4/0 ANNUA I, KKPUKT OF THE off. Doc 



believe to be the best. Every one of them are satisfactory as hou»e 

 plants, so that what the judges agree upon will not decide which in 

 the only one to grow. 



Plants with berries, as the Ardisia Crenulata, are very popular, 80 

 also are what is commonly known as the Jerusalem Cherry, which is 

 not a cherry at all nor anything near lo it, but is a solanum (Solanum 

 capsicastrum), which belongs to the egg plant, peppers, tomato, and 

 potato family, but is used only for ornamental purposes, its orange 

 colored fruits being quite attractive to look upon. These plants are 

 readily raised from seed and grow to a fair sized plant in one season. 

 Each fruit contain a number of seeds, so that it may be raised 

 inexpensively. 



Orange plants in fruit are also grown in quantity in pots for 

 Christmas. This species grown is known in catalogues and encyclo- 

 pedias as the Otaheite Orange. Its habit of growth is dwarf and 

 bushy. The flowers are fragrant and the fruit is edible, but the flavor 

 is not of the best. 



The Aucuba Japonica is a plant very attractive when its plentiful 

 and oval-shaped berries are red and ripe. This plant is imported from 

 Europe generally already with the fruit fully developed. Botanically 

 it belongs to the dioecious class of plants, which means that some 

 plants have pistilate flowers while others have staminate flowers, 

 the former bearing the berries. In order to cause them to form their 

 attractive berries, the pollen from the staminate flowers must be 

 applied to those with pistilate flowers. In this connection the Euro- 

 pean nurserymen refuse to accept orders for only the pistilate variety, 

 so as to keep the trade in this particular class of plants all to them- 

 selves. This can be overcome, of course, by retaining a plant and 

 sowing the seeds as soon as ripe, and in the natural order of events 

 in due course the young plants resulting therefrom will, when suffi 

 ciently mature to flower, be found having both forms in less or more 

 equal numbers, but to do this takes time, and as this plant in Pennsyl- 

 vania, unless in very favored localities, is not quite hardy, it will be 

 necessary to give the plants greenhouse protection. Until the sex, 

 so to speak, of each plant becomes known it would be quite expen- 

 sive, and in these strenuous days and the desire to become rich 

 quick, commercial men hesitate to undertake it, feeling the uncer- 

 tainty of the undertaking for immediate profits, but farther south of 

 Pennsyh r ania or possibly in some favored spots in this great State, 

 it would undoubtedly prove to be profitable when grown outdoors. 



In many parts of Great Britain the Holly — native to that country 

 — with its bright red berries, is more symbolical of Christmas than 

 any other one thing. No matter how poor the family, a few sprigs of 

 Holly in fruit will surely be seen in the windows at that season. 

 The English Holly (Ilex ovalifolium) from a decorative viewpoint 

 is superior to our native Holly (Ilex opaca), being a much more rich 

 green in color, contrasting with marked effect with the red berries. 



I referred to this Holly in last year's report. I want to emphasize 

 what I said then with as much force as possible, urging some young 

 man to begin experimenting as soon as possible, for this Holly is slow 

 in growth and for a time disappointments must be looked for. Our 

 Commissioner of Forestry would be a great help in this matter. He 

 could tell us where the best prospects for a success in experimenting 

 could be made. The European Holly needs rich, moist land, where 



