u 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



35 



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, whei-e 



these matters are well understood, trees " never 



die." 



♦♦♦< 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



TWO WELL KEPT PLACES. 



BY MR. MANSFIELD MILTON. 



Being recently on a visit to Sharon, Pa., I 

 visited the greenhouses of Mr. Boyce. also those 

 of Mr. Curtis, judging these gentlemen from col- 

 lections of plants at both places, they possess 

 horticultural tastes of a high and refined kind. 

 The places are adjacent to each other, and situ- 

 ated on an elevated portion of the town of 

 Sharon, which is one of the iron manufacturing 

 places on the banks of the Shenango river. 



I visited the place of Mr. Boyce first, and 

 found plants and houses in excellent condition, 

 — the plants in the best of health and the houses 

 clean and orderly. They consist of four plant- 

 houses and a large grapery. As the vines were 

 dormant at the time I was there, and covered 

 up, I cannot say in what condition they are in, 

 but judging from the surroundings they are in a 

 condition to give satisfactory results. Of the 

 plants in bloom, I noticed among a general 

 collection of winter-blooming plants, some fine 

 specimens of Begonia Ingrahamii, a fine, bright 

 crimson, flowering kind, with bright green leaves; 

 the spikes are borne on good long stalks, mak- 

 ing them useful to work into baskets and other 

 floral designs. 



A good spike of Lselia anceps was produced 

 from a healthy-looking plant. This is a beautiful 

 orchid, and when well taken care of, as it is here 

 under the treatment of Mr. Murchie, gardener 

 for Mr. Boyce, well repays all labor bestowed 

 upon it. Large plants of Adiantum Farleyense 

 in luxuriant growth I observed in this collection, 

 and alongside were fine plants of the beautiful 

 Adiantum gracillimum. What a difference be- 

 tween the size of the pinnules of these species, 

 but both beautiful. 



Some of the finest " heads" of the double Poin- 

 settia I have had the good fortune to see, are 

 grown in a house here. This has never been 

 much of a favorite with me, but under the con- 

 ditions I saw here, I must say it is simply 

 grand. Fine spikes of Euphorbia Jacquinoefolia 

 made the stage decorations graceful with its 



bright crimson flowers. A good plant of Lasi- 

 andra with its peculiar maroon-colored flowers 

 was also conspicuous. 



To mention all the well-flowered plants in 

 this collection would take up too much space. 

 Every plant was a specimen in itself, and so 

 well arranged that the stages looked like 

 well managed groups of diff'erent colors, giving 

 considerable credit to Mr. Murchie for his skill 

 and close attention. 



Upon entering the houses of Mr. Curtis, I 

 found Mr. O'Brien, the gardener, just putting 

 the "finishing touches" on a well-arranged bas- 

 ket of flowers. It was of large size, the flowers 

 used being white Camellias, Primulas, Carna- 

 tions, Cypripediums, Poinsettias, etc., and on a 

 white ground with scarlet Bouvardia were the 

 numerals 86, being the age^of the lady to 

 whom the basket was to be present ed as a Xew 

 Year's present. The general collection of plants 

 here are much the same as at Mr. Boyce's place. 

 There is, however, a most select collection of or- 

 chids and well grown. I observed two well grown 

 plants of Dendrobium densiflorum,an evergreen 

 orchid from India, with very showy flowers. 

 Another evergreen orchid of similar habit there, 

 was a good specimen of D. Farmer!. A well- 

 flowered plant of Cypripedium Roezlii, but 

 which I considered a very inferior variety, the 

 petals being shorter and poorly colored compared 

 with any I have seen. The beautiful Cypripedium 

 niveum was also well represented, besides many 

 more good kinds. Chinese Primulas were well 

 grown, large flowers and abundance of them. 



Some excellent specimens of Azaleas and Ca^ 

 mellias, also Palms, Dracaenas, and hosts of 

 other valuable plants. There are five houses 

 here and all heated with flues in w^hich soft coal 

 is used. Considering this and the excellent 

 health of the plants, considerable credit is due to 

 MrTO'Brien, demonstrating, in fact, that good 

 plants can be grown with good management in 

 houses heated by flues. 



PRESSING EARTH FIRM. 



BY RUSTICUS, NEAR LEXINGTON, KY. 



Several days ago I took occasion to send an 

 article to the New York Weekly Tribune, in vin- 

 dication of that noted horticulturist, Mr. Peter 

 Henderson and " firming." I was sorry to see 

 some slurs cast upon him ; but as his high repute 

 as a tiller of the soil will not break down under 

 them, his warm admirers need have no fears. I 



