84 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[March, 



than those raised from California seed. The 

 Colorado form, with its larger leaves and lighter 

 color, is even superior from an ornamental 

 point of view to the popular California tree. 



Pinus ponderosa. — We have had the seeds of 

 this tree from the Pacilic slope under several 

 names, but in every instance the seedlings failed 

 to endure our winters. The trees from our 



Colorado seeds have stood the past six winters 

 without the slightest injury, and we believe it to 

 be perfectly hardy. "As seen in the mountains 

 of Western America, Pinus ponderosa is the 

 most magnificent of all North American pines. 

 It produces heavy and very valuable timber — 

 the yellow pine of California, Colorado and 

 New Mexico."— C. S. S. 



Natural History and Science. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



THOSE CATALPAS ACAIN-AN INQUIRY. 



BY PROF. ROliERT MILLIKEN, KMPORIA, KAN. 



The great interest we on these treeless plains 

 of the far west have in the success of forest tree 

 culture, is my excuse for referring to the matter 

 of the varieties of the catalpa. 



There seems to be some confusion regarding 

 the identity of certain varieties which at times 

 we think we have settled, and then again we 

 hardly know. 



About two years ago, in conjunction with Mr. 

 John C. Teas, of Carthage, Mo., I undertook to 

 investigate the character of the speciosa, to if 

 possible, determine its botanical position, 

 whether a species or only a variety. 



Under date of May 20th, 1878, Mr. Teas after 

 writing at some length such facts as had come 

 under his observations regarding the C. speciosa, 

 says : " Then I have another Catalpa, — new 

 — from Japan ; not in bloom for two or three 

 weeks yet. Of this I am anxious to learn the 

 name. I suppose you have it in your books, and 

 can easily make it out from specimens I could 

 send. It is also an exceedingly vigorous up- 

 right grower, and I think will make a most 

 valuable timber tree, — surely so if its wood pos- 

 ses the imperishable quality belonging to the 

 other catalpas." 



Again June 6th, of same year, Mr. Teas 

 sent leaves and flowers of several kinds of catal- 

 pas, and wrote of the Japan variety : " It seems 

 a rather diflScult matter to settle upon the cor- 

 rect specific name, but I hope you may be able 

 to make it out. I had the trees in 1866, from 

 my friend Mahlon Moon, of Morrisville, Penna., 



grown from seed imported from Japan, by Ho- 

 vey «& Co., of Boston. I had also what appeared 

 to be the same, about the same time from 

 France, as Bungei, — very incorrect, as Bungei 

 is a very dwarf kind. [Why incorrect ? — Ed.] 



"The trees grew rapidly, and bloomed soon. 

 When Mr. Moon's trees bloomed he thought it 

 inferior to our native species, and so grubbed 

 out his stock entirely. We let it stand, but did not 

 regard it of any special value, until we thought of 

 using it as a timber tree. It grows with about, 

 I think quite double the rapidity of the common 

 catalpa, and when it gets up to a good size, it is 

 a good ornamental tree. I raised trees here in 

 1871 from seeds from the trees I had in 1866 in 

 Indiana. These planted five years ago, in vil- 

 lage lots are now 25 feet high, 7 to 8 inches in 

 diameter, more upright than the common catal- 

 pa, and fully twice as large as those of same set- 

 ting. The Japan is a more profuse bloomer 

 than the common, and the panicles are of larger 

 size. Two we counted had 380 and 404 flowers^ 

 and buds to bloom. Plenty more as large. The 

 flowei's are a little smaller than those of the 

 common, — Ig to li inch diameter each way, 

 color and markings same, onl}^ more color and 

 less white, and the white less pure and clear. 

 But the great profusion of bloom and large size 

 of the clusters make the trees in bloom a mag- 

 nificent, gorgeous sight, and the flowers are 

 quite fragrant. 



" The common seems to vary in regard to 

 fragrance, but I have never found any even 

 approaching the Japan in this respect. The 

 leaves though generally shaped a good deal like 

 leaves of the common, vary considerably. Many 

 are lobed, some on one side, and some on both^ 



