  'Trifa- 
cial Orange,'  produced  as  is  affirmed  by  causing 
the  seeds  of  the  Citron,  the  Orange,  and  the 
Lime  to  adhere  together.  'The  fruit  produced 
by  this  tree  exhibits  three  distinct  species  in- 
cluded in  one  rind, the  division  beingporfectly  visi- 
ble externally,  and  the  flavor  of  each  compart- 
ment as  different  as  if  it  had  grown  on  a  sepa- 
rate tree.'  The  specimen  kindly  forwarded  us 
by  our  correspondent,  consists  of  two  seedling 
plants  of  the  Osage  Orange,  free  above  the  scars 
which  indicate  the  position  of  the  cotyledons, 
and  free  from  the  commencement  of  the  root 
downwards  ;  the  caulicles  (tiijella),  which  are 
nearly  2  inches  in  length,  are  firmly  united  to- 
gether. There  is  nothing  in  the  specimen  before 
us  to  indicate  when  the  union  took  place  ;  it  may 
have  done  so  in  the  seed  itself,  or  it  may  have 
occurred  in  the  early  stages  of  germination  from 
the  close  contact  of  two  seedling  plants." 

The  Correspondent  of  the  Chronicle  says  : 
"Embryonic  Inarching.-  This  is  common  in 
Aurantiacca?,  and  something  akin  to  it  is  com- 
mon in  Sterculia  acuminata.  I  also  have  seen 
a  specimen  of  Dolichos  throw  two  stems  from 
one  seed,  in  1S70.  Similarly,  in  1868,  a  seed  of 
Cocos  Romanzoffiana,  and  of  Areca  rubra,  both 
yielded  plants  which  are  growing  in  the  Botanic 
Gardens,  Kew,  at  the  present  time,  and  which, 
on  examination,  you  will  find  originated  from 
one  embryo.  T.  Croncfiei;  Gr.  to  F.  T.  Peacock, 
Eaq.^  Sudbury  House,  Hainmersmith.''^ 

There  is  one  paragraph  in  the  extract  from  the 
Proceedings  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences 
which  may  be  misunderstood  by  some  botanists. 
That  in  relation  to  the  radicle  being  a  morpholo- 
gized  stem,  rather  than  of  the  nature  of  root. 
Of  course  roots  will  come  from  any  stem,  and 
with  this  idea  one  might  wonder  what  this 
proved  here.  But  Osage  Orange  stems  do  not 
produce  rootlets  readily.  It  has  been  found  an 
exceedingly  slow  process  to  root  them  by  lay- 
ers. It  was  in  this  re.'spect  that  we  noted  the  in- 
arched radicles  resembled  the  stems.     Though 


116 


TEE    GARDE  JEER'S   MOJ^'THLY. 


April. 


under  the  ground,  no  rootlets  came  from  the  in- 
arched portion,  while  from  the  points  immedi- 
ately below  the  union,  fibres  pushed  freely.  As 
one  of  America's  most  venerated  botanists  has 
called  our  attention  to  this  point,  we  think  it 
may  serve  a  good  purpose  to  point  out  the  applica- 
tion of  the  remarks  at  the  Academy  in  the  way 
in  which  they  were  intended. 


ABOUT  CABBAGES. 
A  case  was  recently  tried  in  Philadelphia,  in 
reference  to  cabbage  seed,  which  suggested  to  us 
how  very  little  is  known  of  things  which  pass 
before  our  eyes  every  day.  There  is  no  one  but 
knows  a  cabbage,  yet,  how  it  grows  in  its  native 
localities, — whether  it  is  annual,  biennial  or  per- 
ennial,— or  whether  it  grows  wild  with  or  with- 
out a  head,— how  many  cabbage  growers  can 
tell? 

The  writer  has  been  fortunate  to  come  across 
the  cabbage  in  a  wild  state,  in  some  of  his  early 
botanical  excursions.      These  natural  locations 
are   usually  on  chalky  cliffs  by  the  sea-side,  in 
various    parts    of   Europe.      The    flowers   are 
marked    in    our  herbarium   specimens    as    ap- 
pearing in  June.     The  seeds  fall  at  once  when 
mature,    and    grow    immediately.      The    plant 
makes  a  stem  about  as  thick  as  one's  little  fin- 
ger, at  best,  but  usually  stouter  by  fall.     There 
arc  no  signs  of  any  head,  although  the  leaves  have 
a  slightly  involute  tendency.     Early  next  spring 
the  plant   pushes  up  its  flower  s'ems,  blooms, 
seeds  and  dies.     In  one  sense  the  plant  is  but  an 
annual  :  it  lives  only  twelvemonths, — from  June 
or  July,  till  the  next  year  at  the  same  time.     In 
the  language  of  botany,  it  is  a  biennial,  for  it  is 
produced  in  one  year,  and  lives  over  to  the  next. 
If  now  the  seed  is  not  suffered  to  fall  and  grow- 
naturally  in  July,  but  is  saved  by  the  hand  of 
man  till  late  in  the  fall,  or  even  till  the  following 
sprini:,    the    immediate    flowering   property    is 
checked.     Some  would   say   it   was  not   strong 
enough  to  flower  ;  but  philosophically  we  hardly 
know  what  "strong  enough"  in  this  sense  means; 
as   strength  merely   is  not  a  law  of  flowering. 
However,  the  fact  is,  it  does  not  flower,  but  in- 
stead continues  to  grow,  adding  great  strength 
and  vigor  to  stem  and  leaves,  and  then  flowers 
at  the   usual  time   next  year.     Thus   it  will   be 
seen  that  the  only  reason  why  a  cabbage  heads, 
is  because  the  natural  growing  season  of  the  plant 
has  been  delayed  by  man  several  months  after  seed 
ripening. 


We  know  that  it  is  customary  with  horticul- 
turists to  attribute  a  wonderful  origin  to  our  im- 
proved vegetables.  "We  give  pyramids  of  credit 
to  the  good  old  monks  of  the  middle  ages,  who 
handed  down  the  cabbage-head  to  us.  But  we 
believe  the  "knowledge''  and  "skill"  engaged  in 
this  matter  was  not  in  the  past  much  more  than 
is  found  to  be  the  case  where  the  "patient  ef- 
forts" of  our  would-be  patentees  of  new  fruits  in 
these  modern  times,  resolve  themselves  into  the 
cutting  off  of  a  few  scions,  or  the  digging  up  of  a 
few  bushes  or  canes  from  some  plants  in  old 
cow  pastures  or  waysides. 

Buck  man  has  taken  the  common  wild  Pars- 
nip, and  in  a  few  generations  has  produced 
as  good  as  any  grown  forhundreds  of  years ;  and 
in  this  cabbage  business,  we  have  strong  faith 
that  one  could  take  the  seeds  of  the  wild  species, 
as  we  have  described  them,  sow  in  October,  pre- 
serve during  the  winter  from  severe  cold,  and  get 
tolerably  good  heads  the  next  summer  or  autumn . 
Now  this  is  but  theory,  but  there  seems  to  be  no 
other  conclusion  from  the  facts  we  have  re- 
corded. 

Now,  to  the  practical  man,  many  lessons  are 
taught  here.  No  matter  how  large  or  solid  his  cab- 
bage head  might  be,  if  sown  in  July  when  the 
seed  ripened,  he  would  get  no  head  next  year. 
If  he  sow  in  August,  his  chances  would  be  a  tri- 
fle better,— in  September  it  is  still  improved  ;  but 
he  is  hardly  safe  until  the  end  of  this  month  or 
I  even  the  beginning  of  October.  Nay,  the  month 
I  has  less  to  do  with  the  matter  than  the  season, — 
for  if  the  October,  November  and  December  be 
open  or  fine,  or  the  plaut  stimulated  h\  heat, 
still  the  plant  will  run  to  seed  as  naturally  as  a 
cauliflower  will  "button"  in  a  warm  winter  hot- 
bed. 


LECTURE  ON  HORTICULTURE  IN  CALI- 
FORNIA. 
On  the  13th  of  April,  the  Hon,  Marshall  P. 
Wilder,  President  of  the  National  Pomological 
Society,  will  deliver  a  lecture  for  the  benefit  of 
the  Pa.  Horticultural  Society  upon  the  subject  of 
Horticulture,  Agriculture  and  Social  Life  on  the 
Pacific  coast.  It  will  be  recollected  that  Mr. 
Wilder,  Chas.  Downing  and  P.  Barry  of  New 
York,  made  a  horticultural  trip  to  California 
jast  year.  In  the  proposed  lecture,  Mr.  Wilder 
will  embody  the  result  of  his  observations,  which 
will  aftbrd  matter  of  the  highest  scientific  and 
practical  interest. 


Ibll. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJVTELT. 


117 


Mr.  Wilder  has  delivered  this  lecture  before 
the  Mercantile  Library  Association,  at  Boston, 
with  the  highest  commendation. 

One  Hundred  Dollars,  from  the  proceeds  of 
Mr.  Wilder's  Lecture  before  the  Horticultural 
Societ}-,  will  be  offered  as  a  Premium  for  the 
Best  Collection  of  Fruits,  from  any  State,  Socie- 
ty, or  individual,  comprising  Apples,  Pears, 
Peaches,  Plums  and  Grapes,  three  specimens  of 
each  variety,  to  be  shown  at  the  Autumnal  Ex- 
hibition of  the  Society,  Sept   12,  187L 

It  is  proposed  to  make  the  Autumnal  Exhibi- 
tion of  the  Pennsylvania  Horticultural  Society, 
in  some  degree  a  National  Exhibition,  as  in 
1869.  'I'he  National  Pomological  Society  will 
meet  in  Richmond,  Va  ,  Sep.  8th  and  9th  ;  and 
the  Phi'adelphia  meeting  will  open  on  the  12th. 
The  discussions  will  be  held  in  Richmond,  but 
the  chief  exhibition  of  fruits  may  be  held  in 
Philadeli)hia,  or  there  may  be  one  exhibition  of 
fruit  in  Richmond,  and  another,  and  the  greater 
one,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Horticultural  Society  immediately  afterwards. 
The  Horticultural  Society  has  greatly  increased 
its  premiums  for  fruits  and  flowers,  and  will 
make  an  effort  to  excel  even  the  exhibition  of 
1869.  We  shall  soon  publish  an  abstract  of  the 
iist  of  premiums. 

'I  he  monthly  exhibition  for  April,  occurs 
on  the  18th  of  this  month.  The  list  of 
premiums  is  libera],  and  we  understand  that  spe- 
cial prizes  will  be  offered  for  display  of  ornamen- 
tal foliage  plants  and  plants  in  bloom,  profes- 
sional Florists,  which  has  not  heretofore  been 


done. 

The  public  interest  in  the  Society  seems  to  be 
increasing,  and  the  members  exhibit  very  com- 
mendable enthusiasm  in  making  a  fine  display 
at  the  exhibitions. 


THE  SALAVAY  PEACH. 

[See  Frontispiece  ] 

A  few  years  ago,  the  late  Mr.  PuUen  sent  us 
some  "first  fruits"  of  the  Salway  Peach,  even 
then  quite  new  in  England,  where  it  originated. 
It  was  beautiful  to  look  upon,  and  withal  re- 
markably good  to  eat,  though  an  orchard  house 
fruit  is  by  no  means  to  be  compared  to  an 
out  of-door  ripened  one. 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable,  that  though 
peaches  grow  here  so  easily,  and  seedlings  ap- 
pear by  the  thousands,  our  best  varieties  are 
mai:.ly  those  brought  from  the  Old  World.  There 
are  few  native  varieties  that  will  compete  suc- 
cessfully with  Grosse  Mignonne,  George  IV, 
Barrington,  Royal  George,  Bellegarde,  Walbur- 
ton.  Chancellor,  Newiugton,  Early  York,  No- 
blesse, Old  Mixon,  and  perhaps  some  others. 

Our  engravnig  is  not  taken  from  one  grown  in 
the  open  air  in  this  country,  but  from  one  grown 
in  the  climate  of  England.  So  far  as  w^e  know, 
it  has  not  yet  fruited  outside  of  orchard  houses 
in  America.  Generally  we  should  not  go  to  the 
trouble  of  so  costly  an  engraving  of  an  untried 
fruit ;  but  in  view  of  the  great  value  which  other 
peaches  with  foreign  reputations  have  proved  to 
us,  we  feel  safe  in  giving  this  fine  variety  promi- 
nent notice. 


SCRAPS   AND    aUERIES. 


Management  of  HonTicuLTiTRAL  Socie- 
ties.—Alluding  to  the  Pennsylvania  Horticul- 
tural Society,  we  recently  noted  in  effect,  that  it 
was  strange  these  institutions  ignored  the  ser- 
vices of  the  horticultural  press  in  making  their 
objects  known,  and  that  a  few  advertisements  of 
what  they  were  doing  and  wanted  to  do,  would 
do  them  more  good  than  the  managers  have  the 
least  comprehension  of.  Here  is  the  Pennsylva- 
nia Society  for  instance,  which  spends  annually 
in  advertising  in  "secular*  papers  and  pam 
phlets,  perhaps  SIOOO,   has  probably  not-  spent 


one  cent  of  this  on  any  horticultural  paper.  Yet 
why  horticultural  publishers  should  exert  them- 
selves to  sustain  horticultural  societies,  and  hor- 
ticultural societies  do  nothing  in  return  for  hor- 
ticultural journals,  we  cannot  understand. 

In  the  remarks  referred  to,  we  stated  that  the 
Pennsylvania  Horticultural  Society  had  offered, 
probably,  a  larger  sum  for  premiums  than  any 
other  Society  has  done.  Now  some  good  friend 
sends  us  a  marked  copy  of  the  schedule  of  the 
Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society,  by  which 
we  see  that  847J0  is  the  Bum  of  what  they  offer. 


ns 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S   M0J\''T11LY. 


April, 


Some  of  these  ai-e  very  liberal,  as  witness  the 
following : 

For  objects  originiited  subsequent  to  1800,  and 
which,  after  full  trial,  shall  be  deemed  superior 
in  quality  and  other  characteristics  to  any  now 
extant. 

For  the 

Best  Seed'ing  Pear,  rtflar  a  public  trial  of  five  years $60  00 

Best  Seeding  Apple.  Mfter  a  public  triul  of  five  yejirp ro  00 

Best  Seed'ing  Hardy  Grape, after  a  public  tri\l  of  3  yrs. .  60  00 

Best  S-'eedling  Clieny,  aftpr  a  public  trial  of  3  year.'' 40  00 

Best  '-epdllng  Strawberry,  after  a  public  trial  of  3  years..  50  00 
Best  Seedlinj;  Ka.-<pberrv,  after  a  public  trial  of  3  years..  40  Oi 

Best  other  .'^eedli  g  Fru  t,  after  a  puMic  trial  of  3  yrs 40  (0 

Pest  Seed  ing  Kose,  after  a  public  trial  of  3year.« 40  00 

Best  ."-eedling  Camellia,  after  n  public  tri*l  of  3  yenrs 60  00 

Best  Seedling  Azalea  iodica,  after  a  public  trial  of  3  yrs.  40  CO 
Best  Seed  ing  Tree  Ffcony,  nfter  a  public  trial  of  3  yrs....  40  OU 
Best  Seedling  Hi  rdy  Khododetidror.,  after  a  public  trial 

of  3  years 40  00 

Best  Seedling  Hardy  Azalea,  after  a  public  trial  of  3  y  »..  40  (0 

Best  -eodlino  Flower,  after  a  pub  ic  trial  of  3  year.-* 40  CD 

BestSi-edling  .ate  Potato,  nfter  a  (.ublic  trial  of  i  years...  30  00 
Best  Seedling  early  Potato,  after  a  pnli'ic  trial  of  3 yrs....  30  lO 
Be.«t  Seedli-  g  Vegetable,  after  «  pub'io  trial  of  3  yrs 30  00 

AVe  suppose  our  good  friend  sent  us  this  marked 
copy  as  a  reflection  on  our  ignorance  in  rating 
the  offers  of  the  Pennsylvania  Society  so  much 
above  ^Massachusetts,  and  we  accept  the  rebuke 
with  thankfulness.  ]5ut  yet  we  submit  that  if 
these  institutions  are  really  in  earnest  in  wish- 
ing the  best  kind  of  competition,  they  should 
make  use  of  the  best  agencies  for  that  purpose. 
This  placing  of  valuable  lights  under  bushels, 
and  then  depending  on  horticultural  editors  to 
advise  the  public  individually  to  lift  them  and 
dazzle  their  eyes  by  the  brilliancy  that  lies  buried 
beneath,  all  lias  it.s  usefulness  ;  but  the  better 
plan  would  to  apply  those  celebrated  measuring 
utensils  to  more  legitimate  uses,  and  let  the  lu- 
minous institutions  speak  in  a  glory  of  their 
own. 


Mr.  Douglas'  Letteh.— ^1  ,  Galtnn,  Ills  , 
says:  "AVhat  an  interesting  letter  from'our'  Dou- 
glas, we  always  learn  something  from  what  he 
says      Why  don't  you  get  him  to  write  oftener?" 

[Well !  that  is  just  the  point.  AVe  don't  know 
how  to  get  him. 

Some  of  our  nu).';t  intelligent  men  write  little, 
for  fuar  they  can  write  nothing  notalretidy  known. 
Tliis  is  is  a  very  proper  feeling  ;  but  so  much  is 
forgotten  that  has  been  told,  that  every  one  who 
transgresses  in  this  way  is  seldom  civught,  and 
if  caught,  readily  forgiven.] 


Pkau  Culture.- A'  JI  S.,  Suspension  Bridi,e, 
N.  Y.,  says  :  "I  wish  in  your  next  number  you 
would  give  us  your  views  on  pear  culture  and 


pruning,  whether  the  fall  or  now  is  the  best  for 
pruning,  and  whether  summer  pruning  is  gener- 
ally followed.  I  see  by  the  'Agricultural  Tleport' 
that  it  is  condemned,  and  also  disturbing  the 
ground  with  the  plough,  further  than  removing 
weeds  with  scythe  or  hoe.  Let  us  hear  from 
you  on  this  matter.  Please  state  when  you  take 
up  this  matter,  what  manures  you  approve  of 
for  the  pear." 

[The  essay  of  Mr.  Satterthwait,  which  is  con- 
cluded in  this  number,  will  no  doubt  furnish  our 
correspondent  with  much  valuable  information. 
Some  of  us  might  perhaps  differ  from  the  author 
on  some  minor  points  ;  but  he  speaks  from  a  very 
successful  experience,  and  we  regard  the  Fruit 
Growers'  Society  as  fortunate  in  getting  for  the 
world  one  of  the  best  Pear  essays  ever  seen  la 
print.] 

Deaths  of  Horticulturists.— During  the 
past  month  we  note,  with  regret,  the  decease  of 
several  distinguished  Horticulturists.  One  of 
the  Messrs.  Vilmorins,  of  Paris,  was  shot  through 
the  head  at  Le  Mans — Henry  Vi  morins.  The 
other  two  were  in  the  army,  but  escaped.  San- 
ford  Howard  died  at  Lansing,  ^fichigan  ;  he  was 
formerly  Editor  of  Bo.^'ton  Cnhii-ator,  and  one  of 
the  earliest  friends  of  the   Ganlener''s  Monthly. 

Mr  Stephen  Pieison  of  Alton,  Ills.,  one  of  the 
leading  spirits  in  the  excellent  Alton  Horticul- 
tural Society,  has  also  passed  away. 


London  Vridk— Miss  Kate  3f.,  of  Washing- 
ton, Ohio,,  asks  where  this  old  plant,  Saxifraga 
vvihrosa, amlthc  old  yellow  Asphadel,can  be  had. 
AVe  have  not  seen  them  for  many  years  ;  if  any 
of  our  readers  have  either  or  both,  we  should  be 
obliged  for  a  root. 


Name  of  1  -last.— Mary  McA.,  Bowling 
Green,  Kentticky.  "Enclosed  you  will  find  a 
small  i)lant  wliich  you  will  i)lease  examine,  and 
tell  me  through  tlie  Monthly  what  it  is.  I  have 
been  a  close  observer  of  plants  many  years  ;  this 
is  the  tirst  time  I  ever  noticed  this  plant.  It 
came  up  in  my  flower  beds  voluntarily  ;  it  is  very 
hardy  ;  the  cold  spell  before  Christmas  did  not 
injure  it  in  the  least ;  it  begun  to  bloom  Feb.  14. 
It  may  be  a  similar  case  to  one  before.  The 
'  Leptosiphon  alba"  had  never  been  seen  before 
18(54,  wluiu  it  first  appeared,  covering  the  entire 
tield,  whi(rh  had  a  cropof  Maize  the  year  before." 

[Arabis  thaliana.     It  is  an  European  species, 
but  is  gradi'.ally  spreading  all  over  the  United 


1871. 


THE    GARDE.YER'S   MOJVTELy. 


119 


States.  It  is  a  very  pretty  thing  to  examine  un- 
der the  microscope,  as  the  hairs  are  star  shajxjd, 
a  not  very  visual  circumstance  in  the  cruciferous 
order,  to  which  this  plant  belongs.] 


N'a-me  OF  Plant —C.  D  F.,  Catharine,  JV. 
Y — ^'Enclosed  find  branches  of  a  tree,  which 
orrows  wild  in  this  part.  It  is  quite  ornamental. 
What  is  it?  The  common  and  botanical  name  ?" 

[Euoni/mns  Americanii.-i, — very  beautiful,  aud 
worthy  of  g-arden  culture.] 


Value  OF  Some  Pkars.—  TF.  H.  E., Hamburg^ 
K.  Y. — ''I  wish  to  ask  for  information  through 
3-our  valuable  ^[onthllf,  as  to  the  following  varie- 
ties of  pears  :  Yicar  of  Winkfield,  Buftum,  Doy- 
enne Boussock,  Madeline.  These  are  fine  grow- 
ing trees,  not  yet  bearing.  I  am  told  they  are 
not  good  varieties.  If  you  will  please  inform  a 
subscriber  to  the  Monthly,  you  will  ever  be  held 
very  kind  bj'  a  lover  of  good  fruit.'' 

[These  varieties  are  amongst  the  most  popu- 
lar. It  is  not  a  bad  sign  they  grow  so  well  Pa- 
tiently hoar  with  them  while  they  are  sowing 
these  wild  oats,  and  they  will  no  doubt  reform 
by  aud  by.] 


IjAte  Strawberry.— J.  Morristown,  Ind.,cor 
re^pondeni  saj's  :     "  I  have  a  strawberry,  that  for 
growth  of  plant,  beats  all  others  on  poor  soil.    It ) 
will  grow  thirty  inches  across,  the  plant  bearing  ] 
its    fruit    on    stocks    ten    to    12    inches    long- 
It  is  a  pistillate,  and  blooms  so  late,  the  Dow-  i 
ner,  Wilson,  etc  ,  cannot  act  on  any  but  a  few  of] 
the  first  blooms  on  it.     It  has  just  passed  one  of  | 
the  most  trying  seasons  I  have  ever  known,  and  j 
corae  out  all  right.     It  has  yielded  about  a  quart ! 
to  the  plant.     All  the  berries  that  get   properly 
fertilized,  are  of  large  size  and  good  flavor.     I  j 
think  it  would  be  a  good  kind  to  get  a  cross  from,  j 
if  I  knew  what  to  use  as  the  male  parent.     Will 
you  please  tell  me  in  thecolumnsof  the  .1/ouf/t?(/  "  , 

[It  is  not  generally  known  that  pollen  will  re-  j 
tain  its  vitality  in  paper,  like  seeds.  For  fertili  I 
ziug  purposes,  our  correspondent  could,  there-  ' 
fore,  preserve  the  pollen  of  any  of  the  early  kinds,  ' 
and  use  them  for  his  purpose  when  these  later 
blooms  came  out.] 


of  a  Musk  Melon,  or  the  appearance  of  one,  being 
more  of  a  squash  look  than  melon  ;  color  chiefly 
white  ;  aa  excellent  keeper,  as  good  Feb.  1st  as 
the  day  it  was  cut  from  the  vine.  He  considers 
it  a  decided  acquisition." 


New  Musk  Melox— Mr.  Phojnix  has  sent 
home  a  few  seed  of  a  Musk  Melon  ;  he  describes 
it  of  very  luperior  flavor.     It  has  not  the  smell 


Arrangement  of  a  Flower  Bed.— Mrs. 
S.  E.  N ,  Phelps,  Ontario  Co.,  If.  Y.  "An 
oval  bed,  ten  by  fourteen  feet,  being  already 
planted  with  Hyacinths  for  spring  blooming,  has 
had  for  two  summers  past  Ricinus,  ithree  varie- 
ties) Jive  pZcujts,  which  grew  twelve  feet  high. 
Also  the  same  number  of  Japanese  Maize  with 
Caladiuni  esculentum,  and  three  or  four  Tube- 
roses to  fill  the  outside  vacancies  It  was  as  orna- 
mental and  as  much  admired  as  I  could  wish,  but 
'a  lad}'  no  more  wants  her  flower  garden  to  have 
the  same  look  every  year  than  she  wants  her  new 
spring  bonnet  to  last  forever'  {Gardener's 
Monthly,  April,  1864)  ;  sol,  following  her  exam. 
pie,  apply  to  j'ou  as  a  lady  does  to  her  milliner, 
hoping  that  you  will,  if  possible,  in  your  next 
number  give  me  a  few  suggestions  as  to  what 
kinds  of  tall  ornamental-leaved  plants,  aud  how 
many  to  plant. 

How  would  the  Erianthus  Baveuna  do  for  a 
centre,  and  other  grasses  to  fill  out  with.  I  want 
something  to  make  a  show  the  first  )-ear.  Do 
the  seeds  of  all  these  grasses  in  our  floral  cata" 
logues  germinate  easily  ?  If  you  could  suggest 
other  things  better  adapted  to  the  purpose,  please 
do  so,  and  oblige  not  only  myself,  but  probably 
many  others. 

Cannas  I  have  tried  often,  but  do  not  succeed 
with  the  finer  kinds,  though  following  closely 
our  catalogue  directions." 

[The  Cannas  require  longer  summcr.s  than 
your  d'^trict  afl'ords.  For  a  change,  substitute 
Bocconia  japonica  for  Ricinus.  Its  height  is 
about  the  same,  and  it  has  much  the  same  habit. 
As  the  Ricinus  was  found  to  please,  something 
of  the  same  character  would  be  the  best  to  ex- 
periment with.  A  very  strong  plant  of  Erian- 
thus liavenna  would  do.  Small  plants  flower  too 
weakly  and  too  sparsely.  Its  feathery  spikes  will 
not  Contrast  disagreeably  with  the  flowers  of  Boc- 
couia,  which  are  ' 'sprayey "  also.  Jlumea  eJegans  is 
also  another  strong  growing  plant,  with  much 
elegance  when  in  flower  ;  but  there  is  no  dee 
color  in  it  as  there  is  in  the  leaves  of  Ricinus. 
Color  can  be  given,  however,  by  planting  among 
them  some  of  the  strong  Gladiolus,  especially  O. 
Brenchleyensis     or     of     Tritoma   uvaria.      We 


no 


THE    GARDEJVEWS   MOJiTHLY 


.April, 


should  still  add  a  few  Tuberoses,  for  none  of  these 
groups  are  perfect  without  some  Trlnte,  cither  in 
leaves  or  flowers. 

Seeds  of  ornamental  grasses  usually  grow 
readil}' ;  but  in  Pampas  grass,  or  the  Erianthus, 
t  takes  two  or  three  years  to  get  a  seedling  plant 
strong  enough  to  make  a  show.] 


TnuJA  QTGANTEA.— 3/.,  West  Phila.,  Pa  , 
writes  :  "When  look'ng  at  my  plants  two  years 
ago,  you  said  what  I  had  as  Thuja  gigantea  was 
incorrectly  named,  and  that  it  was  Libncedrus  de- 
currens.  I  was  almost  sure  it  was  the  name  I 
had  with  it  from  Parsons  &  Co.,  but  did  not  like 
to  contradict  you.  Last  year  I  imported  a  few 
things  from  Europe,  and  amongst  others,  a 
Tliuja  gigantea^  so  as  to  have  it  correct.  I  en- 
close a  piece  ;  you  will  see  I  was  right  in  the  first 
instance.  It  is  the  same  as  the  other.  With 
your  love  of  accuracy,  I  know  you  will  be  glad 
to  be  corrected,  or  I  would  apologize.'' 

[Of  course  we  desire  to  be  correct,  and  thank 
our  friend  for  his  good  intentions.  In  this  case, 
however,  the  English  and  Parsons  are  both 
wrong.  See  Gardener^s  Monthly,  Vol.  I.,  where 
the  whole  subject  was  investigated.] 


now,  and  "Downing  only  knows"  when  this 
thing  is  to  stop.  Our  rule  for  sometime  has  been 
to  name  and  describe  only  those  fruits  which  we 
feel  tolerably  sure  are  different  from  and  in  some 
respect  superior  to  others  existing.] 


Pruning  Hemlocks  andEvergrkens.— /. 
C.  S,  Philadelphia.  "Will  it  do  to  clip  and 
shape  our  Hemlocks  and  Norway  Firs  in  the 
spring  ;  if  so,  when  is  the  best  time  ?" 

[For  specimens  on  lawns,  the  best  time  to  prune, 
to  reduce  trees  to  shapeliness,  is  as  soon  in  spring 
as  danger  from  very  cold  winds  is  over.  For 
hedges,  the  best  time  is  about  three  weeks  after 
the  buds  have  pushed.] 


Seedling  Apple.— -4  Subscriher,  Cadrz,  O.— 
"Last  fall  I  sentyou  anew  seedling  Apple,  raised 
by  a  friend  of  mine  in  this  county,  with  a  re- 
quest that  it  be  figured  and  described  in  the 
Gardener's  Monthhj,  but  I  have  not  seen  any  ac- 
count of  it.     Did  you  receive  it  V" 

[We  have  to  ai)olf'gize  to  our  correspondent 
for  the  oviTsight  in  not  noticing  it.  We  remem- 
ber its  receipt,  and  thouL,'lit  it  a  very  good  fruit, 
but  not  equal  to  Henoni,  which  in  general  char- 
acteristics it  very  much  resembled. 

We  regard  the  indiscriminate  describing  of 
every  good  seedling  fruit  that  may  come  up,  as 
an  evil,  which,  so  far  as  in  ()urpf)wer,  we  set  our 
face  against.     We  have  over  2UUU  named  apples 


Laiino  ottt  a  SmallGarden  — 3frs  /.  3/ , 
Norwich,  iV.  Y.,  writes  :  'My  husband  is  de- 
sirous to  obtain  some  hints  or  suggestions  in  re- 
gard to  laying  out  our  jard  and  garden.  The 
house  is  a  square  stone  house  ;  the  yard  is  200 
feet  in  front,  and  the  same  on  the  south  side, 
with  a  garden  extending  on  the  same  side  about 
the  same  number  of  feet.  The  house  is  a  corner 
house,  fronting  two  streets.  Can  you  give  us 
any  directions  as  to  how  it  should  be  laid  out  or 
direct  us  to  some  work  on  the  subject  of  laying 
out  yards,  gardens,  &c.'' 

[It  is  difficult  to  advise  without  seeing  the 
house,  or  a  ground  plan  of  it.  Much  depends 
on  where  the  doors  are,  as  the  location  of  the 
walks  depends  on  this  ;  and  again,  the  groups  of 
shrubs  and  the  trees  will  depend  on  the  location  of 
the  windows,  and  indeed  of  the  walks  them- 
selves. As  a  rule,  in  small  places,  straight  walks 
look  better  than  curved  ones  ;  and  trees  of  medi- 
um size  or  bushes  are  better  than  trees  that  %vill 
grow  large.  If  the  street  lines  are  of  wire,  iron, 
or  some  other  kind  of  very  open  fence,  an  orna- 
mental hedge  inside  the  line  looks  well.  This 
may  be  of  Purus  japmnca  if  the  brilliant  blos- 
soms are  appreciated  ;  or  of  Hornbeam  if  good 
foliage  is  preferred  ;  or  of  Arborviiseor  Hemlock 
Spruce  if  it  is  desirable  to  have  something  green 
in  the  winter.  In  small  places,  open  spaces  of 
neatly  kept  lawn  are  always  admiixnl, — the  more 
so  as  there  is  so  much  tendency  to  plant  things 
about,  and  at  last  leave  no  lawn  worth  speaking 
of.  Along  the  boundaries  of  the  lot,  borders 
planted  with  shrubbery  look  well,  these  to  bo 
kept  always  clean  from  grass  The  contrast  of 
the  brown  earth  with  the  green  grass  is  always 
pleasing.  In  front  of  these  borders  hardy  low- 
ers which  bloom  early,  like  Polyanthus,  Crocus, 
Snowdroi)s,  do  very  well.  The  borders  may  be 
bayed  out  in  some  instances,  and  a  clump  of 
larger  growing  bushes  put  in  the  wide  part. 
This  will  make  shady  and  sunny  nooks,  and  give 
variety  in  this  way.  These,  to  be  sure,  are  very 
general  hints.  They  may  be  summed  up  thus  : 
First  locate  the  walks  with  the  view  to  conveni- 
ence, then  aim  at  the  greatest  variety  of  pretty 
objects— in  surface,  outliues,  lawn,  shrubbery, 
llowers,  &c. 


1871. 


TEE    GARBEJ^ER'S    MOJVTHLy, 


121 


There  is  no  very  <»ood  American  work  on  small 
places.  Kemp's  '■How  to  lay  out  a  small  garde)i'>'> 
can  be  had  through  any  importing  bookseller, 
and  with  a  little  modification  of  the  kind  of  trees 
mentioned,  and  other  smaller  matters  made  to 
accomodate  our  climate,  is  an  invaluable  work.] 


Pink  Blossoms  from  A  "White  Geranium 
—Mrs.  S  S.  T.,  Carbon  Cliff,  i/?s  ,  sendsa  speci 
men  ofiroranium,  and  says  :  "I  enclose  a  truss 
of  the  pink  blossorasborneby  a  cutting  from  a  pure 
white  geranium.  The  color  is  not  quite  as  deep 
as  in  the  more  congenial  summer  time  ;  but  you 
will  see  it  is  quite  distinct  from  the  pink  flush 
sometimes  seen  on  white  varieties.  You  may 
remember,!  mentioned  some  months  since  thesin- 
gular  freak  of  the  branch  of  a  White  Zonale  Ge- 
•  ranium,  whicJi  being  divided  into  four  parts,  pro- 
duced two  ])lants  bearing  white  fiovvers,  and  two 
pink,  of  which  the  enclosed  is  one.  It  is  impos- 
sible that  I  should  be  mistaken  with  regard  to 
the  identity  of  these  plants,  for  I  had  no  other 
cuttings  at  the  time,  and  none  tor  months  before 
and  afterward." 

[There  is  no  mistake  in  our  correspondent's 
observation.  We  put  the  truss  sent,  in  water, 
and  some  of  the  flowers,  mostly  pink,  came  out 
of  a  j^ure  while.] 


Dahlias.— J/rs.  S.  S.  T.,  Carbon,  Cliff,  Ills., 
asks  :  "May  I  ask  that  you  will  add  to  the 
obligations  under  which  I  am  already  to  the 
Gardener's  Monthly,  by  giving  me  some  direc- 
tions for  the  cultivation  and  care  of  the  tubers 
of  the  Dahlia,  and  how  to  raise  them  from  seed?" 

[Dahlias  are  best  set  out  very  early  in  the 
ground  after  danger  of  frost  is  over.  As  soon  as 
they  are  sprouted,  take  them  up  and  divide,  and 
set  out  the  pieces  again  separately.  They  make 
better  plants  than  when  several  stems  come  from 
one  old  root.  The  seed  is  to  be  collected  in  the 
fall  sown  early  in  spring  in  hot-beds,  and  the 
plants  will  flower  the  same  year.] 

Flowering  of  Wistaria  sinensis  -  Mr.  B. 
H.  Sherwood,  College  Wharf,  Pa.,  writes  :  "In 
reading  an  article  in  the  Monthly  of  February,  I 
was  quite  surprised  to  see  that  you  consider  the 
fruiting  of  the  Glycine  sinensis  a  rarity.  We  have 
an  old  j)lant  that  Ix-ars  fully  a  half  bushel  of  pods 
annually.  We  have  also  a  G  sinensis  alba,  that 
fruits,  but  less  freely." 

[The  paragraph  referred  to,  was  written,  not 


by  us,  but  by  Mr.  Shirley  Hibberd,  in  the  En- 
glish Gardener^s  Marjazine  ;  and  he  was  referring 
to  plants  growing  in  England. 

Mr.  Sherwood's  note  is  interesting,  as  suggest- 
ing whether  new  varieties  may  not  be  raised 
here  of  this  popular  favorite.  We  should  very 
much  like  to  know  from  Mr.  Sherwood,  whether 
seedlings  have  flowered  with  him,  and  whether 
they  show  any  tendency  to  vary.] 


Pear  on  Oak  Roots.— A  Delaware  county 
correspondent  writes  to  us  about  this.  He  is 
not  by  any  means  a  novice,  or  one  easily  per- 
suaded unless  facts  are  strong.     He  says  : 

"I  have  been  promised  grafts  from  a  winter 
pear  growing  in  this  neighborhood,  grafted  on 
the  root  of  an  oak  tree  Its  growth  has  tar  out- 
stripped trees  grafted  on  pear  roots,  and  it  bore 
pears  last  year  weighing  twenty  ounces. 

I  do  not  send  this  statement  to  the  Monthly, 
for  I  do  not  suppose  any  one  will  believe  it,  but 
if  necessary,  1  can  give  sufficient  proof  of  the 
fact." 


Wire  Fences.— We  have  repeatedly  referred 
to  the  annoying  habit  in  solid  wire  fences  and 
trellisses  of  getting  loose  and  "kinky"'  by  the 
changes  in  our  temperature.  Fences  of  woven 
wire  have  been  found  to  be  safe  against  this  ;  but 
too  expensive  for  general  use.  Mr.  Yeomans 
made  a  useful  advance  by  his  invention  of  a  lever 
tightener;  and  we  now  have  another  capital 
thing  in  the  advertisement  of  Mr.  Philip  S.  Jus- 
tice, in  our  columns  this  month.  AVe  are  evi- 
dently in  the  Hue  of  cheap  and  good  fences. 


New  Fuchsia.— 3f?ss  A.B.N,  Phelps,  K 
Y.,  asks  us  to  name  the  best  new  Fuchsia.  So 
many  new  ones  are  good,  it  is  hard  to  choose  the 
best.  But  Madame  Deproost  is  good ;  it  has  a 
bicolored  corolla.  Starlight  and  Marksman  are 
are  also  two  very  good  varieties.  The  same  lady 
encloses  a  Fuchsia  for  name,  the  flower  of  which 
is  scarcely  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long,  and  leaves 
to  correspond.  This  is  the  very  old,  but  nearly 
lost  Fuchsia  reflexa.  There  are  two  species  in 
cultivation,  with  these  minute  flowers.  This 
one  has  the  tube  of  the  corolla  somewhat  taper- 
ing ;  the  other  one  has  it  as  thick  at  the  attach- 
ment with  the  stem,  as  further  down,  cylindri- 
cal in  fact.     This  is  the  F.  microphylla. 


n^ 


THE    GABDEJVER'^    MOKTBLl. 


April, 


Dendroriums.— Mr.  Such  sends  a  branch  of 
D.  iiohih  clothed  with  magnificent  flowers  ihrct 
inches  across.  N'othing  is  said  about  the  num- 
ber on  the  plant,  so  that  we  suppose  the  palm  in 
this  ri'spect  is  conceded  to  Mr  Xewett,— but  we 
infer  that  something  is  to  be  claimed  by  South 
Amboy  in  the  matter  of  fine  flowers  at  least. 
TN'ith  these  was  a  single  specimen  of  the  rare  D. 
macrophyUum  giganteum,  in  which  the  flowers 
are  of  a  brilliant  rose,  from  a  plant  having  sev- 
enty six  flowers,  which  is  remarkably  good  ;  and 
of  Eucharis  yrandiflora,  the  third  set  of  flowers 
this  season. 


OxALLS  LASiANDKA.— T.  II   iT ,  says  :    The 

tap  roots  of  Oxalis  lasiandra,  that  are  broken  ofl" 
when  the  bulbs  are  taken  up  in  the  fall,  make 
viost  exrelknt  jnckles,  und  owing  to  their  beauti- 
ful pearly  translucency,  elicit  much  wonder  and 
admiration  when  brought  to  the  table.  This 
Oxalis  is  a  very  pretty  border  plant  of  the  easiest 
growth,  and  I  plant  a  good  many  of  them,  as 
much  for  the  roots  as  the  flower?. 

[AVe  do  not  know  this  species.     Similar  use 
has  been  made  of  Oxalis  Dejjjiei.] 


Errata. — The  concluding  words  in  the  por- 
tion of  ]SIr.  E.  Satterthwait's  essay,  published 
in  March  number,  should  be  "molasses  and  vine- 
gar." 

Heating  Railway  Cars.— i?.  D  ,  Hingham, 
3/a.s's.,  says  :  "Every  year  the  papers  have  much 
to  say  about  heating  railroad  cars.  What  is  there 
against  heating  them  by  hot  water  as  we 
heat  our  greenhouse  ?  It  seems  a  very  simple 
thing  to  do,  and  I  wonder  no  one  has  thought  of 
it." 

[It  has  probably  been  thought  of;  but  the  dif- 
ficulty, no  doubt,  is  that  fire  has  to  be  kept  con- 
tinually in  such  a  heated  car,  or  else  the  water 
continually  drawcd  ofl" and  refilled,  or  the  pipes 
would  freeze  and  burst.  Thus  it  would  be  dan- 
gerous in  one  way,  and   troublesome  the  other.] 


FORNWALDER    OR    FALLAWATER    ApPLE.— 

J.  S  ,  Pcnns  Orove,  Pa  — "Can  you  tell  me  any 
thing  of  th(!  "Pollywogger"  apple.  I  bought  a 
barrel  from  a  friend  in  the  lower  end  of  the 
county  under  this  name  They  seem  to  much 
resemble  the  Tornwalder,'  but  are  smaller.  V>y 
the  way,  what  is  the  correct  name  of  this  apple?" 


[No  doubt  it  is  the  same  apple,  the  smaller 
size  being  due  to  bad  cultivation.  As  to  the 
"right''  name  ;  there  seems  no  right  about  any 
nama  for  it  The  original  seems  to  liave  been 
"Pharrar  "Walther  ;''  but  Fallaicatfria  the  name 
in  universal  use,  and  we  so  accept  it  ] 


Hybrids  and  Varieties. — S.,  Saco,  Maine, 
inquires  :  "Will  you  i)lease  define  the  separate 
character  of  hybrids  and  varieties  in  ])lants.  I 
notice  some  writex-s  seem  to  US3  the  term  indis- 
criminately." 

[We  don't  know  that  there  is  any  difference, 
although  there  is  a  sort  of  conventual  idea  that 
there  is  In  past  times  it  was  supposed  that 
when  two  species  intermixed,  the  progenies  were 
hybrids,  and  then  in  many  cases  sterile;  but, 
there  is  no  absolute  sterilit}-.  The  mule  at  times 
brings  forth  young.  All  we  can  say  is,  a  cross 
between  nearly  related  things  ai'e  called  varie- 
ties ;  and  they  are  "hybrids"  when  the  relation- 
ship is  wide  apart.] 


Quinces.— Jl/.  E  ,  Burlington,  N.  J ,  Alpha. 
'Some  of  us  here  have  an  idea  that  the  country 
about  us  is  especially  adapted  to  the  culture  of 
Quinces,  and  that  they  ought  to  pay  well.  Some 
few  trees  bear  very  heavy  crops,  but  we  do  not 
find  in  any  books  or  essays  on  fruits  in  the  pa- 
pers how  many  could  possibly  be  gathered  from 
an  acre.  Have  they  been  grown  extensively 
anywhere  that  you  know  ;  and  with  what  re- 
sults ?" 

[Mr.  X.  Ohmer,  of  Dayton,  O.,  is  very  suc- 
cessful and  his  trees  yield  him  about  200  bu.shels 
to  the  acre  ] 


Planting  the  Buffum  VEAii.—Medicus, 
near  Monoracy,  Md  ,  says  :  "I  am  setting  out 
some  pears  this  spring — standards — and  propose 
to  set  them  20  feet  apart ;  but  a  friend  who  is 
'posted'  on  pears  says  some  require  more  room 
than  others,  and  that  he  would  vary  the  distance 
to  suit  the  kinds.  He  would  put  Buff"um  for  in- 
stance but  14  feet  apart,  Lawrence,  18,  and 
Bartlett  20.     How  would  this  work  V" 

[AVe  should  put  all  of  one  distance.  Most  of 
the  varieties  get  about  the  same  in  time.  Law- 
rence for  instance  seems  a  more  slender  grower 
than  Bartlett,  but  there  is  no  difteronce  certain- 
ly in  the  room  they  ultimately  occupy.  As  for 
the  Bulfum,  though  ujiright  when  young,  it  be- 
comes as  round  headed  as  any  when  of  age.] 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEA'ER'S   MOJ\''THLY. 


123 


Pitch  OF  Greexiiouse  Roofs —G.  (J.  Jf, 
Phila  ,  writes  :  'lam  thinking  about  putting 
up  a  small  greenhouse,  say  18  by  25  feet,  woukl 
you  oblige  me  by  letting  me  know  what  is  the 
best  pitch  to  give  the  roof,  I  thought  of  one  foot 
in  ever}-  two,  but  this  hardly  seems  enough." 

["We  are  in  favor  of  steep  pitches,  for  many 
reasons,  though  there  are  some  disadvantages 
45'  is  steep,  that  is  a  foot  of  rise  for  every  hori- 
zontal foot ;  but  we  recommend  it  ] 


PoprLATiON  OF  Geneva.— In  our  notes  of 
Geneva,  we  guessed  the  population  to  be  about 
2000  inhabitants.  A  correspondent  ol)ligingly 
corrects  these  f3<iures.     It  should  be  about  6000. 


I 

"Weeping  Plum.— A  Xew  York  correspon- 
dent inquires  whether  any  one  has  ever  seen  a 
"Weeping  Plum  ? 


Salisburia  or  GiNKo  Tree.— G^.  G.  A  sug 
gests  that  this  tree  should  be  more  widely  known. 


Probably  the  reason  it  is  not,  is  that  it  has  been 
difficult  of  propagation  ;  but  seedlings  are  now 
getting  common,  and  doubtless  the  public  will 
soon  get  better  acquainted  with  it. 


Curious  Results  of  Hybridization  or 
Pollen.-  Dr.  Wylie  of  Chester,  South  Caroli- 
na, who  has  experimented  more  ably  in  grape 
liybridization  than  perhaps  any  man  in  the  coun- 
try, informs  us  that  there  is  a  great  ditference  in 
the  pollen  of  grapes  under  a  microscope.  The 
pollen  grains  of  the  Scuppernongare  nearly  glob- 
ular, and  all  of  one  size.  All  other  varieties 
that  he  has  examined  are  ovate  and  double  the 
size  of  the  Scuppernong.  In  a  hybrid  of  his  be- 
tween the  Hamburg  as  a  female  parent,  and  the 
Scuppernong  as  the  male,  the  pollen  is  small, 
globular,  and  large  ovate  mixed.  We  regard  this 
as  a  scientific  discovery  of  great  moment,  and 
one  of  high  practical  value. 


EOOKS,    CATALOGUES,    &C. 


Mt  Tbw  Rod  Farm. 

A  correspondent  of  one  of  our  daily  papers  says: 
"  Now,  you  will  say  who  is  "Jane  Kingsford?  " 
She  is  first  Mr.  Barnard,  C.  F.  Barnard  ;  second 
an  agreeable  gentleman  and  a  musician,  though 
not  exclusively  devoted  to  the  divine  art,  since 
he  is  nearly  as  much  interested  in  and  writes  as 
■well  upon  horticulture  as  music.  He  is  the  au- 
thor of  "  My  Ten  Rod  Farm,''  which  he  wrote 
as  Mrs.  Maria  Gilman,  whose  name  appears 
upon  the  cover.  This  inspiring  story  was  one 
of  the  greatest  successes,  under  an  assumed 
name,  that  I  ever  knew.  I  do  not  think  it  ever 
occurred  to  any  one,  till  the  secret  was  divulged, 
that  the  struggling  but  finally  successful  Mrs 
Gilman,  who  told  her  story  with  such  simplicity 
and  pathos,  was  an  interesting  and  prosperous 
5'oung  man.  He  has  also  written  "  Farming  by 
Inches  ;"  uniform  with  '"My  Ten  Rod  Farm." 

The  GarrZencr's  Monthly  does  nr»t  claim  to  see 
through  mill-stones  any  further  than  other  peo- 
ple, but  it  will  be  recollected,  that  in  reviewing 
the  work  on  its  first  ai)pcarance  it  stated,  that 
"  whoever  is  at  all  familiar  with  female  character 


will  feel  that  this  book  was  never  written  by  a  wo- 
man,'' and  that  we  objected  to  it,  on  the  ground 
that  it  was  "an  effort,  which  always  reacted  in- 
juriously to  make  people  believe  something  had 
really  been  accomplished  which  never  was  done." 


VlNFlANI)  WeRKLT. 

This  good  representative  of  Yineland's  inter- 
ests, has  recently  added  to  it  an  Agricultural 
Department,  under  the  editorship  of  Oscar  Clute, 
formerly  professor  of  mathematics  in  one  of  the 
leading  colleges  in  Michigan,  and  for  some  time 
one  of  tlie  editors  of  the  Western  liurul.  Mr. 
Clute  was  always  an  intelligent  and  able  writer, 
and  his  engagement  by  the  Weeklt/  is  a  very  po- 
litic one. 


L'ltLn.-TSA'IOX    HORTICOIE. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  of  our  European  ex- 
changes is  this  monthly  magazine,  published  at 
Ghent  in  Belgium,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  J. 
Linden.  It  is  beautifully  illustrated  by  four  colored 
engravings  of  new  plants  or  flowers,  and   has  a 


124 


THE    GARDEJ\rER'S    MOJ^THLl. 


April, 


large  amount  of  miscellaneous  Horticultural 
reading.  It  is  issued  at  five  dollars,  American 
gold,  per  annum,  free  of  postage,  we  believe,  at 
this  price.  It  is  in  the  French  language,  and 
this  will  make  it  welcome  in  many  families 
where  practice  is  required  in  this  tongue,— and 
with  much  better  effect  on  young  minds  than 
the  trashj'  novels  which  now  so  generally  serve 
that  purpose.  Perhaps  it  could  be  had  of  Mr. 
Raoux,  New  York. 


Catalogues  of  European  Firhs. 

These  interesting  lists  are  now  abundantly  sup- 
plied to  our  tab'.e,  and  all  highly  valued  ;  and 
we  return  our  best  thanks  to  our  correspondents 
for  them.  We  have  before  expressed  our  in- 
debtedness to  Mr.  Bull  for  his  catalogue  of  new 
plants,  which  comes  regularly  ;  and  one  of  new 
seeds  by  Messrs.  Carter,  Dunnett  &  Beale,  of 
Holburn,  London,  is  also  received  and  read 
with  much  interest. 


NEW  AND   RARE   FRUITS. 


Sour  and  Sweet  and  Speckled  Apples. 
Mr.  Blodgett  sends  us,  with  some  excellent  fruit, 
the  following  note:  "After  a  month  of  most 
unlucky  detention,  I  have  received  a  box  of  ray 
sour  and  sweet  apples  from  xwy  orchard,  intend- 
ed fur  the  State  Pomological  Society's  meeting- 
The  best  mixtures  are  in  the  worst  state  of  de- 
cay, and  in  picking  out  a  good  dozen  to  send  to 
Mr.  Downing,  I  find  that  I  got  all  the  wholly 
sweet  ones,  so  that  these  I  send  you  are  not  so 
good  as  representatives. 

An  old  friend  of  my  father's  writes  me  (from 
Sugar  Grove,  near  my  farm),  re-afl^rming  the 
facts  I  have  stated  as  to  the  origin  of  the  speckled 
and  sour  and  sweet  apples ;  his  name  is  Green 
Clark,  and  he  says  that  the  first  known  of  the 
speckled  apple  was,  that  he,  Green  Clark,  graft 
ed  it  into  the  orchard  of  his  brother,  Alanson 
Clark,  in  the  township  of  Middlesex,  Gates  Co. 
N.  Y.,  and  he.  Green  Clark,  brought  it  to  my 
father's  orchard  with  other  new  fruits  he  was 
grafting.  This  corresponds  with  ray  recollec- 
tion of  my  father's  statement ;  which  was,  that 
it  originated  on  the  farm  of  a  Mr.  Westbrook, 
his  residence  in  Ontario  County,  N.  Y.,  (Gate 
and  Ontario  are  adjacent  Counties).  It  was 
Bimultanfcouply  given  to  Alanson  Clark,  in  Onta- 
rio County,  and  to  my  father  in  Chatauque  Co., 
by  whom  it  was  generally  distributed,  rbelieve 
our  frionds  Downing  and  Barry  will  find  it  diffi- 
cult to  trace  an  apple  known  only  in  WesUrn 
Ntw  York^  to  Iloldcn  (or  Hogpen),  in  Mass. 

And  as  to  the  graft  or  bud  hybrids,  time  will 
fbow  that  I  am  rinht.'' 


Pyle  Apple.— TF.  G.  B  ,  Glen  Mills,  writes: 
"  I  send  you  some  specimens  of  apples  from  a 
seedling  tree  in  Thornbury,  Delaware  County, 
Pa.  It  may  be  called  the  Pyle  Apple,  as  it 
grows  on  the  farm  of  Walter  Pyle.  For  many 
years  it  has  never  failed  to  bear  fruit  regularly 
every  year  It  does  not  ripen  perfectly  till  in 
the  winter,  but  it  is  a  most  valuable  apple  for 
cooking,  long  before  it  becomes  suitable  for  eat- 
ing otherwise.  If  the  samples  I  send  have  not 
suflfered  from  freezing,  you  will  be  able  to  judge 
of  the  quality.  It  keeps  quite  sound  through 
the  winter  and  spring. 

[These  were  very  handsome  apples,  with  yel- 
low fleshed  pulp  ;  not  of  the  highest  flavor,  but 
with  a  sort  of  "  try  me  again  "  air.  which  left  a 
suspicion  that  under  some  circumstances  it 
would  hold  its  own  with  the  best.] 

Dana's  Hovey  Pear.— We  are  indebted  to 
our  friend,  W.  L.Schaffer,  Ei>q.,  the  distinguished 
amateur  pomologist,  for  a  specimen  of  this  new 
pear.  It  was  fully  ripe  at  the  beginning  of  this 
month,  and  was  tlie  best  quality  of  any  autumn 
pear,  as  we  suppose  it  is,  we  have  ever  tasted  so 
late  in  the  season.  It  origina  ed  in  Massachu- 
setts, and  we  undcr.stand  promises  to  be  a  valu- 
able addition  to  our  list  of  autumn  varieties. — 
Germantown  Telegraph. 


Old  Adam  Apple.- The  Adam  Apple  wa 
supposed  had  been  in  every  man's  throat  for 
.^rres^—but  here  is  the  Oliio  Pomological  Society 
bringing  it  out  as  something  new.     It  says  in  it3 


1871. 


TEE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^'THLY. 


1S5 


report:  "An  apple  presented  by  Adam  Luck- 
haiipt,  of  Columbus,  and  named  by  him  Old 
Adam,  is  remarkable  as  a  long  keeper,  the  fruit 
of  two  seasons  beinfj  exhibited  at  the  Fair.  It 
is  of  fair  quality,  and  valuable  where  the  fruit 
crops  are  subject  to  failures.  The  variety  was 
Imported  from  Germany  about  eight  years  ago. 


rels  of  fruitfulness.  Mr.  MacLaohlan  has  propa- 
gated it  extensivel}',  and  has  now  nursery  plots 
of  fine  young  bushes,  which  we  believe  he  will 
send  out  at  the  price  of  ordinary  currants.  The 
Orangefield  Tomato  is,  we  believe,  regarded  by 
gardeners  as  an  acquisition.  We  regard  the 
Orangefield  Red  Currant  as  a  greater. — Irish 
Farmer''s  Gazette. 


The  Orangefikld  Red  Currant.— When 
recently  in  the  neighborhood  of  Belfast,  in  com- 
pany with  one  of  the  most  distinguished  fruit- 
growers in  England,  we  paid  a  visit  to  Orange- 
field,  the   residence   of  J.  Blackiston   Houston, 
Esq      Among   the  many  objects  of  practical  in- 
terest pointed  out  by  Mr.  MacLachlan,  the  very 
clever  and  intelligent  gardener,  none  impressed 
us  more  than  two  bushes  of  the  "  Orangefield  Bed 
Currant,''   which    we   found    carefully    netted, 
with  a  view  of  preserving   till   the  close  of  the 
year  the  myriad  bunches  of  beautiful  fruit  that 
trom  soil  to  summit  clustered  on  the  branches. 
We  never  saw  anything  like  them,  and  our  En- 
glish friend  would  have  about  a  span-length  of 
branch  to  carry  away  with  him  as  a  wonder. 
We  were  anxious  to  see  this  currant,  from  read 
ing  in  December  of  last  or  preceding  year  a  no- 
tice of  the  reception  from  Mr.  MacLachlan  of  a 
sample  of  its  fruit  in   splendid  condition,  not- 
withstanding the  occurrence  of  a  week  or  so  of 
very  severe  frost  at  the  time.     Besides  the  pro- 
fusion and  excellence  of  its  fruit,  its  late  keeping 
properties  further  enhance  its  value.     It  appears 
too,  to   retain  the   folage  till   very   late.     Raby 
Castle  and  other  varieties  were  growing  along- 
side ;  but  it  appeared  distinct  from  any  of  them. 
The  name  given  above  is  only  a  provisional  one, 
which  we  venture  to  give  it,  as  we  believe  Mr. 
MacLachlan  has  not  yet  met  with  any  one  able 
to  identify  it.     The  bunches    are  short,   and  in 
form  like   these  of  the  grape  currant,  not  a  one- 
sided raceme,  as  in  other  varieties.     The  berries 
are  full  size,  brilliant  in  color,  and  to  our  taste 
what  a  red  currant  ought  to  be — sugary  and  pi- 
quant.    It  is  a  very  strong  grower  ;  the  wood  of 
Some  young  trees  trained  to  the  wall  was  mar- 
vellously robust.     In  its   cultivation  Mr.  Mac- 
Lachlan informed  us  that  the  growth  required 
at  first  to  be  checked  by  lifting  and  replanting. 
When  once  in  full  bearing,  its  wonderful  fruit- 
fulness  sufficiently  checks  the  production  of  wood. 
Indeed,  we  never  saw  bushes  less  burdened  with 
superfl.-is  wood   than    these   closely    spurred 
plants  of  this  variety,  which  were  certainly  mar- 


New  Pear— Earle's  Russett.— Since  the 
commencement  of  this  report,  a  pear  has  been 
exhibited  at  one  of  the  weekly  re-unions  of  the 
Society,  that  may  well  exact  a  word  of  notice. 
A  seedling  originated  by  Hon  John  Milton  Earle, 
to  whom  this  Society   has  been  so  long  indebted 
for  many  and  various   services,  and  with  whose 
parentage  it  is  but  vaguely  identified,  under  the 
name   of   Earle's  Russett ;  its  apparently   con- 
firmed excellence  should  render  it  alike  a  source 
of  pride   to  him  and   of  interest  to  ourselves. 
Additions  to  the  list  of  fruits,  of  approved  good 
quality,  are  too  rare  to  justify  the  unhesitating 
acceptance  of  every  new  candidate.     It  may  be 
said  of  Earle's  Russett,  that  it  has  been  nursed 
with  care  and  developed  to  an  almost  pefec* 
assurance  of  decided  superioritj'.     Not  entirely 
dissimilar  to  the  Beurre  Easter,  in  flavor,  though 
with  more  sprightliness  than   that  coy  variety, 
the  proof  of  this  pudding  also  is  evolved  from  the 
,  eating.     The  shrinking  modesty  of  him  to  whom 
we   owe  the   origin   of  this  seedling,  will,  it  is 
hoped,  suffice  to  excuse  the  loudness  of  the  blare 
which  thus  unblushingly  trumpets  his   achieve- 
ment.—  Transactions  of  Worcester   Co.  Ilort.  So- 
ciety. 


IfOTTENSTEix  AppLE.— Under  this  name  of 
IIf)ttenstein,  we  have  long  been  familiar  with  one 
of  the  best  apples  grown.  It  has  somewhat  the 
characteristics  of  the  Northern  Spy.  Though 
supposing  it  to  be  anativeof  north-eastern  Penn- 
sylvania, we  were  unable  to  get  at  its  history. 

Recently  we  discovered  its  whereabouts,  and 
have  been  favored  with  the  following  memoran- 
dum by  a  correspondent : 

"The  apple  you  have  reference  to,  originated 
in  Berks  County,  Pa.  The  original  tree,  a  seed- 
ling, was  owned  by  a  man  living  in  Kutztown, 
Pa  ,  about  90  or  100  years  ago,  by  name  Lippert, 
after  whom  the  apple  was  named  with  us  ;  and 
it  appears  that  those  persons  who  obtained  the 
grafts  from  us  gave  the  name  of  llottenstein. 
The  apple  is  an  excellent  one.  The  tree  with  us 
is  about  GO  years  old,  and  bears  regular  crops  of 
lartje  and  excellent  fruit." 


126 


THE    GARDEJV'ER'S   MOJ^THLl. 


April, 


NEW    AND    EAEE    PLANTS. 


SoLANUM  CILIATFM.— A  fow  Weeks  ago  we 
received  from  Mr  Dreer  a  fruit  of  a  new  Sola- 
nuni,  which  proves  to  be  the  S.  ciliatum  of  Lam- 
bert. It  was  about  one  and  a  half  inches  in  di 
ameter,  globular  and  of  a  brilliant  scarlet  red, 
with  a  bloom  on  it  like  a  plum.  As  it  will  no 
doubt  prove  a  very  desirable  ornament  to  our 
summer  gardens,  we  give  the  following  account 
of  it  from  the  London  Gardener''s  Chronicle. 

"Among  the  novelties  for  the  year  1871,  we 
may  mention  the  above  named  plant,  fruits  and 
seeds  of  which  have  been  imported  from  Porto 
Eico,  by  Messrs  Carter  &  Co.,  of  Holborn,  and 
of  which  they  have  succeeded  in  raising  young 
plants.  The  great  attraction  of  this  species, 
from  a  horticultural  point  of  view,  will  no  doubt 
consist  in  the  exceedingly  beautiful  berries, 
which  are  of  a  globular  shape,  depressed  at  the 
top,  of  the  size  of  a  Tangierine  Orange,  and  of 
an  intense  pure  scarlet  color,  overlaid  by  a  glau- 
cous bloom.  Nothing  more  brilliant  can  well  be 
inaagiued. 


The  plant  is  described  as  a  branched  annual 


prickles,  but  sometimes  destitute  of  them.  The 
leaves  are  stalked,  oblong,  and  irregularly 
lobed.  The  flowers  are  solitary  or  borne  in  ra- 
cemes. The  calyx  is  saucer  shaped,  pentangu- 
lar, 51obed,  and  increase  in  size  as  the  fruit  ri- 
pens. The  corolla  is  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
in  diameter,  white,  5-parted,  with  acute,  spread- 
ing, or  reflexed  lobes.  The  anthers  are  orange 
colored,  aggregated  in  a  cone-like  mass.  The 
ovary  is  white,  sub-globose,  furrowed,  surmount- 
ed by  a  white  style,  which  is  terminated  by  a 
green.  2-lobed  stigma.  The  fruit  is  greenish  at 
first,  marked  with  green  lines,  and  becomes 
scarlet  as  it  ripens  Some  of  the  flowers,  it  ap- 
pears, are  sterile,  and  do  not  produce  fruit. 

AVe  have  ourselves  only  seen  the  fruits  and  the 
seedling  plants,  so  that  we  are  not  in  a  position 
to  say  anything  as  to  the  habit  of  the  plant,  but 
from  the  great  beauty  of  the  fruit  we  imagine 
that  the  plant  will  prove  to  be  a  great  acquisi- 
tion. Probably,  like  most  of  the  annual  Sola- 
nums,  it  will  be  found  a  plant  of  very  easy  cul- 
ture, requiring  to  be  kept  growing  on  briskly,  in 
good  soil,  and  to  be  kept  free  from  insects,  the 
red-spider  especially. 


Spirea  jafonica  {syn.  Hoteia  japoxica) 
AUREA  variegata  — This  an  extremely  beau- 
tiful variety,  one  of  the  most  popular  plants  in 
cultivation.  ^.t  ditlers  from  the  green  leaved 
plant,  with  Avhich  all  are  f\inn!iar,  in  its  elegant 
leafage,  being  traced  with  golden  ve'ns,  and 
borne  on  ros}'  tinted  stems.  For  this  valuable 
novelty  we  arc  indebted  to  Mossrs.  E.  G.  Hen- 
derson &  Sou.  —  Garil.  Chronicle. 


Croton  corxutum.— An  interesting  number 
of  the  large  group  of  new  Crotons  introduced  by 
Messrs  Veitch  &  Son.  It  is  characterized  by  a 
peculiar  extension  of  the  midrib,  which  forms  a 
horn-like  process  at  the  apex  of  the  leaf  It  is  a 
compact  growing  variety,  with  leaves  which 
vary  slightly  in  form,  and  are  richly  spotted  and 
blotclied  wiliv  yellow. — Gard   Chronicle. 

At  page  20(5  of  last  year's  Gar.  Weckhj  will  be 
found  a  classification  of  all  the  known  varieties 
of  Croton  variegntiim.,  accompanied  with  figures 


(sub-herbaceous),  12  to  18  inches  high,  generally    of  five  of  the  neAvest,  namely,  irrcyHhirc,   inter- 
covered    with    straight,   very    sharp,   yellowish  j  r»j)ti(»i,  ai(c«('a/cii/ia}i,  J/t7/m>ium  and  jj/ox/mum. 


187 1. 


THE    GAUBEKER'S   MOJVTHLy. 


127 


P  0  R  E  I  G  ^^     I  N  T  E  L  L  I  G  E  ^'  C  E 


A  ^rusimooM  Cave. — Acorrespondont  of  the  | 
Lovdon  Journal  of  Hortkidture  thus  descrihes  a 
visit  to  a  French  uiushroom  cave  : 

We  first  found  out  Madame  Froment,  whose 
son  kindh'  Jiccompanied  us,  and  we  wore  in  due 
course  conducted  to  one  of  tliese  openings,  hav 
ing  first  provided  ourselves  with  caudles,  etc. 
To  those  who  have  descended  coal  mines  or  such 
other  suhterranean  retreats,  and  who,  like  Lieu- 
tenant A\''arren  in  his  exploration  of  Jerusalem, 
are  said  to  delight  in  groping,  it  is  nothing ;  hut 
to  staid  and  sober  people  like  myself,  who  affect 
the  upper  air  and  level  ground  whose  backs  do 
not  bend  so  easily  as  they  used,  and  whose 
heads  are  none  of  the  steadiest  for  such  work, 
the  descent  is  an  ordeal  of  no  common  nature 
You  looked  down  a  large  opening  of  about  70  or 
80  feet  in  depth,  and  bj-  an  ingenious  contriv- 
ance had  to  swing  yourself  on  to  a  very  rickety- 
looking  swing  ladder,  which  had  to  be  repaired 
before  we  could  venture  on  it ;  but  I  was  com- 
mitted to  it,  and  so  down  we  went.  AVhen  we 
reached  the  bottom  we  were  very  soon  in  medias 
res.  Galleries  stretched  on  all  sides,  and  into 
these  we  soon  dived.  As  we  wound  along,  the 
owner  narrated  to  us  sundry  funny  adventures 
he  had  had  with  visitors,  amongst  others  of  a 
certain  Lord  Mayor  from  the  Emerald  Isle, 
whose  copious  rotundity  was  considerably  in  his 
way  in  some  of  the  passages,  and  who  pufied, 
fumed  and  steamed  through  them.  Our  con- 
ductor, besides  being  thoroughly  used  to  it,  be- 
ing a  thin  spare  man,  could  thread  his  way 
along  easily  where  his  more  corpulent  compan- 
ion found  considerable  difficulty.  All  along 
these  passages  were  long,  narrow  beds  of  vary- 
ing heights  and  sizes,  but  all  small,  and  entirely 
different  from  anything  we  are  used  to  in  mush- 
room culture.  On  these  beds,  which  were 
covered  with  a  peculiar  calcareous  soil,  were 
mushrooms  of  all  sizes,  from  tiny  little  pins' 
heads  up  to  good-sized  teacups,  some  as  white 
as  driven  snow,  others  with  a  taint  tinge  of  buff. 
On  we  went.  Sometimes  we  had  the  greatest 
possible  difficulty  to  get  along,  so  very  low  was 
the  ceiling  ;  and  now  and  then  we  came  upon  an 
opening  where  a  larger  portion  of  the  stone  had 
been  obtained,  and  here  the  beds  were  some- 
times four,  five  and  six  deep,  but  all  of  the  same 
form- slightly  rounded  and  low.  The  clunn- 
Ij'ujnoniate  vrould  every  now  and  then  stoxj,  bid 


us  admire  some  fine  cluster  of  his  productions, 
and  expatiate  on  their  beauty.  Some  idea  of 
the  extent  to  which  this  culture  is  carried  on, 
may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  this  one  man 
had  ten  miles  of  these  beds  in  this  subterranean 
garden,  from  which  all  through  the  year  im- 
mense quantities  are  daily  sent  into  Paris 


A  Strong  Cement  for  Iron.  -To  four  or 
five  parts  of  clay,  thoroughly  dried  and  pul- 
verized, add  two  parts  of  iron-filings  free  from 
oxide,  one  part  of  peroxide  of  manganese,  one- 
half  of  sea  salt,  and  one-half  of  borax.  Mingle 
thoroughl}',  and  render  as  fine  as  possible  ;  then 
reduce  to  a  thick  paste  with  the  necessary  quan- 
tity of  water,  mixing  thoroughly  well.  It  must 
be  used  immediately.  After  application  it 
should  be  exposed  to  warmth,  gradually  increas- 
ing almost  to  white  heat.  This  cement  is  very 
hard  and  presents  complete  resistance  alike  to 
red  heat  and  boiling  water.  Another  cement 
is  to  mix  equal  parts  of  sifted  peroxide  of  manga- 
nese and  well-pulverized  zinc  white  ;  add  a  suf- 
ficient quantity  of  commercial  soluble  glass  to 
form  a  thin  paste.  This  mixture,  when  used 
immediately,  forms  a  cement  quite  equal  in 
hardness  and  resistance  to  that  obtained  by  the 
first  method. 


Serine  undulata.-Is  it  customary  for 
this  plant  to  flower  as  a  piece  of  mine  has  done 
this  season  ?  An  old  clump  in  a  pot  has  been 
standing  out  with  a  lot  of  other  plants  that  we 
might  as  well  have  destroyed  lor  all  the  care 
that  has  been  bestowed  upon  it,  and  the  Nerine 
is  now  a  mass  of  flowers,  and  very  healthy  and 
bright  in  leafage.  I  have  removed  it  to  the 
greenhouse  to  save  it  from  injury  by  frost; 
though  if  it  liad  not  flowered  it  would  probably 
have  been  left  to  perish  I  seem  to  remember 
that  this  particular  pot  of  bulbs  belongs  to  a  lot 
of  plants  that  have  been  treated  with  contempt 
for  two  or  three  years,  and  probably  our  neglect 
of  it  has  promoted  a  perfect  maturation  favor- 
able to  flowering.  If  so,  we  shall  have  to  des- 
cribe the  cullivation  of  Nerine  undulata  in 
these  few  words :  The  best  way  to  grow  this 
pretty  amaryllid  is  to  forget  that  you  possess  it, 
until  reminded  by  its  flowering  tliat  your  riches 
exceed  your  knowledge.  — S.  II  ,  in  Oardener^s 
Weeklj/. 


US 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOKTHLY. 


April, 


HORTICULTURAL    iXOTICES. 


PENNSYLVANIA  HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 

The  February  meeting  was  one  of  the  most 
successful  monthly  exhibitions  held  for  a  good 
many  years.  Instead  of  confining  it  to  the 
Foyer,  as  has  been  customary,  the  large  hall 
heretofore  kept  for  the  annual  displays  was 
thrown  open,  and  some  thousands  must  have 
visited  the  building  during  the  evening.  The 
society  is  also  gradually  increasing  the  amount 
of  its  premiums,  so  that  the  working  gardeners 
and  florists  are  encouraged  to  exhibit,  and  the 
public  induced  to  see— two  very  essential  ele- 
ments of  great  success.  Hundreds  of  persons 
will  have  the  taste  for  horticulture  implanted  in 
them  by  these  displays  ;  aiid  thus  the  society  ac- 
complishes one  of  its  grand  objects. 

Amongst  the  objects  that  struck  every  one's 
attention  in  the  hall,  was  a  magnificent  specimen 
of  Azalea  Phoenecia,  in  the  collection  of  Mr. 
Robert  Buist.  This  plant  was  a  somewhat 
conical  globe,  about  3  feet  high  by  2|  feet  in  di- 
ameter,—though  one  of  the  oldest,  its  vigorous 
grov,'th,  and  free  flowering  habit  renders  it  a 
favorite  in  collections.  The  flowers  of  the 
modern  kinds  are  rounder  in  outline.  In  this 
respect  the  Kinghornii,  rosy  crimson  kind,  was 
in  striking  contrast  with  Phoenecia,  Mr.  Buist 
had  a  seedling  white  with  well-defined  cai-mine 
stripes,  which  promises  well.  There  were  many 
collections  of  Cinerarias  exhibited,  but  none 
which  attracted  so  much  attention  as  Mr. 
Dreer's ;  they  had  more  novelty  in  the  density 
of  their  flowers  than  any  before  exhibited.  They 
appeared  so  regularly  on  the  surface  as  if  they 
had  been  set  on  a  wire  frame.  One  of  them  was 
a  sort  of  spreading  dwarf,  about  one  foot  high, 
and  two  feet  in  diameter.  Mr.  T.  J.  Mackenzie's 
collection  of  Camellias,  was,  as  they  always  are, 
of  the  most  superior  character.  A  very  nice  lot 
also  came  from  Mr.  John  Sherwood.  To  our 
mind  there  were  few  things  more  worthy  of 
credit  on  the  tables,  than  the  Hyacinths  in  pots, 
exhibited  by  Mr.  Alex.  Newett,  gardener  to  II. 
P.  McKean,  Esq.  Usually  these  plants  are  so 
grown  that  they  are  either  nearly  all  leaves  with 
the  flower  down  in  among  them  ;  or  else  with 
tall  lank  stems  without  much  foliage.  These 
were  in  excellent  proportion  ;  the  leaves  being 
about  six  inches  in  length,  of  a  healthy  green. 


and  self-supporting  ;  while  the  spikes  were  about 
fifteen  inclns,  and  about  one-third  forming  the 
truss  of  flowers  The  whole  was  so  perfect  a  speci- 
men of  good  culture  that  we  doubt  whether  it 
could  possibly  be  excelled.  Mr.  Newett  had 
also  some  very  fine  pots  of  the  rare  "'Queen  of 
Violets."  They  are  lighter  than  the  Neapolitan 
in  color,  and  are  said  to  be  very  sweet  scented. 
He  also  had  a  collection  of  Orchidea.  Amongst 
these  were  Mnxillaria  tetrayona,  with  six  spikes 
of  flowers.  It  is  not  on  the  whole  a  showy 
species,  but  the  flowers  are  large  for  this  short 
stalked  section  of  this  genus,  being  about  two 
inches  across,  of  a  lemon-yellow  color.  He  also 
had  in  this  collection  an  Oncidium  Sjikacellatuniy 
vvith  the  panicle  about  two  and  a  half  feet ;  and 
an  O.  altissimum,  with  about  a  four  feet  panicle. 
What  are  called  "■French"  pansies,  would  not 
lake  at  an  English  Pansy  show,  where  the  flowers 
have  to  be  flat,  and  round,  and  'cat-f^\ced,"  and 
so  forth  ;  but  tlie  public  cares  more  for  these  we 
think  than  the  English  sorts.  Mr.  Thomas,  gar- 
dener to  Mr.  Buckner,  had  some  of  the  prettiest 
of  these  that  we  ever  saw.  Mr.  Dreer  had  a  new 
style  of  this  French  race,  called  '•  Odier  "  breed. 
They  are  of  a  golden  bronzy  hue,  and  promise 
much  novelty  and  interest.  A  collection  of  the 
"coming "  plant  the  Echeveria  was  on  exhibi- 
tion, we  believe,  by  Mr.  Sherwood  ;  but  so  many 
things  not  having  contributors'  names  on  them, 
render  a  reporter's  duties  somewhat  uncertain 
as  regards  accuracy.  From  Meehan's  German- 
town  nurseries,  a  lot  of  the  wild  Engli.-h  Prim- 
roses—  the  Primrose  of  the  poets  —  was  con- 
tributed. These  were  arranged  so  as  to  form  a 
bank  of  blossoms.  There  was  not  much  in  the 
way  of  hardy  novelties.  Mr.  Buist  had  Vibur- 
num macroQephalum,  one  of  the  Japanese  Snow- 
balls, quite  as  beautiful  as  its  colleague,  T'.  ^)/ica- 
tiim,  now  becoming  much  known  and  admired. 
Mr.  Meehan  exhibited  from  Mr.  George  Such, 
of  South  Amboy,  a  plant  of  Eaphiolepis  obovata, 
a  plant  with  white  flowers  like  the  wild  Ame- 
lanchier  or  Indian  Cherry,  but  with  leathery 
evergreen  leaves  like  Pittosporum  ;  it  is  believed 
to  be  hardy.  Mr.  Buist  also  had  some  new  tri- 
color and  double-bedding  (Jeraniuins. 

"With  the  present  encouragement,  there  will  no 
doubt  be  competition  from  great  distances  ;  and 
schedules  cau  be  had  from  Secretary  Harrison. 


Tc  (SHivdeiur's  Moittltlij. 


DEVOTED  TO 

Horticulture,    Arboriculture,    Botany    and    Rural    Affairs. 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEHAN. 


Old  Series,  Vol.  XIII. 


MAY,      1871.  New  Series.  Vol.  IV.    No.  5. 


HIINT^    FOll    MAY. 


FLOWER  GARDEN  AND  PLEASURE 
GROUND. 

We  are  very  glad  to  note  ihat  the  purely  nat 
ural  style  of  gardening  is  finding  its  proper  place 
in  popular  estimation.     Like  most  good  ideas,  it 
was    taken    hold    of   by    abstractionists,    and 
stretched  so  thin,  that  it  would  not  cari-y  the 
pleasure  anticipated.     No  doubt  nature  is  pretty 
in  itself,  if  not  altogether  lovely,asthe  sentimen- 
talists tell  us  ;  but  we  think  gardening  is  an  art 
which  is  to  produce  for  us  something  rarely  or 
never  seen   in   nature.     Indeed,  *ve  are  almost 
tired  of  the  talk  about  the  natural  style  in  gar- 
dening, and  find  ourselves  often  in  the  position 
of  those  Israelites  who  longed  for  the  onions  and 
cucumbers,  and  Hcsh  pots  of  Egypt,  in  spite  of 
the  pictured  beauties  of  the  promised  land.    We 
often  look  back  on  the  old  Dutch  or  Italian  gar- 
dens, with  their  walls  and  terraces,  and  vases, 
and  clipped  trees,  and  see  a  great  deal  of  beauty 
which  we  altogether  miss  now.     There  was,  to 
be  sure,  often  exaggerations  of  taste— frequently 
many  things  in  such  gardening  which  was  ri- 
diculous ;  but  there  were  flowers  of  all  kinds — 
sweet  flowers,  which  when  bathed  in  the  dews 
oftheearl}-  morning,  gave  us  something  worth 
rising  with  the  lark  to  enjoy,  instead  of  as  now 
making  us  feel  that  an  hour  or  two,  more  or  less, 
in  the  early  day  is  nothing  particularly  lost,  so 
far  as  the  garden  is  concerned.     We  should  l>y 
no  means  like  to  part  with  the  beautiful  group- 
.  ings  of  trees  and  shrubs  which  arc  amongst  the 
most  admired  characteristics  of  modern  garden- 
ing. Those  beautiful  ideas  which  float  in  the  mind 
of  the  land.scape  gardener,  and  which  he  manages 
to  make  speak  to  us  through  his  combinations, 


in  the  most  musical  of  nature's  language,  could 
never  be  conveyed  to  us  in  the  dead  utterances 
of  the  past  style  of  gardening.  We  do  not  want 
to  part  with  our  gay  bedding  plants,  either  when 
grouped  for  their  gaudy  colors,  or  for  the  bril- 
liant and  subdued  hues  of  their  foliage ;  but  we 
do  want  to  see  again  those  sweet  innocent  things, 
clothed  in  a  glory  greater  than  Solomon's,  which 
that  system  did  so  much  to  fill  up  our  gardens 
with.  We  have  so  much  more  to  fill  up  the  beds 
with  than  they  had  ;  and  could  make  them  still 
more  charming.  Even  the  beds  themselves 
could  be  bordered  with  things  which  they  never 
thought  of.  For  this  they  were  confined  to 
dwarf  box.  AVe  have  now  for  edging,  several 
things  quitd  as  good, which  adds^much  to  the  va- 
riety. A  very  good  thing  is  the  arborvitfc  named 
by  EUwanger  &  Barry,  called  Tom  Thumb,— or 
the  closely  allied  Heath  leaved,  which  the  writer 
of  this  introduced  from  Germany.  The  Globe  Ar- 
borvita?,  Thuja  occidentalis  globoaa ;  and  the  bluish 
Booth's  Globe,  Thuja  occidentalis  pumila.,  are 
both  excellent  edging  plants.  Another  very  pretty 
I  thing  introduced  by  the  writer  for  this  purpose, 
I  is  the  Evergreen  Caudijtiift.,  which,  in  additionUo 
'  the  pretty  dwarf  evergreen  habit,  has  pure  white 
I  flowers  in  April.  It  is  likely  to  be  cut  by  cold 
winds  in  winter,  but  in  the  average  of  places  it 
does  very  well. 

Who  of  us  who  has  any  gray  in  his  hair,  but  re- 
members how  beautiful  the  gardens  used  to  look 
studded  all  over  witli  the  plants  which  used  to 
be  kept  in  tubs  or  large  pots  during  the  winter 
in  cellars  or  the  "orangery,"  expressly  to  be  used 
in  summer  decoration.  We  hope  to  sec  these 
times  again.  The  following  are  some  of  the 
plants  we  used  to  liave. 


ISO 


IJIK    GARBEJ^EKS    MOJ^TBL^. 


May, 


Map;nolia  fuscata,  Pittosporunis,  Cleroden- 
(Iron  Bungei,  Hydrangea,  Figs,  Oleander,  pink 
and  white  ;  Ponicgr-inate,  single  for  fruit,  and 
double  for  show  ;  BiLrnonia  capenscs,  Bouvardia 
tryphylla.  Oranges,  Lemons,  Laurel  ]3ay,  Lau- 
rustinus,  New  Zealand  Flax,  Mahonias,  particu 
larly  M.  Darwinii,  Euonynius  japonicus.  Aloes, 
Agaves  and  others.  In  very  cold  climates 
Peaches,  Nectarines,  Apricots  and  Plums  might 
be  grown  in  this  way.  and  would  not  only  charm 
the  eye  during  the  Howcring  season,  but  add 
their  mite  to  more  material  pleasure  in  a  way 
agreeable  to  most  persons  ol*  taste,  if  not  of  re- 
finement. 

The  first  week  in  May  is  usually  the  time  to 
set  out  Dahlias.  Thoy  do  best  in  a  trenched 
soil,  say  18  inches  deep  at  least,  and  prefer  cow- 
manure  to  any  other  when  il  can  be  obtained. 
If  planted  on  thin  or  dry  soils,  they  will  not 
bloom  till  near  the  ap])roaoh  of  frost,  when  the 
chief  enjoyment  of  the  Dahlia  is  lost.  It  is  best, 
wliere  possible,  to  plant  a  duplicate  of  each 
kind. 

Tuberoses  and  Gladiolus  like  a  warm  rich  soil, 
and  may  be  set  out  at  once. 

In  transplanting  any  thing  that  has  roots  large 
enough  to  admit  of  the  practice,  it  is  best  to  dip 
the  roots,  immediately  before  planting,  into  wa- 
ter. This  will  obviate  the  necessity  of  after-wa- 
tering, and  its  consequent  injurious  effect.  If 
the  plants  appear  to  Hag,  shade  or  put  an  in- 
verted tlowcr-pot  over  the  plant  for  a  few  days  ; 
if  this  do  not  bring  the  plant  to,  it  must  have 
water. 

Flower-gardening,  as  we  have  ofien  said  be- 
fore, affords  scope  for  many  pretty  fancies,  be- 
sides arrangement  of  color,  which,  in  the  hands 
of  a  person  of  taste,  render  a  garden  a  ])aradise 
of  enchantment.  Borders  and  edgings  of  Iv}', 
Periwinkle  or  variegated  plants,  may  be  made 
to  appear  as  frames  t<>  the  i)ictures  of  pretty 
fiowers  enclosed  by  them  Waves  and  fringes 
of  green  may  be  led  along  through  a  large  flow- 
er-bed, and  the  various  divisions  formed  be  filled 
with  its  own  color,  making  a  natural  and  living 
l)ouqu(t ;  diflerent  colored  gravels  may  be  chosen 
for  paths  between  beds  ;  diflerent  shades  of  green 
may  be  made  by  the  selection  of  grasses  of  dif- 
ferent hues,  where  grass  walks  are  cmjdoyed. 
Old  stumps  or  roots  may  be  occasionally  intro- 
duced in  the  centre  of  beds,  and  covered  with 
green  vines,  or  flowering  climbers,  as  taste  may 
dictate  ;  rustic  liaskets  .rn;!  vases,    and    even    in 


many  instances  where  artificial  styles  prevail,, 
the  topiary  art  may  be  called  in,  and  good  effects 
result  from  the  use  of  the  knife  and  shears  on 
certain  plants. 

Trellisses  and  stakes  for  climbing  plants  and 
vines  should  be  put  in  at  or  before  setting  out 
the  ])lants.  These  plants  always  seem  to  grow 
with  more  freedom  and  vigor  when  they  can  find 
something  at  once  to  cling  to.  Climbing  vines 
add  greatly  to  the  interest  of  a  garden.  They 
can  be  trained  into  all  sorts  of  forms  and  shapes  ; 
and  many  of  them,  for  gracefulness  of  form,  or 
beauty  of  their  flowers,  cannot  be  excelled  by 
any  other  tribe  of  plants. 

In  planting  extensive  flower  gardens,  it  is  best 
to  retain  a  few  plants  in  pots,  in  case  a  frost  or 
other  accident  should,  by  chance,  destroy  some 
of  those  set  out  earlier. 

Pansies  and  Daises  should  be  set  out  in  rather 
a  shady  and  moist  place, — not  under  the  shade 
of  trees,  as  the  roots  of  these  dry  the  soil  too 
much. 

The  Hollyhock  has  become  one  of  the  most 
popular  and  useful  of  summer  bedding  plants. 
They  like  a  rich,  warm,  and  rather  dry  soil. 

The  Carnation  likes  a  deep,  rich  soil ;  the 
plants  should  be  raised  from  layers  afresh  every 
year.     July  is  the  time  to  do  this. 


FRUIT  GARDEN. 

Watch  all  young  fruit  trees  against  bearing 
too  abundantly  while  young,  or  the  first  season 
after  planting.  There  can  be  no  objection  to 
the  ripening  of  one  or  two  fruits  on  a  tree  the 
first  season  of  setting  out,  in  order  to  test  the 
kind,  or  to  administer  to  curiosity,  if  the  tree  be 
otherwise  growing  freely.  If  little  growth  is 
making,  no  fruit  at  all  should  be  permitted.  It 
is  a  better  practice  to  disbud  or  take  out  soon 
after  shooting  all  shoots  that  are  needless  to  the 
perfect  shape  of  the  tree,  than  to  wait  till  fall  or 
winter.  The  pruning  knife  need  then  only  to 
be  used  to  shorten  a  branch  into  where  several 
branches  are  desired  to  push,  or  to  induce  a 
more  vigorous  growth  from  the  pruned  parts. 
In  the  gooseberry,  rasi)berry  and  strawberry 
also,  no  more  shoots  should  be  suffered  to  grow 
than  will  be  required  to  bear  the  next  season. 

In  summer  pruning  or  disbudding,  it  is  also 
worth  while  to  watch  for  shoots  pushing  stronger 
than  others,  and  always  take  them  out.  This 
is  the  only  way  that  shoots  of  equal  strength  can 
be  encouraged  in  every  part  of  the  tree.     This  is 


1871. 


THE    GAUBEKEKS    MONTHLY. 


131 


particularly  true  of  grape  vinos.     If  a  shoot  once  |  Cauliflower,  and  Brocoli  are  to  bo  set  out  at  this 


get  the  start  of  the  others  in  strength  and  vigor, 
the  others  will  gradually  get  weaker  to  the 
other's  increasing  luxuriance. 

When  the  strawberry  crop  is  about  to  ripen, 
raalch  with  clean  straw,  to  prevent  rain  soiling 
the  fruit.  Short  grass  from  the  lawn  is  often 
used;  but  it  mildews  as  it  decays,  and  detracts 
from  the  flavor  of  the  fruit.  Hot  suns  increase 
flavor,  and  strawberry  tiles  were  once  in  fashion 
to  put  around  the  hills,  which,  by  absorbing 
heat,  added  greatly  to  the  fruit's  rich  quality. 
All  that  we  have  said  of  strawberries  supposes  I 
them  to  be  fruited  (ui  the  hill  system,  with  the 
runners  kept  off.  Those  who  desire  the  best  re- 
sults, will  grow  them  no  other  way. 

It  is  gratifying  to  note  that  the  great  scourge 
of  American  fruitgrowing,  insects  and  birds,  are 
getting  more  and  more  under  control.  We  re- 
cognize the  fact,  that  we  must  do  something 
ourselves,— that  in  the  "sweat  of  thy  brow'' 
only  shall  we  have  fruit  as  well  as  bread.  Wher- 
ever there  has  been  any  care  taken  to  drive 
away  birds,  or  gather  insects  together,  there  has 
been  success  quite  commensurate  with  the  la- 
bor bestowed.  It  may  be  well  to  remind  the 
reader  that  for  a  great  variety  of  insects,  there 
is  nothing  so  good  as  wide  mouth  bottles,  with 
sweet  liquid  to  trap  them  with. 


VEGETABLE  GARDEN, 
la  raising  vegetables,  it  is  particularly  impor- 
tant that  the  soil  should  be  very  rich.  In  fruit 
or  grains,  good  soil  is  of  course  requisite  to  suc- 
cess ;  but  in  vegetable  growing,  great  succulence 
is  the  first  great  aim,  and  this  cannot  be  secured 
without  great  abundance  of  manure.     Cabbage, 


season,  and  these  particularly  want  rich  soil. 
This  is  also  the  case  with  Lettuce.  As  the  wea- 
ther gets  warm,  it  soon  runs  to  seed,  and  only  very 
rich  soil  will  produce  it  good  enough  for  sum- 
mer use.  String  Beans  are  truly  stringy  when 
grown  in  poor  ground,  but  when  sown  in  rich 
deep  soil,  any  kind  is  a  "snap-short"  as  well  us 
the  early  "Valentine,"  which  usually  bears  this 

name. 

Melons,    Cucumbers,    Corn,    Okras,  Squash, 

Beans,  Sweet  Potatoe.«,  Lima  Beans,   Peppers, 

Egg-plants,  Tomatoes,  and  other  tender  vegeta- 

1  bles  that  do  not  do  well  till  the  sun  gets  high. 

and  the  ground  warm,   should  go  into  the  soil 

without  delay. 

Bean  poles  should  be  set  before  the  beans  are 
planted  ;  and  near  cities  where  they  are  com- 
paratively high  priced,  their  ends  should  be 
charred.  This  will  make  them  last  some  years. 
Keep  weeds  of  all  kinds  down  from  the  time 
they  first  show  their  seed  leaves.  It  not  only 
saves  labor  "in  the  end,"  but  the  frequent  stir- 
ring of  the  soil  vastly  serves  the  crop.  Sow  a 
succession  of  vegetables  every  few  weeks, — 
sometimes  insects,  sometimes  ffost,  or  occasion- 
ally other  accidents  will  cut  oflf  a  crop,  and  then 
there  is  some  chance  for  its  successor  not  wholly 
to  disappoint. 

In  planting  Tomatoes,  remember  the  advice 
of  Mr.  Blodgett,  and  others  in  our  magazine,  to 
plant  them  to  stakes,  or  against  a  wall  or  fence. 
The  fruit  is  much  better,  and  the  plants  more 
productive.  Set  the  stakes  in  the  ground  before 
planting,  as  we  do  for  the  Lima  Bean.  The 
stakes  need  not  l)e  over  0  feet  high,  and  if  they 
have  snaggy  portions  on  them,  all  the  better  for 
[  sustaining  the  plant. 


COMMUNICATIONS 


L 


REMINISCENCES  OF  AUSTRALIA. 

HY  MR.  W.  T.  IIAUDING,  BRIGHTON,  MAi^!^. 

The  hot  winds  with  which  all  are  unhappily 
familiar,  who  cast  their  lot  in  Australia,  had 
been  blowing  with  an  unusual  degree  of  intensi- 
ty, which  has  often  been  described  as  a  "red-hot 
wind."      Withering  and  enervating,   it  eflects 


both  man  and  beast ;  neither  does  it  spare  the 
vegetable  kingdom  its  liery  blasts.  "The 
flowers  of  the  forest,"  the  trees  and  shrubs,  and 
even  the  grass  becomes  flaccid,  and  seem  for  the 
time  while  passing  through  so  scorching  an  or- 
deal, to  have  lost  their  vitality.  The  noisy  par" 
lot-and  cockatoos  were  happily  silenced  for  a 


132 


THE    GARDENER'S   MOJVTELY 


May, 


time;  and  for  once  a  sympathetic  feeling  of  su- 
piueness.langourand  prostration  was  shared  alike 
by  all  treated  things. 

The  third  day,  with  its  attendant  miseries,  had 
passed;  and  the  morning  was  ushered  in  with  a 
more  life-breathing  atmosphere.  "We  "struck 
tent."  and  proceeded  onward,  followed  by  a 
number  of  aborigines,  who  carried  the  pan- 
niers, which  were  well  filled  with  specimens  of 
plants,  roots  and  seeds  which  I  had  collected,  la- 
beled, and  carefully  packed,  with  the  remainder 
of  our  scanty  provisions.  Of  what  subsequently 
occurred  during  that  eventful  day,  I  will  brietty 
relate. 

One  of  the  party,  who  had  assumed  the  name 
of  Boston,  after  his  native  city,  accompanied  us, 
having  met  with  him  on  his  way  back  to  civili- 
zation and  the  "States,''  as  he  termed  it.    He 
had  been  a    "stock-rider"   or  keeper,  five  long 
years  in  the  wilderness  ;  and  his  heart  fondly 
yearned  for  the  'home  of  his  youth  and  its  hap- 
pier days.''     Poor  waif,  he  had  been  a  luckless 
wanderer  "o'er  many  lands."  By  his  knowledge 
of  the  bush  he  proved  useful  to  us  as  a  guide, 
whose  footsteps  we  followed  through  a  deep  gorge 
to  a  more  open  valley,  which  was  thickly  covered 
with  the  most  varied  and  beautiful  specimens  cf 
New  Holland  plants  I  ever  beheld  mingled  to- 
gether.    Memory  went  back  to  Chiswick,  when 
in  its  palmy  days;  and  the  Regents  Park  exhibi- 
tions,  where   the   choicest  of  England's   floral 
gems  were  gathered  ;  but  they  seemed  meagre 
when  compared  with  the  grand  exhibition  around 
u.o.     But  sad  is  the  sequel  to  so  fair  a  scene. 
Ascending  from  the  valley,  and  listening  to  the 
dulcet  tones  of  "Boston's''  flute,  as  he  played  the 
plaintive  air,  "Home,  sweet  Home  ;"  in  a  mo- 
ment up  rose  one  of  the  most  hideous  serpents  I 
ever  saw,  and  reared  its  disgusting  body  some  six 
feet  high,  and  with  distended  jaws,  hissed  in  the 
face  of  our  guide.     Poor  fellow  !  the  melody  sud- 
denly ceased,  and  the  musician  staggered  and 
fell.     At  the  sight  of  so  fearful  a  monster,  all 
fled   in    terror    from    the    spot,  excepting    the 
"blacks,"  who  immediately  "showed  fight.''     In 
the    meantime,   the   loathsome   creature    stood 
erect,  and  with  its  devilish   looking  eyes  stared 
around.    Whir-r  r  went  a  "boomerang,"  dexter- 
ously thrown  by  one  of  the  "blacks, ' '  which  struc;k 
down  the  snaki-,  and   while  floundering  about, 
was    sorui    despatched    with   tlieir   "waddies." 
'i'hinking  poor  "Boston"  was  in  a  swoon,   we 
carried  him  a  si  oil  dislaiKi-  and   laiil   him  be- 


neath the  shade  of  some  magnificent  tree  ferns, 
Cimbotium    Billardii,'    whose      elegant    fronds 
waived  some  forty   feet  high.     Near  by,  grew 
some  fine  she-ak  trees, — Casuarina  quadrivalvis, 
C.  torrulosa,  C.  equiselifolia,  and  Exocarpus  cu- 
pressiformis.     The  landscape  around  was  grand 
indeed  ;  just  such  a  sublime  scene  as  an  artist 
would  select  to  portray,  or  a  lover  of  nature  to 
linger  in  and  exclaim,   "how  manifold  are  Thy 
works,  in  wisdom  hast  Thou  made  them  all!" 
Every  effort  was  made  to  restore  our  com- 
panion.    Supposing  he  was  in  a  protracted  syn- 
cope,   venesection   was   tried,   which    failed   to 
show  any  signs  of  life.     Alas  I  all  was  in  vain, 
for  the  heart  had  ceased  to  beat,  and  the  hand 
that  had  so  tenaciously  held  on  to  life,   had  re- 
linquished its  hold,  and  the  spirit  had  fled.    Si- 
lently our  vigils  were  kept  through  the  night,  as 
we  steadfastly  gazed  on  the  face  of  the  dead. 
"  The  windows   of  heaven   were  opened,"  and 
through   them  poured  a  flood  of  light,  as  the 
moon   looked   serenely  down   from  her  vaulted 
casement  above.     Towards  midnight,  a  breeze 
shook  the  foliage  around,  and  gently  waived  the 
long  pendant  branches  of  the  Casuarinas,  which 
produced   a   most  peculiarly  wailing  sound,  so 
like  a  requiem   for  the  dead.     Duriuij  the  pas- 
sing excitement,  we  had  forgotten  the  "blacks," 
having  left  them  with  the  snake.     Returning  to 
look  lor  them,  while  preparations  were  making 
for  the  interment,    to   our  great  surprise   they 
were  not  to  be  seen.     Scattered  around  the  em- 
bers of  a  fire,  were  portions  of  the  vertebra  of 
the  snake.  They  had  evidently  cooked  and  eaten 
the  body  and  then  deserted  us,  carrying  off  the 
panniers  which  contained  the  provisions  and  spe- 
cimens, which   were  somewhat  mixed  together. 
While  looking  around,  my  attention  was  called 
to  "Boston's"  flute,  which  rested  upon  a  beau- 
tiful bush  of  Pimelialinifoliain  full  bloom,  which 
I  carried  away  and  laid  in  the  grave  with  ail 
that  was  mortal  of  its  owner,  who  had  so  sud- 
denly passed  away,  literally  frightened  to  death. 
With  feelings  of  sadness,  we  left  his  grave,  after 
planting  an  Epacris  pulchella,  a  Boronia  serru- 
lata,  a  Eutaxia  and  Gompholobium,  four  of  the 
prettiest  plants  I  could  find. 

Returning  to  the  Casuarina  subject,  I  may 
say  they  are  trees  of  large  dimensions,  whose 
long  and  slender  branches  have  much  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  hiirse's  tlowing  mane.  Casuarina 
etiuiselifolia  is  a  lofty  and  wide  spreading  tree, 
so  is  </.   ti>rrii]<wv  and  C.  quadrivalvis.     I  saw 


1871. 


TEE    GARDEJVEIVS    MONTHLY. 


1S3 


the  trunk  of  a  very  large  tree  an  icjuorant  fellow 
had  cut  down,  which  was  not  a  "labor  of  love'' 
by  any  means.  It  grew  near  to  his  hut,  and  as 
he  said,  "he  could  stand  it  no  longer,  for  when- 
ever the  wind  got  up,  it  sighed  and  lamented  so, 
it  made  him  feel  miserable.''  Evidently  he  had 
no  music  in  his  soul,  or  he  would  have  known 
that  he  was  chopping  at  "the  harp  with  a  thou- 
sand strings."  The  wood  is  almost  as  heavy 
and  hard  as  iron,  and  is  used  by  the  natives  to 
make  their  weapons  of,  and  is  known  to  them  as 
the  She-ak,  which  the  settlers  have  somehow 
twisted  into  the  oak 

The  Exocarpusis  an  evergreen  much  like  a  cy- 
press in  growth  and  appearance,  and  attains  to 
a  height  of  sixty  or  seventy  feet  It  has  been  de- 
scribed as  "the  native  cherry,  with  the  stones 
growing  outside  the  fruit."  The  name  certainly 
indicates  such  to  be  the  case  ;  but  why  called  a 
cherry  I  cannot  imagine,  unless  it  is  on  account 
of  the  color  being  "as  red  as  a  cherry,"  and 
there  being  a  bare  possibility  of  swallowing  a 
^Qw.     The  fruit  resembles  that  of  a  Taxus. 

It^isa  singular  fact,  that  there  is  neither  a 
fruit  or  vegetable  indigenous  to  Australia  worth 
growing  or  eating,  the  mushroom  excepted; 
and  yet  may  it  be  called  a  land  of  paradise.  Of 
which,  more  anon.  ' 


WINTER  FLOWERS. 

BY  .T    M.,  PHILADELPHIA. 

Passing  through  the  greenhouses  of  Mrs.  Geo. 
AV.  Carpenter,  a  few  dajs  ago,  I  noted  in  bloom 
many  plants,  the  list  of  which  I  propose  to  give, 
as  a  guide  to  those  who  wish  to  grow  plants  for 
winter  decoration.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  list 
contains  not  so  much  new  plants,  as  those  which 
have  been  proved  useful  and  good  :  Siphocam- 
phylos  bicolor ;  Chinese  Primula,  beautifully 
fringed  ;  Abutilon  album,  a  splendid  plant,  with 
over  one  hundred  expanded  sulphur-colored 
flowers  on,  probably  the  best  of  the  commonest 
known  ones  out  ;  a  new  variet}'  Abutiloii  i)etu- 
niajflora,  a  rosy  flesh, i)romiscs  to  be  a  good  thing; 
Bignonia  venusta,  climbing  over  the  rafters,  and 
covered  with  its  trumpet-shaped  flowers,  was 
really  uncommon  :  ibis  is  growing  in  a  large  tub, 
and  lias  been  undisturbed  for  some  time  ;  it  is 
not  usual  for  it  to  blo»m  so  abundantly,  speak- 
ing well  for  its  treatment ;  Daphnes,  Salvia  his- 
pidula,  S.  involucrata  and  splendens  ;  Gesnera 
oblongata,  a  good  kind  for  winter,  easily  kept? 
and  with  handsome  leaves  •  Ilcleroceutron  ro- 


seum,  nearly  over ;  Lopezia  rosea,  one  of  the 
prettiest  and  easiest  cultivated  of  all  winter 
plants ;  Belleporone  oblongata,  Ilabrothamnus 
elegans.  Fuchsia  syriuga^ flora,  with  flowers  in 
bunches,  like  a  lilac,  and  i^retty  leaves  ;  Aphe- 
laudra  Ghiesbrechtii,  White  Lantanas,  Eran- 
themum  pulchellum,  just  opening  ;  Bouvardias, 
Heliotrope,  Olea  fragrans ;  Sparraannia  Afri- 
cana ;  Chorozemas,  just  opening  ;  Leonotis  nep- 
etafolia,  a  rather  scarce  plant  with  tubular 
orange  flowers  ;  an  Ardisia,  with  much  larger 
leaves  than  crenulata  and  blackish  berries,  name 
unknown  ;  Chorozemas,  Camellias— of  these 
Lady  Hume's  Blush  is  the  first  to  open— followed 
by  a  great  variety  of  others.  As  desirable  plants 
of  Geraniums  as  could  be  wished,  can  be  seen 
here.  I  have  never  seen  better  flowers  in  win- 
ter, the  house  being  steep  and  dry,  suits  them 
well.  The  heads  of  bloom  on  General  Grant, 
Chance  and  Eosamond,  could  not  be  excelled. 
Mr.  Joyce,  the  gardener,  considers  Rosamond 
the  best  of  all  for  winter.  Its  color  is  rosy 
salmon  and  white.  Another  large  house  is  de- 
voted exclusively  to  the  care  of  the  large  speci- 
mens of  Bamboos,  Fan  Palms,  Sweet  Bays, 
Evergreen  Magnolias,  and  Australian  Plants, 
used  extensively  for  decorating  the  grounds  in 
summer.  The  fine  old  Sago  Palms,  so  often 
seen  at  the  Pennsylvania  Horticultural  Society, 
are  in  this  house.  Mrs.  Geo.  W.  Carpenter, 
with  members  of  her  family,  have  been  for  some 
time  sojourning  in  Europe,  and  we  understand, 
contemplate  staying  there  a  considerable  time. 
A  visit  to  these  grounds  in  summer,  when  the 
large  tub  i)lants  are  intermixed  with  the  statu- 
ary, would  well  repay  one  ;  or  in  winter,  when 
its  storms  drives  you  within  doors,  how  doubly 
welcome  is  its  shelter,  when  the  charms  of  such 
greenhouses  as  these  are  added. 


FLOWERS. 

AN  ADKRESS  DELIVERED  UEPORE   THE  FR*NKU»    COUNTY    (PaV    HORTI- 
CULTDRAL   glCIETV. 

BY  REV.  P.  S.  DAVIS. 

Mr.  President.,  and  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: — 
My  professor  of  natural  science  at  college  gave 
me  credit  for  being  the  best  ground  squirrel 
catcher  that  belonged  to  our  botanical  class. 
Tiiat  was  the  only  compliment  the  conscientious 
man  could  ever  ])ay  me  ;  for  durin.;  all  our  ram- 
bles over  hill  and  through  dale,  I  had  no  sympa- 
thy with  a  science  that  made  the  rose  a  monster, 
and  the  most  beautiful  varieties  of  tliat  queen  of 


134 


TEE    GARDEJSTER'S   MOKTELY. 


May, 


flowers  more  hybrids.  So  I  furthor  concludiMl 
that  iiullin;;  plants  to  pieces  and  counting  the 
petals  was  like  the  child's  play  of  breaking  the 
drum  to  see  where  the  sound  came  from  ;  and 
that  chasing  "chip-monks"  was  more  refresh- 
ing. I  have  changed  my  opinion  on  the  sub- 
ject as  the  hairs  on  n)y  head  have  become  loss. 
And  although  I  know  nothing  about  Botany,  I 
have  long  since  coincided  with  wiser  men,  that 
the  science  of  plants  opens  a  vast  field  of  useful 
and  delightful  knowledge  to  those  who  press 
their  inquiries  on  her  domain. 

True,  science  has  sometimes  "run  mad.'' 
There  have  been  botanical  fools  as  well  as  chem- 
ical fools  and  theological  fools,  in  the  times  that 
are  past.  Mary  Ilowitt,  to  whom  I  am  indebted 
for  some  facts,*  speaks  of  a  very  curious  book 
published  about  1631,  by  a  German,  on  the  rose, 
in  which  (wc)  hundred  and  fifty  mortal  pages  are 
devoted  to  the  curative  properties  of  that  flower 
in  every  disease— making  it  a  universal  panacea. 
The  author  also  claims  for  it  supernatural  pow- 
ers, particularly  in  driving  away  evil  spirits. 
He  also  speaks  of  the  re-production  of  the  rose, 
as  something  that  could  be  affected  from  its  own 
ashes,  like  the  fabled  Phoenix,  an  idea  which  is 
gravely  re-produced  in  a  French  work  published 
as  late  as  the  beginning  of  the  19th  century- 
This  was  called  the  miperial  secret,  because  the 
Emperor  Ferdinand  III.  purchased  it  of  a  for- 
eign chemist  at  a  very  high  price. 

And  yet  the  fact  that  men  have  failed  to  ex- 
tract the  elixir  of  life  from  the  rose  is  no  objec- 
tion to  Botany,  any  more  than  the  failure  of  the 
old  alchemist  to  find  the  philosopher's  stone  is 
an  argument  against  chemistry,  or  any  more 
than  the  failure  of  the  old-school  men  to  deter- 
mine how  many  angels  could  stand  upon  the 
point  of  a  needle,  is  an  argument  against  Theol- 
ogy. 

But  independent  of  the  classification  of  plants 
and  the  uses  to  which  they  may  really  be  put  by 
the  man  of  science,  every  little  incense  breathing 
llowrct  has  a  rich  store  of  joy  for  any  man  who 
will  but  study  it  closely.  For  example,  I 
have  copied  before  me  an  extended  statement 
by'a  distinguished  man  in  regard  to  the  tiny 
flower  known  as  the  Daisy,  in  which  he  shoivs 
that  this  little  beauty,  so  small  and  delicate, 
contains  between  two  and  three  hundred  flow- 
ers ;  that  every  leaf  and  stamen  and  pistil  is 
itself  a   perfect   flower,  having  each  its  corolla, 

*  »ett  •  itliorl  article  ID  M  volume  of  Doha's  IlluBlratod  Li- 
brary. 


stamens,  jiistil,  and  fruit,  so  that  we  can  see 
how  much  is  compressed  into  the  calyx  of  that 
one  little  gem  ;  and  I  cite  the  instance  to  show 
how  our  pleasure  may  be  increased  by  a  close 
examination  of  these  thuigs. 

But  flowers  aflbrd  pleasure  to  those  who  may 
see  and  handle  and  trample  on  them  all  their 
lives,  without  ever  suspecting  the  multiplied 
glories  revealed  by  a  minute  examination  of 
their  structure  Poor  Burns  appreciated  the 
wee  crimson-tipped  daisy  he  turned  down  with 
his  plowshare,  more  than  Bosseau,  to  whose 
description  1  have  just  referred.  There  are  no 
grotesques  in  nature,  no  ridiculous  fancies  made 
merely  to  fill  up  space,  and  God  has  scattered 
his  beauties  for  men  who  cannot,  like  Solomon, 
discourse  on  all  the  plants,  from  the  cedar  of 
Lebanon  even  to  the  hyssoji  on  the  wall.  Our 
Divine  Redeemer  did  not  address  a  Botany  class 
when  he  said,  "Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field." 
Indeed  the  multitude  of  men  must  be  satisfied  to 
use  and  enjoy  what  the  few  are  given  to  know 
and  understand.  I  know  nothing  of  materia 
medico.  I  apply  an  arnica  plaster  and  take 
senna  and  Peruvian  bark,  when  my  phywcian 
says  I  ought  to  do  so,  and  in  this  I  show  more 
faith  than  some  people  when  they  listen  to  their 
preachers.  In  fact,  it  is  a  law  of  our  being  that 
we  must  use  and  may  delight  in  most  things, 
before  it  can  be  expected  that  we  should  come  to 
any  proper  understanding  of  them.  The  man 
who  would  refuse  food  until  he  knew  all  about 
albumen  and  how  much  is  in  his  bread  and  po- 
tatoes, would  be  set  down  as  a  fool,  deserving  to 
starve,  as  he  surely  would  have  done  before  he 
was  old  enough  to  make  the  inquiry. 

The  same  truth  holds  good  when  we  leave  the 
sphere  of  the  strictly  useful,  and  go  out  into  the 
realms  of  what  men  call  the  purely  beautiful. 
Wc  opine  that  Noah  never  thought  of  analyzing 
the  hues  of  the  rainbow,  and  yet  the  old  patri- 
arch doubtless  had  more  delight  in  it  than  Hum- 
boldt had  in  anything  be  ever  found  while  study- 
ing the  cosmos. 

The  u.sc  1  would  make  of  this  general  fact  in 
its  apjilication  to  the  rt'orld  of  flowers,  is  to 
show  that  the  masses  of  men  who  can  never 
expect  to  have  any  scientific  knowledge  of  it,  or 
even  to  be  close  observers  of  the  wonderful 
organization  found  there,  may  yet  liud  great  and 
varied  enjoyment  in  it.  And  in  tliis  connection 
it  may  be  well  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that 
men  have  almost  everywhere  and  ;ilvvays  obeyed 
the  promptings  of  nature,  and   usiil  flowers  for 


Ib7i. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJVTELy. 


135 


the  purposes  of  ornamentation.  I  was  aston- 
ished some  time  ago  to  see  it  stated  by  Mrs- 
Gore,  that  there  are  roses  indigenous  to  the  ex- 
treme Arctic  regions.  "Not  only  do  they  un- 
fold their  pink  corollas  there,  but  the  Esquimaux 
decorate  their  hair,  the  reindeer  and  the  seal 
skins  in  which  they  are  clothed,  with  the  beau- 
tiful blossoms."  Indeed  the  whole  world  seems 
to  have  said  with  Solomon,  "  Let  us  crown  our- 
selves with  rose-buds  before  they  wither."  A 
few  facts  in  regard  to  this  may  not  be  uninter- 
esting to  those  i)reseut. 

1  he  cultivation  of  dowers  for  ornament  is  nii'u- 
tioned  in  the  oldest  Coptic  manuscripts,  and  the 
celebrated  hanging  gardens  of  Babylon,  built  by 
Semiramis  1200  years  B.  C,  in  which  the  choicest 
plants  were  raised,  are  familiar  to  you  all.  All 
the  Eastern  nalionshad  a  superstitious  regard  for 
flowers.  Zoroaster  tells  us  that  every  flower  is 
appropriated  to  a  particular  angel,  and  that  the 
Rosa  centifolia  (our  common  hundred  leaved 
rose)  is  con.secrated  to  an  arch-angel  of  the 
highest  order  The  Turks  suppose  that  the  rose 
owes  its  origin  to  the  perspiration  that  fell  from 
the  brow  of  Mahomet,  and  they  never  tread  upon 
a  rose  leaf  nor  suffer  one  to  lie  on  the  ground. 
The  Bosa  Damascena  (Damascus  rose)  was 
brought  from  Syria  by  the  Crusaders,  and  it 
would  be  impossible  for  U3  to  say  here,  how 
fully  flowers  have  entered  into  the  history  of 
heraldry :  that  is,  when  used  as  devices  on 
standards  and  banners,  as  the  symbols  of  heroes, 
families  and  nations,  in  ihe'it  struggles  for  honor, 
fame  and  power.  The  lilies  of  France,  and  the 
red  and  while  roses  of  the  houses  of  York  and 
Lancaster  during  the  thirty  years'  war  in  Eng- 
land, are  good  illustrations  of  this. 

Among  the  Greeks,  whose  idea  was  that  the 
highest  good  culminated  in  the  beautiful,  there 
are  many  references  to  flowers.  This  idea  en- 
tered into  their  mythologies,  and  all  their  his- 
torians and  poets  constantly  refer  to  flowers. 
Every  school  boy  who  has  had  his  ears  boxed 
over  Homer,  knows  how  he  describes  Aurora 
with  rose-tipped  Angers  filling  the  air  with  their 
perfume. 

The  Romans,  however,  carried  the  luxurious 
use  of  flowers  to  the  greatest  height,  covering 
the  couches  of  their  guests  and  their  bancpiet 
tables  with  them.  Some  of  the  Emperors  scat 
tered  the  hall  of  their  palaces  with  them.  When 
Cleopatra  went  to  Cilicia  to  meet  Mark  Antony, 
«he  gave  him  a  succession  of  festivals  which  dis- 
played a  royal  magnificence.     On  the  fourth  day 


the  Queen  carried  her  sumpluousness  so  far  as 
to  pay  a  talent  for  a  quantity  of  roses,  with 
which  she  caused  the  floor  to  be  covered  to 
the  depth  of  eighteen  inches.  But  the  greatest 
profusion  of  flowers  mentioned  in  ancient  his- 
tory, and  which  seems  scarely  credible,  is  that 
which  Suetonius  attributed  to  Nero.  This  au- 
thor says  that  at  a  fete  wliicli  the  Emperor 
gave  at  Baiae  the  expenses  incurred  for  roses 
alone  were  more  than 4,000,000  sesterces,  which 
equals  £20,000,  or  nearly  ^100,000.  At  this,  or 
some  other  reception  at  Bai:U'.  when  the  enter- 
tainment was  given  on  the  water,  the  whole 
surftxce  of  Jyake  Lucina  was  covi^red  with  ro-ses. 

At  first,  the  Romans  brought  their  flowers 
from  Egypt  at  those  seasons  of  the  year  when 
Italy  could  not  produce  them.  But  afterwards, 
to  render  these  luxuries  more  easily  attainable 
during  the  winter,  the  Roman  gardeners  erected 
green-houses,  warmed  by "  hot  water  pipes, 
and  by  artificial  temperature  kept  roses  and 
lilies  constantly  in  bloom  'J'liey  carried  their 
hot  houses  to  such  perfection,  that  in  the  reign 
of  Domitian,  when  the  Egyptians  thougt'"  *o 
pay  him  a  splendid  compliment  by  sending  roses 
on  his  birthday  in  winter,  their  present  excited 
ridicule.     It  was  like  hauling  coals  to  Newcastle. 

If  any  one  thinks  of  furnishing  this  society 
with  the  means  for  a  grand  display  from  year  to 
year,  and  wishes  to  be  encouraged  by  precedent, 
I  would  refer  him  to  the  following  scrap  of  his- 
tory taken  from  a  French  Universal  Biography  : 

"Clemence  Isaure,  a  French  lady  who  lived 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  15th  century,  bequeathed 
to  the  Academy  of  Toulouse  a  large  income,  ex- 
clusively for  the  celebration  of  floral  games,  and 
the  distribution  of  five  prizes  for  as  many  poems. 
The  prizes  consisted  of  an  amaranth  and  a  rose 
of  gold,  and  of  a  violet,  marigoM  and  lily  of  sil- 
ver. The  will  also  required  that  every  three 
years,  on  the  day  of  the  commencement  of  the 
floral  games,  the  members  ul"  the  Academy 
should  scatter  flowers  on  her  toiult.  Bonsard, 
the  French  poet,  took  the  first  prize,  and  received 
in  lieu  of  the  accustomed  rose  a  silver  image  of 
Minerva.  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  was  so  much 
delighted  with  the  poem  that  she  sent  him  a 
magnificent  rose  valued  at  ,l'')00. "'     lUu  enough 

on  this  point 

The  general  sentiment  the  world  has  ex- 
pressed by  flowers  are  those  of  lovt-,  honor,  re- 
(inement,  charity,  holiness  and  happiness.  In 
looking  up  tills  subject  at  the  re([uesl  of  this 
society,  I  have  fr)uud  one  or  two  exceptions  to 


1S6 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJYTHLy. 


May. 


this.  A  synod  at  Nismcs,  about  A.  D.  1284, 
ordered  the  Jews  to  wear  a  rose  on  their  breasts, 
that  they  might  be  distinguished  from  Chris- 
tians and  not  receive  the  same  attentions.  At 
one  time,  too,  in  certain  parts  of  Germany,  a 
crown  of  red  roses  was  the  punishment  f)f  im- 
morality. As  an  offset  to  this,  we  may  mention 
a  beautiful  custom  that  prevails  in  the  Valley  of 
Engadlne  in  Switzerland.  If  a  man  accused  of 
a  crime  is  able  to  justify  himself,  the  day  on 
which  he  is  delivered  from  prison,  a  young  and 
beautiful  girl  presents  him  Avith  a  white  rose, 
called  "  the  rose  of  innocence." 

Seneca  made  a  raid  on  the  green-houses  of 
Eomc,  and  denounced  them  as  tending  to  efle- 
minancy  and  vice.  He  tells  one  rich  old  cur- 
mudgeon that  he  could  not  sleep  if  one  of  the 
rose-petals,  with  which  his  bed  was  spread, 
ha])pened  to  be  curled.  And  Cicero,  who  ren- 
dered Verres  immortal  by  the  unmercifuV  cas 
tigation  he  gave  him,  tells  that  citizen  not  only 
that  he  is  a  robber;  but  such  a  lazy,  effeminate 
libertine,  that  he  would  not  know  when  spiing 
came  if  he  did  not  see  the  flowers  in  bloom. 
But  Seneca,  great  as  he  was,  could  not  do  away 
with  the  green-houses.  It  appears,  however, 
that  some  of  the  nobles  did  appoint  a  board  of 
eminent  physicians  to  determine  what  kind  of 
flowers  were  suitable  to  place  in  crowns,  with 
out  detriment  to  health  ;  and  that  the  doctors 
reported  the  parsley,  the  ivy,  the  myrtle,  and 
the  rose  as  possessing  peculiar  virtues  for  dissi- 
pating the  fumes  of  wine. 

Less  men  than  Seneca  and  Cicero  might  have 
told  emperors  and  patricians  that  if  their  palaces 
had  not  been  hot-beds  of  iniquity,  seething  with 
drunkenness  and  licentiousuess,  the  wreath  ]iut 
on  their  virtuous  brows  Avould  not  have  killed 
them,  even  though  their  courts  had  smelled  like 
the  city  of  (Jologne.  where  a  great  English  poet 
says  he  recognized  seventy  two  separate  and  well 
defined  odors,  some  of  them  not  very  pleasant. 

"We  of  course  repudiate  the  idea  of  the  old 
German  already  alluded  to,  who  found  in  the 
rose  a  universal  panacea  even  for  physical  evils. 
Had  this  virtue  been  found,  Nero  and  Marc 
Anthony  might  have  been  spared.  15ut  to  re- 
lieve all  the  disorders  with  which  our  humanity 
is  afllicted,  thrre  must  l)e  in  the  remedy  some 
inherent  (|uality  suflicient  to  cure  sin.  Tlu're  is 
only  one  lialm  in  TJilcad  suflicient  for  that.  And 
tliis  leads  me,  to  remark  that  what  I  have  yet  to 
say  will  be  in  regard  to  flowers  viewed  from  a 
Christian  sUnul  point,  and  if  you  will  hear  with 


me  yet  longer,  I  would  like  to  inflict  a  few  of 
what  my  little  daughter  calls  my  *'  Gliristianary 
ideas'*'  upon  you.  I  must  premise  "i.owever,  that 
the  world  has  its  a;sthetic  tastes.  The  beautiful 
can  be  looked  iipon  and  enJo}'ed  in  its  measure 
in  the  sphere  of  nature,  as  over  against  the 
sphere  of  grace.  Athens  w^as  once  the  most  re- 
fined city  in  the  world,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
most  idolatrous  and  immoral.  During  the  mid- 
dle ages,  the  cultivation  of  tlowers,  as  well  as 
art,  in  the  northwest  of  Europe,  was  confined  to 
the  monks  and  nuns,  who  kept  their  gardens 
while  every  one  else  was  off  at  the  wars.  But 
the  church  does  not  now  monopolize  these 
things.  Some  people  who  make  no  pretentions 
to  Christianity  appreciate  flowers  more  than 
many  very  pious  persons  do.  There  is  a  worldly 
thrift  and  taste  that  often  expresses  itself  in  this 
way,  and  although  Christianity  without  flowers 
is  better  than  flowers  without  Christianity,  it  is 
certainly  better  to  have  the  flowers  alone  than 
neither  Christianity  nor  flowers. 

We  do  not  usually  find  the  people  who  love 
and  cultivate  flowers  to  be  the  worst  and  most 
improvident  members  of  any  community.  Peo- 
ple whose  ideas  are  entirely  utilitarian — in 
whom  the  beautiful  things  of  the  world  excite 
no  emotions,  are  oftenest  contracted  and  illiberal 
in  all  their  views — moral  dyspeptics  ;  and  when 
all  the  innocent  and  legitimate  i)astimes  by 
which  the  toils  and  cares  of  life  may  be  relieved 
are  ignored,  we  are  apt  to  have  great  stupidity, 
or  what  is  worse,  gossips  and  busy  bodies  in 
other  men's  matters.  Louis  Napoleon  under- 
stood this.  lie  was  always  amusing  the  French 
to  keep  them  from  malicious  mischief— to  him- 
self. The  ancients  had  this  idea,  too.  They 
consecrated  the  rose  to  Harpocrates,  the  patron 
of  silence,  of  which  it  was  the  symbol,  and  they 
]n-esumed  that  when  they  could  say  anything  to 
a  man — or  woman — under  a  rose  bush,  they 
could  say  it  in  confidence.  That  was  just  the 
meaning  of  their  sub  rosa. 

It  was  the  custom  in  some  of  the  northern 
countries,  too,  to  suspend  a  rose  over  the  table 
at  their  feasts,  to  remind  the  guests  that  honor- 
able silence  was  to  be  preserved  in  regard  to 
every  thing  said  during  their  meals.  A  little  of 
that  old  Unman  honor,  pagan  though  it  was, 
would  not  be  amiss  now.  You  may  think  this 
suggestion  imcharitable,  but  if  you  were  up 
here  speaking,  you  would  say  that  if  you  could 
enforce  the  code,  you  would  make  many  that 
you  wot  of  take  breakfast,  dinner  and  tea,  lunch 


1871. 


THE    GARDEMER'S   MOJ^'THLY. 


U7 


between  meals  and  strawberries  at  niiibt,  .sm^- 
rosa.  You  would  pen  tbcm  up  between  silence 
and  starvation.  And  it  would  do  you  good  to 
see  two  chronic  gossips  chewing  and  swallowing 
opposite  to  each  other,  with  the  dread  consci- 
ousness that  they  dare  not  say  one  dishonorable 
■word  about  what  they  might  hear.  The  effect 
upon  them  would  be  such  as  arsenic  and  water 
are  said  to  have  had  upon  rats,  in  the  good  old 
times  when  adulteration  did  not  belong  to  the 
apothecary's  art.  Many  a  person's  first  mouth- 
ful would  prove  the  death  dose,  but  you  would 
say,  "If  the  rose  can  drive  awaj'  the  evil  spirit, 
let  the  bush  be  planted,  even  though  he  tear 
some  as  he  gooth  out  ''  The  preachers  and 
churches  would  have  a  good  time  generall}' ; 
the  law3'ers  certainly,  and  even  the  doctors 
would  have  more  leisure,  for  there  would  be  less 
sickness  because  less  wounded,  troubled,  broken 
hearts  Ah  !  though  the  rose  ma}-  be  appointed 
of  God  as  means  to  help  keep  the  mind  in  proper. 
Ijealthful  channels,  they  cannot,  as  the  old  Ger- 
man supposed,  exorcise  the  Demon.  The  strong 
man  keepeth  his  palace,  and  until  a  stronger 
ONE  come  his  good.<  are  in  peace.  Only  He  who 
met  and  conquered  the  old  enem}'.  when  He  was 
manifested  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil,  can 
vanquish  him  now. 

All  this  by  way  of  parenthesis.  I  started  out 
to  sav-  only  that  even  in  a  worldly  point  of  view, 
honor  and  flowers  ought  to  go  together.  More- 
over, I  have  noticed  during  a  ministry  that  has 
extended  through  half  of  my  life  time,  and 
chiefl}'  among  the  poor,  that  those  people  in  the 
humbler  walks  of  life,  whose  natural  promptings 
have  led  them  to  whitewash  their  cottages,  and 
train  the  jessamine  and  morning-glory  by  the 
door,  or  plant  the  marigold  in  the  yard  during 
the  summer,  are  not  cjfnerally  the  persons  to 
whom  my  deacons  have  had  to  carry  coal  and 
potatoes  in  winter. 

Conceding,  then,  the  beneficial  effects  that 
may  be  said  to  flow  from  the  cultivation  of  flow- 
ers in  a  worldl}'  point  of  view,  what  we  wish  to 
insist  upon  is  that  nothing  can  find  its  true 
meaning  outside  of  Christianity,  which  alone 
can  s.mctify  our  tastes  and  make  our  joy  in  them 
perennial,  and  that  in  all  this  we  have  higher 
incentives  than  the  old  Greek  had  when  he 
taught  his  boy  to  study  and  admire  the  works  of 
Phidias. 

Even  refined  paganism  taught  that  the  high- 
est beauty  culminated  in  the  service  of  the  god.«, 


and  if  they  were  impelled  to  invest  deities  as  the 
patrons  of  flowers,  why  should  we  ignore  Him 
who  "clothes  the  lilies  of  the  field  ?"  Indeed 
it  is  wonderful  how  flowers  have  entered  into 
the  religious  life  of  the  world,  and  how  in  al^ 
heathenism  we  have  dim  adumbrations  or  sha- 
dowings  of  what  is  told  us  by  revelation.  Into 
this  field  I  may  not  enter,  but  let  me  give  one 
instance.  Zoroaster  tells  us  that  the  stem  of  the 
rose  had  no  thorns  until  the  entrance  of  Ahrim- 
anus  (the  evil  one)  into  the  world.  Here  we 
have  evidently  a  stray  gleam  from  the  burning 
bush,  for  this  is  just  the  truth  that  the  Bible  de- 
clares. "When  God  made  man,  he  placed  him  in 
an  Eden  of  beauty,  and  when  man  fell  he  in- 
volved his  whole  heritage.  The  earth  was  cursed 
for  his  sake  and  doomed  to  bring  forth  thorns 
and  thistles.  Every  one  who  contends  with 
weeds  and  briars,  feels  that  this  curse  is  a  dread 
reality,  that  reaches  away  down  to  the  very  soil 
on  which  we  tread.  Flowers,  then,  comport 
with  innocence,  and  thorns  with  sin. 

But  now  this  law  of  sin  and  death  is  to  be  re- 
versed.    A  Deliverer  is  promised,  by  whom  the 
curse  is  to  be  removed,  and  when  bis  triumph  is 
predicted  it  is  in  this  language  :  "  The  wilder- 
I  ness  and  the  solitary  places  shall  be  made  glad 
j  *    *    the  desert  shall  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the 
I  rose.     It  shall  blossom  abundautly  and  rejoice 
even  with  joy  and  singing  ;  the  glory  of  Lebanon 
shall  be  given  unto  it,  the  excelleucy  of  Carmel 
and   Sharon,  they  shall   see   the    glory   of   the 
I  Lord  and  the  excellency  of  our  God.— Is.  35  :  2. 

If  then   the  restoration  is  to  be  as  much  of  a 
I  historical  reality  as  the  curse  is.  the  bloom  of 
i  Eden  must  be  renewed,  and  the  evil  one  will  not 
be  permitted  to  say,  "  Although  man  has  been 
redeemed,  I  hold  his  heritage."     He  will  not  be 
I  able  to  say,  "  The  blighted  Eden  spoken  of  in 
I  the  firi^t  part  of  your  Bible  was  a  fact,  but  the 
■  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth  described  by  St. 
John,  in  the  last  part  of  your  Bible,  and  pro- 
mised as  the   restored  paradise  into  the  which 
,  the  redeemed  shall  enter,   must  ever  remain  a 
fiction."      No,   even    the    plants    and    flowers 
;  of  the  earth  are  to  "see  tlie  excellency  of  our 
God,"  and   this   thought  is  one   to  which   the 
Christian  ought  not  to  be  indifferent. 

It  is  remarkable  that   He  by  whom  all  this  is 

to  be  effected,  has  many  names  given  to  Him 

I  from  the  world  of  plants,  as    "the   Root  and 

!  Stem  of  Jesse,"  "the  Branch,"  "the  Balm  in 

Gilcad,''  "  the  Kose  of  Sharon,"  and  "  the  Lily 


1S8 


THE    GARJ)EJ\^£R'S    MOJVTHL  > 


May, 


of  the  Valleys."  And  it  is  further  remarkable 
that  iu  the  song  of  Solomon,  the  love  of  Christ 
for  Ilis  Church  is  set  forth  uodor  the  imaue  of  a 
(over  in  a  J,^arden  of  flowers.  But  I  would  yet 
•all  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  use  of  flowers 
jn  relii,'ious  decoration  is  spoken  of  iu  the  Bible. 
The  high  priest's  dress,  and  some  parts  of  the 
tabernacle,  with  its  sacred  furniture,  were  deco- 
rated with  the  blossom  of  the  pomegranate  and 
the  almond,  and  as  this  was  done  by  Divine  di- 
rections, no  one  dare  cavil  at  it. 

He  whose  lips  were  touched  with  a  live  coal 
from  off  God's  altar,  and  who  spoke  as  he  was 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  uttered  this  predic- 
tion: "The  glory  of  Lebanon  shall  come  unto 
thee  ;  the  fir  tree,  the  pine  tree  and  the  box  to- 
gether, to  beautify  the  place  of  my  sanctuary, 
and  I  will  make  the  place  of  my  feet  glorious." 
This  prediction  has  been  fulfilled  in  the  custom 
of  the  churches  that  adorn  their  houses  of  wor- 
ship on  festival  days.  And  this  custom  is  no 
longer  confined  to  the  old  German  and  Eng- 
lish ehurches,  but  is  coming  mto  vogue  among 
those  who  do  not  lay  so  much  stress  upon  the 
regular  festivals.  The  latecentcnnary  celebra 
tion  of  Methodism  in  this  country  witnessed 
many  a  tloral  oftering,  and  at  the  meetin<r  of  the 
united  Assemblies  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
just  held  in  Philadelphia,  the  sacred  edifice  was 
festooned  with  evergreens,  and  their  pulpit  and 
communion  table  were  crowned  with  flowers. 
I  like  my  Alethodist  and  Presbyterian  brethren 
all  the  better  for  that.  And  if  any  long  faced 
croaker  should  speak  to  me  of  it  as  an  evidence 
of  a  decline  in  what  he  would  be  apt  to  call  their 
"vital  godliness,"  I  would  respectfully  differ 
from  him  ;  but  if  he  should  go  farther,  and  seri- 
ously say  that  they  were  worshipping  flowers,  it 
would  take  all  the  little  grace  I  have  to  keep 
from  thinking  him  a  donkey  that  had  been  feed- 
ing on  thistles  all  his  life.  But  even  if  it  were 
established  that  a  man  must  make  an  idol  of 
everything  brought  into  our  churches,  it  vTere 
t)etter  then  U)  adorn  our  chancels  with  flowers, 
than  to  litter  them  up  with  hats,  overcoats,  um- 
brellas and  nuiddy  gum  shoes,  which  you  would 
expect  any  refined  pastor  to  leavf  outside  of 
your  parlors. 

A  minister  of  our  own  (thurch  (mut  pn-achod 
a  sermon  against  the  time  honored  custiun  nf 
decorating  churches,  because,  as  he  said,  it  was 
tiostile  to  spirituality  ;  as  if  tiiere  was  some- 
thing css(!ntially  spiritual  in  bare  walls  He 
look  the  t<!Xt,  "  Worship  the  fiord  in  the  beauty 


of  holiness."  Unfortunately,  he  found  it  in  the 
book  of  Chronicles,  where  we  are  told  God  built 
the  most  gorgeous  temple  the  world  ever  saw, 
and  the  text  itself  means  in  the  original,  "  Wor- 
ship the  Lord  with  the  ornaments  of  the  sanc- 
tuary.'>^  If  he  had  quoted  the  whole  song  from 
which  his  text  was  taken,  he  would  have  read 
these  words,  "  Then  shall  the  trees  of  the  wood 
sing  out  at  the  presence  of  the  Lord."  Men  will 
find  out  one  of  these  days  that  it  is  a  terrible 
slander  to  say  that  our  most  holy  Christianity  is 
to  be  represented  only  by  what  is  poor  and 
uiily  and  mean,  and  that  if  that  is  only  done,  the 
spirituality  may  be  takiu  for  granted.  God 
ordered  the  richest  and  best  of  everything  for 
His  temple  of  old.  The  wise  men  from  the  East 
brought  gifts,  gold,  frankincense  and  myrrh  to 
the  infant  Jesus.  AVhen  the  palm-branches 
were  strewed  in  the  Saviour's  way,  it  was  the 
Pharisees  that  protested,  and  not  Christ  Him- 
self. The  woman  who  poured  the  precious  oint- 
ment made  of  the  nard  plant  at  the  Saviour's 
feet  was  commended  by  Him,  and  built  herself 
a  monument  lasting  as  the  gospel  itself.  It  was 
not  the  most  spiritual  of  the  disciples,  but  a  gold 
loving  Judas,  who  said,  "AVhy  was  all  this  waste 
made?''  The  early  Christians  had  a  great 
many  flowers  in  their  services  on  the  festival 
days.  AVhitsuntide,  or  AV'hite-Sunday,  received 
its  name,  as  is  generally  supposed,  from  the 
white  dresses  and  flowers  used  on  that  day. 
These  things  could  not  then,  nor  can  they  now, 
add  anything  to  Christ,  any  more  than  Mary's 
ointment  could,  but  He  can  add  something  to 
them,  by  sanctifying  our  tastes  and  associating 
them  with  that  which  is  holy,  and  thus  symboliz- 
ing the  Paradise  of  God,  which  will  re-appear 
whenevcn  the  creation  shall  l)e  delivered  from 
the  bondage  of  corruption  unto  the  glorious 
liberty  of  the  sons  of  (lod. 

Tell  me  not,  then,  that  the  gold  does  not  sanc- 
tify the  temple.  It  is  enough  for  me  to  know 
that  the  temple  sanctifies  the  gold.  I  love  flow- 
ers, and  I  love  them  all  the  mure  because,  as  I 
hope,  I  love  God,  and  I  do  not  see  why  they 
should  be  excluded  from  our  holiest  activities 
and  associations.  I  like  !M  .  Heecher's  bou- 
quets on  his  pulpit  more  than  I  like  some  of  his 
smart  but  erratic  .sermons.  I  think  if  any  one 
could  be  found  with  such  a  scrofulous  mind  as 
to  object  to  a  bunch  of  (Jod's  innocent  flowers 
on  His  own  altar,  one  might  say  to  him  what 
.lohn  Calvin  said  to  the  only  person  he  ever 
heard   object   to    tin;    rupetiticni    of    the    Lord's 


187L 


THE    GAHDEJVER'IS    MOJ^TULy 


139 


prayer,  "Poor  creature!"  You  can  imagine 
such  a  one  at  his  public  devotions.  You  would 
be  apt  to  sec  him  witli  any  of  our  modern  hymn 
books  in  hand,  standing  on  Jordan's  stormy 
tanks,  and  casting 

•'  A  wishful  eye 
To  Canaan's  fair  and  happy  land. 
Where  his  possess^ions  lie  " 

You  would  hear  of  a  "land  of  pure  delight," 
and  he  would  sin^ 

"  There  eTeriastiui;  sprinji  abides. 

And  never  withering  flouers, 
De^th,  hke  a  narrow  sea.  divides 

That  heavenly  land  from  our.*." 

Oh,  yes,  his  "  land  of  pure  delight  "  is  full  of 
flowers,  by  Divine  appointment,  of  course,  and 
it  is,  perhaps,  well  that  he  can't  see  all,  for  he 
might  be  impelled  to  commit  suicide  by  drown- 
ing, for — 

"Could^e  hut  climb  where  Mose.s  ,«.t.ood. 

And  view  the  landscape  o'er. 
Not  Jordao'.'i  stream  nor  death'.s  cold  flood. 

Could  keep  him  from  that  shore." 

See !  anxious  to  get  over  where  the  flowers 
are,  but  he  don't  want  any  such  superstitious 
nonsense  here,  and  could  hardly  pray,  "  Thy 
will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  Heaven. ' '  There 
are  such  jewels  of  consistency  in  the  world,  who, 
though  they  think  flowers  very  wicked,  do  not 
obiect  to  thorns,  especially  if  they  stick  them 
into  some  person's  side. 

My  own  opinion  is,  that  the  greatest  enemies 
of  our  holy  religion  are  not  open  revilers.  but 
those  professors  who  look  upon  our  Heavenly 
Father  as  a  merciless  tryant,  and  his  service  as 
a  series  of  inexorable  hardships.  They  may 
profess  to  be  the  antipodes  of  the  Carmelite 
monks,  but  they  differ  from  them  only  in  placing 
purgatory  on  this  side  of  the  grave.  They  rep- 
resent Christian  duty  as  a  heavy  premium  we 
must  all  pay  in  this  world,  as  an  insurance 
against  fire  in  the  next ;  and  they  would  never 
take  a  policy  themselves  if  they  were  not  afraid 
of  a  future  scorching. 

These  pcoj)le  make  religion  seem  harsh  and 
forbidding.  They  drive  all  the  best  music  out 
of  the  churches  into  the  opera  houses,  and  then 
storm  at  their  children  if  they  go  after  it.  And 
fiucli  people  ought  to  have  in  reality,  as  they 
have  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  two  sets  of 
eyes,  one  set  to  "roll  up  in  meeting,"  and  an- 
other set  with  which  to  look  at  God's  green  earth 
and  starry  heavens.  As  it  is,  their  Christian 
eyes  see  nothing  but  skulls  in  the  rose  bushes 
and  cross  bones  in  the  skies.     With  them  Chris- 


tianity is  a  dry,  hard,  harsh,  abstract  theory, 
whereas  it  is,  in  truth,  a  new  life,  that  ought  to 
underlie  our  natural  life  and  give  lone  and  color 
to  the  whole  constitution  of  the  world  in  which 
God  has  placed  us.  For  no  one  is  bound  to  give 
up  anything  as  a  Christian  which  he  ought  not 
to  be  ashamed  of  as  a  man.  And  Christianity 
does  not  ignore  any  of  our  relations,  or  any  en- 
joyments or  pleasures  growing  out  of  them  ;  it 
simply  sanctities  them  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
them  truly  joyou.s  Nay,  more,  in  the  second 
Adam  we  may  gain  everything  we  lost  in  the 
first ;  and  even  the  outward  world,  instead  of 
being  irredeemable,  is  to  be  restored  finally, 
though  it  may  be  through  catastrophe,  to  its  pris- 
tine glory  and  claiuiod  for  the  service  of  God. 
His  grace  and  power  are  to  be  as  far  reaching 
as  the  blight  of  sin.  He  came  that  even  the 
matter  of  which  the  outward  world  is  composed 
— not  simply  the  coarser  parts  of  it,  not  simply 
what  we  see  at  Golgotha  and  Calvary,  jagged 
rocks  and  bare  earth  wet  with  blood  ;  not  simply 
the  rude  wood  to  which  lie  was  nailed  ;  not 
simply  the  wormwood  that  He  drank,  and  the 
thorns  with  which  He  was  pierced,  but  that  all 
things,  the  richest  and  best  of  everything  should 
praise  Him ;  yea,  that  even  the  aroma  of  the 
plant  and  the  fragrance  of  the  rose  should  be 
brought  to  Him,  (Luke  24:  1),  not  to  purchase 
favor  indeed,  but  as  the  offerings  of  joy,  and  the 
ointment  of  grateful  love  poured  out  at  his  feet. 
The  Christian  who  does  not  a  ppreciate  this  fact, 
comes  short  of  his  high  privileges,  if  not  of  his 
most  solemn  duty. 

These  are  my  views,  which,  however,  none  of 
you  are  compelled  to  adopt.  I  would  not  force 
even  my  roses  upon  you.  If  you  prefer  t/iorns, 
you  pay  your  money  and  can  take  your  choice. 
But  I  love  the  flowers. 


ACORITS  JAPONICUS  VARIEGATUS. 

BY  MR.  JAMES  TAPLIN,  MANAGER  TO  GEO.  SUCH, 
SOUTH  AMP-OY,  N.  Y. 

I  bog  to  call  your  readers'  attention  to  this 
plant,  than  which  there  are  few  striped-leaved 
plants  more  ornamental.  It  will  grow  nearly  a 
yard  high  in  one  season  from  small  plants  ;  one- 
half  the  leaf  is  a  bright  green,  and  the  other 
white, which  gives  it  a  very  striking  appearance. 
Grows  best  in  moist  soil,  or  kept  well  watered; 
is  nearly  or  quite  hardy  ;  makes  a  splendid  edg- 
ing to  Cannas,  Castor  Oil  plants  or  any  other 
tall  foliage  plants. 


140 


7  HE    GARI)EJ\'EWiS   .MOJVTRLY. 


May, 


IThe  pretty  "Calamus"  is  also  interesting  by 
its  very  curious  flosvers.— Ed.] 


FLOWER  GARDEN  DECORATIONS. 

J?Y    AVALTEU  ELDER,    LANDSCAPE   GARDENER, 
ririLADA. 

IMay  is  the  famous  montli  in  the  year  for  dec- 
orating the  flower  garden  with  "bedding  plants," 
which  consist  of  annuals,  biennials  and  pcrcMini- 
als.  The}-  are  propagated  in  glasshouses,  and 
sold  in  small  pots  ;  but  when  transported  great 
distances  by  mail  or  express,  they  are  tapped 
out  of  the  pots  with  the  balls  of  soil  at  their 
roots,  and  packed  more  closely  to  lessen  the 
price  of  transportation.  Our  leading  commer- 
cial florists  are  so  very  skillful  in  packing  and 
shipping,  there  is  scarcely  any  chance  of  failure 
or  miscarriage.  We  have  inspected  the  collec- 
tions oftho.se  around  us,  and  have  received  the 
beautifully  illustrated  catalogues  of  many  at  a 
distance  ;  we  arc  both  surprised  and  delighted 
at  seeing  and  learning  of  the  many  new  species 
of  merit  introduced,  and  the  numerous  varieties 
of  superior  excellence  originated  since  last  year. 
The  vast  collections  of  indescribable  beauty  and 
diversity  which  all  the  leading  florists  have,  are 
wonderful  in  the  extreme  ;  every  fancy  and  every 
purpose  of  floral  ornamentation  can  be  suited. 
Among  the  genera  of  ornamental  leaves  for  mak- 
ing "ribbon  beds,"  we  mention  Achyranthus, 
Alternanthcra,  Caladiuin,  Coleus,  Centaurea, 
Cineraria,  Panicuni  variegatum.  There  are 
many  other  genera  with  varegated  leaves,  the 
Silver-leaved  Geraniums,  &c  As  for  tho.se  of 
splendid  blossoms,  they  are  legions,  and  the 
beauty  of  their  flowers  is  beyond  our  ability  to  de- 
scribe ;  even  the  Verbena,  Pel\mia.  Piilox  Drum- 
mondii,  Carnation,  and  Picotee  Pinks,  and  all 
the  species  of  gre(!n  leaved  i)inks.  like  Cliinaand 
Mule  Pinks,  are  wonderfully  improved,  and  sur- 
j)asH  in  ilie  brilliancy,  constancy  and  beauty  of 
their  blossoms,  many  of  the  new  species.  IIow 
can  we  describe  the  extraordinary  improvements 
made  upon  the  (Jeranium  and  Fuchsia  families. 
Their  blossoms  are  enlarged,  made  double,  and 
ma.:e  more  liighly  beautiful,  and  their  jicrpet- 
ual  blooming  established;  their  foliage  is  also  en- 
larged and  splendidly  variegated  ;  the  same  may 
be  said  ol"  Chrysantiiemums  and  Dahlias,  and  so 
witii  the  Rose  which  illuminate  the  autumnal 
flower  garden  ;  and  we  cannot  pass,  unnoticed, 
the  smiling  dwarfs  of  spring,  the  Daisy,  Prim- 
rose, Polyanthu«.  \'iolet,  Forget-me-not,  I'.msy, 


Calceolaria,  Cineraria,  Feverfew,  the  Lobelia, 
&c.  ;  Heliotrope,  Sweet  Alyssum,  Mignonette 
for  fragrance  ;  the  Lemon  Napoleon,  Variega- 
ted Mint  and  Geranium,  with  sweet  scented 
leaves.  Antirrhinums,  Salvias.  Larkspurs,  Nier" 
embergias,  Ij-vn tanas,  Gazan'^as,  «.Vc.  The  new 
Hydrangeas  are  splendid  in  l)loom  and  variega- 
ted foliage  ;  the  ornamental  grasses  are  also 
showy  and  beautiful  ;  but  the  Carinas  are  alto- 
gether too  coarse  and  clumsy  for  small  gardens, 
but  if  grouped  upon  large  grounds,  they  make  a 
show.  The  annual  climbing  vines  are  very  beau- 
tiful to  train  upon  fancy  wire-work,  and  they 
are  needed  for  a  diversity  ;  and  to  complete  a 
whole,  the  double  Zinnias,  double  B.ilsams,  dou- 
ble Gillyflowers,  the  rich  Cockscomb,  and  Globe 
Amaranthus,  are  all  of  hish  value  in  floral  dec- 
orations. The  tender  hidbs  too  ^are  needed  for 
their  diversity  and  splendor  of  blooms  ;  the  Ja- 
pan liilies.  Gladiolus,  Tuberose,  Tigridia,  and 
the  grand  Golden  Lily.  Oh  what  a  gracious 
Providence  we  are  blessed  with  to  make  life 
pleasant. 

BLIGHT  AND  INSECT  COMPOSITION. 

BY  MR.  .T.  M    MATTISOX,    JACKSONVILLE,  TOMP- 
KINS CO  ,  N.  Y. 

Some  of  our  townsmen,  with  myself,  paid  S50 
for  a  blight  composition,  but  I  do  not  think  it  is 
equal  to  the  following.     My  mode  is  : 

25  ozs.  of  Salt,  fine  or  coarse. 

5  ozs.  of  Copperas. 

H  ozs.  of  Blue  Vitriol. 

1]  ozs.  of  Saltpetre. 

1  or  li  ozs   of  Oil  of  Vitrol. 

1  lb.  of  Babbitt's  Concentrated  Lye. 

5  lbs.  of  hard  soap,  or  1  gal.  soft  soap. 

Take  an  old  iron  ])ot,  and  put  in  the  salt,  with 
a  suflicient  quantity  of  water,  then  heat.  Pound 
up  the  Blue  Vitriol  thentlie  balance  of  the  com- 
pound ;  if  too  hard,  put  in  lard  or  harness  oil 
until  it  is  thin  enough  to  brush  on.  Clean  the 
roots  of  the  tree,  and  cut  out  the  borer  ;  have  a 
small  brush  somet  bin;];  like  a  marking  brush,  and 
cover  the  wound.  Then  take  the  body  and 
limbs.  On  the  largest  parts  of  the  body  and 
limbs  I  use  a  very  small  whitewash  brush,  4  to 
5  inches  wide,  and  not  very  thick.  This  will 
make  the  varnish  regular,  and  kill  every  insect. 
To  every  man  that  owns  an  orchard,  it  is  inval- 
uable. I  have  some  :U)(K»  pears  and  1000  to  2001) 
aj>ples,  plums  and  peaches,  I  intend  to  hire  a 
man  in  the  spring,  and  let  him  go  all  over  my  . 
orchard. 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


IJfL 


If  this    is   worth   anything   to  your  valuable 
journal,  please  use  it. 


AN  ABSTRACT  OF  REMARKS  UPON  THE 
PLAN'IS  OF  SCRIPTURE. 

BY  GEORGE  D.  PHIPPEN. 

(Bcfrne  the  Esaej-  Institute) 

The  lectures,  of  which  this  was  a  condensa- 
tion, were  prepared  for  an  entirely  different  pur- 
pose than  presentation  before  a  scientific  asso- 
ciation. There  is  much  greater  obscurity  in  our 
version  regarding  these  plants,  than  would  be 
the  case  were  a  new  one  now  made  which  should 
include  a  better  knowledge  of  the  productions  of 
Palestine  and  the  neighboring  countries,  than 
was  then  possessed.  The  copiousness  of  allu- 
sions to  the  vegetable  kingdom,  throughout  the 
Hebrew  Scriptures,  impresses  with  an  interest, 
amounting  to  astonishment,  all  those  whose  at- 
tention has  been  called  to  the  subject. 

A  large  portion  of  the  rich  and  glowing  pas- 
sages, from  both  the  greater  and  lesser  prophets, 
that  have  chimed  their  measured  cadences  into 
our  ears  from  earliest  childhood,  are  of  this  class, 
examples  of  which  are  here  cited.  So  marked  is 
this  quality  of  Hebrew  poetry,  as  seen  in  the 
Bible,  that  it  was  declared,  by  a  learned  man  of 
the  last  century,  to  be  botanical  poetry,  and  who 
states  that  upwards  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  bo- 
tanical terras  can  be  found  therein. 

The  glory  of  Lebanon,  the  excellency  of  Sha- 
ron, and  the  waving  forests  of  ^Carmel  have  lent 
their  aid  to  illustrate  sacred  themes. 

The  Lord  is  described  as  riding  upon  the  wind, 
but  his  more  gentle  going  is  heard  in  the  tops  of 
the  nmlbcrry  trees.  The  righteous  shall  cast 
his  roots  as  Lebanon— they  shall  flourish  like 
the  palm  tree — they  shall  sit  under  their  own 
vine  and  fig  tree.  The  thorn  shall  give  place  to 
the  fir  tree,  and  the  myrtle  grow  instead  of  the 
briar— and  all  the  trees  of  the  fields  shall  clap 
their  hands. 

The  New  Testament  is  not  so  rich  in  meta- 
phor. The  lily  of  the  field,  the  grain  of  mustard 
seed,  the  wild  and  good  olive  tree,  the  seed  sown 
in  weakness  but  raised  in  power,  are  familiar 
examples. 

The  remarkable  range  of  temperature  of  the 
land  of  Palestine,  from  the  snow-clad  summits 
of  Lebanon  and  Ilermon,  to  the  coast  plains  and 
to  the  deep  and  almost  tropical  valley  of  Jordan, 
is  productive  of  a  more  varied  vegetation  than 
can  be  found  anywhere  within  the  same  territory 
upon  the  surface  of  the  earth.     On  her  heights 


are  to  be  found  natives  of  the  colder  zones,  while 
HI  the  Jordan  valley  grow  plants  not  to  be  found 
nearer  than  India. 

The  mountains  abound  in  oaks,  cedars  and 
pines  -,  while  the  palm,  the  fig  and  citron  find  a 
congenial  home  in  the  plains  or  lower  declivities. 

Our  familiar  garden  bulbs  flourish  along  the 
water  courses,  and  numerous  species  of  Legumes 
and  Labiates  render  the  sandy  regions  less  deso- 
late. 

Its  anciently  terraced  and  artificially  watered 
hills  were  capable  of  a  luxurious  cultivation,  and 
though  now  comparatively  desolate,  once  sup- 
ported a  numerous  population. 

The  region  of  ancient  Jericho  with  its  palms — 
the  enchanting  valley  of  Sechem — the  gardens  of 
Engedi — fig  and  olive  groves  and  vineyards  in 
great  numbers,  altogether  impress  us  with  its 
former  wonderful  fertility. 

Immense  grain  fields  and  gardens  of  cucum- 
bers and  melons,  each  with  its  hut  or  lodge  for 
the  abode  of  a  watchman,  who  remained  during 
the  ripening  season  to  guard  the  fruit,  were  nu- 
merous and  in  some  i)arts  are  still  to  be  seen. 
Isaiah  compares  Zion  "as  desolate  as  a  lodge  in 
a  garden  of  cucumbers." 

The  plants  represented  might  be  divided  into 
plants  ornamental ;  plants  used  for  perfume  or 
incense  ;  fruits,  grains,  woods,  &c. 

Of  ornamental  plants,  the  Rose,  strange  as  it 
may  appear,  is  not  found  in  the  Scriptures.  The 
two  solitary  cases,  in  Isaiah  and  the  Song  of 
Solomon,  where  our  version  has  the  word  Rose 
are  thought  to  indicate  a  bulbous  plant— an 
Amaryllis  or  Narcissus.  The  Rose  of  Sharon  is 
therefore  supposed  to  be  the  Narcissus  Tazzeta, 
a  plant  that  freely  abounds  in  the  wilds  of  Sha- 
ron. The  Rose  of  the  Apocrypha  is  supposed  to 
refer  to  a  shrub,  extremely  common  around  the 
Sea  of  Gallilee  and  the  water  courses  of  that 
country  generally,  that  is  the  Nerium  Oleander, 
well  known  and  cultivated  among  us. 

Our  native  Apocynea3  are  of  the  same  order 
with  it,  and  all  of  them,  though  so  beautiful, 
are  more  or  less  poisonous  ;  indeed  most  milky- 
sapped  plants  should  be  regarded  with  suspicion. 
The  sap  of  the  Oleander  is  most  virulently  poi- 
sonous, and  has  even  caused  death.  The  pow- 
dered wood  is  sometimes  used  as  a  rat  extermi- 
nator. 

The  Lily  is  the  ornamental  plant  of  Scrip- 
ture ;  its  flowers  adorned,  in  relief,  the  brim  of 
the  Moulton  sea  ;  and  furnished  Solomon  in  his 
wonderful   sont:  with   with  one   of  its   choicest 


U2 


THE    GARDEJVEB'^    MO.lVTBLy. 


May, 


images.  The  Lily  of  the  Old  Testament  di fliers 
from  that  of  the  N'ew.  The  Hebrew  word  "Shu- 
san"  (hence  our  name  Susan)  is  thought  to  mean 
the  Nelumbium  .speciosjtm,  [a  species  of  the  Lo- 
tus, sacred  and  venerated  by  the  Egyptian,  Hin- 
doo and  Chinese.  It  is  a  water  plant  and  once 
common  in  the  rivers  of  Egypt  and  Syria.  It  is 
the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  Nymphfea,  exam- 
ples of  which  we  have  in  our  native  water  lilies 
and  the  famous  Victoria  Itegia.  The  Lily  of  the 
New  Testament,  the  Greek  "Krina,"  is  now  un- 
derstood to  be  the  Lilium  Ckalcedonicum,  a 
scarlet  martagon,  and  not  the  Crovvn  Imperial, 
as  formerly  supposed,  which  latter  is  a  Persian 
plant,  and  never  common  in  Palestine.  The 
imported  bulbs  of  this  Lily  [once  compared  to 
the  scarlet  robes  of  Solomon],  can  occasionally 
be  purchased  at  the  seed  stores  in  Boston. 

"Caniphiie  with  t-pikenard." 
"My  heioveil.  is  unto  ma  a  cluster  of 
Cainpfiire  in  tlie  vineyHrd's  of  Eiigedi." 

The  plant  thus  rendered  Camphire,  is  believed 
to  be  the  Henna  plant  of  Egypt  and  Palestine, 
the  Lanisonia  inermis;  a  most  beautiful  and  deli- 
ciously  fragrant  shrub,  whose  flowers  have  been 
used  both  in  ancient  and  modern  times  as  an  ar- 
ticle of  luxury  and  adornment.  It  belongs  to 
the  Loosestrife  family,  types  of  which  we  have 
in  our  cultivated  and  native  Lythrums. 

The  Balm  of  Gilead  and  that  rendered 
Myrrh,  are  the  exuded  sap  from  two  species  of 
Balsamodendron,  i.  e.  the  B.  Gileadense  and  B. 
myrrha^  belonging  to  the  order  Amyridacaj,  the 
plants  of  which  abound  in  balsamic  juices  and 
yield  frankincense,  olybanum,  balsam  copaiba 
and  other  fragrant  resins  and  gums.  This  or- 
der belongs  exclusively  to  tropical  India,  Africa 
and  America.  It  has  some  alliance  to  the  Orange 
tribe,  but  differing  greatly  in  its  dry  nut-like 
fruits.  The  Balm  of  Gilead  is  believed  to  be  one 
of  the  earliest  articles  of  commerce  known,  even 
as  far  back  as  the  time  of  tliu  patriarch  Jacob, 
518  the  Midianite  merchantmen,  to  whom  .Joseph 
was  sold,  were  then  on  their  way  to  Gilead  to 
complete  their  camel  loads  with  a  clioice  supply 
of  that  costly  balsam  fcr  tlie  Egyptian  market. 
It  often  sold  for  twice  its  weight  in  silver.  It 
was  cultivated  only  in  the  King's  garden  in  Ju- 
dea,  tlic  revenue  from  wliuli  liclongcd  exclusive- 
ly to  the  Crown. 

Strabo  speaks  of  it.  Titus  carried  some  of  it 
to  Home.  Pompey  exhibited  one  of  the  trees  in 
a  triumphal  entry.  When  Alexander  visited 
Judea,  one  teaspoonful  per  day  and  seven  gal- 
lons per  year  was  the  entire  product. 


Frankincense,  so  often  mentioned  in  Scrip- 
ture, is  a  gum  from  a  tree  of  this  same  order 
with  the  last.  It  has  been  used  from  the  re- 
motest times  l)y  the  Hebrews  and  Egyptians  in 
their  sacrifices.  It  exudes  from  the  straight 
trunk  of  the  Bosvcllia-serrala,  a  lofty  tree,  na- 
tive of  the  mountains  of  Central  India.  Frank- 
incense is  still  used  as  incense  in  Catholic 
churches,  and  somewhat  as  a  medicine. 

The  LiGN  Aloe,  Aquilnria  Agallochum.  or  Ea- 
gle-wood, is  found  only  in  Asia.  Itgrows some- 
times to  the  height  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet.  The  heart  wood  is  loaded  with  aromatic 
properties,  and  is  one  of  the  most  grateful  of 
perfumes.  It  has  been  held  more  precious  than 
gold.  "All  thy  garments  shall  smell  of  myrrh, 
aloes  and  cassia.'' 

This  was  one  of  the  drugs,  one  hundred  pounds 
of  which  Nicodemus  brought  after  the  Cruci- 
fixion, in  which,  v/ith  the  linen  clothes,  was 
wrapped  the  body  of  our  Lord  ;  it  was  therefore 
•»  vu-y  costly  preparation.  We  have  no  plant 
of  more  approximate  affinity  than  our  hedge 
buckthorn.  The  aloe  of  the  apothecaries  is  an 
entirely  different  article,  and  uljiajnej  from  a 
plant  of  the  lily  tribe. 

Spikenard,  of  the  Valerian  family,  has  a 
most  rare  and  agreeable  perfume.  Our  garden 
Heliotrope  and  the  Centranthus  are  of  this  or- 
der. Several  of  them  yield  a  fragrance  which 
intoxicates  the  cat  tribe,  and  that  from  one  of 
them  is  said  to  be  sufficiently  powerful  to  throw 
even  man  into  convulsions. 

The  NnrdosfacJiys  Jatamansi,  of  the  mountains 
of  upper  India,  seems  conclusively  proved  by 
Sir  William  Jones  and  Dr.  Royle,  to  be  the  plant 
which  furnished  the  "Alabastar  box  of  Spike- 
nard very  precious,"  with  which  Mary  anointed 
the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  which  Judas  declared 
might  have  been  sold  for  three  hundred  pieces  of 
silver ;  which  price,  among  other  unguents,  is 
given  by  Pliny,  who  remarking  on  the  extrava- 
gance of  such  preparations,  says,  "We  have 
known  the  very  soles  of  the  feet  sprinkled  there- 
with." He  also  intimates  the  form  of  the  ala- 
bastar ointment  box. 

"Spikenard  and  Salf'ron.  Ciilnmiis  siid  CinnMroon. — S.  of  S. 

Saffron  is  the  yellow  stigma  of  the  Crocussa- 
iivus,  or  fall  Crocus,  belonging  to  the  well  known 
Iris  family, very  common  in  cultivation  among  us. 
SallVon  was  and  still  is  used  as  a  perfume,  spice, 
confection,  dye  and  medicine.  Its  collection  re- 
quired great  patience,  four  thousand  flowers 
yielding  but  one  ounce,   and  the  entire  product 


1S71, 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S    M0:N'THLY. 


US 


of  an  acre  for  the  season  averaged  but  about  ten 
or  twelve  pounds.     It  was  formerly  extensively  j 
cultivated  at  Welden  in  Essex,    England,  which 
hence  has  borne  the  name  of  Saffron-Welden. 

A  totally  different  plant,  the  Carthanms  tine-  ' 
toria,  once  familiar  under  Hk;  name  of  Saffron  in 
our  gardens,  has  been  successfully  used  to  adul- 
terate the  true  Saffron. 

Calamus  aroynaticus  ''the  Sweet  cane,  from  a 
far  country,''  is  allied  to  our  sweet  vernal  grass. 
[In  fragrance. — Ed.] 

Cassia  and  Cinnamon,  well  known  spices, 
were  in  the  time  of  Ezekiol  common  articles  of 
trade  with  the  merchants  of  Tyre.  They  belong 
to  a  ftimily  of  which  our  Sassafras  and  Laurus 
benzoin  are  examples.  Camphor  of  commerce  is 
from  a  tree  of  the  same  tribe. 

The  Hysso]}  and  Mustard  of  Scriptures,  around 
which  many  inquiries  cluster,  are  not  so  satis- 
factorily identified  by  modern  investigation  as 
would  seem  reasonable  to  expect.     The  former 
is  declared  by  the  best  authorities  to  be  the  Cap- 
paris  Egyptica,  or  Caper  plant,  and  not  the  offi- 
cinal  herb.   Hyssop  ;   the   latter,  the  Salvadora 
Persica,  a  tree-like  plant,   sufficiently  large  for 
birds  generally  to  lodge  in  its  branches.     Some 
still  adhere  to  the  common  Mustard  as  that  al- 
luded to  on  two  occasions  by  our  Saviour.     The 
uses  of  Mustard  were  well  understood  and  de- 
scribed by  Pliny,  who  was  nearly  contemporary. 
The   Fruits  were   identified   and   described. 
Among  them  the  Pat.m  tribe,  a  family  acknowl- 
edged by  botanists  to  be  the  princes  of  the  vege- 
table kingdom,   and  to  which,  in  Scripture,  the 
righteous  are  most  fitly  compared.     ''They  shall 
flourish  like  the  Palm  tree  ;  they  shall  bring  forth 
fruit  in  old  age."     The  whole  Palm  tribe  are  of 
immense  importance  to  the  countries  in  which 
they  grow.     The  Dale  PaZm  yields  year  by  year, 
an  even  crop  of  perhaps  three  or  four  hundred 
pounds,  and  that  for  a  century  together,  scarcely 

ever  materially  failing.  I  ••••. 

The  Apple  of  Scripture  is,  without  doubt,  the  KEEPING  EGG  PLANT  SEED. 

Citron,  Citrus  medica.     "A  word  fitly  spoken  is  J:'i  MH.  ^v\  l.  akeks,  johnstown,  pa. 

like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver,"  might  |  Ilaviug  frequently  observed  that  Egg-plant 
be  rendered,  "like  golden  citrons  in  silver  has-  j  seed  which  was  exposed  during  the  winter  to 
kets,"  in  allusion  to  a  custom  of  the  Jews  of  low  temperature,  did  not  germinate  freely,  I 
presenting  that  fruit  in  this  manner  at  their  sa-  kept  a  portion  during  the  past  winter  in  a  warm 
cred  feasts.  room,  and  another  portion  in  a  closet  in  an  out- 

The  Fig,  Sycamobe-fig  and  Mulbkrry,  of    building,  wheretheteinperature  wasas  lowasze- 
the  Morads,  a  family  peculiar  for  the  manner  in  !  ro.  The  result  was,  that  of  the  portion  kept  in  a 
which  their  fruits  are   formed,   being  an  aggre-  1  warm  place,   nearl}'  every  seed  grew,   while  of 
gation  of  calices  consolidated  into  round,  succu-    the  other  part,   not  more  than  one  in  ten  came 
ent  heads.     The  manner  of  the  flowering  of  the  1  up.     The  seed  was  equally  good   in  both  cases. 


fig,  inside  of  the  fruit,  but]  having  all  the  requi- 
site organs  of  true  flowers,  was  satisfactorily  ex- 
plained. 

The  Olive  and  Vine  are  among  the  moHt 
signal  of  the  bountiful  gifts  of  Providence,  and 
would  in  their  history  and  economy  exhaust 
volumes,  yielding  as  they  do  such  indispensable 
products,  as  fruits,  wine,  oil,  molasses,  &c. 

The  Almond  and  Pomegranate,  with  the 
numerous  texts  in  which  they  are  mentioned, 
received  a  share  of  attention  and  were  found  full 
of  interest  and  instruction. 

The  Crab- TREE,  Ceratonia  siUqua,  with  its- 
sweet  pods  or  husks,  furnished  food  for  the  poor  ; 
but  the  copious  crops  of  the  tree  were  generally 
fed  out  to  mules,  asses  and  swine.  No  doubt 
this  fruit  is  referred  to  in  the  parable  of  the 
prodigal  son,  upon  which  he  was  obliged  to  feed,, 
"ihe  husks  that  the  SAvine  did  eat  " 

CUCU3IBERS  and  Melons  are  invested  with 
great  historical  interest  on  account  of  the  extent 
of  their  ancient  cultivation  and  the  gi-eat  place 
they  filled  in  the  diet  of  the  ancient  Ilebrewa 
and  Egyptians. 

The  Lintel  of  Jacob  and  PJsau  ;  the  Papy- 
rus, from  which  paper  was  made,  and  which  is 
alluded  to  in  the  epistles  of  John  ;  the  Zysyphus, 
the  plant  from  which  the  "Crown  of  Thorns" 
was  probably  made,  have  each  an  interest  pccu- 
liarly  their  own. 

The  Timber  Trees  of  the  country,  and  such 
as  were  used  in  the  building  of  Solomon's  tem- 
ple, received  a  passing  notice. 

Jonah's  Gourd,  Elijah's  Juniper,  the 
mythical  Apples  of  Sodom,  and  the  Rose  of 
Jericho,  received  severally  their  share  of  ex- 
planation. 

The  foregoing  i)lants  were  illustrated  by  color- 
ed representations,  which  served  to  fix  their 
identification  in  the  mind,  and  added  greatly  to 
the  interest  of  the  subject. 


lU 


FEE    GARVEJ^ER'S   MOJ^TRLY. 


May, 


lias  any  one  else  obscrvod  circumstances. of  the 
same  kind  ?  If  exposure  to  cold  was  the  cause 
of  failure  in  this  case,  mii^ht  it  not  be  so  in  re- 
gard to  some  other  seeds  V 


OIRCULATIOIN  OF  HOT-WATER. 
i!Y  15.,  Illinois;. 
Having  experimented  to  some  extent,  I  was 
much  pleased  with  your  article  on  hot-water 
boilers.  Your  remarks  are  in  the  main  just  and 
correct.  1  cannot  agree  with  you  when  you 
state  "  the  active  power  in  hot- water  circulation 
is  ctW  vcaUv  ;''  but  do,  when  you  say  it  is  a  sim- 
ple act  of  gravitation,  and  caused  by  ditierence 
in  temperature.  Water  attains  its  maximum 
activity  at  39',  and  sinks  at  32-;  it  is  70  degrees 
colder,  remains  on  the  surface  and  forms  ice.  In 
this  state  of  affairs,  is  Pat  Murphy  standing  on 
his  head  V 


NOTES  BY  MISS  A.  G. 

TO  KEEP   TIIK   CUKCIILIO  FRO^I  PLUM  TREES. 

Another  Remedy. 

The  following  remedy  was  tried  by  a  friend, 
•of  Maryland,  with  success. 

As  soon  as  the  tree  is  in  blossom,  and  every  few 
weeks  afterwards,  paint  the  trunk  of  the  tree 
from  the  ground  up,  two  feet,  with  turpentine. 
Turpentine  is  obnoxious  to  insects. 

THE  YELLOW'S  IN  PEACH  TREES. 

I  give  the  experience  of  a  friend,  in  restoring 
his  sickly  yellow  trees  to  vigorous  fruit  bearing. 

The  earth  around  the  trunk  of  the  tree  was 
taken  away,  until  there  was  a  hole  made  of  the 
size  and  depth  of  a  common  wash-basin,  coal 
tar  from  the  gas  works  was  then  poured  on  the 
roots,  up  to  the  edge  of  the  ground  ;  rags  and 
bronze  paper  were  wrapped  around  them  to  keep 
■off  the  earth,  and  the  soil  filled  into  the  former 
level.  The  trees  sent  out  new  leaves,  and  were 
cured.  The  worms  in  them,  also,  were  destroy- 
ed. Tlii.s  iirotection  will  last  for  two  years. 
Another  lleatoration.. 

A  lady  Unding  some  coal  dust  in  the  cellar  of 
a  house  she  had  rented,  ordered  it  thrown  around 
a  forlorn  old  peach  tree  in  the  yard,  which  she 
expected  to  have  cut  down  ;  but  its  new  dressing 
seemed  to  inspire  it  with  life.  It  snon  put  forth 
an  (xtra  growth,  and  had  a  fine  ciopof  p(>aches. 
Perhaps  the  sulphur  in  the  coal  iiiii)arted  In  altli 
to  this  "ancient  citizen,"  or  exterminated  its 
riKMiiit's, — the  worms.     There  is  an  acid  appa- 


rently in  coal,  which  destroys  the  fish  in  the 
Schuylkill.  Perhaps  it  is  this  acid  the  peach 
needs,  as  Prussic  acid  is  found  in  the  kernels  of 
its  fruit. 

CHINESE  "WATER  LILIES. 

Since  writing  of  our  native  water  Lily,  I  have 
read  an  account  of  the  Chinese  Water  Lilies. 
The  root  is  used  as  food,  and  the  seeds  sold  as  a 
nut  in  Europe.  The  colors  are  white,  yellow, 
pink  and  crimson;  they  are  said,  by  Hue,  to  pre- 
sent a  dazzling  appearance  on  the  lakes  and 
ponds  of  China.  Could  not  these  be  introduced 
and  cultivated  in  tubs  ?  Who  will  favor  this 
!  side  of  the  world  with  their  beauty  ? 

I  have  heard  of  a  large  white  lily  growing  in 
the  hollows  of  our  Western  prairies.  It  might 
be  possible  to  cultivate  these  also. 


HOT-WATER  BOILERS-Il. 

j  BY  MR.  .1.  ELLIS,    AVIIITE  PLAINS,  N.   Y. 

I  I  must  quote  you  in  order  to  find  a  text  to  my 
I  subject,  and  I  suppose  you  will  have  no  more 
objection  to  that,  than  Blackstone  would  in 
being  quoted  by  all  the  lawyers  in  the  land  when 
necessity  requires  it.  But  Blackstone  is  not 
Imv,  only  an  explanatory  opinion  of  law.  So  it 
is  with  all  of  us,  Mr.  Editor,  including  3'our  very 
humble  servant. 

'•We  would  most  likely  find  that  the  boiler  has 
been  so  set  that  the  return  pipe  gets  heated  nearhi 
as  much  as  the  flow,  and  the  full  flow  of  cold  wa- 
ter is  thereby  checked.  It  is  almost  impossible 
to  get  water  to  'circulate'  freely  under  such  cir- 
cumstances." 

For  several  years  past  I  have  been  endeavor- 
ing to  devise  some  contrivance  to  apply  the  sec- 
ondary  heat  of  the  fire  from  the  boiler  to  the  re- 
turn water  l)eforo  the  heat  in  question  passes  up 
the  chimney,  and  recently  I  have  discovered 
hoio  to  do  it.  This  of  course  would  be  diamet- 
rically opposed  to  the  theory  of  keeping  the  re- 
turn pipe  cold.  You  want  it  cold,  and  we  want 
as  much  heat  driven  into  it  as  is  possible  to  be 
got  there.  Xow  what  would  be  the  jtractical 
result  of  the  latter  suggestion  ?  AVe  cannot  call 
to  our  recollection  at  the  present,  a  more  forcible 
example  of  heating  a  return  pipe,  than  is  mani- 
fested in  the  boiler  of  Burbridge  and  Ilealy  of 
ihe  English  make.  In  this  c;ise,  lott  return 
pipes  ( nter  the  bottom  of  the  boiler,  and  with  it 
rest  or  sit  immediately  over  the  hottest  of  the 
fire.     Now,  whoever  found  anything  imperfect 


7^77. 


THE    GARDENER'S   MOJ^TTHLJ, 


145 


in  the  circulation  of  these  boilers  if  the  ever  ne- 
cessary precaution  was  taken  to  so  arrange  the 
pipes  thai  air  could  not  he  shut  in.  You,  Mr. 
Editor,  I  know  have  worked  this  boiler  as  well 
as  I.  It  seems  to  my  mind  a  matter  of  impossi- 
bility for  such  an  arrangement  to  interfere  with 
proper  circulation,  and  for  the  following  reasons: 
First,  because  the  ends  of  the  returns  being  over 
the  hottest  fire,  the  water  in  those  portions  of  them 
are  placed  precisely  in  the  same  conditions  as  is 
the  bottom  of  the  boiler — the  force  of  heat  being 
equal  to  the  square  inch  of  iron  surface  acted  on 
by  the  fire.  Now  the  water  being  moved  by  the 
power  of  expansion,  and  the  boiler  itself  con- 
taining more  of  expanded  water  than  do  the 
pipes  at  the  commencement  of  heating,  the 
heated  water  at  the  ends  of  returns  have  less  re- 
sistance in  passing  to  and  up  the  boiler,  than 
they  would  receive  in  trying  to  force  themselves 
against  a  colder  body  and  backward  in  the  re- 
turn pipe.  The  pressure  is  also  lessened  by  tak- 
ing to  the  boiler  from  its  upward  tendency, 
whereas,  if  it  were  disposed  to  travel  some  por- 
tion of  the  return,  pipe, its  course,  probably,  would 
be  horizontal,  and  friction  would  be  the  result ; 
for  water,  when  expanded  by  heat,  is  propelled 
upward,  so  that  the  point  of  friction  would  be 
against  the  upper  side  of  the  horizontal  return 
pipe,  hence  the  conditions  would  be  more  favor- 
able the  other  way— into  the  boiler  and  up. 

Now  again,  if  your  theory  of  circulation  be 
correct, — plenty  of  cold  water  in  the  return  pipe, 
and  that  it  is  cold  water  that  pushes  the  hot-wa- 
ter out  of  its  place, — what  law  is  there  to  pre- 
vent it  so  acting  in  the  return  pipes  ?  But  you 
manifest  much  fear  about  the  warming  at  the 
return  at  the  boiler  ;  fear  of  what?  Why  that 
the  hot-water  would  push  the  cold  water  back, 
a  fear  that  the  hot-water  has  more  power  and 
force  than  the  very  cold  water  on  which  you  say 
depends  the  whole  total  sj'stem  of  circulation. 

Should  I  be  thought  to  be  personal  in  my  x"e- 
raarks  by  your  readers  of  the  Monthly^  I  beg  to 
say  here  that  my  personality  is  directed  at  (/leo?-?/ 
in  that,  and  in  no  other  sense. 

That  there  are  such  things  as  ])ad  working 
hot-water  apparatuses  we  know  full  well,  and 
have  had  in  our  time  to  contend  with  them  ;  but 
with  all  due  respect  towards  the  various  boiler 
makers  of  Old  England,  I  have  never  worked 
boilers  and  pipes  with  so  little  fault  connected 
with  them,  as  those  made  in  New  York  City. 
Something  is  more  necessary  to  a  boiler  than 
merely  its  capacity  to  generate  heat,  if  the  cir- 


culation is  to  be  perfect,  and  one  thing  is  requi- 
site to  this  end  is  to  see  that  it  docs  not  gener- 
ate air.     Once  in   our  time,  I   worked  a   boiler 
whose  flow  pipe  came  out  of  the  side,  and  not 
six  inches  of  the  top,  and  the  consequence  was 
a  contintial  war  of  heavy  sounds  and  slaps,  both 
in  boiler  and  pipes  ;  but  in  those  days  I  thought 
I  knew  a  great  deal  more  than  I  do  now,  and  of 
course  thought  it  was   all  right  for  the  fire  to 
make  the  boiler  do  such  wonderful  things.     A 
boiler  whose  flow  pipe  does  not  come  out  at  the 
top  of  the  boiler,   or  at  the  highest  point  of  it 
containing  water  will  contain  air.     If  there  be 
a  vacuum  or  space  in  the  boiler  above  the  upper 
water  surfiice  of  the  flow,    that  space   is  filled 
with  air,  and  never  will  fill  with  water,  unless 
an  air  pipe  be  placed  there  to  let  it  out,  and  then 
scalding  water  will  be  drawn  out  as  well  as  air. 
Again,  every  socket  joint  of  the  pipes  contains 
air,  more  or  less,  so  that  with  a  boiler  contain- 
ing air  with  what  rests  in  the  joints  of  the  pipes, 
you  have  to  commence  with  obstructions  to  the 
proper  circulation  of  the  wate/.    Now  if  we 
place  the  pipes  level  through  a  house,  there  is 
but  little  chance  of  such  air  getting  out,  but  if 
we  give  to  such  pipes  a  quarter  of  an  inch  rise 
to  every  pipe  from  the  top  of  the  boiler  to  a  point 
where  there  shall  be  a  drop  to  the  boiler,  and  at 
the  highest  point  place  a  cast-iron  tank  to  re- 
ceive such  pipe,  the  tank  having  sufficient  ca- 
pacity  to  retain  the  water  when  expanded  to  its 
fullest  capacity  ;  we  then  have  something  that 
kills  two  birds  with  one  stone,— the  relief  of  air 
farmed  or  generated,  and  the  expansion  of  the 
volume  of  water  by  heat. 

How  ridiculous  is  that  system  of  wooden  box 
tank,  having  a  supply  tap  with  a  lead  pipe  run- 
ning into  the  return  pipe  near  the  boiler.  This 
supply  tank  is  supposed  to  be  always  full  of  cold 
water  to  guard  against  lack  of  water  in  the  pipes  ; 
but  the  moment  the  water  in  the  pipts  gets 
warmed,  expan.iion  forces  it  back  and  over,  and 
continues  to  run  over  and  run  in,  wasting  the 
heated  water  as  well  as  the  cold  fresh  water. 
We  have  this  goosey  system  in  America  to-day, 
and  scarcely  any  other  in  England,  causing  the 
consumption  of  coal  and  time  for  no  purpose 
whatever.  ; 

Water  cannot  be  made  to  work  "any  way  ;" 
there  is  only  one  way  that  water  can  be  made  to 
work  properly,  and  that  is  the  right  way  ;  any 
boiler  will  work  the  circulation  right  (if  it  has 
capacity  to  warm  the  water)  if  the  boiler  and 
pipes  contain  no  air,  and  an  intelligent  person 


U6 


7 HE    GARDE J^EM'S  MOJ^THLY 


May, 


putting  up  such  apparatus  will  so  put  it  up  that 
it  shall  not  shut  in  air.  Yerj-  often  it  occurs  that 
pillars  or  posts  on  which  pipes  rest  sink  down, 
thereby  dropping  the  pipes  in  various  places  out 
of  their  original  grade  or  level ;  where  this  oc- 
curs, it  is  impossible  for  the  water  to  circulate 
properly,  and  often  times  this  alone  stops  the 
circulation.     But  agardener  should  always  have 
his  eyes  about  him  as  well  as  his  thoughts,  and 
try  the  grade  of  <.he  pipes  by  taking  a  straight 
edge  and  a  spirit  level  on  the  top  of  it,  and  if  the 
pipes  have  been  set,  giving  each  a  rise  from  the 
boiler,  determine  how  much  that  is,  and  allow  it 
at  the  proper  end   of  the  straight  edge,  and   so 
try  the  pipes  through  their   whole  length.     If 
this  matter  was  attended  to,  we  should  not  hear 
so  much  about  "bad  circulation."     It  was  only 
the  other  day  that  we  happened  to  be  in  a  larije 
crapery,  where  "Pat  Murphy"  was  in  the  act 
of  taking  out  a  valve,  to  be  replaced  by  another, 
when  Ave  inquired  of  him  the  reason  for  taking 
it  out,  "shure  it  is  not  big  enough  to  let  the  wa- 
ter pass  through  it ;''  why,  I  said  it  is  as  large  a 
here  as  the  one  you  intend  to  replace  it  with  V 


"Well  I  have  tried  it,  and  the  water  won't  go 
through  it."  I  told  him  that  the  valve  he  had 
placed  there  first,  was  set  upside  down,  and  con- 
sequently had  shut  in  the  air,  which  was  the 
cause  of  the  non-passage  of  the  water.  This 
was  altered,  and  the  water  flowed  all  right, 
saved  the  expense  of  another  pattern,  and  the 
old  one  left  to  retain  its  original  character  of 
adaptation. 

Through  the  settling  of  pipe  supports,  which 
causes  the  locking  in  of  air,  arises  many  difficul- 
ties. "Pat  Murphy"  says  that  the  water  boils 
out  of  his  expansion  tanks,  and  still  there  is  but 
very  little  heat  in  the  pipes,  and  if  he  drives  his 
fire  stronger,  it  will  boil  all  the  water  out  of  the 
pipes.  I  suggest  to  test  the  truth  of  the  boiling, 
but  putting  the  thermometer  into  the  boiling 
water  it  is  done,  and  the  thermometer  only  in- 
dicates 90';  I  further  suggest  that  it  is  air  that 
is  throwing  the  water  out,  and  not  expansion 
caused  by  the  boiling  point,  212\  Sfquel— pi))fs 
out  of  level.  Consequence — water  lifted  out  by 
air. 


EDTTOU lAL. 


OVER-DOIKG  THE  STRAWBEERY 
TRADE. 

"We  notice  that  all  through  the  country  the 
question  is  seriously  discussed,  as  to  whether 
the  culture  of  small  fruits  for  market  is  likely  to 
be  overdone.  Thisisparlicularly  questioned  in  re- 
ference to  the  strawberry.  It  has  been  a  diffi- 
cult thing  to  answer.  It  is  a  well  known  fact 
that  hundreds  have  lost  heavily  by  strawberry 
jirowing  ;  while  as  many  have  made  handsomely 
by  their  labor  and  investments  in  them.  So  few 
people  keep  books  or  accounts  that  we  have  had 
little  chance  to  judge  of  the  elements  of  success  or 
failure  in  this  particular  crop.  "We  have  had  to 
be  content  with  the  statement  of  this  grower, 
"that  with  him  the  strawberry  was  the  best 
paying  crop,  and  the  profits  were  enormous  ;'' 
or  of  that  one,  "  that  strawberry  growing 
does  not  pay  at  all." 

Fortunately  wc  can  now  get  at  some  facts 
which  will  place  the  mater  on  business  princi- 
ples. Mr.  Wm.  Parry  gave  an  essay  to  the  late 
meeting  of  the  Penii.sylvauia  Fruit  Urowcro'  So- 


I  ciety,  at  Chambcrsburg,  in  which  he  detailed 
the  average  expenses  and  profits  of  a  series  of 
years.  "We  have  not  those  figures,  at  this  mo- 
ment, before  us;  but  they  are  not  necessary,  for 
our  purpose  which  is  to  show  an  approximate 
rule  for  the  guidance  of  those  who  would  make 
strawberries  pay  expenses. 

The  one  great  fact  is,  that  from  $300  to  -^350 
per  acre  is  about  the  best  that  one  can  get  for 
the  crop,  taking  a  series  of  years— sometimes 
more  and  sometimes  less.  The  whole  question 
of  profit  then  is  in  this  :— can  the  expenses  be 
kept  below  that  ?  In  Mr.  Parry's  case  the  ex- 
penses were  about  one  half— leaving  a  good  mar- 
gin of  profit.  But  it  must  be  remembered,  that 
in  his  case  land  is  cheap  ;  while  he  is  so  near  the 
poorest  part  of  a  great  city  as  to  get  the  cheapest 
kind  of  labor  possible  to  work  amongst  the  plants 
and  gather  the  fruit.  Outside  of  the  city  limits 
his  taxes  arc  low  ;  while  with  cheap  land,  cheap 
labor,  low  freight  charges,  and  proximity  to  the 
seat  of  the  greatest  demand,  he  is  situated  more 
favorably  than  it  is  possible  for  a  large  number 


1871. 


THE    GARDE.YER'S   MOJ^THLl, 


147 


who  would  follow  in  his  successful  wake,  to  do. 
It  is  then  barely  possible  for  many  to  make  one- 
half  profits.  Some  may  excel  Mr.  Parr}'  in  some 
single  advantage.  For  instance,  if  we  mistake 
not,  Mr.  Parry  allows  about  !?10  per  acre  for  in- 
terest on  his  land,  at  6  per  cent.  There  are 
plenty  of  strawberry  patches  in  land  worth  SoO 
per  acre,  or  .$2.50  per  annum  interest ;  and  this 
betters  Mr.  Parry's  figures  by  $^7  50;  but  then 
this  is  most  likely  far  away  fr«m  the  headquar- 
ters of  the  market  ;  and  thus  the  extra  profit, 
and  uncertaint}',  much  more  than  counterbal- 
ances the  little  interest  saved. 

There  is  yet  another  profit  to  be  remembered. 
Mr.  Parry  is  not  only  a  practical  man,  but  a 
man  of  science,  one  who  reads  and  thinks,  and 
strives  for  excellence.  In  this  S300  or  S350  per 
acre,  much  of  it  is  for  superior  fruit.  We  ques- 
tion whether  the  average  grower  would  make  this 


average  yield.  It  would  be  wise,  therefore,  for 
those  who  are  studying  this  strawberry  business 
to  make  the  figures  for  their  average  receipts 
still  lower  than  this  ;  and,  then,  after  calculating 
what  all  their  expenses  are  likely  to  be,  they 
will  have  one  of  the  best  rules  forjudging  what 
can  be  done  in  it,  than  any  thing  yet  offered. 

And  then  as  to  being  "  over-done,"  of  course 
there  is  dangt;r.  There  is  this  danger  in  every 
thing.  Manufacturing,  store  keeping,  cotton 
raising,  grain,  fruit,— all  are  at  times  overdone. 
No  one  can  calculate  exactly  how  much  will  be 
wanted,  or  how  much  to  raise.  But  when  it  is 
overdone,  it  is  only  those  who  allow  the  smallest 
margin  for  profit  who  go  out.  Those  who  cal- 
culate wisely  and  well,  and  for  whom  we  now 
offer  these  figures,  need  never  fear  failure.  For 
them  the  strawberry  business  will  never  be  over- 
done. 


SCRAPS  AND    aUERIES. 


Early  GERMiNATioif  of  Seeds.— P.  H.  F.,  1 
Babylon,  writes: — I  write  a  line  on  the  subject  I 
of  seed  envelope,  and  the  artificial  germination 
of  seeds,  and  hope  you  will  publish  it  with  your 
comments,  in  order  to  give  the  readers  of  the 
O'arcZencr's  Monthly  information  on  the  subject 
of  raising  seedlings  in  this  country,  particularly 
those  who  have  had  practice.  I  think  I  have 
discovered  a  universal  law  pervading  all  seed 
creation,  i.  c,  the  Mucous  envelope,  which  dries, 
hardens,  and  becomes  insoluble  in  water.  John 
Grigor  says  the  Ash  will  not  germ  the  next  sea- 
.<ioa  after  ripening,  but  requires  fifteen  to  eigh- 
teen months.  In  order  to  test  the  Mucous  theo- 
ry, I  placed  American  White  Ash  seed  in  a  ves- 
sel with  yeast,  allowed  fermentation  to  take 
place,  then  a  partial  acetic  fermentation  ;  plant- 
ed seed  in  a  warm  room,  in  four  weeks  it  came 
up  beautifull}'. 

[Our  correspondent  has  started  a  question 
alike  interesting  to  the  mere  practical  man,  and 
the  man  of  science.  It  is  a  great  feat  to 
get  Ash  to  grow  in  the  way  described.  If  this 
could  be  done  every  year  as  a  regular  thing,  it 
will  rank  as  on»of  the  most  valuable  horticultu- 
ral discoveries  of  the  age.     But  we  have  often 


met  with  circumstances  which  produced  simi- 
lar results,  but  failing  to  repeat  themselves, 
proved  that  we  attributed  the  results  to  the  wrong 
causes.  We  never  could  get  an  ash,  or  a  chio- 
nanthus,  or  a  privet,  or  anything  that  we  re- 
member of  this  natural  family  of  Oleaccve  to  grow 
the  first  year  from  seed,  except  last  year  a  few 
dozen  seeds  of  tlie  green  ash,  Fraxinus  viridis 
sent  us  by  a  friend,  and  kept  dry  till  May  before 
sowing,  were  all  growing  by  June  ;  yet  we  never 
expect  again  to  have  ash  seeding  growing  by 
sowing  in  May.  Last  year  also  we  had  some 
seed  sent  us  from  Virginia  of  t'ydonia  sinensis. 
It  was  sown  in  the  spring,  in  a  large  pot.  The 
half  grew  at  once,  the  balance  remauied  in  the 
ground  a  year,  and  are  only  just  now  coiuing 
through. 

This  is  probably  the  experience  of  every  seed 

sower  ;  and  yet  no  one  can  give  any  philosophical 

reason  for  it.     The   hint  of  our  correspondent 

may  put  students   of  this   phenomenon  on  the 

I  right  track.     It  is  quite  possible  there  is  a  ''wa- 

I  ter-tight"   substance  which  has  to  be  decayed 

'  away  by  some  means  beiore  the  embryonic  gerni 

'  of  life  can  be  reached.     AVe  think  one  of  oiu 

;  western  correspondents,  Mr.  Douglass,  if  wc  ar. 


U8 


2 HE    GARDE JfER'S   MOJ^THLY, 


May, 


not  mistaken,  once  look  in  hand  to  treat  Eed 
Cedar  seed  on  some  such  a  principle,  with  some 
prospects  of  success,  but  we  have  heard  nothing 
of  it  lately. 

AVe  do  not  know  any  subject  of  more  practical 
importance  than  this  now  sugf^ested,  and  we 
shall  be  very  glad  to  have  any  further  hints  or 
observations  that  any  of  our  correspondents  may 
have  to  offer. 

In  raising  many  hard  shelled  seeds,  the  preva- 
lent idea  now  is  that  frost  is  necessary  to  cause 
xhem  to  germinate.  We  have  long  since  found 
this  to  be  an  error.  Frost  is  rather  an  injury 
than  a  benefit ;  some  kinds,  esi^ecially  peach, 
will  grow  well  in  the  spring,  if  put  out  in  the 
ground  in  the  fall ;  when  the  same  seeds  saved 
under  cover  till  spring  will  not  grow  till  the  next 
year,  and  this  is  placed  to  the  credit  of  frost ; 
but  this  is  a  mistake.  It  is  the  moisture,  not  the 
frost  which  acts  liavorably.  It  must  have  been 
the  observation  of  all  peach  growers  who  lay  out 
their  peach  pits  in  layers  to  freeze  in  tie  fall, 
that  it  is  those  at  the  bottom,  in  contact  with 
the  damp  earth,  which  grow  tirst  in  spring,  al- 
though the  fartlierest  removed  from  the  action 
ut  Irost.  In  fact  i  the  pits  had  the  same  mois- 
ture with  a  little  heat,  instead  of  with  frost, 
it  would  no  doubt  be  better  lor  the  seeds. 
This  is  again  exemplified  in  the  case  of 
J  nported  Mahuleb  cherry.  Though  put  out  in 
tuc  ground  in  fall  bclore  frost,  and  with  the  aid 
of  frost  all  winter,  they  yet  oftener  fail  to  grow 
than  to  sprout  in  the  next  spring  ;  but  if  kept 
barely  warm  and  moist,  yet  secure  from  mould 
all  winter  they  will  usually  grow  very  well  when 
p. anted  in  spring. 

'1  his  expcriLUce  accords  also  with  our  corres- 
\  oiideufs  observation  ;  for  if  it  is  a  gelatinous 
wattr-provf  fcuLstauce  which  preventsthe  vivify- 
ing actiou  of  the  elements,  warmth  and  moisture 
Will  hasten  the  decay  of  this  much  sooner  than 
Host,  or  moibture  aiune  without  warmth  with  it. 

A  Floweiung  Hedge.— jlfrs.  L.  P.  JU., 
2iundiCtUr,  If.  11.,  writes  :— "Visiting  a  friend 
recently,  who  has  a  very  neat  Buckthorn  hedge, 
It  was  ier„arked  by  one  of  our  company  that  it 
vas  a  miblortune  so  pretty  a  thing  had  such 
mean  looking  tlowers,  and  some  one  remarked 
that  pljiuts  should  be  chosen  lor  hedges  which 
baa  pretty  llowers,  as  well  as  made  effective 
hedges.  A  gentleman  of  the  party,  who  is  a 
guod  amateur,  said  that  pruning  plants  properly 
lor  hedge  purposes,  preveuted  their  fiowering, 
and  there  was  nothing  thus  suited  to  have  this 


effect  in  our  part  of  the  country.  Is  this  really 
so  ?  A  flowering  hedge  plant  would  be  very  de- 
sirable.'' 

[It  is  not  one  of  the  things  we  court  to  decide 
questions  between  ladies  ;  but  the  Gardenev''s 
Monthly  must  fearlessly  do  its  duty.  The  Pyrus 
japonka  and  the  Privet  will  do  well  about  your 
section,^  bear  pruning  well^and  yet  produce  flow- 
ers abundantly.  The  last  named  is  sometimes 
badly  attacked  by  a  fungus,  in  the  same  way  as 
the  pear  tree  is  by  the  fire  blight ;  this  is  an  ob- 
jection, but  the  Pyrus  japonica  has  no  enemy, 
and  is  a  blaze  of  blossoms  in  spring.  We  never 
saw  a  hedge  of  the  red  and  white  mixed,  but  we 
should  think  this  would  have  a  pretty  effect.] 

Mr,  Souciiet. — X.,  Cincinnati,  0.,  writes: — 
'^'I  wish  to  get  some  information  regarding  the 
origin  of  the  Souchetti  Raspberry,  and  have  ad- 
dressed a  letter  to  Mr.  Souchet  accordiiig  to  his 
advertisements  in  former  numbers  of  the  Gar- 
dener''s  Monlhhjy  but  have  my  letter  returned. 
Can  you  give  me  his  address  V" 

[It  is  unknown.  He  and  his  family  took  pas- 
sage on  the  City  of  Boston  for  Europe  a  couple 
of  years  ago,  since  which  time  neither  steamer 
nor  her  passengers  have  been  heard  from.  ] 


Garlic  ON  Lawns— Cj  West  Philada.—'^l 
am  very  much  annoyed  by  garlic  on  my  lawns, 
which  in  spring  gives  it  an  unkempt  wild  ap- 
pearance, anything  but  agreeable  to  a  lover  of 
neatness  and  order.  You  will  not  wonder  at 
my  desire  to  be  rid  of  it ;  but  how  can  I  do  it  ?'^ 

[Easily  enough.  Let  a  man  go  over  with  a 
sjiade,  dig  down  well  under  it,  loosen  the  soil, 
and  with  one  hand  grasp  the  tuft  and  draw  it 
out,  roots  and  all.  Afterwards  fill  the  hole  with 
earth,  and  roll  level ;  the  grass  will  soon  grow 
through  it,  and  all  be  green  again.  Next  year 
a  very  few  may  grow  again  ;  but  these  are  soon 
disposed  of  in  the  same  way.] 

White  Flowered  Lahch.-L.B  , Manchester^ 
Ills.,  asks  : — "Is  there  such  a  thing  as  two  spe- 
cies of  European  Larch  ?  A  nurseryman  here 
asserts  that  there  is  one  a  white  flowered,  and 
the  other  a  red  flowered  species.  I  supposed 
there  was  only  one.'' 

[There  is  but  one  species.  As  to  the  color  of 
the  flowers,  we  suppose  the  idea  of  two  species 
originated  from  these  different  colored  flowers. 
The  Larch  has  the  sexes  separate  in  diflerent 
flowers.  The  males  arc  whit(^ — the  females 
(which  afterwards  become  cones]  arc  of  a  rosy 
crimson. 


1871. 


TEE    GARDEJ^EWS   MONTHLY. 


149 


There  may  be  variations  in  the  quality  of  tim- 
ber grown  in  various  localties,  and  yet  be  little 
or  no  difference  in  the  appearance  of  the  trees. 
It  is  generally  admitted  now  that  there  is  con- 
tinual creation  of  new  species.  The  elements  of 
this  change  probably  exist  in  the  cell  long  before 
we  can  take  cognizance  of  them  in  outward  form. 
What  it  is  that  causes  this  elementary  change 
beyond  what  wehumbl}'  style  infinite  power  and 
wisdom,  no  one  knows  ;  but  after  this  elementary 
matter  has  been  prepared,  the  theory  of  Darwin 
— natural  selection,  or  the  survival  of  the  fittest 
—  comes  into  play,  and  the  external  organs  are 
modified  so  as  to  be  better  able  to  sustain  the 
new  form  than  the  old  one  was. 

In  this  way  we  think  it  quite  likely  that  they 
are  right  who  think  there  are  two  kinds  of  Larch, 
although  there  may  be  yet,  no  character  which  a 
botanist  could  take  hold  of  so  as  to  separate 
them.] 

Tomatoes  from  Cuttings.—  W.  W.  ,  Canada, 
says:  The  Canada  Farmer  of  Feb.  loth,  con- 
tains an  article  upon  the  Tomato,  in  which  it  is 
stated  that  cuttings  of  this  plant  should  be  taken 
in  the  fall,  kept  through  the  winter,  and  set  out 
in  the  spring,  and  that  this  mode  of  propagation 
is  better  than  sowing  seed  in  spring,  &c.  j^ow 
it  seems  to  me  that  the  tomato  being  an  annual, 
cannot  be  propagated  by  cuttings  taken  in  the 
fall  and  kept  through  the  winter.  Am  I  right, 
or  is  the  writer  in  the  Canada  Farmer  correct.'' 

[Any  annual  can  be  perpetuated  for  an  in- 
definite number  of  years,  by  cuttings  each  year. 
It  is  reasonable  that  Tomatoes  would  be  some- 
what earlier  this  way, — of  course  it  involves  ex- 
tra trouble.  AVe  supposed  the  Canada  Farmer 
was  dead,  as  we  have  not  heard  of  it  for  two 
years.] 

CnRYSANTHEMUMS.— TF.  TF.,  Ottawa,  Cana- 
da. "How  can  Chrysanthemums  which  have 
flowered  out  of  doors,  be  best  kept  through  the 
winter  ?  In  the  Temple  Gardens  (London,  En- 
gland,) they  stand  the  winter,  but  I  suppose  no 
amount  of  protection  would  enable  tliem  to  stand 
out  in  our  climate." 

[A  foot  of  dry  leaves,  and  a  board  over  all  to 
keep  out  the  wet,  will  enable  the  Chrysanthem- 
um to  stand  the  winter  in  Canada.] 


as  a  quiet  trade  in  the  hands  of  those  who  love 
it  as  well  as  live  out  of  it.  I  may  be  wrong,  but 
around  here  it  looks  like  it." 


Our  Future  Xukserymex  — A  Bochester, 
If.  T.,  correspondent  says:  "The  nurserymen 
who  have  followed  the  business  for  the  dollar 
only,  must  shortly  I  think  step  out,  leaving  it 


Climate  of  Port  LA\^\CA,  Texas.— A  sub- 
scriber says  :  "Our  plan:3  here  become  dor- 
mant about  20th  of  November.  By  end  of  Feb- 
ruary, China  Roses,  Verbenas,  Plums  and  Spi- 
roeas  are  in  bloom.  By  March,  we  have  terrifie 
dry  winds  which  almost  kill  well  established 
young  trees.  Very  dry  weather  then  sets  in, 
which  usually  lasts  till  April  or  May.  This  is 
our  most  trying  time  on  vegetation.  Very  few 
evergreens  get  through  well ;  but  a  grafted  Li- 
hocedrns  decuriens  which  I  have,  is  thriving 
nicely." 

FoRSYTHiA  SUSPEXSA.— 3f.  JB.,  P'lkesville, 
Md.,  writes  :  "Can  you  tell  me  whether  there 
is  such  a  thing  distinct  from  others  as  Forsythia 
suspensa  ?  I  bought  one  at  a  high  figure  some 
years  ago,  but  it  seems  the  same  thing  as  the 
common  Golden  Bell." 

[Forsythia  suspensa  does  look  like  the  common 
one  Forsythia  viridissima,  but  it  is  a  better 
thing.  The  petals  are  much  broader.  There  is 
also  some  difference  in  the  leaves,  which,  no 
doubt,  our  correspondent  can.  detect  on  a  close 
examination.  "We  may  say  that  Forsythia  sus- 
pensa is  the  same  as  the  common  one,  only 
much  improved  f^jr  ornamental  purposes.] 

Fine  Calceolarias.— Mr.  Herman  Kriger, 
gardener  to  John  Welsh,  .Jr.,  Esq  ,  places  on  our 
table  a  pot  of  Calceolarias  which  reminds  of  the 
"olden  time"  when  these  plants  were  wellgrown, 
and  amongst  the  greatest  ornaments  of  our 
greenhouses.  They  have  declined  of  late,— it  is 
said  because  our  climate  is  too  hot  for  them ; 
but  neither  heat  nor  cold  ever  stands  in  the  way 
of  a  good  gardener,  as  this  specimen  shows. 

California  Pitciiek  Plant.—.!.  Salem, 
Mass  —"Can  you  tell  me  whether  the  Darlimj- 
tonia  or  Californian  Pitcher  plant  is  in  cultiva- 
tion yet,  and  whether  plants  can  be  had  of  it  V' 

[Of  the  last  part  of  the  question  we  may  say, 
we  think  not.  It  was  in  cultivation,  as  Prof, 
Thurber  told  us  a  year  or  so  ago  that  some 
friend  of  his  near  New  York  had  flowered  it. 
Mr.  Robinson,  author  of  Parks  and  Gardens  of 
Paris,  wrote  to  us  from  California,  that  he  had 
found  a  location,  and  would  take  plants  to  En, 
gland  with  him.  It  is  not  unlikely  thxt  through 
English  sources,  it  will  soon  get  into  cultivation. 


150 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLJ, 


May, 


BOOKS,    CATALOGUES,    &C. 


MoNETijt  THE  GARTBif.  A  VpRatftble  MoTiunl,  prepared  with  ft 
Tiew  to  oponomy  and  profit.  By  P.  T.  Quinn,  N.  Y.  Pub" 
]is)ied  by  the  Tribune  Associ«(ion. 

This  is  the  title  of  a  very  useful  work,  written 
by  one  of  our  most  successful  vegetable  and  fruit 
growers — truckers — as  they  are  called  about 
Philadelphia,  Mr.  Quinn  tells  us  he  is  not  a 
literary  man,— and  claims  only  to  set  down  in 
his  every  day  language  what  courses  he  has 
found  in  his  practice  produce  the  best  results. 
Thus  we  accept  the  book  as  we  find  it,  not  even 
stopping  to  enquire  whether  by  "economy"  in 
the  title  page  he  means  gooH  economy  or  had, 
economy  ;  but  assuming  that  as  he  writes  to  tell 
how  to  make  money,  the  former  is  what  he  means. 
Like  everything  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Quinn,  the 
ideas  expressed  have  evidently  grown  up  and 
matured  their  seed  on  their  own  legitimate 
ground.  The  roots  have  not  spread  out  and 
robbed  their  neighbor,  as  we  too  often  see  literary 
plants  do  in  these  book-making  days.  This 
honest  course  is  not  always  the  best  for  the  reader. 


"When  a  writer  depends  wholly  on  his  own  re- 
sources, his  ideas  are  not  all  of  them  of  the  best. 
Yet  there  is  this  great  advantage,  that  there  is 
sure  to  be  something  which  will  interest  all. 
Some  new  thoughts  come  up  to  everybody's 
profit.  This  is  what  we  see  in  Mr.  Quinn's  book- 
No  matter  how  full  the  library  may  be  of  simi- 
lar works,  this  one  will  be  found  welcome. 


Be*utipcl  Catalooce". 

Ellwanger  »fe  Barry  sends  us  a  set  of  their  cata- 
logues, Nos.  1,  2  and  3,  bound  beautifully,  and 
illustrated  with  a  nice  colored  plate  of  the  double 
Deutzia  crenata  ;  and  John  Saul,  of  "Washington, 
D.  C,  sends  with  his  catalogue  one  of  the  pret- 
tiest plates  of  Geraniums,  which  we  think  ever 
appeared  in  this  country.  The  liberality  of  our 
nurserymen  in  going  to  such  expensive  illustra- 
tions, is  very  praiseworthy  ;  yet  we  doubt  not 
in  educating  public  taste,  in  this  way,  they  wiU 
have  their  reward. 


NEW  AND   llAEE   FRUITS. 


The  Buffalo  Cherry — Some  twenty  years 
since  Smiley  Shepherd,  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  Ilennepen,  on  the  Illinois  River,  received  a 
large  number  of  cherry  trees  from  the  Buffalo 
Nursery.  "With  the  exception  of  one  variety,  or, 
rather,  one  tree,  tl^cy  have  dropped  off  one  by 
one,  and  whether  this  one  is  a  graft,  or  the  ori- 
ginal stock  that  has  sprouted  up  from  below  the 
graft,  is  not  certain  ;  but,  what  is  of  more  im- 
portance, is  the  fact  that  it  is  a  valuable  sweet 
cherry,  and  that  the  tree  has  proved  hardy  and 
productive.  "When  we  contrast  this  with  the 
fact  that  we  have  no  known  variety  of  the  sweet 
cherry  that  is  of  any  particular  value  for  our 
jirairie  orchards,  one  can  appreciate  the  value 
of  the  new  cherry.  Fortunately,  Mr.  Shepherd 
is  not  only  one  of  our  best  pomologifts,  but  an 
honest  man.  His  experience  teaches  him  that 
too  much  reliance  is  not  to  be  placed  on  a  single 
tree,  in  a  single  location,  for  that  niiiy  be  efVect- 
td  by  some  local  cause  producing  the  favorable 
result,  and,  of  course,   leading  to  a   failure   in 


other  locations.  The  old  French  pear  trees  at 
Detroit  and  the  mammoth  pear  trees  at  Vicen- 
nes  are  marked  specimens  of  this  kind,  as  scions 
of  these  sent  to  other  localities  have  most  signal- 
ly failed  to  produce  like  results— that  is,  either 
remarkably  large  trees  or  remarkable  crops. 
"With  numerous  facts  of  this  kind  before  him, 
Mr.  S.  is  a  trifle  conservative,  and  yet  the  ex- 
j)eriraent  is  well  worthy  of  a  trial.  In  the  mean- 
time, other  eyes  than  those  of  Mr.  S.  have  been 
turned  toward  the  annual  crops  of  this  single 
tree,  remarkable  as  compared  with  its  fellows. 
Those  eyes  are  owned  by  the  plant  speculator, 
the  dealer  in  new  things,  the  man  of  Missouri 
miimmoth  blackl)orries,  of  joint  pop-corn,  of 
Mexican  everbearing  strawberries,  etc  ,  for  he 
knows  that  a  cherry,  or  in  fact  any  thing  endors- 
ed by  Mr.  S.,  or  even  coming  from  his  grounds, 
would  sell ;  hence  he  makes  a  large  oiler  for  the 
entire  stock  of  scions  of  this  remarkable  tree. 
Xo  I  says  Mr.  S.  ;  the  thing  needs  a  further  test  ; 
it  must  go  out  from  the  shelter  of  my  grounds, 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJVTELY. 


151 


from  the  influence  of  the  river  climate,  beyond 
the  peculiar  geological  formation  where  it  has 
produced  such  happy  results  ;  in  short,  it  must 
go  out  of  its  Eden  and  take  the  rough  usage  of 
the  world,  If  it  can  stand  that  test  and  main- 
tain its  integrity,  then  will  it  find  a  place  in  the 
gardens  and  orchards  of  the  people,  to  make  glad 
the  hearts  of  the  household.  We  say  noble  and 
patriotic,  and  thanks  to  the  venerable  Smiley 
Shepherd,  whose  locks  have  been  frosted  by  SO 
winters,  and  whose  memory  will  go  down  the 
vistas  of  time  as  a  bright  example  of  the  noble 
and  the  right. 

The  speculator  in  new  varieties  is  moved  aside, 
and  Mr.  S.,  with  his  own  hands  proceeds  to 
sheer  the  tree  of  its  scions,  to  carefully  wrap 
them  in  small  packages  for  the  mails,  pre-pay 
the  postage,  and  direct  them  to  our  most  care- 
ful pomologists.  The  satisfaction  to  him  in  this 
work  is  greater  than  the  counting  of  the  proffer- 
ed thousand  dollars,  and  is  an  example  that 
others  may  follow.  Out  ofihe  several  scions 
sent  me  last  year,  one  survived,  and  has  stood 
the  past  remarkable  cold  winter  unharmed. 

Let  no  one  be  in  a  hurry,  for  it  will  require 
some  years  to  make  the  test ;  in  the  meantime, 
those  having  the  scions  will  distribute  them  to 
others  in  a  limited  manner,  so  there  cannot  pos- 
sibly be  any  speculation  in  it,  unless  some  bold 
operator,  as  in  times  past,  sends  out  the  coun- 
terfeit. Therefore  don't  purchase  scions  or  trees 
of  this  new  cherry,  for  no  genuine  ones  are  for 
sale,  and  are  only  to  be  had  of  Mr.  S.  or  those 
friends  who  have  been  favored  with  them— not 
for  money,  but  as  a  gift  to  the  good  cause  of 
progressive  industry.  Though  I  have  hope  that 
the  new  comer  may  prove  hardy  and  productive 
in  all  parts  of  the  Xorthwest,  yet  we  should  not 
be  over-sanguine  from  its  limited  history,  unless 
it  should  prove  to  be  some  old,  though  long- 
neglected  variety,  well  worthy  a  place  in  front. 
— Rural,  in  Chicago  Tribune. 


BuRonLEY  Park  Cherry. — We  first  saw 
samples  of  this  cherry  at  the  Royal  Horticultu- 
ral Society's  Exhibition  at  Oxford,  and  shortly 
afterwards  we  were  favored  with  samples  from 
Mr.  Gilbert,  head  gardener  at  Burghley  Park, 
Stamford,  which  enabled  us  not  only  to  5ce  it 
again,  but  to  taste  it.  Although  this  comes  be- 
fore us  a  neio  fruit,  being  now  published  as  such 
for  the  first  time,  it  is  more  than  thirty  years 
sin^e  the  original  seedling  tree  fruited  and  proved 
its  right  to  a  position  in  the  world.    The  sole 


reason  of  its  remaining  so  long  in  obscurity  is 
that  it  was  considered  shy  in  bearing,  which, 
strange  to  say,  is  now  proved  to  be  a  mistake. 
The  truth  is,  the  fruit  was  annually  pruned  out 
of  it;  but  Mr.  Gilbert  determined  to  adopt  another 
course,  and  accordingly  left  on  the  tree  at  the  last 
winter  pruning  a  lot  of  young  wood  which  in  or- 
dinary practice  would  have  been  removed.  The 
tree  has  amply  rewarded  him,  the  crop  of  the 
past  summer  being  most  abundant  and  the  quali- 
ty as  good  as  ever.  The  fruit  is  large,  usually 
round  with  an  obscure  suture,  but  occasionally 
compressed  or  flattened,  the  skin  very  thin  and 
transparent,  the  color  rich  deep  red  with  shades 
of  maroon.  The  flesh  is  of  a  tawny  color,  juicy 
and  melting  with  a  good  trace  of  styptic  flavor, 
very  pleasant  and  refreshing.  It  belongs  to  the 
Red  Duke  class,  and  in  general  characters  comes 
nearest  to  Reine  Ilortense,  though  is  appears  to 
combine  the  best  qualities  of  that  fine  cherry 
with  the  best  qualities  of  the  Red  Morellos. — 
Gardener''s  Weekly. 


Garibaldi  Apple. — In  the  Gardener's  Maga- 
zine, of  December  8th,  1862,  we  presented  our 
readers  with  a  notice  of  this  apple,  which  was 
then  for  the  first  time  offered  by  M.  A.Yerscha- 
ffelt,  of  Ghent.  Having  lately  received  samples 
of  the  fruit  from  an  amateur  cultiv^ator,  we  can 
now  give  it  a  good  character  from  our  own  ob- 
servation. In  the  original  notice,  it  was  stated 
that  the  variety  was  raised  by  M.  Fontaine,  of 
Ghelin,  from  seed  sown  in  1842,  which  fruited 
for  the  first  time  in  1860.  The  samples  sent  are 
large  and  handsome,  the  form  an  oblate  spheroid 
the  skin  lemon-yellow  with  spots  of  russet ;  the 
stalk  long,  slender,  deeply  inserted,  eye  large 
and  open  ;  the  flesh  white,  crisp,  juicy  and  agree- 
ably aromatic.  The  Garibaldi  Apple  is  one  of 
the  Calville  class,  and  a  decidedly  superior  des- 
sert fruit. — Garclener''s  Weekhj. 


Monte  Bello  Apple. — President  Hammond 
brought  it  to  the  notice  of  the  Illinois  Horticul- 
tural Society,  and  presented  specimens  of  a  seed- 
ling apple  from  the  orchard  of  Dr.  Chandler.  It 
is  a  most  magnificent  apple,  of  the  highest  qual- 
ity, and  is  certainly  a  great  acquisition. 

Description.-  -Tree  rather  upright,  moderately 
vigorous,  healthy,  very  hardy,  early  and  con- 
stant bearer  ;  shoots,  grayish  brown  ;  leaves  me- 
dium. 

Fruit  large,  blate,  very  handsome,  surface 
smooth,  color  yellow,  striped  and  splashed  wilj^ 


152 


THE    GARDEJ^TER'S   MOJVTHLl. 


May, 


deep  red,  Avith  which  it  is  almost  completely  cov- 
ered ;  dots  large  and  scattering  ;  basin  wide, 
regular  or  wavy ;  eye  medium,  closed  ;  cavity 
wide,  regular ;  brown,  stem  short  and  slender  ; 
core  medium,  regular,  melting;  seeds  small, 
pointed  ;  flesh  white,  fine  grained,  tender,  deli- 
cate juicy;  flavor  mild,  sub-acid,  sprightly,  vin- 
ous ;  quality  very  best ;  season,  September  to  De- 
cember. A.  C.  Hammond,  Warsaw^  Ills,  in 
Pomologist. 


The  Oblong  Siberian  Crab.— The  varie- 
ties of  the  Siberian  crab  are  becoming  quite  nu- 
merous, and  its  merits  as  a  hardy  fruit  bearing 
ornamental  tree  more  generally  recognized  than 
licretofore.  They  are  all  among  the  most  hardy 
of  fruit  trees,  enduring  the  most  rigorous  cli- 
mates. They  grow  rapidl}^  generally  symmet- 
rical in  foim,  have  ample  foliage,  a  profusion 
of  beautiful    flowers     and    brilliantly    colored 


fruits.  Either  as  single  specimens  or  in  groups 
on  the  lawn,  they  are  highly  interesting  and  or- 
namental. One  of  the  most  attractive  varieties 
among  all  those  in  cultivation  is  the  "Oblong," 
imported  some  years  ago  from  France,  by  Ell- 
WANGER  &  Barry,  and  it  is  now  considerably 
disseminated. 

Size  medium,  averaging  a  trifle  over  an  inch 
in  diameter  ;  form  oval,  oblong  ;  stalk  about  an 
inch  long,  slender  ;  calyx  closed,  projecting  ;  skin 
brilliant  scarlet,  crimson  with  a  thin  bloom,  and 
sprinkled  with  gray  dots;  tree  vigorous  in  growth, 
with  large  leaves;  season,  latter  end  of  Sep- 
tember.— Rural  New  Yorker. 


New  Strawberry,  Monarch  of  the  West. 
— This  is  an  Illinois  seedling,  and  claim  for 
excellence  is  founded  on  great  size.  It  is  said 
from  12  to  15  berries  fill  a  quart. 


NEW    AND    EARE    PLATsTS. 


New  Double  Wistaria.— Mr.  Francis  Park- 
man  of  Jamaica  Plains,  Mass.,  received  a  small 
plant  of  AVistaria  from  Japan,  several  years 
since,  which  bloomed  last  summer,  when  it  was 
discovered  to  be  a  new  and  valuable  variety, 
with  double  purple  flowers.  The  plant  is  per 
fectly  hardy,  resembling  the  old  Wistaria  sinen- 
sis so  well  known  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of 
all  our  climbing  plants.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that 
Mr.  Parkman  will  be  successful  in  propagating 
this  new  and  charming  sort,  for  the  more  varie- 
ties we  have  of  this  beautiful  genus  the  better. 
There  are  quite  a  number  of  distinct  sorts  to  be 
found  in  the  larger  nurseries,  among  the  best 
we  will  name.  Wistaria  sinensis,  with  deep  bluc- 
ish  flowers  and  very  long  trusses  ;  W.  S  alha, 
flowers  pure  white  and  trusses  nearly  a  foot  in 
length  ;  W.  frutescens,  a  native  species,  with 
small,  compact  clusters  of  purplish  flowers.  The 
plant  is  a  vigorous  grower  and  usually  blooms 
twice  in  a  season.  The  W.  frutcsccm  alba  is  a 
charming  sort  with  white  flowers,  excellent  for 
forcing  under  glass,   as   the   plant   is  rather   a 


stocky  grower  and  not  inclined  to  climb  as  much 
as  other  sorts.  The  W.  magnifica,  with  pale 
blue  flowers,  is  also  a  handsome  sort,  and  one  of 
the  most  vigorous  of  growers.  The  IV.  hrachy- 
X)oda  resembles  the  frutescens,  the  flowers  smaller 
and  deeper  purple. — Bural  New  Yorker. 


Van  Houtte's  Flores  des  Serres  recently 
described  the  following  plants,  which  will  be  of 
interest  to  American  cultivators. 

Lachenalia  luteola.— An  exceedingly 
pretty  little  cool  greenhouse  bulb,  with  yellow 
tube  shaped  pendulous  flowers,  slightly  tipped 
with  green,  the  top  flowers  on  the  spike  being 
almost  red.  Valuable  from  the  long  time  it  re- 
mains in  bloom,  and  of  the  easiest  culture  pos- 
sible. 

Clematis  patens,  John  Gould  Veitch.— 
This  beautiful  and  evenly  double-flowered  va- 
riety of  that  well  known  family  of  climbing 
plants,  the  Clematis,  was  introduced  direct  from 
Japan,  by  the  distinguished  collector  and  horti- 
culturist whose  name  it  bears.     It  produces  its 


187h 


TUB    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJfTRLY. 


153 


fine  porcelain  blue  flowers  in  great  abundance  ; 
thej'  are  four  inches  in  diameter,  and  of  nearly 
perfect  form.  It  is,  like  other  Clematis,  perfect- 
ly hardy. 

lMANT0PnYL"LTJMCYRTAXTIlIFL0RUM.-Ah5'- 

brid  of  Imantophyllum  obtained  bj'^  crossing  the 
I.  nobile  with  the  1.  miniatum.  The  shape  of  its 
flowers  resemble  those  of  a  Cyrtanthus. 

Cypripedium  barbatum  grandiflorum. — 
A  fine  variety  of  slipper  plant,  x-emarkable  for 
the  exceptional  size  of  its  upper  segment,  the 
beauty  of  its  markings,  its  fresh  clear  coloring, 
and  the  extreme  robustness  of  its  habit  of  growth. 
It  is  a  great  improvement  on  the  old  Cypripedi' 
wn  barbatum. 

Brugmaxsiaor  Datura  sangtjinea.  — This 
handsome  flowering  shrub  is  a  native  of  the 
mountains  of  Peru,  where  it  was  found  by  Hum' 
boldt,  growing  in  stony  places  at  a  height  of 
nearly  700  feet  above  the  sea  level.  It  reaches 
with  us  a  height  of  from  six  to  nine  feet,  requir- 
ing the  protection  of  a  greenhouse  in  winter,  and 
passing  the  summer  in  the  open  air.  It  pro- 
duces its  flowers  during  August  and  September. 
Antigoxon  septotus. — A  most  beautiful 
and  exceedingly  free-flowering  greenhouse  creep- 
er, introduced  by  Dr.  Seeman,  and  sent  out  by 
Mr.  Bull.  It  comes  from  the  neighborhood  of 
Oaxaca,  and  covers  any  trellis  or  bush  which  it 
is  allowed  to  trail  over  with  a  profusion  of  bright 
rose-colored  flowers  ;  produced  in  the  autumnal 
months. 

Desmodium  penduliflorum.— One  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  free-flowering  of  recent  in- 
troductions from  that  mine  of  horticultural 
wealth,  Japan.  It  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  its 
long,  drooping  branches  are  sometimes  entirely 
hidden  by  the  millions  of  deep  rich  purple  flow- 
ers, of  a  pea  shape,  which  are  successively  pro- 
duced from  the  end  of  August  to  the  beginning 
of  winter.  On  a  lawn  the  effect  of  a  good  speci- 
men of  this  plant  is  exceedingly  striking. 

Hydrangea  stellataprolifera.— A  very 
ornamental  semi-double  flowered  variety  of  this 
well  known,  hardy,  flowering  shrub  ;  color  pink 
and  white.     It  is  likely  to  be  an  acquisition. 

IIeMEROCALLIS    DISTICIIA    FLORE    PLENO. — 

An  exceeding  handsome  variety  of  the  double- 
flowering  day  lily  introduced  from  Japan.  It 
produced  a  succession  of  very  double  flowers  of 
a  brilliant  golden  yellow,  with  bright  red  spots 
at  the  base  of  each  petal,  and  is  perfectly  hardy. 
GUKNERA  ClIILENSIS,  OR  SCABRA.— This  is  a 

plant  of  immense  size,  and  by  some  considered 


to  be  also  of  great  beauty,  as  Mr.  "Van  Iloutte 
christens  it  queen  of  herbaceous  plants.  It  cer- 
tainly requires  a  great  deal  of  room,  and  most 
resembles  an  exaggerated  and  overgrown  plant 
of  rhubarb.  In  sub  tropical  gardening  on  a  very 
large  scale  it  may  be  found  useful. 

Xanthoceras  sorbifolia.— a  beautiful  and 
apparently  free-flowering  hardy  shrub,  sent  from 
China  by  one  of  the  French  missionaries  there, 
to  Professor  Decaisne,  of  the  Paris  Museum. 
The  height  of  the  plant  is  between  three  and 
four  feet ;  the  flowers  pure  white,  with  an  orange 
centre,  and  produced  in  large  and  handsome 
bunches. 


Vanda  c^rulescens. — For  the  introduction 
of  this  Orchid  gem  we  are  indebted  to  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Benson,  who  discovered  it  growing 
in  Burmah,  at  an  elevation  of  1,500  feet  above 
the  sea.  Though  the  flowers  are  much  smaller 
than  those  of  the  well  known  Vanda  cczruka, 
this  species  is  equally  worthy  of  cultivation,  the 
sepals  and  petals  being  of  a  decided  azure-blue, 
whilst  the  labellum  is  of  the  richest  violet  color. 
The  number  of  blooms  on  a  spike  averages  from 
fifteen  to  twenty.  The  plant  is  a  dwarf  grower, 
resembling  in  habit  the  Vanda  Boxburghii ;  it  is 
a  free  bloomer  and  of  very  easy  culture.  A  fig- 
ure of  this  beautiful  novelty  has  been  published 
in  the  May  number  of  the  Botanical  Magazine 
for  this  year. 


Yanda  Denisoniana.— We  are  indebted  to 
Colonel  Benson  for  this  lovely  Vanda,  and  it 
must  certainly  rank  amongst  the  most  striking 
of  his  discoveries.  A  figure  of  this  beautiful  Or- 
chid will  be  found  in  Curtis^s  Botanical  Maga- 
zine for  December,  1869,  and  we  give  the  follow- 
ing description  by  Professor  Reichenback,  takea 
from  the  Gardener^s  Chronicle  of  the  same  year, 
page  528:  "The  white  Burmese  Vanda  was 
one  of  the  secret  treasures  of  the  Royal  Exotic 
Nursery  for  a  while.  It  has  just  flowered,  and 
Messrs.  Veitch  have  kindly  placed  in  our  hands 
the  beautiful  spolia  of  this  striking  novelty.  The 
habit  of  the  plant  compared  to  that  of  Vanda 
Bensoni,  though,  as  far  as  our  recollection  goes, 
the  new  one  is  much  stronger.  The  leaves,  Mr. 
Veitch  informs  us,  are  wider  ;  they  are  ligulate, 
unequally  bilobed  at  the  attenuate  apex,  and 
very  shining.  Our  inflorescens  are  four-flower- 
ed, the  flowers  larger  than  those  of  Vanda  Ben- 
soni.   There  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  lovely 


15J{, 


TEE    GARBE:N'EKb    MOMTELY. 


May, 


plant  will  create  a  sensation  amongst  amateurs.  !  the  Bensonian  Fairies."  "We  have  dedicated 
We  need  scarcely  say  that  it  is  one  of  Colonel  this  Yanda  to  Lady  Londesborough,  naming  it 
Benson's  most  striking  discoveries,  though  we  j  V.  Denisoniana,  in  appreciation  of  Lord  Londes- 
should  not  care  to  be  appointed  the  modern  j  borough's  great  and  generous  love  for  Orchids." 
Paris  to  decide  which  was  the  loveliest  amongst   — Gar.  Chronicle. 


DOMESTIC    INTELLIGENCE. 


A  Grapk  Vine  Bearing  Peaches.— The 
San  Antonio  Express  says  :  Western  Texas  is 
a  land  of  strange  growths.  We  saw  last  year 
on  exhibition,  at  Austin,  a  Mustang  grape  vine 
which  had  produced  perfectly  formed  acorns; 
and  another  grape  vine  which  had  undertaken, 
with  some  success,  to  produce  a  crop  of  peaches. 

Of  the  unique  production  of  nature  named 
above,  but  little  is  known,  and  we  are  informed 
that  it  has  never  been  scientifically  described. — 
(I  I  Ed.  G.  M.) 


DwARFiN-G  Trees.— A  foreign  correspondent 
of  the  Boston  Traveler  relates  with  how  much 
curiosity  he  witnessed  some  remarkably  suc- 
cessful specimens  of  dwarf  trees  in  Japan.  I 
have  seen  in  the  gardens,  more  especially  those 
about  Ovvari,  a  Maple,  a  Pine,  a  Peach,  and  a 
Camphor  tree,  all  more  than  fifteen  years  old, 
with  their  limbs,  leaves  and  trunks  as  perfect  as 
any  in  a  forest,  and  all  grew  from  a  box  not  a 
foot  square,  and  not  one  was  over  two  feet  high. 
The  trunks  looked  like  old  trees,  and  the  limbs 
were  gnarled  and  rugged  as  the  mountain  tree 
of  the  same  kind.  The  owner  told  me  that 
these  trees  would  grow  no  larger  for  fifty  years. 
In  one  garden  there  was  a  complete  fruit  orchard 
in  a  box  four  feet  long  and  two  feet  wide— Pears, 
Peaches,  Plums,  Apples,  Oranges,  Lemons, 
Olives,  Bananas,  and  Cherries,  represented  by 
perfect  trees,  the  tallest  of  which  was  not  over 
three  feet.  Whether  these  ever  bear  fruit  I 
failed  to  ascertain  ;  neither  could  I  learn  the 
process  by  which  the  tree  is  kept  so  small.  But 
I  am  satisfied  that  it  is  done  by  killing  a  large 
tree  and  keeping  a  sprig,  which  starts  from  the 
old  root,  for  the  dwarf.  The  climate  and  soil 
favor  this  torturing  process,  for  a  root  will  not 
die  as  long  as  it  remains  undisturbed  in  some 
localities.  I  saw  great  trees  near  the  gateway 
of  a  temple  yard  at    Sinara,  which  were  bent 


over,  making  a  large  circle,  like  the  curls  in  the 
pipe  of  a  bugle.  They  must  have  been  bent 
around  something  fifty  years  ago.  At  another 
place  a  large  Oak  tree  was  bored  out  from  the 
joint  of  two  limbs  near  the  top  to  the  roots,  and 
a  magnolia  tree  set  out  down  in  this  hollow, 
which  grew  up  inside  the  Oak  until  it  spread  out 
its  branches  in  the  top,  making  of  it  an  "Oak 
Magnolia."  This  tree  has  been  spoken  of  by 
Japanese  writers  in  native  newspapers  as  an 
Oak  tree  with  a  Magnolia  graft  upon  it.  The 
system  of  grafting  is  carried  to  great  perfection, 
and  Yacca  said  that  they  successfully  graft 
Orange  into  Apple,  and  Pear  into  Cedar.^Jibr- 
ticulturist. 


Native  Georgian  is  the  name  of  the  Irish 
potato  grown  by  Pr.  B.  Hamilton,  Dalton,  Ga., 
which  took  both  premiums  at  the  late  State  Fair. 
This  potato  was  originated  from  the  seed  of  the 
long  red  potato,  grown  in  the  mountains  of  North 
Georgia.  The  Native  Georgian  is  remarkably 
prolific,  and  come  in  two  weeks  later  than  the 
Early  Kose.  It  does  not  rot  in  this  climate,  and 
in  point  of  flavor  is  unsurpassed.  Samples  of 
this  excellent  potato  may  be  seen  at  the  seed 
store  of  Samuel  A.  Echols,  who  is  the  sole  agent 
for  its  sale. — Southland  Weelcly. 


MirLCiiiNo  Bearing  Fruit  Trees. — There 
is  no  doubt  now  by  our  most  intelligent  horticul- 
turists about  the  practical  advantages  to  be 
gained  by  mulching  the  surface  of  the  orchard 
and  fruit  garden.  This  should  be  more  general- 
ly practiced  in  fruit  producing  districts,  for  it  is 
the  least  expensive  and  most  effective  method 
of  protecting  the  fruit  trees  against  the  bad  re- 
sults often  following  the  frequent  and  sudden 
changes  of  temperature  during  the  summer  and 
fall  months,  when  the  surface  of  the  ground  is 
left  exposed  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun.  Again, 


1871. 


THE    GARBEJ^EB'S   MOJ^THLY, 


155 


■when  the  mulch  is  put  two  or  three  inches  in 
thickness,  the  surface  soil  is  constantly  moist 
and  loose,  even  when  no  rain  falls  for  a  term  of 
several  -weeks,  and  the  trees  or  fruit  receive  no 
check  for -want  of  moisture  and  food  under  such 
circumstances. 

My  method  is  to  cultivate  the  spaces  between 
the  rows  of  trees  in  the  orchard,  using  a  small 
one-horse  plow  and  cultivator,  running  not  more 
than  two  inches  deep,  during  the  early  part  of 
the  season.  From  the  1st  to  the  15th  of  July 
I  have  put  on  a  heavy  coating  of  salt  hay,  cover- 
ing the  surface  as  far  as  the  branches  extend. 
After  this  there  is  no  more  trouble  with  weeds 


or  grass.  There  may  a  few  scattered  ones  start 
up,  but  they  are  easily  destroyed. 

Every  fruit  grower  knows  that  two  or  three 
weeks  before  the  time  of  gathering  the  main 
crop  of  fruit,  fine  specimens  are  constantly  falling 
oft' by  strong  winds.  When  the  ground  is  mulch- 
ed the  majority  of  such  specimens  are  not  bruised 
or  injured  for  sale.  This  saving  alone  I  consider 
pays  me  for  the  trouble  of  mulching  the  orchard. 

There  is  only  one  serious  drawback  to  the  ap- 
plication of  mulch,  that  is  the  danger  of  the  hay 
or  straw  getting  on  fire  when  rendered  dry  by 
continual  warm  weather. — P.  T.  Quinn,  in  If. 
Y.  Irihune. 


FOREIGTs'     INTELLIGENCE. 


Alpine  Strawberries. — Mr.  Radycliffe  says 
in  London  Journal  of  Horticulture  :  "  The  Al- 
pines have  been  most  abundant.  Galande  is  a 
splendid  red  Alpine.  I  wonder  people  do  not 
grow  Alpines.  With  a  litte  sugar,  I  think  they 
are  the  finest  flavored  of  all  Strawberries. 


Preserving  Frtjit.— Having  read  the  let- 
ters on  Preserving  Fruit  frdm  "  A  Head  Garde- 
ner," "Another  Head  Gardener,"  "A.  I.  H.," 
and  "  A  Constant  Reader,''  I  beg  to  add  a  few 
more  observations  on  the  same  subject.  It  ap- 
pears to  me  that  these  several  correspondents 
only  assert  their  various  theories,  without  giving 
any  reason  for  their  opmion  ;  and  the  public  is 
little  benefited  by  this  war  of  words.  In  gather- 
ing fruit  for  making  preserves,  due  account  should 
be  taken  of  the  sort  or  kind  to  be  made,  whethei 
jam,  jelly,  or  cheese.  Jam,  in  the  ordinary  ac- 
ceptation of  the  term,  is  the  entire  fruit,  skinj 
pulp,  juice,  seeds,  all  boiled  together,  with  a 
certain  proportion  of  sugar.  Jelly  is  the  juice 
only  of  the  fruit  boiled  to  a  consistency  with 
sugar.  Cheese  is  the  juice  and  pulp  of  certain 
fruits  divested  of  all  skin,  seeds,  or  fibre,  and 
submitted  to  the  same  process  of  cooking  or  pre- 
serving. Now,  it  must  be  evident  to  any  one 
who  thinks  at  all  on  the  subject,  that  the  ripest 
fruit  will  yield  the  largest  proportion  of  juice  and 
soft  pulp,  and  therefore  is  the  most  suitable  for 
jelly  and  cheese,  and  the  most  u?isuilable  for 


jam  ;   for,  as  ''  A.  T.  H."  justly  remarks,  a  toa 
juicy  or  watery  fruit,  like  cherries,  makes  a  poor 
preserve,  unless  such  a  quantity  of  sugar  is  used 
as  entirely  destroys  the  flavor  of  the  fruit,  or  it 
is  boiled  so  long  to  give  it  consistency  that  both 
color  and  flavor  are  lost.     By  taking  fruit  for 
jam  before  it  is  thoroughly  ripe,  all  the  fine  fla- 
vor is  drawn  out,  and  there  is  no  waste  from 
long  boiling  to  obtain   the  desired  consistency. 
Thus  all  your  correspondents  have  some  degree 
of  light  on  their  side,  if  they  intend  to  speak  of 
jelly  or  jam,  when  they  insist  on  fruit  being  ripe 
or  half  ripe;  but  on  this  important  point  t^iey 
are  silent.     As  to  the  various  kinds  of  Straw- 
berries for  preserving,  I  cannot  agree  with  "A 
Eead  Gardener,"  that  all  sorts  are  equally  good. 
Those  that  are  white  in  the  centre  or  at  the  end, 
as  so  many  of  the  best  table  varieties  are,  do  not 
make  jam  of  so  fine  a  color  as  those  which  are 
red  all  through,  though  the  flavor  may  be  equally 
good.      Then,   again,   fruit  for   "bottling,"   if 
"  ripe,"  will  fall  into  a  perfect  mash  in  the  bot- 
tles from  its  own  steam,  arising  from  the  heat  to 
which  it  is  exposed.     For  preserving  in  this  way 
fruit,  whether  currants,  gooseberries,  plums,  or 
cherries,  should  be  quite  soft  enough  to  yield  to 
the  finger,  or  the  result  will  be,  as  I  have  said,  a 
sort  of  jntrec,  instead  of  the  entire  or  unbroken 
berry.     I  know  it  is  difficult  to  overcome  popu- 
lar prejudice  ;  but  it  is  worth  trying  to  do  so  by 
giving  reasons  and  practical  experience,  when 


156 


THE    GARDE:N'ER'S   MOJ^THLl, 


May, 


we  consider  the  enormous  quantity  of  good  fruit 
and  sugar  wasted  every  summer  by  these  un- 
skillful-and,  may  it  not  be  added,  ignorant  ?— 
and  consequently  prejudiced  avtisizs  of  the 
kitchen.  In  a  former  communication  (July  16), 
I  gave  some  directions  for  making  the  varieties 
of  preserves  I  have  spoken  of  in  this  letter,  and, 
as  I  said  before,  ray  remarks  are  the  result  of 
personaland  practical  observation.— Georqiana 
James,  in  Gardener's  Weekly. 


Strawberries  of  Dr.  iSTiCAiSE.— Dr.  Kicaise 
has  come  out  by  a  master-stroke  in  obtaining  at 
one  eflbrt  La  Chalonnaise,  which  equals  in  qual- 
ity the  excellent  British  Queen,  but  which  is 
more  hardy  and  fertile.  By  force  of  a  good  se- 
lection of  seed  bearers,  and  of  operating  on  suc- 
cessive improvements,  he  has  been  able  to  obtain 
very  large  strawberries,  of  most  regular  shape, 
and  baving  superior  qualities.  This  is  the  means 
of  improving  "breeds,"  and  it  is  thus  true 
raisers  proceed  to  bring  to  perfection  the  original 
varieties  they  obtain. 

This  method  of  operation  is  the  I'eason  that 
each  seed-raiser  obtains  particular  types.  Thus, 
Myatt  has  given  us  varieties  of  strawberries  of 
perfect  quality  and  taste,  but  the  plants  of  which 
leave  hardiness  to  be  desired.  De  Jonghe  has 
obtained  strawberries  dwarf  and  hardy,  without 
being  too  free,  producing  generally  strawberries 
medium- sized  or  large,  good  in  quality  and  taste 
but,  above  all,  of  fine  shape. 

Certain  raisers  have  had  strawberries  very 
early  ;  others  very  late  ;  so  that  the  same  have 
obtained  varieties  either  very  fertile  or  very 
hardy ;  others  new  forms,  or  superior  qualities 
to  those  we  have  already  ;  but  of  all  the  raisers 
of  seedlings,  we  believe  none  have  obtained  va 
rieties  so  large  as  those  of  Dr.  Nicaisc. 


so  early  by  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks.  I  have 
grown  it  largely  for  many  years  past,  and  am 
therefore  able  to  speak  with  confidence  as  to  its 
merits.  It  appears  to  adapt  itself  to  every  soil 
and  climate,  the  plants  with  the  most  ordinary 
management  producing  on  an  averge  2  lbs.  of 
fruit  each,  and  it  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  out  of 
several  thousands  of  plants  I  have  not  j'et  seen 
one  barren.  In  good  seasons  it  will  produce  a 
very  fair  second  crop,  and  to-day  I  gathered  a 
fine  dish  of  fruit  from  a  small  bed,  the  plants  of 
which  it  consists  having  produced  a  heavy  crop 
in  the  early  part  of  the  season.  Drought  and 
frost  alike  do  not  affect  the  plants,  and  it  ap- 
pears worthy  of  remark  that  it  forces  well.  As 
a  proof  of  its  fruit-bearing  qualities,  it  may  be 
mentioned  that,  at  the  exhibition  of  the  West  of 
Scotland  Horticultural  Society  in  July  last,  Mr. 
Campbell,  nurseryman,  Blantyre,  exhibited  a 
number  of  plants  carrying  3  lbs.  of  fruit  each. 
In  addition  to  the  synonyms  mentioned  at  page 
441,  that  of  Garibaldi  may  be  added,  as  the  so- 
called  variety  under  that  name  has  been  proved 
beyond  doubt  to  be  identical  with  it. — A  Straw- 
berry Grower,  in  Gardener'' s  Weekly. 


Cherry— Governor  Wood.— This  Ameri- 
can variety  seems  to  do  well  in  England.  A 
correspondent  of  Cottage  Gardener  says  :  "  This 
is  a  delicious  cherry,  large  and  fleshy  ;  it  bears 
abundantly  on  walls,  and  as  a  pyramid  it  is  not 
inferior  to  any  of  the  varieties  previously  noticed. 
It  is  a  dessert  fruit." 


Vicomtesse  Hericart  de  Thury  Straw- 
berry.—At  page  441  of  the  Gardener's  Maga- 
zine this  fine  strawberry  is  recommended  as  a 
good  variety  for  mid-season.    This  recommenda- 
tion hardly  does  it  justice,  for  here  we  are  able  to 
gather  from  it  quite  as  early  as  from  the  Black 
Prince,  which  is  generally  considered  to  be  the 
earliest  strawberry  grown.      Vicomtesse   Heri- 
cart de  Thury  may,  however,  be  planted  for  fur- 
nifvhing   a    mid-sea.son   supply,  becau.sc    it   con-  ] 
tinucs  in  bearing  so  long  tiiat  we  are  able   to  I 
gather  fruit  from  it  quite  as  late  as  from  several  I 
other  popular  sorts  that  do  not  ripen  their  fruit 


A  Supposed  Hybrid  Pear.— The  ninth  vol- 
ume of  M.  Decaisne's  excellent  work,  the  ''Jar- 
din  Fruitier  du  3r»sewnj,"  contains  the  comple- 
tion of  the  account  of  the  more  important  Pears 
in  cultivation,  of  which  M.  Decaisne  describes 
and  figures  no  less  than  317  varieties.     To  make 
the  history  of  the  genus  as  complete  as  possible, 
M.  Decaisne  now  adds,  in  the  104lh  part  of  his 
magnificent  publication,  an  account  of  certain 
species  or  varieties  growing  wild,  or  apparently 
80,  in  different  countries,  and  which  have  been 
regarded  as  distinct  species  by  various  authors. 
Great  interest  attaches  to  these  trees,  inasmuch 
as  they,  or  some  of  them,  are  the  parents  of  our 
domestic  varieties.     Among   the  trees  so   men- 
tioned is  the  Pol  wilier   IVar  (Pyrus   Polvilleri- 
ana),  a  hybrid  form,  thought  by  Bauiiin  to   be 
intermediate  between  the  Apple  and  the  Pear. 
The  Polwiller  Pear,  says  M.  Decaisne,  affords  a 
remarkable    illustration  of   the    persistence  of 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MO^''THLY. 


157 


character  in  a  hybrid  tree,  perpetuated  for  three  |  amply  justifies  its  name  as  commemorative  alike 
centuries  by  grafting,  and  which  atfords  strong  of  its  discoverer  and  the  firm  by  whom  it  has 
evidence  against  the  opinions  of  those  who  main-  been  introduced  to  cultivation. 
tain  that  our  old  varieties  of  fruit  trees  degener- 
ate and  disappear.  The  only  plants  of  the  Pol- 
wilier  Tear  known  are  those  derived  originally 
from  the  hybrid  form  described  by  Bauhin.  In 
1860,  out  of  150  fruits  collected  in  the  garden  of 
the  museum,  M.  Decaisne  found  only  13  seeds 
well  formed,  and  these  seeds,  when  sown,  pro- 
duced four  very  different  forms.  In  18G4,  139 
of  these  small  Pears  furnished  62  seeds  ;  in  1867, 
50  seeds  which  were  obtained  from  the  Jardin 
des  Plantes  of  Dijon  all  proved  sterile.  Lastly, 
in  1865 — a  very  hot  and  dry  summer — it  was 
found  necessary  to  cut  open  356  fruits  in  the 
Museum  garden  in  order  to  obtain  a  single  well- 
formed  seed.  Among  the  four  forms  derived 
from  the  seed  of  the  Polwiller  Pear,  three  were 
remarkable  for  the  small  size  of  their  leaves, 
while  their  pubescence  was  like  that  of  the 
parent  tree,  on  that  of  Cratregus  Aria.  The 
seedlings  belonging  to  the  fourth  form  seemed  to 
M.  Decaisne  to  belong  entirely  to  the  category 
of  cultivated  Pears,  but  were  not  referable  to  P. 
communis,  the  leaves  of  which  are  roundish. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  bark  of  old  trees  of  P. 
Polvilleriana  remains  smooth  and  grayish,  like 
that  of  Crataegus  Aria,  instead  of  cracking  and 
becoming  blackish  like  those  of  the  Pear. 


CnoTON  UNDULATUM. — This  variety  be- 
longs to  Messrs.  Veitch  &  Son's  valuable  series 
of  these  plants.  It  is  of  free  growth,  the  edges 
of  the  leaves  elegantly  waved  and  undulated,  the 


The  Manufacture  of  Tar  Pavement.— 
Tar  pavement  may  be  made  of  the  ordinary  cin- 
der dirt  produced  in  gas  works,  of  shingle,  or  of 
a  mixture  of  both.  The  material  is  burnt  in  heaps 
like  ballast,  and  when  hot  is  mixed  with  hot  tar. 
In  practice  a  small  fire  of  coke  is  made  on  the 
ground,  and  covered  with  cinder  dirt  or  shingle. 
When  this  layer  is  hot  another  is  added,  and  so 
on  in  succession  until  a  large  enough  heap  has 
been  provided.  The  tar  is  now  boiled  in  an  iron 
copper,  and  taken  when  hot  and  mixed  with  the 
hot  material  from  the  heap  already  described,  in 
quantities  of  two  bushels  at  a  time,  in  about  the 
proportion  of  one  gallon  to  every  bushel  of  cin- 
der dirt,  and  slightly  less  than  a  gallon  for  the 
gravel.  .  It  is  turned  over  and  over  with  the 
shovel  until  every  part  of  the  material  has  got  a 
covering  of  tar.  Then  the  whole  is  passed 
through  a  sieve  with  |  inch  mesh,  and  part  of  it 
through  another  with  \  inch  mesh,  and  put  in 
heaps  until  required.  Indeed,  it  may  be  kept 
for  months  before  being  laid  down. 

Before  the  pavement  is  laid,  an  edging  should 
be  provided  about  two  inches  thick,  and  project- 
ting  2  inches  above  the  surface  of  the  ground  to 
be  covered,  which  should  be  tolerably  even.  It 
is  advisable  to  have  the  ground  next  the  curb 
well  trodden  on  and  rammed  before  the  pave- 
ment is  laid,  otherwise  there  will  be  an  unseem- 
ly hollow  next  the  curb.     In  laying,  the  rou^h 


young  leaves  richly  mottled  with  yellow,  which  |  stuff  is  put  down  first  and  rolled  tolerably  firm 


changes  to  pink  and  crimson,  and  ultimately, 
as  the  leaves  attain  maturity,  to  tht  brightest 
crimson  on  a  dark  green  ground.  As  the  colors 
have  a  most  brilliant  appearance  under  artificial 
light,  this  plant  is  admirably  adapted  for  table 
decoration  ;  and  as  a  subject  for  cultivation  in 
the  stove,  whether  for  exhibition  or  otherwise, 
it  is  without  question  the  finest  of  all  the  Crotons. 


Croton  Veitcdi.— This  handsome  variety 
has  leaves  of  great  size,  averaging  10  to  14  mches 
in  length  and  2  to  3  inches  in  breadth,  slightly 
undulated,  and  quite  new  in  coloring.  The 
young  leaves  are  traversed  by  bands  of  creamy 
yellow,  which  change  with  age  into  rose  and 
carmine  purple,  the  whole  of  the  coloring  ac- 
quiring increased  intensity  as  the  leaves  attain 
maturity.     Th  s  is  a  remarkably  fine  plant,  and 


then  the  second  quality  is  put  on,  then  the  third, 
and  when  the  whole  has  been  raked  level,  a  little 
of  the  finest  material  is  sifted  on  through  a  sieve 
with  ^  inch  meshes,  and  a  little  fine  white  shin- 
gle or  Derbyshire  spar  is  sprinkled  on  the  top 
The  whole  now  must  be  well  rolled.  The  best 
roller  is  a  water  ballast  roller,  which  at  first  is 
u.sed  without  ballast,  and  well  wetted  to  prevent 
adhesion  of  the  material,  and,  when  the  pave, 
ment  is  slightly  consolidated,  the  full  weight 
should  be  applied. 

For  heavy  cart  traffic  the  material  should  be 
made  of  shingle  only,  heated  and  mixed  as  above 
and  well  rolled.  Both  descriptions  of  pavement 
are  laid  best  and  most  easily  in  warm  weather, 
and  should  be  rolled  when  the  sun  has  warmed 
it  well.  Those  parts  in  angles  should  be  well 
rammed  and  trimmed  with  a  light  shovel. 


158 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOKTELY. 


May, 


Though  apparently  a  simple  manufacture, 
there  is  a  little  difficulty  in  ascertaining  the  pro- 
portion of  tar  to  gravel  or  cinder  dirt.  A  little 
experience  will  only  be  necessary  in  this,  as  well 
as  in  all  other  manufactures,  to  enable  any  one 
to  carry  it  out  successfully. 

This  pavement  cannot  be  spoken  of  too  highly, 
as  it  is  cheap,  wears  well,  and  can  be  easily  re- 
paired. The  color,  which  never  can  be  made  to 
equal  York  flag,  and  the  smell  for  some  time 
after  it  is  laid,  are  the  only  objections  to  its  use  ; 
it  can  be  laid  with  a  good  profit  in  any  district  at 
Is.  4d.  per  square  yard  ;  and  besides  being  a 
boon  to  the  public,  who  must  otherwise  walk  on 
gravel,  is  a  great  advantage  to  gas  companies. — 


"Fertilization"  of  Grasses.— The  French 
botanist,  M.  Bidard,  has  paid  attention  to  the 
fertilization  of  grasses,  and  finds  a  set  of  phenom- 
ena with  a  ditferent  signification.  He  states  that 
the  pollen  of  Gramineae  does  not  exhibit  any 
trace  of  pollen  tubes,  and  that  self  fertilization 
takes  place  before  the  anthers  are  extruded 
beyond  the  scales  of  the  flower.  The  heat  of  the 
breath  or  a  ray  of  sunshine  is  sufficient  to  bring 
about  the  phenomena  of  fecundation  ;  and  the 
natural  hybridization  of  grasses  is  impossible, 
owing  to  the  exact  closing  of  the  chamber  con- 
taining the  fecundating  organ. 


the  earls,  barons,  and  bishops,  and  of  the  citi- 
zens of  the  City  of  London,"  petitioned  the 
Maj^or,  John  Hamond,  that  they  might  "stand 
in  |;eace  in  the  same  place  where  they  had  been 
wont  in  times  of  old,  in  front  of  the  church  of  St. 
Austin,  at  the  side  of  the  gate  of  St.  Paul's 
Churchyard,  there  to  sell  the  garden  produce  of 
their  said  masters,  and  make  their  profit.''  But 
the  Mayor,  finding  that  "the  scurrility,  clamor, 
and  nuisance  of  the  gardeners  and  their  servants 
there  selling  pods,  cherries,  vegetables  and  other 
wares  to  their  trade  pertaining  daily,  disturbed  " 
the  priests  in  the  church  of  St.  Austin,  as  well 
the  reputable  inhabitants,  ordered  that  hence- 
forth the  gardeners  "should  have  as  their  place 
the  space  between  the  south  gate  of  tlie  church- 
yard of  the  said  church  and  the  garden  wall  of 
the  Friars  Preachers  (Black  Friars)  atBaynard's 
Castle."— City  Press. 


Mr.  John  Gould  Veitch,  the  eldest  son  of 
the  late  James  Yeitch,  of  Chelsea,  died  at 
Coombe  "Wood,  Kingston  Ilill,  after  three  years' 
illness,  aged  31.  The  loss  which  botany  and 
horticulture  alike  sustain  by  this  gentleman's 
decease  cannot  be  otherwise  than  one  of  the 
severest,  for  as  a  traveller  and  introducer  to  this 
country  of  new  and  valuable  plants,  he  had  long 
since  become  a  formidable  rival  of  the  veteran 
Fortune.  When  we  glance  through  the  li.st  of 
plants  of  recent  introduction  for  which  we  are 
indebted  to  the  industry  and  prescience  of  Mr.  J. 
G.  Veitch,  we  feel  how  great  is  the  gap  amongst 
scientific  explorers  which  his  death  occasions, 
and  can  most  sincerely  join  our  griefs  to  those  of 
his  bereaved  family. — Oardener^s  Weekly. 


London  Gardeners  in  the  Olden  Time.— 
The  following  may  be  interesting,  as  illustrative 
of  the  manners  of  the  gardeners  in  the  olden 
time.     In  1345  (19  Edw.  III.)  "  the  gardeners  of 


Pot  Vines. — The  economical  value  of  pot 
Vines  has  often  been  called  in  question  ;  indeed 
I  have  often  heard  people  say,  "Grapes  produced 
on  pot  Vines  are  never  worth  eating."  It  is 
quite  true  they  are  often  very  inferior,  nor  is  it 
surprising  that  such  should  be  the  case.  Badly 
grown  and  badly  ripened  canes  are  often  fruited 
in  pots  ;  and  frequently  where  no  fault  can  be 
found  with  the  Vines  they  are  expected  to  bear 
far  too  many  bunches,  and  are  not  half  fed  nor 
attended  to  during  their  growth. 

Gardening  must  generally  be  considered  a  lux- 
ury except  in  the  case  of  the  commonest  vegeta- 
bles. Supposing  the  problem  to  solve  be  how  to 
get  Grapes  when  they  are  worth,  say,  from  7s. 
to  10s.  a  pound  in  the  market,  1  think  it  is  a 
great  question  whether  this  cannot  be  done  more 
cheaply  by  growing  pot  vines  than  by  forcing 
permanent  ones  ;  besides  which,  nothing  is  more 
beautiful  than  a  pot  vine  loaded  jwith  well  ri- 
pened fruit. 

Ilaviug  seen  at  Chats  worth  last  spring  the 
best  house  of  pot  vines  I  ever  saw  grown,  I  asked 
Mr.  Speed  to  tell  me  how  they  had  been  man- 
aged. They  were  standing  on  a  shelf  covered 
wilhw  liite  spar,  such  as  is  brught  out  of  tlHJ 
Derbyshire  lead  mines,  consequently  not  a  I'ooC 
had  grown  out  of  the  pots.  Every  eye  had  been 
allowed  to  break  and  produce  a  shoot,  and  each 
shoot  had  made  six  leaves  before  being  stopped. 
From  the  time  leaves  were  produced,  till  the 
fruit  began  to  color,  the  vines  had-  never  had  wa- 
ter without  guano  in  it,  the  plan  being  to  give 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MO^N'THLJ. 


139 


\Qvy  weak  doses  constantly  in  place  of  stronger 
ones  at  longer  intervals.  A  quantity  of  Peru- 
vian guano  broken  small  and  passed  through  a 
fine  sieve  stood  in  a  large  pot,  and  the  foreman 
put  as  much  as  his  closed  hand  grasped  into  a 
large  watering  pan  each  time  he  filled  it.  I  have 
never  weighed  this  quantitj-,  but  it  must  be  a 
small  amount  to  the  gallon. 

One  think  struck  me — that  was  the  very  care- 
ful way  the  watering  was  performed.  The  man 
had  in  his  left  hand  a  small  wooden  hammer 
with  which  each  pot  was  struck,  and  if  the  sound 
produced  did  not  indicate  a  want  of  water,  the 
plant  was  passed  by.  During  the  hot  weather 
the  pots  were  examined  twice-a-day,  so  that  no 
plant  could  suffer  from  want  of  water,  or  receive 
it  before  it  was  required. 

T  should  think  the  vines  carried  on  an  average 
8  lbs.  of  Grapes,  and  yet  many  of  them  had  only 
four  bunches,  and  none  more  than  five,  and 
they  were  as  well  colored  as  one  would  wish  to 
see.  As  the  vines  were  trained  to  meet  in  the 
centre  of  a  narrow  double-roofed  house,  and  the 
leaves  of  the  vines  just  met  all  the  way  up,  the 
whole  roof  was  covered  by  foliage,  and  the  crop 
looked  a  very  heavy  one.  It  was  one  of  the 
prettiest  sights  I  ever  saw.  Where  less  skill 
and  attention  can  be  bestowed  on  pot  vines,  it  is 
a  question  if  they  had  not  better  be  placed  on  a 
rich  bed  of  soil  and  be  allowed  to  root  through  ; 


but  as  I  never  before  saw  so  good  a  lot  of  pot 
vines  as  these  were,  I  thought  some  of  3'our  rea- 
ders might  like  to  know  how  they  were  cultiva- 
ted.— J.  E.  Pearson,  Chihcell^  London  Journal 
of  Horticulture. 


Caladium  Culture  in  England.— In  re- 
ply to  a  correspondent,  the  London  Journal  of 
Horticidture  says:  The  party  you  mention  says 
his  mode  of  growing  them  differs  but  little  from 
that  described  in  more  than  one  place  in  our 
pages,  excepting  that  he  uses  poorer  soil.  His 
mode  of  culture  is  as  follows :— After  the  plants 
are  no  longer  ornamental  they  are  set  aside  in 
some  dry  place,  often  a  vinery,  and  but  very 
little  water  given  ;  still  they  are  not  kept  quite 
dry,  and  when  the  foliage  is  quite  gone  the  pots 
are  stored  in  some  place  warmer  than  an  ordi- 
nary greenhouse.  In  spring  the  Caladiums  are 
brought  out  and  repotted,  and  placed  in  heat, 
using  for  the  first  potting  a  mixture  of  rough 
peat  and  maiden  loam,  with  charcoal  for  drain- 
age, and  adding  sand  to  the  mixture  if  the  peat 
does  not  contain  enough  of  it.  After  growing  a 
little  while  repot,  using  a  much  poorer  soil  this 
time  ;  very  often  the  sweepings  of  the  potting 
shed,  as  a  too  rich  material  to  grow  in,  however 
conducive  to  robust  health,  diminishes  the  high 
coloring  which  constitutes  the  beauty  of  this 
plant.  He  considers  it  unnecessary  to  maintain 
the  high  temperature  so  often  recommended,  as 
plants  so  reared  are  unable  afterwards  to  endure 
a  position  in  the  conservatory. 


HORTICULTUEAL    iXOTICES. 


PEXNSYLVAXIA  IIORTICULTURxVL 
SOCIETY. 

This  has  been  a  grand  month  for  the  Society. 
In  the  first  place,  Col.  Wilder" s  Lecture  on  the 
13th  was  the  leading  attraction.  The  lecture 
business  has  been  very  much  overdone  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  with  the  multiplicity  of  evening  at- 
tractions, it  is  hard  to  get  a  big  audience.  But 
the  prospects  of  a  full  house  for  Col.  Wilder  were 
80  good,  that  the  committee  decided  not  to  have 
it  in  the  Foyer  the  usual  lecture  room,  in  which 
was  held  the  great  meeting  of  the  Pomological 
Society  ;  but  to  have  it  in  the  large  exhibition 
hall,  capable  of  seating,  with  the  galleries,  be- 
tween two  and  three  thousand  persons. 

It  was  very  gratifying  to  the  Society,  that  not- 


withstanding the  drawbacks  to  the  success  of 
the  Lecture,  the  spacious  galleries  and  the  hall,  up 
to  the  range  of  the  speaker's  voice,  was  well  filled. 
Col.  Wilder  never  appeared  to  better  advantage, 
and  while  giving  the  account  of  his  California 
trip, with  the  comments  which  his  ripe  experience 
suggested,  was  frequently  and  enthusiastically 
applauded.  It  was  conceded  to  be  one  of  Mr. 
AVilder's  best  efforts.  The  proceeds  of  the  lec- 
ture will  be  offered  as  a  premium  at  the  Septem- 
ber exhibition  of  the  Society. 

The  exhibition  on  the  17th  was  undoubtedly 
the  grandestspringcxhibition  ever  held  ;  whether 
we  consider  the  immense  throng  of  spectators,  or 
the  quality  of  articles  exhibited.  It  was  estima- 
ted that  at  one  time  over  five  thousand  persona 


160 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   M0:N'TELY. 


May , 


were  present,  and  considering  the  number  of 
those  Avho  went  out  to  make  way  for  others,  it 
is  computed  that  not  less  than  six  thousand  j^ct- 
sons  witnessed  this  exhibition. 

It  is  impossible  in  a  brief  magazine  article  to 
do  justice  to  the  contributors  ;  we  will  only  at- 
tempt to  note  a  few  of  the  most  striking  features. 
In  the  collection  exhibited  by  Mr.  Huster,  gar- 
dener to  J.  B.  Heyl,  was  a  rare  orchid  Dcndro- 
hium  densiflorum,  which  though  it  had  but  one 
spike,  was  eight  inches  in  length     The  old  Iler- 
mannia  odorata  was  also  here,  showing  by  its 
sweet  scented  yellow  blossoms,  how  well  old  fa- 
vorites will  sometimes  please.     N.    H.    Harris, 
florist,  on  the  Darby  Road,  had  a  very  fine  col- 
lection of  double  and  single  Zonale  Geraniums. 
One  of  them,  the  General  Lee,  was  perhaps  the 
finest  geranium  ever  exhibited  here.     The  truss 
was  about  four  inches  across,  and  the  numerous 
cherry  scarlet  single  flowers   were  as  regular  as 
if  the  truss  had  been  sheared  over.     Amongst 
Mrs.  Bissett's  Roses,  one,  Charles  I.,  was  an  ex- 
cellent flower.      Mr    Newett,    gardener  to  H. 
Pratt  Mc  Kean,  had  some  remarkably  fine  plants. 
One  of  them  a  Dendrohiwnx  dcnsifloriim,  though 
the  single  trusses  were  not  so  large  as  in  the  case 
of  the   one  above   referred    to,   had   eighteen  of 
them  ;  this  is  an  orange  yellow,  and  a  very  de- 
sirable April   flowering  kind.     He  had  also  an 
Oncidium  Cavendlshii,  and  a  CatJeya  amethystina, 
a  Very  rare  kind  of  orchidese,  with  nine  blooms 
on  it.     In  Mr.  Mackenzie's  collection,  we  noted, 
we  believe  for  the  first  time  on  exhibition,   Scu- 
tellaria  Moquiniana^  with  scarlet  tubular  (lowers 
about  two  inches  long,  and  one  fourth  of  an  inch 
thick;  its  growth  is  upright,  and  not  calculated 
to  form  showy  specimens      Amongst  Dreer's 
Hoses,  Merveille  d'Anjou  attracted  much  atten- 
tion, though  to  us  it  seemed  too  much  like  the 
old  La  Keinc  ;  his  Villc  de  Lyon  was  very  good, 
as  was  the  pretty  yellow  Mercchal  Xeil,  now  so 
well  known.     Buist's  Azaleas  were  grand, — not 
only  the  old  kinds  of  which  magnificent  speci- 
mens were  exhibited,  but  the  small  plants  of  the 
newer  kinds  made  a  good  show.     A  rosy  varie- 
t}',  Juliana,  pleased  every  one  by  its  waxy  petals 
and   regular   form  ;    and   Admiranda,   a   white 
striped  one,  was  also  worthy  of  much   praise^ 
Count  Borsig,  a  semi-double  wliite,  is,  we  think, 
the  best  of  its  class  yet  raided.     Baroness  lies 
ter,  a   purjjle  rose,  and  Scharenkherst,  vermil- 
ion ro.'^e,  promise  to  l)e  good  ac(iuisitions.  Souv- 
enir de  I'rince  Albert,  a  while  and  i)ink  blotched, 
gave  a  pretty  cflect.     He  had  also  a   splendid 


specimen  of  the  beautiful  fern  Lomaria  gibba, 
with  fronds  about  18  inches  in  length.  Dreer 
had  his  usually  fine  pansies,  besides  a  bank  of 
Echcverio.s^  in  which  E  secxmda  and  E.  metalli- 
ca  were  conspicuous.  Amongst  Robert  Scott's 
roses,  the  hybrid  perpetual,  M.  Thiers,  was  very 
conspicuous  for  its  beauty. 

Thos.  Smith,  gardener  to  Matthew  Baird, 
Esq.,  had  a  beautiful  collection  of  Draccenas  and 
other  plants  ;  but  perhaps  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive plants  in  his  collection  was  Dendrohium 
macrophyllnm  with  nine  beautiful  flowers  on  it. 
The  numerous  rare  orchids  which  are  being  con- 
stantly exhibited  at  this  Society,  is  one  of  its 
most  valued  features  to  lovers  of  flowers. 

Amongst  some  rare  variegated  plants  one  of 
the  prettiest  was  a  Polemoniuvi  cceindeum  vario- 
gatum  by  Mr.  Buist  In  this  collection  also  was 
a  Caladium  "Beethoven,"  which  had  the  leaves 
chiefly  white,  but  veined  with  pink  and  green. 
He  also  had  a  cut  specimen  of  Camellia  "Coch- 
lea ta."  This  flower  was  four  inches  across,  and 
the  pink  and  white  petals  were  arranged  like 
spoons,  whence  its  name.  Mr.  Buist's  double 
Petunias  were  remarkably  fine  ;  one  "Dandy," 
a  crimson  white,  and  another  "Beauty  of  Rose- 
dale,"  almost  all  white,  only  a  small  spot  of  pur- 
ple in  the  centre  ;  these  appeared  two  of  the 
best.  From  Meehan's  nurser3'came  AJiiga  rej)- 
tans^  with  spikes  of  blue  flowers,  and  adapted  to 
shady  places,  being  a  companion  plant  to  Ly- 
simachia.  Mr.  Hugh  Graham  besides  a  beautiful 
collection  of  house  plants,  had  a  splendid  show 
of  designs  and  baskets  of  cut  flowers. 

There  appeared  to  be  many  exhibitors  in  this 
department,  but  the  incessant  throng  of  ladies 
around  them,  prevented  anything  in  broadcloth 
from  getting  within  twenty  feet  of  them.  "We 
tried  at  various  tiuies  within  a  couple  of  hours 
to  break  through  this  charmed  and  charming 
circle,  but  all  in  vain.  "Whose  they  were  and 
what  they  were,  will  be  long  held  in  remem- 
brance by  the  many  hundreds  of  Philadelphia  la- 
dies who  saw  them,  but  "not  for  me"  was  the 
sigh  of  our  discomfited  reporter.  The  numer- 
ous contributors  deserve  great  credit  for  their 
spirit  and  enterprise  in  sustaining  the  Society, 
and  the  Society  in  turnshouldeudeavortodolhem 
honor.  It  is  well  enough  to  award  them  high 
premiums,  but  if  the  list  of  those  to  whom  the 
awards  were  made,  was  published  in  full  in  the 
horticultural  journals,  we  think  it  would  be  but 
full  justice  to  the  exhibitors,  and  redound  to  the 
interest  of  the  Society. 


DENDP.OBIUIyl  KO3ILE. 


DEVOTED  TO 

Rorticiiltivre,    Arboriculture,    Botany    and    Rural    Affairs, 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEHAX. 
Old  Series,  Vol.  XIII.  J  JJJ^E,     1871,  ^^^  Series,  Vol.  IV.    No.  6. 


HI]\TS    FOR    JUNE. 


FLOWER  GAEDEX  AND  PLEASURE.   I 
GROUND. 

The  time  will  soon  come  wlieu  the  greatest  1 
source  of  enjoyment  in  gardening— the  lawn—  | 
will  be,  so  to  speak,  in  season.  It  used  to  be  the  | 
most  expensive  part  of  a  place  ;  but  thanks  to 
the  introduction  of  lawn  mowers,  it  is  now  a 
comparatively  easy  ta.sk  to  keep  the  lawn  in  or- 
der It  is  now  well  to  remind  our  readers  that 
the  Gardener^s  Monthly  has  been  the  means  of 
developing  the  fact,  that  we  have  been  cutting 
too  close  with  these  machines.  This  is  the  great 
cause  of  machine  mowing  ruining  lawns.  The 
implement  should  be  set  so  as  to  leave  the  grass 
a  half  inch  at  lea;3t  above  the  roots,  and  where 
the  grass  is  weak,  an  inch  will  be  better.  To 
those  who  have  not  yet  a  lawn  mower,  but  have 
still  resort  to  the  scythe,  we  would  say  mow 
lawns  often,  if  you  would  have  them  green  and 
velvety.  Keep  the  scythe  sharp  ;  usually  mow- 
ers do  not  use  the  grindstone  often  enough. 
Common  farm  scythes  are  not  fit  for  lawn  use  ; 
rivetted  and  short  scythes  are  the  kind  to  get. 
If  a  lawn  is  mowed  often,  the  grass  need  not  be 
clean,— the  sappy  blades  soon  wither,  and  make 
a  manure  for  the  roots.  The  longest  should  be 
raked  off,  or  the  lawn  will  have  a  littery  ap- 
pearance. 

Evergreen  hedges  will  require  attention  as 
they  grow.  Where  the  height  desired  has  been 
attained,  the  top  and  strong  growth  should  be 
cut  back  while  they  are  still  watery.  The  side 
shoots  need  not  be  touched  till  past  midsummer. 
All  wise  people  now  employ  the  conical  shape 
for  hedges.  In  cutting  back  the  top  growth  at 
this  season,  the  conical  form  can  still  be  pre- 
served.    When   we  commenced  to  advise  this, 


the  square  top  form  was  very  common,  and  as  a 

result  the  sides  soon  became  thin  towards  the 
ground.  AVe  have  kept  reitei-ating  this  advice 
every  year,  till  now  we  have  the  satisfaction  of 
rarely  seeing  one  of  the  old  miserable  things. 

The  Rose  season  reminds  us  to  say  that  we  are  al- 
most sorry  they  are  so  generallygrown  on  their  own 
roots, for  it  was  such  aniceemployment  for  many 
people, not  professional  gardeners,  to  bud  them  on 
the  Manettistock.  But  the  suckers  from  these  wild 
stocks  came  up,  and  in  time  so  weakened  the 
grafted  part,  that  it  soon  died.  Florists  would  say 
that  amateurs  should  keep  the  suckers  cutaway  ; 
but  it  is  not  easy  for  amateurs  to  distinguish 
one  from  t..e  other.  Yet  we  hope  the  pleasant 
practice  of  budding  roses  will  not  fall  into  disuse. 
Any  hardy  kind  can  be  used  for  a  stock,  and  one 
may  have  a  dozen  or  more  kinds  on  one  plant  in 
this  way.  In  budding  roses,  or  indeed  in  bud- 
ding any  kind  of  plant,  strong  healthy  stocks 
should  be  selected,  and  above  all,  strong  healthy 
buds.  It  is  chiefly  when  weak  stocks  or  weak 
buds  are  used,  that  failure  follows. 

The  rose  bug  is  a  great  pest  in  some  districts, 
but  these  are  easy  kept  down  by  being  shaken  off 
into  a  bucket  of  soap-suds  ;  and  the  larvse  of  the 
rose  fly,  which  in  the  form  of  small  green  cater- 
pillars, which  skeletonize  the  leaves,  are  so  easily 
kept  down  by  pinching  them,  that  we  know  at 
once  there  is  no  reader  of  the  Gardener's  Month- 
ly, wherever  we  see  roses  denuded  of  foliage  by 
these  little  "worms."  If  the  job  is  too  severe 
for  delicate  nerves,  there  are  plenty  of  boys  will 
clear  one's  whole  rose  patch  of  them  in  an  hour 
for  25  cents. 

Propagation  by  layering  may  be  performed  any 
time  when  strong  vigorous  growing  shoots  can 


162 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S   MO^TTBLY 


June, 


be  had.  Any  plant  can  be  propagated  by  layers. 
Many  can  be  readily  propagated  no  other  way. 
Cut  a  notch  on  the  upper  side  of  the  shoot,  not 
below,  as  all  the  books  recommend,  and  bend 
down  into,  and  cover  with  rich  soil.  In  a  few 
weeks  they  root,  and  can  be  removed  from  their 
parents.  Stakes  for  plants  should  be  charred  at 
the  ends  before  using,  when  they  will  last  for 
years. 

Flower-beds  should  be  hoed  and  raked,  as  soon 
as  the  ground  dries  after  a  rain.  Loose  surface 
soil  prevents  the  under  stratum  drying  out.  Peg 
down  bedding  plants  where  practicable.  Split 
twigs  make  the  best  pegs.  In  dry  weather  do 
not  water  flower-beds  often  ;  but  do  it  thoroughly 
when  it  is  done.  See  that  the  water  does  not 
run  ofl',  but  into  and  through  the  soil. 

Xo  trees.  Evergreens  especially,  should  be  suf- 
fered to  have  grass  grow  about  them  for  a  year 
or  so  after  planting.  It  becomes  "rank"  in  the 
deeply  loosened  soil,  abstracts  moisture,  and 
otherwise  seriously  interferes  with  the  tree. 
When  the  tree  gets  a  fair  start,  grass  does  less 
injury,  and  when  it  becomes  a  tough  sod,  and 
the  tree  by  its  shade,  or  say  by  frequent  mowing 
keeps  the  grass  short,  the  grass  roots  do  not  pene- 
trate deep,  and  the  sod  is  of  benefit,  by  keeping 
the  surface  spongy,  and  the  substratum  cool. 

Many  herbaceous  plants,  such  as  Phloxes, 
Hollyhocks  and  similar  things,  that  are  scarce 
and  valued,  may  be  propagated  now  very  easily, 
by  taking  portions  of  their  flower-stems  before 
the  flowers  open,  and  inserting  them  as  cuttings 
in  a  half  shaded,  cool,  and  not  dry  situation. 
Layering  of  many  things,  shrubs,  half  shrubby 
perennials,  etc.,  should  be  done  before  the  young 
wood  becomes  too  hard,  if  good  plants  are  re- 
quired the  first  year.  Most  plants  root  more 
quickly  by  having  a  notch  cut  in  the  layered 
shoot.  Good,  rich  soil,  put  just  about  the  layers 
ie  very  important.  Good  soil  favors  an  abun- 
dance of  roots.  One  of  the  greatest  mistakes  in 
gardening  is  the  prevalent  notion  that  plants  in 
a  poor  soil  have  a  greater  proportion  of  roots 
than  in  a  rich  one. 


FRUIT  GARDEN. 
The  test  of  a  good  gardener  is  to  be  found  in 
how  he  thins  his  fruit.  Your  shoddy  fellow 
takes  all  nature  will  give  him  ;  he  buys  the  largest 
trees  he  can  find,  because  they  will  bear  'right 
away,"  and  he  expects  not  merely  a  specimen  or 
80  of  a  kind,  but  pecks  if  not  bushels  from  newly 


planted  trees.  But  as  he  becomes  amongst  the 
refined  and  educated  in  the  pursuit,  he  gradually 
learns  that  nature  loves  best  the  patient  waiter. 
He  learns  that  good  luscious  fruit— fruit  truly 
enjoyable— only  comes  from  healthy  vigor,  and 
that  this  never  folio ws  a  tree  which  bears  too  m  uch . 
Even  good  gardeners  often  say  that  if  a  tree  is 
healthy,  it  may  be  permitted  to  bear  all  it  will ; 
but  that  kind  of  tree  is  very  rarely  seen.  Cer- 
tainly half  the  trees  which  bear  fruit  every  year, 
would  be  benefited  by  having  half  the  fruit  taken 
off",  as  soon  as  it  is  well  set ;  that  is  after  they 
commence  to  swell  a  little.  The  grape  vine  es- 
pecially suffers  from  overbearing  ;  two  or  three 
bunches  usually  come  out  from  each  fruit  bear- 
ing branch.  We  should  always  cut  away  one, 
the  one  farthest  removed  from  the  main  stem  ; 
and  in  many  cases  leave  only  one— the  nearest 
one— to  mature.  When  this  is  decided  on,  cut 
away  these  superfluous  bunches  at  once. 

Fine  rich  color  is  always  esteemed  as  one  of 
the  criterions  whereby  to  judge  of  the  excellence 
of  a  fruit.  Sun-light  is  of  first  importance  ;  but 
it  is  not  generally  known  that  this  is  injurious 
when  in  excess.  In  a  dry  atmosphere,  with 
great  sun  heat,  where  the  evaporating  process 
goes  on  faster  than  the  secretive  principle,  v/hat 
should  become  a  rich  ros}'  blush  in  a  fruit,  is 
changed  to  a  sickly  yellow ;  and  the  rich  jet 
black  of  a  grape  becomes  a  foxy  red.  Some 
Grape  growers  of  eminence,  in  view  of  the  facts, 
shade  their  vineries  during  the  coloring  process  ; 
but  others,  instead,  keep  the  atmosphere  as 
close  and  moist  as  possible. 

We  again  report  the  advice  to  trap  insects 
with  wide  mouthed  bottles  filled  with  sweet 
liquid. 


VEGETABLE  GARDEN. 

Peas  for  a  Fall  crop  may  be  sown.  It  is,  how- 
ever, useless  to  try  them  unless  in  a  deeply  trench- 
ed soil,  and  one  that  is  compai'atively  cool  in  the 
hottest  weather  overhead,  or  they  will  certainly 
mildew  and  prove  worthless.  In  England  where 
the  atmosphere  is  so  much  more  humid  than 
ours,  they  nevertheless  have  great  difficulty  in 
getting  fall  Peas  to  go  through  free  from  mildew  ; 
and  to  obviate  these  drying  and  mildew-produc- 
ing influences,  they  often  plant  them  in  deep 
trenches,  made  as  for  Celery,  and  are  then  much 
more  successful  with  them. 

Cabbage  and  Brocoli  may  still  be  set  out  for 
Fall  crops,  also  requiring  an  abundance  of  ma- 


187L 


THE    GARDEJ^EH'S  MOJ^THLJ. 


16S 


nure  to  insure  much  success.  Lettuce,  where 
salads  are  much  iu  request,  may  yet  be  sown, 
The  Curled  Indian  is  a  favorite  summer  kind  ; 
but  the  varieties  of  Cos,  or  Plain-leaved  kinds, 
are  good.  They  take  more  trouble,  having  to  be 
tied  up  to  blanch  well.  Many  should  not  be 
sown  at  a  time,  as  they  soon  run  to  seed  in  hot 
weather. 

At  the  end  of  June,  some  Celery  may  be  set 
out  for  early  crops,  though  for  the  main  crop  a 
month  later  will  be  quite  time  enough.  It  was 
once  customary  to  plant  iu  trenches  djg  six  or 
more  inches  below  the  surface  ;  but  the  poverty 
of  the  soil  usually  at  this  depth  more  than  de- 
creases the  balance  of  good  points  in  its  favor. 
Some  of  our  best  growers  now  plant  entirely  on 
the  surface,  and  depend  on  drawing  up  the  soil, 
or  the  employment  of  boards  or  other  artificial 
methods  of  blanching. 

Beans  produce  an  enormous  crop  in  deeply 
trenched  soils,  and  are  improved  as  much  as  any 
crop  by  surface  manuring.  We  hope  this  method 
of  fertilizing  the  soil  will  be  extensively  adopted 
for  garden  crops  this  season.  Those  who  have 
not  yet  tried  it  will  be  surprised  at  the  economy 
and  beneficial  results  of  the  practice. 

Cucumbers  for  pickling  may  be  sown  this 
month,  and  Endive  for  fall  Salad  set  out.  Pars- 
ley for  winter  use  may  be  sown  now,  in  boxes  of 
rich  soil,  and  set  in  a  cool,  shady  place  till  it 
germinates. 

Asparagus  beds  should  not  be  cut  ofi"  after  the 
stalks  seem  to  come  up  weak,  or  there  will  be  but 
a  poor  crop  the  next  season,  and  the  beds  will 
"run  out"  in  a  few  years. 


Tomatoes,  after  trying  all  kinds  of  trellisses 
recommended,  will  be  found  to  do  best  on  slakes 
tied  up  singly.  It  is  best  to  plant  a  strong  pole 
as  for  Lima  Beans,  with  the  plants  when  first 
set  out,  and  tie  up  as  they  grow.  Marketmen 
generally  let  them  grow  as  they  will,  on  the 
ground,  which,  perhaps,  although  not  yielding 
as  much,  costs  less  labor,  and  may  thus  be  most 
profitable. 

The  Swede  Turnip  or  Ruta  Baga  should  be 
sown  about  the  end  of  the  month.  A  well  en- 
riched piece  of  ground  is  essential,  as  by  growing 
fast  they  get  ahead  of  the  ravages  of  the  fly.  Ma- 
nures abounding  in  the  phosphates — bone-dust, 
for  instance, — are  superior  for  the  Turnip. 

Sweet  Potatoes  must  be  watched,  that  the 
vines  do  not  root  in  the  ground  as  they  run, 
whick  will  weaken  the  main  crop  of  roots.  They 
should  be  gone  over  about  once  a  month,  and 
with  a  rake  or  pole,  the  vines  disturbed  some- 
what from  their  position. 

Parsley  for  winter  use  may  be  sown  now  in 
boxes  of  rich  soil,  and  set  in  a  cool,  shady  place 
till  it  germinates. 

Herbs  for  drying  for  future  use,  should  be  cut 
just  about  the  time  they  are  coming  into  flower. 
Dry  them  in  the  shade,  and  after  sufficiently  dry 
to  put  away,  tie  them  in  bunches,  and  hang  in  a 
cool  shed,  or  place  them  loosely  between  the  pa- 
per, and  stow  away  in  cupboards  or  drawers, — 
the  last  mode  is  by  far  the  cleanest  and  mo.st  ap- 
proved plan  with  the  best  housekeepers.  Some, 
indeed,  powder  the  leaves  at  once  after  drying, 
and  put  them  away  in  bags,  ready  for  use. 


COMMUNICATIONS. 


HOW  TO  MAKE  PRODUCTION  POPULAR. 

BY  E.  T.  POWELL,  ADRIAN,  MICU. 

It  is  an  undoubted  fact  that  farm  life  is  unat- 
tractive, and  is  like  a  treadmill.  One  must  rise 
at  light  and  toil  into  the  night,  and  cannot  have 
a  dazzling  prize  to  lure  him  on— and  he  must 
feel  that  a  roaring  world  is  busy  all  about  him, 
and  he  is  hid  from  the  sight  of  it.  He  feels  sepa- 
rated from  the  beating  pulse  of  the  world  ;  and 
in  our  age  when  a  railroad  runs  within  easy 


range  of  every  man,  it  goes  hard  to  feel  that  the 
world  is  alive  with  new  ideas  and  new  schemes, 
and  inventions,  and  discoveries,  iu  which  we 
can  have  no  part. 

This  difliculty  must  be  reached  and  obviated 
by  bringing  the  world  home  to  the  farm— I  mean 
that  production  will  become  popular  just  when 
you  make  it  as  enlivening,  thoughtful  and  poet- 
ical as  the  work  of  the  professions  and  city  arts. 
Heretofore  it  has  been  supposed  that  a  meagre 


UJf 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOKTHLY, 


June, 


knowledge  of  reading,  writing  and  the  rudiments 
of  geography  were  sufficient  for  a  farmer.  When 
you  lay  it  down  that  our  farms  must  have  their 
high  schools  and  the  farmer  his  college  training, 
you  will  make  agricultHre  the  most  bewitching 
employment  under  the  sun  ;  you  will  make  it 
what  it  was  to  Virgil  and  Horace,  and  what  it 
is  now  to  Greeley  and  Beecher,  and  what  Auer- 
bach  in  his  Villa  on  the  Rhine  makes  it  to  Son- 
nenkamp.  Now  the  farmer  walks  ignorantly 
over  thousands  of  beauties,  of  discoveries,  of 
laws,  of  thoughts,  of  sources  of  wealth,  and  he 
does  not  see  them.  With  a  thorough  education 
he  will  recognize  them  ;  for  instance,  many  a 
man  has  tilled  over  a  silver  mine  and  not  known 
it ;  he  has  walked  over  untold  wealth  and  discov- 
eries which  he  had  no  power  to  recognize.  Give 
him  now  a  knowledge  of  chemistry,  and  he  will 
understand  the  composition  and  nature  of  the 
soils  that  he  works,  and  his  brain  will  be  alive 
with  study  and  thought  while  his  hands  hold 
the  plough.  He  will  know  the  value  and  use  of 
a  mineral  spring — what  to  do  with  a  deposit  of 
peat  or  marl.  Indeed  you  have  ^et  him  on  a 
search,  taught  him  to  expect  something  and  you 
may  be  sure  he  will  find  something.  Teach 
him  botany,  open  before  him  the  organic  world 
of  plants,  trees,  and  flowers.  Every  flower  that 
is  to  another  but  as  a  grass  spire  is  to  him  a  cup 
brimful  of  wisdom.  Emerson  sings  as  he  looks 
on  the  farmer's  work, 

"One  harrest  from  thy  field 
Homewnril  brouglit  the  exen  strong, 

Another  crop  tliine  acres  yield 
Which  I  gather  in  a  song." 

There  is  no  reason  why  the  farmer  should  not 
be  educated  to  see  the  beauty  and  the  wisdom 
that  receives  his  booted  heel.  Give  him  a  thor- 
ough scholarship  in  horticulture,  so  that  he  can 
keep  even  paced  with  all  improvements  in  varie- 
ties of  fruits  and  vegetables,  and  try  experi- 
ments himself  in  the  origination  of  new  varie- 
ties. It  will  bring  his  soul  into  quick  thinking 
connection  with  such  experimenters  as  Van 
Mone,  Verschaflelt,  Downing,  Warder,  Presi 
dent  Wilder  ;  it  will  lead  him  into  sympathy  and 
a  comprehension  of  such  princes  of  enquiry  as 
Agassiz,  and  Tyndall,  and  Faraday.  What 
matters  it  that  he  is  on  a  farm  ?  His  very  feet 
tread  the  volumes  of  nature,  and  these  volumes 
are  open  books  to  him.  We  cannot  go  into  his 
pasture,  or  his  garden,  or  his  orchard,  but  new 
truths  meet  him,  quicken  him,  and  incite  hira. 
I  do  not  know  a  pleasure  much  more  exhilarat- 
ing and  healthy  than  that  which  comes  from 


success  in  hybridizing,  or  by  seedlings  origina- 
ting an  improved  fiuit  or  flower.  Last  year  I 
brought  to  Ijloom  several  seedlings  of  Gladiolus, 
one  of  them  proved  to  be  a  variety  hardly  ever 
equaled .  Do  you  kno  ^  what  pleasure,  what  a  fresh 
draught  of  life  that  gave  to  me  ?  I  absorbed  its 
life  and  beauty  into  my  life,  and  felt  for  even 
that  one  flower  my  life  had  not  been  in  vain. 
There  are  farmers  who  are  every  year,  by  these 
experiments  and  scholarly  zeal,  proving  them- 
selves royal  benefactors  of  their  race.  Take  Dr. 
Kirtland  of  Cleveland,  who  started  our  Gov. 
Wood  and  several  others  of  the  best  cherries. — 
take  Seth  Boyden  of  Jersey  City,  who  originated 
the  Agriculturist  and  more  of  the  finest  straw- 
berries,—instance  Rogers,  and  Allen,  and  Barry, 
and  Longworth,  who,  by  patient  care,  have 
added  much  wealth  to  our  list  of  grapes  and 
pears.  I  think  I  should  like  to  have  my  name 
go  around  the  world  embodied  in  a  strawberry, 
or  labeled  on  a  peach.  No  one  who  sucked  the 
sweet  juices  but  will  breathe  a  blessing  on  me, 
and  my  immortality  will  be  secured  by  the  ever 
recurring  spring  giving  a  new  bloom  to  my 
cheek,  'ihat  will  be  better  than  publishing 
a  volume  of  priceless  sermons,  or  being  immor- 
talized in  Latin  or  by  two  d's  in  capitals.  Why, 
do  you  think  farm  life  could  have  been  dull,  or 
production  drudgery  to  Goodrich  of  Utica,  who, 
after  years  of  patient  culture,  gave  us  as  the  re- 
sult, the  Harrison,  the  Goodrich,  the  Garnet, 
the  Cuzco,  and  the  Gleason  Potatoes  ?  Such 
men  are  putting  spires  to  progress, — they  are  do- 
ing more  than  all  gold  miners  to  increase  the  ma- 
terial prosperity  of  the  land,  and  they  are  doing 
only  what  any  young  man  may  do.  The  field  is 
absolutely  infinite.  We  need  new  apples  and 
pears  still, — new  strawberries  and  churrios.  I 
prophesy  that  in  ten  years  we  shall  have  quinces 
more  soft  and  delicious  and  fragrant  for  eating 
than  peaches, — berries  that  utterly  supplant 
what  we  now  use, — and  such  an  advance  in  fruits 
and  flowers  as  will  make  past  progress  seem  to 
have  been  slow. 

For  one,  I  hail  the  Agricultural  Colleges 
with  intense  joy.  I  deprecate  every  at- 
tack upon  them.  Correct  their  errors,  but  give 
them  every  encouragement.  Let  us  have  rural 
schools  of  the  highest  order  of  merit.  It  is  not 
enough  to  educate  our  lawyers  and  ministers  ; 
educate  also  in  the  fullest  sense  your  tillers.  In 
England  it  is  becoming  quite  common  to  educate 
the  second  son  for  the  ministry,  and  the  third 
for   a   professional   agriculturist.      That  is  it  I 


18'7L 


THE    GARDE JVJEB'S   MOJ^THLl. 


165 


Giv'e  us  professional  farmers  ;  make  fanning  as 
much  and  as  truly  a  profession  as  law,  and 
preaching,  and  healing. 

Last  Fall,  at  our  State  Fair,  one  of  the  most 
interestingsightsihat  Isaw,orhaveeverseeii,was 
a  collection  of  somewhere  near  a  hundred. varie- 
ties of  potatoes,  and  some  two  or  three  score  va- 
rieties of  tomatoes  from  our  State  Agricultural 
College,  each  labeled,  and  all  presided  over  by  a 
young  student  who  was  as  well  skilled  in  such 
roots  as  ever  a  classical  student  was  in  the  roots 
of  Latin  and  Greek.  Now  I  do  not  care  to  eat 
tomatoes,  but  I  can  wax  very  enthusiastic  in 
raising  them.  Fejee,  Early  York,TiIden,  Sim's 
Cluster,  Cook's  Favorite,  Lester's  Perfected.  I 
like  to  know  the  origin,  history,  color,  and  so- 
lidity of  each  ;  just  the  shade  of  color,  their  pro- 
lific rank,  and  season  of  ripening.  And  really  I 
esteem  acquaintance  with  every  new  potato  from 
the  old  Western  Red  at  SI  50  per  barrel,  to  Ear- 
ly Rose  at  $90,  as  much  as  my  acquaintance 
with  Cicero,  Virgil,  Sallust  and  Homer. 

Nor  is  there  any  reason  why  the  farmer 
should  not  be  taught  astronomy.  Thank  God 
one  does  not  leave  the  stars  behind  when  he 
leaves  the  city  gas  lights.  There  is  no  reason 
why  every  farmer  of  moderate  means  should  not 
have  his  small  telescope  mounted  in  an  observa- 
tory on  his  roof,  and  with  it  take  many  a  tour 
far  wider  and  more  useful  than  the  tours  of  the 
wealthiest  tradesmen.  "Whereas  the  one  goes  to 
buy  dry  goods,  the  other  goes  to  buy  truth  ;  the 
one  goes  to  the  metropolitan  towns  of  his  native 
earth,  the  other  visits  the  metropolitan  worlds 
of  space- 
Let  the  idea  be  thoroughly  adopted,  that  no 
one  needs  a  more  thorough  education  than  the 
farmer,  that  he  must  have  a  thorough  discipline 
of  mind.  Send  him  out  into  the  fields  to  meet 
sciences,  inventions,  discoveries,  art,  poetry  and 
law,  and  you  have  utterly  transformed  him.  You 
have  turned  the  drudge  into  the  king,  you  have 
made  hlra  Lord  of  the  soil.  Now  you  rarely  find 
a  farmer  who  has  skill  or  information  that  goes 
farther  than  a  well  covered  mow,  and  a  well  cur- 
ried stall.  His  farm  is  only  so  many  acres  of 
pasture,  and  meadow,  and  woodland,  out  of 
which  to  get  the  heaviest  crop  and  the  best 
livins:. 


of  more  notice  than  they  receive.  They  are  the 
Golden  Yew  {Taxiu  baccnta  aurea)  and  the  Sil- 
ver Yew  {Taxus  haccata  elegantissinia).  They 
are  two  of  the  most  beautiful  evergreeus  in  cul- 
tivation, and  are  well  ada|)ted  to  our  climate. 
They  are  varieties  of  the  English  Yew.  The 
great  peculiarity  of  the  Golden  one,  is  that  the 
young  growth  is  of  a  bright  yellow  color,  which 
gives  it  the  appearance  of  being  tipped  with  gold  ; 
and  when  the  wood  ripens  it  retains  its  beauty, 
as  the  leaves  are  still  edged  with  a  golden  color. 
Unlike  most  of  the  variegated  plants,  it  is  not 
affected  bj^  the  burning  sun.  It  is  as  well 
adapted  to  small  gardens  as  larger  ones,  and  is 
hardy  in  most  parts  of  the  United  States.  It  is 
easily  propagated  by  cuttings.  It  is  of  slow  growth 
however,  and  a  much  quicker  way  to  raise  it  is 
by  grafting  on  some  of  the  stronger  growing 
sorts  on  which  it  takes  quite  freely. 

The  Silver  Yew  differs  from  the  Golden  in 
having  its  young  growth  more  of  of  a  silver  col- 
or, which  gives  it  a  very  delicate  appearance ; 
but  it  does  not  stand  scorching  by  the  sun  quite 
so  well  as  the  Golden.  The  propagation  is  the 
same.  Either  of  these  evergreens  are  well  worth 
cultivating,  and  deserve  a  place  in  every  garden. 


THE  GOLDEN  AND  SILVER  YEWS. 

BY  EMILE  W.  WINTZER,    MOURISVILLE,  PA. 

There  are  two  evergreens  which  are  worthy 


THE  NANKEEN  COTTON. 

BY  W.  G.  B. 

Fift3'  years  ago,  a  common  and  popular  mate- 
rial for  summer  clothing  for  men  and  boys  was 
an  article  imported  from  China,  and  commonly 
called  Nankeen  This  fabric  retained  its  repu- 
tation for  many  years,  but  was  finally  driven 
from  the  market,  as  many  other  excellent  fabrics 
have  been,  by  worthless  imitations  introduced 
from  Europe,  or  manufactured  in  the  United 
States.  I  am  surprised  that  no  effort  has  been 
made  in  this  country  to  prcduce  an  article  iden- 
tical with  that  originally  imported  from  China. 
If  such  an  attempt  has  been  made,  I  never  have 
heard  of  it.  Would  it  not  be  profitable  for  .some 
enterprising  southerner  to  obtain  seed  and  intro- 
duce the  culture  of  the  kind  of  cotton  necessary 
for  the  purpose  ?  I  was  induced  to  make  the 
inquiry  whether  this  has  ever  been  done,  by 
reading  lately  the  work  of  Fortune  from  which 
the  enclosed  extract  is  taken  : 

"The  yellow  cotton  from  which  the  beautiful 
Nankeen  cloth  is  manufactured,  is  called  "  1  ze 
mie  wha''  by  the  Chinese,  and  differs  but  slight- 
ly in  its  structure  and  general  appearance  from 
the  kind  just  noticed.     I  have  often  compared 


166 


THE    GARDE JfER*S   MOJ^THL^, 


June, 


hem  in  the  cotton  fields  where  they  were  grow- 
ing ;  and  although  the  yellow  A-ariety  has  a  more 
stunted  habit  than  the  other,  it  has  no  charac- 
ters which  constitute  a  distinct  species.  It  is 
mereh'  an  accidental  yariet}' ;  and  although  its 
seeds  may  generally  produce  the  same  kind,  they 
doubtless  frequently  yield  the  white  variety,  and 
viccvnsa.  Hence  specimens  of  the  yellow  cot- 
ton are  frequently  found  growing  amongst  the 
white  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Shanghai  ; 
and  again  a  few  miles  northward,  in  fields  near 
the  city  of  Pouchon  on  the  banks  of  the  Yang- 
tse-kiang.  Where  the  yellow  cotton  abounds,  I 
have  often  gathered  specimens  of  the  white  va- 
riety."— Fortwn.t''t  Wanderings  in  China. 


RECOLLECTION'S  OF  VAN  DIEMEN'S 
LAND,  OCEANICA. 

BY  MR.  W.  T.    HARDIXG,  BRIGHTON,  MASS. 

I  thought  of  the  old  song  addressed  to 

"Ye  geutlemen  of  England,  who  live  at  home  at  ease. 
How  litt'o  do  you  think  upon  the  dangers  of  the  seas." 

and  how  applicable  it  seemed  as  I  staggered 
about  the  deck  of  our  tempest  tossed  barque, 
anxiously  waiting  for  daylight  and  the  sight  of 
land.     The  night  had  been  stormy  and  wet,  and 
the  wind  seemed  to  blow  from  every  quarter  but 
one,  and  what  with  tacking  about  and  knocking 
about,  and  involuntarily  performing  some  "won- 
derful acrobatic  feats,"   "balancing  and  postur- 
ing" with  many  "marvelous  gyrations, "  I  fancied 
I  was  more  skilled  as  a  tumbler  when  at  sea,  than  a 
horticulturist,  in  which  capacity  I  lived  when  on 
shore,— although  I  well  remembered  performing 
some    "remarkable    feats  of  lofty  and   ground 
tumbling"  when  a  boy,  from  a  Jargonelle  pear 
tree  which  grew  in  my  old  school-master's  or- 
chard, and  which  I  visited  one  evening  during 
the  fruit  season  ;  a  fact  that  certainly  indicated 
an  early  enthusiasm  for  pomological  studios.    So 
forming  a  committee  of  one,   I  climbed  up  the 
tree  with  a  view  of  testing  the  merits  of  such 
luscious  looking  fruits,  when  a  voice,  I  had  often 
heard,  and  a  form  with  a  hazel  stick  I  had  seen 
and  felt  before,  warned  me  of  the  wrath  to  come, 
which   surely   did     on  the  following    morning, 
when  I  was  "beaten  with  many  stripes."    I  was 
made  to  smart  for  it  to  be  sure  ;  but  that  was 
slight  when  compared   with  the  bruising  I  re- 
ceived on  the  ill-fated  "Merope,"  which  after- 
wards foundered,  with  the  writer  on  board. 

liut  to  make  amends  for  the  trespasses  I  com- 
mitted (although  the  sin  was  only  in  pro- 
spective, for  I  did  not  get  a  taste  of  the  fruit  I 


so  much  admired)  when  in  after  years  I  returned 
to  my  native  village,  I  asked  the  old  man's  for- 
giveness, when  his  time  furrowed  features  seemed 
i*adiant  with  goodness,  and  removing  his  specta- 
cles, which  were  dimmed  with  tears,  he  grasped 
my  hn,cd  silently,  admitting  that  it  was  even  so. 
Subsequently  I  planted  a  St.  Helena  weeping 
willow  over  his  grave,  which  I  brought  from 
there 

"Where  the  spring  water  flow.s 
And  the  willow  tree  grow.s 
By  the  frr>ive  of  the  Great  Napoleon." 

But  I  fear  this  is  rather  a  rambling  story, 
which  memory  seems  to  recall  again,  and  lead 
me  back  to  "the  long  ago." 

The  first  gray  streaks  of  morning  light  showed 
land  in  view,  which  the  gallant  Tassman  named 
in  honor  of  his  lady  love.  Maria  Yan  Diemen, 
Van  Diemen's  Land.  Literally  it  was  a  land  of 
demons  at  one  time,  having  been  for  many  years 
a  penal  colony,  which  held  in  durance  vile  those 
"who  left  their  country  for  their  country's  good." 
It  was  an  agreeable  surprise  to  find  Hobart 
Town  such  a  flourishing  and  beautiful  city,  with 
well  macadamized  streets,  good  stores,  comforta- 
ble dwellings  and  public  buildings,  that  would 
do  credit  to  more  favored  and  older  settled  coun- 
tries. 

Leaving  the  city  and  looking  around,  I  was  at- 
tracted to  an  enclosure  which  contained  some  fine 
Date  Palms  in  full  fruit,also  fine  Loquats, Mangos, 
Figs,  Oranges,  Shaddocks,  Guavas,  Limes, 
Pomegranates,  Peaches,  Raspberries,  Currants, 
and  Strawberries ;  most  of  which  were  well 
loaded  with  fruit,  and  growing  luxuriantly. 

Grape  vines  seemed  very  vigorous  and  fruit- 
ful, bearing  larger  bunches  than  two  of  the 
biggest  white  Syrians  put  together,  I  ever  saw 
grown  under  glass  I  feel  certain  that  many  of 
the  bunches  would  weigh  more  than  the  famous 
one  grown  bj-  Speochloy.  The  kinds  grown  were 
chicHy  Syrians,  ^Malagas,  Tokays,  Lombardies, 
Muscats  and  Hamburgs. 

It  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  see  some  ex- 
cellent vineyards  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Erie, 
of  which  the  owners  maj'  justly  feel  proud  ;  and 
also  the  oxten.'<ive  ones  at  the  foot  of  Table 
Mountain,  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  which  supplies 
Europe  with  the  celebrated  Constantina  wine  ; 
but  I  never  saw  elsewhere  bunches  grow  to  such 
an  enormous  size,  or  of  better  flavor.  Austra- 
lia is  producing  a  good  domestic  wine,  for  which 
the  demand  is  steadily  increasing,  and  it  will,  no 
doul)t,  become  generally  u.><ed  instead  of  theliery 
fluids  with  which  the  country  is  cursed. 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


167 


In  the  suburbs  of  the  city  were  some  beautiful 
cottages,  nestling  beneath  clustered  masses  of 
Chorozeraa  ilicifolia,  Podolobium  scandens,  Ed- 
wardsiagrandiflora,  Kenned3a  monophylla.Jas- 
minum  divaricatum,  and  other  handsome 
climbers,  which  in  many  instances  completely 
hid  the  houses,  all  but  the  doors  and  windows. 
Most  of  the  gardens  and  yards  enclosed  and  di- 
vided with  hedges  of  Ilakea  uliciua,  Epacris 
exerta,  Eugenia  mj-rtifolia,  and  Eriostemon  bux- 
ifolium  ;  Banksia  serrata,  and  B.  dentata  make 
quite  a  defensive  hedge 

Leaving  the  city  as  soon  as  I  could  make  ar- 
rangements for  the  journey,  I  hastened  onwards 
towards  the  "bush,'"  as  the  forests  are  so  called, 
and  had  not  traveled  far,  when,  to  my  great 
surprise,  I  beheld  in  the  centre  of  a  large  and 
beautiful  garden,  a  group  of  the  brilliant  Telopia 
speciosissima  trees  in  full  bloom,  which  in  the 
distance  appeared  to  be  a  pyramid  of  tire.  Such 
a  gorgeous  sight  I  had  never  gazed  on  before, 
and  will  ever  remember  it  when  thinking  of  the 
many  floral  beauties  I  have  seen.  The  proprie- 
tor's mansion  was  situated  in  the  rear,  and  ap- 
proached through  an  avenue  of  Cyathea  glau- 
ca,  alternated  with  some  fine  Livistonias  iner- 
mis,  and  faced  with  a  row  of  Foucro}'a  Australis 
of  good  size,  which  was  margined  with  a  hedge 
of  Hovea  Celsi  of  a  uniform  height,  and  com 
pletely  covered  with  its  beautiful  blue  flowers. 
Such  a  paradise,  and  such  temptation,  I  could 
not  resist  entering  ;  so  opening  the  gate  I  ven- 
tured within,  and  was  met  by  a  venerable  look- 
ing old  man  of  a  patriarchal  appearance,  who 
invited  me  to  examine  his  grounds  ;  and  seeing 
how  delighted  I  was,  he  volunteered  to  accom- 
pany me  and  show  me  the  choice  fruits,  trees, 
and  flowers,  so  abundant  and  beautiful  on  every 
side.  The  sun  was  at  its  meridian,  "high  noon,'' 
and  hot  indeed  was  the  atmosphere  when  we 
sought  the  shade  of  a  rustic  arbor,  and  took  a 
seat  within,  which  was  well  shaded  by  a  Billar- 
dia  fusiformis.  Pointing  to  a  tree  near  to 
where  we  .tat,  my  aged  companion  said  he  valued 
it  more  than  all  the  trees  or  flowers  his  grounds 
contained,  as  oUlen  memories  returned  whenever 
he  saw  it.  'Why,  it  isallawthorn,  I  remarkefl." 
"Yes,''  he  replied,  and  the  haw  from  which  ihat 
tree  was  raised  I  received  from  dear  old  England, 
years  ago  ;  my  brother  aent  me  the  seed,  which 
he  gathered  from  a  tree  that  overhung  my  fa- 
ther'.s  cottage  door,  and  which  I  had  often 
climbed  when  a  boy,  and  the  recollections  of  my 
mother  seem  to  return  again  with  all  the  fresh-  | 


I  ness  of  youth,  as  she  sat  beneath  its  shade  one 
'  summer  afternoon  busily  engaged  with  her  nee- 
!  die  repairing  my  little  jacket,  (and  I  believe  the 
only  one  I  had,)  for  she  was  very  poor,  and  had 
a  large  family  to  care  for.  I  was  then  an  inno- 
cent boy,  free  from  guile,  little  thinking  of  the 
mysterious  future  in  store  for  me.  Enquiring 
what  part  of  England  he  formerly  lived  in, 
imagine  my  suri)rise  when  he  mentioned  the  vil- 
lage where  I  was  born,  and  told  me  his  name 
was  *  *  *  *  Good  heavens  1  how  nervous  I  felt, 
and  how  the  perspiration  streamed  from  every 
pore,  as  the  thought  occurred  that  I  was  con- 
versing with  the  man  who  burglariously  entered 
my  father's  house  and  stole  his  watch  and  other 
things,  for  which  he  was  arrested,  tried  and 
found  guilty,  and  sentenced  to  s-even  years  trans- 
portation to  Yan  Diemen's  Land.  Oh  how 
sorry  I  felt  for  him,  poor  tottering  old  man, 
what  a  career  his  must  have  been. 

Hastily  rising  from  the  seat,  and  thanking  him 
for  his  kindness,  I  made  the  best  excuse  I  could 
for  my  abrupt  departure,  assigning  as  a  reason 
urgent  business.  Thus  leaving  and  bidding  him 
adieu,  I  felt  somewhat  relieved  from  the  embar- 
rassment under  which  I  was  laboring ;  as  I 
closed  the  gate  behind  me  and  returned  to  the 
road,  and  in  a  thicket  of  Metrosideros  near  to, 
gave  vent  to  my  feelings  unseen. 

God  knows  I  pitied  him,  and  to  spare  his  feel- 
ings, hurriedly  withdrew,  fearing  that  he  might 
enquire  where  I  came  from,  and  ask  my  name. 
I  afterwards  learned  that  he  obtained  a  "ticket 
of  leave"  soon  after  his  arrival  for  his  good  con- 
duct, and  hiring  himself  to  a  farmer,  whose 
daughter  he  afterwards  married  at  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term,  and  having  obtained  a  fortune 
with  her,  speculated  in  business,  became  wealthy, 

and  I  hope  hapjiy  too. 

Oxleya  xanthoxylon,  a  singular  tree,  often  at- 
taining to  two  hundred  feet  in  height,  Metrosi- 
deros robusta,  Melia  Australis,  and  the  noble 
Eucalyptus  amygdalina,  and  E.  obliqua,  made 
excellent  shade  trees  along  the  roadsides.  Cu- 
pania  Cunninghamii  was  abundant,  and  wher- 
ever I  saw  it,  I  invariably  found  its  branches 
entangled  with  dense  masses  of  a  beautiful  climb- 
ing plant,  Thysolobium  carinatum.  bearing  scar- 
let, pea-shaped  flowers.  Epacris  coreaflora, 
Chorozema  nana,  and  the  lovely  Yeronica  nivea, 
with  its  snow  white  flowers  mingled  with  Tass- 
mania  aromatica,  and  Trymalium  odoratissima, 
which  perfumed  the  air.  Large  patches  of  Ge- 
ranium parviflorum,  Thysanotus  proliferus,  aud 


168 


TEE    GJI^DEA'EB'^:^    AlOA^TBLJ. 


June, 


the  curious  Stylidium  fruticosum  were  both  sin- 
gular aud  beautiful.  Of  Ferns,  I  will  note  a  few, 
namely  :  Pteris  Kingeana,  Polystichuni  proli- 
feruni,  Lomaria  lanceolata,  llypolepis  rugulosa, 
Drjnaria  diversifolia,  Dictyopteris  attenuata, 
Adiantum  pubescens,  Schizoea  bilida,  Aspidium 
coriaceum,  Polypodium  scandens  and  other 
kinds  were  plentiful  in  their  favorite  habitats, 
the  shad}'  groves. 

Orchideje  were  well  represented,  and  the  name 
of  a  few  which  were  conspieui>us,  are  as  follows: 
Thelymetra  longifo]ia,Dendrobium  cassy thoides, 
and  D.  rigidum,  Neottia  Australis,  Cymbidium 
suave,  Crystostyles  longifolia,  Sarcochilus  fal- 
catus,  and  Gastrodia  sesamoidcs,— kinds  which 
will  be  recognized  by  some  of  the  Monthly''s  sub- 
scribers as  favorites  of  the  olden  times. 


THE  CODLING  MOTH. 

BY  SIR.  D.  N.  BROWN,  ST.  JOSEPH,  MO. 

R(ad  befo'ie  Ben  it  n  Co.,  Sin  t.  Suriety. 

It  has  pleased  you  to  call  on  me  to  address 
this  county  association  of  fruit  growers  on  the 
nature  of  and  habits  of  the  codling  moth.  I  re- 
gret exceedingly  that  you  have  so  overrated  my 
ability.  After  a  moment's  hesitation  I  consent- 
ed to  do  so,  only  through  tlie  strong  desire  I  feel 
for  the  entire  success  of  every  fruit  grower  in 
this  county  and  elsewhere.  It  is  known  to  some 
of  you,  that  I  have  for  a  few  years  past,  devoted 
much  time  to  learn  from  my  own  observations 
the  nature,  habits  and  character  of  this  insect 
most  destructive  not  only  to  the  apples  and  pears 
of  this  section  of  country,  but  of  all  parts  of  the 
United  States,  aud  Canada,  except  that  portion 
lying  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  ;  and  as  ap- 
ples are  being  transported  to  California,  I  see 
not  why  this  codling  moth  will  not  find  her  home 
that  favored  land. 

As  I  am  not  a  great  r»;adcr,  I  shall  not  be  able 
to  inform  you  whore  this  moth  originated,  or  by 
whom  it  was  first  discovered.  I  well  remember 
when  a  boy,  how  in  my  father's  orchard  in  Con- 
necticut the  Seek- no-further  and  Greening  ap- 
ples were  nearly  all  destroyed  by  this  same  ugly 
looking  ui)plc  worm  ;  and  for  tlie  last  40  years, 
wherever  I  have  traveled,  1  have  seen  lier 
mark  of  destruction  upon  the  most  valuable  fruit 
of  our  land. 

Last  year,  this  insect  was  more  destructive 
than  usual,  owing  to  the  warm,  dry  and  long 
season,  which  is  more  favorable  to  the  insect 
tribes  than  cool  or  wet  Sitasous.     My  young  oi- 


chard,  which  promised  some  20  barrels  of  apples, 
was  by  the  larva;  of  the  codling  moth  cut  down 
to  less  than  one  bushel  of  sound  fruit;  also  my 
Bartlett  and  Secke!  pears  were  chiseled  out  to 
give  them  nutriment,  and  shelter  from  the  eagle 
eye  of  many  of  the  feathered  tribes  who  are  seek- 
ing such  for  food. 

The  codling  moth  is  a  gray,  dirty  looking  mil- 
ler, about  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  length, 
very  quick  in  her  movements  and  when  still  her 
wings  lie  close  to  her  body.  Early  in  the  month 
of  June,  she  makes  her  appearance,  and  may  be 
seen  by  jarring  the  limbs  of  the  trees.  She  makes 
many  angular  motions  while  descending  to  the 
ground,  and  conceals  herself  instantly. 

"When  the  apple  reaches  the  size  of  a  hazelnut, 
she  deposits  her  egg  in  the  down  of  the  blossom, 
where  it  hatches  in  a  few  days  if  the  weather  is 
warm.  Immediately  the  young  larva  begins  to 
cut  its  way  toward  the  centre  of  the  fruit  to  feed 
upon  its  flesh  and  seeds.  If,  however,  the  end 
of  the  fruit  is  too  hard,  the  larva  will  leave  and 
enter  some  more  tender  part  It  is  common  for 
them  to  leave  one  apple  and  enter  another  ;  and 
thus  a  single  worm  may  destroy  a  large  quantity. 
There  are  continuous  and  consecutive  crops  of 
these  insects  from  early  summer  until  late  in  the 
fall,  or  until  the  apple  crop  is  gathered.  They  in- 
crease rapidly  as  the  warm  weather  advances. 
In  the  spring  their  commencement  is  but  small, 
owing  to  the  wood  pecker,  aud  many  other  birds 
which  pre}'  upon  the  larva  whilst  slightly  pro- 
tected in  its  silken  case,  and  deposited  about 
stumps,  hollow  weeds,  and  especially  under  the 
scales  of  dead  bark  on  the  apple  tree.  On  ex- 
amination you  will  see  many  of  these  scales  per- 
forated by  birds,  who  subsist  during  winter  upon 
insects.  I  have  often  wondered  to  see  with 
what  precision  they  strike  their  game.  When 
you  see  a  small  hole  through  one  of  these  old 
scales,  pull  it  ofl'  and  notice  the  accuracy  with 
Avhich  this  natural  mechanic  hits  the  cocoon 
whiclv contained  his  morning  meal. 

Many  apples  containing  the  larvje  of  this  moth 
are  barreled,  and  you  will  often  find  a  large 
number  of  these  cocoons,  about  the  hoops  and 
joints,  which  should  be  carefully  destroyed. 
Should  you  make  any  of  your  lighted  rooms  a 
storehouse  for  apples  in  the  spring,  you  may  find 
your  windows  dotted  with  this  miller.  Owing 
to  the  many  methods  by  which  this  larvas  ia 
winter  is  destroyed,  the  early  brood  is  small. 
These,  however,  deposit  their  eggs,  which  hatch 


1871. 


TEE    GARDE JfER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


169 


into  a  perfect  moth  in  about  thirty  days,  which  in 
their  turn  are  ready  to  make  in  the  apple  a  sec- 
ond deposit  of  eggs  ;  which,  as  we  are  not  able 
to  ascertain  the  number  of  eggs  each  female 
can  lay,  atc  may  safely  conclude  that  this  crop 
can  out  number  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  times 
the  spring  crop.  "NVe  have  now  reached  about 
the  middle  of  July,  or  the  tirst  of  August,  when 
the  fruit  bitten  by  the  first  crop  of  the  larvae  are 
falling  to  the  ground,  and  some  of  the  early  va- 
rieties beginning  to  ripen.  A  fair  crop  of  early 
fruit  may  be  expected,  for  they  escapti  the  latter 
broods  of  this  sweeping  pest. 

In  August  and  September  we  shall  find  issuing 
from  the  blossom,  and  of  many  of  our  fine  smooth 
apples,  a  dark  liquid  matter,  indicating  that 
another  brood  of  this  loathsome  insect  has  com- 
menced its  work  of  destruction.  You  will  also 
see  small  red  spots  on  the  fair  perfect  fruit,  show- 
ing that  another  brood  of  these  larvae  are  cut- 
ting their  way  through  to  the  completion  of 
their  work.  Thus  one  brood  succeeds  another, 
until  in  many  cases,  nearly  our  entire  crop  of 
winter  fruit  is  pierced  with  holes  and  lies  with- 
ered on  the  ground. 

The  worm,  when  small,  is  dark,  and  has  a 
black  head  ;  when  about  half  an  inch  long  it 
moults,  after  which  it  grows  rapidly  and  soon 
completes  its  work  of  destruction  ;  when  of  full 
size,  the  worm — yellow  or  reddish,  with  a  copper 
colored  head — prompted  by  instinct,  leaves  the 
apple  and  hunts  a  place  of  concealment  to  wind 
into  a  cocoon,  and  pass  its  transformation  to  the 
perfect  moth. 

The  larvae  is  seldom  seen  outside  of  the  fruit 
by  daylight ;  but  in  the  dark  hours,  it  is  quick 
in  its  motions,  and  travels  from  one  apple  to 
another ;  it  travels  up  and  down  the  branches 
and  trunk,  either  to  enter  new  fruit  or  a  place  of 
concealment.  When  it  reaches  maturity,  it 
hunts  a  hiding  place  to  pass  from  the  worm  to 
the  perfect  moth  ;  a  period,  in  very  hot  weather, 
which  does  not  exceed  ten  or  twelve  days. 
Should  the  worm  fall  with  the  apple  to  the 
ground,  it  will  on  reaching  maturity,  in  most 
cases  return  to  the  tree.  These  characteristics 
we  have  carefully  noted  ;  on  these  habits  we 
have  extensively  experimented,  and  have  de- 
monstrated beyond  the  possibility  of  a  doubt  the 
certainty,  and  the  practicability  of  their  de- 
struction. 

Few  have  ever  cnntemplatod  the  vast  injury 
done  throughout  this  continent  tu  the  apple  by 
this  self-sustaining,  unyielding  and  greatest  of 


all  destroyers,  the  codling  moth.  I  now  feel 
called  upon  to  show  you  the  amount  of  damages 
sustained  by  this  unlimited  destroyer.  Here  I 
find  myself  wholly  incapable,  when  we  look  at 
this  vast  country  from  Maine  to  Florida, 
and  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  coast, 
anil  so  extensively  populated  by  farmers  and 
nearly  every  one  has  his  apple  orchard,  and 
from  25  to  2,000  trees  each  ;  and  that  all  these 
have  suffered  from  10  to  95  per  cent,  annually, 
from  near  the  first  settlement  of  this  counliy  to 
the  present  time  ;  and  that  Europe  and  many 
other  parts  of  the  world  have  suffered  equally 
with  us,  from  this  same  muddy  looking  miller, 
we  can  only  compute  the  injury  sustained  by 
untold  billions. 

Other  insects,  or  many  of  them,  seem  to  have 
their  time,  and  pass  away  like  the  army  worm, 
the  weevil,  the  hessian  fly,  the  forest  and  can- 
ker worm  ;  not  so  with  the  codling  moth — he 
lived  many  hundred  years  ago,  and  from  that 
without  intermission  to  the  present,  and  unless 
the  future  shall  call  out  and  develop  a  class  of 
fruit  growers  who  shall  more  earnestly  study 
and  learn  the  nature  and  habits  of  this  (to  me, 
the  most  hateful  and  destructive  pest,)  we  may 
look  in  vain  for  a  remuneration  from  our  fair 
and  beautiful  apple  orchards. 

Mr.  Eansom,  my  respected  friend  and  col- 
league,in  the  study  of  worm  and '  bugology,"  who 
with  his  untiring  diligence,  has  done  such  am- 
ple work  in  leading  out  our  armies  of  orchard- 
ists,  to  destroy  the  curculio,  may  have  led  some 
of  us  to  conclude,  that  as  fruit  growers  we  have 
no  enemies  to  fight  but  the  curculio  ;  but  when 
we  look  at  the  little  local  patches  of  from  10  to 
50  miles  square  scattered  up  and  down  this  coun- 
try alone,  and  all  lying  east  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, its  destruction  to  fruit,  when  compared  to 
that  of  the  codling  moth,  is  as  St.  Joseph  to  the 
remainder  of  Uncle  Sam's  vast  domain. 

We  now  invite  the  attention  of  all  apple-or- 
chardists  to  a  simple,  practical  method  of  exter- 
minating this  pest  from  any  given  locality,  at  an 
expense  which  will  not  exceed  $1  50  per  acre. 
About  the  first  of  June,  take  a  whisp  of  rags, 
cotton  or  woolen,  woolen  preferred,  which  will 
wrinkle  and  afford  concealment, — say  about  the 
sizeof  a  sleeve  doubled, — and  place  these  rags 
in  the  lowest  forks  of  the  apple  tree,  or  wind 
several  thicknesses  of  rags  about  the  base  of  the 
tree,  or  both.  All  the  worms  descending  and  as- 
cending will  crawl  in  and  remain.     Now  we 


170 


TEE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJYTELl. 


June, 


know  where  the  apple  worm  is.    How  shall  we 
kill  him  ? 

Take  a  clothes  wringer,  place  it  on  a  light 
frame,  then  carefully  remove  the  rags  from  a 
tree,  for  some  of  the  worms  will  be  attached  to 
the  bark,  place  an  end  in  the  jaws  of  the  wrin- 
ger and  run  the  rags  through,  every  worm  is  an- 
nihilated ;  after  this  replace  the  rags. 

This  work  should  be  repeated  every  ten  or 
twelve  days  during  the  season,  and  uutil  the  fruit 
is  gathered,  varying  according  to  the  heat  of  the 
season.  The  rags  should  not  be  used  unless  the 
wringer  is  also  ;  for  unless  the  worm  is  destroyed, 
you  have  only  given  it  a  comfortable  and  con- 
venient concealment,  close  to  the  favorite  fruit  it 
greedily  destroys. 

Various  methods  are  recommended  to  aid  the 
orchardist  to  defend  himself  against  this  most 
formidable  destroyer  ;  among  them  is  that  which 
turns  our  orchards  into  hog  yards.  This  is  not 
practicable  ;  for  many  of  our  orchards  are  open  to 
corn  and  potato  fields  and  to  our  strawberry 
and  vegetable  gardens.  I  have  for  the  last  two 
or  three  years  considered  it  as  necessary  to  de- 
stroy the  apple  worm  as  to  look  after  any  other 
interest.  We  often  find  from  fifty  to  one  hun- 
dred at  a  time  in  our  simple  rag  traps.  One  of 
my  neighbors  killed  from  a  single  tree  over  four 
hundred  in  one  season.  Another  of  my  neigh- 
bors with  the  rag  traps  slaughtered  in  his  or- 
chard of  a  few  hundred  trees,  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  thousand. 

These  are  facts  which  many  here  present  can 
verify  ;  for  the  men  who  make  these  statements 
are  our  neighbors,  practical  fruit  growers,  whose 
truth  and  veracity  are  beyond  a  doubt,  and  in 
whose  word  we  place  implicit  confidence ;  and 
yet  certain  profi-ssional  entomologists  throw  the 
influence  of  their  reputation  against  this  testi- 
mony. Young  men  with  a  smattering  of  Latin, 
a  powerful  microscope  and  a  drawing  pencil,  dis- 
credit practical  fruit  growers  whose  lives  have 
been  spent  in  an  orchard,  because  they  have  not 
the  key  to  the  ear  of  the  public.  We  would  re- 
spectfully ask :  Can  Mr.  Riley,  or  any  other 
professional  entomologist,  tell  us  by  what  means 
so  simple  and  so  cheap  as  the  rag  trap  this 
wholesale  destroyer  of  our  precious  fruits  can  be 
taken  in  such  quantities  and  used  up  ? 

This  Mr.  Riley,  the  State  entomologist  of  Mis- 
souri, and  one  of  tlie  editors  of  ihc  American 
Entomologist  and  Botanist^  when  on  a  visit  to  this 
grandfruitbeltjOntheeasternshore  of  Lake  Michi- 


gan, acknowledged  this  far  ahead  of  any  previous 
discovery  in  our  battle  with  the  codling  moth  ;  but 
on  his  return  to  Missouri,  he  changed  his  mind 
and  went  back  to  the  hay  and  straw  bands.  His 
reasons  he  omitted  to  give.  To  my  mind  there 
is  but  one  solution  to  this  mysterious  change  of 
opinion  ;  and  that  is  perfectly  reasonable  and  le- 
gitimate. 

Mr.  Riley,  when  here,  was  brought  into  the  at- 
mosphere of  several  of  our  most  progressive  and 
successful  fruit  growers  ;  and  therefore  looked 
upon  these  improvements  from  the  standpoint  of 
common  sense ;  but  on  his  return  to  St.  Louis, 
he  struck  an  old  atmosphere,  that  carried  a  grist 
to  mill  with  a  stone  in  one  end  of  the  bag  and 
corn  in  the  other ;  the  atmosphere  that  recog- 
nizes no  advancement  outside  or  beyond,  and 
sees  no  merit  in  the  lower  walks  of  life.  Yet,  I 
believe  were  he  hereto  day,  he  would  discard  his 
straw  bands  as  out  of  date  and  too  complicated 
for  common  use,  and  again  approve  the  trap  of 
rags. 

The  proposed  method  is  better  than  making  a 
hog-yard  of  the  orchard,  for  we  have  already 
stated  that  many  of  the  worms,  we  believe  that 
all  of  the  worms  have  left  the  apple,  except 
windfalls,  before  it  falls  from  the  tree.  Wisps 
of  straw  and  hay  have  been  recommended  to  aid 
the  fruit  grower  to  wage  war  successful!}'  against 
this  hateful  pest  ;  but  the  successive  broods  fr(mi 
summer  until  autumn  require  many  bands,  and 
make  this  plan  too  laborious,  since  it  consumes 
too  much  precious  time.  Loose  bark  should  be 
removed  from  the  trunks  of  old  trees,  thus  re- 
moving a  natural  hiding  place. 

In  the  opinion  of  the  speaker,  but  one  thing 
remains  to  complete  the  destruction  of  the  apple 
worm.  It  is  united  and  combined  action,  and  I 
would  respectfully  ask  that  a  resolution  may  be 
passed,  recommending  all  apple  orchardist  to 
unite  in  applying  this  simple  remedy. 


THE  CABBAGE  HEAD. 

BY  MR.  H.  W.  RAYKXAL,  AIKEK,  S    C. 

I  SO  often  derive  instruction  as  well  as  interest 
from  your  ''record  of  facts''  in  vegetable  pliysi- 
ology,  and  your  speculations  and  conclusions  are 
so  generally  apt  and  appropriate,  that  when  I 
read  your  article  in  Ajiril  numiier  of  Gardenpr''s 
Monthlij,  "About  Cabbages,"  I  liesitated  about 
expressing  dissent  from  your  conclusions  You 
say  '•'•the  onhj  reason  jchy  a  Cahbar/e  heads,  is  be- 
cause the  natural  growing  season  of  the  plant  has 


1871, 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^TBL^. 


171 


heen  delayed  by  man  several  months  after  seed  ri- 
pening.''^  I  think  the  "heading"  of  Cabbage  and 
Lettuce  is  to  be  explained  otherwise,  and  that 
the  delayed  tune  of  seed  sowing  is  only  an  auxiliary 
in  affording  to  the  })lant  the  best  season  of  the  year 
for  developing  its  poxoers. 

In  your  latitude,  the  seed  sowing  is  delayed 
some  mouths  after  seed  ripening,  to  get  the  best 
season.  Here  in  our  latitude,  we  sow  (or  ought 
to  do  so)  our  green  glazed  Cabbage  in  May  or 
June,  just  after  the  maturing  of  seed  of  previous 
crop.  They  grow  all  summer  and  head  in  fall 
and  winter.  About  February  or  March  they  run 
to  seed,  and  then  ripen  towards  the  end  of 
spring.  So  there  is  no  delay  (or  need  not  be)  in 
sowing  after  maturity.  This  fact  would  seem  to 
destroy  your  conclusion  as  stated  above. 

The  true  reason  "why  and  how  a  Cabbage 
heads"  is,  I  think  as  follows  :  All  plants  have 
an  aptitude  and  inherent  capacity  for  storing  up 
supplies  of  plant  food  for  future  use.  Among 
the  annuals  the  growth  is  so  rapid,  that  this  ten- 
dency is  not  so  perceptible.  The  biennials  and 
perennials  show  it  in  various  ways  ;  sometimes 
it  is  in  the  thickened  root,  sometimes  in  the  rhi- 
zoma,  the  bulb  or  the  tuber,  but  oftenest  in  the 
buds.  Preparation  being  thus  made  for  the  fu- 
ture, there  is  a  period  of  rest,  more  or  less  ex- 
tended ;  then  follows  a  rapid  growth, — inflores- 
cence, maturing  of  the  seed  and  exhaustion. 
Among  the  perennial  and  woody  plants,  this  is 
done  towards  autumn  in  the  form  of  buds,  and 
it  is  here  I  find  the  explanation  of  the  Cabbage 
heading  process. 

A  bud,  as  it  stands  in  winter  on  the  tree,  with 
its  compact  folds  of  leaves  and  shortened  axis, 
is  only  a  small  "head  ;''  and  a  Cabbage  head  is 
only  a  large  "bud''  with  compact  leaves  and 
shortened  axis,  resting  for  a  period,  and  accu- 
mulating starch  and  other  plant  food  for  the 
supply  of  the  flowering  proce.ss  and  ripening  of 
seeds. 

It  is  perhaps  a  universal  law  in  all  vegeta- 
i  tion  which  is  prolonged  for  any  time,  that  the 
I      collecting  and   storing  up  of  plant  food   takes 

■  place  preparatory  to  the  exhaustive  process  of 

■  maturing  seeds.     The  Turnip,    Beet,   &c  ,  store 

■  theirs  in  the  root ;  the  Cauliflower  in  the  flower 

■  stems  ;  some  do  it  in  the  thickened  leaves,   but 
I      the  most  common  mode  is  by  buds. 

B.        The  Cabbage,  after  growing  for  a  certain  pe- 
B      riod,  begins  to  form  its  "bud,"  and  as  in   other 

■  cases,  there  is  a  shortening  of  the  axis  of  growth 


future  inflorescence.  Starchy  matter  accumu- 
lates and  other  peculiar  compounds  are  elabora- 
ted, the  leaves  become  blanched  by  exclusion 
from  light,  and  it  becomes  a  hard,  solid  bud. 
After  a  certain  period  of  rest,  a  new  growth 
commences,  the  axis  elongates  rapidly,  inflores- 
cence takes  place,  and  as  the  process  goes  on  the 
leaves  become  green  from  exposure  to  light,  and 
finally  flaccid  and  exhausted.  The  same  process 
takes  place  in  spring-time,  in  the  bursting  of  every 
bud,  and  the  rapid  growth  and  elongation  of  the 
axis.  The  "bud"  and  the  "head"are  the  same 
process  taking  place  under  different  conditions 
of  growth. 

[Mr.  R.  is  right  in  his  view  of  the  Cabbage 
head  being  simply  a  terminal  bud.  He  has  made 
the  matter  much  clearer  than  we  did  in  the  ar- 
ticle referred  to,  and  we  are  much  indebted  to 
him  for  the  paper.  But  it  is  after  all  the  season, 
or  other  circumstances  not  well  known,  which  is 
the  auxiliar}^  in  the  formation  of  this  bud.  For 
instance,  in  the  European  Ash,jPraxmi/s  excelsior^ 
there  is  a  strong  terminal  bud,  with  four  well 
formed  scales  over  it  usually,— but  if  the  ash 
makes  a  second  growth  in  the  season,  as  it  often 
does,  the  bud  is  naked,  and  has  no  scales,  only 
minute  specks,  which  develop  the  next  growing 
season  into  true  leaves.  So  that  the  element  of 
time  enters  into  the  case,  as  we  suggested. ~Ed.] 


SOLANUM  CILTATUM. 

BY  MR.  W.  G.  CLARK,  CLEVELAND,  OHIO. 

I  have  a  plant  of  the  Solanum  ciliatum  raised 
two  years  ago  from  seed,  which  I  believe  came 
from  Peter  Henderson,  which  I  have  bedded  out 
in  the  summer  and  taken  up  and  potted  and  kept 
in  my  window  through  the  past  two  winters. 
The  repotting  of  course  checks  it,  so  that  it  has 
to  be  cut  back  to  get  new  growth  ;  but  I  am  un- 
der the  impression  that  if  kept  in  a  pot  it  would 
continue  to  bloom  and  bear  fruit.  During  the 
summer  it  has  fruit  and  flowers  at  the  same 
time,  and  all  the  time  until  checked  by  repot- 
ting. A  valuable  feature  of  the  plant  is  the  du- 
rability of  the  fruit,  making  it  very  desirable  for 
parlor  and  Christmas  decoration.  Scattered 
among  evergreen  branches  it  has  a  brilliant  ef- 
fect. I  have  branches  on  my  mantel  now 
with  fruit  but  little  shrivelled,  which  were  out 
in  November.  'I'o  make  a  handsome  bushy  plant, 
the  ends  of  the  branches  should  be  pinched  oc- 
casionally. 


172 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJYTBLY, 


June, 


NOTES  FROM  MEADVILLE,  PA. 

BY  MR.  A  nUIDEKOPER. 

It  is  too  early  to  speak  of  fruit  pi'ospects  in 
this  region,  but  the  winter  lias  been  a  fiivorable 
one,  the  thermometer  falling  a  degree  or  two  be- 
low zero  twice  during  the  season.  Pear  and 
peach  trees  are  making  :i  fine  show  of  flo«er 
buds,  and  fruit  will  be  abundant  if  not  cut  off  by 
frust. 

Mr.  Saunder's  article  on  pruning,  in  the  March 
number  of  the  Gardener\s  Monthh/,  will  commend 
itself  to  manj'  fruit  growers.  "While  some  re- 
gard should  be  paid  to  balance  and  symmetry  of 
of  form,  too  free  an  application  of  the  knife  pro- 
duces more  sprouts  than  fruit. 

We  are  gradually  outgrowing  some  theoretical 
errors.  A  few  years  ago  it  was  thought  the  life 
time  of  a  dwarf  pear  was  about  20  years,  whereas 
it  takes  about  that  time  to  get  some  varieties  into 
their  best  condition,  and  there  is  no  reason  for 
supposing  they  will  not  thrive  much  longer.  I 
compromise  between  the  theories  of  "sod"  and 
"clean  culture''  by  inverting  the  sod  for  a  circle 
of  three  or  four  feet  around  each  tree  in  the  fall, 
and  mulching  on  this  for  the  winter.  The  mulch 
is  removed  in  the  spring,  and  before  the  hot- 
weather  of  midsummer  a  new  turf  has  formed 
around  the  tree,  keeping  the  roots  cool  but 
not  dense  enough  to  interfere  with  the  trees' 
growth.  In  this  way  dwarfs  make  a  satisfac- 
tory annual  development  and  keep  healthy, 
growing  almost  as  fast  as  the}'  do  in  the  garden. 
Mr.  Satterthwait's  "Address"  is  just  such  an 
article  as  one  of  your  readers  at  least  likes  to  see 
in  the  Gardener's  Montldij.  Novelties  in  the  way 
offruitareso  apt  to  be  overpraised,  that  one 
likes  to  have  the  best  result  of  experience. 

I  am  building  a  new  grapei-}-,  with  inch  sash 
bars  five  inches  deep  (and  stiflened  with  two 
rods  the  length  of  the  building  tacked  on  at  equal 
distance  below)  between  each  row  of  glass. 
What  I  hope  to  obtain  by  this,  the  building 
standing  north  and  south,  is  a  full  measure  of 
solar  light  in  the  morning  and  evening,  and 
some  modilication  of  heat  by  the  deep  sash  bars 
intercepting  a  portion  of  the  sun's  rays  at  noon. 
If  I  find  it  works  well,  I  will  report  hereafter. 
By-the  bye,  we  are  often  told  of  the  great  amount 
of  heat  grapes  will  bear,  but  seldom  of  the  de- 
gree of  cold.  Several  times  when  the  thermome- 
ter in  a  cold  grapery  has  indicated  at  least  four 


degrees  below  freezing,  I  have  noticed  no  injury 
whatever  to  the  just  opened  buds. 


BOILERS  AND  CIRCULATION. 

BY  MR.  A.  L.  PENNOCK,  PIIILADA. 

In  the  April  number  of  the  Monthly,  from  Mr. 
John  Ellis  we  have  a  new  theory,  that  expan- 
sion is  the  motive  power  of  the  circulation  of 
hot-water.  He  says  the  first  particle  of  water 
that  moves,  is  the  particle  that  has  absorbed 
heat  and  expanded,  which  is  correct.  He  then 
says  the  following  particles  come  under  the  same 
natural  law,  which  is  correct  also  ;  but  he  does 
not  explain  how  the  following  particles  come 
there  to  be  acted  upon  under  the  same  natural 
law.  Expansion  of  the  first  particle  could  not 
make  room  for  them ;  but  if  the  only  force  of  opera- 
ting, and  he  acknowledges  no  other,  would  crowd 
them  back,  instead  of  allowing  them  to  enter  the 
boiler.  In  support  of  his  theory,  he  says  in 
substance,  that  in  order  to  heat  a  glass  structure 
the  Avater  in  the  return  pipe  should  be  nearh'  as 
hot  as  when  it  left  the  boiler  in  the  flow,  and  if 
it  returns  cold,  little  heat  is  given  out.  In  other 
words,  in  the  first  case,  the  water  leaves  the 
boiler  in  the  flow  boiling  at  212',  and  returns  at 
200^  ;  in  the  second  case,  it  leaves  boiling  at  212', 
and  returns  cold,  say  80-.  In  the  first,  accord- 
ing to  Mr.  Ellis,  it  heats  the  air  in  the  glass 
structure,  although  it  hasgivenoutbuttwelve  de- 
grees of  its  heat,  while  in  the  second  case,  a  year's 
firing  would  not  heat  the  same  air,  although  one 
hundred  and  thirty-two  degrees  of  the  water's 
heat  were  being  continually  given  out.  He  says 
his  experience  is,  the  hotter  the  water  in  the  re- 
turn pipe,  the  more  rapid  the  circulation,  but  he 
does  not  tell  us  how  he  judges  of  the  rapidity  of 
circulation.  If  the  water  in  the  first  case  circu- 
lates eleven  times  as  fast  as  the  second  case,  it 
will  give  out  as  much  heat  to  the  air,  but  not 
otherwise.  I  suppose  if  the  Avater  in  the  return 
pipe  could  be  the  same  heat  as  the  flow,  there 
would  be  no  circulation  ;  and  my  experience  is, 
when  it  approaches  that  point  something  is 
wrong  in  the  circulation.  I  have  never  made 
any  accurate  experiments  to  ascertain  the  ve- 
locity of  circulating  water,  but  on  one  occasion 
I  tried  the  circulation  of  water  in  a  propagating 
tank,  with  sullicient  accuracy  to  show  that  cold 
water  in  the  return  pipe  causes  quicker  circula- 
tion than  hot.  The  fire  had  gone  out,  but  was 
renewed  when  I  first  tried  the  temperature, 
,  which  with  subsequent  trials  are  here  given. 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^TELY. 


173 


Flow    Return 
88°  &  9G°      53°    ITo  circulation  in  the  tank,  wa- 
ter circulating  both   ways   in 
flow. 
98  54      Circulation  very  slow. 

106  54  "  more  perceptible. 

112  56  "  faster. 

120  58  "  faster. 

122  61  "  no  change. 

120  64  "  slower. 

At  this  point  I  made  another  opening  over  the 
water  in  the  tank,  allowing  a  chip  to  float 
through. 

122  66      2i  rain,  chip  floating  through. 

122  66      2|         "  "         " 

126  66      2  "  "         " 

126  70      2  "  "        «' 

120  70      3  "  "         '* 

122  72      4i        "  "         " 

114  75      12        *'  "         " 

The  true  theory  is,  that  the  fust  expanded 
particles  are  moved,  so  far  as  circilatioi  is  con- 
cerned, by  the  heavier  cold  water  panicles  sink- 
ing to  the  bottom  and  displacing  them,  and  cir- 
culation is  effected  by  no  other  cause. 


HOT- WATER  BOILERS.— NO.  3. 

BY  MR.  JOHN  ELLIS,  WEST  PLAINS,  N.  Y. 

It  seems  as  though  many  persons,  when  they 
have  purchased  what  is  termed  a  good  boiler,  think 
that  is  all  they  need.  It  would  seems  also  from 
the  manner  in  which  they  express  themselves, 
that  boilers  are  expected  to  do  a  vast  amount  of 
heating  with  a  very  small  amount  of  coal,  and 
that  if  Ihey  should  put  their  hand  over  the  top 
of  the  chimney  and  find  heat  escaping,  they  ex- 
claim, oh,  whac  an  enormous  loss  of  heat  1  This 
may  be  so,  or  it  may  not  be  so,  but  those  who 
suppose  that  it  is  possible  for  any  form  of  boiler 
to  absorb  all  the  heat  generated  or  given  off  from 
a  burning  body  of  coals  or  any  other  material  are 
very  much  in  error.  Such  results  are  not  mani- 
fest in  the  constitution  of  nature.  What  enor- 
mous fat  oxen  we  should  see  did  they  but  appro- 
priate the  whole  total  of  hay,  water,  meal,  oil 
cake,  and  all  the  various  compounds  that  go  in- 
to their  stomachs  without  any  loss  ;  but  we  all 
know  that  this  is  not  so,  and  the  facts  aie  that 
nothing  but  the  constituents  of  the  grass  pro- 
duce llie  positive  results,  let  them  be  what  they 
.  may.  Another  person  says  "1  will  save  this  loss 
of  heat  bycarryingitinaflue  through  the  house,'' 
and  when  this  is  done  it  is  found  that  the  (Iraji 


is  impeded  and  the  boiler  fails  to  do  what  it  did 
before  the  flue  was  carried  through  the  house  ; 
and  the  consequence  is  dissatisfaction  with  both 
flue  and  boiler.  The  escape  of  some  heat  at  the 
top  of  a  chimney  cannot  be  prevented,  because 
the  water  in  a  boiler  will  only  absorb  so  much 
and  no  more,  and  then  it  is  necessary  that  the 
chimney  should  be  kept  warm,  for  if  it  were  cold, 
the  rising  heat  would  be  condensed,  and  thereby 
the  draft  very  much  affected.  I  have  used  cast 
iron  chimneys  and  had  to  discontinue  their  use, 
solely  on  account  of  the  cold  in  winter  acting 
with  greater  force  on  iron  than  brick,  or  more 
correctly  speaking  through  the  iron  giving  off 
its  heat  quicker  than  brick. 

That  there  are  many  poorly  constructed 
boilers  we  know  from  experience,  although  their 
makers  claim  by  the  mode  of  their  construction 
to  have  placed  a  surprising  number  of  square 
feet  of  iron  surface  containing  water  in  imme- 
diate connection  with  the  fire,  much  of  such 
claimed  surface  becoming  non-effective  ;  not  be- 
cause the  radiant  rays  of  heat  is  not  in  direct 
line  with  such  surface,  but  because  the  surface 
in  question  is  not  in  position  to  receive  the  proper 
/orce  of  heat.  Let  me  illustrate  what  is  meant, 
by  a  man  standing  out  at  night  in  the  external 
atmosphere  without  a  wind,  and  the  thermome- 
ter standing  at  zero  ;  and  on  another  occasion  he 
shall  stand  out  with  the  thermometer  indicating 
the  same  low  temperature,  but  the  north  wind 
driving  with  powerful  force;  in  both  instances  the 
thermometer  indicates  no  more  cold,  but  the 
man,  what  does  he  think  ?  why  that  the  ther- 
mometer ought  to  indicate  double  zero.  Now 
what  is  this  that  has  produced  such  powerful 
sensations  and  so  intensified  the  cold  ;  the  force 
or  pressure  of  the  wind.  Hence  we  have  boiler 
makers  who  construct  according  to  the  scientific 
theory  of  ITood  and  others,  and  woefully  fail  in 
the  results  aimed  at,  because  they  never  take 
into  consideration  the  pressure  or  force  of  heat. 
Hood  and  his  contemporaries  have  said  nothing 
about  it,  and  consequently  we  never  heard  any 
boiler  makei  speak  in  reference  to  it  ;  but  still 
they  wonder  why  their  boilers  presenting  the  re- 
quisite square  feet  to  the  action  of  the  fire  do  not 
heat  as  many  feet  of  pipe  as  the  scientific  au- 
thority has  laid  down  as  a  rule  should  be  heated. 
The  man  in  the  wind  cannot  understand  how  it 
is  so  much  colder  when  the  thermometer  indicates 
the  same  temperature  in  both  cases. 

Let  us  look  a  moment  at  an  ordinarj'  con- 


17Ji. 


TEE    GARDE  JEER'S  MOJVTELY. 


June. 


structed  horizontal  boiler  with  a  good  draft, 
here  we  see  the  Hues  of  radiant  heat  drawn  down 
to  a  horizontal  line,  and  forced  by  the  pressure  of 
the  draft  out  at  the  cud  of  the  boiler  to  come 
against  some  crook  or  bend  in  the  brickwork, 
and  then  made  to  pass  along  the  boiler's  sides 
or  some  such  position  before  the  heat  reaches  the 
chimney  ;  this  much  done,  and  there  is  a  wonder- 
ful achievement  on  the  most  scientific  principles. 
We  conclude  by  calling  such  arrangements  mis- 
erable botches. 

In  such  cases  as  this  cited,  it  will  be  seen  that 
i\\Q  force  of  heat  is  thrown  against  some  portion 
of  the  brickwork  in  order  to  turn  the  heat  around 
the  outsides  of  the  boiler,  where  it  could  never 
do  any  good  were  it  made  to  travel  round  it  a 
million  times  over.     My  readers  may  think  this 
a  strange  manifestation  of  scientific  principles, 
but  wait  a  wee  while,  and  let  us  see.     You  will 
recollect  that  the.  force  of  heat  is  thrown  against 
the  brickwork  in  order  to  turn  it  round  the  sides, 
that/orce  is  lost  there  ;  and  when  once  round  the 
sides  of  the  boiler  in  form  of  flue  heating,  this 
heat  becomes  a  secondary  heat,  that  is,  heat  hav- 
ing less  intensity  than  that  which  is  given  from 
the  fire  resting  on  the  grate  surface.    Now  we 
must  bear  in  mind  that  of  the  water  in  a  boiler, 
that  portion  of  it  that  is  placed   immediately 
over  the  fire  remains  there  until  it  has  absorbed 
all  the  heat  from  the  iron  surface  that  is  possi- 
ble it  can  absorb,  and  consequently  the  hottest 
water  in  a  boiler  is  that  surrounding  the  top 
sides.    Now  if  this  water  has  been  made  the 
hottest  by  the  agency  of  the  hottest  fire,  how  is 
it  possible  to  add  one  more  degree  of  heat  to  its 
temperature  by  placing  a  secondary  heat  in  con- 
nection with  it  ?    I  contend  it  cannot  be  done. 
All  flue  arrangements  are  worthless,  otherwise 
than  in  protecting  boilers  from  the  action  of  ex- 
ternal air,  and  forms  of  boilers,  whether  horizon- 
tal or  conical,  should  be  cased  in  with  brick,  or 
there  will  be  a  great  deal  of  heat  lost.     A  boiler 
standing  exposed  to  cold  icy  air,  may  just  as 
well  be  standing  in  icy-water.    When  it  is  stated 
that  such  and  such  boilers  require  no  brickwork 
in  setting  them  up,  as  everything  is  iron,  le- 
meraber  tliat  if  no  bricks  are  used,  you  have  to 
pay  for  it  in  coal  and  time  in  getting  up  the  heat. 
One  great  objection  to  the  majority  of  boilers, 
is  their  incapacity  to  hold  coal  enough  during 
the  night,  and  when  wc  speak  of  this,  the  ques- 
tion is  instantly  asked,— "do  you  want  the  boiler 
to    bold    a    cart-load  of  coals?"     I   reply  yes, 
If  it    is    necessary  ;    for     if  it    is     necessary 


to  burn  a  cart-load  at  night,  is  it  not  much  bet- 
ter to  do  it  at  one  operation,  than  to  have  a  man 
standing  the  greater  portion  of  the  night  by  the 
boiler  shoveling  in  coal  at  intervals  and  in  small 
quantities  ?  I  should  feel  most  secure  under  the 
cart-load  principle,  at  the  same  time  giving  some 
thought  to  health  and  comfort.  It  is  a  mistaken 
notion  in  supposing  that  small  grate  surfaces  or 
small  fires  are  economical ;  my  experience  is 
quite  the  reverse,  for  they  have,  most  of  the 
time  to  be  on  full  draft,  and  constant  stirring 
and  breaking  up  the  coals,  causing  the  combus- 
tion of  coals  to  be  rapid,  imperfect  and  wasteful. 
Another  point  regarding  coals  is  the  size  used.  It 
is  customary  to  use  large  coals, known  by  the  name 
of  broken,  as  when  once  hot  it  will  throw  off  an 
immense  heat.  This  is  comparatively  true,  but 
does  it  effect  what  may  be  supposed  it  does  ?  Not 
by  a  very  great  deal,  for  unless  large  coals  are 
in  a  very  large  body,  a  large  volume  of  air  is  con- 
stantly passing  between  the  lumps  and  carries 
the  heat  away  as  well  as  lessening  its  tempera- 
ture, and  often  we  shall  find  such  fires  burnt  out, 
or  rather  gone  out,  and  the  grate  left  nearly  full 
of  large  cinders  or  coke.  There  are  many  boil- 
ers that  would  heat  more  feet  of  pipe  than  they 
do  at  present  if  a  small  sized  coal  were  used, 
and  it  would  keep  a  fire  for  a  much  greater  length 
of  time,  as  well  as  its  effect  on  the  water  be  more 
powerful,  all  owing  to  a  better  combustion.  In 
stating  what  has,  it  is  our  experience  after  using 
large  coals  for  a  number  of  years,  and  in  some 
fourteen  or  fifteen  boilers  of  different  makes,  and  I 
must  sa3' ,that  this  much  of  experience  came  to  me 
against  my  inclination,  and  in  this  way:  I  had  or- 
dered large  coals,  and  when  the  delivery  came, 
came  egg  ;  this  is  no  good  for  our  boilers,  we  ex- 
claimed 1  "Well  this  is  all  we  can  do  now.^^ 
Compelled  to  burn  it,  as  it  were,  by  accident, 
we  could  scarcely  believe  our  own  senses  at  the 
difference  in  the  results.  I  have  never  used  large 
coal  since.  Now  I  do  not  wish  your  readers  to 
run  into  extremes  through  what  I  have  suggest- 
ed by  getting  coals  so  small  that  will  lie  so  com- 
l)act  that  the  air  cannot  get  through  them,  but 
think  a  little  and  try,  as  well. 

There  is  no  system  of  heating,  to  my  mind,  so 
efficient,  so  equal,  that  can  be  depended  on,  as 
well  as  healthful  to  vegetable  and  animal,  as 
that  from  heated  water,  not  that  there  is  any 
diflTerence  in  caloric,  for  the  latter  is  the  same, 
whether  from  a  hot  air  chamlx^r  or  steam  pipes  ;  . 
but  there  is  a  life  depending  difference  on  the 
amount  of  heat  radiated  or  thrown  off*  to  the 


1871. 


TEE    GARBEJ^ER'S   MOJVTELy. 


175 


square  foot  by  these  different  modes  employed  ; 
one  healthful  to  man  as  well  as  vegetables  ;  and 
the  others  vitiating  every  vitalized  property  of 
the  pure  air  sent  for  our  existence.  The  beauty 
and  perfection  of  hot-water,  I  say,  lies  in  the  Icno- 
ness  of  the  temperature  given  from  the  pipes, 
and  the  perfection  of  a  heated  structure  even  if 
it  be  required  at  100"  should  be  dependent  on  the 
amount  of  iron  surface  radiating  a  low  tempera- 
ture, than  half  the  amount  of  surfiice  giving  off 
double  the  heat.  How  much  we  lose  in  our  at- 
tempted culture  of  plants  and  fruits  through  not 
giving  this  subject  its  due  consideration.  How 
many  abortions  in  our  undertakings  may  we 
truthfully  trace  back  to  our  artificial  creation  of 
that  great  principle  of  light— heat — and  then 
again  see  what  is  the  result  of  our  imperfectly 
understandiug  the  subject, — mildew,  spider, 
mealy  bug,  and  oftentimes  things  belonging  to 
the  animal  world  that  seem  to  have  none  of 
man's  excellent  classification.  We  always  make 
our  mind  that  we  are  wrong  somewhere  when 
we  get  results  not  wanted  nor  expected.  But 
here  I  find  my  pen  getting  into  that  fuuny  sub- 
ject, horticulture,  which  I  did  not  intend  to 
speak  of. 

Hot-water  heating,  beautiful  as  it  is  in  its  ap- 
l)lication  to  horticulture,  is  very  expensive,  we 
must  confess,  and  nearly  worthless  when  needed 
no  longer.  This  fact  arises  from  the  manner  the 
pipes  are  put  together,  who  all  know  who  have 
recourse  to  their  use  ;  and  few  we  think  have  felt 
the  annoyance  more  than  I  have,  so  I  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  it  was  possible  to  make  a  por- 
table pipe  that  could  be  put  up  or  taken  down  by 
an  ordinary  laborer.  This  much  I  hsCve  done, 
and  can  now  put  any  length  together  and  make 
tight  without  using  either  screws  or  bolts,  or  ce- 
menfc  or  caulking,  in  a  very  little  more  time  than 
it  takes  to  place  the  pipes  in  their  positions. 
Shortly  I  will  send  you  a  drawing  of  this  porta- 
ble pipe,  with  explanations  for  the  benefit  of  your 
readers  interested  in  hot-water.  The  cost  of  the 
pipes  will  be  no  more  than  the  current  value  of 
the  present  mode  of  making,  and  will  be  found 
very  convenient,  for  they  can  be  removed  from 
one  house  to  another  when  required,  and  addi- 
tions made  to  suit  necessities,  without  having  to 
send  (as  is  often  the  case)  a  great  many  miles 
for  an  original  mechanic. 

["We  shall  be  very  glad  to  have  the  drawing  re- 
ferred to.  "We  do  not  know  a  more  important 
question  at  present  in  gardening  than  this  one 


of  boilers,  and  hot-water  generally,  and  do  not 
regret  the  occupation  of  any  amount  of  space 
that  it  occupies  or  may  yet  require. — Ed.] 


PEARS. 

BY  E.  P.  POWELL,  ADRIAN,  MICH. 

I  thought,  when  reading  Mr.  Satterthwait'a 
review  of  Pears,  that  taking  his  list  as  a  basis, 
reports  might  be  sent  in  from  all  parts  of  the 
country  giving  supplemental  information,  so  that 
we  might  have  a  really  valuable  standard  of 
judgment.  My  own  experience  in  Michigan, 
would  iu  reference  to  many  varieties,  be  quite 
unlike  that  of  Mr.  S.  I  would  add  to  Madeleine 
that  the  tree  is  the  first  of  all  to  feel  blight,  is 
exceedingly  brittle,  and  the  fruit  sometimes  ex- 
cellent, but  more  often  flavorless. 

Tysen  is  with  me  not  a  poor  bearer,  but  in  al- 
ternate years  very  fruitful,  and  in  quaUty,  as  he 
says,  "best." 

Flemish  Beauty,  as  I  grow  it,  does  not  rot 
quickl}',  but  is  an  excellent  keeper ;  its  growth 
surpasses  all  others ;  its  productiveness  unsur- 
passed, and  it  is  with  Seckel,  Lawrence,  and  a 
few,  most  hardy.  With  me  there  is  never  any 
premature  shedding  of  leaves  from  any  variety, 
certainly  not  Flemish  Beauty. 

Onondaga  does  not  rot,  but  keeps  admirably  ; 
some  years  it  is  nearly  first-rate,  then  for  two  or 
three  seasons  it  is  simply  unendurable. 

White  Doyenne  only  seldom  cracks. 

Seckel  has  no  tendency  to  early  decay,  but  just 
the  contrary. 

Buffam  is  a  remarkable  keeper,  but  does  not 
show  well  nor  sell  well ;  trees  unsurpassed  for 
symmetry  and  color. 

Sheldon  never  cracks  with  me,  but  is  everyway 
superb,  only  not  prolific. 

Beurre  Clairgeau,  not  of  "poor  quality,"  but 
extra  fine  ;  handsome  in  the  highest  sense  ;  and 
Mr.  Quinn  is  not  the  only  one  who  pets  it. 

Winter  Nelis  does  not  like  my  style  of  culture, 
that  is  in  sod  with  careful  mulching  ;  the  fruit  is 
scarce,  and  poor,  and  small. 

Otherwise  than  as  noted,  my  experience  tal- 
lies with  that  of  Mr.  S's.,  so  far  as  we  cultivate 
the  same  varieties-  I  would  add  a  good  word 
for 

Beurre  d^Aremberg  as  an  unusually  good  win- 
ter pear,  a  good  bearer  and  of  fine  quality,  and 
an  admirable  keeper,  ripening  well  in  February 
and  March.  I  would  not  ask  for  anything  more 
toothsome  in  late  winter. 


176 


TEE    GARDE:N'ER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


June, 


EDITORIAL  NOTES. 

DOMESTIC. 

Layering  of  Grape  Vines. — It  is  not  generally 
known  that  when  a  plant  is  layered,  the  main 
plant  is  injured.  But  it  is  so.  AYe  are  remind- 
ed of  this  by  some  excellent  observations  on  the 
grape  vine,  in  a  catalorjue  of  grapes  and  fruits 
issued  by  Mr.  A.  M.  Burns  of  Manhattan,  Kan- 
sas, who  is  probably  the  most  western  grape 
grower  this  side  of  Utah. 

Protection  against  Swindlers. — It  is  a  curious 
commentary  on  these  organizations,  that  in  one 
especially  designed  we  are  told  to  guard  the  agri- 
culturists against  "humbugs,"  the  name  of  one  of 
the  most  notorious  rascals  in  the  community  ap- 
pears as  a  leading  officer. 

Figs  for  Profit. — The  Rural  Carolinian  be- 
lieves Figs  may  be  grown  for  drying,  so  well  as 
to  compete  profitably  with  the  foreign  fruit. 

The  Christine  {Telegraph)  Orape  is  praised  by 
some  correspondents  of  AVestern  papers,  for 
being  quite  ripe  when  the  Hartford  is  yet  sour. 

Martha  Grape  —John  H.  Heyser  writes  from 
Hagerstown.  Md  ,  that  with  him  Martha  proves 
the  best  white  grape  in  that  region. 

ArnokPs  Hybrid  Grape. — Mr.  John  H.  Hey- 
ser writes  to  the  Grape  Cidturist,  that  Cornuco- 
pia and  Canada  ripened  last  season  at  Hagers- 
town, Md  ,  together  with  Adirondac,  Rebecca 
and  Ives. 

Grape  Tendril  PicMes. — The  tendrils  of  the 
grape  vine  make  a  very  pleasant  pickle,  so  says 
an  exchange.  This  is  a  good  thing,  as  the  tak- 
ing off  of  the  tendril  is  good  for  the  vines. 

Formation  of  Bark.—  In  the  earlier  numbers  of 
the  Gardener'^s  Monthly  there  were  many  in- 
stances given  of  trees  making  a  new  bark,  when 
thoroughly  divested  in  June  of  their  old  one 
down  to  the  wood.  By  our  Western  exchanges 
we  note  that  Mr.  D.  B.  Wier  has  been  making 
similar  observations  recently. 

Sequoia  gignntca. — The  mammoth  tree  of  Cali- 
fornia does  not  do  well  in  the  Eastern  States. 
Some  few  still  continue  to  do  so ;  perhaps  the 
best  is  on  the  grounds  of  EUwanger  &  Barry, 
Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Georgia  Blackberries. — Mr.  Van  Burcn  writes 
to  the  Country  Gentleman,  that  the  Blackberry  is 
one  of  the  greatest  pests  the  planter  has  to  contend 
with  in  (Georgia.  He  intimates  that  they  bear 
fruit  as  large  as  the  Lawtons,  and  says  they  can 
be  bought  atClarksville  for  about  $1  per  bushel. 


Country  Gentleman  says  no  one  will  plant  peaches 
in  that  section  in  heavy  ground.  Light  soil  is 
always  sought  for  by  the  experienced. 

Buclthorn  Hedges. — A  Canadian  paper  says 
Buckthorn  is  the  only  plant  that  will  make  a 
really  good  fence  in  the  northern  part  of  America. 
Festuca  gracillima  is  a  grass  recently  di.tcover- 
ed  in  California  by  Dr.  Bolander,  and  believed 
by  him  to  be  identical  with  one  found  in  the 
Straits  of  Magellan.  This  makes  one  hundred 
and  forty  species  of  grasses  he  has  discovered  on 
the  eastern  coast  since  1861. 

The  Sparto  Grass. — Immense  quantities  of  this 
grass  is  imported  into  the  United  States  by 
American  paper  makers.  There  has  been  con- 
fusion in  regard  to  what  plant  this  comes  from. 
Some  regard  it  as  Juncus  fenacissimus ;  but  it 
seems  to  come  from  Macrochloa  tenacissima  or 
Lygeum  spartum  ;  perhaps  from   both. 

Wood  in  Kansas  is  tolerably  abundant.  Every 
stream  bank  is  well  supplied,  and  it  can  be 
bought  by  the  cord  for  from  three  to  four  dollars. 
Western  Michigan  as  a  Fruit  Region,  promises 
to  be  equal  to  Delaware.  A  correspondent  of  a 
western  paper  says : 

I  came  here  ten  years  ago  last  Spring,  from 
loAva,  for  no  other  purpose  than  that  of  growing 
fruit.  I  selected  a  splendid  piece  of  land  near 
Troy  village,  and  set  out  seven  hundred  apple 
trees  of  choice  Winter  varieties,  one  thousand 
peach  trees,  and  one  hundred  pear  trees  ;  also 
cherries,  blackberries  and  strawberries.  I  raised 
GOO  boxes  of  peaches  this  year,  100  barrels  Wine 
apples,  500barrelsof  Baldwins,  seventy-five  Rus- 
sets ;  Wageners,  105  ;  King  of  Tompkins  Coun- 
ty, eighty  ;  Rhode  Island  Greenings,  100  ;  Seek- 
no-furthers,  twenty-five.  The  apple  trees  have 
been  set  out  eight  years.  I  am  raising  apple  and 
peach  trees,  and  will  set  out  a  thousand  addi- 
tional trees  in  two  years. 

Water  in  IVees.— Just  before  the  leaves  push, 
there  is  more  moisture  in  wood  than  at  any 
other  season,  because  the  roots  continue  absorb- 
ing  all  winter,  while  there  is  little  evaporation. 
At  this  period  one-half  the  weight  of  wood  is  wa- 
ter. As  soon  as  the  leaves  are  fully  expanded, 
the  moisture  diminishes  about  5  per  cent. 

Hale'^s  Early  Peach. — A  correspondent  of  Col- 
jjmn's  Rural  ^Vorhl  says  a  neighbor  has  an  or- 
chard of  Hale's  Early,  half  of  which  were  in  oats, 
and  the  other  well  cultivated  in  potatoes.  There 
was  no  other  dillercnce.     Those  in  the  oat  lot 


Peach   Soil— A   Maryland    correspondent    of   bore  well ;  the  others  all  rotted. 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ\rTHLY. 


177 


Fruit  in  Iowa  City.  —  lj.  Kauffman  commenced 
planting  in  ISoo  ;  his  trees  have  all  borne  some 
fruit,  and  he  tinds  that  in  that  time  he  had  as 
many  bushels  of  pears  as  of  apples  ;  but  while 
the  apples  brought  §1  to  $1  bO  per  bushel,  the 
peara  sold  from  3  to  5  dollars. 

Saftertkwaif^s  Pear  Orchard  near  Jenkintown, 
Pa.,  bore  a  tremendous  crop  last  year.  A  re- 
porter of  a  city  paper  asking  him  the  secret,  he 
replied  'thorough  cultivation  and  bountiful  ma- 
nuring." It  should  be  remarked  that  Mr.  S.'s 
idea  of  thorough  cultivation  is  the  continual 
stirring  of  the  soil. 

Grape  Vines  Growing  over  Tree  TrelUsses.- -The 
paper  we  published  last  summer  on  this  subject, 
has  had  a  pretty  liberal  run  through  our  ex- 
changes. We  are  never  so  wedded  to  our  own 
opinions  as  to  suppose  those  of  others  are  not 
sometimes  better.  We  therefore  give  the  objec- 
tions of  Mr  Geo.  Husmann  from  the  Grape  Cul- 
turist.  Few  persons  are  better  qualified  to  give 
an  opinion  about  the  grape  than  Mr  Husmann. 
We  should  perhaps  value  the  opinion  more,  if  we 
felt  sure  that  he  had  read  our  article  attentively  ; 
but  when  he  talks  about  'letting  vines  scramble 
at  will  over  trees,"  while  we  were  recommend- 
ing trimming  the  trees  into  trellisses,  and  then 
carefully  training  the  vines  ''according  to  a  sys- 
tem," it  would  seem  as  if  there  were  something 
wrong  in  Mr  Ilusmann's  reading  of  the  paper. 
However,  this  is  what  he  says  : 

In  copying  the  above  from  the  Gardener'' s 
Monthly,  we  could  not  but  think  that  the  vivid 
imagination  of  our  friend  Meehan  had  run  away 
with  him,  and  that  his  love  for  trees,  and  all 
that  is  beautiful  in  nature,  had  blinded  his  eyes 
to  what  is  useful  and  practical.  No  one,  cer- 
tainly, who  has  planted  a  vinej^ard  along  a  for- 
est, where  the  vines  were   shaded   by   the  trees, 


or  the  sun's  rays  reflected  from  a  belt  of  timber 
on  the  vines,  can  have  failed  to  see  that  the  two 
will  not  agree. 

We  love  trees  as  well  as  friend  Meehan,  in 
their  proper  places,  but  think  they  are  decidedly 
"out  of  place"  in  a  vineyard.  We  have  seen 
peach  and  apple  ti'ees  planted  in  vineyards,  at 
the  same  time  with  the  grapes,  but  they  invaria- 
bly killed  the  vines  around  them,  as  far  as  their 
shade  extended.  The  owners  of  such  vineyards 
had  either  to  dig  up  the  trees  or  the  vines,  and 
make  one  or  the  other  of  it— orchard  or  vine- 
yard. 

The  isolated  cases  friend  Meehan  quotes,  will 
do  as  little  to  prove  the  point,  as  one  swallow 
will  make  a  summer.  The  vines  as  well  as  the 
trees  may  have  been  planted  in  a  very  rich  spot, 
or  may  have  been  heavily  manured.  He  quotes 
the  Italian  vineyards  as  an  illustration.  Let 
us  ask  him  in  all  friendship  where  is  the  reputa- 
tion of  Italian  wines,  compared  with  those  of 
France  and  Germany  V  Except  a  few  isolated 
brands,  they  are  unheard  of  in  trade  or  imports, 
while  the  wines  of  the  former  are  known  and  es- 
draated  throughout  the  civilized  world.  We  all 
know  that  even  where  vineyards  are  planted  too 
closely,  the  product  is  not  so  good  nor  the  vine 
so  healthy  ;  how  much  more  so,  then,  when  the 
poor  vines  must  "scrape  up  a  living"  under  tho 
shade,  and  among  the  roots  of  trees. 

This  may  be  all  very  fine  and  poetic  on  paper, 
but  it  will  hardly  work  in  practical  life.  Nor 
will  it  do  to  say  that  it  will  require  more  work, 
and  therefore  is  not  practical.  Just  because  it 
is  easier  to  let  the  vines  scramble  at  will  over 
trees,  do  the  Italians  follow^  it  ;  for  if  it  required 
additional  labor,  they  would  certainly  abhor  it, 
being  one  of  the  most  indolent  nations  upon  the 
earth. 


EDTTOE lAL. 


FLOWERS. 
In  former  numbers  we  have  devoted  consid- 
eiable  space  to  fruit  culture,  and  in  our  last 
number,  flowers  retaliated  as  "coals  of  fire"  on 
our  heads.  But  we  doubt  whether  any  punish- 
ment would  Ijc  more  bearal)le  than  the  beautiful 
es.say  of  Mr.  Davis,  which  ajjpeared  amongst  the 


others.  The  youth  talks  of  the  chains  of  love, 
yet  willingly  endures  his  slavery  ;  and  we  doubt 
not  but  those  who  missed  the  accustomed  feast  of 
fruit  articles,  were  as  well  .satisfied  after  reading 
this  charming  address. 

Mr.  Davis  is  minister  of  one  of  the  branches 
of  the  Lutheran  denomination  at  Chambersbnrg. 


17S 


THE    GARDEJSTER'S    MO  XT  ELY. 


June, 


and  we  need  scarcely  tell  those  who  follow  him 
through,  a  gentleman  of  eminent  mental  power 
and  attainments. 

There  is  a  peculiar  interest  in  the  stud}'  of  the 
ancient  history  of  flowers.  Of  course  a  large 
amount  of  it  is  pretty,  but  not  true.  The  icono- 
clasts of  literature  are  perpetuall}'  tearing  down 
some  idols  which  we  love  to  worship.  "We  see 
some  of  these  venerated  points  in  Mr.  Davis's 
address.  It  is  wonderful  how  such  ideas  come 
to  prevail.  We  remember  well  with  what  force 
a  passage  in  a  great  writer  struck  us  in  our 
younger  days,  that  "if  the  Quakers  had  any 
hand  in  the  creation,  not  a  bird  would  be  allow- 
ed to  sing,  or  a  flower  be  allowed  to  bloom." 
As  we  came  to  know  these  people  better,  we 
found  none  loved  flowers  more,  and  recently  we 
learned  that  George  Fox,  the  great  Quaker  pa- 
triarch, actually  left  in  his  will  a  tract  of  laud 
in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  for  t/ie  purpose  of 
founding  a  botanical  garden.  On  account  of  some 
legal  technicalities  the  will  was  broken,  and  the 
property  diverted  to  other  uses  ;  but  the  mind  of 
the  great  founder  of  the  ISociety  of  Friends  is 
photographed  in  the  bequest,  and  is  a  strange 
commentary  on  the  above  idea  of  the  Quakers 
as  well  as  what  we  often  hear  of  as  the 
truths  of  history.  So  we  doubt  many  of  the 
facts  given  in  Mr.  Davis's  epitome  of  the  ancient 
history  of  flowers  ;  but  they  are  history,  and  as 
such  quite  germane  to  his  text. 

It  is  well  for  those  who  are  enthusiasts  to  paint 
the  objects  of  their  adoration  in  the  most  invi- 
ting colors.  But  yet  this  often  does  injury,  and 
in  the  midst  of  so  much  that  is  apocryphal,  it  is 
"ratitymg  to  note  how  truly  some  of  the  real 
lacts  are  presented  in  the  essay  before  us.  How 
often  have  we  not  seen  it  stated,  that  no  one 
who  loves  flowers  is  really  depraved.  This 
is  a  standing  assertion  with  a  certain  class  of 
writers.  Every  cut  flower  dealer  in  any  popu- 
lous town,  knows  that  this  is  not  true  ;  and  it  is 
one  of  the  great  merits  of  this  es^say,  that  in  the 
midst  otso  much  that  is  poetical  and  pure,  the 
truth  is  so  pleasantly,  yet  so  plainly  told. 

The  true  history  ot  (lowers  we  fear  would  show, 
alas  I  that  it  is  not  the  very  good  people  who 
love  them.  Some,  many  indeed  there  may  be, 
but  the  great  mass  is  lost  to  us.  Amongst  good 
men  espcLially  there  is  a  great  disposition  to  look 
on  the  culture  of  flowers  as  an  occupation  fit 
only  for  women  or  children.  True,  this  feeling  la 
fast  wearing  away  ;  but  not  as  rapidly  as  we 
would  like  to  see  it.     Mr.  Davis's  address  will 


do  much  to  hasten  the  good  time 

We  hope  that  after  our  readers  have  read  it, 
they  will  hand  it  to  some  of  their  friends  who 
are  not  among  our  subscribers,  so  that  the  good 
seed  may  be  sown  as  widely  as  possible. 


THE  CODLING  MOTH. 
We  publish  to  day  an  essay  by  Mr.  Brown,  on 
the  Codling  Moth,  to  which  we  invite  the  earn 
est  attention  of  all  our  readers.  It  is  impossi- 
ble to  estimate  the  value  of  this  paper ;  and  we 
know  if  well  weighed,  it  will  be  of  immense  bene- 
fit to  the  fruit  interests  in  the  United  States. 
We  regret  that  it  should  be  marred  by  a  reflec- 
tion on  the  motives  of  Mr.  Riley.  We  deprecate 
all  such  manner  of  argument  in  discussions  of 
this  kind.  If  Mr.  Rile}-  chose  to  give  it  to  the 
world  as  his  opinion,  that  straw  bands  are  bet- 
ter than  woolen  traps,  demonstrate,  if  you  like, 
that  this  is  an  error  ;  but  a  man  s  motives  are 
his  own.  These  may  be  good  or  they  may  be 
bad.  It  is  unfortunate  when  they  are  the  lat- 
ter ;  but  as  they  cannot  be  demonstrated,  we 
should  leave  them  alone.  As  far  as  Mr.  Riley 
is  concerned,  he  is  too  good  a  scientist  not  to 
know  that  "the  truth  will  surely  find  him  out  ;'' 
and  he  would  be  loth  to  risk  his  reputation  on  a 
motive  not  of  the  purest  character. 


DENDROBIUM  NOBILE. 

{See  Frontispiece.) 
We  give  to  day,  as  an  illustration,  an  engrav- 
ing of  a  plant,  the  superior  growth  ol  which  is 
always  a  leading  aim  with  first-rate  gardeners. 
One  recently  exhibited  at  the  rooms  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Horticultural  Society,  had  over  five  hun- 
dred blossoms  on  it.  This  was  grown  by  Mr. 
Newett,  gardener  to  H  Pratt  McKean,  Esq.,  of 
Philadelphia,  and  the  specimen  used  in  our  draw- 
ing was  taken  from  this  plant.  This  plant, — 
Dendrobium  nobilc — we  may  say  for  the  informa- 
tion of  those  not  well  learned  in  the  higher 
branches  of  horticulture,  belongs  to  the  orchid 
or  air  plant  family.  This  species  is  a  native  of 
the  East  Indies ;  but  orchids  are  found  in  all  re- 
gions from  the  arctics  to  the  equator  There  is, 
however,  a  great  diflereiice  in  their  habits  in  dif- 
ferent temperatures  •,  for  though  in  the  tropics 
they  are  mostly  "air''  plants,  as  we  get  further 
north  the  number  of  those  which  live  in  the 
earth  greatly  increase.  Those  which  grow  on 
trees  or  stumps  are  called  Epiphytal  orchids, 
and  those  are  terrcstrmi  which  live  in  the  ground. 
Those  which  live  on  trees,  simply  attach  them- 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJfTHLY. 


179 


selves  by  long  worm-like  roots,  and  probably  de-  |  flowers  seem  to  delight  in  simulating  the  forms 


rive   but   little   support  from  the  dead  matter  , 
among  which  the  roots  run.     They  live  chiefly  i 
on  tbe  air  and  moisture  of  which  this  half  dead  j 
matter  about  old  bark  aflbrds  a  pretty  regular  1 
supply.     The  Epijihytal  orchiteda  do  uo  extend  ! 
far  into  the  United 'Slates      There  are  two  found 
in  Florida,  Epidendrumconopticum  and -B.  venus 
<um  ;  but  neither  of  these  are  anything  like  as 
handsome  as  the  one  we  give  iu  the  plate.     In 
our  northern  States  the  handsomest  orchids  are 
the  Mocassin   flowers,  [Cypvipediam)  but  these 
are  becoming  very  scarce.     Indeed  orchids  arc 
seldom  very  plenty  anywhere,  as  the  flower  is  so 
constructed  that  it  cannot  fertilize  itself,  but  is 
dependent  wholly  on  external  aid.     It  is  to  Mr. 
Charles  Darwin  we   owe  this  knowledge      His 
work  'on  the  fertilization  of  orchids^  ^  will  prob- 
ably be  one  by  which  he  will  be  remembered 
longest      It  completely  reversed  old  opinions.     It 
was  thought  most  plants  had  arrangements  es- 
pecially  adapted   to  self-fertilization.      Writers 
on  the  Fuchsia,  for  mstance,  were  sure  to  tell  us 
that  the  flower  was  made  pendulous  especially 
that  the  pollen  might  easily  drop  on  the  stigma  ; 
but  now  it  is  universally  conceded  that  plants  in 
general  avoid  self-fertilization,  and  in  some  cases. 
as  this  of  orchidsea,  it  is  impossible  to  be  fertil- 
ized at  all  without  msect  aid,  which  carries  the 
poUen  from  one  flower  to  another.     Mr.  Darwin's 
theory  of  the  "origin  of  species"  may  not  ulti- 
mately be  accepted,  but  this  on  the  fertilization 
of  orchids   will  always   mark  a  great  historic 
phase  in  botany  and  horticulture. 

Orchids  are  peculiarly  interesting  to  the  plant 
cultivator,  from  the  fact  that  almost  all  of  them 
are    delightfully  fragrant ;   while  most   of  them 


of  the  insects  which  aid  in  fertilizing  them. 
Some  are  like  bees,  others  moths  and  butterflies, 
and  some  like  birds.  The  Dove  plant  of  Pana- 
ma is  so  called  from  the  resemblance  of  the  flow- 
er to  this  bird  ;  and  "Flower  of  the  Holy  Ghost" 
follows  from  this  in  the  natural  habit  of  Spanish 
America  to  associate  such  resemblances  with 
their  spiritual  ideas. 

Their  peculiar  service  in  the  economy  of  nature 
from  a  human  standpoint  is  not  clear.  With 
the  exception  oftlfe  VaJiilla  Bean,  which  is  the 
seed  vessel  of  an  orchid,  called  Vanilla  planifo- 
lia.  they  are  of  no  immediate  service  to  the  wants 
of  mankind,  as  we  usually  understand  them  ; 
but  if  we  beheve  that  human  wants  are  not  limi- 
ted to  food  and  medicine  and  raiment,  but  that 
the  mind  was  destined  to  crave  for  the  lovely 
and  the  beautiful,  as  the  "hart  panteth  after  the 
living  waters,"  surely  these  wonderful  flowers 
are  amongst  the  choicest  necessities  of  life. 

As  for  their  cultivation,  it  is  not  near  as  difli- 
cult  as  it  was  once  supposed  to  be ;  though  to 
be  sure  if  one  wishes  to  excel  in  their  culture, 
the  highest  skill  is  requisite.  Thou^ands,  for 
instance,  could  grow  the  Dendrobium  nobile  we 
have  figured  ;  but  not  one  in  ten  thousand  could 
grow  it  as  a  Newett  or  a  Taplin  has  done. 

In  former  times  the  orchid  house  was  a  very 
expensive  affair.  A  thousand  dollars  was  but  a 
drop  in  the  bucket.  Hot-water,  tanks,  peculiar- 
ly constructed  glass,  and  we  know  not  what 
were  thought  to  be  essentials.  In  such  places 
orchids  were  "coddled  ;''  but  now  it  is  enough 
to  hang  them  from  the  rafter  of  any  well  con- 
!  structed  greenhouse  ;  and  if  the  plants  in  winter 
do  not  get  a  temperature  lower  than  fifty-five, 


have    particularly    handsome    flowers.      These  |  they  will  for  the  most  part  grow  and  do  well. 


I 


SCUAPS   AND     QUERIES 


Roots  and  Water —7?.  S.,  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  says  :— "I  observed  recently  a  quotation 
in  some  paper  from  the  Gardener's  Monthly  that 
ii  was  not  water,  but  watery  vapor  which  plants 
absorbed  from  the  soil,  and  that  water  in  soil 
was  an  evil,  and  would  kill  the  roots.  U  this  is 
correctly  your  views,   how  does   this  tally  with 


the  observations  of  other  scientific  men  ?  Prof 
Dana,  one  of  the  Editors  of  Silliman's  Journal, 
believes  the  contrary.  I  have  his  assertion  that 
trees  <xrow  in  swamps,  some  kind  or  another,  all 
over  the  world.  I  have  myself  seen  willow  trees 
growing  along  streams,  and  also  grape  vines,  if 
not  many   other   trees,    which   had    their   roots 


180 


THE    GARDEJYER'S   MOJ^TKLY. 


June. 


completely  under  water,— and  they  seemed  to 
go  to  the  water  in  preference,  as  they  were  fre 
quently  fotmd  in  immense  masses  I  hope  you 
will  not  think  I  am  criticising  your  views  ;  but 
your  admirable  journal  so  encourages  one  to 
think  about  these  things,  that  1  should  really 
like  to  know  how  your  views  and  Prof.  Dana's 
can  be  so  different." 

[We  do  not  know  exactly  what  Prof.  Dana's 
views  are.  Possibly  they  may  not  be  quite  as 
our  correspondent  understands  them,  for  every 
observer  knows  that  trees  grow  in  swamps  all  over 
the  world.  But  the  roots  of  these  trees  are  by 
no  means  all  under  water.  Along  under  the 
moss,  and  grass,  and  weeds,  and  ahovt  the  sur- 
face of  the  water,  our  correspondent  will  find 
myriads  of  rootlets  So  in  regard  to  his  own  il- 
lustration of  mats  of  roots  going  to  water  It 
is  only  some  of  the  roots.  Let  him  try  the  ex- 
periment of  growing  a  willow  wholly  in  water, 
and  he  will  lind  that  it  will  not  live  a  year.  Any 
one  who  travels  through  Indiana,  may  olten  see 
scores  of  acres  of  trees  which  grew  for  many 
years  ''in  swamps,''  entirely  killed  by  having  a 
few  feet  of  water  turned  on  them  either  by  a  new 
railroad  embankment,  or  by  an  unusual  overflow 
of  some  kind.  The  writer  remembers  seeing  a 
striking  instance  of  this  kind  once,  a  few  miles 
out  from  Marquette,  on  Lake  Superior.  It  is 
therefore  not  true  that  a  plant  will  live  long  with 
allita  roots  under  water  ;  at  the  same  time  it  is 
a  very  interesting  fact,  as  our  correspondent  sug- 
gests, that  some  rootlets  seem  to  prefer  to  get 
under  water  if  they  can. 

'Lhc  true  stale  of  the  case  is,  that  there  is  an 
immense  amount  of  knowledge  yet  to  be  devel- 
oped from  a  study  of  roots,  and  it  is  a  very  in- 
viting field  for  those  who  are  fond  of  original  re- 
searches.] 


Flowkring  of  Daulingtonia.— Lastmonth 
a  correspondent  enquired  whether  this  was  yet 
in  cultivation.  Since  our  last  reply,  we  have 
seen  a  note  in  reference  to  it  in  the  Bulletin  of 
the  Torrey  Botanical  Club,  from  the  pen  of  Dr. 
Torrey,  in  which  he  speaks  ol  examining  some 
flowers  which  were  produced  in  New  York  ;  but 
these  were  from  plants  recently  brought  from 
California. 


Branched  Trusses  in  Geraniums,— F., 
Vicksbury,  Miss.,  writes:— "I  enclose  you  a  flow- 
er stalk  of  a  Geranium,  a  seedling  raised  by  me 


more  than  nine  years  ago.  It  is  a  seedling  of 
the  'Queen  of  Summer,"  and  resembles  the  pa- 
rent somewhat  in  foliage,  which  is  a  rich  light 
green  on  the  edges  of  the  leaf,  shaded  to  almost 
entire  white  in  the  centre;  but  the  growth  and 
habit  of  the  plant  are  entirely  difll-rent.  This 
plant  is  disposed  to  be  bushy  ;  the  body  of  it  fre- 
quently entirely  white,  striped  with  green.  The 
flower  stalks  almost  invariably  green.  This 
constitutes  one  great  beauty  of  the  plant. 
Another  beauty  and  peculiarity  is,  that  after  the 
first  cluster  of  flowers  is  past  its  best,  but  not  yet 
out  of  bloom,  out  of  the  cluster  of  flowers  there 
springs  one  or  two  small  green  leaves,  and  another 
flower  stalk,  in  a  day  or  two  another  and  frequent- 
ly a  third  ;  these  bloom  quite  as  finely  as  the  first, 
giving  the  plant  a  very  unique  appearance. 
After  testing  it  two  years,  and  finding  this  to  be 
I  he  regular  habit  of  the  plant,  1  gave  a  plant  of 
it  to  Mr  Charles  Allen,  formerly  a  florist  of  this 
place,  who  propagated  and  sold  it  under  the 
name  of  "Madam  Balfour."'  I  have  always 
called  it  'Louise." 

This  may  be  nothing  new  to  you,  but  I  have 
never  seen  the  same  thing  in  any  other  Gerani- 
um. Please  let  me  know  what  you  think  of  it 
in  your  answers  to  correspondents.'' 

[This  Geranium  has  taken  on  something  of 
the  thyrsoid  character  of  allied  species,  and 
which  is  seldom  seen  in  this  one.  It  is,  how- 
ever, occasional, — and  only  occasional.  If,  as 
our  correspondent  says,  he  has  one  which  has 
the  flower  stems  almost  always  branching  as 
this  flower  stem  sent  us  does,  it  will  be  a  valuable 
variety  well  worth  disseminating.] 


Heating  Railroad  Cars  by  Hot- water  — 
/.  G.,  Yjjsilanti,  Mich.,  kindly  sends  us  the  fol- 
lowing note:  "In  reply  to  B.  D. 's  query,  page 
122  of  the  April  Monthly,  would  say  that  the  cars 
of  the  Michigan  Southern  Railroad  are  heated 
by  hot  water.  The  apparatus  (made  I  think  in 
Chicago)  consists  of  an  ordinary  cylindrical 
stove,  jacketed  by  a  galvanized  iron  boiler.  It 
works  very  well." 


Circulation  of  Hot-water.—  Corrccfjojj. — 
Mr.  Editor,  please  correct  the  quotation  given 
in  the  May  number  of  the  Gardcmr'^s  Monthly. 
I  wrote  'that  water  attains  its  maximum  den- 
sity at  thirty-nine  degrees,  F.,and  sinks  at  thir- 
ty-two degrees.     It  is  scxea  degrees  colder,  yet 


187  L 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MO. N'T HL  7 


181 


remains  on  the  surface  and  forms  ice.  In  this 
state  of  affairs,  is  Pat  Murphy  standing  on  his 
head  ?" 

Galena,  E.  H.  B. 


Sour  and  S"weet  Apples.— J/.,  Eochesfer, 
N.  y.— Sour  and  sweet  apples,  that  is  apples 
having  both  tliese  peculiarities  in  the  same  fiuit, 
have  been  known  for  at  least  a  couple  of  hun- 
dred of  years.  We  did  not  mean  that  Mr. 
Blodgett's  father  originated  the  first  sOur  and 
sweet  apple,  but  that  it  is  possible  from  the  facts 
we  gave  in  embryonic  inarching,  that  he  origi- 
nated a  sour  and  sweet  apple.  The  tenor  of  our 
remarks  was  not,  however,  to  show  that  sour 
and  sweet  apples  originated  this  way.  We  be- 
lieve that  such  an  apple  could  originate  just  as 
well  from  seed,  and  no  doubt  has  done  so.  Our 
point  was  the  possibility  of  varieties  originating 
by  inarching  of  embryos,  as  w^ell  as  by  seeds. 


Fruit  TREES  ON  City  Lawns — ^'Old  Sub- 
scriber''^ says: — I  have  ray  garden  in  town  plant- 
ed with  fruit  trees,  and  want  to  know  if  it  would 
injure  those  trees  which  are  small  and  young  to 
keep  the  ground  in  grass,  which  would  certainly 
look  well,  and  looks  are  of  some  importance  in 
this  case.  Can  I  get  some  advice  from  some  of 
the  contributors  to  your  useful  magazine." 

[Some  of  the  best  pear  trees  we  know  in  Phila- 
delphia are  in  grass.  If  top-dressed  with  fertil- 
izing substances  occasionally,  they  will  do  bet- 
ter in  grass  than  any  other  way — the  grass  of 
course  mowed  as  a  lawn  should  be.] 


Fancy  Gourds —A  correspondent  suggests 
that  more  attention  should  be  given  to  fancy 
gourds  for  ornamenting  grounds.  Some  beau- 
tiful effects  can  be  had  from  a  judicious  arrange- 
ment of  them. 


Origin  of  Souciietti  Raspberry.—/.  E. 
M.,  Philada.,  writes:  "Your  correspondent  L., 
Cincinnati,  is  Informed  that  the  Souchetti  Rasp- 
berry was  introduced  in  this  country  1850,  by 
Mr  Souchet.  (of  firm  of  Aubrey  «fe  Souchet)  was 
named  after  his  father,  a  famous  raspberry 
grower  for  the  Paris  (Franco)  Market  He  also 
introduced  the  Hornet,  Pilot,  Imperial,  and 
.Jouet,  and  the  four  first  named  have  probably 
never  been  excelled,  unless  Mr.  Ilerstine's  seed- 
lings 8houl4  prove  to  be  superior.     The  Jouet 


was  a  yellow  fruit,  smaller  than  the  "Souchetti," 
but  not  equal  to  it  either  in  flavor  or  produc- 
tiveness.'' 


Notes  from  Jacksonville,  Fla.— J.  W. 
S.,  writes:  "I  send  by  mail,  this  day.  three 
plants  for  the  want  of  a  better  name,  we  call 
them  the  'Air  Plant.'  They  grow  on  the  live 
oak,  generally  found  in  the  forks  of  the  limbs  ;  a 
larger  variety  takes  to  the  smaller  limbs  pf  the 
oak,  and  grasp  it  firmly  with  a  net  work  of  roots. 
Will  you  name  this  for  me?  I  suppose  it  be- 
longs to  the  Orchis  family,  or  is  it  one  of  the 
Bromeliacese,  say  Tillandsia  caespitosa.  The 
plant  is  not  quite  so  pretty  as  others,  yet  its  sin- 
gular habit  invests  it  with  some  interest. 

I  will  try  to  get  you  a  yellow  Jasmine  vine 
root,  one  of  our  earliest  spring  flowers  ;  very 
fragrant,  with  its  brilliant  yellow  bloom,  mixed 
with  its  deep  green  leaves,  make  it  very  attrac- 
tive. Unfortunately  its  flowers  do  not  last  long, 
commencing  about  middle  of  February  and  last- 
ing until  end  of  March, only  4  to  6  weeks. 

The  Caladium  esculentum  grows  in  great  per- 
fection here.  I  have  a  large  quantity  now  grow- 
ing, the  leaves  being  from  8  to  14  inches  broad 
and  18  inches  long." 

[The  Tillandsia  is  rightly  named.  The  "Jas- 
mine" is  Gelseminum  nitldum,  and  is  already  in 
northern  collections.  It  is  barely  hardy  in  Phila- 
delphia.] 


Transplanting  Tree-box. — "OZcZ  Subscri- 
ber,''' Philada.,  writes:  "Can  you  give  me  in 
the  Monthly,  any  information  about  the  Tree-box. 
I  have  some  large  ones  to  transplant.  I  think 
they  bear  transplanting  well.  Which  is  the  best 
season,  spring  or  autunm  ?  I  know  they  flour- 
ish in  the  shade.  Will  they  bear  sunshine  ?  All 
directions  will  be  very  acceptable  to  your  old 
Subscriber.'' 

[Tree-box  is  one  of  the  easiest  plants  to  re- 
plant. April  or  October  are  perhaps  the  best 
months ;  if  in  the  latter  month,  a  good  watering 
to  settle  the  earth  well  about  the  little  fibres, 
will  be  an  advantage  They  bear  sunshine  bet- 
ter than  shade  ;  but  it  requires  in  any  case  an 
abundance  of  rich  earth,  or  it  will  soon  get 
yellow.] 


L'Illustration    Horticole.— Mr.     Such, 
says:     "Some  time  ago  one  of  your  readers  was 


182 


THE    GARDEJVER*S    MONTHLY. 


Jy  ne. 


asking  how  he  could  procure  the  above  named 
interesting  puhHcation.  Tlie  cheapest  and  best 
way  is  to  buy  a  draft  on  London,  for  one  pound 
sterling,  make  draft  payable  to  the  order  of  J. 
Linden.  Enclose  in  a  letter  to 
J.  LINDEN, 

Kue  du  Chaume, 
Gand, 

Belgique. 
telling  him  it  is  for  subscription  to  L' Illustration 
Horticole.  For  this  sum  it  will  he  »ent,  postage 
pre-paid^  for  one  year.  The  letter  containing  the 
draft  should  he  pre-paid,  a  ten  cent  stamp  being 
needed." 


Dychostoremma.  As  the  flower  possesses  a  good 
deal  of  be;iuty,  I  am  anxious  to  know  something 
more  of  it  Should  it  possess  any  rarity,  and 
ray  bulb  increases,  I  shall  be  happy  to  send  you 
one  of  them  " 

[This  is  Brndicea  macrantha,  bj'  some  botan- 
ists called  D/rhelostemma  grandiflora.  We  should 
be  glad  of  a  bulb,  as  we  never  saw  the  living 
plant  ] 


Worcester  Co.   (Mass.)  Horticultural 
Society. 

"Worcester,  Mass.,  May  Sth,  1871. 
Thomas  Meeiian,  Esq., 

Ed.  Gardener\s  Monthly^  Philada. 
Dear  Sir:— I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you 
that  you  have  been  elected  an  honorary  member 
of  the  AVorcester  County  Horticultural  Society. 
Very  respt'y  your  obd't.  servant, 
George  C.  Francis, 
Sec.  Wor.  Co.  Hort   Society. 
[It  is  now  twenty-eight  years  ago  since  the 
first  honor  of  this  character  came  to  the  hand  of 
the  writer  in  the  shape  of  a  notice  of  election  as 
member  of  the  Royal  Wernorian  Society  of  En- 
gland.    Since  then  some  scores  of  such  notices 
of  election  to  societies,   agricultural,  horticultu- 
ral and  scientific,  have  been   received,   which 
seemingly  more  of  a  personal  than  a  public  char- 
acter, have  been  gratefully  accepted,  and  quietly 
left  to  the  records  of  the  institutions  themselves 
The  present  one  seems  owing  to  the  influence 
of  the  Gardener'>s  Monthly,  and  it  is  due  that  the 
magazine   itself  should    return    thanks.      The 
Worcester  County  Society,  though  with  a  local 
name,  has  been  established  thirty  years,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  useful  in  the  country,  and  we 
are  jiroud  of  our  connection  with  it.] 


The  Yellow  Asphodel  — We  are  indebted 
to  some  unknown  friend  for  this  plant,  which  we 
have  sent  to  the  lady  at  Washington,  Ohio,  for 
whom  we  requested  it.  We  have  also  received  a 
"London  Pride"  from  a  Boston  correspondent. 


Peaches  in  Virginia.— A  Williamsburg 
correspondent  writes,  that  in  spite  of  the  frosts 
which  have  been  rambling  about,  the  Peach 
crop,  May  4th,  was  promising. 


Fruit  in  Ohio.— J.  Delaware  correspondent 
says:  "The  fruit  is  about  all  killed  here,  and  I 
am  glad  of  it.  The  insects  will  have  no  place  to 
lay  thfir  eggs  " 

[Not  quite  so  fast,  good  friend  !  The  curculio 
will  take  to  your  pumpkins  or  egg-plants,  when 
the  plums  nnd  cherries  are  gone  There  is  a 
wonderful  adaptation  in  nature.  The  peach  and 
plum  were  no  more  born  to  wait  on  the  curculio, 
than  a  waiting  maid  was  born  with  Eve  in  the 
Garden  of  Eden.  Servants  are  nice  ;  but  the  re- 
sj>ected  grandmother  of  all  of  us  got  along  with- 
out one,  and  so  will  the  curculio  when  the  plums 
are  gone.  We  hope  the  curculio  hunters  won't 
stop  work  on  this  account.  J 


CALiFOJiNiAN  Flower  for  Name.  — f?.  L 
<V. ,  South  Framinghani,  Mass.,  writes:  "I  take 
the  liberty  of  sending  you  the  enclosed  flower 
for  naming,  as  I  see  others  do  in  your  column  ot 
answers  in  the  Monthly.  This  flower  forms  one 
(jf  an  umbel  of  12  or  15,  on  the  summit  of  a  stalk 
about  Ifi  inches  high.  The  plant  is  a  bull),  and 
has  flat  recumbent  leaves  of  little  beauty.  It 
was  sent  me  from  Calitbrnia,  and  was  labeled 


Outlines  and  Description  of  Seedling 
Fruits.— i).  E.  H.,  Vacaville,  Cal ,  says:  "I 
fully  agree  with  you  as  to  the  naming  and  intro- 
ducing so  many  new  fruits,  no  way  sup^u'ior  to 
others  of  the  same  season.  There  arc  now  a 
thousand  too  many  fruits  in  cultivation  as  desira- 
ble, which  might  better  be  dropped  from  the 
lists." 


LlHOCEDRUSDECUNENS  &ThUJA  GIGANTEA. 

— J).  E.  H.,  Vacavillc,  Cal  , writes:     "I  send  you 
a  sani-i)lt^  of  the  leaves  and  seeds  of  both  kinds." 
[Thanks  for  the  specimens.     No  one  can  fail 
to  see  the  difierence  between  these  two  plants.] 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJSTER'S   MOJS'THLY. 


183 


BOOKS,    CATALOGUES,    &  C. 


The  Practical  Pchltry  Keeper.  By  Wm.  M.  L«wis,  New  York. 
Published  by  D.  D.  T.  Msore  Received  thrrugh  Claxtop, 
Remsen.  A  Co.,  Philada. 

That  we  like  poultry,  we  verily  hope  and  be- 
lieve ;  and  that  we  desire  to  see  their  "culture" 
extend,  we  prove  in  deeds  as  well  as  in  thoushts 
and  words.  Mr  Lewis  is  no  doubt  moved  to 
his  work  by  similar  feelings  ;  but  we  do  not 
know  that  he  is  more  likely  to  accomplish  his 
desire  by  reckless  statements,  than  by  a  clear 
elucidation  of  sober  truths.  He  tells  us,  for  in 
stance,  that  "fowls  can  be  reared  with  little  ex- 
pense, by  nearly  every  housekeeper,  and  can  be 
made  to  pay  an  hundred  fold  ou  the  investment." 
If  we  understand  what  is  meant  by  "hundred 
fold" — one  hundred  for  one— this  is  wild  ex- 
travagance. In  another  sentence  he  tells  us  that 
the  pleasure  can  well  be  imagined,  when  a  per- 
son knows  that  by  keeping  "a  dozen  or  twenty 
fowls,"  he  will  be  "able  to  supply  his  table  with 
birds  of  his  own  rearing,  and  his  larder  with 
fresh  eggs  the  year  round  ''  "We  imagine  the 
wants  of  some  people's  tables  the  "year  round" 
must  be  smaller  than  those  of  people  with  whom 
we  have  been  accustomed  to  come  into  contact. 

"We  look  through  the  book  to  consult  the  fig- 
ures as  to  such  wonderful  profits  and  abundance, 
but  find  none.  The  only  clue  is  that  Mr.  Lewis 
thinks  "every  farmer  should  make  a  couple  of 
hundred  dollars  worth  of  their  products  yearly  ;" 
but  by  the  "hundred  fold"  process,  this  will 
give  a  capital  of  two  chickens  atone  dollar  each. 
Surely  one  might  venture  on  more  than  this  ? 

Mr.  Lewis,  however,  does  not  seem  so  clear, 
as  he  proceeds,  about  the  profits.  He  settles 
down  finally  on  the  assertion,  that  at  least  he 
"knows  there  is  no  money  lost  in  keeping  and 
rearing  a  few  fowls,  and  a  great  deal  of  jileasure 
and  profit  derived  from  it."  Of  course,  if  there 
is  "profit,"  there  is  no  "money  lost;"  but  in 
connection  with  pleasure,  we  presume  mental 
profit  is  meant,  and  this  may  be  some  comfort 
to  those  who  notoriously  do  lose  their  chickens^ 
if  not  their  money,  by  the  numerous  diseases 
and  aceidents  which  fowls  are  heir  to. 

Our  author  seems  no  less  confused  when  he 
comes  to  matters  of  detail, than  whenla\ingdown 
his  general  i)rinciples.  In  one  place  he  tells  us.  poul- 
try to  be  "remunerative, 7»».st  have  good  manage- 
ment,'' which  is  true  ;  but  when  he  says  the  care 
of  them  can  be  left   to   wife   and   children,   we 


doubt  whether  "good  management''  will  always 
follow.  The  "labor  incurred''  in  the  "prices 
which  he  receives''  can  be  "performed  by  the 
junior  members  of  the  family,''  we  suppose 
meaning  that  the  children  can  be  sent  to  market 
with  the  eggs  and  poultry ;  but  we  imagine  this 
would  not  be  found  good  in  practice,  and  that 
marketing  would  be  much  better  done  by  juniors 
pretty  well  advanced  in  years. 

He  claims  the  credit  of  having  in  his  book 
placed  the  experience  of  breeders  and  fanciers 
in  juxtaposition  with  each  other.  This  would 
be  of  value  if  the  views  were  reconciled  when 
they  conflict,— but  when  one's  view  is  that 
"fowls  can  be  bred  in  cities  and  villages  equally 
as  well  as  on  the  farm,''  and  "it  requires  but  a 
small  space  to  keep  a  dozen  or  twenty  fowls," 
while  another  is  quoted  to  show  that  "for  every 
hundred  fowls  you  must  give  up  at  least  an 
acre ;"  we  pity  the  women  and  children  by  whose 
"good  management"  the  "farmer''  is  to  profit 
in  poultry  raising. 

In  regard  to  the  general  matter  of  the  book, 
the  main  part  is  occupied  with  description  of  va- 
rieties, which  are  better  than  the  cuts,  for  we 
suppose  a  Bantam  should  be  much  smaller  than 
a  Shanghai,  though  they  appear  of  the  same 
size  here.  The  chapter  on  diseases  will  also  in- 
terest many  readers,  leaving  out  the  fact  that 
we  think  the  author  imagines  chicken  troubles 
yield  to  remedies  much  easier  than  they  really 
do. 


What  I  Know  About  Farming.    By  Horace  Greeley.  New  York. 
Pnhlislied  by  the  Tribune  Association. 

We  are  indebted  to  the  author  for  a  copy  of 
this  book.  It  runs  counter  to  many  views  which 
we  hold  sound.  This  is  to  be  expected,  how- 
ever, as  Mr.  Greeley  lays  no  claim  to  be  a  prac- 
tical agriculturist.  He  offers  it  as  some  common 
sense  thoughts  on  ii  subject  he  loves,  and  has 
really  done  a  great  deal  to  serve.  We  are  in  no 
danger  of  suffering  from  too  much  thought,  and 
feel  that  any  one  who  thinks  at  all  about  the 
subject,  will  profit  by  reading  Mr.  Greeley's 
book. 


iNsrcTS — Noxious,  Beiceficul  andOtbepwiu.  Being  the  third 
annual  report  of  Chas.  V.  Riley,  btate  Entomologi.st  of  Mis- 
souri. 

While  looking  over  the  vast  amount  of  useful 


^8Jf 


THE    GABDEJVER'ib    MOJYTBLy. 


Ju  ne, 


information  liere  gathered  together,  one  cannot 
help  feeling  a  regret  that  every  State  does  not 
follow  the  example  of  Missouri,  in  thus  encour- 
aging science.  The  paper  on  mimicry,  with  re- 
marks on  natural  selection,  is  worthy  of  the  pen 
of  Darwin,  whose  views  it  materiallv  aids. 


Rhioodendiions  akd  Amsricak  Plants.  By  E.  8.  R«nd,  Jr, 
Boston  Published  by  Little,  Brown,  &  Co.  Through  J.  B. 
Lippinc'tt  *  Co..  Philridn. 

This  is  a  neat  little  volume  of  188  pages,  in 
ihe  style  of  Mr.  Rand's  former  works.  Its  ob- 
ject is  to  bring  into  better  notice  a  class  of  plants 
which  are  worthy  of  being  better  known  by  cul 
tivators.  They  have  been  found  somewhat  dit- 
Hcult  to  cultivate  in  the  ordinary  waj'  of  garden 
plants.  Yet  with  a  little  labor  easily  given, 
ihey  may  be  grown  to  great  peifectiou. 

We  do  not  notice  anything  new  in  the  work — very 
la  tie  in  fact  with  which  the  readers  of  the  Gar- 
dener's Monthly  are  not  familiar,  —  while  many 
things  are  omitted  which  might  be  told  to  ad 
vantage,  such  for  instance  as  the  grafting  of 


Rhododendrons,  the  treatment  of  plants  from 
the  woods.  &c.  The  whole  practical  part  con- 
cerning propagation  is  dismissed  with  six  pages, 
in  fact ;  while  over  twelve  pages  are  devoted  to 
descriptions,  which  even  as  descriptions,  are 
very  brief  indeed, —about  the  same  in  fact  as  we 
find  in  common  nursery  catalogues.  Although 
we  thus  feel  that  the  "book  of  Rhododendrons" 
is  to  be  written  ;  yet  as  in  all  of  Mr.  Rand's 
books  there  is  a  great  amount  of  useful  matter 
collected  together,  which  gives  it  much  value, 
and  until  those  who  think  ihey  can  do  better, 
really  do  it,  we  shall  thank  Mr.  Rand  for  his 
very  useful  contribution  to  our  floral  literature. 


Amsrican  Hobticultdeal  AsMiAL,  1870.    Orange.  Judd  4  Co. 
New  York. 

This  we  have  ever  regarded  as  a  model  "an- 
nual," giving  the  chief  discoveries  of  the  year. 
It  confines  itself  to  new  varieties,  and  imple- 
ments however,  and  has  little  to  do  with  record- 
ing new  ideas. 


NEW    AND    MRE    PLANTS. 


The  European  journals  describe  many  new 
plants,  the  following  of  which  may  have  an  in- 
terest to  our  cultivators  : 

ACHIMENES  (  EuCODONIA)  N^GELIOTDES  DIA- 

MANTiNA  -  A  charming  stove  perennial,  the 
large  cordate  ovate  leaves  of  which  are  hairy, 
and  the  Gloxinia-like  flowers  of  a  pleasing  rosy- 
purple  color  marked  down  the  lower  side  of  the 
tube  with  a  yellow  band.  A  garden  hybrid, 
raised  in  M   Van  Iloutte's  nursery. 

ALTEUNANTIIEItA      AMABILIS      TRICOLOR. — 

This  genus  of  Amaranfhaceous  herbs  has  become 
highly  popular  for  carpet  bedding,  and  we  have 
in  the  present  plant  an  addition  which  promises 
to  be  an  acquisition  for  that  purpose.  It  is 
dwarf,  but  erect  and  much  braneluid  in  habit, 
and  is  clotiied  with  broadly  ovate,  glabrou.s 
leaves,  which  are  dark  green  at  the  edge,  and 
1  ave  a  centre  of  vivid  rose,  traversed  by  purple 
\eiD8.  an  irregular  band  of  orange-yellow  inter- 
vening between  the  centre  and  margin  It  has 
been  introduced  to  tht;  establishment  <>('  M.  T.in- 
deu,  from  Brazil. 


Callipsyche  aurantiaca.— An  Amarylli- 
daceous  bulb,  requiring  a  warm  greenhouse.  It 
throws  up  a  few  oblong-acute,  bright  green,  con- 
spicuously-veined, stalked  leaves,  6  inches  long, 
and  an  erect  scape,  which  is  nearly  2  feet  high, 
and  bears  an  umbel  of  several  spreading,  deep 
golden  j^ellow  flowers,  which  are  much  flattened 
sidewa3'S,  and  have  green  stamens,  which  are 
more  than  twice  the  length  of  the  perianth.  It 
was  obtained  by  Mr.  Wilson  Saunders  from  M. 
Linden,  who  received  it  from  South  America, 
but  the  exact  locality  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  stated. 

Callipsyche  MiRABiLis.— A  mo?t  remarka- 
ble Aniaryllid  from  Peru  It  is  a  warm  green- 
house bulb,  and  produces  about  two  oblong 
spathulatc  green  leaves,  a  foot  long,  and  a  scape 
."{  feet  high,  bearing  an  umbe  late  head  of  about 
30  small  pale  greenish  yellow  flowers,  with  sta- 
mens three  times  as  long  as  the  perianth,  and 
spreading  out  on  all  sides,  so  that  the  general 
contour  of  the  flower  head  may  be  compared  to 
that  of  an  expanded  parasol.     This  very  pecu- 


187 


THE    aAiWEMEB'S    MOJVTHLl. 


185 


liar  plant— more  curious  than  beautiful,  was  al 
so  received  bj'  Mr.  Saunders  from  M.   Linden 

Deutzia  cuenata  albo  plena.  — a  fine 
dwarf,  hardy,  deciduous  shrub,  which,  like  its 
allies,  is  valuable  for  forcing  It  resembles  the 
ordiunry  double  Deutzia  crenaia,  but  the  flowers 
instead  of  biiusj  jiinkish  are  pure  white,  both  in 
the  bud  state  aud  when  expanded.  The  same 
plant  appears  to  have  also  received  the  name  of 
candidissima.  It  is  a  Continental  garden  va- 
riety. 

Dorstexia  argentata.— a  pretty  variega- 
ted-leaved stove  herb,  having  an  erect  dull  pur- 
ple stem,  which  bears  numerous  oblong  lanceo- 
late leaves,  each  from  3  to  5  inches  long,  deep 
green  at  the  margin,  with  a  broad,  feathered, 
central,  silvery  band.  The  receptacles  of  the 
flowers  are  orbicular.  It  was  imported  from 
South  Brazil  by  "W.  Wilson  Saunders,  Esq. 

GoDWiNiA  GiGAS — The  largest  Aroid  known, 
whence  the  name  gigas.  It  has  a  tuberous  root- 
stock  upwards  of  2  feet  in  circumference,  a  sin- 
gle leaf,  with  a  thick  aculeolate  petiole,  which  is 
yellow,  beautifully  barred  and  striped  with  pur- 
ple, 10  feet  high,  and  terminates  in  a  broad  tri- 
chotomously  divided  supra-decomptnind  limb, 
nearl}'  4  feet  long,  the  ultimate  divisions  of  which 
are  coufluently  pinuutifid.  The  inflorescence 
succeeds  the  leaf,  and  consists  of  an  erect,  con- 
volute, leathery,  dark  colored  spathe  about  2  feet 
long,  blush-brown  outside,  brownish-red  within, 
supported  on  a  peduncle  3  feet  long.  Found  by 
Dr.  Seeraan  in  the  mountains  of  Nicaragua, 
whence  living  roots  were  sent  to  Mr.  Bull. 

Hyacintiius  candicans.— This  magnificent 
Liliaceous  bulb,  which  requires  greenhouse  treat- 
ment, is  so  totally  dissimilar  in  aspect  from  the 
ordinary  Hyacinth  as  to  raise  some  doubt  whether 


it  really  belongs  to  the  same  genus.  However 
this  may  be,  it  is  a  grand  plant,  with  large 
round  bulbs,  from  which  proceed  several  ovate- 
lanceolate,  sub-erect  leaves,  2i  feet  long,  re- 
curved in  the  upper  part.  The  flower  scape  is 
erect,  glaucous,  4  to  4^  feet  long,  including  the 
raceme,  which  is  a  foot  long,  and  consists  of 
from  15  to  20  large  drooping,  funeral  bell  shaped, 
pure  white  flowers.  It  is  a  native  of  South  Af- 
rica, whence  it  was  introduced  by  Mr.  Cooper  to 
the  collection  of  W.  Wilson  Saunders,  Esq., 
who  observes  :— "This  very  free-flowering  bulb 
is  of  great  beauty,  and  very  valuable  as  an  or- 
namental plant,  its  large  nodding  white  flowers, 
produced  in  an  elongated  spike,  giving  it  a  pecu- 
liar and  graceful  appearance."' 

Hyacinthus  princeps.  -  A  very  fine  green- 
house bulb,  with  the  general  habit  and  foliage  of 
H  candicans,  and  closely  related  thereio,  but 
less  ornamental,  having  broader  and  shorter  ra- 
cemes, and  smaller  greenish-white  flowers,  the 
segn^ents  of  which  are  spreading ;  the  flowers 
are  nodding,  but  the  capsules  become  erect.  It 
is  a  South  African  species,  and  has  been  intro- 
duced to  and  flowered  at  Kew.  Mr.  Baker  re- 
marks of  this  and  the  preceding:— "These  are  two 
magnificent  additions  to  our  list  of  cultivated  Li- 
liacese.  Although  so  different  in  habit  from  the 
previously  known  species  of  Hyacinthus,  the 
principal  technical  diflerence  is  in  the  much 
more  numerous  and  angular  seeds  As  we  have 
characterized  it,  Hyacinthus  includes  Belleval- 
lia,  Peribfea  and  Strangweia.  The  extremes 
difler  from  one  another  a  good  deal  in  the  shape 
of  the  capsule  and  the  number  of  seeds,  and  in 
the  insertion  and  shape  of  the  filaments,  but  we 
do  not  see  that  any  line  distinct  enough  to  sepa- 
rate genera  can  be  drawn." 


r  0  T^  E  T  G  N     INTELLIGENCE. 


DroQiNG  amongst  the  roots  of  Fruit  tries  are  not  progressing  as  well.  A  correspon- 
Trees.- Although  we  have  made  much  pro-  dent  of  the  London  Jour?iaU/ Horticw^ttre  com- 
gre88  in  America  the  Gardener's  Monihhj  tak-  plaining  that  his  fruit  trees  don't  bear,  the  Edi- 
\\vz  credit  therefor— towards  al)andoning  the  tor  thus  enlightens  him  as  to  the  causes  thereof : 
old  time  notions  about  digging  amongst  fruit  "The;  above  letter,  just  received,  describes  in 
trees,  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  other  coun- ;  forcible  language  the  state  of  many  gardens  aud 


186 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJVTHLy. 


June. 


individual  fruit  trees— trees  and  plants  growing 
luxuriantly,  and  bearing  little  or  no  fruit.     I  be 
liove,  in  tbe  majority  of  cases,  keeping  tbe  land 
loose  by  digging  and   forking   is   the   cause   of 
failure. 

Some  years  since  I  was  sent  for  by  a  gentle- 
man to  inspect  his  Peach  trees  (standards  plant 
ed  out  in  a  border  of  his  orchard  house),  which 
he  told  me  always  cast  their  fruit.  No  trees 
could  look  Ix'tter  ;  they  were  a.s  clean  and  healthy 
as  could  l)e  wished.  After  askintr  hia  gardener 
all  the  questions  I  could  think  of  as  to  the  man- 
agement, and  receiving  satisfactory  replies,  I 
all  at  once  thought  of  the  soil,  stamping  upon 
which  with  my  heel  I  found  it  almost  as  light  as 
a  feather  bed.  "How  is  this  ?"  I  asked,  know- 
ing the  gardener  had  often  been  to  see  my  trees, 
and  tliat  he  knew  the  borders  had  never  been 
disturbed  since  the  houses  were  built.     "Oh," 

he  said,  "Mrs will  have  winter  salads  grown 

here."  "Give  my  complimenlsthen,"  I  replied, 
"and  say  she  must  not  expect  Peaches."  The 
border  was  made  solid  and  kept  so,  and  there 
was  a  full  crop  the  next  season  The  fact  is  not 
80  easy  of  explanation  as  some  people  think,  but 
fruit  trees  like  solid  soil,  not  loose. 

That  difjaing  amongst  such  plants  as  Raspber- 
ries and  Strawberries  must  be  a  stupid  practice  is 
patent  on  the  least  consideration.  Why  manure 
a  piece  of  land  and  then  destroy  the  roots  seek- 
ing to  occupy  it  ?  When  the  roots  have  been  mu- 
tilated, how  can  the  plant  be  expected  to  bear 
drought  or  carry  fruit  ?  I  saw  at  Berry  Hill, 
near  Mansfield,  the  other  day,  a  large  bed  of 
Ilaulbois  Strawberries  with  as  much  fruit  as  any 
common  variety  might  be  expected  to  carry, 
and  this  on  light  land.  Other  varieties  were 
loaded  with  the  largest  crop  I  ever  saw  in  my 
life.  I  asked  Mr  Cope,  the  gardener,  how  Ihey 
had  been  mana<j:ed.  He  said  as  soon  as  the  crop 
was  gathered,  all  weeds,  runners  and  dead  foli- 
age had  been  removed,  and  the  ground  between 
the  rows  covered  with  a  very  thick  dressing  of 
manure.  The  rows  had  also  been  watered  two 
or  three  times  with  manure  water.  The  plants 
were  then  encouraged  to  make  a  strong  healthy 
growth  in  the  autumn.  The  whole  land  was 
full  of  roots,  and  covered,  as  the  surface  was 
with  the  remains  of  the  manure,  the  plants  had 
not  suffered  from  want  of  rain,  whilst  Strawber- 
ries in  th(!  neighborhood,  on  better  soil,  which 
had  been  dug  in  the  winter,  were  burning  up. 
Ram  the  soil  hard  whilst  dry  when  potting 
Vines,  Peaches,  or  any  other  fruit  trees,  keep 


fruit  tree  borders  solid  and  mulched  with  ma- 
nure, and  there  will  be  fewer  failures  in  fruit 
culture. 


Eugenia  ugni. — All  who  possess  orchard 
houses  should  procure  a  plant  or  two  of  this 
myrtle.  It  fruits  profusely,  and  possesses  the 
most  delicious  flavor  imaginable.  In  general 
appearance  it  bears  a  close  resemblance  to  the 
common  m}^rtle  (Myrtus  communis).  It  may  be 
propagated  freely  from  cuttings  of  the  young 
wood  in  a  moderate  heat. — Gardener's  Weekly. 


LiNUM  TRIGYNITM — The  following  about  a 
pretty  old  plant  often  seen  in  American  green- 
houses, is  from  the  Dublin  GrctrcZener'.s  Record 

"I  see  your  London  correspondent.  R  D.,  has 
mentioned  mj'  name  in  the  Gardener's  Record 
of  the  9th  of  April,  and  asks  if  I  would  say  some- 
thing about  the  manaiiement  of  that  fine  old 
winter-flowering  plant,  Linum  trigynum.  Then 
he  adds  : — 'I  know  Mr.  N.  Blanford  is  a  reader 
and  an  admirer  of  the  Gardener''s  Record.''  In 
this  statement  R.  1).  is  quite  correct ;  for  I  do 
both  read  and  admire  The  Gardenei  's  Record, 
and  where  is  the  gardener  that  does  not  after 
having  once  seen  it  ?  I  read  it  because  it  is  in- 
structive, truthful,  and  original ;  I  admire  it  for 
its  noble  object,  its  freedom  of  expression,  and 
its  decided  Christian  tone  ;  and  since  I  have  been 
a  reader  of  it,  I  nuist  own  I  am  brought  very 
near  to  the  heart  and  homes  of  the  Irish  people 
— "gardeners  at  all  events."  In  fact,  I  begin  to 
know  many  of  them  in  heart,  and,  as  the  increase 
of  friends  lends  to  the  increase  of  happiness,  I 
certainly  enjoy  more  intellectual  pleasure  through 
the  reading  of  its  pages. 

But  to  return  tf>  my  subject  Linum  trigy- 
num is  a  hard-wooded,  greenhouse  plant,  a  na- 
tive of  the  East  Indies,  introduced,  I  believe, 
about  1802.  My  plants  have  done  flowering, 
and  are  pruned  so  I  shall  just  mention  the  way 
that  I  treat  them  from  this  time -May  1st— till 
flowering  time  again. 

I  have  said  they  are  [jruned,  and  someof  j-our 
readers  may  ask  how  ?  By  shortening  the  last 
year's  wood  to  about  three  inches  ofl"  the  old 
wood.  And  then  I  put  them  out  by  the  side  of 
an  old  fence  with  a  lot  of  other  things,  such  as 
forced  roses,  weigelias,  &c.  ;  but  giv<!  them  very 
little  water  at  the  roots  till  they  make  new 
growth. — Then,  when  they  have  fairly  started 
into  growth,  the  young  wood  being  about  half 


1^71. 


THF.    GAnDEJVER'S    MOJVTHLy. 


187 


an  inch  long,  I  bring  them  to  the  potling  bench, 
turn  them  out  of  the  pots  and  examine  the  roots  ; 
if  healthy,  remove  a  little  of  the  old  soil,  then 
re-pot  them,  using  a  compost  of  sandy  loam,  two 
parts,  liixht  fibrous  peat,  one  part,  with  a  little 
sharp  sand,  and  a  pot  large  enough  to  allow  the 
soil  being  projierly  placed  round  the  ball 
of  the  plant.  If,  however,  the  roots  have  not 
well  filled  the  pot,  or  do  not  appear  to  he  in  a 
healthy  state,  I  leave  the  plant  in  the  same  pot 
f  )r  an  )ther  year,  in  the  former  case,  and  reduce 
into  a  smaller  in  the  latter.  The  plants  are  now 
put  inti)  cold  pit  with  azaleas,  Ac,  and  kept 
close  for  a  few  days.  But  I  do  not  allow  them 
to  remain  under  glass  longer  than  is  necessary 
to  give  them  a  fresh  start,  which  is  from  one 
week  to  three,  according  to  circumstances.  They 
are  again  placed  out  by  the  old  fence,  and  there 
remain  in  compai\y  with  anything  that  requires 
a  turn  with  the  syringe  in  the  evening  after  a 
hot  day  ;  till  having  time  in  the  autumn,  when  a 
cool  airy  place  in  the  greenhouse  is  allotted  them 
for  a  week  or  two.  And  now  the  finishing  stroke 
of  training  is  performed— a  good  syringing  with 
clean  water  against  the  underside  of  the  foliage, 
in  case  a  red  spider  should  be  lurking  there  ;  and 
I  take  them  to  the  conservatory  (for  conveni- 
ence) where  the  first  beautiful  yellow  flower 
makes  its  apjjearance  about  the  first  week  in  De- 
cember, and  the  plants  continue  to  flower  with 
me  till  the  latter  end  of  March,  when  they  are 
kept  rather  dry  at  the  root  till  opening  time 
again. 

A  little  care  is  required  in  watering,  all  through 
the  year.  Xow,  I  beg  to  say,  I  do  not  mean  to 
tell  others  what  to  do,  but  only  tell  them  what  I 
have  done,  and  been  successful. —N.  Bland- 
ford. 


Exhibition  Ferns.— The  London  Journal  of 
ITorticulture  says  : 

"Exotic  FEUNS.-Of  these  there  is  not  so  la  rge  a 
show  as  on  some  former  occasions,  but  the  want 
is  more  than  made  up  for  by  the  quality  of  those 
shown.  Mr.  Williams,  of  Holloway.  is  first  for 
nine,  with  large  and  fine  examples,  with  fronds 
of  the  greatest  freshness,  consisting  of  Cyathea 
dcalbata,  Todea  africana,  two  good  Gleichenias, 
Cibotium  Schiedei  furcans,  Dicksonia  squarrosa, 
Davallia  dissecta,  very  beautiful,  Dicksonia  ant- 
arctica,  and  a  particularlj'  fine  and  very  wide- 
spreading  Cyathea  princeps.  Messrs.  Bell  & 
Thorpe.  Paddock  Nursery,  Stratford-on- Avon, 
are  second  with  a  very  good  Bird's-nesl  Fern, 


and  small  well  grown  specimens  of  Cibotium, 
Alsophilas,  Blechnum  corcovadense,  &c.  Mr. 
J.  J.  Chater  is  third.  In  the  amateur's  class 
for  six,  Mr.  Baines  takes  the  first  position  for  a 
specimen  of  Gleichenia  speluncai  most  beauti- 
fully furnished,  and  measuring  nearly  5  feet  in 
diameter  ;  good  examples  of  Cyaihea  deal  ata 
and  medullaris,  Davallia  bullata  fine  ;  Daval- 
lia  tenuifolia,  and  a  fine  pan  of  Todea  superba. 
The  second  prize  goes  to  J  Mapplebeck,  Esq., 
Woodfield,  Moseley,  Birmingham.  The  first  of 
the  special  prizes  given  by  II  Giisewood,  Esq., 
was  awarded  to  Mr.  Wright,  gardener  to  C.  H. 
Crompton  Roberts,  Esq.,  Regent's  Park,  for  a 
collection  containing  a  beautiful  Adiantum  Far- 
leyense,  A.  cuneatura,  Cibotium  Schiedei,  Lo- 
maria  gibba,  Dicksonia  antarctica,  and  a  Cya- 
thea princeps.  Messrs.  Bell  &  Thorpe  are  sec- 
ond A  first-class  certificate  was  awarded  to 
Messrs  Wood  &  Ingram  for  a  new  variety  of 
Lomaria  nuda. 

The  best  pair  of  Tree  Ferns  are  from  Mr.  Wil- 
liams—viz., Dicksonia  antarctica,  and  Cyathea 
Smithii  about  12  feet  high  ;  the  second  best  come 
from  Mr.  C.  Walton,  Cowley  Road,  Walton,  and 
are  a  well  grown  pair  of  considerably  less  size, 
round  the  trunks  of  which  is  trained  white  va 
riegated  Ivy. 


Change  in  the  Habits  of  Bees.  — "That 
the  praises  I  have  vented  on  the  Californian  cli- 
mate are  not  exaggerated  may  be  inferred  from 
this  circumstance.  It  was  some  time  after  set- 
tlers had  flocked  here  from  other  parts  of  the 
American  continent  and  from  Europe  before  the 
honey-bee  was  introduced.  This  useful  little  in- 
sect soon  made  itself  at  home,  and  filled  hives 
with  honey.  After  a  year  or  two  had  elapsed, 
the  store  of  honeycomb  was  diminished  to  a 
minimum.  The  bees  found  that  as  flowers  were 
in  bloom  all  the  year  round,  there  was  no  neces- 
sity for  laying  up  a  large  su|)ply  of  honey  against 
a  barren  and  blossomless  winter  season.  Con- 
sequently, arrangements  had  to  be  made  to  deal 
with  the  bees  as  with  hens,  abstracting  the 
honey  in  small  portions  in  order  that  the  forma- 
tion of  tlu;  honeycomb  might  go  on  uninterrupt- 
(uUy.  Perhaps  it  may  prove  interesting  to  add 
what  I  have  learned  at  second-hand,  but  from 
unprejudiced  sources,  that  the  highest  eulogiums 
passed  upon  the  soil,  sky,  and  climate  of  Cali- 
fornia are  literally  applicable  to  Vancouver's 
Island  also  ;  and  that  if  Americans  arc  to  be 
congratulated  on  having  such  a  Garden  of  Eden 


188 


THE    GABDEJSTER'S   MOXTHLY. 


June, 


as  (California  among  the  States  of  the  Union,  the 
English  people  are  quite  as  fortunate  in  num- 
bering Vancouver's  Island  among  the  posses- 
pions  of  Great  Britain.  My  informants  were 
Americans,  who  did  not  conceal  their  desire  to 
substitute  in  British  Columbia  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  for  the  Union  Jack.  It  is  hardly  credit- 
able that  a  possession  so  valuable  should  be  al- 
most disregarded.  Those  who  are  concerned  in 
the  organization  of  emigration  from  England, 
might  do  their  fellow  countrymen  a  service  by 
investigating  the  advantages  of  settling  in  Bri- 
tish CoUmibia.  -  W.  F.  Rae,  in  Cot.  Gardener.'' 


Saponaria  ocymoides  should  not  be  class- 
ed with  Silene  pendula,  a  hardy  annual  of  a 
somewhat  weedy  nature,  though  well  adapted 
for  spring  gardening.  When  well  grown,  S. 
ocymoides,  seldom  attains  to  more  than  a  foot 
in  height ;  hence  should  be  encouraged  to  make 
as  much  growth  as  possible,  as  whatever  growth 
is  made  during  the  season  ultimately  becomes 
masses  of  dense  bright  rosy  pink  flowers,  which 
have  an  exceedingly  pretty  effect.— G.  Chronicle. 

Rhododendrons  for  the  Conservatory. 
— I  would  strongly  advise  those  who  have  plenty 
of  room  for  cultivating  the  tender  kinds, 
whether  in  several  small  houses  or  one  large  one, 
to  grow  the  following  :  ./i rboreum.,  deep  crimson. 
Ciliatum,  blush-white,  dwarf  and  compact  ;  one 
of  the  very  best  for  pots.  Countess  of  Hadding- 
ton, white  tinted  with  pale  rose  ;  flowers  very 
stout  and  waxy,  and  of  large  size  ;  grand  either 
Cor  pots  or  for  planting  out  in  the  conservatory 
border.  Formosum  grandiflorum,  pure  white  ; 
flowers  large  and  waxy,  and  produced  in  won- 
derful profusion.  Fragrantissimum,  pure  white, 
top  segments  spotted  with  deep  yellow,  and  ex- 
terior of  tube  stained  with  pale  rose  ;  a  hybrid 
between  Edgeworthi  and  Formosum,  combining 
the  delicious  fragrance  of  the  former  with  the 
fr(;e-flowering  qualities  of  the  latter  ;  the  flowers 
are,  moreover,  very  stout,  and  when  fully  ex- 
panded average  five  inches  in  diameter.  Jas- 
miniflorum,  pure  white  ;  flowers  very  similar  in 
shape  to  the  well-known  Stephnnotis  floribiinda, 
and,  like  that  fine  old  subject,  very  sweetly 
scented.  Princess  Ah-xandra^  of  a  similar  char- 
acter to  t.l»e  preceding,  but  the  flowers  are 
larger  an<l  hniirer  in  the  tube,  and  thi'  stamens 
are  jjink  wliicii  adds  considerably  to  the  beauty 
ot  thi;  flowers.  J'rinrcss  Jlclcnu,  also  in  tlw  wav 
of    Jasminiflorum,    but   the    flowers   are   much 


larger,  and  beautifully  tinted  with  rose.  iVuf- 
talli,  pure  white,  magnificent  when  in  flower, 
but  only  suitable  for  large  winter  gardens. 
Retusnm,  reddish  orange.  Veitcldamim.  white  ; 
flowers  large  and  stout,  with  fringed  margin. 
There  are  several  other  sorts  worth  growing, 
but  the  above  selection  includes  the  best  and 
most  distinct. 

The  proper  way  to  deal  with  this  section  is  to 
plant  them  out  in  the  conservatorj'^  border  where 
they  can  have  room  for  their  full  development. 
All  will  do  well  in  a  good  camellia-house,  and 
should  be  planted  alternately  with  them,  as  they 
commence  to  flower  just  after  the  principal 
bloom  of  the  camellias  is  past.  To  say  anything 
about  the  magnificent  appearance  of  large  speci 
mens  of  such  kinds  as  Arboreum  or  Xuttalli  is 
unnecessary.  Few  who  have  seen  the  grand 
specimens  of  the  former  in  the  conservatory  of 
the  Royal  Botanic  Garden,  Regent's  Park  or 
that  of  the  conservatory  of  the  Royal  Horticul- 
tural Society  at  South  Kingston,  will  readily  for- 
get the  extreme  grandeur  of  their  appearance 
when  in  bloom.  There  are  also  several  fine 
specimens  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  which  are 
loaded  with  magnificent  trusses  of  bloom  ever}' 
year. — T/ie  Gardener's  Magazine. 


Gooseberry  Show  at  Akroydon.  — The 
second  annual  gooseberry  show,  in  connection 
with  the  New  Town  and  Booth  Town  Allot- 
ment Gardens,  was  held  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
George  AV^ood,  Flying  Dutchman  Inn,  Akroy- 
don. It  was  a  complete  success,  and  reflected 
great  credit  on  the  exhibitors.  The  heaviest 
gooseberry,  weighing  20  dwts.  3  grs  ,  was  ex- 
hibited by  Mr.  Thomas  Murgatroyd.  The  first 
prizes  in  each  class,  with  the  weights  of  goose- 
berries shown,  were  the  following  :  Red  goose- 
berries, 16  dwts.  17  grs  ,  Mr.  John  Clayton  ; 
white  ditto,  12  dwts.  6  grs  ,  Mr.  .John  Clayton  ; 
green  ditto,  14  dwts.  15  grs  ,  Mr.  Thomas  Wat- 
son ;  yellow  ditto,  15  dwts.  7  grs.,  Mr.  John 
Clayton  ;  best  pair  of  twins,  10  dwts.  10  grs., 
Mr.  John  Clayton,  The  other  prize-winners 
were  Messrs.  J.  Clayton,  T.  Murgatroyd,  T. 
Watson,  T.  Barrett  and  .lames  Greenwood. 
One  or  two  fine  specimens  were  exhibited  for 
non-competition  by  Me-^srs.  Richard  Parker  and 
William  Town.  Mr.  Samuel  Sutclifle,  of  Oven- 
den,  olfieiated  as  weigher,  and  gave  general 
satisf;Vction.  —  Gai-dener's  Wtckht 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJSTTHLY. 


189 


Mr.  J.  G.  Veitch.— So  many  new  plants 
have  been  named  after  this  enterprisinfj  collec- 
tor that  the  followiuir  from  the  Gardener''s  Chron- 
icle will  have  ireneral  interest  : 

"John  Gould  Veitch  was  born  at  Exeter,  in 
April,  1839,  and  had,  therefore,  only  reached  his 
32nd  year.  He  was  at  an  early  age  initiated  in 
the  mysteries  of  the  nursery  trade,  and  took 
an  active  part  in  the  management  of  the  estab- 
lishment at  Chelsea.  It  was  in  April,  lv%0, 
almost  as  soon  as  he  had  attained  his  majority, 
that  he  started  on  his  voyage  to  Japan  and 
China,  whence  he  proceeded  to  the  Phillippine 
Islands.  The  result  of  this  journey  was  the  en- 
richment of  our  collections  with  many  choice 
plants,  amonor  which  the  lovely  Primula  cortu- 
soiclets  amcena  would  of  itself  form  no  mean  mon- 
ument to  his  memory.  Various  handsome  coni- 
fers, as  Abies  Jirma  and  Alcoquiana,  Crijptomeria 
elegans,  and  other  plants,  as  Lilium  auratum^ 
Ampelopsis  tricuspidata  {Veitchii^)  and  japonica, 
&c.,  were,  however,  also  obtained  as  the  fruits 
of  that  first  journej',  and  our  volumes  forl8G0-61 
contain  from  his  own  pen  the  interesting  record;* 
of  his  journeyings  and  discoveries  during  the  two 
years  wich  elapsed  previously  to  his  return  in  the 
spring  of  1862. 

The   spirit   of  enterprise,    and   the   desire   of 
making  discoveries,  which  prompted  him  at  the 
first  to  set   sail  for  Japan,  then  lately  made  ac- 
cessible to  Europeans,  did  but  slumber  for  a  sea- 
son, for  in  1864  we  find  him  again  en  route^  this 
time  bound   for  Australia  and   the  South  Sea 
Islands,  whence  he  returned  in  February,  1866, 
after   an  absence  of  some  eighteen  or  twenty 
months,   bringing  with  him  some  of  the  most 
beautiful  plants  of  modern  introduction  :  witnes.s 
the  numerous  richly  colored  forms  of  Croton  and 
Dracoena,  which  are  only  now  becoming  known 
Of  the  Crotons  alone  no  fewer  than  than  twenty 
iree  distinct  kinds  were  obtained;  and  of  Dra- 
coenas,    Tieyina,    Mnynijica^  Mooreana^   Chehoiii, 
Madeayi,  and  .several  others;  to  these  added  such 
distinct  and  popular  subjects  as  Acalypha  Wil- 
kesiana  (tricolor),  Antaran/hus  melancholicus  ru 
her,    (Joleus,    VeitcMi,    and    Gihsonii    the   more 
choice  and  valuable  Fandanus  Veitchii,  Aralia 
Veitchii,  and  many  others.     During   this  jour- 
ney, Cape  York  in  Northern  Australia  was  visi- 
ted, and  here  was  obtained  a  new  palm,  which 
has  since  been  dedicated  to  his  honor  under  the 
name  of  Veitchiu  J'Jiannlf.     The  record  of  this 
second  journey,  specially  interesting  as  referring 
to  many  little  known  and  rart-ly  visited  islands, 
will  be  found  in  our  volume  for  1866. 


In  the  early  part  of  18t)7,  Mr.  Veitch,  then 
recently  married,  was  taken  seriously  ill  with  an 
affection  of  the  lungs,  and  for  some  time  his  life 
was  despaired  of  He,  however,  rallied  under 
careful  treatment  and  the  potent  aid  of  his  in- 
domitable spirit,  and  though  subsequently 
obliged  to  winter  in  a  warmer  clime,  his  friends 
were  not  without  hope  that  his  life  might  have 
been  for  some  time  spared  to  them.  But  this 
was  not  to  be.  On  the  Oth  inst.,  hjemorrhasje 
from  the  lungs,  under  which  he  gradually  sank 
set  in,  and  he  expired  on  the  evening  of  the  13th 
inst.. at  his  residence  at  Coombe  Wood,  leaving 
behind  him  a  widow  and  two  boys  On  Thurs- 
day last  he  was  laid  beside  his  father  in  the 
Brompton  Cemetery,  having  been  borne  to  his 
grave  by  the  same  trusty  workmen  ;  some  of 
whom  had,  moreover,  assisted  to  carry  his  grand- 
father to  his  last  resting  place." 


LiNUM  TRTGYNUM— ^jioi/ier  Plan.— This   is 
a  fine  winter  flowering  plant,   a   native   of  the 
East  Indies.     It  is  often  treated  as  a  greenhouse 
plant,  and  it  is  said,  that  it  may,  durin"  sum- 
mer, be  grown  out  of  doors  ;  but   I  have  not 
had   it    to   do   well    in  either  situation      If  it 
is   expected   that   this   plant   should    give   that 
satisfaction  which  it  is  capable  of  i>ivin<'-,  it  must 
be  well  grown  during  the  summer  and  autumn 
months,  and  to  do  that,  it  will  require  warmer 
quarters  than  either  of  the  above.     The  cool  end 
of  a  moist  stove,  an  intermediate  house,   or  a 
close   pit  or  frame,  with  a  gentle  bottom  heat 
and  a  humid  atmosphere,  will  grow  it  well.     In 
such  a  situation,  a  partial  shading  from  the  mid- 
day sun  will  be  beneficial  during  the  brighter 
and  warmer  days  of  summer.     At  other  times 
and  seasons  the  plant  will  require  as  much  li<'ht 
as  it  can  obtain  to  ripen  the  wood   before  the 
approach  of  winter      A  temperature  of  from  65o 
to  75"  will  suit  it  during  summer,  and  from  50° 
to  60°  during  winter.     A  sharp  look-out   will 
have  to  be  kept  to  guard  against  the  appear- 
ance of  red  spider.     If  they  should  attack  the 
plant,   they   will,   in  a  very  short   time,    make 
fearful  ravages  ;  therefore  the  necessity  (if  for 
no  other  purpose)  of  a  moist  atmosphere  and  the 
daily  use  of  the  syringe.     It  strikes  very  freely 
from  cuttings  of  the  half-ripened  young  wood, 
any  time  during  the  autumn.     Cut  tings  In.serted 
from  the  end  of  July  to   the   middle  of  August 
will,  if  grown  on  in   heat,  make  nice  8lufi;°iud 
tlower  well  the  following  winter.     They  are  even 
when  small,  very  useful  and  effective,  with' their 


190 


TBE  GARDEJ^:ER'S  mojvtrly 


June, 


fine,  rich,  golden  flowers.  I  strike  them  singly 
in  small  thumb  pots.  As  soon  as  they  are 
rooted,  and  that  growth  has  commenced  in 
earnest,  I  pinch  off  the  top  down  to  three  or 
more  eyes,  according  to  strength  of  cutting.  As 
soon  as  the  buds  have  fairly  burst  into  leaf,  they 
are  shifted  into  throe  or  four  inch  pots,  using  a 
soil  composed  of  good  turfy  loam  and  peat,  in 
equal  parts  with  some  silver  sand.  After  shift- 
ing, a  slight  watering  through  a  fine  r^  se  will 
suffice,  just  enough  to  settle  the  fresh  soil  about 
the  balls  and  to  prevent  the  plants  from  flagging 
until  such  time  as  they  have  recovered  from  any 
check  which  they  may  receive  during  the  opera- 
tion ;  after  which,  a  little  weak  liquid-manure, 
at  least  once  a  week,  will  be  of  service.  The 
same  rules  hold  good  in  the  case  of  older  plants 
shifted  or  rc-potted during  the  spring.— C.  P.,  in 
Gardener'^s  Record. 


An  English  Gladiolus  Show. — The  follow- 
ing from  the  Dublin  Gardener''s  Htcord  des- 
cribes how  these  were  put  up  at  an  exhibition  in 
England  : 
The  thirty-six  spikes  were  arx'anged  in  two  box 
es,  each  having  three  lines  of  .■-ix  spikes  At  each 
end  of  the  front  line  lises  a  short  stout  brass  rod, 
about  eight  inches  in  height,  which  supports  a 
horizontal  rod  of  a  similar  character,  running 
the  length  of  the  box.  The  second  line  has  the 
rods  about  two  inches  higher  ;  the  third  or  back 
line,  still  higher  by  two  inches.  The  spike 
stands  in  a  zinc  tube  of  water,  as  in  the  case  of 
dahlias,  and  is  neatly  tied  to  the  horizontal  rods. 
The  boxes  are  also  nicely  covered  with  green 
baize.  It  is  an  ex<  client  mode  of  showing  this 
truly  superb  flower,  and  displays  the  spikes  to 
the  best  advantage.  In  the  arrangement  of  his 
flowers,  Mr.  Kelway  is  a  true  artist,  and  the 
most  is  made  of  each  individual  spike.  How 
largely  this  firm  cultivates  the  gladiolus  may  be 
inferred  from  the  fact  that  at  this  season  of  the 
year  they  are  found  exhibiting  at  all  the  leading 
shows.  On  Tuesday,  the  16ih,  I  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  awarding  them  a  first  prize  for  a  splendid 
eighteen  spikes,  at  Shejiton  Mallet,  in  Somerset ; 
and  the  next  day  they  were  exhibiting  at  Trow- 
bridge, in  Wiltsliire,  as  well  as  at  South  Kt  n 
sington.  The  following  were  the  thirty-six  va- 
rieties shown  at  the  the  exhibition  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society: — Homerc,  Ncemie^  Anim^ 
Cavovu,  Van  Dijck,  Stdtane,  Moiia  de  Jirrnjiiinrt, 
a  beautiful  variety,  the  petals  edged  with  pink, 
and  f(  athered  and  flaked  with  carmine  ;  Orphic^ 


very  fine  ;  Leonora^  Malilde  de  Landevouin^  Vir- 
gile,  Norma,  very  fine  ;  Due  de  Monibello,  very 
fine  ;  Prince  Imperial,  De  Humboldt,  very  fine  ; 
Schiller,  Newton,  rich  deep  crimson,  very  fine ; 
Lacepede,  a  very  fine  rose  colored  variety ;  Le 
Gouve,  very  fine  ;  Vilkda,  Eugene  Scribe,  very 
finely  feathered  ;  Formosa,  Eosivi,  very  fine  and 
beautifully  colored  ;  Stella,  Mayerbeer,  Elizabeth, 
James  Veifch.  Agnes  Mary,  Robert  Fortune,  very 
fine  ;  Madame  Desportes,  very  fine,  and  a  noble 
spike  ;  Freemason,  very  fine  ;  Rosa  Bonhevr,  Le- 
Titien,  Moliere,  very  fine  ;  Sjiectabilis  and  Mad. 
Vilmorin,  also  very  fine.  In  addition.  Messrs. 
Downie.  Laird,  and  Laing,  London  and  Edin- 
burgh ;  and  Messrs.  Stuart  and  Mein,  Kelso.  X. 
B.  among  Nurserymen  ;  and  the  Rev.  H.  II. 
Dombrain,  West  AVell  Vicarage,  Ashford,  and 
Mr,  Fry,  gardener  to  V.  Stuckey,  Esq.,  Lang- 
port,  among  amateurs,  showed  very  fine  also. 
As  a  gladiolus  exhibition  it  was  a  great  success, 
and  very  encouraging  for  the  future. 


LiLiUM  AURATUM.  — I  had  between  400  and 
500  seedling  varieties  of  this  glorious  Lilium  in 
flower  this  summer ;  and  being  nearly  all  in 
flower  at  one  time,  the  display  was  gorgeous  in 
the  extreme.  The  seed  was  sown  in  April, 
1866,  and  some  of  it  did  not  vegetate  that  year, 
but  formed  little  bulbs  in  the  soil  In  1867  they 
were  pricked  out  into  shallow  boxes,  the  soil 
being  peat  and  sandy  loam  ;  and  the  year  after, 
thej'  were  all  potted  singl}^  into  small  pots.  A 
few  of  the  plants  flowered  last  year,  but  the 
great  bulk  of  them  did  not  flower  till  this  season 
when  many  of  them  yielded  from  seven  to  eleven 
flowers  on  the  stem.  A  great  diversity  of  color 
and  of  form  was  to  be  seen  in  these  seedlings 
Many  of  them  had  a  broad  red  band  instead  of 
the  yellow,  which  changed  to  a  brownish  tint 
when  the  flowers  got  older.  Some  of  the  pods 
of  seeds  sown  were  crossed  with  L  speciosunt, 
but  none  of  the  seedlings  showed  the  reflexed 
shape  of  .sjjfcio.sion,  only  a  darker  spotting,  and 
the  red  band  in  several  which  have  been  marked 
and  crossed  again  this  year  with  a  very  dark  ciini- 
son  seedling  of  s2)eciosum.--Gardener''s  Record 


Never  sweep  a  gravel  walk  witii  an  old  broom. 
It  not  only  tears  the  edging,  but  it  also  scrapes 
up  the  walk  itself. 

Keep  a  journal  of  cardiuing,  with  memoran- 
dum of  wlien  everything  is  sown,  planted,  and 
cut  or  gathered  for  the  house  ;  with  as  many 
otiier  |>articulars  as  you  please. 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S    MOMTHLY. 


I9i 


HORTICULTURAL    NOTICES. 


PENNSYLVANIA  HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY, 

MAY   MEETING. 

In  consequence  of  the  immense  throng  which 
crowded  the  large  hall  on  tlie  April  meeting,  and 
which  made  it  very  difficult  for  any  one  to  see 
the  half  of  what  was  exhibited,  the  managing 
Committee  determined  on  a  grand  flank  move- 
ment, in  the  shape  of  a  pretty  heavy  charge  for 
admission  to  all  persons  not  members  of  the  So- 
ciety. We  are  sorry  to  say  this  brilliant  ma- 
n(euvre  was  a  complete  failure.  It  appt3ared  as  if 
the  whole  beauty  and  fashion  of  Philadelphia 
had  been  gathered  up  by  a  floral  whirlwind,  and 
then  poured  out  in  a  huge  mass,  for  the  especial 
sw^nping  out  of  the  unfortunate  Society.  Here 
were  to  be  seen  the  leading  politicians,  from  the 
popular  Collector  of  the  Port  down  to  members  of 
Citj-  Councils,  hob  nobbing  with  high  dignitaries 
of  the  church,  as  if  the  aflairs  of  the  other  world 
and  the  schemes  of  rulers  had  but  one  thing  in 
common.  Lawyers,  and  Merchants,  and  Doc- 
tors ;  forgetting  their  briefs,  and  prescriptions, 
and  account  books  ;  were  scattei-ed  amongst 
myriads  of  elegant  ladies,  and  seemed  of  no 
more  account  than  as  so  much  cement  in  a  pretty 
piece  of  mosaic  work  ;  and  as  for  the  ladies 
themselves,  all  we  can  hope  is  that  they  will  en- 
deavor to  take  somewhat  from  their  personal 
charms  and  attractions  As  it  was  that  night, 
the  Roses  became  jealous,  and  the  Lilies  paled  ; 
and  it  was  clear  that  in  the  interests  of  horticul- 
ture, the  managers  must  do  something  to  lessen 
the  popular  tide  of  entlmsiasm  which  is  setting 
in  towards  these  exhibitions.  However,  this  is 
their  business,  — ours  simply  to  note  for  our  dis- 
tant horticultural  readers  such  items  as  may  in- 
terest them. 

Our  note  book  opens  in  front  of  the  collection 
of  "Wra.  C.  Harris.  This  is  a  new  name  on  the 
roll  of  honor  connected  with  the  Penn.sylvaiiia 
Horticultural  Society.  From  the  past  and  pres- 
ent month's  exhibition,  this  gentleman  prom- 
ises to  take  liigh  rank  amongst  Philadelphia 
Florists.  Now  he  has  some  gems  in  the  Fuch- 
sia way.  One,  Elm  City,  was  grown  just  to  our 
taste.  Not  a  Mammoth  of  the  paiaiozoic  age, 
but  just  such  a  modern  little  pet,  that  would 
make  itself  at  home  as  well  on  a  dinner  table,  an 


,  in  a  grand  conservatory.  Not  over  two  feet  in 
!  height,  yet  regularly  conical,  and  with  hundreds 
of  pretty  semi-double,  crimson  and  red  flowers  ; 
it  was  all  one  could  desire.  Alfred,  a  light  red 
with  large  corolla,  also  distinguished  itself. 
Another  very  good  one  was  Symbol,  with  re- 
curved scarlet  sepals,  and  double  white  corolla. 
Here  was  also  a  nice  collection  of  double  Gera- 
niums, Madame  Lemoine,  and  E.  G.  Henderson, 
were  two  of  the  best ;  but  thei'e  is  too  much 
sameness  between  all  these  doubles. 

JSIr.  Smith,  gardener  to  Matthew  Baird,  Esq., 
had  a  circular  table  filled  with  plants — Rhodo- 
dendrons, Azaleas,  and  leaved  plants.  As  a 
"collection, "  altogether,  they  made  a  good  show  ; 
especially  an  Ixora  crocata,  was  to  many  some- 
what of  a  novelty. 

In  M».  Graham's  collection  we  noticed  a  very 
good  specimen  of  Guzmannia  nidularis.  With 
their  pineapple-like  leaves,  and  flowers  of  rich 
bracts  nestling  in  the  centre,  these  always  have 
an  interest  to  the  spectator.  One  of  his  best 
plants  was  Med/nella  maynifica,  which,  besides 
being  a  very  well  grown  and  striking  foliage 
plant,  had  several  fin*^usters  of  pendulous  pink 
blossoms.  Amongst  his  rarer  plants,  we  note  a 
Caladium  fulgens  in  the  way  of  the  old  C  bicol- 
or,  but  with  a  much  richer  tint  of  foliage.  His 
collection  of  Coleus  was  very  attractive.  There 
are  few  to  our  mind  more  effective  than  the  old 
C.  Verschafl'eltii,  unless  perhaps  one  in  this  col- 
lection, C.  aurea  marginata  m  ly  prove  to  be  so. 
From  the  old  garden  of  the  late  Peter  Raabe, 
was  a  collection  of  Iris,  received  recently  from 
Alsace  ;  also  a  double  white  anemone-leaved 
"butter  cup,"  which  we  think  has  not  hitherto 
been  in  cultivation  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Thos.  J.  Mackenzie  contributed  in  his 
collection  some  things  which  were  striking. 
Amongst  the  others,  a  well  grown  Hibiscus 
Cooperi,  for  instance,  with  tricolored  leaves,  was 
as  handsome  as  some  DracuMias  Fudiaia  au- 
cubcefolia  with  large  white  blotches  on  the  leaves, 
is  very  ornamental  under  greenhouse  culture.  A 
variegated  ivy-leaf— Duke  of  Edinburg— though 
evidently  not  a  true  ivy-leaf,  is  an  excelleni 
thing  ot  this  class.  Here  also  was  a  good  speci- 
men of  oi'  Aralia  Sieboldii,  which  though  not  in 
any  way  variegated,  is  a  striking  leaf  plant. 


19^ 


TRE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^'TBLY, 


June, 


Mr.  Newett,  gardener  to  H.  Pratt  McKean, 
has  as  usual  a  grand  collection,  with  many 
plants  as  well  grown  as  they  were  rare.  A  cy 
lindrical  plant  of  Clerodendron  Bnl/ouri^  2^  feet 
high,  had  some  hundred  of  its  crimson  and  white 
Howers.  Azalea  variegata,  usually  of  slow 
growth,  about  three  feet  high.  A  Begonia  ama- 
na  in  a  flat  pan  with  scarlet  flowers  and  dark 
green  leaves,  was  very  well  grown.  Phyllocac- 
tus  crenatus  had  three  expanded  cream  colored 
flowers,  about  6  inches  long.  A  pretty  pan  of 
I'anlcum  variegatum,  about  two  feet  over,  was 
also  very  well  done.  Agave  Jilifera,  a  curious 
dwarf  species  from  Mexico,  with  threads  like 
the  common  Yucca  filamentosa  is  a  striking 
kind,  and  very  valuable  for  some  forms  of  con- 
servatory decoration.  There  were  not  so  many 
rare  orchids  as  usual  in  the  collection.  There 
was,  however,  a  Cypripedium  barbatum  with 
three  flowers,  and  an  Acanthophippium  bicolor 
with  fourteen.  A  few  Pelargoniums  were  re- 
markably well  grown  for  Philadelphia;  they 
were  about  2^  feet  high,  and  nearly  as  thick, 
and  pretty  well  covered  with  flowers. 

Mr.  G.  Huster,  gardener  to  J.  B.  Heyl,  had 
some  very  fair  specimens  of  some  old  fashioned 
plants  That  beautiful  old  Cactus,  Epiphyllum 
Jenkinsii,  had  about  50  of  its  cup-shaped  scarlet 
flowers  ;  also  a  Begonia  Sandersii,  about  three 
feet  high,  well  flowered.  He  also  had  a  nice 
collection  of  Fuchsias. 

Mrs.  Bissett's  collection  had  more  well  grown 
ferns  than  any  other  collection  ;  amongst  these 
was  a  very  nice  plant  of  Cyrtoyoneuni  falcatum 
Amongst  ihe  other  plants  was  a  good  specimen 
of  the  delicate  leaved  MulUenbackia  rotundala,  or 
as  it  is  sometimes  called  in  greenhouses.  Polygo- 
num rotundatum.  It  is  a  neat  little  basket  plant. 

Mr.  II.  A.  Dreer  had  the  new  spotted  Calla, 
Kichardia  albo  maculata,  amongst  his  plants. 
His  Petunias  were  also  attractive  ;  so  also  were 
the  Fuchsias,  and  especially  Montrose  with  a 
very  narrow  red  tube,  and  large  double  white 
corolla. 

For  rare  and  lovely  plants,  the  collection  of 
Robert  Buist  is  always  sought.  Here  we  believe 
tor  the  lirst  time  in  Philadelphia,  Begonia  Bo- 
liviensis  was  exhibited.  The  leaves  are  "all 
right,"  but  the  pretty  pink  flowers  are  unlike 
the  conunou  styles ol  Begonias.  In  Ericas,  usu- 
ally so  hard  to  grow  Well  in  our  summer  climate, 
lu;  had  a  gootl  reprcsentalive  in  one  labeled 
"WeslphcUgi."  He  Imd  also  a  very  pretty  plant 


of  the  old,  liut  very  rarely  seen,  Mussienda  fron- 
dosa.     This  has  yellow  flowers,  in  shape  like  a 
short  and  thick  Manettaor  Bouvardia  which  are 
surrounded  by  large  white  bracts,  similar  to  the 
dark  red   ones   in   Poinsetta.     He   had   also  a 
Clerodendron    Balfouri,  about    four    feet   high. 
Plants  of  this,  either  larije  or  small,  were  in  most 
I  collections,  showing  how  popular  it  is  becoming 
}  as  a  spring  blooming  plant      Amongst  his  re- 
1  markably    well    grown    Geraniums,    we    noted 
i  Christine  Nosegay  as  one  of  the  best.     The  dou- 
ble Petunias  were  also  well  grovvn.     Indeed  it  is 
one  of  the  good  points  of  Buist's  plants,   that 
they  are  alwa3's  well  cultivated.     The  Pelargo- 
niums  were    particularly    fine,    and    attracted 
much   attention,   especially  a  dark  one.  Presi- 
dent Lambourg.     Among  his  other  rare  plants, 
which  are  acquisitions,   weie  Peristrophe    au- 
gustifolia,  and  a  variegated  Pampas  grass. 

Mr.  David  Fergusson,  of  Laurel  Hill,  had  a 
very  well  grown  Adamia  versicolor  am^g 
his  plants,  another  old  and  good  plant  seldom 
seen  ;  here  also  was  a  very  good  Clerodendron 
Balfouri,  besides  numerous  Azaleas  Verbenas, 
&c. 

From  Meehan's  Germantown  Xurseries  came 
a  collection  of  cut  hardy  shrubs,  &c.,— to  bloom 
early  in  May  Among  them  were  Spiroea  Ilee- 
vesii,  and  S.  Hookcriana  ;  Persian  white,  and 
common  lilac  ;  Tree  Paeony  ;  white  and  purple 
Wistaria  ;  Tartarian  Honeysuckle,  English  Bird 
Cherry.  Ilalesia  tetraptera,  and  Magnolia  pur- 
purea. 

The  cut  flowers  were  chiefly  exhibited  by 
Messrs.  Graham,  Huster,  and  John  Dick.  The 
presence  of  the  latter  gentleman  amongst  the 
exhibitors  was  taken  as  a  liap))y  sign  of  the 
times,  as  he  never  takes  his  place  among  things 
which  "don't  i>ay.  "  His  basket  of  cut  flowers 
was  well  worthy  of  a  first  ajipearance,  and  struck 
us  as  being  very  original  In  style.  Usually 
there  is  no  dillerence  in  the  kind  of  flowers  used 
tor  small  or  large  baskets.  This  was  a  large 
one,  and  the  flowers  selected  also  large,  such  as 
Callas,  large  Hoses,  trusses  of  Geraniums.  Yet 
gracefulness  was  imparted  to  it  by  a  liberal  use 
of  Deutzia  gracilis  anil  Heliotrope  The  bas- 
kets of  cut  flowers  exhibited  at  this  Society,  are 
usually  models  of  good  taste,  anil  this  one  of 
Mr.  Dick's  well  sustained  the  Society's  reputa- 
tion. 

Fruits  were  scarce.  Two  collections  of  forced 
Strawberries,  one  by  Mr.  Blair,  and  the  other — 
ver}  line  Triomphe  de  Gaud  IVom  Mr.  George. 
Hughes  of  Cluster  County.  1  ho.s  J.  Pullen,  of 
llightsti'wn,  had  .some  i)retty  white  Peaches,  the 
name  of  whieli  we  did  not  recognize. 

Tlie  \'eL;etable  department  was  very  well  sus 
tained  by  Air.  Huster  and  Mr.  Felten. 


She  dSitrdencr'^  p;DiitIiI]r, 

DEVOTED  TO 

Rorticitltare,    Arboriculture,    Botany    and    Rural    Affairs. 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEHAX. 
Old  Series,  Vol.  XIII.  JULY,     1871.  J^'ew  Series.  Vol.  IV.    No.  7. 


HIjN'TS    for    JULY. 


FLOWER  GAHDEiN"  AND  PLEASURE 
GROUND. 

We  suppose  by  the  time  this  page  gets  before 
the  public,  mauy  of  our  readers  from  the  large 
towns  and  cities  will  be  far  more  interested  in 
what  the  wild  waves  are  saying  along  the  lakes 
or  sea  shore,  than  in  anything  we  may  write 
here.  Yet  we  should  not  mind  so  much  their 
non-attendance  on  our  monthly  discourses,  if 
we  were  assured  they  did  not  neglect  the  lessons 
on  gardening  which  we  have  been  regularly  giv- 
ing them  ;  for  the  average  of  these  "  summer 
resorts"  are  a  disgrace  to  the  civilization  of  the 
age.  How  most  of  the  branches  of  tine  art  fare, 
we  shall  leave  other  tongues  to  tell,—  it  is  in  our 
province  to  refer  only  to  gardening,  aud  what 
this  is,  every  one  who  loves  a  plaut  or  tlower 
knows  !  But  we  hope  that  those  of  our  readers 
who  are  among  the  ''world's  people'' — the  world 
of  people  who  have  no  appreciation  of  the  great 
pleasure  or  love  of  art  in  nature  brings, — will 
endeavor  to  sow  better  seed,  aud  realize  a  better 
state  of  things.  It  is  really  wonderful  that  those 
who  start  these  summer  boarding  speculations, 
do  not  understand  how  much  more  profitable 
these  several  institutions  would  become  if  some 
attempt  at  tasteful  gardening  were  made  about 
their  establishments.  Animal  comforts  are  of 
course  essential.  A  good  table,  and  good  at- 
tendants can  by  no  means  be  dispensed  with  ; 
nor  perhaps  conveniences  for  quiet  walks  and 
fashionable  displays  ;  but  it  is  an  en-or  to  sup- 
pose that  the  average  American  is  all  animal  ; 
aud  this  we  are  assured  any  leading  hotel  or 
boarding  house  that  would  give  us  a  first-class 
garden,  in  addition  to  other  good  things,  would 
speedily  and  most  profitably  discover.      .^ 


But  we  will  say  no  more  about  those  who  are 
for  this  month  lost  to  us  ;  but  will  ofler  a  few 
words  to  thousands  who  are  enjoying  the  com- 
forts of  home  amidst  the  trees,  and  plants,  and 
flowers  their  own  hands  have  tended  ;  and  the 
beautiful  groups  of  trees  and  chaste  designs  of 
growing  shrubs  and  flowers  which  their  cultured 
brains  have  designed,  and  loving  nature  brought 
forth  for  them.  Under  some  cool  tree, — in  some 
shady  spot, — we  can  enjoy  some  part  of  a  good 
summer  life  in  our  gardens,  in  a  way  the  jaded 
'•health  seeker"  of  asummer  resort  never  knows. 
Aud  we  may  have  much  more  of  this  pleasure  than 
we  have,  it  wc  will  only  think  of  it  at  this  time. 
AVe  can  see  now,  as  we  sit  in  our  easy  chair  in 
the  light  of  the  setting  sun,  how  an  addition  here 
or  there  would  add  to  the  beauty  of  the  scene  be- 
fore us,  and  we  revolve  in  our  minds  what  par- 
ticular kinds  of  plants  would  produce  the  best 
eflects  in  our  suggested  improvements.  In  some 
parts  or  another  of  our  grounds  we  have  speci- 
mens of  all  the  popular  trees  and  shrubs,  so  that 
we  become  familiar  with  their  habits  and  ap- 
pearances ;  and  thus  know  at  once  the  uses  we 
can  put  them  to  in  our  proposed  improvements  ; 
and  we  note  them  down  while  the  ideas  stand 
fresh  bclore  us. 

Around  our  rustic  arbor  we  have  our  gay  flow- 
ers blooming  ;  and  far  away  in  the  distance  Mig- 
nonette and  other  fragrant  plants  set  out.  We 
resolve  to  correct  this  another  year.  Indeed  dis- 
tance does  increase  the  enchantment  which  a 
bed  of  massed  geraniums,  or  tastefully  arranged 
collection  of  Coleuses  or  leaf  plants  create, — but 
we  cannot  imitate  the  grand  Turk's  faithful 
slaves  in  wafting  the  sweet  odors  from  incense 
burning  censers,  in  a  better  way  than  by  plant- 


IDJf 


TEE    GARB  EMEU'S   MO^'THLY 


July, 


ing  these  sweet  things  close  about  our  fovorite 
evening  loungins  places.  In  vines  for  such  ai'- 
bors  ■wc  can  have  an  odorous  succession  durinc 
the  whole  year.  "\Vc  commence  with  Alcthia 
qiiinata,  which  during  April  and  May.  give  the 
fragrance  of  orange  blossoms. — not  so  powerful 
it  is  true,  but  yet  pleasingly  delicate.  "With 
June  comes  in  the  American  Wisteria,  Glycine 
frutefcens,  and  if  a  bunch  or  two  of  Philadelphns 
coronarius,  the  sweet  ^lock  Orange,  and  the 
common  Lilac  be  set  about  outside,  the}*  fill  in  a 
few  days  of  interregnum  between  these  right 
royal  things.  The  Honeysuckles,  however,  soon 
I-qIIow  June  Roses,  and  these  in  turn  succeeded 
by  sweet  Clematis  and  Jasmines,  make  these  re- 
tired seats  odorous  throughout  the  year. 

It  will  also  be  well  at  this  season  to  make 
notes  of  those  things  which  we  find  to  stand  the 
summer  heats  and  droughts,  and  yet  flower  well. 
The  Gladiolus  is  now  very  popular  as  one  of 
these  plants.  TheTriloma  uvariais  not  so  well 
known,  but  quite  as  beautiful. 

The  time  is  coming  when  transplanted  trees 
of  the  past  Fall  and  Spring  will  sutler  more  than 
during  any  other  part   of  the  season.     If  they 
show  a  vigorous  growth  of  3oung  wood,  no  dan- 
ger need  be  apprehended,  as  it  indicates  that  the 
roots  are  active,  and  can  supply  all  the  mois- 
ture the  foliage  calls  for  ;  but  if  no  growth  has 
been  made,  no  roots  have  been  formed,  and  the 
leaves  are  living  for  the  most  part  on  the  sap  in 
the  wood  and  bark,  and  hot,  drying  weather  will 
tell  with  injurious  ellect  on  such  trees.     This  is 
generally  first  shown  by  the  peeling  off  of  the 
bark  ou  the  southwestern  side  of  the  tree,— -the 
mo.'^t  drying  aspect ;  and  where  such  exhaustion 
appears  probaLle,  much   relief  may  be  atlbrded 
by  cutting  back  some  of  the  branches,  syringing 
with  water,  occasionally,  shading  the  treis  where 
practicable,  or  wrapping  the  trunk  in  hay-bands, 
or  shading  the  southwest  with  boughs  or  boards. 
Plants  set  against  walls  and  piazzas  frequent- 
ly sutler  from   want   of  water  at   this  season, 
when  even  ground  near  them  is  quite  wet.  Draw 
away  the  soil  around  each  j)iaut  so  as  to  form  a 
basin  ;  fill  in  with  a  bucketful  of  water,  allowing 
it  time  to  soak  gradually  away,  and  when  the 
surface  has  dried  a  little,  diaw  in  loosely  the  soil 
over  it,  and  it  will  do  will. out  water  for  some 
weeks.     This  applies  to  all  plants  wanting  wa- 
ter  through    the   season.     If  water    is   na-rely 
poured  on  the  surface,  it  is  made  more  compact 
by  the  weight  of  water,  and  the  harder  the  soil 


becomes,  the  easier  it  dries  ;  and  the  result  is, 
the  more  water  you  give  the  more  is  wanted. 

Keep  the  pruning  knife  busy  through  the  trees 
and  shrubs,  with  the  object  of  securing  good 
form.  Judgment  will  soon  teach  one  which 
shoots  would  spoil  the  shape  if  not  taken  out. 

In  most  knuls  of  soil  the  keeping  the  surface 
loose  by  hoeing  and  raking  in  dry  weather,  will 
be  an  excellent  method  of  keeping  the  main  body 
cool  and  moist.— admitting  the  air,  which  is  a 
good  non-conductor.  In  soils,  however,  which 
are  deficient  in  loam,  and  in  which  sand  prevails 
to  a  great  extent,  frequent  stirrings  have  a  dry- 
ing tendencj',  and  a  mulching  of  short  grass,  or 
decaying  vegetable  matter  of  any  kind,  will  be 
found  very  useful  around  transplanted  trees, 
shrubs  and  other  things. 


FRUIT  GARDEN. 

People  sometimes  are  anxious  to  get  rare  kinds 
of  strawberries  to  fruit  early,  and  hence  planta- 
tions are  made  in  the  fall.  For  general  crops 
Ave  think  there  is  not  much  gained  by  fall  plant- 
ing. In  the  case  of  rare  varieties,  however,  it 
is  often  worth  a  little  extra  trouble  to  do  things 
well.  The  best  way  to  proceed,  is  to  get  small 
pots  with  rich  earth,  and  sinking  them  in  the 
ground,  layer  runners  into  it.  Such  plants  be- 
come very  strong,  and  can  be  transplanted  from 
the  pots  without  injuring  the  roots,  and  will 
make  strong  stocks  which  will  fruit  very  well 
next  year.  We  raised  some  excellent  President 
Wilder's  this  way  last  year,— of  course  the  re- 
sult was  not  sufficient  to  enable  one  to  form  an 
opinion  of  its  whole  character  ;  but  we  may  say, 
that  in  spite  of  the  excesisively  hot  weather,  it 
has  turned  out  remarkably  well.  In  regard  to 
the  best  strawberries,  it  is  remarkable  that  the 
bulk  of  all  the  thousands  of  bushels  which  come 
to  the  Philadelphia  market  is  still  Albany  Seed- 
ling. Amongst  amateurs  thei'e  is  no  one  that 
carries  universal  supremacy  with  it,  as  personal 
taste  dictates  the  favorite.  But  certainly  those 
Avhich  are  grown  the  most  extensively  are  Green 
Prolific,  Triomphe  de  Gand,  Jucunda,  Agricul- 
turist and  Downer's  Prolific. 

The  thinning  of  fruit, — watching  of  insects, 
especially  the  borers  in  Dwarf  Pears,  C^uince, 
Ajiple  and  I'each, — and  summer-pruning  are  the 
main  subjects  of  attention  at  this  particular  sea- 
son. Where  the  soil  is  not  very  good,  as  maybe 
noted  by  a  weak  growth  of  the  trees,  a  surface 
manuring   may  be  yet   given   with  advantage. 


1671. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOMTULY. 


195 


Every  day's  experience  more  decidedly  shows 
the  great  advantages  to  the  pomologlst  of  this 
method  of  applying  manure. 

It  used  to  bo,  and  is  yet  to  a  great  extent,  the 
recommendation  of  writers  to  cut  away  raspber 
ry  canes  as  soon  as  they  have  borue  fruit  \  fruit- 
growers know  better  know.  The  slight  shade 
these  old  stalks  afford,  is  agreeable  to  the  new 
growth  which  is  to  bear  next  year. 

In  regard  to  training  fruit  trees,  this  is  the 
most  important  month  in  the  year.  If  a 
shoot  appears  where  it  is  not  wanted,  pinch 
it  off,  this  throwd  the  sap  into  other  direc- 
tions where  strength  and  vigor  is  desired.  A 
good  summer  pruner  does  not  leave  much  to 
be  done  in  the  winter  time. 

The  time  when  currants  and  gooseberries  mil- 
dew and  drop  their  foliage  is  at  hand.  Some 
have  found  a  mulch  of  salt  hay  to  be  good  against 
these  troubles,  but  in  fact  anything  that  cools 
the  surface  and  thus  helps  to  keep  the  atmos- 
phere about  the  plants,  is  good.  A  heavy  mulch 
of  old  corn  stalks  we  have  found  to  be  excellent 
lielp  to  success  in  growing  these  fruits. 


VEGETABLE  GARDEN. 

Preparations  for  the  Celery  crop  is  one  of  the 
chief  matters  in  this  department  at  this  season. 
Xo  plant,  perhaps,  requires  a  richer  soil  than 
this,  and  of  all  manures,  well  decayed  cow  dung 
is  found  to  be  the  best.  After  so  many  trials 
with  different  ways  of  growing  them,  those  who 
have  their  own  gardens,— amateurs,  for  whom 
we  write,  — find  that  the  old  plan  of  sinking  the 
plants  in  shallow  pils  is  about  ihe  best.  Trenches 
are  dug  about  six  inches  deep,  and  three  or  four 
inches  of  manure  then  dug  in,  of  which  cow  ma- 
nure is  the  best.  They  can  be  watered  better 
this  way  in  dry  weather,  when  in  these  trenches, 
and  it  is  so  much  easier  to  fill  the  earth  about 


them  for  blanching  purposes  than  when  grown 
on  the  level  surface.  Salt  in  moderate  doses  is 
usually  a  wonderful  special  fertilizer  for  the 
Celery  plant. 

Late  Cabbage  is  often  planted  in  gardens  be- 
tween rows  of  potatoes,  where  it  is  an  object  to 
save  space.  Some  fancy  that  the  Cabbage  is 
better  preserved  in  this  way  from  the  Cabbage- 
fly,  which  they  say  prefers  the  potato  ;  but  on 
this  point  we  are  not  sure.  We  do  not  think  the 
('abbages  do  quite  as  well  as  when  they  have  the 
whole  ground  to  themselves  ;  but  of  course  a 
double  crop  could  not  be  expected  to  be  quite  so 

fine. 
Tomatoes  trained  to  stakes  give  the  sweetest 

fruit,  and  remain  in  bearing  the  longest ;  but 

many  cultivators  who  grow  for  size  and  quantity 

only,  believe  they  have  the  best  results  when 

growing  them  on  the  level  grotmd. 

For  winter  use,  Beets  are  occasionally  sown 
now,  and  also  Cucumbers  for  pickling  purposes  ; 
but  not  often  ;  and  at  any  rate  it  must  be  at- 
tended to  early  in  the  month. 

The  Lettuce  is  another  cool  country  plant.  It 
can  only  be  grown  well  in  hut  weather  when  in 
verj'  rich  and  cool  soil. 

Bush  Beans  may  also  be  sown  for  late  crops. 
A  very  deep  rich  soil  is  necessary  to  tender,  crisp 
pods.  The  Lima  Bean  will  now  be  growing 
rapidly.  It  is  time  well  spent  to  tie  them  up  to 
poles  as  they  grow.  The  poles  should  not  be  too 
high  :  about  eight  feet  is  enough.  They  com- 
mence to  bear  freely  only  when  the  top  of  the 

pole  is  reached. 

In  many  amateurs'  gardens  late  Peas  are 
valued.  It  is  essential  that  they  be  planted  in 
the  coolest  part  of  the  ground.  The  Pea  is  a 
cool  co\intry  plant,  and  when  it  has  to  grow  in 
warm  weather,  it  mildews.  The  Marrowfat 
class  are  usually  employed  for  late  crops.  They 
need  support.  All  Peas  grow  better  and  pro- 
duce more  when  grown  to  stakes. 


COMMUNICATIONS 


AZALEAS  AND  TIII0D(3DENDR0XS    OF    long  desire  to  see  the  Belgian  Azaleas  and  Rho- 

BLOOMSDALE.  I  dodendrons  in  their  prime  of  blossom,  which  arc 

BY  WALTEK  ELDER,  LANDSCAPE  GARDENER,    growu  SO  successfully,  and  the  varieties  so  nu- 

PHiLADA.  '  merously  in  the  open  air,  in  the  chaste  pleasure 

la  the  third  week  in  May  last,   I  satisfied  a  '  grounds  of  Bloomsdale,  belonging  to  the  distin- 


196 


THE    GARDEJYER'S   MOJ^TULY, 


July, 


guished  seed  growers,  David  Landreth  &  Son. 
Large  numbers  of  the  large  j)lant8  were  in  full 
bloom  ;  some  beginning  to  fade,  ivliile  others 
were  breaking  their  blossom  buds,  and  showing 
their  colors.  I  was  so  much  delighted  with 
the  beauty  of  the  individual  varieties,  and  the 
splendor  of  the  whole,  that  I  cannot  rightly  de- 
scribe them.  The  Azaleas  were  completely  cov- 
ered with  blossoms  with  various  hues  of  red, 
scarlet,  rose  and  pink,  white,  yellow,  buft'  and 
orange.  Here  are  a  few  of  the  names  I  noted, — 
aurant,  coccinata,  rosa  penensia,  Utolfe,  Prin- 
cess Mariana,  Midas,  viscosa  splendens,  Julius 
Cfesar,  hybrid  odorata  (Van  Ilartwig  is  ever- 
green with  a  profusion  of  blooms.) 

The  Rhododendrons  were  of  more  numerous 
shades,  from  deep  crimson  to  scarlet,  rose  and 
pink  deep,  to  pale  purple,  and  various  shades  of 
lilac,  pure  white,  and  Avhite  shaded  with  pale 
vello»v  and  pink.  The  individual  blooms  were 
all  large,  and  the  heads  or  trusses  were  great 
masses  of  beauty,  and  looked  most  rich.  We 
have  never  seen  anything  of  out  door  growth  so 
very  splendid  and  delightful. 

Mr.  Landreth  has  furnished  a  lesson  in  orna- 
mental gardening  worthy  of  all  praise  and  ex- 
tensive imitation.  Very  many  of  the  species  re- 
semble the  Fonticum,  both  in  blossom  and  foli- 
age ;  those  of  crimson  and  pui'C  white,  are  all 
equally  as  hardy  the  others.  Here  are  a  few  of 
the  names  1  wrote  down  on  the  spot :  purpureuni 
ele"ans,  roseum  superbum,  grandifloia,  candid- 
issimum,  Catawbiense,  coeleslinum,  Everesti- 
anum,  John  Waterer,  alba  delicatissimum,  Rus- 
selianum,  atro-sanguineum,  Rembrandt,  Sir 
Isaac  iSiewton,Gem,rontica  elegaus,ferruginium 
speciosum  ;  many  of  the  large,  old  bushes  were 
only  with  colors  named,  as  I'ullows  :  pure  white, 
deep  crimson,  dark  purple,  deep  rose,  dark  lilac, 
deep  pink,  pale  pink,  bright  scarlet,  &c. 

A  rurjile  Ikcih  tree  near  to  the  mansion,  is 
45  i\  et  high,  and  the  diameter  of  its  spreading 
branches  is  40  feet.  A  perfect  model  of  symme- 
try ;  almost  hemispherical. 

A  M'ffi'iMf/  Elm  tree  is  five  feet  high,  and  the 
diiimeter  spread  of  its  branches  is  thirteen  feet, 
and  very  dense. 

Thrie  hundred  new  Azaleas  and  Rhododen- 
drons were  imported  and  set  out  last  spring,  all 
a  loot  high  ;  and  many  of  them  were  in  bloom 
during  our  visit.  Eiglitein  new  J/t//?// trees,  and 
six  new  Junipers  have  also  been  imported  and 
fact  out.     There  are  some  thrifty  i»lants  of  £nca 


scoperia  pumila.  One  of  the  large  glasshouses 
was  almost  filled  with  (Jalceolnrias  nnd  Cinera- 
rias grown  for  their  seeds  the  varieties  most  su- 
perb ;  we  never  saw  their  equal. 


HOW  TO  GROW  PEARS. 

BY  J.  AV.  ADAMS,  SPRINGFIELD,  MASS 

Mr  Adams  scuds  us  the  following  excellent 
paper.  It  has  already  appeared  in  the  JVeio  En- 
gland Uomesteacl,  but  is  none  the  worse  for  hav- 
ing been  published  in  that  excellent  paper: 

The  jjroper  cultivation  of  this  universal  fa- 
vorite is  more  frequently  the  subject  of  discus 
sion  than  that  of  any  other  fruit.  Successful 
growers  of  apples  and  other  fruits  so  often  fail  in 
their  attempts  to  raise  pears,  that  they  regard  the 
favorable  results  of  their  friends  as  a  mystery, — 
the  effects  of  a  dear-bought  recipe,  to  them  kept 
secret.  Their  extensive  cultivation,  especially 
in  the  Northern  States,  has  seldom  been  at- 
tempted ;  butthose  most  successful  in  raising 
them  are  most  desirous  of  extending  their  cul- 
ture and  improving  their  qualities. 

To  discuss  the  merits  of  the  various  theories 
and  practices  of  different  cultivators,  would  re- 
quire more  time  and  space  than  we  can  at  pres- 
ent devote  to  the  subject.  From  the  widely  dif- 
ferent modes  of  treating  this  fruit  tree,  an  out- 
line of  the  course  suggested  by  our  own  experi- 
ence and  observation  ^will,  we  feel  assured,  prove 
satisfactory  in  similar  circumstances. 

It  cannot  be  far  from  correct  that  every  cli- 
mate and  soil  which  will  grow  corn,  can  be  made 
to  grow  pears.  Soils  which  are  of  a  strong,  gra- 
velly texture,  with  some  clay  intermixed,  ap- 
pear to  be  best  adapted  to  produce  fruit  of  the 
highest  excellence.  Varieties  which  flourish  on 
the  quince,  do  exceedingly  well  in  a  soil  rather 
moist  •,  but  any  soil  not  inclining  to  be  dry,  with 
good  culture  Avill  produce  fine  fruit,  either  on 
the  pear  root  or  quince.  It  must,  however,  in 
either  case,  be  deep  and  rich,  as  success  can  be 
obtained  on  no  other  condition. 

Whether  pears  succeed  best  on  the  quince  or 
on  their  own  roots,  is  a  question  frequently 
asked.  "I  do  not  want  any  more  of  your  dwarf 
trees,''  said  a  driving  farnu'r,  '  they  get  broke 
down  with  the  snow,  and  break  otf  where  they 
grafted.  They  are  good  for  nothing  ;  too  short- 
lived. I  want  something  notafraid  to  hold  their 
heads  up  ;  some  good  large  standards,  as  you 
you  call  'em.  If  they  don't  bear  in  my  day,  my 
arandchildren  will  have  something  to  remember 


U70. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJVTELY, 


197 


me  b3%  and  I  shall  get  some  credit,  if  no  pears." 
"If  I  can  have  only  one  style  of  tree,"  says 
our  city  gardener,  "I  would  sooner  take  the 
dwarf.  It  takes  very  much  less  room,  and  you 
can  have  a  greater  variety,  and  get  pears  in  a 
year  or  two  after  they  are  planted.  I  have  gath- 
ered two  bushels  of  as  handsome  Louise  Bonne's 
as  were  ever  seen  in  market ;  and  the  tree  had 
been  planted  only  six  years  last  spring.  And  I 
have  a  dozen  more  trees  in  my  garden,  all  dwarfs 
and  planted  at  the  same  time,  that  you  could 
not  buy  for  fifty  dollars  apiece  " 

It  is  not  to  be  wondered  that  tyros,  who  come 
in  contact  with  either  of  the  zealous  representa- 
tives of  these  different  methods  of  pear  growing, 
should  become  at  the  outset  as  decided  in  their 
preferences  as  a  young  politician,  who  i-eads  one 
political  paper.  In  this,  as  in  many  other  theories, 
truth  is  found  between  two  extremes.  It  is  as 
well  ascertained  that  the  Duchess  does  adnnra- 
blj^  on  the  quince,  as  that  the  Bartlett  will  flour- 
ish best  on  the  pear  stock.  The  Duchess  cannot 
be  grown  advantageously  on  the  pear  ;  and  the 
Bartlett  will  not  unite  well  nor  flourish  on  the 
quince.  But  we  venture  an  opinion  that  few 
lovers  of  pears  would  be  willing  to  leave  either 
of  these  choice  old  varieties  out  of  their  collec- 
tion. 

'I'he  first  requisite  is  a  rich  and  mellow  soil. 
If  moist,  it  must  be  underdrained.  We  do  not 
mean  by  richness  any  such  quality  of  soil  as  the 
farmer  describes  when  he  speaks  of  his  best  corn 
lands,  or  grass  fields,  or  even  his  garden.  One 
of  the  pear  growers  in  Massachusetts  plowed  a 
certain  lot  ten  or  twelve  times,  as  deeply  as  pos- 
sible, and  applied  thoroughly  decomposed  com- 
post half  as  many.  The  trees  had  been  planted 
three  years,  and  had  made  a  growth  of  four  to 
six  feet  in  one  season  on  the  leading  shoots. 
This  extravagant  mode  of  enriching,  succeeded 
by  a  like  excessive  growth,  is  so  unlikely  to  be 
imitated,  that  we  need  not  caution  our  readers 
in  this  direction.  Our  fear  is  that  sufficient 
nourishment  will  not  be  provided  to  produce 
satisfactory  results. 

Next  in  importance  is  the  selection  of  the 
trees  ;  and  in  no  particular  is  the  novice  likely 
to  err.  The  variety,  size,  form  and  health  of 
the  tree,  are  points  about  which  he  can  inform 
himself  only  by  years  of  observation  and  experi- 
ence. Trees  slightly  crooked  are  certain  to  be- 
come of  suflicient  size;  but  they  arc  often  re- 
jected for  such  as  are  perfectly  symmetrical,  but 
defective  in  other  respects,  when  examined  by 


the  experienced  grower.  And  this  demand  for 
perfectly  formed  trees,  as  if  manufactured  to  or- 
der at  some  umbrella  establishment,  has  a  ten- 
dency to  induce  the  growth  of  certain  straiglit, 
vigrous  growing  sorts  by  nurserymen,  to  the 
exclusion  often  of  better  varieties,  which  are 
straggling  and  crooked  in  their  habits, — as  the 
Winter  Nelis.  Varieties,  too,  are  often  selected 
which  it  is  as  unwise  to  plant  as  it  would  be  to 
attempt  to  grow  the  fig  or  the  apricot ;  and  the 
more  experience  a  gardener  has  in  this  depart- 
ment, the  more  caution  and  care  will  he  exhibit 
in  his  recommendation  of  sorts. 

Planting  when  the  ground  is  thus  thoroughly 
prepared,  is  very  quickly  and  easily  performed. 
The  holes  for  the  reception  of  the  tree  should  be 
wide  and  deep  enough  to  receive  the  roots  with- 
out bending.  Braijches  that  are  too  luxuriant 
are  checked  by  simply  bending  them  downward. 
In  like  manner  a  sliort  curve  of  the  roots  from 
their  natural  position  will  prevent  growth  and 
weaken  the  tree.  Deep  planting  is  yet  more  fa- 
tal in  its  effects.  Even  the  dwarf  tree  on  the 
quince  should  not  be  planted  as  low  as  is  recom- 
mended by  some  writers.  It  is  sufficiently  deej) 
ifthe  stock  is  covered.  The  greater  facility  of 
operating  has  induced  some  nurserymen  to  graft 
the  quince  at  too  great  distance  from  the  ground. 
When  planters  understand  their  interest,  the 
practice  will  be  discontinued  for  want  of  pur- 
chasers, as  trees  grown  in  this  way  seldom  pro- 
duce satisfactorily. 

Various  methods  of  staking  are  adopted  to  pre- 
vent the  newly  planted  tree  from  being  blown 
about  by  the  winds,  an  important  item,  suffici- 
ently understood.  Watering  is  seldom  necessa- 
ry, and  as  usually  performed  is  injurious.  At 
the  time  of  planting,  it  may  be  applied  very  soon 
after  the  roots  are  covered,  but  the  final  layer  of 
earth  should  be  thrown  on  dry  and  light,  to  pre- 
vent evaporation.  Every  one  must  have  noticed 
how  much  sooner  and  deeper  a  hard  road  dries 
or  freezes,  than  lightly  plowed  land  ;  and  water- 
ing the  surface  very  soon  hardens  the  soil,  when 
it  resists  the  action  of  dews  and  becomes  parched 
and  cracked,  thus  producing  the  dryness  so  im- 
portant  to  prevent.  It  is,  however,  sometimes 
necessary  to  resort  to  artificial  watering,  to  save 
the  life  of  the  tree,  and  the  more  nearly  we  imi 
tate  the  natural  showers,  the  greater  will  be  our 
success.  We  have  several  times  saved  very 
valuable  trees  by  sprinkling  the  top  with  a  gar- 
den engine,— the  best  method  we  have  ever 
adopted  for  this  purpose.     Very  good  results 


198 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S   MOKTELl, 


July, 


may  be  obtained  by  simply  removing  the  earth 
nearly  to  the  surface  roots  and  applying  a  large 
quantity  of  water  at  once, — onlj*  in  as  gradual  a 
manner  as  possible.  AVhen  a  barrel  of  water 
has  thus  been  absorbed,  the  soil  may  be  re- 
placed, and  no  more  water  applied  for  several 
days  or  weeks. 

Mulching  with  any  substance  that  will  keep 
the  ground  moist,  is  of  great  importance.  Where 
various  materials  can  be  had,  preference  should 
be  given  to  those  of  an  enriching  nature,  and 
the  mulching  should  be  kept  on  in  winter  as  well 
as  in  summer.  In  young  apple  orchards,  if  this 
Avere  allowed,  danger  would  arise  from  the  dep- 
redations of  mice,  but  pear  trees  are  seldom 
troubled  by  this  vexatious  quadruped.  Offen- 
sive substances  are  sometimes  applied  to  guard 
or  preserve  them.  Alkalies  and  various  other 
substances,  at  proper  times  and  proportions, 
benefit  the  tree  also,  b}-  producing  thrift  and 
preventing  insects.  But  application  of  coal  tar 
or  oily  substances,  should  never  be  made  to  a 
growing  tree. 

At  the  time  of  planting,  the  tree  requires  more 
or  less  pruning  and  shortening  of  the  bi-anches. 
You  will  never  need  to  caution  the  nurserymen 
about  giving  you  too  many  roots.  It  would  be 
better  to  ask  him  to  send  the  roots  with  the  tops, 
and  have  them  packed  in  the  most  approved 
style,  as  pennies  saved  in  lifting  or  packing,  are 
as  many  dollars  deducted  from  our  prospective 
pear  orchards.  .Smoothly  paring  the  roots, 
where  they  are  broken,  assists  them  in  healing. 
All  superfluous  branches  should  now  be  cut  out, 
and  usually  one-half  the  growth  of  the  previous 
season  should  be  cut  back.  The  most  upright 
shoots,  however,  being  the  sti'ongest,  should  be 
reduced  more  than  one-half,  while  the  lowest 
side  branches  should  remain  nearly  their  full 
length.  The  form  of  the  tree  has  much  to  do  in 
the  proportion  of  this  reduction. 

The  dwarf  pear  tree  requires  to  be  pruned  in 
a  manner  snniewhat  similar,  but  its  lower 
branches  should  be  kept  within  two  feet  of  the 
ground,  and  the  pyramidal  form  adopted.  All 
attemjjts  to  grow  this  t)-ee  as  a  tall  standard 
have  failed.  The  leading  shoot  of  two  year  old 
trees  (the  usunl  age  to  plant)  should  be  cut  back, 
leaving  only  six  or  eight  buds  at  its  base,  while 
the  side  branches  should  be  pruned  in  less  pro- 
portion, keeping  tiie  pyramid  form  in  view. 

In  the  month  of  June  two  leading  shoots  will 
liave  started  from  the  lop,  and  after  they  have 
made  a  growth  of  ei"ht  or  ten  inches,  one  of 


them  should  be  stopped  by  pinching  off  the  end 
of  the  shoot,  which  will  weaken  it,  while  the  re- 
maining one  will  advance  with  greater  rapidity 
and  strength.  Subsequent  pruning  will  become 
easy  to  those  who  have  attended  to  the  first 
principles,  stopping  the  secondary  branches  dur- 
ing the  growing  season,  as  will  appear  necessary 
to  give  light  and  air,  or  vigor  and  symmetry  to 
the  tree. 

List  of  Varieties. — To  which  may  be  added 
Fulton,  Osband's  Summer,  Buffum,  "Winter 
Nelis,  Lawrence,  Sheldon,  Clapp's  Favorite  and 
others. 

1.  Eostiezer — Small,  juicy,  sweet  and  high- 
flavored.  Tree  vigorous,  not  hardy.  Succeeds 
best  on  the  quince  stoclc.     Season,  September. 

2.  Barllett— Large,  buttery,  melting  and 
juicy.  Tree  quite  tender  ;  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lar pears,  and  ripens  perfectly  in  the  house,  even 
if  picked  before  it  is  full  grown.     September. 

3.  Beurre  d'Amanlis— A  large,  melting,  fine 
pear, — a  strong  grower,  and  most  abundant 
bearer  on  the  quince.  One  of  the  best.  Sep- 
tember and  October. 

4.  Doyenne  d'Ete — Melting,  sweet  and  beau- 
tiful ;  succeeds  well  on  the  quince.     August. 

5.  Fondante  d'Automne— (Belle  Lucrative). 
Medium  size  ;  melting  and  delicious.  Septem- 
ber and  October.     Trees  very  hard}'. 

6.  Flemish  Beauty — Very  large  and  beauti- 
ful,—does  well  on  the  pear  stock.  One  of  best. 
September  and  October.  AVe  formerly  marked 
this  as  our  first  choice,  but  now  prefer 

7.  Beurre  d'Anjou— A  large,  tine,  butter)', 
and  melting  pear.  Tree  vigorous  on  pear  or 
quince.     October  and  November. 

8.  Beurre  Clairgeau — Very  large  ;  juicy,  with 
a  vinous  flavor  ;  on  pear  root  it  promises  to  be 
one  of  the  best  new  pears.     October. 

9.  Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey— Large,  beauti- 
ful, and  delicious.  A  hardy,  upright  grower  and 
enormous  bearer,— succeeds  best  on  the  quince. 
Should  be  in  every  garden,  — and  next  to  the  Vi- 
car of  AVinklieid,  the  most  profitable  for  market. 
October  and  November. 

10  Doyenne  Boussock — Very  large  ;  similar 
in  quality  to  White  Doyenne,  and  will  doubtless 
supersede  that  fine  old  sort.     October. 

11.  AVhitc  Doyenne  — (or  St.  Michael,)  rather 
large  ;  flesh  white,  fine  grained,  very  buttery, 
melting,  high-flavored,  and  delicious.  Cracks 
and  falls  when  grown  on  the  pear  root,  but  on 
the  quince,  usually  good.     Oct  and  Nov. 

12.  Urbauiste — Medium  ;   melting   and   but- 


IS71. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJfTHLY 


190 


tery.     A  very  hardy  tree,  and  one  of  the  best  on 
the  quince.     Oct.  and  Nov. 

13  Du.chesse  d'Angouleme— The  largest  des- 
sert pear,  juicy,  rich  and  excellent.  In  warm 
soils  a  vigorous  grower  on  the  quince.  October 
and  Xovcmber. 

14.  Bourre  Diel— Very  large  ;  buttery,  rich, 
and  delicious.  Sometimes  coarse  at  the  core  on 
pear  stock  ;  invariably  good  on  the  quince.  A 
very  strong  and  rapid  grower,  and  productive. 
Nov.  and  Dec. 

15.  Vicar  of  Winkfield— A  large,  long  pear, 
fair  and  handsome,  of  good  quality  when  well 
grown  and  ripened.  Tree  vigorous  on  pear  or 
quince  ;  on  the  latter  it  is  very  productive.  One 
of  the  most  valuable  of  all  late  pears,  and  Avor 
thy  of  a  place  in  every  garden.  December  to 
March. 


TO  FIX  SCREWS  IN  OLD  HOLES. 

BY  A  "BOSTON  BOY," 

I  notice  that  you  request  notes  of  any  thing 
that  may  interest  gardeners.  I  have  thought 
sometimes  to  send  you  accountsof  how  we  man- 
age different  things,  but  hardly  knew  that  I 
could  say  anything  worth  printing.  But  I  have 
a  little  hint  about  fixing  screws,  which  I  think 
worth  knowing,  though  it  is  not  perhaps  true 
gardening.  However,  gardeners  have  to  be  jack 
of  all  trades,  if  masters  of  none,— sometimes  it 
is  carpentering,  then  bricklaying, — indeed  since 
I  have  been  in  the  gardening  business,  nearly 
eleven  years,  I  think  I  have  done  a  little  of  all 
kind  of  trades.  "Well,  about  screws.  Some  weeks 
ago  a  "regular"  carpenter  here  had  to  put  up  a 
screw  in  an  old  hole  ;  he  sharpened  a  piece  of 
wood  with  a  chisel,  drove  it  in,  cut  it  level  with 
the  surface,  made  another  hole  with  a  brad  awl, 
and  sent  in  the  screw.  In  about  a  week  the 
screw,  wood,  plug^  and  all  Avere  out  again.  I 
reasoned  on  this  that  some  elastic  thing  would 
be  better  for  the  plug,  as  it  would  fill  up  the 
inequalities  and  "bite"  better.  So  I  rammed 
long,  narrow  strips  of  cork  in  before  putting  the 
screw  in,  and  it  is  astonishing  what  a  good  job 
it  makes. 

Now  sir,  as  I  said,  this  is  not  gardening,  but 
ifyou  think  it  worth  putting  in  the  Monthly^  1 
think  likely  it  will  help  many  a  gardener  who 
like  myself  takes  a  pride  in  doing  such  little 
things,  and  yet  has  not  time  enough  to  spare  to 
be  doing  such  things  two  or  three  times  over  and 
over  again. 


CIRCULATION  OF  HOT-AVATER. 

BY  MR    A.  FENDLER,  ALLENTOX,  MO. 

Having  received  the  April  number  of  the  Gar- 
dener''s  Monthly  a  day  or  two  ago,  I  noticed  in  it 
a  controversy  going  on  concerning  "Hot-water 
boilers."  I  hope  you  will  not  think  it  presump- 
tuous if  I  venture  to  give  you  my  views  on  this 
important  subject. 

I  think  3'ou  are  right  in  saying  that  the  cold 
water,  in  consequence  of  its  greater  density 
being  more  powerfully  acted  upon  by  the  earth's 
gravitation,  pushes  upward  the  less  dense  warm 
water,  and  hence  the  ascent  of  the  latter  is  a  pure- 
ly pa.sstfe  motion,  (the  same  as  in  a  pair  of  scales 
the  upward  motion  of  the  ascending  lighter  body 
is  purely  passive).  But  before  the  ascending 
motion  can  take  place,  there  must  some  particles 
of  water  first  be  made  lighter  than  the  rest ; 
this  is  done  by  heat.  Moreover,  these  lighter 
particles  must  not  be  debarred  from  rising  by 
the  sides  of  a  horizontal  flow  pipe ;  in  other 
words,  a  chance  must  be  given  these  particles  to 
go  upward^  whenever  pushed  in  that  direction 
by  the  colder  water.  Neither  downward  nor 
horizontally  the  cold  water  can  push  them,  ex- 
cept indirecth'  in  the  case  where  a  partial  vacu- 
um has  been  created  ahead.  The  water  may 
also  be  made  to  move  horizontally  or  even  slight- 
ly downward  along  the  flow  pipe  as  long  as  there 
exists  an  unusually  great  difference  of  tempera- 
ture between  the  water  in  the  boiler  and  that  at 
the  farther  end  of  the  pipes  ;  but  when  sometime 
after  starting  the  fire,  the  difference  of  tempera- 
ture is  not  so  great,  then  it  will  be  found  that  a 
gradually  rising  flow  pipe  is  necessary  to  carry 
on  a  vigorous  circulation  of  the  water.  It  is 
true,  as  one  of  3'our  correspondents  i-emarks, 
that  the  force  of  expanded  particles  of  water 
presses  against  the  non-expanded,  and  compels 
them  to  move  ;  this  alone,  however,  without  the 
action  of  gravitation  would  produce  but  a  very 
short  movement,  and  no  circulation  at  all,  for 
as  soon  as  the  particles  of  heated  water,  in  pro- 
ceeding on  their  journey,  cool  down,  so  soon  arc 
they  contracted  again,  and  this  contraction  in 
one  place  effectually  neutralizes  the  expansion 
in  the  opposite  place. 

My  maxims  with  regard  to  "hot-water  boil- 
ers" would  be  : 

1.  The  flow  pipes  should  always  be  gradually 

ascending  or  rising. 

2.  It  makes  no  difference  whether  the  return 
pipe  be  horizontal  or  descending,  or  even  some- 
what ascending,  provided  it  be  straight. 


wo 


THE    GARDEJ\rER'S   M0JYTHL1. 


July, 


3.  The  rapidity  of  circulation  is  in  propor- 
tion to  the  height  of  the  hot-water  column  in 
the  boiler,  and  also  to  the  difference  of  tempera- 
ture between  the  ascending  and  descending  por- 
tions of  the  water. 

4.  Both  the  flow  and  return  pipes  ought  to 
be  of  a  sufl^iciently  wide  diameter,  as  straight  as 
practicable,  and  smooth  inside. 


SPLENDID  VARIETIES  OF  ALTHEA. 

BY  CHRONICLER 

Hibiscus  syriacus  is  a  native  of  Syria,  and  is 
commonly  called  "Althea,"  as  its  blooms  re- 
semble those  of  the  Hollyhock  \  it  also  gets  the 
name  of  "Rose  of  Sharon,''  from  the  double 
flowers  resembling  roses,  and  the  plant  having 
no  thorns.  The  original  species  bore  single 
blooms,  and  was  considered  an  acquisition,  as  its 
blossoms  were  produced  at  a  time  when  no  other 
ligneous  plant  showed  a  flower.  We  now  have 
got  by  hybridization  and  special  culture,  many 
varieties  which  bear  double  flowers,  and  two 
with  variegated  leaves.  We  have  a  score  of 
nurserymen's  catalogues,  and  not  two  of  them 
describe  the  Althcas  alike.  So  those  ordering 
Ihem  from  nurseries,  may  do  it  in  a  plain  Eng- 
lish tongue,  this  way  :  Double  white,  double 
purple,  double  white  and  purple  mixed,  double 
reddish  purple  and  blueish  purple  ;  and  for  the 
variegated  varieties,  state,  yellow  variegated 
leaved,  and  the  white  variegated  leaved.  These 
variegated  leaved  varieties  should  not  be  allowed 
to  bloom,  as  their  flowers  are  insignificant,  and 
their  foliage  is  their  real  beauty.  The  plants 
grow  more  massy  and  beautiful  when  their  blos- 
som buds  are  taken  off  before  they  expand. 

All  the  varieties  are  of  thrifty  growth  ujion 
various  soils,  and  as  they  bear  their  blooms  upon 
the  young  shoots  of  the  same  year's  growth, 
they  never  fail  in  giving  an  annual  profusion  of 
blossoms.  They  are  very  tenacious  of  life,  and 
withstand  severe  pruning  ;  they  grow  fifteen  feet 
high  when  set  singly  upon  rich  soils,  but  ten  feet 
is  high  enough  ;  so  in  pruning  them  in  winter,  cut 
them  down  to  eight  feet  high,  and  when  they 
bloom,  they  will  be  ten  feet  high.  They  make 
very  ornamental  hedges,  which  may  be  clipped 
down  to  five  feet  in  winter,  and  they  will  be  over 
six  feet  high  when  they  bloom.  In  every  way 
tlie  jilants  are  grown,  their  fading  blooms  should 
be  cut  off  to  i)revent  them  bearing  seeds,  as  that 
would  make  tliem  grow  too  lean.  All  the  va- 
rieties will  grow  more  massy  and  beautiful,  aud 


will  live  longer  if  the  plants  are  not  allowed  to 
bear  seed^.  They  bloom  in  August,  September, 
and  October.  All  the  blooms  do  not  open  at 
the  same  time,  but  keep  up  a  succession  of  beau- 
ty for  a  long  time.  When  all  the  double  varie- 
ties are  set  in  a  group,  or  even  set  singly  near  to 
each  other  where  they  are  all  seen,  their  beau- 
ties when  in  bloom  are  greatly  enhanced.  No 
arboral  embellishment  is  perfect  without  the  Al- 
thea, as  owing  to  its  time  of  flowering  it  fills  up 
what  would  be  a  vacuum  in  the  blossom  of  the  ar- 
boretum without  it.  It  prolongs  the  bloom  un- 
til such  trees  and  shrubs  as  bear  ornamental 
fruits  show  themselves  to  advantage  ;  thus  mak- 
ing a  continued  chain  of  beautiful  blossoms  and 
showy  fruits  in  the  arboretum  for  ten  months  in 
the  year. 

The  greater  number  of  species  of  trees  and 
shrubs  produce  their  blossoms  and  sweet  per- 
fumes in  spring,  and  each  species  tries  to  outvie 
all  the  others  with  its  attractive  charms.  The 
Althea  is  master  of  its  own  mind  ;  does  not  com- 
pete with  any  other  species,  but  bides  its  time, 
and  husbands  its  vitality,  and  in  its  own  time, 
it  illuminates  the  arboretum  with  blossoms  of 
splendor,  when  most  needed,  and  at  the  time 
when  all  the  spring  beauties  are  exhausted  and 
haugtheir  heads  in  despair  ;  it  seems  so  sensible 
of  its  value  and  worth.  We  append  to  it  the 
following  lines  from  the  "Ploughman  Poet,'' 

'•The  man  o'  independent  mind 
Is  king  o'  men  for  a'  thut." 


EGG-PLANT  SEED. 


BY  MR.  WM.  SELTER,  BARDSTOWN,  KY. 

Seeing  Mr.  W.  L.  Aker's  communication  in  the 
the  last  number  of  the  Monthly,  in  regard  of  his 
experience  with  his  Egg-Plant  Seed  kept  under 
a  diflerent  temperature,  I  thought  to  give  you  my 
experience  in  a  similar  case,  with  the  pea,  which 
is  naturally  a  more  hardy  seed  than  that  of  the 
Egg  Plant.  On  the  loth  of  April  I  planted  two 
rows  of  the  Eugenie  close  together.  The  seed  or 
one  row  was  kept  during  ^\ inter  in  a  warm 
room,  that  of  the  other  in  an  empt}'  stable,  per- 
fectly dry,  but  exposed  to  the  severe  cold.  Pre- 
vious to  the  cold  both  seeds  were  in  thesame  pot. 
Now  the  peas  in  the  row  which  had  been  kept 
in  the  warm  room  came  all  up  very  vigorously, 
while  in  the  other  row  only  a  small  part  came  up 
and  thus  looks  very  weakly-.  As  ^Ir.  Akors  sup- 
poses, there  must  be  some  influence  of  the  tem- 
perature on  seeds  while  laying  in  a  dormant 
state. 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^'THLY. 


201 


TRANSPLANTING  TREES. 

BY  MR    J.  IT.  CREIGHTOX,    DELAWARE,  OHIO. 

A  tree  will  transplant  very  nuich  better  and 
grow  with  more  certainty  if  dug  when  the  ground 
is  very  wet,  and  if  it  is  a  valuable  tree  it  pays 
well  to  wet  the  ground  the  day  before  digging. 

Almost  any  evergreen  will  bear  transplanting 
and  will  do  well  if  shaded  the  first  summer.  No 
one  would  believe  the  difference  till  they  try  it. 

There  is  no  trouble  about  transplanting  large 
trees,  if  you  take  two  or  three  years  for  it.  We 
have  tried  it  on  pear,  which  is  the  hardest  to 
move.  Dig  three-fourths  up  and  then  fill  up  the 
place  till  another  year;  or  if  a  very  big  tree  take 
still  another  year.  This  saves  labor,  for  then 
not  so  much  digging  is  necessary. 

Plants  started  too  early  in  the  spring  get  a 
check  or  kind  of  chill  from  which  they  will  not 
recover  the  whole  season. 

Trees  should  hardly  be  watered  at  all  unless 
they  are  mulched,  not  simply  because  of  the 
waste  of  water  in  evaporation,  but  the  cold  pro- 
duced by  the  evaporation  does  about  as  much 
harm  as  the  water  does  good.  "We  often  hear 
persons  say  they  wonder  why  watering  trees 
seems  to  do  so  little  good.  The  reason  is  that 
the  evaporation  pi-oduces  so  much  cold  that  the 
tree  is  stopped  growing.  And  then  it  takes  very 
much  more  water  to  reach  the  roots  of  a  tree 
than  the  inexperienced  are  aware  of — so  that  the 
single  bucket  of  water  does  nothing  more  than 
make  a  cold  place  round  the  collar  of  the  tree. 
If  the  tree  was  in  a  strong  growing  state  it  could 
bearit.butit  isinasmuchneedofwarmth  as  water. 

Mulch  prevents  evaporation  and  holds  the 
Avater  till  it  has  time  to  reach  the  roots.  But 
when  we  consider  that  a  barrel  of  dry  earth  will 
nearly  hold  a  barrel  of  water,  we  must  not 
think  that  a  single  bucket  of  water  will  be  of 
much  use. 


ORCHID  CULTURE. 

BY  MR.  JAMES  M.  PATERSOX,  NEWARK,  N.  J. 

Sojourning  for  a  few  days  recently,  among  some 
of  the  towns  upon  the  Hudson  River,  I  had  the 
curiosity  to  take  some  pains  to  learn  to  wbat  ex- 
tent r)rcliidaceous  plants  now  becoming  so  de- 
servedly popular,  and  so  extensively  grown, com- 
pared with  former  years,  were  cultivated  among 
the  many  country  seats,  and  particularly  upon 
those  places  keeping  up  establishments  of  plants 
under  "lass. 


Considering  the  large  number  of  splendid 
places,  old  and  new,  adorning  either  bank  of 
that  noble  river,  from  Poughkeepsie  down  to 
New  York  City— places  many  of  which  are  noted 
for  their  wealth  of  taste  and  money  that  has 
been  expended  upon  them;  upon  which  stand 
splendid  structures  of  glass,  containing  the 
choicest  collection  of  stove  and  greenhouse  plants 
— I  cannot  learn  that  there  are  to  be  found 
orchids,  as  collections  upon  as  many  as  might 
generally  be  supposed,— a  fact  perhaps  attributa- 
ble to  their  rarity  and  high  price,  and  to  the  pre- 
sumption generally  entertained,  that  they  can 
be  grown  only  in  houses  specially  erected  for  their 
cultivation,  combined  with  a  knowledge  of  the 
requirements  essential  to  their  successful  growth, 
that  in  the  previous  lack  of  published  w^orks 
treating  to  any  extent  upon  their  growth  or 
habits,  few  were  possessed  o.f.  The  increasing 
taste  however  for  them,  with  a  better  knowledge 
of  their  nature  and  requirements,  has  induced 
the  importation  by  growers  of  several  of  the 
French  and  English  publications;  first  among 
which,  and  the  English  standard  work  upon  the 
subject,  as  well  as  the  most  useful  to  the  ama- 
teur, is  "  B.  S.  William's  Orchid  Grower's  Man- 
ual," a  work  I  notice  advertised  by  Mr.  Geo. 
Such  of  South  Amboy,  N.  J.  Of  the  many  beau- 
tiful country  seats  upon  the  River,  few  others 
perhaps  equal  in  the  extent  of  their  collections, 
both  of  tropical  plants  and  orchids,  that  of  Wm. 
Kelly,  Esq.,  of  Rhinebeck,  kept  up  with  a  mu- 
nificence rarely  excelled,  it  has  long  borne  the 
reputation  of  holding  the  largest  and  most  valu- 
able collection  upou  the  Hudson. 

At  the  summer  residence  of  Wm.  II.  Aspin- 
wall,  Esq.,  some  two  miles  north  of  Tarrytown, 
among  a  large  assortment  of  plants,  some  of 
them  very  fine,  I  noticed  some  really  fine  orchids, 
which  under  the  care  of  M.  Carl  Regel,  showed 
great  vigor  and  health. 

At  Yonkers,  Alex.  Smith,  Esq.,  has  under 
what  would  be  considered  rather  cool  treatment, 
a  number  of  particularly  good  Odontoglossum, 
and  Tricopelia,  their  unusual  growth  and  vigor 
proving  their  adaption  to  the  cold  house.  He  has 
also  some  oth<'r  fine  species,  to  which  however, 
the  coldness  of  the  house  is  not  so  congenial. 

Jacob  Hays,  Esq.,  of  Inwood,  has  a  very  good 
collection  of  South  American  Orchids,  princi- 
pally Cattleyas,  for  which  plants  he  has  a  special 
hobljy. 

Of  the  commercial  growers  of  Orchids  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York,  stand  the  names  of  Isaac 


202 


TEE    GARDEJV'ER'S    MOJfTHLJ, 


July, 


Buchanan  of  Astoria,  John  Cadness  of  Flushing, 
Long  Island,  and  Geo.  Such  of  South  Amboy, 
.N.  J.  Their  collections  are  large,  and  embrace 
most  of  the  principal  species  now  considered  in- 
dispensable in  first  class  collections.  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan's collection  is  a  very  large  one  and  par- 
ticularly rich  in  Cattleyas.  F(^r  fine  specimen 
plants,  however,  showing  skillful  management, 
few  perhaps  excel  Mr.  James  Taplin,  Mr.  Such's 
able  manager. 

There  are  comparatively  few  Orchid  grow- 
ers in  our  own  State  (INew  Jersey),  and  those  few 
mainly  in  the  localities  bordei-ing  upon  New 
York  and  Philadelphia.  Gen.  Perrine  of  Tren- 
ton, has  a  collection  containing  some  very  fine 
kinds,  and  there  are  probably  a  few  others  be- 
tween that  place  and  Philadelphia,  the  names  of 
none,  however,  occur  to  me  at  the  present  mo- 
ment. Jersey  City  has,  during  the  past  ten  or 
fifteen  j'ears,  held  the  lai'gest  collections  and 
most  valuable  plants  in  the  State;  that  of  Corne- 
lius Van  Vorst,  Esq.,  although  not  as  extensive 
as  many  others,  probably  contained  in  the  same 
number  of  plants,  more  rare  and  valuable  ones, 
than  an}^  other  in  the  country,  comprising  in 
great  part  all  the  most  rare  varieties  of  Vandas, 
Aerides,  Saccolabium,  Phalanopsis,  Coelogyne, 
&c.  This  collection,  within  the  last  two  years 
has  been  discontinued,  and  merged  into  that 
of  M.  Lienau,  Esq. 

The  collection  of  M.  Lienau  (also  a  resident 
of  Jersey  City),  is  the  finest  and  most  extensive 
private  one  I  have  ever  seen.  Of  his  establishment, 
occupying  nearly  an  entire  block  in  the  heart  of 
the  city,  fully  two-thirds  of  it,  occupied  in  part 
by  the  houses,  is  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of 
nearly  everything  rare  and  beautiful  in  the  plant 
line.  A  gentleman  of  wealth  and  cultivated 
tastes,  an  amateur  grower  of  orchids,  and  en- 
thusiastic lover  of  Horticulture,  he  has,  during  a 
residence  there  of  nearly  twenty  years,  spared 
neither  pains,  nor  expense,  in  the  accumulation 
of  his  unequalled  collection. 

In  his  grounds  I  have  seen  flowering  splendid- 
ly, the  Lagerstrccmia  indica,  or  Crape  Myrtle, 
as  it  is  sometimes  called,  of  the  South,  a  plant 
fully  ten  (10)  feet  in  height.  Also  the  white 
flowering  and  perfumed  Bhododendron  Jenkin- 
sii  (or  Jenkinsonii).  And  during  the  summer 
months,  when  the  large  plants  in  tubs,  as  Hho- 
dodcndrons.  Oranges,  immense  sized  Lemon 
trees, an  Araucarias  are  arranged  along  the  walks, 
and  grouped  here  and  there  between  them,  great 
sized  plants  of  Pampas  and  other  grasses  with 


their  graceful  plumes ;  Cannap,  Caladiums, 
Crinums  and  Musas,  with  their  rank  waving 
leaves,  the  whole  place  wears  a  most  tropical 
like  appearance.  Seeing  it  as  I  have  at  times, 
fine  specimen  plants  of  Cattleya  Mossifoa,  Spc- 
ciosissima,  Schilleriana,  &c.,  &c.,  in  baskets  in 
magnificent  bloom,  hang  beneath  the  dense  shade 
of  a  Magnolia  tree,  standing  within  sound  of  a 
chattering  monkey,  noisy  parrots,  the  cooing  of 
doves  and  the  sinking  of  a  score  or  more  of  ca- 
naries, whilst  through  the  foliage  of  the  trees 
glistened  the  white  roofs  of  the  gla.ss  houses  ;  it 
required  no  great  effort  of  the  imagination  to 
conceive  ones-self  standing  in  a  garden  within 
the  tropics.  Of  the  houses,  three  are  devoted  to 
orchids,  one  being  for  East  India  plants,  another 
for  Cattleyas,  and  the  third  miscellaneous. 

The  collection  of  orchids  consists  of  over  1000 
plants,  among  which  are  to  be  found,  nearly  all 
the  rare  and  valuable  named  species,  besides 
very  many  unnamed  andentirelynewspecies,  col- 
lected within  the  last  twoyears  by  the  well  known 
botanist,  Roezl.  Pa.^ssing  through  the  houses 
once  or  twice  within  a  week  or  two  past,  I  no- 
ticed magnificent  flowering  spikes  of  Phalanop- 
sis grandiflora,  with  its  large  white  waxy-like 
flowers,  as  well  as  Phalojnopsis  Schilleriana  and 
Lowii.  Also  Aerides  Fieldingii,  with  its  beau- 
tiful rose  colored  insect-like  flowers.  A  grand 
plant,  nearly  two  feet  in  diameter,  of  Coelogyne 
asparata  (Lowii),  with  very  large  spikes  of  pale 
yellow  petaled  and  deep  chocolate-lipped  flowers, 
filling  the  whole  house  with  its  delicious  perfume. 
Numbers  of  Vanda  tricolor,  teres,  sauvis,  &c., 
together  with  many  rare  and  fine  varieties  ot 
Aerides  and  Saccolabiums,  parti}'  coming  into 
or  passing  out  of  bloom.  Of  Cattleyas  there  are 
no  end  to  the  varieties.  Also  noticed  in  bloom 
Epidendrum  vitellinum,  with  flowers  of  deeper 
orange  — Epidendrum  ionosimum— Leptotes  bi- 
color,  one  of  the  prettiest  little  orchids  I  have 
ever  seen  grown  to  the  perfection  in  which  I  saw 
it. 

Phaius  "Wallichi,  with  six  spikes  of  its  splen- 
did flowers  ;  Uropedium  Lindenii,  with  its  won- 
derful tail-like  petals,  nearly  15  inches  long. 
Dendrobiums,  Calceolaria  transparens,  Farme- 
ri,  and  fimbriatum  oculatum.  Also  Warsze- 
wiczii  cochleafls,  which  I  have  been  told  is  not 
yet  to  be  found  alive  in  Europe.  And  so  I  might 
go  on  noticing  a  hundred  others  in  bloom,  of 
these  most  interesting  plants,  a  class  of  plants  of 
almost  ever}'  possible  size  and  form,  of  every  hue 
and  spot  and  combination  of  color,  from  their 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJS'THLY. 


t03 


ver}'  natures,  always  likely  to  be  comparatively  ' 
rare,  yut  so  beautiful  and  endless  in  their  varic-  : 
ties,  as  to  keep  up  in  the  grower  of  them  the  in   '■ 
tercst   always  attaching    to   the  cultivation   of 
uncertain  bloom,  in  the  spirit  of  emulation  ex- 1 
cited,  and  the  hopes  of  something  tiner  perhaps 
to  be  realized.     It  is  not  wonderful  that  the  cul 
ti  vat  ion  of  orchids  once  engaged  in  b}-  the  ama- 
teur, is  a  pleasure  not  often  willingly  abandoned. 


KOTES  OX  THE  COMPASS  PLAXT. 

BY  MK.  G.  G.  HOWARD,   lOAVA   STATE  AGRICUL- 
TURAL COLLEGE,  AMES,  IOWA. 

In  the  report  of  the  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture for  the  months  of  March  and  April,  on  page 
149,  I  see  a  statement  by  you  in  relation  to  the 
tendency  of  the  "Compass  AVeed ''  to  point 
North  and  South. 

You  state  that  it  is  noticed  only  in  young 
plants  and  when  they  first  come  up.  since  after 
becoming  large  and  heavy  they  are  moved  out 
of  place  by  rain  and  wind,  and  are  unable  to  re- 
gain their  original  position.  Now  the  result  of 
my  observation  has  been  a  direct  contradiction 
to  this. 

The  tendency  is  not  so  strongly  marked  in  the 
yourirj  plants  for  two  reasons  :  first,  while  small,  ' 
the  leaves  are  very  numerous  and  necessarily 
much  crowded,  and  therefore  cannot  grow  as 
they  v:oxdd,  but  as  they  are  compelled.  Second, 
■while  young  and  tender,  the  winds  and  rains 
blow  and  beat  them  out  of  position 

"When  the  plant  gets  large  and  strong,  it  will 
be  noticed  that  the  number  of  leaves  is  not  so 
great  as  at  first,  (a  number  having  died  ou  t, 
hence  each  leaf  has  more  room,  and  does  not  in- 
fringe upon  the  rights  of  its  brother  leaves.  As 
the  leaves  increase  in  age,  their  strength  also 
increases  and  the  old  leaves  are  enabled  to  spring 
back  to  their  North  and  South  position  when 
blowed  out  of  it.  Hence,  we  see  the  tendency  to 
point  North  and  South  more  strongly  marked  in 
old  leaves  than  in  young  ones. 

["We  are  much  indebted  to  our  correspondent 
for  his  kindness  in  contributing  these  additional 
facts  in  reference  to  this  singular  plant.  The 
paper  of  Mr.  Meehan's  referred  to,  was  originall)' 
published  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Academy  of 
Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  from  which  it 
was  transferred  Uj  Nuture,  G(irdener''s  Chronicle, 
and  other  Engli.sh  and  German  Scientific  jour- 
nals and  from  an  uhstrurl  of  one  of  them  trans- 
ferred to  the  pages  of  the  report  of  our  Agricultur- 


al Department  at  Washington,  which,  consistent- 
ly with  the  time  honored  practice  of  American 
journalism  "goes  abroad  to  hear  news  from 
home."  This  system  has  one  disadvantage. 
When  a  story  starts  on  so  long  a  run,  it  often 
loses  somewhat  from  its  accurac}''  before  it  gets 
back;  and  we  have  an  illustration  of  it  here. 
There  is  nothing  in  Mr.  Median's  paper  to  jus- 
tify the  quot  ition  of  our  correspondent,  that  the 
Northern  tendency  of  the  leaves  is  noticed  only 
in  young  plants,  and  when  large  and  heavy,  arc 
(all  of  them)  moved  out  of  place,  and  (none  of 
them)  are  able  to  regain  their  original  position. 
What  was  said  (see  Gardener''s  Monthhj  page  360, 
volume  for  1870)  was  that  the  leaves  always 
had  this  tendency  naturally,  whether  old  or 
whether  young ;  and  that,  when  it  was  not  ob- 
served  it  was  to  be  accounted  for  by  wind  or  rain 
or  other  external  causes;  which  instead  of  being 
in  "direct  contradiction  "  to  the  experiences  of 
our  correspondent,  is  singularly  confirmed  by 
them. 

While  on  this  subject,  we  may  express  regret 
that  there  is  not  more  care  given  to  catching  the 
real  meaning  of  what  another  says.  It  is  rare 
for  even  the  most  careful  and  unprejudiced 
author  to  do  it  properl3\  Even  Mr  Darwin,  one 
of  the  most  painstaking  and  most  candid  of 
modern  scientists,  does  not  always  do  it  well. 
For  instance,  in  quoting  Mr.  Meehan's  paper 
"on  the  uniformity  of  relative  characters  be- 
tween allied  American  and  European  trees," 
says,  the  trees  referred  to  by  Mr.  Meehan  were 
"all  growing  together  in  his  garden,"  which  Mr. 
Meehan  nowhere  says  in  the  paper  referred  to, 
and,  which  was  not  the  fact,though  they  did  grow 
within  a  radius  often  miles  of  one  another  This 
error  does  not  efiect  Mr  Darwin's  use  of  the 
facts,  but  some  historian  might  take  this  second 
hand  statement  to  prove  what  kind  of  trees  ]SIr. 
Meehan  had  growing  in  his  garden^  at  the  time 
stated.  Again,  in  Mr.St.  George  Mivart's  recent 
Avork  '■'■Genesis  of  Species'*'  this  very  paper  on  the 
uniformity  of  characters,  is  quoted  by  this  au- 
thor as  one  of  the  severe  objections  to  Darwin- 
ism ;  but  it  seem.s  evident  that  Mr.  ]Mivart  has 
not  read  the  original  paper,  but  only  Darwin's 
statement  of  it.  Much  the  same  exists  in  re- 
gard to  Median's  "  Tlicori/  of  leaf  adnation  in 
Coniftrce'''  given  to  the  American  Science  Asso- 
ciation at  Chicago  a  few  years  ago,  relerences, 
not  quotation.s,  are  being  ontinually  made  to  it  ; 
but  except  in  the  single  fact  that  the  so  called 
"  needles"  of  IMncs  are  not  leaves,  but  brancli- 
lets,  ideas  are  attributed  to  the  author  which  ho 
never  held. — Ed.] 


^OJi, 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJVTELY. 


July, 


CIRCULATION  OF  HOT-WATER. 

BY  "TEXIAN,"  port  LAVACA,  TEXAS. 

I  see  thfit  Mr.  Ellis  is  about  to  establish  a  new 
school  of  philosophy.  In  his  article  on  Ilot-wa 
ter  Bi)ilers,  he  says,  "a  particle  of  water  cannot 
absorb  heat  without  expanding,  and  where  ex- 
pansion occurs,  is  the  evidence  of  power  and 
force.''''  Again  he  speaks  of  '"water  after  receiv- 
ing jjofcer  and /orce  from  the  agency  of  heat" 
Now  I  know  that  the  conversion  of  water  into 
steam  produces  such  an  expansion  as  to  prove 
quite  useful  in  driving  machinery  ;  but  if  simple 
Avater  receives  power  and  force  from  the  agency 
of  heat,  then  your  correspondent  should  get  out 
a  patent  for  running  a  lightengine  with  expand- 
ed water.  According  to  his  theory,  particles  of 
water  "move  up  through  the  agency  of  heat  ex- 
panding them, and  thereby  giving  them  the  power 
and  force  to  pass  up  and  through  (particles  of 
colder  water)  to  the  top  of  the  boiler. "  But  just 
here  he  fails  to  explain  to  us  how  the  particles 
of  cold  water  come  in  to  fill  the  vacant  place  oc- 
casioned by  this  movement.  On  the  contrary, 
he  says  that  the  heated  particles  of  water  "press 
against  the  non-expanded,  and  compel  it  to  move 
vjj  and  down  in  all  directions  "  If  the  heated 
particles  press  against  the  colder  particles  and 
compel  them  to  move  in  all  directions,  I  cannot 
see  how  they  can  come  in  to  fill  vacancy  or  vacu- 
um, unless  they  possess  a  greater  force  and  pow- 
er than  the  expanded  water.  I  have  heard  of  a 
battle  in  a  tub,  but  it  may  be  that  the  contest  is 
first  begun  in  my  washer-woman's  boiling  ket- 
tle— for  certainly  a  commotion  is  there  plainly 
manifest.  If  this  pressure  of  warm  water 
against  the  colder  element,  is  the  "force''  which 
creates  the  current  in  hot-water  pipes,  then  wliy 
not  have  the  return  pipe  enter  the  boiler  on  a 
level  ;  or  if  necessity  requires  it,  above  the  tlow 
pipe  ;  since  this  power  of  expansion  can  compel 
it  to  move  up  and  down  in  all  directions  ?" 
Here  is  a  new  theory,  Mr.  Editor,  for  our  boiler 
makers  to  take  hold  of. 

I  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  Ellis,  why  docs  the  wa- 
ter in  a  pump-pipe  ascend  V  My  school-book 
said  that  it  was  the  weight  of  the  atmosphere 
which  pressed  it  up  into  the  vacuum.  AVhy 
does  a  balloon  ascend  ?  I  did  suppose  that  the 
weiglit  of  the  heavier  atmosphere,  in  settling 
down,  pressed  it  upward.  What  "power  and 
force"  has  oil  to  cause  it  to  move  up  or  through 
heavier  particles  of  water  ?  In  the  language  of 
Mr.  Ellis,  "we  must  not  forget  that  when  the 


*  *  *  * 


it  has 


first  particle"  of  oil  "moves  up, 
much  weight  against,"  and  yet  it  rises  unaided 
by  the  power  of  expansion.  Do  not  the  heavier 
particles  of  water  sink  down,  like  the  weighted 
end  of  a  balance,  and  thus  press  or  |>i<s7j  upward 
the  lighter  particles  of  oil  ?  And  could  we 
change  all  water  at  the  furnace  end  of  our  hot- 
water  pipes  into  oil,  and  re-convert  this  back  to 
water  at  the  opposite  end,  a  current  would  be 
immediately  established,  whose  velocity  would 
be  proportioned  to  the  difference  in  specific 
gravity  between  oil  and  water,  together  with 
the  difference  in  height  between  two  columns, 
representing  these  two  fluids  ;  and  the  greater 
the  difference  in  the  temperature  of  water  in 
heating  pipes  the  greater  will  be  the  difference  in 
its  specific  gravity  ;  and  its  current  will  depend 
entirely  upon  this  fact,  in  connection  with  the 
difference  in  height  between  the  column  of  heat- 
ing surface  compared  with  the  column  of  cooling 
surface- 

In  practice,  it  may  not  be  advantageous  to 
make  either  of  these  differences  great.  It  may 
be  a  waste  of  heat  to  cool  the  return  pipe  much  ; 
or  it  may  be  inconvenient  and  expensive  to  use 
a  high  boiler.  Experience  only  can  determine 
hoAv  much  these  principles  can  be  modified,  and 
favorable  results  ol  tained. 

[Mr.  Ellis  will  hardly  claim  the  credit  of 
founding  this  new  school,  for  some  of  the  best 
gardeners  in  England  think  as  he  does.  Since 
the  discussion  of  this  question  was  opened  in  our 
columns,  the  London  Gardener''s  Chronicle  has 
had  an  editorial  on  the  same  subject,  and  we 
were  somewhat  astonished  to  find  this  admirably 
edited  paper  holding  similar  views  to  those  given 
by  ^Ir,  Ellis  —Ed  ] 

EDITORIAL  NOTES. 

DOMESTIC. 

Embryonic  Inarching. — We  have  on  several  oc- 
casions referred  to  the  fact,  that  embryos  will  in- 
arch, and  Dr.  Masters  has  shown,  in  his  highly 
interesting  work.  Vegetable  Teratology^  that  two 
distinct  varieties  of  Fuchsias  united  in  the  em- 
bryonic state,  produced  two  distinct  kinds  of 
Fuchsias  from  the  stem.  Every  fact  relating  to 
such  a  subject  is  of  interest,  and  we  give  the 
following  from  a  correspondent  of  the  Rural 
New  Yorker  : 

"I  was  born  and  brought  up  in  Herkimer  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.,  and  there,  while  a  young  man,  learned 
to  graft  the  different  ways,  and  was  told  by  the 
man  I  served  with,  if  I  could  get  a  graft  to  grow 
wrong  eud  up  it  would  produce  apples  without 


1871. 


TEE    GARBEJ\^E'R'S   MOJVTnLl'. 


seeds.  I  often  tried  it  in  cleft  grafting,  but 
never  could  pot  one  to  grow  that  wa}' ;  but  the 
first  graft  I  whip-spliced  grew  and  did  well,  and 
bore  apples  the  third  year.  But  lo  and  behold, 
the  apples  were  just  like  all  other  apples,  full  of 
seeds.  The  shoots  on  the  scion  grew  down  for  a 
time,  then  curved  and  grew  up.  It  was  grafted 
in  till'  top  of  a  bearing  tree  on  a  sprout.  This 
ti'ee  bore  bushels  of  apples  while  I  owned  the 
])lace.  There  is  a  curiosity  in  Busti,  Chautau- 
qua County,  New  York — an  apple  three  parts 
sour,  and  three  parts  sweet,  done  by  splitting 
the  buds  oC  two  kinds  and  putting  one  half  of  a 
bud  of  each  kind  together.  A  Mr.  Arby  Blodget 
of  that  town,  worked  all  one  day  budding  for 
that  purpose,  and  only  got  one  to  live.  The 
kinds  were  Tallman  Sweet  and  Rhode  Island 
Greening.  The  sour  parts  are  in  ridges  fron^ 
stem  to  blow  and  the  sweet  in  hollows.— J.  A. 

Schinus  molle. — A  correspondent  of  some  pa- 
l)er,  the  name  of  which  we  have  lost  and  so  can- 
not give  the  accustomed  credit,  writing  from 
Los  Angeles,  California,  says  : 

"A  favorite  shade  tree  all  over  this  lower 
coast,  and  especially  a  iavorite  of  the  Spaniards, 
is  the  Pepper  tree,  Schinus  molle  A  good  part 
of  the  streets  of  this  city  are  lined  with  them. 
Moot  of  them  are  young,  with  a  circumference  of 
only  three  feet  or  less,  and  a  height  of  twent}'- 
five,  but  old  trees  obtain  a  girth  of  seven  feet  or 
more.  Perhaps  the  tree  resembles  the  locust 
more  than  any  other  Northern  trie,  though  the 
long,  delicate,  and  pendent  leaflets  give  it  a 
touch  of  weeping  willow  aspect.  It  is  an  ever- 
green, and  Avith  its  soft  foliage  swaying  in  the 
gentle  breeze,  is  a  most  lovely  tree.'' 

A  curious  fact  connected  with  this  tree  is, 
that  when  the  leaves  are  broken  to  pieces,  and 
the  fragments  strewn  on  the  surflice  of  still  wa- 
ter, they  dart  about  like  living  things.  One  can 
see  that  this  is  done  by  the  force  of  son  e  matter 
being  projected  from  the  severed  vessels  ;  but  it 
does  not  seem  to  be  oil,  as  no  film  is  left  on  the 
water.  It  is  probably  gaseous  matter.  As  the 
plant  is  very  smooth,  the  name  molle  may  mis 
lead  some  who  know  that  this  is  a  botanical 
term  implying  a  softly  downy  nature  ;  but  the 
name  i.s  adopted  from  the  aboriginal  Peruvian, 
where  the  plant  is  called  "Molle,''  or  as  some 
writ?:r8  say  ''Muili."  The  plant  is  closely  al- 
lied to  our  lihus  or  "Sumac"  family,  and  indeed 
one  of  them,  the  Rhus  toxicodendron,  or  poison 
vine,  has  been  observed  to  move  the  fragments 


of  its  leaves  in  water  the  same  as  this  does, 
though  not  near  as  freely— very  often,  indeed, 
not  at  all. 

Floicering  of  GhjptQstrohus  pendnlus. — Messrs. 
Parsons  &  Co.,  liave  flowered  the  Chinese  Weep- 
ing Cypress,- this  is  probably  the  first  in  the 
United  States.  It  has  been  suggested  that  this 
tree  is  probably  but  a  development  from  our  com- 
mon cypress,  Taxoflhnn  cliktidnivi,  and  that  the 
seed  vessels  on  which  the  genus  has  been  founded 
will  not  probably  vary  in  important  points  from 
the  cypress,  than  some  Chinese  arborvitse  seed- 
lings often  vary  from  one  another.  Messrs, 
Parsons  will  be  able  to  decide  this  question  by 
facts. 

History  of  the  Nectarine. — It  has  been  asserted 
that  the  Nectarine  first  originated  by  a  branch 
springing  from  a  Peach  tree  ;  but  so  many 
things  get  into  history  on  doubtful  evidence, 
that  for  the  sake  of  true  science  confirmations 
are  generally  valuable.  Acorrespondent  of  the 
Sural  New  YorAer.  L.  Merzean,  Aiken,  South 
Carolina,  has  gathered,  this  spring,  a  Nectarine 
from  a  Peach  tree.  We  have  often  known  seeds 
of  Nectarines  to  produce  Peach,  and  of  Peach, 
Nectarines,  but  we  do  not  know  of  any  instance 
since  the  original  discovery  where  a  sport  on  the 
Peach  tree  direct  has  been  recorded. 

Garden  and  Farm,  Cidture. — An  exchange 
feelingly  says  :  "It  is  sad  to  relate  that  when 
mechanics  have  land,  they  generally  give  better 
cultivation  than  farmers  ;  they  have  more  grapes, 
pears,  strawberries,  and  watermelons,  and  ear- 
lier potatoes  and  cucumbers." 

This  is  simply  because  gardening  is  a  higher 
art  than  farming.  "When  mechanics  become  far- 
mers, they  are  usually  amongst  the  least  suc- 
cessful of  agriculturists  ;  on  the  other  hand,  there 
are  plenty  of  farmers  who,  when  they  care  to  do 
a  little  more  than  merely  "plough  up  the  truck 
patch,"  have  pretty  good  gardens. 

The  Coi-Jc  OuJi. — It  is  said  that  the  production 
of  cork  is  very  profitable.  The  thick  suberous 
layers  from  which  the  cork  of  commerce  is  ob- 
tained, can  be  taken  again  and  again  from  the 
same  trees.  Some  years  ago  the  Agricultural  de- 
partment introduced  a  large  quantity  of  plants. 
They  do  not  ajjpear  to  have  been  successful  any- 
where except  in  California.  There  arc  trees  in 
Santa  Clara  County,  sown  in  1858,  which  are  over 
20  feet  high,  and  three  feet  in  circumference. 


^OG 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJVTELy. 


July, 


BLOOD-LEAYED  PLANTS. 

BY  AV.  G.  A.  ,  PIIILADELPniA. 

These  singular  plants  are  so  remarkable  in 
the  Landscape,  that  I  thought  a  few  noles  in  re- 
ganl  to  the  most  desirable  might  bo  worth  a 
place  in  the  Mimthhj. 

First,  and  before  all,  I  place  the 
Blood-leaved  Beech, 
and  perhaps  this  is  the  best  known  of  all  the 
clas^^s.  It  is  one  of  the  most  striking  objects  pos- 
sible in  the  spring  of  the  year.     The  branches 
while  young  droop,and  become  erect  only  towards 
tbe  autumn.     As   they   erect   themselves,  they 
lose  somewhat  of  tlie  bronzy  lustre  which  char- 
acterizes their  growth  in  sprinsj.     The  Blood- 
leaved  Beech  is  a  variety  of  the  English  Beech. 
It  comes  tolerably  true  from  seed.     In  France 
and  Germany  thousands  are  now  raised  in  this 
way      Some  of  the  seedlings  show  a  tendency  to 
return  to  their  original  State  ;  these  are  weeded 
out,  and  the  balance  left  are  the  Blood  Beeches. 
Of  these  again  they  make  two  classes,   the  Cop- 
per Beech  and  Blood  Beeches,  or  as  they  are  a 
little  learnedly  called  in  the  lists,  Fagussylvatica 
cuprca  and  F.  sylvatica  purpurea.     These  have 
the  one  class  a  lighter,  and  the  other  a  darker 
tint,— some  preferring  one,  and  others  the  other. 
Those  who  have  not  the  means  to  get  seed,  graft, 
and  this  is  quite  a  delicate  business,   until  the 
seci-et  is  mastered.     Iloopes,  Bro.  &  Thomas  of 
West  Chester,  who  work  them  largely,  grow  the 
stocks  in  pots,    and  graft  them  in  spring  in  a 
greenhouse  adapted  to  the  purpose.     In  a  recent 
visit  to  their  establishment,  I  noticed  that  about 
fifty  or  sixty  per  cent  were  doing  well  under  this 
treatment ;  others  work  them  in  the  open  air. 
For  amateurs,  however,  for  whom,  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  the  Editor  I  pen  these  notes,  the  best 
mode  of  propagation  is  by   inarching.     A   few 
plants    of  either   the    American    or   European 
Beech  may  be  planted  in  the  spring,  near  the 
Blood  licech,  and  in  July  or  August  the  branches 
of  the  two  brought  together,  and  each  slightly 
shaved  so  as  to  just  penetrate  through  the  bark. 
These  two  shaved  faces  are  then  tied   together, 
and  they  unite  the  same  season.     By  fall,  or  say 
next  .spring,  the  two  may  be  separated  and  the 
grafted  plant  taken  up  and  set  out  where  it  is 
desired  to  grow.  The  demand  for  Blood  Beeches 
is  very  great,— much  greater  than   the  supply, 

and  hence  prices  are  usually  high  in  proportion 

to  other  trees. 
Another  beautiful  Blood-leaved  plant  is  the 


Blood-leaved  Hazel  xut. 
I  do  not  know  the  history  of  this  tree,  though 
I  suppose  it  is  of  European  origin.  The  first  I 
ever  saw  was  some  twenty  years  ago,  in  the  col- 
lection of  Mr.  Robert  Buist,  who  could  probably 
tell  more  about  it  than  I  can.  Its  leaves  are 
quite  as  dark  as  those  of  the  Blood  Beech,  while 
being  double  the  size,  they  make  a  great  show. 
They,  however,  want  the  graceful  drooping  of 
the  young  Beech  growth.  I  find  one  defect  in 
it,  and  that  is  that  quite  large  branches  will 
sometimes  die  just  as  the  pears  do  by  a  sudden 
blight.  They  become  quite  girdled  by  a  fungus, 
when  the  branch  above  it  dies.  Any  one  can 
see  that  this  is  a  fungus,  as  the  spore  cases  come 
out  in  regular  rows,  like  a  double  set  of  molar 
teeth  in  an  animal.  I  should  say  that  if  we  could 
see  such  an  appearance  in  the  bark  of  a  branch 
struck  by  the  fire  blight,  no  one  would  doubt  the 
pear  disease  was  a  fungus,  as  this  undoubtedly 
is.  However,  the  disease  in  this  hazel  is  no 
great  bar  to  its  culture  as  a  bushy  shrub,  as 
plenty  of  sprouts  issue  below  the  injured  portions, 
and  the  plant  thus  has  plenty  left  for  our  admi- 
ration. 

I  believe  the  only  way  of  propagation  is  by  di- 
viding the  shoots,  or  by  laj-ing  down  the  grow- 
ing branches  into  good  rich  earth.  These  often 
root  well  the  first  year  ;  but  to  ensure  very  strong 
good  rooted  plants,  it  is  best  to  let  the  layers 
stay  two  years  in  the  ground.  I  have  never 
known  any  raised  from  seed,  and  so  cannot  say 
if  they  can  be  propagated  this  way. 
Blood-leaved  Peach. 
This  I  have  seen  only  on  the  grounds  of  the 
Editor  of  the  Garden€r''s  Mo7ithly,  who  informed 
me  it  was  found  by  Mr.  Hatch  of  Mississippi, 
or  some  of  his  friends,  on  the  battle  ground  of 
Fort  Donnelson.  It  is  a  very  rich  crimson  red, 
and  will  be  doubtless  quite  popular,  especially 
with  people,  who  besides  pretty  leaves  and  pret- 
ty flowers,  like  something  good  to  eat  after- 
wards. Mr.  M.  was  under  the  impression  that 
the  fruit,  though  not  equal  to  some  of  our  best 
varieties,  was  yet  something  people  would  not 
"care  to  be  without''  in  the  language  of  some 
advertisers. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  grandest  things  in  the  way 
of  Blood-leaved  trees  is  the 

Blood-leaved  English  Oak.       ' 
This  appears  to  be  a  variety  of  German  origin. 
It   has   been  in   this   countr}'   I  believe  nearly 
twenty  years  ;  but  though  in  all  the  leading  nur- 


1871. 


TEE    GARDEJfEWS    MOMTHLY. 


207 


series,  is  still  scarce  through  diflficulty  of  propa- 
gation. There  are  a  few  in  the  Central  Park, 
and  in  the  Prospect  Park  at  Brooklyn  ;  but  it 
seems  to  be  getting  into  general  culture  very 
slowly.  I  Ijelieve  it  inarches  very  readily  on  the 
common  English  or  other  oaks.  I  saw  a  tolera- 
bly strong  one  this  year  on  some  private  ground 
near  Philadelphia,  in  May,  and  nothing  could 
possibly  be  more  brilliant. 

The  Blood-leaved  Maple. 

This  has  been  before  the  public  also  for  near 
twenty  years  ;  but  seems  to  defy  propagation,  as 
I  see  it  nowhere  except  as  "imported"  plants. 
The  tint  of  crimson  red  is  different  from  any 
that  we  have  here  described,  having  a  sort  of 
winey  lustre.  It  is  quoted  in  European  catalogues 
as  Acer  j<(j)onicum  atropurpureiim,  but  I  believe 
botanists  call  it  a  variety  of  Acer  pahnatum. 
The  leaves  are  somewhat  like  our  silver  or  white 
maple  in  outline,  but  of  the  winey  red  tint  before 
described. 

These  are  all  the  truly  Blood-leaved  hardy 
trees  or  shrubs  that  I  know, — a  list  far  too  limi- 
ted when  we  consider  the  splendid  material  they 
afford  the  landscape  gardener  to  work  out  his 
peculiar  beauty  spots  in  his  noble  art. 

There  is  one  matter  in  regard  to  the  blood- 
leaved  trees,  which,  with  my  limited  knowledge 
of  science,  seems  worthy  of  some  thought  by  those 
who  are  studying  Darwinism.  As  I  understand 
this  theory,  plants  select  those  changes  in  form 
and  structure  which  are  the  most  likely  to  per- 


petuate the  species.  "When  we  see  a  change 
from  the  normal  form,  it  is  therefore  to  be  con- 
sidered a  disease,  in  which  the  plant  will  not 
grow  as  well  as  before  ;  or  else  it  is  something 
which  is  to  help  the  plant  to  maintain  its  exis- 
tence. Usually,  variegation  is  clearly  a  disease, 
because  the  plants  do  not  grow  as  well  as  when 
in  the  green  leaved  condition  ;  but  in  this  blood- 
leaved  state  the  plant  grows  better.  I  think 
most  persons  acquainted  with  the  growth  of  the 
Blood-leaved  Beech  will  agree  with  me,  that  it 
is  much  more  luxuriant  than  the  common  green 
leaved  form  fi-om  which  it  sprung.  The  question 
suggests  itself,  why,  if  this  tint  is  better  for  the 
plant,  not  so  much  why  the  Beech  has  in  an  iso- 
lated case  adopted  the  color,  but  lohy  it  has  not 
universally  done  so  long  ago  ?  We  have  always 
supposed  that  the  green  color  of  vegetation  was 
the  color  best  adapted  to  the  perfect  growth  of 
vegetation ;  but  this  purple  growth  seems  to 
''perfect  perfection,"  which  stated  in  these  terms 
becomes  an  absurdity.  I  should  much  like  to 
have  some  of  your  readers  skilled  in  Darwinic 
lore  answer  this  question, — why,  if  plants  have 
a  power  of  "natural  selection,"  do  they  not  gen- 
erally "select"  a  brown  instead  of  a  green  tint, 
if  this  brown  tint  is  more  favorable  to  the  healthy 
and  vigorous  growth  than  the  green  one  ?  Per- 
haps Mr.  Riley,  whom  I  note  you  quote  as  an  ar- 
dent Darwinist,  can  explain  this.  [Mr.  R.  is 
about  so  sail  for  Europe. — Ed  ] 


EDTTOH lAL. 


COLORED  LIGHTS  OX  PLANTS. 

Some  years  ago  it  was  noticed  in  our  maga- 
zine, that  one  of  our  most  successful  graperies 
near  Philadelphia,  General  Pleasanton's,  had 
colored  glass  in  some  parts  of  it,— and  much  of 
the  success  of  this  house  was  attributable  to  this 
glass. 

Recently  the  matter  has  come  prominently  be- 
fore the  public,  in  consequence  of  an  address  de- 
livered before  the  Philadelphia  Society  for  Pro- 
moting Ag)  iculture  ;  in  wiiicii  the  speaker  detailed 
at  much  length  his  experiments  with  variously 
colored  glass.  The  result  was,  that  he  considers 
blue  glass  as  being  much  more  conducive  to 


health  than  any  other.     A  calf,  so  weak  that  its 
life  was  despaired  of,   was  made  healthy  and 
sound  by  being  kept  under  glass  of  this  color ; 
and  he  is  sure  the  great  success  of  his  grapery  is 
due  to  the  same  thing.     One  accustomed  to  rea- 
soning cannot  but  be  struck  with  the  fact  that 
wonderful  recoveries  from  sickness  often  follow 
no  treatment   at  all,  — and  as   for  fine  grapes, 
General  Pleasanton's  neighbors,  Messrs.  Yar- 
nell  and  David  8.  Brown,  have  long  been  fa- 
mous for  the  superiority  of  their  grapes  without 
,  claiming  anything  more  than  has  been  known  to 
I  gardeners  for  generations.     This  we  say,  not  to 
!  suggest  that  General  Pleasantou   has  had  no 


208 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJfTHLY. 


Julj/, 


success  with  blue  glass,  but  only  that  there  have 
not  been  comparative  trials  enough  to  trace  the 
good  results  entirely  to  them. 

We  are  acquainted  with  experiments  of  a  simi- 
lar character  made  some  twenty  years  ago.  In 
this  case  rapid  growing  seeds  were  sown  in  pots, 
and  colored  glass  put  over  each.  The  blue 
seemed  to  make  a  more  vigorous  growth  than 
any  of  the  others ;  but  after  awhile  the  plants 
sickened,  and  were  the  first  to  die  away.  Gen- 
eral Pleasanton's  blue  glass,  however,  was  not 
wholly  employed  over  the  plants,  and  this  is  a 
great  difference. 

We  write  to  suggest  that  further  experiments  on 
a  more  «omparative  scale  be  instituted.  Though 
these  experiments  are  not,  as  we  have  said,  en- 
tirely satisfactory,  there  is  enough  in  them  to 
make  it  pi'obable  some  good  to  practical  horti- 
culture nia}'  come  sometime  out  of  them. 

In  another  column  a  correspondent  notices 
that  the  purple  Beech  usually  grows  better  than 
the  common  form  from  which  it  sprung.  We 
are  inclined  to  think  he  is  right ;  and  this  also  fa- 
vors General  Pleasanton's  idea  that  these  purple, 
violet  or  blue  tints  may  be  more  favorable  to 
growth  than  any  other  ones.  As  to  our  corres- 
pondent's enquir}',  why,  if  this  is  the  best  con- 
dition of  plant  jixowth,  all  plants  are  not  made 
with  purple  or  blue  leaves,  instead  of  green  ? 
We  shall  leave  that  to  be  answered  by  those  to 
whom  the  question  is  addressed.  If  General 
Pleasanton  or  others  can  prove  that  it  is  a  fact, 
the  why  or  the  wherefore  is  another  matter. 


PESTRUCTION  OF  THE  COLORADO  PO- 
TATO BEETLE. 

Some  years  ago,  one  of  our  correspondents  re- 
commended destroying  this  terrible  enemy  of  the 
AVestern  potato  growers,  by  using  Paris  Green. 
Now  it  has  become  the  only  remed}'.  It  is, 
however,  expensive,  besides  being  a  dangerous 
and  annoying  article  to  use. 

AVe  have  had  no  personal  experience,  for  the 
enemy  is  not  here  ;  but  it  has  often  seemed  to  us 
that  it  wc  were  to  be  plagued  by  the  bugs  and 
grasshoppers  on  our  field  crops  as  our  Western 
friends  are,  we  should  try  rolling  them  down. 
AVe  have  tried  this  thing  on  a  small  scale,  and 
with  such  success  that  we  doubt  not  good  results 
■would  fellow  a  wider  api)lication.  For  instance 
in  raising  Clnnatinea  by  layering,  we  are  very 
much  troubled  by  Cantharides,  which  m  one 
night  will  often  make  as  much  havoc  aa  we  sup- 


pose the  Potato  Beetle  would  do.  AYe  crush 
them  with  any  fiat  instrument,  beating  them 
down  on  the  plants,  which  are  very  little  in- 
jured, while  the  beetles  most  decidedly  are.  AVe 
suppose  the  Doryphora  is  no  more  able  to  stand 
these  crushing  sensations  without  winking  than 
a  Cantharides  is,  and  we  wonder  why  somebody 
don't  do  it. 

To  l)e  sure  the  potato  is  of  softer  tissue  tlian 
tlie  Clematis  is,  and  no  doubt  much  injury  would 
result  from  a  heavy  rolling  of  their  stems  ;  but 
we  suppose  no  more  injury  would  follow  than 
the  bug  would  do  ;  and  if  it  paid  the  Russians  to 
burn  Moscow  toget  rid  of  the  French  ;  or  it  was 
worth  Samson's  while  to  pull  down  the  pillars  of 
the  temple  and  send  his  enemies  as  well  as  him- 
self into  one  common  ruin  ;  it  w'ould  surely  be 
some  satisfaction  to  see  the  potato  Beetle  and 
the  potato  crop  go  under  together,  rather  than 
to  see  the  detestable  thing  walk  in  triumph 
away.  So  with  the  grassliopper,  why  not  roll 
him  down,  so  that  the  green  blades  may  fatten 
on  liis  decaying  carcass  ?  He  would  of  course 
try  to  jump  away  before  your  liorses  ;  but  we 
guess  a  few  dozen  jumps  would  tire  hi:n  out.  It 
is  a  queer  thing  if  a  horse  cannot  beat  out  a 
grasshopper.  AVe  read  tliat  tlie  iron  horse 
crushes  so  many  along  the  rails  that  he  can 
sometimes  hardly  draw  his  cars  along.  No 
doubt  the  living  horse  in  flesh  and  blood  could 
do  the  same  thing  ;  and  if  the  roller  met  the  fate 
of  the  locomotive,  and  had  to  rest  awhile  through 
clamming  up  v/ith  the  enemy's  bodies,  the  far- 
mer could  aflbrd  to  take  a  rest  for  the  purpose  of 
cleaning  them  awaj'. 

AVe  do  not,  however,  think  rolling  would  en- 
tirely destroy  a  potato  crop,  though  it  would  do 
so  for  the  bug.  Many  of  the  stems,  though  split, 
would  soon  grow  ;  while  from  the  base  new 
leaves  would  soon  push  to  make  up  for  the  in- 
jured ones. 

SHELTER  FOR  RARE  TREES. 
AVe  trust  that  as  the  winter  season  approaches, 
our  readers  will  remember  what  we  have  several 
times  told  them,  that  hardiness  is  not  so  much 
a  question  of  of  temperature  as  of  evaporation. 
Two  plants  of  the  same  kind  ma}-  be  of  the  same 
con.stilutii)nal  hardiness,— yet  if  one  be  exposed 
to  wind,  and  the  other  sheltered  by  some  screen, 
thougli  the  thermometer  shall  mark  the  same 
degree  in  both  instances,  one  will  die  and  the 
other  live.  The  wind  drains  the  plant  of  its 
moisture,  and  it  dies  by  drying  up. 


187L 


THE    GARDEJSTER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


209 


Many  of  our  indigenous  trees  which  naturally 
uni  cregarious  and  thus  help  to  shelter  one 
another,  become  tender  when  urged  to  soli- 
tary habits.  Even  the  Hemlock  and  Balm  of 
Gilead  are  often  badly  hurt  as  solitary  trees,  ' 
though  native  to  the  locality  in  groves  and 
woods. 

We  see  continually  cases  where  rare  half-har- 
^y  trees  do  well  when  sheltered, though  thegeneral 
report  has  had  them  unfit  for  general  culture. 
On  the  property  of  Mrs.  Carpenter,  opposite  the 
residence  of  the  writer  of  this,  is  a  very  hand- 
some Deodar  cedar  well  sheltered,  while  most 
others  exposed  have  died  away.  In  our  own 
case,  our  Deodars  exposed  died  many  years  ago, 
while  one  in  a  low  place  lived  for  many  years. 
At  that  time  we  supposed  it  was  because  it  was 
in  the  low  place  that  it  did  so  well,  and  this  rea- 
son is  given  in  Mr.  Sargent's  edition  of  Dowu- 
ing's  Landscape  Gardening ;  but  we  now  see 
that  it  was  owing  rather  to  the  slight  shelter 
from  wind  which  the  undulation  aflbrded  it.  As 
eoon  as  it  grew  high  enough  to  become  exposed 
to  the  wind,  it  died  like  the  rest  of  its  fellows. 

We  are  again  with  this  matter  fully  before  us 
in  consequence  of  a  visit  to  the  superb  collection 
of  rare  trees  on  the  grounds  of  Minchell  and  Ja- 
cob Painter,  in  Delaware  county,  Pennsylvania. 
Here  is  a  specimen  of  Buddleya  LindUyana. 
which  has  made  a  dense  bush  four  or  five  feet 
high,  blooming  profusely  every  year,— while  in 
•every  other  place  in  Pennsylvania  that  we  know, 
it  gets  killed  to  the  ground  every  winter.  The 
same  is  the  case  with  the  Cullicarpa  imrinirea, 
so  interesting  by  its  violet  purple  berries  in  fall ; 
here  they  are  in  profusion,  because  the  bush 
never  dies  back.  Among  the  evergreens  was  a 
noble  specimen  of  Abies  Douylassi,  which  was 


perfect  in  shape  and  form,  and  here,  as  we  say, 
"as  hardy  as  an  oak."  As  for  Cryptomeria  ja- 
ponica,  which  so  many  find  hard  to  grow,  we 
doubt  whether  its  native  country,  China  itself, 
could  furnish  a  better  specimen  than  the  one 
here.  But  the  grounds  are  well  sheltered,  both 
by  the  trees  themselves,  which  are  thickly  planted 
together,  and  by  dense  woods  everywhere  about 
them. 

When  we  think  how  much  enjoyment  in  the 
culture  of  rare  trees,  fruits  and  flowers  most  of 
us  are  deprived  of  who  have  exposed  places, 
which  we  might  have  by  planting  belts  of  wind 
breaking  hardy  trees,  we  think  we  are  doing  a 
public  service  by  keeping  this  subject  before  "the 
people. 

We  add  a  list  of  those  half  hardy  evergreens, 
which,  we  think,  if  well  sheltered  from  "winds', 
would  do  well  in  any  part  of  the  country  ;  but 
which  we  now  rarely  see  anywhere.  Abies  or 
Spruces:  Alcocquiana,  Appolonis,  Cephalonica, 
Cilicica,  Douglnssi,  Eugelmannii,  grandis,  Je- 
zoensis,  Menzicsii,  Mertensiana,  nobilis,  Pin- 
drow,  pinsapo,  Webbiana.  Araucaria  excelsa, 
and  A.  Cunninghamii.  Cedars  of  Lebanon. 
Cephalotaxus  drupacea,  and  C.  Fortunii.  Oryp- 
tomeria  japonica ;  Libocedrus  decurrens  ;  Thuja 
gigantea  ;  Tkujopsis  borealis  ;  Cupressus  Lawso- 
niana  ;  Pinus  insignis  ;  P.  ILalapensis  ;  P.  pin- 
aster ;  P.  monticola  ;  P.  palustris  ;  P.  tceda  ;  P. 
patula;  P.  radiata;  Podocarpus,  all  the  Japanese 
species,  and  the  Yews,  both  American  and  En- 
glish ;  Torreya  taxifolia,  and  T.  nucifera,  and  the 
Sequoia  gigantea. 

Some  of  these  have  perhaps  been  found  to  do 
well  even  in  exposed  places  ;  but  all  will  be  bet- 
ter if  set  out  in  well  siieltered  ones. 


SCHAPS   AND     QUERIES. 


Utilizixo  Sinkholes.— We  give  the  follow- 
ing from  a  Tennessee  correspondent,  because 
many  others  may  be  similarly  situated,  and  we 
should  ourselves  be  glad  of  the  experience  of  any 
one  in  similar  circumstances. 

'•I  want  some  information  upon  a  subject 
about  which  1  know  you  arc  well  informed.  1 
have,  however,  some  hesitation  to  ask  it  of  you, 


because  I  know  from  your  position,  that  you  are 
often  troubled  by  similar  queries.  If  I  am  ask- 
ing too  much,  you  will  cast  this  sheet  aside  un- 
answered. If,  however,  you  will  give  the  infor- 
mation sought,  I  shall  be  greatly  obliged  to  you. 
I  have  upon  my  premises,  upon  a  plain,  slight- 
ly declining  to  the  north,  a  sinkhole  or  depres- 
sion, about  fifty  feet  in  diameter,  nearly  round, 


210 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MOJVTHLy. 


July 


and  about  twelve  feet  deep  in  the  centre,  with  a 
growth  and  uniform  declination  from  the  rim. 
I  have  conceived  the  idea  of  converting  this 
sinkhole  into  a  pit,  for  raising  early  vegetables 
for  market.  The  information  I  want,  is  how  to 
do  this  hr.si  and  cheapest. 

The  plan  I  have  thought  of,  is  about  as  fol- 
lows :  Set  cedar  pickets  about  four  feet  high 
upon  the  rim,  bank  the  dirt  from  the  outside  to 
pickets  :  set  posts  in  a  row,  east  and  west,  about 
two-thirds  the  distance  from  the  south  to  the 
north,  then  stretch  canvass,  painted  or  saturated 
with  oil,  from  south  to  north  across  a  pole  at- 
tached to  the  tops  of  the  posts,  thus  enclosing 
and  covering  the  sinkhole. 

Is  my  plan  practicable?  Will  it  pay?  Can 
you  suggest  a  cheaper  and  better  plan  to  accom- 
plish my  design  V  Will  the  canvass  give  light 
enough  ?  "What  kind  of  canvass  shall  I  use,  and 
how  and  with  what  material  shall  I  prepare  it, 
or  how  can  I  make  a  better  covering  ? 

If  my  project  is  feasible,  it  strikes  me  I  can 
grow  the  hardier  vegetables  by  using  a  stove  in 
the  coldest  weather,  nearly  all  winter.  I  am 
unwilling  to  incur  the  trouble  and  expense  inci- 
dent to  my  project,  with  my  own  judgment,  and 
therefore  ask  the  decision  of  one  in  whose  judg- 
ment I  have  more  confidence.'' 

[Of  course  the  profit  of  an  undertaking  of  this 
kind  would  depend  on  the  price  one  could  get 
for  the  product  in  the  nearest  market,  the  cost 
of  production  and  getting  to  market,  and  the 
quantity  of  the  article  which  could  be  raised  on 
the  given  space.  We  much  doubt  whether  any 
one  could  do  much  with  oiled  muslin  or  anything 
ehort  of  glass,  as  early  vegetables  want  much 
light  ;  but  as  we  said  before,  we  should  be  glad 
of  the  actual  experience  of  any  who  has  had 
experience.] 


Bliss'  Strawberry  Show. — We  regret  that 
we  did  not  get  notice  of  Mr.  Bliss's  show,  time 
enough  to  call  attention  ;  though  the  advertise- 
ment appeared  in  our  last.  These  meetings  are 
alwii}s  interesting,  and  we  like  to  do  all  we  can 
to  aid  them. 


resemble  "red-hot  pokers"  or  "sky  rockets;'* 
but,  however,  that  may  be,  he  or  she  is  to  be 
envied  who  has  the  chance  to  put  a  stick  down 
beside  one  in  August  or  September  when  the 
garden  is  gay  with  them. 


Tkitoma  uvaria.— This  magnificent  plant 
is  one  of  the  best  adapted  to  our  sunmn^rs  that 
has  been  grown  for  some  time.  It  is  a  native  of 
Southern  Africa,  and  though  hardy,  is  best 
taken  up  and  protected  with  a  little  earth  in  a 
cellar.     The  tlowers  are  said  by  some  people  to 


Sowing  Norway  Spruce  Seed. — An  Omaha 
correspondent  asks  us  to  give,  in  the  Monthly^ 
instructions  for  raising  Norway  Spruce  seed.  It 
is  so  easy  to  raise  these,  and  all  other  ever- 
greens,no  elaborate  instructions  are  needed.  They 
simpl}-^  need  shade.  Corn  stalks  or  brushwood 
laid  on  tolerably  thick,  as  soon  as  the  seeds  are 
sown,  and  kept  on  during  the  first  summer  and 
winter,  is  really  all  the  secret  there  is  about  the 
matter. 


Bignonia  grandtflora.— J»f.  P.,  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  says  :  "I  bought,  of  an  agent,  a  plant  of 
this  at  a  big  figure,  last  fall.  I  am  now  told  it 
grows  wild  about  us  here  in  the  woods.  The 
leaf  does  look  the  same.     How  is  this  ?'' 

[The  B.  grandiflcra  is  the  Chinese  trumpet 
vine,  larger  flowered  than  your  wild  one,  which 
is  B.  radicans.] 


Apple  Trees  on  Ridges.— Jf.  i>.,  Fort  How- 
ard, Wis.,  writes  :  "Last  spring  I  purchased  a 
property  here,  and  wish  this  fall  to  set  out  an 
apple  orchard,  which  I  believe  will  do  well  in 
this  part  of  the  country,  Avhich  is  the  southern 
point  of  Green  Bay.  One  of  the  older  settlers 
here  has  a  very  promising  orchard,  which  is  set 
on  a  plan  I  have  never  seen  before.  The  land 
is  thrown  up  into  ridges,  and  the  trees  set  on 
them.  At  present  the  trees  look  very  well,  and 
if  this  were  the  end  of  them,  I  should  not  hesi- 
tate to  do  likewise  ;  but  when  they  come  to  bear 
fruit,  and  of  course  will  have  to  draw  on  the 
earth  for  the  wherewith  to  make  so  much  cider, 
I  should  think  these  banks  would  prove  to  be 
too  dry,  and  thus  much  of  the  fruit  fall  before 
maturity.     What  do  you  advise  ?" 

[We  should  not  hesitate  to  trust  the  banks. 
If  there  has  been  the  success  in  growth  which 
you  slate,  it  will  bear  out  in  fruit  also.  It  is  a 
good  thing  to  have  the  feeding  roots — fibres — 
near  the  surface, — high  and  dry, — the  deep  roots 
— tap  roots  will  bring  up  the  moisture  from  be- 
low when  the  bearing  time  arrives.] 


1871. 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


211 


Maxuring  in  the  West. — H.  B.,  FortHoiv- 
ard,  Mich.,  says  :  ''I  note  that  you  in  the  East 
have  an  idea  that  out  here  we  do  not  value  ma- 
nure. In  a  ride  last  spring  between  Milton  and 
Fond  du  Lac,  I  noticed  manure  was  quite  com- 
monly used.  How  diflerent  from  Ohio,  where  j 
spent  the  last  summer !  It  is  there  truly  wasted. " 


yet  are  distinct  enough  to  obtain  strong  parti- 
zans  for  each. 


Propagating  ARisTOLOCinA  sipho.— "Cm- 
ctTiTiofus.''  "Can  you  tell  me  how  to  raise  the 
Aristohchia  sipho,  or  common  Dutchman's  Pipe 
Vine  ?  I  have  tried  cuttings,  layers,  and  all 
Borts  of  ways,  but  failed  in  all." 

[Let  the  wood  grow  all  one  season.  The  next 
spring,  before  the  buds  burst,  lay  down  the 
wood,  and  in  the  fall  following,  they  will  be 
rooted.  They  will  not  layer  from  half  ripe  wood 
as  somethings  will,] 


Weeping  Willows  Hating  Water.— -4. 
K.,  informs  us  that  a  willow,  though  it  may  be 
thirty  feet  high  over  water,  will  send  its  branches 
down  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the  water,  but 
never  into  it.  The  branches  always  stop  short 
of  the  water. 


Blackberry  KijST.—.^^.  H.  i?.,  Springfield, 
Ills.,  says:  "The  orange  colored  fungus  men- 
tioned by  W.  Parry,  in  Vol.  12  of  the  Garden- 
er^s  Monthly,  page  235,  and  also  by  Mr.  Satter- 
thwait,  has  been  on  my  Lawton  blackberries  for 
2  or  3  years,  and  has  destroyed  the  most  of  the 
plants.  It  has  also  made  its  appearance  on  my 
raspberries,  and  unless  checked,  will  probably 
destroy  the  whole  patch.  I  would  be  much 
pleased  to  find  a  remedy.  If  you  can  suggest 
one,or  obtain  it  through  the  Gardener^s  Monthly , 
I  will  be  much  obliged.'' 

[We  believe  no  remedy  has  been  found  for 
this,  further  than  that  of  digging  up  persistent- 
ly all  that  appear  in  spring  ;  but  we  think  the 
best  advice  would  be  at  once  to  prepare  a  new 
bed  of  plants  in  a  fresh  location,  and  eventually 
destroy  the  old  one. 

We  should  be  glad  to  hear  from  Mr.  Parry, 
who,  we  believe,  has  had  much  experience  in  its 
destruction.] 


Magnolia  Thompsoniana. — An  Ohio  cor- 
respondent says  :  "Among  the  newer  varieties, 
I  cannot  too  highl}'  recommend  the  Thompsoni- 
ana, it  has  as  yet  bloomed  only  one  flower 
with  me.  It  was  splendid.  Opens  wider  than 
most  varieties,  but  not  so  wide  as  tripetela ; 
most  delightfully  fragrant.  Hoopes,  Bro.  & 
Thomas  say  of  it,  resembles  the  Sweet  Bay,  but 
has  larger  leaves  and  bloom,  and  is  equally  fra- 
grant ;  bright  yellow.  Longifolia  has  not  as  yet 
bloomed  here.  Auriculata  is  a  fine  variety  with 
whitish  yellow  flowers." 

[We  quite  agree  as  to  the  merits  of  M.  Thomp- 
soniana. Not  quite  so  sweet  as  M.  glauca,  the 
large  flowers  and  fine  foliage  make  it  always  a 
favorite.  It  is  said  to  be  a  hybrid  between  M. 
glauca  and  M.  acuminata,  but  it  may  be  but  a  seed- 
ling development  independent  of  hybridization.] 

BouvARDiA  Davisonii. — We  are  indebted  to 
Mr.  Davidson  for  specimens  of  this  new  white 
Bouvardia,  which  we  have  before  noticed  in  our 
columns,  and  which  is  to  divide  popular  appre- 
ciation with  the  B.  Vrelandii  recently  illustrated 
in  our  paper.  They  both  resemble  one  another 
in  those  points  which  make  them  so  valuable  ; 


Native  Country  of  the  Verbena.— ^?ic€ 
M.,  Lancaster,  Pa. — The  garden  varieties 
came  from  Brazil,  where  they  were  first  collected 
by  the  botanist  Ticeedie.  The  first  introductions 
were  red,  and  afterwards  a  white  one  came, 
known  as  V.  teucroides.  Most  of  our  garden  va- 
rieties are  hybrids  between  these.  Mr.  Buist  of 
Philadelphia  was  the  first  to  have  garden  varie- 
ties. There  are  verbenas  all  through  the  Ameri- 
can continent,  but  none  so  handsome  as  these 
Brazilian  ones  ;  though  some  of  the  Rocky  moun- 
tain species  are  not  far  behind  them. 


MiKANiA  SCANDEN8. — ">4n  old  Subscriber^ 
Philada. — "Can  I  get  any  information  through 
your  useful  magazine  of  the  Mikania  scandenn. 
It  has  a  tuberous  root ;  throws  up  a  running 
vine  in  the  spring,  which  bears  a  composite 
flower  of  a  dull  lilac  color ;  no  beauty,  but  a  de- 
lightful fragrance.  It  grows  wild  in  Massachu- 
setts. I  should  like  to  buy  some  of  the  roots, 
but  do  not  know  where  to  procure  them  ;  per- 
haps some  collector  of  native  plants  could  direct 
me." 

[It  is  singular  that  this  beautiful  native 
climber  has  not  found  itself  in  our  nursery  col- 
lections.   Quantities  of  it  grow  in  Delaware,  and 


n^ 


TEE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJVTHLY. 


July, 


inoBt  likely  Mr.  Ed.  Tatnell  of  Wawaset  nurse- 
ries, at  AVilraington,  can  procure  plants  at  a  rca- 
Bouable  price.  If  any  nurseryman  has  it,  we 
will  willingly  announce  it  in  this  column. 


New  Firms. — Our  young  men  are  infusing 
new  life  into  some  of  our  old  firms.  Mr.  Wm. 
Barry,  son  of  our  well  known  P.  Barry,  has, 
diM-Mig  the  past  year,  taken  an  interest  in  the 
old  folk's  business,and  we  hear  is  pushing  things, 
especially  in  the  way  of  house  plants.  Mr. 
Buist  is  also  fortunate  in  an  accomplished  daugh- 
ter, who  takes  a  lively  interest  in  everything 
about  the  establishment.  Mr.  Peter  Hender- 
son's eldest  son,  Alfred,  has  also  exhibited  a 
good  turn  for  business,  through  which  Mr.  Pe- 
ter Henderson  has  been  induced  to  form  a  new 
firm.  Peter  Henderson  &  Co.,  consisting  of  him- 
self, Son,  and  Mr.  AV.  H.  Carson,  at  35  Court- 
land  Street.  Henderson  &  Fleming  having  thus 
dissolved,  Mr.  Fleming  continues  the  old  busi- 
ness at  67  Nassau  Street. 


PuoFESSOR  OF  HORTICULTURE,— Our  rea- 
ders have  mostly  seen  by  the  daily  and  weekly 
papers,  that  Mr  Francis  Parkraan,  one  of  the 
most  intelligent  horticulturists  in  the  country, 
has  been  elected  Professor  of  Horticulture  in  the 
Bussey  Agricultural  College  of  Harvard  Uni- 
versity. 


Hanson  Lettuce.— On  cur  table  are  three 
beads  from  Mr.  Dreer  of  this  variety,  which 
some  visitors  take  to  be  cabbage.  It  has  much 
the  character  of  the  old  curled  Indian,  but  is 
earlier,  and  with  larger  heads.  We  can  confi- 
dently recommend  it. 


National  Arboretum. — A  correspondent 
briefly  tells  us  that  in  a  recent  visit  to  ihis  col- 
lection of  trees  at  Washington,  he  was  delighted 
with  the  extent  and  variety  it  contained. 


Plant  for  Name —J.  D.  C,  Evansoille, 
Ind.  :  "I  have  a  plant  that  I  got  from 
New  York,  under  the  name  of  Vere  creata, 
or  treeof  life.  It  is  of  succulent  nature  ;  leaves 
grown  out  of  a  round  erect  stem  in  couples  op- 
posite, and  traversely.  I  do  not  know  the  bo- 
tanical nay  of  describing  plants.  The  leaf  has 
the  singular  property  of  throwing  out  small 
plants  from  the  edge.  When  broken  oflF  and 
suspended  in  the  air,  the  leaves  full  grown  are 
about  4  in.  by  2  in.  ;  and  the  flower  is  said  to  be 
crimson.  Can  you  tell  me  what  it  is  and  the 
proper  name  ?" 

[Bryophyllum  calycinum.] 


Atlanta  Agricultural  Association.— 
Mr.  Echols  tells  us  this  is  to  open  at  Atlanta, 
Ga  ,  on  the  IGth  of  October,  for  five  days, — and 
every  effort  will  be  made  to  make  it  worthy  of 
the  attendance  of  horticulturists  fromany  part  of 
the  Union. 


New  North  American  Plants.— People 
who  are  impatient  because  our  lending  botanists 
do  not  get  out  a  "complete  Flora  (f  North 
Americo,^^  have  no  idea  how  many  new  plants 
yet  remain  to  be  discovered,  described  and 
named.  Among  the  results  of  the  somewhat 
recent  explorations  of  the  40th  parallel  by  King, 
are  over  ove  Inindicd  ami  fjLy  new  species,  col- 
lected by  the  botanist  Watson,  who  proves  to  bo 
one  of  the  most  successful  botanical  collectors 
of  recent  times. 


Grape-vine  Fungus.— We  shall  be  very 
much  obliged  if  any  of  our  readers  who  may 
note  any  curious  mildew  or  moulds  on  grape 
vmes,  either  in  doors  or  out,  will  send  specimens 
to  Prof.  Johu  L.  llussell,  Salem,  Mass. 


Communications  and  Brief  Notes. — Wo 
are  much  indebted  to  our  horticultural  friends 
who  favor  us  with  their  thoughts,  opinions  or 
suggestions,  from  which  we  can  make  brief  para- 
graphs, as  well  as  to  those  who  send  us  from 
time  to  time  excellent  articles  for  our  'commu- 
nication" page.  Every  gardener  or  lover  of 
plants  and  fruits,  can,  if  they  only  think  so, 
send  us  notes  of  much  value.  The  chapter  this 
month  on  purple  trees,  show  what  can  be  done 
when  once  a  man  gets  over  his  youthful  modesty. 


American  Pomological  Society,  Meet- 
ing AT  KicilMOND.— In  another  column  we 
have  given  the  circular  of  President  Wilder  in 
reference  to  the  meeting,  to  which  no  doubt  our 
fruit  growers  and  h:)rliculturists  will  respond 
with  their  usual  enthusiasm. 

We  hear  from  private  sources  that  the  citi- 
zens of  Uichmond  are  doing  every  tiling  in  their 
power  to  make  it  worth  the  ailenilance  We 
feel  assured  that  those  who  ma}'  be  unable  to 
attend  this  sessii'ii,  will  bo  deprived  of  one  of 
the  most  enjoyable  horticultural  pleasures  of  the 
season. 


1871^ 


THE    GARBEJVEWS   MOJ^TELJ. 


213 


BOOKS,    CATALOGUES,    &C. 


low*  State  Horticlltorai  Report. 

By  the  kindness  of  Prof.    Matthews,  we  have 
the  report  of  the  State  Horticultural  Society  for 
1869,  now  for  some  mouths  on  our  table      We 
find  in  looking  through  its  pages,  that  the  pear 
and  the  apple  are  the  most  reliable  fruits  for  Iowa 
They  usually  bear  regularly.     The  clierry  often 
does  well,  but  the  curculio  has  the  plums  here 
as  well  as  elsewhere.     The  peach  cannot  be  re 
garded  as  a  general  crop,  and  grapes  are  some 
what  uncertain,  small  fruits  thrive  well.     Plant 
ing  of  fruits  and  ornamentals  goes  on  extensively. 
Amongst  the  newer  apples,  Grimes'  Golden,  Te- 
toffski,   and  the  Stark  are  particularly   recom- 
mended. 

Among  the  essays  contributed,  is  one  by  Mr. 
6.  B.  Brackett,  on  "Pears  in  Southern  Iowa," - 
one  by  D.  W.  Adams,  on  '-Fruits  of  Northern 
Iowa,''  one  of  the  very  best  papers  on  the  sub- 
ject we  have  read  ;  a  brief  one  by  Hon.  C.  H. 
Whiting,  on  orcharding  in  Northwestern  Iowa  ; 
"what  apples  not  to  plant,"  by  Z.  Hollings- 
worth,  which  will,  we  think,  meet  with  an  af- 
firmative respose  in  most  regards, — but  we  sup- 
posed Fameu^e  was  too  good  au  apple  in  this  re- 
gion for  such  a  list  as  this.  Mr  Suel  Foster  has 
a  brief  but  remarkable  paper  on  "roots  of  trees.'' 
He  commenced  by  remarking  "in  science  it  is 
said  that  the  spo?>(7io?e.s,  that  is  small,  young,  ten- 
der roots,  are  the  feeders  to  supply  plant  food 
for  the  tree,  and  that  these  fibres  are  annual, 
and  die  off  in  the  winter.''  Let  us  consider  this, 
Ac.  We  did  not  suppose  there  was  any  man 
"in  science"  or  out  of  it  so  excessively  stupid  as 
to  confound  a  spongiole  with  a  fibre,  and  think 
Mr.  Foster  might  have  spared  himself  the  trou- 
ble of  disputing  with  such  a  person,  even  though 
he  did  exist  But  Mr  F.  docs  not  stop  here 
He  asserts  that  the  fibres  or  spongiolcs, — for  it  is 
not  clear  but  the  confusion  in  these  ideas,  is  his 
own  rather  than  "in  science,"  -exhaust  the  tree 
rather  than  help  it ;  and  that  the  tree  receives 
its  food  through  the  "spongy  bark"  on  the  root,s. 
How  the  little  seedling  lives  until  it  gets  the 
"spongy  bark,"  or  how  hyacinths,  tulips,  or  the 
thousands  of  things  which  never  have  "spongy 
bark"  get  along,  Mr.  F.  docs  not  tell  us.  Satis- 
fied, however,  that  he  has  made  some  wonderful 
discoveries,  he  boldly  braves  "old  and  estab- 
lished land  marks  in  science,"  and,   turning  in 


utter  contempt  from  the  creature,  plants  both 
i  hind  feet  fair  in  its  brenst,  exclaiming,  as  the 
State  report  interprets  his  language,  while  he  does 
so,"I  take  theresp  tnsibility  of  ratllfer  dlterinrf  the 
books  than  the  laws  of  nature.''''  We  should  think 
after  this  the  books  will  not  "fear  to  tread''  in 
the  path  of  Mr    Foster. 

Mr.  E.  IT.  Calkins  has  a  paper  on  "making  and 
preparing  cider."  J.  W.  Pearman  on  "propaga- 
tion or  propagating  and  growing  small  fruits  ;'' 
and  D.  W.  Kauffman  has  au  excellent  article  on 
"how  to  plant  evergreens,  and  why  they  die," 
which,  with  his  regard  for  the  fibres,  must  be  a 
terrible  shock  to  'laws  of  nature.''  There  is 
one  sentence  in  this  essay  which  should  be  given 
to  every  garden  laborer  to  get  by  heart.  It  is 
'■'■never  for  a  moment,  if  possible,  alloio  the  roots  to 
be  exposed  to  the  influence  (f  the  sun  or  atrnos- 
phere.'"  Drying  is  bad  enough  on  deciduous 
trees,  but  terrible  on  the  evergreen. 

Mr.  R.  S.  Willitt  has  a  paper  on  hedge  cul- 
ture, which  if  it  gives  the  most  approved  plan  of 
planting  in  the  West,  is  more  expensive  than  the 
eastern  one,  which  we  should  hardly  expect  in 
such  a  western  subject  as  h„'dge  planting. 


Th».  RuBALisT.    Published   ai  Ciniinnf.f,  and  edited  by  Loi-.l3 
R  tz. 

I.ssucs  a  German  as  well  as  an  English  edition. 


Lost  E.xcRA\Gr». 

A  notice  in  our  Inst,  that  we  supposed  the 
Canada  Farmer  was  extinct,  brings  it  up  again, 
after  a  two  years  disappearance.  A  whole 
year's  volume,  bound,  has  been  placed  on  our 
table.  We  surely  need  no  further  evidence  that 
this  highly  esteemed  contemporary  bus  not 
ceased  to  exist.  We  are  sorry  we  had  it  dead 
before  its  time,  but  it  was  no  fault  of  ours. 
Another  mystery  in  the  exchange  way,  is  the 
appearance  for  the  first  time  on  our  table  of  the 
Massachusetts  Ploughman.  It  is  Vol.  30,  No. 
31,  and  is  published  at  Boston.  It  might  n  itu- 
rally  be  expected  that  the  last  stronghold  to 
stand  out  against  the  recognition  of  a  new  p>\v- 
er,  should  be  located  at  the  "Hub  of  the  Uni- 
verse." Now  that  this  has  surrendered,  we  feel 
able  to  sleep  in  peace. 


2U 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S    M0JVTHL7. 


July, 


NEW  ANT)   RAEE   FTIUITS. 


The  following  list  of  new  Pears  we  extract 
from  the  Rural  New  Yorker: 

Pear  Pardee's  Seedling  — This  is  an  ex- 
tremely pretty  pear,  of  medium  size,  with  a 
blush  vermilion  cheek,  and  a  flesh  that,  in  the 
specimens  before  me,  rank  as  "very  good.''  It 
is  an  exceedingly  juicy  pear,  and  would  please 
most  people  for  eating,  while  it  is  not  large 
enough  to  meet  public  demand  as  one  of  profit 
in  its  season. 

Beurre  Woronzou. — This,  to  me,  is  entirely 
new,  and  I  have  no  description  of  it  anywhere. 
Leroy  has  it  not.  It  may  be  in  Mas— whose 
full  numbers  I  have  not.  It  is  a  fruit  of  medium 
size,  obovate  pyriform  in  sliape,  light,*  pale  yel- 
low, with  a  multitude  of  minute  gray  dots  ;  stem 
one  and  a  quarter  inches  wide,  rather  slender, 
set  in  a  revolute  cavity,  with  a  nob  ;  calyx  open, 
connected,  with  half  reflexed  segments  ;  basin 
shallow  and  broad  ;  flesh  melting,  juicy,  but  as- 
tringent, only  it  is  quite — "good." 

Sheppard. — The  American  variety  has  been 
figured  in  the  Rural  Neio  Yorker,  is  pretty  well 
known,  and  needs  no  remark,  except  for  me  to 
say  the  specimens  received  were  beautiful,  and 
were  in  form  oblong  obovate  pyriform,  with 
stalk  an  inch  long,  set  in  a  deep  acute  cavity. 

St.  Francis  Seigner.— This  is  entirely  new 
to  me,  nor  can  I  find  it  in  Leroy  or  Downing. 
It  is  medium  size,  roundish  oblate,  conical,  dull 
yellow,  with  stripes  of  red  in  the  sun,  from  the 
stem  toward  the  calyx,  and  thickly  dotted  with 
rough  dots  of  medium  size.  The  stem  is,  say 
one  inch  long,  set  in  a  narrow,  acute  cavity. 
The  calyx  is  small,  but  open  in  a  very  deep, 
"ough  russetted  basin.  The  flesh  is  coarse  and 
merely  good. 


Cogswell  Pearmain  Apple —A  corres- 
pondent of  the  Wesiern  Farmer  says  :  '-The 
public  would  like  to  know,  I  presume,  that  the 
tree  is  remarkable  for  longevity.  The  old  seed- 
ling sprang  into  life  about  1750.  I  ate  fruit  un- 
der its  branches  from  1801  to  1830  ;  and  I  saw  it 
in  1855.  The  old  head  was  entirely  gone,  and 
it  was  rejuvenated  by  lateral  branches  having 
struck  out  vigorously,  making  a  fair  head  ;  and 
was  then  in  good  bearing  condition,  and    from 


the  appearance  at  that  time,  I  have  no  doubt  it  is 
now  at  least  120  years  old.  (Dr.  Joseph  Fuller, 
an  eminent  physician,  said  when  a  person  could 
eat  a  rare-ripe  peach,  they  might  eat  a  Cogswell 
Pearmain.) 

Wm.  Cogswell,  Norwich,  Conn.,  who  owned 
the  land  on  which  the  seedling  stands,  was  my 
father.  He  caused  the  apple  to  be  introduced 
to  the  woi'ld,  and  for  him  the  apple  was  named, 
and  for  his  sake,  I  have  a  desire  that  the  true 
and  original  name  should  be  retained." 


Etowah  Seedling  Apples. — We  have  again 
been  favored  with  specimens  of  the  Etowah 
Seedling  Apples,  grown  by  Major  Mark  A.  Coo- 
per, of  Cartersville,  Ga.  The  specimens  on  hand 
are  perfectly  sound,  and  bid  fair  to  keep  six  weeks 
yet.  We  think  this  is  decidedly  the  best  flavored 
late  keeping  apple  we  have.  It  should  be  exten- 
sively planted.  We  are  assured  by  Mr.  Cooper 
that  this  variety  has  not  failed  to  bear  a  good 
crop  of  fruit  in  the  past  ten  years. — Bural  South- 
erner. 


Grape  Laura  Beverly.  -  The  Ontario  Far- 
mer says  :  Laura  Beverly,  a  grape  produced  by 
one  of  the  Niagara  District  vineyardists,  is  verv 
highly  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Beadle,  horticultural 
editor  of  the  Globe.  We  have  not  yet  fruited  it, 
but  on  the  recommendation  just  referred  to,  it 
has  found  a  place  in  our  garden 


The  Haas  Apple.— We  have  quite  a  number 
of  times  seen  and  eaten  this  fruit,  and  have  the 
young  trees  of  this  variety.  It  is  really  a  good 
fruit.  The  following  from  the  report  of  the  Min- 
nesota State  Horticultural  Society,  1871,  will  be 
read  with  interest. 

The  Haas  was  first  taken  up. 

Col.  Stevens  said  it  is  becoming  much  culti- 
vated. It  is  very  hardy,  as  much  so  as  the  Du- 
chess of  Oldenburg.  Does  well  as  far  north  as 
Anoka;  all  through  the  Big  Woods,  and  in  fact 
in  most  parts  of  the  State,  and  upon  all  kinds  of 
soil. 

Mr.  Waters,  of  Wisconsin,  stated  that  the 
fruit  was  originated,  or  atleast  was  first  brought 


1871. 


TkE    GARDE JfER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


215 


to  notice  in  1804  on  the  present  site  of  St.  Louis. 
Porty  years  aQerwards  the  tree  was  living,  and 
"bore  thirty  barrels  of  fruit  in  one  season,  which 
would  prove  its  longevity  and  productiveness. 
Trees  are  very  thrifty  ;  have  always  proved  hardy 
in  Wisconsin. 

Mr.  Jordan  thought  it  was  not  so  hardy  as 
the  Duchess  of  Oldenberg  ;  tips  sometimes  freeze, 
but  never  injure  the  tree.  He  mentioned  in- 
stances of  orchards  dying  out — the  Haas  alone 
remaining  sound  and  healthy.  No  tree  in  Min- 
nesota has  given  better  satisfaction.  It  should 
head  the  list;  is  of  red  color,  good  size,  and  No. 
1  flavor. 

Mr.  Hoffman  said  it  is  a  very  rapid  grower 
and  very  thrifty,  more  so  than  the  Duchess  of 
■Oldenburg ;  had  seen  many  fine  specimens  in 
different  parts  of  the  State. — Iowa  Homestead. 


Apple,  Statman's  Summer. -Fruit  medium  ; 
weight  five  to  seven  ounces  ;  form  round,  regular, 
approaching  conic  ;  skin  smooth, greenish  yellow, 
splashed  and  striped  with  red  and  purple,  cov- 
ered with  a  white  bloom,  dots  small,  grey,  scat- 
tered ;  stem  medium,  rather  slender  \  cavity  nar- 
row, deep,  irregular,  russeted ;  eye  very  small, 
<;lo8ed  ;   basin  narrow,  shallow,  furrowed  ;  core 


small,  slightly  open  ;  carpels  small ;  seeds  small, 
short,  plump,  dark  brown  ;  flesh  greenish  white, 
very  juicy,  brittle,  sprightly,  high  flavored,  mild 
acid  ;  quality  very  good  ;  use  kitchen  table,  and 
market ;  season  August  and  September.  Tree  ^ 
hardy,  vigorous,  spreading,  irregular,  tough,  *;' 
wiry  ;  very  early  hearer  and  extraordinarily  pro- 
ductive^ droops  like  a  weeping  willow,  with  ropes 
of  fruity  never  breaking  a  limb.  This  tree  stands 
by  the  side  of  six  hundred  varieties,  and  has 
come  into  full  bearing  at  least  two  years  sooner, 
and  has  produced  more  than  double  the  quantity 
of  any  other  variety  at  the  same  age.  Flowers 
very  large  in  clusters  standing  wide  apart, 
striped  red,  blossom  early,  perfect,  every  blos- 
som setting  fruit,  but  soon  after  all  drop  that 
cannot  be  matured,  those  remaining  never  drop 
by  the  hardest  wind  until  ripe 

Leaves,  large,  heavy,  dark  green ;  bark  dark, 
glossy,  some  speckled.  This  tree  has  some  ex- 
traordinary peculiarities  that  we  never  saw  in 
any  other  tree,  and  the  fruit  is  very  nearly  equal 
to  Benoni,  and  Summer  Pearmain,  but  more 
handsome,  and  productive,  and  a  much  earlier 
bearer. 

Original  tree  standing  on  my  ground  here, 
nine  years  old. — J.  S.,  Ass'T  Ed.,  in  Pomologist. 


DOMESTIC    INTELLIGENCE. 


Surface  Manuring. — Having  tried  nearly 
all  of  the  various  modes  of  using  manure,  and 
finally  concluded  that  surface  manuring  is  the 
best,  I  propose  to  give  some  of  the  reasons  for 
coming  to  this  conclusion.  In  doing  this  I  shall 
only  refer  to  such  manure  as  is  made  in  the  sta- 
bles and  barnyards  in  Western  New  York, 
where  a  large  amount  of  straw  and  other  litter 
is  mixed  with  the  manure. 

The  first  one  to  discover  fully  the  advantages 
of  surface  manuring,  was  John  Johnston, 
near  Geneva,  N.  Y.  This  was  done  accidental- 
ly, in  this  way.  Having  land  badly  infested 
with  red  root,  he  manured  it  early  in  the  fall  to 
induce  the  red  root  seed  to  grow,  so  as  to  plow 
it  under  in  the  spring,  and  thus  clear  his  land  of 


this  pest.  But  he  found  a  greater  advantage  in 
the  fact  that  the  succeeding  crop  was  much  the 
best  where  the  manure  was  thus  applied.  This 
led  to  repeating  the  experiment  several  years, 
and  until  fully  convinced  that  one  load  applied 
to  grass  or  clover  in  the  fall  did  more  good  than 
two  used  in  any  other  way.  Then  he  wrote  ac- 
counts of  his  experience  in  surface  manuring  to 
the  agricultural  papers.  These  were  at  first 
doubted  and  disputed  ;  but  Mr.  Johnston  per- 
severed, his  heavy  crops  of  wheat,  corn  and 
grass  being  the  best  evidence  he  desired.  When 
men  doubted  the  benefits  described,  he  invited 
Lhem  to  come  and  see  for  themselves.  Many 
went,  saw  and  were  convinced  ;  the  very  heavy 
crops,  for  which  Mr.   Johnston  is  so  widely  and 


216 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S   MOJfTHLY. 


Jul] If 


justly  celebrated,  were  evidence  that  could  not 
be  doubted.  Many  tried  surf\ice  manuring,  and 
also  found  it  the  best  course  they  had  ever  pur- 
sued, and  not  a  few  have  also  strongly  recom- 
mended this  system  in  the  papers 

Some  of  the  reasons  in  favor  of  surface  manur- 
ing are,  that  nearly  all  the  valuable  portions  of 
manure  being  soluble,  are  washed  out  and  taken 
into  and  completely  diffused  through  the  surface 
soil  by  the  fall  rains,  so  as  to  he  in  the  best  possi- 
ble situation  and  condition  to  be  used  by  the  grow- 
ing plant.  And  then  there  is  little  chance  for 
loss,  as  when  manure  is  spread,  all  fermentation 
stops,  and  no  more  ammonia  is  formed  or  set 
free,  but  the  strength  of  the  manure  is  washed 
into  and  retained  by  the  surface  soil.  The  lead- 
ing agricultural  chemist  shows  that,  as  Dr. 
Cameron  says,  "by  a  beautiful  provision  of  na- 
ture—the  absorbtive  powers  of  soils- they  will 
be  retained  untilrequired  to  nourish  the  plants  " 
Liebig  also  states  that  if  "water,  holding  in  so- 
lution ammonia,  potash,  phosphoric  or  silicic 
acids,  be  brought  in  contact  with  the  soil,  these 
substances  disappear  almost  immediately  from 
the  solution,  the  soil  withdrawing  themfrom  the 
water."  But  perhaps  to  the  practical  farmer, 
the  best  proof  of  all  is  that  his  crops  find  the 
strength  of  the  manure  just  where  and  when  they 
want  it ;  that  corn,  thusmanuredthe  previous  fall, 
comes  up  rank  and  vigorous,  grows  better  and 
yields  better,  than  when  manured  with  the  same 
amount  of  manure  in  any  other  way.  This  I 
have  found  to  be  the  case  on  a  heavy  sod  ;  but 
when  manure  is  plowed  under  it  does  not  do  so 
well.  When  the  corn  is  small  and  help  is  most 
needed  to  give  the  crop  a  start,  the  manure  is 
mainly  out  of  reach,  and  the  corn,  if  on  sod, 
looks  rather  j-ellow  and  poor  ;  and  it  is  said  that 
it  must  have  time  for  the  sod  to  rot,  and  for  the 
roots  to  get  through  to  the  manure,  before  the 
crop  can  do  well.  Besides,  when  covered  up  by 
the  furrow,  the  rains  do  not  as  readily  reach 
and  dissolve  the  manure,  and  spread  it  all 
through  the  surface  soil,  where  it  will  be  found 
and  taken  up  by  the  roots  of  plants.  Hence 
there  is  no  way  in  which  manure  can  be  as  thor- 
oughly diffused  through  the  soil,  just  where  it  is 
needed  and  easiist  and  best  found  by  the  rodts 
of  plants,  as  by  surface  manuring — unless  it  be 
by  liquid  manuring,  and  that  is  but  another 
way  of  surface  manuring.  —  Country  Gentleman. 

PuiCKLE^  PioAii  —  "P."8ny8  :     "In  your  in- 
teresting account  of  the  Cactus  family   in    the 


January  number,  you  failed  to  notice  one  very 
valuable  property  of  the  plant,  viz.  :  if  theleavea 
are  bruised  and  placed  in  keetles  used  in  ren- 
dering tallow  or  lard,  it  will  cause  the  candles 
made  out  of  the  same  to  be  hard  and  firm  even 
in  summer  time.  "—Cor.  o(  Agriculturist. 


A  GrANT  Grape  Vine.— We  have  received 
from  John  S.  Coulson,  Natchez,  Miss  ,  a  section 
of  a  monstrous  grape  vine,  measuring  eight  and 
a  half  inches  in  diameter.  This  almost  equals 
the  great  vine  so  often  referred  to  in  history, 
from  which  the  doors  of  the  Cathedral  at  Ra- 
venna, Italy,  were  made.  If  anybody  can  show 
a  larger  grape  vine  stem  than  this  one  from 
Mississippi,  we  shall  be  pleased  to  hear  from 
them. — Rural  New  Yorker. 


Grapes  in  Oregon.— For  years  we  had  no 
grapes  in  Oregon  except  the  Los  Angelos,  Isa- 
bella, and  Catawba,  and  even  the  cultivation  of 
these  was  not  very  well  understood  They  failed 
to  ripen  except  in  favorable  seasons  and  loca- 
tions, and  when  they  did  ripen,  they  were  sour 
compared  with  the  sweet  grapes  from  Califor- 
nia. So  the  people  generally  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  Oregon  was  not  a  good  country  for 
grapes,  and  but  few  were  planted.  But  in  the 
course  of  time  varieties  of  the  earlier  foreign 
grapes  were  brought  to  this  country,  and  were 
found  to  do  well.  The  Delaware,  Concord, 
Han  ford  Prolific,  Allen's  Hybrid  and  others  of 
the  natives  were  tried  and  were  found  to  suc- 
ceed, ripening  their  fruit  early,  and  all  without 
the  slightest  symptom  of  disease.  Since  then 
the  planting  of  vines  has  increased  from  year  to 
year,  till  now  almost  everybody  wants  to  plant 
a  few  vines.  At  our  last  State  Fair  some  50  va- 
rieties were  exhibited,  all  well  ripened,  and  of 
unsurpassed  flavor  and  size.  Owing  to  our  cooler 
climate,  our  grapes  are  not  as  sweet  as  the  same 
varieties  raised  in  California,  but  they  are  high- 
er flavored,  and  have  a  great  deal  more  charac- 
ter.—A.  R.  Shipley,  Oswego,  Oregon,  in  West- 
ern Piimolcyikt. 


The  Catalpa. — "Old  Settler"  is  sound  in 
commending  the  Catalpa  for  Southern  Iowa, 
both  as  an  ornamental  and  timber  tree.  It  is  a 
rapid  grower,  and  its  timber  is  fully  as  durable 
for  posts  as  our  prairie  burr  oak.  In  the  cen- 
tral and  norllurn  part  of  Iowa,   upon  the  open 


I 


1870. 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S   MOJ^TELY. 


217 


prairies,  the  Catalpa  becomes  somewhat  dwarfed 
in  habit ;  and  while  I  could  not  commend  it  as 
a  timber  tree,  I  would  urge  its  claims  very 
strongly  as  one  of  our  best  ornamental  trees  for 
judicious  planting  upon  lawns.  Although  a  1 
native  of  the  States  south  and  west  of  Virginia, 
the  Catalpa  shows  a  strange  capacity  for  adapt- 
ing itself  to,  and  becoming  wholly  acclimated 
upon  our  most  open  and  exposed  prairies  in 
Benton  and  adjoining  counties  ;  and  perhaps  it 
may  do  well  even  up  to  the  Minnesota  line 
With  us,  if  the  seed  is  brought  direct  from 
the  South,  the  seedlings  are  sure  to  winter  kill 
more  or  less.  But  the  plants  grown  from  seed 
matured  here  at  the  North,  are  as  hardy,  so  far 
as  I  can  see,  as  the  Scarlet  Maple,  and  even 
more  hardy  than  the  White  Maple.  In  the  fall 
of  1869,  the  unprecedented  October  freeze  injured 
scarcely  a  terminal  bud  upon  our  seedling  Ca- 
talpas,  though  killingoutright  many  of  our  trees 
of  White  Maple.  The  very  fact  that  it  does  not 
grow  as  large  in  size  of  tree  as  at  the  South,  is 
a  strong  argument  in  favor  of  the  Catalpa  as  a 
Northern  kiwn  tree. 

For  the  benefit  of  those  not  acquainted  with 
this  beautiful  tree,  I  will  state  that  its  leaves 
are  very  large,  often  seven  inches  broad.  The 
blossoms,  like  those  of  the  Horse  Chestnut,  hang 
in  massy  clusters  beyond  the  outer  surface  of 
these  huge  leaves,  and  their  delicate  white  color 
pprinkled  with  violet  in  contrast  with  the  dense  ! 
pale  green  foliage,  forms  a  feature  of  which  any  I 
homestead  may  well  be  proud. 

The  flowers  are  succeeded  by  numerous  long,  | 
slender,  nearly  cylindrical  pods,  often  fully  one  I 
foot  in  length,  hence  the  name  "cigar  tree,"  | 
which  is  in  some  localities  tiie  common  name. —  j 
Joseph  L.  Budd,  in  Iowa  Ilomestead.  i 


"The  Apios  tuberofia  is  indigenous  to  the  Mid- 
dle States,  but  not  found,  as  I  am  aware,  north 
of  the  Old  Colony,  whence  some  years  ago  I  ob- 
tained the  seed  for  cultivation  in  my  garden. 
At  first  sight,  you  will  pronounce  the  tubera 
good  sized  potatoes  or  artichokes,  which  they  do, 
indeed,  very  much  resemble  ;  but  really  they 
belong  to  the  ground  nuts  (Pulse  family.)  They 
are,  however,  of  a  different  species  from  the  lit- 
tle tubers  of  that  name  which  are  found  growing 
wild  in  our  Maine  forests.  These,  ordinarily  are 
not  larger  than  a  ladies'  thimble,  and  are  of  in- 
significant value  ;  but  the  Apios  iuherosa  grow 
to  the  size  of  potatoes,  and  baked,  are  as  farina- 
ceous and  palatable  as  that  important  edible. 
Doubtless  they  answered  a  tolerable  substitute 
for  bread,  before  our  forefathers  could  raise  their 
first  crop  of  corn  or  grain  Out  of  some  curiosi- 
ty, some  years  ago,  I  planted  a  few  of  them  in 
my  garden.  It  is  an  annual  plant,  but  the  tu- 
bers live  all  winter  in  the  soil,  and  multiply  the 
next  season.  The  nuts  are  traced  upon  string* 
under  ground,  several  feet  in  length,  and  the  tu- 
bers, like  egg-shaped  beads,  are  hung  along  the 
line.  The  top  is  a  vine  or  climber,  like  a  hop, 
and  will  cover  quite  an  arbor  or  trellis  with  their 
verdure  and  bloom.  The  flowers  are  ornamen- 
tal, of  a  purple  and  green  color  in  clusters, 
somewhat  resembling  the  lilac,  and  are  pleas- 
antly fragrant.  They  are  very  pretty  growing 
around  a  window,  or  climbing,  like  'morning 
glories,'  at  the  sides  of  front  doors. —.American 
Farmer. 


APIO.S  TUBEROSA.— We  received  a  few  days 
since,  from  Rev.  W,  A.  Drew  — who  as  editor  of 
the  Rural  Intelligencer,  wielded  a  vigorous  pen 
for  the  cause  of  improved  agriculture  and  rural  j 
economy  in  our  State— a  few  tubers  of  the  Apios  i 
tuherosa,  "the  native   'broad  fruit,'  which  with 
•faith  and  clams'  crowned  the  starvation  board.s  ; 
of  our  Pilgrim   Fathers  during  their  first  sum- ^ 
mer'8   residence   in   Plymouth.''      While   it   is  ' 
quite  pretty  as  a  climber,   and   makes  a  good 
screen  to  keep  out  of  view  unsightly  objects,  it 
may  be  found  somewhat  troublesome,  from  its 
under  ground  tubers  spreading  where  it  is  not 
wanted.     Concerning  this  "staff  of  life''  of  the 
Pil;;rims,  Bro.  Drew  writes  : 


Cherries  AT  Dr.  Hull's.— It  was  our  mis- 
fortune to  be  unable  to  meet  several  of  the  hor- 
ticultural celebrities  of  the  West  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Dr.  Hull,  our  horticultural  editor,  at 
Alton,  last  week.  It  was  in  the  height  of  the 
sweet  cherry  season,  and  we  know  from  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  Colman''s  Rural  World 
that  we  missed  a  rare  treat.  The  paper  men- 
tioned, among  other  complimentary  things, 
says  : 

"Finally  we  arrive  at  the  cherry  orchard.  O  I 
what  a  glorious  sight  1  The  light  and  dark  red 
fruit  peering  out  from  a  mass  of  deep  green  foli- 
age in  clusters  of  from  twelve  to  twenty  all 
along  the  stem,  or,  in  common  i)arlance,  hang- 
ing in  perfect  ropes.  All  present  had  the  free- 
dom of  the  orchard,  and  the  Doctor  would  every 
now  and  then  call  attention  to  a  variety  more 
desirable  or  riper  than  the  one  Just  tasted.  Two 


ns 


THE    GARDEJ^EE'i^   MONTHLY. 


July, 


years  ago  we  thought  the  fruit  delicious,  but 
of  our  recent  experience  we  can  only  say,  that 
language  is  lame — what  is  the  use  of  piling  up 
adjectives  ?  No  one  said  touch  noU  taste  not, 
handle  not-so  we  did  all  three. and  more  than  this. 
If  our  readers  are  not  satisfied  with  the  descrip- 
tion they  can  fill  out  the  picture  according  to 
their  own  liking — we  plead  want  of  words. 

"The  following  are  the  varieties  noted,  though 
we  think  not  all  the  sorts  the  Doctor  cultivates. 
The  most  highly  esteemed  is  the  Gridley,  not 
ripe  at  the  time  of  our  visit ;  next  the  Transcen- 
dent or  Elkhorn  ;  third  the  Black  Bigarreau  of 
Savoy,  a  meaty,  sweet  and  most  delicious  fruit. 
Knight's  Early  Black,  contrary  to  our  expecta- 
tions, was  not  ripe,  which  shows  this  tree  to  be 
somewhat  capi-icious.  Black  Tartarian  is  a  fine 
cherry,  but  a  rather  tender  tree.  We  believe 
these  are  all  the  black  sorts.  Of  the  yellow 
kinds  we  place  Gov.  "Wood  at  the  head  for  qual- 
ity, but  it  is  too  tender  of  skin  to  carry  well  to 
market — Belle  de  Choisey  open  to  same  fault  (if 
yet  it  be  one.)  Yellow  Spanish,  Bauman's  May, 
the  earliest  of  the  lot,  Elton,  Belle  Magnifique, 
May  Duke,  Black  Eagle,   Napoleon  Bigarreau, 


Arnden's  "Whiteheart,  Oxheart  and  Downer'8 
Late.  We  believe  this  completes  the  list.  How 
an}'  one  can  visit  this  orchard  and  not  deter- 
mine to  raise  sweet  cherries,  we  cannot  under- 
stand. The  want  of  money  and  the  lateness  of 
the  season  is  all  that  hinders  us  from  setting 
out  in  the  enterprise  immediately." 

Notwithstanding  our  inability  to  fulfil  our 
engagement  to  be  present,  we  accept  the  Doc- 
tor's kind  apology  in  the  shape  of  a  box  of  the 
most  perfect  specimens  of  Black  Bigarreau  of 
Savoy,  Belle  de  Choisey,  and  Napoleon  Bigar- 
reau, we  have  ever  eaten.  They  were  sent 
through  the  agents  of  the  Doctor  in  this  city, 
Messrs.  Newhall  &  Stewart,  who  showed  us  the 
returns  of  the  sales  of  many  bushels  of  this  de- 
licious fruit  at  the  rate  of  S15  to  $18  per  bushel. 
Readers  of  the  Prairie  Farmer  may  be  assured 
that  its  horticultural  editor  is  not  a  man  of  un- 
demonstrated  theories,  but  an  actual  grower  of 
some  of  the  finest  fruits  of  various  kinds  that 
come  to  this  or  any  other  market.  If  any  per- 
son doubts  this  assertion  let  him  visit  Dr.  Hull 
and  be  convinced. — Prairie  Farmer. 


FOREIGN     INTELLIGENCE. 


Naming  Fruits. — We  have  endeavored  time 
and  again  to  induce  our  fruit  authors  to  give  us 
some  system  of  classification  by  which  we  can 
name  fruits  with  as  much  certaintj'  as  a  botan- 
ist can  name  his  plants.  We  are  glad  to  see  by 
the  following  from  the  London  Journal  of  Hor- 
ticulture, that  the  subject  is  attracting  attention 
also  in  England.  At  present,  the  describing  of 
new  fruits  is  so  much  printer's  ink  wasted: 

"Botanists,  in  ascertaining  the  name  of  plants 
and  flowers,  proceed  on  the  principles  of  a  sys- 
tematic science.  Botany  has  so  arranged  and 
classified  all  her  subjects  in  their  minutest  or- 
der, that  by  careful  study  and  observation  we 
may  trace  out  for  ourselves  the  correct  name  of 
any  which  may  be  brought  before  us,  whether 
we  may  hapjien  to  have  seen  the  plant  previous- 
ly or  not.  There  are  the  normal  conditions  of 
plants  and  flowers,  the  genera  and  species  that 


botany  tells  us  of,  which  are  typical  and  do  not 
vary.  These,  when  once  seen  and  described, 
can  be  at  any  future  time  recognized.  It  re- 
quires study — profound  stud\',  no  doubt — but  it 
may  be  and  is  accomplished.  With  the  varie- 
ties of  species  there  is  far  more  difficulty,  and 
there  arc  few  amongst  us  who  will  either  under- 
take to  name,  or  expect  any  one  to  know,  the 
given  names  of  mere  varieties  of  either  plants  or 
flowers  The  Editors  of  our  horticultural  jour- 
nals, who  seem  to  know  almost  everything,  do 
not  attempt  much  with  varieties,  excepting  in 
the  case  of  a  few  easily  defined  forms. 

Pomologists,  in  naming  fruits,  have  but  little 
to  guide  them.  There  is  no  system  yet  evolved 
which  has  reduced  fruits  to  an  order  by  which 
their  correct  names  may  be  ascertained.  Po- 
mology is  a  science,  and  a  most  intricate  and 
difficult  science,  without  doubt.     It  is  a  science, 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S    MOJVTHLY. 


219 


however,  without  order,  or  with  but  little.  It 
is  a  science  of  very  close  observation  and  much 
varied  experience — a  science  the  various  bear- 
ings of  which  are  much  better  understood  than 
easy  to  explain— a  science,  indeed,  the  whole 
superstructure  of  which  each  one  has  to  erect  for 
himself  b}'  close  observation,  acquaintance,  and 
hard  study.  There  is  no  royal  road  to  learning 
it ;  there  is  no  way  of  becoming  acquainted  with 
fruits  or  of  knowing  them,  excepting  by  seeing 
them,  tasting  them,  examining,  describing,  and 
comparing  them  for  oneself  It  is  only  by  the 
most  lengthened  and  varied  experience  of  each 
individual  subject,  close  observation,  and  most 
retentive  memory  that  pomologists  are  enabled 
to  determine  the  names  of  fruits. 

Numerous  and  excellent  as  are  our  works  on 
fruits,  there  is  none  by  the  aid  of  which  without 
previous  acquaintance  that  we  can  ascertain  the 
name  of  a  single  variety.  The  best  work  of  the 
Horticultural  Society,  was  its  "Catalogue  of 
Fruits"  out  of  perfect  chaos.  Mr.  Thompson 
did  an  immense  amount  of  good  service  by  his 
classification  of  fruits,  so  far  as  it  went,  and  his 
short  descriptive  notices  of  them.  Dr.  Hogg 
also,  the  leading  pomologist  of  the  present  day, 
has  done,  and  is  doing,  much  to  extend  our 
knowledge  of  and  acquaintance  with  fruits.  His 
"Fruit  Manual"  is  the  very  best  guide  we  can 
have.  We  are  also  favored  in  various  ways  by 
minutely  descriptive  notices,  outlines  of  the 
fruits,  and  even  colored  illustrations,  and  yet — 
look  at  them  as  we  may,  study,  compare,  com- 
mit the  whole  to  memory  if  we  can — without  the 
previous  acquaintance  we  can  by  no  means  de- 
termine the  name  of  a  single  specimen.  It  is 
only  by  a  work  of  years,  by  a  long  and  patient 
study  of  fruits  in  all  their  varied  forms,  under 
all  their  various  circumstances  and  conditions, 
that  one  can  gain  a  true  knowledge  of  fruits  and 
their  correct  names. 

Take  any  one  class  of  fruit ;  they  are  mere  va- 
rieties,the  one  oftheotber,each  possessing  its  own 
peculiai  and  distinctive  features  and  character  it 
may  be,  but  they  are  inconstant  and  subject  to 
vary  very  mucli  under  altered  conditions  of  soil, 
situation,  &c.  There  are  other  varieties  posses- 
sing nearly  the  same  charcteristics,  which  also 
vary,  so  that  the  two  seem  to  intermingle,  and  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  distinguish  one  from  the 
other-that  is, supposing  our  observation  is  limited 
in  extent.  The  varieties  may  be  perfectly  distinct 
and  easily  recognized,  if  grown  under  similar 
conditions,  and  when  seen  in  quantity,  it  is  also 


a  simple  matter  to  distinguish.  Take,  as  an  ex- 
ample, of  Apples,  the  well  known  Blenheim 
Orange,  and  another  Fearn's  Pippin  :  no  two 
Apples  in  what  might  be  termed  their  normal 
condition  could  be  much  more  distinct,  and  as 
we  have  them  described,  they  seem  to  possess  no 
possible  relationship,  yet  there  are  grown  hun- 
dreds of  bushels  of  Blenheim  Oranges  of  the  low 
flat  form  which  it  is  most  difficult  to  distinguish 
from  Fearn's  Pippin.  The  Blenheim  orange  is 
at  times  small,  flat,  highly  colored,  and  dry  ; 
sometimes  it  is  large,  upright  or  conical,  pale 
and  juicy.  The  two  forms  may  be  found  in  the 
same  garden,  even  on  the  same  tree.  Sometimes 
it  is  the  soil,  sometimes  the  season,  a  little  good 
or  bad  cultivation,  the  influence  of  the  stock,  or 
more  or  less  vigor  in  one  branch  as  compared 
with  another,  that  will  effect  all  this  difference 
which  one  who  observes  alone  can  tell.  There 
is  no  book  which  can  afford  this  information. 
Given — a  flat  form  of  Blenheim  orange,  if  the 
observer  has  never  seen  the  variety  in  that  par- 
ticular form  before,  there  is  no  means  at  his 
command  by  which  he  can  ascertain  the  name. 
It  has  simply  to  be  arrived  at  by  reasoning  on 
previous  observations  and  acquaintances,  or  by 
a  reference  to  actual  specimens.  Reference  to 
specimens  assists  greatly  in  determining,  or 
rather  in  deciding,  the  correct  names  of  fruits ; 
yet  if  the  variety  is  entirely  new  to  us,  it  is  ex- 
tremely hazardous  to  identify  it  by  this  means 
alone. 

Fruits,  however,  have  certain  normal  features 
which  do  not  alter,  or  but  little  In  forming  our 
acquaintance  with  fruits,  it  is  needful  to  mark 
these,  and  so  have  them  well  fixed  on  our  minds. 

There  are  other  features  which,  being  affected 
by  cultivation  and  other  circumstances,  vary 
considerably  ;  these  must  be  taken  into  consid- 
eration as  changeable.  If  we  take  Apples  and 
Pears  for  example,  the  parts  of  the  fruit  which 
are  fixed  in  character,  and  which  may  be  pretty 
well  relied  on  as  distinguishing  marks,  are  the 
stalks  and  the  eye  ;  these  then  should  always  be 
preserved  uninjured.  The  size  of  the  fruit  is  af- 
fected by  cultivation  ;  the  flavor  and  consistency 
by  the  same  cause  ;  the  color  by  exposure  ;  and 
the  shape  is  also  at  times  altered,  but  more  rare- 
ly. Some  fruits  are  much  more  subject  to  varia- 
tions than  others,  some  are  very  uniform,  such 
as  the  Golden  Noble  Apple,  the  one  larger  than 
the  rest,  but  no  other  variation.  1  here  is,  how- 
ever, with  most  fruits  some  characteristic  fea- 
ture, some  little  peculiarity  which  may  be  noted, 


2^0 


THE    GARDENER'S    MOXTELy. 


July, 


and  which  serves  as  a  mark  for  its  recognition — 
as  in  the  Keswick  Codlin  Apple,  the  peculiar 
sharp  rib  or  angle  down  one  side,  not  existing 
on  all,  but  on  three  parts  ;  or  in  the  Kerry  Pip- 
pin Apple  the  short  slender  stalk,  and  the  little 
knob  at  one  side  of  its  base  ;  or  in  the  Lemon 
Pippin,  the  shape  of  a  Lemon,  but  not  always  or 
in  every  exam))le.  Or  take  the  Tloary  Morning, 
which  is  beautifully  striped,  with  its  thick  coat 
of  white  bloom  as  if  it  had  been  out  in  some  hoar 
frost,  although  this  feature  is  at  times  altogether 
wanting  ;  or  Dumelow's  Seedling  with  its  beau- 
tiful transparent  skin,  its  wide  open  eye,  and 
acid  flesh,  and  there  is  no  mistaking  it  Take 
also  amongst  Pears  the  Vicar  of  Winkfield. 
Who  that  has  once  had  its  peculiar  twisted, 
squinting  look  — the.  eye  looking  one  way  and 
the  stalk  the  other— pointed  out  to  him,  can 
a2;ain  mistake  it  ?  Again,  look  at  Knight's 
Monarch  — round,  with  its  short  thick  stalk, 
thick  leathery  skin,  and  the  crimson  shade  be- 
neath the  russett ;  or  Beurre  d'Aremberg  with 
its  stalk  on  one  side,  and  the  small  eye  frequent- 
ly wanting  entirely,  like  Winter  Nelis  in  this 
only,  entirely  different  in  other  respects.  We 
know  Beurre  de  Ranee  by  its  shape,  eye,  long 
stalk  like  a  peg.  and  green  flesh  ;  Urbaniste  by 
its  pale  green  skin,  its  soft  silky  feel,  and  its 
gmall  eye ;  ^N'apoleon  by  its  bright  green  color 
and  peculiar  shape,  as  if  it  had  been  squeezed 
out  by  the  pressure  of  one's  hand.  Nurserymen 
know  their  trees  by  the  leaves  and  habit  of 
growth  better  than  by  the  fruit.  Some  varieties 
are  very  distinct.  Josephine  de  Malines  Pear  is 
easily  known  by  its  small,  full,  round  buds  and 
yellowish  eye.  The  varieties  of  Peaches  are 
distinguished  not  so  much  by  the  fruits  them- 
selves as  by  the  flowers  and  leaves,  or  the  glands 
on  the  leaves,  &c.  ;  and  so  on. 

We  thus  by  close  observation  and  long  inti- 
mate acquaintance  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the 
distinctive  features  and  peculiarities  of  many 
fruits.  We  know  some  by  one  feature,  some  by 
another  ;  some  by  taste,  others  by  shape  or  form. 
and  others  again  by  a  peculiar  mark  or  color. 
We  know  many,  perhaps,  without  knowing 
wliy  or  being  able  to  impart  the  same  knowledge 
to  others.  Constant  association  with  keen  ob- 
servation, will  make  one  an  authority  on  fruits, 
whilst  no  amount  of  study  without  association 

will  do  BO. 

The  naming  of  fruits  is  no  light  task  there- 
fore ;  it  is  a  special  acquirement  to  be  able  to  do 
so  to  any  extent      Tlu^re  are  many  who  can  tell 


the  names  of  the  few  he  may  himself  cultivate^ 
but  in  general  a  knowledge  of  the  names  of  fruit 
is  necessarily  very  limited.  We  had  a  Robert 
Thompson  and  we  have  a  Dr.  Hogg,  but  who  is 
there  besides  ?  We  have  fruit-cultivators  in 
plenty,  but  where  are  our  fruit-nomenclators,  if 
we  except  the  worthy  Doctor  ?  Seeing  that  it  is 
only  by  acquaintance,  by  a  reference  to  true  ex- 
amples of  each  variety,  that  a  knowledge  of  fruit 
can  be  acquired,  it  is  most  important  that  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  should  still  main- 
tain its  splendid  collection  of  fruits  as  examples. 
In  the  re-arrangement  of  the  garden  I  hope  tiiat 
this  point  will  receive  due  attention.  It  is  the 
most  important  function  to  the  Society  to  keep 
up  a  correct  fruit  nomenclature  throughout  the 
country. 

The  editors  of  our  horticultural  journals  de- 
serve much  credit  for  their  persistent  endeavors 
to  correct  the  names  of  fruit.  Every  week  we 
see  a  long  list  of  names  given  :  what  a  time  it 
must  occupy  I  what  a  patience  is  required  to 
wade  through  basket  after  basket  of  fruits,  many 
of  them  possessing  no  characteristic  feature  I 
Senders  can  surely  have  little  idea  of  the  labor 
required  and  the  time  to  name  forty  or  fifty  sorts 
of  fruit.  It  is  expecting  too  much  of  good  na- 
ture. Having  had  some  experience  of  work  of 
this  sort  I  speak  without  restraint.  Senders  of 
fruit  to  be  named  should  bear  in  mind  that  the 
namer  has  no  knowledge  of  the  circumstance 
under  which  the  fruit  has  been  grown  to  guide 
hi)n,  so  that  mistakes  will  frequently  occur.  The 
specimens  selected  to  be  sent,  should  be  as  char- 
acteristic of  the  whole  bulk  as  possible,  neither 
too  large  nor  too  small,  and  if  two  distinct  char- 
acters are  found,  some  of  each  should  be  sent. 
With  Apples  and  Pears  the  stalks  and  eyes  are 
required,  and  sometimes  the  leaves ;  with 
Peaches  the  flowers  and  leaves  ;  with  Grapes  a 
bunch  and  leaves,  and  the  more  of  any  variety 
sent  the  easier  it  is  to  determine  the  name.  It 
is  .iltogcther  absurd  to  suppose  that  auy  one  is 
capable  of  naming  correctly  small  and  deformed 
fruits.  The  greatest  authority  on  fruits  after  all 
only  knows  a  few  well-dermcd  forms  in  the  great 
and  extensive  family  of  fruits.  There  are  hun- 
dreds of  fruits,  especially  such  as  apples,  straw- 
berries, &c.,  throughout  the  country  which  have 
no  recognized  names.  In  one  locality  they  are 
by  one  name,  and  in  another  something  else.  To 
this,  each  year,  are  added  seedlings  more  or  less 
distinct,  all  multiplying  and  confusing  the  al- 
ready too  numerous  varieties  of  fruits,  and  mak- 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ\rER'S   MOJ^^THLY. 


9i21 


ing  it  more  and  more  difficult  to  give  the  name 
of  any  with  certainty  , 

Vitality  of  Eoots. — The  Gardener^s  Chron- 
icle eays  :  "  Mr.  Fish  send  us  an  interesting  il- 
lustration of  the  fact  that  Vine  roots  will  live 
and  grow  for  a  period  of  five  or  less  years  with- 
out any  top  growth  at  all  : 

'  In  the  specimens  sent  there  are  a  dead  root 
and  a  living  growing  extremity.  The  living  por- 
tion received  nothing  through  or  beyond  the  dead 
portion.    Neither  along  the  entire  distance  be- 
tween the  two — which,  in  the  case  of  the  speci- 
men with  the  upper  portion  tied  on  to  the  under, 
was  at  least  a  yard— has  a  shoot  or  leaf  of  any 
kind  been  produced.     The  roots,  nevertheless, 
were  in  active  growth  with  abundance  of  spon- 
gioles  feeding  apparently  in  the  usual  manner. 
The  discovery  of  the  large  specimen  sent  was  in 
this  wise.     A  set  of  old  Muscat  vines,  which 
were  prized  on  account  of  family  associations, 
were  transplanted  into  a  new  border  six  years 
ago.     It  is  my  practice  at  this  season  of  the  year 
to  remove  the  worn-out  surface  soil  and  replace 
it  with  new.     This  season  the  renewing  process 
was   carried  deeper  than  usual.     In   removing 
the    earth    we    came    upou    the    largest    root 
sent.     It    seemed   in   splendid    condition,   root- 
ing    away   as   one  likes   to   see   them   do,    but 
by  the  removal   of  the   earth   its   main  branch 
was  laid  bare  ;  and  my  disappointment  and  as- 
tonishment were  great  when  I  found  that  it  ter- 
minated in  rottenness  ;  and  I  believe  that  the 
connection  must  have  been  severed  soon  after 
the  vines  were  transplanted.     During  the  pro- 
cess of  removal  several  of  the  roots  looked  some- 
what suspicious.      Many  were  cut  off,  but  all 
that  seemed  to  have  a  chance  of  living  were  left. 
This  is  doubtless  one  that  refused  to  profit  by 
its  chance  of  new  life.     On  examining  the  rotten 
portion,   you  will,  I  think,  come  to  the  same 
conclusion,  that  it  has  been  dead  many  years. 
[Yes  ]     But  I  have  more  positive  evidence  to  of- 
fer on  thai  head.     Five  years  ago  we  resolved 
to  renew  another  house  of  vines      The  portion 
of  the  border  next  the  house  was  taken  out,  the 
new  soil  introduced,  and   a  brick  wall  built  up 
between  the  new  border  and  the  old    A  fewdnys 
since  part  of  this  wall  was  removed  to  aee  if  fur- 
ther exter.sion  was  necessary.     It  was  not.  But 
outside  the  wall  plenty  of  old  roots  were  found, 
and  in  full  growth  like  those  sent.     They  were 
all  unattached,  and  had  made  no  attempt  to  form 
tope.'' 


We  do  not  remember  to  have  heard  of  a  pre- 

ci.sely  similar  case  before  in  vines,  though  every 
one  must  have  observed  how  long  the  vitality 
lasts  in  the  roots  of  trees  left  in  the  ground  and 
severed  from  the  top.  The  fact  is  somewhat 
analogous  to  that  of  the  subterranean  tubers  of 
some  Orchids,  which  increase  and  raulliply  be 
low  the  ground  for  years  without  putting 
up  a  leaf.  In  the  case  of  Fir  trees,  the  slumps 
of  which  are  said  occasionally  to  increase  annu- 
ally by  the  formation  of  woody  rings,  Goeperl 
has  traced  a  junction  or  "anastomosis"  between 
the  roots  of  the  stump  and  those  of  adjacent  per- 
fect trees.'  " 


DiELYTRA  SPECTABILIS  FOR  THE  CONSERVA- 
TORY.— This  elegant  growing  plant  is  scarcely 
at  home  in  the  herbaceous  border,   because  in 
exposed  situations  it  is  very  frequently  injured 
by  the  spring  frosts  ;  and  the  rough  winds  also 
do  it   considerable  mischief  when  it   is  in  full 
flower.     For  conservatory  decoration  it  is  unex- 
ceptionable,  and   so   easily    managed   that   the 
merest  novice  may  take  it  in  hand  without  ex- 
periencing the  slightest  fear  of  meeting  with  a 
failure.     The  plants  are  grown  entirely  in  the 
open  air  during  the  summer,  and  as  we  require 
about  two  dozen  we  grow  three  times  that  num- 
ber, which  enables  us  to  give  every  plant  a  rest 
every  second  year,  and  also  renders  it  unneces- 
sary to  pot  up  in  the  autumn  any  but  strong 
shoots.     The  way  we  shall  deal  with  our  stock 
in  a  few  days  will  be  as  follows  :  we  shall  dig  up 
all  the  plants  in  the  border,  and  select  the  best 
twenty-four  and   replant  the   others  aL;ain.     I 
generally  select  for  potting  roots  with  about  six 
crowns,  and  put  them  in  eight  or  nine  inch  pots, 
as  these  are  the  most  useful  sizes.     Of  the  re- 
jected roots,  all  that  are  larger  than  those  potted 
are  divided  into  two  or  more,  and  the  smaller 
ones  are  planted  intact,  but  we  never  plant  more 
than  the  regular  number.    When  the  forced  ones 
come  from  the  conservatory  in  the  spring,  they 
are  carefully  hardened  oft' and  turned  out  of  the 
pots  and  reitlanted  by  the  side  of  those  left  over  at 
the  autumn  potting      The  border  set  apart  for 
this  work  has  an  annual  dressing  of  manure  or 
leaf-mould,  and  is  dug  up  rather  deeply  at  the 
same  lime.     The  most  essential  conditions  ne- 
cessary to  ensure  success  with  the  plants  when 
iu  the  forcing  house  are  to  start  them  in  a  mod- 
erately low  temperature,  place  near  the  glass  to 
prevent  the  ioliage  being  drawn,  and  to  supplj 


THE    GARBEJVERS    MOJ^THLl . 


July, 


liberally  with  tepid  water  when  in  full  growth. 
The  compost  used  for  potting  purposes,  should 
consist  chiefly  of  turfy  loam  and  leaf-mould, 
with  a  dash  of  sand  to  make  the  soil  feel  gritty. 
— J .  N. ,  in  Oardener'>s  Magazine. 


Study  economy  in  the  means  you  use  to  grow 
everything.  It  is  impossible  to  be  too  careful  in 
this  matter. 


Gooseberry  Show  at  Akroydon. — The 
second  annual  gooseberry  show,  in  connection 
with  the  New  Town  and  Booth  Town  Allotment 
Gardens,  was  held  at  the  house  of  Mr.  George 
Wood,  Flying  Dutchman  Inn,  Akroydon.  It 
was  a  complete  success,  and  reflected  great 
credit  on  the  exhibitors.  The  heaviest 
goo.seberry,  weighing  20  dwts.  3  grs.,  was  ex- 
hibited by  Mr.  Thomas  Murgatroyd.  The  first 
prizes  in  each  class,  with  the  weights  of  the 
gooseberries  shown,  were  the  following  :  Red 
gooseberries,  16  dwts.  17  grs.,  Mr.  John  Clay- 
ton ;  white  ditto,  12  dwts.  6  grs.,  Mr.  John 
Clayton;  green  ditto,  14  dwts.  15  grs..  Mr. 
Thomas  Watson ;  yellow  ditto,  15  dwts.  7  grs., 
Mr.  John  Clayton  ;  best  pair  of  twins,  19  dwts. 
80  grs  ,  Mr.  John  Clayton.  The  other  prize 
winners  were  Messrs.  J.  Clayton,  T.  Murga- 
troyd, T.  Watson.  T.  Barrett,  and  James  Green- 
wood. One  or  two  fine  specimens  were  exhib- 
ited for  non-competition  by  Messrs.  Richard 
Parker  and  William  Town.  Mr.  Samuel  Sut- 
clifTe  of  Oveuden,  ofiiciated  as  weigher,  and  gave 
general  satisfaction. — Gardener^s  Weekly. 


Greenhouse  and  Conservatory  in  Au- 
gust.— The  pot  Roses  intended  to  flower  in  the 
conservatory  late  in  the  autumn  should  now  re- 
ceive whatever  pruning  is  necessary.  All  those 
which  require  a  shift  should  have  it  forthwith,  in 
order  that  they  may  have  their  pots  full  of  healthy 
roots  by  the  flowering  period  ;  this,  and  the  ap- 
plication of  liquid  manure,  together  with  a 
sweet  and  mild  atmosphere,  will  perform  won- 
ders. After  these  operations  they  should  be 
placed  in  some  open  and  airy  spot,  and  if  plunged 
in  ashes  they  should  be  frequently  turned,  or 
the  interior  of  the  pot  will  be  without  fibrous 
roots.  Give  them  regular  waterings,  and  per- 
sist in  picking  off  all  blossoms  buds  as  they  ap- 
pear from  those  required  to  blossom  in  Novem- 
ber and  December.  Let  the  Camellia  buds  have 
a  thinning  as  soon  as  possible.  Look  out  and 
encourage  a  lot  of  good  things  for  a  late  autumn 
display.  Fuchsias  and  Achimenes  in  succes- 
sion, and  even  choice  Verbenas  in  somewhat 
thick  masses  in  wide-mouthed  pots,  will  add  to 
the  general  effect.  Remember  that  all  those 
plants  required  to  blossom  in  midwinter  must 
have  their  final  shift  betimes.  There  is  no  suc- 
cess in  forcing,  or  even  retarding,  without  a  pot- 
ful  of  roots. — London  Journal  of  Hortiadture. 


HORTICULTUML    NOTICES. 


AMERICAN  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY. 

In  conformity  with  a  resolution  adopted  at  the 
last  meeting  of  this  National  Association,  the 
undersigned  hereby  give  notice,  that  its  thir- 
teenth session  will  be  held  in  Assembly  Hall,  8th 
Street,  between  Grace  and  Franklin  Streets,  in 
the  City  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  on  the  6th,  7th 
and  8th  days  of  September,  1871.  All  Horticul- 
tural, Tomological,  Agricultural,  and  other  kin- 
dred institutions  in  the  United  States  and  Brit- 
ish Provinces,  are  invited  to  send  delegations, 
as  large  as  they  may  deem  expedient ;  and  all 
other  persons  interested  in  the  cultivation  of 
fruits  are  invited  to  be  present  and  take  seats 
in  tlic  Convention. 


The  coming  session  promises  to  be  especially 
interesting,  held  as  it  will  be  in  conjunction  with 
the  exhibition  of  the  Virginia  Pomological  and 
Horticultural  Society,  and  at  a  great  central 
point,  farther  South  than  any  previous  session 
of  the  institution.  This  meeting  will  therefore, 
it  is  believed,  be  one  of  the  most  useful  in  a  na- 
tional point  of  view  that  has  ever  been  held  by 
the  Society,  thus  affording  an  opportunity  not 
only  to  examine  the  fruits  of  the  South  in  com- 
parison with  those  of  the  North,  the  West  and 
of  the  Pacific  Slope,  which  it  is  expected  will  be 
freely  contributed,  but  also  to  foster  and  perpet- 
uate the  amicable  and  social  relations  which 
have  heretofore  existed  between  the  members  of 
the  Society,  and  to  widely  diffuse  the   result  of 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S    MOJVTHLl. 


223 


its  deliberations  for  the  benefit  of  our  constantly- 
expanding  territory.  i 
The  climate  of  Virginia  and  adjacent  States 
is  believed  to  be  admirably  adapted  to  the  cul- 
ture of  fruits,  especially  the  pear,  the  grape,  and 
the  strawberry.     It  is  therefore  hoped  that  there 
will  be  a  full  attendance  of  delegates   from  the 
South  and  West,  as  well  as  from  other  quarters  | 
of  our  country,   thereby  stimulating  more  ex- 
tensive cultivation  upon  which  the  North  are  so  j 
largely  dependent  for  early  supplies  ;  thus  also,  j 
by  the  concentrated  information  and  experience  I 
of  cultivators,  to  aid  the  Society  in  completing  j 
the  Second  Division  of  its  Catalogue  of  Fruits,  i 
being  that  part  which  pertains  especially  to  the  ' 
Southern  States.     This  will  be  one  of  the  promi- 
nent subjects  which  will  come  before  the  Society',  ' 
and  we  therefore  respectfully  invite  the  various 
State    and     Local    Committees     to     report    to 
P.  Barry,  Chairman  of  the  General  Fruit  Com- 
mittee, agreeably  to  the  constitution  of  the  So- 
ciety, such  information  and  lists  of  fruits  as  may 
aid  in  determining  what  varieties  are  best  adapt- 
ed  to   their   several   localities.      These   reports 
should  be  transmitted  by  mail  to  F.  R.  Elliott, 
Secretary,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  as  early  as  possible. 
Arrangements  have  been  made  with  the  va- 
rious railroad  companies,  terminating  in  Rich- 
mond, to  return  all  members  and  others  free  of 
charge,  who  have  paid  full  fare  in  coming,  and 
who  exhibit  certificates  of  the   Treasurer  that 
they  have  attended  the  sessions  of  the  Society. 
Similar  arrangements  can  undoubtedly  be  made 
by  the  various  delegations,  with  roads  in  their 
localities. 

Members  and  delegates  are  requested  to  con- 
tribute specimens  of  the  Fruits  of  their  respec- 
tive districts,  and  to  communicate  in  regard  to 
them  whatever  may  aid  in  promoting  the  objects 
of  the  Society  and  the  science  of  American  Po- 
mology. Each  contributor  is  requested  to  pre- 
pare a  complete  list  of  his  collection,  and  to  pre- 
sent the  same  with  his  fruits,  that  a  report  of  all 
the  varieties  enUired  may  be  submitted  to  the 
meeting  as  soon  as  practicable. 

Packages  of  Fruits  with  the  name  of  the  con- 
tributor, may  be  addressed  as  follows  :  "  Amer- 
ican Pomological  Society,"  care  of  II.  K.  Elly- 
Bon,  Secretary  Virginia  Horticultural  and  Po- 
mological Society,  Kiclunond,  Va. 

All  persons  desirous  of  becoming  members  can 
remit  the  admission  fee  to  Thomas  P.  James, 
Esq.,  Treasurer,  Philadelphia,  who  will  furnish 
them   with   transactions   of  the   Society.      Life 


Membership,  Ten  Dollars  ;  Biennial,  Two  Dol- 
lars. 

MARSHALL  P.  WILDER,  Presn. 

Boston,  Mass. 
F.  R.  ELLIOTT,  Sec'y. 

Cleveland,  Ohio. 
Premiums  to  be  awarded  at  the  meeting  of  the 
American  Pomological    Society,   in  Richmond, 
Va.,  September  6  to  8th,  1871. 

The  following  premiums  are  subject  to  the 
general  rule  of  restriction,  where  objects  are  not 
deemed  worthy  of  the  same.  All  fruits  must  be 
grown  by  the  exhibitor. 

The  Virginia  Pomological  and  Horticultural 
Society  for  sundries  offer  One  Hundred  and  Fifty 
Dollars. 

The  Virginia  State  Agricultural  Society  offer 
One  Hundred  Dollars  for  the  best  collection  of 
Fruit  embracing  Apples,  Pears,  Peaches  and 
Grapes. 

EUwanger  &  Barry,  of  Rochester,  New  York, 
offer  Fifty  Dollars  for  the  largest  and  best  col- 
lection of  Apples,  not  less  than  fifty  varieties, 
three  specimens  each. 

Marshall  P.  Wilder,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  offer* 
Fifty  Dollars  for  the  largest  and  best  collection 
of  Pears,  not  less  than  fifty  varieties,  three  speci- 
mens each. 

Charles  Downing,  of  Newburgh,  New  York, 
offers  Fifty  Dollars  for  the  largest  and  best  col- 
lection of  American  Grapes,  not  less  than  twenty 
varieties,  three  bunches  each.  4 

Thomas  P.  James,  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  offers 
Thirty  Dollars  for  the  largest  and  best  collection 
of  Peaches,  not  less  than  ten  varieties,  of  six 
specimens  each. 

Gen'l.  R.  L.  Page,  Norfolk,  Va.,  offers  Ten 
Dollars  or  a  Medal  for  the  best  half  bushel  of  the 
Flowers  Grape. 

G.  F.  B.  Leighton,  Norfolk,  Va.,  offers  Twenty 
or  a  medal,  at  the  disposition  of  the  American 
Pomological  Society. 

C.  D.  Barbot,  Norfolk,  Va.,  offers  Twenty 
or  a  Medal  for  best  dozen  bottles  of  Scuppernong 

Wine. 

L.  Berkley,  Norfolk,  Va.,  offers  Ten  Dollars 

or  a  medal  for  best  dozen  bottles  of  the  Flowera 

Grape  Wine. 

W.  H.  C.  Lovett,  Norfolk,  Va.,  offers  Ten 
Dollars  or  a  medal  for  best  Dried  Figs,— cured 
within  the  territory  of  the  Society. 

Hon.  Jno.  B.  Whitehead,  .Norfolk,  Va.,  offers 
Twenty  Dollars  or  a  medal  for  best  half  bushel 
of  Scuppernong  Grapes. 


^2Ji, 


THE    GARDEJ^EK'S   MOJ\rTHLY 


July, 


"W.  S.  Butt,  Norfolk,  Ya  ,  two  premiums  of 
Five  Dollars  each  or  medals,— one  for  best  Figs  ; 
the  other  at  the  disposal  of  the  Society. 

By  H.  M.  Smith,  Richmond,  Va.,  Ten  Dol- 
lars or  a  medal  for  the  best  half  bushel  of  Cider 
Apples. 

By  Downward,  Anderson  &Co.,  of  Richmond, 
V^a  ,  Ten  Dollars  or  a  medal  for  the  best  12 
"bunches  of  Norton  Grapes. 

By  Chas.  T.  Wortham  &  Co.,  of  Richmond, 
Va.,  for  best  12  bunches  of  Delaware  Grapes. 

By  S.  Zctelle,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  Five  Dollars 
or  a  medal  for  best  12  specimens  of  Peaches. 

By  Messrs.  Rudolph  &  English,  of  Richmond, 
"Va.,  Five  Dollars,  at  the  disposal  of  the  Society. 

By  Southern  Fertilizing  Co.,  Twenty  Dollars, 
at  the  disposal  of  the  Society. 

The  above  Figs,  Grapes,  and  "VVines,  entered 
for  premiums,  to  be  the  property  of  the  Society, 
for  the  use  of  those  members  residing  in  those 
localities  where  Ihcy  are  not  grown. 

The  whole  amount  of  premiums,  general  and 
«pecial,  offered  by  societies  and  individuals,  in 
Virginia,  has  been  generously  placed  by  them  at 
the  disposal  of  the  American  Pomological  So- 
•ciety. 

It  is  also  expected  that  other  premiums  will 
l)e  added  to  the  above  list. 


PENNSYLVANIA    HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 

THE  HA-TIONAL   EXPOSITION  OF  1876. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania  Horticultural 
Society,  held  February  21st,  the  following  Pre- 
amble and  Resolutions  were  unanimously  adopt- 
ed : 

Whereas,  The  Congress  of  the  United  States 
having  decided  tliat^the  Great  National  Exposi- 
tion of  Arts  and  Manufactures  to  celebrate  the 
•Centennial  Anniversary  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence,  shall  be  held  in  this  City  in  July^ 
1870;   therefore, 

liesolved,  That  the  Pennsylvania  Horticultural 
Society  hails  with  delight  this  decision  of  our 
National  Congress,  and  we  hereby  pledge  our- 
selves that  no  exertions  shall  be  wanting  on  our 
part  to  make  the  Horticultural  Department  of 
the  display  fully  equal  to  auy  other  portion  of  it. 

Resolved,  Tliat  the  President  is  hereby  request- 
ed to  appoint  a  committee  of  twenty  live  mem- 
bers to  represent  this  Society,  and  to  confer  with 
similar  committees  from  other  Societies,  with  a 
view  to  a  concert  of  action  in  making  the  neces- 


sary preparations  for  holding  this  great  National 
Exposition  on  the  4lh  of  July,  1876. 

Committee  of  Pennsylvania  Horticultural  Society  for   On- 
tennial  Anniversary,  July  4,  1876. 

J.  E  Mitchell,  Chairman ;  Ex-Presidcnt* 
Caleb  Cope  and  Gen  Robert  Patterson  ;  Vice- 
Presidents  Robert  Buist  and  S.  VV.  Noble  ;  H. 
Pratt  McKean,  M.  Baird,  J  D.  Whetham, 
Robert  Cornelius,  Newberry  A.  Smith,  Nath. 
Burt,  J.  B  Heyl,  Thos  Mechan,  A.  W.  Harri- 
son, H.  A.  Dreer,  R.  Kilvingion,  Jas.  Jiitchie, 
C.  P.  Hayes,  W.  Hacker,  Geo.  W.  Earl,  Robt. 
Scott,  J.  S  Houghton,  E.  Satterthwait,  Chas. 
H.  Miller,  T.  J.  Mackenzie. 


STRAWBERRY  EXHIBITION  AT  VINE- 
LAND,  N.  J. 

The  Agricultural  Society  held  their  annual 
Strawberry  Exhibition  in  Union  Hall,  Saturday 
evening.  The  drouth  having  told  fearfully  on  . 
the  strawberries  the  display  was  not  what  it 
could  have  been  desired,  but  better  than  was 
anticipated. 

Luscious  Jucundas,  from  Messrs.  D.  B.  Hin-  | 
man,  P.  Snyder,  R.  Lush,  and  H.  N.  Greene, 
were  on  exhibition,  proving  that  they  can  be 
raised  if  properly  fertilized  and  attended  to, 
though  as  yet  there  is  some  differeuce  of  opinion 
as  to  their  being  profitable  to  ship  as  a  market 
berry. 

The  Agriculturist,  by  Mr.Paul,  like  that  paper, 
were  fine  specimens. 

The  Chas.  Downing,  from  Mr.  Benham,  were 
delicious. 

The  Wilsons,  from  Mr.  C,  S.  Mason,  showed      « 
the  effects  of  drouth,  but  looked  enticing.  p 

Mr.  Degroff  presented  two  of  the  Dr.  Nicanor 
strawberries,  the  product  of  one  vine — he  does 
not  wish  to  extend  his  labors  in  this  direction. 
There  is  money  in  the  Nicanor,  which  no  one 
has  succeeded  in  getting  out. 

The  Committee  awarded  premiums  as  follows : 

Jucunda,  1st  premium,  D.  B.  Ilinman,  50  ctB. 

2d  premium,  P.  Snyder,  25  cents. 

2d  premium,  R.  Lush,  25  cents. 

Agriculturist,  Mr.  Paul,  50  cents. 

Chas.  Downing,  Mr.  Benham,  50  cents 

Wilson,  R.  Lush,  50  cents. 

Messrs.  Greene,  Mason  and  Paul  donated 
Strawberries  which  were  sold  at  auction  — the 
bidding  was  spirited  between  the  contestants^ 
who  donated  them  back  to  the  Society,  until  the 
berries  brought  over  a  dollar  and  a  half  a  quart. 
—  Vinelaml  Weekly. 


ilre  (fiitrdcner^s  lloiitlrlir. 


DEVOTED  TO 

Horticulture,    Arhoriculture,    Botany    and    Rural    Affairs, 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEHAN. 
Old  Series,  Vol  XIII.         AUGUST,     1871.        New  Series,  Vol.  IV.    No.  8. 

hijXts  for  august. 


FLOWER  GAEDEX  AND  PLEASURE 
GROUND. 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable,  that  with  the 
great  love  of  cool  shady  spots,  which  our  climate 
excites  in  all  of  us,  more  attention  is  not  given 
to  making  bowers  of  living  trees  than  is  custo- 
mary for  us  to  do.  AVe  have  ''summer  houses'* 
in  abundance,  but  these  are  seldom  cool.  If 
they  are  roofed,  the  heat  radialed  from  the  un- 
der surface  makes  it  very  hot,  unless  the  sides 
are  open  all  around  ;  and  if  the  sides  are  thus 
open,  the  sun  at  all  hours  except  raid-day,  tres- 
passes on  our  enjoyment.  Besides  this,  as  a 
matter  of  taste,  summer  houses,  as  we  generally 
see  them,  are  sadly  out  of  character  in  relation 
to  their  surrounding.  In  some  of  our  best  parks, 
where  there  is  indeed  a  great  deal  more  than 
mere  pretension  to  landscape  gardening,  the 
"summer  houses,"  as  they  are  called,  too  often 
mar  the  effect  of  the  whole  thing. 

This  is  not  so  often  the  case  when  a  mere 
bower  of  living  trees  is  employed  to  make  the 
necessary  shade.  The  green  mass  is  in  keeping 
with  other  trees,  and  the  crowding  necessary  to 
accomplish  the  desired  shade,  can  often  be  turned 
to  the  very  best  account.  This  is  especially  the 
cas^e  whtn  weeping  trees  are  employed.  The 
peculiar  drooping  habit  comes  into  play  in  nu- 
merous ways  in  the  hands  of  a  good  landscape 
gardener.  Of  the  fast  growing  things  of  this 
kind,  and  where  the  position  is  not  particularly 
choice,  there  are  few  things  more  useful  than 
the  Wtejnng  Willow.  For  more  select  places  we 
suppose  there  is  nothing  better  tlian  the  TFcq)- 
iu'j  Ask.  Indeed,  taken  all  in  all,  it  is  one  of 
the  best  trees  of  this-kind  we  have.  The  branches 


can  be  trained  over  wires,  and  thus  wc  can 
make  the  room  beneath  the  tree  as  extensive  as 
one  could  wish.  For  very  large  spots,  a  half 
dozen  or  so  can  be  used.  Set  in  one  circle,  and 
the  trees  about  twenty  feet  apart.  Such  an  ar- 
rangement would  make  a  delightful  croquet 
ground,— or  a  place  for  parties  or  pic-nics— en- 
tirely in  the  shade,  yet  with  an  abundance  of 
room  and  air  all  round.  The  Kihnarnock  Weep- 
ing Willow,  if  grafted  high  enough,  would  make 
a  very  pretty  shade  for  one  or  two  persons;  but 
as  they  generally  are,  they  are  not  worked  over 
five  or  six  feet  high  ;  and  thus  we  have  to  be 
satisfied  with  them  as  the  lovely  little  ornaments 
we  see  on  our  lawns. 

Recently  we  saw  a  very  pretty  thing  foratied 
out  of  half  a  dozen  Japan  Catalpa— Cattilyta, 
Koempferi.  These  seem  to  grow  only  from  fif- 
teen to  twenty  feet  high,  and  the  branches  form 
a  dense  mass  overhead,  appearing  in  leaf  as  if 
the  whole  surface  had  been  closely  sheared. 
"When  not  too  closely  confined,  the  whole  stem 
pushes  out  leafy  branches.  A  half  dozen  of 
these  set  out  by  themselves,  and  trained  up  to 
single  stems,  will  make  one  uniform  mass  of  fo- 
liage if  left  to  itself;  and  gothic  arches,  or 
arches  of  any  other  form,  can  be  cut  between 
each  pair  of  trees.  The  leaves  around  each 
tree  stem  can  be  left  two  or  three  feet  wide  if 
desired, — and  the  whole  can  be  made  to  have  a 
remarkably  unique  effect. 

The  planting  season  will  soon  come  around, 
and  now  is  the  time  to  look  about  and  select  the 
desirable  kinds,  and  to  decide  on  the  proper 
places  to  set  them. 

It  may  be  well  to  repeat  what  we  have  said  in 


226 


THE    GARBEJ^EU'S   MOJ^THLY 


August, 


substance  before,  that  the  latter  end  of  August 
is  one  of  the  best  seasons  of  the  year  to  trans- 
plant evergreens.  The  young  growth  of  the 
past  season  has  got  pretty  well  hardened,  so  as 
to  permit  of  but  very  little  evaporation,  — and 
the  earth  being  warm,  new  roots  push  with 
great  rapidity,  and  the  tree  becomes  established 
in  the  ground  before  cool  autumn  winds  begin. 
The  chief  difliculty  is  that  the  soil  is  usually  ver}^ 
dry,  which  prevents  much  speed  with  ihe  opera- 
f.oD  ;  and  the  weather  being  usually  very  warm, 
t'.ie  trees  have  to  be  set  again  in  the  ground 
almost  as  fast  as  they  are  taken  up  ;  so  that  it  is 
not  safe  to  bring  them  from  a  distance.  It  is  as 
Well,  therefore,  to  make  all  ready  in  anticipation 
of  a  rain,  when  no  time  maybe  lost  in  having 
the  work  pushed  through.  Should  a  spell  of 
dry  weather  ensue, — which  in  September  and 
October  is  very  likely,—  one  good  watering  should 
be  given,  sufficient  to  soak  well  through  the  soil 
and  well  about,  the  roots.  A  basin  should  be 
made  to  keep  the  water  from  running  awa}^  from 
the  spot,  and  to  assist  its  soaking  in.  After  be- 
ing well  watered,  the  loose  soil  should  be  drawn 
in  lightly  over  the  watered  soil,  which  will  then 
aid  in  preventing  the  water  from  drying  out 
soon  again. 

As  soon  in  the  fall  as  bulbs  can  be  obtained, 
they  should  be  planted— though  this  will  not 
generally  be  the  case  till  October, -^but  it  is  as 
well  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  earlier  they  are 
planted,  the  finer  they  will  flower. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  month,  and  in  Sep- 
tember, evergreen  hedges  should  receive  their 
last  pruning  till  the  next  summer.  Last  spring, 
and  in  the  summer,  when  a  strong  growth  i-e- 
quired  it,  the  hedge  has  been  severely  pruned 
towards  the  npex  of  the  cone-like  form  in  which 
it  has  been  trained,  and  the  base  has  been  suf- 
fered to  grow  any  way  it  pleases.  Now  that,  in 
turn,  has  come  under  the  shears,  so  far  as  to  get 
it  into  regular  shape  and  form.  It  will  not  be 
forgotten  that,  to  be  very  successful  with  ever- 
green hedges,  they  ought  to  have  a  growth  at 
the  base  of  at  least  four  feet  in  diameter. 

"When  "White  Lilies,  or  any  other  spring-flow- 
ered bulbous  plants  have  dene  flowering,  and 
the  stems  died  away,  tJiey  should  be  taken  up 
and  re-.set ;  tlie  di-sease  in  Lilies  often  met  with, 
is  probably  caused  by  their  being  too  long  in  one 
place. 

Most  of  what  is  to  be  dene  now  in  this  depart- 
ment consists  of  the  routine  duties  of  neatness, 


—tying  up,  pegging  down,  removing  faded  blos- 
soms, collecting  and  destroying  insects,  etc. 

Many  sufTer  their  flowers  to  produce  seed,  but 
this  injures  the  flowering.  If  it  be  particularly 
desirable  to  save  seed  of  some  things,  allow  only 
just  as  much  to  ripen  as  will  be  needed.  In  some 
cases,  cutting  ofl"  the  flowers  as  fast  they  fade 
doubles  the  season  of  flowering. 

Auriculas,  Polyanthus,  Pansics,  Daisies,  and 
other  of  these  early  flowering,  half  hardy  plants, 
commence  their  root  growth  about  the  end  of 
this  month,  when  the  time  has  arrived  for  re- 
planting. Good  fresh,  and  yet  half  decayed  sod 
from  a  pasture  field,  is  the  best  to  grow  them  in. 
Those  who  have  the  advantage  of  pots  and 
frames,  can  re  pot  also  at  this  season. 


VEGETABLE  GAKDEN. 

As  soon  as  your  vegetable  crops  are  past 
kitchen  use,  clear  them  out.  Never  suffer  them 
to  seed.  In  the  first  place,  a  seed  crop  exhausts 
the  soil  more  th;in  two  crops  taken  off  in  an  eat- 
able condition  ;  in  the  next  place,  the  refuse  of 
•the  kitchen  is  likely  to  produce  degenerate  stocks. 
Good  seed  saving  is  a  special  art  by  itself,  al- 
ways claiming  the  earliest  and  best  to  ensure  a 
perfect  stock. 

Celery  will  require  earthing  up  as  it  grows,  to 
get  it  to  blanch  well.  It  is  nut  well,  however, 
to  commence  too  early,  as  earthing  up  tends,  in 
a  slight  degree,  to  w'eaken  the  growth  of  the 
plants.  Take  care,  also,  not  to  let  the  soil  get 
into  the  heart  in  earthing,  or  the  crown  is  apt  to 
rot. 

As  fast  as  Endive  is  desired  for  Salad,  it  should 
be  blanched.  Matting  thrown  over  is  the  best 
for  this  purpose,  as  the  plants  are  not  so  liable 
to  rot  as  when  pots  or  boards  are  employed. 

In  cold  or  mountainous  regions,  Melons  are 
hastened  in  the  rijiening  process,  and  improved 
in  flavor,  by  a  piece  of  tile  being  placed  under 
the  fruit. 

Keep  weeds  from  j-our  compost  heaps,  as  they 
exhaust  the  soil,  and  bear  seeds  for  future  brow- 
sweatings. 

Sow  Lettuce  for  Fall  crop,  thinly,  and  in  deep 
and  very  rich  ground. 

Early  Valentine  13eans  ma}'  still  be  sown  early 
in  the  month, — the  soil  for  a  late  crop  should  be 
well  trenched,  or,  if  the  Fall  be  dry,  they  will  be 
stringy  and  tough. 

Cucumbers,  Squash,  and  other  similar  plants, 
often  suffer  from  drought  at  this  season.     Cold 


1S7L 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    JdOJ{THLY. 


m 


water  does  not  help  them  much,  but  a  mulching 
of  half  rotten  leaves  strengthens  them  consider- 
ably. 

Cut  down  straggling  herbs,  and  they  will  make 
new  heads  for  next  season. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  month,  a  sowing  of 
Spinach  may  be  made  in  rich  soil,  which  will 
come  in  for  use  before  Winter.  That  desired  for 
AVinter  and  early  Spring  use,  is  usually  sown  in 
September  in  this  rtgion.  A  few  Turnips  may 
also  be  sown  for  an  early  crop,  but  will  be  hot 
and  strinsry  unless  the  soil  is  very  rich. 

Corn  Salad  is  often  sowed  at  the  end  of  this 
month.  It  does  not  do  so  well  in  damp  soil  or 
low  situation. 


FRUIT  GARDEN. 

In  the  "Western  States  we  believe  the  fruit 
crop  is  not  very  good.  The  frost  of  the  IGth  of 
May  finished  up  the  business  for  the  season. 
Strange  to  say,  here  in  the  East,  we  had  the 
same  frost,  and  yet  our  fruit  escaped  The  rea- 
son was  that  the  season  was  remarkably  early, 
and  the  fruit  had  really  reached  a  considerable 
size  before  the  frost  came  ;  and  it  is  only  when 
very  young  that  the  frost  injures  young  fruit.  It 
is  somewhat  remarkable  that  we  should  have 
fruit  crops  good  for  three  successive  seasons,  and 
it  is  highly  encouraging  to  the  fruit  grower.  He 
nmst  now  take  care  that  exhaustion  does  not 
follow.  The  wise  orchardist  has  thinned  his 
fruit  at  an  early  stage  of  growth,  and  will  now 
be  looking  round  for  material  to  fertilize  them 
with.  It  is  not  too  late  to  do  it  yet  to  advan- 
tage. We  should  surface  dress  with  manure, 
compost,  or  rich  materials,  any  time  between 
now  and  frost  ;  but  the  earlier  the  better.  There 
is  not  much  use  in  putting  it  on  after  the  soil  is 
frozen  Rains  wash  it  best  portions  away.  As 
10  kind  of  manure,  it  makes  little  ditference.  If 
the  surface  is  not  disturbed  much,  the  richer  the 
surface  soil  the  better.  AVe  have  noticed  but 
little  dillerence  between  animal  manure  and 
mineral.  Some  of  the  best  and  healthiest  trees 
we  knov/,  stand  near  the  manure  heaps  in  farm 
yards. 

A  little  trimming  is  useful  to  most  trees  at  this 
season.  The  Blackberry  and  Raspberry  may 
have  their  tops  shortened  so  as  to  leave  the  canes 
about  four  feet.  Some  do  this  earher  in  the  sea- 
son ;  but  the  buds  are  apt  to  burst  if  done  too 
soon.  In  like  manner,  pear  and  apple  trees  that 
grow  well,  but  produce  no  fruit,  are  benefitted 


by  having,  say  half  of  some  of  the  young  growth 
cut  back.  The  buds  then  left  are  very  likely  to 
form  tlowcr  buds,  in  place  of  growth  buds  for 
next  season.  Many  take  out  the  old  shoots  of 
raspberry  and  blackberry  after  they  have  done 
bearing,  and  we  have  in  times  past  recommend- 
ed it  ourselves  ;  but  on  further  observation,  we 
see  very  little  good,  if  not  positive  injury.  The 
partial  shade  the  old  stems  make,  seems  rather 
beneficial  than  otherwise  under  our  hot  suns. 

Strawberry  planting  often  commences  in  Au- 
gust, providing  the  weather  offers  a  cluince. 
Get  the  soil  in  readiness  for  this  chance.  Heavy 
manuring  is  not  good  for  the  Strawberry  except 
in  very  poor  soils.  Wet  soils  are  not  good.  But 
the  soil  cannot  well  be  too  deep.  In  the  field 
subsoil,—  in  the  garden  dig  at  least  12  to  18  in- 
ches. Strawberries  do  better  moderately  close 
than  too  wide,  some  kinds  do  very  well  in  beds. 

After  a  piece  of  ground  is  dug  at  this  season 
for  Strawberries,  roll  it  well  with  the  garden  rol- 
ler. When  ready  to  plant,  make  holes  with  a 
dibble,  fill  the  holes  with  water,  and  when  it 
soaks  away,  put  in  your  plant  which  has  been 
kept  in  water  to  prevent  wilting.  Jj'uf,  in  put- 
ting in  the  plant  do  not  plant  too  deep.  "Too 
deep"  kills  99-hundredths  of  all  the  Strawberries 
that  die  in  the  year  from  transplanting.  ''Too 
deep"  is  when  anything  but  the  small  fibres  are 
buried  under  the  surface. 

In  regard  to  the  newer  varieties  of  this  season, 
we  are  very  much  pleased  with  President  Wil- 
der. Our  plants  were  not  strong  enough  to  bear 
well,  having  been  all  transplanted  in  spring,  we 
canuot,  therefore,  testify  to  whether  it  is  an 
abundant  bearer  or  not ;  but  the  size,  color  and 
flavor  of  the  fruit,  and  the  remarkable  vigor  and 
healthfulncss  of  the  foliage,  seemed  to  leave  no 
thing  more  to  be  desired  in  this  respect.  More- 
over, they  had  the  quality  of  firmness— a  point 
dear  to  the  hearts  of  all  marketmen. 

Almost  all  trees,  and  in  particular  the  Grape 
vine,  at  this  season  will  require  attention,  to  see 
that  the  leaves  are  all  retained  healthy  till  thor- 
oughly ripened.  It  is  not  a  sign  of  healthiness 
for  a  vine  to  grow  late  ;  on  the  contrary,  such 
late  growth  generally  gets  killed  in  the  winter. — 
but  the  leaves  should  all  stay  on,  to  insure  the 
greatest  health  of  the  vine,  until  the  frost  comes, 
when  they  should  all  be  so  mature  as  to  fall  to- 
gether. Frequent  heavy  syringings  are  among&t 
the  best  ways  to  keep  off  insects  from  out-do<.r 
grapes,  and  so  protect  the  foliage  from  their 
ravages. 


^^8 


THE   GARDE JV'ER'S   MOa'THLY. 


August, 


COMMUNICATIONS. 


BOILERS. 

BY  CHAS.  F.  HlTCiriKGS,  K".  Y. 

In  the  June  number  of  the  Monthly,  I  find 
two  articles  on  the  subject  of  boilers  and  the 
circulation  of  water;  as  the  experience  and 
theories  advanced  in  these  articles  difTer  some- 
what from  my  own,  I  propose,  with  your  per- 
mission, to  refer  brieily  to  the  several  points. 

Mr.  Pennock  gives  the  particulars  of  his  ex- 
periment with  a  chip  in  a  propagating  tank,  to 
show  that  cold  water  in  the  return  pipe  causes  a 
quicker  circulation  than  hot.  and  by  his  argu- 
ment conveys  the  idea  that  there  is  more  heat 
imparted  by  the  pipes  to  the  house  when  the 
Avatcr  leaves  the  boiler  at  about  212°,  and  re- 
turns cold  or  about  80-,  than  there  would  if  it 
should  leave  at  212''  and  return  at  200^ ;  and  fur- 
ther, that  if  the  water  in  the  return  pipe  nearly  I 
approaches  the  temperature  of  that  leaving  the 
I'oiler,  there  is  something  wrong  in  the  circula- 
tion 

My  experience  is  the  reverse  of  this.  I  have 
always  found  it  necessary  to  make  all  the  pipes 
liot,  including  the  return,  in  order  to  heat  a 
glass  stnicture  satisfactorily  during  cold  nights, 
r.nd  that  it  is  both  desirable  and  practicable  to 
boat  the  water  in  the  return  pipe  to  a  tempera- 
ture but  a  few  degrees  below  that  of  the  water 
leaving  the  boiler,  providing  the  circulation  is 
free  and  the  l)oilpr  of  suflicient  heating  capacity. 
Tlieoretically,  the  rapidity  of  the  ciiculation  in- 
creases with  the  difference  in  the  temperature  of 
the  two  columns  of  water— one  leaving  the  boil- 
er through  the  flow  pipe,  the  other  entering 
through  the  return.  But  it  does  not  follow  from 
this,  that  because  the  water  returns  to  the  boiler 
nearly  cold,  therefore,  the  circulation  must  be 
quick,  or  that  there  has  been  more  heat  impart- 
ed to  the  atmosphere  of  the  house  ;  on  the  con 


trary,  it  goes  to  prove  that  the  circulation  is  de- 
fective and  sluggish,  that  the  water  moves 
through  the  boiler  so  slow,  that  it  attains  a  high 
temperature  before  it  enters  the  flow  pipe,  and 
then  flows  through  the  pipe  so  slow  as  to  lose 
nearly  all  its  heat  before  reaching  the  end  of  its 
course  If  the  water  returns  to  the  boiler  at  80°, 
it  is  plain  that  a  portion  of  the  pipes  through 
which  it  passes  must  be  at  the  same  low  tem- 
perature, and  the  average  heat  of  the  line  of 
pipe  must  be  far  below  Avhat  it  would  be.  if  both 
ends  of  the  pipe  w^ere  hot ;  and  it  is  just  as  plain 
that  pipes  at  a  low  temperature  cannot  impart 
as  much  heat  to  the  atmosphere  through  which 
they  pass,  as  the  same  length  of  pipe  would  do 
at  a  higher  temperature. 

Again,  if  the  circulation  is  good  and  the  out- 
lets from  the  boiler  of  proper  proportions,  it 
would  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  create, 
as  he  implies,  a  difference  of  132'  between  the 
flow  and  the  return  pipes  at  the  boiler.  Under 
favorable  conditions,  water  moves  freely  at  any 
temperature  below  212°,  with  a  difference  of  4° 
to  10°  between  the  flow  and  return  pipes  at  the 
boiler.  The  experiment  that  ^Mr.  Pennock  de- 
scribes, shows  that  it  required  a  difference  of 
over  43°  to  create  a  movement  in  the  water 
through  the  tank.  In  all  probability  the  area 
of  the  cross  section  of  the  tank  in  which  he  tried 
the  experiment,  is  many  times  greater  than  the 
connecting  pipes,  and  that  the  speed  of  the  cur- 
rent of  water  which  passed  through  the  pipe 
was  diminished  in  the  greater  width  of  the  tank 
and  not  properly  represented  by  the  floating 
chip  ;  or  there  may  have  been  some  defect  in  the 
arrangement  which  caused  a  slow  circulation. 

:Mr.  Ellis  contends  that  all  flue  surface  in  boil- 
ers arc  useless  as  a  means  of  heating  water,  and 


I 


J871. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJVTELl, 


ny 


argues  that  a  portion  of  the  water,  which  is  im- 
mediatel}-  over  the  fire,  remains  there  until  it 
has  absorbed  all  the  heat  from  the  iron  surface 
that  it  can  absorb,  and  that,  after  being  thus  ex- 
posed to  the  hottest  surface,  its  temperature 
cannot  be  increased  by  contact  with  surface  ex- 
posed to  the  secondary  heat,  which  he  describes 
as  heat  having  less  intensity  than  that  which  is 
given  off  from  the  Bre  resting  on  the  grate  ;  tliis 
would  include  all  surfaces  of  whatever  form,  not 
directly  exposed  to  the  radiant  heat  of  the  fire. 
The  questions  occur :  What  portion  of  the 
water  is  it  that  remains  over  the  fire  until  it  has 
absorbed  all  the  heat  it  can:  does  it  comprise  all 
the  water  that  leaves  the  boiler  through  the  flow 
pipe  ?  And  what  is  the  temperature  of  the  wa- 
ter that  has  absorbed  all  the  heat  it  can  ?  In 
practice  water  frequently  leaves  the  boiler  at  a 
temperature  of  80  to  100  degrees  ;  when  this  is 
the  case,  has  that  water  already  absorbed  all 
the  heat  it  can,  and  is  it  so  hot  that  its  tempera- 
ture cannot  be  increased  by  contact  with  sur- 
faces heated  by  secondary  heat  at  a  tempera- 
ture of  GOO  or  700  degrees  ? 

I  take  exception  to  these  statements,  and  claim 
that  where  the  fire  and  fine  surface  in  a  boiler 
bear  a  proper  proportion  one  with  the  other,  the 
flue  surface  is  of  great  value  as  a  means  of  econo- 
mizing fuel ;  that  a  boiler  so  constructed  will 
heat  from  a  quarter  to  a  third  more  water,  with 
a  given  quantity  of  fuel,  than  a  boiler  without 
flue  surface.  It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  from 
25  to  oO  i)er  cent,  of  all  the  power  on  every  steam- 
ship and  steamboat  afloat  is  obtained  from  flue 
surfaces.  Every  locomotive  on  our  roads  has 
.  from  three  to  four  times  more  surface  in  the  flues 
than  in  the  fire  chamber  ;  nearly  every  station- 
ary boiler  is  similarly  provided.  These  exam- 
ples are  the  result  of  study,  experience  and  ex- 
l)eriments  of  the  best  engineers  in  the  world, 
and  it  cannot  be  said  that  they  know  so  little  of 
the  scientific  application  of  heat  as  to  continue 
to  this  day  wasting  material  and  occupying  val- 
uable room  with  flue  surfaces  that  are  useless. 
liut  it  may  be  said  that  flue  surfaces  are  all  well 
enough  for  steam  boilers  where  the  fires  are 
large  and  the  heat  intense,  but  they  are  of  no 
avail  in  greenhouse  boilers.  The  anwer  to  this 
would  be,  that  the  primary  object  of  the  boiler 
in  either  case  is  to  impart  the  greatest  amount 
of  heat  with  the  least  quantity  of  fuel.  It  is 
true  the  heat  of  the  large  fire  is  more  intense, 
but  as  an  oflset  to  this,  the  water  in  the  steam 
boiler  must  be  heated  to  a  temperature  of  200  to 


350  degrees,  according  to  the  pressure,  while  the 
water  in  a  greenhouse  boiler  does  not  exceed  212 
degrees,  and  varies  from  this  to  cold  water. 
And  when  flue  surfaces  heated  by  this  secondafy 
heat  are  capable  of  imparting  heat  to  water  at 
350  degrees,  with  sufficient  rapidity  to  create 
steam,  it  is  evident  that  the  relative  value  of 
such  surfaces  must  be  far  greater  when  the  wa- 
ter which  surrounds  them  is  below  212  decrees. 
Take  a  f\imiliar  form  of  greenhouse  boiler,  with 
the  fire  chamber  and  the  flues  all  within  the  shell  of 
the  boiler,  and  surrounded  with  water,  in  this  the 
radiant  heat  from  the  burning  coal  is  taken  up 
by  the  iron  surfaces  of  the  fire  chamber  and  im- 
parted to  the  water,  the  flame  and  hot  gases 
which  escape  from  the  fire  chamber  pass 
through  and  in  contact  with  the  flue  surfaces, 
and  there  give  off  to  the  water  heat,  which  would 
pass  to  the  chimney  but  for  the  intervening  flue 
surfaces.  In  this  way  the  heat  of  the  gas  es- 
caping from  the  outlet  of  the  flue,  is  reduced  to 
a  temperature  only  sufficient  to  create  a  good 
draft  in  the  chimney.  Xow  suppose  that  instead 
of  leading  this  flue  through  the  water,  we  should 
carry  it  through  the  end  of  the  boiler  direct  from  " 
the  fire  chamber,  it  would  quickly  become  red- 
hot  for  a  distance  of  several  feet  from  the  boiler, 
and  the  gases  escaping  from  the  end  of  the  flue 
would  indicate  a  temperature  of  700  or  800  de- 
grees. The  heat  required  to  make  the  flue  red- 
hot,  and  the  diSerence  in  the  heat  of  the  escap- 
ing gases,  would  be  a  fair  indication  of  the  heat 
taken  up  and  utilized  by  the  flue  passing  through 
water. 

As  to  the  condition  of  the  water  in  the  boiler, 
I  contend  that  the  water  cannot  remain  over 
the  fire  until  it  has  absorbed  all  the  heat  it  can 
absorb,  while  there  is  colder  water  in  the  boiler 
or  colder  water  entering  at  the  return  pipe  with 
a  free  circulation.  Auy  increase  of  the  tempera- 
ture of  water  will  cause  a  circulation  at  any 
temperature  above  40  degrees  ;  and  there  is  no 
set  temperature  at  which  it  leaves  the  heated 
surfaces  of  the  boiler  when  in  circulation.  Un- 
der favorable  conditions  it  will  circulati  freely 
with  a  few  degrees  added  to  the  temperature  of 
the  water  entering  at  the  return  pipe  ;  the  cold- 
est water  being  more  dense,  settles  down  to  the 
low  part  of  the  boiler,  and  there  in  contact  with 
the  hot  surfaces  of  the  boiler  receives  the  first 
heat,  which  c.uises  it  to  rise  ;  gradually,  but 
freely  it  rises  and  envelopes  other  hot  surfaces 
and  acquires  additional  heat,  and  will  continue 
to  absorb  heat  as  long  as  it  is  exposed  and  in 


^30 


TEE    GARBEKEWS   MOJ\'TELY. 


August, 


contacV.  with  surfaces  at  a  higher  temperature. 
This  leads  to  the  consideration  of  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  flue  surfaces  heated  by  secondary  j 
heat,  and  the  amount  of  heat  imparted  to  the  1 
■water    by    such    surfaces.     It    is    %vell    known  1 
tliat  with  a  good  draft  and  sharp  fire,   tlie  licat 
of  the  gaf-os  wliich  escape  from  the  fire  chamber 
will  exceed  800  degrees,  that  by  passing  these 
gases  through  properly  arranged  flues  surround- 
ed with  water  the  temperature  may  be  reduced 
to  300  or  350  degrees  without  material  damage 
to  the  draft,  showing  conclusively  that  the  gases 
have  lost  450  to  500  degrees  of  heat,  and   that 
this  heat  has  been  imparted  to  the  water. 

I  agree  with  Mr.  Ellis,  that  there  will  be  a 
waste  of  fuel  if  the  boiler  is  exposed  ;  but  cannot 
agree  that  it  might  as  well  stand  in  cold  water 
as  in  the  cold  atmosphere.  The  atmosphere  is 
a  poor  conductor  of  heat  compared  with  water 
When  a  blacksmith  wishes  to  cool  a  bar  of  red- 
hot  iron,  he  docs  not  move  it  about  in  the  cold 
air,  but  plunges  it  into  cold  water  and  waves  it 
there,  knowing  that  the  water  will  be  far  more 
effective.  Boilers  arc  usually  placed  in  a  cellar 
or  covered  pit,  and  in  a  measure  protected.  If 
not  sufficiently  protected  in  this  way,  they 
/hould  be  enclosed  with  brick  as  he  suggests,  or 
overcd  with  felting  such  as  is  in  use  on  steam 
boilers. 


JS^OTES  FEOM  LOUISIANA. 

BY  B.  F.  n  ,  ARCOLA,  LA. 

The  floral  department  of  the  Gardener^s 
3£'mtlihj  is  very  interesting  to  one  as  fond  of 
flowers  as  myself,  but  in  this  climate  there  is 
such  a  profusion,  and  they  continue  so  long, 
that  they  come  to  be  quite  common  place  to 
what  they  are  in  the  North,  where  the  seasons 
are  much  shorter,  and  where  they  require  so 
much  protection  through  the  long  winters.  Un- 
til 1807,  I  had  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Cincinnati, 
Oiiio,  and  part  of  the  time  in  the  city.  Since 
1830,  I  was  raising  fruit  for  that  market,  until 
coming  here  ;  being  advanced  in  life,  and  get- 
ting tired  of  the  long  cold  winters,  visited  the 
South,  and  was  so  i)leased  with  the  climate,  was 
induced  to  move  and  buy.  I  am  situated  72 
miles  north  of  New  Orleans,  on  the  Jackson  R. 
J{.  I  am  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  fruit 
for  that  market. 

Since  living  here,  I  have  tried  some  fifty  kind 
of  strawberries,  but  have  found,  as  yet,  but  four 


kinds  that  would  stand  the  climate  and  bear 
shipping.  As  it  is  generally  in  strawberry  sea- 
son, the  weather  is  quite  as  warm  as  with  you  in 
June.  The  first  season  I  was  here,  I  sent  my 
first  berries  the  last  day  of  March,  the  next  year 
the  14th  of  April,  and  this  season  the  last  day 
of  March,  and  they  still  are  as  abundant  as  at 
first,  although  we  have  not  had  time  to  pick  for 
market  since  peaches  began  to  ripen.  We  made 
our  first  shipment  on  the  23th  of  May.  There 
is  an  abundant  crop  of  all  kinds  of  fruit.  May 
Beauty,  Hale's  Early,  Honey  and  Troth's  Ear- 
ly are  the  first  to  ripen  here;  the  Early  York 
will  be  ripe  next  week.  Pears,  the  Madaleine  ri- 
pens the  l«th  of  May  ;  several  others  ripen  the 
last  of  May.  Apples  have  been  plenty  since  the 
loth  of  Ma}^  The  yellow  and  red  Chickasaw  plum  s 
began  to  ripen  the  first  week  in  May  ;  the  Wild 
Goose  plum  is  now  ripe  ;  I  made  m}^  first  ship- 
ment of  them  yesterday.  They  produce  abun- 
dantly, defy  the  curculio,  are  of  the  size  of  the 
Green  Gage,  and  ship  well.  I  sent  a  large  box 
of  them  to  my  daughter  last  year,  to  Cincinnati  ; 
they  arrived  in  good  condition.  I  gathered  from 
one  tree  last  year,  two  and  a  half  bushels. 
Blackberries  are  now  at  their  best,  and  in  the 
greatest  profusion. 

Native  grapes  as  far  as  tried,  do  well  here.  I 
have  put  out  six  acres  of  Concord,  one-half  of 
I  Clinton,  two  of  Ives',  and  two  of  the  Scupper- 
nong,  with  small  lots  of  new  kinds.  I  think 
this  climate  is  the  home  of  the  grape,  as  the 
poorest  of  the  lands  produce  grapes  in  abun- 
dance, with  but  little  attention  or  culture.  My 
Concords  are  three  years  from  cuttings,  and 
loaded  with  fruit.  One  of  my  neighbors  has. 
four  acres  of  Concord,  four  j'ears  old,  after  de- 
ducting value  of  cultivation,  picking,  boxes, 
freight  and  commission,  netted  him  twelve  hun- 
dred dollars.  Lands  well  suited  for  grapes  on 
the  railroad  can  be  bought  at  from  five  to  ten 
dollars  per  acre. 

There  are  many  kinds  of  wild  fruits  growing 

here.  I  will  name— crab  apples  in  abundance, 
throe  kinds  of  whortleberries,  three  kinds  of 
plums,  three  kinds  of  haw,  the  Muscadine  and 
many  kinds  of  grapes  ;  and  as  to  flowers,  there 
is  such  a  jirofusion  from  early  S]iring  to  winter, 
that  I  will  try  to  descril)e  a  few  that  are  new  to 
me,  although  I  had  attended  many  of  the  floral 
exhibitions  Nortii.  There  is  a  running  sensitive 
plant  here  that  is  beautiful,  and  more  sensitive 
than  the  one  I  have  seen  North  ;  it  is  perennial. 
The  root  throws  out  some  10  or  15  vines  near 


I 


1871. 


TEE    GARDENER'S    MOJYTHLJ. 


S31 


the  size  of  a  delicate  i-aspbcrry,  full  of  small 
spines  with  a  great  profusion  of  foliage,  but  very 
delicate  ;  the  flower  is  pink,  composed  of  fine 
hairs,  when  first  opened  the  ends  of  each  hair 
has  a  stamen  of  golden  color.  I  will  send  you  a 
section  of  the  vine.  (1)  Another  plant  here  called 
the  Southern  Butterfly,  of  the  milk-weed  family 
or  wild  cotton,  grows  15  inches  high,  is  rather 
spreading  in  habit,  is  entirely  covered  with  bril- 
liant orange  colored  flowers,  and  is  very  showy 
at  a  distance  ;  is  also  a  perennial.  (2)  Also  a 
very  pretty  plant,  said  by  some  to  be  Carolina 
pink  root ;  sold  by  druggists  as  a  gentle  purga- 
tive, or  given  to  children  for  worms  ;  has  a 
bright  scarlet  flower  outside,  inside  buff";  shape 
and  size  of  the  "Weigelia  rosea  ;  is  also  perennial. 
(3)  Also  a  plant  I  call  the  Coral  bean,  for  want 
of  its  proper  name  ;  the  root  grows  to  be  8  or  10 
inches  in  diameter,  rather  more  woody  than  the 
poke  root,  but  can  be  cut  with  a  sharp  spade  ; 
sends  up  in  the  spring  from  5  to  25  flower  shoots 
begins  to  flower,  when  a  foot  high  of  deep  scar- 
let color  two  inches  long  ;  color  of  stem  purple 
without  leaves,  flowers  all  around  the  stem  ; 
continues  until  three  feet.  A  pod  forms  in  the 
core  like  a  common  bean  pod,  containing  from 
5  to  7  beans.  The  leaf  stocks  come  up  after  it 
has  done  flowering.  (4)  We  are  cultivating  a 
vegetable  we  call  Tanyah,  described  in  B.  K 
Bliss  «fe  Son's  illustrated  catalogue,  on  page  99, 
called  by  him  Colocasia  (Caladium)  esculentum  ; 
he  cultivates  it  for  ornament,  and  his  price  for 
plants  is  from  fifty  cents  to  two  dollars,  accord- 
ing to  size.  We  cultivate  and  use  it  as  Irish 
potatoes ;  large  tubers  are  worth  here  ten  dol- 
lars a  barrel,  small  ones  fourteen. 

Strawberries  that  do  best  here  are  Imperial, 
Wilson's  Albany,  Marie  Stuart,  and  Russell's 

[1.  This  was  Schrankia  uncinata.  2.  Asclepias 
tul)erosa.  3  Spigeliamarilandica.  4.  Erytkri- 
nn  cristagalU. — Ed.] 


CHEMICAL  POAVERSOF  THE  SUNLIGHT. 

BY  GENHH**/  PLEASANTON,  PUILADA. 
Head  be/ure  Philuda.  Soc./or  Promoting  Agriculture. 

At  the  request  of  my  old  friend  and  your  re- 
spected President,  I  1  avc  attended  your  meeting 
at  this  time  to  impart  to  you  the  results  of  cer- 
tain experiments  that  1  have  made  within  the 
last  ten  3'ears  in  attempts  to  utilize  the  blue  col- 
or of  the  sky  •  in  the  development  of  vegetable 
and  animal  life. 

1  may  premise  that  fur  a  long  time  I  have 


thought  that  the  blue  color  of  the  sky,  so  perma- 
nent and  so  all -pervading,  and  yet  so  varying  in 
intensity  of  color,  according  to  season  and  lati- 
tude, must  have  some  abiding  relation  and  inti- 
mate connection  with  the  living  organisms  oa 
this  planet. 

VIOLET  KAYS  UPON  A  GRAPERY. 

Deeply  impressed  with  this  idea,  in  the  au- 
tumn of  the  year  18G0, 1  commenced  the  erection 
of  a  cold  grapery  on  my  farm  in  the  western 
part  of  this  city.  I  remembered  that  while  a 
student  of  chemistry  I  was  taught  that  in  the 
analysis  of  the  ray  of  the  sun  b}'  the  prism,  in 
the  year  lOGG,  by  Sir  I?aac  Newton,  he  had  i-e- 
solved  it  into  the  seven  primary  rays,  viz.  :  red, 
orange,  j'ellow,  green,  blue,  indigo,  and  violet, 
and  had  discovered  that  these  elementary  ra^-s 
had  different  indices  of  refraction  ;  that  for  the 
red  ray  at  one  side  of  the  solar  spectrum  being 
the  least,  while  that  of  the  violet  at  the  opposite 
side  thereof  was  the  greatest,  from  which  he  de- 
duced his  celebrated  doctrine  of  the  different  re- 
frangihility  of  the  rays  of  light ;  and  further,  that 
Sir  John  Ilerschel,  in  his  subsequent  investiga- 
tion of  the  properties  of  light,  had  shown  that 
the  chemical  power  of  the  solar  ray  is  greatest 
in  the  blue  rays,  which  give  the  least  light  of  any 
of  the  luminous  prismatic  radiations,  but  the 
largest  quantity  of  solar  heat,  and  that  later  ex- 
periments established  the  fact  of  the  stimulating 
influence  of  the  blue  rays  upon  vegetation.  Hav- 
ing concluded  to  make  a  practical  application  of 
the  properties  of  the  blue  and  violet  rays  of  light 
just  referred  to  in  stimulating  vegetable  life,  I 
began  to  inquire  in  every  accessible  direction  if 
this  stimulating  quality  of  the  blue  or  violet  ray 
had  ever  received  any  practical  useful  applica- 
tion. 'My  inquiries  developed  the  facts  that  va- 
rious experiments  had  been  made  in  England 
and  on  the  European  continent,  with  glass  col- 
ored with  each  of  the  several  primary  rays,  but 
that  they  were  so  unsatisfactory  in  their  results, 
that  nothing  useful  came  of  them  so  far  as  any 
improvement  in  the  process  of  developing  vege- 
tation was  concerned.  Finding  no  beaten  track, 
I  was  left  to  grope  my  way  as  best  I  could  under 
the  guidance  of  the  violet  ray  alone. 

My  grapery  was  finished  in  March,  ISGl.  Its 
dimensions  were  84  feet  long,  26  feet  wide,  16  feet 
high  at  the  ridge,  with  a  double  pitched  roof. 
It  was  built  at  the  foot  of  a  terraced  garden,  ia 
the  direction  of  N.  E.  to  E.  to  S.  V>\  by  W.  On 
three  sides  there  was  a  border  twelve  feet  wide, 


2S2 


TEE    GARDENER'S   MO  KIEL  J. 


August, 


aud  on  the  fourth  oi'  X.  E.  by  E  side  the  border 
■was  only  five  feet  wide,  beinij  a  walk  of  the  gar- 
den. The  borders  inside  and  outside  were  ex- 
cavated three  feet  six  inches  deep,  and  were 
filled  up  with  the  usual  nutritive  matter,  care- 
fully prepared  for  gx-owing  vines.  I  do  not  think 
they  difliered  essentially  from  thousands  of  other 
borders  which  have  been  made  in  many  parts  of 
the  world.  The  first  question  to  be  solved  on 
the  completion  of  the  frame  of  the  grapery,  was 
the  proportion  of  blue  or  violet  glass  to  be  used 
on  the  roof.  Should  too  much  be  used,  it  would 
reduce  the  temperature  too  much,  and  cause  a 
failure  of  the  experiment  ;  if  too  little  it  would 
not  afford  a  fair  test.  At  a  venture  I  adopted 
every  eighth  row  of  glass  on  the  roof  to  be  vio- 
let colored,  alternating  the  rows  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  roof,  so  that  the  sun  in  its  daily 
course  should  cast  a  beam  of  violet  light  on 
every  leaf  in  the  grapery.  Cuttings  of  vines  of 
some  twenty  varieties  of  grapes,  each  one  year 
old,  of  the  thickness  of  a  pipe-stem,  and  cut 
close  to  the  pots  containing  them,  were  planted 
in  the  borders  inside  and  outside  of  the  grapery, 
in  the  early  part  of  April,  18G1.  Soon  after  be- 
ing planted,  the  growth  of  the  vines  began 
Those  on  the  outside  were  trained  through 
earthen  pipes  in  the  wall  to  the  inside,  and  as 
they  grew  they  were  tied  up  to  the  wires  like 
those  which  had  been  planted  within.  Very 
soon  the  vines  began  to  attract  great  notice  of 
all  who  saw  them  from  the  rapid  growth  they 
were  making.  Every  day  disclosed  some  new 
extension,  and  the  gardener  was  kept  busy  in 
tying  up  the  new  wood  which  the  day  before  he 
had  not  observed.  In  a  few  weeks  after  the 
vines  had  been  planted,  the  walls  and  inside  of 
the  roof  were  closely  covered  with  the  most  luxu 
rious  and  healthy  development  of  foliage  and 
wood. 

In  the  early  part  of  September.  1861,  Mr 
ro")t  Buist,  Sr.,  a  noted  seedsman  and  distin- 
guished horticulturist,  from  whom  I  had  pro- 
cured the  vines,  having  heard  of  their  wonderful 
growth,  visited  the  grapery.  On  entering  it  he 
seemed  to  be  lost  in  amazement  at  what  he  saw; 
after  examining  it  very  carefully,  turning  to  me, 
he  said :  "General,  I  have  been  cultivating 
plants  and  vines  of  various  kinds  for  the  last 
forty  years  ;  I  have  seen  some  of  the  best  vine- 
ries and  conservatories  in  England  and  Scotland; 
but  I  have  never  seen  anything  like  this  growth." 
He  then  measured  some  of  the  vines  and  found 


them  forLy-6.ve  feet  in  length,  aud  an  inch  in  di- 
ameter at  a  distance  of  one  foot  above  the  ground ; 
and  these  dimensions  were  the  growth  of  only 
five  months  I  He  then  remarked  :  "I  visited 
last  week  a  new  grapery  near  Darby,  the  vines 
in  which  I  furnished  at  the  same  time  I  did 
yours ;  they  were  of  the  same  varieties,  of  like 
age  and  size  when  they  were  planted  as  yours  ; 
they  were  planted  at  the  same  time  with  yours. 
When  I  saw  them  last  week  the}-  were  puny, 
spindling  plants,  not  more  than  five  feet  long, 
and  scarcely  increased  in  diameter  since  they 
were  planted,  and  yet  they  have  had  the  best 
possible  care  and  attendance  !' 

The  vines  continued  healthy  and  to  grow, 
making  an  abundance  of  young  wood  during  the 
remainder  of  the  season  of  1801. 

In  March  of  1862,  they  were  started  to  grow, 
having  been  pruned  and  cleaned  in  January  of 
that  year.  The  growth  in  the  second  season 
was,  if  anything,  more  remarkable  than  it  had 
been  in  the  previous  year  Besides  the  forma- 
tion of  new  wood  and  the  displav  of  the  most 
luxuriant  foliage,  there  was  a  wonderful  number 
of  bunches  of  grapes,  which  soon  assumed  the 
most  remarkable  proportions — the  bunches  be- 
ing of  extraordinar}-  magnitude,  and  the  grapes 
of  unusual  size  and  development. 

In  September  of  1862,  the  same  gentlemtn, 
Mr.  Robert  H.  Buist,  Sr.,  who  had  visited  the 
grapery  the  year  before,  came  again — this  time 
accompanied  by  his  foreman.  The  grnpos  were 
then  beginning  to  color  and  to  ripi'U  rapidl}'. 
On  entering  the  grapery,  astonished  at  the  won- 
derful display  of  foliage  and  fruit  which  it  pre- 
sented, he  stood  for  a  while  in  silent  amazement ; 
he  then  slowly  walked  around  the  grapery  sev- 
eral times,  critically  examining  its  wonders  ; 
wheii  taking  from  his  pocket  paper  and  pencil, 
he  noted  on  the  paper  each  bunch  of  grapes,  and 
estimated  its  weight,  after  which  aggregating 
the  whole,  he  came  to  me  and  said,  "General !  do 
you  know  that  you  have  1,200  pounds  Of  grap.^s 
in  this  grapery  ?"  On  my  saying  that  I  had  no 
idea  of  the  quantity  it  contained,  he  continued, 
"you  have  indeed  that  weight  of  fruit,  but  I 
would  not  dare  to  publish  it,  for  no  one  would 
believe  me."  We  may  well  conceive  of  his  as- 
tonishment at  this  product  when  we  are  re- 
minded that  in  grape-growing  countries  where 
grapes  have  been  grown  for  centuries,  that  a  pe- 
riod of  time  of  from  five  to  six  years  Mill  elapse 
before  a  single  bunch  of  grapes  can  be  produced 


1S7L 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   M0:N'THLY, 


^^SS 


from  a  young  vine—wlule  before  him,  in  the  sec- 
ond year  of  the  growth  of  vines  which  he  him- 
self had  furnished  only  seventeen  months  before, 
he  saw  this  remarkable  yield  of  the  finest  and 
choicest  varieties  of  grapes.  He  might  well  say 
tbat  an  account  of  it  would  be  incredible. 

During  the  next  season  (1803)  the  vines  again 
fruited  and  matured  a  crop  of  grapes  estimated 
by  comparison  with  the  yield  of  the  previous 
year  to  weigh  about  two  tons  ;  the  vines  were 
perfectly  healthy  and  free  from  the  usual  mala- 
dies which  atfect  the  grape.  By  this  time  the 
grapery  and  its  products  had  become  partially 
known  among  cultivators,  who  said  that  such 
excessive  crops  would  exhaust  the  vines,  and 
that  the  following  year  there  would  be  no  fruit, 
as  it  was  well  known  that  all  fruits  required  rest 
after  yielding  large  crops  ;  notwithstanding,  new 
wood  was  formed  this  year  for  the  next  year's 
crop,  which  turned  out  to  be  quite  as  large  as  it 
had  been  in  the  season  of  1SG3,  and  so  on  year 
by  j-ear  the  vines  have  continued  to  bear  large 
crops  of  fine  fruit  without  intermission  for  the 
last  nine  years.  They  are  now  healthy  and 
strong,  and  as  yet  show  no  signs  of  decrepitude 
or  exhaustion. 

AX  EXPERIMENT  TrOX  PIGS. 

The  success  of  the  grapery  induced  me  to 
make  an  experiment  with  animal  life.  In  the 
autumn  of  1869  I  built  a  piggery  and  introduced 
into  the  roof  and  three  sides  of  it  violet-colored 
and  white  glass  in  equal  proportions— half  of 
each  kind.  Separating  a  recent  litter  of  Chester 
county  pigs  into  two  parties,  I  placed  three  sows 
and  one  barrow  pig  in  the  ordinary  pen,  and 
three  other  sows  and  one  other  barrow  pig  in 
the  pen  under  the  violet  glass.  The  pigs  were 
all  about  two  months  old.  The  weight  of  the 
pigs  was  as  follows,  viz.  :  Under  the  violet  glass 
i  •  No.  1  sow,  42  poujiiids  ;  No.  .2,  a  barrow  pig,  ^h\ 
^  pouBils  ;  No.  3,  a  sow,  38  pounds  ;  No.  4,  a  sow, 
42  potuids,  their  aggregate  weight,  1G7^  pouhjjs. 
The  weight  of  the  others  in  the  common  pen 
was  as  follows,  viz.  :  No.  1,  a  sow,  50  pou'B5)[s  ; 
No.  2,  a  sow,  48  pounds  ;  No.  3,  a  barrow  pig, 
59  pounds  ;  No.  4,  a  sow,  40  pounds  ;  their  ag- 
gregate weight  was  203  pounds.  It  will  be  ob- 
served that  each  of  the  pigs  under  the  violet 
glass  was  lighter  in  weight  than  the  light- 
est in  weight  pig  of  those  uniler  the  sunlight 
alone  in  the  common  pen.  The  two  sets  of  pigs 
were  treated  exactly'  alike  ;  fed  with  the  same 
kinds  of  food  at  equal  intervals  of  time,  and  with 


equal  quantities  b)'  measure  at  each  meal,  and 
Avere  attended  by  the  same  man.  They  were 
put  in  the  pens  on  the  .3d  day  of  Xoveniber, 
lS(i9,  and  kept  there  until  the4thd«y  of  March, 
1870,  when  they  were  weighed  again.  By  some 
misconception  of  my  orders,  the  separate  weight 
of  each  pig  was  not  had.  The  aggregate  weight 
ofthethr^e  sows  under  the  violet  light  on  the 
3d"!3f  November,,  1809,  was  122  pounds  ;  on  the 
4Lb  of  Alarch,  1870,  it  was  520  pounds  ;  increase 
398  ppiinds^ 

The  aggregate  weight  of  three  sows  in  the  old 
pen  on  t-hr-3tl-Qf  November,  1SG9,  was  144  lbs., 
and  on  the  4th  of  March,  1870,  it  was  530  lbs.  ; 
increase,  380  picwia^,  or  12  pounds  less  than 
those  under  the  vidlet  glass  had  gained. 

The  weight  of  the  barrow  pig  in  the  common 
pen  on  the  3d  of  November,  J.809,  was  59  pdunds^, 
and  on  the  4th  of  March,  1870,  it  was  210  lbs.  ; 
increase  of  151  jjoynds.  The  weight  of  the  bar- 
row pig  undor  the  violet  light,  on  the  3d  of  No- 
vembery  IStiO,  was  45|^  pouii(}s^  and  on  the  4th 
of  March,  1870,  it  was  170  pounds  ;  increase  124;^ 
poundfe.  The  large  increase  of  the  weight  of 
the  barrow  pig  in  the  common  pen.  is  to  be  at- 
tributed to  his  superior  size  and  weight  on  being 
put  in  the  same  common  pen  with  the  three 
sows,  and  which  enabled  him  to  seize  upon  and 
appropriate  to  himself  more  than  his  share  of 
the  common  food. 

If  the  barrow  pig  under  the  violet  light  had 
increased  at  the  rate  of  increase  of  the  barrow 
pig  in  the  common  pen,  his  weight  on  the  4tli  of., 
Mai-ch^l870,  would  have  been  only  101  84  100 
lx)tfBds,  instead  of  his  actual  weight  of  170  lbs., 
showing  his  rate  of  increase  of  weight  to  have 
been  8  30-100  pouods  more  than  that  of  the  other 
barrow  pig. 

If  the  barrow  pig  under  the  sunshine  in  the 
common  pen  had  increased  at  the  rate  of  in- 
crease of  the  barroAV  pig  under  the  violet  glass, 
his  weight  on  the -4th  ~of  IMarch,  ^1870,  should 
have  been  224  42-100  pqtmdfe,  instead  of  210  lbs. 
— his  actual  weight  at  that  date. 

By  these  comparisons  it  seems  obvious  that 
the  influence  of  the  violet-colored  glass  was  very 
marked,  although  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 
owing  to  the  great  declination  of  the  sun  during 
the  period  of  the  experiment  and  the  consequent 
comparative  feebleness  of  the  force  of  the  act  inic 
or  chemical  rays  of  the  blue  sky  at  that  time, 
the  effect  was  not  so  great  as  it  would  have  been 
at  a  later  period  of  the  season  ;  but  the  time  of 


^3Jf 


TEE    GARDEKEWS   MOJ^TJTLl. 


Am^ust. 


the  experiment  was  selected  for  that  very  rea- 
son. The  animals  were  not  fed  to  produce  fat 
or  increase  of  size,  hut  simply  to  ascertain,  if 
practicable,  whether  by  the  ordinary  mode  of 
feeding  usual  on  farms  in  this  country,  the  de- 
velopment of  stock  could  be  hastened  by  expos- 
ing them  in  pens  to  the  combined  influence  of 
sunlight  and  the  transmitted  rays  of  the  blue 
sky. 

EXTRAORDINARY  EFFECT  UPON  A  rUNY  CALF. 

My  next  experiment  was  with  an  Alderney 
bull  calf,  born  on  the  26th  of  January,  18(0.  At 
its  birth  it  was  so  puny  and  feeble,  that  the  man 
who  attends  upon  the  stock,  a  very  experienced 
hand,  told  me  that  it  could  not  live.  I  directed 
him  to  put  it  in  one  of  the  pens  under  the  violet 
glass.  It  was  done.  In  twenty-four  hours  a 
very  sensible  change  had  occurred  in  the  animal. 
It  had  arisen  on  its  feet,  walked  about  the  pen, 
took  its  food  freely  by  the  finger,  and  manifested 
great  vivacity  In  a  few  days  its  Tecble  condi- 
tion had  entirely  disappeared.  It  began  to 
grow,  and  its  development  was  marvellous.  On 
the  31st  March,  1870,  two  months  and  five  days 
after  its  birth,  its  rapid  growth  was  so  apparent, 
that  as  its  hind  quarters  was  then  growing,  I 
told  my  son  to  measure  its  height,  and  to  note 
down  in  writing  tlie  height  of  the  hind  quarter 
and  the  lime  of  measurement,  which  he  did.  On 
the  20th  of  the  following  May  (1870),  just  fifty 
daj'S  afterwards,  my  son  again  measured  the 
hind  quarter,  and  found  that  in  that  time  it  had 
gained  exactly  six  inches  in  hciyht,  carrying  its 
lateral  development  with  it.  Believing  the  ques- 
tion solved,  the  calf  was  turned  into  the  barn- 
yard, and  when  mingling  with  the  cows  he  mani- 
fested every  symptom  of  full  masculine  vigor, 
though  at  the  time  he  was  only  four  months  old. 
Since  the  1st  of  April  of  this  year,  when  he  was 
just  fourteen  months  old,  he  has  been  kept  with 
my  herd  of  cows,  and  has  fulfilled  every  expec- 
tation that  I  had  formed  of  him.  lie  is  now  one 
of  the  best  developed  animals  that  can  be  found 
anywhere. 

These,  gentlemen,  are  the  experiments  about 
which  your  curiosity  has  been  excited.  If  by 
the  combination  of  sunlight  and  blue  light  from 
the  sky,  you  can  mature  quadrupeds  in  twelve 
montlis  with  no  greater  supply  of  food  than 
would  be  u.sud  for  an  innnature  animal  in  the 
same  period,  jou  can  scarcely  conceive  of  the 
immeasurable  value  of  this  discovery  to  an  agri- 
cultural people.     You  would  uo  longer  have  to 


wait  five  years  for  the  maturity  of  a  colt ;  and 
all  your  animals  could  be  produced  in  the  great- 
est abundance  and  variety.  A  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  bar,  a  short  time  since. told  me  that  his 
sister,  who  is  a  widow  of  a  late  distinguished 
general  in  the  army,  had  applied  blue  light  to 
the  rearing  of  poultry,  with  the  most  remarka- 
ble success,  after  having  heard  of  my  experi- 
ments. In  regard  to  the  human  family,  its  in- 
fluence would  be  wide  spread  — you  could  not 
only  in  the  temperate  regions  produce  the  early 
maturity  of  the  tropics,  but  3-ou  could  invigorate 
the  constitutions  of  invalids,  and  develop  in  the 
young  a  generation,  ph3'^sically  and  intellectual- 
ly, which  might  become  a  marvel  to  mankind. 
Architects  would  be  required  to  so  arrange  the 
introduction  of  these  mixed  rays  of  light  into 
our  houses,  that  the  occupants  might  derive  the 
greatest  benefit  from  their  influence.  Mankind 
will  then  not  only  be  able  to  live  fast,  but  they 
can  live  well  and  also  live  long. 

ELECTRICITY  IN  VEGETATION. 

The  most  interesting  application  of  electricity 
is  in  nature's  development  of  vegetation.  Let 
us  illustrate  it : 

Seed  perfectly  dried,  but  still  retaining  the 
vital  principle,  like  the  seed  of  wheat  preserved 
for  thousands  of  years  in  the  mummy  cases  in 
the  catacombs  of  Egypt,  if  planted  in  a  soil  of 
the  richest  alluvial  deposits,  also  thoroughly 
dried,  will  not  germinate.  "Why  ?  Let  us  ex- 
amine. The  alluvial  soil  is  composed  of  the  de- 
bris of  hills  and  mountains  containing  an  exten- 
sive variety  of  metallic  and  metalloid  compounds 
mingled  with  the  remains  of  vegetable  and  ani- 
mal matter  in  a  state  of  great  comminution, 
washed  by  the  rains  and  carried  by  freshets  into 
the  depressions  of  the  surface  of  the  earth. 
These  various  elements  of  the  soil  have  difterent 
electrical  attributes.  In  a  perfectly  dry  state 
no  electrical  action  will  occur  among  them,  but 
let  the  rain,  bringing  with  it  ammonia  and  car- 
bonic acid,  in  however  minute  quantities,  from 
the  upper  atmosphere,  fall  upon  this  alluvial 
soil,  so  as  to  moisten  its  mass  within  the  influ- 
ence of  light,  heat  and  air,  and  plant  your  seed 
within  it,  and  what  will  you  observe  V  Rapid 
germination  of  the  seed.  AVhy  ?  The  slightly 
acidulated,  or  it  may  be  alkaline  water  of  the 
rain  has  formed  the  medium  to  excite  galvanic 
currents  of  electricity  in  the  heterogeneous  mat- 
ter of  the  alluvial  soil— the  vitality  of  the  seed 
is  developed  and  vegetable  life   is  the  result. 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJVTHLY. 


235 


ITonoe  vcsiotiible  life  owes  its  existence  to  elec- 
tricity. Herein  consists  the  secret  of  successful 
agriculture.  If  j-ou  can  maintain  the  currents 
of  electricity  at  the  roots  of  plants  by  supplying 
the  acidulated  or  alkaline  moisture  to  excite 
them  during  droughts,  you  will  secure  the  most 
abundant  and  unvarying  crops  To  do  this 
your  soil  should  be  composed  of  the  most  varied 
elements,  mineral,  earthy,  alkaline,  vegetable, 
and  animal  matter  in  a  state  of  greatly  commi- 
nutod  decomposition. 

The  poverty  of  soils  arises  from  the  homoge- 
neous character  of  tlieir  composition.  A  soil 
altogether  clayey,  or  composed  of  silicious  sand, 
or  the  debris  of  limestone,  or  of  alkaline  sub- 
stances exclusively,  must  necessarily  be  barren 
for  the  want  of  electrical  excitement,  which  no 
one  of  the  said  elements  will  produce  ;  but  com- 
mingle them  all  with  the  addition  of  decomposed 
vegetable  and  animal  matter,  and  you  will  form 
a  soil  which  will  amply  reward  the  toil  of  the 
husbandman. 

AVhat  do  you  suppose  has  produced  the  giant 
trees  of  California  ?  Electricity  !  Since  the  west 
const  of  America  has  been  known  to  Europeans, 
and  perhaps  for  centuries  before,  it  has  been 
subjected  to  the  most  devastating  earthquakes. 
From  the  Straits  of  Magellan  to  the  Arctic 
Ocean,  traces  of  volcanic  action  are  everywhere 
visible.  Its  mountains  have  been  upheaved, 
broken,  torn  asunder,  and  sometimes,  like  Ossa 
upon  Pelion,  one  has  been  superimposed  on 
another. 

All  volcanic  countries  are  noted  in  the  temper- 
ate regions,  where  they  produce  anything,  for 
the  exuberance  of  their  vegetable  productions. 
yEtna  has  been  famous  for  its  large  chestnut 
trees,  which  have  given  a  name,  Catania,  to  the 
town  near  its  base. 

The  mineral  richness  of  California  has  doubt- 
less, by  the  debris  of  its  mountains,  carried  into 
the  valleys  where  grow  these  large  trees,  fur- 
nished an  immense  deposit  of  various  matter, 
which,  under  the  favorable  circumstances  of  the 
localities,  have  maintained  for  ages  a  healthful 
electrical  excitement  resulting  through  centuries 
of  undisturbed  growth  in  these  vegetable  won- 
ders. 

INFLUENCE  OF  BLUE  COLOR  UPON  VEGETATION. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  illustrations  of  the 
mighty  influence  of  the  blue  color  of  the  sky 
u'lPon  vegetation  is  to  be  found  in  the  green  color 
of  the  leaves  of  plants.     It  is  known  that  blue 


and  yellow  when  mixed  produce  green,  which  is 
darker  when  the  blue  is  in  excess  over  the  yel- 
low, and  the  reverse  when  the  yellow  predomi- 
nates. Now  let  us  observe  the  process  of  ger- 
mination. Seeds  are  planted  in  the  soil.  At 
first  a  white  worm-like  thread  at  the  lower  part 
of  the  seed  appears  ;  it  is  white,  ard  contains  all 
the  primary  raysoflight ;  itis  the  root  of  the  plant, 
and  remaining  under  the  soil  continues  white. 
At  the  upper  end  of  the  seed  also  appears  a 
white  swelling,  which  continues  to  grow  upward 
till  it  approaches  the  surface  of  the  soil,  when  a 
change  occurs  in  Us  color.  This  is  the  leaf;  it 
absorbs  yellow  from  the  soil,  which  is  brown 
(composed  of  yellow  and  black),  and  as  it  comes 
within  the  influence  of  the  blue  sky,  it  absorbs 
from  it  the  blue  light,  which,  mixing  with  the 
yellow  already  absorbed,  produces  at  first  a  yel- 
lowish-green, which  finally  assumes  the  deeper 
tinge  of  green  that  is  natural  to  the  plant.  The 
plant  blossoms  form  its  seeds  and  seed-vessels, 
and,  having  fulfilled  its  mission,  the  blue  color 
of  the  leaves  is  eliminated,  the  leaves  become 
yellow,  and,  absorbing  the  carbon  of  the  plant, 
they  change  their  color  to  brown  ;  the  sap- ves- 
sels of  the  leaves  are  choked  by  the  carbon  ;  the 
leaves  are  dead  and  fall  to  the  ground.  Thus 
the  blue  ray  is  the  symbol  of  vitality— the  yel- 
low ray  that  of  decay  and  death. 

TKOPICAL  HEAT  DERIVED  FROM  THE  EARTIT. 

As  a  corollary  from  what  has  just  been" stated, 
it  may  be  observed  that  the  heat  of  the  equato- 
rial and  tropical  oceans  is  not  derived  from  the 
sun.  AVe  do  not  heat  our  houses  by  kindling 
fires  at  the  tops  of  our  chimneys,  or  boil  our 
water  from  above,  but  rather  we  descend  into 
our  cellars,  and  make  our  fires  for  that  purpose 
in  the  furnaces  constructed  there.  Besides,  we 
know  that  from  the  surface  of  the  water,  if  at  rest, 
and  from  its  many  surfaces  if  agitated  b}-  winds, 
the  rays  of  the  sun  would  be  reflected  in  all  pos- 
sible angles  corresponding  to  the  angles  of  inci- 
dence of  the  rays  theuiselves,  and  the  heat  would 
be  lost  in  space.  Whence  comes,  then,  this 
ocean  heat  in  the  tropics,  finding  its  vent  in  the 
arctic  and  antarctic  regions  through  the  Gulf 
Stream  of  t!ie  Atlantic,  and  the  Jai)an  stream 
leaving  the  shores  of  northeastern  Asia,  and  the 
southeastern  current  running  along  the  south- 
western coast  of  South  America  to  tlie  antarctic 
seas  ?  Does  it  not  come  from  radiation  from 
the  interior  of  the  earth,  from  those  great  fires 
which,  by  the  elastic  gases  and  vapors  engea- 


^36 


THE    GARBEMEWS   MONTHLY. 


August, 


dereil  there,  in  innii}-  parts  of  the  world,  up- 
heave mountains  and  islands,  and  forming  chim- 
neys for  tliemselvcs  in  their  summits,  belch  out 
that  superfluous  heat,  light,  electricity,  and 
magnetism,  which  radiation  to  the  surface  of 
the  earth  at  times  is  inadequate  to  discharge  ? 
And  are  not  these  great  ocean  currents  of  heated 
water  merely  channels  or  flues  of  radiation  of 
heat  from  beneath,  by  which,  for  climatic  pur- 
poses, the  Omnipotent  Creator  has  devised  the 
means  of  distributing  this  interior  heat  over 
the  surface  of  our  planet  ? 

All  admit  the  existence  of  those  great  forces 
of  nature  in  the  interior  of  the  earth,  manifested 
through  volcanic  action  in  those  imponderable 
elements  of  heat,  light,  electricity  and  magnet- 
ism. Why  are  those  forces  there  ?  May  they 
not  be  the  forces  which  turn  the  earth  on  its 
axis,  and  aid  in  propelling  it  around  the  sun  ? 
may  not  the  frigid  zones  north  and  south  fur- 
nish the  cold  cushions  of  water  in  the  extreme 
depths  of  the  ocean,  of  the  uniform  temperature 
of  39|^^  Fahrenheit,  and  of  nearly  the  greatest 
density  known  to  that  clement  for  the  purpose 
of  restraining  and  controlling  the  radiation  of 
that  great  interior  heat  of  the  earth,  which  other- 
wise might  be  wasted  ':* 


ACCLIMATIZATION  OF  APPLES. 

BY  OLIVIA.  AVASIIIXGTOI?^,  D.  C. 
Of  the  Philadelphia  Press. 

A  stranger  of  inquiring  mind,  visiting  the  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  at  Washington,  will  no- 
tice the  fruit  grown  in  the  different  portions  of 
our  country,  represented  by  models  of  the  origi. 
nal  in  exact  imitation.  By  the  side  of  the 
"  Gloria  mundi  "  apple,  weighing  twenty-four 
ounces,  grown  on  Capitol  Ilill,  in  this  city,  may 
be  seen  the  wild  apple  of  Alaska,  no  larger  than 
a  medium  sized  black  currant.  The  observer 
will  sec  at  once  the  change  produced  in  this  fruit 
by  an  artificial  process  or  the  art  of  cultivation. 
It  is  found  by  experiment  that  the  apple  will 
grow  in  arable  soil  in  every  portion  of  our  do- 
main, but  in  every  instance  the  kind  must  be 
adapted  to  that  part  of  the  country  under  the 
hand  of  the  fruit  grower.  Only  a  few  years  ago 
it  was  supposed  the  Southern  States  could  not 
produce  a  superior  quality  of  apples.  Time  has 
sliown  the  mistake  was  in  the  attempt  of  trying 
to  raise  the  varieties  not  adapted  to  those  lati- 
tudes. The  Albemarle  Pippin  of  North  Carolina 
is  the  fiivorite  apple  with  royalty  in  Europe,  and 


is  worth  twenty  dollars  per  barrel  when  safely 
landed  in  London.  The  Albemarle  Pippin  of 
North  Carolina  is  the  same  as  the  Newtown 
Pippin  of  more  northern  regions.  Nothing  can 
be  found  out  about  fruit  growing  by  theory  ; 
everything  must  be  learned  liy  experiment.  And 
thus  far  it  is  shown  that  the  Piedmont  region  on 
the  Blue  llidge  of  Virginia,  and  the  hills  of 
North  Carolina,  produce  the  best  apples  in  the 
world,  because  the  season  admits  of  an  extra 
month  for  growing,  and  another  for  maturing. 
In  what  does  the  best  quality  of  an  apple  con- 
sist ?  Like  a  well  dressed  woman,  a  great  deal 
can  be  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  judge,  yet 
certain  "  points  "  of  perfection  must  be  attained 
else  the  whole  matter  is  a  failure.  An  apple 
may  be  sweet  or  sour,  or  any  variation  between, 
and  yet  it  must  be  as  crisp  as  an  old  batchelor, 
or  tender  as  a  husband  before  the  honeymoon  is 
over.  When  the  apple  is  taken  between  the 
teeth  the  sensation  should  be  like  crushing  air- 
cells  filled  with  nectar. 

The  best  apples  arc  very  heavy  according  to  their 
size,  especially  those  adapted  for  winter  use. 
In  the  month  of  May  apples  may  be  seen  in 
AVashington,  grown  the  previous  year  in  South 
Carolina,  as  solid  to  the  touch  as  when  taken 
from  the  tree.  These  apples  are  considered  in 
the  highest  state  of  perfection  when  they  are 
about  twelve  months  old.  New  York  and  Ohio 
heretofore  have  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  raising 
the  best  apples  on  account  of  the  peculiar  tem- 
perature of  those  latitudes,  as  well  as  other 
slighter  incidental  causes.  It  is  now  proved 
that  elevation  answers  the  same  purpose  as  a 
more  northern  zone,  because  temperature  of  a 
like  character  is  obtained,  and  whilst  New  York 
and  Ohio  sntTer  more  or  less  from  the  frosts, 
Virginia  and  North  Carolina  are  comparatively 
spared,  therefore  the  fruit  crop  of  the  Southern 
country  is  far  more  reliable  and  certain.  Whilst 
writing  about  the  dear  old  State  of  North  Caro- 
lina, it  may  be  well  to  mention  tliat  she  has  a 
most  remarkable  geological  surface.  Commen- 
cing on  her  farthest  limit  from  west  to  east,  she 
gradually  slopes  to  the  sea.  A  plank  tilted  on 
end  bears  a  strong  resemblance  to  North  Caro- 
lina. As  you  ascend  this  plane,  it  would  seem  as 
if  this  State  was  construned  for  a  vast  orchard. 
On  the  high  ridges  th  ■;  American  apple  attains 
perfection.  A  little  lower,  only  a  few  miles  dis- 
tant, the  delicious  apricot,  the  daintiest  fruit  of 
this  continent,  lives  its  short  life  away.     Necta- 


1S71. 


TEE    GARDEjYER'S    MONTHLY. 


237 


rines,  plums  and  pears  may  be  raised  here  in 
quantities  to  supply  the  whole  nalion. 

"Whilst  there  is  but  a  single  species  of  apples, 
soil,  temperature,  and  other  causes  have  pro- 
duced thousands  of  varieties.  The  same  apple 
is  known  in  different  parts  of  the  country  by 
different  names,  but,  like  the  people  of  the  va- 
rious States,  there  is  gcnex'ally  some  little  pecu- 
liarity to  mark  them.  Some  very  few  varieties, 
like  some  particular  men,  seem  to  flourish  equally 
well  anywhere.  In  this  connection  may  be  men- 
tioned the  Wine  Sap,  Golden  Russett  and  "White 
"Winter  Pearmain,  In  Massachusetts  the  Bald- 
win apple  may  be  seen  growing,  twisted  and  dis- 
torted, in  the  hard,  rocky  soil,  3-et  no  fault  can 
be  found  with  the  product.  Massachusetts  Bald- 
wins, like  the  people  of  that  State,  seem  to  lose 
certain  qualities  when  removed  from  the  stones; 
and  in  order  to  remain  perfect,  the  Baldwin  ap- 
ple, like  Boston  people,  should  stay  at  home. 

The  Baldwin  apple  of  Illinois  is  a  very  infe- 
rior production  compared  with  its  Eastern  bro- 
ther, and  instead  of  being  crisp,  close,  occupy- 
ing little  space,  it  has  expanded  and  become 
porous  and  coarse.  It  has  lost  all  its  delicac}-, 
and  reminds  one  of  those  swell  millionaires  of 
the  "West  who  have  no  foith,  knowledge,  or  en- 
joyment outside  of  physical  comfort. 

Apples  are  divided  into  summer,  fall  and  win- 
ter varieties.  They  cannot  be  classified  because 
they  are  artificiallj'^  produced.  The  same  apple 
will  not  grow  in  "Maine  that  grows  in  Maryland, 
or  it  will  be  so  changed  that  the  qualities  can- 
not be  recognized.  Each  State  has  this  kind  of 
fruit,  which  is  particularly  adapted  to  its  soil 
and  climate.  A  man  going  from  the  East  to  the 
"West  .selects  grafts  from  his  favorite  trees  and 
takes  them  to  the  new  country.  In  the  end  he 
is  sadly  disappointed.  Through  the  fourteen 
hundred  agricultural  organizations  that  report 
to  the  department  at  "Washington  it  is  ascer- 
tained in  which  State  certain  varieties  flourish 
best.  At  the  proper  season  certain  kinds  of  ap- 
ples arrive  here,  and  in  this  way  the  apple  of 
Texas  can  be  compared  to  the  apple  of  Maine, 
and  in  this  way  only  can  this  most  valuable 
knowledge  be  sown  broadcast  over  the  land.  If 
an  army  needs  a  general  for  its  safeguard  and 
protection,  how  much  more  the  agricultural 
masses  need  a  source  where  certain  and  reliable 
knowledge  can  be  obtained.  "We  will  suppose 
a  young  man  intends  to  cultivate  the  earth  in- 
stead of  a  profession  for  an  honorable  subsistence. 


"W'e  must  remember  that  we  hfive  a  belt  of  the 
earth's  surface  unlike  any  other  country  on  the 
face  of  the  globe,  taking  into  account  civiliza- 
tion and  everything  else  which  bears  upon  this 
point.  The  young  man  choo.ses  to  emigrate  ;  if 
he  is  wise  he  will  come  to  "Washington  and  learn 
all  that  is  garnered  here  about  the  locality  he 
intends  to  make  his  future  home.  He  will  learn 
the  cereals,  fruits,  and  textile  plants  that  flour- 
ish best  in  the  chosen  retreat.  He  will  see 
the  insect  which  destroys  in  great  part  the  re- 
sult of  the  husbandman's  labor.  He  will  see  the 
same  kind  of  bird  that  will  henceforth  prove  his 
friend  or  foe  It  is  true  this  branch  of  the  tree 
of  knowledge  is  still  of  infant  growth,  but  Com- 
missioner Capron  and  his  eflScient  assistant 
corps  are  working  hard  to  make  it  become  just 
what  it  certainl}'  is  destined  to  be  in  the  end. 
Congress  may  harass  and  retard  this  grand  un- 
dertaking by  withholding  the  proper  appropria- 
tions. Congressmen  may  sneer  in  their  igno- 
rance at  the  "scattering  of  garden  seeds,"  but 
the  time  is  certain  to  come  when  this  branch  of 
the  Government  will  rank  in  dignity  with  the 
proudest,  and  outrank  in  genuine  usefulness 
every  other. 

In  the  extreme  northern  latitudes  of  our  coun- 
tr}^,  in  the  region  where  the  Mississippi  river 
is  begun,  the  x\merican  apple  has  not  flourished 
well,  owing  to  the  brevity  of  the  fruitage  season. 
Latterly  the  Russian  apple  has  been  introduced 
by  means  of  the  department  at  Washington,  and 
very  excellent  fruit  will  now  reward  labor  in 
these  remote  and  thinly  populated  neighbor- 
hoods. It  has  been  found  by  actual  experiment 
that  fruit  trees  flourish  best,  or  get  a  foothold  in 
the  worn  out  lands,  exhausted  by  tobacco  and 
cotton,  far  easier  than  any  other  vegetation. 
With  very  small  outlay,  comparatively  speaking, 
for  fertilizers,  fruits  will  grow  when  the  cereals 
and  other  plants  cannot  be  coaxed  into  sprout- 
ing When  the  trees  advance  to  a  certain  size 
the  leaves  fall,  and  this  also  enriches  the  earth 
In  a  little  while  the  orchard  itself  will  begin  to 
pay  for  the  necessities  of  its  perfection.  An  or- 
chard in  this  part  of  the  world  is  not  an  object 
of  slow  growth.  Before  the  fruit  grower  is 
hardly  aware  of  it,  his  infant  trees  b(  gin  to  bud 
and  blossom.  Suppose  the  orchard  is  far  re- 
moved from  market.  In  these  days  of  canned 
fruits  nothing  need  be  lost.  American  canned 
fruits  are  now  one  of  the  acknowledged  delica- 
cies of  the  world,  and   the  demand  a   million 


£38 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S   jMOJVTHLy. 


August, 


imes  exceeds  the  supply.  Even  Pius  IX  eats 
brown  bread  and  canned  peaches.  And  here 
opens  a  glorious  avenue  of  labor  and  reward  to 
women.  Only  the  strongest  of  American  women 
can  become  farmers,  for  they  have  not  the 
strength  to  handle  the  spade  and  other  imjile- 
ments  of  labor.  I3ut  the  weakest  can  plant  a 
tree,  and  whilst  she  is  nursing  her  back  ache  and 
neuralgia,  the  tree  will  be  growing  with  very 
small  care  and  attention.  The  misguided  women 
who  are  demanding  the  ballot,  base  one  argu- 
ment upon  the  fact  that  there  are  so  few  ave- 
nues open  to  subsistence  to  women.  The  ave 
cues  are  open,  but  it  is  the  women  who  halt  and 
refuse  to  enter.  Let  three  hundred  starving 
needle-women  of  New  York  organize  and  peti- 
tion A.  T.  Stewart,  or  any  other  benevolent 
millionaire,  to  colonize  them  and  place  them  on 
some  of  the  lands  of  the  South  that  can  now  be 
had  almost  for  the  asking,  and  this  most  worthy 
charitable  act  of  the  nineteenth  century  will  be 
accomplished.  Suppose  A.  T.  Stewart  rendered 
each  woman  a  little  assistance  each  year  until 
the  trees  began  to  be  remunerative.  Isn't  this 
greater  wisdom  than  building  orphan's  asylums 
or  homes  for  the  poor  ?  Take  care  of  the  women 
and  there  will  be  fewer  orphans,  and  no  need  of 
homes  for  the  poor.  Wohitn  of  small  means  can 
make  themselves  independent  by  fruit  culture. 
Oh  I  the  inexpressible  joy  and  comfort  of  sitting 
under  one's  own  vine  and  fig  tree.  And  yet 
this  supreme  pleasure  can  be  enhanced  by  em- 
ploying a  pair  of  strong  hands  to  prevent  the 
winds  of  Heaven  visiting  our  cheeks  too  roughly. 


EDITORIAL  NOTES. 

DOMESTIC. 

Natural  Manure  — It  must  be  obvious  to  all 
that  there  is  in  most  soils,  deep  in  the  earth  be- 
neath, fertilizing  material  of  wonderful  recupe- 
rative powers.  We  recently  noticed  in  an  old 
quarry  amongst  the  "spalls,"  a  mass  of  rotten 
rock,  80  poor  that  apparently  nothing  could 
grow, mulleins  of  immense  size,— four  or  five  feet 
with  leaves  as  large  as  rhubarb  leaves.  All  about 
in  the  cultivated  ground  near  were  mulleins,  but 
as  poor  as  possible.  There  must  of  course  be  in 
this  material  something  very  stimulating  to  the 
mullein  ;  and  if  so  to  this,  why  not  to  other 
plants  V  And  yet  we  should  hesitate  before 
hauling  this  rotten  rock  on  to  our  ground.  Yet 
it  is  evident  there  is  a  valuable  secret  locked  up 
in    ihis  rock  somewhere.      Apropos  of  this  we 


find  the  following  by  our  very  iutelligent  friend 
Gregory  of  Marblehead,  in  the  Country  Gentle- 
man : 

"  Four  years  ago  I  had  a  wall  laid  along  the 
border  of  my  garden.  I  had  the  trench  for  the 
foundation  dug  very  deep,  well  down  into  the 
hard-pan,  and  had  the  hard-pan  thrown  into  a 
pile  separate  from  the  loam.  The  loam  was 
used  in  the  compost  heap,  and  the  hard-pan— a 
half  sandy,  half  gravelly  mass,  with  just  enough 
of  coarse  soil  in  it  to  be  seen— was  left  to  be  used 
to  fill  up  some  path. 

In  the  course  of  the  summer,  I  noticed  a  plant 
growing  on  it  with  surprising  vigor,  which  on 
examination,  proved  to  be  the  common  mustard, 
but  with  leaves  nearly  as  broad  and  large  as  a 
cabbage— a  size  I  had  never  seen  surpassed  in 
the  richest  soil.  Beside  it,  and  also  on  the  hard- 
pan,  was  growing  a  plant  of  Apple  of  Peru,  with 
a  vigor  that  belonged  to  the  richest  soil.  The 
following  spring  I  spread  the  lot  on  the  flower 
garden,  and  had  a  wonderful  growth  of  flowers 
as  the  result. 

A  year  later,  one  of  my  neighbors  in  another 
part  of  the  town  dug  a  ditch,  that  drained  his 
land  through  mine,  to  the  depth  of  over  six  feet, 
cutting  for  about  the  last  three  feet  through 
hard-pan,  and  throwing  this  on  my  side  of  the 
wall,  where  it  made  a  heap  about  three  feet  in 
depth,  of  apparently  nearly  pure  gravel,  a  little 
mixed  w'ith  sand.  The  next  summer  while  pass- 
ing that  way,  I  stepped  aside  to  examine  the 
ditch,  when  to  my  surprise  I  found  growing  on 
the  heap  of  hard-pan,  hog  weed  that  was  nearly 
as  high  as  ni}'  head.  The  only  iuference  I  can 
draw  from  these  facts  is,  that  under  some  cir- 
cumstances hard-pan  is  an  excellent  manure. 
In  each  of  these  instance  the  surface  soil  was  a 
strong  loam  that  had  been  under  good  cultiva- 
tion for  many  years.  May  it  not  be  that  some 
of  the  salts  ol  the  manure  applied  duriug  this 
period,  passed  through  the  loam  to  the  hard-pan 
below,  and  there  remained,  held  as  in  a  bowl  ? 
Lime,  it  is  stated,  has  this  teudeuc}-,  making  it 
necessary  to  plow  deeper  each  year  to  bring  it  to 
the  surface.  By  whatever  theory  they  may  be 
explained,  the  facts  seem  to  prove  that  in  this 
broad  country  of  ours  there  must  be  a  multitutle 
of  acres  underlain  b}^  vast  areas  of  fertilizing 
material.  Should  further  experiments  demon- 
strate this  to  be  a  fact,  it  must  prove  of  immense 
practical  value  to  our  tilled  acres,  of  which  the 
best  fed  have  the  habit  of  calling  for  a  little 
more.'' 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJVTELY. 


239 


Sinking  of  Lime  in  the  Earth, — lu  the  fore- 
going paragraph,  Mr.  Gregory  refers  to  a  fact 
long  observed  in  England,  tliat  after  a  field  has 
been  limed,  many  years  afterwards  the  lime  may 
be  found  in  one  thin  vein  six,  nine,  or  twelve 
inches  beneath  the  surface.  Many  remarkable 
hypothesis  have  been  started  to  account  for  this, 
but  the  true  explanation  we  think  is  this  :  Our 
grounds  are  on  the  revolutionary  battle  ground 
of  Germantown.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to 
dig  up  bullets,  but  they  are  always  about  twenty 
inches  beneath  the  surface.  It  was  clear  to  us  at  ' 
the  outset,  that  it  was  not  gunpowder  which 
sent  them  this  depth,  neither  could  they  ''dis- 
solve and  crystalize  again  "  as  some  of  the  lime 
explainers  say,  but  they  went  down  in  this  way. 
Every  winter,  when  the  ground  froze,  there  was 
a  slight  upheaval  by  expansion  of  the  earth. 
The  lightest  goes  up  easiest.  "We  see  this  every 
winter  on  the  surface.  A  sudden  frost  seems  to 
sink  down  a  little.  A  stone  at  the  surface.  Really 
it  is  the  earth  about  the  stone  which  goes  the 
highest  When  the  thaw  comes  the  bullet  being 
the  heaviest  and  not  liquified  remains  still  the  low- 
est. In  th's  way,  the  bullet  in  time  gets  cloion  to 
the  frost  line.  There  can  be  little  doubt  this  is 
the  explanation  of  the  lime  puzzle.  Its  sinks 
because  its  specific  gravity  is  greater  than  the 
softer  earth  about  it,— and  the  white  seam  is  the 
frost  line. 

Mexican  Ectrheuring  Strawberry  — The  papers 
are  again  discussing  the  merits  and  distinctness 
of  this  and  the  old  monthly  Alpine.  Charily 
compels  us  to  say,  that  it  is  not  only  extremely 
difficult  to  distinguish  these  two  from  one 
another,  but  einy  variety  of  Alpine  one  from 
another  in  the  summer  or  the  fall.  Indeed  Mr. 
Fuller  declared  in  an  article  in  Hearth  and  Home 
that  there  was  no  d'ffcrence  between  any  of  them 
Any  one,  however,  who  will  note  ihem  closely 
when  they  are  coming  into  leaf  and  flower  m  the 
spring,  will  see  great  diflerences.  The  advocates 
of  thtir  absolute  identity,  however,  scarcely  de- 
serve to  have  even  this  justice  done  them;  for 

—  most  of  the  party — have  discussed  their  side 
of  the  question,  in  utter  disregard  of  the  ameni- 
ties of  cultivated  minds.  Only  so  recently  as  the 
issuing  of  Messrs.  Judd  &  Co.'s  Annual,  Mr. 
Fuller  dares  to  intimate  that  all  who  differed 
with  liim  were  bought  to  do  so.  "We  have  always 
held  this  style  of  arguing  — or  rather  of  dlsputin^i 

—  in  utter  contempt ;  still  this  does  not  prevent 
our  saying  what  in  justice  we  should  say,  that 
as  the  two  strawberries  grow  side  by  side  in  our 


ground  after  a  year  of  growth  together,  it  is 
barely  possible  to  distinguish  one  kind  from  the 
other  in  summer  time,  although  easy  enough  in 
the  spring  of  the  year. 

Influence  of  Pollen  on  the  Immediate  Quality  of 
the  Fruit.— It  has  always  been  supposed,  and  we 
believe  so  taught  in  European  text  books  on  hor- 
ticulture that  cross  fertilization  does  not  affect 
the  form  or  quality  of  the  fruit  impregnated,  tut 
only  the  pollen.  We  showed  recently  that  in 
the  Canada  cross  (?)  between  the  apple  and  the 
pear,  there  was  an  undoubted  mixture  of  quali- 
ties in  the  fruits.  We  also  know  that  it  is  so,  in 
the  case  of  corn  and  squashes.  It  has  also  been 
suspected  that  it  does  so  in  grapes  ;  and  the  fol- 
lowing which  we  find  in  an  exchange  connmis 

this  : 

"At  a  late  meeting  of  the  Cincinnati  Horti- 
cultural Society,  were  presented  by  Mr.  E  A. 
Thompson,  of  Covington,  Ky  ,  fine  bunches  of 
the  Creveling,  ripe  and  fine  for  the  table— very 
delicious.  Mr.  Thompson  grows  his  Creveling 
in  alternate  rows  between  Hartford  Prolific  and 
Concord.  The  Crevelings  grown  by  themselves 
lack  the  solid,  large  bunches  which  they  make  in 
the  alternate  rows,  as  grown  by  Mr.  T.  for  the 
purpose  of  impregnation." 

Influence  of  the  Scion  on  the  Stock.  — In  the  early 
volumes  of  the  Gardener'' s  Monthly^  Mr.  D  W. 
Adams  and  others  noticed  that  an  apple  had  its 
roots  singularly  modified  by  the  graft  which 
grew  on  it.  The  fact  is  important  enough  to  be 
kept  prominent,  as  the  "  philosophy  "  of  the 
matter  has  not  been  explained.  We  noticed  in 
the  Vermont  i-^^v-jner,  recently,  Mr.  Goodale  is 
quoted  in  18G3  as  noticing  the  same  facts.  The 
Farmer  says  : 

"■Still  further,  scions  have  sometimes  a  pecu- 
liar action  upon  stocks  in  modifying  their  habit 
of  growth  as  regards  the  roots.  Says  Goodale, 
(Maine  Agricultural  report,  1803,  p.  1G3.)  "Let 
a  row  of  seedling  apples  be  grafted,  a  part  with 
the  Siberian  Crab  apple,  and  a  part  with  several 
free  growing  kinds  like  the  Baldwin  or  Greening 
and  it  will  be  found  upon  lifting  them  a  few 
years  after  grafting,  that  the  former  may  have  a 
much  greater  amount  of  roots  than  either  of  the 
free-growing  sorts.  Let  part  of  a  row  of  young 
Canada  plums  (our  common  wild  plum)  be  bud- 
ded with  the  better  and  more  free-growing  sorts, 
like  Imperial  Gage,  Smith's  Orleans,  or 
McLaughlin,  and  after  two  or  three  years,  upon 
liftin<r  them,  it  will  be  found  that  the  roots  of 
those  trees  grafted  have  not,  apparently,  growu 


2J^0 


TEE    GARDEJ\rER'S   M0JVTHL7,         August, 


at  all  since  being  budded,  while  those  not 
worked  have  extended  very  much.  These  and 
similar  cases  I  have  repeatedly  observed  in  nur- 
sery practice,  and  there  are  doubtless  other  in- 
fluences also  exerted  by  the  stock  which  are  not 


well  understood — for  instance,  it  is  said  that 
sometimes  an  apple,  usually  free  from  this  de- 
fect, has  become  what  is  called  watercorecl,  in 
consequence  of  having  been  grafted  u])on  a  tree, 
the  natural  fruit  of  which  was  thus  affecled." 


EDTTOE lAL. 


THE  PROPER  TIME  TO  PLANT  TREES. 

In  reading  the  excellent  work  of  Mr.  Chas. 
Downing  on  fruits,  we  notice  that  he  puts  great 
faith  in  the  opinion  of  Lindley,  that  the  fall  is 
the  best  time  to  plant  trees.  It  does  not  appear 
that  Lindley  spoke  from  any  experience  in  the 
matter  ;  but  simply  from  whathe  conceived  to  be 
physiological  reasons  Here  we  see,  he  remarks, 
that  the  tree's  roots  grow  all  winter.  Hence  a 
transplanted  fall  tree,  will  have  restored  its  injur- 
ed roots, and  will  be  in  a  better  condition  in  spring 
than  if  it  had  to  make  new  roots  and  new  leaves 
all  at  the  same  time.  This  certainly  seems  very 
reasonable  ;  and  if  there  were  no  counteracting 
influences  all  would  be  well. 

But  it  does  not  appear  from  a  study  of 
Liudley's  writings  that  he  fully  appreciated  how 
much  evaporation  of  moisture  from  the  stems  of 
trees  there  is  in  the  winter  season.  Indeed  how 
should  he,  for  in  the  moist  English  atmosphere, 
there  is  not  much.  But  from  our  stand  point — 
where  the  evaporation  is  enormous -Liudley 
had  not  the  opportunity  to  see  what  we  know. 
"We  have  found  that  not  only  do  our  trees  do 
what  Lindley  says  English  trees  do,  grow  their 
roots  all  winter,  except  when  absolutely  encased 
in  frost,  but  even  when  the  soil  is  hard  frozen. 
Thawing  their  way  by  tlie  aid  of  their  internal 
heat,  they  go  through  the  most  solidly  frozen 
block,  drawing  in  a  supply  of  moisture  for  the 
rapid  exhalations  from  the  leafless  bark  continu- 
ally going  on.  If  this  power  of  absorbing  raois 
ture  in  the  dead  of  winter  were  to  cease,  some 
of  our  hardiest  trees  would  die  in  a  few  days 
under  our  cold  wintry  weather.  It  is  just  this 
which  often  interferes  with  the  success  of  our 
fall  i)lanting.  Moisture  is  in  a  small  degree  ab- 
sorbed by  old  roots  ;  but  the  major  part  is  taken 
up  by  the  young  growing  rootlets,  chiefly  from 
the   ends   which   are   spongiest   and   softest,    if 


thei*e  has  not  been  time  for  the  production  of  an 
abundance  of  these,  it  is  hard  work  for  the  tree 
to  get  through  the  winter  alive. 

Now,  if  we  bear  in  mind  these  two  great 
principles,  we  shall  not  go  far  wrong  as  to  the 
proper  time  to  plant.  We  see  that  we  have  to 
get  new  rootlets  ;  and  we  have  to  guard  against 
excessive  evaporation  until  we  do.  If  we  can 
secure  enough  rootlets  to  meet  all  the  plant's 
wants  through  the  winter,  then  assuredly  the 
fall  is  the  best  time  to  plant  trees. 
Often  we  can  secure  these  conditions,  and  often 
not.  It  is  the  object  of  this  article  to  teach  our 
readers  who  have  not  thought  of  it,  how  to  use 
wise  discretion  in  the  matter. 

One  of  the  best  ways  is  to  plant  verrj  early. 
Do  not  wait  for  the  fall  of  the  leaf;  but  com- 
mence as  soon  as  the  first  heavy  foil  rains  have 
thoroughl}'  loosened  the  ground.  If  the  leaves 
have  not  all  fallen,  strip  them  off.  It  is  no  more 
of  an  injury  for  man  to  do  this  in  the  day,  when 
a  frost  may  and  often  does  do  it  the  same  night. 
If  there  be  much  soft  and  immature  wood,  cut 
this  back, evaporation  is  much  more  easy  through 
this  part  than  the  harder  and  more  mature. 

Another  thing  in  favor  of  fall  planting,  will  be 
the  selection  of  warm  ground.  This  will  much 
favor  the  production  of  rootlets.  In  a  cold  damp 
soil,  the  roots  already  on  the  tree  will  rather 
die,  than  new  ones  produce  themselves.  This  is 
particularly  the  case  with  some  trees  which  do 
not  make  young  roots  free'.y  in  the  fiiU.  The 
tulip  tree,  oaks,  and  the  peach  are  familiar  in- 
stances of  this  class.  And  again  he  who  would 
have  the  very  best  success  with  fall  planting, 
must  guard  as  much  as  possible  against  hot 
bursts  of  sun,  or  cold  wintry  winds  ;  and  thus 
he  whose  place  is  the  best  protected  in  this  re- 
spect, will  have  the  best  of  it  over  him  who  has 
not. 


ib71. 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S    MOJV'THLY 


'2Jfl 


Some  of  our  readers,  we  suspect,  will  wonder 
why  we  include  the  sun  in  our  list  of  winter 
enemies  to  the  fall  planted  tree.  But  we  see 
how  it  is  after  a  winter's  experience.  The 
southern  side  of  the  fall  planted  tree  is  often 
scorched  on  that  side.  This  is  simply  because 
the  sun  draws  out  the  moisture  there  faster 
than  the  injured  roots  can  suppl}'  it. 

In  favor  of  fall  planting  there  is  yet  one  item 
which  we  can  seldom  have  in  spring.  This  is 
in  reference  to  the  condition  of  the  earth.  It  is 
often  said  that  a  wet  day  is  good  for  planting 
trees,  but  this  is  a  mistake.  The  pasty  earth 
does  not  fit  closely  to  the  roots  ;  and  the  roots 
cannot  well  take  up  moisture,  unless  they  are  in 
close  contact  with  the  earth.  Hence  a  half  dry 
soil,  that  will  powder  finel}'  when  crushed,  is  to 
be  preferred.  Then  every  little  root  finds  the 
powdering  soil  closing  in  about  it ;  and  it  is 
almost  as  if  the  root  had  pushed  itself  through 
in  the  ordinary  way.  It  is  a  good  thing  in 
transplanting  to  have  one  man  pounding  with  a 
rammer,  as  fast  as  the  earth  is  being  put  in  In 
the  spring,  what  with  rain  aud  frost,  the  soil  is 
not  apt  to  be  as  friable,  as  gardeners  say,  as  it 
is  in  the  fall  of  the  year. 

We  think,  with  these  facts  before  them,  our 
readers  can  judge  for  themselves  how  far  they 
can  command  the  essentials  to  succes.s  in  fall 
planting.  It  will  be  seen  that  an  absolute  rule 
as  given  by  Lindley  won't  do  ;  but  yet  there  are 
hundreds  of  cases  where  it  can  and  will  be  best 
to  plant  in  fall.  We  all  have  enough  to  do  in 
spring,  aud  all  we  can  get  done  in  advance  in 
fall,  is  great  gain. 


THE  JAPAN  LARCH. 

The  LdA-ix  leptolepis,  or  .Japan  Larch  has  this 
season  produced  cones  on  the  grounds  of  the 
editor,  and  furnishes  another  illustration  of  the 


fact  that  the  plants  of  Japan  more  nearly  resem- 
ble those  of  the  United  States  than  those  of 
Europe.  The  habit  of  the  tree  is  very  much 
like  the  American,  even  to  the  glaucous  tint  of 
the  young  branchlets  ;  and  the  cone  is  in  struc- 
ture like  our  American  species.  There  is  this 
striTtiug  difference  between  Lanx  Europcea  and 
and  L.  Americana^  that  the  central  axis,  or  as 
one  might  popularly  say,  the  core  of  the  cone,  is 
strongly  developed  in  the  European.  We  find 
the  woody  axis  up  to  the  highest  point  of  the 
scales,  and  often  it  extends  to  a  perfect  branch 
beyond  the  cone,  as  we  see  a  branch  beyond  the 
apex  of  a  pine  apple.  But  in  the  American 
species  the  axis  is  much  below  the  scales ;  so 
that  the  apex  of  an  American  cone  is  sunk  in  the 
mass  of  scales,  as  the  calyx  basin  of  an  apple  is 
in  that  fruit.  The  cones  of  the  Larix  leptolepis 
resemble  the  American  in  this  ;  though  they  are 
nearly  as  large  as  the  European  species. 

Mr.  Hogg,  who  sent  the  seed  from  Japan, 
thinks  this  tree  is  the  only  one  successfully  raised 
from  his  seed  now  existing  in  this  country,— but 
we  saw  an  imported  plant  nearly  as  large  as 
ours  at  Mr.  Hunnewell's  near  Boston.  Mr.  Hogg 
tells  us  that  it  is  from  this  tree  that  many  of  the 
curious  figures  which  the  Japanese  are  so  fond 
of  forming  in  their  gardens,  are  made.  The 
branches  do  not  readily  break  in  bending,  and 
they  are  tied  into  position,  until  they  resemble 
any  bird,  beast,  or  other  thing.  The  advantage 
of  employing  the  Larch  is,  that  the  spurs  which 
come  out  of  the  old  wood  for  many  years,  keep 
all  the  branches  year  after  year  clothed  witli 
foliage,  which  no  other  tree  would  do.  Besides 
this  it  makes  long  lithe  branches,  sometimes 
making  five  feet  in  a  season,  which  gives  plenty 
of  material  for  planting. 

The  editor's  plant  is  not  ten  years  old  from 
the  seed  ;  and  tliough  all  coniferiie  grow  slow  for 
the  first  four  or  five  years,  this  tree  is  about  25 
feet  hiiili. 


S  C  R  A  r  8    A  N  D     Q  U  F.  R  [  E  S  . 


TilE    PUINCU'LES    OF    WaKDIAN  CASES.— //. 

//.  W.,  Chicago^  Ills.,  writes  :  "  Having  recently 
had  my  attention  called  to  the  method  of 
conducting  ''  Ward's  Cases,'  sometimes  called 
"  Wardian  Cases,'  and  "ferneries,"  I  am 
;inxious  to  learn  more  of  the  matter.  I  wish 
to     iearn     somewhat     of     tiic     sdentific     lawn 


which  govern  vegetation  in  an  air  tight  case, 
What  is  the  process  by  whicli  the  equi- 
librium is  sustained,  and  the  life  and  growth  of 
the  plants  advanced  ?  I  don't  care  so  much  for 
the  practical  part  of  it,  as  for  the  scientific  so\u. 
tion.  I  have  as  yet  been  unable  to  find  any  one 
here  who  is  able  to  explain  the  phenomena  in  a 


^4' 


THE    GARDEJ^EICS    MONTHLY 


August, 


atisfactory  manner,  j  liave  consulted  I)r- 
Blaney  of  the  Rush  Medical  College,  and  Prof. 
Slimson  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences.  The  edi- 
tor of  the  Prairie  Farmer  referred  me  to  you. 
If  you  can  spare  the  time,  1  should  consider  it  a 
great  favor  if  you  will  afford  me  the  desired  ex- 
planaiion,  or  inform  me  where  I  can  find  some 
work  which  will  treat  the  matter  from  a  scien- 
tific stand  point." 

[In  a  true  Wardian  Case,  there  is  very  little 
growth  ;  hence  there  is  no  equilibrium  to  be 
maintained  in  the  sense  in  which  our  correspon- 
dent supposes.  In  a  perfectly  air-tight  case 
such  as  a  AVardian  case  is  supposed  to  be, a  plant 
simply  lives,  and  makes  no  extended  growth.  I^ 
it  grew,  it  could  only  do  so  by  the  decomposition 
of  carbonic  acid,  and  this  would  cause  such  a 
dense  mas  ;•  ofoxygen  in  the  atmosphere  of  the 
case,  that  the  act  of  growth  would  be  its  own 
destruction. 

There  are  three  essentials  to  growth,  — light. 
heat  and  carbonic  acid  ;  with  the  two  former 
only,  the  plant  simply  Uces,  and  does  not  grow, 
hence  a  plant  will  remain  an  indefinite  time  in  a 
closely  glazed  case  in  this  way. 

Fern  cases  are  not  Wardian  Cases,  nor  are 
the  plant  cases  often  called  Wardian.  Air  is  par- 
tially admitted,  and  thus  plants  grow.  In  the 
case  of  ferns,  however,  they  have  very  little  car 
bon  in  their  structure.  Any  plants  which  are 
composed  niainly  of  cellular  matter,  can  grow 
whtn  there  is  but  a  ver}'  small  portion  of  car- 
bonic acid  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  case.] 


exact  age,  but  it  is  probably  under  100  years  old. 
With  regard  to  the  value  of  tlu'  Larch,  we  believe 
that  it  is  equal  in  endurance  to  anything, — but 
it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  we  have  no  sta- 
tistics gathered  in  this  country  It  must  be  re- 
garded as  an  experiment, — but  still  an  experi- 
ment with  everything  in  its  favor.  But  it  does 
not  follow  that  Larch  wood  raised  in  this  coun- 
try will  do  what  Larch  wood  does  in  Scotland, 
although  the  same  tree.  European  trees  grow  and 
endure  differently  here.  The  oak,  which  in 
England  "lasts  for  a  thousand  years,"  has 
grown  and  commenced  its  decaj-  here  within  one 
hundred.  Great  numbers  of  European  trees  in 
the  Bartram  gardens,  though  not  much  over  a 
hundred  years,  have  some  entirel}'  disappeared 
or  are  going  to  decay.  The  magnificent  Silver 
Fir  in  Germantown,  not  100  years  old,  and 
which  only  ten  years  ago  drew  tree  lovers  from 
long  distances,  is  a  sorry  looking  object  now. 
We  are  inclined  to  think  the  Larch  and  Larch- 
wood  will  endure  at  least  as  long  as  any  tree  : 
but  not  to  the  extent  it  would  in  Scotland 


Age  of  the  Laruh. — H.  A.  J.,  Chicago,  III  ^ 
writes:  "Can  you  give  me  the  age  of  the 
European  Larch  growing  in  the  Bartram 
Botanic  Garden,  Phila.,  that  you  mentioned  in 
1853,  as  being  108  feet  high  and  5  feet  4  inches 
in  circumference,  and  is  it  still  standing  and 
growing  ;  and  do  you  know  of  any  other  fine 
specimens  ?  I  am  gathering  what  information  I 
can  on  this  subject,  to  induce  tree  plantitig  on 
our  prairies,  and  especially  the  Larch.  Any  in. 
formation  you  can  give  me  concerning  its 
history,  rapidity  of  growth,  &c.,  will  be  grate- 
fully received.  This  tree  seems  to  have  been  en. 
tirely  successful  with  many  of  our  western 
planters,  and  I  do  not  consider  the  time  far 
distant,  when  it  will  play  a  conspicuous  part  in 
the  supply  of  fence  posts,  telegraph  poles,  and 
railroad  ties  for  the  West." 

[The  Larch  we  referred  to  is,  we  believe,  still 
in  existence      We  have  no  means  of  knowing  its 


Lettuce  about  Boston.  -  A  Subscriber,  New 
Ym-k,  says  :  "  I  wish  to  make  the  inquiry 
through  the  Gardener's  MontJihj,  how  they  raise 
Lettuce  around  Boston,  and  if  there  is  any  rea- 
son why  the  same  cannot  be  raised  here 

If  some  one  acquainted  with  the  cultivation 
will  write  an  article  on  this  subject,  they  will 
greatly  oblige  a  New  York  subscriber." 


Dressing  for  Peach  Trees. — A.  B  Sprout, 
Picture  Rocks,  Pa.,  writes:  That  he  "is  using 
with  apparent  good  effect,  pulverized  charcoal 
and  wood  ashes  as  a  top  dressing  for  peach  trees, 
producing  a  healthy  growth  with  deep  green 
foliage  and  apparently  no  disea.se.  Also  as  a 
prevention  of  the  root  or  bark  worms,  a  wood 
hooj)  aroimd  the  base  of  trunk,  diameter  six 
inches,  depth  three  inches,  tilled  with  ashes, 
charcoal,  sand  or  dry  earth. 

He  has  planted  2,500  of  the  peach  ;  has  ten 
acres  more  to  plant." 


Californian  Notes — A  Correspondent aa,ya: 
"  I  have  written  you  some  hast}^  notes  to  men- 
tion some  trees  and  shrubs  I  saw  in  California, 
I  thought  you  might  probably  think  worth  en- 
quiring about.  An  evergreen  near  the  '  Gey- 
sers'' not  far  from  the  Calistoga  Springs,  struck 


1871. 


THE    GAfiDEA^ER'S    MOJ^THLY. 


^JfS 


me  as  being  a  fine  thing.  They  call  it  the  Cali- 
fornia Nutmeg.  It  has  a  verj'  deep  green  leaf, 
like  ihat  of  a  fir,  but  very  long.  It  grows  like 
fir,  and  some  about  15  feet  high,  were  the  highest 
I  saw.  Cut  down,  it  sprouts  at  the  stump  freely 
as  a  chestnut. 

I  mentioned  the  Dogwood  then  with  its  fine  i 
large  flower.  The  Spice  wood  with  its  great  j 
Wf  Brilliant  white  flowering  Raspberry.  Pink  ! 
and  white  Azaleas,  with  very  large  and  fine  j 
flowers.     An  evergreen  Cliinquepin,  &c.  «&c. 

I  dare  say  you  know  the  Sugar  Pine  that 
grows  on  the  mountains  there  {high  up),  a  grand 
tree,  cones  2  feet  long  It  grows  300  feet  and 
over,  and  produces  manna— which  I  ate, — very 
sweet  and  delicate.  Then  there  is  what  thej'  call 
the  Pitch  Pine,  straight  and  tall,  over  300  feet 
high  ;  most  like  the  Australian  with  its  cande- 
labra form  and  deep,  rich  green  leaf.  Then  the 
Yellow  Pine,  so  called  then  there,  nearly  a 
match  in  size.  All  these  three  pines  are  high 
up  in  mountains. 

The  Dwarf  Horse  Chestnut  of  California 
clothes  the  side  hills,  and  has  a  very  fine  crown 
in  density,  form  and  color  ;  not  over  12  or  14 
feet  high,  covered  with  spikes  of  flowers  over  a 
foot  long,  mostly  white,  often  tinted  with  other 
colors.  The  flowers  stand  erect  and  are  very 
dense  and  nearly  as  large  as  a  man's  arm. 

I  found  in  Minuota  and  about  Madison  in 
California,  native  crab  apples,  plenty,  trees  10 
to  15  feet  high.  Also  great  numbers  of  wild 
Plums.  Some  of  which  I  was  told  are  nearly  as 
large  as  green  gages,  and  really  good  fruit  ;  red 
in  color.  The  wild  plum  I  have  known  (of 
Pennsylvania)  is  red  and  astringent,  but  excel- 
lent on  that  account  for  preserving  or  stewing. 

The  Buttonwood  of  California  is  one  of  the 
grand  trees  of  this  Continent,  much  larger  than 
any  I  ever  saw  here,  with  vast  spreading  crown, 
enormous  branches,  and  foliage  much  cut  and 
starry,  like  that  of  the  European,  but  much 
more  so.  I  was  much  struck  with  the  inclina- 
tion to  European  characteristics  of  many  trees 
and  shrubs  in  California  The  Oysters  have 
also  the  same  tendency.  Even  the  Blackberry 
flowers  exhibit  it,  at  least  so  they  struck  me, 
who  am,  however,  no  botanist— only  an  inter- 
ested looker  on  " 


years  old      Does  not  this  completely  overthrow 
Darwin's  hypothesis  of  the  origin  of  species  ?" 

[We  do  not  understand  our  correspondent,  or  see 
what  relation  the  age  of  these  trees  has  to  the 
Darwinian  theory. 

In  the  first  place,  it  is  not  so  certain  these 
trees  are  as  old  as  some  suppose  Mr.  Josiah 
Hoopes,  who  examined  the  trees  personally,  and 
with  very  common  sense  eyes,  noticed  that  these 
trees  were  still  extending  their  leaders  somewhat 
every  year.  Now  when  these  trees  are  young, 
they  grow  with  immense  rapidity.  We  have 
known  them  grow  six  feet  in  one  season.  Sup- 
posing the}'^  only  grow  two  or  three  inches  a 
year  now  ;  that  the}'  grew  four  or  five  inches 
some  years  previous,  and  that  for  many  years 
they  grew  only  one  foot — allow,  if  you  like,  that 
the  average  growth  was  but  one  foot  per  annum 
through  the  whole  course  of  its  career,  and  the 
three  hundred  feet  tree  will  be  but  three  hun- 
dred yeai's.  You  see  if  the  tree  onlj'  300  feet 
high  grew  3000  years,  it  would  only  be  one  inch 
a  year,  which,  if  Mr.  Hoopes  is  right  in  his 
statement  that  the  straight  trunk  continues  to 
grow  up,  is  an  absurdity.  It  surely  must  grow 
more  rapidly  than  this. 

Anyhow,  Mr.  Darwin  knows  as  well  as  any 
one  that  there  has  not  been  much  change  in 
things  for  some  thousands  of  years.  Men  are 
now  jiretty  much  as  history  sa3's  the}"^  were  four 
or  five  thousand  years  ago,— and  even  in  the 
matter  of  dogs,  which  occupied  so  conspicuous 
a  place  in  Mr.  Darwin's  origin  of  species,  it  is 
very  well  known  that  dogs  like  our  own,  especial- 
ly the  greyhound,  are  carved  in  Egyptian  figures 
of  five  thousand  years  ago.  We  do  not  see  what 
our  correspondent  wants  us  to  say  ] 


OuioiN  OK  Species — 'Orpheus,^'  JBalUviore, 
Md.,  Hixya:  ''It  is  generally  conceded  that  the 
giant  trees  of  Calilornia  are  several  thousand 


Gardeners  — B.  S.  F.,  says  :     "I  have  been 
a  constant  reader  of  your  valuable  Monthhj^  and 
have  read  with  great  pleasure  and  benefit,  many 
articles  contained  therein.     I  do  not  remember 
having  ever  seen  an  article  of  this  character, 
I  which  is  the  formation  of  a  gax-dener's  club  or 
\  society  for  the  benefit  of  gardeners  seeking  em 
I  ployment.     By   gardeners,    I  mean  only   those 
I  that   would  pass   inspection       There   are   very 
many  at  this  time  who  call  themselves  garden- 
ers, but  are  only  so  called  by  themselves,  that 
accept  situations  at  a    salary  far  below   that 
which  an  experienced   gardener  should  be  able 
to  command,  and  for  this  reason  cannot  do  so. 
Now,  Mr.  Editor,  would  it  not  be  well  for  you  to 


^u 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S    MOXTHLy.  August 


organize  a  society  of  gardeners,  and  to  have  all 
who  wish  to  obtain  responsible  situations  to  pass 
an  examination,  the  same  as  a  doctor  or  any 
similar  profession  ;  and  to  appoint  a  certain 
salary  for  both  single  and  married  men  that  are 
pronounced  capable  to  hold  prominent  positions. 
I  have  often  thought  over  this  subject,  and  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  you  are  the  most  in- 
fluential party  to  refer  this  subject  to  for  consid- 
eration. If  you  consider  the  subject  worthy 
thereof,  you  will  not  only  oblige  me,  but  man}- 
good  gardeners  in  all  parts  of  America." 

[Our  correspondent  raises  a  very  difficult  ques- 
tion. It  is  excessively  annoying  to  have  one 
who  is  no  gardener  preferred  to  ourselves,  when 
we  feel  that  we  have  devoted  our  whole  lives, 
and  as  we  may  believe  with  some  success,  to  the 
profession.  But  we  doubt  whether  any  organi- 
zation would  correct  this.  Many  a  good  physi- 
cian who  goes  through  all  B.  S.  F.  would  have 
gardeners  go  through,  frequently  starves  ;  while 
the  "smart"  fellow,  who  received  his  parchment 
only  to  the  surprise  of  his  fellow  students,  gets 
practice  and  riches.  Too  often  an  excellent  gar- 
dener has  other  defects,  which  render  his  ser 
vices  unaccessible.  He  is  often  dignified,  and 
makes  no  eflfort  to  let  what  he  knows  be  known.  I 


He  is  averse  to  ''blowing  his  own  horn;"  but 
good  skill  requires  as  much  advertising  before  it 
is  known  as  the  Quack's  business  does. 
Our  belief  is  that  where  true  gardening  skill  is 
once  known,  and  he  who  possesses  it  has  other 
agreeable  qualities,  there  are  very  few  good  gar- 
deners in  the  United  States  who  will  long  re- 
main unappreciated.  Let  him  have  tact  enough 
to  turn  up  some  chance  to  show  that  he  "knows 
how  to  do  it,''  and  his  success  is  safe. 


Male  and  Female  Hemp.- J.  if.,  Paris, 
Bourbon  Co  ^  Ky.^  writes:  "It  has  been  ob- 
served by  those  who  cultivate  hemp  in  this 
State,  that  the  male  plant  dies  long  before  the 
female  plant.  Has  this  been  noticed  before,  and 
what  is  the  explanation  ?" 

[This  is  an  accordance  with  Meehan's  theory 
of  sex  in  plants.  There  is  less  vitality  or  hold 
on  life  in  one  case  than  in  the  other ;  and  it  is 
the  amount  of  nutrition  which  determines  the 
vital  power, — defective  nutrition  determines  the 
male  sex.  Not  only  in  hemp,  but  in  every 
plant,  male  flowers  or  the  male  parts  of  flowers 
die  first.  ] 


J^OOKS,    CATALOGUES,    cSj  C. 


DuWMNg'8  SELECTID  FlUIT  FIR    lBf;IHH>l>     \M>     M.MlKtT        N>\V 

York:  .Tfhn  Wiley  &  Pop. 

It  has  ever  seemed  to  us  that  the  large  work 
of  Mr  Downing  was  rather  a  tribute  to  perfec- 
tion than  to  practical  utility.  No  one  could  fail 
to  estimate  the  value  of  his  labors  when  he 
wished  to  have  on  hand  a  description  of  all  the 
fruits  known  ;  and  yet  everybody  must  have 
asked  himself  when  this  labor  was  to  cease  ?  A 
botanist  goes  on  the  work  of  a  J^/ora, satisfied  that 
hecan  gitall  theknownplants.butloexpcct  toget 
all  I  he  known  fruits  toget  her,  should  be  beyond  hu- 
man thought.  Forourparl,  we  look  on  this  multi- 
plication of  new  fruits  as  a  great  evil,  and  have 
declined  for  some  time  to  describe  any  new  va- 
riety, unless  satisfied  that  it  had  at  least  one 


point  of  superiority  over  others  already  known. 
That  it  should  be  merely  "good,''  is  not.  enough, 
— and  no  one  should  be  entitled  to  name  a  fruit 
so  as  to  have  that  name  recognized  by  pomolo- 
gists,  unless  he  is  able  to  show  wherein  his  fruii 
does  differ  from  all  others  known.  Of  course  he' 
who  discovers  a  new  fruit,  should  have  the  right 
to  name  it  provisionalh/ ;  but  it  should  be  sub- 
mitted to  some  one  distinguished  as  an  author 
in  that  particular  line  of  fruits,  and  if  after  a 
caVeful  examination,  it  is  found  sufficiently  dis- 
tinct to  warrant  distribution,  let  it  go  forth  with 
his  name  attached,  as  a  new  plant  would  do. 
Then  we  might  have,  for  instance,  in  pears,  the 
'Hritish  Lion,''  Hony;  the  'Spread  Eagle,' 
Barry:  or  the    'Glory  of  the  IIub,"7/oi'ct/,  — or  in 


1871. 


THE    GARDENER'S    MOJ^'TBiy. 


245 


apples,  "Star  of  the  West,"  Warder;  'Setting 
Sun"  Elliott;  or  "Morning  Star"  of  Dotvning, — 
and  so  on  with  other  fruits.  We  don't  know 
whether  these  reforms  will  ever  be  introduced  ; 
but  this  work  of  Mr.  Dowuing's  is  in  the  right 
direction.  Hex*e  we  have  every  thing  weeded 
out,  except  such  as  have  gained  some  reputation. 
The  book  is  about  the  size  of  Mr.  Downing's 
earlier  editions -600  pages.  We  think  the  idea 
of  giving  this  abstract  an  excellent  one,  and  it 
will,  no  doubt,  be  found  aproiitablc  one  for  both 
the  author  and  publisher. 

In  regard  to  the  matter  of  the  work,  it  is  not 
our  purpose  to  speak  of  it  critically,  as  it  is  much 
as  appeared  in  former  volumes.  Yet  we  cannot 
but  regret  that  Mr.  Downing  has  not  looked  at 
the  subject  of  fruit  culture  through  more  modern 
eyes  We  have  as  great  regard  as  he  has  forKnight, 
and  Loudon, and  A'' an  Mons,  and  the  elder  De  Can- 
dolle,and  Coxe  ;  and  Kendrick  in  our  own  coun 
try  :  but  surely  a  little  has  been  learned  during 
tiie  last  fifty  years.  And  then,  we  are  sorry  to 
have  to  say  it  of  Mr    Downing,  he  is  not  alway.s 


just  to  those  who  differ  from  him, — not  intention- 
ally unjust  of  course,— but  no  less  so.     For  in- 
stance, in  regard  to  the  cultivation  of  apple  or- 
chards he  says  :     "It  is  indispensable  that  in  all 
young  orchards  the  ground  be  kept  mellow  and 
j  loose,"  "Of  two  adjoining  orchards,  one  plowed, 
the  other  kept  in  grass  *  *  the  one  will  have 
I  clean  smooth  stems  *  *  the  neglected  one  starved 
and  sickly." 
j      It  has  been  the  fashion  with  some  newspaper 
j  disputants,  more  anxious  for  the  success  of  some 
pet  theory,  than  to  do  justice  to  others,  to  pre- 
{  tend  that  those  who  ditiered  with  them  as  to  the 
j  proper  way  to  cultivate  orchards,  were  advo- 
;  cates  of  neglect ;  but  one  would  hardly  expect  to 
find  a  writer  of  Mr.  Downing's  known  generosity 
among  this  class. 

In  the  description  of  fruits  some  errors  in  for- 
mer editions  have  been  corrected.  Now  Dutch 
Mignonne  apple  is  not  Blenheim  Pippin  ;  Striped 
Winter  Pearmain,  and  McAfee's  Nonsuch  are 
united  ;  as  also  are  the  Westbrook  or  Speckled 
with  Fall  Orange. 


NEW  AAT   PiARE   FRUITS. 


Strawberry,  Coding's  Seedling.— This 
is  an  Indiana  variety  raised  by  Mr  t'ovvings 
four  years  ago.  The  fruit  is  represented  as  be- 
ing produced  as  abundantly  as  Wilson's  Alba- 
ny,—superior  in  size  and  productiveness  to 
Downer's  new  seedling  ;  "solid,  excellent,  ro- 
bust and  beautiful  '  In  size,  the  berries  are 
said  to  "average  larirer  thanTrioniphe  de  Gand, 
Agriculturist,  or  Jucunda  " 

The  Plowden  Peacu  —For  some  time 
peach  growers  have  been  exercised  about  a  new 
peach  which  originated  some  sixt}'  miles  below 
Washington,  D.  C,  which  was  said  to  be  ripe 
ticevty  days  before  Hale's  Early.  As  this  was 
ten  days  earlier  than  Early  York,  a  peach  a 
month  earlier  than  this  old  standard,  seems  too 
impossible  to  be  true,  and  we  have  so  suggested 
in  a  former  number  of  this  paper.  We  supposed 
it  might   be,  perhaps,    a   sickly   tree   of  Hale's 


Early  which  had  borne  pri-raature  fruit  as  dis- 
eased trees  sometimes  will.  But  we  have  to-day, 
July  the  ~yth,  a  fruit  before  us  from  a  tree  budded 
from  the  original,  and  we  can  see  that  it  is  not 
Hale's  Early,  nor  any  illy  ripened  fruit,  but  a 
distinct  kind,  of  delicious  flavor.  We  have  in 
our  market  mi.scrable  colicky  Tillotson's  from 
Florida.— if  such  a  lot  as  this  one  from  Wash- 
ington could  be  put  on  the  market,  one's  fortune 
would  be  made. 

We  do  not  yet  understand  how  so  irood  a  peach 
can  be  a  month  earlier  than  Early  York,  and 
fancy  there  is  yet  something  unexplained  about 
this  ;  but  we  must  say  that  it  is  the  best  early 
Peach  we  have  yet  seen.  The  Hade's  Early 
went  out  well,  chiefly  on  the  character  we 
gave  it  in  the  Oardener''s  Monthly,  and  we  feel 
this  will  make  as  good  a  figure  in  peach  annals 
as  that  excellent  variety  did. 

The  fruit  is  of  about  the  same  size,  hut  lighter 


US 


TEE    GABDEJS/'EIi'S   MOJ^THLy . 


August, 


than  Hale's  Early  ;  flesh  wholly  white  and  re- 
markably juicy, —  and  the  white  somewhat 
smooWi  stone  free,  from  the  flesh  The  leaves 
are  very  lonjr  and  verj-  narrow,-  as  a  botanist 
■would  say  linear  lanceolate, — and  it  belongs  to 
the  "landless  section. 


Herstine'sE  ASPBKRUiES.— In  ihe  days  when  ; 
the  gods  of  the  ancients  walked  amongst  men,  i 
and  ate  and  drank  and  clothed  themselves  as  i 
the  children  of  men  now  do,  the  raspberry  grew 
only  in  the  mountains  of  Greece — as  a  wild  plant  ' 
in  that  classic  land.  Mount  Id^eus,  the  scene  j 
of  so  many  of  the  loves  and  hates  of  these  mighty  I 
divinities  and  divinilesst  s — our  own  unpatented  j 
word,  b}'  the  way,  but  as  good  as  editress,  re-  i 
porteress,  doctress,  or  lawyeress— this  Mount 
Idseus  abounded  especially  in  raspberries,  and 
no  doubt  furnished  many  a  feast  for  those  dis-  I 
tinguished  characters  Its  location  furnished  1 
its  name.  Linnieus  who  must  needs  Latinize  I 
everything,  gave  the  general  name  of  Eubus  to  j 
the  raspberry  and  blackberry  family,  and  the  j 
raspberry  in  particular  he  named  Rubus  Idseus. 

But  the  raspberries  of  those  days  were  very 
different  from  the  raspberries  of  our  time.  Im- 
provement has  not  confined  itself  to  extracting 
a  man  from  a  monkey,  as  our  friends  Cope  and 
Darwin  assert  man  descended,  but  has  given  us 
in  this  fruit  a  pulpy,  luscious  berry  in  the  place 
ofthehai'd,  seedy,  mountain  fruit  of  the  past 
times  ;  and  the  aforesaid  gods,  lieing  immortal, 
must  look  down  on  us  with  envious  sensations, 
when  they  contrast  the  favors  we  receive  with 
what  was  voucl^^afed  to  them. 

Still  it  is  not  altogether  by  calling  on  Hercules 
that  the  great  wagon  of  improvement  has  been 
made  to  roll  along. 

Our  modern  pomologists  are  not  the  men  to 
wait  on  the  slow  process  of  "natural  selection" 
in  the  development  of  good  fruit,  and  in  the  case 
of  the  raspberry,  Philadelphia  horticulturists 
have  particularly  distinguished  themselves  in 
hastening  the  niillenium  when  every  fruit-eater 
expects  to  be  happy. 

Dr.  W.  D.  Brinckle,  a  Philadelphian,  gave  the 
first  impetus  to  improvement  by  raising  a  great 
many  superb  varieties,  amongst  which  the 
''(•range"  still  ranks  very  high.  Then  Aubrey 
introduced,  though  he  did  not  raise,  the  "Hor- 
net,'' and  some  others.  Parry  brought  out  the 
'Philadelphia,"  which  is  still  the  raspberry  of 
the  wholi'  l,'ni((ii.     Our  w(»rtiiy  merchant,  Duh- 


ring,  raised  ihe  good  variety  which  goes  by  his 
name  :  and  '''1  he  Northern  Wonder  '  is  another 
excellent  thing  found  by  one  of  the  Feltens.  The 
most,  recent  laborer  in  this  inviting  field,  is  David 
W.  Herstine,  well  known  to  poultry  fanciers  as 
well  as  to  horticulturists,  and  who,  at  his  pretty 
country  place  at  Branchtown,  happily  combines 
the  pleasures  of  a  city  gentleman  with  the  rural 
pastimes  of  the  bucolic  kind. 

His  success  with  seedling  raspberries  has  been 
very  great,  and  that  all  the  world  should  see  for 
themselves,  he  invited  a  goodly  company  from 
different  parts  of  the  Union,  on  Wednesday  af- 
ternoon last,  to  meet  there  and  to  taste  the  ber- 
ries and  discuss  their  merits  to  their  hearts' 
content.  We  noticed  among  the  visitors. 
Messrs.  Charles  Downing  of  Newburg,  N.  Y  , 
P.  Quinn  of  the  New  York  Tribune,  Josiah 
Hoc^pes,  President  of  the  Pennsylvania  Fruit 
Growers'  Society,  Tobias  Martin  of  Mercers- 
burg,  W.  F.  Basselt  of  Hanmionton,  N.  J  ;  II .  A. 
Dreer  of  Philadelphia  ;  J.  E.  Mitchell  and  Robt. 
Buist,  vice-presidents  of  the  Pennsylvania  Hor- 
ticultural Society ;  Thos  Meehan  of  the  Oarden- 
er''s  Mordhly  and  WteKlij  Presi^^Gvw.  Pleasonton, 
Constant  Guillou,  B.C.  McMurtrit.  S  N.Wins- 
low  of  the  Coriunercial  Litft,  W.  R.  Wister,  T.  C. 
Andrews  of  New  Jersey,  C.  P.  Hayes  of  Phila- 
delphia, E,  .Satterthwait,  E.  B.  Reed  of  Cham- 
bersburg,  S  W.  Noble,  M  McHenry  of  the 
Practical  Farmer,  Mr.  Biddle  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Society  of  Agriculture,  Mr.  Schaeffer  of 
the  Evening  Bulletin,  Mr.  Donks  of  Delaware 
county.  Mayor  Fox,  Dr.  Taylor  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Press,  R.  Peters  of  Delaware,  Dr.  Emerson 
of  Philadelphia,  S.  B.  Jenkins  of  Chambersburg, 
R  Otto  of  AVest  Chester,  and  a  few  score  of 
other  gentlemen  representing  various  depart- 
ments of  Agriculture 

The  chief  attraction  was  one  variety  named 
after  the  raiser,  the  "Herstine  "  It  is  a  large 
red  berry,  quite  equal  in  size  and  beauty  to  the 
old  and  valued  'Hornet,"  but  bearing  more 
abundantly  than  any  variety  known  It  ap- 
peared as  if  there  were  almost  as  man}-  berries 
as  leaves  on  the  plants,  which  were  literally 
breaking  down  with  the  weight  of  fruit.  It  ap- 
peared to  be  the  unanimous  opmion  of  the  large 
company  present  that  Mr.  Herstine  had  been 
very  fortunate  in  raising  so  tine  a  kind. 

There  were  three  other  kinds  selected,  among 
a  large  quantity  of  seedlings,  as  possessing  points 
of  great  merit.  These  are  the  "Elizabeth,"' 
'Saunders,"  and  "Rub)'.'" 


1S71. 


THE    GABDEMER'S    MONTHLY. 


247 


Mr  H.  provided  au  elegant  entertainment  for 
his  visitors,  who  were  highly  pleased  with  the 
fruit  and  their  reception  by  Mr.  Herstine  — 
Phikuki.  Presi<. 


The  Eumelan  Grape. — At  a  recent  meet- 
\  ing  of  the  American  Institute  Farmer's  Club,  a 
correspondent  having  asked  for  an  expression 
of  opinion  about  the  Eumelan  grape,  Mr  T.  O. 
Payne  of  East  Bridgewater,  Massachusetts, 
said  : 

"Eumelan  gi'apes  began  to  color  about  the 
middle  of  August,  and  were  good  to  eat  on  Sep- 
tember 10th,  and  even  before  that  time  they 
would  have  been  called  ripe  by  many.  They 
grew  better  all  the  month.  I  set  their  time  of 
ripening  before  the  Delaware,  Israella,  and  Al- 
len's Hybrid.  With  me  the  Hartford  Prolific 
got  its  greatest  goodness  a  few  days  before  the 
Eumelan.  But  the  Ilartfords  grew  on  an  old  vine 
while  the  Eumelans  grew  on  a  vine  only  three 
jears  old,  and  I  doubt  if  the  Hartfords  would  be 


any  earlier  upon  a  vine  of  the  same  age.  The 
Hartford  Prolific  ceased  to  grow  better,  and  be- 
gan to  flatten  in  its  taste,  and  to  drop  its  ber- 
ries, while  the  Eumelan  kept  on  improving  My 
Eumelan  vine  (three  years  old),  set  seventy-nine 
clusters. 

"I  picked  off  sixty-five,  leaving  but  fourteen 
to  ripen,  which  I  thought  sufficient  for  a  vine  of 
that  age,  but  the  vine  grew  too  vigorously,  and 
could  have  ripened  twenty  or  twenty-five  bunches 
with  an  advantage.  The  vine  had  not  work 
enough  to  do.  In  quality  nothing  is  to  be  said 
against  the  Eumelan,  and  everything  for  it.  It 
is  the  only  black  grape  I  have  seen  that  is  wor- 
thy of  being  put  on  a  plate  with  the  lona,  Dela- 
ware and  Allen's  Hybrid.  A  friend  of  mine 
has  twenty  Eumelans  growing,  now  two  years 
old,  as  healthy  and  handsome  vines  as  I  have 
ever  seen.  I  consider  the  greatest  danger  the 
Eumelan  is  likely  to  suffer  from,  is  overbearing, 
which  grape  growers  will  consider  a  good  fault." 
— Hammondsport  CuHurist. 


DOMESTIC    INTELLIGENCE. 


Dwarf  Varieties  of  Arbor vit.e,Retinos- 
PORA,  Etc.  —  Of  this  class  we  find  many  varie- 
ties that  have  been  recommended  as  suitable  for 
bordering,  instead  of  dvvarf  box,  or  for  low 
hedges.  The  main  difficulty,  however,  which 
will  prevent  any  of  these  from  becoming  popu- 
lar for  the  purpose,  is  their  liability  here  of  dying 
out  at  the  base,  and  to  assume  a  dark  unsightly 
hue  during  winter. 

We  have  tried  the  Thuja  ericoides  as  far  back 
as  ISOO ;  had  no  difficulty  in  propagating  it  rap- 
idly, but  had  to  abandon  it  as  an  edging  planr, 
owing  to  the  tendency  of  losing  its  lower  branches 
The  Retinosjjord  squarrosa,  which  is  closely  al- 
lied to  the  above,  seems  to  be  more  free  from 
that  defect,  but  it  also  turns  brown  in  winter. 
The  Tom  Thumb  variety,  originated  in  Xew 
York  State,  is  perhaps  the  most  desirable  varie- 
ty for  edging,  it  seems  to  stand  better  than 
either  of  the  first  mentioned  varieties,  but  its 
main,  and  to  us,  great  defect,  is  its  unsightly 
color   during   winter      This  defect   is   lessened 


when  planted  farther  North.  Cuttings  inserted 
in  the  ground,  as  practised  for  box  wood  edgings, 
will  strike  readily.  The  most  suitable  season 
for  the  operation  is'end  of  October,  or  so  socn  as 
the  plants  have  hardened  their  fall  growth  of 
wood.  After  being  set  out,  the  cuttings  must 
be  mulched  and  watered  if  the  weather  should  be 
dry.— Mr  P.  J.  Berckman,  in  Farmer  and 
Gardener. 


The  Best  Wine  Grapes  —The  Pleasant 
Valley  Fruit  Recorder  snys  :  "Such  varieties  as 
Louisiana,  Rulander,  Hermann.  Maxatawney, 
Ilerbemont,  Cunningham,  Taylor,  Delaware, 
Massasoit,  among  the  light  colored  wines  and 
Alvey  and  Cynthiana  among  the  red  wines,  will 
always  command  ready  sales  at  good  price, 
when  on(!e  they  are  ma<le  in  sufficient  quanti- 
ties, and  the  public  have  become  acquainted 
with  their  merits.  True,  they  may  not  produce 
as  much  as  Concord  or  Goethe,  they  may  need 
choicer  locations  and  better  handling,  but  we 


^Jf8 


THE    GAKVEJYER'S    MOMTRL^. 


August 


must  be  willing  to  do  this,  and  can  afford  it,  | 
when  the  prices  they  bring  are  so  ranch  higher,  j 
Another  requisite  is  a  light  white  wine,  a  wine 
which  will  take  the  place  of  the  Catawba,  fully  ! 
equal  to  it  in  quality,  and  one  that  can  be  pro- 
duced profitably  at  §1  per  gallon.   This  we  think  j 
we  have  in  the  Goethe  and  Martha.     The  for-  ; 
mer  produces  here  fully  as  much  as  Concord,  is  ! 
vigorous  and  healthy,  and  can  be  grown  profit-  j 
ably,  even  at  seventy-five  cents  per  gallon.    The  ! 
Martha,  with  long  pruning,  will  also  yield  abun-  ' 
dantly,  is  healthy  and  hardy,  and  will,  we  think,  | 
flourish    anywhere.      These    will    produce    the  i 
cheap  white  wines  for  the  future,  the  drink  of  | 
the  people,  or  at  least  of  those  who  prefer  white 
wines  to  the   Concord   for  a  general  drink,  as 
being  more  smooth  and  delicate. 


but  not  including,  June  15  the  shipments  from 
St  Joseph  and  Benton  Harbor  to  Chicago  aggre- 
gated 19,779  bushels,  of  which  the  steamer  Ca- 
rona  carried  17,964  ;  the  other  shipments  are  es- 
timated. The  Herald  estimates  the  average 
price  received  at  S3  per  bushel,  making  a  total 
of  nearly  $60,000  for  the  strawberry  crop  up  to  t 
.June  15. 


Ramie    Production. — Mr,    William    Hall, 
President  of  the  "Ramie  Plantation  Company, 
of  Louisiana,'   states   that  great  improvements 
have  very  recently  been  made  in  the  machinery 
for  preparing  the  Ramie.     The  plant  may  now 
b3  cleaned  on  the  field,  the  refuse  being  left  for 
manure.     The  fibre  is  then  dried,  becoming  com- 1 
paratively  pure,  white  and  si'ky,  divested  entire- 
ly of  gum,  and  prepared  for  baling  and  spinning 
The   improved   machinery  Avas,   unfortunately,  j 
not  perfected  until  late  in  the  season,  when  the 
Ramie  had  become  harsh  from  a  growth  of  eight  ] 
months,  the  tops  having  been  partly  killed  by  | 
frost.     It  was,   therefore,    found   impossible   to  I 
produce   the  fibre   in   bulk   this   season      AVith  ' 
these  improvements,  and  one  laborer  to  clean  j 
the  product  of  ten  acres.  Mr.   Hall  thinks  one 
acre  will  yield  at  least  two  tons,  making  a  pro- 
duct of  twenty  tons  to  the  hand,  estimated  to  be 
worth  .S200  per  ton. 

Two  joint  siock  companies  for  the  i)lanting 
and  manufacture  of  ramie  have  been  organized 
in  Louisiana  one  with  a  working  capital  of 
$45,000,  the  other  with  a  capital  of  .i?165,000,— 
New  Orleans  Picayune. 


Stuawukukiks  IN  Michigan, -The  .St,  Jo 
seph,  Mich,,  Herald  gives  some  interesting  facts 
as  to  the  strawberry  crop  of  that  place.  Wil- 
son's Albany  is  the  variety  cultivated  almost  to 
the  «'Xclusion  of  every  other,  although  many  va- 
rieties have  been  tried.  The  first  ripe  fruit  was 
found  May  24,  The  first  shipment  of  a  crate 
was  on  May  27,  but  the  first  shijiment  of  any 
considerable    amount  was  on   June  5.     Up  to, 


The  Cost  axd  Profit  of  Grape  Culture. 
-Hearth  and  Home,  in  a  late  issue,  gives  an  ac- 
count of  the  cost  of  growing  and  selling  the  pro- 
duction of  grapes  from  2  73  100  acres  of  vine- 
yard. The  cultivator  puts  down  the  cost  of  cul- 
tivation from  the  time  of  gathering  the  grapes 
the  previous  autumn  to  the  commencement  of 
picking  them  this  year,  at  .?233  51,  This  in- 
cludes cultivating,  hoeing  and  pruning,  and  800 
pounds  of  ammoniated  superphosphate  of  lime 
applied  to  parts  of  the  vineyard.  The  cost  of 
picking,  packing,  and  marketing,  including 
freight  and  commissions,  and  wear  and  tear  of 
crates  he  gives  at  .^287  88,  making  total  cost 
for  the  year  S46l,39  His  crop  of  grapes  was 
14,500  lbs.,  for  which  he  received  §1,096,76,  so 
that  he  received  §635.37  profits.  In  this  he  does 
noL  make  any  charge  for  rent  of  land  nor  taxes 
nor  for  taking  the  grapes  from  the  vineyard  to 
the  railway  station  His  vineyard  contained 
2,000  vines  in  bearing  and  250  younger  vines. 
They  are  mostly  Concords,a  few, about  one-tenth, 
Delawares,  and  some  Hartford  Prolific,  Diana, 
etc.  His  fii'st  Delawares  sold  at  20c.  i)er  pound  ; 
his  first  Concords  at  10c.  ;  his  Delawares  falling 
to  10c.  and  his  Concords  to  6c.  before  the  close 
of  the  season.  He  had  about  12,000  pounds  of 
Concords  and  about  12,000  pounds  of  Delawares, 
the  remainder  being  divided  Ijy  some  eight  or 
nine  other  sorts.  By  this  time  it  would  seem 
that  cost  him  about  3  1-5  cents  to  grow  and  mar- 
ket a  pound  of  grapes  ;  that  the  average  gross 
receipts  were  about  7i  cents  per  pound,  and  the 
net  proceeds  about  4^  cents  per  pound  ;  or  §232 
per  acre. 

These  grapes  were  marketed  in  the  city  of 
New  York. 


sriiAWHKiiuiKs  IN  Tennessee.  -  Everybody 
i.s  supposed  to  like  strawberries.  A  failure  on 
the  part  of  any  one  to  like  this  delicious  berry 
denotes  in  the  opinion  of  most  people  a  natural 
defect  of  taste.  Strawberries  are  not  like  other 
thinge  ;  the  largest  fish  is  not  the  best,  and  ditto 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^Eli'S    MONTHLY. 


249 


of  almost  everything,  including  men,  and  espe- 
cially women.  But  there  is  only  one  thing  bet- 
ter than  a  large  sized  strawberry,  and  that  is 
the  very  bigg.'St  strawberry  that  can  be  found. 
Strawberries  are  sweet  children  of  beautiful 
spring,  a  fit  expression  of  .her  balmy  breath,  fla- 
vored with  a  little  zest  giving  acid.  We  have 
lieen  led  into  these  remarks  by  a  basketful  of 
the  largest  we  ever  saw  that  was  left  upon  our 
table  recently  by  W.  S.  Rainey,  Esq  ,  fresh  from 
his  fine  garden.  AVe  congratulate  Mr.  Rainey 
on  his  eminent  success  in  (he  garden  lin^,  as 
well  as  we  do  the  citizens  of  our  county  on  hav- 
ing near  them  such  an  excellent  nursery  as  the 
one  he  possesses  — Home  Journal. 


A  Remarkable  Patent.— New  York  Bay 
Book  says  :  There  has  been  a  sort  of  mystery 
in  the  apple  and  pear  department  of  the  fruit- 
growing branch  of  agriculture,  which  has  puz- 
zled horticulturists  fron  time  immemorial  ;  it  is 
a  certain  perverseness  of  certain  members  of  the 
two  families  named,  with  regard  to  "coming  in- 
to bearing."  Trees,  five,  ten,  and  in  some  cases 
even  fifteen  years  old  ;  large  and  thrifty,  in  the 
highest  state  of  health,  making  wood  in  enor- 
mous quantities  yearly,  and  in  every  way  de- 
monstrating the  existence  of  a  condition,  which 
the  fruit  yielding  individual  should  show,  yet. 
no  fruit  buds  are  even  seen  ;  no  blossoms  put 
forth  in  the  spring  ;  and  years  roll  on,  disap 
pointing  the  anxious  expectant,  till  at  last  he 
makes  up  his  mind  these  trees  are  some  abnor- 
mal creation  in  the  pear  or  apple  family,  which 
never  will  yield  fruit,  and  he  finally  ceases  to  ex- 
l)ect  it.  "We  have  seen  splendid  looking  trees, 
of  the  apple  and  pear  families,  fifteen  years  old 
that  never  showed  a  blossom.  All  sorts  of  spec- 
ulations have  been  offered  by  theorists  as  to  the 
cause  of  this  barrenness,  audit  is  now,  we  be- 
lieve, the  settled  opinion  that  the  vitality  of  the 
tree  is  expended  in  making  wood,  leaving  no- 
thing to  produce  the  formation  of  fruit  buds. 
"We  have  seen  large  pear  orchards  ten  or  fifteen 
years  old,  one  third  of  the  trees  of  which  never 
bore  a  single  specimen,  yet  all  of  them  in  fine 
condition,  in  i)Oint  of  growth  and  health. 

"\''arious  modes  of  treatment  have  been  sug- 
gested to  meet  these  cases  of  barrennes.s  Root 
l)runing  has  been  found  in  some  cases  to  changi; 
the  habits  of  the  tree,  and  cause  the  formation 
of  fruit  buds,  but  this  i)runing  of  roots  is  a  very 
damaging'  niuedy.     It  is  like  parti  il  starvation, 


stopping  the  supply  of  food  to  the  tree  by  cut- 
ting off  a  thousand  feeders  It  is  attended  with 
danger,  as  the  draft  upon  the  reduced  vitality 
of  the  tree  will  be  too  great.  The  pruning  of 
the  roots  should  be  followed  by  the  pruning  of 
the  top.  The  head  of  the  tree  should  be  reduced 
to  as  great  a  degree  as  the  roots,  if  this  system 
of  destroying  the  feeding  agencies  of  the  tree 
should  be  adopted. 

But,  as  we  have  stated  at  the  opening  of  this 
article,  a  remarkable  patent  has  been  applied 
for,  and  will  be  introduced  to  the  fruit  growing- 
world  in  a  few  months,  which  will  astonish  hor- 
ticulturists It  is  a  discovery  of  an  application 
by  which  the  pear  or  apple  tree  may  be  thrown 
into  bearing  at  a  very  earl}'  age,  and  kept  loaded 
with  fruit  steadily,  year  after  year  The  prin- 
ciple by  which  this  result  is  produced,  we  are 
not  at  liberty  to  make  known,  but  that  it  is  cor- 
rect we  have  the  best  of  evidence.  There  are 
now  a  large  number  of  trees  in  full  bloom  in  the 
pear  and  apple  department,  which  never  showed 
the  sign  of  a  flower  till  this  application  was 
made.  To  prove  the  correctness  of  the  princi- 
ple, any  tree  in  the  pear  or  apple  line,  of  four  or 
five  years  of  age  or  upwards,  which  has  never 
blossomed,  can  be  made  to  show  blossoms  on 
one  half  of  the  head  of  the  tree,  while  none  ap- 
pear on  the  other  half.  The  proof  of  the  effi- 
cacy of  this  treatment  is  on  hand.  The  applica- 
tion is  not  in  the  slightest  degree  injurious  to 
the  tree,  as  its  continued  state  of  high  health, 
under  the  yearly  yield  of  large  crops  of  fruit  de- 
monstrates. Any  fruit  grower  can  make  the 
application.  It  is  done  instantly,  and  costs  no- 
thing except  the  cost  of  the  patent  right 


Peaches  in  Utah.  —For  several  years  dried 
peaches  have  been  one  of  the  great  staples  of 
Utah,  in  domestic  traffic,  sometimes  having  com- 
manded as  high  a  price  oO' cents  per  lb. —but 
prices  have  sadly  declined,  and  have  gone  down 
to  from  5  to  20  cents.  This  has  proved  a  great 
discouragement  in  this  great  industry,  insomuch 
that  many  are  cutting  down  and  otherwise  de- 
stroying orchards  of  peach  trees.  In  most  cases 
these  trees  are  valueless  on  account  of  age,  dis- 
ease, or  poor  size  or  quality  of  fruit,  and  it 
would  be  wise,  when  the  tree  is  not  diseased,  to 
cut  away  the  tops  and  allow  new  shoots  to  grow. 

These  should  be  budded  with  the  best  of 
peaches  ;  those  of  large  size  and  good  flavor. 

These,  by  annual  pruning  as  we  have  elsewhere 


'25  0 


THE    GARDEA'-ER'S    MOJ^TRLl.  August, 


reconiniciulod,  tho  tree  will  become  vic;nrons,  en- 
durable, and  continue  to  produce  crops  of  lar^e 
fruit,  which  when  ripe,  peeled  and  dried  nicely, 
will  bring  a  good  price  and  remunerate  the  pro-  i 
ducer.  I 

One  reason  of  the  price  going  so  low,  is  the 
fact  that  our  peaches  are  generally  so  small  and  ! 
poor,  and  another  is  the  reduced  price  of  goods,  j 
merchandise,  and  most  other  articles  ofimpor-i 
tation  and  produce. 

Last  year  there  was  quite  a  demand  East  for  ! 
Utah  dried  peaches,   and  this  is  likely  to  con- 
tinue and  increase,   and  if  we  will  go  to  work,  i 
even  now,  and  thin  out  the  tops  of  our  poach  | 
trees,  removing  small  and  decaying  limbs,  there- 
by taking  away  half  the  fruit,   the   remainder  ' 
will  be  much  larger  and  better,  — now  let  this  be 
peeled,  well  cured,  and  sent  to  Salt  Lake  City, 
the  owners  will  be  likely  to  realize  nearly  or 
quite  25  cents  per  lb  ,   making  the  produce  of 
our  valueless  peach  orchards  quite  an  item.  ; 

We  would  advise  fruit  growers  in  future,   to 
peel  all  peaches  that  are  to  be  dried,  if  of  a  size  '\ 
to  be  worth  handling.— Z7i!a/i.  Pomoloyit.  i 


soil  is  worn  out,  I  simply  tell  him  that  he  has 
locked  up  its  fertility  by  his  improvidence,  and 
clover  plaster  and  deep  culture  is  the  key  that 
will  unlock  it  A  crop  of  clover  in  the  bloom 
turned  under,  will  so  change  the  mechanical 
texture  of  the  soil  as  to  insure  large  crops,  and 
though  the  phosphates  may  have  certain  eco- 
nomic values,  the  clover  cannot  be  ignored,  and 
should  have  the  first  place  in  our  system  of  til- 
lage.— Ckicago  Tribune. 


Plaster  for  Strawberries.— Mrs.  H.  C. 
Freeman,  an  extensive  fruit  grower  neur  Cob- 
den,  applied  plaster  of  Paris  to  her  strawberry 
plants  last  year.  The  result  was  a  remarkable 
growth  of  vines,  and  is  now  followed  with  a  splen- 
did show  of  fruit ;  and  what  is  a  little  remarka- 
ble, some  days  later  than  vines  not  plastered. 
Should  this  produce  the  same  result  on  further 
trial,  it  will  work  a  revolution  in  the  culture  of 
this  fruit,  more  especially  if  the  phosphates 
should  succeed  in  the  experiments  now  being 
made  in  regard  to  tbe  insects.  Plaster  can  be 
had  in  Chicago  at  f  11  per  ton,  in  barrels,  ground 
ready  for  use. 

In  this  connection  it  is  natural  to  talk  about 
clover,  as  essential  to  the  fruit  grower  and  far- 
mer of  Illinois.  We  are  liable  to  run  after  hob- 
bies and  leave  out  the  most  essential  We  may 
suppose  that  the  phosphates  have  all  the  new 
values  attached  to  them,  and  that  plaster  will 
do  wonders  for  the  strawberry  plant,  j^et  we 
know  that  a  crop  of  clover  in  bloom  turned  un- 
der, lias  magic  in  it,  and  that  it  not  only  sup- 
plies plant  food,  but  that  it  does  very  much  more 
in  changing  the  mechanical  condition  of  those 
finely  comminuled  clay  soils  of  the  .south  part  of 
the  Stitte.  tiuis  underlocks  their  fertility  Clover 
for  soiling,  when  paslunige  is  so  unreliiihle,  can- 
not be  iL'iiorod.      Whi'M  a    miin  U-lls   mi'  thnl  his 


Bugging.  — Bugging,  or  catching  the  curcu 
lio,  as  it  is  called,  is  just  now  an  active  industry, 
and  the  little  "Turk"  is  getting  the  worst  of  it. 
Wheel  machines  with  wide  muslin  aprons  and 
rubber  bumpers  bring  the  little  rascals  down 
from  their  perch,  when  they  are  secured  ;  while 
the  chip  traps  of  Mr.  Ransom  cheats  them  by 
offering  a  hiding  place  which  leads  to  sure  de- 
struction. i)r.  Hull,  with  his  theory  on  the 
habits  of  this  insect,  has  had  succumb  to  the 
plain  facts  of  the  St.  Joseph  investigation,  wlnle 
the  entomologists  have  been  shown  that  plain 
facts  are  worth  more  than  volumes  of  scientific 
theories.  There  is  no  war  between  the  jarring 
process  and  the  chip  traps,  for  both  are  practi- 
cal and  valuable,  but  sharp-eyed  fruit  growers, 
who  had  their  property  to  defend  against  insect 
foes,  have  beaten  the  men  of  books  and  scientific 
theories  in  the  war  of  the  curculio,  and  may  now 
safely  cry  'Eureka,"  or  in  plain  English,  "we 
know  the  habits  of  the  enemy,  and  are  enabled 
to  apply  a  remedy."  We  shall  now  see  the  plum 
restored  to  the  market  so  soon  as  the  trees  can 
be  grown  to  bear  the  fruit,  for  the  battle  between 
the  orchardist  and  curculio  has  been  fought, 
and  the  latter  worsted,  though  not  driven  en- 
tirely from  the  Held. 

The  jarring  and  sheet  process  did  not  cover 
the  entire  field  of  defence,  for  in  jarring  many 
of  the  insects  take  wing  or  foil  outside  of  the 
sheets,  and  thus  save  themselves  for  the  time  ; 
but  it  would  appear  that  most  of  these  prefer  to 
crawl  back  toward  the  tree  and  secret  themselves 
for  the  day,  and  at  night  go  up  the  tree  in  order 
to  feed  on  the  fruit  or  to  lay  their  eggs,  as  the 
night  is  the  time  when  they  do  the  most  inis- 
ciiicf ;  and  it  also  accounts  for  the  fact  that  we 
seldom  see  them  at  work,  as  we  have  only  been 
in  the  habit  of  looking  for  them  in  the  daytime. 
In  going  toward  the  tree  it  is  natural  that  they 
should  hide  under  the  chips  or  pieces  of  bark 
placed  there  lor  the  purpo.^c.  and  iire  thus  caught 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEMER'S    MONTHLY. 


251 


and  destroyed.  Thnt  they  winter  over  mainly 
in  the  woods,  and  seek  for  a  hiding  place,  is  cer 
tain,  for  they  come  into  the  orchard  from  that 
direction  in  great  numhers.  Some  daj's  they 
are  caught  in  large  numbers  in  one  orchard, 
while  the  neighboring  orchard  may  be  quite  free 
from  them. 

It  would  appear  that  Dr.  Hull  was  mistaken 
in  many  of  his  supposed  facts  in  regard  to  the 
habits  of  this  very  destructive  insect,  and  that 
to  other  fruit  growers  is  due  the  credit  of  a  more 
practical  explanation  of  their  real  habits  and 
more  efficient  remedies.  The  Doctor  held  that 
the  insect  would  only  fly  when  the  thermometer 
was  at  70  or  upwards  Practically,  this  was  a 
most  important  error,  as  it  is  now  shown  that 
they  fly  at  all  times,  but  more  especially  in  the 
night  He  also  suggested  that  the  chip  traps 
would  be  useful  only  in  the  season ;  but  this  is  found 
not  to  hold  good,  as  I  found  many  persons  as 
successful  in  trapping  as  in  jarring,  while  some 
parties  were  mostly  relying  upon  the  former 
plan.  The  Doctor's  plan  of  jarring  is  a  good 
one,  so  far  as  it  goes,  but  could  not  reach  all 
the  insects. 

The  cost  of  the  curculio  catcher  is  about  two 
dollar.<»,  to  which  is  added  about  fifteen  yards  of 
muslin  sheeting,  which,  with  tiie  amount  ex- 
pended in  the  labor  of  preparing  the  ground 
about  the  base  of  the  trees,  say  for  a  space  of  20 


feet  on  each  side,  is  certain  in  its  results  ;  but  a 
large  number  of  persons  are  using  both  plans 
with  an  untiring  energy  that  bids  fiiir  to  prevent 
any  serious  ini'oad  on  the  crop.  This  year  a  lit- 
tle thinning  of  the  fruit  miszht  do  more  good 
than  harm  ;  but  this  appears  to  make  no  difler- 
ence  iu  the  war  of  extermination,  and  in  every 
orchard  that  I  visited  the  machines  were  busy. 

The  prediction  that  Southern  Illinois  had  seen 
its  last  croi»  of  jjeaches  is  not  likely  to  be  ful- 
filled, at  least  this  year,  for  never  has  such  a 
crop  been  presented  to  the  eye  as  at  this  time, 
and  nothing  but  the  -'rot,"  yet  to  come  between 
the  orchardist  and  his  customers,  can  cut  short 
the  supply.  There  are  many  instances  in  which 
it  is  not  convenient  to  use  the  chips,  as  recom- 
mended by  Mr.  Hansom.  Grass,  weeds,  anrl 
rubbish  must  be  all  removed,  or  the  work  is  im- 
perfect. For  this  reason  few  are  prepared  for  a 
thorough  trial,  and  had  better  rely  on  the  sheets 
and  jarring  process  I  saw  in  many  instances 
that  the  ground  had  been  so  imperfectly  pre- 
pared that  but  little  was  accomplished,  while  in 
other  instances  the  success  had  been  the  most 
gratifying  I  say  this  much  to  guard  against 
premature  failure.  How  much  of  the  science  of 
the  book,  as  regards  agriculture,  must  be  laid 
aside  with  the  rubbish  of  the  ages,  is  not  certain  ; 
but  no  doubt  there  is  a  large  amount  of  it. — 
Chicago  Tribune. 


F  0  K  E  T  G  IN^     I  N  T  E  L  r.  T  G  E  N  C  E  . 


HouoAiNviLLEAs  — These  are  amongst  the 
most  beautiful  j)lants  in  the  vegetable  kingdom  ; 
but  very  difficult  to  flower.  We  do  not  know 
of  any  flowering  in  American  hothouses,  though 
the  plant  is  often  met  with.  A  correspondent 
of  Onrdener''s  Chronicle  thus  describes  his  mode 
of  treating  them  : 

"I  will  now  proceed  to  give  a  few  plain  directions 
for  their  treatment,  which,  if  followed  out,  will 
not  fail  to  produce  blooms.  If  they  are  to  be 
seen  in  their  full  beauty,  they  must  be  planted 
out,  and  allowed  to  fully  develop  themselves. 
Then  we  can  g'-t  beautiful  branches  of  bloom 
from  3  to  6  feet  long.     I  would   recommend  any 


one  receiviuii  a  young  plant  to  proceed  as  fol- 
lows:— If  small,  give  it  a  shift,  and  plunge  it  in 
a  cucuml)cr  or  melon  house,  or  a  pine  pit,  with 
plenty  of  bottom  heat.  Shift  on  as  often  as  the 
pot  becomes  filled  with  roots.  It  will  fill  a  13 
inch  pot  with  roots  in  the  course  of  one  summer. 
Train  out  the  branches  to  their  full  length,  and 
withhold  water  about  August  for  the  purpose  of 
thoroughly  ripening  the  wood.  Stand  the  plant 
away  in  a  warm  corner  of  the  stove  for  the  win- 
ter, only  giving  sufiicient  water  to  prevent  its 
leaves  from  dropping  oft'.  Early  in  the  spring, 
prepare  a  pit  for  it,  3  feet  wide  and  G  feet  long, 
and  larger  in  proportion  if  more  than  one  are  to 


^5^ 


THE    GARDEJYER'S   MOXTHLY. 


Au^icstf 


be  planted  in  it.  This  may  be  prepared  just  in 
the  same  way  as  a  pit  for  cucumbers  or  melons, 
with  a  lioUow  chamber  under  it,  and  two  or 
more  pipes  running  underneath  for  bottom  heat. 
Plant  out  in  this  bed  in  good  friable  soil,  con- 
sisting of  leaf  mould,  rotten  dung,  and  sandy 
loam,  with  a  little  sand  and  peat,  and  charcoal 
if  obtainable.  Walter  sufficient  to  settle  the  soil, 
which  keep  a  little  moist  through  the  growing 
season.  Be  careful  to  dry  ott"and  ripen  the  wood 
thoroughly  before  autumn,  then  keep  the  plants 
dry  till  January,  when  they  will  begin  to  show 
bloom,  and  when  they  may  be  gradually  moist- 
tened  by  giving  water  in  a  sufficient  quantity  to 
wet  all  the  soil.  I  have  never  seen  them  bloom 
better  than  in  several  cases  where  they  have 
been  planted  out  at  one  end  of  a  cucumber  or 
melon  house,  and  where  they  have  been  sub- 
jected to  about  the  same  treatment  as  these 
plants,  with  their  roots  growing  in  the  same  bed 
with  them.'" 


Flower  Markktfor  the  London  Poor.— 
The  "Flaneur"  of  the  Hackney  and  Kingsland 
Gazette,  affords  his  readers  a  bit  of  cheerful  in- 
formation as  follows  :  The  love  of  flowers  is  in- 
dissolubly  connected  with  the  human  soul, 
whether  it  be  in  the  lordly  Belgravian  or  Ihe 
lowly  Bethnal-Greenian.  The  dahlia  and  tulip 
shows— albeit  they  used  to  be  held  on  Sunday 
morning  in  or  about  the  Birdcage  Walk— evinced 
such  an  affection  for  nature  and  its  beauties  as 
put  in  the  shade  the  more  gaudy  shows  of  Chis- 
wick  and  Regent's  Park.  Spenser  affirmed  that 
"entire  aflection  hateth  nicer  hands,'"  and  he 
was  right.  Full  of  the  knowledge  of  this  fact, 
and  to  aid  the  poor  to  make  "a  sunshine  in  the 
shady  place,"  Miss  Burdett  Coutts  is  about  to 
inaugurate  a  Flower  Market  in  Crab  tree  Row, 
abutting  on  to  the  Hackney  Road,  and  contigu- 
ous to  the  Fish  Market,  sacrificing,  in  her  benev- 
olence, about  £'6.000  worth  of  building  land 
thereby.  Upon  the  ground,  which  it  is  intended 
to  plant  with  trees,  a  fountain  will  be  erected, 
and  directions  are  given,  I  understand,  to  her 
manager  of  Columbia  Market  to  receive  ofl'ers 
from  persons  wishing  to  lay  out  plants  and  flow- 
ers for  sale  thereon — free  of  rent.  I  dare  say 
many  a  sneer  will  pass  in  regard  to  the  analogy 
between  fish  and  flowers  ;  and  wi.se  shakes  of 
empty  heads  will  doubtless  attest  their  owners' 
opinions  that  il  will  never  answer.  Time  will 
tell.     IVrsistence  in   the  cause  of  good  will  sur- 


mount all  difficulty  ;  but,  swim  or  sink,  sneered 
at  or  not,  the  noble  lady,  in  the  language  of 
Massinger — 

" Well  deserves 

Her  nijme— the  M\id  of  Honor  !     May  she  stand, 
To  all  po<teiiiy,  a  fair  exsmple 
For  noble  minds  to  imitate  !" 


Depth  of  Rain  in  Various  Climates.— In 
Lombardy  nearly  nine  inches  of  rain  have  been 
known  to  fall  in  one  day,  and  twelve  inches  in 
Calcutta,  or  nearly  half  the  mean  annual  quan- 
tity of  rain  on  the  east  coast  of  England.  During 
one  single  storm,  which  Castlenau  witnessed  at 
Petras,  on  the  Amazon,  there  fell  not  less  than 
thirty  inches  of  rain— nearly  as  much  as  the  an- 
nual supply  of  our  west  coast.  The  hollow 
trunk  of  an  enormous  tree  in  an  exposed  situa- 
tion gave  the  French  traveller  the  means  of  ac 
curate  measurement.  —  The  Tropical  World, 
Hartwig. 


The  Oldest  Tree  in  Europe— The  oldest 
tree  on  record  in  Europe,  is  asserted  to  be  the 
cypress  of  Somma,  in  Lombardy,  Italy.  This 
tree  is  believed  to  have  been  in  existence  at  the 
time  of  Julius  Caesar,  fortj'-two  years  before 
Christ,  and  is  therefore  L911  years  old.  It  is 
106  feet  in  height,  and  20  feet  in  circumference 
at  one  foot  from  the  ground.  Napoleon,  when 
laying  down  his  plan  for  the  great  road  over  the 
Simplon,  diverged  from  a  straight  line  to  avoid 
iniurins  this  tree. 


Transplanting  a  Large  Tree.— At  Elve- 
(len  Hall,  the  seat  of  the  Maharajah  Dhuleep 
Singh,  considerable  interest  has  been  excited  by 
the  successful  removal  of  a  very  large  tree,  un- 
der the  superintendence  of  Mr.  Barron,  of  the 
Elvaston  Nurseries,  Derby  The  remarkably 
tine  specimen  of  purple  beach  thus  transplanted 
is  nearly  .50  feet  high,  the  diameter  of  the  branch- 
es 58  feet,  and  the  circumference  of  the  stem  at 
about  a  foot  from  the  ground  7  feet  8  inches 
The  mass  of  soil  and  undisturbed  roots  measured 
1()  feet  by  14  feet,  the  roots  extending  6  feet  be- 
yond, and  the  whole  weighed  considerably  over 
20  tons  A  platform  of  strong  timber  was  con- 
structed underneath,  and  the  tree  was  raised 
upon  rollers  laid  on  planks,  by  means  of  power- 
ful screw-jacks.  This  being  done,  the  tree  was 
drawn  on  to  its  new  site  with  the  aid  of  pulley 
blocks  of  unusual  size, being  maintained  through- 
out in  an  upright  position. 


The  Changeable  Forget-Me-Not.— All 
the  Forget-me-nots  have  been  tri(>d  :is  pot  plants 
in  the  aljiine  house,  and  only  one  of  them  proves 
to  be  well  adapted  for  tlu'  purpose,  and  this  hap- 


1871, 


THE    GARDEJV-ER'S    MOJVTHLY. 


9i53 


pens  to  be  the  best  of  the  Forget-me-nots  for  any 
purpose.  Myosotis  dissitiflora  should  be  tjrown 
in  pots  one  whole  season  out  of  doors  to  make  a 
pretty  specimen  to  tlower  in  the  house  in  spring. 
If  well  done,  it  forms  a  dense  cushion  of  bright 
green  leafage  quite  covered  with  its  lovely  {low- 
ers, which  at  first  are  of  a  most  delicate  pink 
hue,  but  afterwards  acquire  a  tint  of  palest  azure. 
If  flowered  early  in  a  warm  house,  the  flowers 
are  at  first  pure  white.  In  either  of  these  condi- 
tions it  is  a  gem  of  the  first  water. —  The  Oarden- 
tr^s  Magazine. 


Dwarf  French  Beans,  — -Dwarf  French 
Beans  are  most  valuable,  provided  the  right 
sorts  are  grown.  For  small  gardens  one  variety 
will  be  quite  suflicient,  and  that  variety  should 
be  Negro  Long-podded,  which  is  undoubtedly  the 
best  flavored  and  the  heaviest  cropper.  There 
are  several  other  ver}'  good  sorts,  and  if  more 
than  one  kind  is  wanted,  Canterbury  Earl ij  White 
and  Darli  Dim  can  be  recommended.  Haricot 
Beans  are  not  worth  growing  for  use  in  a  green 
state,  and  for  use,  when  ripe,  they  can  be  pur- 
<3l'ased  much  cheaper  than  they  can  be  grown  in 
this  country.  A  warm  position  should  be  se- 
lected for  French  beans,  especially  in  the  north- 
ern parts  of  the  country,  because,  unlike  the  peas 
and  many  other  vegetables,  they  must  have  a 
moderate  degree  of  heat  to  enable  them  to  grow 
and  bear  well.  The  soil  should  also  be  rich,  and 
the  beans  gathered  as  fast  as  they  are  large 
enough  for  use,  because  when  they  are  allowed 
to  remain  upon  the  plants  for  a  length  of  time 
afterwards,  they  not  only  become  too  old  and 
tough  for  use,  but  they  check  the  growth  of  the 
plants  and  put  a  stop  to  their  productive  pow- 
ers. For  dry  seasons  the  varieties  belonging  to 
this  section  are  undoubtedly  the  best,  and  most 
profitable  vegetnbles  that  can  be  grown  in  gar- 
dens of  all  sizes.  The  drought  does  not  atiect 
them  very  seriously,  although  they  do  not  of 
course  remain  in  full  bearing  in  summers  like 
that  of  last  year  so  long  as  they  would  in  seasons 
in  which  they  could  enjoy  a  greater  amount  of 
moisture,  both  at  the  roots  and  overhead. 

It  is  a  very  common  failing  to  sow  dwarf  beans 
almost  as  thick  in  the  rows  as  mustard  and  cress, 
under  the  belief  that  it  is  necessary  to  do  so.  A 
much  greater  fallacy  could  not  well  exist,  for  a 
row  in  which  each  plant  has  sufficient  room  will 
bear  a  much  heavier  crop  than  a  similar  row 
with  three  times  the  numlKr  of  plants  in  it.  It 
is  a  good  plan  to  sow  in  double  rows  and  to  al- 


low a  space  of  three  inches  between  the  two  rows, 

and  of  six  inches  between  the  plants  in  each  row. 
Two  feet  must  be  allowed  between  the  rows  to 
admit  of  the  crop  being  gathered  with  any  degree 
of  comfort ;  but  a  greater  return  will  be  harvest- 
ed when  three  feet  is  allowed,  provided  the  soil 
has  been  manured  recently  or  has  not  been  too 
much  impoverished  by  the  ]irevious  crop. — IVie 
Qardener^s  Magazine, 


Size  of  Onions  in  England.  — In  December 
last  I  trenched  a  piece  of  ground  25  yards  square, 
to  the  depth  of  two  feet,  just  deep  enough  to 
bring  three  inches  of  clay  to  the  surface.  After 
it  had  remained  in  a  rough  state  for  six  weeks  I 
forked  in  a  good  quantity  of  strong  manure — 
principally  refuse  from  the  garden — and  on  the 
10th  of  March  sowed  the  seed  in  drills  18  inches 
apart.  One-half  of  the  ground  I  sowed  with  the 
Xuneham  Park,  the  seeds  of  my  own  saving  ; 
the  other  half  I  solved  with  Danvers'  Yellow 
and  Giant  Rocco, 

To-day  (August  loth.)  I  have  measured  some 
bulbs  of  the  Nuneham  Park,  and  I  find  that  they 
are  fully  13  inches  in  circumference  The  largest 
of  Giant  Rocco  are  11  inches  in  circumference, 
and  Danvers'  Yellow  10  inches.  They  have  not 
had  a  drop  of  water  except  that  which  has  fallen 
from  the  clouds,  and  we  have  only  had  very  lit- 
tle here  — Cor.  of  London  Journal  of  Horticulture. 


The  Oldest  Rose  Tree  —The  oldest  of  all 
rose-bushes  is  said  to  be  one  which  is  trained 
upon  one  side  of  the  cathedral  of  Ilildesheim,  in 
Germany,  The  root  is  buried  under  the  crypt, 
below  the  choir.  The  stem  is  a  foot  thick,  and 
half  a  dozen  branches  nearly  cover  the  eastern 
side  of  the  church,  bearing  countless  flowers  in 
summer.  Its  age  is  unknown,  but  documents 
exist  which  prove  that  the  Bishop  Iltzilo,  nearly 
a  thousand  years  ago,  i)rotected  it  by  a  stone 
roof,  which  is  still  extant 


A  Nut-tree  with  a  Collar  on.  -A  story 
has  been  going  tlu;  rounds  about  a  filbert  tree 
which  grew  up  througVi  the  hole  of  a  millstone, 
filled  it,  and  ultimately  hoisted  it  oft' the  ground, 
and  wore  it  like  a  ruffle  around  its  trunk,  al- 
though it  was  five  and  a  half  feet  diameter,  and 
seven  inches  thick.  Some  are  sceptical  about 
this  story  ;  but,  nevertheless,  growing  trees  have 
a  great  lifting  power,  as  may  be  proved  by  sight 
any  day  in  the  cemetery  at  Old  Cambridge,  where 
a  small   tree  which   has  apparently  sprung  from 


25Jf 


THE    GARI)EA''MIt':S    MOJfTHLY. 


August, 


a  seed  inclosod  in  a  heavy  tombstone  has  grown 
through  a  chink  between  Iwo  stones,  lifted  the 
heavy  superincumbent  masses  of  stone  some 
inches,  and  pushed  a  stout  iron  raihng  off  the 
perpendicular  b}'  the  force  of  its  growth. —Gar- 
dener''s  Weekly. 


Daphne  Mezereum  — It  is  not  generally 
known  that  there  are  at  least  four  varieties  of 
this  common  shrub.  The  typical  plant  (or  that 
Avhich  we  regard  as  such)  as  met  with  in  our 
woods  usuall}' presents  flowers  of  a  fine  deep  pink 
color.  This  form  of  plant  is  subject  to  a  few  va- 
riations, the  result  of  soil  and  climate  perhaps, 
but  the  range  of  variation  comprises  only  two  or 
three  shades  of  pink  The  red  variety,  called 
ruhrum,  is  less  pleasing  than  the  deep  pink,  but 
still  very  pretty.  The  white  variety,  called  al- 
bum surpasses  all  the  rest,  and  for  its  size  and 
season  is  the  best  hardy  shrub  known.  As  a 
wilding,  it  is  extremely  scarce  ;  as  a  garden  plant 
it  is  by  no  means  plentiful  ;  as  "a  thing  of  beau- 
ty and  a  joy  forever,"  it  may  be  said  to  be  com- 
paratively unknown  If  anyone  were  to  ask  me 
to  convey  an  idea  of  its  aj^pearauce  when  in  flow- 
er, I  should  proceed  in  this  way  :  You  know  the 
double-flowering  cherry,  one  of  the  most  cheerful 
and  bonny  of  the  many  trees  that  fill  our  gardens 
with  snowy  garlands  in  spring  ?  Yes.  The 
white  raezereon  is  a  counterpart  of  that  in  min- 
iature, and  if  there  is  a  shade  of  difference  as  to 
their  respective  merits,  the  mezereon  is  without 
question  the  prettiest  of  the  tw^o.  It  is,  howev- 
er, unfair  to  make  a  hard  comparison,  for  the 
cherry  is  a  noble  tree  and  the  Daphne  a  thiy 
bush  —The  Gardener''s  Magazine. 


Anemones  in  Pots.— All  the  small  growing 
and  early  flowering  anemones  make  lovely  pot 
plants  for  the  alpine  house,  and  ought  so  to  be 
grown  in  every  garden  where  the  best  of  the 
herbaceous  and  alpine  flowers  are  appreciated. 
It  has  been  one  of  my  special  pleasures  since  the 
Ist  of  March  to  have  a  daily  peep  at  the  ane- 
mones, some  of  them  presenting  their  large 
mauve-colored  or  inlensest  scarlet  flowers  over 
a  cushion  of  eU'gant  and  ample  leafage,  others 
dotting  their  neat  green  tufts  with  delicate 
blush,  rose,  or  white  flowers.  So  extremely 
pretty  are  they,  even  now  that  their  flowering  is 
nearly  over,  that  the  hyacinths  in  the  same 
house  afford  me  far  less  jileasure.  It  is  no  small 
advantage  in  their  favor  that  they  require  but 
little  attention  to  ensure  the  most  agreeable  re- 


sults, and,  iinlike  the  Myosotis  recommended  for 
the  house,  need  not  be  grown  in  pots  during  the 
summer  ;  in  fact,  will  do  far  better  in  the  bor" 
der.  If  taken  up  and  potted  when  they  are 
dying  down  natural!}',  and  kept  in  a  frame  or 
pit  until  the  end  of  a  year,  they  will  then  be 
sufliciently  established  to  throw  up  their  leaves 
and  flowers  abundantly  as  the  days  lengthen  and 
the  spring  is  promised  As  to  the  most-  suitable 
varieties,  there  can  be  no  doubt  at  all,  but  we 
must  not,  in  this  note  touch  the  large  question 
of  species  and  nomenclature.  Raiher  let  us  se- 
lect them  by  their  trade  names,  because  those 
names  afford  the  surest  indications  of  them  for 
the  purposes  of  the  garden.  I  find  in  Ware's 
catalogue  the  following  spring  flowering  kinds 
that  are  adapted  for  the  alpine  house,  viz.: 
a2jennina  alba,  white  flowers  ;  coronaria,  various 
colors  ;  Pulsatilla,  puce  ;  ranunculoieles,  yellow  ; 
nemoroia,  white  ;  nemorosa  rosea  fl.  pi.,  double 
rose  ;  stellata  in  three  varieties,  perfect  models 
of  pot  plants  for  the  alpine  house  ;  fulgens,  bril- 
liant scarlet  ;  thalicfroides,  white.  As  it  is  not 
possible  for  all  our  readers  who  value  pot  plants 
to  purchase  and  cultivate  all  that  are  recom- 
mended, the  best  advice  that  can  be  offered  to 
such  as  tread  their  way  timidly  is  to  begin  with 
A.  stellata  and  A  fulgens.  for  they  are  the  very 
best  for  pots,  and  so  showy  that  they  might  be 
safely  grown  in  thousands  for  Covent  Garden 
Market. — The  Gardener\s  Magazine. 


Lilies  at  the  London  Shows.— A  London 
correspondent  of  the  Dublin  Jiecord  thus  writes  : 

"  A  remarkable  hybrid  lily  was  exhibited  at 
the  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  j 
on  the  3rd  inst.  It  was  a  true  hybrid,  between 
L  auraimn  and  L.  lancifolium  speciosum,  and 
had  petals  similar  to  those  of  the  L.  lancifolium 
type,  but  broader  and  smoother,  and  conse-  | 
quently  with  the  flowers  much  less  reflexed. 
In  color  the  flowers  were  white,  and  had  not  the 
golden  rays  peculiar  to  L.  auratam,  the  flower 
was  exquisitely  fragrant,  and  the  foliage  was  in- 
termediate between  the  two,  though  perhaps 
partaking  rather  more  of  that  of  L.  auratnm. 
It  was  exhibited  by  ^Ir.  George  Thomson,  Stan- 
stead  Park  Gardens,  Enisworth,  Hants,  and 
awarded  a  first  class  certificate.  Mr.  George  F. 
Wilson,  the  treasurer  of  the  lioyal  Horticultu- 
ral Society,  who  deserves  much  prai^^e  for  his 
efforts  in  classifying  the  various  speeimens  and 
varieties   of  lilies    in    cultivation,    received    the 


1871. 


THE    GARDENER'S   MOM'THLlt. 


9J65 


same  award  for  a  double  form  of  LiUum  trigri- 
num,  with  several  rows  of  petals,  which  very 
much  interested  horticulturists.  This  is  a  very 
much  superior  double  flower  to  that  of  the  com- 
mon white  lily,  L.  candidnm,  to  be  occasionally 
met  with  in  gardens  Mr.  C  Turner,  of  Slouch, 
also  received  the  same  award  for  a  very  fine  va- 


riety of  L.  auratum,  densely  spotted  with  deep 
purple,  and  having  that  color  also  as  a  shade  to 
the  golden  bands  Mr.  W.  Bull.  King's  Road, 
Chelsea,  also  had  three  nice  varieties  of  i.  aura- 
(unt,  one  of  them  nearly  pure  white,  and  named 
Viryinalis;  and  Mr.  Wilson  also  had  L  Ldchi- 
linii,  having  yellow  tlowers  with  pale  spots. 


HORTICULTURAL    NOTICES. 


PEXXSYLVAXIA  HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 

JUNK  MEETING. 

Successful  as  was  the  previous  meeting  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Horticultural  Society,  the  June 
meeting— the  last  until  September-  eclipsed  all, 
both  in  the  number  and  character  of  the  visitors, 
and  the  qualit}'  of  the  fruits  and  flowers  on  exhi 
bition.  AVe  can  only  furnish  a  brief  account  of 
a  few  of  the  leading  points  which  struck  us  par- 
ticularly, as  an  hour  in  such  a  place,  and  amidst 
so  many  thousands  of  people,  is  entirely  to  limi- 
ted a  time  to  do  full  justice  to  it. 

Amongst  the  flowers  the  Roses,  cut  specimens, 
were  the  leading  attraction.  In  Dreer's  collection 
we  noted  as  an  excellent  variety,  Elize  Morrell,  a 
pale  rosy-cupped  variety — a  class  of  hybrid  per- 
petuals  we  prefer.  Josephine  Beauharnais  is 
another  older  one,  something  like  it,  but  darker. 
Amongst  the  Bourbon  roses  was  Madame  St. 
Charles,  a  beauty  almost  equal  to  a  hybrid  per- 
petual. The  old  Souvenir  d'un  Amie — a  tea  of 
great  beauty,  but  too  rarely  seen  Another 
pretty  tea  rose  is  Mont  Plaiser,  a  yellow  between 
Oloire  de  Dijon  and  Marechal  Neil. 

Mr.  C.  Bcllett,  gardener  to  L  Vandusen,  had 
also  roses,  many  of  which  were  of  superior  size 
Imagine  Anna  de  Diesbach  and  Lord  Raglan 
five  inches  across. 

In  G.  X  Earle's  roses  we  are  reminded  by  a 
fine  Sombrieul  to  note,  that  it  is  one  of  the  hardi- 
est of  these  half  hardy  Xoisettes. 

Mr.  Earle  is  also  our  best  amateur  in  Lily 
culture,  and  exhibited  a  collection  of  some  2U 
varieties  of  the  old  orange  variety.  Color  seems 
a  type  of  the  species,  the  difierences  here  were 
chiefly  in  the  shading,  sizes  and  spotting— they 
were  all  of  varying  tints  of  orange. 

II.  A.  Dreer  had  some  remarkably  pretty 
Gloxinias.     Every  one  knows  that  a  few  years 


ago  the  Gloxinia  sported  into  a  tubular  section, 
with  upright  flowers;  now  we  have  some  witli 
nodding  tubular  flowers.  Ilieroglyphie,  Rose 
d'Amour  and  Hermine  wore  pretty  of  Ibis  class. 
Another,  Panthere,  was  spotted  on  the  inside 
like  a  fox  glove. 

Dreer  also  had  some  very  well  grown  Fuch- 
sias. They  were  all  8  or  6  inch  pots,  and  yet 
were  two  feet  hiiih,  and  well  proportioned.  Star- 
light, Roderic  Dhu  and  Purple  Prince  were  very 
distinct  kinds.  Also  some  nice  fancy  Pelargo- 
niums, Prince  Charlie  and  Cloth  of  Silver  being 
particularly  nice. 

Amongst  Mr  W.  II.  Harris'  plants  was  an 
exceedingl}'^  well  grown  plant  of  the  Fern,  Poly- 
stichum  angulare,  also  of  the  variegated  Cobsea 
scandens. 

Mr.  Hugh  Graham  had  a  large  number  of  fine 
specimens  of  many  rare  plants,  some  very  pretty 
orchids,  especially  a  Cypripedium  barbatura, 
with  six  flowers;  and  an  Epidendrum  virescens 
with  twelve  Philodendron  pertuosum,  with  its 
curious  leaves  and  delicious  fruit;  Acostus  Ze- 
brinus,  with  its  singular  velvety  leaf. 

Charles  Crawford  had  an  Amaryllis  alba 
striata,  with  a  flower  on  a  stem  two  feet  high  ; 
and  another  plant  of  the  Geranium,  General  Lee. 
There  is  no  question  about  this  being  the  most 
beautiful  zonale  or  bedding  Geranium  out.  It 
has  an  immense  number  of  rosy  scarlet  flowers 
in  a  compact  head,  which  seem  to  bloom  alto- 
gether instead  of  a  few  at  a  time  as  so  many  of 
these  Geraniums  do 

^Ir  Gebhard  Iluster  had  as  usual  a  very  nice 
collection  of  hot  and  greenhouse  plants. 

Mr  Alexander  Newctt,  gardener  to  II.  Pratt 

McKean,  Esq.,  had  some  magnilicent  IVlargo- 

niums,  measuring  about  three  feet  high  by  three 

feet  across       Much  care  and   skill    must   have 

'  been  devoted  to  their  culture.    There  are  always 

i 


25() 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S    MO:S'TELY. 


August, 


■some  rare  and  beautiful  orchids  in  this  collec- 
tion, to-day  there  were  Cattleya  Mossioe  with 
four  flowers,  Maxillaria  tenuifolia  with  50 ; 
Brassia  verrucosa,  six  spikes  of  12  flowers  each, 
which  is  very  fine  for  this  species  ;  also  a  very 
well  flowered  plant  of  La^lia  purpurascens. 

Mr.  T.  J.  Mackenzie  had  a  plant  of  Sanchesia 
wobilis  coming  into  flower  and  the  very  pretty 
variegated  plant,  Pokmonium  variegatum.  He 
<ixhibited  also  a  curious  thing  from  Costa  Rica, 
brought  by  M.  Lachaume.  It  was  a  Bilbevgia 
with  a  stem  about  eighteen  inches  thick,  but  yet 
not  more  than  three  feet  high  ;  and  the  hard  scaly 
flower  bracts  gave  the  plant  a  carved  stony 
character,  as  if  it  might  have  been  a  fossil,— a 
petrified  organism  of  some  past  age. 

In  Mrs.  Bissetts  lot  was  a  very  nice  plant  of 
the'  new  and  beautiful  Pejjeromia  maculosa. 

Mr.  Geo.  Huster,  gardener  to  Alex.  Cum- 
mings,  Esq.,  had  chiefly  Caladiums,  very  well 
grown,  among  his  plants. 

Sweet  Williams  of  a  peculiar  breed,  were  the 
chief  attraction  in  Mr.  David  Fcrgusson's  lot, 
and  a  well  flowered  Plumiera  in  the  collection  of 
Mr.  Tii,os.  Smith,  gardener  to  Matthew  Baird, 
Esq  ,  caused  many  enquiries  as  to  the  name  and 
history  of  so  curious  a  thing. 

Mr.  Henry  A.  Gibson  contributed  an  Agave 
Chiapcnsi.-i  in  flower.  This  is  a  very  rare  and 
beautiful  species.  The  leaves  were  about  3  feet 
long  and  two  inches  broad,  and  the  flower  cup 
rose  to  five  feet.  The  flowers  were  greenish,  as 
in  the  common  century  plant. 

In  Mr.  Buist's  collection  we  always  expect  to 
find  rare  plants  Now  he  had  a  fair  specimen  of 
the  Aculypha  IricoJor  and  Lantana  Don  Calmen 
a  pretty  white  with  yellow  eye  ;  several  orchids, 
particularly  Epidendrum  verrucosa,  a  Cypripe- 
dium  barbatum,  about  the  same  as  Mr  Newett's 
and  an  Oncidium  si)hacellatum,  which  had  a 
three  feet  i^pike  and  3(5  flowers.  The  best  speci- 
men of  Clerodendron  Balfouri,  notwithstanding 
the  many  good  plants  which  have  been  exhibi- 
ted, was  also  here. 

In  regard  to  fruits,  the  Strawberries  were  very 
fine,  and  would  have  puzzled  even  a  strawberry 
king  to  decide  which  variety  on  exhibition  to 
siiccially  admit  to  royal  favors.  Wm.  Parry 
had  "20  kinds.  His  Boyden's  30,  a  very  large 
dark  red,  had  many  admirers.  The  Kentucky,  a 
large  red  wedge  shaped  fruit,  was  barely  ripe 
It  is  valued  as  a  late  one.  Triumph  of  America 
a  light  scarlet,  and  very  regular  conical  fruit, 
was   in  this  and  almost  all  the   collections,  from 


which  it  would  seem  to  be  popular.  The  Ro- 
meyn  was  flat,  and  cockscomby,  and  rather  dar- 
ker than  we  have  before  seen  it.  Triomphe  de 
Gand  did  not  seem  so  much  like  Romeyn  Seed- 
ling as  the  plant  growing  would  lead  one  to  ex- 
pect. All  the  fruit  in  this  collection  was  large 
and  fine,  and  it  was  difficult  to  decide  which 
would  be  considered  the  best  looking,  though 
probably  Boyden's  30  would  be  so  considered  by 
most  persons. 

In  Satterthwait's  collection, besides  mostof  the 
kinds  named  above,  were  some  excellent  Jucun- 
das,  so  regular  and  beautiful,  that  probably 
Knox  himself  would  kneel  before  them. 

Dreer  had  in  his  collection,  some  Dr.  Nicaise, 
very  large,  and  cockscomb-like  ;  and  some  Na- 
poleon III.  something  similar,  but  the  seed  few- 
er and  closer  set.  Dr.  Nicaise  appeared  to  be 
the  largest  berries  shown  ;  but  the  numerous 
rifts  in  the  fruit  would  prevent  their  being  so 
heavy  as  some  other  berries.  We  found  Napo- 
leon III,  quite  a  favorite  with  many  growers. 

Mr.  D.  W.  Herstino  had  some  remarkably  fine 
kinds,  amongst  which  Bonte  de  St.  Julien.  was 
especiall}^  attractive. 

John  Mitchell  had  remarkably  fine  Triomphe 
de  Gands. 

Satterthwait  had  many  plates  of  cherries. 
Belle  de  Orleans  being  the  best.  He  also  as- 
tonished the  multitude  with  lots  of  Cucumbers 
20  inches  long. 

But  perhaps  the  most  interesting  part  of  the 
exhibition  to  a  fruit  grower,  was  the  grapes 
from  Miss  Hettie  Trimble  of  West  Chester,  who 
has  not  only  shown  that  fruit  culture  vf\\\  pay. 
but  that  a  woman  can  do  it  Such  fine  bunch(  s 
as  these  we  think  were  never  exhibited  here  in 
June.  The  bunch  of  Bowood  Muscat  was 
about  14  inches  long  by  6  inches  wide,  the  ber- 
ries being  very  large;  and  the  Black  Hamburg, 
Muscat  Trouvei'on  and  Muscat  Hamburg  being 
proporti(jnately  fine 

Mr  Felten  had  some  Early  Kiehmoiul  and  Early 
May  cherries,  to  show  their  distinctions.  The 
former  had  stems,  but  about  an  inch  long ;  the 
Early  May  had  stems  double  this,  and  the  fruit  I 
a  little  darker.  Chas.  Lippincott  had  perhaps 
the  best  cherries,  exhibited  in  the  shape  of  a 
plate  of  May  Dukes.  In  the  vegetable  line 
Dreer's  Hanson  Cabbage  Lettuce  was  very 
showy  and  attractive  Several  diflerent  sets  of 
varieties  of  Asparagus  were  exhibited  ;  but  un- 
less the  ''proof  of  the  pudding  is  in  the  eating,'' 
we  could  see  no  ditl'ercnce. 


PINUS  PUNGENS. 

fffoffA yfDfrPoiiSi r  ran  thi  OAPiDfUCftS  uO'^  ^hl v 


i;iu  (SHnleiur's  Matitlilg. 


DEVOTED  TO 

Horticulture,    Arboriculture,    Botany    and    Bural    Affairs. 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEHAN. 


Old  Series,  Vol.  XIII.    SEPTEMBER,     1871.     New  Series,  Vol.  IV.  No.  9. 


HINTS    FOK    SEPTEMBER. 


FLOWER  GAEDEX  AND  PLEASURE   | 
GROUND. 

There  is  not  so  much  enjoyment  in  summer 
as  in  spring  flowers.  After  the  total  absence  of 
floral  beauty  during  winter,  the  spring  blossoms 
are  doubly  welcome — and  then  the  season  of  the 
year  renders  them  enjoyable  beyond  anything 
that  the  heats  of  summer  will  allow.  From  now 
till  November  the  hardy  flower  roots  will  be 
sought  for  as  amongst  the  most  interesting  of 
spring  flowers 

Unless  very  well  acquainted  with  the  varieties 
of  Hyacinths  and  other  bulbs,  it  is  best  to  leave 
the  selection  of  the  kinds  to  the  dealer  The  best 
manure  for  all  kinds  of  bulbs  is  rotten  cow  ma- 
imre.  Half  rotten  stable  manure,  or  rank  mat- 
ter of  any  kind,  is  not  good.  Very  rich  garden 
soil,  without  manure,  is  better  than  to  have  this 
matter  fresh. 

Of  Tuhps  there  are  many  classes.  The  single 
dwarf  varieties  are  very  early  ;  the  double  ones 
of  the  same  class  come  next.  The  Parrot  Tu- 
lips, so  called  from  the  singular  warty  edges  of 
the  petals,  are  the  next  earliest,  and  then  the 
Tulip  so  well  known  for  its  large,  full  cups  of  all 
colors. 

The  next  most  popular  bulb  is  the  Narcissuii, 
of  which  there  are  only  white  and  yellow  varie 
ties  — but  these  so  varied   in  shade  and  shape  as 
to  aflbrd  a  dozen  or  more  of  single  and  double 
kinds. 

The  Crocus  is  another  popular  bull),  as  there 
are  so  many  shades  of  color,  white,  yellow,  blue, 
and  the  many  shades  between,  they  make  gor- 
geous masses  in  the  spring  (lower  garden.  Th(!y 
have  a  beautiful  eflect  when  placed  in  clumps 
ou  the  lawn,  where  the   flowers  come   through 


and  expand  before  the  grass  begins  to  grow. 
The  sloping  sides  of  a  terrace  are  often  made  to 
blaze  with  beauty  in  this  way  ;  and  besides,  the 
extra  warmth  of  these  terrace  banks,  when  full 
to  the  sun,  make  the  roots  flower  much  earlier 
than  they  will  in  the  level  garden  ground.  Crown 
Imperials  have  been  much  improved  of  late 
yeax's,  and  there  are  now  some  dozen  or  more  of 
varieties  But  the  old  Red  and  the  old  Yellow 
are  good  things  to  have  at  any  rate. 

The  Snowdrop  is,  perhaps,  the  earliest  to  flow- 
er of  all  bulbs,  being,  in  Philadelphia,  often  out 
by  the  1st  of  March.  There  are  the  double  and 
the  single  both  desirable — but  the  last  we  think 
the  prettiest.  They  should  be  planted  where 
they  are  to  remain  several  years,  as  the  after- 
removal,  as  with  other  bulbs,  is  not  favorable  to 
an  abundant  bloom. 

Persian  Iris,    Eanunculus,  and  Anemone,  are 

very  popular  and  beautiful  bulbs  in  Europe,  but 

do  not  reach  anything  like  the  same  jierlection 

here. 
Among  the  miscellaneous  hardy  bulb.^,  which 

flower  early  and  are  very  desirable,  are  Japan 
Lilies  of  all  varieties,  and  all  kinds  of  Lilies,  al- 
though they  are  scarcely  to  be  ranked  with 
spring  flowers  many  of  them,  indeed,  not  open- 
ing till  July. 

Then  there  is  the  Allium  mohj,  two  kinds,  yel- 
low and  white  ;  Camas.na  esculenta.,  a  plant  of 
the  Squill  taniily,  and  very  pretty  ;  Eri/throni- 
ums,  white  and  yellow;  Leucojumcestivum.,  and  L. 
vernum  with  white  flowers  ;  various  (Jrnithoijd- 
lums;  the  American  Pdnrratiums;  Scillus  ol' 
various  kinds,  especially  S.  Sibirica  ;  Zejjliyran- 
thus  ntamasco,  and  we  may  add  the  various 
Pfjnoniiis.  These  are  all  hardy,  and  really  good 
thing's. 


258 


THE    GARDEJ^EICS   MOKTHLlt, 


Septemher, 


The  lAly  of  the  Valley  can  be  treated  as  a  bull) 
by  planting  out  beds  in  the  fall,  and  will  always 
be  admired  when  well  grown.  Like  the  Snow- 
drop, however,  it  does  not  like  frequent  changes 
of  locality.  It  prefers  a  good  top  dressing  to  a 
transplanting. 

Preparing  for  spring,  also,  many  flower  seeds 
should  be  sown  in  September.  The  Pansy,  es- 
pecially, everbody  has,  as  it  is  one  of  the  most 
cheerful  and  loved  of  all  spring  flowers.  Wall- 
flowers^ (Jarnaiions  and  Hollyhocks  should  also 
be  sown.  The  young  seedlings  must  be  protect- 
ed in  winter  ;  but  this  is  easily  effected  by  draw- 
ing a  little  earth  over  the  plants,  entirely  cover- 
ing them.  Next  to  snow,  earth  is  the  best  plant 
protector.  In  sowing  seeds  remember  that,  in 
all  cases,  it  is  best  to  sow  on  a  little  elevation 
rather  than  on  a  full  level  with  the  ground. 

As  the  planting  season  arrives,  it  is  as  well  to 
repeat  what  we  have  often  remarked,  that  the 
relative  advantages  of  spring  and  fall  planting 
are  about  evenly  balanced.  Failures  follow  all 
seasons.  How  to  plant  is  of  far  more  importance 
than  lohen  to  plant ;  and  the  selection  of  stock  to 
plant,  of  far  more  importance  than  the  time 
when  it  is  done.  A  tree  that  has  been  once  or 
twice  before  transplanted,  and  again  carefully 
and  intelligently  taken  up,  may  be  successfully 
removed  at  either  planting  season,  with  the  odds 
of  perhaps  one  hundred  to  five  in  its  favor.  But 
a  tree  never  before  transplanted— such,  in  fact, 
as  a  tree  from  the  woods,  or  left  standing  in  the 
nursery  from  the>eed  bed,  is  very  risky  at  any 
time,  and  depends  rather  on  the  weather  follow- 
ing transplanting  for  the  first  few  weeks  for  any 
probability  of  success.  In  selecting  trees  for 
planting,  then,  be  very  particular  to  ascertain 
that  they  have  an  abundance  of  fibrous  roots, 
and  are  carefully  removed.  In  this  region,  we 
would  plant  evergreens  at  once,  after  or  in  pros- 
pect of  the  first  good  rain.  Deciduous  trees  we 
would  i)lant  just  before  the  final  fall  of  the  leaf, 
shortening  oil'  the  ends  of  those  shoots  that  were 
not  quite  mature.  After  the  15th  of  October  we 
would  not  plant  evergreens,  nor  deciduous  trees 
after  the  first  of  November.  Early  or  not  at  all 
should  be  the  motto. 

Propagation  of  stock  for  next  year's  budding 
should  proceed  vigorously.  The  best  way  to 
propagate  all  the  common  kinds  of  bedding 
plants"  is  to  take  a  frame  or  hand-glass  and  set 
it  on  a  bed  of  very  sandy  soil,  made  in  a  shady 
place  in  the  open  air.     The  s:ind  should  l)e  fine 


and  sharp,  and  there  is,  perhaps,  nothing  better 
than  river  sand  for  this  purpose.  The  glass  may 
be  whitewashed  on  the  inside,  so  as  to  afford  ad- 
ditional security  against  injury  from  the  sun's 
rays.  Into  this  bed  of  sand,  cuttings  of  half-ri- 
pened wood  of  the  desirable  plants  maybe  set, 
and  after  putting  in,  slightly  watered.  Even 
very  rare  plants  often  do  better  this  way  than 
when  under  treatment  in  a  regular  propagating 
bouse.  In  making  cuttings,  it  is  best  to  cut  the 
shoot  just  under  a  bud, — they  root  better,  and 
are  not  so  likely  to  rot  off"  and  decay.  A  cutting 
of  about  three  eyes  is  long  enough  for  most 
strong  growing  things,  such  as  geraniums,  fuch- 
sias, &c. 

Small  growing  things,  of  course,  will  take  more 
buds  to  the  one  cutting.  From  one  to  three  in- 
ches is,  however,  long  enough  for  most  cuttings. 
They  should  be  inserted  about  one-third  of  their 
length  under  the  sand,  which  latter  should  be 
pressed  firmly  against  the  row  of  cuttings  with  a 
flat  piece  of  board, — not,  however,  hard  enough 
to  force  the  jDarticles  of  sand  into  the  young  and 
tender  bark,  which  is  often  the  first  step  to  decay. 
For  a  few  cuttings,  they  may  be  inserted  with  a 
dibble  ;  but  where  many  are  to  be  put  in,  it  saves 
time  to  mark  a  liue  on  the  sand  with  a  rule  or 
sti'aight  edge,  and  then  cut  down  a  face  into  the 
sand,  say  one  or  two  inches  deep,  when  the  cut- 
tings can  be  set  against  the  face  like  box-edging. 

All  amateurs  should  practice^ the  art  of  propa- 
gating plants.  There  is  nothing  connected  with 
gardening  more  interesting. 

Many  kinds  of  bedding  plants  of  succulent  or 
sub-fleshy  growth,  can  be  taken  up  from  the  flow- 
er beds  on  the  approach  of  frost,  and  cut  in,  sa3'^ 
one-half,  and  packed  thickly  in  boxes  of  soil,  and 
kept  in  a  rather  dry  and  cool  cellar  through  the 
winter.  Such  fine  plants  make  a  much  better  show 
in  the  beds  the  next  3'ear  than  the  plants  of  the 
present  season's  striking.  A  cellar  is  one  of  the 
most  useful  appendages  to  a  garden  Were  we 
to  have  only  one  choice,  we  should  prefer  a  cellar 
to  a  greenhouse  for  its  general  usefulness. 

We  have  had  many  inquiries  recently  about 
cold  pits  for  the  protection  of  half-hardy  plants 
through  the  winter,  and  in  reply,  reprint  the  fol- 
lowing from  one  of  our  back  volumes: 

Those  who  have  no  greeniiouse,  and  yet  are 
desirous  of  preserving  many  hall-hardy  plant 
through  the  winter,  employ  cold  pits.  We  re- 
produce from  a  former  volume  directions  for 
niakinji  them: 


1871. 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S   MOJVTHLY. 


'259 


Choose  the  dryest  situation  in  the  garden,  and 
sink  about  five  feet  deep.  It  is  important  that 
no  water  can  be  retained  at  the  bottom.  The 
pit  may  be  of  any  length  required,  and  about 
five  feet  wide,  so  as  to  accommodate  six  feet  sash. 
The  inside  of  the  pit  may  be  built  up  of  boards, 
or,  if  something  more  durable  and  substantial  is 
required,  brick  or  stone.  The  body  of  the  frame 
may  be  built  up  a  few  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
surrounding  soil,  and  the  earth  which  comes 
from  the  pit  be  employed  in  banking  up  to  the 
upper  level  of  the  frame.  Shelving  should  be 
made  for  the  inside  so  as  to  extend  from  the  base 
of  the  front  to  nearly  the  top  of  the  back,  on 
which  to  place  the  plants  in  pots.  In  the  space 
which  will  then  be  under  the  staging,  hard 
wooded  and  deciduous  plants,  as  lemon  verbe- 
nas, fuchsias,  «fec.,  may  be  safely  stored,  while 
the  more  succulent  kinds  are  shelved  overhead. 
The  plants  to  be  preserved  in  such  a  pit  should 
be  potted  early,  and  be  well  established  and 
healthy  before  being  pitted  ;  much  of  success  de- 
pends on  this.  The  less  water  they  can  be  made 
to  live  on  without  withering  through  the  winter 
the  better  will  they  keep.  Straw  mats  must  be 
employed  to  cover  the  glass  when  freezing  time 
commences,  and  when  the  thermometer  is  likely 
to  fall  below  20^,  straw  or  litter  should  be  thrown 
over.  Board  shutters  are  also  excellent,  as  it 
keeps  the  snow  out  from  the  straw  and  litter, 
which  sometimes  makes  the  mats  very  awkward 
to  uncover  when  we  would  like  to  give  air.  Very 
little  light  or  air  will  be  required  through  the 
winter  when  the  plants  are  not  growing.  If  a 
good  fall  of  snow  cover  the  pit,  it  may  lie  on  un- 
disturbed two  weeks  or  more  without  injury. 
When  a  warm  dr}-  day  oflers,  the  sashes  may  be 
raised  if  convenient,  to  dry  up  the  damp.  Many 
kinds  of  border  plants  can  be  kei)t  over  winter 
this  way  with  little  trouble. 


FRUIT  GARDEN. 
The  planting  of  the  Pear,  Apple,  Plum  and 
Cherry  will  soon  be  in  season  ;  Peaches,  Apri- 
cots and  Grape  Vines,  except  south  of  the  Poto- 
mac being  for  the  most  part  left  till  spring. 
Choose  a  dry  piece  of  ground.  If  not  naturally 
dry,  it  is  best  to  throw  the  earth  up  into  banks 
or  ridges  and  plant  on  them.  This  is  cheai)*'r 
and  better  than  underdraining.  In  planting,  if 
the  roots  appear  deep,  cut  away  some  of  the 
deeper  ones,  and  shorten  some  of  the  top  of  the 
tree  at  the  same  tiiuc.     'IMiis  is  particularly  true 


of  dwarf  Pears,  which  are  often  grafted  on  rath- 
er long  Quince  stocks.  Cut  away  all  of  the 
Quince  root  but  about  six  inches,  and  if  this 
should  be  found  to  leave  few  roots,  cut  away  the 
top  cori'espondingly.  Most  of  the  failures  with 
dwarf  Pears  come  from  bad  Quince  roots,  so  deep 
in  the  ground  the  lower  parts  decay,  and  this 
decay  gradually  communicates  upwards  until  the 
whole  system  becomes  diseased.  The  more  ten- 
acious the  subsoil  the  more  necessary  is  it  to  at- 
tend to  this  matter.  We  spoke  of  pruning  in 
proportion  to  injury.  It  will  be  found  that  all 
trees  are  a  little  injured  by  removal,  therefore 
all  trees  should  be  a  little  pruned  at  transplant- 
ing. 

In  preparing  for  planting  trees,  the  soil  should 
be  stinted  up  at  least  two  feet  in  depth.  Of 
course,  the  trees  should  lie  planted  in  the  holes 
onl}^  so  deep  as  they  stood  in  the  ground  before, 
rather  higher,  if  anything,  as  the  soil  will  set- 
tle. Good  common  soil  may  be  filled  in  the 
holes  if  the  natural  soil  is  very  bad  ;  but  anything 
applied  as  manure  may  be  stirred  in  the  surface 
soil  after  the  trees  are  planted. 

Some  talk,  in  preparing  an  orchard,  about 
making  ''one  large  hole"  for  all  the  trees.  This 
seems  witty,  but  it  is  an  expense  which  very  few 
orchards  will  ever  repay.  Water  is  likely  to 
stand  in  the  deep  holes  we  recommend  ;  but  in 
such  cases  we  would,  rather  than  go  the  expense 
of  subsoiling  the  whole  orchard  or  underdraining, 
plant  higher  than  they  grew  before — higher  than 
the  surrounding  soil,  mounding  the  earth,  as  it 
were,  above  the  level.  No  water  will  ever  stand 
here.  And  the  money  usually  spent  on  making 
"one  big  hole''  of  the  "whole"  orchard,  or  in 
underdraining,  we  would  spend  in  annually  sur- 
face dressing  the  ground. 

Trees  that  have  long  stems  exposed  to  hot 
suns,  or  drying  winds,  become  what  gardeners 
call  "hidebound."  That  is,  the  old  bark  becomes 
indurated,— cannot  expand,  and  the  tree  suffers 
much  in  consequence.  Such  an  evil  is  usually 
indicated  by  grey  lichens  which  feed  on  the  de- 
caying bark.  In  these  cases  a  washing  of  weak 
lye  or  of  lime  water  is  very  useful ;  indeed, 
where  the  bark  is  healthy,  it  is  beneficial,  thus 
to  wash  the  trees,  as  many  eggs  of  insects  are 
thereby  destroyed. 

The  old  practice  of  slitting  hidebound  Cherry 
and  other  trees  with  a  kiiifi;,  had  mucii  more 
sense  in  it,  than  some  of  our  leading  minds  are 
ready  to  admit. 


260 


THE    GARBEMEK'^S    MOJ^TRLY. 


September, 


HOT  AND  GREENHOUSE. 

In  the  greenhouse,  repairing  and  thorough 
cleansing  must  not  be  delayed.  Painters  say 
this  is  the  most  advantageous  month  to  paint 
woodwork.  Whenever  the  night  temperature 
falls  to  40°,  any  tender  plants  in  pots  should  be 
housed,  without  waiting  for  the  ''first  week  in 
October."  Things  nearly  hardy,  as  Azalea, 
Ehododendrons,  Oranges,  &c.,  do  best  out  "to 

the  last." 

Any  desirable  plant  for  forcing,  that  may  be 
growing  in  the  open  border,  if  potted  early  in 
the  month,  will  do  very  well  for  that  purpose, 
Weigelia  rosea  does  excellently  this  way,  as  also 
does  Jasminum  nudiflorum,  Forsythia  viridissi- 
ma,  many  Spirseas  and  Persian  Lilacs.  Roses 
and  other  things  intended  to  be  forced  early, 
should  have  as  much  air,  and  be  kept  as  dry  as 
possible  without  injury.  Hyacinths  and  other 
bulbs  should  also  be  potted  as  soon  in  the  month 
as  they  are  obtained  ;  the  former  are  best  plant- 
ed an  inch  deep.  The  earlier  bulbs  are  potted 
the  finer  they  flower— you  may  get  catalogues  of 
any  number  of  kinds  or  colors,  at  the  auction 
marts.     If  you  get  ten  per  .cent,   as  represented, 

when  they  flower,  you  will  be  favored. 

Mignonette,  Rhodanthe  Manglesii,  and  simi- 
lar ornamental  annuals  essential  for  winter 
blooming  in  well-kept  houses,  should  be  sown  at 
once.  Many  things  for  next  season's  flowering, 
must  not  now  be  forgotten.  The  pansy,  calceo- 
laria and  cineraria,  are  in  this  class.  Plants  of 
these  that  have  been  kept  over  the  summer,  will 
require  a  re-division,  and  kept  in  a  close  frame  a 
few  days  afterwards,  till  they  get  re-established. 
Propagation  of  all  things  will  still  I'equire  con- 
stant attention.  It  should  always  be  an  aim  to 
possess  one  duplicate  plant  as  a  provision 
against  accidents.  In  many  cases,  young  plants 
are  preferable  to  old  ones— so  that  the  old  ones 
may  be  destroyed  when  these  are  obtained. 

In  the  hothouse,  theyEschynauthus  will  soon 
be  the  chief  ornament  of  this  division.  Their 
number  has  increased  so  that  they  have  become 
quite  a  feature.  If  the  pots  seem  full  of  roots, 
they  may  still  have  another  shift.  They  prefer 
very  fibrous  peat ;  or,  if  that  cannot  be  had,  turfy 
loam  mixed  with  a  portion  of  coarse  moss.  1  hey 
will,  however,  do  pretty  well  in  small  pots. 
Achimenes  and  Gloxinias,  as  they  go  out  of 
flower,  should  be  kept  dryer  and  cooler.  Look 
well  after  a  good  stock  of  pcntas,  cestrum  and 
habrothamnus  ;  they  will  go  far  towards  keep- 
ing up  the  interest  of  the  (U'i)artinent  in  winter. 


Justicias,  and  acanthaceous  plants  generally, 
will  probably  require  another  shift,  if  flne  speci- 
mens are  desired.  The  atmosphere,  if  the  house 
be  light,  can  scarcely  be  too  moist  for  them. 
Plumbago  rosea  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  stove 
plants  we  know  for  winter  flowering  ;  it  requires 
a  strong  heat.  Clerodendrons  as  they  go  out  of 
flower,  should  be  kept  in  a  very  airy  situation, 
and  I'ather  dry,  preparatory  to  being  cut  down, 
and  treated  like  a  Pelargonium  for  another  year. 
Many  Begonias  will  be  past  their  best  flowering 
stage:  very  little  watering  serves  them  ;  they 
are  very  liable  to  damp  off  by  incaution  in  this 
respect. 

It  is  difficult  to  lay  down  rules  for  orchidsea, 
so  much  depending  on  the  circumstances  under 
which  they  are  grown.  Those  which  have  fin- 
ished their  growth— as  many  Dendrobiums,  On- 
cidiums,  Catasetums,  &c.,  whose  flowers  appear 
just  before  new  growth — should  have  their  sup- 
plies of  moisture  gradually  lessened.  The  tem- 
perature, also,  is  better  gradually  lowered  a  few 
degrees,  and  they  should  be  allowed  more  Hght 
than  usual.  The  period  when  they  are  about 
completing  their  growth  is  the  most  critical,  as 
any  check  at  this  time  spoils  the  prospect  of 
much  blossom  for  next  season.  Those  which 
flower  from  the  young  growth,  as  Catle3a,  Lae- 
lia,  Broughtohia,  &c.,  will  require  their  moisture 
and  heat  rather  increased  than  otherwise  till  af- 
ter their  flowering.  Vandas,  angroecums,  sac- 
colabiums  and  other  strong  rooting  £erial  kinds, 
will  require  constant  humidity,  until  it  is  evi- 
dent, from  the  point  of  their  roots,  that  the}^  de- 
sire to  stop  growing.  We  are  often  asked  "how 
often  orchids  require  to  be  syringed  ?"  If  the 
situation  in  which  they  are  growing  be  favora- 
ble,— that  is  retains  in  it  atmospheres  a  regular 
humidity, — they  will  require  very  little  atten- 
tion ;  in  many  cases  not  requiring  the  syringe 
once  a  week.  Where  this  cannot  be  efl'ected, 
the  syringe  must  be  oftener  applied.  As  a  rule, 
I  think  no  better  one  could  be  oflered,  than  to 
syringe  orchids  just  so  much  as  will  barely  keep 
moss  attached  to  their  block,  and  baskets  green 
and  growing  The  real  terrestrial  orchids  will 
retpiire  no  moisture  at  all  after  they  have  com- 
pleted their  growllis,  until  they  .show  signs  of 
pushing  again.  Care  against  checks  in  temper- 
ature and  humidity  is  one  of  the  secrets  of  suc- 
cessful orchid  growing.  Those  which  are  at 
rest  do  well  in  a  temperature  of  60°  at  the  lowest. 
Those  which  are  growing  well  should  be  kept  at 
about  80". 


1871. 


THE    GARDE^^ER'S    MOJ^THLJ. 


261 


VEGETABLE  GARDEN. 
Earth  up  Celery  as  it  grows,  not  letting  the 
soil  get  to  the  heart,  or  it  will  rot.  Soap  suds, 
or  other  manure  water,  helps  it  wonderfully  at 
this  season.  Dig  and  house  Potatoes.  Too 
large  a  pile  will  heat,  and  any  way  they  keep 
best  when  cool,  and  with  some  soil  mixed 
through  the  heap  Sow  Red-top  Turnip  for 
main  crop  ;  rich  soil  is  essential.    Transplant 


Endive  ;  this  also  likes  a  rich  loamy  soil.  It 
does  not  do  well  on  sandy  soil.  Sow  Radish  and 
Lettuce  for  fall  crops.  Sow  Cauliflower  and 
Early  York  Cabbage  about  the  middle  of  the 
month.  Onions  sown  in  fall  make  fine  early 
bulbs  for  next  year.  Sow  prickly  Spinach  in 
very  rich  soil,  for  use  through  the  winter  and 
early  spring. 


COMMUNICATIONS. 


NEW  MODE  OF  GRAFTING. 

BY  MR.  J.  H.  CREIGHTON,  DEL.,  O. 

I  will  state  an  experiment  that  pi-oved  suc- 
cessful with  me  this  spring  in  grafting  a  pear 
tree  of  pretty  large  size,  and  which  I  hope  will 
prove  useful  in  grafting  large  trees  without  so 
much  expense  and  time  as  is  generally  necessary. 

I  used  a  knife-blade  :j-inch  broad,  with  which 
I  make  a  stab  obliquely  into  the  side  of  a  large 
limb  or  body  of  the  tree,  the  knife  making  a 
sharp  angle  with  the  tree  passing  into  the  wood 
and  between  the  wood  and  bark  as  near  as  I 
can,  so  that  when  the  knife  is  pushed  in  as  far 
as  T  design,  it  is  hid  by  the  bark  about  an  inch 
and  a  quarter,  and  the  bark  very  little  broken  or 
cracked  except  in  a  very  large  tree.  The  graft 
is  so  sharpened  that  it  slips  in  where  the  knife 
came  out,  and  just  fits  with  the  slope  mostly  on 
the  side  next  the  tree.  The  cut  being  oblique, 
the  perpendicular  fiber  of  bark  binds  the  graft 
tight.  The  inner  bark  of  the  tree  and  graft  has 
abundant  opportunity  to  unite  all  along  the 
8lo\>ing  side  of  graft  and  next  the  wood  of  the 
tree  ;  and  as  the  whole  end  of  the  graft  is  en- 
tirely covered,  there  is  no  place  for  evaporation. 
The  grafts  were  onlj'  in  tolerable  order.  'I'he 
time  was  April  1st.  A  little  wax  was  used  to 
make  sure  the  tightness  of  the  union.  They  nearly 
every  one  grew.  They  were  put  in  in  one-fifth 
the  time  you  could  put  on  a  bud  or  graft.  They 
can  be  put  in  almo.st  as  fast  as  the  end  of  the 
graft  can  be  sloped  off  If  only  one  in  ten  should 
grow,  still  a  large  tree  could  be  worked  over  in 
this  way  much  faster  than  the  common  way. 
Whether  this  process  can  be  successful  later  in 
the  season,  I  do  not  yet  know,  but  will  try  it. 


I  fear  now  that  I  have  not  described  it  as  ac- 
curately as  it  should  be.  but  it  is  pretty  hard  to 
do  so  in  every  particular  without  an  engraving. 
It  differs  from  the  French  spur  budding  in  this 
very  important  particular — the  insertion  is 
slightly  oblique  so  that  a  portion  of  strong  thick 
bark  made  more  tense  by  the  graft  being  wedged 
under,— it  presses  on  the  graft,  keeping  it  solid 
and  nearly  closing  up  the  wound.  And  then 
another  advantage  is,  that  as  the  body  of  the 
limb  or  tree  emerges  during  the  summer,  there 
is  no  perpendicular  cut  to  gape  open  ;  there  is,  it 
is  true,  an  incision,  but  it  is  very  smaP,  and  not 
within  half  an  inch  of  where  the  graft  and  tree 
begin  to  unite. 


THE  MONOCOTYLEDON  THE  UNIVER- 
SAL TYPE  OF  SEEDS. 

BY  THOMAS  MEEHAN. 

Read  before  the   Amei-icfin   Association  for  the  Advance- 
ment of  Science,  at  Indianapolis,  August  18,  1871. 

It  must  be  evident  to  the  readers  of  my  paper 
at  the  Chicago  meeting  of  the  Association,  on 
^^Adnation  in  Coniferce,''''  that  the  observations 
there  detailed  could  scarcely  be  accounted  for  if 
the  belief  be  true  which  is  generally  held  by  bo- 
tanists, that  the  leaf  oviginates  at  the  node  from 
which  it  seems  to  spring.  It  is  not,  however,  an 
object  with  me  to  attack  existing  theories  or  estab  - 
lish  new  ones,  but  simply  to  present  facts  as  I  see 
them.  If  I  suggest  a  meaning  to  the  facts,  it  is 
to  excite  thought  in  others,  as  facts  are  of  no 
value  unless  some  one  makes  use  of  them.  The 
origin  of  the  leaf  will  no  doubt  prove  a  question 
which  will,  in  time,  take  care  of  itself.  But  this 
generalization  cannot  be  avoided  by  the  readers 


^62 


TEE    GARDEJVER'S    MOjYTHLY. 


September, 


of  that  paper,  that  the  whole  plant  is  originally 
an  unity,  and  that  the  subsequent  formation  of 
elementary  organs  and  their  complete  develop- 
ment or  absorption  into  one  or  another,  is  the  re- 
sult of  varying  phases  of  nutrition.  The  leaves  in 
Coniferoe  were  found  to  be  free  or  united  with 
the  stem,  in  proportion  to  the  vigor  of  the  cen- 
tral axis.  Following  up  this  subject,  I  now  offer 
some  facts  which  will  show  that  all  seeds  are 
primarily  monocotyledonous,  and  that  division 
is  a  subsequent  act  depending  on  circumstances, 
which  do  not  exist  at  first  commencement  of  the 
seed  growth. 

It  is  well  known  that  in  some  species  of  coni- 
ferous plants  the  number  of  cotyledons  vary,  I 
have  noticed  in  addition  to  this,  that  whether 
the  cotyledons  are  few  or  many,  tliere  is  no  in- 
crease in  the  whole  cotyledonous  mass.  In  the 
Norway  Spruce,  Abies  eoixelsa,  there  are  some- 
times as  many  as  ten  cotyledons,  at  others  only 
two, — in  the  latter  case  they  are  broad  and  ovate, 
while  in  the  former  they  are  narrow  and  hair 
jike  In  short,  when  in  the  two  leaved  state  it 
is  not  possible  to  note  any  difference  between  a 
seedling  Norway  Spruce,  and  a  Chinese  Arbor- 
vitfe  {Biota  oWfntoZ/s), except  by  the  lighter  shade 
of  green.  The  two-leaved  condition  is  not  com- 
mon, but  specimens  of  threes  and  others  I  ex- 
hibited to  Drs  Torrey  and  Gray,  at  the  Troy 
meeting.  Any  one  who  will  examine  sprouting 
seeds  of  the  Norway  Spruce,  will  agree  to  the 
proposition,  that  the  cotyledons  are  not  original 
and  separate  creations^  hut  a  divided  unity. 

My  next  observations  were  on  some  acorns  of 
Qiiercus  agrifolia.  The  division  into  cotyledons 
was  numerous  and  irregular.  Cut  across  verti- 
cally, some  represented  the  letter  C,  others 
the  letter  N,  and  again  with  four  cotyledons  the 
letter  M.  Here  again  it  was  clear  that,  how- 
ever the  form  and  number  of  the  cotyledons, 
there  was  no  increase  of  the  original  cotyledon  mass. 
Examining  sprouting  peach  kernels,  the  varia- 
tions in  form  and  number  were  of  the  most  re- 
markable character.  I  need  not  repeat  them  in 
detail  here,  as  they  are  reported  in  the  April  and 
May  Proceedings  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sci- 
ences of  Philadelphia.  In  addition  to  the  fact  of 
no  increase  in  the  whole  cotyledon  mass,  it  was 
here  clear  that  when  the  cotyledons  xcere  duplica- 
ted, the  dnjiUcations  at  least  were  subsequent  to  the 
original  ones. 

Still,  so  far  nothing  had  been  seen  to  indicate 
when  the  first  pair  of  cotyledons  were  formed. 


Quercus  macrocarpa  and  Quercus  palustris  were 
silent  to  my  questions  ;  of  a  large  number  I  found 
no  variation  whatever,  each  mass  was  divi- 
ded smoothly  and  exactly  into  two  cotyledons. 
Quercus  robur,  the  English  oak,  however,  gave 
some  curious  evidence.  Two  germs  under  one 
seed  coat  were  numerous,  and  often  three,  and 
the  cotyledons  took  on  a  variety  of  forms  ;  but 
there  was  never  any  more  increase  in  the  cotyle- 
donous mass  than  if  but  two  lobes  had  been 
formed,  and  there  was  no  more  rule  in  the  divi- 
sion than  than  there  would  be  in  the  sudden 
breakage  of  a  piece  of  glass.  A  detailed  account 
of  these  will  also  be  found  in  the  May  Proceed- 
ings of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Phila- 
delphia. Que7'cus  rubra,  the  American  red  oak, 
furnished  the  one  link  wanting  to  connect  the 
first  division  into  lobes  with  the  other  phe- 
nomena. All  the  acorns  examined  had  three  or 
four  sutures  on  the  cotyledon  mass,  and  extend- 
ing all  along  the  longitudinal  surface  externally, 
without  any  reference  to  cotyledonal  divisions. 
These  sutures  extended  sometimes  but  a  line  in 
depth,  at  others  almost  to  the  centre  of  the  mass; 
always  accompanied  by  the  inner  membrane, 
as  is  the  case  in  ruminated  seeds.  The  whole 
mass  was  divided  only  in  two  parts  in  any  that 
I  examined  of  this  species,  but  the  division  loas 
always  in  the  direction  of  the  suture.  Hence 
each  cotyledon  was  very  irregular.  Sometimes 
one-third  the  mass  only  went  to  one,  while  the 
other  had  two-thirds  of  the  whole  mass.  It  was 
easier  to  burst  in  the  weaker  line  of  resistance, — 
but  the  interest  for  us  is  to  note  that  origin- 
ally the  cotyledon  mass  was  an  unit— then  the 
sutures  or  fissures  were  formed  ;  and  ultima- 
tely the  two  divisions  of  the  lobes  followed  in 
their  direction.  The  division  ivas  the  last  condi- 
tion, not  the  first. 

I  know  how  much  we  should  guard  against  gen- 
eralizing on  a  limited  supply  of  facts,  but  it  re- 
quires an  effort  to  believe  that  oaks,  pines  and 
peaches,  as  we  have  seen  primordially  monoco- 
tyledonous,are  in  this  respect  different  from  other 
so-called  dicotyledonous  plants  ;  and  if  we  grant 
that  all  seeds  are  primarily  monocotyledtmous, 
may  we  not  ask,  why  in  any  case  are  they  divided  ? 
We  have  seen  that  there  is  no  increase  of  mass 
in  the  division, — the  same  amount  is  furnished  in 
one,  as  in  many.  Would  it  in  any  way  injure 
the  Indian  corn  seed  to  have  its  mass  divided  into 
two  lobi'S  ?  or  would  not  tiie  plantlet  be  as  well 
provided  for,  if  the  acorn  were  in  one  solid  mass? 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MOJ^THLY, 


263 


Division  would  seem  to  l)e  a  necessity  occur- 
ring subsequent  to  organization,  and  existing 
from  the  position  of  the  plumule  alone.  In 
monocotyledons  as  we  know  them,  the  plumule 
is  directed  parallel  to,  or  away  from  the  cotyle- 
donous  mass  ;  when  of  course  on  this  theory  it 
remains  an  undivided  mass.  But  in  dicotyle- 
donous seeds,  the  plumule  is  directed  towards 
the  apex  of  the  mass  ;  and  as  we  know  in  the 
case  of  roots  against  stone  walls,  or  mushrooms 
under  paving  stones,  the  disposition  in  the  grow 
ing  force  of  plants  is  to  go  right  forward,  turn- 
ing neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left  ;  so  in  this 
mass  of  matter  the  development  of  the  germ 
would  make  easy  work  of  the  division,  and  no 
doubt  often  at  so  early  a  stage  as  to  give  the  impres- 
sion we  have  hitherto  been  under,  that  the  divi- 
sion is  a  primary  and  essential  process. 


BOTANY  BAY,  NEW  SOUTH  WALES. 

BY  MR.  W.  T.  HARDING,  XOXANTUM  HILL  NUR- 
SERl,    BRIGHTON,   MASS. 

As  we  walked  along  the  beach  of  Botany  Bay, lis- 
tening to"the  sad  sea  waves'  'as  they  grandly  rolled 
in  from  the  bosom  of  the  South  Pacific,  and  bring- 
ing nearer  and  nearer  to  S3'dney  many  a  richly 
freighted  merchantman  from  distant  lands,  who 
on  returning  would  bear  away  more  auriferous 
treasures  than  the  "navy  of  Tarshish,  with  the 
navy  of  Hiram,  once  in  three  years,"  were  wont 
to  carry.  Then,  probably, was  the  "golden  age'' 
we  hear  and  read  of  now  ;  at  any  rate  it  was  not 
in  this  year  of  grace,  for  time  and  place  have 
changed  since  then  to  California  and  Australia, 
where  "rushes"  and  "stampedes"  are  frequent- 
ly made  to  the  modern  "diggings."  I  could  not 
but  feel  the  force  of  the  fact,  that  Solomon  had 
shown  great  wisdom  in  leaving  so  much  of  the 
golden  harvest  to  be  gathered  by  the  lucky  dig- 
gers of  to-day  ;  and  perhaps  there  was  wisdom 
too  in  concealing  so  much  of  the  "dusf  from  me 
(I  have  tried  hard  to  think  so)  while  "pursuing 
fortune's  slidd'ry  ba'."  Nevertheless  I  feel 
thankful  to  Him  who  has  revealed  many  a  trea- 
sure when  searching  for  "the  hidden  mysteries 
of  nature  and  science.''  As  I  know  you,  Mr. 
Editor,  to  be  a  "man  after  my  own  heart,"  and 
rich  in  the  possession  of  those  "sympathies 
which  makes  the  world  akin,"  you  would  have 
felt  much  as  the  writer  did  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances, as  he  gazed  at  the  scene,  and  trod 
the  soil  so  sacred  to  the  memory  of  three  "good 


and  true  men,"  who  have  left  us,  namely.  Cap- 
tain Cook,  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  and  Dr.  Solander, 
to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  most  of  the  plants 
which  adorn  and  decorate  the  conservatories 
now. 

As  I  look  back  along  the  vistas  of  time,  it  is 
pleasure  to  think  of,  even  now,  that  I  have  been 
a  votary  at  the  shrine  of  "Flora,"  at  the  far  off 
floral  "Mecca"  of  Botany  Bay. 

At  Sydney  there  is  an  excellent  and  well  ar- 
ranged botanical  garden,  containing  a  collection 
of  every  kind  of  fruit  trees,  forest  trees,  shrubs 
and  herbaceous  plants  from  various  parts  of  the 
world,  as  far  as  could  be  collected  ;  but  unfortu- 
nately was  not  so  well  kept  as  it  was  previous 
to  the  gold  discoveries;  and  like  its  sister  garden 
at  Melbourne,  was  suffering  for  want  of  labor. 
I  will  not  weary  you  with  a  description  of  Syd- 
ney, which  has  often  been  described  by  more 
able  pens  than  mine,  any  further  than  to  say  it 
is  a  well  built,  populous  and  busy  city.  So 
please  follow  me  again,  and  I  will  lead  you  into 
the  "bush  " 

Having  attracted  the  attention  of  an  old  set- 
tler, who  rejoiced  in  the  name  of  "Commodore'' 
Palmer,  while  examining  some  specimens  of  Al- 
gea,  picked  up  on  the  sands,  who  informed  me 
that  he  was  an  old  "man  o' war's  man,"  and  in  the 
course  of  some  of  his  voyages,  had  frequently 
sailed  through  vast  fields  of  sea-weeds,  so  thickly 
woven  together  as  to  make  it  difficult  to  pass 
through.  But  what  astonished  him  the  most, 
was  to  find  it  growing  upon  the  trees,  some  hun- 
dreds of  miles  from  the  ocean,  and  especially  so 
about  where  he  lived, it  grew  a  full  fathom  or  more 
in  length  ;  and  seriously  assured  me  it  was  a  fact 
of  which  he  would  be  pleased  to  convince  me,  if  I 
could  only  shape  my  course  with  him,  when  re- 
turning to  his  section  My  intentions  were  to 
travel  as  far  as  Bathurst,  having  some  business 
matters  to  attend  to  there,  and  from  thence  on 
to  Moreton  Bay,  so  was  pleased  to  accept  his 
offer  to  "show  me  the  sights"  on  our  way 
thither. 

A  church  clock  struck  three  in  the  morning  as 
we  left  Sydney,  seated  upon  a  heavy  laden  dray, 
and  drawn  by  ten  stout  oxen, and  were  soon  wind- 
ing our  way  through  the  forest  glades,  and  moved 
along  through  scenes  "so  charming,''  w  mderfully 
romantic,  and  so  strangely  in  contrast  with  any- 
thing previously  witnessed,  admiring  the  mag- 
nificent old  trees,  whose  lofty  tops  wai  ved  some 
hundreds  of  feet   above  the  beautiful  and  bril- 


S6'4 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJYTHLy. 


September, 


liantly  colored  shrubs  and  flowers  beneath.  The 
Moreton  Bay  Chestnut,  Castanospennum  Aus- 
tralis,  were  handsome  trees,  with  here  and  there 
the  odd  looking  grass  trees,Xanthorrhoea  hastata, 
interspersed  with  clumps  of  the  peculiar  fleecy 
looking  Stenochilus  incanus.  which  the  "Com- 
modore" called  '"wool  bushes."  Stackhousia 
linearifolia  we  saw  in  quanti  Lies  for  the  first  time, 
also  a  pretty  evergreen  climber,  Secaraone  ellip- 
tica.  We  passed  through  dense  thickets  com- 
posed of  Billardia  fusiformis,  Clematis  indivisa, 
Kennedyas,  Hardenbergias,  and  Chorozemas, 
clinging  to  bushes  of  Pittosporum  revolutum, 
Elodeudrum  integrifolium,  Pommaderis  acumi- 
nata. Acacia saligna,  A.  longifolia,  A.ciliata,and 
many  other  kinds.  The  humble  looking,  and 
sweet  scented  Bulbina  suavis,  gave  out  a  de- 
lightful perfume  as  we  pushed  through  the  jun- 
gle so  thickly  matted  and  interlaced  together,  as 
almost  to  exclude  the  light.  Emerging  from  the 
tangled  shades,  we  entered  a  more  open  coun- 
try, and  halted  for  the  night  by  a  water  course 
in  a  pleasant  valley.  Several  finely  grown  speci- 
mens of  Corypha  australis,  or  Cabbage  palms, 
averaging  from  fifty  to  sixty  feet  high;  also 
some  good  sized  Bossoea  scolopendriums,  or 
plank  plant,  a  singular  looking  leguminous 
shrub,  in  full  bloom  were  plentiful  around.  Very 
conspicuous  and  pretty  were  two  Blandfordias, 
grandiflora  and  nobilis,  andThelymetra  stellata, 
with  fine  tufts  of  the  rush  like  Xyris  altissima, 
from  ten  to  fourteen  feet  high,  were  very  attrac- 
tive as  they  gently  Avaved  with  the  wind  on  each 
side  of  the  stream. 

On  the  fifth  day  out,  we  entered  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  glens  imaginable,  and  so  richly 
adorned  with  ferns,  herbaceous  plants,  shrubs 
and  trees.  I  believe  all  the  Zichias  were  here, 
having  counted  nine  species  Sollya  hetrophylla 
hung  in  graceful  festoons  from  tiee  to  tree, 
mixed  with  Clitorea  ternata  major,  Pronaya 
clegans,  Zylotohora  grandiflora,  and  Morinda 
jasminoides.  Some  lovely  orchids  Ave  noticed 
mostly  in  flower,  and  cosily  nestled  in  the  trees 
around,  such  as  Cymtidium  reflexum,  Saco- 
chilus  i)arviflorus,  Dendrobium  Scluenmum, 
1).  miniatum,  and  D.  cassythoides,  Cleisostoma 
tridcntatum,  and  several  others.  Of  terrestrial  ^ 
kinds  we  saw  numbers  of  llabcnaria,  The- 
lymitra  carnea,  Diuris  aurea,  and  Periostylis 
grandiflora,  (grand  indeed)  with  Macdonaldia 
cyanea.  Of  ferns,  many  and  beautiful  were  the 
frond.s  we  gathered  and  carefully  dried  for  the 


herbarium,  such  as  Northochloena  pumila,  and 
N.  distans,  Dicksonia  davalaoides,  Lomaria 
lanceolata,  Drynaria  irioides,  Nephrolepis  oblit- 
erata,  Gliechenia  flabbalata,  Davalia  pyxidata, 
Schiza^a  bifida,  Lindsoea  trapeziforrais,  Pteris 
falcata,  Adiantum  formosum,  Blechnium  iajviga- 
tum,  and  Polypodium  tennellum. 

Reluctantly  we  left  the  scene  that  so  forcibly 
reminded  us  that  "many  a  flower  is  born  to 
blush  unseen,  and  waste  its  sweetness  in  the 
desert  air." 

Our  course  for  some  distance  was  along  a  fer- 
tile valley,  where  the  trees  were  more  thinly 
scattered,  and  mostly  Eucalyptus  species,  grow- 
ing to  enormous  sizes,  averaging  from  fifty  to 
seventy-five  feet  in  circumference,  and  from 
three  to  four  hundred  high.  Hibiscus  splendens 
and  Indigofera  sjdvatica,  formed  very  pretty 
clumps,  the  former  often  from  twelve  to  four- 
teen feet  high,  and  the  latter  frequently  attain- 
ing twelve  feet. 

The  grass  seemed  to  grow  greener  and  more 
luxuriant  as  we  approached  the  "Commodore's'' 
section,  which  was  located  in  a  veritable  oasis, 
well  adapted  for  stock  raising  and  wool  growing. 
I  was  somewhat  astonished  at  the  knowledge  or 
instinct  of  the  dogs  as  they  suddenly  sprang 
from  out  of  the  thickets  and  bushes,  miles  awa}^ 
from  home,  where  they  had  concealed  them- 
selves, and  were  evidently  awaiting  their  mas- 
ter's return  ;  and  as  they  met,  seemed  "to  greet  . 
with  friendships  warmest  smiles,"  both  man  and 
beast.  Dusty  and  travel-stained  as  all  were,  I 
could  not  but  notice  a  remarkable  sanatory 
change  in  the  "Commodore's"  features  after  al- 
lowing the  faithful  creatures  to  "swab  his  figure 
head,"  or  rather  to  lick  "the  human  face  di- 
vine," an  operation  he  seemed  to  enjoy,  and 
willingly  submit  to.  We  have  often  heard  of 
"goin  to  the  dogs,''  which  seemed  absolutely  so 
in  this  instance,  for  such  a  pack  of  "mongrel 
hounds  and  pupp}'  dogs,  and  curs  of  low  degree," 
were  surel}^  never  seen  before. 

Satisfaction  and  good  nature  were  plainly 
wi'itten  on  every  wrinkle  time  had  scored  upon 
the  old  "Commodore's"  face  as  he  shook  hands 
with  his  crew,  who  seemed  heartily  pleased  to 
welcome  the  old  hero  home  again.  It  was  near- 
ly noon  when  we  reached  the  homestead,  which 
consisted  of  several  huts,  barns,  stables  and 
slieds,  snugly  located  beneath  the  trees  and 
evergreen  climbers,  and  were  fortunatel}' in  time 
to  partake  of  a  good   and  substantial  meal,   not 


.1^71. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^TRLY. 


265 


"mutton  and  damper,'' nor  "damper  and  mut- 
ton," the  squatters  every  day  bill  of  fare,  but  a 
haunch  of  Kangaroo,  well  served  and  relished. 
The  cook  was  an  "old  tar,"  in  fact  all  hands 
were,  or  had  been  sailors,  men  who  had  seen 
hard  service,  good  specimens  of  the  old  school 
"man  o'war's  men." 

The  "Commodore,"  to  make  good  his  pi'omiso, 
after  dinner,  undertook  to  pilot  me  to  where  the 
"sea  weeds  were  growing  upon  the  trees,  a  full 
fathom  or  more  in  length."  Not  doubting  his 
veracity  in  the  least,  although  somewhat  dubi- 
ous about  what  he  meant  by  sea  weeds,  we 
started  in  search  of  such  an  unheard  of  curiosi- 
ty before,  and  had  not  proceeded  far  within  a 
grove  of  white  and  blue  gum  trees,  before  my  at- 
tention was  called  to  a  sight  which  astonished 
me  indeed.  Pointing  to  the  trees  he  said, "there, 
do  you  believe  it  now  ?''  I  must  admit  that  I 
was  rather  puzzled  for  the  moment,  and  before 
replying,  went  forward  for  a  cloijer  examination, 
when  to  my  surprise  aad  delight  I  had  discov- 
ered in  the  "sea  weeds"  magnificent  specimens 
of  Platycerium  grande,  firmly  attached  to  the 
trees,  with  fronds  measuring  a  full  fathom  or 
more 

It  was  Saturday  night  at  sea.  and  in  accor- 
dance with  ancient  usuages  and  customs,  it  was 
Saturday  night  in  the  old  seafarers  cabin  in  the 
"bush,"  and  was  kept  up  as  in  days  of  yore. 
The  "Commodore"  sang  his  best  song,  "the 
Death  of  Nelson,"  as  heretofore,  which  he  as- 
sured me  he  had  never  omitted  doing  for  more 
than  forty  years,  every  Saturday  night.  After 
each  had  done  their  best  at  singing  some  old  sea 
ballad,  3-our  correspondent  was  called  upon  for 
the  next  song,  and  willingly  complying,  sang 
them  one  of  Dibden's  nautical  effusions. 

Here  a  sheer  hulk  is  laid  now  ;  poor  I  om  Bowline, 
The  darlinf;  ofuur  crew,  &.c" 

which  fairly  brought  down  the  house,  and  tears 
to  the  "Commodore's"  ej-es,  as  he  pronounced 
it  to  be  the  best  song  mortal  ever  sang,  with  the 
exception  of  his,  "The  death  of  Nelson." 

Happy  and  contented,  all  retired  for  the  night 
and  arose  refreshed  with  the  sun  on  the  Sabbath 
morning.  All  hands  in  the  "Conmiodore''s'' 
service  that  could  be  spared  from  their  duties, 
and  some  from  the  neighboring  stations  gathered 
at  the  quarter8,and  in  social  conversation  awaited 
the  hour  when  divine  service  commenced,  ac- 
cording to  the  time  honored  and  beautiful  lit- 
urgy of  the  Episcopal  church.  Prayers  lieing 
over,  one  of  Dr   Doddridge's  sermons  was  read 


and  attentively  listened  to,  and  the  service  con- 
cluded by  singing  a  metrical  selection  from  the 
108th  Psalm,  beginning  with  the  words, 

■'Oil  God  my  heart  i.-^  fully  bent 
To  iiiasuifv  thy  name.'" 

Fond  memories  of't  return,  and  with  pleas- 
ant recollections  of  the  past,  revei-t  to  that 
quiet  Sabbath  morning  when, within  the  deep  re- 
cesses of  antipodian  forests,  we  worshipped  God. 
Ever  passing  "time  waits  for  no  man.''  and  ad- 
monishes us  to  linger  not,  so  bidding  adieu  to 
our  hospitable  entertainers,  we  unwillingly  left 
them  ;  but  had  not  proceeded  far  before  we  were 
overtaken  by  the  "Commodore,"  who  accom- 
panied us  several  miles  on  our  way.  On  reach- 
ing a  group  of  Ficus  macrophylla,  thick  with 
an  undergrowth  of  Banksias,  Dryandrias,  and 
Buonapartias,we  seated  ourselves  upon  a  log,  one 
of  the  fallen  "giants  of  the  forest,"  when  "the 
ancient  mariner"'  asked  me  as  a  last  and  part- 
ing favor  to  oblige  him  by  singing  "Tom  Bow- 
line," as  he  would  most  likely  never  hear  it 
again.  Of  course  I  did,  while  the  old  man  drew 
nearer  to  my  side,  and  passing  my  hand  within 
his,  listened  to  the  song  as  re-echoed  through 
the  silent  wilderness.  His  big  heart  was  too  full 
to  sing  me  his  song  further  than  the  first  line, 
"T'was  in  Trafalgar's  Bay,"  when  he  broke 
down  completel}',  and  slipping  off  the  log  bid  me 
wait  a  moment  ;  moving  a  few  paces  and  fumb- 
ling in  his  pockets,  for  something,  he  stepped  up 
to  me  and  placed  in  my  hand  a  something  as  a 
"keepsake"  to  remind  me  of  him  when  far  away. 
I  gave  him  one  also  with  similar  injunctions, 
and  for  the  last  time  bid  each  other  farewell. 
When  out  of  sight,  curiosity  led  me  to  examine 
the  "keepsake"  which  was  firmly  tied  up  in  a 
piece  of  blue  serge  cloth,  where  it  had  probably 
remained  for  many  years.  On  opening  it,  at- 
tached to  a  blue  watered  silk  ribbon,  was  a 
heavy  gold  watch  key  and  seal,  on  the  latter 
was  engraved  a  ship  in  full  sail,  riding  on  the 
waves,  with  the  motto  beneath  "such  is  life." 


FRUIT  CULTURE  AT  WODENETHE. 

BY  "VIATOR,"  NEWBURO,  N.  Y. 

Several  gentlemen  from  the  northern  part  of 
this  State,  with  some  Western  horticulturists, 
were  very  much  struck  in  visiting  the  celebrated 
place  of  Mr.  Sargent,  at  Fi.shkill,  to  see  the  new 
varieties  of  apricots,  nectarines,  and  peaches,  by 
which  the  season  of  each  of  these  fruits  has  been 
prolonged  several  months. 


266 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^'THLY. 


Septemhe?', 


It  may  not  be  generally  known  to  your  rea- 
ders that  Mr.  Rivers,  the  celebrated  horticul- 
turist iu  England,  has  by  dint  of  much  patience 
and  many  experiments  succeeded  in  raising 
seedlings  (apricots  and  nectarines)  by  which  the 
season  comnu-ncing  now  is  carried  into  October, 
though  heretofore  it  lasted  only  about  a  month. 

Mr.  Sargent  gave  us  ripe  apricots  from  bashes 
imported  this  Spring,  and  assured  us  he  could 
do  the  same  through  the  next  three  months,  and 
the  same  with  nectarines,  plums,  and  peaches 
Tiie  plants  arc  all  grown  as  bushes,  beautifully 
trained,  and  the  varieties  we  thought  most 
promising,  were  seedlings  Nos.  5,  7,  15,  17.  and 
23  among  the  apricots.  And  Pineapple,  Lord 
Napier,  Albert  Victor,  Large  Elruge,  and  Vic- 
toria among  the  nectarines.  The  finest  of  the 
new  peaches  were  Early  Albert,  Early  Beatrice, 
Early  Elvers,  Early  Silver,  fruiting  in  June  and 
July  ;  Lord  and  Lady  Palmerston,  Prince  and 
Princess  of  Wales,  the  nectarine  peach  Alex- 
andra Noblesse,  Dagmar,  Royal  George,  and 
Seedlings  Nos.  34,  42,  &c.,  for  midsummer  and 
autumn 

The  plum  season  has  been  very  much  length- 
ened by  the  new  Green  Gages,  Brabys  and  Bry- 
ansons,  and  also  by  Seedlings  Nos.  1,  3,  4,  6,  7. 
and  Early  Prolific 

Among  the  new  things  of  interest  on  this  high- 
ly cultivated  place,  is  a  new  Herbaceous  border 
with  two  hundred  varieties,  and  a  rock  and 
stump  garden,  more  artistic  than  any  we  have 
seen  in  our  rambles  ;  with  all  the  new  alpine 
fiowers  (300  varieties)  recommended  by  Mr. 
Robinson  in  his  charming  book  on  Alpines,  and 
imported  from  Backhouse  &  Son's  celebrated 
nursery,  in  York,  England. 


TO  DESTROY  TIIE  ORANGE  RUST  ON 
THE  BLACKBERRY. 

15Y    MU.    ISIDOR    BUSH,    BUSUBERG   TINEYARDS, 
MISSOURI. 

Tiie  orange  colored  fungus  (uredo  ruborum) 
mi'ulioned  in  yonr  last  number,  ( Oardener''s 
Jion(/iZ//,July,1871,page  211)  also  madeitsappear- 
ance  in  spring  1870,  on  our  Lawton  and  Kitta- 
tinny  blackberries  1  asked  Mr.  Riley  for  a 
remedy,  and  he  stated,  same  as  you  do,  that  he 
believed  "there  was  no  other  available  remedy 
tiian  the  complete  destruction,  root  and  branch, 
of  every  infected  plant,'  [Am.  Entomoloriist, 
June,  1870,  p.  245).  But  this  spring  Mr.  liiley 
had  the  kindness  to  show   me  a  letter  from  a 


friend,  stating  that  he  believes  to  have  found  a 
reraed}^  which  consists  in  sprinkling  the  infect- 
ed plants  with  fresh  slacked  lime.  This  year 
the  orange  colored  rust  had  appeared  even  worse 

1  than  the  previous  one  ;  we  cut  otf  some  of  the 
most  infected  branches,   sprinkled   the  balance, 

j  wherever  rust  was  visible,  with  fresh  lime-wash, 
and  are  glad  to  bear  testimony  that  it  put  an  ef- 
fectual stop  to  its  spread,  and  even  the  plants 
which  were  so  affected  are  now  bearing  a  fair 
croi)  of  fruit. 


NEW  AND  BEAUTIFUL  EVERGREENS- 

BY  WALTER  ELDER,  LANDSCAPE  GARDENER, 
PHILAD'A. 

It  is  as  surprising  as  it  is  pleasing  to  an  orna- 
mental planter  to  see  the  numerous  and  diversi- 
fied species  and  varieties  of  lately  introduced 
evergreen  trees  and  shrubs  of  great  beauty,  now 
in  some  nurseries,  and  which  will  soon  revo- 
lutionize the  embellishing  of  pleasure  grounds. 
Their  foliage  are  of  various  sizes,  forms  and 
shades  of  green,  and  many  are  tipped,  spotted, 
and  splatched  with  golden  yellow  and  white. 
Some  are  dwarf  creepers  ;  some  are  suited  to 
make  beautiful  hedges,  and  others  for  gigantic 
ornamental  standards.  Many  improvers  do  not 
yet  know  that  Cephalotaxus,  Cryptomeria,  Libo 
cedrus,  Retinospora.  Thujopsis,  «&c.  Biota, 
Buxus,  Euonymous,  Juniperus.  Ilex,  Thuja, 
&c.,  have  got  great  increase  in  varieties  of 
late  years.  Retinospora  ericoides  and  Thuja 
nana  nova  and  Tom  Thumb  are  now  used  as 
edgings  for  parterres,  and  make  a  diversity  with 
Boxwood.  Our  native  dwarf  Kalmias  and  An- 
dromedas  would  also  make  fine  edgings  for  large 
flower  beds  ;  their  foliage  is  comely,  and  they 
bloom  beautifull}'  in  spring,  before  many  of  the 
flowers. 

The  Rhododendron  is  now  successful!}'  culti- 
vated, and  the  numerous  improved  varieties  are 
splendid  and  various  in  their  beautiful  blossoms. 
The  Kalmia  latifolia  might  also  be  successfully 
cultivated,  and  iinpx-oved  varieties  may  be  pro- 
duced from  it,  which  might  vie  with  Rhododen- 
dron in  the  beauty  of  their  foliage  and  loveli 
ness  of  their  blossoms;  there  may  come  crim 
sons,  scai'lets,  pinks,  and  whites  of  various 
shades.  What  a  splendor  they  and  Rhododen- 
drons would  give  to  iijeasure  grounds  in  spring 
when  in  full  bloom  ;  the  like  of  which  has  not 
yet  been  seen  upon  our  hemisphere. 

We  would  earnestly  advise  all  improvers  to 


I 


187L 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S   MOJYTELy. 


^67 


get  an  assortment  of  the  new  eversrrecns  along 
with  the  old  species  to  embellish  their  pleasure 
grounds  with,  so  as  to  keep  pace  with  our  horti- 
cultural progress.  If  the  plants  are  small,  they 
may  be  set  in  nursery  rows  upon  a  rich  culti- 
vated piece  of  land,  and  if  kept  free  of  weeds, 
they  will  make  such  growths  of  roots  and 
branches  in  two  j-ears  as  to  be  fit  to  set  out 
upon  the  open  lawn  as  standards. 


NOTES  FROM  ALTON. 

BY  MR.  E.  A.  RIEHL,  ALTON,  ILL. 

In  the  Gardener''s  Monthly,  which  is  just  re- 
ceived, I  see  some  things  on  which  I  think  1 
cau  give  you  a  little  information  which  1  think 
you  would  like,  and  some  ma}^  be  of  benefit  to 
your  readers,  hence  I  have  taken  pen  in  hand  to 
write  these  few  hasty  lines. 

NECTARINES  FROM  PEACH  TREES. 

First,  about  tliat  Nectarine  which  somebody 
in  South  Carolina  picked  from  a  peach  tree,  and 
which  you  say  is  the  first  instance  of  the  kind 
on  record.  I  would  say  that  on  my  father's 
place  near  St.  Louis,  there  was,  some  25  or  30 
years  ago,  a  tree  in  a  row  of  seedling  peaches, 
itself  grown  from  a  peach  seed,  and  that  pro- 
duced both  peaches  and  nectarines  ;  the  majority 
of  the  fruits  were  Nectarines,  but  some  limbs 
produced  Peaches. 

DESTRUCTION  OF  COLORADO  POTATO  BEETLE. 

Now  as  to  your  ideas  about  the  Colorado  bee- 
tle, I  would  say,  that  your  proposition  to  kill 
them  by  rolling  is  not  practicable,  for  not  only 
is  the  potato  plant  very  soft,  as  you  say,  and 
would  be  considerably  damaged,  but  the  culti- 
vated earth  would  not,  I  think,  offer  resistance 
enough  to  mash  the  larvse,  much  less  the  perfect 
beetle  :  and  it  is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  kill 
the  beetle  when  they  first  appear,  and  l)efore  they 
deposit  their  eggs,  for  not  only  do  they  feed  on 
the  young  potato  plants  and  do  great  damage, 
but  the  young  larvaj  are  very  ravenous  and  will 
in  a  few  days  eat  up  the  plants  if  they  are  not 
checked.  The  method  of  poisoning  with  Paris 
green  is  the  easiest  and  cheapest  method  that  I 
know  of,  and  could  I  manage  all  the  insects  that 
plague  the  horticulturist  and  farmer,  as  easily 
and  cheaply,  I  would  soon  be  rich.  At  present 
few  persons  dilute  the  poison  enough.  I  use 
one  part  Paris  green  by  measure  to  25  parts  of 
plaster,  and  I  find  that  is  just  as  eflicient  as 
when  we  used  one  to  six.     There  is  now  more 


money  to  be  made  in  growing  potatoes  than 
there  ever  was  before,  for  most  people  have  a 
great  dread  of  a  little  extra  work,  and  as  a  con- 
sequence, potatoes  bring  a  much  greater  price 
than  formerly,  much  greater  than  the  extra 
trouble  would  justify.  I  applied  the  poison 
three  times  to  my  early  crop,  and  I  know  that 
the  cost  of  poison  and  labor  in  putting  it  on,  is 
less  than  $5  per  acre. 

LIME  FOR   BLACKBERRY  RUST. 

I  see  Colman''s  Eural  >Fby/fZ  says,  "Quicklime" 
will  killthe  yellow  fungus  on  blackberry  and  rasp- 
berry plants.  May  be  air  slacked  lime  is  meant, 
if  not,  I  should  think  it  better  than  quicklime. 

We  are  having  exceedingly  dry  weather,  and 
a  very  abundant  fruit  crop. 


HYDRANGEA  OTAKSA  AND  HYDRAN- 
GEA STELLATA  PROLIFERA. 

BY  MR.  GEO.  SUCH,  SOUTH  A3IB0Y,  N.  J. 

There  seems  to  be  a  good  deal  of  confusion  re- 
garding Hydrangea  Otal'sa.  Having  seen  a 
colored  illustration  of  this  plant  in  the  Revue 
Horticole,  we  concluded  that  it  was  an  admira- 
ble novelty,  and  so  imported  stock  from  Belgium 
at  once.  We  afterwards  had  a  small  plant  from 
Philadelphia. 

Having  taken  cuttings  very  freely  from  our 
Belgian  plants,  we  saw  no  flowers  last  summer  ; 
but  lately  have  had  a  bloom  which  seems  to 
differ  in  no  respect  from  that  of  the  old  Hydran- 
gea Hortensia  of  our  gardens  Havmg  sent  out 
this  great  novelty  to  many  customers,  the  posi- 
tion is  decidedl}'  annoying.  Neither  is  our 
Philadelphia  plant  correctly  named,  being  most 
probably  Hydrangea  stellata  prolifera,  or  very 
nearly  related  to  it.  But  the  confusion  does  not 
exist  in  this  country  alone  The  H  Otaksa  fig- 
ured in  the  Flora  Japonica  has  small  flowers  of 
a  delicate  blue  color.  As  figured  in  the  More 
des  Serres,  the  flowers  are  larger  and  are  rose 
colored,  instead  of  blue. 

The  illustration  of  H.  Otal'sa  in  the  lievue 
Horticole  was  taken  from  a  plant  exhibited  by 
yi.  Lierval,  a  french  florist.  The  head  of  bloom 
is  represented  as  immense,  the  color  of  the 
flowers  being  violet  rose.  Two  flowers,  given  to 
show  the  natural  size,  are  nearly  two  and  a 
half  inches  in  diameter.  The  sepals  constituting 
the  flower  are  variable  in  numbers,  being  some- 
ti^nes  four  and  sometimes  five.  The  foliage 
greatly  resembles  that  of  the  garden  Hydrangea. 


268 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJVTHLY. 


Septemherf 


According  to  Siebold  this  plant  originated  in 
China.  It  has  not  been  long  in  Japan,  and  is 
comparatively  rare  in  the  gardens  of  that  coun- 
try. Siebold  also  states  that  it  has  a  bushy 
growth  reaching  a  height  of  5  or  6  feet,  and  that 
in  Japan  the  flowers  are  almost  always  blue. 
The  time  of  flowering  is  from  June  till  the  end 
of  September. 

The  Hydrangea  Otaksa  sent  us  from  Philadel- 
phia has  flowers  of  a  semi-double  appearance, 
which  consist  of  about  ten  sepals.  The  flowers 
are  hardly  more  than  an  inch  in  diameter,  of  a 
rosy  color  fading  off"  to  greenish  white  at  the 
centre.  The  leaves  are  nearly  round,  but 
sharply  pointed  at  the  tips  and  sharply  serrated 
about  the  edges  of  the  upper  half.  In  fact  the 
whole  plant  is  very  much  Wke  Hydrangea  stellata 
prolifera,  as  figured  in  the  last  volume  of  the 
Flore  des  Serves. 


RAISING  SEEDLINGS  OP  TREES, 
FRUITS,  &c. 

.7.  M.,  PHILA. 

To  be  universally  successful  in  raising  seed- 
lings is  very  rare.  To  be  tolerably  successful 
requires  much  experience,  and  the  mode  leading 
to  the  best  results  is  often  disputed.  To  the 
nurseryman  who  has  had  some  years  experience 
in  the  matter,  the  question  of  what  will  grow 
and  what  will  not,  and  the  time  to  sow  the  seeds 
is  not  so  much  the  puzzling  question  as  to  the 
uninitiated. 

To  be  on  the  paying  side  requires  more  good 
judgment  than  hard  work.  Some  few  years  ago 
it  was  looked  upon  as  something  next  to  an  im- 
possibility to  raise  seedlings  here  in  our  hot 
climate,  but  the  experience  following  the  en- 
couragement of  a  protective  policy  of  the  gov- 
erniiient  has  demonstrated  that  the  mountain  is 
not  near  as  large  as  was  surmised.  The  raising 
of  fruit  stocks,  cherries,  plums  and  peaches  is 
mainly  done  in  our  own  country.  The  practice 
of  the  growers  is  to  sow  them  in  the  fall  as  soon 
after  gathered  as  possible.  A  great  many  per- 
.sons  keep  them  mixed  in  soil  exposed  to  the 
weather  all  winter  and  sow  them  early  in 
spring.  My  experientu"  would  load  me  to  expect 
the  best  results  with  cherries  and  plums  from 
fall  sowing,  but  with  peaches  they  seem  to  do 
equally  as  well  sown  in  the  spring,  with  tree  and 
shrub  seeds,  a  great  many  will  only  grow  by  fall 
sowing;  and  in  the  majority  of  cases  it  is  best 
done  then.      I  would  sow  in  fall,  Maples,  Mag- 


nolias, Horse  Chestnuts,  Buckthorn,  Tulip  Tree, 
Sour  Gum,  Sweet  Gum,  Bird  Cherry,  Catalpa, 
Deciduous  Cypress,  Judas  Tree,  Linden,  Ma- 
honia,  &c.  In  the  spring  can  be  sown  Labur- 
num, Spireeas,  Furze,  Paulownia,  Eleagnus,  Al- 
thaeas, Elm,  Birch,  Wisterias,  Ampelopsis,  Kol- 
reuteria,  Nettle  Tree,  Honey  Locust,  Larch, 
Osage  Orange,  Mulberry, and  many  others, as  well 
as  seeds  of  Pines, Spruces, and  all  coniferous  plants. 
Many  of  those  enumerated  for  fall  sowing,  such 
as  Maples  and  Magnolias,  will  grow  very  well 
if  sown  in  spring,  but  will  not  make  as  large 
plants  in  one  year  as  will  those  sown  in  the  fall. 
Seeds  of  Yews,  Ash,  Halesia,  Dogwood,  Box, 
Pyracantha,  Ostrya,  as  well  as  very  late  spring 
sown  deciduous  trees,  &c. ,  usually  remain  in 
the  ground  two  years  before  growing  (as  will 
sometimes  cherry  and  plum  when  sown  late  in 
sprina;).  These  should  be  sown  in  spring,  the 
ground  kept  clean  all  summer,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing spring  the  seeds  will  gi'ow.  It  is  essential 
with  almost  all  seeds  to  guard  their  young 
growth  from  the  hot  sun.  A  good  plan  and  a 
very  successful  one  is  to  cover  the  whole  bed 
after  sowing  with  corn  stalks  or  light  brush 
wood,  keeping  it  on  until  the  seedlings  are  strong 
enough  to  stand  the  sun.  AYith  Cherries,  Plums, 
Horse  Chestnuts,  Maples,  and  those  which  soon 
make  a  strong  growth,  this  covering  can  be 
taken  off"  in  June  or  July,  doing  it  gradually  as 
they  seem  able  to  bear  it  Sometimes  where  the 
covering  is  light  and  the  seedlings  not  close 
together,  it  is  an  advantage  to  retain  the  cover- 
ing all  the  summer,  removing  it  only  in  the  fall. 
Where  it  is  desired  to  grow  evergreens  from 
seed  largely,  the  plan  is  usually  to  erect  an  arbor 
of  laths  nailed  near  enough  together  to  exclude 
much  of  the  sun's  raj^s,  admitting  at  the  same 
time  plenty  of  air,  two  essential  points.  Millions 
of  such  seedlings  are  now  raised  here,  and  thai 
this  is  done  and  the  plants  sold  as  low  as  Euro- 
pean imported  ones,  show  how  thoroughly  the 
business  is  understood  and  made  reliable  by  our 
nurserymen. 


PROPER  DEPTH  TO  SOAY  SEED. 

BY    "MOXOW,"   CINCINNATI,  OHIO. 

I  have  been  much  interested  in  the  discussion 
going  on  in  your  magazine,  in  reference  to  the 
principles  of  hot  water  boating,  — and  when  1 
get  a  hot  house  I  think  1  shall  profit  by  what  I 
have  read.  But  T  have  none  Just  now,  though 
I  have  a  pretty  iair  fruit  and  vegetable  gnrden  in 


J 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJSTER'S    MOJVTHLY. 


^^69 


which  I  take  some  pride.  I  ought  to  say  be- 
sides that  I  keep  no  regular  gardener,  but  my 
coachman  who  has  many  hand}-  notions,  does 
all  the  work  that  1  do  not  do  mornings  and  even- 
ings myself.  I  usually  sow  all  my  seeds,  and 
ray  man  does  all  the  hoeing  and  cleaning,  and 
keeps  things  in  order  generally. 

In  my  seed  sowing  this  year,  some  of  the  re- 
sults were  so  remarkable,  that  I  thought  they 
might  interest  some  of  your  readers  I  had 
been  reading  a  piece  in  one  of  our  local  papers, 
which  I  thought  very  sensible,  and  of  which  the 
following  is  an  extract,  as  well  perhaps  as  the 
pith  of  the  whole  thing  : 

"  In  planting,  whatever  the  depth  of  tillage, 
keep  the  seed  near  the  surface.  !N'ature  knows 
no  way  of  getting  the  seeds  of  grains  far  below 
the  surface,  in  using  them  for  seeds.  We  shall 
find  ourselves  doing  well  in  taking  observation 
of  natural  processes  for  eflfecting  reproductions. 
In  general  I  think  it  will  be  found  best  that  the 
seed  of  grains  be  placed  onl}-^  about  as  far  below 
the  surface  as  to  bring  their  covering  to  the 
common  level,  when  there  is  enough  of  it  to 
secure  germination^ — the  ground  being  in  proper 
condition  for  planting,  with  promising  weather 
in  anticipation. "—  Countryman. 

I  have  always  had  pretty  fair  success  with  my 
seeds ;  but  on  this  occasion,  I  sowed  my  vegeta- 
bles in  a  somewhat  different  way  from  what  I 
had  done  before.     The  ground  had  been  forked 
over — thanks   to   the    past  advice   of   the  Gar- 
dener''s  Monthly.     We  never  dig  it  any  more,  and 
this  saves  half  the  labor.     I  stretched  the  garden 
line,  and  sowed  the  seed  right  on  the  track  of  it, 
then  drew  earth  with  the  rake  over  the  line  of 
the  seed,  and  with  my  feet,  trod  the  whole  length 
of  the  line  over  the  seed.     I  had  sown  my  rad- 
ishes, lettuce,  beets,  carrots  and  salads,  when  I 
was  called  away  unexpectedly,  and,  not  being 
able  to  attend  to  the  seed  sowing  next  morning 
before  I  went  to  my  city  labors,  got  my  man  to 
finish  sowing  the  balance  of  my  seeds,  without 
thinking  to  give  him  specific  instructions    These 
he  sowed  in  the  usual  way;  aline  stretched   a 
shallow  drill  with  the  hoe,  the  seed  sown,  and  the 
earth  again  drawn  in  lightly,  the  way  in  fact  that 
all  seeds  are  generally  sown.     A  remarkably  dry 
spell  followed,  and  plants  of  all  kinds  had  a  hard 
time  of  it.     But  all  the  seeds  surface  sown  and 
trodden  in,  as  I  have  named  above,  grew  with 
out  a  single  exception,  and  not  one  seed,  that  I 
could  see,  fliiled  to  grow.   Of  those  that  ray  man 
sowed  in   the  usual  way,  not  one  came  up,  but 


some  bush  beans.  I  was  glad  in  one  sense  that 
this  happened,  though  the  loss  of  our  parsnips 
in  particular  will  be  felt  in  the  kitchen;  for  it  led 
me  to  see  that  the  seedsman,  though  I  think 
seeds  are  really  bad  sometimes  when  sent  out, 
are  noi  alwa3'S  to  blame.  In  this  case  the  seed 
papers  had  Landreth's  stamps  on  them,  and  if 
it  had  not  been  for  the  excellent  growth  of  those 
sown  on  the  surface  and  tramped  in,  1  should 
most  likely  have  concluded  the  whole  thing  a 
fraud.  In  future  I  shall  sow  everything  on  the 
surface  ;  and  perhaps  this  leaf  from  my  experi- 
ence book  may  be  of  use  to  others. 


BKIEF  XOTES  ON  GENERAL  PLEAS  AN- 
TON'S PAPER. 

BY   "A  GARDENER,"  DUCHESS  CO.,  N.  Y. 

So  many  notices  of  Gen.  Pleasanton's  experi- 
raents  have  appeared  in  the  public  papers  that  I 
was  anxious  to  see  the  whole  article,  and  was 
particularly  pleased  to  find  it  in  full  in  the  last 
Gardener'>s  Monthly.  Yet  there  are  a  few  state- 
ments therein  which  appear  very  extraordinary, 
and  with  your  permission.  I  will  advert  to  a  few 
of  them. 

In  the  first  place,  it  appears  that  the  grape 
house  was  84  feet  long  by  26  feet  wide,  which 
gives  an  area  of  2184  square  feet,  yet  Mr.  Buist 
says  there  are  1200  pounds  of  grapes  from  plants 
seventeen  months  old.  This  is  more  than  half 
a  pound  to  the  square  foot  (60  100)  and  suppo- 
sing each  bunch  to  average  one  pound,  we 
should  have  a  bunch  hanging  within  every  two 
feet  of  the  space  the  house  contained.  I  should 
like  to  ask  Mr.  Buist  whether  he  is  prepared  to 
sustain  this  statement?  But  the  subsequent 
year's  figures  are  still  more  extraordinary  We 
have  now  two  tons.  This  gives  ttco  and  three 
kmidredths  of  a  pound  to  each  square  foot,  and 
allowing  the  average  weight  to  be  one  and  a 
half  pounds  per  bunch,  and  the  average  diame- 
ter nine  inches,  we  have  the  remarkable  spectacle 
of  a  mass  of  grapes,  each  bunch  touchiny  one 
another  over  the  whole  surface  of  the  house  I 
Through  Avhi(di  it  would  be  impossible  to  see 
scarcely  a  leaf  on  the  other  side.  Is  Mr.  Buist 
prepared  to  vouch  for  this  also  V  Now  when  we 
retliet  how  easy  it  would  have  been  for  either 
Mr.  Buist  or  General  Pleasanton  to  have  cut  one 
bunch,  wcigheil  it,  and  then  multiplied  liy  whole 
number,and  thus  obtained  an  approximate  weight 


270 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


Septemher, 


1  am  astonished  at  such  loose  statements  in  a 
matter  of  scientific  import.  Mr.  Buist  speaks  of 
another  gardener  whose  plants  were  no  larger 
at  the  end  of  the  year  than  they  w  ere  at  the 
beginning,  though  the  same  vines  as  those  of 
General  Pleasanton's.  Did  he  expect  General  P.'s 
vines  to  be  the  same  as  these.  In  this  region  we 
expect  grapes  to  do  better  than  this,  though  we 
have  no  blue  glass  to  aid  us. 

Tht  experiment  on  jiigs  is  no  more  satisfactory. 
General  Pleasanton  attempts  to  explain  away 
the  fact  of  the  barrow  pig  under  the  common 
glass  beating  the  blue  light  pig  by  saying  that 
he  was  stronger  than  the  sow  pigs  in  his  com- 
pany, and  thus  fighting  for  moiefood,  had  more, 
and  thus  gained  an  advantage.  But  my  experi- 
ence always  has  been  that  a  sow  shows  a  bar- 
row pig  no  mercy,  and  is  always  and  in  all  cases 
the  conqueror.  I  never  saw  or  heard  of  a  sow 
small  or  large,  which  was  not  able  to  hold  her 
own  against  the  most  disagreeable  barrow  that 
might  be  with  them,  moreover  the  very  small 
diffierence  in  the  weights  where  favorable,  is  so 
small  as  to  be  in  sinking  contrast  with  the  won- 
derful crop  in  the  grapery. 

The  calf  Illustration  is  still  less  to  the  point. 
Thousands  of  puny  calves  have  been  bornjWhich 
very  intelligent  men  thought  would  not  live,  but 
which  have  become  the  pride  of  the  herd  for 
all.  As  to  electricity  this  is  beyond  me ; 
supposing  that  it  ^has  some  influence  on 
vegetation,  I  have  never  without  a  considerable 
degree  of  guessing,  been  able  to  understand  what 
that  influence  is,  nor  do  I  think  General  Pleas- 
anton's ideas  make  it  much  clearer.  Both  very 
light  limestone  soils,  as  well  as  very  dark  peaty 
soils,  are  equally  productive.  As  for  the  giant 
trees  of  California  owing  any  of  their  size  to 
electricity,  the  General  seems  to  forget  that 
these  trees  are  confined  to  one  species  of  sequoia. 
The  myriads  of  others  are  no  larger  than  ours, 
notwithstanding  his  idea  of  the  superior  power 
of  Californiau  electricity, — and  again  I  am  at  a 
loss  to  understand  his  theory  of  heating  the 
ocean.  He  says  the  sun  has  nothing  to  do  with 
heating  water,  and  illustrates  it  by  saying  we  do 
not  kindle  fires  at  the  top  of  our  chimneys,  or 
boil  our  water  from  above.  Truly  we  do  not, 
but  yet  when  the  sun  boils  the  General  on  a  hot 
summer's  day,  the  boiling  really  does  come  from 
above.  But  keeping  ourselves  to  the  water 
question,  the  (Jeneral  will  fiud  that  any  vessel 
of  water,  no  matter  how  large  that  vessel  may 
be,   when  entirely  detached  from    his  tcrrestiai 


source  of  heat,  when  exposed  to  the  summer's 
sun,  will  get  warm  for  all.  The  General  has 
entirely  forgot  that  water  is  an  absorbent  of  heat 
and  that  it  will  take  up  an  immense  amount 
from  any  warm  atmospheric  current  floating 
over  it.  The  water  in  our  hot  water  boilers 
does  not  come  into  immediate  contact  with  the 
heat  generated  from  the  coals.  But  the  iron 
does,  and  the  water  takes  it  from  the  iron,  and 
this  is  how  it  gets  warmed.  As  to  the  water 
being  heated  by  the  earth  in  the  tropics,  we 
might  look  for  the  same  phenomenon  in  the 
arctic  regions,  for  the  hot  springs  of  Iceland 
would  show  that  a  pretty  heavy  degree  of  heat 
was  not  far  from  the  surface.  I  can  conceive 
that  there  is  a  small  amount  of  earth  heat  which 
may  get  into  water,  and  that  ice  will  thaw  from 
beneath  in  consequence.  I  can  imagine  even 
that  a  pound  of  water  entirely  confined  by  ice, 
would  continually  get  warmer  by  this  earth 
heat ;  but  this  to  the  extentof  the  heated  waters 
of  Central  America,  from  which  our  gulf  stream 
emanates,  by  the  rush  of  cold  water  to  take  the 
place  of  that  flowing  north,is  out  of  the  question 
altogether.  I  must  say  that  for  a  scientific  paper 
with  the  celebrity  this  one  has  acquired,  1  am 
astonished  at  the  weakness  of  the  facts  brought 
to  sustain  it. 


THE  WATERMELON. 

BY  T.  A.  C D. 

The  last  of  the  gay  summer  sisterhood  hhishiug. 

Asceiuis  her  green  throne  wiiere  the  fruit  clusters  vie, 
And  rejoices  at  eve  when  Apollo  is  Hushing 

With  sapphire  and  rose  tint,  the  stream  and  the  sky. 

No  more  o'er  the  grain  fields  the  zephyrs  are  playing 
With  light  and  with  shadow  in  hurried  career; 

And  though  there  is  scarcely  a  green  leaf  decaying, 
The  fleid  is  a  desert,  rough,  yellow  and  sere. 

T'is  the  reign  of  Pomona  whose  tre;isures  areglowin  , 
Ripe,  ruddy  and, juicy,  on  long  pendant  boughs; 

Tis  the  tinieoftallgrass  which  the  laborers  are  niowin 
While  the  hay  scented  zephyrs  arefanningtheir  br"w 

lUit  the  glory  of  August  not  quite  so  capricious. 

Yet  red  as  a  girl's  lip,  and  cool  a.s  a  well, 
Is  the  green  coated  melon,  so  plump  and  delicious. 

With  the  brown  mottled  seeds  in  their  roseate  cell.s 

I  ask  not  a  peach  like  the  cheek  of  a  maiden. 

Downy  and  soft  a.s  a  Georgian's  may  be; 
I  care  not  for  boughs  with  their  gold  apples  laden. 

When  the  heart  of  a  melon  is  blushing  for  rae. 

If  this  life  has  a  care,  'tis  not  then  that  I  know  it ; 

If  the  day  oppress  others,  for  me  it  is  l)land, 
1  seem  to  be  Ariel,  Puck,  or  a  poet. 

Who  leasts  with  liuet-n  Mab  in  her  own  laiiy  land 

I  make  the  sweet  melon  my  favorite  topic, 
riioii  chief  of  the  oH'sprlng  of  sun  and  of  dew! 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOMTRLY. 


271 


In  spite  of  bananas,  the  pride  of  the  tropic, 
Or  famed  Chironiays  the  boast  of  Peru. 

Give  us  cool  'Mountain  Sweets"  from  New  Jersey,  nor 
ask  us 

To  sigh  for  the  grapes  of  sonic  orient  land, 
The  peaches  of  l^eisia;  tlie  figs  of  Damascus, 

Or  tlic  idolized  fruits  of  remote  Samarcand. 
I  have  shalien  ripe  oranges  oft,  wliere  tliey  fell  on 

Floridian  flowers  ;  I  have  dreamed  of  tlie  date; 
But  dearer  to  me  is  the  dew  tempered  melon, 

Fresh  from  the  s«nd  of  my  loved  native  State. 

Old  State,  ever  dear  to  the  farmer  and  florist, 

I  love  thy  broad  grain  fields  and  worm  fences  too; 
Rosy  laurels  that  light  the  green  caves  of  the  forest, 

Where  the  pines  scatter  diamonds  from  rain  drops  or 
dew. 
And  truly,  that  man  so  vmlucky  I  pity, 

Who  never  has  seen  the  grand  spectacle,  when 
The  fruit  saturnalia  reigns  in  our  city — 

The  loved  of  Pomona,  the  city  of  Penn. 
The  poet  may  sing  of  the  orient  spices. 

Or  Barbary's  dates  in  their  palmy  array, 
But  the  huge  rosy  melon  in  cold  juicy  slices. 

Is  the  Helicon  fount  of  a  hot  summer  day. 
Where  I  bathe  the  dry  wings  of  the  spirit.and  sprinkling 

Sweet  drops  on  the  pathway  of  dusty  old  care, 
I  hold  father  Time  from  his  villainous  wrinkling 

Of  features  tliat  never  had  graces  to  spare. 

[Not  quite  sure  that  we  have  permission  to 
use  the  author's  name  in  full,  as  it  was  not  at- 
tached to  it, — we  have  only  indicated  it.  We 
may  perhaps  be  pardoned  for  adding  that  his 
personal  friends  will  recognize  a  leader  in  Ameri- 
can science  whose  place  it  would  be  very  hard 
to  fill. 

It  is,  we  think,  the  only  poem  which  the  Wa- 
termelon has  ever  inspired.  It  should  be  no  less 
worthy  of  this  distinction,  than  some  of  the 
meaner  fruits  of  the  old  world.— Ed.] 


EDITORIAL  NOTES. 

FOREIGN. 

Changing  Aspects  of  Gardening. — It  is  often 
said  that  American  gardening  is  not  like  En- 
glish,— that  much  of  ours  is  simply  for  profit,  or 
for  the  mere  love  of  gaiety  and  show  on  our 
grounds,  rather  than  from  line  taste  and 
love  of  the  subject ;  but  it  appears  that 
English  gardening  to-day,  is  not  the  gar- 
dening of  a  generation  ago.  An  English  paper 
says  :  "The  decay  of  floriculture  is  mourned  by 
some.  Its  aspects  may  have  changed  to  some 
extent,  for  the  pure  llorist  of  yore  is  now  being 
rapidly  merged  into  the  horticulturist  ;  but  the 
spirit  of  old  is  yet  abroad  among  us,  and  in  its 
own  good  time  will  give  us  abundant  indications 
of  its  activity  and  success." 

It  is  well,  we  think,  for  our  conunercial  men 
to  recognize  these  facts  and  to  always  operate 


in  the  nature  of  something  new,  than  to  be  en- 
deavoring to  lead  people  back  to  a  love  of  past 
styles. 

Instincts  of  Animals. — Mr.  Darwin,  in  bis 
recent  work  on  man,  has  some  curious  illustra- 
tions of  his  position  that  the  mental  capacities 
of  all  animal  nature  differ  onl}' in  degree.  We 
note  a  curious  instance  of  this  in  an  English 
magazine,  the  '■'■Leisure  Hour.'''' 

"An  Indian  officer  saw  some  crows  sitting  near 
a  young  dog,  watching  him  whilst  engaged  with 
a  bone.  Having  apparently  concerted  the  plan, 
one  of  them  alighted,  stepped  up,  and  took  a 
peck  at  the  dog's  tail :  the  dog,  irritated,  made 
a  snap  at  the  bully,  on  which  a  comrade,  who 
appears  to  have  been  ready,  made  a  dash  and 
went  off  with  the  prize.  It  will  be  remarked 
that  it  was  a  young  dog  that  became  the  dupe  of 
this  artifice  An  old  one  would  probably  have 
had  some  repeated  experience  of  the  trick.  He 
would  have  put  his  paw  on  the  bone  before  turn- 
ing around." 

Adulteration  of  Seeds,— It  became  so  general 
a  thing  to  adulterate  seeds  in  England,  that  the 
law  interfered.  A  fine  of  $250  is  now  imposed 
on  such  practices. 

Remedy  for  Grasshoppers. — An  Australian 
correspondent  of  London  Gardener'>s  Chronicle, 
asserts  that  the  grasshopper  greedily  devours 
the  leaves  of  tlie  common  LarJcsjnir,  but  that  the 
Larkspur  has  its  revenge  in  destroying  the  grass- 
liopper  in  turn.  This,  as  the  papers  say,  is 
"important  if  true.'' 

DOMESTIC. 

The  Martha  Grape,  Mr.  Ilussman  says  requires 
to  be  pruned  longer  than  some  other  kinds.  We 
notice  that  the  Hammondsport  folks  report  the 
same  thing. 

To  have  Hardy  Trees.— The  Country  Gentleman 
says:  '-It  is  well  known  to  some  horticulturists, 
I  hat  one  of  the  best  modes  of  rendering  half  ten- 
der shrubs  hardy,  is  to  plant  them  on  mounds 
where  the  soil  is  made  by  mixing  cobble-stone 
and  earth,  so  as  to  favor  early  maturity.'' 

We  wonder  whether  this  has  been  actually 
tried,  or  is  merely  imagined  by  "?ume  horti- 
culturists." Our  own  experience  is,  that  if  a 
tree  sull'ers  from  drought  in  summer,  it  is  very 
likely  to  be  injured  even  by  a  light  winter.  A 
mound  is  just  the  place  to  risk  this  injury.  AVe 
should  have  more  faith  in  shelter  from  winds 
than  diy  moinids;  of  course,in  low  wet  situations 


272 


THE    GARDEJ\rEK'^   MOJYTHLy.  September, 


feeding  roots  ax-e  apt  to  rot,  aiul  thus  the  plant 
i8  starved  as  much  as  if  dried  upon  a  luound, 
and  the  same  injury  follows.  All  these  extreme 
views  are  dangerous.  As  a  rule — all  other  requi- 
sites to  good  health  being  equal — the  tree  which 
holds  its  leaves  the  longest,  will  prove  the  har- 
diest. 

Honey  Locust  Hedges. — We  noticed  some 
months  since,  an  excellent  Locust  hedge  on  the 
grounds  ot  Smith,  Clark  &  Powell,  Syracuse,  N. 
Y.  The  Prairie  Farmer  notes  another  good  one 
in  the  West.     It  says: 

"At  a  recent  visit  to  the  farm  of  A.  E.  Whit- 
ney, the  celebrated  orchardist  at  Franklin  Grove, 
Lee  Co.,  we  were  greatly  pleased  with  the  ap- 
pearance  of  a  young  hedge  of  honey  locust.  The 
hedge  was  some  sixty  rods  in  length,  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  ground  varying  considerably  along 
the  line.  The  plants  had  been  set  two  years  in 
land  that  had  not  been  plowed,  the  sod  being 
turned  over  twice  the  width  of  a  spade.  Every 
plant  was  very  thrifty  and  strong,  and  the  hedge 
row  presented  an  evenness  that  we  have  seldom 
seen  in  a  hedge  of  osage." 

New  Fe^e/ab^es.— While  doing  something  for 
improved  fruits,  trees  and  flowers,  we  must  not 
forget  the  more  essential  vegetable.  Sometime 
ago  we  noted  in  the  Proceedings  of  that  excel- 
lent Horticultural  Society,  the  Montgomery,  of 
Dayton,  O, ,  that  the  members  had  been  experi- 
menting with  new  varieties,  and  here  are  some 
of  the  results  : 

'Mr.  Mumma;  of  Dayton,  said  he  had  a  new 
tomato  that  was  peculiarly  striped  and  varie- 
gated ;  would  report  on  it  next  year. 

Mr.  Elliott  recommended  the  Yorkshire  Hero 
pea;  and  of  sweet  corn  he  said  Brill's  was  the 
earliest,  then  Crosby 's  ;  of  seven  varieties  tested, 
he  gave  the  preference  to  liriU's. 

Mr.  Ritz,  of  Plaiuville,  said  the  White  Ger- 
man Dwarf  Wax  Bean  was  a  decided  acquisi- 
tion. He  had  brought  from  Europe  seeds  of  a 
new  red  sugar  beet  which  he  would  distribute 
gratuitously  to  members  of  the  Society.  He  re- 
garded Crosby's  early  sweet  corn  as  the  best  ear- 
ly of  good  size. 

Mr.  Campbell  thought  the  Black  Dwarf  Wax 
Bean,  the  best  he  had  tested  ;  the  white  might 
be  preierable  on  account  of  color. 

Col.  liichmoud  spoke  of  the  Brazilian  swecL 
potato  as  an  excellent  variety  ;  also  the  Southern 
C^ueen— live  specimens  exhibited. 

Mr.    Elliott   called    attention   to   the   Student 


Parsnip  as  the  best  in  flavor  ;  the  Hollow  Crown 
next.  Several  other  members  commended  the 
Student  variety' ;  it  does  not  grow  quite  as  deep 
or  long  as  the  common.  He  inquired  about  tlie 
Egyptian  dark  red  beet. 

Mr.  Batehani  said  he  received  seeds  of  this 
and  several  other  new  beejs  from  the  Agricul- 
tural Department  at  AVashington,the  past  spring 
but  from  last  year's  trial  he  would  not  plant  one 
of  them  again  ;  he  prefers  the  Bassano  to  all 
others  for  summer  use,  and  the  Long  Blood  for 
winter. 

Mr.  Ritz  spoke  of  the  value  of  sugar  beets  as 
winter  food  for  milk  cows,  making  the  butter  as 
fine  in  color  as  that  of  summer. 

Mr.  Elliott  commended  the  Early  Horn  Car- 
rot as  deserving  more  general  cultivation.'' 

Profits  of  Black  Cap  Raspberries. — People  do 
not  seem  to  want  inferior  fruit,  though  it  be  ear- 
ly and  cheap.  The  Black  Cap  raspberry  has 
fallen  low  in  popular  estimation.  They  were 
hawked  about  Philadelphia  this  season  at  six 
cents  per  quart.  It  appears  to  have  been  worse 
in  New  York.  Mr.  Quinn  says  in  the  N  Y. 
Tribune.,  '•  that  the  New  York  market  was  over- 
stocked with  them  through  the  whole  season. 
Thousands  of  crates  were  sold  for  less  than  six 
cents  a  quart.  This  would  make  a  loss  to  the 
grower  of  more  than  four  cents  on  every  quart 
sold.  It  costs  at  least  ten  cents  a  quart  to  raise 
and  market  raspberries,  and  when  such  fruit  is 
sold  at  six  cents  and  under,  it  is  high  time  to 
change  the  crop,  and  grow  instead  corn  or  po- 
tatoes.'' 

Varying  Measures  in  difterent  States  are  some- 
thing of  a  nuisance.  In  New  Hampshire  the 
law  provides  that  62  pounds  constitute  a  bushel 
of  potatoes,  and  32  pounds  a  bushel  of  oats  ;  but 
sales  may  be  otherwise  made  by  special  agree- 
ment. 

Close  Pruning  Grapes. — Mr.  M.  Pike,  of  Al- 
ton, Illinois,  is  a  very  successful  grape  growei. 
At  one  of  the  meetings  of  the  Alton,  Illinois, 
Horticultural  Society  he  gave  his  experience, 
and  said  "'I  am  satisfied  that  the  majoiity  of 
grape  growers  over- crop  their  vineyards.  I  have 
been  each  j^ear  reducing  the  wood  in  my  vine- 
yard, until  now  my  Catawba  canes  are  not  more 
than  three  and  a  halt  leet  long,  and  but  one  cane, 
and  I  am  getting  just  as  near  the  ground  as  pos- 
sible, for  the  reason  among  others,  that  they  arc 
easily  laid  down  for  protection  through  the  winter. 

Last  year  my  Catawba  vines  made  the  heavi- 


1871. 


TEE    GARDE J^EWS   MOJVTHLy. 


^73 


est  growth  of  wood  and  produced  the  largest  j  grow  three  leaves  of  different  ages.  The  ori<^i- 
bunehes  of  fruit  of  any  in  my  vineyard  ;  probably  '  nal  leaf  is  the  most  valuable  one.  I  then  grow 
15  per  cent,  more  than  my  Concords.  They  ri-  two  additional  ones.  You  may  have  the  suces- 
pened  up  well  (they  were  not  merely  colored)  un-  j  sion  of  leaves  very  early  by  pinching  early.  I 
der  ibis  system   of  the   succession  of  leaves.     I    do  no  summer  pruning." 


EDTTOE lAL. 


THE  EFFECT  OF  SOD  IN  KEEPING 
SOIL  COOL. 

It  is  well  known  to  our  readers  that  we  have 
repeatedly  stated  as  the  result  of  our  own  expe- 
rience with  the  thermometer,  that  soil  is  cooler 
in  the  heat  of  summer  under  sod  than  under  a 
clean  surface  ;  and  we  have  based  much  of  our 
opposition  to  clean  surface  culture  of  trees,  next 
to  actual  observation,  that  cavtd  for  trees  in 
grass  are  healthiest,  on  this  result  of  our  ther- 
mometrical  experience.  We  have  also  several 
times  requested  those  who  really  felt  desirous  of 
knowing,  to  test  this  matter  for  themselves.  One 
would  suppose  that  any  one  with  a  practical 
turn  of  mind  would  be  glad  to  do  it,  as  it  would 
lake  at  best  but  a  few  minutes.  Especially 
would  one  think  that  those  who  take  so  much 
time  to  write  learned  articles  on  fruit  culture, 
would  spare  a  few  moments  to  devote  to  so  im- 
portant an  experiment  as  this.  But  it  seems  not 
so. 

A  contemporary  must  liave  astonished  its 
readers  by  copying  in  its  July  number  the  fol 
lowing  fx'om  Johnson  : 

"  The  effect  of  sod  on  the  temperature  of  the 
soil,  was  studied  by  Malaguti  and  Durocher. 
They  observed  that  it  hindered  the  warming  of 
the  soil  to  about  the  same  extent  as  a  layer  of 
earth  three  inches  deep." 

We  have  some  hope  that  our  contempo- 
rary will  now  tell  its  readers,  that  in  America, 
the  writers  for  the  Gardener's  Monthly  have 
found  fetill  more  striking  results  than  these 
Ilaliaus  found.  The  ditlcrence  here,  is  a  six 
inch  instead  of  three. 

Our  friend  having  got  this  far  into  the  waters 
of  conviction,  that  the  old  theory  of  fruit  cul. 
ture  is  wrong,  we  shall  soon  expect  to  sec  it 
make  the  deci.sive  plunge.  Ilutulreds  have  gone 
before  it,  and  have  not  found  the  change  so  very 


severe.  We  say  this  for  its  encouragement;  or 
is  it  possible  that  our  contemporary  will  advo- 
cate that  our  hot  sun-roasted  earth,  is  a  benetit 
to  a  fruit  tree.     Which  horn  will  it  seiz3  ? 


PINUS  PUNGENS. 

[See  Plate.) 

It  is  said  to  be  a  disgrace  to  cultivators  that 
they  go  abroad  for  novelties  to  decorate  their 
grounds,  while  they  neglect  the  showy  things  at 
their  own  doors.  But  yet  we  think  this  is  as  it 
should  be.  There  is  no  use  in  bestowing  care 
and  attention  on  things  which  we  can  see  every 
day  without  it ;  and  the  rare  things  which  come 
from  so  many  miles  away  we  naturally  encour- 
age and  protect  if  we  would  enjoy  them  at  all. 
But  in  the  case  of  very  rare  native  plants  it  is 
different.  Here  we  have  to  search  around  for 
them  if  we  would  enjoy  their  beauty,  as  if  they 
came  from  some  foreign  land.  So  we  figure  in 
this  No.  one  of  our  rarest  trees,  which  though  it 
is  found  through  the  whole  Allegheny  range, 
not  one  in  a  hundred  of  our  lovers  of  rare  trees 
ever  saw. 

It  is  not  only  rare,  but  perhaps  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  our  native  pines  The  habit 
is  graceful,  and  in  the  spring  the  male  flowers 
are  of  a  deep  purple.  The  cones  which  succeed 
are  the  largest  of  this  section  of  Pines,  which 
grow  east  of  the  Mississippi  Indeed  it  is  well 
worthy  of  culture  for  the  striking  cones  alone. 
We  have  never  seen  large  trees  except  on  the 
barren  hills  where  they  grow  naturally,  but  even 
here  they  make  trunks  fifty  feet  high,  and  six 
or  seven  feet  in  diameter;  and  we  should  judge 
the  rate  of  growth  would  be  about  the  same  as 
the  Scotch  Pine.  The  trees  in  cultivation  have 
been  mostly  imported  from  Europe;  but  we 
believe  Messrs.  Douglas,  of  Waukegan,  lloopes 
of  West  Chester,  and  p<irhaps  some  others  in  a 


^7Jf 


TEE    GARDEJYER'S   MOJVTELy.  September, 


smaller  way  are  getting  up  stocks  from  native 
seeds. 


HOKNET  RASPBERRY. 

In  a  recent  call  on  the  editor  of  the  German- 
tmni  Telegraphy  we  were  delighted  with  the  great 
beauty  and  productiveness  of  this  fruit.  If  any 
one  could  always  get  fruit  like  this,  little  more 
would  be  desired  in  a  raspberry.  This  soil  is 
certainly  very  well  adapted  to  the  raspberry, — a 
low  piece  of  ground,  which  had  been  thoroughly 
under-drained,— a  rich,  cool,  dry  soil— the  rasp- 
berry needs  nothing  more.  It  is  quite  likely 
that  such  healthy  canes  as  these  would  stand 
the  winter  without  any  protection  ;  but  Major 
Freas  regards  the  labor  of  laying  down  the  canes 
carefully  and  covering  them  with  earth, as  so  tri- 
fling, that  he  always  does  it,— and  certainly  the 
magnificent  results  warrants  the  care  he  gives 
them. 

We  have  heard  it  stated  that  the  Hornet  and 
Northumberland  Fillbt.sket,  are  one  and  the 
same  ;  but  without  ever  putting  them  side  by 
side,  we  have  an  impression  that  the  Fillbasket 
produces  more  at  once  than  the  other,  while  the 
Hornet  is  best  for  families  who  prefer  to  have 
good  fruit  in  a  succession  of  many  days. 


THE  LAWRENCE  PEAR. 
Our  Eastern  Pomologists  are  fond  of  building 
up  their  failh  with  Beurre  d'Anjou  for  their 
chief  coiner  stone.  We  do  not  care  to  say  any- 
thing against  this  excellent  variety  ;  but  we  must 
say  that  as  year  by  year  goes  away,  we  are 
gradually  coming  to  think  that  the  one  thing 
needful  for  us  in  the  Middle  States,  is  the  Law- 
rence pear.  We  should  be  sorry  to  be  bound 
down  to  one  variety,—  we  could  not  do  without 
the  Bartk'tt  and  Seckcl,  and— begging  pardon  of 
those  who  would  limit  us  to  six  or  so— a  few 
scoce  of  other  varieties  But  amongst  them  all 
of  whatever  kind,  should  be  the  Lawrence.  The 
tree,  to  be  sure,  is  not  so  vigorous  a  grower  as 
some  other  kinds,  but  then  it  is  hardy  and 
healthy  ;  others  may  eciual  it  in  this  respect,  but 
none  more  so.  Then  with  a  little  manciiuvering 
one  can  have  lh(  m  to  eat  pretty  early  in  wint(  r, 
— or  by  setting  all  manu'uvres  aside,  have  the 
fruit  all  winter  ;  and  this  is  a  grand  point,  for 
where  are  all  our  other  winter  fruits  here  ?  We 
have  on  our  list  "to  be  recommended"  Glout 
Morceau,  Easter  Beurre,  Winter  Nelis,  and  Vi- 
car of  Wiiiklield.    Wc  see  a  few  of  the  latter  oc- 


casionally, though  with  a  somewhat  dubious 
reputation  ;  but  we  rarely  seethe  others,  though 
trees  are  plenty  in  our  grounds,  and  though  we 
hesitate  whether  to  cut  into  the  Vicars,  the 
abundant  Lawrences  are  always  seized  without 
any  hesitation.  But  this  is  not  all  for  the  Law- 
rence. It  is  a  grand  bottler:  not  only  all  winter, 
but  all  summer,  till  fruits  come  again  we  can 
have  them  in  prime  condition  this  way.  Some 
varieties  will  keep  ;  but  they  have  a  somewhat 
turnipy  suggestion  when  the  eating  time  comes  ; 
but  a  Lawrence  is  a  Lawrence,  whether  fresh  or 
canned,  or  bottled,  — and  in  this  respect  it  is  per- 
haps equalled  by  no  pear,  except  possibly  the 
Bartlett. 

We  write  feelingly  on  this  subject  from  having 
just  finished  a  can  of  them,  whilecross  ng  a  wild 
western  country,  where,  nothwithstanding  the 
Eastern  wonder  as  to  what  becomes  of  all  the 
trees  hardly  a  tree,  fruit,  shade  or  ornamental 
is  to  be  seen.  How  people  can  go  through  this 
life  and  leave  such  luxuries  as  these  Lawrence 
pears  behind  them  without  a  care  or  thought,  is 
more  than  we  can  comprehend,  but  we  trust  it 
will  not  be  so  always. 

Possibly  there  may  be  something  in  the  way 
in  which  Pears  are  canned  which  add  to  their 
excellence.  These  bare  the  brand  of  Richardson 
&  Robbins,  Dover,  Del.,  well  known  for  their 
superior  productions  in  this  line  ;  but  we  have 
had  experience  with  this  variety  before,  to  know 
that  a  very  great  degree  of  the  merit  belongs  to 
the  variety  itself. 


MAGNOLIA  AUJtICULATA. 

Examining  recently  a  flower  of  MaxjnoUa  axi- 
riculata.,  we  were  reminded  of  a  f;ict  we  often 
thought  to  note,  namely:  the  unfortunate  inac- 
curacy of  that  beautiful  work— !Michaux  &  Nut- 
tail's  Sylva  Americana  It  would  be  difVault  to 
find  so  many  errors  in  any  modern  botanical 
work  as  occurs  in  these  standard  authors  of  the 
pist  age.  In  the  plates  of  Magnolia  the  leaves 
are  tolerably  accurate,  but  the  floral  organs  are 
mostly  wide  of  the  mark.  The  petal  of  M.  tri- 
petela  is  teitally  unlike  the  reality  ;  while  the 
flower  of  3/.  acKminala  has  no  resemblance  to 
that  species.  It  is  charitable  to  suppose  that  a 
flower  of  AL  acuminata  was  taken  in  mistake  by 
the  artist. 

The  long  spa thulate  petals  of  M.  auriculataare 
very  nuu;h  like  those  of  M.  tripetela,  but  are  ra- 
ther liiuntfd.  The  flower  is  sweeter,  and  of  a 
purer  white  than  ^I.  tripcie'la,  and  the  foliage  is 
of  a  (hejjer  green  and  lighter  texture  than  that 
species.  Con.xidering  that  it  is  not  on  the  whole  a 
bitter  thing  than  M.  tripetela,  it  is  astonishing 
that  it  should  be  about  the  scarcest  of  the  genus. 


187  L 


THE    GARBEMEWS   MOJ^THLY, 


^75 


SCRAPS   AND     QUERIES. 


Sweet  and  Sour  ArPLES.— An  esteemed 
correspondent  writes  :  "I  notice  you  repeat  the 
story  again,  or  rather  copy  it,  that  the  sweet 
and  sour  apple  was  made  so  by  splitting  buds  of 
two  kinds,  and  making  them  grow  together  Do 
you  believe  it  possible  to  do  it  ?  I  do  not,  and 
cannot  until  some  positive  proof— not  assertion 
is  given.  As  to  Mr.  Arb}'^  Blodgett  having  pro- 
duced the  sweet  and  sour  apple,  it  is  very  doubt- 
ful, and  I  believe  the  origin  is  much  older  than 
Mr.  Blodgett.  I  can  recollect  of  hearing  of  it 
since  I  was  quite  young,  and  I  saw  it  asserted, 
not  long  since,  that  it  was  over  a  hundred  years 
old." 

Sweet  and  sour  apples  on  one  tree  or  in  one 
fruit,  have  been  known  for  100  years,   and  per- 
haps many  more  ;  and  no  doubt  such  varieties 
may  originate  from  seed,  or  from  natural  varia- 
tion—as well  as  by  embr^-onic  inarching.     But 
granting  this,  why  might  not  Mr.  Blodgett  have 
raised  another  ?     There  are  different  grades  of 
sweetness  and  sourness,  and  we  have  nowhere 
seen  it  stated  that  this  particular  apple  of  Mr. 
Blodgett's  is  the  same  as  the  one  or  ones  of  the 
last  century.     It  may  or  may  not  be -we  only- 
say  that  there  is  no  evidence  that  they  are  the 
same.     In  regard  to  the  other  question,  "do  we 
believe  it  possible  that  halved  buds  will  unite 
in  this  way  V"  we  reply,  we  do.     The  writer  did 
not  think  so  until  he  Iried  it  for  himself,  which, 
as  weunderstaud  it,noneof  the  gentlemen  who  6e- 
lieve  it  cannot  be  done  have  tried.  Twelve  grafts 
each  of  lied  Astrachan  and  Rlwda  Island  Oreen- 
iny  were  taken,  halved,  and  set  accurately  to- 
gether.    Three  of  these  yrew^  and  are  growing. 
2'o  all  apijearance,  the  experiment  was  a  success 
In  each   case,   only   one  shoot  came  from  the 
spliced  buds.     It  is  possible  tliat  the  embryonic 
point  in  one  half  died,  but  it  does  not  appear  to 
have  done  so.     It  is  too  early  yet  to  say  whether 
any  result  will  appear  in  the  fruit ;  but  it  seems 
to  be  the  Ijest  way  in  all  these  disputed  niatters, 
which  can  be  repeated,  to  try  them  over  again  as 
we  are  doing.] 


ish  grub.  They  work  just  under  the  surface  of 
the  ground  ;  the  very  tender  plants  they  cut  off 
as  keenly  as  though  they  were  cut  off  with  a 
knife.  The  older  ones,  say  2  and  3  or  more 
years  old,  they  strip  off  all  the  bark  from  the  top 
of  the  ground  to  the  extremity  of  the  root.  Now 
can  you  tell  me  any  remedy.  When  I  prepared 
the  beds  last  spring,  I  sowed  cattle  salt  to  the 
rate  of  about  10  bushel  to  the  acre,  but  it  does 
not  seem  to  do  any  good  Last  year  they  de- 
stroyed thousands  for  us.  Last  year  we  used 
wood-ashes,  but  without  any  apparent  good. 
They  do  not  seem  to  have  any  choice  as  to  what 
kind  they  work  on,  except  Pine,  which  they  do 
not  seem  to  trouble." 

[This  is  the  larvse  of  the  Melohntha  phihphaga. 
It  is  some  satisfaction  that  they  are  troul)lesome 
only  every  third  year.  We  do  not  know  any 
remedy.  In  our  own  case,  we  have  saved  val- 
uable things  by  taking  them  up,  putting  at  once 
in  pots  of  water,  and  replanting  elsewhere  from 
the  pail  to  the  earth.  Even  in  the  hottest  and 
driest  weather  this  has  been  done  Avith  entire 
success  ] 


The  Peach  Crop.— There  is  good  news  for 
the  lovers  of  peaches,  which  means  sood  news 
to  everybody.  The  Peach  Growers'  As.sociation 
of  Delaware  met  at  Dover  last  week.  Their  es- 
timate of  this  yield  for  this  year,  the  mrst  relia- 
ble of  any  that  can  be  had,  is  that  the  crop  will 
reach  3,315,000  baskets,  which  is  more  than  dou- 
ble the  crop  in  that  State  last  year.  Peaches 
are  already  beginning  to  come  to  marki  t,  and 
they  will  soon  be  here  in  quality  and  price  that 
will  bring  them  into  general  use  They  have 
come  to  be  an  almost  indispensable  fruit. 


An  Evergreen  Enemy.-/.  C.  TF.,  Fish- 
J>ill,  N.  Y.  :  ,,Enclo.sed,  tiiid  a  few  samples  of 
this  year's  seedling  Norway  Spruce,  which  has 
been  cut  olf  by  the  thick  lleshy  white  or  yellow- 


Messrs.  Vilmorin,  Andrieux  &  Co.  OF 
Paris.  — We  learn  by  a  note  from  this  tirm,  that 
their  losses  by  the  French  and  Par's  troubles 
have  been  remarkably  small.  Their  city  stores 
escaped  the  fires,  thougli  all  around  them  burned. 
They  are  prepared  t )  do  I  usiness  the  same  as 
heretofore. 


Early  Friut  on  Late  Trees.— TF.  F.  B. 
Hammonton,  N.  J.,  writes:     "i  fhall  sen  1  you, 


^76 


THE    GARDEJy-ER'S    MOJ^THLY.  September, 


in  care  of  Brinckloe  &  Marot,  to-morrow,  a 
specimen  outside  the  ordinary  course  of  nature, 
in  the  shape  of  early  peaches.  The  two  larger 
f-izi'd  and  dark  colored  ones  I  have  just  picked 
from  the  same  tree  as  the  small  green  one,  and 
the  other  small  one  is  Hale's  Early,  which 
grew  within  a  few  feet  of  it.  The  variety  is  or- 
dinarily a  few  days  later  than  Early  York,  and 
most  of  the  fruit  will  be  so  this  year.  The 
hranch  which  jjroduced  the  early  ones  is  two 
inches  or  more  in  diameter,  and  most  of  the  fruit 
in  it  is  ripening  now  ;  but  some  smaller  branches 
growing  from  it  have  small  green  fruit  like  the 
balance  on  the  trees. 

Some  years  since,  while  living  in  Massachu- 
setts, I  had  several  quince  trees  of  the  pear  va- 
riety, which  always  produced  late,  green  looking 
fruit ;  but  one  season  I  observed  a  branch  loaded 
with  very  large,  fine  yellow  fruit,  and  upon  in- 
vestigation, ascertained  that  the  borers  had  been 
at  work  in  the  base  of  the  limb,  and  stopped  the 
return  of  the  sap. 

I  should  expect  to  find  some  such  disturbance 
in  this  case,  but  for  the  fact  that  a  portion  of 
the  sub  branches  have  green  fruit  " 

[AVe  are  unable  to  give  any  explanation  of 
this,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  our  correspondent 
is  himself  aware  of  the  precocious  effects  of  in- 
juries to  the  circulation.  We  should,  but  for 
this  fact,  have  attributed  the  early  ripening  to 
this  Nothing  probably  but  a  careful  watching 
o'  the  whole  process  by  some  one  on  the  spot  will 
explain  it  ;  and  it  is  well  worth  watching,  as  some 
new  idea  of  value  to  the  fruit  growers  may  be 
the  result  ] 


Sowing  Xut  Trees.  — S  ,  writes  :  "Can  you 
spare  a  few  moments  of  your  valuable  time  to 
answer  a  few  questions.  We  want  to  know  the 
htbt  manner  in  detail  of  germinating  seed  of 
Butternut,  Black  Walnut  and  Chestnut  (Am. 
Sweet).     Also  Horse  Chestnut. 

1.  How  they  should  be  treated  after  gather- 
ing in  autumn  ? 

2.  If  i)ut  ill  sand,  how  wet  should  it  be  ? 

:i.  Is  it  good  tu  plant  in  autumn,  here,  also  at 
the  West? 

4.  How  deep  to  plant? 

5  What  portion  of  good  nuts  ought  to  germi- 
nate V  " 

[Keep  them  from  drying  in  the  sun  ;  dry  in  a 
cool  barn  or  shed. 

2.  Almost  dry,- or  as   one  might  say,  barely 

damp. 


3.  We  have  seen  success  follow  as  well  in 
spring  sown  as  in  fall  sown, — and  failure  in  both 
Too  much  water,  or  too  little  at  the  germinating 
stage  is  an  injury,  and  only  great  care  can  guard 
against  this.  This  will  follow  from  any  season's 
planting. 

4.  Quarter  to  half  an  inch. 

5.  All  should  grow,  but  the  moisture  question 
decides  it  practically:  some  years  all  will  grow, 
at  others  only  a  portion.  When  grown  in  the 
open  air,  it  is  not  possible  to  have  the  elements 
under  such  perfect  control  that  all  will  do  well.] 


Spontaneous  Growths. — /S.,says  :  "  I  want 
to  see  some  time  an  article  from  your  pen  on  the 
subject  of  Spontaneous  growth,  as  our  Western 
friends  call  the  phenomena  connected  with  the 
spontaneous  growth  of  trees,  «S:c.,  on  the  prai- 
ries. In  Iowa,  I  have  seen  thousands,  or  at 
least  hundreds  of  acres,  thickly  covered  (mass  of 
them)  with  hazel-nut  bushes,  and  am  told  that 
as  soon  as  fire  is  perceived  running  over,  that  at 
once  these  hazel  bushes  put  in  an  appearance. 
This  on  ground  that  has  been  in  sod — the  good 
Lord  alone  knows  how  long.  A  hazel-nut  can't 
remain  sound  in  the  ground  hundreds  of  years. 
Neither  will  a  hickory  or  walnut;  yet  these  trees 
"come."  Neither  can  dormant  roots  remain  in 
growing  condition  for  any  such  time.  Do  they 
come  for  earth,  air,  water?  Are  they  createdf 
Is  it  not  a  subject  of  sufficient  interest  for  scien- 
tific investigation  ? 

I  confess  that  I  feel  a  great  deal  of  interest  in 
this  subject  and  wonder  somebody  does  not  go 
to  the  bottom  of  it.  Where  is  there  a  better  man 
than  yourself? '' 

[The  facts  are  not  always  as  represented.  Ha- 
zel may  spring  up  as  observed  ;  but  the  plants 
which  were  there  before  the  fire,  had  not  been  ob- 
served. The  grass  was  killed  by  the  Gre,  but 
the  hazel  roots  xrere  itot;  having  now  all  the 
nourishment  instead  of  part,  they  grew  more 
luxuriantly  than  before  the  fire,  and  hence  bet- 
ter observed.  If  the  hazel-nuts  are  in  the  soil, 
waiting  for  tlipfre,  why  don't  they  plough  them 
up  when  turning  down  the  prairie  sod  ?  Surely 
they  are  large  enough  to  be  seen  1  The  fact  is 
this  idea  of  the  long  vitality  of  seeds  in  the  soil, 
waiting  for  ages  to  get  a  chance  to  grow,  is  one 
of  the  grossest  of  delusions:  and  only  that  scien- 
tific men,  in  some  things  so  careful  of  facts,  arc 
in  other  things  the  most  credulous  of  mortals, 
the  idea  would  have  never  gone  beyond  those  who 
see  mysteries  in  every  wind  that  blows.] 


1871. 


THE    GARBE:h''ER'S   MOJ\''THLY. 


277 


Fruit  ix  Ltvixgston'  Co,  N.  Y.— ^  Cor- 
respondent says:  "Apples  in  this  county  a  fail- 
ure. Fair  crops  I  understand  in  Niagara  Co. 
and  Orleans  Co. ,  (of  Baldwins)  and  pretty  good 
crop  in  Wayne  Co. 

Pear  trees  full  to  overbearinir  all  through  this 
part  of  the  State — good  size  and  fine.'' 


GRowTn  OF  English  Alder  in  Texas— ^ 
Corresjiondentfrom  Texas  says:  "  That  the  En- 
glish Alder  seems  to  take  remarkably  to  the 
prairies  of  that  country.  He  has  a  growth  of 
eight  or  ten  feet  a  season  from  it. 


Alpine  Houses. — A  correspondent  enquires 
what  these  are.  It  has  been  found  very  difficult 
to  grow  plants  from  mountain  regions  in  our 
gardens  in  a  general  way  ;  because  the  summers 
are  hot  and  dry,  while  the  mountainous  climates 
are  usually  moist  and  cool.  Hence  in  Europe 
they  have  greenhouses  made  so  as  to  be  moist 
and  cool  in  summer,  and  they  call  them  Alpine 
houses.  There  are  none  in  this  country  so  far 
as  we  know. 


Landscape  Gardening.-  By  a  card  in  our 
advertising  column  it  will  be  seen  that  Mr.  Cope- 
land  has  established  an  otfice  in  Philadelphia. 
;Mr.  C.  is  well  known  as  the  author  of  one  of  the 
best  works  on  landscape  gardening,  and  he  will 
find  Philadelphians  amongst  the  best  patrons  of 
this  beautiful  art. 


Crushing  the  Colorado  Potato  Beetle. 
—  Chas.  E.  Bessey,  Ames,  Iowa,  says  :  "  I  notice 
in  the  July  number  of  the  Monthly,  a  proposed 
remedy  for  the  Doryphora  10-lineata  which  to 
people  acquainted  with  the  habits  and  powers  of 
endurance  of  the  insect  seems  almost  absurd. 
Cantharidcs  may  be  killed,  perhaps  by  the 
method  you  suggest,  but  I  venture  to  say  that 
in  the  case  of  the  Doryphora,  the  remedy  would 
be  far  worse  than  the  beetle  itself. 

The  mature  insects  are  provided  with  an  ex- 
ceedingly hard  coat,  rendering  it  somewhat  diffi. 
cult  to  crush  them  on  ordinary  soil — even  with 
a  hoe  or  spade,  in  fact  I  have  frequently  stepped 
upon  them  with  my  whole  weight  when  on  the 
ordinary  soil  of  the  potato  field,  and  the  only 
ellect  was,  that  they  were  forced  into  the  earth 
from  which  they  soon  came  apparently  not  at 
all  hurt.  They  have  the  habit  of  feigning  death 
as  soon  as  touched,  dropping  from  the  vines  and 
curling  up  in  the  best  manner  to  resist  injury 
from  crushing  or  any  other  cause. 


So  far  hand  pickingand  then  burning  has  been 
the  only  sure  remedy,  but  this  is  slow  and  very 
expensive.  Paris  Green  is  largely  used,  but 
your  objections  to  it  are  well  taken.  Our  chief 
and  only  hope  is  in  the  natural  enemies  of  the 
depredator,  and  of  these  the  number  is  not 
small.  The  -'Lady  Bug,"  "Soldier  Bug,"  and 
various  others  are  beginning  to  reduce  the  num- 
bers of  the  pest  in  this  State  quite  materially. 
Something  can  be  accomplished  by  a  proper  se- 
lection of  the  varieties  of  potatoes.  On  this  last 
point  see  my  article  in  Western  Pomologist  for 
July. 

I  send  eggs  — larvaj  and  perfect  insects,  male 
and  female — the  smaller  beins  males. 


Moving  Large  Trees. — An  Iowa  City  Cor- 
respondent writes:  ''I  have  two  evergreens,  a 
Pine  and  a  Balsam  Fir,  twelve  years  set,  and 
are  twenty  feet  high.  I  am  desirous  to  move 
them  on  to  a  lawn.  100  feet  distant.  Can  it  be 
done  successfully  ?  If  so,  how,  and  what  time  ? 
Any  suggestions  would  be  thankfully  received." 

[Such  very  large  evergreens  are  best  prepared 
a  year  before.  Dig  a  circle  any  time  during 
spring  or  summer  about  6  feet  from  the  trunk, 
and  about  two  feet  deep,  cutting  under  the  top 
roots  if  possible,and  then  fiUingup  the  trench  with 
the  earth  taken  out.  The  following  spring  the 
tree  may  be  removed  by  opening  the  same  trench. 
Fibrous  roots  will  then  be  made.  It  is  not  ne- 
cessary to  care  for  a  ball  of  earth  on  removal  by 
this  process.  Keep  the  fibres  from  drying  by 
winds,  and  hammer  in  the  earth  tightly  at 
transplanting,  and  there  will  be  little  risk  of 
failure.] 

Duplication  of  Nursery  Names  in  Direc- 
tories,— James  Ford  writes:  "Enclosed  find 
two  envelopes,  both  received  by  me,  althouLrh 
you  will  see  some  little  difterence  in  the  address. 
In  the  Western  Rural  Annual,  1^71,  Chicago, 
list  of  Nurseries,  Indiana,  I  find  James  Fad, 
Princeton.  Having  frequently  of  late  received 
two  circulars  from  one  person  addressed  as  the 
two  envelopes.  I  have  taken  pains  to  inquire 
for  James  Fad,  but  can  find  no  such  name  in 
the  nursery  business.  I  supi)o&e  therefore  that 
the  editor  of  Western  Annual,  (or  some  one)  has 
made  the  mistake  from  my  name  alone. 

I  think,  Mr.  Meehan,  if  you  will  notice  the 
above  in  the  Monthly,  you  will  oblige  many  of 
the  trade  who  are  sending  out  their  circulars, 
and  me  also,  as  one  list  is  sutlicient.'' 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^TTELY. 


Septeviher, 


A  good  Directory  is  badly  wanted.  The  prin- 
cii)le  adopted  by  some  compilers  of  charging  two 
dollars  for  every  name  inserted  will  never  get  up 
a  good  one,  A  better  plan  would  be  to  con)pile 
one  honestly,  and  trust  to  the  recompense  by 
the  sale  of  it,— just  as  any  other  commercial  di- 
rectory-maker would  do.  The  Western  Bural 
does  not  charge  to  get  into  its  list  ;  but  if  it  did, 
would  the  duplication  of  names  by  bad  orthog- 
raphy add  to  its  revenues  ?] 

To  Correspondents  and  Inquirers —The 
Editors  absence  in  the  West  for  a  few  weeks  is 
the  occasion  of  some  delay  in  answering  a  few 
inquiries.  These  shall  have  early  attention  in 
future  nuniLers. 


Xe-^'  Book  on  Trees.— AVe  see  it  announced 
that  Mr  Bryant  is  about  to  issue  a  book  on 
tn-e  culture.  He  has  had  wide  experience,  and 
no  doubt  will  make  up  an  excellent  work. 


Catalogues. — As  the  planting  season  ap- 
proaches we  are  daily  receiving  numerous  Trad 
Lists  and  Catalogues  Wholesale  and  Retail  It 
is  {)leasing  to  note  the  enterprise  of  our  Nursery- 
men, their  Catalogues  being  replete  with  all  the 
new  and  rare  trees  plants,  &c.,  as  well  as  with 
kinds  more  generally  known. 

We  find  on  our  table  the  following  :  C  L. 
Allen  &  Co  ,  Wholesale  Bulbs  ;  Stark  &  Barnett, 
wholesale  general  list;  11.  M  Thompson,  gene- 
ral list;  Hoapes,  Bros.  &  Thomas,  semi-annual 
trade  list,  general  stock  ;  Peter  Henderson  &  Co  , 
retail  bulbs,  rustic  work,  designs,  &c  ;  Sears, 
Henry  &  Co.,  general  wholesale  list ;  H  M.  En- 
gle  &  Son,  general  wholesale  list ;  A.  H.  Yail 
&  Co  ,  retail  nursery  stock  ;  Thomas  Mechan, 
general  wholesale  list  ;  Merrell  &  Coleman,  trade 
li.st  nursery  stock  ;  T.  T.  Southwick&Co  , whole- 
sale trade  list ;  Will  &  Clark,  wholesale  fruits, 
evergreens,  &c  ;  J.  M.  Jordan,  wholesale  trade 


list,  wire  goods,  &c  ;  A.  &  J  Hammond,  trade 
list  fruits,  &c  ;  E.  Snyder,  retail  list  nursery 
stock  ;  Peters  &  Hatch,  wholesale  greenhouse 
and  ornamental  stock  ;  E.  C.  Peirson,  wholesale 
fruits,  &c  ;  Thos.  H.  Payne,  wholesale  and  re- 
tail stock  ;  Wood  &  Hall,  wholesale  nursery 
stock,  implements,  &c  ;  Bird  &  Gray,  wholesale 
fruits,  stocks,  &c.,  also  retail  list  ;  S  L.  Gaar  & 
Cox,  descriptive  list  general  nursery  stock ; 
Lindley  M  Ferris  &  Son,  wholesale  fruits,  orna- 
mentals, &c. ;  Otto  &  Achelis,  wholesale  trade 
list  evergreens,  fruits,  &c.;  R.  J  Halliday,  trade 
list  winter  blooming  plants,  &o. ;  Robt.  Douglas 
&  Sons,  wholesale  evergreen  seedlings,  seed,  «&c  ; 
Gould  Bros.,  wholesale  roses,  bulbs,  border 
plants,  shrubs,  trees,  &c  ;  James  Yick,  bulbs, 
seeds,  baskets,  «&c.,  retail;  John  J.  Kreider, 
fruits,  potatoes,  &c.;  E.  Ware  Sylvester,  new 
peaches,  fruits,  &c..  Wood  &  Hall,  bass  bark  ; 
Burrow  &  Wood,  fruits,  evergreens  and  orna- 
mental, wholesale ;  W.  F.  Heikes,  wholesale 
general  list ;  EUwanger  &  Barr}',  retail  bulb  list ; 
Storrs,  Harrison  &  Co.,  wholesale  general  list ; 
E,  J.  Evans  &  Co.,  retail  list  of  field  and  garden 
seeds  ;  Burkholder  &  Meals,  wholesale  general 
list;  Maxwell,  Pratt  &  Co.,  wholesale  general 
list  ;  P.  H.  Foster,  wholesale  list  of  seedlings, 
&c.;  Stuart  &  Humphreys,  trade  list  fruits? 
trees,  &c,i  E.  Moody  &  Son,  wholesale  fruits, 
stocks,  trees,  &c. ;  T.  B.  Yale  &  Co..  wholesale 
roses,  fruits,  trees;  Storrs,  Harrison  &  Co., 
chestnut  circular ;  Louis  Yan  Houtte.  retail 
bulbs,  &c. ;  EUwanger  &  Barry,  Avliolesale  gene- 
ral list;  Dr.  H.  Schroder,  wholesale  fruits;  fl. 
A.  Dreer,  flower  and  vegetable  seed  ;  Peter 
Henderson,  wholesale  greenhouse  plants  ;  L. 
Kauffman,  fruit  stocks,  trees,  &c. ;  T.  C.  Max- 
well &  Co.,  wholesale  trade  list  fruits,  ornamen- 
tals,   &c. ;   J.Jenkins,    wholesale   nursery  list; 

E.  T.  Dickinson,    wholesale   fruits,   roses,    &c., 

F.  L.  Perry,  wholesale  fruits  and  roses ;  T.  S. 
Hubbard  &  Co.,  wholesale  grapes  ;  Dr.  John  E. 
Ennis,  list  of  special  stock,  evergreens,  &c. 


1 


^^EW  AND   RARE   ERUITS. 


Plowden's  Seedling  Peach. — Dr.  Swasey  i  very  long  and  narrow.  Enclosed  I  send  you  a 
writes  :  *'  Somebody  is  wrong  about  the  Plow-  '  leaf  just  taken  from  one  of  five  trees  received 
den's  Seedling  Peach.     Who  is  it  ?  direct,  last  spring,  from  J.  B.  Clagget  of  Wash- 

In  your  August  number  you  say  that  it  belongs  ington,  D.  C.  These  trees  are  all  alike,  and  its 
to  the   'j/?a«(Z/(Si' section"  and  thai  the  leaves  arc  ,  leaves  hare  small  globose  glands,  fully  as  large 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJy'THLY. 


279 


and  prominent  as  the  yellow  Rareripe  or  the 
Crawford  as  you  will  see  by  the  leaf  sent,  which 
is  an  average  as  to  both  shape  and  gland.  Are 
my  trees  wrong  or  are  you  mistaken  ?  '' 

[There  is  some  confusion  about  this  peach 
which  we  cannot  unravel.  Mr.  Clagget  brought 
the  peach  himself  to  our  oflRce,  which  was  as 
described  in  the  Qardener''s  Monthly  at  the  time. 
It  was  not  Ilale's  Earh'.  The  leaves  were  long, 
slender  and  tapering,  sharply  but  finely  serrate, 
and  glandless.  We  have  since  noticed  that  a 
body  of  good  fruit  men  at  Washington,  of  whom 
Mr.  W.  Saunders  was  one,  has  pronounced  it 
nothing  but  Hale's  Early, — but  Hale's  Early  is 
a  glandular  variety.  Now  comes  a  leaf 
also  said  to  have  been  received  from  Mr.  Clag- 
gett,  which  is  broadly  lanceolate,  rather  crenate 
than  serrate,  and  grand  ular  ;  and  not  the  leaf  as 
we  received  it.  Something  wrong  somewhere, 
but  where  we  do  not  know. 


Dr.  Wylie's  Hybrid  Grapes  —As  the  first 
Horticultural  Magazine  to  call  attention  to  Dr. 
Wylie's  efforts  to  improve  the  grape  by  hybridi- 
zatiorf,  we  have  watched  the  development  of 
these  seedlings  with  much  interest.  We  have 
now  before  us  a  set  of  bunches,  which  affords  us 
much  pleasure  to  testify  to  their  excellence.  Pe- 
ter W ylie  is  a  white  variety  of  strong  and  vigo- 
rous habits,  Janie  Wyiie  is  between  Clinton  and 
a  foreign  variety,  and  to  us  has  a  peculiar  flavor, 
highly  agreeable,  and  by  which  we  think  it  could 
bo  alone  distinguished  from  any  other  grape. 
No.  38  we  suppose  has  not  been  named  yet  It 
is  of  Delaware  character,  and  excellent.  A  new 
variety,  fruited  for  the  first  time  this  year,  is  a 
large  black  berry,  but  in  the  writer  s  absence 
had  somewhat  fermented  ;  and  we  are  thus  una- 
ble to  speak  definitely  about  it ;  but  its  appear- 
ance was  very  promising. 

Dr.  Wylie  deserves  great  credit  for  his  persis- 
ent  effort  to  improve  the  grape  in  this  way.  His 
success  in  producing  first  class  varieties  is  alone 
a  reward  ;  but  besides  it  sets  at  rest  the  problem 
about  hybridization  better  than  perhaps  any 
other  experiment  that  has  been  tried.  There 
have  been  some  doubts  as  to  whether  other  so 
called  hybrids  were  really  so,  but  none  we  believe 
about  these. 


PEAcn,  Yellow  St.  John — Dr  Swasey 
says  in  Southern  Horticulturist,  that  this  is  "far 
ahead  of  every  thing  else  as  a  market  fruit  in 
the  South,''  and  that  "its  career  of  popularity  is 


just  beginning."  It  was  grown  many  years  ago 
by  a  Mr.  Fieitas,  of  Mississippi  City,  who  called 
it  St.  John.  It  has  also  been  distributed  as 
'■'■May  JJ'^aut//,"— not  certain  that  it  was  the 
same  as  May  Beauty.  Dr.  Swasey  distributed  it 
as  Yellow  St.  John.  It  is  described  in  some 
works  as  Flavus  St.  John,  and  in  others  as  Fla- 
tus St.  John. 


Strawberry,  Dr.  Warder. — Dr.  Warder 
is  the  name  of  a  seedling  Stravvberr}'  raised  by 
Louis  Kitz,  Plainfield  Ohio,  which  has  received 
the  $50  silver  cup  of  the  Cincinnati  Horticul- 
tural Society.— Chas.  Downixg. 


Laura  Beverly  Grape. — You  have  a  no- 
tice of  th's  grape  in  your  last  number  as  being  a 
distinct  variety  ;  but  a  plant  sent  me  by  D.  AV. 
Beadle,  of  St.  Catharines,  has  proved  to  be  Crev- 
eling,  and  Mr  Beadle  informsfme  that  they  have 
nroved  identical.— Chas.  Downing. 


Peach  Beatrice.— S.  G.  Bilyeu,  of  Little- 
ton, Halifax  Co.,  "N".  C,  exhibited  to  the  editor 
of  the  Agriculturist,  on  June  19th,  a  specimen  of 
a  new  early  peach  called  Beatrice.  This  is  a 
seedling  by  the  celebrated  Thomas  Rivers,  of 
Sawbrigeworth,  England.  Upon  the  grounds  of 
Mr.  Bilyeau,  Beatrice  is  at  least  20  days  earlier 
than  Ilale's  Early.  Like  all  early  peaches,  it  is 
small,  but  it  has  a  very  high  color,  is  very  fra- 
grant and  of  good  quality  for  a  very  early  varie- 
ty. The  specimens  presented  had  been  picked 
for  five  days,  and  were  in  perfectly  good  condi- 
tion, and  would  seem  to  warrant  Mr.  Bilyeu's 
claim,  that  they  possesss  superior  shipping 
qualities. 


Denton  Plum.—/.  B.  K..,  Denton,  Md.^ 
writes:  "1  send  you  by  to-day's  Express,  a 
small  box  of  the  Denton  Plum.  The  fruit,  as 
you  will  observe,  belongs  to  that  of  the  wild 
plum  (Prunus  Americana)  ;  this  though  is  a  va- 
riety that  for  several  years  past,  by  its  sure  and 
abundant  crop,  has  attracted  considerable  local 
attention.  The  tree  from  which  I  hurriedly 
gathered  these  now  not  fully  ripened  specimens, 
is  small  yet,  but  has  at  least  one  and  a  half  bush- 
els of  fruit  on  it  this  season,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  timely  'put  in'  of  the  curculio,  there 
doubtless  would  have  been  another  bushel.  The 
much  hated  insect  aided  some  little  in  thinning 


280 


THE    GARDENER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


SeptemheVy 


the  crop,  but  the  thought  occurred  to  me,  while 
working  near  the  tree,  that  tlie  'bug  gave  up  in 
despair  ere  its  work  was  completed.'  They  may 
not  be  fully  ripened  up  when  you  receive  them, 
but  I  need  not  tell  you  what  to  do  with  them_ 
Do  you  not  think  it  better  to  have  one  and  a  half 
bushels  of  these  on  a  single  tree,  than  one  and  a 
halt"  dozen  trees  of  the  larger  and  finer  kinds 
without  perhaps  a  specimen  to  the  tree  ?    I  no- 


tice several  small  orchards  planted  in  this  coun- 
try of  the  same  species  ;  they  pay  in  market, 
which  seems  to  be  the  grand  lever  in  American 
enterprise." 

[Well  worthy  of  all  our  correspondent  says  of 
it.  We  do  not,  however,  feel  sure  that  it  is  dis- 
tinct from  the  Golden  Miser  or  Golden  Cherry, 
—but  even  if  the  same,  it  should  be  more  culti- 
vated than  it  is.] 


NEW  AND  MEE  PLANTS. 


SlUM  HELENIANrM— XeW  EdtBLEPlANT.— 

In  the  recently  issued  number  of  lfooter's2co«fs 
Plantarium  (Part  2,  Williams  and  Norgate), 
among  a  number  of  plants  for  the  most  part  of 
purely  botanical  interest,  is  a  notice  of  an  edible 
umbelliferous  plant,  Slum  HeUnianum,  sent  from 
St  Helena  by  Mr.  Mellis,  and  concerning  which 
Dr.  Hooker  writes  as  follows  :  "The  green  stems, 
like  pieces  of  bamboo,  are  brought  to  the  mar- 
ket of  St,  Helena  for  sale,  and  are  eaten  raw  un- 
der the  name  of  'Jellico.'  It  was  originally  dis- 
covered by  Roxburgh  early  in  this  century,  and 
has  not  been  gathered  by  any  subsequent  collec- 
tor except  Mr.  Mellis,  who  has  sent  to  the  Roy- 
al Gardens  a  dried  specimen,  living  plants, 
seeds,  and  a  bundle  of  the  stems  as  sold  in  the 
market.  Slum  Helenianum  is  another  instance 
of  the  curious  fact  that  herbaceous  plants  are 
often  represented  by  frutescent  or  arborescent 
allies  in  insular  localities."  This  is  borne  out 
by  other  umbelliferous  plants  found  in  St.  Hele- 
na, Madeira,  &c  ,  as  well  as  by  the  arborescent 
compo.sites  of  the  former  islet,  &c.  Licbtenstenia 
Burchelli,  another  arborescent  umbellifer  from 
St.  Helena,  is  at  first  sight  very  similar  to  the 
plant  above  described,  and  seems  to  have  been 
mistaken  for  it  by  BurchcU,  who  in  a  note  at- 
tached to  his  specimens  calls  it  Angelica. 


ADFANTrM  Veitciiii.— A  distinct  and  fiue 
Fern,  introduced  from  Peru. 

It  is  extremely  ornamental,  attracting  the  eye 
by  its  rigid  character  and  the  symmetry  of  its 
growth  ;  and  we  recommend  it  as  a  most  desira- 
ble evergreen  Fern  for  a  warm  greenhouse  or  in- 
termediate stove. 


The  young  fronds  are  very  beautiful,  being  of 
a  fine  red  color,  that  of  the  mature  fronds  being 
of  a  pale  green. 

The  largest  pinnules  measure  about  an  inch 
in  their  longer,  and  half  an  inch  in  their  shorter 
diameter,  and  are  set  stiffly  on  the  plane  of  the 
fronds. 

The  full-sized  fronds  attain  an  average  length 
of  1  foot. 


Begonia  Chelsoni.— This  is  one  of  the  fin- 
est of  the  flowering  Begonias.  It  is  a  hybrid, 
raised  at  Veitch's  Nursery,  between  B.  Bolivl- 
ensis  and  B.  Sedeni,  both  now  so  well  known. 

It  is  very  free  in  growth,  and  of  good  habit. 
The  flowers  are  of  a  bright  glossy  red  color,  and 
of  very  large  size.  The  plant  continues  in  bloom 
from  May  to  November. 

As  a  decorative  plant  it  cannot  fail  to  be  most 
extensively  grown,  and  it  will  form  an  excellent 
companion  to  the  B.  Sedeni  sent  out  last  3'ear. 

It  has  received  First-class  Certificates  both  at 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Exhibitions 
and  the  Royal  Botanic. 


Croton  JonANNis.— Of  all  the  recent  intro- 
ductions of  this  very  beautiful  class  of  plants,  we 
consider  C.  Johannis  one  of  the  most  elegant 
and  distinct. 

The  leaves  attain  a  length  of  20  to  24  inches, 
and  are  of  a  glo.'<sy  green  color,  the  centre  and 
margins  being  bright  orange  yellow. 

The  plant  is  of  very  graceful  habit,  and  we 
can  with  confidence  pronounce  it  to  be  exceed- 
ingly valuable  both  for  dinner  table  decoration 
and  for  exhibition  purposes. 


187L 


THE    GARDEJVEWS   MOJ^THLY. 


2S1 


It  has  been  named  after  the  late  Mr.  J  G. 
Veitch,  by  whom  it  was  discovered  during  his 
trip  to  the  South  Sea  Islands.  Whenever  ex- 
hibited it  has  received  First  Prizes. 

A  very  excellent  wood  cut  is  sjiven  iu  the  Gar- 
dener's Chronicle,  May  13th,  1871. 


Crotox  multicolor.— One  of  the  most  dis 
tinct  of  the  many  fine  varieties  of  Croton,  found 
by  the  late  Mr.  J  G.  Veitch  in  the  South  Sea 
Islands. 

The  leaves  attain  a  length  of  7  to  9  inches,  are 
very  irregular  in  shape,  oblong  spathulate,  ta 
pering  at  the  base,  and  irregularly  contracted  in 
the  centre. 

The  young  leaves  are  of  a  light  green,  blotched 
with  yellow,  but  turning  with  age  on  the  upper 
surface  into  a  glossy  green,  puckered  and  irreg- 
ularly blotched  with  yellow,  reddish  yellow,  and 
red,  the  midrib  crimson,  the  secondary  veins  yel- 
lowish, the  under  surface  being  red. 

It  has  received  its  name  from  the  great  diver- 
sity of  its  coloring. 


Croton  Hookerti.— Another  of  the  beatiful 
South  Sea  Island  Crotons  brought  home  by  the 
late  Mr.  J   G.  Veitch. 

It  forms  a  handsome  compact  growing  shrub, 
with  broadly  ovate  lanceolate  leaves,  abruptly 
tapering  or  rounded  at  the  base. 

The  upper  surface  of  the  foliage  is  of  a  beauti- 
ful dark  shining  green,  broken  at  the  base  with 
a  broad  blotch  of  golden  yellow,  and  with  irreg- 
ular projections  of  the  same  color  running  from 
the  midrib  towards  the  margin,  the  midrib  be- 
ing golden  )-cllow,  as  are  also  the  young  stems 
and  leafstalks. 

The  Editors  of  the  Oardener''s  Chronicle,  when 
dea -ribing  the  whole  of  Veitch's  Collection  of 
Crotons  in  1868,  p.  943,  thus  speak  of  C.  Ilook- 
erii — "This  variety  is  marked  much  in  the  same 
way  as  the  Milkmaid  Holly." 

It  has  been  exhibited  on  various  occasions, 
and  has  received  numerous  First-class  Certifi- 
cates. 


DiEFFENBACiiiABowMANir.— This  fine  plant 
was  discovered  by  the  late  Mr.  Bowman  during 
his  trip  to  South  Brazil,  and  was  described  by 
him  as  being  "as  far  superior  to  all  Dieflfenba- 
chias  as  Maranta  Veitchii  is  to  all  the  Marau- 
tas.' 


The  leaves,  which  attain  an  immense  size,  are 
of  a  pleasing  light  green  color,  spotted  with  dark 
green,  or  rather  black  green  spots,  thus  giving 
the  plant  a  very  distinct  and  striking  appear- 
ance. They  attain  a  length  of  from  2  to  2^  feet, 
and  an  average  width  of  1  foot,  thus  proving  it 
to  be  a  most  useful  exhibition  or  decorative 
plant.  It  has  received  First-class  Certificates 
both  from  the  Royal  Horticultural  and  the  Roy- 
al Botanic  Societies. 

It  has  given  Veitch  satisfaction  to  be  able  to 
associate  with  this  fine  introduction  the  name  of 
its  discoverer,  who  unfortunately  lost  his  life 
whilst  carrying  out  his  researches  in  South 
America. 


Draccexa  magxiftca.— It  is  probably  the 
most  handsome  of  the  Dracaenas  brought  home 
from  the  South  Sea  Islands  by  the  late  Mr.  J. 
G.  Veitch,  and  it  is  considered  as  being  far  su- 
perior to  any  variety  which  has  as  yet  been  in- 
troduced. 

It  is  very  free  in  growth,  and  the  leaves,  which 
have  a  spiral  growth,  attain  a  length  of  It  to  2 
feet,  and  a  width  of  8  to  10  inches. 

They  are  of  a  beautiful  bronzy  pink  color, 
changing  when  old  into  a  somewhat  darker 
shade.     The  leaf-stalks  are  nearly  purple. 

This  truly  magnificent  DraccEna  has  been  ex- 
hibited in  Paris,  Hamburg,  and  at  the  leading 
English  Exhibitions,  where  it  always  obtained 
first-class  honors,  and  was  universally  acknowl- 
edged to  be  well  worthy  of  the  name  it  has  re- 
ceivt  d. 


Draccexa  PoRPnYROPHYLLA.  — This  is  an- 
other of  the  fine  Draccenas  discovered  by  the 
late  Mr.  J.  G.  Veitch,  and  we  can  with  confi- 
dence recommend  it  in  all  respects  as  a  first  class 
plant. 

In  the  review  of  the  new  plants  exhibited  dur- 
ing the  past  year,  the  Editor  of  the  Gardener' s 
Chronicle  refers  to  this  fine  species  in  the  follow- 
ing terms  (see  Gardener'>s  Chronicle  of  January 
7ll),  1H71,  page  6  :— 

"Of  foliage  plants  of  shrubby  character,  we 
specially  single  out,  as  the  best  plant  of  this 
class  shown  during  the  year.  Dracoena  porphy- 
rophylla,  a  South  Sea  Island  species,  of  noble 
habit,  with  bold,  erect,  broadly  oblong  leaves, 
which  are  of  a  fine  deep  bronz}'  hue,  and  re- 
n)arkable  for  the  contrast  presented  by  the  glau- 
cous hue  of  the  under  surface." 


^8^ 


THE    GARDENER'S   MOJV^THLl.         September, 


It  was  exhibited  at  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  on  2d  Xovember,  1S70,  and  received  a 
First  class  Certificate. 


Nepenthes  sedenii. — This  really  pretty  va- 
riety is  a  cross  between  an  unnamed  species 
with  deep  colored  pitchers,  and  N.  distillatoria. 
The  pitchers  are  produced  in  great  profusion, 
even  on  very  small  plants  ;  they  are  of  medium 
size,  the  surface  being  light  green,  and  very 
densel}^  covered  with  dark  red  spots.  It  is  of 
dwarf  and  very  neat  habit,  and  we  can  highly 
recommend  it  to  all  lovers  of  this  beautiful  class 
of  plants  It  was  awarded  a  First-class  Certifi- 
cate at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Exhi- 
bition on  June  8th,  1870. 


Pandanus  Veitchii  — This  magnificent  Pau- 
danus  was  discovered  by  the  late  Mr.  J.  G. 
Veitch  during  his  journey  through  the  South 
Sea  Islands,  from  whence  he  brought  so  many 
beautiful  and  interesting  plants. 

Messrs.  Veitch  say  :  "We  consider  it  to  be 
one  of  the  best  plants  we  have  ever  had  the  plea- 
sure of  offering  to  the  public,  and  can,  with  con- 
fidence, recommend  it  as  being  very  far  superior, 
either  as  an  exhibition  plant,  or  for  decoration, 
to  any  other  Pandauus  yet  known." 

The  leaves  are  slightly  serrated,  of  a  light 
green  color,  beautifully  striped  with  broad  bands 
and  lines  of  pure  white.  They  average  2  feet 
in  length  by  3  inches  in  width,  growing  erect 
from  the  stem,  but  towards  the  end  gracefully 
curving,  thus  giving  the  plant  a  most  elegant 
appearance,  and  showing  itself  to  be  perfectly 
distinct  in  habit  as  well  as  in  coloring. 

It  has  been  exhibited  at  St.  Petersburgh,  Par- 
is, Hamburg,  and  at  the  leading  London  and 
County  exhibitions,  where  it  has  always  re- 
ceived the  highest  awards  and  been  universally 
admired. 


Rhododendron  Brookii  gracilis.— This  is 
one  of  the  freest  blooming  of  all  the  yellow  flow- 
ering Bornean  varieties  of  Rhododendrons. 

It  is  quite  distinct  from  the  species  known  as 
R.  Brookii,  being  much  more  graceful  in  habit, 
and  flowering  more  freely.  The  leaves  are  light 
green,  contrasting  well  with  the  pale  yellow 
flowers,  which  are  of  large  size,  and  produced  in 
compact  trusses  of  from  ten  to  twelve  flowers  in 
each. 

The  plant  blooms  in  quite  a  young  state. 

For  the  introduction  of  this  fine  novelty  we 
are  indebted  to  Mr.  Thomas  Lobb,  who  sent  it 
to  Messrs.  Yeitch  from  Borneo. 


Todea  Wilkesiana  — Messrs.  Yeitch  say 
it  gives  as  great  pleasure  to  be  now  in  a  position 
to  ofler  this  beautiful  miniature  Tree  Fern  for 
the  first  time. 

For  a  correct  description  of  this  elegant  Fern, 
we  feel  we  cannot  do  better  than  refer  to  the 
wood  cut  and  description  published  by  Mr. 
Moore,  in  the  Gardener'>s  Chronicle  of  June  11th, 
1870,  where  he  says  : — 

"The  trunk  is  from  18  to  20  inches  high,  and 
1^  inch  in  diameter,  crowned  at  the  summit  by 
from  ten  to  twelve  spreading  fronds,  of  a  broad- 
ly lanceolate  outline,  and  2  feet  or  upwards  in 
length.  The  pinna?  are  sessile,  oblong  lanceo- 
late, spreading.  The  pinnules  are  oblong  ob- 
tuse, dentate,  and  pellucid.  Messrs.  Veitch's 
parent  plant  has  already  a  stem  of  a  foot  or  more 
in  height,  and  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  which 
slender  tree  like  habit  gives  it  quite  a  distinct 
aspect  among  its  allies,  which  include  some  of 
the  most  lovely  of  cultivated  Ferns  " 

It  has  been  exhibited  at  the  Royal  Horticul- 
tural Society's  Shows,  and  received  a  First-class 
Certificate. 


DOMESTIC    INTELLIGENCE. 


A  Peach  Tree  Disease.— I  am  very  indua-  [  The  first  of  these  that  died  I  discovered  to  be 
triously  pursuing  my  fruit  culture  experiment,  aff(>cted  in  January  or  February.  The  trunk 
and  liave  just  encountered  my  first  discouraging  and  branches  were  yet  green,  while  the  roots 
incident.  I  liave  lost  four  peach  trees;  one  i  were  entirely  dead.  I  found  gum  exuding  from 
planted  out  in  the  spring  of  1870,  and  three  put  i  the  hark  of  the  roots,  looking  as  though  the  grub 
out  in  the  spring  of  18G8.  had  been  at  work,  but  I  could  not  find  one. 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^'THLY. 


283 


The  other  two  that  died  I  noticed  onl}'  a  few 
days  since.  At  my  first  pruning  they  appeared 
as  healthy  as  they  could  be.  After  flowering  and 
much  of  the  fruit  setting,  I  observed  in  them  a 
rather  sickly  appearance,  and  upon  closer  scru- 
tiny found  the  branches  green,  the  flowers  dry- 
ing and  the  fruit  wilting.  The  bark  nearly 
around  the  trunk,  from  the  ground  up  to  the 
first  branches,  was  entirely  dead,  while  the  roots 
and  bark  at  the  base  nearly  up  to  the  surface  of 
the  ground,  remained  alive,  prceentinga  healthy 
appearance.  Pigging  up  the  trees  showed  the 
ground  to  be  in  the  best  possible  condition. 

AVe  submitted  the  above  letter,  with  accom- 
panying specimens  of  disease,  to  our  Entomo- 
logical friend,  Prof  Steele,  for  investigation, 
and  in  response,  have  been  favored  with  the  fol- 
lowing interesting  and  satisfactory. 

Reply. — It  is  evident  that  the  trees  were 
killed  by  a  somewhat  new  disease  scientifically 
termed  Sucus  ohstructio^  but  generally  known  in 
the  localities  where  it  prevails  as  'peach  tree 
rot."  It  is  to  the  peach  tree  about  what  "fire 
blight"  is  to  the  pear,  and  "root  rot"  is  to  the 
apple  ;  a  disease  but  little  understood,  and  con- 
sequently the  subject  of  a  thousand  theories. 

The  most  plausible  theory  in  our  mind,  makes 
"peach  tree  rot"  arise  from  a  fungus  which  ob- 
tains a  footing  in  the  bark  of  the  tree,  near  the 
earth  line,  and  sending  its  roots  and  spores  in- 
ward finally  deranges  the  circulation  and  stops 
the  flow  of  the  sap.  On  subjecting  bark  taken 
from  the  base  of  an  infected  tree  to  microscopi- 
cal examination,  we  find  it  a  complete  fungoid 
net-work  The  specimen  sent,  as  referred  to  in 
the  foregoing,  proved  to  be  of  that  character, 
and  the  black  specks  with  white  border,  which 
without  the  aid  of  microscope  would  naturally 
be  mistaken  for  insect  eggs,  turned  out  to  be 
perfectly  developed  fungoid  growths,  sending  in- 
numerable roots  entirely  through  the  bark.  —Ab- 
breviated from  Farmer  and  Register^  Edited  by 
P.  J.  Berckmans. 


Davis's  Seedling  Potato. — This  potato  al 
though  not  a  new  variety,  is  not  extensively  cul 
tivated,  at  lea.st  we  have  never  met  it  until  our 
recent  visit  to  Manhattan.  Our  attention  was 
more  particularly  attracted  to  it  by  its  unusual 
weight,  and  its  beautiful  external  appearance. 
It  is  a  deep  red  potato,  skin  smooth,  eyes  very 
broad  and  not  quite  so  deep  as  in  the  Peachblow, 
the  principal  eye  upon   the  seed  end  being  of  a 


uniform  triangular  shape,  and  deeper  than  its 
fellows,  general  shape  round,  somewhat  flatten- 
ed on  two  sides,  flesh  white  and  very  solid,  and 
remarkably  free  from  cavities  ;  about  as  prolific 
as  the  Peachblow,  and,  to  our  taste,  superior  in 
eating  qualities.  A  specimen  we  have  before 
us,  measuring  only  eight  and  three-quarter 
inches  in  circumference,  weighs  nine  ounces.  It 
is  a  late  potato,  and  a  good  keeper.  It  is  grown 
quite  extensively  in  Riley  county.  "We  pro- 
nounce it  a  valuable  acquisition. — Kaunas  Far- 
mer. 


Plants  FOR  Edging.— The  Dwarf  Box  has 
been  heretofore  the  plant  most  commonly  used 
for  edging  flower  beds  and  walks  ;  but  in  our  cli- 
mate it  sufiiers  so  badly  in  winter,  unless  con- 
stantly covered  with  snow,  that  it  often  presents 
in  spring  a  very  unsightly  appearance.  By  the 
introduction  of  the  dwarf  growing  varieties  of 
arborvitse  we  are  made  quite  independent,  and 
have  in  them  an  admirable  substitute  for  the 
dwarf  box. 

The  varieties  known  as  Ericoides  or  Heath- 
leaved,  Tom  Thumb,  Hoopes'  Dwarf  and  Booth's 
Dwarf,  are  all  finely  adapted  lo  this  purpose, 
being  naturally  of  a  dwarf  habit,  and  admitting 
of  being  trimmed  to  any  desired  form  or  height. 
In  addition  to  these  qualities,  they  are  quite 
hardy,  never  sufiering  from  our  most  severe 
winters. 

These  plants  grow  slowly,  and  full  grown 
specimen  plants  are  held  at  high  prices,  but 
small  plants,  such  as  are  most  desirable  for 
planting  for  edging  purposes,  can  be  obtained  at 
much  lower  rates.  AVe  think  plants  of  Tom 
Thumb,  six  inches  high,  are  sold  for  six  dollars 
per  hundred,  and  Hoopes'  and  Booth's  Dwarf 
for  ten.  la  those  parts  of  the  country  where 
the  snow  does  not  remain  all  the  winter  at  a 
sufficient  depth  to  protect  the  box,  these  hardy 
evergreens  will  be  found  a  most  charming  sub- 
stitute.—  Canada  Farmer. 


Barren  Apple  Trees— IIow  to  Make 
THEM  Bear.— "Through  the  kindness  of  the 
Hon  John  Whittlesey,  the  Herald  is  able  to  lay 
the  following  important  fact  before  our  readers: 

First,  the  Northern  Spy,  Red  Astrachan,  and 
a  number  of  other  choice  varieties  of  apples, 
have  failed  through  this  region  to  bear  apples, 
although  ten  or  fifteen  years  old.  Two  years 
ago,  Dr.  Hull,  of  Alton,  delivered  a  lecture  at 


2SJf 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOXTHLY. 


Septewibcr, 


Benton  Harbor,  in  which  he  recommended  root 
prnninaj.  Mr.  O.  A.  Winchester,  of  St  Joseph, 
of  Archer  &  Co.'s  Nursery,  had  ten  Northern 
Spy  apple  trees,  thirteen  or  more  years  old, 
■which  had  never  blossomed  or  borne  a  crop. 
After  the  lecture,  though  late  in  the  season,  he 
directed  his  man  to  root  prune  one  tree,  and 
half  root  prune  another.  Last  year  no  favora- 
ble results  appeared,  probably  from  the  lateness 
of  the  root  pruning.  This  year,  the  tree  which 
was  root  pruned  all  around,  is  full  of  blossoms, 
while'  that  side  of  the  tree  half  root  pruned  alone 
is  full  of  blossoms,  the  un-root  pruned  side  hav- 
ing none  at  all.  Every  other  Northern  Spy  ap- 
ple tree,  as  usual,  contains  no  blossoms. 

This  single  fact  should  lead  our  orchardists  to 
try  the  experiment  this  season.  Now  is  the 
time  to  begin,  and  the  work  of  root  pruning 
should  be  finished  by  the  first  of  June.' 


Profit  of  Early  Cucumbers.— Nicholas 
Pierro,  a  German  gardener  near  Minneapolis, 
sold  nearly  S30  worth  of  cucumbers  in  one  day, 
the  fore  part  of  July,  from  one  hundred  hills. 
Tiiej'  were,  of  course,  started  under  glass,  and 
were  watered  during  the  dry  weather.  He  goes 
over  his  vines  three  times  each  week,  but  the 
above  was  the  heaviest  sale  of  the  season's  pick- 
ing.—  Small  Fruit  Recorder. 


Purple  Beech. — Mr.  J.  H.  Hall,  says  in 
Bulletin  of  the  Torrey  Bot.  Club:  The  finest  cop- 
per Beech  probably  in  the  country,  grows  at 
Throgg's  Neck,  on  the  grounds  of  Mr.  Van 
Schaick.  It  is  enormous  in  size  ;  very  beauti- 
ful and  graceful  in  shape,  of  charmingly  colored 
foliage.  I  think  the  diameter  of  the  trunk  at 
the  height  of  a  man's  head,  must  be  six  feet. 


Phyllotaxis  ;  or  the  Law  of  the  Ar- 
rangement OF  Leaves. —  One  of  the  most  re- 
markable instances  of  the  prevalence  of  law  in 
the  natural  world,  is  shown  in  the  arrangement 
of  the  leaves  of  plants 

"Whore  the  leaves  are  not  opposite,  it  is  found 
that  thoy  grow  in  spiral  rows  around  the  stem, 
at  certain  regular  distances  from  one  another. 

If  we  fasten  a  thread  upon  the  base  of  a  vine- 
leaf,  and  wind  it  around  the  shoot,  we  shall  find 
that  the  next  leaf,  above  the  one  from  which  we 
started,  is  half  way  around  the  stem,  and  tliat 
the  second  is  dire*,  tiy  above  the  one  from  which 


we  began  to  reckon  This  series  may  therefore 
be  represented  by  the  fraction  ^,  in  which  the 
numerator  shows  that  we  have  made  one  circuit 
around  the  stem,  and  the  denominator  that 
there  are  tivo  leaves  within  the  circuit ;  begin- 
ning to  count  with  the  leaf  above  the  one  from 
which  we  started. 

In  another  plant  three  leaves  will  be  found  in 
one  circuit,  the  first  leaf  being  one-third  of  the 
distance  around  the  stem,  the  second  ttco  thirds^ 
and  the  third  completes  the  circuit.  This  series 
is  therefore  represented  by  the  fration  5. 

Other  plants,  as  the  pear  and  currant,  have 
a  series  of  Jive  leaves  making  two  circuits,  the 
first  leaf  in  the  spiral  row  being  placed  at  two- 
fifths  of  the  distance  around  the  stem  from  the 
leaf  assumed  as  the  starting  point,  the  second, 
four-fifths^  the  third,  sixfifths,  and  so  on.  This 
series  is,  therefore,  indicated  by  the  fraction  2-5. 
Other  plants  have  a  series  of  ei(//* Heaves  in  three 
circuits,  and  some  thirteen  in  eiyht  circuits. 

Taking  now  into  view  these  several  systems, 
they  may  be  represented  by  the  following  frac- 
tional series,  viz.,  ^,  |,  2-5,  f,  5-13,  etc. 

This  series  expands  according  to  the  law  that 
any  one  of  the  terms,  after  the  second,  is  equal 
to  the  sum  of  the  numerators  of  the  two  next 
preceding  terms  divided  by  the  sum  of  their  de- 
nominators. 

We  have,  therefore,  the  curious  fact  that  a 
mathematical  series  expresses  one  of  the  fixed 
laws  of  organic  growth. —  Wood's  Botany. 


Humble  Bees. — Boys  think  it  glorious  fun  to 
fight  humble  bees,  but  they  should  not  be  en- 
couraged in  the  warfare.  Humble  bees,  like  all 
other  hymenoptera,  play  an  important  part  in 
the  great  field  of  nature.  The  vein  winged  in- 
sects which  fly  from  flower  to  flower,  do  not  in- 
jure or  destroy  the  flowers,  but  make  them  pro- 
ductive by  disturbing  their  pollen.  They  also 
rid  us  of  innumerable  noxious  caterpillars  and 
other  insects,  which  they  convert  into  whole- 
some food  for  their  offspring. 

The  ordinary  honey  bee  performs  its  work 
well  in  the  fertilization  of  white  clover,  but  its 
proboscis  is  not  long  enough  to  enable  it  to  reach 
the  nectaries  of  red  clover.  For  the  fertiliz  itiou 
of  red  clover,  we  must  rely  to  a  great  extent 
upon  the  humble  bee. 

Darwiu  has  called  attention  to  the  intimate 
connection  between  the  number  of  cats  in  a  given 
district  and  the  yield  of  red  clover  seed.     The 


IbTl. 


TIf£:    GARDE JTER'S    MOMTELy 


BS5 


mic«  destroy  humble  bees,   and  the  cats  destroy  |  thus  see  how  eftriicstlj>  ^v  .,  ]juaiblo  bto  is  ilc-siirccl 

the   mice;    therelore,    the   more   cat3   the   uioro  i  iu  countries  whero  ho  \^.  -^^s  not.     Tli*>u  should 

wo  uol  protect  what  \v^  |-,siv*>,  aiul   which  p<ir- 
forois  svich  ixn  importjxi^^  c^s"^  **^*^*  ^'^  ''^^'*'  tVfijjmiit 

meadows?     Wo  think  ^  —    '  "'  '         ^ -»  - 
fere  with  the  wild  ploj[\^, 
—  jTui/,  Field  and  Fcu^',-^ 


bumble  bees,   and    the   more    bumble   bees    the  |  wo  uol  protect  what  \v^    j-,siv*>i  »'i<^   which  p<ir 

great-er  is    the    red    clover    jield.     lu   order   to 

make  red  clover  grow  more  abundantly  iu  New 

Zealand  than  it  does,   some  enterprising  gontle- 

tuen  are  talking  of  importiut^  colonics  of  humble 

bees    from    England.      Our   3'ouug   frieuds    will 


meadows?     Wo  think  ^"    ev^u  if  it  doi^s  jntt»r- 
fere  with  the  wild  pl'^^tsure*  of  cnivJess  boyhood. 


P  0  R  E I G  N     INTEL  L I G  E  N  c  E 


■RASPBEnREES. — A  fruit  requiting  S]X!cial  gath- 
ering for  market,  and  it  ought  only  to  be  sent 
there  in  water-tight  ves.sels,  as  the  juices  run 
out.  It  is  often  an  uasatisfactory  article  both 
for  buyer  and  seller,  as  tbe  first  named  often 
questions  whether  all  tbe  juice  the  fruit  is  swiijj- 
ming  in  when  it  reaches  London  was  not  gath- 
ered with  it  from  the  bushes  ;  and  certainly  there 
is  every  scope  for  increasing  the  quantity  by  the 
same  means  as  are  adopted  with  milk;  but  as 
this  is  not  our  purpose,  we  may  say  that  although 
the  Strawberry,  as  before  reruarkud,  dislikes  a 
calcareous  soil,  this  plaut  luxuriates  in  one,  and 
the  best  examples  of  good  cultivation  I  have  met 
with  are  of  this  kind  ;  depth  of  soil  and  a  little 
more  moisture  than  most  other  kinds  of  fruit  dc- 
Ijgiit  in,  are  also  requisite  to  enable  the  plaut  to 
ripen  ofTils  Later  fruit  to  ad  vantage, — Journal  of 
Jlorticulture. 


Revivifying  an  Old  MusiinooM  Bkd  — 
From  Mr.  W.  P.  Ayres,  of  Nottingham,  we 
have  received  a  quantity  of  very  fine  mush- 
rooms, the  produce  of  an  old  bed  tliat,  under  or- 
dinary management,  would  by  thi«  time  have 
been  destroyed.  It  appears  that  some  M'eeks  ago 
one  of  Mr.  Ayres's  beds,  wliich  had  borne  well, 
began,  after  the  fashion  of  old  mushroom  beds, 
to  become  exhausted  ;  but,  instead  of  destroying 
it,  he  firmed  down  the  bed,  filled  up  with  all  the 
interstices,  and  gave  it  a  thoroun;h  dcse  of  wa- 
ter, farm  yard  liquid  manure,  salt,  and  guano, 
heated  to  about  80°.  The  result  was  that  the 
bed  began  to  bear  better  than  it  did  before  Tbe 
liquid  was  of  course  in  a  highly  diluted  state, 
and  given  so  abundantly,  that  every  part  of  the 
bed  was  saturated  with  it.  These  facts  are 
worth  the  attention  of  all  mushroom  growers.— 
Qardener^s  Weekly. 


j      liiroiriAN'T  TO  TUis    jsTtTRsEnv   and  Skkd 
j  Trades— The  followiiij^    itift>riuu'.  ion  may   per- 
haps be  of  service  to  s^cdat*^^"  '^"^'  nurseryujcu 
whaj'eceivc  orders  by  pojjt    unaGcoinp;»niod  with 
:  remittances  :     "'A  dealer  r*i**'ding  iu  a  prov'incinl 
town  was  recently  sued    in    the  City  of  London 
Ooiu-t  for  a  small  amount  ;   t>ut,   Avhilo  not  dis- 
'  putlng  the  chxim,  tiio  debtor  set  up  the  plea  that 
the  goods  had  by  him   haviiij;  boi-n   ordered  by 
;  post,  he  could  only  be    sued    in   ihu  district  in 
j  which  tlio  orders  were  {jost-cd  ;  and  It  siioms  lio 
I  was  right,  for  he  carried  the  d>iy.     As  it  would 
be  hardly  worth    wiiile    to    Lake  ail  the  trouble 
that  miglit  be  ueoeesury    to  compel  paynumt  un- 
der such  circumstances,    it   ia  clear  that  ynnill 
transactions  between  parlies    roHidlnj^  at  a  dis- 
tance from  each  other  ca  n  011  ly  be  .s.ifuly  carried  on 
when  cash  payments  are    t-he    order  i.>f  the  day. 
As  the  law   now  stauds,    ingenious  individuals 
who  happen  not  to  be  overliurdencd  with  huucsiy 
may  carry  on  a  system  of  fraud  without  rmmiiig 
much  risk.     "SVo  can  only    hope  tiiat  porrorinoi'S 
iu  this  line  will  go  abeiid  viirorously   widle   tliey 
have  the  chance,    and   thu»   dravv    the  attention 
of  our  law  nnikens  to  the    necenHily  for  a  lltllu 
law-inendina  iu  this  directi<:)n." 


Caution  to  Nuii.sffiiYMjcN  and  Otukiih.— 
"Our  readers,"  Kays  the  SuHBex  E'.qri-Cb»,  "have 
got  pretty  well  acquairi't:'!  with  ilio  gentry  who 
'  advertise  for  agricultur'tl    produce,  garden  stuff, 
j  game,  poultry,  anyLhiuJ^i  indeed,  wlilcii  tiicy  can 
hope  to  obliilu  without  Pitying  (Or  it;   but  there 
has  lately  been  a  novelty  eontrivcd  lu  their  mode 
I  of  operating.     Tie  orie?'"itl  plan    was  to   give  a 
London  addres.*,  gi-t  tl>''  fe'Oodsseijt  to  a  I>ondoii 
railway  btution,  def(;ri'''*K  payment  on  houk;  [ire- 
text  or  other,  and,  of '^'^'^ '">»*,•,    when  they  had  oh- 


9i86 


TEE    GABBEJ^'ER'S   MOJ^TRLl . 


iSeptember, 


tained  possession,  the  swindlers  disappeared,  ! 
The  Improved  scheme  is  to  give  an  apparently 
local  name— some  well  known  Su*!Bex  or  Kent 
name— and  give  a  local  address.  A  couple  of 
rooms  are  taken  in  some  country  town  in  the 
name  adopted,  adrtrtisements  are  freely  issued, 
slioals  of  letters,  we  arc  told,  pour  in,  the  replies 
are  in  the  most  business  like  form,  and  then  an 
addition  to  the  country  address  appears  as  an 
additional  place  of  business,  in  or  near  London. 
This  is  not  all.  In  one  case  we  are  assured, 
however,  a  slill  stranger  device  was  used.  A 
check  was  actually  sent  drawn  on  a  well  known 
bank  in  the  Ci(y.  but  when  it  was  presented  it 
was  returned,  marked  'refer  to  drawer.'  This 
could  noL  be  done." 


BaILI-ON"8    L'HlsTOIIlE    I>E    PLANTES  —We 

are   inlurujed  <hat    an    English   edition  of  ,J,his 
work,    with   the  original   illuetrations,   will   be 
puhliMhe<l  shortly  by  Messrs.   L.   Reeve  &  Co 
The  first  volumi;  is  expected  to  appear  in  the  au- 
tumn. 


A  "\VoucE.STER  Fruit  Farm.-  We  learn  from 
Jierrow'n  Worcester  Journal  that  Mr  Vardon, 
who  is  described  as  a  "^shrewd,  clever,  and  ac- 
compiislied  man,"  lias  worked  out  the  idea  of  a 
Iruit  (iu-m  on  a  magnilicent  scale,  near  Pershore. 
His  estate  is  "250  acres.  Of  this  about  140  are 
l»iiinled  with  fruit  trees.  Ihese  include  00,000 
gooseberry  bushes,  100,000  eurnmt  trees,  and 
about  0,000  plum  trws,  to  say  nothing  of  hun- 
dreds of  pt-ar  and  npplo  trees,  aud  other  "gigon- 
lie  vegitnbleB,"  us  the  Freuch  call  them.  Along 
with  luH  neighbors  in  tho  Purshore  district,  Mr 
Vurden  has  a  line  crop  of  plums  this  year.  Tbe 
IKirtiiiiinr  plum  whicli  is  grown  near  London 
having  been  a  comparative  liaiiuie,  the  Pershore 
growi;i(<  g(  t  the  berietit  ol  large  crops  and  good 
jJilcCH.  'I  111!  txtent  of  the  larm  may  be  imagined 
when  we  mention  that  for  weeks  Air.  Varden 
has  sent  o(f  four  or  live  tuns  of  fruit  a  day.  One 
lot  of  ourranls  eont  away  on  one  day  to  one  cus- 
tomer weighed  Buvcu  tons. 


Tiiic  Laiiok.st  Ro.sii  TnEE.— The  largest  rose 
buhh  if  11  «hite  Buukaia— so  called  after  lady 
lianks— in  tho  Marine Ganlon  at  London,  which 
was  sciii  iherc,  tho  lirst  of  its  kind,  in  1812,  by 
Boniiiuud.  Us  numerona  brandies,  some  ol 
which  nieasuro  oighleen  inches  in  circumference, 
cover  an  immense  wall  to  a  width  of  nearly  six- 


ty feet,  and  at  times,  in  early  .Spring,  as  n:iaay 
as  fifty  thousand  flowers  have  been  counted  on 
this  queen  of  all  roses. 


A >:K0UN CEMENT    OF    FUDIT   TnCTiO'i^ kVyY .-^ 

We  are  informed  that  a  very  valuable  d:ctionai-y  % 
of  fruit  trees,  from  the  pen  of  M.  Andre  Lur^, 
Antwerp,  is  in  progress  ;  indeed,  a  part  of  it 
comprising  three  large  volumes,  on  pears  ap 
pies,  quinces,  and  medlars,  is  already  complete. 
Each  fruit  is  treated  in  an  elaborate  manner, 
and  to  the  mode  of  its  culture  is  prefixed  a  brief 
yet  complete  history.  Besides  several  types  of 
each  variety,  91.5  varieties  of  pears  are  described, 
and  each  description  is  acconipanied  by  a  wood- 
cut. 


GltOUND  LKV12LLTNG  AND  PRACTICAL  GaR- 

DEK  Plotting, — To  draw  and  transfer  to  tlie 
ground  tbe  design,  draw  tbe  inside  circle,  and 
divide  it  into  five  equal  parts.  AVith  point/  as 
centre,  draw  circles  k  and  t,  as  shown  by  the 
thick  and  dotted  lines;  draw  corresponding  cir- 
cJes  from  points,  a,  ^,  c,  and  e.  Again  from 
point/  draw  arcs  li  and  g^  also  draw  corre.«pond- 
ing  ares  from  points  a,  6,  c,  and  e.  Where  the 
lines  cut  each  other  are  the  corners  of  the  beds. 
From  centre  ?•  draw  circle  s. 

To  transfer /f'g.  40  to  the  f:round.  Find  the 
centre  ot  the  piece  of  ground  upon  which  it  is  in- 
tended to  trace  the  design,  and  insert  a  peg,  as 
at  pf)iut  r.  Lay  the  diameter  line  a  f/,  making  r 
the  centre.  The  diameter  line  a  d  Is  40  feet  long. 
From  the  peg  at  centre  r,  with  a  line  20  foc-t 
loug,  trace  circle  ah  c  d  ef;  divide  the  ciicle  in- 
to five  equal  parts,  to  get  the  centres  from  wliioh 
the  design  is  traced.  The  best  and  surt^st  way 
to  do  so,  is  to  form  a  pentagon  inside  the  cirsilo 
in  the  same  manner  as  described  in  fig.  12.  It 
is  done  thus  on  the  ground: — From  th<.*  peg  at 
point  a  with  a  string  equal  in  length  to  the  di- 
ameter—that  is,  40  feet  long,  trace  an  arc  from 
tine  peg  at  point  d  to  point  t;  then  from  the  i«*g 
at  poiuL  dy  witli  the  same  radius,  trace  an  arc 
from  peg  u  to  t.  Where  tbe  two  arcs  cut  each 
other  at  point  t  insert  a  peg,  then  divide  the  di- 
ameter line  into  five  equal  parts,  as  1,  "2,  ii,  4.  5  ; 
as  the  lino  is  40  feet  in  length,  each  division  will 
be  8  feet— that  is,  from  the  peg  at  point  a  mea- 
sure H  feet,  aud  insert  a  peg  as  at  point  1  ;  from 
the  peg  at  point  1  measure  8  feet,  and  insert  a 
pey  us  at  point  2,  itc.     From    tbe  peg  at  poiuc  I 


I'iri. 


THE    GARDEfTER'S   MOJVTIfLJ'. 


esr 


— thai  IS,  where  the  two  arcs  traced  from  pc^^sa 

«ud  d  cut  each  other — lay  a  line  jjassing  thrv>ugh  | 

the  second  point  or  division   and  cutting  the  cir-  | 

cle  at  point/;  then  lay  a  line  froin  peg  f  t-o    pi»g  "j 

<i,  which  will  l>e  one  side  of  the  polygon.    Apply  i 

the  line  five  times  to  the  circle,  and  insert  a  peg  ! 

at  each  point,  as  at  {X)int  a,  h,  c,  e  and/.    Kroni  t 

ibe  pe\i  at  centre  r,   with  a   slriug  39  feet  loog.  i 

trace  circle  s  ;  from  the  peg  at  point  /,   with  a' 

string  19  feet  3   inches  long-,   (race  ciftla  h^    ns 

shown  by  the  thick  and  dotted  iiuc  ;  reduce    the 

string  4  feet  and  tmce  circle  i",   also  shown    by 

the  thick  and  dotted  line.      From  the  pegs   at 


points  o,  by  c,  andi  ft,  with  tho  ssvm^  U*n*;ths  of 
string,  trace  corrospoudhjg  circles  to  t  j^nd  t. 
From  the  peg  at  iwini,/,  wUh  n  strln«;  S  feet 
long,  traco  art;  h;  reduce  the  stvit'ig  i  T^^^t  tiixd 
trace  arc  17 ;  trace  convsponflinu:  i^>'«-'*  IV om  tho 
jvegs  at  points  it,  b,  c,  e,  ^rtim  oenti^  jx^g  r, 
with  a  string  2  feet  G  iuclieij  long.  tmtv.  the  i-'P- 
cle  in  liie  ctMxl re  Wherft  ihe  lin^-^:  cvit  eneh  othor 
are  the  fornors  of  tho  beds,  marked  u;  w  being 
■walks  — M.  CDONNKLL,  tiRrdi-uer  to  IC,  L^t'ni- 
ing.  Esq  ,  Spring  Grove,  liiclnnond,  iu  London 
Jotirnal  of  HorticuUm-G. 


Caladium  Uoor a  —Wintering   Caladnnrif.— 

C. The  corras  can  either  be  allowed  to  remain 

in  the  old  soil  or  be  shaken  out  and  buriful  hi 
dry  silver  sand.  Wintering  them  in  the  soil  iu 
which  they  were  grown  the  previous  sea-son  in 
in  the  majority  of  cases  preferable.  The  most 
important  matter  in  connexion  with  winLcrmg 
them,  13  to  dry  the  plants  ofl" early,  and  also  to 
withhold  the  water  imnierliatoly,  or  before  they 
begin  to  show  signs  of  dying  down,  as,  when 
watered  until  the  greater  part  of  the  foliage  is 
dead,  the  soil  remains  moiet  for  a  long  time  af- 
ter the  growth  has  ceased,  and  the  corms  perish 
iu  consequence.  The  soil  should  become  quite 
dry  by  the  time  three-parU  of  the  leaves  are 
deid,  and  the  pots  containing   the  corns  f^hould 


be  place. 1  in  a  Umperature  of  Ix-lwecn  55"  and 
70",  and  it  is  u«elcne  to  atU-mpt  to  wiotrr  tlieni 
in  a  lower  li-niporature  LJjan  tin;  minimmii  hero 
given,  'i'he  put.**  should  be  overhauled  two  or 
three  times  during  the  winter,  and  the  c.ormH 
carefully  examined,  but  without  di«turt)iiig  tho 
soil  more  than  can  be  heljicd.  If  any  of  tho 
corms  evince  the  slightcHt  signs  of  ducny,  all  in 
the  same  pot  siioiihl  l)esh.'iken  out,  an  J  ^iH  truces 
or  decay  removed  with  a  HaL  piece  of  Htl<:k,  lind 
the  wounds  ilressed  with  powdored  charcoal  or 
dry  »ilvir-san<l.  The  carmn  Hhnnid  then  bo 
placed  on  a  shi-lf  to  dry  for  a  week  or  ten  days, 
and  then  be  buried  in  dry  sand.  Thin  rem-dy 
seldom  fails  in  arresting  the  progn^sM  of  the  dis- 
eascd.     We  sometimes  itumt  with  dlrectloim  for 


f<^? 


TEE    GARBEJ^EKS   MOJs'TELY. 


Septeinh^T 


s^'ringing  the  outside  of  the  pots  and  the  surface  j  things,  at  a  di&taoce  of  nine  or  ten  inches  apart, 
of  the  soil  oceasiouaUy  during-  Ihesteasoa  of  rest  ;  \  Each  bed  is  filled  with  one  color,  or  at  the  most, 
but  the  advice  is  bad,  for  moistening  the  soil  in  (  tM  o  colors  ;  and  Ix-ds  filled  'ivith  plants  j;roducing 


the  slighteHt  degree  at  that  period  is  neither  ne- 
cessary nor  dchirable.  A  temperature  of  50" 
T^yih  suit  the  fern  named  admirably. 


EATJI.Y  TVLivs. — Doubtless  these  showy  flow- 
ers will  some  day  or  other  be  grown  extensively 
by  all  classes,  but  at  the  present  day  they  are 
neither  grown  nor  appreciated  one-t<inth  part  so 
extensively  as  they  should  be;  one-hundredth 
part  would  perhaps  be  nearer  the  m^irk,  for  it  is 
quite  a  rare  occurence  to  meet  with  a  few  beds 
oi' tulips  even  in  gardens  of  considerable  preten- 
sions, i[istead  of  their  occupying  a  position  in 
tlie  parterre  worthy  of  their  merits.  Here  we 
grow  large  numbers  of  spring  [lowering  bulbs  of 
all  kinds,  but  the  tulips,  taking  all  things  into 
con.sideration,  are  the  most  useful,  and  they  are 
grown  by  thousands.  Crocuses  and  Hyacinths 
are  very  well  for  llower-garden  decorations,  but 


yellow  llowcrs  are  filled  wilh  scarlet  flowered 
tulips;  with  white  flowering  plants,  rose  and 
pink  tulips;  blue  flowering  plants,  yellow  tulips; 
pink-ftowering  plants,  white  tulips,  and  soon; 
and  the  effect  produced  is  at  once  most  effective 
and  pleasing  The  advantages  of  employing 
thera  with  other  classes  of  plants  are  many,  and 
so  obvious  that  they  do  not  require  any  length- 
ened exi)lanaLion,  In  the  first  place, the  beds  have 
a  more  cheerful  aspect  throughout  the  winter, 
when  the  surface  is  carpeted  with  green  foliage; 
secondly,  the  foliage  of  the  carpeting  .plants 
affords  a  very  efficient  protection  from  the  cold 
winds  just  as  the  young  leaves  are  peeping  above 
the  surlace  of  the  soil ;  and  thirdly,  the  brilliancy 
of  the  flowers  is  brought  out  to  better  advantage 
by  the  grouudwork  of  white,  j'ellow,  pink  and 
crimson,  in  much  the  same  manner  as  the  ap- 
pearnnce  of  precious  .stones  is  increased  by  their 
golden  settings.  'J  he  carpet  serves  a  fourth  pur- 
pose, for  it  not  only  keeps  the  beds  gay  until  tlic 


the  flowers  of  the  first  nan)ed  are  of  such  a  short  j  ^^"'^  *"*^^  ^^'^"S  ^^'^^^  ^^»'^  t'^*^  eummer  bcdders, 
duration  that  their  beauty  is  past  almost  as  soon  |  ^"''  i''  ^^^V^  ^^""^  ^^^  flower  stems  out  of  sight, 
as  they  are  expanded  ;  whxUt  the  latter  arc  ^^^'^  ^^'^^  ^'^'^^^  ^^^  ^'^''^  ^^  complete  their  growth 
hardly  showy  enough  for  the  time  of  year  in  without  being  an  eye-sore  to  any  one.  — T/?c  Gar- 
vhicli  they  are  in  flower,  besides  being  expensive  ''"^^''"'^'  Mayuzine. 
The  stock  also  requires  a  regular  renewal  of 
purchase,  as  the  bulbs  degenerate  very  rapidly, 
and  jifler  the  third  year  are  of  very  little  use.  On 
tlie  otiier  hand,  with   iiioderately   carcCul  attcn- 

lion  the  stock  of  tulips  will  iueroaso.  so  that,  j  Wintkk  Cahe  or  Peaks.— Make  a  point  of 
after  the  purchase  of  the  stock  in  the  first  in-  I  i-ogularly  examining  every  week  all  the  choice 
Btaucc,  no  further  outlay   is  required  excepting  ;  kind.,  „f  fruits  th.it  may  be  ai)proachiug  ripeness 


wiven  tlie  cultivator  is  anxious  to  add  other  va- 


or  which  arc  found  not   to  be  keeping  well,  .so 


rioties  to  hm  hat.  The  collection  hero  comprises  Uiat  everything  may  be  used  at  the  proper  time, 
tiXauHJles  of  all  the  best  kinds  for  outdoor  work  j  f^^  the  finest  pears  arc  worthless  enou-h  ifallow- 
uud  whcu  the  flower  garden  is  at  its  best,  no  ar-  1  eQ  to  become  over-ripe  Ix-fore  being  used   an<I  the 


guments  fron^  me  nr©  wanted  to  couviuce  those 


saujc  is  tlio  Case  with  many  varieties  of  Apples. 


who  see  it  that  in  the  tulip  the  flower  gardener  ^Iso  look  over  the  whole   stock  as  often  as   lime 

has  a  most  valuable  aid.     To  describe  the  mag.  ,„,  ,,,  ^p.^^^^j^  removing  any  fruit   that  exhibits 

Id  Iceuco  of  the  display  whu:h  tuhi^s.  when  prop-  ,^.„,,,to>ns  of  decay,  and   put  them  aside  for  im- 

orly  urmnged   wilh    respect    to  the  hoighls  and  Mediate  use.     Any  of  the  choicer  kinds  of  Pears 


colors,  lire  capable  of  producing   is   imposBible, 
nud  1  will  not  attempt  it. 

We  have  adopted  a  plau  somewhat  difl'oroutto 


that  do  not  appear  to  ripen  properly  in  the  fruit- 
room,  should  he  removed  to  a  warm  dry  room 
for  a  lew  days  This  will  be  found  to  greatly 
that  pursued  In  many  gardens,  auil  instead  of  j  improve  them.  Keep  the  fruit  as  dry  and  cool 
plaiuiug  the  bulbs  thickly  iu  beds  by  «hi;uisclves,  ■  as  possible,  and  if  the  frost  is  excluded  the  fruit- 
Avo  first  plant  the  beds  with  such  things  as  white  '  room  can  hardly  be  too  cool  wlien  the  object  is  to 
Aiabis,  yollow  Alussum,  blue  Fuiget-me-uots,  '  preserve  the  fruit  plump  and  sound  for  a  long 
&u.,  and  then  phiut  the  bulbs  belwecu  the  other    tiute. — Lcndon  Journal  of  Horlicultme. 


DEVOTED  TO 

Horticultiire,    Arboriculture ^    Botany    and    Rural   Affairs, 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEHAN. 
Old  Series,  Vol.  XIII.        OCTOBER,       1871.     New  Series,  Vol.  IV.  Ko.   10. 


HINTS    FOR    OCTOBER. 


FLOWER  GAHDEN"  AND  PLEASURE 
GROUND. 

While  other  sections  of  the  Union  have  been 
pretty  well  dried  out,  we  of  Pennsylvania  and 
some  of  the  adjoining  States  have  been  very 
well  supplied  with  rain,  and  our  garden  and 
grounds  never  presented  a  fresher  or  more  joy- 
ous appearance  than  they  have  done  this  season 
Yet  we  have  had  our  seasons  when  gardening  was 
hard  work.  Everything  dried  where  it  was 
planted.  But  so  nice  and  so  cheerful  have  every- 
thing been  the  past  season,  that  we  should  be 
quite  willing  to  have  a  hot  dry  time  two  years 
in  succession  if  we  could  only  has  every  third 
year  one  like  this.  In  the  hot  dry  regions  which 
we  have  visited  this  year,  we  have  heard  people 
say  it  is  no  use  to  have  gardens — "nothing  will 
do  in  our  hot  place."  Let  them  look  at  our  glo- 
rious gardens  here  this  year,  and  those  which 
we  have  had  ;  and  "seeing  take  up  heart  again." 
In  one  respect  it  is  to  our  good  that  we  have 
this  occasional  hot  experience.  There  has  been 
too  much  copying  after  European  gardening. 
We  should  have  a  style  of  our  own  and  plants  to 
correspond,— and  we  need  just  such  weather  to 
teach  us  to  do  it.  The  proper  plants  to  use  in 
our  gardens  are  those  which  are  adapted  to  hot 
dry  climates  ;  and  in  preparing  a  stock  of  plants 
for  next  year  let  this  be  borne  in  mind.  Among 
supposed  hot-house  plants  which  we  have  seen 
tried  out  this  year  with  great  success,  are  two 
ver}'  beautiful  climbing  plants.  One  Stigma- 
phyllon  ciliatum  has  lemon  yellow  flowers  about 
an  inch  across,  very  much  resembling  the  pretty 
Crape  Myrtle  of  the  South.  The  other  is  a  sort 
of  Passion  flower,  Tacsonia  kevis.  The  blossoms 
are  of  a  vermilion  color.     Both  of  these  main- 


tain a  succession  of  flowers  from  June  till  frost. 

Arrangements  must  now  be  made  for  protect- 
ing half  hardy  plants  which  we  use  to  adorn  our 
summer  grounds.  The  Pampas  Grass  is  par- 
ticularly one  of  these,  — no  place  of  any  preten- 
sions being  complete  without  them.  Some  take 
them  up  and  keep  in  a  pit  or  cellar ;  but  it  is 
best  to  leave  them  in  the  open  ground.  Dry 
leaves  or  shavings  should  be  packed  in  well 
through  the  plant,  and  then  a  dry  goods  box 
thrown  over  all  to  Iceep  things  dry.  The  beauti- 
ful Tritoma  uvaria  is  best  served  in  the  same 
way.  The  latter  is  said  to  be  hardy  without 
any  protection  at  all,  but  it  does  very  much  bet- 
ter served  in  this  way. 

The  Caladium  escidentum  is  another  plant 
which  for  its  large  shield-like  leaves  is  now  com- 
ing into  general  use  for  garden  decoration. 
These  roots  can  be  kept  like  potatoes  through 
the  winter  if  the  place  where  they  are  kept  is 
not  dry  enough  to  make  them  shrivel,  or  too 
cold  ;  but  cold  damp  places  easily  rot  them. 
Gladiolus  Tigridia  and  Tuberose  roots  do  in  simi- 
lar places,— that  is  a  little  warm  and  dry.  In  re- 
gard to  the  Tuberose,  it  is  now  believed  that 
if  they  are  dried  off  after  digging  in  a  ralher 
warm  instead  of  a  cool  place,  they  will  flower 
the  better  for  it.  Some  take  up  or  protect  Japan 
Lily  roots,  but  they  are  quite  hardy,  and  indeed 
are  belter  for  no  protection  of  that  kind.  Japan 
Lilies  have  not  generally  been  cultivated  suc- 
cessfully. It  is  found  tliat  in  very  rich  soil  they 
become  diseased  ;  a  poor  soil  suits  them  best. 
October  is  the  best  month  to  plant  Japan  Lilies. 
Tulips,  Hyacinths  and  other  hardy  Dutch  bulbs 
are  also  in  season  for  planting.  So  pretty  and 
so  cheap,  it  is  surprising  they  are  not  more  cul- 


wo 


THE    GARDEJVEli'S   MOJ^TELY. 


October, 


tivatcd.  We  quite  agree  with  the  following  par- 
agraph which  we  find  in  Mr.  Vick's  bulb  cata- 
logue: 

"The  Hardy  or  Holland  Bulbs,  as  they  are 
often  called,  because  mostly  imported  from  Hol- 
land, where  they  are  grown  extensively  and 
thrive  better  than  in  any  other  country,  are  al- 
most the  only  ornament  of  the  garden  in  very 
early  spring.  Commencing  with  the  little  Snow- 
drop, in  this  section  in  March  or  early  April, 
followed  by  the  Crocus,  Hyacinth  and  Tulip, 
they  make  a  most  interesting  succession  during 
the  months  of  April  and  May,  when  but  for 
them  the  garden  would  be  bare  enough.  In  ad- 
dition to  this  they  are  unrivalled  for  culture  in 
the  house  during  the  winter  months.  As  nearly 
all  can  be  grown  in  so  many  ways— in  pots,  or 
baskets  of  sand  and  moss,  or  in  vessels  of  wa- 
ter—they  are  an  almost  endless  source  of  inter- 
est and  amusement  in  every  stage  of  growth. 
"With  a  little  moss  from  the  woods  or  swamps,  a 
few  quans  of  sand,  some  pots,  or  a  shallow  box 
or  two  and  a  few  dozen  Crocuses,  Early  Tulips, 
Hyacinths  and  Narcissus,  any  one  is  prepared 
for  a  pleasant  little  winter  garden.  Of  course, 
a  few  Hyacinth  Glasses  are  desirable,  but  not 
essential.  Very  pretty  boxes  can  be  made  with 
a  little  taste  and  patience,  and  some  sticks  and 
bark  from  the  woods.'' 

In  addition  to  the  kinds  above  named,  the 
Anerwoin  and  liununcidus  are  beautiful  spring 
flowers  ior  all  who  have  rotten  cow  manure  to 
fertilize  the  ground  with,— and  will  give  the 
beds  a  little  protection  from  the  severest  weath- 
er. We  are  also  very  partial  to  the  old  Crown 
Imperial,  of  which  there  are  now  several  varie- 
ties of  red  and  yellow. 

Many  kinds  of  hardy  annuals  flower  much 
better  next  spring,  when  sown  at  this  season  of 
the  year.  A  warm,  rich  border  should  be  cho- 
sen, and  the  seed  put  in  at  once.  Early  in  spring 
they  must  be  transplanted  to  the  desired  posi- 
tion in  the  (lower  border. 

Few  things  are  more  valued  in  winter  than  a 
bunch  of  teweet  Violets.  A  lew  may  now  be 
potted,  and  they  will  flower  m  the  window  to- 
•vvaiiib  bpring  ;  or  a  small  bed  of  them  may  be 
made  in  a  Iraroe,  which  should  be  protected  by 
a  mat  Irom  severe  frost.  To  have  Tansies  flow- 
er early  and  profusely  in  spring,  they  may  be 
planted  out  in  a  frame,  as  recommended  for  the 
Violet. 

Herbaceous  hardy  border  flowers  are  often 
propagated  in  the  lall  by  dividing  the  roots  ;  but, 


unless  it  is  convenient  to  protect  the  newly-made 
plants  through  the  winter,  it  is  better  to  defer 
this  till  spring,  as  the  frost  draws  out  of  the 
ground  and  destroys  many.  Where  it  is  now 
resorted  to,  a  thick  mulching  of  leaves  or  litter 
should  be  placed  over  the  young  stock  when 
transplanted. 

Chrysanthemums  now  in  flower  should  have 
their  names  and  colors  rectified,  against  the 
time  when  in  spring  they  may  have  to  be  re- 
planted, when  they  can  be  re-arranged  with  ac- 
curacy and  satisfaction,  according  to  ihe  owner's 
taste. 

Amongst  the  pretty  effects  which  we  have 
seen  this  year,  have  been  several  attempts  at 
forming  winter  ga"rdens  of  evergreens.  It  was 
suggested  in  England  a  few  years  ago,  that  the 
massing  system  ofgrowing  flowers  in  summer  was 
objectionable  in  this,  that  it  left  the  beds  naked 
through  the  winter.  To  remedy  this,  they  had 
a  reserve  garden  of  evergreens  from  which  the 
plants  were  taken  every  year  after  the  frost  had 
killed  the  flowers,  and  set  in  the  places  where 
the  flowers  were.  This  makes  the  flower  gar- 
den look  green  at  least  during  the  summer  sea- 
son. This  reserve  garden  of  evergreens  is  usu- 
ally put  into  an  out  of  the  way  place,  and  does 
not  look  very  inviting  in  the  summer  time.  In 
the  case  we  have  reference  to,  the  reserve  gar- 
den had  the  evergreens  set  rather  wide  apart, 
and  the  spaces  between  tilled  with  Coleus,  Achy- 
ranthus.  and  other  colored  and  variegated  leaves. 
The  etlect  was  very  pretty  indeed. 


FEUIT  (JARDEN. 

In  this  deparlment  of  the  (Jardenn-^s  Monthly, 
we  never  care  to  be  controversial ;  but  to  give 
simply  practical  facts  wliich  cannot  be  disi)u  ed, 
or  to  make  suggestions  which  have  been  so  well 
the  result  of  practical  observation  that  they  can- 
not be  gainsayed  if  ever  they  are  put  to  the  t»  st« 
But  we  notice  occasionally  that  even  intelligent 
men  proless  to  believe  that  in  this  Uepartuieut 
of  the  Monthly  we  recommend  growing  Iruit 
trees  by  neglecting  them  in  grass. 

Becently  a  gentleman  well  known  for  his  suc- 
cesstul  establishment  of  the  town  ot  Vineland, 
took  occasion  to  warn  the  people  against  our 
"theory"  of  "growing  trees  in  grass,"— and  as 
we  have  recently  seen,  Mr  Charles  Downing 
thought  it  worth  while  to  give  a  side  hit  at  those 
who  advocate  "neglecting  trees  in  grass.''  No 
careful  reader  of  our  magazine  could  ever  imag- 


1871. 


TEE    GABDEJVEK'S    MOJV'THLY. 


291 


ine  us  to  toach  such  neglect.  We  have  before 
stated  how  we  should  "neulecf'  an  orchard  ; 
but  we  will  give  it  again  to  avoid  mistake. 

"We  fuel  that  the  advice  constantly  given  to 
subsoil  and  underdrain,  and  manure  to  the  ex- 
tent of  hundreds  of  dollars  per  acre  is  too  costly 
to  follow,  and  of  little  use  after  it  is  taken.  If 
we  were  going  to  pnpare  a  piece  of  ground  for 
an  orchard,  we  shoulil  manure  it  heavil}'  and 
put  in  a  crop  ot  Potatoes  ;  then  in  October  ma- 
nure again  lightly  and  put  in  Rye.  On  this,  in 
April,  we  should  sow  Red  Clover.  The  Rye  off 
we  should  then  consider  it  ready  to  plant  trees. 
For  Apples,  Pears,  Plums  or  Cherries,  we  should 
mark  out  the  rows  ten  feet  ajtart,  and  for  the 
trees  ten  feet  from  each  otI:|^  This  will  be 
twice  as  thick  as  they  will  be  required  when  full 
grown,  but  they  grow  much  better  when  thick 
together ;  and  they  will  bear  mure  than  enough 
fruit  to  ['ay  for  the  room  they  occupy,  before  the 
time  comes  to  cut  every  other  one  away.  We 
saj'  the  rows  ten  leet  apart,  but  every  fourth 
row  should  be  twelve  feet  to  afford  room  to  get 
between  the  blocks  with  a  cart. 

Plant  as  early  as  in  October  as  possible,  but  it 
can  be  continued  until  the  approach  of  frost.  To 
plant,  a  hole  can  be  dug  in  the  stubble  just  large 
enou^jh  to  hold  the  roots  without  cramping  them. 
We  should  tread  in  the  soil  and  trim  in  the  head 
very  severely.  The  next  spring  we  should  just 
break  the  crust  formed  by  the  winter  ruins  about 
the  tree,  and  then  leave  everything  to  grow  as 
it  might.  The  clover  will  be  ready  to  cut  in  June 
or  July.  The  twelve  feet  I'ows  u.ay  be  done  by 
machine,  the  rest  by  hand,  ilay  enough  will  be 
made  to  pay  for  all  the  labor  m  one  year  and  a 
little  more.  After  the  hay  has  been  hauled  off, 
bring  back  some  rich  eartii  of  any  kintl,  and 
spread  about  a  quarteror  half  an  inch  thick  over 
the  surface  of  the  ground  disturbed  in  making 
the  hole.  This  will  keep  the  grass  from  grow- 
ing very  strong  just  over  the  roots.  Keep  on 
this  way  annually,  every  two  or  three  years  giv- 
ing the  whole  surface  of  the  orchard  a  top  dress- 
ing for  the  sake  of  the  grass,  and  it  will  be  found 
to  be  the  most  profitable  way  ol  m  iki  g  the  or- 
chard ground  ])ay  for  itself,  until  the  fruit  crois 
come  in,  that  one  can  adopt.  The  trees  als<j  will 
be  models  ol  health  and  vigor,  and  when  they 
commence  to  Ix'ar  will  do  so  regularly  and  abun- 
dantly. '1  his  is  an  epitome  of  what  the  Garden- 
er s  Monthly  has  taught,  opposed  as  it  has  been 
by  the  excellent  men  of  the  old  school  of  culture. 
No  one  who  follows  it  will  ever  abandon  it  for 


any  other.  It  is  costless  comparatively,  from 
the  first  to  the  last ;  and  pays  its  way  at  every 
step. 

The  dwarfer  fruit  trees  we  would  plant  on  the 
same  -ystem,  but  six  instead  of  ten  feet  apart. 
Few  soils  are  too  wet  for  fruit  trees.  Only  in  wet 
soils  plant  on  the  surface,  and  throw  up  the 
earth  over  them  from  between  so  as  to  make  a 
ditch  or  furrow  to  carry  away  the  surface  water. 
On  the  plan  of  annual  surface  dressings  which 
we  have  outlined,  the  feeding  roots  will  thus  al- 
ways keep  above  the  level  of  standing  water ; 
and  when  they  can  do  this,  it  will  not  hurt  the 
trees  though  the  tap  roots  are  immersed  in  wa- 
ter for  half  the  year. 


GREENHOUSE. 

Bulbs  for  flowering  in  pots  should  be  planted 
at  once  Four  or  five  inch  pots  are  suitable. 
One  Hyacinth  and  about  three  Tulips  are  sulli- 
cieut  for  each.  After  potthig,  plunge  the  pots  over 
their  rims  in  sand  under  the  greenhouse  stage, 
letting  ihem  remain  there  until  the  pots  have 
become  well  filled  with  roots,  bt  fore  bringing 
them  on  to  the  shelves  to  force. 

The  taste  for  cut  flowers  is  considerably  in- 
creasing, and  one  of  the  greatest  demands  on  a 
greenhouse  in  winter,  is  from  the  best  half  of 
the  head  of  the  household  for  room  and  table 
decorations.  Beautiful  specimen  plants  are  not 
so  highly  valued  as  those  which  will  afford 
plenty  of  bloom  for  cutting.  The  various  kinds 
ol  Zonule  Geraniums  are  very  good  for  this  pur- 
pose The  following  al&o  comprises  very  useful 
plants  for  this  purpose :  Bouvardia  Leiantha, 
Calla  Elhiopica,  Oestrum  aurantiacum,  Ilabro- 
Ihamnus  elegans,  Chorozema  varium,  Chinese 
Primroses,  especially  the  doultle  white,  Dajjliue 
indica,  Poinseltapulcherrima,  Euphorbia  splen- 
deus.  Heliotrope,  Mignonette,  Sweet  Alyssum, 
Catalonian  Jasmine,  Yellow  Jasmine,  Mahernia 
odorata,  Stevia  serrata,  Violets,  Roses,  Cinera- 
rias and  Brompton  stocks.  Tuberoses  that  llow- 
er  late  may  be  carefully  taken  up  and  potted, 
and  will  last  till  over  Christmas ;  and  many 
things  may  be  taken  out  of  the  ground  and 
slightly  forced  The  common  white  Lily  is  good 
for  this  purpose,  also  Deutzias,  Philadeli)hu.><cs, 
and  Tamarix.  The  coiuiuon  green  Euonymua 
japonicus  is  also  worth  potting,  to  make  a  lively 
green  for  mixing  with  other  things. 

Many  kinds  of  annuals  also  come  well  into 
play  ;  amongst  other  things,  Phlox  Drummoudii, 


e) 


92 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S   MOJ^TELY. 


October, 


Sweet  Alyssuin,  Collinsia  hicolor,  Schizanthus- 
es.  Mignonette  and  Nemophila  are  essential. 

In  taking  up  things  from  the  ground  for  pot- 
ting, care  should  be  taken  to  have  the  pots  well 
drained,  with  pieces  of  potsherd  over  the  hole. 
The  more  rapidly  water  passes  through  the  soil 
the  better  plants  will  grow.  Pots  could  be  made 
without  holes,  and  the  water  would  all  go 
through  the  porous  sides  in  time  ;  but  that  is  too 
slow  a  way,  so  we  make  a  hole  to  admit  of  its 
more  rapid  escape,  and  we  place  the  broken  pots 
over  the  hole  to  make  a  vacuum,  which  assists 
the  objects  of  the  hole.  In  very  small  pots,  or 
with  plants  which  have  strong  enough  roots  to 
rapidly  absorb  all  the  moisture  they  get,  and 
speedily  ask  for  more,  "crocking"  is  not  neces- 
sary. 

To  watch  for  the  first  appearance  of  insects  of 
all  kinds,  is  one  of  the  chief  points  of  immediate 
interest  in  plant  culture.  If  they  once  become 
numerous,  it  is  often  better  to  throw  away  a 
plant  entirely  than  to  doctor  it  after  the  old 
methods. 

For  winter  flowering,  it  is  a  good  idea  to  keep 
an  eye  to  those  things  which  are  near  their  nat- 
ural season  of  blooming,  instead  of  the  more 
hazardous  one  of  forcing  things  on  that  ought 
not  naturally  to  bloom  for  months  afterwards. 
"We  have  the  natural  system  pretty  well  recog- 
nized as  the  correct  principle  in  landscape  gar- 
dening, and  it  might  as  well  be|  introduced  in. 
to  this  department  also.  Roses,  of  course,  can- 
not be  dispensed  with;  but  even  here  the  free 
blooming  Tea  and  China  Roses  are  infinitely 
preferable  to  the  Mosses  and  Perpetuals  often 
attempted.  Roses  intended  for  blooming,  may 
be  pruned  in  now  about  one-third  of  their  strong 
shoots,  and  have  their  weaker  ones  cut  out.  As 
soon  as  the  buds  show  an  inclination  to  burst, 
the  plants  may  be  repotted  in  a  rich  loamy  soil, 
in  well  drained  pots.  Oxalises  make  beautiful 
objects  in  the  early  spring,  if  potted  now.  A 
rich  sandy  soil  suits  them  well.  Three  or  four 
bulbs  are  enough  for  one  pot.  They  do  not  do 
well  too  thick  together.  O  Boweii,  O.  llava, 
and  O.  versicolor,  are  well  known  and  popular 
species. 

All  succulents  may  be  kept  in  the  dryest  part 
of  the  house,  and  get  little  water  through  the 
winter.  The  fiat  leaved  or  Epiiihyllum  section 
is  an  exception.  E.  truncatum  blooms  through 
the  latter  part  ol  the  winter,  and  so  must  be 
kept  growing. 


VEGETABLE  GARDEN. 

Celery  as  it  grows  will  require  earthing  up, 
and  Endive  successively  blanched  ;  but  the  main 
business  of  the  month  will  be  preparations  for 
housing  the  root  crops  for  the  winter.  Beets 
are  generally  the  first  thing  attended  to,  they 
being  the  most  easily  injured  by  frost ;  Carrots, 
Salsafy  and  Parsnips  following.  The  latter  are 
neverreallygood  until  they  have  been  well  frozen  ; 
and  many  leave  them  entirely  in  the  ground, 
taking  them  up  as  wanted  for  use.  We  prefer 
taking  them  all  up  and  packing  them  in  sand  or 
half  dried  loam,  in  a  shed  or  cellar,  which  can 
be  kept  just  above  freezing  point ;  yet  the  cooler 
the  better.  If  sufered  to  be  in  heaps  they  heat 
and  soon  rot.  iWthe  same  situation  Endive 
and  Cape  Brocoli  may  be  preserved  to  the  end 
of  the  year — they  are  taken  up  with  a  small 
quantity  of  earth  adhering  to  them,  and  placed 
side-by-side  together.  Tomatoes,  if  dug  up  al- 
so, and  suspended,  roots  upward,  in  such  a  sit- 
uation, will  keep  good  a  long  time  ;  but  thia 
must  be  done  before  the  least  frost  has  touched 
them.  It  is  a  wise  plan  to  sow  a  little  more 
Early  York  Cabbage  early  in  the  month,  as  iu 
fine  mild  winters  the  September  sowing  grows 
too  forward  when  protected.  A  very  slight  pro- 
tection is  better  for  them  than  any  elaborate  af- 
fair, the  sun  principally  injuring  them.  The 
same  remarks  apply  to  Lettuce  intended  to  be 
kept  over  winter  for  spring  use,  though  the  sun 
is  less  destructive  to  them  than  to  the  cabbage. 

Forcing  vegetables,  wherever  the  least  com- 
mand of  heat  can  be  had,  is  the  most  interesting 
and  useful  part  of  gardening.  It  is  not  by  any 
means  what  it  is  often  considered,  an  operation 
by  which  you  pay  a  dollar  for  a  mouthful.  The 
Asparagus,  Sea  KalCj^  Lettuce,  Radish  and 
Cauliflower  can  be  had  for  months  earlier  timn 
in  the  open  ground,  wherever  a  regular  tem- 
perature of  55°  can  be  obtained,  with,  of  course, 
the  proper  amount  of  air,  moisture,  «ic.  As- 
paragus can  be  had  under  a  greenhouse  stage, 
though  of  course  the  tops  will  not  be  so  green, 
nor  will  it  be  much  else  but  indiflerent  under 
such  circumstances,  as  it  would  be  in  the  full 
light. 

Radishes  require  an  abundance  of  air,  and 
Lettuce  light.  Cauliflowers,  if  kept  for  some 
months  with  all  the  light  and  air  possible,  at  a 
temperature  of  50  or  SS"*,  may  have  it  gradually 
raised  to  GO  or  05",  and  even  70  ,  and  thus  come 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJVERS   MOJVTHLY. 


'293 


into  uee  in  February,  when  there  is  no  vegetable 
more  desirable. 

Cucumbers,  Tomatoes  and  Beans  require  a 
temperature  of  at  least  65"  degrees  to  begin  with. 
If  a  temperature  of  70  can  be  maintained  in  the 
coldest  weather,  a  few  of  these  might  be  sown 


by  the  end  of  the  month,  which  will  produce 
some  very  acceptable  dishes  about  New  Year's 
day.  Bhubarb,  if  carefully  taken  up  at  the  fall 
of  the  leaf  and  potted,  or  put  into  boxes,  will  al- 
so come  forward  well  if  put  under  the  stage  in  a 
house  of  the  last  temperature. 


COMMUNICATIONS. 


CALIFORNIA   CONIFERS. 

BY   PKOF.    B0LAi5*DER. 

Commencing  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State, 
we  meet  in  her  littoral  belt,  a  little  north  of  San 
Diego,  a  small  species  of  pine,  known  to  Botan- 
ists as  Pinus  Torreyana.  I  have  thus  far,  not 
been  able  to  learn  its  vernacular  name. 

The  trees  are  small  and  few  in  number  ;  they 
resemble  most  the  so-called  Digger  Pine  (P.  Sa- 
biniana),  of  our  interior  valleys.  The  leaves  are 
in  fives  and  pretty  long. 

The  seeds  are  about  as  large  as  those  of  P. 
CouUerii.  The  locality  mentioned  is  the  only 
one  known.  It  has  not  been  tested  long  enough  in 
our  gardens  to  know  what  may  be  expected  of 
it  as  an  ornamental  tree.  In  a  practical  point 
of  view,  it  is  unimportant. 

Going  northwards  and  keeping  close  to  the 
sea  coast,  we  find  at  San  Simeon  Bay,  at  Mon- 
tery  and  at  a  place  a  little  south  of  Pescadero 
the  so-called  Monterey  pine  (P.  insignis).  The 
latter  named  place  is  its  most  northern  limit.  It 
seems  to  occur  only  on  the  immediate  coast, 
on  bituminous  slate.  Monterey  is  the  oldest 
sea-port  and  the  oldest  point  whore  Botanists 
began  their  labors  in  California.  Already,  to- 
wards the  close  of  last  century,  it  was  visited 
by  Menzies,  an  English  Botanist.  Our  species 
in  question, being  variable  in  the  form  of  its  cones, 
and  the  form  of  cones  being  one  of  the  chief 
characters  relied  upon  in  a  botanical  descrip- 
tion, gave  rise  to  quite  a  number  of  synonyms. 

In  Capt.  Beechey's  work,  we  find  it  figured 
under  the  name  P.  Sindarii.  Later  it  is  again 
described  by  Loisleur  and  called  P.  Californica. 
Don  described  it  even  twice,  calling  it  one  time 
P  radiata  and  another  time  P.  tuberculata. 
The  name  P.  insignis  given  to  our  species  by 
Douglas,  who  visited  Monterey  in  1830  or  1832, 


is  the  one  now  generally  used.  The  name  can- 
not be  considered  as  settled  ;  for  according  to 
the  laws  of  nomenclature  adopted  by  Botanists, 
it  must  retain  its  first  name:  P.  Sindarii. 

This  species  attains  a  height  of  eighty  to  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  feet,  and  a  thickness 
of  two  to  four  feet.  In  old  age,  its  shape  is  very 
irregular  and  anything  but  beautiful.  Its  cones, 
three  to  five  in  a  whorl,  are  persistent  for 
many  years.  The  leaves  are  in  threes.  Its 
timber  is  of  little  value,  when  better  can  be  had. 
In  dry  protected  places  it  is  pretty  durable  ;  but 
exposed  to  the  vicissitudes  of  climate,  it  perishes 
soon.  The  tree,  when  young,  is  undoubtedly 
beautiful.  It  is  extensively  found  in  our  gar- 
dens and  is  known  to  every  one  as  the  Monterey 

pine. 

Mixed  with  the  species  just  treated  of,  we  ficd 
another  two-leaved  one,  P.  muricafa.  The  ver- 
nacular name  in  the  southern  portion  of  the 
State,  is  Bishop  pine  ;  in  the  northern,  pitch 
pine.  It  occurs  near  San  Luis  Obispo  at  an  al- 
titude of  three  thousand  feet ;  near  the  Mission 
La  Purissima,  where  it  forms  a  small  grove ; 
near  Monterey,  as  just  mentioned,  sparingly  ; 
near  Tomales  Bay,  scattered  over  hills;  facing 
the  ocean  ;  near  Point  Arenas,  also  at  the  Al- 
bion River,  extending  northward  to  the  Ten 
Mile  River,  (Mendocino  county).  Its  cones  are 
in  whorls  of  two  to  four,  persistent  for  many 
years.  Some  trees  two  and  one  half  feet  in  di- 
ameter, had  cones  on  the  lower  branches,  par- 
tially overgrown  by  the  bark.  In  some  trees, 
we  find  a  series  of  cones  of  twenty-five  or  thirty 
years.  This  species  has  not  yet  found  its  way 
into  our  gardens.  "When  young,  it  is  beautiful 
and  apparently  of  a  quick  growth.  The  old  tree 
is  irregular  in  outline,  mostly  weather  beaten 
and  unsightly.  It  attains  a  height  of  fifty  to 
eighty  feet.    Its  wood  is  fit  for  fuel  only. 


^yjf 


THE    GARDEJ\'EB'S    M0:N'TBL1. 


OctdbeVf 


At  the  Allion  River  P.  muricata  is  mixod 
with  another  two-leaved  species  of  pine,  P.  con- 
tor/n— Doug1.  (P.  llnlandcri,  Pall)  It  attains 
a  height  of  thirty  to  fift}'  feet.  On  the  upper 
drier  portions  of  the  so-called  plains  of  that  re- 
gion, it  hears  cones  when  it  is  about  five  feet 
hitrh,  and  one  or  two  inches  thick.  The  cones, 
several  in  a  whorl,  are  also  persistent  for  many 
3'ears.  Its  small  size  and  slender,  npri<iht 
branches,  its  short  and  densel}*  set  bright  green 
leaves,  render  it  desirable  for  ornamental  pur- 
poses It  evidently  requires  a  sandy  soil, 
whether  wet  or  dry  ;  it  grows  in  both  as  its  nat- 
ural haunts.  In  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Bragg,  this 
s]ipcies  forms  a  perfect  barrier  and  shelter  against 
wind  and  drifting  sand.  ISTature  here  hints  at  a 
remedy  for  us.  This  species  used  with  the  Mon- 
terey pine  and  cypress,  would  protect  our  city 
from  drifting  sand  and  fix  the  sand  and  soil. 
The  people  in  that  section  of  country  have  no 
vernacular  name  for  it.  In  any  other  point  the 
tree  is  unimportant.  It  extends  along  the  coast 
northward  up  to  Alaska.  On  the  Sierras  it  oc- 
curs between  three  thousand  to  eleven  thousand 
feet,  descending,  however,  gradually  to  the 
north.  This  gradual  descendence  of  all  of  our 
trees  on  the  Sierras  towards  the  north,  is  readil}' 
explained,  yes,  it  is  self  evident.  On  the  Sierras, 
opposite  Visalia,  our  Big  trees  set  in  at  eight 
thousand  feet  altitude  ;  the  Mariposa  Big  tree  is 
found  to  be  six  thousand  five  hundred,  and  the 
Calaveras  four  thousand  seven  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  ocean.  On  the  Sierras,  P. 
contorta  or  twisted  pine  grows  on  the  banks  of 
streams,  on  wet  and  moist  flats  and  in  the  high- 
er portions  of  the  mountains  on  moraines.  Here 
it  attains  a  height  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  to 
two  hundred  (eet,  and  a  thickness  of  three  to  four 
feet.  Its  outline  is  strictly  cylindrical.  Its 
wood  is,  owing  to  the  frequent  storms  on  the 
mountains,  twisted  and  therefore  hard  to  split. 
It  is  principally  used  for  building  log  houses  and 
railway  ties.  The  vernacular  name  applied  is 
Tamarack.  The  application  undoubtedly  arose 
from  the  resemblance  in  form  and  habitat  this 
species  presents  with  our  eastern  Larch  [Larix 
Americana,  Tamaracl-^  Haclmatach),  growing 
chiefly,  if  not  exclusively,  in  swamps.  The 
identity  of  the  coast  and  mountain  form  is  not 
altngetlur  saftily  established. 

Receding  from  the  coast  towards  the  east,  we 
meet  on  dry  hillsides,  a  small  tree,  generally 
known  as  P.  tuhercuhtta.  It  attains  a  height  of 
twenty  to  forty  feet,  and  a  thickness  of  ten  to 


\ 

twenty  inches.      Its   outline  is  conical.      The 

leaves  are  in  threes,  and  the  cones  persistent. 
In  gardens  it  does  well,  ^nd  as  an  ornamental 
tree  preferable  to  the  ^fonterey  Pine.  I  have 
not  been  able  to  learn  its  vernacular  name.  Be- 
ing small  and  unsightly  in  its  natural  haunts, 
farmers  never  made  any  use  of  it,  and  therefore 
give  it  no  vernacular  name  It  occurs  on  the 
coast  mountains  on  the  road  to  Santa  Cruz,  on 
the  Oakland  hills,  on  the  mountains  around 
Ukiah,  on  the  Red  Mountain,  Humboldt  coun- 
ty ;  also  near  Forest  Hill,  at  Cape  Horn  (C.  P. 
R.  R.,)  and  further  up  near  Alta  in  the  dry 
slopes  of  the  canon  of  the  American  river.  In 
most  cases  this  small  tree  forms  a  small  grove 
b3'  itself.  V 

After  the  trees  have  attained  a  height  of  twen- 
ty to  forty  feet,  they  die  and  decay. 

Continuing  our  march  eastward,  we  next 
meet,  although  sparingh'  at  first,  our  well  known 
Yellow  Pine  (P.  poniJerosa).  This  species  at- 
tains a  height  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two 
hundred  and  fifty  feet.  Its  form  is  cylindrical 
in  outline.  The  branches  are  short  and  gener- 
ally deflexed.  The  leaves  are  in  threes  and 
cones  deciduous,  falling  every  winter  to  the 
ground,  after  they  have  opened  (about  the  first 
of  September,)  their  scales  to  allow  the  seeds  to 
be  spread  by  the  winds.  In  gardens  it  cannot 
be  called  an  object  of  great  beauty.  But  on  the 
higher  mountains,  where  it  develops  its  full  co- 
lossal growth,  it  is  certainly  a  grand  object  to  be- 
hold, and  I  can  well  see  why  Douglas  called  it 
jwnderosa:  the  mightj'.  Generally  speaking,  its 
timber  is  rather  inferior,  being  too  coarsely 
grained,  and  therefore  subject  to  early  decay.  It 
must  be  mentioned,  however,  that  there  is  con- 
siderable difference  in  the  quality  of  the  wood  in 
difll'rent  localities  ;  yes,  even  in  trees  standing 
side  b}'  side.  The  timber  from  Truckee,  so  called 
Truckee  Pine,  belongs  entirely  to  this  species. 
The  species  in  question,  is  one  of  most  widely 
distributed  trees  of  the  western  coast  of  N'orth 
America.  It  grows  on  all  higher  and  drier 
points  of  the  coast  ranges,  and  it  descends  even 
into  their  dry  gravelly  valleys,  as  is  the  case  a 
little  north  of  Ukiah,  Mendocino  county.  It 
occurs  on  the  Sierras  from  one  thousand  five 
hundred  to  nine  thousand  feet  in  great  abun- 
dance. In  fact  it  is  the  principal  component  of 
that  mighty  belt  of  timber,  extending  from  south 
to  north,  along  the  wostcrn  slope  of  the  Sierras, 
between  two  thousand  to  seven  thousand  feet,  a 
belt  of  timber  whose  equal  cannot  anywhere  else 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJVTRLJ. 


W5 


be  found.  It  extends  from  the  Colorado  north 
throughout  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  occurs 
also  in  the  hijjher  mountain  ran^ps  of  the  Great 
Basin.  Its  northern  limit  is  unknown.  This 
ininionse  diffusion  over  so  lar^e  a  territory,  ex- 
bibitinir  so  many  different  expositions  and  cli- 
matic differences,  must  naturally  cause  a  great 
variation  in  form  and  size  of  the  tree  and  in  the 
quality  of  its  timber.  Its  very  botanical  history 
proves  this  assertion ;  for  there  are  fe«v  trees 
that  have  more  synonyms  than  the  one  in  ques- 
tion. Besides  the  name  above  jriven,  there  are 
the  followinar  synonyms:  P.  Enaelmanni^  P. 
hrachyjytern.,  P.  Benthamii.,  P.  dcflexa,  and  P. 
J'ffreyi.  The  cones  of  trees  in  a  dense  forest  are 
usually  small,  while  those  of  isolated  trees, 
standin<x  in  alpine  meadows  or  on  bare  rocky 
slopes  of  mountains,  or  on  wide  sandy  plains 
(Mono  Lake)  are  from  four  to  six  times  larger, 
This  larger  size  of  the  cone  is  perhaps  due  to  the 
intense  reaction  of  the  atmosphere,  caused  by 
bare  rocks,  wet  meadows  and  dry  sand.  Con- 
sidering the  quick  radiation  of  heat  in  such  lo- 
calities towards  evening  and  shortly  after  sun- 
set, which  cools  the  air  and  causes  a  heavy  dew- 
fall,  we  may  be  able  to  understand  this  phe- 
nomenon. 

Ascending  the  highest  points  of  the  Coast 
Ranges,  we  meet  the  well  known  Sugar  Pine, 
P.  Lnmhertiana.  But  the  Sugar  Pine  of  the 
Coast  Ranges  is  not  that  colossal  structure  of 
the  higher  or  rather  middle  Sierras.  Its  beauty, 
size  and  length  of  cones  are  inferior.  This  tree 
yields  an  excellent  timber,  and  attains  a  height 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  feet, 
the  outline  is  cylindrical,  the  branches  are  short, 
dense  and  much  divided  into  spray.  A  charac- 
teristic exception,  make  the  topmost  branches, 
■which  spread  in  a  loose  irregular  manner,  al- 
most horizontally.  These  are  the  cone  bearing 
branches,  which  attract  the  attention  of  every- 
body by  their  clusters  of  pondulent  cones,  fifteen 
to  eighteen  inches  long.  The  cones  open  about  [ 
September  to  emit  their  seeds,  and  fall  then 
Ihem.selves  during  winter  to  the  ground.  This 
noble  tree  has  its  leaves  in  fives  ;  they  are  com- 
paratively short,  and  of  a  glaucous  green  color. 
It  ranges  throughout  the  entire  length  of  the 
Sierras,  north  to  the  Columbia  river,  between 
four  thousand  to  ten  thousand  feet.  I  have  not  yet 
observed  it  in  any  of  our  gardens.  The  resinous 
matte*  exuding  from  burnt  spots  of  the  trunk, 
hardens  into  a  whitish  mass,  sweet  as  sucar. 

Descending  into  the  more  easterly  valleys  of 


the  Coast  ranges,  we  meet  a  very  peculiar  pine, 
the  Digger  Pine,  (P.  Sahinana.)  This  species 
attains  the  height  of  forty  to  sixty  feet,  and  a 
thickness  of  two  to  three  feet.  Its  outline  is  ir- 
regular, the  trunk  is  generallj^  low.  Its  branches 
are  characterized  by  a  few  main  leaders,  and  by 
the  paucity  of  their  spray.  The  foliage  is  light 
and  quite  glaucous  green.  The  leaves  are  in 
threes,  and  the  cones  persistent,  although  not  to 
the  extent  of  some  other  species.  The  seed  is 
the  largest  of  all  our  pines.  The  testa  of  its  seed 
is  very  hard  and  bony.  This  species  occurs  in 
the  driest  portions  of  valleys  and  hillsides,  even 
up  to  four  thousand  feet  of  the  Sierras.  It  forms 
veiy  seldom  small  groves.  On  account  of  its  ir- 
regular form,  it  is  not  a  desirable  tree  for  gar- 
dens.    Its  wood  is  useless,  except  for  fuel. 

In  similar  localities,  we  find  growing  with  the 
Digger  pine,  although  less  frequently,  another 
pine,  P.  Coalterli.  This  species  attains  the 
height  of  thirty  to  fifty  feet,  and  a  thickness  of 
two  to  three  feet.  It  has  a  broad  oval  outline. 
The  branches  and  branchlets  are  thick  and 
clumsy  and  few  in  number.  The  leaves  are  very 
long,  bright  green,  and  in  threes;  the  cone  is 
the  largest  produced  by  our  pines.  It  occurs 
at  pass  Tejon,  on  the  Santa  Lucia  mountains 
and  at  Moijnt  Diablo.  In  our  garden  it  does 
well. 

[We  are  indebted  for  this  valuable  essay  to 
the  California  Horticulturist^  a  new  and  ably 
edited  magazine. — Ed.] 


ADDRESS. 

BY  MAKSIIALL  P.  WILDER. 

Delivered  at  tlie  Thirteenth  Session  of  the  American 

Pomologiciil  Society,  lield  in  Richmond,  Va., 

September  (5th,  7th  and  8th,  1871. 

Gentlemen  and  Friends  of  the  Am.  Pom.  Society. 
Twenty-three  years  have  nearly  elapsed  since 
the  organization  of  this  Society,  in  the  City  of 
Nevv  York.  Held  as  our  meetings  have  been,  in 
different  and  widely  distant  parts  of  our  country, 
I  deem  it  proper  very  briefly  to  allude  to  its  his- 
tory, objects  and  progress.  Especially  is  this 
desirable  as  a  means  of  information  to  such 
southern  portions  of  our  Union  as  may  not  have 
been  conversant  with  the  proceedings  of  the 
Society.  Its  object  is  to  advance  that  most  in- 
teresting and  delightful  pursuit,  the  cultivation 
of  fruits;  to  promote  and  perpetuate  a  cordial 
spirit  of  intercourse  between  pomologists ;  to 
compare  fruits,  and  opinions  concerning  them  ; 
to  settle  doubtful  points  in  pomology,  and  to 


296 


THE    GARDEJ\rER'S   MOJVTHLl. 


October, 


establish  a  standard  for  every  section  of  this 
great  Western  Continent.  How  well  this  has 
been  done,  the  Society  need  no  better  testimonial 
than  is  furnished  by  its  published  transactions, 
the  wide-spread  influence  it  has  exerted,  not 
only  in  our  own,  but  other  portions  of  the  world, 
and  especially  by  this  grand  assemblage  of 
American  fruits  and  American  men.  Many  of 
the  noble  men  who  aided  in  the  establishment 
of  this  Society,  have  ceased  from  their  labors, — 
Downing,  Prince,  Saul,  ITodge,  Bergen,  Under- 
bill, of  New  York  ;  Brinckle,  of  Pennsylvania  ; 
"Walker,  French,  Crapo  and  Lovett,  of  Massa- 
chusetts ;  Monsou,  of  Connecticut ;  Ernst,  of 
Ohio  ;  Hancock  and  Keid,  of  New  Jersey  ;  Ken- 
nicott,  of  Illinois ;  Eaton,  of  Rhode  Island  ; 
"White,  of  Georgia  ;  Pierce,  of  the  District  of 
Columbia.  These,  and  other  associates  of  fair 
arae,  have  gone  to  their  reward;  but  we  rejoice 
that  some  still  live  who,  from  the  earlier  years 
of  our  history,  have  distinguished  themselves  as 
the  untiring  friends  of  our  institution  ;  who,  by 
their  efficient  services  and  wise  counsels,  have 
contributed  to  its  prosperity,  some  of  whom  are 
here  to-day  to  rejoice  with  us  in  the  progress  of 
our  science  and  the  perpetuity  of  our  institu- 
tion. 

Nor  would  we  forget  the  eminent  services  and 
devotion  of  others  of  later  days,  to  whom  we  are 
under  equal  obligations  for  the  extension  and 
influence  of  our  Society,  whose  efforts  have 
brought  together  the  cultivators  of  fruits  from 
the  most  distant  portions  of  our  country,  thus 
making  our  institution  what  it  was  designed 
by  its  founders  to  be, — a  truly  national  as- 
sociation, where  the  knowledge  of  one  becomes 
the  property  of  all ;  an  association  that  should 
constitute  a  compendium  of  experience,  and 
where,  without  i-egard  to  religious  creed  or  sec- 
tional prejudice,  a  community  of  interest,  enter- 
prise and  action  might  be  established  for  the 
promotion  of  a  great  source  of  national  wealth 
and  human  happiness. 

In  order  to  promote  the  convenience  of  all,  to 
distribute  its  favors  and  increase  its  influence, 
the  Society  has  wisely  held  its  sessions  m  differ- 
ent and  distant  States  of  the  Union.  New  York, 
Penn.sylvania,  Ohio,  Massachusetts  and  J^Iissou- 
ri  have  extended  hospitalities  to  the  Society,  and 
some  of  these  States  liave  been  repeatedly  favored 
"with  the  presence  of  its  members,  and  the  priv- 
ilege of  listening  to  their  discussions.  And 
now  I  congratulate  you  most  sincerely  upon  the 
auspicious   circumstances  which    enable   us  to 


meet  in  this  City,  among  our  southern  brethren, 
who  have  honored  us  with  so  cordial  a  welcome, 
and  so  large  a  representation  of  her  men  and  her 
resources,  here,  in  the  capital  of  Virginia,— a 
State  so  renowned  as  the  mother  of  presidents, 
and  the  home  of  some  of  the  most  distinguished 
patrons  of  American  agriculture,  among  whom 
may  be  named  Washington,  Jefferson  and  others, 
who  will  ever  be  remembered  as  benefactors  of 
their  race. 

.  I  have  so  often  addressed  you  on  topics  con- 
nected with  the  practical  labors  of  our  calling, 
that  it  can  scarcely  be  anticipated  that  I  should 
have  anything  new  to  offer  for  your  considera- 
tion, especially  in  the  presence  of  so  many  whose 
research  and  experience  is  fully  equal  to  ray  own. 
I  know,  too,  how  precious  our  time  is,  and  I 
should  not  attempt  it  were  it  not  a  duty  enjoined 
by  the  Constitution  of  our  Society,  This  duty 
will  be  performed  in  as  brief  a  manner  as  its  im- 
portance will  permit.  I  would  therefore  sug- 
gest that  it  is  desirable  for  us  to  gather  up  for 
future  use  the  lessons  which  have  been  acquired 
by  the  experience  of  the  past.  We  have  been  so 
busy  in  accumulating  knowledge  in  the  various 
branches  of  our  culture,  that  we  have  had  no 
time  to  look  back  and  to  systematize  the  infer- 
ences and  deductions  to  be  drawn  from  our  ope- 
rations. But  we  believe  the  time  has  now  come 
when  we  should  pause,  and  survey  the  field,  and 
make  a  review  of  the  lessons  which  science  has 
taught ;  for  science  is  but  a  stateiuent  of  these 
lessons, — experience  systematized  and  trained 
for  progress.  It  is  the  grains  of  sand  that  roll 
up  the  mountain,  the  drops  of  water  that 
make  the  ocean,  and  it  is  lesson  upon  lesson, 
fact  upon  fact,  which  must  build  up  the 
science  we  wish  to  create.  Nothing  in  the  pres- 
ent age  astonishes  us  more  than  the  wonderful 
power  of  association,— the  centralization  of 
thought  and  action  for  the  promotion  of  particu- 
lar objects,  thus  collecting  the  experience  of  in- 
dividuals, and  difl'using  this  knowledge  for  the 
benefit  of  the  world.  How  clearly  is  this  seen  in 
the  operation  of  our  own  Society;  how  great  the 
chaniies,  and  how  rapid  the  progress  since  its 
formation!  Then  its  list  of  members  was  107; 
now  its  roll  contains  the  names  of  311  persons. 
Then  its  sphere  of  operations  was  limited  by  the 
boundaries  of  a  few  States  ;  now  its  lield  extends 
from  ocean  to  ocean,  from  the  Provinces  to  the 
Gulf,  and  wherever  the  foot  of  civilizatiAi  rests 
in  our  broad  domain.  Nor  is  it  too  much  to  say, 
that  in   this  space  of  time  more  progress  has 


1871. 


TEE    GARDE JVEH'S   MOJ^TELY. 


291 


been  made  iu  the  science  of  pomology  than  in 
the  whole  period  since  the  settlement  of  our 
country.  Never  before  was  the  interest  so  en- 
grossing, or  so  widely  extended.  By  publica- 
tions, correspondence,  and  the  remarkable  facili- 
ties for  interchange  and  intercourse,  the  enter- 
prise of  cultivators  is  kept  constantly  on  the 
alert ;  and  instead  of  useless  discussions  of  other 
subjects,  the  pomologist  flnds  all  his  time  oc- 
cupied in  efforts  for  improvement. 

How  surprising  the  changes  which  have  taken 
place  during  the  existence  of  this  Society  !  States 
and  sections  of  the  Union  which  were  scarcely 
known  by  name,  now  contribute  noble  fruits  to 
grace  our  exhibitions,  and  noble  men  to  join  us 
in  efforts  for  the  promotion  of  the  public  good  ; 
and  by  the  wonderful  achievements  of  science 
and  the  golden  chain  of  commerce,  a  reciprocal 
exchange  is  made  of  our  fruits,  distances  are 
almost  annihilated,  and  where  fruits  were  only 
to  be  seen  in  our  markets  at  their  peculiar  sea- 
son, they  are  now  found  throughout  the  entire 
circle  of  the  year.  And  by  the  arts  of  preserva- 
tion, the  seasons  of  our  fruits  are  further  pro- 
longed, until  those  of  winter  even  linger  in  the 
lap  of  summer.  Thus  our  choicest  varieties  are 
successively  matured  ;  thus  distant  markets  are 
brought  near  together,  so  that  the  apple,  the 
pear  and  the  grape  from  the  South  and  "West 
meet  in  the  Northern  clime  of  New  England  in 
midsummer  ;  and  California,  Kansas,  Nebra.ska 
and  Illinois  compete  at  the  same  time  with  Vir- 
ginia, the  Carolinas  and  Georgia,  in  our  North- 
ern markets. 

Lessons  of  Experience. 
1.  the  influence  of  warm,  dry  seasons. 

Among  the  lessons  which  we  have  learned  we 
may  mention  as  settled  and  acknowledge  princi- 
ples, the  following : 

The  observations  of  the  last  few  years,  under 
the  influence  of  warm,  dry  seasons,  would  ap- 
pear to  have  established  the  principle  that  such 
weather  (without  excessive  drought),  especially 
in  the  earlier  part  of  the  summer,  is  more  favor- 
able to  the  perfection  and  ripening  of  fruits,  par 
ticularly  grapes,  than  cold  wet  seasons.  The 
fact  is  prominently  shown  in  California,  as  we 
have  witnessed  by  personal  observation  ;  and  is 
especially  to  be  seen  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
grape  there,  and  also  in  Europe,  and  in  our 
Northern  States,  where,  under  tiie  influence  of 
such  seasons,  neither  the  vine  nor  its  fruit  is 
affected  by  disease  of  any  kind.  These  conditions 


we  have  noticed  are  also  peculiarly  advantageous 
for  the  formation  of  fruit-buds,  and  the  storing 
up  of  the  necessary  perfected  food  for  a  future 
crop,  and  for  the  ripening  of  the  wood,  so  neces- 
sary that  it  may  endure  the  winter  with  safety. 

2.    DRAINING  OF  FRUIT  LANDS. 

In  conformity  with  the  foregoing  remarks,  we 
see  them  importance  of  thorough  draining  of  our 
fruit  lands,  which  produces  in  soils  not  natu- 
rally possessing  them,  the  conditions  of  warmth 
and  drj'ness  which  we  have  named,  thus  render- 
ing the  condition  of  the  earth,  in  respect  to 
warmth  and  dryness,  analogous  to  that  of  the 
air,  of  the  importance  of  which  we  have  before 
spoken.  Besides  these  advantages  is  the  thorough 
aeration  of  the  soil,  whereby  it  is  enabled  to  ab- 
sorb fertilizing  matter  from  the  atmosphere, rain, 
and  snow,  and  the  moisture  evaporated  from  the 
springs  below.  Thus,  paradoxical  as  it  may 
seem,  the  same  means  which  guard  against  ex- 
cessive wet,  also  serve  to  supply  moisture  in  ex- 
cessive droughts.  How  aptly  does  the  poet 
describe  this  condition : 

"In  grounds  by  art  made  dry,  the  watery  bane 
Which  mars  the  wholesome  fruit  is  turned  to  use,  ■ 
And  drains,  while  drawing  noxious  vapors  ofl', 
Serve  also  to  diflfuse  a  full  supply." 

3.    PREPARATION  AND  CULTIVATION  OF  THE 

SOIL. 

It  seems  scarcely  necessary  in  this  presence  to 
say  that  thorough  preparation  and  enrichment 
of  such  soils  as  are  not  already  rich,  is  essential. 
Ordinary  farm  culture  will  not  produce  the 
highest  class  of  fruits  ;  they  must  have  garden 
culture,  and  with  this  they  never  fail.  After 
this  thorough  preparation,  the  cleaner  the  cul- 
ture the  better,at  least  in  our  older  States,where 
the  soils  have  been  depleted  by  cropping.  But 
one  of  the  lessons  which  experience  has  taught 
us  most  impressively  is  that,  contrary  to  our 
former  views,  this  after  cultivation  should  be 
shallow  so  as  not  to  injure  the  roots,  but  to  pre- 
serve them  near  the  surface. 

4.  MANURES  AND  THEIR  APPLICATION. 

The  subject  of  manures  is  a  most  important 
one,  and  every  year  becomes  more  so.  The  sup- 
ply of  manure  in  the  older  part  of  our  country 
is  unequal  to  the  demand,  and  every  year  in- 
creases the  disparity.  What  would  be  our  feel- 
ings if  the  supply  of  wheat,  on  which  we  depend 
for  our  daily  bread,  were  inadequate  to  the  de- 
mand ?  Yet  men  are  not  more  dependent  for 
life  upon  their  daily  bread  than  are  our  fruit 


:98 


THE    GARDEjYER'S   MOMTHLY 


Octoher, 


crops  upon  the  food  which  is  supplied  to  thera  in 
the  form  of  manure  of  one  kind  or  another.  To 
8upi>ly  this  want  we  shall  be  compelled  to  rely 
in  great  measure  upon  artificial  fertilizers,  and 
chemistry  has  not  yet  taught  us,  as  it  will  doubt- 
less in  the  future  how  to  supply  the  wants  of 
our  fruit  crops  with  certainty  and  abundance. 
But  we  cannot  too  often  or  too  forcibh'^  impress 
upon  the  minds  of  all  cultivators  the  sacred  duty 
of  saving  every  particle  of  fertilizing  material, 
and  applying  it  in  such  manner  as  will  produce 
the  utmost  effect.  And  on  this  last  point  the 
lesson  which  experience  has  taught  us  is,  that 
manure  applied  to  fruit-trees  should  be  either  in 
the  form  of  a  top-dressing  or  as  near  the  surface 
as  is  consistent  with  the  composition  of  the 
soil,  and  the  preservation  of  its  fertilizing  ele- 
ments. 

5.   MULCHING. 

While  on  this  subject  we  will  add  as  another 
of  the  lessons  of  experience,  which  may  be  said 
to  be  fixed,  the  advantage  of  mulching  for  dry 
seasons  and  soils,  whereby  the  temperature  and 
moisture  of  the  soils  are  kept  uniform,  and  the 
fertilizing  elements  in  a  soluble  state,  an  essen- 
tial condition  for  the  production  of  perfect  fruit. 

6.   THINNING  OF  FRUIT. 

This  is  another  lesson  which  we  have  learned, 
and  the  necessity  of  which  we  have  often  en- 
deavored to  impress  upon  cultivators,  and  which 
every  successive  season  teaches  with  stronger 
emphasis.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  for  all  who 
send  fruit  to  market  to  send  large  fruit,  and  the 
markets  are  constantly  and  progressively  requir- 
ing large,  and  fine  fruit.  Even  the  Seckel  pear 
which  once  commanded  in  Boston  market  the 
highest  price,  will  not  now,  unless  of  extra  size, 
sell  for  any  more  than,  if  as  much,  as  common 
varieties  of  larger  size.  A  medium-sized  fruit, 
or  even  one  of  smaller  size,  may  be  more  eco- 
nomical for  use,  but  until  some  decided  change 
in  the  preferences  of  the  majority  of  purchasers 
shall  take  place,  large  fruit  will  sell  better  than 
small.  To  produce  this,  the  fruit  must  not  only 
have  good  cultivation  but  must  be  thinned,  and 
"we  agree  with  Mr.  Median,  that  "  one-half  the 
trees  which  bear  fruit  every  year  would  be  bene- 
fited by  having  one-half  the  fruit  taken  off  as 
Boon  as  it  is  well  8et,and  that  the  overbearing  of  a 
tree  will  in  a  few  years  destroy  it."  We  may  lay 
it  flown  as  a  certain  rule,  that  excessive  produc- 
tion is  always  at  the  expense  of  both  quantity 
and  quality,  if  not  in  the  same  season  then  in 


succeeding  ones,  for  when  branch  is  ccmtending 
with  branch,  leaf  with  leaf,  and  fruit  with  fruit, 
for  its  supply  of  light  and  food.it  would  indeed  be 
an  anomaly  in  nature  if  this  should  not  result  in 
permanent  injury  to  the  trees  as  well  as  to  the 
annual  crop. 

7.    INSECTS  AND  DISEASES. 

The  subject  of  insects  and  diseases  is  daily  at- 
tracting more  attention,  for  their  depredations 
are  daily  becoming  a  greater  evil,  and  the  im- 
portance of  entomological  investigations  is  every 
day  more  plainly  seen.  It  is  less  than  fifty  years 
since  Dr.  Harris  first  published  his  work  on  "  In 
sects  Injurious  to  Yegetation,"  and  great  is  the 
debt  of  gratitude  which  we  owe  to  him  and  to 
the  succeeding  investigators  who  have  given 
their  lives  to  studying  the  habits  of  these  little 
"  creeping  things  which  be  upon  the  earth,"  that 
they  may  teach  us  how  to  destroy  those  which 
prey  upon  our  trees,  and  to  distinguish  our 
friends  from  our  foes.  Every  plant  imported 
from  abroad  brings  with  it  a  new  insect  or  dis- 
ease, and  the  dissemination  of  new  plants  and 
varieties,  without  which  there  can  be  no  pro- 
gress in  horticulture,  inevitably  disseminates 
their  insect  enemies.  On  this  subject  the  words 
of  Edmund  Burke  are  appropriate  :  "The  most 
'vigilant  superintendence,  the  most  prompt  ac- 
tivity, which  has  no  such  day  as  to-morrow  in 
its  calendar,  are  necessary  to  the  farmer  ;"  and 
we  may  add  still  more  to  the  fruit  grower,  and 
tenfold  more  necessary  in  combating  our  insect 
enemies.  The  neglect  of  battling  with  these 
vile  creatures  is  the  great  bane  to  successful  cul- 
tivation ;  but  as  long  as  moral  evil  exists  in  the 
world,  so  long  may  we  expect  there  will  be  evil 
in  the  natural  world,  and  he  who  is  not  willing 
to  contend  against  both  is  not  woi'fhy  of  the 
name  either  of  cultivator  or  of  Christian. 

We  belong  to  that  class  who  have  faith  in  the 
ultimate  triumph  of  good  over  evil  in  the  moral 
world,  and  our  faith  is  not  less  strong  that  the 
insect  plagues  shall  if  not  exterminated,  at  least 
be  subdued,  so  that  the  labor  of  keeping  them 
so  far  in  check,  that  no  material  harm  shall  be 
caused  by  them  will  be  comparatively  easy. 
We  have  discovered  means  for  preventing  the 
ravages  of  the  currant-worm,  curculio,  canker- 
worm,  caterpillar,  melon-bug  and  aphis,  and  the 
mildew  and  other  diseases  of  our  vines.  If  we 
can  do  this,  is  it  not  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  we  can  discover  remedies  for,  or  the  means 
of  preventing,  all  the  diseases  and  depredations 


187  /. 


THE    GARDEJ^ERS   MO^^THLY. 


^09 


that  vegetation  is  liable  to  ?  Is  it  consistent 
with  that  Divine  economy,  so  benevolent  in  al' 
its  ways  and  works,  to  believe  that  this  fair 
creation  has  been  spread  out  only  to  be  des- 
troyed ;  that  seed-time  should  be  promised  and 
the  harvest  withheld  ;  and  from  year  to  year 
our  hopes  deferred  and  our  hearts  made  sick  ? 
Is  it  in  harmony  with  that  Divine  Providence 
which  created  all  things  and  pronounced  them 
very  good  ? 

If  any  one  say  it  is  of  no  use  to  contend  with 
these  hordes  of  vile  creatures,  or  the  disappoint- 
ments upon  which  all  culture  is  incident,  let 
him  remember  that  it  is  the  mission  of  life  to 
struggle  against  and  overcome  them.  Instead  of 
fretting  and  groaning  over  these  evils,  let  us 
battle  with  them  and  conquer  them.  Thus  shall 
we  gather  the  rich  fruits  of  our  industry,  and. 

"  Where  some  ■would  find  thorns  but  to  torture  ihe  flesh, 
AVe'll  pluck  the  ripe  clusters  our  souls  to  refresh." 

But  some  one  replies,  let  nature  do  all  this, 
let  nature  perform  her  perfect  work ;  true,  but 
nature  brings  us  weeds,  thistles  and  thorns,  in- 
sects injurious  to  vegetation  as  vvell  as  those  that 
are  useful  ;  and  we  were  placed  in  this  world, 
not  merely  to  assist  nature,  but  to  meet  with 
and  overcome  the  obstacles  which  she  sometimes 
places  in  our  path,—  to  elevate  her  to  the  highest 
and  noblest  purposes  of  her  creation. 

Many  of  the  difficulties  and  privations  we  en- 
dure, if  met  and  conquered, will  prove  blessings 
in  disguise.  It  is  labor  of  mind  as  well  as  body, 
it  is  work,  work,  work,  that  makes  men  strong. 
AVork  is  the  great  engine  that  moulds  and 
moves  the  intellect,  enterprise  and  destiny  of  the 
world — work  is  the  greatest  temporal  boon  be- 
stowed on  man — work  is  the  heaven-appointed 
means  of  advancement  to  a  higher  state  of  per- 
fection ;  and  in  no  profession  is  this  more  ap- 
parent than  in  the  calling  of  the  pomologist 
This  idea  is  well  expressed  in  the  following  lines, 
illustrative  of  the  blessings  of  labor  : 

"The  first  man  and  the  first  of  men, 
Were  tillers  of  the  koM  ; 
And  that  was  mercy's  mandate  then 
Which  destined  man  to  toil." 

If  man  can  seize  the  lightning  in  his  hand 
and  make  it  work  for  him  on  earth,  air  or  water  ; 
if  he  can  descend  into  the  secret  laboratory  of 
Nature,  and  learn  the  constituents  of  soils  and 
manures,  and  their  adaptation  to  each  other  ;  if 
he  can  learn  how  she  prepares  the  appropriate 
food  for  all  vegetable  life,  from  the  humblest 
plant  clinging  close  to  the  bosom  of  earth,  only 


blooming  to  die,  to  the  lofty  Sequoia  .rearing  its 
head  to  heaven  and  braving  the  tempests  for 
thousands  of  years;  if  the  physician  can  dis- 
cover the  agents  which  generate  disease  in  the 
animal  kingdom,  and  prescribe  antidotes  and 
remedies  for  each,  may  not  the  cultivator  ac- 
quire a  knowledge  of  the  diseases  which  affect 
his  trees  and  plants,  and  how  to  cure  them  ? 

Is  there  any  element  in  nature  which  man 
cannot  make  subservient  to  his  use  ?  Is  there 
any  disease  for  which  nature  has  not  provided  a 
remedy  ?  Is  there  any  enemy  to  vegetation  that 
cannot  be  overcome  ?  True,  there  are  many 
things  of  which  we  know  but  little,  and  which 
require  long  and  careful  study,  but  there  are 
others  which  are  well  established,  and  which  one 
fact  may  demonstrate  as  well  as  a  thousand. 

8.    SHELTER. 

The  necessity  of  shelter  was  not  as  soon  per- 
ceived as  some  of  the  other  lessons  which  I  have 
named  ;  yet,  with  perhaps  the  exception  of  a 
few  favored  spots,  its  importance  is  year  by  year 
becoming  more  generally  appreciated,  especially 
on  our  open  prairies  and  in  the  northern  and 
north-western  portions  of  our  country.  The 
fact  is  established,  that  the  removal  of  forests 
diminishes  the  quantity  of  rain,  increases  the 
evaporation  of  moisture,  reduces  the  tempera- 
ture, and  subjects  our  fruits  to  greater  vicissi- 
tudes, so  that  the  peach  and  many  of  our  fine.st 
pears  can  no  longer  be  cultivated  at  the  North 
except  in  gardens  or  sheltered  places.  The  im- 
portance of  shelter  was  well  understood  as  long 
ago  as  the  time  of  Quintinye,  who,  in  his  work 
on  gardening,  gives  full  directions  for  planting 
trees  for  shelter.  This  was  in  a  country  long 
settled  and  denuded  of  its  forests;  and  though 
our  ancestors,  planting  fruit-trees  in  a  virgin 
soil,  thickly  covered  with  wood,  failed  to  perceive 
its  necessity,  we,  in  our  older  States,  who  have 
come  to  much  the  same  conditions  as  existed  in 
the  time  of  Quintinye,  experience  the  same 
want. 

There  may  be  exceptions  to  this  rule,  as  in 
the  South,  where  the  fruit  season  is  warm  and 
dr}^,  producing  similar  conditions  to  those  af- 
forded by  shelter  under  glass.  We  may  find 
varieties,  and  probably  shall,  adapted  to  exposed 
situations  ;  but  at  present  the  larger  majority  of 
our  finer  fruits  will  be  benefited  by  the  shelter 
of  belts  of  forest  trees.  We  are  glad,  therefore, 
to  see  the  recognition  of  the  advantages  of  forest 
.trees  on  the  part  of  the  managers  of  our  Pacific 


300 


THE    GABDEJYER'S   MOJ^THLl, 


October, 


railways,  not  only  as  affording  shelter,  but  as  col- 
lecting moisture  from  the  atmosphere,  and  so 
rendering  available  vast  regions  previously  un- 
inhabitable from  drought.  This  good  work  has 
already  been  commenced  on  the  line  of  the  Kan- 
sas Pacific  Railroad. 

9.    METEOROLOGY. 

Besides  the  lessons  which  experience  has  al- 
ready taught  us,  permit  me  to  mention  one  which 
pomologists  ought  to  learn,  and  which,  from 
present  indications,  I  have  no  doubt  they  will 
learn.  The  pomologist  should  have  a  better 
knowledge  of  the  science  of  meteorology  than 
we  now  possess.  The  action  of  light  and  heat ; 
the  influence  of  the  winds,  of  frost,  fog,  water, 
and  the  electrical  condition  of  the  air  and  earth, 
have  a  most  important  bearing;  and  we  believe 
that  when  our  science  shall  have  attained  to  its 
greatest  perfection,  there  will  be  a  discreet  classi- 
fication of  fruits,  assigning  to  each  its  proper 
soil,  location  and  aspect.  We  must  not  expect 
to  alter  the  laws  of  nature,  but  to  conform  to 
them.  We  do  not  expect  to  restore  the  lost 
Pleiad,  nor  do  we  expect  to  find  any  supernatu 
ral  means  whereby  improvement  and  progress 
can  be  attained,  without  mental  or  physical  ex- 
ertion, but  we  should  endeavor  to  understand 
some  of  the  workings  of  that  mysterious  machine 
which  generates  and  perpetuates  all  vegetable 
life.  True,  the  ''  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth,'' 
as  of  old.  but  it  seems  probable,  if  not  certain, 
from  the  investigations  made  at  Washington, 
that  man  can  not  only  tell  from  whence  it  will 
come  and  where  it  will  blow,  but  where  the  sun 
will  shed  its  rays  and  the  clouds  diffuse  their 
showers,  and  the  time  may  come  when  the  laws 
which  govern  the  weather  may  be  settled  with 
nearh'  as  much  certainty  as  those  w^hich  now 
govern  the  calculations  of   the  astronomer. 

What  wonders  has  sicencc  wrought  in  modern 
times,  but  these  are  only  the  rudiments  of  that 
great  plan  which  Providence  has  established  for 
the  happiness  of  mankind.  "These  are  but 
parts  of  His  ways''  which  we  now  see,  glim- 
merings of  that  boundless  exhibition  of  power, 
wisdom  and  goodness  which  shall  culminate  in 
the  perfection  of  all  created  things. 

10.    ORIGINATINa  NEAV   VARIETIES. 

I  commend  to  you  again,  as  I  have  done  in 
my  former  addresses,  and  shall  continue  to  do 
while  I  live,  the  important  and  benevolent  work 
of  originating  new  varieties  of  fruit,  both  as  a 
means  of  improvement,  and  as  a  substitute  for» 


those  which  have  experienced  the  decline  inci- 
dent to  all  things  of  human  origin.  Our  country, 
and  in  fact  the  whole  world,  has  been  so  thor- 
oughly explored,  that  we  can  scarcely  expect 
to  discover  any  very  important  addition  to  acci- 
dental varieties.  Our  main  source  of  improve- 
ment, therefore,  is  to  be  found  in  the  production 
of  new  kinds  from  seed,  and  I  again  urge  upon 
you  the  gi'eat  importance  of  continuing  your 
efforts  in  this  most  interesting  and  hopeful  de- 
partment of  labor.  The  acquisitions  already 
made  give  promise  of  still  richer  rewards  to  him 
who  will  work  with  Xature  in  compelling  her  to 
yield  to  his  solicitations  for  still  greater  improve- 
ment. Much  has  already  been  done,  but  this 
branch  of  science  is  still  in  its  infancy,  and 
opens  to  the  pomologist  a  broad  field  for  enter- 
prise. It  may  require  time,  and  patience,  and 
care  to  produce  a  superior  variety,  but  we  have 
the  most  cheering  assurance  of  the  time  when 
every  section  of  our  country  shall  possess  fruits 
adapted  to  its  own  locality.  There  is  no  better 
illustration  of  what  can  be  accomplished,  than 
what  has  been  done,  in  the  production  of  the 
various  and  excellent  American  fruits,  .Avhich 
have  been  raised  since  the  establishment  of  our 
Society.  If  each  member  should  originate  one 
good  variety,  adapted  to  a  wide  extent  of  terri- 
tory, or  even  to  his  own  section,  he  would  be- 
come a  public  benefactor.  Think  of  the  number 
of  persons  in  the  United  States  who  are  now 
engaged. in  the  growth  of  fruits.  Should  each 
one  produce  one  good  variety,  a  not  impossible 
thing,  we  should  have  varieties  enough  to  endure 
for  centuries,  adapted  to  every  soil  and  location 
in  our  vast  territory. 

Let  any  one  visit  the  nurseries  established  by 
Mr.  Clapp,  in  Massachusetts,  the  originator  of 
the  Clapp's  Favorite  pear,  and  see  the  many 
seedling  trees  now  just  coming  into  bearing,  and 
he  cannot  but  be  delighted,  as  we  have  been, 
with  witnessing  these  trees  in  their  youthful 
vi>:or,  and  studying  the  various  forms  into  wliich 
the  Bartlett,  the  Flemish  Beauty,  the  Bourre 
d'Anjou,  the  Urbauistc,  the  Beurre  Clairgoau, 
the  Beurre  Bosc,  and  other  standard  varieties 
have  been  changed,  and  he  cannot  but  admit 
that  the  daily  opportunity  for  such  study  would 
be  an  ami)le  recompense  for  all  the  trouble  and 
expense  of  raising  such  trees.  But  besides  this 
gratification,  is  the  probability  of  raising  a  now 
variety,  which,  in  one  point  or  another,  shall 
be  superior  to  any  before  acquired,  and  which 
shall  be  a  blessing  to  the  nation.     Does  any  one 


1671. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MO^''TELY. 


301 


object,  that  fruits  adapted  to  cultivation  through 
the  country  are  few  and  far  between  ?  Let  him 
raise  a  variety  which  shall  be  better  adapted  to 
his  own  locality  than  any  before  known.  Let  us 
have  Favorites  for  Yirginia  and  Georgia,  and 
for  all  and  every  State  in  our  nation.  If  I  could 
feel  that  I  had  been  the  means  of  inducing  our 
members,  or  other  cultivators,  to  raise  new  fruits 
worthy  to  bear  their  names,  I  should  feel  that  I 
had  lived  for  a  useful  purpose. 

The  importance  of  producing  new  varieties 
from  seed  is  no  longer  questioned.  The  fact, 
that  the  seed  of  good  varieties  will  generally 
produce  good  offspring,  is  now  well  established. 
These  are,  however,  the  natural  results  which 
have  been  derived  from  fruits  already  improved  ; 
and  we  can  offer  no  better  proofs  of  the  advan- 
tages of  artificial  impregnation  than  the  multi- 
tude of  improved  varieties  which  have  been  pro- 
duced in  the  vegetable  kingdom  by  this  process. 

We  have  learned  many  of  the  laws  which 
govern  hybridization,  and  the  more  we  become 
acquainted  with  this  most  interesting  art,  the 
more  we  work  with  Nature  in  these  efforts  for 
her  improvement,  the  more  we  shall  admire  this 
most  perfect  and  beautiful  illustration  of  the 
great  fundamental  law,  which  has  been  estab- 
lished from  the  begining  of  time,  for  the  improve- 
ment of  men,  animals  and  plants.  Well  did 
Liunteus  exclaim,  when  overwhelmed  with  the 
discovery  of  an  unknown  principle  in  this  most 
interesting  study,  "  I  have  seen  God  passing 
by  ;"  ana  well  may  the  contemplation  of  this 
law  inspire  us  with  the  same  reverence  and  de- 
light, and, 

"  Like  conductors,  raise 
Our  spirits  upward  on  their  fliglit  sublime, 
Up  to  tiie  dreaded  Invisible,  to  pour 
Our  grateful  homage  out  In  silent  praise." 

Let  US  go  on  then  developing  the  wonderful 
resources  of  this  art.  Go  on,  persevere,  and  you 
will  leave  a  rich  inheritance  to  your  heirs.  Go 
on,  and  the  time  will  come  when  every  man 
shall  sit  under  his  vine  and  fruit-tree,  when  all 
our  hillsides  shall  rejoice  in  the  burden  of  the 
vintage,  our  valleys  teem  with  the  golden  fruits 
of  the  orchard,  and  the  passing  breeze  become 
vocal  with  songs  of  gratitude  and  praise  for 
these  benefactions  to  posterity. 

The  increasing  interest  in  the  cultivation  of 
fruit  at  the  South  induces  me  to  offer  a  few  sug- 
gestions in  regard  to  the  best  means  of  obtain- 
ing varieties  suited  to  that  region.  Of  apples 
and  peaches  a  large  number  of  superior  varieties 


have  already  been  produced  at  the  South  per- 
fectly adapted  to  that  climate  ;  but  the  supply  of 
fine  varieties  of  the  pear  is  yet  inadequate,  espe- 
cially of  late-keeping  varieties,  as  the  latest 
kinds  grown  at  the  North  cannot,  when  grown 
in  the  Gulf  States,  be  preserved  beyond  autumn. 
To  supply  this  deficiency,  we  would  recommend 
the  trial  of  such  varieties  as  refuse  to  ripen  at 
the  North — Chauraoutelle,  the  Colmar  and  its 
sub-varieties,  Beurre  Ranee, Bergamot  Fortunes 
— which  appear  to  need  a  longer  season  than 
ours  to  arrive  at  maturity.  These  and  seedlings 
from  these  ofter,  we  think,  the  best  prospect  for 
a  supply  of  late  pears  in  the  warmer  parts  of 
our  country.  We  would  also  recommend  a  trial 
of  the  sorts  used  at  the  North  for  cooking,  as 
some  of  these  have  proved  fine  dessert  pears  ia 
the  South.  And  proV)ably  some  of  the  fine  old 
varieties  which  have  decayed  at  the  East,  and 
show  signs  of  the  same  fate  at  the  West,  may,  ia 
more  genial  climates,  have  their  existence  so  far 
prolonged  as  to  be  among  the  most  desirable. 

The  Society's  Catalogue. 
Allow  me  again  to  commend  to  your  consid- 
eration the  value  and  importance  of  our  Cata- 
logue of  Fruits.  The  completion  of  this  work, 
by  embodying  the  fruits  of  the  Southern  and 
Pacific  States,  is  yet  to  be  accomplished.  This 
has  been  delayed  from  unavoidable  circumstan- 
ces, but  we  hope  is  now  to  be  done,  so  that  the 
basis  of  American  Pomology  can  be  established 
for  the  generations  which  are  to  succeed  us. 
The  work  is  indeed  great,  but  it  is  a  duty  that 
devolves  on  us,  as  the  representatives  of  that 
science  which  the  Society  has  in  charge.  In 
proceeding  with  it,  however,  we  find  ourselves 
met  by  a  difliculty  not  anticipated  at  the  begin- 
ing of  our  work,  arising  from  the  unparalleled  ex- 
pansion of  our  country.  In  the  few  years  since 
our  catalogue  was  commenced,  several  new 
States  and  Territories  have  been  organized,  and 
if  such  expansion  continues,  as  it  undoubtedly 
will,  it  will  be  difficult  to  bring  the  catalogue,  on 
its  present  plan,  into  any  reasonable  limiis.  On 
this  point  1  hope  to  hear  from  the  chairman  of 
General  Fruit  Connnittee,  to  whom,  more  than 
to  any  one  else,  we  are  indebted  for  the  progress 
ah'eady  made,  and  I  commend  the  subject  to  the 
thoughtful  consideration  of  all  the  members  of 
the  Society,  and  especially  invite  the  co-opera- 
tion of  every  State  in  collecting  and  transmit- 
ting to  him  the  information  necessary  to  the 
completion  of  our  work. 


'02 


THE    GABDEJVER'S    MOA^THLy. 


October, 


The  increasing  iMroRTANCE  of  Fruit 
Culture. 

The  importance  and  value  of  our  calling  in 
devi'loping  the  resources  of  our  country,  in  the 
occupation  of  unimproved  lands,  adorning  our 
honu  steads,  enhancing  tlie  value  of  real  estate, 
multiplying  the  blessing  and  comforts  of  life, 
and  promoting  a  great  source  of  national  wealth, 
cannot  be  too  highly  appreciated.  The  more  I 
retlect  upon  the  progress  we  have  made,  the 
more  am  I  conlirmed  in  the  belief  that  this 
branch  of  culture  will  ere  long  become  second 
only  to  the  growth  of  the  bread  and  meat  of  our 
country  The  enormous  production  of  straw- 
ben  ies  and  other  small  fruits,  the  millions  upon 
millions  of  baskets  of  peaches, — not  to  speak  of 
the  apples  and  pears  and  other  iruits  that  are 
now  annually  produced,— give  promise  that  the 
time  is  fast  approaching  when  all  classes  of  so- 
ciety may  enjoy  this  health  preserving  condi- 
ment as  a  portion  of  their  daily  food.  Nor  can 
I  refrain  from  referring  once  more  to  the  benign 
inlluence  which  our  employment  has  ujjon  the 
moral  and  religious  instincts  of  the  heart,  the 
relinement  of  taste  and  the  welfare  of  society. 
"Whatever  pleasure  may  be  derived  from  other 
pursuits,  there  is  surely  none  that  has  afforded 
stronger  evidence  of  a  high  and  progressive  state 
of  civilization  or  a  more  ennobling  influence, 
than  the  culture  ot  fruits.  ''This,"  says  Gen- 
eral Dearborn,  "must  have  been  the  step  in  the 
march  of  civilization,  while  the  method  of  ame- 
liorating their  character  and  multiplying  the 
varieties  may  be  cont-idered  as  taking  i)recedence 
ot  all  human  etlbrts  in  the  indusuial  arts." 

From  the  day  when  God  gave  our  father  in 
Eden  trees,  "i)leabant  to  the  sight  and  good  tor 
food,"  down  to  Solomon,  who  said,  "1  made  me 
gardens  and  orchards,  and  I  planted  in  them 
trees  of  all  kind  oMruits,"  and  tiirough  the  suc- 
cessive generations  of  men,  the  cultivation  of 
trees  and  plants  has  been  tlie  criterion  of  taste 
and  relinement.  Mo  object  of  atiachnient  is 
more  naturally  allied  to  the  instincts  ol  the  soul, 
and  trul^  did  Emerson  remark,  "he  who 
knows  what  sweets  and  virtues  are  in 
the  ground,  and  how  to  come  at  these  enchant- 
nieuis,  is  tiie  rich  and  royal  man.  '  And  what 
greater  bLuelaetions  can  you  leave  fov  posterity 
than  these  memorLils  whicli  shall  live  and  grow, 
which  shall  tell  ot  your  love  of  tlie  most  beauti- 
ful works  of  nature,  kindred  and  home,  when 
you  are  slumbering  in  the  grave  ?  Far  better 
tlicbe  lur  the  perpetuation  of  your  memory,  and 


the  benefit  of  the  advancing  millions  of  coming 
time,  than  all  the  monumental  shafts  and  pil- 
lars of"  polished  marble  that  ever  graced  the  he- 
ro's tomb. 

Deceased  Members. 

Since  my  last  report  on  the  decease  of  mem- 
bers, three  of  the  founders  of  this  Society  have 
been  removed  by  death,  "like  fruits  fully  ripen- 
ed in  their  season."  I  allude  to  Dr.  Alfred  S. 
Monson  of  New  Haven,  Connecticut.  Dr.  H.  T. 
Underbill  of  Crolon  Point,  New  York,  and  Dr. 
Eben  Wr'ght  of  Dedham,  Massachusetts,  all 
three  of  whom  were  present  and  took  part  in 
the  proceedings  of  the  first  meeting,  twenty- 
three  years  ago. 

Dr.  Alfred  S.  Monson  died,  May  22,  1870,  at 
New  Haven,  Connecticut,  at  the  advanced  age 
of  seventy-four,  universall)'  respected  and  be- 
loved. He  was  one  of  the  signers  of  the  circu- 
lar calling  the  convention  which  resulted  in  the 
organization  of  our  association  ;  was  the  first 
vice-president  from  Connecticut ;  and  on  that 
occasion  read  a  most  able  and  instructive  paper 
"on  the  deterioration  of  certain  fruits,  and  of 
parasitic  agents  injurious  t#  vegetation."  This 
paper  may  be  found  in  the  published  Transac- 
tions of  the  Society,  and  gives  evidence  of  the 
careful  investigation  and  research  of  its  author. 
Dr.  Monson  possessed  a  highly  appreciative 
mind,  a  refined  taste  and  a  great  capacity  for 
enjoyment  Hence  his  love  for  fruits  and  flow- 
ers, which  was  a  ruling  passion  with  him 
through  life.  He  was  the  first  president  of  the 
New  Haven  Horticultural  Society,  established 
in  1831,  — one  of  the  earliest  in  this  country, — 
and  was  a  frequent  writer  on  subjects  connected 
with  horticulture  and  rural  arts.  His  address 
before  that  society  in  1843  is  full  of  wisdom  and 
beautiful  illustrations.  His  memory  will  ever 
be  revered  and  honored  by  all  who  knew  him. 

Dr.  R.  T.  Underbill  was  also  one  of  the  found- 
ers of  our  Society,  and  his  name  is  borne  on  the 
call  for  its  first  meeting.  He  commenced  his 
pomological  pursuits  at  Croton  Point  about  for- 
ty-five years  ago,  the  grape,  of  which  he  planted 
a  large  vineyard,  being  a  specialty.  His  experi- 
ments commenced  with  foreign  varieties,  but 
these  proving  a  failure  he  turned  his  attention 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  Isabella  and  Catawba, 
then  but  little  known,  and  so  great  was  his  suc- 
cess that  for  many  years  he  and  his  brother, 
with  whom  he  was  associated,  sent  more  of 
these  varieties  to  the  New  York  market  than 


187 1. 


THE    GARBEA'E'R'S   MOJVTHLJ. 


303 


were  received  from  all  other  soui'ces.  He  also 
commenced  the  manufacture  of  wine,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  had  ahout  fifty  acres  of  vine- 
yard, and  was  also  very  successful  in  the  culti- 
vation of  the  plum,  of  which  he  gave  an  account 
at  our  last  meeting.  He  was  a  leading  memher 
of  the  American  Institute,  and  was  one  of  the 
loundcrs  of  the  Agricultural  and  Horticultural 
Society  of  Westclicstcr  County,  of  which  he  was 
the  first  president.  Dr.  Underhill  was  a  gentle- 
man of  the  old  school,  courteous  in  deportment 
^nd  refined  in  his  tastes,  and  although  his  age 
prevented  his  frequent  attendance  of  our  meet- 
ings, his  interest  in  our  pursuits  never  declined 
As  a  proof  of  his  fidelity,  he  came  to  our  last 
meeting  in  Philadelphia  and  although  at  the 
age  of  about  eighty  years,  took  part  in  our  dis- 
cussions as  he  had  done  in  the  beginning. 

Dr.  Eben  Wright  of  Dedhara,  Massachusetts, 
another  of  the  signers  of  the  call  for  the  first 
meeting  of  this  Society,  died  at  his  home,  where 
he  had  carried  on  his  pomological  researches 
during  his  life.  He  had  long  been  interested  in 
horticultural  pursuits,  being  an  early  member 
of  the  Massachusetis  Horticultural  Society,  and 
for  a  long  course  of  years  corresponding  secreta- 
ry and  vice-president.  For  many  years  he  was 
chairman  of  the  Fruit  Committee  of  this  Socie- 
ty for  Massachusetts  in  which  capacity  he  made 
many  interesting  reports,  which  may  be  found 
among  our  pubhshea  Transactions  He  paid 
special  attention  to  the  apple,  of  which  he  had  a 
large  and  choice  collection  of  varieties ;  and 
through  his  critical  observation  he  became  re- 
markably well  versed  in  the  knowledge  of  this 
fruii,  and  mtroduced  several  fine  varieties  to  no- 
tice. He  was  a  modest  and  unassuming  man, 
of  the  strictest  integrity,  and  died  as  he  had 
lived,  universally  respected  and  beloved. 

iNor  can  1  close  this  sad  record  without  add- 
ing the  name  of  M.  S.  Frierson,  Columbia, 
leuu  ,  who  died  March  28,  1870.  Mr.  Frierson 
\\'aa  the  vice-president  of  this  Society  from  Ten- 
nessee. He  atieuded  our  last  meeting,  and  his 
noble  bearing  and  gentlemanly  deportment  w.ll 
long  be  rememOered  by  all  who  were  present 
Willi  him.  He  was  by  profession  a  lawyer,  and 
ai  the  time  of  Ids  death  was  in  practice  as  an 
old  couubellor  at  Columbia.  But  what  most 
concerns  us  is  his  hi^jh  interest  in  pomological 
pursuits,  which  was  strikingly  evinced  by  the 
part  which  he  look  iu  the  discussions  of  the  So- 
ciety ;  his  remarks  being  always  valuable,  inter- 
esting and  to  the  pomt.     He  was  much  interest- 


ed in  fruit  culture,  and  had  given  particular  at- 
tention to  the  hybridization  of  the  nectarine  and 
the  pear,  with  the  special  view  of  producing 
late  keeping  varieties  of  the  latter.  His  experi- 
ments were  evidently  based  upon  truly  scientific 
knowledge,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  had  al- 
ready been  the  means  of  producing  some  valua- 
ble new  fruits.  In  a  letter  written  but  a  few 
months  before  his  death  he  says,  in  speaking  of 
his  experiments,  "they  may  turn  out  nothing, 
still  the  taste  it  give  my  girls'"  (vvho  had  aided 
him  in  conducting  them)  '"for  such  amusement 
is  worth  more  than  the  trouble.  The  seeds  will 
be  carefully  planted,  and  we  will  wait  and  see." 
Noble  sentiment !  but  the  fruition  of  his  hopes 
was  transferred  to  another  world,  leaving  us  to 
wait  and  see  the  further  results  which  they  may 
produce  here. 

These  associates  have  gone  to  their  reward. 
Their  seats  in  this  Society  are  forever  vacant, 
but  their  efforts  for  the  advancement  of  our  cause 
in  the  early  history  of  our  Society  will  be  appre- 
ciated more  and  more  as  time  moves  on. 

Conclusion. 

TTilh  the  deepest  sense  of  gratitude  do  I  re- 
joice in  the  presence  of  a  {ew  of  the  founders  of 
this  Society,  whose  lives  have  been  prolonired  to 
this  day.  Ere  long  all  those  who  were  present 
at  its  first  meeting,  and  he  who  by  your  indul- 
gence has  occupied  this  chair  so  long,  will  va- 
cate their  seats.  Others  will  fill  the  places 
which  we  now  occupy,  but  our  Society,  and  the 
cause  it  seeks  to  promote,  will  live  on  to  bless 
the  generations  which  shall  succeed  us. 

Long  may  the  members  of  this  Society  meet 
together  as  friends  and  mutual  helpers,  dispen- 
sing and  receiving  good,  and  may  your  eflbrts 
for  jiromoting  this  beautiful  of  all  arts,  this 
health  preserving  and  life  prolonging  industry, 
be  crowned  with  continued  success.  May  the 
Society  go  on  conferring  blessings  on  our  coun- 
try until  every  hearth-stone  and  fireside  shall  be 
gladdened  with  the  golden  fruits  of  summer  and 
autumn,  until  thanksgiving  and  the  perfume  of 
the  orchard  shall  ascend  together  like  incense 
from  the  altar  of  every  family  in  our  broad  land, 
and  the  whole  world  realize,  as  in  the  beginning, 
the  blissful*fruition  of  dwelling  in  the  "Garden 
of  the  Lord."  And  when  at  last  the  chain  of 
iriendship  which  has  bound  so  many  of  us  to- 
gether in  labor  and  in  love  thall  be  broken ; 
when  the  last  link  shall  be  sundered  and  the 
fruits  of  this  world  shall  delight  us  no  more  ; 


SOJf 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOXTEL^. 


October, 


when  the  culture,  training  and  sorrows  of  earth 
sliall  cuhninate  in  the  purity,  perfection  and 
bliss  of  heaven,  may  we  ail  sit  down  together  at 
that  feast  of  immortal  fruits, 

"Where  life  fills  the  •wine-cup  and  love  makes  it  clear, 
Where  Gilead's  balm  in  its  freshness  shall  flow 
O'er   the   wounds  which   the   pruning-knife    gave    ns 
below." 


THE  HANSON  LETTUCE. 

BY  W.  P.  PODBTJRY,  GENETA,  N.  Y. 

The  Hanson  Lettuce,  mentioned  in  the  Qar- 
denirs  Monthly  is,  if  correctly  named,  the  Large 
India,  not  Curled  India,  also  known  as  the  Gray 
Lettuce,  in  Tennessee.  A  first-class  lettuce  for 
summer,  but  not  early  ;  not  equal  to  Malta, 
either  in  earliness,  size  or  flavor.  It  will  stand 
the  summer  heat  perhaps  equal  to  Grand  Admi- 
ral, but  no  better  in  quality.  I  have  tested  this 
myself  from  seed  supplied  by  Mr.  Dreer,  and 
know  it  to  be  correct  what  I  state,  and  write 
you  this  so  as  market  gardeners,  &c.,  may  not 
be  deceived  in  snapping  for  such  a  treasure  for 
an  early  Lettuce. 


EUCHARI  AMAZONICA. 

BY  MR.  J.  TAPLIN,  MANAGER  TO   GEO.  SUCH,  S. 
AM  BOY,  N.  J. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  flowers 
grown,  and  also  one  of  the  easiest  to  manage ; 
but  yet  I  am  so  often  told  it  is  difficult  to  flower. 
This  I  deny,  for  I  always  found  it  one  of  the 
freest  flowering  plants  grown.  As  a  proof,  I 
may  mention  our  plants  are  now  blooming  the 
sixth  time  since  the  beginning  of  last  November. 
I  believe  trouble  with  many  growers  is  they  do 
not  give  it  liberal  treatment  enough,  the  plants 
are  starved  ai:d  rested  too  much,  as  a  proof  of 
which,  1  may  mention  a  recent  writer  in  the  En- 
glish Gardener''s  Chronicle  states,  "that  by  rest- 
ing the  Euchari,  it  may  be  induced  to  flower 
twice  or  more  in  the  year.  The  only  rest  I  give 
the  plants,  is  keeping  them  a  trifle  drier  a  short 
time  before  1  wish  them  to  flower  in  the  winter, 
but  then  not  dry  enough  to  loose  any  of  the 
leaves.  • 

The  plant  is  a  native  of  the  hot,  moist,  rich 
vallies  of  South  America,  and  growing  near  ri. 
vers,  should  teach  us  that  it  certainly  is  never 
rested  in  its  natural  condition.  A  plant  collec- 
tor from  those  parts,  recently  informed  us  that 
the  plants  were  in  flower  at  all  seasons  ;  it  made 
a  growth  and  then  flowered.     I  can  vouch  for 


the  truth  of  this  statement,  having  proved  it  in 
cultivation  for  a  number  of  years.  My  system 
of  cultivation  is  to  give  plenty  of  heat,  abun- 
dance of  water,  both  to  root  and  over  foliage, 
with  occasional  waterings  with  manure  water. 
A  good  rich  open  soil  with  plenty  of  drainage, 
and  after  large  strong  plants  are  obtained, 
(which  under  this  treatment  will  be  from  small 
ones,  in  two  years,)  disturb  the  roots  as  little  as 
possible.  For  large  specimens  I  prefer  frames 
from  10  inches  to  a  foot  deep,  and  eighteen 
inches  to  two  feet  wide.  The  plants  will  stand* 
a  strong  heat  with  a  slight  shade  from  bright 
sunshine.  I  have  grown  and  flowered  them  in 
four  inch  pots,  placed  directly  on  the  troughs  of 
hot-water  pipes,  troughs  of  course  kept  filled 
with  water,  and  frequently  at  a  temperature  of 
120''.  I  may  mention  that  although  it  will  grow 
and  flower  in  this  climate  in  an)'  glass  structure 
in  the  summer,  it  requires  a  warm  house  in  the 
winter, the  temperature  must  never  fall  below 
55°  ;  from  60  to  70°  will  grow  it  to  perfection. 


HYACINTHS. 

BY  JAMES  VICK,  JR.,  ROCHESTER,  N.  Y. 

The  Hyacinth  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
fragrant  of  the  Bulbous  Flowers,  and  particu- 
larly desirable  for  house  culture.  Even  half  a 
dozen  grown  in  pots  and  flowering  during  the 
winter,  will  afibrd  more  pleasure  to  the  "loved 
ones  at  home"  than  the  same  amount  of  money 
spent  in  any  other  way.  With  how  much  plea, 
surabie  anxiety  they  watch  the  shooting  forth 
of  the  bright  leaves,  the  rising  of  the  stately  col- 
umn ;  while  the  opening  of  the  bud  makes  a  joy- 
ful thanksgiving  of  the  most  dreary  winter's  day. 
A  very  small  ])ot  will  answer  for  the  Hyacinth. 
Some  prefer  to  plant  three  or  four  in  a  large  pot, 
and  this  will  make  a  very  pretty  ornament. 
Cover  only  the  lower  half  of  the  bulbs  with  soil, 
press  them  down  until  they  are  nearly  covered, 
then  water  until  the  soil  is  moistened  thorough- 
ly, and  set  the  pots  in  a  cool  dark  cellar.  The 
roots  will  there  form,  with  but  little  growth  of 
top.  Here  they  may  remain  for  several  weeks, 
and  a  pot  or  two  can  be  taken  into  a  warm, 
light  room,  for  flowering,  a  week  or  ten  days 
apart,  and  a  succession  of  flowers  obtained  dur- 
iug  most  of  the  winter.  When  Hyacinths  are 
planted  in  the  garden,  and  well  covered,  the 
roots  get  a  good  start  in  the  fall  and  winter; 
and  it  is  very  important  in  flowering  them  in 
the  house  that  a  growth  of'  roots  should  be  firs 


1871. 


THE    GARBEJVEM'^    MOJ^TBLJ. 


SOS 


encouraged  in  the  way  recommended.  When 
placed  in  glasses  of  water  for  flowering,  the  base 
of  the  bulb  should  not  quite  touch  the  water. 
Fill  the  glasses  with  well  water,  and  as  soon  as 
the  flower  buds  appear,  sprinkle  the  plant  fre- 
quently with  rain  water.  Set  them  away  for 
about  two  weeks  in  a  cool,  dark  room,  until 
roots  are  formed  ;  then  remove  to  a  light,  mod 
erately  warm  room,  and  give  plenty  of  light  and 
air.  Keep  Hyacinths  in  the  coldest  room  you 
have,  anything  above  freezing  will  answer,  and 
near  the  light.  Flowers  of  the  Hyacinth  are  of- 
ten ruined  by  bringing  them  into  a  very  hot, 
dry  unventilated  room.  Our  plan  is  to  keep  a 
stand  containing  our  stock  of  Hyacinths  in  the 
parlor,  which  is  kept  most  of  the  time  but  a  few 
degrees  above  freezing.  From  this  room  they 
are  taken  as  needed— one  or  two  of  each  color — 
to  the  sitting  room,  or  the  dining  room,  for  spe- 
cial occasions,  but  always  returned  to  their  cool 
quarters  for  the  night.  By  this  method  they 
not  only  flower  well,  but  keep  in  bloom  a  long 
time.  Change  the  water  occasionally,  if  it  be- 
comes discolored. 

The  choice  named  varieties  grow  best  in  glasses 
and  pots,  and  single  are  more  reliable  than  dou- 
ble sorts  for  house  culture,  while  they  are  in 
every  respect  as  desirable.  Some  of  the  double 
varieties,  however,  do  well,  and  for  the  sake  of 
variety  it  is  a  good  plan  to  select  a  few. 

Hyacinths  should  be  planted  in  the  garden  in 
September,  October  and  November.  Make  the 
soil  deep,  mellow,  and  tolerably  rich,  and  see 
that  the  water  has  a  chance  to  drain  off".  The 
beds  should  be  narrow,  so  that  all  parts  can  be 
reached  from  the  alleys  or  walks.  Set  the  bulbs 
Ave  or  six  inches  apart  and  four  deep.  Before 
winter  sets  in,  cover  the  beds  with  leaves  or  ma- 
nure to  help  keep  out  the  frost.  This  should  be  I 
removed  as  soon  as  hard  frosts  are  over — in  this 
latitude,  the  middle  of  March.  For  beds  of  ear- 
ly flowers  on  the  lawn,  nothing  excels  the  Hya- 
cinth.    A  very  pretty  arrangement  for  a  round  i 


or  oval  bed,  is  one  or  more  rows  all  around  of 
white,  then  red  and  rose  about  an  equal  num- 
ber, and  the  centre  filled  with  blue.  Where 
beds  are  small  and  so  near  together  that  they 
can  all  be  seen  at  once,  it  is  well  to  fill  each  one 
with  a  separate  color. 

Hyacinth  flowers  may  be  cut  freely,  without 
injury  to  the  bulbs.  Indeed,  all  flower  stalks 
should  be  removed  as  soon  as  the  flowers  besin 
I  to  fade.  In  about  five  or  six  weeks  after  flower- 
ing, and  when  the  leaves  are  becoming  yellow, 
the  bulbs  may  taken  up,  dried  and  packed  away 
in  paper  bags  or  boxes,  for  planing  again  in  the 
fall.  If  the  beds  are  needed  for  other  flowers, 
as  is  generally  the  case,  the  bulbs  may  be  re- 
moved in  about  two  weeks  after  the  flowers  have 
faded.  In  this  case,  after  removing  the  flower 
stems,  if  this  has  not  been  done  before,  lay  the 
bulbs  on  a  dry  bed  in  the  garden,  and  cover 
them  with  a  little  earth,  leaving  the  leaves  ex- 
posed. Here  they  can  remain  until  the  leaves 
have  ripened,  when  they  are  ready  to  be  packed 
!  away  for  fall  planting,  or  can  remain  where  they 
are  until  needed. 

Hyacinths  will  usually  commence  flowering 
in  this  latitude  the  latter  part  of  March,  and  by 
choosing  the  Uarly  and  Late  varieties,  a  good 
show  of  blossoms  can  be  secured  for  at  least  a 
month  or  six  weeks.  The  Late  varieties  are 
mostly  cloulle  and  are  from  two  to  three  weeks 
later  than  the  Early  sorts.  For  the  convenience 
of  planters,  I  have  designated  the  Late  as  well 
as  the  Low  and  Tall  flowering  kinds.  Those 
not  noted  as  Late,  are  Early.  This  will  be 
found  a  great  help  in  planting.  The  Low  sorts 
throw  up  a  stem  five  or  six  inches  in  height,  and 
the  trusses  are  usually  globular  and  compact. 
The  Tall  sorts  have  a  flower  stem  from  six  to 
ten  inches  or  more  in  height,  and  the  trusses  are 
usually  more  loose.  The  colors  are  so  classified 
that  no  description  will  be  needed  with  each  va- 
riety. 


E  D  I  T  0  HI  A  L  .    • 


TRAVELLING  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Day  by  day  as  the  eternal  wheel  of  editorial 
duty  goes  round,  rolling  over  the  same  road,  and 
gathering  up  the  same  dust,  it  is  but  human  na- 
ture to  wish  to  drive  over  fresh  fields  and  pas- 
tures new.     And  we  are  blest,— for  if  there  were 


no  heart  yearnings,  the  numerous  invitations 
of  respected  friends,  flowing  into  us  from  a  hun- 
dred streams,  would  find  a  welcome  home  in 
even  the  stony  breast  of  an  anchorite. 

In  this  frame  of  mind  we  settled  in  our  edi- 
torial chair  one  lazy  day  last  mid-summer,  mu- 


306 


THE    GABDEJ^ER'S   MOJfTRLy. 


October, 


sing  as  to  what  lovely  parts  of  our  great  continent 
we  should  neglect  to  see,  when  a  note  came  from 
our  brother  Editor  of  the  Horticulturist,  inviting 
our  perplexed  individuality  to  take  a  ride  with 
him  into  our  Western  territories-  It  seemed 
just  the  thing  to  avoid  offence  to  our  friends.  If 
we  went  here  and  not  there,  we  were  to  catch 
nettles,— while  if  we  ;yisited  this  party  and  not 
that,  it  was  pretty  well  understood  that  we  were 
to  be  initiated  into  the  not  very  inviting  pick- 
ling business.  And  a  trip  to  the  country  where 
we  had  no  friends — where  there  would  be  no  one 
to  smother  us  with  kindness,  or  kiss  away  our 
breath  with  those  courtesies  and  attentions 
which  sit  so  heavily  on  the  lips  of  an  editor, — 
the  idea  was  charming.  Here  we  were  to  go  on 
a  journey  of  over  six  thousand  miles,  through 
a  district  of  country' of  enormous  extent,  ex- 
tending from  latitude[42^  down  to  34°,  and  tak- 
ing in  Arkansas,  Kansas,  Colorado,  Wyoming, 
Nebraska,  Iowa,  Missouri,  Kentucky  and  Illi- 
nois ;  and  we  remembered  how  much  we  had 
read  about,  but  [had  never  seen,— the  glorious 
sights  and  scenes  which  others  saw — the  birds 
and  beasts, and  bogs  and  flowers, — the  rocks  and 
hills,  and  silvery  lakes  and  rushing  streams, — 
we  made  up^our  minds  to  sacrifice  gardening  for 
one  season,  and  look  at  nature  in  her  uncultiva- 
ted garb. 

So  one  fine  morning,  after  carefully  locking  up 
Loudon,  and  Repton,  and  Whately,  and  Down- 
ing, and  the  Hiatory'^  of  Gardening  amongst  the 
Chaldeans,— and  striving  to  forget  that  the  score 
of  excellent  living  landscape  gardeners  of  our 
country  ever  were  born,  "we,  "that  is  this  portion 
of  the  Gardener^s  Monthly,  took  "our"  seat  on  a 
rhiladelphia  and  New  York  train,  bound  for 
the  Rocky  Mountains  or  any  where  else  that 
fate  or  Williams  chose  to  carry  us.  In  New 
York  we  found  a  company  of  some  twenty,  who^ 
if  not  exactly  all  agricultural  editors,  as  our 
friend  of  the  Agriculturist  says  none  of  them 
were,  were  at  least  ladies  and  gentlemen  whom 
it  would  profit  some  agricultural  editors  to  asso- 
ciate with.  We  found  on  the  train,  the  Junior 
Mr.  Tucker^of  the  Country  Gentleman,  with  his 
well  known  correspondent  '■'■  Daisy  Eyebright ;'''' 
S.  W.  Noyes,  Editor  of  the  Massacliusetts 
rioughrrw.n\\^.  P. ;  Eaton,  Editor  of  the  New 
England  Farmer;  J.  R.  Dodge  Editor  of  the 
Reports  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture.  AVash. 
in"ton,  D.C  ;  D.  8.  Hall,  Junior  Editor  of  Western 
liural ;  besides  the  agricultural  Editors  of  the 
leading  New  York  daily  papers.  In  addition,  the 


Pratrie  Farmer,  Germantown  Telegraph,  Wilming- 
ton Commercial,  Chicago  Tribune,  Phrenological 
Journal,  Smithsonian  Institution , and  other  papers 
were  represented  by  their  correspondents, 
amongst  whom  were  the  names  well  known  to 
our  readers  of  Josiah  Hoopes,  Dr.  AVarder,  Wil- 
liam Canby,  M.  L.  Dunlap  and  B.  K.  Bliss. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  speak  of  New  Jersey, 
the  great  vegetable  garden  of  New  York,  nor  the 
New  York  and  Erie  Railroad, with  its  delightful 
scenery  and  superb  traveling  arrangements  ;  nor 
of  the  Bee  Line  R.  R.  line  from  Cleveland  to 
Louisville,  which  took  us  througlr  as  rich  and 
beautiful  a  country  as  any  part  of  the  Union  east 
the  Mississippi  can  boast  of, — we  have  so  often 
before  given  our  impressions  of  these  parts  of 
the  world  ;  but  we  purpose  to  start  our  notes 
from  Louisville,  trusting  that  from  here  out  we 
may  have  some  recollections  of  novel  interest  to 
our  readers. 

Louisville  itself  will  always  have  a  hold  in  the 
traveler's  memor}',  through  possessing  in  the 
Gait  House  one  of  the  finest  and  best  managed 
hotels  in  the  world  ;  while  the  City  commends 
itself  to  the  general  public,  by  an  immense 
amount  of  business  enterprise,  joined  to  very 
low  prices  for  living  expenses, — a  state  of  things 
not  usual  in  thriving  American  towns.  The 
prices  of  fruits,  vegetables  and  provisions  in  the 
public  markets,  astonished  the  Eastern  visitors, 
and  especially  those  from  New  York  ;  while  the 
evidences  of  prosperity  in  the  improving  streets, 
beautiful  suburban  residences,  and  well  kept 
gardens,  were  highl}'-  gratifying  to  those  of  us 
who  labor  to  bring  about  enthusiasm  in  all  these 
things.  There  were  few  yards  or  small  gardens^ 
without  an  abundance  of  roses, — while  magnifi- 
cent Magnolia  grandifloras,  with  their  broad 
dark  evergreen  leaves,  made  a  grateful  shade  for 
many  a  parlor  wmdow.  There  appears  to  be  as 
many  varieties  amongst  these  seedlings  as 
amongst  other  kinds  of  trees.  Some  have  very 
narrow  leaves,  and  other  broad  ones, — while  the 
under  surfaces  of  some  are  dark  and  rusty,  and 
others  deep  green.  Again  there  are  great  difter- 
ences  in  the  time  of  flowering,  some  coming  out 
quite  late  in  the  season.  In  Louisville,  much 
attention  is  given  to  window  and  roof  gardening. 
Some  of  the  houses  fronting  the  business  streets, 
were  a  mass  of  blossoms  from  garret  to  base- 
ment, and  must  do  much  to  enliven  and  make 
cheerful  the  dry  walks  of  trade,— while  to  the 
visitor  they  furnish  material  for  many  pleasant 
recollections. 


1S71, 


THE    GARDEJS/'ER'S    MOJ^TBLY. 


307 


PROFESSOR  PORTER'S  PEAR  ORCHARD. 

An  innumerable  number  of  paragraphs  are 
going  about  the  papers,  that  Professor  Porter  of 
the  "Maryland  Agricultural  College"  has  pro- 
nounced "Meehan's  theory  of  fruit  culture  a  ter- 
rible failure,  that  Professor  P.  considers  the 
trees  'gone,'  and  that  he  now  intends  to  plough 
up  and  cultivate  them  as  people  did  in  the  good 
old  times.''  It  is  a  surprising  fact,  that  if  peo- 
ple had  tolerable  success  in  the  "good  old  times," 
people  should  ever  want  to  tr}^  "Meehan's  sys- 
tem" or  any  other  system.  Moreover,  if  the 
trees  are  "gone,"  it  requires  some  courage  to  go 
to  the  spirit  laud  or  any  system  whatever  to 
bring  them  back.  We  have  not  such  faith  in 
the  powers  of  fruit  culture  here,  as  to  bring 
"down"  trees  already  "gone  up." 

However,  we  are  willing  to  believe  that  there 
is  here,  as  there  always  has  been  when  our  opin- 
ions have  been  referred  to,  a  vast  amount  of  ex- 
aggeration, by  people  who,  like  Mr.  Downing, 
speak  of  "neglected"  culture  when  referring  to 
what  we  recommend, — still  it  is  likely  that  some 
one  has  here  been  endeavoring  to  follow  our  re- 
commendations, and  has  failed  of  success  ;  and 
we  think  it  will  serve  the  cause  of  fruit  culture 
if  he  will  give  us  an  account  of  his  orchard, 
— when  he  planted,  how  he  planted,  when  he 
put  it  down  in  grass,  what  grass  he  used,  when 
he  mowed  the  grass,  when  he  applied  the  top 
dressing,  how  often  they  were  top  dressed,  with 
what  were  they  top  dressed,  what  insects,  if 
any,  existed  in  the  orchard,  what  diseases,  how 
were  the  fruit  thinned,  how  were  the  trees 
pruned, — or  any  little  facts  which  may  enable 
one  to  understand  the  exact  treatment ;  and 
finally  it  would  be  very  interesting  to  know  what 
symptoms  accompanied  their  final  taking  ofl'. 

We  do  not  suppose  that  the  most  perfect  sys- 
tem ever  devised  will  make  fruit  culture  one  of 
the  exact  sciences,  any  more  than  we  may  ex- 
pect people  who  try  to  observe  the  exact  laws  of 
health  never  to  die  before  old  age  takes  them; 
but  yet  such  a  failure  as  this  ought  to  teach  us 
some  valuable  lessons,— and  we  should  be  very 
glad  for  the  sake  of  fruit  culture  to  have  the  par- 
ticulars. 


LOOKING  AT  THE  ROOT  OF  THIx\GS. 

Inalmost  all  meetings  where  Mr.  Wm.  Saunders 
attends,  all  who  are  present  note  how  continually 
he  strives  to  impress  on  his  luiarurs  the  necessity 
of  looking  deeper  into  the   principles  ul   (.uliuie 


than  they  evidently  do.  We  often  wish  that 
cultivators  would  weigh  well  this  excellent  ad- 
vice. For  want  of  this  valuable  habit,  an  im- 
mense amount  of  useful  information  brought 
out  at  horticultural  meetings,  is  rendered  nearly 
worthless.  Indeed  this  knowledge  is  often  turn- 
ed to  baneful  practices. 

As  an  illustration  of  how  this  may  be  done, 
we  may  refer  to  a  discussion  on  Hale's  Early 
Peach,  which  took  place  at  Richmond.  Some 
one  remarked,  what  is  already  well  known,  that 
this  variety  is  much  more  subject  to  the  rot  than 
many  other  kinds.  The  fruit  seldom  remains 
on  long  enough  to  mature.  It  rots  when  half 
ripe.  Many  gentlemen  remarked  that  it  had 
rotted  very  badly  with  them,  but  after  letting 
the  orchards  go  down  to  grass,  there  was  rot  no 
more.  The  idea  spread,  and  others  stated  that 
this  treatment  had  been  found  excellent  with 
other  varieties  than  Hale's  Early. 

It  was  evident  from  the  tone  of  all  these  dis- 
cussions, thatmany  would  run  away  with  the  idea 
that  grass  was  a  sovereign  remedy  for  the  rot  in 
the  Peach.  But  the  truth  is,  that  in  the  cases  re- 
ferred to,  grass  was  but  the  means  to  an  end,  and 
we  may  say  but  one  means  to  an  end,— and  there 
will  be  plenty  of  cases  where  the  same  means, 
the  same  collective  causes  being  absent,  would 
not  have  the  same  result.  Indeed,  many  cases, 
no  doubt,  could  be  cited  wherein  grass  would 
not  result  in  the  same  way  ;  and  we  have  now  in 
our  mind  a  case  of  a  lot  of  Hale's  Early  near 
Chambersburg,  Pa.,  where  this  grass  treatment 
did  not  have  any  effect  whatever  on  staying  this 
much  dreaded  peach  disease. 

Perhaps  we  may  understand  better  what  this 
article  tends  to  teach,  by  looking  at  a  crop  of 
corn  under  different  circumstances.  We  have, 
in  our  mind  a  piece  of  land  divided  into  two  by 
a  cart  road.  The  quality  is  the  same  naturally, 
but  two  different  kinds  of  manure  were  applied 
to  each  last  spring.  One  grew  amazingly,  the 
other  was  not  near  as  tall ;  but  while  the  latter 
produced  about  sixty  bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre, 
the  other  yielded  only  forty.  The  smallest  plants 
yielded  the  most  grain.  We  note  this  continu. 
ally  in  trees  as  well  as  in  cereal  crops  ;  and  we 
arrive  at  ihis  general  principle,  that  there  is  an 
antagonism  between  fruit  and  leaves,  between 
grain  and  stalk,  and  that  we  cannot  have  the 
one  without  some  loss  to  the  other.  And  yet 
we  have  another  principle  equally  true,  that  it 
is  impossible  to  have  healthy  fruit  without  a  dve 
balance  of  healthy  foliage.     Here  are  two  antag- 


SOS 


THE    GARDEJ^ERiS    MOJ^TRLY. 


October, 


onistic  principles  working  one  against  another  ; 
and  he  is  the  successful  cultivator  who  knows 
how  to  keep  these  opposing  principles  each  to 
its  proper  work. 

Thus,  as  Mr.  Saunders  has  once  well  put  a 
case,  it  may  be  that  from  some  peculiarity  of  the 
soil,  there  will  be  a  greater  tendency  to  produce 
leaves  than  flowers,  even  after  a  plant  has  ar- 
rived at  a  bearing  age,  than  it  should  do.  There 
are  other  cases  where,  even  if  they  do  produce 
flowers  or  fruit,  there  is  more  nutrition  passes 
into  the  leaves  and  branches  than  is  desirable  to 
a  perfect  fruit,  and  this  fruit  is  in  consequence 
so  weakened  in  its  vitality  as  to  be  an  easy  prey 
to  disease.  And  it  is  here  that  we  see  how 
grass  may  have  an  influence  in  remedying  this 
state  of  things.  The  nutritive  conditions  are  al- 
tered, and  newer  and  better  balance  being  ac- 
complished, health  results.     But  supposing  that  t 


this  want  of  accordance  did  not  exist  ?  Allow- 
ing that  the  peach  flower  and  the  peach  leaf 
were  both  governed  by  the  best  conditions  of 
success,  and  that  we  had  all  the  fruit  we  wished, 
and  as  good  as  we  had  a  right  to  expect,  it  is 
more  than  likely  that  a  crop  of  grass  thrown  in, 
by  disturbing  the  balance,  would  be  highly  in- 
jurious, and  no  good  cultivator  would  do  this, 
unless  he  accompanied  this  treatment  with 
something  else  which  will  maintain  the  proper 
balance  of  the  principles  we  have  referred  to. 

Thus,  we  would  have  our  readers  bear  in 
mind,  that  the  reason  why  anything  is  done,  is 
far  more  important  than  how  the  thing  is  done, 
— and  that  the  course  of  practice  which  would 
result  in  success  under  some  circumstances,  un- 
der others  would  be  disastrous  in  its  conse- 
quences. 


SCEAPS   AND     QUERIES. 


The  Gardener's  Monthly  for  1872. — The 
publishers  desire  with  the  approaching  close  of 
the  year,  to  remind  the  readers  that  they  have 
a  claim  on  them  to  extend  the  circulation  of  the 
magazine.  It  is  now  the  oldtsi  horticultural 
magazine  in  the  United  States,  so  far  as  being 
continuously  under  the  same  editorial  control  is 
concerned  The  editor  though  at  the  head  of 
one  of  the  largest  nursery  businesses  in  the  coun- 
try, does  not  thrust  it  forward  in  the  magazine. 
The  immense  advertising  patronage  of  the  Gar- 
dener''s  Monthly  shows  how  well  the  editor, 
though  a  nurseryman,  has  the  confidence  of 
others  in  the  same  trade.  At  the  same  time  the 
increasing  experience  which  the  school  of  a  large 
nursery  brings  day  by  day,  is  given  in  the  Month- 
ly for  the  benefit  of  its  readers. 

In  the  publishers'  own  department  they  point 
with  pride  to  the  immense  amount  of  reading 
matter  they  give  for  two  dollars,  greater  they 
believe  than  is  given  by  any  other  magazine  in 
the  world.  They  believe  also  that  they  have 
steadily  increased  the  attractions  of  the  maga- 
zine, without  even  promising  to  do  so.  No  ex- 
traneous methods  have  ever  been  adopted  to 
push  the  magazine  on  an  unwilling  public;  but 
the  whole  has  been  left  to  quiet  public  apprecia- 
tion.    Withoui  intending   to   reflect  on   any  of 


the  other  excellent  horticultural  journals,  we 
may  be  pardoned  for  saying,  that  we  have  no 
unwilling  readers,  and  that  the  cheerfulness 
with  which  every  one  sends  us  cash  in  advance 
for  their  annual  subscriptions  is  the  secret  of  the 
Monthly's  great  success. 

The  publishers  further  remark  that  the  colored 
pZa(es  which  they  occasionally  give  is  tj o  pari  of 
the  subscription  price.  These  are  the  premiums 
tchich  tee  give  for  getting  us  neio  subscribers.  We 
are  going  on  the  mutual  plan 

We  hope  that  as  nearly  as  possible,  every  one 
will  remit  us  with  their  own,  at  least  one  new 
subscription  before  the  close  of  the  year. 


Names  of  Plants.— 3/rs.  Sara  C.  T.,  Car- 
bon Cliff,  Bock  Island  Co.,  /«.— "If  you  will 
permit  me  again  to  appear  as  an  enquirer,  1 
shall  be  glad  to  know  the  names  of  the  enclosed 
specimens. 

1  have  read  somewhere  that  sulphate  of  am- 
monia is  a  superior  fertilizer  for  plants,  if  so, 
how  should  it  be  used,  and  in  what  proportions  V 
I  have  used  aqua  ammonia,  about  a  teaspoonful 
to  every  pail  of  water  and  thought  it  beneficial, 
but  the  torrid  heat  of  the  present  summer  has  so 
thwarted  the  ut  i  ost  cue,  that  one  is  left  in 
doubt  of  the  true  iflVct  of  anything  before  un- 


1871. 


THE    GARB EJf ETC S   MOJVTRLl. 


309 


tried.  Fuchsias  have  suflfered  severely,  surviv- 
ing'with  a  stinted  growtli  and  shriveled  flowers 
only  through  the  mitigation  of  screens  and  fre- 
quent syringing.  Now  that  cooler  autumn  days 
are  near,  any  information  how  to  recall  them  to 
a  vigorous  growth  would  be  very  acceptable. 

What  strawberry  should  be  planted  with  the 
Colfax  to  make  that  variety  productive  ? 

It  is  a  aleasure  to  acknowledge  the  debt  I  owe 
the  Gardener's  Monihly  for  the  many  happy  and 
profitable  hours  spent  among  its  pages  and,  I  look 
forward  to  many  more  in  the  future.'' 

[The  broad  leaved  plant  is  Begonia  manicata. 
The  very  small  succulent  one  Pilea  muscosa,  the 
artillery  plant.  The  gold  veined  leaf  is  the 
Japan  variegated  Honeysuckle. 

The  sulphate  of  ammonia  is  usually  applied  in 
about  the  same  proportion  as  you  used.  Manure 
water,  however,  from  any  kind  of  stable  manure, 
but  particularl}"  cow  manure,  is  quite  as  good, 
and  seldom  is  so  risky  as  the  one  referred  to, 
which,  if  given  in  over  doses  is  highly  injurious. 

The  Fuchsias  are  of  course  done  for  this  year  : 
but  next  spring  give  them  a  severe  pruning, 
cut  the  half  of  them  away,  and  after  the  young 
growth  has  made  a  half  inch,  repot  into  smaller 
pots  than  tlic}^  grew  in  this  year ;  and  after  a 
month  or  six  weeks  shift  again  into  larger  ones. 

Do  not  plant  the  Colfax  or  any  kind  of  straw- 
berry that  requires  artificial  fertilization.  There 
are  now  quite  as  good  hermaphrodites  as  any  of 
the  pistillate  class.  Every  one  of  these  should 
now  be  erased  from  all  good  strawberry  lists. 
If  however,  you  have  good  reason  for  not  follow- 
ing this  advice  plant  a  few  Albany  Seedlings, 
Other  hermaphrodites  would  do,  but  you  are 
more  likely  to  find  this  variety.] 


A  Fruit  List  for  Maryland— S.  2?.  C.^Port 
Deposit^  says  :  "  If  not  asking  too  much, will  you 
please  publish  in  October  No.  a  list  of  fruit  suit- 
able for  this  section,  Apples,  Pears,  Peaches, 
Cherries,  &c.,  &c.  Also  small  fruits.  We  are 
about  eight  (8)  miles  from  Pennsylvania  line  " 

[To  give  a  fruit  list  is  a  "  terrible  temptation  " 
one  gets  roundly  abused  by  the  friends  of  some 
hobby  horse  or  another.  IIowever,an  editor  must 
risk  these  blows.  Supposing  you  want  fruit  for 
market  we  should  try  the  following  Apples  :  Red 
Astrachan,  Primate,  Early  Joe,  Jonathan, 
Rawle's  Janet,  Smith's  Cider.  Maiden's  Blusli, 
Summer  Hagloe,  Porter,  and  probably  a  first 
rate  southern  apple,  the  Shockley,  would  do  well 
up  to  your  line.     We  should  also  try  some  of  the 


pretty  looking  apples,  such  as  Chenango  Straw- 
berry, Carolina  Red  June,  Ben  Davis,  Red  Win- 
ter Pearmain  and  Winesap,  though  we  do  not 
know,  from  our  own  experience,  that  they  have 
extensively  borne  fruit  in  Maryland. 

Pears— Bloodgood,  Bartlett,  Tyson,  Buflum, 
Beurre  d'Anjou,  Howell,  Seckel,  Sheldon,  Law- 
rence and  Duchess  d'Angouleme.  If  not  early 
ones  enough,  add  Manning's  Elizabeth. 

Peaches — Crawford's  Early  and  Crawford's 
Late,  Early  York,  Oldmixon  Free,  Oldmixon 
Cling,  Stump  the  World,  Smock,  Ward's  Late. 

Cherries. — Black  Tartarian,  Early  Purple 
Guigne,  Early  Richmond,  Yellow  Spanish,  May 
Duke. 

Grapes. — If  not  in  very  favorable  circum- 
stances the  Concord  and  Clinton  will  best  take 
care  of  themselves  ;  but  if  you  can  give  a  very 
dry  soil,  and  with  surface  manure  occasionally 
you  may  try  Delaware,  Eumelan,  loua,  Martha, 
and  Maxatawney. 


Variegated  Maples. —  W.  P..,Cinnaminson, 
JV.  eT.,  writes  :  "I  have  recently  noticed  a  large 
Maple  tree  growing  in  the  woods  about  thirty 
feet  high,  with  leaves  yellow  or  light  color 
around  the  edges,  ffcd  green  in  the  center  or 
middle  part.  Inclosed  I  send  a  few  as  a  sample; 
thought  perhaps  they  might  be  worth  propoga- 
ting,  either  by  budding  or  seed." 

[Many  grand  additions  to  our  ornamental 
trees  might  be  made  by  selecting  the  best  of  the 
many  variations  in  our  woods.  As  a  general  rule, 
the  whole  family  of  Maples,  bud  very  readily  on 
the  common  silver  Maple;  and  thus  we  have  at 
hand  a  cheap  stoek  for  any  pretty  variations  in 
this  class  of  plants.] 


Grape  Leaf  Insect.— yin  "  Old  Subscriber  " 
sends  leaves  covered  with  little  horn-like  brown 
processes  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long.  These  en- 
close the  larvai  of  the  grape  midge,  a  small  dip- 
terous fly,  of  the  genus  Cecidomyia.  These  are 
the  little  gnats  which  are  so  troublesome  in  the 
autumn.  There  are  many  species,  but  the  par- 
ticular one  which  produced  these  we  do  not 
know. 


Tickets  to  Exiiiuitions. — We  have  a  large 
number  of  compliraentaries  from  friends— in  two 
instances  accompanied  by  railroad  passes  to  at- 


310 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MOJ^'THLy. 


October, 


tend.  We  are  sorry  that  we  have  been  unable 
to  accept ;  but  hereby  tender  our  best  thanks  for 
the  kind  remembrances. 


Name  of  Plant.— A  correspondent  of  the 
Ganlfner''s  Monthly  who  has  committed  the  not 
unususal  oflence  of  not  signing  his  name  to  his 
letter,  sends  us  the  following,  containing  a 
branch  and  flower  of  Sophora  Japonica,  a  beau- 
tiful tree,  quite  hardy  the  United  States  :  "  In- 
closed I  send  you  some  flowers  and  leaves  taken 
from  a  tree  raised  from  seeds  that  I  brought  from 
Kome,  Italy,  ten  years  ago.  I  shall  be  pleased 
if  you  will  diagnoses  it  and  send  me  the  name  at 
your  leisure.  If  you  wish  any  of  the  seeds, 
notify  me,  and  I  will  send  them  to  you  this  fall 
when  ripe." 


Monstrosity  in  Indian  Corn.— iJ.  S.  C. 
writes  :  "  I  send  you  a  singular  vegetable  curi- 
osity— a  lusus  naturie  which  is  certainly  inter- 
esting. This  little  unfruitful  ear  of  corn  was 
found  enclosed  with  an  ordinary  large  ear  of 
corn,  occupying  the  centre  of  the  cob,  with  the 
long  silken  threads  wound  around  it  as  you  see 
it  now.  At  first,  however,  they  were  much 
longer  and  exceedingly  soft  and  delicate. 

[This  is  a  very  interesting  case.  The  young 
ear  which  grew  inside  of  the  other  cob,  is  about 
three  inches  long  and  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
wide  ;  and  the  silky  pistils,  several  inches  in 
length  are  wound  around  as  on  a  spool.  All  are  ar- 
ranged to  twine  in  one  direction  ;  and  what  gave 
it  this  uniform  direction  would  be  a  very  inter- 
esting bit  of  knowledge  to  a  physiologist.  It  is 
not  uncommon  for  one  fruit  to  develop  inside  of 
another  fruit.  A  pear,  has  been  known  to  grow 
inside  of  another  pear,  but  this  arrangement  of 
the  pistils  indicates  a  twisting  of  the  axis,  which 
we  think  has  not  before  been  recognized. 


BuoNAPARTiAS— Correction  from  Mr. 
Harding. — "In  the  September  number  of  the 
Monthly^  under  the  caption  of  "Botany  Bay,New 
South  Wales,"  either  you  or  I,  the  printer,  or 
morelikely  still,  his  unbotanical  "devil,"  "have 
erred  and  strayed ''  from  facts,  where  it  reads 
that  "  on  reaching  a  group  of  Ficus  macrophylla 
thick  with  an  undergrowth  of  Banksias,  Drian- 
drias  and  Buonapm-tiaa,"'  (a  Bromcliacious  plant) 
I  am  made  to  mention,  which  is  evideully  an 
error,  as  I  never  saw  it  there,  and  have  but  once 


met  with  it,  B.  gracilis,  in  its  wild  state  in 
Mexico  ;  although  well  acquainted  with  both  it, 
and  B.  juncea,  two  odd  looking  plants,  and  well 
worth  growing  with  collections  of  Crassulacse. 
CactacjB,  Liliaceje  and  Amaryllidaccre,  which 
embrace  plants  of  peculiar  structure,  and  really 
are  in  every  sense  natural  curiosities.  There  are 
pleasures  untasted  in  store  for  the  florist,  and 
virtuoso  ;  and  all  whose  tastes  are  cultivated 
and  refined,  who  love  the  beauties  of  His  crea- 
tive power  in  the  cultivation  of  such  like  plants 
which  well  deserve  a  good  space  in  everj-  green- 
house, where  they  would  delight  and  reward 
with  true  pleasures  the  owners  of  such  rare 
beauties.  Why  don't  the  nurserymen  introduce 
them  ?    There  is  money  in  the  undertaking. 


Raising  New  Flowers  — B.  D.,  Bardstown^ 
Kentucky,  asks  :— "Will  you  please  tell  me  how 
the  new  varieties  of  flowers  are  produced  ?  When 
I  was  a  girl,  there  was  but  one  kind  of  fish  gera- 
nium, a  brilliant  red,  and  now  I  have  eight  kinds 
in  my  garden.  This  may  seem  a  simple  ques- 
tion to  you,  and  perhaps  to  other  readers  of 
your  interesting  magazine  ;  but  circumstances 
made  us  drop  the  Monthly  after  the  first  year, 
and  it  is  only  this  year  that  we  have  been  able 
to  resume  it  again.  The  kindness  you  show  in 
answering  such  inquiries  in  the  magazine,  leads 
me  to  hope  I  may  get  some  notice  for  my  inqui- 
ry." 

[We  always  answer  these  inquiries  with  plea- 
sure. They  enable  us  better  to  feel  the  public 
pulse  than  we  can  do  any  other  way,  and  thus 
our  great  horticultural  patients'  wants  are  bet- 
ter understood. 

About  the  new  varieties  : — There  is  in  all 
plants  a  tendency  to  vary,  within  certain  limits. 
In  raising  seedlings,  those  which  show  the  most 
tendency  to  change  are  selected,  and  seed  again 
saved  from  these,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  gen- 
erations they  have  wandered  a  long  way  from 
the  original. 

This  is  improvement  by  selection  ;  but  much 
is  also  done  by  cross-breeding.  Two  varieties 
being  obtained,  the  pollen  from  one  flower  is 
carried  to  the  pistil  of  the  other  flower,  and  the 
seed  thus  produced  brings  a  race  intermediate 
between  the  two.  It  is  singular  to  note,  how- 
ever, that  the  tendency  to  variation  operates  al- 
so here  together  with  the  fertilizing  influence  ; 
if  there  were  more  of  this  variation,  the  flowers 
from  a  cross-bred   union   would   be   all   exactly 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJVTHLy. 


311 


alike  intermediate  between  the  two  ;  but  instead 
of  this,  there  will  be  no  two  exactly  like. 

Cross-breeding  is,  therefore,  generally  pre- 
ferred by  improvers,  as  they  have  two  laws 
working  together  for  change  at  the  same  time. 


GERMANT0W2S',  TENNESSEE. — We  again  re- 
mind our  friends  that  it  is  dangerous  to  abrevi- 
ate  Pennsylvania  to  "Pcjdi.  ,"  when  addressing 
the  Editor  at  Germantown.  It  is  so  much  like 
Tenn.  in  manuscript,  that  continual  delays  oc- 
cur. We  have  now  a  letter  before  us  just  re- 
ceived from  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  dated  May 
29th.    Pa.  is  best. 


Disease  in  Pine  Trees.— S.  B,  T.,  Balti- 
more, Md.,  writes  :  "On  my  country  place,  I 
have  some  white  Pines  about  20  years  planted, 
some  of  which  have  the  tips  of  the  leaves  brown. 
This  usually  commences  about  mid-summer, 
and  the  result  is  a  very  unsightly  looking  object. 
Have  you  seen  any  thing  like  this,  and  do  you 
know  any  cure  ?" 

[This  is  not  uncommon  with  the  white  Pine, 
and  arises  from  an  attack  of  fungus  at  the  root. 
You  will  find  the  soil  full  of  a  whitish  fibre,  which 
attacks  the  roots  of  the  Pine  tree.  It  is  highly 
probable  that  this  fungiis  penetrates  the  sap 
vessels,  and  that  it  goes  up  into  the  leaves  for 
the  purpose  of  there  producing  the  spores  which 
is  to  reproduce  itself.  At  any  rate,  it  has  been 
found  that  if  the  soil  about  the   tree  is  taken  out 


and  new  soil  put  in,  the  new  soil  and  perhaps 
the  admission  of  fresh  air  destroys  this  thready 
fungus,  and  afterwards  the  disease  in  the  leaf 
disappears.  This  shows  conclusively  the  con- 
nection between  the  fungus  at  the  root  and  the 
dead  parts  in  the  leaves.  Mr.  Alfred  Cope,  near 
Philadelphia,  has  perfectly  succeeded  in  renova- 
ting a  bad  specimen  of  white  Pine  in  this  way.] 


Name  OF  Plant— J2.i>.  D.,  Bochester,  JV". 
Y. — "Enclosed  please  find  a  piece  of  a  plant 
which  we  wish  you  to  give  us  the  name  of.  It 
has  been  sold  here  as  a  native  of  Siberia,  being 
a  perfectly  hardy  creeping  plant  also  adapted  to 
grow  on  trellises.  We  are  unacquainted  with 
the  plant  ourselves,  and  would  like  some  infor- 
mation about  it,  as  we  think  it  would  be  desira- 
ble to  use  in  the  making  of  wreaths,  crosses  and 
other  floral  designs.  Your  reply  through  the 
columns  of  your  paper  will  oblige. 

Can  you  tell  us  also  if  it  is  to  be  found  in  this 
country  in  a  wild  state." 

[This  is  Lycopodium  luciduluin,  a  native  of 
the  United  States,  and  largely  used  by  the  flor- 
ists of  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  for  "stuf- 
fing'' bouquets.  It  grows  in  dense  shady  woods, 
and  no  doubt  would  make  a  prett3'  plant  for 
room  culture,  if  a  glass  be  used  over  it  to  keep 
moist  air  about  it,  and  a  short  trellis  to  keep  it 
from  falling  about.  We  have  uot,  however, 
seen  it  cultivated.  For  florists'  use,  it  is  brought 
from  the  interior  in  barrels,  and  sold  by  those 
who  deal  in  florists'  articles.! 


NEW  AND   MUE   FRUITS. 


Seedling  Gooseberry  from  S.S.Merceron 
—This  was  a  branch  that  was  18  inches  long, 
and  had  thirty  gooseberries  on,  which  weighed 
half  a  pound.  Four  to  an  ounce  is  pretty  good 
for  America,  though  not  much  in  England, 
where  one  berry  often  comes  near  that  weight. 
If  it  was  certain  that  this  was  an  American 
variety,  it  would  l)e  one  of  the  most  valuable 
fruits  ever  brought  before  the  American  public  ; 
for  it  is  the  fault  of  our  popular  kinds  that  they 
are  too  small.  Unfortunately,  we  cannot  tell 
just  now  whether  it  is  or  not,  for  there  is  nothing 
that  will  distinguish  the  two  species  when  they 
are  out  of  flower  ;  for  though  the  American  spe- 
cies was  named  Eibes  rotundifolia  by  Michaux, 


from  an  idea  that  the  leaf  was  rounder  than  the 
European  Ji.  grosularia,  we  could  never  see  that 
it  was  The  flowers,  however,  appear  distinct. 
In  the  English,  the  calyx  sepals  are  reflexed,and 
the  petals  small,  heart  shaped  inclining  to  wedge 
shaped  ;  while  the  American  has  barely  spread- 
ing calyx  segments,  and  the  petals  are  longish 
claws. 

The  general  aspects  of  this  one  ofMr.  Merce- 
ron's, inclines  us  to  the  belief  that  it  is  American; 
and  if  it  proves  so,  as  we  have  said,  Mr  M.  has  a 
valuable  thing. 


Improvement  in  Siberian  Crar  Apples. 
—The  superior  hardiness  of  this  species  of  apple 


312 


THE    GARDE^'EU'S   MOJVTELy. 


October, 


have  rendered  them  marked  objects  for  improve- 
ment with  our  northwestern  Pomologists.  Ex- 
cept for  vinegar  or  for  jelly,  the  old  varieties 
have  been  of  little  value  culinarily  ;  although  as 
ornaments  of  gardens  one  or  two  have  been 
grown  on  most  grounds.  A  marked  improve- 
ment has,  however,  been  made  in  their  quality, 
and  some  are  quite  eatable.  At  the  recent  meet- 
ing at  Richmond,  some  Minessota  seedlings  were 
exhibited  which  contained  amongst  them  as 
much  variation  from  sour  to  sweet  and  in  other 
degrees  of  difterence  as  the  genuine  apple.  Some 
of  these  were  tolerably  good  to  eat.  We  are  re- 
minded of  this  by  having  before  us  the  Marengo 
Crab,  from  C.  Andrews,  and  from  Messrs.  Her- 
endeen  «&  Jones,  which  is  much  superior  in 
quality  to  the  Transcendent,  and  this  is  a  well 
known  and  popular  kind.  In  size  and  flavor 
none  of  these  crabs  come  up  to  the  general  apple 
of  gardens  ;  but  the  evidences  are  encouraging 
that  they  may  one  day  do  so,  while  the  great 
hardiness  will  always  be  a  point  in  their  favor. 


Apple,  Cooper's  Early  AVhite, — This 
variety  seems  to  be  unknown  in  the  East ;  but 
in  the  West  it  is  one  of  the  most  profitable  ap- 
ples grown.  The  crop  it  bears  is  wonderful.  It 
commences  to  bear  three  or  four  years  after  set- 
ting out,  and  the  trees  nearly  break  down  under 
the  load.  It  has  somewhat  the  appearance  of 
the  old  Hawthornden,  which  has  never  been 
very  popular  in  this  country.  Its  quality  and 
uses  are  about  flie  same. 


■  New  Peaches. — Lady  Parham. — Size,  me- 
dium ;  shape,  oblong,  slightly  one-sided  ;  skin, 
white,  seldom  showing  any  red  ;  flesh,  white, 
with  some  red  near  the  stone,  juicy,  vinous  and 
highly  flavored;  freestone;  flowers,  small;  glands, 
reniform  ;  season  of  maturity,  end  of  September 
and  lasts  until  October  15th  ;  tree,  a  vigorous 
and  open  grower,  very  prolific  ;  quality,  very 
good.  It  was  originated  by  the  late  Thomas 
AfHeok,  Esq  ,  during  his  residence  in  Louisiana. 
A  very  desirable  late  variety. 

PicqueVs  Late.— Size,  large  to  very  large,  often 
measuring  twelve  inches  in  circumference  ;  form, 
round  or  somewhat  flattened,  and  a  little  one- 
sided; skin,  yellow,  with  a  deep  rod  check; 
flesh,  yellow  ;  buttery,  rich,  sweet  and  perfumed 
with  a  slight  apricot  flavor  ;  freestone  ;  quality, 
best  ;  flowers,  large  ;   glands,  reniform  ;  season 


of  maturity,  end  of  August,  and  continues  some 
years  imtil  September  15th. 

This  variety  originated  with  Antoine  Picquet, 
Esq.,  of  Belair,  Ga.,  and  was  first  disseminated 
in  1861.  Its  magnificent  size,  extra  quality,  and 
maturing  at  a  season  when  peaches  are  scarce 
here,  form  a  combination  of  qualities  seldom 
found  in  a  fruit.  It  has  been  extensively  tried 
throughout  the  countrj'  and  everywhere  has  sus- 
tained its  good  points.  Tree,  a  rather  compact 
grower.  —  Ttural  Carolinian. 


The  Buff  Apple. — This  is  a  handsome  and 
popular  apple,  grown  extensively  in  North  Caro- 
lina, Georgia,  and  other  portions  of  the  South. 
The  fruit  is  of  the  largest  size,  roundish  and 
sometimes  somewhat  ribbed  and  angular  ;  skin, 
thick  ;  color,  yellow,  thickly  striped  and  shaded 
with  dull  red.  with  greenish  and  russet  spots  ; 
stem,  rather  short,  in  a  medium  cavity  ;  calyx, 
large,  in  an  irregular  basin  ;  flesh,  yellowish, 
tender,  sub-acid  ;  quality,  cood,  under  favorable 
conditions,  but  sometimes  indiflereut ;  season  of 
maturity,  October,  but  will  keep  till  March. 
The  size  and  beauty  of  the  Bufl"  makes  it  a  favo- 
rite in  our  markets.  The  finest  specimens  we 
have  seen  come  from  North  Carolina.  —  Ttural 
Carolinian. 


Grape,  Ellwanger  &  Barry's  No.  19.— 
We  received  a  bunch  of  this  last  year,  but  the 
berries  had  all  dropped  from  the  stems  before 
we  saw  them,  and  a  good  opinion  of  them  could 
not  be  given.  A  bunch  before  us  now  gives 
promise  of  the  highest  excellence.  Among  ap- 
ples and  pears  there  are  two  classes,  sweet  and 
sour  in  the  former,  sugary  and  sub-acid  among 
the  latter.  We  think  some  such  distinction 
should  be  made  among  grapes.  If  there  were, 
we  should  class  this  with  the  sub-acid,  though 
sour  would  not  do  to  give  to  a  class  of  grapes  after 
the  celebrated  fox  story.  However,  the  acidity 
here  is  of  a  pleasing,  refreshing  nature,  and  we 
are  glad  to  record  our  opinion  that  this  promises 
to  be  one  of  our  most  popular  varieties. 


New  Fritits  at  the  American  Pomologi- 
CAL  Society.— It  is  to  the  praise  of  the  recent 
meeting  at  Richmond  that  the  new  Fruit  Com- 
mittee exhibited  so  much  conservatism.  Unless 
new  fruits  are  in  some  respects  better  than  old 
ones,  why  should  they  bo  named  and  dissemi- 
nated?   They  appeared  to  have  spent  no  great 


1871, 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJiTHLY. 


313 


enthusiasm  over  any  exhibited  ;  from  which  we 
gather  that  there  was  nothing  particularly  "  su- 
preme" introduced  on  this  occasion 


Pear  from  H.  A,  Jackson,  Cincinnati, 
Ohio. — If  this  is  not  an  old  kind,  Mr.  J.  pro- 
poses to  call  it  The  Hoagland  ;  but  they  were  in 
a  state  of  decay  when  they  reached  us,  and  not 
recoirnizable. 


'•  Parks' Cling  Peach"— A  large, handsome 
and  good  clingstone  peach  to  succeed  the  White 
Heath  Cling  in  ripening  has  long  been  a  decided 
desideratum  with  Southern  peach  culturists. 
Perhaps  it  has  been  found  in  the  "  Parks'  Cling. '' 
Let  our  fruitmeu  test  it  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
report  results.-  -Ed.  So.  IIort. 


The  Parks  originated  in  the  grounds  of  Mr. 
A.  L.  Parks,  at  Alton,  from  a  chance  seed. 

This  is  a  magnificent  looking  peach,  and  in 
point  of  beauty  is  not  surpassed  by  any  of  the 
earlier  peaches.  Specimens  were  exhibited  at 
the  late  fair  of  the  Illinois  State  Agricultural 
Society,  that  measured  eleven  inches  in  circum- 
ference. The  tree  last  year,  and  again  this, 
bore  well ;  leaves  with  globose  glands ;  fruit  of 
the  largest  size  and  heavy,  broader  than  deep. 

Suture  deep,  extending  quite  around  the  fruit, 
dividing  it  equally  ;  skin  not  very  downy,  light 
creamy  yellow,  mostly  covered  with  red  •,  flesh 
also  of  a  light  cream  color,  stained  with  red, 
but  deeper  red  at  the  stone  ;  very  juicy  but  not 
of  the  highest  tlavor ;  ripens  eight  to  ten  days 
later  than  Heath  Clina. —  Western  Paper. 


NEW  AND  EARE  PLAINTS. 


Adiantum  Teitciiii.  (Moore.) — A  distinct 
and  fine  Fern  introduced  by  Messrs.  Veitch 
from  Peru. 

It  is  extremely^ornamental,  attracting  the  eye 
by  its  rigid  character  and  the  symmetry  of  its 
growth,  and  we  recommend  it  as  a  most  desira- 
ble evergreen  Fern  for  a  warm  greenhouse  or 
intermediate  stove. 

The  young  fronds  are  very  beautiful,  being  of 
a  fine  red  color — that  of  the  mature  fronds  being 
of  a  pale  green. 

The  largest  pinnules  measure  about  an  inch 
in  their  longer  and  halfan-inch  in  their  shorter 
diameter,  and  are  set  stiflly  on  the  plane  of  the 
fronds. 


Begonia  Ciielsoni.  (Hort.  Veitch.) — This 
is  one  of  the  finest  of  the  flowering  Begonias.  It 
is  a  hybrid  raised  at  Veitch's  Nursery  between 
B.  Bolii-iensis  and  B.  Sedeni,  both  now  so  well 
known. 

It  is  very  free  in  growth,  and  of  good  habit. 
The  flowers  are  of  a  bright  glossy  red  color,  and 
of  very  large  size.  The  plant  continues  in  bloom 
from  May  to  November. 

As  a  decorative  plant  it  cannot  fail  to  be  most 
extensively  grown,  and  it  will  form  an  excellent 
companion  to  the  B.  Sedeni  sent  out  last  year. 


— This  fine  plant  was  discovered  by  the  late  Mr. 
Bowman  during,  his  trip  to  South  Brazil,  and 
was  described  by  him  as  being  "far  superior  to 
all  Dieffenbachias,  as  Maraata  Veitchii  is  to  all 
the  Marantas."' 

The  leaves,  whichattain  an  immense  size,  are 
of  a  pleasing  light  .green  color,  spotted  with 
dark  green,  or  rather  black  green  spots,  thus 
giving  the  plant  a  very  distinct  and  striking  ap- 
pearance ;  they  attain  a  length  of  from  2  to  2j 
feet,  and  an  average  width  of  1  foot,  thus  prov- 
ing it  to  be  a  most  useful  exhibition  or  decora- 
tive plant. 


Dleffenbachia  BowMANiL  (Hort.,  Veitch.) 


Nepenthes  Sedeni.  (Hort.,  Veitch.)— This 
really  pretty  variety  is  a  cross  between  an  un- 
named species  with  deep  colored  pitchers  and 
K.  dislillatoria.  Tlie  pitchers  are  produced  in 
great  profusion,  even  on  very  small  plants  ;  they 
are  of  medium  size,  the  surface  being  light  green, 
and  very  densely  covered  with  dark  red  spots. 
It  is  of  dwarf  and  very  neat  habit,  and  we  can 
highly  recommend  it  to  all  lovers  of  this  beauti- 
ful class  of  plants.  ♦ 


Cypripedium  (Reichenbacui)  longifo- 
LiUM.— A  striking  Orchid,  discovered  on  the 
Cordilleras  of  Chiriqui  at  an  elevation  from  5,000 
to  8,000  feet,  and  thus  described  by  Professor 


SlJf 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MOJVTHL^ 


October, 


Reichenbach  in  the  Gardeners''  Chronicle,  1869, 
page  120G : 

*'  The  flowers  remind  one  very  much  of  Seleni- 
pedium  dariense.  It  is  easily  distinguished  by 
the  two  anjjles  at  the  inner  base  of  the  chan- 
neled claw  or  unguis  of  the  lip.  Selenipedium 
Ilartwegii  stands  even  nearer,  yet  it  appears  to 
be  very  distinct  by  its  much  larger  and  longer 
bracts,  and  by  an  open  channel  of  the  unguis  of 
the  lip,  and  by  some  discrepancies  in  the  lip. 
Our  plant  appears  to  have  the  habit  of  the  old 
Selenipedium  caudatum.     The  inflorescence  has 


bracts  very  much  like  those  of  Heliconias.  The 
flowers  are  greenish,  very  shiny  outside ;  the 
dorsal  sepal  is  very  nearly  oblong— triangular, 
with  a  brownish  border.  The  inferior  sepal  is 
much  broader  and  longer,  or  even  quite  as  long, 
as  the  lip.  The  petals  have  a  broad  sub  cordate 
base,  and  taper  into  a  tail,  greenish,  with  white 
borders,  and  two  brown  streaks  at  the  base  and 
brown  at  the  ends,  these  tails  being  much  shorter 
than  those  of  the  long  tailed  species.  The  lip  is 
highly  curious,  for  the  basilar  margins  of  the 
unguis  overlap  one  another,  so  that  there  is  no 
channel  left." 


DOMESTIC    TISTELLTGENCE. 


Ripening  and  Decay  of  Fruit— It  is  now 
satisfactorily  demonstrated  that  the  green  color- 
ing matter  of  the  leaves  of  plants  is  what  decom- 
poses carbonic  acid  under  the  influence  of  light, 
and  that  the  yellow  and  red  parts  do  not  give 
rise  to  this  decomposition.  But  although  appa- 
rently deprived  of  this  green,  and  assuming  a 
brown,  yellow  or  purple  color,  there  may  still  be 
a  partial  action  retained.  This  assimilation  of 
green  leaves,  in  the  reduction  of  carbonic  acid, 
gives  cause  to  the  disengagement  of  oxygen, 
when  exposed  to  the  light,  and  although  there 
are  various  shades  of  color,  green  predominates 
and  is  the  normal  color. 

The  ripening  process  in  fruit  develops  itself 
in  three  stages,  which  are  distinguished  not  only 
by  physical  but  chemical  features. 

The  fruit  during  the  first  stage  is  generally  of 
a  green  color,  and  acts  on  the  atmosphere  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  leaves  in  the  decomposition 
of  carbonic  acid  and  the  liberation  of  oxygen  un- 
der the  influence  of  light.  As  it  matures,  its 
second  stage,  the  green  color  of  the  fruit  is  re- 
placed by  yellow,  red  or  brown  ;  and  the  vegeta- 
ble matter  so  changed  by  the  action  of  the  same 
l)roce8s  as  to  be  no  longer  able  to  decompose 
carbonic  acid,  but  absolutely  develops  it  by  the 
combination  of  its  carbon  with  the  oxygen  of  the 
air. 

A  species  of  slow  combustion  takes  place  in 
the  cellular  tissue,  acting  upon  the  soluble  mat- 
ter found  therein  ;  the  astringent  tannin  is  first 
destroyed  and  the  acid  follows— a  kind  of  sac- 
charine fermentation,  giving  softness  and  flavor 
to  the  fruit ;  and  in  this  stage  it  is  eaten. 


But  as  the  final  object  is  to  liberate  the  seed, 
the  third  stage  of  decomposition  sets  in,  if  not 
delayed  or  prevented  by  the  proper  attention. 
Being  now  in  a  condition  to  admit  air  to  the  cel- 
lular tissue,  and  generate  sugar,  which  gives 
rise  to  vinous  or  alcoholic  fermentation  and  pro- 
duct of  others,  and  that  peculiar  aroma.  This 
action  continued,  destroys  the  structure  of  the 
fruit  or  its  tissues,  resulting  in  what  we  call  rot- 
ting. 

Some  one  may  say — every  one  knows  that  ap- 
ples, &c.,  are  first  green,  then  ripen,  and  finally 
rot,  and  what  more  do  we  want  to  know  now, 
if  we  are  told  about  carbonic  gas  and  oxygen  ? 

Still  chemistry  is  a  science  of  natural  changes 
and  combinations.  ^V hat's  the  use  of  chemis- 
try ?  Much  every  way.  To  become  acquainted 
as  to  how  these  natural  laws  act,  is  a  desirable 
step  and  worthy  of  study  ;  and  although  an 
eclipse  will  take  place,  no  one  but  an  astrono- 
mer, acquainted  with  the  motions  of  the  planets, 
can  calculate  when  and  in  what  latitude  and 
longitude  the  total  eclipse  will  fall,  or  how  much 
of  it  will  be  seen  in  given  places.  True,  they 
are  no  nearer  the  sun  or  moon  than  the  com- 
monest laborer  ;  yet  study  has  given  them  a 
knowledge  that  is  useful,  hence  it  is  that  a 
chemical  reason  may  be  given  in  the  ordinary 
terms  for  chemical  (natural)  changes  in  the  pro- 
cess of  the  ripening  of  fruit.— J.  S. ,  in  Lancaster 
Farmer. 


Vakieties  OF  THE  FiG. — The  nomenclature 
of  the  fig  is  somewhat  confused,  and  some  diflB- 
culty  exists  in  attaining  a  correct  list  of  sync- 


1871^ 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MOJ^THLY. 


315 


nyms.  The  following  varieties  we  have  found 
the  most  desirable  : 

Black  G enoa.—S\ze  medium  ;  long,  tapering 
near  the  stem  ;  skin  dark  purple,  covered  with 
bloom  ;  pulp  bright  red,  very  good. 

Black  Jscftia.— Medium  size,  round  ;  skin  dark 
purple,  nearly  black  at  maturity  ;  pulp  deep  red  ; 
very  prolific  and  excellent. 

Brou'71  TffrA-f.v.— (Synonyms,  Lee's  Perpetual, 
Brown  Italian, Jerusalem, Murray, Ilowick,  Wal- 
ton,Common  Purple,  Brown  Naples,  Large  Sugar 
Fig.  etc  ,  etc.)  From  its  numerous  synonyms, 
it  shows  its  great  popularity.  Fruit,  medium, 
oblong  pyriform  ;  skin  dark  brown,  pulp  red, 
very  sweet  and  excellent.  This  is,  unquestion- 
ably, the  most  prolific  variety  for  this  section,  it 
produces  very  large  and  regular  crops  and  is 
well  adapted  for  drying. 

Brunswick . — (Synonyms,  Madonna,  Constan- 
tinople, John  ^lann  Fig,  Brown  Hamburg. 
Hanover,  Bayswater,  etc.,  etc.)  Fruit  very 
large,  pyriform  ;  skin  violet  brown  in  sun,  pale 
greenish  violet  in  the  shade  ;  fle.sh  reddish,  with 
occasionally  a  hollow  centre  when  grown  in  a 
very  rich  soil ;  very  rich  and  excellent ;  a  prolific 
bearer. 

Green  Jsc/j?a— (Synonyms,  Green  Italian, 
White  Ischia,  Green  Red  Withers,  etc.)  Fruit 
of  medium  size,  round  obovate  ;  skin  pale  green, 
very  thin  ;  pulp  deep  red  ;  very  rich  and  well 
flavored  ;  a  very  desirable  variety,  and  quite 
prolific. 

Celestial. — (Synonyms,  Small  Sugar  Fig,  Small 
Violet  )  Size  very  small ;  skin  purplish,  with 
much  bloom  ;  pulp  pale  pink,  very  sweet  and  ex- 
cellent ;  matures  early,  and  when  fully  matured, 
may  be  eaten  without  peeling  ;  dries  very  easily, 
but  is  rather  small  for  that  purpose  ;  very  hardy 
and  prolific. 

Lemon. — (Synonyms,  Yellow  Ischia,  Cyprus. 
Des  Deux  Saisons  a  Fruits  Jaunes,  etc.)  Medi- 
um roundish  ;  skin  pale  yellow  ;  pulp  red,  deli- 
cate and  rich  ;  a  very  good  variety,  moderately 
productive. 

3farsei7?ps.  — (Synonyms,  White  Marseilles, 
White  Naples,  Pocock,  Standard,  etc.)  Size, 
medium,  round  obovate  ;  skin  very  pale  yellow- 
ish white ;  flesh  white,  rather  dry,  but  sweet. 
This  variety  is  extensively  grown  near  Mar- 
seilles and  along  the  coast  of  the  Mediteranean, 
for  drying  purpo.ses,  and  can  be  recommended 
for  that  purpose  here.  It  is  not  a  desirable  va- 
riety for  open  field  culture  in  the  interior,  but 
thrives  remarkably  well  on  the  sea  coast.     This 


variety  is  said  to  be  the  same  as  that  grown  near 
Smyrna,  and  from  which  the  best  figs  of  com- 
merce are  ])roduced. 

Nerii. — Skin  pale  greenish  yellow;  fruit  small, 
pulp  red,  very  delicate  and  of  excellent  flavor; 
it  is  not  very  productive  in  open  field  culture. 

Of  the  varieties  not  so  well  known,  but  de- 
serving of  mention,  the  following  are  desirable 
for  amateur  culture  : 

uA.ngelique  — (Synonyms,  Mellite,  White  Cou- 
courell,  etc.)  Fruit  small,  yellow,  pulp  white 
sweet ;  very  early  and  moderately  productive. 

Early  Lemon. — (Synonyms,  Jaune  Hative.) 
Similar  to  Lemon,  but  ripens  a  week  or  ten  days 
earlier. 

Madeleine  — Is  a  small  white  fig,  very  sweet, 
but  not  very  productive. 

Pregussata. — Size  medium,  brown  ;  pulp  deep 
red,  flavor  good. 

Superfine  de  la  Saussaye. — A  medium  fig, 
round  and  much  enlarged  towards  the  stem  ; 
skin  brown  ;  very  sweet  and  good  ;  leaves  deeply 
lobed. 

Violette  Eonde.— Fruit  medium,  skin  violet, 
pulp  deep  red,  very  sweet,  and  moderately  pro- 
ductive. 

We  have  several  other  varieties  in  our  collec- 
tion, but  they  are  either  inferior,  unproductive, 
or  doubtless  only  synonyms  of  some  of  the  fore- 
going described  varieties.— P.  J.  Berckmans, 
in  Rural  Carolinian. 

A  Sttustitijte  for  Coffee.— From  chemical 
analysis  it  appears  that  the  seeds  of  the  aspara- 
gus when  dried,  parched  and  ground,  make  a  full 
flavored  coffee,  but  little  inferior  to  Mocha,  con- 
taining in  common  with  tea  and  coffee,  the  prin- 
ciple called  taurine.  Dry  the  asparagus  berries 
well,  after  being  thoroughly  ripened,  then  rub 
them  on  a  sieve,  thus  the  seeds  are  readily  .sepa- 
rated. -  Journal  of  Health. 


Close  Pruning  Grapes.— Mr.  M.  Pike,  of 
Alton,  Illinois,  is  a  very  successful  grape  grower. 
At  one  of  the  meetings  of  the  Alton.  111.,  Hor- 
ticultural Society  he  gave  his  experience,  and 
said  : 

"  I  am  satisfied  that  the  majority  of  grape 
growers  over-crop  their  vineyards.  I  have  been 
each  year  reducing  the  wood  in  my  vineyard 
until  now  my  Catawba  canes  are  not  more  than 
three  and  a  half  feet  long,  and  but  one  cane,  and 
I  am  getting  just  as  near  the  ground  as  possible,. 


S16 


THE    GAUDEJ^EWS   MOJ^TULY. 


October, 


for  the  reason,  among  others,  that  they  are 
easily  laid  down  for  protection  through  the  win- 
ter. 

Last  year  my  Catawba  vines  made  the  heaviest 
growth  of  wood  and  produced  the  largest  bun- 
ches of  fruit  of  any  in  my  vineyard  ;  probably 
15  per  cent,  more  than   ray  Concords.      They 


ripened  up  well  (they  were  not  merely  colored) 
under  this  system  of  the  succession  of  leaves.  I 
grow  three  leaves  of  different  ages.  The  origi- 
nal leaf  is  the  most  valuable  one.  I  then  grow 
two  additional  ones.  You  may  have  the  succes- 
sion of  leaves  very  early  by  pinching  early.  I  do 
no  summer  pruning." 


FOREIGIN^     TNTELLIGETv^CE. 


Pot  Vines.— In  the  following  paper  I  will  re- 
late what  has  been  my  successful  experience  in 
growing  pot-vines  with  limited  convenience  in 
one  place  for  several  years,  and  although  I  may 
not  describe  anything  uncommon,  my  remarks 
may  prove  of  interest  to  some  of  your  readers. 

It  is  usual  in  many  gardens  during  spring  to 
have  one,  two,  or  perhaps,  even  three,  hotbed 
frames  put  up  in  the  course  of  the  season.  In 
the  first  of  these,  then,  among  the  other  things 
a  lot  of  vine  eyes  are  inserted  in  a  pan  in  the 
usual  manner.  As  they  become  nicely  rooted, 
they  are  placed  singly  in  small  pots.  They  are 
still  kept  in  a  corner  of  the  frame, and  grown  on. 
As  they  advance  they  are  encouraged  in  similar 
quarters,  and  by  and  by,  perhaps,  shifted  into  a 
fresh  frame  where  there  is  a  greater  heat 

They  are  kept  as  long  as  possible  under  such 
circumstances,  and  about  the  middle  of  May,  or 
when  the  bedding  plants  are  getting  out  of  hand 
they  are  transferred  into  ordinary  sized  cold 
frames.  In  these  a  row  of  plants  is  set  along 
the  front  of  the  frames,  almost  as  close  together 
as  the  pots  will  stand.  A  few  pieces  of  strong 
cord  are  tacked  tightly  across  the  frame  to  act 
as  a  trellis  to  keep  the  canes  off  the  ground,  and 
at  a  regular  distance  from  the  glass.  When 
placed  in  these  quarters, the  vines  are  encouraged 
as  much  as  possible  by  good  attendance,  shutting 
up  early  to  husband  sun  heat,  and  I  have  often 
seen  many  canes  with  roots  and  tops  "as  sound 
as  a  bell,"  produced  in  this  way  by  the  end  of 
the  season. 

Canes  thus  grown  may  not  be  nearly  so  good 
looking  nor  so  strong  as  those  reared  in  bottom 
heat  in  houses  by  themselves,  or  in  other  hot- 
houses, all  through  the  season,  but  for  their  size 
they  are  often  by  far  the  best ;  for  second  sized 
canes  with  good  sound  roots  and  well  ripened 
stems  produce  often  better  crops  of  Grapes  than 
others  twice  the  size  and  apparently  sound 
enough.      I   could  prove  this  by  an    instance 


under  my  own  observation  at  the  present  time. 

These  canes  in  the  cold  frames  in  a  good  sea- 
son can  be  ripened  to  perfection.  The  sashes, 
according  to  the  weather,  can  be  moved  at  con- 
venience, and  any  amount  of  air  can  be  given. 
When  their  full  season  of  growth  is  over  it  is 
generally  the  plan  to  take  them  away  to  a  back 
place  and  plunge  the  pots  in  cold  ashes  to  insure 
the  roots  from  being  injured  by  too  sudden 
changes  of  temperature,  till  the  time  arrived  for 
their  being  put  into  the  forcing  pit,  which  was 
generally  in  Kovember.  They  have  always  done 
well,  producing  very  good  dishes  of  Grapes  in 
May. 

This  plan  of  growing  young  canes  would  cer- 
tainly not  be  resorted  to  if  I  had  better  conveni- 
ences, but  in  many  cases  we  have  to  make  the 
most  of  things  as  they  are.  In  this  instance, 
there  is  a  small  stove  for  fruiting  the  vines  in, 
but  not  another  for  growing  a  young  lot  of  vines. 
I  have  known  of  other  cases  in  which  good  fruit- 
ing pot  vines  could  have  been  reared  in  a  similar 
wajs  but  the  attempt  was  not  made. — Robert 
MACKELLER.in  London  Journal  of  Horticulture. 


Himalayan  Rhododendrons  in  Ireland. 
— I  fear  I  am  rather  late  in  suggesting  to  your 
readers  to  look  at  a  few  of  the  Himalayan  Rho- 
dodrendons  which  have  bloomed  the  last  spring 
with  especial  beauty  at  our  Botanic  gardens,  and 
elsewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  Dublin.  I  may 
also  notice  another  species  from  a  warmer  cli- 
mate than  those,  and  which  has  been  greatly  ad- 
mired within  a  few  days  of  the  time  I  write,  at 
our  Trinity  College  Botanic  Gardens.  In  a 
greenhouse  at  Mr.  Gray's,  at  Temple  Hill,  near 
Blackrock,  a  bush  which  maj^  almost  be  called  a 
tree,  of  R.  Nuttxli,  produced  several  fine  trusses 
of  its  lovely  white  bloom  after  spending  the  au- 
tumn and  winter  plunged  in  the  open  ground  and 
unprotected,  till  it  was  brought  in,  when  about 
to  flower.     Another  and  a  stiller  finer  specimen, 


1871. 


TEE    GARDEJVEWS    MOJ\'TliLl. 


317 


from  the  conservalory  of  Captain  Coote,  at 
Farmley,  Knockmaroon,  near  the  Phojnix  Park, 
attracted  universal  attention  at  the  recent  ex- 
hibition of  our  Royal  Horticultural  Society. 

In  Glasnevin  and  Trinity  College  Gardens,  R- 
Edgeworthii  has  this  spring  formed  a  prominent 
feature.  In  its  nature  parasitical,  its  many  long 
branches  bear  to  be  twisted  and  interwined  into 
a  roundish  or  other  form,  in  which  way  the 
flowers  show  to  much  advantage  ;  and  they 
have  a  quality  with  which  I  believe  few  of  the 
family  are  endowed,  that  of  admitting  a  de- 
licious perfume.  In  Dr.  Hooker's  celebrated 
work  on  the  Sikkim-Himaiaya  Rhododendrons, 
he  gives  a  fine  coloring  of  this  tree,  and  des- 
cribes it  as  delighting  to  grow  on  the  Jimbs  of 
pine  trees. 

There  is  now  in  bloom  at  both  these  gardens, 
of  somewhat  dilTerent  habit,  and  to  my  eye  still 
more  handsome  than  the  others,  if  not  the  most 
so  of  the  numerous  family,  R.  Dalhousiai.  This 
also  is  loose  or  straggling  in  its  habit  of  growth, 
but  its  branches  are  not  so  pliant  as  those  of 
Edgeworthii.  The  llowers,  which  are  large,  and 
waxy,  and  white,  or  creamy  white,  are  strongly 
perfumed,  somewhat  with  the  odor  of  the  lemon. 
In  size,  color,  and  general  appearance,  they  re- 
semble, as  Dr.  Hooker  describes  them,  the  Bour- 
bon lily,  Lilium  candidum.  Rhododendron  cili- 
atum  is  also  another  Sikkim  Himalayan  species, 
which  has  for  several  years  luxuriantly  bloomed 
in  the  open  air  and  very  early  in  spring,  or 
rather  at  the  close  of  winter,  at  the  northerly 
side  of  the  Fern-house  at  Glasnevin.  Whilst 
those  which  I  first  named  command  admiration 
from  every  lover  of  beautiful  plants,  this  latter 
has  to  me  a  peculiar  charm.  In  the  autumn  of 
1  believe,  the  year  1854,  which  was  followed  by 
a  very  severe  winter  and  spring,  two  seedlings 
of  this  shrub,  then  new  in  Scotland,  were  there 
given  to  nie  by  one  anxious  to  test  their  power 
of  bearing  the  climate  of  Malahide,  where  I  then 
had  a  garden.  He  bound  me  to  leave  them  for 
a  year  without  protection  ;  and  naturally  1 
watched  their  progress  with  interest,  which  was 
rewarded  by  very  early  blossom,  almost  before 
the  snow  had  melted  from  protecting  the  stems. 
Again,  last  autumn,  two  j'oung  j)lants  of  this 
now  well  known  species  were  sent  to  me,  with 
two  seedlings  of  J^dgeworthii,  to  try  how  they 
would  live  in  a  frame  at  rear  of  my  dwelling 
here.  All  so  far  look  well,  and  one  or  (wo  have 
flowered  ;  and  though  ihe  texture  of  the  foliage 
be  such  as  does  not  suit  the  smoky  air  of  Dublin 


uncovered,  I  hope  and  expect  to  see  them  enjoy 
many  a  month,  and  years,  in  their  new  abode. 
AVhy  shall  not  each  of  the  kinds  I  name  suit  for 
culture  under  glass  in  this  or  another  city  ? 

The  last  species  to  which  I  now  refer  is  that 
called  R.  Javanicura,  from  a  warmer  climate 
than  any  of  the  others,  though  I  know  not  the 
particular  locality  in  Java  which  is  its  especial 
home.  For  weeks  one  of  the  finest,  if  not  the 
finest,  specimen  in  Ireland,  has  been  in  flower 
in  the  College  Gardens  here.  Orange  red  is  the 
color  given,  and  it  seems  correctly,  to  the  fine 
trusses  of  its  bloom.  Though  the  conservatory 
in  which  this  shrub  has  for  years  lived  be  par- 
tially heated  in  severe  weather,  frost  to  some 
degrees  often  makes  its  way  within  it.  As  is  my 
wont,  I  merely  offer  some  results  of  personal  ob- 
servation, inviting  others  to  enjoy  what  gives 
refined  pleasure  to  myself.  I  try  not  to  ape- 
scientific  learning  where  I  have  it  not,  and 
which  perhaps,  consistently  with  my  capacity 
and  main  pursuits,  I  ought  not  to  cultivate  or 
possess  :  I  still  remember  my  school  day  lesson 
of  Horace — '  Let  not  the  cobbler  venture  beyond 
his  last '  — 

'  Ne  sutor  ultra  crepidam.' 
But  even  half-learned  ignorance  knows  that  the- 
Rhododendron  family  are  generally  easy  of  cul- 
ture. By  grafting  and  layering,  and  seed,  and 
sometimes,  under  a  skillful  hand,  by  cuttings,  an 
infinite  number,  if  thei-e  be  such  a  thing,  can  be 
obtained  of  these  most  ornamental  evergreens. — 
Gardeners^  Record. 

Salvia  Heerii. — Seeing  Salvia  Gesnerseflora 
so  highly  commended  in  the  last  copy  of  the 
Becord,  induces  me  to  speak  of  the  merits  of 
Salviaf  Heerii,  which  I  grow  for  Conservatory 
decoration,  and  which  I  prefer  to  S.  Gesneraeflora 
as  it  is  a  much  freer  bloomer,  and  stands  very 
much  longer  when  in  flower.  My  mode  of  culti- 
vation is  as  follows  : — Strike  cuttings  in  heat  in 
March,  potting  them  as  soon  as  they  are  rooted, 
iu  thumb  pots,  and  stop  them  at  every  joint  as 
they  grow.  I  plant  them  out  on  a  south  border 
the  first  week  of  June,  keeping  them  regularly 
stopped  and  watered  to  the  end  of  September, 
when  I  pot  them  in  ten  and  twelve-inch  pots. 
The  compost  which  I  find  to  suit  them  best  is 
two  parts  good  turfy  loam,  one  part  decayed  cow 
manure,  and  one  part  leaf  mould,  with  the  ne- 
cessary quantity  of  sharp  sand.  After  potting, 
the  plants  get  a  good  watering,  and  are  still  kept 
out  of  doors   until   the   end   of  October.     The- 


318 


THE    n^RDEMEWS   MOKTHLY. 


October, 


plants  I  want  to  bloom  in  February  are  removed 
to  a  peach-house  where  the  frost  is  kept  out. 
The  firt^t  week  of  January  they  get  some  heat, 
say  40'  at  night  and  50^  to  55°  by  day,  with  sun 
heat.  I  do  not  stop  the  tirst  lot  of  plants  after 
potting  them,  but  allow  them  to  grow  on  until 
they  bloom.  When  the  pots  get  full  of  roots 
they  must  be  kept  liberally  supplied  with  liquid 
manure,  and  syringed  every  bright  morning 
until  the  flowers  begin  to  expand.  In  the  first 
week  of  February,  I  have  them  three  feet 
through,  grand  specimens,  with  green  foliage, 
covered  with  beautiful  racemes  of  brilliant  scar- 
let flowers,  and  are  generally  admired  by  all 
who  see  them,  as  well  as  being  so  useful  for  cut 
flowers.  The  plants  I  want  to  bloom  in  April 
I  stop  twice  after  potting,  and  keep  them  in  a 
cold  pit  until  the  end  of  Februarj',  when  they 
are  removed  to  a  vinery  just  started,  and  treated 
just  the  same  as  the  first  lot.  I  also  grow  Salvia 
splendens  in  the  same  way.  I  have  it  in  bloom 
in  November  and  December ;  it  is  also  well 
worth  growing. — T.  Rorkb,  Gardener  at  Killa- 
kee,  in  Gardeners'  Record. 


Grapes  for  Exhibition.— On  reading  the 
proceedings  of  the  Fruit  Committee  at  the  Roy- 
al Horticultural  Society's  Meeting,  September 
2l8t,  page  226,  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  a 
few  notes  on  early  and  late  Grapes  would  not  be 
out  of  place,  and  I  invite  the  attention  of  the 
committees  of  horticultural  societies  holding 
their  exhibitions  in  autumn. 

I  would  make  a  distinct  class  for  such  fine  ex- 
hibition Grapes  as  Meredith's  Alicante  and  Lady 
Downe's  among  the  black  varieties,  as,  unless 
this  be  done,  the  different  varieties  of  IJam- 
burghs  cannot  have  justice.  I  would  also  have 
a  distinct  class  for  the  Muscats  and  Trebbiano 
among  white  Grapes,  so  as  to  give  the  lloyal 
Muscadine,  the  Sweet  waters,  and  the  like  a 
chance  of  winning  a  prize. 

In  support  of  this  view  I  would  ask,  is  the 
flavor  uf  the  Alicante  and  Lady  Downe's  in 
August,  September,  or  October  to  be  compared 
to  the  taste  of  the  Ilamburghs  ?  Also,  Is  the 
flavor  of  the  Muscats  and  Trebbiano  to  be  com- 
pared with  that  of  the  Koyal  Mucadine  or  Sweet- 
water y  The.se  questions  should  answer  them- 
selves. 

I  do  not  for  a  moment  wish  to  disparge  the 
fine  qualities  of  the  Alicante  and  Lady  Downe's, 
leaving  out  the  newer  lato  sorts,  for  I  am  per- 
fectly aware  of  their  usefulness,  but  I  say  they 


are  not  to  be  compared  with  the  Ilamburghs  for 
flavor  now  ;  and  were  the  judges  to  taste,  un- 
doubtedly there  would  be  many  exhibitors  dis- 
appointed, for,  instead,  as  is  generally  the  case 
now,  of  the  award  being  given  to  the  fine  large 
bunches,  well  colored  though  they  might  be,  it 
would  go  to  the  Ilamburghs,  they  being  ripe  and 
fit  for  table  (or  they  should  be  so  when  shown), 
which  cannot  be  the  case  with  the  Alicante  and 
Lady  Downe's.  To  me  it  seems  a  sin  that  such 
fine  bunches  as  I  have  seen  shown  in  September 
should  be  cut,  for,  the  taste  being  insipid,  they 
are  worthless. 

I  am  fully  aware  that  Grapes  must  be  ripened 
and  colored  by  the  end  of  September  or  beginning 
of  October,  or  they  stand  but  a  small  chance  of 
coloring,  unless  it  should  prove  such  a  favorable 
autumn  as  the  present.  But  Grapes  require  to 
hang  a  certain  time  after  they  are  colored.  Thus, 
the  Hamburghs  colored  by  the  end  of  Julj-  are 
not  ready  for  cutting  till  the  end  of  August,  and 
those  colored  a  mouth  later  are  not  at  their  best 
yet.  Above  all,  the  Alicante  should  hang  till 
February  to  bring  out  its  flavor,  and  the  same 
applies,  or  nearly  so,  to  the  Lady  Downe's.  Of 
course,  I  do  not  say  they  cannot  be  eaten  till 
then,  but  I  do  say  they  are  not  at  their  best  till 
the  time  I  have  mentioned. 

Next,  as  to  the  white  Grapes.  The  Muscats 
are  undoubtedly  the  finest  winter  Grapes  for 
those  who  have  vineries  and  heat  enough  for 
them,  but  their  flavor  in  August,  Seplember,and 
October  is  not  equal  to  that  of  the  Royal  Musca- 
dine, Buckland  Sweetwater,  and  Foster's  Seed- 
ling. The  Muscats  require  a  high  heat  to  ripen 
them,  and  they  must  be  ripened  early,  but  they 
should  not  in  any  case  be  cut  before  Christmas. 

I  now  give  the  names  of  a  few  good  Grapes, 
black  and  white,  for  exhibiting.  Of  the  black 
there  is  none  to  excel  the  Black  Hamburgh  as  a 
show  Grape,  but  a  far  superior  Grape  for  flavor, 
though  ripening  at  the  same  time,  is  Pope's 
Hamburgh  [Fraukenthal].  This  is  a  beautiful 
Grape,  and  no  one  should  be  without  it  wliere 
quality  is  considered.  It  has  a  very  thin  skin,  a 
delicious  flavor,  and  will  hang  till  Christmas 
without  deteriorating.  Trontham  Black  is  also 
good  for  exhibiting,  but  unless  ripened,  say,  in 
July,  it  should  not  be  cut  till  November ;  in 
fact,  this  is  the  b^'sl  ot  the  Hamburghs  for  keep- 
ing. 

Of  the  whiles,  the  I  est  early  is  the  Royal  Mus- 
dine  This  is  a  very  early  Grape,  and  a  good 
keeper.     Ripened  in  a  late  house  it  wUl  hang 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJfER'S   MOJ^'THLY. 


319 


well  till  Christmas.  Foster's  White  Seedling  is 
also  a  keepina;  Grape  of  good  flavor.  All  the 
above  can  be  grown  well  with  ordinary  care  and 
with  but  little  fire  heat. 

The  Alicante  and  Lady  Downe's  are  both  too 
well  known  to  say  more  than  that  they  are 
(leaving  out  the  recent  additions,  such  as  Mrs. 
Pince),  the  best  late  Grapes,  but  they  are  not 
fit  to  be  exhibited  till  the  new  year  comes  in, 
because,  till  then,  we  have  plenty  of  far  supe- 
rior flavored  Grapes,  and  no  matter  how  fine  a 
bunch  of  Grapes  may  look  if  the  3'are  acid  or  in- 
ferior to  the  palate.  The  Muscat  of  Alexandria, 
Trebbiano,  aud  White  Lady  Downe's  are,  as  I 
said  before,  good  for  late  work,  till  then  there  is 
nothing  to  equal  the  Muscadines  or  Sweetwaters. 

As  it  is  now,  some  time  since  I  saw  this  sub- 
ject discus.xed,  I  hope  this  short  paper  will  be 
the  means  of  eliciting  a  few  remarks  from  some 
ofyourcorrespondeuts.— Stephen  Castle,  Bent 
Hill  Gardens,  Prestvvhich,  in  Journal  of  Horti- 
culture. 


American  Potatoes  in  England.— Singu- 
larly enough,  we  are  just  now  getting  from  many 
of  our  best  cultivators  an  unanimous  expres- 
sion of  opinion  with  reference  to  these  Ameri- 
can potatoes  that  is  far  from  being  com- 
mendatory. Indeed,  the  opinions  thus  expressed 
fairly  enough  lead  to  the  opinion  that  these  gen- 
tlemen believe  the  favor  of  the  multitude  has 
gone  on  the  wrong  tack,  and  that  loads  of  money 
has  been  and  is  now  being  spent  by  potato  culti- 
vators in  the  purchase  of  these  new  varieties,  that 
might  be  better  employed  in  the  purchase  of  some 
of  the  fine  new  and  improved  home  raised  kinds, 
that  are  in  every  sense  first  rate  From  Sawbridge- 
worth,  from  Kent,  from  Woodstock,  and  many 
other  parts,the  testimonies  have  come  against  the 
pretentions  of  the  Early  Roses,  and  Goodrichs, 
the  Climaxs,  and  Reds  ;  the  one  and  the  other  ac- 
knowledge their  fairly  prolific  qualities,  but  de- 
nouncing the  attempts  to  set  them  up  as  fit  to 
satisfy  the  cultivated  tastes  of  English  palates 
Herein  lies  the  real  point  of  ultimate  value,  as 
unless  any  new  variety  possesses  relatively  qual- 
ities superior  to  our  old  established  kinds,  the 
introduction  of  it  can  be  of  no  service.  T\>o 
years'  growth  of  the  "  Rose  ''  and  the  "  Red,'' 
alias  •' Flourball,"  has  convinced  me  that  they 
do  not  exceed  in  the  production  of  quantity 
plenty  of  our  own  kinds,  and  the  trial  last  year 
of  several  other  of  the  American  kinds  amidst  a 
collection  of  some  hundred  sorts  of  potatoes, 
leads  to  the  conclusion  also  that  mj  opinion  as 


to  prolificacy  is  correct.  In  the  matter  of  earli- 
ness  we  gain  nothing  whatever,  in  the  matter  of 
keeping  qualities  we  gain  nothing,  and  in  the 
matter  of  table  quality  we  gain  nothing,  but  ac- 
tually loose.  What,  then,  do  we  gain  by  the  in- 
troduction of  these  foreign  potatoes  ?  I  am  com- 
pelled in  the  interests  of  horticultural  truth  to 
say,  N'othing ! 

As  respects  the  adaptability  of  the  American 
varieties  for  exhibition,  a  point  of  some  impor- 
tance now  with  potato  connoisseurs,  I  feel  that 
they  have  but  little  chance  of  being  placed  with 
first  honors,  if  put  into  competition  with  our 
best  English  varieties.  The  bulk  of  them  are 
remarkable  for  the  quality  of  eyes  they  possess, 
and  Climax,  for  instance,  is  in  this  respect  a 
veritable  beast.  The  only  two  kinds  that  I  could 
at  all  commend  for  exhibition  are  Gleason's 
Late,  a  beautifully  marked  variety,  and  for  show 
purposes  worth  half  a  dozen  of  the  others,  aud 
Prolific,  a  large,  flattish,  round  white  kind,  that 
will  make  a  useful  addition,  if  the  tubers  are  not 
too  large.  The  objectionable  taste  that  leads 
judges  (heaven  save  the  mark!)  to  award  prizes 
to  the  biggest  tubers  only,  without  reference  to 
other  points,  is  simply  disgusting.  iSTo  one  who 
possessed  any  knowledge  of  what  constitutes  a 
good  potato  would  commit  so  grave  an  error. 

If  I  wished  to  partake  of  a  melon,  I  should 
scarcely  be  satisfied  with  the  flavor  and  texture 
of  a  squash  ;  and,  by  the  same  rule,  if  I  desire  to 
have  a  dish  of  good  flavored  potatoes  for  my  ta- 
ble, I  must  grow  kinds  that  will  suit  my  palate, 
and  not  sorts  that  yield  plenty  of  tubers,  but 
none  fit  to  eat.  It  is  easy  for  some  gardeners  to 
plead  that  they  have  so  many  bushels  required 
for  the  house  consumption,  and  that  to  get  thorn 
they  must  grow  sorts  that  produce  the  most  in 
bulk.  Such  reasoning  will  not  do  for  me.  Po- 
tatoes are  intended  to  form  a  portion  of  the  die- 
tary of  intelligent,  sensible  beings;  and  garde- 
ners should  understand,  as  a  primary  considera- 
tion, that  quality  is  the  foremost  consideration 
with  their  employers,  and  not  mere  abundance. 
Just  as  a  pound  of  rumpsteak  is  far  more  prefer- 
able to  treble  that  quantity  from  off  the  shin  of 
beef;  so  is  a  dish  of  truly  good  potatoes  more  to 
be  desired  than  three  dishes  of  some  coarse  kind 
the  texture  of  which  is  grainy  aud  hard,  and  the 
flavor  absent.  As  we  value  our  characters  as 
intelligent  horticulturists,  let  us  hope  that,  in 
grasping  too  eagerly  after  the  shadow,  quantity, 
we  loose  not  the  substance,  quality,  flavor,  aud 
goodness.  —  The  Gardener^s  Magazine. 


320 


TEE    GARDEJ^EWS    MOJfTHLY. 


October, 


HORTICULTUML    NOTICES. 


AMERICAN  POMOLOGICAL  SOCIETY. 
"VVe  give  in  this  number  the  address  in  full  of 
President  Wilder,  at  liichmond,  and  shall,  in 
future  numbers,  revert  to  many  matters  of  great 
interest  which  occupied  a  share  of  the  Conven- 
tion's time.  This  address  of  Mr.  Wilder's  is 
conceded  to  be  one  of  his  best  efforts,  and  it  will 
be  read  with  profit  by  all.  To  us,  particularly, 
it  is  welcome  as  indicating  the  first  great  turn  in 
the  tide  of  erroneous  notions  of  fruit  growing, 
against  which  we  have  battled  so  long.  The 
President  lays  great  stress  on  the  necessity  for 
good  culture  before  any  success  can  be  had  with 
fruit  trees.  There  is  little  doubt  but  that  the 
great  enemy  of  fruit  culture  is  starvation  ;  and 
that  there  is  no  greater  aid  to  starvation  than 
cutting  away  the  surface  roots  at  a  period  when 
every  effort  is  necessary  to  supply  the  tree 
with  nourishment.  AYhen  a  tree  is  young, 
and  its  small  roots  are  near  the  stem,  close  to 
which  the  plough  or  cultivator  does  not  go,  we 
do  not  see  the  injury  ;  and  the  manure  which 
people  give  to  root  and  other  crops  makes  the 
tree  grow,  and  thus  we  imagine  the  system  a 
good  one  ;  but  when  the  roots  grow  away  from 
the  stem,  and  are  not  by  it  protected,  the  injury 
by  loss  of  roots  is  immense.  No  orchards  where 
this  plan  '.has  been  in  operation  has  continued 
productive  for  a  very  long  time. 

It  is  pleasant  to  us  to  notice  that  Mr.  Wilder 
admits  that  we  were  wrong  in  our  past  notions, 
and  that  it  is  the  true  philosophy  to  keep  the 
feeding  roots  as  near  as  possible  to  the  surface, 
and  not  by  barbarous  modes  of  culture,  cut  them 
away  while  engaged  in  their  assimilating  duties. 
AVe  feel  that  our  cause  is  nearly  won,  and  that 
ere  long  we  shall  not  find  one  but  who  "always 
believed''  that  a  cool  surface,  surface  roots,  and 
surface  and  regular  manuring,  are  the  essential 
elements  of  good  culture. 


ACADEMY  OF  NATURAL  SCIENCES, 
Philadelphia,  September  19,  1871. 

Dr.  Gcnth  presented  fresh  specimens  of  ie.spe- 
deza  ftriuta  from  North  Carolina.  This  was  called 
.Japan  clover,  from  the  fact  of  its  having  been 
supposed  to  be  an  introduction  from  that  country. 
There  is  no  evidence  that  it  is  of  .lapunose  ori- 
gin ;  but  the  same  plant  is  found  in  .lapan,  where 
ft  has  been  loni:  known,  while  it  has  not  been 
observed  in  the  South,  so  far  as  certainly  known, 
prior  to  the  rebellion.     Now  it  has  taken  posses- 


sion of  hundreds  of  acres,  where  it  has  crowded 
out  every  other  species  of  vegetation.  Dr.  Genth 
spoke  of  it  as  forming  a  dense  green  carpet  un- 
der pine  forests,  as  well  as  enduring  the  hot  sun 
under  the  driest  times. 

Dr.  Leidy  presented  some  specimens  of  the 
mushrooms  which  had  been  cooked  and  eaten 
by  a  Philadelphia  family  a  few  days  before,  and 
had  resulted  in  the  death  of  one  young  lady  and 
the  severe  sickness  of  all  the  rest.  The  only 
person  who  did  not  partake  of  the  mushrooms 
was  the  only  one  who  escaped,  showing  clearly 
the  agency  of  the  mu.shroom  in  the  case.  The 
young  lady  who  died,  perceived  no  symptoms  of 
sickness  till  five  or  six  hours  after,when  she  was 
suddenly  taken  ill  on  the  street,  and  was  carried 
to  a  drug  store,  where  she  soon  after  died. 

The  specimens  exhibited  by  Dr.  Leidy  were 
about  four  inches  high  and  the  cap  about  three 
inches  wide.  The  stems  were  slender,  about 
half  an  inch  thick,  with  a  bulbous  base,  which, 
as  also  the  upper  part  of  the  cap  and  the  gills 
heneat/i,  were  of  a  clear  papery  white.  The  odor 
is  repulsive  ;  and  it  is  a  surprise  that  any  one 
should  use  them  as  the  genuine  mushrooms. 
They  usually  grow  in  woods  and  shady  places. 
Dr.  Leidy  supposed  it  to  be  the  Agaricus  vernus, 
of  which  there  is  a  figure  in  Buillard's  Flora  of 
France.  In  that  country  it  appears  in  spring, 
from  whence  its  specific  name.  The  French 
author  refers  to  its  deadly  properties,aud  remarks 
that  many  persons  have  paid  a  heavy  penalty 
through  mistaking  it  for  the  true  mushroom. 
After  handling.  Dr.  Leidy,  had  by  accidently 
touching  his  eyes,  caused  a  slight  inflammation 
in  them. 

Mr.  Isaac  Burk  called  the  attention  of  the 
Academy  to  the  direction  of  the  spiral  growth 
in  the  flowers  of  Sjnranthes  cernua  and  ib'.  gra- 
cilis. In  both  these  species  he  exhibited  speci- 
mens in  which  some  of  the  spirals  were  to  the 
right  and  some  to  the  left.  Mr.  Thomas  Meehan 
remarked  that  this  interesting  subject  was  be- 
gining  to  attract  attention  in  other  quarters. 
Mr.  II.  W.  Ka venal,  of  Aiken,  Soutlv  Carolina, 
had  recently  noticed  that  in  some  cucurbitaceous 
plants  the  spiral  growth  was  indifferently  to  the 
right  or  to  the  left  in  the  same  plant. 

Mr.  Thomas  Meehan  exhibited  a  young  spike 
(cob)  of  corn,  sent  to  him  from  liouisville,  Ky., 
represented  as  having  been  found  in  the  interior 
of  another  of  the  usual  character.  lie  remarked 
that  it  was  not  unusual  for  this  phenomenon  to 
occur  Pears  have  been  known  to  develope  in- 
side of  other  pears,  and  it  was  still  more  com- 
mon for  a  rose  to  develoiie  from  the  centre  of 
another  rose  ;  but  the  chief  interest  in  this  case 
was  that  the  long  silky  pistils  had  wound  or 
been  wound  round  the  central  axis  as  regularly 
as  thread  round  a  spool.  Sprouting  in  such  an 
abnormal  and  unfavorable  position  inside  of 
another  cob,  we  should  expect  to  see  this  a 
tangled  mass,  lie  failed  to  understand  the  pecu- 
liar law  of  development  in  this  case. 


DEVOTED  TO 

Horticulture,    Arhoriculture,    Botany    and    Rural    Affairs, 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEHAN. 


Old  ^er>e.^,  Vol  XITI.  JVOVEMBEB,    187  J.     Neio  Series,  Vol.  J  V.  No.  11, 


HINTS    FOR    NOVEMBER. 


FLOWER  GAEDEX  AND  PLEASURE   | 
GROUND.  I 

It  is  now  so  well  understood  that  we  may  j 
have  an  immense  addition  to  our  list  of  hardy 
evergreens  if  we  will  only  shelter  them,  that  we 
expect  all  those  who  love  these  varied  winter  fa- 
vorites will  take  measures  this  season  to  plant 
shelter  belts  in  exposed  places,  or  else  to  set  the 
common  hardy  trees  like  Norway  and  Hemlock 
Spruce,  and  Scotch,  Austrian  and  "White  Pines 
thickly  about,  so  that  the  rarer  ones  can  be  put 
between  them. 

Almost  all  young  trees  are  tenderer  than  they 
are  when  older.  It  is  therefore  no  test  of  the 
hardiness  of  some  rare  thing,  that  a  small  plant 
is  killed  in  the  winter.  Silver  Firs  almost  al- 
ways gets  killed  back  for  a  few  years  in  this  sec- 
tion, unless  protected,  but  yet  gain  a  little  in 
strength.  After  they  are  ten  years  old  they  will 
endure  our  hardest  weather.  So  Spanish  Chest- 
nuts, English  Walnuts,  and  many  others,  will 
die  back  considerably,  until  they  get  strength. 
Therefore,  protect  any  valued  young  plant,  if 
possible,  no  matter  how  hardy  its  reputation  may 
be. 

Every  one  who  has  dug  up  a  potato  knows  that 
when  the  tuber  has  finished  its  growth,  all  be- 
tween it  and  the  parent  stalk  dies.  If  the  potato 
were  to  remain  undisturbed  till  spring,  frost  and 
other  things  of  course  uninjuring  it,  it  would 
push  up  from  the  place  where  it  stood,  and  a  new 
set  of  potatoes  push  out,  and  the  space  between 
them  and  the  original,  get  wider  every  year.  So 
year  after  year  there  would  be  this  continual  pro- 
gression,— a  wandering  away  from  the  first  cen- 
tre, until  in  time  the  living  plant  might  be  a  mile 
away  from  the  original  spot  which  gave  it  birth. 


Something  of  this  kind  goes  on  in  all  herbaceous 
plants,— a  part  progresses,  and  a  part  dies  every 
year.  It  is  for  the  want  of  this  knowledge  that  so 
many  friends  lose  these  plants.  Though  all  her- 
baceous plants  move  in  some  such  manner,  they 
do  not  all  go  directly  under  giound,  but  make 
bunchy  stocks  just  above  ground.  In  their  na- 
tive places  of  growth  they  manage  to  get  covered 
with  decaying  leaves  from  the  woods  or  shifting 
sands  on  the  plains,  but  in  cultivation  nothing 
of  this  kind  can  be  naturally  accomplished,  and 
unless  art  comes  to  aid  the  plant  they  soon  die 
away.  An  Auricula,  a  Primrose,  or  a  Carnation 
is  a  good  illustration  of  this.  In  the  two 
former  a  new  crown  is  formed  ou  the  top  of  the 
old  one,  and  as  the  lower  parts  in  time  die  away, 
unless  new  earth  is  drawn  up,  success  with  such 
tlowers  will  not  be  great.  The  best  plan  is  to 
take  up  and  replant  every  few  years,  or  cover  the 
running  parts-  above  ground  with  earth,  so  that 
they  may  have  a  chance  to  get  new  roots  from 
the  advancing  stocks.  This  is  noticed  here  at 
this  season  to  show  that  earth  is  the  natural 
covering  for  herbaceous  plants,  and  therefore  one 
of  the  surest  ways  of  preserving  them  safe  through 
winter  is  to  draw  earth  over  them.  In  the  spring 
they  can  be  unearthed  and  then  divided  and 
set  a  trifle  deeper  than  before,  which  is  all  they 
want.  We  are  often  asked  how  to  preserve  Car- 
nations, Chrysanthemums,  Pansies,  Phloxes, 
Hollyhocks  and  so  forth,  safe  till  spring.  The 
principles  here  laid  down  will  explain  the  prac- 
tice. 

Pampas  Grass,  Tritoma  uvarias  and  other 
half  hardy  things  do  much  better  when  left  out 
all  winter  and  protected.  The  best  protection 
is  a   dry-goods   box   filled   with   leaves.     Many 


sn 


THE    GABDEJVER'S    MOjXTHL^ 


JSFovemher, 


plants  might  be  saved  in  this  way,  and  the  in-  ; 
creased  beauty  of  the  plants  would  pay  well  for  i 
the  trouble.  These  ugly  boxes  may  be  objec-  i 
tionable,  but  probably  the  time  may  come  when  ' 
it  will  be  thought  worth  while  to  have  neat  cases 
made  expressly  for  them. 

As  soon  as  the  ground  gets  caked  with  the  first 
real  frost,  herbaceous  plants  should  be  protected. 
Though  hardy,  they  will  repay  this  extra  care, — 
mostly  natives  of  woods  or  .grassy  places  in  their 
native  state,  they  expect  a  covering  of  leaves  or 
dry  grass.  We  find  dry  leaves  the  best  material 
for  the  purpose,  a  few  inches  is  a  sulficient  depth, 
—a  little  soil  being  thrown  on  to  prevent  the 
leaves  blowing  away.  Where  such  material  is 
not  at  hand,  the  common  garden  soil  may  be 
drawn  over  them,  as  before  recommended  in 
these  pages. 

The  planting  of  trees  will  still  continue  to  en- 
gage our  attention  at  every  favorable  opportu- 
nity. Many  prefer  at  this  season  to  remove 
trees  in  the  winter  by  the  "  frozen  ball "  system. 
Ibei'e  is  nothing  gained  by  this  practice.  To 
those  unacquainted  with  this  mode  of  planting 
we  may  as  well  describe  it.  Just  before  frost  is 
expected,  a  trench  is  dug  around  a  tree  a  few 
feet  from  its  base,  leaving  the  tice  so,  that  with 
a  rope  at  the  top,  it  can  be  easily  drawn  over. 
A  hole  is  then  dug  for  it  in  the  situation  desired 
When  the  "ball"  has  become  frozen  through 
around  the  tree,  it  is  removed  to  the  prepared 
hole  ;  and,  when  a  thaw  comes,  the  soil  is  filled 
in  around  it.  AVe  have  said  there  is  nothing 
gained  by  it,  and  there  are  many  disadvantages. 
If  the  tree  has  been  removed  a  '"time  or  two '' 
before,  as  most  nursery  trees  have,  it  will  have 
an  abundance  of  fibres  near  the  stem,  and  can 
be  successfully  removed  Avithout  much  regard  to 
the  "bail  of  earth,''  either  in  fall  or  spring.  If 
it  has  never  been  removed  before,  tliat  is  a  tree 
growing  naturally,  it  Avill  have  no  fibres  at  its 
base,  and  so  no  "ball  of  earth"  can  preserve 
them  ;  so  that  a  tree  which  can  be  moved  suc- 
cessfully on  this  freezing  system,  can  be  as  suc- 
cessfully done  without  it.  The  disadvantages  oj- 
it  are  that  it  exposes  the  injured  roots  lor  a  long 
time  to  the  injurious  action  of  the  frost  and  the 
elements,  besides  ihe  fretjuency  of  the  operation 
Ijeiug  improperly  done  ])y  several  attempts  being 
made  at  its  completion.  AVe  have  given  the 
system  a  fair  trial,  and  have  done  with  it.  Tlie 
liiain  object  should  be  to  preserve  all  the  roots 
possible  with  ll)e  tree,  keep  them  moi!?t  and  jnc- 
serve  from  injury,  then  go  ahead  and  don't  wait 
lor  frost. 


FRUIT  GARDEN. 

Passing  a  fruit  stand  in  Philadelphia  this  6th 
day  of  October  1871,  we  asked  the  price  of  some 
tolerable  fair  Duchesse  d'Angouleme  Pears,  and 
were  told  that  for  twenty-five  cents  we  might 
take  one  of  the  coveted  fruit  away.  As*  this 
would  probably  make  S20  per  bushel,  we  could 
not  but  reflect  on  the  present  phase  of  fruit  cul- 
ture, and  what  it  ought  to  be,  if  it  was  properly 
understood.  There  have  not  been  less  than 
200,000  dwarf  pear  trees,  with  at  least  as  many 
standards  set  out  on  the  average  for  each  year 
during  the  past  thirty  years,— say  iiKidve,  millions 
of  pear  trees,  and  yet  to  get  a  decent  Duchess 
pear  in  one  of  our  principal  cities  in  October,  we 
have  to  pay  25  cents.  iWe  know  what  some  hor- 
ticultural writers  would  say, — we  know  what 
some  horticultural  editors  have  done.  They 
have  started  the  cry  that  pears  are  a  failure; 
that  they  will  not  do  well  in  the  climate  of  the 
United  States.  AVhat  an  absurdity  !  There  is 
scarcely  an  old  city  in  the  Union  which  cannot 
show  its  old  pear  trees  annually  loaded  with  its 
fruits.  Throughout  the  whole  of  Pennsylvania 
especially,trees  may  be  here  and  there  seen  which 
annually  bear  until  the  branches  become  quite 
recurved,  like  a  weeping  willow  with  th"^  load  of 
fruit.  Kine-tenths  of  the  tw^elve  millions  are 
probably  dead;  but  it  was  not  the  climate  which 
killed  them.  It  was  barbarous  modes  of  culture, 
and  we  expect  when  our  instructions  are  care- 
fully followed  for  their  culture,  pear  growing  will 
be  found  one  of  the  most  remunerative  of  crops. 
Remember  the  rule — keep  the  roots  near  the 
surface,  and  annually  top  dress.  In  choosing 
pear  trees  take  those  which  have  a  light  sappy 
looking  bark.  Bark  bound  things  will  stand  a 
year  without  moving.  If  they  are  in  this  condi- 
tion any  age  will  do  well  from  a  one  or  two  to  a 
ten  year  old  tree,  — but  generally  a  two  or  three 
year  old  vvill  do  best.  Shorten  half  the  wood  at 
transplanting,  and  be  sure  to  have  the  earth 
hammered  tightly  in.  The  heel  and  toe  business 
makes  but  poor  work,  a  heavy  hammer  is  best. 

In  choosing  Dwarf  Pears,  select  those  that 
have  been  buddeil  close  to  the  ground,  as  when 
they  arc  rejilantcd  the  stocks  should  be  buried  an 
inch  below  the  pear  scion,  which  prevents  the 
attacks  of  the  quince  borer.  If  a  long  stem  has 
to  be  buried,  the  usual  consequences  of  deep 
planting  result,  and  do  as  much  injui'y  as  the 
(juince  borer.  Also  in  choosing,  select,  if  jiossi- 
ble,  plar.ts  that  have  been  raised  from  cuttings. 


187L 


TEE    GAREEJS'ER'S   MOJ\''TELY 


S23 


for  layered  stocks  have  almost  always  a  long 
deep  tap-looking  root,  on  which  dwarf  pears  do 
not  do  well.  If  we  have  to  use  such  dwarf  pear 
trees,  better  shorten  some  of  this  long  trunk 
root  before  planting.  Xever  plant  what  appears 
to  bethe  stem  of  a  tree  far  beneath  the  surface, 
under  any  circumstances,  for  disease  will  be 
most  probably  an  ultimate  consequence. 

Apples,  Quinces,  and  Plums  should  be  ex- 
amined before  frost  sets  in,  and  if  an}'  borers 
have  eflected  a  lodgment — a  jack-knife  and  a 
strong  piece  of  wire  are  all  the  implements  ne- 
cessary ;  a  man  will  go  over  several  hundred 
trees  a  day.  It  is  a  cheap  way  of  preserving 
trees.  If  many  of  the  remedies  proposed  by  cor 
respondents  in  our  paper  have  been  tried  and 
found  effectual,  such  as  tobaccostems,  etc.,  there 
will  be  few  borers  to  deal  with  in  the  examina- 
tion, but  the  best  plan  is  to  put  a  piece  of  paper 
round  the  stems,  tie,  and  then  gas-tar  it.  This 
serves  for  two  3'ears,  and  not  onXy  keeps  out  the 
insects,  but  is  a  safeguard  against  mice,  which 
are  so  apt  to  girdle  trees  under  the  snow^  in  se- 
vere weather. 

In   cultivating  Raspberries  on  a  large  scale. 


they  will  be  liable  to  rot.  "Where  the  plant  has 
evidently  finished  its  growth  for  the  season, 
measures  should  be  taken  to  preserve  it  through 
the  winter.  For  family  use,  it  is  probably  as 
well  to  let  it  stay  where  it  is  growing,  covering 
the  soil  with  leaves,  litter  or  manure,  to  keep 
out  the  frost,  so  that  it  can  be  taken  up  as 
wanted.  Where  large  quantities  are  frequently 
required,  it  is  better  to  take  it  up  and  put  it  in  a 
smaller  compass,  still  protecting  it  in  any  way 
that  may  be  readily  accessible.  It  always  keeps 
best  in  the  natural  soil,  where  it  is  cool  and  moist 
and  free  from  frost,  and  whatever  mode  of  pro- 
tection is  resorted  to,  these  facts  should  be  kept 
in  view.  Beets,  turnips,  and  other  root  crops, 
will  also  require  protection.  They  are  best  di- 
vested of  their  foliage  and  packed  in  layers  of 
sand  in  a  cool  cellar.  Parsnips  are  best  left  in 
the  soil  as  long  as  possible.  If  any  are  wanted 
for  late  spring  use,  they  may  be  left  out  to  freeze 
in  the  soil,  and  will  be  much  improved  thereby. 
Cabbage  is  preserved  in  a  variety  of  ways.  If  a 
few  dozen  only,  they  may  be  hung  up  by  the 
roots  in  a  cool  cellar,  or  buried  in  the  soil,  heads 
downward,  to  keep  out  the  rain,  or  laid  on  their 


they  do  best  in  hills,  as  the  cultivator  keeps  them    sides  as  thickly  as  they  can  be  placed,  nearly 


from  crowding  each  other  so  much.  For  garden 
culture  the}^  are  better  in  rows,  the  suckers  to  be 
kept  hoed  out  occasionally  as  they  grow  ;  enough 
only  being  left  that  will  be  required  for  fruiting 
next  year.  AVhere  canes  are  required  for  new 
plantations,  of  course  a  portion  of  the  crop  must 
be  sacrificed  to  the  suckers. 

Strawberries  arc  much  better  when  protected 
through  the  winter,  no  matter  how  "hardy" 
they  may  be.  Very  coarse  strawy  manure  is  the 
best  material,  \4|Iiich  can  be  raked  off  in  early 
spring.  A  few  inches  is  sufficient,  just  enough 
to  keep  the  sun  off  when  frozen,  which  all  our 


covered  with  soil,  and  then  completely  covered 
with  corn  stalks,  litter,  or  any  protecting  mate- 
rial. The  main  object  in  protecting  all  these 
kinds  of  vegetables  is  to  prevent  their  growth  by 
keeping  them  as  cool  as  possible,  and  to  prevent 
shrivelling  by  keeping  them  moist.  Cabbage 
plants,  lettuce,  and  spinach  sown  last  Septem- 
ber, will  require  a  slight  protection.  This  is 
usually  done  by  scattering  straw  loosely  over. 
The  intention  is  principally  to  check  the  fre- 
quent thawings,  which  draw  the  plants  out  of 
the  ground. 
In  making  new  vegetable  gardens,  a  south- 


readers  know  by  this  time  is  the  chief  cause  of  east  aspect  should  be  chosen,  as  far  as  practica 


loss  bv  frost. 


VEGETABLE  GARDEN. 

It  is  little  use  to  attempt  to  grow  vegetables 
well,  unless  the  soil  is  well  treated.  They  maybe 
and  are  grown  on  thin  soils,  not  oidy  at  a  great 
expense  for  manure,  and  at  a  great  risk  of  dying 
out  in  a  dry  season,  and  of  having  the  roots  rot- 
ted out  in  a  wet  one.  In  those  parts  where  the 
frost  has  not  yet  been  severe  enough  to  injure 


ble.  Earliness  in  the  crops  is  a  very  great  de- 
sideratum, and  such  an  aspect  favors  this  point 
materially.  Too  great  a  slope  is  objectionable, 
as  mducing  to  great  a  run  of  Avater  in  heavy 
rains.  The  plots  for  the  crops  should  be  laid  off 
in  squares  or  parallelograms,  for  convenience  in 
digging,  and  the  edges  of  the  walks  set  with  box 
edging.  If  water  can  be  introduced,  it  is  a  great 
convenience. 

Sometimes  broccoli  does  not  head  before  there 
is  danger  of  frosts,  especially  if  growing  vigo- 
rously.    If  taken  up  with  small  balls  of  earth. 


the  celery  crop,it  may  have  another  earthing  up 

Care  must  be  exercised  in  the  operation  not  to    and  set  in  a  damp  c-Uar,  they   will  still  perfect 

let  the  earth  get  into  the  hearts  of  the  plants,  or   the  u.sclves. 


32Jf 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MOJVTHLy, 


JVovember, 


Asparagus  beds,  after  the  tops  have  been 
cleared  off,  are  better  covered  with  litter  or  sta- 
ble manure.  The  plants  shoot  easier  for  it  next 
season. 

When  the  ground  becomes  frozen,  or  no  other 
work  offers,  preparation  can  alwa3's  be  made  for 
advancing  prospective  work  when  it  arrives. 
Bean-poles  may  be  made  ;  and  if  the  ends  are 
charred,  and  then  dipped  in  coal  tar,  the  com- 
monest material  Avill  be  rendered  nearly  equal  to 
the  best  cedar. 


HOT  AND  GREENHOUSE. 

Plants  stored  away  for  the  winter  in  cold  pits, 
require  more  care  for  the  first  month  or  so  than 
at  any  other  time  through  the  winter  season. 
Many  of  them  have  unripened  shoots,  or  shed 
raanj"^  of  their  leaves,  and  unless  these  be  cut  off 
and  removed,  gangrene  and  decay  commit  dis- 
tressing havcc.  Air  should  be  given  at  every  op- 
portunil}^,  and  nothing  omitted  that  will,  in  any 
way,  tend  to  harden  the  plants,  and  send  vegeta- 
tion to  rest.  No  more  water  should  be  given  than 
just  sufficient  to  prevent  withering,and  the  temper- 
ature should  kept  asnear  40'  as  possible, and  every 
chance  taken  to  render  the  air  about  the  plants 
dry.  When  frost  actually  does  come,  no  further 
care  than  protection  from  its  embraces  will  then 
be  required.  Plants  so  hardened,  may  stay  cov- 
ered up  for  weeks,  without  any  light  or  air,  and 
secure  from  the  slightest  injury.  Mice  consti- 
tute the  most  troublesome  enemy  in  a  pit  closed 
for  any  length  of  time  ;  but  we  have,  as  yet, 
found  nothing  better  than  the  recommendation 
given  in  back  volumes,  namely,  to  take  peas  and 
soak  them  twenty-four  hours  in  water,  then  roll 
in  arsenic  and  sow  in  a  pot,  as  if  in  the  regular 
way  of  seed-sowing.  A  few  pots  so  prepared? 
should  be  placed  in  the  pit  before  permanently 
closing  up.  The  mice  usually  make  for  these 
pots  at  their  first  entrance  to  the  pits.  If  placed 
0)1  the  soil,  they  seem  to  guess  your  secret,  and 
will  not  "bite." 

Plants  in  cellars  need  much  the  same  care  as 
those  in  pits.  Avoid  heat  and  dampness  ;  fre- 
quently however,  plants  suffer  in  cellars  through 
getting  too  dry.  They  should  be  looked  over,  at 
any  rale,  once  a  month,  and  a  little  water  given, 
if  likely  to  become  entirely  dry. 

Plants  in  windows  and  rooms  usually  suffer 
from  excessive   waterings, — very  dry  air  about 


them,—  too  great  a  heat,  or  too  much  shade.  As 
much  as  possible,  room  plants  should  be  selected 
'  for  their  indifference  to  these  requirements.  Suc- 
culents, such  as  Cactuses,  Mesembryauthemums, 
Rocheas,  Crassulas,  Aloes,  &c  ,  care  not  how 
dry  the  room,  but  they  demand  all  the  sunlight 
possible.    Camellias,  Chinese  Primroses,  Aza- 
leas, Dicentra  spectabilis.  Polyanthuses,  Violets, 
Hyacinths,  &c.,  do  not  mind  a  little  shade;  but 
they  abhor  a  high  temperature.     Others  again, 
while  disliking  heat,  want  light  ;  of  these,  are 
Calceolarias,  Cinerarias,  Geraniums,  Pelargoni- 
ums, Pansies,  Daisies,  Tree  Carnations,  perpet- 
ual blooming  Pinks,  Roses  and  the  like.     '  Leaf 
plants,'  for  the  most  part,  like  a  close,  moist  at- 
mosphere, and  a  moderate  degree  of  heat  to  do 
well.     For  these,   glass  partitions  and   closely 
glazed  cases  are  usually  employed.     A  great  er- 
ror in  the  growth  of  plants  in  these  cases,  is  to 
suppose  they  require  no  air.     The  closeness  is  to 
secure  a  moist  atmosphere,  not  to  exclude  the 
air.     Whenever,   thei'efore,  the  temperature   is 
low,  and  little  evaporation  going  on,  the  oppor- 
tunity should  be  seized  to  air  the  cases;  a  few  mo- 
ments are  sufficient.  A  very  pretty  plant  arrange- 
ment made  in  parlors  that  have  bay  windows ; 
the  whole  window  may  be  closed  off  from  the 
main  part  of  the  room  by  a  sash,  and  filled  with 
plants.     Some   on  the  lloor, — some  on  shelves, 
and  some  pendant  from  the  roqf.   A  common  oil 
lamp  will  be  quite  sufiicient,  with  the  usual  win- 
dow shutters,  to  keep  out  frost  during  the  night 
or  extra  severe  weather,  while  the  regular  day 
temperature  of  the  room  will  suffice  for  that  time. 
When  the  lamp  is  burning,  provision  should  be 
made  for  the  admission  of  fresh  air  from  the 
room  at  the  bottom  of  the  case,  and  for  the  exit 
of  consumed  air  at  the  top  of  the  case.     This  is 
best  accomplished  by  a  tube   to  and  from  the 
lamp. 

It  must,  however,  be  remarked  that  the  fumes 
of  burning  gas  is  highly  injurious  to  vegetation, 
and  any  adaptation  of  heating  by  it  will  fail,  un- 
less provision  be  made  to  lead  the  fumes  away. 
With  this  precaution,  gas-lights  in  towns  and 
where  it  can  be  had  cheaply,  would  be  very  use- 
ful in  licating  small  parlor  plant  cabinets. 

To  those  who  have  larger  plant  cabinets  or 
small  conservatories,  connections  with  heaters 
or  hot  water  from  kitchen  ranges  will  suggest 
themselves.  This  is  often  done.  The  great  er- 
ror we  have  often  noticed  is,  that  the  heat  is  led 
to  the  back  only,  when  it  should  be  continued 


1871. 


TEE    GARDEJfER'S   MOJ^TRLY. 


right  to  the  front  or  coldest  part  of  the  house. 

When  heaters  are  eruployed,  the  oxygen  of  the 
air  is  usually  defective,  and,  besides,  the  air  is 
very  dry  and  uugeuial  to  healthy  vegetation. 
Evaporatin.j  pans  around  the  mouth  of  the  air 
flues  should  be  used  in  such  cases,— syringing 
done  at  frequent  intervals,  and  pure  fresh  air 
given  whenever  a  warm  out-door  spell  furnishes 
the  opportunit}'. 

The  most  critical  season  to  these  plants  is  fast 
approaching.  A  very  common  error,  especially 
in  houses  heated  by  smoke  flues,  is,  to  keep  the 
temperature  too  high.  Unless  the  house  be 
heated  by  hot  water,  a  temperature  of  55^  will  do 
perfectly  well.  The  absorbed  property  of  heated 
bricks,  in  flues,  is  so  great,  that  the  excessive 
waterings  necessary  to  replace  the  moisture  they 
absorb  is  more  injurious  to  the  plants  than  a 
moderately  low  temperature.  In  a  house  heated 
by  hot  water,  a  temperature  of  05^  may  be  main- 
tained with  advantage.     The  house  will  be  very 


gay  with  Ilabrothamnus,  Oestrums,  Begonias, 
Pentas,  Plumbagoes,  and  so  on,  and  the  syringe 
must  be  kept  in  daily  requisition.  It  is  highly  of 
advantage  to  put  a  little  sulphur,  lime  water,  or 
soft  soap  into  the  syringing  water  occasionally, 
as  the  red  spider,  mealy  bug,  or  scale,  respec- 
tively, may  make  their  appearance  ;  this,  with 
a  vigorous  use  of  one's  eyes  and  fingers  at  times 
will  keep  them  pretty  well  in  check.  Orchidei3e, 
those  of  them  which  bloom  on  finishing  their 
growths,  will  begin  to  add  considerably  to  the 
attractions  of  the  hot-house.  As  any  come  into 
flovver,  they  should  have  less  water  at  each  time, 
but  be  watered  more  frequently  than  they  have 
been  accustomed  to:  a  very  slight  "dewing" 
with  the  syringe  is  all  that  is  required.  Heavy 
waterings  and  high  temperature,  together,  de- 
stroy more  orchids  than  many  would  dream  of. 
Still  atmospheric  moisture  must  be  retained  for 
them  in  any  case. 


COMMUNICATIONS 


RECOLLECTIOXS  OF  SOUTH    AUSTRA- 
LIA, OCEANICA. 

BY  MR.  W.  T.  HARDING,  NONANTUM  HILL  NUR- 
SERY,  BRIGHTON,  MASS. 

"  Loud  roar'd  the  dreadful  thunder. 
The  rain  a  deluge  showers, 
The  skies  were  rent  asunder 
By  lightniug's  vivid  powers." 

As  the  thirsty  earth,  so  long  dry  and  parched, 
was  receiving  its  annual  supply,  for  the  rainy 
season  had  fairly  set  in,  and  all  nature  was 
freely  imbibing  and  drinking  to  such  a  degree  as 
to  be  literally  "half  seas  over,"  for  "the  waters 
of  the  flood  were  upon  the  earth,"  and  the  river 
Torrens  was  madly  rushing  down  to  Spencer's 
Gulf  to  co-mingle  with  the  mighty  deep  ;  many 
a  weary  mile  had  we  traveled  along  the  bed  of 
the  dried  up  river,  and  many  a  sweet  flower, 
"so  beautiful  and  fair,"  had  we  culled  while 
passing  through  where  now  was  a  roaring,  surg- 
ing stream,  coursing  along  with  a  fearful  velo- 
cit}',  and  carying  with  it  reck  and  (Ze6r/s  of  every 
kind.  Unfortunately,  your  correspondent  was 
on  the  wrong  side  of  the  s'ream,  as  was  often 
the  case  with  him,  and  could  see  no  i)ossible 
means  of  getting  across,  for  in  those  days,  away 


from  the  settlements,  bridges  were  few  and  far 
between. 

The  forest  scenery  was  wild  in  the  extreme, 
and  more  rugged  and  broken  was  the  earth's 
surface  than  any  we  had  previously  passed  over. 
Cheerless  and  uncomfortable  indeed  was  our 
condition,  as  weary  and  wet  we  sought  shelter 
and  rest  within  the  hollow  of  a  huge  old  gum 
tree,  Eucalyptus  resinifera,  which  measured 
sixteen  feet  across,  from  side  to  side,  and  up- 
wards of  sixty  feet  high  within  The  shades  of 
night  were  gathering  gloomily  around  us  as  we 
entered  our  darkened  chamber,  glad  to  escape 
from  the  pitiless  storm  that  raged  so  violently 
without.  Such  a  day  and  such  a  night,  I  shal. 
ever  remember  until  life's  last  lingering  hour. 

Thoroughly  wet  to  the  skin,  as  all  were, 
and  overcome  with  fatigue,  we  huddled  closelv 
together,  and  were  soon  wandering  in  dreams 

"We  could  not  have  slept  long  ere  I  was 
awakened  by  a  fearful  howl,  which  I  fancied 
came  from  some  part  of  the  tree,  and  not  far 
from  where  we  had  stretched  ourselves  to  sleep, 
I  felt  somewhat  startled  for  the  moment,  and 
between  sleeping  and  waking,  tried  to  persuade 
myself  that  it  was  only   "the  base  fabric  of 


326 


THE    GARDEJYER'S    MOXTHLl 


JYov  ember, 


vision,"  or  some  imaginary  echoes  of  dreamland, 
that  had  disturbed  my  slumbers  ;  so  tucking  in 
my  wet  rug  closer,  endeavored  to  sleep  again, 
but  could  not.     The  storm  had  suddenly  abated, 
and  as  the  moou  peered  through  the  scudding 
clouds  like  "  a  glimmering  light  in  the  east,'' 
"  made  darkness  visible. "    Now  fully  awakened, 
so  wet  and  chilly,  with  my  extremities  benumbed 
with  cold,  I  tried  to  endure  it  as  philosophically 
as  possible  until  morning,  while  my  companions 
seemed  happily  oblivious  to  all  "the  ills  that 
flesh  is  heir  to,"  and   soundly   slept  on.     The 
ight  seemed  to  increase  each,  moment  as  the 
moon's  rays  streamed  in  through  the  opening  in 
the  side  of  the  tree,  when  I  looked  around  and 
fancied  I  saw  a  most  fearful  looking  object,  like 
a  human  skeleton  sitting  before  me,  and  with 
.such  fierce  and  sparkling  eyes,  set  in  a  savage 
and    wolf-like    visage,   fixed    upon    me.      Cold 
chills  crept  over  me  as  I  looked  at  the  "  grave- 
yard ghoul,"  and  thought  some  strange  hallu- 
cination posssesed  me  ;  or  was   I  demented,  or 
was  it  some  optical  delusion,  or  what  could  it 
be  or  mean  ?  for  with  all  my  short  comings,  and 
with  my  sins  many  times  multiplied,  what  had 
I  done  to  be  viz-a-viz  with  such  a  ghastly  spectre, 
and  in  "  such   a  questionable  shape,''  or  why 
haunt  a  poor  gardener  like  me  ?     I  changed  ni}' 
position  to  get   a  better  sight  of  the  object  and 
satisfy  myself  as  to  whether  it  was  "a  spirit  of 
health  or  goblin  damned,"  vvhen  the  wolf-like 
head  moved  from  the  skeleton  shoulders,  and 
showing  its  teeth, quick  as  a  lightning  flash  darted 
by.     Heavens  defend  us  !  I  exdaimod,  what  can 
it  mean  ?   as  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  and  stumbling 
over  my  sleeping  companions  awoke  tliem,  as  I 
fled  from  the  spot.    Terror  stricken  as  they  were 
on  awaking  so  abruptly  from  their  quiet  slum- 
bers, to  find  themselves  in  so  strange  a  place, 
and  in  such  close  companionship  with  a  human 
skeleton,  you    may  imagine  how  hastily  they 
tumbled  out  ''  neck  and  crop"  from  the  charnel 
house  they  had  lodged  in.  I  do  not  know  whether 
my  hair  stood  erect  or  not ;  but  of  this  I  am 
certain,  that  I  felt  a  strange  prickly  sensation 
about  the  roots  of  my  capillary  covering  as  I  sat 
down  on  the  wet  soil  and  breathed  more  freely 
again. 

Dull,  heaf y,  opaque  looking  clouTls  were  rolling 
rapidly  above  and  gave  indications  of  an  ap- 
proaching storm,  as  the  wind  swejit  with  hurri- 
cane gusts  through  the  tree  to])S,  which  now  and 
again  broke  down  with  a  fearful  crash,  and  dis- 
turbed the  noisy  parrots  and  screaming  cocka- 


toos, as   with  a  yell,  some  frightened    animal 
fled    through    the  forest    with    that    unerring 
instinct  its  creator    had  endowed    it  with,  to 
the  more  open  glades.     Howl  answered  howl, 
which  seemed  to  echo  and  re-echo  again  on  all 
sides,  as  "the  darkness  covered  the  face  of  the 
earth,"  and    the    rain-drops    began    to  patter 
against  the  trees.     Flash  after  flash,  and  peal 
after  peal  reverberated  in  rapid  succession  as  the 
"  storm  fiend"  seem  to  revel  in  his  carnival  of 
destruction.  O  never  to  be  forgotten  night,  when 
"deserted  by  the  waning  moon,  and  skies  pro- 
claim night's  cheerless  noon."     The  question 
seemed  to  apply  to  me  so  forcibly,  ' '  what  art 
thou  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  Him  ?'*    In 
terrible  suspense  the  night  was  passed  alone,  ex- 
posed to  all  the  fury  of  the  storm,  and  not  know- 
ing where  our  companions  were,  but  fearing  the 
worst,  anxiously  looked  for  the  morrow.     The 
storm  seemed  to  have  spent  its  fury  as  daylight 
appeared,  when  our  ears  were  gladdened  with 
the  welcome  sounds  of  C-o-o-o  o  e-e-e-e,  (an  ab- 
original call,  which  the  whites  imitated  when 
hailing  one  another  in  the  distance,)  which  was 
answered  again  and  again,  as   our  little  band 
gathered,  happy  to  meet  again.     "Watchman, 
what  of  the  night  ?'  was  the  enquiry  of  each 
other, 

As  hand  s;r!v-]iecl  hand  in  friendship  firm  and  true, 
And  told  of  liow  lie  smelled  the  brimstone  liurning 

bluo. 
When  thronarh  the  tree  the  ghastly  pohlin  flew. 
And  yelled,  I  want  you  all,  both  him  and  you. 
Each  Christian,  Heathen.  Turk  and  Jew. 

Two  of  the  party,  with  a  serious  gravity, 
solemnly  declared  they  had  both  seen  and  heard 
the  ghost  several  times  during  the  night  after 
they  left  the  tree,  and  while  the  storm  was  rag- 
ing in  its  wildest  fury,  the  spectre  of  death  had 
appeared,  and  beckoning  with  its  skeleton  arms, 
bid  them  to  come. 

l^yron,  somewhere,  says  "Fiction  is  strange, 
but  truth  is  more  strange,''  and  incredulous  as 
the  story  may  seem  to  the  strong-minded  un- 
believers in  ghost  or  spectral  apparitions,  and  I 
was  one  of  them,  I  will  here  acknowledge  that 
the  experience  I  had  so  recently  had,  almost 
committed  me  to  a  belief  in  "Spiritualism." 
IIow  could  I  doubt  what  I  had  so  plainly  seen 
and  heard,  and  more  especially  so  when  corrobo- 
rated by  others,  who  saw  the  same  supernatural 
visitor  take  of  its  head,  when  first  seen,  and  as 
they  rushed  from  its  presence,  roll  its  skull  after 
them  ?  Why,  it  was  really  wicked  to  doubt  it. 
Ghost,  spirit,  hob-goblin,  or  whatever  it  might 


1671. 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S    MOJ^'THLY, 


327 


be,  I  was  completely  non-plused  with  what  I 
believed  I  had  seen.  Such  a  phantom,  I  have 
since  thought,  would  make  a  good  stock  ghost 
or  spectre  for  a  spiritualists  convention,  and 
would  have  been  a  match  for  "  the  evil  one,"  as 
pictured  in  the  old  editions  of  •'  Bunyau's  Pil- 
grim's Progress.'' 

There  are  those  "who  love  darkness  rather 
than  light,"  and  spirits,  like  bats  and  owls, 
naturally  hide  between  sun-rise  and  sun-set. 
Tombstones  and  old  sepulchral  monuments  were 
capital  places  for  them  to  hide  in  during  the 
daytime,  we  thought  in  our  younger  days. 

The  sun's  beams  were  glistening  through  the 
dripping  trees  and  gave  light  and  Avarmth  again 
to  the  world,  so  we  proposed  to  settle  the  ghost 
question  at  once,  by  i-eturning  to  the  weird  old 
gum  tree,  we  so  suddenly  and  summarily  made 
our  exit  from,  and  with  day  in  our  favor,  see  for 
ourselves,  and  ascertain  who  or  what  his  ghost- 
ship  was.  On  nearing  the  spacious  opening  in 
the  tree,  at  the  entrance  lay  a  veritable  human 
skull  we  had  stumbled  over  when  we  rushed  out, 
and  further  in  at  the  oposite  side,  the  sad  and 
sickening  sight  of  "a  skeleton  form  was  mould- 
ering there,"  in  a  sitting  posture.  Some  poor 
creature  had  perished  there  years  ago,  unvvept 
for,  unloved,  and  alone.  The  bony  structure  re- 
mained much  as  the  spirit  had  left  it,  (with  the 
exception  of  the  head  and  feet,)  but  was  com- 
pletely anatomised  by  the  ants,  which  literally 
swarm  in  Australia. 

Xear  by,  lay  an  old  pocket  knife,  closed,  with 
the  trade  mark  of  a  hammer,  between  two  stars, 
over  the  word  Sheffield,  stamped  in  the  blade, 
and  a  small  pocket  bible,  which  crumbled  into 
dust  when  touched,  and  had  no  doubt  been  a 
comfort  to  him  while  resting  in  "the  valley," 
ere  he  entered  "the  shadow  of  death."  lu  a 
niche  or  recess,  behind  where  the  poor  creature 
slept  his  last  sleep,  which  time  and  decay  had 
worn  out  in  the  tree,  was  the  lair  nr  nest  of  a 
dinge  or  native  dog,  in  which  snugly  lay  two  fat 
little  pups,  which  the  mother  was  nursing  when 
we  intruded  upon  her,  and  as  she  crouched  down 
with  her  head  upon  a  level  with,  or  rather 
where  the  human  head  had  been,  made  up  the 
"goblin  grim  "  that  had  caused  us  such  unne- 
cessary alarm.  The  morning's  meal  was  soon 
made,  as  hunger  had  sharpened  our  appetites, 
which  we  appeased  with  some  grilled  parrots, 
paroquets,  cockatoos,  and  lovebirds,  "And  was 
not  that  a  dainty  dish  to  set  before  a  King  ?  '' 
Yes,  I  will  answer  (or  you,  and  only  lit  for  a 


Kingly  stomach,  for  I  do  not  believe  that  any 
subject  of  royalty  ever  made  a  meal  of  any  flesh 
more  extremely  better  than  cockatoo  meat.  And 
now,  Mr.  Editor,  I  venture  to  give  you  one  word 
of  "advice  gratis."  If  you  are  ever  invited  to 
partake  of  any,  donn.  Shortly  after  we  started 
in  search  of  a  ford,  or  some  means  of  crossing  the 
river,  and  found  ourselves  surrounded  by  acres, 
or  miles  more  correctly  speaking,  of  those  abom- 
inable nuisances,  the  giant  nettles,  Urtica  gigas, 
U.  ferox,  the  latter  a  terrible  pest,  especially  in 
New  Zealand,  and  growing  as  dense  as  a  cane 
brake  ;  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  high.  With  the 
nettles,  and  nearly  as  high,  grew  a  pretty  star 
work,  bearing  white  flowers  and  silvery  leaves. 
Aster  gyrophila.  Unyielding  and  unbending 
thickets  of  olive  bushes,  Olea  paniculata,  with 
numerous  varieties  of  Isopogon  and  Adman- 
thos  caniata,  hedgehog  bushes,  or  Hakea  echina- 
ta.and  11.  acanthophyllum,combined  with  Bank- 
sia  serrata,  to  dispute  our  passage  through,  and 
sorely  tortured  us  with  their  thorns  and  spines. 
Such  a  phlebotomisingandbotanisingexpedition, 
I  should  think  seldom  fell  to  the  lot  of  any  poor 
bewildered  travelers  before,  as  lacerated  and  torn 
we  endeavored  to  find  a  way  out.  The  thorn  and 
nettle  maze,  however,  terminated  very  abruptly, 
with  a  deep  sand  barren,  which  showed  the 
course  of  the  stream  in  its  sinuous  windings  for 
some  distance  beyond.  After  walking  several 
hours  wu  entered  the  woods  again,  nearer  to 
where  the  river  poured  out  through  a  deep  rocky 
gorge,  the  perpendicular  sides  of  which  were 
covered  with  the  broom-like  Jar-ksonia  scopa.ria, 
and  several  kinds  of  pretty  Gompholobium,  of 
which  G.  marginatum  and  G.  venustum  were 
most  abundant.  Large  clusters  of  the  stagshorn 
fern,  Platycerium  alcicorne,  seemed  to  luxuriate 
everywhere ;  upon  the  rock  sides,  on  the  trees, 
and  the  soil,  and  seemed  able  to  live  everywhere. 
Some  fine  and  handsome  Stenocarpus  Cunning- 
hamii,  a  beautiful  foliaged  evergreen,  and  in  all 
respects  a  remarkable  and  singular  tree  ;  with  a 
few  specimens  of  S.  saliqua,  large  patches  of 
Swainsonia  galagrcfolia,  S  Grayana.  and  the 
pretty  Tetratheca  verticillata,  and  Trichinuin 
alopecuroideum,  a  very  curious  spotted  flower, 
which  appears  to  be  covered  with  very  line  hairs, 
or  floss  silk.  Fringe  myrtles,  or  Verticordias, 
Zanthosia  rotundifolia  and  Z.  hirsuta,  Mirabelia 
speciosa,  and  M.  Baxterii,  grew  as  underbrush, 
:  beneath  the  more  stately  forest  trees  Flindcr- 
;  aia  Austral  s,  or  Australian  Mahogany  tree,  was 
I  exceedingly  line  in  proportion,  and  of  good   ap- 


S0S 


TRE    GARDEJV-Eirs    MOJ^TMLl 


JS^ovcDiber, 


pearauce  as  an  ornamental  tree  ;  their  aveuage 
girth  was  about  thirty  feet,  and  in  height  two 
hundred  feet. 

Calatrlce  cuprcssiformis,  a  handsome  conifer, 
was  here  and  there  scattered  about.  I  consider 
it  one  of  the  most  beautiful  evergreen  trees,  with 
which  the  country  is  so  well  supplied.  Serious 
as  our  case  appeared  but  a  short  Lime  before, 
we  were  fortunate  in  discovering  a  bridge,  in  the 
form  of  a  mighty  old  gum  tree,  that  lay  stretched 
across  the  chasm,  llotten  and  decaying  as  it 
was,  with  the  bark  falling  off  in  large  pieces,  we 
ventured  one  at  a  time,  to  cross  over,  and  reach 
the  other  side,  and  "  then  praised  the  bridge  that 
carried  us  safely  over,"  and  thought  of  the 
promise  made.  "  He  shall  deliver  thee  in  six 
troubles,  yea  in  seven,  there  shall  no  evil  touch 
thee."  Our  course  was  now  made  as  direct  as 
possible  towards  Adelaide  City,  the  capital  of 
South  Australia.  The  heavy  rains  had  made 
traveling  disagreeable  and  fatiguing,  and  much 
of  the  wa3'  for  some  distance  was  submerged, 
and  seemed  more  adapted  for  Saurians,  or  some 
such  amphibious  creatures  to  wallow  in,  than 
the  poor  half  drowned  bipeds,  who  floundered 
through  it  as  best  they  could. 

The  nights  were  cold,  and  as  we  sat  shivering 
in  the  fork  of  a  tree,  or  stretched  our  weary 
limbs  on  some  fallen  trunk  trying  to  sleep,  or 
more  frequently  our  "lodgings  were  on  the  cold 
ground,"  the  heavenly  arch  was  thickly  stud- 
ded with  its  celestial  gems,  radiant  and  brightly 
shone  the  constellations  that  form  the  ''South- 
ern Cross,"  and  the  f\ice  of  "the  sweet  silver 
light  bonny  moon  "  seemed  to  look  at  us  with 
the  same  old  familiar  features  I  remembered 
when  a  child,  and  ])itied  the  poor  man  in  it 
Immutable  old  friend,  there  seemed  to  have  been 
no  change  with  thee,  but  how  different  was  the 
case  with  me,  since  I  Hrst  gazed  at  thy  shining 
countenance  ? 

Instinctively  memory  seemed  to  take  me  back 
to  the  'valley  and  the  village  church,  ♦'  and 
"the  old  house  at  home,"  so  near  to  the  church- 
yard, where  the  minds  eye  looking  beneath  the 
old  Yew  trees  could  see  the  long  row  of  graves 
where  my  ancestors  fjuietly  slumbered  for  seve- 
ral centuries, and  thought  there  could  be  no  possi- 
bility of  adding  another  little  mound  to  the  num- 
ber, with  tiie  writer  beneath,  sick  :is  I  was,  it 
seemed  so  unlik(>]y  then.  As  "  many  a  cloudy 
morning,  of't  brings  a  siiining  day,"  and  cheers 
us  with  the  change,  such  was  the  ctTect  it  had 
upon  us  as  the  clouds  unveiled  the  sun,  and  wc 


caught  a  glimpse  of  Mount  Lofty  looming  in  the 
distance,  and  but  a  iew  miles  from  Adelaide, 
where  friends  were  anxiously  awaiting  our  re- 
turn. We  observed  Acacia  cultriformis,  Del- 
wynia  ericaefolia,  and  D.  floribunda,  two  elegant 
little  shrubs,  with  Clerodendron  costatum,  Pan- 
danus  paniculata,  Dracaena  nutans,  Crinum  an- 
gustifolia,  C.  Australasicum,  Beckea  camphora- 
ta,  Corypha  Australis,  with  the  beautiful  ffila- 
carpas  cy nanus  in  the  back  ground,  produce  the 
most  charming  effect  in  a  mixed  group,  I  ever 
saw  promiscuously  growing  in  a  state  of  nature 
before.  You,  for  one,  would  have  admired  the 
sight,  familiar  as  you  are  with  the  subjects  here- 
in named.  And  what  a  pleasant  meeting  it 
would  have  been  for  all  the  good  readers  of  the 
Monthly  to  have  met  their  kind  Editor  there,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  globe,  where  "  Flora  "  has 
so  lavishly  displayed  her  charms.  Pleasant 
looking  homesteads,  good  farms,  orchards,  well 
tilled  with  fruit  trees,  and  gardens  ablaze  with 
flowers,  gave  indications  that  we  were  nearing 
the  end  of  our  journey  •,  and  as  we  hastened 
onwards,  arrived  in  time  to  see  the  novel  sight  of 
a  rowing  match  take  place,  and  "  the  annual  re- 
gatta," sail  along  Hindley  Street,  in  the  City  of 
Adelaide,  South  Australia,  where  for  the  present 
I  must  leave  you. 


HEATER  FOR  PLANT  CASE. 

BY  "TEXIAN,"  LAVACA,  TEXAS. 

Below  I  send  you  an  outline  drawing  of  a  hea- 
ter for  a  plant  case,  which  may  prove  useful  to 
amateurs  for  the  propagation  or  protection  of 
plants.  Your  lady  readers,  especially,  will  like 
it  as  a  means  of  experiment  or  recreation.  Its 
cleanliness,  easy  management,  and  economy  are 
its  recommendations.  The  idea  was  first  sug- 
gested by  an  invalid  in  an  old  number  of  the 
Albany  Cultivator.  But  he  used  alcohol,  which 
is  too  high  priced  for  economy,  and  I  believe  my 
double  boiler  to  be  a  great  improvement.  Pe- 
troleum lamp  oil  makes  a  powerful  heater.  I 
found  a  large  sized  burner  attached  to  a  plant 
case  two  and  a  half  feet  square,  to  heat  the  sand 
100''  Fahr.  with  a  moderate  flame,  outside  tem- 
perature was  50°  Fahr. ;  had  the  wick  been  turned 
up  higher,  the  heat  would  have  been  consider- 
ably increased.  The  lamp  requires  no  attention 
for  nours,  when  once  the  flame  is  properly  regu- 
lated. 

The  boilers  are  set  in  the  middle  of  the  frame, 
and  should  be  made  of  copper.     The  reservoir 


1871. 


THE    GARDEA'ER'S   MOJ\'THLY 


S29 


should  be  made  of  that  metal  or  zinc,  as  tin  is 
soon  rusted  iuto  holes.  The  bottom  of  the  res- 
ervoir must  be  at  least  eighteen  inches  from  the 
ground  or  floor,  to  allow  room  for  the  lamp  and 
boilers  beneath.  The  smoke  flue  should  be  per- 
fectly tight,  as  the  gases  from  the  lamp  are  very 
injurious  to  plants.  If  used  in  the  open  air,  it 
is  necessary  to  protect  the  smoke  flue  and  lamp 
.from  winds,  else  the  flame  will  bo  blown  out. 


A  is  the  lamp,  made  of  tin  or  copper  ;  1  is  the 
tube,  2  the  thumb  screw  for  regulating  the  wick, 
3  a  perforated  ventilator,  and  4  a  deflector  ;  all 
of  these  are  purchased  with  a  lamp  burner,  and 
with  very  little  change  can  be  attached  to  the 
heating  lamp  made  of  tin  or  copper. 

.B  is  a  cylindrical  enclosure  around  the  flame, 
to  prevent  loss  of  heat.  At  7  and  7  it  can  be  at- 
tached to  or  disconnected  /rom  the  boilers  by 


k'/iA/il^ 


means  of  pins  or  rivets  like  a  lantern  bottom.  5 
is  an  opening  through  which  the  lamp  can  be 
lighted  or  inspected  at  pleasure,  and  6  is  a  flat 
button  covering  the  same. 

A  and  l^  are  fastened  permanently  togetlier 
by  means  of  three  narrow  side  braces,  11  and  11. 
Between  A  and  £  is  a  flat  circular  piece  of  sheet 
raetaL,  (8  and  8)  so  closely  fitting  to  the  tube  1 


that  the  flame  cannot  reach  the  lamp  ;  above 
and  below  it,  between  A  and  B^  is  an  open 
space,  thus  the  lamp  is  kept  cool,  no  matter  how 
hot  the  flame.  So  many  accidents  have  occurred 
from  the  use  of  coal  oil,  that  I  believe  these  pre- 
cautions necessary. 

C  C  C  is  a  cylindrical  boiler  (i  inches  in  diam- 
eter, and  7}  inches  high  ;  il  is  soldered  water 


3S0 


THE    aARBEJsfEKS   MOJ^THLY,  JVovemher, 


tight  to  the  bottom  of  the  reservoir  JE,  near  the  i 
point  a.  The  bottom  of  this  boiler  is  not  flat,  | 
but  is  shaped  like  an  inverted  funnel ;  this  in- 
clined surfiice  is  soldered  to  the  outer  ^vall,  a  < 
half  inch  above  the  point  7,  and  reaches  up  to-  I 
wards  10,  so  as  to  form  a  part  of  the  smoke  flue  ; 
within  it  and  a  half  inch  distant,  is  | 

D,  another  boiler,  shaped  like  a  frustum  of  a 
cone,  it  is  full  4  inches  in  diauicter  at  the  base, 
and  b\  inches  high  ;  at  the  top,  a  small  cover  is 
soldered  on  which  hermetically  seals  it ;  at  c  c 
and  d  d  are  half  inch  tubes  connecting  it  with 
the  outer  boiler  C  (it  is  more  convenient  to  first 
solder  d  d,  and  afterwards  c  c).  Between  C  and 
D  is  a  circular  space  (9  and  9)  which  forms  a 
part  of  the  smoke  flue. 

E  and  E  is  the  main  reservoir  of  water,  and 
is  as  wide  and  long  as  the  plant  case,  and  rests 
on  the  lower  frame  work  of  the  same.  It  is 
lined  with  sheet*  metal,  which  is  tacked  to  the 
sides  of  the  plant  case  some  6  or  8  inches  above 
the  bottom.  It  should  be  supplied  with  water 
by  means  of  a  copper  or  zinc  pipe,  with  an  el- 
bow reaching  to  the  outside  ;  a  faucet  in  the  bot- 
tom of  boiler  Cis  useful  to  draw  off  the  water. 
By  adding  a  kettle  of  hot  water  from  the  stove, 
time  can  be  saved  in  heating. 

-Fis  the  sand  box  or  "bench  ;"  the  bottom  of 
this  should  be  of  tongued  and  grooved  boards,,  to 
prevent  the  sand  from  falling  through  and  filling 
up  the  tubes  and  boilers.  It  can  be  supported 
by  a  rib  of  metal .  strongly  soldered  2h  inches 
from  the  bottom  of  E,  or  by  sheet  metal  sup- 
ports, 2^  inches  long,  made  fast  by  solder. 

The  flame  strikes  against  the  bottom  of  the 
boiler  D,  and  spreading  to  every  side,  the  heated 
air  and  smoke  is  carried  off  by  the  flue  9  ;  in  its 
ascent,  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  inclined 
sides  of  the  outer  boiler  C,  and  heats  it  also. 
The  heated  water  in  D,  as  it  rises,  is  carried  off 
by  the  tubes  d  d,  and  its  place  is  supplied  by 
pressure  of  heavier  (colder)  water  through  the 
tubes  c  c. 

The  heated  water  in  C  is  carried  off  by  the 
four  long  tubes  e  e,  to  the  remote  corners  of  the 
reservoir  E,  and  its  place  is  supplied  by  colder 
water  descending  in  the  circular  space  b  h  h  b. 

I  should  have  explained  that  the  circular 
space  h  b  h  b  is  formed  by  constructing  loose 
cylinders,  reaching  from  the  top  of  E  to  the  bot- 
tom of  C,  (8i  inches)  and  ^  inch  smaller  than 
the  outer  boiler,  with  punched  or  notched  open- 
ings at  the  base,  and  having  the  lour  tubes  c  e 
soldered  into  it  near  the  top.     If  the  water  in 


the  reservoir  could  always  be  at  the  same  height, 
these  tubes  should  be  very  near  the  top  ;  but  as 
this  is  impracticable, they  had  better  be  near  "low 
water  mark." 


THE  ENGLISH  SPARROWS. 

BY  E.   M.,  nARRISBTTRG,    O. 

I  have  been  told  lately,  that  in  Brooklyn,  X. 
Y.,  several  years  ago,  that  the  park  and  street 
trees  were  so  badly  infested  with  worms,  as  al- 
most to  entirely  defoliate  the  trees  and  render 
them  disgusting  objects,  instead  of  objects  of 
beauty  and  utility  ;  and  that  the  citizens  sent  to 
England  and  imported  a  quantity  of  the  English 
Sparrows,  and  naturalized  them  in  their  grounds 
and  along  their  streets,  and  that  they  have  mul- 
tiplied rapidly,  and  entirely  rid  their  grounds  of 
of  those  disgusting  pests.  As  I  believe  the  Edi- 
tor is  a  countryman  of  these  birds,  will  you 
please  to  tell  me  and  others  interested,  what 
you  know  of  them,  their  habits,  management, 
and  how  to  best  provide  for  them  ?  whether  they 
are  in  any  way  troublesome  or  not,  and  the  good 
they  would  be  likely  to  accomplish  in  orchards 
and  ornamental  grounds  where  insects  abound? 
The  time  has  come  that  we  must  avail  ourselves 
of  every  available  object  for  our  relief  from  in- 
sects. 

[It  is  true  that  the  Parks  in  Brooklyn,  and 
some  in  New  York,  have  been  cleared  of  insects, 
and  this  is  true  in  a  great  degree  of  some  of  the 
Parks  in  Philadelphia,  although  here  many  of 
the  few  birds  at  first  imported,  wandered  off  into 
the  country,  and  therefore  the  few  left  have  not 
been  numerous  enough  to  do  much.  There  is 
not  the  slightest  doubt  but  that  the  English 
Sparrow  is  the  most  powerful  antagonist  these 
insects  have  yet  met  with.  That  is  insects  of 
the  caterpillar  kind.  As  for  the  curculio  and 
those  insects  which  chiefly  work  at  night,  the 
English  Sparrow  will  not  help  you  one  bit 
against  them.  They  will  simply  give  you  green 
trees,  where  you  want  nice  summer  shade— very 
nice  matters  for  town  and  suburban  gardens. 

As  for  fruit  and  grain  they  are  ravenous  on 
them,— taking  all  they  can  get.  They  not  only 
expect  to  be  paid  for  the  good  they  undoubtedly 
do  in  destroying  insects,  but  wish  to  be  their 
own  judge  and  jury  as  to  the  compensation  they 
are  to  receive. 

On  the  whole,  we  favor  llie  birds.  "We  ac- 
cept their  assistance  in  our  great  battle  with  the 
insects,  which  are  near  over-matching  our  hor- 


l<'<71. 


THE    dARDEJ^ER'S    MOJ^'TKLy. 


331 


ticultural  operations ;  and  when  the  time  comes 
for  them  to  put  on  airs,  as  come  it  will,  "a  new 
departure"  can  much  more  easily  be  inau5:urated 
for  them  than  for  other  troublesome  things. -Ed,] 


NOTES  OX  THE  SEASON. 

BY  A.  nUIDEKOPER,  MEADVILLE,  PA 

In  "Western  Penns3'lvania  the  season  has  been 
characterized  by  a  warm  and  dry  summer  pre- 
ceded by  an  unusually  dry  and  warm  sprins;. 
We  had  a  pretty  severe  frost  as  late  as  the  30th 
of  .June  and  an  early  frost  on  the  8th  of  Septem- 
ber. The  result  of  the  dryness  and  warmth  has 
been  that  game  and  domestic  birds  have  raised 
their  broods  with  success,  and  farm  products, 
with  the  exception  of  the  apple  crop,  have  gene- 
rally been  good  in  quantity  and  fair  in  quality  ; 
potatoes  especially  have  been  large  and  sound, 
and  the  yield  abundant. 

On  our  hill  orchards  we  get  a  good  crop  of 
peaches  about  once  in  three  years.  Our  farmers 
will  do  better  when  for  their  late  ripening  seed- 
ling they  substitute  Early  York  and  Old  Mixon, 
if  the  borer  be  kept  off,  can  be  relied  on  under 
ordinary  circumstajiccs  for  twelve  or  fifteen  years 
of  productiveness. 

The  pear  crop,  in  proportion  to  the  number  of 
trees,  has  this  year,  I  think, been  better  than  the 
apple  crop,  and  the  fruit  fiiir  and  satisfactory. 
After  several  years  of  exemption,  I  note  on  my 
own  trees  two  cases  of  blight.  The  one  very 
slight  on  a  Bloodgood  tree  growing  in  sod, and  a 
somewhat  Avorse  case  on  a  Belle  Lucrative  tree 
under  high  culture  on  well  drained  ground.  The 
last  named  tree  made  a  very  luxuriant  growth 
last  season,  notwithstanding  it  bore  a  full  crop 
of  fruit.  Theorists  may  draw  their  own  conclu- 
sions, but  to  me  the  frozen  sap  theory  seems  the 
most  probable  explanation  of  the  evil. 

Grapes— when  wild  vines  are  reported  as  found 
in  Vermont  and  Mississippi  measurijig  a  foot  or 
more  in  diameter,  some  persons  imagine  that 
such  size  is  the  result  of  centuries  of  develop- 
ment. To  show  how  rapid  may  be  the  growth 
of  a  vine,  I  may  mention  that  about  thirty  years 
ago  I  planted  a  vine  of  the  variety  known  as 
"Franklin  "  to  run  on  my  porch.  "When  set  out 
it  was  small,  about  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  and 
to  day  it  measures  nineteen  inches  in  circumfer 
ence.  I  reluctantly  sacrifice  it  this  fall,  giving 
a  Delaware  vine  its  place,  on  the  same  principle 
that  a  plank  road  or  a  turnpike  is  made  to  give 
way  in  the  progress  of  events  to  a  railroad.    In 


j  my  grapery  last  fall  I  had  the  surface  soil 
changed  to  the  depth  of  about  four  inches,  and 
the  good  eflects  have  been  quite  marked.  "With 
watering  and  shade,  soil  in  a  vinery  seems  to 
:  lose  its  life.  "When  removed  and 'exposed  for  a 
winter,  it  re-acquires  it,  and  forms  good  material 
for  dressing  flower  beds.  Of  the  foreign  grapes- 
I  it  seems  hardly  worth  while  to  grow  any  longer 
1  Sweetwaters  and  Chasselas  grapes,  when  from 
j  the  newer  varieties  we  can  get  such  superb  look- 
ing fruit  with  little  or  no  sacrifice  in  its  quality^ 
Every  berry  of  the  Buckland  Sweetwater  this 
year  with  me  has  been  of  a  fine  amber  color,  and 
the  bunches  though  not  very  large,  perfect  in 
shape,  the  fruit  being  luscious  and  sweet.  The 
Golden  Hamburg  has  produced  larger  clusters 
and  larger  berries,  many  of  the  latter  an  inch  or 
more  in  diameter.  The  fruit  has  less  substance 
to  it  than  Buckland,  but  when  the  berries  are 
■'  golden  "  I  do  not  find  it  deficient  in  sweetness 
or  fiavor.  It  is,  however,  a  poor  grape  to  keep 
after  maturity,  and  I  look  forward  to  the  later 
novelty,  the  Golden  Champion,  as  likely  to  sup- 
plant it,  if  the  latter  equals  the  reports  we  get  of 
it  from  abroad,  Muscat  Hamburg, — This  grape 
like  the  Troveron  has  behind  its  sweetness  a  base 
of  acidity.  It  hangs  well  and  drys  into  raisins. 
It  fertilizes  a  full  compliment  of  berries,  but  un- 
even in  size,  like  the  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  the 
principal  fruit  stems  of  the  two  varieties  being 
much  alike.  I  think  it  would  be  improved  by 
artificial  impregnation.  A  bi'anch  of  this  va- 
riety interlocked  itself  this  3fear  in  my  vinery 
with  those  of  a  Black  Hamburg,  On  this  branch 
I  noticed  the  fruit  vvas  much  finer  than  on  the- 
rest  of  the  vine.  The  clusters  weighed  about  a 
pound  and  a  quarter  each  and  the  berries  were 
all  large,  uniform  in  size,  and  ripened  more  uni- 
formly than  those  situated  differently. 

Of  out-door  grapes,  the  Delaware  this  year 
takes  the  lead,  ripening  the  middle  of  September 
Israella,  Christine,  Miles,  and  some  other  early 
Isabella  varieties  are  eatable  now,  while  "Maxa- 
tawney  lacks  a  week  or  two  of  maturity. 

I  see  that  the  "Department  of  Agriculture" 
does  us  the  favor  in  vol.  for  18G9  to  classify 
many  of  the  varieties  of  grapes  now  in  the  cata- 
logue". It  may  be  an  interesting  question  to  ask, 
Do  grapes  ever  change  in  their  seedlings  from 
one  variety  to  another  ?  "We  know,  to  begirk 
with,  that  the  seedling  fruit  is  often  quite  differ- 
ent both  in  color  and  quality  from  that  of  the 
parent  vine.  Then  we  have  natural  and  artifi- 
cial hybrids  and  seedlings  from  these  instead  of 


ss. 


THE    GARDE^'^ER'S    MOJ\'TELJ 


J\''ov  ember, 


producing  a  new  class  revert  back  to  that  of  one 
of  the  parents 

To  fortify  my  question,  before  some  critic  at- 
tacks, permit  me  to  refer  to  the  note  in  Down- 
ing's  large  edition  on  "  Sheppard's  Delaware," 
which  the  author  reports  as  raised  in  1853,  from 
a  seed  of  the  Catawba,  the  vine  and  fruit  being 
similar  in  all  respects  to  the  Delaware.  Mr.  G, 
W.  Campbell,at  page  81,  of  Gardener  s  3Ionthly, 
vol.  1871,  speaks  of  a  Delaware  Seedling  with 
thick,  heavy  foliage  and  a  strong  habit  of  growth. 
This  looks  a  little  as  though  the  thin  leafed  ses- 
tivalis  and  the  robust  labrusca  had  a  tendency 
to  overleap  family  boundaries. 

Next  year,  if  living,  I  hope  to  report  on  some 
of  the  English  and  French  novelties.  Do  you 
know  any  cultivator  in  this  country  who  lias  the 
Fintindo  ?     I  should  like  to  sret  it. 


NEW  BULBS. 

BY  WALTER   ELDER,  PIIILADELrHIA. 

Your  readers  will  likely  observe,  by  the  adver- 
tising columns  of  the  Monthly  that  our  seedsmen 
and  nurserymen  have  got  their  importations  of 
flowering  bulbs,  from  north  Europe,  consisting 
of  Crocus,  Hyacinth,  Tulip,  Narcissus,  Snow- 
drops, Lily,  Crown  Imperial,  &c.,  besides  all 
the  choice  species  for  growing  in  glasshouses. 
We  have  received  the  catalogues  of  our  leading 
dealers  in  this  country  and  Europe,  from  all  of 
which, we  learn  that  last  summer  was  very  favo- 
rable for  the  maturing  of  the  bulbs,  and  that 
large  numbers  of  new  and  superior  varieties  of 
every  species  are  sent  out  this  year  for  the  first 
time,  and  as  many  of  the  old  inferior  varieties 
have  been  discarded.  Purchasers,  we  think, 
may  rely  upon  getting  sound  bulbs  and  choice 
varieties. 

Among  the  wonders  in  bulb  culture,  are  the 
Golden  Lily  of  Japan  (Lilium  auratum),  I  have 
seen  it  in  its  full  prime  the  past  two  summers  in 
Dreer's  collections.  Many  of  the  bulbs  bore  six 
blooms,  nine  inches  in  diameter  and  very  fra- 
grant. Thos.  J.  Mackenzie,  exotic  florist  of 
Philadelphia,  has  the  Lilium  VKjrinum  flore pJcno 
or  the  double  tigcrlily, of  large  size  and  splendid 
appearance.  Louis  Van  Iloutto,  of  Ghent,  ac- 
quaints us  of  the  new  lily,  Lilium  tigrinum  splen- 
dens  Lenpoldii,  which  has  produced  a  great  ex- 
citement in  T'^urope  by  the  great  size  and  daz- 
zling colors  and  su))erb  markings  of  the  l)looms. 
Tlis  new  varieties  of  Anian/llis  nro  most  f<i)len(li(l 
and  have  won  many  ))rizL'S  in  Europe  the  past 
two  years. 


THE  BEECH  TREES  OF  HOLLAND. 

BY  J.  N.  L.,    PHILADELPHIA. 

I  believe  the  following,  by  a  correspondent  of 
the  Philadelphia  Press,  "Letters from  an  Archi- 
tect in  Europe  "  would  have  an  interest  for  the 
readers  of  the  3fonthly  : 

"Just  before  I  reached  the  double  row  of 
houses  which  mainly  form  the  village  of  Zeist,  I 
saw  on  my  right  hand  an  iron  gateway,  and 
beyond  that  gateway  the  finest  tree  lined  lane, 
without  exception,  that  I  have  any  recollection 
of.  The  trees  were  tall  beeches,  from  eighteen 
to  twenty  feet  apart,  and  extending  back  from 
the  road  perhaps  rather  more  than  a  furlong. 
There  was  a  path  about  eight  feet  wide,  grass  on 
either  side  of  it,  and  the  whole  so  completely 
hedged  in  by  smaller  trees  and  shrubbery  that 
no  direct  light  was  admitted.  Probably  you 
have  never  seen  a  forest  entirely  of  beeches. 
Such  forests  are  common  here,  and  when  grass 
is  kept  growing  under  them  the  effect  is  most 
wonderful.  The  first  sight  I  had  of  a  beech 
forest,  which  was  at  Haarlem,  was  really  en- 
rapturing, notwithstanding  it  was  on  a  cloudy 
day.  Now  this  lane  that  I  tell  you  of  was  all 
filled  with  a  diff"used  green  light,  filtered  through 
the  several  strata  of  pale  green  leaves,  and  pro- 
ducing an  exqusite  gossamery  effect  that  sent  a 
sudden  thrill  of  joy  and  sweet  surprise  to  the  de- 
lighted eye. 

What  cathedral  builder  more  triumphant  in 
results  than  is  the  man  who  takes  such  straight 
saplings  as  once  these  were,  carefully  plants 
them  in  extended  rows  on  level  ground,  and  as 
heedfully  waits  upon  them  year  after  year,  until 
they  shall  have  attained  that  strength  and  vigor 
that  their  future  course  and  perfect  uprightness 
is  assured.  AVhat  cathedral  builder  has  found 
stone  for  his  columns,  for  his  walls  and  grained 
ceiling,  so  satisfying  to  the  eye  and  free  from 
imitation  to  the  sight,  so  perfectly  ]ileasing  in 
fact,  as  he  who  lined  this  lane  with  beech  trunks. 
And  where  the  glass  stainer  that  has  filled  the 
stone  cathedral  with  such  a  spiritual  glow  as 
comes  through  this  fibrous  greenness. 


DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  POTATO 
BEETLE. 

BY  'rural  pastor,"  EANVILLE,  ILLS. 

Allow  a  little  criticism  with  regard  to  j'our 
article  on  the  "Destruction  of  the  Potato  Beetle." 
in  your  July  number.     You  recommend  rolling, 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOMTHLY. 


SS3 


but  the  process  "\vould  be  like  trying  to  flatten 
bullets  by  rolling  them  in  a  bed  of  ashes.  The 
heaviest  roller  would  not  crush  them  on  plowed 
ground.  I  have  often  tried  to  kill  them  with  my 
foot,  but  unless  the  ground  is  very  hard  they 
would  bed  into  it  and  then  soon  come  up  again 
for  their  work.  I  have  watched  their  habits 
closely  in  three  different  States,  and  as  they  will 
soon  be  upon  3'ou,  a  few  remarks  may  not  be  out 
of  place:  for  if  you  are  as  ready  to  receive  them 
as  we  now  are,  they  need  not  be  greatly  dreaded 
after  all.  They  love  some  kinds  much  better 
than  others,  as  for  instance  they  prefer  the  Early 
York  to  the  Early  Rose,  and  will  leave  the  Peach 
Blow  till  th&  last.      ' 

Plant  early  and  you  can  give  your  potatoes  a 
good  start  before  the  bugs  get  over  their  spring 
stupor. 

Plant  early  kinds  for  there  are  three  distinct 
•rops  of  bugs,  and  generally  they  come  in  count- 
less numbers  to  take  the  latest  kinds. 

Hand  pkl-^  if  not  very  bad-  See  if  there  are 
many  of  the  lady  bug  or  lady  bird  as  it  is  some- 
times called.  If  they  are  plenty,  they  will  take 
care  of  your  potatoes  for  you.  They  are  a  little 
red  bug  with  dark  spots,  and  eat  their  eggs  most 
voraciously.  If  necessary  to  use  other  means, 
take  one  pound  of  Paris  Green  to  thirty  pounds  of 
common  plaster  and  mix  thoroughly,  and  apply 
when  the  dew  is  on,  and  3' ou  will  slaughter  them 
by  hundreds  of  thousands.  The  plaster  is  good 
for  your  potatoes  and  you  don't  get  green  enough 
to  hurt  anything.  Apply  as  often  as  the  vines 
need  it,  and  you  need  have  no  fears  as  to  the  re- 
sult. I  have  saved  acres  of  potatoes  this  sum- 
mer by  recommending  this  plan  in  our  village 
paper.  When  the  bugs  come,  plant  as  little 
ground  as  possible,  enrich  it  highly  and  use  ashes 
and  salt  to  counteract  any  tendency  to  rot,  and 
then  you  may  laugh  at  the  "destruction  which 
waste th  at  noonday." 


LETTER  FROM  ROCHESTER. 
I  am  not  much  given  to  writing,  except  in  a 
business  way,  but,  while  sending  my  subscrip- 
tion for  the  new  year  to  the  publishers,  take  the 
occasion  to  say  a  good  word  to  the  Editor  in 
praise  of  the  good  work  the  magazine  is  doing  in 
the  way  of  increasing  the  taste  for  gardening. 
It  pains  me  to  hear  agent  after  agent,  as  they 
come  in,  complain  that  the  people  they  travel 
among  care  little  for  the  beauties  of  this  world— 
ihat  so  long  as  they  can  get  a  potato  or  cabbage 


for  dinner,  or  an  apple  to  make  "  sass  "  to  eat 
with  their  bread,  the  people  generally  care  for 
nothing  else. 

How  to  me  these  people  seem  like  the  beast 
which  perisheth  !  Give  it  its  belly  full,  and  a 
little  mire  to  wallow  in,  and  it  will  go  through 
the  world  of  no  use  but  for  the  fat  which  it  leaves 
behind  it.  So  these  people  scrimp  and  screw, 
and  lay  by  their  money,  making  no  home  beauti- 
ful, exciting  no  intellectual  culture  or  elevated 
aspirations  amongst  their  sons  and  daughters  ; 
and  they  die,  leaving  hundreds  of  dollars  to  be 
wasted  by  the  piggish  brood  they  have  brought 
up. 

I  often  think  if  these  people,  who  see  no  good 
in  plants,  trees  or  flowers,  who  have  no  aspira- 
tions beyond  something  to  eat  or  something  to 
sell,  had  a  hand  in  the  making  of  this  world,  what 
a  miserable,  dreary  place  it  would  be  !  And  when 
I  drive  through  the  country,  and  see  here  and 
there  one  or  two  pretty  places,  which,  perhaps, 
some  loving  womah's  hand  has  made  a  paradise, 
in  spite  of  her  lord's  growling  about  the  money 
it  costs,  I  thank  heaven  that,  though  woman 
was  the  means  of  the  thorns  and  thistles  of  life 
springing  up  for  us,  she  is  yet  left  to  bring  more 
than  paradise  to  us  when  she  can  have  her 
way. 

And  you,  good  friend  Editor,  long  may  you 
live  to  help  her,  and  to  encourage  those  of  the 
sterner  sex  to  look  on  these  thing  in  a  more 
rational  light.  And  jierhaps  I  may  say  a  word 
to  my  brother  nurserymen,  many  of  whom  do 
not  exhibit  so  much  the  spirit  of  taste  and  cul- 
ture -which  they  might  do.  They  have  Tlie  ma- 
terial at  hand,  at  little  cost,  and  they  might,  by 
a  very  little  display  of  gardening  about  them, 
set  an  example  which  would  spread  about  them. 
I  am  pleased  to  know  that,  of  late  years,  there  is 
much  improvement  in  this  respect. 

Thirty  years  ago,  a  hoggish  looking  hole  would 
be  called  a  nursery— perhaps  merely  because 
ti-ees  were  sold  from  the  spot  ;  but  such  relics  of 
the  barbarous  past  are  dying  away  with  the 
stage  coaches  and  other  incidents  of  the  last 
generation,  happily  to  be  replaced  by  better 
things. 

But  I  find  that  I  have  written  on  farther  than 
I  intended,  and  will  conclude  with  best  wishes 
for  the  continued  prosperity  of  the  magazine. 

[We  are  not  sure  that  this  was  intended  for 
publication  ;  but  the  sentiments  are  too  good  for 
our  private  ears  alone. — Eu.] 


S4S 


llli:    GARBEMEli'lS    MQjrTIlLy. 


JS'^ovemher. 


IMPROVEMENT  in  SEEDLING  PEACHES. 

BY  aiR.  LORIN  BLODGETT,  PUILADA. 

I  have  been  interested  by  finding  two  recent 
crops  of  seedling  Peach  trees,  grown  in  my  gar- 
den, develope  some  qualities  that  lead  me  to  hope 
for  good  autumn  peaches  at  some  early  day,  in 
place  of  the  few  and  poor  ones  now  to  be  found. 
And  I  have  put  some  average  specimens,  both  of 
size  and  crowded  growth,  on  the  tables  at  the 
Exhibition,  not  as  attractions,  but  as  illustra- 
tions. 

My  first  production  was  a  year  ago,  and  this 
year  I  have  three  or  four  trees,  bearing  five  to 
eight  bushels  each,  of  October  peaches,  yet  so 
very  soft  and  delicate,  when  fully  ripe,  as  to  be 
properly  characterized  as  melting  peaches.  They 
are  small — the  worst  fault  they  have— but  per- 
fectly sweet,  and  perfectly  melting  in  flesh.  Two 
are  white  fleshed,  one  yellow,  but  all  freestones, 
and  all  characterized  by  a  singularly  slender 
twig,  small  leaf,  and  small  branches,  with  a  re- 
markable crowding  of  blossoms  and  oi  perfect 
fruit.  I  never  saw  such  abundant  and  persistent 
bearing,  nor  so  many  peaches  ripening  perfectly 
on  a  tree. 

My  friend.  Dr.  Emerson,  pronounced  them 
descendants  of  a  class  known  formed}^  here  as 
"  AVillow  peaches,"  which  were  good,  but  small 
in  fruit,  very  great  bearers,  late  in  ripening,  and 
tender  in  flesh  as  these.  It  is  a  peculiarity  of 
all  of  them  that,  when  fully  ripe,  the  skin  will 
peel  ofi"  with  the  greatest  ease  from  the  whole 
peach.  And  the  "  Willow  "  peach  was  also,  he 
says,  remarkable  for  following  close  to  the  parent 
in  all  seedlings  grown  from  it. 

I  really  think  some  good  cultivator  might  get 
us  good  autumn  peaches  from  this  "Willow" 
stock.  A  little  larger,  firmer  and  brighter  in 
color  is  all  the  change  desired.  The  productive- 
ness, absence  of  acidity,  and  perfect  tenderness 
cannot  be  excelled,  as  I  hope  to  prove  by  speci- 
mens sent  you  as  soon  as  they  perfectly  ripen. — 
/Sept.  VHk. 

Since  the  above  we  have  received  from  Mr.B., 
under  date  of  Sept.  20th,  the  following  : — 

I  have  for  many  years  felt  an  interest  in  grow- 
ing seedling  peaches,  and  some  years  ago  got 
some  very  earl}'  peaches,  in  a  colder  climate,  but 
I  had  no  expectations  of  succeeding  here,  where 
October  peaches  are  usually  so  unpromising,  as 
well  as  so  scarce.  But  I  have,  this  year,  some 
25  trees  bearing,  most  of  them  for  the  first  lime, 


— a  few  bore  last  year,  and   I   send   you  a  few 
specimens  as  illustrations. 

I  am  not  certain  that  any  one  of  them  is 
worth  propagating  as  a  market  peach,  but  two 
or  three  are  singularly  valuable  for  any  use— 
the  most  delicate,  digestible,  prolific  and  thor- 
oughly excellent  for  dessert  peaches  that  I  have 
ever  found.  They  are  too  small  and  too  soft  for 
market  purposes  ;  but  it  is  singular  to  what  an 
extent  the  prolific  element  is  appaient,  all  being 
loaded  witii  fruit,  and  all  the  larger  ones  are  very 
superior  for  putting  up  in  au}'^  form. 

My  friend,  Pr.  Emerson,  recognizes  a  class  in 
them  called  the  "Willow  "  peach,  a  persistent  if 
not  indigenous  peach,  said  to  come  nearly  true 
from  seed.  Nos.  5,0,  12  and  14,' are  of  this 
class.  No.  5  and  14  being  exactly  alike,  and  all 
having  very  slender  twigs,  pendant  "  ropes  "  of 
fruit,  small  leaves,  &c. 

I  only  send  you  these  to  give  some  proof  that 
attention  to  seedlings  may  yet  give  us  good 
peaches  from  September  15th  to  the  last  of  Octo- 
ber— the  season  in  which  our  peach  market  is  al- 
most wholly  bare  of  good  peaches.  The  "  Gar- 
den peach  "  is  one  that  has  been  developed  for 
this  season ;  and  on  my  first  trial  I  have  got  six 
or  seven  trees  (out  of  30)  that  I  would  not  spare 
on  any  consideration.  From  the  time  the  mar- 
ket supply  ceased,  say  the  middle  of  September, 
I  have  had  a  great  surplus,  and  shall  have  until 
November  1st,  and  all  from  not  over  twenty 
trees. 

A  few  of  the  numbers  that  I  do  not  enclose,  as 
Nos.  12,  13,  15,  18,  19  and  20,  are  mere  ditpli- 
cates  of  what  I  send— 12  being  a  white,  melting 
peach,  gone  a  week  ago  ;  13  and  15  white  cling- 
stones, not  ripe  ;  and  18  and  19  large  white  cling- 
stone, ripe  and  gone.  About  five  only  were  ab- 
solutely worthless. 

[The  peaches  sent  were  mostly  of  the  highest 
excellence.  The  result  is  truly  remarkable. 
Well  as  we  know  that  an}^  can  get  good  fruit  by 
a  little  care  in  the  selection  of  seedlings,  we  had 
no  idea  that  there  was  room  for  so  much  supe- 
riority. Some  of  these  we  think  superior  to  the 
best  of  our  late  ones  now  grown  ;  and  we  hope, 
another  year,  Mr.  Blodgett  will  select  one  of  the 
best  to  name  and  distribute. — Ed.] 


NOTES  ON  SOME  TEXAS  GRAPES. 

BY   PROF.    BUCKLEY. 

Py  to-day's  mail,  I  send  you   specimens  of 
Yilis  rupestris  Schule,  and  of  my  "\'.  moutana. 


1811. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MOA'TBLY. 


335 


The  last  has  its  fruit  now  ripe,  but  I  cannot  send 
it  to  3-ou  retaining  its  characteristics.  Tlie  ber- 
ries are  from  one-half  to  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  in  diameter;  black,  skin  very  thin,  pulp 
juicy,  slightly  acid,  tinged  with  red  ;  racemes 
three  to  five  inches  long — generally  about  three  ; 
shouldered,  berries  thickly  placed,  yet  not  too 
much  crowded. 

The  racemes  of  rupestris  as  it  fruited  here 
this  summer  are  about  three  inches  long,  berries 
densely  crowded.  They  did  not  arrive  at  ma- 
turitj'.  You  can  see  from  the  leaves  that  the 
two  grapes  are  very  distinct ;  the  leaves  of 
the  mountain  grapes  being  more  like  those  of 
the  Mustang,  yet  they  are  not  so  densely  to- 
mentose  beneath  as  the  new  berry.  Those  of 
Montana  I  think  become  more  pubescent  with 
age.  I  have  both  of  these  grapes  in  cultiva- 
tion, and  intend  that  others  shall  also  cultivate 
them,  that  the  proof  may  be  certain  and  ad- 
mitted by  all,  that  \^  montaua  is  a  good  spe- 
cies. 

I  shall  also  prove  that  the  Post-Oak  grape  (V. 
Lencecumii)  is  very  distinct  from  the  Labrusca. 
I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the  Isabella  was 
derived  from  the  Post-Oak  grape.  Its  whole 
fructification  is  very  distinct  from  the  La- 
brusca. Dr.  McEee,  on  old  botanist  of  Wil- 
mington, North  Carolina,  told  me  that  the 
gardener  of  the  Gibbs  family  (from  whom  the 
Isabella  is  said  to  have  originated),  told  him 
that  the  Isabella  was  not  a  seedling  found  in 
the  Carolinas,  as  has  been  represented,  but  that 
it  was  obtained  f  om  the  French  or  Spanish  of 
Louisiana  or  the  AVest  Indies.  I  write  from 
memory.  I  published  an  account  of  it  in  the 
Horticulturist  of  1858  or  1859,  when  J.  Jay 
Smith  edited  it. 

I  know  that  few  if  any  of  our  Xorthern  bota- 
nists or  fruit-growers  will  admit  this,  but  time 
will  determine  the  truth,  and  all  will  acknowl- 
edge that  the  Post-Oak  is  a  very  distinct  species, 
as  everybody  does  in  Texas. 

[It  is  clear  that  histories  were  too  readily 
made  up  in  the  past  time.  Scientific  men,  ac- 
customed to  a  rigid  and  strict  examination  of 
facts,  are  too  apt  to  believe  that  the  rest  of  man- 
kind arc  like  themselves.  Hence  they  take  up 
too  readily  statements  of  other  people  who 
have  either  deceived  themselves  or  been  de- 
ceived by  others.  In  regard  to  the  history  of 
grapes  we  are  all  familiar  with  tales  which  have 
been  subsequently  found  incorrect,  and  we  have 
little  doubt  about  the  correctness  of  Mr.  Buck- 


ley's invc^tications  in  regard  to  the  origin  of 
the  Isabella  grape. 

In  Dr.  Asa  Gray's  excellent  "Manual  of 
Botany,"  so  usually  strict  in  its  facts  and  state- 
ments that  it  will  long  live  as  a  monument  of 
striking  accuracy,  yet  appears  the  statement 
that  the  Scuppcrnong  or  Muscadine  grape  is 
the  2.)arcnt  of  the  Catatcha.  Surely  some  one 
must  have  misinformed  the  good  Doctor  here. 

As  to  the  new  Texas  species  of  grape,  it  is 
likely  the  characters  are  as  good  as  many  often 
employed,  but  the  time  will  probably  come 
when  the  facts  of  variations  are  better  under- 
stood, when  but  two  or  three  species  will  be  re- 
cognized for  the  whole  American  continent. 
They  vary  like  blackberries.     Ed.] 


HOT  WATER  CIFtCULATIOX. 

BY  A.   L.   PEXXOCK,   PHI  LA. 

In  the  August  Monthly,  Mr.  Hitchings'  re- 
marks seem  to  require  an  explanation  of  my  ar- 
ticle in  the  June  number. 

The  figures  taken  by  me,  212''  for  the  flow  and 
80^  for  the  return,  were  merely  given  to  illus- 
trate my  argument.  I  also  did  not  intend  to 
say  that  43^  difference  was  necessary  to  create 
circulation,  although  there  was  that  difference 
in  the  tank  experiment.  When  a  boiler  is  first 
fired  up,  we  always  expect  a  cold  return-pipe, 
unless  something  is  wrong  in  the  circulation. 
After  the  water  becomes  well  heated  and  in  full 
motion,  the  return  pipe  is  much  warmer,  and 
much  less  difference  in  the  temperature  is 
required  to  keep  up  a  circulation.  A  ball  roll- 
ing down  a  hill  will  continue  the  same  speed, 
although  the  descent  is  but  slight  towards  the 
bottom.  The  area  of  the  cross  section  of  the 
tank  was  many  times  greater  than  the  connect- 
ing pipes,  as  Mr.  Hitchings  supposes,  but  proba- 
bly the  speed  of  the  current  was  properly  repre- 
sented by  tne  chip,  for  in  no  case  did  it  touch 
the  side  of  the  tauk. 

^ly  idea  is  that  the  greater  the  difference  of 
temperature  between  the  flow  and  return,  every- 
thing else  being  the  same,  the  more  rapid  is  the 
circulation.  The  current  may  be  impeded  by 
great  length  of  pipe  or  in  various  ways,  but  let 
those  hindrances  be  the  same  in  each  case,  and 
the  speed  will  be  the  greatest  with  the  greatest 
dillerence  in  the  temperature  of  the  tlow  and  re- 
turn ;  and  certainly  if  the  water  has  lost  the 
most  heat,  the  house  has  received  it.  I  believe 
accurate  experiments  will  sustain  this  view. 


3S6 


TEE    GARBBJSfER'S   MOJ^TELY. 


Jfovember 


I  fuUy  agree  with  l»[r.  Hitchings,  that  the 
secondary  heat  should  be  used  both  for  economy 
and  safety.  I  have  known  two  green-houses 
burned  down,  supposed  to  be  by  the  heat  after 
passing  through  tlie  boiler,  and  I  have  taken 
down  the  boiler  where  the  wood-work  vras 
charred  ten  feet  from  it,  but  I  cannot  agree 
with  him  when  he  talks  about  300  or  350 
degrees  escaping  after  the  secondary  heat  is 
used.  My  experience  is,  that  no  such  waste  of 
heat  is  uecessar}'. 


SPORTS  I2T  yEGETATIO:N^. 

r.Y  MR.   A.   FENDLER,  ST.   LOUIS,  MO. 

Last  summer  I  met  with  some  remarkable 
sports  in  vegetation.  On  several  stalks  of  In- 
dian corn  in  my  field,  I  found  the  tassel  or  male 
llower  bear  the  grain.  The  ear  which  ordina- 
rily develops  laterally  was  wanting,  but  was 
represented  by  the  central  spike  of  the  male 
llower  ;  the  lateral  spikelets  of  the  latter  also 
had  grains  on  them,  though  more  scattered. 

Several  plants  of  the  common'y  cultivated 
climbing  rose  being  rather  in  my  way,  I  pruned 
them  several  times  very  severely  during  spring 
and  early  part  of  summer.  In  consequence  of 
this  pruning,  as  I  suppose,  they  produced  roses 
of  a  small  size,  still  double,  but  having  the 
outer  petals  of  a  lively  green,  and  the  more 
central  ones  of  a  white  color,  instead  of  their 
natural  red  color.  Tecoma  grandiflora  I  tried 
to  raise  from  seeds,  but  got  only  one  plant  that 
came  up  to  the  original  in  regard  to  size  and 
shape  of  flavor.  All  the  rest  of  the  seedlings 
resembled  very  much  our  Tecoma  radicans  of 
the  woods.  A  similar  experience  I  had  with 
plants  raised  from  seeds  of  the  large-flowered 
Lilac  (Charles  X.),  only  one  of  the  seedlings 
producing  very  large  flowers.     Three  plants  of 


Yucca  angustifolia,  which  I  raised  from  seeds, 
proved  each  of  them  to  be  twins,  indicating  two 
separate  embryos  under  one  seed-covering,  the 
same  as  you  had  occasion  to  observe  in  the 
Osage  Orange. 

[The  writer  noticed  this  year  ears  of  corn 
which  had  developed  in  the  usual  way,  but 
were  on  large  stalks,  which  had  from  four  to 
six  nodes  or  joints,  instead  of  being  set  down 
(sessile)  on  the  stalk  as  in  the  usual  wa3\  The 
occurrence  of  grains  along  the  male  raceme  is 
not  at  all  uncommon  ;  but  the  lesson  it  teaches 
is  not  often  thought  of.  It  is  that  there  is 
nothing  organically  distinct— primaril}-  speak- 
ing— between  the  female  and  male  flowers  ;  but 
that  in  the  early  stages  of  the  flower's  exist- 
ence it  is  so  constituted  that  by  suhsequent  laws 
it  may  be  converted  into  either  sex.  What  is 
known  as  Meehan's  Theory  (see  Proceedings  of 
American  Association)^  attributes  this  to  vary- 
ing powers  of  nutrition, — tbe  most  favorably 
nourished  germ  becoming  a  female  flower. 

It  has  been  supposed  that  the  Tecoma  or 
Bignonia  grandiflora  of  Japan,  is  but  a  variety 
of  S.  radicans.  Mr.  Fendler's  note  shows  they 
are  essentially  the  same. 

Dr.  Engelman  has  recently  called  the  writei-'s 
attention  to  the  fact  that  in  a  German  scientific 
work  a  figure  of  an  Enpliorhiaceous  plant  exists 
in  which  the  two  embryos  under  one  testaceous 
envelope  had  inarched  together  as  noted  in  the 
Osage  Orange  referred  to.  A  multiplication  of 
embryos  appears  to  have  been  noticed  some 
time  back  in  the  orange  family  [aurantiaceous 
plants).,  and  by  the  writer  recently  in  oaks  and 
peach  kernels,  but  the  inarching  together  of  the 
two  developing  germs  does  not  seem  to  be  so 
common. — Ed.I 


EDITORIAL. 


RECOLLECTIONS  OF  TRAVEL. 
15y  the  kind  courtesy  of  the  officers  of  the 
Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad,  we  were 
taken  over  one  of  the  most  beautiful  regions  of 
country  it  is  possible  to  conceive  of.  "Wooded 
hills  and  deep  ravines,  bold  rocks  and  tlic  beau- 
tiful contrasts  of  occasional  level  bays  of  land  ; 
tortuous  windings,  and  then  magnificent  views 
of  bold  expanses.  — these   and  many  inore   fol- 


lowed each  other  in  such  rapid  succession  that 
the  ever-changing  variety  so  much  dwelt 
on  by  the  landscape  gardener  as  the  especial 
prerogative  of  his  art,  was  here  ready-made  to 
hand.  'I'he  varied  .sensations  of  the  beholder 
are  no  less  striking  than  the  scenes  themselves. 
Now  the  railroad  carries  us  along  the  surface  of 
a  rocky  ledge,  from  whence,  like  some  superior 
race  of  beings,  we  can  look  down  on   less  fa- 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJVEn'S    MO Jf  TEL  J. 


3S\ 


vored  mortals  below,  and  again  we  come  to  the 
base  of  some  elevated  site  on  which,  like 
humble  suppliants  for  mercy,  we  look  up  in 
awe.  The  Mammoth  Cave  was  our  destina- 
tion. That  is  a  curiosity  ;  and  for  the  merely 
curious,  a  rare  and  wonderful  sight  ;  but  to  us 
a  sacrifice  of  a  hundred  miles  of  travel  in  these 
subterrestrial  regions  would  be  cheap  in  ex- 
change for  a  half-hour  glimpse  of  this  never-to- 
be-forgotten  railroad  ride. 

It  Avas  the  wonder  of  some  of  our  Eastern 
friends  that  man  had  not  made  more  of  a 
country  so  beautiful  and  so  grand  as  this.  The 
soil  was  not  so  very  rich,  to  be  sure — thousands  of 
acres  in  the  West  were  worth  double  in  produc- 
tiveness to  any  of  these.  But  then  look  at  the 
rocky  hills  of  Massachusetts  and  see  what  has 
been  made  of  them  there  !  Why,  even  the  fruit 
trees  have  been  made  to  feel  so  much  at  home 
that  they  seem  as  if  almost  to  prefer  rock  to  the 
mellowest  of  soils  !  You  need  do  little  more  than 
blow  out  a  hole  in  the  solid  granite  with  gun- 
powder, and  fill  in  the  chunks  about  the  tree 
roots,  and  lo  and  behold  I  the  fruits  there  !  Why 
could  not  these  people  do  better  than  they  did  ? 
Here  the  grapes  grow  wild  on  the  forest  hills,  and 
apples  were  so  abundant  as  to  be  offered  at  twen- 
ty-five cents  per  bushel.  Why  were  not  the  i)eo- 
ple  improving  these  advantages  ?  Why  instead 
were  crowds  getting  in  at  almost  every  railroad 
station,  off  for  some  barbacue  or  festival,  or  pass- 
ing away  their  time  in  picnics  or  frolicing,  as 
we  saw  them  from  the  cars  in  almost  every  dale 
or  hill  ?  It  seemed  a  hopeless  puzzle  to  North- 
ern eyes,  as  no  doubt  do  the  peculiar  phases  of 
Northern  society  to  Southern  ones  ;  but  it 
seemed  to  us  that  a  good  principle  undcrlied  all 
this  apparent  extravagance,  and  which,  when 
properly  directed  and  cultivated,  would  re- 
dound to  the  good  of  gardening  and  to  ihe  en- 
couragement of  those  arts  and  sciences  on 
which  gardening  so  much  depends.  The  North- 
ern type  of  civilization  tends  to  make  one  battle 
strongly  with  the  elements  and  with  all  its  ur- 
roundings.  The  great  struggle  for  life  indi- 
vidualizes the  man,  and  leads  him  to  look  on 
everything  from  his  own  personal  standpoint 
Society  in  a  great  measure  loses  its  charms,  and 
it  is  seldom  until  he  has  achieved  wealth  that 
he  seeks  a  very  large  circle  to  share  his  joys  or 
sorrows  with.  To  him  one  place  is  nearly  as 
good  as  another,— wherever  his  personal  ends 
can  be  served,  that  world  is  his  home. 

It  requires  no  stretch  of  imagination  to  un- 


derstand how  fatal  this  tendency  is  to  garden- 
ing. One  may  .sell  his  home  to-morrow.  Why 
beautify  and  adorn  what  other  eyes  may  feast 
on  ?  Flowers  and  fine  gardens  depend  for 
much  of  their  enjoyment  on  the  visits  of  friends" 
who  can  share  the  pleasures  with  us.  But  if 
we  have  no  friends  why  fix  the  garden  '? 

But  in  the  Southern  man  the  local  feeling  pre- 
dominates. You  may  live  with  a  Northern 
man  a  year  without  ever  knowing  what  State 
bore  him,  or  who  were  his  neighbors  or  his  peo- 
ple ;  but  the  Southern  man  takes  pride  in  4iis 
State,  in  his  neighbors,  his  home  and  liis  lands. 
He  will  starve  on  one  hundred  acres  rather 
than  sell  fifty  and  be  rich  on  the  balance.  His 
neighbors'  affairs  interest  him,  and  he  feels 
simply  as  one  of  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances 
and  friends.  Of  course  this  type  of  civilization 
has  its  weaknesses  as  well  as  that  of  its  fellow- 
type  of  the  North  ;  at  the  same  time  it  has  its 
good  points;  and  we  could  not  fail  to  admire  and 
appreciate  them.  With  a  little  more  of  self  on 
one  side  of  the  line,  and  a  little  more  of  the  so- 
cial feeling  on  the  other,  we  should  feel  we  were 
in  the  very  centre  of  the  finest  field  for  true 
gardening  culture  and  refinement. 

The  vegetation  of  this  part  of  Kentucky  is 
not  as  luxuriant  as  that  of  many  other  sections 
of  the  State,  and  yet  the  timber  of  the  worst 
part  of  it,  that  in  which  the  great  caves  are  sit- 
uated, and  which  is  called  Barren  county,  is  by 
no  means  poor,  and  does  not  seem  at  all  worthy 
of  its  county  name.  Oak  and  hickory  of  con- 
siderable size  abound,  and  the  Helianthums, 
Asters  and  Eupatoriums  of  the  woods  are  as 
luxuriant  as  can  be  anywhere  seen.  [Many 
beautiful  flowers  well  worthy  of  garden  culture 
abound.  Amongst  these  was  seen  for  the  first 
time  in  bloom  the  northern  representative  of  the 
Century  plant,— Agave  Virginica.  This  plant 
is  a  near  ally  of  the  Tuberose,  and  the  fiowers- 
possess  a  fragrance  as  delicate,  but  not  so 
strong.  They  are  greenish  Avhite,  with  very 
pure  white  anthers— not  particularly  conspicu- 
ous, but  quite  as  worthy  of  admiration  as  the 
Mignonette  or  other  sweet  but  inconspicuous 
flowering  plants.  Here  also  was  the  Cocculus 
Caroliniensis,  a  vine  of  the  Smilax  family,  but 
covered  in  autumn  with  long  racemes  of 
scarlet  berries,  equal  to  the  HoU}'  in  brilliancy 
and  beauty.  There  appears,  however,  to  be  two 
sexes  of  this,  and,  as  only  one  will  bear  berries, 
one  may  have  to  get  two  plants  to  get  the  satis- 
faction (losircd. 


S38 


THE    GABDEJVER'S   MOJVTHLy . 


JVovemher, 


The  iDost  chamiing  sight  in  this  section  of  the 
country  is  Andromeda  arborea,  which  was 
then  in  full  blootu.  "We  have  no  hesitation  in  say- 
ing, that  as  they  were  here  seen,  there  is  no  white  j 
flowering  plant  which  can  equal  it  in  graceful 
beauty.  In  some  open  places  near  the  Diamond 
Cave  they  formed  pyramids  of  from  ten  to 
twenty  feet  high,  and  the  long  slender  racemes 
of  flower:s  covered  the  whole  bush  from  the  apex 
to  the  ground.  These  racemes  are  about 
eighteen  inches  lonr/,  first  rounded  over  downwards 
in  a  regular  curve,  and  then  turn  upwards 
again  when  about  two-thirds  of  their  length  has 
been  reached.  The  plant  is  in  cultivation  in 
some  nurseries,  but  has  not  yet  found  its  way 
into  general  demand. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  how  some  things  seem 
to  improve  by  culture,  while  others  seem  to  de- 
teriorate. In  regard  to  this  Andromeda,  it 
seems  strange  that  in  the  many  years  of  our 
acquaintance  with  this  plant  in  gardens,  we 
should  never  have  been  struck  with  its  great 
beauty.  On  the  other  hand,  in  these  deep  woods 
and  steep  hill-sides  were  thousands  of  the  Eed 
snowberr}',  Si/mphoricarpus  raceraosus,  not  one  of 
which  but  had  a  sort  of  mangy,  disagreeable 
appearance  ;  and  yet  as  we  grow  it,  it  is  one  of 
the  best  things  we  have. 

Our  view  of  sixteen  miles  under  ground,  over 
rocks  and  stones  of  mammoth  size,  and  sailing 
over  lakes  squatting  in  the  slush  of  a  mud- 
scow  under  ground  in  the  big  cave,  did  not  add 
much  to  our  knowledge  of  gardening  or  the 
natural  sciences  ;  while  the  unfortunate  result 
was  to  blister  the  feet  and  stifl'en  the  joints  of 
the  whole  party,  so  that  at  daylight  on  the  mor- 
row, when  our  agricultural,  botanical  and  scien- 
tific excursion  was  to  start  for  a  ten-mile  excur- 
sion on  foot,  only  Mr.  W.  M.  Canby  and  the 
writer  were  riady  for  the  march.  The  break- 
fast which  we  luid  paid  for  over  night  at  the  Great 
Cave  Hotel  was  also  non  esf,— and  the  sleepers 
who  had  paid  .*:4  per  day  for  the  glorious 
l)rivilege  of  snoring  on  the  ball-room  fioor,  had 
not  awakened.  Thus  it  was  that  "  two  solitary 
travelers  "  might  have  been  seen  one  fine  morn- 
ing in  August,  wandering  alone  through  the 
woods  in  the  mountains  of  Kentucky.  That 
morning  was  hot  and  dry,  and  so  were  the  trav- 
elers ;  lor  with  water  in  barrels  at  twenty-five 
cents  per  glass,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  water 
underground,  there  was  no  opportunity  to  in- 
dulge in  oven  those  creature  comforts  usually 
so  cheering  to  the  wild-wood  rambler.     But  for 


all,  we  question  whether  there  were  two  hap- 
pier beings  in  the  whole  State  than  the  couple 
aforesaid,  and  long  will  that  day's  excursion  be 
remembered. 

We  have  said  that  there  was  no  scientific  in- 
terest in  the  Cave,  but  yet  it  was  not  wholly  so. 
We  had  been  taught  that  the  inhabitants  of 
these  caves  were  eyeless, ftecawse  they  had  no  use 
for  eyes  It  may  be  that  some  things  in  caves  have 
no  eyes,  but  our  ardent  3'oung  entomologist,  C. 
M.  Dodge,  can  testify  to  the  fact  that  it  was  as 
hard  work  to  catch  his  cave  grasshopper  as  it 
would  be  to  catch  the  common  grasshopper  above 
ground.  These  little  colorless,  spidery-looking 
things  were  ever  on  the  alert  to  get  out  of  the 
way  at  the  first  effort  of  the  hand  to  go  down 
on  them.  Again,  the  writer  while  sagely  scan- 
ning the  floor  of  the  mudscow  in  order  to  find  a 
rib  whereon  to  place  his  boot,  and  thus  en- 
deavor to  keep  the  slush  from  running  in,  fan- 
cied he  saw  an  eyeless  fish  in  the  lake  outside. 
A  half  dozen  lamps  were  soon  directed  to  the 
spot.  It  proved  to  be  a  crustacean,  and  it  was 
interesting  to  note  how  it  went  from  one  side  to 
the  other  on  the  sandy  shore  as  the  lamp  was 
directed  towards  him.  His  lobstership  was 
finally  bottled  in  alcohol,  and  it  will  be  for  the 
zoologists  of  the  Philadelphia  Academy  of  Natu- 
ral Sciences  to  decide  finally  whether  those  e3'es 
are  really  good  for  anything,  or  whether  our  own 
eyes  on  that  occasion  deceived  us. 


IlxiEE  TREES. 

MR.  A.  D.  BROWN'S— FORMERLY  R.  S.  FIELDS'S, 
rRINCETON,  N.   J. 

It  is  one  of  the  best  features,  perhaps,  of 
American  institutions,  that  land  ceases  to  re- 
main for  a  long  time  in  the  possession  of  one 
family  ;  but  for  all  this  it  is  disastrous  very  of- 
ten to  gardening.  The  labors  of  a  lifetime 
which,  under  European  auspices,  would  con- 
tinue to  give  pleasure  and  profit  to  thousands, 
are  here  often  swept  wholly  away  in  a  single 
year.  It  is  therefore  with  double  pleasure  that 
we  find  an  American  place  to  change  hands,  and 
the  new  proprietor  continuing  on  the  good  work 
began  by  his  predecessor. 

One  of  these  fortunate  changes  is  the  passing 
of  the  property  of  the  late  R  S.  Fields,  Esq., 
of  Princeton,  N.  J.,  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  A. 
D.  Brown.  Tiie  excellent  specimens  of  rare 
trees  and  shrubs  which  made  this  place  so  fa- 
mous, have  in  this  gentleman  found  a  worthy 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJYER'S   MOJVTHLy. 


339 


lover,  and  one  whose  cultivated  taste  will  still 
add  to  the  renown  of  this  celebrated  place.  So 
many  errors  have  been  found  in  regard  to  the 
trees  really  growinsj  here — many  reported  as 
"  doing  well  "  or  "  not  doing  well,"  which  cer- 
certainly  were  never  growing  here,  that  the  pub- 
lic had  come  to  believe  that  much  less  exists 
than  really  docs,  and  it  gave  the  writcl*  much 
pleasure  to  spend  a  few  hours  there  recently,  and 
to  note  how  really  rich  the  collection  is.  Some 
have  now  reached  a  size  sufficient  to  judge  of 
of  what  their  final  effects  in  the  landscape  will 
be.  It  was  particularly  pleasing  to  note  how  well 
the  Libocedrus  clecurrens  maintains  its  charac- 
ter for  great  beauty  Avhen  grown  up.  Its  rich 
dark-green  fern-like  fronds  give  the  tree  a  rich- 
ness which  no  other  similar  plant  possesses. 
Ciipressus  Laivsoniana  exhibits  a  tendency  to 
get  thin  at  the  base,  but  its  slender  flexuose 
habit  is  very  pleasing.  2'hujo2)sis  horealis,  as  it 
grows  very  large,  seems  inclined  to  have  a 
graceful  habit  in  striking  contrast  with  its  full, 
dense,  massive  appearance  when  young.  It 
approaches  in  this  respect  the  Lawson  cypress. 
We  are  inclined  to  place  this  second  in  value  to 
the  Libocedrus  decurrens.  There  is  but  one 
large  specimen  of  Thuja  gigantea  here,  but  it  is 
very  much  in  appearance  like  the  common 
American,  except  that  it  has  broader  fronds 
and  a  more  regular  and  more  vigorous  habit, 
and  perhaps  a  livelier  green.  There  is  a  beau- 
tiful lidinisjjora  here  which  was  not  recognized. 
The  branches  droop  and  are  cord-like  as  in  Biota 
pendidu,  and  which  will,  we  think,  be  more  de- 
sirable than  that.  There  are  several  very  large 
specimens  of  the  weeping  arborvitse  here  ;  but 
they  are  too  brown  and  dingy  to  be  very  at- 
tractive. }?ome  fine  specimins  of  lietinospora 
pisifera  aurea,  and  of  E.  obtusa  show  how 
grandly  they  will  serve  as  ornaments  in  our 
choicest  grounds.  Retinospora  obtusa  especially 
ought  to  be  as  common  as  the  Siberian  arbor- 
vitaj.  It  is  an  exquisitely  beautiful  plant  of  the 
arborvitoj  family.  In  the  Ficea  or  Fir  family, 
are  some  very  handsome  specimens  of  P.  Nord- 
vianniana^  which  is  undoubtedly  the  finest  of 
the  whole  family.  Its  heavy  dark  green  and 
shining  masses  of  foliage  render  it  strikingly 
conspicuous,  and  Mr.  Brown  well  remarked 
that  when  its  golden  growth  was  pushing  in  tin-. 
spring  nothing  could  possibly  be  more  beautiful. 
Picea  pidda,  with  its  light  sea-green,  is  also 
very  attractive,  though  hardly  so  full  at  the 
base  as  the  Nordmann  Silver  Fir.     Tlie  V.  pin- 


saj^o  here  is  a  lovely  specimen  ;  as  also  is  the 
Cephalonian  P.  Cephalonica.  The  common  Bal- 
sam Fir,  which  so  often  gets  poor  when  it  gets 
old,  has  here  clothed  itself  with  regal  purple,  so 
to  speak.  If  ever  it  exhibited  majestic  propor- 
tions it  is  truly  here.  The  Piceas  grandis,  nobilis, 
and  one  which  seems  to  be  Pursonsiana,  are 
smaller  than  the  rest,  but  give  promise  of  great 
success  as  beautiful  trees.  Amongst  the  rare 
spruces  are  several  Morindas,  a  beautiful  Orien- 
tal and  an  AbiesWilliamsonii,  about  four  feet 
high.  This  is  more  robust  than  our  common 
Hemlock,  and  has  downy  shoots.  This  is  yet 
too  small  to  show  its  final  character.  A.  Doug- 
lassii  does  pretty  well. 

The  Pine  family  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
a  favorite  with  Mr.  Field,  or  else  they  have  dis- 
appeared after  planting.  There  are  very  few  of 
the  rarer  ones  about.  There  is  a  plant  about 
four  feet  high,  of  the  Pinus  Fremordiana  or 
monacantha,  and  which  some  botanists  have 
supposed  to  be  the  same  as  P.  edulis,  the  Pin- 
yon  of  New  Mexico  ;  but  there  is  something  dif- 
ferent in  the  general  aspect  of  this  specimen 
from  the  P.  edulis  as  recently  seen  by  the  writer 
in  the  liocky  Mountains,  and  we  should  not  be 
surprised  if  it  does  not  yet  turn  out  to  have  as 
good  specific  characters  as  P.  ponderosa  or  P. 
toeda  have  from  P.  rigida,  which  after  all  is  not 
much.  There  is  here  a  large  tree  of  the  Aus- 
trian Pine,  which  has  very  slender  cones,  not 
more  than  an  inch  thick  and  about  three  inches 
long.  Mr.  Brown  should  send  it  to  England 
and  get  it  described  as  a  new  species.  There  is 
also  a  magnificent  row  of  white  Pines  about 
thirty  years  old,  branched  nearly  to  the  ground, 
and  perhaps  fifty  feet  high.  There  has  been 
some  prejudice  against  the  white  Pine,  on  the 
ground  that  the  snow  breaks  the  branches  in 
winter  ;  but  this  must  be  only  when  enervated 
in  some  way.  These  sturdy  fellows  will  stand 
the  battle  and  the  breeze  from  the  most  hostile 
elements  of  nature.  There  are  several  very 
liirge  Pinus  cxcelsa  here,  with  keen  silvery-like 
foliage,  which  every  one  who  sees  admires. 

The  Yew  family  is  beautifully  represented. 
Ilandsoaicr  specimens  of  Taxus  baccata  we  have 
never  seen.  The  plants  were  densely  studded 
with  coral  berries,  which  were  well  relieved  by 
(lark  green  foliage  about  them.  The  yellow- 
l)erried  variety  was  strikingly  well  favored.  It 
is  hard  to  concede  to  this  greater  beauty  than 
to  the  common  Red  oae,  but  the  writer  is 
almost   persuaded  to   think  about  this  as  Mr. 


SJi,0 


THE    GARDEJsfER'^   MOJ^TELY. 


MoveiTiber, 


Brown  does.  There  are  many  handsomer  speci- 
mens of  the  Yellow,  Irish,  erecta^  Sliort-leaved, 
American,  and  others,  all  distinct  enough  to 
rank  as  species,  as  Mr.  Darwin  would  say,  only 
that  we  happen  to  know  the  parents  from  which 
they  sprung.  Indeed,  the  philosophers  liave 
brought  things  to  this,  that  a  "  species  "  is  to 
be  defined  as  a  variety  of  whose  origin  we  are 
ignorant,  while  "variety"  is  a  variety  whose 
history  we  know.  We  must  not  overlook  to 
notice  in  the  Yew  family  Torreya  myristica, 
the  California  Nutmeg,  about  five  feet  high, 
and  the  two  Cephalotaxus — C.  Fortunii  and  C. 
drupacea.  The  last  is  very  well  named,  for  the 
plants  here  are  covered  by  pleasant  tasting 
drupes,  about  the  size  and  appearance  of  cop- 
per-plums. It  has  been  supposed  that  C  For- 
tunii is  but  a  male  form  of  the  latter,  and  the 
plants  here  give  color  to  this,  for  it  lias  never 
produced  any  fruit,  though  covered  with  male 
buds  ;  but  there  appears  to  be  indications  of 
male  flowers  among  the  female— a  point  which 
Mr.  Brown  will  watch  and  decide  another  year. 

Among  the  Junipers  are  some  very  fine  speci- 
mens of  Junijicrus  oblonga  pendida.,  and  some 
of  the  trailing  alpine  forms,  some  of  which  have 
spread  over  many  scores  of  square  feet,  forming 
circles  of  great  beaut}'. 

There  are  many  other  species  here,  of  which 


'  more  can  be  said  in  future  years  ;  but  all  these 
we  have  named  have  proved  themselves  of  per- 
manent value,  and  ought  to  enter  at  once  into 
the  regular  trade-stock  of  our  leading  nurseries. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  Mr. 
Field,  in  laying  out  his  grounds,  used  large 
numbers  of  common  Deciduous  and  Evergreen 
trees  in  -the  regular  way  of  landscape  garden- 
ing. These  have  grown  up,  and  make  a  good 
inotection  from  wind,  which  is,  as  we  have  said 
in  other  places,  the  sine  qua  nan  of  successful 
evergreen  culture. 

It  must  be  worth  a  great  deal  to  see  the  Rho- 
dodendrons here  when  they  are  in  blossom. 
These  have  had  beds  made  for  them  in  the 
woods  and  in  the  old  belts  around  corners,  by 
mixing  up  Jersey  peat  deeply  and  thoroughly 
through  the  soil.  No  more  care  has  been  used 
here  than  is  used  in  England  to  grow  these 
American  plants,  and  the  success  is  quite  as 
great  as  in  that  countr}'.  The  cry  that  Ameri- 
cans cannot  raise  Rhododendrons  will  soon  be 
heard  no  more. 

Mrs.  Brown  is  an  ardent  lover  of  the  Rose, 
and  well  acquainted  with  the  merits  of  all  the 
leading  varieties,  and  we  imagine  this  fatuous 
place  will  in  the  future  be  as  much  admired  for 
its  patronage  of  the  Queen  of  flowers,  as  it  has 
been  for  its  rare  specimens  of  beautiful  trees. 


SCKAPS   AND     aUEllIES. 


A  IIoRTicui/ruiiAL  Directory. — A  sense  of 
fairness  induces  us  to  give  entire  the  following 
long  extract  from  the  JJosion  Journal  of  Horticul- 
ture : 

"  The  Gardeverls  'Moniklij,  in  reply  to  a  cor- 
respondent who  has  had  circulars  addressed  to 
him  under  two  diflerent  names,  says,  '  A  good 
directory  is  badly  wanted.  The  principle  ado])t- 
ed  by  some  compilers  of  charging  two  dollars  ibr 
every  name  inserted  avIU  never  get  up  a  good 
fine.  A  better  plan  would  be  to  compile  one 
honestly,  and  trust  to  the  recompense  by  the 
sale  of  it,  just  as  any  other  commercial  directory 
maker  would  do.' 

Now,  if  the  editor  of  the  Gardencr''H  Montlihj 
means  lo  intimate  that  the  directory  which  we 
have  for  some  months  published,  jind  which  has 
with  every  issue  become  more  popular,  is  not 
honestly  compiled,  we  do  not  hesitate  to  i)ro- 
nouuce  such  an  intimation  false,  and  especially 
unbecoming  in  the  only  i)erson  whose  name  has 


been  admitted  to  the  list  without  charge.  All 
that  we  have  ever  claimed  ibr  it  is,  that  every 
name  in  it  is  that  of  a  person  or  firm  actually 
engaged  iu  the  business  advertised  ;  and  so 
far  as  this  list  is  used,  no  person  need  fear 
wastinp:  his  time  and  circulars  by  sending 
two  to  the  same  concern  luuler  different  direc- 
tions ;  and  Avc  also  claim  as  our  own  the  plan  of 
giving  the  "  specialty  "  adopted  in  the  dillerent 
branches  of  the  nursery  business,  and  kindred 
occupations.  It  is  very  plain  that  a  directory 
which  should  aflbrd  anything  like  the  informa- 
tion given  b\'  mercantile  agencies  would  proba- 
bly cost  nearer  fifty  than  two  dollars  a  year, 
which  not  many  nurserymen  would  be  willing  to 
jiay.  Many  of  the  leading  nnrsfrymou  in  the 
United  States  have  pronounced  our  directory  an 
excellent  idea,  and  Avorth  lar  more  than  its  cost; 
and  the  same  opinion  would,  no  doubt,  have 
been  entertained  by  the  Gardencr''s  Monthly,  if 
it  had  only  happened  to  originate  tlie  idea,  in- 
stead of  ourselves." 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MOJS^THLY. 


Ul 


If  it  is  "honest"  to  call  a  list  of  advertisers 
at  $2  per  line  "  a  directory, ^^  of  course  our  inti- 
mation is  "false.''  The  richness  of  the  compari- 
son with  a  mercantile  agenc}'  will  bo  appreciated 
by  those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  standing 
of  some  of  the  names  in  the  list. 

Perhaps  the  Gardener's  Monthly  ought  not  to 
express  an  honest  opinion,  when  a  person  em- 
ployed on  it  has  his  name,  imsolicited  by  him, 
inserted  among  the  paying  few.  But  Ave  may 
say  that  not  $2  nor  ;?2,000  ever  purchased  an 
opinion  from  us,  however,  "unbecoming  "  such 
a  course  may  seem  to  our  contemporary.  AVe 
must  be  allowed  to  repeat,  that  if  an  ''  honest  " 
directory— that  is,  not  a  mere  list  of  240  adver- 
tisers; but  of  about  three  thousand  nurserymen, 
seedsmen  and  florists,  which  America  contains, 
were  compiled  without  regard  to  whether  the 
persons  paid  a  fee  or  not,  as  all  honest  directories 
are  compiled,— such  a  true  directory  would  be 
willingly  paid  for  by  the  whole  community  in- 
terested in  such  matters.  As  to  the  list  of  our 
Boston  friend,  we  cannot  see  that  it  amounts  to 
much  more  at  S2  per  line,  than  the  list  of  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  advertisers,which,  with  their 
addresses  in  full,  the  Gardener's  Monthly  gave 
in  the  September  number/or  noticing. 


Prof.  Porter's  Pear  Orchard.— This  or- 
chard, which  those  who  are  fonder  of  a  "little 
fun"  than  of  carefully  investigating  fiicts,  as- 
serted was  to  "annihilate  Meehan's  theor}-,'' 
turns  out  as  we  expected,  not  to  have  been 
planted  on  "  Meehan's  theory  "  at  all.  We  have 
not  received  from  Prof.  Porter  the  facts  we  de- 
sired in  behalf  of  fruit  culture  to  get ;  but  we 
find  our  friend  of  the  Ayricidturist  supplying 
some  of  what  we  want.  It  says,  "this  orchard 
was  planted  at  the  same  time  as  Mr.  Peters,  (9 
years.  Ed.  G.  M. )  and  for  six  years  was  thor. 
oughJy  cultivated.'^  By  "thoroughly  cultiva- 
ting,'' every  one  understands  the  Agriculturist  to 
mean  ploughing  or  harrowing  up  the  surface 
roots  of  trees  ;  and  if  six  years  of  such  treatment 
is  to  be  considered  as  "Meehan's  treatment," 
we  may  as  well  give  up  writing  in  the  English 
language. 

The  Agriculturist  knows  very  well  that  we 
have  never  recommended  any  pear  trees  to  be 
"thoroughly  cultivated''  for  six  years  before 
going  in  grass,  nor  even  one  year  ;  but  that  our 
system  calls  for  grass  and  top  dressing  annually 
frort%  the  start.     But  we  suppose  the  AgricuUur'sl 


and  the  other  papers  thought  they  could  get  off 
a  good  joke  at  our  expense,  which  if  it  had  not 
been  at  the  expense  of  so  much  truth,  we  should 
have  no  objection  to. 


Fruexdly  Criticism.— Friend  Monthly, 
about  one  of  the  first  things  I  noticed  upon  my 
return  from  Europe,  was  your  proposed  remedy 
for  the  Colorado  Potato  Beetle,  and  of  course  I 
had  to  have  a  good  laugh  over  it.  You  certainly 
could  not  have  had  your  reflecting  cap  on  when 
you  wrote  the  article,  and  I  am  glad  to  see  that 
you  have  been  properly  taken  to  task.  In  an 
ordinary  potato  Qeld,  by  which  I  mean,  one  that 
is  well  ploughed,  you  may  twirl  around  on  your 
heel  with  a  perfect  beetle  under  it,  and  not  kil  1 
the  hard-shelled  rascal ;  and  in  addition  to  the 
objections  offered  by  Mr.  Eiehl  and  Mr.  Bessey, 
you  must  recollect  that  the  roller  Avould  press 
heaviest  on  the  top  of  the  furrow  where  the  vines 
grow,  and  lightest  at  the  bottom  of  the  furrow, 
to  which  most  of  the  insects  would  roll.  You 
also  seem  to  forget  (in  suggesting  the  roller  rem- 
edy for  grasshoppers),  that  it  is  just  as  easy  for 
these  pests  to  skip  on  one  side  of  your  horses 
and  let  them  go  by,  as  it  is  to  keep  hopping  in 
front  of  them  ;  and  you  entirely  underrate  the 
mental  calibre  of  the  hoppers,  in  supposing  that 
they  would  not — the  majority  of  them— get  out 
of  the  Avay. 

In  answer  to  J.  C.  W.,  Fishkill,  N.  Y.,  on 
page  275,  you  refer  certain  white  grubs  to  "il/e- 
lolonlha  philophaga,'>''  which  is  very  much  as 
though  I  should  refer  a  certain  species  of  vino 
sent  me  for  identification  to  "  Vilacea  vitis.'*^  I 
suppose  you  mean  the  common  white  grub  or 
larva  of  the  May  Beetle  [Lachnosterna  quercina 
Knoch).  But  why  not  say  so?  Come,  come, 
friend  Monthly,what,  with  endorsing  copied  arti- 
cles, which  decry  the  "  men  of  books  and  scien- 
tific theories;"  and  what,  with  this  other  sloppy 
work,  we  shall  begin  to  think  you  are  getting  un 
scientific  ! 

Yours  ever, 

C.  V.  Riley. 

[Thanks  for  our  friend's  criticisms.  We  have 
inserted  all  that  has  been  sent  us,  as  we  always 
do,  whether  for  or  against  any  idea  advanced  by 
ourselves  or  any  of  our  correspondents,  as  wo 
have  no  theory  to  defend  in  any  case,  but  simply 
desire  to  serve  the  truth  as  it  may  be  in  horti- 
culture. It  docs  not  follow,  however,  that  be- 
cause we  insert  objections  without  comment,  we 


3J^2 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOXTEL'Y.         November, 


always  agree  with  their  assumed  force.  For  in- 
stance, in  regard  to  tills  potato  beetle  business, 
we  stated  that  certain  insects  of  a  tolerably  hard 
shell  character,  in  this  section,  xcere  killed  by 
crushing; ;  and  we  suggested  the  possibility  of 
doing  the  same  with  the  potato  beetle.  It  is 
possible  that  on  some  very  soft  light  soil,  a  roller 
could  have  no  effect,  but  we  are  quite  sure  on 
many  soils  it  would  crush  the  hardest  beetle 
among  them  all.  Certainly  it  would  crush  the 
larvpe,  and  that  would  perhaps  do  as  well.  In 
regard  to  the  direction  of  the  roller,  Mr.  E.  would 
go  in  the  same  way  as  the  furrows  ran.  Really, 
we  should  not  have  thought  of  this.  In  this 
part  of  the  world,  if  an  average  man  had  been 
directed  to  use  the  roller  for  the  purpose  sug- 
gested, he  would  run  across  the  furrows. 

As  for  the  grasshoppers,  we  thought  that  pos- 
sibly some  roller  arrangement  could  be  adopted. 
AVe  meant  merel}^  to  suggest  the  main  idea — not 
point  out  the  details.  The  writer  is  quite  sure 
he  could  carry  out  the  idea,  if  he  had  them  to 
deal  with.  No  doubt  they  would  jump  to  the 
side  of  the  horses  ;  but  2^ossibb;  a  sloping  line  of 
muslin  on  each  side  of  the  horses,  which  the 
writer  can  see  readily  how  to  fix,  would  lead 
most  of  the  jumpers  down  where  the  roller  could 
crush  them. 

Thanks  also  for  the  correction  in  regard  to  the 
name  of  the  white  grub.  In  the  writer's  younger 
days  his  studies  in  ]}otany  and  Entomology  went 
along  together,  until  it  became  evident,  that 
time  would  not  allow  of  excellence  in  each. 
Usually  we  hand  our  entomological  notes 
to  a  friend  versed  in  the  modern  history.  In 
this  case  we  trusted  to  our  youthful  knowledge, 
when  the  insect  was  Scarahoe.us  MeJohntlia , 
eventually  it  became  Melolontha  jMlojjhaga,  and 
now  it  seems,  Lachnosterna  quercina.  It  shows 
that  Entomology  is  like  Botany, — new  classifi- 
cating  systems  make  new  names,  We  should 
have  inserted  our  friend's  Iclter  as  we  did  the 
others,  without  comment ;  but  it  seems  that  if 
we  do  not  put  up  the  umbrella  when  the  first 
light  shower  or  two  falls,  it  is  sure  to  pour  down 
on  us  afterwards.  AVe  add  this  for  fear  that 
our  explanations  may  keep  back  these  "  friendly 
criticisms,''  which  we  hope  rather  to  ol'un  re- 
ceive. 

PuKSiDKNT  ]il•:IlC•KMA^'S.  — It  is  pleasant  to 
note  the  increasing  influeccc  of  our  best  Horti- 
culturists in  public  affairs.  ]3etter  "rub  than 
rust,"  is  ati  excellent  motto,  and  we  like  to  see 


the  rust  rubbing  off  our  best  men.  Mr.  P.  J, 
Berckmans  has  already  placed  himself  among  the 
leaders  of  the  nursery  trade  in  the  South.  The 
Farmer  and  Gardener,  of  which  he  is  the  horti- 
cultural editor,  is  going  along  swimmingly,  since 
he  took  hold  of  it ;  and  now  he  has  been  elected 
to,  and  accepted  the  presidency  of  the  Cotton 
States'  Mechanical  and  Agricultural  Association. 
The  whole  horticultural  community  will  be  glad 
to  hear  of  his  increasing  honors  ;  knowing  how 
well  they  suit  him. 


Eak  or  Corn  on  the  Tassle — E.H.B.,  Ga- 
lena l/?s.,Spp.28«/(, writes:  "A  few  days  ago  I  sent 
you  a  Double  Dahlia.  To  day  I  send  you  an 
ear  of  Pop  Corn.  There  were  no  husks  around 
it,  and  it  is  just  as  it  grew  on  the  top  of  the 
stalk.  Our  county  fair  is  in  progress.  We  have 
a  fine  display  and  a  bright  clear  day,  after  a 
heavy  frost  last  night." 

[The  cases  of  double  flowers  are  not  uncom- 
mon, and  an  explanation  of  some  cases  are 
offered   in   Meehan's    paper  on    "  Fasciation.'' 

The  ear  of  corn  is  rare — the  oulj'^  instance  on 
record.  A  few  grains  are  often  seen  among  the 
male  flowers ;  but  here  is  a  ^^o/ecf  ear  of  two 
hundred  grains.  The  sheath  or  husk  around  the 
ear  physiologists  tell  us,  is  for  the  purpose  of 
"protecting  the  tender  ear  from  injury  when 
young,''  but  this  ear  has  done  as  well  without, 
as  others  have  with  it.  There  are  often  arising 
facts  which  throw  doubt  on  the  reasoning  often 
given  for  the  "  uses  ''  of  organs  ] 


Growth  ox  a  Coleus.— i/.  -1.  1) ,  Phila.: 
"Can  you  assign  any  cause  for  the  peculiar 
growth-like  tendrils  on  the  Coleus,  A  friend  says 
the  whole  bed  was  eflccted  in  this  way,  twining 
around  ihe  plants  and  actually  destroying 
them" 

[This  is  a  parasite  of  the  convolvulus  family, 
calltd  Citscuta  chlorantha.  The  seeds  germinate 
in  the  earth,  and  soon  after  the  plant  finds  some 
other  thing  to  cling  to,  when  the  root  dies,  and 
the  parasite  feeds  wholly  on  the  plant  it  attaches 
itself  too.  It  is  not  particular  what  soft  succu- 
lent vegetation  it  feeds  on  ;  and  is  often  seen  on 
course  weeds  like  a  mass  of  yellow  cotton  thread. 
If  taken  in  time,  and  cut  away  as  soon  as  it  ap- 
pears, it  can  be  readily  kept  under.] 


Beroamotd'Ete  Pear. — I^eroy  says  that  thia 
pear  was  described  in  the  curious  catalogue  of 


1871 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MONTHLY. 


343 


Le  Ij€cticr,  so  far  back  as  1628,  under  the  name 
of  Milan  de  La  Beuvcriere.  Boauveriere  is  a 
tract  of  land  situated  near  Anjou.  He  thinks  it 
is  the  most  ancient  pear  in  cultivation.  This, 
however,  has  been  claimed  for  the  English  Au- 
tumn Bergamot,  which  some  of  the  old  books 
say  has  come  down  from  the  "  time  of  Julius 
Cassar.'' 


Ne\v  Disease  in  the  Peach. — In  a  recent 
paragraph  we  credited  the  extract  ioihe  Farmer 
and  Gardener.  The  article  originally  appeared 
in  the  agricultural  department  of  the  Mobile 
Eegister,  which  is  ably  managed  by  Col.  Lang- 
don. 


Corrugated  Hot  Water  Boiler. — Mr.  J. 
G.  Wilson  sends  us  accounts  of  his  patent  cor- 
rugated hot  water  boiler,  which  so  far  as  we  can 
judge  from  the  sketch  sent,  is  a  very  good  thing. 


Coarse  Grass  ox  a  Lawx. — An  old  Subscri- 
her^  Pliila  ,  asks  :  "  I  have  a  large  grass  plot  in 
a  very  good  exposure,  in  town;  it  has  been  regu- 
larly mown  and  watered  all  summer,  and  looked 
beautifully  until  lately,  when  a  reddish  colored 
grass  has  made  its  appearance  in  patches  all  over 
it.  Is  that  grass  what  is  called  Red  top,  and 
how  can  it  be  (fistinguished  ?  An  answer  in  your 
magazine  will  much  oblige  an  old  subscriber." 

[Red-top,  AfjrosHs  rubra,  does  not  flower  so 
late.  Yours  is  probably  a  worse  trouble  in  the 
Grab  Grass,  a  species  of  Panicura.  The  best 
remedy  for  your  case  would  probably  be  a  good 
coat  of  rich  top  dressing  next  spring,  then  a  good 
raking  with  a  fine  rake,  then  sow  with  green 
grass  and  white  clover— rolling  the  whole  down 
well.     The  crab  grass  may  be  crowded  out. 


Sour  and    Sweet   Apples.— The    ('>nmlnj 
Gentleman  says  : 

"  We  are  suprised  to  find  so  .scientific  and  com- 
mon .sense  a  journal  as  the  Gardtner''s  Moiiildn 
favoring  this  notion,  becau.se  the  editor  had 
halved  two  (jrafLH  and  madi;  both  grow  toLjether. 
In  this  tliere  is  not  tin;  sliuhtest  dillieulty — no 
more  than  in  grafting  a  Tallman  Sweeting  on  a 
Greening  slock.  'I'liey  will  unite  in  jjrecisely  the 
same  way  tiiat  the  two  maj'  be  frrafted,  but  one 
side  will  be  CJrociung  without  mixture,  and  the 
other  will  be  Tallman  Swei-t  without  mixture 
The  notion  that  the  halving  is  to  ramify  through 
all  the  branches,  shoots,  petioles,  ])ed uncles  and 
germs,  could  not  well   be  more  ridiculous.     It 


must  be  borne  in  mind,  that  the  halving  or  graft- 
ing two  shoots  together  is  totally  distinct  from 
halving  two  delicate  buds  together  by  cutting 
them  with  mathematical  accuracy  through  the 
axis." 

It  so  happens  that  the  Gardener' s  Monthhj  does 
not  favor  the  notion  because  the  editor  halved 
two  grafts  ;  but  for  other  reasons  which  have 
been  given,  and  with  which  the  reader  is  famil- 
iar. The  editor's  "grafting''  was  but  an  inci- 
dent given  v/ith  the  others.  ]Moreover,  the  Gar- 
dener''s  31onthhj  has  claimed  nothing  for  the 
"  two  halved  shoots,"  but  for  the  ei/e  ivhich  was 
on  those  shoots.  These  "  two  delicate  buds " 
xvere  "cut  thrpugh  with  mathematical  accuracy 
through  the  axis,"  and  they  have  grown.  Be- 
yond this  we  have  said  nothing.  We  do  not 
know  whether  they  will  produce  sweet  or  sour 
apples,  or  what  they  will  do.  We  intend  to  wait 
and  see,  and  do  not  know  why  an  experiment 
like  this  should  not  be  tried,  merely  because  the 
Country  Gentleman  knows  so  well  that  it  is  ri- 
diculous. 

We  have  never  "fovored  "  the  idea  to  the  ex- 
tent suggested.  All  we  have  done  is  to  show 
that  it  is  not  impossible  ;  and  to  ask  those  in- 
terested to  experiment.  In  the  language  of  our 
respected  contemporary,  "It  is  easy  to  manu- 
facture opinions  for  others,  and  then  exhibit 
one's  skill  in  demolishing  them." 


I'lowden  Peach. — F.  R.Mc,  Chillicotke,0., 
says :  "  I  send  }'ou  leaves  taken  from  a  Plowdea 
Peach,  purchased  from  J.  B.  Clagget  last  fall. 
I  am  considerablv  confused  about  this  peach, and' 
I  do  hope  you  will  probe  it  to  the  bottom,  and  if 
nothing  but  Hale's  Early,  let  the  public  know 
it.'' 

[These  leaves  are  the  same  as  those  sent  us 
from  Mississippi,  which  the  growers  there— good 
judges— say  is  Hot  Hale's  Early,— but  they  are 
not  the  same  as  those  sent  us  by  the  dissemina- 
tor of  the  peach,  Mr.  Claggett  himself,  last 
spring. 


Apios  Ti'iiEROSA.— Ji'.  K  2'.,  Oniah  I,  Neb., 
thus  spcaketh  about  tliis  pretty  vine,  wliich  is 
l)retty  well  spread  all  over  the  United  States  : 
''Accompanying  this,  I  send  you  the  tuber  of  a 
very  pretty  climber,  which  grows  wild  along  ray 
creek.  The  flowers  are  of  a  not  very  brilliant 
rose  color,  in  racemes  of  3  and  4  inches  in  length 
of  the  pea  kind  (I  was  going  to  make  a  drawing 
of  the  flowers,  but  could  not  spare  the  time),  not 


SU 


THE    GARDE  JEER'S   MOJ^THLY 


Jfov  ember, 


very  strong,  but  very  sweet  scented,  and  grows 
among  the  grasses  and  weeds,  from  8  to  12  feet, 
rapid  and  spreading  ;  would  make  a  splendid 
climber,  T  think,  by  good  culture.  Seeds  did  not 
set,  so  cannot  send  them.  Please  give  me  name 
of  plant."     \Ahios  tuhcY05a.\ 


Keeping  Coleus  through  Wintek.- J.  U- 
P.,  Orant  CiUj,  No.,  asks:  "I  have  a   few  Co- 


leus, and  I  want  to  know  what  care  they  require 
through  the  winter  ?  " 

[They  require  a  temperature  not  less  than  65° 
to  do  well.  Their  other  treatment  is  not  differ- 
ent from  any  ordinar}'  plant.  Florists  gener- 
ally save  only  a  few  of  each  variety,  in  a  high 
temperature:  and  from  these  they  propagate 
new  ones  in  February  and  ilarch,  after  which 
the  old  ones  are  thrown  away.] 


B00K8,    CATALOGUES,    &C. 


By 

New 


Btery    Womav  IIkr    Own    Floweii   Gardener 
Mrs.     S.     0.    Johnson — "Daisy    Eyebright.'" 
York:  Published  by  H.  S.  William?. 

Under  her  pen  name,  Mrs.  Johnson  has  for 
some3'eai-s  been  favorabl}^  known  as  one  of  the 
"writers  for  the  Country  Gentleman,  and  what 
she  has  written  there  and  elsewhere  has  been 
very  favorably  received  by  the  horticultural 
community.  There  are  learned  and  scientific 
writers  who  cater  to  the  wants  of  learned  and 
scientific  communities  ;  and  most  of  these 
writers  forget  that  there  is  a  large  class  who 
scarcely  understand  the  alphabet  of  Gardening. 
To  these,  what  is  written  is  as  so  much  Greek. 
Again,  most  of  these  writers  are  men,  while 
many  garden  amateurs  are  women  ;  and  how- 
ever womanly  a  man  may  be  in  his  nature,  he 
is  incapable  of  so  well  understanding  what  a 
woman  wants  to  know  in  her  gardening  opera- 
tions as  a  woman  wiio  has  first  been  through  all 
the  little  difficulties  which  they  still  experience. 

This  work  appears  to  be  designed  to  meet 
just  such  a  want  as  this.  It  would  not  be 
fair  to  criticise  it  from  a  higher  standpoint. 
Then  it  might  be  in  keeping  with  its  pretensions 
to  point  out  the  errors  and  faults  which  might 
exist,  but  it  makes  no  such  pretensions  ;  gives 
us  not  even  the  usual  apologetic  preface  with 
which  so  many  authors  accustom  themselves  to 
beg  the  pity  of  the  merciless  critic  in  advance  of 
his  reading  of  their  books. 

We  can  only  say,  therefore,  liiat  though  the 
lady  who  studies  this  work  will  no  doubt  find 
much  to  unlearn  in  time,  there  are  thousands  of 
facts  and  liltlc  hints  about  everyday  plants  and 
fiowers  tliat  it  will  ))rofit  any  lady  to  know  ; 
and  it  will  no  doubt  command  ready  purchasers 
amongst  the  numerous  class  of  beginners  for 
whom  it  is  intended. 


In  reading  through,  we  notice  that  at  page  130 
the  author  gives  the  Gardener''s  Monthly  a  credit 
which  certainly  does  not  belong  to  it.  Some 
one  recommended  to  get  bottomless  boxes 
eighteen  inches  long  and  ten  to  twelve  inches  ivide, 
sink  them  in  the  ground  to  their  level,  fill  in 
with  manure,  and  water  to  make  the  manure 
ferment,  and  then  plunge  in  the  pots,  putting  a 
few  panes  of  window-glass  on,  and  thus  make  a 
small  hot-bed.  It  is  possible  that  some  one  has 
tried  this, — we  should  fear  the  small  amount  of 
manure  would  not  give  out  much  palpable  heat 
to  make  up  for  all  the  trouble — at  at  any  rate, 
the  idea  does  not  belong  to  the  Gardener^s 
Monthly,  though  we  have  to  thank  the  author 
for  the  honor  intended  us. 

The  work  is  in  handsome  paper  covers— wc 
suppose  to  keep  it  within  a  moderate  price.  It 
is  Avorth  we  think  a  better  appearance. 


The  StiB-TnopiCAL  Garden.    By  W.  Robinson.   London  : 

.John  Murray.     1871. 
IIardv     Flowers.     By    the     same     Author.      London: 

Fred.  Warne.t  Co-     1871. 

Mr.  Robinson  is  very  well  known  in  this 
country  by  his  Paris  and  Pleasure-Grounds, 
which  perhaps  have  had  a  wider  range  of 
reading  than  any  Avork  not  actually  republished 
in  this  country.  In  a  notice  of  that  work,  which 
we  gave  on  its  appearance,  we  dwelt  somewhat 
severely  on  the  use  of  cuts  which  appeared  to 
us  to  have  been  taken  by  wholesale  from  a 
French  work  of  Dubreuil.  "We  have  since 
learned  that  Mr.  R.  did  this  by  the  consent  of 
the  publishers  of  that  work,  and  after  paying  a 
full  value  for  them.  There  was  nothing  in  the 
work  to  indicate  that  Mr.  11.  had  acted  thus 
honorabl}'.  Perhaps,  in  a  work  intended  for 
English  readers,  it  was  not  necessary,  as  very 


1871. 


TEE    GAKBEJVEWS   MOM'THLY. 


34s 


few  Englishmen  trouble  themselves  to  read  the 
works  of  auy  country  but  their  own  ;  but  to 
Americans,  who  gather  their  information  from 
any  and  all  sources,  and  numbers  of  whom  no 
doubt  are  familiar  with  this  French  work,  it 
was  a  different  atiair.  Wa  are  sorry  Mr.  R. 
was  charged  with  plagiarism  which  he  did  not 
deserve,  but  the  fault  was  hardly  our  own. 

The  beautiful  books  now  before  us  well  main- 
tain the  good  reputation  of  "Parks,  cec. "  The 
Tropical  Garden  gives  some  general  directions  for 
arranging  grounds  with  the  view  of  introducing 
this  style  of  gardeniug,  and  then  describes  fully 
all  the  plants  which  will  serve  this  purpose  in 
the  open  air  of  England. 

This  style  of  gardeniug  is  particularly  adapted 
to  America,  and  many  more  plants  would  come 
into  use  for  us  than  Mr.  R.  has  named.  This 
book  ought  to  be  popular  here. 

"  Hardy  Flowers  ''  is  also  a  welcome  phrase 
to  Americans,  where  outdoor  gardening  is  the 
leading  feature  of  our  horticulture.  The  style 
of  the  book  is  the  same  as  the  other,  namely  : 
histories  and  descriptions  of  the  leading  flowers 
of  the  British  gardens.  As  in  the  other  case, 
Americans  could  add  much  to  the  list,  and  a 
few  named  as  hardy  there  will  not  i3rove  so 
here  ;  but  no  American  who  loves  hardy  flowers 
but  will  find  pleasure  and  profit  in  the  perusal. 
Both  books  are  in  the  beautiful  style  of  the 
author's  former  works. 


American  Naturalist.  Published  at  the  Peabody 
Academy  of  Science,  Salem,  Mass.  September  num- 
ber. 

This  is  a  double  one,  in  order  to  give  a  full 
report  of  the  recent  meeting  of  the  American 
Association  at  Indianapolis.  In  this  it  performs 
a  highly  useful  task.  An  immense  amount  of 
useful  information  is  brought  out  by  these  scien- 
tific societies,  of  which  the  world  in  general  sel- 
dom knows.  The  paper  is  read— or  perhaps  a 
short  speech  made  in  reference  to  the  paper— 
and  a  few  of  these  are  published  twelve  months 
afterwards  in  a  volume  of  "Proceedings," 
which  only  members  get,  the  majority  of  whom 
perhaps  are  not  interested  in  the  great  part  of 
the  papers  issued.  Moreover,  others  who  are 
interested  outside  of  the  society  get  hold  of  the 
author's  idea,  and  before  the  papers  are  pub- 
lished some  other  one  marges  to  "discover' '  and 
put  in  a  better  light  the  originator's  sentiments, 
and  the  credit  therefor  is  los(.  A  serial  of  this 
kind,  which  gives  us  at  once  the   substance  of 


these  meetings,  renders  a  double  service — a  ser- 
vice to  authors  and  to  the  public,  which 
is  ultimately  to  benefit  by  the  discoveries  of 
science.  There  is  in  the  Naturalist  also  a 
feature  which  makes  their  account  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  even  more  value  than  the  published 
volumes'of  the  society,  namely  :  a  report  of  the 
discussions  which  the  papers  occasioned,  and 
which  are  often  of  more  importance  than  the 
papers  themselves. 

To  illustrate  how  well  tlie  Naturalist  has  done 
this,  we  give  below  tiie  remarks  made  on  the 
reading  of  the  paper  on  the  Monocotyledon  the. 
primaru  type  of  seeds,  by  the  editor  of  this  maga- 
zine, which  has  already  been  given  in  our  Sep- 
tember number  : 

"Prof  Gray  remarked  that  he  was  not  dis- 
posed now,  in  the  absence  of  JNIr.  Meehan,  and 
upon  the  consideration  of  a  paper  upon  a 
wholly  independent  topic,  to  discuss  the  au- 
thor's views  upon  "  Adnation  in  Coniferse  ;" 
but  Mr.  Meehan  was  well  aware  that  they  were 
not  quite  consistent  with  the  ordinary  vegetable 
morphology.  It  was  more  agreeable  to  be  able 
to  say  that  Mr.  Meehan 's  conclusions,  that  the 
apparently  polycotyledonous  embryo  of  many 
coniferse  is  only  dicotyledonus,  must  undoubtedly 
be  regarded  as  correct.  This  view  was  satis- 
factorily proved  by  Duchartre.  ten  or  fifteen 
years  ago,  and  is  adopted  by  Parlatore  in  the 
elaboration  of  Coniferai  for  De  CandoUe's  Pro- 
dromus,  published  three  or  four  years  ago.  But 
Prof.  Gray  thought  that  the  appearances  in  the 
embryo  of  oaks,  which  Mr.  Meehan  had  brought 
up  as  evidence  that  the  dicotyledonous  embryo 
was  a  mere  deviation  of  the  monoctyledonous, 
and  especially  that  the  two  cotyledons  origina- 
ted as  it  were  from  the  splitting  up  of  one, 
would  not  be  regarded  by  botanists  as  in  any 
degree  convincing.  He  presumed  that  Mr. 
Meehan  perceives  that  it  directly  follows  from 
this  doctrine  that  in  all  opposite  leaves  the  two 
are  organically  one,  and  he  would  leave  to  him  the 
undertaking  of  reconstructing  morphology  and 
phyllotaxis  upon  such  a  basis. 

Dr.  T.  G.  llilgard  remarked  thnt  the  whole 
question  came  back  to  the  laws  of  phyllotaxy. 
The  very  fiict  of  these  "genetic"  numbers,  as 
he  had  called  them,  required  the  second  element 
to  be  derived  from  the  first  one  ;  as  all  radial 
organs  must  be  derived  from  their  predecessors. 
The  fact  itself  was  apparent  in  the  far  too  much 
neglected  phenomena  of  cryptogamous  develop- 
mentH  (or  "embryology''  of  authors.)  The 
moss-spore  proper  (apart  from  the  Chlorosper- 
mcw  as  true  moss-!<paivns),  develops  into  a  true 
land  (or  aquatic)  Conferva.  The  latter  bears  a 
bud  at  the  ends  of  its  thread-like  "  prothalli- 
um."  Each  of  its  cells  is  generated  out  of  a 
preceding  one.  A  terminal  cell  enlarges  into  a 
conical  leaf  Out  of  that  leaf  springs  the 
second,  at  its  base.  It  is  in  fact  only  on  the 
supposition  of  radial    organs    generating  their 


3Jf6 


THE    GAnBE:N'EWS    M0JYTHL1.         J^'overtiber, 


successors  at  the  side  of  the  r?yi— at  the  centre  ' 
alternating;  from  cither  border  (ns  in  the  case  of  [ 
the   ])od-leavcs,    prodiicintr   fertile   ovules),  that 
the  whole  of  i)h3-llotaxic  jihenoniena,  and  of  or 
jranic  numbers  in  trcneral,  becomes  explicable.  [ 
The  production  of  new  elements,  however,  takes  j 
place    in   a   very   embryonic    condition.     Coty-  j 
ledons   already   formed   do   not    divide.     Lobes 
of  fissures,  folds,  etc.,  of  cotyledons  are  no  di- 
visions,  but  are   due  to   unequal  enlargement. 
New  elements   are  not  formed  by  division,  but 
by  sprouting." 

This  gives  the  reader  of  the  paper  a  n:uch 
better  idea  of  the  paper  itself  than  if  it  were 
merely  read  in  a  general  wa3\  Professor  Asa 
Gray  points  out  difficulties  in  the  author's  sug- 
gestions, but  not  as  great  as  he  could  himself 
have  shown  had  he  been  present.  For  instance, 
there  are  many  cotyledons  which  are  bent  down 
or  curved  round  themselves,  and  manifestly 
tbese  could  not  have  divided  in  the  particular 
way  that  the  oaks  and  beeches  certainly  did. 
But  because  there  are  difficulties  here,  it  ought 
not  to  weigh  against  the  positive  and  ascertained 
facts  in  the  other  cases.  Moreover,  Professor 
Hilgard  subsequently  showed  that  in  spite  of  the 
law  of  phyllotaxis  as  we  now  understand  it, 
the  unity  of  origin  was  more  philosophical  than 
Professor  Gray  believed.  Dr.  Gray  admits  that 
several  cotyledons  in  co)7//"erce  are  formed  bj'^  the 
splitting  up  of  two, — and  why  the  two  may  not 
originate  by  the  splitting  up  of  one  it  is  hard  to 
conceive. 

There  is  no  attempt  made  in  the  author's 
paper  to  show  token  the  division  into  lobes  takes 
place.  As  Professor  Ililgard  says,  it  must  if  at 
all  take  place  when  the  mass  is  in  a  very  embry- 
onic condition,  and  the  author  -would  have  sug- 
gested this  in  the  paper  if  it  had  been  thought 
possible  that  scientilic  readers  would  not  have 
seen  it'for  themselves.  Indeed,  it  is  quite  possi- 
ble that  the  ditficulty  about  the  incurved  coty- 
ledons might  be  solved  by  the  divided  portions 
growing  after  the  divisions,  which  had,  if  at 
all,  occurred  at  a  very  early  stage. 

The  author  of  the  paper  is  as  conscious  as 
Professor  Gray  tliat  morphology  and  ]ihyllotaxis 


as  we  now  understand  them,  seem  to  oflFer  na 
explanation  of  the  phenomena  he  recorded,  but 
if  they  fail  to  explain  them  it  is  surely  not  the 
author's  fault,  nor  should  it  be  incumbent  ou 
him  to  reconstruct  these  sciences,  merely  be- 
cause he  oflers  the  facts  within  his  observation 
for  the  consideratien  of  others.  It  rather  seems 
the  place  of  science  to  take  care  of  the  facts, 
than  for  facts  to  tremble  at  the  feet  of  science. 
What  Professor  Gray  says  in  regard  to  the 
paper  on  Adnation  in  Coniferce  is  undoubtedly 
true.  The  views  there  entertained-are  not  quite 
consistent  with  the  ordinary  vegetable  morphol- 
ogy ;  and  yet  there  was  no  statement  made  in 
that  paper  which  was  not  sustained  by  actual 
specimens  of  plants  exhibited  at  the  reading. 
Ordinary  morphology  failed  to  explain  them, 
and  the  author's  own  suggestions  were  merely 
offered  as  hypothesis  until  "  ordinary  morpho- 
logy "    could  do  better. 

It  is  strange  how  slow  ordinary  science  is  to 
give  way  to  facts  !  In  that  paper  at  Chicago,  it 
was  shown  that  Thuja  cricoidcs  must  be  a  de- 
velopment from  the  American  arborvitffi.  The 
law  of  this  development  was  clearly  given.  Since 
that  fij7?c,"Tom  Thumb''  and  other  similar  forms 
have  been  directly  raised  from  arborvit£es,  and 
this  fact  is  within  the  knowedge  of  all  the  lead- 
ing horticulturists  of  the  country;  yet  "ordi- 
nary morphology  ''  clings  to  the  impossibility  of 
the  case,  and  a  leading  European  botanist  has 
even  ignored  the  whole  of  this  direct  evidence, 
and  named  Tom  Thumb  as  a  species  of  lietinis- 
pora  I  After  all,  it  is  gratifying  that  leading 
scientists  show  so  conservative  a  disposition. 
New  doctrines  should  be  received  only  on  the 
most  overwhelming  testimony,  and  it  would 
have  perhaps  been  better  for  science  in  its 
present  shape  if  such  excellent  men  as  Professor 
Gray  had  been  at  the  head  of  things  in  the  last 
generation. 

But  we  are  wandering  from  the  main  point, 
the  American  Naturalist,  and  will  briefly  sas"^ 
that  there  is  no  one  who  wishes  to  keep  pace 
with  the  progress  of  American  science  but  will 
find  an  interest  in  its  pages. 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJS^EJR! S   MOJ\^THLY. 


347 


NEW  AND   MM  PUUITS. 


Pride  of  the  South  Applk. — We  have  been 
presented  by  the  originator,  Mr.  Lewis,  with 
several  specimens  of  this  new  Seedling  winter 
apple,  and  from  what  we  can  sae  of  the  fruit, 
and  learn  of  its  history  and  habits  we  are  in- 
clined to  believe  the  variety  will  prove  a  valuable 
one  for  Southern  culture. — Southern  Gardener. 


The  Columbia  Plum — According  to  Dr.  E. 
S.  Hull,  who  has  grown  this  variety  for  many 
years  near  Alton,  in  South  Illinois,  this  plum  is 
round,  fully  two  inches  in  diameter,  and  near 
Alton  ripens  in  August.  It  is  only  of  the  sec- 
ond quality  either  for  cooking  or  for  eating, 
fetching  SIO  or  812  per  bushel  when  the  best  va- 
rieties command  SIG.  Xear  Albany,  N.  Y.,  it 
is  extensively  raised,  but  throughout  the  West- 
ern States  it  is  comparatively  unknown.  Ac- 
cording to  the  same  authority,  although  the  cur- 
culio  oviposits  in  this  plum  as  freely  as  in  others, 
yet  the  larva  that  hatches  out  from  its  egg  is 
almost  invariably  drowned  out  by  the  exuberant 
flow  of  juice  that  is  peculiar  to  this  variety. 


tough  and  thick  skin.  In  these  regions  it  ri- 
pens from  the  last  of  September  to  the  beginning 
of  October ;  and  we  were  informed  at  Galena 
that  it  can  be  kept  through  the  winter  by  simply 
scalding  it  with  hot  water,  placing  in  anj'  con- 
venient open  vessel,  and  then  covering  it  with 
the  liquor  with  which  it  had  been  scalded.  Ow- 
ing to  the  firmness  of  the  ilesh,  it  bears  trans- 
portation remarkably  well,  and  it  is  said  to  meet 
with  a  ready  sale  in  the  Galena  market  — West- 
ern Paper. 


The  Murphy  Apple.— A  superb  dish  of  the 
above  variety  was  exhibited  at  the  rooms  of  the 
Mass.  Horticultural  Society,  by  Fearing  Burr, 
Esq.,  January  16th.  Its  brilliant  appearance 
attracted  attention,  the  color  being  a  deep  crim- 
son blotch  and  streaks  upon  a  cherry  ground, 
fading  upon  the  shady  side  to  a  bright  yellow. 
The  quality  of  the  fruit  is  very  good,  tender: 
juic}',  a  sprightly  sub-acid,  not  equal  to  the 
Northern  Spy  in  character,  but  much  superior 
to  the  Baldwin.  Mr.  Burr  stated  that  he  has 
had  the  variety  in  bearing  many  years,  that  its 
habits  are  all  good,  and  it  bears  regularly  and 
abundantly.  The  size  is  above  medium,  and  the 
shape  pretty  uniform  as  given  in  the  outline,  the 
deep  setting  of  the  stem,  however,  making  it  to 
appear  more  obovate  in  the  outline  than  it  is  in 
reality.  Its  beauty  and  good  qualities  combined 
make  it  a  very  desirable  variety. — Boston  CuUl- 
vator. 


The  Miner  or  Hinckley  Plum.— This  has 
been  very  extensively  grown  near  Galena,  111  , 
for  the  last  thirty-four  years,  and  has  lately  been 
introduced  into  Wisconsin.  It  is  a  deep  red, 
round  plum,  about  one  and  a  half  inches  in  di- 
ameter, of  a   firm  texture,  and  with   a   rather 


The  Marengo  Winter  Crai;— A  number 
of  nurserymen— among  those  foremost  in  the 
business  in  the  Northwest — have  paid  consider- 
able attention  to  Siberian  apples  for  a  number 
of  years  pa.st,  with  a  view  of  testing  them. 
Among  these  fruits  the  varieties  known  as  the 
Marengo  Winter  Crab — Nos.  1  and  2— are,  after 
several  years  of  careful  trial  in  various  parts  of 
the  West  and  Northwest,  confidently  recom- 
mended as  valuable  acquisitions  to  our  list  of 
hardy  fruits.  Specimens  of  these  apples  have 
come  under  our  notice  for  several  j'cars,  and  it 
is  not  surprising  that  there  should  be  a  large 
and  increasing  demand  for  thera  from  Maine  to 
Minnesota. —  Western  Bural. 


Fay's  Joe  Apple. — This  is  a  new  variety, 
supposed  to  be  a  hybrid  between  Eai-ly  Joe  and 
Siberian  Crab,  specimens  of  which  we  have  re- 
received  from  Charles  Andrews,  Esq.,  of  Maren- 
go, 111.  Mr.  Andrews  is  a  well  known  enthusi- 
astic fruit  grower,  and  knowing  our  love  and  de- 
sire to  see  all  new  things  in  the  Avay  of  fruits  and 
flowers,  sends  us  this,  saying  "it  was  raised  by 
L.  Woodward,  of  Marengo."  The  fruit  is  about 
the  size  of  Early  Joe,  oblate,  yellow,  grained 
with  broken  stripes  of  carmine  red,  flesh  white, 
granular,  like  sharp  sand,  moistened  with  acid 
water  to  the  palate,  good  when  you  are  educated 
to  it,  as  is  said  of  catin<z  saur  kraut.— F.  Ti.  El- 
liott. 


Early  Pjcxxock  Apple. — We  have  speci- 
mens of  the  EarlyPennock  before  us  as  we  write, 
received  from  11.  W.  Furnas,  Esq.,  of  Nebraska, 
for  name.  It  has  been  frequently  cof>unded 
with  summer  Queen  but  is  at  once  detected  from 
that  variety  by  its  more  yellow  red,  in  its  more 


SJfS 


THE    GAEBE^^EWS   MOXTELY. 


J'fovejnher, 


broken  stripes,  and  also  by  its  more  white  and 
less  valuable  flesh.  It  is,  however,  a  showy 
fruit  and  a  good  bearer  and  hence  a  very  profita- 
ble market  sort,  for  the  people  at  large  care 
nothing  for  quality.  It  is  only  size  and  show 
that  sells. — F.  R.  Elliott. 


The  Miner  and  Wild  Goose  Plum.— The 
"Wild  Goose  had  its  origin  in  Tennessee,  on  Cum- 
berland river  ;  whereas  the  "  Miner,''  Downing 
says,  originated  with  ;Mr.  Miner,  of  Lancaster, 
Penna.  Fruit  medium,  oblong,  pointed  at  apex; 
skin  dark,  purplish  red,  with  a  fine  bloom  ;  flesh 
soft,  jui(^',  vinous  ;  adheres  to  the  stone.  With 
this,  agree,  the  plate  and  description  in  Tilton''s 
Journal  of  Horticulture,  Vol.  5.  p.  139,  for  1869, 
in  a  communication  from  D.  L.  Adair,  of  Hawes- 
ville,  Kentucky.  Some  of  our  AVestcrn  friends 
have  taken  great  pains  to  ascertain  whether  the 
Miner  and  Wild  Goose  are  distinct  varieties  or 
not,  and  have,  I  think,  shown  that  they  are 
quite  different ;  for  which  see  Western  Fomolo- 
gist  for  1870  and  1871.— Cor.  of  Bttral  Caroli- 
nian. 


Plowden  PEACn.~We  have  from  Mr.  Clag- 
ett  more  leaves  and  branches  of  this  peach. 
They  are  of  the  same  long  tapering  form  as  those 
Mr.  C.  exhibited  to  us  in  the  spring  ;  but  some 
of  them  |are  crenate,  and  some  serrate, — some 
with  glands  and  some  without,  showing  that  in 


these  usually  permanent  characters  this  one  is 
variable.  There  are  none  of  them  abruptly 
pointed,  like  the  Mississippi  one ;  but  even  this 
maj'^  be  also  variable.  On  the  whole  of  the  facts 
so  far  as  we  are  able  to  judge  of  them,  we  are 
inclined  to  believe  but  one  variety  has  been  dis- 
seminated ;  and  that  the  variety  is  not  Hale's 
Early.  This  is  also  the  opinion  of  one,  if  not  of 
two  good  peach  men  in  ^Mississippi,  who  have 
fruited  it  there.  For  ourselves,  having  seen  but 
one  fruit,  we  should  not  like  to  decide  this  point 
positively,  though  from  that  one  we  supposed 
it  was  quite  distinct. 

Park's  Cling  Peach.— We  have  some 
peaches  from  Mr.  Riehl,  Alton,  Ills.,  but  no 
note  about  them.  They  correspond  to  the  des- 
cription of  Park's  Cling  at  page  313,  and  well 
deserve  all  that  is  said  about  them  there.  They 
came  in  excellent  order,  showing  how  well  they 
will  carry  to  market.  We  have  put  one  away  to 
"keep,"  and  it  eeems  as  good  to-day,  Oct.  15th, 
as  when  received  a  month  ago.  A  peach  that 
will  keep  like  an  apple  ought  to  be  a  pretty  good 
thins. 


Cowing's  Strawberry. — Noticed  in  the  Au- 
gust Monthly.  We  have  leaves  of  this  variety 
from  Mr.  Cowing.  The  leaflets  are  four  and  a 
half  inches  long,  and  three  and  a  half  wide, 
showing  by  this,  that  it  is  a  vigorous  growing 
variety. 


NEW  AND  EAFiE  PLANTS. 


TuuNiA  BENSONiiE,— One  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful of  the  many  recently  introduced  Orchids, 
and,  like  its  congeners  the  T.  alba  (the  Phajun 
albus  of  old),  of  very  easy  growth. 

It  is  another  of  the  fine  plants  for  which  we 
are  indebted  to  Colonel  Benson,  who  found  it  at 
Rangoon.  As  a  species,  it  resembles  the  Pha- 
jus  albus  in  everything  except  size  and  color,  the 
flowers  being  2  to  3  inches  broad,  sepals  and 
petals  pale  reddish  purple,  white  towards  the 
centre,  lip  largo,  white  at  base,  deep  purple 
beyond,  with  yellow  crested  disc. — Veitch. 


DENDUomuM  Cuassinoda.  —  One  of  the 
most  remarkable  Dcndrobcs  hitherto  discovered, 
whether  we  take  the  singularly-formed  stems,  or 
its  distinct  and  beautiful  flowers. 


The  former  are  produced  from  9  to  IS  inches 
in  length,  and  formed  throughout  of  swollen 
iuternodes,  closely  set  together,  giving  them  the 
appearance  of  rows  of  large  beads. 

The  flowers  are  2  to  2h  inches  in  diameter, 
abundantly  produced  from  the  upper  nodes, 
white,  with  broad  rosy  tips  to  the  sepals,  petals 
and  lip,  and  a  large  bright  yellow  disc  to  the 
latter. 

This  is  another  of  the  many  beautiful  plants 
sent  to  Veitch  by  Colonel  Benson,  Avho  dis- 
covered it  on  the  Arrakan  Mountpins  at  an  ele- 
vation of  2,500  loot. 

Vanda  Denisoxiana.— Veitcli  is  indebted 
to  Colonel  Benson  for  this  loveh''  Vanda,  and  it 
must  certainly  rank  amongst  the  most  striking 


1871, 


TH]£    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^'TELy. 


349 


of  his  discoveries.  A  figure  of  this  beautiful 
Orchid  will  be  found  in  Curtis^s  Botanical  3Jag- 
azine  for  Dec,  18G9,  and  we  give  the  following 
description  by  Professor  lieichenbach,  taken 
from  the  Gardeners^  Chronicle  of  the  same  year, 
page  528 : 

"The  white  Burmese  Yanda  was  one  of  the 
secret  treasures  of  the  Koyal  Exotic  Nursery 
for  a  while.  It  has  iust  flowered,  and  Messrs. 
Veitch  have  kindly  placed  in  our  hands  the 
beautiful  spolia  of  this  striking  novelty.  The 
habit  of  the  i)lant  may  be  compared  to  that  of 
Vanda  Bensoni,  though,  as  far  as  our  recollec- 
tion goes,  the  new  one  is  much  stronger.  The 
leaves,  Mr.  Veitch  informs  us,  arc  wider ;  they 


are  ligulate,  unequally  bilobed  at  the  attenuate 
apex,  and  very  shining.  Our  inflorescence  is 
four-flowered,  the  flowers  larger  than  those  of 
Vanda  Bensoni.  *  -'  ■■  *  *  '■■  There  can 
be  no  doubt  that  this  lovely  plant  will  create  a 
sensation  amongst  amateurs.  We  need  scarcely 
say  that  it  is  one  of  Colonel  Benson's  most  strik- 
ing discoveries,  though  we  should  not  care  to  be 
appointed  the  modern  Paris  to  decide  which 
was  the  lovliest  amongst  the  Bensonian  fairies. 
"  AVe  have  dedicated  this  Vanda  to  Lady 
Londesborough,  naming  it  V.  Denisoniana^  in 
appreciation  of  Lord  Londesborough's  great 
and  ceuerous  love  for  Orchids." 


DOMESTIC    IISTELLIGENCE. 


Terrible  IIesults  of  Mkehan's  Surface 
Root  Culture  of  Pears.— We  recently  paid 
a  visit  to  the  pear  orchard  of  Edwin  Middleton, 
near  Darby,  Delaware  County,  and  from  wiiat 
we  saw  there,  have  felt  somewhat  disposed  to 
announce  to  the  public,  that  the  key  has  at  last 
turned,  and  the  secret  of  profitable  pear  culture 
been  found  out.  We  have  always  had  the  great- 
est faith  in  results;  and  when  we  see  in  so  many 
localities,  that  pear  growing  for  profit  has  proved 
a  failure,  although  conducted  on  the  most  ap- 
proved system  in  the  books,  and  then  turn  to 
Middleton's  orchard  and  see  the  jjears,  one  is  in- 
clined to  believe  there  must  be  something  in  his 
system.  This  orchard  is  fortunately  ia  the  vi- 
cinity of  a  lumber  yard,  from  which  to  obtain 
props  to  prop  up  the  limbs  and  prevent  them 
breaking  with  .the  load  of  fruit.  These  props, 
from  8  to  IG  and  18  feet  long,  we  found  scattered 
all  over  the  orchard,  wherever  the  fruit  was  near 
the  full  size  ;  and  some  of  the  topmost  boughs  to 
which  props  could  not  be  adjusted,  had  in  seve- 
ral cases  broke  down  v/ith  the  weight. 

The  secret  of  success  appears  to  be  heavy 
mulching,  ou  a  circumference  of  some  18  to  20 
feet  around  each  tree.  This  was  mostly  soft 
meadow  hay,  but  in  some  cases  loose  and  par- 
tially decomposed  stx-aw,  to  the  thickness  of 
about  six  inches.  This  acts,  of  course,  to  keep 
the  soil  damp,  and  the  temperature  even  and 
regular.  It  rather  disfigures  a  handsome  lawn 
in  front  of  the  (mansion,  to  see  it  covered  with 
hay ;  but  as  our  friend  Middleton  believes  in 
pears,  and  the  practical  and  useful,  rather  than 


the  lornamental,  the  latter  has  been  somewhat 
sacrificed. 

The  varieties  cultivated  are  chiefly  Bartlctt, 
which,  of  fine  size  and  appearance,  as  fast  as  iu 
eating  order,  are  engaged  mostly  at  the  Conti- 
nental, Philadelphia,  and  have  been  for  years 
delivered  there  daily  during  the  pear  season. — 
After  Bartlett,  and  coming  in  profit  successively, 
we  found  the  reliance  was  chiefly  on  Seckel  and 
Lawrence,  as  of  fine  quality,  always  command- 
ing a  ready  sale.  Trees  of  these  varieties  we 
saw  literally  loaded  with  fine  fruit.  There  were 
also  Leech's  Kiugsessing,  the  original  tree  of 
which  is  in  the  immediate  vicinity — Flemish 
Beauty,  but  not  so  large  and  fine  as  we  have 
seen  elsewhere.  This  variety  seems  to  have  the 
fatality  everywhere  in  this  section,  of  losing  its 
leaves  prematurely,  but  is  a  very  luscious  and 
sprightly  pear.  There  were  also  in  the  orchard, 
I  Beurre  d'Anjou,  Beurre  Clairgcau,  IIowcU,  Du- 
I  chesse  d'Angouleme,  Louise  Bonne  dc  Jersey, 
i  and  several  other  kinds.  Most  of  the  trees  are 
standards. 

.  One  other  advantage  of  the  mulching,  l)e.sides 
I  shading  the  ground  is,  that  fruit  is  not  bruised 
;  iu  dropping,  which,  Avhen  many  bushel^;  are 
1  gathered  daily,  is  a  great  saving  of  time. 
!  After  gathering,  the  pears  are  taken  into  a 
j  dry  cellar,  having  a  mortar  floor,  around  the 
j  sides  of  which  shelving  is  erected  about  4  feet 
I  high.  The  bottom  of  this  is  composed  of  slats, 
on  which  is  laid  first,  cheap  wall  paper,  then 
two  or  three  inches  of  sawdust,  on  which  the 
I  pears  are  placed  thickly,  but  in  a  single  layer. 


S50 


TEE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJVTHLl.  J^ovemher, 


Over  these  layers  of  pears  a  simpk  covering  of 
wall  paper  is  laid,  to  absorb  any  moisture  from 
the  cellar.  These  covers  are  readily  lifted  off, 
and  the  ripe  pears  for  city  daily  selected  out, 
and  the  places  filled  up  with  others.  They  are 
taken  to  the  city  in  baskets,  on  a  spring  wagon 
and  have  a  popularity  among  the  guests  of  the 
Continental,  from  being  uniformly  fair  and  of 
high  quality. 

E.  Middkton  has  this  season  been  more  than 
usually  troubled  with  wasps  and  other  insects 


stinging  the  fruit  and  causing  rot  in  places.  Ob- 
serving some  time  back  in  the  Practical  Farmer, 
wide  mouth  bottles  containing  sweetened  water, 
recommended  to  be  suspended  on  the  branches 
through  the  orchard,  he  has  caught  many  quarts 
of  insects  in  this  way,  and  without  them,  con- 
siders his  loss  would  have  been  quite  serious. 

On  the  whole,  we  recommend  those  who  have 
not  succeeded  satisftictorily  in  pear  growing,  to 
visit  this  orchard  and  see  what  results  have  been 
accomplished  —Practical  Farmer. 


F  0  II  E  I  G  Ts     I  N  T  E  L  L  I  G  E  Is  C  E . 


The  Queen  of  Autumx. — We  have  not 
seen  the  chrysanthemum  cultivated  as  it  deserves 
to  be  in  ninety-nine  gardens  out  of  every  hundred 
we  have  visited.  It  is  certainly  one  of  the  most 
"  popular  "  of  all  flowers,  yet  its  "  homes  "  are 
far  separated,  and  thousands  of  people  who 
profess  to  love  flowers  could  not  now  present 
a  friend  with  a  single  flower  or  the 
promise  of  one.  The  bedding  plants  are  no 
longer  attractive,  the  plant-houses  everywhere 
are  filled,  the  craving  for  flowers  .is  as  active  as 
ever,  and  yet  where  amongst  the  thousands  of 
gardens  in  the  suburbs  of  London,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  other  great  centres,  shall  we  find  one  in 
which  the  chrysanthemum  has  the  place  of 
honor  to  which  it  is  entitled  by  sheer  merit  and 
usefulness  ?  There  can  be  but  one  answer,  and 
it  is  "Xowhere."  This,  however,  must  be 
qualified  with  the  observation  that  a  select  few 
of  the  choicest  floricultural  spirits  here  and 
there  do  appreciate  it  and  bestow  upon  it  the 
small  amount  of  care  it  requires  and  deserves. 
Our  correspondent,  Mr.  James,  of  Isleworth, 
has  furnished  the  be.«t  lesson  perhaps  of  the 
value  of  the  chrysanthemum  in  a  private  gar- 
den, and  the  more  to  be  commended,  doubtless, 
because  he  has  not  only  communicated  his 
routine  of  cultivation  to  the  readers  of  the 
Gardcncr^s  Magazine,  but  has  presented  proofs 
of  his  skill  in  the  beautiful  specimens  he  has  ex- 
hibited at  South  Kensington.  Tiiose  who  culti- 
vate the  chrysanthemum  with  zeal  equal  to  that 
of  J^Ir.  James  are  few  and  far  between,  3'et  we 
ought  to  be  able  to  count  them  by  hundreds,  for 
in  its  season,  it  has  no  compeer,  and  may  be 
truly  designated  the  Queen  of  Autumn.  That 
we  do  not  meet  with  chrysautheuiums  in  conser- 


vatories and  sheltered  borders,  except  as  rari- 
ties, is  i^erhaps  to  be  ascribed  in  part  to  a  pre- 
judice against  them  founded  on  ignorance,  but  in 
part  also,  no  doubt,  to  the  immense  absorption 
of  glass,  labor  and  admiration  by  the  ordinary 
run  of  bedding  plants,  which  have  become  a 
conspira;cy  of  usurpers,  claiming  and  obtaining 
all  the  strength  of  almost  every  garden  for  their 
presentation  and  keeping.  Nevertheless,  the 
gloom  that  has  suddenly  fallen  on  the  gardens 
that  were  but  lately  gay  with  bedding  plants, 
renders  the  chrysanthemum  "conspicuous  by 
its  absence,"  and  it  would  be  a  delightful  relief 
from  the  dreariness  that  prevails,  could  W'e  see 
in  the  conservatory,  and  the  more  suitable  of 
the  plant-houses  lor  the  intrusion  of  visitors, 
well-grown  specimen  chrysanthemums  mixed 
with  other  plants,  or,  better  still,  such  a  solid 
phalanx  as  Mr.  Forsyth  will  presently  invite 
the  public  to  behold,  in  the  only  trade  exhibi- 
tion of  the  flower  that  the  metropolis  can  now 
boast  of.The  numerous  exhibitions  by  Chrys- 
anthemum societies  in  all  the  great  trading 
towns  tend  to  difTuse  a  knowledge  of  the  plant 
and  promote  an  appreciation  of  its  beauty  ;  but 
the  impressions  made  do  not  spread  flir,  else  we 
should  hear  of  many  more  exhibitions  than  we 
do  in  rural  districts  far  removed  from  great 
towns,  where  the  need  of  November  flowers  is 
fully  as  great,  and  the  poverty  of  the  gardens 
even  more  noticeable.— TAe  Gardencr''s  Maga- 
zinc. 


Azalea  amcena.— This  brautiful  dwarf  Ja- 
panese species  is  exactly  suited  for  the  margin 
or  front  row  of  a  bed  of  plants,  or  for  grouping 
in  small  beds      Its  bright  rosy  jiurjile  flowers  are 
i  very  abundant  and  eflective  iu  the  Spring. 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOMTBLY, 


351 


HORTICULTURAL    NOTICES. 


THE  AMERICAN  TOMOLOGICAL 
SOCIETY. 

In  our  last  we  oflered  a  few  remarks  as  to  the 
general  success  which  attended  the  Richmond 
meeting.  In  the  details  the  meeting  was 
chiefly  confined  to  the  discussion  of  the 
wants  of  varieties  of  fruits  adapted  to  the 
Southern  States.  A  motion  was  made  and 
carried  to  make  the  bi-annual  contribu- 
tions four  dollars;  and  another  to  petition 
Congress  to  aid  the  Society  by  an  appropriation. 
A  resolution  to  petition  Congress  to  aid  in  the 
distillation  of  liquor  from  peaches  was  voted 
down  as  not  properly  within  the  province  of  a 
Pomological  Society.  A  rather  long  discussion 
took  place  on  the  Red  Astrachan  apple,  the  sa- 
lient point  of  Avhich  was  that  it  was  too  strong 
a  grower  on  rich  soils,  and  hence  was  a  long 
time  in  coming  into  bearing  under  such  circum- 
stances. The  apples  which  received  the  greatest 
encouragement  for  tiie  South  and  Southwest 
were  Red  Astrachan,  American  Summer  Pear- 
main,  Early  Harvest,  Summer  Queen,  Caroline 
Red  June,  Common  Pearmain,  Manjum,  Gilpin, 
Shockley,  AVinesap,  Eawle's  Janet,  Maidens 
Blush  and  Ijoudon  Pippin.  Others  generally 
praised,  but  more  cautiously,  were  Red  Margaret 
or  Striped  June,  Autumn  Sweet  Bough,  White 
Winter  Pearmain,  Carter's  Bloom,  Carolina 
Greening,  Buckingham  (Syn.  Salem),  Taunton, 
Ben  Davis,  Junaluskie,  Nickajack,  Pryor's 
Red,  Stevenson's  "Winter,  Yates,  Mason's 
Stranger,  for  Virginia. 

The  discussion  on  Pears  was  quite  livelj',  and 
in  regard  to  Belle  Lucrative,  the  Society  came  in 
for  a  share  of  vituperation  for  ever  having  re- 
commended it  so  highly,  but  the  general  opinion 
seemed  to  be  that  it  deserved  all  that  was  said 
of  it  in  former  years,  but  had  deteriorated  since, 
though  some  of  the  speakers  still  thought  it  one 
of  the  very  best  grown.  Those  deemed  gener- 
ally acceptable  were  Bartletts,  Bloodgood, 
Seckel,  Howell,  Beurre  d'Anjou,  Beurre  Clair- 
geau,  Duchesse  d'Angouleme,  Lawrence,  Onon- 
daga, Sheldon.  Other.s  receiving  pretty  general 
pnise  were  BufTam,  Doyenne  d'Ete,  Flemish 
Beauty,  Kingsessing,  Rostiezer,  Beurre  Bosc, 
Beurre  Diel,  Beurre  Superfin,  Doyenne  Bous- 
sock.  Urbaniste,  alsp,  was  tolerably  well 
spoken  of. 

In  strawberries  the  enthusiasm  for  Wilson's 
Albany  was  quit-c   wild     The    following    lad 


general  praise  :    Barne.^  ^Mammoth  Agricultu, 
St.    Longworth's  Prolific,   Triomphe  de   Gand 
Seth    Boyden,     Cliarles    Downing,     Kentucky, 
AVilder,  Seedling  Eliza,  Green  Prolific. 

The  Peach  was  pretty  thoroughly  discussed. 
The  most  favored  were  perhaps  Yellow  St. 
John,  Early  Tillotson,  Amelia,  Large  York, 
Crawford's  Early,  Troth's  Early  Columbia, 
Susquehanna,  Stump  the  World,  Grosse  Mig- 
nonne, Chinese  Cling,  Lemon  Cling,  Heath  Cling, 
Old  Mixon  Cling.  Some  kinds  less  known,  and 
which  received  favorable  mention,  were  Eaton, 
Indian  Blood  Cling,  Lady  Parham,  Baldwin's 
Late,  Picqucts  Late.  Hale's  Early  raised  quite 
an  animated  discussion,  many  regarding  it  as 
worthless,  others  praising  it  highly,  under  dif- 
ferent phases  of  culture. 

In  Grapes,  the  Delaware,  Concord  and  Clin- 
ton were  favored  with  most  compliments  ;  and 
Norton's  Virginia,  Ives,  and  Rogers  No.  o,  had 
considerable  commendation.  Many  other  grapes 
were  named,  but  as  opinions  seemed  about 
equally  divided. we  do  not  name  them.  The  varie- 
ties of  the  Muscadine  grape  (Scuppernong  sec- 
tion) were  all  well  spoken  of  as  profitable  for 
cooking  and  vinous  purposes. 

Of  the  large  number  of  new  seedlings  offered, 
none  received  from  the  committee  the  enco- 
mium of  "  best ''  which  would  entitle  them  to  a 
distinguished  place  in  public  estimation.  There 
were  some  remarkable  grapes,  however,  from 
Dr.  A.  P.  "Wylie,  on  which  the  correspondent 
of  the  Pliiladcl2)hia  Press  makes  the  following 
remarks  : 

"  Among  the  most  interesting  matters  con- 
nected with  the  exhibition  of  fruits,  is  a  collec- 
tion of  grapes  by  Mr.  Wylie,  of  Chester,  South 
Carolina.  The  public  at  largo  are  not  abe  to 
appreciate  the  great  value  of  this  gentleman's 
labors  as  well  as  they  might  do,  from  the  fact 
that  he  is  not  a  fruit-grower  for  market,  and 
therefore  has  no  pecuniary  interest  in  the  work 
in  whic!i  he  is  engaged.  He  experiments  solely 
from  a  love  of  science  and  interest  in  the 
strange  character  of  the  results.  A  nursery- 
man, on  the  other  hand,  has  an  interest  in 
money  in  the  process  of  any  new  variety  of 
fruits  he  may  get,  and  thus  the  public  soon 
hears  and  knows  all  about  it. 

In  the  South  are  two  grapes,  the  Clinton  and 
Scuppernong,  which,  though  good  grapes,  are 
not   as   Ingh  in   eating  qualities  as   one  could 


352 


THE    GARDEJs'EKS    MOJ^THLy. 


JVoveviber 


■wish.  The  European  grape  docs  not  grow  well 
in  the  open  air.  Dr.  W.  supposed  that  by  hy- 
bridization he  could  mix  the  quality  of  the 
foreign  with  the  hardiness  and  vigor  of  the  na- 
tive, and  thus  got  perfection.  Otliers  have  at- 
tempted this  ;  but  their  results  .seem  rather  the 
effect  of  accident.  Rogers,  of  Salem,  Massa- 
chusetts, once  produced  some,  but  it  was  never 
repeated,  nor  any  minute  details  preserved 
Avhich  would  invest  his  experiments  with  scien- 
tific interest. 

But  Dr.  Wylie  has  perserved  year  after  year 
for  now  neai'ly  twenty  years,  marking  down  ex- 
actly the  parentage  of  each,  and  continually 
producing  something  valuable.  Here,  at  this 
meeting,  he  had  a  large  variety  of  seedlings, 
almost  all  of  which,  by  repeated  selections,  most 
srape-eaters  would  consider  superior  even  to  tlie 
famed  grapes  of  Italy  or  the  Rhine.  Some  of 
the  scientific  results  are  very  curious.  For  in- 
stance, year  after  year,  he  placed  the  pollen  of 
the  European  grape  on  the  flowers  of  the  Scup- 
pernoug,  but  it  had  no  more  effect  than  so  much 
earth.  The  Scuppernong  refused  to  lie  a  parent 
to  the  European  grape,  nor  would  it  reproduce 
any  better  when^  the  other  American  species 
were  tried.  Not  even  our  common  fox  grape 
had  any  eflect  on  the  reproductive  organs. 

But  when  the  Scuppernong  was  employed  as 
a  male  parent,  and  its  pollen  introduced  to  the 
other  species,  a  mongrel  race  was  produced,  and 
when  the  pollen  of  this  mongrel  race  was  intro- 
duced back  again  to  the  Scuppernong,  then  it 
was  eflective,  and  new  varieties  could  be  raised 
from  the  Scuppernong  in  this  way.  Thus  the 
female  Scuppernong  grape  will  not  intercross 
with  the  male  flowers  of  any  other  grape,  but  it 
will  do  so  with  a  mongrel  male,  which  is  tiie 
progeny  of  a  male  of  its  own  species. 

This  curious  discovery  is  puzzling  the  physi- 
ologists exceedingly,  but  the  general  ])ublic, 
which  does  not  bother  itself  so  much  with  laws 
as  with  their  practical  results,  are  more  taken 
with  the  luscious  fruit  which  the  Doctor  has 
l)roduced.'' 

In  regard  to  the  large  premiums  oflercd  by  the 
Virginia  Societies,  Nebraska  carried  away  the 
•SlOU  oflered  fur  tlie  best  general  collection  of 
fruits.  The  premiums  were  subsequently  do 
nateci  to  tlic;  Tomological  Society.  Kansas  had 
a  rcniarkal)!y  line  collection  of  Apples,  which 
would  perhaps  liave  given  Nebraska  some 
trouble  if  tiio>io  \\\  charge  liad  thought  to  in- 
clude other  fruits  according  to  the  rc(iuin'menls 
of  the  schedule.  As  it  was,  the  lifty.-doUar  pre- 
mium for  apples  was  awardi:d  to  Kansas. 

The  show  of  fruit  wasallogethcr  inagnilicent, 
and   except  at  thi;   annual     (;xhil)ili(jn    of   the 


Pennsjdvania  Horticultural  Society,  we  doubt 
whether  any  such  a  fine  exhibition  was  ever 
made  as  here. 

Among  the  items  of  interest  was  a  contriv- 
ance by  Mr.  Wier  for  destroying  the  codling 
moth.  It  is  made  up  of  pieces  of  shingle 
screwed  together.  The  moth  deposits  its  eggs 
between  the  faces,  and  between  these  "upper 
and  nether  millstones  "  the  larvae  is  crushed  and 
destroyed.  It  appeared  to  us  better  than  either 
woollen  waste  or  heavy  bands.  Col.  Hardee,  of 
Florida,  also  introduced  an  idea,  that  insects 
could  be  destroyed  in  an  orchard  hy  concussion. 
Two  pounds  of  powder  exploded  in  an  orchard 
would  destroy  the  curculio  and  the  larva?  of 
other  insects. 

In  regard  to  practical  discussions  on  fruit 
culture  in  general,  there  was  but  one  evening 
devoted  to  it.  It  was  chiefly  confined  to  the 
Pear  and  its  diseases.  Messrs.  W.  Saunders, 
Professor  Taylor,  Dr.  Houselj',  Wier,  Smith, 
Lemosy  and  Meehan  took  part  in  it  Mr. 
Saunders  had  found  washing  the  stems  of 
pear  trees  with  lime  and  sulphur  to  have  a 
good  effect  in  rendering  them  healthy.  He 
thought  the  fire  blight  in  the  pear  was  the 
result  of  fungoid  action,  and  that  these  external 
applications  might  have  a  good  result  in  de- 
stroying these  diseases.  Mr.  Meehan  favored 
the  fungoid  theory  of  fire  blight.  Dr.  Housely 
and  Mr.  "Wier  attributed  it  to  sudden  atmos- 
pheric changes  which  must  be  injurious  to  vege- 
tation. ]\Ir.  Brown  Smith  mentioned  the  case 
of  a  friend  who  insisted  that  the  seeds  of  a  kind 
of  blight  were  in  the  seedling  pears  the  previous 
year,  but  Avho  was  a  little  suspicious  of  the 
soundness  of  his  theor}'  when  he  was  informed 
that  the  plants  were  only /our  months  old.  He 
still  believes  in  his  "theory,"  however,  luit  he 
don't  understand  how  it  is  that  the  iplants 
cannot  yet  be  a  year  old,  and  he  thinks  Mr. 
Smith's  tacts  must  be  wrong  somewhere. 

The  meeting  is  to  be  held  in  1873  in  Boston, 
which  will  be  the  2oth  anniversary  of  the  So- 
ciety. '1  he  authorities  of  the  city  of  Richmond 
and' the  members  of  the  Horticultural  and  Agri- 
cultural Societies  behaved  in  the  most  handsome 
manner  to  the  members  and  delegates  to  the 
Convention.  Rides  were  provided  to  dillerent 
points,  and  the  whole  wound  up  with  a  superb 
banquet,  which  was  largely  attended.  AVe  visi- 
ted the  leading  cemeteries  and  jjublic  gardens 
jn  the  vicinity,  and  were  much  gratified  by  the 
excellent  condition  of  the  trees  and  stock  of 
Franklin  Davis  ifc  Co."s  nurseries,  as  well  as 
those  of  Allen  &  Johnson. 


PENNSYLVANIA  HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 

The  aunuiil  meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania  Hor- 
ticultural Society  was,  as  the  show-bills  would 
this  time  truly  say,  "an  immense  attraction." 
We  made  full  notes  for  iha  Montlih/^  liut  ihoy  are 
crowded  over  for  this  month,  but  will  appear  in 
our  next. 


rSIIC/AIKSil't  ^1^' 


PAVrA  MACROSTACHYA. 


\u  aSardener's 


'-T) 


T)f;voteu  to 

Ho7'riciflturt>,    Af'horiciili'JTc.    Bolanij    and     Kurai    Affairs, 

EDITED  BY  THOMAS  MEEHAK. 


Old   ^er,e^,   Vol.   XIU.     DECEMBER.     187 1.     AVio  ,SVr/V^.,    Vo}.  / 1'.  An.    12. 


M8    FOK    DE^.EMIU^R. 


FLOWER  GARDEN  AND  IM/KASUKE 
GROUND. 

There,  are  many  beautiful  plants  which  we  can 
enjoy  if  we  onh'  take  care  to  keep  them  from  the 
sun  in  winter.  The  Everjrreen  Ivy  is  one  of  this 
class.  In  Pennsylvania  it  will  rai'ely  live  on  the 
south  side  of  a  building  without  some  injury  : 
while  on  the  northern  side,  it  is  usually  able  to 
get  through.  This  shows  that  it  is  not  a  ques- 
tion of  the  thermometer,  for  it  is  much  colder  on 
the  north  side  of  a  house  than  on  the  south  ;  but 
it  is  rather  through  the  more  rapid  escape  of 
moisture  on  that  side.  But  the  lesson  is  of 
value  in  teaching  us  to  shade  any  valuable  broad- 
leaved  plant  which  we  may  liavo.  The  Japan 
Euonymus,  the  Oregon  grape  or  Malionio.  nquifo. 
lia,  the  Rhododendron,  and  other  similar  things 
all  do  ver}'  well  in  this  section  of  the  countrj', 
if  anything  be  scattered  lightly  over  to  prevent 
injury  from  the  sun.  ^\rr.  Rand,  who  lia.^-  given 
these  matters  much  close  attention,  reports  that 
in  Mass.  the  English  Ivy  is  not  hardy  there  ; 
but  we  think  if  placed  in  sulecled  si)ots  away 
from  the  winter's  suu,  they  mightdo  better  than 
is  supposeil  In  trials  nl'  this  kind  the  green- 
leaved  forms  should  be  selected,  as  these  are 
more  hardy  than  the  variegated  ones. 

Since  Mr.  Robinson's  works  and  the  writiugs 
of  other  leaders  in  horticulture  have  called  at- 
tention to  the  great  beauty  ot  the  more  tnipical 
styles  of  uortliern  gardening,  there  is  much  de- 
mand for  this  class  of  plants.  f)nu  landscape 
gardener  tells  us  he  makes  great  use  of  the  Yitc- 
ciis  for  this  purpose  ;  as  its  sword  like  evergreen 
leaves  have  a  pretty  efiect  Jn  winter  as  well  as 
ia  summer.  The  Yucai  f'd  tmentfmi.  is  the  one 
employed  chielly.     There  are  other  species  stil; 


lare,  whieii  will  no  doubt  l)ecoine  very  useful  for 
this  purjjose,  also  when  they  become  cl)eap  and 
eominon,  of  these  are  I'',  recitrva,  Y.  rjlorhsa,  and 
1".  nnQustifnlid. 

We  have  frequintly  urged  the  importance  of 
planting  places  very  tliickly  at  first,  in  order 
both  to  produce  an  immediate  effect,  and  also 
because  the  shelter  wliieh  one  .mother  affords 
makes  the  trees  grow  with  greater  health  and 
vigor,  than  when  exposed  singly  to  the  force  of 
wind  and  sun.  At  this  season  no  better  employ- 
ment can  be  found  than  in  thiuniug  out  these 
thick  ]ilanled  places.  It  will  of  course  require 
much  judgment ;  but  one  fond  of  trees,  and  the 
efu  ci.s  which  they  produce,  will  not  be  much  at 
a  loss.  Sometimes  it  is  hard  to  bring  oneself  to 
cut  down  a  tree  which  one  has  watched  grow  for 
so  many  years  ;  but  it  often  must  be  done  if  we 
would  preserve  the  symmetry  and  1)eauty  of  our 
places.  Wlien  there  is  any  question  as  to  the 
proper  tree  to  ha  taken  away,  the  size  of  the 
place  may  h.  Ip  one  to  decide.  A  tree  which 
will  in  tiine  occupy  nuich  space  can  be  more 
easily  spared  fromji  small  place  than  one  which 
will  never  transgress  a  limited  space.  Indeed 
except  for  the  purpose  of  rapid  growth  to  nurse 
more  valued  trees,  large  growing  things  should 
n<»t  lie  tolerated  in  small  places.  The  green 
grass  which  is  the  charm  of  all  gardens  soon  de- 
parts when  large  trees  are  about. 

Of  course,  this  talk  about  thinning  out,  brings 
us  to  anotlier  great  winter  employment,  that  of 
pruning.  There  is  no  very  great  amount  of 
science  required  for  this,  and  yet  some  judgment 
is  necessary.  This  is  ottcn  done  with  little  more 
reason  than  a  boy  has  for  whittling  a  chip-- 
nierely  to  have  something  to  do.     For  nolwith- 


354 


TEE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOJrTELl. 


Decejnber, 


standing  the  many  papers  that  have  been  writ- 
ten "  on  the  philosophy  of  pruning,"  the  naked 
question,  "What  is  the  best  time  to  prune 
trees?"  is  one  with  which  the  gardener  is  con- 
tinually bored.  The  keen-edged  gardeners  give 
the  cutting  rcpl}',  "  any  time  when  your  knife  is 
sharp;"  but  the  more  good  nalurcd  say,  "It 
depends  on  what  you  v/aut  to  out  for."  The 
street  cutter  "  wants  to  keep  the  tree  head  low," 
and  cuts  down  to  make  them  branch  lower  ;  cut- 
ting in  winter  does  not  have  tliis  cflcct,  so  that 
unless  one  has  some  other  object  to  combine  with 
it,  such  as  to  clean  the  tree  of  bark  scales  or  the 
larva  of  other  insects,  or  the  giving  of  employ- 
ment to  some  half-starved  tree  carpenter,  the 
work  might  as  well  be  left  undone.  If  you  want 
a  branch  to  push  strongly  at  the  pointwhere  you 
cut  a  part  awaj',  itrune  in  winter.  If  your  tree 
has  branches  crossing  each  other,  or  has  half 
dead  branches,  or  anything  tending  to  spoil  the 
form  or  symmetry  of  your  tree,  prune  in  winter; 
but  as  a  rule  the  less  pruning  is  done  the 
healthier  will  be  your  trees,  for  it  may  be  ac- 
cepted as  a  rule  in  gardening  that  all  pruning, 
whether  in  winter  or  summer,  is  a  blow  struck 
at  the  vitality  of  the  plant. 

Sometimes  we  have  to  sacrifice  a  good  object 
to  gain  some  other  point.  So  in  hedges.  The 
plants  are  usually  trees.  To  c7evigorate  them 
and  keep  them  bushy  is  our  great  object,  The 
principal  pruning  is  therefore  in  summer.  The 
winter  pruning  is  simply  to  keep  them  in  shape. 
There  is,  however,  one  kind  of  pruning  which 
just  suits  both  the  principle  and  the  season, 
namely,  thinning  out  where  thick  planting  has 
been  adopted,  as  it  is  now  by  all  who  want  a 
new  place  to  look  well  without  waiting  too  long 
for  the  charm. 

Nothing  "pays"  like  surface  dressings  of  ma- 
nure or  good  soil  to  evergreens  and  ornamental 
trees.  Life  is  too  short  for  mere  natural  growth. 
It  is  a  pardonable  vice  to  wish  for  large  trees. 
Put  on  two  inches  of  good  stuff,  and  see  how 
tlicy  will  go  ahead. 

The  winter's  experience  will  no  doubt  show  how 
much  the  comforts  and  pleasure  of  a  place  will 
be  added  to  by  liberal  planting,  and  while  the 
«ad  experience  is  on  one  is  the  time  to  decide  on 
the  details.  Good  resolutions  i)utofl',  like  death- 
bed repentances,  generally  end  in  smoke.  Odd 
spells  will  oD'er  through  the  winter  season  to  get 
ready  s^ils  and  manure  for  spring  uses. 

Very  few  understand  that  an  occasional 
change  of  soil  !■<  very  beneficial  to  llowers  in  beds, 


though  all  know  how  iiui)ortant  it  is  (o  flowers 
in  pots.  There  is  nothing  better  than  surface 
soil  from  an  old  pasture,  taken  off  about  two 
inches  deep,  and  thrown  into  a  heap  with  about 
one  sixth  part  old  hot  bed  dung  to  partially  de- 
cay. In  addition  to  this  "  staple  "  item,  smaller 
quantity  of  different  matters  should  be  gathered 
together  for  peculiar  cases,  or  particular  plants. 
Peat,  for  instance,  will  be  fonnd  very  useful  for 
many  kinds  of  plants.  This  is  not,  as  is  often 
supposed,  mere  black  sand  ;  but  a  spony,  fibrous 
substance  from  the  surface  of  bogs  and  boggy 
wastes.  Sand  should  be  collected  sharp  and 
clean;  the  washings  from  turnpike  ditches  are 
as  good  as  anything.  Leaf  mould  is  best  got 
already  Avell  decayed  from  the  woods.  That 
one  makes  for  himself  from  rotten  leaves  is  sel- 
dom good  for  anything ;  it  is  always  sour  and 
and  seems  "indigestible  "  to  vegetation.  A  load 
or  so  of  well-decayed  cow-manure  is  a  good  thing 
for  the  gardener  to  have  by  him,  as  all  those 
plants  that  dislike  our  hot  summers,  and  want 
a  cool  soil  to  grow  in,  prefer  it  to  any  other  ma- 
nure. A  small  pile  of  hot  bed  manure  is  almost 
indispensable  to  the  garden. 

Much  will,  in  many  places,  be  required  for 
dressing  of  the  lawn,  which  too  often  is  really 
starved  for  want  of  nutriment.  The  modern 
practice  of  using  mowers,  and  leaving  the  short 
grass  to  serve  as  a  mulch  i.s  a  little  good  ;  but 
not  near  enough  to  keep  the  grass  in  good  heart. 
A  top  dressing  ever}-^  other  year,  or  every  three 
years,  will  be  of  great  benefit  to  the  best  made 
lawn.  This  top  dressing  may  not  be  of  rich  or 
expensive  materials.  The  scouring  of  ditches 
will  do.  Indeed  this  kind  of  material  is  the  bet- 
ter, as  more  of  it  can  be  used  ;  and  thus  shallow 
places,  which  often  exist  in  lawns  of  some  pre- 
tentions, may  be  filled  up.  We  have  seen  good 
lawns  made  in  this  way  from  rough  places,  as 
bad  as  if  the  grass  had  been  sown  on  a  peice  of 
ploughed  ground,  without  any  rolling  or  har- 
rowing down.  The  grass  sown  comes  through 
the  filled  up  places,  and  a  smooth  lawn  in  this 
way  can  often  be  had  without  the  trouble  and 
annoyance  of  ploughing  up  and  seeding  down 
again,  a  practice  which  is  often  empio3'cd  where 
the  work  was  not  in  the  first  instance  well  done. 


GREENHOUSE. 


>Iany  suppose  that  if  plants  in  windows  get 
light,  that  is  enough  ;  but  there  is  nothing  so 
i:ood  as  sunlight.     This  i.s  even  of  more  con.se- 


1^71. 


THE    GARBEJ^ER'S   MOJ^THLY. 


1*  r  r 
ODD 


quence  than  heat.  Flowers  will  generally  be  in 
greater  proportion  in  a  window  at  55-'  than  in  a 
much  higher  temperature  without  the  sunlight. 
Most  of  the  old  foshioned  window  plants  are  still 
among  the  best.  For  instance  Mignonette, Sweet 
Alyssura,  Zonale Geraniums, Ciipheas,  Fuchsias, 
Violets,  Roses,  Plectranlhus,  Chinese  Primroses, 
Lobelias,  Oxalis,  Solanum  semi-baccatum  or  "Je- 
rusalem Cherry,"  (of  which  the  dwarfer  kind  S. 
cnpsicastrum  is  an  improvement,  1  Catalonian 
Jasmines,  Daphnes,  Sweet  Olive,  Laurustinus, 
and  where  there  is  a  little  knowledge.  Camellia 
and  Azalea  are  still  among  the  best. 

Year  by  year  the  demand  for  cut  flowers  in- 
creases, and  it  is  far  more  important  in  these 
days  that  a  gardener  keep  his  employer's  table 
and  ftxmily  in  these,  than  to  have  the  nice  speci- 
men plants  so  much  in  fashion  some  years  ago. 

To  have  plants  bloom  freely  at  this  season, 
heat,  moisture  and  fresh  air  are  essential.  It  is 
even  good  economy  to  lose  some  heat  in  order  to 
gain  the  advantage  of  opening  ventilators  or 
windows,  if  the  weather  outside  be  not  favora- 
ble enough  without.  The  Camellia,  Azalea, 
Daphne,  Stevia,  Poinsettia,  Euphorbia,  A^iolets, 
Tree  Carnation,  Lopezia,  Eupatorium,  Cinera- 
ria, Perennial  Candytuft,  Deutzia  gracilis,  Tea 
and  Noisette  Roses,  Epiphyllum  truncatum, 
Hermannia  odorata.  Acacia,  Bletia,  Scarlet  Ge- 
raniums, Strelitzia,  Chorizema,  and  most  kinds 
Australian  plants,  Verbenas,  Bouvardia,  Helio- 
trope, are  a  few  of  the  best  things  to  grow  for 
cutting,  that  occur  to  us  as  we  write.  The  tem- 
perature should  not  often  be  below  5r)°  to  be  se- 
cure of  a  good  bloom. 

We  ought  perhaps  to  add  the  Rose  to  this  list. 
It  is,  however,  not  a  free  plant  to  flower  in 
the  winter,  unless  an  abundance  of  light  can  be 
aflbrded.  Even  then  some  classes  of  Roses  are 
unfit  for  it.  Only  the  Tea  class  and  some  of  the 
Noisettes  will  do  ;  there  are  not  many  of  this 
last, — Lamarque  being  one  of  the  few  to  do 
well.  Cels,  Saflrano,  Triomphe  dc  Luxemburg, 
Homer  and  Madame  Russel  are  about  the  best 
The  Camellia  and  Azalea  are  particularly  valu- 
able for  cutting.  The  whites  are  the  most  pop- 
ular for  this  purpo.se,  principally  the  old  Double 
White  and  candidissima ;  the  last  comes  into 
flower  a  little  later  than  the  other  kind.  In  cut- 
ting these,  only  the  flowers  are  taken  ofl",  and 
artificial  stems  in  the  shape  of  small  wires  are 
given  to  them.  The  common  white  azalea, 
Azalea  indica  alba  is  also  very  populaj-  among 
white  flowers. 


The  Camellia  is  very  apt  to  drop  itsbudsif  the 
atmosphere  is  too  dry  ;  but  generally  dropping 
follows  any  check  to  the  roots  by  which  the  reg- 
ular flow  of  moisture  to  the  bud  is  stopped.  This 
may  be  either  too  little  or  too  much  water ;  if 
too  little,  of  course  there  is  not  enough  moisture; 
if  too  much  the  fibres  are  liable  to  have  their 
points  injured,  and  thus  are  unable  to  draw 
moisture  to  the  bud.  Usually  the  last  bad  re- 
sults follow  from  over  potting.  With  a  large 
mass  of  soil,  water  is  apt  to  not  pass  readily 
away,  when  the  soil  "sours,"  as  it  is  termed.  A 
pot  full  of  roots  will  seldom  drop  the  Camellia 
buds  for  any  other  cause  than  too  little  water. 

A  great  enemy  of  the  Camellia  is  the  Red  Spi- 
der. The  leaves  indicate  its  presence  generally 
by  a  brown  tinge,  when  the  pocket  lens,  which 
every  gardener  of  course  carries,  readily  detects. 
All  plants  are  more  or  less  liable  to  these  insects, 
as  well  as  to  green  fly,  mealy  bug  and  scale. 
The  best  way  to  keep  them  down  is  by  a  free  use 
of  the  syringe  in  fine  day?,  using  water  in  which 
some  sulphur  has  been  strewn.  Tobacco  smoke 
is  still  the  best  cure  for  aphis.  Scale  is  a  yery 
troublesome  pest  ;  water  heated  to  130^  is  still 
the  best.  This  injures  very  tender  leaves  ;  but 
the  scale  is  rarely  on  such,  it  usually  keeps  to 
the  branches  or  on  thick  leathery  leaves. 

Tree  Carnations, — these  also  now  indispensa- 
ble winter  flowering  plants,  want  a  very  light 
place  to  do  well.  They  do  not  generally  care 
about  very  large  pots— about  five  or  six  inches — 
but  they  are  very  much  benefited  by  rich  ma- 
nure water. 

.The  Calla  Lily  is  now  extremely  popular. 
This  also  loves  light.  It  must  have  a  good  sup- 
ply of  water,  and  good  soil  to  flower  well. 

Towards  spring  the  Cinernria  comes  in  re- 
markably well  for  cutting.  This  is  a  "queer" 
plant.  It  is  one  of  the  easiest  to  suffer  from 
frost,  and  yet  will  not  do  well  in  a  high  tempera- 
ture. It  also  I'equircs  much  light,  and  to  be  verv 
near  the  glass.  So  also  of  the  Fans'/  and  Violet, 
although  some  frost  will  not  hurt  these. 

It'  Pelargojiiums  are  wanted  to  flower  well  next 
May  and  June,  they  should  be  attended  to,  and 
'grow  well  through  tlie  winter.  They  want  a 
rather  warm  house  to  keep  them  growing,  and 
should  be  pinched  back  as  they  grow,  to  keep 
them  bushy. 

A  good  supply  of  young  Fuchsias  should  be 
coming  on  now— repot  as  their  roots  fill  cacli 
pot,  let  them  not  want  for'moisture  or  light ;  do 
no*  pinch  off"  their  tops,  but  let  them  grow  rap- 


So6 


THE    GARDEJV'ER'S   MOJSTTHLy. 


December, 


idly.  The  temperature  in  whiitli  they  are  .!j;rown 
should  not  exceed  oO  .  A  turly  loam,  moderate. 
ly  enriched  with  well  decayed  manure,  and  well 
drained  with  charcoal,  suits  them  admirably. 

Ausiralian  and  Cape  PhmU  are  the  chief  or- 
naments of  the  greenhouse  at  this  time.  The 
Acacia^  amongst  the  principal ;  will,  like  the  Ca- 
mellia, requires  more  water  while  (lowering  ;  in 
deed,  most  plants  which  prculucc  llowers,  before 
they  make  a  new  growth,  require  more  water  as 
they  flower.  On  the  other  hand,  most  plants 
which  flower  on  the  young  wood  at  or  near  the 
completion  of  its  growth,  take  less  The  Correa 
is  another  beautiful  tribe,  but  does  not  do  well 
in  most  collections  ;  it  is  generally  grown  in  a 
peaty  soil ;  we  observed  that  where  it  seems  to 
succeed  well,  the  growers  use  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  loam  in  their  compost  for  it.  This  is 
consistent  with  our  own  experience,  and  we  are 
inclined  to  the  opinion  that  more  loam  should 
be  used  with  the  peat  for  hard-wooded  plants 
than  is  generally  done  in  this  country.  As  soon 
as  any  Cape  or  hard-wooded  plant  has  ceased  to 
flower,  it  should  be  repotted,  if  it  require  it ; 
many  prefer  waiting  till  the  plants  are  placed  in 
summer  quarters  before  this  is  done,  and  some 
in  the  fall.  We  prefer  before  they  commence  to 
grow,  whatever  the  season  may  be,  as  the  roots 
being  then  in  their  most  active  state  immediate- 
ly penetrate  the  new  soil,  and  before  it  becomes 
sour  or  sodden  by  frequent  waterings,  reap  what- 
ever advantages  the  air  it  contains  when  fresh 
may  aflbi-d  them.  Some  greenhouses  are  render- 
ed very  gay  in  February  and  March  by  having 
young  plants  of  VVrftov/.s,  Pctunho:,  and  other 


bedding-out  plants  potted  at  this  time  into  large 
pots,  and  encouraged  to  grow. 


VEGETABLE  GARDEN. 

Very  little  can  be  done  now  in  this  depart- 
ment, except  by  way  of  preparation  for  another 
year. 

Manure  can  be  placed  on  the  ground  wherever 
required,  and  Asparagu's  beds,  if  not  already 
done,  should  have  a  slight  covering  of  it.  Bean 
poles.  Pea-brush,  and  stakes  of  all  kinds  should 
be  got  now,  the  tool  house  gone  over  and  put  in 
order,  and  everything  kept  in  good  order  and 
studiously  in  its  place.  When  the  season  of 
operations  commences,  there  will  then  be  no- 
thing to  hold  back  the  attention. 

Where  there  can  be  heat  of  60"  commanded, 
Bush  Beans  can  be  easily  grown  in  pots,  and 
can  be  gathered  in  two  months  from  time  of 
sowing. 

If  there  is  abundance  of  leaves  or  manure  at 
command,  and  small  frames,  beds  may  be  put 
up  for  early  spring  salads,  at  the  end  of  the 
month. 

Iladishes  and  Lettuces  are,  however,  very  im- 
patient of  too  much  heat ;  they  will  come  on  well 
if  the  temperature  be  kept  at  4.5'.  When  it  goes 
above  that,  the  sashes  should  bo  lifted  entirely 
oft; 

The  same  remarks  apply  to  the  Potato  and 
the  Early  Horn  Carrot. 

Cauliflowers  in  frames  require  all  the  air  pos- 
sible. Never  allow  them  to  become  dry  ;  this  is 
the  cause  of  many  failures  by  waj'  of  '■  button- 
ing off." 


C  0  M  M  U  N  I  C  A  T  I  0  N  S 


THE  ORGANIC  INDICNTITY  OF  THE  AL- 

BITMKN  AND  KNDOI'LEl- RA  OF  ALL 

PHAN  KROGAMOUS  PLANTS. 

BY  T.  C.  niLOARD,  M.  D. 

Read  hrj'ore  ihr.  Avwrtraii   A'siiriiiti(i7l  for  llir  Ailrif\rrrii,  ii( 
III  Srii  iicf. 

All  seeds  of  llie  lloweringplanls  (thenet-leaved, 
blade-l<a\cil  nnd  lln'  pine  tribes)  are  collectively 
described  as  consisting  <»f  a  (jenn  or  "  embryo." 
enclosed  witli  tut)  xjxnidf  sccd-ruah. 

A  great  many  seeds,  like  those  of  the  mustard, 
nasturtium,  liuckeye,  bladder-nut,  the  ailantluis, 
sumach,  china-tree,  oianije.  can  ellia   gum  pod. 


gumbo,  hibiscus,  cocoa-bean,  almond,  pea  and 
rose  tribes,  the  brazil-nut,  walnut,  chestnut ;  the 
cockle-bur,  sun- flower,  and  melon  all  conform  to 
this  description,  and  the  natural  tribes  to  which 
they  belong  form  a  connected  region  of  (he  flow- 
ering ])lants  generally  speaking 

It  is  likewise  understood  that  a  great  many 
seeds  iiave  (heir  germ  proper  imbedded  in  a 
bulky,  nutritive  lump  called  the  '^'' albumen  \"> 
whicli  thus  forms  (he  main  bulk  of  (he  seed,  r.g.^ 
of  tlic  ivory-nut,  (he  date-kernel,  the  e(H-oo-nut, 
tlie  pepper,  paw-paw  and   nutmeg,  and  all  the 


1871. 


THE    GARDE^^ER'S    MOJ^THLl. 


357 


grains  no  less  than  the  well-known  coffee-bean,  i 
In  water,  the  latter  will  swell  and  protrude  its  [ 
stubble-like  embryo  out  of  one  end  of  its  horny,  \ 
enveloping  mass,  oi*  '•albumen.'''' 

It  has,  however,  hitherto  remained  an  un- 
noticed fact  that  all  seeds  which  have  two  so- 
called  seed-coats,  are  alike  destitute  of  an  "  albu- 
men ,'^'  and  that  all  seeds  prort(7e^7  with  an  albu- 
men, have  only  one  solhtxrij  sccd-coat,  aside  from 
the  albumen  itself.'"' 

In  man}-  other  seeds,  as  in  those  of  the  Osage 
Orange  (Maclura)  and  several  Cactacese,  etc., 
the  albumen  is  thinned  out,  in  some  places,  into 
a  so-called  "endopleura"  or  interior  seed  coat, 
while  in  other  parts  of  the  seed  the  sheet  of  this 
self-same  "internal  seed-coat"  thickens  up  into 
a  bulky  albumen,  conformably  to  the  configura- 
tion of  the  germ  it  encloses  and  of  the  testa  which 
contains  both. 

An  inspection  of  the  immature  seed  of  all  the 
so-called  cx-albuminous  forms,  i.  e.  those  which, 
like  the  pea-nut,  peach,  and  almond,  are  desti- 
tute of  an  albumen,  discloses  the  fact,  that  in 
this  juvenile  condition,  all  these  seeds,  have, 
like  all  the  rest  (viz.  the  "  albuminous  seeds  ") 
a  large  succulent  albumen  zone,  wherein  the  germ 
("embryo  sac  "  etc.)  is  developed,  at  the  expense  ; 
of  the  former.     During  the  process  of  ripening,  , 
in  all  the  natty,  or  "c.r  albuminous  "  seeds,  the; 
primitive  albumen  becomes  gradually  exhausted,  i 
leaving    its    entire  cell-tissue    compressed  and 
empty   behind,   as  the  delicate  endopleura  or ; 
internal  seed-coat.     In  all  the  other  seeds,  on  j 
the  contrary,   this  succulent  albumen-zoue  re- 
mains the  storehouse  for  the  germinating  seed 
to  draw  its  substance  from.     In  the  honey-locust 
and  the  allied  coffee-nut  tree  (Gymnocladus)  in 
germination;  the  flinty  albumen  dissolves  into  a 
sort  of  gum-like  gum  arable. 

In  point  of  fact,  the  "endopleura"  and  the 
"albumen  ''  are  one  identical  onjan. 

This  evident  indentity  of  the  original  albumen 
and  subsequent  second  seed-coat,  settles  at  once 
the  old  and  perplexed  question  about  the  erro- 
neously supposed  "(///»( /tospermi.srw,"  whether  of 
Labiata?,  Codiferte,  and  their  allies,  the  Taxineie, 
Gnetaceaj,  Casuarinte,  and  Cycadea;. 

Since  we  now  know,  what  parts  all  seeds  con- 


*The  testa,  or  exterior  eeed-cout,  frecjuently  exhibits  a 
diverBified  structure  of  external  and  internal  surfaces.  In  i 
.the  seed  of  the  inapnolia,  that  of  the  p;rn))e,  etc.,  the  exte- 
rior surface  of  the  otherwise  bony  seed-coat,  which  encloses 
the  albuuen,  is  fleshy  ;  as  is  the  entire  te.'ta  of  tlic  blue  co- 
bosh  (Caulophyllum). 


sist  of,  these  tribes  are  by  no  means  to  be  con- 
sidered as  "abnormally"'  or  even  "monstrous- 
ly "  organized  (as  a  prevalent  theory  still  holds) 
but  that  e.  g.  all  the  edible  pme-nwts  contain, 
each,  a  complete  seel;  which  loosely  adheres  to 
the  capsule  (like  the  mature  cocoa-nut  kernel) 
and  is  encased  within  a  one-seeded  pistil,  as  in 
the  case  e.  g.  with  all  grasses,  grains  and  the 
knot-weeds  ;  their  true  ovules  being  mostly  ses- 
sile (as  in  the  entire  orders  of  Polygonacere  and 
and  Nyctaginaccfe,  with  only  fevv  exceptions) 
and  considerably  coherent  with  the  true  pistil 
(or  stigmatiferous  "utricle").  In  the  above 
mentioned  coniferous  tribes,  these  one-seeded 
pistils  are  provided  with  a  previous,  "open" 
stigma  ;  a  case  correspondingly  represented  in 
the  duck-weeds  (Lemnaceaj)  which  however  have 
their  seeds  borne  upon  n  funiculus. 

The  seed  itself,  of  ConiYerre,  is  a  complete  one, 
consisting  (1)  of  a  germ  ;  (2)  an  (oily)  albumen 
and  (3)  one  thin,  brown,  membranaceous  seed- 
coat  (the  testa),  readily  separating  from  the  utri- 
cle or  nut-shell  which  surrounds  it,  as  in  the 
well-known  cases  of  the  pine  nuts  of  California, 
Italy  and  thatof  the  Switzerland  {Pinuscembra), 

Thus,  it  is  clear  that  the  pine-scaZes  are  only  a 
woody  cup  or  cob,  of  indurated  "saucers"  or 
involucres  (as  with  acorns)  that  arise  in  the 
axils  of  delicate  and  sometimes  colored  bracts. 
Similar  involucral  crops  we  find  in  the  harsh 
cones  of  the  alder,  and  in  the  sterile  aments  of 
the  wild  hemp  tribe. 

The  wing-like  appendages  of  the  pine-nuts 
represent  so  many  paZcce  or  floral  chaff  (like  that 
of  grains  and  bulrushes,  etc). 

In  the  remarkable  case  of  Welwitschia,  the 
"kettle-drum  pine''  of  western  tropical  Africa, 
no  such  indurated  scales,  but  only  the  purpu- 
reous  bracts,  as  are  those  of  flowering  larcli- 
trees,  are  developed.  The  true  jjeria?U/i— judg- 
ing by  Dr.  J.  D.  Hooker's  plate  viii— being  here 
a  delicate,  foliaceous  two-winged  one,  epigy- 
uously  concrete  with  the  nut,  as  is  the  chaff  of 
pines  and  two-seeded  capsules  of  Araucarise. 
Nevertheless,  the  same  identical  organ  is  erro- 
neously styled  "a  pericarp"  on  the  preceding 
plates,  by  a  lapsus  calami  of  the  same  author,- ou 
the  uncritical  bias  of  so-called  "gymnosper- 
mism."*  The  so-called  gymnosperms  have 
closed  2)istils  '. 

♦The  untenable  theory,  here  referred  to,  considers  the 
\)'\r\e-scale  BiS  a  '.'pistil  ;"  destitute,  however,  of  any  of  the 
distinctive  ntlribuies  of  a  pistil,  being  without  a  suture, 
without  a  stigma,  and  without  any  fructification  through  its 
instrumentality. 


368 


THE    GARDENER'S   MOJ^THLY.  Decemher, 


It  is  thus  clear,  that  there  is  no  "  &reafc  "  in 
the  vegetable  kingdom  :  all  forms  uniting  into  a 
complete,  conneclcd  and  harmonious  system  of 
mutual  typical  affinities  or  correlations,  to  be 
discussed  in  detail  in  a  subsequent  paper. 


AMARYLLIS. 

BY  A.    G  ,  READING,  PA. 

The  leaves  of  these  are  often  spoiled  by  an  ap- 
pearance of  scarlet  on  the  underside,  which  in 
time  destroys  their  life.  I  tried  to  find  the  cause 
of  it,  thinking  that  either  extreme  of  over  water- 
ing, or  under  watering  might  do  it.  Seeing  them 
this  summer  more  than  usually  affected,  and 
thinking  from  some  evidences  of  thin  places  in 
the  leaf,  that  it  might  be  the  work  of  an  insect 
I  took  the  leaf  to  a  gentleman  who  is  in  the  prac- 
tice of  examining  subjects  with  the  microscope, 
who  discovered  the  minute,  but  formidable  dep- 
redator. Its  nature  was  between  that  of  a  louse 
and  a  worm,  having  a  longish  body,  half  a  doz- 
en legs,  two  horns,  two  prominent  eyes,  and  a 
knawing  apparatus.  Under  oiie  microscope  it 
resembled  a  midge  in  size,  under  the  other  it  ap- 
peared to  be  nearly  half  an  inch  in  length.  It 
could  not  be  discerned  without  the  aid  of  a  pow- 
erful glass.  By  the  small  yet  wonderful  effects 
of  such  as  these,  are  the  florists  best  efforts  dc. 
feated.  They  can  be  exterminated  by  washing 
the  leaf  with  with  a  sponge  wet  with  soap-suds 
or  tobacco-water.  X  found,  before  knowing  the 
cause,  that  where  the  leaves  of  the  Amaryllis 
were  washed  once  a  week,  they  seldom  presented 
this  red  appearance. 


The  true  {(me-»eeAvd,  pluri-oviilalt)  pistil,  or  ••  utricle,'' 
was  wrongly  regarded  as  an  (abnormal ly  "naked"')  "ovule" 
with  an  abiwrmnlly  roftrate  "exostome,"  tIz  ,  the  (open) 
stigma!  Next  follows  (after  this  ;75f;«(/o  "testa")  the  true 
seed-coat  under  the  denomination  of  an  "endopleura, " — and 
nn  "albumen'''  besides,  which  contuins  the  embryo. 

The  true  selitary  seed-coat  adhereing  to  the  pistil,  the 
shrunken  albumen  will  often  be  found  lying  loose  inside. 

The  contended  fruit  of  the  well  known  yew  tree  contains 
(I)  an  embryo  imbedded  within  (2)  an  albumen,  which  is 
surrounded  ('A)  by  a  tawny  .<<eed-coat.  The  latter  loosely 
adheres  to  a  thicki.-h  capsiilr,  which  is  itself  covered  by  a 
tiark,  culyciiie  layer  !—\x\  the  exact  likenes  of  an  acorn,  a 
hazlenut,  or  the  nut  of  the  sweet  gale  (Myrica  ;  the  wax- 
myrtle  or  bayberry)  which  indeed  seems  to  reproduce  the 
true  Upigyiioii.s)  structure  nf  the  forrar  on  u  reduced 
ncale;   as  the  (Compo.xite     Potymnia    Uvedulu,  m   "nutted 

The  cup  of  the  yew  tree  thus  remains  to  be  properl'y  in- 
erpreted  as  a  lle.shy  cup  partly  of  dry  scales,  like  those  of 
he  acorn  and  wax-myrtle  on  the  one.  and  the  succulent 
uphorbia-in?olucres  <m  the  other  hand. 


THE  RATIONALE  OF  HOT-WATER  CIR- 
CULATION. 

BY  MR.  T.  D.  FISH. 

That  heat  is  a  mode  of  motion,  has  passed  in- 
to an  axiom  in  natural  philosophy,  and  appears 
to  be  a  matter  of  everyday  experience.  "We 
speak  and  write  of  caloric  as  the  driving  force  of 
the  universe.  Heat  and  motion  have  become 
well  nigh  convertible  terms.  Exhibifthe  results 
of  heat  and  you  reveal  motion  ;  extinguish  or 
lessen  it,  and  the  result  is  rest.  Such,  at  least, 
is  a  brief  mode  of  stating  the  common  belief. 
Nevertheless,  it  seems  but  one  side  of  a  truth. 
The  springs  of  motion  are  not  wholly  laid  in 
either  heat  or  cold,  using  these  terms  in  a  popu- 
lar sense.  Were  matter  of  one  uniform  temper- 
ature, that  uniformity  would  prove  the  grave  of 
motion.  Immobihty  would  be  the  unalterable 
condition  of  a  world  of  one  imiform  tempera- 
ture. Rest  is  the  nett  product  of  uniformity  ; 
motion  everywhere,  and  at  all  times,  treads  in 
hot  haste  on  the  heels  of  diversity'.  The  great 
movements  we  see  around  us  reveal  the  force  of 
nature  striving  after  an  impossible  equality  of 
heat.  In  this  great  contest  heat  and  cold  are 
the  racers  ;  they  run  round  circular  courses  that 
have  no  end.  It  is  even  difficult  at  times  to 
know  with  certainty  which  takes  the  initiative. 
Of  more  moment  is  it  to  be  assured  that  both 
run  on  without  ceasing.  Heat  and  cold  are  but 
opposite  sides — the  negative  and  positive  poles 
of  the  same  great  force.  Certainly  both  are 
needed  to  complete  the  line  of  motion,  and  to 
knit  its  parts  together  in  a  circle  of  warming 
force.  And  the  force  and  speed  of  the  motion 
will  be  as  the  sum  of  the  extreme  difference  of 
temperature  between  any  two  points  that  come 
within  circulating  range.  The  greater  the  dis- 
parity, the  more  energetic  the  motion ;  or,  in 
other  words,  the  more  work  to  be  dane,  the 
greater  the  force  brought  forth  to  do  it.  And 
the  worker  is  not  only,  nor  perhaps  chiefly,  ca- 
loric, but  the  want  of  it ;  or  rather— and  to  write 
with  more  exactness — motion  comes  and  is  sus- 
tained by  an  endless  series  of  exchanges  between 
more  heat  and  le.ss  heat.  AVhih;  these  diversi- 
ties exist,  motion  continues.  It  is  loss  due  pos- 
sibly to  the  active  agency  of  caloric  than  it  may 
seem.  If  heat  give  wings  to  air  or  water  at  one 
end  of  the  scale,  it  relatively  adds  to  their  weight 
at  the  other.  Fttr  every  molecule  lifted  by  calor- 
ic, others  are  |)ushed  forward  and  onward  by 
gravitation.     Caloric  does  not  drag  matter  along 


187  L 


niE    GARDEJ^'ER'S   MOJ\^THLY. 


359 


like  some  fiery  steed  with  invisible  rider,  but 
rather  is  it  a  sort  oi'  outrider  to  clear  the  w:iy 
for  heavier  mattt^rs  being  pushed  forward  by  the 
force  of  gravit}',  or  the  striving  for  uniformity. 
Xature  is  provident  of  force  ;  she  never  sets  ca- 
loric, or  aught  else,  to  lift,  drag,  or  drive  any- 
thing that  can  find  its  way  to  where  it  is  wanted 
without  its  aid.  In  the  heating  of  the  world  she 
raises  her  stores  up  into  the  air,  or  carries  them 
across  the  surface  of  the  water,  at  the  highest 
possible  levels  consistent  with  her  objects.  But 
her  returns  are  placed  at  the  lowest  points.  By 
these  arrangements  gravitation  does  useful  work 
in  the  distribution  of  heat.  A  vigorous  flow  of 
hot  air  or  water  once  established,  the  return 
streams  take  cai'e  of  themselves.  Elastic  fluids, 
impelled  by  the  force  of  natural  laws,  reach  the 
highest  points  first.  From  this  maximum  alti- 
tude the  descent  is  simple  and  easy  ;  it  is  a  mere 
falling  from  a  higher  to  a  lower  point,  or  rather, 
like  running  down  hill.  At  every  step  of  the 
journey  downwards  fresh  momentum  is  gaine<J, 
and  the  bite  of  friction  is  less  felt  as  a  hindrance; 
and  finally,  the  return  stream,  parting  with  its 
heat  all  the  way,  contracting  in  bulk,  and  grow- 
ing in  weight,  plunges  into  the  boiler  or  source 
ot  heat,  to  be  at  once  prepared  for  a  new  round 
of  distribution.  But  a  point  or  two  of  consider- 
able moment  ought  to  be  noted  here  ;  one  is, 
that  the  hot  water  cannot  I'emain  in  the  boiler  if 
we  would  have  it  so  ;  the  general  opinion  is,  that 
it  is  driven  out  by  caloric.  But  this  can  hardly 
be  the  case,  else  would  all  the  pots  on  our  tires 
suddenly  boil  dry,  but  they  do  not  under  ordi- 
nary heat;  they  boil  without  overflowing,  but 
our  boilers  overflow  long  before  they  reach  boil- 
ing point— in  fact  they  ought  never  to  boil.  The 
chief  reason  for  this  extreme  sensitiveness  to 
motion  is  the  great  weight  of  cold  water  pressing 
upon  the  negative  or  cold  limb  of  our  boilers, 
if  I  may  so  jiut  it.    No  sooner  is  the  normal 


open  for  caloric,  and  it  will  always  take  the 
highest  road.     In  a  current  of  hot  water  there 
are  doubtless  limits  to  this  law.     Beyond  a  cer- 
tain height  the  weight  of  the  water  in  vertical 
columns  would  probably  check  the  energy  of  the 
ascending  force,  but  within  the  limits  of  horti- 
cultural heating  this  rule  may  be  held  as  abso- 
lute, that  the  higher  the  flow-pipe  the  greater  the 
force  of  the  current.     By  converting  the  return 
or  lower  pipe  into  the  flow  we  lose  this  strong- 
natural  help  to  a  vigorous  circulation.      One 
other  point  requires  notice.     The  highest  part 
of  the  boiler  ought  to  be  the  hottest,  the  heating 
of  the  water  should  be  cumulative  from  bottom 
upwards  ;  if  the  circulation  is  rapid,  as  it  ought 
to  be,  the  boiler  kept  free  of  sediment,  and  the 
furnace  is  wisely  adjusted,  the  return  current 
will  keep  the  base  of  the  boiler  cool.     Our  chief 
concern  is  to  keep  the  crown  hot.  In  our  anxiety 
to  save  fragments  of  fuel  we  often  lose  site  of  this 
one  thing  most  needful.     By  multiplying  flues 
on  the  crowns  of  boilers  we  keep  its  head  cool. 
Better  far  waste  some  caloric  up  chimney  than 
drag  a  languid  stream  of  black  smoke  and  spent 
flame  to  play  around  the  flow-pipe.     The  fire 
here  should  burn  its  fiercest,  and  give  its  last 
sharp  spur  to  the  dep:irting  water,  telling  it  in 
unmistakable  terms  to  be  olf  about  its  master's 
business,  that  of  heating  the  houses.     That  last 
fillip  at  starting  not  only  gives  a  spurt  to  the 
flowing  stream,  but  it  creates  a  vacuum  or  levity, 
Avhich  the  whole  weight  of  the  returning  column 
boun.ls  forward  to  fill  up.     Hence  it  follows  that 
unless  on  very  short  routes  indeed,  or  under  ab- 
normal pressure,   the  greater  the  ditlercnce   of 
temperature  between  the  flow  and  return  pipes, 
the  swifter  and  the  more  powerful  the  circula. 
tion.     For  it  must  be  obvious  that  were  the  re- 
turn pii)e  to  become  as  hot  as  the  flow,  we  should 
lose  the  great  force  of  gravity  as  an  aid  to  cir- 
culation.    But  tlie  smallest  diflerences  tell  upon 


strength  of  the  water  broken  by  the  levity  in-  motion,  ami  in  all  ordinary  arrangements  it  may 
duced  by  heat  than  the  strong  cold  waters  rash  be  accepted  as  an  axiom  that  the  return  water 
in,  and  possibly  push  so  sharplv  upon  the  warm  i  reaches  the  boiler  wholly  by  its  own  gravity, 
water  as  to  help  it  forward  and  upw.ards  outof!  Wc  have  been  invited  to  follow  nature,  and  I 
the  boilers.  There  is  thus  a  compound  action  ;  i  have  adverted  to  certain  examples.  But  in  all 
the  dual  forces -levity  and  weight,  heat  an<l  cold  i  such  cases  it  i.s  needful  to  guard  against  analo- 
— act  simultaneously  to  induce  motion.  There  ,  gies  being  taken  tor  identities.  Nature's  actual 
i.s  even  a  third  force  developed,  which  is  some- 1  modes  of  heating  are  somewhat  diflerent  from 
what  diflicult  to  describe  It  will  be  understood  '  ours,  though  her  great  systems  of  distribution 
if  I  call  it  the  upward  bound  or  rush  of  heat,  are  the  same.  Water  is  heated  from  above  down - 
Caloric  in  its  hot  tract  seems  ever  to  aim  at  its  wards,  the  air  from  below  upwards.  We  find  it 
Kourec-the  sun.  It  hits  straight  at  that  mark,  |  most  profitable  io  heat  water  as  nature  does  air 
and  recks  not  of  side  issues.  Leave  several  ways    -by  suspending  it  over  the  fire  or  source  of  heat 


360 


THE    ajllWEMKR'lS    MOjs'THLY. 


December, 


but  because  iu  Ihi.s  ])oint  we  may  diveri2;c  from 
nature,  that  is  no  reason  wliy  lier  grand  order  of 
heatinj;  by  hot-water  should  be  set  aside  or  re- 
versed.    Ilavinii;  provided  the  liot-water  stream 
by  the  best  means  at  our  command,  we  shall  jjet 
the  most  heat  out  of  it  with  tb.o  least  expendi- 
ture of  fuel  or  force  Jn"  followin;^-  nature's  mode 
of  distribution.     It  is  utterly  impossible  to  gain 
aught  by  making  the  lowest  pipe  the  flow,  un- 
less our  pots,  teakettles  and  boilers  can  be  made 
hottest  at  tlie  bottom — ;'.nd  even  then  we  should 
gain  a  loss  by  tlse  change.     Since  writing  the  ■ 
foregoing  I  have  read  the  llev.  J.  M.  Taylor's 
second  letter  (pj).  775,  770).     1  am  not  sure  that 
I  understand  it ;  but  this  much  is  certain,  that 
any  mode  of  heating  horticultural  buildings  that 
requires  the  water  to  be  kept  boiling  to  bring  out 
its  merits  is  impraclicablc  and  useless.     It  can- 
not be  done,  if  we  Would — ii   ought  not,  if  we 
could     How  the  arrangements  illustrated  iu  the 
Gard€ner''s  Chronicle  by  Mr  Cannell,  wiiich  we 
were  assured  resulted  in  keeping  the  flow  and 
return  pipes  at  nearly  equal  temperatures,  can 
likewise   fulfil   the  conditions  described  in  this 
sentence,    I   cannot   divine.      Having  gained  a 
high  level  for  the  water,  lie  prudently  keeps  it 
until  the  water  has  acquired  all  the  weight  by 
condensation  that  the  cooling  process  can  give 
h  ;  he  then  gives  it  at  its  final  plunge  into  the 
bottom  of  the  boiler  all  the  advantage  which  al- 
titude, perpendicularity,  and  directness  of  de- 
scent can  confer  on  it  as  a  motive  power !     If 
this  were,  or  is  so,  then  the  return  pipe  would  be 
almost  cold.     But,  on  the  contrary,  force  up  the 
whole  mass  of  cold  water  by  the  aid  of  caloric  in 
opposition  to  the  laws  and  Avays  of  nature,  the 
hottest  water  will  still  be  found  at  the  highest 
point,  that  is,  just  at  the  upper  end  of  the  re- 
turn pipe  ;  and  instead  of  being  kept  there  or 
sent  on  a  circuitous  journey  to  exhaust  its  heat, 
it  at  once  returns  to  the  boiler  warm,  that  is, 
assuming,   for  the   nonce,  that   the   circulation 
flows  as  the  arrow-heads  indicate,  which,  how- 
ever, i  by  no  means  admit.     I  pass  no  opinion 
at  present  on  the  suggestion  to  raise  the  flow- 
pipe  at  starting  above  the  level  of  the  return,  so 
that  it  may  dip  into  it  ;  nor  the  other  suggestion 
to  raise,  flow  and  return  to  the  same  level.     The 
llev.  J.  il.  Taylor  seems  to  attribute  undue  im- 
portance  to  the  vcrticality  of  the   return-pipe. 
But  the  gravitation  is  from   the  highest  point, 
how  or  wherever  placed,  and  the  friction  of  wa- 
ter in  pipes  of  such  bore  as  Is  mostlj'  used  for 
heating  is  but  little.  As  far  as  I  understand  this 


gentleman,  I  agree  with  him  on  the  importance 
of  gravitation  as  an  aid  to  circulation  ;  but  I 
don't  see  how  the  arrangement^  suggested  can 
strengthen  its  force.  On  the  contrary,  they 
seem  to  me  to  neutralise  or  hinder  it. 

[We  give  the  above  excellent  paper  from  the 
London  Gar(lener''s  Ckronide.  Mr  Fish  is  one 
of  the  best  known  of  English  gardeners,  and  it 
will  be  seen  his  explanation  :s  substantially  tlie 
same  as  those  given  by  us  in  the  Gardener''s 
Monthltf,  and  which  so  much  inten  sted  our  cor- 
respondents. —Ed.] 

FLOWERS  IN  FURXACE-HEATED 
HOOMS. 

BY  A.  G. 

Knowing  that  some  persons  arc  discouraged 
from  cultivating  flowers  in  furnace-heated  rooms 
for  fear  of  the  dry  atmosphere,  we  wish  to  as- 
sure them  that  many  beautiful  flowers  can  be 
so  cultivated  ;  providing  care  is  taken  to  have 
them  tJtoroughh;  ivatered  overhead  once  a  tceclc,  and 
regularly  at  otlicr  times,  according  to  the  habits 
of  the  plants. 

In  a  la-rge  window  where  there  was  plenty  of 

light,  almost  verging  into  sunlight,   which,  iu 

the  spring,  came  in  at  one  corner,  we  have  seen 

1  blooming,    Amaryllis,     Begonias,    Bouvardias, 

I  Cactus,    varieties     of    Geraniums,    Poinsettia, 

I  Anemothecas,  Alliums,  Ixias,  Jonquils,  Nerica, 

I  or  Iris,  Waltonias,  Valottas,  Callas,  Petunias, 

I  Bramble  or  Bridal  Rose,  &c.     Some  of  these 

were  forwarded  indirect  sunlight,  with  the  same 

heat,  but  not  all.  Generally  speaking,  the  plants 

were  healthy  and  thrifty.     Saucers  of  water  were 

I  also  placed  among  them  to  impart  moisture. 

I     Roses,  Hyacinths,  Heliotropes  and  Verbenas 

I  did  not  do  so  well.     The  Hyacinths  occasionally 

I  were  fine,  when  planted  in  pots.   In  glasses  they 

did  not  devolope.     Fuchsias  did  well  in  a  stair- 

j  way  window,  getting  a  moderate  share  of  the 

heat.    When  trimmed  and  potted  at  New  Years, 

and  allowed  full  growth  afterward,  they  were 

very  fine. 

GOOSEBERRY  MILDEW, 
nv  Mn.  Av.  ir.  mills,  oktakio,  Canada. 
At  the  last  stated  meeting  of  our  Associatiou, 
held  at  Hamilton,  I  was  requested  to  give  some 
explanation  of  gooseberry  mildew.  1  had  not 
given  the  subject  those  close  microscopical  ob- 
servations which  I  have  since  done.  These  are 
.quite  at  your  service  in  case  you  feel  disposed  to 


1871. 


THE    GARDEJ^EK'S   MOJS'THLY. 


361 


include  thoin  in  your  aniuml  n-port :  tliev  are  as 
follows  : 

I  have  frcquonll)-  been  defeated  in  seourinix  a 
crop  of  gooseberries  of  the  foreign  sorts  free  from 
fungus.  These  frequent  failures,  and  the  request 
before  mentioned,  determined  me  to  proceed  to  a 
more  searching  study  of  the  phenomena  connect- 
ed with  its  last  development ;  therefore,  on  the 
5th  day  of  July  last,  I  placed  minnte  pieces  of 
the  fungus  (taken  from  a  berry  just  plucked)  on 
the  field  of  a  powerful  microscope,  commencing 
at  its  lowest  diameter,  and  from  thence  gradu- 
ally increasing  its  power.  I  found  this  fungus  to 
be  composed  of  a  well  organized  cryptogamous 
plant,  exhibiting  a  vegetable  growth  many  de- 
grees lower  in  the  organic  scale  than  the  berry 
from  which  it  derived  its  supply  of  food.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  dense  net  work  of  a  filamentous  tex- 
ture, interwoven  in  every  conceivable  way ; 
along  thes  filaments  of  threads  were  disposed 
vast  numbers  of  minute  seed  vessels  or  concepti- 
cles,  each  containing  from  4  to  8  sporangia, 
within  which  lay  numerous  germs.  Now,  these 
concepticlcs  were  constantly  maturing,  bursting 
open  and  sending  forth  germ  life  to  the  air  in 
vast  numbers  invisible  to  the  naked  eye,  posses- 
sing the  power  to  increase  to  a  marvellous  extent 
and  in  a  very  short  space  of  tinic  It  is  quite 
credible  that  in  this  way  it  might  soon  form  an 
environment  in  which  the  surface  of  every  berry 
and  leaf  would  become  Icithed,  for  by  the  slight- 
est motion  of  the  air  these  germs  are  wafted. 
"When  we  consider  them  capable  of  sustaining 
vitalit}'  under  extreme  heat  or  cold  (for  this  has 
been  verified  by  the  experiments  of  both  German 
and  English  scientists  in  their  recent  experi- 
ments to  test  spontaneous  generation),  it  would 
almost  appear  from  this  to  be  law  that  the  more 
elementary  the  organic  structure  the  more 
diflScult  it  becomes  to  destroy  its  vital  proper- 
ties under  extreme  conditions. 

Kow,  our  gooseberry  cryptogam  increase  its 
size  and  form  by  extension  of  cilia  on  extremely 
fine  threads,  branching,  overlapping,  and  reach- 
ing in  all  directions,  where  fjod  is  most  abun- 
dant and  suitable,  not  unlike  the  spread  of  mush- 
room spawn,  so  that  in  fact  the  depth  of  net 
work  or  the  density  of  disease,  but  acts  as  a 
mere  scavenger  in  the  removal  of  matter  unsuit- 
able for  the  development  of  higher  organic  forms. 
It  can  only  lay  hold  of  refuse  matter.  I  consider 
fungi  as  important  in  the  economy  of  nature  as 
the  higher  organic  forms,  and  I  would  not  wil- 
lingly be  guilty  of  charging  those  simple  struc- 


tures with  the  crime  of  creating  disease  on  the 
more  complex  organism  any  more  than  I  would 
the  crow  for  the  death  of  the  horse  upon  which 
he  feeds, 

Mr.  J.  X.  Jones,  of  Charleston,  ten  years  ago, 
observed  that  before  a  "fungus  made  its  ap- 
pearance, and  before  any  trace  of  it  could  be  ob- 
served under  a  high  magnifying  power,  the  sur- 
fice  put  on  a  peculiar  gla.^od  appearance.''  Now, 
this  in  the  case  of  the  gooseberry,  arises  from  its 
own  exudation  becoming  condensed  upon  the 
surface.  Emits,  like  leaves,  undergo  continual 
evaporation.  If  from  any  cause  this  exuded 
gooseberry  vapor  which  contains  the  elements 
of  sugar,  becomes  condensed  at  the  surface,  it 
forms  into  a  glaze  'constituting  the  essential 
food),  which  soon  becomes,  when  exposed  to  the 
action  of  sunlight  and  air,  chemically  decom- 
posed ;  the  thickness  of  tlie  glaze  will  depend 
upon  the  quantity  of  vapor  and  period  of  con" 
densation  I  have  observed  that  when  mildew 
makes  it  appearance,  both  fruit  and  leaf  often 
appear  affected,  condensation  taking  place  when 
the  air  becomes  suddenly  raised  In  temperature  ; 
all  cold  bodies  which  it  surrounds  are  at  once 
converted  into  condensers  in  the  same  way  as  a 
tumbler  of  ice-water  will  condense  aqueous  vapor 
held  in  the  air,  and  deposit  it  upon  its  outer 
surface  on  a  hot  day.  The  operation  of  this 
same  law  would  cause  the  berry  (all  other  things 
being  favorable)  to  be  covered  by  its  excretions, 
which  deposit  would  differ  in  point  of  quality, 
essence,  and  chemical  composition,  from  ordi- 
nary air  condensation, and  also  to  an  appreciable 
extent  in  one  variety  of  gooseberry  from  another. 

I  cannot  now  dwell  on  any  further  explana- 
tion of  this,  but  must  proceed  to  explain  the 
further  appearance  of  things  under  the  micro- 
scope. Upon  submitting  a  small  section  of  tis- 
sues of  the  inside  of  the  skin  of  the  berry,  I  also 
observed  it  to  contain  a  net-work  of  filaments, 
with  their  concepticles  attached,  same  as  that 
Avhich  overlay  the  berry  ;  but  no  doubt  the  juices 
of  the  .skin  of  the  berry  had  by  this  time  become 
involved  in  the  chemical  diange.  I  am  there- 
fore satisfied  that  fungus  (h)cs  in  no  manner  act 
as  a  parasite  ;  but  that"  its  sporules  do  nothing 
more  than  seize  upon  and  take  advantage  of  the 
most  favorable  conditions  presented  to  them, 
feeding  upon  such  excrementilious  matters 
wholly  unlit  to  supply  the  requirements  of  the 
fruit. 

Frequent  syringing  of  the  leaves  and  fruit  at 
critical  changes  of  atmospheric  temperature, with 


S62 


THK    GABDE.YER'S    MOKTHLy 


December, 


warm  -water,  might  possibly  remove  the  food  of  |  house  not  lower  than  45^,  with  a  slight  shade 
the  fungus,  or  make  it  unsuitable.    It  is  a  mere  '  from  bright  sun  from  March  to  October.     The 


suggestion,  worth  a  trial  however. 

[This  excellent  paper  by  one  of  our  correspon- 
dents was  read  before  the  Fruit  Grower's  Society 
of  Ontario,  and  has  already  appeared  in  the  On- 
tario Farmtr. — Ed  ] 


plants  will  also  last  a  very  long  time  in  flower  in 
a  setting-room.  Frequent  sponging  the  leaves 
of  these  and  all  Orchids  is  necessary,  if  only  to 
remove  dust. 


THE  CRINUM. 


OllCIIID  CULTIVxVTIO:N'— No.  1. 

BY  5IR.  JAMES  TAPLIN,  MANAGER  TO  GEORGE 
SUCH,  ESQ.,  SOUTn  AMI50Y,  N.  J. 

In  this  series  of  short  articles  on  Orchids,  I 
don't  intend  giving  a  list  of  all  known  varieties, 
or  to  describe  and  illustrate  expensive  hothouses 
for  growing  these  plants  extensively,  but  simply 
to  describe  a  few  varieties  which  may  be  grown 
by  any  one  bavins:  a  small  collection  of  plants. 
Many  people  are  deterred  from  attempting  Or- 
chid growing  by  fancied  difficulties,  to  such  a 
few  practical  hints  may  be  of  service,  and  I  have 
little  doubt  in  a  few  years  these  beautiful  plants 
will  be  grown  by  hundreds  who  are  now  satisfied 
if  they  can  obtain  a  few  flowers  from  their  Fu- 
chsias, Geraniums,  &e. 

This  article  I  shall  devote  to  a  few  lines  on 
'•  Lycaste  Skinneri,"  this  being  one  of  the  most 
easy  to  grow  and  flower,  is  very  handsome,  and 
lasts  a  long  time  in  flower :  this  is  a  South 
American  variety  or  rather  species,  of  which 
there  are  many  varieties  both  in  size  of  flower 
and  color.  The  same  plant  often  flowers  twice 
in  the  year  and  Insts  a  long  time  in  perfection. 
We  have  a  plant  that  has  been  in  bloom  over 
two  months  and  there  are  more  buds  coming  out 
80  that  will  pi-obably  last  until  the  end  of  Novem- 
ber. These  plants  are  recommended  for  winter 
flowering,  but  we  have  them  in  dower  at  all  sea- 
sons. 

The  Lycaste  are  best  grown  in  pots,  half 
filled  with  crocks,  to  secure  good  drainage,  and 
potted  in  fibre  from  peat,  from  which  the  fine 
soil  has  been  sifted, to  which  add  some  live  splmg- 
num  moss,  and  a  little  white  sand.  It  is  not  ne- 
cessary to  raise  the  soil  for  these  above  the 
level  of  the  pot,  but  do  not  bury  any  part  of  the 
bulbs  ;  there  is  not  any  part  of  the  year  fixed 
for  repotting,  but  the  proper  time  is,  when  it  is 
making  young  shoots  and  roots.  They  require 
abundance  of  water  while  growing,  less  when 
growth  is  complete,  and  never  water  over  the 
flowers  or  they  wil'  decay  and  the  young  shoots 
may  do  so  if  water  lodge  in  the  honrt. 

These  plants  will  grow  and  flower  well  in  anv 


BY   A.    O  ,   READING,    PA. 

Having  had  a  share  of  experience  in  blooming 
two  Crinuras  this  summer,  I  give  it  for  the  en- 
tertainment of  those  interested  in  the  cultivation 
of  bulbs. 

The  largest  of  these  was  a  Crinum  araabile, 
purchased  5  or  6  j'ears  ago  of  E.  Buist,  Sr.,  of 
Philadelphia.  It  was  treated  with  the  earth- 
mixture  recommended  in  his  work  on  the  "Cul- 
tivation of  Flowers,"  viz.  :  3  parts  loam,  1  part 
woods-earth,  1  part  sand,  1  part  well-rotted  ma- 
nure. It  thrived,  grew  large  and  made  a  beau- 
tiful plant,  resembling  young  Indian  corn,  ex- 
cept in  the  length  of  its  leaves,  which  are  much 
greater.  They  formed  a  circle  of  green  4  or  5 
feet  in  diameter,  and  1^  to  2  feet  in  height. 

Still,  with  all  its  vigor  and  beauty,  in  did  not 
bloom.  One  florist  said  they  were  seldom  seen 
in  bloom  ;  an  amateur  said  give  it  rest ;  the  book 
said  it  was  an  evergreen  :  one  gentleman,  who 
had  possessed  them  for  years,  said  they  had 
bloomed  bat  a  few  times.  None  of  this  was  en- 
couraging, and  my  friend  almost  concluded  to 
part  with  her's.  So  last  May  my  friend  and  my- 
self held  consultation  in  regard  to  its  further 
treatment.  It  had  received  but  little  care  dur- 
ing the  previous  winter,  and  had  lost  its  finest 
leaves;  altogether  it  was  an  unpromising  sub- 
ject, lleviewing  its  "  ungrateful  behavior  "  af- 
ter being  treated  with  "  distinguished  consider- 
ation,'' transferred  to  the  parlor  for  heat,  and 
having  the  size  of  its  lodgings  increased  from 
year  to  year  until  within  the  two  last,  it  became 
evident  that  it  had  no  immediate  intention  of 
blooming.  We  thought  it  mnjld  need  more 
room,  so  as  there  was,  apparently,  but  little 
hope  of  it,  it  was  planted  without  ceremony  in 
a  queer  looking  old  wash  tub.  a  little  under  the 
medium  size,  in  as  rich  earth  as  we  could  get 
together  in  a  short  time,  i)art  of  it  had  been  in  a 
prepared  hvaeinth  bed.  It  was  somewhat  clayey 
and  stifl".  We  stood  the  tub  on  3  pillars  made 
of  brick,  and  set  it  near  a  small  tree  where  it 
would  receive  only  the  morning  sun.  It  remain- 
ed quiet  for  several  weeks.  dnriuLT  which  there 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJVER'S    MOjYTJtILY. 


'J  bo 


was  a  good  deal  of  rain  ;  it  had  also  some  water- 
ing. It  then  started  new  leaves,  and  in  about  2 
months,-  to  the  amazement  of  its  owner,  it  sent 
up  a  big  purple  bud.  This  surprising  appear- 
ance was  made  on  the  9th  of  August ;  in  3  days 
it  was  several  inches  out  of  the  bulb,  and  in  a 
week  showed  the  first  blopsom  of  .^0.     The  gene- 


Having  beeii  in  the  shade  the  leaves  blanched  a 
little  in  the  sun,  and  being  weak  were  inclined 
to  break  ;  but  it  soon  showed  more  vigorous 
growth  and  having  sent  up  an  offset  that  also 
grew  well. 

It  was  not    top  dressed    nor    any   stimulent 
given  except  a  small  quantity  of  manure  water 


ral  shape  of  the  llowers  resembled  that  of  the  j  Towards  the  last  of  August  it  was  set  where  it 
Amaryllis,  or  white  garden  lily,  but  with  a  much  received  the  morning  sun,  and  kept,  corapara- 
smaller  tube,  and  greater  recurve  of  the  petals,  j  tively,  dry ;  more  by  accident  than  design,  how- 
which  were  narrow.  Inside,  the  color  was  a  }  ever.  About  this  time  I  took  off  the  offset,  or 
purple-pinkish  white  ;  outside  of  a  maroon  pur-  |  young  one,  and  by  dint  of  care  and  slow  ap- 
ple, shading  lighter  to  the  edges  of  the  petals  so  i  proaches.  got  it  out  without  very  much  distur- 


as  to  leave  a  border  of  white  around  them.  This 
border  added  much  to  the  beauty.  It  emitted  a 
fine  spicy  fragrance,  and  from  description  (I  was 
absent  at  the  blooming)  formed  a  stately  looking 
plant  with  its  stem  encircled  with  blossoms 
opening  in  gradual  succession.  The  llowers 
lasted  several  weeks.  The  plant  was  an  object 
of  much  interest  to  those  who  were  observing  it 
daily;  though  some  made  "  invidious  compari- 
sons" and  asserted  that  the  blue  Agapanthus 
or  African  Blue  Lily  was  the  prettiest.  Any 
one  not  familiar  with  the  latter,  or  its  white 
variety,  have  still  a  pleasure  in  store.  Those 
owned  by  the  writer  have  had  as  many  as  70 
flowers  in  the  crown. 

In  trying  to  trace  the  causes  of  the  "  late  gra- 
ciousness  "  of  the  Crinum,  we  concluded  them 


bance  of  tlie  I'oots.  It  was  soon  watered  again 
with  a  liberal  hand.  About  a  week  afterward, 
as  I  was  walking  round  it  (for  tlie  leaves  demand' 
a  place  for  themselves),  somewhat  apprehensive 
that  removing  the  offset  had  retarded  its  bloom- 
ing, if  such  an  unusual  manifestation  might  be 
looked  for,  I  suddenly  discovered  the  shining- 
green  tip  of  a  bud.  This  was  on  the  9th  of  Sep- 
tember (the  9th  being  favored  by  the  2  Crinums). 
The  weather  soon  after  becoming  cool,  it  did  not 
progress  as  well  as  the  largest  one.  On  the  5th 
of  October  the  bud  sheath  o])ened.  The  stem 
sheath  resemble  that  of  the  Amaryllis,  except 
that  the  bud  sheath  is  very  large  in  proportion' 
to  the  bulb. 

On  the  evening  of  the  8th,  the  two  first  llowers 
opened,  the  stem  beiui:  then  27i  inches  high, 


to  be,  the  writer's   "wholesome   neglect,"  the  '  having  grown  in  one  day  2|  inches,  on  the  last 


heat  of  this  and  the  preceding  summer,  and  the 
increased  room  for  its  roots  which  are  large, 
long  and  very  numerous. 

The  second,  and  smaller  Crinum,  was  entrust- 
ed to  my  care  by  a  friend,  to  whom  it  had  been 
brought  from  San  Domingo  It  was  there  call- 
ed the  Egyptian  Lily.  She  had  been  in  posses 
sion  of  it  a  year  without  its  showing  much 
growth.  During  the  first  summer  it  was  in  my 
care  the  weather  was  very  warm  ;  it  };rew  finely 
and  increased  in  size.  In  tlie  fall  it  was  put 
into  a  large  pot,  with  the  same  earth  mixture 
given  to  the  larger  one  It  was  soon  after  re 
turned  to  its  owner.  It  died  down  during  the 
winter,  and  was  subject  to  severe  cold  several 


1:^,  and  topped  by  7  blossoms.  The  flower  is 
white  inside,  outside  of  a  purple  pink  from  the 
centre  of  each  of  the  G  petals  to  their  points. 
They  are  not  recurved,  but  remain  nearly 
straight  ;  the  stamens  arc  white,  the  anther 
looking  like  a  curled  up  worm.  The  pistil  is  of 
a  dai-k  purplisli  pink  more  than  lialf  way  up  to 
to  the  centre  of  tlie  flower.  After  the  pistils  had 
separated  they  closed  again  so  as  to  form  more 
of  a  tube  l)ut  were  not  in  appearance  like  the  C. 

I  ainabile. 

It  is  ;i  novel   and  singular  (lower,  and  hand'- 

I  some  ;  emitting  some  fVagrance  also. 

I      These   would  be  stately  plants  for  the  conser- 


vatory, portico  or  lawn,  especially  if  indulged  in 
times,  which  destroyed  other  plants  in  the  same  j  luxuriant  growth,  by  ample  room  for  the  roots, 
apartment.       It  started    growth   again   in    ihe  j  and  development  of  the  leaves. 

spring;  and  when  warm  weather  came  it   was  j  __. ,,,,. 

taken  out  of  doors,  and  the  pot  sunk  in  a  tan  j 
walk  under  the  shade  of  a  grape-arbor. 

About  the  first  of  July  I  again  took  charge  of 
it,  and  placed  it  where  it  received  the  sun  during  ! 
j»art  of  the  day.  most  of  it  in  tlio  afternoon. 


LAWRENCE  PEAR. 

UY    I.    F.    I!  ,    CHESTNUT    HILL,    PA. 

I  read  with  much  pleasure  your  editorial  ou 


this  pear,  and  if  you  will  pardon  me,  I  will  ad(? 


36 


TEE    GARBEJ^Eli'iS    MO^NTBL'i 


December, 


a  few  thoughts  to  deepen  the  favorable  imprcs 
sion  whlcli  you  liave  already  made. 

I  consider  the  Lawrence  so  valuable,  possess 
ing  so  much  excellence,  that  if  I  were  limited  to 
one  kind  this  would  be  my  choice. 

Its  quality  is  not  surpassed  by  anj'  pear  that 
we  know  of, — rich,  sweet,  juicy  and  melting. 
It  is  just  the  right  size,  neither  too  large  nor  too 
small ;  beautiful  in  appearance,  a  handsome 
shape  ;  deep  lemon  color,  and  a  fine  smooth  skin. 
It  does  not,  like  many  other  varieties,  decay 
first  inside,  but  any  defect  is  at  once  seen  on 
the  surface  ;  this  I  think  very  important,  for 
how  mortifying  to  send  a  basket  of  fine  looking 
pears  to  a  friend  and  then  ascertain  that  they 
were  all  decayed  inside.  I  would  not  have  one 
tree  of  this  sort  no  matter  how  good  it  might  be 
in  other  respects. 

'  The  Lawrence  bears  most  profusel}'  every  year; 
there  is  no  better  bearer,  not  even  the  Beurre 
d'Anjou.  It  is  much  less  subject  to  insects  than 
any  pear  I  know  of  As  it  ripens  late,  about 
the  middle  of  October,  it  seems  too  hard  and 
unpalatable  for  wasps,  bees,  &c.,  that  pro}'  so 
much  on  the  Bartlett  and  Seckel. 

Then  it  is  not  so  liable  to  be  blown  from  the 
tree  by  equinoctial  storms  or  the  high  winds  of 
autumn.  There  is  no  pear  like  it,  to  cling  to 
the  branch  amidst  the  fury  of  the  tempest. 

It  is  so  casil)'  ripened, — or  rather  it  will  ripen 
itself, — not  in  a  hurry  as  some  other  kinds  do. 
You  have  only  to  put  them  in  a  drawer  in  a  cool 
dark  place,  where  the  thermometer  is  about  50^, 
and  the  work  is  done. 


THE  LATE  FIRES  PHILOSOPHICALLY 
CONSIDEllED. 

BY  MR.  J.   JAY   S3IITU,   GERMANTOWjST,    PA. 

Mr.  Editor. — We  have  heard  much  of  the 
late  fires  in  Michigan,  &c,,  and  if  we  had  one 
man  of  a  scientific  turn  in  our  political  cabinet, 
we  might  see  an  approach  to  a  paternal  govern- 
ment. ]iut  as  things  go  in  America,  all  is  poli- 
tics. What  will  promote  the  interests  of  the 
party  ?  Shall  any  of  us  live  to  see  the  day  when 
a  partisan  legislator  will  vote  for  the  good  of  his 
country, if  it  is  inaugurated  by  the  other  side  V  I 
almost  despair  of  seeing  it. 

But  there  is  a  common  sense  view  take  of  our 
late  misfortunes.  We  formerly  laughed  at  Espy 
for  wishing  us  to  make  fires  to  produce  rains,  by 
burning  forests.  Philosophy  tells  us  to  jilant  for- 
ests for  this  purpose,  not  to  burn  them,  and  this 


having  been  ascertained,  our  government  will  be 
very  derelict  if  it  suffers  the  late  terrible  events 
to  pass  without  some  concerted  action.  The  de- 
falcation money  of  a  public  ofHcer  or  two  would 
alone  supply  sufiicient  means  to  plpnt  a  whole 
State.  We  find  our  rulers  negligent  and  timid, 
where  they  should  be  imperious  ;  selling  forests 
and  giving  them  to  be  cut  down,  when  they 
should  be  planting  others  ;  a  most  vital  matter 
neglected,  which,  when  once  carried  out,  would 
convey  to  cver}"^  mind  a  greater  idea  of  our  wis- 
dom and  forethought  than  anything  we  could 
possibly  do. 

Trees  render  the  atmosphere  more  uniformly 
moist.  They  do  so  by  partly  extracting  mois- 
ture from  the  winds  as  they  pass  by,  and  partly 
by  hindering  the  sun  and  winds  from  taking 
away  that  Avhich  they  already  possess.  By 
means  of  the  cool,  which  is  the  result  of  the 
evaporation  from  the  multiplied  surface  of  the 
foliage,  they  temper  the  hotter  winds  which  are 
passing  over  them,  and  so  induce  them  to  part 
Avith  a  portion  of  their  wet.  By  rendering  the 
atmosphei'e  more  uniformly  moist,  they  temper 
the  heat  and  cold  of  the  different  seasons.  Trees 
also  cause  the  rainfall  to  be  distributed  more 
equally  in  time  throughout  the  year.  They 
bring  down  the  atmospheric  moisture  in  more 
frequent  and  gentle  showers  ;  whereas  in  a  coun- 
try denuded  of  wood,  this  goes  on  increasing, 
until,  from  electrical  and  other  causes,  it  is  pre- 
cipitated in  floods,  to  the  accompaniment  of 
wind  and  lightning. 

Trees  again,  by  inducing  frequent  and  pro- 
longed gentle  showers,  economize  the  water  of  a 
country,  and  so  make  it  more  available  for  ex- 
isting vegetation  and  for  its  future  extension. 
They  also,  by  chemical  action  and  friction 
against  each  other  and  the  winds,  add  to  the 
atmospheric  electricity  and  they  modify  sunlight. 
They  rob  it  of  most  of  its  chemical  and  many  of 
its  colored  rays,  and  then  retlect  it,  thus  softened 
upon  surrounding  objects.  They^  by  absorbing 
and  radiating  heat,  modify  it  and  give  it  new 
properties,  in  virtue  of  which  it  acts  diflerently 
on  us  from  what  it  does  when  it  falls  on  us  from 
the  sun.  Trees  again,  by  their  chemical  action 
on  the  air,  and  on  the  ground  in  which  they 
grow,  prepare  a  soil  for  plants  which  require  a 
richer  food,  but  which  are  more  useful  to  man 
in  his  daily  life.  In  India,  villages  out  in  the 
open  prairie  suffer  more  from  cholera,  and  dis- 
eases are  more  deadly  than  in  villages  which  are 
well  wooded.      A  paternal   government  should 


1871. 


THE    GARVEJ^EWS    MOA'THLy. 


SOS 


r 


look  into  these  matters.  Expei-ts  would  readily 
supply  a  list  of  trees  suited  to  woodiug  ijreat 
spaces  of  country,  and  the  writer  cannot  but 
think  the  public  lands  j^ranted  to  an  honest  com- 
pany Avould  be   ([uite  as  well  bestowed  as  upon 


speculators,  whose  sole  anxiety  is  to  fdl  their 
own  pockets  and  let  posterity  take  care  of  itself. 
Is  there  any  hope  of  waking  up  politicians  ? 
None,  but  by  a  grant  of  land  to  be  paid  for  by 
so  many  millions  of  trees  planted. 


E  1)  T  T  0  H  I  A  L  . 


TRAVEMX(;   RECOLLECTIOXS. 

Our  route  from  Louisville  to  St  Louis  was  se- 
lected so  as  to  afford  lis  a  ride  through  the  most 
beautiful  portion  of  Illinois  lather  than  to  har- 
ry along  b\'  the  shortest  cut, — hence  it  took  us 
over  the  Altou  and  Tcrre  ITaute  line  through 
Indianapolis.  In  order  to  take  us  to  Indianapo 
lis  from  St  Louis,  the  officers  of  the  .TelTersou- 
ville  and  Indianapolis  company  kindly  placed 
their  road  at  our  disposal,  — a  kindness  the  more 
appreciated,  as,  going  over  their  section  in  the 
night  time,  we  were  unable  to  speak  personally 
of  the  many  matters  of  interest  we  had  heard 
connected  with  the  line. 

The  ride  through  Central  Illinois,  over  the 
Terre  Haute  road,  enabled  us  to  see  how  rich  and 
prosperous  is  this  portion  of  the  State.  ^Vhat 
strikes  a  stranger  particularly  is  the  great  beau- 
ty and  prominence  of  the  school-houses.  Ever}- 
town,  no  matter  how  small,  seems  to  take  pride 
in  making  the  school-house  excel  all  others  in 
taste  and  general  interest.  Charleston,  a  small 
town  of  about  3(500.  has  three  of  these  schools. 
Things  gcneralh'  seem  very  prosperous  in  this 
region.  Farms,  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of 
Charleston,  bought  20  years  ago  for  -Si  per  acre, 
now  bring  .8-30, which  is  an  increase  which  ought 
to  satisfy  any  reasonable  man.  We  found  here 
pork  brought  the  farmer  about  Si  cents  per  lb., 
stock  cattle  about  3,  and  hay  about  .■:r8  per  ton. 

It  strikes  a  stranger  as  somewhat  remarkable, 
that  with  the  many  hundreds  of  millions  of  Os- 
age Orange  plants  which  have  been  sold  in  the 
"West,  so  lew  good  ones  arc  to  be  seen  any  where 
from  the  railroad  cars,  while  wretched  Ihings 
are  abundant.  It  seemed  that  the  management 
was  not  understood.  At  the  East  are  liir  better 
specimens  than  any  to  be  seen  about  here,  except 
one  at  Pana,  which  was  beautiful.  Most  grow- 
ers seemed  to  depend  on  "plashing"  at  some 
future  time,  to  thicken  the  body  of  the  hedge 
This  seems  as  if  it  ought  to  do,  —  but  after  a  lew 


years,  as  we  saw  in  some  instanees  the  hedges, 
so  treated,  are  not  by  any  means  worthy  of  imi- 
tation. If  the  Western  leaders  of  agricultural 
thought  wuu'd  urge  as  tlie  proper  treatment 
closer  planting,  say  3  inches  apart,  and  regular 
June  pruning  as  the  onhj  proper  practice  for 
good  hedges,  we  should  have  more  hope  for  live 
fencing  in  Illinois  than  we  have  now.  Of  course, 
there  must  be  many  good  hedges  some  vrhere  in 
Illinois,  — but  it  is  evident  from  this  railroad  ex- 
perience, that  the  general  hedge  planter  does  not 
know  enough  about  them  to  imitate  them.  The 
general  public,  we  believe,  will  see  better  Osage 
Orange  fences  along  the  line  of  the  Pennsylvania 
railroad,  between  Harrisburg  and  Lancaster,, 
than  along  any  of  the  AVcstcrn  railroad  lines. 

The  short  stay  of  our  party  at  St.  Louis,  of 
course  included  a  visit  to  the  Missouri  Botani- 
cal Gardens  of  Mr.  Shaw,  for  icw  persons  from 
any  part  of  the  world  go  through  St.  Louis  with- 
out seeinsr  them  Our  readers  are  very  nimiliar 
with  this  beautiful  place,  if  not  from  personal 
visits  at  least  by  the  several  notices  in  our  maga- 
zine. "We  never  visit  this  charming  spot  with- 
out regretting  that  no  other  cities  have  their 
Henry  Shaws  to  so  intelligently  encourage  hor- 
ticulture and  botanical  science  as  St.  Louis  has. 

The  Tower  Grove  Park  belonging  to  the  city, 
and  the  land  originally  the  gift  of  Mr.  Shaw,  is 
situated  near  the  Botanic  Garden.  The  tract  is 
long.and  narrow,  and  the  system  has  been  adopt- 
ed of  having,  for  two-thirds  of  the  distance,  a 
wide  straight  drive  through  the  centre,  broken 
by  three  large  oval  turn-outs.  The  oiher  third, 
in  order  to  have  a  variety  of  scenery,  will  have 
the  main  drive  led  around  nearer  the  boundary. 
The  foot  walks  are  led  about  in  various  direc- 
tions, and  vaiiety  aimed  at  by  keeping  different 
classes  of  trees  in  the  different  sections  of  the 
groun«l.  The  main  drive  is  45  feet  wide.  The 
European  Plane  and  the  Tulip  tree  are  abun- 
<lantly  employed  as  trees  for  the  grand  avenue.. 


S6G 


THE    GARDEJYER'S   MOJVTELl. 


Deceinher, 


In  the  plautin;^  of  the  Park,  the  nuisciy  system 
was  cliielly  employed  to  prepare  the  trees.  As 
soon  as  the  ground  Avas  set  apart  for  the  Park,  a 
piece  was  appropriated  for  a  nursery,  and  small 
trees  bought  at  various  American  uui"series,were 
set  out,  and  were  growing  while  the  grounds 
were  being  laid  out.  Tiie  result  of  this  is  to  have 
the  plants  fresh  to  hand  when  ready  to  move, and 
they  grow  without  any  failures.  Even  the  tulip 
tree,  usually  thought  capricious  in  removal,  was 
here  a  universal  success,  none  of  them  dying, 
and  man}' of  them  small  when  put  out, were  now 
from  o  to  8  feet  high  in  15  months.  Mr.  Shaw, 
who  is  Park  Controller,  is  proud,  and  justly  so, 
of  his  success  in  this  matter.  He  will  be  able  to 
keep  the  whole  expenditure  within  the  original 
ixppropriation  of  S^340,000  for  the  park  improve- 
ment, a  result  not  often  achieved  by  public 
officers. 

The  Lafayette  Park,  a  tract  of  twenty  acres, 
several  miles  nearer  the  heart  of  the  city,  and 
finished  two  or  three  years  ago,  is  also  a  beauti- 
ful spot.  It  is  very  popular  with  the  citizens,  as 
it  well  deserves  to  be.  St.  Louis  seems  fortunate 
in  its  park  enterprise. 

Our  party  were  handsomely  received  by  the 
St.  Louis  Agricultural  Association  at  the  fair 
ground.  Col.  Colman,  of  the  TturalWorld,  takes 
a  great  interest  in  the  success  of  this  society, 
and  we  are  indebted  to  him  for  many  valuable 
facts  and  much  information  about  rural  aflairs, 
given  during  our  short  stay  here.  There  has 
been  much  diflerence  of  opinion  as  to  the  useful- 
ness of  horticultural  and  agricultural  societies 
traveling  from  place  to  place, — or  to  have  one 
l^ermanent  place  for  holding  meetings.  The  ex- 
perience of  this  society  is  in  favor  of  the  perma- 
nent plan.  The  beautiful  buildingsand  grounds 
of  this  society  must  of  themselves  excite  a  favor- 
able influence  on  agricultural  progress,  and  such 
as  no  wandering  show  could  do. 

From  St.  Louis,  our  course  was  taken  to  the 
Indian  Tcrritor}'.  Mr.  E.  A.  Ford,  the  Gene- 
ral Agent  of  the  Atlantic  Pacific  llailroad,  took 
charge  of  the  party,  and  devoted  himself  to  fur- 
thering the  object  of  our  journey  with  a  courte- 
sy and  kindness  which  will  long  be  remembered. 
This  road  will  go  through  to  Southern  Califor- 
nia, and  expects  to  do  the  chief  part  of  the  Texas 
cattle  trade.  At  our  visit  the  road  had  entered 
Ihe  Cherokee  country  a  considerable  distance 
and  the  track  was  being  rapidly  laid  at  the  rate 
of  several  miles  a  day.  Some  of  our  party  un- 
dertook spike  driving— "just  to  say''  and  80  on, 


— but  it  struck  us  that  in  their  cases  the  pen  was 
certainly  mightier— not  merely  than  the  sword, 
— but  of  the  sledgehammer  also, — especially  with 
the  thermometer  at  98',  and  such  a  sun  as  it 
seemed  to  us  no  other  than  an  Arkansas  prairie 
could  furnish.  The  immense  stock-yards,  and 
numerous  lierds  of  cattle  driving  over  these 
plains  by  the  Texas  drovers,  furnished  a  note 
-puTJjS  i)\\'\  'sn  o:j  :}nq  t  s^)uai.ij  |'U.Tn:)inDi.x2i2  .ino  aoj 
est  charm  was  the  great  beauty  of  the  scenery, 
and  of  the  numerous  wild  flowers  which  adorn- 
ed the  land.  Here,  for  the  first  time,  we  saw 
living  flowers  with  which  wc  had  before  only  an 
herbarium  acquaintance.  The  Callirhw  especi- 
ally attracts  by  the  vermilion  tint  of  its  flowers. 
If  color  is  to  follow  the  same  law  of  aflinity  as 
Darwin  claims  for  species,  it  would  be  hard  to 
tell  the  parent  of  this  beautiful  plant,  for  in  all 
the  wild  prairies  there  is  nothing  which  has  a 
tint  like  imto  it.  The  great  charm  of  this  part 
of  the  country  is  the  high  lands  which  border 
this  large  Arkansas  prairie.  The  outlines  arc 
so  beautifully  marked,  and  the  trees  so  remark- 
ably grouped  on  the  rises  and  depressions  of  the 
laud,  that  a  finished  landscape  gardener  could 
scarcely  design  an}'  thing  superior.  This  beau- 
ty is  though,  no  doubt,  heightened  by  the  im- 
mensity of  the  plain  which  rises  and  stretches 
away  so  suddenly  from  it.  The  entrance  to  the 
Indian  territory  by  the  railroad  is  through  a 
particularly  grand  part  of  this  beautiful  scenery, 
— and  though  we  have  seen  grander  and  more 
imposing  views  than  these,  there  be  none  likely 
to  make  a  more  lasting  impression  on  the  wri- 
ter's memory  than  this.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that 
some  day  this  beautiful  country  will  pass  out  of 
the  hands  of  the  race  now  in  legal  possession,  of 
it.  It  is  a  hopeless  task  to  make  these  Indians 
the  equals  of  the  white  race  in  their  love  of  the 
arts  and  sciences.  Some  of  them  had  small  gar- 
dens with  corn,  potatoes  and  beans,  which  the 
women  cultivate, — but  the  men  appeared  to  have 
no  activity  whatever.  True,  we  did  not  reach 
the  most  populous  portion  of  the  territory,  but 
from  the  little  we  saw,  it  seemed  hopeless  ma- 
terial to  make  gardeners  out  of.  We  should 
like  to  see  this  land  change  hands,  though,  of 
course,  Immanely,  justly  and  kindly.  That  the 
Indian  race  will  die  out  eventually,  is  clear — but 
nevertheless  do  we  hope  that  the  dying  liours 
of  this  unfortunate  people  may  not  be  embitter- 
ed more  than  is  needful  to  our  own  security. 

The  country  leading  from  St.  Louis  to  the 
territory  is  not  as  rich  as  some  others, — but  it 


1871. 


THE    GARDEjYER'S   MOJ^'TRLY. 


367 


must  be  better  adapted  to  some  things  than 
to  others.  The  woods  are  ahnost  wholly  fill- 
ed with  Post  Oak,  Quercus  ohtusiloba.  AVe  have 
never  seen  this  tree  more  than  of  medium  size  in 
the  east, — but  here  it  was  as  large  as  our  average 
oak.  If  this  will  grow  here  better  than  trees  of 
its  own  kind  elsewhere,  it  shows  that  the  soil 
will  produce  excellence  in  some  things.  Missou- 
ri has  already  known  that  this  is  the  case  with 
hemp  and  with  the  castor  oil  plant ;  and  it  will, 
no  doubt,  be  found  that  some  things  will  take 
well  to  this  newly  opened  region. 

About  Springticld  wc  found  many  agricultu- 
rists, of  some  years'  standing,  who  spoke  with 
much  enthusiasm  of  their  ability  to  grow  to  su- 
perior excellence  any  of  the  average  farm  crops 
of  the  Eastern  States.  The  railroad  company 
offers  peculiarly  favorable  terras  to  actual  set- 
tlers, and  no  doubt  the  country  will  rapidly  fill 
up. 

**o«* 

DESCKIPTIOX  OF  CAKROTS. 
People  who  see  vegetables  often  wonder  how 
to  distinguish  one  variety  from  another,  and  yet 
they  have  marks  of  difference,  as  varied  as  plants 
or  fruits.  "We  are  led  to  these  remarks  by  noting 
how  Messrs.  Vilmorin,  of  Paris,  distinguish  their 
carrots.  For  instance,  we  suppose,  them  to  be 
all  growing  side  by  side,  in  the  same  ground 
together,  there  will  be  difference  in  the  sizes, 
forms,  and  colors  of  the  roots.  Taking  size  for 
example,  and  let  one  inch  represent  the  smallest 


carrot,  or  "Early  Very  Short,"  "Early  Short 
Horn  "  would  be  2  inches,  "  Early  Half-long 
Scarlet,''  3  inches;  "Early  Half-long  Scarlet 
varieties,"  3  inches  ;  Early  Half-long  Scarlet 
Stump  Hoot,''  3  inches  ;  "Long  Eed  Surry,"  4 
inches  ;  "White  Large  Short  Vosges,"  3  inches; 
"Flanders  Pale  Red,"  3  inches;  "Long  Scarlet 
Altringham,"  4  inches;  "]jong  Orange  Green 
Top"  or  "Orange  Belgian,"  G  inches,  with  2 
above  ground  ;  "  "White  Green  Top"  or  "  White 
Belgian,"  5  inches,  with  2  above  ground.  The 
growing  above  ground  seems  to  be  a  peculiarity 
of  these  Belgian  Carrots. 

The  Altringham  is  conical  at  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  and  has  a  long  narrow  root,  nearly 
cylindrical ;  the  Flander  s  Pale  Red  is  wide  and 
flat  at  the  top,  and  tapers  just  like  the  Parsnip  ; 
the  Long  Red  Surry  tapers  slightly— interme- 
diate between  the  other  two.  The  Long  Red 
Surry  and  the  Long  Scarlet  Altringham  may  be 
mistaken  for  one  another  in  size  and  form  ;  but 
on  being  cut  across,  the  pale  yellowish  center  is 
star  shaped  in  the  Surry,  and  quite  round  in  the 
Altringham. 

In  the  short  carrots  there  are  distinctions  in 
the  form  of  the  roots.  The  Early  Half-long 
Scarlet  is  the  only  one  which  tapers  sharply  to  a 
point.  'J'he  others  are  more  or  less  blunt  at  the 
apex,— the  Early  Short  Horn  being  blunt  like  a 
thimble.  These  characters  will  be  useful  to 
seedsmen  and  olhei's  interested  in  getting  true 
kinds. 


SCEATS   AND     QUEPtlES. 


Business  Notice — It  seems  necessary  to  re- 
peat occasionally  that  Mr.  Meehan  has  no  busi- 
ness connection  with  the  Gardener'>s  Monthly. 
Letters  for  him  personally  should  be  addressed 
to  Germautown,  Pa.  If  sent  to  the  oflice  of  the 
Monthhj  it  may  be  a  week  or  more  before  he  re- 
ceives them.  On  the  other  hand,  letters  intend- 
ed for  Brinckloe  &  Marot,  in  reference  to  adver- 
tising or  other  matters,  are  often  seriou.sly  de- 
layed by  being  sent  to  Mr.  Meehan  at  Germau- 
town. 'Mr.  M.  is  simply  engaged  as  editor,  and 
has  no  connection  with  the  publishing  or  owner- 
ship of  the  magazine. 


Grape  Growixo  for  Puofit  —  A  New  York 


correspondent,  who,  some  years  ago,  made  a 
heavy  business  of  growing  hothouse  grapes  for 
profit,  and  had  a  reputation  all  over  the  country 
for  making  very  profitable  returns  from  it,  as- 
tonished us  the  other  day  by  a  letter,  in  which 
he  says  "  Grape  growing  under  glass  as  a  source 
of  profit  is  played  out  in  New  York.  Up  to  3 
years  ago  I  did  very  well,  but  since  then  so 
much  rubbish  has  appeared  in  market  that  the 
price  of  good  fruits  has  been  ruinously  low,  and 
I  have  had  to  abandon  it." 


Mauraxdia  Barclayana.— J/rs.  Sara  C. 
r.,  CarhonCliJ}\  Ills.— Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to 
give,  through  tlie  Gardener's  Monthly,  the  name 


SC8 


THE    GARDEJ^'EIVS    MOJ^'THL\.  December, 


of  the  enclosed  Howor.  It  is  a  wiKlling,  and  so 
beautiful  as;  a  lianizinfr  basket  ]ilant,  that  I  vcn- 
much  wish  to  know  it  by  name 

[This  is  Maurandia  Barclayana  It  is  a  na- 
tive of  Mexico,  and  as  a  wildling  in  your  vicini- 
ty is  but  a  chance  seed  that  has  fallen  accident- 
ally some  way.  It  is  known  about  Philadelphia 
as  the  "Barclayana  Vine"--a  stupid  vuli^arisni 
as  Maurandia  is  just  as  eas}-  to  renienibef  or 
speak.  The  plant  belongs  to  the  same  natural 
family  of  plants  as  the  common  iSnapdragon  of 
gardens,  which  you  will  readil}-  see  by  compar- 
ing the  seed  vessels  one  with  another.  The  one 
you  send  is  purplish-blue,-  but  there  is  another 
species  called  M.  semper jlor ens ^  which  is  rose- 
colored,— and  there  is  also  a  Avhite  one.  In  their 
own  country  they  are  perennials, — but  here  they 
can  be  treated  as  annuals, — the  seed,  if  sown 
early  in  spring,  will  flower  the  same  3'ear.  Flo- 
rists, however,  usually  grow  them  from  cuttings 
in  the  autumn  or  winter, — such  plants  bloom 
about  June  and  continue  till  frost.  The  Mau- 
randia are  among  the  best  vines  for  the  summer 
decoration  of  our  gardens.  ] 


plant  will  appear  within  two  years,  when  the 
branch  may  be  cut  oft' and  suffl'.red  to  depend  oa 
its  own  resources.] 


A   Grass  fou  Lawx.— " /*C'/-jj(fx,"   Darhy^ 

7^«., writes  :  — "  Enclosed  is  a  grass  which  please 

name  for  me.     I  send  it  to  you  for  the  reason- 

I  that  a  patch  on  my  lawn  bore  it,  and  it  has  been 

so  beautiful  all  summer  T  wish  to  order  seed 

'  enough  to  lay  down  a  new  piece  1  wish  to  make. 

'<  In  early  spring  this  patch  on  my  lawn  was  the 

j  first  to  get  green,  and  it  became  very  shining  in 

I  the  sun,  -and  while  parts  of  the  lawn  have  been 

I  brown   during  the  summm-  time,    this   has   al- 

!  wa3\s  been  green.     I  have  looked  for  a  flower  all 

j  summer  to  get   the  name,  but  I   suppose  the 

scythe  kept  them  down,  and  this  is  the  first  I 

have  seen." 

[The  piece  sent  is  a  Muhlcnhergia  of  some  kind, 
and  cannot  be  the  grass  which  our  correspon- 
dent praises.  jSTo  good  lawn  could  ever  be  made 
of  this  grass.  It  is,  no  doubt,  growing  with  the 
others.  The  praises  our  correspondent  bestows 
on  his  "  green"  patch  probal:)l3'  belongs  to  Loli- 
um  jjerenne,  the  rye  grass.] 


SiLVEiiv  White  Spruce. — G.r.  L.,  Oregon, 
Mo.,  writes: — "Enclosed  please  find  a  sprig  of 
spruce,  the  name  of  which  I  have  in  vain  en- 
deavored to  obtain  for  ii  years.  I  first  thought 
it  to  be  'White  Spruce,'  butit  looks  so  very  dif- 
ferent from  that  variety,  and  is  so  much  n\ore 
beautiful  that  it  must  be  something  else. 

"  My  specimen  is  about  8  feet  high,  and  for 
the  last  3  years  has  grown  at  the  rate  of  18  inches 
each  year.  The  branches  are  perfectly  horizon- 
tal, the  color  is  very  light  silvery  gray,  and  dur- 
ing wniter  changes  to  light  green  ;  it  is  perfect!}' 
hardy.  By  giving  me  the  name  in  the  Garden- 
er^s  Montkhj  you  will  much  oblige  me.'' 

[The  Ahies  alba,  or  White  Spruce,  is  a  verj' 
valuable  plant  in  regard  to  the  tint  of  its  foliage, 
sometimes  graj'  at  others  dark  green.  Indeed, 
we  have  little  doubt  but  the  Red,  Black  and 
White  Si)ruces  are  all  forms  of  one  thing.  This 
one  is  remarkably  beautiful  and  Wi)rth  pi'opagat- 
ing  as  a  distinct  form.  In  other  things  beauti- 
ful varieties  have  thus  l>een  selected  and  named. 
Th(!re  are  a  score  of  Arborvitics,  and  might  Ije 
of  Pines  and  Spruces.  Tlie  White  Spruce  grows 
very  readily  from  cuttings, — but  they  an;  easiest 
raised  from  layers.  Notch  the  brandies  in  -luiie 
or  July,  and  bury  the  notched  part  four  inches 
Tinder  ground,  and  roots  enough  to  made  a  new 


Fruit  Insects  in  California.— xV  corres- 
pondent from  Yoio  County,  Cal,,  writes:— "I 
see  by  occasional  extracts  from  your  eastern 
papers,  that  you  think  in  fruit  culture  hei'e  we  are 
in  Paradise,  with  no  evil  serpent  to  tempt  us  ta 
swear.  After  a  four  yeai's'  experience  of  the 
Pacific,  1  certainly  do  think  we  can  do  as  well, 
on  the  whole,  as  any  of  your  newer  States  or 
Territories,— but  do  not  think  we  have  no  ene- 
mies. I  say  this  from  having  had  a  terrible 
time  the  past  summer  diggiu'j;  out  borers  from 
my  apple  and  plum  trees.  I  do  not  know 
whether  these  insects  are  the  same  as  your  ap- 
ple borer  ornot,  — they  seem  fatter,  but  I  sup- 
pose they  are  the  same." 


CiioiONAXTiius  FUAGiiAN.s.— Tliis  plant  is 
closely  allied  to  the.  ('(di/cantluis  or  Sweet  .Shrub; 
but  il  fiowers  before  the  leaves.  Branches  cut 
od'in  the  middle  of  winter,  and  kept  in  water  in 
a  warm  atmosphere,  will  open  in  a  few  days, 
and  fill  the  air  of  the  room  with  delicious  fra- 
grance     It  seems  quite  hardy  in  this  region. 

I'oUTK.M  T  OF  .1.  S.  DowxFi:.— The  catalogue 
of  .Messrs.  .1  S.  I)owii<r  i^.  ."-^oiis.  of  Fairview, 
Ky.,  colli  a  ins  a  st(  el  plate  cngravingoi  the  senior 
member  <il  ihc  liriii.     It  ;-  an  excellent  likeness 


1671. 


THE    GARDEJYER'S    MOJVTHLY. 


•69 


of  this  distinguished  pomologist,  to  whom  we  are 
indebted  for  so  many  valuable  rare  and  good 
fruits. 


Soil,  for  Magnolia  glauca.— .4  '•^Roches- 
ter Nurseryman^''  says  :—  "  I  notice  in  the  nur- 
series cast  of  this  they  succeed  pretty  well  with 
Magnolia  glauca.  IIow  do  they  grow  it  ?  Put 
it  where  I  will,  about  here,  they  always  fail. 
Traveling  through  Philadelphia  last  summer,  I 
noticed  about  Camden  they  always*  grew  in 
swamps,  and  I  suppose  they  must  be  near  water 
to  do  well.'' 

[We  fear  our  correspondent  is  not  a  close 
reader  of  the  Gardener's  3fontlihi,  for  it  has  been 
shown  several  time  that  the  reason  this  plant  is 
found  in  swamps  is  not  that  it  particularly  likes 
swamps,  but  because  the  seeds  will  not  germinate 
readily  any  where  else.  Of  course  the  tree  has 
to  remain  where  the  seeds  sprout.  Every  bo- 
tanical collector  knows  that  when  he  finds  an 
occasional  tree  not  in  a  swamp,  it  is  always 
larger  and  healthier  than  one  that  is,  and  this  is 
always  the  case  with  those  cultivated  in  gardens, 
— they  are  much  better  than  wild  trees.  As  a 
general  rule  we  may  say  that  any  soil  that  will 
suit  an  ordinary  garden  tree,  will  do  for  the 
Magnolia  glauca.] 


Pronunciation  of  Camkllia.— ''^  Gar- 
dener,'^ Baltimore,  3£d.,  inquires: — "Will  you 
say  in  your  next  Monthly  how  this  word  should 
be  pronounced  ?  I  was  corrected  by  a  lady  re- 
cently who  insisted  it  should  be  called  Camel-lia 
making  the  second  syllable  mel  instead  of/jie. 
This  is  so  opposed  to  the  general  way,  that  will 
you  please  decide  between  us?" 

[It  should  be  rncl,  but  universal  custom  is 
against  it.  Some  botanists  think  the  name  of 
the  Priest  in  whose  honor  this  plant  was  named, 
was  Kamel,— not  Camellus.  This  is  more  likely 
to  be  the  case  from  the  very  fact  of  the  general 
pronunciation, which  would  then  be  correct.  The 
original  name  has  probably  been  altered  or  was 
given  under  a  misunderstanding,  while  the  indi- 
vidual has  been  more  honored  in  the  pronuncia- 
tion, than  in  the  orthograpljy,  of  his  name.  Ca- 
mellia is  so  common  it  is  not  likely  any  attempt 
to  correct      'vould  succeed.  I 


vance,  and  are  now  due.  This  seems  unusual  to 
many  who  have  had  experience  with  similar  pa- 
pers, and  may  be  annoying  to  some.  But  this 
annoyance,  if  any,  will  be  removed  when  we  ex- 
plain that  it  is  for  each  subscriber's  benefit.  We 
thus  have  no  losses,  and  are  consequently  able 
to  give  as  much  as  we  do  for  tivo  dollars  per  year. 
On  the  ordinary  plan  we  should  have  to  charge 
^2.50  per  year  to  give  the  same  paper  we  do 
now.  All  our  old  subscribers  well  understand 
this, — we  n^ention  it  for  those  who  have  been 
with  us  only  during  the  past  year.  We  should 
be  obliged  by  all  renewing  their  subscriptions  as- 
early  as  possible. 


Error  in  Aucuba  Japonica. — A  New  Jer- 
sey Correspondent  calls  our  attention  to  Hearth 
and  Home  describing  this  shrub  as  a  "pretty 
vine  from  Japan."  But  this  was,  no  doubt,  an 
error  of  haste,  for  Messrs.  Thurber  and  Hogg, 
both  of  w^hom,  we  believe,  are  connected  with 
the  paper,  stand  among  our  best  botanical  au- 
thorities. Hasty  magazine  writing  is  liable  to 
these  slips.  We  notice  wliat  might  be  under- 
stood as  a  similar  error  of  oui"  own,  when  we  ve- 
ferredCocculusCarolinus  to  the  "  Smilax family." 
It  was  our  intention  to  give  a  popular  idea  of 
how  the  plant  grew,  and  the  manner  of  a  Smilax 
was  in  our  mind.  The  plant  itself  really  belongs 
to  the  Moon-seed  famil}' — very  far  removed  from 
the  Smilax. 


Eelative  Fertility  of  American  and 
English  Strawberries — "yl  Gardener,''^ Bal- 
timore, Md. — "  Is  there  any  reason  why  English 
strawberries  should  not  be  as  productive  as 
American  varieties  ?  I  find  a  general  belief  that 
they  are  not,  and  the  fact  that  a  variety  is  En- 
glish seems  enough  to  condemn  it  when  I  pro- 
pose their  importation.  Excuse  ray  ignorance. 
I  am  but  a  year  old  in  the  country." 

[There  is  no  reason  why  some  kinds  from  abroad 
may  not  beat  any  Amori(;an.  They  have  not 
hitherto  done  this,  though  a  French  kind,  the 
Vicomtesse  Ilericart  was  not  far  behind.  Im- 
port by  all  means.  They  may  be  as  good  in  the 
future,  though  the  past  have  not  been.] 


The  New  Volume  of  the  Gardener's 
Monthly. — The  publishers  would  again  remind 
the  reader  that  mbscriptions  are  invrtriably  in  ad- 


Fay's  Water-proof  Felting. — We  have 
before  us  specimens  of  this  new  article,  and  are 
very  much  pleased  with  its  appearance.  Instead 
of  the  coarse  appearance  of  regular  tar  felt,  it 
more  I'csembl^s  fin-;  loatl  er.     It  can  be  used  also 


S70 


THE    GARJDEJ^ER'S   MONTHLY. 


DecejYiber, 


as  flooring  iu  the  placa  of  oil  cloth,  aud  for  deco 
rating  walls  if  need  be  in  the  place  of  paper,  as 
it  will  bear  washing  and  can  be  kept  clean.  For 
neat  flooring  for  tasteful  greenhouses  or  conser- 
vatories we  should  judge  it  would  be  ver}'^  useful. 


Notes  on  Grapes.— ]Mr.  F.  R.  Elliott  con- 
tributed a  valuable  chapter  to  the  Germantoicn 
Telegraphy  giving  his  last  year's  experience  of 
grapes  at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  has  notes  on  the 
Miles,  Hartford,  Telegraph,  Black  Hawk,  Wins- 
low,  Eumelan,  Adirondack,  Isabella,  Alvey, 
Creveling,  Ives,  Sherman,  To  Kalon,  Elsinburg, 
Ontario,  Senasque,  Concord,  Rogers'  Hybrids, 
Othello,  Canada,  Delaware,  Walter,  lona.  Mot- 
tled, Catawba,  Allen's  Hybrid,  Maxatawney, 
Martha,  Rebecca,  Cuyahoga  and  Croton.  He 
gives  unqualified  praise  to  three  only  :  Concord, 
Croton  and  Catawba,  all  the  rest  have  serious 
faults.  He  somewhat  favors  Miles,  Hartford, 
Telegraph,  Adirondac,  Elsinburg,  Delaware, — 
we  believe  we  may  fa}',  and  Maxatawney.  We 
judge  that  he  regards  all  the  others  as  hardly 
worth  planting. 

Mr.  Elliott's  experience  is  very  valuable,— but 
it  is  to  be  regretted  that  he  should  mar  it  by  re- 
flections on  the  opinions  of  others,  because  they 
found  reason  to  praise  grapes  which  have  not 
done  as  well  with  him  as  with  them.  They  re- 
ported what  they  saw,  and  probably  were  as 
honest  in  their  remarks  as  Mr.  Elliott  is  iu  his. 
Mr.  Elliott's  opinions  are  held  deservedly  iu  high 
esteem,  and  it  is  because  we  would  add  to  their 
force  that  we  offer  criticism  in  the  hope  that  he 
may  profit  by  it.  As  there  is  nothing  in  the  ar- 
ticle reflecting  on  any  opinion  of  ours,  we  feel 
that  we  can  suggest  this  without  any  suspicion 
on  our  motives. 


BoussTNGAULTiA  Laciiaumii.— lu  our  re- 
port of  the  last  fall's  meeting  of  the  Pennsylva- 
nia Horticultural  Societj^we  noted  while  pencil- 
ing down  the  novel  items,  that  this  plant  then 
in  flower,  was  not  a  Boussingaultia  at  all,  but. 
"  Talinum  purpureum."  Since  then,  critically 
examining  it,  we  find  that  it  is  a  variegated 
form  of  the  common  Cuban  Talinum  patens. 


Caterpillaks  in  a  Cold  Grapery.— J. 
Subscriber^  AlUyhc^nj,  Pa. — AVc  have  been  both- 
ered all  summer  wiih  caterpillars,  large  and 
small,  on  our  vines  in  the  cold  graperj'.  Is  there 
any  other  remedy  than  picking  olf  aud  stamping 
out  ? 


[There   are  other  remedies,    but   this   is   the 
easiest,  cheapest  and  most  efiectual] 


EucHARis  Amazonica— Correction  in  Mr. 
Taplin's  Article  — There  is  an  error  or  two 
in  my  Eucharis  article  which  was  probably  my 
careless  writing.  First,  Eucharis  was  spelt 
without  the  final  s  ;  and  on  the  second  column, 
tenth  line,  it  should  read  "■  for  lai-ge  specimens 
I  prefer  jjctjis  instead  of  frames. 


Destroying  Red  Sptder- yl.  H.  C,  Janes- 
ville,  Wis. — The  red  spider  on  house  plants  is 
best  destroyed  by  laying  the  plant  on  its  sides  in 
the  open  air,  and  using  a  hand  syringe  on  them 
as  powerfully  as  the  plant  will  bear.  If  a  little 
sulphur  be  used  in  the  water,  and  the  water  a 
little  greasy,  it  is  still  better. 


The  Chicago  Agricultural  Journals 
AND  Florists. — Sympathy  comes  the  sweetest 
when  it  is  prompt  on  the  heels  of  disaster.  A 
monthly  is  not  allowed  this  facility  of  expression. 
But  we  can  congratulate  the  public  that  the 
Prairie  Farmer  has  not  been  burned  up  how- 
ever much  it  mayhave  been  burned  out,  and  the 
public  will  not  forget  the  enterprise  of  the  men 
who,  though  personally  losing  all,  naked  as 
they  came  into  the  literary  world,  stand  up  to 
serve  them  as  ardently  and  as  well  as  they  ever 
did  before.  This  is  among  the  marvels  of  jour- 
nalism. The  Western  Bural  has  also  appeared. 
We  have  lieard  nothing  of  what  the  seedsmen 
and  florists  are  doing;. 


California  Sun-flower.- Some  of  our  ex- 
changes are  mirthful  at  the  idea  of  the  Califor- 
uians  growing  the  sunflower  for  the  sake  of  its 
root.  But  they,  no  doubt,  have  the  Jerusalem 
artichoke,  which  is  a  sunflower,  and  has  roots 
which  make  pretty  good  eating  when  properly 
cooked. 


Effects  of  Sod  on  the  Temperature  of 
THE  Soil. — Under  this  head,  in  our  August  No., 
we  copied  a  quotation  from  Johnson  in  the  Bos- 
ton Journal  of  Horticulture,  showing  the  great 
difference  in  temperature  under  sod  and  clean 
surface;  and,  as  owr  readers  will  remember, 
mildly  suggesting  that  its  readers  would  proba- 
bly be  astonished  .that  no  credit  should  be  given 
to  the  writers  of  the  _Ga?-cZe?K-r's  Ilonthly  who 
have  so  long  labored  in  this  field.  Whereat  the 
Boston  journal  waxeth  very  wroth,  and  wishes 


1871- 


THE    GARDEJYER'S   MOJVTJILY. 


371 


"the  Editor  of  the  Ganlencr'>s  Monthhj  were  as 
amiable  in  his  journal  as  he  is  in  personal  inter- 
course." We  wish  he  "were.''  Unfortunately 
pubHc  duty  often  stands  in  the  way  of  personal 
desire  ;  and  in  the  matter  of  the  Journal  of  Hor- 
ticuUurewe  remember  how  it  commenced  its  ca- 
reer by  an  insidious  slur  on  "magazines  conduct- 
ed by  persons  connected  with  horticultural  es- 
tablishments, which  made  the  projection  of  a 
high-toned  journal  necessary. "  Thus  the  editor 
*'were"  necessitated  to  show  occasionally  that 
unGt  as  he  might  be  to  manage  a  magazine, 
other  papers  were  no  better  than  his  own. 

"We  have  not  said  much  on  this  matter  lately, 
because  the  tale  has  told  its  own  story  ;  and, 
public  duty  being  satisfied,  we  have  let  our  feel- 
ings of  personal  regard  for  friends  interested  in 
the  magazine  have  their  natural  sway.  We  are 
very  sorry  to  have  hurt  their  feelings  here,  but 
we  really  did  not  know  that  any  credit  had  ever 
been  given  to  anj'  writer  in  the  Garden€r''s  month- 
ly for  any  such  experiment  as  those  quoted  from 
Malaguti  andDurocher;  and  if  the  page  where 
it  appeared  is  referred  to,  we  will  make  the 
honorable  amende. 


Tecoma  grandiflora  from  Japan  is  surely  most 
distinct.  What  our  friend  Mr.  Fendler  must 
have  had  is  a  variety  of  T.  radicans  which  is  often 
grown  under  the  name  of  T.  granditiora. 

PlujsiologicalQuestions. — As  to  the  matters  we 
are  at  issue  about, — it  is  not  the  facts  that  I  ob- 
ject to  or  distrust,  but  certain  theoretical  inter- 
pretations of  the  facts. 


Notes  from  Professor  Asa  Gray.— Ca~ 
tawba  and  ScxqjpernongGrai[jes. — In  any  edition 
of  my  Manual  as  late  as  1868,  the  error  about 
Catawba  grape  is  corrected,  and  that  put  under 
V.  labrusca.    See  page  212. 


Browallia.— Ifr^t.  If.  E.  G.  A.,  Whitewater, 
Wis.,  writes  : — "Please  send  me  the  Gardener''s 
Monthhj  until  the  money  enclosed  is  exhausted.  I 
have  forgottenthe  subscription  price.  I  used  to 
take  it  before  the  war.  Also,  I  would  like  to 
know  the  names  of  the  enclosed  flowers.  The 
blue  one  I  suppose  to  be  Browallia,  but  have 
raised  it  for  a  Campanula  until  it  blossomed. 
The  other  grew  where  I  supposed  Nemophila 
was  planted.  It  cannot  be  Bartonia  for  I  have 
Bartonia  elsewhere,  with  great  white  veined, 
thistle-like  leaves." 

[The  blue  flower  is  correctly  named  Browallia 
—13.  elata.  There  is  a  very  pretty  white  varie- 
ty of  it  in  cultivation  now.  The  golden  flower 
is  what  was  once  called  Bartonia,  but  that  name 
properly  belongs  to  a  little  wild  plant  of  the  Gen- 
tian family.  It  is  now  called  3Ientzelia.  This 
species  grows  naturally  in  the  vicinity  of  Pike's 
Peak,  where  the  writer  gathered  fine  specimens 
this  season.] 


NEW  AND  EARE  FRUITS. 


New  Prexch  Pear— Beurre  de  l'As- 
SOMPTIOX. — Mr.  Rivers  thus  speaks  in  the  Lon. 
•don  Journal  of  Horticulture.,  of  this  fine  French 
pear  :— "I  have  to-day  (Sept.  25th)  eaten  one  of 
the  finest  pears  of  the  month.  It  is  large,  and 
in  color  much  like  the  Brockworth  Park.  One 
figure  in  the  '  Dictionnaire  de  Pomologie'  is  like 
that  given  of  this  sort  in  the  '  Year-Book  ;'  an- 
other in  the  same  book  differs  from  it  widely. 
The  French  and  English  descriptions  of  it  do  not 
vary  much.  The  former  is,'  Peau  jauue  citron, 
ponctuee,  strie  de  roux,  largement  marbree  et 
tachee  de  nieme  ,vers  IHEil  et  le  peduncle  ;' 
the  latter,  '  Skin  smooth,  pale  yellow,  .slightly 
flushed  and  streaked  with  crimson  on  the  ex- 
posed side." 


"  In  France  this  sort  ripens  in  August,  here 
in  September,  and  this  year  late.  The  habit  of 
the  tree  is  robust,  much  like  Williams'  Bon  Chre- 
tien, of  which  I  should  think  it  a  seedling,  and 
it  is  marvellously  fertile.  There  is  none  of  the 
Williams'  musk  in  its  flavor,  but  a  rich,  plea- 
sant, vinous,  sugary  taste.  It  seems  as  if  this 
pear  is  a  twiu  of  the  Brockworth  Park  pear,  and 
if  so,  a  very  worthy  sister  or  brother. 

"  The  Beurre  de  I'Assomption  was  raised  at 
Nantes,  and  was  introduced  with  another  very 
large  pear  raised  at  Lyons,  called  Souvenir  du 
Congres.  This  has  much  the  habit  of  the  former 
and  seems  to  be  also  a  descendant  of  Williams' 
Bon  Chretien,  but  it  has  hitherto  proved  coarse; 
k  is,  however,  larger  than  Williams',  more  ro- 


37^ 


THE    GARDEJ^ER'S   MOMTRLY.         December, 


bust  in  habit,  and  if  it  bear  well  it  will  prove  a 
valuable  market  pear." 


jS'e-\v  French  Strawberries.— Verdier  is 
out  with  a  set  of  new  strawberries.  He  thinks 
that  after  the  success  which  Dr.  Nieaise's  Seed- 
lings met  with,  he  is  warranted  in  sending  out  an- 
other set  by  the  same  raiser,  besides  two  others, 
one  by  Berger  the  other  by  Watille.  These  are 
called  Anna  dc  Rothschild,  Auguste  Nicaise, 
Berthe  Montjoie,  Docteur  ]Mareve,  Due  de  Ma- 


genta, L'  Indespensable,  3»Iadame  Nicaise,  Marie 
Nicaise. 


DiosPYROs  Kaki-Tiie  Japanese  Persimmon 
— The  Hearth  and  Home  has  a  pretty  cut  of  this 
from  a  specimen  grown  on  the  grounds  of  James 
Hogg.  It  is  in  many  respects  like  our  persimmon 
but  later  and  sweeter.  Like  our's,  some  have  to 
be  partially  decayed  before  good  enough  to  eat, 
while  others  are  eatable  soon  after  they  are  ripe. 


NEW  AND  MEE  PLAINTS. 


Pa  VIA  MACROSTACHYA— >See  Frontispiece.— 
Under  this  name  we  give  this  month  a  plate  of  one 
of  the  oldest  of  cultivated  plants,  and  yet  one  com- 
paratively unknown  to  the  mass  of  cultivators. 
At  the  same  time,  there  is  nothing  either  new  or 
old  that  will  compare  with  it  in  picturesque 
beauty.  About  midsummer,  when  it  is  in  full 
bloom,  it  is  indisputably  the  monarch  of  the  flo- 
ral world. 

We  have  used  the  name  on  our  plate  of  Pavia 
macros tachy a.,  because  this  is  the  one  by  which 
it  is  generally  known  in  horticulture;  with  bota- 
nists, however,  the  name  is  obsolete.  The  com- 
mon Horse  Chestnut  is  an  uEsculus.  Pavia  was 
at  one  time  supposed  to  be  a  distinct  genus— 
chiefly  because  the  capsules  are  smooth,  while 
^sculus  is  prickly.  But  the  Pavia  (Buckeye) 
and  the  yEsculus  (Horse  Chestnut)  are  now  all 
placed  in  the  last  family.  Michaux  named  our 
plant  JEsculus  macrostachya ;  but  Walter  had 
previously  called  it  uEsculus  ])nrviflora,—a.r\d,  as 
priority  is  a  fixed  law  in  Botany,  the  last  is  the 
correct  name. 

In  general,  it  is  known  as  the  "Dwarf  Horse 
Chestnut."  Mature  plants  reach  about  ten  feet 
high,  but  six  is  the  general  average.  It  may  be 
grown  as  a  bush— allowing  the  suckers  which  it 
numerously  produces  to  remain,- or  it  will  suc- 
ceed admirably  on  a  single  stem,  when  it  makes 
a  large  umbrella-like  head,  which,  when  sur- 
mounted with  its  numerous  panicles  of  bloom. 
is  more  attractive  than  when  grown  ai)yi>ih>r 
way.  It  is  a  very  useful  ]i]ant  in  tins,  that 
while  it  L' rows  best  as  all  things  do  in  ricii  soil 
in  open  i  laces,  it  will  also  i\o  jnvlly  will  n 
shade.     Wild,  it  grows  in  rather  shady  phi'-t  s  in 


Kentucky,  Georgia  and  North  Carolina  ;  but  is 
probably  hardy  even  in  the  coldest  parts  of 
Canada. 

In  nurseries,  it  is  propagated  chiefly  by  suckers 
which  it  plentifully  pi'oduces.  They  may  be 
grown  from  seed  ;  but  these  sprout  at  once, 
sometimes  before  they  dropTrom  the  trees ;  and 
when  placed  in  the  earth,  often  rot.  In  their 
native  places,  the  seed  sprouts  amongst  the  dead 
leaves,  where  it  is  just  damp,  but  never  wet, — 
and  these  conditions  must  be  secured  to  raise 
the  nuts  in  gardens. 


New  Eoses  of  1871. — Eugene  Verdier  of 
Paris,  is  out  with  a  list  of  new  Roses,  of  these 
he  recommends  very  highly  among  the  class  of 
Tea  Roses,  Belle  3/aconnaisc,'  large  double  pale 
rose  ;  Coquette  de  Lyon/ ayanary  yellow ;  Freres 
Soupert  et  Notting,  a  fine  full '  flower,  yellow, 
edged  with  carmine;  *IZbrfe«sm,  rosy,  Avith  a 
shade  of  yellow  ;  Xe  'Florifere,  a  well  formed 
flower,  white,  changing^to'salmon  ;  Mad.  Azelie 
Imhert,  salmon  yellow  \']i3Iad.']  Berard,  bright 
rose,  a  fine  double  well  formed  flower  ;  Mad. 
Gaillard,  salmon  yellow,  a  grand,  full,  well 
formed  flower;  Mad.\F)nilielDupuy,  yellow, 
changing  to  salmon ;  Victor  Pulliot.,  white, 
changing  to  yellow.  Among  the  Hybrid  Per- 
petuals,  Virgile  is  termed  a  rosy  salmon,  of  a  new 
shade. 


Climbing  Hybrid  Perpetual  Roses.— This 
is  a  new  class  of  Roses,  introduced  during  the 
few  past  years.  Tlieir  entire  hardiness  will 
recommend  them  to  Americans,  though  few  of 
the  hybrid  perpetuals  flower  very  freely  in  the 
fall.     AVe  have  used  Baron  Prcvost  in  this  way 


1871, 


THE    GAUD  EATER'S    MOJ^TIILY. 


373 


for  some  years,  but  never  had  a  flower  after  July. 
Princess  Louise  Victoria  is  spoken  of  as  a  good 
one  in  the  new  class. 


TjOMAria  gibka  crispa. — Tliis  is  a  very  beau- 
tiful variety  of  Fern,  and  is  thus  described 
by  ;Mr.  Moore  in  the  Gardeners''  Chronicle,  186S, 
p.  682  : 

"Tavo  distinct  and  very  interesting  varieties 
of  Lomaria  gihha  have  lately  been  observed  in 
cultivation.  One,  which  may  be  distinguished 
by  the  name  of  crispa,  is  apparently  of  dwarf- 
ish habit,  and  so  densely  leafy  and  wavy,  that 
the  edges  of  the  pinn;-e  have  a  decidedly  crisped 
appearance." 


Begonia  RosiEFLORA. — This  is  one  of  the 
many  beautiful  Begonias  discovered  by  the  late 
Mr.  Pcarce  in  the  Andes  of  Peru. 

Coming  from  an  elevation  of  12,000  feet,  it  is 
admirably  suited  for  a  cool  greenhouse,  and  is 
vcrj-  nearly,  if  not  quite  hardy,  and  may  be 
safely  planted  in  sheltered  situations. 

It  is  a  stemless  species,  supporting  from  three 
to  five  dowers,  of  a  bright  rose  color,  as  large 
as  those  of  B.  Veitchii.  We  may  add  that  it  is 
a  deciduous  variety  like  the  B.  Veitchii.  It  is 
figured  in  the  Botanical  Magazine  for  Decem- 
ber, 18G7. 


Begoxia  Sedeni— CrarcZe7i  Ilyhrid.  —  One  of 
the  finest  hybrid  flowering  Begonias  ever  raised. 
It  is  a  cross  between  an  unnamed  species  and 
B.  Boliviensis,  but  with  larger  leaves.  The 
flowers  are  of  the  richest  magenta  color,  and  of 
a  large  size.  The  plant  continues  a  long  time 
in  bloom. 


Begoxia  VEiTCnii.  — This  beautiful  plant 
diflers  in  all  respects  from  any  other  Begonia 
yet  known,  being  quite  hardy,  and  producing 
large- bright  scarlet  flowers. 

The  following  descriptions  will  convey  the 
best  idea  of  its  character  and  habit  : 

In  the  Botanical  Magazine  for  September, 
1867,  tab.  5,663,  Dr.  Hooker  says  :  "Of  all  the 
species  of  Begonia  known,  this  is,  I  think,  the 
finest.  With  the  habit  of  Saxifraga  ciliata,  im- 
mense flowers  of  a  vivid  vermilion  cinnebar 
red,  that  no  colorist  can  reproduce,  it  adds  the 
novel  feature  of  being  hardy  in  certain  parts  of 
England,  at  any  rate,  if  not  in  all.  It  was  dis- 
covered by  Messrs.  Veitch's  collector,  Mr. 
Pcarce,  near  Cuzco,  in  Peru,  at  an  elevation  of 


12,500  feet,  and  the  plants  grown  in  Mr, 
Veitch's  establishments  have  already  given 
proof  sutlicient  of  their  hardihood,  by  with- 
standing a  temperature  of  25^  Fahr.  with  abso- 
lute impunity." 

In  the  Oardeners''  Chronicle  of  July  13th, 
1867,  page  734,  we  read  :  "It  is  difficult  to  im- 
agine a  more  vivid  color  than  the  flowers  (2  to 
2^  inches  in  diameter)  of  this  superb  species 
present,  Avhich  are  further  amongst  the  largest 
of  the  genus,  and  sweet  scented. 

"As  a  species  Begonia  Fe(tc/in  resembles  B. 
cinnabarina,  but  is  a  far  finer  plant,  of  a  totally 
diflerent  habit,  and  resembling  a  Saxifraga  of 
the  ciliata  group  in  moile  of  growth  ard 
foliage. ' ' 


Clematis  John  Gould  Veitcii  —  Double 
Blue  Flowered. — We  cannot  too  strongly  re- 
commend this  magnificent  double  blue  flowering 
Clematis  as  a  most  valuable  addition  to  our 
hardy  climbers.  It  is  a  profuse  bloomer,  pro- 
ducing very  double  flowers  of  a  large  size, 
and  of  a  beautiful  light  blue  color.  It 
thrives  remarkably  well  when  planted  out  of 
doors,  or  as  a  conservatory  climber.  It  was 
imported  direct  from  Jaj)an.  Veitch  exhibited 
this  plant  at  the  International  Exhibition  at 
Paris  in  18G7,  and  again  at  the  International 
Exhibition  held  at  Ghent  in  March.  1868,  as 
well  as  at  the  Koyal  Horticultural  Society's 
Show,  held  April  21st,  1868,  where  it  was  uni- 
versall}-^  admired,  and  considered  one  of  the  best 
and  most  striking  novelties  of  recent  introduc- 
tion, and  it  invariably  received  the  highest 
possible  awards.  —  Gardeners''  Chronicle. 


MUSA     EN.SETE,    THE     GREAT    BANANA     OF 

Abyssinia. — This  magnificent  plant  is  without 
doubt  the  finest  and  most  effective  of  all  plants 
yet  used  for  summer  out  door  gardening.  It  is 
so  hardy  that,  planted  in  rich  soil,  it  grows 
freely  during  the  summer  months  in  the  open 
air,  and  requires  to  be  wintered  only  in  a  cool 
house.  Its  immense  leaves  attain  a  length  of  8 
to  10  feet,  are  of  a  beautiful  dark  green,  the 
mid  rib  being  bright  crimson,  forming  an  ad- 
mirable and  striking  contrast.  It  attains  alto- 
gether an  average  height  of  12  to  15  feet. 

We  cannot  too  strongly  recommend  this 
splendid  plant,  which  will  be  more  extensively 
cultivated  the  more  it  becomes  known  ;  it  is 
also  admirably  adapted  for  cultivation  as  an  or- 
namental plant  for  conservatory  decoration. 


37Jf 


THE    GAUBEJ^EU'S   MOJVTBLY. 


December, 


.   ECIIEVERIA      QLAUCO-JIETALLICA.  -  -  A    very 

distinct  hybrid  between  E.  metallica  and  glabra, 
and  one  which  will  be  a  valuable  addition  to 
this  popular  class  of  summer  bedding  plants. 
The  leaves  are  nearly  as  large  as  those  ofJE^. 
metallica,  and  in  color  are  intermediate  between 
both  parents,  having  the  deep  glaucous  green  of 
the  one,  but  with  the  bronzy  hue  of  the  other. 
One  of  its  great  recommendations  is  that,  un- 
like the  E.  raetallica,  it  always  remains  stemless, 
and  it  is  by  far  the  the  most  showy  and  largest- 
leaved  of  all  the  dwarf  kinds.  It  is  a  very  free 
grower. 


Eetinospora  FiLiFERA.— One  of  the  most 
striking  and  unique  hardy  novelties  ever  oflered. 
It  is  very  difficult  to  give  any  adequate  descrip- 
tion of  this  beautiful  plant,  which  has  a  pyra- 
midal and  exceedingly  graceful  habit,  its  great 


peculiarity  consisting  in  its  numerous  drooping 
shoots,  which  frequently  attain  a  length  of  10  to 
12  inches  without  branching,  and  then  becom- 
ing tufted  or  crested,  giving  the  plant  an  ele- 
gant tasselled  appearance,  its  beautiful  bright 
glaucous  green  foliage  rendering  it  the  more 
striking.  It  is  from  Japan,  and  perfectly 
hardy. 

Eetinospora  filicoides. — A  most  beauti- 
ful and  very  distinct  hardy  Conifer,  introduced 
by  Veitch  from  Japan,  through  Mr.  J.  G. 
Yeitch.  It  is  probably  the  most  beautiful  of 
any  of  the  varieties  as  yet  imported.  The  foli- 
age is  of  a  rich  bright  green,  very  dense,  and 
having  an  exquisite  Fern  like  character  ;  the 
habit  of  the  plant  is  excellent,  and  being  per- 
fectly hardy,  we  are  confident  that  as  it  becomes 
known  it  cannot  fail  to  find  a  place  in  the  most 
select  collections. — YiETCn. 


DOMESTIC    INTELLIGENCE. 


Hale's  Early  Peach.— We  referred  in  our 
last  to  the  discussion  on  Hale's  Early,  at  the 
recent  meeting  at  Richmond.  The  following 
full  report  is  from  the  liural  New  Yorl:er  : 

"  Berckmans  (Ga.)— It  does  not  rot  with  us  ; 
we  regard  it  the  best  early  peach  ever  origina- 
ted. It  received  **  for  Georgia,  District  of  Co- 
lumbia, Kansas  and  South  Carolina. 

Langdon  (Ala  ) — After  having  high  hopes  for 
it  in  Southern  Alabama,  Louisiana  and  Missis- 
sippi, it  has  proved  a  dead  failure.  It  com- 
mences rotting  before  ripening  and  we  get  no 
crop.  In  Middle  Alabama  and  Northern  Mis- 
sissippi it  has  done  well. 

Quinn  ((X.  J.)— It  is  losing  ground  in  New 
Jersey  and  growers  are  giving  it  up  ;  also  in 
Delaware  on  the  peniusula.     It  rots  badly. 

Berckmans  (Ga.) — I  have  received  reports 
from  nearly  every  part  of  Georgia,  and  it  seems 
t^  do  well  generally.  Locality  has  much  to  do 
vrith  its  rotting  In  Arkansas,  on  rolling  lands, 
it  does  nicely.  In  our  market  the  early  peaches 
were  all  excellent  and  all  Ilale's.  Ten  days  after, 
when  the  later  varieties  came  in,  peaches  were 
wormy  and  imperfect.  It  is  excellent  for  mar- 
ket and  especially  for  shipping.  Three  years 
ago  we  got  .$20  per  ha.lf  bushel  for  it  in  New 
York  City. 


Weir  (111.) — Where  the  peach  rot  is  prevalent^ 
I  suggest  that  growers  add  four  pounds  of  sul- 
phur to  a  half  bushel  of  unslaked  lime  ;  slake  the 
lime  and  strew  it  over  the  tree  and  on  the 
ground  under  the  tree  just  before  the  peaches 
begin  or  are  expected  to  begin  to  rot. 

Dr.  Howsley  (Kan.) — In  Kansas  it  is  one  of 
the  most  valuable  peaches  we  have.  It  goes 
into  market  and  sells  at  a  high  price  weeks 
before  it  is  fit  to  eat.  Mine  stand  on  soil  em- 
bedded in  shale  or  gravel.  It  is  the  most  popu- 
lar and  profitable  peach  we  have. 

Flagg  (111 )— It  has  no  rival,  for  there  is  no 
peach  that  ripens  at  the  same  time  It  is  liable 
to  rot  with  us,  but  no  more  so  than  other  varie- 
ties having  the  same  consistency  of  flesh.  If  it 
does  not  rot  on  the  trees,  it  rots  in  the  boxes 
after  it  is  shipped  to  such  an  extent  as  to  render 
it  very  uncertain  as  a  market  fruit.  Its  extreme 
earliness  has  induced  extensive  planting,  and  if 
rot  can  be  prevented  it  is  valuable. 

Lamosy  (Ya.) -It  is  very  much  liked — like 
many  a  good  man  with  a  bad  name — when  tho- 
roughly understood.  It  is  a  hardy  and  vigorous 
grower ;  bloom  hardy,  and  stands  when  Tillot-* 
son  dies.  So  soon  as  they  connnence  coloring 
they  commence  to  rot.  Having  watched  them 
pretty  carefully,  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that 


1871. 


TRE    GARDEJ^EWS    MONTHLY. 


375 


the  rotting  was  due  to  an  excessive  flow  of  sap, 
and  resolved  to  check  their  growth  by  allowing 
grass  to  grow  among  them  ;  the  result  was  I  se- 
cured a  good  crop  wherever  the  grass  grew  ;  but 
wherever  cleanly  cultivated,  either  by  myself  or 
ray  neighbors,  it  failed.  I  made  money  by  allow- 
ing the  grass  to  grow. 

Wilder  (Mass. ) — Of  course  we  do  not  cultivate 
it  in  open  grounds  in  Massachusetts,  but  it  is 
excellent  for  forcing  ;  nothing  can  be  finer  ;  did 
not  rot  this  year. 

Meehan  (Pa.) — When  Hale's  Early  was  first 
promulgated,  Parry,  of  New  Jersey,  planted 
largely  of  it  and  clean  cultivated  it  thoroughly. 
It  rotted  badly,  and  he  designed  to  cut  up  the 
trees  ;  but  before  he  got  ready  to  do  so  the  weeds 
had  got  a  start  in  the  orchard,  and  to  his  aston- 
ishment he  got  a  good  crop  of  excellent  fruit. 

Masters  (Neb,)— It  has  not  been  fully  tested 
in  Nebraska  ;  but  the  finest  peaches  grown  in 
Nebraska  were  grown  on  trees  planted  in  prairie 
sod,  without  cultivation  ;  those  grown  on  culti- 
vated grounds  have  rotted.  The  best  way  to 
grow  peaches,  I  am  satisfied,  is  to  grow  them  in 
grass. 

Earle  (111.)— The  experience  of  the  Southwest- 
ern fruit  growers  is  that  rot  in  Hale's  Early 
peach,  as  in  all  other  kinds  of  fruit,  is  due  to  the 
injuries  of  the  curculio.  When  grown  free  from 
such  injuries  they  do  not  rot. 

Berckraans  (Ga.) — There  are  plenty  of  curcu- 
lios  all  over  the  South,  and  yet  we  do  not  have 
rot. 

Chamberlain  (Va.) — Hale's  Early  is  the  only 
peach  that  has  rotted  with  us  tliis  season.  It 
has  been  entirely  free  from  curculio — especially 
so  this  season.     It  rots  invariably. 

Schley  (Savannah,  Ga.)— On  our  coast  it  is  the 
earliest  peach  and  largest ;  it  is  hardy.  We  had 
it  ripe  this  year.  May  28.  There  were  many 
specimens  punctured  by  the  curculio  and  yet 
none  rotted  There  are  many  peaches  I  cannot 
grow  Ihat  do  grow  in  Middle  and  Southern 
Georgia. 

Mclntosli  (Ohio)— It  rotted  badly  with  us. 


Late  Kose  Potato. — Messrs.  Thorburn 
say  of  this  new  potato  :  "In  its  color,  habits  of 
growth  and  general  appearance,  it  resembles  its 
parent,  the  Early  Rose,  but  has  superiority  to 
that  variety  in  the  following  particulars  : 

1st.  It  is  of  much  better  quality  for  table  use, 
being  white  fleshed   and    line  grained,  cooking 


very  dry  and  mealy.  It  has  a  peculiar,  rich  and 
delicate  flavor,  not  surpassed  by  any  variety  we 
have  ever  tested. 

2d.  Its  yield  is  enormous,  from  250  to  300 
bushels  per  acre.  On  the  same  soil  and  under 
the  same  treatment,  the  Early  Rose  yielded  less 
than  100  bushels  per  acre. 

3d.  Its  keeping  quality  is  unsurpassed.  In  the 
same  cellar,  at  planting  time,  when  the  Early 
Rose  were  so  badly  sprouted  and  wilted  as  to  be 
unfit  for  table  use,  this  seedling  had  not  sprouted, 
and  the  tubers  were  as  crisp  and  solid  as  when 
first  dug.  They  remained  in  good  condition  for 
cooking  until  the  new  crop  of  Early  Rose  came 
upon  the  table. 

They  also  grow  in  a  compact  cluster  in  the 
hill,  making  them  very  easily  dug.  They  ripen 
about  witli  the  Orono,  or  Jackson  White,  thus, 
havinsr  the  whole  season  to  srow  in.'' 


The  Osage  Orange. — This  tree  is  altogether 
too  valuable  to  discard,  I  have  seen  it  withstand 
twenty-six  degrees  below  zero,  and  I  believe  it 
will  be  hardy  all  over  Iowa,  if  it  is  not  cut  and 
pruned  too  much.  Being  naturally  a  tree,  not  a 
bush,  it  will  not  bear  this.  It  is  the  most  endu- 
ring timber  I  know  of,  and  the  tree  is  both  beau- 
tiful and  cleanly,  with  its  bright,  glossy  leaves 
and  large  fruit.  I  have  seen  Osage  grape  stakes 
that  had  been  set  nine  yeai'S,  as  good  as  the  day 
they  were  put  in  the  ground.  It  is  largely  used 
by  the  Southern  Indians  for  making  bows  ;  from 
which  the  French  called  it  JSoi.s  d^Avc,  and  which 
the  Texans  have  corrupted  into  Bodock.  For 
buggy  fellies  and  shafts,  carriage  poles,  or  any 
other  purpose  for  which  small  timber  is  required 
tough,  elastic  and  enduring,  it  has  no  equal  that 
I  know  of.  It  is  cheap,  too,  and  may  be  bought 
for  a  dollar  or  two  a  thousand  plants.  They 
ought  to  be  set  close  together,  trimmed  up  to  one 
stalk,  and  never  after  be  cut  down  at  all. — Bu- 
r,il  World. 


A  New  Way  to  Make  Fruit  Trees.— Mr. 
Sullivan  Hutchinson,  of  Bristol,  N.  II.,  received 
letters  patent  last  May  for  a  new  and  novel 
invention  for  making  productive  fruit  trees  iu  a 
single  year  from  fruit  bearing  limbs.  Limbs 
that  can  be  spared  from  trees  that  bear  desirable 
fruit  are  transformed  into  independent  trees 
which  will  bear  right  along,  Ju.st  as  though  they 
had  not  been  .severed  from  the  parent  stock,  and 
in  a  sh'Ut  time  become  fine  thrifty  trees,  retain 


S76 


TJJ±:    GAMUJ^A'-EK'S    MOM'THLy 


Dcceniher, 


ing  the  habits  of  the  trees  from  which  they  were 
taken.  This  is  what  Mr  Hutchinson  claims  his 
invention  will  do.  From  the  imperfext  description 
we  have  had  of  the  process,  it  is  impossible  to 
give  a  very  clear  idea  of  how  llie  thing  is  done 
Into  the  limb,  hovvevor,  which  is  intended  for 
the  future  free,  small  roots  are  grafted  just  above 
where  the  limlj  is  severed.  ]Jelow  these  roots 
the  branch  is  girdled.  About  and  below  the 
roots  is  placed  a  box  filled  with  earth.  This 
operation  is  performed  in  the  spring.  During 
the  summer  the  roots  grow  and  life  is  thus  es- 
tablished between  them  and  the  liml)  above. — 
In  autumn  the  limb  is  severed  at  the  place  where 
it  was  girded,  and  set  in  the  ground  in  the  same 
way  any  young  tree  would  be.  The  next  year, 
according  to  Mr.  Hutchinson's  statement,  this 
new  tree  wii!  bear  fruit  just  as  though  it  had 
not  been  cut  from  the  parent  tree. 

To  what  extent  this  operation  may  be  carried, 
and  how  successful  it  may  prove,  remains  to  be 
seen.  "We  have  no  doubt  Mr.  Hutchinson  has 
demonstrated  that  the  new  trees  will  produce 
fruit  at  once,  but  we  suppose  sufficient  lime  has 
not  elapsed  since  his  experiments  commenced 
to  determine  what  eflect  early  bearing  may  have 
upon  their  future  growth.  That  a  j'oung  tree 
can  bear  fruit  to  any  extent  and  at  the  same 
time  put  on  a  vigorous  and  thrifty  growth,  is 
not  in  accordance  with  our  observation.  And 
we  suspect  that  Mr,  Hutchinson  will  fail  to  pro- 
duce very  healthy  trees  from  the  application  of 
his  new  discover3^  We  shall  expect  in  a  few 
years  to  hear  that  his  trees  have  died  ;  or  at  any 
rate  that  they  have  become  so  feeble  that  they 
will  cease  both  to  produce  fruit  and  to  grow.  If 
it  shall  prove  otherwise,  the  discovery  is  an  im- 
portant one. 

Experiments  to  a  considerable  extent  have 
been  made  in  Bristol  and  Xew  Hampton,  and 
Ave  hear  that  farmers  in  various  parts  of  the 
State  are  buying  town  and  farm  rights  with  the 
intention  of  testing  the  practicability  of  this 
new  S3'stem  of  producing  early  bearing  fruit 
trees.  If  successful,  a  complete  revolution  in  our 
manner  of  obtaining  apple  trees  will  be  the  re- 
sult. Instead  of  buying  trees  from  the  nurse- 
ry which  require  from  ten  to  twenty  years  to 
come  into  bearing  condition,  the  limbs  from  our 
old  trees  will  be  converted  into  new  ones  that 
will  give  us  fruit  at  once.  AVliile  we  have  no 
great  expectations  in  regard  to  this  new  process, 
wo  have  thought  it  of  sufli'iont  importance  to 
call  Ihc  attention  of  our  renders  to  it,  who  can 


for  themselves  make  such  inquiries  and  investi- 
gations as  the  subject  would  seem  to  merit. — 
The  People. 


Transplanting  Evergreens. -Broad-leaved 
Evergreens,  such  as  Magnolia  (grandiflora,) 
Olea  fragrans.  Magnolia  fuscata,  Cape  Jasmine, 
Holly,  English  Laurel,  Wild  Olive,  "Mock- 
Orange,"  (Cerasus,)  Sweet  and  Sour  Orange, 
etc  ,  etc.,  should  be  transplanted  just  when  they 
begin  to  grow  vigorously  in  the  early  spring. 

The  same  rule  applies  to  the  resinous  Ever- 
greens, such  as  Deodar  Cedar,  Japan  Cedar,  our 
common  Juniper,  White  Pine,  etc.,  etc.  But 
deciduous  trees  of  all  kinds  can  only  be  safely 
moved  when  quiet  and  dormant.  It  seems  hardlj' 
necessary  to  mention  these  well  known  facts  to  the 
readers  of  the  South  Land;  but  some  recent  ob- 
servations have  led  us  to  believe  that  man}'  other- 
wise intelligent  people  are  strangely  lacking  in  a 
knowledge  of  the  commonest  laws  of  vegetable 
physiology. 

We  have  seen  Magnolias  dug  up  from  the 
swamps  in  mid-winter,  with  ten  or  twelve  feet 
of  luxuriantly  leafy  top,  and  a  clump  of  collar 
roots  about  as  large  as  a  child's  head,  and  with 
no  fibres  whatever.  These  trees  were  hauled,  on 
a  sharp,  drying  day  in  au  open  cart  and  dumped 
down  on  the  lawn,  where  they  lay  in  sun  and 
frost,  for  days  and  nights,  (uncovered,)  and  were 
then  planted,  with  a  sublime  faith  in  the  mirac- 
ulous and  recuperative  power  of  nature. ' 

Of  course,  not  one  in  ten  thousand  of  such 
trees  can  possibly  grow  ;  and  so,  almost  daily, 
time,  money  and  hope  are  thrown  away,  in 
"  town  and  country." 

Magnolias,  Hollies,  etc.,  if  lifted  in  the  spring, 
carefully  cut  off  at  the  ground  and  skilfully 
planted,  are  almost  sure  to  live  ;  and  though  this 
plan  requires  nerve  and  hopefulness,  we  feel 
quite  assured  that  it  is  the  best  way  to  secure 
success.  —  South  Land. 


The  Insect  World.— Every  female  insect, 
with  the  single  exception  of  a  few  social  species, 
such  as  honey  bees,  and  perhaps  ants  and  white 
ants  (Terjuitcv),  perish  in  the  course  of  the  same 
season,  after  laying  their  first  and  only  batch  of 
eggs.  Their  race  is  then  run,  the  goal  is  then 
reached,  and  they  retire  from  the  course,  to  give 
place  to  that  new  generation  of  the  same  species. 
—  Aiucrinin  Eidnmologht. 


1S71. 


THE    GARDEJ^'ER'S    MOJ^'TEL^ 


nr 


F  0  R  E  I  G  IN^     I  N  T  E  L  L  I  G  E  N  C  E  . 


Willow  Bauk,— A  writer  in  tlio  "  Plnglish  I 
Philosophical  Transactions,"  Vol.  53.  says  that 
the  bark  of  the  Salix  alba,  or  white  willow  will 
cure  intermittent  fevers,  and  he  recommends  it 
as  a  substitute  for  Peruvian  bark.  Vanqueliu 
aflSrms  that  it  possesses  all  the  properties  of  the 
cinchona  or  Jesuit  bark,  namel}',  that  of  precipi- 
tating isinglass,  and  throwing  down  sulphate  of 
iron,  green,  and  acetate  of  copper,  brownish. 
"N^Tiite  willow  bark,  therefore,  as  it  unites  the 
bitter  and  astringent  principles,  or  tastes,  must 
be  suitable  as  a  febrifuge. 

The  bark  of  the  Salix  caprea,  in  its  green  state 
has  been  manufactured  into  paper,  pasteboard, 
etc.,  and  the  twigs  are  well  adapted  for  willow 
■work.  The  bark  is  also  used  for  tanning  various 
kinds  of  leather.  In  some  countries  the  common 
people  make  shoes  of  the  bark  as  thej'  do  in  Swed- 
en from  oak  bark.  It  is  used  to  dye  linen  yarn 
black.  The  wood  makes  the  best  charcoal,  and  is 
highly  esteemed  in  the  manufacture  of  gunpow- 
der. The  catkins  afford  very  early  food  for  bees. 
Ever)"^  bee  keeper  ought  to  plant  this  and  otlier 
early  flowering  varieties  of  willow  near  his 
apiary. 


YiCTORiA  REGIA.-The  weight  cnpable  of  being 
borne  by  the  leaves  of  this  wonderful  plant  is 
the  subject  of  a  communication  from  Mr.  Sow- 
erby,  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Gardens.  Regent's 
Park,  to  a  recent  number  of  Land  ami  Water, 
in  which  he  says  :  "  Although  we  are  all  fiimiliar 
with  the  wonderful  tales  told  by  voyagers  on  the 
Amazon,  of  the  buoyant  power  of  the  leaf  of 
Victoria  regia,  now  a  common  and  well  known 
water  plant,  I  have  not  seen  recorded  the  actual 
weight  supported  :  it  may  therefore  interest  your 
readers  to  mention  an  experiment  made  here 
last  week  :  A  leaf  was  selected,  the  worst  but 
one  of  eight  on  the  plant,  as  we  did  not  like  to 
destroy  the  best  ;  it  was,  however,  pretty  per- 
fect, only  a  few  holes  within  six  inches  of  the 
margin  ;  diameter  live  feet  six  inches.  On  this 
leaf  I  placed  a  wheel  three  feet  six  inches 
in  diameter,  with  'eight  spokes  made  of  thin 
wood,  and  a  small  foot-board,  on  which  I  stood 
and  floated  'high  and  dry;'  the  wheel  was  ne- 
cessary to  distribute  the  pressure  over  a  consid- 
erable portion  of  the  surface,  the  texture  of  the 
leaf  being  exceedingly  tender  (the  foot-board  did 
not  touch  the  leaf,  but  rested  on  the  spokes  of 


the  wheel).  I  have  no  doubt  that  if  the  wheel 
had  been  of  the  same  diameter  as  the  leaf  it 
would  have  served  as  a  life-raft  for  a  small 
famil}^  as  the  next  experiment  will  show.  The 
wheel  and  footboard  were  removed  from  the  leaf 
and  its  surface  left  quite  free  ;  we  then  gradually 
spread  over  the  surfiice  shell  gravel  previously 
weighed  out  in  lots  of  half  cwt  ;  basketful  after 
basketful  was  shovelled  on  up  tp  3  cwt.,  when 
the  gardeners  standing  by  v/ould  not  believe  their 
own  eyes,  and  began  feeling  under  the  leaf, 
thinking  their  must  be  some  other  support' than 
water, — but  no,  the  leaf  floated  quite  free, — 
another  20  lbs.,  and  another,  and  another,  was 
thrown  on,  and  yet  the  good  ship  remained  sea- 
worthy and  no  signs  of  foundering  ;  426  lb.  called 
water  began  to  leak  in  through  the  holes;  the 
excitement,  or  perhaps,  the  heat  of  the  '  stove  ' 
in  which  we  worked,  made  us  rather  hasty  and 
unstcad}'  in  loading  cargo,  the  weight  of  which 
was  augmented  by  the 'leakage,  and  an  unluck}"" 
cast  tilted  the  leaf  on  one  side,  the  water  rushed 
over,  it  crumpled  up  like  a  sheet  of  paper  and 
sank  in  deep  water,  carrying  with  it  a  load  of 
436  lbs.  (besides  water*.  This  is  the  greatest 
weight  I  have  yet  seen  a  leaf  support ;  and  the 
weight  now  on  the  plant  may  be  considered  equal 
to  li  tons. 


The  Best  Hothouse  GPvAPE.  —  At'the  recent 
meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  for 
the  best  single  dish  of  bl-ick  grapes,  there  was  a 
very  excellent  competition.  Mr.  V»^.  Coleman, 
gardener  to  Earl  Somers,  Eastnor  Castle,  Led- 
bury. Hereford,  who  exhibits  magnificent  exam- 
ples of  Black  Hamburgh,  the  bunches  weighing 
over  4  lbs.,  perfect  in  bunch  and  berry.  These 
are  the  finest  examples  in  the  Exhibition,  and 
are  awarded  the  first  prize.  Mr.  Smith,  garde- 
ner, Exton  Park,  Oakham,  is  placed  second, with 
smaller  but  very  fine  examiiles  of  the  same  ;  and 
Mr.  C.  Turner,  Slough,  the  third,  with  small 
bunches,  but  well-finished  examples  of  the  same 
variety.  Mr.  J.  Ratty,  gardener  to  J.  Schole- 
fleld,  Esq.,  Turville  Park,  Henley-on-Thames, 
stages  good  examples  of  Black  Prince.  Mr.  Cole- 
grave  also  exhibits. 


Products  ok  the  Ande-^.  — To  an  elevation 
of  10  000  feet  the  eastern  slope  of  I  lie  Andes,  in 
Bolivia,  is  covered  with  loH  v  for.'st  tree*.     The 


S78 


THE    GARDEJ\'ER'S   MOA'^THhy.  December, 


potato,  banana,  Indian  corn,  wlieat.  barley,  and 
rice  are  among  the  products.  Corn  sometimes 
produces  200  bushels  to  the  acre,  and  wheat  sev- 
enty bushels.  Cochabamba  supplies  great  quan- 
tities of  wheat  to  the  cold  districts  of  La  Paz  and 
Potosi.  Of  the  fruits  there  are  found  oranges, 
lemons,  olives,  figs,  pineapples,  pears,  apples, 
plums,  chirinioyas,  pomegranates,  peaches,  and 
in  fact,  almost  every  variety  of  fruit.  Cinna- 
mon of  excellent  quality  is  found  ;  it  grows  wild 
in  great  abundance.  Tobacco,  equal  to  that  of 
Cuba,  is  extensively  grown  in  Santa  Cruz  and 
the  Beni  province.  "  Coca  ''  or  betel  is  very  ex- 
tensively cultivated  in  the  Yungas  valley.  The 
chocolate  of  the   Beni   has  no  snperior  in   the 


world.  The  coffee  of  the  Yungas  valley  is  largely 
cultivated. 


Stewed  Spixacii.— Half  a  peck  of  Spinach, 
one  ounce  of  butter,  and  four  tablespoonfuls  of 
cream.  Pick  and  wash  the  spinach  well ;  put  it 
into  a  pan  with  a  small  tea-cupful  of  boiling 
water,  and  a  tablespoonful  of  salt ;  boil  it  gently 
till  tender  ;  pour  it  into  a  sieve  to  drain,  press- 
ing out  the  water  ;  then  beat  it  in  a  bowl  with  a 
wooden  spoon,  or  potato-masher  ;  return  it  into 
the  pan  ;  add  the  butter  and  cream  ;  season  with 
pepper  and  salt,  and  serve  with  sippets  of  toast- 
ed bread,  and  a  few  poached  eggs. — Gardener^s 
Record. 


hopyTicultural  notices. 


ACADEMY  OF  NATURAL  SCIENCES. 

At  the  stated  meeting  of  the  Academy  of  Nat- 
ural Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  on  November  7th, 
the  following  matters  of  interest  to  horticultur- 
ists occurred  : 

Mr.  Thomas  Meehan  said,  that  in  passing 
through  a  wood,  he  was  struck  in  the  face  by 
seeds  of  the  Uamamelis  Virginica,  or  common 
Witch  Hazel,  with  as  much  force  as  if  from 
spent  shot  from  a  gun.  The  stinging  sensation 
continued  for  perhaps  a  minute.  Not  knowing 
before,  that  these  capsules  possessed  any  project- 
ing power,  he  gathered  a  quantity,  in  order  to  as- 
certain the  cause  of  the  projecting  force,  and  to 
measure  its  power.  Laying  the  capsules  on  the 
floor  he  found  the  seeds  were  thrown  generally 
four  or  six  feet,  and  in  one  instance  as  much  as 
twelve  feet  away.  The  cause  of  this  immense 
projecting  power  he  found  to  be  simply  in  the 
contraction  of  the  horny  albumen  which  sur- 
rounded the  seed.  The  seeds  were  oval,  and  in 
a  smooth  bony  envelope,  and  when  the  albumin- 
ous coat  by  contraction  had  burst,  and  expanded 
enough  to  get  just  beyond  the  middle,  where  the 
seed  narrowed  again,  the  contraction  of  the  al- 
bumen caused  the  seed  to  slip  out,  just  as  we 
would  squeeze  out  a  smooth  tapering  stone  be- 
tween the  fniger  and  the  thumb. 

Dr.  Joseph  Leidy  remarked  that  this  was  in 
many  respects  an  interesting  plant.  The  seed 
vessels  took  exactly  a  year  to  mature.  As  soon 
as  the  leaves  fell  the  blossoms  opent-d,  and  at  tlie 


same  time  next  fall,  when  the  last  year's  cap- 
sules were  opening,  the  new  flowers  appeared. 

Dr.  Joseph  Carson  stated  that  he  had  found 
the  phenomenon  which  characterizes  the  squirt- 
ing cucumber,  also  due  to  a  mechanical  force. 

The  mass  of  seeds  inside  were  enveloped  in  an 
elastic  sac.  Between  this  sac  and  the  external 
cuticle,  was  a  mass  of  cellular  matter  tilled  with 
moisture,  which  was  conveyed  through  the  sac 
to  the  interior  by  endosmic  power.  As  the  seeds 
grew  the  sac  was  distended  to  its  utmost  capa- 
city ;  and  when  the  fruit  was  detached  from  its 
parent  stem,  an  opening  was  made  into  the  sac,, 
when,  just  as  in  the  bursting  of  any  distended 
bladder,  the  sac  contracted,  and  forced  the  seeds 
and  cellular  matter  out  through  the  orifice. 


PENNSYLVANIA  FRUIT  GROWERS' 
SOCIETY. 

Tlie  annual  meeting  of  this  association  will  be 
held  in  Horticultural  Hall,  Philadelphia,  com- 
mencing January  17th,  1S7'J.  Efforts  are  now 
being  made  to  have  representatives  present  from 
the  difTcrent  State  organizations  throughout  the 
country  ;  and  we  cordially  invite  pomologists 
from  every  section  to  be  with  us,  and  participate 
in  the  discussions  Able  addresses  will  be  de- 
livered by  prominent  horticulturists,  and  the  ex- 
ercises will  be  of  the  most  interesting  character, 
JOSIAII  H 00 PES,  Pres't. 

At.kx.  TiAunrs,  lice   Sec 
Tuos.  Mreiian,  Cor.  Sec. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Frontispiece Pavia  macrostachya 

Colored  Plate — February Boiivardia  Vreelandi. 

April. Salway  Peach. 

June Dendrobiuni  nobile 

September Pinus  pungens 

C. 

Centaurea  Clementci 93" 

G. 

Gardens,  Rose,  Plan  of 87 

Ground  Leveling  and  Practical  Gardening ..  287 

H. 

Heater  for  Plant  Case  COut.ine  Drawing  of) 329 

P. 

Plan  of  Rose  Garden , 87 

Plant  Case,  Heater  for 329 

Practical  Gardening,  Ground  Leveling  and 287 

B. 

Rose  Gardens,  Plan  of 87 

Rustic  Work,  Use  for  Tree  Trimmings  in 20 

S. 

Solanum  Ciliatum 126 

T. 
Tree  Tiimminge,  Use  for  in  Rustic  Work ^ 


THE   GARDEJYER'H  MOJfTELI. 


INDEX-VOL.    XIII. 


Abont  CaLbrtses,  llC 

Academy  of  Natural  Scieuco8,S20 

:-t:s 

Acclimatizitiou,  24 

'■  of  Apples,  233 

Acer  Jupoaica,  29 
"     Poljminphiim,  29 
"     Pseudo  I'latamis,  29 
Achimenes  (Eucordia)   Naeglioi 
dtfs  Di:imaniina,  184 
Acoras  Juponicus  Vanegatns.139 
Address  by  Marshall  P.  Wilder. 

29') 
Adiantum  Veitcbii,  280,  31." 
After  the  Pirale.s,  53 
Age  of  the  Larch,  212 
Agricultural  Association,  Atlan- 
ta, 212 
'•  .Journals  and  Flor- 

ists, the  Chicago. 
370 
Agi'icalture,  Egyptian,  1.3 

"        the  Coinnussioner  of,5^ 
Akroydon,  Gooseberry  Show  at, 

ISS,  222 
Alder,  EngliKh,  in  Texas,  Growth 

of,  277 
Alpine  Houses,  277 

"       Strawberries,  1.3) 
Alternatithera  A  mabilis  Tricolor, 

1S4 
Alton,  Ills.,  Notes  from,  267 


i  Apple,  01-1  .\dam,  1  .U 

I     "        Pride  of  the  South,  C47 

!     "        Pvlo,  124 

j     "         Seed  ling,  120 

I     '■        Speckled,  26 

I     "        Playraan's  Summer,  21.5 

j     "        Troefi,   Barron,   How    to 

I  make  them  Bear,  2S3 

1     "  "         on  Ridges,  210 

Wealthy,  27 
Apples,  Accliinatizition  of,  236 
"         Etowah  SeeOlio^,  214 
'•         Late  Blooming,  23 
'•        Siberian  Crab,  Improve- 
ment in,  311 
SourA£Sweet,lS1.27;),.343 
"  "  "      Speckled, 

124 
Arborvilre  Hetinospora,  Ac, 

Dwarf  varieties  of,  247 
Aristolochia  Nipho,  Propagating. 

211 
Arnold's  Gripes.  .')3 
Arrangement  of  a  Flower  Bed, 11 9 
'  Leaves.Phyllotax- 

is,'or  the,  284 
Asparagus  and  Mushrooms,  101 
''  in  Soup,  24 

'  Salting,  23 

'  Varieties  of,  90 

Oilel,  Yellow,  The,  182 
Atlanta  .\t;ricuUural  Association 

212 
Aucuba  Japonica,  Error  in,  3G9 


Catalogue,  The  Society's,  301 
Catalogues,  SS,  2^8 

"  of  European  Firms, 

124 
Catalpa.  The.  216 
Caterpillars  in  a   Cold    Grapery, 

370 
Caution  to  Nurserymen  and 

other.-",  28.") 
Cave,  A  Mushroom,  127 
Cement  for  Iron,  A  Strong,  127 
Contaurfa  Cleraentei,  92 
Chaugeable  Forget-Me-^>ot,  The, 


Altbea,  Splendid  varieties  of,  200  August,  Greenhouse  and  c'o'nser- 


Amaryllis,  35S 

American  aud  English  Strawber- 
ries,  Kelative    Fer- 
tility of,  369 
■'         Il.irtlcultural  Annual, 

181 
"         Naturalist,  34.5 
■"        I'omt'logical  Society, 

91,212,  222,320,331 
"        PoiMjlogical  Society, 

New  Fruits  at,  312 
"         Pota'oes  ia    Kngland, 

CI,  319 
"         Seedling  Deciduous 
Trees,  Beauties  of 
Forc'-t,  Clumps  of, 
in  Spring.  1  I 
Andes,  Products  of  tho,  377 
Anemone  Japonica,  .08 
Anemones  in  Pots,  2-34 
Announcement  of  Fruit  Diction- 
ary, 280 
Antigonon  Septotus,  153 

Apios  Tuberosa,  217,  313  

Apple,   A    New    Crab,  Mickie'siiieddinK  Ger.iniums  101 
'    ,.         ^     Beauty,  2S  Beech,  Blood  leaved.  206 

Bnff,  Tbe,312  |     "        Purple,  281 


vatory  In,  222 
Australia,  Kerainiscences  of,  131 
Autumnal  Foliage,Color  in,  60,99 
Autumn,  The  Queen  of,  3.30 
Azalea  Amccna,  3.30 
Azaleas   and   Rhododendrons  ofJBusiness  Notice,  367 

Bloomsdale,  193 


[Blight  and  Insect  Compnsit'n,110 
I  Bliss'  Strawheny  Show,  210 
1  Blood-leaved  Beech,  205 
I     "  "        English  Oak,  206 

"  "         H:>zelnut,  206 

'■  •'         Maple,  206 

I     "  "         Peach,  206 

"  "        Plants,  2'i6 

Bloomsdale,  Azaleas  and  P.hodo- 

dendrons  of.  193 
Boiler,  Corrucated  Hot  Water,343 
Boilers,  113,  22S 

"        and  Circulation.  172 
"         HotWater.f.l  ,10.3,144.173 
Bonssincc.aultia  Laohaumi,  370 
Boston  Lettuce,  about,  242 

"       Pears  at,  23 
Botanic  Garden  at  Brussels,  15 
B  tanical,  91 

Botany  and  its  Influence  on  Hor- 
ticulture, 73 
"      Bay,NewSouthWales,2-.3 
Bougainvilleas.  231 
Bouvardia  Davisonii,  211 
"  Vreelandii,  (with 

plate,)  so! China,  Woods  of,  21 
Bouvardias,  Propagating,  24        j  Chinese  Water  Lili-s,  144 
Branched  Trusses  in  Geraniums, 

ISO 
Brugmansia  or  DatnraSanguinea, 

153 
Brussels,  Botanic  Garden  at,  1.5 
Bud  Variations,  43 
Butfalo  Cherry,  151 
Buff  Apple,  The.  312 
Buffuin  Pear,  Planting  the,  122 
Buggine,  2)0 
Bulbs,  New,  332 
Burghley  Park  Cherry,  1.31 
Burlington  Graue 


Change  in  the  Habits  of  Bee?,187 

Changes,  Effects  of,  29 

Changing  theColors  of  Flower8,1.5 

Chemical  Powers  of  the  Sunlight, 
231 

Cherries  at  Dr.  Hall's,  2i7 

Cherry,  Ber^hley  Park.  131 
"         Buffalo,  The,  1.30 
"        Governor  Wood,  156 

Chicago   Agricultural    Jonrnals 
and  Florists,  The,  370 


Chrysanthemums,  149        , 
Cider,  5 

Circulation,  Boilers  and,  172 
Hot  Water,  33.3 
"  "  Tho  Ra- 

tionale of,  358 
of  Hot  Water,   144, 
180.199,204 
City  Lawns.  Fruit  Trees  on,  ISl 
Clematis    Patens,   John     Gould 
Veitch,  132 
.Tohn  Gould  Veitch,.S73 
Climate  of  Port  Lavacca,  Texas, 
149 


B. 

Baillon's  L'Histoire  dcs  Plantes 

286 
Banana,  tho  Great,  of  Abysinia — 

Musa  P.nsete,  ,373 
Bxik,  Willow,  377 
Barren  Apple  Trees.How  to  make 

them  B  ar,  283 
Bean,  Sieva.  55 
Beans,  Dwarf  I'rench,  2-33 
Beatrice  Peach,  279 
Beauties    of   American    Forest, 

Clumps  of  Deciduous 

Trees  in  Spring,  14 
Beautiful  Fruit,  4 


Cooper's  Early  Whito,312 
Cogwell  Pearmain,  214 
Early  Pennock,  347 
Fay's  Joe,  347 
Fornwalder  or  Fallowa- 

ter,  1 22 
Fulton,  07 
Garibaldi.  151 
Haas,  The,  21 1 
Hottenstein,  123 
Insects,  01 
Marengo    M'inlcr 

The,  ."47 
Monte  Bello,  ].')7 
Murray,  The,  317 
Oblong    .''ib-'riaii 

Tt.e,  152 


Trees  of  Holland,  Thn,3.32 
Bees,  Change  iu  Habits  of,  187 

"      Humble,  2.S4 
Begonia  Chelsoni,  i80,  313 
"       Kosatlora,  373 
"       Sndeni,  373 
"       Veitchii,  373 
Berckmans,  President,  .312 
Bergamot  D'Ele  Pear,  .342 
I  Best  Hothouse  Grape,  The,  .377 
Beurre  do   L'Assnmptiou,   Pear, 
Crab, I  New  Ftenrh,  371 

j       "      Womnz'^u  Pear,  214 
Bignonia  firanditl  ira,  2iii  j 

i  Blackberry,    Orange     Bust     on 
Crab,:  the.  t'«  Destroy,  260 

I  "  Kust,  211  I 


Buouapartias,    Correction    from  i  Climates,  Depth  of  R.tin  in  Vari- 
Mr.  Harding,  310  ons.  252 

Climbing     Hybrid      Perpetual 


c, 

Cuhbage  Head,  The.  170 
Cabbajres,  About,  116 
Cactus,  The  Orauge.  59 

"  "     Snow,  22 

Caladium  Culture  i  n  England. 159 

Roots,  287 
Calceolarias,  p'ine,  149 
Calf,  Extraordinary  effect  upon 

a  punv,  231 
California  Conifer.-e,  293 
•'  Kvorgreens,  93 

"  Fruit  Insects  in,  36S 

'•'  Hoopes'Trip  to,  91 

"  Horticulturist,  88 

"  Lecture  on  Horticul- 

ture in,  116 
"  Pitcher  Plant,  149 

"  Sunflower,  370 

Californian  Flower  for  Name,182 

Notes,  242 
Callipsyche  Anrantica,  l.'<4 

MIrabili.s,  184 
Camellia,  Pronunciation  of,  .369 
Can  Gardeners  claim  a  Mouth'i 

Notice?  96 
Carrots,  Description  of,  ,"C7 
Castor  Oil  Pom.ace,  21 
Catalogue  of  (;.  L.  Allen  &  Co. 
N.  Y.,  56 
"  Ellwanger  A  Barry 

1,".0 

,  8** 


Roses,  372 
Close  Pruning  Grapes,  315 
Coal  Gas  and  the  Roots  of  Trees, 

23 
Coar.'e  Grass  on  a  Lawn,  343 
Codling  M  ith.  The.  .39,90  16S,17S 
Coffee,  A  Substitute  for,  3Io 
Cogswell  Pearmain  Apple,  214 
Coleus,  Growth  on  a,  342 
''       keeping  through  Winter, 
344 
Colfax  Strawberry,  21 
Collar  on.  Nut  Tree  with  a,  253 
Colorado  Potato   Beetle,   Crush, 
ing  the,  277 
"  "  "  Destruction 

of  the,  208 
Colored  lifhts  on  Plants,  207 

"         Plate.s,  Our.  .06,  91 
Color  in  Autumnal  Foliage,  60,99 
ColumViia  Plum,  The,  347 
Commissioner  of   Asriicultnre, 

The,'  54 
Communications  audBrief  Notes, 

212 
Compass  Plant,  Notes  on  the,203 
Conclusion,  303 
Conifera!,  California,  203 
Gou»ervatory,  Dielylra  Spectabl- 
lis  for  the,  221 
"  Rhododeudrons 

for  the,  188 
Continental  .Tournals,Noles  from 
1.') 


A  Jap;in  Nurs'y,  S."^!  Cooper's  Early  White  Apple,312 


TH£    G^iliDEJ^'ElVS   MOJ^TRLY, 


Corn  on  the  Tussle,  Ear  of,  342 
CoroDilla  Glauca,  oS 
CorreBpondents    and    Inquirers. 

To,  27  S 
Corrugated  Hot  Water  UoiIer,343 
Cost  and  Pruflt  of  Grape  Culture, 

The,  248 
Cotton,  Th  Nankeen,  165 
Cowing's  Seedling  Strawberry, 
2t.< 
"        Strawberry,  318 
Crab  Apple,  A  New,  28 
"     Marengo  Winter,  The,  347 
"     Oblong  Siberian,  The.  152 
Crtetagus    Crus-Galli   (Cockspur  Draccena  Maguifica,  2S1 

Thorn,)  59 
Crimonanthus  Fragrans 
Crinuni,  the,  362 


Disease  in  Pine  Trees,  311 
•'  of  Hollyhocks,  .05 
"      the  Peach,  New,  343 

Diseases,  Fungoid,  47 

"         Insects  and,  298 
"        of  Plants,  15 

Domeetic  Notes.  176,  '.'38,  271 

Dorstonia  Argenlata,  185 

Double  Glazing,  102 

Philadelphus,  23 

Douglas'  Mr.,  Letter,  118 

Dow'^ner,  J.  S.,  Portrait  of,  363 


tlont 


lively   Willi. lu  liui    i-v 

Gardenf  r,  344 

Exhibition  Ferns  187 

"  Grapes  for,  31S 

Exhibitions,  Tickets  to.  309 
Experiment  upon  a  Pig,  An,  233 
ExtraorUiuary     .Ftfect     upon    s 
Puny  Calf,  234 


Fay "8  Joe  Api.lo.  347 


Criticism,  Friendly.  341 
Crop,  The  Peach,  275 
Croton  Cornultum.  2o 
"      Hookerii,  281 
"      Johannis,  280 
'      Multicolor,  281 
"      Undulatum,  157 
"      Veitcbii,  157 
Crashing  the  Colorado    Potato 

Beetle,  277 
Cncnmbers,  Early,  Profit  of,  284 
Cultivation  of  the  Soil,  Prepara- 
tion and,  297  lEarle's  Russet — New  Pear,  125 
"            Tree  Carnations,  96  Early  Fiuit  on  Late  Trees,  275 


DownLng's  Selected  Fruit  for  the  Fancy  Gourds,  181 

Garden  and  Market,  244 1  Felting,  Fay's,  Water  Proof,  3C9 
Fences,  Wire.  121 
Poiphyrophylla,  281      I  Ferns,  Exhibition,  187 
Draining  of  Fruit  Lauds,  297        IFertility,  Kelative,  nf  American 
I'ressing  for  Peach  Trees,  242      I  and  Fnijlish  Strawbcr- 

Dr.  Nicaise,  Strawberries  of,  156|  ries,  :>,69 

Drouth,  Thick   Gracs  a  Protec-  Fertilization  of  Grapes,  158 

tiou  Against,  94  [Fig,  Varieties  of  the,  314 

Dryness  of  Soil  an   Aid  to  the  Fine  Calceolarias,  149 
Kipening  of  Wood,  75       Firms,  New,  212 


Dwarfing  Trees,  134 
Dwarf  French  Beans,  253 
"      Varieties     of    Arborvitje 
Ketinospora,  &c.,  247 


Culture,  Orchid,  201 

Pear,  115 
Curculio  Catcher,  Dr.  Hall's,  55 
"        from   Plum    Trees,  To 
keep  the,  144 
Currant,  Orangofield  Red,  125 
Cuttings,  Tomatoes  from,  149 
Cypripedium  Barbatum  Grandi- 
florum.  153 
"  (Keichenbachi) 

Longifolium,  313 

D. 

Dactylantus  Taylori,  15 
Dahlias,  121 
Dana's  Hovey  Pear,  124 
Daphne  Cueorum,   Keinarks  on 
the,  39 
"         MezereuDit,  254 
Darlingtonin,  Flowering  of,  180 
Datari  Sanguioea,  or  Brugman 

sia,  153 
DaTis's  Seedling  Potato,  283 
Death  of  John  Gould  Veitch,  158 
"     Sanford,  Howard,  118 
"     Souchet,  Mr.,  148 
"    Stephen  Pierson,  118 
"    Unger,  M.,  15 
"    Vilmorin,  M.,  118 
"    Wills,  Mr.,  21 
Deceased  Members,  .^02 
Decorations,  Flower  Garden,  140 
Dendrobium  Crassinoida,  348 

Nol.ile,  91,  178 
Dendrobiums,  122 
Denton  Plum,  279 
Deodar  Cedar,  Hardiness  of,  24 
Depth   of  Hain  in   Various  Cli- 
mates, 252 
Denmodium  Penduliflorum,  153 
Description  of  Carrots,  367 
Destroying  Red  Spider,  370 
Destruction  of  the  Colorado  Po- 
tato Beetle,  208 
"         Potato  Beetle,  332 
Dentzia  Crenata,  Alba  Pleno,185 
Dielytra  Spectabilis  fur  the  Con- 
servatory, 221 
DiefTenbachia  Buwmanii,  281,313 
Digging   Amongst   the  Hoots  of 

Fruit  Trees,  185 
Dimorphism  in  Gladiolus,  62 
Diospyri.'S   Naiii — The  Japanese 

Persimmon,  372 
Directory,  a  Ilurlicoltural,  340 
Directories,  Duplication  of  Wur- 
tery  Names  in,  277 
DiBcovericB  ol   Ancieat  Bones  at 

Waukegaii,  Ills.,  41 
Difrase.  a  Peach  "Tree,  282 
"       111  Pcari-,  8 


Germination  of  Seeds,  147 
Pen  nock  Apple,  347 
Tulips,  2S8 
Ear  of  Corn,  Male  Flowers   on 
the,  110 

"     on  the  Tassle,  .342 
Earth,    Tropical   Heat  Derived 

from  the,  235 
Echeveria  Glauca  Metallica,  374 
Edging,  Plants  for,  283 
Editorial  Notes,  82,  176,  204,238, 
271 
"  Foreign,  81,  271 

ECfeetsof  Changes,  29 

"      of  Sod   on   the  Tempera- 
ture of  the  Soil,  370 
Egg  Plant  Seed,  200 

"  "        Keeping,  143 

Egyptian  Agriculture,  15 
Electricity  in  Vegetation,  234 
EUwanger  k  Barry,  New   Grape 
from,  27 
"  "  Catalogue 

150 
"  "        No.  19  Grape, 

312 
Embryonic  Inarching,  114, 115 
Enemy,  An  Evergreen,  275 
England,  American  Potatoes  in 
61,  319 
"        Caladium   Culture    in. 

1.09 
"        Size  of  Onions  in,  203 
Englii^h  Alder  in  Texas,  Growth 
of,  '277 
•'        Gladiolus  Show,  A,  190 
"        Oaks,  Blood  leaved,  206 
"        Sparrows,  330 
"        Water  Cress,  5 
Errata,  122 

Error  in  Aucuba  Japonica,  369 
Essay  on  Horticulture,  9 
Etowah  Seedling  Apples,  214 
Eucharis  Amazonica — Correction 
in   Mr.   Taplin's  Arti- 
cle, 370 
Eugenie  I'gni,  186 
Eumelan  (irape.  The,  247 
Europe,  Rare  Maples  in.  29 

"      Kiibinson's    P.irks    and 

Gardens  of,  55 
"        Tlie  Oldest  Tree  in,  252 
"  •'     Vine  Mildew  of,5J 

Evergreen  Enemy,  An,  275 

"  Seeds,  Vitality  of,  21 

Evergreens,  California, !' 
for  Winter,  40 
"  New  and   Beautiful. 

266 
"  Prnning.  SO 

"  Kocky  MoiiotaJD,  55 

"  Transplanting,  .';76 


Fire  Blight  iu  Pear  Trees,  .54 
Fires,  The  late.   Philosophically 

Considered,  364 
Florida,  In,  91 
Flower  Bed,  Arrangement  of  a, 

119 
"      Californian,    for  Name, 

182 
"       Garden    and     Pleasure 

Ground,  1,  33,  65,  97,129 

161,  193,  225,   257,   289, 
321,  353 

"  "    Decorations,140 

"        Bfarket  for  the  London 

Poor,  252 
"        Show  in  the  Year  1830 
A,  37 
Flowering  Hedge,  A,  148 

"         of  a  Wisteria  Sinensis, 

121 
"         of  Darlingtonias,  ISO 
Flowers,  133,  177 

"        Changing  the  Colors  of, 

15 
"        in     Furnace     Heated 

Rooms,  360 
"        Raising  new,  310 
"        Winter,  133 
Foreign  Grapes,  New,  44 

"        Notes,  81,  271 
Forget-me-not,  The  Changeable, 

252 
Fornwalder  or  Fallawater    Ap- 
ple, 122 
Forsythia  Suspensa,  149 
Fortune's     Double      Flowering 

Peaches,  25 
France,  Introduction  of  the  Po- 
tato in,  95 
Free  Mason  Poach,  26 
French  Beans,  Dwarf,  253 
Friendly  Criticism,  341 
Fruit,  Beautiful,  4 
"      Culture  at  Wodenethe,  265 
"  "        The       Increasing 

Importance  of  302 
"      Dictionary,        Announce 

ment  of,  280 
"      Early,  on  Late  Tree.",   275 
'*      Farm,  A  Worcester,  286 
"      Garden,  3.3,  66,    ^■i,   130, 

162,  194,   227,  259,  290, 
322 

"      Grower's  Society  of  Ponna, 
31,  378 

"  "  "  "     Pro- 

ceedings of,  25 

"      in  Ohio,  182 

'•      Insects  in  California,  368 

"      Lands,    Draining  of,    29' 

"       List  for  Maryland,   A,  309 

"       Preserving,  155 

"      Production,  Pruning  with 
Reference  to,  79 

"      Ripening  and  Decay  of,314 

"j    Thinning  of,  298 

"j    Trees,   Digging    Amongst 
the  Hoots  of,  185 

"  "    .Mulching    Bearing. 

154 
1 


fiui;  Til  (•-,  a     .New     Wnj-     to 
m:4ko  Hear,  375 
"  "    on  I'ily  Lawns,  181 

Fruiting  of  the  Blue  i^aburnum. 

61 
Fruits  in  Kt-ntucky.  55 
"         .Naiiiiui;,  218 
"        New,    at    the  American 
Pumological    Society, 
312 
''        Seedling,     Outliuo     and 

Description  of,  185 
"        The  Peoples,  78 
Fuchsia,  New,  121 
Fulton  Apple,  57 
Fungi  and  its  Structure,  45,  75 
Fungoid  Diseases,  47 
Fungus,  Uses  of,  78 
Furnace  Heated  Rooms,  Flowers 

in  360 
Future  Nurserymen,  Our,  149 

G. 

Gardeners,  243 

"        London,  in  the  Olden 
Time,  158 

Monthly     for     1872, 
The,  308 

The     New 
Volumeof  the,  369 
Gardening  for  the  Young,  8 
"        Landscape,  277 
"        Notes,  64 
Qard.  Plotting,  Practical  Ground 

Leveling  and,  286 
Gardens,  Rose,  87 
Garibaldi  Apple,  1,51 
Garlic  on  Lawns,  148 
Geneva,  Population  of,  123 
Geraniums,  Bedding,  101 

Branched  Trusses  in, 

180 
Seedling,  89 
German   Horticultural   Jonrnal, 
The  Revue  Horticole,  15, 
52 

QermantowB,  Tennessee,  311 
Germination  of  Seeds,  Early,  147 
Ginko  Tree,  Salisburia  or,  123 
Gladiolus,  Dimorphism  in,  63 

"  Show,  An  English,  190 

Glazing,  Double,  102 
Godwinia  Gigas,  185 
Golden  and  Silver  Yews,  The,165 
Gooseberry,  Mildew,  360 

"  Seedling,  from  S.  S. 

Merceron,  311 
"        Show  at    Akroydon, 
188. 222        _u^^^^ 
Gourds,  Fancy,  181 
Governor  Wood  Cherry,  156 
Grafting,  New  Mode  of,  261  \    ,;j 
Grape,  A  new,  26 

"     Burlington,  56  ijg*"'* 

Grape,  Best  Hothouse,   The,  377 

'•      Culture  in  Virginia,  65 

"  '•        The  Cost  and.Pro- 

fit  of,  248  l^'.-J, 

"      EUwanger  &  Barry's  No. 

19,  312 
"      Eumelan,  The,  247         .^ 
"      Growing  for  Profit,  367 
"      Jauie  Wylie,  The,  27 
"      Laura  Beverly,  214,  279 
"       leaf  Insect,  309 
"      Morrell's  Seedling,  66 
"      ^e\r,  from  Ellwauger  & 

Barry,  27 
"      Ouachita,  The,  27 
"      Seedlings  and  Hybrids,  80 
"      Viue,  A  Giant,  216 
"  "      bearing  Peaches,  A, 

154 
Grapery,  Cold,  Caterpillars  in  a, 
370 
"        Violet  Rays  upon  a,231 
Grapes,  Arnold's,  53 

Best  Wine,  The,  247 
"         Close  Pruning,  315 
"        Dr.   Wylie's  Hybrid,  65 

279 
"        for  Fxhibitlon,  313 
ill  Oregon,  216 


THE    GARDE JfER'S   MOJVTELY. 


Grapes,  i^ew  hiPii  i;;ii,  41 
"        Koies  ou,  :i70 
"        Texas, Notes  on  Boire,33-) 
Grassesi,  Fertilizatioo  of,  15S 
Grass  for  Lawn,  A,  3(iS 
"    Thick,  A  I'roteclion 

Against  Droutb,  94 
Cray,  Prof.  Asa,   Notes  from,  371 
Gray's  School  and  Field  Book,  87 
Creely's,  Horace,  Essays,  25 
<3reenliouse,  291 

' '  and  Conservatory  iii 

August,  222 
"  "  PUiQt  Cabinet8,2 

"  Hot  and,  260 

'•  Roofs,  Pitch  of,  123 

Oreenhouses,  37,  CS 
Ground  Levelling  and  Practical 
Garden  Plotting,  286 
"        Pine,  22 
Growth  of  English  Alder  in 

Texas,  277 
"        on  a  Coleus,  342 
Growths,  Spontaneous,  276 
Gunnel's.  Chileusis,  or  Scabra,153 

H. 

Haas  Apple,  214 

Habits  of  Bees,  Change  in  the,lS7 

Hale's  Earlv  Peach,  374 

Hall's,  Dr  ,'Curculio  Catcher,  65 

Hanson  Lettuce,  The,  212,  304 

Hardiness  of  Deodar  Cedar.  24 

Harding,  Mr.,  Correction  from — 

Buonapartias,  310 
Hardy  Flowers,  344 
Harris,  Col.,  in   the  Rural  New 

Yorker,  24 
Hazelnut,  Blood-leaved.  2^6 
Heater  for  Plant  Case,  32S 
Heating  Kailroad  Cars  with  Hot 
Water,  180 
"        Railway  Cars,  122 
Hedge,  A  Flowering,  148 
Hemerocallis  Uistichia  Flore 

Pleno,  153 
Hemlocks  and   Evergreen  Pru- 
ning, 120 
Hemp,  Male  and  Female,  244 
Herstice's  Raspberries,  246 
Hickory,  A  New,  90 
Himalayan  Rhododendrons  in 

Ireland,  316 
Hinckley  Plum,The  Miner  or,347 
Holland,  The  Beech  Trees  of,  332 
Hollyhocks,  The  Disease  of,  55 
Hoopes'  Trip  to  California,  91 
Hornet  Raspberry,  274 
Uonicultural  Directory,  A,  340 
'•  Journal,  A  New 

German,  1.5 
"  Societies,    Manage 

ment  of,  117 
"  Society,  Illinois 

State,  32 
•'  "        PenDa.,31, 

128,169,190,224,2.")0,352 
"  ''        Worcester 

Co,  Mass,  1S2: 
Horticulture,  Botany  and  its  In- 
tluence  on,  73 
"  Essay  on,  9 

'•  Professor  of.  212 

Hot  and  Grecnhonse,  260,  324 
Hothouse  Grape,  the  Best,  377j 
Hottcnsleln  Apple  125 
Hot  Water  Boiler,Corrngated,343 
"  Boilers,  51, 10.i,144,173 

"  Circulation,  335 

"  "  0^144,181, 

199,  204 
"      Heating  R.R.Cur.s  by, ISO 
Houses,  Alpine,  277 
Howard,  Sanford,  Death  of,  118 
How  to  (;ook  Vegetables,  64 
"        Grow  Ptars,  196 
'J        Make  I'riiduction  Popu- 
lar, If.:) 
Hnmble  Bees,  '.81 
taulcliiriKon  I'eacli,  31 
HyaclnlliK,  304 
UyaclntbuH  (.  andicaup,  185 


llyiiciulliiis  Pnnct-ps.  185 
Hybridization  on  Pollen,  Curious 

Results  of,  123 
Hybridizing,  24  ' 
Hybrid  Pear,  A  Supposed,  156 
"      Perpetual  Roses,  Climb- 
ing, 372 
Hybrids  and  Varieties.  122 

"        Grape  Seedlings  and,  80 
Hydrangea,  Japanese,  The,  28 
Otaska,  28,  267 
"  Paniculata    Grandi- 

llora,  28 
"  Stellata  Prolifera, 

1.33,  267 

I. 

Illinois  State  Horticultural  Soci- 
ety, 32 
Imantopbyllura  Cvitanthiflorum 

153 
Importance  of  Fruit  Cultnre,The 

Increasing,  302 
Improvement io  SeedlingPeaches 
334 
"  Siberian  Crab 

Apples,  311 
Inarching,  Embryonic,  114 
Indian  Corn,  Monstrosity  in,  310 
Insect  Composition,  Blight  and, 
140 
"       Grape  Leaf,  309 
"       World,  376 
Insects,  61 

Apple,  91 
"        Disease,  and,  298 
"        Fruits,  in  California,o<S 
"        Noxious,  Beneficial  and 

otherwise,  1S3 
"        Oil  for,  EiO 
"        Plum,  15 
Iowa  State  Horticultural  Report, 

213 
Ireland,  Himalayan   Rhododen- 
drons in,  316 
Irises,  15 

Irish  Junipers,  Propagating,  24 
Iron,  A  Strong  Cement  for,  127 


Jacksonville,  Fla.,  Notes  from. 

181 
Janie  Wylie  Grape,  The,  27 
Japanese  Hydrangeas,  The,  28 
"        Persimmon — Diospyros 

Napi,  the,  372 
Japan  Larch,  The,  241 
John  Gould  Veitch  Clematis,  373 
June  Meeting  Penna.  Hort.  Soci- 
ety, 2';5 


Keeping  Egg  Plant  Seed,  143 
Kentucky,  Fruits  in,  55 
Knox  Nurseries,  30 


Laburnums,  Scarlet,  62 
Laburnum,  Blue,  Fruiting  of,  61 
Lachinalia  Lutlcola,  152 
Lincaster  Co.  Farmer,  25 
Landscape  Gardening,  277 
Larch,  Age  of  the,  242 
"       Japan,  'I'lie,  241 
"       White  Flowered,  148 
Largest  Rose  Tree,  The,  280 
Largo  Wisteria  Sinensis,  62 
Late  Blooming  Applos,  23 
"     Rose  Potatoes,  375 
"     Strawberry,  Hi) 
Laura  Beverly  Grape,  214,  279 
Lawn,  A  Grass  for,  368 

"      Coarse  Grass  on  a,  343 
Lawns,  Garlic  on,  14S 
Lawrence  Pear,  The,  274,  363 
Laying  out  a  .'^niall  Garden,  120 
Loaves,  How  Formed,  52 
Lecture  on  Hurticulturo  in  Cal 
ifornia,  117 


Leptosiphera  Roseus,  58 
Leshous  of  Kxperience,  297 
Letter  from  Rochester,  .333 

"       Mr.  DoQglas',  118 
Lettuce  about  Boston,  242 
Libocedru8,D€currensaud  Thuja 

Oigantea,  182 
Lilies  at  the  Loudon  Shows,  254 

"      Chinese  Water,  144 
Lilinm  Auratum.  190 

"       Trigynum,  186,  189 
L'lllustration  Horticole,  123,  ISl 
Locust,  The  Yellow,  24 
Lomaria  Gibba  Crisjja,  373 
Lombardy  Poplar  Tree,  The,  13 
Loudon  Gardeners  in  the  Olden 
Time,  158 
"        Poor,  Flower  Market  for 

the,  2:)2 
"        Pride,  118 
"        Lilies  at  the,  254 
Looking  at  the  Root  of  ThiDgs,307 
Lost  Exchanges,  213 
Louisiana,  Notes  from,  230 
Love  ol  Flowers  in  New  York,  96 

M. 

Mackio's  Beauty,  A   New  Crab 

Apple,  28 
Magnolia  Auriculata,  274 
"        Thompsoniana,  20 
"        Glauca,Soil  lor,  369 
Male  and  Female  Hemp,  244 
"    Flowers  on  the  Ear  of  Corn, 
110 
Mammoth  Peaches,  30 
Management  of  Horticultural  So- 

cietie!<,  117 
Manures  and  their  Application, 
297 
"  or  Plaut  Food,  111 

Manuring  in  the  Wosi,  210 

"  Surface,  215 

Maple,  Blood -leaved.  The,  207 
Maples  in  Europe,  Rare,  29 

'       Variegated,  309 
Marengo  Winter  Crab,  The,  347 
Market,  Pears  for,  64 
Maryland,  A  Fruit  List  for,  309 
Maurandia  Barclayana,  367 
May  Meeting,    Penna.  Horticul- 
tural Society,  190 
Meadville,  Pa.,  Notes  from,  172 
Meehan's,  Mr.,  Nursery,  54 

"         Surface   Root  Culture 
lor    Pears,   Terrible 
results  of,  319 
Members,  Deceased,  302 
Merceron,  S.  S.,  fceedling  Goose' 

berry  from,  311 
Meterology,  300 
Michigan,  Strawberries  in,  248 
Mignonette,  New  Crimson  Flow, 

cred,  92 
Mikania  Scandeus,  211 
Mildew,  23 
Miller,  S.,  21 

.Miner  and  Wild  Goose  Plum, 
The,  348 
'  or  Hinckley  Plum,  The, 
247 
Monarch  of  the  West  Strawberry 

New,  154 
.Money  in  the  Garden,  150 
Monocotyledon,thcUniversal  type 

of  Seeds,  261 
Monstrosity  in  Indian  Corn,  310 
Monte  Bello  Apple,  151 
.Monthly,  'I'lio  Promises  of  the, 52 
"  Writing   for  Copies  ol 

tlio,  89 
.Month's  Notice,   Can   Gardeners 

claim  a,  96 
.VIoth,  The  Codling, 59,  90,168.17.' 
Moving  Largo  Trees,  277 
Mulching,  298 

"  BearingFruitTroes,151 

.Murphy  Ajiple,  The,  347 
.Husa  Ensete,   Great   Banana  ul 

Abysinia,  373 
Muahroou  Bed,  Revivifying;  an 
Old-  2£5 


Mushroom  Csive,  A.  127 
Mushrooni.s,  Asparagus  and,  101 
Muskmellon,  New,  119 
My  Ten  Rod  Farm,  123 

N. 

Name,  California  Flower  for,  182 
'•      of  Plant,  118,  119,  310,311 
"      Plant  for,  212 
Names  of  Plants,  22,  308 
Naming  Fruits,  218 
Nankeen  Cotton,  The,  165 
National  Exposition  of  1876,The, 

224 

Native  Country  of  the  Verbena, 
211 
'      Georgian  Potato,  154 
Natural  Sciences,  Academy  of,320 

378 

Nature,  Rhododendrons  in,  8 
Nepenthes  Sedeuii,  2S2,  313 
Nerine  Undulata,  127 
New  and  Beautiful  Evergreens, 
266 
"    Bulbs,  332 
"    Crab  Apple,  A,  28 
"    Crimson  Flowered  Mignon- 
ette, 92 
"     Disease  in  tho  Peach,  343 
"     Double  Wisteria,  152 
'•'    Edible  Plant— Slum  Hele- 

nianum,  280 
"     Firms,  212 
"    Flowers,  Raising,  310 
"    Foreign  Grapes,  44 
"    French     Pear — Beurre    de 

L'Assumption,  371 
"  "        Strawberry,  372 

"    Fruits  at  the  American  Po- 

mological  Society,  312 
"     Fuchsia,  121 
"     Grape,  A,  2fi 
"        ■'        from    Ellwanger   & 

Barry,  27 
"     Hickory,  A,  90 
"     Mode  of  Grafting,  261 
'•    Musk  Melon,  119 
"    Peach,  A,  Park's  Cling,   66 
"    Peaches.  312 
"    Pear— Brockworth  Park,57 
"        "     Earle's  Russett,  125 
"    Roses  of  1871,372 
«    South  Wales,  Botany  Bay, 

263 
"     Strawberry,    Monarch     of 

the  West,  152 
"    Varieties  of  Potatoes  from 
the  Seed   Ball,  On    the 
Raising  of.  39 
"  "        Originating.  300 

"    Volume  of  the  Gardener's 

Monthly,  the,  369 
"    Way  to  make  Fruit  Trees 

Bear,  A,  375 
"    York,  Love  of  Flowers  in, 
9t) 
Norway  Spruce  Seed,Sowing,210 
Note  ou  Growing  Violets,  6 

"       Potatoes,  13 
Notes  by  Miss  A.  G.,  144 
''      Californian,  242 
'>      Communications  and  Brief 

212 
"      Editorial,  81,176,204,  238, 

271 
"      from  Alton,  Ills.,  266 
"  "    Continental      Jour- 

nals, 15 
"         "    Prof.  Asa  Gray,  371 
"  "  Jacksonville,Fla.,181 

"  "     Louisiana,  230 

"  "     Meadville,  Pa.,  172 

"       Gardening,  64 
"      ou  Gen.   Pleasanton's  Pa- 
per, Brief,  269 
"      on  Grapes,  370 
"      on  some  Texas  Grape8.334 
"      on  the  Compass  Plant,  201 
"  "     Season,  331 

N'otice,  Busiuesx,  3(i7 
.Vurseries,  Knox,  3'> 
Nuruerymau,  Death  of  a,  21 


THE    GAKDEJ^ER'S    MOJ^THLY. 


Nurserymen   and   Others,    Cau- 
tion to,  2SJ 
"  Our  Future,  149 

Nursery,  Mr.  Jleehaa's,  'A 

"        Names  in   Directories, 
Duplication  of,  277 
Nut  Trees,  Sowing,  276 

"  Tree  with  a  Collar  on,  2j3 

o. 

•Oak  Roots.  Pear  on,  121 
Oblong    Siberian     Crab    Apple, 

The,  1.V2 
Ohio,  Fruit  in,  1S2 
Oil  for  Insects,  90 
Old  Adam  Apple,  124 
Oldest  Kose  Tree,  The,  2.53 

"  Tree  in  Europe,  The,  2.52 
Onions  in  Kngland,  Size  of,  253 
Orange  Cactus,  The  59 

"      Kust  on  the  Blackberry, 
To  Destroy,  266 
Orangefield  lied  Currant,  125 
Orchard,  Productive  Pear,  93 
"        Prof.  Porter's  Pear,  307, 
341 
Orchid  Culture,  201 

"      Cultivation,  No.  1.,  362 
Oregon,  Grapes  in,  216 
Organic  Identity  of  the  Albumen 


Pear,  Beuti'e  Worouzou,  214 
"     Culture,  lis 
"     Dana's  Hovey,  124 
■'     from  H.    A.    Jackson,    Cin- 
cinnati, 0  ,  313 
"     Lawrence,  The,  274,  363 
"     New,  BrockwortU  Park,  67 
"        "     Earle's  Knssett,  125 
"     on  Oak  Roots,  121 
"     Orchard,     Productive,    93, 

320 
"  "        Prof 

307,  341 
"     Pardee's  Seedling,  214 
"     Planting  the  Buffum,  122 
"     Prickly,  316 
"     Sheppard,  214 
"     St.  Francis  Seigner,  214 
"    Supposed  Hybrid,  A,  1.56 
"     Trees,  Fire  Blight  in,  54 
"        "       Pruning,  53 
Pears,  09,  104,  17.5 
"      at  Boston,  23 
"      Disease  in,  6 
"      for  Market,  54 
"      How  to  Grow,  196 
"      Terrible   Kesults   of  Mee- 
han's     Surface     Root 
Culture  of,  349 
"      Value  of  florae,  119 
"       Winter  Care  of,  288 
and  Enlopleura  of  all  Pearmain  Apple,  Cogswell,  214 
Phancrogamus  Plants, '  Penna.  Fruit  Growers'  Society  of, 


The,  3.56 
Originating  New  Varieties,  .300 
Origin   of  Souchette   Raspberry, 
181 
"      Species,  243 
Osage  Orangj  Hedge,  Transplant- 
ing an,  91 

The  375 
Ouachita  Grape,  The,  27 
Outlines  and  Description  of  Seed- 
ling Fruits,  ISO 
Overdoing  the  Strawberry  Trade, 'Phyllotaxis,  or  the  Law   of  the 


31,. 378 
"     Ilorticultural  Society,  31, 
128,  158,  191,  224,  255, 
352 
»  "  "     May 

Meeting,  190 
Pennock,  Early,  Apple,  347 
Peoples  Fruit,  The  78 
Persimmon — Diospyros  Napi,  the 

Japanese,  372 
Philadelphus,  Double,  23 


146 
Oxalis  Lasiandra,  122 


Pandanus  Veitchii   282 
Pardee's  Seedling  Pear,  214 
Parkman  Francis,   Professor   of 

Horticulture,  212 
Park's  Cling  Peach,  56,  313,  348 
Passiflora  Arborea,  66 
Patent,  A  Remarkable,  249 

"     Laws  and  Seedling  Fruits 
22 
Pavement,  Tar,  The  Manufacture 

of,  157 
Pavia  Microstachia,  372 
Peach,  Beatrice,  279 
"      Blood-  leaved,  206 
"         Free  Mason,  26 
"        Hale's  Karly,  374 
"      Hutchinson,  31 
"      New  Disease  in  the,  343 
"      Park's  Cling,  A  New,  56, 

313,  348 
"      Plowden    245,  343,  348 
"      Plowden's  Seedling,  278 
'•      Salway,  The,  (with  plate) 

117 
"      Tree  Disease,  A,  282 
"      Trees,  Dressing  for,  242 
"  "      the  Yellowsin,I44 

"      Yellow  St.  John,  279 
Peaches,  A  Grape  Vine  Bearing, 
153 

"         Fortune's  Double  Flow- 
ing, 2.) 
"  in  Utah,  249 

"         in  Virginia,  182 
•'  (;rop,  The,  275 

"         Mammoth,  30 
"  New,  312 

"         Seedling,  Improvement 
in,  :«{ 
Peak's  Emperor  Strawberry,  22 
Pear,  Bergamot  d'Kle,  342 
''     Beurre    de    L'Assamption 
New  French,  371 


Arrangement  of 
Leaves,  284 
Picea  Frazeri,  S9 
"      Pichta,  24 
Pierson,  Stephen,  Death  of,  118 
Pig,  An  Experiment  upon  a,  233 
Pine,  Ground,  22 

"    Trees,  Disease  in,  311 
Pink  Blossoms  from  a  White  Ge 

ranium,  121 
Pinus  Pungens,  273 
Pirates,  After  the,  53 
Pitcher  Plant,  California,  149 
Pitch  of  Greenhouse  Roofs,  123 


Plant  Cabinets, Greenhouse  and,2 
Case,  Heater  for,  329 
Food,  Manures  or.  111 
for  Name,  212 
Name  of,  118,  119,  310,  311 
New   Edible — Slum  Hele 

nianum,  2S0 
I  ha  lerogamous.    the    Or- 
ga  lie  Identity  of  the  Al 


Plum  Trees,  To  Keep  the  Curcu- 
lio  from,  144 
"      Weeping,  ]'i3 
Pollen,  Curious  Kesults  of  Hy- 
bridization in,  123 
Polymnia  Edulis,  16 
Pomace,  Castor  Oil,  21 
Pomological  Society,   American, 

91,  212,  222,  351 
Poplar  Tree,  The  Lombardy,  13 
Poplars,  Purple  Leaved,  24 
Porter's,  I  Population  of  Geneva,  123 

Port  Lavacca,Tex.,L\limate  of,149 
Portrait  of  J.  S.  Downer,  36S 
Potato    Beetle,     Colorado,    De- 
struction of  the,   20S, 
332 
"  "  "        Crush- 

ing the,  277 
"       Davis'  Seedling,  283 
"      in   France,  Introduction 

of  the,  95 
"       Native  Georgian,  153 
Potatoes   American,  in  England, 
61,  319 
"        from    the    Seed     Ball, 
the  Raising  of  new 
Varieties  of,  39 
"        Late  Rose,  375 
■'        Note  on,  13 
Pot  Plants  for  Summer  Exhibi- 
tion, Best,  63 
"    Vines,  158,  316 
Pats,  Anemones  in,  254 
Practical  PouUiy  Keeper,   The, 

183 
Preparation  and  Cultivation  of 

the  Soil,  297 
Preserving  Fruit,  1.55 
President  Berckmans,  342 

"        Wilder  Strawberry,  27 
Prickly  Pear,  216 
Pride  of  the  South  Apple,  247 
Principle  of  Wardian  Cases,  The, 

241 
Proceedings   of    Fruit  Grower's 
Society   of  Pa., 
25 
Products  of  the  Andes,  377 
Production,  How  to  Make  Popu- 
lar, 163 
"  Ramie,  248 

Professor  Porter's  Pear  Orchard, 

307,  341 
Profit  of  Early  Cucumbers,  2S4 
"  Grape  Culture,  Tke  cost 

and,  228 
"  Grape  Growing  for,  367 
Promises  of  the  Monthly,    The, 


Pronunciation  of  Camellia,  369 
Propagating  Aristolochia  Sipho, 
211 
"  Bouvardias,  24 

"  Irish  Junipers,  24 

Proper  Depth  to  Sow  Seed,  268 
"      Time  to  Plant  Trees,  The, 
240 


uuuien  and  Kndopleural  Pruning  Evergreens,  90 


of  all,  356 
"      Rice  Paper,  30 
Planting  the  Huffum  Pear,  122 
Plants,  Colored  Lights  on,  207 
"        Hlood-leaved,  206 
"        Itiseases  of,  15 
"        for  Edging,  283 
"        Names  of,  22,  308 
"        of  Scripture,  An  Abstract 
of  Uemarks  upon  the, 
141 
Plaster  for  Strawberries,  250 
Plates,  Our  Colored,  56,  91 
Pleasanton's,  Gen.,   Paper,  Brief 

Notes  on,  l.'09 
Plowden   Peach,   The  245,   343, 

348 
Plowden's  Seedling  Peach,  278 
Plum,  Columbia,  '1  he,  347 
"       Iienlon,  279 
"       Insects,  15 
"       Miner    and   Wild    Goose, 

The,  348 
"  '•    orHinckley,The,.347 


Hemlocks     and     Ever- 
greens, 120 
"      Pear  Trees,  63 
"      with  Reference  to  Fruit 
Production,  79 
Purple  Beech,  284 

"      Leaved  Poplars,  24 
Pyle  Apple,  124 


Queen  of  Autumn,  The,  360 
Quince,  A  Sweet,  57 
Quinces,  122 

R. 

Rai'.ishes  of  Russia,  The,  24 
Railway  Curs,  Heating,  122 
Rain  in  Various  Climates  Depth 

of,  25  J 
Raising  New  Flowers,  310 
Ramie  Production,  24S 
Rare  Prees,  33a 


R.ispberries,  285 

"  Herstine's,  246 

Raspberry,  Hornet,  274 

"        Souchetti'e,      Origin 
of,  181 
Recollections  of  South  Australia, 
Oceanica,  325 
of  Travel,  .336 
"  of  Van     Diemen's 

Land,  Oceauica, 
1C6 
"  Traveling,    16,   48, 

84,  .305  365 
Red  Spider,  Destroying,  370 
Remarkable  Patent,  A,  249 
Remarks  on  the  Daphne  Cneorum 

39 
Reminiscences  of  Australia,  131 
Retinospora,     Arborvitw,     Ac, 
Dwarf  Varieties  of, 
247 
'•  Fiticoides  374 

"  Filifera,  374 

Revivifying  an  Old   Mushroom 

Bed,  285 
Rhododendron  Brookii   Gracilis, 

2S2 
Rhododendrons    and    American 
Plants,  184 
"  Azaleas    and,   of 

Bloomsdale,195 
"  for  the  Conserva- 

tory, 188 
"  Himalayan,      in 

Ireland,  316 
"  in  Nature,  8 

Rice  Paper  Plant,  30 
Ripening  and  Decay  of  Fruit,314 
"        of  Wood,    Dryness    of 
Soil  an  Aid  to  the, 
75 

Rochester,  Letter  from,  333 
Road  Making,  etc.,  53 
Robinson's   Parks   and  GardoBS 

of  Europe,  55 
Rocky  Mountain  Evergreens,  55 
Root  of  Things,   Looking  at  the, 

307 

Roots  and  Water,  179 
'     Caladium,  287 

of  Trees,  Coal  Gas  and,  23 
'     Vitality  of,  221 
Rose,  The,  60 
Garden,  87 

Tree,  the  Largest,  286 
"       "     Oldest,  2.53 
Roses,   Climbing    Hybrid     Per- 
petual, 37.; 
"      New,  of  1871.  37! 
Rural  Carolinian,  Ciedit   to  the, 

91 
Ruralist,  The,  213 
Russia,  the  Radishes  of,  24 
Rust,  Blackberry,  211 
Rustic  Trees,  72 


Salisburia  or  Ginko  Tree,  123 

Salting  Asparagus,  23 

Salvia  Heerii,  317 

Salway  Peach,  The,  (with  plate) 

117 
Saponaria  Ocymoides,  1S8 
Scabra  or  Gunnera  (^liilensis,  153 
Scarlet  Laburnum,  62 
Screw.«,  T.>  fix,  in  Old  Holes,  199 
Scripture,  Plants  of.  An  Abstract 
of  Remarks  upon  the 
141 
Season,  Notes  on  the,  331 
Seed,  Egg  Plant,  200 
"  "  Keeping,  143 

"     Norway    Spruce,    Sowing, 

210 
"    Proper  Depth  to  Sow,  263 
Seedling  Apple,  20 

"      Fruit8,Patent  Laws  and, 

22 
"      Geraniums,  80 
"      G.mscberry   from  8.   S. 
Merceron,  311 


THE    GARDEJVER'S   MOJ^TELJ. 


Seedling  IVnclics,   Imjirovemenf  iStiawbi'viy,  New  French,  37 


in,  344 

"      I'eacli,  Plowden's,  £78 
Sec(Uini;8  of  Tuee,    Fruits,    &c.. 

^!al^ing,  2Co 
^eeds,  Early  Germination  of,  147 
"      The    Monocotyledon,    the 
llnivevfal  Type  of,  2t)l 
Seedsman,  Trial  of  a,  91 
Shelter,  299 

"      for  Rare  Trees,  208 
Sheppard  Pear,  214 
Shows,  Lilies  at  the  London,  254 
Siberian  Crab  Apples,   lmi)roTe- 

ment  iu,  311 
Sieva  Bean,  5.j 
Silvery  White  Spruce,  368 
Sinkholes,  Utilizing,  "209 
Slum  Helenianum — Kew   i:dible 

Plant,  280 
Size  of  Onions  iu  Kngland,  253 
Small,  Garden,  Layingout  a,  120 
Snow  Cactus,  the,  22 
Society's  Catalogue,  the,  301 
Sod,   the   Effect  of,   ia   Keeping 
Soil  Cool,  273 
"     Effects  of,  on  the  Tempera- 
ture of  the  Soil,  370 
Soil  for  iliignolia  glauca,  369 
Solanum  Ciliatum,  126,  171 
Souchel,  Mr.,  Death  of,  148 
Souchetti  Raspberry,   Origin  of, 

181 
Sotip,  Asparagus  in,  24 
Sour   and  Sweet,   and   Speckled 
Apples,  124 
"  "  Apples,  181 

Bontli  Anstralia,  Oceanica,   Ke- 

coUectioDS  of,  325 
Sowing  Norway  spruce  Seed,  210 

"      Kut  Trees,  276 
Sparrows,  English,  330 
Species,  Origin  of,  24? 
Speckled  Apple,  ?6 
Spinach,  Stewed,  Z 
Spirea  Japonica,  126 
Spontaneous  growth,  276 
Sports  in  Vegetation,  £36 
Stajman's  Summer  Apple,  215 
St.  Francis  Seigner  I'ear,  214 
St.  Louis,  Tower  Grove  Park,  21 
Strawberries?,  Alpine,  155 

"  American  and   En- 

glish    Kelative 
F'eriility  of,  369 
"  In  Michigan,  248 

"  in  Tennessee,  348 

"  of  Dr.  Nicaise,    156 

"  Plaster  for,  250 

Strawberry,  Colfax,  21 

"  Cowing's,  348 

"  "  Seedling, 

245 
"  T>r.  Warder,  279 

"  Exhibition  at  Vine- 

land,  N.  J.,  224 
"  Late,  119 

"  Ilonaicb      of     the 

West,  New,  152 


Peak's  Emperor,  22 
'•  I'resideut  \Vilder,27 

Show,  Bliss',  210 
"  Trade,      Overdoing 

the,  146 
"  Vicomtesse  Hericart 

de  Thury,  156 
Structure,  Fungi  and  its,  45,  75 
Substitute  for  Coffee,  A.  315 
Sub-tropical  Garden,  the,  344 
Summer    Exhibitions,  Best  Pot 

Plants  for,  63 
Sunflower,  California,  370 
Sunlight,    Chemical   Powers    of 

the,  231 
Supposed  Hybrid  Pear,  A,  156 
Surface  Manuring,  215 

"      Kooi    Culture   of  Pears, 
Meehan's  Terrible    lie- 
buits  of,  349 
Swallow's  Flit;ht,  the,  1300  miles 

in  24  hours,  03 
Sweet  and  Sour  Apples,    275,  343 
"      Quince,  A,  57 


jTiec--,  Ajiple.  on  hidge.'*,  210 
I     "       Dwarfing,  163 

Early  Fruit  on  Late,  275 
Fruits,  Ac,  Raising   Seed- 

ling.s  of,  2t;8 
Moving  Large,  277 
New  Book  on,  278 
Kare,  338 
Kusiic,  72 

Shelter  for  Kare,  208 
Sowing  Nut,  276 
The  Proper  Time  to  Plant, 

240 
Transplanting,  201 
Willow,  9J 
Trial  of  a  Seedsman,  91 
Tritoma  Uvaria,  210 
Tropical  Heat  Derived   from  the 

Earth,  235 
Tulips,  Early,  288 


Taplin's,  Mr.,  Article — Eucharis 

Amazonica,  Correction 

in,  370 

Tar  Pavement,  the  Manufacture 

of,  157 
Temperature  of  the  Soil,  Effects 
of  Sod  on  the,  370 
Tennessee,  Strawberries  in,  248 
Terrible  Kesults  of  Meehan's 
Surface  Koot  Culture 
I  of  Pears,  349 

Texas,  Growth  of  English  Alder 

iu,  276 
Thinning  of  Fruit,  298 
Thuja  Gigantea,  120 

"  "        and    Libocedrus 

Decurrens,  182 
Thunia  Bensonise,  348 
Tickets  to  Exhibitions,  309 
Todea  Wilkesiana,  282 
Tomatoes  from  Cuttings,  149 
"        Well  Kipened,  42 
Tomato,  Trophy,  21 
Transactions  of  Worcester  Co., 
Mass.,  Horticul- 
tural Society,  88 


u. 

Unger,  M.,  Death  of,  18 
Utah,  Peaches  in,  249 
Utilizing  Sinkholes,  209 
Use  for  Tree  Trimmings,  20 
Uses  of  Fungus,  78 

V. 

Value  of  Some  Pears,  119 
Vanda  Cccrulescens,  l.'J3 

"      Denisoniana,  153,  348 
Van  Pieman's  Land,   Oceanica, 

Ivccollections  of,  160 
Van  Houtte's,  Flores  des  Serres, 

152 
Variations,  Bud,  4.S 
Variegated  Maples,  309 
Varieties,  Hybrids  and,  122 

"         of  Althea,  Splendid, 200 
"  of  Asparagus,  90 

"         oftheFig,  314 
Vegetable  Garden,  36,  67,  99,131, 
162,   196,    226,     261, 
292,  323,  356 
Vegetables,  How  to  Cook,  64 
Vegetation,  Electricity  in,  234 

"  Sports  in,  336 

Veitcb,  Jno.,  Gould,  1S9 

"  "  Death  of,158 

Verbena,  Native  Country  of  the, 
211 


Transplanting  a  Large  Tree,  252iViburnum  Plicatum,  21 


An  Osage  Orange 
Hedge,  91 
'•  Evergreens,  376 

"  Tree  Box,  181 

"  Trees,  201 

Traveling  Recollections,   16,  48, 

84,  305,  365 
Travel,  Recollections  of,  336 
Tree  Box,  Transplanting,  181 
"     Carnations,  Cultivation,  96 
"     Rose,  the  Oldest,  253 
"     The  Oldest,  in  Europe,  252 
"     Trunsplantiiii;  a  Laige,  252 
"     Trimmings,  Use  for  20 


Vicomtesse  Hericart  de    Thury 

Strawberry,  156 
Victoria  Regia,  377 
Vilmorin,    Andrieux   &  Co.,   of 
Paris,  275 
M.,  Death  of,  118 
Vine,  A  Giant  Grapes,  216 

"    Mildew  of  Europe,  The,  54 
Vineland,  N.  J.,  Strawberry  Ex- 
hibition at,  224 
Weekly,  123 
Vines,  Pot,  158,  136 
Violet  Kays  upon  a  Grajiery,  231 
Violets,  Note  on  Growing,  6 


Virginia,  Grape  Culture  in,  55 

"         IV-iiches  iu,  ISJ 
Vitality  of  Evergreen  Seeds,  21 
"      of  Roots,  221 

w. 

Warder,  Dr.,  Strawberry,  279 
Wardiau   Cases,   the   Principles 

of,  241 
Worm,    Dry   Seasons,  Influence 

of.  297 
Water  Cress,  English,  5 
"      Lilies,  Chinese,  144 
"      Roots  and,  179 
Watermelon,  The,  270 
Waukegan,  Ills.,  Discoveries  of 
Ancient  Bones  at,4I 
Wealthy  Apple,  The,  27 
Wcepiug  Plum.  123 
Well  Kipened  Tomatoes  42 
Western  Farmer,  25 
West,  Manuring  in  the,  211 
What  I  know  about  Farming,lS3 
White    Geranium,    Pink    Blos- 
soms from  a,  121 
"        Flowered  Larch,  148 
"         Spruce,  Silvery,  368 
Wilder,  Marshall  P.,  Address  of, 

295 
Wild   Goose  Plum,   the  Wilder 

and,  348 
Willow  Bark,  377 
'•      Trees,  90 
Willows  Hating  Water,  211 
Wine  Grapes,  the  Best,  247 
Winter  Care  of  Pears,  288 
Evergreens  for,  40 
"      Flowers,  133 
"      Keeping  Coleus  through, 
344 
Wire  Fences,  121 
Wisteria,  New  Double,  152 

■'        Sinensis,  Flowering  of 

a,  121 
"  "        Large,  62 

Wodenethe,  Fruit  Culture  at,265 
Woods  of  China,  21 
Worcester  Co.,   Mass.,  Horticul- 
tural Society.  182 
"         Fruit  Farm.  A,  286 
World,  the  Insect,  376 
Writing  for  Copies  of  the  Month- 
ly, 89 
Wylie's,  Dr.,  IJvbrid   Grape,  65, 
279 


X. 

Xanthoceras  Sorbifolia,  153 

y. 

Yellow  Asphodel,  Thd,  18J 
"      Locust,  The,  24 
"      St.  John  Peach,  279 
Yellows  in  Peac'u  Trees,  The,  144 
Younp,  Gardening  for  the,  8 
Yews,  the  Golden  and  Silver,  165 


End 


OF 


y 


OLUME 


7 


III. 


v-C% 


*Mi 


^*»aB*/ 


iv'^r 


:iJi¥-^i 


^\ 

jfyw^* 

h, 

A 

.,                ^ 

^*    . 

■<■ 

*J5ii-4  4'* 

^\>7:< 

' 

'h^ 


.*?/V  ^^ 


♦t?^' 

j;^^ 


SiI^hI 

SwP 

^ 

*-M>jL>        .'